#someone please cast these two in a series with a budget

[ellsieee]

Source: @BlackWhiskey on TW

So this is what happened when they were drunk in episode 1. Damn that was sexy. My stance against paying $10 for a few minutes of making out is wavering...

[aroaceleovaldez]

So, in your last post about the Percy Jackson TV show, I felt you lacked a few pieces of information/points. While it is true that the CGI in the film is pore and not constructed well, please note that while they have a large budget Disney has made a lot of restrictions to the show. In the original scrips there was a significantly larger amount of violence that would have needed more CGI. This was latter edited out of the script due to both restrictions and budget cuts for other parts in the show(sadly). Also to bring into prospective Sea of monsters the movie was made 10 years ago. Inflation has juristically affected the way money is used in films. Another thing to note is typically movie budgets are less than TV shows because they only are filming for one larger block of time. TV however they can take years meaning the acters need to be paid even for the time off set. This is not to say movies cannot take years, but it is to show that TV shows are filmed longer. I would also like to say I am genuinely not trying to be rude or unkind about your opinion and thoughts on the subject. I am just someone who has a different insight into the topic because of the things I know about the topic (I myself, am an actor and for the most part I think this is why the CGI was not the best as well as some of the script work). 

I did actually calculate inflation for Sea of Monsters versus the PJO TV show. We know the PJO TV show allegedly had a budget of $12-15 million per episode. For comparison, this is the type of budget Disney+ usually uses for stuff like The Mandalorian. I was doing a generous underestimate for the entire season which comes out to $96mil (12mil per episode x 8 episodes). Sea of Monsters' budget was 90mil. Here's that inflation:

So lil over $120mil. Going for a top estimate for s1 of the show (15x8) that's $120mil. And as far as I'd heard that may also not include stuff like budget for casting for the show. They are still roughly in similar ballparks.

Regardless of this - as an animator, i can tell you there is no excuse for that wonky CGI trident other than it being extremely quickly done. That's literally a transform error, like ctrl+t type stuff. That is a lazy and cheap trident, probably because Disney notoriously overworks and cheaps out with their CGI. The CGI problems in the show are majority because Disney's being cheap about it. This shows in nearly all the CGI in every episode.

If they had to remove violence from the script and so remove CGI scenes with it, then theoretically they should have more room in the budget for more or better CGI where it already is in the show. That money doesn't just vanish. Changing that in the script gives them less of an excuse, actually.

Also, as i mentioned in my previous post - if you don't want to CGI hydrokinesis, don't pick the franchise where the main character's defining power is hydrokinesis. If you can't have much violence, DON'T PICK THE GREEK MYTHOLOGY SERIES WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTER BEHEADS TWO PEOPLE IN THE FIRST BOOK AND IT ONLY GETS BLOODIER FROM THERE. You cannot have PJO without some level of violence. It's kind of very inherent to the series. Rick actually talks in his original Teaching Guide for The Lightning Thief about how, in argument against attempts to ban TLT (in this specific instance for "being too violent"), that monsters in the books poof into golden dust for a reason, because then they haven't "died." There is no blood. They can and will come back. Because it's fantasy. That is the excuse for all the violence. Of which there otherwise technically is a lot of.

If you are doing live action PJO you are going to have to have some amount of violence (and there is absolutely a level that is perfectly suitable for a PG13 audience. The show right now is leagues below that level. PG13 just means parental guidance for under 13 - this majority has to do with concerns about children under 13 replicating behavior on-screen. Past 13 kids know better than to do that, which is why that rating is a thing. There are plenty of film/media/etc that are way more gory and violent and are still PG13). You are going to have to CGI monsters/creatures to some degree regularly (alongside demigod powers like Percy's hydrokinesis even more regularly). And between those two things, characters are going to have to look like they're physically interacting with the CGI at times. Disney is capable of doing this. Disney does have the budget for this for the show. They're not doing it because they're being cheap. Disney has done this before and does it regularly. This is not anything new. It entirely has to do with CGI not having as many unions. They have no excuses. If they didn't expect to run into these problems then they clearly did no planning for what adapting the series would entail and didn't think at all of what the series actually featured before diving into it. And they have no excuse for that! That is step one!

[dagmartoons]

I have now watched Lupin III VS Cat's Eye. Read of my thoughts.

It was fun! I had a good time!

I was cautiously optimistic leading up to the release and then much more excited when I read other people's reactions to it. I really enjoyed it myself!

(more spoilery points under the cut)

The animation... is what it is. It definitely looked better in some scenes than others but on the whole I didn't think it was too bad. I do have to wonder what their budget for this one was though.

There's a flashback sequence in this movie that uses 2D stills and I wish the whole movie looked like it

Apparently for the music they reused a lot of tracks from Parts 4 and 5 and I could really tell. I'm not gonna fault them for that though cause we're still not sure what Yuji Ohno's health status is. Besides, the music is really good, so I'm not complaining.

The new version of the Cat's Eye theme they played over the credits was great too! I love that song 😊

lupin honey how are you still alive after all that holy shit

Dude should've died like three times in this movie

At least there were lasting ramifications this time! The whole "him having impaired vision" thing was really interesting

Lupin's friendship with Ai was really adorable. From the promotional stuff I was expecting a lot more scenes between him and Hitomi but they might've just been together on the poster cause Hitomi's the leader.

TOSHIO AND ZENIGATA BONDING YES YES YES THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED THANK YOU TMS (even though they kinda did fuck all in the movie itself)

Same with Fujiko! I was hoping there'd be more scenes between her and the Cats but nope!

can someone please explain to me why zantetsuken broke at the end like whyyyyyyy

This is very much Lupin's story; the rest of the cast are just kinda there (same with Ai on the Cat's Eye front). I did like that they established a connection between Lupin and the Cats' dad though. Wasn't expecting that!

