#dare i say his most iconic line

[thistlehalo]

gorgug really entered his hater era in s3 (and i fuckin love it keep it coming gorgug)

[cienie-isengardu]

Cienie's Star Wars sidenotes

While doing research and writing down the last pieces of Funeral Rites of the Clone Troopers, it became even more clear how The Clone Wars animated TV series did a great disservice to Jedi, especially in the context of medical care for clones.

TCW has clone medics, both as part of combat units (e.g. Kix from 501st Legion) and working apparently in the medcentre as sometimes was presented on the screen.

The role of doctors treating wounded troopers was given to Kaminoans (Nala Se) and droids and sure, those two groups were part of the whole GAR’s medical system in the Legends too. However Jedi Healers (doctors), as far as I remember, were seen treating mainly other Jedi like Yoda

and even then TCW barely paid attention to force healing as an important skill. 

The research about medical care for clones gives a pretty drastic idea of what was happening during and after battle which is understandable why the show destined for younger viewers didn’t go into full details about triage of wounded but considering how many dark themes were put in the same show, I dare to say not showing medical care provided by Jedi or common Republic doctors and nurses (who btw are a rare example of republic citizens conscripted into army during the war) actually is unfair. The show reduced one very important aspect of Jedi - they weren’t just generals and commanders either sending or leading troops into battle, they also provided medical help, whether they were specifically trained at healing or not. 

In Legends, we could see Jedi Healers assisting the army on various occassions, working in triage area like in Republic comics series:

The triage unit, where Jedi healers labor to save the lives of the wounded, was set up safely behind the line of battle. But as the fortunes of war shift, so do the battlelines.

and worrying first about wounded even in the face of serious danger

Master Saa! We’re cut off! There’s no way to get the wounded out!

and searching for survivors

Master Saa is hurt! She pulled the trees on top of us for protection...

and working in hospitals

Follow me Skywalker. We have much healing to do. The Jedi sickbay, where we treat the most severe injuries. And our own, of course. Master Offee has saved countless lives. She seldom leaves her post to rest. But we all work long hours.

Not to mention the whole Medstar duology dedicated to padawan Bariss Offee, doctors and nurses serving in Republic mobile hospitals close to frontine - and yes, forever I’m gonna be bitter about how TCW/New Canon treated the most iconic Jedi Healer.

(The cover art for Medstar: Jedi Healer by Dave Seeley)

When padawan Skywalker arrived at New Holstice with his troops, he was immedialy called to assist in the nearest sickbay

“Are you injured, master Jedi?”

“Not really, no.”

“Good. You can make yourself useful by heading to the nearest sickbay. We need all the Jedi healers we can get...”

and for context, this is Anakin two days after after Jabiim, one of the worst war campaigns Republic experienced so far, the solely survivor of Jedi Pack traumatized both by the loss of his comrades and what happened on the planet and forced to make a devastating choice is literally told to get at work ASAP because every Jedi in between assignment was working here hard to heal the most wounded..

Though no healer himself, Anakin even force-healed injured trooper on battlefield to stop him going into shock:

Supporting the commando trooper with his left arm, Anakin warded off blaster bolts on the run. The rest of Squad Seven supplied cover, blowing STAPs out the sky with uninterrupted fire. Cody motioned everyone into a shallow irrigation trench just short of the mound. By the time Obi-Wan arrived, the troopers were deployed in a circle, and continuing to pour fire into the sky. Anakin slid into the trench a moment later, lowering the commando gently to the muddy slope. Squad Seven’s medical specialist crawled over, removing the commando’s ravaged utility belt and deeply dented helmet.  [...]

The harvester’s pincers had crushed the armor into the commando’s abdomen. His skin was intact, but the bruising was severe. With only half the original army of 1.2 million in fighting shape, the life of every clone was vital. Blood and replacement organs - - what the regular troopers referred to as “spare parts” - - were readily available - - “easily requisitioned” - - but with the war reaching a crescendo, battlefield casualties were on the rise and treated as high priority.

“Not much I can do for him here,” the medspec told Anakin. “Maybe if we can get an FX-Seven air-dropped - - ”

“We don’t need a droid,” Anakin interrupted. Kneeling, he placed his hands on the injured commando’s abdomen and used a Jedi healing technique to keep the clone from going into deep shock. [Labyrinth Of Evil]

(and included request for evacuation of the wounded trooper when Cody called for artillery support)

In Republic comics series alone we could see Jedi showing concern for the wounded troopers at various moments, putting their well-being as priority:

or helping (healing) wounded enemies:

And I won't lie, it is frustrating how Legends, especially Republic comics series that had around 40 issues put so much pressure on Jedi Force healing and how Jedi care for wounded troopers while The Clone Wars (New Canon) that lasted for decade or so kinda ignored the issue? Which is unfair to Jedi and clones alike. The first are presented as less caring, at times indifferent? the latter deserved to have all the available medical help, not just Kaminoans and droids.

[eightmakesonebraincell]

i also can’t believe i never mentioned this but SPIDERMAN YUNHO IDEAS GO!!!!

— mafia

it's 5am and my head hurts and this is not proofread but here you go (wc 0.6k)

spiderman!yunho mostly swings around the neighbourhood helping out with trivial tasks

bc the area's honestly pretty safe most of the time

it's because of this, and you mostly keeping to yourself, that you don't really have much of an opinion about spiderman!yunho

you know he exists but that's pretty much it

one day you accidentally leave the front door open when you're taking your shopping in

and zoom

your dog goes running out

you're shrieking your head off trying to get your dog to stop

when someone suddenly scoops her up when she tries to run through their legs

it's spiderman!yunho who's handing you back your dog

you've lost one slipper during your run

and your hair is slipping out of its scrunchie

you're breathless bc you haven't ran in like six years

but yunho thinks you're kinda really cute

you thank him profusely

and when he tells you that it's his pleasure

wow

you kinda really like his voice

after that, you start to see him everywhere

he's helping the lil old ladies cross the road, hobbling along at a slow pace for them

he's shooting webs to help get soccer balls down that are stuck on the roof

he's scaling the side of buildings to rescue the cute kittens perched on the ledges

(if it's because yunho is starting to hang more around your neighbourhood in hopes of seeing you, then that's a secret)

you probably do something dumb again

like your bag breaks and all your apples roll out

or you walk into a pole bc you wanted to step on a leaf that looked crunchy

either way

spiderman!yunho appears whenever you're in need of help

so look

maybe you've developed a crush on him

(not to mention he packs a cake in his suit 😍)

(and his toned chest looks so Y U M M Y)

you don't dare to confess though

mans probably has like half the world as his fans

except

hohoho

said mans only cares about you

needless to say you're a little shocked when he asks you out on a date

yunho probably takes you swinging between buildings as a first date LOL

grins cheekily when you hug him tighter

he tries to impress you by showing you all the different ways he can use his webs

"i can grab that can of soda for you without getting up"

"i can get us to the twentieth floor in two seconds"

not that you need to be impressed

he gets so excited when you ask him questions about his spidey powers

he probably gets you to measure how far he can shoot a web

or how many he can shoot in a minute

bc the man makes everything a competition

even if it's just him beating his own personal best 🙄

definitely does that iconic first kiss hanging upside down

but he miscalculates his height and his lips are level with your chest

will say something like "this isn't so bad either" ;))))

but when he does do the hanging kiss properly and you're blushing

he probably lightens the mood by saying, "well, don't leave me hanging"

he's so silly and goofy

even when he finally confesses and asks to be your boyfriend

HAS to use a dumb pickup line

"i may be spiderman...but i'd rather be your man"

[justanotherfanfolks]

You know what I think is kind of interesting about Epel's Platinum Suit Groovy (aka the line where almost everyone decided to do the most evil smirk they've ever done at drawings of people)?

