#genuinely one of the most embarrassing comic book characters to think cute because there are SO many guest artist panels to whip out

[fellhellion]

Sorry for the deranged bisexual posting but why you got such a tiny waist 🤨 ⁉️

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

do you think zuko treated mai fairly? i mean... why didn't he trust her to tell her his deepest thoughts when he abandoned her in the fire nation? i know he loved her but i don't understand why he didn't just tell her instead of hurting her unnecessarily. they're cute but i find it so hard to get past this, i would be so hurt if my bf didn't tell me something so important. and then mai just. forgives zuko so easily even after he locked her in a cell still not trusting her. mai deserves better :(

It’s kind of funny you ask this, because I lowkey have a lot of feelings about the phrase “x deserved better than y”. For one, I’m always cautious around it, because in the A:TLA fandom I’ve seen it thrown around in two main ways:

“Katara deserved better than Aang!” followed by the most ridiculous slander labelling Aang as abusive, toxic, manipulative, etc. (Funnily enough, though, a lot of those people will also go and ship T.aang. Like T.aang is an Excellent ship, do not get me wrong, but it’s clear they just say ‘Katara deserved better’ because they hate K.ataang and don’t necessarily care one way or the other about Aang.)

“Zuko deserved better than Mai!” followed by the most obnoxious bullshit also labelling Mai as abusive, toxic, manipulative, etc. and even - I kid you not - saying she’s “too ugly” for Zuko. At worst, racist; at best, shallow. (And again, funnily enough, a lot of them will then ship M.ailee, again proving they don’t really care one way or another about Mai, they just hate M.aiko.)

Now, I’m not getting into the K.ataang vs Z.utara vs M.aiko ship wars, lmao, but those are the two primary ways that rhetoric is used. It’s kind of embarrassing, tbh, how fandom tends to use the phrase to discredit pairings and demonize characters instead of… you know. Moving on with their lives, lol.

But your ask fascinates me, anon, because you bring up the point of Zuko not trusting Mai, thus leading to the conclusion of “Mai deserves better than Zuko.” Which is interesting, because as I just mentioned, for most people who follow the “x deserves better than y” phrase, it tends to be used the other way around!

Firstly, however, I want to say that you don’t have to ship Maiko. You can read my explanation and walk away still feeling exactly the same way about Mai and Zuko’s relationship (love it, hate it, indifferent to it, all that jazz), and that’s totally okay! But I’m going to do my best to explain what’s off with the rhetoric of “x deserves better than y,” specifically regarding Maiko. My thesis, as it were?

It’s not about “deserve.”

Disclaimer: This obviously does not refer to genuinely unhealthy/abusive relationships. I shouldn’t have to say that, but we all know how Tumblr is. I digress.

Love isn’t about “deserve.” At first glance, that’s kind of a confusing take, isn’t it? Don’t we all “deserve” someone who will respect us, appreciate us, and treat us well? Of course we do! But those are just qualities of any healthy relationship. When I say that love isn’t about “deserve,” I mean that love can’t be simplified quite so easily. Here is a definition of “deserve”:

“do something or have or show qualities worthy of (reward or punishment)”

How do we make ourselves “worthy” of love? I (an optimist) don’t think we do. Love isn’t about worthiness; I believe we are all “worthy” of love simply by existing. Instead, I argue that love is about openness. It’s not about if we “deserve” love or not, but rather if we allow ourselves to be open to it.

All of this is to say that it’s not about whether or not Mai “deserves” or “deserves better than” Zuko; it’s that she is open to receive love from him, and he from her. She wants to love and be loved by Zuko. No one else. She says it to Azula herself: “I love Zuko more than I fear you.” Mai chooses Zuko, full stop, just as Zuko chose her by a) doing everything in his power to keep her out of his betrayal of the Fire Nation (why would he risk putting a death sentence on her head, too?) and b) reuniting with her happily at the end of the show (i.e. he didn’t brush her off; he smiles his widest smile in the entire show during that scene!). So it’s not about “deserve.” It’s about these two kids loving and finding love in one another. A Shakespeare quote is particularly relevant here:

“Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.” (Twelfth Night – Act 3, Scene 1)

We are all looking for love, be it romantic or platonic or anything in-between, and there is no better feeling than we receive love even when we feel we don’t “deserve” it. Mai is willing to work with Zuko to make their relationship work despite his mistakes, because it’s not about if he “deserves” her, but because she knows he is willing to grow and improve (and she is, too).

Also, within the series of A:TLA (specifically towards the middle-end of Book 3), it can be concluded that Zuko believes that he is no longer “worthy” of Mai’s love. That he doesn’t “deserve” her love because of how he abandoned her (and she is the only thing about the Fire Nation he regrets leaving behind). Mai disagrees with him. She is open to a relationship with Zuko because she loves him for an infinite number of reasons (one being that he does what is right, including going against the Fire Nation, even if she did not at first understand). When Zuko realizes this by the time the finale comes around, they reconcile in a tender embrace.

And what reason are we ever given to doubt Mai regarding whether or not she “deserves” better than Zuko? Mai is perfectly aware of her own worth. She breaks up with Zuko in “The Beach” because his behavior is inexcusable and she knows that she doesn’t have to put up with it. Even in the comics, which are handled poorly, I don’t entirely hate the Maiko breakup because again, Mai knows that she does not have to be responsible for Zuko’s well-being. She loves him, she loves him so much, and she tries to help him, but she is not his therapist. So again, why should we doubt Mai? Going back to the A:TLA finale - Mai knows what she “deserves” and what she doesn’t. She knows what she will and what she won’t put up with. And after everything, she is still open to a relationship with Zuko. Because love isn’t about “deserve,” and it never has been.

To address your other questions:

why didn’t he trust her to tell her his deepest thoughts when he abandoned her in the fire nation? i know he loved her but i don’t understand why he didn’t just tell her instead of hurting her unnecessarily.

You almost answer your question yourself, anon. “[H]is deepest thoughts”? Who tells anyone their “deepest thoughts”? We actually talked about this in my Shakespeare class (I know, right? lmao). A very common trope in Shakespeare’s tragedies is a lack of communication. We all read Romeo and Juliet and Othello and were like “dude, if they had just talked to each other, none of those bad things would have happened!!” (and thus those tragedies might have been comedies).

My professor agreed with us. Then he asked, well, why do you think Shakespeare doesn’t have anyone communicate?

One brave soul said, “That’d be too easy.”

Which is… almost right. Perhaps, narratively, it would be too easy. The plays would definitely be resolved much faster. But the truth? It’s too hard. People don’t communicate clearly in real life. They hide certain things because they’re embarrassed, they’re ashamed, they’re afraid. Even couples who’ve been together for years will admit that they don’t tell each other everything, for whatever reason. People are imperfect, and thus their relationships are, too.

(Slightly amusing sidebar: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are actually an example of a perfect couple, because Macbeth confides everything to Lady Macbeth in Act 1. And, well, we all know how that went down[hill], lmao.)

So why didn’t Zuko tell Mai the truth when he was leaving the Fire Nation? He was afraid! He says it himself in “The Boiling Rock”: “Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I’m a traitor. I couldn’t drag her into it.” Zuko is afraid of what might happen to Mai! He knows the Fire Nation now has a price on his head - why would he wish that on Mai? It’s bad enough that she’s the (former) girlfriend of a traitor! How much worse might it have been for her if she’d been associated with him after he’d threatened the Fire Lord’s life*? I’m not saying this to excuse Zuko’s decision, because perhaps Mai would have agreed to join him (although we cannot conclude this with total certainty), and I certainly think breaking up by text letter was a pretty crappy way to go about it, but all the same, he was trying to protect her. When Mai realizes this, what does she do?

Saves his ass from Azula and utters one of the most iconic lines in the entire series.

*Also, a kind of interesting parallel presents itself between Zuko and Hamlet here, lmao. One interpretation of Hamlet’s “get thee to a nunnery!” scene with Ophelia is reading it as him trying to cut ties with her in the cruelest way possible so she wouldn’t try to follow him and possibly get hurt as he killed Claudius (aka regicide, the highest crime in Denmark). While it’s arguable that Zuko isn’t quite so perceptive, lmao, there is the possibility that Zuko thought breaking up with Mai in such a callous way would help prevent her from remaining attached to him and thus getting mixed up in his mess (killing the Fire Lord, aka the A:TLA equivalent of regicide, the highest crime in the Fire Nation). Just something to ponder!

and then mai just. forgives zuko so easily even after he locked her in a cell still not trusting her.

I don’t know if I’d call her forgiveness “easy.” Making the decision to betray Azula? That’s hard. Mai was signing herself up for a death sentence, because Azula doesn’t take prisoners (Aang can testify to this, lmao). If Ty Lee hadn’t been there, Mai almost certainly would have died. So yeah. I wouldn’t call her forgiveness “easy,” anon. I think it’s one of the scariest choices she ever made.

Of course, one can argue that Mai’s true forgiveness of Zuko actually came later, which I don’t necessarily disagree with. I think Mai’s initial instinct was to trust Zuko because she knows him better than perhaps anyone (thus she realizes he wouldn’t walk away from the Fire Nation without true cause), hence her betrayal of Azula. When she survived because of Ty Lee’s chi-blocking (since honestly, Mai probably didn’t think she’d get that far) and was ultimately imprisoned, I bet she had plenty of time to think about Zuko and her relationship with him. Working on that presumption, again, I don’t think I’d call her forgiveness “easy,” because she likely took several days if not weeks to process everything.

Also, you say Zuko doesn’t trust her because a) he didn’t inform her of what he was doing when he left the Fire Nation and b) he locked her in a cell at the Boiling Rock. I understand that perspective, but again, I go back to this line: “Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I’m a traitor. I couldn’t drag her into it.” Does that sound like someone who doesn’t trust Mai? I think the better description is that Zuko feared for Mai, as I mentioned earlier. Did he lock her in a cell because he thought she’d betray him, or because he thought it was the last thing he could do to protect her when everything went to shit as he, Sokka, Suki, and etc. were all escaping from prison? Could it have been a little bit of both? We can’t say for sure, of course, but given how happy Zuko was around Mai in “Nightmares and Daydreams,” I think his love for her ultimately outweighed his worries about Mai’s ties to Azula, which leads me to conclude his locking her in a cell was less about distrust and more a final, last-ditch attempt at keeping her out of his mess.

Plus, Zuko has issues. Mai knows this. She loves him all the same for it. As I said earlier, she is open to giving love to and receiving love from Zuko. I think it’s a bit of a discredit to Mai’s character to assume she forgave him easily. And besides! She told him herself: “But don’t ever break up with me again.” Mai implicitly tells him hey, don’t pull that BS again, and Zuko gives her an embarrassed smile before they hold each other in a gentle, loving embrace. It’s not a direct statement, and maybe that puts some people off from it, but Mai is firmly implying that she wants him to trust her more, and Zuko acknowledges this (and he’s rightfully a little embarrassed that he kept her out of it, since hindsight is 20/20 and he now understands she probably would have gone with him; do remember, of course, that he had no way of knowing that initially).

do you think zuko treated mai fairly?

Well, how do we define “fairly”? I guess the short answer is no, he didn’t, but what other choice did he believe he had at the time? Answer: none. It was either keep Mai out of it and guarantee her safety or drag Mai into it (which Zuko likely saw as a selfish option, i.e. what right did he have to pull his girlfriend into treason just because he didn’t want to lose her company?) and risk losing her. As viewers, we know there’s more to the situation than that, but Zuko doesn’t have our luxury. So his decision to keep Mai out of it and thus try to protect her? I would call that a “fair” assessment, yes.

And besides, anon:

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Act 1, Scene 1)

Mai and Zuko chose each other. Who are we to deny them their happiness?

[gch1995]

Buttercup builds a creepy looking sculpture that everyone in her class makes fun of, including her sisters, snd then when it gets thrown in the dumpster truck it gets hit by lightning, and turns into a giant monster. Buttercup and the girls stop it, but she is also proud of her sculpture because it made a huge mess after she made it, even though everyone made fun of it.

However, can we talk about that ending scene where Buttercup is kind of feeling down on herself, and her dad is actually there to comfort her, and tell her that it’s okay? I really liked that because it seemed like we didn’t get those individual moments of comfort on the show in Buttercup centrics with her dad and her sisters because the writers seemed to love making her suffer in them, whether she was actually right or wrong, and whether the punishment for being in the wrong was actually fair or not.

Not that I think Buttercup was this horribly abused, neglected, and unloved child by her dad and her sisters on the whole either because she wasn’t. Her characterization and her treatment by her family in “Moral Decay” after they found out about her crimes in the episode made me feel pretty uncomfortable, but that was a one time thing in which everyone in the Utonium family was written to be so painfully and ridiculously OOC in that awful segment in order to force Buttercup into the role of the villain and punish her in an exceedingly harsh way for cheap shock value. Since a far better version of the tooth fairy story for the girls exists in the DC PPG comics called “Holy Molar,” and since “Moral Decay” is never mentioned or referenced in the series ever again, almost everyone in the fandom pretends that awful segment never happened, too. It’s better to just replace it with the “Holy Molar” issue from the comic books because it’s way more entertaining and in-character than “Moral Decay” with Mojo as the main villain instead of Buttercup.

He didn’t have the same pep-talks with Buttercup when she was feeling down in the series in her centrics that he had with her sisters, but there were signs that Professor Utonium genuinely loved and valued her individually as his daughter here and there, too. There were little moments where Buttercup went to him for advice, and, of her sisters, she was usually the most unafraid of them to point it out when she thought he wasn’t being himself.

In “PowerProf.,” Professor Utonium affectionately pinched Buttercup cheeks and called her a bunch of adorably embarrassing pet names, such as “Butterbear,” when they were fighting crime together because he was so impressed by how much of a badass his cute little tomboy was.

In “A Very Special Blossom,” it was revealed that Professor Utonium kept Buttercup’s Father’s Day gift to him of boxing gloves made out of socks and shoe string her Father’s Day present from the previous year.

In “Knock It Off,” he knew that “girl power” wasn’t something that his little tomboy normally said when they were watching the news, which made him suspicious that she and her sisters were lying to him when they said they found the time to go save other cities, countries, and states, implying that they actually do spend a lot of time talking to each other and hanging out.

Buttercup actually went to her dad for advice in “Pee Pee Gees,” and he took the time to stop working out to talk to her, even if he answered her questions in as clinically awkwardly as possible because he found the whole topic of bed-wetting.

In “Coupe’d’etat,” while all three of the girls get upset when Professor Utonium has a mid-life crisis, changes his image, and starts hanging out with the talking robot he tricked out his car to be more than he does with them, Buttercup actually seems to be the most annoyed and hurt by the whole thing out of the three of them. She’s actually the most willing of the three of them to call their dad out for being ridiculous by tricking out car, changing his whole image, and inadvertently making her and her sisters feel unloved by hanging out with his car more than her and her sisters, which makes him feel guilty.

