#basically the backstory of the movies but kinda the plot of the show

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

X♡X♡ [SEVEN DAYS] Day 1

You're struggling a bit to comprehend the fact that you really did agree to this whole week-long thing with him. Luckily for you, Jungkook knows exactly how to ease you into things. But wait- why is he naked?!

Tags/Warnings: Porn with a lot of plot basically, inexperienced!reader, Dom!Jungkook, BDSM themes and elements, non-sexual nudity, safeword discussion, Corruption kink, some backstory on JK, Shibari, wax play, Dom/Sub dynamics (beginner/introductory), minor sub-drop, slight angst, dry humping, cumming inside underwear, massages, mentions of primal play, mentions of pet play, very light orgasm control, hinted praise kink, JK in nothing but dark grey Calvin's for like... 90% of this, hinted big dick!JK, they both in love it's kinda cute,

Shibari: a form of artistic bondage using rope to create visually appealing patterns on the skin.

Wax play: the use of body-safe candles to drop wax onto someone's skin.

Corruption kink: gaining pleasure from corrupting a seemingly innocent person.

Length: 6k words

-> Masterlist

A/N: I'll include a short definition of the kinks in every chapter because I just know someone's gonna ask/complain that I don't explain things enough in my works haha. Also my smut writing is kinda rusty I've noticed, so I apologize for that as well...

◇━━━━━━━━━━X♡X♡━━━━━━━━━━━◇

"So.." You say through your food, chopsticks seemingly aiming for any piece of meat that could be done next on the barbecue in front of you on the table. "..do we like, need some fifty-shades-of-grey-type contract?" You ask Jungkook, who rolls his eyes.

"Absolutely not." He shakes his head, drinking some water. "Don't tell me you saw that movie too." He asks, and you shrug.

"Saw it with Jimin and Yoongi back when it was in the theaters." You say. "Yoongi said there was a lady who literally masturbated in the front rows, but I don't believe that. Who would do that in public?" You cringe to yourself, and Jungkook watches you for a second.

He's gonna put a no on voyeurism for you then, judging from that reaction.

"I'm surprised Yoongi went." Jungkook chuckles.

"Me too. Wasn't really sure why he did." You tell Jungkook, snatching a piece of meat for yourself. "He just complained over it the entire time anyways."

"Yeah, well-" Jungkook says, reaching for the scissors to cut up some meat. "-he's in the same scene as I am, so I'm not surprised he thought the movie was dogshit too." He explains, and your eyes widen.

"Wait, Yoongi ties people up too?!" You hiss, and Jungkook can't help but shake his head, laughing to himself.

"That's the tamest thing he does." He laughs. "Yoongi actually.. showed me most of the things I know." Jungkook offers, putting the scissors back to the side to instead pick up his chopsticks again. You wonder what he means by that.

"Like.. what?" You ask him, unsure- but you can't deny the curiosity inside of you. You had a hunch about Yoongi for a while now- and in a way, you can see him being in the whole scene a lot more than Jungkook. Jungkook is your fluffy buff but cute best friend- Yoongi has this odd aura to him that feels almost like a warning that he's hiding more of himself than he shows.

"I'm a Dominant person, right?" He asks you, and you shrug. "I like to be in charge, command and take the lead during.. scenes."

"Yeah, that part-" You say, stuffing a steaming piece of meat into your mouth, almost burning your tongue, "-I know about that stuff. Like, dom and sub, top and bottom all that." You nod, and he acknowledges it too.

"Good. Then you probably also have read that the best Dom's have been sub's in the past." He simply tells you.

"… so Yoongi tied you up before?" You ask, and Jungkook lets his head fall for a second.

"You're so cute sometimes, you know that?" He shakes his head, before he continues. "No, he actually didn't. I learned that part all by myself." He explains gently. "But before I could take charge, I had to learn. Someone had to get me into this stuff somehow, right?" He shrugs.

"So you and Yoongi were a couple at some point?" You ask, but he shakes his head.

"Yoongi and I had something similar to.. us, one could say." He explains across from you. "Simple exploration, nothing more than that." He tells you, before his chopsticks reach out to steal a piece of food right from between yours- and when you look up, he's staring right at you. "So now that I think of it, Yoongi and I had nothing like we do." He says.

"H..how so?" You ask, slightly intimidated.

"Because I don't just want to explore and leave you be after this week." Jungkook says. "I hope you know that I'm aiming for something entirely different here."

"For what?" You wonder, and he leans back, crossing his arms, grill in between you both sizzling loudly.

"Your trust." He shrugs. "Your love." He offers.

"What if I can't love the same as you do?" You say, a little defeated. You know Jungkook likes you- it's no secret. And you know he knows that you like him too- because it's no secret either.

"Then we'll search until we find what works." He responds.

"But-" You start, but he reaches out instead, a warm hand over yours cutting you off in midst of your sentence as he speaks to you, voice just as warm as his skin.

"I won't give up without trying first." He tells you. "And neither should you."

◇━━━━━━━━━━X♡X♡━━━━━━━━━━━◇

"Why here?" You ask, as he adjusts the couch into a makeshift bed for the time being. You'll be staying the entire week with him, and you'd agreed to that, because you've stayed over a lot of times before. Jungkook's apartment is nothing new- it's familiar, like a second home, warm and comforting.

"Because my bedroom is too intimidating-" He starts, tucking in a bedsheet in the corners of the couch. "-and I don't want to ruin your own with memories that might be unpleasant." Jungkook offers.

"Oh." you simply say, unsure. You've not yet thought about the possibility of him doing something you.. don't like. What happens then? Will you have to leave, or will the week end before it's even begun? Will it make things awkward, and weird?

"Hey." Jungkook calls out softly, holding out a hand. You look at him confused. "The blanket?" He asks, and you remember now that you're holding one for yourself to sleep under tonight, giving it to him. He puts it in a corner for now, same with the pillows, before he pats the couch for you to join him on. "Are you scared?" He asks, and you shake your head- albeit a little unsure.

"Just.. nervous." You say. "It'll be weird."

"Maybe." He admits. "A lot of things are weird first time. Nothing wrong about that." He shrugs.

You sit down on the makeshift bed next to him, when he chuckles, and brushes your hair over your shoulder. "I'll go shower real quick, alright? You just get yourself comfortable." He tells you, and you nod, watching him as he leaves to walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

It's clear that he's taking his time in there, because even after an hour, he's not yet returned. Or maybe longer? You're not sure, because you know you've somewhat dozed off on the bed when you feel his hand on your shoulder, simple strap top giving him access to a lot of bare skin there. He smells nice, and when you reach out, his skin is warm.

Wait- skin?

The moment you open your eyes you're greeted with his bare legs- he's only really dressed in some… dark grey, very form-fitting Calvin Klein's that pretty much hide almost nothing, really. It makes you sit up suddenly, body having to take a moment for a second after the rather sudden movement, a chuckle heard from Jungkook who seems entirely unbothered by his almost-nudity. "Sorry I took a bit longer. I had to get some stuff." He explains, sitting up properly himself.

"Why- why are you naked?" You ask, unsure where to look. In his opinion, you're so.. adorably shy just from the mere sight of his bare skin that it makes his inner desire stir a little. The fact that he's gonna be the one to really help you discover some of your hidden fantasies gives him chills- the good kind, of course.

He can't wait for what you might be hiding.

"I'm technically not." He raises his brows playfully, before crossing his arms- noticing the way your eyes focus on them for a good moment. "And considering why you're here, you'll soon have to get undressed too." He shrugs.

"Oh.." You hum yet again today, looking down on your body. You didn't really think about that. Compared to his toned body, you're.. an embarrassment.

"A body is just a body." He tells you. "I know you don't like yours, but I promise you it doesn't look the same to me as it does to you." He reassures you.

"Do I have to.. like.." You mumble, and he understands.

"You don't have to do anything." He promises. "We can just forget about this whole thing-"

"No!" You deny, shaking your head immediately. You do want this. You do want him to.. love you the way he does love others. Or maybe you want to somehow make him love you in a more.. special way. You're not sure- you don't really know what exactly you want right now, but you do know that you trust him.

You trust him.

"I trust you." You say out loud, grabbing the hem of your shirt- when he reaches out.

"..can I?" He wonders, and you nod, raising your arms without thinking so he can easily pull the item of clothing over your head. It's cute, the way you already feed into his own interests and kinks, without even knowing- and is that a piercing decorating your belly button? "Good girl." He purrs, lifting your shirt over your head, before slip out of your leggings, sitting back down. His hands move around your back slowly, fingers easily finding the clasp of your bra to undo it, letting the piece of underwear fall down easily from your shoulders and into your lap. "Hey-" Jungkook says, and you look up at him. "-you're fine." He smiles, and you nod.

You're fine.

"You can keep on the rest." He says, referring to your panties. At least you chose some cute ones, you think to yourself a bit relieved, as you nod. "I know you said you can't imagine it-" He starts, grabbing some pale pink and rather… delicate looking rope from the side. "But I'd like to try it, still." He asks, and you nod. "I won't restrain you this time. I'll only show you what it feels like, so you can decide for yourself if you enjoy the sensation or not." He says, and again, you only quietly nod. "But before that.. we have to address this first." He chuckles, looking at you. "I need.. verbal responses from you. Not just somewhat of an answer."

"Like.. do I need to call you sir, or something?" You ask, and he smirks.

"If you want to, you can." He smiles. "But you don't have to. A simple yes or no works just fine for me. And-" He adds on, undoing the neatly folded nylon rope in his hands as he speaks. "-We need a safeword."

"A safeword?" You repeat, and he nods.

"Something other than stop or no that you say to end a scene and get you out of whatever position you might be in." He explains. "Preferably something odd, that you wouldn't normally say during sex, so it won't be used by accident."

"So like.. Tiger?" You ask, not really thinking about it, and he nods.

"Tiger it is." He agrees, tapping your folded knees. "Turn around for me, yeah?"

"Yes." You say, moving to sit in front of him, making him chuckle.

"Cute." He comments under his breath, before he positions the rope right under your chest. "Tell me.. what do you usually do?" He wonders, and you don't answer for a moment.

"Like.. when I do it myself?" You ask, and he hums an agreeing reply.

"Yes. I'd like to know." He tells you. "So I'll have somewhat of an.. idea what is safe and comfortable for you." He explains his reasons, while he moves and adjusts the pale pink rope around your torso. You've almost instinctively moves your hands to hold onto your neck so your arms are out of the way, and he can't help but grin about that.

So much to 'I can't see myself enjoying that'.

"Uhm.. I don't know-" You begin, unsure how to really talk about that. "I have like.. toys, n' stuff, and I usually do it in the bathroom cause I get the bed dirty otherwise.." You explain.

"Toys?" He asks, pulling the rope snug in some places- and while it's tight, it doesn't bother you at all, surprisingly. You understand when he said that some people feel some sense of security from it- it feels actually quite nice, even the knots you can feel dig a bit harsher into your skin.

"Yeah like.." You take a deep breath, somewhat to test if that's still a possibility- and you can, while his fingers seem to adjust some knots in the back. "..a normal… dildo." You cringe at saying it out loud, moving on quickly. "And a vibrating.. thing. I don't use anything else." You admit, and he chuckles, as he taps your butt.

"Sit up for a second." He commands, and you do so, letting him guide the two ends of the rope in between your legs before he helps you sit down again. "So other than that, I guess you just use your hand, am I right?" He assumes, and you nod.

"Yes." You add on quickly, squirming a bit at the sensation of the rope between your legs. You have to control yourself. It's clear that he said he doesn't want sex- yet.

"You're free to get.. turned on, by the way." He tells you, teasingly pulling on the ends that run through your legs as if to underline his statement. "After all, this is about you."

"But-" You complain weakly, trying not to move to much. "-What about you?" You ask, and he shrugs, something you cannot see.

"I'm getting my satisfaction, don't worry." He explains. You're not sure how that would work- but you don't question it either. Say.." He starts, tapping your elbows. "How do you feel, right now?"

"Good." You nod to yourself. "It's.. surprisingly comfortable. It feels nice." You say.

"It looks nice, too." he offers, hands moving over your skin, causing goosebumps to erupt on your skin. "Very pretty." He praises, and you decide you don't care if he's just speaking about his work- you take this praise for yourself, using it to fuel your own emotional state in this moment. He runs his hands over your arms that are now comfortably down, hands holding yours for a second. "Let yourself go." He chuckles. "You're still tense."

"I can't help it.." You complain weakly, unsure what to do. It does feel nice, you want to move- but in a way, it's not quite right yet.

"Then maybe I can help.." He offers, hands testing the waters it seems like as they run over your thighs, just touching, nothing else. "Would you want that?" He asks, and you nod, eyes closed. "Words, darling." He demands, face close to yours while his fingers suddenly dig into your skin, gentle punishment for not following what he'd told you to do at the beginning.

"Yes.!" You almost gasp out, when one of his hands moves to grab onto the back of the artistically tied harness, pulling you, arching your back for you as he forces you to rest your upper body against his arm. You can practically feel the way your underwear soaks up your arousal, rope suddenly moving a lot more easily with the help of it between your legs.

