#obviously its all very american dream

[yugocar]

hmm so i’ve been trying to put this into words for ages and i always fall short of it, but here i am trying again and it has to with this weird relationship i’ve had with really famous brands in the usa. growing up it was always disheartening when i would get really excited about trying subway for the first time or starbucks or anything like that, and then talking to people from the west about it only for them to be very dismissive and judgemental about it. it makes total sense really, and a lot of the times they were correct about their assessment of said brand/chain but there is something so particular about growing up not having access to any of the popular of famous things that were part of pop-culture on tv and on the internet. it leaves you feeling, or at least it did for me, so cut off from what feels like the entire world and in turn makes you feel so excited when you do interact with them, even though these images are obviously very idealised. when i first went to starbucks i was so giddy. “look im like the people on tv! look i have access to all these fancy and varied products!” it made me feel so visible, so fancy. i’ve grown now and obviously have a very different opinion of a lot of these brands, but i still don’t really have the heart to reprimand myself when i get excited about something like going to dunkin’ donuts. i’ve also learned not to talk to people who haven’t had this experience, to allow myself for that moment not to be spoiled. their context is completely different and that’s okay, i can keep this for myself.

[aezuria]

Could you maybe do jason grace x jealous fem!reader? We know that Jason is canonically VERY attractive. He's legit all American boy fr, so obv he'd have so many ppl crushing on him in camp. So reader thinks she's not pretty enough for him or something and jason finds out abt it, and reassures her that's she's perfect :( ahh just some fluffiness maybe?

*ੈ✎ golden boy, can i be your golden girl?

content: jason grace x reader; oneshot

╰┈▸ back cover: part I | part II

warnings: bit of angst BUT it ends in fluff dw

librarian's annotations: IM SO SORRY ANON mitski started playing and i forgot u said "just some fluffiness" 😔😔

sometimes, you could hardly believe that you were dating the jason grace. "the jason grace," as if he was some world-famous football player, which he'll probably turn out to be. every single student knew his name like it was stamped into their brain as soon as they started attending this school. it made you both proud and uneasy, especially when more popular, pretty girls went up to him. you didn't doubt his loyalty, of course, but you often felt that he could have done so much better. any girl would gladly date him as soon as he requested. but he chose a no-name like you, instead. you couldn't count the amount of times your own classmates said "who?" when jason mentioned you.

it wasn't fair, you knew. you could tell he very obviously loved you by the way he handled you with such gentleness it made your heart hurt. his air alone seemed to shine like the sun, illuminating you and everyone around him. but akin to the sun, it hurt to look at him for too long.

and yet, you couldn’t bear to leave his side and offer a better, more suitable partner for him— for you were too selfish. he was all you ever wanted, was it so wrong to hold onto that dream for a few moments more?

(yes, it was)

"you'll be at my next game, right?" jason pressed a kiss to your temple as he cradled you in his arms, your back to his chest. "you're my good luck charm after all."

it was stupid. so stupid, because you knew he wanted you there— he just asked you at that. but it didn't stop the churning in your stomach about how you felt that you didn't belong on the bleachers.

"yeah. i'll be there for sure." you smiled. troubling jason would hurt you more than keeping your thoughts to yourself. you wouldn't let his sunshine dim if you could help it. and that, you could.

your heart was too heavy for you to fall asleep. it weighed you down, filling your lungs so you couldn't breathe. your rampant tossing and turning led you to the moon, shining timidly behind the curtain. you reached out to part it to the side, the moon sneaking into your room and drowning your sheets in a soft glow. it tickled your skin and did away with the uneasiness in your heart, scaring it away into tomorrow. rest easy, now.

but the moon was gone with the night, the sun in its place as it tugged at your heartstrings to wake you up. it's brightness was warm yet harsh, urging you to get ready and see your own golden boy. you heaved a sigh and obeyed, swinging your feet off the side of your bed and getting up. as you picked out your clothes, you caught sight of yourself in the mirror and paused. was this really what he wants? it was hard to believe. you didn't have to look close to see the imperfections etched on your face, your body. put next to jason, it'd only make you seem worse.

"y/n!" jason scooped you into a hug, already dressed in his gear, save for his helmet. the sun does have its quirks after all. his touch burned the most of your thoughts away, leaving only amusement behind.

"you're squeezing too tight!" you croaked out through a fit of giggles only he could make.

he loosened almost immediately, pulling away to look at you with a bright smile, the tips of his ears turning red in embarrassment. "sorry."

you only grinned and pulled him down for a quick good-luck kiss. "play hard, sunshine."

jason's nose wrinkled at the nickname. "sunshine?" he laughed. "whatever you say, beautiful."

his coach blew the whistle for the team to gather 'round, jason waving goodbye before you could answer. beautiful? how was it that he always knew the right thing to say at the right time?

you made your way to the bleachers, sitting near the front where the team's close friends (girlfriends) and family sat. the tendrils of your mind crept up your back once again as you sat near the edge. you couldn't help but feel out of place— many of them were already talking with each other, having been together for the previous years. whenever they'd lean in to giggle at something, you couldn't help but think that they were talking about you. was it because you did your makeup bad today? was your outfit wrinkled? did the wind mess up your hair? the feeling in your gut returned, more persistent than last time.

you forced a bright smile as jason ran up to you once again, a triumphant grin splitting his face. "i won for you!" as he always did. you were happy, truly, and you hoped it showed instead of the emotions you just couldn't seem to get rid of.

"i saw! you did so good, jason!"

okay... something was definitely up. usually, you'd give him a kiss as soon as he came here— where was his kiss? and why didn't your sweet smile reach your eyes? but he knew you wouldn't tell him, especially not with this many people around.

"all for you," he repeated softly, his arm wrapping around your waist as he led you out of the field. "can you come over? i feel i'm in need of your therapeutic cuddles." he looked at you out of the corner of his eye, knowing the only way him to get you in a place he was able to comfort you was by making it seem as if he needed it. because for some reason, helping came so easily to you for the sake of anyone but yourself.

"..alright." you agreed after a brief pause. "is something wrong? or are you just tired?"

ever the angel, your immediate concern was heartwarming. jason gave you a reassuring smile. "just tired."

you came out of his bathroom, changed into one of his shirts. it smelled like him, touched with sunburnt kisses. he was already in bed, half of the blanket folded open for you to slip in.

and that you did, curling up beside him as his arms wrapped you up like a gift. he buried his face into your neck, breathing deeply before he whispered, "you wanna tell me what's going on?"

you froze. how did he know? were you that obvious? you should’ve hid it better! it’s not even a big deal, he shouldn’t have to-

“you know i love you, right?” jason spoke up, interrupting your thoughts. he said it so earnestly there was no other answer but yes. so, you nodded against him.

“only you. did you know you’re my first real girlfriend?” he pulled away, a soft light dancing in his eyes.

“really?” it was a hard thing to believe. with all the girls throwing themselves at him, it would be odd for him to not like any of them. “but, you’re so.. you. you’re kind and smart and talented.. tall and handsome too..”

“well.. i wouldn’t say that…” he chuckled nervously, not expecting to be hit with the side barrage of compliments. “but look at you— you’re smart and sweet, thoughtful and considerate..” he trailed off, his hand reaching up to cup your cheek. “and so, so, beautiful.” before you had a chance to doubt yourself, he leaned in and kissed your cheek, before moving his hand and doing the same with the other. soft lips moved to the tip of your nose, then up to your forehead, ending with one to your lips.

