#my favorite has to be tornado and crash

[ask-iri-and-widdle]

"Copy?"

"Indeed! After observing Kirby and talking to Meta and Prisma, Astrals have the ability to copy things in nature and different weapons. Iri can do this, but it seems that the copy abilities...become different looking. They appear to be cosmetic changes for now, but we have yet to discover any other differences."

[blu-ish]

Have you ever searched up facts about the animals sonic characters are based on? If so, what was your favorite fact that you added to your headcannon

*rubs hands together* ALRIGHT HERE WE GO (I'm sticking with the hedgehog gang for this one because I kid you not this will go on forever xD)

I'm pretty sure this is a obvious one, and most can agree one of the cutest. HEDGEHOGS. CAN. PURR. And I love it sm. They are really social creatures so they need buddies, and lots of too, to explore of course! :D They also have poor eyesight, which can make it a bit tricky sometimes to navigate, but their keen sense of smell covers that for them. They can even swim very well, unlike ONE hedgehog. lmao.

I like to think the reason Amy confused Sonic for a lot of people, lmao. Is because she had poor eyesight, I imagine when she was younger, even before she met her friends, she had a bit of trouble seeing where she was going.. so she relied on her other senses. Sonic and the gang definitely got her some contacts lol. (Sonic has bad eyesight too, he gets it.)

Silver doesn't understand why he likes forging around for things, even in his future, he just loves to collect things. When he goes to the past I think is inner adventurer just explodes when he sees nature for the first time. He adores it. He picks up ANYTHING wrappers, sticks, plastic bags, flowers, you name it, he probably has it somewhere. Lmao I like to imagine whenever Blaze comes over to his garden he just decorates it with the most random shit and she's like. TF??? (they are sibling coded to me btw <3)

Sonic is the package deal, he's been doing hedgehog things since he was a kid. Running around at the speed of sound, exploring new places, ect. But, the one thing he grew up with was loneliness for some time. My BIGGEST headcanon for him, was that he washed up on Christmas Island, he was raised by Chao basically, and played a lot with human junk that washed up on the island. Since he was in the ocean for what seemed like FOREVER to the poor baby. He's TERRIFIED to even go near it. So he makes his home in an abandoned cargo plane. (similar to OVA) He can't stand running around the small island anymore so he finds a broken down Bi-plane. (future tornado ik im a genius lmao) follows some old ass instructions that he cant rlly read cuz hes like 5. And he takes off and crashes the plane near the closest continent shjshs. HES FREEEEE. well, until he runs into a lil fox and adopts him.

As for Shadow? Well.. he hears about all these "hedgehog" things, from Sonic or maybe from other hedgehogs he runs into or overhears. But, he just doesn't understand it. It doesn't click. And its not like he really cares that much but, it bothers him. So he does the unthinkable and asks Sonic directly. Who in turn laughs and tells him that, sure, he may be half alien or like lizard for whatever... but he's still a hedgehog. An even COOLER hedgehog! He doesn't have to do those silly hedgehog things to prove that. He explains its just kinda second nature anyway.

(Also, this is more of a shippy headcanon lmao. But Sonic and Shadow definitely, unknowingly, court eachother hedgehog style. Which includes lots of chasing, circling, and headbutting. LIKE COME ON ITS SO OBVIOUS--)

[captainjacklyn]

@Silverbard22 Special Birthday Occasion !

A/N : Happy birthday my friend ! Congratulations on being today years old, as my (late late late late LATE! really sorry about that) gift for you I'll be writing this headcanon with every character from Mondstadt to Sumeru celebrating your birthday ! And fun fact, you were born on the same day as my old cat ! (his name was 'little steps' and he passed away four years ago because he was old but now I have two new troublemakers to destroy my sleep)

Warning(s) : some bombs from klee, a lot of cake but idk if that's even some kind of warning, mostly fluff, it's kind of Sagau if you squint a little.

MONDSTADT

The moment Jean was informed she got a multitude of knights just getting the entire city ready for a huge celebration, at this point, it's a national holiday. She patrols around to check if everything is in it's rightful place, if anyone dares to sabotage or disrupt such an occasion they will get beheaded. Amber and Eula follow after their senior, wishing you the best when they see you, since the beautiful Lawrence maiden understands how important this day is for you she'll perform a wonderful dance for you.

The church also prepared a wonderful original song for you, and it was all thanks to Barbara and Venti (who was also the one that announced your date of birth) even if it doesn't match their usual tunes they will gladly change their genre just for you to enjoy their singing. It's kind of hard to imagine priests singing black metal but they'll do their best in doing it for you.

Diluc pretended not to care but the Dawn Winery had also been cleaned and decorated to the brim. Everything on the menu is just foods you enjoy, all that you dislike is BANNED from this place, they take your approval seriously and I mean it. When you come in, he has everything ready and perhaps even a huge gift. Though much to his dismay, Kaeya will tease him for it (not like he didn't plan grandiose things just to see your smile). Speaking of teasing, he starts to poke a multitude of pickup lines at you.

There is music, there is presents and decoration..what else are we missing? Oh wait who's the clown for this party-

I'm kidding I'm kidding Lisa is the magician, I know that her stans are out there to get me rn. Besides, the lady has a friendly, albeit a little explosive, assistant named Klee...And Albedo because we need a sane being around these two chaos inducing people. And don't think I forgot about the gifts- those are everywhere, they offer you presents all the time but they've out done themselves just for your special day.

All thanks to Sucrose who was more than overjoyed to be the one to get the honor of creating your main bestowal. Let's not forget Benny's Adventure team who crashed in halfway to celebrate alongside you. Bennett, Razor and Fischl ran like tornadoes to offer their own blessings, Rosaria pretended that she wasn't looking forward to give her own birthday wishes. But we can all see how happy your smile makes her the moment you thank her for coming.

LIYUE

Oh you are so spoiled for this one. Ningguang quite literally built a new jade chamber just for your birthday celebration and Ganyu worked faster than the speed of light just to get to spend some quality time with you, Keqing is no different with so much dedication nothing is stopping her now (her pen broke as she practically printed down files of tasks). No one has seen them more desperate than scaramouche wanting to become a god BUT that's just because she wants to spend as much time with you during these special hours, it's not everyday that your favorite person turns [age] years old !

Beidou doesn't seem like the type to throw a fuss during these occasions. And she isn't, you're absolutely correct, however she will bring you to any place around the ocean to go sight seeing and have her crew throw a party all evening. In addition to this wonderful proposal we got Hu Tao willing to unbury sixty dead people COUGH COUGH I MEANT INVITE I SWEAR GUYS DON'T ARREST ME-

Zhongli was also at the funeral parlor when his boss made preparations for your visit. He wanted to offer you a gift but with what money? so Childe had to take care of the presents instead. (Though he will go through the effort of offering you a dried glaze lily, accompanied with the marvelous yet oh so tragic meaning behind it, have fun falling asleep) Poof goes the northland bank money to the mountains of donations, his wallet is crying so many tears to the point where you'll need to name an entirely new river.

I swear if the river's name goes something like : 'spring valley view nice face' I say fuck that and call it 'broke stream' then we can get along. I just hope Xiao actually participates in your ceremony physically rather than alternatively placing a gift at your window and disappearing right after. It becomes a game for a while, just spend the whole day trying to find him to say thank you. He finds your tenacity so impressive but so confusing, why are you ripping both time and space HE'S HERE GOOD HEAVENS-

This goes for Shenhe too, be nice to her okay? it may not seem like it, but the young woman is trying very hard to please you, although it is evident that you truly enjoy her presence. Chongyun tagged along with his aunty, whilst Cloud Retainer would've been there, her bad habit of spilling the embarrassing memories of her beloved students made the graceful lady refuse the bird's company.

Have you ever seen Xiangling cook the worth of three buffets ? Well, now you have, she felt so ashamed for forgetting what you liked ! So she panicked and made every food known to their world, even those that didn't necessarily originate from Liyue.. I salute you, that much nutrition will probably be the end of it all. Xingqiu is no more after helping his good companion, winded and absolutely exhausted, I mean who cooks 149 recipes in FIVE HOURS?!

Honestly, I really jealous about the fact that YaoYao made you a custom plushy that resembled a mini you, she even added a small yellow bunny attached on the side as well as your birthday day sewed on it. Qiqi was the one with the responsibility to deliver it for her friend, of course Baizhu needed to remind her of doing so too. Speaking of that shady doctor, he hangs around you to make sure you stay healthy. Tho his coughing isn't really helping the process, he's trying to be of use. Let's not forget that Yelan most likely stole another fatui jacket just because she kinda...Forgot? I mean, she got the gift and she stylized it just to match your style...If only she knew it was Childe's present on its way to you.

INAZUMA

Boob sword, boob sword, boob sword- If that's what you want she'll whip out that weapon faster than lightning. get it? I'm such a loser. Ei turned your birthday into the new year festival, fireworks bigger than ever were organized thanks to Yoimiya. Look closely and you'll notice that the sparkling firecrackers spell out your name and create visuals of your favorite animal/food!

Itto is gonna bring you around town with his gang, if you want he can even carry you on his shoulders during the entire time he's showing you off with Shinobu by his side, his (unpaid) nanny who is continuously begging him to be careful. She smiles under her mask when she sees you laugh at their antics, but please don't encourage them too much, keeping them out of trouble is already hard enough.

Subsequently, you met up with Gorou and Kokomi who offered their heartfelt wishes, including an all out party with the army. Everyone was dancing, drinking and losing all of their remaining braincells..Thank goodness our gorgeous mermaid stopped you from consuming anything too strong..would've been as bad as taco bell- RING RING ! I have a delivery for the Birthday Star! Soft paws and double tails, it's none other than the speedy Nekomata, Kirara! Right on time as always for bringing a packet to the rightful owner.

The nice surprise ended up being a very cute gift box of many different delicacies along with...a birthday card from Yae Miko? Well, ain't that a new one. Seems like she gives you her sweet wishes and an opportunity to write a book with her. Gracious.

Smoke weed with the samurai Jk- Kazuha sends you a gush of wind with a bunch of leaves that end up spelling 'happy birthday' when they fall to the floor.

can he do that? It'd be fun if he could do that. He can do that.

Then you have the...Rich ones, I'll say it right off the bat, Ayaka and Ayato have prepared exactly everything from schedule to how many confetti will be thrown in your direction every minute of the day. Thomas is right behind them and he's cleaning up after said confetti, Poor guy. Someone help him...Yeah, definitely...Someone should.

... :)

Oh my archons is that? No way, La Signora's ashes flying all the way from Snezhnaya Kujou Sara what do we have here? A tiny figure of the raiden shogun, as a birthday gift? How adorable. Surely it'll be more eternal than a certain crimson witch HAHAHA- please don't kill me. This came from Sara's precious collectible collection so don't drop it. Ever.

SUMERU

Oh Nahida, she did say that your celebration shall be at least as grand as the Subzeruz Festival. So, don't be shy, let her pull you through and help you enjoy the sights! You wouldn't want to miss Nilou's pretty performance would you? Tighnari, Collei and most of the other forest rangers came along too! Now there's a table's worth of present for you, with very pretty mushrooms, some crafted trinkets, a flower bouquet that sprayed water in your face- CYNO! "What did one plate say to the other plate on their birthday?" "Cyno please-" "Lunch is on me."

"..."

"..."

"Good job, buddy. Good job."

If anyone makes me right down a joke like that again, I will kill myself. Luckily for you, Sethos swoops in to save you, maybe? All I know if that he's up for a new hairdo desert dweller style! But give him a second to catch his breath. He did drag hat guy all this way for a reason, surely it isn't because mister Wanderer thinks himself above wishing you a small happy birthday? No, he ain't that's why he's here, darling. Albeit a little against his will. His little auntie would've pushed him towards you anyways, he's a little shy, give him some time. *Cue the boss music.*

When Kaveh and Al Haitham finally arrive, they were willing to put their arguments to a pause and give you a well deserved happy birthday wish, including a long rant about how Al Haitham doesn't know shit about aesthetics and how Kaveh keeps losing his mother fucking keys- EHO WAIT A MINUTE! This isn't about you, *spray bottle* this is about [Name] so you better treat the birthday majesty, treat them well!

Oh! Dehya just arrived! Your very own bodyguard for the trip! She grants you protection as you make your way to Aaru village where Candace awaits. Birthday cake on a plate, and candles ready to place. You spend most of your time having fun with the people. And when the time for you to leave comes, Dehya thanks you as she brings you right back to Sumeru city. Where you encounter Dori at the entrance and she- Uh? Free gift? No there must be a catch, Dori doesn't give gifts! Ah right she wants to grant you a wish, which is technically a gift for as long as it isn't a lifetime of Mora...Cause that wouldn't work, no, no. Dori isn't a doner. "Happy birthday, [Name]-" "Could I have the Palace of Alcazarzaray?"

"...The what now?"

Well, guess that's everybody- Wait a damn minute where is Layla? Surely she isn't sleeping through your celebrations, the music is far too loud! Oh, never mind, there she is. Somehow awake and...She's with a gift, you now have your very own pocket astrolabe, I have no fucking clue how this thing works but you'll figure it out. I'm sure. And if not, well Miss faruzan is here to help, she'll also offer her own small toy for you. It's an assembly of a number of miniature puzzle mechanisms — you can find a button and lever here, as well as a roller to the side. I still have no clue on what and how, but it's the intention that counts.

Not me using her voice line to explain shit.

FLOWER CONFETTI ATTAAAACK-

FONTAINE

I do believe it was supposed to rain today, but monsieur Neuvillette did say that he would do something about it. Strange. Who could've thought he actually would- Wait no why is it starting, why do I feel sad, WHO DID THIS?!