"Show me how your hips can move." He hums into your ear, and what should feel weird comes naturally. Like in a trance you follow his words, let yourself fall because he's basically seeing all of you right now anyways- and he's seen much more before, so how bad can it really be? You trust him.

You trust him.

You can hear his breathing right next to your ear, and your hand starts to wander- before it stops. "Can-" You begin, swallowing down before you can continue. "can I touch you?" You ask, unsure if the same rules that apply to you apply to him as well. It's only fair if they do, right? It's only fair to ask him for permission, right?

"Yes." He answers, and with that, your hand blindly searches- finds his knee, moves up his thigh, warm skin underneath your rather cold fingertips earning a change in the pace at which he's breathing in. You hold onto his leg for a moment, feel the muscles move underneath the skin for a good while, as you become more and more desperate for a release of any sorts. You want to touch him too, but you don't know how- so you just leave your hand where it is, not moving any further.

His head, meanwhile, leans down into the crook of your neck, placing soft kisses there, while the hand that's not holding onto your harness moves over your chest, grabs onto the soft flesh with almost rough motions. You can only imagine the sight of his inked hand holding strongly onto your skin, thumb running over your nipple as your breathing hitches, legs moving in any way you can imagine to adjust your position.

But it's not enough.

Only when his hand sneaks between your underwear, the rope and your skin do you finally make any progress, breathing heavier as his fingers seem to play around with you just the way you like it. And it doesn't take long for you to come undone, back arching more, eyes clenching shut as he helps you ride it out for as long as you can.

You notice after a moment or two how he has already begun to untie you- and in a way, you're confused.

"What're you doing?" You slur a bit exhausted, surprised yourself how much energy this seemed to have taken out of you.

"Untying you." He chuckles, continuing to undo all the knots while he holds you close to him.

"Yeah but.." You mumble, moving a bit so he can reach your back better. "What about you?" You ask, and he shakes his head.

"This isn't about me." He declines. "And I've had my fun, don't worry about me." He reassures, gently pulling out the rope from between your legs, making you cringe as you feel how wet you are down there. "There we go." He softly hums, running his palms over the red skin where the rope has left it's mark here and there. It doesn't hurt- though you do have to admit that your back and neck are kind of sore now. "How do you feel?" He asks, and you shrug- hissing when it stings.

"I think I pulled something, dunno.." You say, sitting up as he rolls up the rope again, setting it aside, before he helps you sit properly for a moment. "I'll go wash up.. sorry for the uhm.. sheets.." You mumble as you see the damp spot where you've sat on.

"No problem." He shakes his head, getting up as well to help you up. It's only when you enter the bathroom and Jungkook is still behind you that you suddenly question what's going to happen next. "What?" He chuckles, amused.

"Uh.. I need to.." You struggle, unsure how to tell him what you want to say. "I wanna shower?" You question almost, and he laughs.

"I know." He confirms. "And I wanna make sure you're fine." He tells you, and you look at him confused. "You might feel fine right now- but once that adrenaline goes down-" He tells you, a finger gently tapping your collarbone. "-you might not be."

But you cross your arms, stubborn as you are. "I'm fine." You tell him, and he smirks suspiciously, looking at you with his arms now crossed as well. "You said a no means no and I'm saying no right now." You huff, and he reacts at that-

though not in the way you thought he would.

Because he simply nods, uncrosses his arms, and sets some towels out for you to use. "Don't worry about running around naked, I'm not bothered." He simply snickers, before he leaves you alone, a moment of silence soon interrupted by him moving around in the living room, presumably changing the sheet over the couch. You slowly take off your pretty soiled panties, putting them in the hamper to wash before you get into the shower to clean up.

And much to your own dismay, Jungkook seems to be right, because suddenly, as the water runs over your skin and you're almost done cleaning up, you're not fine anymore.

Dark, rather upsetting thoughts suddenly grow inside your head, making you feel not shame- but something almost like regret. You should have insisted to do something for him, right? Maybe he wanted to shower with you because he felt like you were abandoning him.. just because he is a guy, doesn't mean that he's without any feelings. Did you upset him? He probably won't tell you even if he did.

A knock on the bathroom door is heard, and you're busy trying to pull yourself together, when Jungkook's still bare arm reaches out to turn off the shower, before he wraps a towel around you. Quietly he dries your hair with a towel before he leads you to your makeshift bed, now with new sheets, where you sit in silence until he returns with brush and hairdryer. Everything goes by in a blur, until you feel Jungkook's hands on your shoulders, his legs next to yours as he holds you close to himself.

You're waiting for the 'I told you so'.

But he doesn't say it.

Instead, he simply silently sleeps on the couch with you, letting you cling onto him throughout the small nap you take in the middle of the day as much as you want.

◇━━━━━━━━━━X♡X♡━━━━━━━━━━━◇

A few hours later, when you wake up, things are.. weird. Just like you feared.

Jungkook is still sleeping heavily, right behind you with you laying on one of his outstretched arms, biceps serving as a surprisingly comfortable headrest. He smells nice, his body is warm, and he looks relaxed as he still slumbers away.

And yet, you feel odd.

He just quietly took care of you after.. what you did a few hours ago, but you don't understand why you actually felt that way. You know that it was irrational of you- nothing had happened, everything was fine, you made a decision that you felt most comfortable in. So why were you so distraught over it later?

Well, he told you that you might end up like that. You just didn't listen.

He slowly stirs behind you, waking up as he watches you already sitting on the couch, wide awake. He's careful but not overly cautious as he slowly gets up as well, simply observing for a minute or two before he decides to speak up.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, and you shrug. You're not sure. You don't know it yourself.

"I don't know." You answer because of that, because you can't give him anything than that.

"Hm, I can imagine." He hums simply, running a hand through his chaotic bedhair. "I knew you'd drop, but I also knew.. you had to experience it yourself." He shrugs, watching you with still sleepy eyes.

"Drop?" You wonder, and he nods leaning back on his hands.

"Think of it as.." he thinks for a good example, "when people go to concerts. And they end up crying afterwards. It's the same principle, at its core." He says, and only now, as you turn to face him, do you realize you're only wearing panties- just like he's only wearing his boxers, making you snatch up the blanket to cover yourself. You earn nothing but a chuckle from him. "What we did together gave you a rush. And without any aftercare, people crash down from it." He explains softly.

"So that's why.. you wanted to shower with me?" You ask. "Aftercare?" You wonder, and he nods.

"Its important. For everyone involved, not just the.. one receiving it." He offers.

"Were you.. upset?" You ask, and he shrugs his shoulders.

"A little." He honestly replies, and you're thankful for that. It only adds to your reasons to trust him.

"I'm sorry." You say, pulling the blanket a bit closer. "I didn't know."

"Now you do." He simply chuckles, a hand on your back as he gets up, and walks into the bathroom, getting some things you assume before he emerges again. He's still almost naked as he walks back to you, smiling in a friendly manner as he sets down a towel, and tells you to lay down on your stomach on it. You do as told- determined not to push him away this time.

He notices that change in your behavior almost immediately- and he can't help but feel excited about it.

You're swaying your legs a little as you watch him light a candle close by, setting it on a table for now before he leans back and watches you it seems like. You realize it's one of those he'd received in that package earlier today- and you're curious. "What're you doing with that?" You ask, chin on your arms.

"I'll.. let some of the wax drop onto your skin." He says, chuckles when you tense up. "Dont worry. They're body safe, very low melting point. I'm only using things I believe you can handle." He offers, when you feel something drop onto your back- right between your shoulder blades.

True. It's hot- but not unpleasantly so. Maybe like the warmth of a cup of tea maybe.

"After all…" he hums, one more drop under the last falling down. "…You're not only getting to know me.." he continues, voice almost.. sensual as he speaks, another two drops falling in quick sucession of one another onto your skin, straight on your spine. "…but I'm getting to know you, too." He tells you with amusement, free hand softly running over your back. "Your body is talking to me a lot more openly than you do, darling.." he purrs teasingly, and only now do you notice how dark it is in his apartment. How long did you two sleep? It must be almost nighttime by now- led lights and flame from the candle illuminating the room enough to see comfortably, while he runs his fingers over your skin, another set of drops falling down the length of your spine.

It's almost agonizing how slow this all is. Frustrating, even. But you try and stay composed, maybe that'll earn you praise?

It's only when he sets the candle aside, and starts to dig the heels of his palms into your muscles that you sigh out in pleasure, feeling how your sore neck and back relax. Of course he'd know everything about massages. Sometimes, you're convinced he knows everything.

It feels childish to think like that, but sometimes, you've caught yourself looking at Jungkook as if he's the answer to all your problems. As if he can just pick you up and whisk you off your feet, hold you close and fight all monsters like a knight in shining armor ripped straight out of cheesy romance novels. He makes you feel like that, at least. And maybe it's time to let him prove if he can be prince charming.

"There we go." He praises suddenly, hands still moving as he sits behind you, legs pulled over his thighs while he continues to push out the knots in your neck and shoulders. "Let yourself go." He mumbles to you, as if he's hypnotizing you. If he does, it's working, weirdly enough. "I'll take over from here, hm?" He asks, no, states, and you simply sigh, closing your eyes.

"Yes." Is your answer, and you can't see the way his lips twitch.

His arms push your legs closer to him, manhandles you gently to have your core right over what you assume must be his own length, barely contained in his underwear. You wonder what he looks like. You've been told you can't take much- how will he make it work? He feels strong, big- maybe too much to handle. But you want to learn, maybe there's a way. You want to take him, even if it hurts. You've never felt like that before- it had never been something.. attractive to you. But you want him to make you take it. You trust that he will, now that you think about it.

You don't even question if he will. You know he will- the anticipation lays in how.

Are you already realizing it? What you could have with him? Probably- maybe. Or maybe it's just the way his bulge feels pressed against your core that's making you dizzy in the head. Yeah. That could be it, too. The way it's hot and hard, giving you nothing but a teaser of what he's got hidden away from you. How cruel he is. You want to see him.

"So needy.." he hums, chuckles, as his hands move with the help of the oil from the candle, fingers sliding easily down your back, to find their way around your waist to hold you. "Poor thing.." he mumbles towards you, grabs a bit more harshly at your flesh as if to test, and you want to whine-

But you swallow it down, making Jungkook tilt his head a bit with a smirk.

Not quite there yet, he thinks to himself. But I've got six more days to go to make you mine.

"Tell me what you're thinking." He asks- demands, because there's no question about this sentence you notice. It makes your spine tingle, a sudden urge to please and voice out your thoughts boiling up in your throat, as you let out a breath first and foremost, and he can't help but be affected by it, length in his underwear twitching impatiently at the sight of you so lost in pleasure. Oh the things he'd love to do to you make him greedy almost, mind coming up with scenario after scenario he'd love to see you in.

How long could he edge you until you'd cry and beg for him to let you have your release? Or how often could he make you cum until your body would give up?

How far would you go to please him?

Would you let him hunt you down like nothing but prey, just to feast on you, sex all bite and scratch and nothing but primal urges needing to be satiated? Or maybe you'd rather play his pretty little pet, loyal at his feet, patiently awaiting his command?

There's so many ways he can think of to corrupt you.

And he wants to try them all.

"You-" you answer his earlier question, hiding your face in your arms as you move your hips, grinding over his crotch on the hunt for your release. He'll be easy on you today, won't tell you no, will let you have it if you so desire. "I'm.. thinking-" you stutter a bit muffled into your arms, "-of you..!" you press out, and he can't help his smile from forming as he leans back his body, pulls you a little more roughly over his groin, unable to hide his growl as you become more and more shameless, moving erratically to gain any form of friction from him.

"Good." he sighs out as an answer to you, hands grabbing at your bottom, the urge to hit the soft flesh at least once agonizing- but he controls himself, holds back, just as to not overwhelm you too much at once. Instead, he presses you down, helps the movements of your lower body, earns a whimper as payment for it, and he can't help but be affected by it as well. "The only thing you're allowed to think of is me, understood?" he tests out, and much to his delight, you nod.

"yes-!" it feels like you almost want to say something else- and he wonders what your choice would've been, but he doesn't pry. He's got enough time to find out about it soon, after all- and he can be surprisingly patient, especially when it comes to things he's passionate about.

And god, is he passionate about you.

Suddenly, he wants to know. Wants to test you, despite his earlier choice of wanting to take is soft and slow- as his hands reach out, arms hooking underneath your thighs, suddenly lifting you up, leaving you with nothing before he turns you around onto your back, hands on your hips pressing down, preventing any movement. "Please-!" you beg, and he watches in interest how you struggle against him.

"Please, what?" he asks, acting nonchalant. "What do you want?" he wonders as if he doesn't know, and you look at him like you're searching for something, or maybe you're just collecting courage. For what, he doesn't know- yet.

"Please- let me.. cum.." you try, but it's not quite right for him. You also don't seem uncomfortable with the situation- you seem more like you're holding back, like you're unsure, hesitant.

"Hm, that won't do."he shakes his head, leaning further away, though his hold on you still keeps you still. "Try again." he tells you, and you close your eyes, like you're bracing yourself.

