#curse of the haunted problem

[dynamoe]

My friend gave me this two months ago so I could hear the commentaries but I only just am listening to them now

The Rosey Grier Needlepoint for Men insert is the best visual reference in the season and why I finally busted out this DVD (to take a screencap for a friend who brought it up in conversation)

even the interior pages in the reverse angle? too much!

What can I learn from these commentaries and how can I use this canonical information? Let's semi-live blog...

Season 7 redesigned Billy is so ugly. I hate it... but he looks OK in some shots because the animators can't keep him consistent looking.

I'm glad the commentary calls out the very Robert Ludlum-y title construction theme they had most of the season.

--

Billy calls himself a neurogeneticist in Curse of the Haunted Problem (S07E01) which he hasn't since Are You There God? (S01E09). Where's this neurogeneticisizing happening, huh? Off camera? When do you have the time? Billy, admit you're a part-time surgeon AT BEST.

In (S07E03) Arrears in Science, Jonashead also calls Billy a neurogeneticist while requesting Billy perform surgery. Which a surgeon does, not a geneticist.

Commentary: "White, perpetual victim" "He hides during violent scenes. He's always hiding behind things." There was a scene cut that would have explained his decline into a sweaty wifebeater axe-wielding state. Jackson calls Pete's outfit a "Milli Vanilli jacket." Pete doesn't do much of anything else for the rest of the season.

Despite being the focus of The Bellicose Proxy (S07E06), neither Billy nor White have very many lines in it.

The rooftop tennis court where St. Cloud rehearses with Monarch/21— I remember seeing it from NY classroom windows but according to Doc H's commentary, it's been demolished since the episode came out

That red paintball paint would permanently stain White's jacket. Missed opportunity that it wasn't stained through the rest of the episode but it sounds this episode was a nightmare to animate as is.

Billy is way too small inside the Delta Boy/Diet Pepsi space suit. He loses like a foot of height. Was it intentional? (His height & head size is all over the place in these episodes.)

Commentary: Somewhere, there's audio a very long riff of the two ad-libbing as White/Billy describing their imagined beat down of St. Cloud. And 30 minutes of Billy riffing inside the cloud of laughing gas which Doc argued would be a great episode, even with no animation on screen. (I agree, but I'm an outlier.)

Commentary: I hadn't picked up that Killer Drone was supposed to look like a '60s Japanese sentai hero/villain, according to Doc H. (Like that would fight Ultraman or Kamen Rider, I guess.) but I see it.

Commentary: Neither of them knew the name of the Grumman Moon Suit but "The one from Life Magazine," is a pretty accurate epithet.

They didn't know the name of the Avrocar either. (The real Moon Suit prototype was 8 feet tall! A big-ass Diet Pepsi!)

---

The Forecast Manufacturer (S07E09) has too much shitting information in it. (I don't need this kind of canon, guys.)

Coffee gives Billy diarrhea. Already used that "fun fact" in this chapter.

Billy went to summer camp (where he couldn't shit) at some point.

Billy needs to read to have a shit (don't want to know this.)

What does he have to do? Bleed for you? His rectum is probably bleeding right now. (ugh)

Rusty: "Do you shave your chest?" line strikes me as coming out of nowhere. Even though Billy has stripped off in loads of episodes, this is the first time he's kickin' it underpants-only-style in front of Rusty. (Nice soft-edged blush on Billy's face here. He's less ugly in-episode than on his model sheet for this episode.)

Commentary: Jackson mentions Billy painting the rest of his arm to look like a full robot. Doc describes Billy having a latex hand cover he doesn't wear because it makes his hand look too big and bloated (I wrote Billy testing a synthetic hand cover in future chapter, now have to rewrite it so it doesn't seem like a ripoff)

The Inamorata Consequence (S07E05)

"White, perpetual victim" "He hides during violent scenes. He's always hiding behind things."

Helper kicked Billy into the pool and Hank filmed it with his watch.

None of these other episodes have Billy or White so I've lost interest.

[soranatus]

PETE WHITE in The Venture Bros: “The Morphic Trilogy” (2018)

[winter-mornings]

Human Man!