It's okay now, Furina arrived just in time to distract him from the sadness. And! To remind him that a special someone was celebrating their special day today! Here's your ticket to 'Happy Day'! Don't make me spoil the surprise, there's a reason why it's called a surprise, don't you ask me what'll happen, don't you dare do it, don't-

She'll make sure you show up though since her dutiful Clorinde is never far away from you or Furina herself. She'll pop out of the blue, remind you of the time and disappear again, not before leaving a small birthday card at your feet. There is a letter along with...Mhm? Is that- a coupon for Furina's favorite bakery?!

You get to buy your own birthday cake! That sounds so sad but so good at the same time. And surprise, surprise! There's a surprise! From Sigewinne, Navia, Chiori, Chevreuse, Freminet, Emilie and Charlotte too! Even the whole of spina de rosula came along to celebrate before your attendance to 'Happy Day'! You receive a gorgeous outfit from Chiori, she insists that it was just an excuse to better your wardrobe but we all know she's looked forward to sewing something up for you, for a long time. Chevreuse's gift is a pile of the best selling Fontaine books, many of which are her personal favorite, but perhaps you'll take a liking to them too!

Charlotte got everyone to fit into the group picture, and with a snap! Collects the memory. She also gifts you your very own Kamera! Now even you can match her as a frenzied journalist! Just make sure you show her your future pictures, she'd love to collaborate on her next journal page! ft. [Name]'s photography.

Freminet was a little shy at first, but after a little encouragement from his siblings to face you without his helmet, you just had to gush over the Pers he gave you. He's more than glad you like it, though the way you seem so happy gets him a little embarrassed- And the helmet goes back on! Uh...

There's something tapping your leg, wait! The Melusines are all here! And they have lots of nice stickers! One here, and there, and everywhere! Sigewinne wanted you to spend time with as many friends as possible, though she regrets to say that Wriothesley couldn't come along, but he took the time to gift you an assortment of luxurious tea as well as a...Pair of...Boxing gloves? Oh well, better get to some sporty activities then. Fortunately for you, Emilie just created a new perfume made of your favorite scents that gets rid of any foul odor, and it's a limited edition [Name]-reserved product too!

Cue Lyney and his little magic trick, watch as he gives you a feather, observe how it pops and turns out to be a party popper. He grabs one of the floating paper streamers, drops it in the hat, imagine your gift, reach down and- Tada! Your very own mini Lyney the cat! And- What is this? His assistant, Lynette, takes the lead! She hands you a blank card, on it, write your wish before she places it in her own hat, gesturing you to reach within and- Tada! You now have a mini kitty Lynette! Wooo! Keep smiling, they don't have to know you imagined as well as wrote a thousand mora.

❤️🧡💛Happy Birthday💚🩵💙

[violetswritingg]

Thunderstruck

Tyler Owens x OFC!

Description: When cowgirl meets cowboy after a year of no-contact and chaos ensues during storm season!

Rating: M (Mentions of blood and death in Tornadoes and storms alike, angst and loss of loved ones, car accidents, Tornado aftermath, and injury to characters, slight age gap (5 years))

Want to read the other chapters?

Click here

11

"How long has it been since we've been to one of these?" Riley breathed, a small smile on her lips, looking up at the big red sign Historic Stillwater Stampede and Round-up since 1951! "Someone was feeling nostalgic."

Tyler grinned as he just shook his head, letting her pass by him. His hand hovering over her low back as he guided them through the crowd. Once they had found some seats it was just in time for the finals for the barrel racing event, Riley's favorite. The woman glanced up at the blonde man, catching his smirk and dropping her gaze to her hands in her lap.

"Not nostalgic per say, more like trying to conjure old memories of you laughing whenever I fell off the bull." Tyler quipped and Riley chewed her inner cheek to stave off her laugh.

"You falling off a bull, I do seem to remember that happening yes, I also seem to remember it ended with you in the hospital most of the time. Me laughing at you though? No comment." Tyler's laugh ripped her eyes from the medals being given out and they moved on to the next event.

"I remember that too." Tyler nodded, his denim clad thigh pressing against hers as he shifted to let someone by them.

"I remember how scared I was, the last time. Of course, it was the one time your mom couldn't go and that dad and I could." Riley shook her head, watching the rider control over their horses in a sense of awe. Yes she had lived on a farm but she had always been to scared of the large animals as a kid to ever go near them, much to Nathan's pleasure. Not needing his kid to be a daredevil in multiple aspects. "You looked right through me at the hospital, it was terrifying."

"Hey." Tyler took a chance, gently laying his hand over hers on her knee and squeezing before pulling back, "I'm not looking through you now." His eyes bore holes into her until she was forced to meet his gaze, the contact sizzling and Riley had to be the one to break away first, not trusting herself to keep looking into his green-blue eyes.

""You took the saying a little to literally, I said chase it if you feel it, not let it-"

"Run right over you." Tyler finished, "I remember that much at least."

"If you feel it, chase it." Riley grinned to herself, it was easy, easier to talk about her dad when it was Tyler, because it wasn't sharing stories of someone long gone but reminiscing on the good times, the bad times, the downright ugly. But he understood her grief better than anyone else, she knew that deep down beneath her own issues and hurt.

"Have I ever told you about the first ever tornado I saw?" Tyler asked as the bull riding was announced and the stadium started to get prepped.

Riley had to think about it.

"I-I don't think you have. How could that have never come up?" Riley just shook her head, baffled, chancing another glance at the man beside her.

"I was eight. Driving with my aunt, sirens are going and this vortex..." Tyler lifted a hand, the flat fingers and palm gesturing in front of him, his eyes far away in the memory. "Just lowers right down in the center of the road."

"Wow, and here I though I had the title of youngest to storm chase ever." Riley chuckles, her chest light in a way she tried to burn into her brain, "But looks like you got me beat by a couple years."

"I'm pretty sure that title is still yours." Tyle chuckled, bumping his shoulder against hers. Riley looking down at her lap and tucking some curls behind her ear.

"It's yours if you want it." Riley chuckled, but Tyler saw she wasn't kidding, his eyebrows crashing together, mouth opening to say something, what he had no idea. But she was faster, "Knowing you, you were probably absolutely smitten with the natural chaos of it all, the tornado, the storm. Even at eight, I can't imagine a Tyler Owens without his love of the things people are supposed to run from. Bulls, Tornados..."

The implication clear to him and his frown deepened.

"Were you scared?" Riley breathed, eyes darting to his for a moment. Softer than he had seen all week, looking more like his Riles than ever before and it took the breath from his lungs.

"Yeah, yeah I was." Tyler just looked at her the way that made her insides feel like jelly and she cursed in her head for letting him still get to her like this. "Were you, for your first?" Tyler wanted to keep her talking, keep her warm, and soft. To hold onto the woman he had been in love with for most of his adult life

"No." Riley answered, after a moment of deliberation, "No I wasn't. I was excited, nervous, scared in the moment we rolled maybe but...scared of the storm no. Not back then. Not in the Warlock."

Tyler's shoulders tensed at the mention of the armored vehicle that had deserved retirement for more than a while at this point.

"I guess there was this certainty that nothing bad would happen as long as dad was there and as long as we were in the Warlock behind its steel walls and impenetrable shields, it settled the nerves. But uh," Riley cut herself off, realizing a couple words too late she was spilling top secret information that she had meant to keep locked away. "A Tornado Wrangler, afraid of tornados, but not of riding angry bulls. How's that work? Are you just that good of an actor, shitting bricks the entire time and I just never noticed?"

"No, I surround myself with my own steel and impenetrable shields. Settles the nerves." Lightning like energy crackled between them as Tyler used her own words and his eyes dripped in honey. It was so hard to stay mad at him when he looked at her like that. Clearing her throat, she looked back to the arena, Tyler chuckling to himself and doing the same. Shit eating grin spread across his lips as he took her in, sobering a bit and softening. Melting in the way only Riley ever seemed to draw out of him. "Bulls and Tornados are the same really. What matters is the reason you do it. You don't face your fears, you ride them."

The last bull rider jogging along the side of the arena, meeting Tyler and Riley's eyes. Swirling his hand in the air before nodding to Riley. Tyler repeating the signal and grinning at the bull rider. Riley just watched his profile, his words striking multiple chords in her soul and leaving her aching. Her brain screaming at her to move away from the territory of vulnerability.

"Ya know, looking at you, if I didn't know you have an accent, if I didn't know anything about you, I imagine someone would peg you for a California guy, like one of those California cowboys that like to drive around the small city streets with his massive truck he doesn't even use to haul anything. Just bought it for the aesthetic. And like maybe you played lacrosse in high school." Riley chuckled at Tyler's disgusted face, giggle bubbling up uncontrollably.

"How do you even know what Lacrosse is?" Tyler laughed in disbelief.

"I do pay attention to things other than storm chasing!" She chuckled, shaking her head. Curls whipping around her face.

"What? You're a lacrosse fan now?" Tyler pushed, wanting to keep this going, like it used to be, when things were good. He just wished she was better at hiding when she was actively running away from herself. From them.

Focusing back on the event currently happening Riley noticed how the wind kept picking up and the cells she had been tracking floated around in the back of her head. When a burst of leaves fell from the sky she reached out to grab a perfectly healthy, vibrantly green leaf. Thunder and a flash of lightening in the distance. Riley looking up as Tyler did.

"Have you been tracking cells out here?" Tyler asked, his once easy going smile now turned down in worry.

"A couple, but nothing set to hit till late tomorrow." Riley breathed, her skin prickled and she took a breath, "The air feels heavy. This isn't good." More thunder and lightening, the wind picked up again. Riley watching the leaves rush due south and cursing in her head as soon as the warning on everyone's phones started to go off and the sirens started to blare.

The stadium started to evacuate as the winds started to rapidly accelerate around them, Tyler's hand finding her as she got shoved. Pulling her into his side and keeping her on her feet as they made it out to the fairgrounds with all the carnival games and attractions. Riley fighting Tyler to look back, lightening flashing just long enough for her to see a massive wedge funnel on the ground moving fast. Dark, angry, and coming for blood.

"Gotta go! Go, go, go!" Riley grabbed onto Tyler's shirt as he pulled up a woman who had fallen in front of them and put her back on her feet. Lightly pushing him in front of her as they tore off in the opposite direction, Tyler's grip on her hand bruising but she didn't care, if anything it was her only grounding rod in this moment. Outside of the Warlock, about to be forced to suffer through a tornado live and in person. This was her worst nightmare, besides getting picked up in a vehicle again.

Getting to the parking lot Riley could barely keep up with Tyler's longer legs but her fear was driving her to run faster, seeing Kate heading to the office of the motel she had been staying in and apparently Kate too. After almost getting hit by people trying to flee in vehicles, which was the worst idea you could have.

"No! You have to stop!" Riley tried to get to them, as if she could.

"Riley! We can't help them! Come on!" Tyler gripped her around the waist and dragged her back. Riley's eyes locked with his before darting to Kate. Her heart in her throat, knowing those people probably weren't going to make it. As the now three got under the canopy Riley spotted a mom and daughter rushing. The mom got her daughter in the car and Riley screamed.

"Get inside! You won't make it in a car! Come on!" Tyler held open the door, Riley waiting until both Kate and the mother and daughter got inside. Feeling Tyler's hands on her back pushing her across the threshold and keep a tight grip on her waist.

"Is there a storm shelter?" Kate was spitting out at the front desk attendant who looked pissed off, most likely with the couple berating him. But now was not the time.

"Is there like a basement? Or something underground?" Tyler was pressing, pushing Riley with him as he leaned against the counter with urgency. Which the greasy brunet man didn't like one bit and found within himself to try and start a fight with Tyler, which the man ignored. All of a sudden it hit Riley.

"Oh my god Sarah, my team. Fuck, I don't know where they are Tyler-"

"They know what they're doing, we need to focus on us right now. Look we need to get underground right now. We need to get people underground right now." Tyler redirected her, looking back to the clerk, but Riley's breath started to pick up, but she had to trust Sarah and the others got the warning same as she did and would take care of themselves.

"Look, there's no tornado!" The woman who had been sitting uninterested, annoyed even, to the side piped up in the chaos. Riley wanted to slap some sense into her. "Nine times out of ten it's a false alarm."

"Yeah, well this is that one out of ten chance." Riley snapped, eyes vibrating along with her body.

"You hear that?"

"And now the powers out-"

"I can hear that and I can also knock your power out, or we can sit here arguing while a tornado is descending upon us like the fucking grim reaper! Out there is an easy EF4, which will kill us if we don't get underground. Now!" Riley was panicking, she knew it, Tyler knew it, and Kate knew it too. She tried to slow her breathing; the adrenaline surge would kill her by making her stupid before the tornado ever would. What would Dad do? Not panic for one. Fuck.

They wouldn't listen.

"We need to find shelter. Fast" Kate took off through the open office door to the side and Riley darted after her. Tyler calling her name, his teeth gritting together.

The door was ripped from Kate's hands with the slightest of pushes and Riley had to fight not to gasp. Gripping the door frame for dear life as she peaked out like Kate did.

"Do you see anything?!" Riley yelled over the wind, fighting her hair in the wind. Her eyes stinging, skin starting to tinge a pink from wind burn. Desperately looking for somewhere that wouldn't mean guaranteed death. For a state so plagued by storms they have really shit infrastructure for said storms.

"Yeah! Yeah I do!" Kate bolted back into the main office, calling the others to follow them. Tyler ushering everyone as a large piece of metallic debris crashed through the office window. Riley grabbing the woman's arm from Tyler. The blonde man sheltering Riley with his body, the last out of the office, Kate leading the pack with the mom and daughter.

