#and i’ve seen the movies multiple times (my mom is a fan) but i’ve probably retained like. 15% of the plot.

[soleadita]

my dad being a diego luna stan was not on my 2022 bingo card but holy SHIT it’s my favorite thing ever. (i had to tell him the new season ISN’T starting soon. he was sad about that.)

[liverralonee]

okay okay wait hear me out.

stu was allowed to watch spongebob as a kid - he LOVED that shit, thought it was hilarious and quotes it everyday (barely anyone knows what hes saying😭)

billy wasnt allowed to watch it, so it turned him into spongebobs biggest hater, and will audibly sigh and get all irritated whenever stu mentions it

sidney wasnt allowed either, but she didnt care, she’d watch it sometimes at a friends house, but she was indifferent to the show in general; will occasionally laugh at stus stupid jokes

tatum was allowed, and she loved it, but she grew out of it and doesnt mention it every other second (cough stuart cough) but she catches every reference stu says and finds them funny

randy was also allowed, but didnt care for the show. he probably thought it was childish and unfunny, and lowk hates on it w billy sometimes, only he actually knows the show and isnt just blindly hating on it

(also, one time in private, stu made a spongebob related joke and billy actually LAUGHED. stu hasnt ever let him live it down and uses it as black mail from time to time to get what he wants)

HELP I LOVE THIS SM i love random scream headcanons they’re so funny

i think stu just knows pop culture like really well. like any kind of kids tv show? he’s seen at least an episode. sit coms? seen them. like any movie ever? he’s seen that shit

like it is insane how much this boy knows he gets any reference to anything but also lowkey gets slightly annoyed when other people don’t get it like fym you haven’t seen every single episode of jimmy neutron? (i’ve never seen it guys )

i feel like billy’s mom was cool with him watching mostly anything but she had like some very specific cartoons she didn’t want him watching , again, for really stupid reasons. soooo, stu brings it up and billy’s just a hater 😭 he’s a hater on most things tho so it’s not that crazy but stu’s a huge spongebob fan like he cannot believe this. this is hate. discrimination even.

i’d see sidney and tatum having about the same reaction to stu’s jokes except as you said, sid doesn’t actually know what he’s on about she’s just trying to go along with the joke and laugh it as if she knows what’s going on. hc that when stu and tatum first became friends she didn’t know any other thing that stu was interested in other than spongebob so that’s all they ever talked about 💀

and randys just… sigh. ily randy sm but i feel like he either enjoys something or absolutely hates it😭 like in scream 2 with how much of a hater he is when it comes to sequels like if he hates something, he DESPISES THAT SHIT HE CANNOT SPEND IT LMFAO. so stu makes a joke and randys just like “stu’s at it again”

i feel like before randy got into the whole like hating billy at any moment he gets, i feel like he actually tried being friends with billy but it just didn’t work cause billy doesn’t like anyone 😭 so stu makes another spongebob joke and randys like “oh my god. did you see that billy? he’s at it again” and billy just ignores him cause he does NOT wanna be friends with randy

i’m getting off topic but yeah i feel like randy tried to be friends with billy but uhhhh, it didn’t work very well.

also the billy laughing at stu’s joke i feel like it’s happened multiple times but it’s very rare. he has to be in a REALLY good mood 😭 but it’s probably happened a few times and stu does not let him move on from it even years later

[death2normalcy]

Since I’m officially done with the main guides to Stray Kids, I figured I’d do a couple fun guides, just for, well, fun. I wanted to start off with the dynamics between the boys. I’ve already talked about the three main rachas (3Racha, Danceracha, Vocalracha), but I thought it would be fun to talk a little about each friendship. (If you want to see even more about them, I’m going to link a couple videos for each pairing, and I currently have an ongoing dynamics series going on!) (There is 28 different pairings in this group, so they have to be broken up into multiple posts, lmao)

This post contains the following dynamics: Bang Chan and Lee Know; Bang Chan and Han; Lee Know and Han; Lee Know and Felix; Changbin and Felix; Hyunjin and I.N.; and Seungmin and I.N.

*Sort of a disclaimer: Each pairing will have a little nickname/identifier attached to them. Most of them come from stays themselves, whether directly or indirectly, but some of them I kind of had to create on my own. They may not be super creative, but it is what it is, lmao.

Bang Chan and Lee Know - “the parents”

the two oldest of the group

many fans refer to them as the dad and mom of the group (chan - dad and minho - mom)

chan is minho’s only hyung and he can be a little bratty towards the older boy. He teases him a lot, but you can tell chan doesn’t mind.

chan is constantly giving affection to lee know and lee know acts uninterested, but it’s clear he doesn’t mind it that much (almost like a cat and dog dynamic)

I mentioned in one of their posts, but lee know and changbin (and fans, and probably the other members, honestly) kind of consider themselves chan’s left and right hands. They do a lot to help him out, especially with the younger members, since chan always has a billion things he has going on.

also considered the boxing duo since they both do boxing when they go to the gym

also, the first and last stray kid

Pairing name - Minchan (I, personally, haven’t seen anyone use any other names, so I’m going to say this one is the most common)

Their 2 Kids Room episode (There are multiple volumes of this series, but I’m only going to link the most recent ones for this. I recommend checking the others out, if you really enjoy any of the dynamics!)

Random compilation video on Youtube

Bang Chan and Han - “the original two”

“chan’s first stray kid”

han was the first member that chan picked for the group, and you’ll see a lot of fans refer to han as chan’s first or his first ‘son’.

they’ve been together the longest, and there is a comfortableness between them that really shows.

han is the maknae in 3Racha and there’s compilations all over of chan being sweet to han.

You can tell that han just makes chan laugh all the time. So many of the videos with them, or 3Racha, has chan laughing so hard, and I love it

han teases chan sometimes, honestly all the members do, but once again, you can tell chan doesn’t actually mind, even if he pretends to. you can tell how fond he is of the younger boy (honestly, of all the members)

Pairing name - Chansung.

Their 2 Kids Room episode

Random compilation on Youtube. There’s actually a part 2 to this one, so check that one out too!

Lee Know and Han - “the soulmates”

a very popular pairing within the group

not only are they called soulmates by the fans, but the group themselves have referred to them as such, and both han and lee know have even stated that they believe they’re soulmates

It’s been stated multiple times, by members and fans, that han and lee know find comfort in each other and are very comfortable around each other.

fun fact: han has openly admitted that when he first met lee know, he was upset, because he was very full of himself back then and he thought he was the most handsome, until lee know joined the group.

members have stated that both boys have a similar sense of humor and spend a lot of time together in their own time, doing things like watching horror movies or going out to eat.

Pairing name: Minsung

Their 2 Kids Room episode

Random compilation on Youtube (So, because of the popularity of this pairing, it’s a bit difficult to find videos that aren’t romantic leaning, and that’s not what I’m going for. The one I link seems to be more neutral in that regard, and is even a whole series on their page, so check it out!)

Lee Know and Felix - “meowracha”

soft-hearted boys, honestly

referred to as acting like cats by fans and members alike, hence meowracha

lee know is arguably the softest with felix. In their 2kr episode, he even states he treats him differently than say, seungmin (more on them later), because felix can’t handle it (not that felix is weak! he’s just a soft boy,and we love him for it. but these two are on opposite ends of the soft-hearted spectrum, honestly. felix wears his heart on his sleeve, lee know is a lot more subtle about it.)

two key members of danceracha (the third being hyunjin, of course)

also, the two little chefs! lee know is the main chef of the group, i believe, whereas Felix leans more towards baking

both of them almost didn’t debut with the group, but stays are so happy they did!

recently posted a whole vlog together that was filmed in Japan, I recommend checking it out!

Pairing name: Minlix

Their 2 Kids Room Episode

Random compilation on Youtube

Changbin and Felix - “‘changbin is my type’ duo”

these two are just the biggest sweethearts. almost wanted to make their nickname that, because that’s just the vibe they give me, lol

aegyo kings (although I think changbin seems to enjoy doing it a lot more)

their nickname up there is in reference to felix stating (during a fanmeet?), after someone asked him his type, that changbin was his type when it came to males (I’m not trying to assume anyone’s sexuality here, just stated what was said.)

changbin clearly has a big soft spot for felix (who wouldn’t??)

during an episode of The 9th (one of the groups shows, but I’m not 100% certain what it is? I haven’t seen most of it, mainly just the clips from this episode), felix wrote a letter to changbin, as he was the person he was most thankful for at the time. he talks about how changbin was there for him, and helped him with his rap a lot. We don’t actually get to hear what the letter says, but a lot of the comments under the video seem to think it may have been too emotional. Here’s the link! (This clip also includes other great moments, including I.N. being thankful to chan, and lee know being thankful to seungmin (again, more on them later)).

takeaway from this should just be that they are soft for each other, and very sweet, and it’s great to see

ALMOST FORGOT. a little fun fact: felix has a body pillow with changbin’s face on it, lmao. It’s talked about in their 2 kids room episode. he said it helped him sleep after the group split up into two dorms, instead of one, and all the boys got their own rooms. the this is what it looks like

Pairing name: Changlix

Their 2 Kids Room episode (where Felix openly states he likes everything about Changbin)

Random video compilation on Youtube. (Another pairing where finding non-romantic leaning compilation videos can be a bit more work.)

Hyunjin and I.N. - ‘sunshine and sunshine protector’

hyunjin adores i.n.. and i.n. definitely adores hyunjin. when he was asked to rank the members, while he originally picked han as his favorite, he later said in a fancall (?) that hyunjin was actually number one

their nickname comes from how protective hyunjin is over i.n. he even kind of talks about it in their 2 kids room episode

you’ll notice that hyunjin actually lights up a lot more around i.n. (and seungmin, honestly). it’s not that he doesn’t love the other guys, or that he isn’t close with them. but he almost becomes bubbly with the two youngest and it’s really sweet

i didn’t notice it at first, i won’t lie, but i.n. actually lights up around hyunjin too, and he clearly really respects and cares for him.

i don’t have too much to say about them, other than the fact that they are very adorable

Pairing name: Hyunjeong (or Hyunin)

Their 2 Kids Room episode

Random video compilation on Youtube. (It’s an older video, but very cute)

Seungmin and I.N. - “vocalracha”

the two maknaes (youngest) of the group

always fighting each other in the background

despite referring to other pairings as having a sibling dynamic, I personally think that these two give off the biggest sibling energy

but like, close siblings. it’s all that fighting in the background, lmao. they mess around, but they are clearly very close (video compilation kind of showing what i mean, lol. it’s an older video, but a good example)

the ones that have had braces while in the group. i.n. had them in the earlier days, and seungmin has them now

personally, i think they’re underrated, and it’s a shame. i see a lot of love for them, for sure, but not nearly as much as some of the other members.

go to vocal lessons together, and i.n. even stopped working out so he could do the lessons. and honestly, their hard work pays off, they’ve both come so far since they were trainees, and are very talented vocalists.

Pairing name: Seungin (I think?), but I just refer to them as vocalracha, lol

Their 2 Kids Room episode

Random video compilation on Youtube

[the-cat-chat]

February 17, 2024

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

A high-school boy, Cameron, cannot date Bianca until her anti-social older sister, Kat, has a boyfriend. So, Cameron pays a mysterious boy, Patrick, to charm Kat.

JayBell: I don't know if it's the nostalgia, but it seems everyone everywhere loves this movie. So since I had never seen it, I was excited to finally watch it for V-Day 2024. And I was shocked.

So here it is: 10 Things I Hate About 10 Things I Hate About You

Heath Ledger's character. It has almost 0 redeeming qualities. Not only is he a deceptive liar, the movie never gives him a sympathetic reason for him to accept money to date Julia Stiles' character in the first place. I kept waiting for the movie to say he was poor or he needed the money for school or a sick mom to help us think better of him. But no. Also, when Julia's character is suspicious, he gaslights her into thinking she's an insecure bitch for questioning his motives (like what???). Why do we like him?

The inability of any character to apologize. Heath Ledger is the one in the wrong. But in the end, Julia's character gives this "romantic" speech as if she wasn't the victim of the plot? And his apology? Oh yeah I bought you a guitar. AND instead of apologizing at one point, he just tries to force kiss her? Also where is the sister's apologies?

The physical gags. Why were they in the movie at all? The bike accident, the gym teacher getting hit by an arrow, a guy getting hit by a golf ball, the dad throwing the exercise equipment into a neighboring yard. WHYYY. It wasn't funny in the slightest and felt out of place.

The dynamic between the sisters. At one point, the sisters get a nice moment of vulnerability where Julia Stiles' character reveals something significant. And her sister is an insensitive, uncaring brat about it. And then the movie never shows their "reunion" or a moment where they actually come to an understanding. Instead the sister is selfish, cries about it on a swing, and all is better.

David Krumholtz's character. It hurts me to say cause I was a Numb3r's fan, but wow was his character not easy to watch in this movie.

The entire plot. Okay I get that they were adapting Shakespeare. But the original deal is that the girls can't date until they graduate. And then the dad's like nevermind it's when your sister dates. The change makes no sense. Why does everything depend on the sister? How is that fair?

The English teacher's behavior. He has it out for Julia Stiles' character because she has opinions? Anyone that engaged would normally make a teacher happy. Also he kicks her out of class after like 2 minutes multiple times for seemingly no reason which is so odd.

The flashing scene. I think the fact that her character would do that is so weird. I know this is probably an outdated "joke" that just doesn't resonate today. But the idea of flashing your teacher and whole class is just gross to me and not funny in the slightest.

The guidance counselor or principal or whoever she is. Why is she so horny? This might be another case of humor not aging well cause none of her actions or jokes quite landed.

The relationship between the sister and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character. JGL falls for the sister on first sight and defends her to everyone. I wish that JGL wasn't a new student but a guy who had a crush on her for a long time. I think that would give more weight to their feelings.

Now that I'm looking back at this list, maybe I just hated all of the characters, the jokes, and the entire plot? Which is crazy for how much people love this movie.

Rating: 3.5/10 cats 🐈

Anzie: I was going to be cute and make my review like the little poem and like 10 things blah blah blah. I can’t. I honestly can’t. Every time I’ve thought of writing my review my mind was entire overwhelmed by how physically affected I have been by Heath Ledger’s hair in this movie. God rest his soul but I want to go back in time to this movie set with some shampoo and a hair brush. I know he’s a rebel but plllssss does that mean his hair has to be greaser than the rats hanging out in the Burger King dumpster???? Anyway. I feel better now. And I’m sooo peeved bc Heath Ledger!!! Little baby me loooved Heath Ledger. And Julia Stiles. The Prince and me??? Hheeeeelllo??? Gawd I’m an idiot we should’ve watched that. Ugggg. Okkk. Baby JGL???? Forget it. Okkk. I have to say- I never read the entirety of The Taming of the Shrew, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say even in Shakespeare’s day it wasn’t this offense. Bc it is. And I now know that the odd feeling of false memories that I had “seen” this- weren’t “false” at all it was my sweet, kind brain once again trying to protect me from myself. Okkk so now that that’s out we’re speed running the review.

1. Pls let me shampoo HL’s hair.

2. The guy from Numbers. no. It’s a no. I can’t stand him. Idk why. I can’t. I think it’s Santa Clause related- can’t be sure.

3. What is the dad’s actual malfunction? He needs therapy and chill pills. Bc his obsession over his daughters becoming pregnant is so insane.

4. Also no back story really on the mom leaving thing??? Right? I’m sure it’s totally related to the dad’s nutso thing.

5. Everyone needs to lay off Kat? Like seriously. And the teacher??? Bc she’s got an opinion? And the stoopid model guy. And her sister?

6. Yes model guy gets his own spot.

7. Yes her sister gets her own spot? How could she not?

8. And this whole plan???

9. And the whole reason she hates model guy??? I’m sure you’d tell your sister that if she actively going after him???

10. And the whole Kat finds out/peter buys her love and forgiveness back/ but at least they’re self aware about it????

Ga. Oh make it 11 things I hate.

11. The scene where her and her sister “fix” things??? Just non existent- but sure show us numbers guy flying off the hill with his scooter.

Gaaaaa.

12. We can’t forget Ms. Perky. Whyyy??

13. The more questions the more I honestly fell I need to read taming of the shrew just to understand.

14. Ohhhh. And how did it literally take to the last scenes to learn HL character was called Peter?? (Patrick). Is that on me or was it never talked about? I’m sure it’s me.

Gaaaaaaa. 14? 😬

Rating: 4/10 Cats 🐈‍⬛

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #072

When you’re at home, do you spend most of your time in your room? No, I'm usually in the spare room nowadays. Do you like potato chips? Yeah, I love regular potato chips. What is your favorite Hostess/Little Debbie snack? I really like those chocolate cupcake things. How do you feel about coconut? I'm not a fan of the flavor, generally. ^ Ever cracked one open? I have not.

