#i think that's why the forever purge is one of my favorite purge movies

[konakoro]

I know the sequel definitively showed the zombie apocalypse was a worldwide affair, but I always liked to imagine Zombieland was a strictly USA incident and the rest of the world just left us to deal with it ourselves.

It's like how I always imagined the Hunger Games undisclosed apocalypse to be a USA only thing, with the rest of the world staying the hell away from us as we throw our children into a death arena

[watchit-kal]

The Purge Franchise is one of my Favorites of all Time

Personally, I do not believe James DeMonaco ever got the proper recognition for his creation. In a time of regurgitation, rinse, and repeat, he made something brand spanking new. A few weeks ago I sat down and watched every movie “in order,” so join me as I rank them and sing DeMonaco’s praises along the way. From how he chose to draw in the audience to who he chose to direct the film, James DeMonaco has earned himself a spot on my people to watch list. I honestly want to rewatch the series as well, but I just watched it a few months ago (for the third time), so it seems a tad over the top.

Now, I will admit some of The Purge fans are downright weirdos comparable to those brainless The Boys fans. There is, however, a subgroup of each that is actually capable of critical thought, and I invite you to join us as we appreciate the story behind the violence. Firstly, let’s agree on the proper timeline:

The First Purge 10/10

The Purge 7/10

The Purge: Anarchy 9/10

The Purge: Election Year* 8/10 (the timing was what was most important about this release if not for actual worldly events the timeline may have flown better)

The Forever Purge 6/10

The Purge is unique not because no one else could have ever possibly thought about, but because someone was brave enough to simply do it. No source material to pull from, no visible demand for its relation, just art. The purge debuted at a time in our country where we were being more and more divisive. I like to think The Purge explores a very probable reality for the United States. It is important to note Michael Bay was involved with the Purge franchise and that man does not pick duds. In the first Purge movie released, starring, Ethan Hawke, DeMonaco did what had to be done in order to encapsulate audiences moving forward. In order for someone to be capable of writing The Purge, you must also assume they are a great observer of people, what they care about, and how they operate. I think this is demonstrated perfectly in the order in which he wrote this franchise and also who he chose to center stories around. In the first movie we follow an upper middle class white family. People who typically should not be effected by this gruesome holiday. A husband whose income relies on the continuation of this dreary day and a family that remains grateful. It was only fitting Mr. Hawke had to meet his end by the conclusion of the film, after all his family was only targeted because of his occupation. Although, I found them painfully boring they were the perfect family to draw in the majority of the world, which hates watching white people die. It was with them DeMonaco taught us the rules of this night and began to pull back the curtain on its gruesome nature. He also showed us above all else, people can be good.

Personally, The First Purge, when DeMonaco teamed up with director Gerard McMurray, will always be my favorite of the franchise. McMurray is also responsible for Burning Sands, a beautifully shot heart wrenching story about the dangers of hazing. he is moving forward to direct The Resonant, a post apocalyptic comic book series, that he will certainly execute perfectly. McMurray has this way of telling stories through his lens that makes it impossible for you to look away. I also adore that DeMonaco is only ever willing to hand over his babies to hands more capable than his depending the story he wishes to tell. While DeMonaco may very well be Italian or something, the man is white. So, the choice to pick a Howard educated director with an affinity for telling stories of oppression for this film was not lost on me. Do not tell me about his skeletons, DeMonaco is invited to my cookout. The first purge is the tale of how the purge came to be and also the reveal of why it was really created. For me, everything about this film was perfect. The cast, the cinematography, the plot line, and the survivors. This film felt the most real and accurate of all the others (excluding the series). I would actually watch an anthology series depicting the first purge in each city.

The others are pretty repetitive, same idea different layout, the public fighting the rich. The rich starting to lose. Some rich people being kinda okay. The usual. I will say though I felt so bad about being attracted to the Cowboy Casanova initially until this past year when he also played our Black Panther villain, then I gave myself a pass, because I obviously just have impeccable taste.

Anyway sorry for the long break I have been really sick, so even this is some shit, but go watch the purge series its very underrated and tell James DeMonaco you love him.

[maroonghoul]

Ranking of all the Christmas Horror Movies I’ve seen (as of 2022)

From worst to best (subjectively):

26: Alien Raiders (2008): There are Christmas decorations you see early on in the grocery store setting, so it counts. Just kind of a hostage thriller, that turned out to be sorta The Thing. Liked the twist ending a bit ,though.

25: Anna & the Apocalypse: I wish I can remember this more, especially the songs.

24: Better Watch Out: Way too effective in making you HATE the villain. Though in hindsight, they got off too easy.

23: Good Tidings: I went in thinking this would be more like a yuletide rip off of the Purge movies. But, we once again get those escaped lunatic tropes I’m not too fond of. It didn’t help that there were way too many points where they blew a chance to off one of these psycho killer Santas. I know that’s one of the themes they were going for. But you couldn’t done more to incapacitate one of them.

22: The Wolf of Snow Hollow: The werewolf reveal is a bit of a letdown, but between those scenes, I was morbidly enjoying our disaster of a human being we had in our protagonist. He really couldn’t do anything right.

21: Jack Frost (1997): Mostly enjoyable goofy slasher movie. But it loses on two points; It’s most famous scene has aged horribly, and the climax takes forever to finish him off. 

20: Slay Belles: This might’ve been the cheapest one of the whole bunch; it looked it. You can tell most of the money went to the Krampus suit, though that’s probably the right call. Plot doesn’t even make whole lot of sense, but after a while, you just don’t care.

19: All the Creatures were Stirring: Pretty out there anthology. I’m pretty sure each segment is meant to be a Horror-Comedy. I got a special kick out of one having a certain famous Christmas character being a killer (I won’t spoil)

18: Sint: More like a killer St. Nicholas movie. Probably the most threatening of these considering he has an army he can besieged a whole city with. Not crazy about anyone dressing up as Black Pete, but at least they get offed.

17: The Lodge: “F around and find out”

16: Black Christmas (2019): This one feels like it has even less to do with Christmas then the original (Yes, that’s part of my criteria). What was subtext before is text here, for better or for worse. Not a bad idea, though maybe we could’ve had more fun in making these villains more pathetic. 

15: Body (2015): If this isn’t a example of when to drop a toxic friend, I don’t know what is. It’s low because Christmas is only used to explain why the house is deserted.

14: Dead End: The most surreal family breakdown of all time

13: Silent Night (2012): Never saw the 1984 original. I know, how dare I?. Effective enough yule-themed slasher, I suppose.

12: Wind Chill: Kind of a Hitchcockian set up ambushed by a good old fashioned ghost story. Considering the holiday’s history, it’s sad there’s not more supernatural Christmas horror films like this these days. Bonus points for using carols as a plot point. I didn’t think they would keep tying it in once the characters were stuck. Also, another ACAB movie. Always good.

11: Christmas Bloody Christmas: first half is a realistic hang out between two friends. second half is the Terminator: Yuletide edition. Good kills, but it could’ve been even more messed up.

10: Santa’s Slay: Remember when they tried to make wrestlers into Slasher villains for a while? Kinda dull plot, but Bill Goldberg is at least fun and the kills are fun.

9: The Children: Little kids really can be the worst.

8: Rare Exports: Not my favorite killer Santa movie, but easily the most well-thought out.

7: A Christmas Horror Story: The stories are hit and miss, especially the endings. But yeah, the North Pole one is the best.

6: Deadly Games: While the premise is bonkers as presented, it also makes me a bit sad. This psychotic homeless man just wanted someone to play with if you think about it, but he’s clearly disturbed so people just keep passing him off until this happens. And that poor kid! Not only did he lose his dog, but he thinks he ruined Christmas at the end because he had to kill Santa! Though I think it proves my point where killer Santas are at their best either terrorizing kids or being helped by them.

5: Christmas Evil: The American Psycho of killer Santa movies. An early take that to the over-commercialization of Christmas and actually keeps the killer somewhat sympathetic even after he snaps and becomes homicidal. Side note, my theory on the ending is that he actually died.

4: Krampus: Christmas Vacation invaded by Gremlins! The amount of effort put in by this movie has spoiled me for all Christmas horror that has come after it. Michael Dougherty’s films need time to sink in for me. It didn’t help with the confusing ending. But even if it’s not the best Christmas Horror film, based on it’s look, themes, variety of killers, and Dickensian story beats, it might be the most Christmassy.

3: Scrooged: This counts just for A Christmas Carol in general, but I mention this one just on being the most effectively scary, even if I don’t buy Bill Murray as a changed man at the end quite. While it’s an old enough story to make fun of and pick apart, an effective enough modern update can remind us that it’s, at it’s heart, not just a ghost story, but a character breakdown and a psychological horror. Did I truly befriend or look up to people who would steer me wrong? Just because I do believed in the cynicism I am championing and subjecting to other people, is that not enough to make me righteous?  Who am I really to the people in my life when I’m not in the room? And ultimately, If I don’t care, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s the essential Christmas story, because it’s about a simple thing; As long as you can act, it’s never too late. So before it looks like things are about to get worst: muster up a little courage, be willing to unlearn toxic habits, reach out to those you depend on, and of course, put a little love in your heart.

2: Black Christmas (1974); One of the original true Slasher movies. And still one of the creepiest. Also, definitely the kind of movie that were it released today would be called “woke”. (pro-abortion, male entitlement being a theme, etc.)

1: Gremlins: A stereotypical picturesque Christmas Movie setting invaded by the monstrous embodiment of the OG Winter Solstice holiday, Saturnalia (look it up). Works as a metaphor of the toll uncontrolled tourism can have on certain places, especially during the holidays. Plus, who doesn’t think Gizmo is cute? 

That’s all the ones I can remember so hopefully that’s all of them. If I forgot one or I see a new one, I’ll do a follow-up saying where it would land on here. I might make a more in-depth post about my feelings for Christmas next week.

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

Oh, whatever. I need a distraction so I’ll answer all the question to that ask thingie post I reblogged like yesterday or so.

chipotle order? we don’t have chipotle here so i don’t have a chipotle order, but i suppose that chipotle is some kind of mexican food fast food restaurant? so i’ll say my usual burrito fillings when i make burritos at home: some kind of meat, chili beans, tomato, lettuce, grated emmentaler. avocado is appreciated but not always available, so.

thoughts on veganism? i think the only valid justification for veganism is “i am personally not comfortable eating animal products for whatever individual reason”. it’s not automatically the best (most sustainable) solution for humankind. i am italian, so we have a big production of animal products made by small, sustainable local producers. veganism does not make sense as a collective choice, only as a personal one, although one i don’t really understand personally. i respect vegans, of course, unless they publicly justify their choice by means of disgust. then that’s morally wrong, actually.

a specific color that gives you the ick? uuh none, really? it depends on where the color is and which colors are around it, i guess. not too fond of some kinds of turquoise, unless it’s, like, the sea.

mythical creature you think/believe is real? jensen ackles is apparently a succubus, so.

favorite form of potato? what’s next, my favorite child? what kind of question is this. potatoes sweeties i’m so sorry this post said this

do you use a watch? nope, just my phone.

what animal do you look forward to seeing when you visit an aquarium? already answered, but sharks because they’re sharks, and jellyfish because they’re pretty.

do you change into specific clothes for the house when you get home? yep! i have sweatshirt and sweatpants combinations just for home. random ugly but comfy stuff in summer.

do you have a skincare routine (and how many steps is it)? nope, just washing my face with soap and moisturizing if needed. i should moisturize my skin more, but i tend to forget and i only do it when my skin is visibly dry.

on a plane, do you ask for apple or orange juice? i only fly with european low cost companies, so nothing. i just buy a bottle of water in the airport.

anything from your childhood you’ve held on to? i’ve lived in my childhood home all my life, so, i guess the entire thing.

brand of haircare/bodycare/skincare that you trust 100%? lush. expensive but worth it, especially the solid products. a solid shampoo lasts forever so it ends up saving you money. and everything smells so good.

first thing you’re doing in the purge? i’m too autistic for that. i suppose i could steal some soaps from lush. but i would feel bad about it. maybe steal from some luxury store. i’d feel less bad about it. then punch fascists in the face.

do you think you’re dehydrated? i always joke i’m going to die of water poisoning, so no.

rank the methods of death: freezing, burning, drowning. apparently you die of suffocation from the smoke before actually burning (like joan of arc actually died of suffocation, not burning) but it still seems unpleasant. freezing they say is very painless, but you suffer the cold first and it’s slow. drowning seems really scary. honestly i’m going to skip this.