"Please let me cum!" You repeat, though this time with a lot more confidence, and he grins at that, one of his hands taking the front of your panties into it, before he pulls it up, fabric slipping between your lower lips, already drenched in your arousal.

"Go ahead then." he tells you. "Give me a good show, yeah?" he almost sings, and you immediately move, frantically so, hips rolling in desperation as he watches, muscles in your thighs stuttering especially when he helps you assist, pushing you towards your orgasm a lot faster than you anticipated.

It leaves you gasping for air, hips stuttering as you try and catch your breath, core clenching around nothing for a good while. The moment you open your eyes you're greeted with the sight of someone more akin to a demon, a predator, Eden's sin recreated as a human person- the sweat on his skin making him look as if he's glowing, eyes sharp and pupils blown wide, one hand carefully running over your thigh while he other is on his-

oh.

Oh..

There's a clear and surprisingly big stain on his dark grey Calvin Klein's, and you turn red as you realize what that must be. It gives you an odd boost of confidence, knowing that the sigh of you had done that to him- had helped him get to this point, even if just a little. It still counts, you still take it- as he smiles, and leans down to gently kiss your cheek.

"Good girl." he praises quietly, and this time you don't mask your whimper of pleasure, this one of different nature as you bathe in the praise clearly directed at you, you, and only you.

You feel drunk.

But this time, you happily let him move you around, pick you up and carry you into the bathroom, where he helps you step out of your underwear, your state leaving no room to feel shy about your nudity in front of him it seems like. He's used to it- it's nothing new to witness, but considering it's you in this state, he's even more gentle than he would usually be in a situation like this. how can he be with anyone else after you?

He doesn't know. And for now, he won't think of that.

All he knows is that underneath the shower, and later on on the couch where you'll sleep for the entirety of the week, he's got you.

And he'll do his best to keep you at his side forever.

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

10. What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

Needless I went off the rails with this one! LMAO

This became an excuse to draw Celarthur/Merthur content in different scenarios & and outfits. And I had too much fun with the designs of each one.

Sun King & Moon Queen AU:

Basically, I was watching Lego Monkey Kid and this happened! I really wanted to do something that really got the essence of the show. If you watch the show you can really tell I kinda (or a lot) based it around the Lady Bone Demon & Sun Wukong. And of course some classic Chinese folklore...

It is a total rom-com scenario, with the Moon Queen betrothed to the Sun King... they but heads at first then slowly but surely fall in love.

Sleeping Beauty/ Fairy Tale AU:

This one was really made for young Sir Arthur & Celestine... I couldn't help it guys it was such a classic movie. Malfience icon (she's definitely be Morgan in this Au).

Especially when I was looking for dancing references I kept looking at the sleeping beauty reference dance sequence the most. (for a project to be revealed later still a secret) So I had to give a shoutout to that of course, love how it turned out!

Super Paper Mario Au:

I think this one is my favorite one I always got emotional for Count Bleck & Tippi's backstory. Their love story is quite similar to theirs....they just fit the characters so well.

In all honesty, if Sir Arthur didn't have Meta to ground him... then he definitely would have become like "Count Bleck." Oh but just like Tippi Celestine would still love and forgive Arthur anyways.

~

And here is an Au relevant to the plot of KBASW... I did wanna draw out more scenarios relevant to the plot of KBASW but then they kept leaking out to spoiler-ish territory.

Next Scenario Happy Ending Route. (Basically, Celestine & Arthur are running the GSA and this is a daily occurrence~)

They still have to wait for...(Kirby is lost for a while and is found by Meta and of course baby imprints on him and he's still Meta's) They become this obnoxiously flirty-loving couple... MK's seen this since he was a kid so he's desensitized. They do get work done I promise ~ (LMAO)

@kirbyoctournament

Keep reading for spoiler content/ Special thanks

~

This is where Celestine finds a cure for her " broken warp star" situation. They basically gave Gala the same isolation treatment (because he was supposed to be the galaxy's savior~). But Celty (secretly visits him as often as she can to ensure he isn't lonely.

After this time Celestine finds Meta in the Fountain of Dreams (before anyone could find him). The Ancients were so preoccupied with Gala that they weren't even montioring the fountain.

Basically, no one knew that Meta Knight was born but Celestine & Arthur. He's raised in secret at the temple. (They make a cute little family together ~) And Celestine would set up secret little play dates for the both of them.

A few years passed and then BOOM!

They manage to catch Icarus in his crimes for "forcibly creating another astral from Void." (Kirby was always going to be made but he came out too early due to Icarus' involvement.)

Morpho still takes his life but they manage to trace it back to Uther... The people are now questioning the Acients in their decisions and soon fall out of power due to the controversy. To save face they crystalize Sir Uther... (HA) but that doesn't help them at all~

It was during this time that Celestine properly revealed herself as Merlyn... WHAT!? Another blunder blew up in their faces...and the people immediately began to rally behind her. The popularity of her good deeds as Merlyn is what gets her into the seat of power.

Leaving Celestine in charge of the GSA (finally left in the right hands!) And of course, she takes Arthur with her as her right-hand man and well I think the GSA would become more of a light-hearted place after that.

(Morgan leaves, she doesn't fit into this hippie-dippy-happy place but she's not evil per se... she kinda just travels around as she pleases and she does find her happiness being a wanderer.)

Nightmare is still a problem but Nightmare Enterprise is never created, so it's not as widespread. So it's managed and the galaxy is thriving under Celestine's control. And of course, Arthur & Celestine confess their feeling for each other yada yada yada....

And of course, Kirby defeats Nightmare and that's it~

Despite this happy ending Meta Knight never meets Jecra & Garlude as a result of this. Along with Kirby never going to Dreamland or meeting everyone; Fumu, the cappies, no nothing. And the need for Star Allies no longer exists.

~

More content on these two to come and guys let me know which Au scenario you like more (reblog, leave a comment... maybe I'll expand on it more fun content to come)

I also wanted to thank everyone for getting me through round two I hope you all continue the support for next week's voting poll ROUND THREE!

Thank you for riding this wave with me!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

@lulu-chaos-incarnation I just also wanted to thank you for being such a loyal fan. I really appreciate you I know I went a little crazy on the AUs but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! :D

[prettypei]

plot: them with a popular! chubby! fem! s/o; fluff!

reader: chubby! popular! fem! Reader

characters: yuuta, maki

warnings: mentions of fatshaming/homophobia, reader is sassy, mild spoilers for culling game arc (?, spoilers for jjk s2, use of Japanese honorifics, reader and maki are both lesbian in maki's part, a creep in maki's part

a/n: littleeeee bit of a self-insert... I jus wanted 2 write a lil sth LOL, yuuta is 2nd year btw

YUUTA

a little backstory on the reader!! ok soso reader is a 2nd year who's the closest with the first years and in this au you're really close to yuji...you currently maintain a long-distance relationship with yuuta! (let's pretend culling games didn't happen lol)

so let's rewind to the episode where the slice of life is happening (aka the "yuji bf material" ep ACK)

it was just supposed to be the first years but you were in the area too cuz you had just finished a mission, and yuji REALLLYYYY wanted to watch Earthworm Man 4... so you reluctantly agreed to go with them

(ps the first years kinda have a crush on you,, like idolizing ykwim)

so the four of you finished the movie when you recieved a call from your bf

so you talk blah blah blah and you're like "wait, isn't it like 3 am in Africa?" and he replies with a nervous chuckle and a "well,, guess where I am now?" and you literally scream into the phone... okie the fic is down below!!

"You're WHAT?" You screamed into the phone. "(name)-senpai, please shut up." Megumi deadpanned. "sorry, megumi. BABE, YOU'RE WHAT?" "Babe?" The three underclassmen shared a confused look. "Wait, you're here? Like in front of the movie theater? I don't see-WAITHOLYSHITISTHATYOU-" The three of them turned heads to see the direction you were waving in. "(name)!" Yuuta yelled excitedly. "O-okkotsu-senpai!" Megumi said with a surprised look on his face. "Who's he?" Nobara whispered to you, giving yuuta a weird look. "Show some respect." Megumi hisses while glaring at Nobara. "Ah, it's fine!" Yuuta smiles at all of them. "I'm just here to visit my wonderful girfriend!" "Girlfriend?" The three underclassmen feign a shocked expression as Yuuta squishes your cheeks together. "(n-name) has a boyfriend?!" Yuji squeaks. "Don't forget honorifics, it's disrespectful!" Megumi scolds once again, but he's the most surprised one of them all. "I thought you were single!" Nobara pouted. "Well, I'm not. Y'all ain't got a chance with me anyways." You smirked while giving Yuuta a peck on the cheek, leaving him flustered. "Awww... but I wanted to ask (name)-senpai out..." Yuji mumbles. "What?" Suddenly the atmosphere became cold and dark, and yuuta was glaring at a certain someone. "I-I mean-I thought-" Yuji stammered. "Yuu, babe, let's go. Let's go watch Barbie!" You insisted, pulling on his sleeve. "Okay, sure!" Yuuta's entire face lightens up as you pull him into the cinema. "O-Okkotsu senpai sure is scary..."

MAKI

reader is a 2nd year in this too :3

soooo maki is really like NOT open at all about your personal life, it's not that she's embarrassed of you it's just because she doesn't want others to stress her out about marriage, vows... she just wants to live the present

but that doesn't mean that she doesn't wanna share you with her closest friends though! And she's going to... but she keeps forgetting.

so basically you, maki and nobara are having a girl's day out and some creep tries hitting on ya...yk what's gonna happen.

"What do you guys want?" Maki asked you while you guys were lining up for the crepe shop. "I think... strawberry?" "Ohhh I want a blueberry one!" "Okay, I'll line up. You guys can go sit on a bench and rest." "You and Nobara walk to the bench under the tree, chatting excitedly while Maki told the cashier your order. All of a sudden, Nobara stopped talking and narrowed her eyes as a young man walked over. "He-Hello miss?" He asked timidly after tapping your shoulder. "Uh, yeah?" You give him a confused look. "Do I know you?" "N-No... I just wanted to ask for you nu-number...m-mommy...?" He squeaked, fiddling with his hands. At this point, you were beyond disgusted. "What the actual fuck?" You snap. "Get the-fuck-away from me!" "I-I like being degraded..." He whimpers as you push him away from you. "C-Can I get your number...? Promise I'll call you mommy..." "I don't-" "SHHHKKK." A long blade was dug in the bark of the tree behind the man, with only a millimeter to spare. "H-Huh?!" His voice's an octave higher. "Don't you ever touch my girlfriend ever again, scum." Maki growled as she came back with two crepes in her hands. "I-I-I won't! I swear I won't-I'll-I'll never-" "Shut up, little shit." Maki grumbled as she put her hand in yours, the man stumbling away and crying at the same time. "You okay?" Maki asked you with a concerned look. You giggled in response and held her hand tighter. "Love ya."

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

If I were writing the show, I would make it so only Adrien and Felix were sentis, and the peacock miraculous broke from Emilie misusing it to create them. She created two beings at one time, outside of the traditional way sentis are made, without an amok, so she and Amelie could get pregnant. It doesn't make sense to me that the two of them were pregnant and have amoks for their children, since all other sentis were fully formed, and it would explain how the miraculous broke, which canon fails to answer.

If you have to keep the senti BS, then I think that's a good way to do it. It still blows my mind that canon really said, "Emilie and Gabriel had no idea that using the broken peacock would hurt her! They were so oblivious that they even gave it to Colt to use a second time! (And some random third person since Kagami exists.)"

I don't believe that nonsense for a second because the miraculous aren't just inanimate magical objects that people wield based on external training. They're magical objects that connect you to a magical creature who trains and guides you and that magical creature should know this shit!

The idea that the kwamis wouldn't warn them about the danger of using a broken miraculous only works if Nooroo wasn't around because Duusu was kinda out of it, so I could possibly buy that he wasn't able to warn them. But that fix would imply that Nooroo and Duusu were found at separate times which is nonsense. Why would Gabriel think to go back and look for another miraculous months or even years later? How would he even learn that he'd missed one? He basically had to know that there were two of them right from the start and - if he knew that there were two of them - then why would he grab them one at a time? It's not like archaeological digs or getting to Tibet are simple tasks! And how did they even learn about the miraculous or know where to look? Why use the peacock to make a senti and not the butterfly to heal infertility? I need answers!

This shit is why I'm so annoyed by the play. If you're going to give us backstory that doesn't move the plot forward, then give us backstory that explains all of the plot holes that you keep introducing!!! Don't waste my time with your completely unbelievable humble origins story. I don't love the movie, but it gets full credit for ignoring that nonsense and making Gabriel come from a wealthy family, too.

Anyway, back to the senti stuff.

If you go with the idea that creating real life broke the peacock and also do a variant where the amok was just a womb so the kids are real humans, then that would allow the peacock breaking idea to work without the pesky free will issue. You could also have one of the boys be a real human and the other be a senti. Maybe Adrien is a senti because Emilie didn't want to ruin her figure and Felix is real because Colt didn't care or vise versa with Colt wanting his wife to stay hott and Emilie wanting to experience the magic of childbirth. (I still can't believe that Emilie and Amilie were actually pregnant. If you're going to make a magic baby, then why not skip the life-threatening, body-destroying part?)