Professor Utonium and Buttercup were also revealed to bond with each other by blowing up stuff together in his lab with her in the Powerzine magazine.

Professor Utonium never told Buttercup he didn’t love her, or that he loved her sisters more than her in the classic series either. He never refused to get her medical attention when she needed it, or outright endangered her life. Professor Utonium never excluded her from family outings.

Part of it, I think is that Professor Utonium knew that Buttercup didn’t really feel as comfortable being all emotionally vulnerable and sentimental as her sisters because she liked to be “the tough one,” so he let her.

However, Buttercup definitely did tend to get the short end of the stick in her centrics, and sometimes it seemed like no one was there to emotionally support her when she was down, including her family. I really wanted more scenes like this between Buttercup and her dad in her centric episodes, particularly in ones where she wasn’t really doing anything wrong, and could have used emotional support because she was feeling insecure, such as “Cover Up” and “Nuthin’ Special.” She actually got that emotional support here from her dad when she was feeling bad about her clay monster coming to life, even though it wasn’t her fault at all. That emotional support from family and friends was something that I felt we didn’t get enough of in the classic PPG Buttercup centric episodes of the cartoon nearly enough, great as it usually was most of the time.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Lucien’s Reading Date (Eng Translation)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date (品读之约) which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

The date begins with the residential neighbourhood committee asking for book donations so they can set up a reading room for the youth

It’s a weekend afternoon, so MC and Lucien start selecting books to donate

MC has some trouble reaching books from one of the higher shelves, so he helps her get them

Bending his finger, Lucien gently taps my forehead.

Lucien: Didn’t we agree early on that if you run into such issues, the first thing you have to remember is to “trouble” me immediately?

I respond, giving Lucien a wide smile.

MC: Which is why... I’ve obediently troubled Professor Lucien this time. 

She starts feeling nostalgic after finding some comic books she hasn’t read in years

Lucien: Did you read these comic books when you were young? 

I stretch out both arms in an exaggerated manner, gesturing at every shelf.

MC: Strictly speaking, I read these, these, and these too! But I feel that this set is most suitable to be donated. 

He bends down to pick up a book. With a curious expression on his face, he flips through a few yellowed pages, his fingertips gently touching the pencil marks I left behind.

Lucien: You have all worked hard to grow up with her. 

I curiously look at the books Lucien brought over, and I’m stunned when I see the cover of the book seated right at the top. 

MC: “The History of Cognitive Neuropsychology”? Lucien...

She asks if the books would be too obscure for the kids

Lucien agrees that the books might prove difficult to read even for adults, but he remembers reading them in his childhood. Even though he couldn’t fully understand the books, they broadened his view of the world

Lucien: To me, different books are akin to keys to different worlds. Whether one is willing to enter this world depends on the person who holds the key. Even if the books are dull and difficult to read... there might be a child different from the rest who is willing to read this seriously. 

From Lucien gaze, I make out the remaining words he did not say. 

MC: Just like you in your childhood. 

Lucien smiles faintly, lowering the ends of his eyebrows, as though expressing his agreement. 

MC starts reading Lucien’s books

Lucien: Why are you suddenly interested in such books? 

MC: It’s not sudden. Occasionally, I want to enter and take a look at your world.

I raise the book in my hand for emphasis.

MC: Isn’t there a key in my hand now?

Lucien laughs, then sits down beside me, flipping through the comic book in his hands with interest.

MC can’t help but wonder whether Lucien’s life was very dull since he spent his childhood reading such complex books

Lucien: [laughs]...

An incredibly soft laugh suddenly breaks the silence of the quiet room.

I lift my head to look at Lucien -- in just half an hour, he has already finished several comic books, and is still reading them with keen interest.

Seeing the smile hanging on his lips, and his fingers continuously flipping the pages, I can’t help but wonder what exactly Lucien finds so interesting about the story. 

Though he senses my lingering line of sight, Lucien doesn’t lift his head. Instead, he rests himself onto my legs, finding a suitable position to use them as a pillow.

Without realising it, he seems to have gotten used to relaxing in my presence. 

Subconsciously, I reach out to gently caress the ends of his hair. 

Lucien: Pluto is a great distance away. It’s dark and frigid, and it takes around five hours for sunlight to reach it. So, it makes sense to personify Pluto as a strong soldier who can’t help but dwell in the darkness. 

MC: You like her too? To me, this character has always been a reliable and considerate big sister. I remember how the story will always take a turn for the better every time she appears. 

Lucien flips the page again, a smile on his lips. 

Lucien: I admire all the female characters in this. Especially...

Lucien: Even though she’s occasionally careless, she’s clever and cute, strong and brave. No matter what formidable enemies she faces, she remains resolute-- 

Lucien: There’s not a single moment where she wants to give up, even if means sacrificing herself in order to save the world. 

Lucien lifts his head and looks at me, his eyes carrying a wave of contentedness. 

Lucien: Don’t you think the female protagonist is very similar to you? 

MC: I’m not as cute as she is...

Lucien: You’re not? 

Lucien flips to an earlier page and shows it to me - on the slightly curled page, there’s a small oil stain on the bottom right.

Lucien: I was just guessing... whether the you of back then had been holding a big chicken drumstick in one hand, and this comic in the other. And because you were so engrossed in it, you completely didn’t realise that you left behind an oil stain. 

Lucien: Isn’t such a little child cute?

His serious tone makes me laugh. 

MC: I was definitely not eating a chicken drumstick! It probably got there accidentally while I was having a meal...

Lucien laughs lightly again. 

Lucien: You weren’t willing to set down the book even when having a meal? 

MC: It was a bad habit of mine back then. When I was having meals, I’d also look at comics or fiction. Dad told me not to do it many times, and told me to correct it. But I was only that serious when it came to reading random books. Unlike you, who could gain an entire career from what you read. 

Lucien reaches out to lift the stray hairs in front of my forehead. 

Lucien: Perhaps you didn’t realise it yourself, but these comics have had an influencing effect on you.

Lucien: The influence that art has on people is usually not explicit. But this doesn’t mean they aren’t of value. 

Lucien: Although the story is fabricated, the courage you gained from it is real. 

Lucien: I believe there must have been a time when you were faced with a difficult situation and wanted to give up. But you thought about them and re-affirmed your conviction, right? 

In that moment, several images surface in front of my eyes. 

On careful recollection, I really find the moment Lucien mentioned.

MC: Actually, no matter whether or not they influenced my conviction, at least when I read the comics, I was really very happy. 

MC: It’s as though... they have always been accompanying me. 

MC: Although I’ve rarely looked at such things after taking over the company... a few impactful stories still remain in my memory. 

MC: Even now, I still wish to be like them... 

MC: To enjoy every moment in life, and to value friendships between people. 

MC: And to remain resolute and continue moving forward in the face of adversity. 

I recall the plot and can’t help entering a daze. Lucien’s fingertip suddenly taps my forehead gently. 

Lucien: All these things... you’ve already done them a long time ago. 

He places emphasis on his next sentence. 

Lucien: I'm not just coaxing you. This is how I seriously feel. However, apart from these, you should have gained other things from this story. 

As he speaks, my puzzled gaze is reflected in his eyes, which harbour a profound smile in them.

Lucien: For example, emotional enlightenment? 

When my gaze falls on the page Lucien has specially opened the book to, I can't help but laugh. 

MC: Hahahaha!

On this page, more than half of the images feature the male protagonist. I can’t remember my state of mind back then, but I had used a colour pencil to draw several hearts around him.

It’s a good thing Lucien discovered this - I’d die from embarrassment if the book was donated like this.

Although it’s a little childish, but...

MC: Looking at him even after I’ve grown up, I still have that feeling of “love at first sight”. As expected of the person I used to love the most. 

After my words are spoken, Lucien lets out a faint sigh. 

Lucien: Looks like you really like him?

Thinking about my teenage dream back then, I nod my head vigorously without thinking. 

MC: Of course, he was my ideal boyfriend during my ignorant years!

[Note] I translated “ignorant years” from “懵懂时期” (”meng yong shi qi”), which colloquially refers to one’s teenage years spanning from junior high to high school.

MC: There was a period of time when I’d always dream of him, and I'd use a  pencil to draw a copy of him in my workbook.

MC: He’s dashing, tender, and is really patient with the female protagonist, and trusts her unconditionally.

MC: When the female protagonist is in danger, he’d rush to her side immediately.

MC: No matter how formidable the enemy is, he will definitely step forward bravely for the female protagonist.  

MC: In any case, he’s really good, and can really stir one’s heart!

Lucien furrows his brows in response to the narration of my genuine feelings.

I reach out to gently smoothen his knitted brows.

MC: Are you jealous? 

Lucien: I’m not. 

Despite what he says, the sulkiness in his tone is evident. I’m uncertain if he’s truly unhappy, or just deliberately trying to fool me.

He flips the book open again, looking at it seriously. 

Lucien: He has to be dashing, tender, patient, have unconditional trust in you, and must rush to your side immediately when you’re in danger...

Lucien: You never told me that you had such a high ideal standard. 

MC: Huh? 

I’m dumbfounded, wondering where such logic came from.

MC: Could Professor Lucien be worried that he isn’t able to meet this standard? 

According to my understanding of Lucien, I’m guessing that he’d come up with a big principle in a roundabout manner using these fabricated stories. 

Unexpectedly, he simply looks at me and responds with a serious expression, along with a “mm”.

Lucien: Of course. 

I’m unable to react. 

Lucien: Of course I'd be worried that I can’t meet this standard.

After pausing, he continues. 

Lucien: As of right now... I cannot match up to your ideal type. 

I recall our conversation, and can’t comprehend how he reached such a conclusion.

MC: Cannot match up to it? Of course you can... whether it’s your looks or qualities or character, you’ve already reached it! Also, you’re much more patient than he is. Even after meeting such a stupid student, you’re willing to teach me how to make programs step-by-step.

Watching Lucien’s eyes squint slightly into a smile, I suddenly seem to experience the sixth “basic survival need”.

MC: Also, your academic background is better than his. Professor Lucien is so talented - no one can ever compare to him! Even your students tell me that often...

I clear my throat, trying my best to mimic their exaggerated voices. 

MC: If you put Professor Lucien in a comic, he will be the perfect male protagonist~ Which is why, in my eyes... you haven’t just met my ideal standard, but even surpassed it!

Lucien nods, a profound look in his eyes. 

Lucien: From your words, does this mean that I can replace him to become your ideal type? 

I hesitate slightly. This isn’t the same thing...

Lucien: Looking at your expression - is that a ‘no’?

His tone reveals emotions hovering between feeling regret and grieved. It makes me have no idea how to react. 

Meeting his serious gaze, I have no choice but to surrender with a sigh.

Lucien seems somewhat satisfied with my answer. He smiles, flipping to the next page of the comic. 

Lucien: In that case, can I do something with you that the male protagonist will do? 

I look at the comic in his hands. 

It’s a page adorned with stars and flowers. The male and female protagonists are looking into each others’ eyes, their fingers entwined. 

I distinctively remember that the following page... features a scene where they embrace and share a kiss. 

My gaze flickers to Lucien’s line of sight with hesitation. The gentle sunlight melts in his calm and deep eyes. 

Lucien smiles slightly, the corners of his lips curling at a cheerful angle. 

His low voice seems to be encased in a layer of fine gauze, interspersed with gentleness. The moment it touches my skin, it makes me feel ticklish.

Lucien: May I?

He sets down the book slowly, reaching out to wrap my loose hair around his fingertips. 

A gust of wind enters through the window, gently flipping through the book on the floor...

-

📖 MOMENTS 📖

Lucien’s Post: This comic is not bad. I’m hooked.

MC: Do you really like these types of comics?

Lucien: This work possesses a unique cultural atmosphere, and is worth reading.

[Note] 入坑 (”ru keng” - directly translated to “enter the pit”) is an internet slang referring to someone who is hooked onto something and is unable to extricate himself from it :>

-

Lucien’s Post: This comic is not bad. I’m hooked.

MC: It’s finally your turn to borrow books from me!

Lucien: In that case, could I go over to borrow another two new ones from you tonight?

-

Lucien’s Post: This comic is not bad. I’m hooked.

MC: I’m shocked! You even know the term “hooked”?!

Lucien: I’m hooked onto you, so of course I’ll learn new things.

-

Phone call: here

[ofwizardsandmen]

SILENCE

Gossip Witch AU (HP AU) Characters: Tara Lee (OC),  Mark  Word count: 1,2k Genre: fluff, a lot of fluff

“Once upon a time Mark enjoyed silence.”

Once upon a time there weren’t many things Mark enjoyed as much as lying down beneath the leafy London plane in the backyard of Fawley Manor —that, Tara recounted, had been there since her great grandfather’s days— to hungrily devour the classics. From Shakespeare to Tolkien, and —occasionally— some of his brother’s comic book recommendations, Mark would spend way too many hours reading piles and piles of books that he would later swap with Tara in a carefully planned dynamic that they had established on Tara’s fourth birthday.

Oftentimes, as part of their childhood exploits, Tara and Mark would also sneak into her family’s immense library to pick one or two books children of their age were not supposed to read. The silence —or lack thereof— was usually an indication of how safe it was to walk into the manor and not get caught by Mr. and Mrs. Fawley —Tara’s very strict and purist grandparents.

During the summer of 2014 Mark also enjoyed the silence that came along with an empty house. Free from his brother’s questionable music choices and the piano notes floating from inside his mother’s music room, —where she would spend hours training a long list of now successful and accomplished musicians; himself included—, Mark and Tara shared their first kisses. At age 13, they were nothing but sweet explorations that left their hearts racing and cheeks tainted pink with shyness and embarrassment.

Half his lifetime ago, Mark really enjoyed silence. But long past were those days.

It’s probably one of those things people outgrow with time.  

Or probably Mark has just grown accustomed to the chaos, racket, and turmoil that comes with touring and spending most of his time with another 8 men. It’s probably Doyoung and Taeyong playing cat and mouse during their scheduled morning fights, or maybe  Donghyuck’s unmistakable voice calling after Taeil as he chases him around the dorm. Perhaps it is Johnny’s hearty laughter or the pretentious music playing from Jaehyun’s room loudly. Or simply the crowds of fans chanting his name.

Maybe the moments of pleasant quietness are just too scarce to be enjoyed.

Nowadays Mark associates every silent moment with disapproval and uncertainty; trouble and awkwardness.

Mark still recalls with bitterness the silence he encountered on his first public appearance after his relationship reveal. He also thinks of the uncomfortable lack of conversation accompanying arguments he was not even a part of, and of course the one time Tara chose silence over three words that would’ve saved them the unnecessary pain of a breakup.  It also comes to mind the silence before Taeyong breaks unwanted news to the group.