I saw it and got confused. He just looked like he was smiling, which didn't line up to me. This is EPEL we're talking about. Of COURSE he has to smirk.

Then I zoomed in

Ah, there is is.

And this might just be me. But this is like a "laughing to yourself" kind of smirk. Dare I say, "mean girls'" smirk? Like a "wow that was really sad and embarrassing for you" smirk. Subtle, personal, but still there.

Seems pretty fitting for Epel. Keeps a good part of his thoughts inside, but really wants to let them out and occasionally slips a bit. Like that is the face of a gut reaction to something, that you weren't trying to largely express. That's a silent smirk. It's among the more subtle of the smirk art line. I mean he's in a museum, he can't just full blown evil cackle or something. But you can see it in his eyes. That Epel spunk is behind those eyes.

"Where are you going with this-" the artists know how to do expressions, these dudes are being evil in their own unique way!

Anyway Happy Birthday to Epel, icon that he is.

[skeletaldarling]

the relationship between vampirism & queerness

Vampires are inherently queer characters. Their queerness is represented in countless texts including Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula (1897), Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella, Carmilla (1872), the film Interview with the Vampire (1994), and Rainbow Rowell’s novel Carry On (2015). Vampires’ queerness is enforced by a multitude of factors; notably the sexual nature of a vampire itself, the relationship vampires have with ‘normal’ society, and the inherent evilness behind vampires. 

The queerness of vampires is enforced by the sexuality behind the concept of a vampire itself. Unlike other monsters, vampires are not apparently beastly or undead. Their evil nature is hidden beneath a suave, charismatic personality. The ‘charming vampire’ character was first popularised by John William Polidori in his 1819 short story, The Vampyre. This story was a source of inspiration for Carmilla and Dracula, who further cemented ‘charisma’ into the fundamentals of the vampire archetype. A part of vampires’ hunting method is seduction, which often leads to a blurry line between ‘prey’ and ‘romantic interest’. One of the most iconic traits of a vampire is the bite to the neck. Popularised by Bram Stoker, vampires typically drain their victims of blood from the neck. While it’s a convenient spot because of the carotid artery, a plentiful source of blood, it’s often argued that the sexual nature of biting one’s neck played a large part in the popularisation of it.

The sexulisation of vampires opens up an opportunity for authors to explore queerness in a non-explicit setting. The relationship between a vampire and their victim can mirror that of a romantic/sexual couple. Often vampire characters are more fluid with their sexuality and they influence their human prey with their vampiric, sexual, queer nature. In Interview with the Vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac’s story starts with his partner, Lestat de Lioncourt turning him into a vampire. The scene in which Lestat bites him includes him pinning Louis to the ground and biting his neck before whispering in his ear. “You can be young always, my friend, as we are now.” Lestat’s use of ‘we’ as opposed to ‘you can stay young’ shows his interest in staying with Louis. Louis’ character development stems from a queer male vampire changing his life. Count Dracula’s prisoner was Jonathon Harker, with whom he was extremely infatuated. Upon finding other female vampires attempting to bite Jonathon’s neck, Dracula was outraged. "How dare you touch him, any of you? How dare you cast eyes on him when I had forbidden it? Back, I tell you all! This man belongs to me!” Dracula was possessive of Jonathon, which alludes to an attraction beyond chaste fascination. In Carmilla, the titular character came into human Laura’s life and engaged her in a romantic relationship. Carmilla says “‘I have been in love with no one, and never shall,’ she whispered, ‘unless it should be with you.’” to Laura, who consistently described Carmilla as attractive, “She was so beautiful and so indescribably engaging.” While it’s up to the reader if Carmilla’s feelings were simply an act used to lure Laura in or true love, their relationship was intimate and unmistakingly queer. In Carry On, Tyrannus Basilton ‘Baz’ Grimm Pitch never bites Simon Snow, but they are involved. Baz says “You were the centre of my universe. Everything else spun around you.” While Baz did not attempt to make Simon a vampire, he was knowingly queer before Simon; Simon was unaware of his own queerness before Baz. This is another example of a queer vampire influencing their human partners. The queer themes in these texts are fueled by the sensual nature of the vampire characters. 

One way vampires are shown as an allegory for being queer, is the relationship vampires have with regular society. A vampire fitting in with human communities is difficult, due to the inability to be in sunlight or eat normal food. Queer folk historically struggle to fit into heteronormative spaces seeing as, like vampirism, it’s been widely viewed as a negative trait. That sense of displacement or otherness felt by queer people is mirrored by vampires. Count Dracula’s odd behaviour was quickly picked up on by Jonathon. Upon finding Jonathon using a shaving mirror, Dracula was enraged. “This is the wretched thing that has done the mischief. It is a foul bauble of man's vanity. Away with it!" And opening the window with one wrench of his terrible hand, he flung out the glass.” Similarly, Simon always suspected Baz was a vampire, and spent his highschool career trying to prove it. “Are you saying you don’t think Baz is a vampire?” “I know he’s a vampire. But it’s still unconfirmed.” Baz being odd because he was a vampire is not unlike his being different because he was queer. Baz was always self aware he was unlike everyone else. Baz and Simon in a crowded room: “They’ll know that we’re gay.” “There go my job prospects. What will my family say? Baz, you’re actually, literally the only thing I have to lose. So as long as doing gay stuff in public doesn’t make you hate me, I don’t really care.” Regular, heteronormative, human society makes both the vampire community and queer people feel like outsiders; creating a sense of guilt for being different. Baz and Louis have both chosen to drink rat blood to avoid drinking humans. Their inner turmoil over being a blood-sucking demon reflects the common queer mindset of feeling guilty over being different. The sense of ‘otherness’ unites queer folk and vampires. 

From their conception in common folklore, vampires have been written as evil, soulless beings. Vampires are undead demons that drink blood and transform innocent humans into more blood-drinking demons. The queerness behind vampire characters is linked to their being inherently evil. Vampires turning humans into vampires is a metaphor for gay people ‘corrupting’ others with their homosexuality. After the death of his wife and child, Louis was attacked by Lestat and turned into a vampire. Lestat gave him a whole new life and they adopted a daughter, Claudia. Louis went from a ‘straight’ human man who played his part in regular society, to a queer vampire. Vampires have a massive influence over their victims and partners. Their influence, in terms of both vampirism and homosexuality, leaves lasting effects on their prey. In the aftermath of Carmilla and Dracula, Laura and Jonathon are said to have struggled with recovery. From Carmilla, “The following Spring my father took me a tour through Italy. We remained away for more than a year. It was long before the terror of recent events subsided.” Vampires’ impact on their human partners is not necessarily for the better. For Laura, it was detrimental to herself, whereas in other stories, such as Carry On, Simon Snow was better off with his vampire boyfriend. Baz helped him find a version of himself he was unfamiliar with and they started their new life together. “He's not a villain. He's just a boy. I'm kissing a boy. I'm kissing Baz.” 