Riley felt the resistance against her and so did Tyler as the annoyed woman was pulled away by her boyfriend to their truck. Riley's eyes went wide as she screamed, "NO!" Tyler's arms went around her waist and put her on her feet again shoving her forward as she fought him, "No Tyler! They're going to get-"

"We have to go Riley!" He snapped pushing her through the gate Kate held open, the empty motel pool their welcome sight. Riley helping the girl down to her mother as she shook, Tyler pushing her down the ladder next. Kate was still up there and looking at something, Riley backed up, eventually seeing what Kate saw and her hands balled up at her sides seeing the blue truck go flying, Tyler stopping Kate from doing what she almost did earlier.

All she could see was her dad's truck, flashes of bright light, the roar of the wind.

"Mommy!"

"Daddy!"

Riley forced down the bile in her throat and scrambled over to the mother and daughter, ushering them to the pipes to the filtration system that's rooted far enough to keep them on the ground. Hopefully.

"You have to stay low! Cover her head and eyes!" Riley instructed, pushing the mom and little girl into the corner. "Hold onto the pipe as tight as you can! Don't let go no matter what! It's gonna be okay!" Riley looked up the sky and saw Kate drop into the pool with Tyler and the desk attendant from the motel. "Tyler!" Riley held out her hand, shaking, lungs refusing to fully expand.

Jolting back when a vending machine crashed down into the pool, right in front of the desk clerk. Tyler so close to her she could touch him. Her fingers digging into his flannel at his shoulder.

"Tyler!" She tried to pull him but he gripped her hand and squeezed it fiercely.

"I'll be right back!"

"NO! Tyler!" Riley tries to dart forward but Kate sees her and grabs her by the belt loops, pulling her back into the woman's chest. "Let me go! Tyler!"

"Stay there!" The man called as he crawled on his stomach towards the lone clerk. Tyler got him out from behind the vending machine, but he wouldn't stay down low. Too much air got under him and slipped through Tyler's fingers. Sliding back to the shallow end of the pool, Tyler having to go that much further away from safety at the pipes to get to the stupid, panicking man. Even though Riley wasn't much better. The man was pulled up with an updraft and his body contorted sickeningly as he was pulled into the vortex. Riley gripping onto Kate's arms with a death grip, her tears mixing with the rain that had started to fall and soak her skin.

The storm was right there. And it was angry. Pissed off to the extreme. Enough to send a truck flying out of the ether and fling it right at Tyler. It was that moment that Riley broke free from Kate's grip and rushed out, holding out her hand to Tyler and staying on her stomach. Screaming his name as the truck was pushed further and further, threatening to fall over on its side and crush the man underneath that Riley cared a great deal about. Riley met him and with a strength she didn't know she possessed pulled Tyler with her to safety as the wind worked against them.

He was slipping though, the closer they got to the pipes. Every second felt like an hour.

"You gotta let go!" Tyler screamed, "It will take both of us!"

"Then it takes both of us! You go I go!" Riley screamed as she pulled one more mighty pull, every muscle in her arms straining as she got Tyler to the pipes. Just as the truck fell over, the edge got caught on the lip of the pool. Tyler jolted forward as metal creaked and wind streaked past them. Wrapping himself around Riley and plastering them both to the pipes. Riley's hand finding Kate's belt loops, as if that would keep her anchored against the mom and daughter.

The older woman telling her daughter over and over that it would be okay, that she had her. It was ticking every blaring red box in Riley's mind and she felt like she couldn't breathe. But Tyler's weight against her back was the only piece of light in her mind. The sound of Kate's cries and grunts as she struggled to hold on.

And then it was over. And once the roar of the wind died down and the roar left her ears it was like Riley could breathe again. Without the wind stealing it from her.

"Tyler? Ty?" Her voice croaked, hands quickly finding his knee and then elbow as his arm fell around her shoulders and across her chest.

"I'm here. I'm here. You're okay. You're okay." Riley let his words wash over her like the tide, unsure if his words were for her or for him. But she couldn't really be bothered to care. He was here. He was okay. Riley's eyes cut over to Kate and the mom and daughter. Eyes swimming with non-storm related water.

"Everyone- Everyone okay?" Riley shakily asked, eyes darting like a addict looking for their next fix, the adrenaline hitting her hard and making her head spin.

"Yeah, yeah." Kate breathed, her nails digging into Riley's hand, when they had clutched tight to the other like that Riley didn't know but was appreciative of one more warm living touch on her drenched skin.

"It's over," The mom cheered quietly, sagging in relief against her small daughter. Pulling the child into her chest more. "It's over."

Riley knew this was just the beginning.

"Oh god. Sarah." Riley breathed, Tyler slowly getting to his feet, setting Riley on hers his hands never leaving her for a second. And she didn't want them to. Needing reassurance that this wasn't some hallucination, and she was crying for a dead body to come back to life again.

"We'll find her." Tyler's rough voice promised, but a lead weight had settled in Riley's chest as they slowly followed Kate, venturing out into the aftermath.

~~*~~

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls: Season 2, Episode 21, Lorelai's Graduation Day, Part 6

I may be something of a rank amateur as far as how many times I've watched Gilmore Girls (2 times through seasons 1-7, currently in the middle of my 2nd run of seasons 1-4 only) while some people have seen it dozens of times (how do you do it, I'm in awe of you, I love this show but it drains my life force). I may be a walking encylopedia of stupid knowledge about Luke and Jess (like how Luke actually serves Folgers coffee and Apartment Jess in season 4 has a Recycling On Tuesday sticky note on his fridge) but I've had to look up basic-bitch things about Rory and Lorelai like why there is so much bootleg merchandise that says "Copper Boom". My point is that with every viewing, I learn a lot. Right now I'm learning that my memory is a shady bitch. She's been tricking me into thinking many of the episodes I remembered as hunky dory "Comfort episodes" from beginning to end were not. The reality is this: the beginning of many episodes are innocent enough, the "favorite/comfort" is actually just some small portion in the middle, and the last 10-15 minutes are a shit tornado of epic proportions and almost without exception due to Lorelai and/or Dean’s fuckery (example: There's the Rub). MY POINT IS, I do have a vague memory of how this episode ends and I anticipate that while it won't be the worst Last 15 Minutes Shit Tornado I'm hoping it won't wash the sweet sweet taste of Literati StepCousin Wiener Tasting In The City out of my mouth right quick. EDIT after finishing the episode: It was not rage-inducing at all. It was fine. Lorelai barely even talked because Rory wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise. It was just ridiculous and went on too long. Read more at the end of the post. Due to it's lack of fuckery, one minute each of Dean and Christopher, and Lorelai's lack of interference, StepCousins In The City can hold it's trophy aloft and retain its standing as my favorite Gilmore Girls episode of all time.

That was pointless and disgusting and it goes on through the entire graduation. And yeah, that's the dude who voices all the characters on Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane. Pretty much just playing one of his characters. With his Brian Griffin voice which is really just his normal voice. Charming. Did you know Family Guy was one the first shows to be revived after it was canceled due to overwhelming demand from fans? The Network was like "if it'll shut ya'll up we'll bring the damn thing back." I was a biiiiiig Family Guy fan in the early 2000's, spent countless hours on FG message boards and added my momentum to the campaign. The network listened. They bought it back. It was horrible. I never watched it again. AHEM.

Thanks a lot, Family Guy. And I’m sorry that I took part in the first successful revival campaign for a canceled tv show. I could not know the domino effect it would have. Alright, my memory is failing me again. I cannot for the life of me recall how Rory ends up missing Lorelai's graduation. I don't think she got on the wrong bus (Jess would never let her). Does the bus break down? Oh, how I love playing Memory Roulette.

So there's one single road leading out of New York City into all surrounding states, and a single accident will prevent “all” busses from leaving the state? Thousands of people are being held hostage over one car crash? That won’t be pretty. I feel like her best option would be to take the train. A taxi would be too expensive, but Jess knows how to drive, so maybe Liz has a car. Steal her car. I just feel like there are alternatives than being held hostage in a stinky bus. Back at the graduation, Family Guy and his girlfriend continue yelling at each other to shut up and die and then they bully Lorelai for having wealthy parents. This is community college. I am an alumni of a county college myself. Many classes would be half empty by the end of the semester as people constantly dropped out (especially night classes). There were some bumps in the road so it took me 3 years to get my 2 year Associates degree, and I was proud of myself for finishing. I didn't pursue any more education after that; but the graduation ceremony was small because most people were transferring to a four year school and they didn't see the point, I guess, of bothering with a graduation ceremony halfway into their college career. Nobody lived at school so your personal connections to your classmates were loose at best. My point is no college adult would ever give a damn about some total stranger's parents to the point they're going to openly bully them AND their friends. I just wanted to graduate and be done with school forever. We’re adults, we all wanna go home. Family Guy is picking on Sookie and Jackson for their "expensive" clothes now. Joke's on you Family Guy, Lorelai runs the Independence Inn where all three of them are employed and she pays them both in beans.

This is what I say any time someone compliments my outfit. Lorelai's face is priceless.

Sometimes this show makes me feel old. This time, I feel young. Because I'm nearly 40, and still too young to know squat about pagers. I grew up in the same Gilmore Girls timeline where certain people (but not everyone) had primitive cellphones, but I don't remember anyone with a pager. I wasn't aware that pagers could get any sort of texts that communicated "I'm running late." . So I had to jump down another GoogleHole . The answer is yes, they were capable of sending and recieving alphanumeric messages, and since the mid 90's, to boot.

Ahhh, love to see her amongst the commoners.

She misses her cousin, okay? You don't have to remind her. Please do not talk to unaccompanied teenage girls on public transportation and tell them to smile, you pervert. He informs Rory that she got on a Local bus, which is why it's taking so long and making a lot of stops, while the bus she took into the city was an Express that doesn't make stops. Okay, you know what, I actually blame Jess for this. I literally just said "Jess would never let Rory get on the wrong bus." And what did he do? Screwed his cousin. Figuratively. It's not the wrong route, but given that he's aware she needed to be home on time to see Lorelai’s graduation, how important it was to Rory, and with him knowing that little miss "can I eat a hot dog on the subway" was under his supervision as a born and bred New Yorker to get on the correct bus to get home in time, well Jess, you fucked up. Jess Mariano's second fuck up is that Rory clearly has some way of communicating with Lorelai, and if Little Mister Walmart had a cellphone, she could have disembarked the bus, called or messaged him, and he could have directed her to the right bus or given her advice on alternate modes of transportation.

You should have, but it's still your cousin's fault. You're making lengthy conversation with strange men on the bus. You're too naive. You can't be trusted in a big city by yourself. She also listed two scenarios where if this were only a couple of years later, having a smartphone to check traffic and schedules would have changed the entire course of the episode. Because We're still on season 2, where you can't show someone drinking a beer and Rory goes to house parties thrown by popular kids where they only drink "imported sodas", this guy is using his beer can for his spit and not to drink. At least by the end of season 3 (KegMax) beer is finally a thing which exists and that wayward youth are seen indulging in.

Family Guy continues to bully Lorelai for being "rich" even moments before she gets her degree. This isn't funny and is in fact quite nauseating and awful.

Yayy. We spot Emily holding back tears during Lorelai's graduation, but afterwards she can only a muster up this ol chestnut: "Congratulations. Hope Raul got some pictures. Welp see ya tomorrow, we gotta go." Okay, okay, this is the worst graduation in history. Mr and Mrs Asshole Family Guy bully you the entire time, your daughter doesn't show up because she's dilly dallying all over New York City shoving wieners in her mouth with your punk future-nephew, you didn't want your parents to show up in the first place because you feel like you'd only disappoint them, but they show up anyway because their grand daughter went behind your back to invite them, then they make a spectacle only to tell you "congratulations" and then try to leave. And to break Lorelai's heart even further, in a few moments she'll find out that Dean Forrester's on his way to being moldy old Wonderbread to Rory and Jess is...the new fancy organic expensive bread from the good supermarket outside of Stars Hollow. Look, she's due for some pretty bad karma but maybe this is a skosh too much at once.

Put it towards therapy.

Certainly not stuck on the wrong bus because her chaperone couldn't be trusted.

Oh Rory you're SO BONED.

Back at home... L: Whatever kept you, whatever you were doing you should have gotten out of it just this once. Was it school? Was it Paris? Oh boy Lorelai I hope you're ready for a real doozy. Anyway, we're finally down to the last four minutes of the episode which is the entire length of Rory's rambling, over the top groveling/ apology.

Hey, that might be enough time to get Dean off your back. Tell her you went to see Jess. DO IT.

"After he called me last night, that phone call... it DID SOMETHING TO ME. I'm ill! I'm sick!" Girl, I feel you. I get it. I get it. Come here. Give me a hug. Rory's groveling is so desperate and pitiful that Lorelai looks utterly reasonable. She is just standing there shaking her head, because let's face it, she's already had one hell of a night so what's one more cherry on top of the shit sundae that was her graduation?

How could I resist? "I can't believe Icut school when finals are coming up to go see a guy who isn't my guy and end up missing my mother's graduation!" But you did it, you were brave, you followed your dear little heart, and I'm proud of you. And the groveling goes on on and on...the stinky bus...the guy with the spit can...she's so sorry...please ground her and make her wash the dishes for a year...she's so sorry...she's stupid and dumb and "girly" for being so impulsive...this isn't her...what a dumb selfish stupid non thinking freak she is...

Uh…

L: "Maybe you don't have a medical condition or a mental problem, maybe you're just falling for Jess." I love Jess, but making the decision to get involved with him DOES involve some level of mental problems, it's pretty much a requirement. The same goes for Rory, who is also deeply fucked up but just better at concealing it. Star crossed lovers, bound by fate, dirty hot dogs, the stars above, the marriage of his uncle to her mother, and loads of familial trauma. Rory-O and Jess-Iet.

Rory, you're a terrible liar. Work on that.