“the prettiest girl i’ve ever seen.” he looked at you with such fondness, all your thoughts disappeared, whisked away into the air.

you met his eyes, a smile starting to show. oh, how he missed it.

[tolstayas]

there's a sense of foreignness, a haunting awareness of the immigrant and third culture experience, that's everywhere in mitski's music. it's the awareness that moving changes you; that where you are is who you are. it's in 'brand new city', with its dream of becoming a new person by moving to a new place. it's in 'texas reznikoff', the love song of someone who's never found even just one continent to settle down on: "but i've been anywhere, and it's not what i want, i want to be still with you". it's in 'your best american girl' - obviously. it's in the story behind 'nobody', going back to malaysia where she'd lived as a child and finding that she might as well be an alien - perhaps from the "planet of love" - and certainly had no home where she was. it's in dying on a plane in 'last words of a shooting star', a soul passing by with no grave on earth to return to. it's in the sound of a train pulling away in 'happy', echoed again in 'buffalo replaced': love always leaves by literally going somewhere else. it's in "the city where you're from" in 'blue diner' because every old friend and lover has their (physical) place in her life. it's in the americana, the liberty bell, cowboys, laurel hell, buffalo - and the lines in japanese in 'first love / late spring'. it's in the love that has "traveled very far" in 'star'. it's being the "king of all the land" while belonging to no part of it in 'i love me after you'. and this is ultimately how i interpret 'the land is inhospitable and so are we': it's an autobiogeography. the land may have no place for us, but it defines us anyway. after all, where you are is who you are.

[bewires]

oppenheimer criticisms I haven't seen but think would be fair:

-choice to have 90% of florence pugh's screentime being "hysterical topless woman"

-movie does not pass bechdel test at all; otoh it is a historical biopic representing the life of a man to whose field of study very few women had access at the time and the movie makes a point to show those women gaining access. like. it's not a movie about women at all, and I doubt I will see nolan make such a movie ever, but beyond florence pugh's character there are some good and nuanced moments in there especially with emily blunt but also with minor characters

-early sequences of tortured baby oppenheimer dreaming the beauty of physics are very overwrought

-choice to not shoot on location in germany (look this one is just for me I have been to all the places oppenheimer studied (I am not a theoretical physics fangirl but I know several) and the only place they chose not to actually film in person is göttingen which I take personal offense at)

-they cast matthias schweighöfer in a hollywood movie. no excuses for that one tbh.

oppenheimer criticisms I have seen and think are unfair

-"nolan can't make a good war movie" bc he will not make an intersectional war movie. potentially accurate in re dunkirk, which I didn't see bc I don't like war movies, but in this case he did not make a war movie, he made a historical biopic. the war is relevant, obviously, but the movie is not at all about the battlefield or the front, it is about the life of a physicist, and yes, it's not very intersectional.

-the effects of the a-bomb on the people of japan are not given due diligence. I understand people disagreeing about this but I have also seen several posts of people going "I won't watch this but I bet it doesn't" and uh. I think it does. I think every moment in this movie after the trinity test is entirely about oppenheimer realizing the impact of his research and it is shown several times, excruciatingly, how aware he is of what the effects of the a-bomb were. we do not see the bomb, nor do we see japan, because again, it is a historical biopic about this one dude and he wasn't there. this is also the first time I have seen a mainstream hollywood movie make repeat and pointed note of the fact that in a military sense the use of a-bombs in japan was not necessary.

-movie is pro-war/glorifies the a-bomb/glorifies oppenheimer. I think the strongest case you can make is that it glorifies the a-bomb because movie splosions are cool. but I also think the movie's biggest strength is its ambiguity. whose fault is it there was an a-bomb? is it oppenheimer's? he sure thinks so! is it einstein's? he sure thinks so at least indirectly! is it the american government's? they sure think so and they're proud of it (all of these according to the various chracters of this movie). is it a good thing they developed the a-bomb? several characters have several differing opinions on this! oppenheimer himself seems very divided and unsure by the end of the movie and cannot make a judgment call. in the end (much like with cillian murphy's other iconic character who wears a hat cough cough) if people walk out of this movie as fans of the character or his actions imo that's on them and not on the authorship of the movie

[one-squash-one-end]

I wrote a giant Raven Cycle analysis

Hi! Over the last year or so I've been working on a sort of essay about various themes in the raven cycle series, and I finally finished it a few weeks ago.

It is titled: "Why I love The Raven Cycle - An excessive analysis of the themes of friendship, queerness and growing up".

And since tumblr loves its meta (and bc I love peer validation) I've decided to start uploading it bit by bit here, making this the masterpost (if I can figure out the logistics of the linking lmao, bear with me)

(beware of spoilers up to greywaren starting at like 3b!)

Introduction

What even is the Raven Cycle?

Trust me, the characters are queer as fuck and I can prove it a) Blue Sargent b) Gansey c) Adam Parrish d) Ronan Lynch e) Noah f) Henry Cheng g) Honorary mentions

The Gangsey is a polycule

Analyzing the reoccurring themes a) Friendship b) Being a teen/growing up c) (Found) Family d) Magic (as a metaphor) e) Further themes I appreciate

Drawing a conclusion

Click here to start with the introductory parts!

1. Introduction

So here’s the thing: I love fiction almost as much as I love my friends. There’s something deeply comforting about the escapism, even if the book actually makes me want to scream and throw it on the floor (only one book has been thrown so far, I promise!).  Fiction is a healthy thing to occupy my thoughts with: headcanons! Quotes being on loop in my brain! Just fandoms!

And for me, if I am hooked on a book (series), it does not even need a good plot where a lot of things happen. In fact, I would say that my enjoyment of a book is made up of 30% plot and about 70% characters and vibes. If the characters are bland, if they do not make me feel much emotion, it likely won’t be more than 4 stars (additional info: I am way too nice rating books!). I really, really need to love the characters, to be able to relate to some aspects of them, or it just won’t become an obsession.

Since I have already started explaining that a bit, let’s look at this question: What is important to make a book special to me? 1. I need to cry reading it. 2. I have to think about it often, even weeks to months after having read it. 3. Obviously, I need to love the characters. 4. I need to be in the fandom! This can be hard with some books, but the internet is a whimsical space allowing you to find at least a small number of people who are obsessed with a work of fiction to a similar extent as you are.

Now, why am I elaborating on this so much? It’s because The Raven Cycle did all that for me. It is my favorite comfort book series at the moment, for all those aspects mentioned, but of course I cannot just leave it at that. No, I wrote a whole-ass analysis on headcanons and some of its themes. You’re welcome.

2. What even is The Raven Cycle?

The Raven Cycle is all I adore and live for (next to my friends). So, naturally, it’s a book series, specifically a four book young adult contemporary fantasy series by American author Maggie Stiefvater. The books in question are: The Raven Boys (2012), The Dream Thieves (2013), Blue Lily, Lily Blue (2014) and The Raven King (2016), and yes I will admit that the publishing dates are a bit of a red flag. There is also the very relevant follow-up series called The Dreamer Trilogy (Call Down The Hawk, Mister Impossible, Greywaren), but it’s a lot less easy to get into that here as I do not know these entire books by heart, so I’ll stick to the original tetralogy here.

To stick to red flags, the books are set in the fictional Henrietta, a rural town in non-fictional Virginia, US, in the 2010s. However, that doesn’t really say *that* much about the plot, so let me summarize that really quick, because I can do better than the official synopsis! (Or let’s pretend I can.)

