#max’s is honestly the most accurate i’d say

[lumiereandcogsworth]

did the color palette name thing

and for the beloveds

and their kiddos

and the kiddos’ friends

[blankdotcom]

Why I believe it makes the most sense for El to end up single (and why she was in a relationship in the first place)

To start off an analysis I like to just take a look at the internal conflict of a character because this explains lots of their actions. An internal conflict is a characters personal struggles with their fears or flaws. This internal conflict is not always resolved, but most of the times it is. Now before I say what I believe Elevens internal conflict is, even if I am accurate the writers might decide to not resolve this conflict for whatever reason, so just keep in mind that this is just a theory 👍

From what I’ve seen since Season 1 to Season 4, Elevens internal conflict has been been isolated from the world and lacking skills she would have and should have learnt at a young age (i’m sure there is an adjective that describes that but i do not remember so i’m sticking with that).

Eleven was thrown in a lab like an experiment ever since she was first born. She was isolated from the real world and stuck in a lab where she wasn’t treated like a real human but like a prisoner or patient. She never learnt how to communicate, read, or anything else a child should be learning, especially when they’re at school age. She had never seen outside.

So when she escaped the lab, that was the first time she saw the real world, and like any child who sees something they’re unfamiliar with, she was scared. All she ever knew was the lab.

So when she stumbles across a trio of boys and one of them takes her into his house for shelter, it’s pretty natural she grows dependent on him. And that just so happened to be Mike.

It was Mike who teaches her how to speak, gives her clothes, you know, treats her like a human being. But the thing is that wasn’t the norm to El, so this behaviour seemed wayyy above the standards. To her, he appeared to be treating her special. Expect Mike was just doing what he thought was right, what he thought was the standard.

Also, little reminder that Eleven never had friends, let alone a boyfriend. In fact, she didn’t even know what a friend was until Mike explained it to her, so I think it’s okay to assume she did not know the difference between platonic feelings and romantic feelings for someone.

And since Mike had helped her so much and because she depended on him so much for knowledge on things, whether that be social or just intelligence, she assumed what she felt was romantic.

I think where we can see this the clearest is in Season 3. In this season Eleven branches out in terms of friendship, creating a bond with Max.

The very moment Max starts to teach her independent thinking like “You make your own rules”, lets her have more freedom to explore on her own, like in the mall, give her comics (reading), she dumps Mike.

She does this because she doesn’t need him anymore, she doesn’t have anything to depend on him for, she can do it herself or get Max to help her.

Now I’m not saying El doesn’t actually love Mike, because you obviously form a bond with the person who saved you in the middle of the forest and took you in, what I’m saying is that it’s not romantic love, it’s platonic love.

This moment where she’s becoming independent could have resolved her internal conflict, but then she had to move states and with unfamiliar environments come old familiar habits, which in this case was getting back together with Mike.

But in Season 4 Eleven starts going to school, finally learning English, Math, etc. (I’d like to point out her struggle with making friends does contribute to what i speculate her internal conflict is). She also still has all the things Max taught her. So I think this is why Eleven was more comfortable fighting with Mike and standing up for herself, because she doesn’t depend on him anymore like she used to.

Now for Season 5, I honestly don’t know how this would play out expect for the fact she would end up single to resolve this internal conflict. How that happens? How she acts towards Mike? I have no clue👍 But I would love to hear other people’s opinions on this

[itsatechreel]

My Thoughts on HBO Max’s “Velma”

Welp, I watched the first episode of “Velma” aaand yep, it was about exactly what I expected if not somehow a bit worse 🤦‍♂️ I wasn’t sure that I’d want to write out a review for it, but I’m mad and immediately fueled to talk about it, so let’s go.

⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD FOR EPISODE 1 ⚠️

Literally the first scene of the whole show is Daphne and other students in a gym shower, very exposed, making a rough attempt at meta commentary, and all after the image of two cockroaches having sex..  😳 And that’s just one example of MANY jokes/visuals of this nature. Seriously why is this show SO horny?? IT TAKES PLACE IN HIGH SCHOOL! THEY’RE MINORS!! (Velma specifically, according to the “Velma” Twitter, is canonically 15) If you wanted these types of jokes and imagery so bad the LEAST you can do is put them in college so it’s not so majorly uncomfortable.

The writing was rough, some scenes felt like they were speeding by unnaturally, highly specific references to various media were all over the place and never in a funny way, almost every character is completely unlikable (ESPECIALLY the main Mystery Inc. cast) meaning there’s nobody to root for, and the show is truly just being vulgar for the sake of being vulgar. It’s honestly amazing how unfunny it is at times, it just prioritizes half-baked attempts at basic jokes, profanity, and overused cliches rather than a well put together story with interesting characters. To be a bit brutal, there were truly some moments that this script felt more like a student’s first attempt rather than a greenlit HBO Max series.

The only points I can really give this show is in animation/design, it all moves pretty well (with some occasional choppiness, though that might’ve just been buffering/my connection) and the style is alright for the most part. There definitely are some odd choices in the mix, one of them being the chosen look for Norville (who I WISH I could call Shaggy, but this is more accurate). His look just doesn’t fit the Shaggy vibe enough, I’ve seen so many redesigns that look leagues better. Though I suppose you could argue that since he (and the rest of the gang) is barely written or acted as the original source character correctly, why bother having a design that fits that? 😤

Last point I want to bring up, I’m not at all enticed by the serial killer plot or who killed Brenda. If it wasn’t enough to change how characters act and how vulgar the series is, now we don’t even get monsters to unmask? It is only episode one, and masked monsters were referenced in background details and at least once in the trailer, but the fact that the main plot of Scooby-Doo as a franchise barely exists in the first episode of this series just made the whole thing drag and feel boring to watch. I’m not saying the franchise can’t branch out here and there by doing things other than the classic formula, but also we know this show is built on mystery solving and will include at least one if not several masked monsters, so to not have any in episode one just makes the show as a whole hard to anticipate. Like is it a simple serial killer mystery? Is it normal Scooby-Doo monster hijinks? What am I watching?

Of course these are all just my opinions, if you’re curious you can watch for yourself and maybe you’ll like it more than I did. All I know for myself is that the only reason I’m even considering watching any more is pure morbid curiosity over how much worse it can get, and even then at least in this moment I don’t know if I can get myself to sit through episode two.

[spencers-hyperfixation-station]

All the stranger things characters are queer.

I don’t care that it’s not canon they’re all queer.

And most of them are neurodivergent in some capacity

Here are my personal headcanons (as a queer, Nonbinary, neurodivergent indivdual) :

Robin Buckley - Lesbian, Gender Diverse in some capacity (Probably a Demi-girl or something similar and uses She/They), Autistic and possibly also ADHD

Steve Harrington - Bisexual/Pansexual, Cis Dude(He/Him) Probably has ADHD (would explain a few things you have to admit)

Eddie Munson - Gay, Trans Masculine (He/They) (And this definitely is linked to why he doesn’t live with his parents, there’s just something about him that makes me so sure he’s trans) Autistic and ADHD

Max Mayfield - Bisexual (I mean did you see the way she looked at El?), Genderfluid and uses all pronouns (I don’t know there’s just a vibe you know), maybe ADHD but I’m not totally sure

Lucas Sinclair - Thought he was very much straight till Max came out, now identifies as Pansexual, Cis guy (He/Him), one of the very few neurotypical characters on the show

Eleven (Jane) Hopper - Pansexual (She also looked at Max like that, and she’s clearly in love with Mike), Probably Asexual, until recently I thought she was cis but I’ve seen a lot of people hcing them as non-binary. They grew up in a lab that from the snippets we’ve seen was very gender neutral and I don’t think El would have had a firm grasp of gender. She did really like the concept of femininity though so I’m going to say She/They, probably something along the lines of a Demi girl, similar to Robin. I think she’s Autistic but I don’t know for sure whether it’s that, the lab altering her social development or both, probably both though.

Nancy Wheeler - Sapphic in some capacity, Cis girl (She/Her) and neurotypical

Jonathan Byers - Pansexual (S4 Jonathan just doesn’t give a fuck, earlier Jonathan probably ID’d as straight), Trans man (He/Him, maybe He/They) (I mean have you seen the boy, I mean the slouch, the outfits!), Autistic, definitely Autistic

Mike Wheeler - Achillean in some capacity (Byler forever), Cis guy (he/him), I think neurotypical but honestly I have no idea when it comes to Mike

Will Byers - Gay, Very, Very Gay, Cis man (He/Him), Autistic (which by the way is genetic so makes perfect sense for both him and Jonathan to be Autistic)

Dustin Henderson -AroAce (I know he’s with Suzie right now but he’s still figuring it out), maybe trans masc I haven’t entirely decided regardless he/him, also definitely Autistic.

So yeah. I’m open to discussing these respectfully. As you can see some of these I’m still on the fence about and I’d love to hear peoples opinions. And I’m aware it’s the 80’s and therefore this ‘isn’t accurate to the show’ they’re headcanons if that’s your thought process you can kindly fuck off.

[thetylercxle]

Black Sails

4/5 (Spoilers)

I’ll start this off by saying that I am obsessed with pirates. I love the history, media, anything about high seas piracy. So naturally, when I heard of this show I was immediately keen on watching it.

What I didn’t expect was how good it would be. I went in expecting a CW quality show in both writing and filming, boy was I wrong.

This being a prequel series to Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, I was excited to see the characters introduced into that book. They did not disappoint, I admired the writing of Captain Flint and Billy Bones throughout the show and appreciated the different emotions and feelings about them that the show illicited from me. One character I didn’t think I’d like as much was John Silver, who I hated in the beginning and kept trying to find excuses not to like as the show went on. By season 3, I couldn’t find any more and admitted that I loved the character and how he changes throughout the show.

I also loved the mixing of the story characters with actual pirate history. Now this is a hard thing to do with fiction while also being accurate, but luckily pirate history in the Caribbean is something we are unsure of due to its own nature. The only parts that bothered me about some of these liberties taken was the changing of some things I thought we do know. The main thing was Charles Vane’s death - and honestly I can attribute that to me loving that character and looking it up when they killed him in Nassau.

That leads into them changing things to make sure the show can happen. Charles Vane needed to die in Nassau to further the tension that would feed the “upcoming” war with the governor. While Vane’s death is something I got over, I’ve never been able to get behind certain characters that they do this with. My main 3 being Eleanor, Max, and Benjamin Hornigold (Even though this feels pretty in character for the real life Benjamin Hornigold). These characters felt like they only existed as catalysts to make the next part of the story happen. They didn’t feel like they had a motivation that was core to their character, rather a motivation that reflected whatever the writers needed to happen next. This is why I initially didn’t like John Silver. Characters like Flint had a changing motivation one time, and it was at a point of extreme trauma. Otherwise, he had something that drove him to the actions he displayed. It doesn’t feel like these other characters (Max, Eleanor, & Benjamin) had that drive, and just did what the show needed them to do.

The only other thing that bothers me about this show is how lame Blackbeard was. Now of course we don’t actually know a ton about the real like Blackbeard, down to his real name. I feel like that was an invitation to make him awesome. They let all of these other characters be cool, so naturally I was excited for them to introduce the most famous pirate to ever live. Then they ignored the legend and lore behind him, and killed him unceremoniously, making his death more about Jack Rackham than himself. It felt like a disservice to such a legend.

Anyways, back to glazing. All of the standard show/movie things were excellent. The cinematography was beautiful, the dialogue was compelling, the sound design was excellent, and every actor acted like rent was due. I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy even one small part of this show. No matter what happened, I stayed sucked it.

Overall, we have a depressingly lacking collection of good pirate media. There are so many pirate themed shows, movies, and books that just don’t hit the mark. Black Sails hits that mark. It’s a show I’m forever grateful that I’ve seen that keeps me wishing they’d adapted the actual treasure island storyline just so I can see more of these characters. Great show, I would and probably will watch it a billion more times.

[indigenousandnativewaysofbeing]

4.3 Multimodal Redesign

image: 2022 Max Löffler, illustration for Bandcamp Daily

Introduction: 

An overarching theme for my unit projects is how white people in tech have historically neglected accurate elements of a racialized society. For my multimodal redesign, I’d like to take my most recent unit project, “How Are Tech Companies Responsible for Racist AI?” and expand on how data that is discriminatory or unrepresentative of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color creates inaccurate algorithms. I chose this topic because it is honestly astounding to me that the public, that is, the average internet user, is made to be unaware of how algorithms are not simply objective. First, there is a piece by Megan Garcia that I’ve chosen as one of my scholarly sources. It’s titled “Racist in the Machine: The Disturbing Implications of Algorithmic Bias,” and it tells the story of a Twitter bot designed by Microsoft named Tay. Tay went from a happy helper to a “racist Holocaust denier” in the span of twenty-four hours. With Garcia’s piece, I will analyze how AI is tested in isolated, controlled environments that rely on a select few coder’s biases. Then, I’ll expand on what exactly this does, its consequences, and possible solutions. The next scholarly source I’m adding is a piece by James Zou and Londa Schiebinger titled “AI can be sexist and racist — it’s time to make it fair.” The work analyzes ImageNet, a large visual database designed for visual object recognition software research. ImageNet receives 45% of its data from the United States alone, which Zou and Schiebinger argue is under representative of the world at large.

image: The ArchAndroid, album by Janelle Monáe

Literature Review: 

“Race After Technology” is a book by Ruha Benjamin that focuses specifically on internet-based technologies according to the “New Jim Code.” Such technologies include the modern creation and usage of facial recognition software, predictive crime algorithms, and even soap dispensers. Benjamin analyzes the tech, claiming it's hastily fastened and is less of a marker of societal progression and more of an irresponsibly coded software. Benjamin has specifically talked about the MIT scientists who have avoided programming aspects of gender, class, and race in an attempt to create robots without bias. 

Olga Akselrod, writer of “How Artificial Intelligence Can Deepen Racial and Economic Inequities,” talks about how AI is touted as a “smart economic investment for the future.” But she asks for who? The author continues with several instances of how AI has caused discriminatory harm, including housing discrimination, lack of representation in data, and racial profiling in job screenings. 

“What Really Happened When Google Ousted Timnit Gebru” is an article written by Tom Simonite that describes the work culture of non-white ethicists who research the effects of tech. The article examines a back-and-forth between Gebru and a Google executive. 

Gerrit De Vynck and Will Oremus, authors of “As AI Booms, Tech Firms Are Laying Off Their Ethicists,” write about Twitch streamers who claim the platform has a racial bias. Next, they discuss various social platforms that have cut their ethics and social teams. 

“Pause Giant AI Experiments” is an open letter from the Future of Life Institute. It calls for all AI labs to stop the production of AI systems exceeding the capability of GPT-4. It also calls for at least six months of training for such systems. The AI systems in question are defined as “human-competitive” in intelligence. The open letter claims that such systems can pose “profound risks to society and humanity.” 

“Racist in the Machine” is an essay by Megan Garcia that challenges unconscious and institutional biases that fly under the radar of companies and governments. She discusses “distorted data,” “cybersecurity,” and “crowd-level” monitoring. 

James Zou and Londa Schiebinger, writers of “AI Can Be Sexist and Racist— It’s Time to Make it Fair,” call for the importance of recognizing sources of bias and de-bias training. 

image: Debra Yepa-Pappan Live Long & Prosper, Spock was a Half Breed, 2008

Discussion: 

White coders, who are over-representative of implicit bias, exist in conditions that only compound the racism found therein. Black, Indigenous, and People of color are, therefore, underrepresented not only in terms of accurate data but of literal population in tech companies. Coders at an individual level and companies alike need to understand that colorblind ideology is inevitably complacent with racism. 