thoughts on mint chocolate chip? i used to be a fan of the mint-chocolate combo, nowadays not too much, dunno why. i only like mint in moroccan style tea.

an anxious compulsion you do everyday? does tumblr count?

your boba/tea order? depends on what i’m feeling and where i am buying it from. the usual place? rose milk tea with tapioca balls. fancy chinese places? classic milk tea or matcha milk tea with tapioca balls and red beans. in summer, mango tea.

the veggie you dislike the most? ball pepper.

favorite disney princess movie? cinderella.

a number that weirds you out? already answered (51).

do you have an emotional support water bottle? well, i have my water bottle. i’ll need to change it though, it was cheap and now it leaks a bit.

do you wear jewelry? usually no, only leather bracelets sometimes.

which do you find yourself using, american or british english? american, despite learning british english first.

would you say you have good taste in music? dean winchester would say yes.

how’s your spice tolerance? pretty good for someone from an area where there’s basically no spicy food! i grew my tolerance on chinese cuisine. not the spiciest of chinese cuisines, but quite spicy.

what’s your favorite or go-to outfit? one of my keith haring sweatshirts and jeans. or flannel shirt and pants. anything, really, as long as it’s good for cold weather. plus leather jacket.

last meal on earth? oh, difficult one! i’m such a big foodie, i love so many foods. but maybe if it was my last one... i’d go with pastina in brodo.

preferred pasta noodle? don’t call them pasta noodles, man, it’s weird as fuck. spaghetti or fusilli, depends on the sauce.

ask me anything ! i’ll ask myself... favorite fruit. mango, obviously the most expensive fruit that you can find where i live. life is pain :’)

[neo-shitty]

— tag game.

recommend 5 or more of your own works that you would rec to someone asking what they should read first & explain a little bit about the work. these can be the most popular, the ones you think are underrated, or your own favorites! then tag five other writers! | tagged by @bearseungmin, thank you! i think i’ve done this before but doing this is always fun as it lets fics recirculate around haha (if that makes sense 🤣)

disclaimer. now, for the regular dick stroke because if readers won’t boost our works, we will. since i couldn’t settle with just five, i picked four each for the main groups i write for. and also more than five writers bc why not??

tagging. @mosviqu​ @petrichor-han​ @sulfurcosmos​ @decembermoonskz​ @lixesque​ @ravenori​ @pastelsicheng​ @koishua​ and literally anyone who sees this and finds it interesting, please feel free to tag yourself and promote your work :3

NCT.

ten feet deep, still sinking — mark lee.

pjo!au !! basically percabeth but make it mark lee and mc </3 more melancholic rather than action-filled and it’s just me pulling out one water-related metaphor after the other. perfect for sad rainy days.

kill steal — lee jeno.

purge!au :3 jeno saves a damsel targeted on purge night,,basically..,.,. suspense!! suspense!! suspense!! good world building (or maybe that’s just me HAHA big brain moment)

slow dancing in a burning room — lee donghyuck.

my take on the red string of fate and how soulmates may suffer consequences from actions in their past lives. if you like slow shit that takes its time to build the atmosphere, i recommend this one because it felt like i took forever to get the simplest points across :D it was a fic where i wanted to draw a ‘what happened’ reaction from the audience rather than tying up everything in the end.

no longer human — na jaemin.

sci-fi, post-apocalyptic world where best friends get split up and try to find their way back to each other. i wrote this in action-movie structure, and it reads that way too. fleshed out world and i have been told that it’s really immersive too! not much to say without giving anything away :3

SKZ.

meet me where the flowers are — hwang hyunjin.

inspired by the kdrama, youth of may. dabbles on topics such as death and grief, peeks into the parts of history that are often brushed under the rug and forgotten.

ghosting — han jisung.

nothing special, really. just a personal favorite bc i’ve never been able to give justice to my own emotions better than i did in this fic. it’s about friendships and those that gnaw on the strings that keep two people tethered. 

roger rabbit — lee minho.

minho gets suspended and walks the line between that and expulsion, his friends want to save him but how? that’s the gist of it. a writing experiment (and my personal favorite), a story told from seven povs.

checkmate — ot8.

young, dumb, broke high school kids make stupid decisions on impulse. thriller fic about the aforementioned friend group in roger rabbit. 

[hlizr50]

Willow

TW: Nightmare at the beginning is of Gwyn's SA. Nothing detailed, but definitely more than I've done in the past

After a week of cuddling together when they sleep, Azriel and Gwyn spend their first night apart. At least, that's what they try to do. Spoiler alert - it doesn't work.

Read on AO3

She was shaking.

Large, rough hands roamed over her skin. Unwelcome. Unyielding.

Pain.

A scream ripped past her throat.

God, it hurt. It was unimaginable – a searing burn that reached straight into her soul, shattering her into shards so small that surely she would be broken forever.

“Feels good, huh, little red? You’ll never forget me now, will you?”

Gwyn sat up with a shriek, panting, hands frantically pushing away the sheet and the lingering spiderwebs of that unwanted touch. Thin t-shirt cotton clung to her freckled skin, damp with sweat as the nightmares purged from her.

Sucking in deep, heaving breaths, she covered her face with her hands. Hot tears coursed from the corners of her eyes.

She’d had a full week completely unbothered by these demons. A full week, every night spent in the arms of Azriel Aphelah. She had never felt so safe, so at peace.

But now…

She reached to her nightstand and found her phone, raising it to her face to check the time.

2:23am.

“Fuck,” she whimpered, opening her messages and finding the goodnight texts they’d exchanged hours earlier. She froze there, thumbs poised to start typing.

She shouldn’t bother him. She could deal with it. She had plenty of times before. But…

But she wanted him. Gwyn wanted him to be here. With her. She wanted to curl up in his arms and feel his long fingers tracing lines up and down her back, soothing her until she was pieced back together. Teal eyes stared at the phone as she pondered the conversation they’d had when she dropped him off.

“It feels… wrong. After a week, this will be the first night we won’t spend together,” Azriel murmured, leaning in her rolled-down window.

“Aww, you think you’ll survive without me?” she teased, nose scrunching. He flicked it before grasping her nape and leaning in to brush lips over hers.

“If you need anything, Gwyn, you call me. You understand?”

“You worry too much, Azriel,” she scoffed, even as her heart squeezed at his tenderness.

“Promise me, Gwyn,” he demanded, fixing her with a pointed look that screamed ‘I don’t trust you with this’. She tilted her chin up, earning another light kiss.

“I promise, Az,” she whispered.

“Okay. Drive safe, sunshine. Text me when you get home.”

And even with that assurance, even though she had promised, Gwyn hesitated with her thumb hovering over his name, glowing in the night. She didn’t want to be a burden to him. Didn’t want to seem broken or needy.

You don’t have to deal with this alone. Let us be here for you. Let me.

Promise me, Gwyn.

She took a big gulp of air and tapped on his name before bringing the cellphone to her ear as the tone began to sound.

“Gwyn?” The deep, rich voice on the other end seemed to instantly sooth the aching wounds around her heart. Her breath sawed in and out, voice unable to form words. “Gwyn? Are you okay, sweetheart?” The tears began rolling again at the endearment. God, if he knew what one word could do to her. What would he think?

“Az. I… I’m sorry. I didn’t… want to wake you. But-“

“Don’t apologize, sunshine. Just tell me what’s going on. Was it a nightmare?”

“Uh huh.” Gwyn choked on the sob that slowly bubbled up.

“Do you need me, sweetheart? I can come over,” he offered.

“No.” Yes. “No, that’s okay. I just… can we just talk for a little bit?” Gwyn swung her legs over the edge of the bed and rose to her feet before padding out of her bedroom and into the kitchen.

“Of course. What did you do when you got home? Get all that laundry loaded?”

She couldn’t be more grateful for his ability to immediately settle her, to give her exactly what she needed. A quiet giggle escaped her lips as she opened the fridge and fished out her water pitcher.

“I don’t appreciate your insinuation about the amount of laundry I created over the week,” she grumbled, pouring some to help soothe her throat and her mind.

“You had a suitcase full of dirty clothes, Berdara. It is not an insinuation, it is a fact,” a throaty chuckle rumbled through the phone, along with something that sounded like rushing air.

“Are you outside? It sounds… windy?” she asked.

“Nah, I just opened my window. Needed a little fresh air.” Gwyn shrugged as she returned the pitcher to the refrigerator door, finding comfort as he continued to talk as if they were just having a normal, daytime conversation. As if she hadn’t just roused him from deep sleep because she was now somehow too weak to spend a night alone. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t do a single scrap of laundry. I threw my bag on the couch and then just started looking at emails, then got distracted by the pictures Nesta sent.”

She grinned to herself, remembering the texts she’d received from Azriel about them. How he adored her smile. How beautiful she was. There was a picture of her sitting between his legs, her head tilted back laughing. His crooked smile so serenely painted across his handsome face. He’d said it was his favorite. She was inclined to agree, although she was sure it was for a different reason.

“You still in bed?” he asked softly.

“No, I came out and poured a glass of water,” Gwyn replied. “So I’m just sitting on the couch sipping on that. Trying to calm my nerves. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to sleep in a little bit. Maybe I’ll put on a movie or something.”

“You mean you’ll watch The Little Mermaid for the thousandth time?” he teased.

“Do not judge me! I like singing and I like shiny things, okay?”

“I know, I know. I would never truly judge your comfort movie,” he laughed, the sound a light piercing through the night. “Hey. Speaking of singing, why don’t you sing a song for me?”

“What?” Gwyn balked, eyes wide. As if he were asking her to her face.

“Sing for me, sweetheart. You’re always so joyful and carefree when you sing. Maybe it’ll help.”

“Hmmmm.” Gwyn chewed on her lower lip, pondering. He’d heard her sing before. Many times. But somehow this felt… different. But, much like the decision to call him, she didn’t give herself time to question it.

I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night Rough on the surface but you cut through like a knife And if it was an open-shut case I never would've known from that look on your face Lost in your current like a priceless wine The more that you say The less I know Wherever you stray I follow I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans That's my man

Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind (oh) Head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in As if you were a mythical thing Like you were a trophy or a champion ring And there was one prize I'd cheat to win The more that you say The less I know Wherever you stray I follow I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans That's my man You know that my train could take you home Anywhere else is hollow I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans That's my man

A knock sounded at the door and she gasped, turning toward it.

“Az… someone just knocked on the door,” she murmured, heart racing with barely contained panic. The answer she heard didn’t come through the phone, though. She heard it from the other side of the threshold.