That's it! FOREVER! She adds. Said every 17 year old about some asshole pig boy they dated in high school. It's gonna last forever, Mom! But with the way he weaves in and out of her life for over five years, this is sadly closer to accurate than I like to think about. If Lorelai had a crystal ball or called Miss Cleo she could see into the future and rest easy knowing Jess and Rory only date for like 7 months. But she'd also find out she was going to marry into Jess' family and she would have to see Jess for the rest of her natural life and he would call her Aunt Lorelai at every chance he got just to get under her skin. The universe has a way of evening these things out.

Rory keeps up the pathetically transparent "I love Dean! Dean Dean Dean! Jess is gone. Evaporated. Jess? Jess who? I'm not in love with my cousin!" charade but Lorelai isn't buying it. Ladies and gentlemen, she's still going. And now she has a list. While she was on the Stinky Bus she wrote a list of all the ways she's going to make up for her transgression. She is now going to read the items on the list to Lorelai. One by one. This is surely not the most insufferable ending in gilmore girls history but it's one of those scenes that could have been cut down to half the time. Four minutes of Rory's incessant groveling felt like 30 minutes. Lorelai just looks at Rory as she goes off the deep end, not angry at her but sympathetic and bewildered as her daughter begs to be beaten and suffocated. Oh, and Rory left the Go Go's record she bought for Lorelai on the bus. The end.

[charliesvarietyhour]

For the fallout oc asks for Jude! 13, 37, 40, 48 :)

im kicking my feet and giggling hi typos!!! thank u so much for the ask!

13. What is the most frightening experience they have endured?

As someone with poor impulse control, Jude has experienced plenty of frightening situations. That time she fell out of a deer blind when she was 12 years old. The night when she was eight and left alone in her mother's single-wide, and someone tried to break in. When she was stuck in her grandparents' barn during a tornado. Literally anytime she was driving and something went wrong.

But the most terrifying thing she's ever witnessed, would be that deathclaw in Concord. After wandering out of 111 and Sanctuary, disoriented, witnessing abominations against God (huge bugs that hate you), taking a human life for the first time ever; and suddenly a dinosaur is bearing down on her? Not only is that the most frightened Jude has ever been, but it also permanently skews her perception of what "scary" is for the rest of her life. Nothing will ever compare to that.

37. What is the worst injury they have experienced?

In 2075, in the middle of a race, a faulty part installed in her Corvega fails and causes her to crash. We're talking totaled, car on fire, stadium evacuated (because fusion engine + fire = bad times). She loses consciousness, and has to be airlifted to the hospital. Her teammate loses his life pulling her from the wreck.

Jude almost dies. She does get the best medical treatment available, thanks to a hefty bribe settlement from Chryslus Motors. She has to get parts of her hip and legs reinforced with titanium to heal correctly. Most of her burns heal with minimal scarring—save for one spot on the side of her head. She has to go to a lot of PT before she can start moving around again. And even then, she still struggles with mobility at the time of entering 111.

40. What is their favorite type of weather?

She loves the sun, specifically in spring or autumn when the air is cool but the sunshine warms your skin. She does not like it when it's windy, though! Oklahoma is always so windy, and she thinks it's a "waste of a fine day" when it's sunny and windy out.

48. Do they collect anything?

Jude loves the Concept of collecting things! She does not have the attention span to remember to collect things, however. Much of her childhood was spent starting new collections, and then forgetting about them two weeks later.

Well, she is a chronic junk-grabber in the Commonwealth. Maybe that counts haha

[heartfullofleeches]

Can we meet the mysterious third sibling?

"What? What do you mean they're on their way?"

...

"Huh? They're right outside?"

You go to open the door you now found yourself at after walking down a long, white corridor; but as the handle pulls, a large figure slamming against the glass stops you from entering. You can see its hulking shape as it holds the door shut; muttering obscurities as it looks around the room.

"Shit. Uh- please hang on a moment while we - er- I tidy a few things up. Shouldn't taken more than a few minutes."

The following ten minutes after accompanied by loud crashes and frantic rambling. The broom wedged into the door's handle is removed as the voice speaks again.

"Okay, you can enter now."

You step inside the room to the scene of a laboratory if a tornado had run through it. Bits of broken material littered the floor. Cupboards were stuffed to the brim and blankets were thrown over things they were too big to hold. A chalkboard stands to one side with its previous contents erased in a hurry. You can make out the first few letters of your name. A hand quickly turns it over, but its just more scribbles of your name. Someone clears their throat.

"Ahem.."

You turn to meet the other party in the room. Their skin shimmers under the dim lights like the wax of a lit candle; carved with intricate details akin to the weavings of lace. Their hair falls to their lower back; curly, spread out, and adorned with multiple eyes through their locks. Their own face has six eyes and sits partially detached from the black silhouette of its head. They wear a lab coat and nothing else with its back cut open for their avian wings; two arms fitted along the top of their upper bones. The eye in the center of their chest centers on you as they speak.

"Well! If it isn't my favorite lost soul that I most definitely haven't been watching through yours entire journey. What can I do for you today?"

"Um... someone told me you have a way into the human world?"

Their eyes twitch. "Pardon?"

"Is there anyway you could send me home?"

"Oh! Haha-...." They grab their face as with their wing appendages it shifts, holding up a finger for pause. "Please give me a moment. I need to talk with my associate about something."

The demon hurries behind the chalkboard, crouching behind a few cardboard boxes from what you can see underneath. An unfinished figurine pops out from one of the crates. It kinda looks like you, but dresses up as a maid. You round the corner, eavesdropping on the conversation it seems to be having with itself. The second voice is much raspier then the first, and struggles at keeping a low volume.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know. When you were talking to them, it was all about you so why should I help now?"

"This is not something you want to dump on a person when you've just met them."

"Hey- If I hadn't seen them, they would've noticed the journals you left on the table. The one about the coffee shop."

"It's a cute scenario and you know it." They hiss.

"We're not starting this shit right-

"Excuse me?"

The demon looks back at you; face a slightly darker shade of white bordering on pink and eyes narrow. It rotates back to the first as it quickly raises to its feet.

"Meeting adjourned! Haha- unfortunately, the technology used for that is unable at this due to... technical difficulties, but I can house you for the time being. I know what type of mattress you prefer already and have filled a wardrobe full of clothing I think you might fancy... This is custom for all humans I met, of course. There's no reason to doubt me so - please don't."

[lizardlicks]

Nine People You'd Like To Get To Know Better

I was tagged by @blu3berrydraws, @erisenyo, and @paramouradrift lol thanks guys!

Relation Status: Married to my best friend and high school sweetheart

Favorite Color: green. any green. give me a green I will show you how beautiful it is

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Sweet tooth is currently satisfied. Spicy is just kind of a bonus. I think savory is looking good rn.

Three ships: Zukka is the obvious current answer, but I am a habitual multishipper by nature, so here are three ships that I very much enjoy which might not be on your radars!

First is @ablueeyedarcher's fault: How/Piandao. The SS CapyPanda. Are they minor characters who only show up for two or three episodes a piece? Yes. Do I care? No. Let them smooch.

Number two is Jee/Bato. Look. Jee is a tired gay man, He has served his time. Let him get out there and get the good dick. He's not a home wrecker though, he's not gonna get between whatever Bato has going on with Hakoda... unless maybe they invited him to get between them more literally.

Third is Zuko/Kuei. I know the the post canon comics pitted these two sad bitches against each other but listen, here me out. They're both young, inexperienced leaders dropped head first into navigating attempting to deescalate their countries post a century of hostilities with minimal helpful guidance, and they were also both used and betrayed by the father figures they we supposed to trust and rely on. What if when left alone, face to face, they bonded over venting their similar frustrations? What if that bonding turned into an unlikely friendship? What if that friendship tripped and rolled down a rocky hill of something more and they ended up in a secret affair between the heads of two of the world's most powerful states? What if it all came crashing in on them, but they couldn't untangle their very real feelings from their duty as leaders? What then?

First ever ship: Oh snap this is reaching back into Ye Old memory banks here. If I'm being totally honest I think it was the pink and green (later white, much later all the rest of the damn colors) rangers from the original run of the American version of Power Rangers. The internet didn't exist as we know it today so it was just a group of a half-dozen 7-9 year olds G O S S I P I N G on the playground between rounds of pretending to be actual velociraptors.

Last Song:

(Two Steps From Hell is my go-to writing times tune everything out music)

Last Film: Technically it was me and the rest of the adults post Thanksgiving diner keeping a running background commentary going on the worldbuilding choices in the Paw Patrol Movie that the little kids insisted on watching. Real answer, the last movie I sat down to watch with intention was Across the Spiderverse.

Last thing I Googled: solar chistmas lights. My coworker was complaining that her only outdoor outlet shares a load with an indoor one (which?? rude!) and her partner wouldn't let her put up more Christmas lights. I had to show her. The way her face lit up as she IMMEDIATELY zoomed to Amazon and started filling her cart. Apologies to her poor family and neighbors, but I definitely made her week and possibly her entire New Year.

Currently Reading: Hey did you know that @erisenyo is already releasing stuff for zukki week because she is. you should definitely go read that.

Currently Watching: Rewatching Blue Eye Samurai while spouse watches it for the first time. He's been big into old samurai and wuxia films since I can remember so I'm just sitting here anticipating his reactions to every easter egg and trope call back they've stuffed into this show and also spotting things I missed on the first round.

Currently Consuming: Peppermint mocha and a cheese, egg and sausage tornado. Don't question me.

Currently Craving: My cozy bed. Also a nice big bowl of curry.

Currently Working On: The next chapter of Learn to Carry Love. I'm so so so close to the finish aaargh!

Current Obsession(s): *Gestures at my blog*

And with that I'm gonna taaaaaaag @ablueeyedarcher @rainbowbarnacle @paintsplattere @allgremlinart @saccharineomens @thepioden @siggymcpissyface @curlicuecal and @yandereleorio! No obligation of course, just for a fun time if you wanna :D

[crusherthedoctor]

My personal issue with the Heavies is that they don't have enough presence as I'd like.

If you were to ask me I'd say Magician is my favorite by a wide margin because she gets the greatest sense of presence: she knocks Knuckles off the Tornado and creates tge act 1 miniboss, she creates the Fang/Bean/Bark illusions that crash the plane forcing you into act 2 and she then has her very unique battle. If you count Encore mode than she even starts that.

By contrast all the others really only show up for their respective boss battle and a really brief encounter during the final boss, hell unless you're playing as Knuckles you won't even meet King in a one on one match

I often see them compared to Robot Masters but that's exactly the issue: Robot Masters are more prominently present in the games as a whole: they're on the boxart, they're on the stage select screen, the stages are THEMED after them (the only stage in Mania themed after its Heavy is Press Garden, MAYBE Titanic Monarch if you consider it King's stage instead of Eggman's but....yeah no), the stage music is often considered their own personal theme, you get a weapon from them serving as a permanent reminder of them and you fight them all a second time for real instead of just making brief cameos during the final boss

I think they would have benefitted a lot from either being present in both of their acts like Magician is, or being recurring bosses, though with each boss fight being different in some way

More spotlight would have been great, but I really don't have an issue with how they were, since despite their limited screentime, they were still able to show off a lot of personality (Magician tipping her hat, Gunner freaking out when his missiles are deflected back at him...), they had clever moves (King calling back to Super Mecha Sonic, Shinobi using Asterons as shuriken...), and the levels they were featured in still complimented them. (Studiopolis fitting Gunner's police motif, Mirage Saloon fitting Magician's flashiness and serving as payoff for the Fang/Bean/Bark wanted posters seen throughout the zone, Lava Reef fitting an adrenaline junkie like Rider...)

Sonic not facing King at all until Egg Reverie was admittedly odd, but I don't think it's too big of a deal. But hey, putting their Classic Only status aside, maybe this is all the more reason for them to come back in a new game... but nooooo, we gotta have Sage come back instead, because it's always the shit/mediocre characters that get second chance after second chance. First the Deadly Six, now this...

(Also, don't a lot of Mega Man fans complain about the boss rushes? I know some fans accuse them of padding, and I can see where they're coming from since they usually don't have any notable changes from the first time around.)

[baenxietydad]

Girl, The Old Bisexual Men Are Pining

On account of Hatter being in his jealous bitch era<3

@davidhatter

Ceilings - Lizzy McAlpine

But it's not real And you don't exist And I can't recall the last time I was kissed It hits me in the car And it feels like the end of a movie I've seen before

For Hatter's delulu girl moment

Tornado Warnings - Katie Lynne Sharbaugh

I don’t find a thing alarming, not even tornado warnings Come blow me away I need some fresh air anyway Maybe in my younger years it would have been a bigger fear When everything was new And danger was exciting, too

...

Time rolls on just like a river, don’t know when I got so bitter Think I’m in a drought There’s nothing to write home about Drag myself to social practice, guess that’s how I stay distracted

주저하는 연인들을 위해 (For Lovers Who Hesitate) - Jannabi

Then, when night comes We will carve our own secret I place a bookmark on the night that will become memorable, and open it up without anyone knowing

I can’t throw away my growing heart (feelings) without looking at it Even if that day comes again someday

Oceans - Seafret

It feels like there's oceans Between you and me once again We hide our emotions Under the surface and try to pretend

Touch Love - Yoon Mirae (from the Master's Sun OST)

I want to reach my hands out and hold you but I feel like you'll go further away so I just linger around you

It's fine if I cannot touch you It's fine if I cannot hug you

Going To Georgia - The Mountain Goats

The most remarkable thing about you Standing in the doorway is that it's you And that you are standing in the doorway And you smile as you ease the gun from my hand And I am frozen with joy right where I stand

I'd Like To Walk Around In Your Mind - Vashti Bunyan

I'd like to walk around in your mind someday I'd like to walk all over the things you say to me I'd like to run and jump on your solitude I'd like to rearrange your attitude to me You say you just want peace and you'd never hurt anyone You see the end before the beginning has ever begun I would disturb your easy tranquility I'd turn away the sad impossibility of your smile

To Be Alone With You - Sufjan Stevens

I'd swim across Lake Michigan I'd sell my shoes I'd give my body to be back again In the rest of the room To be alone with you

So Tender - Say Sue Me

The cheeks of a newborn baby Got that feeling when you touch me I know it's a butterfly on a flower But that feeling is forever The breeze that shakes your hair A goodnight song sung by mother You came up to me like that so tender

It Had To Be You - Motion City Soundtrack

All this time and everything's changed but I still feel the same All good things eventually end and get washed down the drain What a disaster it would be if you discovered that I cared A little too much for friends but not enough to share

Jenny (Acoustic Verison) - Studio Killers

I wanna ruin our friendship We should be lovers instead I don't know how to say this ...