(Was their mom ever mentioned in the series? I'm only up to episode 8 as I'm writing this)

TOTALLY called the art dealer dude betraying them

why is it always nazis with you people

I swear the last two movies in this franchise have both involved Nazis can we please go one movie without the bad guys being Nazis goddammit

I watched this movie dubbed and it was... awkward. I mean, the voices themselves were fine (hell, it's the Epcar cast) but I just don't think they matched with the animation very well. Maybe it's cause of the direction, maybe it's the lipsync being REALLY off, I don't know. Definitely wanna rewatch it subbed at some point.

The voices for the Cats were great though! Cristina Vee is always a welcome addition and Deneen Melody and Alicyn Packard were great too!

All in all I had a great time with this one! If you can get past the animation this is a really entertaining movie. And now to wait for it to never get a Blu-ray release because Amazon is the worst!

[sleepymarmot]

Glass Onion

Yes, I had been waiting for this movie for a while and dropped everything to watch it the day of release. What about it?

Liveblog

Is it bad that I’m already like “I want all of these people to die”? Well, maybe not Lionel I guess.

Lol a bit of sci-fi to justify the actors not wearing masks for the entire movie

Is the bad CGI robot some kind of Star Wars legacy? :D

Aww, poor Benoit Soo, one of the guests plans to murder the host for real, and invites a detective to frame another guest?

It’s been 30 minutes, can people start dying please (Not Andi though, that’d be uncool)

Love the scenery, and Craig’s outfit is nice

Cool shot where Andi has the same expression as the Mona Lisa

“This is reckless. And you’re gonna get somebody killed.”

Okay, so far we’ve established the motive for: Peg, Duke, Lionel, maybe Claire. What about Birdie? And the random guy hanging around? And Andi? Is Andi automatically disqualified because we saw her destroy the box? That could be a real alibi or a red herring.

Nooo, so awkward, I can’t watch this Oh, he did it on purpose, that makes it a bit less painful

Huh, he didn’t mention Andi in the monologue...

Oh good, exactly an hour into a murder mystery, someone finally died! Yes, yes, of course it was an attempt on Miles’ life, I thought we’ve already established he’s who everyone wants dead. Cool trick to keep Norton among the active cast, I thought it was weird for the most famous actor to play the victim. (It’s nice to see Norton again btw, I wondered a while ago why I hadn’t seen him in new movies recently.)

Lmao the lights! Now this is fun

Oh no, Andi! :(

Plot twist!! Well now he's responsible for an innocent woman’s death, that’s going to give him a motive to find the killer

This shit is wild

Hell yeah she’s alive!!!

Is she going to attack the Mona Lisa?..

I feel bad about the painting. The way this was framed as a triumphant moment has the same energy as that Tumblr post about destroying famous paintings because rich people like them.

Review

[Additional spoilers for Knives Out, The Last Jedi, Midsommar, and The Handmaiden]

The film takes too much time to get started. The characters are too flat to carry it until the plot actually launches. Only gets good after the plot twist. The secondhand embarrassment scenes are excruciating.

The plot: “rich people bad, the detective teams up with a pure-hearted woman of color and helps her win”, take two. Are they going to make a whole franchise out of this? Not a great foundation for murder mystery: just look for the most entitled white man and that’s your killer.

Benoit Blanc himself, though, is a good character to build a movie series around. A classic independent detective with a kind heart and a taste for adventure — I want to see more of him. Many people have said it already, but I want Blanc to replace Bond as Daniel Craig’s #1 role.

The biggest strength of the film were, of course, all of the clever and fun twists and reveals. As you can see from the liveblog, I was misdirected very successfully and loved it every time.

And now for the biggest flaw of Glass Onion in my eyes. Just like Knives Out, this film has an extremely fun outer layer wrapped around the heart that I find a genuine downer. Most of the shallow, annoying characters got off scot-free, and what was harmed the most in act 3 was an innocent painting. I’ve already seen The Last Jedi, I don’t really need the same ending scene as the Canto Bight storyline — except worse because the writer doesn’t see the difference between “rich asshole’s property” and “priceless piece of art”. Which is a bad enough take to see on Tumblr, but straight up baffling to encounter in a high budget movie, written by a professional filmmaker. (Amazing timing, though. How did they manage to release this not only in the middle of the Musk major meltdown/Twitter takeover but also soon after the Van Gogh soup discourse?)

In retrospect it also reminds me of a couple of other famous scenes with a female protagonist involved in destruction, and the comparison is not in Glass Onion’s favor. Midsommar also ends with the heroine and a huge symbolic fire, but it’s a horror/drama, and the event takes not only the lives of those caught in the fire but the soul of the heroine. The Handmaiden, on the other hand, features a scene of art destruction that is genuinely positive and cathartic, but the nature of art and the role it plays in human lives is radically different.

[Edited to add] I’ve seen people who liked the ending defend it by saying that people are more important than art. The thing is, if this were framed as the trolley problem — if destroying a priceless work of art were presented as the only way to save an unknown number of lives — I would feel differently. Instead, the film seems to want the viewer not to value the Mona Lisa just because the rich amoral characters do value it.

In a more Watsonian and practical sense, I don’t see how this is a win for Helen. She was the one who burned the painting. The fuel played only a minor part, the painting would have been destroyed just the same without it (in fact, that’s what expected Miles’ lighter to be for). But even if it were otherwise — okay, so this new fuel can easily cause a fire; well, so can electricity and gas if you’re not careful! Not great for PR of this specific product, but not a death sentence either. Most importantly, it’s the person who committed arson that will be charged for it, not the person who unwittingly provided the fuel for the fire.

