#nate the dreamer talk stuff

[cipherswilldatabase]

Event: Beautiful Dreamers

Chapter 01 - Gideon Gleeful

Chapter 02 - Pacifica Northwest

Chapter 03 - Dipper Pines

Chapter 04 - Wendy Corduroy

Chapter 05 - Stanley Pines

Chapter 06 - Jesus Ramirez

Chapter 07 - Mabel Pines

Chapter 08 - Fiddleford H. McGucket

Chapter 09 - Robbie Valentino

Chapter 10 - Stanford Pines

Dreams are something of a mystery. No one, not a single scientist, knows why we dream. Are we simply filtering through memories as we sleep? Are our subconscious trying to tell us something? Or are we tapping into a realm beyond our reality?

=============================================

“What the actual fuck?”

Was Robbie’s reaction to finding himself standing in the middle of a gothic stage. It was raining wherever he was, the clouds were overcast. Behind him were an array of mirrors of varying shape and sizes. In front of him is a vast field of long grass and tombstones…

You read that right. Tombstones…

Robbie already knew that he had a gloomy disposition – he’s literally gray right now! – but this…is a bit overkill. And just to make things even more on the nose with all this gothic stuff, there were statues of people he knew scattered around: His parents (still cheery), Wendy, Tambry, his friends, and, hey, even the Pines with Mabel just as cheery as his parents. On stage with him were his bandmates.

The teen was still in the process of wrapping his head around everything he was seeing.

“Did someone curse me? If it was Nate or Lee, I’m gonna throttle them a–”

A strong wind started to pick up, making the rain feel a little more like needles as they hit his face. There was a howl and at first, Robbie thought it was the wind.

Until more howls overlapped each other.

Despite having to have experienced the craziness of Weirdmageddon and just Gravity Falls as a whole…this made Robbie’s heart stop with fear. He looked outward, now noticing trees in the distances. From the darkness of the forest came out wisping shadows, like specters. 

The number of the phantoms were immense. First, two or four appeared from the trees…then seven…then fifteen…then–

Robbie couldn’t keep up. The specters were moving around so erratically, aimlessly, he lost track. The phantoms zipped around the tombstones and statue, causing a chill to run up Robbie’s spine. Now, he was wondering where to run to and hide.

As if sensing this…the specters turned their attention to him and went after him. Robbie did attempt to run, but was intercepted by a specter and he was quickly surrounded, stuck in the middle of winding wraiths.

Seeing that he was trapped, Robbie crouched to the ground, curling up into a ball and hoping that this would just stop…

He felt this stinging… an unfamiliar burning sensation emanating from his right wrist…

▽△▽△▽△▽△▽△-▽△▽△▽△▽△▽△-▽△▽△▽△▽△▽△-▽△▽△▽△▽△▽△-▽△▽△▽△▽△▽△

Robbie groaned pitifully in the morning, laying in his bed, shirtless and his arms over his eyes.

“I’m already an angsty teen…I don’t need any extra baggage, thank you!”

“Robbie? Are you talking to the ghost in your closet again?”

“No, mom! And there was no ghost!”

Honestly, after a dream like that, he doesn’t even want to think about ghosts.

He looks at his right wrist with confusion, remembering the strange feeling.

The pale skin was undamaged.

Robbie shakes his head and gets out of bed for school.

“Nope. Don’t wanna think about it. Nooo, extra baggage.”

=============================================

TXKQ JLOB PQFQZEBP CLO VLRO EBXOQ?

[nate-the-dreamer-blog]

LMAOOOOO

[visforvengeance]

Hit a Muthafucka // Fezco

Requested by: no one :)

Notes: heyy! it's been so long and i've missed you guys. i have TWO things to let you guys read. that's a record right there. i love me some fezco and nate fawking deserved that shit. i am a jules vaughn apologist, idc. eenyway I hope you guys like this as much as did!

Warnings: like violence, swearing, slight drug use, maybe ooc?

song

Rue couldn’t sit still while Fez drove to the New Year’s party. Fez’s patience was long gone as Rue talked about the situation we were just in. “How the fuck are you laughing right now, Rue?” Rue mumbled something we couldn’t understand, so I spoke up for her.

“It’s the adrenaline. If you’re put in a situation that causes fear, you get an adrenaline rush. Which activates your fight or flight senses.” Fez looked at me through the rearview mirror. “How do you know that shit?” I looked away, feeling embarrassed. “I read a lot of books.” Thankfully, we’d reached the party before he could say something.

Rue had gone somewhere while Ash, Fez, and I walked towards the couch. He pulled out an already rolled blunt and lit it. I watched as he inhaled the smoke and threw his head back on the couch. He held it in for a second and then exhaled. He looked over at me, asking if I’d like to take a hit. I took the blunt and inhaled, looking around at all the people as I did so. I noticed Jules and Kat talking among themselves. Maddie was pulling some guy into the bathroom and Lexi had finally found Cassie, who looked on the edge and confused.

Fez spoke up about our previous topic on adrenaline and how I knew such information. “So you read a lot of books, huh?” I nodded, turning my attention back to him. “Yeah, my mom’s a doctor. So, you get a lot of books about shit like that. I mean I read other stuff too. It’s just when you’ve read everything in your collection, you get bored. And the next thing you know, you’re reading some shit about adrenal glands.” He laughed at my nervous ramble. “You’re fucking adorable.”

I’ve known Fez just as long as he’s known Rue. At first, he wasn’t interested in the personal lives of his customers. But, there was something about Rue that pulled him in. He became like a big brother to her. They didn’t speak on it, but the sentiment was there.

I remember the first time I came with Rue to get drugs, I was very displeased at the fact that he was selling drugs to her. But, I quickly realized that it was best she got them from someone she trusted and not some random asshole.

