#rick and these romance movie dreams

[nerd4music]

THE WALKING DEAD: THE ONES WHO LIVE | S1E1: Years

[frangipanilove]

The Book Of Carol; A Damn Romance Novel...?

...ok hear me out before you go into anaphylactic shock...

I came across an interesting gif set in the Daryl Dixon tag the other day. It was by zehiiro on Tumblr, and I truly thought it was a great observation. I don’t want to tag them in case they'd rather not be dragged into Bethyl/TD stuff and thangs, but the parallels were convincing, and they deserve cred for their observation. Naturally, I interpret it differently than they do, but I will never claim to have the full truth on how anything in TWDU is meant to be interpreted. I can only offer my point of view, and I quite enjoy reading other people's perspectives, it's often very enlightening.

In any case, the parallels are solid, here's a screenshot:

It makes a lot of sense if what we saw in Carol's sneak peak was shot intentionally to reference the scene from 7x10 New Best Friends. This was after Carol and Daryl had been apart for an extended period of time, just as they are in the current timeline. It was directly before they reunited, something we have to assume will happen relatively soon after the sneak peak takes place in current time. And it references a scene that, in my opinion, heralds rebirth, reunion and resurrection. I'll try to explain how below.

In 7x10 New Best Friends, Daryl has an altercation with Richard, because Richard wants to set up Carol to be killed by the Saviors, in an attempt to lure Ezekiel to go to war, along with Rick, against the Saviors.

Daryl, of course, has major objections to the idea. They fight, right next to a trailer decorated with horses, that we later learned was actually used in the movie Smokey and the Bandit. I wrote about that in an old post of mine, read it here.

Interestingly, we saw a callback to that trailer recently in TOWL 1x5 Become...

...after Rick and Michonne had escaped in that yellow car we all knew was a reference to a selection of yellow objects seen through the years...

...such as Beth's yellow polo, and a certain yellow Ford Mustang from season 2...

Remember Carol's blue Ford Mustang? I wrote about it here and here. Mustangs are horses, and I believe these shots were specifically included in reference to the symbolism around Mustangs, and I mean both the horses and the cars here.

This shot of Carol's blue Ford Mustang from TWDDD 1x6 Coming Home, shows the licence plate that points to TWD 5x2, which was when Carol and Daryl discovered a Grady car, and followed it into Atlanta, and eventually located Beth.

And like I expanded on in the post about the yellow symbolism, it all derives from Carol's yellow Jeep Cherokee from season one, plus the aforementioned yellow Ford Mustang from season 2...

...which happens to have the same licence plate as the car that Carol and Daryl drove to follow the Grady car to Atlanta, which eventually led them to Beth...

...and which I believe is a reference to the Lincoln Continental Beth and Daryl hid in in 4x12 Still (because the LC on the licence plate, in my opinion, could represent "Lincoln Continental").

What happens directly after Daryl and Richard's fight by the mustang/horse trailer, is that Daryl makes his way over to Carol's house. He knocks on her door, and reunites with Carol after a long time apart. And what is Carol doing right before she opens her door?

She’s reading a damn romance novel, called Denim Dreams, with a familiar looking Sirius Piggyback on the cover:

Sirius Piggyback; The Literal Book Of Carol

Below, we see the actual Sirius Piggyback from 4x13 Alone, along with the stock photo from Shutterstock that was used as the cover photo for Carol's damn romance novel:

In 4x13 Alone, Daryl carried Beth, piggyback-style, across a cemetary. In 7x10 New Best friends, Carol lived in a little YELLOW house, near a cemetary, enjoying a damn romance novel, with a Sirius Piggyback cover photo...

Those are some darned suspicious coincidences...

Back when 7x10 New Best Friends aired, this caused quite a stir, and it remains to this day one of my favorite Bethyl hints to ever appear in TWDU. Read more about it in these excellent posts from season 7 (here and here).

Later, we see Carol prepare food for Daryl, while explaining why she had to leave. We see the romance novel, with the Sirius Piggyback cover photo, on her bookshelf, right next to a symbol we remember from 5x8 Coda:

My take on the title "Denim Dreams", is that, long story short, "denim" is a blue clue (in the sense that "blue jeans" is an established term). And as I explained in a recent post, "blue" is a synonym for "police". Beth and Rick are both encompassed by the "blue" symbolism, Rick because he's a police officer, Beth because she's "the new sheriff in town". The "pig" in "Sirius Piggyback" refers to the derogatory term for police, "pig", which has been used as symnonomous with "police" several times in TWDU. I wrote about the "pig" symbolism recently in this post, along with my take on the cat symbolism.

Speaking of cat symbolism, there was plenty of that to be found in 7x10 New Best Friends. Here's Rick, articulating what I tried to say in my cat symbolism post:

...to replace the one you lost...

...it's just that sometimes the one you lost can't easily be replaced...

But the cat symbolism is about rebirth, reunion and resurrection, and that's something to hold on to, according to an overwhelming number of characters in this episode...

...which is interesting, concidering a certain someone sang an entire Tom Waits classic on the subject of "holding on" back in season 3:

I know I keep saying that the symbolism we see is about "reunion". I'm not taking that out of thin air. Here's Daryl's commentary as we hear Beth's voice singing "Hold On" in the background:

Straight from the horses mouth there. What Daryl is referring to is the fact that he had just returned to, and reunited with, TF after initially having wandered off with his brother earlier in the season.

So, to circle back to the scene from 7x10, and its parallel, the scene from Carol's sneak peak; they're about reunions. Sure, it's obviously specifically about the imminent reunion between Carol and Daryl, both in 7x10 and in TWDDD seasson 2, which I'm personally looking forward to immensly.

But there are multiple layers to the reunion symbolism in TWDU, many of which speak directly to TD.

Because that damn romance novel, Carol's actual book from 7x10 New Best Friends, The Literal Book Of Carol, is a story about the Sirius Piggyback. And the comment on the damn romance novel from 4x1 was about Beth, that's a 100% undeniable fact:

Sirius means return, rebirth and resurrection. She will be back. Sirius Piggyback.

Perhaps in "The Book Of Carol; a Damn Romance Novel"...

[henleyxjacobs]

He said, "I'm just curious, is this for real or just an act? Can't tell if you love or hate me, never met someone like that... Drive me so (so, so) crazy, did you know you got that effect?"

⌜  madison beer  ,  24  ,  cis woman  ,  she/her ⌟  ╱    is  that  GREEDY  by  TATE MCRAE,  i  hear  playing?  oh  that  has  to  mean  HENLEY JACOBS  ,  is  about  to  clock  in. i  hear  they're  a  SENIOR  who's  been  away  studying  MUSIC PRODUCTION  at   NYU. it  sure  is  a  shame  they've  grown  up  to  be  rather  COMPASSIONATE  and  DETACHED. word  on  the  strip  is  that  they're  back  home  for  the  summer  and  working  as  a  MUSIC INSTRUCTOR  at  SOUNDSCAPE,  to  earn  some  extra  cash,  in  order  to  buy  a Chanel necklace  but  don't  tell  them  i  told  you  that  !  

►GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Henley Noa Jacobs NICKNAME(S): Hen, HJ LABEL: The Girl Next Door AGE: 24 DATE OF BIRTH: September 22, 1999 ZODIAC: Libra Sun, Virgo Rising, Scorpio Moon GENDER & PRONOUNS: Female; She/Her NATIONALITY: American HERITAGE: Russian, Moroccan, Ashkenazi Jewish SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): English, Russian (very little) OCCUPATION: Aspiring Singer/Songwriter/Influencer || Music Instructor @ Soundscape RELIGION: Agnostic (spiritually influenced, though) SEXUALITY & ROMANCE: Bisexual; Biromantic

► APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Madison Beer HEIGHT: 5'4" WEIGHT: 116 lbs. DOMINANT HAND: Left HAIR COLOR: Brown EYE COLOR: Hazel SCARS: Fingertips from playing guitar for so long (barely noticeable) TATTOOS: Tiny honey bee on right ankle, dainty bow on right wrist with cursive 'lovebug' written right above, 'eventually' in dainty cursive script on side of left ring finger.

►PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: Adroit, Romantic, Loyal, Brave, Compassionate, Passionate, Ambitious, Benevolent, Comical. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Reckless, Guarded, Sensitive, Stubborn, Easily Bored, Enigmatic, Detached. LIKES: The beach, surfing, drawing/sketching, going to coffee shops, the sound of records playing, observing others, the smell of a new book and the smell of rain, astronomy, nature, cable-knit sweaters, the smell of rain, the city lights, large bows with curled hair, old drive-ins, traveling, art museums, Shakespeare, Van Gogh, deep conversations, road trips, poetry, midnight dances in the rain. DISLIKES: Being told what to do, confrontation, being the first to show up, being the last to show up, not being taken seriously, someone underestimating her, the cold, feeling rushed, the sensation of being crowded, being called ‘selfish’ or 'ungrateful', restriction of freedom, close-minded people, being talked over, fake friends, when people only compliment her looks.