I did have a good time, to be clear! Very worth watching unspoiled. The release was timed well: the overall lighthearted tone, clever twists, vibrant visuals (bright colors, stylish outfits, idyllic location) make this a good holiday movie.

I’m having trouble with a numerical grade (the worst part of IMDB and Letterboxd is that they make me care about grading, even though it doesn’t work with how I think about media at all). Glass Onion feels like a 7, but I gave Knives Out a 9 and they don’t feel two whole grades apart.

[thatonemoviefan]

I posted 2,272 times in 2022

That's 2,016 more posts than 2021!

30 posts created (1%)

2,242 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@karamelcoveredolicity

@troubleinapinksuit

@deyjahvu

@asrealasadonut

@bcofl0ve

I tagged 66 of my posts in 2022

#austin butler - 39 posts

#austin butler elvis - 33 posts

#elvis movie - 31 posts

#baz luhrmann elvis - 26 posts

#elvis presley - 21 posts

#elvis (2022) - 19 posts

#elvis 2022 - 18 posts

#percy jackson - 9 posts

#pjo - 9 posts

#pjo series - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 83 characters

#i know my experiences are not universal but like idk man this feels pretty unifying

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

If you are a fanfic writer in the Elvis/Austin Butler community and you have been effected by the the Wattpad plagerism, PLEASE FILL OUT THIS TAKEDOWN NOTICE

It basically details more of the copyright infringement the way I understand it

I reported the story again as Wattpad didn’t do shit the last time we tried. And I think if we want to get this thief to stop, filling this out might be a good idea

22 notes - Posted November 28, 2022

#4

“It’s hard to think of these out of context when you’ve seen this movie (almost) ten times”

36 notes - Posted August 22, 2022

#3

So since Elvis fans are discussing the new announcement…I guess I’ll talk about it

So for those who don’t know, it was announced that Sofia Coppola, acclaimed filmmaker and one that I actually kinda like, is making a bio-pic about Priscilla Presley, specifically about her memoir Elvis and Me (which is a great read btw).

But not only that, but casted in the role of Elvis is Jacob Elordi who dated Kaia Gerber who is currently dating Austin.

That’s the most I will ever talk about celebrity news.

Okay.

I love Sofia’s work. I think she’s a great filmmaker and I would love to see how she’d adapt the book with her style.

However.

The movie won’t be out for a while. Casting announcement means this thing is probably well into pre-production. And a big budget Hollywood bio-pic from a critically acclaimed director that will want to be an awards contender, won’t be out for a while. The guess being thrown around in the fandom is 2024.

However.

The casting announcement coming out practically three months after Elvis (2022)’s release while we’re still riding the high, and even the movie itself, feels like a deliberate cash grab to capitalize on all this new Elvis hype.

And that must suck for Austin and Jacob who are now going to be pitted against each other and constantly compared.

But also yeah. Austin worked his ass off for this role and now someone else is riding his high. That must be unfair.

And yeah. I’m not sure how Priscilla and Lisa Marie will take to this.

Idk how the book rights work with this whole thing. Like idk if Priscilla owns the book rights but the vibe I’m getting is she wasn’t consulted and I have no clue how true that is. But Elvis (2022) was the most accurate film on Elvis’s life and it was the one the family was the most happy with. So this does feel a little insulting that this announcement is riding the high of a film that was truly a passion project for those involved.

So what are my thoughts?

I don’t know dude. On one hand, I’m interested in another version of this story especially done by another pretty great filmmaker. But on the other, it feels so cash grabby and like a PR stunt. Like Jacob being cast is not a coincidence. And I don’t want to compare the two, even though I think Austin is probably going to be the better of the two

We’ll see what happens but yeah this whole thing does leave a bad taste in my mouth

67 notes - Posted September 13, 2022

#2

Percy Jackson: No Way Home

Coming soon

art by TheCarica on Instagram

Part One of Percy Jackson: No Way Home

618 notes - Posted May 13, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

So when are we gonna get Percy Jackson: No Way Home?

Part Two

8,142 notes - Posted April 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[fancoloredglasses]

Masters of the Universe (which was worse, this or The New Adventures of He-Man? Let me know in the comments!), Part 1

(Thanks to Warner Bros.)

[All images are owned by Mattel and The Cannon Group MGM. Please don’t sue me]

In the 80s, one of the hottest cartoons in syndication was He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. It was so popular that not only did he get a spin-off series starring a previously unknown twin sister named Adora (AKA She-Ra), but the 5-part series that introduced them was made into a feature film!

Naturally, someone would get the bright idea to capitalize on He-Man’s popularity by making a live-action film.

Unfortunately, as you will see, not much thought went into how to put together such a film.

The film starred Dolph Lundgren (previously known as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV) as He-Man. While he certainly looked the part, Lundgren sadly didn’t have the acting chops to pull off a Leading Role (which he proved again a few years later in The Punisher)

On the other side is Skeletor, played by Frank Langella (best known for playing Nixon in Frost/Nixon) in a horrible-looking mask. Langella did a great job chewing the scenery when he spoke, but was not up for any major action sequences, especially while wearing a horrible-looking face-covering prosthetic (which may explain why his screen time was very limited)

The rest of the cast I’ll reveal as they’re introduced (including two who would go on to better things)

Now, on with the show! If you would like to watch the film, it’s available on Tubi or behind your favorite paywall.

We open in the throne room of Castle Greyskull, where Skeletor’s forces have taken the Castle and have all but conquered Eternia. Unfortunately for Skeletor, He-Man is leading the resistance against him.

Unfortunately for He-Man, Skeletor’s taking of Greyskull means he has the powerful Sorceress under his control (though she resists his efforts to use her power)

Skeletor then broadcasts his declaration of victory to all of Eternia.

