#but his friendship with matt is one of the purest things in the show

[cerisia76]

The vampire diaries meme: [2/4 brOTPS] -> Matt and Tyler

"Tonight's a full moon. She usually helps you.

Yeah.

Do you... uhh, is this like the kind of thing you need another person for?"

All (or almost all) of these gifs are from @michaeltrevino

[sixinsultsago]

Given my understanding of how media and talk shows work (re: the 'do whatever it takes for the views' mindset) and his track record, Neil gets a lot gigs where another guest surprises him on set.

The other guests are usually people he has a media relationship with: so-called enemies, best friends, rumoured girlfriends, etc. Everyone wants an honest reaction from him, so the surprises keep on coming and Neil, with frantic reminders from his PR manager about his stupid contract, grits his teeth through all of it.

Sometimes it's okay: twice it's been Matt (the second time because of their "chemistry" on screen), a lot of the time it's Kevin, which is a hit-or-miss depending on how many unread texts Neil has from him at that very moment. It is not completely bad.

But he's met people he genuinely doesn't like, too. As well as people he's never even heard of. It's kind of a mixed bag.

Then, of course, at the height of the Minyard-Josten Rivalry, the morning after Andrew texted him 'I'll be stopping by after I do this thing', making it impossible to focus for the rest of the day, Neil is sitting on a couch discussing his team's chances of making it to the finals when the host interrupts to say,

"Now, I've heard rumors that you're butting heads with another Exy player recently."

"Always am," Neil agrees, sticking to the script. The studio audience laughs even though it wasn't a joke and Neil wasn't trying to be funny.

"But this one is different," says the host, "this person, you used to go to college with. You shared the locker room with him for four years. Hell, according to old clips from your PSU days, you two had a partnership that rivaled yours and Kevin Day's. I guess what I'm wondering --- what we're all wondering --- is... what happened?"

He hasn't said a name yet, probably because it's unnecessary. There isn't a whole lot of candidates that speech could apply to. So Neil gets antsy, as he always does when Andrew is brought up by someone who doesn't know, tries to keep it short and sweet.

"Distance might have been a factor in our new relationship," he says, and it isn't technically a lie. He still feels bad. He feels bad every time he can't just say how it really is--- "I assume you're talking about Andrew."

"None other! Well, if distance is the reason your partnership has deteriorated so much, I have some... I don't know if it's good news, exactly, but I certainly have news. Try not to hate us for this, Neil," The host winks slyly. What he really means is: Go on, speak your mind! Destroy this guy! I need the views!

Neil wants to scowl. Neil wants to get up. Neil wants to storm off backstage, but Neil can't because this is his fucking job. He's intimate with the roundabout way hosts go about introducing a surprise guest; the build-up differs every time, but Neil's familiar with all incarnations. This time, his heart is beating like fists against a glass ribcage. He could shatter, here. In front of all these people.

The live band plays.

The host grandly introduces, "Exy's infamous monster in the goal, Andrew Minyard!" and there he is, there he is, striding out from behind a curtain, dressed completely in black, lips pressed together, expression completely stale.

He could be misunderstood for implacable, except his walk is stiffer than usual; Andrew doesn't get stiff, because Andrew is never caught on his back foot. So. He had no idea this was happening either.

They're both off-balance.

This is dangerous.

Neil can twist truths, but he doesn't lie anymore, and his something with Andrew is too important for him to ignore. Not even for fifteen minutes.

Their adoring audience is roaring. Andrew sits beside him on the couch, his thigh glued to Neil's to make up for how he isn't looking at Neil --- he's glaring at their host.

It's been months.

Neil tries three times before he can speak. All that comes out is, "Andrew."

It is soft, worn out like a favorite t-shirt and just as thin. Neil sounds like a stranger. He sounds absolutely fucking smitten. This is incredibly dangerous. Neil can't pretend he isn't in love with Andrew when they're sitting right next to each other. He just can't.

In hindsight he should have seen this coming: ever since rumors of their rivalry began, they were set on this trajectory.

He worries that he's blown it for all of one second: by the time his heart thuds a second time, he has Andrew's undivided attention, his entire body swinging back to its true north. It's hard to worry about anything, now. His gaze is intense and focused since he's pissed off, but the scowl lines ease a bit, and he's whispering, "Neil," like his tongue is cradling the vowels, smoothing away the harsher consonants.

"Hi," Neil murmurs.

"Surprise," replies Andrew, utterly bland. Neil almost laughs, which Andrew notices. Their thighs press closer.

The entire interview goes along the same line. Andrew calls him a workaholic, an anti-social loner, a gym rat who has an addictive personality and an unhealthy obsession with his job. Neil tells everyone that Andrew has cheat days every day, that he once missed a game in his first year as Pro because he fucked up his stomach with too many pints of ice cream, that he has two cats with the most ridiculous names. Andrew pulls on his ear. Neil tries not to lean into it.

Andrew and Neil don't come out.

Their host gets this look on his face whenever they spiral away from a question, caught up in their own momentum. Neil doesn't yell, or bitch, or make snide comments --- No. Neil grins when Andrew is sarcastic, he blushes when Andrew so much as looks at him, he laughs so hard he has to hold onto Andrew's biceps. Neil is so incandescently happy he's dizzy on it.

"So," their host starts. His voice cracks, and he looks poleaxed by the turn of events. "So. The rivalry. I --- I take it the, uh, should we it a relationship?"

Andrew throws his arm across the back of the couch, staring directly at their host. It's a blatant challenge. "Call it whatever you want."

"Relationship, then. Um. So, your relationship is not exactly as the press has reported it. You two seem --- stronger than ever, really. Like you never stopped being friends."

"We aren't friends," Neil snorts. Were they ever? He can't recall when they shifted from enemies to trusted, from trusted to --- other things. Andrew's attraction blindsided Neil almost as much as the realization that it was, indeed, reciprocated. But it never felt like his relationship with Matt, his purest reference for friendship.

The host lowers his voice, asks, "Can I ask? I think it's the question on everyone's mind right now, the burning question. If you aren't rivals and you aren't friends, what are you?"

Not boyfriends; it isn't deep enough. Not partners; Andrew hates the ambiguity of it. They're neither too fanciful for soulmates and neither have proposed yet, won't until marriage is legal and the title of fiancé isn't a dead end. "I don't know," Neil glances at Andrew, who is inspecting his manicure with studied disinterest. "Roomates, I guess."

[mysterycantfindme9037-blog]

Voltron: Legendary Defender paladin containing ships; reasons why people ship them and whether they would work out or not.

Allurance: Lance has confessed his love to Allura far too many times to count, he has supported and encouraged her, and their relationship development through the entire show is amazing. To the point where Allura finally begins to show a bit of mercy and affection towards our wonderful Blue Paladin. Their relationship would be beautiful and astounding if Allura took the time to notice how wonderful Lance really is. They would love each other so much, protect each oth at all costs, and encourage each other all the time. Of course, they would have some trust issues they would probably have to pull through first, seeing how Lance is very flirtatious. However, once he proved to her his loyalty, they would work out wonderfully.

My rating- 3/5 (Allura still has no interest or patience for him throughout the entire show. That’s the only reason I give them a 3/5)

Hallura: Hunk is the sweetest character in the entire show, no one can deny that. So it only makes sense why people would ship them. He’s kind and caring towards Allura and is delicate. She also reacts the same way towards him. They trust each other and never have any issues between one another throughout the seasons. The amount of care and mercy they have towards each other is astounding and would therefore make them a surprisingly great couple.

My rating- 4/5 (They lack bonding moments and both barely seem even remotely interested in each other. However, they would have a great relationship if they noticed each other in that manner. That’s why I give them a 4/5)

Hidge: Hunk and Pidge have been together since day one and have had a very great and well connected friendship. They often banter a lot and work together well. If had the chance, the friendship could easily bloom into something more. They even have the same interests and geek out quite a bit through the show and carefully display a well rounded friendly. Of course trust, care, communication, and defending one another would all be perks in their relationship.

My rating- 5/5 (The ship would work out amazingly if given the chance. I don’t personally ship them, but I respect and understand those who do. That’s why I give it a 5/5)

Hunay: Hunk and Shay were and are the sweetest people in the entire show. Put them together and it’s possibly the sweetest relationship! They have a lot of sweet bonding moments in the few episodes they were with each other and even ended it watching Shay’s first sunset together. Positively perfect, in most people’s opinion. They would be unconditionally patient, sacrificial, trusting, and caring towards one another- seeing how both seem to be looking for hearts of gold.

My rating- 4/5 (This ship would work out amazingly. However, they don’t really have any other moments except the few episodes where he’s freeing her. That’s the only reason I give their ship a 4/5)

Kallura: I must say that within the last few seasons, the chemistry between these two has been phenomenal. Their relationship went from nothing to something real fast, thanks to Keith’s Galra side. I really think that was the bonding moment for those two that really taught them both something. Eventually, Keith holds Allura in his arms briefly, they blow up a ship together, he cradles her in space and saves their rear ends, and they even hug. Their relationship development is something most writers strive for and is phenomenal. If they got together- which I dare say is a pretty big possibility with all the chemistry going on between them- they would be an unstoppable force to reckon with.

My rating- 5/5 (I have nothing to say except congratulations Kallura shippers on your ship’s development throughout the seasons. And yes, I may be a bit biased because I just found out about this ship and kinda ship it now, but whatever. I am honestly thoroughly impressed and that’s why I give it a 5/5)

Kidge: This ship’s development is also phenomenal to me. They went from yelling at each other in the beginning, to partners in crime real fast. They both are sassy and while Keith may be more reserved about it, Pidge certainly isn’t. Their friendship is funny to me and I think a lot of us- whether we ship it or not- would pay to see the snarky relationship they would have if they thought of each other as something more. Pft, and trust issues? Certainly none in this ship. They get each other and constantly hover around one another just in case the other needs back up.

My rating- 4/5 (Despite them having an awesome friendship, they still don’t have many bonding moments in the show. That’s the only reason I give them a 4/5)

Lotidge- Okay, I’m honestly genuinely confused on this one (my apologies dear Lotidge shippers), but I have no clue why anyone ships this. I’m sincerely curious as to where the idea sprouted up from in the first place and I don’t really know why people ship them. Maybe it’s their intelligence or their smart ass attitudes? I don’t know, but that’s honestly not enough for me. Reasoning for this ship is more than welcome so please comment if you ship them or have any idea why people do. I’m genuinely curious and feel bad I couldn’t find anything on this ship so I could elaborate.

My rating- 1/5 (Sorry guys)

Lotura: Alright, now this one I find interesting. They both are descendants of great empires that were once best friends. They both are completely bad ass and would make awesome companions if they ever became friends. Now, if they grew up together, they would be that feared duo that everyone would know not to mess with. Because not only are their mouths dangerous, but so is their strength and intelligence. Did I mention they both have scary dads? These two would punch you into the next century if need be. However, one thing that everyone would know is that despite them being feared royals, they would melt around each other. Towards one another, they’re soft and vulnerable.

My rating- 4/5 (I honestly don’t ship it, but I love this ship anyways. Congratulations to all of you geniuses who came up with it or just ship it. However, they don’t have any bonding moments whatsoever yet, so I can only give them a 4/5)

Mallura: We can all agree that Matt is hot and that his reaction to Allura is a priceless moment that we will all cherish. Not only that, but she blushed at his reaction. Rationally- because all fangirls and fanboys are totally rational- they would be awesome in combat together and would make a lovely couple. Not only that, but I think they would be very sweet towards each other. He would respect her and she would respect him. Pidge probably ships it too. The amount of care and love that goes into this relationship would be astounding. Oh, and if you ever meet one of their shippers, you would find that they’re genuinely nice people.