►MENTALITY

PHOBIAS: Nyctophobia DISORDERS: Anxiety ALLERGIES: Seasonal (Pollen)

►BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Denver, CO CURRENT RESIDENCE: Manhattan, NY / Denver, CO EDUCATION LEVEL: BA in Music Production & Business from NYU - working on her MA FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS: - Emilia Jacobs - Mother, Deceased - Alexander Jacobs - 49, Father, Not in Contact

►FAVORITES

FOOD: Sushi DRINK: Water MOVIE: Romeo & Juliet (1968), Serendipity TV SHOW: New Girl, Rick & Morty BAND: The 1975, The Killers, The Beatles, Lana Del Rey SONG: Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles

► EXTRA INFORMATION

JUNG TYPE: INFJ ENNEAGRAM: The Expert (3w4) TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good SIN: Lust VIRTUE: Humility ELEMENT: Air CHARACTER PLAYLIST

"I'll put you through hell just to know me."

► BIOGRAPHY

Henley was born in Los Angeles, CA to Emilia and Alexander Jacobs. The beautiful sight of the baby girl was expected, what took everyone off guard was that Henley was collateral beauty to her mother's passing whilst in childbirth. The trauma enough that it sent the business tycoon running with his new bundle of joy to Denver. The girl knew the basics of her parents' story; Emilia moved to LA with a dream and $20 dollars in her back pocket. She had a face that belonged in the movies, and she was sure she was going to make it happen. Alexander came from a long line of old wealth - the industrialists that paved the way for the new business magnates of today. He saw her sing at an open mic night and he was a sucker. She saw him from the stage and sung to him - the rest was history. It was why he took the loss so hard, turning to alcohol so quickly like his father before him. Meanwhile, little Henley was trying everything to have any sort of connection. When she couldn't, she found herself boarding herself up. To a degree, she blamed herself. It only made sense that he wanted nothing to do with her when she killed mom. Though her father's choice of escape was alcohol, the brunette would easily slip away into fantasy worlds thanks to books when things got hard. She promised herself that no matter how dark life got, she was to be her own beacon of light; if she couldn't do that for herself, then she would be that for others. She was the quiet girl in school that everyone wanted to know, and she hated it. The reasoning being that she knew she had more to offer than her looks, but that was all anyone really saw in her. Even her own father told her to utilize her looks to get ahead. Instead of anger, it only fueled her to prove everyone wrong. She was in honor society, the president of the physics club in high school, took AP courses in art history and government policy. There was only one person who truly saw her, and that was her first love in high school. Though she had friends, none of them were every as close nor as understanding as Astrid. It was pure - they just wanted to know one another and be around one another. Her father actually liked Astrid, so did all her friends - though no one but their closest circle knew what they genuinely were behind closed doors. What was most important was that she let her walls down around Astrid; she truly felt free enough to be herself shamelessly. When the first semester of college hit, Astrid claimed she wasn't ready to come out and that was the end of what Henley felt was her once in 20 lifetimes. Maybe the fact her father liked Astrid was a red flag. Maybe she did something wrong - didn't love her the way she needed. Either way, her walls came back up and they were stronger than ever. It was that break-up that became the foundation of her inspiration for her first couple EPs. When the second EP came out, Henley didn't expect the attention it got. Now as she works on her first studio album, Henley is cementing her walls in place and attempting to navigate this chaos of the entertainment industry; where no one cares who you are, but cares who you know and the number of followers you attain.

► PERSONALITY

Henley is bright and sunny, but facades as a black cat. She is hellbent on keeping people at an arm's distance, seeing that she opened herself up fully only to get hurt. Her new motto is to leave before getting left. It's funny though, because she does have a big heart and she's prone to loving hard once a crush is formulated. She's a supportive and loyal friend once you have her in your court. Henley is prone to boredom and goes through these bursts of needing to go out, or needing to stay in - there's no in between. Henley knows she's sought after, so she likes to make people jump through hoops only to then walk away and throw their number away. She's into literature, art history and poetry. She actually writes poetry, herself, and her favorite thing to do is get lost in an art museum. Most don't know this about her, but Henley likes to game. She utilizes gaming to alleviate anxiety. She is just a huge ball of sunshine squished into a protective prison she built for herself, okay?

► PLOTS

The Best Friend: This person was most likely there when the Astrid situation went down and is Henley's shoulder to cry on as well as her go-to friend when she needs to get out of the house. They've been friends since middle school, possibly before! There's so many ways to play them - the best friend could be tired of Henley's self-recklessness or they could be the enabler. - OPEN

Childhood Friends: Same as above, these people were there during the Astrid scenario. They could meet at any point in their growing up - but these people would be close to Henley and they're almost joined at the hip. - OPEN (x3)

The PR Friend: Someone in the music industry who is utilizing Henley for clout. Henley wouldn't be aware of this, or maybe she is and is just stringing this person along - but I think it would be interesting to have a fake friend who Henley thinks is genuine. - OPEN

Ride or Die: Was a hook-up in the process but they wound up getting high and just talking all night. This is someone that Henley could sit in absolute silence with and be content, or when she's flying off the handlebars, this person can bring her back. Smoke sessions, deep conversations in the AMs. - OPEN

But, Do I Suck?: The music testers. This person is someone Henley runs her music by before putting it out into the world. They could be her genuine friends in the music industry, or maybe they went to NYU together and they met that way. - OPEN (x2)

Once You Have Me, Will You Want Me Still?: Blind date that turned into a hookup and Henley left before they woke up because she got scared. Ya know, she just doesn't want history to repeat itself. - OPEN

[cutetinyartist]

Meet The Tiny Artist! 🖤🧷

Hi there! I made this lil illustration + Q&A for my Pinned Post so y'all can get to know me better! 🖤 (The rest of the Q&A is below the cut!)

So, who exactly am I?

I'm Rayna (but you can call me Ray), I'm 24, a complete British + Bisexual Stereotype, and my pronouns are She/They. Oh, I'm a Borrower too so I'm around 4" tall! ^w^

Why did I make this blog?

I created this blog in 2017 shortly after discovering the G/T* community! I've always loved the idea of being tiny (I remember having quite a few dreams/daydreams when I was a kid about my favourite characters being giants) so I was very happy to discover that there's actually a whole community dedicated to this pretty niche/weird love of mine! :D

*G/T stands for Giant/Tiny and it’s essentially about extreme size-differences! It can range from Giants interacting with Humans to Humans interacting with Borrowers/Fairies/etc. (also referred to as Tinies) and there are so many creative ways to explore these dynamics.

People also tend to identify as giants, tinies or size-shifters- I personally prefer being the tiny (around 3-4" tall) in any scenario but that’s just my preference. ^^

What do I post?

Obviously this blog is predominantly dedicated to G/T, but here’s a quick overview of what I post/draw/write the most:

G/T Fluff! This blog is mainly about cute moments between Giants and Tinies because I absolutely adore stuff like that. Handheld fluff is my absolute favourite, as one of the most comforting things I can imagine is being held by a giant and feeling really protected and loved. (That’s one of the main reasons behind why I love it so much, I tend to get really stressed/anxious a lot of the time and I find a lot of comfort in how calm and happy G/T makes me feel)

You can also expect to see a LOT of G/T memes and puns!

I also draw a lot of G/T Art (and occassionally write short stories too), I've drawn it for various fandoms but I do like creating original work too. A lot of my more recent work is G/T Art involving my partner too because they're an adorable Giant and I love them >w<

I also post random thoughts/ideas/ramblings occassionally...

What I’m basically saying is that this blog is filled with 100% SFW, fluffy G/T content and memes!

What are my other fandoms/interests?

For this question I’ll just list a bunch of my favourite things!! There will be a LOT on this list tbh but this is supposed to be an in-depth About Me page so awaaay we go! :D

Films

The Iron Giant, The Bob's Burgers Movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, Ratatouille, The Secret World of Arrietty, The Borrowers, Little Shop Of Horrors, Shallow Grave, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Fight Club, Orgazmo, Zombieland, the Jackass Movies, the Halloween Movies, Trick r Treat, The Descent, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), A Clockwork Orange, Requiem For A Dream, Deadpool, Jurassic Park and Ghostbusters! (Plus a lot more that I'm probably forgetting-)

TV Shows

South Park, Bob's Burgers, Futurama, The Simpsons, Taskmaster, The I.T. Crowd, Misfits, The Inbetweeners, Rick and Morty (mainly the earlier seasons tho), My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, It's A Sin, Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, and although I don't watch them very often I love a good nature documentary! (I think I was once late meeting up with my friends cus I got way too into one and had to watch the whole thing- I only put on the channel for my dogs to watch while I was out!)