Vampirism is an allegory for being queer. The queerness with which vampire characters are written is shown through the sexulisation of vampires, the sense of ‘otherness’ felt by both parties, and the inherent evil nature behind vampires. The evidence and recurring themes across Dracula, Carmilla, Interview with the Vampire and Carry On show the ways in which queerness shows itself in vampire texts. Writers using vampires as an outlet for queer allegories implies an urge on the author’s part to explore a more fluid perspective on sexuality. I think a lot of the appeal of vampire texts and characters lies in the desire to fantasise about a different way of being — it’s a safe, abstract way of exploring one’s own sexuality through stories. Vampires represent homosexuality in a subtle, indirect way that connects with the queer community and create a way to show queer stories without being blatantly queer.

[buckymilf]

I’m so mad at what marvel did. How dare they take stucky’s most iconic line and give it to steggy. It’s even worse when they keep telling us that Steve and Bucky are just friends but then they replace any scenes with Bucky with peggy and suddenly it’s romantic :/ . What are they gonna do next???? Say that steve and peggy have been best friends since childhood and were inseparable on both school yard and battlefield???? Fuck you marvel 😐😐😐

rogers the musical is the perfect example when you mix homophobia, racism and white feminism

it's the way they mixed up all of steve's arc and legacy, made Peggy the most important person in steve's life when everyone who had watched the movie knows that is not true, just to sell the conservative agenda of a white straight cis couple. they erased sam wilson, he's not even in the musical when he was steve's best friend and saved steve's life countless times, bucky only appears for a brief blink and you miss it moment when steve's driving force was always bucky, his whole trilogy is focused on how bucky is important to him and of course, they stole all bucky's dialogues and gave it to peggy and made it romanntic, canonizing steve and bucky's relationship in the most homophobic way

if i see someone giving money to watch the musical, you will be blocked. this blog do not support racism and homophobia in any way.

[d-criss-news]

jonyricker: Well babes, that’s a wrap on the Darren Criss Worldwide Concert Experience of 2023™️ (working title 😎)!! What a fuckin HONOR to tour so many places with this fun-as-hell crew! 🍻And to finish things off with 2 sold out shows at the iconic @thelondonpalladium?! Mind blowing. 🤯 Y’all gave us a PROPER British send off, loves😘 🇬🇧

Feeling nothing but gratitude for this whole experience of these shows over the last several months. And ill tell ya: not something, as the internet is wont to say, I had on bingo card! 🎰 So many incredible folks at both @michaelcasselgroup & @lambertjacksonproductions who made these international excursions easy, efficient, & as a result SUPER fun for everyone 🤩 would work with ALL of them again in a heartbeat!! They’re stars and deserve their laurels! 🎖️

Slides 3, 4, & 5 feature our Aussie boots on the ground 🥾: Jaqui, @alex_duffy, & @jendangdang! They became our beautiful lil touring family down unda!! Bringing a big show like this across the Pacific Ocean is a daunting task, but this team went above and beyond every step of the way and made it look EASY? Plus? All of ‘em the best people? I miss em 💗

📋Example? Slides 6 & 7: A beautiful afternoon cruise through Sydney Harbor with the Michael Cassel team 🛥️ and Sam (@biomassage_official), a marvelous masseuse and beautiful soul! 💫 We we’re treated to a luxury massage w/ Sam and dare I say… it was the beat/most restorative massage if my life? He’s magic 💆🏻‍♂️

After Australia, we had no idea we’d be heading to London a month later and @itsjamielambert & his team carried the torch of this tour to the finish line with magnificent panache! 🔥💥There was stunning pyro 🎇 multiple guests 💃🏻 meet & greets 📸 and we did it TWICE in one day! Tho we had so much less time with them (36 hours!) but I marveled at what they achieved and was honored to work with them 🙏🏼 slide 8 feat. Our fab producer @phoebenoble__ who rocked it all day with us and STILL slayed 👏

TL;DR - We got to work with the best people and they Fuckin’ rock 🤘 . . . #tourlife #darrencriss #concert #londonpalladium #australia #youreintheband #teamstarkid 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿📸: @danny_with_a_camera

[junko-en0shima]

He's A Pirate - Pirate! Eddie Munson x Mermaid! Reader

Summary: Captain Eddie is traveling for the seven seas with his first mate Steve Harrington and their crew, but to reach the treasure island they've been looking for about four years now, they have to go through The Mermaids Bay on a Blood Moon night which many legends are told about. That sounds dangerous, doesn't it?

Warnings: mention of drinking, (h/l) = hair lenght, (h/c) hair colour, (e/c) = eye colour.

A/N: Hey there, my Eddie loving fellas! This is my first fics ever about Stranger Things and Eddie Munson ofc hahah. I want to make this a mini serie, so please let me know if you want part 2.

*Comments and reblogs are appreciated!*

The wind blew harder than usual, pushing itself against the white sails which were light orange because of the light of the Blood Moon which could be made out of the blood of all the sailors who were captured by the mermaids a lot of legends told about.

But Captain Eddie didn't believe a word of those silly legends!

He was just standing there, proudly point his sharped sword towards the horizon to announce anyone who dared to get in his way his arrival.

"Together we will conquer every island, fighting the most dangerous creatures the world can provide and finally, I, Captain Edward Munson, will be the king of the seven seas!" He repeated his iconic line.

"You told this about a thousand times today." First mate Steve Harrington complained before to take a sip from his rum bottle. "You should cut it off repeating that childish line all day long." He added.

"But people should know who's soon gonna rule them all." Eddie jumped down from his spot.

"You told this about a thousand times, too." Steve took one more sip as he was slowly beginning to forget what patience was.

"You're gonna thank me once we'll get to put our precious hands on that freaking treasure." He looked through his telescope to scan the horizon once again which caused Steve to roll his eyes at him.

In the meantime, their crew mates, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Gareth, Jeff, an unnamed freak and their new addition Erika, Lucas' younger sister, were sitting on some barrels to discuss about the treasure they had been looking for about four years.

"What do you think those old folks put in that old wooden chest?" Dustin asked his mates.

"Gold coins?" Will suggested.

"Jewerly?" Mike added.

"Pearl necklaces?" Jeff suggested.

"That's jewerly, too." Dustin whispered and Jeff pulled an 'oh...' face at him.

"More maps to find more treasures?" was Erika's theory.

"That would be too silly of them." Lucas immediantly contradicted his sister.

"These are all good theories, but first we have to find this chest to find out." Gareth reminded. "We've been navigating for about four years now and nothing to be found yet."

"We should ask Eddie about that." Erika spotted Eddie talking to Steve, probably both drunks already, before to get up her way to go to her captain.

Everyone nodded in agreement and got up from their barrels to march to their captain and his first mate.

"Excuse me, long haired freaking captain." Erika spoke, making sure to catch Eddie's attention.

Eddie turned to the girl. "Yes, Sinclair?"

"How long is it gonna take before we find this 'treasure' island?" She gestured open brackets. "Is that even real?"

"Well, all the retired captains I confronted before to sail told me that the treasure island should be right behind the corner..."

A smile of relief begun to appear on their faces.

"... but not before we pass The Mermaids Bay." He finished.

"M-m-mermaids?" Jeff was shivering like a leaf, clutching to Dustin, who begun to shiver as well. "B-b-bay?" He tried to finish.

"Yeah, what about that?" Eddie raised an eyebrow at the two scared little mouses.

"Legends say that all the sea dogs that tried to sail this dark bay..." Jeff begun.

"... were put under a spell by the mermaids singing which leaded them to fall in the trap, with their whole crew and ship, elaborated by these beautiful, but dangerous creatures." Dustin continued.

"And they were never ever seen again." Jeff finished, giving everyone a serious look.