For starters, Nikon is programmed to see Asian eyes as always blinking, sending an alert to its user (Zou and Schiebinger). Microsoft and Twitter don’t see the point in continuing ethical research of AI (Vynck and Oremus). Google buries unsavory research on its social and ethical ramifications (Simonite). There aren’t enough Black, Indigenous, and People of Color employed by tech companies (Akselrod). Twitter bot Tay, a Microsoft algorithm, started out as a playful, childlike newbie of Earth, only to utter outlandish statements like “[feminists] should all die and burn in hell” (Garcia). Garcia suggests the reason why this bot took in ideologies of racism, bigotry, and xenophobia is that it's isolated in creation. It has zero experience with the spectrum of humans that roam this Earth. What’s worse is how these isolated and controlled environments perform. 

MIT's data scientists work hard to construct robots without gender, class, or race (Benjamin). 

Quote: While the robots indeed were “servants” and “workers,” MIT scientists referred to them as “friends and children, addressing them in “class-avoidant” terms (42). Programmers decided not to input the varying histories of racism, transphobia, and misogyny that made them uncomfortable. Benjamin states this colorblind, class-blind, and gender-blind approach merely serves as “another avenue for coding inequity” (42). 

While this kind of care for Black, Indigenous, and People of color is often described as covert, I argue that it is most often worse than undisguised modes of racism. It becomes almost impossible to name and stop discriminatory AI when it matches human intelligence on a mass scale. There is comfort in being on top. Receiving the daily privileges that make life as a white person so bearable determines why it is difficult for white coders to recognize white power. It’s easier to leave these histories out. It’s easier not to have to examine why we don’t feel the need to include dark-skinned people in image data software. 

image: Cover detail of Grace Dillon, Walking the Clouds: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction (University of Arizona Press, 2012). Art by Beth Dillon.

Conclusion: 

Akselrod says, “The tech industry’s lack of representation of people who understand and can work to address the potential harms of these technologies only exacerbates [racist AIs]” (1). Because we live in a racialized society, one with histories of slavery and colonization, there is an unconscious bias inherently in the minds of white people. There is no way for us to have accurate histories and representations of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color without involving them in mass quantities in the process of AI development. That’s the very first step that needs to be taken. Relinquishment of the white leader. 

image: “Time Traveller,” 2018, by Kongkee/ Image: Courtesy of the artist and Penguin Lab. © 2018 the artist.

Bibliography

Akselrod, Olga. “How Artificial Intelligence Can Deepen Racial and Economic Inequities: ACLU.” American Civil Liberties Union,https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/how-artificial-intelligence-can-deepen-racial-and-economic-inequities. 

Benjamin, Ruha. Race after Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Polity Press, 2019. 

Garcia, Megan. “Racist in the Machine: The Disturbing Implications of Algorithmic Bias.” Duke University Press, Duke University Press, 1 Dec. 2016, https://read.dukeupress.edu/world-policy-journal/article-abstract/33/4/111/30942/Racist-in-the-MachineThe-Disturbing-Implications. 

“Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter.” Future of Life Institute, 21 Apr. 2023, https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/. 

Simonite, Tom. “What Really Happened When Google Ousted Timnit Gebru.” Wired, Conde Nast, 8 June 2021, https://www.wired.com/story/google-timnit-gebru-ai-what-really-happened/. 

Vynck, Gerrit  De, and Will Oremus. “As AI Booms, Tech Firms Are Laying off Their Ethicists.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 3 Apr. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/tech-companies-cut-ai-ethics/. 

Zou, James, and Londa Schiebinger. “AI Can Be Sexist and Racist - It's Time to Make It Fair.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 18 July 2018, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05707-8. 

[whatismylife3]

Okay, I normally stay away from the drama and the “toxicity” of the F1 fandom because I don’t need that in my life. I enjoy the sport and I like to keep up on all socials (not Twitter but I’ve never been part of it for reasons). I have some drivers I prefer other others but I don’t have an issue with any driver really (except that one guy but everyone has an issue with him so no shock there).

But honestly I just need to say that I don’t like being part of this fandom anymore. At least, it’s making me want to step back and keep up with the bare minimum in regards to the drivers and stuff. It’s literally getting unbearable. It seems like almost everyday a new argument starts between fans. I get it. Last season was controversial - not just the last race but the whole season was filled with controversy for more than just Lewis and Max. That’s down to the FIA. I have seen people blame them which is good but most of them time I’ve seen people just hate on a driver and pin it on them. Or say the team manipulated it. It’s getting ridiculous. So many people are acting like this is the worst thing to happen in sport… it’s not. Every sport is filled with controversy and F1 has plenty (I mean, I can make a list if people want). Truthfully, I’ve found this fandom more toxic since DTS has come out because of Netflix showing their version of “reality”. Just my opinion. It’s why I refuse to watch it. They literally portrayed drivers who are well known to be good friends on and off grid as rivals who can’t stand each other (i get with Daniel called them a bunch of c*nts and I’m sure he meant that wholeheartedly). They literally want people to believe that not every team on the grid can be as toxic as some others. They can be. They are firstly a business - if you don’t perform or you affect the performance of someone on your team in any company, you aren’t coddled so why would they be any different. I honestly don’t get how people can believe anything Netflix show for a storyline.

You’re allowed to not like a driver. But I don’t get why you want to waste your time and energy on it. Picking fights with fans by purposely posting in that tag as well is what a troll would do. That’s pretty pathetic in my opinion and what a child would do. But you’re also basing you’re whole opinion of a driver on the tiny part you see of them and how the media portray them. You don’t know these guys. The drivers who seem like the nice guys could be dickheads. The drivers who are seen as the devil incarnates could be sweethearts. We literally don’t know. People seem to think that tiny part they see is also a super accurate depiction of their entire personality and it isn’t. If people only got snippets of certain parts of my personality, I’d probably be disliked depending on what was shown… same with everybody. You’re allowed to call out a driver when they do something wrong, but some people act like the morality police and will use things from years ago to hate on a driver in a situation that has nothing to do with what has actually happened. Tbh, pretty much every driver on the grid, past and present, has said or done something controversial (before or after joining the grid), so if we are gonna continually call out a driver for something that happened years ago we need to keep that same energy with all of them which probably also means your faves.

Okay rant over. But honestly, people need to remember that it’s just a sport. It’s not that deep. Just gonna get ready for people to hate on me cause “they’re allowed to express my opinion here and I can hate on a driver if they want” but so am I and here’s mine.

[commonwealthoccurences]

Headcanons: How Old Are The Companions

Note: I wrote this off the top of my head; if this conflicts with canon that I’ve forgotten, sorry about that! But this is how I view the companions. For most of the synths I switched this to what they’re modelled after/how they view their age, if that makes sense. Thanks for reading!

Cait:

Somewhere around 25, maybe a little younger. The 22-25 range.

Curie:

Pretty vague, but her 20s is as accurate as I can get. I can definitely see her being in her early 20s, but she could also look young for the age she was modelled after. 

Danse:

Late 20s, anywhere from 25-28. Maybe his experiences have aged his appearance, but that’s the vibe I get.

Deacon:

Anywhere from 43-47. Probably 43-45, but I can see him being a bit older than that as well which is why I extended the range. He’s still hip with the kids though.

Gage:

25-27. I don’t have any clarification, to be honest.

Haylen:

Early 20s, somewhere around 21-23. No younger than 21, though. 

Hancock:

No older than late 50s, somewhere in the 50-58 range. If it weren’t for McDonough being a solid frame of reference and that being part of his lore, I would’ve placed him in the 100s range, if I’m honest.

MacCready:

24-27. I can definitely see him having the “ideal life,” being a naive younger person with a young child and wife, and then that crashing down. I see him on the younger side of that range, but wouldn’t knock the older side.

Nick:

I don’t recall any canon frame of reference for how long ago he was modelled and his memories were transferred in, so I’ll say a solid 70-80. This is talking about Nick the synth and not taking into consideration whether or not he should count as pre-war Nick.

Piper:

24-25. Does this make her and Nat’s age difference slightly unusual? Yeah. But that’s just the vibe I get.

Preston:

Late 20s. I honestly have no reason, but I place him around 27-28. 

X6-88:

Getting into X6-88 the synth vs his mentality/appearance: I believe he was created as much as 70 years “ago” (i.e. when you would meet him in game.) Loosely, I based this off the fact that I believe Sole was on ice for about 80 years, and Nick was one of the very first synths, so if they’re extremely speedy in their advancements he’s max 70 years (unrealistic, but yknow). Appearance wise, I’d place him around 30-35.

[genaleah]

ANSWERING WILDCARD QUESTIONS

For the first time in about a year maybe??? Some of these might be even older than that.

Yes, it is Korka! I definitely want her involved, she’s a wonderful character and there is a *lot* of fun paranormal stuff going on in this setting that she can help them research. Also, I’d just love for her and Nelson to become friends!

Thank you! I love him a lot, and it’s fun to picture him interacting with the other guys. They’d all make for some interesting uncle figures, but they might not be that great in terms of role models.

OHOHO. Devilish laugh. That’s a wonderful idea, and a good way to keep him occupied at some point. He’s a great character, but he’s incredibly powerful, and I want these dudes to solve their own problems whenever possible. 

A good question! I don’t remember most of my dreams, but there’s usually a consistent look to the vivid ones. Lots of water, mountains, creeks, and high, winding roads. There are also a lot of buildings that are closely integrated with nature, even though I have almost never seen construction like that. 

I had not, but now I have! Here’s a trailer, for anyone else that missed it:

https://youtu.be/33HXHaaagsw

I really like these new models! I’m looking forward to watching a playthrough when that’s available. Just like with Rhombus of Ruin, I don’t think I’ll be able to play this one myself.

DOUBLE FINE, I WISH TO SPEAK WITH YOU- no, I’m kidding! I think great minds think alike. But I’m really excited to learn more about that character and possibly involve them in this whole au eventually. 

I’ve actually tried to avoid almost any info about Psychonauts 2 so I can go in mostly-blind, and a lot of the characters are vague to me. It’s fun to look forward to, but it’s also a little harrowing because I don’t know how to anticipate for it!

N...NO..... I NEED TO... Honestly those are old enough that it might be a good idea for me to re-make them, as well as the playing cards I made for the mega playlist cover. I think it’d be nice to remake them as vectors... that might make for a nice art stream sometime. I’ll mention publicly if I start doing that, and sharing any of these conceptual Wildcards arts when they’re done. 

And if you’re just curious about what the tarot cards for the other characters are going to be, it’s this:

Eddie: Judgement, The Magician, The Emperor

Manny: Death, Justice, The World

Sam: The Chariot, The Tower, Strength

Max: The Devil, Wheel of Fortune, Joker

Although! I may actually give the Moon card to Max instead of the Devil, and replace the missing card from Nelson’s selection with the High Priestess?  🤔  I’ll decide when I get to it.

Could be! I’ve flip-flopped occasionally on if I want the split-a-cab gang to participate much in the story. I think they deserve a break, and splitting an apartment in New York seems like a good situation for the four of them.

Oh boy, that must be so disorienting for him. The Psychonauts deal with a lot of hippy-dippy weirdness in a seemingly organized way, but it seems like they’re not as paranoid about safety as a real federal organization would be. Not necessarily a good thing, considering one of their camp counselors went AWOL one day, and the head of the Psychonauts got kidnapped the next. They kinda need to get their act together.

Fun fact, in one of the earlier drafts of Chapter 3 I was actually going to make Nelson get scanned by the equivalent of a metal-detector for malevolent thoughts at the door and get really spooked by it, but I decided against it.

YEAH IT’S ON THE LIST

Honestly, a big bulk of the plot in this just regards characters having to face their mental health struggles... via facing it as literal internal demons, unstable powers, etc.  It’s going to take a little while for any of Eddie’s teammates to realize how MUCH he has going on under the surface because he does a pretty good job of hiding it. “Needing to help others above ever helping themselves” is a hard issue to notice if you’re not looking for it. But it’s a guarantee that once they find out he needs help, they’ll give it; whether that’s making sure he’s not working himself too hard, or fighting off demonic cultists. Care comes in many forms.

SHE NEEDS TO REST.... POOR SYBIL (on the upside, they don’t TECHNICALLY work there, so she might be fine most of the time.)

Strong Bad isn’t a Psychonaut! He’s just a vlogger and a petty (psychic) criminal. It’s honestly not very different from canon.

Free Country, USA is a smalltown hotbed of psychic activity. Nearly everyone there has some mild capacity for supernatural powers, but nobody really notices or cares. Strong Bad just pops the tops off of cold ones and.... sometimes alters reality, a tiny bit. But mostly just in regards to media. The cartoons, comics, etc, that he invents and talks about have a tendency to suddenly voip into existence and nobody knows how. I swear, there’s actually a line of him saying something to this effect, but I can’t find it anywhere.  Don’t worry about it! Nobody in town is ever going to do anything truly nefarious with their powers, so it’s not a high priority on the Psychonauts’ radar, just a weird footnote.

The only reason Homestar is an actual agent is because he seems like exactly the kind of guy to sign up for a job like that on accident and then stick with it. And he’s a talented telekinetic! None of his other friends know about his job or notice his absences.

And just for fun, here’s some weird instances of psychic overpowering that happened in the cartoon:

---

(Poor Strong Sad)

I’ve actually answered this one before! BAM  Pretty sure all of it is still accurate.

Nelson: He sees floating sheets of paper containing notes, questions, etc. Anything that he wants to know more about regarding that person. The notes are subject to edits, cross-outs, ripped pages, etc.

Guybrush: He sees the item that the person is carrying that he wants most. As he gets to know people better, he sees them for their useful skills first.

Manny: His view of most living people is not very kind...

The people he’s closest to will eventually look a lot less garish. More like a flattering, camera-ready versions of themselves.

Eddie: Sickass sketch drawings that look like they belong in the margins of a composition book. The illustrations improve as he gets a better picture of where they’d fit in the internal lore of his mental world.

Sam: A lot like Nelson; Sam pictures case files, though his are a bit more in-depth.

Max: Max’s visions of people are highly personal and uncomfortable for those who witness them. He sees Nelson as a puzzle with a piece missing. Guybrush is a ripped up voodoo doll. Manny is a forgotten ofrenda. Eddie is a powder keg with a long, lit fuse. Sam is Sam, but he’s the wrong one.

I also got two questions that were pretty big subjects, or that I didn’t want to repeat, so I’m gonna cover them pretty broadly:

REGARDING [X] CHARACTER OR SERIES INCLUDED IN THE AU

Sure, I support it! I’ve gotten this question a few times in regards to things that I haven’t had time to delve into yet, or I’m not interested in, so I’m not going to include it into the AU myself. But if you want to explore an idea like that, feel free! This AU is pretty dang collaborative.

My main focus is just on the main 6 properties: Psychonauts, Puzzle Agent, Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Brutal Legend, and Sam & Max.

But my general rule of thumb for “characters that exist somewhere within the background of this story” are any other properties owned by Telltale, Lucasarts, or Double Fine. And considering all of the licensed games that Telltale was getting into before it kicked the bucket, that includes some really weird characters, even up to the Venture Bros. I loved that series, but I’m not really interested in doing anything with them for this story! Partly for my sanity, the canon I’ve picked are already a lot of content to play with. 

ASSORTED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WILDCARD AU DISCORD

There’s no particular criteria needed to join the discord, and it’s not strictly on a need-to-know basis! Because it’s been a long while since anyone has joined, I've been hesitant about adding new people in... But I‘ve decided to try sending invitations again! Everyone who had asked about it in the past will be getting a ping by me in about a day or so, since I want to double-check if you’re still interested. If you’ve been nervous to ask you can reply to this post or message me privately.

Some things to keep in mind before asking or accepting the invite:

If you’re not a friend or a follower I recognize, I will likely double-check your tumblr along with some other current members before sending the invite. 

Here’s the Rules page, so you know what to expect before you join: 

Be Mindful - Respect other people's boundaries, don't do or say things that would cross the line. If your behavior makes other people feel uncomfortable or unsafe, I will remove you from the chat. In most cases I will try to resolve things with you and offer a chance to do better, but that will depend on the severity of the situation. And if you have any concerns regarding another member of the chat, you can contact me privately.