He-Man is less than impressed with Skeletor’s gloating. He spots a squad of Skeletor’s forces with a prisoner tied up in a net. He makes short work of the goons…

…with a little help from Duncan (Eternia’s Man-at-Arms) and his daughter Teela, and frees the prisoner…

…Gwildor (played by Billy Barty in another bad prosthetic mask. Did this film not have a costuming budget?), who is the film’s comic relief. Personally, I’d rather have Orko as the comic relief, but I’m guessing he would’ve been more than the special effects budget could’ve handled.

He-Man wants to know why Skeletor wanted Gwildor, so takes He-Man and the other to his home and shows them…

A device known as the Cosmic McGuffin Key, capable of opening a portal to any place in the universe. Skeletor’s lieutenant Evil-Lyn stole the only other copy of the Cosmic Key (which explains how Skeletor breached Greyskull’s defenses)

He-Man prepares to do the same to take Grayskull back, but Skeletor’s forces find them first! Fortunately, Gwildor has a secret back door that leads under Greyskull (HOW CONVENIENT!) and they escape before the front door is breached. Hopefully they remember to shut the back door.

Inside Greyskull, the group see the Sorceress trapped inside Skeletor’s magic field.

Naturally, He-Man doesn’t care. Gwildor works on attuning the Cosmic Key to the field imprisoning the Sorceress as Skeletor’s goons approach…

…with Evil Lyn directing the charge, and Skeletor not far behind. Skeletor then monologues about his plan to steal the Sorceress’s power at moonrise (which one? I thought Eternia has two moons), then unleash his fury upon the universe! Then Evil Lyn spots Gwildor.

With the jig up, Duncan tells Gwildor to set the key to take them away, but doesn’t specify where (you’d like working with Orko all those years would teach him to be specific) Gwildor punches a bunch of random buttons and a portal opens. Unfortunately, the Cosmic Key is shot and damaged as they jump through!

Skeletor, naturally, is livid.

And where did they wind up?

So not even Gwildor knows? Greeeeeaaaaaat…

Even worse, when they landed, they lost track of the Cosmic Key!

Then they encounter a native to this strange world they’ve landed on.

…a cow? Yes, He-Man and his friends have landed on Earth. I guess they didn’t have much of a set design budget either. Anyway, the four split up and look for the Cosmic Key so they can return, fight a few thousand of Skeletor’s goons, and free the Sorceress before moonrise gives Skelertor Absolute Power. No pressure or anything.

Later, at a nearby rib and fried chicken shack, we are introduced to Julie (played by Courtney Cox, who would later be one of the Friends) on her last day of work and preparing to move to New Jersey after her parents were killed in an accident (I’m so sorry…both about losing her parents and moving to Jersey)…

…and her sorta-kinda ex-boyfriend, a musician named Kevin (played by Robert Duncan McNeill, who would go on to play Tom Paris in Star Trek: Voyager), who Julie broke up with since she was leaving. As they drive off together…

(Thanks to Phuck Yiu)

(So Eternians don’t eat meat? Then what the hell do they feed Battle Cat?)

Back to Kevin and Julie…they’re visiting Julie’s parents’ graves and we get some backstory on her parents’ death (they died due to changing plans after Julie “had to study” wanted to spend time with Kevin. However, as they leave…

…they find the Cosmic Key. Kevin thinks it’s some sort of synthesizer (I mean, it does make music as it works) and plans to incorporate it into his gig that evening. They then activate it.

…giving Skeletor a signal to trace. He orders Evil-Lyn to open a portal to the Cosmic Key’s location the next time it’s activated and send a squad to retrieve it (and He-Man)

Later at the local high school, as Kevin does his sound check for the school dance (with Julie offering emotional support. I thought they broke up?)…

With that, he once again activates the Cosmic Key. With that, Skeletor sends Evil-Lyn’s hand-picked squad (and a few mooks) to retrieve the Cosmic Key and drag He-Man back so Skeletor can gloat.

(Left to right: Blade, Saurod, Karg, and Beast-man)

Back on Earth, Kevin wants to show the Cosmic Key to his friend Charlie while Julie wants some alone time. Three guesses what happens while Kevin’s gone.

The Goon Squad rush in to capture Julie (since she might know where the Cosmic Key is). She escapes, but…

Man, Kevin’s gonna be pissed when he gets back!

Fortunately for Julie, He-Man is in the area looking for the Cosmic Key as well.

He-Man stashes Julie in a secluded spot and hands her his pistol while he deals with them.

(Thanks to Action Cut)

With Skeletor’s goons chased off, He-Man asks Julie about the Cosmic Key.

Speaking of the Key, Kevin talks to Charlie (played by Barry Livingston, who played Ernie on My Three Sons) about his cool new synthesizer.

Suddenly, Charlie sees police cars and fire truck whizzing by and he checks the police band to see what’s happening (three guesses)

Kevin rushes back to the high school and is confronted by…

…Detective Lubic (played by James Tolkan, who played the principal in Back to the Future) Kevin demands that Lubic look for Julie, so Lubic packs him up and off they go!

Meanwhile, Duncan and Leela report that the Goon Squad got away. They hear a banging and turn to attack!

…but it’s only Gwildor in a car that matches his hair. They all pile in and off they go!

WILL He-Man and his friends be able to RETURN to ETERNIA?

WILL they defeat SKELETOR before it's TOO LATE?

WILL someone give the producers a budget for...ANYTHING?

These questions and MORE will be ANSWERED in the exciting CONCLUSION!

[waitimcomingtoo]

Tongue Tied ~ P.P

chapter two

series masterlist

The next day, you were washing a bowl in the kitchen sink when Pepper walked in.

“So.” She grinned as she leaned on the counter beside you. “You and Peter, huh?”

“What? Where did you hear about that?” You whispered harshly and shut the water off.