You didn’t see Rue without seeing me, too; she was my best friend, and we were two peas in a pod. Despite being around him a lot, I hardly spoke to him. Small talk was very common between us. Yet somehow, I developed a crush on him. Which grew as time passed.

We had gotten closer since Rue had her overdose. We both had her in common and found comfort in each other. When Rue was too busy with Jules, I was with Fez and Ash. We had gotten close enough to where I could chill with him at his house for hours. Sometimes, even sleep over.

Jules saw me and walked over. “Is Rue here?” She was nervous. They hadn’t spoken since the night Jules left. Rue was in shambles. I couldn’t say that I was mad at Jules, but I felt bad for her. Nate really dragged her into his fucked upness and what better way than to cope by using alcohol? She was nervous, though.

“Yeah, she’s in the back.” I gave her a small smile. Rue had put up a front that she was angry in the time that Jules was gone. Angry at her for leaving, angry at Nate for taking advantage of her, angry at herself for…simply falling in love with a dreamer (as Nate called her). What she described as anger was just raging sadness. I think Rue forgets that I know her like the back of my hand.

We watched as Jules talked with Rue, it didn’t look as if it were going well, so we turned away.

When I looked over at Fez, I noticed that his eyes were fixed on Nate. Fez and Nate didn’t like each other. Fez had gotten a whiff of what Nate did from Rue, which caused Fez to ooze overprotectiveness. I watched as Fezco’s mouth twitched. Whatever he was thinking, it was not good. I tried to distract him by asking if I could tell him something.

What a great way to admit I have feelings for him. I took a deep breath. “I know we’ve gotten closer since Rue’s overdose. And I’ve been kinda having feelings for you.” He smiled and chuckled. “I know.” I sat there, confused. He looked at me and laughed even more; this was fucking embarrassing.

“You know Rue can’t keep her fucking mouth shut. She told me.” I couldn’t tell from his response if I should punch or kiss Rue. I sat there, waiting to see how he felt. When he finally looked up at me, there was a shy smile on his lips. “Yeah, I like you too.”

As I processed what he said, a smile crept up on my face. His attention turned back to Nate, “yo, listen. Imma need you to go to the car with Ash. I gotta handle some business.” The look on his face was focused and serious. I’ve seen that look one other time, the night when he went out to “handle” some business. But, then he came back with blood on his clothes. I’ve learned that his idea of handling business meant violence.

I turned his head so he could look at me, “whatever you’re about to do, don”t.” His features softened for a second. He sighed, “I have to. He’s not gonna get his unless somebody gives it to ‘em. Now go to the fucking car, please.” I nodded and watched as he walked towards Nate, cup in his hand. Ash was long gone; I couldn’t just leave him here, though. So I stayed and watched as he calculated his attack.

Three 6 Mafia’s Hit a Muthafucka played in the background. The chorus timed perfectly as Fez smashed a bottle on Nate’s head. McKay rushed to pull Fez off of him as he landed punch after punch on his face. Maddy and Cassie screamed for help as blood flew from the action. It was like time slowed when Fez’s eyes met mine.The range of emotion on his features was profound. I was taken aback at the scene in front of me; people crowded around as they watched the aftermath. Fez rushed me out of the house, “yo, we gotta fucking get out of here. I told you to go to the fucking car. I ain’t want you to see none of that shit, man.”

The car ride home was silent. Fez didn’t even speak to me once we entered his house. “Yo, I think you should go check on him,” Ash spoke up. Ash knew his brother better than I ever could.

I walked into Fez’s room and stood by the door. He didn’t even look at me; my mind raced as I pondered on what I should say.

“It’s ok, you know. Nate had it coming.” He lifted his eyes to look up at me. I walked over so I was standing in front of him, my hands on his shoulders. He placed his bloodied hands on the back of my thighs, playing with the hem of my biker shorts. I bent to kiss his head, “I could never be scared of you.”

“I couldn’t let him just hurt my family and get away with that shit.” It was admirable to see the lengths he’d go to, to protect the people he cared about. “I know, baby. Nate is a fucking cunt.” He laughed, he’d never heard me say something like that. “In the last few months I’ve known you, I ain’t never heard you say no shit like that.”

I pushed his shoulders lightly and sat next to him on his bed. “Well, it’s true. As much as I loved seeing Nate get his ass beat, we have to be careful now. You know his dad has every asshole in this town in his back pocket.” He smiled and kissed my cheek. “You’re cute when you’re worried, but don’t worry, ma. I got this.”

Hopefully, Nate can keep his mouth shut for once.

[s42isrotting]

Mick Rory Age & Pet Dreamer Headcanons

No spoilers for any show he’s in.

Being a near perfect example of the “tough burly manly-man”, he’s embarrassed and a bit ashamed of being an age and pet dreamer, despite seeming to have absolutely no shame in literally anything else. Let’s be real, the Rogues and the Legends know all about his dirty fantasies, secrets and trauma that he has no problem randomly inserting into conversations. 

Everyone who knows, Leonard Snart, the Rogues, the Legends and Barry Allen, found out on accident, except Ray Palmer. Ray was stressing and generally feeling upset, and confided in Mick, despite Mick being very obvious with the fact he didn’t like Ray and totally not just pretending /s. Ray asked Mick what he did to de-stress and calm down, other than light things on fire, Mick blurted out that he “acts like a dog sometimes”. Intrigued, Ray asked about it, and surprisingly Mick told him. Of course, it was very simple and gruff, like “sometimes I act like a dog or a kid. Relives stress and stuff. Y’should try it”. 

Mick doesn’t regress, though he does feel more calm and light when age and/or pet dreaming. He’s a little of ‘child age’, no specific age or anything, and a dog. He isn’t any particular breed, but he does like big mutts.