Health Boundaries - While discussions of mental health do occasionally pop up, do not rely on the chat for help. None of us are equipped to handle serious mental health concerns, and it will only cause distress for everyone. Please seek real help if it is needed! If you rely on people beyond the point that they have asked you to stop, I will remove you from the chat.

NSFW - Generally speaking, try to keep NSFW talk to a minimum. Swearing and humor is fine, but don't get too explicit please! Discussions should usually keep to a PG-13 / occasional R, but no NC-17.

Spoilers & Censorship - Please use the spoiler function to hide story spoilers, as well as discussions and graphic depictions of gore/excessive blood/body horror/severe psychological horror. Include a content warning so that people know what they could potentially be seeing when they click on the censored content. If the spoilered content is the subject of a back-and-forth discussion, please use another warning when you are switching to a different spoilered topic. (Note that these rules were added to the chat later, so be careful when using the search function or back reading.)

The canon series involved with the Wildcard AU are Psychonauts, Puzzle Agent, Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Brutal Legend, and Sam & Max. Please be mindful of story spoilers!

Channel Organization - Also be mindful of which channel you're in and move a discussion over if need be! That way they don't get too clogged with unrelated info.

Creative Criticism - When it comes to writing, art, or character creation; try to be open to suggestions from others! Nearly all of the creative work in the chat is collaborative, so input from others is important! Creative criticism is not the same as judgement, and is not a personal attack.

Have fun! - Discussions move quickly in this chat! Don't feel bad if you ever need to step back, whether it's because of the speed or a disinterest in whatever current topic we're focusing on. If you ever want to come back, we're happy to have you and can give quick explanations if you feel out of the loop! :thumbsup:

We’re a group of approx. a half dozen to a dozen people, either posting very very quickly in a span of a few hours or barely anything for a few days. We’ve been in an activity uptick lately and there’s about a year and half of back content, too. If it’s hard to keep up on, not that interesting to read through, or you just have a hard time gelling with the group that's already there, there’s no shame in just lurking or dipping out if you need to.

We also talk a lot about Psychonauts OCs, so anticipate that.

[slickbackdani]

Batman Movie Villains Ranked from Worst to Best

Recently, a YouTuber I follow by the name of Mr. Rogues released a list of Batman villains ranked from worst to best. I have nothing but the utmost of respect for Mr. Rogues as a content creator, but I took issue with his list because his long-standing biases were often the deciding factor in many of his rankings. So, I decided to do a list of my own.

I’ll be going over every Batman villain to appear in the movies, briefly analyzing their portrayals and ranking them on a scale of 1 to 5. To prevent the list from being too cluttered, I’ll be separating the villains by which movie series they’re part of. Here we go!

Burton/Schumacher Tetralogy

Bane: Perhaps the only villain in this series I’d call “bad.” The calculating tactician of the comics is nowhere to be found here; instead, he’s reduced to a monosyllabic, brain-dead stooge for the other villains. Overall, he does nothing that couldn’t be done by a random henchman. 1/5

Two-Face: A deeply layered villain in the comics, Two-Face sadly gets upstaged by the other major rogue in the movie, but that’s not to say he doesn’t leave an impression. Tommy Lee Jones gives him a manic and mercurial demeanor that, combined with his colorful design, wouldn’t be out of place in the Adam West series. The size and scope of his criminal organization make him a genuine threat, and there’s something darkly fitting about Batman’s former ally being responsible for the creation of Robin. 3/5

Poison Ivy: Mr. Rogues for some reason ranked her as the worst Batman movie villain of all time, and frankly, I don’t see why. Like Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, Uma Thurman gives this character a delightfully over-the-top demeanor that combines with a colorful, comic-booky ensemble to make for another great “what-if-this-character-appeared-in-the-Adam-West-series” take. She does a good job juggling the differing facets of Ivy’s character: she’s the put-upon cynic, the craven opportunist, the radical eco-terrorist, and the suave seductress all in one package. 3.5/5

The Penguin: Fuck the Razzies. Danny DeVito made this role his own and set the stage for the character for years to come. He’s a bit of a departure, but a welcome one: far from the refined gentleman of crime Burgess Meredith portrayed, this Penguin is an animalistic thug warped by a lifetime of anger and hatred of the society who rejected him due to his deformities. His signature wardrobe, trick umbrellas, and Penguin gimmick are all there, but DeVito sells the role by showing amazing versatility: he can go from a comical and pitiable weirdo to a terrifying sociopath at the drop of a stovepipe hat. 4/5

Mr. Freeze: I honestly can’t say much about this character that my mutual @wonderfulworldofmichaelford hasn’t already. Arnold Schwarzenegger perfectly encapsulates both popular versions of this character: the flamboyant, pun-loving criminal genius from the Adam West series and the Animated Series’ traumatized scientist desperate to cure his loving wife of her terminal illness. Sure, the puns and hammy one-liners are what this version character is known for, but Ahnold definitely knows when to apply the brakes and give a greatly emotional performance as he tries desperately to cure his wife. 4.5/5

Max Shreck: Probably the only time you’ll see a movie-exclusive character on this list, and deservedly so. Corrupt businessmen are dime-a-dozen in Batman stories, and most of them have little personality outside of being greedy scumbags who either get defeated by the hero or betrayed by the other villains. Shreck, however, is different. Not only does he have an eye-catching fashion sense on par with any of Batman’s famous rogues, but Christopher Walken brings his signature manic intensity to the role, creating a character that’s as wicked and sinister as he is cool and stylish. You totally buy that the general public sees him as the good guy. His warm relationship with his son is also a delight to watch. 4.5/5

Catwoman: Michelle Pfeiffer does a lot to really make the character her own. She gets a lot of genuinely badass moments, but underneath all of her coolness lies the undercurrent that she’s a broken, traumatized character lashing out at the people who abused her and took her for granted. Even when she takes these ideals to unreasonable extremes, you never stop feeling like the retribution she brings on her enemies is at least a little warranted. Also, she has amazing romantic chemistry with Batman and her costume is fucking metal. 5/5

The Ridder: It’s Jim Carrey. 5/5

The Joker: This role is perhaps the one that set the standard for future Jokers to follow: Jack Nicholson’s humorous yet unnerving performance signaled to audiences early on that this would not be the goofy trickster of the Silver Age, but a different beast entirely. This Joker is a film noir gangster on crack: a disfigured mob hitman who quickly takes the entire criminal underworld by storm and unleashes his special brand of chaos and destruction across Gotham. He’s an artist, a showman, a charismatic leader, and the man responsible for ruining Bruce Wayne’s life. 5/5

Christopher Nolan Trilogy

Talia al Ghul: You know that recent trend in Disney movies where a side character we thought was harmless and inconsequential turned out to have been the villain all along in a twist with no buildup or foreshadowing with the reveal happening too late in the movie for this character to really do anything cool or impressive before being unceremoniously defeated? That’s Talia. DKR is the weakest of the three Nolan films, and I feel like it would’ve been much better received without this twist villain contrivedly shoehorned in. Also, while I could kinda forgive the trilogy’s whitewashing of other villains like Ra’s al Ghul and Bane due to the talent their actors display, Marion Cotillard doesn’t get a pass because she just doesn’t have the charisma or screen presence needed to pull it off. 1/5

Victor Zsasz: While the idea of redefining Zsasz as an over enthusiastic mob hitman instead of a serial killer is very interesting, it’s ruined by the fact that he barely even appears in the movie and doesn’t really do or say much of anything despite the buildup he gets. 1.5/5

Two-Face: Aaron Eckhart portrays Harvey Dent as a character of tragedy in a slightly different way than other tragic villains in superhero movies: he’s lashing out at a society he feels wronged him, but instead of being a lifelong outcast or put-upon loser, he was a handsome, successful crusader for the common good who lost everything he once held dear all in one fell swoop. You really feel for him even as he does horrible things. If I had to nitpick, though, I am slightly bothered by the fact that he plays some comic book movie cliches straight (i.e. they never call him by his alias and he dies at the end,) but it’s a solid performance overall. 3/5

Scarecrow: I’ll be upfront and admit that I’m more than a little annoyed that certain facets of the character had been changed in the name of “realism” — once again, they never call him by his villain name and he never wears a comic-accurate costume — but other than that, I can’t complain. Cillian Murphy plays the character with a smarmy, eerie charm that really makes his scenes stand out, his willingness to ally himself with other villains suits his character well, and the fact that he appears in three consecutive films with a different evil scheme in each really helps tie the movies together. 3.5/5

Catwoman: Much like other secondary villains in this trilogy, she really doesn’t get a chance to shine compared to the main antagonist — and, once again, it pisses me off a little that they do the whole “never refer to her as Catwoman but vaguely hint at it” thing — but she’s everything a modern Catwoman should be. She’s sly, manipulative, really holds her own in a fight, has great chemistry with Bruce Wayne... it’s all there. It’s also great to see Anne Hathaway break away from her usual type casting to play a role this dynamic. 4/5

Ra’s al Ghul: He’s a character that was in desperate need of mainstream exposure, and by God that’s what he got. Making him Bruce Wayne’s mentor adds a layer of personal tragedy to the climax where our hero has to stop the man who made him who he is from destroying Gotham with his admittedly brilliant plan. Add in a strong, captivating performance from Liam Neeson before we found out he was a racist asshole, and we’ve got one hell of an overarching villain. 4.5/5

The Joker: Everybody’s already discussed this version of the character to hell and back and likely will for years to come, so I’ll keep it very brief. He’s funny, he’s badass, he’s terrifying, he has great dialogue, it sucks that Heath Ledger didn’t live to see his performance reach the audience it got, and he basically makes the entire film. 5/5

Bane: Mr. Rogues actually ranked Bane higher than Joker on his list, and keeping it 100, I actually agree with him here. Finally, after decades of being dumbed down and misrepresented outside of comics, Bane is finally portrayed as the tactical genius from the comics. Tom Hardy plays Bane to perfection, being very believable as the peak of human physical and mental achievement, the man who broke Batman physically and emotionally. His design is iconic, his every line is quotable, his voice is weirdly fitting, and the memes are funny. 5/5

DC Extended Universe

KGBeast: Another point where I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Rogues. He is absolutely wasted in BVS, being nothing but a generic henchman for Lex Luthor. He doesn’t wear his costume from the comics, he’s never referred to by his alias, he doesn’t have his signature cybernetic enhancements, and he never does or says anything noteworthy. 1/5

The Joker: Ugh. I don’t know what’s worst: the tacky clothes, the stupid tattoos, the weird Richard Nixon impression that passes as his voice, the fact that promotional material hyped him up as a “beautiful tragedy” of a character even though he’s only in the movie for like 10 minutes and barely does anything, Jared Leto’s toxic edgelord behavior on set done with the flimsy pretense of “getting into character,” or the fact that he’s just trying to copy Heath Ledger instead of making the role his own. 1/5

Victor Zsasz: Chris Messina proves undoubtedly that Zsasz CAN work as a secondary villain in a Batman movie. He’s once again a mob assassin who enjoys his job a little too much, but unlike Batman Begins, he really gets time to shine. He’s just as sadistic and depraved as in the comics, but he also has this disarming, casual demeanor about him like he’s just indulging a hobby instead of slicing innocent people’s faces off. His close friendship with his boss Black Mask adds some depth to the character as well. 3/5

Killer Croc: Sadly, he doesn’t get much time in the spotlight, but he’s pretty cool nonetheless. The makeup and prosthetics used to create him look amazing, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s deep voice and imposing body language make him really stand out as an intimidating presence. He’s often in the background, which fits his role as an outcast by choice and a man of few words, but whenever he does get focus, he has everyone’s attention. It really would be a shame if this character’s only appearance was in a mediocre schlock action movie, but he makes the most of what he has. 3.5/5

Deadshot: Another highlight of what would otherwise be a forgettable film, Deadshot is just as cool and competent as he’s always been in other media, but this portrayal stands out for one simple reason. Will Smith was a very odd choice to play the role, but it worked out for the best here because you get the sense he truly understands the characters. He’s ruthless and pragmatic, but has just as enough charm and depth to make him likable. 4/5

Black Mask: I, like many, was skeptical when I saw early trailers depicting Roman Sionis as a foppish weirdo who doesn’t wear his signature mask, but upon seeing the final movie, I really feel like he has the high ground over other DCEU villains. Ewan McGregor is endlessly captivating in the role, portraying him as a swaggering dandy who is nevertheless dangerous due to his boundless narcissism and explosive temper. Sure, those who deal in absolutes would be put off from the differences with his comic counterpart — who is far more cold and humorless — but from a certain point of view, this flamboyant take on the character isn’t so much a departure as it is an addition to make him stand out while keeping his role the same. Black Mask has always been a middleman between the traditional mobsters of yesteryear and the colorful rogues that plague Gotham today, and this portrayal perfectly encapsulates that. He works in the shadows, but isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty; he flies off the handle and gets reckless at times, but there’s no question that the whole operation was his idea. 5/5

Harley Quinn: Margot Robbie owns this role. She’s unbelievably dazzling as a badass, funny, sexy antihero who deals greatly with tragedy and proves that there’s always been more to her than her initial role as the Joker’s sidekick. Again, not much to say, but she’s almost perfect. 5/5

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 64 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Violet was not pleased by Team Adult’s discussion about Courtney, and Katya tried to grit her teeth and smile through her anxiety.

This Chapter: Katya continues to fake it, Tati rescues Courtney from Team Adult, Bianca makes nice, and Violet finds joy with an old friend.

***

“Katya! How are you, girl?” asked Alexis, giving her a tight hug that smelled like sweet florals.

Even though Katya had barely worked in Fame’s office, the entirety of the Galactica staff absolutely loved her, the crew always welcoming her back with open arms ever since the first time Trixie brought her back, everyone delighted to see her.

“Hi! I’m good, how are you?” Katya replied, touching the ruffles of her dark red skirt, doing her best to keep the smile on her face. “Love this dress.”

Alexis looked at her for a long moment before tilting her head and lowering her voice, asking, “Are you okay?”

Katya bit back a sarcastic reply. After all, Alexis couldn’t have guessed that she was about the 40th person tonight to ask her that question. Katya was trying her best, she really was, but simply maintaining her sanity all week had been hard enough.

She just didn’t have the energy to be her usual effervescent self, and she knew it.

“I’m fine, just a little tired,” Katya shrugged, the words an absolute lie since she honestly felt exhausted. “You know, this time of year the six year olds are a bit out of control. Christmas cheer and all.”

Alexis laughed, patting her on the arm. “Well, bless you for taking care of the little monsters.”

When Alexis left a few minutes later, Katya felt a familiar arm wrap around her shoulders. “You know, if you want to leave early, we can.”

“That’s okay, sugar butt.” Katya turned around, placing a kiss on Trixie’s cheek, her fiancé wearing a sparkly silver tuxedo. “I know it’s important for you to bond with your team.”

“Yeah, but it’s even more important that you’re okay,” Trixie told her softly, holding her against his side, his voice low and full of concern.

“Have I told you today that you’re my favorite?”

“No…”

Katya wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him flush against her, Trixie immediately responding to her dominance. “How about this...you go chat up whoever you need to, and I’ll go prepare a sampling of every dessert they have...then we can meet back at that table in 10 minutes for a taste test?”

“Oh, you’re so on, baby.”

He gave her an enthusiastic high-five before scampering away, Katya smiling at his jaunty little walk. She’d been feeling so guilty for days now, wondering if she’d ever be enough for him. If she couldn’t handle kids, would he still be happy? She supposed there was no way to truly know for sure, and that thought plagued her like no other.

“Hey Katya. Are you okay?”

Katya closed her eyes, taking a brief moment to center herself before forcing a sunny smile and turning towards April’s voice.