I also fully agree that Kagami being a senti only makes sense if they were going to do some big conspiracy plot with all the rich families being involved. Her being a random third senti without some major plot to back it up raises so many questions such as: how did Tomoe get involved with the Agrestes? Why did they break off contact and then reestablish it years later? Was the arranged marriage thing always the plan? If so, then why were Adrien and Kagami raised on different continents? Why did free spirited Emilie agree to this after seeing how unhappy her sister's marriage was? Why didn't Gabriel just use the ring to order Adrien to fall in love with Kagami? Was Adrien supposed to be programmed to love Kagami, but Marinette was similar enough to kick off the programing, making him imprint on the wrong girl? Was Kagami similarly programmed and that's why she latched onto Felix out of nowhere?

Hopefully it's obvious that those final two questions are jokes, but at the same time, I don't think I'd be shocked if they were somehow canon. They make about as much sense as everything else involved with the senti plot.

[wisecrackingeric-2]

Death Island Spoiler-Free Thoughts post!!!

I JUST finished seeing DI last night (In Aotearoa) and oh my GOD???????? It was S O G O O D????????? It ABSOLUTELY lived up to my expectations!!!!!!!! I’m gonna do a spoiler-free thoughts post first and then I’ll post my spoilers post!!!!!! And if anybody wants any clips of the movie I managed to sneak in, please just ask!!

Ok first off,,, holy FUCK that beginning was S O tense. My friend and I were gripping our seats the entire time and it takes place during a pretty important moment in RE history and I think people are gonna LOVE it

And the villains motivations????? His backstory???????? LITERALLY HEARTBREAKING. It’s ACTUALLY GENUIENLY COMPELLING AND INTERESTING. His backstory is all laid out in that beginning scene and dear GOD it’s SO SAD. I’m trying to keep it Spoiler-Free obviously but I will D I E on the hill that him and his “best friend” were actually gay lovers. You CANNOT convince me otherwise

He was also just genuinely pretty frightening of a villain. He has this one repeated ‘motion’ he does throughout the movie that really makes you tense up, and there’s this one scene with a doctor character that had my friend and I on the edge of our seats

Again, his motivations were actually interesting and made sense!!!!!! And him calling out the main gangs respective organisations (BSAA, DSO, Government, Terrasave, etc etc) for being hypocrites was actually a compelling argument!!!!!!!!! It actually made the characters think!!

I’m trying to word this as best as I can without giving any of the plot away, and @highball66 has talked about this in their posts too, but throughout the movie the main gang are called ‘Pawns’ or ‘The Governments Weapons’ repeatedly quite a lot, and it makes me wonder if that’s gonna come up as an important plot point in a future game or something???? It’s very interesting to think about coupled with the implications of their respective organisations being hypocrites

You’ll all be delighted to know there is SO MUCH shipping content in this movie my GOD. S O many good Chreon moments. So many good Valenfield (for both siblings) and Chamberfield moments (in fact, every scene Rebecca’s in, Claire’s in there too :)) Shippers will have a BLAST

Just as expected, Jill and Leon are the PERFECT duo. They’re SUCH GOOD BESTIES, they work off of each other repeatedly SO WELL. They’re constantly giving each other silly goofy one-liners and saying something sarcastic to make the other one laugh, it’s great

Also, I don’t think Leon has a single serious line in this movie HXNSHDNDHXN everytime he’s on screen he’s ALWAYS saying something goofy or silly or making a pun. It’s GREAT

Also, the characters traumas actually get explored in an interesting and compelling way!!!!!!!! ESPECIALLY Jills!!!! Which makes sense cuz the movies about her, but they all get their moments to talk about how X event effected them etc etc, unfortunately none of it really gets resolved but I’m assuming they’re saving that for a future game

Jill’s kinda does???? She has a Good-For-Her moment with the villain which is fantastic and her and Chris have a good heart to heart at the end

Also, Chris Redfield fans are gonna be delighted with his character exploration in this movie

LOTS of references to Re2 & 3. In fact a BIG plot point/ motivator of the movie all stems from RE2, so Raccoon City fans are gonna have a blast!!!!!

Also, HEAPS of old characters are either mentioned or do actually show up!!!!! Nobody that I think anyone would be screaming to be excited about, but still!!

Unfortunately, Rebecca does get the exact same treatment as she did in Vendetta, but like, in the opposite direction…… she dissapeares for basically the entire movie and randomly shows up to save the day. I can’t complain though cuz seeing her work together with everyone else was FANTASTIC

This truly did feel like the avengers endgame of the RE movies, but there were also PLENTY of hints and open ends to a sequel

Finally, this truly was JILLS movie. When I was told that Jill was gonna be the main character I wasn’t really convinced, but M A N she truly SLAYS in this film. She IS THE MOMENT. This is HER movie and it shows

Aside from Leon’s random goofy one liners, I think my favourite part of this movie was the villain. I WISH I could just spoil his motivations in this post because for resident evil standards they’re SO INTERESTING and AGAIN, his thoughts on the main gangs respective organisations leave a lot to think about when it comes to future instalments!!!!!

10/10 movie, would 10000000% recommend. Truly lives up to my standards. My only negative is that Rebecca was hardly in it for the middle half but that’s it. SO glad we FINALLY got to see everyone working together (Capcom, PLEASE put your characters together like this again!!!!!!)

Forgot to add this, but Jill is cannonically a Jurassic Park fan. In fact, the entire last half of the movie is just a giant Jurassic Park reference

And I can’t PROVE this, but,,,,,, I’m 90% sure there was a Mr Beast reference. You’ll know it when you see it

[alpaca-clouds]

Now I have Themberchaud brainworms

I am telling you guys, it really is getting bad with me and my chubby dragon pall. Because the more I learn about him, the more I find him interesting as a character. Especially given that so far DnD has not done a lot with him. I have not found a proper scan of Out of the Abyss, but from all I can gather he does not have tons of dialogue in there or does really show up as much of a character. (Correct me, if I am wrong.)

And I love the DnD movie. I do. But Themberchaud is not so much a character in it, as he is a joke and a force of nature. He does not talk, he just eats.

Basically, Themberchaud most of the times really boils down to: "Haha, dragon fat!" Meanwhile I am sitting there and think about how his fatness is part of the abuse he went through. And how that is such an interesting thing to work with.

It is kinda funny. While plotting Wishing Well, I talked with my roomie and a friend of mine, who both have gone through forms of abuse that also used food and access to food within the abuse. And they both got so invested in the story of Themberchaud. Or, to quote my roommate, after I told her the backstory: "Well, shit, now you made the funny scene sad."

I think there is in general a lot of fatphobia going around. And yeah, if you - like me - saw the movie without any background, you probably just looked at Themberchaud and went like: "So, Themberchaud is a voracious dragon." But the thing is that... he did not have a lot of choice in it, right? In fact, some people suggest, that the duergar fattened him up on purpose, so that he could not escape them or, for that matter, fight back as effectively. So, they controlled his food as a form of abuse.

And I mean if you are just sitting there in your hord without getting to do anything but light the forges, you might also start to eat out of boredom.

Not to mention that a ton of people develop eating disorders through abuse - in one direction or another.

Of course, I know that in general it is the truth that in a lot of fantasy media the dragons tend to be framed more as a force of nature. While they are intelligent and can speak, they are also rarely something that shows up as actual characters and more as obstacles to overcome or maybe some sort of questgivers.

I already kinda expect that once I go in there and write Themberchaud as a character with trauma, someone will come in and go: "Well, Chromatic Dragons are canonically evil, greedy and tyrannical." But let me argue again this: We have now agreed upon the fact that it actually is a bad things that before orcs or drow were considered as "evil" just because. So... Why should it be true for dragons?

I am not going to argue that actually Themberchaud is a nice guy. But I am going to argue that in fact he is bad because of abuse, rather than because he is a dragon. And that just like Astarion (who starts out BG3 as evil), he should get a chance to have a character development from there. :)

And yes, fuck. I really got invested in this dragon now. Like, fuck. I want to write this story now and then start a fucking spin-off about Themberchaud. Because he does deserve to heal from his trauma, too!

[putonmyfavoriteshow]

Life With Luca thoughts/reactions

WOW, I really enjoyed that way more than I expected to!

OK, so timeline wise the math isn't really mathing for me lmao. Like how do they both have 14 yr olds and Simon being in college already?? The show only ended in 2009/2010 which was 13/14 years ago?? What year is it in this universe??? They both had children the year they went off to college lmao??

But I'm happy to ignore logic since I actually enjoyed the newbies a lot.

I liked that Luca/Skylar weren't just a repeat Casey/Derek dynamic and weren't rivals who full on hated each other but just grew up differently and had some jealousy/hostility toward the other because of that, but actually were a lot sweeter together during more serious moments. I think their personalities perfectly reflected how they were raised - Luca is a bit of a rebel, but he's very much Casey's son, he's trained in First Aid! and has a granola bar in his pocket at all times, albeit stale AF, and takes care of his siblings even if he can be lazy about it sometimes. Skylar is more mature minded but she has the freedom of Derek's parenting so she's not nearly as high strung as Casey is, but she is more organized and put together to make up for Derek's lackadaisical way of living.

I LOVED SIMON!!! He was easily my favorite new character. I can't believe I went from forgetting he even existing to absolutely adoring him. He was so lovable and silly and he must have such a wild childhood being the Venturi-McDonald baby, I would love more backstory on him!

Molly/Kai were adorable and the perfect little chaotic kiddos to round out the ensemble :3

George/Nora - although I wasn't as invested in them, their relationship is so adorable and they're just as dorky and sweet as they were in the series.

The random jewelry heist B-plot was so random, but kinda funny. I'm down for some chaotic hijinx, and I love how it ended with that theif falling through the ceiling XD

The return of Lassiter and Sam were great. It would've been great to see any of the show regulars honestly but I'm glad we got some. I think the return of D-Rock really got me. When they started singing the song I had tears in my eyes. And Ralph as a surgeon was such a great way to explain his absense lmao.

I missed Edwin/Lizzie/Marti. I think that was my only real let down with the movie. They didn't need to be in the whole thing but even a video call would have been nice :/

Career-wise I'm glad they went with Derek as a rock star and Casey as a lawyer. Even though Derek was the hockey guy, seeing him roam around as a rock star with his daughter really just fits his vibe. And I'm so glad the movie course corrected VWD Casey because I was never a fan of her dropping out of college to dance in NY like ?? sure Casey loves to dance but she loves to use her big brain even more!!! Plus fighting for justice?? THAT'S SO CASEY DASEY!!! So it was taboo then, I feel like it's even more taboo now, but had you lived it you would get it! These two always had way too much tension and never quite fell into a sibling-like relationship. They were insanely obsessed with each other making everyone around them uncomfortable, so they were destined to be messed up soulmates <3 It may be an ick for some and that's valid, but for me they'll always be "the exception the the rule" ;) Also Ashley and Mike were always pushing the limit on them, they knew what they were doing! Ok, so now that that's out of the way, I knew that we weren't going to get canon Dasey out of this, but I'm so glad the writers delivered on giving us some great Dasey content regardless. The fact that both Skylar's mom and Casey's hockey husband were both entirely absent and no love interest was given was wise. We basically got to see Derek and Casey play house and be the married vibes that they are which is honestly what us hardcore LWD/Dasey fans want anyway. Mike & Ash didn't miss a beat! That was really Casey and Derek back on my screen and it made me really emotional <3 Maybe the movie didn't have a whole lot of just them, since their children were the focal point but the way it ended, it just made me want more and feel like we were being set up for ...possible canon Dasey? But even if not canon, I think that if the show does get picked up, we can get so much fun Dasey content from it to build from anyway (canon is overrated sometimes lbr) Plus I genuinely enjoy seeing Derek and Casey in parental roles so that would be awesome. And SIMON MORE SIMON PLEASE!!!! <3

[stormofbats4224]

Gonna be a grumpy old man for a minute, ignore if you want and take everything I say with a grain of salt, but DP&W has reminded me of my least favorite thing ab my boy Timber:

Why The Fuck Does He Look Like That.

When I say this, I’m talking mostly about his stupid copycat relationship with Wolverine, partly about his ever changing appearance compared to some of the other Legionnaires (not to say they don’t change, but most of the others feel like more subtle shifts then, idk, YOINKING HIS EARS, CROOKED NOSE, AND HAIR STRIPES ALL IN ONE FELL SWOOP), and the disappointing blankness of humanizing a character who’s backstory is one of being experimented on.

I mean this with all the love in my heart when I say that we don’t need another fucking Wolverine clone. Timber never should’ve been associated as one to begin with, especially considering he’s technically the original of the two (and by roughly 10 years, no less). Their stories are both exceptional in their own rights, and there was absolutely room to make characters that both filled the niche of “grumpy, animal-themed science experiment with claws” for their universes while still allowing them to flourish. And for Wolverine, that’s exactly what we’ve seen happen, a character set up to rise above his base and become this figurehead of franchise.

And then there’s Timber.