He likes chewelry, and has a red and orange gradient Lego shaped chewy on a leather necklace. While he always likes oral stim, he usually only uses chewelry or toys when he’s little or a dog, typically settling on eating or chewing on his leather gloves when he’s not dreaming. Leonard got him a fireman themed pacifier once, and while Mick threw a totally adult tantrum that involved commuting arson, and got very angry about “being treated like a baby”, he kept it. Even though he’d rather jump off a plane then admit it, he has, in fact, used it a few times when he was feeling lonely, like when Leonard was on a job alone, or the Legends were ignoring him. 

He likes collars, and has a few different red ones. His favorite is a red dog collar, one of the ones with a black clip, with a red, orange and gold fire dog-tag. He doesn’t like leashes, and doesn’t have a need for them, but Leonard still bought him one just in case. This, thankfully, didn’t cause a tantrum. He doesn’t bark or yip, but he doesn’t like to talk when he’s feeling like or acting like a dog, so he usually growls, hums or is just silent. 

Mick stays away from fire, candle and crime when he’s age dreaming, or feeling like a kid, and typically stays in his room or in whoever's room that’s taking care of him or watching him. He hates feeling little or like a dog in public, or not in a safe, small bedroom. 

Some activities he likes to do when feeling little or pet dreaming is: sorting and re-organizing his supplies, like bolts, washers, non-sharp tools, or arranging them in different ways or making shapes with them, coloring in the various coloring books that Leonard and the Legends have got him and watching kids shows, like My Little Pony. Again, not like he’d ever admit he watches MLP. When Nate Heywood joined the Legends and asked about the Apple Jack figurine Mick had, let’s just say he almost needed to go to the medical bay. 

Mick mostly age and pet dreams to cope with boredom, loneliness, and ableism, and uses it to relive stress when he’s unable to light things ablaze, or when he’s feeling unsafe. But sometimes he does it “just because”, and sometimes in-voluntarily feels the intense urge to act little or like a dog, even when he doesn’t want to. This is usually when he feels really safe and comfortable. 

Mick dresses pretty much the same when he’s feeling like a dog, plus his chewy and collar. When he’s feeling little, he likes to wear just a shirt, soft pants and socks, with no gloves. He’ll only wear gloves while age dreaming when he’s around someone who doesn’t know about his burns, to avoid them asking questions when he’s little. 

He actually has a fair amount of toys, which are usually kept in one little Ikea shelf in the corner of his room. On top of the shelf he has an Apple Jack and a Rainbow Dash figurine, his collar and his chewelry. The shelf has two shelves, the top one with Mick has stuffed animals, color materials and coloring books, and the bottom shelf, where Mick has some balls, stuffed animals made for dogs so he can chew on them, and a heated pad which he occasionally uses to nap on. 

That’s all my age dreaming and pet dreaming headcanons for Mick Rory right now! Feel free to ask any questions! /g

[pheedraws]

16 - 18 for Nora and 22 - 24 for Nate my baBIES

FALLOUT ASKS 

16. How does your character tolerate pain? How do they handle stress and trauma?

Nora’s physical pain tolerance is… not the highest. The poor woman can stub a toe and be in swearing-levels of agony for hours afterwards, hobbling around the house like she did more than just accidentally kick a door frame. Stress, on the other hand, she handles quite well. Years of studying and hard work to get into her profession left her with a strong knack for working well under pressure, so it takes a lot to get her rattled, even after leaving the vault.

17. Does your character have any habits? Any tics, fixations, rituals, superstitions, or dependencies?

She realises how utterly silly and vain the superstition was now, but back before the bombs fell, Nora would never leave the house without her signature red lipstick. She saw it as her good luck charm; it made her feel unstoppable, gave her confidence she never knew she had. Those close to her would often joke that if you saw Nora without her lipstick on, something was wrong. It made her feel like herself, and while she rarely wears it after leaving the vault, she can’t deny the buzz of pure joy she feels when she uncovers a rare, salvageable tube of the stuff on her travels.

18. What’s something that always makes your character feel better (physically, emotionally, mentally)?

After leaving the vault and finding herself in a strange-yet-familiar world, the thing that makes Nora feel better during times of strife (and there’s a lot of that going around these days) is holding on to some of her pre-war traditions and fancies. As impractical as it may be, she’ll scrounge together enough hot water for a bath, those old songs she used to love playing on the radio, reminding her of happier, simpler times. While she’ll never admit to being a hoarder… she’ll squirrel away any pre-war memorabilia or clothing she can find, doubly so if it looks like it hasn’t spent the last 200 years collecting radioactive dust. Above all else, though, the thing that never fails to make her feel better is talking to Nicky; the two knew each other before the bombs fell, back when he was human and she was a stressed-out law grad, and from time to time they just sit and reminisce about times gone by, taking comfort in the familiarity of it all. They both know that world isn’t coming back and have moved on in their own ways, but… it still helps both of them more than they ever admit.

22. What is your character’s single most handy trait or skill?

While Nate has always been a damn good shot, it’s not a skill he’s overly proud of, especially when he tries to leave his army days behind him and settle down in Sanctuary Hills. All it does is remind him that he never had much of a life outside of the military, enlisting at 18 and inadvertently making it his whole world… so he takes up mechanics. He remembers a lot from the times as a kid when he’d help his father fix the car or their bikes, quickly falling back into that routine. It’s nothing grand; fixing things around the house, tinkering with their car or his motorcycle, but it keeps his mind busy. After the war, when he’s stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland? That skill becomes invaluable. 

23. How concerned is your character with practicality? Are they more down-to-earth, grounded, or focused on necessity, or are they more of a dreamer, indulgent, or reckless? 

Nate is the most down-to-earth guy Nora has ever met, and she’s damn sure others can attest to that too. It’s not to say he’s not a dreamer, of course, but there’s always that grounded part of him that keeps him in the moment, keeps him practical. He’s a thinker and a problem-solver, much like Nora is, but while she likes to take a creative approach to solutions, Nate is the one to make sure everything is realistic and, at its core, simple. 