[yuesya]

so if Rika had regained clarity in twinsverse then technically the second year class has SEVEN students 🤯

Indeed! The second year class would consist of: Inumaki Toge, Zenin Maki, Panda, Okkotsu Yuta, Orimoto Rika, Hasaba Mimiko, and Hasaba Nanako.

It's a very large class. I'd say that there are usually 1-4 students in a class on average in the jujutsu schools.

[theygotlost]

seriously wtf is up with the naming conventions for season 7?! these titles are complete nonsense. all the most boring star trek episodes are named shit like this 💀 is that what they're going for??

[rust-4-life]

[exopelagic]

i said i wouldn’t do it this time but it’s 3am and mods asleep. boy

[ladyofdecember]

And this scene with Wide Whale and Hank where he's telling him to kill this man and join the family? Well Hank is hesitant because The Monarch is pretty much his Uncle and his family already. He doesn't know that he actually is his Uncle but we the audience do! And yet even if he wasn't his blood family, The Monarch definitely is his family. Hence he'll never pull the trigger and Monarch knows that too. 😭🙂

[curiosity-killed]

cursed to spend the rest of my life hunting down discontinued pointe shoes on every gd dance or secondhand site i can find

[thebleedingeffect]

Sometimes it really is fun to write something that's just meant to be fun and kinda silly with an undercurrent of sadness to it. Like the idea of Sky having a really hard time sleeping cause he has nightmares about Cia and wakes to the vague visions of Lyre, but he can't remember just who she is, so sleeping is very difficult for him. But Wild having the idea of going to a hot spring where they can relax and Sky ends up napping in the hot spring... okay cutie.....

[pyrriax]

some random mc screenshots to counteract the amount of angst i just wrote. mostly of me being stuck in weird places because of Claimed Chunks making it so im functionally in adventure mode at other people's bases

bonus screenshot of @aperture-science-sys drowning in the field. because death message testing. i think that was the reason?

[dungeons-and-doilies]

Me walking into my kitchen where all the cabinet doors are open, chairs are misaligned, one's on top of the table, there's a window open while the heat's on, a glass is balanced so precariously on the edge of the chopping block it's defying the laws of physics: What is this, a haunting? I have a ghost?? A poltergeist??!

It's me. I made this. I'm the horrible entity. Demons walk in and go damn babe, you deserve a raise

[nudityandnerdery]

Please, everyone, I'm begging you.

STOP shopping for cursed dolls at shops like this.

This is not a healthy or a safe environment for them to live in. Each individual cursed doll needs at least a two bedroom apartment and a family of no fewer than three individuals to haunt and spread their curse around. Confining so many of them together is going to lead to fighting, then their curses will tangle together, causing more problems for the surrounding neighborhood, while offering the dolls themselves no real enrichment.

Remember- a cursed doll isn't just for Halloween. A cursed doll is for the rest of your life.

[evilminji]

I woke up to this thought? And it made me smile~

Wrong way Au?

It's EASY to fly from point A to point B. Linear. Just on long, no traffic, straight line. And if you get lost? Go higher! There you are! But "normal" reporter families with Totally Human genetics can't exactly DO that.

Plus? It's part of the whole Americana thing!

Childhood.

Gotta do a road trip, see weird road side attractions, camp and hike a bit. Go somewhere other then the farm for once. Soooo~ everyone into the car! Yes, you too, Kon.

And don't look at Lois, kids. She hates this idea as much as you do. But it's for Dad. So we're doing it. Get in the car. Some times loving people means "suuuure, honey! I TOTALLY want to sit in an uncomfortable car for hours for your nostalgic dream trip!", so get comfy.

Problem is? He either can't navigate for SHIT (unlikely) or this patch of nowhere? Possibly haunted? Cursed? Fuckey. Very, very Reality Fuckey. Far more likely, honestly. They THINK that was the a same barn the passed four times now... but it looks... wrong? Off. Worse each time, in ways that are hard to place.

Where the FUCK are they Clark?

According to the GPS?

Here.