“It’s me, sunshine. Now open up and let me take care of you.”

~~~

It wasn’t so much the ringing, but the vibration against the wood of the nightstand that woke Azriel from his admittedly light sleep. He squinted, pale face and teal eyes meeting his bleary gaze. Gwyn was calling, at… 2:24 in the morning? Worry twisted in his stomach as he answered.

“Gwyn?” All he could hear were her jagged breaths on the other end. He had a feeling he knew why she was calling. “Gwyn? Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“Az. I… I’m sorry. I didn’t… want to wake you. But-“

Immediately Azriel was up and moving, tossing a hoodie over his head and stalking toward the door. “Don’t apologize, sunshine. Just tell me what’s going on. Was it a nightmare?”

“Uh huh.” Her voice sounded so strained. As if she was holding on by a thread. Grabbing his keys and wallet he slipped out of the apartment.

“Do you need me, sweetheart? I can come over,” he offered.

“No. No, that’s okay. I just… can we just talk for a little bit?” Azriel thought to pause for a little, but then thought better of it. He had decided that night he found her screaming in her bed that he would not let her suffer alone. And he would hold to that.

“Of course. What did you do when you got home? Get all that laundry loaded?” He tried to keep his tone light, act like they were just having a normal, everyday conversation. As if she hadn’t just called in the middle of the night on the verge of tears. He climbed into his car as quietly as he could. He knew Gwyn would likely protest if she knew he was heading her way when she’d already said he didn’t need to. She didn’t seem to notice when the car started and he began driving down the road, but he was sure she might hear something in the background.

“I don’t appreciate your insinuation about the amount of laundry I created over the week,” she grumbled. A chuckle bubbled up from his chest.

“You had a suitcase full of dirty clothes, Berdara. It is not an insinuation, it is a fact.”

“Are you outside? It sounds… windy?” she asked.

“Nah, I just opened my window. Needed a little fresh air.” Azriel paused for a moment, breathing a silent prayer of thanks that she seemed to accept the explanation. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t do a single scrap of laundry. I threw my bag on the couch and then just started looking at emails, then got distracted by the pictures Nesta sent.”

He had been far more enamored with them than he cared to admit. His chest tightened when he saw her bright smiles and crinkled eyes. And the picture where she was laughing in his arms? It was like gazing into heaven.

“You still in bed?” he asked softly.

“No, I came out and poured a glass of water,” Gwyn replied. “So I’m just sitting on the couch sipping on that. Trying to calm my nerves. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to sleep in a little bit. Maybe I’ll put on a movie or something.”

“You mean you’ll watch The Little Mermaid for the thousandth time?” he teased. She’d always had a soft spot for the movie, and he knew the music helped lull her to sleep.

“Do not judge me! I like singing and I like shiny things, okay?”

“I know, I know. I would never truly judge your comfort movie,” he laughed. But he needed a way to keep her on the phone until he got to her place. Something that wouldn’t be suspicious. “Hey. Speaking of singing, why don’t you sing a song for me?”

“What?” Gwyn balked. He could imagine the pink staining her cheeks under wide, innocent eyes and couldn’t contain the grin that tilted his lips.

“Sing for me, sweetheart. You’re always so joyful and carefree when you sing. Maybe it’ll help.”

“Hmmmm.” She seemed to contemplate on the other, the silence stretching. Perhaps it was too much to ask.

But even as he had the thought her sweet voice began drifting through the phone. It was a song her didn’t immediately recognize, but it didn’t matter. The melody was pure magic, settling him as he pulled up to her building and dashed out of his car and up the stairs. And when he heard her take a breath he rapped his knuckles on her door.

“Az… someone just knocked on the door.” He heard her voice through the phone. Lowering it from his ear, he called gently from the hallway.

“It’s me, sunshine. Now open up and let me take care of you.”

He heard her gasp and lope to the door. The knob jiggled, as if she was struggling with it. Then the door swung open and there she was, teal eyes wide and shimmering with unshed tears.

“Az?” she whimpered.

In one step he gathered her in his arms, ushering them into her apartment and pressing the door closed behind them.

“What are you doing here?” Gwyn’s voice was muffled against his chest. He could feel her shuddering, tears soaking into his sweatshirt.

“Gwyn, sweetheart,” he pushed her back gently so her could lift her chin and look into those ocean-deep eyes. “I made a promise to myself that first night that I would not leave you to suffer through this alone. Never again.”

The dam seemed to break, and she launched herself against him, arms curled around his neck and face tucked against his neck. He pulled up at her thighs, carrying her back to her room as her legs wrapped around his waist and her body continued to tremble as she released those pent up emotions.

“Gwyn,” he murmured as he reached her bed. “I need you to let go. For just a second.” She unwound herself from him, and he found himself entranced by her flushed face. Wetness shimmered over her freckles and eyes swirled with emotion. Azriel’s mouth tipped up. “Hi,” he whispered.

“Hi,” she hiccupped. He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers over her cheekbone before cupping her jaw. Dipping his chin, he captured those full pink lips with his. It was a feeling he could ever get over, never get tired of. He pulled away and crawled over the mattress, sitting himself up against her pillows and spreading his arms to her.

“Come here, sunshine.”

His girlfriend practically leapt into the bed and curled up against him, seemingly trying to press herself as far into him as she could. He wrapped her in his arms, letting his hand stroke down her back and over her shoulder.

“I know I’m no Little Mermaid, but I hope this helps,” he offered, lips pressed to her hair.

“I didn’t realize how much… how much this week had changed things. I feel safe with you. And trying to sleep without you…” Gwyn’s voice trailed off, so he gave her an encouraging squeeze.

“I wasn’t sleeping that well either, if I’m being honest.” He sighed, glad to have her in his embrace again. He hadn’t wanted to leave her earlier, anyway. “What do you think we should do about it?”

Gwyn was quiet against him, and he might have thought she had fallen asleep if it weren’t for her fingers tracing patterns against his toned stomach. Azriel swallowed. He could be the vulnerable one, for her.

“I think… I would very much like it if I had you in my arms every night. If… if you think that might be something you want,” he offered. “I’m not saying you have to move in, but you could if you wanted. I know this is all moving really fast, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. But I also want to make sure you feel safe, to make sure you can sleep-“

“Azriel.” Her voice was soft and sure and he felt her fingers along his jaw. He looked down just in time for the redhead to press her lips against his. When she pulled away she brought up her other hand, cupping his cheeks. “I… it is fast. But I trust you. You make me feel safe and treasured. I would like to spend every night in your arms, too.”

Azriel grinned down at her, the woman who was just his friend little more than a week ago. But she had been stealing his heart, piece by piece, for some time. It had just taken him awhile to admit it. He tenderly brushed his mouth over her forehead.

“Let’s get some sleep, sweetheart. We can figure out the rest in the morning. Okay?” He reached out to grab the sheet and pulled it up over them as they settled into the mattress, Gwyn tucked snugly against him. He could feel the exhaustion weighing on both of them, their first night apart in over a week a clear failure. But was it truly a failure if it brought them back together? Back to this?

“Thank you, Azriel. For knowing how much I needed you. For taking care of me.” The sleep was heavy in her silky voice as she relaxed against him. He let his lips brush over her head one more time.

“You’re not alone, Gwyn. Never again. I’m here now, and I plan on taking care of you as long as you let me.” And he let his eyes close, lulled by the rhythm of her steady breathing – the assurance that she felt safe and was resting. That he was the reason for that. That they would never spend another night apart.

Tag List: @tealnymph-writes @trashforazriel @secretlovelybeauty @meher-sumedha @imsointobooks @positivewitch @tanvee1231 @imwritingthesewords @camreadsum @vikingmagic33 @shisingh @gwynrielsupremacist @sagureads @katiebellf @deedz-thrillerkilller16 @sv0430 @live-the-fangirl-life

[postwarlevi]

In case ur still wondering— The purge is a horror movie film where America implements a new holiday: all crime is legal for 24 hours. My favorite one is the forever purge, but the first one is of course a good one too. This is a fun question to get to know someone bc it helps you see into their personality kinda— for example, if it was the purge, I’d steal soooo much stuff from bulk stores, but someone else might want to commit more serious crimes lol

Oh thank you! I had to go look this up and now know why I didn't quite understand, because I don't watch horror lol (unless it's old 1940s classics!)

For all the fluff I can think of I'm no good at coming up on the spot with what I would want to do!

Literally all I want to do in life is eat fruit and chocolate and watch movies and stay home 🤣

what kind of crime should I commit?

Yes thats the question 😆

Which if anyone actually throws me ideas I'll get to tomorrow cause I'm sleepy 😴

And I need to continue writing my story with @m-jelly AND start another I hope... all while doing the adulting I've been putting off so... I hope to see everyone later in the day at least!

[brokehorrorfan]

Interview: James DeMonaco (The Purge franchise)

James DeMonaco thought he had purged himself from The Purge. Having written and directed the first three entries in the hit dystopian action-horror franchise then writing and producing two more sequels and a TV series, he publicly declared that The Forever Purge - released in theaters in July and on home video last week - would be the final installment. "I say it's my last Purge at the end of every one, so I feel like a fool saying there's going to be another one, but I definitely thought [The Forever Purge] was it. I can't lie. That was it for me. I thought I ended America appropriately."

It was the United State Capitol insurrection on January 6 that sparked an idea for a sixth entry. "The country felt like it was coming apart at the seams, and I think the sociopolitical discord fueled something in a nightmare of mine. I woke up with this idea, and I pitched it to Sébastien Lemercier, my producer, then Jason Blum, the other producer. I don't know if they were ready for another Purge, but they liked it. We pitched it to the studio, and they liked it, so I was given the green light to write it.”

The script brings back Frank Grillo's character of Leo Barnes, who was introduced in The Purge: Anarchy and returned in The Purge: Election Year. "I said, ‘If I do another one, I’d like to do it with Frank Grillo.' People loved him, and I love working with Frank." The script is complete but production is uncertain at the moment. "I’m guessing the studio is evaluating the COVID release of [The Forever Purge], so we’ll know soon I guess... I’m hoping we get to do it. I can’t give any definitives other than it’s written and Frank’s excited to do it."

As for the plot of the proposed seventh installment, "It takes place 10 years after The Forever Purge. America has been completely remapped. The states are much different and how they’re broken down is much different, without giving too much away, but there’s a tribalized nature to the new America. [Leo] is living kind of off the grid, but he’s pulled back into the Purge world that still exists in some way, shape, or form."

Truth be told, DeMonaco never expected The Purge to become a franchise. "I didn’t see it going past one [movie]. When we had the script, I think we counted 37 financing entities that had read the script and almost all said the same thing: ‘It’s too anti-American. It’s too nihilistic.’ We really thought if we did get it made, it was going to be a small Michael Haneke film, something like Funny Games, that would play at arthouse theaters and wouldn’t have a wide release."

It was horror producer extraordinaire Jason Blum - who had optioned scripts from DeMonaco when he was an executive at Miramax earlier in his career - that recognized the possibilities of The Purge. "We didn’t see the scope of the potential release until Jason [Blum]. He read it, and he saw something in the conceit that I don’t think I saw; the bigger potential of it. We had no idea I’d be here five movies and two seasons of a TV show later. It’s been a strange ride!"

DeMonaco stepped down as director after three installments of The Purge, but he was eager to guide the franchise as writer-producer. "I was ready to move to something new. I had been Purge-ing for many years in a row. It’s a dark world to live in. I still wanted to shepherd the story. I was always afraid, if it went into someone else’s hands, it potentially could become something I didn’t want it to be. Maybe it could be even better than what I would do, but it also could be something more exploitative in a way that I didn’t want it to go."

DeMonaco found filmmakers he could trust to hand over the reins, but he's eager to return to the director's chair if the next chapter comes to fruition. "When we found Gerard [McMurray], I felt like we were in great hands [on The First Purge]. He understood the sociopolitical nature of the piece. It’s what he loved even more than the genre elements. He felt like the right guy to take over, as did Everardo [Gout] on Part 5. But for 6, I was excited to direct again when I came up with this conceit, so I do believe there’s a chance, if Frank came back, we could re-team and do it together.

Any successful, long-running franchise - particularly one as politically-charged as The Purge - is bound to have its critics, and DeMonaco takes it all in stride. “To my detractors I often say, ‘The Purge is not a subtle film.’ There’s no subtlety at all. I’m hitting people over the head with a sledgehammer with my thoughts on the current political climate in the country. I think some people think it’s too political, and I get that. They don’t want to be preached and proselytized to. Some people love it for those exact reasons. My favorite movies are usually in the 50 percentile on Rotten Tomatoes. They’re gonna piss a lot of people off, and they’re gonna make some people really happy. I think sometimes you have to be bold in what you’re doing. For the people who hate it, that’s their right to hate!” he chuckles.