Maybe that’s why he’s so wary of it.

Yet It is amid silence that he lets out an exasperated sigh, closing the book he’s been attempting to read with a loud snap.

Unlike his childhood days, there aren’t many books he’s eager to peruse or enough time for Mark to even take pleasure on the activity. Especially not during those rare free days when he can spend time with his girlfriend —fiancée, he doesn’t seem to get used to this new word yet.

But judging by the way Tara stares at her computer while mouthing some words silently, she doesn’t seem worried about spending time with him at all.

Mark has been sighing and making all sorts of noises for what seems to be hours to him, but trying to get Tara’s attention is nearly impossible when she’s this engrossed in her own world —or literary universe, better said—. Mark tries clearing his throat loudly next.

And there’s still no response.

“T” Mark whines as he throws the book mindlessly on the empty spot beside him. Tara doesn’t even blink “Tara!” he slightly raises his voice hoping he’ll finally get a reaction from his girlfriend. Any sign that she is not purposely ignoring him would suffice, even a simple look.

Yet, Tara only groans and without letting her eyes deviate from the screen of the computer, she mutters a curt “What?” that almost feels like a slap across the face.

Though Mark is usually a humble man, he hates to admit —even if it is to himself—, that he’s not used to or enjoys being ignored so blatantly. He could blame fame, but honestly, he’s always been a people’s favorite and as pretentious as it sounds, Mark simply doesn’t walk into a room without getting a fair share of attention.  

“You’re ignoring me,!” he complains with a pout that Tara can’t see because she has not moved an inch.

“I am not” she replies simply, her voice barely audible.

“You are” Mark insists, the pout growing more pronounced.

“I am not”

“Tara, please you haven’t talked to me since I got here, is this some sort of punishment because I didn’t tell you I was coming? I just wanted to surprise you” Mark says, his voice so impatient it gives away how frustrated he feels. “Or is this because of that stupid Gossip Witch Spotted? I swear to God I just ran into Mindy casually, I was with Doyoung, they cropped the picture. Please, T, you have to believe-“ Mark adds in such a pleading, hopeless tone that Tara finally snaps out of the self absorption and slowly turns her chair to face her fiancé.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but now you’ve got my attention,” she says with a raised brow and it is evident she is struggling to keep a straight face.

“It was nothing, Doyoung and I went to get coffee, we were paying at the cashier when Mindy walked in. She said hello, I said hello and that was it, no conversation, nothing, just two people bumping into each other randomly” Mark states seriously. “T, we’re engaged, we’re getting married and I would never-“

“I know you would never” Tara interrupts, a shadow of a smile making its way onto her lips. It is the classic Tara smile: warm, knowing, and just a touch mischievous, teasing almost. “I wasn’t ignoring you” she says turning serious and pointing at the screen of her computer “I just finished the last chapter of my book” Tara explains beaming. Mark lets out a long, relieved exhale and allows his eyes to rest on Tara’s face. “I wanted to proofread before sending it to my editor, but you know, I guess as excited as I am, that can wait. I barely slept last night, so I could use some cuddles, some food and maybe my super needy and cute boy- fiancé…“Tara corrects herself “wants to update me about the latest blasts on Gossip Witch” Tara adds the last part smirking. “I didn’t know you were a fan. Oh, no, wait, you’re becoming one of those narcissistic celebrities that search their names on Google and have the notifs on for news about them, now that’s-“

Mark doesn’t let Tara continue because he skillfully picks her up, spinning her around before laying her on the velvet sofa where he was sitting just seconds ago and starts tickling her sides. Tara laughs and screams for him to stop, trying to defend herself with her knees, but Mark continues because there’s nothing he loves as much as to hear Tara laugh genuinely, freely, with nothing holding her back.

It’s the kind of thing he will never outgrow and one of the many reasons silence is not enjoyable anymore. 

…

[creek-cryptid-deluxe]

Yesterday I saw the most hilarious, surreal, and slightly horrifying thing that I've witnessed in a long time. And I live in a college town with it's own Spiderman & Deadpool that wander the city, a Pyramid Head that meanders down random streets when fog covers the town, & a van painted as The Mystery Machine more often than not driven by someone who is dressed as (and resembles) Shaggy while his co pilot is an enormous stuffed Scooby Doo.

What I'm trying to say is that a lot of weird shit goes on here because of our large college student population & it's genuinely one of the main reasons I raised The Spawn here. But this... this was a whole different thing entirely.

I was sitting in the car at the park playing pokemon while dad walked the beasts. I usually try to walk around a bit to go drop or beat up gyms, but I got injured on Wednesday breaking up the dogs, so I decided the car was best. Besides, where we park is directly in front of the main play structure entrance & there are two stops within reach, so I can drop lures and camp.

So I'm sitting there, catching pokemon & listening to that audio book (Dungeon Crawler Carl, please see previous posts about it because it consistently gets better & should be heard by everyone) when something catches my eye.

I turn & look in slight horror, thinking I was definitely mistaken about what I saw.

But no, casually strolling up to the play structure were 2 middle school aged girls (for those outside of the US, that's age 11-13) in FULL OC FUR SUITS.

Y'all. It was 94°f with a heat index of 105°f & here these girls were... full fur suits.

Now, let me first say that I've nothing against the fur suit crowd. At all. Whatever floats your boat. Whatever tickles your pickle. BUT there's a time & a place to wear that. A children's park at 830 pm on a Thursday ain't it. Especially when the risk of heat stroke is super possible.

Second, I have to give props because while the suits were clearly homemade, they were pretty good from a structural standpoint. Tail structure could use work but still, pretty solid. They were a dragon with black fur with shimmery dark green scale print accents & what I think was a stylized version of a fennec fox that was white fur with lime green fur accents.

And this isn't even the most confounding part.

There was a man, clearly the dad of one of them, following at a distance (because at that age they are doing the 'omg walk way behind us so nobody thinks you're with us. We're old enough to go alone & you're super embarrassing!' thing).

Now this parent... one of two things is happening with that guy for him to have been ok with this.

#1 is a scenario that I find unlikely but I guess within the realm of possibility. Maybe dude doesn't know about furries & fur suits. He just thinks his daughter & her friend make up the cute critters & want to dress up as them like people do for comic & anime conventions.

(Why do I think this is unlikely? Dude looked to be in his 40s or 50s & literally anyone who spends ANY time on the internet knows about furries. Shit, my 60 yr old father knows what they are.)

#2 is FAR more likely but not any less fucking hilarious. The dad knows damned well what furries & fur suits are. He recognizes these 'costumes' for what they are but has done something every parent is guilty of at some point, no matter how savvy or 'with it' they are... he believes that his innocent little girl couldn't possibly know about all that. She just saw people creating characters & fur suits, and being an artistic type herself decided it looked like a fun idea.

I can almost guarantee that scenario 2 is his thought process & that his thought process is also absolutely incorrect.

And thus went my adventure at the park last night.

[empty-as-the-sky]

Edward and Bella romantic comedy in Twilight is GOLD

Okay HOT TAKE. 

TL;DR - The banter/comedy between Edward and Bella in Twilight is SO GOOD and it deserved to be kept in the movies and it’s a crime that it wasn’t.

As we all know, Twilight is mostly really problematic BUT re-reading the first book and the Midnight Sun draft I am DYING reading about all of the times Edward laughs at Bella or any time she says something sassy to him and they banter back and forth. It’s genuinely SO CUTE. When I was a young teen reading the books I loved their banter, and tbh I really didn’t think it would hold up years later, given how much of the books really DON’T hold up, but the banter absolutely does. 

I think one of the reasons that the movies didn’t quite work for me - besides Chuckesme, the nightmarish CGI, terrible accents in BD pt 2, and the bad wigs - was that we didn’t get the humour of Bella and Edward’s relationship, and we didn’t really get to see the process of them falling in love. It just kind of . . . happened?

I’ve heard about that famous story in which Rob almost got fired from the first movie because he refused to be more light-hearted and smiley, and listen. I love Rob Pattinson because he is a chaotic boy and I love every interview he has ever done, but he really hated the books SO MUCH (fair) that he refused to play Edward as anything other than a depressed, ultra-serious boy. And sorry, but that sucks. Just do your job. Like yes, Edward is dramatic AF but he also thinks Bella is so funny that he’s ALWAYS laughing at her. In Midnight Sun, other kids in his class frequently give him weird looks because he is laughing OUT LOUD or smiling to himself at the shit that Bella does and says. The director/producers were TOTALLY RIGHT in highlighting all of Edward’s light-hearted moments in the book for Rob because there are so many of them, more than a lot of people seem to remember. And yeah, I think that maybe Rob should have been fired so that someone else who would have taken that direction could have played the part. In Romeo & Juliet, the rule with doing that show is that the angst and tragedy is only compelling if the first half is fully played as a rom-com and if it’s actually funny. You can’t play the end at the beginning. Same goes for Twilight, and most things tbh. Otherwise, you don’t really root for the central couple if it’s all melodrama and angst all the time. No one wants to see characters predicting the tragedy. I think that’s part of why, on top of all the actual legit criticism, a lot of people criticized Twilight for being too teenage angsty or mumbly when that wasn’t really the book at all, and the comedy allows for a lot more self-awareness to come through.

I’m not even going to quote all of the times that Edward suppresses, or tries to suppress a laugh or a smile at Bella’s expense in Twilight. There are way too many, but they are constantly roasting each other.

Maybe I’m projecting my own feelings onto the books that aren’t really there, but hear me out:

- In the early days, Bella keeps parking so far away from Edward in the parking lot and in Midnight Sun, Edward is upset and confused by it EVERY SINGLE TIME. And they’re both frowning about it but for different reasons. Bella’s frowning because she’s trying to stay away from his dramatic, beautiful, mood-swinging, abrupt ass and he’s frowning because he doesn’t understand why she is avoiding him and he’s sad about it. He’s like, “Why?? Did she park so far away from me?? Do you think she’ll come talk to me? Hopefully she will. Hopefully she won’t?? DO YOU THINK SHE’LL WALK PAST ME? SHOULD I TAKE A DEEP GULP OF AIR JUST IN CASE??

- In Midnight Sun, Edward is so amused at Bella getting emotional over the snow chains that Charlie put on her tires. Seconds before he sees Alice’s vision about the van, he’s just like, “This girl?? Is getting emotional?? Over her truck?? Why is this human?? So weird??”

- Bella FUMING about Edward just getting to waltz right through the hospital doors like a normal person and not having to receive medical attention after the accident. Edward even betrayed her by telling them that she hit her head and maybe had a concussion, because she DID hit her head, but she is SO GRUMPY that he showed concern for her physical health, cause we all know this depressed bitch wouldn’t have. And she is SO EMBARRASSED about having to wear a neck brace and loaded into an ambulance, that she has the balls to take off the neck brace and chuck it under the bed when no one is looking. We stan an iconic queen. Like babe, they put that on you for a reason but you just like throwing your own safety out the window I guess.

- Edward realizing that he never noticed how clumsy Bella is as he watches her through the eyes of her classmates? Also iconic. “Goddamn, this clumsy ass human, how does she?? Survive??”

- EDWARD CUTTING BELLA OFF IN THE PARKING LOT AFTER SCHOOL SO THAT TYLER ASKS HER OUT IN FRONT OF HIM IS ALSO SO FREAKING FUNNY. And Bella being tempted to scratch the paint on his car when she sees him shaking with laughter? So good.

- Edward trying to irritate Bella by making her think he’s going to be the fourth person to ask her to the dance, only to ask her to go to Seattle instead at the last minute

- “THE WASTING OF FINITE RESOURCES IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS”

- Bella being too embarrassed to tell Edward her comic book-inspired theories but Edward dazzling her into telling him anyway, and then he just proceeds to roast her about her lack of originality

- Edward almost RIPPING THE DOOR OFF HIS CAR when he sees Mike lowering Bella to the ground after she faints in Biology because EDWARD THINKS SHE’S DEAD? And then Bella sees him approaching and IS SO EMBARRASSED and just tells him to go away? Chapters 3-5 of Twilight in terms of ComedyTM are *chef’s kiss*

- Edward just scooping up Bella and being super entertained at the irony that the sight of blood makes her ill.

- “He absolutely loathes me” - Edward about Mike, CHEERFULLY

- Bella calling Edward pushy when he insists on driving her home, which is just really accurate, because he absolutely is

- Edward making Bella lean in and then asking her not to fall into the ocean in La Push and Bella. Is. SO offended.

- Bella grabbing her own throat and pretending to be terrified when Edward says “Breakfast time” IS SO FUNNY and then her making a bad joke about “watching her hunt” and all she gets is CEREAL, while Edward looks on in confusion, like this girl has a sense of humour

People, the first half of Twilight in terms of rom-com material is fantastic. Yes there are still problematic elements and there’s a surprising (and worrying) amount of ableist language in the text, and there are obviously other issues with Edward and consent for sure. BUT the the banter is comedy gold and the problematic bits can be so easily edited out for adaptation. The banter makes Edward and Bella way more compelling as a couple because it makes them more human (no pun intended) and real, and it definitely gives them more personality.

In the movie, I just feel like we missed how gradual them falling in love really was and how reluctant they both were about it, and their belligerent banter was a big part of the sexual tension between them. Otherwise, I’m not really sure where it came from other than the fact that Kristen and Rob are really beautiful humans. Even though they were a couple at the time, I really missed that part of their chemistry onscreen.

I’m aware that for the movie, a lot of it came down to having to cut stuff in the script for time’s sake. But I still think they could have kept the spirit of the banter while cutting what they needed to.

Look, there’s a lot in the Twilight canon that’s not compelling at all, so it makes me really sad that one of the genuinely compelling things didn’t make it into the movies at all. 

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[sprinkledonion-blog]

Another real long “I don’t like Bumbleby” post (Part 2)

Part 1 is here. 

The Adam fiasco

We’ve reached the most controversial point in the essay: Adam.

Adam was… a symbol. He didn’t have much to offer in personality and screentime, but he represented. Until he stopped representing and became a mere tool for Bumbleby to develop.

I know, I know, another Adam fan who coincidentally dislikes Bumbleby. What can I say?

Adam was the sacrificial goat for Bumbleby. His existence became so tied to them that his whole faunus vs SDC plot became just an afterthought. He became a puppet to do Evil Things; if you pay close attention, especially in daylight scenes, you can actually see the strings on his back.

Adam had lost his way in every sense of the word. And he became a monster: Bumbleby’s heart.

Bees are gonna beat me up for this one.

Yes, Adam became such a vital piece for Bumbleby to develop, their whole relationship revolved around him. Yes, he traumatized both girls, but V1-V2 gave us nothing else to chew on. No bonding, no cute smiles, no development. Adam triggered the rise of Bumbleby like kaboom. Bam, now there’s Bumbleby. And what cemented their relationship? Killing him.