***

The Galactica party was a lot more fun than Tati expected, everyone so much sweeter than she had hoped. She had bumped into Violet, the two of them actually talking this time, and Ivy had said hello to her earlier, Tatianna still beyond grateful for how kind the redhead had been to her at the holiday show. And then of course, there was the lovely Max, who had taken some photos for Tati’s portfolio after they’d met in September.

“Hi Max!” she exclaimed, greeting him with a bright smile. “It’s great to see you again!”

“Tatianna, hello!” Max said, gesturing for her to stop and pose in front of a big glittering Christmas tree, snapping a few shots of her, laughing as she hammed it up, giving him her best poses. “Well done.”

“I feel so honored to be in front of your camera again,” Tati said.

“Not for the last time, I hope.”

“Oh god, me too. I honestly can’t thank you enough for that session we had.”

“So they were useful then?” Max asked.

“You’re kidding, right?” Tatianna didn’t want to say that the simple photos Max had taken of her in his studio were a million times better than the meager gigs her agency had booked for her. It had been so much fun to shoot with him, Max guiding her with his calm voice and clear vision, the results speaking for himself even though Tatianna had just been doing what he asked. “They’re the best photos in my portfolio, hands down.”

“I know it’s tough when you’re starting out,” Max said, “But I’m sure you’ll find your niche; you’re very talented.”

“Thanks,” Tati said, hoping it wasn’t just something people said. It felt like she’d spent months pounding the pavement with little to show for it. Thank god for Courtney for getting her in with Galactica, because the holiday show had been her first major job for a real label, and she had her fingers crossed about walking for them during fashion week, hoping she’d done enough to prove herself.

She glanced towards Courtney once again, standing with Bianca and Miss Fame and what looked like a whole group of their high-roller friends, including the supermodel, Raven, who Tati still couldn’t believe she’d worked with. (Not that they’d exchanged two words, but even being in the same backstage area as her had been exciting.)

Tati knew that she should probably go over and say hi, but you couldn’t pay her to interrupt that group. Although from the look on Courtney’s face, she might have welcomed the interruption--poor girl looked stressed, clinging to Bianca’s hand for dear life.

Max followed her gaze, chuckling to himself. “Courtney’s new girlfriend is certainly a good person to know.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve met her before and I don’t think I left a very big impression. Although to be fair, she was real busy eye-fucking Courtney the whole time.”

Max laughed some more at that and said, “That sounds about accurate.”

Finally, Courtney glanced back in Tati’s direction, her eyes lighting up when she saw her. She leaned in, murmuring something into Bianca’s ear, then came bounding towards Tati, a relieved expression on her face.

“Augh, you look so fucking pretty!” Tati squealed, pulling Courtney in for a tight hug.

“Look who’s talking, golden goddess!” Courtney cried, taking her whole ensemble in, then turning to Max to add, “Hi Max, how are you?”

“I’m well, thanks,” Max said, picking up his camera again and snapping a shot of the two of them, Courtney on her tiptoes. “I should probably leave you ladies to catch up. Have a lovely evening.”

“Bye!”

“I love these shoes!” Tati said, spinning Courtney around.

“Thank you, they’re Bianca’s,” Courtney said, beaming up at her.

“So...how’s that all going? Are you having fun?”

“Tonight?” Courtney asked, smile fading, the look on her face betraying exactly how much fun she was not having. “Tonight’s been...interesting. I mean she’s amazing. And walking the red carpet together was just the most exciting moment of my whole life.”

“Aww…” Tati grinned, then asked, “...but?”

“But...her friends are...not quite in favor of it. I think they think she could do better.”

“Fuck them! You’re a goddamn catch.”

“Thank you,” Courtney giggled, then waved to someone excitedly. “Oh! There’s Alaska! She’s the best, she’s in charge of the makeup department and she told me they’re gonna be casting the next campaign in January. Let’s go say hi!”

“I love you…” Tati said, letting Courtney pull her over to a striking blonde woman in a blue gown with sky-high heels and even higher hair.

Tati stood up straight, hoping to make a good impression, but their exchange with Alaska was quickly cut short when a swarm of people flocked over to hammer Courtney with questions about her scandalous date.

“Are you guys actually a couple?”

“Is Miss Fame mad?”

“How long has it been going on?”

“Are the rumors true?”

Courtney laughed, taking the questions in stride and giving very diplomatic answers along with a few knowing winks, finally able to loosen up and have fun.

***

Shangela loved the annual Christmas party. Sure, it was a pain to put together, Fame’s attention to detail and demand for perfection almost impossible to keep up with, and yet, they managed it every single year, the result always worth it.

“Mmh!” Rita moaned, her eyes closed. “God, this gelato is magnificent!” The HR director was dressed in a sparkly blue suit, her hair twisted in a tight updo.

“Do you two want a room?” Jaida raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed, her white nails tapping against her brown skin. She was dressed in glittery royal purple, and looked like a million bucks.

“Do not be jealous of those of us who have chosen comfort over beauty,” Rita smiled, her accent coming out. “You might be skinny, but I, I have gelato.”

Shangela snorted, Jaida hitting Rita’s shoulder and leaning in for a taste.

“Guys!” Shangela looked out on the dance floor, Kiara standing there with her arms over her head decked out in sparkling gold, Laganja next to her in gorgeous yellow. “Get on out here!”

“Come on!” Laganja cupped her mouth, “or are you scared you can’t shake it?!”

“Ugh!” Shangela gasped, holding a hand to her chest. “Girl you did not just say that to my face! Move aside!”

***

Bianca loved her friends, but she knew how intense and judgmental they could be, and so she was glad to see Courtney finally having fun on the dance floor with Tati. She smiled slightly to herself, watching as Courtney twirled and laughed--the lowkey shade she’d gracefully endured earlier seemingly forgotten.

She turned back to the group, catching Fame’s eye and giving her what she hoped was her most charming smile. Fame narrowed her eyes slightly, lips pursed, and Bianca sidled up to her, putting an arm around her waist.

“So on a scale of 1 to 10...how mad are you?” Bianca asked softly.

“A 7.” Fame’s voice was cold, but she didn’t push on Bianca’s arms, didn’t try to wiggle out of her embrace.

“I’ll take that,” Bianca laughed, a moment of relief fluttering in her chest.

“You know I hate being blindsided,” Fame told her.

“I know, I know...but be honest. If I’d called you and told you that I was bringing her, what would you have said?”

“I’d have said the same thing I told you a month ago.” Fame looked at her, her blue-gray eyes filled with annoyance. “Absolutely not. Stay away from my staff, and for damn sure don’t bring them anywhere near a red carpet.”

“Exactly.”

Fame rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Bianca, but not making any move to get away from her gasp. She was definitely peeved, and wanted Bianca to know, but they’d be okay. And Bianca had no doubt that once her friends realized that her relationship with Courtney was serious--and even better, than it was making her so absolutely happy--they’d all get on board.

Bianca leaned in and pressed a kiss to Fame’s cheek, then inquired, “Still a 7?”

Fame gave her some side eye before admitting, “Maybe a six and a half.”

“Hey, progress!” Bianca said, clinking their glasses together, Fame not pulling away which Bianca took as another win. “That’s barely more than usual.”

“If you ever,” Fame pointed at Bianca, champagne twirling around in her glass, “pull something like this again,” Fame’s voice was firm and hard, a warning tone in it that left no room for arguments. “I might not be so forgiving.”

“So you’re saying don’t propose at your Spring runway show?” Bianca asked, a mischievous grin deepening her dimples.

“Bianca, that’s not funny,” Fame sighed, exasperation radiating from her and Bianca laughed, hugging her tight. “If I thought you’d still be together in February, you’d be on very thin ice right now.”

“Good one, blondie,” Bianca said. Given the circumstances, she decided it was better to let her have that one.

***

Courtney had never liked her coworkers more than tonight, on the dance floor. She was so used to seeing everyone in their serious, professional modes, but getting tipsy and a bit silly with them was a much-needed reprieve.

However, as much fun as it was, her eyes kept getting pulled towards Bianca, and her dimples, and the hand that was wrapped around her glass that Courtney wished was wrapped around her thigh. At one point, she glanced over to find Bianca gazing back at her, tingles rushing up her spine as their eyes met.

She smiled slowly, giving her best hair toss and bedroom eyes, hips moving in a slow, lazy circle. Then, for good measure, just to really hammer the message home, she took her fingers and slid them slowly up her thigh, lifting her skirt ever so slightly.

Bianca’s expression barely changed, but Courtney was watching closely enough to detect the slight quirk of her eyebrow, the smile tugging on her lips. She also saw Bianca’s eyes flick over to the exit, then back to her, and gave the faintest nod of agreement.

“Tati? Would you hate me if I took off?”

“What?” Tati yelled over the music, laughing as Bob took her hand and spun her in a circle. “No, go get laid, girl. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

And with one last air kiss, Courtney headed for the door, nearly skipping towards the exit.

Bianca took longer than her to extricate herself from her friend group, and by the time she made it out to the lobby, Courtney was already waiting, posed, leaning against a table covered in poinsettias.

Bianca threw open the door, striding towards her quickly, taking her face into her hands and kissing her hungrily. When she pulled away, she was already breathing hard, one hand wrapped around Courtney’s waist, the other tangled in her hair.

“Did you have fun in there?”

“It was alright,” Bianca murmured, lips trailing down her jaw. “Fuck, why didn’t I get a hotel room for us?”

“Um, because you live four blocks away?” Courtney ventured as her eyes fell closed.

“Four long, endless blocks,” Bianca moaned softly, fingers gripping her waist tighter.

“Come on…” Courtney giggled, pushing off from the table and heading for the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

***

“Uh!” Pearl’s eyes widened as she swallowed, an explosion of deliciousness in her mouth. She reached down, stabbing another piece of the passion fruit mousse on her fork. She had spotted Violet sitting by herself, her friend clearly not having a good time, so Pearl had done what any great bro would do, which was kidnap her, the two of them now tucked away in the darkest corner she could find.

“Try this one Vivi!”

“What?” Violet looked at her like she was crazy, a raspberry tart on her half of the plate and Pearl couldn’t help but laugh. Their legs were intertwined, the seat they had taken not nearly big enough for two adults. Pearl had grabbed them a plate of the teeny tiny desserts that had been put out, the treats resting on Pearl’s thigh and Violet’s skirt.

“Come on,” Pearl grinned, raising the fork, “Here comes the airplane.”

“You’re insane,” Violet laughed, the frown of her beautiful face completely gone.

“Open wide!” Pearl moved the fork forward, making an airplane noise, Violet hitting her hand to get it away from her face.

“Pearl!” Violet cried, outrage in her voice, even though she was still laughing, their plate almost toppling over, Pearl popping the bite in her own mouth.

“I’ll get you next time.” Pearl wiggled her brows, swallowing the mousse down.

“Please,” Violet sounded exasperated, but she was adorable when she was upset, Pearl knowing few things that were more fun than ruffling Violet’s feathers. Pearl was just about to go for Violet’s raspberry tart, stealing it a surefire way to get into another play fight, when she saw light coming out of Violet’s clutch.

“Umh, Vivi?” Pearl pointed to the ground, “Your bag is glowing.”

“Shit!” Violet’s eyes widened, and she lunged for her clutch, nearly tipping over the plate as she fished her phone out.

***

“Fuck!” Courtney exclaimed, Bianca all but hurling her onto the bed, her dress tossed to the floor the second they’d stepped off the elevator.

Courtney was already on edge from the ride home, Bianca driving her absolutely nuts in the backseat of the town car, sucking wet kisses into her neck, toying with the little decorative buttons on the front of her panties. She sprawled on the bed, legs danging over the side, looking up wild-eyed at Bianca standing above her, tugging her down by the skirt.

“Please, B...”

“Please what, angel?” Bianca asked, flashing her a wicked smirk as she slowly knelt down between her legs.

“I...I…”

“I love these practical undies,” Bianca said, fingers trailing over the edge of Courtney’s gray, boy-cut panties. She dipped her head, teeth pulling at the little buttons, the pressure against Courtney’s clit even better than it had been in the car, immediately making her grasp the covers in her fists.

“I love seeing you all wet like this, baby.” Bianca nuzzled into the front of her panties, then began to kiss down her thigh.

“So wet,” Courtney echoed, thrusting her hips up, begging, “Take them off, please.”

Bianca pressed one more kiss to her inner thigh, then began to slide her panties down. She let go of the covers, hands going to her tits, playing with her nipples to release some of the pressure building up in her abdomen.

“In a hurry?” Bianca teased, lips ghosting over her.

“I need…”

“What do you need, angel? Tell me,” Bianca urged, nibbling gently on her thigh, mouth moving higher. “Tell me.”

“You tongue…” she whined, not caring how needy and strung-out she must have seemed.

“Uh huh...where?” Bianca licked her, so gently she thought she might scream, right at the crease of her thigh.

Courtney let out an impatient, strangled moan, pinching her nipples hard, hips rolling faster now. She could feel Bianca’s hot breath against her, and all she wanted was that mouth, that tongue, but words were failing her. The only thing she could manage was a gasping litany of, “Please please please please…”

It seemed to work, though, Bianca swirling a tongue over her, finally, strong hands holding her shaking legs apart. Her body responded fully to every generous touch, arching up, whimpers turning soon to full-throated moans.

***

“You know,” Sutan reached out, closing the cab door, Violet’s crutches against his chest as the car pulled out, juggling everything while tipsy a huge pain. “I can’t wait for these,” Sutan moved his arm, the crutches clacking, “to be obsolete.”

It had taken forever to find Violet, her phone going to voicemail the first three times he had tried it, and while he wasn’t proud of it, it had taken a few deep breaths not to panic.

Apparently, the vibration on it had died months ago, the fact that he had a 23 year old girlfriend who actually had the sound turned on on her phone in her everyday life deeply bizarre.

“I’m sorry that me getting around is such a huge inconvenience for you.” Violet was leaning back into the seat, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I’ll tell my broken bones to hurry up.”

Sutan realised how stupid he had just been, Violet’s struggle so much grater than the hassle he felt.

“Sorry.” He went for an apologetic smile, hoping it was clear on his face that he meant it. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“Mmh?” Violet looked over at him, and Sutan put her crutches down against the window, hoping that they’d stay in place.

“Yes mmh.” He moved closer, their driver ignoring them completely as his hand touched Violet’s knee, his arm sneaking around the back seat, boxing her in. “Can you forgive me?”

“Hmm,” Violet hummed, the sweet lavender scent that had become synonymous with her filling his nose, the prettiest blush dusted over her cheeks. “I’ll consider it.”

“Good,” Sutan grinned, “because I am very, very, very sorry.”

“Oh god,” Violet rolled her eyes, a chuckle leaving her. “You absolute idiot.” She reached out, putting her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss, their lips touching as Sutan pressed her against the car door, their trip home a lot more interesting now.

***

“Go go go go!” Alaska laughed, clapping her hands together as Kandy and Ivy slammed back shots. Most of the non-staff guests had left by then, staying once the cameras had disappeared not that interesting. It was, of course, the best part of the night, as the lights went down and the bass turned up.

“Yeees!” Alaska cheered as Ivy finished the 5th shot and slammed the glass down seconds before Kandy.

“Everybody!” Shangela grabbed Ivy’s hand, “We have a winner!” She thrusted it into the air, making everyone laugh, and Alaska felt like she was flying high.

She grabbed her vodka soda, looking around the room, only just spotting Kim Chi who was bent over  a couch, drawing a moustache with lipstick on Amy who had passed out. As their boss, Alaska had a fleeting concern, wondering if she should intervene, but then shrugged, realizing how hilarious it was, and turned back to Shangela to take another shot.

[lovemesomesurveys]

[-morelikeher]

Do you think love is worth fighting for? Usually, yes.

What’s your full name? Stephanie is all you need to know.

Has someone ever broken up with you with the line “it’s not you, it’s me?” Yeah, that’s essentially what they said.