Blue Sargent comes from a family of psychics, yet she does not have any powers of her own. Even worse, she is a bit of an amplifier for the others, meaning she is always somehow but never directly involved in the business. As if that isn’t enough for an identity crisis, every psychic she has ever met has told her that her kiss would kill her true love. Yikes.

But because she is that amplifier, she comes to a church watch on St. Mark’s Eve, where psychics see the spirits of those to die within the following year. It’s important business, but to her it’s really just staring into the dark. Until she does actually see a spirit: That of Gansey. Of course this is not a coincidence. No, to add to this teen’s mount of problems, there are only two reasons why a non-seer would see someone’s spirit: They are their true love, or they killed them. Or, in Blue’s case, maybe both.

The aforementioned Gansey is Henrietta’s Golden Boy, the son of politicians (read: he’s fucking loaded). He does not run with the Republicans though, he runs with dead Welsh kings, meaning he has been searching for the probably dead, presumably sleeping Welsh king Glendower (*1350; †1416; yikes) for the past like seven years. Why the fuck would he do that? Well, legend says that he will grant a wish to whoever wakes him, and our favorite PTSD-ridden guy really wants that favor.

Aiding him are fellow Aglionby students Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch and Noah Czerny, plus Henry Cheng, though only a lot later in the series, but I really did not want to leave out that menace (affectionately) here. The paths of Blue and the boys cross because of Gansey’s search for Glendower, plus the fact that Blue works at a popular pizza place, but that’s a lot less whimsical. And, well, there’s the implication that Gansey might also be her true love, but perhaps she just kills him because of his bad fashion sense, it would be justified. Anyway, in true Famous Five fashion (Ronan is the dog; I won’t elaborate, the girls that get it, get it) they are of course not the only ones searching for the king, so it’s not completely a wholesome friend bonding activity all the way through.

Be prepared for: friendship and growing up, lots of treasure hunting, family mysteries, magical forests, illegal and slightly distasteful activities (our favorite of course), but most of all, heavily queer-coded (or even canonically queer) characters. Be Gay, Do Crime.

[ganondoodle]

seeing american (very probably racist) politicians talking about europe like there are only blonde and blue eyed people here and imply that that is somehow a sign of people being "better" and more deserving of life than those in any other part of the world that isnt america or europe makes me so unbelievable angry, not just bc its obviously racist but also bc its just not fucking true, there are all kinds of people here in all kinds of color and shape from all kinds of backgrounds, its not a fascists wet dream like they seem to pretend and them using this shit ass fantasy to justify condemming russia but not israel just makes my head want to explode twice as much

as a native, brown haired, brown eyed german with the biggest and bumpiest nose you only see in the before photo of before-and-after-surgery photos, fuck that, free palestine, genocide is wrong not matter what the people being killed look like, all of them deserve to live a long and good life in their homeland

(fyi; i am not saying we dont have a fascism problem here, oh boi, we definitely have, doesnt invalidate my point however.)

(fyi fyi; i am not fishing for sympathy, just needed to vent this bc i read about american politicians doing exactly that and it made me see red)

and to add something more useful to this post, remember your daily click https://arab.org/click-to-help/palestine/

[booksandabeer]

Stucky Recs: Road Trips!

Well, well, well. Look at that! After only three months of constant whining about having no time to do it, I've finally managed to put together a new rec list! Yay.

The theme of this list was requested by multiple people and really, who doesn't love a good road trip story, right? And let me tell you, there are so many good ones, this post could've been twice as long. I'm actually already hoarding fics in my little folder to do a part two later this year.

But for now, please enjoy my effusive ramblings about the following 10 Road Trip fics + 1 Rail Trip fic:

🚗 you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all by biblionerd07 | T, 15K

Author's summary: Steve and Bucky aren't really much of a Steve and Bucky anymore these days. Steve's sure it's because Bucky doesn't see himself as the same guy who used to love Steve. In a desperate attempt to prove him wrong, Steve begs Bucky to go on a road trip together, the way they used to dream about, and does his best to remind Bucky of who he is.

A post-CW canon divergent fic that's in a lot of ways very soft, but with just enough of an edge to keep things interesting and the reader uncertain as to how everything will play out in it. This starts with a somewhat disaffected Bucky who has not (yet) regained all of his memories and a Steve who, in his desperation to reconnect with him, tries so hard but ends up saying and doing all the wrong things. As they travel around the country, they both find ways to let go and to unlearn and relearn each other. Features moments of heart melting yet tongue-in-cheek sappiness (so the absolute best kind of sappiness) and a fun background Sam/T'Challa pairing.

🚗 a black sky prickled with small lights by emilywithoutY | M, 26K

Author's summary: There's this: The July heat. A wide open road. An obnoxious country song on the radio. Bucky in the driver’s seat.

Or: Two hundred-year-old men and their Great American Road Trip

The ultimate, unashamed Steve-and-Bucky-visit-the-Grand-Canyon wish-fulfillment fantasy—and I mean that in the best possible way. The summer road trip vibes are impeccable. This is technically the third part in the Litanies series, but it absolutely works as a standalone. However, if you ask me whether you should read the entire series, the answer is obviously a resounding yes. It's not only one of the best EG-Fix-Its I've read but also comes with an additional fun and sexy twist on how to get these two to finally get their heads out of their asses. Anyway, in this installment, they have already done that and now they get to enjoy the road, their freedom, and most of all, each other. Includes: healing along the way, long overdue conversations, and the attempt to reconcile the joy of finally having all that time with the bittersweet reality of having all that time.

🚗 Blue Moon by what_alchemy | E, 15K

Author's summary: "Now are you gonna run away with me or not, Rogers?”

God, this story (this author, really)! I’ve read this fic so many times I’ve lost count. It features one of my favorite post-WS characterizations of Bucky. One where he's still—somehow after everything—a romantic at heart, but also clear-eyed and unsentimental enough about certain things to not shy away from laying out some uncomfortable truths for Steve and the reader alike (there’s one line in particular that is seared into my brain and every time I read it I personally feel so called out). Steve may be a bit more cautious and softer about it, but oh, he gives back just as good. Nobody is handling anyone with kid gloves here. A story about learning how to be together (again), defining one's very own version of 'Happy Ever After', and about being very much in love, and also very horny for each other.

🚗 Not Language but a Map (The Grammar of Sensation) by dorian_burberrycanary | E, 20K

Author's summary: Steve has never felt right running away from a fight, even if the fight is with unanswered questions. But it’s not running if it’s a road trip and the oldest, thorniest unanswered question is along for the ride.

If you follow my blog you will probably already know that I am head over heels in love with this entire EG-Fix-It Series. This third story is finished, but Steve & Bucky's road trip continues in part 4, which is currently being posted (updates weekly). I believe this fic can be read as a standalone but, really, why would you deprive yourself of even a single word of this absolutely magnificent series? Every word, every detail, every narrative choice feels deliberate and well thought out. It's a masterclass in subtle storytelling and yet so rich in its themes, characterizations and descriptions of people, places, and food. This fic will make you hungry in so many different ways. A lot happens between the lines which may require some patience at times, but when the emotional payoff hits—it really, really hits. I cannot recommend this enough. Spectacular all around.