My rating- 4/5 (Can we get more bonding moments, please? Or just more moments of them in the same frame? Anyways, you know why I gave it a 4/5)

Plance/Lidge: These two were together since the beginning and are- in general- awesome. They have blushed at each other more than a few times in the show, have searched for money in a fountain so they could play video games, are best friends, Lance emerged from a coma just to protect her, she protected him, and they respect each other. They also are both THE definition of partners in crime and have the might of sass on their side. Trust may be a problem in the beginning, but these two would easily overcome it. They also put up with each other’s crap well- patience being one of this ship’s virtues- and would probably have one of the purest relationships.

My rating- 5/5 (They’ve had tons of bonding moments and are the best of friends. If given the chance, they would be an awesome couple. Anyways, this ship is a 5/5)

Shallura: This ship I think makes sense in everyone’s mind, even to the people who don’t ship them. These two work so well together, it’s actually hard to see why people would NOT ship them. They have had countless of bonding moments, they work amazingly together, they trust each other completely, and care deeply for one another. In fact, we even have given them the labels of Space Dad and Space Mom. The respect they have for one another is something we all could only dream of earning.

My rating- 5/5 (Bonding moments, check. Deep care for one another, check. Unending trust, check. Never ending respect, check. I may not personally ship it, but the Shallura ship has it all. Congratulations Shallura shippers, you earned your 5/5)

Shidge: This ship is kinda everyone’s first ship until they learn Pidge and Shiro’s ages. 15 and 25 is a bit big of an age gap. However, if you can get passed that and the father daughter relationship they seem to have, then you’ll love this ship. They’re bonding moments are phenomenal, trust is all there, encouragement is a constant between these two, unconditional care is a definite, and there friendship is wonderful. If the two got passed the point of friendship, then I think their relationship would be lovely.

My rating- 2/5 (I’m sorry for the low rating but a ten years difference is pretty big. They both are in different parts of their lives and it’s obvious that they won’t be getting passed the father/daughter relationship they have. Their bonding moments are a friendship and love that’s different. It’s a love and a friendship between a father and his daughter. To me, it seems kind of crude to ship the two. Sorry, I’m not usually this harsh on ships, but you guys only get a 2/5)

Hance: Hunk and Lance are obviously best friends. The garrison trio are awesome in general, but these two have been best friends since the literal beginning. They’re the only ones who are raw and have nothing to hide in front of each other. They never had anything to hide. They trust and care for each other and are always bantering back and forth. Can we talk about that time in the beginning of the show when Lance thought Hunk was dead because the cave had been blown up? Let the fluff begin...

My rating- 5/5 (They've had plenty of bonding moments, aren’t really argumentative, and understand each other completely. Congrats Hance shippers, you earned your 5/5)

Hatt: I get it. If you like Pidge and Hunk, then you’ll probably like Matt and Hunk. It is literally just the gay form of Hidge. You know, just with less bonding moments. Hunk would bring out the same things in Matt that he brings out in Pidge, and they’ve already been shown to get along great. In fact, their first moment together shows them geeking out.

My rating- 4/5 (Merely for the lack of bonding moments.)

Heith: These two were kinda neutral with each other since the beginning, but then the party came. I feel like they really hit it off there. Hunk brings out Keith’s smile and I feel like he’s delicate with him. Hunk is also very patient and we all know Keith would need plenty of patience. They’ve had plenty of bonding moments and work very well together- usually with little arguments as well. They would be adorable.

My rating- 5/5 (I have to admit, even though I don’t ship any gay ships- no offense to any of you lovely shippers or ships out there, it’s just not my thing- this ship is adorable. Y’all earned your 5/5)

Huntor: Sorry, but again, huh??? This ship confuses me, because it makes even less sense than Lotidge. I need reasons and answers, please. I honestly didn’t even know this ship existed until now and I can’t make heads or tails of it. Sorry, again, I apologize to all of you lovely Huntor shippers out there!

My rating- 1/5 (I think you guys get the picture.)

Katt: Again, I get it. It’s kinda like the gay form of Kidge? Except, Matt is a little more flirtatious as well which would probably annoy Keith a bit.

My rating- 2/5 (They would end up killing each other, no offense. They’re both headstrong, Keith would be annoyed by Matt’s flirting, and they’re honestly both kinda loners. Neither would really even try. I’m sorry, but they’re not very compatible. Matt is still different from Pidge and he would probably act more similar to Pidge around Hunk because Hunk would just bring that part out in him. Keith definitely wouldn’t. Sorry, but that makes me give this ship a 2/5)

Keitor: These two would probably actually hit it off. At first, they would HATE each other (classic). But then, once they got to know each other, they would realize they have a lot more in common than they think. They both are Galra, both of their parents aren’t there for either of them, they both are determined and live rather dangerously, also they would balance each other out. Keith with his moral values, and Lotor with lack there of. Also, just saying, but Lotor saved Keith’s life.

My rating- 4/5 (Since they’re lacking bonding moments or even moments when they’re in the same room together.)

Lancelot: Lance would HATE Lotor at first. They would argue and Lance would always point out how they can’t trust him and all that. However, eventually, I think they would get along. And I think it would happen when they have to go on a mission alone together and Lance would then quickly find out that Lotor is VERY seductive. Just imagine a tomato red Lance and a smirking Lotor and I think you got the picture of how their relationship would be. All in all: lots of sexual tension, Lotor would always offer Lance backhanded encouragement, and they would just know how to deal with each other, I think.

My rating- 3/5 (Of course, like usual, they lack screen time together. Also, it would be very hard for them to get passed their hatred for each other. Their personalities would definitely clash so that’s why I’m giving this a 3/5)

Latte- This ship is definitely an entertaining one. It would be that whole scenario where Lance and Matt would fight over Allura and then suddenly realize they love each other. There would be lots of flirting, encouragement, PDA, and probably a few trust issues. However, if they could get passed their hated for each other, then I think they would totally have a very lovely relationship. A funny one at that. Pidge ships it.

My rating- 4/5 (Their hatred for each other is something that would be a bit hard to overcome. Plus, they don’t have any bonding moments and they lack a whole lot of screen time. That’s why they get 4/5)

Shance: Lance has already stated that he looks up to Shiro, which is adorable. Shiro always has and I think always will be able to deal with Lance’s antics very well. He’s patient, even though he’s still like “Nope,” some of the time. However, he sees Lance’s potential. They both see the good in each other, but neither of them point it out because they think the other is secure enough to already know the fact. And maybe Shiro is, but we all know Lance isn’t. If they could really start talking, something would spark almost immediately. I’m sure of it. I completely understand why people ship these two.

My rating- 4/5 (They’re lacking conversation with each other, much less bonding moments. Sorry, guys. It’s a sad day for you poor Shance shippers. I feel you guys, and I wish I could give you more. However, for now, it’s a 4/5)

Sharkon: Okay guys, I’m just going to come out and say it. Even if Zarkon wasn’t bad, this ship wouldn’t work out. They’re WAY too similar in the fact that they’re too focused on the big picture rather than their feelings. Neither of them would notice each other, because neither of them are very emotional people when it comes to love. They need someone to bring that out in them and neither would do that for the other. Besides, now that Zarkon is bad, this would probably be a very abusive and sadistic relationship which is not something I support. I’m really sorry guys. I get why you ship them in the aspect of sexual tension and that they’re both similar. It’s just that they’re TOO similar.

My rating- 1/5 (Again, I apologize. You can ship it if you want, that’s fine with me. But thinking from a psychological stand point, I’m giving it a 1/5)

Shatt: These two were best friends from the beginning. They’ve trusted and cared for one another since they were in the garrison. They’d trained together, fought together, and Shiro was willing to risk his life so Matt wouldn’t have to fight when he was too weak. After that, Shiro was willing to help Pidge find him and his father. So, if Matt and Shiro got together, their relationship would consist of constant banter, lots of laughter, constant protection of the other, trust, encouragement- especially from Shiro’s end, and a relationship more like a super friendship. Just um, with a lot of sexual tension.

My rating- 5/5 (You Shatt shippers earned it.)

Sheith: This ship would hold all of the stuff that’s important in a relationship. Trust, encouragement, both are terrifying in battle, a softness none of us would be able to understand, good communication, and a love that’s both fierce and soft. They would protect each other until their dying breath (unless it meant risking Voltron) and the amount of care they would hold for each other would be overwhelming. If they thought past each other as brothers- seeing how they were with each other since the beginning- then they would have an amazing relationship.

My rating- 4/5 (Shiro has to get out of the brother zone. I understand why people ship them, even though I find it weird seeing how I can’t even get past them being only brothers to each other. But if you can, then good for you. However, that still gives them a 4/5)

Shendak: This is another one of those ships. I’m sorry guys, but this, if this became a thing, it would be sadistic and abusive. I have nothing else to say about it. I’m sorry.

My rating- 0/5

Shlav: I honestly didn’t know this ship existed until now, and I’m just gonna stop you right there and say no. I think it’s more of a joke, so it’s still a no.

My rating- 1/5 (I’m not giving it a zero. No way, I’m glad it exists because I’m laughing way too hard. Bless whoever made this ship a thing.)

Shotor: Shiro and Lotor? I need help now, because there’s gotta be a reason you guys ship this. I looked it up and got nothing but headcanons for how Lotor was the one that gave Shiro his scar (interesting by the way). So please, any information on this would be nice; however, psychologically this ship doesn’t make sense to me. Thinking about their canon attitudes and the way they react to certain things, they would constantly be silently wary of each other. Neither of them would say it and they would work with each other, but Shiro wouldn’t trust him for a single second and Lotor would know. Plus, Shiro isn’t exactly the romantic type so Lotor’s seductive behavior would simply come off as a threat. They wouldn’t get along. Anyways, I apologize to all of you Shotor shippers.

My rating- 0/5 (Again, I’m really sorry. You can still ship it if you want, of course.)

Zeith: So, if Zarkon was GOOD then this would actually be adorable. Imagine good Zarkon seeing tiny, human Keith for the first time. He would turn into a stuttering mess. Keith would be confused and probably a bit clueless, until Zarkon started visiting or asking for his presence more often. Then Zarkon would find out he was part Galra and he would find him even more wonderful. And we all know how Keith is delicate and tries not to overdo things and Zarkon would just LOVE that about him. Keith would begin to realize what’s going on and I think he would fall for Zarkon. Their relationship would be a proud one that holds awe striking power. People would probably fear to be their enemies; however, once the two are alone, they would melt for each other and I think that’s cute. So I understand why people ship this.

My rating- 3/5 (Sad part about this is that Zarkon is actually bad and he’s a lot- and I mean a LOT- older than Keith which makes it weird. So, since Zarkon is bad, it would probably end up in an abusive relationship where Keith dies, or it just would never happen. This leaves me giving it a 3/5)

Alluridge: Allura and Pidge have respect for each other. They’re both strong females who are beautiful and strong in two different ways. Allura is strong physically, while Pidge’s intelligence is her strength- Allura is tall and beautiful while Pidge is small and cute. They both care for each other and understand each other on a level that none of the guys could, seeing how they’re the only two females on the team. That leaves their relationship with a huge advantage of succeeding. Pidge and Allura already try to understand each other even when they can’t- they trust each other. They have plenty of bonding moments in the show and Allura is constantly showing her pride for the fifteen year old girl.