DeMonaco challenges himself to make every entry in The Purge series unique. "I really take a lot of time to make sure each one is very different than the previous, so even if you’ve seen the first four, we have a mandate between us to say, ‘Let’s not repeat ourselves. Let’s really try to flip it on its head.’ I think [The Forever Purge] feels new. Even the visual palette of the film is new. It takes place in a new territory, a new terrain; it’s not back in an inner city. It takes The Purge to a new level that we haven’t seen before, and I think the characters are wonderful. These are people you truly come to care about, and you want to go on the journey with them. It’s not a rehash that I’ve seen in some franchises. It’s very hard to keep doing new things, but I think it’ll feel fresh."

The Forever Purge's original release date was delayed due to the pandemic, and then it became one of the first wide releases once vaccines were rolled out. "We still don’t exactly know how to process if it’s good or bad financially. It’s hard to know, to be honest. I’m not privy to the backdoor meetings with the adults regarding the financials," he smirks. "But they’re great partners, so I hope they’re happy. I know it was a weird time. A Quiet Place [Part II] came out of the box so big that we all thought, ‘Hey, we’re back!’ But I didn’t know anybody at the time that was going back to the movies. It was a monstrous opening, yet I didn’t know one person who saw it in the theater. It’s still confusing as to what the future of the box office is."

"My biggest fear is that the box office doesn’t return, because I think we can’t replicate inside a movie theater. It’s a scary time." The impact of the theatrical experience is the centerpiece of DeMonaco's latest film, This Is the Night. It reunites the writer-director with Grillo and Blum, but it plays like an antithesis to their work on The Purge. “I think it was something I needed to do,” DeMonaco explains. “Movies have been my guiding force in life. My religion was cinema, and it’s been my passion. I always wanted to make a movie about that love of cinema and what it can inspire. It was wonderful to do after the first three Purges.”

Set in Staten Island during the summer of 1982, the coming-of-age story serves as DeMonaco’s love letter to cinema. "It’s about Rocky III - or any movie, which is why I don’t show any of Rocky III during the screening - that can inspire people to rise up and be better people. It’s about the power of art. It was great to make. I think it’s a very sweet, good-feeling film. I think I needed that myself after making The Purge.”

DeMonaco is currently developing a new horror movie starring Saturday Night Live favorite Pete Davidson. "We’re friends, we live close together. He was a big Purge fan, so we hit it off through a mutual friend." While he's elusive regarding plot details, he does offer a few hints. "I can’t really say it’s contained. It takes place in one place but a big place, so it’s not Purge-size. It’s bigger than that; a facility of some sort."

On working with Davidson, DeMonaco notes, "Big Time Adolescence is a great performance, so is The King of Staten Island, but there’s some humor in those films. There’s almost zero humor in the one we’re doing together. I think that’s exciting for me working with Pete, in that he’s going in a very new direction. This one is much more straightforward for his character." He enthuses, "I’m psyched to work with Pete. I can’t wait."

[stormxpadme]

fic writer interview!

I got tagged by @effervescentdragon and @melkors-4th-silmaril! Thank you guys!

How many works do you have on Ao3?

As usual, I will include the stats from the biggest German archive here where I’ve been publishing since 2005.

AO3: 61

fanfiktion.de: 125

What’s your total AO3 word count?

AO3: 853,977

fanfiktion.de: 4,351,546

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

This is going to be long again, isn’t it ... In 30 years of writing, you collect a lot.

- Batman Forever and Batman & Robin - Bravestarr (Filmation series) - Elisabeth das Musical - Fantastic Four (Movieverse 1) - Firefly/Serenity - He-Man - Masters of the Universe & She-Ra: Princess of Power (OG Filmation verse) - Marvel Cinematic Universe - Meine neue große Schwester (German book) - Pirates of the Caribbean - Real Life Person Fiction (misc The Lord of the Rings celebs, misc skijumpers, misc Cast of German American Idol, misc Star Wars celebs, misc German Dancing with the Stars celebs) - S.W.A.T (1970's series) - Sense8 - Spider-Man (Movieverse 1) - Star Trek: The Next Generation - Star Trek: Kelvin Timeline - Star Wars (original 6 movies) - The Island (2005 movie) - The Lord of The Rings/The Silmarillion - Tomb Raider (2001) and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life - Verliebt in Berlin (German series) - X-Men (Movieverse)

And probably still forgot a bunch ...

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

- What was right here all along (Star Trek: Kelvin Timeline, ABO fic) - Nothing casual about us (misc Glorestor smut oneshots) - Naked thrills (misc Silm smut oneshots) - Shorten the reigns (Aragorn/Éomer/Legolas smut oneshot) - Two steps behind (Legolas & Thranduil oneshot)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Of course. If people take their time to read, that’s the least I can do.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Probably the original ending of my Star Wars (original 6 movies) hexalogy in which I gave Obi-Wan a girlfriend and a kid ... After the Jedi Purge, the Jedi girlfriend went into hiding and gave the child away so that it would be safe from the Empire, and Obi-Wan and the girlfriend never met again before his death. Fun times.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Not really though, though I do like to connect different verses of the same franchises that usually have nothing to do with each other. Having Barbara Gordon and movie Barbara Batgirl meet was a lot of fun.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not really as a comment but there was lot of slandering in chats and boars in the old fandom days if you didn’t write exactly what people thought was the only legit theme and pairing.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Have you met me? Since I’m a RL BDSM lover, sub and advocate, I naturally write a lot of kink.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Boy, have I ever. About a fifth of the fics I have on were co-written with a now ex-friend who sadly does not want to have anything to do with fandom anymore. She also wanted her name removed from all of our stuff since she has a quite public job and doesn’t want people possibly finding her involvement in things. So people don’t know on first sight.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Huh, hard to tell. MCU has kinda ruined Clintasha for me which I once lived and breathed, and ever since then I think I kinda turned away from too intense canon shipping a little. Russingon is my current canon obsession, I guess. And Anakin/Padmé, maybe? Other than that, the shipping I could always get into most were always my canon/OC pairings.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Far too many fics on my pc that will never see the online light of day. But that’s okay. I like reading old stuff, even if it’s unfinished.

What are your writing strengths?

Hm, dialogue, I think? And smut, obviously, since this is kind of the only thing people really go for on my ao3 account.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Other than a few movie elvish phrases, I don’t really use that.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

S.W.A.T. (1970′s series) when I was like 9 years old. The first I published in online was She-Ra: Princess of power (original Filmation).

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I’m obviously very deeply attached to my LOTR longfic series “Tales Untold”. I’m also kind of proud of my long X-Men-movie series “Weathered” which worked many of the Dark Phoenix-saga elments from the comics and the cartoons into the movieverse and ended up to be incredibly epic, including los of wedding, sex, drama, death and the end of the world.

[thattrashgod]

fanfic meme!

My sideblog was tagged by @figureofdismay but I want to post this here. Anyone can play along but I’d be interested in hearing from @anachronistique @windofderange @lifecrystals @favomancer @relenafanel @deathweaver

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

Nineteen!

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

88,429

3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

I’ve written for a lot more than are represented on my ao3 account. But those are: MCU (Captain America movies), Endeavour, Sleepy Hollow, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, History Boys, Overwatch, Brideshead Revisited.

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Focused Recreation: Present-moment, Mind-Body Activities and PTSD Therapy For Veterans (171)

You Were Touching My Arm (70)

Dark Towers & Lonely Roads (69)

The Banishing of Winter (65)

But Cover Thy Face With A Veil (55)

5) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I try to respond to every one! Comments mean so much more to me than just kudos—even comments that are nothing more than keysmashes. They’re the things that really make me want to keep writing and I like to engage with and thank readers for leaving them.

6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Maybe You Were Touching My Arm? I don’t really like ending on an angsty note.

7) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

We won’t speak of the things I have purged from my ao3 account.

8) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I have not! I feel very blessed.

9) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes. 😏 The… usual kind? I’ve written a lot more smut than I’ve posted, so I’ve written pwp, ot3, mm, fm, ff.

10) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

11) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of!

12) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Kind of? I’ve definitely brainstormed plots/ideas with people, and I used to co-write stories through play-by-email RP, but I have never co-authored a full fic with anyone.

13) What’s your all time favorite ship?

StevePeggyBucky OT3 forever.

14) What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

The Mistakes You Keep 😔

15) What are your writing strengths?

I’m… not sure? I think I am pretty good at writing from specific POVs and capturing a character’s voice.

16) What are your writing weaknesses?

Can’t plot worth a damn, run out of focus/motivation.

17) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I have both left the other language in tact (without translating it) and also just put the translation in the fic. It really depends on the setting and what I think my audience will be, but it’s also a stylistic choice.

18) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

I don’t even remember. I know I started writing fanfic in middle school, but I can’t remember the specific fandom. Maybe Sailor Moon? I have always had a bad habit of deleting fics when I move on from a fandom or don’t want them out there any more, so I know I scrubbed my earliest stuff off ff.net years ago. 🤣

19) What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

One that is not on ao3. Yet. 😎

[lol-misantlery]

Yuletide 2019

Hello! I am misantlery on ao3.

Under the read more are specific details about what I want for Derry Girls, Mad Men, Queen’s Thief, Into the Spiderverse, Fleabag, and The Eagle.

General Likes

PINING, awkwardness, people being inexplicably fond of each other, breaking up/making up fic, people being emotionally repressed, denial, FORCED INTIMACY (pretending to be dating, bed sharing, huddling for warmth, trapped in elevator/closet/room together), amnesia fic, first times, hurt/comfort, trust issues, hooker aus, robot aus, happily ever afters.

I am good with g-rated or nc-17 rated fic, but if you’re comfortable writing porn here are some things I am into:

bad decision sex sexual experimentation fun/goofy/‘bad’ sex sex pollen intimacy issues

General Dislikes

rape/non con, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, mundane aus, soulmate marks aus, 24/7 BDSM, non canonical major character death, harm to animals, unhappy endings, mpreg, issuefic, harm to children.

If you want to know some more about what i’m into for each fandom/want some prompts, then keep reading but don’t stress about following each prompt to the letter or anything. They’re here for inspiration!

Why are you so into The Purge as a scenario???

Listen, this took me by surprise too. Explaining it now makes me sound like a crazy person. But I will try.

The Purge is a horror movie franchise, set in a dystopian near-future America where all crime is legal for one day a year, including murder. Pretty dark, edgy, violent stuff! I am not especially interested in the dark and grim sociopolitical realities of this situation, in case my prompts don’t make that clear. I am here for the absurdity, and in the case of most of these fandoms, for the weird and hilarious contrast between my requested fandom and the over the top violence of The Purge. You don’t even need to watch any of The Purge movies, because let’s be real, I don’t care about the world building or logistics here, and I’m not interested in a true crossover so much as I am in borrowing the “all crime is legal for a day” scenario. If any of the Purge prompts speak to you, read some wiki summaries and have at it.

Don’t feel obligated to write those prompts if these aren’t scenarios that appeal to you! And if you do write them, please, don’t make them super dark. Again, the appeal here is the absurdity, not the grim violence of it all.

Derry Girls: Erin Quinn, Clare Devlin, Michelle Mallon, James Maguire

Let me start off by saying you don’t need to include all four in a fic if you don’t want to! I’m perfectly happy with any configuration you end up putting together. If you want to include all the gang, that’s great too! I love everybody nominated so feel free to go wherever your imagination takes you.

I love how the group will spend all day making fun of each other but always come together when it counts. I would definitely enjoy you keeping with the show and doing something with that. Everyone going up on stage to perform with Orla and James realizing that he belongs as a Derry Girl are two of my favorite scenes.