Eddie stared at them concerned for a moment... before to burst into a fit of laughs.

"What's funny?" Dustin asked him. "Yeah, it's a true story!" Jeff specified.

"Yeah..." A tear escaped from Eddie's eye which he quickly wiped away with his index finger. "And I believe it." Eddie kept laughing, slapping his knees before to begin hold his stomach which was twisting for the laughs.

Steve stared at his captain and then stared at the kids. "Tonight is gonna be the night of The Blood Moon, too."

The kids, most likely Dustin and Jeff, begun to panic and pronunced 'Oh, it's really late! We're going to bed! 'Night!' as an excuse to run lower deck to hide and the others followed them behind; Lucas, who was most of the time the cold-blooded of the crew, panicked as well and grabbed his sister by the hand to drag her away with them.

Eddie and Steve were now alone.

"Well, I guess I'm going to sleep, too." Steve faked a yawn and took a last sip before to pass the now empty bottle to Eddie, wishing him a good night and head his way to bed.

Now Eddie was pretty much alone. He already planned to stay awake, though, so he knew he would be.

He took control of the helm after grabbing a new bottle of rum for himself; he insisted it helped him to concentrate though Steve told him tons of times it wasn't a good thing to do because it wouldn't take a long time for hum to crash against a rock.

Steve even made a bet on that and sweared on Dustin's mother he would celebrate, drinking all the bottles himself, if he won.

The fog begun to cover his view, so he couldn't see a thing, but he could hear a beautiful enchanting voice coming from afar.

At first, he simply tried to ignore it, taking a few more sips of rum as he believed it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but it was just too captivating to resist; he dropped the anchor, so he could leave the helm to go see what was happening.

Through the fog, he could barely spot a female figure with a human bust and a fishy tail, lying on a rock.

As it begun to fade away, he could see it better: it was a beautiful woman with (h/l) (h/c), enchanting (e/c) and a sparkly and scaly tail; her beautiful figure was highlighted by the red moonlight.

'For my uncle's golden teeth...' he though to himself, 'so... beautiful.' An enchanted smile grew on his lips; he had never seen such a beauty in his whole life.

Her hair looked just silky and soft to stroke, her tail was pretty interesting to examinate and her eyes seemed to talk to him.

Her glossed lips seemed to tune the same captivating melody he heard earlier.

The boys, Erika and Steve were hiding their faces under their pillows as her voice didn't sound as tunful in their ears as it sounded in Eddie's.

The woman jumped from the rock and seemed to be swimming to another one, closer to the ship.

"Hello there, sailor." She looked into Eddie's chocolate brown eyes as deep as the ocean with no shame.

"Hi..." He was a bit shyer, but kept eye contact with her as he managed to fall under her spell, enchanted by her beauty.

He couched to clear his throat and boldly introduced himself. "I'm Eddie Munson, Captain Eddie Munson."

"Oh, what a lovely name you've got there, Captain. My name's (Y/n)."

"Nice to meet you, little mermaid."

She shyly chuckled as her cheeks slighty heated up.

He was about to reach out her hand and so she was, when...

"Eddie!"

Dustin's voice seemed to be calling him and he was pulled back to reality.

"Eddie!" Dustin's eyes expressed all his worry. "We though you fell under the mermaids' spell!" His eyes looked like he was about to cry.

"Sorry, I..." Eddie tried to explain, but Steve cut him off.

"No time to explain. You should get a bit of rest. I'll be at the helm for tonight." He gently pushed him lower deck with the kids so they would make sure he would get some rest.

For all the time, Eddie could think of nothing, but that beautiful mermaid he met; was that only a dream or was it real?

© alexandrawritesfics on Tumblr.

[seeingivy]

method acting asks!

wait i totally agree. i think for the last of s4 press he would want to grow it out to the manbun again cuz that's kind of the iconic look but after that y/n would give him a haircut every time it started to get too long and he was kind of getting annoyed by it.

and yes, louis partridge my beloved is my perfect eren. when his hair was a little bit longer (before he cut it currently) it always made me giggle when olivia's fans referred to him "as the bob" and I totally think y/n's fans would do the same

hehe. more margaret and bruce references in the next chapter. but yeah they're literally always going to be so famous AND im so excited for the next chapter I have been WAITINGGG to use margaret by lana del ray

I posted the tracklist a little while ago. i've linked it here!

that being said, I am also so so emotional about only having one chapter left. I was rereading chapters last night just to make sure I cover all my bases and mention everything I want to for the last chapter and weirdly enough I got so nostalgic and just started crying LMFAO. really though, i've been writing this fic since last july - and i've lived a hundred lives since last july. truly this academic year has been the hardest i've pushed myself and generally struggled the most - and I always found myself running back to this fic and writing it whenever I was really down. getting to watch people nitpick and find all the little easter eggs I was leaving really made my day when I was down in it.

and in general, the fics I wrote before method acting were really soft and sweet - but with little depth of topics that were discussed? if that makes sense? and i'm in no way shitting on my own work, because I am really proud of my work (all of it, no matter how bad or good I think it is now), but this was the first time that I really got to push the limits and kind of talk about other topics and lessons i've learned in my little old twenty years of life. even yesterday, I was rereading the beach and remember that I wrote that whole dialogue about how your life is not meant to be a punishment and you're meant to move forward - and how deeply delighted I was when that was the line that most of the readers resonated with. it's sweet to feel like i'm pouring my love and heart into a fic and have people enjoying it on the other side.

anyways, sorry @tangerine-neonlight this is so long and i'm emotional and i'm about to start working on the last chapter so i've been feeling all types of ways.

here are my no context spoilers for the last chapter:

lover by taylor swift BUT ACTUALLY in the worst way you could possibly imagine it

connie girlfriend reveal (spoiler not spoiler, but we've met her already, and dare I say, she's quite the fan favorite)

the seattle aquarium

SNL host eren l/n-jaeger ft musical guest y/n l/n-jaeger (YUPPP)

eren and y/n releasing songs about fucking each other on the same day again. yeah <3

[c0c0-m3shfr3sh]

˚ · . Luffy with a 10 year old little sister ˚ · .

Featuring: Pre-timeskip! Luffy

Ever wondered how Luffy, one of the most immature person, take cares of his little sister?

Goodness gracious.. What can I say.. This boy will absolutely spoil the hell out of you!

He'll often play with you, laugh with you, and frequently places his hat on you just so it's because his little sister looked adorable on it.

Luffy will also share his food with you, something he never done to anyone else.

The crew was sick of Luffy's antics, but you? They'll let you pass, since you're a child.

Every time the ship docked on an Island, Luffy will always volunteer to accompany you! He'll carry you to wherever he's going, and using his iconic line "Let's go have an adventure together!"

Whenever he's hungry, he'll steal some snacks for himself and get some reserved for you.

Older Brother Luffy will make sure you won't ever feel bored or lonely! He keeps an extra eye on you, and whenever he wanted to slingshot the crew back to the ship, he'll be more gentler towards you. :)

Luffy will also smother his baby sister with kisses on the cheeks and forehead, and even allowing her to sit on his special seat! The head of the ship.

And if anyone dares to kidnap you? Nah, it'd be a complete failure because: GUM GUM GATLING!

And during that time, when Luffy decided to set sail to become a pirate, he won't hesitate to also bring his sister along! He's really positive that he can protect you, unharmed.

But at the same time, the adventure so far is hella chaotic!