My rating- 5/5 (This ship is really positive and wonderful. Alluridge has definitely earned 5/5)

Klance: Lance and Keith have never gotten along very well, however, I wasn’t surprised when I got into the fandom and was overwhelmed by the ship. Nevertheless, I disagree with a lot of you. Yes, they have a bonding moment. One. That Lance still denies to this day. And so, when I began to look into this ship more, I realized they wouldn’t work out. They’re fights aren’t like the fights that build sexual tension between two characters. In fact, they’re quite the opposite. It’s an unhealthy anger they hold towards each other. Lance doesn’t like Keith for a reason and that reason is because he’s always compared negatively to him. Lance is never good enough in anyone’s eyes because of Keith, and for that reason, he hates him. So, in my opinion, if anyone kept comparing me negatively to a specific person, then I wouldn’t magically fall for them because of a single bonding moment. I would still hate them. And it’s not just a single person that keeps comparing Lance to Keith, it’s EVERYONE. And he wouldn’t be able to get passed that. I wouldn’t be able able to get passed that. Yeah, so he willingly stepped aside when Keith went to go take the Black Lion and even gave him a bit of a pep talk. So? Why wouldn’t he? Lance is smart and he knew it was best for the team, whether he liked it or not. And he knew he had to set aside his personal problems for the sake of the universe. I get why people ship them and it’s totally okay with me if you do, I just know that from a personal experience, it wouldn’t work out. No matter how much you had to work with a person you had to keep trying to be.

My rating- 1/5 (Sorry, Klance shippers. I really am, but I just can’t get passed how I personally relate to Lance in this way. And this personal experience has shed a new light on this ship for me. For canon and psychological reasons, I can only give it a 1/5)

Anyways, so that’s the end! Sorry I got so in depth at the end. Oh, and I’m sorry if you read through this and your ship didn’t get the comment and rating you wanted on it. Please tell me more about the ships I asked for, because some of them I asked for more info on. I hope you enjoyed this! Please tell me what your ships are down in the comments, or reblog and name your ship. I would like to know. Anyways, thanks again.

[whatapunderfullife]

So here my feeling dump for season 4

-Keith's BOM suit is awesome

-how does the hood/mask work?

-like at first it's when he pulls down the hood

-but later the hood falls and the mask doesn't until he's in a place with air

-but even then one of the other BOM takes down their hood inside and the mask doesn't fall right away

-Keith being basically told not to save is teammates lives in BOM (aka the shattering of my heart)

-keith doing it anyways but with an excuse

-not being able to save teammates life in the end

-(can we talk about how Keith's life was saved in that moment)

-the team being mad/disappointed in Keith's BOM activities

-which I get cause he is putting lives in danger

-but at the same time he's trying to find something that could save more lives

-and the team was a bit harsh

-especially when they know Keith didn't like piloting the black lion and felt he shouldn't after Shiro came back

-speaking of is Shiro and clone?

-i still vote yes because of the subtle more reckless decisions

-and no flashback to being held especially the second time, which we know nothing about

-back to Keith leaving, when he completely left the group hug and tears

-obviously there was some bonding we didn't see for pidge and hunk to be tearing up

-letting Keith know that they are always there for him despite the fact they were a bit mad a few seconds ago was perfect

-Pidge going after Matt

-my heart

-Pidge is Matt's nickname for her and I only have more questions

-when she thought he was dead I was about to cry

-like damn it Matt couldn't you get another way to let people know where you are

-Matt straight up has a big enough bounty on his head big enough for that bounty hunter to follow pidge till she finds him

-Matt being the best and proudest big brother ever in every scene he in Pidge are in

-Matt's sir to shiro

-the way I look at it is close to Shiro , but probably wasn't until Kerberos

-so it's like situational friendship

-after all Pidge only referred to him as the Kerberos pilot in season one so obviously she wasn't that close, and if Matt and him were close at Garrison then he should have recognised her right away because you know Matt had at least one family photo

-and with everyone and everything that's happened he second guesses himself

-and Shiro's like you idiot come here

-Allura and Coran trying to find how to get milkshakes then being mortified is the purest thing.

-Coran being high but only because he really wants to help

-that Obi-Wan Kenobi joke tho

-Matt helping out Voltron but also still being his own badass freedom fighter general

-legit thought the freedom fighters were going to die

-legit thought Keith was going to die

-this seems to be the first season were it's obvious that their in a war

-Keith and Pidge have people die in front of them

-the freedom fight memorial

-the final fight and strategy behind it

-like we always knew but now it's affecting the pladians daily life

-Lotor straight up killing his general

-my feeling for him did a 180 cause before I was like he's a bad dude but he looks out for his people

-yet at the same time he doesn't turn on the other generals when they turn on him, doesn't try and fight

-just accept that they've gotta do what they've gotta do and he broke their trust

-honestly I want to know more about him because I could see myself being more lenient to him

-the shows were funny, till they weren't

-they were obviously Lance attempt at normal

-but when Allura had to be Keith and Hunk was the butt of the jokes I was out

-pidge room and all the niknaks in it and the fuzz creatures and the fact it was a mess

- probably a lot more I want to talk about but forgot because there was so much

[darkzeruda1214]

Honestly everyone shares similar traits...

This little post I made was inspired by these arts:

https://66.media.tumblr.com/598fae55f449884392134c391abb3c8b/tumblr_pvgqn24Z8m1x2shy8o1_r5_1280.jpg

https://www.deviantart.com/yoruven/art/KH-cos-over-Digimon-Sora-and-Xion-285391073

And I know there are other arts out of there that share this crossover, (and it doesn’t help that two main characters share Sora as a name)

But beyond that small detail, I figured it would be fun to think about what crests the KH character might have.

Granted, I think everyone shares a bit of each crest’s characteristics especially Sora.

But beyond that here we go:

Sora

Now for this little cinnamon roll, I can tell you that it was rather hard what crest to give him, because with the exception of Knowledge he could piratically have any crest give what kind of character he is. And I will admit the Crest of Courage was really tempting, and it could be because of how courageous Sora really is, willing to go headfirst into battle and save his friends or anyone in need. He’s willing to put his own needs behind him to help others. Which also made him ideal for Reliability(Sincerity in the Japanese version),

and Crest of Sincerity(purity in Japanese)

because of his pure carefree nature also because how honest Sora is and how he always keeps his promises if he can help it. Light was also a good candidate but I think another character earned that crest. And so on, I can name every crest but we’ll be here all day if I did.

So in the end the crest I gave him was:  

Friendship.

I mean I think it would be criminal if I didn’t give him the Crest of Friendship. This guy is the literal embodiment of Friendship. Cause as we all know it once you enter Sora’s friendship circle there’s no getting out of it. Also: “my friends are my power!”

But to be fair I think courage was a close second with Light and Miracles following up after. (But again, he’s good with any crest besides knowledge lol) 

...

Riku

Now Riku’s crest was... rather little tricky to figure out. Considering how many trials this guy went through in order to get where he is. And while I know people would be questioning why it’s not friendship because that was Matt’s crest and because of how Matt and Riku had the same personality in a sense. And I do agree with you, but I think the crest that matched him the best had to be:

Crest of Reliability.

I think more or less it also had to do with the fact that after Riku went through all that struggles, to me the Reliability aspect fit him well because he’s willing to go through thick and thin for his friends as well. He’s willing to die for Sora and Kairi and is always consider himself responsible for his actions after he fought the darkness within him. Chain of Memories is good example. He took on the role of being Sora’s protector as well not taking the easy route out when Naminé offered to alter his memories of his past with the darkness and getting rid of Ansem with it. Instead he took on the challenge and took over his past mistakes head on. And to me, that makes him as reliable as any person. (Also since the crest is also sincerity in Japanese, I think it also fit’s Riku because of how much he genuinely cares for his friends and is also a man of his word).  

...

Kairi

Let’s be real.

Her crest is Light.

She get’s the Crest of Light to represent her role as a princess of Heart, I think that was her biggest defining trait, and just how much of a pure-hearted character she truly is. And it’s been proven in the anime that the crest of Hope and Light were the strongest crests. Which also brings in the next crests that would fit her.

Hope and Love.

Hope because of how powerful that integral is, and Kairi has shown to simply hope and it always works for her. And love because of her feelings towards her friends. Though, the whole Princess of Heart really took over, so Light was obviously the best crest that described her the most.  

...

Roxas

Okay, so we finally get to the harder challenges.

Roxas was a character that took me a while to figure out, but I think in the end:

The Crest of Hope to me spoke the most for Roxas’ character. I think the thing that made me believe he has the Crest of Hope had to the amount of faith he had in his friends and how much resistance he had against Organization XIII (which are the team of Darkness in this case) it showed how powerful of a character he is. Also, it doesn’t help that Roxas’ power is “the light within the darkness.” (The hope that evil tries to cover)  

The other Crest I was tempted to give him was the Crest of Destiny namely because he was dubbed the “Key of Destiny.” But I personally think hope fit the bill just a little more.

...  

Xion

Her’s was a little on the tricky side as well, but I think...

The Crest of Kindness held the best attribute to her. Xion is a sweet character who I personally think was misjudged from the start, and despite this when she begins to get her own identity she begins to show how much of caring and sweet character she is. (The manga made her especially kind and adorable!) And to me, the Crest of Kindness was pretty close to Light in a way, which sorta reflects Kairi as well. So I think this was a nice one to give her. I think the crest that came pretty close as well was Hope and Sincerity. Hope because of how much she thought to be with her friends for as long as possible and Sincerity because of how much of an honest character she was. But I think Kindness worked the best for her.

...

Axel

Okay... this one might spark up a little debate, and I don’t blame you if you think otherwise... cause even I wasn’t sure about this one either:

Courage.

Now I know what some of you are thinking. How is he the Crest of Courage? Well one, it represents fire, that’s a given. But I think this crests represents his actions in general rather than his personality. Sorta like Kairi, while Light may not necessarily be the whole picture of Kairi’s character, but I think the crest also can represent the effect on the person as a whole.

And I think what Axel did does represent courage as a whole. More or less starting the second he left the organization. And sure it could be considered a bit cowardly since he didn’t leave at first, but afterwards when Roxas disappeared it made him realized that, and he left the group entirely. Sure he went into hiding, but in the end he didn’t think twice to help the trinity trio and help fight against the Dusks, and later on saving Even going as far as saving Sora and becoming a Keyblade Wielder to help fight against the true Organization XIII in KH3, and facing Xenmas (granted, not ending too well) but he showed no fear to him even as he was essentially dying.

The only other crest I think would suite him were Sincerity and Friendship, perhaps even Love .

I’m not too 100 percent with Courage, so if you disagree with me on this, I totally get you on it.

...

Aqua

Oh boy... she was a bit of doozy to figure out what crest matched her the best. But in the end,

The Crest of Love had the most impact for her character.

The second being Friendship, but let’s be real Sora earned that one by a long shot lol

But I think Love held a similar effect and honestly to me it fits Aqua more as a character because of the love for her friends. Now I think I know what some of you readers are thinking. But isn’t love for something romantic. And while yes, that’s true, but there are different kinds of Love. Take Digimon Sora for instance, her Crest of Love activated for her loving and caring nature for Biomon, which allowed her to evolve. I don’t think Sora loved Biomon in a romantic sense for the crest to activate.