Prompts:

Erin/Clare: I would love a fic where Erin and Clare really do go to prom together instead of the whole thing with Mae and John Paul. Maybe they go for real, or maybe Erin goes as her fake date to support her and then they have to continue the charade after prom. Erin would definitely do a lot of research and throw herself fully into being the best lesbian she could be, which obviously would include practicing kissing Clare a whole lot. I love a good fake dating fic that has the couple accidentally catching feelings. I also love the idea of everyone thinking she’s just making a statement and her dad being the only one to realize her feelings are for real.

I also love the idea of them bonding over a crush on Ms. De Brun, either after the first time or having her roll back into town and Erin going full Dean Pelton “This better not awaken anything in me.”

Michelle/James: I’m very into their combative but loving relationship. Michelle asking him to stay in the finale *__* I’m also very much into introducing a cousinfucking aspect but if you aren’t, don’t worry. I also enjoy how they are in the show, so if you keep their relationship at that level I’ll still be perfectly happy. If you are into it, Michelle totally gives off a “stop making love to me while I’m trying to fuck you” vibe and I would really enjoy seeing how annoyed she would be to realize he was more than just a ride to her.

Michelle gets caught in a time loop and has to figure out how to escape it. Maybe she lets James leave Derry all those other times and the version we see is the one she got right. Or maybe James and Michelle both get caught up in a loop and try increasingly ridiculous schemes to get out of it.

Or maybe Michelle’s mom gave up James’ room when she thought he was leaving with his mom and now James and Michelle have to share a room. They have to deal with all the feelings the finale brought up.

If you are more inspired by one of the other configurations please go for it. I loved James being instantly on Clare’s side when she came out. Finding out how Michelle and/or Erin and/or Clare’s friendship started would be fun. I liked James coming through for Erin when she got stood up. If you are more inspired by James and Erin please keep it platonic. I like them just as friends. I’m definitely open to James, Michelle, and Erin being queer/bi/etc if you’re interested in including that in any of these prompts.

Something based on this post: https://v1als.tumblr.com/post/187672633662/meanwhile-in-the-other-derry . If this appeals to you please go as wild as you want. Fic about the Derry Girls bullying a clown to death? Awesome! Fic about Mary Quinn beating the shit out of a dumb clown with a frying pan or Sister Michael being incredibly unimpressed by It? Love it. If you want to go to an angsty place I’m into it but I would prefer it doesn’t end with anybody perma-dead. I'd be equally happy with ships or no ships for this. No need to bring in the rest of the It characters unless you feel like it.

Mad Men: Bob Benson, Pete Campbell

This is probably my forever yuletide fandom! The show’s been over for a while now, but I still have an enormous soft spot for the love story of Bob and Pete, and would read any number of variations on it.

I don’t mind if you ignore certain parts of canon (s7) or go canon divergent, you can also follow canon if want (Bob shows up in Wichita??) GO WILD.

Shipping Bob/Pete began as a joke for me, but I do ship it for real. I like that Bob is all *_________* about Pete and Pete is simultaneously disgusted and intrigued. He might not be gay, but he’s definitely into someone who’s into him.

Also, if you just want to write about Bob I’d be really interested in his past and what the whole “manservant” deal was. We pretty much know nothing about him and I’d be interested in some backstory, but I’m not exactly looking for Bob/OMC PWP. In case it seemed that way!

btw, https://vimeo.com/132033248 is a supercut of all Bob/Pete scenes (pw: kneetouching). Enjoy!

Prompts:

Fake dating: The CEO of a big company is secretly gay and Pete thinks pretending to be gay will form a bond of solidarity that will give him an edge, but the CEO mistakes this for interest and Pete scrambles to come up with an excuse to get out of doing anything gay and he comes up with, “I have a lover! You may have met him…”

They go to a gay bar lolz and awkwardness ensue.

Pete molds Bob into the Perfect Ad Man and falls for him in the process. Basically “My Fair Lady” with a hillbilly and sodomy.

Groundhog day fic: Pete has to go through the same day again and again, tries to get help from Ken, Peggy, etc, and then comes to the realization that only Bob believes him.

Bob is a conman who starts out trying to seduce Pete as part of a long con, but ends up falling in love.

what if Bob is a spy who mistakes Pete for his contact because Pete compliments his tie? what kind of spy and mistaken identity shenanigans could ensue?

What if Bob and Pete + the Purge??? I feel like Bob would do well. He’s got secrets. Maybe one of those secrets is a facility with weaponry. Also, sodomy wasn’t legal in New York until the 1980s. What if someone in the office awkwardly asks Bob what he’s going to do during the Purge and Pete is appalled, because how uncouth! Everyone knows you don’t ask people what they’re going to do during the Purge! And then Bob makes some veiled comment about how he always spends his Purges banging dudes, and Pete is horribly Intrigued because sex stuff is never a Purge thing he’d thought of.

Queen’s Thief - Megan Whalen Turner: Gen, Attolia

I love these books, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I love Attolia, Gen, and their relationship best. I didn't see the twist where Gen confessed his love to Attolia coming at all the first time I read it and I frantically read to the end to make sure that everything turned out ok. As soon as I got there, I flipped to the front and started again. Somewhere between that moment and when I reached that scene on the stairs again, they became one of my all time OTPs. To be honest, it was probably when she cut off his hand.

I just love them so much, with how ruthless Attolia is and how clever Gen is, and all I want is a fic that focuses on them and their sort of messed up dynamic and that will be enough. I also love Kamet/Costis and would be happy to see something about them in addition to some Gen/Attolia content. I'm open to canon divergent AUs, but, please, no AUs where Attolia doesn't cut off his hand.

Prompts:

Part of what I love so much about this pairing is how terrifyingly competent they are together, and what a good team they make. So I’d love a fic about something like, what if some of their barons are stupid enough to think that Gen and Attolia can be turned on each other? Obviously Gen and Attolia have to go crush them together.

They have to go on some kind of diplomatic visit to Eddis or Sounis or maybe something further afield and absolutely nothing goes as planned. Again, show me how terrifyingly competent they are! Or just go for the lolz: how hilariously wrong can things go, and how do Gen and Attolia deal with it? You can also go the action/adventure route: do they have to get themselves out of a sticky situation by fighting or sneaking around?

Speaking of sneaking around: I’m also into the many possibilities of the scenario where Gen teaches Attolia how to sneak into his bedroom for once. Sexy, funny, emotional, all of the above, I’m into any of it!

Part of the messed up dynamic that I love with these two is how fear and love and guilt are all mixed up together for them, after Attolia cuts off her hand. So I’d be really interested in anything about how/if Gen gets over his fear of Attolia in bed or not, but maybe definitely at least in part through sex.

And because I’ve got a soft spot for Costis and Kamet: Gen and Attolia attend Costis and Kamet's wedding, in disguise or not. Maybe it makes them think of their own wedding! Maybe everyone just reflects sappily on True Love! Or maybe someone gets up to shenanigans!  It’s up to you, dear writer!

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: May Parker, Olivia Octavius

"My friends call me Liv," Doc Ock says to Miles. And then when she walks into Aunt May's house, May says, "Oh great, it's Liv." I would really love to read a lot more about what's going on with that. Sex is not a must, but I do ship them and anything about a romantic relationship would be great. If you're not into that, then I'd love to read more exploring their dynamic in general -- May is so fondly exasperated and not remotely surprised, but they both immediately go to the mat.

Prompts:

Pre-movie college backstory. Were they rivals-turned-lovers in college? Friendly but disinterested roommates who spent all their time playing science cloak-and-dagger games before realizing over spring break that their nemesis was their roommate? 

Pre-movie Spidey parallels backstory. May was clearly supporting Peter as he developed into your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and Octavia has been... what? We know she's CEO of Alchemax during the movie -- was she promoted? Is she the founder? I'd love something exploring their parallel paths, May as a behind-the-scenes string-puller and Liv as a mad scientist, with Peter in the middle working to counter Liv more explicitly. 

Post-movie, MIles goes to visit Aunt May and finds Liv there. They have a really awkward tea. 

Post-movie, Liv tries to make a comeback. May rolls her eyes and gets to work.

Purge!AU: What happens to the two of them on Purge night? Does May reluctantly go out to try to stop whatever Liv is up to this time? Do they end up working together for some reason? Do they declare it amateur night and just order a pizza?

Also, I would be interested in a fun fic where May and Liv both end up sort of awkwardly mentoring Miles because Miles and Liv end up in a classic supervillian-superhero team-up against some other big villain or disaster.

Fleabag: Fleabag, Priest

So I watched all of Fleabag in a weekend fueled by pizza and beer and loved all of it. But, not gonna lie, what really got me to sit down and finally watch the show was all this talk of a hot priest romance going on in season 2. Others may never believe Moriarty from BBC Sherlock could bring it like that, but I saw the light.

I’m absolutely fine with shippy fic for this fandom. If you want to go down the hardcore priest fucking road then go wild, but I did love everything about the show. Fleabag herself and all of her issues, Claire (and her haircut) and everyone else. Whatever you can write for me that captures how heartbreaking and funny the show is would be great, I'm sure.

Prompts:

With all this talk of the cool Pope maybe considering letting priests marry let’s pretend that the Vatican really does that and now priests everywhere can get married. How would Fleabag feel when she sees the news on the telly? How would the Priest? Imagine them bumping into each other after the news come out.

I think one of the most interesting things about season 2 was the Priest knowing when Fleabag was breaking the fourth wall. What if the fox is his personal fourth wall that no one sees but Fleabag that he can’t leave behind until he deals with his shit? 

Purge prompt: Brexit finally happens and the new PM decides to try this Purge thing the Americans have been doing every year. How would Fleabag fare in the purge? Would she stay locked inside with her family having to fight off Stepmother, who’s down to do some purging herself and is scarily good at killing people? Would she go off to hunt Martin? Maybe fucking a Priest doesn’t count if it’s during purge night.

The Eagle | Eagle of the Ninth: Marcus Flavius Aquila, Esca Mac Cunoval

I love this stupid movie so much.I love Marcus, Esca, and Marcus/Esca and would prefer them shipped. UST/pre-slash is okay, too, if you'd rather not write a romance, but please at least leave me the hope that it's going to happen!

What I really love about Marcus/Esca is how even when Marcus is the one who holds official power over Esca as his owner, Esca is always the one with the power in their relationship because Marcus is so desperately into him. I love Marcus pining for Esca but being too honourable to do anything about it, while Esca is too angry at himself for pining for Marcus to do anything about it. I also enjoy Marcus having Roman issues about wanting Esca to fuck him and I don't care if they're not entirely historically accurate. I would just be very into Marcus having very rigid ideas about sex between men and struggling with wanting Esca to fuck him and Esca helping him overcome that.

Some general things about them that I love, both in the movie and in potential fic: cultural miscommunications, or just them worrying enough about miscommunication that they don't even try. Marcus having such utter blind trust in Esca. Esca having to relearn how to let somebody care about him.

Prompts:

That said, my first request is PWP. /o\ I would really, really love a Seal People Made Them Do It fic. Maybe the Seal Prince wants Esca to prove Marcus is his slave, or maybe there's a general boning festival going on and it'd be weird/suspicious for Esca not to participate, I don't know (and not too concerned with historical accuracy on this one). But I'm very into the danger element of they have to fake it for their safety/survival and the intimacy element of them understanding each other with few or no words. Like from Esca's POV, he gets that Marcus understands and consents, or from Marcus', understanding that if he doesn't want to go along with it, they can try to kill their way out. And, okay, if Marcus is a little ashamed of being into it, I am very, very there for that. :9

I would also love a roadtrip fic! The movie clearly ends with Marcus setting Esca up to choose their next adventure, so what does he choose? I don't have a lot of specific plot ideas for that, but I would definitely love to see them on another journey together, maybe hitting all the fun roadtrip tropes, like huddling for warmth in the woods and there being only one bed in their room at the hospitia. 

Or, if you're feeling up to something fun and weird, a Purge AU. Honestly, Ancient Rome is a setting that seems oddly suited to hosting the Purge and I would love to see it either played relatively straight to dark and dramatic effect, or humorously deconstructed, with Esca exasperated by more let's-kill-people Roman nonsense.