I need to ask: why does a wlw relationship revolve around a man? Why does everything in RWBY come back to a man? Jaune speaks over Ruby. Pyrrha dies so Jaune can have development. Qrow steals screentime along with Oscar like a madman. Adam is a matchmaker. Can the “RWBY is a feminist show” take die already? It ran away when Pyrrha was fridged.

Worse is? Bumbleby is good because Bumbleby is BETTER than Tauradonna.

Or so it seems. Ahem.

Now. Of course it’ll be better than Tauradonna, as it isn’t an abusive relationship. But what I mean is, this is the ONLY thing going for it. Oh, you should ship it because it’s better than Tauradonna. No, it’s not its own thing. It’s just better than Tauradonna. And no, we can’t stop comparing to it.

I know abuse leaves you a wound it’s difficult to heal, and you’ll inevitably make a comparison. I’ve been in an abusive relationship too. But Bumbleby should be its own thing, developed separately from Tauradonna, and then compared. I didn’t get enough screentime and reasons to ship them, and now you want me to compare it to an abusive relationship? Of course I choose Bumbleby! The other option is horrendous and… hey, this is more manipulative than I thought!

And the killing… oh, there’s nothing more romantic than killing a guy together. Maybe I’ll try this next time I wanna date a dude. Forget Netflix and chill, this is the real thing!

The show handled it… shakingly okay. Blake cried, Yang comforted her. Alright. Fine.

But now Adam’s not here, what’s gonna happen? Let me guess: we’ll get all the Bumbleby screentime we didn’t get early enough. Some say “Great, now it’s gonna be RW-BY instead of RWBY”. Maybe. I don’t really care. Ruby seemed to be more comfortable alongside JNR, and Weiss does what she can. Maybe she could get incorporated to the team too? Or form a new one with Qrow and Oscar (and Ozpin)? Hey, it’s not a bad idea. Either way, the dynamics will change, but as long as they don’t take too much time off other characters, it’ll be fine. I gave up.

DC comics development

I’m not 100% sure of how to feel with this one.

I couldn’t read the DC comic, but some… definitely interesting screenshots were posted. I could see that they don’t care very much about canon (I can’t take Raven seriously anymore). But they also patched some things up, meaning: Bumbleby.

Remember when I complained about not seeing enough Bumbleby bonding to actually buy the ship? Well, DC comics gifted us one, two, eight panels of Bumbleby bonding: borrowing books, offering food, braiding hair. Sounds very nice… and very late. And very fake.

Why didn’t we see this on the show? This feels like those eight panels are supposed to show peak Bumbleby bonding and we must be satisfied with it. Peak LGBT+ representation right there. Why didn’t we cut off Arkos, Renora, Iceberg and Blacksun and spent time with Bumbleby instead? Why should I feel satisfied with a mere eight panels?

Not genuine at all.

Bonus: the newest take goes like “DC comics was CRWBY trying to build more Bumbleby with moments at Beacon we didn’t get to see in the show because the episodes were ONLY 6 MINUTES LONG”. So CRWBY had time to build Arkos, Renora, Iceberg, Blacksun and not the main ship? Those 6 minutes were enough to build straight relationships but not the main wlw one? What an unfortunate coincidence.

What would have you done differently?

Team BSCE.

Bonding: why is Yang interested in Blake? Why is Blake interested in Yang? What does make Yang feel like she can be vulnerable around Blake instead of, let’s say, Weiss? What do they talk about, that isn’t Adam, or Ozpin? Do they have private jokes? Do they look forward to spend time together? Does Blake know what Yang’s favorite food is? Do they train together more time than they should? Why do they love each other? How do they support each other? Does Yang read books about faunus?

Showing: how does Yang feel when Sun flirts with Blake? How does Blake feel when Yang flirts with guys? What makes them blush? What is their body language? Do they notice things about each other no one else notices? Do they think about closeness? Do they think about each other at night? Do they think about kissing each other? How does their attitude change? Do the rest realize something’s going on?

Conflicting: besides Adam, what problems do they have? Blake has been shown to feel like a burden and isolate herself, but what about Yang? Do they have things about each other they barely stand? Do they share the exact same mindset? Do they have arguments and about what? How do they handle disagreements and arguments? How do they approach problems? How do they fix them? Do the same problems come up over and over again? What things they don’t tell each other? What do they hide from each other? Do they expect each other to defend them on arguments with others?

Exploring: what’s their endgame like? What are their dreams and goals, and do they collide with each other? Do they think about the future? Do they have a theme? Did they develop separately, as individual people, before developing their relationships? Are they dependent? If one of them died, would the other (take revenge and) move forward, or fall into deep depression? Can they live apart from each other and things don’t change? And what if things do change? What things change? How do they face change?

Yes, I love asking questions. One brings another, and another, and before you realize, you thought a lot about the couple and their core. You don’t need to answer every single one of these questions, but it can help you develop a clearer and deeper relationship, better than… I don’t know, sudden love?

Show bonus (what I posted on twitter):

·         Yang interested in faunus. It is sudden, and Ruby realizes (Yang taking lots of notes during history class but only on faunus lessons, finding her in the library reading about faunus [allows for cute funny moment! Yang never reads!], talking to Velvet)

·         After being informed, Yang asking Blake about her experiences (Adam topic could be brought up and thus foreshadowed), making them closer. This also has an impact on Yang, which drives her to defend Velvet from Cardin, making friends with Sun, etc

·         Yang would also be more careful about the jokes she makes, trying not to make any racist ones and letting Blake explain her which ones are

·         Just talking in general. Deciding to spend time together when they're free (that does NOT mean they're never with the group)

·         Free time together allows for more talking and deeper topics brought up more naturally (ex: more about Yang's mother, maybe some other insecurities, further deepening her character)

·         Blake realizing Yang is allowing herself to be "weaker" around her, so she supports her a lot

·         They would defend each other in an argument against Weiss for example, and if that isn't the case, whoever wasn't defended would feel hurt and they would have to talk about it (fixing problems and talking out disagreements)

·         LISTENING AND TALKING TO EACH OTHER

·         Knowing small things about each other, for example Yang's secret place when she wants to think, Blake's favourite tea, etc

·         Yang trying to show off her strength, making flirtatious comments that Blake doesn't get and getting embarrassed

·         Yang feeling hurt when Blake spends more time with Sun and seems to be falling in love with her, but not acting on it because she doesn't wanna to get in their way and wants Blake to be happy

·         Blake missing Yang

·         Yang trying to flirt with other girls and Blake feeling strange

·         When talking with Sun, the Yang topic is brought up frequently and Sun realizes and tells Blake she seems special, Blake starts to realize something

·         Blake running away breaks Yang as she had put a lot of trust on her, even allowing herself to be "weak", and she knew about Yang's abandonment issues. Yes it's the same in canon, but it had more buildup and thus is more heartbreaking

·         During Menagerie arc, Yang is brought up often and Blake finally realizes her feelings, while Sun accepts his place as just a friend and supports her all the way (also Yang is his friend too, remember!)

·         From this point on you can drop canon on it just fine

·         BUT ADD THE TALK™! They need to talk about Blake running away. PLEASE.

Conclusion

This is not me saying “Do NOT ship Bumbleby”. Ship whatever the hell you want. I ship things that don’t even make sense. This is me saying “Your ship isn’t as good as you think it is, please stop attacking other shippers for pointing it out, and no, your argument ‘you’re just homophobic’ isn’t always valid”.

I don’t want to talk about bees anymore. Never again. But I probably will, when volume 7 drops. Until then…

Beehaw, I guess.

[xmxisxforxmaybe]

Remnants, Part I

They did Ahkmenrah so dirty in the NATM movies, so I’m indulging. I’m not sure if this piece is going to work as a female reader-insert, but I am going to try that first. If you think it would be better with an OFC, let me know.

  Summary: You are in the midst of formulating your dissertation, but you’ve hit a wall. Your doting aunt, Rebecca, has a solution that brings you face to face with Ahkmenrah, Fourth King of the Fourth King. As the connection between you and Ahkmenrah grows, and as the secrets of his ancient tablet unlock, the once-king will find himself faced with a difficult choice.

   Warnings: None for now, but you can bet there will be smut; also, Ahk is a solid 20 years of age to be certain to avoid any squick factor. Also, if you’d like to be tagged, let me know : )

Part I

On the night you first officially met, you weren’t sure whether it was his beauty or his sadness that overwhelmed you. Ahkmenrah was sitting in his exhibit alone, gazing at the hieroglyphs that adorned the walls. His mouth was set in a serious line, which only served to accentuate his sharp jawline. His eyes, a polychromatic swirl of blue and green, were trained on the stories, his stories. The air was filled with such a level of concentration that it felt wrong to disturb this once-king.

   Larry whispered, “About a year ago, we figured out that he wasn’t an evil, cursed thing. It is his tablet, after all, that brings everything to life.”

   “He’s not wax or stone, though, so, he reanimates?” you ask hesitantly, even though you already know the answer. It’s just that you can hardly believe in its morbidity—cheating death always has a price.

   “Every night.”

   Your mind whirled. Every night, this former king came to life, and every morning, he returned to the nothingness of death. A price—there’s always a price.

   “Does he remember things, like the new things that happen at night? Or is he stuck living only with the memories of his past?”

   Larry chuckled, “Do you want to ask him all these things yourself?”

You nod your head. Of all the exhibits Larry had introduced you to over the last month, he saved Ahkmenrah for last because he knew that the ancient pharaoh was the reason you became an anthropologist. Not, Ahkmenrah in particular, but the culture of ancient Egypt. Your grandmother used to tell you stories about the pyramids and first introduced you to the riches of this ancient, civilized land. Their mythology fascinated you, from childhood until now, and it was the very last step of your doctoral pursuit. Your dissertation was about the parallels between the monotheistic cult of Akhenaten and the foundational principles of early Christianity. Although Ahkmenrah was a pharaoh of the Middle Kingdom, you were certain that the path for monotheism had been laid as the pharaohs navigated the world, acquiring more wealth and power. Science advanced. The miracles of the gods were explained. And one god, across cultures, emerged.

   And then you got stuck. You needed a lead and Rebecca, Larry’s girlfriend and your aunt, cajoled Larry into helping. She knew you would make any sacrifice to prove your research and keeping the secret of the museum seemed like a small price to you. So, Larry tested your character by introducing you to a new exhibit each night, carefully measuring your reaction, and then making sure nothing wound up in the tabloids the following day.

   While it was shocking, you had already spent so much time living within the past, it almost felt like coming home. The knowledge each reanimation possessed gave you hope that Ahkmenrah could provide you with the information that would cement your doctoral candidacy.

   Larry gently took your elbow and pushed you forward. Your slight stumble echoed into Ahkmenrah’s chamber, and he slowly turned toward the noise, his statues shifting, awaiting the young king’s word.

   “Son of Ra,” you spoke as you lowered your head in a bow until you closed the distance between the two of you, then you dropped to your knees, extended your arms in a full bow, and touched your lips to the stone floor at his feet.

   You didn’t move, even as you heard Larry chuckle from behind you.

   “Larry, guardian of Brooklyn, leave us,” Ahkmenrah spoke in a commanding tone that immediately silenced Larry and you listened as his footsteps shuffled quickly away.

   “Rise.”

   You rescinded your arms but rose only into a kneel, keeping your head bowed.

   Ahkmenrah sighed, an utterly sad, small noise of nostalgia.

   “You are familiar with the customs of my people, and you greatly honor me; however, you and I both know there is no longer a need for such a display of reverence. My time has long, long passed.”

   The despondency in his words called to you. You tilted your head up to meet his gaze, his large eyes trained on your face, searching it as you looked at one another.

   Ahkmenrah offered you his hand, and you hesitated in a comical moment of twitching forward to accept it, but holding back, the customs of the ancients reverberating through your mind.

   Ahkmenrah chuckled, and you huffed out a laugh, too. Your 21st century self won out, and also your insatiable curiosity to know if he felt more like skin or a tanned hide--you know, how a several thousand years old mummified corpse might feel.

   As your hands connected, you immediately knew it was not the latter; his hand was smooth and warm, your fingers glided across his palm to grasp his wrist as he grasped yours and pulled you up from your position on the floor. Neither of you let go immediately, until a slight blush colored both of your cheeks. You dropped his hand and apologized, but he cut you off.

   “I’ve had so few visitors,” Ahkmenrah began. “It’s just nice to remember what a person’s touch is like. I apologize for . . . I believe the correct term might be . . . lingering?”

   You smiled at his furrowed brow and at his struggle to articulate himself. English, after all, wasn’t exactly his first language.

   “You speak beautifully, your majesty.”

   “Thank you; I was on display at Cambridge for a number of years, but please, call me Ahkmenrah,” he stated, tilting his head just slightly as it occurred to him he didn’t know your name. “And what shall I call you?”

   “Y/N.”

   He smiled and said, “A lovely name.”

   You took a deep breath, gradually becoming more relaxed in his presence. Nothing prepared you for your meeting with this young man, well, sort of young man. As Larry tested you by moving through exhibit after exhibit, you thought you would be able to handle the one thing you were really here for. Most of the exhibits, while they did add a depth of feeling, were like talking to living, very interactive history books.

   Except now, face to face, this creature in front of you was clearly no text book. He radiated warmth and power; his eyes were so alive it made you feel like you were the one who was a reanimated corpse. Never had you seen such depth in a person’s gaze; it was unnerving, but also it was like a key, turning a lock to something deep inside of you that you didn’t know existed.

   It also didn’t hurt that he was beautiful. Because of his age at his death, he still possessed a softness around his features that made you want to define him as cute, but his presence elevated him to handsome. A flicker of jealousy coursed through you at the thought of him choosing a queen from a line of many, many suitors. And then there would be the matter of his secondary queens, and you were sure he would have no shortage of choices there, either.  

   You shook your head, wondering why in the fuck your mind chose to venture down that path. You shouldn’t be thinking about this barely-adult king and his sex life; it’s not like you were going to go that far in your research . . . he may not even have functioning parts, hell, he may not even have any of his organs—

   “I believe the expression is, ‘Penny for your thoughts?’” Ahkmenrah asks, startling a blush out of you.

   You choke out an awkward laugh, run your hands through your hair and take a deep breath.

   “This is just so surreal. I’m not sure how much you know about me or my work, but I guess I should just start at the beginning. I guess the easiest way to explain would be to use a reference. So, there’s a fun little game that people sometimes play and during it, you divulge who you would invite to a dinner party if you could have your choice of any person, living or dead.”

   Ahkmenrah watched you intently, listening.

   “While Akhenaten was always first on my list—18th dynasty, awhile after you, I always wanted to meet a ruler from the Middle Kingdom, one of the most glorious periods of rule in Egypt. And, well, here you are. It’s like, almost better than Cleopatra.”

