#and still believe in magic and white rabbits and miracles

[hollowwhisperings]

KH Spec: Princess of Heart as Stars, part 5/?

Before looking into Belle & returning to Kairi, there are still aspects of Princess Jasmine that are hugely relevant to identifying how past & future members of the Seven Lights match up thematically. Part 4 began that process by establishing how the implicit themes within the stories of Snow White, Cinderella & Aurora were made explicit through Jasmine's ability to verbally express what they (due to the expectations of their then-contemporary audiences, due to their lack of consistent safety) could not.

Thusly, Jasmine establishes what themes tie the Seven Lights together & what to bear in mind when speculating on future candidates for the roles. Jasmine's unique ability to embody & express each of the following themes (a result both of the era she was conceived for & who Jasmine is as a character) is likely why Agrabah continues to play a role in each Kingdom Hearts game despite its World's "story" having been completed. Before returning to the remaining members of the "Original Seven" Lights, allow me to lay out the thematic patterns of ALL princesses.

The Themes that Connect the Seven Lights are the following:

the ability to Know One's own Heart, to Imagine the Impossible, to Dream: this is the theme of "Dreaming" and is often represented by Hearts.

the ability to Believe in those Impossiblities, to have Faith in others, to be Hopeful in even the most dire of circumstances: this is the theme of "Wishes" and its symbol is a Star.

the ability to remain Curious about the World & about other people with genuine interest, Without Ill Intent: this is a theme of both Innocence & Kindness but is ultimately one of "Curiosity". It is represented by having Animal Companions and by looking to the Stars of a Night Sky.

the capacity to Love Others wholly & truly, to Inspire Loyalty & love in turn: this is the theme of "True Love" and is represented by acts of Self-Sacrifice and Redemption.

the ability to achieve Miracles, through the strength of Love, Wishes & Dreams: "Miracles" are acts of Resurrection & Magical Transformation. The Power of Awakening is a form of "Resurrection".

and, finally, to be one of the Seven Lights is to be in a state of "Hoping": to continue "Dreaming" and otherwise hold close those seemingly impossible "Wishes"; for that "Curiosity" to go unsated; to "Love & be Loved" with all the potential needed to achieve "Miracles"... the Lights must remain in states of "Hoping", continuously channeling their faith and Love but the realization of their Penultimate Shared Theme out of reach. This "Hoping" manifests as Light and is the guiding Theme for this series of speculation.

this is the theme all others lead to, the theme that all others seek to achieve: "Freedom". While many of the Princesses needed Literal Freedom of Movement, the thematic "Freedom" is one of Leaving Childhood: this is symbolized by "Happily Ever After". Visually, "Freedom" is symbolised by Awakening, Weddings, "riding into the sunset" or otherwise Crossing The Horizon.

The Light of "Hoping"

Without going down the Rabbit Hole of MoM's Mysterious Black Box (which I have previously speculated on), "Hope" is considered both a Gift & Curse in the myth of Pandora's Box.

It is a Gift: it allows people to continue trying in the face of failure & adversity.

It is a Curse: it is an ongoing, thankless effort that can lead to self-destruction.

The Seven Lights are key to the continued existence of the KH Universe in the absence of Kingdom Hearts: the Lights act as Seven "Substitute" Stars for that single, all-powerful and Absent "Sun" (though it DOES look more like a "Moon" in box art).

A Relationship With Time?

To be a host for Pure Light seems to require one's life to be suspended from change: in the case of the Disney Princesses from the Original set of Seven, their Stories & entire Worlds seem to have looped over & over, even before KHX, to keep these Primcesses ever between "Doom" & "Happily Ever After".

Assuming that this was deliberately achieved, the Static Worlds of the Disney Princesses served to protect the Worlds at large to remain in the Realm of Light... at the expense of the Seven Lights themselves, & their respective Worlds with them. This is only speculation: Melody of Memory introduced the concepts of "Unreality" and "Realms of Fiction", while the Mass Crossover nature of the KH series enables many versions of reality to exist simultaneously & in each other's stead: I have assumed the Princesses were kept in timeloops because cutscenes from KHUX seemed to imply that Maleficent became self-aware of such a phenomena & because none of the Disney Princesses met in BBS seemed any younger than they were in KH1. This could just as easily a result of their Worlds falling to Darkness shortly after BBS & by the methods Maleficent employed to capture them. Time Dilation or Time Travel outright are other plausible explanations.

"Passing The Torch"

With this idea of Lights being contingent on "Hoping" as an ongoimg effort, it makes sense that Six of the Original Seven Lights could (& would want to) "pass on" their roles: it was not that their natures changed, it was their circumstances that did. With the Princesses now Self-Aware, the threat of Maleficent gone, the Worlds regaining a Kingdom Key-Wielding Hero... the Princesses Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Alice, Jasmine & Belle could move on with their lives past their Stories.

It is also this theme of "Hoping", something present & ongoing rather than the "Freedom" that their hopes build up to, that explains why characters that otherwise "match" the qualities shared by the Seven Lights (such as Ariel, Aerith, & Sally from Halloween Town) are not Lights themselves: their Worlds continued to experience "time" and their "Hope" could transform into "Freedom", the theme all Lights ultimately hope for.

In Part 6, the conjecture on time & "hoping" will finally address that Belle I've been neglecting and, assuming I do not again become Distracted, the nature of Kairi as "Once & Present Princess" will be explored. Part 7, hopefully, will tie everything together and let me finally share my theories on who could join Kairi, Rapunzel & Anna as the "New Lights".

[contrarywiseizybel]

Kinktober 2022

Day 8: Bellatrix Lestrange/Pansy Parkinson (Food)

“Sneaking around like a naughty little mouse, are we?”

The question, coming from the shadows of the Malfoy kitchen, startled Pansy so badly she had her wand out, ignoring the fact that she was still a month away form being able to actually use her magic. Not, of course, that Parkinsons bothered themselves with things like the law, but Pansy also wasn’t an idiot. She knew the ministry was monitoring anyone previously connected with the dark lord, knew that if they got even a hint of underaged magic they would use it as an excuse to raid the manor.

No, she wasn’t going to bring that on her hosts. That would just be bad manners.

Still, her snap response must have delighted whoever was hiding in the darkness, as shrill giggles filled the room. A giggle she couldn’t place, which was especially concerning as she should have known everyone in the manor. The boring meeting a few halls down was for the dark lord’s elites, Pansy’s own parents included. She had known everyone of the lord’s lieutenants, having called most of them “aunt” and “uncle” until Hogwarts started.

So not being able to identify the cackle of humor was unnerving.

Luckily, or maybe not considering, the voice took pity on her and with a sharp snap every candle flickered to life, casting the room in a warm glow.

And there, sitting cross legged on the top of the kitchen table as easily as she would sit in any chair, was Bellatrix Lestrange.

Pansy cursed herself for forgetting about the Malfoy’s “most respected” guests. Maybe it was because most of the Death Eaters recently freed from Azkaban were much more likely to be resting in their rooms. Draco had confided that they had put up a silencing ward between the main manor and that wing, as the poor bastards would still scream and wail at all hours of the day.

He had assured her that they weren’t up for traveling outside that guest wing, still too broken from their years in prison and Pansy, like a fool, believed him. And now she was stuck under the stare of Bellatrix Lestrange. The witch, terrifying and deadly and rumored to be the only of his lieutenants that the dark lord actually respected, watched Pansy like she was a rabbit, frozen in the middle of a field.

And Bellatrix was the hawk.

“Come for a midnight snack, mousy?” Bellatrix asked, her sharp nails tapping an upbeat tempo against the polished wood below her. It was then that Pansy realized it wasn’t just Bellatrix Lestrange on the table. A veritable feast surrounded her, with Bellatrix herself as the centerpiece. Pansy could see artfully plated bangers and mash next to a mug of ale, steaming bowls of chicken tikka masala beside fresh naan bread, Welsh rarebit and roasted game bird and shucked oysters interlaced with edible flowers and garden fresh herbs.

And if the food alone wasn’t a feast, Pansy caught herself staring at Bellatrix as well. The dark lord’s healers must have been miracle workers. Of course there were still signs of her imprisonment, from her gaunt cheeks to the darkness spreading up from the tips of her fingers, a physical sign of her overworked magic. But her thick mane of hair looked clean, pulled away from her pale face but otherwise allowed its wild curls. Her blue-gray eyes were intense, sunk into her face, the shadows making her leer dangerous and cunning. And even her teeth, which Draco had complained about, had been cleaned to a standard off white. An improvement to the blacked rot Draco had been so haunted by.

Truly the dark lord only hired the best, as despite the years in prison, Bellatrix, and the food, looked delectable.

Pansy’s stomach growled, begging and pleading and demanding she pounce on the feast. Was it hunger, formed from the emptiness that came with a small salad at dinner? Was it lust, developed from years of watching her dorm mates and wondering about their soft curves and playful smiles?

“Come along, mousy, come share my bounty.”

The hunger flared again, stronger than Pansy, stronger than her mother’s reprimands, stronger than her father’s disappointment. She let the hunger lead her to the table, let Bellatrix pull her onto the table, so she knelt among the dishes which all moved aside for her. Those eerie pale eyes watched her, taking in her plump frame and her nervous energy. And oh so interestingly she grinned, sharp and wicked and delicious.

She lifted a pasty, flake and golden brown and Pansy could see the steam. Her lips warmed as Bellatrix rested the treat against them, forcing Pansy to actually made the move forward. Tempting her but never commanding her.

Pansy bit down, the softness and the saltiness and the warmth so right on her tongue and her heart hammering in her chest. Bellatrix watched, rapt and unblinking, and slowly continued to present her offering of pastry and meat and gravy. And just as she reached the last bite, Bellatrix struck.

Thin lips caught her own, nibbling and biting at the plump flesh until Pansy opened to her. A determined tongue chasing the flavor, a thin fingered hand pulling her closer by the back of her neck.

Carelessly, Bellatrix swiped away dishes, porcelain shattering on the ground. The older women pushed Pansy onto the table, leering over her with a delighted mad grin. “Oh little mousy, you are quite the treat.”

And with a shark smile Bellatrix struck, feasting on Pansy’s salt tinted skin and her delectable moans.

How delicious.

[alice-angel12x]

💔Bunny!Shouto x Bunny!Reader

Beastar/hybrid/ Fantasy AU

[In this story everyone is a hybrid with animal instincts, and major height difference depending on the animals like in beastars. And magic exists. And sorry if Shouto seems out of character for you.]

"Shouto where are you?!" Y/n called for her friend.

Sadly Shouto's mind was elsewhere, for he had fallen in love with the wolf princess Momo. Every day he would sit at the edge of cottonwood village and gaze upon The princess from afar.

"Shouto, there you are," Y/n said with a smile.

But that quickly turned into a sad frown as she saw Shouto eyeing the crescent castle. Kingdom of the wolves. Know most would wonder, why is there a rabbit village a hop skip, and a jump away from a wolf kingdom. Well, every time the village tries to move away rogue wolves would attack. Yet once they got close to the castle they would quickly run away. The king of the wolves claimed that as long as they stayed within the boundaries of the kingdom, they would protect them. Y/n never bought that. She noticed that once every year one rabbit from the village would disappear. Many believed it was from the rogue wolves, sneaking in and past the guards. So Y/n was worried about her friend falling in love with a wolf, a rabbit falling in love with a wolf.

"Oh Hi, Y/n," was all he said not even turning to look at her.

"How are you feeling, you know since spring is coming up?" Y/n asked him slowly.

"I'm fine," was all he said. "How about you,"

"I'm good still looking for my prince charming you know," Y/n said wistfully.

"You so childish," Shouto said as he finally turned to her.

"I'm 16 what's so childish about that?" Y/n asked as she turned to head back to the village.

Cottonwood Village is a quaint little town of Rabbits. In the middle of the village was a large cottage where the leader/mayor lived with his family, Shouto's family. The leader was endeavor Shouto's father, he was a part of the group of rabbits that believed the wolves were hiding something.

"Does your father know about your umm, dream girl?" Y/n asked.

"My father already has enough control of my life, I'm not about to let him control my love life," Shouto said coldly.

"You shouldn't get too close to the castle, it's dangerous," Y/n said in a worried tone.

"I know your thoughts on Wolves Y/n. But the wolves have shown use that they have other alternative foods. Like soy and bean-made meat," Shouto explained.

"It's easy to say that when it's not someone you care about goes missing," Y/n muttered bitterly, but Shouto sadly heard her.

"Y/n, it was the rogues that got your brother. And the Kingdom felt with them remember," Shouto sighed in annoyance.

"Shouto are you sure you love this wolf girl or is this just one of your I just wanna piss off my dad things?" Y/n asked bitterly.

"If You don't like it then you could always find someone else to hang out with, Y/n!" Shouto said as his left side lit up in flames.

Y/n quickly ran off, startled by Shouto's flame magic. Shouto sighed in frustration as he realized he used his father's Flames. After that Shouto avoided Y/n like the plague, and it didn't help that his father eventually found out Shouto was in love with a wolf. Endeavor did not like that, so he started setting updates for Shouto to try to take his mind off Momo.

Y/n tried to apologize and rekindle with him, but he would only give her the cold shoulder.

Y/n could see the sorrow and anger Shouto was in, so she barrier her feelings for him and braved the dark forest. She heard rumors that a powerful owl named All For One could perform miracles, even change species. She eventually found him a creepy old owl.

"E-excuse me, sir," Y/n stuttered as the owl turned his head 180° to look at her.

"I wanted to know if you had the power to change a person's species?"

"Yes indeed child, and what species would you like to be, but it will cost you," All for One chuckled.

"How much would it cost?" She asked.

"Half of your soul. Your life Will be cut in half. You'll live to about 25 for you," he answered as he towered over Y/n.

"I would like to pay for someone. If a red and white male rabbit comes and asks to change him, please take my soul," Y/n said in confidence.

"You young people always ready to throw your life away," he muttered as ripped out half of Y/n's soul.

And with that, she quickly ran back to the village, with Half of her soul in toe. She managed to track down Shouto and told him about All for One but left out the part of selling half of her soul.

Shouto did not waste time to find the owl and demand him to turn him into a wolf.

____________ [4 years later]

It has been 4 years since I changed into a wolf. When I changed, I found myself waking up in a large bed. I was found by Princess Momo herself. She helped was so sweet and kind, and was more than happy to explain wolf society. When I told her I was raised by Herbavoir animals. I was an Omega, while She was an Alpha.

Yet I enjoyed the times we spent together, I had never felt so free. She would help my heats or anything that confused me. It took a while to get used to eating soy meat, but I didn't mind all that much. All for One said he could change me and give me Wolf-like instincts, but he couldn't remove my Rabbit instincts. So it took a long time to suppress those instincts.

°° Today Momo had important meetings, so I was left to my own devices. So I decided to take a stroll through the forest. As I wandered through the forest I could hear humming coming from a nearby river. I peaked out from behind the tree, too see a rabbit bathing in the river. I recognized that rabbit, with her lovely H/c hair and beautiful snow-white rabbit ears and Tail.

"Y/n?" I called out to her.

Y/n quickly turned around to face me as she covered her chest with her arms. As my eyes took in all of her details I could feel the rest of the world fading away. It was just me and Y/n. In my new wolf body, Y/n looked so small compared to me now.

She matured a lot over these past 4 years. For some reason I couldn't see her as the childish dreamer 4 years ago, I couldn't figure out why.

"Umm hello Shouto, your taller," Y/n said as she started backing away.

"I-it's good to see you again Y/n," stuttered as I felt the heat rush to my face.

She smiled sweetly at me as she grabbed her robes as he made her way over to you. Seeing her standing In front of me was odd. I remember when I was still a rabbit I was just a few inches taller than her. But now she just barely reached my mid waist.

We sat under a tree and talked for hours about what had happened to me. And she sat there and listened very closely. Her robes v neck was very revealing and I started to feel hot.

She seemed to notice as she got and started to walk with a slight sway in her hips. A dormant instinct awakens within me as the rabbit inside me begged to go after her.

"It seems you're a bit too excited to see me. If I remember correctly I was too childish for you~," She said with a smooth seductive voice.

I had to hold back the Rabbit instincts as I watched cross to the other side of the river.

"I'm afraid I have to leave now, spring is just around the corner after all~," She cooed as she disappeared behind the trees.

I felt hot in a certain place as I felt my tail wag uncontrollably on the ground. That wasn't the last time I went out to see Y/n. Anytime Momo was busy I would meet Y/n by the river and we would talk.

One day it was a particularly hot day as I made my way to Y/n's meet site. Today she was wearing a large floppy sun hat and a cute spring dress.

"So what us Momo like?" Y/n asked curiously.

"She's wonderful, she's kind, smart, and gentle," I said to her as I started to talk about my fiance.

"Hey Shouto are you okay, you seem sluggish today and in pain?" Y/n asked worriedly.

"Oh don't worry, I'm going into heat soon. So I'll be sore for a while, the downsides to being an Omega wolf," I explained.

"That sucks, is there any way I can help you?" Y/n asked as she hugged my neck. She smelled like a field of wildflowers, I couldn't help but return her hug.  ---

As The two old friends were talking they failed to notice two figures creeping behind them. Before Y/n could react, a large hand grabbed her by the ears and lifted her off the ground. She screamed and thrashed against her captors. Shouto quickly got up and tackled the man as he pulled Y/n into his arms and ran.

"It's the rogues, we need to head back to the castle," Shouto struggled to say as he ran.

But as he ran his body began to ache and became heavy. His vision started to blur and his steps became uncertain. Shouto tripped and tumbled down the hill with Y/n in toe. As he collapsed on the ground his eyes slowly closed as his body gave out.

"SHOUTO, PLEASE WAKE UP!!'' was the last thing he heard.

------

As my eyes opened up, I found myself in my room or my nest. suddenly Momo came in with her usual sweet smile.

" Good your fully awake, it's good to see you took well to the stew," she smiled as she picked up the empty bowl next to me.

"W-what happened to me," Shouto asked as he tried to sit up.

" You're in your heat, but it is taking a larger toll on you because your body lacks certain nutrients that soy meat can't provide. So our hunters found a rabbit near you and gave her to our chiefs and made you rabbit stew," Momo explained.

Shouto felt his whole world shatter as his stomach noted and squeezed.

"Oh, my maid is coming with more stew. Today's rabbit such a delicious flavor," Momo said as she rubbed her finger in the empty bowl and licked off the stew on her finger.

Shouto began to tremble as the truth sank into him. His stomach lurched in disgust as he sat up and leaned onto a nearby wall. Soon a maid came in with a fresh bowl of ... Rabbit... Soup. Shouto tried to back away only for his back to meet another wall. The maid scooped a spoon full of Stew with a generous amount of cooked meat chunks.

"Open your mouth," the maid said using her Alpha order.

Shouto's omega body slowly opened its mouth, despite Shouto's wishes. As the maid feeds him a spoonful of rabbit stew. The maid ordered him to chew and swallow, and he did. Heavy tears ran down Shouto's face as his body betrayed him. It felt like an eternity to finish the entire bowl of Stew.

____

Soon as the maid left Shouto pushed himself onto his feet and made his way down to the kitchen.

'It couldn't be Y/n right? She must have run away to safety,' he thought to himself.

As he entered he saw the chief with a cloth sack ready to be thrown out. Shouto quickly offered to take it out for them as a thank you for the meal. And the chief happily gave the sac to Shouto.

Once he was out he ran deep into the forest and opened the bag to see a fresh skeleton of a small rabbit. But inside he pulled out a familiar sun hat and spring dress. His stomach lurched and forced up the stew into a nearby bush.

"I... I ate her!! I ate Y/n', His mind screamed in shame, disgust, and sorrow as he began to sob.

Flashes of Y/n's beautiful smile and lively eyes appeared in his mind.

He held up Y/n's dress, it looked so small. The perfect size for a Pup maybe, but he knew this dress was the size for a fully grown rabbit, a young woman. He held the dress close to his chest like he was Hugging Y/n again.

Shouto with his head low he snuck back to his nest. Laying down he slowly pushed away most of the fabric Momo scented as he held Y/n's dress close to him. He could still smell the field of wildflowers on her dress.

"I can still smell you Y/n," He whimpered to himself.

[someone-give-me-a-hug]

I never believed in karma

This is a little story based mostly on a story of when I was younger and a prompt I found somewhere that said right a story about why you believe in karma. I was bored and so we have this. also this isn't proofread so :) there are a few mentions of abusive behavior.

I never believed in much as a kid. I knew from the age of 4 that the Tooth Fairy wasn’t real. That Santa was nothing but a myth. Not even being read stories of miracles and magic, giants and dragons could sway the little pessimist in my head who would constantly nag that the world was cruel and the universe could never give back. My parents hated it, in fact, it became a running joke that they found it so hard to convince me to believe that they would drop me off at the police station one day and see if I would believe in the miracle of them coming back. It was never that funny but everyone else would laugh. When I was about 8 my parents were divorced, it was like the only world I had known had been split down the middle like a dry log and placed on the fire that fueled my spitful ways. I was angry, at myself, at the world, at the same stupid universe who tried to trick kids into thinking the chocolate eggs in their garden came from a rabbit who had now torn my life into 2 separate factions; one filled with the rage of a drinker who screamed at the little things but wore the sweetest smile and held me tight as though I might be the next to leave and another filled with false promise and manipulation. Neither was ideal and so I taught myself how to grow up and focused on becoming better than my parents. The years went by in an endless cycle of the seasons. Spring spent watching the cherry blossom tree in my fathers' fancy new house bud and grow whilst wishing to be anywhere but there, Summers spent in isolation, left alone and separated from my friends, Autumn spent in public libraries to get away from home for a few hours and Winter spent praying for the isolation of summer or really anything to get out of Christmas dinner and having to face everyone. Father time treated me as well as he could, the image of a wise old man, gray beard littered with the stories of my life, and eyes that looked straight through you as if you were a ghost. No matter how much time passed I still didn’t believe in anything of great significance and I certainly didn’t believe in Karma. That was until I turned 11. It had been a couple days after my birthday, I had gotten a few bits and bobs that would find their way into the draw of rubbish that was religiously searched by my dad but most importantly I had gotten a phone as a way of contacting either parent when I was staying at the other's house. To me this was a dream come true! I could finally text the people that mattered and blend in with other kids my age who for the last 2 years had been trying to act 5 years older on the internet. I wasn't allowed it at night (which was understandable as I would spend all night trying to contact and interact with people all within the four walls of my room and huddled in between the 2 plush white pillows I had on my bed). Little did I know, my dad would search through the messages sent to my mum or grandma about how unhappy I was up at his with his girlfriend who treated me like I was a problem, and where I went below the dog in the pecking order. Now in these messages, I had referred to my dad's girlfriend as a “Step-witch” and when he found this out he wasn’t happy at all, I was locked in the lounge and shouted at for more time than I would like to admit. Now one thing I will say is when I get scared or too emotional I can’t talk, the words escape my throat and the oxygen can never find its way in. I begged and pleaded fresh tears gliding down the salty remains of the old ones to be able to write as a way of speaking and saying sorry. “No!” they insisted “we won’t tolerate this disrespect and you aren’t a toddler you can speak like a normal person!”. After that, I wasn’t allowed to use my phone at all and all the messages I sent had to be run through them before my finger could hit the send button. A few weeks later when it was time once again to make my Monday trip to Dad's after school I was shocked to receive a message from my father telling me my mum would be dropping me up as they couldn’t manage it. It wasn’t until mum left me on their

meticulously de-weeded and bleak front door and had to let myself in with the spare key that I realized what had happened. The house had been swept through by the flu, everyone was sick! Not wanting to give up the ongoing battle of where I should live with my mum, my dad had said he was busy and asked her to drop me up when in fact he was bedridden by the vicious illness. They were all coughing, sniffling, sneezing into a tissue, and then throwing it onto a growing pile the size of Mount Everest herself. The only one who seemed to be unaffected was my Oldest step-brother, let’s call him Dan. Dan never treated me like some old gum he had stepped in that just wouldn’t get off his shoe like the others, he never said anything bad to me or about me (at least to my face) and he was the only person in the house who treated me as if I was human. So as my Dad and Sammy (let’s just call her that for now) were holed up in their room Dan took it upon himself to take care of me for the 3 days of my stay. You see Dad and Sammy had lost their voice and resorted to writing on paper to communicate to us what they needed (or they used their phones but they were charged on the other side of the room to the bed and they could hardly muster up the strength to walk all those 10 steps to get them). However, there was 1 problem with this: all the led in the pencils were always broken and could never sharpen right, all the pens never wrote and we could never make out the frantic hand signals they would make. Now I’m not saying they deserved it for everything they did nor am I saying that it was karma who ripped their voices from their throats just as they had ripped my only means of communication to the outside world and to plead my case that day. All I am saying is from that day forward the universe and all her wonderful ways stuck on that tiny list of things I believed in. And who knows maybe next year I might catch a glimpse of a fat, red and white man and his big clumpy boots climb back up the chimney, leaving presents and mince pie crumbs in his wake.