Do you think you have to put yourself before others? I tend to put others before myself. I’ve neglected myself in a lot of ways. :/

Do you flirt a lot? No. It’s been years since I’ve even attempted to.

Would it be accurate if I said that you are a smoker? Nope.

Are you lost, emotionally? I really do feel that way.

How loud are your speakers? Currently, they’re about halfway.

Do you like mexican food? Yeah.

Do you wish you could fly? It’d be cool.

Maybe some lyrics? Maybe not.

Ever let someone down? Oh, I’m great at that. I continuously let myself down as well.

Ever been let down? If so.. it sucks, doesn’t it? Yep.

How come we are bombing for peace? I don’t know.

Do you believe the myth that the world will end in 2012? Well, here we are in 2021.

Do you party hard? Do you party at all? I don’t party at all.

Have you ever had chocolate muffins? Yeah.

Do you have a MySpace? I honestly don’t know if my account still exists. It’s been over a decade since I’ve logged on. Is Myspace even still around? I’m too lazy to check.

Do you know anyone with the name Bob? How about Joe? Fred? Bill? Ryan? Nope to all of those.

Are you currently in love? No.

Do you have your own banking account? Yeah.

How many fingers am I holding up? 5.

Do you like rap music? Yeah, some.

Have you ever boxed someone? No.

Do you know how to vogue? I know some of the moves.

What color phone do you want? I’m fine with the phone that I have now, thanks.

Do like falling asleep in someone’s arms? I haven’t done that since I was a kid to be honest.

Do you drink? No, I haven’t drank alcohol in almost 10 years.

Are you honestly over your ex? Yep. That’s been over for a very long time now.

What’s the area code for your phone number? I am not sharing that.

Ever watched porn? It’s not my thing.

How many text messages do you receive a day? I don’t receive texts everyday for one. It really just varies, but it’s not much. 

Have you ever made someone your everything? Something like that.

Do you brush your teeth as much as you’re supposed to? I do twice a day.

What song do you think is the sweetest of them all? There’s several.

Do you believe in teenage love? Have you ever experienced it? I didn’t personally experience it, but many people talk about their high school sweethearts and there’s a lot who end up staying together.

Have you ever been in a near death situation? Yes, twice.

Love or money? If we’re talking romantic love, at this point in time I’d honestly take the money.

What time is it? 9:58PM.

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? Me.

Did you watch Sesame Street when you were little? I did.

Do you watch Degrassi? It’s been awhile, but yeah I’ve watched it entirely a few times.

Are you usually involved in drama? Nope.

Do you like drama? Sometimes, when it’s not about myself. <<< 

What’s your favorite smiley? :)

If your life was a book, what would be the title? I don’t know.

Have you ever been cheated on? Doesn’t it suck? I haven’t been.

What’s your name? Stephanie.

Favorite color? Pastels, rose gold, sea foam green, coral, and yellow.

What is the theme song to explain your whole life? I don’t knowwww.

Do you have a doctor’s appointment next Thursday? I actually do.

Cell phone? I have an iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Relationship status? Single.

Sexual orientation? Straight.

Do you burn CDs for your friends? I haven’t burned a CD in several years.  

Do you smile when you see the person you fell hardest for? Why or why not? I don’t have those kinds of feelings for him anymore and I haven’t even seen or talked to him in years.

How often do you laugh? Not much these days. :/

Do you have a pair of them Jelly Headphones? No.

Poker, your opinion? I’ve never played.

Who do you talk to the most? My mom.

Have you ever lost someone that was extremely close to you? Yes.

Do you cry because it’s over or smile because it happened? Depends on the situation, I’d say. <<< 

What brand computer do you have? I have a MacBook Air.

Can you get on here from your cell? Yes, I have the Tumbr app. I don’t like using it, though.

Night on the town or at home watching movies? Home watching movies.

Do you like The Notebook? I actually haven’t seen it. 

How often do you listen to music? Is it a huge part of your life? I’ve hardly listened to music at all so far this year, it’s really weird.

Do you like the smell of Sharpie’s? Nooo, they give me a headache.

Windows Classic or Windows Vista? I’m a mac gal.

Do you like saying the word whatever? How about when people say it to you? It’s word I use sometimes, yeah? It depends on the context in which they’re saying it. Like, I don’t like it in a dismissive way.

[nose-bandaid]

bloom ✿ pt.7 — lily of the valley

Kino (Hyunggu) x (female) Reader | flower shop AU

march 8 lily of the valleys - sweetness, humility, trust, a return to happiness

introduction | part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | part six | part seven | epilogue

taglist: @yunwoo​ <3

=====

“Lillies of the Valley~”

You smiled softly at the small dainty flowers sitting in the vase in front of you. It was a beautifully simple bouquet meant for a wedding that was happening tomorrow. All that was left to do was to write down the couple’s names on the card, one of your favourite parts of completing orders. It just allowed you to give that personal touch to it. Something to claim the work as yours.

The last week had gone pretty well for you, much to your surprise. When you went out for coffee with Seungkwan, you ended up spilling about everything that had been happening for the past few weeks. And honestly, you felt much better now that you had a friend to talk to. Getting all your messy feelings out let you clear your head and having some time away from Hyunggu let you sort out your thoughts. Or at least try to. Your heart hadn’t seem to understand the idea of letting go yet, and your thoughts kept on drifting to him.

The stock of daisies that came in yesterday? All you could think of was how he always coordinated his outfits to fit his sweet aesthetic so perfectly. When someone asked you about the lilacs over the phone? It reminded you of the fact that the small (now dried up) flower still sat at the bottom of the pocket on your bag, all alone.

It felt a little dumb to still like him, but did your heart care? It clearly didn’t.

Today was good though, it was just you and Joshua managing the store and you worked on the orders at a comfortable pace. Now that the traffic in the shop had died down since Valentine’s Day, you were happy to have more time to yourself at work. It also meant that you could play some of your own choice of music while working, which was another plus. One can only take so much mainstream music on a daily basis.

“Hey y/n, your man is here.”

You almost dropped the flowers to the ground at Joshua’s words. “I’m sorry, who is?”

“Not really sure, but he came in a couple days ago looking for you and then left when I told him you didn’t have any shifts.”

That really got your attention. “What does he look like?”

“Uh,” He stuck his head out the door to take another look. “Average height, high cheekbones, damn that jawline, very flowery looking—ooh I like his bag.” He returned to the room. “You should tell him to work here, he fits right in.”

“Oh my god, is it Hyunggu?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know his name, but you should probably go out and talk to him, he seems worried.”

You didn’t really want to go. Just when things were going so well, why did he suddenly decide to visit? Shoving your work aside, you got up with a sigh. Joshua already exposed the fact that you were working today, so you didn’t really have a choice but to go out. While you could just continue on with your work, you weren’t mean enough to simply refuse to see him.

When you walked into the front, you easily spotted Hyunggu standing at the counter, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He didn’t seem to notice you until you were standing right in front of him, and you tapped the table twice to grab his attention.

“Oh! H-hi.” He mustered a smile.

“Hello.”

You stood there awkwardly, waiting for him to speak.

“Uh... I guess it’s kinda weird for me to just show up randomly, but I wanted to talk to you about...” His words trailed off as he eyed the other customers watching him from afar. When he brought his attention back to you, he caught you staring at him expectantly and his composure crumbled. Letting out a sigh, he leaned on the table and rested his head on his hands.

“Haha, fuck.”

His sudden profanity shocked you a little. You never really expected such a sharp turn from his usual sunny, innocent disposition.

“Hey, calm down. Are you okay?”

You wanted to pat him comfortingly, but your hands hesitated and your brought them back to your side.

He raised his head and looked at you with pleading eyes. “Can we talk somewhere in private?”

You looked around the shop, as a public place, there really wasn’t anywhere for you be hidden from the curious glances in your direction. And bringing him to the back wouldn’t be the best idea out there.

“Josh?” You called out.

Your co-worker looked up from the papers he was writing on. “Yeah?”

“Will you be alright if I took my break right now? It’ll be like 20 minutes max.”

He gave a reassuring look and waved for you to go. “Yeah, no problem, go ahead.”

Turning to Hyunggu you nodded your head towards the door. “Let’s go grab a cup of coffee.”

You didn’t say a word to each other on the way to the cafe, and he was consistent in staying a few steps behind you. When you arrived, you let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t so crowded and compared to the flower shop, at least everyone was more focused on minding their own business. Going up to the counter, you approached a familiar face.

“Hey Jun.” You grinned.

The boy shrugged his shoulders as he waved with sheepish smile, an endearing habit of his that you’ve come to notice.

“Y/n I don’t usually see you here at this time. The usual?”

“Yep, plus a green tea latte for Josh.” 

“Sure thing. Oh, and speaking of Joshua, could you relay a message to him for me?” He asked after writing down your orders onto their respective cups.

“Which is?”

Putting the cup down, Jun pulled down his eyelid and stuck out a tongue, letting out a small mleghh sound. “That’s it, thank you very much.” He looked over at Hyunggu. “And what can I get you, sir?” 

“Uh, I’ll just have a mocha. Small.” He held his hand out to stop you from paying for the drinks. “I’ll pay for this, don’t worry.” He said timidly.

Taking a step, you nodded a little. “Thanks.” 

You waited for the drinks in silence, and then sat in your seats, only to stare into your drinks for a while.

“I guess I should probably apologize for the past few weeks first.” He finally spoke up, his eyes hesitantly leaving the comfort of his cup to stare into yours.

“I mean, if I were in your position, I’m not really sure what I would do either.” You tried, but he shook his head.

“But still, it was wrong for me to just disappear like that. And I didn’t mean to act that way the last time I saw you, I just got really nervous because of what Hongseok said to you on the phone and I was also supposed to, uh...” He opted to take a sip of his mocha instead of finishing his sentence.

“Supposed to what?” You gently pressed.

Hyunggu ran his hand through his hair profusely before speaking. “I wanted to ask you out on a date, but what I gathered on that day was that you’re already taken so I ended up chickening out for the second time and things just didn’t—”

“Woah, woah, wait. Taken? What made you think that?”

He blinked and looked at you owlishly. “O-oh I just thought that you, you know, your co-worker, you called him ‘boo’ and all, and the way you acted I just thought—”

Now it was your turn to interrupt him. “You mean Seungkwan? As in like, Boo Seungkwan?”

“Boo... Boo Seungkwan?” He repeated, a little lost.

“Hyunggu,” You let out a small giggle. “His last name is Boo, that’s my nickname for him, we’re just friends.”

He buried his face in his hands. “Oh my god that’s kinda embarrassing, I’m so sorry. To both you and him, that’s such a stupid misunderstanding.”

As disappointing as it was to learn that you were both let such little worries get into your way, you were glad that it wasn’t something terrible like how you anticipated. Maybe you guys still had a chance. You decided to take that risk.

“It’s alright, I guess it’s pretty easy to have that misunderstanding, I never really thought about it that way. But let me ask you a question of my own.”

He sat straight up, shifting in his seat a little. “Yes?”

“The rose. It was more than just a kind gift right?”

“Ah... yeah I can’t really deny it. The guy who texted you—that’s who I meant when I said Hongseok by the way—probably made everything obvious right?”

“I mean, you were kind of obvious too, but also not...” You shook your head. “I don’t know, I just can’t read you. You’re naturally such a friendly person and sometimes the intentions of your actions are a little too ambiguous. Or at least, for me they are.” You sat back in your seat. It took a while for him to respond.

“Yeah, I was supposed to ask you out, but I didn’t. And I guess, I’m also asking you out now? Give me a chance to take you on a date at least?”

You tiled your head out of amusement at that.

“If you’re still up to that after everything.” He quickly added. “I’d like to get to know you better, without, er, lots of things getting in our way.”

“Sure, I’m still up to that.” You smiled when you saw his elated expression and glanced at your phone. “I should probably go now, but I do appreciate you coming to talk with me.”

“No, no, no.” He shook his head. “I should be the one thanking you. For everything.

“It’s all good, let’s talk later okay? Give me the details, and I’ll be expecting a reply this time.” You added playfully.

“Yes,” He smiled softly into his hands before looking up at you. “You will get all the replies from me.”

After exchanging your goodbyes and telling Hyunggu that no, he did not have to thank you again for everything, your parted ways at the intersection. He insisted that he walk you back, but you went against it—he was going in the opposite direction, and the trip back wasn’t that long at all. 

You walked with a little bounce in your steps as your mind drifted back to the lilies of the valley. A return to happiness, that’s what they’re most known for, and to be honest, you thought that was pretty accurate. Opening the door, you thought to yourself that maybe the bouquet was a sign. A sign that things would — and they did — get better.

“You have that face again.”

You stopped in your tracks and saw Joshua smirking. He was probably trying to look cool while he said that but you thought he looked pretty stupid holding the bright yellow children’s watering can.

“Care to elaborate?” You asked, as you handed him his latte.

“You know, the one that says ‘AAAAA I got a date!’ I’m certain this time.”

You folded your arms. “Well, I can’t say you’re wrong.”

“Y/n’s got a date?”

You both turned towards the new voice to see Seungkwan entering the shop, some grocery bags held loosely in his hands.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” Joshua stated as he checked the schedule on the wall next to him.

Seungkwan dismissed his comment. “I know, I just had to pick something up, but don’t ignore me.” He looked at you. “You got a date?”

Suddenly feeling the embarrassment of all the attention creeping up to you, you nodded your head meekly. “Yep! Haha.”

“Was it that guy, uh, his name was Hyunggu right?”

You nodded again.

“Well, okay, one. I am very happy for you.” He accentuated his point with a finger. “Two, if this guy ever hurts you in some way ever again, I swear I’m going to come after his ass so don’t hesitate to tell me okay?”

Both you and Joshua laughed at his protective proclamation “He’s sweet, I promise. There was just some misunderstanding along with some... very unfortunate timing. But he’s a good person.”

“Alright then...” Walking over to snatch his small pouch on the counter, he backed out into the door. “But my point still stands.” He kept eye contact with you for as long as he could, before finally disappearing.

As you watched him leave, you shook out head and let out a happy sigh.

“Ah, I love him.”

“Who? Boo or Hyunggu?”

“Shut up, you know what I mean.”

“How am I supposed to know what you mean? I’m not a mind reader. I am simply a florist, all I do is wake up and water flowers and pretend like I know what I’m doing.”

“Please you’re not even good at pretending like you know what you’re doing.” You scoffed back.

“Glad you’ve caught onto that y/n!”

When your laughs finally died down, you pulled yourself together to get back to your abandoned work. As you headed towards the bouquet, you heard Joshua take off the lid for his drink, and you suddenly remembered your promise.

“Oh yeah, and Josh?”

“Mhm?”

You placed a finger underneath your eye and stuck out your tongue as far as you could. “Jun says mleghh.”

=====

AKHFSDKJ AY THAT WAS THE LAST PART:D

thanks for sticking all throughout this series i acc love you guys sm and i hope you enjoyed it;)

there will be an epilogue hehe! that i started writing before even writing these last few parts uh 

so please look forward to one last update on this series!

~ tiny

[chal-lelerc]

ok so like. here’s my harry potter house thing. i’m ngl i tried to do this but then i deleted it bc it was getting too long and i didn’t have the attention span but. it kept sticking in my brain so i decided to pick it back up and as such, i’ve lost the original post but it was a quarantine activity (sort drivers into houses, assign quidditch positions, explain) posted by @verstappened​. houses done first, then positions, then explanations for both. i tried to make feasible teams, i.e making sure there arent too many of a single position per house, so this really screwed some of the sorting but oh well.

i did the houses first, then positions, then explanations in that order for the most part.

5/13/20: the sorting was mostly done before i heard all the differing opinions (of which there were many!)