Give one fun fact about the last person that called you? Uhhhh my mom was born in the same area of New York as where The Nanny sitcom takes place. Do your parents know you have a Tumblr account? No. I highly doubt either of them even know what it is. Is there anyone you wish you could apologize to? Who? Yes, Jason. Were you interested at all in the last person that flirted with you? That would be my boyfriend, so obviously yeah. What is the most depressing book you can think of? Movie? Song? Book: Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. Movie: I think The Boy In the Striped Pajamas. Song: "Terrible Things" by Mayday Parade. Do you know/like any songs by Weird Al? Which is your favorite? Ha ha yeah, and c'mon, "White 'n' Nerdy" is a fuckin classic. Do you enjoy applying make up, if you wear it? NO. My fucking tremors make it hard. Do physical exams make you uncomfortable? Yes, so much so that even at 26 I've never set foot in a gynecologist's office. I officially am going in February though and I'm absolutely fucking dreading it and will probably have a panic attack and/or cry. I don't like people touching me ANYWHERE beyond hugging, never mind... there. If you could say one thing to your favorite celeb, what would you say? I'd thank him for literally saving my life and remind him that's what heroes do. Mark isn't a fan of being called that, but dude... he literally is to me because I WOULD have offed myself in my deepest depression when all I really did was watch him if I hadn't at least had that much. Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the planet? My uncle. Filthy rich fucks whose monetary greed is never satiated to the point of others sufferimg don't fucking deserve a place on this goddamn earth. Your favorite romantic movie? I'm a sucker for The Notebook. How do you feel about Valentine’s Day? I honestly love it and think it's cute. Literally devoting a day to love is a beautiful thing to me. Like yeah sure, you should ALWAYS express love, but I don't see what's so wrong about making a holiday for focusing on it. Have you ever slept in a water bed? Yep. How do you feel about having sex during your menstrual period? I would never be able to do that, the concept super grosses me out. Does your ex have a job? "The" ex Jason probably does, he was working at Office Depot shortly before we broke up and still years later was last I knew. He had a problem with me not having a job at like fucking 18, so I'm quiiiite sure he wouldn't be okay with not having one at his age now and with a college education. Do you look decent in your most recent photograph? No. Tomorrow is? Girt's birthday!! What are your plans for tomorrow? I'm going to Girt's to celebrate him getting old, ha ha. What are you listening to right now? "Bück dich" by Rammstein. My mom gets a kick outta this one because to her it sounds kinda like Till says "birthday" in a weird way when it's literally "bend over" lmfao Do you want a girl or a boy as your first born? I'd definitely prefer a girl. When will your next kiss be? I'm sure it'll be tomorrow. What’s your favorite phase of the moon? Full! Do you weigh the same as your mom? No, I'm bigger than her. She lost a lot of weight from cancer. Does sunlight make you happier? Sure does. Being in a light place noticeably helps my depression. Do you watch The Walking Dead? Never seen a single episode of the show, but I've watched multiple let's plays of the game series and have also played Season 1 myself. BOY does that game know how to make me cry. If you’ve ever babysat, do you like it? No. The only reason I usually go with my mom when she needs to watch Ash's kids is because they're my family, want to see me, and Mom is the one *really* taking care of them and what they need. I'm really just there to play with, ha ha. Are raisins good? NO. What is your favorite flavor on sunflower seeds? I don't like eating those. Do you get a lot of spiders in your house? Nah, not really. Name one naughty thing you’ve done. DO NOT do this because it's extremely inconsiderate and just gross but I've done sexual stuff in my younger sister's bed when Jason and I had to sleep in there instead of my room for some reason I don't recall. Name two of your favorite things as a child. Pokemon and Webkinz. Do you think homosexuality (anything beside heterosexual) is a choice? Of course it's not. Do you REALLY think people would CHOOSE to like the same gender when they face ridicule, torture, and even murder? NO sane person would do that shit. Have you ever seen an alligator in person? I have, at zoos and at least once in the wild, following Hurricane Floyd. On god I noticed and pointed out an alligator in a water-filled ditch some time after the hurricane, which was devastating and destroyed the nearby zoo. It had been very close to where I saw it, so I'm assuming it got loose or something. I was very young when this happened so the details are definitely blurry. Are you good at ping pong? Not at all. I'll miss the ball every single time. Does it annoy you when people’s eyebrows are a different color than hair? I don't care. Mine are right now. What primary color is your Christmas tree? Green. I want a black one when I get my own place. 😩 What is the stupidest thing you’ve done to a friend’s pet? Uh, nothing, really. Have you ever seen a snake in the road? I'm certain I have at some point. What does your best friend want to do when they grow up? Well he is a grown-up but I don't think he has a real set goal. He's pretty content at the tire factory. Do you like any Bon Jovi songs? Yeah, quite a few. What is one song that really inspires you? "Life Won't Wait" by Ozzy Osbourne. Who do you have photographs of in your room? Roman and Teddy. If you were a writer, what would you write about most? I write mostly about meerkats in a fantasy setting. I'd do that if I did it professionally, too, probably. If you’re a girl, what symptoms do you get when you PMS? Primarily I become more emotional than ever and usually will wind up crying at least once before I start. My stomach can get pretty upset. I also have the usual cramping. Sometimes headaches. If you had to decide, what do you think people envy about you? I guess that I don't/can't work. Although I can fucking assure you it's not a good feeling to be in that position and I fucking hate not working. If you want to get your crush’s attention, what do you do? Honestly both of us have a habit of poking each other or something similar if we really want the other's attention for something, ha ha. How long have you been single or in a relationship for? Girt and I have been together for a year and one month now. Do you know what you’re going to wear tomorrow? No, but I'll probably try to pick something at least somewhat pretty. I think I'm gonna ACTUALLY put on at least eyeliner. I want to at least TRY to look some semblance of "good" for Girt's birthday/family dinner. Would you rather drive on a long straight highway or windy backroads? I absolutely prefer backroads. I don't like how fast you go on highways and it's so much busier. What is the fastest you’ve ever gone in a car? Honestly? I don't want to know. But it would definitely be the occasion Dad picked Nicole and me up from school and he was in a fucking furious mood and FLEW the fuck home, running red lights/stop signs and illegally passing. I honestly feared for mine and Nicole's lives. A part of me still doesn't forgive him for putting us so profoundly at risk. I remember Nicole had to ride with him AGAIN to go to dance and I told her to sit the hell in the back. Have you ever seen someone break their bone in real life? I don't think so, no. I mean, besides myself. Have you ever been to a laser tag place? Yeah, I played it once with Jason, Jacob, and Amanda. It was SUPER fun. How do you wanna celebrate your next birthday? Maybe get a tattoo and/or piercing and per tradition we'll go out to eat, and I'm sure I'll pick The Cheesecake Factory as always. Do you tease your parents about them being old? No. Both of my parents are SUCH children at heart and I just don't think it's really nice to pick fun at how old someone is, anyway. You should (generally) be and act grateful regarding how long someone has lived. Is anyone afraid of you? I doubt it. My mom has told me it can be scary when I REALLY raise my voice/yell, but there's no way she thinks I personally am "scary." I'm like, the most non-threatening person you'll meet. What’s the strangest named pet you’ve ever had? I had a guinea pig named Harry Potter as a kid. Even though I had no connection to the series. I have no idea why I picked the name, ha ha. Would you rather visit the Taj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower? Absolutely Taj Mahal. Stunning location. Have you ever been to South America? I have not. When was the last time you ate popcorn? I haven't had popcorn in a long time, really. I don't know. Have you ever lived in a dorm? Nope. Do you have any nieces or nephews? I have a whole lot, but I only regularly see my immediate sister's three kids. I haven't even met a few of them. What was the last thing you broke/sprained? I think my ankle a few years back. I thought I'd broken it, but it was just an awful sprain, if I remember right. Did you ever play a sport as a little kid? Did you enjoy it? I played a lot: t-ball/softball, soccer (hated it), basketball, cheerleading (did with my sisters but hated it), and dance. I did take some volleyball classes too but didn't actually sign up for the team or something because it hurt my hands so bad. Do you actually participate in gym class, or just stand there? I participated just enough to get fine grades without seriously busting my ass. How much money do you have on you right now? Literally just a couple quarters and like a dime. When you were little, did you ever have a lemonade stand? Definitely not, I wouldn't do that shit in my hometown... Have you ever been bitten by a wild animal? No. Have you ever been lost in the woods? No. Do you like Tom Petty? I adore "Free Fallin'." I don't know much by him at all, though. Would you rather have snow or rain? Snow! Have you ever tried rock-climbing? Not seriously, but I used to LOVE climbing fake rock walls when I was younger. Ever witnessed a murder? No, thank the fucking lord. I myself didn't see this (for which I'm grateful), but my family did once stop our car to check on a poor old man on a bike who literally got hit by a car. Us kids stayed in the car, but I remember it scared the shit out of me. The guy was not seriously injured, thankfully. Do you care what people think of you? I honestly do, usually. Too much. Does your room have a ceiling fan? It does, but oddly enough not a ceiling light attached to it. Have you ever lied under oath? No. I had to go under oath when I argued my disability case many years ago. [TW: SUICIDE] Do you know anyone who has attempted suicide? Yes, myself included. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? Girt's house. I woulda loved to stay with him tonight. What was your favorite television show as a child? It was definitely Pokemon. I was obsessed. Have you ever won an award for a speech? Not a speech, no. I don't do those. Have you ever had a deadly animal as a pet? No, and I never would. The farthest I'll ever go is MAYBE Old World tarantulas, but their venom isn't fatal. I don't really think owning deadly animals is a smart move... Who were you named after? Nobody with my first name, but a number of women in my family have my middle name. What is your absolute favorite hobby? Hm. It varies with what I REALLY feel up to, honestly... I think I get the most satisfaction out of beefy, plot-significant, well-written RP posts, but the hobby I definitely do most consistently is watch let's plays. What’s your favorite comedy movie? I'm a sucker for White Chicks even though it's so stupid, ha ha. If you could see any musical on Broadway right now, what would it be? I wouldn't; I don't like musicals. Will you willingly sing in front of other people besides your family? I don't really sing in front of anyone. Do you eat soup when you’re sick? No, I don't like soup. Have you ever watched Doctor Who? I've seen like, I think one or two episodes with Sara when she visited. If you read, which book or series did you enjoy most as a child? Varying with age groups, there was Junie B. Jones, The Magic Tree House, and Hank the Cowdog.

[nevermindirah]

Do you have any thoughts on the use of AAVE for Nile (or lack thereof) in TOG fanfiction? I've been reading some Book of Nile fic and some writers seem to write her as a Millennial™ (using words like "fave" and "woke") but never acknowledge her Blackness in her patterns of speech. I know we don't see her use as much AAVE in the films, but I would argue she's in situations where code-switching would be valued (first in a "professional" environment in the army, then around a group of non-Black strangers).

Hi anon! I have many thoughts on this and I'm honored you asked me! But I should start by saying I'm white and any thoughts Black fans and especially Black American fans have on this that they want to share would be beyond lovely. (I'm not gonna tag anybody bc that feels rude but please add onto this post if any of y'all see this and want to!)

The main reason I personally avoid AAVE for Nile in my own fics is because I'm not Black. But Nile-centric fics by Black writers tend to avoid using much of it too, at least from what I've noticed/understood, and my guess is it's largely for the reason you mention, that she's in situations that encourage code-switching.

In movie canon Nile is highly competent at tailoring her language to each situation she finds herself in. This fantastic linguistics analysis meta shows how skillfully Nile chooses her vocabulary and grammar to meet her goals with different conversation partners in different contexts. In comics canon Nile had a bunch of different civilian jobs before joining the Marines, so she would've had experience code-switching in the ways that made sense for all those different contexts as well as the Marines and her family and high school and wherever else she spent her time before we met her. And now she's spending her time with a handful of immortals none of whom are native English speakers and a fellow Black American but one with a Queen's English UK accent whose professional experience is in the CIA where high-status code-switching is often an absolute must for success or even survival.

Fics featuring Nile are charged with extrapolating from that to how it might show up in her use of language that she's coping with a traumatic separation from her family and her career and pretty much everything she's ever known and now she needs to be able to make herself understood to people who seem to care about her and each other but are super duper in crisis, three (soon to be four) of whom predate Modern English entirely and the only one who's anywhere near her contemporary she's not supposed to talk to for a century. All of these people are telling her that pretty much any contact with any mortals poses an existential threat to her and the rest of the group. How the FUCK is she supposed to cope with that, like, generally? And would it be a more effective way for her to cope if she talked to Andy Joe and Nicky using the speech patterns that she used to use with her mom and brother, to at least retain that part of her identity even if it means having to do a lot of explaining, or would it meet her needs better to prioritize Andy Joe and Nicky understanding what she means with her words over using the particular words and grammar forms she used with her family?

I've seen several fics, both Nile-centric / BoN and otherwise, explore this a little bit in how/whether Nile uses Millennial™ speak. It's often a theme in Nile texting Booker despite the exile because of the popular headcanon that he as The Tech Guy is the only other immortal who understands memes. But Nile's much-younger-than-Booker mom probably uses Boomer and/or Gen X memes and Andy has been adapting to new communication styles for forever as evidenced by her canon high level of fluency with standard-American-accented English.

Which brings us back to people avoiding AAVE because they're not Black and they don't want to make mistakes (or they're not Black and they don't want to get yelled at for making mistakes, though I think many people overestimate how much they'll get yelled at while underestimating how much these mistakes can hurt). I can imagine some Black fans hold back from using much AAVE in fic because they don't want to share in-group stuff with white people who are likely to then adopt and ruin it, as white people so often do with Black cultural stuff. Some links about this including a great Khadija Mbowe video. I'm saying this gently, anon, because you might not know: woke, an example you cited as Millennial™ speak, is AAVE, and that's gotten erased by so many white people appropriating it and using it incorrectly online.

And also there's the part where fandom is a hobby and you never know when you're reading a fic that's the very first thing someone's ever written outside of a school assignment. This cultural considerations of language shit takes a level of effort and skill that not everybody puts into every fic, or even could if they wanted to because they haven't had time to build their skills yet. It's definitely easier for non-Black fans to project our millennial feels onto Nile than to do the layers of research and self-reflection it requires to depict what Blackness might mean to Nile, and it's not surprising that often people sharing their hobby creations on the internet have gone the easier route. There's not even necessarily shame in doing what's easier. It's just frustrating and often hurtful when structural white supremacy means that 3-dimensional Black characters are rare in media and thoughtful explorations of them in fandom are seen by the majority of fans as not-easy to make and therefore Nile Freeman, the main character in The Old Guard (2020) dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood, has the least fic and meta and art made about her of our 5 main immortals.

I've been active in different fandoms off and on for twenty years and I barely managed to write 5,000 words about Sam Wilson across multiple different fics in the 7 years since I fell in love with him. There's an alchemy to which characters we connect with, and on top of that which characters we connect with in a way that causes us to create stuff about them. Something about Nile Freeman finally tipped me over the edge from a voracious reader to a voracious writer. It's not for me to judge which characters speak to other individuals to the level of creating content about them, but I do think it's important for us to notice, and then work to fight, the pattern where across this fandom as a whole Nile gets way less content, and way less depth in so much of the content that's in theory about her, than any of these other characters.

Anyway, back to language. My two long fics feature Nile with several Black friends — Copley and OCs and cameos from other media — but all of those characters except Alec Hardison from Leverage aren't American. It's very possible I'm guilty of stereotyping Black British speech patterns in I See Your Eyes Seek a Distant Shore. I watched hours and hours of Black haircare YouTube videos in the research for that fic and I modeled my OCs' speech patterns on what I heard from some of those YouTubers as well as what I've heard people like John Boyega and Idris Elba saying in interviews, but the thing about doing your best is you still might fuck up.

I'm slowly making progress on my WIP where Nile and Sam Wilson are cousins, and what ways of talking with a family member might be authentic for Nile is a major question I need to figure out. For that, I'm largely modeling my writing choices on how I hear my Black friends and colleagues talking to each other. I haven't overheard colleagues talking in an office in a long-ass time, but back when that was a thing, I remember seeing a ton of nuance in the different ways many of my Black colleagues would talk to each other. Different people have different personalities! And backgrounds! And priorities! A few jobs ago my department was about 1/3 Black and we worked closely with Obama administration staff many of whom were Black and there was SO MUCH VARIETY in how Black people talked to each other, about work and workplace-appropriate personal stuff, where I and other white coworkers could hear. There are a few work friends in particular who I have in my head when I'm trying to imagine how Sam and Nile might talk to each other. From the outside looking in, God DAMN is shit complicated, intellectually and interpersonally and spiritually, for Black people who are devoting their professional lives to public service in the United States.

One more aspect of this that I have big thoughts on but I need to take extra care in talking about is the idea of acknowledging Nile's Blackness in her patterns of speech. There's no one right way to be Black, and Nile's a fictional character created by a white dude but there are plenty of real-life Black Americans who don't use much or even any AAVE, for reasons that are complicated because of white supremacy. (Highly highly recommend this video by Shanspeare on the harms of the Oreo stereotype.)

Something that's not the same but has enough similarity that I think it's worth talking about is my personal experience with authenticity and American Jewish speech patterns. My Jewish family members don't talk like they're in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and I've known lots of people who do talk that way (or the millennial version of it), some of whom have questioned my Jewishness because I don't talk that way. That hurts me. Sometimes when another Jew tells me some shit like "I've never heard a Jew say y'all'd've," I can respond with "well now you have asshole, bless your Yankee-ass heart," because the myth of Dixie is a racist lie but I will totally call white Northerners Yankees when they're being shitty to me for being Southern, and this particular Jew fucking revels in using "bless your heart" with maximum polite aggression, especially with said Yankees. But sometimes I don't have it in me to say anything and it just quietly hurts having an important part of me disbelieved by someone who shares that important part of me. The sting isn't quite the same when non-Jews disbelieve or discount my Jewishness, but that hurts too.