[reidscanehand]

I've watch Frasier and Bob's Burger. I love it. You have such a good taste sweetheart.

As you can see i like your taste in series soo can you give a list of your series and films recommendation?

Ah! I'm so glad you enjoy them!

This is so sweet especially because I lowkey think I have absolutely horrendous (and/or just bizarre) taste, so I'm thrilled to hear that you like them, too!

In terms of other series I enjoy: I do not watch a lot of television, but I'm a big fan of Murder, She Wrote, Poirot, and Miss Marple (these are technically ITV series, but they're straight up like mini-movies). I really liked Downton Abbey until, like, season 4 or so. I watch Big Mouth a little, Brooklyn 99 (I have to be in a very specific mood to sit down and watch TV, so it really just depends on that). I grew up watching a lot of British television like The Vicar of Dibley and Are You Being Served?, which I like a lot as well. I grew up watching Friends and I like it as a comfort thing, but I barely 'watch' it, if that makes any sense. I will also...ever so occasionally watch documentaries about ghosts (I don't like ghost hunter things because I believe in ghosts and that feels...rude to the ghosts?) and Old Hollywood.

In terms of film, I'm all over the place. I like slightly creepy stuff and old stuff. My favorite film of all time is The Philadelphia Story, which is a classic farce based on a play and it stars Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart (who I adore), and Cary Grant. I'm a big fan of Bringing Up Baby (which also stars Katharine Hepburn), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (another Jimmy Stewart film). I love Alfred Hitchcock movies and my favorite is probably Rear Window. While it isn't a Hitchcock film, I love Charade, Wait Until Dark, and How to Steal a Million (all of which star Audrey Hepburn). I studied theatre and the best movie musicals I've ever seen are Cabaret, The Sound of Music, Meet Me in St. Louis, and Funny Face. I love period romance films, too, like Emma (2020), Sense and Sensibility (the one directed by Ang Lee and written by Emma Thompson because oh my GOD), and the 2005 Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Oh, and An Education.

I'm trying desperately to become like...a film buff? If I had my time again, I'd minor in film studies because I'm a huge fan of it...but I'm not smart enough to, like, talk about it? So, I'll occasionally try and watch, like, a 'smart' movie? In this category of films, there are more critically acclaimed things like When Harry Met Sally or Network or Misery or In the Mood for Love. From this year's Oscar nominees, I loved Nomadland and Promising Young Woman a whole bunch.

However, I also just like what I like and I'm fortunate enough to be getting to an age where I really just watch what I want to watch and don't watch what I don't want to. I'm really easy to please, which is helpful. Growing up, my favorite films were things like Return to Oz, The Cheap Detective, Clue, A League of Their Own, Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Corpse Bride (which I still list in my top 5 films of all time), The Secret Garden (1993 one, I think), Little Women, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Practical Magic (comfort tip: if you're having a bad day, cut yourself a slice of banana or pumpkin bread, pour a coffee or tea to have with it and watch Practical Magic; it cures the soul).

When I was young, I also listened to director commentaries on movies all the time, still do, sometimes, so I always recommend doing that because it's super fun and interesting. I, like, love knowing why a director wanted a certain actor to stand where they're standing or, like, the symbolism behind a shot. I did this all the time for my favorite Disney films. My favorites are any of them where the art is slightly different or more interesting, so I really love Snow White (frankly, a miracle that film got made), Sleeping Beauty (there was a different animation director than the other original few films and you can really tell), and 101 Dalmatians.

To sum up, I'm a long-winded gal who enjoys old comedies, laughing, slightly spooky things, old-fashioned things and listening to slightly nerdy commentaries. Hope this was...informative? Slightly helpful? Fun?

Love you xx

[randomoranges]

Over the summer, I watched Good Omens in Italian and made a post about it to compare and contrast

And then I did the same with French and FINALLY got around to make sense of my notes. Here they are, enjoy the laughs.

Good Omens in French is Bons Présages which is a literal translation.

French shows/movies/books always seem to do literal translations of things (see Harry Potter)

Crowley’s name goes from Rampant (something that CRAWls) to Rampa.

 God, although voiced by a female sounding actor, is referred as tout puissant (male) and not toutE puissantE (female)

 At least Crowley and Aziraphale use tu around each other instead of using the formal vous. (Listen, the number of shows/movies where 2 characters are friends, but because of the age dynamic they get downed to vous – it’s annoying. I’m glad 6000 yrs of friendship meant they could use tu.)

 Agnes Nutter’s last name is Barge

 The way Crowley greets Hastur and Ligur “hey salut les gars” it’s so casual lamao

 When they’re going through the deeds of the day Crowley goes on to say “oké vous allez adorer – j’ai fait bugger tous les réseaux” he sounds so pleased

 Ciao remains but (according to my old notes – I don���t remember but this is what I wrote like this summer) apparently they go on to say that it means poule (chicken) and not food (so the ciao –chow pun is lost)

 The person from hell who comes through on Crowley’s radio (I was never sure who that was supposed to be) but anyways, that person, they use darling and in French it was translated as mon choux, which is cute and also really funny.

 The Japanese bit was not translated (so it’s still Michael Sheen we hear say the one Japanese line)

 French also does not have another word for cookie (cookie and biscuit – which is funny because in French the word used for cookie is biscuit) ANYWAYS so Sister Mary L says cookie but with a French accent.

 Aziraphael sounds like Azirafal.

 When Aziraphale asks Crowley what he wants to do next (or whatever the line was) and Crowley goes des litres, des fleuves, des océans d’alcool (litres, rivers, oceans of alcool)

 The drunk scene deserves a special mention

 Personal opinion: but Crowley’s VA grows more on you than Aziraphale’s VA. They both sound much younger than D. Tennant and M. Sheen. Sometimes the French VAs don’t... fit lol and fall a bit flat.

 Éternitéééééééééé

 Aziraphale’s “oh doux Jésus”

 Their voices as Nanny and brother Francis were sad.

 Warlock’s voice at age 5 was also sad.

 However warlock calls Nanny “Nounou” and that’s cute

 When Nanny sings the lullaby in French – bless them they tried lamao

 When Aziraphale does the practice magic trick to Crowley, Crowley goes on to complain and say “c’est toi que j’vais faire disparaître” and it’s a gem

 JEANNOT LE LAPIN BLANC (when Aziraphale presents his white rabbit) it’s a Gift.

 The Them = les Eux

 In her cottage = dans son cottage (did you even try)

 When God asks Aziraphale for the sword and Aziraphale describes it as it’s “machin coupant très aiguisé”

 Aziraphale uses vous for God, but God uses tu.

 John and Virtue Device à John et Virtue Bidule (another one of those literal translations.)

 Ok but this one annoyed me. Anathema’s name got changed to Anatheme and like sometimes I get it it’s cause of the way words are pronounced so when you dub you gotta find things that fit the movement of the lips as much as but Anatheme does NOT fit with Anathema. ALSO IT’S THE PERSON’S NAME. LIKE. (Re: see Harry Potter again.) aNYWAys.

 Dick Turpin gets changed to Jesse Janes ????

 Grow better is “et vous les filles, continuer de POUSSER” (so the plants get referred to as “girls”)

 Mme. Tracy’s line about the refined gentlemen (or whatever it is) is aux gentlemen avertis.

 Du beebop.

 When they return to the convent Crowley says “j’me demande où sont passés les nuns” he could have sais soeurs insteand of nuns.

 Aziraphale tells Crowley “tu es un gentil garçon » (you are a nice boy)

 Oh lord heal this bike à oh seigneur, réparez ce vélo

 Angel is sometimes mon ange and I’m die. (My angel.)

 The scene in Rome when Crowley asks “qu’est-ce que vous avez à boire?” He sounds So Done

 My dear fellow = mais mon cher camarade (my dear comrade lol)

 When they’re complaining about horses during the Shakespeare scene = oh aye aye les chevaux ça fait mal aux fesses

 Headquarters = maison mère

 The whole Bastille scene with the Jean Claude is lost because they’re already talking French

 Another transformation of angel is angelot (small angel)

 The description of the head cutting machine is une énorme machine coupeuse de têtes

 Pear shapped = boudain (really not the same thing.)  

 Obviously = manifestement

 During the Blitz scene, when Aziraphale is Super Proud he double crossed the Germans he goes on saying “vous vous petes faites pigeonner! Allez, hop, hop, hop”

 The German bit was kept as is

 When Crowley is tap dancing through the church, the French VA makes some key noises

 You go too fast for me = Tu roules trop vite pour moi (two things; the delivery of the line falls flat and tu roules is literally a driving reference so it’s like more car feeling than like moving in life)

 When Anathema offers the Them lemonade they translated it to citronade, instead of limonade. And I don’t get it.

 Wicked = mortel (Deadly)

When Shadwell mimics Aziraphale’s pip pip it’s something along the lines of hop hop hop espèce de tonton Suisse ????? I’m never sure what he says, but just – it’s a riot.

 I don’t even like you = je ne t’appréci même pas (I don’t appreciate you)

But then Crowley’s you dooo is tu m’adores which, is you adore me and I lost it.

 I’m soft = je ne suis pas un guerrier (I am not a warrior) and wow, okay, not the same, not the same impact. 0/10

 Michael sounds more like Mi-ka-el and meh ok.

 When Crowley talks to God when he’s having a minor existential crisis it – doesn’t deliver as much.

 Adam uses vous for Anathema

 When Pepper realises whales have got the good life she says “oh purée, j’ai trop envie d’être une baleine” (France French expressions are sometimes a whole riot on their own)

 Avocado was changed to amandes (almonds and I don’t know why)

 One big avocado = ce sera bientôt la fin des amandes (it’ll soon be the end of the almonds) re : ??

 You smell like poo = vous sentez vraiment la merde

 Crowley’s I’ve got an old friend here = tu tombes mal, j’ai d’la visite (I’ve got visit)

 Uriel tells Aziraphale “ton p’tit copain aux lunettes fumées” which is your little boyfriend with the dark sunglasses lamao

 Bandes de..... méchants anges! = you bad angels! It sounds more petulant though.

 The whole wrong shop allusion is lost in translation

 You stupid man = espèce de crétin

 Oh fuck = oh merde (really not the same intensity lol)

 The emotion and distress in the dire scene is l o s t . L

 When Crowley is in the bar and he asks for another bottle he asks for la p’tite soeur which means the little sister.

 When Crowley is like Aziraphale is that really you (when his ghost-spirit-nebulous appearance shows up in the bar) it sounds more disbelieving? But like in a what the hell is going on and less in awe/relief??

 Get a wiggle on = remuage des fesses (fesses is butt)

 Pollution sounds very young.

 The 3 other horse people use vous for death

 They had the French VA of Aziraphale say the spreichen ze deutsch bit and He Tried.

 Wahoo = woow

 Not just the southern pansy, THE southern pansy bit = pas simplement une tantouze sudiste, mon chéri, je suis LA tantouze sudiste

A)     He sounds so very pleased with himself

B)      And flirty?? Come hither??

C)      It’s perf

D)     Tantouze sudiste = a vulgar term for a homosexual man

 Shadwell uses vous for Mme. Tracy

 Cowwley = Rampra (when Lisa the insurance girl calls)

 Car = caisse

 When Adam yells his life to get evil out of him or whatever, in the flashback sequence when Ms. Young speaks to Adam when he was born, she speaks to him in French (not like in the Italian version where they just – did not translate that bit.)

 Crowley sounds very suave when he tells Aziraphale in Mme. Tracy’s body that he’ll take care of it when the military dude won’t let them through.

 Dagon à je suis présent not présente (so Dagon uses male words?? pronouns??)

 You were a good car – t’étais une caisse d’enfer

 Kick/lick some serious butt à brouter quelques derrières

 When Aziraphale tells Crowley they should wait before offing Adam the exchange is hilarious

It’s Aziraphale: Peut-être qu’on devrait attendre (maybe we should wait)

Crowley : Qu’il ait le droit de vote? (That he could vote?)

 Vous vous êtes rien vous êtes trop naz, Pepper

 I believe in peace, bitch à Moi je crois en la paix pétasse LOL

 They only buzzed Beelzeebub’s voice for their last line before Satan appears

 Crowley at Adam ok mon garçon

 Adam uses vous for Satan his dad, but then uses tu for him for t’es pas mon père lol

 Le truc cest que tas pu dcamp mon vieux – moi non plus dailleurs

 Their voices when they’re pretending to be each other

 Tickity boo à tout va très bien

 Je te rappelle que je suis un putain d’archange (I’m the archangel fucking Gabriel – or whatever that line was lol)

 Shut your stupid mouth and die already à Tu vas te la fermer ta grande bouche et te décider à mourir

 Beelzebu : il est revenu à ses origines – il a changé de bord instead of he’s gone native

 Miiichael mon pot, tu m’fais un p’tit miracle j’ai pas de serviette à When Aziraphael as Crowley asks Michael for a towel.

[the-gedonelune-times]

Miracle

It’s been a little while since I’ve uploaded a story and yes, I’m back at it again with some more OC intro content. This will be the first of a couple stories I’ll be trying to post today. This story in particular will be featuring a different kind of intro, starring MC as the one to come into contact and unlock a very special secret about the new OC Lily!

Ugh, where am I? Why does my head hurt and my body feel so heavy? I’ve been sleeping for so long, are my dreams finally over? Will I be awake soon?

A pair of eyes fluttered open, taking in the scenery around them. Lying in a small bed of flowers was a figure who had just woke up after years of being in a dream-like stasis. They were still unable to move, but a smile formed on their lips as they looked at the sky.

“How beautiful…” They murmured. “Oh, how I wish I could touch it with my own two hands.”

The figure smiled before closing their eyes; a gentle breeze passing by as they found themselves staring off into the sky above them, their exhaustion slowly diminishing as the minutes passed by.

----------------------

“Luca, I told you once and I’ll tell you again. If you’re not going to help us, then get out!”

“Oh come on, it was nothing that bad!”

“You literally just pulled an invisible ink prank on Zeus and now he’s stomping around in the halls like some crazed lunatic because he thinks his face is still the shade of a blueberry.” Joel commented.

“Oh yeah/” Luca laughed. “His reaction was priceless.”

“This is going to spell trouble for the Night Class.” Liz sighed while setting her planner aside.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Gray and Clive have told me that when Zeus gets upset, then the classes he teaches ends up being a total nightmare for them.”

“Nice job Luca.” Elias scoffed.

“Why thank you, Prince Elias. Your compliment has made my heart flutter.”

“That wasn’t a compliment, you idiot!”

“That’s enough!”

With a shout and a slam of her planner against the desk that she was working at, Liz glared at the two of them, silencing them both almost immediately.

“Good. Now aside from that, have there been any more reports on the recent incidents?”

“You mean regarding the new magical creature? No, not a thing.”

“I overheard Schuyler mention something interesting yesterday while I was taking Seth on a walk around the Academy.” Yukiya spoke up.

“Huh? You didn’t think to tell us sooner? Do tell!” Luca sat down and smiled coyly.

“I’m not sure who he was talking to, but he said there’s been an influx of magical energy from the Northern Forest where the Winged Rabbits are. He’s not sure if this poses a threat to us yet but that he’d been keeping an eye on it.”

“I hope it doesn’t turn out to be anything serious.” 

“Nor do I. I’d like to have one normal day of class, thank you very much.” Elias huffed.

“When has anything been normal around here though?” Liz smiled.

“She’s right, you know.” 

Elias just sighed and took a sip of his tea from the teacup near his seat. “Honestly though, I wonder if this influx of magic that Yukiya just brought up, has anything to do with the magical creature everyone is talking about.”

Joel closed the book he had been reading and spoke up. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

“That actually might be possible. We still don’t know what kind of powers it has. That being said, we at least know that the creature itself doesn’t pose a threat to us.” Liz added.

“That’s true.”

A silence had crept in and took over the conversation, leaving them to all sit there in silence. Only the sound of the door opening after a few minutes, brought the room back to life.

“Wow, did we miss something?” 

“Alfonse?”

“The whole atmosphere seems off.”

Another voice entered and there in the doorway stood Alfonse and Caesar, each of them carrying a rather large box which they sat down in one of the corners of the room.

“I wouldn’t call it tense.” Elias replied. “Rather, we’re just doing some thinking.”

“Well, usually when things get quiet, it means that something might have happened, so I thought I’d ask.” Alfonse smiled while taking a seat. “So what is it that you’re all thinking about?”

“I’d like to know that as well.” Caesar spoke up while leaning against the wall.

“Yukiya overheard Schuyler talking and I guess there’s a pretty big influx of magic coming from the Northern Forest.”

“Seriously? Isn’t that where the Winged Rabbits reside?”

“Are they okay?”

“Yes, it seems like the magic isn’t giving off negative effects.”

“Strange. Do you know why it’s happening?” Alfonse asked curiously.

“Elias brought up the possibility of it being linked to the magical creature that everyone has been wanting to catch.” Liz answered.

Caesar nodded his head as he listened. “I can see that.”

“Well, as long as it’s not causing harm to the forest or the Academy, then I really don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

A few seconds after Alfonse spoke, a magic note came floating down in Liz’s hands. With a surprised look she opened it up and began reading the contents.

“Oh dear…”

“What is it?” Elias asked while walking over to peer at the note in her hands.

“It’s from Schuyler and it looks like he’s requesting that we go and investigate the Northern Forest and the surrounding area.”

“Talk about bad timing.” Luca chuckled.

Alfonse laughed. “Seriously!”

“Well, I guess this means we’re all going to have to go and investigate.”

“Hopefully it’ll just be us. I’d like to avoid having a headache if Zeus were to join. He’d most likely complain the whole time.”

“Why do I have to work with a bunch of dumb Day Classers?”

Luca mimicked Zeus and the room erupted in laughter. Once everyone had caught their breaths, they disbanded and started the investigation. Yukiya and Liz were put on a team that was decided at random before they left the room. However, Yukiya had to leave and go help calm Elias down from getting into a ‘fight’ with Luca.

Now it was just Liz as she treaded deeper into the forest. A small breeze blew past and rustled the leaves on the branches while the smell of sweet blooming flowers filled the air. All while small particles of light seemed to rain down from the tree-tops. The Northern Forest truly seemed like something out of a fairytale. As Liz continued her stroll, she saw something up ahead that caught her eye, and right away she knew something was up. A strong magical aura was surrounding whatever, or whoever, it was that was sitting on the ground.

Timidly, she inched closer until she could make out the figure more clearly, soon realizing that the figure was actually a...human? No...it couldn’t be. There, sitting in a small patch of flowers was a pale-skinned girl. She had flowy platinum-blonde hair the danced in the breeze and atop her head were a pair of small white almost glass looking horns. Behind her, a small white tail swished back and forth gently against the grass while a pair of wings, that glittered like fresh snow in the sunlight moved ever so slightly in the wind.

“No way..”

Realizing that the words had fallen out before she could even process it, Liz quickly covered her mouth with her hands and ducked behind the tree closest to her. She desperately hoped the being hadn’t seen her, but she knew that just couldn’t be the case.

“You can come out...I won’t hurt you.” 

A small timid almost sing-song voice called out and although Liz couldn’t see the expression on the person’s face, she thought they were smiling. With a deep breath, Liz moved away from her hiding spot and looked at the figure in front of her.

“You can come closer you know.” The young woman tilted her head to the side and smiled. “I promise I won’t bite.”

As Liz inched closer she noticed that woman had a small sleeping Winged Rabbit in her arms, stroking it’s fur ever so gently in an effort to not wake it.

“Who...are you? What are you doing here?” Liz asked.

“Hehe, I’m sorry, but unfortunately I can answer only one of those questions.” The woman smiled. “My name is Lily, it’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I’m afraid I don’t know why I’m here. My memory is a little fuzzy and I can only remember vague pieces of the time before this. Ah, may I ask your name?”

“Oh, yes, my name is Liz Hart.”

“Hello, Liz. What a lovely name. Hm?” Lily’s eyes, which looked like someone had poured the Northern Lights into, were locked on the Academy emblem that rested neatly on her uniform. “What is that emblem for?”

“Huh?” Liz looked down at her emblem. “Oh, this means I’m an official student at Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy.”

“Gedone...lune?”

“Yes. Have you never heard of it?”

“No. I don’t believe I have.”

“I see.”

It didn’t seem like she posed any threat, but even so, Liz knew barely anything about her and it seemed like Lily herself didn’t either. This was becoming a predicament. 

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes, you may.”

“Are you…” Liz paused, trying to figure out the words she wanted to say.

“Am I what?” Lily smiled.

“Are you a Dragonkin by any chance?”

“Hmmm..” Lily nodded softly. “That I am. I remember that much and yet…”

Her eyes seemed to hold sadness as she looked to the side.

“Is everything alright?” Liz walked over and knelt near the flowers.

“Oh, yes.” Lily shook the sadness away and smiled sweetly. “I just find it hard to find the memories I really want.It’s sort of like looking through thick fog to find a small object.”

“I see. Lily?”

“Yes?”

“Would it be alright if you came back to--”

“Liz?”

The sound Alfonse’s voice was accompanied by the sound of footsteps from multiple people as they headed in her direction.

“Over here Alfonse!”

Liz called out, smiling as the others came over to her side.

“Did you find anything?”

“Well I-” Liz looked over at the small flower patch, only to find that Lily was no longer there. In fact, there were no traces to prove that she had actually been there in the first place.

“Liz?”

“Sorry. No, I didn’t find anything out. Maybe we should try looking again tomorrow? It’ll be getting late soon.”

She wished she didn’t have to lie, but considering the information she had gathered, this seemed like something she couldn’t tell the others, at least not yet. Despite that, she revealed the truth to a certain other Dragonkin a few days later.

“Willem, what do you make of this?”

“Well…” Willem placed his teacup on the coffee table. “It seems hard to believe. Are you sure you saw another Dragonkin?”

“There’s no mistaking it, she had horns, tail and even a set of wings. Plus she even admitted to it. Though...I do wonder..”

“What is it?”

“Why would she disclose such information to me?”

“You said she suffered from memory loss, correct?” Willem sighed and looked down, almost sadly. “Perhaps she has forgotten of our past.”

A small gasp left Liz’s lips as she too placed her teacup down. 

“You mean...she might not remember the war? Or anything?!”

