#he's definitely the type to cover up his feelings with insincerity or even jokes -

[homecomingvn]

Does Henry try to hide his insecurities/self-worth issues around MC? If so, how does he try to hide them?

Yep! Henry for sure has a bit of a 'front' when it comes to you! It's not that he thinks he needs to be on his guard or anything with you - it's just they're worried you might think less of them otherwise!

Henry has a problem with being honest about how he 'really' feels - they constantly insist that they're alright when in reality...they're probably not! They just don't want you to worry.

It's very rare for him to actually be open / vulnerable with you, but it defnitely has happened before. (+ will probably happen again)!

[multi-fandom-asks]

(this is definitely not the mod for this blog who needed somewhere else to post this idk what you’re talking about) Paladins x reader tea meme!

(ah yes hello stranger)

For the tea meme, (created by @bite-sizedfe), I’ve chosen rosehip tea, green tea, and English breakfast tea. The questions that correlate with these teas are down below. And for the Paladins, I’m including all six of them (Allura, Keith, Lance, Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro)

rosehip tea 🌹 (how romantic are they? How do they show affection to their S/O?)

Keith

definitely not the connoisseur of romance but don’t mistake that for insincerity

he’s the guy that doesn’t go into theatrics; but makes sure to perform meaningful gestures

flowers for an anniversary or birthday

gifts that hold an incredible amount of significance

road trips all over Earth, listening to rock music and eating fast food

cozy, unexpected moments of intimacy, especially at home doing regular tasks like cooking or cleaning, are the norm with him

Lance

do you want a man that takes you on extravagant dates? you’ve found him

this boy goes all out for you

cleans all the way up, looks so handsome, and constantly showers you in compliments

concerts, broadway shows, walks in scenic parks, fancy restaurants, etc. anything that’ll put a smile on your pretty face

and you’ll totally rest your head on his shoulder

and he’ll take a moment to wonder how he’s so lucky

Hunk

more low key than Lance, more extravagant than Keith...a happy medium if you will

he will absolutely cook for you

dancing in the kitchen

watching movies all night long

getting to that point of sleepy where you giggle at everything

cuddles cuddles cuddles

Shiro

pretty traditional guy

a lunch date filled with conversation

or a simple trip to the store

if he’s with you, he’s happy

will buy you flowers all the time

always straightforward and vocal about how much he loves you

Allura

Allura wants to explore all the intricacies of Earth, and she wants you to accompany her

swimming in lakes, watching fireworks, or visiting the zoo so she can see the animals of Earth

but she also adores quiet nights in, snuggling or just talking with you

sometimes it’s a night filled with laughter and stories

others it’s a night of content silence and happy sighs

either way, she’s the luckiest Altean in the galaxy

Pidge

literally will spend hours playing video games with you and just having a really good talk

sitting on the rooftop, watching the sunset

tons of museum dates

visiting her family (plus her gushing about how amazing you are to everyone in the household)

midnight meet ups in the kitchen to eat ice cream out of the container while talking about that weird dream you had

trying weird DIY projects that will often fail but be the most hilarious thing in the world

green tea 🍵 (how do they comfort their S/O?)

Keith

he’s actually very perceptive to your emotions and has grown familiar with your mannerisms (plus what they mean)

he’ll always be concerned that he did something wrong, or there’s something you’re keeping secret from him

he will take it upon himself to give you space if you need it (he understands that)

but if you need a shoulder to cry on, he will be at your side in an instant

prepare for a hug

kisses you on the forehead and doesn’t pry for an answer if you’re not wanting to talk about it

totally lets you fall asleep in his arms when you’re done crying/talking/quietly grieving

Lance

many hugs and kisses

affirmations of his love for you and how incredible you are

him being inwardly sad that he can’t wave a magic wand and make you feel better

will do his best to encourage you (and it almost always works - he’s a good cheerleader)

and tries to see things from your perspective...always wanting you to be the focus, not him. He wants you to know he’s listening to you (awww he cares)

will crack a joke and end up making you laugh long enough that the wave of sadness has passed

Hunk

casually slips you a plate of delicious food

looks pointedly at you until you eat it or you talk to him (most likely both)

if you need someone to hold your hand, kiss your tears away, or hold you, Hunk has got you covered

always asks if there’s anything he can do for you (and he’ll do whatever will help you, no questions asked)

totally the guy that gently asks the team to give you space or help you out when necessary

he will give you the best freaking advice

Shiro

how can someone be so gentle? Simply hearing his voice will calm you

offers his hand, will place a hand on your shoulder, or brush back strands of hair behind your ear (as long as you’re comfortable with it)

brings you food, drinks, or little gifts

he is a very wise person who’s been through a tremendous amount of turmoil so he will let you know things will get better

tells you stories to distract you and make you smile

worries about you but never oversteps his boundaries

Allura

instantly recognizes that something is off about you

she’ll quickly finish up whatever she was doing at the moment and then rush to your side

she’ll obviously want to fix things in a split second for you but knows she can’t so she’s content to sit and talk with you instead

similarly to Shiro, she likes to tell you stories that’ll make you smile, or at least lift your spirits a little bit

if she’s out on a mission, she’ll check in on you fairly often just to make sure you’re hanging in there

and when she comes back, she’ll always be there to cuddle with you, humming softly so hopefully, you can sleep and wake up a little happier