Who counts as authentically Jewish is a messy in-group conversation and it doesn't really make sense to explain it all here. Who counts as authentically Jewish is a matter of legal status for immigration, citizenship, and civil rights in Israel, and it's my number 2 reason after horrific treatment of Palestinians that I'm antizionist. But outside that extremely high-stakes legal situation, it can just feel really shitty to not be recognized as One Of Us, especially by your own people.

It can also feel really shitty to be The Only One of Your Kind in a group, even if that group is an immortal chosen family who all loves each other dearly. Sometimes especially in a situation like that where you know those people love you but there are certain things they don't get about you and will never quite be able to. I'm definitely projecting at least a little bit of my "lonely Jew who will be alone again for yet another Jewish holiday" stuff onto Nile when at the end of I See Your Eyes Seek a Distant Shore she's thinking about being the only Black immortal and moving away from the community she'd built with a mostly-Black group of mortals in that fic. Maybe that tracks, or maybe that's fucked up of me.

Basically, this got very long but it's complicated, writing about experiences that aren't your own takes skill which in turn takes time and practice to build, writing about experiences not your own that our society maligns can cause a lot of harm if done badly, it can also cause a lot of harm when a large enough portion of a fandom just decides to nope out of something that's difficult and risky because then there's just not much content about a character who deserves just a shit ton of loving and nuanced content, people are individuals and two people who come from the exact same cultural context might show that influence in all kinds of different ways, identity is complicated, language is complicated, writing is hard, and empathy and humility and doing our best aren't a guarantee of avoiding harm but they do go a long way in helping people create thoughtful content about a character as awesome and powerful and kind and messy and scared and curious and WORTHY as Nile Freeman.

[calwrites]

Fearless

Prequel to Don’t You

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x reader

Word count: 4.5k

————————

“Looks like it finally stopped raining.”

The murmur of the coffee shop was replaced by the sounds of the city as you followed Sebastian outside. The humidity seemed to hit you like a truck, making you miss the air conditioning you had just left.

“Finally. I thought I was going to be stuck in that coffee shop with you forever.” You laughed at the faux offended look on Sebastian’s face. “That’s what I get for not checking the weather.”

“Next time I’ll let you wait out the rain by yourself,” Sebastian threatened. His grin made the corners of his eyes crinkle a bit. Had they always done that? Had you just never noticed before?

“At least then I won’t have a bunch of teenage girls taking pictures of me the whole time. They’re scary. How do you deal with that all the time?” It had been disconcerting to have the group of girls staring at you and Sebastian as you sat and chatted. For a moment, you had thought you were crazy when you noticed them looking. The first thought you had was that you had something on your face or needed to fix your hair, but you realized why they were so focused on your table when they walked over to ask Sebastian for pictures.

Sebastian let out a sigh as he shrugged. For a second you were worried that you had said something wrong. “I just try to ignore it most of the time. I’m polite if they come up to me. I’d rather they like me than hate me.”

“I’m sure you have lots of stories. You’ll have to tell me sometime.” Your eyes widened when you realized what you’d said. What if he didn’t want to see you again? “I mean, if you’re staying in the city long. I’m sure you’re really busy.”

“I’ve got some promo to do soon, but I’m not filming again for a few months. I wanted a bit of the break.” Sebastian waved his hand. “Let’s not talk about my work. What about you? You taking the business world by storm?”

“Well I did just get a raise, so now I can almost afford my rent, groceries, and student loans.” The joys of living in New York City.

“Ah sounds like everything’s going well then. Are your parents still around?” Your parents had basically fallen in love with Sebastian when they first met him freshman year. A group of your friends had come over to your house for a movie night and Sebastian had insisted on staying to help you clean up after everyone else had left. Your mom had spent the next few weeks not so subtly dropping hints that she thought you should date him.

 “Yeah they’re still in Jersey. They tried to convince me to move in with them, but I told them I didn’t want to have to commute into the city every day. Of course, that set them off about how that’s what they’ve been doing my whole life because they didn’t want me growing up without a yard or whatever.”

“So it sounds like they haven’t changed much?” You shook your head slightly to force yourself to stop watching Sebastian as he laughed.

“No they have not.” You bumped your shoulder against Sebastian’s gently. “They’re your number one fans, you know.”

“Oh they are?” His eyebrows raised in surprise, and he was already fighting a smile, no doubt waiting to hear what embarrassing things your parents had done since high school graduation.

“They see all of your movies in theaters.” Multiple times, but you didn’t want Sebastian to think they were weirdos.

“Even the bad ones?”

“Even the bad ones. I did tell them that they aren’t allowed to buy any of the Bucky dolls.”

“They’re action figures.”

You rolled your eyes, but found yourself matching Sebastian’s smile anyway. “Whatever. It’d be weird seeing a mini version of you at my parents’ house. It’s bad enough that they still have a bunch of high school pictures hung up.”

“My mom does too. She’s going to be so excited when I tell her that I ran into you. You were always her favorite of our group.”

You stopped suddenly, grabbing Sebastian’s arm. He looked a little alarmed, but you ignored it. “Are you serious? I was always so scared of her. This is the best day of my life.” You had met Sebastian’s mom a couple of times throughout high school, but had never been able to tell whether or not she liked you.

“Scared of her? Why? Because of the accent?”

“The accent didn’t help, but really it was because she’s hot. That makes her intimidating.”

Sebastian groaned and pulled a face. “No. You can’t think my mom is hot. That’s not allowed. Take it back or I’m sending your parents all of the Bucky dolls I can find.”

“It’s not like I wanted to bang her or anything. I just think that she’s an attractive woman. Which makes sense considering how attractive you are.” Your mouth snapped shut. You weren’t sure who was blushing more, you or Sebastian. “Let’s forget about this whole conversation.” Sebastian laughed slightly and nodded.

It was silent between you two as you continued your walk through the streets. You weren’t really sure where he was going. You were heading to your car, but you couldn’t tell if Sebastian was also going somewhere or if he was just following you. If you had looked up, you would have noticed that Sebastian was watching you carefully. But you didn’t look up. Your eyes were on the pavement, watching the glow of the lights in the reflection from the rain.

“Do you remember that poster that was in our English class freshman year?” you asked suddenly. Sebastian’s brow crinkled slightly as he tried to remember, but then he followed your gaze to the glowing pavement and smiled.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” The two of you laughed slightly as you remembered your slightly eccentric teacher. “We made fun of that poster so much.”

“It was a stupid poster. But remember it was raining when we were leaving the homecoming dance freshman year and we started dancing in the parking lot-”

“And all of our friends thought we were crazy,” Sebastian finished. “To be fair, we were crazy. That was probably the most fun part of the dance though.”

“Are you saying that I was a bad date?” You gasped and brought your hand up to your mouth as if Sebastian had offended you. Both of you dissolved into giggles.

“I’m saying that I was probably a bad date. I was so awkward. I had such a big crush on you.” Sebastian rubbed his neck uncomfortably. You definitely didn’t notice how the action made his arms look.

“Wait really?” This was news to you. You had always kind of assumed that Sebastian didn’t like you very much. He had always seemed to just tolerate your presence.

“Oh yeah. All the guys used to make fun of me because I got so awkward around you. That’s why I never talked when you were with us.”

“I just thought you were shy or something.” Or that he secretly hated you.

“Well that too,” Sebastian admitted with a small grin.

“You should have just told me. I had a crush on you too. I was so excited when you asked me to the dance.” You were so engrossed in conversation that you almost walked right past your car. “Oh, this is me.”

“Oh.” Was it your imagination or did Sebastian look disappointed? Before you could figure it out, he was smiling again. “It’s been nice catching up. We should hang out again. You still have the same number?”

You assured Sebastian that you did and the two of you exchanged more pleasantries. After sliding into your car, you watched Sebastian continue down the street. The memory of the two of you dancing wildly in the parking lot while the rest of your friends complained about the rain made you smile. You kind of wished you had asked him to dance again.

————————

Part of you already wished that this weekend would never end, even though it had barely even begun. You had finally made it out of the city and still had a couple hours of driving left, but you were already dreading having to go back into the office on Monday.

You and Sebastian had been hanging out more since running into each other last month. Most of the time, you got away without any pictures of the two of you getting out, but recently that had been getting harder and harder to do. Now, through what you could only assume was some sort of social media stalking witchcraft, people had managed to figure out who you were. The hundreds of notifications had freaked you out at first, but after deleting all of the social media apps from your phone, it was totally not a big deal.

Until your coworkers had found out. Some magazine had printed a picture of you and Sebastian, including your name underneath it, so now everyone at the office was either making fun of you by pretending to take paparazzi pictures whenever you walked into a room or constantly asking about Sebastian. Needless to say, you desperately needed this weekend away.

“Hungry eyes,” Sebastian sang, rather poorly though you suspected that was on purpose. You had seen him in musicals in high school. He half turned towards you, reaching out with one hand while the other stayed on the wheel, as he continued to sing along to the music. “One look at you and I can’t disguise these-”

“Keep your eyes on the road,” you scolded, though you couldn’t help but laugh at his bad attempt to hit a high note. “You know, I was worried that you would get us killed at the cabin, but now I know you’re going to get us killed before we even make it there. And stop caressing my hair.” You slapped his hand away for emphasis.

He reached out again to run a hand down your hair. “I am not caressing your hair-”

“Definitely were.”

“-and I am not going to get us killed. We are going to have a nice relaxing weekend at a cabin that I rented and am graciously letting you stay at without paying me back. And we aren’t going to worry about paparazzi or annoying coworkers or random people on the street with cell phones.” There may have been a incident earlier that week where you had almost gone up to a random person in the street to yell at them about taking pictures of you and Sebastian. It turned out they were just a lost tourist who barely spoke English. That was when Sebastian decided that you needed a vacation too.

“I think I’m paying you back by forcing myself to spend time with you. You’re very hard to get along with. Plus, I have no money for vacations. We can’t all be actors in Marvel movies.” The trees blurred by as Sebastian drove down the highway.

“You know, I could probably get you in the next Captain America movie. You might not have any lines, but you could stand in the background.” Had he ever offered any of your other friends from high school roles in his movies? No, you couldn't let yourself get caught up in these kinds of questions.

“Sebastian, thanks again-”

“Stop! I told you to stop thanking me-”

“Thanks again,” you continued loudly, “for inviting me. I know that you were looking forward to a relaxing weekend away before you have press stuff. If you want, we don’t have to talk to each other. I don’t want to ruin your relaxation.”

Sebastian shifted uncomfortably in his seat at your thanks, but then shot you an incredulous look. “How would you ruin my relaxation? I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t want to spend time with you.”

“Promise?”

Sebastian sent you a smile that was so full of warmth that you could have melted right there. You were definitely getting caught up now. You tried to snap yourself out of it by thinking about all of the reasons you could never date Sebastian. First, he was Sebastian. He knew what you looked like when you were young and awkward. He had seen the awful bangs you cut yourself sophomore year. Second, he was Sebastian Stan. Surely he’d never date a nobody like you. Not that he was stuck up now. He was surprisingly similar to how he had been in high school. It’s just, he could date models if he wanted to. You were definitely not a model. And you wouldn’t even want to date someone in the spotlight like him. Third, you had been on like two dates with the skeazy guy from accounting. If you ignored most of what he said, he was only a little skeazy. Barely tolerable really. You could work with that.

But then Sebastian ran his hand through his hair, and you had to bite your lip to stop yourself from saying anything stupid. Did he know what he was doing or was he just naturally this cool now? Either way, it was going to be a long weekend.

————————

The dance was not fun. Whoever was writing the prom scenes in all of those cheesy movies was full of crap. The decorations looked bad, your dress was uncomfortable, and you were so busy making sure everything was running smoothly that you weren’t even getting to enjoy your senior prom. You never should have agreed to head the prom committee. Surely the night would be more fun if you didn’t have any responsibilities.

Except you’d probably still be standing on the edges of the dancing watching as all of your friends danced with their boyfriends. You had thought that this would finally be the dance you had a boyfriend for, but then your boyfriend broke up with you less than two weeks before because you were spending too much time working on prom. Great. Wonderful.

It had been difficult to mentally prepare yourself to go to senior prom without a date after working so hard on it.  It had seemed almost poetic when Sebastian asked you. The two of you had gone to your first high school dance together and now you were at your last high school dance together.

Except Sebastian had barely talked to you all night. In fact, he had barely even looked at you. At least, that’s what you thought. Sebastian later confessed to you that he was scared he’d get in the way of your prom committee duties so he watched you from afar as you took care of the last minute issues. But you didn’t know that yet.

“Decided to actually acknowledge me?” you snapped when Sebastian leaned against the wall beside you.

Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. He was probably already regretting coming over to talk to you. “I probably deserve that. You just seemed busy.”

“There were a couple of issues that I had to take care of. I still want to enjoy the dance though.”

“So let’s enjoy it.” Sebastian held his hand out to you and nodded to the dance floor. You smiled gratefully at him and took his hand, letting him lead you out.

Neither of you were great dancers, and the dance floor was maybe a little too crowded, but you made the best of it. After bumping into another couple one too many times, you and Sebastian retired back to the wall, perfectly content to watch the others and whisper amongst yourselves.

“So have you had fun tonight?” Sebastian asked. You had, which was surprising considering how badly the night had started out. Sometimes you forgot how well you and Sebastian could get on. It was so rare to talk to him one on one. You really didn’t know how prom could have gone better. You were kind of disappointed that prom was wrapping up. Already, the dance floor had begun emptying as people left for various after parties.

“I did.” Sebastian grinned, obviously pleased with your answer. “But it wasn’t nearly as good as homecoming freshman year.”

Sebastian's smile faded as he tried to recall the dance you were talking about. “Wasn’t that dance really awkward though?”

“Sure the actual dance was,” you shrugged. “But dancing in the parking lot after was one of my favorite high school memories.”

Sebastian threw his head back to laugh, his hand resting on your shoulder to steady himself. “I’ll admit that I’m kind of glad it’s not raining tonight. My mom was not happy that I got my suit wet. But we can still dance like that tonight. There’s plenty of room on the dance floor.”

“Absolutely not,” you scoffed. “We’d look crazy.”

“Everyone here is either our friend or someone who we’ll probably never see again.” Sebastian held his hand out to you. You bit your lip as you considered before meeting his eyes. He raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“Fine.” Sebastian laughed as you took his hand, once again allowing him to drag you onto the dance floor. He was truly fearless in his dancing this time. Obviously you had to follow suit and ignore the looks people were throwing you as you and Sebastian twirled and spun and jumped around. By the time it was time to leave the dance, you both were red faced and breathless with laughter. The sky was perfectly clear as you walked through the parking lot, but part of you wished it was raining so you could once again dance in a storm in your best dress with Sebastian.

————————

“I thought you weren’t talking to me because you didn’t really want to go with me.”

“What?” Sebastian took his eyes off the road quickly to look over at you. “Why would I ask you if I didn’t want to go with you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe our friends told you to since neither of us had dates.”

“You’re crazy. I was so intimidated by you that I didn’t want to get in your way.” You scoffed and started to speak but Sebastian shushed you. “You’ve always been the most impressive person in the room.”

You weren’t entirely sure how to respond to that. Sebastian Stan thought that you were impressive. But what exactly did that mean? That he thought it was neat that you managed to wrangle high school students enough to plan prom? He said ‘you’ve always’ which seemed to imply that he still felt that way. Right? But he was a successful actor. He worked with people way more impressive than you every day.

The thoughts flashed furiously through your head as Sebastian continued to drive slowly through the town. He had certainly achieved his goal to get away from the city. It was hard to believe the small town you’d spent the weekend in was so in the same state as the city. Paparazzi had certainly not been a worry for the two of you. Eventually, the car reached the end of the road. Rather than turning around and heading back into town, Sebastian put the car in park.

“I don’t want to go back,” he sighed. You had to agree with him. You wanted to stay right there. It had been so relaxing to get away from it all. No paparazzi. No fans. No coworkers. Just you and Sebastian. But it couldn’t last. You had work, and Sebastian had interviews.

“So let’s stay here,” you suggested. “We’ll stock up on food and then barricade ourselves in the cabin. We’ll obviously have to defend ourselves when Marvel comes looking for you and my company comes looking for me, but I have complete confidence that we can take them.” Not that you had reached a position in the company where they would notice you were missing. Maybe after a week or two they’d notice something was off. Marvel was sure to be quicker though.

“Ha ha you’ve made your point.” He sighed again. “This has been the best weekend I’ve had in a long time. Thanks for coming with me.”

“Thanks for inviting me.” Your voice sounded small in the sudden stillness of the car. Sebastian’s eyes flickered over your face, going from your eyes to your lips. “What did you mean earlier?”

“About what?”

“When you said that I was always the most impressive person in the room.” You were a little nervous about his answer. There was a good chance you’d made it out to be deeper than he meant. But then you remembered how fearless and free you felt when Sebastian led you out onto the dance floor at prom, and you knew you had to know the answer.