5/19/20: alright so this is literally like 2 months old but i’ve just finished it lolol

Lewis Hamilton:

Slytherin: THE GLORY MAN. the aloof kind of superiority, confidence, is top dog, he’s simply the pinnacle of it all. kind of lethal and doesn’t do the whole ‘looking up to others’ things (outwardly, but he seems very soft on the inside tbh). very majestic and is almost a gryffindor, the kind of slytherin that Merlin is. hard-working, got here from incredibly humble beginnings, which kind of stands out from the rest, but he’s clearly now at the top level of society. still very protective of Others. scarily ambitious. Was originally a gryffindor but I wanted the brits to be in different houses for their quidditch positions to work. Could honestly go either way though.

Seeker: more glory. periodt. he stays winning and scoring the most points. clutch-man. Speedy boy, kind of in a different world than everyone else when competing (he’s always at the front lifetimes away from everyone else lmao. playing a diff game.)

Valtteri Bottas:

Hufflepuff: HE SEEMS. LIKE. A. BIG. CHILD. always relegated and brushed off but is literally God-Tier and no one can convince me otherwise. i consider him to be rather reliable (reflecting only the 2019 season at least lmao). a bit of a vindictive streak bc he knows what he’s Capable Of even when others underestimate him. has a very bright smile.

Beater: have u seen him. he’s a big boy even though he’s 5′8 and only an inch taller than lando norris he seems bigger than he is ok

Charles Leclerc:

Slytherin: this bitch. what a snake. hiss hiss.

Chaser: he wants what lewis hamilton has but chose the wrong position. still a star in his own right. pride and joy of his house, will be at the lead of every formation play unless told otherwise by his head of house, to which he will brood and complain ab but comply in the end bc he wants Team Success and loyalty to his Family. scores the most points on the team and people act like he carries even though he literally has a partner(s).

ok but fr my gut said charles is a slytherin (do i really need to explain why? very critical, doesn’t accept inferiority, somehow succeeds. just a feeling his brain seems to fit motorsport politics well), but i was seriously contemplating whether he’d be a gryffindor to max’s slytherin instead. but then i saw someone mention the whole lion schtick and i was like for all of max’s brattiness he is Gryffindor so sharl is snake. sorry don’t make the rules just follow them.

further edit: this was written before he started streaming (this is how old this draft is) and can u believe him he’s the epitome of the “not all slytherins r evil wenches” idea

Sebastian Vettel:

Ravenclaw: idk for all of Seb’s goofiness he just seems cerebral to me. Seems to know mildly irrelevant facts and is really quite smart however is hopeless in the modern age. Kind of that wise old(er he’s not that old) man knowledge. I’d trust him to give me all the life advice I need but also to write a 10 page essay on the nuances of the effect of emotion on verbal language (which we all know he is very experienced with).

Keeper: it’s the protective Dad Power.

Max Verstappen:

Gryffindor: WAS REALLY GONNA PUT HIM IN SLYTHERIN BC HE’S A NASTY LIL SHIT. TOTAL BRAT. GIVES FUCK ALL WHAT OTHERS SAY. BUT HE IS LION AND LION IS HE SO GRYFFINDOR IT IS. also just bc he needs to oppose sharl in every way possible it’s called Poetic Cinema. also his driving style is clearly the bravery and confidence to the point of recklessness that is prevalent among gryffindors.

Chaser: again, he must oppose Charles. so, not a seeker although he’s clearly singularly the most prized competitor. just like Charles, pride and joy of house, their star chaser. the comparisons never end. the competition never ends. the fighting never ends. one of the most interesting and dynamic performers to watch, is predictable in that he’s not predictable except that he will always be aggro to the max. will always be in trouble for getting rough bc that’s Not His Job but that’s just the gryffindor disregard for rules. master point scorer.

Alex Albon:

Gryffindor: was really a toss up btwn this and Hufflepuff but the ultimate deciding factor was the fact that I wanted all the British Boys to be seekers. he really just sticks it out as max’s teammate like a real one (nothing against max, everything against Helmet Merco) for the good of the team, still is sweet with max anyway. fitting that they’re in the same house too.

Seeker: he’s not the small boy that lando and lewis are but he is (thai/)British. very special boy (big ups on the promotion even tho it was Sad Times for Pear) deserves very special job. also he has a hot girlfriend (alex albon who i only know lily he’s boy toy) idk how that’s relevant but it seems fitting.

Carlos Sainz:

Ravenclaw: bc he’s a spaniard but is still better at english than Lando (i think everyone is tbh). Seems to be a quiet type of smart, sensible, but perhaps this is just the consequence of being compared to Lanno at all times LMAO (no hate all love bby Lannd). would be the type of ravenclaw to follow his friends on absolutely idiotic ventures but would step in to prevent near death or likely-legal-problem causing actions (and only then; otherwise it’s every man for themselves and everyone is free to make a fool of themselves and break some laws. carlos may dabble in such practices.)

Chaser: seems to be a go-getter, not going for points doesn’t even cross his mind. will always be the one driving up the pitch, the strategist of sorts bc he seems big(ger) brain (than lando lololol).

Edit: I wrote this part ab him long ago but this entire section of this post is now irrelevant and canceled.

Lando Norris:

Hufflepuff: you all know why. zero explanation needed. like, none.

also has a bit of an aggressive streak which tends to catch ppl off guard. is not afraid to confront u (hello pageNO) and at times defies the hufflepuff stereotype of being perpetually happy go-lucky (he has his bad days!). but when with His True Crew he is absolutely a hufflepuff ball of energy.

Seeker: small and speedy. energetic to the max. small. quirky and different from the rest, so he gets the special job. small. everyone would kill to protect him. small.

Daniel Ricciardo:

Gryffindor: AW I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE THAT I PUT HIM AND MAX TOGETHER. LOOK I EVEN MADE THEM BOTH CHASERS. AH HOW BIGBRAIN MY MIND IS. everything ab dan is gold. golden skin, the colors in redbull and renault, his smile, just the vibes. he’s just got the enthusiasm and charisma and this intensity of a gryffindor. super aggressive, his late breaking (from his rbr at least) is legendary and maddening with how he pulls it off. is almost a hufflepuff but the gut said no.

Chaser: is Max’s teammate. so yeah. was obviously the star until younger max came to the show. a bit lost in limbo bc of it but they still work well together.

literally want to make him a hufflepuff so. bad. but i couldn’t split up maxiel. also his vibe is just different from other ‘puffs like stroll so.

Esteban Ocon:

Slytherin: ask max.

Chaser: being characterized off of their relationship with max seems to be a theme here. will go head to head with max w/ absolutely zero shits given. talented, but the rivalry with max is entirely secondary to charles imho. still yet to show his full potential but is still quietly a thorn in max’s side. many are interested to see what he is able to do in the immediate future.

Pierre Gasly:

Hufflepuff: GUYS HE WANTS TO OWN A PANDA

Chaser: constantly trying to prove himself and score big boy points. had a stint as seeker until lando came along. did not do as well as ppl had hoped, returned to chaser and proceeded to crush it from there. praticed a lot with charles as children (the friendship dynamic w/ their houses was definitely unforseen but is amazing).

Daniil Kvyat:

Hufflepuff: really wanted to make him a slytherin but the quidditch positions didn’t work out. firmly believe this works though. more of the rough and tumble type, definitely the kind that will sock u in the nose if u write off hufflepuffs as a joke. could honestly probably be a gryffindor too with how unapologetically aggressive he can be in the name of His Beliefs. gives me big dumb himbo vibes now that i think ab it tbh which is mostly the justification here. also he has a child omg.

Chaser: but the one that’s always headbutting bludgers out of the air (torpedo bitches). also had a stint as seeker before but it Was Not His Thing. he’d much rather be chasing and throwing things than seeking things. also he’s pierre’s mate :,) would’ve been a beater but romain and valtteri will not be anything else so daniil took the boot whoops.

Sergio Perez:

Slytherin: it’s just the vibe. knows his weaknesses and is able to make up for it with his confidence and talent in his strengths. very ambitious, plays the right cards at the right times to get the right results. something ab him puts me on edge, but like in a good way; i feel like there’s always a trump card up his sleeve, like when he gets to q3 out of fucking nowhere in a racing point.

Keeper: he gives me the same vibes as seb idk what it is. very dependable, backbone of his team.

Lance Stroll:

Hufflepuff: guys have u seen the guy. he’s just here to have a good time. may seem a bit airheaded at times but he means well 99% of the time. untapped potential. seems like a no thoughts head empty canadian hockey boy (and every one of these types is a hufflepuff don’t fight it); may or may not be the only accurate description of him.

Chaser: he’s just trying his best out here. i

KEEPER?: SO I DID A QUICK GOOGLE AND HE USED TO BE A HOCKEY

GOALIE?????

so scratch my initial thoughts (tbh i didn’t really know where to put him and i originally had romain as keeper but that’s an issue to fix later on now) BECAUSE LANCE STROLL IS A keeper GOALIE AND NO ONE CAN REFUTE THIS. ABSOLUTELY NO HUMAN OF THIS EARTH. WHAT GLORIOUS INFORMATION TO STUMBLE ACROSS.

Kimi Raikkonen:

Slytherin: guys i really don’t have an in depth analysis of this but i don’t think iceman needs one.

Beater: see above^. y’all must get the vibe.

tbh could also be a keeper tho similar energies to seb and checo, but honestly his no fucks given attitude is ultimately what swayed me

Antonio Giovinazzi:

Gryffindor: he just has that majestic quality (that could also fit a slytherin but i only see red when i see antonio). look at that lion’s mane. also he’s one of kimi’s to paddock friends? seems fitting that he’s a gryffindor to kimi’s slytherin.

Chaser: plays second fiddle to the duo that is max and daniel, often regulated to vibing on the side. but he’s there and he’s important and he has potential (i’ve been seeing ppl talking ab a ferrari move and i’m positively shaken). [edit: again, this post is old.]

im sorry its glaringly obvious idk much about him asdfjasldkd

Kevin Magnussen:

Slytherin: guys lots of these are just self explanatory sorry if i seem like im taking the cheap way out but it’s fact. brundle and crofty call him a great white shark for crying out loud.

Beater: unapologetically chaotic. lurking around the edges making people feel hunted. spends more time playing baseball in the middle of the matches than quidditch and sometimes it backfires but it’s good fun and it sometimes works.

Romain Grosjean:

Hufflepuff: y’all he’s such dad energy and he likes to cook. gets written off a lot but he actually cares (he’s a part of the grand prix drivers assoc.!). he seems so wholesome and he spends time with his kids and their school work when he can do u feel those water drops yeah those r my tears.

Beater: i really wanted to make him a slytherin beater to make him teammates with k-mag but he’s just. not a slytherin. but i kept the beater part. spends the majority of the hufflepuff v. slytherin matches sending bludgers kevin’s way even when he doesn’t mean to. it’s always reciprocated.

George Russell:

Ravenclaw: I’VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I’LL SAY IT AGAIN THIS KID. is so marvelously well spoken and he just has such a simple yet effective way with words. he knows what’s reasonable to expect but never fails to expect the most that he can given his circumstances. again, mentioned this before but a lot of it is his accent. the glottal stop is a historically stereotypically rural (i.e. “uneducated”) thing but I’m American and I Don’t Listen to the Rules, so the accent just makes him seem so sophisticated to me especially when he’s saying things like “horriiiiiiiific” and presenting his hefty powerpoints.

Seeker: my British Boys Are Seekers headcanon continues. definitely a Golden Boy of the team kind of guy (hello tragic dumpsterfire that is williams :/ ).

Nicholas Latifi:

Hufflepuff: same boat as lance. his twitch streams are so wholesome he’s just chilling man. twitter made me write him off as daft and unnecessary at first but like fuck twitter i’m all here for ninky latvia now.

Chaser: lowkey gives me keeper vibes as well? the sensible, level-headedness. but obvs that’s lance so chaser it is. still the level-headedness that helps him hold down the fort btwn pierre and daniil who can tend to get a bit imaginative, and also the energies of them + lando.

5/19/20: so it’s quite clear to me that i grew tired of brain functions the more time i took on this and the later ones are a bit lacking and for that i’m very sorry. that being said i’m still happy to see this finished bc the idea was VERY exciting for me.

[theravenclawrevolutionary]

First off, is there any way I can tell if something is Thermidorian propaganda or not while researching? And second, do you have recommendations for specific books to read on Robesiperre or the Frev in general?

I got it this time Anon! Sorry, it took so long to get to. I’ve been hella busy and hella tired this week. Also, this might kinda suck cause I’m answering it at 2 in the morning, but hey! I’m trying.

Warning: Just a reminder that I don’t have a degree in history or anything. I'm simply a sixteen-year-old girl who spends a majority of my free time looking up information cause I’m a nerd like that. I am usually biased slightly towards the revolutionaries, not the monarchy. History is up for interpretation and what I post is a mixture of stone-cold facts, my own opinions, and the opinions of others. Any questions about any other aspects of the French Revolution are always welcome. I'll try to answer them as clearly, accurately, and respectfully as possible. Anyone with more information, similar, or different thoughts feel free to voice them.

In my opinion, the easiest way to identify Thermidorian propaganda is to look at either (A. the way the historical figure in question is presented or (B. to look at where the information is from.

Let’s take Max as an example. (Because come on! Who else would I of all people choose?) I’ve seen stuff that claims to be ‘historically accurate’ portray him as a bloodthirsty man who wanted nothing more than to kill off his political enemies., which sadly enough, is a fairly common narrative. Most people aren’t like that and if that’s the only thing said about them, then it’s most likely an unflattering caricature. Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule. But I have legitimately seen posts on idk what social media site, but somewhere someone claimed to say that Robespierre and Saint-Just enjoyed killing babies. Like... what!? Where’s the historical accuracy and evidence to back it up?

Additionally, some sources might give a more accurate representation of who the figure actually was. For example,Charlotte Robespierre’s accounts of her brother’s life and personality will be different and more accurate than the accounts of someone who felt threatened by him and wanted to kill him. As the oldest sibling of five kids, I can confirm that as a sibling you won’t just gush about how wonderful your sibling is all the time. They annoy you, they do stupid stuff that makes no sense, they have that one after dinner habit that they’ve gotten into to avoid doing dishes.

 Of course, you can, and will, still most definitely get extreme biases with this as well. No matter how annoying someone you’re close to is, the likelihood that you would portray them in a more flattering light than their sworn enemy is pretty high. So in order to accurately identify if you’re looking at something spread by the Thermidorians I would suggest investigating the fact between several different sources and all that jazz.

As for reading about Robespierre and the rev, well, I’ll try my best. I don't remember the titles of a majority of the stuff I’ve read so this list will be kinda short.

Robespierre: A Revolutionary Life by Peter McPhee Of course, I had to put this first! I’ve had this book borrowed from my online public library website for a solid three to four months so I can fact check for my novel and it helps a LOT!

Vive la Revolution by Mark Steele This is the first Frev book I bought myself, and while it is kinda biased, it’s pretty informative, has a decent sense of humor, and honestly, it’s just special cause it was the first Frev book I owned.

The Twelve Who Ruled by Robert Rosewell Palmer I have yet to read it because my library doesn’t have it, but I have heard from a few sources that it’s a good and informational book.

The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle This I also haven’t read yet, because someone has it whenever I try to get it from the library! (Idk who in this small town other than me is obsessed enough with the Frev for that but they need to stop for a hot sec so I can read it!). During AP English it was used as a source on one of the example essays that scored high though, so it can’t be too bad. It’s also old as hell, so idk how accurate it is after hundreds of years of additional research after it’s publication, but I thought I’d suggest it anyway.

Oh, and Charlotte Robespierre’s diaries if you can get a hold of a translation. I’ve been busy so I haven’t done much research into them, but I have read bits and pieces.

I also read a lot of @bunniesandbeheadings French revolution posts when I first started researching the Frev all those years ago and I know they were pretty informative. And internet articles. Random books I don’t know the names of. All sorts of stuff.

Sorry if this isn’t helpful or what you were looking for. I’m tired and probably should have waited ‘til I was more awake to answer. But I didn’t so here’s what you get. 