Pidge

honestly? She’s kinda unsure what to do

she might distance herself just a little bit at first, though this isn’t intended in an apathetic manner (but it comes off that way)

finally she’ll come to her senses and sit down with you

she’ll offer up a video game or awful joke that will actually make you feel better

she’s definitely blunt and opinionated, but she will also display her more patient and understanding side around you

lets you flop onto her lap and just chill until you feel more at ease

english breakfast tea ☕️ (would they want a family?)

Keith

it’s actually not something he’s thought very much of

he wasn’t sure he’d have a future where that could happen

however, he does have a fairly strong paternal instinct

when he’s fallen in love with you though, the thought of starting a family crosses his mind often

he’d want a child at some point, but not until you were ready to take that step

when you talk about it with him, it’s clear to even the blindest eye that he longs for a family

and when he becomes a father, he does his absolute best for his kid (and for you) every single day

Lance

ohh does this boy want a family

he wants 3-4 kids, maybe even 5

he thinks about starting a family with you a lot so when it comes up in discussion, he jumps on the chance to make it a reality

obviously he won’t force you to do anything you don’t want but he’d be stoked if you wanted kids

large families are very ordinary to him and he loves the adventures and experiences it brings

so when he becomes a dad, he feels nothing but endless joy and love for the tiny life he holds in his arms and for you

Hunk

like Lance, this boy grew up in a large, loving household; and he definitely wants to start a family of his own one day

when you come into the picture, that desire only strengthens

he daydreams about it and eventually confides in you about his want for a large family

he is beyond ecstatic if you reciprocate those desires

how could he not want to have mini yous running around? You’re literally perfect!

becoming a parent is easily one of the most special moments he’s ever experienced; and he couldn’t be more grateful to share that with you

Shiro

to the surprise of no one, Shiro is the kind of guy that sees himself doting over his adorable children in the future

and he loves kids. absolutely adores them

he thinks about having a family with you a lot; and wants it really badly but never pressures you into anything (because he’s a good boi)

when it’s decided that you two will start a family, he is overjoyed (like sobs wracking his body kind of overjoyed)

needless to say, Shiro is a phenomenal dad and partner to you throughout it all

dad Shiro is best Shiro (fite me)

Pidge

not really the mom type

rarely thinks about having kids of her own

but if you want kids, she won’t immediately turn the idea down

it’ll take time for her to warm up to the idea

if she doesn’t, she’ll still spend the rest of her days by your side, loving you endlessly

if she does, she’ll be quite the doting but carefree mother

it’s a surprise even to her but she wouldn’t have it any other way

Allura

while she’s not bad with kids, she’s not overly fond of their constant neediness and vulnerability

it’s all very overwhelming to her

the thought crosses her mind every once in a while but she shrugs it off

if you want kids, she’ll consider it

if you don’t, that’s cool too

and no one could deny that if/when Allura becomes a mother, she will be excellent at it

she’s more maternal than she gives herself credit for

- mod Aoi 🌺

[thomas-is-my-name]

My Pitch For A Better Emoji Movie

This is a joke, right?

Afraid not.

Okay then. Fix the Emoji Movie.

So. I'm not sure I can immediately repair the horrible writing and humour, the unlikeable characters, and the unoriginal concept and plot. But what I do want to do is present a much more coherent and logical set of rules for the Emoji world, which would improve the film's shoddy worldbuilding and provide groundwork for a much more insightful story and more complex characters.

The way the world is set up feels very path-of-least-resistance to me. The writers' thought process, as far as I can tell, goes like this:

Existing movies that anthropomorphise human constructs tend to give them secret worlds. Like Inside Out and Wreck-It Ralph! Those made lots of money! We like money!

Okay, so let's make a city full of Emoji inside a phone. They're all hanging out in there. And they exist to serve the humans. Like Toy Story! That film made money too!

I'm looking at my phone's keyboard, and there's a bunch of Emoji here. So how about we make each one an individual character in our movie. That sounds about right.

Each character always presents their one emotion. So let's do a "misfit" plot. Like every Disney Pixar Dreamworks movie!