“Exactly that. I’m constantly in awe of you. The way you were the smartest person at school. I mean, I think you’re still the smartest person I know. I don’t understand anything you’re saying when you talk about work. You always knew exactly what to say to diffuse any of our friends’ drama. You’re kind and funny and always keep me on my toes.” Sebastian paused for a moment. You tried to speak, but all you could do was look at his beautiful blue eyes. “Running into you might be the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“Sebastian,” you murmured. Before you could think of anything else to say, Sebastian’s lips were on yours. You smiled into the kiss as you ran your fingers through Sebastian’s hair. It was the perfect length. You tried your best to capture the memory of this moment. The feel of his lips. His hand on your cheek. The faint sound of birds chirping outside. The patter of rain on the car roof. It was all perfect, and you wanted to remember every second of it.

————————

You didn’t know how life could get better than this. Sebastian’s hand was entwined with your own as you walked through the streets. You had been nervous about this at first. What would his fans think? So far they had been curious but benign when it came to you. Hopefully that wouldn’t change now.

You had almost cancelled when Sebastian showed up at your door. A night in suddenly sounded really good. He hadn’t let you though. Instead, Sebastian had grabbed your hand and pulled you out onto the street. You laughed as he twirled you, causing the skirt of your favorite dress to flow out.

“Good thing it’s not raining today,” Sebastian had laughed. “This would be much less enjoyable if we were getting rained on.”

“I don’t know about that. I think we normally have a pretty good time in the rain.”

 You had managed to walk to the restaurant without being spotted, though you had noticed some people taking pictures as you were eating. By the time the bill had been paid, you were more than happy to take Sebastian’s hand and follow him outside. A short walk later and the two of you were strolling around a park eating ice cream on the way back to your apartment.

“So did you have fun tonight?” Sebastian asked.

“I did,” you admitted with a smile. “It was a lot better than I was expecting.”

“Ouch.” Sebastian made a faux wounded expression that ended up making you both laugh. “I didn’t realize you thought I’d be a bad date.”

“It wasn’t you I was worried about. Your fans kind of terrify me. Not gonna lie. I half expected them to show up at the restaurant and start pelting me with rotten fruit or something.”

“That would certainly kill the mood, but I don’t think you have to worry about people throwing fruit at you.”

“No. I just have to worry about what people are going to be saying about me online.”

“Hey, stop.” Sebastian caught your hand and pulled you back to where he had stopped walking. His hands cupped both sides of your face as he looked seriously at you. “It’s going to be ok. Yeah, there are going to be some people who say some mean things. Just ignore it. It’s why I don’t bother with social media much. It doesn’t matter what they say.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one they’re going to accuse of dating someone just to latch onto their fame or money.” Soon after you and Sebastian had started hanging out, the posts about you trying to use Sebastian’s game to get ahead had started. It didn’t really make much sense. Being friends with an actor wasn’t going to get you promoted any sooner. Still, they had annoyed you and sometimes made you feel weird about being around Sebastian.

“I know that you’re not using me. You know that you’re not using me. Everyone that matters will know that you’re not using me. If anything, I’m getting the better end of our relationship. I’m getting to date the most amazing woman ever.”

“Most amazing woman ever?” you repeated. “I’m not sure I have the necessary qualifications for that title.”

“Would you like to hear your qualifications?”

“Yes I would.” You giggled slightly, feeling like a kid with a crush, when Sebastian slung his arm around you and pulled you close so that he could whisper in your ear.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. You are the smartest person I know. You’re kind and funny and you know all of this already because I’ve told you it before.”

“Yeah but I wanted to hear it again.” Your face was so close to Sebastian’s as you whispered back to him that your noses were almost touching. You hardly dared to breathe as your eyes flickered between his eyes and his lips. 

Sebastian just barely started moving closer when you both heard “Is that Sebastian Stan?” coming from a nearby group of people. You jumped back almost immediately, blushing like a kid who was caught holding hands on the playground. Sebastian sent you a small smile before turning to face the fans who had come up to ask for pictures. Once he was finally finished with that, he took your hand again and led you back towards your apartment. Hopefully, no one had gotten a picture of you two in the park about to kiss. Despite what Sebastian had said, you were still scared of what people would say. Your hands shook slightly as you walked, so you slipped your hand out of his, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

Quicker than you would have liked, you were back outside your apartment building. “Do you want to come up?” you asked when he stopped on the sidewalk.

Sebastian shook his head. “I have to be up early tomorrow, and, if I go up, I’m never gonna want to leave.” Sebastian grabbed your hands, which were still shaking, and pulled you close before resting his hands on your hips. “I had a great time tonight.” He smiled, making you feel a bit more brave. This was just Sebastian. The same Sebastian you had known for years growing up.

Slowly, Sebastian brought a hand up to your face, giving you plenty of time to stop him. But you didn’t want to. He was making you feel a bit fearless. You grinned as he kissed you softly. Even though it wasn’t your first kiss, it certainly felt like it. Although technically, it was your first kiss as an official couple. And it was your first kiss out in public, where someone could take a picture that would make its way through the Marvel fandom.

But that didn’t matter to you now. The kiss was flawless. And despite whatever people online were probably already posting about you, you would never regret this moment. Life with Sebastian was undeniably better than life without him. 

————————

tags

@bbl32

[beccanoodles]

Spike and Faye Pairing Analysis

March 2021

Ah the hit or miss pairing of the century! If you don’t love it, you probably hate it lol. I’m a very analytical person so I love analyzing works of art and overall enjoy deep discussions about them too. I have SO much to say when it comes to Cowboy Bebop (and oh I plan to), but I have decided to start with my very own OTP. Here, I am not really going to discuss Spike and Faye’s feelings for each other, but rather why I think people are drawn to this pairing and why I think they're totally valid. Get ready for a long read!😁

⚠️SPOILER WARNING!!! [Major Cowboy Bebop and the movie Out of the Past spoilers]⚠️

First off, let’s clear something up. I am confident most of us can agree that Spike was in love with Julia. Some people assume Spike and Faye fans are deranged and disregard Spike and Julia’s romantic relationship to try and make something of Spike and Faye that never was. While some people may have their various theories and opinions on this, generally, I don’t think anyone denies Spike’s love for Julia. As we will see, this pairing is not really driven by who loves who...let’s first look on the surface.

I don’t know your experiences with the series, but in mine, every time I show this to people it never fails for someone to say something along the lines of,

“Wait, they don’t end up together?”

“Why didn’t he kiss her!?”

“He should have stayed with her...”

and so fourth. 

Naturally, this pairing catches many eyes. 

Think about it, you are given two really cool, really hot and really deep characters that are really fun to see together! There are so many parallels between the two and they are arguably the strongest characters of the bunch. Granted, you can agree with this and still not ship them, but these aspects are part of what opens up the door for many fans of the pairing.

However, there is certainly more to this pairing than them simply looking good together right? As the years pass and I’ve now seen the show multiple times, my understanding of it has evolved in many areas, Spike and Faye included. 

Spike and Faye really couldn’t have ended up together. Sure, it’s a nice thought, but It would have been an entirely different show if they had. I don’t feel that the show should have happened any other way and I don’t think many other fans would either. 

So, what am I saying here?

What’s the point of this paring if I don’t think they should have ended up together? 

It is what's so frustrating about them, yet keeps you coming back and what honestly validates this pairing in my opinion. Spike and Faye are not driven by what is, but rather, what could be.  

I personally feel the themes of classic film Noir are not discussed enough when it comes to Cowboy Bebop! This is one of the show's major influences, especially when it comes to the plot and characters.

One of the common tropes of a film noir is that of a protagonist who is drawn back into his past and ultimate doom, usually by the “seduction” of a femme fatale. In these movies, the women are either a femme fatale [devious, dangerous, mysterious, greedy, troubled, or unreliable] or a woman of virtue [reliable, dutiful, trustworthy, conventional and loving]. 

I am going to use the 1947 classic, Out of the Past to make my comparisons from here on out.

In Out of the Past, Jeff is a former detective who gets caught up in a love triangle between a gangster and his girlfriend Kathie, sound familiar? He attempts to run away with her, but is betrayed and runs off to start a new life in a new town. Here, he meets Ann and falls in love with her, but of course, his past catches up to him and he is drawn back into the world of criminals (largely by Kathie’s involvement). This ultimately results in his and Kathie’s deaths and Ann’s heartbreak. 

Even though Kathie is the femme fatale in this movie, I found myself comparing her more to Julia’s role in the show, than to Faye’s and I found that Faye actually fit best in Ann’s role (this is a bit unusual considering Faye is typically seen as the femme fatale of this show).

Does that mean I think Julia was as ill intentioned as Kathie or that Spike fell in love with Faye? Well, not exactly, let’s look at it a bit further.

“The kind of beautiful, dangerous ordinary that you just can’t leave alone...Like an angel from the underworld or a devil from paradise.”

Most of what we get about Julia is from Spike’s point of view. From this, we learn she is at the center of Vicious and Spike’s conflict, but aside from that she is basically depicted as “The Virtuous Woman” of a noir. The colors around her are warm and she is shown caring for Spike. There is an innocence and modestly about her as well.

Yet, when we finally do meet Julia, we get a different image. We know she is tied up with dangerous men, but is she herself a dangerous woman?

She is certainly capable of betrayal. 

Suddenly she is a bad-ass-gun-toting woman in leather and black, surrounded by hues of grey and dark blue. Intentional or not, Julia is a major part of what lures Spike back into the past and ultimately to his death. In this case, Julia is the femme fatale of Spike’s story and thus, their relationship is doomed from the start.

Faye, on the other hand, is portrayed in somewhat of a contrast. When we first meet her, she is the clear cut femme fatale, appearing cunning, strong willed and seductive. However, we soon find that she has quite a bit of kindness and naivety hidden behind her facade. She uses the former tactics as a way of emotional (and probably physical) protection. Gren points this out in his conversation with her. 

Gren, 

“You’re just afraid they’d abandon you so you abandoned them. You distanced yourself from the whole thing.”

As the show progresses, we start to see less of her “femme fatale nature” and something more genuine. Think about it, between Hard Luck Woman and RFB Part 2 we don’t see much of Faye as her typical conniving or unreliable self, aside from changing the course of the Bebop maybe. Sure she takes off, but it isn’t at all for the same reasons she did in Jupiter Jazz or Speak Like a Child, for example. 

I would argue we actually see her more trustworthy and caring than ever. Since I don’t want to spend too much time talking about Faye’s character development (not here at least) I’ll give one example of this. 

When she returns to the Bebop after her encounter with Julia in RFB Part 1, she gives Spike the message, even though the outcome might hurt her (i.e. he leaves and/or dies). While she does first say “It’s gonna cost you,” she doesn’t really mean it because she tells him without hesitation only moments later.

This isn’t to say Faye good, Julia bad. Both women have their layers and even though we know way more about Faye, I don’t get the impression that Julia is selfish and cunning like Kathie was. But I do get the feeling she was enclosed in a world of crime and betrayal the way Kathie was. We really only know the basics of Spike and Julia’s situation. Who knows the details like motive or how long it lasted etc. etc. We can only speculate...

There is a scene towards the end of Out Of The Past, where Kathie tells Jeff to go away with her. This time it is her asking him, just like Julia asks Spike. During this she mentions,

“I never told you I was anything but what I am, you just wanted to imagine I was. That’s why I left you.”

This got me thinking...did Spike imagine Julia as something she wasn’t? Or something he wanted her to be that she just couldn’t be? 

It could explain why we get such contrasted images of her.

There are themes of this “dreamlike” relationship between Jeff and Kathie, similar to Spike and Julia’s “It was all a dream.”

The two of them were going to “live and be free,” probably something neither of them knew how to do and most likely wouldn’t have been able to get away with.

When Jet asks Spike if he can just forget the past, this is his answer.

Spike,

“There was a woman. For the first time in my life I saw a woman that was truly alive. At least that’s what I thought. She was the part of me I had lost, that part that was missing, that I had been longing for.”

I always wondered about this, because Spike is clearly talking about Julia, but right after is when Faye shows up. To me, that spoke volumes...

Faye is a woman who is terribly human and terribly alive.

Going back to Faye and Ann, I find their similarities shine not so much in the “Virtuous Woman,” concept, but rather in Ann’s dedication to Jeff and her optimism for the future. She is also the last person to talk to Jeff before he leaves for the final time, as if he were being presented with one last alternative. Spike spends his last moments with Faye as well, in which she basically begs him not to go and keep him in the present that she has now discovered for herself. She may be stuck, but she is definitely someone that yearns for human connection, love, and life.

The problem is, Spike and Faye are both set in opposite directions. Her’s leads to a future and Spike knows this because he points it out early on (My Funny Valentine). He also knows, his most likely does not. He has already dug himself too deep into this hole, if you will, that there is really no turning back. 

But let’s say none of that was an issue? What could be?

I sat and watched this movie (Out of the Past) with my mom. She didn’t know anything about it and didn’t know why I was watching it. I wanted her genuine reaction. The whole time she was getting mad at Jeff until the very end. I asked her why and she said that she wanted him to be able to live happily with Ann. I explained to her why he had to do what he did. She understood this, but still couldn’t help but be sad at how things turned out for him, when they could have been good.

Even though Kathie and Jeff are the “lovers,” of this movie, you don’t really want them to end up together. Forget that Kathie has a devious nature, regardless, you know where it has to end and you don’t want to see your hero die.

Like Kathie, Julia symbolizes Spike’s inevitable doom and Like Ann, Faye symbolizes his possible future. 

“I’ll be with you till the end”

                           “You’re the one still tied to the past Spike!”

                  ��                                            “Why do you have to go? Where are you going? What are you gonna do, just throw your life away like it was nothing?!”

It’s two sides of a sad coin...

We want Spike to have a future and because we love the characters of the show, it would be really great if he could have it with them, but that is where the tragedy is. It's only an idea we can think about, a possibility presented to us as it was to Jeff and Spike before their deaths.

The bottom line is, when it comes to Spike and Faye you are really only given a taste. You are not given what you expect to see, which is why I say this ship is driven by what could be. As it is with most of the character relationships in the show, no major breakthroughs are made until the very end, when it's too late. Then it just feels like such wasted potential, but sometimes in life, that's how it is. And thus, we have been given a very classic noir here ladies and gentlemen!

So no, I don’t think people miss the mark when they ship Spike and Faye, nor do I find they invalidate the show by any means. I kind of like that Watanabe switched it up and didn’t do the expected, but left us those subtle hints. He didn’t outright give Spike another lover, but he gave us someone that represents what he could have. Kind of does that with the crew as a whole too!

UGH. I love-hate this show and I love this pairing! Thank you for reading my thoughts and I know this may not be the case or reasoning for everyone, but just based on what I have seen around the community and where this show draws inspiration, this is what I have concluded. I didn’t get into Spike and Faye’s feelings for each other because it gets a little more theoretical there, but I would like to do a post on my thoughts on that as well sometime. I also didn’t touch too much on Spike’s reasoning for choosing to face Vicious in the end, just because I know that will only lead into a whole other analysis lol. But you know I have my thoughts on that and certainly plan to share them 😎 Also, I know I basically spoiled it, but Out of the Past is such a great movie!! I think if you’re a fan of this show it's definitely worth a watch! There are so many more parallels to Cowboy Bebop that I didn’t even mention. Anyways, thanks again and talk to you soon!

[sunshineandaisies]

Cabin Fever (Part Two)

Cabin Fever Masterlist

Summary: What was meant to be a weekend at the cabin with Peter, Pepper, and Morgan very quickly turned into a weekend alone with your best friend and your recently acknowledged feelings for him thanks to a certain assumption made by your step-mother.

Pairing: College!Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Words: ~2.0k

Warnings: language, sexual suggestions, angst?, too much overthinking, a tad bit of fluff

Telling Peter that you had lied to him about why Pepper and Morgan had suddenly cancelled their trip to the cabin didn’t go exactly as you had thought it would. His response to that fact that you had lied, however, was exactly as understanding as you had expected him to be, just as he always was when you finally found the courage to tell him the truth.

“I know.” He glanced at you from the corner of his eye before pressing the bottle of wine to his lips, and- for fuck’s sake, were you jealous of a wine bottle? You rolled your lips together, your attention firmly on him as he wiped his wine-stained lips on the back of his arm. “Wanna talk about it?”

“No,” you blurted before shaking your head. “I mean, yes. Maybe?” You sighed as he chuckled softly, settling the half-empty bottle of wine on the dock between the two of you. “I don’t know. It’s weird. Pepper...made a few assumptions. About us. Together.”

If you hadn’t been watching him closely for his reaction, you would have missed the nearly imperceptible widening of his eyes before he schooled his expression. “I see. And these assumptions, they-”

“She thought we needed a weekend alone after the busy semester we both had.”

He smiled and nodded, the implication of your words completely going over his head. “That’s nice of her. It has been a long time since we had some time to hang out, just the two of us. Last time was that weekend before winter break ended, right?”

“Mhm,” you answered noncommittally. “But Peter, I think you’re missing the p-”

“We had a movie night, and you accidentally bought Star Trek instead of Star Wars,” he reminisced, a small smile curving his lips as he leaned back on his arms and stared at the colors of the sunset beyond the trees on the horizon. “I had to spend all night explaining the differences in the two franchises to you.”