“Yes. Or her death.”

“Death? W-Wait, you mean she might not have been sealed away like Felix or Lacan was?”

“No, those two were the only ones sealed away. I was held as a prisoner and the others were slaughtered.”

“But then how…”

“Do you remember what I told you? When a Dragonkin dies, they become flowers. Our death is symbolized by flowers, but, it can also mean our rebirth. If this girl, Lily, truly is a Dragonkin, then she is the first of our kind to be reborn from a flower.”

Liz looked over at Willem, the two of them knowing full well on what they had to do.

[berniesrevolution]

In Dilley, Texas, there is only one grocery store, and that grocery store is Lowes. (It is not a Lowes, like the home improvement center. It is a totally different and legally distinct store that also happens to be called Lowes.) Lowes is a place of many mysteries. I once went there to buy vegetable broth for a sick coworker, and combed the soup aisle for nearly 20 minutes before being forced to admit that no, Lowes does not carry vegetable broth. The closest thing they had was a can of something called “vegetable beef.” Lowes does, however, carry bacon-flavored pancake syrup, quite a lot of animal pheromones in spray cans (including such choice selections as “raccoon urine” and “sow in heat,” which I assume are for agricultural rather than cosmetic purposes), and a large selection of devotional candles in glass cylinders.

I had never paid much attention to the candles, but a friend of mine was in town, volunteering at the child internment camp where I work as an immigration lawyer, and he wanted to bring back a candle for some eclectic ofrenda-type situation he had set up in his D.C. apartment. He is a meticulous and thoughtful sort of person, and took a long time debating between various candidates. I had come to Lowes primarily to buy Cheez-Its, and was getting impatient. I picked up a candle at random. “How about this one?” I said.

The candle had a picture of a Little Lord Fauntleroy-type in a plumed hat and a white ruff, with a pink seashell pinned to his cloak. I glanced at the label on the back. Glorioso Santo Niño de Atocha, it said, patrón de las que están injustamente en prisión, protector de viajeros y que das la mano al que se encuentra en peligro…

I didn’t know anything about this saint at all, despite having grown up Catholic, so I looked him up on my phone. I soon discovered that he was not really a saint, per se, but a special Limited Edition version of baby Jesus. Wikpedia offered up the following backstory:

In the 13th century, Spain was under Muslim rule. The town of Atocha, now part of Madrid’s Arganzuela district, was lost to the Muslims, and many Christians there were taken prisoners as spoils of war. The Christian prisoners were not fed by the jailers, but by family members who brought them food. According to pious legend, the caliph ordered that only children under the age of 12 were permitted to bring food. Conditions became increasingly difficult for those men without small children. … Reports soon began among the people of Atocha that an unknown child under the age of twelve and dressed in pilgrim’s clothing, had begun to bring food to childless prisoners at night. The women of the town returned to Our Lady of Atocha to thank the Virgin for her intercession, and noticed that the shoes worn by the Infant Jesus were tattered and dusty. They replaced the shoes of the Infant Jesus, but these became worn again. The people of Atocha took this as a sign that it was the Infant Jesus who went out every night to help those in need.

This all got me rather excited, because I am very fond of medieval history, and regularly drive around rural Texas blasting 13th-century Spanish pilgrimage music. Who would’ve thought that a little vestige of the medieval world would turn up in my local grocery store? Secondly, what better patron for someone who works at a jail for child refugees than a child-saint who defends both travelers in peril and the unjustly imprisoned?

And that was how I first ended up buying a Holy Infant of Atocha candle for my kitchen table.

Later, when I researched the matter further, I found out that the Wikipedian history of the Holy Infant was—shockingly—likely incorrect. The medieval origin story was a post hoc invention, an attempt to give an older European pedigree to a wholly Mexican tradition. The Holy Infant’s mother, as it turns out, was an authentically medieval character: Holy Mary of Atocha appears in several of the 13th century Cantigas de Santa Maria (a.k.a. the sick beats currently blaring from my Kia Forte), mostly as a patroness of field workers. When her shrine at Atocha was selected for special favor by the Spanish monarchy in the 17th century, she was transformed from a saint of the people into an emblem of Spanish governance. It was in this capacity—as a defender of Spanish colonial might—that Mary of Atocha found her way to Mexico. Sanctuaries in her name were built in the state of Zacatecas, in Fresnillo and Plateros.

But through some obscure evolution of local devotion, it was the image of her child, the Holy Infant, that became the primary locus of worship. The Holy Infant of Atocha eventually came to be revered as a protector of ordinary people, especially of miners, travelers, and prisoners. An 1848 novena written by one Calixto Aguirre was instrumental in popularizing the cult of the Holy Infant, and the cover illustration of the printed pamphlet version was the first to show him as a pilgrim rather than a prince. Instead of a crown, a globe, and a scepter—the traditional iconography of power—he had a big hat, a food basket, and a traveler’s staff with a gourd hanging from it. The first episode of the novena tells of a legal miracle.  It begins with the tale of a poor woman by the name of Maximiana Esparza, who wanders to four different cities, seeking succor. In each city, she is imprisoned for her malas costumbres—some unspecified bad manners—and, having no family or other advocate to speak on her behalf, she languishes for years in prison in each place. At last, after being in prison a year in Durango, she prays to the Holy Infant of Atocha:

…who listened to her kindly and took her out of her captivity; for in all the time that she had lived there, there was nobody who would defend her, until the Holy Child of Atocha, dressed as a handsome youth, visited her in that prison and gave her some bread in the name of his mother, saying to her that same afternoon she would see the judge and he would take up her case, which caused no little amazement among the rector and the other inmates; and when the time arrived that the Child had named, she was set free.

Mary of Atocha, the former people’s saint, may regrettably have become more conservative in her waning years, but she nonetheless succeeded in giving the world an even more radical son. We should all be so lucky!

It’s actually pretty absurd that I knew nothing about the Holy Infant of Atocha until a few months ago. Once he was on my radar, I soon realized that he’s a pretty standard figure in Mexican and Chicanx Catholicism. But I stumbled into immigration advocacy three years ago knowing next to nothing about Latin American cultures, and even now there are huge gaps in my understanding. My Spanish, too, is still pretty atrocious. I have been working at it for three years, but it’s like speaking through a mouthful of broken glass. I muster my words with pain, and my meaning comes out all mangled. I now feel a strong affinity for all those immigrant grandparents who understand English perfectly and never learn to speak it; I am sure I would be just the same if I were ever to immigrate to a non-English-speaking country. I often feel that any bilingual person, with or without a law degree, could do most of my work a lot better than me. But I am here, so I do my best.

Sometimes I wake up in the mornings very anxious, usually when I have to draft a big court filing or an important request to the asylum office, to try and stop a detained family’s deportation. I come up with soothing little rituals to ease my transition from fretful sleep to focused work. I put on some music. I make a big pot of coffee. I light my Holy Infant of Atocha candle. It’s really because I like the way the candlelight makes me feel, not for superstitious reasons. I’m really not one for good luck charms, astrology, or premonitions. I remember that shortly after Trump first announced the family separation policy this summer—this was when I was still in Massachusetts, getting ready for my move to Texas—I was walking down a familiar street near my home, feeling very disturbed and heartsick. All of a sudden I saw a rabbit on the sidewalk a few feet ahead. It was standing quite still, and it let me walk up close. For a moment the encounter felt almost magical. Then the rabbit loped off, and where it had been, I saw two small baby bunnies lying dead on the pavement. When I bent to look, a little cloud of flies dispersed, then settled again. As omens go, that was some Roman-level bullshit. But I don’t think it was anything but coincidence.

The area of south Texas where I live now is teeming with strange sights, and sometimes everything I see feels pregnant with meaning. The drive from my apartment to the internment camp is only four minutes, but the road is always strewn with strange corpses. A dead dog or house cat is an everyday casualty; but I have also seen bodies of armadillos, bobcats, and javelinas, all mowed down by a speeding truck, or a passenger-bus of incoming detainees, or one of the heavy tankers that barrel continually to and from the nearby oilfields. No waste collection service ever disposes of the animals, so I watch their corpses bloat and distend and then disintegrate over a period of weeks. I have heard a rumor too that there are zebra on one of the ranches around here, flown in and kept in captivity so that deer-weary hunters can have something exotic to shoot. I’ve yet to see an escaped zebra lying dead by the side of the road, but give it time.

Also on the same road as the child internment camp, if you can believe it, there is a Texas state prison. It lies alongside a large ranch, and in front of the jail there’s a field of watermelons. Sometimes in the early morning, on my way into work, I see a group of prisoners in white jumpsuits and white caps, working the watermelon field. Ringed around them are three or four heavily-armed officers on horseback, in case anyone tries anything. The thing is so ludicrous it’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry. It’s as if this tiny town has been selected as a kind of roadside showcase of human cruelty.

(Continue Reading)

[snowstcrm]

Long May She Reign - 01

Summary: Daenerys had always set her eyes on the Iron Throne when she had been destined for something far greater from the start. With a second chance at life, the Targaryen queen decides to abandon Westeros and sets her focus on the origins of her ancestors. She woke dragons from stone and would raise an empire from ancient ruins.

Chapter warnings: mention of past miscarriage, infertility

00 - 01 - 02

Daenerys allowed her mind to drift as she rode on the back of Drogon, heading north to the Wall and then beyond. She had nothing to do during those hours but think. Think and reflect. Reflect and accept. Accept and change. It took awhile for the magnitude of her circumstances to set it, but when it did, Daenerys did not take it for granted. She only knew of one person that survived a knife to the heart. This was a miracle. This was magic. She wouldn’t squander it or allow herself to be blinded again. She had stopped being self-aware and self-critical and let her pride consume her, but that wasn’t who she was and that’s not what she wanted to be remembered by. She could now only do her best to leave the world better than how she found it, like she had always wanted.

They flew over vacant lands, allowing the duo to travel undetected throughout the morning and afternoon as the weather grew chillier the more north they went. When they finally passed over an unguarded stretch of the Wall she had Drogon land in the forest to rest his wings. They still had a ways to go but she suspected they could make it to the Lands of Always Winter by the end of tomorrow, even with the cold slowing Drogon down.

The last time she had flown beyond the wall she had all three of her children and her love for Jon had just ignited. How odd it was that all that had happened a few months ago and yet… It felt like an eternity. A different life. One where she was still the saviour, the hero people loved and fought for. The one who still had her friends and advisers that didn’t conspire to murder her behind her back. Sweet, innocent Daenerys. A naive woman that thought she had stopped being naive as a child.

A child… Her hand drifted over her abdomen at the contemplation. Whenever she had even considered that she was with babe she had blocked it out of reality. I can’t have children. She had repeated it to herself whenever she was nude and happened to glance down at the small swell of her belly that had been forming. She had been telling herself over and over again now for over a month after she missed her second moon blood. Even if she had been pregnant, she did not want to think of the logistics of an unborn child’s resurrection or what kind of effect it would have. For all she knew her swell would collapse on itself soon. I can’t have children. She thought of Rhaego and she could only feel terror at the idea that she would put another child through that again. Not again. I can’t have children.

A dull pang of hunger brought her back to the present, causing Daenerys to sigh at the discomfort. Though hunger was a great inconvenience, it was also a reassuring reminder. She was alive. She was alive and she would eat to her heart’s content as soon as she retrieved what she came to the north for. She wasn’t sure what but she was sure that she would be guided to it. She just needed to keep flying north towards the eternal winter and she would find what she needed to obtain. Daenerys had no reason to doubt Kinvara’s words, not after all the faith and love the red priestesses had offered her throughout the years. She found it hard to believe in any gods, but there was something out there that was powerful enough to bring her back for some sort of purpose. This was the least she could do in return.

The sun began to lower in the sky when Daenerys was preparing to set off again. The days were shorter this far north so she wasn’t quite sure of the time, but she knew she wanted to leave this cold by the following morrow because neither she nor Drogon belonged in this frigid wasteland. He had flown off for a short time, presumably gorging himself on whatever lesser beasts he could find to replenish his strength like feeding wood to a fire to keep the flames going. She could already see the low temperatures beginning to effect Drogon, his dissatisfaction with being chilly clear to her.

As she was about to mount Drogon she heard the crunching of footsteps and a gasp behind her. Daenerys whipped her head around, her sharp violet eyes landing on a woman and young boy that had white rabbits slung over their shoulders, their expressions of wide-eyed silent terror easy to see even from the several yards away.

Daenerys immediately ran through her options and there were really only two of them: She either killed them to keep her whereabouts a secret, or she let them go. The decision wasn’t hard to make however, so she merely gave them one more glance before mounting Drogon and flying away northwest. She was tired of those terrified faces. She wanted love, not fear. Love like she once had in Essos. Dragons could plant trees. Fire wasn’t only destruction, it was also the origin of humanity’s growth. No more death if she could help it. Only birth and life.

It grew darker and colder the longer they travelled and though this mountainous winter land felt like needles on her skin, there was also a beauty Daenerys had never witnessed before. Waves of green and blue danced in the sky, the sight enchanting to her. The spectacle of lights was her only distraction from her fingers freezing within her gloves and her face going numb. She focused on the waves of light, let them guide her. She knew deep in her gut that she must, so she followed them to see where they were coming from, and it was only a little while longer until she spotted something down below.

It was as if everything in the surrounding area was created around the landmark, angled and leading towards its center as if the gods designed it so. Her heart thrummed in her chest as she glimpsed at what felt like the beautiful mouth of death, hesitating for a moment before pushing forward and flying Drogon directly to the horseshoe-shaped rock formation and touching down in the center of it.

Her teeth chattered as she slid off of Drogon, making her way to a circular formation made of blocks of ice that pulsed with what Daenerys could only describe as unearthly power. It was a feeling so strong that it could only be rivaled by when she first felt the stone eggs hatch dragons in a blaze of fire and blood magic. She had perceived magic before and knew that this was where she must be. She was drawn to the center of it, walking up to the block of ice and looking down at it with calculation. The power lay deep within. The heart of winter pulsed harder, as if fighting against her fire.

“Drogon.” She beckoned softly, her child approaching her albeit with hesitance. She could feel his repulsion to whatever was beating inside the ice, and so she was sure he took great joy in rearing up to blast it with his flames when she uttered the command, “Dracarys.”

He roared as he unleashed dragonfire onto the ice formation, his fire may have been weaker due to the climate chilling his body, but he was still mighty and so the blocks began to melt. He blasted it once, then twice, until finally there was nothing but a pool of shimmering water left in the ritual circle’s place. The colour was somewhat unnatural, as well as the way it reflected the colourful lights in the sky.

Daenerys stared at the pond, eyes drawn to the beauty of it as she pushed herself forward, stepping into the shallow waters and looking down at her reflection. At first she saw nothing, but the longer she stared she began to see visions on the surface, reflecting and dancing as the water rippled around her. She didn’t know what to make of anything she saw. Dreams of times long past, ancient and forgotten. A clash of ice and fire. She knew these stories. She had been told about them once before.

“They were here, the children and the first men. They fought against their common enemy.”

She felt herself getting lost in the visions, her mind drifting away as they tried to suck her in. It was only when she saw the Night King, his awful and familiar face snapping to look at her, that she broke out of her stupor with a gasp. It felt like he had reached through time and seen her, but the images on the water broke apart and disappeared as she overcame their grasp. Her breath shook as she recovered from his haunting gaze. It was an ancient vision. It was in the past. He didn’t see you. She repeated those words to convince herself of it. She felt in denial and yet she knew it was true. Dragons needed to exist, for there would come a time perhaps a thousand years in the future where they would be needed to protect the world once more.

Daenerys knelt into the pond. The water was cool as it soaked through her boots and pants and though she had always hated the cold, it felt right. Her hands reached down to cup the glimmering water, bringing it up to her lips to drink. It slid down her throat and she felt a magic seep within her veins before the liquid had even hit her stomach.

The blood of the dragon. Bride of fire. A voice whispered. The heart of winter. Bride of ice.

She had never been nothing.

Tyrion sifted through the pages of the tome Samwell had handed to him. A Song of Ice and Fire the young maester had named it and Tyrion couldn’t help but wonder if the title was fitting at all. There was some ice… for a moment, and there had been fire… that fizzled out. It wasn’t much of a song at all, rather it was an odd mish mash that didn’t rhyme or harmonize. There was no poetry to be found in it, and then it all vanished without a trace.

The small group that had gathered for the council stood up as Bran arrived, Tyrion greeting the king with a respectful, “Your Grace.” As did everyone else before sitting back down. It all felt so awkward and stiff. This was their first council meeting and Tyrion was sure that he would adjust to it all soon enough, and yet it still felt so hollow.

“We appear to be missing a Master of Whisperers, and a Master of Laws, and a Master of War.” The young king commented, glancing at the empty seats at the table.

Tyrion replied promptly, “Yes Your Grace, suitable prospects will be brought to you for an audience in the coming weeks.” He had a passing thought on why Bran would even need a Master of Whispers if he had knowledge far beyond any common human. Tyrion knew of the boy’s abilities.

“And Drogon?” Bran’s eyes shifted, concerned, “Any word?”

Samwell chimed in, “He was last spotted east, towards Volant--”

“--The farther away the better.”

The table exchanged a few more words with the young king before he left as quickly as he came, off to have some privacy as he searched for Drogon’s whereabouts. Tyrion wondered if it would do them any good prodding at the most lethal force alive and if it were up to him he’d prefer to just leave Drogon alone. Let the beast fly as far away as it’d like, as Bronn had said.

That wasn’t what Bran believed though. He felt like he was the only one that had the ability to control Drogon, or at least attempt to. Dragons had the strongest wills and it wouldn’t break from a simple warging, no, if he even wanted to try he’d have to work his way up to it. Start with lesser beasts first.

When Podrick had escorted Bran to his quarters and left him alone, Bran began to warg, entering the mind of a gull flying east in a large flock of seabirds. When he saw nothing he began hopping forward, warging from bird to bird, flock to flock, until he finally spotted what he was looking for. There off in the distance his eyes took in the sight of a massive winged beast flying eastward over the sea and Bran did his best to fly faster, trying to catch up with the dragon.

There weren’t many things that took Bran by surprise anymore considering he had information on everything as long as he knew to search for it, so when he saw the silver-haired queen riding on the back of Drogon alive and well he was left stunned. A resurrection? He’d have to look further into it.

Bran cut off his connection to the seabird, returning his consciousness back into his room at Kings Landing. This change of events could cause many problems for the future of Westeros, or it could amount to nothing at all… He wasn’t quite sure, which was a feeling he had grown to appreciate oddly enough. Unpredictable things presented a challenge to his otherwise very stagnant state of mind and emotional state. Whatever Daenerys being alive would amount to, he didn’t feel the need to draw attention toward her for the time being. If she wanted to cause harm she would have, yet she flies further and further away from the people she would want revenge on if she so desired it. No, whatever she was planning on doing, that wasn’t it.

He had once caught a glimpse of an ancient city with massive stone towers and dragons flying overhead. A Valyrian princess had her back turned to him in his vision, intricate braids woven with gold chains and flowers in beautiful design.

Perhaps it hadn’t been a vision of the past at all.

[konekoryuugamine]

Chaos Critic’s Top 10 Disliked Anime

Oh man I am going to get SO much flack for this one . . . I know, I know" so many anime are out there, and so many are like this, and yadda yadda - Look, I wanna do this, I wanna help people steer clear of these shows, and if someone likes these shows, more power to ya, but I don't like them, this is only opinion, and I prefer that no one calls me a liar or a jerk for saying something about an anime that is all speculation and varied per person. Anyways, I don't own these animes, and please read and enjoy, no flames, thanks a bunch.    Let me say this now: not all anime rock.    I have been an avid anime watcher since I was in the 5th grade, and when I realized anime were released every year, in the hundreds, I was flipping over in cartwheels. Vampires, dragons, wizards, ninjas, rock and roll - all of those in my favorite animation style that is pretty much SO flipping awesome in so many ways - made me so happy.    I ended up binging anime on Toonami, (still do), and joined several anime sites to get the latest anime dishes and series that I could muster up enough free time to watch. My parents grew concerned about me watching so much of it to the point where I would have been addicted, but then I ended up telling them it was where my heart laid, and they accepted, it with somewhat unwilling protectiveness.        After all these years of watching anime and reading manga, I ended up developing tastes that ranged from very horroreqsue anime with suspense and mystery to ridiculous comedy with great puns on words.    'Bakemonogatari', everyone.

   However, with these tastes and genres came some of the weird and strangest animes I have ever seen, and am currently watching. Does this mean I think all 'weird' anime are bad? Heck no - 'Bobobo-Bobobobo', "Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt" and "FLCL" are some of my favorites, although I consider Bobobo a guilty pleasure.    I did run into some strange and bad anime, however, and it made me wonder whether or not getting into anime at all was a good or bad idea. It even made me think that these were the animes that gave other great ones bad wraps - hence the stereotype of Japanese anime always being about ten-year-old girls and tentacles.    No idea why, honestly.    The more I do think about it, however, I do feel there are some pretty bad anime out there on the internet, and if you ask any anime fan, they will list some anime that are bad, their favorites, and even one they watch when they choose to. Many a conversation I had often resulted in me talking about the ones I liked more than the ones I hated, to my relief.    But otherwise, I feel these anime I'm about to list carry their ideas a bit too far, go too far with anime as a format, or are just overhyped and bad as heck . . . just because an anime is weird, strange, badly dubbed or whatever else does not mean I have to hate it.    I have my reasons.    So, without fault, here's my top ten anime I dislike more than others. Keep in mind that these are the anime I dislike for certain reasons, and if someone out there does like these, and calls me out for hating them, then I accept it. Just because I hate something doesn't mean you can make me like it.

   And here they are. NUMBER 10: " Lil' Pri"        I thought this series would be cute to watch for a while, and I decided to watch a few episodes. I ended up binging the whole series and started thinking too much about it.    Then I realized it wasn't really that good.    Ringo Yukimori, a young girl who enjoys Snow White's stories, literally bumps into two other girls at a concert for a super famous singer named Wish. The other girls, Leila Takashiro and Natsuki Sasahara, also enjoy the stories of Princess Kaguya and Cinderella. The suddenly then run into three adorable talking animals, Sei, Dai and Ryoku, (a bird, a squirrel and a dragon), who are looking for their princesses in the human world.    The main idea behind this series is that the three girls turn into older versions of themselves with the embedded spirits of Snow White, Cinderella, and Princess Kaguya to help bring human happiness, "happiness tones", to Fairyland and save it. Humans' happiness and believe in the fairytales has dwindled, decreasing the happiness tones. So, the girls agree to help retrieve those, and along the way, they figure out Wish is the Queen's 'long-lost' son, who can turn into a rabbit . . .    Yeah see where I'm going here?    The anime is, for all intents and purposes, as straightforward as a magical girl series can get. There are no hidden meanings to Ringo, Leila or Natsuki, and their names pretty much are dead giveaways to what stories they enjoy most. Prince Chris, a.k.a. Wish, is immediately given focus at the beginning of the series, and there are no real surprises until the last few episodes of the series when the girls give up their magic, hint-hint, and leave Fairyland after retrieving all the happiness tones.    Let me tell you, that can get kind of boring . . .    The main problem I have with this series overall is how bland it is and how it seems to take ideas from several other little girls' magical shows, such as Ojamajo Do-re-mi or Pretty Cure. The concepts of having normal girls become heroes to save other lands, rescue royalty and adapt to their situation are something I've heard before and seen more excellently done, in other shows. The fact the girls also become idols onstage is an interesting quirk, but it reminds me too much of the Witchlings' maid outfit changes from the fourth season of Ojamajo. 