Videogames

Little Big Planet (1 and 2), Mario Kart, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Luigi's Mansion 3, Mario Odyessy, Dead Rising (1, 2 and Off The Record), Portal (1 and 2), Stray, Minecraft, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and Super Mario Maker 2.

Music

YUNGBLUD, Ninja Sex Party, Don Broco, TWRP, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Ozzy Osbourne, Twisted Sister, Beastie Boys, Panic! At The Disco, DVDA, Queen, The Blackout, Lorde, Wet Leg, Ghost- Honestly you could just pick up any Rock/Punk Compilation CD and you’ve basically got my taste in music in a nutshell. Growing up the Kerrang channel was almost always on in my house and definitely shaped my taste in music! I also adore the soundtracks from a couple of musicals (mainly The Book Of Mormon, Little Shop Of Horrors and War of the Worlds) and I like listening to music from the videogames I listed above! Oh, and the soundtracks from the Jackass films. Those kick ass.

I have written/drawn G/T for some of these fandoms but you can 100% Message me if you want me to make G/T content for any of them! ^^ (Seriously, if you wanna fangirl with me over any of these my inbox is always open!)

Any other interests/hobbies?

I’m really interested in Animation and I hope to pursue it as a career one day! I also love reading comics (especially independent ones/ones based on shows/films that I like) and I enjoy making them sometimes.

Another one of my favourite hobbies is baking! I love making brownies the most, but cakes and cookies are a lot of fun too.

I like to collect things too, and my favourite things to collect are random cute ornaments, plushies, My Little Pony toys and DVDs/Blu-Rays of my favourite shows and films (I have every season of South Park on DVD, plus all the Jackass films and the show!) Plus I love collecting merch! Naturally I love collecting CDs and Vinyl too...

What are my other Social Media accounts?

Main Instagram: @ DragonDoodles57

G/T Instagram: @ CuteTinyArtist

Main Twitter: @ ArtByRayna

Priv Twitter: @ GotAHeartBoner

G/T Twitter: @ CuteTinyArtist

Ao3: @ CuteTinyArtist

Thanks for checking out my 'Meet The Tiny Artist' page! 🖤

[immortality-becomes-you]

RUMORS• e. munson

masterlist

Chapter 2

March, 1986

     "Okay, what did you say his name was?" Robin asked as they entered Family Video. Ziggy leaned her arm on the counter next to her, looking at her from over her shoulder. They had given Ziggy a brief, vague rundown of the situation, leaving out the supernatural parts. She told them about Reefer Rick on the one condition that she goes with them.

     "He went by Reefer Rick, but I'm pretty sure his name really is Rick."

"You're not totally sure?" Robin asked.

"No, not one hundred percent but definitely in the upper quarter. He used to crash at his place sometimes."

"What about a last name?" Dustin asked.

"I don't know." Ziggy said, looking at him like he was crazy.

"I bet the cops know the last name." Steve mumbled as he sorted tapes.

"What?" Max asked, just as confused as the rest of them.

"The cops. I mean, listen, if this 'Reefer Rick' is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. That means he's in the system." Steve turned to lean on the counter to look at the group. Ziggy frowned at him in confusion as she pushed off her own end of the counter to turn and face him.

"The cops? Really, Steve? That's your suggestion?" Dustin asked, standing up as well.

"I mean, I just think at this point they should be filled in on what we know. What's goin on."

"You really think Eddie's guilty?" Dustin asked the older boy, leaning in closer. Ziggy scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Woah woah woah, I believe in 'innocent unless proven guilty' and all that constitutional shit. I just, ya know, don't think we can rule it out"

"First of all, we most certainly can rule it out. It's Eddie, for fucks sake." Ziggy threw her hands in the air in annoyance as she stepped closer to the pair of boys.

"Second of all, that's exactly what we're trying to do here; rule it out. We wouldn't be looking for him if we thought there was even a chance he was a psychotic murderer. He's innocent, we just need to hear his side." Dustin pointed back at Ziggy in appreciation before going on his own spiel.

"And maybe we'd have a little more luck at it if you weren't so busy looking for a girlfriend rather than Eddie."

"Well somebody has to tend to the customers!"

"Especially if they're babes, right?" Robin winked.

"Hey, not fair. I tend to all the customers equally; babes and non-babes alike. We've got a very big selection in here, okay? It can be super overwhelming for some people."

"Yeah, it can be." Robin heaved as she turned on her heel. She plopped down in her seat in front of the computer, Ziggy leaning over her shoulder.

"What're you doing?"

"Maybe we don't need a last name." Robin quickly logged into the computer and typed in his name, finding twelve accounts.

"That's a lot of Ricks." Ziggy mumbled.

"So, let's narrow it down. Rick Oldermans rentals are Annie and Dumbo. What are the chances a drug dealer has a family?"

"Not likely."

"Definitely not" Ziggy piped up.

"Rick Conroy: Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, and Romance In The Stones?"

"No."

"Rick Joyner: Mask, Footloose, and Greese?"

"Nah."

"Rick Kimbrough; The Blue Lagoon and Splash?" They all laughed in dismissal.

"Rick Lipton: Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Cheech and Chong's next movie, Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams, Cheech and Chong Up In Smoke."

"Bingo." Dustin chuckled while Steve threw his hands up in victory.

"Lipton?"

"Spelled like the tea. 2121 Holland road." Robin smiled. Ziggy pushed off the counter, wanting to head his way as soon as possible.

"That's out by lovers lake." Dustin muttered.

"In the middle of nowhere." Max observed.

     "It's the perfect place to hide." Robin smiled proudly, happy with her work.

     "So, your car or mine?" Ziggy asked Steve. Steve looked at her blankly for a moment, hoping someone else would jump in to do the dirty work.

     "You're not coming with us." Ziggy's face dropped from an anticipated grin to a tight scowl.

     "Bullshit. We had a deal, Harrington. You said if I told you what I knew, you'd take me with you." Ziggy took a step forward towards the boy, hoping to intimidate him.

     "Well, I lied. You can't come."

     "Why the hell not?"

     "Because I said so. Go home, Ziggy."

     "Okay fine. I'll go home and sit my happy ass on my couch until the cops show up. Then I'll tell them all about you guys coming to me first and harboring his fugitive ass at 2121 Holland Road." Ziggy didn't dare to blink as she looked up at Steve.

     "You wouldn't sell Eddie out like that."

     "We haven't talked in nearly a year. Didn't leave off on good terms." Steve glared down at Ziggy. She was beginning to get on his nerves.

     "Tough breakup?"

     "Fuck off." Steve rolled his eyes before glancing at Robin seeing a thoughtful look on her face. He furrowed his brows, silently asking her to share.

     "How bad?" Robin asked Ziggy.

     "I'm sorry?"

     "You said that you left off on bad terms? How bad?"

     "Well, maybe not bad. Just not good. I mean, it wasn't the type of bad where you hate each other it was more like, you know, you hope that you don't see each other in public. We don't dislike each other- at least I don't think he hates me? Last time I checked that definitely wasn-"

     "Is he gonna be pissed to see you, or not." Max cut off her painful rambling. Ziggy's eyes looked up as if she was searching her brain as her fingers fiddled with one another before shaking her head and looking back at the girl.

     "If he's anything like he was back then, any familiar face would be helpful."

     Dustin hurriedly stepped forward, easing the tension.

     "Despite the fact that Ziggy would definitely never do that, she's right. We had a deal. Besides, she's probably gonna go whether we take her with us or not, so we might as well bring her."

     "Fine! Let's go." He barked, rushing to the door.

November, 1984

  

     Ziggy and Eddie sat on his bed with their notebooks spread out in front of them. They were nearing the second hour of their seventh session when Eddie demanded a snack break.

     "Please, I just want fifteen- ten minutes. This is torture." Eddie threw his head back, his skull bouncing off the wall as his eyes screwed shut. Ziggy continued sifting through Eddie's worksheets.

     "No. You're in the last hour of our session. It would throw off your groove." Eddie lowered his head to look at her as she sat at the foot of his bed.

     "You know what's really throwing off my groove?" Ziggy let out a questioning hum, barely listening to him.

     "My growling stomach." He smiled sarcastically as Ziggy looked up at him in annoyance. She stared at him before going back to his mess of a folder.

     "Oh my god, you're such a control freak." He mumbled passive aggressively. Turning his head to focus on anything but her as she looked up at him in slight hurt.

     "I control you because you can't control yourself." Eddie swung his head back to glare at her.

     "I control myself just fine, thank you very much."

     "Is that why you're taking senior year for the second time?" Eddie flinched at her harsh words. He blinked rapidly, opening his mouth to bark back but closing it when he couldn't find the words.