“Peter, I-”

“And I’m still not convinced that you didn’t buy the wrong movie on purpose, but the Star Wars franchise is a cinematic masterpiece and the movies deserve to be watched multiple times to truly appreciate-”

“Peter!” you interrupted. Your raised voice caused him to jump, but if you didn’t say what was on your mind now, you probably never would. You had just a fraction of a second to figure out how you wanted to proceed with telling Peter about Pepper’s real reason for not joining you that weekend, and in that miniscule amount of time, you panicked. There was no way in hell you could tell Peter that your step-mom thought you were going to spend the entire weekend having sex after a prolonged separation, so you did the first thing you could think of to put an end to the conversation altogether.

You pushed him into the lake.

Your mouth dropped open in shock and your eyes widened as Peter resurfaced, his hair sticking to his forehead and his already tight t-shirt clinging to his body. It took considerable effort to lift your gaze from his chest and the way that the wet t-shirt clung to his muscled form. You bit your lip and tried to keep your eyes trained firmly on his face, hoping that he didn’t see you openly staring at him like you wanted to completely devour him. And yet, staring at his face, as droplets of water trailed along his jawline and down his neck, did nothing to help the growing heat beneath your skin.   

You wanted to trace the trail of those water droplets. With your tongue. For fuck’s sake, when did he get so attractive? 

When he wiped the water from his face, his chocolate eyes narrowed at you. He looked absolutely adorable - pouting like that - and you couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled from you. You slapped your hand over your mouth to try to mask it, but it was too late. “What the fuck was that for, Y/N?” he questioned, and though he tried to look angry, the corners of his mouth were twitching into the ghost of a smile. 

You let yourself laugh freely then, feeling entirely more lighthearted now than you had only minutes ago when you were contemplating possibly making your weekend alone with Peter a thousand times more awkward by telling him the truth. “I had to get you to stop talking about Star Wars somehow,” you explained, and thankfully it was enough of a truth that he didn’t instantly spot the lie in your explanation. He really would have talked about Star Wars for hours if you let him. “Star Wars is so overrated, Peter.”

“You take that back!” he cried, wading through the shallow water towards you.

“Not gonna happen, Parker.” You laughed again, but your laughter was cut short when he stepped between your legs and wrapped his arms around your waist. The cool lake water seeping through the material of your shirt did absolutely nothing to douse the growing heat you felt at being so close to him. “What are you doing, Peter?”

“Do you take it back?” he questioned. 

You shook your head, watching him curiously.

His chocolate eyes sparkled with mischief, his brows raised in question, and his lips curled into a devastatingly attractive grin. “Take it back, Y/N. Last chance.”

Your mouth opened to respond, to tell him that you would never take back what you said - because really, the Star Wars movies needed to be knocked down a peg after Peter did absolutely nothing but talk them up - but you never managed to form the words. Peter’s proximity and the heat of his hands on your lower back made it impossible to speak. Hell, it made it impossible to even think straight. If you had managed to actually say something, you’re sure that it would have been nothing more than garbled nonsense.

“Time’s up.”

“Wha-” 

A scream tore through you as Peter tugged you into the water with him, and once your feet found purchase on the sandy bottom of the lake, you surfaced, sputtering and shivering and feeling significantly less heat now that Peter’s hands were no longer on your body. 

“You asshole!” you cried before bursting into a fit of giggles. He playfully splashed you, and you wholeheartedly returned the favor, sending a handful of water directly into his face. “What if I had my phone in my pocket?”

“I knew you didn’t.” He splashed again, laughing as you tried to shield yourself from the incoming water with your hands. “You left it on the couch. Besides, you asked for this when you pushed me into the water first.”

“Oh? I asked for it, did I?” you taunted as you waded through the water, closer and closer and closer until you were standing inches apart. “You sure about that, Parker?” 

He eyed you skeptically and took a step back, but he was still within your reach. You pounced, dragging Peter beneath the surface of the water with you. After a moment, strong arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you back to the surface. As soon as you and Peter locked eyes with one another, the sounds of your combined laughter echoed across the surface of the lake, but you quickly sobered and averted your gaze when you realized just how close you were.

You tried to ignore the feeling of his arms caging you against his chest, the feeling of his warm breath fanning across your cheek, the feeling of his heart beating beneath your hand on his chest. You tried to ignore the way that Peter’s hold on you never ceased, the way that Peter’s gaze was burning into your skin, the way that his fingers flexed against your lower back at the slightest move from you. 

“Y/N, I-”

“We should probably-”

You bit your lip, trying to hide the curl of your lips. Speaking at the same time was a talent that you and Peter had, never failing to irritate your dad back when you had first met, and it seemed that even a prolonged separation didn’t improve your conversational timing at all. “What’s up?” you asked him, finally getting the courage to look up at him.

You glanced up at him from under your lashes, and you were surprised to see him staring at you. The expression on his face had caught you off guard. It was so...soft, so tender with a certain heat hidden beneath in his chocolate eyes that you hadn’t seen directed at you before. It was a look that you recognized, though. You’d seen it when he looked at Liz during your sophomore year of high school, when he looked at MJ during your senior year of high school, when he looked at Gwen during your freshman year of college. 

But now he was looking at you. 

“What?” you asked, feeling suddenly shy under his intense gaze.

He stared at you, opening and closing his mouth over and over again as if he was trying to sort out what he wanted to say before he said something that made the situation ten times more awkward than it already was with your admission. His dark eyes, looking like pools of golden honey from the sunlight reflected in them, scanned your features, and you held your breath, waiting and waiting and waiting for him to say something, anything.

“I’ve missed this,” he finally said. “I’ve missed you. Is it selfish of me to say that I wished you never went to MIT? That I wished you stayed in New York with me?” After a beat of silence, he quickly added, “And with Harry and MJ?”

Of all the things you had been expecting him to say, that certainly wasn’t one of them. You thought he’d maybe tell you that the wet clothes clinging to him was making him uncomfortable or that he was hungry or that he wanted to force you to watch Star Wars until you finally appreciated his favorite movie series, but this... You hadn’t expected him to say something like that, not even in your wildest dreams.

Maybe you were looking into it too much. Just because he missed you, just because he wanted you to stay in New York - to stay with him - didn’t mean that he returned your feelings...whatever those feelings were. 

You shook your head, both in response to his questions and to attempt to clear your head. “I don’t think it’s selfish. Is it selfish of me to wish that you didn’t need to stay in New York? To wish that you could’ve come to MIT with me? To wish that we could spend everyday together in Cambridge, annoying the hell out of Harley with our endless pop culture references and trying every single pizza place on campus with Ned?” You rested your head against his shoulder to hide your flustered expression from his view. If he saw the way that you were staring at him with heart eyes you’d be done for. There’d be absolutely no hiding how you felt. “I missed you, too.”

“Even if it was selfish, I don’t think I’d care.” 

Well, shit. Peter Parker was going to be the end of you if he kept saying shit like that. 

“Is that right?” You allowed yourself to hope - hope that he felt the same about you, hope that his heart raced the same way that your heart raced whenever you smiled at each other, hope that he felt just as at home in your arms as you felt in his, hope that he he wanted to kiss you just as much as you wanted to kiss him right now.

But hope is a fickle bitch.

“Of course. You’re my best friend, Y/N.” He laughed then, completely unaware that his words had caused your heart to break just a little. “Don’t tell Ned, though.”

“Right.” You cleared your throat and stepped away from him. You pushed down the hurt and forced a smile onto your face. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me, Parker.” You gave him a quick wink before turning around and wading towards the shore, needing to get away from Peter as fast as humanly possible.

You didn’t want him to see how hurt you were by his innocent declaration.

[aimmyarrowshigh]

Dark Greetings this Spooky Season Ms. V. Can we get a list of your favorite Halloween movies and specials? I know you have seen *everything* and I am trying to go beyond my usual rewatches this holiday month.

V. AIMMYARROWSHIGH’S CRITERIA FOR HALLOWEEN EPISODES

Does the Halloween element combine convincingly with the usual universe of the show (ex: Lizzie McGuire 2x09 “Those Freaky McGuires” is not good as a Halloween episode because it changes the rules of the Lizzie McGuire universe, whereas Community 2x06 “Epidemiology” is a GREAT Halloween episode because it manages to logically introduce zombies to the regular Community universe)?

Does the Halloween element advance the plot of the episode/series (ex: the reason Boy Meets World 5x17 “And Then There Was Shawn” is literally the best Halloween episode ever made is that it uses the horror movie tropes it satirizes to provide a CRUCIAL turning-point to the plot of the show)?

Is the Halloween episode in the forefront enough that it’s clearly a holiday episode (ex: HAVING ONE JACK-O’LANTERN ON A DESK DOES NOT A HALLOWEEN SPECIAL MAKE, LAW & ORDER 16x03 “GHOSTS”! You gotta go ALL-IN, like Bob’s Burgers 3x02 “Full Bars”!)?

Does the Halloween theme balance well between spooky and warm-n-fuzzy (ex: Criminal Minds 11x21 “Mr. Scratch” is too fucking bleak, but Criminal Minds 12x06 “Elliott’s Pond” has a joyous/celebratory tone to the ending despite being a genuinely scary episode)?

Is it generally a well-written, acted, and designed episode of television (ex: Saved by the Bell! 3x26 “Mystery Weekend” is seriously, not exaggerating, the worst thing I’ve ever watched in my life; Psych 1x15 “Scary Sherry, Or Bianca’s Toast” is a triumph of the medium)?

THE BEST, bar none, Halloween special ever made is Boy Meets World 5x17, “And Then There Was Shawn.” Period. There can be no argument, except MAYBE Community 3x06, “Epidemiology,” but I like “And Then There Was Shawn” better because the parody and homage as less… biting? And because I think it continues and addresses the emotional core of the regular BMW season better than “Epidemiology” does for Community s3. “Epi” DOES plant the seed (…heh) for the Season 3B major plot arc of Shirley’s pregnancy and Chang Deciding To Murder, but it gets some major minus points for mocking Yvette Nicole Brown’s weight with other characters’ responses to her costume, tbh. And “And Then There Was Shawn” is just fucking iconic. It is THE Halloween episode manual, IMO, if there were to be a textbook on how to write a perfect Halloween episode for your sitcom.

HOWEVER, I also have to give major props to Bob’s Burgers and Psych, as complete series, for their CONSISTENTLY excellent Halloween episodes. A lot of series that have multiple Halloween eps really phone it in after one or two, because they don’t have any more ideas for how to incorporate Halloween pastiches while maintaining the overall feeling of the series (tbh B99, while the Halloween Heists are excellent in general, is/has been coming very close to this line, and I think that if they HADN’T had to switch out the Heist to Cinco de Mayo in s6, they would have jumped their Heist Shark [and I think they know it, too, because it was lampshaded in the episode itself]) or they just straight-up don’t have any more ideas for what or how to have the characters they’re bound to parody or pay homage to a Halloween thing after they’ve already done one or two. And let’s be real: those one or two have probably been either The Shining or Rear Window, because those are pretty much the two that every show starts with.

Bob’s manages to make every Halloween episode feel very fresh and organic to the series, which I think they do have some leeway to do because of the nature of cartoons keeping the Belchers living a kind of loop of never aging, yk, but amazingly they’ve only done the “Tina feels too old to trick or treat, maybe? Nope, she’s not 14 yet, so there’s still time!” thing in a way that felt tropey once (in 3x02 Full Bars). They’ve been able to address Tina being 13/in 8th grade, and worrying about it being almost too late for her to keep trick or treating, in ways that were in-character and added to the overall episode in 4x02 Fort Night, 5x02 Tina and the Real Ghost, and 9x04 Nightmare on Ocean Avenue Street, without me rolling my eyes at the screen and going “TINA, EVERY SINGLE SHOW WITH A TWEEN IN IT HAS ALREADY DECIDED THAT THE AGE AT WHICH YOU MUST STOP TRICK OR TREATING IS FRESHMAN YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, COME ON NOW” which… at this point, is a Feat. Because like, I’ve POSTED over a thousand Halloween episodes, right? But I’ve watched and screencapped ::checks folder:: 3,905 Halloween episodes since 2014. Which is, um, a. lot. The ACTUAL BEST Bob’s Burgers Halloween episode is 6x03, “The Hauntening,” which is just… achingly perfect television. I know I’ve posted about it before (probably a couple times tbh) but the way that it aired originally back-to-back with The Simpsons 27x04, “Halloween of Horror,” so that the evening of Sunday cartoons juxtaposed eight-year-old Louise whose family worked so hard to scare her like she wanted with nine-year-old Lisa’s family working so hard to keep her from being too scared and make sure that she felt safe… reader, I FUCKIN CRIED. Little girls being deeply loved while also Spoopy Things!!!!!! IS WHAT HALLOWEEN SPECIALS ARE!!! FUCKIN!!!!!! ABOUT!!!!!!!

Psych, though, has the benefit of not really having any, like… central tone to the series? Beyond “friendship” and “having fun with joking,” tbh? So it’s able to do what a lot of series get docked “points” for in my Foolproof Halloween Special Ratings System That Is Completely Subjective To My Tastes And Mood, which is really just run full-tilt into parody and homage without really worrying about overall tonal connection to the rest of the season or series. 1x15, “Scary Sherry, or, Bianca’s Toast,” while it DOES fall victim to the way-too-common Halloween episode trap of making mental hospitals into a Scary Thing (they are a medical normality and a necessary thing for health for many people and should not be feared), is delightful Spooky Fun AND has the benefit of having Shannon Woodward in it.* We all know by now that if an episode of any show has Shannon Woodward as the guest star, it will by default end up being one of the best, if not THE best, episodes of that series. It’s just how having Shannon Woodward as your guest star rolls. I also really like, with Psych’s Halloween episodes, that quite a few of them understand the underlying thematic scope of Horror, which is “The Monstrous Feminine Is A Thing And All Horror Tropes Are Actually About Women’s Interior Lives Because Men Can’t Write Women And Fear Women Always,” yk, in a way that is neither TOO Actual Horror, which I am too afraid of to Do, or too trite and demeaning, which is the other basic trap that Halloween stuff falls into A Lot. Like, Scary Sherry is very much about women villainizing other women, avenging other women, and being in very specifically-female pain, even though Shawn & Gus are still the lens through which we solve the mystery, and so are 4x04 The Devil Is In The Details And The Upstairs Bedroom and 6x03 This Episode Sucks. But they give their Monstrous Females dignity and breadth, which is impressive, ESPECIALLY since they’re one-off guest characters. Also, 3x15 Tuesday the 17th is just plain funny and well-done, like, just give it props for the title alone.

*(Speaking of Shannon Woodward, another amazingly good Halloween episode is Raising Hope 4x07, “Murder, She Hoped,” which is among my very favorite Rear Window homage episodes and has probably the funniest gag in ANY Rear Window ep, in Martha Plimpton floating across the screen in the Grace Kelly silk nightgown and peignoir and announcing that it was on sale at Walmart, can you believe?! and honestly, yes. Perfection.)

Also excellent:

• The Addams Family (1991) + Addams Family Values (1993) • Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WERE GAY FOR SIBELLA AS A CHILD!) • Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost (RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE GAY BECAUSE THE HEX GIRLS!) • Halloweentown + Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge • Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire! • Z•O•M•B•I•E•S (to a lesser extent, Z•O•M•B•I•E•S 2) • Clue (1985) • Coraline • Corpse Bride • 6teen 2x00 Dude of the Dead • Arthur 21x00 Arthur and the Haunted Treehouse • Lamb-Chop in the Haunted Studio • Arthur 8x04A Fern-kenstein's Monster • Arthur 10x02 The Squirrels • WandaVision 1x06 The All-New Halloween Spooktacular (I KNOW YOU, SPECIFICALLY, DEAR @plavoptice, HATE MCU!WANDA AND I DON'T BLAME YOU, YOUR REASONS ARE VERY VALID! But this is a good Halloween special so I'm putting it on my list In General.) • Boy Meets World 2x06 Who's Afraid of Cory Wolf? • Ghostbusters (2016) • Gravity Falls 1x12 Summerween • Leverage 4x02 Ten L'il Grifters Job • The Loud House 2x40 Tricked! • Mockingbird Lane 1x00 Unaired Pilot • It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! (Classic, etc.)

I'm SURE I'm forgetting some that I'll rewatch this year myself. I'm a big Halloween Baking Championship fan, tbh, which is on Discovery+ now so I recommend that if you like mostly-relaxing nice people baking cakes that look like bats and such.

I'm also IMMENSELY INTENSELY EXCITED for The Muppets' Haunted Mansion on Disney+ next week!!!

[snarky-art]

My enchantix redesigns that I’ve had laying around for a while. I’m going through my computer to try and clear up space and came across some winx stuff. I haven’t done the wings for them still to this day in any finalized way because they are very intimidating to me lmao. Some info here on how enchantix outfits and fairy outfits work as well as the inspirations for the clothes for each of the characters below! I’m going to include some more individual design notes from my sketchbook later too.

In my version of the winx redo, all fairy transformations have to do with a sense of self to an extent. The more sure and secure of oneself one is, the more likely certain parts of the outfits are to carry over to the other transformations. For example: I have multiple transformations for Daphne that I’ve done, but there are a lot of traits carried over in the designs (her tirar, her color scheme, cut of cloth, etc) since she was always very self assured in who she was. She was Marion and Oritel’s daughter, future queen of Domino, and the keeper of The Dragon Flame and she was going to become as strong as she could for her people and the universe so she could use The Dragon Flame as best as possible. (I swear I’ll upload her stuff at some point they’ve been collecting dust for literal years now sskdjkjfla).