(You are Here. You are Here. You are He-)

Oh, THAT'S not cursed! She fucking KNEW they shouldn't have left the city. FUCK the countryside. She likes ONE(1) small town and it's where her in-laws live, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! If they die, she swear to GOD-!!!

Then Jon points to colorful tents up the road. A mix of the kind you buy at big box stores and Ren fairs. Balloons. What the fuuuuuck? "Fenton Family Reunion"?

Was... was that THERE a second ago?

Clark's very deliberate Not Too Tight Grip Of Panic ™ on the steering wheel? Confirms that No Honey, it was not. Kon points out? That eventually they ARE going to run out of gas. They should stop.

Words can not express how little the Kents want to do that. They have KIDS to protect. This feels "magical fuckery" to them. AKA? One of the few things Kryptonians very much CAN NOT handle.

And luck getting ahold of anybody back there kids? No? Emergency lines too?

Fuck ™.

Okay! Guess we're stopping! Stay behind us.

They park.

There are campers and trucks, modified tanks and trackers. A few horses grazing side by side with an honest to God moose and two mules. A Llama. Someone's anchored a dirigible. A boat with spindly chicken footed legs, like it's the house of baba yaga's sea faring love child. The name Fenton is slapped on everything. Peoples faces.

Grinning.

Everything grinning.

As they get closer, the racket gets louder. Crashes and smashes. Roaring laughter. Explosions. The screech of metal failing and the whine of energy overclocked. Fatty meats cooking. Spices from around the globe. Radios and instruments, at least one of which violently cuts off in a smash.

They pass an almost violently balloon choked arch, into chaos.

Grinning giants, everywhere. Every color, every shade, every race imaginable. The spectrum of humanity laid bare. Made large. Grinning, Grinning, Grinning. Crashing into each other, against, through. Smashing and laughing, as everything breaks around them. Titans.

Darting underfoot, children. Fast with wild eyes. Mad grins and fae laughs. Wives and husband's, partners and friends, dancing in and out of the chaos. Just as destructive. Perhaps MORE so. Grabbing meals from grills, laughing and joking, tossing children into the fray, all as they effortless hold conversations of their own.

Like a Dionysian revelry, all madness and joy.

Then they are noticed.

"Cousin!"

One of them booms. Locking eyes on Clark. He doesn't even have time to move, doesn't realize until too late, in all the chaos, that the man meant HIM. A running start is followed by a brutal, full body, flying tackle. Clark is taken skidding to the ground and into a headlock.

"LETS WRASTLE~!!"

He watches in helpless confusion as, with high-pitched war cries, a pair of twins jump Jon. They are wearing war paint. Krypto already taken out by a glowing green dog, now confused and wrestling off to the side. Lois has whipped out her tazer. Kon between her and who ever comes next.

By the time he wrestle his "cousin" off of him, he's lost sight of them both.

Dives into the fray.

Magic be damned, that's his FAMILY!

It... It's the most fun he's had in years. That any of them have. He finds Lois in a breathless, screaming, debate/fistfight with her new best friend. Samantha "call me Sam Or ELSE" Manson-Fouley-Fenton. Kon is in the mud pit, wrestling other teenagers in some sort of battle Royale. Jon? Has become king of the ferals. The other parents are impressed.

His years of Damian wrangling finally paying dividends, apparently.

By the time Clark FINALLY tracks down Krypto, there is already crowd and it apparently six heel turns deep into the WWE Grand Saga of the Fenton Pet's League. Krypto, what the hell. No. No you may NOT "form one last alliance against my sworn wrestling enemy, to prove the true meaning of Christmas!" It's the middle of SUMMER!

Clark... Clark is so tired.

He's also a Fenton now. Yes, he KNOWS that's not how anything works. YOU try explaining that! He's on the call list and card list. It's like the Addams family out here! They just... just DECIDED him and his family were related! They've apparently DONE THAT BEFORE!

They leave with directions, fudge, more leftovers then anyone could possibly eat, and a massive new extended family. One that honestly? The Justice League SHOULD have known about. The sheer destructive chaos they get up too? EVERYONE should be aware of them. It seems impossible NOT to be! But? According to THEM, it's a "family thing". Reality tries to ignore them for "it's own sanity"? What???