Okay, so our protagonist is a character who doesn't like the emotion they have to display! And he's special and unique because of it!

Wait, so what about the non-human emojis? Why do they get to display the full range of emotions freely? If there's loads of duplicate Emoji in this huge city, what do most of them do all day? The phone only needs one of each. The main character has parents, implying the Emoji reproduce. But do they ever die? Does the city go on forever? And what's the deal with the "career" and "couple" Emoji? Are they just regular people?

Oh wow, is it lunch time already?

I'll give the film some credit for portraying a dump where underused Emoji get sent. They're at least gesturing towards some complex ideas about how Emoji society might function. But overall it feels like they stopped caring about fleshing out the world as soon as they had enough scaffolding to build their hackneyed misfit story on. Which is a shame, because there's real potential for something unique in the concept of an Emoji world. That's not a joke, by the way. Emoji are basically a subset of written language, and while movies have personified animals, toys, cars, video game characters, emotions, I can't think of one that's personified a language before.

Just pitch your fucking movie already.

Okay, I have two possible takes I'm considering.

Take 1: the condensed cast

In this version, the "emotion" Emoji aren't all separate individuals. Instead, there's a relatively small group of Emoji (maybe half a dozen) who are responsible for covering all the emotions between them. Maybe each one has specialisms, like being better at anger and sadness, or laughing on demand. But each one isn't limited to one extremely specific expression and feeling.

The original movie kind of hamstrings itself out of the gate by having a one-to-one relationship between the characters and the Emoji as they appear on the keyboard. Since failing to perform your emotion is an unacceptable deviation from the norm, all characters are either one-note by definition, or have to be outlaws to fit the rules of the story. This is even weirder when you consider that the "inanimate object" Emoji are not bound by the same rules. Sir Patrick "Poop" Stewart is allowed to express a variety of emotions without being ostracised. This change immediately makes the social rules more consistent.

So, what else changes in this version? Well, our protagonist can still be a misfit, but now there's more ways for that to manifest. Maybe he's exhausted by having to constantly perform insincere feelings based on the whim of the phone's user. Maybe he's not good at adapting quickly when a certain Emoji is typed, and the others are resentful at having to pick up his slack. Or maybe he happens to specialise in expressions the user doesn't choose very often, so he gets far less exposure than the rest of his team. Suddenly we have allegories for depression, repressed emotions, and labour exploitation popping up. Furthermore, if we incorporate the unpopular, underused Emoji into the social hierarchy, there's the potential for some serious examinations of privilege. Our MC may feel dissatisfied with his role, but what about the class of Emoji that don't get used at all? Do they envy the MC for the attention and work he and his team get, simply for being faces rather than obscure objects?

This concept opens up the door for a much more nuanced story than simply "guy who's different proves that being different is okay." It also means we can ditch all the cringeworthy dialogue scenes between characters who physically can't emote more than one way.

Take 2: full dystopia

But we can go darker. Most movies of this type are predicated on the idea that the personified characters have no higher goal than to satisfy the needs of their humans, provided those humans are using them the "right" way. As it stands, the Emoji Movie never really asks if it's right for its cast to be at the beck and call of an omnipotent (to them) overlord. (Sausage Party is the most notable exception here). But if we do want to question that, we could get a really dark story. Possibly too dark for a kid's movie, but whatever.

Let's say that each Emoji, when it's sent, gets physically transported from Textopolis to the inbox/messaging app of the recipient. Once they've been received and read, they're left in the chat history, either alone or in the company of the other Emoji they were sent with, forever. Like the Little Green Men in Toy Story, the ones left behind have no knowledge of what happens when you're "chosen." They simply provide a steady stream of new Emoji to the user, and have a faith system built around the idea that being chosen takes you to a better place.

In this version, our protagonist is an Emoji who learns the truth about their world, and has to deal with its implications. The problem here is that we run into a dead end for upbeat kids' entertainment. There's not really a "win condition" for the Emoji which doesn't involve putting an end to their use by humans. And how would you even write that? A movie about a war between humans and their phones? That generation of kids would have some truly wacky trauma.

The main advantage of this approach is that it deals with the implied Textopolis population growth, and the multiples of the same Emoji, by providing a clear life cycle Emoji go through. Plus it makes it clearer how the "sending" process is experienced by an Emoji, something the original isn't too bothered about. Though to be honest, those were kind of bad faith criticisms to begin with, so maybe they don't need fixing.

Basically, version 1 is what I'd make if I was handed the Emoji Movie project and wanted to make the best of it. Version 2 is what I'd make if nobody could say no to me. It would be a Fuck You to the producers for even entertaining the notion of an Emoji Movie.

Okay I've given this dumbass concept way more time than it deserves already. If anyone wants to draft a script for me, be my guest.