It genuinely feels like they have no fucking clue what to do with this man, and it kinda feels like he just flip flops around like an emo fish in the background sometimes. He gets his moments (The show comes to mind first, as does his and Phantom’s side plot in The Legion, and what I’ve seen out of Legion Lost so far) in the limelight, but other then that…where tf is he? Half the cast line ups, he’s near the back (fuck, he exists for half a second as a statue in both JLU and JL V. FF, and has, like, three lines in The Movie I Want To Burn) or off to the side, and every time it takes longer and longer to find him bc HE ALWAYS LOOKS DIFFERENT.

It’s like Where’s Waldo, but Waldo is bright orange and can shapeshift. Fucks sake, the man changes so often that I drew him with 9 canon versions and one of mine, and I STILL left out at MINIMUM 4 other iterations for one reason or another, not counting the newest version of him (the one that looks like pouty-lipped Hugh Jackman) bc it didn’t exist.

On one level, I get it, different stories and authors can warrant different appearances, and the Legion is kinda just one of those random IPs that most probably don’t care ab, but that argument falls apart when so many other secondary and tertiary DC characters don’t get fucking overhauled every three years on the whims of new writers and artists. Keeping something recognizable is a way to bring people back, and that doesn’t just go for emblems (which are also horribly inconsistent for the Legion and it Makes Me Want To Scream).

Back to the topic at hand though, squinting at a successful character and approximating their likeness a little to the left is not the way to do shit. The first time, you could argue it might’ve been the other way around, bc Timber’s first “Wolverine”-esque look debuted before Wolvy existed, and it stuck for a bit. And then they diverged from it, and things were beautiful. And then they went back. And split again. And now they’re back to basics with a man that is literally Hugh Jackman and Mark Wahlberg fused.

And Wolverine has stayed almost the exact same through that stretch, maybe with minor things like costume changes or aging.

It feels like the only times Timber gets something creative or sensical to his appearance is when he steps into the hot seat, and when he’s in the background, they just need a space filler that says “hey, I’m basically this guy, that’s all you need to know”.

Again, not something you would “need” if you kept everything at least semi-consistent.

Wrapping around to my least favorite part of all this shit, STOP MAKING TIMBER SO HUMANOID. Fuck’s sake, would it kill people to give him back his teef? Or his white streak (tho, looking at Jason, even that might be too much to ask)? Let this man’s past affect his design, I BEG of you. Show that he went through some fucked up shit instead of randomly blaming his asshole personality on said fucked up shit and la-Dee-da’ing away like you did something. Slap some not-so-human features on him besides easily hidden shit; fangs, ears, literally ANYTHING that makes someone think twice about assuming he’s just some dude.

If it sounds like I’m describing some specific versions, good, bc I am, and it’s Reboot Timber from the early 2000’s and Show Timber from later 2000’s.

These bitches had it ALL, the appearance, the act, everything was instantly recognizable, and almost entirely unconnected from his Marvel counterpart. You can glance at them and never once think ab Wolverine, while also piecing together why they’re called Timberwolf. They’re beautiful, just the right amount of scruffiness and non-humanity to convey backstory and general character, while still maintaining strong human aspects to help it all along (and make him consistently redrawable without needing to learn a whole other skeleton).

Anywhozzles, that’s my midnight brain spit from being hyped up on the high of DP&W, this is all the conclusion paragraph you get for reading through all that. Thanks and feel free to let me know your thoughts, I’m probably wrong about several things 🤷‍♂️

[whatyourusherthinks]

My Adventures With Superman Season Two Review

AND WE'RE BACK! If you don't know what we're doing here, than go read my Season One MAWS review, but I'm just gonna keep trucking along!

Season 2 Episode 1 'More Things in Heaven and Earth'

Interesting dream opening, and I like that Clark and Lois are still being cute. But hold the fuck up a second. Jimmy is in charge now? Him selling his YouTube channel to the Daily Planet made him one of the bosses there? Is this implying he's like a partial owner or something? ...Actually I'm okay with this. But why is everyone giving Clark shit for a "lame" date idea? Why do they care? This is why no one likes you Cat! And Jimmy, you were there in the first season and saw Clark way over plan his first date with Lois. And you gave him shit about it. So why are you doing the opposite now? Not only is this entire Valentine's Day plot just their for some no really funny jokes, but I'm more annoyed about that than the entirety of the Daily Planet staff being super investing in Clark and Lois's love life honestly. Jimmy was such a good wingman before! YOU CAN'T DISTRACT ME WITH A REFERENCE TO THE ORGINAL SUPERMAN MOVIE SHOW!

Oh hey the guy who becomes Cyborg Superman is in this episode. That will totally distract me from this weird opening. I do like that Jimmy tries to cheer Lex Luthor up, which he takes as inspiration to become evil. I'm gonna get more into it later, but they do a very interesting dichotomy. I like their version of Kryton in the show, it's another thing I'll get into later as the show reveals more about it. I'm bummed they aren't going to give Superman a Fortress of Solitude, it seems like something they were setting up in this episode, but I get why and I can't blame them for making this choice. I just think it would have been cool. Especially since Jor-El is super cool in this episode. Also, any guesses about who the "enemy" the could not defeat is? Given that those Kryptonian soldiers are killed by a laser that seemed to change directions, the Kirby-dot accents on said laser, and what the planet looks like from space, I think it's Darkseid/the New Gods. That would be hella dope. All the villains in this episode are kinda dumb. Slade has officially fallen into "goon" territory, and Damage... I'm pissed at what they did to Damage. Maybe if the show goes into his backstory in a later episode it could still make him work, but right now they took a antihero with an interesting and complicated relationship with both Superman and the US government and made him Big Punchy Bad Man.

Season 2 Episode 2 'Adventures With My Girlfriend'

Hey this opening is kinda cute, with Waller hyping herself up and bring General Lane cof- Hold the fuck up again, how does Ivo have the Parasite suit? Superman tore him out of the suit and they left the remains in the park, did Task Force X capture him again and stick give him the Parasite tech again? Even though last time he destroyed their base and Waller herself admitted he was going insane? Why would you not keep him out of the suit until you need him to be Parasite? He's not even restrained that well they just leave him in a cell! Ivo aside, this episode is the beginning of something that bothered me throughout the entire season. Lois and Clark spend the entire season needing to talk about various things, and the show just doesn't let them have a moment. It just makes for the most annoying kind of cheap drama. So do you hate the show now? What? No! I still love the characters and the writers know what they are doing with Superman himself. Case in point, this episode is basically Superman versus the Prison Industrial Complex. And it's great. There was more subtle social commentary in the last season, but they make it more in your face this season. Which I have absolutely no problem with. Break my nose with your ACAB propaganda Supes! Plus Lois and Clark are super cute while they are investigating together. I also had a little freak out when Atomic Skull showed up. Yes, he a random Task Force X goon with no set-up, but a) his backstory in the comics is sorta dumb so skipping it works for this character, and b) he just looks so damn cool! A creepy looking destructive force is all you kinda need from AS, so he's good. Also, I like Jimmy's subplot. The laugh Perry White give when Jimmy says the interns aren't aren't listening to him cleansed my soul, and I like that the Newskid Legion and Steve are trying to kill each other in the background. And is this first episode where Superman uses his super-breath? Cool. Also, FUCKING CALLED IT! EVERYONE DID! I DON'T CARE BUGGNUTZ I'M STILL SMART!

Season 2 Episode 3 'Fullmetal Scientist'

Oh HELL the fuck yes! This episode introduces STEEEEEEL~ And Cyborg's dad? That's a cool easter egg. But for real though, Steel is a super dope character and I am so glad they included him in the show, even if he looks dumb. This is what I mean when I say I don't mixing CGI and traditional 2D animation. That CGI mech body with the cartoon head sticking out looks completely ridiculous and makes all of Steel's motions look really weird too. I wish they gave him a mech suit like what Deathstroke has just with a more comic accurate look, or at least a helmet for this new one so he doesn't looks like an egg on a Gundam. I like John Henry Iron's design outside of the suit, I love that he's even bigger and broader than Clark is. I also love how Clark is a huge nerd about him too. And he's Flip's uncle? Okay, sure. I also like what they did with Metallo. It's vastly different to the comics, which is great. In my opinion, the only thing that Metallo has over, say, Cyborg Superman is the kryptonite heart thing, and even then it's not super interesting. Metallo instead being a bunch of drones which Lex improves their power cores with synthetic Kryptonite is a cooler idea. I wish they looked more different than the Task Force X or Kryptonian robots, but I like that they have laser-railguns. Railguns are awesome. I think the forcefield power Clark gets in this episode is cool. It's kinda in the comics, he has a bioelectric aura that just for hand-wavium for dinguses who are like "How can Superman lift a plane by it's nosecone without destroying the plane?" or "How can Superman's clothes stay intact when he's in an explosion?". But as far as I'm aware it's just something that's always on, he doesn't control it. But it's a power that makes sense for Superman to have. Way more than something like "Super Muscular Control".

Now for my problem with the episode: This episode that really made me mad about General Lane not realizing Clark is Superman. THEY'VE BEEN LIVING TOGETHER BETWEEN AND DURING THIS EPISODE AND THE LAST ONE HOW DID JIMMY FIGURE IT OUT AS SOON AS HE MET CLARK BUT A HEAD OF A BLACK OPS TEAM TRYING TO HUNT DOWN SUPERMAN DOESN'T. I wouldn't get so mad if the rest of his identity wasn't so reasonable. The only people who Clark interreacts with as both Superman and himself are Lois, Jimmy, his Parents, and General Lane. (Also I guess Ivo too, but a) they don't establish that he does know Superman's identity or not, and b) even if he doesn't know he's insane because of the Parasite suit so it's explained away that way.) And only the general doesn't know. HOW? I get that he sees Clark as a screw-up who doesn't deserve to date his daughter, but he's shown to be very smart, tactical, and always making plans. And you're telling me he would never even consider that Clark and Superman are the same person? HE VISITED THE KENT FARM AND A SPACESHIP RAISED UP FROM BENEATH THEIR CORNFIELD. Also, don't be surprised if a there is an episode next season where Clark is forced to interview/be in proximity to Lex Luthor and has to not give away his secret identity, only for either Lex to figure it out anyway or for Lex to completely dismiss Clark because he's too "wimpy". Given how the show has handled Clark's secret identity so far, I could see it going either way. But I think it would be way more interesting if Lex actually knows and plots to expose Clark as well as take him out.

Season 2 Episode 4 'Two Lanes Diverged'

THIS EPISODE MAKES ME WANT TO CRY! Not just because the first half of the episode is the sweetest friendship with Clark and Jimmy, not just because the darkest hour and the ending of this episode are gut wrenching, but also because we get Lois's backstory and it's so sad watching her try to connect to a guy who's such a dick AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH Alright, calm down Hayden Christensen. *Sniff sniff* You can't make me. Oh dude Toyman is in this episode! I mean barely and it's pretty much just an easter egg but his teddy bear exploded so I'm gonna count it. Why do you even like a guy called Toyman so much? He sounds lame. Gee, I don't know why'd I like a guy who's whole gimmick is Dr. Jekyll except he makes armies of killer robots- Wait. Wait. He's working on a tiny robot model of the Brain. Was he a member of Cadmus? Did he design the Brain's mechanical body!? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CONTINUITY?! Oh hey, this is the episode where they really establish Lex and Jimmy's relationship. Lex Luthor in this universe is like an evil opposite to Jimmy Olsen, and that's brilliant. I mean it totally make sense, right? Jimmy's Superman's Best Pal, and what's the opposite of a best friend? A worst enemy. I'm probably way over explaining this, but I like it a lot. I don't think these two characters have had a lot of crossover in the comics WRONG Read the 2019 run of Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen. Oh, uh... Sure, this seems right up my alley! (And I do remember one issue where it's revealed that Lex's biggest fear is being Jimmy Olsen, so there's that.) ANYWAY My point is that it's a cool angle to take these two characters and I hope they deepen it in future seasons. Also haha the show does another plot thread that sucked in BvS and works so much better here. Zack. I don't know if this is going to revealed as a lie, but Lex's motivation is really interesting. It's by no means unique to the show, but other stories usually spice it up with "he's jealous of Superman" or "he's cRaZy" and I don't really think he needs that. Paranoia is enough of a motive to plot murder. Also the fight at the end is dope as hell, I love that all the Star Labs gadgets they showed off earlier in the episode come into play and that metal backing track was awesome. I don't even have any nitpick for this episode. This is one's really good.