“From Tony.” She shrugged. “How was it? Was this your first time? It was, wasn’t it? That’s so sweet. You and your best friend losing it to each other.”

“Miss Pots-“

“Please. You’re a woman now. You can call me Pepper.” Pepper smiled as she fixed your hair. You gave her an awkward smile and prayed someone would walk in to save you from this conversation.

“Right. Pepper.”

“So how was it?” She asked. “Come on. I need details. I’ve been in a business meeting all day. Give me something good.”

“It was magical.” You lied. “Truly. It changed me. It really did. Physically, mentally, spiritually, um, autobiographically.”

“Really? I wouldn’t expect that from Peter.” Pepper nodded in amusement.

“Peter has a way of surprising you.” You cracked a smile. “He’s shy and sweet when he wants to be. But he can also be really assertive. He knows what he wants. I like that about him.”

“Good for you. I’m glad you two found each other.” Pepper smiled fondly at you and squeezed your arm.

“Me too.” You turned the smile.

“What’s this?” Carol asked as she walked into the kitchen. “Girl talk? Without me?”

“Hi Carol. How’s space? Still holding up?” Pepper asked as she embraced Carol in a hug.

“Space is boring. Tell me all about this boy who knows what he wants.” Carol smirked as she poked your side.

“Y/n and Peter are dating.“ Pepper replied, making your eyes squeeze shut in embarrassment.

“Peter Parker?” Carol wondered. “I thought you guys had been together since the battle with a Thanos. You hugged him for like 20 minutes straight when he came back.”

“They’re not just dating.” Pepper continued with a coy smile. Carol gave you a knowing look when she caught on and you wanted to die.

“Why did you have to tell her that?” You whined and covered your face.

“What? Carols never here. She deserves to know all the gossip.”

“Yeah. I need to be caught up. So you guys went all the way?”

“Mm hm.” You squeaked as you reminded yourself that this was better then telling them about the lab.

“Wow.” Carol looked impressed. “Are you guys in love?”

“Carol. Don’t embarrass the girl.” Pepper playfully scolded. “Of course they’re in love.”

“Who’s in love?” Valkyrie asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” You groaned at the sight of her. You weren’t even sure she had ever been to the Avengers tower until now.

“Oh hey. I wasn’t expecting you.” Carol smiled and ran to hug Valkyrie.

“Thor and I just arrived.” She nodded. “He said something about raiding the basement for a cask of amontillado.”

“That sounds like he fell sleep reading Edgar Allen Poe.” Pepper mumbled.

“Again.” You rolled your eyes.

“So. What’s the news? Who’s in love?” Valkyrie asked as she looked around.

“Y/n and Peter are dating.” Carol replied.

“Wow.” Valkyrie nodded. “I don’t know either of those people.”

“Hi.” You awkwardly held out your hand. “Y/n. We fought an intergalactic battle together once.”

“Tony caught them in the act.” Pepper said with a cheeky smile, making you die inside.

“No he didn’t.” You whined. “It was afterwards.”

“Hey guys. What’s going on in here?” Natasha asked when she walked into the kitchen.

“Wow. Full cast huh?” You said sarcastically. “The whole budget went into this one conversation. Who else is in the tower? Jane Foster? The dead bitch from Steve’s watch? The girl who got an autograph from Captain America but is also Starlord’s mom? Why not just bring out all the woman who used to be background dancers on Steve’s Captain America press tour? We can whip out a ouija board and tell them all about me and Peter. I’m sure they’d love to know.”

Before anyone could respond to your unamused rant, Gamora and Nebula came into the kitchen.

“Hey ladies. I thought I heard your voices.” Gamora smiled and slung an arm around Carol.

“Ah yes. Of course.” You smiled sarcastically. “This is totally a normal group of people who often hang out.”

“Hey guys. What are you all doing in here?” Hope asked as she came into the kitchen. You looked around to see if anyone else was shocked by the group of in the kitchen, but no one else was phased.

“Y/n. Tony told me about you and Peter.” Hope smiled as she squeezed your arm.

“Why? Why would he do that?” You sighed. “Do you even know each other? Do we even know each other?”

Meanwhile, Peter was working out in the tower gym when he let out a loud yawn.

“Tired?” Sam asked him.

“Yeah. Y/n and I had a late night.” Peter said. He was referring to working on fixing the vacuum all night with you, but Sam didn’t know that.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.” Sam said as he stood in front of Peter. He looked over at Bucky and waved him over, making Peter gulp.

“Listen, kid.” Sam began. “Y/n is a special girl.”

“She’s a god damn Angel.” Bucky added.

“We want to make sure you know that.” Sam said as he stared down at Peter.

“I do.” Peter nodded. “Of course I do.”

“You better.” Bucky said as his metal arm curled into a fist. Peter gulped but was saved by Steve coming into the room.

“Hey. Sorry guys. I came here to talk to Peter about Y/n. I can come back.” Steve offered.

“That’s what we were just talking to him about.” Sam replied.

“Oh, good.” Steve nodded. “Look son, Y/n is a great girl.”

“She’s a fucking princess.” Bucky added.

“You’re not gonna find a girl like her again.” Steve continued. “So you have to make sure you treat her right. Be a gentleman. Girls like old school chivalry. Hold the door for her. Take her out for a milkshake. Pull out her chair for her. Give her your jacket.”

“Ask her to go steady with you. Attend the sick hop together. Go see a picture show. Churn some butter with her. Board the titanic.” Sam added to make fun of Steve.

“Die of hay fever.” Bucky deadpanned.

“Don’t listen to these knuckleheads.” Steve waved his hand. “I love Y/n like a daughter. I’m gonna be making sure you take care of her, okay? Don’t let me down.”

“I won’t, sir.” Peter shook his head. “I promise, I won’t. I really like her. I’d never do anything to hurt her.”