Luffy will get pissed off the moment he noticed even the smallest injuries or a scratch from his baby sister. After all, who the hell dares to even harm her?

He'll beat that person's ass that hurt you, and when he ran back looking for you, he'll make you laugh by doing those silly faces :)

You were confused entirely, the injury didn't even hurt that much when Chopper disinfect it? Oh well, Luffy and you would be laughing mess on the floor.

Tickle fights are a must for him!

He obviously favour you more, since you were his biological baby sibling! When he was 7, he was shocked to find out the baby infant was his little sister! And he recalls being so overjoyed as he watches your first crawl, first step, and everything!

Definitely memorises your favourite food, favourite drinks, favourite snacks, what you like and dislike. He could definitely tell if there's something wrong just from one mere glance from you.

You two would have the same bright energy, always goofing around and running away from the marines.

However, every time a marine spots the Straw Hat's ship, they all tried to take you, thinking you were held hostage.

And luckily, you didn't have a bounty, though on the newspaper you were known as the "Straw Hat's little sister."

When you tried to make something for him or do something for him, he'll praises you and laugh saying that it's good no matter the appearance. A crumbled origami swan? He'll be overjoyed, knowing that his baby sister thought about him.

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊

Luffy laughed, taking the crumbled origami in between his hands with a gleeful smile, "This one's awesome!"

You pouted, resting your chin against the handrail of The Going Merry, "It's not even that good.." You muttered, playing with your small fingers.

"Don't say that!" Luffy frowns, turning around slightly to get a better view of you, "It's awesome, and I'm going to say it whether you like it or not. You're still learning, right?" He reassured, gently fondling the origami piece you created.

"I guess you're right," You smiled, a joy washing over your big doe eyes, "maybe it isn't so bad!"

Luffy grinned, patting you on the head. "Shishishi~! See?!" He laughed, tickling your sides.

"HAHAHAHA! T-THAT'S UNFAIRRR!" You giggled, rolling on the floor as you laughed out hysterically.

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

Honestly, he have no problem dealing with you whenever you're crying and sobbing out of fear, clinging onto him desperately.

Usually, he don't really like crybabies, but his baby sister is an exception.

Ever since you were an infant, growing from a toddler, to a child, and a pre-teen, Luffy always comforts you.

It's not like Luffy is actually dumb, he just chooses to be. And for this occasion, he acts more serious and more matured compared to what he usually is throughout the entire day.

Would rub gentle circles on your back, trying to soothe you and rocking you back and forth.

When the crew saw him doing this for the first time, they were genuinely shocked, but said nothing against it.

Finally, when you fall asleep, Luffy returned to his energetic and goofy demeanour.

Change of personality much? Yep! But he's a genuine person, don't worry!

He'd always ask Sanji to make something for his little sister, so she could happily enjoy it while she didn't have to worry about the dangers.

And nonetheless, for sure, Luffy always make sure to put his life on the line for his little sister!

[scoonsalicious]

since I can't insert any images while on anon, just imagine me reading this, and in between every paragraph, groaning in disappointment and frustration and then dropping my face against the table. Or maybe just putting my phone down and yelling into my pillow for every bad decision made...which is a lot, to say the least. I'm attacking this by part so I don't miss anything but also fo expect something long hahaha

Well, Bad Decision #1 (unfortunately. I hate that's its just #1. also BRANDON. I'm not saying that name has anything to do with me but I got confused for a second because that's what I've been calling Bucket sometimes so I was like? Bucky? lol), more like Bad Dick #1 ha ha. Anyway. I honestly wasn't surprised that he turned out to be horrendous at that LMAO. I mean, he's young and arrogant and on top of that, disrespectful and disgusting. While I don't condone violence, I mean, with how he was acting, he kinda deserved that dick twist. Was it too much? Probably. I thought so at first then I realized that he's probably done this to other girls before, and most of them didn't have the training Pocket had so it probably had gone worse so that was perfectly fine by me. Also her blurting out a Bucket's name during made me wince because yikes that's always embarrassing but I wasn't surprised. She was imagining him. And ha! you got to insert the "Who the hell is Bucky?" line! I absolutely read that the same way he said it in CA:CW. iconic line. Will probably set that as my ringtone.

But Pocket's last line about feeling disgusted but empowered at the same time and then wondering if that's how Banjo felt, left a little sour taste in my mouth. I mean, I'm no mathematician but 2 wrongs ain't gonna make 1 right. And I can already tell that was a power trip for her where she feels like she's finally in control of her sexuality for once and that she's not the one being used and hurting this time. That can only mean she's going to crave it some more, which, I mean, in the next part it was stated that it had become a routine at this point. The problem is, she's never going to be satisfied. No matter if they look like Bryce, they're never going to be him on so many levels. One: his dick game is supersoldier strong in both skill and size. Two: he took the time to know Pocket and her body pretty well and how to satisfy her needs. Three: well, she loves him. I'd argue sex with someone you love will always feel better than just casual sex (maybe I'm just a sap but anyway) you can't really get all of the above with random strangers. So now, she's always going to crave that power with no real satisfaction in the end.

Now, Sam...he's trying so hard to get through to her and he did make some great points. They are on a mission, there are lives at risk here so it's not only herself she's putting in danger. So her going out randomly and drinking without any communication is so reckless, and dare I say, selfish because who knows what could've happened to her. But she's so far gone now, unfortunately :( She definitely wasn't ready for this mission and she absolutely wasn't in the right headspace for it no matter how much she said she could handle it. I truly did think if Tony knew what happened to her in full, he never would've offered this in the first place. I mean, Bojack tried to stop her and I kinda saw how it was out of concern for her well-being, but, he did come off a little jealous and possessive on top of what he's done so, so that canceled his opinion. Still, I wish someone would've stopped it, but then again, if someone did, we wouldn't have this story haha. Now, the two of them being the ones to look into Hydra again though, I don't know how I feel about it. But then again, they are the ones who know Hydra the most. Still, I don't trust Jeremiah. I still do think she's a spy.

Now with what happened in that room. It's so hard to see all these innocent girls who are just trying to get by on life be taken advantage of. Obviously Pocket meant well, but she did come off as a little all-knowing when she scolded Chloe. Pocket was right of course, an 18-year-old shouldn't be there at all. But she went about it wrong. I also can't blame her because she probably felt so panicked and scared for her and these girls. But now, Pocket taking two lines right off the bat I just...that's one way to hit rock bottom running I supposed. She did it to spare one girl which is great but, at what cost? I could argue that now she's put herself in a vulnerable position where she wouldn't be able to help any of them. It was a good solution at the moment but in the long run? I mean, she couldn't even remember much of what happened while she was intoxicated, so she didn't even really get much information. I mean she said it herself, she's probably jeopardized the mission. But now, she's feeling free from all the pain and anger and hurt, so what happens after that? She'll crave that moment of peace even more. That's how she relapses. She thinks the drugs are going to be a great escape and that could only end so so badly.

I have a feeling where's still on our ride down this hole and we haven't exactly reached rock bottom yet. And I could nothing but watch and be in it for the ride. Amazing as always! Super grateful for you and for giving us three parts today. Sending you love always!

— Jnon 🤍

Dearest Jnon, Do we share a brain from opposite sides of the world?

I shall address your points by point. I'm sorry I named him Brandon-- I should have avoided a 'B' name, but when I wrote it, I had NO IDEA your beautiful trend would have taken such hold, lol. I just chose one of the most generic, boring names I could think of, lol. And it helped her fantasy that his name starts with a 'B,' too. She thinks she's trying to fuck the memory of Bucky out of her, but the truth is, she misses him; she wants it to be him, to go back to a time and place before he hurt her. She's searching for something to make her feel the way he made her feel (I'll come back to this).