The same is for Aqua since, she is already a self-sacrificing character and is willing to so anything for her friends. Going as far as making sure Ven was safe before going to search for Terra and even letting her take his place in entering the realm of Darkness instead. And the whole opening in Fragmentary Passage, shows her trying to fight for her friends and trying to save them no matter what happens to her.

To me Aqua is one of the most strongest characters in KH and I think Love is huge aspect to her character and thus I believe she get’s the Crest of Love.

*Though Knowledge was considered, since she’s a really smart character herself.

...

Ventus

Ima straight out, he was one of the easiest characters to think which would go, cause the first that came to mind was:

The Crest of Sincerity

And no. Not just because his Wayfinder is green.

But I personally think Sincerity was the best crest for our little bundle of Joy namely because I think Ventus was one of the most earnest and purest characters in the series as whole (not including the Disney or Final Fantasy characters). He’s a boy with a pure heart who wanted nothing more to make friends and find his older brother, Terra.

I think more or less the way how he saw both Aqua and Terra was basically family to him and he wanted nothing more than for both of them to be happy and safe. And I think his actions were genuine and caring. The crest I felt suited him was Destiny and Friendship, but in this case I don’t think Destiny had much to offer since it wasn’t revealed until towards the end what happened and what master Xehanort wanted to do. And because of this, he knew that both Terra and Aqua were going to get hurt because of him, so he knew that if anything were to happen he asked them to put an end to him. I’ve never seen him be so serious and sincere during his entire story arc than that moment right then and there.

...

Terra

...

Okay... I will admit it, Terra was the hardest character to classify him as to what crest he would get.

It really was, I had been theorizing, debating and overall looking up information to know what kind of character he is and what are the traits to the overall Digi Destine Crests. Because of this I had to extend to the extra two crests:

Crest of Miracles

Crest of Destiny

And while Crest of Courage was close, I think Axel won that spot (though it’s very subject to change tbh)

So the only one I thought would fit Terra the most was:

Crest of Destiny

The biggest reason was because it was a big factor to his arc. Terra has been presumed to already have this “fate” that his story was going to go down as Xehanort would control and take over his body. Terra was doomed to be in this Destiny.

And Terra has shown to be rather resilient but at the same time vulnerable. Since his failure in the Mark of Mastery exam, he wanted nothing more than to prove to everyone that has what it takes. Jokes aside, I do believe Terra wanted to create his own Destiny by his own hands. Show that he can do things on his own and prove to Master Eraqus that he too can become a master like Aqua. Like his father.

But other than that I do think Crest of Courage would be the next one, because he stood firm in what he believed in and was willing to face his master, his father to protect his little brother at all costs.

...

BONUS!

Now there’s a limit amount of Crests to give everyone, so I will repeat some because I believe this characters can get these crests as well if given the AU chance.

...

Naminé    

While she may be a part of Kairi, I do believe her to be her own character with her own thoughts and morals. And to me the:

Crest of Sincerity fit her bill the best. She’s kind and honest with her words, while yes she did essentially lie to Sora, however that wasn’t out of her free will. She was forced to do it because of the rebellious Organization members. And when it came down to it, she did what was right, even if it meant she would be hurt or killed.

She was honest to Sora and Riku in the end and did everything she could to help Xion and Roxas despite what others told or forced her to do.

Otherwise I think the crest of Kindness would also work for her

...

Vanitas

Oh boy, this guy is also a doozy to figure what crest would fit him. Especially concerning his dark sadistic nature.

But I think by the end of the day...

The Crest of Destiny

Similar reason to Terra, because from the start he’s already been created for the sole reason to do what Xehanort wanted. The X-blade. And to me, we never really got to see much of another reason for Vanitas sticking around and be the lovable jerk that he is. Other than that he wants to fuse with Ven again, I never really saw much more that his charisma.

But because of that, great personality or not, there’s not much I can offer beyond since the Crests are representative of good and “light”

So giving him another crest wasn’t exactly too easy.  

Also the crest is gold, like his eyes lol

...

Replica Riku

Or Repliku as many fans like to name him. I believe he earned a spot on this list, he may be a copy but in a way I still like to consider him as a separate character with an altered personality.

Believe it or not, but I think Crest of Love could fit him.

This may be, or not be because of KH3. How he sacrificed himself to save Riku and Naminé. I wouldn’t doubt (regardless it was because of how Naminé was forced to alter his memories) he really did care a great deal for her. Giving up the possibility of getting a body of his own to save Naminé.

Whether he loved her as a friend, or something more, (that’s completely up to the perspective). But in the end he paid the price for her, and even cared enough to help Riku with his own struggles. It may have cost him his life, but to him... it was worth it

...

Saïx/Isa

Yes.

I’m adding our cynical blue haired lovable a-hole here.

Namely KH3 inspired me to add him, that and I saw a picture where someone put the trios as squads instead and Saïx was also added in.

And I totally support it. So he’s here whether you guys like it or not lol

But beyond that detail...

Knowledge

Finally someone who got the Crest of Knowledge!

While I do know the Crest of Sincerity might be a close second because I never saw Saïx as a liar. Even when he was a bad guy he never lied on screen. Sure he may have manipulated the situation during his time as Saïx in the Organization he’s never really told a lie.

But at the same time I think Knowledge fits him the best because of how practical smart he was. Sure he was a fierce combatant in battle (I’m sure Sora and Roxas can back that statement up). But I don’t think he got a rank so high up and get promoted by Xenmas as second in command because he was just strong, otherwise that would’ve been given to Lexaeus considering the ax he carries around and his element is earth. He was pretty paitent and even helped Vexen sneak around helping the others in KH3

(cause I can’t imagine another character wanting to help bring Roxas back and to “atone” for his mistakes) And the way how Demyx reacted sure indicated whoever was this “guilty person” is had to be the last person to wanna go against the organization. Especially since this “he was one of the chosen.”

And to be able to do that, it must take not only a lot of guts (maybe it should be courage instead) or incredibly smart to accomplish that without being caught.

Otherwise the only KH characters that comes close to the Crest of Knowledge is Zexion/Ienzo and Vexen/Even and Ansem the Wise, Yen Sid... —

...

Okay. Maybe a LOT of characters... but you get the gif

Well that’s pretty much it for now, hope you guys enjoyed this

Also Crest of Sincerity really went around in this one 

[illtalktoyoureyes-blog]

PODCAST BROS. AU

I. Bros being bros and podcasting about nerd shit.

II. The podcast has approximately four listeners, the most dedicated among them being Mike's mom. (Mike has repeatedly told his mother not to listen because it "makes him nervous.") This number fluctuates depending on the time of day, the weather, and the amount of disparaging remarks  Dustin makes about the DC cinematic universe.

III. There is much discussion of comic books, superheroes, table top games, film adaptations, sci-fi and fantasy authors, ethics in journalism, cosplay, the Nintendo switch, what the hell is taking George R. R. Martin so long does he understand his readership will probably be dead before he publishes another book? and other topics salient to college-age nerds under the impression their dedication to their hobbies could someday pay their bills.

IV. Following in the illustrious footsteps of Matt Bessar, they live-stream their Saturday night D&D games. (Dustin: Hey guys, just wanted to give you a quick update. Mike's basement is still disgusting.") The results range from palatable mediocrity to hitherto unseen levels of chaos. The comments page would be a mess...you know, if people left comments.

V. Their first guest is an amazing, unbelievable get. El Ives has written four volumes of the Wizards of Gale series- a staggering, gorgeous epic chronicling the coming of age of a young psychically gifted warrior traversing a galactic wasteland in search of her true purpose-in the last three years. She's gone on national tours, topped sci-fi best-seller lists, and was proposed to roughly thirty-seven times at New York comic-con. Naturally, the dudes freak out, but Mike's is the most memorable melt down. He talks to himself in the mirror in a pre-interview hype session, he drops his note cards, stares for inappropriate lengths of time, and generally makes everyone ridiculously uncomfortable.

VI. After the stress of her tour, the casual atmosphere of the podcast (with the exception of the host who makes tense, terrifying eye contact with her before avoiding her gaze for the rest of the day) is a novelty El is reluctant to relinquish. This explains hanging around Hawkins ("You're welcome to stay at our place." Dustin volunteers before Mike can open his large, endlessly stupid mouth.) despite having deadlines, and interviews and a whole life in Manhattan. They take her to all their lame hang-outs and Mike dies several deaths due to sheer embarrassment (Humiliate Wheeler To Death Tour 2017!)

VII. This is the thing. The thing is this: despite the fact that they've been doing this for like, four months, and no one is even really listening Mike is still absurdly nervous on air? Lucas and Dustin are naturals and Will chimes in when he really wants to make a point (he's often drowned out by the intensity of Dustin\Lucas debates but whenever he manages to incline his chin toward the mic and deliver his statements in the softest, least antagonistic voice ever created, his points are salient and logical and even occasionally border on poignant) but it take s Mike at least fifteen minutes to get comfortable uttering opinions he has no trouble voicing off air. It's disconcerting and weird, and he's envious of the casual way his friends interact on air. They're natural, as if there aren't any disparities between their on air personalities and their real life ones. They're completely comfortable, Mike has to calm down, close his eyes, remember his pre-air inspirational speech, really center himself before he can engage in way that's even close to natural. (Even then, his voice is a touch too high, his sentences come out blunt and semi-intelligible, and his jokes feel more like passive aggressive indictments of other people's moral characters than "ha ha" funnies. These delightful and attractive flaws are only exacerbated by the prolonged presence of one of his literary heroes who, in addition to being funny, clever, sincere, brutally honest, and genuinely down for anything re: appearing on a D&D role-playing channel with four losers, has the audacity to love Ray Bradbury and Farscape as much as he does. It's the fucking rudest.)

VIII. To make matters worse, she loves his friends. Lucas is the most charming mother fucker alive (dude has a certificate!) and Mike hates him for the ease with which he makes El laugh so hard she cries. He then hates himself for hating Lucas, up until the asshole does it again and El looks happier than a ten year old who was just informed she gets to live at Disney Land. Witnessing the vast depths of El's joy is probably the purest experience Mike ever has. Said joy is a product of Lucas recounting any number of stories starring himself as the witty, amazing, bad ass of their high school tenure. So, dilemma. She and Will exchange book recommendations, karaoke Fridays at Lester's is forever altered the moment she and Dustin duet on a gentle, soul-melting rendition of Head Over Heels (they're terrible singers, but the power man, the subtle emotive, power) and Lucas, Lucas is everywhere, buying her drinks, and talking about how there are certain paragraphs in book three he wants to live in, and complimenting her buzz cut, and constantly and at all times making her laugh so long, and hard and with her entire body and it's so fucking unfair Mike can't actually-

IX. In local news, Lucas and Dustin are living in a shoebox across the river from Mike's house. Will is over so often he is repeatedly mistaken for a piece of furniture. He has his own shelf in the fridge (the middle), his own snacks in the cabinet (fig newtons are more than fruit and cake) and coconut shampoo he's neglected to take home and which is become the official property of the estate. Dustin likes to think of his abode as a sovereign nation, wants desperately to draw up a constitution and design a flag. Lucas likes to think of his casa as a Dustin-free zone, and is disappointed upon opening his door and finding reality has very much crushed his hopes and dreams. There is very little sleep, the occupants are lucky to claim several consecutive hours of unconsciousness. Instead, there are twitch marathons, Netflix binges, LOTR re-watches, and intense, lengthy debates over the merits of Zack Snyder being shot into space verses the efficiency of simply setting him ablaze.