🚗 where the days are longer by endofadream | E, 13K

Author's summary: And maybe that’s what they’re running from. Those ghosts. That minefield. The suffocating pressure to live up to who they used to be when who they used to be has now become stale, recycled words in textbooks and museums and clickbait online articles.

They fuck off to the coast, trying to put as many miles between them and D.C. as possible. New York is loud and claustrophobic at the best of times, but California has the open skies and roads that make Steve ease a little more into his skin.

I have such an immense fondness for this story. There are some very minor problems with shifting POV in the first chapter, but please don't let this deter you from giving this story a chance—it's got so much heart. This is a slow and meandering piece that can be best summed up as: Steve and Bucky being so very much in love. Set in some undefined period post-CATWS, in a world where the events of Civil War never happened, Steve and Bucky decide they’re tired of fighting and conforming to what everyone else wants them to be and just get in a car and drive all the way to California. There, they start figuring out how to live in the future while also accepting that they can never quite leave the past behind, and that time, indifferent to the tragedies of (not quite) mortal men, will inevitably keep marching on—whether they want it to or not. To quote directly from the story itself: They’re both men out of time, so they make their own.

🚗 Lightning in a Bottle by odetteandodile | E, 63K

Author's summary: The problem, Steve thinks, isn’t so much his motorcycle giving up the ghost on a lonely stretch of highway through a lonely stretch of the country. He doesn’t mind stretching his legs or the prospect of hitchhiking.The problem is the roiling black blanket of storm clouds slowly spreading itself over the landscape headed his direction…

Steve Rogers is looking to hitch on a highway abandoned by everyone smart enough to avoid a looming storm. Bucky Barnes is the professional storm chaser who offers him a ride. It gets more complicated from there. 

This AU offers an intriguing twist on the The Road Trip as a genre, Shrunkyclunks as a trope, and modern!Bucky as a character—it's an electric ride from start to finish—in more ways than one… *wiggles eyebrows* ...yeah ok, I’ll see myself out. It was either this or something about 'chasing all kinds of storms together' and I just couldn’t resist. Anyway, this story is a clever and unique take on canon events (not just limited to the CA movies!) and I don’t really want to give too much away and spoil all the fun, so I’ll just say this: If you are in the mood for a thrilling sci-fi/adventure/romance hybrid-story with beautiful evocative writing, characters that actually act like the smart, competent grown-ups they supposedly are, sex scenes that are both hot and emotional, and a touch of spy/mission fic to go along with a free crash course in weather phenomena—this is the fic for you!  

🚗 The Only Familiar Thing by brideofquiet | E, 39K

Author's summary: Steve takes a breath, steels himself, and asks, “Where are we going, Buck?”

Bucky raises an eyebrow. “You’re the one driving, Steve.”

And before Steve can protest, Bucky gives him that broad, toothy grin again. The worry pitted in his stomach ebbs, and he decides—what the hell? Why not? Steve pulls his helmet on and swings a leg over the bike. Bucky settles in behind him, and he cranks the engine to life.

A Post-CATWS fic, in which Bucky has returned to Steve after being on the run for a while. They are together, share an apartment in Brooklyn, and Bucky has regained most of his memories—so yay! All good, right? Well, things are going…uh...let's say they're going. See, Steve and Bucky are still very much in love—the thing is, they're pretty good at the being in love part but pretty awful at the talking about it (and everything else that matters) part. So much so that they accidentally on purpose non-communicate and out-stubborn each other into going on a road trip, where things will eventually—inevitably—come to a head. Throughout the trip, the tension between them builds and builds until finally they have to admit that sometimes being partners, lovers, best friends, and knowing someone better than anybody else in the world, still doesn't mean that you can *actually* read their mind. Sometimes you gotta use your words. The author skillfully manages to create a story that treats its characters and their conflict seriously, while also infusing it with a healthy dose of humor and romance to always keep the readers on the right side of 'frustrated' (i. e. invested, not irritated).

🚗 old college try by kafkian | E, 19K

Author's summary: Bucky wonders if it’ll ever stop feeling like stealing: Steve Rogers, Captain America, the hope of a nation tucked into Bucky’s right hand. It’s the heist of the century.

In which Bucky Barnes remembers himself, Steve, and what it means to be selfish – not necessarily in that order.

Another old favorite of mine. Set post-CACW, this fic starts with a recently defrosted Bucky and a somewhat unmoored Steve in Wakanda, as they try to figure out what to do next: Keep fighting the never-ending wars of other people or run away, see the world, and retire to a quiet life? Well, since this is a road trip fic, I think you can guess which option they go for. It's a beautifully written story about Steve and Bucky's journey across continents and decades, and their ultimate arrival in a life that they never dared to hope they could have one day. This was written in 2016, so right between the fanfic avalanche caused by TWS and the frenzy of EG-Fix-Its. Re-reading this for the first time in quite a while made me realize that—aside from being a fantastic story in its own right—it's also an interesting commentary on popular Stucky fics that came before it (you can see clear influences but also some gentle rebuttals to popular fanon of the time) as well as very much a product of its time. And I don't mean that in a negative or disrespectful way at all, but simply, that it also serves as a fandom artifact; a text that reveals and reacts to certain trends, shifting attitudes, and developments in Stucky fanfiction over the years. Either way it's definitely well worth a read.

🚗 The Long Way: A Stucky Fancomic by BeaArthurPendragon, LittleWolf82 | T

Authors' summary: After Thanos is defeated, Steve doesn't stay in the past. This is the story of where he and Bucky go next.

A little something different here: a road trip fancomic! And oh, it's only one of my favorite fic writers teaming up with one of my favorite artists—what's not to love? This is an EG-Fix-It that simply ignores the last five minutes that Ruined It All and instead tells the story of what could've or should've happened to Steve and Bucky after EG. A story that is infinitely kinder and truer to these characters. Sweetly told and beautifully drawn—an absolutely wonderful collaboration.

🚗 i need a forest fire by tomorrowsrain | T, 65K

Author's summary: In which Tony Stark makes a reckless decision, becomes a wanted fugitive, goes on the run with the former Winter Soldier, and learns how to forgive. For his part, Bucky Barnes is just trying to hold himself together. AU, post-Civil War.

This is the only fic on this rec list that does not have Bucky and Steve going on a journey but instead it's Bucky and...Tony. WAIT! Hey, come back! I know that for a lot of Steve and/or Bucky fans the idea of reading a 65K fic that heavily features Tony Stark does not really sound like an enticing prospect. BUT! Hear me out. This is a fic that runs with one of the core concepts of fix-it fanfiction, which is: What if these characters actually talked to each other for a change? And yes, it gets messy and complicated and often painful—nothing is glossed over and no one is let off the hook easy. What you get here is a fantastically written story that is simultaneously an intimate & slow character study of both Bucky and Tony, a grand sweeping road trip fic with a thrilling plot that will have you on the edge of your seat (there is a moment in this where I really thought it was all over), AND a decade spanning tale of epic love. If you're worried that there is too little Stucky or Steve in this, don't be. Even before he shows up around the halfway mark of the fic, Steve is very much present the entire time. It's incredible what the author pulls off here. This is one of my all-time favorite fics. I love it a totally not normal amount.

🚂 Will There be Any Freight Trains in Heaven? by phoenixflight | E, 56K

Author's summary: It's summer of 1934, a quarter of all Americans are unemployed, and record numbers of migrant workers are hopping freight trains to seek their fortune out west. What are two boys from Brooklyn to do?

Or, Steve and Bucky ride the rails, become socialists, and fall in love, in no particular order.