     "Your problem is your priorities, Eddie. Maybe if you focused less on your guitar or Dungeons and Dragons shit, and focused more on your schoolwork, we wouldn't-"

     "Just shut up! Oh my fucking God I wish you would just let me speak for once. I'm not the one who asked you to tutor me, but don't act like you're not getting something out of this too. This isn't charity work, it's a bargain. So don't give me that 'we wouldn't be here' bullshit." At Eddie's small outburst, Ziggy went quiet. She looked down at her hands while Eddie heaved against the wall.

     "I was just trying to say that maybe if you just worked a little harder on school-"

     "You just don't get it, do you? I see you at school. You're always raising your hand and asking questions. You're always the first to turn in a worksheet. This shit comes easy to you." Eddie shook his head as his gravely voice lowered just above a whisper. Even with his quiet tone, he had Ziggy's undivided attention.

     "I would sit in class and listen to a whole lesson and not understand any of it. Other kids would ask questions and I didn't even get what they were saying. I don't even know what to ask. Or when the class would be given a packet. I'd read the first page and then forget everything I just read. So I'd read it again and at the end I still didn't get it. By the time I look up, the whole class is done with the whole packet and I'm still on the first page." Ziggy watched Eddie as he looked down at the small hole at the bottom of his shirt, fiddling with it as he spoke.

     "I used to stay up until two in the morning studying and never got anything above a C-. This shit isn't easy for me, Zigova." Eddie finally looked up to meet Ziggy's empathetic eyes. She soon looked down at the floor before standing up from his bed and walking out of the room. Eddie sighed in defeat, letting his head rest back on his wall. It was only two minutes or so later that he felt a tap on his leg. Ziggy stood above him with a sandwich in her hand.

     "I'm sorry for being so bitchy. I never thought about it that way." Eddie's big eyes never left hers as he slowly reached to grab the plate from her.

     "You've been doing really, really well. We're almost done with all of your missing assignments and I'm proud of you." Ziggy awkwardly choked out, hoping she sounded more supportive to him than she did to herself.

     Eddie let out the smallest 'thank you' as his wide eyes watched her sit back down. He quietly took a bite of his sandwich, watching her with interest.

     "I'm not just doing this for community service hours. I really wanna make sure you pass this semester." Ziggy turned to smile at him, earning a wide grin in return. He happily chewed his food with a smile while she tapped her foot as she surveyed his room.

     "So, since I told you that little tidbit about me, can I ask you something?" Eddie looked up at her through his lashes as she turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. She sighed before reluctantly nodding her head.

     "Why the fuck did your parents name you Ziggy Zigova?" Ziggy snorted at the question before swinging her legs up onto the bed to face him. He quickly sat his empty plate aside, straightening his posture with his hands in his lap; dramatically giving her his full attention.

     "They didn't name me Ziggy. Ziggy is a nickname for Zigova." Eddie looked at her with narrowed eyes.

     "Then what's your name?"

     "Niamh." Ziggy smiled at his incredulous face, not believing her for a second.

     "No way. You're bullshitting me."

     "Why would I lie to you about my name?" Ziggy laughed at his disbelief.

     "I don't know! Why would you choose to go by Ziggy instead of Niamh?" He threw his hands up as he bobbed his head, his curls bouncing around his face.

     Ziggy rolled her eyes before reaching into her bag and pulling out her wallet, shoving her ID in Eddie's face. His grin faltered as he reached out to put his hand over hers, pulling it closer to his face as he read with squinted eyes.

     "Okay so that's why. There's no way that's pronounced like Neve." Eddie shoos his head before looking back at Ziggy, his hand still clutching hers.

     "Yeah, that's what all of my teachers said. I just started telling them to call me by my nickname." Ziggy shrugged with a tiny smile. They softly chuckled at each other as Eddie's hand fell limp at his side. Ziggy put her wallet away before looking back up at him.

     "Ready to get back to work?"

     "Oh, gimme a break, Niamh."

     "I think I preferred it when you called me metal mouth."

March, 1986

The five of them stood on Reefer Rick's doorstep holding flashlights. Dustin rang the doorbell rapidly in hopes of receiving a response, only for silence to follow.

"Well, that settles that. He's not here-"

"EDDIE!" Dustin screamed through the door. Steve grumbled in annoyance from behind the boy.

"It's Dustin! We just wanna talk! No cops, I swear! We just wanna help." Dustin continued to bang on the door as he called out for Eddie or Rick. Ziggy stood at the edge of the porch with her arms crossed while Robin and Steve flashed their lights through the windows. Max wandered off the porch, catching Ziggy's attention as she followed.

"Hey, guys?" Max called out, bringing their attention to the boathouse. The door was slightly ajar with the overhead light illuminating the front of the shack. Ziggy huffed as she led the way, shining her light on the uneven grass in front of her. They slowly pushed open the door with a creak as Ziggy entered first, Robin following closely behind.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Robin softly called out. As they filed in, they all dispersed, exploring different areas of the boathouse.

"What a dump." Steve mused. Ziggy silently raised her brows in agreement as she walked up to the boat. She stood next to it as she spun around, looking over at Max as she walked along the wood paneling. She opened her mouth to give her two cents before the loud sound coming from behind her startled her. She gasped loudly as she spun around once again to find Steve jabbing the tarp over the boat with an oar.

"What are you doing?" Dustin spat.

"He could be in there."

"Just take the tarp off!"

"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off."

"Oh, for fucks sake." Ziggy whispered as she stomped over to Steve, yanking the oar out of his hands to halt his aggressive jabbing. She held the handle of the oar in one hand, wrapping her arm around it slightly to lean on it as she stood beside Steve.

"Hey, look over here." Max beckoned Robin to look at the pile or wrappers on the table.

"Someone was here."

"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran?" Robin whispered.

"Don't worry! Steve will get him with his oar!" Dustin sarcastically chimed in.

"First of all, Ziggy took the oar so it's on her to protect your ass. Secondly, considering the fact that almost everyone in this room has nearly died about a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slightest-" Steve was cut off by a loud screech as a figure jumped out of the boat, charging at him. Ziggy was harshly slammed into; her whole body being sent to the ground, scraping her elbows on the hard wood as her head bounced off the deck. Steve was slammed up against the wall with a broken bottle held to his throat by the time she caught her breath.

"WOAHWOAHWOAHWOAH EDDIE! STOP!" Dustin screamed as he walked closer to the two boys, Ziggy being on the ground on the other side of them. She grabbed her head as she sat up with a groan. When she looked up she could only see the back of his head being illuminated by Dustin's flashlight. Dustin kept screaming his name, trying to get him to let go of Steve. Ziggy heaved before stumbling to her feet, nearly falling over a few times before gaining her balance. She reached down to pick up the oar, ready to swing if need be.

Dustin continued screaming for Eddie before directing his attention to Ziggy.

"No, Ziggy! Put it down! You're gonna scare him!" Dustin screamed at the girl. Eddie finally swung his head in Dustin's direction, looking at him in slight confusion.

"He's scaring me!" She screamed with all her might; her body shaking in tension. Eddies face fell before quickly turning to look at Ziggy. She trembled slightly as she looked at Dustin before looking back at Eddie, finally seeing his face. Both of their expressions fell blank, the tension leaving their bodies slightly as they stared at one another silently.

"Eddie, it's me. It's Dustin. This is Steve. We're not gonna hurt you." Dustin softly whispered, preferring the awkward tension over the fear. He looked between Eddie and Ziggy as they both continued to stare at each other, grasping their weapons.

"Ziggy, why don't you drop the oar?" Dustin whispered loud enough for her to hear. She continued to breathe heavily, visibly tightening her grasp on the paddle. Eddie then tightened his grasp on the bottle, making Steve squirm. At Steve's fearful whimper, Ziggy dropped the oar with a loud thud. Eddie breathed shakily before turning to look back at Steve, the bottle still at his throat while his hands shook.

"What're you doing here?" Eddie whispered.

"We're looking for you."

"We're here to help." Robin softly chimed in.

"Eddie, these are my friends! You know Robin, from band. This is my friend Max; the one who never wants to play DND? Eddie...we're on your side. I swear on my mother! Right guys?" Dustin persuaded.

"Yup. Yes. We swear."

"On-on Dustin's mother."

"Yup, Dustin's- Dustin's mother." Steve whispered. Eddie stared down at him in thought before hesitantly looking over at Ziggy. Ziggy looked up at him with wide eyes, glossed over in fear. She inhaled shakily, sending him the most genuine look she could. He looked back down before reluctantly letting go of Steve, earning sighs of relief.