X. Will is fond of lying on the couch, or on the window seat or on the floor next to Lucas' mattress and telling him all the ideas that his ridiculous brain ushers forth when he can't sleep. Lucas gently reminds him of the graphic novel he's kind of, sort of, a little bit working on-the thing he starts last year and politely but stubbornly refuses to show him any more pages once Lucas becomes a living, breathing reminder that Will could maybe think about possibly publishing it because It's Good. To be fair, saying the words aloud, letting them take shape in the air is almost like working on it. It's very, very close.

XI. Eventually, Mike realizes that contrary to initial reports, he's actually jealous of two people. Yes Lucas making El laugh is fairly fucking infuriating, but so is the knowledge that Lucas is trying so hard to make someone laugh, and that that someone (for reasons he is painfully, intimately familiar with) is NOT him. Pre-graduation, post-two a.m.  silent, sexuality-specific  realization that takes place in an Arby's parking lot, Mike and Lucas are the most accurate visual representation for best friendship that has ever, or will ever live. Their bond is unshakable, the stuff of Census Bearu legend, the canniest, most argumentative, absurdly affectionate, gleefully contrary pairing so robust and unrelenting it caused even the most patient members of their tight-knit Indiana State study circle to routinely throw up their hands and avert their eyes, yelling, "That's enough! Put it away!" One sunny, late-fall afternoon, they're picking up the thread of an ongoing Alien vs. Aliens debate (Lucas: I'm so glad your mom's not here to listen to her son humiliate himself like this. It would break her heart.") which has ascended to the intensity level that warrants standing very close and screaming as though they are not standing very close, when quite suddenly, they are no longer arguing. The discovery of another item in a long list of things they are hopelessly good at when they combine their talents, takes up the entire afternoon and most of the evening. The surprised, but strong, and ultimately righteous sense of joy\awe is conflated by the subdued, giddy knowledge that what has been in the past for Mike a rare and somewhat lackluster experience, and for Lucas, a little less rare but equally mediocre 'event' currently feels like the wide expanse of potentiality specific to scientific exploration. So there's that.

XII. It doesn't last too long, when he allows himself to think about it Mike abjectly refuses to liken the duration of the event to anything stupid, like a metaphor about supernovas. That would be dumb. And crass. And in poor taste. Plus, he hardly ever thinks about it ever, so there's that. Anyway, Mike dropping out of Indiana state and returning to the cocoon of his mother's basement is a completely unrelated event that never ever needs to be recounted, not even for posterity, except to say that it's unrelated to anything going on in his life at the moment. And it's okay, because he and Lucas are still ridiculously close friends and it's never even awkward except for the few occasions wherein Mike succumbs to jealously, before becoming confused about exactly whom he's jealous off. After he figures it out, he's moody and distant and the podcast gets Weird in only the way Mike can make it. El is confused, 'cause once the dude stops staring and actually says a few words to her, he's kind of cool in this completely doofy way. Lucas eventually plops on the end of Mike's bed, allows Mike to put his dirty, uncivilized sneakers all over his fairly expensive pants and makes a fumbling preamble that might as well be called Intro to Awk Con. It goes okay. Mike's just tired and Lucas co-signs with  a sigh, and a story about his sister, and they talk around it because it's still-they-can't-There's grumbling about the complete absence of something that could even be mistaken for a fan base, and Dustin's rants, and a general consensus on the awesomeness of El and they both feel better after that.

XIII. Lucas might have a supremely underdeveloped thing for Will? It's like, super embryonic, not even worth thinking about much less trying to explain out loud to Will's face while he stands there looking cute and curious and hesitant about the stupid notebook he's been doodling in for like a year, even though what little bits Lucas has seen of the novel that Will's mortified about having written  is so good he'd buy it tomorrow if Will would only deign to finish the damn thing. Yeah. So El hangs around Hawkins, after slaving away in his emotional garden wearing a wide-brim hat and too much sunscreen, Mike manages to grow the courage necessary to ask her to dine at his mom's house (yes, his mom has had El over for dinner roughly a thousand times, and yes her laugsana  with the signature sauce has become one of El's favorite dishes, but owing to the fact that Mike has spent ninety-five percent of those roughly thousands of evenings in his room melting down and wishing he was a person who could handle this shit, they don't actually count.), Will finishes his summer drawing course at the learning annex, because his phone storage is unable to contend with the sheer volume of photos he takes of and with El in the last couple of weeks\months (?) Dustin gets Instagram and instantly gains a thousand followers, and Lucas comes to the conclusion that's actually amazing at this podcast thing? Like honestly, he's very talented. And he's never taken one communication course!

XIV. El heads back to New York, promising to visit when she can. Mike admirably hides his heartbreak, and gallantly takes his frustration out on a pacman machine during their afternoon at the arcade. (Mike Wheeler: Frustrated Bisexual) A couple months later, they all receive signed copies of the next Wizards of Gale book with special messages scribbled on the inside covers. A couple of weeks before that, they post their El interview, and the site it takes Dustin two, painful, sleepless weeks to build experiences a significant amount of traffic for the first time in its uneventful little life. Everyone freaks out and facetimes El who's mid interview on the Teresa Watkins show, and that's how they attain their first television interview. (El: I'm sorry, this is so unprofessional. Do you mind?)

XV. Bros being bros, podcasting about nerd shit. (Dustin: How were you received by the dudebro cheeto dust contingent? I assume they're treating you well? They're super classy individuals.)

XVI. Oh, and Hopper is El's manager\literary agent? Okay? Okay.

[blacklionshiro-backup]

1. Voltron, 2. Kallura, 3. Hunk

From this

Voltron:

Favorite character: Shiro, hands down.

Least Favorite character: Huh.. Matt? Prorok? We don’t know anything about them so they’re definitely the ones I care about the least.

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): This is the worst question to ask a multishipper… Keith/Shiro, Hunk/Lance, Lance/Shiro, Keith/Hunk and platonic Keith/Pidge, in no specific order.

Character I find most attractive: Shiro… hands down again haha.

Character I would marry: Allura.

Character I would be best friends with: Hunk, hands down. He’s just the kind of person I have the easiest way befriending.

A random thought: Black is responsible for Shiro’s disappearance. She did it to protect him from harm and he was sent back in time to the time Zarkon and Alfor were still building her out of that meteor.

An unpopular opinion: Keith will become a fantastic leader, kl/an/ce is not canon, Lotor will not be as ruthless as his previous counterpart, Allura and Haggar will have a defining breakthrough moment, Keith will pilot Black temporarily but ultimately no one belongs to Black like Shiro does, the lack of Samuel makes me believe he’s already dead, redemption ark for Haggar like HNNNGH

My canon OTP:

Non-canon OTP: Keith/Shiro

Most badass character: Hunk and Coran are the purest badasses of this team, fight me.

Pairing I am not a fan of: Matt/Shiro.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Hunk.

Favorite friendship: Keith and Pidge, Shiro and Keith.

Character I want to adopt or be adopted by: SHIRO

Kallura:

When or if I started shipping it: The first moment I started to see the ship was when I found out Keith and Allura were canon in previous iterations of the series, but I didn’t actually get into it until the producers mentioned in the podcast that they’d have a bonding moment in season. It consolidated when I watched 2x6, that was so good.

My thoughts: Really cute ship, lots of potential, love that Allura was being irrational towards him and apologized for it, she’s great.

What makes me happy about them: Allura recognizing that Keith was part of the team and of the family, and apologizing. That was such an amazing moment.

What makes me sad about them: The fact that both are orphans and, for a time, Allura saw him as nothing more as the same as the people who committed genocide against her people. I’m glad she sorted that one out though. Still, they’re both orphans...

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I actually don’t read fanfic enough to answer this properly. :( I guess heteronormative and/or sexist things? Like, I get that some people want Allura to have traits it’s often attached to stereotypes and I’m not going to fight anyone about this because hey, you do you, but that’s not my thing at all so anything involving either of them being written like typical heteronormative romance novel couple is enough for me to stay away.

Things I look for in fanfic: Character development and relationship building. Allura taking the first step and accepting Keith as he is was necessary in order for her to regain his trust and to start trusting in him again, but that won’t deconstruct her prejudice overnight. She needs to work in destroying her own preconceived ideas herself or it won’t work out.

My kinks: Women being in control in bed 👌👌👌

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Keith/Shiro and Allura/another girl that we’ll hopefully meet in one of the upcoming seasons 🙏

My happily ever after for them: Safe and sound, they enter a relationship after Zarkon’s empire is dealt with.

Hunk:

How I feel about this character: PRECIOUS CUTE LEG

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Shay, Shiro, Lance, Keith, Allura, hmm… did I miss anyone? Hopefully not…

My non-romantic OTP for this character: both Lance and Pidge fit this like a glove.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don’t think I have any??? Anything I can think of like Hunk deserves better is already popular haha

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Development outside of food jokes…

My het ship: Hunk/Allura.

My fem/slash ship: Torn among Keith, Shiro and Lance… I can’t pick one… Shiro/Lance/Keith/Hunk OT4 pls and thank.

My OTP: See above.

My OT3: Pffft, weak. Shiro/Lance/Keith/Hunk/Allura is the only acceptable OT5.

My cross over ship:

My kink: THEM BIG HANDS BEING PUT TO GOOD USE. Also dem arm. and HIS THIGHS

A headcanon fact: Loves to cook for others but hate it when it’s for himself alone. It feels like a waste. Can get panicky over small things but his friends never question him, always show support instead.

My gender bend:

[tvdoriginal]

8x10

Alright let’s jump in (insert Corbin Bleu)

Okay so I cried about 3 1/2 close to four times in this episode.

When Caroline saw her mom, when Bonnie saw her Grams, when Damon told Stefan he loves him, and when Damon recited his letter to Bonnie.

I still feel bad for Caroline. I mean come on, just give her the wedding she wants.

Bonnie went jogging which is the most normal thing that’s happened in the show.

Matt and his dad. I’m really glad that Zach finally has a plot line as Matt and how his dad is seen more than his mom who showed up for like, one episode. And he asked his dad to kill him so then Mystic Falls wouldn’t have to go down and his life would mean something. *sobs*

WHAT I APPRECIATED:

Seeing Vicki Donovan, Sheriff Forbes, Tyler Lockwood,and Grams again. Really refreshing and nice.

Matt and Damon talking after Damon saved Matt. Damon apologized for what he did to Vicki and he knows that Matt will probably never forgive him but they still talked everything - well main things - out and it was really nice to see. Even though they aren’t friends, they are tolerant of each other and you can see how their interactions have evolved from S1.

Bamon. Damon’s letter to Bonnie was one of the purest things on this show (to me.) This is another friendship that you’ve seen grow and evolve from Season one. Bonnie hated Damon and now they’re best friends and it’s all just so great.

Defan. When Damon forgave Stefan for forcing him to turn into a vampire.

Next week brings more threats. Sybil and Seline are presumably dead and Cade is making Damon kill 100 evil strangers or kill Caroline.

Until next week!

[fenton-bus]

PODCAST BROS. AU

I. Bros being bros and podcasting about nerd stuff.

II. The podcast has approximately four listeners, the most dedicated among them being Mike's mom. (Mike has repeatedly told his mother not to listen because it "makes him nervous.") This number fluctuates depending on the time of day, the weather, and the amount of disparaging remarks  Dustin makes about the DC cinematic universe.