   Ahkmenrah chuckled, “I can assure you that the tales of my country will be far better than what her’s would be. From what I’ve heard, she brought much scandal because of her dalliances with foreigners,” he said, his face conveying his clear disapproval.  

   “She brought the end of your Egypt.”

   “Yes. It’s, what was the word you used? Surreal! It’s quite surreal to know the fate of one’s kingdom. I often think about what I might’ve done differently had I known what I know now.”

   “They do say hindsight is 20/20.”

   “As in, the past always looks clearer from the present?” Ahkmenrah questioned.

   “Exactly.”

   You had hoped he would be smart, and in your small exchange, it became clear that he was. While his intelligence excited you, it was the genuineness of his smile that took your breath away. For a moment, you were reminded of Nick Carraway’s description of Jay Gatsby’s smile. And just like Nick, you were immediately drawn into it, drowning with a need to just know the bearer of that warmth with a greater intimacy.

   “You’re doing it again,” Ahkmenrah said through his smile, startling you out of your thoughts.

   You shook your head, embarrassed yet again.

   “I was thinking about something I read in a book once.”

   Ahkmenrah spoke with excitement, “Larry told me you preferred books to people because you didn’t have many friends in your youth. I’d like to show you something.”

   “I’d like to show Larry something right about now,” you mumbled as you followed the swishing of Ahkmenrah’s golden cape. He disappeared into a smaller nook between the walls of his exhibit and returned with a stack of ancient paper.

   “The tablet seems to also restore anything that is organic,” Ahkmenrah explained, showing you the pieces of papyrus that were covered in hieroglyphs. “This is the history of my family as told through our own voices . . . I think you would call it a diary?”

   You must have looked like an idiot, your mouth agape, your eyes darting between the paper in Ahkmenrah’s hands and his dancing eyes.    

   You started to speak, stopped, stuttered, and started again.

   “This is a first-hand account of the life of ancient Egyptian royals?”

   “Well, not exactly. My father was very thorough in his tracking of the members of our lineage and decided to include everyone’s stories—cousins of cousins, people who worked the fields or the rivers. I believe you will find there is much to learn from these pages.”

   Your voice cracked a little as you thanked Ahkmenrah for this honor, but before he held the pages out to you his face turned serious.

   “I’m sorry, Y/N, but you will only be able to read them while at the museum. Once dawn comes, they turn to dust, and if too much is scattered, I fear they will no longer reform.”

   “Of course! I’ll only read them right here.”

   “So, this means that you will be returning?”

   “Yes! My god, Ahkmenrah. You have no idea what this means to me.”

   Ahkmenrah smiled, the sadness leaving his eyes entirely for the first time that evening as he watched you carefully examine the pages of his ancient life.

[that-brunette-gal]

The Party {Wheesa }

{1.8k fluffy cuteness}

Hyejin preferred to be huddled in her little corner of her shared dorm room reading the next book in the Harry Potter series than be dragged along to engage in whatever shenanigans Youngsun had gotten herself into this time, but alas, it didn't pan out the way she had hoped. It all started when Youngsun had practically thrown their dorm room wide open startling Hyejin so badly she dropped her book.

"Hyejin-ah~ I need your help!" Youngsun whined as she hurried over to Hyejin's bed where the black-haired girl currently sat.

Hyejin let out a huff of annoyance as she pushed the bridge of her glasses up before she reached over to grab her book.

"What is it unnie?" Hyejin asked, her eyes narrowed as she turned her attention to the pouting blonde who sat on the end of her bed.

"So you know how I've been trying to get closer to Moonbyul, right?" Youngsun started.

Hyejin nodded. The first day of their last year of college, Youngsun had laid eyes on who she claimed was the most beautiful person alive. That person was Moonbyul, a very handsome girl who was as greasy as a stick of butter. Hyejin had listened to Youngsun's incessant babblings about Moonbyul and she could never understand what the attraction was. But Youngsun never gave up talking Hyejin's ear off about the orange haired beauty.

"Well, Moonbyul approached me today and invited me to her friend's party tonight!" Youngsun said with a large smile.

Hyejin's eyebrow raised and she sported a look that clearly said, what does this have to do with me? Youngsun noticed and frowned.

"Oh come on! You never go to any parties because you have your nose in books all the time! Can't you go to one party, pretty please?~" Youngsun pleaded.

Hyejin groaned as she leaned back.

"Unnie~ You know how much I hate those. All parties are for getting super drunk and doing stupid things you'll regret in the morning." Hyejin said.

Youngsun reached over and took Hyejin's hand in her own before she pouted even more and gave Hyejin a look that Hyejin hated. Hyejin called it the puppy dog look and it almost always got Youngsun what she wanted. Hyejin glared at the blonde, but Youngsun's pleading was slowly chipping away at her walls of conviction so she threw her hands up and let out an irritated huff.

"Fine. I'll go to the stupid party!"

"Yes!" Youngsun hissed as she stood up quickly which caused Hyejin, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, to fall off.

"Frick!" Hyejin hissed as she rubbed her now sore bum. Sometimes she hated having a roommate.

Youngsun instantly rushed into their shared bathroom to get ready leaving Hyejin alone. Hyejin got up and walked over to her closet before opening the door. She reached in to rifle through her clothes. She didn't really have any fancy clothes because she really never went out. Instead, her closet was filled with comics shirts, logos, and cartoon characters. Hyejin finally decided on wearing a three-quartered sleeve wonder woman shirt and a pair of blue skinny jeans. After she tugged on her clothes and put her hair in a side ponytail, she made her way over to their doorway to put on her converse. About fifteen minutes later, Youngsun finally left the bathroom in a crop top and pair of black skinny jeans with black heels.

"You seriously cannot be going like that." Youngsun said with a disapproving tone as she looked Hyejin up and down.

"Do you want me to go?" Hyejin asked.

"Of course, but you might as well have fun! No one will pay you any attention!" Youngsun exclaimed.

"That's what I want unnie. I'm only going for you." Hyejin said with a roll of her eyes.

The conversation stopped there and the two girls made their way to Youngsun's car. The drive was anything but silent with Youngsun worrying about how she should approach Moonbyul. Hyejin just silently stared out the window wishing she didn't have to go. They finally pulled into one of the girl sorority houses and parked. Hyejin held her breath as she studied the various things that littered the lawn and the crowds of people that stood outside holding cups.

"Alright! Let's get this party started!" Youngsun cheered as they left the car and started towards the house.

Hyejin's nose wrinkled in disgust as the smell of body odor and alcohol invaded her senses leaving her head spinning. She barely had time to register the fact that Youngsun immediately ditched her in search for her crush. Now Hyejin stood in the entryway like an idiot, her glasses sliding down her nose before she quickly pushed them back up.

"This is stupid." Hyejin muttered as she made her way deeper into the house.

She finally made her way into what she guessed what was the kitchen, but it was hard to tell with the various bottles that crowded the counter space and the food crumbs that were scattered around the floor. Hyejin picked up one of the cups before she turned to the sink to fill it up with water.

"Do you not like the party?"

Hyejin froze as a girls voice floated through the room. She slowly turned to feel her heart catch in her chest at the sight of an extremely cute girl standing in the doorframe. The girl had short brown hair that went slightly past her chin and almond-shaped eyes that held intense brown orbs that seemed to be looking straight into Hyejin's soul. The girl was dressed in strangely casual attire with a black turtleneck and blue skinny jeans tucked into long black boots.

"Uh..not really" Hyejin replied.

The girl grinned and Hyejin just about died. Two dimples peeked out from the girl's cheek making Hyejin blush.

"My name is Jung Wheein."

Hyejin nodded along.

"I'm Hyejin...Ahn Hyejin."

Wheein nodded along thoughtfully before she made her way closer to Hyejin only to settle herself against the counter.

"So, why don't you like the party?" Wheein asked, her eyes turning to Hyejin once again.

Hyejin frowned as she stared into her cup of tap water before replying.

"I'm antisocial. I hate it when other people's bodies rub up against me and it only gets worse when there is alcohol involved and whoever threw this party certainly made no expense in providing lots of it." Hyejin stated as she looked back at Wheein.

"Really? I would never have taken you for the antisocial type. Am I bothering you?" Wheein asked.

Hyejin would have thought that Wheein was being sarcastic but she could hear genuine concern which slightly surprised her.

"No, not at all. I'm actually here with a friend but she ditched me as soon as we came in." Hyejin said.

"Well, that sucks." Wheein said.

"If you want, I could keep you company." Wheein offered.

Hyejin's eyes widened. Wheein must've realized that it may have sounded wrong and a pale pink spread across her cheeks as her eyes widened.

"No, that is not what I meant!" Wheein explained.

Hyejin chuckled at this girl's cuteness before waving her hand.

"I know, I was just messing with you." Hyejin said with a slight smirk.

Wheein smiled.

"Aish...don't embarrass me like that." Wheein scolded as she took a sip of her drink.

Hyejin smiled to herself as she pushed up her glasses.

"So, what would you like to do?" Wheein asked.

Hyejin looked up to see a throng of people dancing to overly loud music.

"Well, can we maybe go outside? Whoever threw this party must not care about their future hearing because I can't even think." Hyejin said.

Wheein smiled to herself before nodding.

"Of course. Follow me."

Hyejin followed Wheein through the hallway and upstairs where they approached a door that led to an outside balcony. Wheein pushed open the doors and motioned for Hyejin to follow her. Hyejin's breath caught in her throat because the view was absolutely beautiful. The city lights lit up the skyline and the stars shined brightly in the night sky. Of course, there were lots of people in the backyard of the house, but Hyejin could care less.

"Wow. This is gorgeous." Hyejin whispered.

"I know. It really clears my head whenever I look out here."

Hyejin looked over slightly confused.

"Do you come here often?"

Wheein looked startled at Hyejin's word.

"It's not a pickup line I assure you." Hyejin hurridly said in an attempt to save herself from embarrassment.

Wheein bit her lip to hide her smile that wanted to break out on her face from Hyejin's cuteness. However, before she could respond, the doors opened and Youngsun and Moonbyul appeared.

"Oh, Wheein-ah! I didn't know you'd be up here." Moonbyul said making Hyejin look over at Youngsun with a confused look on her face.

"You know each other?" Youngsun asked.

Moonbyul nodded.

"This is my friend who threw the party." Moonbyul said as she motioned to Wheein.

Hyejin felt her stomach flop as she realized she had been ranting to Wheein about why she hated this party only a few minutes ago.

"Nice to meet you." Wheein said as she gave a friendly smile to Youngsun.

Youngsun, however, was not paying any attention at all but was instead giving Hyejin the wriggly eyebrows which translated to, nice catch. The blonde then left with Moonbyul. Hyejin rolled her eyes and pushed her glasses up again before turning to Wheein.

"I am so sorry. I didn't realize you were-" Hyejin started before Wheein cut her off.

"Please. It doesn't matter. I'm not too much of a party person myself. I just have the friends who beg me to throw a party and I do." Wheein said as she shrugged.

Hyejin scratched the back of her neck she tried to determine what to say, but Wheein beat her to it.

"Besides, I met a really cute girl tonight and I think I like her." Wheein said nonchalantly.

Hyejin's head shot up at Wheein's words.

"W-what?" Hyejin stuttered.

Wheein turned her eyes to Hyejin's before she gave Hyejin a small sheepish smile.

"I got to meet you, which makes this party worth it."

Hyejin just stood there not exactly sure how to process what was happening.

"U-uh....ah....yeah." Hyejin finally uttered, her body warm with embarrassment.

Wheein chuckled to herself before she stepped forward.

"Can I see you again Hyejin?" Wheein asked.

Hyejin nodded still freaking out about what was happening.

"Good. There is another party on Friday and I would like it if you come, we could hang out again." Wheein said before leaning in and giving Hyejin a kiss on the cheek.

Wheein left the raven-haired girl alone on the balcony and Hyejin finally unfroze. As much as she hated it, she was going to have to thank Youngsun for dragging her along to the party, but she thought of how shocked Youngsun would be when Hyejin would tell her that she wanted to go to another one.

{This is on my Wattpad @The_SUPREME_Bananun and on AFF @AsianBlackJack just so everyone knows that this is MY work}

[novakspector]

My theory is Western teenagers are only listening to K-pop because the US and UK didn’t create any new boybands to fill the power vacuum left by One Direction. Another thing is, I think Korea has more moral standards about what they let artists do. Not only strict control of their relationships and image, but also K-pop is more wholesome in general. The singers need to have a clean image and they’re strictly controlled by management. They can be attractive and sexy, but not raunchy.

Most of the Westerner fans don’t speak Korean fluently (if at all), so it’s another indictment on lyrical content in Western pop music. People would rather listen to songs they don’t understand than listen to Western entertainers singing or rapping about fucking, dicks, wet pussies, and having soft core porn music videos with their asses out. For non-Koreans speakers, K-pop is just a group of attractive people singing fun pop songs. That’s what many people want. They’re going to K-pop because Western markets aren’t creating what they want.

This proves there’s a market for more wholesome and less sexualized entertainment, and a lot of people actually want this. You know, I don’t think the American entertainment industry even realizes that. They think sex sells, so make everything SEX SEX SEX. But when you’re 14 you actually find it embarrassing and you want something that you can listen to when you’re in the car with your mom. If some record company from an English-speaking country created a cute boyband singing pop songs and love songs, they would get rich.

It’s a lot like what is going on with comic books. Comic book readers just want good stories and well-written characters, but Western comic book companies have hired people with little to no talent. They started hiring people based on characteristics like gender, sexuality, and skin color rather than merit. These writers view comics as a “platform” to give lectures on political and social issues, rather than writing stories. They are rude to fans who criticize them and dismiss large swaths of the audience as “nazis” if they disagree politically with them. They’re always trashing white males (the majority of comic book customers in the US) and then wondering why they don’t get sales. The people writing comics now mostly don’t really care about comic books, and they genuinely hate comic fans. They are writing comic books in hopes of getting a Netflix deal. Western comics are no longer written for comic fans, but exist merely as a content farm for the TV and cinematic universes.

So as a result of that, Japanese manga has become a bigger seller than Marvel and DC in America. Japanese manga companies give customers what they want, rather than dictating to them “this is what we think you need.” Japanese manga companies have the traditional attitude toward the customer, which is “we will prove to you we are worthy of your money.” Whereas, Western comic book companies (and mass media companies in general) have been fully infected with wokeness disease which causes them to flip that around and think the customer has to prove themselves worthy of being a fan.

[carriagelamp]

This was a month of some amazing reads for me. Seriously, there’s a solid four novels all competing for my favourite book of the month, and many other fun reads besides. Depending what you like I would highly recommend most of these.