So yeah.... no more road trips.

How was YOUR weekend?

@hdgnj @legitimatesatanspawn @nerdpoe @the-witchhunter @lolottes @babbling-babull @dcxdpdabbles @hypewinter @mutable-manifestation

[majinbangus]

Sequel thought to Soap's sweet neighbor - heads up: Soap's absolutely shameless

You think you might be cursed (or blessed, but you don't want to admit to ogling your hot military neighbor, thoughts of him haunting your nearly every waking hour) because every single time, without fail, no matter what time you come by, you always catch him when he's stripped half naked for one reason or another. Sometimes fully naked with nothing but a towel hiding his modesty. His rather... well endowed modesty if the outline of it is accurate beneath that towel of his. Not that you meant to look the few times he's answered in nothing but a towel. It's just... your eyes couldn't help glancing over it once or twice.

Still. You try not to be a weirdo pervert towards your neighbor. He's kind and done nothing but trust you to care over his home when he's gone. You don't wanna break that trust by becoming some kind of perving degenerate just because he happens to give you eye candy when you come by.

"Mornin', sweets!"

... and when he catches up to you on your walks during his morning run. Always shirtless. Not that you can blame him during the summer heat, but you have to remember to not let your stare linger.

"Good morning, John." You smile shyly at him, gaze washing over him briefly before dropping to the pavement. He slows to match your pace. He always does this, finishing his runs by finishing your walks with you.

"Pretty hot, huh?" says Adonis himself, stretching out his tricep, arm swung out to the side with the other pressing against it. You struggle to keep your cool.

"Yeah. So hot," You croak out lamely, hurrying to hand him a water bottle from your little backpack to change the subject. "Here."

You've taken to walking with a bag filled with three water bottles- two for him, the other for you- and a few other miscellaneous items shortly after John started walking home with you once he finished his runs.

"Thanks, hen, you're the best!" He takes the bottle with a wide grin, and like he always does- always, fuck's sake- John cracks open the seal and pours the water over his head.

A low, spine-shivering groan draws out of his mouth as the cool liquid trickles down his head and neck, the water trailing over the muscles of his chest and torso. His pecs and abs flex at the sensation, sparkling under the sun the more the water washes over him. Fuck.

You try not to let your eyes linger, but it's so damn hard when John uses his other hand to rub the water over the parts of his body it missed. You almost choke when his hand casually brushes down his happy trail, the tips of his fingers briefly slipping under the front of his running shorts.

Teeth audibly clicking shut, you look away, head turned nearly ninety degrees to the side as you do anything to not perv over your neighbor. You miss the cheeky, victorious grin John shoots your way.

"It's no problem," you mumble and reach into your bag to pull out your umbrella, opening it and holding it so it shades you and John. "Did you put sunscreen on? You always forget."

John takes the umbrella from your hand without much protest from you- he never listens to them, anyways- and holds it for the both of you, though you quietly note he tends to give you more shade than himself every time he does this, his shoulder often exposed to the sun. Today is no different.

"Ahh, I'll remember one of these days," John chuckles, bumping his elbow against you. "Always lookin' out for me, sweets."

Looking out for him and looking at him. You take a quick glance from the corner of your eye before huffing softly and holding your hand out, gesturing for the empty water bottle in his other hand, choosing to ignore what he said, not really knowing how to respond. "Gimme."

John laughs. "So demandin'."

But he hands it over for you to stuff back into your backpack and pull out his second water bottle, breaking the seal for him before handing it over. "Here."

He takes it with a smile. "And attentive."

Grumbling, you refuse to look at him. "Just drink your water. Gonna dehydrate at this rate."

He chuckles lowly, but you hear him take a few big gulps before crushing the plastic in his grip and handing it back over to you, tapping it against your belly. "What about you? Drink your water yet?"

Taking back the crushed bottle, you put it in your pack, but leave your water alone. "I'll finish it later."

"You need to hydrate, too!"