III. There is much discussion of comic books, superheroes, table top games, film adaptations, sci-fi and fantasy authors, ethics in journalism, cosplay, the Nintendo switch, what the hell is taking George R. R. Martin so long does he understand his readership will probably be dead before he publishes another book? and other topics salient to college-age nerds under the impression their dedication to their hobbies could someday pay their bills.

IV. Following in the illustrious footsteps of Matt Bessar, they live-stream their Saturday night D&D games. (Dustin: Hey guys, just wanted to give you a quick update. Mike's basement is still disgusting.") The results range from palatable mediocrity to hitherto unseen levels of chaos. The comments page would be a mess...you know, if people left comments.

V. Their first guest is an amazing, unbelievable get. El Ives has written four volumes of the Wizards of Gale series- a staggering, gorgeous epic chronicling the coming of age of a young psychically gifted warrior traversing a galactic wasteland in search of her true purpose-in the last three years. She's gone on national tours, topped sci-fi best-seller lists, and was proposed to roughly thirty-seven times at New York comic-con. Naturally, the dudes freak out, but Mike's is the most memorable melt down. He talks to himself in the mirror in a pre-interview hype session, he drops his note cards, stares for inappropriate lengths of time, and generally makes everyone ridiculously uncomfortable.

VI. After the stress of her tour, the casual atmosphere of the podcast (with the exception of the host who makes tense, terrifying eye contact with her before avoiding her gaze for the rest of the day) is a novelty El is reluctant to relinquish. This explains hanging around Hawkins ("You're welcome to stay at our place." Dustin volunteers before Mike can open his large, endlessly stupid mouth.) despite having deadlines, and interviews and a whole life in Manhattan. They take her to all their lame hang-outs and Mike dies several deaths due to sheer embarrassment (Humiliate Wheeler To Death Tour 2017!)

VII. This is the thing. The thing is this: despite the fact that they've been doing this for like, four months, and no one is even really listening Mike is still absurdly nervous on air? Lucas and Dustin are naturals and Will chimes in when he really wants to make a point (he's often drowned out by the intensity of Dustin\Lucas debates but whenever he manages to incline his chin toward the mic and deliver his statements in the softest, least antagonistic voice ever created, his points are salient and logical and even occasionally border on poignant) but it take s Mike at least fifteen minutes to get comfortable uttering opinions he has no trouble voicing off air. It's disconcerting and weird, and he's envious of the casual way his friends interact on air. They're natural, as if there aren't any disparities between their on air personalities and their real life ones. They're completely comfortable, Mike has to calm down, close his eyes, remember his pre-air inspirational speech, really center himself before he can engage in way that's even close to natural. (Even then, his voice is a touch too high, his sentences come out blunt and semi-intelligible, and his jokes feel more like passive aggressive indictments of other people's moral characters than "ha ha" funnies. These delightful and attractive flaws are only exacerbated by the prolonged presence of one of his literary heroes who, in addition to being funny, clever, sincere, brutally honest, and genuinely down for anything re: appearing on a D&D role-playing channel with four losers, has the audacity to love Ray Bradbury and Farscape as much as he does. It's the fucking rudest.)

VIII. To make matters worse, she loves his friends. Lucas is the most charming mother fucker alive (dude has a certificate!) and Mike hates him for the ease with which he makes El laugh so hard she cries. He then hates himself for hating Lucas, up until the asshole does it again and El looks happier than a ten year old who was just informed she gets to live at Disney Land. Witnessing the vast depths of El's joy is probably the purest experience Mike ever has. Said joy is a product of Lucas recounting any number of stories starring himself as the witty, amazing, bad ass of their high school tenure. So, dilemma. She and Will exchange book recommendations, karaoke Fridays at Lester's is forever altered the moment she and Dustin duet on a gentle, soul-melting rendition of Head Over Heels (they're terrible singers, but the power man, the subtle emotive, power) and Lucas, Lucas is everywhere, buying her drinks, and talking about how there are certain paragraphs in book three he wants to live in, and complimenting her buzz cut, and constantly and at all times making her laugh so long, and hard and with her entire body and it's so fucking unfair Mike can't actually-

IX. In local news, Lucas and Dustin are living in a shoebox across the river from Mike's house. Will is over so often he is repeatedly mistaken for a piece of furniture. He has his own shelf in the fridge (the middle), his own snacks in the cabinet (fig newtons are more than fruit and cake) and coconut shampoo he's neglected to take home and which is become the official property of the estate. Dustin likes to think of his abode as a sovereign nation, wants desperately to draw up a constitution and design a flag. Lucas likes to think of his casa as a Dustin-free zone, and is disappointed upon opening his door and finding reality has very much crushed his hopes and dreams. There is very little sleep, the occupants are lucky to claim several consecutive hours of unconsciousness. Instead, there are twitch marathons, Netflix binges, LOTR re-watches, and intense, lengthy debates over the merits of Zack Snyder being shot into space verses the efficiency of simply setting him ablaze.

X. Will is fond of lying on the couch, or on the window seat or on the floor next to Lucas' mattress and telling him all the ideas that his ridiculous brain ushers forth when he can't sleep. Lucas gently reminds him of the graphic novel he's kind of, sort of, a little bit working on-the thing he starts last year and politely but stubbornly refuses to show him any more pages once Lucas becomes a living, breathing reminder that Will could maybe think about possibly publishing it because It's Good. To be fair, saying the words aloud, letting them take shape in the air is almost like working on it. It's very, very close.

XI. Eventually, Mike realizes that contrary to initial reports, he's actually jealous of two people. Yes Lucas making El laugh is fairly fucking infuriating, but so is the knowledge that Lucas is trying so hard to make someone laugh, and that that someone (for reasons he is painfully, intimately familiar with) is NOT him. Pre-graduation, post-two a.m.  silent, sexuality-specific  realization that takes place in an Arby's parking lot, Mike and Lucas are the most accurate visual representation for best friendship that has ever, or will ever live. Their bond is unshakable, the stuff of Census Bearu legend, the canniest, most argumentative, absurdly affectionate, gleefully contrary pairing so robust and unrelenting it caused even the most patient members of their tight-knit Indiana State study circle to routinely throw up their hands and avert their eyes, yelling, "That's enough! Put it away!" One sunny, late-fall afternoon, they're picking up the thread of an ongoing Alien vs. Aliens debate (Lucas: I'm so glad your mom's not here to listen to her son humiliate himself like this. It would break her heart.") which has ascended to the intensity level that warrants standing very close and screaming as though they are not standing very close, when quite suddenly, they are no longer arguing. The discovery of another item in a long list of things they are hopelessly good at when they combine their talents, takes up the entire afternoon and most of the evening. The surprised, but strong, and ultimately righteous sense of joy\awe is conflated by the subdued, giddy knowledge that what has been in the past for Mike a rare and somewhat lackluster experience, and for Lucas, a little less rare but equally mediocre 'event' currently feels like the wide expanse of potentiality specific to scientific exploration. So there's that.

XII. It doesn't last too long, when he allows himself to think about it Mike abjectly refuses to liken the duration of the event to anything stupid, like a metaphor about supernovas. That would be dumb. And crass. And in poor taste. Plus, he hardly ever thinks about it ever, so there's that. Anyway, Mike dropping out of Indiana state and returning to the cocoon of his mother's basement is a completely unrelated event that never ever needs to be recounted, not even for posterity, except to say that it's unrelated to anything going on in his life at the moment. And it's okay, because he and Lucas are still ridiculously close friends and it's never even awkward except for the few occasions wherein Mike succumbs to jealously, before becoming confused about exactly whom he's jealous off. After he figures it out, he's moody and distant and the podcast gets Weird in only the way Mike can make it. El is confused, 'cause once the dude stops staring and actually says a few words to her, he's kind of cool in this completely doofy way. Lucas eventually plops on the end of Mike's bed, allows Mike to put his dirty, uncivilized sneakers all over his fairly expensive pants and makes a fumbling preamble that might as well be called Intro to Awk Con. It goes okay. Mike's just tired and Lucas co-signs with  a sigh, and a story about his sister, and they talk around it because it's still-they-can't-There's grumbling about the complete absence of something that could even be mistaken for a fan base, and Dustin's rants, and a general consensus on the awesomeness of El and they both feel better after that.

XIII. Lucas might have a supremely underdeveloped thing for Will? It's like, super embryonic, not even worth thinking about much less trying to explain out loud to Will's face while he stands there looking cute and curious and hesitant about the stupid notebook he's been doodling in for like a year, even though what little bits Lucas has seen of the novel that Will's mortified about having written  is so good he'd buy it tomorrow if Will would only deign to finish the damn thing. Yeah. So El hangs around Hawkins, after slaving away in his emotional garden wearing a wide-brim hat and too much sunscreen, Mike manages to grow the courage necessary to ask her to dine at his mom's house (yes, his mom has had El over for dinner roughly a thousand times, and yes her laugsana with the signature sauce has become one of El's favorite dishes, but owing to the fact that Mike has spent ninety-five percent of those roughly thousands of evenings in his room melting down and wishing he was a person who could handle this shit, they don't actually count.), Will finishes his summer drawing course at the learning annex, because his phone storage is unable to contend with the sheer volume of photos he takes of and with El in the last couple of weeks\months (?) Dustin gets Instagram and instantly gains a thousand followers, and Lucas comes to the conclusion that's actually amazing at this podcast thing? Like honestly, he's very talented. And he's never taken one communication course!

XIV. El heads back to New York, promising to visit when she can. Mike admirably hides his heartbreak, and gallantly takes his frustration out on a pacman machine during their afternoon at the arcade. (Mike Wheeler: Frustrated Bisexual) A couple months later, they all receive signed copies of the next Wizards of Gale book with special messages scribbled on the inside covers. A couple of weeks before that, they post their El interview, and the site it takes Dustin two, painful, sleepless weeks to build experiences a significant amount of traffic for the first time in its uneventful little life. Everyone freaks out and facetimes El who's mid interview on the Teresa Watkins show, and that's how they attain their first television interview. (El: I'm sorry, this is so unprofessional. Do you mind?)

XV. Bros being bros, podcasting about nerd stuff. (Dustin: How were you received by the dudebro cheeto dust contingent? I assume they're treating you well? They're super classy individuals.)

XVI. Oh, and Hopper is El's manager\literary agent? Okay? Okay.

[funnythingshere0-blog]

The best comedies on Amazon Prime

New Post has been published on https://funnythingshere.xyz/the-best-comedies-on-amazon-prime/

The best comedies on Amazon Prime

It’s not easy finding the best comedies on Amazon Prime. The service’s search function needs serious work, and keeping track of what’s available can be a futile effort for casual viewers. Movies often come and go without notice or jump from one platform to the other. The days of adding movies to your queue or My List and being able to work through them at your own pace are gone. To make matters worse, with every streaming outlet producing and distributing their own original content, the selection of non-affiliated content is dwindling.

But fear not: We’ve tracked down all of the good funny movies on Amazon Prime, and we’re going to update this list monthly, so you can count on it. Here are the best comedy movies on Amazon Prime you can watch right now.

The best comedies on Amazon Prime

1) Superbad

The first time I watched Superbad I laughed as often and as hard as I have laughed at any movie in theaters. A decade and numerous viewings later, the comedy is showing its age, but it’s still funny, if you’re into Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s work. But the aspect of the film that endures is the friendship between Evan and Seth (Michael Cera and Jonah Hill). That’s the key ingredient to the success of these kinds of movies. If you buy the friendship, then everything else is gravy. It’s crazy to think that ten years after its release the core cast of Superbad would have a three Academy Awards nominations for acting under its belt (and one win courtesy of Emma Stone), but Superbad has more going for it than most high school comedies.