   It doesn’t help the CGI in the anime comes off as awkward, leaving the concert scenes clunky and hard to watch. Their movements are stiff, and their voices are not exactly the best. They do get better in vocals as the series progresses, but everything else stays the same.    When I also state how bland the series is, I'm also referring to Ringo, Leila, and Natsuki, reluctantly. The audience is told and can understand the heroines well enough to the point where we wish they had more depth. They all love Wish, they love fairytales, Ringo loves apples and has seven brothers, Leila is half Italian, Natsuki loves sports - we get it.    The problem is that they have no other depth than being cardboard cutouts of anime heroines.    We are never given any character conflicts, they never have issues that expand over the series, they never really get the kind of development other series like Sailor Moon receive for magical girl heroines. I know I may get flack for mentioning that, but I have seen development of Usagi Tsukino in both the manga and the new anime adaption of the series. The girls don't really receive any development here, aside from the minor mentioning of growing up and accepting happiness as it comes rather than forcing it on others.    The reason this one ranks so low on my list is because I do still enjoy the cuter designs of the characters, and give it points for trying to come up with a good driving plot that does bring to mind the idea of growing up and being happy. It’s a cookie cutter style idol show but it has heart to it. It tries to overstep its bounds, but never gets the chance to.     At the same time, I also think Show By Rock!! and Zombieland Saga did the “idol concept with a twist” take much better, what with one being a Sanrio based product that combines an isekai with an idol show, and an idol show about zombie girls that satirizes the entire idol industry.  NUMBER 9: " Full Metal Alchemist"    I am going to get SO much flack for this one . . .   Before someone eats my liver, let me say I love the series as a whole, but compared to Brotherhood, this series has become something that both baffles me and makes me confused.    The series revolves around Edward and Alphonse Elric, who try to bring their mother back from the dead using the practice of alchemy. Strictly taboo, and stricken with grief, they decide to bring her back and return to their happiness. However, something goes horribly wrong and Alphonse's body is taken as compensation for their mother, who doesn't truly return. Ed sacrifices his arm and leg to save his brother and bring him back in a suit of armor. After the incident, in the anime, Ed decides to join the military of Risembool and hunt down the Philosopher's Stone, which is implied heavily to be something that can work real miracles.    I enjoyed watching the series, and I empathized with both Edward and Alphonse. They lost everything, tried to get it back, and lost more in return. Their tackling of the philosophy of equivalent exchange and getting something for nothing is truly moving, and the deep symbolization of The Philosopher's Stone being hope and realization is something that I know I will never see duplication of.    Then . . . I saw the ending episodes of the first series.    And I got mad.    I expected an epic climax, much like what happened in "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood". I wanted Ed to get his limbs back, Al to get his body back, Ed to marry Winrey, Hoenheim to die and accept his flaws, for the Philosopher stone to dissolve, and for Scar to repent himself . . .    Instead, we got something that felt rushed, confusing and strange to me. Something that throws the entire series out of whack because of it.    The leader of the Homunculi, who had been chasing Ed and Al all over the place until they reached Liore again, were being led by Dante. The old lady who taught Izumi, their teacher. The old lady who was killed by Greed in episode 33. Who had an assistant who had that strange alchemic tablet.    Dante, as it turns out, was a lover of Hoenheim, much to everyone's shock, and when Hoenheim and she gave up their souls for the stone, they created something that they could use to swap their bodies and minds, intelligence included, into other beings, sort of like the plot of "Quantum Leap" without the randomness and depth. She was jilted because Hoenheim left her, (reasonably succumbing to his guilt over killing so many people to make the stone), and she decided to make and use the Homunculi to chase down HIS sons and make a new stone.    In other words, she ended up wanting to make another stone, and her real motives for why are never explained, although her anger over Hoenheim leaving her for another woman, then using HIS KIDS to make a new stone, is petty in terms of evil levels. She toyed with the Elrics, taunted them throughout the series, and ended up controlling things to make a new Philosopher's stone.    That part, however, is hard for me to buy.    Dante being the villain behind everything, including the making of the second Philosopher's stone, and bringing back Rose for no other reason than to use her as a 'figurehead' then possess her, is hard for me to take in. This would mean she'd have to have tabs on the Elrics at all times, be involved in the Risembool military, use more than one person at one point or another, display that she knew about the war and probably was the one who started it in the first place.    There were no indications to me that Dante was the villain all along through the series, as the Homunculi were given more screen time than her, her assistant and later body double Lyra was shown twice and was bland as other minor characters, and things don't connect well for me to buy it logically.    If she was the one behind everything, and she was supposed to have been fake-killed by Greed, then when did she successfully possess Lyra? How long has she kept tabs on the Elrics? Was she involved somehow in Trisha's illness, that kickstarted the entire flipping hunt for the Philosopher's Stone? If she was also involved, why drag Rose into the battle to just tick off Edward?    And furthermore, if Hoenheim knew if she was behind everything, and knew he'd be killed otherwise, then why didn't he just come right out and explain everything to the brothers when they first got involved with the Homunculi? Was he just afraid of dying? Of killing others?

   The more confusing thing is how this ending was created. Anime depends on the manga in most cases to flesh out the story. If the manga is over several volumes, like One Piece or Bleach, episodes will be released and designated in arcs and storylines. If the manga is ahead of the anime, then the writing process for the episodes can be ad-libbed thanks to the story that’s already present.

   When the manga halts or goes on hiatus, the anime must do something to fill in the extra space while the mangaka continues their work. Hence “filler arcs”. Like the extra few filler arcs in Bleach that involve the new captain or the Bounts, or the filler arcs in Naruto that everyone wishes didn’t exist. They exist to not only extend the anime’s lifespan but to try and flesh out the worlds of these series to make them feel more alive. 

   In this case, this was a filler ending for the Full Metal Alchemist anime series. The manga had gone on hiatus and they had nothing to conclude the show with, so they had to deal with what they had. I wanted to like it, but after looking at everything, I just find that nothing fits.    Either way, the ending of the original anime just befuddled me with an antagonist who was barely connected to the story to me, and the threads that bound her fingers to her puppets were about as thin as fishing line to me.      . . . Not to mention I'm still wondering how the anime connected itself to the 'parallel-world' of 'Germany' and how Edward was stuck there through the movie "Conqueror of Shamballa", but that movie did try to tie up the original anime series with a bow.

   Of course, this leads me to say why I dislike it so much: because Full Metal  Alchemist: Brotherhood exists. It’s an amendment to the series that aims to follow every detail of the manga. We see more progressive action and character development from start to finish, and we see an expansive world that was never given to us in the original anime. Fans of the show were rewarded with Ed and Al getting what they wished for, intense and awesome animation, and a marriage proposal that is adorable no matter which way you put it.

   However, I will say the first 10 to 13 episodes of the original anime are far better introductory episodes than the first few episodes of Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. We see the Elrics grow and reach their respective early goals quick, and we actually get to know Alexander and Nina before Shou Tucker fucks things up. We also get deeper motivation for Ed’s reasons to become a State Alchemist. 

   If I did have to recommend this series to people who’d never seen it, I’d say go watch the first 10 episodes of the first FMA series, then watch Brotherhood in its entirety. Get the context and emotional development first, then come back in for what else is in store.    And now I'm gonna put on this football helmet while I wait for the hate mail. NUMBER 8: " Ghost Hound"    This one is a special case of bad to me.    There was a point where I got hooked on the anime "Serial Experiments Lain" and I got into the idea that many anime were deeper than they seemed. Lain was a dimensional protagonist who I felt much in common with, and developed a sense of what I wanted to know about ESP. I decided to get into shows involving the subject, and later developed a taste in supernatural shows and law dramas. Or anything that often touted lighter themes of horror.    I found this anime on accident one day when I was looking up scary anime. And after finding out it was done by Production I.G. and Shirow Masamune, I was ecstatic.     I was disappointed when I watched it.    The entire story revolves around a boy named Taro, who was kidnapped with his younger sister Mizuka on September 22nd, 1996. His sister died, but he survived the horrific situation. Since then, he's been seeing a therapist and has horrible PTSD-induced nightmares involving the situation. He also develops the ability to astral project himself into The Unseen World, which is the space between the living and the dead, and he uses his ability to better himself and his friends Makoto and Masayuki, who have also suffered similar traumatic childhood situations. They are led on this journey by their psychologist, who has his own agenda on the matter, but wants to help solve the supernatural insanity in the boys’ lives due to his own interactions with The Unseen World.     On its own, this idea is rather interesting, and you feel it can be done well over the course of 13 episodes, with an added OVA of how the entire conflict is resolved with death being a part of life, how having a power means it comes with greater responsibility and how everyone has issues they must come to terms with. And in the case of Masamune’s anime, delve deeper into the human understanding and structure of the conscious and unconscious mind.    However, the anime takes a rather . . . interesting, turn in its story. And when I say interesting, I mean something that may or may not work, depending on who you ask.    When the boys get together and go after the one who kidnapped Taro and his sister, they come across Miyako Komagusu, who has spiritual powers thanks to her miko line. She chooses to help them and Taro soon becomes fixated on Miyako due to her appearance, which is eerily similar to his sister. 

   Soon, the whole kidnapping element is thrown out the window, same with the title of the anime being only Makoto's astral-projection form, and comes in with a religious sect underneath Makoto's family and the fact his grandmother tries to make Miyako the new head after her father is hospitalized.    And it's later revealed that the Ogami Religious Cult has ties to an underground group of illegal drugs, medical enhancements, MUTANTS, and child kidnappings . . .    At this point, I was saying "why?"    On the one hand, it's a dark turn for an anime that started out with ESP, traumatic incidents, and they do save Miyako from the group of psychos. Whether or not the group remained standing was unclear to me, and the more I thought about how deep this went, the further I ended up in mental spirals of how logic had to be invoked.    On the other hand, it's a mish-mash of every cliche involving some evil mastermind group I can think of: the bad guy actually did this to such and such, who became the main guy's best friend, and now they want the girl who the main character has a connection with, and they all have supernatural powers, and they get others who betrayed the bad guys to help them.    This overlay of genres, and the fact the ESP is forgotten at about halfway through the anime for my liking, (along with there not even being MUCH of the supposed 'ghost hound'), there is also a stunning issue I had with the design of the characters not fitting the backgrounds. Whereas the designs were simple, the backgrounds were overly lush, too detailed, too mesmerizing.    Not like in "Over the Garden Wall", but still.    All in all, 'Ghost Hound' is a mixed bag to me. It does provide some good food for thought and an interesting storyline, but the second half ruins the story and eliminates the ESP the story was embedded into. NUMBER 7: " School Days"    I am aware this will be on others' hate lists, but hear me out . . . yeah, it's that bad in the anime form.    "School Days" is based on a visual novel game of the same name by Overflow, and has quickly garnered a reputation. The series involves this character, Makoto, as he makes his way into high school and develops a crush on adorable and shy Kotonoha. At the same time, depending on which way the player goes, he'll also fall for his best friend, his best friend's cousin, the other girls IN his class - well, you get where I'm going with this.    But before I get to the anime, let me explain a bit more about the game itself.    It incorporated motion and sound into the visual touch, making it look like you were playing an interactive anime, which wasn't that bad of an idea. There were also numerous cut scenes, (including graphic content might I add), that depicted the characters, and something that made the series very popular online: the death scenes.    What made this game unique from others is that it included graphic and detailed executions of main characters in several gorey fashions, along with some of the worst bad ends that can ever be imagined when it comes to one main character screwing over someone else. One death scene in particular involved Kotonoha committing suicide from a tall building in front of Makoto and Sekai, and you can HEAR THE CRUNK AND BUBBLE OF HER BODY AS SHE HITS THE PAVEMENT.    THAT ALONE TELLS YOU WHAT IS AT STAKE IN THIS GAME IF YOU SCREW UP.    But, because of how varied the main character's answers can get, and how many cut scenes are available at the time of the first go-around, someone will have to play the game multiple times before a Good ending is unlocked, like the super-rare harem-esque relationship between Makoto, Satonaka and Kotonoha. (Apparently, it's impossible to get because of how many things you can say, but I digress).    Now, to explain how the game became an anime . . . and I really don't want to . . .    The anime adapts the storyline of the game, following Makoto in high school, and he tries to get Kotonoha to fall for him, and Sekai tries to help him, then she falls for him. In short, it's a typical anime that depicts a three-way love triangle.    Until about the fourth or fifth episode.    After he gets Kotonoha as a girlfriend, he dates Sekai, with the knowledge of everyone, and LIES about breaking up with Kotonoha, AND HAS SEX WITH SEKAI, for the purpose of making things better with Kotonoha. He then goes around and sleeps with OTHER GIRLS IN HIS CLASS and AVOIDS KOTONOHA to keep up this whole thing.    That is called "sleeping around" and "being a jerk".    The reasons why people list this anime on their worst list is mostly because of the annoying voices, or because of the stilted and bland colors in the background, but to me and numerous others, it's because of Makoto Ito being a two-timing jerk who also has sex with numerous girls while still having one intimate girlfriend.    No, what also cements it for me, are the last three episodes: Sekai announces she's pregnant to the class, Makoto is reasonably cut off from his friends, Kotonoha, who had been RAPED, is devastated, and Makoto blames Sekai for ruining his life when he was JUST as much at fault in the first place. He goes out with Kotonoha, and right as he gets home, Sekai, reasonably ticked off, stabs him brutally with a butcher knife, and Kotonoha kills her and affirms she was lying about her pregnancy, then takes Makoto's head and sails off.    This was about the only way I could have expected this entire mess to conclude. Someone had to die, Makoto had to be given his karmic payback for sleeping with so many women, and for cheating and leaving Kotonoha to be raped and blaming Sekai for everything when he had his own faults, and Kotonoha had to take revenge or grow a backbone because of how everything bad happened to her for some reason.    In other words, the conclusion is more satisfying to me than the show itself, and that actually saved it a few places on my list. Watching it from start to finish is terrible, and the way you know about Makoto's sleeping around makes you want to slap some sense into him.    Or stab him with a knife, but I digress. NUMBER 6: " Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan"    AND now we get to something that's both bad and comedic.    And for once I'm not talking about Spongebob.    "Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan" is an anime that combines hentai and comedy, and as for the brand of humor, it relies on what is known as the continuous running gag. To understand what I mean, let me give you a few examples of continuous anime running gags: Team Rocket blasting off in every episode of "Pokemon" and doing some kind of farfetched scheme to capture Pikachu, how Joey Wheeler is also denoted as being immature or a punk, and as of more recent anime I've seen, how Tsukune is subjected to being fought over by Moka and the other girls.    The reason I'm bringing this up is that these are the gags I've seen being used in shows that quickly got stale . . . and were still being used as the show went along. 'Pokemon' is still the biggest offender of this since Pokemon Co. got a hold of the dubbing and anime creations in both Japan and America. The gag of Team Rocket blasting off is okay for a season or so, but seeing them just get pounded again and again makes me feel sorry for them, and makes me want to slap them and say "Stop blowing yourselves up all the time!", thinking they'd learn.    But hey, I can dream can't I?        The issue with that is the issue with this anime completely.    "Bokotatsu-Tenshi Dokuro-Chan", or "Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan" is an anime that focuses on a boy named Sakura Kusanabe, who is a normal boy going to school and having a crush on his classmate. Apparently, 20 years into the future, he invents a machine that prevents the aging process on women after the age of 13, making them . . . physically younger.    They literally call this in the anime a "pedophile's dream world".    So, God, in the future, sends an angel, Dokuro, to go and assassinate him so he can't make this crazy machine . . . if you are laughing right now, I was too.    The plot is ridiculous, as par for how it's supposed to be a comedy, but the manner of ridiculous ends there and it becomes more mindbogglingly annoying with each passing episode. Dokuro, when she gets to Sakura, decides to live with him and convince him to not build the machine, and in the process, does so with her rambunctious energy, super-human strength, her annoying voice, and often times, KILLS HIM WITH HER KANABO CLUB CALLED EXCALIBOLT.    That is the gist of the entire show. He tries to impress a girl, he 'insults' the over-sensitive Dokuro, she kills him, she brings him back to life. He tries to make some friends, she gets offended, she kills him, she brings him back to life. And so on and so forth.    For about thirteen episodes.    I ended up watching the series with my younger sister when I was about 15, and I couldn't help but laugh ad how dumb it was. And because I knew I couldn't change the videos because of my younger sister saying "Show me more, show me more! I wanna see him die again!"    . . . I felt a part of my soul die. (I also learned never to show my sister that kind of anime again . . . until she watched "Attack on Titan"). so, Anyways!    The entire anime, dub or sub, is annoying, high pitched, and the characters are all flat as boards. Dokuro's entire character is her crush on Sakura and the fact she wants to help him while never learning she accidentally causes his deaths. Sakura is a perverted young boy who is trying to get by, and ends up falling for Dokuro in a stereotypical fashion. There's also other angel characters, such as one who uses a  . . . cattle prod, and she has ram horns . . . and one who is a  . . . transvestite punk goblin?    To be honest, I never bothered to remember their names because I forgot about them after another two episodes. Same with Dokuro's sister. The only reason I remember her was because the show made her look hot for a 7-year-old, and she used a wet towel as a weapon.    And everyone in the school thought she was hot.    . . . I'm gonna stop on this one now before I get angry again and say that this anime isn't very good, but it does do a good job in setting up something that is both hilarious in context and causing some of the better memes in AMV Hell 3. NUMBER 5: " Sonic X"    From contrived and humorous to awkward and strange.    I first watched this show, much like others, on the Fox Box, (among other anime that were terribly dubbed by 4Kids). It was . . . strange, to see a talking hedgehog with blue quills run about with a two-tailed yellow kitsune, and on Earth no less. I had to change the channel every few seconds or so because I felt so strange watching them. I ended up feeling the same thing when I was watching 'Sonic Underground'.    I know now that the feeling was 'awkwardness'.    The story follows Sonic and his friends from the planet Mobius as they get transported to Earth because of some unintended calculations from Sonic screwing with Dr. Eggman's machine. Because they don't how it happened, and they don't know how to go back, they have to adjust on Earth, and they do just that. In the process, Sonic befriends a human, Chris, whose father is a scientist.    And the wacky adventures are supposed to continue from there . . .    I'll go ahead and say this now: combining humans in a world of anthropomorphic animals has to either be done well or not at all. I'm cool with anthropomorphism being talking animals, like Bubbie from 'Flapjack', or like Fred the horse or Beatrice from 'Over the Garden Wall'. I also don't mind if they have only the humanistic approach, and cannot talk, like the animals from 'Wicked'.    But if it's full anthropomorphism, like Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry, then it has to make sense as to why they are there and how they can fit in with the environment. It comes down to three basic things: environment, history and art style. If the environment is okay, and the history of there being anthropomorphism is established, and the art style is in turn okay, then it is okay in the long run.    This is why I enjoy "The Looney Tunes Show". The environment is more modern and bent to match reality, the history of the characters is established early on and build on episode by episode, (and there's the references that add to it with Looney Tunes jokes from previous shorts from the 60's), and there are confirmed humans in the show who don't notice the anthropomorphism, and the art style blends it all together in a clean swipe of hilarity and animation brilliance.    This is also why I enjoy the movie "Cats Don't Dance": it takes anthropomorphism of animals and turns it into a metaphor for racism in 1940's Hollywood. It combined a relative environment of a historical timepiece, added the necessary elements of anthropomorphism with its own rich metamorphic history and the art style made all of it look like it was a classic cartoon.    If the environment works, and the history is laid down, and the art style manages to work it together, then anthropomorphism in shows is alright and well done in my book. But, (and I do have to be honest when I say this), if even one of these is never touched on, or brought too much into focus, then questions will be raised and things can be turned awkward.    This is what I feel happened when I watched 'Sonic X'.    The environment was Earth and all humans, with no mentions of Sonic being real before, and then out of the blue Sonic and his friends fall to Earth, "like Magic". The art style made it harder for me to watch because of how cartoonish Sonic and his friends looked compared to the humans and Eggman. It also could have been because every line looked SO SMOOTH, and there were no detailed areas or specifics, but I could have been wrong.    To me, this series started off awkward, and continued to get more awkward with the introduction of Shadow, Eggman's schemes and the later part of season one. The conclusion of season one was, and I'll say it lightly, okay. Chris saying goodbye to Sonic and his friends at the expense of never seeing them again was heartfelt, and he did act reasonably when it came to seeing them leave.    (Although the CGI could have been better for their transition back).    THEN . . . season two happened . . . then season two happened . . .    Just like how I feel with "Sword Art Online", I feel season two of 'Sonic X' is weaker than the first. Chris coming back because he longed for Sonic all these years and building a machine to send him to Mobius, and he happens to turn into a kid again because of the time differences on planets?    Sure, I'll buy that, albeit it sounds like Sonic 06 to me.    And Cosmo being the key of life for an evil overlord, and later performs a sacrifice of herself to save everyone and Tails is left in the Friend Zone?    Cliche, painful to watch, predictable and overall weaker than the previous season.    I don't want to spend too much on this season either because the plot and Chris made it weaker than when we witnessed Sonic and his friends adapting to Earth and humanity. Introducing an annoying character again and adding a character who becomes the key for hope is something I feel has been done better before. I hate feeling this way because I watch "Sonic Boom" now, but I feel that one is better than this . . .    I hate to feel that way, but I do. NUMBER 4: " Eiken"    Stop me if you've heard this before: a new male student to a school, desperate to make friends, ends up tripping and falling, literally, for a busty babe who is perfect. Then he has to do something insane, meet her friends, and tries to hook up with her only to be shut down as lucky, a pervert or a complete loser.    If you answered me with "That's the opening plotline for Rosario+Vampire", then you're close. I also would have accepted "Stop talking, that sounds like every hentai anime out there", but fair enough.    This is also, word for word, the opening scenes of the OVA series "Eiken".    THIS one is BAD.    Originally an 18 volume manga series, "Eiken" involves a boy named Densuke Mifune, who transfers to Zashono Academy at the start of a new year. He accidentally gropes one of the school's most attractive girls, Chiharu Shinonome, and gets drafted into the Eiken Club, which is run by her friend, the lively and flirtatious Kirika Misono. He is then subjugated to being tortured by the club members while he tries to get Chiharu to like him.    . . . there is a catch to this one aside from being stereotypically harem/hentai anime.    "Eiken" has become infamous in the anime community for having female characters possess pronounced, er . . . "tracts of land".    Yeah, I said it.    The entire manga and two-episode OVA series follow hentai taken to ridiculous extremes, involving large boobs.    I don't know how the joke came about, or how people come to know about this, (probably in the same manner that people know about Boku no Pico), but dang it, I hate that I know about this one. The only reason this isn't my number one pick is that I found other clips on AMV Hell about it, and decided to check it out.    Now, I bet you're wondering: why would a straight-laced, highly intelligent young woman like myself watch a two-episode OVA involving girls with 'humorously' large breasts and a perverted boy who day-dreams of bondaging his crush in measuring tape?    I'll let Alucard get channeled here for that reason. Ally? (Alucard: Fuck you, that's how.)    Thanks, ya fuck-mothering vampire.    Aside from hitting all the earmarks of cliche and hentai moments in the book, the OVA adds to it by adding as much fanservice as physically and mentally possible, such as the bananas, the table dresses, the bondage day-dreams, etc. If someone wanted to make a hentai porn, those already exist. This is trying too hard to be something like porn without being it.    And kind of doing it poorly.    The games of the academy also are involved in some kind of rigging, which is contrived and makes no sense whatsoever, and Chiharu is involved with the bad guy, who is also cliche and makes no sense, and the entire resolution is easily predictable. It's dull, and only served to make me angry when I watched the OVA to see what the frick it was about.    I really do regret it.    I cannot stress how much hatred and pity I have for those who read this and actually enjoy it. If you do, more power to you; but just remember something.    THEY GAVE A 10-YEAR OLD BOOBS THE SIZE OF BASKETBALLS. NUMBER 3: " Black Butler II"    Before ANYONE says anything, YES I consider the second season of "Black Butler" to be another anime entirely.   Makes separating the two much easier.   For the record, nothing is wrong with "Black Butler". The series is wonderful, the pacing is perfect, the storylines between the manga and the show differ greatly, but either way the conclusions are perfect, the artstyle and metaphoric coloring is syched, the voicing acting is awesome - shall I go on?    So, when I finish the first season and see the second one, I decide to watch it.    I really, really, REALLY wish I hadn't.    The first season was, in all definitions of the words, "a work of art". The second season too it, and decimated every last loose end that was tied up in the first season finale.    Why am I being so hard on this series?    For a couple of reasons.    First of all, the plot.    The second series picks up with a new young blond gentleman, Alois Trancy, who has recently been found by his family after a kidnapping incident. Because of his trauma, he's become a bit of a jerk and often harms others. At his side is a handsome and elegant butler, Claude, who looks eerily closer to Sebastian than I can stand. They take the mansion over, and Alois goes about his merry way to be happy, albeit in the worst of ways, by torturing his female maid Hannah and the triplet servants.    If this is starting to sound like a warped Ciel Phantomhive to you, then you are feeling the exact same thing I felt when I first watched it. Of course, the first episode delves right into these two firsthand, how Alois is a bit of a prick, (the fact he wears booty shorts), and how he is not above hurting others to get what he wants. 