Season 2 Episode 5 'Most Eligible Superman'

On from the best episode of the season so far to the worst... But let's be positive first. This episode introduces Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl. And her and Jimmy are in love and have the cutest frickin' date and they are OTP! They better hook up for realsies next season I swear to Rao! Calm down, you're hyperventilating. Also, didn't know Wonder Woman has an enby villain. That's cool. So is the fight at the end. But the main plot of this episode is Clark having to pretend he's single so he doesn't accidently reveal his secret identity and also because Cat Grant is an idiot and Lois gets jealous because I guess Clark was supposed to violently reject this hot billionaire flirting with him while also pretending to be single and also because Cat Grant is an idiot. There's some funny moments I guess, but all this dumbassery is just to facilitate Clark and Lois breaking up at the end of the episode FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON. Roan Lois breaks up with Clark because she felt overwhelmed and her insecurities took over after her Father left in the previous episode and she felt not good enough for him. Not saying it was aa good reason, but that's why it happened. ...Okay fine, but the next time they see each other they pretty much hook back up, so what is even the point? It's just annoying because most of the time the characters act reasonably and this just feels so contrived and without purpose. Look at Perry's face in the opening after Cat bursts into his office. That is my reaction to this entire episode. Also, there is a bizarre continuity error. Hank Henshaw (the guy who becomes Cyborg Superman) said he had a wife in the first episode of the season so why is he one of Metropolis's most eligible bachelors? Bleh, I'm just gonna kick this one aside and move on.

Season 2 Episode 6 'The Machine Who Would Be Empire'

Okay okay, shake it off. Let's start with saying this is my favorite version of Supergirl I've seen in anything ever. Admittedly, I'm not a huge Supergirl fan to begin with. She's fine, but I've never read or seen anything that makes me go nuts for her. (Although I've heard the Tom King's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is really fucking good and I love his Miracle Man limited series. It's on my reading list.) But this Supergirl is amazing. Probably the smartest thing the show does is have the first episode with her super cute date with Jimmy, because it let's me overlook some of the mean stuff she does to Clark in this episode. But even then, you see her softer side. I like that she's really into exploring and seeing other planets, and I like that Clark immediately starts making fun of her when he finds out she has a crush on Jimmy. It's okay, she get him back. Their sibling dynamic is something we never get in the comics, and I love it. They're cousins. Whatever, get my meaning. I also like how Kara's a massive dumbass. Like it's not really her fault, she's been manipulated by Brainiac since she was born and part of that is he stunted her education, clearly. But the rest of the gang are pretty smart, both academically and emotionally, so it's a good a character who has no idea what she's doing. Ever. (And before anyone jumps up my ass, yes she obviously knows more about Krypton stuff than anyone else still alive, so she's not an idiot technically. But for like 90% of the plots this show has she'd be completely out of her depth.) And hey, speaking of Brainiac, I like what they did with him too. While it would have been cool if he did the bottling cities from the comics, but I still like his motivations. And him being Kryptonian is cool. I like the way he looks, his personality ("With ambitions so small they could fit inside a cradle"), and I like that he can possess Kryptonians. There's a cool symbiosis between Kryptonians and their technology as a whole, it's very transhumanist, I dig it. Also, I noticed Krytonians always have their powers, even on Krypton, for the first time in this episode. I kinda like that change actually. It makes sense with the ultra-conquering empire that they changed Krypton into, and it gives Kara an interesting argument for her perspective in the episode. Also, IS THAT A FUCKING GREEN LANTERN? A THANAGARIAN? A PARADEMON!? THEY LOOK FUCKING AWESOME!

Season 2 Episode 7 'Olsen's Eleven'

Oh hell yeah heist episode! And the Brain and Monsieur Mallah are back?! AND MALLAH HAS HIS BERET!?! This has gotta be the best episode of the season! Also, Livewire has a butch girlfriend now?

All seriousness, I love this episode. I love heist movies, my favorite characters are back, I thought the twist of the episode was great, the final fight was awesome too. This show makes the power of love cool. I feel like half the time "the Power of Love" just like brings someone's partner back from the dead or is a healing power, but I love it when a) the story shows that powerful love can be between anyone, not just romantic partners, and b) the power gives a character a strength boost or drives them to perform an insane feat of endurance. They do it a couple times this season, and they are usually the best moments of their episodes. I also like that Lois admits she was dumb in 'Most Eligible Superman', and I like Jimmy trying to prove he can solve most situations just by talking to someone. The backstory/explaining stuff montages are a cute extra animation style, but I don't care for the big-eyed expressions Livewire gets in some parts. You've already bitched about this in previous episodes. Yeah true, but if the show keeps doing it... Wait that nursing home has the name "Silver Age" that's hilarious. What was I talking about? How it makes no sense that Lois has the Kryptonite shard from the data ball. Oh yeah, how does she have that? It was in Clark's ship and I thought it got destroyed at the end of 'More Things in Heaven and Earth'. Didn't Task Force X get it? That's why they could make Kryptonite weapons and change the Metallos' power core. Okay, I had to go back and check, but Jimmy picked it up the shard and put it back in the ball at the end of the episode, but Slade still had some remnants on his sword that they must use to synthesize more. So not a plot hole.

Season 2 Episode 8 'The Death of Clark Kent'

Flash Bulletin! We got a name drop of the Black Mercy in this episode, which guarantees that Alan Moore absolutely has to hate this show. I, on the other hand, like this episode. Even though like the a quarter of the episode is basically clip show, and the way Kara says Kal-El was starting to grate on my nerves. But forget all that, 'cause JIMMY AND KARA ARE SITTING IN A TREE, WELL KARA'S PROBABLY FLO-OA-TING! Ow my ears, calm the fuck down dude. Shut up you don't have ears, you're a manifestation of my DID. Also, it's another kinda heist-y episode except instead of stealing something, they are rebooting Brainiac or something. Also Brainiac is really sassy in this episode and I like it. ("Now let's find your weakness. So I can kill you.") I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but I really like Brainiac's voice. The voice acting in the show as whole is alright, but the soft, lilting voice Michael Emerson gives him is perfect for the character. I like that Brainiac's plan is to mental break Clark so he can possess him, it's a perfect encapsulation of Clark's emotional journey and also there's an awesome Torquasm Rao refences with how he fends off Brainiac. (At least I think it's a Torquasm Rao reference. It could just be a "Power of Love" thing but it should be a easter egg.) I feel like he could have used memories of Ma and Pa to fight off Brainiac more easily. Eh... Could he have? He tried that with Kara and she easily shook his faith with them. Plus he's in his early twenties and is obsessed with Lois, she's probably the only thing on his mind like 65% of the time. And I super love the dark ending. Everyone on this website has already lost it over Possessed Superman, and yes his moob window is funny. But I actually like way Brainiac poses and moves while possessing Clark more than that. He's very regal, and every action seems calculated. Both Clark and Kara aren't uncoordinated at all, but Brainiac makes them both look like bumbling children. It's really creepy. And his speech at the end. Ugh his speech at the end. Not only is it the best worldbuilding information we get about Kryptonians, but that moment where he tells Kara he loves her right before smashing her into the floor is the best low point in the series.

Season 2 Episode 9 'Pierce the Heavens, Superman!'

Okay... So far the episodes with Superman's name in the titles have been the least good of all the episodes. Does 'Piece the Heavens, Superman!" keep the track record? Well it has a reference to Superman's pet Sun Eater from All Star superman in the first scene of the episode, so obviously it's the best episode so far, duh. I feel like your enjoyment of the show is too reliant on easter eggs and references to the source material. Didn't you knock Deadpool & Wolverine for the same thing? First off, use that title sparingly, I don't want to attract any unwanted guests. Secondly, both MAWS and D&W's use of easter eggs I think is symptomatic of the same thing, which is the writers understanding of the characters and the source material. Clearly both the writers of this show and that movie have done their research and understand what people like about both characters. The difference for me is that one is an pop culture icon representing the ideals of heroism and is a character everyone can and should look up to, and the other is a purposefully obnoxious meme that people like because they are stupid. Superman's the second one right? ...Yeah, now fuck off. But seriously, this episode is dope. I like time loops concepts, I like that Clark and Lois fall for each other all over again when they lose their memories of each other temporarily, and I absolutely love that when Lois realizes she can't be removed from the Black Mercy, she just becomes a pain in the ass for Brainiac. The B-Plot is awesome too. I love that the Daily Planet immediately formulates a plan to rescue Jimmy and Lois after they get arrested, and I love Steve's pep talk for Kara. Y'know, I take back what I said in the last post. I like this Steve Lombard. (Cat still sucks though.) And the end of this episode is probably the coolest "Power of Love" moment, not even just from this show but for anything I've ever seen. Sure, it's a little cheesy, but I am not gonna hate a couple in love working together to overpower a seemingly impossible challenge set to pop-rock.

Season 2 Episode 10 'My Adventures With Supergirl'

And this season's finale is DOPE! First, spoiler warning. Second, I like that all the villains are helping fight off Brainiac with Superman (which is something that happens in the comics from time to time but is much more cool here since it feels like they all want to help rather than have to). Third, the animation in Superman and Supergirl's fight is amazing, might be the best animated fight in the show. Even Brainiac postulating looks extra. And the music that plays when Clark says "Let's bring you home Kara." is so fucking good I can't even. And holy shit, I was so convinced that they were gonna kill Kara in this episode. I'm so happy she's gonna be back for the next season, seriously, she's my favorite character in the show, especially after this this episode. The episode ending with Kara and Clark playing catch in Smallville was perfect. Just like last season, I cannot wait for the next one! It's gonna have Superboy!

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

“Avatar - The Way of Water” review:

Short review

It’s a very pretty movie but the story is too bland and the characters are too underdeveloped to warrant repeated viewings. I give it a B-minus, maybe even a C-plus.

Long review

As someone who actually enjoyed the first movie, I came into the sequel expecting something of similar quality. The first Avatar was not a revolutionary story, but at least it was a solid one, even if it used overdone tropes. And…well, I guess that is what the sequel ended up being. Avatar 2 was also full of overdone tropes, but I didn’t think the story was awful. Just because something is familiar doesn’t mean it was executed poorly. The problem with Avatar 2 is that even though the story is mostly “fine”, it’s clearly not as interesting as the first movie.

Aside from the special effects, what made the first movie interesting was the relationship between Jake Sully and Neytiri. For me, I thought they were pretty solid leads, with Jake being the fish-out-of-water hero and Neytiri being the noble heroine who initially despised Jake. It’s a classic set-up and the movie worked because the story was anchored to Jake and Neytiri’s journey. And, I mean, we can all appreciate a sappy, star-crossed lovers story once in a while.

The second movie doesn’t work nearly as well because it’s missing the type of emotional connection that we got from Jake and Neytiri in the first movie. Technically speaking, Jake and Neytiri aren’t the main characters of Avatar 2. Jake doesn’t really grow as a person and Neytiri is barely in the story. As it turns out, Avatar 2 is more about the younger cast, with the lead protagonist roles being spread out between Kiri (Sigourney Weaver’s new character) and Lo’ak (Blue Naruto Jake and Neytiri’s youngest son). Jake and Neytiri are still there, but it’s their kids that take the spotlight.

Now, is this a bad thing? Well, no, a movie can work with multiple leads, as long as the story is good. And there’s nothing wrong with focusing on different characters in the sequel. The problem is that the kids…well…they’re just not as interesting as the parents.

Kiri’s character is basically James Cameron’s version of Jesus. She was born from Sigourney Weaver’s avatar from the first movie and it’s implied that this was done through the will of Eywa, the planet’s god-spirit. Because of this, Kiri has a close connection to the wildlife of Pandora and even manages to save the day at the end of the movie via her god-powers. Now, this does sound like compelling material. The problem is that Kiri’s character isn’t really explored in the movie, she’s just kinda there. You leave the movie feeling like there was so much more that they could have done with Kiri, which isn’t good considering that the movie sets up Kiri as one of the leading characters.

“It’s because James Cameron plans to tell her full story in the third movie!” Okay, this would be fine if it wasn’t for the fact that a great deal of Avatar 2’s plot revolves around Kiri’s mysterious backstory. So, it’s not really like Marvel setting up their next movie/show in the movie/show you’re currently watching. It’s more like Batman v Superman not bothering to explain why Bruce Wayne had a dream about Superman conquering Earth and why he saw The Flash in the Speed Force telling him to find Lois Lane. You think this plot point is going to go somewhere…and it just doesn’t. That doesn’t make you want to watch the next movie, that just makes you wonder why the writers added it in the story in the first place.

(Sorry, still not over that stupid scene)

What about Lo’ak, the outcast son? Well, his character does get more development than Kiri at least. However, Lo’ak isn’t nearly as compelling as his parents, especially when it feels like the movie wasn’t confident in him being the main character. I’m saying this because Lo’ak is technically the true protagonist of the movie. Most of the movie is about his various fuckups, as well as him befriending the outcast whale and being the indirect cause of the final fight with Blue Quaritch. Lo’ak gets the most character development and, for a significant chunk of the movie, you’re following his journey to make the tribe and his family understand that the outcast, one-finned whale isn’t a bad guy.

The problem is that the movie is insistent on keeping the focus on Jake and Neytiri, as well as having Kiri be the spotlight at times, that Lo’ak never really gets the focus that he probably should’ve gotten. Avatar 2 could have been an action, sci-fi version of Free Willy, but James Cameron either couldn’t keep the focus on Lo’ak or he didn’t want to. So, Lo’ak ends up being underdeveloped.

That’s actually my main problem with the movie. It’s 192 MINUTES LONG, and the storyline still ends up feeling underdeveloped. I didn’t really get attached to the expanded Sully family and the story felt like it needed a few more minutes to be compelling. In fact, when we got to the final battle with the humans, I actually was surprised since it didn’t feel like a proper climax. It felt like we were doing James Cameron’s version of Free Willy, then suddenly being dropped into the middle of Star Wars.