Movieclips Classic Trailers

2) Landline

Jenny Slate and Gillian Robespierre, star and director of the acclaimed Obvious Child, respectively, reteam on Landline, a ‘90s-set family drama. It’s about sisters who uncover their father’s affair and the effects of that news coming to light. It’s a plotline straight out of the indie movie starter pack, but it’s elevated by strong work from the cast. Abby Quinn makes a noteworthy debut playing Slate’s sister, and Edie Falco, John Turturro, Finn Wittrock, and Mark Duplass are all terrific.

3) Mystery Team

The simple pitch of 2009’s Mystery Team is The Wire meets Encyclopedia Brown. It stars Donald Glover, Dominic Dierkes, and D.C. Pierson (who also wrote the script) as three high school seniors who continue the mystery-solving business they started as kids. The Mystery Team gets their biggest case to date when a young girl hires them to figure out who killed her parents. The barrage of jokes is relentless, and the hit rate is high. The cast is packed with tons of now-familiar faces (Aubrey Plaza, Ellie Kemper, Kay Cannon, Bobby Moynihan, and Matt Walsh all pop up) and energetic directing by Dan Eckman.

4) The Foot Fist Way

The Foot Fist Way is the rawest, purest form of Danny McBride. He plays a brash tae kwon do instructor, Ben Simmons, who shares his considerable lack of skills with kids. Fists and foul-mouthed barbs fly as Simmons trains the kids for a tournament. Simmons is a rough draft version of Kenny Powers, and it’s worth watching to see McBride and co-writer and director Jody Hill before they blew up. If you’re a fan of McBride’s style, you owe it to yourself to catch up with The Foot Fist Way.

YouTube Movies

5) The Big Sick

The real-life relationship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon provides the basis for this charming romantic comedy. An Amazon original movie, The Big Sick deals with the dynamic of the couple’s interracial relationship and how it affects their families, his family more than hers as well as Gordon’s hospital stay and medically induced coma. Nanjiani and Gordon wrote the script, with Nanjiani playing himself and Zoe Kazan playing Gordon. The movie is an honest, hilarious reminder that our differences are the best things about us. The Big Sick is one of 2017’s best films.

Amazon Studios/YouTube

READ MORE: 

6) The Little Hours

If you like your comedies on the dirty side, then you need to add The Little Hours to the top of your queue. From writer-director Jeff Baena, The Little Hours follows a man on the run who takes refuge in a convent and sets the nuns a tizzy. He must maintain his cover as a deaf man while also managing the nuns’ sexual advances. The cast is packed with all your favorites and recognizable faces from TV (Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, and Adam Pally). Basically, if you like any of the 2010’s best TV comedies, The Little Hours is almost custom made for you.

7) Kingpin

The Farrelly brothers’ Kingpin stands alongside The Big Lebowski as one of the preeminent bowling movies of the ‘90s. Over the years, Kingpin’s reputation has grown substantially, and it’s now viewed as one of the decade’s best comedies. Any movie with Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray is worth your time, and Kingpin will reward your investment. The Farrelly brothers lost their touch over years, but Kingpin stands alongside Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary as their best work.

8) His Girl Friday

This pitch-perfect screwball comedy captures the classic Hollywood era at its finest. Cary Grant stars as a hard-nosed New York City newspaper editor trying to win back his ex-wife and star investigative reporter, played by Rosalind Russell, and still get the paper out the door. Based on the Ben Hecht/Charles MacArthur play The Front Page, 1940’s His Girl Friday takes place almost entirely in a newsroom, which gives the movie a certain intensity, while Howard Hawks (the titan behind The Big Sleep, Red River, and Bringing Up Baby, another Grant essential) ensures the dialogue and laughs come faster than print deadlines. —Austin Powell

YouTube/Movieclips

9) Election

Here’s the thing about Election: You need to watch it at least twice, preferably several years apart. How you feel about the sad sack high school teacher played by Matthew Broderick, the ambitious overachiever student played by Reese Witherspoon, and their escalating feud might change depending on how old you are. But even if you find out you are always Team Broderick or always Team Witherspoon, it’s worth re-watching just for the laughs, which, in classic Alexander Payne style, are born from familiar humiliation and recognizable human folly.

Movieclips Classic Trailers/YouTube

10) Daddy’s Home

Will Ferrell plays a buttoned-up step-dad competing for the affection of his stepkids with the kids’ father, played by Mark Wahlberg. The game of one-upmanship grows increasingly silly, as those kinds of things are wont to do, and Ferrell and Wahlberg sell the jokes as best they can. Daddy’s Home isn’t the funniest movie you’ll see with Wahlberg or Ferrell, but it gets the job done.

Movieclips Trailers/YouTube

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11) What We Do in the Shadows

This is one of the funniest movies of the Amazon Prime and it deserves a much larger fanbase than the small and passionate one it has now. Co-written and co-directed by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, this New Zealand set romp follows the daily lives of a quartet of vampires. Shot mockumentary style, the movie is packed to the fangs with so many jokes that it makes repeat viewings a necessity. Whether hunting for prey, fighting with werewolves, or reuniting with old loves, Waititi and Clement have crafted a pitch-perfect comedy that riffs on well-known mythology and newly created lore with equal cleverness.

Madman Films/YouTube

12) Barbershop: The Next Cut

The third entry in Ice Cube’s Barbershop series might be its best. The movie, like the barbershop itself, has a looseness to it that makes you want to linger in the shop longer than you need to. The conversation is alternately fun and fierce. The ball-busting goes both ways, with everybody cracking wise and getting cracked on but always in a way that’s good-hearted. If that were all the movie had going, that would be enough for a fun time. But The Next Cut tackles larger issues, most notably the changing racial makeup and growing crime problems of Chicago. In a movie with the central idea of people hashing out the day-to-day of their lives, the thornier societal issues flow naturally out of the conversation, and the movie is consistently entertaining. The cast, including stalwarts Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, Sean Patrick Thomas, Anthony Anderson, and newcomers Lamorne Morris, Nicki Minaj, and Common, have an easy chemistry and the film’s two hours just fly by.

JoBlow Movie Trailers/YouTube

13) Love & Friendship

Whit Stillman’s adaptation of Jane Eyre’s Lady stars Kate Beckinsale as a widow on a mission to find husbands who offer the most financial stability for her daughters. Love & Friendship is hilarious and refreshingly self-aware. The film earned a great deal of acclaim, with Beckinsale and Tom Bennett singled out amongst a strong cast. If you’re new to Stillman’s work, this is a great introduction.

Movieclips Trailers/YouTube

14) Paterson

Every day for bus driver Paterson (Adam Driver) is exactly the same, and every day is also sublimely unique. Making wonderful use of repetition and recurring imagery, indie legend Jim Jarmusch’s latest shows how beauty can be found everywhere, if only you bother to look. Anchored by Driver’s understated performance, Paterson is a celebration of the creative impulse, and its ability to impart mystery and import to even the most innocuous of things. —David Wharton

FilmTrailerZone/YouTube

15) Jeff Who Lives at Home

The hyper-prolific brothers Jay and Mark Duplass delivered one of their best films with this 2011 dramedy. Jeff (Jason Segel) is a slacker who spends a day with his brother Pat (Ed Helms). What starts out as a simple errand turns into the brothers sneaking around to see if Pat’s wife is having an affair. Along the way, the day turns out to be a major turning point in Jeff’s life. It’s not surprising that the Duplass brothers would find great, success in a movie centered on brothers.

READ MORE:

16) Young Adult

Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody rekindled their Juno magic with the acerbic and darker Young Adult. Charlize Theron stars as Mavis, an author, who returns home after her divorce and sets out to win back her married ex. Mavis is a tough, compelling character, and Theron gives one of her best performances. Movies about characters struggling to grow up have become a cliché at this point, but Young Adult is sharp enough to offer an insightful and pretty funny approach.

17) Logan Lucky

Steven Soderbergh returned to feature films after his four-year hiatus with this NASCAR heist film. Toplined by a great cast (including Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Katie Holmes, Riley Keough, and Katherine Waterston), Logan Lucky channels the easy energy and breezy fun of Soderbergh’s Ocean’s films. The movie won’t blow you away with its originality, but when everyone is operating at this level, the joy becomes infectious.

18) Deadheads

This horror comedy movie about two self-aware zombies on a road trip delivers more laughs than scares. Deadheads wears its silliness like a badge of honor. It is relentlessly goofy, and its sense of fun is highly infectious. The road trip hits a bump when the guys realize they’re being chased by mysterious men. But even when the story shifts toward action, it never loses its sense of humor.

19) Dance Flick

If you need a funny movie and want something you can watch on autopilot, the Wayans family has you covered. Between cast and crew, no less than 11 Wayans family members combine to bring us 85 minutes of buffoonery. In the vein of Scary Movie (before the Wayans left the series), Dance Flick riffs off the slew of cheesy but awesome dance movies that flooded the market during the ‘00s.

20) The Replacements

The Replacements combines two of America’s favorite things, Keanu Reeves and football, and pairs them with the great Gene Hackman. When a strike hits pro football, amateur players are recruited to play until the strike ends. Reeves leads the replacement player squad as quarterback Shane Falco. No doubt Reeves’ prior fictional football experience with Johnny Utah played a role in Falco’s success. Even though the players in The Replacements may be scabs, the cast and laughs are all starting caliber.

READ MORE:

21) The King of Comedy

Martin Scorsese’s movie about a mentally unstable man, Rupert Pupkin (Robert DeNiro), who dreams of being a famous comedian. Pupkin goes as far as kidnapping his idol Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). The King of Comedy is still relevant today for its fame-obsessed protagonist’s at-all-costs mentality. There’s a sense of danger and sadness to Pupkin, and DeNiro threads the needle to make him a sympathetic character without sugarcoating anything. The King of Comedy isn’t as well-known as other Scorsese-DeNiro collaborations, but it is on par with Raging Bull and Goodfellas.

Pauleymack/YouTube

22) What If

Daniel Radcliffe’s post-Harry Potter movies have been all over the map in terms of quality, but they’ve all been interesting. What If stands out for being a low-key anti-romcom romcom. Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan star as the central duo. They’re happy being friends but have too much chemistry to stay that way forever. Radcliffe and Kazan make for an adorable pair, and their chemistry drives What If’s success.

23) The Lobster

Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos tells his satirical stories in such a deadpan, straight-faced way that it’s easy to (wrongfully) write him and his work off as detached nihilism. His style is an acquired taste, but if you’re willing to take the chance I find his films to be worth the investment. The Lobster is about a single man (a schlubby, sad-sack, terrific Colin Farrell) who is forced by the government to check in to a hotel, wherein he’ll have 45 days to find a mate or be turned into an animal of his choosing. The first half of the film takes down every aspect of modern-day courtship, while the second half shifts into something more optimistic and, dare I say, romantic. Farrell does some of his best work to date, and the rest of the cast (Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman, and Lea Seydoux, among others) is uniformly excellent.

Movieclips Trailers/YouTube

24) Swiss Army Man

It’s a damn shame that so few people saw this movie in theaters. The premise is kitschy enough that most people dismissed it outright, but now that Swiss Army Man is streaming, hopefully it will find the audience it deserves. It’s about a man (Paul Dano) and the dead body he befriends (Daniel Radcliffe). The friendship that blossoms between the two is hilarious, charming, and far more emotionally involving than you expect. The story is laced with enough juvenile humor to appeal to the inner kid in everyone, but the ace in the hole is its highly affecting emotional drama. The movie is a celebration of life anchored by truly great performances from Dano and Radcliffe.