I definitely don't condone The Dick Twist. I think it points to just how off the rails she is at the moment, and I wrote it as her having a trauma response to when he grabbed her. Like, she's only concerned about herself right now, and protecting her wellbeing, both physically and emotionally, and at a kind of throw-back moment where she's being manhandled against her will, she experiences a bit of PTSD. Hence, The Dick Twist (TM). One of the things I wanted to make sure I did with Pocket was ensure she wasn't a "perfect" reader insert. I wanted her to be a full fledged, rounded character all on her own, which means making bad choices and doing questionable things. I don't necessarily think Brandon is some kind of sexual predator who does this kind of thing often; I think he was enticed by the idea of guaranteed sex from a hot, older chick, and then got pissed when he realized he was just being used as a substitute for someone else, and he wasn't going to get anything out of it. He reacted the way I'd expect an immature, selfish college boy would react (how I've seen them react, unfortunately). And yes! Absolute intentional throwback to CA:TWS! It's, without a doubt, my favorite line of dialog in the entire story, lol.

She absolutely SHOULD NOT have gone on this mission, you're right. And if Tony had known the extent of her pain, he never would have sent her. If he knew what she was doing, he'd blame himself, profusely. But, her pride, and her false sense of being over her trauma, kept her from telling the one person she trusts implicitly.

Going to her last line, about feeling disgusted with herself and yet empowered, I definitely didn't make this clear enough, but it has less to do with Bucky than it does with the men who abused her throughout her childhood. She's lumped Bucky in with them at this point (because of him denying her consent after he slept with Jade), and she views her actions against Brandon as taking a kind of revenge on every man who hurt her, not just Bucky (I'm sticking with his actual name so as not to cause confusion with actual Brandon, lol). That's why she feels empowered, but she knows it was wrong, which is why she's disgusted. If that wasn't clear, that's my failure as a writer, and for that I'm sorry. Yes, it was definitely a power trip, feeling in control. She barely mentions it in one of the earliest chapters, but she was fairly promiscuous once she escaped her parents, in a way to reclaim sex for herself (and not panic every time she had it), and she's repeating that behavior here. She's reclaiming it after the way she feels Bucky violated her. It's something she's going to keep doing, but without the violence. We're actually not going to see any more of her "conquests," fortunately, but she keeps searching for someone to make her feel the way Bucky made her feel.

So, coming back to that: It's not going to happen for her, exactly for all the reasons you mentioned. The biggest is #3: She loves him. No amount of strange dick is going to compare to that. Like, they weren't just lovers, they were best friends. Her feelings for him are deep. She thinks that, because she was able to basically fuck herself out of her trauma in the past, she can do it again, but it's an entirely new kind of trauma, with such a powerful emotional component, and it's not going to work for her this time.

Her behavior is extremely selfish, definitely, and it's absolutely going to affect the mission, starting with what happened in that room. With Chloe, Pocket saw herself (and I'll spoil a little something-- Chloe isn't 18), and she panicked, wanting to protect this girl from falling into her old life, but it came out condescending, especially without Chloe knowing anything about Pocket's history. It just made Pocket seem cruel, but it was coming from a place of fear.

I confess, writing this chapter was so fucking depressing for me, I wanted it over with as soon as possible, so I did kind of go for making her hit rock bottom right away. I didn't want to keep her in this space for a second longer than I had to. She definitely put herself in a vulnerable position (as the next part will show) and put the entire mission (and something else) in jeopardy due to her actions, and she'll carry that with her for the rest of the fic.

The spiral-down will continue, but I honestly don't detail it. Like I said, it was hurting my heart, so I felt it was enough to show her get there, then just kind of describe how it continues for a bit. I want the best for our girl, and I hated putting her in this position. But she's tough. It sucks, but she needs to go through this so she can actually process the trauma of her childhood. She thought she had, but until now, she's just repressed it.

Thank you, as always, for your insightful thoughts and theories. I love reading your take things! I love you!

[chocoluckchipz]

Rules: post the first lines of your last 10 fics posted to ao3. if you have less than 10 fics posted, post the first lines of all your fics.

Thank you for the tag @ladyofthenoodle! It was so much fun to see how misleading the first lines can be in regards to the whole premise of the story. XD

1. His feline ears twitched. He’d been spotted. - Dreams of You

2. He could buy all the beds in this resort, together with all the chairs, desks, and wardrobes. Heck, he could pay for all the furniture on this damn island. Together with its few resorts. - dared not to remember your name (you found me anyway)

3. No one had ever seen a kwami. - May I introduce myself, Your Highness?

4. Adrien shouldn't be nervous. It was supposed to be the happiest day of his life. - My One and Only. My One True Love.

5. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she was waiting for him, opening the hatch to her balcony mere seconds after he scratched at it. - I Want to be Your Cat

6. It had to be a mirage. Eyes like these simply couldn’t exist. The deepest blue he’d ever seen, warm and inviting with a rainbow sparkling inside them. The most precious of jewels. A treasure, really. Too bad it was nothing but a hallucination. - Together

7. “Why the long face, Mister?” - Perhaps, It’s Time

8. He couldn’t say yes. It didn't matter that he loved her more than he could ever express; more than he ever loved anyone. Him slowly falling for this girl these past few months was of no importance. That she had slowly become his everything had no significance. His love. His Princess. His Marinette. It didn’t matter. Not in the slightest. All because he couldn't lie to her. And saying Yes right now would force him to do just that. - Rain

9. The day Marinette met Adrien Agreste—the hottest supermodel alive, an only son of fashion icon Gabriel Agreste, and her long-time, embarrassing celebrity crush—was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. - Not a spying, not a fake date

10. Gabriel Agreste’s death had been sudden, and unexpected. - The Other You

Tagging @thelibraryloser, @thenovelartist, @botherkupo, @kasienda, @jennagrinsoverml

[sueske]

There’s this song that reminds me so much of Sasuke and Naruto and their whole dynamic, especially Sasuke’s side of things.

The song!

Everything I Cannot See - Charlotte Gainsbourg

The line “And the stars hang like noose” reminds me so much of how Naruto stares at the stars, just longing for Sasuke. So many metaphors kind of connect with them and it’s a little uncanny.

Anyways, if you’d like, I would love to know your opinion!

Hi.

I've mentioned before that I don't think SNS' relationship is perfect. Their obsessiveness towards one another is one facet of their relationship that is interesting to explore. The lyrics of the song essentially showcase how much influence a person can have over another because of love, which is a double-edged sword.

Sasuke views Naruto as a weakness. I think Naruto annoys Sasuke to some extent, or rather, Sasuke's feelings for Naruto are what annoy him. Because Sasuke can see himself being happy with Naruto and live for something other than revenge, as we saw in part 1. But how dare he? How dare Naruto make Sasuke feel that way since Sasuke's primary reason for getting up in the morning is to get strong enough to kill Itachi? So Naruto elicits conflicting feelings within Sasuke which he tries to suppress. He can't bring himself to kill Naruto at vote1 yet rationalises to himself and others that he spared Naruto's life on a whim, so on and so forth. Eventually all of that culminates into Sasuke deciding once and for all that he has to kill Naruto because he likes him too much. If Naruto has to die it has to be by Sasuke's hand too - 'The one who is going to cut off the past is me.' 