24. How quick is your character to forgive? Are they able to earn forgiveness from others easily? 

Ultimately, it depends on the severity of the situation. It takes a lot for Nate to lose his temper pre-war, always being the kind-hearted, understanding individual Nora fell in love with. If the mistake is innocent, an oversight that backfired and caused some unintentional damage? He’ll forgive the person instantly. Nate hated holding grudges, the dangers of his job leaving him with the desire to never walk away from someone without talking things through, lest it be the last time they can see each other. That isn’t to say he’s a push-over, though. If the intention to hurt was always there, Nate won’t even think about forgiveness, choosing to turn his back and move on with his life with the people he trusts. This becomes more and more common after the war, when he’s working as a mercenary for The Operators. He doesn’t trust any of them as far as he can throw them, so if someone does decide to try something? There’s no forgiveness there.

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to a special weekend-edition of FiveThirtyEight’s weekly politics chat. The transcript below has been lightly edited.

micah (Micah Cohen, managing editor): Hey, everyone! We’ve convened here on a weekend(!) to talk about President Trump’s address to the nation on Saturday. Trump called the country together to make an offer to Democrats to try to end the partial government shutdown, now more than 28 days old.

Here’s Trump’s offer, summarized by Bloomberg News reporter Sahil Kapur:

President Trump outlines his offer:

• $800 million for “urgent humanitarian assistance”

• $805 million for drug detection technology

• 2,750 new border agents

• 75 new immigration judge teams

• $5.7 billion for a wall

• 3-year DACA protection for 700k

• 3-year TPS

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 19, 2019

So, the question in front of us: Is this offer likely to end the shutdown? And, more generally, is this a smart move politically by Trump, who’s seen his job approval rating erode as the shutdown has dragged on?

Let’s briefly start with that first question. What do you make of Trump’s offer? Will it bring about the end of the shutdown?

sarahf (Sarah Frostenson, politics editor): No.

micah: lol.

natesilver (Nate Silver, editor in chief): Nyet.

perry (Perry Bacon Jr., senior writer): It’s not at all likely to end the shutdown. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bashed the proposal before the speech started (once reports came out with Trump’s offer). He didn’t consult Democrats before the proposal was released. It’s not clear he was even really trying to get Democrats to sign onto this.

sarahf: Yeah, what I don’t understand about the proposal is that it was negotiated without any Democratic input. It was just Vice President Mike Pence, Senior Adviser Jared Kushner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell talking with fellow Republicans.

natesilver: I mean, there are some permutations where this is the beginning of the end of the shutdown, I suppose.

Those have to involve some combination of (i) Trump offering a better deal than what he’s offering right now, and (ii) public opinion shifting to put more pressure on Democrats.

micah: So is the best way to look at this address as basically a political ploy — an attempt to change the politics of the shutdown? (I don’t mean “ploy” in a negative sense.)

perry: I think that’s the only way to look at this.

natesilver: The real audience for the speech is likely the media. Because we’re the only people sick enough to actually waste our Saturdays watching this thing.

slackbot: I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well. There is Advil, Aleve and Tylenol in the cabinet in front of Nate’s office/Vanessa’s desk.

micah: lol

natesilver: lol, slackbot

Anyway, in theory, “we’re willing to compromise and Democrats” aren’t is a perfectly decent message. It’s BS in various ways (mostly because the compromise Trump is offering isn’t too good). But it’s a fairly conventional message — to sell a not-very-great compromise as being a good deal.

sarahf: Right now, Americans overwhelmingly continue to blame Trump and congressional Republicans for the shutdown. Saturday’s speech seemed like an attempt on his part to try and shift some of that narrative by outlining a proposal that definitely seemed like a compromise.

perry: And I think it has as few potential good effects for Trump. First, it may help keep Republicans on Capitol Hill aligned with him. They were getting leery of his wall-only strategy. This makes it easier for the party to unify around him.

Second, Trump’s proposal allows McConnell to hold a vote and suggest he and his chamber are trying to resolve the shutdown too, just like the House is doing.

Finally, I assume, when pollsters ask people about this proposal, it will be more popular than the wall itself. My guess is it will be near 50 percent support and perhaps higher. Most people I assume aren’t totally against any money for the wall and feel like Dreamers must have a path to citizenship or else.

sarahf: And I don’t know if it’s a good look for Democratic leaders like Pelosi to immediately come out the gate saying, “nope this doesn’t work.” Then again, they weren’t consulted in the making of the deal it sounds like, so maybe she’d be better off highlighting that.

natesilver: I did think it was weird that Trump opened the address with a sort of uncharacteristically gentle paean to the virtues of legal immigration, but then careened to talking about drugs and gangs and violence and some of the other stuff that doesn’t usually pass a fact check. If you actually wanted to portray an image of bipartisanship, you could skip most of that stuff. Or you could talk about how there were extremists on both sides — call out Republicans for X and Y reason.

micah: Well …

I do wonder if this could change the politics of the shutdown in more than one way, as Perry was getting at.

It could make Democrats look like the intransigent side, as you were all saying.

But, it could also shift the narrative towards more “border crisis” and less “wall.” And that’s better political ground for Trump. Polls show more people believe there is a crisis at the border than support a wall.

sarahf: Right, last week we looked at different pollsters who asked Americans what they thought of the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. I was surprised by the number of Americans who thought it was a serious problem or a crisis. Fifty-four percent of respondents in a Quinnipiac poll said they believed there was a security crisis along the border with Mexico. And in a CBS News/YouGov poll, 55 percent said the situation was “a problem, but not a crisis.”

natesilver: It could shift things — although, again, it’s worth mentioning that the deal Trump offered isn’t really much of a deal at all.