"I'm not the one who ran in this hot weather and sweat out all my liquids." You don't let yourself express the embarrassment you feel at the phrasing of your words, though you certainly feel your cheeks warm, but you can excuse that for walking in the hot weather. "I'll be fine."

"Tch, stubborn thing- and I didn't sweat out all my liquids-"

You cut him off with a flustered jab to his bicep, certainly not hard enough to hurt, but he shuts up nonetheless, snickering at the break in your composure.

"When do you need me to watch your house again?" You ask, not bothering to be smooth about changing the subject nor caring that you already know when he's leaving again, having his deployment marked in your calendar.

"Next week." John indulges you, but then taps your temple with his free hand. "Texted you my schedule last night, remember?"

Feeling your cheeks warm again, you scoff, looking off to the side with a pout. Mumbling, you don't even attempt to sound convincing, "Ahh, yeah, that's right. I forgot- oh, look there are our houses! Let's hurry back."

Without waiting for a response, you quicken your pace, speed walking ahead. You take deep breaths. Fuck, you're always fumbling around him. Stop being so fucking weird. You hold in a groan. Easier said than done.

You hear a jaunty laugh come from behind you, but John- thankfully, mercifully- gives you a moment to collect yourself before jogging to catch up to you again. He lifts the umbrella over you, the shade providing a relief from the heat you didn't notice when you stepped out from under it. "Aren't you always gettin' on me about protectin' my skin from the sun? Gotta protect yours too."

"I put sunscreen on," you point out, "but the shade is nice."

"Aye." John shoots you a smile and steps just a tad closer to you, but that might just be your imagination. "It's nice."

Feeling something warm flutter in your stomach, you gawk at the way his eyes shine for a moment before ducking your head down and biting your lip.

Yeah. It's nice.

Not too long a walk later, you make it back to your house with John escorting you to your doorstep despite his house being closer at the end of your walking route. He collapses the umbrella and hands it back to you. You take it, fingers brushing his, and slip it into your backpack again.

"Should get you one of my tactical vests to hold your things," John teases.

Huffing a small noise of amusement, you give a little, impish smirk. "Yeah, you should. I could whip out the sunscreen like a gun that way."

"That's a scary thought." John laughs, the deep timbre sounding like bells in your ears, but you don't dwell on it. "I'll see you later then, sweets?"

You nod. "Mm. Tomorrow?"

"Aye." Then he smirks. "Don't miss me too much."

You roll your eyes, but bite back a smile, answering with as much deadpan as you can manage, "I'll try."

And that should be that. You should be safe from making a fool of yourself once this interaction is done, but instead of waving a goodbye and walking back to his house like he usually does, your shirtless, still slightly sticky from sweat neighbor leans in and pulls you into a side hug, pressing your body against his.

His very muscular body. Firm yet soft in all the best places. Toned perfectly from his job. And it's touching you. He's touching you, holding you tight against his body. You take a breath to calm yourself.

It works. Briefly. Until he squeezes you closer and your brain short circuits.

"That's my sweet girl," John says, but you hardly hear it over the rush in your head. He lets go and backs away, waving as he walks towards his house. "I'll remember to put sunscreen on tomorrow, promise!"

All you can get out is a pathetic, little, "Uh-huh."

-

Soap show some mercy, you're going to kill your poor neighbor at this rate 😪

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

DPXDC prompt ~ Honor to Us All ~ Gotham as one true the most haunted city edition

~~~~~

Instead of a welcoming banner in front of a city was an old column, so familiar to a boy, with a warning inscription:

"To outsiders mad enough to attack Gotham: You will be forced to understand that dead soldiers will also go into battle. And having risen to protect, they will be ready to perish all again, So no one of the living would die near them."

Danny smiled with love. 'I’m home, Mother.' Ghost whispered into the void. And Gotham answered.