For the rest of the cast, the underdeveloped problems are even worse. I felt nothing when Neteyam, the eldest son, died. Since he barely did anything in the movie, I predicted that he was going to die so that there’d be a tragic death scene to make the audience feel things. Tuk, the youngest daughter, could’ve just been cut out of the story. As for the Metkayina, they were so underdeveloped that I couldn’t even keep track of their names. There was Cliff Curtis chief, Kate Winslet, stupid son, and attractive daughter. Other than that, I couldn’t tell you anything about their characters.

Honestly, the ONLY characters who I felt got any decent character development, and I can’t believe I’m writing this, were Spider and Colonel Quaritch 2.0. I liked that they took Quaritch, the 2-dimensional main villain from the first movie, and gave him dimension. He’s a father who does care for his son, he’s shown to have limits to his cruelty, he had an existential crisis when he learned he was a backup version of the original Quaritch, he was clearly disturbed when he saw his dead body, and he has insecurities since he felt the need to prove himself when he learned that Jake Sully tamed a dragon the hard way. This doesn’t make him likable, but this does make him more compelling as a character.

As for Spider (aka Tarzan-Mowgli), I liked that they didn’t just portray him as loyal to the Na’vi. He may be on the Na’vi’s side, but he still cares for Quaritch since that’s his biological father. He even got along with him during the scene where they’re practicing the language. It makes Spider a flawed protagonist, someone you can root for but acknowledge that he’s not perfect. Obviously, him saving Quaritch is going to bite the heroes in the ass, but you get why Spider did it.

With all this being said, I did have other problems with the movie that isn’t about the story/ character development. The movie was too long, especially when most of the plot was meandering around. The attempts at social commentary were clunky. It’s nice that James Cameron attempted to tackle harder topics, but the race angle doesn’t really work when Jake Sully’s character literally transferred his brain into the body of a Na’vi. If you were to apply this to real life, that’s like if a white person’s brain got inserted into a Native American person’s body, and the movie treats this as them becoming a “real” Native American. The set-up just doesn’t work as serious social commentary, which makes Avatar 2’s attempts at commentary a bit cringeworthy. And then there’s the world-building issues that arise from the attempts at social commentary. What I mean is, it’s now canon that the blue people can be racist towards each other if you’re the wrong shade of blue. However, in the scene where this happens, they’re all speaking English. It’s a jarring scene because they’re talking about something that’s Pandora-centric and with no humans around…but in the language of the humans. And the Na’vi DO HAVE their own languages! So, what the fuck?

Now, what else did I like about the movie? Well, I can appreciate the ambition. There’s clearly a vision here and it’s nice to see James Cameron really give it his all for this movie. And, of course, the special effects. This movie is absolutely carried by the special effects, especially since there are so many scenes where you’re just captivated by the beauty of Pandora. The original score is pretty good, being a mix of majestic beauty to match the nature scenes and bombastic epicness to match the war scenes. And, last but not least, a lot of good performances from the entire cast. It’s nice that the acting really came through, even though most of the cast were acting through motion capture.

But even with the positive points, this is probably a one-and-done for me. The movie just isn’t interesting enough to watch a second time. And it’s actually frustrating to think about since the movie cost around $350-400 million dollars. Yes, most of it went into the special effects, but you’d think that James Cameron would’ve hashed out the problems in the script.

[sasudou]

hi! i'm very new to bungou stray dogs and i was wondering if you could help me? can you tell me which order i should read everything? i know there is the manga which is the main thing, but there are also light novels? how do they fit in the universe, when should i read them and which one is important and which one is less important (to understand the story)? and is there anything else (aside from the manga, light novels and anime)?

hello!

sorry it took me a while to answer this 😭😭

ok so currently there are 8 published light novels:

osamu dazais entrance exam

this novel is set just a little before the manga starts and shows us how dazai entered the agency and how his and kunikidas partnership came to be. this novel was adapted into an anime version, but a lot of things were changed (example: it happened after atsushi joined and he was also part of the assignment), so i really recommend reading the light novel.

osamu dazai and the dark era

this novel is set during dazais last year in the port mafia. it talks about dazais relationship with oda and ango and how/why dazai left the mafia to join the agency. this was adapted into the anime pretty well (although some details are still missing, but hey adaptations aren’t perfect).

the untold origins of the detective agency

this novel is set before the agency was formed. it explains how ranpo and fukuzawa met and explains their backstory. this was recently adapted into the anime in the fourth season.

55 minutes

this novel doesn’t have a specific time where it fits?? it was after atsushi joined the agency and after he and akutagawa started their rivalry. but it’s super cute!! also it gives you some insight on dazais relationship with the members of the agency. it’s just all around super sweet. this has not been adapted into the anime.

dead apple

this is just the novel version of the dead apple movie. i don’t think there are a lot of differences??? but i prefer the movie simply because of the visuals

beast

this is an alternative universe type novel. i would really recommend reading this one because 1) it’s interesting 2) it does kinda help you understand the current plot + gives you some more insight on dazais character. this was not adapted into the anime, but there is a live action movie.

dazai, chuuya, age fifteen

this is a novel detailing how dazai and chuuya met. it’s very cute and i enjoyed it!! this has been adapted into the anime, but i prefer the novel.

stormbringer

this novel focuses on chuuya, his backstory, and his ability. he’s 16 in this novel. i really enjoyed this novel. but also i love chuuya so there is a bit of bias. this hasn’t been adapted into the anime

(there’s another novel called “the day i picked up dazai,” but that one isn’t currently available for sale to the public yet (and i’m not sure if it will be), but you can find fan translations online since they were distributed during the first and second week screening of the BEAST movie. this novel shows us how dazai and oda met in both the main universe and BEAST universe).

out of all these novels, i think the least important would be 55 minutes and dead apple. 55 minutes is cute but it’s not super essential to the story, and dead apple has a movie so… also dark era might fit into this category simply because it was well adapted?? so there’s really no need to read it if you’ve watched the anime (although the plot itself is incredibly important)

aside from the light novels, manga, and anime, we have a couple live actions and separate mangas.

live actions include…

BEAST

dark era

stormbringer

fifteen

dead apple

bungo stray dogs on stage (which is just the beginning of the manga)

three companies conflict (which is an arc in the manga)

untold origins + dazais entrance exam

cannibalism (which is an arc in the manga)

you don’t have to watch these, but they’re fun! the actors are great.

now onto other mangas!!

we got…

bsd wan (this is just a funny little gag manga)

all the bsd anthologies (basically the same thing as wan except without the chibi art style)

bsd BEAST manga adaptation

bsd fifteen manga adaptation

bsd dead apple manga adaptation

you don’t have to read these since most of them are just copies of the light novel. as for wan and the anthologies, they’re just fun little side stories that you also don’t have to read.

i think that’s it’s but i typed all this pretty fast so i may have forgotten something. if i did, sorry!

have fun!!

edit: i just remembered that i forgot to add gaiden (also known as bungo stray dogs another story). it’s a light novel set in the bsd universe, but it doesn’t follow the main cast. there’s a manga adaptation too!!

[alfairy]

Okdokey, so I saw the Mario movie…

A lot of you already know my initial reaction. I loved it! Now it’s time to talk about some of my general thoughts about what I liked and what I didn’t

This will delve into spoiler territory, so be aware of that before you read on

Mario and Luigi’s relationship is a personal highlight for me. They love each other so much! The movie shows time and time again that they’re always there for each other and are stronger when they’re together. Also Mario does this thing where he calls Luigi “Lu” as a little nickname which is so cute and endearing. He literally will square up with people three times his size for Luigi’s sake, I adore that aspect of his character.

Peach slayed this movie. The small peek into her backstory was neat, i hope they might eventually explore that more. It finally offers an explanation why there’s a human ruling over the mushroom people.

Bowser was what threw me for a loop. Cause in the trailer he comes off as so threatening and menacing but in the movie he is a massive SIMP. He spends half the runtime swooning over Peach and getting jealous that Mario and her are growing close. He’s writing ballads dedicated to her and practicing proposing, he’s just a romantic sap. A maniacal one, but a sap. Jack Black killed it, as always. Bowser had me laughing during a lot of his scenes. He’s so menacing, but just wants to be loved. …I mean, if he’s still single, then maybe I could…? 👀

Now, some things I didn’t really like…

Man, with how the trailers were looking, I was like “whoa we’re finally getting a animated movie without a forced pop song!” But no. I swear, this movie has like five different moments where they have songs crammed in. Most of the time it doesn’t really fit for me and just takes me out of the movie for a moment. The only one I really liked was the “I need a hero” scene. They put Take On Me in here???

The pacing. It feels like everything happens way too fast and the characters don’t have time to have moments together. This movie is just on a roll once you get past the first 20 minutes. I personally like the third act the best, it has the best action and animation.

Again, because of the pacing, the characters don’t really develop. Every time I think we’re gonna get a emotional scene between characters, it quickly wraps up and is done with. Mario and Peach? That talk finishes quick. Bowser and Luigi? If you’ve seen the trailers then you’ve seen the entirety of that scene basically. Like it seemed like Mario and DK were having a moment at one point in the movie? But then it very quickly ends so they can move on to the next scene. It never really gets resolved?? It’s something I can look past I guess, but I can’t help but want more.

Luigi got sidelined hardcore. He needs to have more screen time if they continue making movies.

I kinda tuned out the fact Chris Pratt was Mario when I was watching this. He’s fine I guess??? But he’s clearly the weakest voice actor when compared to everyone else who’s giving it almost 100%. He’s giving it like… 70% if I’m being generous.

Overall, I’d say a solid 8/10, pretty fun but could’ve used some polishing on the plot and pacing

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Well, after a rewatch that made me realise I fucking hate the original series, today I watched Kyoukai no Kanata's sequel movie - a movie I remember quite fondly for its improved character writing and storytelling over the show, and even 6 years later still remember particular scenes with a genuine fondness. But I hated the show this time, so what was gonna happen with the movie? Well the answer is...

I liked it! This score hasn't actually changed from what I gave it 6 years ago, despite the original dropping so far, but yeah no, positive feelings by and large.

Picking just one screenshot from the movie for this post feels hard honestly - it's got a lot of really striking visuals. But this one is a vibe.

But anyway yeah this movie is just like, pretty good, really. The most notable improvement is in the dialogue - it's not constantly begging the audience for laughs from trashy light novel jokes and instead lets itself breathe and even marinate in the darker tone that actually makes up most of the series' appeal.

Honestly that fact alone basically saves the writing completely, but it doesn't just stop there, and instead actually goes the distance with trying to write its characters as characters and giving them meaningful personality and motives and feelings and desires and reactions to the world around them.

Akihito was already pretty good and they basically just make him better here with a conflict about what he should be doing regarding Mirai. Mirai is given amnesia and it actually works in service of her character and doesn't feel like it erases her growth up to this point nor is it used to just recap her initial arc. Mitsuki is still the weakest link, mostly just wanting to be nonspecifically stronger, but she really is better when she's not written how she is in the show. And Hiroomi has the biggest glow-up of all - his new position as head of the Nase family immediately dials up parts of his character that were underexplored initially and offers new depth by way of him fighting the pressure to live up to his older sister. Shit's just good - fix the dialogue and the main cast and suddenly Kyoukai no Kanata is just a solid time.

I'd also say the movie is helped by being way more about something than the rest of the show. Right at the beginning it establishes the value of memories and connections and how they offer happiness to people, and right up to the end those themes are what the movie is exploring. It's not next-level writing or anything and the original show offered a lot of the same themes, but I just think they're given a more central focus here that lets the movie feel like more of a complete thing.

Granted it's not all improvements - Miroku is still such a non-character of a villain even with his attempted backstory at play here - and I actually think it could've beneffited from being longer, because as it stands Akihito saves Mirai and then the entire plot just kinda stops, movie's over now. But between solid character writing, a clearly defined and explored set of themes, lots of very cool action setpieces, and most of all making me give a shit, I think this movie deserves that 7/10. And I'm glad it did. Because I didn't want this rewatch to turn into an "I hate everything about Kyoukai no Kanata" thing. The movie surviving my wrath and even turning around my opinion on all the characters is something I'm genuinely grateful for. Nice time. I can call this rewatch worth it for this movie alone. Swag.

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

hi kane ! i wanted to ask, do u have different s/is for ur cars f/os or is it just one with multiple aus? 🤔 id love to hear abt ur insert !! (@dmclr)

I'm. I'm. You??..EXSQUEEZE ME?????

Okay euhm..buckle up!! It's like a 50/50 for whether this turns into a really really long tangent or not..I suppose whether the finished post has a read more bar will be telling XD

I kinda interchangeably refer to my S/I as me, so throughout this post I switch back and forth between first perspective of saying "I" and the third perspective of saying "Kane". Hope it's not too confusing😅

Hi, future Kane here, this gets quite lengthy and paragraph-y, so I sectioned the post with bold headers of sorts, to hopefully make it a little more clear and less overwhelming.