In fact, it offers a bit less than what they floated last night.

That was my read too -& this is a crucial distinction Democrats are already seizing upon. WH officials last night said it was the Bridge Act-& confirmed that to other reporters today-but what Trump announced just now is NOT the Bridge Act, it's a more limited twist on it. https://t.co/CxX154n9As

— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) January 19, 2019

The DACA part itself is a compromise, but to get that compromise, Democrats have to give up something (wall funding) that they’re firmly opposed to.

Although, it probably is fair to say that the wall is also a compromise of sorts. As Trump actually emphasized. It’s not all that much wall. It’s certainly not a big concrete wall stretching the length of the border.

sarahf: I know! OMG, what a 180 from him on that!

And, as Democrats will be quick to point out, they were already working on their own legislation that would give $1 billion in funding for border security (but not a wall – to be clear).

natesilver: Right, and Trump hasn’t really made the case as to why a wall is necessary to stop the humanitarian crisis at the border.

The other thing is that … none of this is really new. This compromise, if you want to call it that, has been around for a long time. Democrats have rejected it because it doesn’t give them enough. They rejected better versions of this compromise before the shutdown began, in fact.

And Democrats have more leverage now than then because Trump needs the shutdown to end a lot more than they do — it’s hurting him politically.

micah: I guess my point is more that the convo may change.

perry: To put this bluntly, I think this speech had two audiences the media (so they will do “both sides” coverage) and Republicans (so they will stay loyal to Trump on this issue). I assume this speech will buy him at least of few days of that. And both of those, as Micah suggests, will help with the public opinion.

sarahf: I was kind of surprised that he made no mention of the thousands of furloughed government workers.

Like some kind of nod to their hardship. But nada.

perry: They’re all Democrats.

I’m joking, but that is what he thinks.

natesilver: The question is partly: will the press run with Trump’s frame?

micah: Nate, I don’t know if the media will run with it.

Probably?

The headline in the lower-third on CNN right now is “Pelosi rejects Trump’s proposal to end shutdown.”

perry: Trump may have bought himself at least another week to sustain this shutdown. Next week will be 1. Pelosi rejected Trump’s idea before he spoke, and 2. Senate holds vote and Democrats filibuster.

You all disagree?

micah: I think that’s right, Perry.

As we’re chatting, here’s Politico’s headline: “Trump’s bid to negotiate on wall met by Democratic rejection”

The Washington Post: “Trump offers to protect ‘dreamers’ temporarily in exchange for wall funds”

Dallas Morning News: “Trump seeks border wall funding in exchange for DACA protections to end shutdown”

natesilver: There’s at least some semi-intelligent understanding on the White House’s part of how media dynamics work.

At least parts of the speech play well into the media’s “both sides-ism.”

micah: NBC News: “Trump offers new shutdown deal, Democrats expected to reject it”

Los Angeles Times: “President Trump proposes to extend protections for ‘Dreamers’ in exchange for border wall funding”

ABC News: “Trump will extend ‘Dreamers,’ TPS protection in exchange for full border wall funding”

CBS News: “Trump proposes deal on immigration, Pelosi calls shutdown offer a ‘non-starter’”

natesilver: But the thing about that NBC headline is that the “new” part is pretty misleading.

perry: Those are great headlines for Trump. Considering the reality is closer to this:

Isn't this a kind of hostage-taking squared? First end the programs. Then shut the government. Then promise to temporarily restore the programs you've ended & reopen the govt you have closed, in return for the ransom of $ for a wall that 55-60% of country consistent opposes? https://t.co/PhsMABh6VC

— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) January 19, 2019

micah: Yeah, at least in the very very early going, this seems like a good move by Trump.

natesilver: Keep in mind that media might feel a little chastened this week by the mess that’s become of the BuzzFeed story.

micah: Yeah, I was thinking that.

perry: I also think that keeping the Lindsey Graham’s of the world happy is something Trump cares about. The Republicans on the Sunday shows now have something to say. So do the Will Hurd’s.

micah: Very good point.

perry: Pelosi and Democrats, I would argue, were more unified than Republicans before this speech. But I wonder if some moderate Democrats start getting nervous now.

natesilver: The path here is like:

1. Trump and Republicans maintain some degree of message discipline for a week or so; 1b. Trump and Republicans don’t face too many defections from their own base; 2. Polling and other indications show that blame for the shutdown is shifting away from Trump and toward Democrats; 2b. There aren’t any strikes or planes falling from the sky that create a crisis and force an immediate end to the shutdown; 3. Trump offers Democrats a little bit — maybe quite a bit — more.

If all of that happens, maybe he gets a deal!

And no one of those steps is *that* crazy.

perry: So the fundamentals of this issue have not changed, you are saying, Nate?

natesilver: I don’t really think it changed anything.

perry: I agree.

natesilver: Except Trump made a chess move to advance the game instead of just sitting there petulantly staring at his opponent and watching his clock run down.

micah: “It gives him some more time” is a good read, I think.

natesilver: It was an extremely standard chess move, but at least it was a move!

sarahf: Well, I mean leading up to this speech there had been some speculation he’d declare a national emergency. And he didn’t do that.

So all things considered, I think this was a much smarter political move to make.

natesilver: Oh yeah, this is definitely better than that.

sarahf: Because I do think at this point Democrats have to say something other than, “we won’t support this.”

natesilver: It was, like, almost what a normal president with a competent group of advisors would do!

sarahf: Hahaha yeah

natesilver: But it will require a lot of follow through.

perry: I think Trump is aware that declaring a national emergency is a “loss.” He doesn’t want a “loss.” I don’t know how he gets a win. I actually think, this proposal, if it was passed, would very much irritate the right.