This story is a bit of an outlier on this list because not only is it the only fic that's set in the pre-war period, it's also not strictly a road trip fic, but a rail trip fic. Usually the road trips in these stories are either (1) a last ditch effort at saving a friendship/relationship, (2) a way of finding oneself and/or making peace with one's past, or (3) the 'we survived all this and here we are together in the future, so let's go and actually see some of that world we fought so hard to save' victory lap. The impetus for travel in this fic, however, is born out of sheer necessity. It's the height of the Great Depression and Steve and Bucky are really poor and really desperate—so desperate even that they're willing to leave behind Brooklyn, their families, and their lives as they know it to go look for work in the West. This is not a fic that's always easy to read, circumstances are dire, attitudes are, ahem, authentic to the period, and the nostalgia-tinted glasses about the good old days before the war will get firmly knocked off your face. It's also a story that will show you time and time again that sometimes you will find kindness, love and almost overwhelming humanity in the places you least expect it. And listen, if period accuracy and a very political Steve Rogers do not convince you, let me tell you that there's also a lot of pining in this. So. Much. Pining.

Ok. This was fun.

Next up: Short fics under 10K

[findafight]

STOBIN AS DRIFT COMPATIBLE BESTIES FIGHTING KAIJU!!!

OKAY OKAY BUT. post canon au where the Breach opens in the early nineties instead of 2013, and eventually when the Jaeger Program is just in the fledgling stages, right at the start when they figure out the drift and sharing the load, some American government goon looks at another, and they're both thinking the same thing. They know a couple chucklefucks who are scarily in tune with each other that already have monster fighting experience. The problem is of course the chucklefuckery and also they. Hate the government.

But they figure yknow. May as well try to get the actually very good at killing monsters the military can't clowns. They need people willing to go into deathtraps and fight giant monsters, and those two have done that a few times before. They need people that can connect to each other while also fighting without dying, and figure those two are a prime example. So after a lot of government groveling and Robin and Steve slamming the door in multiple suits' faces, they eventually agree to at least...see what it's all about. Because they heard about the attack in San Francisco on K-day, about Manila and Cabo San Lucas and Syndney, and it was all bad, and as much as they dislike and distrust the government and military...they do want to help (and the pay is...good). It was probably only a matter of time before their luck in avoiding monsters ran out anyway. At least this way they had some control of how.

So Steve and Robin are in the Jaeger Academy almost as soon as it opens. It's...an adjustment. They're obviously not the regular type to join, mostly its a bunch of men who were maybe ex military or something, and they stick out. Training is a pain in the ass, they've spent the years between the upside down closing lounging and working and starting to relax, and so there's the expected heckling.

(I want them to meet Newt and Herman so bad like. they'd be around the same age as them (because we are bumping everything in PR canon back for this) and I think the combo punch of Newt and Robin being themselves would be hilarious. They're all kinda outsiders in the macho militarism of the Academy and i think the chaos would just be. unimaginable. )

But anyways. I think during the testing to see drift compatibility, Steve is called up and looks the scientist/military guy (because it's early days there aren't really "instructors" yet) and says "If you even think about putting me in one of those fucking things with anyone other than Robin, you've lost your mind and forgotten we're only here because you asked us to be together." Everyone is like ooooooh but then he squints at them and they shut up like oh damn okay sorry yeah.

And that's the end of that discussion.

There's something about being in the drift with each other that makes all that complaining and speculating and wishing to combine when they were teenagers seem half-assed. It's...not like anything either of them can describe. It feels right, like they were always meant to be that way. If they lived in each other's pockets before the Drift, they're in each other's skin now. Silent communication is expected for long-term drift partners. Residuals of the bond, dream sharing, but Robin and Steve, even among other pilots are exceptional. There's entire discussions happening in brief eye contact. They move in sync outside the Jaeger just as well as if they were still in the Drift. They've only had one RABBIT incident, and they pulled out of it fine. It's...eerie for some people to watch them, even other Pilots. (also the fact they'll casually mention shit like "well at least the air isn't toxic" or "hey. don't call this torture, that's offensive. I've been tortured!" or even "can't believe i survived evil bats for this shit." which is mildly offputting)

They end up on the Pacific northwest and into southern B.C. with a Mach 1 called... something like Midwest Deluge or something idk. They're media darlings the first Kaiju they kill two fifty kilometres off the coast of Washington. Robin is quirky, and Steve has all his midwestern boyish charm, and together they entrance people with the Drift. There's interviews and talkshows and then at some point action figures? (Dustin does not let this go. By this time he's also working in K-sci. [obviously??] but he's still annoying little brother shaped.)

Steve is usually one of the first quoted to describe the Drift, in his first interview having said "When I first met Robin --became friends with her--it felt like we'd known each other our whole lives. Now we have." Robin is also sometimes quoted with "There's probably nowhere I'd rather be, than in Steve's head."

Of course, with them being in the media, being kickass, and also being part of a program that emphasizes compatibility, there's questions on whether or not they're dating. Because while the Drift isn't romantic by nature, my god people would romanticize it. And when two hot people of opposite genders that are not related to each other in any way are piloting the Jaeger, and are just *gestures to all of stobinisms* assumptions abound.

They're in an interview after their third kill when it happens. It's a few years into their tenure as Pilots, maybe '96? (if the Breach opened in '91 and they were recruited in 93?) The host asks "So. romantically. You two have always denied that attraction, but working so close together, literally in each other's heads, isn't there a chance that has blossomed into something else? Something more?"

They roll their eyes. Steve says "there's nothing more than what Robin and I have. Romance isn't more it's just something else."

Robin goes "Plus..." Before Steve looks at her, eyebrows raised. "I think so" she says, obviously to a question Steve asked that only she heard. "What are they going to do? Fire me?" they both laugh.

He shrugs. "if you're sure..."

Robin hums. "Yes, well. I agree with everything Steve said. The Drift isn't romantic, it's connection. It's knowing. All sorts of relationships can be Drift compatible. Steve's and mine is Platonic. Capital P."

"You gonna actually say it anytime soon?"

"Shut up."

"I dunno it seems like you're stalling."

"Christ, Steve. I'm getting to it. Let me tell the world I'm a lesbian without nagging, goddamn." She turns to the interviewer. "anyways yeah I'm a lesbian so it was never going to be romantic between me and Steve. I'm just obsessed with him."

There's a pause, before they lean into each other and giggle. Steve whispers "good job" that's barely picked up by his mic.

They get a stern talking to by their Marshal but Robin was right. They can't get fired for it. They're too good and pilots are too valuable for plain ol' homophobia to get in the way. (It's seen as a cornerstone moment in queer history, a Jaeger Pilot, someone the world can do nothing but respect, came out! casually. with an already supportive loved one sitting beside her, ready to laugh with her.) And while some people act weird or distant about it, most move past it pretty quick, considering the Midwest team is well respected and there's obviously the bigger problem of underwater aliens trying to kill everyone. You either get over it and work with them or you leave or get people killed.