If anyone else has more to add, please go ahead! 

~Dara

[kariachi]

Okay y’all, it’s the big day. The latest of the Ben 10 movies, after which I will be fully caught up on the franchise and can unblacklist it finally because two days is too damn much already.

I’m going in with, pretty much no info? I’ve watched one trailer, don’t even know if there’s more, and gotten hints of spoilers. Enough to worry for my son but not enough to actually know anything. Which, given Kevin is about all I care about, tells you some of how I feel going into this. Am crossing my fingers and hoping this ends with him in a really good space and having nothing to do with Phil because I have been worrying about that since I learned he would be in this.

Don’t trust that man as far as my piddly arms could throw him and anyway I don’t want Kevin anywhere near any part of the Forever Dipshit unless he’s actively dismantling the fucker. Asshole deserves to get turned into a toaster. Haven’t heard any ‘oh your reaction is going to be fun’ sort’ve stuff from anybody, so fingers crossed.

But, we can’t know anything until we get into it, so, Ben 10 Versus The Universe.

An hour 12 minutes, yeah it looks like my initial estimate might be accurate. I will be here the entire damn day.

Ooo, it’s own intro, very nice.

Okay, 1) like that intro, very much in the style of the other series and I like that about it. 2) Spent it wondering if they were going to include Kevin in the rogue’s gallery runthrough and instead it literally ends with the Tennysons and Kevin in the Rustbucket, Kevin being his normal little shit self.

Maybe watching this when I was on the rag was a bad idea because y’all I am already in tears he’s enjoying himself so much. My precious son. Gods I love him.

Can I just sit on this frame for an hour, would that count? Can fill the time with telling you how much I love my son.

Ben 10 Versus The Universe: The Movie (The Game: The Gameshow: The TV Series)

They brought in fucking everybody for this. Kelly is at the bottom of the list but I am putting my trust in her. Seriously y’all I am so happy with her work on this show, I knew the reboot was going to be good as soon as I learned she was going to be working on it, she is a delight.

Okay, actual show, apparently we’re starting at what looks like a small base. I don’t know for what. it looks like they want me to think it’s military but also yeah no. The pool is throwing me off the most, I think. I mean wtf?

Oh look, Smythe shit. A steam-powered airship-zeppelin. And Ben as Heatblast handling the situation, as one does.

Ben is so tired. He needs a vacation from this vacation so damn bad. Somebody else handle the villains so he can get like, two weeks to actually relax.

Ah, it’s an industrial server farm. I don’t know enough about those or if it’s even a thing to give an opinion. Smythe wants it gone though, to the shock of nobody.

He wasn’t to wipe out telecommunications so we’re left with telephones as our most advanced mode of conversation.

Ben, meanwhile, is asleep. Can’t blame him.

Ben is bored. This shit is like clockwork, he could probably save the day in his sleep at this point. Especially from Smythe.

“I’m not even breaking a sweat, and I’m on fire!”

Ben saves the day, hardly even has to try (pretty much doesn’t) and in the end even Smythe has to agree this is getting repetitive.

Huh, Max and Gwen were in the doom-ball.

Max and Gwen are not impressed with Ben having been bored while they were under the threat of danger. Ben has the very valid point that they really weren’t at any risk, even if they were in a mine.

Max, while talking about staying ready for the unexpected, gets a phonecall.

Ben: “Bet you anything it’s Phil. He’s got some big emergency and we’ve gotta go somewhere and look at something.” Gwen: “You don’t have to be so smug. Not everything is a dire situation.” Max: “It’s Phil, we gotta go to his lab and look at something. He says it’s pretty dire.” Ben: “Like clockwork.”

Honestly I’d be bored too. This is why they needed to add Argit, something to mix things up, change up the style.

Unfortunately I didn’t get any ‘your reaction is gonna be so fun’ messages so I don’t think we’re getting Argit. But hopefully, given space and Kevin are involved, we will receive an opening for later Argitness.

Hello Phil. I still don’t trust you. You have been nothing but vaguely suspicious shit on top of vaguely suspicious shit every since the season 1 finale and with your history in the other series? Where you were a dipshit from the word go? I wouldn’t leave you alone with a beanbag chair.

Ben, not taking shit seriously, Gwen unimpressed, Phil stating that actually it may be the end of the world. Honestly fuck it save the children let it die. The reboot sequels can be Ben, Gwen, and Kevin traveling the galaxy trying to, ya know, survive and shit. They gather an Argit on the way who honestly is amazed these three didn’t die within a day and half. Tell me you wouldn’t watch that!

Do you even have a bedroom or anything, Phil, or is that building just all lab? Do you pull a Kevin and sleep on your tech?

I don’t trust this giant-computer room. It’s giving me FD vibes.

Anyway yadda yadda object heading straight for Earth, we continue

Ben is so excited to have something new going on

Phil thinks this is a massive meteorite. I’m going to guess warship because I’m fairly certain I remember Incurseans being involved somewhere and honestly.

Oh Ben

I’m like 3.5 minutes in

Ben: If I turn into Cannonbolt you guys can launch be at the meteor and the impact would make it go kablooey Gwen: You and the meteor would ricochet off each other sending you into deep space with no way back Ben: I’d never have homework again Gwen: Ben please

“After months of analyzing your Omnitrix-” I swear this show’s relationship with time will drive me to drink

Phil, do you really think you have time to try to properly prep the child for space? I mean you’ve got over an hour of movie but in-universe

...Phil, why do you have a g-force simulator? And where the fuck are you fitting it?

Okay, seriously, I am concerned at this point by the shit he has on hand. Also why are they focusing on FourArms, mix it up, there’s nine other aliens available

You guys realize you don’t have much choice but to send him anyway? I mean unless you intend to hunt down Kevin and sacrifice him instead which, honestly would be in line with his adult interactions so far and honestly space was good for him in the sequels so maybe it’ll be good for him here.

Ben is so excited and Gwen is so done.

Upgrades to the armor shit have been unlocked.

Problem being, the new armor makes Jetray look, very humanoid. I am not impressed.

Gotta hand it though, Boy can get some speed now. Holy crap. Hate to see XLR8 upgraded.

“We’ve only got one shot at this” Ben’s moving fast enough I think you’ve got a solid three or four

Gwen, Gwen are you having an existential crisis? He’s passed the moon, he’s not coming back down anytime soon.

Ben please

And Ben lost that game of chicken with the meteor, having swerved away at the last moment, presumably because the Omnitrix has the whole ‘you are not dying you fucker’ thing going on

And Ben has been flown right into a fucking vortex of some variety or another. Welp.

Thirty seconds until the meteor hits, nobody knows where Ben vanished too, Phil is resigned, Max is blank, and Gwen looks fucking haunted. Poor kid does not deserve this. She needs a vacation from this vacation too

Oh Gwen, baby

Welp, everyone is fairly certain Ben is dead. Good news is, you won’t outlast him by long the meteor should take out earth in about four seconds

Motherfuck- If you are going to just vanish can you not wait until one second before you’re supposed to hit a planet?!?! Fucking rude!!

Motherfucking Vilgax! I should’ve known! Only you would be so rude! Also how much shit was your little ramshackle pod encased in that it was mistaken for the largest meteor seen?

So, Vilgax is here on Earth and our only defense is Max, Gwen, and presumably Kevin. Either Kevin is going to tap into some pre-reboot murder instincts or shit is about to get bad.

Ben has been carried through the wormhole to, Kinet? I think that’s Kinet, give me a second- No! No it’s Petropia! Listen it’s been a while let me live. Why drop Ben here? wtf is going on?

Swimming through space because your ultra jetboots stopped working

Somebody is watching this child. Who? We know not.

Ben: *times out* Omnitrix: Fuck no *builds spacesuit*

Ben, worried he failed and doomed Earth. It’s okay, it was just Vilgax. Once you find your way back home it’ll all be good.

Sudden spaceship. Also is space just, purple? Is that what’s going on here?

Oh look, Incurseans. Hi.

Omnitrix takes a while to register an alien language and start translating, which makes sense that it would take a little bit for a translator like that to kick in, the tech trying to figure out what language is being spoken. Don’t think I’ve seen that before in a work, very nice. Also the language is literally Incursean so, that’s nice to know. Handy for someone like me.

...Ben is being arrested by the Incurseans for multiple violent crimes perpetrated across the universe. Did not expect that from them.

Also Azmuth, please explain to me what precisely you did with this watch before you threw it at Earth?

...How you could mistake Ben for Vilgax I do not know, but it’s nice to know it wasn’t Azmuth causing wanton destruction and chaos? I guess? This certainly explains how the bastard knew how the Omnitrix worked.

Takes Ben ten seconds of being amazed at and in love with the Omnitrix to register that they think he’s Vilgax.

The Incurseans know about Earth. I’m not sure if that’s a good, bad, or neutral thin in the reboot. The whole ‘arresting a fucker for crimes against the universe’ thing has thrown me off.

Ben plays along for a chance to escape, meanwhile you know Kevin would’ve snapped and argued and fought until they had to admit he couldn’t be Vilgax because Vilgax wouldn’t lower himself to biting.

(I mean it, look at that child and tell me he doesn’t bite)

Well, Ben almost escaped. Too bad Incurseans have those long-ass tongues

Humongasaur fighting an endless swarm of frogs

Ben just is having a day. Honestly it’s lucky Earth’s not going to get wrecked by a meteorite because otherwise he’d be fucked.

Team Tennysons is trying to track Ben down on Earth. Apparently Phil has found the Omnitrix’s signal and they’re tracking that. Three guesses who they’re about to find and the first two don’t count.

Phil: He crashed from space so he might be- Tennysons: Finish that sentence and die

Yeah, the red flashing doesn’t clue them in or anything

And the energy signature looks different. Gwen, darling, you are experienced enough to know exactly who you’re about to find in a cave in the middle of nowhere in the desert (because of-fucking-course, my goddamn disaster)

How is the red flashing not cluing you in? Ben is green, Kevin is red, and together they make one whole Christmas.

Kevin hauling ass, presumably either because something is wrong with his watch (my poor son) or because the Tennysons calling him Ben is freaking him out (my poor son) or both (my poor song)

Okay, Gwen, the tone wasn’t awful but still, was not nessecary to put that emphasis on ‘Kevin’ after the ‘it was just’. Alongside the almost aggravated look when you finally put the pieces together and realized it was him? I know you’re worried for Ben but come on. You hunted him down, he is innocent in everything.

Also can we talk about, something is clearly wrong? I guessed something was wrong with the watch, I think I was right- Kevin was groaning after timing out, holding his head, it’s not normal.

The first thing my son says is telling the Tennysons to get lost (quote “You heard him, hit the road” after Phil tells them to call him when they go back to their search), which isn’t surprising given the look on his face after Gwen’s ‘it was just Kevin’. Something is wrong and now he’s upset on top of that because, well, we know him and how he feels about not being appreciated.

Also holy shit the framing, with Kevin on top of a tall rock in an empty cave, with his back to the Tennysons, making up just a small part of the shot. Really emphasizing just how alone he is.

(Dear reboot give him his rat and prison-dad for fuck’s sake)

(Nobody sent me any ‘your response is gonna be fun’ messages, so I’m assuming I don’t get Kwarrel either, damnit. I can only hope for openings for later Kwarrel in the franchise)

Oh. Oh my son. Oh something has gone very wrong and he is shifting uncontrollably. He has isolated himself so nobody sees him like this. My baby. My precious little perfect child

Notice that he is shifting uncontrollably and he has still not taken off the watch, which would be the obvious answer to the dilemma. So why? Was he too busy freaking out to think of it? Or does on or off not matter anymore?

Tennysons: Why don’t you come along and let us help you? Kevin: Fuck you and your talking car too

“I built this. I should be able to control it.” Oh Kevin...

“And that’s amazing!” And Kevin has no fucking response (except to be a crushing wreck but, I’m deducting the half point and moving on). Praise? For his work? Is that legal?

My son. My heart.

“I didn’t do it all on my own. There was kinda this weird dream.” Said while he’s making his way down to the Tennysons because in the end all he needs is for someone to call him amazing, give him praise, notice him, appreciate him, acknowledge his worth.

The Tennysons recommend letting Phil help because he helped Ben and Kevin’s response is, quote “I’m. Not. Ben! And this isn’t the Omnitrix, it’s the Antitrix*.”

*First time Kevin’s watch has been referred to by that name in the show. Prior to this it was always called a watch or an Omnitrix.

There is so much fucking going on in Kevin tell me we’re learning some of it here I’m begging, give me the inner workings of my son

...pause a second, I don’t wanna look it up because I’m worried about spoilers, but does Kevin’s watch look different? The strap system is different, I’d swear it. Or maybe I’m wrong, it’s been a few days since a Kev episode...

Kevin pointing out that he’s not a Tennyson, denying ever doing anything to help them, wondering what their deal is, claiming they should hate him (my fucking son! someone get this child a dad and a rat, a blanket, some cocoa, and some fucking love and affection!)

By the way, I’m almost 20 minutes in and it’s been over two hours. Kevin is here now, things are probably gonna start going slower.

The Tennysons letting Kevin know they don’t hate him. Max straight up saying he doesn’t seem like a bad kid, just a lost one. Which honestly is very true, he is a good child he just doesn’t really... he’s a mess and there is so much in him and so much of it sour and just- He needs love. Proper, healthy love and guidance by someone who’ll look out for him, put his needs first. It’s why I want Kwarrel back- he, Gar, and reboot!Max have treated Kevin the best, been the most healthy adult interactions he’s had, through the franchise. Kwarrel could be the adult figure he needs in his life, but he got the one episode and nothing and just- I just want the best for Kevin.

“If you trust us, we’ll trust you.” And then Kevin agreeing to come along as long as his watch gets fixed.

Oh gods the smile as he follows them! Like, a moment of happiness for the child!

Vilgax set a city on fire. I take it he’s in a mood.

Yep. Definitely in a mood. Also how the fuck did you get out of the Null Void?

Oh look, we’re back with Ben. Honestly the least interesting part of this movie right now, though I love him.

Although I gotta admit, I never would’ve guessed the Omnitrix being used for a mistaken identity plot like this.

...okay unless he was thrown in the Null Void before you can’t charge him with that he was thrown in unlawfully. Or at least one would hope so. This is space so, the laws have been pretty fucked up in earlier series.

Y’all so not know the joy when you see “How do you plead” and go ‘he pleads not fucking Vilgax’ and then you hit play and Ben’s plea is “not Vilgax”.

Ben is fucking tired of people treating him like he’s Vilgax and you can’t rightly blame him.

Oh, look, Walkatrout. Hi guys! Nice to see you!

Oooo, hello spider-like babies! One second guys I gotta get you a screenshot!

I love them.

Also check out these fuckers!

Seems everybody and their mother is here to see this shit go down

Hi Tetrax. Care to tell us why you are here as a witness for the prosecution?

Welp, can’t see this going well

Tetrax, you lying shit, what is your angle? You have got to have something to gain from this.

Tetrax, describing Ben: “It’s like- It’s like a squishy little sack of organs held together with hair. And it’s head is enormous.”

Ben’s making another break for it

“-these are not the actions of the hero you claim to be-” Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Don’t sentence him to the Null Void you already know Vilgax can get out!

I’m impressed by how much these people believe in Vilgax’s acting skills. Like the fact that he’s acting nothing like himself and in fact 100% like the small child he appears to be only proves that he’s a good actor and not that, ya know, maybe they should check and see if they actually did grab somebody’s kid by accident. I mean it’s not like shapechanging watches are a one-and-done deal, a fucking 11-yo made one

And Ben gets dropped through a portal to, somewhere. It certainly doesn’t look like the Null Void.

Poor crying baby

“You don’t deserve to wield the Omnitrix, it belongs with it’s creator- me.” Oh fuck off, Azmuth. You let a squid have it for fuck’s sake.