~~~~

Danny: My Lady, I brought you the crown of Pariah Dark. And The Ring of Rage. They’re gifts to honor the Gotham family. Lady Gotham: The greatest gift and honor is having you on my side, child.

~~~~~

Danny Fenton was born in Gotham and lived here until his parents decided to move. The city didn’t accept them.

'When I die, I want to be one of the Gotham Knights.' Little Danny with pride and eagerly reported to his parents after visiting the Battle Glory of Gotham Museum on a school trip. This evening, Danny learned that not all his plans should be told to his parents.

Danny know his parents are crazy about ghosts. and that all ghosts are "bad". But obviously, the ghosts they talk about, and his, or rather Gotham's, ghosts are completely different creatures. The spirits of the defenders are those who, even in the darkest of times, make the shadows of the Gotham a protection to the citizens.

But that knowledge is his little secret for now. Because if he starts arguing he’ll be punished and he won’t be able to run off to the roof where he’s arranged to meet Robin. Robin’s cool! He works with one of the 'still-living' knights. And he knows more about the city than anyone. Danny doesn’t want to offend his friend.

~~~~~

Mr Lancer doesn’t understand why the lecturer about ghosts, Constantine, after seeing Danny, said something about the bloody gothamites and their inability to stay underground. It wasn’t nice at all. Mr Lancer doesn’t blame Mr Fenton for smiling at the man a little aggressive and viciously. Poor boy probably didn’t know how to respond to his behavior. Danny moved to Amity Park a long time ago and did not stand out at all. So what was this man’s problem?

Danny only half dies because Lady Gotham blessed him when he was a child. So when Danny sees snow-white hair and glowing green eyes in the mirror, he is not frightened but surprised that the Lady protected him even though he is not living in Gotham now.

~~~~~

Danny knows gothamites don’t consider that Gotham is a part of the USA. Even their Metropolis neighbors are just pathetic cowards, unable to withstand the hardships of life. No, really. Why the hell would they be patriots of the country that thinks they’re its dirty secret? This opinion is shared by old ones and children, rich ones and residents of Crime Alley, heroes and villains.

Danny loves Gotham. And he likes local jokes about how if one of their supervillains ever took power enough to threaten the government, he would be obliged to release them from that citizenship. Otherwise, he would be shamed and ridiculed by the inhabitants.

Phantom is not a villain. But for Gotham? For their common purpose? He is ready to pretend to be.

~ A ghost can bring his city ~ Great honor in one way ~

Gothamites remember that the child of mad scientists was the only person Boy Wonder was willing to call a friend. They remember how boys' laughter was heard from rooftops and from alleys on particularly dark nights. And they know whose restless spirit has returned to mourn the death of the second Robin.

The boy’s parents must be fools. Many outsiders are. They call their blessing a curse. People die in Gotham. And not all of them come back. Residents know that these ones are chosen by Lady Gotham herself.

The public enemy of Amity Park number 1? What nonsense. He is not theirs anything! In Gotham they will accept the Phantom as a guard, as a silent shadow, as a villain or a hero. In any kind. Because he belongs here. He should be part of their dance between life and death. He should be amidst dark alleys and acid rains, gliding between fear and laughter in the air.

Even local villains experience strange yearning. Like something’s wrong. Like a piece of a puzzle that’s lost. Therefore, the local abandoned observatory is empty, and none of them is in a hurry to call it their territory. Because it will be in demand, it will be loved and needed. It’s only a matter of time.

Let the spirit of Gotham guide you home, child. Dead gothamite is still gothamite. Which means there will always be a place for you.

~~~~~

When Danny first enters his favorite cafe in his Phantom form and with a wound on his leg, he doesn’t expect a cleaning lady to yell at him immediately for the blood on the floor. With a mop in his hands and with already bandaged leg, Danny feels as if all his worries had gone. They are not afraid of him. Of course. No one in Gotham would avoid him because of glowing eyes and sharp teeth. And that’s nice.

The waitress throws a tray of food on a table next to him: Welcome dinner for the wandering son of the alley. Red Hood said it's your usual order. He’ll be waiting for you on the gargoyle. You should know which one.

~~~~

If parents listened to his childhood stories about good ghosts, they would know that the Phantom is not special. He is not an anomaly of ghost nature and not a mistake. He is one of many who always were and will be defenders of the city. Danny stands in front of the costume that he admired years ago. He's ready to take another shift at work. The remains of his colleagues can rest quietly this night. Lady will wake them only when in dire need.