I would also really be into fic from Esca's POV, holding Marcus during the surgery and contemplating letting twitch and die, and then ~looking into his eyes~ and feeling sick with himself for having such a thought about the man who saved his life, even if he is a Roman asshole. Perhaps followed by all the times Esca could have had him killed or let him die and deciding not to because HONOR until he realizes no, actually, I just really, really want to bone this dude. And then he follows up on that realization, in whatever romantic form that takes.

[cutesuki--bakugou]

Tag Thing

Rules: answer 20 questions and tag 20 people

Tagged by: @shinybakugo​

Nickname: I’ve been called a lot of different things because of my online names. For this account, lots people have been calling me Cutesuki. For my artist name @hvalrossart​ I’ve been called Hval and Ross. IRL I don’t really have any, except my mother likes to call me Sare-Bear (real name Sarah). So, those, I guess??

Zodiac: Aquarius 

Height: 5′2″

Last movie I saw: Into the Woods

Last thing I googled: Medium Feathered Haircuts Women (I got my hair cut lol)

Favorite musician: Josh Groban 

Song stuck in my head: Well, we’re watching American Idol rn, so a song from Moana lol. Where the line of the sky meets the seaaaaaaa~

Other blogs: @hvalrossart​

Follower: 2,673

Following: 23

Amount of sleep: Eh that depends, I have really bad insomnia so it can range from 2 hours to a mega crash of 12+ lol

Lucky numbers: I don’t have any idea??? 

Dream job: I have a couple that I would be forever happy with. Art Education, Art Therapy, Graphic Design / Illustrator, Independent Artist... There’s a reason why I can’t decide lol. 

What am I wearing: Lol... A giant t-shirt and boy boxers. 

Favorite food: Blueberries 

Language: Only English

Can I play an instrument: I can play the trumpet and the saxophone 

Favorite song: Pff, that list would be way too long. Tho, my current favorite song is ‘Man on the Moon’ by Britney Spears LOL

Random fact: How about a couple?? My mother has told me that I’m actually obsessed because of my Bakugou collection and it has been impossible to tell her that I’m not the only one in the universe that has a collection like this | I can pop my right foot - second toe out of socket and put it back again at will and it really freaks people out | Lavender is my favorite color / scent / flower / literally anything it comes in, I want it. 

Describe yourself in aesthetic things: I literally do not fit into any type of aesthetic because I can go from cute girly shit to tomboy in .5 seconds. But I guess I can describe the ones that I like, but I am unable to really... do?? I guess. I am thinking about remaking my aesthetic blog tho (which got purged with the others), so I’ll share that too when / if I do that. 

Dark, intense thunder / lightning storms. Goth fashion, from pastel / vintage & romantic / steampunk / traditional. Grunge. Combat boots, leggings and large sweaters. Antiques, old broken baby dolls, used paintbrushes and well loved books. Horror movies / novels / games. Lavender and neon signs in darkness. Piercings and tattoos.  I’m the worst at this I literally cannot think of anything lol. 

Tagging (most are just randomly tagged, feel free to ignore this):  20 People?? No lol, I’ll tag a few~ Some of the people I see in my feed all the time and some friends :D 

@aizawasbedtimestories @cherrykwrites @the-parted-glass @immortalmoonchan @grace1852 @spicy-pretzel

Fuck I’m bad at this Go for it if you wanna do it, just say I tagged you LOL

[yoshimickster]

RWBY Volume 6 Episode 7 “The Grimm Reaper” MicksteRecap-BEHOLD THE NICE BACKGROUNDS!

Hey everybody, last night’s Christmas party was a DOOZY, sorry I’m late-TIME FOR THE MICKSTERECAP!

IT STARTS OFF-

-THE SANCTUARY of the spring relic...which...Salem can just enter any time she wants apparently! Man, maiden powers AND a secret hideout, that’s awesome!

Hell, she can even invite FRIENDS inside! Just get some chairs, a TV and surround sound, you’ll have a chill pad!

Either way Cinder gives Neo the low-down about how Salem ordered Cinder to take Ruby alive NOT dead-ALL WHILE-

2:58 ...she...plays with her knife, like a total creep! I ain’t judging, we all gotta stim from time to time.

Anyway, Cinder tells Neo that while she can’t kill Ruby, NEO hasn’t taken ANYONE’S orders, and then the two become best murder friends forever!

Because we ALL KNOW how well the LAST time Cinder made a deal with a recurring antagonist...also holy crap Neo’s tiny, she’s like a murderous Felicity Smoak!

A THEN CUT TO-

3:38 THE BRIDGE FROM EVERY SAMURAI STORY! Don’t lie, you got Samurai Jack flashbacks to. It is HERE WE SEE-

-absoLUTE cosplay bait! LOOK AT THAT-its glorious!

And you just KNOW what’s comin’ next folks-

4:20 ONE ON ONE MONSTER FIGHT BITCHES!

Maria starts out with a bridge back-flip-

THEN-does a gun-scythe-kama toss-

-AND LANDS THAT SHIT IN THE SHOULDER-but wait-THERE’S MORE!

SHE FLICKS THE PURPLE SWITCH-oh Mauvisto we fear your dark power-WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE-

-MAGNETIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC SCYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYTHES-bitch! Most likely due to gravity dust! She then uses it to FLOAT HER ASS up to the bird!

“I’M MARY POPPINS Y’ALL!”

She SPINS IN for a shoulder strike-

AND LANDS-in the shoulder! Lot of shoulder strikes with this bird.

She then steers it through the anime mountains-

THROWS-one of her kamas-IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR-

-creating what LOOKS like a fixed point of gravity-

-PULLS back her weapons forcing the bird into a quick-stop turn, STEERING THAT FUCKER-

-RIGHT INTO A MOUNTAIN! FUCK YES-pro Huntresses rule! She also LANDS that bitch-

-RIGHT INTO A DITCH! RHYMING!

She then pulls one of her kmas out and everything is fine-OR IS IT?!

Nevermore: Hey.

Maria: Oh...hey.

Nevermore: Whatcha doin?

Maria: OH-I was just going to leave.

Nevermore: That’s nice, but how about I eat you instead?

Maria tries zigging and zagging-BUT-

4:56 It knocks both her weapon-

AS WELL AS HER! She’s only got ONE OPTION-

VAGUELY EXPLAINED MAGICAL SUPERPOWER GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

5:09 DAMN-petrified and then crumpled in MID-air!

After that kerfuffle, Maria than just goes on her merry way-

Tock: SURPRISE BITCH-I’m a crocodile!

We are then treated to one of the shortest...and MOST epic action exchanges of ALL time! Which starts out with THIS-

Maria: I don’t think you know who I am.

Tock: Course I do!

Clock: *Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind-DING!*

Tock: YOUR the Grim reaper! 

AND YES-there are screws in her croco-teeth, don’t question it, its just awesome.

Tock: And THESE are the last 60 seconds of your life.

*SHING*

6:10*GLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW*

And yes, the action scene ends exactly SIXTY seconds after she starts glowing, AS WELL as the clock stopping sixty seconds after it officially started and its absolutely brilliant-TO THE FIGHT-

6:13-Tock starts with a straightforward slash-BUT Grimm Reaper Maria blocks it like a boss-BUT-

6:16 -TOCK knocks away one of her mini-scythes-BUT MARIA-

-NOT ONLY gravetizes her other scythe back to her-

-BUT WHILE BLOCKING SHOTGUN CHARLIE-damn she was great in her prime. THEN-

-she slashes Machete Jackson RIGHT in the face-

6:27 Knocks away BOTH of these punks-

6:30 While knocking Hammer Armond down-LIKE A BOSS! BUT THEN-

6:31 TOCK comes in with the double slash, grinning like a mad woman.

Jackson and Tock get the jump on her, one zigs, the other zags, PROMPTING MARIA TO ACTIVATE-

6:44 BO-STAFF MODE-now it has DOUBLE the attack power!

She goes in striking Jackson-

-BUT TOCK-gets up close and personal-

6:47

And in a SPLIT second-

JACKSON’S back up and tag-teams Maria with Tock...wait, not like that.

Maria knocks back Jackson again, she zigs, Tock zags, LOTSA ZIGGING AND ZAGGIN UP IN THIS

ALL THE WHILE-the same tick-tick ticking is going on-OOOH-its like a Venture bros scene!

Maria looks like she’s got the upper hand-BUT TOCK-

6:56 BITES THE FUCK THROUGH her battle staff-

6:57 HEADBUTTS AWAY-her mask-

-where it SHATTERS in mid-air, holy SHIT! ALSO-Maria is pretty-HUZZAH!

Either way this LEADS TOCK-

7:01 -to slash her GOD DAMNED eyes open! All. Within. 60. SECONDS! HOLY SHIT!

Tock high off her victory then starts gloating to the no de-eyed Grimm reaper, mocking her as weak while Maria blindly shoots her gun-scythes-WHILE ALSO-

-throwing one of her weapons behind her, which Tock isn’t worried about at all...for some reason.

*CLICK*

*KER-SLASH* Dead...presumably.

Never doubt the power of purple folks.

8:04 FLASH FORWARD to the present, where everyone in the cart being pulled by a SINGLE motorcycle deals with the fact that they were travelling with THE Grimm Reaper this whole time. Seriously Qrow straight up geeks out a little to, admitting he based his scythe on her weapon...well...just the scythe apparently, also his gun is more of a shot-gun where as hers seemed more like glocks AH whatever.

Maria than gives herself a BIG OLD pity party, mentioning that even after she got her new fancy robot eyes she couldn’t bare to go back out into the field, fearing the danger that comes with battle and...I KNOW she’s clearly going to be Ruby’s mentor, but I ALSO hope she bonds with Yang as well, as holy SHIT she’s similar to Yang.

Both lost appendages during battle, both had said appendages replaced with mechanical accouterments, and BOTH are hilarious! HELL for wall we know Maria also had an almost-girlfriend who ran out on her, another almost girlfriend who got shipped off to Narnia, and a little sister who kept battling because CRIME! 

Hell, she PRACTICALLY acknowledges it-

9:11 Maria: Because some of you are clearly stronger than me all ready.

Yang: *Sad ephiphany face*.

DAMN am I glad she’s part of the group!

After Maria avoids Ruby’s plea to train her to use her magical Grimm zapping super eyes-WE GETS A SCROLL CALL-

Jaune: OH MY GOD I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU ARE YOU ALIVE?!

Ruby: I answered the SCROLL Jaune, the answer is clearly yes.

Jaune: I just miss my friends.

-INFORMING THEM ALL-that they are RIGHT CLOSE TO-

10:20 BASINGSE-I mean-THE WALLED CITY OF ELDIA-wait not...ARGUS-yeah Argus! But FIRST Team RWBYQOM needs to FACE-

-THE STEEPEST HILL ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET! I mean...LOOK AT THAT THING-its huge! Also I love the design of the trees and the grass, its just beautiful!

BUT-through the magic of television-

-THEY’RE ALL READY THERE! Seriously I bet it took them like TWO hours inching down that path. I know construction is always lax in Remnant due to Grimm attacks, but someone NEEDS to make that path safer!

But enough about that-BEHOLD-

-THIS CASTLE WALL-with lots of armed guards on the top! No Titan is gonna sneak up on the city on THEIR watch!

But enough abou that-ITS HUG TIME:

And a billion shippers hearts, just exploded. 

After the love fest, we get-ARGUS SCENERY THROUGH WORLD-BUILDING:

Look at all this, Rooster Teeth’s background budget got WAY bank and they are FLAUNTING that wealth!

This Objects and Oddities lady is my favorite, she’s just SO pissed off, I wander why?

We also see-

-A MOVIE THEATER-showing such brand spanking new films, INCLUDING-

TRYST IN THE MIST-a raunchy tale about a romantic affair that takes place IN THE MIST! Given 4 stars by “Incredibly specific affair based movie” monthly!

...a...MOVIE within a movie apparently...weird.

DEMON IN THE DEEP-one of several monster movies that SOMEHOW exist on Earth-RWBY. I’m just saying, with all the REAL monster attacks, wouldn’t monster movies seem insensitive? SPEAKING of insensitive-

THE FALL...of Beacon...I know I’m not the first to say this but too soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon.

So bla bla bla, Argus was made to promote trade between kingdoms, bla bla bla, Atlas military has all but abandoned it bla bla bla-LET’S MEET JAUNE’S SISTER!

LOOK AT HER! FEEL-her youthful and adorable mom energy!

And the REST of the episode is PRETTY MUCH just an assortment of adorable images.

Yang playing airplane with baby Adrien(THE CUTENESS).

THE THREE ARMED-flopping Jaune-IN ALL of its glory!

AN INSULTED BOY-

12:56 -and the women who adore him-

AND ALL THE ARC SIBLINGS:

Okay I don’t know HOW many fan-artists are left on Tumblr due to the incoming purge, but I want some ADORABLE web-comics based on this STAT! LOOK AT MINI-JAUNE-he’s so CUTE! And just when you things couldn’t get ANY better-

13:22

Sapphron: Everyone, this is my wife Terra Cotta.

BAM-twenty gay-TEEN mother fuckers!

SUBTLE-Renora sandwich time! Look at these two, YOUNG LOVE mother fuckers!

But more importantly Terra asks THE REAL questions-

Terra: Is that (Bringing students along on dangerous Huntsman missions) even legal?

Qrow: Er, uh, of course!

And I just...LOVE that both Maria and Ruby have the exact same looks on their faces, their both thinking “The closest thing we have to a real chaperone is a bipolar alcoholic...this is what my life has become”.

After a nice little sandwich lunch, and learning that Terra Cotta-Arc is a hardworking radio engineer being unjustly accused of bad mistakes(if there’s ANYONE to blame its Lionheart), while team RWBY decides the best way to GO to Atlas is with the LOCAL MILITARY BASE-which I’m sure will accept them with OPEN AR-

SLAM

Ooooooooooooooooooor not. Hey, its only HALF way through the season, they gots PLENTY of time!

SUMMATION-this easily had one of the BEST action sequences of the ENTIRE season, the backgrounds were BEAUTIFUL and there were just so many cute scenes-TEN OUT OF TEN for me! AND WITH THAT-that’s the end of MICKSTERECAP-if you liked what you read, message me if you want to donate to my Paypal or Ko-Fi. With that I will see you NEXT WEEK-on Mick the Nerd’s a.k.a. Yoshimickster’s MICKSTERECAP! Sorry this one was a bit late!

[keeyo7]

Spontaneous Asks

Here are some questions from a thing.

How does Mad Men end?

What is your favorite food to eat when you’re feeling sad? And if you don’t feed your feelings like I do why are you a robot?

Do you have a perpetual age in your head that when you think of yourself at that age and if so what is that age and why?

Who was your hero growing up? Fictional or otherwise. And if you could would you trade places with that hero?

What was the first time you experienced the emotion “humiliation?”

If someone asked you when you were 13 years old who are the 5 people you’d invite to a dinner party who would you have said?

Where were you when you realized god was a holy implausible lie?

What’s your favorite invention? How many inventions do you think there are?

What do you like most about yourself?

What animal would you save from extinction if you could?

What is the earliest memory you have of doing something cruel?