By the time of the events of the movie, they're old-timers. They've upgraded once to a Mach 3 after a brutal fight with a high category than expected made Midwest Deluge inoperable. They're in Hong-Kong because where else would they be? They need to end this. Just like they needed to see the Upside Down to the end. Their whole lives have been dominated by fighting for their lives and to protect their home and the world. One last push. They aren't even forty yet.

and then the breach is closed and the world is saved and they can retire with their massive pensions from being the best monster killers ever <3

[necnnights]

LOOKING GLASS is the first English-language album by fictional idol band NEON NIGHTS. It was released on FEBRUARY 12, 2024. The album’s release was preceded by the lead single, JABBERWOCK, released towards the end of last year, and followed by a short tour across the continental United States. Production of the album was led by EDEN for the first time, though most of the tracks continued to be written and composed primarily by HWAJUNG. Looking Glass takes most of its inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Like the majority of their previous releases, its main themes concern appearances, dreams, reality, illusions, and deception.

TRACK LIST

01. LIKE A VILLAIN Written by Eden, Go Hwajung, Choi Eunbyul Composed by Go Hwajung, Choi Eunbyul, Eden

02. JABBERWOCK Written by Eden, Go Hwajung, Choi Eunbyul Composed by Go Hwajung, Choi Eunbyul, Eden

03. MONSTERS Written by Eden, Choi Eunbyul, Andrew Han Composed by Go Hwajung, Eden, Andrew Han

04. I THOUGHT I SAW Written by Eden, Go Hwajung, Choi Eunbyul, Yumi Composed by Go Hwajung, Yumi, Choi Eunbyul, Eden

05. PERFECT Written by Eden, Go Hwajung, Qiuyun Composed by Eden, Yumi, Go Hwajung

06. WONDERLAND Written by Eden, Choi Eunbyul, Go Hwajung, Andrew Han Composed by Choi Eunbyul, Eden, Andrew Han

07. RUNNING OUT OF TIME Written by Eden, Choi Eunbyul, Andrew Han Composed by Choi Eunbyul, Eden, Andrew Han

ERA HIGHLIGHTS

Their pop rock era. For real this time. Altogether the album was a little less thematically cohesive than their usual work, but it’s also their first release in about a year. It’s a small miracle it was released at all.

Also for real this time was their first independent, solo variety show! It only took five and a half years. Moonlight Mysteries, a spin-off of their sporadic series of music production vlogs, Moonlight Melodies, followed the band members as they explored various major American cities.

The episodes were filmed throughout their first US tour. Each city had a different scavenger hunt in which the girls found clues to a hit song by a band from that city. The great reveal of each episode was that they covered the song at their concert in the city, complete with a short preview of the cover itself.

It was all very obviously extremely scripted, but it passed the extremely low bar of the band finally having their own show.

The covers were initially locked behind a paywall on their fancafe, but a few were leaked almost immediately. The rest of them were leaked by Hwajung, and then publicly uploaded to YouTube after that.

In what could possibly be a completely unrelated event, Hwajung’s Instagram mysteriously vanished following the leaks.

In other news, the album saw Qiuyun’s writing debut. The production was, in Eden's words “a long and arduous experience” and in Qiuyun’s “could have been worse.”

STYLING

[sareisnot]

Not the best blog post on tumblr about the best ever death metal band in denton

No matter what storytelling angle they take, the Mountain Goats (Aka John Darnielle and his band of merry men) tend to be very sincere in their messaging. No matter what ethos they push, they push it wholeheartedly. That emotional message, and the way that they communicate it, varies quite a bit, but there’s a specific kind of “template” that tends to excite me the most. It goes like this: some downtrodden character from the American southeast, through some act of self-actualization, throws off whatever shackles that bind them, be they societal, mental, or emotional, and decides to just grab life by the tail, and chase whatever calling is ringing in their heart. The emotional core of these songs tends to be one of freedom, of unabashedly embracing life, and everything that comes with it, rather than hiding away. It’s a message that’s spread across several stories in the John Darnielle sonic universe (most notably the multi-song arc of Jenny), but there’s a particular one that appeals to me: “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton.”

As the title might imply, it’s a song about 2 childhood friends, Cyrus and Jeff, who, decide to start a death metal band, like a lot of bored teenagers in a small town tend to do. While it is unnamed, is the best in the town of Denton, because they’re the only one. It’s a song that doesn’t give much away about its protagonists, as if there’s more to their lives than what we get to see in the song itself. It doesn’t even really have a conclusive ending, the band just kind of breaks up after Cyrus gets sent to a reformatory school. It’s implied that he and Jeff have a plan to “get even”, but because of how vague this is in the song itself, whatever this plan is, gets left up to the listener’s interpretation. Really, the song finds its climax in a more emotional sense, rather than a thematic one. John Darnielle spends the last verse proclaiming that any amount of creativity, any amount of artistic passion, will always be worth more than any authority that tries to put it down. “The best ever death metal band outta denton / will in time both outpace and outlive you” is a phrase that can have multiple meanings, but I choose to see as an ode to the enduring power of creativity. The best ever death metal band in Denton wasn’t exactly the Beatles, but they did have the guts to just fucking try, to put some artistic ambition into the world, and that’s worth more than anything else.

“The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton '' is the opener on All Hail West Texas, an album from a period where the Mountain Goats project was pretty much just John Darnielle and a bunch of lo-fi folk recordings. However, with how it promotes chasing your dreams, and the lasting power of ambition, it sets a pretty nice precedent for the rest of the his’ catalog. Obviously, it's a message that really appeals to me, because I love this song to absolute death. I have quite a bit of work that I feel self conscious about, and I sometimes wonder if what I’m doing is even worth anything at all. But this song is a way of reminding me that my writing, my creative works, are inherently valuable, because they are creative, because they represent a willingness to just try. Because, if a failed unnamed death metal band from two high school crapouts in Denton Texas is worth something, then so is everything else.

[zephyruswrites536]

I’m going to make a statement about Mammalian Sighing Reflex because I used to be a strong SBI-DSMP fan, still SBI fan. So if you dislike DSMP in any capacity and just want to hate move away, I don’t like Dream, I was never a true fan of him, as I said SBI.

Now, any Lovejoy fans who also know Wilbur Soot or the ones like me who went through Wilbur’s music and then was there for Lovejoy’s first EP.

Mammalian Sighing Reflex is such a good album. Someone on Reddit described it in its literal sense(I believe) that Mammalian Sighing Reflex is the Reflex that makes a Mammal stop itself from drowning because it needs to stay alive. A human however can stop this from self-control. It’s our primal instinct to save ourselves and that’s what it’s about, the primal instinct to not drown yourself. I probably summarized it slightly wrong- who knows.

As I am American I did not get this first and I believe we were last… anyways

Every song matches up to the next, it’s like Abbey Road’s side B but more depressing. Honestly the whole second half of the Album just hits closer to home than the rest and it just sounds good to me anyways.

I was saying, I can like almost anything Wilbur specifically makes because I have know and heard and loved his music for years now, almost two and a half.

Also, I forgot to mention- the reflex is a panic attack in the animal to survive, it knows it’s dying and is terrified/panicked. Well, any long term(I know I’m not an OG but i have been a fan for two and a half years) Wilbur fans know he has anxiety- I forget if it’s Social or just generalized- but he has talked about having Panic attacks from a young age.

That clues in the album name as well as a decent portion of the songs’ content.

Don’t fully listen to what I’m saying because the music is flowing through my ears and I’m picking up little bits so.

I don’t know which exactly but one of the first four songs there are lyrics about being on tour or heavily suggest a band kind of perspective.

He talked about having a panic attack on stage because he’d forgotten how to play “La Jolla” and I think that’s connects again to the album name.