Phil studying the Antitrix. Apparently the energy signature is very sporadic, but seems familiar.

Solar, Polar, please, we’ve got shit going on. Important Antitrix information. Could you not take a vacation? Take your mother to Disney World or something?

They’re at the fucking house because Phil has the most powerful radio tower in the country. Of course.

The Tennysons sent Kevin outside to handle them and he’s just standing in the yard watching them and eating chips. Telling them to shove off so his shit can get fixed. How is he not the most popular character in this franchise? Has he not earned a fucking spin-off?

Fucking Dark Matter running through the twins like tissue paper

Gwen, a firm believer in the art of ‘Kevin needs to fucking chill’.

My son sees cops and bolts. Nobody is surprised, given his everything. Honestly it’s probably the safest bet he’s got in anything in life- avoid cops.

“Whoever you saw on those security cameras it wasn’t me!” Kevin what did you do?

Is shocked to find the cops aren’t there for him, my poor son.

Kevin: *is just barely compared to Ben* This cannot be allowed to stand

“Proud? Of me?” Y’all the look on his face! My son! 

Like he’s not entirely sure if this is legal but he’s not about to look it in the face! My baby!

Vilgax! Hello! I knew you and my son were both going to be here so I saved you a spot in the pit! Reserved seating, as it were

Fuck off, squid-boy, the kid built the watch fair and square!

Oh gods, tell me the ‘Vilgax was involved in the dream situation’ theory isn’t being proven here

Also the look on Kevin’s face when he’s noting having seen Vilgax before, somewhere between ‘wait a minute’ and ‘you, you are the one I must kill’

He was in the dream and my boy is freaked.

“Used you as a vessel to finally complete my own design” Vilgax you gave the child a dream with a blueprint in it. There is only so much credit you can give yourself. How did you even do that? Is this some new Chimera Sui Generis  thing? Superstrength, tentacles, laser eyes, and fucking dreamwalking?

Is the Freddy Kruger of squid

As I said designing the piece means nothing if you go handing out the design to whoever. You can still patent the shit, maybe, but you can’t claim that whatever people made with said pretty-much-opensource design is your property.

Vilgax: It’s my design, give it to me Kevin: Fight me bitch

Kevin ‘Fight Me’ Levin

Ya know, I always though FD would be Kevin’s first kill but honestly it might be Vilgax.

I love him so much you guys. He is the most precious thing ever.

Kicks Vilgax’s arm as he’s going tor the watch, backflips away, perfect landing and out to kick ass

Vilgax if you wanted a kid who would just hand the watch over when you showed up maybe you shouldn’t have handed the design off to the most obstinate, anti-authoritarian, ‘you don’t tell me what to do’ child on the face of the planet Earth. You’d have probably had an easier time getting shit from Looma.

Poor gay couple who just got a car through the roof of their new house

Vilgax can talk shit all he likes, but Kevin is putting up a good fight. That’s another thing he maybe should’ve kept in mind, maybe don’t choose the kid who was doing perfect backflips presumably before he even got the stupid dream.

Okay, Ben is in the Null Void. They’ve tidied the place up since the OG series

Hello, species whose name I can’t remember off the top of my head. Good advice for the child thank you

Oh look, a Loboan, hello

There’s a whole mess of peeps. Including an Ectonurite, Vulpimancer, and Pisciss Volann

Dudes you already know Vilgax wants the watch why do you want to get his attention by getting it your own damn selves? It’s more trouble than it’s worth honestly.

These guys need to chill.

Yeeeep, deeefinitely need to chill

Ya know, Azmuth, if you wanted to show up and take your watch back? Now would be a good time? There’s a whole load of people here vying for it, earn the damn thing.

Hmmmm

Azmuth. Darling. Why are you in the Null Void? Why are you so firmly in the Null Void that fuckers know you and bend to your commands? The fuck did you do?

Everybody is talking shit about Ben today. He’s ten, let the child live!

Ben, out to kick Azmuth’s ass because he thinks he works for Vilgax because let’s be real, he’s had a fucking day and is also literally ten

Azmuth, just a rampaging dick wherever you find him

Also he has the Omnitrix back now

Jesus fuck, I just really want somebody to come step on Azmuth. Like, Vilgax is a dick but that’s his job, Azmuth is just, a fucking dick.

Azmuth you cannot talk about Ben being an infant and then turn around and say he should’ve known to kill Vilgax. He is a child.

Le gasp. Vilgax was Azmuth’s student. I’m going to assume you got thrown in here for not killing him your own damn self?

Benjamin Kirby Tennyson, annoying Azmuth into telling him the story of wtf happened with him and Vilgax

Young-Azmuth here is just, an image I never needed in my life. Give me Blukic and Driba back

Young Vilgax with goggles

And, shocker, Vilgax went ‘science is great but I can do you one better- universal domination’

Wow, Azmuth. Ya know if you’d had any braincells sufficiently developed you’d have known to kill him.

Azmuth. If you could have maybe one manner. A single etiquette.

Also, really? Sending the Omnitrix to Earth was the only option? You couldn’t destroy it now that it’s true destructive potential was known? Recode the damn thing to stricter parameters in a new coding language? Nothing else? Greatest mind in the universe and you couldn’t think of something, anything, besides sending it to a planet that would’ve been completely helpless if Vilgax had managed to get his hands back on it?

Ben: Okay, fuck you and your watch then, I’ll just go beat Vilgax myself Azmuth: Wait what?

Azmuth has set Ben a trial. You know the one, the ‘reach me within this time frame’ shit. If he passes he gets to keep the Omnitrix.

Attempt 1: No shapeshifting Attempt 2: Rath into Humongasaur

Attempt 3 starts with him having managed to end up outside of the trail area entirely

Azmuth is just a fucking dick. Ben points out that his entire goal is to save his planet from Vilgax, Azmuth blows it off because the fact Ben has his life’s work is more important. Gods just, being reminded how big a dick Azmuth is...

Azmuth, please keep in mind that the child is in fact a child

Ben and Kevin need to make friends so Kev can teach him some moves, he’d have kicked this Ectonurite in the head by now

Ben Tennyson, professional Good Child, saves the fucker that’s been giving him shit.

Ben figuring out new ways to use the Omnitrix and unlocking Goop!

Gods, Azmuth, now you gotta shittalk Goop too? Now you’re just being a speciest dick.

Ben saves a fucker, a fucker who’s been nothign but a shit to him, just barely fails the trial, and breaks down over not managing to beat it and save Earth. He’s so good you guys.

“Color me surprised that altruism still exists in this reality” you don’t get to make comments like that when you’ve been nothing but a dick the entire time you’ve been on screen

Azmuth has given Ben more time and a way out of the Null Void. Because it’s Azmuth, of course he’d rather stay there and wallow in his own bullshit that actually go out into the universe and do something about the problems he started.

Don’t waste your breath on him, Ben, he doesn’t deserve it

Dude he saved is now a Ben fan.

And Ben takes a sidetrip to save the Incurseans from a giant Null Void portal

And back on Earth Kevin is still putting a fight. He’s not winning, but he’s still fighting because he is a precious disaster.

The Tennysons trying to get it through his obstinate, broken little brain that he can accept help (and also that just because Ben does it doesn’t mean he has to refuse just to keep himself distinct from him (I am wording this badly but, I can’t word it right just now...))

It doesn’t work. 

My son. Vilgax ain’t even tired and Kevin is but he’s still holding his own.

Holy shit Phil has a living room

And Gwen has become a hostage. Good job drawing attention to yourself kiddo.

Yes Gwen, bite the squid! It’s not doing anything but I appreciate the enthusiasm and the fighting back!

She hardly even counts as a hostage, Kevin went to straight punch Vilgax and the dude just threw her away. At least use her as a fucking shield!

“You must be under the impression that you are special, when in reality you were only good for one thing.” 1) Yeah, building what you couldn’t. 2) Kevin is a brilliant artist and engineer, good at athletics, with a natural talent for magic, all on top of a good sense of humor and a smile like the fucking sun, HE IS WORTH TEN OF YOU

Also, so far the movie has given me no reason to believe that he was given any parts or tools with which to build this watch so, on top of all that, all my earlier points still stand so far as far as Kevin being better than fucking Tony Stark with machinery. Is that why you threw the design at this foul-tempered, stubborn little thing, Vilgax? Not because you’re an idiot and he could build it, but because he’s the only one who could? I’ve seen no proof against it yet.

Okay giving us that, that fucking view of him after being tossed, fucking skipping over the asphalt, was not nessecary!!!

My son...

My son....

You did great sweetie! You were amazing!

My son.... My poor, battered, exhausted, son....

Also the fact that he straight up says he’ll try again later, which is just- I don’t doubt it. I don’t doubt he will wake up and immediately upon realizing his watch is gone head out to fight Vilgax again.

The fucking K on the antitrix turning into a V is aggravating for pit-related reason but also very thematically appropriate

Vilgax fucking chimerized himself. Fuck off, that’s Kevin’s thing. Just all about stealing from children

Vilgax steals his chimerism shtick and Kevin immediately starts regaining consciousness. My child

Extra toothy mouths too?! Fucking chill, squid-boy!

Kevin is up and moving and everyone is fleeing a pissed Vilgax in the Rustbucket. He is now on the hunt for Ben

Vilgax is, really putting them through the wringer and Kevin is not happy.

And Kevin, once they’re at Vilgax’s mercy, runs off to start shit once again with the fucker. Because my child is perfect.

He has hijacked fucking Glitch! Of course he has! My child! Harness the fucking Glitch!

He and Glitch, luring Vilgax away with ease because this man handles disrespect worse than Kev does.

The Rustbucket is scrap, but Phil might have an option.

And we’re back to Ben. When last we left him he’d worn himself out saving the Incurseans, straight passing out, and now, now we’re back to him.

The Incurseans saved him, and are apologizing for starting shit. Which is better than they were in past iterations so honestly I’m happy with them.

Incursean leader: You have legal permission to apprehend Vilgax Ben: I don’t know how to get home IL: We’ll take you Incursean Otherdude: We can’t enter warpdrive Ben: What about that wormhole I took before? IO: ...that would work IL: Great, let’s go!

They are going to scour the ship for Tetrax so they can bring him in for falsely accusing a 10-yo hero of being Vilgax

Back to the Best Boy and Glitch fucking psychoanalysing my child as someone who uses an abrasive attitude to ward of people who may hurt him but at heart is a good person

“Listen, if there’s anything I know, it’s how to adapt and survive. If anyone can deal with being alone with Captain Calamari out here, it’s me.” My son!!

And they’re caught. Somebody give Kevin a crowbar or something.

Holy shit Glitch sacrificed himself to give Kevin a shot! Fucking hell! That, I think that may earn back the half point lost for the Gwevin. Sacrificing yourself to save my son earns a lot.

Oh you did not just call my son sniveling and pathetic. You didn’t. You get the special pit with FD.

My boy is crying. My boy is crying. A squid is going to die. Thou shalt not suffer a Vilgax to live.

The first person to get me a picture of Vilgax being torn apart by Kevin 11k gets a drabble.

Glitch! Giving my boy the aid and encouragement he needs in this moment! You definitely get the half point!

Kevin, like Ben, is having A Day.

Did, did Glitch and Kevin just fucking biomerge? Taking my son up a notch? Oh yesss

Glitch has been working on becoming armor for Ben but, well, Kevin needs it right now and it did need a testrun. Kevin is so happy to get to use it first. Seriously I don’t know what happened in their backstory but, damn

My boy

Welp

Back to Ben and Tetrax really should’ve been ready to bail, taking so long is just unprofessional.

Azmuth paid Tetrax to lie in court. Raise your hand if you’re surprised. Nobody. I’m shocked.

Ben is letting Tetrax go because he’s like 60% certain he helped in the long run

*snort* Okay, like that fourth wall break.

Kevin and Glitch, still fighting Vilgax, to the surprise of nobody given Kevin does not cannot will not stop fighting

They work well together, they really do. Glitch is more entertaining when he’s actually working off somebody rather than trying to just, be his own thing.

Ben cannot catch a break today

The Tennysons in an actual car plus Kevin and Glitch, all fighting Vilgax together because fuck it, better than going it alone right now

There’s still another twelve minutes.

My son. My Son. “A pity you didn’t stand down while you still had the chance.” “I’d rather go all-in and end up squashed than stand around and let some slab of squid jerky like you stand around and take over the planet.”

Ben is back on Earth and ready to join the fray. Sorry Squiddly but there is no chance in hell you can handle Kevin and Ben at the same time. Actually I’m fairly certain Kevin’s not gonna end up a Tennyson half because of this fucking obsession with Gwevin and half because Kevin and Ben as family would end the universe all on it’s own.

The fact Kevin then proceeded to call him Squidly just makes this day better.

A lot has happened since you left, Ben. Everyone has been having A Time.

And Vilgax smacks Kevin away, doing that final bit of damage to take Glitch out of the fight. Which means Kevin is out of the fight, or at least will be in a minute because honestly I’ll be surprised if nobody sits on him after that last stunt he pulled.

We’ve got nine minutes, let’s see if Vilgax can stand up against Ben, especially after all the fighting he’s already been doing. Neither of them is fresh, but Ben is fresher.

Vilgax is kicking ass so far. C’mon Ben, use Goop!

My son! Acting like he’s not worth saving because he can’t be useful. I am going to hunt down his father and the FD and destroy them both.

Glitch can drain the car and start repairs. The Tennysons are being helpful and Good.

My baby! He is just, confidence has plummeted. Kevin, baby, you are the best thing on this show! You are amazing!

Max, pointing out that Kevin managed to hold off Vilgax on his own, and that he and Ben together can kick his ass. Phil backing it up with a ‘the world needs you right now’.

Yesss, support for my son, this is all I want in this world

“Stand back, I’m going after my watch.” What did I tell you. He’s getting that fucking watch back if he has to eat Vilgax to do it. He worked hard on that thing!

Glitch is falling the fuck apart, Ben is down, Vilgax is about to win, and Kevin is not looking like he’s about to stop anytime soon.

MY BOY!!!!! MY FUCKING SON!!!! THE PERFECT BEING!!!!!!

He dove at Vilgax as he was about to use the Omnitrix’s key to unlock more power for the Antitrix and managed to snatch it back from the bastard! Because! He! Is! Perfect!

Vilgax has still gotten what so far seems to be a net positive effect, but at least he doesn’t have the watch

He thinks he’s Jafar

Vilgax standing there monologuing about his own greatness and Kevin just calls him a doofus and launches at him as Bashmouth

Then straight to CrystalFist when caught to make vilgax let him go, he’s amazing.

Ben catches him as he plummets, fully armored up, it’s time for these boys to wreck some squid shit.

Vilgax just keeps fucking growing. We’ve only got like five minutes left in the movie, just stop.

Kevin just, no hesitation. He is going to fight a giant squid so help him god

Welp. They managed to land some blows.

The boys have been taken out, Team Tennyson is at Ben’s side. “Glitch is- is gone.” “What about Kevin?” “I don’t know, Vilgax hit him pretty hard.“

Phil. Phil what the fuck are you hiding? You are hiding something and so help me if it could’ve helped my boy earlier I will-

Kevin and Azmuth need to meet because Kevin needs to punt him.

Oh look, the frog-bitch is out of the Null Void and bothering the Incurseans. They don’t deserve this, they’re good people.

Oh look, Ben has unlocked Waybig. Fitting, I suppose.

It’s gonna be a curbstomp fight, there’s only a few minutes left and we still need to wrap this movie up. Hopefully confirm my son is alive.

I was right. Good fight, still very quick. And now we gotta deal with fucking Azmuth again.

And, shocker, Ben gets to keep the watch.

Okay, we have confirmation Kevin at least limped away. He was alive as of the end of this film.

11/11 thanks to quality Kevin content and Glitch finally earning my respect. I’m still serious about the Vilgax thing though- first person, a reboot drabble of their choosing.