Eddie looked down as he softly brushed past Ziggy, sliding down the wall behind her. Ziggy and Dustin silently met him on the floor; Dustin crouching and Ziggy sitting with crossed legs. Eddie stared off into space, clutching the bottle in his hand.

"Eddie, we just want to talk." Dustin cooed as he reached for the bottle, earning a flinch in return. Ziggy looked up at him with a pout.

"Eddie, " she whispered softly. Eddie slowly looked up from the floor to meet her eyes. She licked her lips as his shoulders dropped slightly. She slowly reached her hand out to rest on his bicep.

"We're gonna protect you, I promise. No one's gonna hurt you. I just need you to let go of the bottle and talk to us." She softly whispered as the other three walked closer to stand behind her. She slowly ran her hand down his arm, stopping to softly rub her thumb along this back of his hand before gently taking the bottle from his palm. His fingers gently chased hers as she pulled her hand away, prompting her to quickly move her free hand to hold his, resting it on his thigh.

Eddie's teary eyes stayed locked on hers, not daring to blink in fear that she would leave and the memories of the night before would come back. He inhaled a chopped breath, his hands shaking as he swallowed hard.

"You won't believe me." He whispered. Ziggy's brows furrowed in confusion at his response.

"Try us."

[tafadhali]

Yuletide recs, part 1

Cross-posting this from DW. I have >50 works bookmarked on Pinboard so far, but here are 24 favorites.

Asteroid City I hadn't thought to seek out fic for this movie, but I thought both of these captured the Wes Anderson style brilliantly and developed characters and a relationship we only see a glimpse of in the film in interesting (and very different) ways: 

Things That Won't Be Here Tomorrow (Conrad/Jones, 6k)

windows broken and dreaming (Conrad/Jones, 4k)

Bottoms So Bomb (PJ/Hazel, PJ & Josie, 1k) — "Josie helps PJ be a better girlfriend to Hazel"; hysterical

Casablanca The Sentimentalists (Rick/Ilsa, Ilsa/Victor, Rick/Ilsa/Victor, 9k) — post-canon, Rick runs into Ilsa and Victor in Lisbon

Dimension 20

In our midnight world (Leiland/Markus, 5k) — really captures the silliness of Escape from the Bloodkeep and I love all the appearances by the other characters

it doesn't hurt; there's nothing to it(Hob/Rue, 4k)— love them and love them trying to ~*~communicate~*~; hot and sweet first time

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Perception Check (Roll for Romance) (Xenk/Edgin, 6k) —

"I bet Xenk fucks like a metronome, too. You know." Holga makes a highly suggestive, repetitive gesture. "In, out. In, out. No variation. Same exact rhythm every time. Boring." Edgin stares at her, torn between horror and fascination. "You've really thought about this, huh?" (So has he. Unfortunately.)

Frederica - Georgette Heyer A Series of Notable Events (Frederica/Alverstoke, 13k) — "What it says on the tin: a series of notable events in the lives of Frederica and Alverstoke, post-canon."

Goblin Emperor A Private Room (gen, 5k) — Maia learns of a scandal brewing from Csethiro, but she is quite able to manage things

An Unexpected Letter (gen, 1k) — Thara gets a letter from the Emperor after Grief of Stones and I have several feelings

The Good Place The Real Actual Human Life of Michael Realman (gen, 1k) — what it says in the title! cute and fun

Hercule Poirot

The Case of the Distracted Detective (Hastings/Poirot, 2k) — I can honestly say I've never read this particular misunderstanding before, and itw as charming and funny!

The Eye of a Needle (gen, 4k) — a neat little casefic with a daemon AU twist

High School Musical Stick to the Status Quo (Reprise) (Chad/Ryan, 17k) — I was totally charmed by this "didn't know they were dating" classic

Jeeves & Wooster Supporting Partner's Suit (Jeeves/Wooster, Honoria/OFC, 6k) — "Never let it be said that Bertie Wooster will abandon a pal in need, even if that pal is a woman who is temporarily in possession of his body and he doesn’t fully understand what’s going on"

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Fool Proof (Harry/Perry/Harmony, 7k) — this is extremely hot and very funny; captures the tone of the movie perfectly

The Matrix if you'll believe in me (gen, 7k) — "Trinity thinks about anger. Bugs thinks about choices. Both of them think about the future." Interesting fic that picks up mid-Resurrections

Nine Worlds a key that winds through secret wards (gen, 11k) — Kip in the aftermath of the Emerald Conspiracy; a really interesting look into an unexplored part of canon

Ocean's 11 pulse and swing (baby do your thing) (Danny/Rusty, 3k) — fixit for O8 involves Danny doing thief PT and re-figuring out his and Rusty's relationship

somebody else's wallet (Danny/Rusty, 1k) — nicely structured ficlet about Danny and Rusty becoming DannyandRusty

Oz the skin you're in (Dorothy/Ozma, 6k) — "'If we learn magic, you could maybe change your body to be like your old one. You weren’t ever given the choice to keep that boy’s body, were you?' asked Dorothy.

Keep it? The idea jolted Ozma a little bit. Why, how does a person keep another body? You only had the one, right?"

Singin' in the Rain Working Honeymoon (Don/Cosmo/Kathy, 4k) — somehow Cosmo finds himself coming along for the ride on Don and Kathy's honeymoon

Sports Night First Chill of Fall (Dan/Casey, 3k) — all I ever want for Yuletide is more Dan/Casey... this one is set post-s2 and features a slightly oblivious Dan

The Sting the last train to wherever you need to be (Henry/Johnny, 3k) — against their better interests, Johnny and Henry keep running into each other post-movie

[polyamorouspunk]

i also have a submission for sleepover Friday abt my gay crush, who would have thought:

so i met one of my friends at campus this first semester while i was going thru a breakup and for a while we were just hanging out as friends. over winter break (we go back next week and i’m excited to see the dude but anyways lmao) i think i caught some feelings for him. since the PJO show came out (Rick riordan said gay rights, if i get a boyfriend like this I’ll send him a note abt it /j) we’ev been talking a lot more since we both have adhd (as in we call for a couple hours almost every day) and he’s great and i really like him fbbfbfnff.

That’s so cool! I always love when you can bond over a shared media. I actually watched She-Ra only because I was dating @princess-pathetic-112898 and I have plans to hopefully finally start watching some of her other favorite shows like The Owl House, Avatar, Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, etc. For her birthday one year she invited me to come watch some Batman movies in a classroom of her favorite teacher which was really fun, and he gifted me a very old copy of Maus which I think is really fitting for this blog.

I’m really excited for you to be able to see your friend when this semester starts back up again! I hope that you can also have a fairy tale mlm romance. Isn’t that the fucking dream?

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

ANDREW WALKER AND BRITTANY BRISTOW STAR IN ‘A SAFARI ROMANCE,’ A NEW, ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERING AUGUST 12, ON HALLMARK CHANNEL

Part of the Network’s Annual Summer Nights Programming Event

STUDIO CITY, CA – July 17, 2023 – Andrew Walker (“Three Wise Men and a Baby,” “Bottled with Love”) and Brittany Bristow (“Holiday Date,” “Love, Romance & Chocolate”) star in “A Safari Romance,” a new, original movie premiering Saturday, August 12 (8 p.m. ET/PT), on Hallmark Channel as part of the network’s annual Summer Nights programming event.

Megan (Bristow) is a research scientist living her dream in South Africa pursuing a Ph.D. in Ethology, while working as a ranger on a nature reserve. When Tim (Walker), an American theme park designer, arrives to capture footage for an immersive, safari-themed attraction, Megan serves as his guide. As they explore the savanna and observe giraffes, elephants and lions in their natural habitats, they open up to each other about their dreams and begin to grow close. Things are going well until Amy (Simoné Pretorius, “Hotel”), a woman from Tim’s past, arrives to take over the project. Amy’s reckless disregard for rules puts Megan’s job at risk and threatens Megan and Tim’s budding romance. Megan, knowing that Tim will soon return home, is also wary of giving her heart to someone who lives half a world away – but she may find that love is an adventure worth taking.

“A Safari Romance” is from Leif Films Media and RHP International. Leif Bristow, Stephen Hays, Peter Graham, Rick Garman, Michael McLaughlin, Josh Rous and Meren Reddy are executive producers. Borga Dorter, Agnes Bristow and Luke Rous are producers. Leif Bristow directed from a script by Agnes Bristow.