What I was going to say though is again, before Lovejoy was a thing so SBI DSMP or Wilbur fans are thé ones I’m speaking to now, we all know the beginning of 2021 sucked for Wilbur. In “I don’t think it will end”(very good, makes me feel seen and that’s what this album is for) he describes how he hides away, and a very popular Crimebois quote is when he had talked about how he was sleeping in till the afternoon then would just scroll aimlessly on his phone but Tommy would text him saying “come talk to me” so he’d get up and get ready. The cycle he talks about fits in with that very well to me.

Wilbur splices recordings of himself into it, I know because almost all of us who were his fans in 2020 and 2021 know about the “field video” where he talks about how he could be easily killed by a sniper and not be found for days. From that I can recognize his younger voice and I think it’s in at least two videos, Amazon Standing Lamp and Glass Chalet- I believe-.

That’s all the investigation I’m doing from subconsciously picking up lyrics, so here’s this. This is obviously not my normal content so Good Omens and Our flag means death and The Magnus Archives enjoyers I’m sorry, but the creator means a decent amount to me and now does this album.

[topgunreacts]

Principles of Aviation Chapter 2

excerpt

Alpha males enjoyed priority status when it came to picking combat roles. Long before the sudden realization of male omegas’ battle prowess, the American military was busy perfecting the art of forced ruts. Alpha males and females each experienced what scientists called a rut. For both sexes, it was a time of heightened senses, increased energy and strength. If the alpha was highly invested in a person or place, threatening either of those entities during a rut provoked an aggressive response marked by speed, precision, and ruthlessness if necessary. It was no small wonder why any military would want to bottle that up for deployment-at-will.

These days, the military kept a tight grip on its combat alphas with the pill regimen. Blockers kept the ruts completely suppressed, while the trigger pills allowed one highly controlled rut to develop within minutes of ingestion: a pseudo-rut. It was second-string compared to the real thing, but far more important than power was control. A real rut only happened to an alpha in full hormonal synthesis with an omega. Those ruts were things of beauty—pointed weapons that struck fear into the hearts of the brave. But they were based on deep, interpersonal relationships, not duty. They operated on their own time table. If Congress had its way, every single alpha on military payroll would swear allegiance to the institution itself on a biological level. 

Unfortunately for Congress, that dream was dead on arrival, seeing as how the military was, in fact, The Military and not a living person with an endocrine system. The next best thing, obviously, was to arrange marriages between alphas and male omegas on active duty: then, the ruts would all be real, and the heats, too. Everyone would be happy! There was a whole program dedicated to that very solution. And it worked perfectly every time, Mister Mitchell.

“Really,” Maverick said, deadpan.

“Yes,” said the lab tech narrating the slideshow in Conference Room F. 

READ MORE

[wolves0nmars]

american healthcare by penelope scott but make it leon s. kennedy.

verse 1, "when i was seven years old i saw a dead man in the road..." could relate to the early loss of his parents and leon's first experience with a police officer. plenty of children are exposed to violence at an early age, and leon is no exception. this experience desensitized him to violence and to cope with it he focused on the positive experience he had with that cop, and decided he wanted to be an officer in order to help people.

he helped claire, sherry, ashley, etc. there's actually kind of a pattern of him "saving" female characters and kind of affirming his own masculinity by doing so. this makes his interactions with ada and luis very interesting, the former of course being a woman that doesnt need his saving and the latter being a man that desperately needs his saving. but thats a conversation for another time.

and in the chorus of the song, "you corporate fucking prick, i did not become a doctor just to suck the devil's dick" relates to him a lot. because leon s kennedy sucks a lot of d---he has a lot of experiences with "corporate overlords", like simmons. but also this doesn't just apply to specific individuals. leon is in law enforcement because he wants to protect people. he was a police officer because he wanted to protect people, he is an agent because he wants to protect as many people around the world in the long run optimally in the most efficient way. but he consistently runs into the problem that his job as a police officer is not to protect people. its to protect private property. his job as an agent is not to protect people. its to protect corporate interests. he's in the wrong job.

i really hope we see leon be a firefighter or an emt some day. like, obviously hes a little old and definitely traumatized enough, but those are occupations where your job literally is just to help people, not keep corporate interests in mind.

and in verse 2 "I asked the right questions, i never even really got bored" relates to him really well too. leon quite easily slipped into his role as "right hand man", never wondering or asking just what exactly left hand was up to. because truthfully, he didn't want to know. he preferred the comfort that came with not knowing.

or in verse 3, "it trickled into both my ears, it got louder over the years, until all that i could hear were fuckin' flies" probably relates to leon the most out of any line from this song. it perfectly represents how incredibly corrupted leon has become. it's also worth mentioning how resident evil viruses do sometimes take the form of insects. you could kind of look at it like a direct parallel between government corruption and the viruses he's fighting. they're both equally parasitic, infectious, and harmful. i imagine sometimes leon just wishes he'd be infected finally, because it's better than this torturous process of corruption. in the pre chorus, she says "sometimes it's like they'd rather die" and i think sometimes it's like he'd rather die.

it's such a great song about american capitalism and how easily it can corrupt people's naive hopes and dreams of helping people. because leon s kennedy... has been corrupted. time and time again throughout the RE franchise we see commanding officers from private corporations, governments, law enforcement, etcetera being revealed as evil and every time... the main characters just kill the guy and get back to work. they never stop and consider... maybe it's not about just one guy. maybe its not about just this one individual that happened to be evil. maybe something made him evil... maybe something allowed him to be evil... and maybe its the exact same thing that i work for... or something like that idk lolllllll.

i really hope we see leon kind of "break the cycle" and have the kinds of realizations that are in this song because like... BITCH... that stupid little boy is lucky hes so pretty!!!

also im really sorry for derailing a song about a womans experience in academia and social services under capitalism and stuff to be about this white boy in the CIA... i hope this little analysis doesnt detract from the actual song. cause like... its a great song and we dont need to make it about leon stupid little bitch kennedy for it to be good.

[faequeentitania]

Okay obviously when Flight of Icarus was announced and confirmed as an Eddie tie-in novel, the fact that it's also the name of an Iron Maiden song (their first USA single, as a matter of fact) pleased me as a great reference to a band that has very swiftly become one of my all-time favorites in the last few months.

But Y'ALL. Then I read the synopsis for the book. Flight of Icarus is a reference reference.

Compare it:

Hawkins, Indiana — for most, it's simply another idyllic, manicured all-American town. But for Eddie Munson it's like living in a perpetual Tomb of Horrors. Luckily, he only has a few more months to survive at Hawkins High. And what is senior year, really, but just killing time between Dungeons & Dragons sessions with the Hellfire Club and gigs with his band?

It's at the worst dive bar in town that Eddie meets Paige, someone who has pulled off a freaking miracle. She escaped Hawkins and built a wickedly cool life for herself working for a record producer out in Los Angeles. Not only is she the definition of a badass — with a killer taste in music — she might be the only person that actually appreciates him as the bard he is instead of the devil incarnate. But the best thing? She's offering a chance for him to make something of himself, and all he needs is to get her a demo tape of Corroded Coffin's best songs.

Just one problem: Recording costs money. Money Eddie doesn't have. But he's willing to do whatever it takes: even if that means relying on his old man, Al Munson. His dad just stumbled back into his life, with another dubious scheme up his sleeve, and yet Eddie knows this is his only option to make enough dough in enough time. It's a risk, but if it pays off he will finally have a one-way ticket out of Hawkins.