Before Steve could respond, Scott and Bruce came into the gym. Peter looked at them nervously as they all formed a circle around him.

“Hey, kid.” Bruce nodded. “Tony told us about you and Y/n. We just wanted to make sure you know what you’re doing. Lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice, you know. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Guys, I appreciate the concern but I’m not gonna hurt Y/n. I can promise you that.” Peter assured everyone with confidence. Since he wasn’t actually your boyfriend, he knew he couldn’t actually break your heart.

“Bad news. You guys are out of amontillado.” Thor sighed as he came into the gym. “But on a brighter side, I hear there’s a new couple in the tower.”

“Yeah. Peter and Y/n are dating.” Steve told him.

“And they’re totally doing it.” Sam snorted, making Peter turn bright red.

“So I hear. Listen here, my boy.” Thor said as he got down on Peter’s level. “Y/n is one of the fairest maidens I have ever come across. If you ever do anything to hurt her, I will strike you with lightening so hard that you will disintegrate and then blow away in the wind like a McDonald’s napkin.”

“I won’t hurt her.” Peter gulped. “I promise. I’ll take care of her.”

“You better.” Thor smiled and patted Peter’s shoulder, sending a spark of electricity through his body.

Once your awkward conversation in the kitchen ended, you slipped away and went to Peter’s room. He had just gotten back from the gym and peeled his sweaty shirt off before opening the door.

“Hi.” You gulped at the sight of him shirtless before making eye contact.

“Hey. Come on in.” Peter led you inside and locked the door behind him.

“This is bad.” You sighed. “The whole tower knows we’re together. I thought this was gonna a little white lie but it’s gotta so out of hand.”

“Tell me about it. I just had all the male Avengers interrogate me about you in the gym. I didn’t even know you were close to them like that.”

“Oh, yeah. They love me.” You nodded. “Most of them either haven’t started a family, didn’t save a kid on a mission, or don’t see their family enough. And I’m a young girl who grew up without a dad. They flock to me. It makes them feel whole again to take care of me.”

“Well all your surrogate dads are gonna murder me if I hurt you. So. There’s that.” Peter shrugged.

“You think that’s bad? Every single woman who has ever been or crossed paths with an Avenger just grilled me in the kitchen about us. They were asking me so many questions. We have to get our story straight so it doesn’t seem like we’re lying.”

“Okay. What did you tell them?”

“Well basically they all think we lost our virginities to each other on a magical night where we had sex on top of a cloud while being bathed in moonlight. And there were harps and angels and we finished at the same time and asked for consent every step of the way and whatever other bullshit I had to tell them to shut them up.”

“Okay. That sounds easy enough to remember.” Peter said sarcastically. “Who’s room did you say we did it in?”

“Your room. I just feel like that would probably be true if we ever actually did do it. Since you have a bigger bed and all.” You smiled shyly as a blush painted Peter’s cheeks.

“Okay. Yeah, that’s good. My room.” Peter nodded as his eyes flickered to your lips. He was dying to talk about the kiss but your mind seemed elsewhere.

“Do you really think we can pull this off?“ You worried. “The lab is no where near done. And we still haven’t repaired the vacuum thingy. I thought this lie would be easy to keep up with when it was just Tony but not the whole tower thinks we’re fucking.”

Peter flushed all the way to his ears at your choice of words and tried to give you a reassuring smile.

“We’ll be okay as long as we stick together and keep our story straight. It’s the perfect cover. It will explain why we’re spending so much time together. And if they think we’re having sex, they won’t ask questions. They’ll stay out of our business until we can finish with the lab.”

“I don’t know, Peter.” You frowned. “I don’t want this to push us together before we’re ready.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean if we ever do get together, I want it to be because we wanted to do it. Not because everyone else thought we would be cute together.” You said without looking at him.

“If?” Peter repeated as a smile tugged at his lips.

“I just don’t want all our first moments as a couple to be fake.” You sighed. “I don’t want you to hold my hand to maintain a lie. I want you to hold my hand because you want to hold my hand.”

Peter stared at you and drew his knees up to his chest. It wasn’t much, but it let him know he was at least on your radar. He wanted to reach out and grab your hand, but he chickened out and bit his nails instead.

“Forget it. I don’t even know what I’m talking about. I’m just being stupid. I’ll see you later.” You laughed nervously and left his room before he could protest.

Read the rest here

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

April 2021 Part 4 

it’s my birthday week! *raises a glass of pink milk* 

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Second Chance Ep 4 - oh noes my babies are all so sad! Teen angst for the win. Tropes included: crying in shower, a very significant hand hold, & striped shirts. (At this point over half the cast has been in stripes.) 

Love Machine Ep 1 - not gonna lie, I barely made it through the first half, this is a short run LOW budget experimental web series and it’s not good. Dropped.  

Lovely Writer Ep 9 - I like it when LW gets serious because there are fewer dumb sound effects, but oof Aey, poor baby. How many Aeys have I known over the years? Rejected, broken, angry, lonely, and lashing out. On a different note, I haven’t see the “sex drug made us do it” plot device since 1980s Johanna Lindsey. Props to that cocktail rearing its ugly head. (yeh yeh) ZOMBIE TROPE ALERT. (Is this the point where I remind the world at a-play doesn’t have to hurt? Well, it doesn’t! Toys, prep, and lube people. Sheesh.) Anygay, zombie trope is put safely back underground. Please don’t let it rise again? (I KNOW, I’ll stop now.) So this was a rough episode, especially the back end. (Okay now I’ll REALLY stop.)  Seriously tho, BL doesn’t do a massive coming out family drama scene often. I liked LW’s handling of this one. Hard to watch but compelling. 