Another Kind of Cowboy

This was a really fun, queer YA novel. It’s about two very different teenagers: meticulous, anxious Alex from a dysfunctional family whose entire life revolves around riding... even if it's only the more "manly" Western-style riding his father approves of; and rich, naïve, self-centred Cleo who never cared much about riding but who has been shipped off to a equestrian boarding school in an attempt by her absentee parents to get her back on the straight and narrow. These two meet when Cleo, after she embarrasses herself at a show, is sent to new trainers — the same trainers who take on Alex when he decides to secretly stop riding Western and start learning English-style dressage instead.

The Barren Grounds

If you liked The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe but want something less white, Christian, and monarchy-centred then this is the book for you, it very much felt like an Indigenous Narnia story. Morgan and Eli are two Indigenous children who were forced away from their communities and into the foster care system. Morgan, who has been in it most of her life, feel disconnected and angry at everyone and everything, but finds herself obliged to care about her new foster brother who is in his first foster home and still shaken by the loss of his family. While the two are trying to connect, they are shocked to discover a way into a icy, snow-covered land populated with animals that walk and talk like humans… and which are slowly dying out because of the endless winter they’ve been cursed with.

Because of Winn-Dixie

This is a children’s classic that I have just never gotten around to reading before. I finally picked it up and read it in a single day. It was really cute! The story of how a stray dog, Winn-Dixie, gets people to look past their differences and prejudices, and brings a community together. Very warm and fuzzy.

Hex Wives

A graphic novel I’d seen mentioned in queer circles before and finally got around to reading. I had mixed feelings about it… the story itself was pretty neat, and the art was decent (better than the front cover suggests), but there’s that edgy american-style comic vibes to it that I’m a little tired of. Still, a worthwhile read if you want something that mixes bubbly hollow suburbia horror with witchcraft and brutal scheming.

It’s about a coven of witches who are constant reborn and eventually regain their memories and powers from their past lives. Fearing their power, they are hunted across time by men who would have them destroyed. Realizing that there’s no way to permanently eliminate them as long as they’re reborn after death, the men concoct a new plan to limit their power… to find them before they remember their past lives and shackle them into the life of a suburban housewife.

Marsupilami: Quilzemhoal

...Disappointing. I’ve always had a soft spot for Marsupilami and I finally read the first book a few months back. It was pretty fun and cute, but definitely a little racist. But it was old and I decided to pick up one of the newer books in the series to see if the creators improved on that front. It wouldn't be the first graphic novel series where the authors grow and adapt their work to fit more modern views. Well, somehow got more racist. I couldn’t actually finish this one. So yeah, I guess this is not a series I’ll be continuing, no matter what nostalgia I still have for it.

MASH

The novel that inspired TV series M*A*S*H! I’ll be honest, I didn’t really expect to like this given that I’d mostly heard that it was nowhere near as good as the show, but it was genuinely hilarious. Different for sure, but really enjoyable if you like a very dry sort of humour.

This novel is about three doctors — Hawkeye Pierce, Trapper John Mcintyre, and Duke Forrester — who have been drafted into the Korean War assigned to the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, a MASH unit near the front. To quote the foreword “A few flipped their lids, but most of them just raised hell, in a variety of ways and degrees”. The novel is essentially a collection of vignettes about the pranks, gags, and schemes Hawkeye, Trapper, Duke and the rest of the 4077 get up to while trying to stay sane amid blood, death, and horror.

The One and Only Bob

A very cute read. It wasn’t as good as the first book (The One and Only Ivan) but given that Ivan was an absolute masterpiece I guess that would be asking a bit much. The One and Only Bob is still a really fun, heartfelt novel, this time focusing in on Ivan’s canine best friend, Bob, who kept him company while he was living in his small enclosure at the mall. Bob is still best friends with Ivan even now that Ivan is living happily in a zoo with other gorillas, but now Bob is also learning to love and trust humans again after his traumatic childhood, and trying to figure out what it actually means to be a dog.

The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Another classic I had just never read, so I listened to this one on audiobook. I won’t describe the story because I think just about everyone knows the basic premise. It was fine! Not as boring as Frankenstein, not as interesting as Dracula. Definitely not scary, but it posed mildly interesting questions about human nature, and the language was smooth and pleasant to hear read aloud. I don’t regret reading it, but I also wouldn't recommend people go out racing for it either.

Shaun the Sheep: Blast to the Past

I shamelessly adore these Tales From Mossy Bottom Farm chapter books. They adapt Shaun the Sheep so well. Characterization is good, the art is charming, and the stories are all funny and quirky. It’s like candy reading. In this one, Shaun and the Flock accidentally invent a time machine rather than a go kart and find themselves back in the past, trying to help the much younger and less experienced Farmer manage the farm to keep it from failing and altering the future as they know it.

Snotgirl v3

If you haven’t read this graphic novel series but like having your brain broken, then you absolutely should try it. It’s by Bryan Lee O’Malley, creator of Scott Pilgrim, and it tackles similar themes as his others works: coming-of-age but rather than a child or teenaged coming-of-age story, O’Malley writes about young adults in the twenties and early thirties needing to figure out how to get a hold of their chaotic, dysfunctional lives while dealing with outlandish problems.

Snotgirl is about Lottie, a fashion blogger/influencer who comes to realize that while her online presence is polished her real life is a mess, and that her cynicism and pretension has left her with shallow relationships. And that it’s her responsibility to fix it. The strange and beautiful Caroline and her mysterious brothers don’t make things easier, since accidents and murders seem to follow her… but without anyone actually seeming to die. Lottie needs to navigate her friends, her ex’s, her own self-image, and a strange surrealism that surrounds her newest friend and romantic interest

...And honestly shit only keeps getting weirder. I really thought it’d give me some answers in book three, but nope. So for genuine fucking weirdness and fantastic character development, give this a try.

The Time Travelling Caveman

Another anthology of short stories written for children that Terry Pratchett wrote during his writing career. They’re all weird and quirky, but I wouldn’t call them best examples of his work — probably unsurprising since they’re mostly from pretty early in his career. Still, I think I enjoyed other anthology collections of his over this one. Kinda mediocre for Pratchett.

Wishtree

An absolutely beautiful story, unsurprising since it’s from Applegate, but this one was really stunning even by her standards. This story is told from the POV of Red, an old oak tree who has been living in this neighbourhood and watching it grow for a very long time, providing homes for the local animals, shade for the residence, and playing the important role of neighbourhood “wish tree”. Optimistic and friendly, Red has seen exactly how wonderful people can be… but is about to see how bad they can be as well. When a new immigrant family moves into the neighbourhood not everyone is welcoming, and Red gets stuck in the middle of it.

[thewinsister]

Pretty Boy

Warnings: Curse words, this isn’t edited

Characters: Sam and Dean Winchester (mentioned), Sister!Reader Winchester, Peter Parker, Ned, etc.

Summary: The reader goes to New York and meets some new friends at her school

Word Count: 1,818

Y/N: your name

Y/N/N: your nickname

E/C: eye colour

Mx. This is like Mr. or Ms. except it doesn’t identify gender. I wanted to make this without mentioning gender so

a/n: Yup, this is a crossover. Spn and Spiderman:Homecoming! Hope you guys like it

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Slowly you opened your eyes as the sound of your alarm clock continued to sound. You yawned loudly as you hit the alarm clock, the annoying sound finally stopping. 7 AM it read, you rolled your eyes and laid in your bed thinking about how much you didn’t want to get up. You had never gone to an actual school, not in a long time at least. Your brothers let you have online school, it was much easier for everyone really. They didn’t have to worry having to put you into the a different school overtime you moved and you didn’t have to worry about all the stress other people gave you. You don’† know why they decided right now was a good idea to put you back into a real life school, Sam had said something about wanting to give you the full high school experience before you graduated.

You let your mind wander to your first day back in school, you were entering as a sophomore. You remembered how nervous you were, you had completely forgotten how stressing real life schools were. There were so many people all the time now, before you didn’t have to deal with any popular kids giving you a hard time. 

You walked to the principals office after asking around for about twenty minutes. Immediately noticing your presence, the man stood up and presented himself.

“Hello I’m the principle here at Midtown, you must be Y/N?”

“Y-yeah.” 

After a minute of talking about how you you used to take online school and your classes, the principle said “Well, come with me. Classes are ‘bout to start.” He walked towards the door and opened it, letting you walk out first. The walk to your first class was awkward, primarily your principle asking you questions and you answering with an “Uh huh” or an “Uh uh”. Finally you reached your class. Again he opened the door and let you walk in first. 

“Your first class is World Religions I believe” he said to no response.

“Good Morning everyone!” The man was answered by a few muttered good mornings in response. “Well, today we have a new student. Please treat her kindly, she’s must be very nervous. Just like you must have been when you first entered!” You rolled your eyes slightly at this, man you hated doing this.  “Please, Y/N tell us a little about yourself. Where you’re from, and so on.” He said, and you cringed internally, you really  hated this. 

“Um, hi. My name is Y/N.” You said awkwardly, you knew that none including yourself was gaining anything by doing this. “Right now, I’m coming from Ohio. Before that Kansas, before that- um I don’t remember I kinda come from everywhere.” You said you began to balance your self on your feet. You looked around the class, everyone was looking somewhere else. Everyone except for a pair of eyes, who belonged to a boy. He was kinda cute honestly, he had chocolate coloured curls laying on his head, his eyes were a more Hazel tone. His head rest on his palm looking at you intently looking at you. When he realized you were looking at him he got slightly pink and looked down, which you thought that was so cute. Shit. This was another reason you hated going to real life school, there was always a cute guy you would end up liking and then you’d have to leave.

“Mx. L/N?” You heard the voice of your principle, apparently he had asked you something while you were too busy looking at the pretty boy.

“Yeah- uh. Sorry?” 

“It’s alright, it happens a lot.” He said the last part muttering, “I just asked why you moved so much.”

“Oh um, because of my dad’s job.”  You answered vaguely.

“Oh what does he do?” 

“He uh- he sold stuff.”

“Sold?” 

“Yeah he died.” You said looking down, this was terrible.

“Oh I’m sorry. Well what about your mom?”

“Died too” you gave a sad awkward smile, god why didn’t he stop.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine I never met her.”

“Oh, well. I think it’s time for you guys to start class now, I think you’ll uh fit right in.” He said and immediately walked out the door trying to avoid anymore awkwardness. Smooth you thought.

“Well, then Y/N. Please take a seat any place where it’s available. You looked around the class, everywhere full. Except for, you guessed it, next to the cute boy. Fan-freaking-tastic. You moved towards the desk and smiled slightly a the boy who had continued his staring, this time he smiled back instead of looking away. You now had one mission for this week, which you had basically already failed. Avoid the boy with the pretty hair and sweet eyes.

Your first class went pretty good, you were talking about the myths and creatures of the different world religions. Since you have been doing research for your brothers for the past 5 years of your life, you knew every answer to every question. Everyone looked at you in both amazement and confusion. You couldn’t help but notice how the pretty boy’s eyes sparkled overtime a ray of sun hit his eyes. You shake your head slightly trying to get the idea of his pretty eyes out of your head.

“Okay, so there’ll be a group project. You will have to research about one of the beings you learned about in this class in more detail and have to explain in front of the class for friday.” Said the teacher before the end of the class, “ it will be in groups of three.” The bell rang and everyone got up immediately, everybody had already got their groups. You walked outside completely bewildered about what to do, before here came along pretty boy and another boy beside him a little taller with black hair. 

“H-hi!” He spoke excitedly, “I-I mean hi.” He then said in a much calmer voice when the boy you thought was his friend nudged him slightly.

“Hi.” You said shyly looking down at your feet then back up.

“Um I- we were wondering if you wanted to be in our group?” He asked, you wanted to say no trying to stick to your mission but his face turned into one of a puppy asking for food. And you just couldn’t say no to that.

“Uh- yeah sure. I mean I don’t want to be a bother to you.” 

“What? Never.” He said it seemed like he was almost mad that you had said that.

“What my friend means to say, is that we’d love to have you in our group.” His friend said smiling, it was one of those kind and genuine smiles that made you smile back. “My names Ned by the way, and this is my friend Peter.”  The pretty boy you now knew was called Peter smiled nervously and you smiled back.

“What class are you going to?” It seemed as if he relaxed much more now that you had agreed to be in their group.

“Chemistry, what about you guys?” 

“Great, we have chemistry too!” Said Ned and began walking you and Peter following him. The rest of the day went pretty smoothly, during lunch they invited you to sit with them which you happily complied with since you had no one else to sit with.

You all sat together, you enjoyed their company. They were more similar to you than you thought, they were the perfect balance of nerdy and geeky. You knew you got your nerdyness from Sam, since he always tried to teach you new things and you helped him study. It was basically just listening to him while he recited what he had to know.  Although Sam was also quite geeky you thought you got it more from Dean. When you were little it was with him that you watched all the lord of the ring movies, and Harry Potter and Star Wars, and basically everything else. You used to steal his comic books, it was basically entirely batman, but you read them all.

A tall brown girl with messy hair walked over to where you were sitting. You thought she was coming to talk to one of your new found friends, but instead she almost completely ignored them and sat next to you. She stretched her hand out for your to shake it, “Hi, my names Michelle. You’re the new kid right?” 

“Hi, my names Y/N. And yeah that’s me.” 

“Hey! Penis Parker!” You heard a voice from behind you, turning around you saw a short brown boy with black hair. Everyone else seemed to find his joke funny, it really wasn’t.

“Look at you! Trying to find new little girlfriends, I see your new technique” He said looking at you then back at Peter, “Flirting with the new girl cause she’s the only one who doesn’t know how lame you are!” Again mostly everyone laughed, you frowned slightly. 

“What’s up with that dude?” You whispered into Michele’s ear.

“Oh, that’s Flash. Most of the time a total dick.” She said casually, used to him.

“Hey, your Flash right?” You said after hearing his name, immediately the boy looked at you.

“Yeah?”

“Sorry, it’s that you have something on your face.” You told him, the boy embarrassed began to touch his face worried. Everyone stared confused.

“Where, what is it?”

“Oh, it’s just a bit of the stick that’s so far up your ass.”  Everybody began to laugh as Flash took his hands off his heads and glared at you. He turned around and left you. You kept a straight face until you saw that he was far away, and began to laugh along with the others at your table.

“Hmm, I like you” Said Michele with her always calm voice, you smiled at her. Then you all began to talk, you were so into the conversation you didn’t notice how Pretty Boy Peter stared at you with all the wonder in the world when you laughed, or how his heart beat faster every time you glanced at him.

You didn’t notice how he began to analyze your face, and your hair. You never noticed how he thought your E/C was so pretty specially when you smiled, how your hair bounced perfectly from your head every time you laughed. No you didn't notice how slowly Pretty Boy, thought of you as Pretty Girl.

At the end of the day you happily walked to the motel you and your brothers were staying at. You flopped on the bed smiling, as you remembered your day.