I will be curious how the right receives this idea.

perry: Ann Coulter attacked it hard.

natesilver: Coulter attacked it … although… you could almost say that’s helpful for Trump.

perry: Good point.

It makes it seem like more of a compromise if the right hates it.

natesilver: Now, if he loses the votes from several conservative Republicans in the Senate, then he’s screwed.

Or if he himself has second thoughts because Sean Hannity calls him tonight, he could screw himself.

perry: That’s an interesting question: Can Sen. Ted Cruz vote for this?

Can it actually pass the Senate?

micah: That is interesting!

perry: Because I assume part of the play here is for Republicans in the Senate to be seen doing something about the shutdown.

Would Sens. Susan Collins and Cory Gardner support this from the left-wing of the GOP? I think yes. But would Cruz, and some of the more hard-core immigration members on the more conservative wing of the party?

I assume yes, but I’m not sure.

micah: Wouldn’t you assume he cleared this with the Cruz’s of the world before unveiling it?

perry: I would not at all assume that.

micah: LOL.

That was a soft-ball.

perry: McConnell maybe.

sarahf: Yeah, I’m not picturing mass Republican defections here in the Senate … I guess just because McConnell seems to have been so heavily involved in negotiating this.

natesilver: Right, yeah

perry: Do we think any Democrats vote for it?

Doug Jones? Joe Manchin?

I assume no, right?

natesilver: Manchin maybe.

He voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, so it’s not exactly like he’s worried about stoking the ire of the Democratic base.

sarahf: But it does make you wonder why Trump ever listened to Mark Meadows and the Freedom Caucus in the first place getting into this mess.

Wouldn’t have $1.7 billion or whatever it was and no extension for DACA, TPS, etc. have been more popular for them?

I guess none of it went to the wall. So maybe not. No way to appease anyone!

natesilver: Right, the $1.7 billion didn’t specifically include border wall funding though.

perry: Another question: I think I’m a believer in the distraction theory, so would Trump have scheduled this speech if he knew Buzzfeed’s Michael Cohen story would be so heavily criticized?

micah: He sorta stepped on a pretty good news cycle for him.

Though Buzzfeed is standing by its reporting.

natesilver: Hmm. But the fact that he had a good news cycle probably means that today will be portrayed more favorably by the press.

So that gave him more incentive to do it.

perry: So you think the media, cowed by the coverage of the Cohen story, will cover this announcement more favorably than otherwise?

natesilver: The headlines we’re seeing are not “Embattled Trump desperately proposes already-rejected compromise in meandering speech,” but rather “Trump proposes new compromise and Pelosi rejects.”

micah: And you think the former is more accurate than the latter?

natesilver: I think “Trump again proposes already-rejected compromise in competent speech; Pelosi reiterates that she won’t agree” is roughly correct.

micah: The other thing maybe worth keeping in mind: The politics of the shutdown right now are really bad for Trump. Trump is unpopular, and the wall is even more unpopular. This is from our friends at The Upshot:

micah: And this is from us:

I guess what I’m saying is that it wouldn’t be too surprising if the politics of this improved for Trump after his speech, given where they are now. There’s plenty of room to improve.

Anyway … final thoughts?

perry: We know that presidential addresses generally don’t work. But Trump is making those political scientists look really smart.

sarahf: I think the fact that Trump didn’t consult Democratic leadership is a big ding against this proposal. But the fact that Trump did put forward some kind of compromise is something. It has the potential to change the politics around the shutdown.

It’ll be interesting to see what congressional Republicans actually put forward and what Democrats choose to counter with.

natesilver: I thought it was a bit weird at the end when Trump said this was just the start of negotiations on a much bigger immigration solution.

If this is just small potatoes stuff, Pelosi might ask, why do we need to keep the government shut down, when we’re going to have a much bigger discussion about immigration anyway?

That’s ultimately the question that Trump doesn’t really have a good answer for. Why do we need to keep the government shut down to have this negotiation?

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pelosi will need to be clear about that in their own messaging.

At the same … I wonder if they also want to float, maybe on background because it does sort of contradict the message of “no negotiations at all while there’s a shutdown,” some notion of what a real compromise would look like. e.g. the full DREAM Act.

Or my idea: Offer HR1, the Democrats’ election reform/voting rights bill, in exchange for the border wall.

perry: The one reason I have a hard time seeing any deal being cut: “the wall is a monument to racism” is a real view on the left and has real influence. That makes it much harder Democrats to sign off on any money for the wall.

natesilver: Also, Republicans would presumably never agree to HR 1. But it moves the Overton Window (sorry if that’s become an overused concept now) and frames the idea that Republicans are nowhere near offering a fair compromise.

If the wall is so important to Trump — and he’s often talked about it as his signature priority — a fair offer now that we have bipartisan control of government would be to give Democrats what’s literally their No. 1 priority (given that they named the bill HR1) as well.

(That’s Pelosi’s hypothetical argument, not me necessarily endorsing the deal as fair to Republicans.)

micah: Yeah, that kind of deal seems a looooooong ways off.

[recentanimenews]

Crunchyroll Favorites 2018 Part Three: EVERYTHING ELSE!

 This is it--the final installment of CRUNCHYROLL FAVORITES 2018! In our first feature, we talked about our favorite anime and manga of the past year, and yesterday we shared our favorite video games. Today, we wrap up with one of my favorite parts of CR Favorites: "EVERYTHING ELSE!"

  Instead of posting individual articles for everybody's favorite movies, books, music, TV shows, sports moments, life moments, and so on and so forth, we just pile them all here into the "Everything Else" installment and share what's important to us that isn't related to anime, manga, or video games.

  Just like before, the rules are simple: only stuff that came out in 2018, or continuing works that had a major milestone last year. You're gonna get to see a lot of different lists from different people--let's get started!