The same can’t really be said of the girls here, and that’s fine too. Aisha is the one with the most confidence in who she is and that shows here in the carrying over of her metal accents (arm bands, a metal ring at her waist, albeit with a jewel in it this time) and the cloth that goes across her chest and wraps around her waist.

Another thing that can influence the appearance of a fairy transformation is closeness with another individual. Aisha at this point already knows she likes Musa (I’m going to upload a post after this going more in depth on their relationship in my version) and her double buns are influenced by that since that’s one of the main ways Musa likes to style her hair (she also helped Aisha really perfect how to do the hairstyle and as that was one of the first thigs Aisha ever really did with a friend after Anne left when she was young and not including the pixies, so it holds a lot of sentimental value to her. Musa was the one who went out of her way a LOT more than anyone else to try and get Aisha comfortable with everything. The other girls did too of course but Musa just kind of gets how it feels to be alone more than they do so they really understood each other.) Musa in turn also has armbands like Aisha and some cloth hanging from the tie around her waist in a way similar to the cloth trail around Aisha’s.

Bloom also has similar armor to Stella because of this, since Stella is Bloom’s closest friend out of the 6 and is the one who introduced her to magic and what it can mean to be a fairy.

Enchantix in itself works basically the same as it does in the show, and as the main focus of it is to save someone from your planet so you can become a guardian of it (there can be multiple guardians for a homeworld too. I always thought it was weird that it was implied there can only be one. The guardian fairies of a planet act as a protective council of sorts. They are expected to place the priority of protecting life on the planet above all else and sometimes align themselves with royalty as advisors for things if they it is requested of them by the royalty, but they are expected to be willing to break ties with any allegiance if the leader is doing things that upset the balance of the planet and enact cruelty, not that guardians have always done that in the past). As a result, it is tied closely to the culture of their homeworld, or the culture that the fairy is from if the planet doesn’t have a largely homogenous one.

Musa is based off of Chinese and Japanese culture, which is a really broad statement I know since there is so much that goes into those countries, but I tried my best to have it line up with the clothes she wears in the show and it seemed to be similar to that (and obviously her homeplanet is clearly inspired by Asia). Similar to what her original skirt seemed to be, the pants are inspired by paper lanterns, and the upper shirt part is inspired by the tops of dresses during the late tang dynasty. The design of the belt she has, although I didn’t really do a close up of it, is braided similarly to shimenawa (a rope used in ritual purification in the Shinto religion). She has an open lotus blossom that her hair is in the middle of that holds her buns in place and her makeup is based off of the Tang Dynasty and the little hair piece she has acting as her tiara thing (all the girls had one so I tried to carry that over) is based off of Quing dynasty hair styles specifically but like, similar hairstyles were used in other eras too I just liked those specifically.

Flora’s is based off of Mexican style clothes. The top part is based off of Folklorico dresses and the petal style I used for it is based off of marigold petals, which are used to lead deceased loved ones to the families shrine during Day of the Dead. Her makeup is also based off of designs seen on calaveras. Her head piece is a flower crown which is now a common staple seen in women’s fashion during festivals due to Freda Kahlo and her hair is divided into two parts. The upper part is pulled back into a braid that has a vine weaved in with it, which I took inspiration from hairstyles down there that thread ribbon into the braids.

Aisha’s was a trip to figure out. So her homeplanet really is,, something. There’s some middle eastern influence (her name is also Arabic), her mom and her when she was younger wore some 1500s style renaissance clothes, and also they have a shaman that seems to be based off of African medicine men, and then also there are mermaids wearing European style armor, so I had to do some looking around to figure out what I wanted to do here. In the end I went with Moroccan and Zulu style clothing overall with a few other influences as well and tried to mesh them together. The headpiece and the sash/hood are based off of women’s head dresses in Morocco and the facepaint, arm and leg bands are based off of traditional Zulu attire. Cowrie shells are on the bottom of the leg and arm bands as they are used in Zulu attire in the same place as well sometimes, but also because a lot of African cultures see cowries as being representative as gateways to the spirit world (a lot of cultures have the spirit world and afterlife tied to the ocean). Her stack of necklaces are based off of the necklaces worn by the people Ndebele people of South Africa. Her shorts and top are rimmed with silver and the shape of the attire itself is meant to be athletic and practical for her. It is covered in fish scales. Her ears are a different color here than they were in her winx transformation also. That isn’t an enchantix thing but a biology thing I have made up in my head for Androsian people. The fins start off a light shade and then over time settle into a darker color, which is what it will permanently be.

Tecna’s outfit is ready for the cold. For the longest time we didn’t know anything about her homeworld except that it was cold, so, anyway Russia and Siberia lmao. The green lines on her body suit have light moving through them also which I just thought was a neat idea because technology is a thing. Her glasses aren’t a permanent part of the outfit also. They come out if she wants to concentrate her magic to do something very technical and intense. I thought it would be a nice way to carry over that faceshield thing she sometimes used in her winx form. Her physical features btw are based off of the Nenets people of Siberia.

Stella’s outfit is Greek based because I’m not original and I don’t know why almost all of us collectively agreed Solaria is Greco-Roman but we sure did do it. Maybe it’s because of the word Sol being in it.

Bloom’s is just,, European lol. Domino is a Renaissance Era place it feels like (probably because of her mom’s ermine stoat cape). So there. There are some similarities of hers with Daphne’s inadvertently (family ties can influence things sometimes too, which can be seen in the Bloom and Daphne comparison sheet on my blog), but Bloom doesn’t know that. When Daphne eventually does see her in her enchantix outfit during the time of or before the movie (which does happen in my version but with a LOT of changes. Daphne still talks to Bloom though and helps out like in the movie) you bet your bottom she takes a second to collect herself (happy to see the bond is strong enough that it did manifest physically in a way, sad because she remembers what it was like to once have that transformation and the general bittersweet longing for the time before shit hit the fan. I have so much stuff about Daphne I need to upload some of it soon).

So yeah! Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk:)

[thatfilthyanimal]

I know I've talked about this before, but possibly not publicly, and definitely not recently.

When I say "The movie Megamind saved my life" I am dead serious.

So, heavy tw for descriptive suicide, abuse, adult themes etc below.

Maybe a month before Megamind came out, my partner of about 3 years and I broke up. This relationship had been a rebound of a long line of others who were (mostly) abusers in some way or another. I was 23, and had been rebounding relationships since I started my first at 13 with a person who was debatably grooming me.

So like, 10 years there to get super messed up by people insisting they loved you. At some point I developed Borderline Personality Disorder, probably best known as a disorder that involves heavy fears of abandonment and unstable moods due to black-and-white thinking.

So my partner and I break up, and no, of course it couldn't be a normal sane breakup, god why would it ever be? It had to be followed with him admitting that the last two years of it he didn't think he loved me, and was only staying because he was afraid I would kill myself.

So also, two years of phone sex (we were long distance) with a person who was lying to me. I felt... sick. Violated in the worst way. Used. But most of all after ten years of this shit? Done.

I fell into the worst depression I've ever had. I felt a disconnect with reality in the most frightening way. I no longer felt like I could trust anyone at all. I loved my friends, dearly, but I also realized to my own horror that I couldn't bring myself to speak to them about these thoughts I started having. I felt like I was existing in a daze, knowing fully well that I was considering ending it, more and more each day that passed with the louder loneliness felt. Every time I saw my friends or mom I felt sadder, knowing I was about to let them down in the worst sickest way I ever could. I knew they would hate me. I knew they would wish I hadn't done it. But I couldn't care. I couldn't talk to anyone about it. And I cried myself stupid knowing that there was some relief to everything, knowing a finality to things was coming, and feeling sick for wanting it. Days went on and the pain wasn't going away at all, and I knew, deep down, what was coming. I started making plans. I knew what I would use. I was going to do it far away so my friends or mom wouldn't be the one to find me.

It was the most terrifying shit I've ever experienced.

My birthday comes, and, sickeningly, my partner had gotten a plane ticket to come see me for it, stay for the week--- prior to the breakup. He let the ticket lapse, and despite hoping he would show up, somehow, like... come back and be like "I'm sorry, I really do love you"... yeah. No. It was a ruined birthday that my friends truly tried to make better, tried to celebrate with me, but here I was, floating in my own thoughts of upcoming relief and shame that they would forever hate me for hurting them so bad.

At some point, one of my friends approaches me, and mentions Megamind because she's seen it a couple times and loves it. I feel bitter about it, because, unfortunately, that was a movie my partner and I saw a trailer for and wanted to see together. I'd forgotten about it. My friend insists, and passively mentions Minion, and I have to stop and laugh because, wait, the robot fish henchman is named "Minion". Deadass. Okay. That's stupid. That's hilarious. Okay, I need to see it.

So she takes me to see the movie. I'm expecting it to be bad.

It's not bad.

It's amazing.

Here I was, feeling like my life was a mistake, and that I was an unsalvageable mess, only to see this blue alien dude going through similar feelings. I bonded to it instantly. He changes for better, saves the day, and gets the girl.

It did things to me.

I immediately come home and download a camvid of it. I watch it a second time in blurry glory that night. I pray there's a fandom. I find the LiveJournal community. There is.

And I did the only thing I knew to do at this point, which was cling to this movie and fandom like a sinking life raft, which felt like my only lifeline left. This movie gave me some weird feeling of hope, and some feeling of needing to hang around for more.

It deadass saved me.

I clung to the fandom long enough to get more of a hold of myself. I was so happy. I was, admittedly, burying my feelings, which would come up later (this last year), but for the moment I was happy.

2010 ended, despite me truly thinking I would never live to see it happen.

I eventually came out about this to the fandom, feeling some odd obligation to, and more people came forward with frighteningly similar stories. I didn't feel alone. And I felt like I had to protect what was here. When Dreamworks canned the sequel, I was absolutely gutted, unwilling to believe that the thing that saved my life, and the lives of others, was seen as disposable.

So, ten years later?

Not only am I not in some terrifying state of being suicidal, I'm thriving. I got diagnosed with Borderline which I desperately needed, went to therapy and learned to control my feelings better, and got a job, got a car, and saved up to move. I met Megamind fans in person, multiple times, multiple people. At DashCon (yes) I realized I had fallen for one of my fellow Megamind friends, Vamp. We'd been having a huge fandom meet up, and it blindsided me. I moved up to Illinois to live with Vamp. We went to another fandom meetup, and a fandom friend's wedding. We got another dog (named her Minion). We got engaged. My dad passed away and, yeah, left trauma with it, but money. We bought a home. We still live near one of our Megamind fandom friends. I felt comfortable to come out as trans and the fandom was still listening and cheering me on. And... you know what?

I'm fucking happy.

I'm so fucking happy.

Ten years ago no part of me believed that anything would get better, and it did. It did amazing.

I still hold out hope for a sequel someday, because of course I have to. It saved lives, I will always hope for more of it. I will always salt at Dreamworks until they listen.

I'm not asking for sympathy really, just understanding that what comes off as weird obsessive cringe behavior is just unfiltered love for something that made my life worth living. I know some of my friends didn't even understand, and probably felt resentment for the fact that a movie did what they couldn't. It's not their fault, and I understand. But a lot of people don't know where I'm coming from? And I want them to?

If anyone at Dreamworks sees this, thank you for working on Megamind. Thank you so much. I know I'm full of salt but damnit, it's out of love. I wish the higher ups of Dreamworks had any care in the world for the impact this movie made on lots of people. It was so ahead of its time and it deserves so much more.

I will die loving this movie, because without it I would have already been gone.

-

I guess it’s also worth mentioning, that if you struggle with similar thoughts, at all, ever, please remember what I’ve been through and do me a favor and reach out to someone, anyone, find whatever your sinking life raft is and hang on. I’d of missed so much in only ten years. You would too. You will be happy you stayed. I promise.

[rattyarts]

Huge-ask post (I am VERY funny)

Because I have so many questions that can be answered with just text, and I have mentioned my dislike of filling my art blog up with Words Words Words... let’s get them all done in one go!

(You guys can blacklist #rattytalks if you’re just here for the draws, btw)

A shit ton of asks under the cut!

Anonymous said: So for the center of the world, what with it being forcefully PG and all Bad Thoughts TM being prevented, how does having kids happen? Do parents just black out and wake up holding a child in their arms and vague memories of the last 9 months?

Ever seen a movie where they do that “and one day... a baby was born!” thing and a kid just appears offscreen with no explanation?

(This is how it works everywhere, Edgelands included; no one does the do or gets pregnant in this setting.)

Anonymous said: Hello! Quick question, and sorry if you’ve answered this before, but can other elves see the “intangible” bits of one another? Big fan of your work btw!

Nope! And thank you!

Anonymous said: Leopold was in my dream last night but I sadly cannot remember any of it.

I am SO sorry. I will try to keep my stinky murder men out of your head in the future.

Anonymous said: are the floaty bits stuck in one spot, or could the one they are attached to learn to move them around their body as long as its still within a certain distance? like, someone with the Floaty limbs, lets call him Ray, can move his limbs all over his body, allowing him to do all sorts of neat things that others with their attached limbs probably couldn't?

Whatever you want, honestly. As a general rule of thumb I don’t like putting down TOO many hard rules that prevent people from having fun with this setting. (Please ignore and scrap anything you think is stupid, I do this all the time and enjoy keeping this setting inconsistent and contradictory)

Anonymous said: Do elf names work off of Death Note rules, or is it like, if you know one elf’s name, all elves with that name are now unable to harm you? So if all the elf brothers are named Martin, for example, does it only work with blue?

I think it’s prolly just the one! Probably? Idk, might change if I think of something funnier.

Anonymous said: Can elves do magic on themselves or does thst go against the knowing name rule

Most people tend to know their own names, lol. So in my opinion, no, but don’t let me stop you if you got a fun idea.

Anonymous said: Could an Elf stitch on parts from another elf and have them work? i.e an Elf's finds the arm of another Elf. "Hey, free arm, might as well put it to good use", so they attach the arm and now they can give three high fives at once!

Same deal as previous questions, I personally would say no, but I also encourage people to do whatever the hell they want. It’s more fun that way!

Anonymous said: I bet elves are greasy to the touch.

They’re very powdery! Like if you rolled them in flour. And by flour I mean nasty glowing elf dandruff.

Anonymous said: Can elves fly or are their wings just for show?

No flying!!! (Unless you’re a mousefly)

Anonymous said: Something tells me that the elves would LOVE Obatzda.

Had to look that up, but definitely!

no1fan15: Not sure if someone asked already- Does Edgeworld have any equivalent to demons and angels? Like the old rubberhose cartoon kind?

Demons, yes! That’s what imps are: basically any demon, devil, or generic monster, but tiny! Even a couple of pop culture critters in there, there’s probably a very small gillman or robot monster running around there somewhere.

Angels, not so far. 

Anonymous said: How come Margaret hasn't yeeted George's jar into the Edge yet

I’d say being locked in a closet is good enough! (and also I need him for plot reasons, don’t tell anyone)

Anonymous said: If elves have knees bulges in the front then do they have butt bulges in the back?

i do not want to think about elf bulges

Anonymous said: So if you find a baby Therewoof and you say "aw you're so cute", their true name is So Cute?

Yep!

Anonymous said: Since a Therewoof's true name can be something like "cutie pie" or "dingus", does their name have to be spoken with "intent" for it to doggo-fy them? Or do they just have to live with the reality that any casual conversation/flirting can make them lose up to a month to Doggy Mode? My mom has little terrier dog named "Sweetie" so that got me thinking 'bout Therewoof names. & Anonymous said: here's a good question: If someone says a therewoof's true name, but not reffering to them, does it still affect them?

Just saying it will do! It’s based on those old werewolf stories where calling out the person’s name will change them back into a human/cure them, and a lot of the time it was by accident.

(My favorite is the one where they slam the door on the wolf’s tail and then say his name, and the dude ends up with a wolf tail for the rest of his life.)

Anonymous said: Would Seeing eye Therewoofs be a thing?

I... guess? Probably? Since regular dogs can turn into woofs, yeah. You might have to start paying em once they turn into a person tho. 

Anonymous said: Was ChalkZone ever an inspiration for you? Because I just love the silly world of ChalkZone and I noticed getting that same warm feeling when thinking about Edgeworld.

Maaaan, I wish. I’ve only seen about three episodes or so, but it seems really fun!

Anonymous said: So I saw your mimic post, and even though I don't think I've seen any other of your art before I was absolutely HAMMERED with an indescribable sense of slightly unsettling strangeness and comfortable familiarity. Your art feels like something from like, an old point and click computer game I would have had formative memories of before accidentally losing or scratching the disc therefore making me unsure if it ever REALLY existed. Sorry for being weird but I love the wacky nostalgia feel here

Aaaaaah, THANK YOU! That is SUCH a cool comparison and I appreciate!!!

Anonymous said: If the Edgeworld is based on cartoons then is there a Reverse Edge-world that’s based on anime?

Lol, I mean I DID have an anime phase for a while there, so...

caydebug: Man I’d love to see this as a cartoon some day

Honestly, same. Best you’re gonna get is the occasional animatic or gif, tho.