[nancywheeeler]

any movie recs??? 👀

oh anon, i love you and you have no idea the can of worms you have just opened. heck yeah do i have movie recs...

movies i've loved recently:

Rye Lane {incredible modern rom-com, awesome lead performances, gorgeous to look at, takes the "one chaotic day together" narrative structure and runs full speed with it}

Bound {the wachowskis' first movie! a very intense neo-noir thriller. the directing is giving "we're already conceptualizing the matrix" which means they direct the hell out of it}

Harlan County, USA and American Dream {both essential documentaries by Barbara Kopple about union efforts in Pennsylvania in the 70s and Minnesota in the 80s respectively. if you're then looking for a narrative feature with similar themes, Norma Rae is great}

Duck Soup / The Gold Rush / The General {three classics of the Hollywood Golden Age for one! go with Chaplin's The Gold Rush if you want snowy antics in Alaska, Buster Keaton's The General if you wanna see a guy almost die on a train many, many times, and the Marx Brothers' Duck Soup if you want a sharp-witted satire on fascism and war}

movies i personally never shut about:

All the President's Men {it's so sexy when people are good at their jobs! especially if that job is journalist who takes down the nixon administration! if you want a thriller that isn't bloody or overtly sexual, this is the thriller for you!}

The Full Monty {a comedy i believe everyone needs to watch. a 90 minute delight about a group of unemployed blue-collar guys trying to stage a strip show. given it came out in 1997, it's not nearly as dated as you think it'll be and stars a tumblr sexyman hall of famer, Robert Carlyle}

The Vast of Night {weird to describe a movie as gentle sci-fi horror, but that's exactly what this is. it centers around one eerie night in a 1950s town where the local radio station manager and a telephone operator begin picking up strange signals. it has vibes for days and does a lot with a very simple story and small budget}

Cure {...okay, this movie is not for everyone, but if you're down for a very unsettling horror movie, i cannot recommend this one highly enough. the premise is a detective investigating a series of murderers where each murderer has no memory of committing the crime. one of the best-directed movies i've ever seen. like it'll have you holding your breath in scene after scene}

The Last Waltz {since i recommended two other documentaries, i can't resist also recommending my favorite. it's Martin Scorsese's concert film of The Band's final show together. a great movie to put on in the background while cooking / doing chores since it's mostly musical performances, or you can do what i do and stare at Rick Danko the entire time!}

okay, i'll quit while i'm ahead now. if you're looking for movies in a specific genre (drama, comedy, romance, horror, sci-fi, sci-fi horror, horror comedy, romantic comedy with a dash of horror, throw me anything), let me know! i seriously could talk about movies for the rest of my life.

[kelmcdonald]

Spooky Season is Here!

Hi everyone! And welcome to everyone who signed up for my newsletter at Rose Comic Con. It turned out to be the best Rose City Comic Con I've ever been to.  If you're new here I'm making these comics:

Blue Moon is a werewolf romance gn I'm writing and Meredith McClarren is going to draw. I'm late on its script.

The City Between is my webcomic about werewolves in the future. It updates Wednesdays. The current story is called Shards of Reflection.

You are the Chosen One is a fantasy comic about 23 kids who got the same prophecy dream. It was posting on Fridays on my Patreon. But my editorial work has been piling up/overwhelming me lately. So it's on hold until I finish up some other stuff.

My day job is an editor at the manga company Seven Seas and the indie comic publisher Iron Circus Comics. I like folklore, fantasy, and especially like werewolves.

The big exciting thing this month is I've been helping my good friend and streaming cohost, Alina Pete, build and prep a backerkit campaign for the anthology they've been editing, Indiginerds.

Indiginerds wants to celebrate the ever evolving Indigenous culture. Organized by the ever talented editor Alina Pete, one of the co-editors on Iron Circus's wildly successful anthology Woman in the Woods, this book collects work from several indigenous artists and writers. From gaming to social media, pirate radio to garage bands, Star Trek to D&D, and missed connections at the pow wow, Indigenous culture is so much more than how it’s usually portrayed.  Join this anthology as it examines balancing traditional ways of knowing and pop culture.

It will launch October 16th. If you want to be one of the first people to backer, you can sign up to be notified here. It's a great book and I'm excited for the world to see Alina's hard work. 

This month, I'm also gonna start making comics that answer reader questions. If you have one post it here!

Also on full moons, I host a werewolf movie watch parties in my discord. Next full moon is October 28th. And at noon PST, we will be watching the 70s Japanese werewolf movie, Wolf Guy! If you'd like to join click here.

I'll also be doing my usual streaming

As always I'll be streaming art on Twitch. My schedule is currently the following:

Tuesday 8pm-10pm PST

Wednesday 8pm-10pm PST

Thursday 6pm-9pm PST (during the Iron Circus Geekshow)

Stop by!

Last month I was mostly keeping my nose to the grindstone except for selling stuff at Rose City Comic Con. Thanks everyone who stopped by and grabbed a book. I mostly took pictures of cosplay when I wasn't selling books. You can see them all here. But there are the highlights.

The leads of the Sabriel series by Garth Nix!

An excellent Claudia from Interview with a Vampire show

Nedry from Jurassic Park, complete with shaving cream dna holder.

And best for last, an older cosplay rocking a Granny Goodness from New Gods. 

This month I got several of the backgrounds done for the video game I'm working on for Iron Circus games. I have two or 3 more settings to draw. But I'm gonna spend next month focused The City Between and the manga I'm editing for Seven Seas. 

Speaking of manga, one of the favorite titles I've been editing for Seven Seas, Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout, is out now.

It's about a guy who is transported into a fantasy world and is turned into a hot girl. His best friend is also transported and the two have to stop a demonlord to get home. It's complicated by the fact that they are cursed to be attracted to each other. It's a deconstruction of both romance and fantasy tropes while talking about gender identity. It's a lot of fun!

This month I've mostly been watching Star Trek stuff. Particularly, Lower Decks. I appreciate that while Lower Decks is an adult comedy cartoon, it's humor doesn't come from one character being awful and abuse to other. That's a refreshing break from all the adult cartoons trying to copy Rick and Morty. I think the characters are just a lot of fun. Also, this season the little monster Moopsy has captured my heart (and my bones.) They need plushies of this little guy.

I also reread one of my favorite mangas, Pluto. If you are unfamiliar, Pluto is a retelling and modernization of an Astroboy story. It is a murder mystery as a robot detective looks into someone murdering the worlds most advanced robots. I decided to reread it because there was a question going around bluesky about what scenes from comics have stuck with people/"live in their head." For me it's a scene between Astroboy (or Atom as he is called in this book) and the scientist who built him, Dr Tenma, having diner.

Basically, this scene sticks with me because Atom was built to replace Dr. Tenma's dead son. This starts with Atom talking about his interests and how he happily did his chores. Everything Atom cares about isn't what Dr. Tenma's son cared about. Both of them realize over the meal that Atom is his own person and he can't replace Dr. Tenma's son. So even though Atom is the most humanlike robot ever made and is a grade scientific achievement, Dr. Tenma failed in his goal to bring back his son. And Atom is left is an impossible task. I think it's just such a well paced and laid out scene. In context, I think it's heartbreaking. 

That's it for this month! Have a good one everyone.

[thewriting-corner]

Meet The Writer

Helloooo to everyone! It’s been a year and a half since I last did a Meet The Writer post and there are SO many more people here now than there were in October 2021. Plus, lots of new projects have started since then so without further a do, I present to you the most chaotic and emotionally unstable member of the writing community!

(jk)

First of all, my name is Lu and I am soon-to-be 20 years old (so old). I was born and raised in a small country in Central America (whoever guesses the flag in my bio right wins a high five. unless you know me, in which case stop cheating), but now live in Germany because of university. (And if anyone is wondering how much this has changed my personality, I would like it to be known that I become annoyed and confused at people who are visibly happy on the street, and occasionally go on rants about the high price of döner.)

I’m Catholic, and while I’m not super open about my faith, I do generally like talking about it when prompted. I’m a sucker for history and unnecessarily analyzing media, and you can tell I’m on an emotional high point when I start ranting about shows, books and movies on my stories. If I can go through any type of media without commentary it means I’m either sad or it sucks lol. I LOVE reading and writing contemporary romance, though my true love will forever be science fiction🫶🏼 something that I 100% blame on my dad for showing me Jurassic Park when I was only 4 years old. And if we go even deeper into blame, my love for writing sci-fi romance is a product of my dad’s favorite movie genre being sci-fi/action, and my mom’s being sappy romances about self discovery.

My favorite music genres include Taylor Swift (she’s a genre okay), The Score (also a genre) and country music. Books that changed my life or inspired me in any way: The Yellow Note by MJ Padgett, A Cuban Girl’s Guide To Tea And Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, Of Liars And Thieves by Gabriela Lavarello, Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter and Cinder by Marissa Meyer. However, the book that got me into writing for the very first time was The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. My favorite movie of all time is Tangled, because.. idk just because. I like Disney princess movies.