  Nate Ming

The Night Comes for Us- Timo Tjahjanto brings most of the gang from The Raid and its sequel back for this absolute onslaught of perfectly-choreographed action that refuses to let up--or look away. This one's for the hardest of hardcore action fans, and absolutely not for the squeamish.

Mandy- Nicolas Cage teams up with the stylish and totally gonzo Panos Cosmatos for a trippy, violent ride that starts as a horror story and ends up as a wild action/revenge flick. A friend of mine pointed out that Mandy is the closest we'll probably ever get to a live-action Berserk, and y'know what? He's right.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse- It's rare when, while watching a movie, I don't want it to end. It's almost as rare when it wraps up and I immediately want to watch it again. Into the Spider-Verse has it all: pure emotion, an outstanding soundtrack, action that's like greased lightning, and characters I want to spend even more time with. More like this, please.

Fighting in the Age of Loneliness- Jon Bois--already known for his insightful, fun breakdowns of sports minutiae--teams up with Felix Biederman for a deep dive into the stories that make the history of mixed martial arts. Even people who aren't MMA-heads will dig this--check it out and learn why people fighting in a cage for money is so compelling.

Amanda Nunes vs Cris Cyborg- And speaking of that, in just 51 seconds Amanda "Lioness" Nunes took down the undefeated Cris Cyborg, trading shots until Cyborg caught a huge overhand right and dropped. What a showdown--women's MMA has always been great, but now is the time of legends.

Honorable Mentions: Braven, Creed II, Hereditary

Nicole Mejias

A more stable life- 2017 and 2018 have been very trying years of my life, and I’m glad I made it through in one piece. Depression is something I’m still battling with, but it’s something I’m thankfully more in control of these days. I’m very grateful for my close friends who helped me when I felt I was lost; without them I wouldn’t be here. Thank you! Let’s conquer our goals in 2019!

CEO x NJPW show- I talked about this show briefly in my CEO 2018 report, but my goodness, it was quite the mind blowing show! I never expected NJPW to make it out to Florida of all places, and I certainly didn’t expect the world of fighting games and wrestling to come together in beautiful harmony! It’s a show I’ll remember for a very long time.

Crunchyroll Expo 2018 experience- It was my first time going to this event, and I was very impressed by pretty much everything the convention had to offer! Add in the bonus of meeting up with colleagues face-to-face for the first time and network with amazing folks, and it was an event that I was very happy to be a part of. I’ll be back again this year!

Working for Crunchyroll- The biggest highlight of 2018 was when I got the chance to work here, which was something I didn’t think would happen. Started as a video script writer, then moved on to becoming a features writer and editor! This job has helped me out in so many countless ways, and I’m really blessed to be here and that I’m working with such an awesome group of people!

Daniel Dockery

Beginning My Crunchyroll Writer Journey- Writing about anime for a lot of websites usually requires some handholding (“Hey kids. Have you heard of anime? Before I begin my actual article, here’s a half page about what anime actually is.”) Luckily, Crunchyroll came along and has let me geek out about One Piece for six months. God bless them.

Creed II- After his awesome performances in Universal Soldier: Regeneration and Day of Reckoning, it was only a matter of time before Dolph Lundgren became the heart of a major blockbuster.

Deadwood Movie Hype- It’s finally happening. The Deadwood movie that’s been talked about since 2006 is going to be in front of me in 2019. I don’t want to say that the power of my dreams made this happen, but I will. You can thank me all now.

Shrimp Tacos- Have y’all had these? They’re great!

Peter Fobian

Shonen Jump- I promise I’m not getting paid to tell you that Shonen Jump made history in 2018. They made the most popular comics magazine in the world FREE. They’re selling access to one of the largest collections of comics in the world at a pittance. This is the best deal in the history of comics, hands down. I’m only one month in and have already burned through over 20 volumes of manga. I’m actually going to catch up to One Piece. This is unreal.

Annihilation- I almost missed this movie since they did very little way in the promotion, and man am I glad I saw it in theaters. An awesome sci-fi horror film with a great premise, great cast, some fantastic effects, and a legendary ending. Even if you were underwhelmed by the majority of the film, those last 15 minutes aren’t going to leave your head anytime soon.

Wanikani- Various life circumstances have made it hard for me to continue in-class Japanese studies so I started up Wanikani in January at the recommendation of a friend. It’s the easiest to keep up with language studying app I’ve managed to main pretty consistent all year, finishing off 2018 with a 2000 written word vocabulary is pretty good, I think. I really want to hit max level...

Ricky Soberano

All of the wine I’ve drank- Cheers to speaking about the difference between organic, kosher, vegan, and orange wines. Biggest cheers to figuring out my preferred wine region (Piedmont) and enjoying every Barbera and Barolo I had the privilege of consuming.

The streetwear collabs that mattered- Thank you, universe, for finally getting it. The same people that love manga and anime can also love fashion and finally have a means to show it off to the world. This is why the Primitive x DBZ drop popped off. This is what made the Uniqlo x Shonen Jump collection so important. I can’t wait to see even more in 2019.

Crazy Rich Asians breaking the world- Everything was riding on this film to do well. The future of Hollywood’s treatment towards Asian casts, writing, and films hung in the balance and it slayed the box office. The phenomenon surrounding it was as electric as the film itself.

Japanese Breakfast’s article on H-Mart- My uncle had passed away a few weeks before one of my favorite singers published her first article for The New Yorker. It’s a beautiful testament to coming to terms with identity as an Asian-American, mourning, and food.  

Everything that Childish Gambino has blessed us with this year- This special supernova doesn’t need to go so hard on every project that he works on but he does anyways simply because he can and if you can’t appreciate that then you can enter that black hole over there.