Naruto's obsession with Sasuke is more straightforward. What was it that Sai said? 'This obsession with Sasuke is absurd'? Yes, Naruto was worried for Sasuke's safety when he went to Orochimaru. Yes, Naruto didn't want Sasuke to be alone for the rest of eternity at vote2. But if you look back a lot of what Naruto did in the story was because of Sasuke in some way shape or form. He was willing to throw his life and dream away for Sasuke. The iconic, 'I'll bear the burden of your hatred and die with you!' is romantic sure, but also over the top. Just as crazy as wanting to kill someone because you like them too much.

As much as they are each other's strength they are each other's weakness, and there's a desperation in that which is really highlighted in some of the lyrics. Kishimoto also gave SNS a lot of symbolism so the stars etc fit well. Well, after their reconciliation most of their obsessiveness simmered down from a blazing 'let's die together'/I'm gonna kill you' mentality into something softer. They're still each others most precious person though and they'd do anything for each other. 'It's all meaningless without you', 'I feel the same way.' Essentially like the lyrics say 'you're my life.'

[suguruslut]

Going to a concert

𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘴

<<< 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙖𝙩𝙨𝙪🐉| 𝙏𝙤𝙧𝙖🐅| 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙖🐕 >>>

Gwen’s note: i saw mcr and angele in concert this year...the only thing missing was a househusband to hold my snacks...

🐉𝒯𝒶𝓉𝓈𝓊🍳

--as we know, Tatsu is really into rap music, so when you win tickets to see Agust D in concert, Tatsu flips his shit. dude won’t stop talking about it for all the months leading up to the concert. he actually makes Goda cry one time out of jealousy

--once the night arrives, Tatsu is over prepared, waiting outside the arena a good four hours before the show starts; nobody dared cut in front of you guys, and he was one of the first in line for merch, grinning proudly at your matching t-shirts

--he somehow got all his snacks and water bottles past security?? don’t ask how, he’ll never tell

--once you get in, Tatsu’s leading the way through the crowd with a gentle grip on your hand, making you drink water and sit at least for a few minutes since you’ll be standing and jumping the entire concert. the place is packed, but he assures you there’s no hitmen nearby

--definitely tears up when Agust D first comes out, then REALLY gets into it all while staying within concert etiquette. he sings all the lyrics, which he knows by heart, and it makes you smile to see him so happy and inspired

--dedicates each song to you, even though he didn’t write them; the only time this makes you cry is when he says it before AMYGDALA, his favorite off Agust D’s new album. Tatsu says it reminds him of how bad things were before meeting you, but now that you’re in it together, life and its choices seem a lot less difficult

-- immediately following the show and still riding the concert high... “I bet I can make my own mixtape! I found some great ideas on Pinterest...whattya think of that, Y/N?!”

🐅𝒯𝑜𝓇𝒶𝒿𝒾𝓇𝑜🍰

--Tora strikes me as a heavy metal kind of guy, always head banging and screaming his heart out whilst driving his kawaii crepe truck. when you surprise him with tickets to Beast in Black, he almost crushes your back with how tightly he hugs you

--listens to all their albums the week leading up to the concert, nonstop repeat so he knows all the words to every single song. luckily you love him, so you find it endearing to listen to him scream as loud as he can for most of the day. and pretend he knows how to play electric guitar

--doesn’t want to arrive early bcz that’s “uncool,” so you guys show up just as the concert is starting, Tora shoving his way through the crowd with you using him as a shield

-- “Outta the way, scrubs! A true fan is coming through!”

--literally pushes his way right up to the stage. you won’t be able to hear tomorrow, but how can you care about that when you see Tora’s face light up upon the band entering?

--he really did learn all the lyrics, screaming and singing with a grin on his face as he keeps one arm around you at all times, pumping his other fist in time with the music; you can’t believe how carefree Tora is acting, thinking you should bring him to heavy metal concerts more often

--One Night In Tokyo is his absolute favorite song, but he won’t admit to shedding tears after hearing it live. well, maybe just to you, because you got it on video for blackmail material

--for sure had you take a million pictures of him at the concert so he can brag to his friends (Tatsu) and frame some for your apartment

🐕ℳ𝒶𝓈𝒶🥡

--I can see Masa being very into trendy music, especially Jpop and Kpop. when he hears Band Maid is in town, he blows his last paycheck on two tickets; imagine his shock when you say you’ve never heard any of their songs

--by the time the concert comes around, let’s just say you now know every single song from each album, thanks to Masa overloading you with fandom info. you know each member, their life history, favorite foods, iconic looks, etc. etc. your husband is a major BM nerd, okay?

-- “I can’t believe you’ve never listened to them before! Here’s their first album, which I think was the third best out of all their albums, and here’s a list of the biggest venues they’ve played at, and...”

--should’ve put that boy on a leash...Masa gets lost at the venue at least five different times, always in search of the nearest bathroom and ending up in creepy hallways and surrounded by strangers

--they literally call your name over the speakers to come get him, lmao. once you clip him to your belt the concert starts, and the second the girls step on stage, Masa bursts into tears and squeals, though you’re not sure if it’s because he’s excited for the music or bcz they’re all wearing maid outfits...

--I think Masa would have a great singing voice, so it’s actually pleasant to hear him sing along with the band. you guys had pretty good seats, and Masa was taking endless pics and videos of both Band Maid and you two. before the concert was even over he set his wallpaper as one of your cheerful selfies, concert lights streaming over your faces

--dumbass didn’t even realize he bought backstage passes, and his favorite member, Misa (bcz her name is similar to his), actually signs his t-shirt for him, prompting him to pass out in your arms

--he’s just as elated when he wakes up as he was when he passed out, and will probably never stop talking about the time you two went to a Band Maid concert together

                                                        🐉 🐅 🐕

[jaewul]

I'm not a hero, 'cuz calling yourself a "hero" makes you a self-mythologizing narcissistic autocrat

Or, welcome to my dissertation on heroes, punks, Hobie Brown, and Spider-Man

Get comfortable because I have a lot to say

(btw English is not my first language, if you catch some error don't hesitate to correct me)

So, I cannot say that I am a Spider-Punk expert, because, never being very interested in Spider-Man, I was not aware of his existence before seing him in the Across the Spider-Verse trailer. That being said, I instantly fell in love with his character, starting with his iconic entrance and presentation.

And a sentence stuck with. I'm not a hero, 'cuz calling yourself a "hero" makes you a self-mythologizing narcissistic autocrat.

It just sounds like Hobie is being a typical contrary punk teenager here, presenting himself in opposition to the other spider-men, but like most things Hobie do and say, I don't think it's random.

Remember when he was plucking things from the walls in Miguel's lab and everyone assumed he was being randomly destructive when he was actually collecting materials for Gwen's watch ?

Anyway, Heroes are not Punk

Heroes are a big part of the subconscious of today's individualistic and consumerist society. I am not only talking about superheroes here ; can you imagine Star Wars without Luke Skywalker ? I am talking about Robin Hood, about Harry Potter, about any figure coming out of nothing to save the day. Because they all have their origin is the most hero of all heroes, our lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.

The prevalence of that kind of story as two consequences (that I can see) :

The first one is the cult of the personality. You know it. Without that faith in the providential man (or woman, who knows) would there be as many Elon Musk's fanboys ? It's of course very linked to consumerism, and to the very existence of influencers. We need role models, and to show our support to them, we consume their products, or emulate they appearance, they lifestyle. And we buy. And we listen. And we obey.