Anonymous said: Does anyone..."go" in Edgeworld? or is it like Pleasantville where bathrooms exist but there are no toilets in them because acknowledging it is yucky?

Oh god I keep getting asked this and have been avoiding it like the damn plague. But... Uh. No. No they do not. I am begging you all not to send any followup questions.

Anonymous said: Have you considered putting computer viruses or illnesses in with the buggymen? Since those are typically called ‘bugs’

Sure!

Anonymous said: are there any limits to what an Animimic could posess? i.e if they were in a costume of a Buggieman with multiple arms, could they control all of them? what about a small Mousefly costume? can multiple fit into one costume like a clown car? and what about in pitch black darkness, where you can only see the lights of their eyes and not their bodies? could one fit inside the pocket of a jacket you are wearing and help you steal things/wield a gun like a living turret?

Since clothing fills into the body type of the intended wearer, they would indeed be able to control all arms/legs in buggieman clothes.

Size restrictions is one of these things I wanna try to be vague about: I personally have been imagining them sticking to hiding in things no smaller than, um. Maybe imp sized, but really, whatever. It’s a cartoon eyeball critter!

You can put multiple animimics in one outfit!

They can move around just fine in darkness without being off screen, yeah!

And sure why not. lol

Anonymous said: I know you have been asked this once before, and you said nah you don't, but with a few more months of worldbuilding, do you have an idea for what could be down the edge now? 🤔

Not really! It’s not super important, honestly. I’d say any fan theory is about as valid as anything else I can come up with.

ps2polpo: I doubt you’ll ever elaborate on The Edge but I like to imagine there’s just one dude there like the Nowhere Man from the Yellow Submarine movie. Mostly cause the thought of someone accidentally winding up there being like “where am I?” And there’s just a guy casually waving at him like a friendly neighbor is funny to me & Anonymous said: The implication that the Edge is the physical manifestation of edginess so there’s probably like, Trevor Henderson monsters hanging out down there.

See above question! Valid! I also accept falling forever, getting erased from existence, ending up in another universe, getting stuck in limbo with thousands of other people, whatever you want, really!

Anonymous said: " he has very few bones and weighs basically nothing, " "Fastball special" trope, but with Leo?

YEET THE NASTY MAN

Anonymous said: did you ever watch dragon tales as a kid? because george and margaret make me think of murderous zak and wheezie from that show, and i love it to bits

I did not, but I would have loved it. Definitely up my alley!

(watched Quest for Camelot a loooot, though!)

Imma go ahead and stop here! There’s more but I’ve been writing for well over an hour and I have things to do. If your question is missing I’m either saving it for later, wasn’t entirely sure how to answer, or it’s spoilery.

Will probably do another one of these at some point!

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #389

“i’m well aware i’m a danger to myself  /  are you aware i’m a danger to others?”

How much do you weigh? Yeah, we're starting off on a bad foot. If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Putting Roman's used litter in the trash. Do you think you can love someone without trusting them? Hm... I guess you could love them, but it'd be a complicated situation. What’s your opinion on people who go hunting for sport? If it's purely for sport, from the very bottom of my heart, fuck you. Do you have a fairly fast or slow internet connection? I'd say it's decently fast. Have you ever been someplace tropical? Yeah, Florida. My grandma lived there. Are you sensitive to caffeine? No. It does like... nothing to me. How do you usually get around? My mom's car. Have you ever been accused of being too clingy? No actually, but I know I kinda am. What do you think about Kim Kardashian? I don't have an opinion of her. Can you speak any French? No. Favorite yogurt flavor? The only yogurt I've been liking lately is cookies and cream to add a different texture, because otherwise, I don't like its natural texture very much??? Idk man, my taste buds are wild. How much money do you have in your wallet right now? Just like $5. What bottled water brand do you like? Essentia. Your favorite way to eat chocolate? As chocolate bars, probably. How often do you listen to country music? Like, never. Linkin Park or Avenged Sevenfold? Linkin Park. Last surgery you had? Pilonidal cyst removal. Have you ever played guitar? I briefly took classes for it in high school, yes. Best I got to was playing some of the intro to "Crazy Train." I enjoyed it, but not enough to be consistent and really learn. Is there someone in your life whose career/life choices you find immoral/unethical? Have you ever told that person your views? Do you find it difficult to support them (emotionally or otherwise) because of their choices? I don't think so? What trait do you feel you lack that you wish you possessed? Independence and confidence would be nice... Have you ever considered writing your memoirs? No. Do you find it difficult to stay invested in online relationships? God no. I love my online friends. Half of 'em more than "irl" ones. Are you the type of person who pays close attention to the release dates of movies, music, etc., and will, for example, go see a movie or buy an album on the date it is released? If so, when is the last time you did so? I have to be VERY invested in it to care THAT much. It happened most recently when Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty premiered. Do you have any stickers on your laptop? No. Would you rather have a job for which you had to go in early in the morning or one you had to stay late into the evening at? Early in the morning. I'm in a better mood in the morning. Do you use any apps to track your health or medications? I have a calorie-counting app, as well as one to track my period. Whose opinions/recommendations do you value most? My mom's, best friend's, and psychiatrist's. If you could’ve been at any historical event, which would you have liked to witness firsthand? I don't really know. Maybe the very first Pride event? Is there something that you really want to do but are afraid of doing? If so, why are you afraid of doing it? Ride a rollercoaster, for one. I know I never will, though. I'm too afraid of throwing up, but even more realistically, I fear passing out before of the twisting and turning and just standing up makes me very dizzy. My blood pressure is STUPID low. What is something society “expects” you to do that you don’t want to do and/or don’t plan on doing? Have kids. That's a big 'ole fat no from me. Have Jehovah's Witnesses ever come to your door? Twice at least. Are you well-known by people in your area? No. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? No, thank Christ. It sounds terrifying. What's your favourite type of bird? Barn owls. Melanistic ones, to be exact. Stunning. What tv show(s) have you been watching currently? I'm only keeping up with Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty. Have you ever dated a smoker? For less than a day. Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? Yes. Have you ever been a member in a band? No. Besides the school band. Can you cry on command? If so, have you ever used it to your advantage? No. Do you have separate emails for personal and business? No. Have you ever missed a flight? Yes. Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? Multiple times. Have you ever taken a ride in a convertible? I think once with my brother. Why did you last need to use a band-aid? I'unno. What fruit do you eat most often? Apples. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? My ma. Has someone ever tried to start an argument with you over Facebook? What happened? A few times. I don't feel like thinking over this. Have you ever had an unusual type of milk (eg. oat, rice, almond)? I've tried almond milk, and I hated it. If you could experience life as a Disney princess for a week, which princess would you pick and why? uhhhhhh idk When you’re at home, do you spend most of your time in your room? I'm essentially always in my room. If you like to sleep in late, have your parents ever told you off for doing so? No. Do you find piercings attractive? Yep. Do you like potato chips? Loooove 'em. What’s the most stalker-like/creepy thing you’ve ever done? If you don’t think you’ve done anything like that, what’s the most stalker-like thing someone’s done to you? Nothing beyond checking Jason's Facebook sometimes after the breakup, I think. Even that though I wouldn't recommend doing. You're just going to get yourself hurt. Stay away from exes' profiles. Do you think it’s a double standard that a woman can hit a man and expect to get away with it, but if a man hits a woman it’s assault? Yep. I don't give a fuck what's in your pants, you don't hit anybody unless you're fighting to defend yourself. What’s your favorite old Disney movie and favorite new Disney movie? I mean... define "old." I'll go with The Lion King for old, and for new, uh... Finding Dory, probs. Name something “trendy” or popular that you dislike. I don't really know what IS trendy right now... Is Snapchat still "in?" Because I've never gotten that. “Dirty talk” in the bedroom…love it, like it, don’t care, dislike it, or hate it? I think I'm kinda neutral about it? Like I mean it also depends on exactly what is said. I prefer more loving talk, though. What is/are your favorite type(s) of ethnic food, and what’s your favorite food within that type? I'm a basic fatass that likes American cuisine most, aha... Like give me a cheeseburger and I'm happy lmao. How would you describe your relationship with your hair over the years? I love it more now at a short length than I ever did long. When it was long and I was in my deepest depression, I was awful about brushing it. It would get so knotted. Like looking back, it nearly makes me shiver. I HIGHLY recommend cutting your hair for anyone who struggles with selfcare. How do you feel about your SO daily/regularly checking up on a couple of his exes on social media? I'm single, but hypothetically, if you're checking an ex's page nearly every day, I would not be okay with that. I'm totally fine with exes remaining friends and just cordially talking now and again, but that's it. It's a respect thing. Do you prefer your guy to wear cologne or not? I personally like cologne if it's not overwhelming. I really don't care if you wear it or not, though. Ladies, how important is it to you that your SO wears/would wear a wedding ring? This survey is so heteronormative. But anyway, unless there was an issue like it not fitting, I'd want my spouse to wear their ring. What was the turning point that led you to decide for or against having children? There are a lot of reasons I don't want kids. I'm too selfish with my "me" time, I stress out too easily, I don't want to dedicate my life to keeping another person alive and fed and happy, I have bad genes... I could go on and on. I just wouldn't be a good, "present" enough mom. I am much more interested in ensuring *I* am okay. Is having your “dream” wedding really that important to have? Not at all. I mean I want a smooth and memorable wedding, but I'm not obsessed with it being perfect. Do you consider it cheating if your SO goes to a strip club and then doesn’t tell you? That's certainly not cheating, but I wouldn't like it. Being secretive about anything in a relationship is unhealthy, imo. I'd be hurt and also very insecure because I wouldn't feel like "enough." How old is too old for trick-or-treating? Honestly? I don't think you ever are. Like come on, does it REALLY matter? Let people have fun. I don't do it because of societal standards, but I would if I didn't care about being judged. Do you sleep with your arms over or under the covers? It depends on the temperature, but I normally wake up with them under. Do you own any t-shirts of your favorite band? I have an Ozzy one stored somewhere, but it doesn't fit me now. There was another I really liked too, but that one is WAY too small now. Fries or onion rings? Fries. I'm not a fan of onion rings. True/False: you’ve had an odd dream this week. Story of my life. I had one last night where I kept dying in different ways, and I actually felt the pain, like drowning in magma. Do you find tattoo sleeves attractive? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Do you like carving pumpkins? Yeah. What’s an animal you want to have as a pet but can’t? My mom has absolutely forbidden me to get a tarantula (uh, many tarantulas in my case) until I move out, lol. That doesn't stop me from checking Craigslist like every day. ;_; Have your parents ever caught you drinking? "Caught," no. Any time I've drunk, I've had permission or was a legal adult by then. How would you react if your celebrity crush came to your door? First be humiliated at my appearance and then absolutely pass out lmao. Has your mom/dad ever walked in on you kissing or anything more with someone? No, thank fuck. The person you have a crush on is drunk and goes to kiss you, you know they don’t realize what they’re doing, but do you kiss anyways? If I know it's something they wouldn't do sober, absolutely not. What would you prefer to get from a guy/girl: flowers, a hand written poem, a picture he drew of you or a nice night out? Any would be lovely, but the poem would appeal most to me because of the amount of thought that goes into poetry. Do you any shirts with any kind of images of food on them? What? I don't think so, no. Which holiday is the most fun to decorate for? Halloween. What was the first website you had an email account on? Yahoo. Have you ever written a fanfic? No. Tattoos or piercings? Both are grand, but tats win. What’s the last gross movie/show/video you saw? I saw this picture of a snake split open that had eaten another snake. Would you rather live in a huuuge house or a little cozy one? Lil cozy one! I don't want more space than is needed for cleaning reasons, as well as price. Do you have a tutor for anything? No. Who’s the best kisser you know? Jason was. Has anyone ever threatened you with a knife? No. I'd like it to stay that way. (If you’re a girl) Has anyone ever called you "shortie" instead of girl? Ew, no. Do you have a deep voice? For a woman, yes. Do you play games with boys/girls, like 'hard to get’? Hi, I'm an adult. Is there a Sonic where you live? YES. It's my fave fast-food place. What do you like on your pizza? I have three go-tos depending on my mood: Pepperoni, jalapenos, or meat lovers.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About “Enchanted Grom Fright”

Salutations random people of the internet who probably won't read this. I am an Ordinary Shmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

When I started doing reviews, I told myself to stay limited to specials, movies, seasons, and even entire T.V. shows. I didn't want to do reviews for regular episodes of a show, mostly because there wouldn't be enough to talk about in a single post. For me, an episode has to either be astounding enough or important enough to warrant a review. And low and behold, The Owl House did just that with the episode "Enchanting Grom Fright." Keep in mind that I am going to be spoiling everything that happens in this episode. So if you somehow haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend that you do so. And if you haven't seen The Owl House yet...what the hell is wrong with you?

With that out of the way, let's get started with-

WHAT I LIKE

Luz independently looking for new glyphs: This scene is excellent for two reasons. Reason number one: It shows how dedicated Luz is to learning magic. So far, we have yet to see Hexide teach Luz anything regarding her unique way of doing magic. This is why it's great to see Luz try to find glyphs on her own so she can at least attempt to catch up with everyone else. There's also the implication that it's not an easy task for her, given the multiple crumpled up pieces of paper, which must have been failed attempts to make the plant glyph. This scene adds continuity from "Adventures of the Elements" as well, proving that Luz had learned her lesson in said episode. As for reason number two for why this scene is excellent: It sets up how Luz and Amity defeat Grom. Luz could have used her other two glyphs to destroy Grom, but doing so would take away some neat symbolism with the tree that was grown (more on that later). Therefore, Luz finding the plant glyph was a great set up with a proper pay off. Which is what I love about The Owl House. It takes things you wouldn't think twice about and actually makes something beautiful. Case in point: A 'Grom Night' poster was shown in a previous episode, hinting to the glory that is this episode.

Luz barely texting her mom back: I like this because it finally addresses Luz's conflictions for lying to her mom (Something I may or may not have toyed around with https://archiveofourown.org/works/23321692/chapters/55864000). These scenes present moments of how Luz isn't always the happy go lucky teen that she is. And I like that because it adds layers to a character who is already engaging enough.

That Gromposal: I made a post of all the things Disney has approved of before approving Lumity. I guess you can add to the list a character presenting an anatomically correctly drawn heart with the word 'Grom' written in what I can only assume is blood!

(Jokes aside, I legitimately like the dark humor in this scene, as well as Skara saying yes to the poor boy. It was adorable, damn it!)

Amity’s hostility swapped with being friendly: Here's a nice bit of character development for ya! It's just a few seconds, but those seconds show how far Amity has come since episode FIVE! Which is why Amity is one of the best characters in the show. Her development is so impressive that it's legitimately jarring to compare the Amity who was angry to see Luz, to the Amity who immediately apologizes, to Luz. But she still has years of conditioning from her parents to deal with, so of course, Amity's first instinct is to bare her fangs. And I'm more than positive that that instinct is going to leave her pretty soon.

Eda: While we're on the topic of great characters, let's take a moment to talk about Eda in this episode, shall we? Eda, throughout "Enchanted Grom Fright," has fully embraced her role as a maternal figure for Luz. The way Eda attempts to warn Luz about the dangers of Grom is a testament to how much Eda truly cares about 'her human.' And it's not like Eda doesn't acknowledge Luz's efforts at survival. She knows Luz can take care of herself, but that won't stop Eda from drawing the line when she knows Luz is in over her head. The best part is that when Luz admits that she was wrong, Eda doesn't respond with anger or even with a smug "I told you so." Instead, Eda's reaction is calm and nurturing. A response that Luz needed at that moment. It's sweet and genuinely heartwarming to see.

(And I love how Eda constantly admires her own beauty throughout the episode. Which is something I'm sure most fans can relate to.)

Luz and Amity’s talk in the forest: There is a lot to love about this exchange, due to how adorable it is. So here's a quick list: The clearly romantic music playing in the background. The way Amity slipped in the mud and was inches away from accidentally kissing Luz when getting pulled up. The fact that Luz sits down into the mud so as not to make Amity feel self-conscious about being filthy. Luz's sweet, sincere, and instant "I would" when responding to Amity wondering who would take her place as Grom Queen. The fact that Amity was surprised that someone would be willing to take her place in the first place. The payoff to Luz learning that she really did have a spider on the back of her head (Alright, that one wasn’t adorable, but it was definitely hilarious!).

Amity “destroying” Hooty: While I do enjoy seeing Amity act all sweet and gushy, I will admit that feisty Amity is still best Amity. Plus, this scene was remarkably funny.

Training Luz for Grom: This scene was a fantastic showcase for each of the Blight siblings. Now, because I've talked a lot about Amity (and will continue to do so), I want to start talking about Edric and Emira first. When first introduced to Ed and Em, my initial reaction was that they were meanspirited versions of the Weasley Twins from Harry Potter. Sure, Fred and George are known to cause mischief, but they do realize that there's a line you don't cross when it comes to family. That is something that Ed and Em ignored during their debut episode, where they tried to reveal Amity's diary to the world. Luckily, the writers picked up on this quick and made a subtle detour in terms of Ed and Em's personalities. They're actually decent supporting characters, and it's legitimately sweet with how they willingly help Luz. As for Amity, it's great to see that she still takes things seriously despite crushing on Luz. Most shows fall into the trap of making characters a nervous wreck when around their crushes. And while Amity does have those moments, there are still scenes like this that prove she isn't just some smitten kitten-and I hate myself for saying that. Amity is the voice of reason to her and Luz's relationship. And I'm glad that the writers mostly focus on that aspect of her personality rather than write her off as a flustered girl with a crush.