Aside from being a writer, I’m also the proud owner of four dogs and two cats, all of which you will eventually see on my stories because I miss them so much. And as of very recently, I’m also the Panels & Workshops Manager at The Authors of Tomorrow :) Also, someone asked me what my dream job is, but honestly it’s to be a hot trophy wife/stay at home mom/author (because I don’t want my writing to ever feel like it’s either sell a book or starve). But seeing as how I do not know how to talk to real guys, my second dream is working in Marketing at a publishing house. I suck at promoting my own books, but, not to brag, but I got around 10 people to read Marissa Meyer’s Renegades series just by talking it up 6 years after it published hehe.

And if I have not yet bored you, it’s time for my WIPs: yay! I’m currently querying a superhero sci-fi novel called The Wrath of Chaos and it’s going even worse than my apartment hunt. Then there’s my contemporary novel The Sun Leads Back To You, which I am self publishing on April 14 (you can preorder the ebook on the link in my bio if you want). After the buzz of TSLBTY is over, I plan to start on a brand new time travel novel about a girl destined to destroy time trying to travel back to 1920s London :) gosh I love writing

[milaghoul]

17 questions!

(tagged by @cattoru. thank you so much!!)

nickname: mila

sign: gemini

height: would rather not mention! I am short in comparison to like the rest of the world though

last thing googled: “purple sweet potato” lol wanted to see what it looked like after reading a discord message

song stuck in my head: paralyzed by BTR :’)

# of followers: rather not say, srry!

amount of sleep: pretty good at getting 7-8 hours daily

lucky number: don’t really have one but if had to choose, 13

dream job: I do not dream of labor haha but actually, it’s not something I would ever think would become my job, but I do want to start streaming!

wearing: Levi Ackerman t-shirt, yoga/pajama pants, and fuzzy socks

movies/books that summarize me: oooof…Moulin Rouge? music, depressing, hopeless romance, drama, weird, and death :)

favorite song: exogenesis: symphony pt. 3, (redemption) by muse

favorite instrument: to play: clarinet. to listen: piano.

aesthetic: think twilight + weeb stuff lol

favorite author: Rick Riordan :P & Mary Shelley

favorite animal noise: the little cries dogs do when they’re dreaming, it’s so cute

random: I will be forever grateful to have met the loveliest people here. Thank you for making my days better.

tagging (sorry if any of you had already gotten tagged): @bobisnolongerhere | @dahldahlbills | @jelliedoodles | @lulubaii | @omoteura | @wegog | @adorablefucks | @samurai-frog | & anyone else who wants to! My brain is tired so I just went with who came to mind lol. Also, please don’t feel like you have to do this, just for funsies!!

[adamwatchesmovies]

Happily N’Ever After (2006)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

You can’t believe Happily N’Ever After was made in 2006, much less that it was released in theatres. This obvious attempt to cash in on the success of Shrek and its sequels is dreadful. Its funny moments are as rare as photos of Sasquatch, the animation is cheap, the voice acting poor, the writing deplorable and the plot ill-conceived. I wanted nothing more than for it to end.

In the realm of fairytales, the Wizard (George Carlin) oversees the balance of good and evil, ensuring every prince and princess gets a happy ending. When he goes on vacation, his assistants Munk (Wallace Shawn) and Mambo (Andy Dick) accidentally disturb the equilibrium. When Ella “Cinderella” (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is invited to the royal ball and given a magical makeover by her fairy godmother, her evil stepmother Frieda (Sigourney Weaver) takes advantage of the Wizard’s absence and takes control of the kingdom. While Cinderella looks for her lost Prince (Patrick Warburton), the palace dishwasher, Rick (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) decides to accompany her, secretly hoping she’ll realize the royal is not the man she’s been dreaming of.

Take a look at any frame and you’ll wonder where the $47 million budget went. Happily N'Ever After looks like a PlayStation 2 game, or a very professional supermarket commercial for a local chain. The character designs are ugly and the backgrounds are largely empty. Clearly, the animators didn’t have the means to accomplish what they wanted. I’ve never directed a film, much less an animated one but my understanding is that a director’s job is to look at the script, screenplay and storyboards and figure out how to bring it all to life. Why spend the money to develop seven gnomes when Cinderella could’ve just as easily met Dorothy’s Three Bears? Why did the Wizard need two assistants when just one bumbler would’ve sufficed? I know hindsight is 20-20. Nonetheless, anyone with an unbiased eye would’ve taken a look at what was on-screen and said “this isn’t working”.

Then again, why try to make Happily N’Ever After look good when the story is utterly worthless? The characters are so flat and uninteresting it’s a struggle to stay awake. You don’t care about Cinderella because so little time is spent with her between all of the side characters, the kingdom and the rest of the world. You care even less about Rick, who feels like a self-insert from a bad fan fiction. Frieda gladly calls herself evil, which might fit in a normal fairy tale, but this is supposed to be a deconstruction of the Brothers Grimms’ stories. You’re so bored with the lame romance at the film's center you begin questioning everything. I’d bring you along the mental journey but what’s the use when no thought went into any of this? The world of Happily N’Ever After makes no sense.

Unsurprisingly, the voice acting is horrendous. I can’t blame the performers. The dialogue is uninspired, cheesy and lame. It’s as if the casting director had a bunch of celebrities chained up in his basement but didn’t have the torture instruments required to break true a-listers and instead had to settle for the bottom of the barrel - no offense to anyone in this movie but we've seen performances elevate rickety material before and that's not what's happening here.

Did I mention this is a musical? Indeed, Happily N'Ever After features a collection of uninspired tunes and unmemorable lyrics perfectly fit for the rest of the film. Are we forgetting anything else? Can any more criticisms be thrown at this target? It deserves every single one of them, that’s for sure.

Every aspect of Happily N’Ever After ranges from lackluster to pathetic. It’s impossible to imagine anyone ever calling this their favorite film and the idea of it being the first - or last film - someone ever saw fills me with despair. The knowledge of a sequel existing out there brings suicidal thoughts to mind. I had to sit through this, and there’s another one too? Is there no justice in this world? (January 11, 2019)

[joslincox]

Animated Teen Movie Songs

When the main character falls in love

Hello - Calabasas

Fill Me In - Craig David

Love Story - Taylor Swift

I'm a Believer - Smash Mouth

What's Your Name? - Jesse McCartney

Why Don't We Fall In Love - Amerie

If You Had My Love - Jennifer Lopez

What's My Name? - Rihanna

Accidentally In Love - Counting Cows

Dilemma - Nelly and Kelly Rowland

Open - Brandy

(You Drive Me) Crazy - Britney Spears

U Got It Bad - Usher

Angel Of Mine - Monica

I Wanna Be Down - Brandy

Clumsy - Fergie

When the main character argues with their parents

Don't Be Mad - Sunshine Anderson

The Worst Day Ever - Simple Plan

You Freak Me Out - Girls Aloud

Just Let Me Cry - Ashlee Simpson

Grow Up - Simple Plan

Just Like A Pill - P!nk

Brutal - Olivia Rodrigo

Learn The Hard Way - Brandy

Take Me Away - Lash

When the main character hangs out with their friends

Rider Like Me - Ezekiel Lewis

Plastic Pony - Mxmtoon

Wannabe - Spice Girls

Best Friend - Doja Cat and Saweetie

Do It - Chloe x Halle

Back & Forth - Aaliyah

Come On Come On - Smash Mouth

It's The Weekend - Lil J

Where My Girls At? - 702

What I Like About You - Lillix

When there's a party and the main character doesn't show up

It's My Party - Lesley Gore

Get the Party Started - P!nk

Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

Yeah! - Usher

Pity Party - Melanie Martinez

Low - T-Pain ft. Flo Rida

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera

Aaron's Party (Come Get It) - Aaron Carter

Bad Idea, Right? - Olivia Rodrigo

Moon Man - Balu Brigada

Wait a Minute - Ray J

When the main character hits puberty

Growing Up - The Linda Lindas

I Believe - R. Kelly

Teenage Dream - Olivia Rodrigo

Age Ain't Nothing But A Number - Aaliyah

Why Did You Have To Be - Debelah Morgan

Live Your Life - T.I ft. Rihanna

A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton

What's My Age Again? - Blink-182

When we meet the queen bee

Solo Star - Solange

Rip Her To Shreds - Boomkat

Miss Thang - Monica

Milkshake - Kelis

Who's That Girl? - Eve

Naughty Girl - Beyoncé

Mean Girls - Rachel Crow

Buttons - The Pussycat Dolls

BO$$ - Fifth Harmony

Beauty Queen - Lash

Drama Queen (That Girl) - Lindsay Lohan

Whip My Hair - Willow

Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani

Nasty Girl - Tinashe

Video - India.Aire

Material Girl - Madonna

When the characters play sports

Take It To Da House - Trick Daddy

All I Do Is Win - DJ Khaled ft. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and Rick Ross