The other consequence is inaction. We wait, for someone to come and save us, to lead us to a better future, to show us the way. We wait for second coming of the Christ, when really, all the important social fights were won collectively. I am going to take an example from my country, Belgium, as this is what I am familiar with. The south of the country used to live from the coal mines in the 19th century, and it was a true capitalist hellhole. The situation only got better after some very violent revolts amongst the workers. I have studied that subject in university, quite extensively, but I don't remember one single name on the side of the workers. Sure, at some point someone was probably chosen as a negotiator, they were some figurehead during the fights, but nobody quite remember them. We remember the collectivity, because it's the collectivity who actually made things change.

I am not saying that we should not admire people, or follow them, but there is a big difference between a figurehead and a hero. Sometimes someone will crystallize the attention, and the energy of the people, and help put something into movement. That someone can even be fictional ! But when the figurehead become a hero, when the people stop trying because they think that special person/group of person is going to save them, we get a Greta Thunberg situation. Yeah, remember her speech ?

This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school in the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope ? How dare you.

She is a girl, a child truly, who was trust into the role of a hero and saw everyone around her stop trying and start to look up to her to do something. And nothing happens.

Remember what Miles said at the end of the last movie ?

Anyone can wear the mask. Anyone can be the hero. It's a good line. It's hopeful. It's inspiring.

But Hobie give us a slight variant. Nobody should wear the mask. We should not need heroes. It makes me think of Bertolt Brecht, a Marxist autor who said "unhappy is the land that is in need of heroes".

I don't think we could do without heroes. And to be fair, I love heroes, I love superhero stories, and while I absolutely hate wars, stories of men doing inspiring things in war fascinate me. I don't know where I am going with this whole thing, so I am going to let it like that for now and maybe come back to it later with a clearer head.

That being said, if I see anyone with official™ Hobie Brown merch, it's on sight motherfuckers

[wanderingnork]

Top Ten Horror Movies: 2023

Back at Halloween, I listed my top ten horror movies of all time. Now, I'm going to list the top ten just from this year. It's 10 out of 48. Not the quantitatively best movies, necessarily, but the ones that compelled me the most, that I enjoyed the most, that I remember the best. In ascending order:

Slotherhouse: A sorority girl adopts an illegally-acquired sloth in order to try to increase her popularity while she runs for sorority president. Things go spectacularly wrong when the sloth turns out to be...murderous.

I liked this movie for its sheer audacity. Slasher villain sloth? They committed to the bit! They made it a slasher! And the sloth was done with a puppet. A VERY GOOD PUPPET. Sloths already look like plush toys, so this wasn't a huge stretch. The puppet required five puppeteers to operate, had ten axes of movement in her adorable face, and a real voice actor handling her lines. Yes, LINES. The sloth noises are part of the script! Is it a great movie? No. But is it a joy to see an audacious, absurd, well-crafted labor of love on the silver screen? YES.

The Ruins: A group of foolish college students go to visit a forgotten Mayan pyramid. Very quickly, they find out why it was forgotten when the vines covering the pyramid turn out to be...murderous.

This movie is clever, bloody, and relentless. Whenever things went wrong, my stomach dropped even further. I was on the edge of my seat by the end. My ONE quibble: I think the alternate ending should have been the real ending, and I don't understand the rationale for why it wasn't. It's real. To me.

Southbound: A series of connected short horror stories that take place along the same stretch of road in the desert of Southern California. Each story flows into the next, with the final story circling back to the beginning of the movie.

A delightful anthology that felt more like it was a single movie, I really just enjoyed Southbound a lot. Each story has good horror in different ways. Some are psychological, some are body horror, some have monsters, but they all come together to tell a single tale. And what a chilling tale it is. Plus, I love getting to see the variety of ages and body types throughout the movie. This movie is populated by Real People and that's wonderful, especially for one that's so...dare I say, liminal in nature.

Five Nights at Freddy's: A young man in dire need of money to care for his younger sister takes a job as a security guard at an abandoned pizzeria. He thinks it's an easy job, until the animatronics that used to entertain children turn out to be...you guessed it, murderous!

This one I loved largely for the animatronics. The work put in to make those iconic haunted robots weighty and real is staggering. They exist! Actors in suits, puppets, full moving animatronics...it's beautiful. Just beautiful. The movie itself is a great adaptation, but we're all really there for Freddy and his friends. I'm so excited I finally got to meet them on the big screen.

Incantation: A woman asks viewers to repeat an incantation to help her ailing daughter as the film opens. We follow the story of mother and daughter from the mother's ill-starred exploration of a taboo ritual in rural Taiwan to the climax of the movie, which has to be seen to be believed.

Contains the scariest monster I saw this year, full stop. Also had to peel myself off the ceiling when it was over from the tension. And then listen to really loud music to get that fucking incantation out of my head.

Skinamarink: Two children awaken to find that their father is missing, and so are all the doors and windows of their house.

This is a divisive one. People either love it or they hate it, and even people who love it can see why others don't. It really does contain a lot of still shots of doors and ceilings at weird angles. But...something about this got to me. To the child who used to have night terrors. To the part of me that still doesn't like doorframes full of darkness. This movie will live with me for a long time.

Splinter: A troubled couple gets carjacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend. When they stop at a gas station, the four of them have to work together to survive as a monster hunts them down.

This was a MARVELOUS monster movie. I loved the splinter beast. I loved the disembodied crawling hand. But more importantly, I really loved that escaped convict character up there. He turned out to be the true hero of the story and I cried for him. It was unexpected, but I have to say out of all the characters I saw this year...he's #1.

Phase IV: A strange event results in ants becoming sentient. Two scientists go out to study them, and quickly get a lot more than they bargained for as the ants assert their dominion.

I would have dismissed this as a silly B-movie except for the ant actors. Yes, ACTORS. The sequences of the ants are shot using macrophotography, carefully cut so that ants seem to have personalities and goals. Their deaths are tragic. Their heroes are bold. I cared more about them than I did about the human protagonists! And it's all beautifully shot, too, with so much detail and care put into everything. It's a real tragedy that so many ants actually died during filming, though.

The Red Shoes: A ballerina takes on a challenging role in a ballet based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Red Shoes. As she embraces her role, the lines between stage and reality become increasingly blurred.

A pretty standard but well-crafted and beautifully-costuemd tragedy, this stands out for the GLORIOUS ballet sequence. We get to see it performed in full, 15 minutes of dance, music, and art, including beautiful practical effects and painted sets that transport us directly into the fairy tale itself. You can watch it for free on YouTube here (and the full movie is available for free there, too, if you so choose). It's beautiful and haunting enough to be a horror short film on its own.

Martyrs: When a young woman seeks revenge on the people who kidnapped and tortured her as a child, nothing goes according to plan--and it's her best friend who will pay the ultimate price.

Unflinching, brutal, Martyrs brings us face to face with violence that isn't cinematic or interesting. This isn't Saw, where the appeal is in the clever traps and tension of escape. It's a story about inescapable violence enacted on an innocent person. I also think it's a story about...the Final Girl. The character, the young woman, the innocent victim, who takes on the monster so that the audience can experience catharsis and find themselves free of their pain for a while. Thanks to Anna's sacrifice in Martyrs, I experienced that kind of catharsis myself. And that's what makes it the best horror movie I saw this year: no other horror movie made me feel like this one did. No other horror movie changed me on a fundamental level like this one did.

(Interested in other horror recs? Check out the lists here.)