Close Friend Ep 1 (OhmFluke) - very cute snapshot into a LTR featuring an overworked music producer and his student BF. That’s the chassis for this whole series, each one has to do with the song & is a portrayal of that song’s message. Essentially, the theme of this one was remembering to make time for your partner. I enjoyed that. OhmFluke gave us easy casual familiar affection and a kiss, but no BL tropes, just romance. 

Fish Upon The Sky Ep 3 - Pi is a total spazz & the ghost story bit was... well, it was something wasn’t it? Lots of tropes: fixing his clothes, wound tending, drag baby around, piggyback, head in lap, hand hold, and ending on a drunk kiss. I just noticed Pi uses guu/mueng with Mork, but Mork’s a year older. (So I have a new entry onto the linguistic brats list.)  So rude and presumptuous. Also I gotta say this, don’t wear watches when you’re working on a cadaver, mmky boys? 

Y-Destiny Ep 4 - look MaxNat have great chemistry, this ep had loads of great tropes (e.g. cheek kiss, rooftop, public claiming via phone), it’s not their fault I’m just not wild about these characters. I do like Nuea’s wanna-be idol wardrobe though. And Sun is sporting the red bag version of Tharn’s black bag that I wanted so bad in TT2. (I wonder if I can score a knock off when I’m over there?) Regardless, I basically grinned all the way through this installment, so that’s another thumbs up from me for Y-Destiny. Who knew I’d come around? Man would I love to see these two get their own series. 

Brothers Ep 12 - teacher/student exposed! But the power of boys on phones will overcome all. No KhunKaow for me, so of course I found this ep tragically disappointing. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 6 - MuRen is officially a yaoi manga character in the flesh. H4′s outright mockery/subversion of tropes “don’t touch him he’s mine,” + “touch my lip & think of kissing” makes the fact that other (way more damaging) tropes are being blithely utilized without critique almost - dare i say it? - insulting. YongJie is trash but I’m the one who feels like trash because I want to forgive him. How aptly abusive & dysfunctional we all are. I don’t know whether to applaud H4 or start drinking. (Maybe this is the show I should invent a cocktail for? Who am I kidding? This is totally a jello shots show.) 

Friend or Lover (Taiwan) Ep 2 - I thought this was only a microfilm but turns out it’s a web series. It’s cute. I’m enjoying it. 

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) Ep 3 - subs take a while to drop but it’s still better than average. I like a secret identity trope, I love a grumpy/sunshine pairing, and the side couple is great but this ep was slow. With only 6 total (I assume) they better get the main couple together next ep or the improved quality of this series will be sacrificed on the alter of pacing issues. 

Word of Honor (China) Ep 28-30 - slowed down to focus on bad guys (yawn...ooo Scorpion...yawn again). Then baby gets kidnapped, other baby goes crazy, and old friends turn up. We end on DOOM because mathematically this was an episode 11. All boxes checked.

Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korea) Ep 3-4 - how is this show SO DAMN CUTE & weirdly wholesome at the same time? Another one of those: Will Korea resolve this satisfactorily in 4 short eps? But I seem to say that half way through every Korean BL. These days, I have complete faith. Warm fuzzies for everyone. 

Stand Alones

Color Rush movie is the same as the series. There is a stinger at the VERY end (untranslated) but which I’m assuming has something to do with the missing mother. Is this a possible indication of a 2nd season? Hopefully someone will eng sub the stinger and post it out into the universe. So yeah, Color Rush movie = To My Star style, sadly, not Wish You. That said, I did enjoy watching with different subs. The first version I watched was fan subbed, and they were better on English colloquialisms. Viki’s subs are better on Korean colloquialisms. 

Breaking News 

Bunch of new press on Thailand’s I Told the Sunset About You 2 AKA I Promised You the Moon. Here’s a master post on the subject with all the links you could ever want. It will start airing May 27th 8 pm (Thai time) on LINETV.

New Thai Bl Golden Blood got a teaser trailer. Stars familiar side dish Gun Napat (Techno from LBC) as a rich kid who needs a bodyguard. Yeah, it looks to be the Thai version of Where Your Eyes Linger which is FINE. I love me a bodyguard romance. DO EETTT Thailand. Trailer contains ALL the tropes: dry his hair, piggyback, cooking together, and more, plus good smooches. It looks GREAT. Also cheeper to make then KinPorsche and it might get funded due to of residual enthusiasm. Also GOOD TITLE. 

Close Friend got another teaser trailer this one for Talay & Yoon (no subs). 

Taiwan has a new BL coming out... eventually. Looks to be a new franchise like the HIStory series with different couple(s) each season. It’s the first Taiwanese BL from a major in-country network. The first installment is titled Be Loved in House: I Do (seriously Taiwan, could we talk about your titles?). It stars a familiar face, Aaron Lai from HIStory: My Hero. It’s a grumpy/tsundere boss/employee office-set BL with some forced proximity to push them together. (Nods to Japan.) No release date, but (unlike Thailand) Taiwan usually doesn’t make announcements without content & serious intent. 

Gossip 

Taiwanese BL NOVEL Miracle dropped a trailer, no subs or translation. According to YouTube comments it was supposed to be part of HIStory3 but MODC took on its slot. Still it’s kinda fun to see what might have been.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International accessibility reasons.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something. 