Emily Bushman

Victoria Schwab- One of my favorite authors because she writes fantastic stories, and her new YA book, City of Ghosts, is no exception. It’s like a cross between Stranger Things and the best parts of Scotland, with just a DAB of Harry Potter, and I love everything about it. Her other new novel, Vengeful (sequel to Vicious), also soared high for me with three superior villains who plotted death and destruction, all the way to a satisfying conclusion.

Supernatural- I’m late to the game... but why does it feel good to do something as bad as binge-watching 13 straight seasons over a three month period? To be fair, my friend and I are only on season 9, but we’re getting there. Slowly. Steadily. The checkout lady at our local grocery store approves. And if I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that everyone should have a moose in their life. Get your moose, people. Get your moose.

Haunting of Hill House- The original book by Shirley Jackson (of “The Lottery”) was a favorite of mine, but the Netflix adaptation took it to a whole new level. Love the book, love the show, and love the questions about what it means to be a family, what can happen when a family turns against itself, what it means to be a ghost, either alive or dead, and, most importantly, how the trappings of a perfect life can turn into the ties that bind us down.

Sticky Toffee Pudding- This is a British thing, but I live and die for it and was recently reminded of how much I love it when my best friend begged me to make it for her, gluten free. It’s the perfect gooey sweet sheet cake, with to-die-for caramel toffee sauce. Please try this. This is my favorite recipe, from my favorite queen of internet food blogging, Deb Perelman. You can make it with Cup for Cup, a gluten free flour substitute, and it tastes essentially the same. >> http://bit.ly/2fE1OvW

Strange the Dreamer- Written by Laini Taylor, it’s a YA novel about a boy named Strange, the Dreamer. It’s a weird mix of pseudo-Egyptian Gods, alchemic research, and impossible puzzles that is both fascinating and, well, dream-like. It is unusual, the outlier in a field of run-of-the-mill stories, but it entranced me, and I eagerly await the sequel.

Nick Creamer

The Haunting of Hill House- Ostensibly based on the classic Shirley Jackson novel, Netflix’s Haunting of Hill House abandons the book’s narrative entirely, and instead tells a story about family, forgiveness, and the meaning of home, all filtered through the profoundly haunted titular house. Though the film’s dialogue can get a little clumsy, its evocative cinematography, psychologically scrambled cast, and sharp understanding of horror make it satisfying both for its thrills and its sympathetic emotional core. In a year I’ve spent binging whatever horror anthologies I can find, Hill House has risen to the top.

Offerings- As the follow-up to the staggering concept album White Lighter, Typhoon’s Offerings had some serious shoes to fill. The resulting album absolutely blew me away, with its comparatively stripped-down sound offering a harrowing journey through the steady disintegration of a fraying mind. Lines like “the part of you that I love is still in there, even if it doesn’t know my name” cut to the heart of watching a loved one fade away, and offered understanding in a very tough year. Offerings is a difficult listen, but it’s worth it.

Cooking- After a former housemate gifted me and my roommates a slow cooker last winter, we embarked on a lengthy journey to actually learn how to feed ourselves. After a long and arduous year of training, I am proud to say I can probably avoid incinerating a chicken at this point, and perhaps even prepare a soup. Getting there!

Kara Dennison

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch- I will never stop talking about this, and you can’t stop me. It’s my happy union of Charlie Brooker’s hardcore video game geekdom, my love of choice-based gaming, and my inexplicable desire to disturb myself at every given opportunity. It’s been at least a year since I lifted my hands off a keyboard and walked away because I was so affected. That’s how hard it got me.

Gabutto Burger- A recent trip to visit a friend in Illinois ended up with us at this anime fan-friendly burger place, run by a Japanese family and branded to the gills with mascot characters. It’s as close as I’m going to get (for now) to going to a collab café, plus the food was amazing.

The Night Before Critmas- I wish I had time for the full Critical Role experience, but their one-shots are just right for my schedule. This Christmas-skinned D&D campaign told the flipside of The Nightmare Before Christmas, with dangerously-skilled elves setting out to retrieve Santa from a legally-distinct talking bag of bugs. Their Crash Pandas campaign was no slouch, either.

Crunchyroll Social Media- This year I got to stick a toe in our social media department, running accounts for shows like Magical Girl Ore and How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord. I’ve loved getting to see what the fans enjoy and find more for them between episodes!

  ----

And that's a wrap for Crunchyroll Favorites 2018! Thanks for joining us for this three-parter, and we'll see you next year! If you're in the mood for more CR Favorites, here are the links to past years' features:

Crunchyroll Favorites 2017 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2016 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2015 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2014 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2013 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll Favorites 2012 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Crunchyroll News' Best of 2011 Part One | Part Two

What were your favorite "everything else" parts of 2018? Remember, this is a FAVORITES list, not a BEST-OF list, so there are no wrong answers--sound off in the comments and share your favorites!

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Nate Ming is the Features Editor for Crunchyroll News and creator of the long-running Fanart Friday column. You can follow him on Twitter at @NateMing. His comic, Shaw City Strikers, launches January 15, 2019.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[nate-the-dreamer-blog]

SidLink is so beautiful I just want to cry cause they are just so perfect and I can't right now

[nate-the-dreamer-blog]

Wanting to make smut of SidLink but not having the skills to make smut in general

[nate-the-dreamer-blog]

I don't want a knight in shiny armor, I want a prince with red scales

[nate-the-dreamer-blog]

The day there is a Sidon Nendoroid is the day I die.

[nate-the-dreamer-blog]

I have 180 hours of gameplay in BOTW and I’m pretty sure that 80 of those hours is just me looking for koroks, Sidon and Link’s house just for drawing reference, also link needs to visit his fish bae

[nate-the-dreamer-blog]

Sorry for being inactive with my drawings, I just feel unmotivated to share them on social media, I think I might just stop here for a while.... Or maybe just one day make another blog but for now probably not much from me here...