Really though, regaurdless of if you read this all or not, cause it's certainly a lot, thank you for asking such a question! I deeply appreciate it and am thankful for it, felt great to be able to share this and get this all out of my system.

So, I kinda mentioned this when going over that ask game, and a longg while ago I every now and then bring it up, but!! Technically, it's just one self insert with multiple AUs. My self insert is always basically just..me, except with a different job, and occasionally slightly more stamina/talent(typically fighting talent or such, funnily enough) for running and.. things and climatic things!! I typically refer to my self insert just as, well, me! I'll say I did blah blah with whatver F/O, and only really change it up for the sake of clarity(like this post) or sometimes when writing fics I'll do it from a 3rd person POV so I'll refer to my own name and such instead of it being written from my perspective.

As mentioned before, the role my self insert plays changes depending on who I'm currently imagining myself with. Typically either as a spy(or reformed spy, in the story with A.xlerod, Kane actually quits being a spy as a big gesture to basically be like "I don't actually want to hurt you", since Kane was given the job as a spy to..."put an end" to A.xlerod, to put it lightly), or will be a pitcrew member to one of the racers. The only one who I don't have a clear backstory role is with F.rancesco, but that's mostly because it's not really a necessary/needed part of the plot that I have with him.

Basically, whenever I imagine me with my F/Os, I typically imagine it as a one on one thing, where it's just me and them and kinda ignore the other characters that I have relationships with. The only exception to this is with Grem and Acer, who are a packaged deal, and I headcannon them to be together, so it's like a little triad thing.

--My S/I's Roles--

But most of my stories with my F/Os don't actually really follow the plot line of the movies at all, it typically takes on a much more day-to-day or domestic sort of perspective(my weakness for domestic things is showing). The only one where it follows a narrative of the actual movie is with L.ightning, where I'm a pitcrew member for him(really the only one, since I got there in his rookie days and he kept firing everyone so his only team member was really just Mack), and end up getting lost with him on the way to R.adiator Springs, and the whole plot with him is really just a looser version of the original C.ars movie, with some alternate twists and plot points and endings.

I've also mentioned this before, but technically my story with each F/O can actually be chronologically put together like some big G.ame/F.ilm Theory thing, where it goes from me having this job and meeting [x] and then getting other job, and it goes from there.

--Meeting Them--

For my insert with other racers, it's typically from the perspective of them just doing..their usual racing thing. Like with F.rancesco, he's just doing his usual typical F.1 races and Kane meets him through that. My self inserts role here though is typically a more laid back one, usually as a fan or maybe someone that got hired to take photography/recordings for the race or such(typically as an eager F.1 fan, with F.rancesco being one of his favorite racers), but the backstory for my S/I doesn't matter so much with F.rancesco.

For C.ars 3 characters though like C.al and J.ackson, it's in a scenerio where none of them end up getting replaced/fired/etc. And they just all end up racing together, basically the start of the C.ars 3 movie in a sense, except C.ruz is also included in the mix. Though, instead of my self insert being a pitcrew member for L.ightning, he's actually one for C.ruz instead.

--Meeting Finn--

With A.xlerod, Kane starts out as a spy and is hired to investigate and maybe put an end to A.xlerod for good. After getting caught snooping around and trying to flee just to get the daylights knocked out of him by essentially some gaurd, A.xlerod takes some sense of strange pitty on Kane and ends up dragging Kane back to his place and tries to fix him up. There's a lot of trust building that ends up happening and them oddly having some soft spot for each other(which ends up getting demonstrated several times, typically through them accommodating or protecting each other out of the blue), and since Kane most certainly isn't going to continue his mission of ending A.xlerod, he quits his job as a spy(which, Kane working for a rather questionable spy company, has to go on a slightly elaborate event to fake his own death and get some non-spy affiliated clothes). Kane ends up realizing how cozy he's gotten to just staying at A.xlerod's place, considering he never really left it when A.xelrod dragged him back to fix him up, and just..never leaves so he kinda moves himself in to living with A.xelrod. A.xlerod, being a billionaire that he is, Kane doesn't really ever need to get another job or anything.

Finn and A.xlerod by far have the most complex stories of how my self insert meets them, and the most thorough and thought out ones, cause I typically imagine them a lot more and such. With Finn, my insert is also a spy, and ends up getting to work with him and L.eland, and meets them on a rather dubious sort of mission, where Kane has to get rather close to Finn quite quickly(in a personal sense and in a physical sense, they have to do some cheeky ballroom dance((a waltz ,really)) together for a split minute), and when they start to come to an end of completing their mission, Kane kinda has a bit of a crisis of "This is probably the greatest time I've had in my life and I'm probably never going to see them ever again" and Leland catches him looking a bit broken and so sad and torn up that Kane confesses his whole predicament and Leland is like "You moron, just give me your phone number". And Leland, being the witness that he was to the very clear feelings between his best friend(Finn) and a potienal very close friend(Kane), he offers to Kane to tag along with him some time when he visits Finn, and at some point Kane ends up staying at Finn's place for a night and is over there so much that it turns into a question of "do I really even need a house. Why am I paying rent for some other house if I practically already live here and eat all his food".

--Meeting A.xlerod--

In both scenerios with Finn and A.xlerod though, Kane, an American sent from the US over to the UK for a mission, ends up moving and staying in the UK permanently.

--G.rem and A.cer--

How I meet G.rem and A.cer is a lot more of a shits-and-giggles thing, I actually have no clue how I came up with the idea because it is so silly and completely irrelevant to what they do, but also feels really oddly fitting for them. But basically Kane is working some low end job like as a grocery clerk or such, and since he works the closing shifts, he ends up stopping by some shop that was the only nearby one open at such a late night so he can get some food. It's some pizza parlor that G.rem and A.cer work at, and for whatever reasons they're the only ones that really work there(maybe they're the only two that work the closing shift as well, I haven't put too much thought into why yet), and Kane basically makes it a routine that every time he gets off of work he swings by their shop and pretends he's only coming in for food when it's really to hang out with them. G.rem and A.cer are still as wild as they are in the movie, they're just not really in many positions now for it to be shown that they'd kill and go to extreme ends for things. It eventually reaches the point where they start hanging outside of their usual routine and such.

[kingofthebottleshooters]

Get To Know Me Tag!

I was tagged by @hereforthehaunts, thank you very much! I’m doing this at work and have no idea who I’d tag in return, but if you see this and think it looks fun, consider yourself tagged.

Last Song: Purest Gold, by Miracle of Sound (and guest singer The Charismatic Voice) – a song inspired by Malenia, the legendarily cool and hard superboss from Elden Ring. MoS never fails to put out absolute bangers, so go give him a listen!

Currently Watching: Netflix Avatar, which is better than I expected, worse than I hoped, although in fairness I’m only three episodes in. We’ll see how it goes. Other than that, I’m approaching the halfway mark on Campaign 2 of Critical Role, being a very late comer to the show. I’m resigned to never managing to catch up to the live broadcasts, but hopefully I can at least finish Mighty Nein and the…Exandria? spin-offs by the end of the year.

Three Ships: I never really think of myself as being a shipper, to be honest…but I can still answer this lol. Supercorp, which is to say, Supergirl (Kara Danvers)/Lena Luthor, from the Supergirl CW show that finished…last year? is basically my main ship, even though I’ve not finished watching the show yet. I sometimes question whether I actually like the ship or whether it’s more the creative fire that it kinda sorta lit in me (I’ve not actually written much of anything for them, but oh boy do I have ideas), but that probably doesn’t really matter. Fem!Shep/Thane Krios, which is to say, Shepard and Thane from Mass Effect 2 onwards. Possibly somewhat unusually for a Mass Effect fan on Tumblr, I don’t actually have any real preference in ships for the series, but the playthrough where I did this romance was the one that tipped me over from “Mass Effect is a very good series of games that I enjoy a lot” to “Mass Effect is a core part of my personality, and I’m going to start a blog dedicated to the series (which has slowly but surely become a more general blog, as anyone who follows me can attest, but the point still stands)” Tav/Shadowheart, from Baldurs Gate 3. I’m fully intending to do all the romances, but both my playthroughs so far have wound up with her…

Favourite Colour: dark blue, I guess?

Currently Consuming: On any given day, there’s a decent chance I’m watching something by Outside Xbox/Outside Xtra, two hugely entertaining gaming Youtube channels, or their TTRPG spin-off channel Oxventure. I’m also trying to catch up on the Worlds Beyond Number TTRPG actual play podcast, from some of the minds behind Dimension 20 (which I haven’t actually watched beyond clips). I’m trying to finish Dark Souls 3 after an intended short break turned into about two years – just the second DLC and final boss to beat now, so fingers crossed! And I’m reading Nona the 9th, by Tamsyn Muir – too early in the book to comment on that, but I loved the first two books.

First Ship: probably Batman/Catwoman, I guess? Although I had a soft spot for Jacen Solo and Tenel-Ka from the old Star Wars expanded universe.

Place of Birth: UK

Current Location: Work

Relationship status: long term single

Last Movie: American Fiction (loved it)

Currently Working on: I am always mentally rotating my various fiction ideas, but the main thing I’m actually working on is the D&D campaign I’m running  - module based for the most part (Lost Mines of Phandelver, always a classic, with the intention of continuing into Princes of the Apocalypse), but one of the players came up with a backstory that’s going to require a homebrew plot if there’s ever going to be any resolution to it.

[dans-den]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Review

Hey what's what going on everyone?! Dan here and today I'll be reviewing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3!

Now this is the last MCU movie directed by James Gunn and people were curious wondering how this movie would do since lately the MCU movies and shows have been...lackluster to say the least. I'm also told this was the first MCU movie to drop the F bomb which upset numerous parents but then again they should have known that a PG-13 movie is not suitable for kids. Then again, these are the same parents who buy M rated games for their 10 year old kids. Now with those tangents out of the way, lets dive into the movie review.

Spoilers Warning: it has been a week since it's been out but I'll still give warnings

The plot is one last ride for the OG Guardians, however you once again won't fully understand unless you watch the other two Guardian movies, along with Infinity War and Endgame. Besides that oversight, the plot itself was great, there was personal stakes to save Rockets life after he was severely injured and the Guardians will have to face a being with a god superiority complex and a warlock named Adam. At first the movie was kinda fast with the plot but as the movie progressed it flowed better. Now people have been critical about the MCU formula where the characters are all quirky or "funny" and honestly it is annoying. However, the Guardians were the true quirky characters of the MCU, they popularized that formula and they have been the ones to make it work. Characters like Thor or Captain America can't be quirky the same way since they were established to be honorable and morally grounded characters whereas the Guardians have always been the Misfits of the MCU. This formula works best for them and that's why I didn't mind the quirkiness here because it works for the Guardians, it's hilarious especially for characters like Drax.

My favorite and I think everyone's favorite in this film was the backstory of Rocket Racoon. If you've been paying attention to the Guardians and other MCU films he's been in, you'll notice he has been the main focus for the Guardians team. His story was hinted in the first Guardians movie and from then on his story has been subtly been revealing itself each installment and his character growth has been subtly developing just as much. This movie has amped it up by revealing his backstory and including his former love interest Lylla Otter and his tragic loss of her along with his other friends. I'm glad we finally got to see his backstory and it explains plenty about him that we already had a feeling about but this film confirmed it all and it was emotional and hard to watch with the animal cruelty moments. They did Rocket justice here and I'm happy.

I will say the weakness part of this film is definitely Adam Warlock. I remember when they revealed him at the post credit scene in Vol. 2 and was hyped AF! If you've read the comics, you'll see Adam did play a role against Thanos and had the Infinity Gauntlet ready at his side. I was speculating he was being saved for Infinity War but unfortunately he never came to be and that was a let down. So I figured he would show up in Vol. 3 and he did but he had no real purpose in this film. He was just there to further the plot and wasn't necessary. We thought he would be the main bad guy here but no he was just a henchmen to some other bad guy (who I enjoyed since he was just unapologetically evil and that's refreshing to see). He had only one real moment and that was towards the end saving one of the Guardians from dying (even though he almost killed one to begin with). Adam warlock was disappointing in this film but hopefully we'll get a better story with him in the future or perhaps a mini series involving him on Disney plus.

Now I did watch the post credit scenes and to be honest they're nothing special and I am just gonna leave it at that. The first one is basically an epilogue to the film and callback to Vol. 1 music while the other scene is just a little callback to the recent Christmas special, nothing you need to stay after the movie for where you can just look them up on YouTube. This is why post credit scenes aren't really worth staying for anymore at least to me, they're not like before where they connect and amount to anything major in the future.

Overall, Vol. 3 was a great sendoff for James Gunn in the MCU and it is clear he wanted this to be his swansong before his departure. He pulled out all the stops here and were grateful for it. I feel this is definitely one of the better MCU movies in recent years next to Spiderman: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. I doubt we'll get great quality like this in the MCU for a while but I'm glad we have this.

Rating this film I am giving it:

9/10

This was a fun time and emotional roller coaster thinking this could have been the last we see of any of these guys and James Gunn gave us a truly lovely sendoff from the MCU. I highly recommend watching this film and that is about it.

See ya!