A24/YouTube

25) Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed

Scooby-Doo 2 is easily the best live-action Scooby-Doo. Monsters Unleashed is much more fun than the first movie. All of the key players are back as the gang saves Coolsville from monsters that have previously been unmasked.

YouTube Movies/YouTube

Still not sure what to watch on Amazon? Here are the best Amazon original series, the best documentaries on Amazon Prime, what’s new on Amazon, the best movies you can watch in stunning 4K Ultra HD, and the sexiest movies you can stream right now.  

Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance. 

[magnaturbaestinurbe-blog]

PODCAST BROS. AU

I. Bros being bros and podcasting about nerd stuff.

II. The podcast has approximately four listeners, the most dedicated among them being Mike's mom. (Mike has repeatedly told his mother not to listen because it "makes him nervous.") This number fluctuates depending on the time of day, the weather, and the amount of disparaging remarks  Dustin makes about the DC cinematic universe.

III. There is much discussion of comic books, superheroes, table top games, film adaptations, sci-fi and fantasy authors, ethics in journalism, cosplay, the Nintendo switch, what the hell is taking George R. R. Martin so long does he understand his readership will probably be dead before he publishes another book? and other topics salient to college-age nerds under the impression their dedication to their hobbies could someday pay their bills.

IV. Following in the illustrious footsteps of Matt Bessar, they live-stream their Saturday night D&D games. (Dustin: Hey guys, just wanted to give you a quick update. Mike's basement is still disgusting.") The results range from palatable mediocrity to hitherto unseen levels of chaos. The comments page would be a mess...you know, if people left comments.

V. Their first guest is an amazing, unbelievable get. El Ives has written four volumes of the Wizards of Gale series- a staggering, gorgeous epic chronicling the coming of age of a young psychically gifted warrior traversing a galactic wasteland in search of her true purpose-in the last three years. She's gone on national tours, topped sci-fi best-seller lists, and was proposed to roughly thirty-seven times at New York comic-con. Naturally, the dudes freak out, but Mike's is the most memorable melt down. He talks to himself in the mirror in a pre-interview hype session, he drops his note cards, stares for inappropriate lengths of time, and generally makes everyone ridiculously uncomfortable.

VI. After the stress of her tour, the casual atmosphere of the podcast (with the exception of the host who makes tense, terrifying eye contact with her before avoiding her gaze for the rest of the day) is a novelty El is reluctant to relinquish. This explains hanging around Hawkins ("You're welcome to stay at our place." Dustin volunteers before Mike can open his large, endlessly stupid mouth.) despite having deadlines, and interviews and a whole life in Manhattan. They take her to all their lame hang-outs and Mike dies several deaths due to sheer embarrassment (Humiliate Wheeler To Death Tour 2017!)

VII. This is the thing. The thing is this: despite the fact that they've been doing this for like, four months, and no one is even really listening Mike is still absurdly nervous on air? Lucas and Dustin are naturals and Will chimes in when he really wants to make a point (he's often drowned out by the intensity of Dustin\Lucas debates but whenever he manages to incline his chin toward the mic and deliver his statements in the softest, least antagonistic voice ever created, his points are salient and logical and even occasionally border on poignant) but it take s Mike at least fifteen minutes to get comfortable uttering opinions he has no trouble voicing off air. It's disconcerting and weird, and he's envious of the casual way his friends interact on air. They're natural, as if there aren't any disparities between their on air personalities and their real life ones. They're completely comfortable, Mike has to calm down, close his eyes, remember his pre-air inspirational speech, really center himself before he can engage in way that's even close to natural. (Even then, his voice is a touch too high, his sentences come out blunt and semi-intelligible, and his jokes feel more like passive aggressive indictments of other people's moral characters than "ha ha" funnies. These delightful and attractive flaws are only exacerbated by the prolonged presence of one of his literary heroes who, in addition to being funny, clever, sincere, brutally honest, and genuinely down for anything re: appearing on a D&D role-playing channel with four losers, has the audacity to love Ray Bradbury and Farscape as much as he does. It's the fucking rudest.)

VIII. To make matters worse, she loves his friends. Lucas is the most charming mother fucker alive (dude has a certificate!) and Mike hates him for the ease with which he makes El laugh so hard she cries. He then hates himself for hating Lucas, up until the asshole does it again and El looks happier than a ten year old who was just informed she gets to live at Disney Land. Witnessing the vast depths of El's joy is probably the purest experience Mike ever has. Said joy is a product of Lucas recounting any number of stories starring himself as the witty, amazing, bad ass of their high school tenure. So, dilemma. She and Will exchange book recommendations, karaoke Fridays at Lester's is forever altered the moment she and Dustin duet on a gentle, soul-melting rendition of Head Over Heels (they're terrible singers, but the power man, the subtle emotive, power) and Lucas, Lucas is everywhere, buying her drinks, and talking about how there are certain paragraphs in book three he wants to live in, and complimenting her buzz cut, and constantly and at all times making her laugh so long, and hard and with her entire body and it's so fucking unfair Mike can't actually-

IX. In local news, Lucas and Dustin are living in a shoebox across the river from Mike's house. Will is over so often he is repeatedly mistaken for a piece of furniture. He has his own shelf in the fridge (the middle), his own snacks in the cabinet (fig newtons are more than fruit and cake) and coconut shampoo he's neglected to take home and which is become the official property of the estate. Dustin likes to think of his abode as a sovereign nation, wants desperately to draw up a constitution and design a flag. Lucas likes to think of his casa as a Dustin-free zone, and is disappointed upon opening his door and finding reality has very much crushed his hopes and dreams. There is very little sleep, the occupants are lucky to claim several consecutive hours of unconsciousness. Instead, there are twitch marathons, Netflix binges, LOTR re-watches, and intense, lengthy debates over the merits of Zack Snyder being shot into space verses the efficiency of simply setting him ablaze.

X. Will is fond of lying on the couch, or on the window seat or on the floor next to Lucas' mattress and telling him all the ideas that his ridiculous brain ushers forth when he can't sleep. Lucas gently reminds him of the graphic novel he's kind of, sort of, a little bit working on-the thing he starts last year and politely but stubbornly refuses to show him any more pages once Lucas becomes a living, breathing reminder that Will could maybe think about possibly publishing it because It's Good. To be fair, saying the words aloud, letting them take shape in the air is almost like working on it. It's very, very close.

XI. Eventually, Mike realizes that contrary to initial reports, he's actually jealous of two people. Yes Lucas making El laugh is fairly fucking infuriating, but so is the knowledge that Lucas is trying so hard to make someone laugh, and that that someone (for reasons he is painfully, intimately familiar with) is NOT him. Pre-graduation, post-two a.m.  silent, sexuality-specific  realization that takes place in an Arby's parking lot, Mike and Lucas are the most accurate visual representation for best friendship that has ever, or will ever live. Their bond is unshakable, the stuff of Census Bearu legend, the canniest, most argumentative, absurdly affectionate, gleefully contrary pairing so robust and unrelenting it caused even the most patient members of their tight-knit Indiana State study circle to routinely throw up their hands and avert their eyes, yelling, "That's enough! Put it away!" One sunny, late-fall afternoon, they're picking up the thread of an ongoing Alien vs. Aliens debate (Lucas: I'm so glad your mom's not here to listen to her son humiliate himself like this. It would break her heart.") which has ascended to the intensity level that warrants standing very close and screaming as though they are not standing very close, when quite suddenly, they are no longer arguing. The discovery of another item in a long list of things they are hopelessly good at when they combine their talents, takes up the entire afternoon and most of the evening. The surprised, but strong, and ultimately righteous sense of joy\awe is conflated by the subdued, giddy knowledge that what has been in the past for Mike a rare and somewhat lackluster experience, and for Lucas, a little less rare but equally mediocre 'event' currently feels like the wide expanse of potentiality specific to scientific exploration. So there's that.

XII. It doesn't last too long, when he allows himself to think about it Mike abjectly refuses to liken the duration of the event to anything stupid, like a metaphor about supernovas. That would be dumb. And crass. And in poor taste. Plus, he hardly ever thinks about it ever, so there's that. Anyway, Mike dropping out of Indiana state and returning to the cocoon of his mother's basement is a completely unrelated event that never ever needs to be recounted, not even for posterity, except to say that it's unrelated to anything going on in his life at the moment. And it's okay, because he and Lucas are still ridiculously close friends and it's never even awkward except for the few occasions wherein Mike succumbs to jealously, before becoming confused about exactly whom he's jealous off. After he figures it out, he's moody and distant and the podcast gets Weird in only the way Mike can make it. El is confused, 'cause once the dude stops staring and actually says a few words to her, he's kind of cool in this completely doofy way. Lucas eventually plops on the end of Mike's bed, allows Mike to put his dirty, uncivilized sneakers all over his fairly expensive pants and makes a fumbling preamble that might as well be called Intro to Awk Con. It goes okay. Mike's just tired and Lucas co-signs with  a sigh, and a story about his sister, and they talk around it because it's still-they-can't-There's grumbling about the complete absence of something that could even be mistaken for a fan base, and Dustin's rants, and a general consensus on the awesomeness of El and they both feel better after that.

XIII. Lucas might have a supremely underdeveloped thing for Will? It's like, super embryonic, not even worth thinking about much less trying to explain out loud to Will's face while he stands there looking cute and curious and hesitant about the stupid notebook he's been doodling in for like a year, even though what little bits Lucas has seen of the novel that Will's mortified about having written  is so good he'd buy it tomorrow if Will would only deign to finish the damn thing. Yeah. So El hangs around Hawkins, after slaving away in his emotional garden wearing a wide-brim hat and too much sunscreen, Mike manages to grow the courage necessary to ask her to dine at his mom's house (yes, his mom has had El over for dinner roughly a thousand times, and yes her laugsana  with the signature sauce has become one of El's favorite dishes, but owing to the fact that Mike has spent ninety-five percent of those roughly thousands of evenings in his room melting down and wishing he was a person who could handle this shit, they don't actually count.), Will finishes his summer drawing course at the learning annex, because his phone storage is unable to contend with the sheer volume of photos he takes of and with El in the last couple of weeks\months (?) Dustin gets Instagram and instantly gains a thousand followers, and Lucas comes to the conclusion that's actually amazing at this podcast thing? Like honestly, he's very talented. And he's never taken one communication course!

XIV. El heads back to New York, promising to visit when she can. Mike admirably hides his heartbreak, and gallantly takes his frustration out on a pacman machine during their afternoon at the arcade. (Mike Wheeler: Frustrated Bisexual) A couple months later, they all receive signed copies of the next Wizards of Gale book with special messages scribbled on the inside covers. A couple of weeks before that, they post their El interview, and the site it takes Dustin two, painful, sleepless weeks to build experiences a significant amount of traffic for the first time in its uneventful little life. Everyone freaks out and facetimes El who's mid interview on the Teresa Watkins show, and that's how they attain their first television interview. (El: I'm sorry, this is so unprofessional. Do you mind?)

XV. Bros being bros, podcasting about nerd stuff. (Dustin: How were you received by the dudebro cheeto dust contingent? I assume they're treating you well? They're super classy individuals.)

XVI. Oh, and Hopper is El's manager\literary agent? Okay? Okay.