What is the thing you desire that you are ashamed of desiring?

Do you have social anxiety and if so how does it manifest?

Why did you choose that outfit today?

Did you ever name your car? If not, what the hell is wrong with you?

Do you believe in ghosts? Where is your evidence?

Why would you never talk to your cousin again if you needed a reason?

You win a contest which allows you to draft a 28th amendment to the constitution, guaranteed to pass. The only stipulation is that it must be food-related. What is your amendment?

Gun to your head - choose a reality competition show to come to your home.

Sir or Madam, how do you sleep at night?

When was the last time that you felt furious?

What ridiculous formality do you slavishly observe?

If you were forced to make a career change, and your success was guaranteed, what would you do?

What was the last thing you've done that you've considered 'brave'?

When did you realize you weren't alone?

If you could eat all the dessert and never have any ill effects, but all you could eat is dessert, would you?

What's the worst advice you've ever received?

You can use your rib to make another living thing, but not a human, what do you make?

What is your earliest memory?

If you could be invisible and go visit a current celebrity's home, who would it be?

Corn or Flour?

If days of the week had colors, what color would each day be and why?

What was your best mistake?

You can switch bodies with one person for one day - who would that be? And describe your one day as that person.

What is one event that you would go back and change in your life?

What's one thing that everyone in the United States can agree on?

How do you want people to remember you after you die?

What's the worst fear you ever overcame, and how did you overcome it?

What's the dumbest thing that ever sent you to the emergency room?

What is a trait of yours that other people compliment you on most often?

What's the deal with Mario Lopez?

What's the best gift you've ever given?

What is the loudest thing you've ever heard?

If you could spend a week in any TV show, what would it be?

Would you rather live without electricity, or a toilet forever?

What is your million-dollar idea?

Does everyone deserve to be heard?

What about baseball?

What's a good New Years's resolution?

How are eyeglasses made?

Which person (any person) would make the best sibling?

What is something you've considered telling one or both your parents but have not?

If you were to be a famous religious leader who would you be?

Do you toilet paper every toilet seat you use or is there a public toilet you wouldn't?

What laws do you regularly break?

Was your parent's divorce your fault?

If you were going to get a tattoo in one hour, what would you get?

Why is the suit purple like this pen?

When was the last time you told your parents and siblings you loved them?

Can you fix a bad kisser?

What book influenced you most as a kid?

Why the long face?

When's the last time you felt tricked?

Who would you kill first if murder was legal?

What existing superhero do you relate too?

Define magic

If you met yourself as a child, would the child you honestly like the adult you?

What was the last item you donated to charity?

What bad job of yours would you erase from your personal timeline?

Data or data, how do you pronounce it and why?

What's your favorite Prince song?

What was the singular childhood trauma that has defined you as an artist?

What sport would you play if you had all the physical ability but no mental awareness?

Whose hair would you like to find in your soup?

What toy from your childhood do you miss the most, and if it broke, how?

What is the first thing you broke that wasn’t yours?

What kind of small business would you like to own?

What was the last dream you can remember, and why do you think you dreamed it?

Who was your childhood hero? Are they still?

Do you consider cheeseburgers to be a part of the sandwich family?

Did silent movies have to be pitched back in the twenties?

Do you still eat pudding as an adult?

It's 3am, you're up. What are you doing?

What brings you fulfillment?

When did you first realize you didn't fit into society?

If you could eat one fruit for the rest of your life, what would it be?

What's the most fun you've had in a hospital?

What is your sliding doors alternate career?

Why do you care about God?

Where was the first slice of pizza you bought as a youngster?

Who was your mentor getting into your profession?

When did your parent or caregiver most hurt your feelings?

What is the first joke you laughed at?

What was your first suit?

What day would you like to go back and re-live? PS: You can go back to change things?

How did the movie The Sandlot effect your life? If you haven't seen it, what is the medical condition that prevented you?

What's the song to which you lost your virginity?

What happens if the Supreme Court gets rid of Roe v. Wade?

Have you ever called 9-1-1 to help a stranger? Tell us why?

At this very moment, a health inspector is about to walk into your home. What rating would your kitchen receive?

What sport or game could you kick my ass in?

Are you a bad girl? Are you? Are you?

What is the last great meal you ate and who did you eat it with and what did you talk about?

What clubs were you in in high school?

What do you do for exercise?

Have you ever been arrested?

In an apocalypse, what will be the most valuable item to trade?

If you could remain one age for your entire life, what age would it be and why?

What food item have you consumed the most of in your lifetime?

What's the most scared you've ever been?

What animals have you seen in the wild?

What song do you always have stuck in your head?

When was the last time you cried out of happiness?

Stipulating that there's nothing wrong with "here", if you could be anywhere else right now, where would that be?

What is the most embarrassed you've ever been?

What was the worst encounter with a stranger you ever had?

What is the best or worst travel injury you've sustained?

When did you first learn what sex was, and how?

When is the last time you vomited?

What ingredient would you remove from the world and why?

What is the first song you remember hating?

Tell me something your hometown is known for?

Who was your best friend as a child and what would you do together?

Which job from earlier in your life would you like to do again, and what would it have to pay?

What's a memory from your childhood you wish you could change?

At what point in your life did you feel your most 'hot' and most 'not'?

Is it racist to do an Italian accent?

What is your favourite font?

What time period do you think you belong in?

What movie have you lied about seeing?

How do you feel about your eye colour?

When was the last time you pretended to know something?

How many times have you googled yourself this week?

What do you think is your finest quality? What do you think is your worst?

Have you ever gotten lost?

At what moment have you felt the most adult?

If you could only eat one type of cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?

What is the best gift your parent ever gave you?

Favorite author when you were a teen and why?

What flaw in your character has been most beneficial in your life?

What's your favorite ancient civilization,and why?

Have you ever stolen anything?

Have you ever had a religious experience?

Do you know your neighbors, or do you try avoid them and why?

Choose one exotic pet: macaw, tortoise, boa or alpaca. You must choose.

Of all life's great firsts, which was your favorite?

What movie universe would you most want to live in?

What is your most embarrassing superstition?

Are you excited for the singularity or are you terrified?

Name three celebrities you would recruit to your post-apocalyptic survival team and why?

What's the best thing to find underwater?

Lyft drivers: What do you think?

How many eggs can you eat in one sitting?

What is your least favorite question strangers often ask you?

Would you invite yourself somewhere?

What is a place that gives you immediate joy?

It's 1967, you're in San Francisco: what are you up to?

If you were going to commit a crime, what crime would you commit?

What do you want someone to whisper in your ear?

What is your biggest failure?

Why are you here?

If you were to name a star, what would the name be?

Which one of your family members reminds you most of Denzel Washington?

What is a dream you've had that is actually interesting?

What would you have your evil twin do, if you had an evil twin?

If the purge were real, who would you kill first?

Hi, hello, are you single, and will you date me? I'll make you so happy.

What is a time in your childhood that you were at your happiest?

Who was you favorite teacher?

If someone wrote a musical about your life, what would it be called and what would it be about?

What's a style concept that you've always wanted to try (mohawk, tattoo, piercing)?

You can make a souvenir penny machine for any person, place, or thing - what would you make it for, and why?

If you were calming eating, say, a banana split, and you looked across the room and saw yourself from five minutes earlier, what you you do?

If your spirit animal were an animal you had met or seen, who would it be?

If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name, personality, and occupation be?

Do you pretend to like/read famous writers when they die?

Why are you here?

What's your first memory?

What song do you put on when a hook up is coming over?

What is the most romantic country in the world and why?

How many kangaroos are in the San Antonio zoo?

What was your first pet's name?

What was your first job?

If you could start any conspiracy theory what would it be?

You have full funding to recreate any album with you as the lead singer, what album do you choose?

Are there any recurring dreams that are significant to you?

Worst first kiss?

When was the last time you were in a stream?

What is your relationship with God like?

Who is your secret crush right now?

Where do you plan to spend the apocalypse?

Which celebrity would you like to die in the arms of?

If you were a neighborhood in either Los Angeles or New York, which would be and why?

If you could be killed by any weapon (not gun), what would it be and why??

How are you like your parents, good and bad?

If you could go back in time and kill one person, who would it be?

What is your favorite vacation destination?

What was the last thing you did that made you feel like a kid?

When was the most attractive you've ever felt?

What is the most uncomfortable place you have sneezed?

If you could make a themed restaurant, what would it be?

[rubashev]

Rooibos, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Cloud tea!

ridiculously late response on account of finals! forgive me it’s been a helluva week

Rooibos: What is one of you favourite books?

god picking favorites is the hardest thing. I’ll give you a few answers, in return for making you wait so long:

I think everyone has that one book that you read in your teens, probably in a high school lit class, which sticks with you forever after. I took to a lot of things I read then (I adored All Quiet on the Western Front and The Book Thief, and I loved Macbeth more than almost anything else I read in high school, but that’s not a book but a play, regardless of how public schools handle it) but what stayed with me most, predictably maybe, is The Great Gatsby. What to say about it that hasn’t already been said? I’ve read it over many times but my first read was in the summer and it takes place in the summer so that’s what I’ve always associated it with, hot summer nights and well-dressed desperation. I know he’s a bit of an everyman figure but I love Nick Carroway, poor bastard loved Jay Gatsby and that’s that on that. you’re worth the whole damn bunch put together, mhmm

relevant to my more recent interests, because I’ve been really fascinated by the Soviet 1930s and the show trials and the terror lately but I’m also fond of Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon. It’s such a fascinating look at the psychology behind that era, an attempt (an informed one, given Koester’s own experiences) at peering behind the underlying ideology of the purges and into the minds of the old bolsheviks, of men who sacrificed and betrayed for a system that in turn destroyed them. I’m very fond of stories about conflicted morality and disillusioned idealism and this book covers both well and believably. 10/10 would recommend if you’re curious about that era at all.

also I’ve only just finished it so I can’t really tell yet if its going to become a favorite (imo favorite means something that’s stuck with you for a while, which obviously takes time) but the last thing I’ve read that wasn’t assigned coursework is Nabokov’s Lolita. What a dark, rich, ever misinterpreted little book. What strikes me most about it is how Nabokov’s prose is beautiful even when what it’s describing very much is not; the opening paragraph of the book (beginning with that oft-quoted “light of my life, fire of my loins”) illustrates this well.You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style, indeed. Which is perhaps why people are inclined to romanticize it although it’s far from a romantic story, Nabokov is subtle in portraying the horror of the situation but he doesn’t shy away from it either. 

Earl Grey: Which countries have you visited?

the US, Canada, Germany and Ireland, although only for an overnight stopover in Dublin so that doesn’t really count. I’d love to see it properly though, it looks like a beautiful country and my grandmother was Irish; she passed when I was very young and I didn’t get the chance to know her very well so it’d be nice to connect a little with her home country. 

Also I’m planning to study abroad in Moscow next semester! so assuming all things go to plan I’ll be able to add Russia to that list this September. 

Darjeeling: What languages do you speak?

at the moment just english and german! I’ve been studying russian but I still wouldn’t consider myself conversational yet (hopefully that aforementioned study abroad will help lmao) I’ve very casually dabbled in French and would love to actually commit to properly studying it when I have the time. 

Cloud tea: Which movie do you want to watch next?

oh man there are so many movies I want to watch. at the top of that list is Annihilation, bc I read and enjoyed the book a few months ago and I’m very curious to see how that story was adapted for the screen. Also I’ve been hearing excellent things about Cold War and it sounds precisely like something I’d like. 

thanks sm for the ask!

[cleanedupkenny]