Jenny, take my hand 'Cause we are more than friends I cannot pretend Why I never like your new boyfriends

I Listened - Apes of The State

And I'm scared that this list is too long that I can't fit all these things into a song And still keep your attention So, I'm trying hard to mention some important things that I feel will really demonstrate Just how well that I listened

Like how you said, with tears in your eyes, that you wish that being grateful was enough to keep you from feelin' sad all the time And that your favorite flowers are impatiens And that when you love somebody you wait patiently for them

It's giving how Hatter remembers everything Mr. Bae ever says to him, because that's what you do when he's just your Bro tm

Come Over - Noah Kahan

And my mouth was designed for my foot to fit in it Oh, the words they went missin' when the stock market crashed And the Dow Jones keeps falling, but I promise you, darling With the view in the morning, you won't ever go back

...

But I'm in the business of losing your interest And I turn a profit each time that we speak

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

Ghost Story - Chapter 13

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 3294

Warnings: Strong language

Summary: No one will miss a ghost. It'd been a running joke for as long as anyone could remember, something Ghost herself started, and she always said it with a smile on her face or with mirth in her voice. The untouchable stealth pilot in every sense of the word, no one could've predicted the depth of her turmoil over recent events, nor the extremes she would go to in order to protect the man she loved, not even those closest to her. Now, all that was left of the young aviator for Maverick, Hangman, and Rooster were the memories of the past, which would slowly fade with time. She'd come into their lives and made an unforgettable impression, and then, like a ghost, she was gone... Then again, ghosts can't die a second time.

Notes: The chapters/parts in italics are flashbacks. Also, I know I used Melissa Benoist as Juliette in India Lima Yankee but I really love her as an actress okay...

Chapter Songs: Like I Loved You How Not To

****

Ghost

Oooh, I fucked up. Ghost thought when she cracked her eyes open and saw Hangman passed out in bed next to her, fully unclothed. The activities from last night flooded her mind, and as enjoyable as it had been, Ghost still regretted it. She didn't want Hangman to get the wrong idea, even if they had agreed beforehand the night would mean nothing other than the breakup sex they never had after the second time they separated.

With a splitting headache and no wish but to hit the pillow again, Ghost quietly got out of bed and stepped into the shower, anxious to get rid of the bar and beer smell lingering on her skin and hair. She held no concerns about waking Hangman in the process. Like her, once asleep, he remained dead to the world. On more than one occasion, they'd both slept through tornado sirens, only to be woken by their frantic parents scrambling to get them out of bed. Things didn't change, and by the time Ghost had finished her shower, dried her hair, and put on enough makeup to hide the bags under her eyes, Hangman still hadn't woken. Tossing her Top Gun hat on and putting in earbuds, she slipped out of her apartment, hoping the brisk morning air would clear her headache and her head.

Ghost selected walking over jogging, her stomach just rough enough after all the drinking last night that she didn't want to overdo it. Instead, she listened to a mixture of calming soundtracks, a favorite music genre of hers, and quiet enough that it didn't add to her pounding headache.

Ghost hadn't drunk that much in years, and her body reminded her that she was no longer in her twenties. She wasn't one to drink to forget, but the image of Rooster and Bryn making out burned itself into her mind, and Ghost turned to alcohol and Hangman.

I'm such a dumbass. What good is sleeping with Jake going to do other than a temporary distraction and a morning of regret, no matter how good it was? God, I shouldn't have done it. Drunk or not, I knew better, but I did it anyway because I had my heart hurt. I'm better than that, and Jake deserves better than that too. I've got to get a grip on myself. Since when has a guy ever made me this stupid? What have I let Rooster do to me? What have I-

Ghost would've crashed headfirst into a muscular chest had the person not grabbed her shoulder. Startled, she looked up, and of all people that could've blocked her way, it had to be them.

"Rooster! Bryn!" Ghost exclaimed, taking out her earbuds. "What are you two doing here?"

"Hey!" Bryn replied cheerfully, exhaustion well-disguised by still visible dark circles under her makeup. Rooster had his arms around her shoulders. "We thought we'd go for a walk, wake ourselves up after the copious amounts of alcohol we drank last night. I have an appointment in a bit, and it's just down this road, so I'll probably walk there from here. We saw you and were calling out your name, but I don't think you heard us over your music."

"Oh, yeah, I was engrossed in it. Side effect of the hangover, too, probably," Ghost lied. It was a better option than telling them she was thinking things over because that would make the couple prod, the last thing Ghost wanted them doing. Of course, judging by the crinkle in Rooster's brow, he already understood she had a racing mind.

"Yeah, I haven't seen you that drunk in a while, and then you disappeared with Hangman after midnight-"

Ghost cringed, wishing more than anything to disappear from that line of conversation. "The one time I didn't want to be seen, and I am."

"You two were hard to miss," Bryn said with a laugh. "If it makes you feel better, only Rooster and I noticed."

"I guess that's a little solace. I-" Ghost's phone blared 'Slow Ride,' giving her a welcome interruption. Recognizing the ringtone, she said, "I gotta take this. I'll see y'all later!"

Waving goodbye, Ghost turned around and headed back toward her apartment, grateful to escape the couple and for the perfect timing of the call. "Hey, what's up?"

"I wanted to check on you since I couldn't find you in the apartment, that's all," Hangman said groggily. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I was getting restless and went for a walk. How are you feeling?"

"I'll never admit this to anyone but you, but like shit. I'm going to catch a ride back to my apartment. Are you good to get home safely, or do you want me to wait for you?"

"No, you can go. It's busy out, and I have Ghost on me," she said, gripping the dagger Maverick gave her in her pocket, comforted by its constant presence. "Between me and the knife, I'll be fine."

Hangman chuckled. "All right. Text me when you get home, though, so I know. Love you, Annalise."

"I will," she promised, smiling to herself. Despite having broken up with each other, their friendship endured, and they did love each other with a passion, but it now was only platonically. There wasn't much, if anything, Ghost wouldn't do for Hangman. "Love you, Jake."

Hanging up, Ghost shoved her hands in her pockets, set on getting back to her apartment to eat and crash in her bed to sleep off the rest of her hangover when Rooster's voice sounded beside her. "Mind if I join you?"

"Oh, shit!" Ghost jumped, not having expected him. Glaring disapprovingly at him, she said, "Jesus, Rooster. Are you trying to kill me?"

"I thought nothing could surprise a ghost?" he teased, bumping her elbow with his.

"Must be an undiscovered seventh sense. Shouldn't you be walking Bryn to her appointment?"

"She decided to catch an Uber because it was later than she thought, and she was worried she'd be late. So I thought I'd catch up with you. Feel like we've barely hung out since I started dating Bryn."

"It's time-consuming having a girlfriend," Ghost remarked drolly, trying to hide any sign of her discomfort being around him, especially when all she could think about was how much she still loved him and how she hated herself for not telling him to cancel his first date with her 'friend' the night before. Ghost had had her chance, and she blew it. She had to live with the consequences, and it wasn't right to take it out on Rooster, even if her heartstrings pulled painfully at the mere sight of him.

"She's not my girlfriend yet," Rooster said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ghost raised an eyebrow at him. "Does she know that? Because you kind of announced to everyone last night that you two were together."

"We're dating exclusively, but I'm not sure I want a label yet. I don't want to move too fast with this."

"How come?"

"I want the honeymoon phase to pass, to see how we really are around each other when the novelty of first being with each other fades away. Speaking of being together, are you and Hangman back together?"

"No," Ghost said firmly. 

"So the hookup last night-"

"The breakup sex that never happened the second time around," she said with a grimace. One of the last topics she wanted to talk to Rooster about was her sex life with Hangman.

"Does he know it was just that?"

"Yeah, he does. I made sure he does."

The two fell silent, but an unusual and unwelcome awkwardness settled over them. Ghost wanted to break it but had no clue how. Rooster, however, took it into his own hands. "Hey, are we okay?"

"Yeah, of course," Ghost answered, her hand tightening nervously around her pocketknife. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Because you've been avoiding me since I started dating Bryn," he pointed out softly yet matter-of-factly. "At first, I thought it was because you were still settling in. I know you hate clutter, and the boxes stacked in your apartment undoubtedly drove you nuts. But when you got it all unpacked, you still avoided me. For better or worse, I know you Ghost. I know when you're avoiding me. I just want to know what's going on."

Ghost groaned internally. Why couldn't he have brought this up in private? "It's- it's nothing you did. At the risk of sounding cliche, it's me, not you."

"Oh, so it's most definitely me," Rooster joked lightly.

"No, no, it's really not anything you've done. It's my own issues. Don't worry about it."

"I am going to worry about it when you're pushing me away because of whatever it is. Talk to me, Ghost."

"I don't even know how to bring it up. I've always been shit at talking about my feelings, anyway. I'd rather deal with it on my own than drag other people down, too."

"Speaking from experience, it's not healthy to do that."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to go in a death spiral toward the ground with my captain because of it," Ghost said, shooting Rooster a sly smile.

"Mav told you about that?"

"Hangman, actually. He told me about the training and all that happened."

"Got it, got it... while I do trust you not to go in a death spiral, break the hard deck and commit insubordination in the process, I'm still not going to drop the subject."

"Can we at least talk about it in private at my apartment?"

"Of course," Rooster said instantly. The two once more fell silent, only a few bits of conversation popping up between them that never lasted long. By the time they reached her apartment, Ghost regretted her request to talk to him in private. She should've put her foot down and told him she didn't want to talk about it, but Rooster had always had a way of convincing her to do things she shouldn't. This would probably be one of those times.

Entering her apartment, she headed to the kitchen and asked, "Want anything to eat?"

"Sure, if it's not too much trouble," Rooster responded, leaning against the counter next to her and too close for comfort. "What's on the menu? Anything I can do to help?"

"PB and J, so it's super difficult and time-consuming."

Rooster clutched his heart. "I'm honored you would treat me to such a great meal."

Giving him a genuine grin, Ghost got out the ingredients, purposefully not starting the line of conversation Rooster so desperately wanted to discuss in hopes he'd forget or chicken out about it, but he annoyingly didn't.

"All right, we're in the privacy of your apartment. So, talk to me, Ghost. What's on your mind?"

She groaned. "Oh, I was hoping you'd forgotten about that."

"Nope."

"Fine, fine... I-I don't know. There are a few things, but mostly I feel guilty."

"Guilty? About what?"

"For sleeping with you the night before your first date with Bryn, for one thing. I may not have known it was her, but I still knew it was a friend, and I still slept with you."

Rooster looked at her curiously. "You know, that's the first time I've ever heard you acknowledge we slept together."

Ghost kept her eyes on the food in front of her, unwilling and unable to meet his gaze. She ignored his comment and continued, "I lied to Bryn as well. I told her nothing happened between us, and while that's true romantically, we still slept together, and more than once and recently, and while I kept it from her so she wouldn't think I was like that other bitch of a friend who slept with Bryn's boyfriend at the time, I worry if Bryn finds out, she'll think I lied for a different reason."

"Did you?"

Ghost didn't respond at first, trying to formulate an answer that wouldn't cause her to admit her feelings for him because it wasn't like she could ever act on them now that he had dated Bryn. Unfortunately, her moral code wouldn't allow her to.

Rooster refused to let up. "Ghost, is there another reason you lied to her?"

"Yes, but there's no point in bringing it up."

"Why not?"

"Because nothing will come of it. You dated her, and I don't date my friend's exes, no matter how long they dated and-"

"You like me?" Rooster interrupted, his brown eyes flashing with surprise.

"You think I slept with you for the hell of it?" Ghost countered, slightly irked, although she had no reason to be. "I don't sleep with any guy I find attractive."

"No, that's not- why did you never tell me?"

"You hated me for a while, and as much as you got on my nerves, I still liked you. Then by the time we got on good terms, I was dating Hangman. The first time you and I slept together was after I broke up with him, and I didn't want you to be rebound, so I said nothing. The second time, I was deploying the next day and didn't want to start something for one day and then be separated for months. The third-"

"We had an entire summer," Rooster pointed out, bristling. She heard the anger tinging his voice. "Why wait until the last minute to sleep with me?"

"I got scared. The last time I fell hard for a guy, he broke up with me, and it damn near broke my friendship with him. I didn't want that happening between us."

"And what about the third time? You knew I was going on a date with one of your friends, but you still slept with me. Why?"

Ghost's shoulders sagged. "Because I knew after that night, it would never happen between us again. I should've told you to cancel your date. I should've told you that night how I felt, but I didn't, and that's on me. It's why I didn't say anything to you about this because saying it aloud isn't going to change anything between us."

"We can't just ignore it!"