Class Fight - Melanie Martinez

Basketball - Lil Bow Wow

The Art Of Losing - American Hi-Fi

When the main character listens to their favorite song

Sunflower - Post Malone

Nobody Like U - 4*Town

Larger Than Life - Backstreet Boys

It Gets Dark - Sigrid

I'm Not Okay (I Promise) - My Chemical Romance

Buddy Holly - Weezer

Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol

When the main character starts rebelling

Take Me To The Backseat - The Donnas

Me Vs. The World - Hallo Friendlies

It's Gonna Be Me - *NSYNC

Rebel Girl - Bikini Kill

The Anthem - Good Charlotte

Breakin' Dishes - Rihanna

When there's a conflict with the main character and their friend over a love interest

The Boy Is Mine - Brandy & Monica

Don't Mess With My Man - Nivea

We Need a Revolution - Aaliyah

Case Of The Ex - Myá

It Makes Me Ill - *NSYNC

Baby One More Time - Britney Spears

2nd Best - Cherise

Ex-Factor - Lauryn Hill

Foolish - Ashanti

Love Me Or Leave Me - Ms. Toi

When the main character gives up on their goal

Try Again - Aaliyah

Just In Case - Nivea

Key To My Heart - Craig David

I'm All About You - Aaron Carter

It's Over - Jesse McCartney

Never Say Never - Brandy

Tomorrow - Lillix

When the main character goes to prom

Pieces Of Me - Ashlee Simpson

Get Your Shine On - Jesse McCartney

LoveGame - Lady Gaga

What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction

Praising You - Rita Ora

Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Backstreet Boys

Formal Invite - Ray J

Dancing In The Dark - Rihanna

When there's a final battle

Break U Off - Uncle Kracker

Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor

Big Ball - Drama

Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J

Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson

Battlefield - Jordin Sparks

Burning - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Hot N Cold - Katy Perry

When the characters get out of school

Summer In The City - St. Lunatics

Walking on Sunshine - Katrina And The Waves

Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

Island in the Sun - Weezer

California Gurls - Katy Perry

When we meet the bully

Racist Sexist Boy - The Linda Lindas

Adam’s Song - Blink-182

Mean - Taylor Swift

Dem Haters - Rihanna

[billconrad]

Overrated

     “Overrated” is a technical term applied to mechanical or electrical devices. For example, when a shelf rated for ten pounds breaks when one pound is applied, we would declare this shelf overrated. That usage makes perfect sense, but I dislike it when the word describes something non-technical. For example, I found an article defending Rick and Morty from people calling it overrated.

    I agree with the article, but let’s take a step back. The animation is subpar, and the main character is ultra-arrogant. Perhaps the most arrogant character in television history. Those are two big blows, and it should be permissible for a person to say, “I know you like the show, but you are ignoring these major flaws.” We live in an open society and should be encouraged to point out flaws. Sometimes, we must be vocal to get our point across. That is how we learn, evolve, and change.

    What is the psychology behind this word? It is a word that helps people convince others to agree with them. Another way of stating this is that we wish to soften a disapproval slam. “In the upcoming election, don’t vote for X. They are overrated.” Meaning: I do not like X, and neither should you.

    Am I guilty of using this term? One famous movie that comes to mind is Twilight. I watched it in the theater and was disappointed. What about all the fans who cherish their beloved movie? It is tempting to say, “For each, his own.” Yet, that would be me falsely claiming to be the better person. If I honestly listed the flaws, would my summary not include the word overrated? After all, my tear-down would directly contradict the millions of fans who cherished the movie.

    After thinking about my question and re-writing this article several times, I realized that this word applies to my thoughts. Dang, my admission is upsetting. This article aimed to explain why this word should only be used for technical applications. Reading it is a red flag identifying someone not open to new ideas, fresh perspectives, other people’s feelings, or how difficult it is to create something. I want to say that these people have a pre-determined opinion that overrides their common sense and courtesy.

    Yet… Here I am. The word applies to the movie Twilight. Reading that sentence boils my blood, and I want to delete it. It is like I am going up to every movie fan and insulting them. That is not me! But somehow, it is. Well? What does this all mean? This article was supposed to be a simple lighthearted discussion but it has turned into one of the most difficult ones I have ever written. I cannot convince myself that my altruistic argument is correct, and there can only be one conclusion. I am overrated. In my wildest dreams, I would never have anticipated applying that word to myself.

    You’re the best -Bill

    April 10, 2024

    Hey, book lovers, I published four. Please check them out:

    Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.

    Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.

    Cable Ties. A slow-burn political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.

    Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.

    These books are available in softcover on Amazon and in eBook format everywhere.

[foxfren]

"ask me about books" okay let's do this cause I'm curious and also bored (cause everybody is ignoring me irl *sad lol*) (also my apologies for any mistakes in English, not my first language and I'm too tired to check if everything is correct)

-Fav book?

-Worst book?

-Is there any book you have read, at any point in your life, that you're embarrassed about reading?

-Do you remember if you liked any book while you were a kid? Did you have a favorite one?

-Is there any trope/s you wish you could delete forever from existence?

-Do you read books in another language?

-Fav duology, trilogy, series, saga?

-What's your fav genre of books?

-Have you read a book so good you will die on the hill that everybody should read it and there should be a movie?

-Is there anything specific that a book has to have to make it your fav (like a city, a scene, a line)?

-Did you ever have a dream or nightmare that you wish you could write it down and make it a book?

-Do you read fanfics? If so what's your fav and your least fav?

I think those are all I could think of rn. Have a good day and night 💖💖

Hiya! Sorry for the late response, I’ve found myself incredibly busy these past few days (all is well though. Thank you for the ask!! :D

1. Favorite books:

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K. J. Charles

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

2. Least favorite books:

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

3. The only book I’ve been hesitant to talk about with friends is Lapvona, as it was senselessly horrific (which is also the reason I despise Lapvona). The only other time I see myself being embarrassed about books, is when I haven’t read the books everyone else seems to (e.g. I’ve never read the Hunger Games or Percy Jackson series, and am only starting to catch up now).

4. Growing up I really liked:

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Last Dogs series by Christopher Holt

The Pigeon series by Mo Willems

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfisher

5. Book tropes (derogatory)*:

Miscommunication (when done only for drama)

Surprise pregnancy

Tall, dark, mysterious/murderous love interest that hates (secretly loves) the mc

Bullies to lovers

*I don’t wish for them to be 100% deleted, but I will personally be avoiding these like the plague

6. I typically read books in English, but I have a few I own in Brazilian Portuguese. I’ve read short stories in French, but not any recently. I’m currently learning Spanish and German, so I have a few books I want to read to practice :)

7. Really good series I haven’t finished yet:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

All of Us Villains duology by Amanda Foody & C. L. Herman

Villains series by V. E. Schwab

Guides for Dating Vampires series by D. N. Bryn

Renegades series by Marissa Meyer

All for the Game series by Nora Sakavic (I’ve read the trilogy but she’s coming out with a fourth book in the same universe, so I’m including this here)

8. Favorite genres:

Fantasy or sci-fi (with lots of subplots) when I have the time to emotionally invest myself in the book

Romance if I need a palate cleanse

Contemporary (audiobooks specifically) if I want to passively listen while I work

Speculative fiction (but like, there’s a specific one I don’t know the name to. When the story is written like it’s an academic paper but it’s about something fantastical like dragons or events that never took place). Speculative fiction in general also though, when I’m feeling like having a little treat :3

9. I’m very particular on book to screen adaptations, so maybe I’ll post about it later. Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield, and the Villains series by V. E. Scwab are books I’ll forever recommend to everyone though!!

10. What makes a book my favorite:

If a character questions their morality or the ethics of a system they believe in

The character finds out they’re not human (they’re a clone or robot, etc), and struggle with understanding their sentience

Angst. Heavy emotional angst. I want to see them cry and scream. However, there needs to be other instances before (and maybe after) in which they are incredibly happy and smiling and satisfied with their life. Contrast is such a powerful tool and I absolutely loooove seeing it used to its full potential

Repeating motifs. Not overly repeating, and every time it does repeat (even if only once), there needs to be significance

Drama. At the end of the day, I am a gossip girl at heart. If shit goes down in a book, I am telling all of my friends after immediately rereading it

11. I am a writer, I just haven’t published (yet?)!! I write down my dreams/nightmares bc I like journalling, but I’ve only had two I want to actually develop further. One was about a submarine, and the other was about a blue haired wizard :)

12. I read fanfic yeah!! They’re super fun, I appreciate fanfic writers so much omg!! I don’t have a specific least favorite, as I tend to dnf quickly if it’s not my cup of tea. I usually stick to DC fics; I particularly like Banshee In A Well by liverobinreaction (bugbee). If you plan on reading, pls check the tags as it involves heavy subjects!!

Thanks again for the ask, this was very fun!! :D