   Something I don't remember Ciel ever wanting to do or exhibit.    So, in episode one, a strange man with a large suitcase comes to the door and Alois lets him in. The man is later revealed to be Sebastian Michaelis, who was searching for something. In the suitcase is Ciel Phantomhive's soulless body, and Sebastian leaves the mansion with a tea box, holding a familiar blue ring. Alois is ticked, Claude is pissed and Ciel comes back from the dead.    The reason for this is pretty much left obvious for the viewers through flashbacks: in the first series finale, Sebastian was about to take Ciel's soul, when a contrived demon spider, Claude, swiped his delectable soul away from the raven demon. Sebastian, reasonably ticked off, went after him and gave him his soul back, but now Ciel's memories of the previous season are gone, he has lost his revenge sought, and doesn't remember how he helped to save London.    There's a reason I hate this anime.    Claude stealing Ciel's soul and him having amnesia are just more contrivances that serve nothing more than to force the plot of there being another demon-master team for Sebastian and Ciel to go up against. Rather than build up to something in the previous season, everything in this one is left readily explained, and it just hurts to see how everything goes swiftly to dog poop.     The second reason, the behavior of Claude and Alois Trancy. I've seen several worst anime character lists over the web, and Alois Trancy often dominates because of his smarmy attitude, his devastating contrasts to Ciel and how he harms others and begs to be saved by Claude at every instant notion of danger. 

   And, I can see why. Alois was, without a doubt, raised in a hellish environment, and all he had to look forward to was his 'brother', who is actually a saving grace for the anime and the blond. However, the severe deaths and mass village murders that took place because of his brother's pact with Hannah the Demon just wrecked everything for him.    If the writers wanted to make Alois more relatable, like Ciel, then more emotional touching could have been done. Instead, Alois is often shown not regretting his actions, causing trouble and damage at every beck and call, and like in one episode, begs for help from Claude. I can tell he's supposed to be a contrast to Ciel, but it's too far.    Especially when you count in how he also has three servants and Claude.    As for Claude, he's not off the hook either. His mannerisms are more unique than Sebastian, but aside from that, he's the same dandy as Sebastian. All he does differently is be more cold-hearted and go back on his bargain made with Sebastian in the second episode. And to explain that in further detail, he and Sebastian ended up making a blood pact using roses and their own blood to see who would get Ciel Phantomhive's soul: a who would win kind of scenario with a yaoi prize going to the winner. Claude was the one who suggested it, and he was the jerk who broke it. Sebastian even pointed this OUT, and still, Claude wanted Ciel's soul.    Not . . . to mention when Ciel and Alois' souls combined, he acted a bit . . . creepy around Ciel. (Dude kisses his leg . . . pedophilia there.)    Three, the introduction of Hannah and her role in the story. Hannah is literally the Deus-ex-machina in this story, and I will not lie when I say I genuinely believe it. The maid, Hannah, later in the episodes, is revealed to be a demoness, (whom Sebastian never noticed before, even when Clyde used her as a sword sheath), and was never brought into full use as a demoness and user of magic until the final three episodes. She is given a very cliche and bland personality at first, which gives way to how she was putting on a facade to get close to Alois, because she felt what his brother felt when he made the pact with her.    As much as I feel Hannah is a saving grace of the anime, I have to ding some points off because of how she exposites her role in Alois' past to him, in Ciel's body no less, and ends up performing a final act, that should not be possible, until she dies with Clyde and Alois. She could have been a better part of the story if she was given more of a stronger personality when Alois was being cruel, without going too sappy.    Not much else about her makes me want to hate her as much as hug her. She does has a reason to be near Alois, she does care about him unlike Clyde, and does win him over in the end. But in all cases, she was a little bit of a good thing in a large bad thing.    And as for the fourth reason, the flipping ending of the second series.    Oh . . . MY GOD . . .    Here's what happens as a recap, and stay with me here. 

   Ciel and Alois' souls are combined so he can be used by Claude as a last-ditch effort to win over Sebastian, and Sebastian gets reasonably ticked. Claude acts creepy, Ciel and Alois fight over Ciel's body and a maze is conjured that is fixed by Alois to let Claude win and take Ciel's soul away. Sebastian and Claude fight in the maze, Grell is there for no reason, Hannah is trying to talk to Alois who is in control, and Ciel's will takes over and changes the maze again. Alois finds out Claude lied and did want Ciel's soul, and Alois is ticked. The butlers complete the maze, and see Hannah over a passed out Ciel/Alois, and now with a new mark on him. The butlers are then escorted by Hannah to a demonic isle where they fight, and Alois' final contract with Hannah is revealed: he decided if Ciel's soul was so valuable, then he didn't want anyone to have or love it. So he wished that Ciel was a demon.    Ciel Phantomhive becomes a demon, and his last command to Sebastian before this happened was to follow his order and help him.    . . . The slap mark on my forehead is red.    Alois, being jealous of Ciel, wished him into a demonic being, and now Sebastian, who ended up with a happy ending in the first series, is now stuck with Ciel for all eternity. And as a bonus punishment, Ciel is immortal and has to retreat with Sebastian to the demon world and never return.    I was so angry when I watched this episode that I threw my phone across the room in a rage. Thank god for the Otterbox, or else it surely would have broken.    There are several problems I have here with this ending, one of the most obvious being how Hannah could get Alois to get another contract in when he was already in one with Clyde, and how Ciel's body could handle THREE contract pressures at once and not feel any kind of soul degeneration, or something by then. But no, the largest problem is how and why the writers turned Ciel into a demon.    The point of 'Black Butler" was to become associated with the concept of revenge and learn that it is not often what others are searching for. It's to be accepted that people will do bad things, and often get away with it. It doesn't mean taking revenge is the best option. While it is fulfilling, oftentimes it's not.    Here, the concept of revenge is taken to the extreme with Alois turning Ciel into a demon because he was jealous. There's nothing in the lines of retribution here, aside from the fact he sacrificed his life to save Ciel's and Sebastian's. All that he did he did for petty jealousy. Ciel never did anything wrong in this series, so it was as if Alois was the torturer and Ciel was the poor dude strung along on the wall. The revenge within this series was also manipulated and forced between Ciel and Alois, compared to how Ciel had to sleuth out who to kill in the first series.    Forced elements are never good. They always end badly.    And this series is just proof of it.    Having Hannah use her power to turn Ciel into a demon is also a stretch, as it is never implied she could do something like that before. I blame it more on the writers going "This is a good idea' and inserting it into the anime for kicks.    . . . or to create a 'hint-hint-yaoi-hint-hint' product to establish a new fanbase.    BUT, that just about sums up this one: contrived, bad characters, and ruining the first season of what made it good.    And now I will put on a helmet . . . because the second one is going to make SO many people angry at me . . . NUMBER 2: " Sword Art Online"        I can feel the fury from much hate-mail coming my direction, but let me explain my piece before someone goes all out and eats my liver.    I like sci-fi tech stories in anime. .Hack//Sign is one of my favorite anime, and it still stays as one of the better examples of video games in anime, next to "No Game No Life" and "Log Horizon". It takes gaming into another level and gives you a video game world you want to participate in, and characters you want to root for.    Yet this anime is where I draw the line when it comes to intense immersion. Aside from the stunning artwork and the stellar designs of the characters and worlds, I don't know much else I can commend about this anime, aside from the fact that it was also a fanfiction that became a thing.    (Remind you of anything?)    Now, back to what I was saying.        SAO follows a boy, Kazuto Kirigata, or as he goes in the game(s) "Kirito". In the first arc of the anime and stories, he gets stuck in a game called "Sword Art Online", along with about a thousand other players. The mastermind behind it, one of the creators of the game, got them stuck there, and to leave, the players have to reach level 100 of the entire game and defeat him. And they can’t be forcefully removed from the game system due to it being hooked to their nervous system.     Sure, it's a good idea, and sure I thought it was okay, but a part of me instantly disliked this idea because the same instance occurred in '.Hack//Sign', except the main character was the only one stuck in the game, it was psychological aspects with less action and the main character was a male avatar with a female body in the real world.    I just thought it was a rip-off of the series, and when I decided to watch the rest . . . I had to nope out.     About two to three episodes into the series, the players of SAO start to think the beta-testers for the game are beating everyone else easily because they know the mechanics and grinding points. So they try to force beta-testers to help them get information about the game and everything that entails it. And of course, no good comes from it because someone has to be the sacrificial lamb. This also spawns the term “beaters”, beta-testers who are ‘cheating’ in the game because of their foreknowledge.

   Kirito then gets the idea that since he was a beta-tester for the game, and knows the details of the game and knows everyone hates his ass now, he can beat the game himself. So, he gives a shortwinded diatribe about being “The Guy” and goes it alone. This is given the fact he also seems to have no motivational aspects for this, nor does he TRY to reach out to other members of the SAO player communities that are stuck in the game, but the other players treat him and other beta-testers of the game as jackwagons.    Beta-testers of games are beta-testers for a reason; they OK a game and game-play for little to no money, or much, and most of the time are good gamers.    And the nicest people. I should know; I know a dude who beta-tested Destiny.    Here, they're treated like jack-wagons, and Kirito just enforces the whole idea by acting like a jackwagon and walking away from other players to continue the game because why not.    Aside from that, Kirito's personality is one of disinterest and expressionless pity. He wants to get out, but he continues alone until he meets Asuna, who for all intents and purposes, is the BEST character in Part I. Their relationship is easily one of the better things in this anime, albeit ham-fisted and later turned to sludge in the second and third parts, but still.    Seeing them happy was a GOOD thing midway through this anime of darkness. It did give Kirito and Asuna something to fight for, but it never really fleshed either of them out for me. Skewer me later, I have a LOT more to point out.    AS the show progresses, the plot becomes more and more linear, it never forks, Asuna is later RAPED IN THE SECOND PART, IN GRAPHIC DETAIL, and Kirito's flat sister comes into play as well. My disinterest in the characters and hatred of the second villain of the anime was enough to make me switch to something else.    I'll be finishing this anime up for a full in-depth analysis later, but for now, I'll go ahead and say my piece here and leave it at that.    I know people like this anime, and it makes me happy to see they like something collectively. I may not like it, like how I may not like One Piece as much as I used to, but for people to come together about an anime is okay.    It's just I don't like this anime, and I don't mind others liking it.      The pacing of the story measures out for almost an eternity, Kirito's ambitions and goals and behaviors are never really justified, the second part's villain made NO flipping sense, Asuna was degraded as a character and as an archetype, Kirito is in desperate need of development, reasons are needed for how they can be so OP in many parts, and I want some more answers on how his sister came into the picture.    And . . . for the love of god . . . I want a redo on this anime's second half.    . . . and I think most people do as well.    . . . I don't think I can continue this part until I can get the FINAL and WORST anime I have ever seen out of my system.    And believe me when I say . . . it's BAD. NUMBER 1: " Pupa"    This anime.    This . . . anime . . .    I found this anime after scrolling around on Crunchyroll for something to watch in the Summer of 2014. I was interested in the genre and cover of the anime and decided to give it a try.    . . . I want to erase it from my brain.    Utsutsu Hasegawa and his little sister, Yume, are exposed to a rare and monstrous virus called 'Pupa'. Yume becomes a vicious man-eating monster, while Utsutsu gains regenerative powers. They are then approached, almost as if by magic, by a researcher who wants to contain Yume and Utsutsu and use them as guinea pigs for research. Utsutsu allows it, saying he'll do anything for his sister, and decides to become his sister's food source so she can assume a normal life.    While the concept is golden and has the potential for deeper symbolic meaning, like how it used the teddy bears as the shattering of Yume's humanity and innocence, and how Utsutsu's relationship with his sister was put to the ultimate test, it becomes . . . hard to watch. In more ways than one.

   The anime episodes are 4 minutes long each, leaving the entire series at a binge-able time of 1 hour. There’s not much to do with that much time, and it can’t be a fast-paced comedy like Hetalia. It’s a horror series. Horror series need to work quickly but have context and depth, or else the deeper meaning is lost. Since this is also animation, it means the drawings and backgrounds need to be visually appealing or eyecatching so the viewer can keep watching without problem. 

   Artistically speaking, the characters are well designed, but in animation terms, their movements are as bad as an early Studio Deen production. 

   And that’s where the praise ends. 

   There is an episode of the anime, each being five minutes long, of Yume just eating her brother, and saying "Utsutsu" over, and over, AND OVER again . . .    If you get the idea of where I am going with this, then you know exactly WHY I do not like this anime.    The concept itself is the driving force for the anime, and after that, NOTHING HAPPENS. Yume is kidnapped and experimented on, like Utsutsu, but he saves her and still decides to be her food source. She feeds on him, they love each other, they live normal lives, yadda yadda.    Nothing. Conventional. Or concrete. Happens.    Characters are introduced, but they come and go and are never touched on again unless the plot calls for them to make an appearance. Utsutsu and Yume's mother is cold and sees Yume as a monster, which may or may not be her delusions given how she was also abused by the kids' father, who is ALSO never developed outside of being a wife-beater, and both are who I consider to be the worst parents of all time.    Yume and Utsutsu, for all purposes of the anime, are the most developed and touched on characters. But, they never do much outside of adapting to their own hellish nightmare. Never do they ask Maria the scientist for a cure, never do they try to escape or move along with their lives.    They just get stuck in their nightmare, forever to be mad.    I hate it when animes like this come around. It introduces an interesting scenario, only to forget plot and context in favor of showing more and more grotesque imagery and disturbing content. I know it's rated M, but in all honesty, the incest insinuations and the fact that no one helps these kids out of this problem is enough to make me mad.    I will say it has beautiful designs. 

   I will say it had an interesting idea.    I will not say it's a good anime.    And, now you know why.    Well, there you have it. Those are the top ten anime I personally dislike, and in a few cases, hate to the core. But, just because I hate these anime doesn't mean that others can't enjoy them.    That's the power of the internet and personal opinion.    Now . . . I'm gonna go back to writing MLP reviews . . . I've been getting rusty, and I feel like I'm gonna get so much flack for these . . .

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Last 43 update for the night