Eddie can feel it: 1984 is going to be his year.

To what Bruce Dickinson said in his autobiography about writing Flight of Icarus:

For the lyric, I flipped the story of Icarus on its head and made the father the villain of the piece. Driven by ambition and ego he forces his son to fly, with terrible consequences as his son, in youthful exuberance, flies too high and his wings melt. Basically the pushy parent revisited.

AND look at these lyrics from the song:

His eyes seem so glazed/As he flies on the wings of a dream/Now he knows his father betrayed/Now his wings turn to ashes, to ashes his grave

A young man with youthful exuberance being pushed into doing something for his father, a father whose ego and plotting will burn his son and cause his downfall?? (Because let's face it, we know exactly where Eddie is after 1984, we know that this book will be an exercise in frustration as we watch him fight so hard to get Corroded Coffin to success, only for it to all be for naught. We also know that Al Munson is not in his life come 1986, and we can make a pretty good guess based on how Eddie speaks of him that things absolutely end sour between them.)

ALSO, Eddie already has ties to Flight of Icarus, via the fact that the album on which it features, Piece of Mind, is the one that he holds up as he declares, "THIS! IS! MUSIC!" in the very beginning of S4E8.

And maybe this is just me being a nerd and reading too much into it but??? Come on. Come ON.

[scenetocause]

director's commentary to the logoscar bfu au :)) <3<3

oh this one (do you think it's cute that i'm so fucking stupid?) is funny because it was meant to be just a dumb idea. like i had it after idk, whatever race (miami???? seems about right) and it wasn't even from watching a bfu thing. like my youtube recommendations came up with some ancient thing where the buzzfeed girlies (gn) from ladylike made over ryan and shane to make them dress like attractive people with jobs in video media not some sports bro who doesn't know how his own hair works yet and a poorly proportioned scarecrow that comes alive at night to kill local virgins.

great content and a brave attempt by the girlies (gn) but i think it was still the better part of half a decade before ryan and shane realised they could simply look nice. a core part of the video though was ryan being like "i have 14 basketball jerseys" and them ALL being whatever los angeles team he jerks it for and i was like oh boy i know one guy who would definitely do this.

the emptyhalf thought process doesn't really go all that much deeper than that a lot of the time but i was like alright sweet i'll rewatch the old bfu eps in the mystery house and kinda mash 'em together a bit. job's a good'un. not difficult to project the insecurities of racing to the insecurities of having jobs at buzzfeed, intimately familiar with one via me and the other via some of my friends.

EXCEPT and perhaps this is my shaniac punishment for a flirtation with hauntology but then i'm like. something is bugging me about this. i started having the dreams oscar has in the fic, about the mystery house and i'm like ???? hello ???? it's a dumb tourist trap in a state i've never been to can you chill out up in there.

something about it was playing on my conscience though and i was like hey winchester lady it ain't me selling the main supply of weapons used to murder native americans you leave me out of this. but still, end up looking shit up and being like OH it's not just a dumb tourist trap it's an actively ahistorical tourist trap that covers up extensive parts of its own sad and weird history with a much less interesting version.

so i'm like. very interesting. stupid. hate this for me. but also there is clearly only one course of action because fic oscar would not want to let this lie because fic oscar is a barely disguised projection of me and we've gotta go back to the mystery house. in this fucking fic that barely anyone's read because it's a weird crossover of an obscure pairing and surely no one gives a damn.

obviously spent several days pairing up old photos of the house and finding out what would work as references and then just writing a load of stuff with my brain fully geared into neutral, as always, anyway. but basically this fic probably had the most work i have put into something for fucking ages in it because i was wracked with the guilt i, ao3 user emptyhalf, in a deeply fictional piece of rpf, might mislead the public about the myth a tourist attraction tells about itself.

to paraphrase my own, other, fic: my characters are unhinged but it's not like i'm very hinged, either. clearly.

[female-eren]

What is your opinion on jeankasa? I know its the butt of a lot of fandom jokes but personally I really like it and I think they make a lot of sense together - they both have dream of domestic life, raising a family, that kind of thing. I think they have a really interesting dynamic with a lot to explore. Again Jean is the butt of a tonne of fandom jokes lmao but he’s always been super respectful to Mikasa (Unlike Eren I love him sm but lets be fr) and I also love how he doesn’t hesitate to call her out on a couple different instances on s4 despite his crush, he’s really in tune with reality, like he’s so head over heels but also a potentially very grounding force for her

2/3 (same anon) Also your thoughts on AruAni? I loved it even in S1. I hate when people say it’s random because the seed was planted back then !!! Like it’s very subtle but like…. ofcourse it’s going to be like that given the kind of character Annie, especially, is. They definitely could’ve been handled better in S4, but I think that goes for pretty much everything in the latter half of S4, everything was a bit rushed and packed in all at once

3/3 Also I love all your takes on Aot and Fem!Eren!!! Which brings me to I genuinely hate when people joke about Eren being an incel and I hate how dudebros who be like “mee!!” to American Psycho and Joker and shit have adopted Eren. Like no… he’s for the girls. Eren is #1 woman respecter unironically…He was on the frontlines fighting for womens rights I was there I saw it

Hiii so sorry I've taken so long to answer this ask. Thank you!

I love making fun of Eren but the sigmachadbatemanjoker males don't understand and never will

Regarding jeankasa... I honestly don't like it. I agree with you that Jean is a good character and a good person, but I think that ship and especially it being more or less endgame (at least in the manga) comes from the classic case in a lot of male-authored stories, ie that because a male character is in love with a female character, obviously they end up together. His desire is the only necessary building block of the relationship, her purpose is to be desired and since he desires her, it's basically her duty to be with him.

Also this meme lol

I also think my unenthusiasm for any Mikasa ship (Eren x Mikasa, Jean x Mikasa etc) come from how poorly I think Mikasa herself was handled. Even if she was given somewhat more personality in the manga, she still had basically zero development. The half-assed last chapter and the shoehorned theme of "love" and Mikasa being the one to free Ymir the Founder didn't help. Mikasa as a person is in essence passive and stagnant. She hasn't ever had any goal besides "be close to Eren". I think that if she was given an arc of, for example, travelling to Hizuru and earning an education or accompanying Historia on negotiations with other world leaders would have expanded her character and given her something else to do. Exploring Mikasa's relationship with anyone other than Eren and Armin would've been interesting, even if I love the original trio. I would've really enjoyed seeing Mikasa use her strength and intelligence for something else, and develop interests and motivations separate from Eren. Had she done these things, I think both her relationship to Eren and Jean could've felt more... I don't know, like they had substance?

AruAni I do find cute in some ways, although I'm not really a shipper when it comes to AoT (goes for all ships in this series tbh). Especially in S1 I thought Armin and Annie had potential. I think Bertholdt's memories complicates the relationship, and the character assassination of Armin in S4 really sours the character and the ship for me. I also found the treatment of Annie strange. There's zero animosity in this group. The last time most of them encountered Annie she murdered dozens of people in really awful ways in front of them. She wrecked a city. Not even Connie seems to resent the Warriors at all, and while I found the pie-eating scene both funny and actually realistic (it's absurd, and due to the extremely complex emotions and experiences surrounding the scene, Connie's absurd reaction actually feels believable to me), I also think giving us JUST the pie scene isn't enough.

I also like Hitch and Annie. love this pic though

I think those are pretty much my thoughts rn. I hope to get more asks about aot :-)