"Yes, we can, and we will." Ghost's voice remained steady. She stayed careful not to raise it, aware of Rooster's volatile temper when inflamed and not wanting to fan the flames any further. "I haven't just been avoiding you because of the guilt. I've also been doing it because every time I see you, I think of what I could've had and how I screwed it up by staying quiet like I always do. As happy as I genuinely am for you and Bryn because you two are a perfect match with your values and your personalities and interests, I still find myself wishing it was me instead of her, and I can't get that last night between us out of my head."

Rooster ran a hand through his hair, clenching a fist of it at the end. "So, what exactly are we supposed to do? Pretend like nothing ever happened between us? Pretend there's nothing between us?"

"Yes. I compromised my morals once by sleeping with you before you started dating my best friend, and I can't do it again by dating you if you two break up. I'm sorry, Rooster..."

"This is bullshit." He pushed himself off the counter and stalked off. Ghost followed, their sandwiches long forgotten on the counter. As he reached the front door, he whirled on her, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "I don't get it. You knew I liked you all this time, and you said nothing until I found someone else!"

"You asked me what was wrong, and I told you!" Ghost finally snapped, letting loose a little of her own temper. "This is why I didn't want to tell you in the first place!"

"No, you didn't tell me because you're afraid of commitment ever since Hangman broke your heart after your first breakup. But instead of moving on, you keep returning to him and getting back together."

"Might I remind you I'm the one who broke up with him the second time, and last night was a one-time thing-"

"We were supposed to be a one-time thing, and look what happened there! So sorry if I have a problem believing you and Hangman are done after last night."

"I was upset and drunk, and he was there making me feel like a million bucks while you never took your eyes off of Bryn, so I'm sorry for wanting to be with someone on New Years' Eve that was interested and available."

"Oh, you think it was easy for me to watch Hangman practically eye-fucking you on the dancefloor or seeing you sit in his lap with you two hanging all over each other? Do you think I felt nothing seeing you two stumble out of the bar, knowing full well what would happen?"

"If you liked me so much, then why did you never ask me out?!" Ghost demanded, stepping toward him with a challenging glare in his eye.

"Because you never showed interest!"

"I didn't sleep with you for the hell of it! I slept with you because I liked you!"

"Obviously not enough because you still keep running back to Hangman." Rooster threw open the door, his face red with rage.

"Where are you going?" Ghost asked, her fight evaporating. She wanted to work this out with Rooster, to try and find some peace between them.

"Home. This conversation is finished. I'm not going to be your boy toy. If you want one, go fuck Hangman. I'm done."

His words were a slap in the face to her. After everything she just said, after everything she just confessed to, he thought he was merely a boy toy to her? Voice cracking, Ghost started to say, "Bradley-"

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Ghost shell-shocked. She had feared Rooster would react negatively toward her if she voiced her troubles, but not like this. Never like this. It's not like she could talk to anyone about what went down just now, either. If Ghost told Bryn, she'd lose another friend because the truth would come out about her relationship with Rooster, and Bryn would undoubtedly accuse Ghost of being another Britney. 

Ghost couldn't go to Hangman. He'd deck Rooster for treating her the way he did because if anyone knew Ghost better than Rooster, it was Hangman, and he knew she wouldn't sleep with anyone for the hell of it.

Ghost couldn't even go to her mom because her mom would've said things she already knew: Ghost shouldn't have lied to Bryn in the first place, she should've told Rooster how she felt in the beginning, and she had to reap what she sowed.

No, Ghost was alone in this. She'd dug this grave for herself and now had to lie in it. The road to hell was paved with good intentions, and Ghost certainly found herself in a hellish place now. 

Bzz! Bzz! The vibrating of her ringtone shocked her back to reality, and she hastily grabbed it, desperately hoping Rooster would be on the other end to apologize but forcing herself to be realistic. Ghost lived in the real world, not in fantasy novels or fanfiction stories. The guy she loved wouldn't come crawling back to apologize.

Her realism stood correct. A familiar but unexpected name flashed on her screen. Frowning, Ghost answered the phone. "Hello, sir."

"Are you crying?" Cyclone inquired, sounding shockingly concerned.

"Uh, no, sir. I had a sneezing attack. What can I help you with?"

"I need you to report to base within the hour. We have a mission for you."

****

Tags: @supernaturaldawning @shanimallina @polikszena @lgg5989 @callsign-milano @bradshawsandbridgetons​ @harper1666​ @shadeops21​ @double-j​ @copaceticwriter​ @rotating-obsessions​ @sharkprestige​ @thedarkinmansfield​ @lapilark​ @mickeyluvs​ @starshipfantasy​ @bennypears00​ @mandowife221b​ @the-navistar-carol​ @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth​ @carmellasworld​ @0hb0llocks​ @nicangelinee​ @summ3rlotus​ @3picklesinajar​

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13

[skarletterambles]

Good idea: Re(-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re)-watching Twister before going to see Twisters tomorrow.

Bad idea: Watching when you're PMSing so you get tears in your eyes at Jo's dad getting sucked out of the storm cellar, and then feel bad when you see the late Bill Paxton and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Whoopsie.

Twister is in a three-way tie with The Mummy and the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie as my favorite film of all time. I'm sure the new version won't measure up to the original but it looks like a hell of a fun ride and I'm pumped to see it. It's also only the second movie I've seen in a theater since Rise of Skywalker, a.k.a. pre-Covid. (The other was Inside Out 2, which wasn't that big a deal to me but a friend really wanted to see it when she was in town.)

Random thoughts and favorite quotes I typed up while watching...

"Not unless you want to sketch the tornadoes."

"You left her with Dusty? What's the matter with you?"

OMG that late '90s cellphone Melissa has...vintage! LOL! (The laptops and other tech are also fun to see, even if they make me feel old. It was cutting edge then!)

THE SUCK ZONE!!!!!

Dusty's obviously the most fun, but all these storm chasers have so much personality, just from their faces, their road soundtracks, and the few quirks we learn about them. I always wanted to read (or write?) a book that went into their backstories.

The first time I saw this I thought Dorothy was Bill and Jo's daughter, the way they talked about her. "She's here?!" / "Let me take a look at her!"

"I find this kinda interesting. I'm gonna tag along!" Famous last words, Melissa...

"He's in it for the money, not the science." insert bothisgood.gif meme here.

Both Jonas and Melissa have southern accents. Not sure if there's any deeper meaning there. He is a straight-up villain, and she is set up as an antagonist but you just can't hate her because she's actually sweet despite being so far out of her element, and ultimately she bows out of the love triangle with dignity and grace.

GREENAGE!!!!!

"She's a therapist." [long pause] "Yours?"

"Can I drive?" "No." "Then would you?"

High five to the writer(s) who came up with this banter.

"I was just wondering if we were gonna chase this tornado or wait for the next one."

The awed heavenly chorus that takes over the soundtrack when the tornado comes into view is so cheesy but I love it so much. The lion growls it makes are absurd but I can't hate them.

"Where's my truck?" *truck comes out of nowhere to crash in the middle of the road* The comedic timing is so good in this.

Dusty and Melissa should get together. He's infatuated by her ability to almost get crushed by a flying truck, and she needs a rebound after Bill. *insert inappropriate jokes about the Suck Zone*

"Why don't you find your own twister, buddy?" LOL

Every time I see a cow in this movie I grin. We all know why.

The storm chasers I've followed online almost never pre-rate tornados. You don't say it's a F2 or F3 while it's on the ground--especially when it's just churning up fields and not causing any damage that could be used to determine a rating.

OMG the music is so damn epic throughout this sequence.

"I GOTTA GO, JULIA! WE GOT COWS!" "ANOTHER COW!" "ACTUALLY I THINK IT WAS THE SAME ONE!"

"When you used to tell me you chased tornados, deep down I always just thought it was a metaphor!"

Ah, the windchimes. You'd never think such a gentle, whimsical sound could be so ominous...

Aunt Meg always reminded me of one of my aunts, physically at least. R.I.P. Aunt P.

WHAT A MINUTE! What kind of personal Mandela effect B.S. is this? I've always remembered it that Jo left her necklace on in the shower, and thought it was SO cool for some inexplicable reason. But she didn't! My entire life is a lie.

"A[n F]4 will relocate your house pretty efficiently."

FINGER OF GOD!!!

Yes, do a nice closeup of the water tower with "WAKITA" on it so the audience remembers the name when it comes up later...

Of course Bill can sense when and where the tornadoes are. He can just follow the dramatic music cues!

"It's like Bob's Road..." I wonder what Rabbit, a.k.a. Map Guy, would think about modern GPS. At least Google Maps doesn't have a crease through Wichita.

See? Melissa is riding in Dusty's car now. OTP! (I've seen crack ships founded on far less.)

That is pretty wimpy hail. Reed Timmer would be unimpressed. It's not a storm chase until you break a windshield or two.

"DEBRIS! WE HAVE DEBRIS!"

Power flashes are a thing. A massive fireball lighting up the funnel, not so much (except for that one time...) Growling like a lion, also not a thing. I love it all anyway, because of and despite the ridiculousness.

"You've never seen it miss this house, and miss that house, and come after you." I think about that line so often when viewing tornado damage. They can be so capricious and seemingly random.

Aww, now Dusty is holding the umbrella over Melissa as she's heartbroken over Bill. I started shipping this as a joke, damn it...

And we get to the drive-in. One iconic scene after the other. I know some screenings were held in drive-ins for the lulz. I wish I could have attended one.

The TV signal dying is one more mundane thing that becomes unspeakably ominous in this movie.

"It's headed right for us!" "It's already here." Cheesier than a Packers game, but still gives me chills.

I always thought it was nice how Jo took the time to warn the girls in the concessions stand.

You know it's a bad situation when the people who cheerfully seek out twisters are cowering in terror.

Cue the creepy windchimes.

"It looks to hit Wakita head-on." That being the first serious line of dialogue Dusty has uttered in the entire movie gives it so much more impact.

The sudden tone change meant I really wasn't sure if Meg was going to survive the first time I saw this. The jokes and goofiness evaporated at the drive-in and by the time they get to Wakita it really does feel like anything can happen.

"How nice you all came over." Meg is a cinnamon roll, too pure for this world.

"I'm going to drive myself." "Honey, your car's in a tree around the corner."

Meg's okay, the dog survived, and the jokes are back!

The weather service doesn't "predict an F5" as blatantly as they do in the movie, but I can forgive them for dramatic license.

Back to the epic traveling music! (And Pepsi product placement.)

I don't think I ever noticed that Meg's dog came with them! Aww.

"Unless you think somebody will hit it." ("It" being Dorothy in the middle of the road in the path of a massive F5.) "Nobody'll be there." Again, it's cheesy, but I don't care. I still get chills.

Somebody was like, "We haven't had enough fiery explosions in the this movie. Fix that."

I love how we've almost forgotten about Jonas by the time the drive-in and Wakita scenes are over, and then suddenly he's back in all his smarmy glory...just in time to die in spectacular fashion.

"DEBRIS! DUSTY, WE HAVE DEBRIS!" *entire tractors start raining from the sky* " 'Debris' ?!?!"

The random teddy bear squeaking as it hits the windshield is way funnier than it probably should be.

Cue that epic music again. Love it. Duh duhduh DUHDUH DUH DUH!

Suddenly the wind chime sound becomes a good thing!

Seeing the tornado rip up corn stalks reminds me of how the recent Greenfield, Iowa, tornado actually planted corn in the town that has since sprouted all over the place.

Wicked-looking scythes and blades clanking all over the barn, and Jo says, "OMG who are these people?" That's funny enough in the moment but later you see the perfectly normal, wholesome looking family who lives there and you wonder if they're secretly serial killers...

We just saw this tornado pulverize a huge barn, but this tiny shed will protect us! (I know, I know, it's the plumbing, but it's still funny before you learn that.)

The lack of impalement and clothes getting ripped off in the wind does stretch willing suspension of disbelief, but...eh, so what? It's cool.

The woman in the checkered pink shirt who comes out of the storm shelter with the kids looks a LOT like one of my friends from grade school. Or how I'd imagine she would look as an adult. I last saw her at 5th grade graduation.

"Mommy, why are there people tied to the pipes where the shed used to be and why are they making out?" "Shut up, Timmy." "And why aren't they impaled by a bunch of corn stalks and wood planks?" "I said shut up, Timmy." "And who are all those other weirdos?" "If you don't shut up I won't let you into the storm shelter the next time a tornado happens. Now go play with a rusty scythe like a good little boy."

This has been another episode of "Katie Rewatches a Favorite Movie and Types Random Stream of Consciousness Crap Onto her Blog."

[arlyn-nylra]

I feel the need to go on a rant, please forgive me.

I’ve had the book Hatchet by Gary Paulson recommended to me a lot especially when I mention that My Side of the Mountain was a childhood favorite. I finally gave it a read today and hoooo boy.

Spoilers below the cut.

Everyone talks about how realistic it is. And just. No. Oh my goodness no. If even one of the dozen or so mistakes this kid makes happened in a real survival situation you would be so incredibly dead.

Like, he drinks unfiltered unboiled lake water that we know has a human corpse in it. For months. And is fine.

Ok sure, whatever.

He gets attacked and injured multiple times and does nothing to bandage himself or clean the wounds, never gets an infection.

He is charged twice by a moose, cracks? a rib, and is then almost immediatly directly hit by a tornado…

…………

No.

Just. I can’t… I mean I laughed but…

He finally thinks to search the plane wreckage after almost two months (he survived a plane crash) performs multiple dives one of which is twenty? feet or something crazy. All with cracked ribs. Somehow. Spends hours in the cold water dragging stuff around.

When he finally gets back on land he finds an emergency beacon in the plane’s survival kit, accidentally turns it on, (he’s way more interested in the MREs) and someone lands on his lake and rescues him within like five or ten minutes, the food isn’t even done rehydrating.

???

???????!!!