Time seemed to move differently in the forest surrounding Hannes's house. Levi had blacked out, leaving the house sometime during the night, giving Eren a minor heart attack over his missing fiancé. By the time he'd found him in the forest, the alpha had been cold and cranky. Having set out at sunrise, there was no way it should have been sunset by the time they found their way back out of the forest. The same thing happened the next night and the night after. Eren was scared he was losing Levi, yet when he tried to reach out to Obsydin, he got no reply. He knew for a fact Obsydin had been watching everything that happened through Levi's eyes. He'd been there, silently lurking as Eren had spoken of ridding Levi of his curse, and each time they'd had sex. When they'd met again in Levi's mind during his heat, the dragon had been subdued, and acting almost distracted. Eren hadn't expected Obsydin to agree to helping Levi control himself, yet, he had. It was like the dragon had simply given up his fierce fight, even though he knew there was no way that was possible. Hannes was also worried for Levi, in his own way. When Hannes would teach or show Eren some kind of new magic, he always made sure that they were in view of Levi. It may have been to pacify Eren's omega side, but the gesture was appreciated. With his fiancé's health declining, Eren started to stay up each night, positioning Levi so his head was in his lap, and holding him tightly through the night. No matter what happened, he wouldn't give up on his alpha. They'd been with Hannes for about a month when out of nowhere, a letter arrived from Eldia. Addressed to Levi, Eren had forced himself not to rip it open as he accepted the letter from the leg of one of Eldia's eagles. The great bird stayed long enough for Eren to feed him a few small strips of jerked rabbit meat, then took to the sky again. Carrying the letter inside, Levi was lecturing Hannes over his cleaning methods, while Hannes looked bemused. A little bit of magic and cold water could have the whole house cleaned in minutes, yet Levi insisted it wasn't as clean as hand cleaning. The two men were very similar in some ways, Hannes with his garden and Levi with his cleaning, though Eren neglected to point the obvious out "Levi, royal mail has arrived. I told Erwin to contact Historia if he needed to get word to us..." Wiping the imaginary dirty from his hands into a cloth, Levi then strode over to snatch the letter from Eren's hands. Tearing the wax seal, the alpha seemed to forget he was just as anxious as Levi was for news from home. Whatever it was, Levi didn't seem too pleased. Hannes quick to usher him from the house. As Eren had learned, Hannes was a master at distractions. Finding himself near the wooden altar without even realising it, Hannes stood between him and the house "Whatever it is, let him read it in peace" "But..." "It was addressed to him. Besides you have your own lesson to overcome" For the first time since his magic returned, Eren wished it hadn't. He felt he needed to be by Levi's side, that and the fact he'd been failing miserably "Hannes..." "Eren" "I should be in there" "I'll go check on him in a moment. This is important" "So is that letter. Eldia could be at war right now" "Which makes this lesson that much more important. Now, get your mind on your magic" He didn't want to "get his mind on his magic", as he was starting to think Hannes was asking for the impossible. He was supposed to be learning how to use his dragon's breath, while in human form. Hannes made it look easy, but the dragon only had one attribute of nature he was aligned with. So far, Eren had summoned a storm cloud that followed him around... because that hadn't grown old super fast at all in the castle. He'd frozen his throat and lips, leading to Levi losing his shit over Eren's already weak lungs. He'd burned his throat, which had taken a while night to heal. And finally, when he'd tried to use his life magic, he'd thrown up white rose petals and leaves. Controlling his breath didn't come natural to him. It felt like that magic should only be used in dragon form, yet Hannes had told Levi it would helpful in the event Eren needed to protect himself, and now he was stuck failing at it repeatedly. "You can glare at me all you like, but you need to learn this" With those words Hannes departed, leaving him to watch the dragon walk off to talk to Levi, which was what he should be doing... * Levi was sitting on the end of Hannes's bed when the dragon walked into the room. Eldia was on the verge of going to war. Zeke hadn't taken the death of the two Marley citizens well, nor the fact that Eren had whisked him away in his dragon form. The Prince was demanding Levi return to face punishment for his actions. Anger ran through the alpha as the letter in his hands grew more scrunched with each passing moment. Eren had wanted so desperately to avoid war, and thanks to his foolish actions, that was exactly what was coming. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. If he returned like this, things would no doubt go from bad to worse. Raising his head, he looked to Hannes "Bad news?" "Hundreds of people are going to die" It was the truth. It wasn't like he hadn't sent good men and women to their deaths in war before, but it was the collateral fallout that made things so much worse. Eldia was still gathering its feet under it from the last war, and that had been years ago "That's unfortunate" Unfortunate. That was one word for it... "Eren's going to be upset. He'll want to return to Eldia immediately" Walking over to the bed, Hannes sat down beside him "You say Eren's going to be upset, yet it doesn't sound like you intend to leave with him" "I can't go back like this. It's my fault that war's coming in the first place. If I go back, he won't be safe. It's me that Prince Zeke wants, and if Eren isn't at my side, the only safe place for him is the castle. I don't know what to do" "Do you know what I have him learning at the moment?" "How to control his breath" How could he not know? The consequences of Eren's attempts had led to his omega suffering more than he was comfortable with. Eren's frost breath was the worst, damn near freezing himself to death in the process "Do you know why?" "You said it would help protect him" "It will. But that's not all. If he can master his breath, I believe he can char the spell on the sword and regain at least as small part of his soul. Obsydin may have helped him, but my dreams have been filled with death and destruction since I've returned. His madness is spreading. You know you've been sleep walking. Eren's taken to watching over you as you sleep. If you lose control, he may need his breath to kill you before you kill him" "This is Eren. He'd let me kill him if he thought that was the right thing to do. Besides, Eren made it sound as if he and Obsydin came to some kind of agreement" "Even if that is the case, it's a terrible strain on your mind to house yet another consciousness. You're human, Levi. Simply human. Your body isn't made to carry the weight of a dragon" "If you're talking about Eren..." "I'm talking about Obsydin. If you don't break the hold he has on you, you'll be driven crazy" He already was crazy... or at least half way there "Then find me a way to get him out of me" "I told you, I don't know of a way, other than to break your own soul. I don't know what to tell you" "Then what good are you?" "Me? I'm just an old drunk. I told you that from the beginning. You're the prince of a whole nation, do what's best for your people" Only, he wasn't. Erwin was the Prince. It was his kingdom that Levi had damned "That's what I'm trying to figure out" "Give if some though. When you're ready, there's a quill, ink and paper in the bedside drawers. Who knows, maybe a miracle will happen and Eren's breath with burn the infection into oblivion" "We both know that won't happen... So many times I've thought of destroying that sword, yet it still exists. Have you told Eren he might be able to use his breath on it?" "I've mentioned it, but his mind's been so filled with you, I don't know if he was listening" "He's a good kid Hannes. He grew into a fine man, and now I don't know what I'm supposed to do. He's so stupidly loyal... and he cares for every single person of Eldia, even those he's never met. This... he's not going to be ok with this" "I can't tell you what you want me to. Only that if you keep it from him, he'll be far more hurt in the long run" "I know..." Patting his shoulder, Hannes rose from the bed, heading out the front door. The dragon probably didn't care what happened to the humans of Eldia, only that their enemy was Marley. Especially now that they all knew the truth, and weight, of Hannes past. The egg that had seemed to have start growing again had stopped. Eren was right, as usual, about not getting Hannes's hopes up. Fuck. If ever he needed Hannes to offer him a beer, now was the time. Penning a letter to Erwin was harder than Levi wished to admit. His pent up rage at not being able to find the right words left him frustrated, and even burying himself in Eren's heat to find release didn't take the frustrations away. He was still yet to tell the omega, though he had said there was some issues back in Eldia. Despite not going into specifics, Eren was keen to return to the castle. He'd been working even harder on conquering his breath, though Levi wasn't sure if that was possibly given the number of hours he spent outside trying. Levi had made up his mind to leave once they were closer to Eldia, and for now he was going to enjoy his time with Eren to the fullest. If Eren was to return to Eldia, he'd be able to offer some protection to its people and maybe with time, he'd find a way to forgive him for leaving. It was four days after he'd received Erwin's letter than he finally penned back that he and Eren were both fine, but only Eren would be returning to the castle and that he couldn't state how long the return journey would take. If Obsydin was going to consume him, then he'd find a way to destroy Marley in the process. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was the only plan he had for now. With Eren in Eldia, there was hope for the future. With the letter to Erwin safely sent, thanks to Hannes and his magic, Levi finally managed to find his balls again. Smoothing out the scrunched letter from Erwin, the alpha sat at the dining table as he waited for Eren to come back inside. The niggling tinge of some emotion he couldn't quite feel or name properly had only seemed to grow as he waited. Anger and frustration he could deal with, but this... not so much, or not anymore. He was half tempted to the throw Eren down on the bed and fuck him senseless instead of telling him Eldia was going to war. It'd be a hell of a lot more pleasurable on both their accounts... only, it didn't quite play out the way Levi psyched himself up for. Bursting into the house, Levi rose to address Eren, only for Eren to throw his arms around him. Nuzzling into his neck, the omega was a squirming mess of happiness. Half climbing up him, Levi moved to help by lifting Eren by his arse, carrying him over to the bed and laying him down beneath him. With his brain still half a step backwards, Eren's forehead hit his as the omega tried to kiss him. Groaning in pain, Levi pinned Eren to bed with a firm hand on his chest, while his other hand went to his head "Calm down" "Don't want to calm down! I did it! I fucking did it!" "Did what?" "My breath! Levi, I used my breath!" Happiness oozed off Eren, his smile wide and bright "You did?" "I did!" "That's... awesome" Was awesome the right word? He didn't know, but Eren nodded enthusiastically so it must have been "I know right. I'm so happy right now I could fucking scream... please tell me I get a reward for all that hard work" "Hmm, I don't know..." Eren whined playful, his fingers already moving to shimmy up Levi's shirt "Please... Hannes said he's going to show me how to use it tomorrow on objects... I need to practice, but he thinks I'll be able to use it on the sword soon. I just need to figure out what kind of breath to use..." "I don't know then. Did you really use your breath, if it hasn't been tested?" Eren pouted "I wanted to share this with you... but if you don't want me, I'll just go" Growling, Levi rocked his hips forward "Like fuck you're going anywhere. I suppose I can give you a treat. What did you want me to do?" "I want you to eat me out while I suck your dick" Raising an eyebrow, Levi smirked "I thought you were the one who was supposed to be receiving the treat. As I see, that's two treats for me" "Then tie me up, and fuck me?" "If I tied you up, you'd be getting spanked" Eren's eyes widened at "spanked", his mouth forming a small "oh" "You want to be spanked?" Nodding quickly, Eren renewed his attempts to get Levi's shirt off "Please. Please, master. Tie me up and spank me" "I don't know... how can I punish you when you haven't done anything wrong" Eren's face fell, Levi moving his hand from Eren's chest to his face, before running the pad of his thumb over Eren's lips "You're such a sweet boy, my little omega. I don't like to punish you without reason" "I... I'm sorry" The mood was being ruined. The lack of tone in Levi's voice was bringing Eren's high down. Something he didn't want to do given how many issues Eren had had with his breath "I'm going to blindfold you, as I blow you. You're not allowed to come until I tell you" The mischievous and playful smile came back to Eren's lips "Yes, sir" "Good boy... now get up and strip for me. I want you to strip yourself and lay on your back for me. You're not to touch yourself without my permission" "Yes, alpha" * Wrecked by Levi's mouth, all of Eren's senses had sharpened with his eyes covered. He wasn't supposed to come, but he had. After that Levi had tied him to the bed and spent what felt like hours teasing him into bliss. As far as treats went, Eren had zero complaint as his purr rumbled up. He was completely fucking destroyed in all the best ways, unable to even move if he'd wanted to. With Levi the way he was, all this extra attention on his wants was the way the alpha told him he was proud, a feeling that inflated his ego to massive proportions and left him beyond content. Nuzzling Levi's neck, Eren kissed the spot he'd sucked a rather impressive dark hickey onto. He liked marking Levi as his, especially in places where the alpha couldn't hide the mark, even if he'd wanted to. They were finally bonded properly, and things were actually going right. Now that he has his breath under control, they'd be leaving Hannes, and while he'd really miss the dragon, he missed the castle too. He even missed Hanji and her stupid experiments. Threading their fingers together, Eren squeezed firmly to let Levi know he was still awake, the alpha yawning softly as he pulled him closer "You never said how you worked your breath out" Eren's purrs came to a stop with a grunt. He had to brain? What was this? Levi had teased his sweet spot until he'd felt like his whole body had melted. Now he wanted intelligence? "Tell me how you worked it out? You were so happy and proud" "'m still happy" "No, you're blissed out" "Mhmm..." "We still need to eat dinner, so you're not going to sleep that easily. We're both getting fat and lazy" "I'd love you no matter how fat you get" Levi kissed the top of his head, Eren practically glowing under his touch "You too, brat. But I want to understand" "Fiiiine..." Yawning out the word, Eren followed it with a second yawn. Levi moving their hands to poke him in the side "I'm awake" "Then tell me" "I was getting there. My brain is all mushy" "Your brain is always mushy" "Rude. It's my lungs, because they're fucked and all. I was trying too hard 'cause I can't breathe as deeply as most people. Then I was trying to channel my magic too soon... it wasn't until I was out of breath that I figured it out" "Do you get mad? Because I didn't find you sooner?" Eren scrunched up his face. How could Levi even ask him something like that?! Sitting up, he shook his head "When you found me, I just wanted to die somewhere warm and near my family. I was pissed that I was sent away, but coming back led me back to you... my lungs suck, but I'm still alive" "That you are" "Mmm. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day. I wonder how much magic I can burn off the sword?" "Don't get too far ahead of yourself. You need to be able to control your breath first" "That he does" Squeaking in alarm, Eren scrambled to make sure both he and Levi were covered by the blanket. Hannes casually walking in with two fresh rabbits in his hold. Honestly, Eren was sick to death of rabbit, but he couldn't bare the idea of killing something bigger. Growling at him, Levi's hold grew tighter "Calm down. I went and did a little hunting while you two were busy. I don't need to hear every little thing, you know" Levi snorted "You usually don't?" Not skipping a beat, Hannes slapped the rabbits down on the kitchen bench "Eren doesn't usually leave the door open. The spell to mute the sound only works with the door closed" Hiding his face against Levi's neck, Eren groaned in shame. He didn't think. He was too excited and wanted to share his happiness with Levi as fast as possible. He knew just how vocal he could be, and how equally vocal Levi could be if he was in the mood. He'd definitely in the mood to tell him off for coming without permission, before spanking him for it... and Hannes had heard it all "Well, are you two going to laze around in bed? These rabbits aren't going to cook themselves. Levi, can you get a few carrots and potatoes from the garden. Eren, grab some herbs, you know which ones" He didn't want to move. He really didn't want to move, but then his belly rumbled and betrayed him "Come on you, let's get you up and fed" "I'd rather stay in bed and be fed" "Lazy" Shooting Levi a half-glare at his reply, Eren dragged himself out of bed opting to cover himself with his nightshirt to hide the marks Levi had left across his body. The scratches his claws left always took longer than he'd like to heal. Though he wasn't as fazed over them as Levi seemed to be. Staying up late with Levi and Hannes, Eren learned he was absolutely terrible at cards and much preferred watching, to playing. Levi's neutral face would have held against most players, but the alpha didn't realise Hannes could see the cards reflected in his eyes, so was going easy on him. Growing tired, the omega gathered up the dishes, and carried them over to the kitchen sink, Levi was too engrossed in his game to realise Eren had even left the table, nor did he notice when Eren opted to climb into bed rather than sitting back at the table. Rearranging Hannes's egg from between the pillows, he softly stroked the scales before kissing it. He could still feel the life inside of it, so it was confusing as to why it hadn't grown further. It was still a tender point for him, and he knew he was transferring way too much of his own desires for a child onto the egg, but part of him wished it he could take it with him. Not that he'd ever do that to Hannes. Settling down for the night, he fell asleep to the sounds of Levi and Hannes arguing over their cards, with a warm smile on his face. Even if they left, he'd never forget Hannes. * Sleeping in late, Eren woke with a sick feeling in his stomach, as if something was horribly wrong. In his arms, Levi was snoring softly, so it couldn't have been related to him. With some extra careful manoeuvring, Eren untangled himself from Levi's hold. Wrapping his arms around himself, Eren padded softly over to the front door of the house, thoroughly confused as to why Hannes hadn't woken them yet. Sure, he'd down a fair quantity of beer, but no more than usual, though Eren had fallen asleep before Hannes and Levi called it a night. Wandering out into the overcast grey of the morning, there was no sign of the elder dragon "Hannes?!" He didn't like this. His heart was racing over Hannes's absence. He knew he was probably being stupid, and that Hannes had lived for years alone in the forest, yet he couldn't help but worry. Casting a glance around, his eyes landed on the altar as something inside whispered to move closer to it, as he did, he realised the sword was sitting upon the altar as if waiting for him. Taking the sword in his hand, it felt like a block of ice. Looking at the object, it felt like Eren was looking at it for the first time... which was stupid. He knew every inch of the swords casing far too well, yet the way the gold glimmered, it didn't seem... right? It wasn't as bright as it'd been... "Hannes?! Can you hear me?!" Of course, he'd have to be able to hear Eren calling for him, so why wasn't he replying? Placing the sword back down, Eren turned back towards the house to find Hannes standing in front of him. The dragon's face was ashen, his lips moving with no words coming out. Around his neck was a thick noose of woven vines "H-Hannes?" With a shaking hand, Eren reached for the man, his hand slipping clear through him "Hannes!" Shooting up in bed, Eren threw back the covers. Levi catching him around the waist as he went to scramble off the bed. Growling, Levi pulled him flush against him. Resting his chin on the omega's, Levi's voice was rough and warm against his neck, whispering kind of whispered scolding "Eren! Calm down, you were having a nightmare!" "I... Hannes. Where's Hannes?" "Probably asleep..." "He... he's dead. Levi, he's dead. I saw him. He had a noose around his neck" Eren trembled and shook violently in Levi's arms. He wanted Hannes. He wanted to see the elder dragon was safe "It was a dream. You woke me up screaming for him" "I..." Sagging back against his fiancé, Levi kissed his temple. Eren's heart felt like it was still racing a million miles an hour "It was a dream. He left to do whatever he does at night, full of beer and with a smile on his face. I'm sure he's fine" "Sorry... fuck... I walked outside and couldn't find him. Obsydin's sword was on the altar, but there was something about it that was off. I was calling for him, and when I turned around he was there with a noose around his neck..." Nodding, Levi kissed his temple again "That sounds like a pretty shitty dream" "It was... I know we haven't known him long, but he means a lot to me" "I know he does. I know you're going to miss him when we leave. Actually, I... I need to tell you something" God. His heart didn't know if he could take something else. He still wanted to go find Hannes "What? What is it?" "Eldia is on the verge of war" It felt like the air had been driven from Eren's lungs "It was in Erwin's letter. Zeke is pissed. He wants me back in Eldia to face my crimes" There was no words for how he felt. Why the fuck hadn't he told him sooner?! And why now?! Tearing himself out of Levi's arms, he felt betrayed "What do you mean Eldia is on the verge of war?!" Roaring in Levi's face, the alpha snarled back with bare teeth "Don't take that tone with me!" "Then don't lie to me! Why didn't you tell me?!" "Because..." "Because what?!" "Because I knew you'd be mad!" "Mad! Oh, ho no. I am fucking pissed! How could you lie to me! These are our friends! We have to go back!" "Look, I told Erwin we were going to make our way back, but we didn't know how long it would take. As long as he tells Zeke that, it buys time" "It doesn't buy time! He'll accuse whichever country this is, of harbouring us!" "He can't. He doesn't know where we are..." "I can't believe you didn't tell me!" "Eren... you knew it was possible" "Sure! But I didn't know you wouldn't tell me about it! I thought we trusted each other!" "I do trust you! I just didn't want to hurt you!" "Well you fucking did!" Marching towards the door, Eren was seething "Where are you going?" "Away from you! I don't want to see you right now!" Slamming the door behind him, Eren let out a frustrated scream. How did waking of a nightmare, equal a great time to tell him that Eldia was falling apart!? He'd known for days. Days! Hours he could maybe understand, not days! "Hannes!" Yelling the dragon's name, Hannes didn't reply "Hannes! I swear to god, you better not be dead!" Levi was right, it was just a nightmare... but right now, Levi could fuck himself. Hannes was probably doing whatever he got up to when they slept. He actually had no idea where the man slept, even after a month. Thinking of his nightmare, the omega wandered over to the wooden altar, placing his hands down on its smooth surface as he tried to calm himself down enough to think rationally. Casting magic in anger, or fear, had never really worked well for him, and Hannes would scold him for getting so worked up. It was just... Eldia was his home. The home of his friends and friends he called family. If Levi had been himself, he would have wanted to leave immediately... The country didn't even their "Prince" there to guide to them. How much covering for them had Erwin had to do? From the people at the party, to the members of the castle staff... and with Zeke. This last month hadn't been all fun and games, Eren knew that well. It'd been an escape from reality that they probably shouldn't have indulged in for so long, despite him both being sick and going through heat. They needed to leave. He needed to tell Hannes that they needed to go. "Eren?" Closing his eyes at Levi's voice, Eren wasn't sure what to say. He was still furious with Levi, it'd barely been 10 minutes since he'd walked off in a huff "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you" "You're not sorry" "I..." "You're not sorry because you don't know how to be sorry. I really thought we were making progress" "We... were" "And now? They're our friends!" "I know that" Spinning on the spot, the omega clenched his fists "Then why didn't you tell me?!" "I didn't tell you, because I knew how upset you'd be. Besides, I needed to think about things before I replied to Erwin's letter" "Think about what?! What's there to think about?" "Us! You and me. Them. If going back was the right thing to do" "Of course it's the right thing to do" "I've spent years playing the public Prince of Eldia. The Prince who fought the castle mages and killed two foreign guests. If I return, what's to stop them from killing me? Or me from killing them?" "Me" "And you'd really be alright with that? Knowing they might kill you too?" He didn't want Levi dead... but what was a world without Levi? "If it would save you, and save Eldia then I wouldn't object" "See! That right there. You act like your life doesn't matter! You're still young! There is still a huge world out there for you to explore" "And what good is all of that if Marley burns Eldia to the ground?! They're your people! They need a Prince to guide them" "Even when the Prince is a monster in human skin?" "You're not a monster. You're they're hope. You're the strongest soldier our people have, because you used to give two shits about them" "I don't want them to die, but if it's between you and them, I choose you every single time" Eren fell silent. The grass at his feet becoming more and more interesting as he stared down "Eren... I want to see this world with you. I don't know what's waiting for us at home, and staying away might even be the best thing to do. I wrote Erwin back, and it'll probably be a few days before he replies. I know you want to go back, but we can't rush in" "I... I know that. But... I can't in good conscious stand here and do nothing" "I know. Why don't we look for Hannes? You want to do that, don't you? If he can give us a map, or even point us to the nearest village so we can find out where we even are, we can plan our way back" "I hate that about you. I know you're telling me what you would if you were yourself, but knowing how little you feel, it feels hollow" "I didn't mean for it to. I just want you to be happy. You look most beautiful when you're smiling and excited" "I'm not going to forgive you because you complimented me. But I am worried for Hannes. I can't hear him and I can't feel his magic. Are you sure he was alright last night?" "Yeah. After you fell asleep, he was talking about how proud he was of you, and that he'd hoped if he had a son, he'd be like you" Eren was hesitant to call Hannes a father figure, so kept it vague with "parental figure", given that his own father had disappeared. If he could have just known for sure that the man was dead, the wound on his heart might finally heal... he couldn't remember his dad all that much anymore, but it'd been a decade since he'd last seen him and he'd been so young. Yet somehow he remembered him being both warm and distant at the same time. Hannes wasn't like that. He was a drunk who imparted his wisdom in his own special way, but he was special to him "I want to go find him. I'm worried" "Alright. Why don't you get dressed? Hannes wouldn't want you running around the forest in your nightshirt" Hugging himself, Eren headed off to do just that. Spending all morning searching, they didn't find Hannes. Levi managed to get himself locationally challenged, but there wasn't any sign of him. Eren's heart dropped with each step through the forest, he'd called Hannes's name so many times, his throat hurt and his chest tickled as he tried not to cough. Hannes wouldn't just leave them. Eventually the whole day passed in the forest, where they found no sign of the elder dragon. Dinner was quiet, then Levi knew better than to attempt to climb into bed with him. He'd wanted to keep searching, but Levi insisted they head back due to his health. He was fine. His fiancé was just a big chicken who didn't like the dark. The omega didn't care if that wasn't true, he was sticking it as he curled around the white egg for comfort. Having slept fitfully, Eren wasn't even sure if he had slept at all. It was still dark when he climbed out of bed to find Levi not in the house, and the door wide open. A missing alpha was the last thing he needed, as the old throbbing wounds of abandonment were kicked back to life. Both of them were gone... not wasting time with shoes, Eren simply snatched a blanket off the bed before rushing out the door "Levi?! Hannes?!" Wrapping himself up, the blackness of the night felt crushing "Levi?! Can you hear me?!" Fuck... no... this couldn't be happening. He couldn't lose both of them. Panic gripped his heart, his toes numb from the cold, wet, dewy grass as he spun slowly "Levi?! Hannes! Please... please..." He needed to calm down, but he was so fucking scared for Hannes. And even if he was mad at Levi, he didn't tell the man to disappear while he was sleeping. Summoning up a small floating light, he momentarily blinded himself. He needed to find Levi. Levi was human. If he got lost in the forest, he'd never find his way out alone. Walking through the forest at night was a horrible idea. Everything looked the same, and every sound had him jumping. Fat tears of sadness rolled down his face, his omega growing more and more distressed over the idea their alpha had abandoned him. Actually, walking through the forest at night wasn't just a horrible idea, it was the worst idea he'd had to date. Scaring himself shitless one too many times, it finally became too much for him. Letting the blanket drop to the forest floor, Eren fled as fast as he could. He'd never ran so fast in his life. Crashing blindly through the under scrub, he didn't slow for anything, even when he landed particularly nasty after tripping over an arcing root. There he was, a fucking dragon... with the courage of a field mouse. Drawing closer and closer to the house, his heart leapt as he heard Levi calling his name. The whole reason... well, mostly the whole reason he was out there was safe and waiting for him. Bursting into the clearing, Eren didn't stop until he crashed into Levi. Burying his face against his neck, he sobbed hard against the alpha "What the hell? Where were you?" Gulping and coughing led to him choking on air. Pushing him back, Levi took his face in his hands "Breathe. You need to calm down and breath. You're fucking freezing. What were you doing in the forest?" "Looking... for... you" "You were looking for me?" Nodding, Eren sucked down what air his aching lungs and coughing allowed. Now that he'd stopped rubbing, his body was rapidly cooling causing him to shake "You didn't put your shoes on, and you didn't even take a blanket" Levi sounded pissed, letting out a whimper Eren wasn't emotionally or physically stable enough to handle a scolding. The omega's knees folding in response to the alpha's clear anger. Catching him as he fell, Levi sank down to the ground with him "Shit. Ok. You're ok. You scared the shit out of me" He'd scared him? Was such a thing actually possible? Besides, he was the one who was fucking scared. Kneeling on the ground, tears dropped to the grass, forming small diamonds as they did "W-where... were... you?" "I was looking for Hannes" Hearing Hannes's name, Eren perked up the smallest fraction. Through tear filled eyes, he looked up towards Levi's face "Did you...?" Looking back over his shoulder towards the house, Levi quickly looked back at him. Hannes had to be in the house. He needed to see him "Hannes!" Struggling against Levi, he didn't understand why the man didn't help him up "Hannes!" "Eren... calm down" "Let me go! I need to see him. You found him, why can't I see him?! Hannes!" Finding strength he shouldn't have had, he pulled himself from Levi's hold, lunging towards the open door, Levi stopped him "You don't want to see" "No... Hannes!" "Eren" "No! If this is some kind of sick joke, I'm not laughing! Hannes!" "Eren..." "No. No. He can't..." "Eren" Eren's eyes turned black as the space around him grew red. His magic flaring at the overwhelming rage and sorrow he felt at being denied access to Hannes. Around them echoed an almighty crack as the ground started to split "Eren! Please..." "Get out of my way" "He's long since gone cold. You don't want to remember him like this" Snarling, magic gathered at his fingertips "Get out of my way, Levi!" Flinging one hand out, Levi was ripped from in front of him and sent flying before hitting the ground with a loud thud. Leaving him there, Eren rushed into the house. Lying on a blanket on the floor, Hannes looked almost peaceful. Around his neck and arms were thick vines blooming with jasmine, Obsydin's sword lay by his side. Grabbing the sword from the ground, the omega's magic moved in its own splitting and cracking the scales sealing the infected object. It'd all started with the sword. Every shit thing had been because of the sword. It shouldn't be near Hannes. It didn't deserve to be near Hannes. The man was... pure. Not pure in the literal sense of the word, but kind and brave and strong. Throwing the weapon at the wall, he screamed at it, his breath red hot as fired followed the scream. He hated it. He hated the stupid sword and Obsydin... and Hannes for dying. There were still so many things he needed to ask him... As quickly as his magic had flared, it faded. Sinking to the ground, Eren crawled closer, placing his hands on Hannes as he prayed for a sign of life that he knew he wouldn't find. He couldn't feel anything from him. Not magic. Not breath. And not warmth "I found him in the affected forest. I haven't had a chance to examine him, but there was quite a bit of vomit. It looks like he hung himself while drunk" "He wouldn't" "Eren..." Walking over to him, Levi crouched down and placed a hand on his shoulder "He wouldn't do that!" "If he was drunk..." "He lived here alone for years! He knew the forest!" "He was also a complicated man who drank to drown his sorrow" "He wouldn't... leave me like this" "Hey. This isn't your fault" Eren all but wailed "It is! If we hadn't come here..." "If we hadn't come here, he might have just been a lonely old dragon who died without anyone ever remembering him or mourning him" Eren didn't want logic. He wanted to cry and scream. Why did good people have to keep dying?! "He wouldn't just kill himself! He promised to teach me how to use my breath, and he wouldn't leave his egg alone!" "I know it's hard..." "You don't know anything! He... he's dead Levi and he can't come back. No one can come back when they're gone. Everyday good people die and people forget them. He deserved more than that" "He did. He was a good man and a good dragon" Taking Hannes's hand in his, Eren crossed his legs as he brought it to his face. Having manually laboured for years tending his precious garden, callouses covered his palms "He left me... he left me behind..." "He didn't leave you..." The pain of losing his father, bled into the pain of losing Hannes. Eren cried himself to sleep by Hannes's side. When he woke, he was back in bed with Levi staring him in the eyes. Reaching out, the alpha tucked his fringe back behind his ear as Eren's eyes watered again "He's dead, isn't he?" "Yeah. I'm so sorry" "I don't want him to be dead" "I don't either. I know I don't feel things right, but I do care that he's not here anymore. I liked him better than most of the people I've met" Wiping at his face, Eren sniffled "What do we do now?" "We lay Hannes to rest, then we go" Feeling the egg up against his stomach, Eren felt even shittier. Was that what had set Hannes off? The constant reminder of the unhatched egg? He needed to know, even if it was selfish of him "The egg... do you think?" "Eren, no. If Hannes had a problem with the egg, he would have taken it back or told you" "What do we do with it?" "We can bring it with us, yeah? I think Hannes would like it if you looked after it for him now he was gone" "But it's his egg" "And you said you felt life inside of it. Historia might be able to help it hatch? She might be able to give a chance for a piece of Hannes to live on" "

[uglypastels]

Writing Challenge!!