“How, was school sweetheart?” Sam had asked you.

SHIT, SCHOOL. You looked at your clock 7:30 AM, you were gonna be so late!

..............................................................................................

Hey guys! So this is my first time writing crossovers. I might do more stuff like this, just let me know if you want it

[fourteenacross]

H’OKAY. SO. Last night we saw Dave Malloy as Pierre!! :D

We’d been planning this trip since they announced he was doing a series of shows--we knew we had to see him but we needed to make it work with timing and vacation days and stuff like that, so we ended up tagging this trip onto the front of my trip to Charlotte later this week, which inadvertently made it the first show after the Tonys, which we won’t talk about because I think I’ve made my saltiness on that front PRETTY CLEAR so far. With things working out the way they did, we decided that we should get a gift for Malloy to acknowledge how much this show has meant to us and that he won all the Tonys in our hearts. Initially I thought a plant was a good idea because flowers die and are also awkward to carry around. From there, my brain thought: well, we should put it in a box so he can just throw it in his bag. We should decorate the box. We should decorate the box to look like the theatre.

(At queer speed dating the other night, someone asked me which Parks and Rec character I most identify with. I said, “I feel like Ben Wyatt, but if you ask any of my friends, they’d say I’m Leslie Knope.”)

So, we decided all this on Monday night? So Tuesday was spent running around getting fabric and glue guns and putting all of this together. All of the little frames have pictures of members of the creative team. It’s PRETTY DARN CUTE, I’ve gotta say.

The entire day was a wild ride--we got the thing done just in time, then realized that my dad had taken my car keys with him so we were gonna miss the bus. Then he managed to get them to us in time for us to make the bus. Then the bus was stuck in traffic TWICE AS LONG AS USUAL. The florist was out of succulents and I had to run all over to find one. Literally run. I ran. With my legs and my lungs and stuff. It was the worst. But I managed to get to the theatre at 6:55 and use the rest room and get into my seat and chug a smoothie.

AND THEN THE SHOW STARTED!

First off, as you can see from the top picture that I wasn’t supposed to take, we were sitting in the rear mezz. We’ve only ever sat on stage before, so it was fascinating to watch the show from this angle. It made the lighting and set and choreography really come alive. I love sitting on stage--I love being at the center of the action and watching the show unfold around you--but I felt like I got a clearer picture of how the whole thing works as a cohesive unit from sitting in the mezz.

Still, the Imperial isn’t that big! Even sitting like, four rows from the back, I felt like we were right in the middle of things. And, bless that ensemble, the hardest working folks on Broadway, they were up and down the aisles even as far back as we were, dancing and singing and handing out shakers and playing instruments and who knows what else. At one point, Erica Dorfler was right in my face and she’s so pretty that I literally forgot how to shake my shaker, jesus christ. We had a great view of “Coachella Sonya” in the “Balaga”/”The Abduction” dance break, which I was into XD Also, Nick Gaswirth’s excellent dancing was only a few rows away from us.

There were a lot of tiny things I noticed from up high, too--Or and Nick Belton buddying around during “The Duel” and “Balaga”/”The Abduction,” the way Pierre reacts to things happening in the show as he sits in his little hole during the numbers he isn’t in, Anatole admiring himself in L I T E R A L L Y every mirror he walks by, though that might just be a Blaine Krauss thing XD “The Duel” in general was a really fun experience from up high--it was neat to see EVERYTHING instead of just being overwhelmed and in the middle of things. I was removed enough from the action that my brain had time to remember the first time we saw the show at ART when “The Duel” started and I was just like, “.....what the hell IS this show?” 

I know I already talked about how good the lighting is, but the lighting is just so fucking good, you guys. The tiniest, most subtle little changes, the way that all the lights slowly go out during “Sonya Alone” until it’s just the spot on her, the lights coming down from the ceiling one by one in “No One Else” like snow falling, the use of the bright lights behind the doors, THE COMET, all of these wonderful, tiny little touches. It was beautiful.

In addition to Malloy, we had two other understudies! Blaine Krauss as Anatole was A M A Z I N G. Some understudies have a problem with trying to emulate the performance of the person they’re subbing for, but that was NOT THE CASE here. Blaine totally made the role his own--his Anatole was delightful and outrageous and over the top and full of himself and vain and hilarious. He definitely had a funnier spin on it than Lucas does, and almost more immature? Like, Lucas’ Anatole isn’t exactly a paragon of maturity, but he wants to THINK he’s mature. Blaine’s Anatole is just a brat and knows it and owns it. His comic timing was AMAZING and he hit the high C sharp and he was overdramatic and fun.

We saw Azudi Onyejekwe as Dolokhov, too! I’ve been wanting to see him as Anatole, but his Dolokhov was great. Much like Blaine, he didn’t try to emulate Nick, just went his own way with it. His Dolokhov was cocky, but not as mean as Nick’s (not a complaint--both are great interpretations) and more laid back and fun-loving. Dolokhov is a character without too much to do (as mentioned directly in the Prologue XD) and it would be easy for him to fade into the background, but much like Choksi, Azudi really kept him front and center in the scenes he was in.

The rest of the cast was phenomenal as usual--Grace had her everything dialed up to eleven, Amber got some of the loudest cheers of the night, Denee is a literal angel upon this earth and “No One Else” was more heartbreakingly beautiful than I’ve ever seen it, Gelsey was amazing, Paul Pinto is insane, Nick’s Andrey continues to be SO angry, and I would TAKE A BULLET for Brittain I love her so fucking much. The ensemble killed it, I do not understand how a person can run up the stairs while playing the clarinet, but there’s Cathryn Wake doing it like it’s no big thing.

And Malloy. MALLOY.

I feel so blessed to have seen him do this on Broadway. He was incredible. I mean, obviously he was going to be incredible, but his Pierre is SO different from Scott’s and Groban’s. He’s just tired and hunched and distant and awkward and it works so, so well. He pours so much of himself into this character and it’s so obvious, even from all the way in the mezzanine. His “Dust and Ashes” made me cry and feel a hundred feelings--the resounding applause and cheers he got afterwards was so heartening. It kept going on and on and on and that made me get all teary too. He was hilarious in “The Duel,” both in the actual dueling and the lead-up song. Watching him watch the other characters was like getting a whole additional show for the price of my ticket--his emotional journey makes even more sense if you factor in what he’s seeing from the people around him as the story plays out. He and Denee and Gelsey doing “I see nothing but the candle in the mirror” gave me chills and I loved the way he did “Nothing matters--or everything matters, it’s all the same.” It was a really cool take on the line. He was great during the toast part of “The Abduction,” with a funny little pause before he started that was either because he was genuinely out of breath or entirely for comedic effect. Either way, it worked XD 

And, of course, the end of the show was beautiful. From his “whaaaat”s to Marya and his angry threatening of Anatole and desperate need to understand first Andrey and then Natasha...my heart. His spoken lines were so perfect and I started bawling in “The Great Comet of 1812″ and basically didn’t stop until the show was over. 

God, the end of this show WRECKS ME in a totally different way than something like Hamilton wrecks me. My feelings in Hamilton are all about the story, about Eliza and AHam’s legacy and all of that. My feelings at the end of this show are all internal--it’s how this moment is making me feel and the connection I’m having with Pierre and with the ensemble and the music at this particular point in time. It’s so hard to explain, but it’s like...cleansing. That sounds ridiculous, BUT THERE YOU HAVE IT.

ANYWAY, after the show we went out to the stage door. It was about nine hundred degrees outside STILL and it took me about two minutes to turn into a gross sweat monster. We were surrounded by all these sweet teen girls who looked perfect and refreshed and it was mildly hilarious. We chatted with people as they came out, including Scott who was smiling vaguely as he walked by until we said, “We saw you at ART and you were great!” and he did a double take and ran back over to talk to us. 

Malloy finally came out and got down to us around 10:30 and we talked to him and told him how much we adore this show and how great he was and gave him his dumb gift and I made him sign my Great Comet book and take a selfie. I do not remember most of this conversation, but I am pretty sure I didn’t entirely embarrass myself.

And then we left and got frappachinos because I was dying for a milkshake and technically can’t have them. And we went back to Port Authority and took the bus home and went to bed and THAT WAS THE END OF THE NIGHT. Whew.

[auiyoncesmind]

Look, I know I said I was going to have to take a break from this site to focus on school or whatever, but since Gotham’s final episode is on tonight, I felt as though I wanted to get all of this off my chest. This may or may not be pretty long, so all of my thoughts are under the cut.

Gotham is pretty much the reason why I joined the DC fandom in the first place. It may seem pretty hard to believe, but it’s most definitely true.

I was watching Shameless at the time (as I’m sure a lot of people who joined the fandom at the time were as well), and about a week or so before Cameron’s first episode came on, I saw vids/gifs of what he looked like on the show, and it looked creepy as shit to me (almost like I’m watching a live-action version of the goddamn Chucky doll or something), so then I was like, “okay, maybe I’ll catch this episode and see what’s going on.” Mind you, I didn’t know much about Gotham (the city or the show) at the time I started watching this episode; the most I knew about DC back then were some of the household names like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, etc. Then I found out that Selina, Oswald, and Edward were on the show, which was pretty interesting, but judging by the way the show looked in the first season, I thought it wasn’t going to be a thing that I was going to stick with long term.

Boy, I was so fucking wrong.

[Spoilers if you haven’t seen 1x16 I guess, though it’s been out for years so idk wtf you’re doing if you haven’t] I remember seeing Jim and Lee towards the beginning of the episode being all cute and stuff, and idk how, but Lee just became my favorite character from there, because she was just a huge ray of sunshine with lots of kindness in her heart and everything, and all she wanted was to do cute couple things with Jim or whatever, and she’s very smart/intelligent and all of that. I think about all of the screen time she’s had since then and wonder why people still hate on this woman, because she’s not right all the time, but she shouldn’t be burned at the stake compared to some of these other characters (literally the villains are running this town, so it’s crazy to even think about).

Anyways, my Lee Thompkins appreciation rant aside, they brought up Dick Grayson’s parents (the dude wasn’t even born yet in the universe, and I thought about Dick and Bruce meeting at some point later on, only to realize that it probably won’t even happen), Fish Mooney trying to escape that prison she was in for most of the episode, Jerome killing his mother, etc., and all of this made me wonder what happened next. Obviously, Cameron wasn’t in anymore episodes after that one, but I still wanted to check out the other stuff going on in Gotham because it seemed genuinely interesting at the time. Sometime during the hiatus between season 1 and season 2, I caught up with the entire show to check out the main plot of the first season, holding on to some of the highlights of the season (e.g. Edward going mad towards the end, Barbara getting hypnotized by The Ogre, Selina and Ivy hanging out in Barbara’s apartment, the whole mob plot, etc.) until the next one came on. By then, I was hyped for the show and tuned in for every episode, and it’s been that way ever since. I found myself loving more things about it that previous episodes didn’t have (e.g. Tabitha Galavan, Hugo Strange, the Maniacs breaking out of Gotham, more mad Edward Nygma, etc.), and it instantly became one of my top favorite shows.

Some of that joy and happiness may have gone away with new episodes, whether it be because of the writing or the lack of suspense or whatever with some of the plots or the lack of interest in others, but I still kept going because I learned more about the DC universe through that show than I ever would have expected. Every time I heard a name drop on the show or a reference to a comic book story that I was interested in, I would look up some of that stuff online and get more information on it. Gotham, in a way, got me into watching the DCEU as well, especially with all the fan edits I saw going around on here and on Vine when it was still active. Around the show’s second season, I found out that one of my favorite actresses (Viola Davis) was gonna be in Suicide Squad, which had some familiar characters in it that I recognized as I continued my journey with Gotham (namely Joker and Harley), so I ended up watching it in theaters. The movie came out at around such a difficult time for me. I had lost my great grandmother a couple of weeks before its official release, and while things didn’t get much better after watching that particular film (my mental health was so fucked up to the point where my GPA dropped significantly that fall), I appreciated what that film gave me, despite flaws in the script and the ways in which people were talking about it online.

That following year, Wonder Woman came out. I wasn’t sure what I expected, really, because I didn’t watch that many trailers at the time, so I went in with literally no expectations, yet I came out with it being one of my favorite solo comic book movies ever. Then I found out that she was gonna be in Justice League and ended up watching it, too (though I didn’t know too much about the behind-the-scenes stuff at the time; all I knew in relation to that was the Henry Cavill face debacle, and tbh, that was one of the things about that movie that made me cringe). And then after that, I watched Batman v Superman and Man of Steel on my own time before I started glancing over some other DC-related media. I even caught a couple of episodes of some other DCTV shows (e.g. Supergirl and The Flash). This is what I mean when I say that Gotham got me here in the first place, and honestly? I haven’t been more grateful. I’m typing all of this as I’m wearing one of the Shazam shirts that I got from my school, just reminiscing on all the experiences I have shared with so many wonderful people in the DC fandom, which wouldn’t have been possible had I not tuned into that one episode of Gotham in 2015. So to know that this show’s series finale is right around the corner is a bittersweet feeling — but mostly bitter, because it ended under unfortunate circumstances and that I’ll never see all of these cast members together again.

It didn’t hit me for weeks leading up to this moment, too. Like, I was upset that the show got cancelled, but I wasn’t very emotional or anything just yet. And then Camren made that one Twitter post saying that 5x11 was her last appearance on the show. I was literally out in public reading all of the heartfelt words she put into her post, and I remember feeling like I was gonna cry in front of everyone. It was slightly embarrassing because I hate crying in public, but if we’re being honest, I didn’t give a shit. I’ve spent so much time dedicating at least an hour a day to a show I’ll never get to see again after April 25th, and that shit hurts me, you know? I’m sure we’ve all felt something like that when one of our favorite shows ended (and you’re probably coming up with a list of names as we speak). No matter what the circumstances are, we’re all mourning the loss of a show that meant so much to us at one point in life or another. Once upon a time, I didn’t think Gotham would be one of those shows, and yet here we are, and I am forever grateful for what the writers, the directors, the cast, and the rest of the crew has given its small little nest of DC/Batman fans.

With that being said, I want to thank everyone who was directly involved with this show and put hours upon hours of labor into creating something unique and interesting for new comic book fans. I want to thank the writers and directors for bringing so many wonderful DC characters to life. I want to thank all of the supporting / guest cast members, regardless of how much screentime you had while you were on this show. I want to thank Chris Chalk, Morena Baccarin, Jessica Lucas, Erin Richards, Cameron Monaghan, Sean Pertwee, Donal Logue, Robin Lord Taylor, Cory Michael Smith, Camren Bicondova, Ben McKenzie, David Mazouz, etc. for being probably one of the best TV show main casts a fan could ever ask for, as well as some of my favorite portrayals of your respective characters. I want to thank all of the wonderful people whom I’ve met on this wonderful journey throughout the past five seasons. Overall, I want to thank this show for everything it’s introduced me to within the DC universe. Your legacy within the DCTV universe will not be forgotten.