Those boys dancing together: While it's nice to see Luz and Amity's relationship blossom, that doesn't mean we should sleep on great representation such as this. While it's great to see so many romantic pairings between females in the last few years, it's rare to see two boys liking each other, especially in animation. Sure, male pairings exist, but I haven't seen them as celebrated as often as female ones. This is why it's nice to see that The Owl House crew sprinkled in these two boys dancing with each other. Representation matters for everyone, and this little acknowledgment is something worth mentioning, even if it isn't the main ship.

The hallway scene: But let's face it, this is what we came to see. Now when you think about it, there's nothing all that special with this scene. It's a typical romantic moment with a heart to heart discussion followed with witty banter, all while a romantic melody is playing in the background. You see this in multiple types of media, especially in Disney cartoons. The only difference is that this scene features a same-sex pairing and that what makes it amazing. It's essentially normalizing something that has been seen as inappropriate for years. And the fact that Disney of all companies is the one that greenlit a scene like this? That just makes this moment all the more impressive. Plus, I mean, c'mon. You have to have a will of iron not to think these dorks are adorable with this little exchange.

Splash zone: There's not much to talk about or analyze here. I just think the dark humor of a kid waiting in the 'splash zone' is funny. Because what does the splash zone get used for? Grom? The fighter? I don't know, but the fact that a splash zone exists for either of those reasons is what gets a chuckle out of me.

Skara and her date getting hyped for Grom fight: That's it. Skara is officially the best background character. I'm sorry, but a character earns that title when they immediately switch from wanting to kiss their date to "WHOO! BRING ON THE GORE!" 

I don't make the rules. I just abide by them.

Luz’s greatest fear: This is something fans could have seen coming due to rewatching and reanalyzing the promo that dropped a little over a month ago. But for fans who ignored the promo, the episode did a great job of setting up this reveal. From the two times that Luz practically ignored her mother's texts, it can be pretty clear that Luz's fear would be something involving Camilia. However, before the episode premiered, everyone jumped on the idea that Luz's greatest fear would be Camilia forcing Luz to come back home. Instead, the scene portrays Luz's greatest fear as her mother's negative response to Luz lying for weeks. That idea is much more interesting to me because it reveals how much Luz cares so much about what her mother thinks of Luz. And unlike Amity with her parents, Luz's fears are much more justified due to Camilia actually being a good mother. A mother who planned to send her daughter away to summer camp, sure, but still a mother who would do that type of thing out of love rather than to protect an image. Which makes me hope to see more of Camilia in the future, just to witness the mother/daughter relationship she has with Luz. Because honestly, it feels like I've been working triple time with portraying that relationship myself.

Amity’s greatest fear: Ah yes, the one thing none of us could have predicted...ok, that's not true. Some of us did predict this, but most of us didn't take those predictions seriously. And BOY, were we wrong to do so. Because the idea that Amity's greatest fear is being rejected by Luz is both sad, yet kind of adorable. It proves just how much Amity has come to care for the same human she nearly got dissected, in episode THREE. It's a nice bit of character growth that I just can't help but gush over how sweet it is. But again, it's also depressing knowing that Amity is afraid by being rejected by Luz of all people. Luz! The girl who's sweeter than honey and would absolutely let Amity down gently if Luz didn't feel the same way (Which she does. She just doesn't realize it yet.). What's even more interesting is that it makes so much sense as to why Amity is more afraid of showing her fear to the school. Not only would Grom reveal that Amity has feelings for Luz, but it also has the problem of outing Amity as a lesbian, presumably long before she's ready. And seeing how her parents reacted to Amity's friendship with Willow, imagine what would happen if word got out that Amity had a crush on a human girl. Yeah, let's just say that Amity must be really grateful that Grom morphed into a vague, shadowy figure.

(Speaking of, can we PLEASE calling Luz oblivious for not knowing that Grom morphed into her? Yes, to us, it's painfully apparent who Grom was supposed to be. But it also looks vague enough to the point where it isn't unbelievable for Luz to not know it was her. Because from where Luz is standing, the only similarity is the height and body shape. If the crew stuck to using Luz's more apparent traits, then I'd say it's fine to say Luz is oblivious. But as is, it's not too far of a stretch for Luz not to know it was her.)

That dance scene!: Remember how some fans have been hoping for a slow dance between Luz and Amity? This is better.

From the choreography to the smooth animation, to their expressions, to even pure epicness of this scene. Everything about this dance is just so astonishing that I am convinced that several fans have watched it over and over and over again since the episode's release. And you want to know the best part? This scene has so many problems that I don't care about due to how great it is. Why does Eda just stand there and do nothing? I don't know, and I don't care. Why does Grom stand there and do nothing? I don't know, and I don't care. How did Luz and Amity come up with this perfect plan without communicating? I don't know, and I don't care. How did Luz catch Amity, even though it looked like they jumped off of the abomination at the same height, and would've landed at the same time? I don't-Ok, you get the point by now.

Don't get me wrong, these are all valid criticisms. But that's the testament of good writing to me. Because if a scene can make me forget/ignore the problems within it, then it's ok in my book!

The cherry blossom: And now we get to that symbolism that I've mentioned before. Because according to a five-second Google search: The Chinese describe the cherry blossom as a symbol for feminine dominance and, of course, a symbol for love. Now the feminine dominance part is clear, but I'm confident that The Owl House staff concentrated more on the whole "symbol of love" thing. Because how else are they supposed to hint that Amity and Luz are meant to be the endgame relationship? Reveal that Amity's gromposal was meant for Luz? C'mon. That would be-

It’s revealed that Amity’s gromposal was meant for Luz: ...You know those moments that are so awesome, iconic, and downright perfect that you just can't help but give a grand old cheer to it? That's this moment right here. Speaking of which: WAH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOO!

Seriously, some of you have no idea how big this scene is. It would have been so easy to cut the scene short at Amity throwing her half of the note, and leaving it up to interpretation for who the whole thing was for. But the fact that we get to see that it was meant for Luz, thus confirming that Amity has a crush on her, is absolute perfection. Not only is it because this is a big step for Disney in terms of representation, but to me, it seems like a normalization of gay culture. This type of reveal is something that would be done for several heterosexual relationships. So to confirm that Amity has a crush on Luz as if it was nothing...that's...that's just awesome. It's awesome, and I am so happy that Disney even greenlit this decision. And I'm not even gay! So I can not comprehend how some of you are feeling about this moment!

(Also, this does not mean that Lumity is canon. But it does at least mean that Lumity is going to be canon. Only now it's a question of when rather than if.)

Luz’s Text to Home: This was just a sweet moment. You get a better understanding of the love Luz has for her mother within these few seconds, then you did throughout the entire series so far. I also like that this implies that Luz is going to try being more honest with her mom about being in a whole new dimension. Which is again, is something I've been playing with.

Speaking of my aforementioned fanfic, during this entire scene, I was thinking to myself: "Man. Maybe I don't have to write a chapter based on this episode, after all. It pretty much did the job for me. I'm just glad that show didn't do anything that would make what I wrote completely worthless. Because that would just-"

Camilia is getting LETTERS?!: “...Well shit.”

Ok, gags and goofs aside, I honestly love this reveal. Because this presents a whole lot of questions. Like, how is Camilia getting these letters? When did she start getting them? And more importantly: Who the hell is sending them?! This is another thing that I enjoy about The Owl House. Just when you think you're satisfied with the episode you're given, the writers throw in something you could have never expected in a million years. This is why lately, it's a toss-up between The Owl House and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts for the best show of 2020 for me.

(BTW, WATCH KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONDERBEASTS! It's SO GOOD!)

Those Grom pictures: These were just cute. Especially the last one.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

...Uh...Oh! I know!

King’s B-plot: A small complaint that I have for The Owl House is that most of the b-plots in several episodes just feel unnecessary. Episodes like "The First Day," and "Adventures in the Elements" had b-plots that were pointless and not as engaging as the a-plot. What's worse is that they seem like padding for time, when most of that time could be used for significant moments in the main plot. And honestly, King's story in this episode is the worst one yet. It's filler that is poorly paced and wasn't really all that funny (aside from the other b-plots which at least offered a few good jokes in them). I don't know. Maybe it's because I have Lumity brain rot and wanted more moments between those two, but I just could not get engaged in King's story.

And...yeah, that’s about it.

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This episode deserves a well earned A+! Sure it has its fair share of problems, but the many, MANY, things it does right outweighs what it does wrong. On top of that, its one of the few episodes of any show I've seen that kept me up at night. Why? Because I couldn't stop thinking about how amazing it was. "Enchanted Grom Fright" is a worthy contender for the best episode of the season, and probably the entire series. It was heartwarming, engaging, and quite possibly the most important thing Disney has made in years. What else could you call it other than Enchanting.

(And no, this doesn’t mean I’m reviewing episodes of The Owl House from now on. Just the ones that are worth talking about.)

[purplesurveys]

1167

surveys by emptyliketheocean

Brand of cigarettes you smoke? I don’t smoke cigarettes, or at least I never buy my own packs.

Should you be trusted with a person's life? Idk, that’s for them to decide.

How's your life in general? I lost two relatives from Covid this week alone. So, not very dandy. Still in shock. Waiting for it to all finally crash down so I can grieve and mourn properly. Scared of more losses and hoping there aren’t any more to come.

Have you ever put lipstick on anything besides lips? I don’t wear makeup, but when my friends have put some on me in the past there were a couple of times they dabbed lipsticks on my cheeks.

Have you ever picked a fight you knew you would lose? Metaphorically speaking, yeah. I don’t get into physical fights.

What's something you think is crazy about the world? The concept of centibillionaires and the fact that there are multiple ones who exist.

What do you think about religion? I think the only upside to it is how it has helped save lives for some and how it serves as a guide for others to spread good in the world. Like if your religion has given you purpose and strength, that’s great. But ultimately, I’m not a fan and I most definitely don’t think religion is necessary to be a kind person. In fact, I think it works the opposite...most of the homophobes, misogynists, pro-lifers, and sexists I know are from the Christian faith. Cringe.

What about when religion causes violence? Well I definitely have a bone to pick with this lol. The only reason the Philippines is predominantly Catholic today is precisely that when the Spanish arrived, they used violence to forcingly convert Filipinos - who were then living in peace with their own culture, government, and religion system - to Christianity. And now we’re ‘celebrating’ 500 years of Christianity in the country this year, which was always so off to me because why are we celebrating colonization lol????????????? But anyway, yeah, that is another issue I have with religion. I want nothing to do with it.

What color is one of your hats? I have an off-white summer hat but I have literally never used it in public because it’s huge and it’s 100% going to draw attention.

How do you feel? My shoulders are sore and I’m feeling slightly irritated because of them. I’m also starting to get a bit hungry.

Have you ever gotten in trouble for laughing? A few times.

Something that makes you smile: Free food.

What do you think about surveys with lyrics as the title? Surveys with random lyrics usually end up being the ones with interesting questions, so I actually am more likely to check it out.

Do you have any clothes with small holes in them? Maybe one or two.

Do you think the way you live is really okay? I think I am already quite fortunate with what I have considering what others don’t, so it’s definitely been a while since I have complained about anything during this whole Covid situation, living-situation-wise. Even though we’ve lost a few things, like having to sell one of our cars and with my mom being retrenched, we still get by and have a roof over our heads with working water and electricity and a stocked pantry; and I make enough money to hand a portion of it to my parents twice a month and still treat myself with things I want. There is nothing to bitch about.

Do you know anyone other than a cop who has ever owned a cop car? No.

Have you ever felt fire? No, but electricity, yes. I’ve been shocked before but that was also my own fault lol.

Have you ever seen a person light themselves on fire? Jesus no.

Have you ever used crutches when you didn't need them? Yes. I used to horse around with Katreen’s crutches when she injured her legs in 3rd grade, when she wasn’t using them.

If you had 15 beers you would be: Dead.

Are you as bored as I am? No, I’m good.

Why are you taking this survey? I feel like it.

What would you say if a person asked you why your face was so messed up? “How do you want me to react?” Easiest way to shut a person up and passive aggressively tell them to watch what they say.

What would you do if your first love asked you back out? Be very confused and ask why the sudden decision.

What's your home life like? It’s very routine, due to having to stay at home. I work a 9–6 on weekdays, follow that up with dinner, and use a few hours to scroll through social media until it’s time to sleep. Then on weekends I use the free time to recharge by taking surveys and watch videos of whoever and whatever I’m interested in at the moment. Just waiting for all of this to blow over so I can finally do the things I’m meant to be doing.

Do you have a talent that you don't do anything with? I don’t write a lot for myself these days. I do write frequently for work, which is great - press releases, event scripts, all your PR essentials - but I don’t get stimulated enough since everything is written in the same tone. I really should pick up a notebook and pen soon...

Do you know anyone that is a lesbian? Yes. Not that she’s in my life anymore.

What do you think about your mom? I think she tries her best. But I wish she were more emotionally in touch. And that she starts being politically correct.

What do you think about your dad? He’s worked hard and continues to, and I appreciate all his efforts; and I can’t wait to be able to buy him all the things he wants.

Which parent do you respect the most? Who do you think? Hahahaha.

Is there anything someone could lie to you about that you couldn't forgive? I suppose, like cheating.

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Who do you love unconditionally? My two best friends.

Pick an element. Oooookay? Zirconium.

Have you ever wasted a great amount of time and felt horrible about it? It always feels that way on weekends these days because there’s only so much that can be done while stuck at home because of Covid. But I do try to justify it by telling myself I already work too hard during weekdays so it’s ok to bum around at home and do nothing, because using the time to recharge is still productive. 

What is something that's been said about you that isn't true? My mom has said a lot of hurtful things directed towards me that I internalized for a very long time, but I’ve since gained the strength to no longer let those words get to me.

Who do you want with you when you're scared? Anyone who can be calm while I’m not.

Know any bands that not many people have heard of? Many of the punk bands I listen to are virtually unknown on this side of the planet.

Do you have any advice for people in general? Don’t be racist.

What's something you like to do in the summer? Complain about the heat.

What's something you like to do in the winter? We don’t get winter here, but I’ve always thought I would love snow if I ever saw it, and that I would probably make a lot of snow angels and play snowball fights.

What do you think about marijuana? I don’t have a strong opinion on it as it’s still a very taboo topic where I’m from and I’ve also been lacking on research. I do know people who use it for recreational purposes and I’ve never been against that.

Do you wish anyone death? Just politicians.

Have you ever felt like you weren't getting anywhere with a person? Yes, it felt that way for a long time. I just was too afraid of confrontation to do anything about it.

What do you feel for the person you first fell in love with? Resentment and a whole lot of nothing.

Where are you? I’m in my bedroom.

Are you waiting for something? Hmm, not necessarily.

Who is someone you just think has a hole in their brain? People who still think Covid is a hoax.

A candy you like? Gummy anything.

Does any part of your body hurt at the moment? My shoulders and neck, hence the neck pillow I’ve since put on while taking this.

Explain how you got the last bruise you had. I honestly have no clue. I currently have a big black circle on my right thigh that just suddenly showed up, and I can’t recall a time I must’ve hit it somewhere.

Are you tired? A little bit because I got up as soon as I woke up, but I wanted to maximize my free time this Sunday before another work week starts. Last Friday would be our last non-working holiday in a while and we’re not getting another one until August. :(

Explain how you got a scar you have. A distant cousin hurled a glass jar towards me when I was 3, during a family reunion. He initially went for my eye because I guess he wanted to blind me, but he missed and ended up hitting my eyebrow instead. My mom has since banned him from talking to me ever since, and I don’t think I’ve ever even seen him since the incident.

Have you ever owned anything illegal? Illegal copies of movies I’ve torrented, sure.

What do you dream about? The most random scenarios. I’ll get the occasional nightmare, but those only happen when I’m going through a period of depression.

Do you ever daydream? Not anymore these days.

How do you feel about vegetarians? I don’t really think anything of them. There are days I’ll particularly feel for them because there aren’t a lot of restaurants with good vegetarian options where I live, though.

A fruit you like: Avocado, in very limited options.

Have you ever seen a person eat a bug? Only bugs that were already prepared a certain way and meant to be eaten; but I’ve never seen a person that just picked up a bug off the ground and went straight to chewing. I imagine I would freak out and gag.

Something you worry about too much: How much is in my bank account.

How do you feel about smoking? I hate how the smell clings to your clothes and all your things when you’ve been smoking or when you’ve been around people who smoke. I also wince when people pose with their cigarettes just to look badass and cool; but as someone who’s since picked up vaping as a habit, my once-intense hatred for smoking and smokers has since changed lol.

If you had to move out of state, where would you go? I would move to a big city. Somewhere noisier and with a lot of lights and foot traffic and general activity.

What is your favorite vampire-related movie? The Twilight Saga hahahahahaha

Is there a person you keep coming back to? My best friends, I guess?

If you're listening to music...Give me a lyric from the song you're listening to. I’m not listening to anything.