A List of Reasons Why I’m Sorry to Kota Ibushi (begun April 2015, ended January 2018)

Dear Diary,

Drama-Free 2019 can only press forward if I purge myself of all the drama, right?

So, after Invasion Attack 2015, when I did... that thing, I called Michael in kind of a... state. He suggested that I start this list and not show anyone (”anyone” meaning “just Bullet Club,” basically). I think mostly he was just sick of listening to me cry for three hours straight. But it helped. I think.

I’m hopped up on video games and energy drinks and not sleeping next to my Ibutan on the anniversary of our glorious reunion and I might regret this but you know what, I DON’T HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF THE BULLET CLUB ANYMORE AND I FEEL FREE, DAMN IT.

It’s a little hard to read from all the tear stains it’s gathered over the years, but Diary, here’s what I can make out:

Fuck fuck fuck I can’t believe I did that

Why did I do that I don’t even like AJ Styles like as a human being

I don’t even like bullets OR clubs what am I even doing [2019 note: there’s a little more here, completely smudged by tears]

Was any of that an actual apology... ooooops. Kota... I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I ruined that for you. I’m sorry you’re not champion right now. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m just so, so, so fucking sorry. I am going to regret that for the rest of my life, which is going to be miserable, and empty, and [2019 note: more tear stains]

Wait. What the fuck was I talking about? I’M NOT SORRY, I DON’T REGRET IT, AND I AM DEFINITELY NOT MISERABLE. I’m the reigning, defending IWGP junior heavyweight champion AND I’M A WAY BETTER ONE THAN YOU EVER WERE OR COULD HOPE TO BE! SO. THERE.

Oh, reading that back just now was... ehhhhh.

WHATEVER, it’s still true, and I will prove it against Kushida at Dominion! He’s just this Back to the Future fanboy, haha, can you imagine anything so dorky?

Now I’m trying to imagine explaining what Back to the Future is to you because you don’t watch movies and what your face would look like and now I’m sad again. Why are you like this? Why????

...aaaaaand I lost to Kushida.

I’m hiding in Matt and Nick’s hotel room to avoid having to tell the rest of Bullet Club that I just don’t like strip clubs and they’re not gonna make me feel better, okay, and why would that make me gay? I’m not even gay! I’m bisexual! Those are two different things!!!

I was tired and wound up just blurting to Tama “I’M NOT GAY” and then... didn’t follow that with anything. So now I’m a fucking coward, and he didn’t even look convinced anyway. I hate everything. Everything except the memory of when you’d let me lay my head in your lap and cry or sleep or just breathe or whatever while you’d twirl my hair around your fingers oh god fucking damn it [2019 note: you guessed it, more tear stains]

I beat Kushida! I’m definitely better than you again! And I’m about to celebrate by having sex with a woman that Tama picked up for me because he’s a great and thoughtful and caring friend!!!!

Um. She seemed nice. And didn’t even stay the night, just blew me a kiss and walked out. I feel weird. I’m gonna have to be way more enthusiastic about her to Tama. Shit.

Why can’t I just have casual sex like normal people do? Why??? On New Year’s this year I found the one other sober guy in all of Japan and was like, okay, this is fun, sex can just be fun, but it just felt like when you’re at the doctor’s testing your reflexes. That was like last night, too. But I couldn’t explain that to Tama, either, and he clearly didn’t buy my fake enthusiasm, so he definitely still just thinks I’m gay and that it needs to be corrected. I hate this. Is this title even fucking worth it? Remember the few times you’d top because you knew when I just needed all my feelings fucked out and afterwards you’d hold me while I cried? And it felt better than anything else in the world? How could I have ever let myself lose that? I’m gonna bring this back to its original purpose. I’m sorry I never realized how great I had it.

It... wasn’t all that great, now that I think about it.

When were you gonna tell me you were moving up to heavyweight?

I wouldn’t have stopped you. Did you think I was going to stop you? How could I? How could anyone stop YOU from doing literally anything at all, honestly?

I just... deserved a conversation. I was your partner. In more ways than one. You couldn’t give me that?

What did you want from me? Did you just like, want me to be your sidekick forever?

Did you... want me at all?

Or... was I just your tag team partner that you fucked sometimes?

[2019 note: wow, this was just a tissue, here]

Well, I lost to Kushida again. If you cared, I bet you’d be happy. Where the fuck did you go, anyway? Not that I care. Because from here on out, it’s my time. Shit’s about to happen. I have a fucking PLAN.

What’s the one thing better than kicking that bastard out of Bullet Club and taking his place as its leader?  Making my first order of business declaring that the Young Bucks and I are better than all of them, mwahahahaha. You should’ve seen Tama’s face. You could have. Seriously, where are you?

WHATEVER, I DON’T CARE, I AM WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS AND BEATING YOUR GOD TANAHASHI AND THEN SINGING KATY PERRY TO CELEBRATE. FUCK YEAH.

...”research institute”??? Oh whatever I DON’T. CARE.

MY FIRST G1 AND I’M GONNA WIN, UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE. WINNING WINNING WINNING.

Hold the fuck up. WWE? You’re going to fucking WWE????!!!! What the fuck??????????? Is... is something actually wrong with you? Did you come back wrong? Who are you?

IT DOESN’T MATTER I’M DOING THE G1 LA LA LAAAAA

I WON THE G1 FIRST GAIJIN EVER and if I did it with your moves it’s to prove I’m better at them than you are and if I mentioned you in the press it was just to rub your face in it HA HA HA HAAAAAA!!!!!

And no one will ever tell me how to celebrate again, damn it. If I wanna eat ice cream with Matt and Nick damn it I’m gonna and the rest of them can just fuck off to their booze and their strippers and god knows what else! I maybe said that aloud to them. Because I fucking can!!!

Matt asked me if I was okay and said uh, yeah, I’m going to fucking Wrestle Kingdom to become the heavyweight champion, which YOU have have never done, why wouldn’t I be? And he was like, that’s just it, though, you keep talking about him. So I kind of stopped talking.

Remember how we used to celebrate? Not that I am. Not that it meant anything to you.

I’m gonna be generous and assume that you lost to TJ Perkins because you were so overwhelmingly impressed by my win. What has happened to you???

OMG I heard you’re not signing with WWE which... um... fine. That’s fine. Good career choice, that’s all.

You’re all over the place now. Except my place. Which is fine! I have Okada! Must focus!!

Uhhh. Turns out Okada is champion for a reason. Um. I need to rethink... everything. Yeah, I used one of your moves again. Whatever.

The fucking Bullet Club, I swear. “Kenny, come out with us, you’ll love these girls!” (NO.) “Kenny, why don’t you let anyone but Matt and Nick second you, what, are you playing favorites?” (Uh, duh!) “Kenny, did you really murder Adam Cole?” (...no comment.) “Kenny, what exactly is Cody Rhodes doing here?” (Being interesting, okay? He has potential. He seems like someone I’d actually get along with, too, unlike you pieces of shit.) I’m gonna hide with Matt and Nick some more. And Marty, he’s cool, even if he still checks out my junk when he thinks I’m not looking. And Cody, I guess.

I see you went viral for shooting fireworks onto yourself and then moonsaulting off a car. Pffftt. It’s like no one knows you. It’s WAY the fuck weirder that you went to WWE.

I hung out with Cody alone and wound up kissing him. I realized what a bad idea this was before it got any further (I legitimately forgot he was married for a second, where the fuck is my head at?), but going by the look on his face, there was... damage... done. So I ran. Like you ran, I imagine, once you realized how much I... loved you. I loved you.

I love you. Part of me always will. I want to be the part that doesn’t. I don’t think it’s working.

Cody almost ruined my rematch with Okada, like I ruined your match with AJ, so, yeah, I fucked up there. I’m still pissed, though. How were you not this pissed? I’m totally going to make him pay for this, how did you not do that to me? Did I want you to? Was that why I did it?

Well, I’m not sorry. Just like I’m not sorry for texting Brandi right now.

I ran in on Cody’s match with Okada and I keep thinking about that instead of the actual title I just won. I’m going to meet Brandi and I don’t know who I am anymore. This is starting to feel like a confessional. Well, it’s sure as fuck not, or ever going to be an apology, ever again.

Well, that was dumb. Brandi is terrifying. I couldn’t even get it up. Then she demanded to know what I did with Cody. She threatened to waterboard me. Do they still do that in America? Why am I asking you?

I’m so glad you’re never going to actually read this. [2019 note: DRAMA-FREE 2019, we believe in transparency this year, damn it!]

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

You’re back.

You’re not in my block.

I need you to make it to the finals.

I need to make it to the finals.

I need this. I need you to know how I felt. How I feel.

That’s all.

Wait... what happened? You... you’re out of the running.

You really never cared about me. That’s it. That proves it. Not me talking about you in the press endlessly and you not dignifying it with a response. You were never much of a talker. But... you couldn’t even wrestle the way I know you can, the way that should get you to WIN the fucking G1.

I get the message. Fine. Fuck you, too. I’m gonna keep doing what I’m good at - better at than you, that’s for sure: winning.

I pinned him. I pinned Okada. You couldn’t have ignored that. I made sure you didn’t. You like my gear, Ibutan? I’m gonna keep proving how much better I am than you when I wear to pin Naito tomorrow, too.

...........What.

What the fuck were you doing there?

What do you want from me?

Don’t you want to just fight me? I’m sure you think you can still beat me. I wanted to prove you wrong. Come on, goddamn it, make me prove you wrong.

Why did your hands have to feel like... your hands? They felt like... like... part of me. A part of me I lost somewhere.

Why does your voice have to be so soft? Why did you have to be so gentle? So tender? So... caring? You don’t give a shit about me, remember?

You don’t. You don’t care. You never cared.

Please don’t make me think you cared.

I actually got on the phone with Michael to pass along that last message. I don’t care how childish it was, I needed you to hear that one thing. His response was to ask me if I really believed that.

I can’t. I can’t not believe it.

I have a bad feeling about this thing with Cody, like it’s gonna get ugly. I told him to stay away from you, just in case. If nothing else, I’m still the leader of Bullet Club. They all recognize that! They’ll keep him in check against you, at least.

I just... don’t want him to mess with you. You don’t need to get mixed up in this. It’ll get ugly. Like I said. That’s all it is.

Oh, great, of course the second I have my back turned, he messes with you! What was I thinking, honestly? Motherfucker...

I want to tell you... be careful. He’s gonna bring Brandi, and they’re gonna cheat. Maybe I’ll tell Michael to tell you. You don’t know them. It’s only fair.

Or... he’s gonna... flirt with you? What the...?

I want to fucking slap him every time he touches you.

Please kick the shit out of him.

You Phoenix splashed the life out of him! I wish that was literal!!!!

When he said I don’t love you like he loves you... I...

How’s your English these days? Maybe you didn’t understand him! Anyway, New Year Dash tonight, and you’re stuck with him again. I’m... I’m sorry. I’m genuinely sorry, once more. I don’t care how bitter I am. He shouldn’t be your problem.

Well. Since I can’t hide behind trying to recruit Jay White or my triumph over Jericho here... people keep asking me why I stopped Cody, and honestly? I don’t even know why they’re asking. I didn’t even have to think. I just ran. So when someone asks, I just stare at them until they stop asking.

I hope you’re okay.

Jesus christ, they’re making you tag against Cody AGAIN? Him trying to maim you last time wasn’t enough?

I see he’s just doubling down on me supposedly not caring about you. He wishes. I don’t wish, though. Not anymore. Those years we were together were real, and they mattered, and I can’t just rip them out of me. I’d be ripping out my spine. My guts. Oh, fuck it. My heart. Anyway, as long as Cody keeps his hands off chairs, I think you can take care of yourself. You’re tough, and as far as what he’s saying goes, I don’t think anyone’s fooled anymore. If they ever were.

After I beat Jay... maybe you’d want a shot at this title. You deserve it. You deserve... something. You always did. I never wanted to stop you. I just wanted to talk. I could’ve talked. I know I could’ve tried. I wish I had. I’m really sorry I didn’t. I’m sorry it took me three years to come around to that. I’m sorry I can’t just tell you this right now. But I will. Eventually. It’s gonna be hard, but I’ll figure out how to do it. I just have to.

I can’t sleep. Not when I can watch you sleep for the first time in years. What a fucking day. What am I gonna do with this notebook, now? I apologized to your face. And you... you apologized too. I wanted to apologize for ever doubting you, but you knew, you knew why I did, and you said you were sorry. Oh, Kota... [2019 note: ah, there are the waterworks again!] I don’t know what’s next. I don’t know what we’re up against. I don’t know if you want to team with me again. I don’t know how much Matt and Nick are really on our side, although I hope they are. Losing them would be almost as bad as losing you, by now. I don’t know if I’ve got the Bullet Club, but I’m not gonna lie, that power doesn’t suck, and I’ll hang on to it as long as I can. What I do know, now, is that if someone forces me to choose, I’ll choose you, over anything. I love you, and you love me. I felt it so many times, when you chased them away, when you hugged me, when I was inside you... I feel it everywhere. I always did, I think. Maybe I’ll keep this notebook as a reminder of how not to be an idiot about it. Or at least as a reminder of how NOT to apologize to you, because a lot of this... eeesh.

I feel so cleansed, Diary. I wish I could hold @goldenxstar right now. At least, unlike four years ago, I’m confident that I will, soon enough.

xoxo,

Kenny