Writing challenges are always so fun to do, so I decided to make one myself for a change. It’s also almost (not really) my birthday and I want to celebrate!!

It’s that time of the year again where it is cold outside, the leaves are falling off the trees, you just want to curl up under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and watch a movie... Or is that just me? 

Anyway, I love watching a good movie, or even a bad one sometimes.

This is why in this challenge, all prompts are quotes from movies! 

Rules are pretty basic, I’m not fussy about anything.  (prompts > “Keep Reading”)

You don’t have to be following me, but it would be nice of you, of course, if you did

Reblog this post to join and/or spread the word

Send me an ask wherein you choose a prompt 

Make sure you have a possible back-up if the said prompt is already taken

Preferably, I would like to have one story per prompt, but just in case anyone is really set on a prompt that has already been chosen, or if somehow by miracle every prompt is picked and more people want to join, each prompt will have two slots. (so one regular, one “emergency” slot)

All prompts are movie quotes, but your story doesn’t have to be based on the movie itself or have anything to do with the movie. Interpret the quote any way you want.

BE ORIGINAL! 

BE CREATIVE!

HAVE FUN! 

I would like to call myself a multifandom blog, but who am I kidding. I’m MARVEL’s bitch. 

Write about any MARVEL character/ actor (+ the Hollands/Harrison) you want but

if you want to do a different fandom, you are more than welcome!

Just don’t forget to tell me in your prompt request who you will be writing for.  

Fluff, angst, smut ... everything is allowed - just make sure to tag it.

NO UNDERAGE SMUT! Just don’t be gross, in general 

No, first person, but other perspectives are good to go

Any length of writing is good, but if it is longer than 500 words, make sure to use the “Keep Reading” option.

so the story can be a one-shot, two shot, a series < including a part of a series you already have going on.

When you post it, make sure to tag me and use the tag: 

#Z’s Movie Night Challenge

FOR AN EXTRA CHALLENGE (or if you just can’t pick): hmu with an ask telling me and I will pick for you! But do still mention who you will be writing for then.

Deadline is my birthday - December 18th! 

I will be making a masterlist of all the submissions

I think that’s it. Any more question? DM me or ask

(way too many) Prompts, but at least nobody can complain there is nothing to chose from: 

“I love you.” // “I know.” Star Wars, Episode V: Empire Strikes Back (@andwhatdostarsdobest w/ Tom Holland)

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Gone With the Wind  ( @procrastinatingparker w/ Tom Holland) 

“After all, tomorrow is another day!” Gone With the Wind

“Go ahead, make my day.” Sudden Impact

“Here’s looking at you, kid,” Casablanca

“I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.” Casablanca

“Of all the (gin joints) in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” Casablanca ( @butwhyduh w/ Avengers cast)

“We’ll always have Paris.” Casablanca

“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” the Godfather

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” the Godfather: Part II ( @sunsetspidey w/ Tom Holland)

“Just when I thought I was out, (they) pull me back in.” Godfather: Part III ( @sleepwalkingdragon w/ Harrison Osterfield on hold)

“You talkin’ to me?” Taxi Driver

“Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” All About Eve

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Love Story ( @rainbow-marvel w/ Tom Holland)

“Forget everything you think you know.” Doctor Strange

“Pain is an old friend.” Doctor Strange ( @theamazingspiderlingg w/ Tom Holland)

“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” Cool Hand Luke ( @scholarlyspidey )

“What is it?” // “The stuff that dreams are made off.΅ the Maltese Falcon

“Alright, (Mr. DeMille), I’m ready for my close-up.” Sunset Boulevard

“There is no place like home.” Wizard of Oz ( @peterrrparkour w/ Tom Holland)

“I love the smell of (napalm) in the morning.” Apocalypse Now

“Show me the money!” Jerry Maguire

“You had me at ‘hello’.” Jerry Maguire ( @anxiety-in-a-getaway-car w/ Sebastian Stan)

“You complete me.” Jerry Maguire

“Why don’t you come up sometime and see me?” She Done Him Wrong

“Hey, I’m walking here!” Midnight Cowboy

“I want to be alone.” Grand Hotel ( @aw-hawkeye w/ Tom Holland)

“You can’t handle the truth!” A Few Good Men

“I’ll have what she’s having.” When Harry Met Sally ( @sleepwalkingdragon w/ Harrison Osterfield)

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." When Harry Met Sally (@somethingtoavenge  w/ Bucky Barnes)

“I’ll be back.” Terminator

“Hasta la vista, baby.” Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” The Pride of the Yankees

“We rob banks.” Bonnie and Clyde

“Well, nobody’s perfect.” Some Like it Hot

“Houston, we have a problem.” Apollo 13

“I could do this all day.” Captain America: The First Avenger/ Civil War

“We’re still friends, right?” Captain America: Civil War ( @starksparker w/ Tom Holland)

“Have you been playing Space Invaders? Because you’re invading my space!” Pixels ( @cas-backwards-tie w/ Peter Parker)

“Well, a boy’s best friend is his mother.” Psycho

“Well here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!” Sons of the Desert

“Say hello to my little friend.” Scarface

“(Mrs. Robinson) You’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you?” the Graduate

“What a dump.” Beyond the Forest

“Is it safe?” Marathon Man

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothin' yet!" the Jazz Singer

“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” A Streetcar Named Desire

“Hello, gorgeous.” Funny Girl

“Surely you can’t be serious?” // “I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.” Airplane!

“My precious.” Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

"Listen to me, mister. You're my knight in shining armor. Don't you forget it? You're going to get back on that horse, and I'm going to be right behind you, holding on tight, and away we're gonna go, go, go!"  On Golden Pond ( @musiclover1263 w/ Peter Parker)

"Carpe diem. Seize the day(, boys). Make your live(s) extraordinary." Dead Poet Society.

“I’m the king of the world!” Titanic

“I’ll never let go, (Jack).” Titanic ( @spider-puck w/ Spideychelle)

“You make me want to be a better man.” As Good as it Gets ( @thewackywriter w/ mob!Tom Holland)

“As if!” Clueless ( @fratboievans w/ Peter Parker)

“They’re here!” Poltergeist

“We know each other. He’s a friend from work.” Thor: Ragnarok

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! (This is the War Room.)” Dr. Strangelove

“I wish I knew how to quit you!” Brokeback Mountain ( @petersshirts w/ Tom Holland) 

“I’m not bad. I’m just (drawn) that way.” Who Framed Roger Rabbit (@lovelymalira w/ Bucky Barnes)

“Why so serious?” the Dark Knight

“Magic Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all.” Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ( @thequeensardine w/ Harrison Osterfield)

“.... I dare you. I double dare you.” Pulp Fiction ( @hollandofthefree w/ Tom Holland)

“Look I probably should have told you this before but you see... well... insanity runs in my family... It practically gallops.” Arsenic and Old Lace

“It’s just a flesh wound.” Monty Python and the Holy Grail ( @sarahwritesfiction  w/ Steve Rogers)

“He might be okay….Well, no, probably not now.” Groundhog Day

“Life’s a bitch; now so am I.” Batman Returns ( @idontknowhowtowritesosorry w/ Shawn Mendes)

“That rug really tied to room together, did it not?” The Big Lebowski

“No, it’s a cardigan, but thanks for noticing.” Dumb and Dumber

“Is that all he said?” Lost in Translation

“Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler.” Office Space ( @totallytomholland w/ Peter Parker)

“You wanna come over?” // “No, thanks. I don’t want you fucking up my life, too.” Office Space (@mobtomsgirl w/ Tom Holland)

“Okay, sounds like a case of the Mondays.” Office Space

“And suddenly, I felt nothing.” Fight Club ( @brokennccrown w/ Steve Rogers)

“You can tell a lot about a person by what’s on their playlist.” Begin Again

“(Veronica), you look like hell.” // “Yeah, I just got back.” Heathers ( @peter-is-the-best-avenger w/ Peter Parker or Tom Holland)

“Lick it up, baby. Lick it up.” Heathers

“But… I guess if I love you, I should let you move on.” 17 Again

“I want my life to be like an 80’s movie.” Easy A

“What makes life so hard?” // “People.” An Affair to Remember

“Have you ever been in love?” // “I think so.” Love, Simon (@fandomscombine w/ Peter Parker)

“I don’t wanna go.” Avengers: Infinity War (@fantasyizlife w/ Tom Holland)

“I don’t want another single pop culture reference out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?” Avengers: Infinity War

“I am going to die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy.” Guardians of the Galaxy ( @fantasyizlife w/ Shawn Mendes)

“You actually were telling the truth?” // “I do that quite a lot, yet people are always surprised.” Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ( @fantasyizlife w/ Harrison Osterfield)

“I have what they call an unattractive face.” Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

“Oh, somebody, stop me!” The Mask

“I didn’t come here to tell you I can’t live without you. I can live without you. I just don’t want to.” Rumor Has It ( @marcymakemagic w/ Peter Parker)

“Are you always this cocky?” // “Only on Tuesdays… and whenever beautiful women are involved.” // “So, you think I’m beautiful?” // “Actually… it’s Tuesday.” the Three Musketeers  ( @tomhollanders2013 w/ Tom Holland)

“I’m going to be a lady if it kills me.” Dinner at Eight

“Prove it…” Shane

“I’m sorry, (Dave). I’m afraid I can’t do that.” 2001: A Space Odyssey

“Kiss my hot lips.” M*A*S*H*

“You have my sympathies.” Alien

“Get away from her, (you bitch)!” Aliens

“You can be my wingman anytime.” Top Gun

“Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?” Batman

“Love your suit.” The silence of the Lambs

“Quid pro quo.” (= A favor for a favor) The Silence of the Lambs

“Always.” Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II ( @peter-parker-life w/ Tom Holland)

Good luck, have fun! 

Tagging some peeps to spread the word because this is one thing I don’t want to die:

@tomhiddleston-is-myboo @tonyintexas @andwhatdostarsdobest @tomsfireheart @spinneret-holland @rainbow-marvel  @lovelyh0lland @de-lir-i-ous @peter-parker-life @tomhollanders2013 @tomhollandthirst @lifeisabitchandsoareyou @darlingtholland @sweet-pea-imagines @anxiety-in-a-getaway-car @manhoeparker @h-osterfield  @positiveparker @casuallytumblingdownthestairs @justmesadgirl @fandomscombine @tom-holland-and-textposts @my-current-obsessions-hehe (Sorry to bother anyone.)

[purplesurveys]

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What motivates you to do what you do? The possibilities that I’ll get to buy my own house, raise a family, travel abroad with my own money, scenarios like that. Always makes me want to start working my ass off and to stop complaining. What was the weather like the last time you went out? Super humid. Hard to breathe. Then it rained hard all evening. Do you go for walks often? OMG no I hate walking. I take my car everywhere lmao. What color shirt are you wearing? It’s black but has white floral prints on it; and it’s also a jumpsuit, not a shirt. What is your favorite type of youtube video to watch?  I’m a whore for YouTube so I’d watch anything. Right now though I’m into Good Mythical Morning, PewDiePie, and a little into mukbang/ASMR videos.

Do you need any new clothes right now? Yes hahahaha I have not enough clothes conducive for my internship, so defo have to shop for that. What's the next project you are excited to start?  Does interning count? Do you collect anything? If so, what?  I’m a photo hoarder, if that counts. I find it really hard to delete photos because I associate memories, times, and places for each anddd that’s why I have 3k++ photos sitting in my camera roll at the moment. ^and if not, what would you like to collect? Wrestling figures. What was the last disappointing thing that happened to you?  I overreacted to something Gab said and it blew up into a huge fight.  What is something God has healed you of? Have you ever experienced a miracle? I don’t believe in those. What was the last thing you ate?  It was a meal called ‘lamb pepper rice’ and it’s basically spiced rice with lamb as the main meat. Good shit. Do you ever eat food that's intended for kids? Like, nuggets? Sure. I don’t order stuff from the kids menu though–unless they serve corndogs hahahaha. What was the last stupid thing you did?  Last Friday, I was about to head home but my car key wasn’t in my bag when I reached in to get them. I took out every single solitary thing in my giant-ass tote bag but my key was nowhere to be seen, so then I thought I forgot it or dropped it in the restaurant where I had my dinner. I went back inside the mall, almost in tears, and was halfway up the escalator when I thought of reaching into my pocket. Car key turned out to be there. Do you get embarrassed easily? UGH VERY I’m a perpetual ball of anxiety and embarrassment. I get super sensitive and cry a lot. In short, I’m a pain in the ass for everyone. Are you wearing pants or shorts right now? I’m in a jumpsuit so neither? The bottom part kinda looks like pants though. What are your top three names you like for a daughter?  Olivia, Mia, and Harper. Would you ever film a vlog of yourself giving birth? If my heavily pregnant ass gets in the mood for it then yeah, I don’t see why not. Do you like getting caught in the rain? No, I hate getting wet with clothes on. Do you think your hair looks best straight, wavy, or curly? Wavy. What was the last craft project you completed?: I don’t do ~crafts. Name 3 youtubers you would like to meet in person:  PewDiePie, Shane Dawson, and I’ll count Rhett and Link as one because those two are inseeeeeparable. Has anyone ever spread an untrue rumor about you? Yes. Sixth grade was a funny time. What's one rumor you've heard about yourself, and is it true? Something about dating Andi. No it was not. What color are your nails painted currently?  They’re never painted. Do you use a pill box? I don’t. List 3 people you know who were loving and then turned cold:  Athenna. Times three. Have you filmed a youtube video today? No, I don’t vlog. Do you leave the house when you're on your period?  ???????????? Yes ????????????   ^If not, why not? Because it’s not supposed to stop me? Have you ever felt threatened for your life? Yep. There was one time I must have done something wrong to a motorist while driving because when I slowed down to traffic, he stopped his motorcycle directly beside my side of the car and just stared murder at me. For like ETERNITY. I was stuck in traffic and didn’t know what to do. Idek what the fuck he wanted but I hope he’s since crashed his stupid bike and died because as far as I know I did nothing wrong and he is just a stupid man looking for a fight. What are you behind on? WORK LMAOOOOOO Do you get enough sleep each night? Recently I have not because the work has just been too much. To be able to sleep at 10 PM is a magical thing. Which did you like better: high school or college?  High school if we’re talking about security and feeling safe and being happy; college if we’re talking about being independent. Which year of your life stands out to you as the most significant so far? 2014, 2015. ...and why?  They were the years when I knew I was at my happiest. What was the last store you shopped at?  It was an accessory shop. Gab and I browsed through to see if there were clip-on earrings available for me (there weren’t). Do you have a favorite pharmacist? I don’t. I don’t even know any. Do you have a favorite cashier at the grocery store? No. What was the last thing you ordered at Starbucks?  I had an iced caramel macchiato and a dark chocolate macadamia cookie. What's something you discovered recently?  Idk, haven’t really had eureka moments lately. What makes you more creative?  I’m literally not creative. What's the last magical thing you experienced?  Spending time with my girlfriend. What is the theme of your bedroom?  It has no theme. Depressed college student maybe? Have you ever lived in a dorm? Nope. I live kinda close to my school, at least near enough to be able to drive to and from school. Who is someone whom you admire, and why? I don’t think I admire anyone. When was the last time you stepped outside of your comfort zone?  Monday. My org opened elections for next year’s term and no one was gonna run for External Affairs, which is basically the committee that handles marketing and inter-org partnerships and all that publicity stuff. I’ve been a member of Internal Affairs for years now, which is basically the complete opposite of Exte, but no one was running and we were desperate to have someone. I got frustrated at how no one wanted to take the damn post so I took it so we could finally get the elex out of the way even if it meant completely stepping out of my comfort zone. Where would you like to travel to next?  Thailand or Vietnam would be great. Or just to go back to Sagada would be enough. If you could win three dream vacations to anywhere, where would you go?  Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia. Would you rather ride a camel or an elephant?  Neither.

Are you a free spirit? I can, but I also can’t. Do you want to lose weight? No. I want to gain it. Which insects scare you, if any? Cockroaches. Do you think it's silly to be afraid of a tiny insect?  No. Have you ever experienced paranoia? Sure, sometimes. Have you ever hallucinated? Only one time when I was 8 and had a really high fever. I was saying some weird shit to my grandma. Were you raised religious? Yes. Didn’t see the point by the time I was 10. Have you ever been abused? Verbally, mentally, and emotionally. Do you think the cops should do more about bullying? Everyone should do something about bullying, not just the cops. Besides, Filipino police are useless for the most part. Is there a coffee shop you like better than Starbucks? Nah, I’m pretty loyal to Starbucks. I love others though, like Coffee Project and Coffee Bean. If you could afford to get your hair professionally done, what would you get? Maybe a trim and tiny bangs hahaha. Then dye it dark green. If you had a lot of money, do you think you would use it wisely?  Not at all. I don’t even have money right now and I’m still spending it irresponsibly lmao I definitely need help. Do you know any rich people who are very irresponsible? If they’re rich then they must have been responsible enough to be able to get to that point. List five careers that you'd like to have: That’s too many and I’m too sleepy to think about this.

List five far-out things that you'd like to do before you die: Try out tamilok, ride a helicopter, walk on the glass floor of a really tall building, visit Chicago, try deep-fried butter. Do you dream big? Sure. What was your first imaginary friend's name? Katrina. What was the name of the first pet that you loved? Tobi, my rabbit. What was the first work uniform that you had to wear?  I’ve never had a job. Do you like to go barefoot? Filipino houses require everyone to be barefoot, so that’s just natural to me. Do you like the same colors now that you did as a kid? No. I liked purple then but I like black and pink now. Do you have a blog? Just this one. Do you have a youtube channel? Yep, but I don’t have anything posted. I use it so that YouTube can personalize my homepage to videos I wanna see and so that I can subscribe to a bunch of channels.

[jamiekturner]

The animation movies you shouldn’t miss in your lifetime

Animation movies are not simply more sophisticated cartoons. Over the years, they’ve introduced us to some of the best cinema characters, involved us in memorable stories, and gathered millions of fans worldwide.

But which are the best animation movies to see? In fact, what makes an animation movie good? Which was the best animation movie ever?

Of course, everyone can answer these questions differently depending on what they like, but there are a few movies we can all agree were blockbusters. What makes an animation movie stand out are most of the time the characters, story, and animation style.

Here’s our collection of the 30 best animation movies of all times. Give this list a look, and you will certainly find a few of your personal favorites in there.

If not, it is time to explore the animation world and to find new horizons!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Disney’s production has more amazing cartoon movies than we can possibly gather here, but this is the story they’ll always be recognized for – the tale of the beautiful, wandering princess, the mean queen, the handsome savior, and the sidekick band of helpful and funny dwarfs.

The awesome fairytale written by the Grimm brothers was not only the kicker hand-drawn animation of Walt Disney, but also the first animation movie in the history of the moving pictures industry.

Time can do nothing against it – after almost a century, you shed some light over the old painting, and it springs to life!

Fantasia (1940)

This great animation film brings together the best of the Disney world, Tchaikovsky’s music, and magic. You will be delighted by the unique mixture of Western classical sounds and the visual game of Disney’s characters while Leopold Stokowski leads the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Dumbo (1941)

A filmmaker from Pixar shared an interesting story with us – his mother who could barely understand English, watched Dumbo and understood what his mom wanted as she interlocked trunks with him inside a circus cage. This is what makes this movie a proper animation hero – you understand it without words!

Bambi (1942)

Bambi marked some of the best moments in Disney’s history and top animated movies, such as its mother being shot by a hunter and leaving the tiny sweet fawn to fend. More than a cartoon, Bambi is a lyrical and beautiful affirmation of the miracle of life, and stands for values such as family, friends, and our glorious nature. The titular doe of this movie loses its innocence as it’s mother dies, but also grows up virtuously, gains knowledge, and becomes capable of depending itself.

Robin Hood (1973)

Robin Hood was the first animation movie to be released after Walt Disney died. At the time, it was considered to be an embarrassing, on-budget piece, but time reversed that to one of the best animation movies of all times.

We all know the story of Robin Hood – the hero of the little people who steals from the rich. He was animated several times, but none of his adaptations was as charming and memorable as the one made by Disney’s animators.

The concept was the same as in fairytales – whistling rooster narrators, a maid for Robin to fall in love with (Marian), and a furry squad of brave friends helping Robin recover what Prince John has stolen.

Belladonna of Sadness (1973)

What inspired Japanese director Eiichi Yamamoto to create this unbelievable psychosexual animation was Jules Michelet’s book on witchcraft and feminism called La Sorciere.

The beautiful yet disturbing piece was released in 1973, and the ones who saw it certainly remember how shocking it was for the standards of that time.

In 2016, there was a new Belladonna release in the U.S., and it had pretty much the same effect on people. Even modern society finds such animated fantasy traumatizing, and is not prepared to embrace how scandalous it is.

For instance, the heroine gets visually assaulted, and some viewers may find that disturbing.

In short, you may like or dislike the story behind it, but this animation is certainly a masterpiece. It was created in a unique and delicate manner, using a pleasing pastel palette of watercolors the human eye enjoys.

Street of Crocodiles (1986)

Movie production in the 80s was almost entirely digital, but that didn’t prevent visionaries Timothy and Stephen Quay from drawing one of world’s best stop-motion pieces. Their short animation features a hatched-faced puppet with a decaying body that navigates a bunch of dancing screws, and creates a feeling of being stuck in a vivid dream that won’t let you wake up.

The piece attracts interest even today, especially among surrealist and stop-motion artist. The Quays were actually inspired by Jan Svankmajer and the writer Bruno Schultz, two of Poland’s best known names in the surrealism world.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Two years after Street of Crocodiles, the world was introduced to an even better animated film -My Neighbor Totoro. It has been 30 years since, and this movie still lifts up the spirit of those watching it, as it features one of the most heart-warming stories.

The main characters are two adorable Japanese children leaving their home to find magic. Along the way, they discover a wondrous cat bus and a gentle giant named Totoro who helps them accomplish their mission.

This makes Totoro one of the best cartoon movies suitable for all ages: everyone could enjoy a supernatural, slightly uninhibited delight.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)

Robert Zemeckis is the name behind this groundbreaking, hybrid crime/comedy movie. First of its kind, this movie treats the murder of a bunny, and features an iconic toon-loathing detective working on the case.

‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ broke all records of production expense. It cost more than any film produced during the 80s, and became the 2nd highest-grossing movie in 1988.

Akira (1988)

Kanye West appointed Akira as the leader among its favorite films, and many of us can agree with him. The incredibly detailed sci-fi movie doesn’t stay behind names such as Matrix or the Blade Runner, while its imaginative urban setting display makes it the finest Japanese animation ever created. In fact, Akira has become a cult with millions of followers worldwide.

The main protagonist is a Neo-Tokyo teen biker called Tetsuo. Tetsuo’s mission is to release the unlawfully imprisoned psychic Akira, and his way there features the best action scenes ever to be seen in the animation world.

The Little Mermaid (1989)

There’s almost no girl out there who didn’t dream of becoming a mermaid, and they own this to one of Disney’s most compelling stories. This romantic movie follows the life of beautiful mermaid Ariel whose dream was to have legs and to live on land.

It is with Ariel that Disney’s renaissance took off. We all associated the Faustian tale with making important choices in our life, such as the one Ariel made when giving up her voice to pursue being human.

Her love story with charming prince Eric provided us one of the most memorable movie soundtracks, and we learnt to love her despite of her stubbornness. This is why The Little Mermaid still counts as a favorite Disney movie.

Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)

Do you remember the love story of Bella and the Beast? Next to the inspiring story of Bella’s pure soul discovering the prince inside a buffalo, this movie caused a drastic change in the world of best animation, causing many people to take it seriously.

Looking at the magnificent ballroom sequence and the couple’s first dance, we found it hard to believe that the film was computer-generated. Actually, Beauty and the Beast was so good that it became the first animated movie to earn a Best Picture Nomination.

Aladdin (1992)

Yup, these were the golden years of the Disney production of animated films! Following the success of Ariel, Bella, and their prices, animators recreated another iconci character, and that was Aladdin.

Prior to this movie hitting screens, many people were unaware of the inspiring and romantic rags-to-riches story, despite of it being a classic 1001 Nights tale.

It follows the dreams of an open-vested, homeless, and hopelessly in love boy who’d set an eye on a rich and beautiful princess. As hard as his evil enemy Jafar tries to get her, she still falls for Aladdin, the boy with the magic carpet, Robin Williams-voiced genie, and enormous heart.

FernGully (1992)

FernGully is another classic in the animation world that treats the destruction of Earth and all creatures that live on it. It was created for children, and they loved how protagonist fairy Christa fought against the destruction of her Australian rainforest.

Her assistant was a boy named Zak, and her enemy was a logging company attempting to wreck her world. You may find it interesting to know that this movie inspired Avatar and the creation of princess Mononoke.

Porco Rosso (1992)

Ain’t this a weird film! And yet, a lovely one! Hayao Miyazaki presented us the story of an ex WWI fighter pilot from Italy, and that pilot happened to be a funny red pig. For protagonist Porco Rosso, being a pig is nothing bad – he still canoodles with beautiful ladies assisted by Fio, his mechanic protégée. This film is both engaging and historically rich, and is definitely worth watching!

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

As his projections show, Tim Burton comes up with the weirdest pairings ever – beetles and juice, hands and scissors, and this time even Hallowing and Christmas. In this movie, we get to meet the pumpkin king and his sudden Christmas joy. And right when you think it can’t get better, you hear Danny Elfman’s live performance of ‘What’s This’.

The Lion King (1994)

Here’s another of Disney’s major works with a Shakespearean background. Instead of Hamlet, we’re acquainted with a lion family and their friends from the jungle, and we get to see some of life’s most important values on screen.

The film also has iconic musical sequences – the renowned soundtrack, for instance, is many people’s association of a beautiful childhood.

The music was written by Hans Zimmer, a legend among composers who actually manages to turn emotions into sounds. As Simba and Nala tussle in the grass, their love warms our hearts, the same as Scar’s betrayal makes us angry and eager to help Simba discover that he has no fault for his father’s death.

As we watch on, we get to adore Simba’s little Hakuna Matata friend, or the buds Timon and Pumbaa as they help him become king of the jungle.

Toy Story (1995)

Toy Story is Pixar’s first and arguably ultimate achievement. It was such a success that it turned the company into a film franchise, and it set the standards of how a perfect movie should look.

We will remember it by the iconic ‘personalities’ of Woody, Hamm, Rex, and Buzz; and for its immense contribution to what toys meant in our lives. According to many viewers, Toy Story is the best animated movie ever!

Perfect Blue (1997)

Japanese director Satoshi Kon made a pretty successful animated prototype of legendary Black Swan. This movie is far from a pass-time show, and we wouldn’t recommend it for kids in any case. Its protagonist is pop star Mima who decides to try out acting.

Her fans are furious about it, in particular a creepy stalker that tries to invade her life in many different ways. That, however, is not the worst thing to happen to Mima – she starts tormenting herself with her alter ego – an imaginative ‘her’ that questions her decisions, and brings her in all sorts of compromising positions.

This movie is sexually explicit, compromising, and even haunting, and gives us a pretty good overview of celebrities’ troubles with media violence, exploitation, and lack of personal space.

Hercules (1997)

What better than an animation to make Greek mythology fun? The epic tale of demigod Hercules and his parents Zeus and Hera inspired many professionals in the movie business to bring these characters to life, including beautiful Megara Hercules saves from evil ex-boyfriend Hades.

Even after 20 years, this is a movie every kid should watch – the movie that teaches us that strength is only good when used for a good cause.

Mulan (1998)

Remember the cute Chinese heroine who joined the army to ensure her dad doesn’t have to go? Hardly did any of us forget her epic appearance on gender’s funeral to ask if there were Huns to fight!

Mulan was also the long-awaited Asian reappearance on screen, and a role model for young women who didn’t abide to sexist norms. She was noble, brave, and extremely fun to watch – just the way we’d all like to be! Along the way, she even fell in love with Captain Li Shang, and gave this amazing story the love crown it deserves.

What made the Mulan movie even more memorable were the voices of the protagonists – the mini dragon Mu Shu was voiced by amazing Eddie Murphy, while the voice behind Mulan’s beautiful interpretation of ‘Reflection’ was none other than Christina Aguilera. Could it get any better?

Princess Mononoke (1998)

Princess Mononoke is not a typical and soothing animation movie. The visceral and dark story is often considered as Miyazak’s best movie, and there are many reasons for that.

Following Ashitaka’s efforts to reintroduce peace between the generous gods and destructive humans, you are provided with a truly imaginative and epic visual experience. This is why Princess Mononoke became the 7th highest-grossing animation of all times.

The Iron Giant (1999)

The Iron Giant is a much underestimated animation movie, and we believe this is so because of it being misunderstood. Rather than attaching an ‘antiwar’ label on it, we should look deeper under the surface and understand that Brad Bird’s guns are not simply killing machines – he questions how it’d be if they had a soul. Interesting, isn’t it? Put it on your list!

Chicken Run (2000)

Chicken run is not just the funny story of a loud rooster and his fellow chickens escaping certain death – it is the stop-motion parable and homage of The Great Escape that shows us how the wreckage of capitalism looks like.

It is also a very well produced piece whose scrappy heroines are to be quoted and remembered, and it definitely deserves a look.

Monsters, Inc. (2001)

If you’re into animation, there’s no way you missed Monsters, Inc. Its memorable snappy interplay and dizzying action sequences guarantee some serious fun to the viewer, as protagonists Sulley and his single-eyed associate Mike scare children to help Monstropolis.

Ain’t it just great to see these beasts’ freaking out as fearless moppet Boo takes over their turf?

Shrek (2001)

What made Shrek so popular is without doubt his suitability for audiences of all ages. Children thought of it as a fantastic fairy tale of distressed damsels, dragons, castles, and a princess to be saved. Adults, on the other side, enjoyed the amazing pop culture references this animation had to offer, in particular the great soundtrack that pandered exactly to them.

This movie also has one of the best acting crews behind it – DreamWorks animation chose Cameron Diaz to voice Princess Fiona, Mike Myers to voice the titular ogre, and incredible Eddie Murphy to voice the faithful donkey steed. Could it possibly get better?

Spirited Away (2002)

Spirited Away was based on Alice in Wonderland, and it was so well execute that it won an Oscar. The legendary tale of a wondering little girl and her magical ride into the land of the Unknown never stopped fascinating people, an effect Joe Hisaishi ensured with his new ideas and great moving instrumentals.

The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

‘The Triplets of Belleville’ is signed by ‘Illusionist’ producer Sylvain Chomet. It is a family movie of a concerned grandma looking for her grandson, and a piece aiming to warm everybody’s heart. It will impress you from the very first opening sequence, and you will definitely want to watch it again.

Finding Nemo (2003)

Inspired by the great success of under-the-sea animations, Pixar created what’s perhaps the most fascinating story of its kind – Finding Nemo. Protagonist Nemo is in fact a small clown fish that ventures through the scary sea to find its father, and whose journey is paired with the most exciting adventures.

Nemo meets surprisingly friendly sharks, cute turtles, and other sea creatures that need his help – the most memorable encounter, however, is the one with space cadet Dory, a character viewers loved so much that Pixar made a separate movie about it!

The Incredibles (2004)

Any animation expert out there can confirm that animation movies are not all about visual. A large portion of their success depends on the story they tell, and Incredibles is a movie that can prove that.

The great comic book inspired an even better movie, as it brought former superheroes Bob and Helen Paar and their family on our screens. We were simply thrilled by villain Syndrome’s crime-fighting revenge, and we can easily compare the action in this anime to any well-rated fighter movie.

RATATOUILLE (2007)

Here’s one more of Pixar’s masterpieces that combines great visuals, intriguing stories, and memorable characters. It treats the unusual alliance of rodent Remy and kitchen assistant Linguini, both working on Remy’s dream to become the chef of a great French Restaurant.

The best part of the story – their dishes manage to fascinate critic Anton Ego, just the way their personality fascinates the audiences!

WALL-E (2008)

The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is not the only great achievement of WALL-E. This movie was also recognized for acknowledging the dangers of pollution and human waste.

WALL-E is the main character in this animation – the Earth’s last robot that’s been alone for 700 years, and has thus developed a very curious ‘personality’. The loner is challenged by a newer robot model coming down to Earth, and the two of them create what’s today one of Disney’s most charming works.

Up (2009)

‘Up’ has just the right features to delight all audiences – funny characters and exciting chases to make kids laugh; and a precious adventurous experience for the parenting squad. Widower Carl and wilderness explorer and adventurist Carl take us on an unpredictable journey to South America, and lift our spirit up with every achievement. This is a movie you shouldn’t miss!

Coraline (2009)

Stop-motion animations company Laika picked an interesting book to adapt: Coraline by Neil Gaiman. As a result, they created a scary, yet very exciting movie, showing us how frustrated kid Coraline escapes from her parents and falls into trouble.

Coraline reaches a sinister and creepy world of Stepford-like replacements, including a terrorizing spider lady that follows her around. All she wants is to come back home, and viewers are there to join the journey. Certainly a piece of art!

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

The Princess and the Frog was created by John Musker and Ron Clements, a popular cinema duo we’d have to thank for masterpieces like Moana or The Little Mermaid.

Their latest hand-drawn fairytale takes place in the jazz age, and follows the story of a waitress who’s in love with an enchanted prince (frog), and becomes a frog herself. Give it a try!

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Fantastic Mr. Fox is based on Roald Dahl’s amazing fox story. Screenwriter Noah Baumbah teamed with popular filmmaker Wes Anderson to adapt this tale for our screens, and introduced us to the most popular movie fox ever.

This urban fox struggles to return to its natural wild habitat and save its community – a mission that may cause retaliation against other animal species, or facing one’s own mortality. Now there’s a movie packed with integrity and values that is suitable for all generations!

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

‘How To Train Your Dragon’ is one more of Roger Deakins’ cinematography legends – a thrilling and adventurous tale with beautiful painterly visuals, fully 3D enabled flying sequences, and a story to remember.

Instead of picking a celebrity crew to maintain the pop-culture gag, DreamWorks focused on the sequel and let the story lead the way, and that’s where the magic began. The central moment in this animation is the unique friendship of a Viking boy and a dragon, something that’ll remind us all of our beloved childhood pets.

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

Watching the Under the Red Hood movie, you get a rare chance to experience the real Batman flick without the Joker taking over. In this occasion, Batman tries to defeat an evil vigilante who stops him from restoring order in Gotham City.

We warn you – the movie comes with some serious action and bloodshed, but it is a genuine delight for supporters of this genre.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (2013)

This is the tale of Mike Wazowski, a wannabe Scarer who enrolls at a University of Monsters. The movie follows his rivalry with natural-born Scarer Sulley, as a result of which they’re both kicked out of the program.

What they have to do to get reaccepted is to win the program’s Scare Games. The challenge is – they have to join the least respected fraternity on campus (Oozma Kappa), and they have to work at the same time.

Frozen (2013)

Frozen won multiple awards for being the best animation film, and owes it to a variety of factor. This tremendous piece warmed our hearts with wonderful characters, as well as a perfected storyline presented to us with amazing graphics.

For those who haven’t watched it, Frozen follows the epic journey of the fearless and positive Anna, as her faithful reindeer Sven and mountain man Kristoff help her find her sister Elsa.

They’re headed to the kingdom of eternal winter Arendelle where Elsa’s icy powers are trapped and endangered. To get there, Anna and Kristoff face a number of terrible obstacles, including snowmen and mystical trolls. Of course, they win in the end.

Ernest & Celestine (2014)

Ernest & Celestine is an engaging animation film that treats the topic of stereotypes and prejudice. It introduces us to the unusual friendship between street musician Ernest (a bear) and dentist Celestine (mouse) that doesn’t resemble any previous U.S. movie production.

World of Tomorrow (2015)

World of Tomorrow is one of the best short sci fi movies you’ll ever watch. You will need exactly 16 minutes to explore Don Hertzfeldt’s work of art where he showcases his deep admiration for the sci-fi genre.

The Netflix blockbuster explores a variety of popular topics. As sweet little Emily looks into the future, she meets her own grown-up clone, and joins a memorable, sentimental journey to learn more about her.

Basically, World of Tomorrow has two roles – entertaining toddlers who identify themselves with Emily, and taking adults on a futuristic trip where they question the ideas of cloning, virtual reality, and time travel.

Anomalisa (2015)

Anomalisa is a very romantic drama/comedy brought to us by director Duke Johnson and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. At first sight, it is an ordinary love story between a motivational speaker and an ordinary girl named Lisa. What makes it so popular then?

The team did an excellent job putting longing and anxiety on screen, and promoting this film as an accurate study of human character, an analysis of modern malaise, and, well…a parody. The takeaway message to remember this movie by is – Keep going, no matter what!

Ups, we almost forgot. This movie is hilarious!

Inside Out (2015)

You all remember Inside Out, the masterpiece of animation that won the ‘Best Animated Feature Film’ Academy Award. The leading character is Riley, a girl with personified emotions ready to convey a simple, but meaningful message: We are all human beings, and life doesn’t always treat us nice. This is why critics in Cannes went all crazy about it.

The Little Prince (2016)

Mark Osborne used Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s classic The Little Prince to create an exciting story about a girl looking for her childhood. The movie is respected for its excellent blend of computer-generated animations and paper cutouts.

Tower (2016)

Many Hollywood movies treat attacks and incidents in the U.S, but what is really special about Tower is that it does so using animation. The storyline goes back to the 1966 shootings at Texas University, and it blends in a unique way animated characters, genuine broadcasts, and personal testimonies.

The Red Turtle (2017)

Michaël Dudok de Wit, the Dutch animator to sign this piece, likes to refer to it as an original ode to nature. This hand-drawn miracle is nothing like the previous works of Studio Ghibli – it displays the love story between a mute castaway and a shape-shifting turtle, and it features no words at all.

COCO (2017)

COCO will be remembered for many things, but most of all for its heart-melting soundtrack ‘Remember me’. This was Pixar’s pioneer musical film, and a piece that won viewers’ hearts as soon as it appeared.

The layered and colorful story takes place in Mexico, where young Miguel Rivera fights to become a renowned musician. His family bans music for him, but he persists pursuing a career like the one of his idol Ernesto de la Cruz.

Doing so, Miguel discovers the secrets in his family’s history, and his charming friend Hector from the Land of the Dead helps him all along.

If you enjoyed reading this article about animation movies, you should read these as well:

The most popular DC animated movies to watch in a lifetime

48 Of The Best Short Animated Films (Oscar winners included)

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[nann-the-explorer]

Ras wasn't surprised when Jo rushed off to see Arianna and Tostain. There had been a look of stress on her face that spoke of more than just a worry for their friends. As he stood on the deck he watched the crew up on the masts, moving around the rigging like acrobats. This is what he was going to do. It was quite a change from guarding Arianna, he would still make sure to do his duty to her, though he liked the idea of using his skills up there too, it should be easy for him. While he watched, Katarina came skipping over and tugged on Ras's coat. "Oh, hello Katarins, how are you doing today?" he smiled down at the little girl who positively beamed back at him. "Hello, I saw you and the Doctor lady leave the ship, where did you go?" Ras sat down on the deck, leaning his back against the side and patting the spot next to him. "we went to find a special tree that hopefully has the cure for the people of your village and my friends." her eyes went wide. "a magic tree?" he nodded. "inside a secret Grove, we were guided by a beautiful white stag and little Blume here." hearing his name the little Rabbit popped his head out of the coat and looked up at the two conversing. "He's the red haired lady's spirit animal isn't he." katarina's feet swayed from side to side as she spoke. Ras stroked the rabbit's soft fur. "That's right. Arianna is a druid. In my world she is a high priestess of nature and beloved by her god." Katarina's mouth hung open. "Do people pray to her?" "Yes, some people do pray to her. She can create miracles, some believe that she is actually a goddess in elven form." realising he might be overwhelming the child, Ras went back to his story. "inside the tree I found the plants we needed and the deer spirit sent us all back to the beach." He smiled down at katrina, she seemed oddly troubled but he wasn't sure why. Children were a bit of a mystery to him, he liked kids. There was an innocence and playfulness that most people lose as they age. Their ability to see things as they are always amazed him and he enjoyed playing games with them. Before he could ask if she was OK Jo appeared on deck and called for him. "Sorry Katarina, I have to go help make everyone well now. Be a good girl and help Eduardo make yummy food." He ruffled her hair gently and walked away. He tried to smile at Captain Alardice but at the mention of Nann Ras felt uneasiness inside. "Where is she?" His question wasn't heard. Jo suddenly snapped at Samuel, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. Jo began striding towards the sick bay but stopped when Ras didn't follow. "i'll be there in a few minutes." He quickly headed to Arianna's room. Knocking lightly on the door he waited for Andrei. "Andrei, can I talk to you? Lucan still has control of you doesn't he." His face was sympathetic and he gave her a hug. "I don't know how hes continued to do this. I promise We will find a way to break his hold, OK?" Andrei hugged Ras tighter. "The doctor thinks I've betrayed us all. I haven't, I don't want to… he said he'd make me kill everyone if I didn't do what he said… I want to protect everyone." Tears welled up in her Amber eyes. As Ras pulled away he gently wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "I will do whatever I can to free you Andrei. I know Arianna will too…" his eyes drifted to Arianna and Tostain. The mark that had started on Arianna's fingers had now spread up to the base of her neck. It was painful for him to see her in this state. 'it's spread so much.' "Please take care of them a little longer. For now do as Lucan says. He can't find out that we know. " Andrei nodded, it was a small bit of relief for her as Ras left. Jo wasn't amused at his detour. But Ras said nothing as he placed the leaves on the desk." we need to dry the leaves out or grind them up to make a kind of paste. Then add them to hot boiled water, enough for each person. I don't know how many others are alive in the village anymore…" his voice trails off. Their number must be greatly reduced because of the disease and the predators. "Andrei can't break Lucans control.

She is desperately frightened, and wants to break free. He threatened to make her murder everyone if she doesn't obey him. She's been trying to find a way to let Captain Alardice know without directly breaking his command." Jo thought this over as the two spent the next five hours working on the cure. Geiger was miserable, he kept watch over Nann while the Captain saw to the doctor and Ras. He knew Ras would be furious with him if he found out. They had become friends and this could risk that friendship. He scrunched his face up at the thought. Nann would be angry too… all Geiger wanted was for everyone to be happy. This wasn't going to make anyone happy, he wondered how they could get in touch with the sentinel without Ituith’ryiel. Would it even help them? On the bunk, Nann's energy started to creep up again. Geiger lightly touched her shoulder, sending her back into oblivion again. He hoped Ras wouldn't be too angry and would understand why they had done this.

Dr. Kirkham looked at the leaves on the table thoughtfully before shaking her head slightly. Then she went to the drawer of her messy desk and grabbed an old leather-bound book, that was filled to the brim with notes, drawings and pieces of dried leaves. Absently, she thumbed through the book, before closing it and looking at Ras.

„You visited Arianna and Tostain, didn’t you? You saw how bad their current state is and we both know that this is getting worse by the minute. We don’t have the time to dry the leaves. And I am afraid that the heat that occurs while grinding may affect the healing substances. In all my years that I studied foreign healing methods, I discovered that the best method is to distill the active component from fresh leaves. I even developed my own method which is gentle but quick in comparison.*

Dr. Kirkham looked at him over the rim of her glasses and her gaze made quite clear that she wasn’t going to argue with Ras on that. As he didn’t seem to contradict, she nodded to a small drawer.

*Please, be a good lad and get my vials out of that drawer over there.*

They both assembled the simple distillator quickly and started the procedure. The doctor fell completely silent whilst Ras and her tried to extract the active component of some of the leaves into a small vial. She constantly wrote into her book, never leaving the distillator out of sight. The liquid, they produced shimmered as golden as the leaves, indicating that this was the very essence of the leaves and hopefully the cure to that gruesome sickness.

After an awful long time, the vial was filled to the half with the golden liquid. Finally, Dr. Kirkham spoke with a loud sigh.

*I see … so, Andrei was betrayed yet again. I am glad, that I was wrong with my assumption.*

She turned around to face Ras, holding the little vial cautiously between her thumb and her index finger.

*Yes, I do believe you, when you say that this Lucan is a dangerous man. But in the end we are one crew and one family. We fight for each other, no matter what … she should have a little more faith in us.*

Dr. Kirkham handed Ras the vial to let him have a closer look at it. The liquid inside was moving like on its own, tiny specks of fibers moving inside it like stars in a galaxy.

*I guess, this should be even more effective than a simple tea. Normally I would try it with some volunteers, but in our case, we can’t afford this loss of time. Arianna and Tostain might not last any longer.*

Andrei wandered insecurely along the small aisle that ended in the Great Cabin. When Dr. Kirkham and Ras had suddenly appeared in Arianna’s cabin, she had been sent away by the doctor. Mostly because it was way too crowded in that small room, but also to report to the Captain that the healing potion was ready for the first field test. Andrei gritted her teeth, her fangs baring.

*As if Arianna and Tostain have many shots left. This better is going to work …*

The doctor had been a lot softer when she approached the steward again this time and sent her away with the friendly words.

*Go and tell the old man everything he needs to know …*

Andrei understood immediately. They knew each other for so long know, she could tell that Ras had talked to Dr. Kirkham about her misery. And this was the doctor‘s way to encourage her. And maybe even a strange form of an apology.

The Captain however seemed to be troubled with something else as he barely answered his steward‘s knock on the door. Dutifully, Andrei told him about the first attempt in healing the fellow crew members and for a brief moment there was something like hope in those old sage-green eyes. But as quickly as it had lit up it disappeared again and Captain Alardice sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose.

*That’s great news, Andrei, really … but … Listen, Andrei. Don’t tell anyone what am I going to say now until I say so. But as my trusted steward you need to know.*

Andrei gulped a little, since she wasn’t to be trusted in her current situation. Desperately she wanted to interrupt the captain and tell him frankly about her unwanted connection to Lucan, before he told here something that maybe made them all vulnerable. But the old man simply continued, believing his steward was the same as always.

*I ordered Geiger to immobilize Nann. Ituith’ryiel is plotting something against us, trying to make a deal with this vampire. As soon as the healing is done, we have to establish a connection to the Sentinel at the Threshold. He has to help us against this enemy and he has to know that a second eldritch has been on the island.*

Andrei gulped. This meant their greatest weapon and protector was currently knocked out while Captain Alardice planned to get help from the Sentinel at the Threshold. That was something she should have better not heard about, because as soon as she knew, Lucan knew too.

Andrei sighed and looked at her captain with teary eyes.

*Captain, there is something you need to know, too.*

In the meanwhile, Ituith’ryiel raged against the darkness that had succumbed Nann’s mind. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t hear. Thus, he didn’t even notice that Lucan had been aboard the ship once more.

*This stupid old geezer. I will rip his head off as soon as I am out of here … you can’t keep Nann unconscious all the time!*