[alicedoessurveys]

165 Questions

(this took a couple days to complete so I don't know if the answers will even make sense haha)

did you pay attention to anything you were being taught in health class?   we didn't really have a ‘health class’ at our school. we had a whole day once a term where our usual lessons were cancelled and we were all split off into different groups to learn all that shit. i used to stay home on those days because the routine change sent my anxiety sky high

what are your feelings regarding shopping?   i like it when I'm in the right mood

do you think people have any misconceptions about you? i think people sometimes mistake me for being rude or stuck up when its actually that I'm quite shy

have you ever worn fishnets? Nope

do you go somewhere to get your eyebrows done? my sister’s house

do you believe prayer really works? i do, especially after this week

do you have one best friend who is always there for you? kind of

describe one of your most emotional farewells. not really had any emotional farewells

have you ever been tied up? eh, nope.. well not in a serious way :’)

how many times have you been cussed out? i dont think i really have been in a genuine way, only ever jokingly

does it bother you when people ask personal questions? not really, if it did i wouldn't have a tumblr just for surveys haha

do you know anyone who’s been in jail? dont think so nope

have you ever considered acupuncture? Nope i cant do needles

have you ever watched the same sex undress? only when it happens in films/tv but never watched a guy get fully naked aha

have you ever seen the last person you kissed cry? Nope

have you ever seen your mom or dad drunk? Yeah, but only a handful of times

do you enjoy mario games? not really played Mario games tbh

do you think that necessities should be free? (ex. food, toilet paper) not sure

does it bother you when dogs lick you? i love my dogs but i don't really like being licked, i don't like the feeling of it especially on my face or feet

do you feed your pets human food? Occasionally, but we always double check before that its nothing poisonous or anything

which is worse: being sexist or racist? dont even get me started. They're both as bad as each other. The thing about racism is that its never picked up on when it happens to a white person. We experience it too, but for some reason it doesn't count if you're white.. Racism is NEVER okay and it affects ALL races. White people, black people and every skin colour in between.

do you think suicide is selfish? Only if the way you do it affects someone else. for example, jumping in front of a train or car, or throwing yourself of the top floor of a busy shopping centre in front of loads of people. thats when it gets selfish because youre forcing other people to witness something that could be potentially traumatising and could disturb them for the rest of their lives. Especially when it involves jumping in front of a vehicle because that driver has to live their life knowing that someone died because they hit them with whatever they were driving. personally, if someone jumped in front of my car and ended up dying i would never drive again and it would ruin my life. so yeah, thats when suicide is selfish, and this was a long answer haha

would you take a dirty picture of yourself for someone you are dating? No

what are the most embarrassing songs in your itunes library? probably glee songs

how picky are you when it comes to choosing who to kiss or not kiss? seems I'm not fussy enough from past experience :’)

do you feel that having sex anywhere but a bed is more exciting? i wouldn't know

in your opinion, is it ever okay to get back with an ex? depends on the situation and why you broke up

what’s the first animal you go to see at the zoo? Whichever is closest to the entrance. we always need a system when we go to the zoo so we see everything haha

what’s the strangest or rarest creature you’ve seen at a zoo? when i went to australia zoo there were loads of creatures i didn't even know existed and i cant remember any of the names

what animal is at a zoo that really, in your opinion, shouldn’t be? im not sure. i think as long as the animals have a good way of life, are treated right and are happy then theres no reason why they shouldn't be at the zoo. and if being there means they're protected and can help the species not to go extinct then thats awesome!

do you like zoos or aren’t you bothered? i like the a trip to the zoo :) I'm gonna love taking a foster kid to the zoo

i offer you a cigarette, you say… no, and do not smoke anywhere near me

why do you think you were put on this earth? i haven't quite figured it out yet

is it ever okay to hit a child? when is this? it is never okay to hit a child

do you think violence in video/computer games influences the nation also? Maybe slightly, i think it can de-sensitise us and make us see violence as more normal. BUT saying that, i play gta and it doesn't make me want to go round punching/shooting people so it depends on the person i guess..

are you in any shape or form, racist? No. i don't understand it at all. at the end of the day, we’re all humans no matter where were born, what our nationality is, skin colour is. It doesn't matter. A person is a person.

are you in any shape or form, sexist? again it doesn't matter what gender you are, you're still a human being

how do you think the world will end? as a christian, i believe it ends when God decides it will end.

what natural phenomenon do you find the most beautiful? Aurora borealis or however you spell it

would you kill someone who killed a child? how about YOUR child? i dont think i could ever kill someone.

what is your favorite cover of a song? pretty much everything Pentatonix does. I LOVE their cover of ‘Hallelujah'

have you ever been in love with someone who was fatally ill? neve been in love

have you ever received or given a make-over? Yup, received a few. given a few, my male best friend was the best because he let us do a photoshoot of him in full make up and i still have the pictures :’)

do you know anyone who is HIV+? not that i know of

have you ever been to a desert? no, i was supposed to go riding camels in the desert while on holiday but i got sick and spent two days stuck in the hotel in bed

do you know any trans* people? Nope

what is your favorite beatles song? let it be.. is that them? Idk

what is the poorest you have ever been? Teenage years when i got £70 to last a month but it basically all went on my gym membership and bills.

i’m sure you know of the gamer fad on youtube. who’s your favorite? dont really follow any gamers, i like watching pointless blog play sims though

is there something written on your shirt right now? nope, its a plain black shirt

what is your favorite song to play on guitar hero or rock band? i dont play either of those

where do you find the surveys you take? i follow a load of survey Tumblrs and steal ‘em of there

what’s one weird/annoying thing your pet(s) tend to do? Sit at the door and bark every time they see a squirrel. or a bird. or a shadow. Literally anything and one of them will bark, then they all start barking and having four dogs barking its an absolute headache.

what’s your favorite song by your favorite artist?   oh i cant answer that, i have too many favourites.

do you have an “original character?” i dont really get the question

what about a persona/fursona?   wut..?

do you ever MAKE your own surveys? nope im not very original

why’s it the woman who have to give birth anyway if the man is physically stronger in most cases? first of all, rude. secondly, its all Eve’s fault.. read the bible

do you get good internet where you live? yeah its alright most of the time

ever had a cavity? how many? Never

ever broken a tooth? Nope

what did you do on the playground at your school as a child? i liked playing make believe. me and my friend in primary school came up with our own pretend kids tv show called witches and fairies where she played a witch, i played a fairy and we had adventures :’)

are you into comics? a bit

did you ever have computer disc games you played as a kid? Sims!! Rollercoaster tycoon & zoo tycoon.

what do you think of people who have therapists? Brave. I've had a few therapists during school/college so i know how difficult it is and i gave up on therapy so i really admire people who stick with it

do you have any of those adult coloring books? i have a few, my favourite is one full of the original Alice in wonderland artwork. ALSO i found out the other day theres a fantastic beasts one and i rally want it

ever ridden an elephant?   Nope

deserts: dreary or beautiful?   i think they can look beautiful in pictures but i imagine they'd be dreary irl

ever seen a panda?   only in pictures

what kind a camera do you have?   my phone is my main camera. i do own a Sony a290 dslr that i have to buy for college but i don't use it anymore

do you have stretch marks? where? don’t be shy, they’re tiger stripes! i do, on my thighs

lobsters: cool or scary? Scary

opposoms: total vermin or cute? i dont know what they are

what tv channel dominated your childhood?   Cbbc

ever actually seen a snake in the wild? dont think i have nope

have you ever had a PET snake? what kind? NO! Snakes scare me

ever had an encounter with a snapping turtle? they’re scary! i have not nope

do you like oatmeal? Nope

wherever you live, have you ever seen your national bird? does England have a national bird?!

ever had a reptile as a pet that you had to feed crickets? Nope. i would like a bearded dragon, but having to feed it live bugs freaks me out. even just the thought of having the bugs in my house i cant even

ever play hearthstone? dont know what that is..

ever gone hunting? biggest thing you’ve ever shot?   No. and I'm disgusted by people who do hunt

how about fishing? biggest thing you’ve ever caught?   i used to fish with my grandad when i was a kid, but i only ever caught small ones

coolest place you’ve ever been fishing?   Idk I've only ever been to lakes on camp sites

which is cooler: african or asian elephant? i didn't know there was a difference

craziest thing you’ve ever eaten? i dont eat crazy stuff, I'm too scared of eating crazy stuff

what’s in a camel’s back? Idk ask the camel

steve irwin: foolish for messing around with animals or brave for teaching us? Brave. i love Steve irwin, i think he did great work and its a shame he died. I've been to his zoo in australia and I’ve never seen happier animals in a zoo. we spent at least half an hour watching the tigers play in the water with the zoo keepers and you could tell there was a genuine love between them.

what do you think of people who put their whole life on social media? If thats what they want to do then fine.

don’t you think it’s a bit deceptive to wear a push-up bra?   nope. if wearing a push up bra makes you feel better about yourself and gives you confidence then you do it!

do you truly believe we came from chimps? No

well, what do you think of extra bones and even organs in our bodies? why do we have them?   Idk

if you could choose anyone to be your father, who would it be? my dad

weirdest video game you’ve ever played? i dont think I've played any weird games tbh

we’re having a pig-pickin’! whatcha eating? a what?

ever been on a scary hay ride? no I'm a chicken

ever been to a castle?   Yuppie live like half an hour away from Warwick castle so I've been there a lot in my life

what’s your favorite kind of penguin? rockhopper- we had to make penguin masks in college for one of the shows the actors were doing so i made a mask of a rockhopper penguin

whales. should they be allowed in sea world? if they're treated right then yeah

ever seen an albino? whether it be human or animal?   yeah there was someone in my school who was albino

what do you think of the song “miss jackson” by panic! at the disco? Don't think I've heard it

what is the wallpaper on your best friends cell phone? it used to be a picture of me and him but i don't know if he's changed it

do you feel comfortable singing in front of others? No

do you like using big words when you talk? No I tend to say words wrong and make a fool of myself

do you EVER use caps lock? Rarely. i cant read things very well if they're written in capitals

are you loud when you’re having sex?  Doubt it

have you ever wanted to drop out of school? yes, i hated school but in England you're not allowed to just drop out

when was the last time you watched south park? dont think I've ever watched it

are you italian? nope

are you interested in photography at all? Yes i enjoy taking photos and used to be super into it but when i studied it in college i had such an awful time it kinda ruined it

any survey takers that annoy you on tumblr? nope

do you like bob marley? hes alright, I've not really listened to his music much so i don't really have an opinion

can you talk to your parents about anything without them judging or bickering at you? my mom, pretty much yeah. dad, not so much.

are you interested in art? a bit, not a lot though

don’t you think we’re spending too much money on exploring the mere theory of climate change? no i think were not spending enough. we should all be way more concerned with global warming than we are

everyone always wants to know your favorite animal. what’s your SECOND favorite? i dont have a first favourite so i cant have a second favourite. i just have a big list of favourites

who’s your favorite disney character? again, i don't have a favourite there are too many. i tend to like the sidekicks in the movies more than the main characters like Sven & Olaf from frozen, Pascal & Maximus from Tangled etc

have you ever taken the eharmony personality quiz? Nope

do you take vitamins? if so, what kinds? Vitamin C

how much was your prom dress? what’s the most you’d spend? my prom dress wasn't very expensive, I can't remember exactly how much it was. I still have it in my wardrobe but I don't like it 

would you marry someone of a different religion? Possibly, if i loved them enough. and if they understood i wouldn't change my religion

how did you learn the word “fuck”? probably at school

if you could make one of your enemies your best friend, who would it be? i dont have enemies so idk

what is the last movie you saw in theaters? Passengers

have you ever got into a wreck?   not a serious one nope

do you think you are an argumentative person? Not really, unless its something I'm passionate about or if I'm hurt by something

can you admit when you’re wrong?   Yeah

are you easily confused? very :’)

do you think you would make a good wife/husband?   i think i would

have you ever caught a butterfly?   not on purpose.

have you ever deliberately tried to get someone drunk? nope i dont drink so i wouldn't try make anyone else

do you like being kissed on the neck? no, it feels gross

favorite song by the band the offspring? never heard of them

how many times each morning do you press the snooze button? i dont set an alarm often and when i do i don't press snooze

when you go out to eat, what sides do your order with your food? normally fries

what video game or computer game are you best at? sims

how do you normally come across new music? listening to the radio, or when ads or videos use a song i like the sound of i find out what it is

what subject in school do you feel is the least necessary? English, I've never had to analyse a book or poem in my life since leaving school

do you enjoy power outages or do you get annoyed? no they're annoying

are you pretty politically correct? idk probably

have you ever behaved like a stalker?   probably online yeah :’)

do you appreciate other people’s opinions?   depends what its about

if you could pick your own pet name, what would it be?   pet name for myself or for an actual pet..? I've already decided when i get my own dog i want to call it moose

do you care what’s going on in the world? i care, but i don't make an effort to find out cause its usually all depressing stuff

how many partners is too many? at one time or like in a lifetime..? lifetime it doesn't matter but if you have more than one parter at once then thats too many

do you examine the tissue after you blow your nose?   nope

do you prefer boys to shave down there?   Idk

how much does your mother know about your sex life (or lack thereof)?   she knows its non existent

are any of your siblings married? what are their spouse’s names?   Nope ut she lived with her partner Tom

have you ever had a pet bird?   Yeah, we used to own to cockatoos called bobby and beauty

how many times have you moved in your lifetime? 2

if you could get one piercing and one tattoo, where would you want them?   dont want any piecrings. i have a tattoo already but i want another one on my ankle/foot of a lighthouse

would you consider yourself to be adventurous?   Nope

has any part of your house ever been flooded?   dont think so

is there anyone that you’re worried about right now? who and why? our foster baby, he's two weeks old tomorrow but he's still in hospital with drug withdrawals so he cant come home yet

if you won a lot of money, would you donate any of it? to what organization would you donate it?                                                                                              I would donate to dogs home or a mental health charity

describe the best friend you’ve ever had, or the best person you’ve ever known.   I cab right now 

have you ever adopted a stray animal?   We've adopted a few dogs in my lifetime but none recently

what time did you wake up this morning?   about 9am

ever wonder if you’re someone’s everything?   yeah, i cant see anyone getting to know me and being like ‘shes perfect for me’ like srsly I'm too much of a mess

would you ever bleach your hair platinum blonde?   not platinum nope

what is your mom’s middle name?   Anne

do you know the color of your ex boyfriend/girlfriend’s eyes? n/a

have you had your wisdom teeth out?   Nope

your appendix?   yeah, mine burst when i was two years old and tried to kill me haha