The entire thing is so utterly unlikely and parts of it are downright impossible. The bow he makes should not work. I don’t believe the author knew the difference between green wood and dead wood. But apparently he was some super survival guy, he finished the fucking Iditarod, he really should’ve known better than to have this kid doing half the shit he did. Nonetheless everyone seems to love this book and every professional reviewer touts its realism.

We never once get a description of the main character besides his age (13) and name (Brian), we don’t even know his hair color.

I get that it’s a kid’s book but man this is not realistic survival. It’s more like a fever dream. I’m not sure what I’m trying to get at here…

Don’t drink lake water kids??

You will get giardiasis or e-coli or a fucking parasite.

Yeah…

That’s it.

That’s the book.

[oyeragency]

How to Secure Your Home with the Best Home Insurance in Ohio.

Original Source: https://oyeragency.blogspot.com/2024/01/how-to-secure-your-home-with-best-home.html

Protecting your home and its contents is of utmost importance, especially in Ohio where unpredictable weather patterns and other unforeseen events can pose risks to homeowners. Home insurance offers a vital layer of financial protection, ensuring peace of mind and safeguarding your property against potential damage or loss. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the world of home insurance in Ohio and provide valuable insights on securing your home with the best coverage options available. From evaluating your insurance needs to selecting the right provider, understanding key coverage factors, complying with Ohio-specific regulations, maximizing security measures, and navigating the claims process, this article will equip you with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions regarding your home insurance policy. Let's delve into the world of home insurance and discover how to protect your Ohio home with confidence.

Understanding Home Insurance: Importance and Benefits

An Introduction to Home Insurance

So, you've finally got a roof over your head that you can call your own. Congratulations! Now, it's time to protect that precious abode with the wonders of home insurance.

Home insurance is like a superhero cape for your house. It swoops in and saves the day when unexpected disasters strike, such as fire, theft, or pesky hail storms. It provides financial protection for your home and its contents, so you can sleep peacefully knowing that your castle is safe and sound.

The Importance of Home Insurance

Now, you may be thinking, "Why do I need home insurance? Nothing bad has ever happened to me!" Well, my friend, life can be unpredictable, and accidents happen when we least expect them. A burst pipe can turn your living room into a swimming pool, or a wayward tree branch can decide to crash through your roof like an uninvited guest.

Without home insurance, you could be left footing the bill for these unexpected expenses, which can be a pretty hefty blow to your bank account. Home insurance gives you peace of mind and financial protection, so you don't have to drain your savings or start selling your favorite possessions like a contestant on a sad reality show.

The Benefits of Home Insurance

Home insurance doesn't just protect your home; it has some nifty benefits too. If your home becomes uninhabitable due to a covered peril, your insurance policy may cover additional living expenses. This means you won't have to couch surf or live in a hotel while your home is under construction.

Home insurance also provides liability coverage. So, if someone decides to sue you because they tripped on your welcome mat and broke their toe, your insurance has your back. It can help cover legal expenses and any damages awarded against you, so you don't end up living in a cardboard box down the street.

Evaluating Your Home Insurance Needs in Ohio

Assessing Your Property and Assets

Before you start shopping for home insurance in Ohio, it's essential to take a good look at your property and assets. How big is your home? What kind of fancy features and amenities does it have? How about that impressive collection of vintage vinyl records or your expansive collection of garden gnomes?

Understanding the value of your property and assets will help you determine the amount of coverage you need. After all, you wouldn't want to be underinsured and find out that your insurance will only cover a fraction of your hipster gnome empire.

Determining Coverage Requirements

Ohio has its own unique risks, just like every state in this great nation. From harsh winters to the occasional tornado, you'll want to make sure your home insurance policy covers these specific perils. Assess the potential risks in your area and ensure your insurance policy has your back when Mother Nature decides to throw a tantrum.

Considering Unique Risks in Ohio

Speaking of unique risks in Ohio, did you know that the state is known for its winter weather? Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on your home. So, when choosing your home insurance, be sure to consider coverage for winter-related perils such as burst pipes or ice dams. It's like getting a cozy blanket for your home to keep it warm and protected during the chilly months.

Choosing the Best Home Insurance Provider in Ohio

Researching Home Insurance Companies

Now that you know what you need, it's time to find the best home insurance provider in Ohio. Do your research and see which companies are oozing with reputation and trustworthiness. Look for insurers with a strong track record, excellent customer service, and maybe even a few gold stars from happy policyholders.

Comparing Coverage and Premiums

While it's tempting to go for the cheapest option, remember that you get what you pay for. Compare coverage options and premiums to ensure you're getting the best value for your hard-earned dollars. It's like bargain hunting for your home's security, minus the crowded malls and long lines.

Reading Customer Reviews and Ratings

Don't forget to read customer reviews and ratings of your potential home insurance providers. This insight from real people can give you a glimpse into how the company handles claims and treats its customers. Just remember to take it with a pinch of salt, as every insurance company will have a few grumpy customers who forgot to have their morning coffee.

Key Factors to Consider in Home Insurance Coverage

Dwelling Coverage

Dwelling coverage is like a shield for your home's structure. It helps repair or rebuild your house if it's damaged or destroyed by covered perils like fire, windstorms, or even a Godzilla attack. Make sure your dwelling coverage is enough to cover the cost of rebuilding your house from scratch, so you don't end up living in a cardboard box down the street, again.

Personal Property Coverage

Your personal belongings deserve some love too. Personal property coverage swoops in to save your precious possessions if they get damaged or stolen. Whether it's your designer wardrobe or your collection of Pokémon cards, make sure your personal property coverage is sufficient to replace those items at their current value. You wouldn't want to be left like a sad fashionista with nothing but a few mismatched socks to wear.

Liability Coverage

Liability coverage is like your personal bodyguard against lawsuits. Accidents happen, and sometimes they result in injured guests suing you for medical expenses or pain and suffering. With liability coverage, your insurance company can handle those legal bills and protect your hard-earned savings. It's like having a superhero lawyer without the fancy cape.

Additional Living Expenses Coverage

If your home becomes temporarily unlivable after a covered disaster, additional living expenses coverage swoops in to save the day. It helps cover expenses for lodging, meals, and other costs you incur while your home is being repaired or rebuilt. So, enjoy living in a hotel or maybe even a cozy Airbnb without the guilt of draining your bank account.

Now that you're armed with the knowledge of securing your home with the best home insurance in Ohio, go forth and protect your abode like a true superhero. Remember, accidents happen, but with the right coverage, you can sleep soundly knowing that your castle is protected from the unexpected.

Exploring Ohio-Specific Home Insurance Regulations and Requirements

Understanding Ohio Home Insurance Laws

Ohio, the heart of the Midwest, has its own set of home insurance laws that every homeowner should be aware of. These laws govern various aspects of home insurance, including coverage requirements, claims processes, and consumer rights. Familiarize yourself with these laws to ensure you have a solid understanding of your rights and obligations as a homeowner in the Buckeye State.

Required Coverage in Ohio

When it comes to home insurance in Ohio, there are certain coverages that the state requires you to have. These include dwelling coverage, which protects the structure of your home, and liability coverage, which helps cover legal expenses if someone gets injured on your property. Additionally, if you have a mortgage or loan on your home, your lender may require you to have additional coverage, such as hazard insurance or flood insurance.

Optional Coverage in Ohio

Beyond the required coverages, Ohio homeowners can also opt for additional protection. Some popular optional coverages include personal property coverage, which covers your belongings, and loss of use coverage, which helps with additional living expenses if you're temporarily displaced from your home due to a covered loss. It's essential to review your options and choose the coverage that best suits your needs and budget.

Maximizing Home Security Measures to Lower Insurance Premiums

Installing Security Systems

When it comes to securing your home and potentially lowering your insurance premiums, a good place to start is by installing a security system. Whether it's a basic burglar alarm or a more advanced smart security system, having these in place can deter potential intruders and give you peace of mind. Plus, many insurance companies offer discounts for homes with security systems installed, so it's a win-win situation.

Enhancing Door and Window Security

Another simple and effective way to improve your home security is by enhancing the security of your doors and windows. Reinforced door frames, deadbolt locks, and window security film are just a few examples of measures you can take to make it harder for burglars to break in. Not only does this make your home safer, but it may also make your insurance company happier, leading to potential premium reductions.

Implementing Fire Prevention Measures

Fires can cause significant damage to your home, but there are steps you can take to minimize the risk. Ensure your home has working smoke detectors on every level, have a fire extinguisher readily accessible, and regularly inspect your electrical systems. Additionally, if you have a fireplace, make sure it's properly maintained and that you have a screen to prevent sparks from igniting nearby objects. Taking these precautions not only protects your loved ones but can also make you more favorable in the eyes of your insurance company.

Tips for Reviewing and Updating Your Home Insurance Policy Regularly

Importance of Regular Policy Reviews

Life is constantly changing, and so are your home insurance needs. That's why it's crucial to review your policy regularly. Major life events, such as renovations, purchasing expensive items, or changes in the value of your home, can impact your coverage requirements. By reviewing your policy annually or when significant changes occur, you can ensure that your coverage adequately reflects your current situation.

Updating Coverage as Needed

During your policy review, be sure to assess whether your coverage limits are still sufficient. If the value of your home has increased or you've acquired valuable possessions, you may need to adjust your coverage accordingly. Remember, the purpose of insurance is to protect you from financial loss, so it's essential to have adequate coverage to rebuild or replace your home and belongings if disaster strikes.

Re-Evaluating Deductibles and Limits

While you review your policy, don't forget to re-evaluate your deductibles and coverage limits. Adjusting your deductibles, which is the amount you're responsible for paying before your insurance kicks in, can help lower your premiums. However, be sure to choose a deductible that you can comfortably afford in the event of a claim. Similarly, double-check that your coverage limits align with your current needs, taking into account any renovations, additions, or new purchases.

Navigating the Claims Process: Filing and Settling Home Insurance Claims in Ohio

Understanding the Claims Process

When faced with a covered loss, it's crucial to understand the claims process. Typically, you'll need to document the damage or loss, gather relevant information and evidence, and notify your insurance company promptly. The claims adjuster will then assess the damage and work with you to determine the appropriate settlement. Understanding the process beforehand can help streamline the claims experience and ensure a smoother settlement.

Steps to Filing a Home Insurance Claim in Ohio

To file a home insurance claim in Ohio, start by contacting your insurance company or agent as soon as possible after the loss occurs. Be prepared to provide detailed information about the incident, including the date, time, and cause. Take photos or videos of the damage to support your claim. Keep all relevant receipts, repair estimates, and invoices. The more organized and prepared you are, the easier it will be to navigate the claims process.

Negotiating and Settling Claims

If there are any disputes or disagreements regarding your claim, don't hesitate to engage in open and honest communication with your insurance company. Keep detailed records of all conversations and document any agreements made. Remember, the goal is to reach a fair settlement that adequately covers the damage or loss sustained. If necessary, you can seek the assistance of a public adjuster or legal counsel to help ensure you're being treated fairly. Securing your home with the best home insurance in Ohio is a crucial step towards protecting your investment and ensuring peace of mind. By evaluating your needs, choosing a reputable provider, understanding coverage factors, complying with regulations, and maximizing security measures, you can create a robust insurance policy tailored to your specific requirements. Remember to regularly review and update your policy to keep pace with changes in your home and circumstances. With the knowledge and insights gained from this guide, you are equipped to navigate the world of home insurance in Ohio and make informed decisions to safeguard your home and belongings. Stay proactive, stay protected, and enjoy the comfort of knowing that your home is well insured with the best coverage available.

[a-big-apple]

Thoughts on Surface Pressure 2/2

Let’s jump right back in! First part is here.

I was talking about anxiety, and here it is:

We’re back to the verse. “Under the surface, I hide my nerves and it worsens, I worry something is gonna hurt us.” That dissonance between what she’s showing and what she’s saying is back. She worries, it worsens, but she’s posing, ready to stop an avalanche. Mirabel is a beat behind, still putting together what Luisa’s telling her even while Luisa’s once again putting her body between Mirabel and danger.

NOW WE ARRIVE AT ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS!

The Good Ship Madrigal. It’s a Titanic reference, of course, but it’s literally the Madrigal, painted right there on the hull.

And the ship doesn’t swerve. Has it heard how big the iceberg is?

There are SO MANY LAYERS HERE. The iceberg is a great metaphor for what’s going on with Luisa: what’s above the waterline might be tall and intimidating, but it’s nothing compared to the depth of what’s happening beneath. It’s also a great metaphor for what Luisa fears is coming; we know from after the end of the song that she felt weak at the same time Mirabel saw the cracks, and it kept her up all night. What she can’t see and can’t anticipate is how deep the cascade failure of the family’s magic might go. There’s a practical threat to the family here, and also a threat to Luisa’s identity, her entire self-worth.

And then we have the ship, the Madrigal-Titanic, headed right for disaster. Refusing to swerve, because that would show weakness, and Alma copes with her fear by strictly maintaining the appearance that everything is fine. Like the Titanic, the ship of their family puts a lot of energy into showing beauty and prosperity, and a lot of that is real! But they’re not prepared, they don’t have enough lifeboats, and Luisa feels that it falls to her to remove all obstacles before they crash.

Mirabel is deep in it now, and there’s nothing she can do except back away in horror from what’s coming while the donkey string band in the background plays the ship into disaster.

But here comes Luisa! Ready to save the day yet again!

She leaps into action, even as the words she’s singing are expressing her anger -- nobody is actually seeing how big the expectations on her have become.

But she succeeds again! They make it to shore! Except all this action is starting to take a toll on Luisa; instead of looking ahead to what’s coming next, she’s still looking back, putting Mirabel in what she thinks is a position of safety.

She even takes a moment to fix Mira’s glasses. It’s a tender gesture, and another metaphor -- she's desperate for Mirabel to see what she’s trying to show.

“I think about my purpose, can I some how preserve this?” Is she trying to preserve her gift? Her place in the family and in the community? Literally and figuratively trying to preserve her sister and their relationship? I think all of those things are layered into this line; as with the iceberg, her fears are bigger and deeper than they seem.

But the hits keep coming, and they’re getting more personal.

Faced with her own door, the representation of her gift and her identity, Luisa puts Mirabel behind her again. There’s danger here that she knows her sister can’t understand. As viewers, we of course understand Mirabel’s perspective, how not getting a gift and a door has hurt her and made her feel lacking. But now we’re seeing the other side, this anxious, suffering Luisa shielding Mirabel from the weight of performing Madrigal amazingness.

And it’s so heavy!!!!

Luisa fought Cerberus, held up the globe, punched apart an iceberg, but struggles to hold up her own door. If she lets go to deal with the next crisis, the domino effect of the whole encanto’s expectations will crush her.

But wait!

The tornado Luisa calls “a light wind” blows them right into Oz, a place totally different from her reality where she can “shake the crushing weight of expectations.” She’s not thinking about Mirabel now, because at last she’s in an imagined place of safety, weightless. Nothing can harm them here.

And then we get this great gag with Mirabel’s glasses:

Of course, nothing here is just a gag. We’re back to those themes about perception, Mirabel drawing our attention to her ability to see what’s really going on.

AND LOOK AT THIS KID! SHE JUST WANTS SOME JOY!

SOME RELAXATION! SHE WANTS TO RIDE SIDESADDLE ON A SPARKLY UNICORN DONKEY IN A SHOWER OF COLOMBIAN FLAG CONFETTI! These are the simple pleasures of the cutest teen ever to exist.

But she’s been the strong one since she turned five, and nobody’s ever gotten to see this. She hasn’t had time to show this, or ask for it, and the music reminds us as it starts to intensify that “instead we measure this growing pressure.”

It keeps growing.

Dissonance again, but it’s a little different this time! Luisa’s smiling; in the chaotic landscape of her emotions, Mirabel is a bright spot. Even as Luisa is starting to break, she can find a little bit of peace at the tail end of her relaxation fantasy, enough to try to reassure Mirabel that things will be okay.

Mirabel even believes her, because once again, this is the loving sister she recognizes.

But the music’s building, and so are the words. “Keep going,” she’s singing, please go listen to her voice here because it’s heartbreaking, “’cause all we know is --”

She CAN’T CATCH A BREAK. The fantasy is over; Luisa is rising to meet the next challenge, and she has to drop Mirabel into the arms of gravity to do it.

Okay. I have to apologize in advance for how many screenshots I need to talk about the next few seconds of this song. We’ve dropped from floaty pink and purple clouds to this: just a red spotlight, nothing to distract the eye from Luisa, her burdens, and Mirabel. Even the music mostly drops away, and we’re left with a bare thrumming baseline and Luisa’s soft-voiced confession: no matter what she imagines, the pressure will never stop.

I’M IN AGONY. SO IS LUISA. SO IS MIRABEL.

Mirabel is now faced with the bare bones reality: her sister is in pain, and nobody else knows about it -- and unless she does something, nobody will ever notice, because Luisa still has not actually failed to do anything asked of her.

She’s still standing! Because it’s not actually about the weight.

As we’ve known from the beginning of the song, it’s about the expectations of others, the pressure Luisa puts on herself, and her inability to cope without rest, or joy, or care.

Mirabel even reaches out, as though she could help carry all this:

And then we get the most heartbreaking line of all, “Give it to your sister, it doesn’t hurt.”

Luisa told us herself, she has an indestructible surface. Nothing anyone could ask will injure her, probably nothing in the encanto is too heavy for her to lift. But she is hurting, and the way Jessica Darrow sings this line just slams me directly into my own grave. 

“And see if she can handle every family burden” ??????? Awful. I’m in pain. Is she carrying every literal burden? Possibly! Every emotional one? I doubt that the adults in her life think they’re putting that on her, but that’s what she’s hearing. It’s what being praised for her strength and usefulness from the age of five has trained her to hear. It’s what an environment of secrecy, of not talking about her tío who disappeared, not talking about what it might mean that her sister didn’t receive a gift, not talking about the trauma Alma has passed on through her coping mechanisms, has wrought on Luisa. Earn your gift, earn your place, don’t complain, and don’t talk about what you’re feeling.

“Watch as she buckles and bends but never breaks” also hurts!!!!!! 

Luisa’s gift is extremely practical, but it’s also a sideshow. She can pick up a rock! She can pick up a donkey! She can pick up a church! Her strength seems infinite! Everybody’s watching, but nobody’s seeing what she’s struggling with. 

Except, finally, Mirabel.

And after this super intense and bare chorus, cutting down right to the bone, Luisa rallies:

She let her guard down, she showed her heart, and she scared her little sister. It’s time to pull back, to bring the energy back up, because it’s terrifying to have revealed so much. Anger is safer, so she’s circled back to it! “No mistakes,” what she feels is expected, and what she demands of herself! The growl in her voice in this transition moment is SO INTENSE. We also get all the instruments back and a wicked piano run that makes me just go wild

FIERCE! Look, Mirabel! It’s leg day, Luisa’s got it handled, just pretend you don’t hear the chorus still happening!

I’m obsessed with her form here, she’s back to perfection, making everything look great:

We get a little bit of comedic relief:

And a dance break that’s FIRE but also just a little bit unhinged -- Luisa is panicking, trying to get back to an even keel where things are okay, but she’s doing that by literally performing again, in a space that looks like a tv studio set version of casita’s patio.

And poor Mirabel is back to a rough ride on the Madrigal-Titanic while Giant Luisa just grins alarmingly, fully a mask.

The Hercules vibe is back, plus a Maui from Moana vibe, plus a Genie from Aladdin vibe -- she’s presenting power of mythic, godlike proportions. “Give it to your sister and never wonder if the same pressure would have pulled you under!”

This time it is a direction for Mirabel. Forget I said all of that! Don’t think twice about asking me for anything, because there’s nothing wrong here! My job is to make sure you don’t have to worry!

“Who am I if I don’t have what it takes?” Just a girl dancing on top of a giant vueltiao, ready for the next challenge!

“No cracks, no breaks!”

But here’s where we land. Somehow heavier than the abstract weight of the world, Luisa is carrying her whole world. The entire encanto, the mountains, even the sun. (Again, kind of Superman! The sun is important to this tableau, now that it’s shining on her instead of that scary red spotlight, she can keep pretending!)

She’s still trying to convince herself: “no mistakes, no pressure!”

And as the dust settles...

We slam back into reality. The path hasn’t been torn up out of the ground. The metaphor space is gone. We’re faced with the physicality of Luisa’s panic, just heavy breathing on a random sunny day when Mirabel’s questions pushed her over the edge.

All Mirabel can do now is validate her, try to support her, and submit to some light crushing.

Good job, Mirabel! Things are gonna go downhill for Luisa from here, but only for a little while, and Mirabel’s gonna show the fam how to treat each other better!

Let’s end on a bonus hug, just because.

[foreverindreamlandd]

Hurricane, Shmurricane

Paring: Bucky Barnes x Reader

WC: 1.4k

A/N: A small drabble-ish thing about Bucky and reader riding out Hurricane Henri together (even though the storm ended up not being too big of a deal lol).

-----

Are you sure you don’t want me to come home? I could be there in a few hours, sweetheart.

You stare at your phone, rereading Bucky’s text over and over, debating whether to give him the answer you wanted to or needed to.

You sigh, choosing the latter.

Hurricane, shmurricane. You don’t need to come all the way back from Washington for me! Though I appreciate the offer. :) <3

I would do anything for you, Y/n. You know that. Just let me know if you change your mind.

Will do. Try not to hit that Senator Ross guy or anything and get locked up in jail. You don’t have to come home right now but I will start to miss your face if you’re gone a few extra days than originally planned.

You don’t miss my face now? :(

I mean, I always miss your face. Just more so than usual.

Miss you, too. I’ll be home in three days. Love you.

Your phone dings with another alert about the incoming hurricane. You tried your best to prepare as much as possible, but you were still nervous. Your apartment was decent, but your current job did not provide the finances to get yourself a living situation where the building didn’t lose power when winds reached over 20 mph.

The truth is, you desperately wish Bucky could be there with you now. Unfortunately he and Sam got called down to Washington D.C. to discuss a potential assignment dealing with some lingering Hydra agents. This was before weather reports showed that a hurricane was landing much farther north than usual. You’ve never dealt with a hurricane before, so the idea of dealing with it alone was unsettling.

Still, you weren’t going to risk Bucky flying into a storm just to be there to hold you if you got scared. Even though you really, really want him to.

So instead, you spend the rest of the night charging all of your devices and doing nervous cleaning, preparing for whatever the storm would bring tomorrow.

----

You wake up to the crash of a branch hitting your window.

Luckily not enough to break the glass, but the whack was so loud that you let out a yelp as you were ripped away from sleep.

You get out of bed and look out the window to witness the chaos of the storm.

There were branches strewn all over the streets. Some had landed on cars and shattered their windshields or set the alarms off, the sound mixed with the aggressive winds and rain slamming against the windows roaring in your ears.

You close the blinds, attempting to tune it out and move to turn the light switch on. You flick it up.

Nothing.

“Fuck,” you murmur to yourself. “I thought I was at least going to have power in the morning.”

You check the news on your phone. Thousands of residents have already lost power, and it looks like it won’t be turning back on anytime soon.

Luckily, having been in this situation before, you head over to your storage closet and pull out a small generator. You decide not to turn it on just yet, unsure of how long you’ll need to rely on it before power comes back on.

Instead, you open the blinds to your window back up to let the natural light in, grimacing at the view.

Your phone buzzes as you’re in the kitchen pouring yourself a bowl of cereal.

How are you? I heard it’s looking pretty rough out there.

Your heart sinks, wishing that Bucky could somehow climb out of your phone and wrap you in his arms. You always try to keep a strong face, not wanting to be a bother to anyone. But right now, you were past not wanting to be a bother.

Not the *best* tbh. But hopefully it will be over soon.

I’m sorry, doll. Wish I were there. I’ll head out as soon as I can.

You send a heart emoji and put the phone down, blinking back tears and walking over to your couch, which now serves as a blanket oasis. A pine-scented candle acts as your main source of light aside from the windows. It’s the candle you always light whenever you’re missing Bucky, the scent reminding you of being in his arms, breathing in the smell of pine as your face rests against his shirt. There’s a stash of ten or so of them in your closet.

You try to distract yourself by reading, but after a few minutes of rereading the same sentence five or six times, you give in to the distraction of the storm and stare out at the window. A loop of endless worst-case scenarios play on repeat in your head.

A branch could break through the window and glass would be everywhere.

A pipe bursts in your apartment and water damages the whole building.

Hell, what if a fucking tornado appears and takes out your entire block?

You groan, throwing a blanket over your head, willing yourself to calm down and failing.

A huge gust of wind roars outside and you hear a crashing sound. Lifting the blanket off of you, you jump off the couch and look out the window. A lamppost has been knocked over and landed across the street, blocking anyone from getting through. Luckily people stupid enough to be driving right now had seen it in time to stop.

Right as you look outside, another branch makes contact with your window. You yelp.

Somehow, a second one hits it immediately after and cracks the window. You feel tears welling in your eyes once more.

This is it.

There’s a knock on your door and you scream.

“Doll, are you okay? Let me in!” a muffle voice calls from the other side of the door.

Bucky.

You run over and unlock it with trembling hands, yanking the door open to find a very wet, very concerned looking boyfriend standing in front of you.

Still looking gorgeous as ever.

“Bucky.” Tears stream down your face as relief overtakes your body. Bucky steps inside and wraps you in his arms.

“It’s okay. I’m here, love. I’m here,” he coaxes, swaying you from side to side.

“What the hell are you doing here?” you ask into his soaking wet leather jacket. “I mean, I’m beyond thrilled, but you’re supposed to be in D.C.?”

“As if I didn’t buy a ticket to New York the second after I texted you last night.” He chuckles, pulling away just enough to be able to look at you. “I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave my best girl here on her own.”

You smile and Bucky moves to wipe away your tears before kissing your forehead.

Now that the shock of seeing him has worn off, you frown, fully taking in the sight of him. “Come on, let’s get you into some dry clothes.” You try to pull him over to your bedroom where he has a stash of extra clothes in your dresser but Bucky holds you in place, grinning.

“What, you don’t want to spend the day cuddled up with a wet mop?” He pulls you in tighter and you squeal in protest, fighting back a smile.

“Honestly Buck, you could make anything look good. I just want to make sure you’re comfortable, babe.”

His smile softens. “Here? With my favorite person in my arms? What else could I need?” He leans forward until his lips find yours. You sigh, leaning into him as his kiss -- as always -- leaves you feeling dizzy.

“Thank you,” you breathe out once you pull away from him. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me. But I’d be lying if I said I had been wishing this whole time you would.”

Bucky frowns. “Y/n, I would do anything for you. I’ll always be there to make you feel safe.”

You smile. “I do. I feel like I could run outside and fistfight this damn hurricane now that you’re here.”

Bucky groans, though it sounds more like a laugh. “Please don’t do that, doll.”

You roll your eyes. “Fiiine. How about I pull out my laptop and we can watch a movie instead?”

“That sounds much better.” He leans forward for one more quick kiss before walking into your room to change.

You spend the rest of the day cuddled together in your blanket oasis, watching as many movies as possible before your eyelids grow heavy and you rest your head on Bucky’s arm and fall asleep, blissfully unaware of the storm raging outside your apartment.

Hurricane, shmurricane.

-----

Thank you for reading! Feel free to check out my other stuff here :)