[starberry-skies]

bestie what it is community please tell me about it

GASP someone to infodump to okok so. basic knowledge community is ur classic sitcom but!! the twist is that its constantly making fun of sitcom tropes (and itself) its really meta at some points but ill get into that laterrr. it all takes place in a community college and ill just go over the main characters for now bc i work in the morningjsjdjdn

jeff- hes an ex-lawyer w daddy issues and a huge ego. his character is okayyy but def not my fave.

britta- described in the show as an "anarchist cat owner". her heart is always in the right place, but shes just... bad at executing some of her ideas (side note: my favorite quote of hers is "you cant blame him, thats like me blaming owls for how much i suck at analogies")

abed- where to begin. hes the best character (who lowkey started my gender crisis) but he's introduced as "quirky weird kid who makes movie references and movies of his friends". important note is abed is v much hinted to be on the spectrum but they never say it outright,, oh also community was made in like. 2010 so keep that in mind. anyway i could be projecting (i am) but abed just knows everyone and himself really well so he just acts a certain way to make everyone and himself happy. he makes movies thru out the series and it gives a fantastic insight om how he sees the world. he takes movies and tv very seriously and i love him for it <33333

troy- my beloved. hes like... himbo at its finest. he starts off as a dumb self-centered jock but eventually evolves into kind and forgiving air-conditioning repair Man. hes bffs w abed but lets be honest theyre in love. like. ill get into that later djdjdsskejdifjfj

pierce- hes an old man bigot and i hate him. thats all you need to know

shirley- christian single mother who's super passive agressive and guilt-trip-y. i like her character but theres not much else to say abt her?

annie- if youve seen brooklyn 99 then imagine like... a younger amy whos also a (headcanon) lesbian. annie JUST got out of highschool (and a pill addiction) and shes just looking for someone to love. shes really organized and she plans her whole life years in advance and she kinda hates herself for it. she was gonna be in a relationship w jeff but the fans were like,,, no??? theres like a two decade age gap???? so they kinda stopped that.

which brings me to my next point::: Troy And Abed Had A Better Relationship Arc Than Any Of The Straight People And They Weren't Even In A Relationship.

ok im SUPER biased here but stay with me. they have a SONG. they share a favorite SHOW. they DRESS UP LIKE THE BEST FRIENDS FROM THAT SHOW CASUALLY. your honor they are soulmates even platonically. at one point in abeds films, annie looks at the camera and he goes "annie dont 'jim' the camera". but im all of abed's films, troy 'jims' the camera... and abed lets him. this doesn't sound like a lot but TRUST ME theres more (also its now 3am so brain is kinda fuzzy lmao).

ok so we got the cast: plot wise? theres a lot going on. the show suffered a lot of growing pains and was notorious for goin over budget. also the creator/head writer (dan harmon) literally always procrastinated till the last possible second to write scripts (also he sxually hrassed someone but he apologized pretty well apparently). but he was a GENIUS. so much so that when they fired him, the show dropped in quality so drastically that they had to bringing him back. abed was basically his self insert btw and thats why when he did leave abed's character went out the window. dan left for season four, which everone calls the gasleak year, bc al the characters were so fucking out of character. i personally dont think season 4 was that bad but. i can see where ppl are coming from.

whoops i didnt say the plot. ok so the whole thing is jeff, remember hes an EX lawer, apperantly faked his law degree so he has to go to community college to get one. on the way he bonds w a ragtag group of misfits he slowly learns to love. they start as a spanish study group, but by the end theyre a community to save the school.

britta and jeff honestly shouldve been the endgame but they fucked it up when they tried to pair jeff w annie. troy and abed are so fun to watch, everyone else is kinda just there.

i heard one person (i think it was @/peachy-pear is there url??) describe community as "the first four seasons are about troy and abed, and season 5 and 6 are about the lack of troy and abed" which like. yeah exactly.

community gets super meta at some points, taking jabs at itself (someone saying "i was under utilized as a character") or jabs at other shows (abed has a whole rant abt how autism is treated like a "super power" which is really good).

ok im really fucking tired and for dome reason i keep thinking about clips from super mario odyssey so i should proooobably sleep lmao

sorry ab the long post i just. like this show so muchhhhhhh

[remakethestars]

CABIN 10 — APHRODITE

Headcanons.

❝I want to apologize to all the women I have called pretty before I’ve called them intelligent or brave. I am sorry I made it sound as though something as simple as what you’re born with is the most you have to be proud of when your spirit has crushed mountains. From now on, I will say things like, ‘You are resilient,’ or, ‘You are extraordinary.’ Not because I don’t think you’re pretty. But because you are so much more than that.❞ 

— Rupi Kaur

Headcanon masterlist.

They’re the camp hairdressers. You need a trim? You want it cut? You want it died? You want to shave it all off? Hit ‘em up.

The type of people that will straight-up chop their hair if it doesn't match their outfit. Somehow, it always works out? I'm looking at Micarah Tewers.

They also run a secret ear piercing — or anything else you need to pierce — parlor.

Okay, but consider: children of Aphrodite that grow up to be models.

They can charm speak the photographers into letting them pick their own poses & not make them do seductive ones if they’re not comfortable with them.

Some create clothing lines that represent sustainable fashion & have big names but small carbon footprints.

Some are spies.

Think about it! They know how to switch subtle bits of their personality to fit in with everyone they come across, when & when not to use their charm.

The hide outfits under other outfits & can slip one off in public to reveal the other & lose a tail.

And they'd probably be great at disguise makeup. Add a prosthetic chin, contour their nose differently, pull off their wig, & they're a completely different person.

Plus, their combat training at C.H.B. makes them the perfect agent.

The floor next to their bunk is scattered with fabric cuttings, pins, needles, their sewing machine, serger, & measuring tape.

The number of times someone's gotten a needle or pin in their foot's a tad concerning.

Will absolutely not wear a top with an overstitched collar. Fast fashion is so tacky! Understitch is the way to go, the staple of a quality garment.

Vintage is better. Not because it's in style (that's a plus, though), but because the seams are big enough for you to let out, & it's made to last.

Experts at thrifting. Not just 'cause it's trendy or whatever, but because they're excellent at upcycling & far too many perfectly good clothes go into the land fill each year.

Make stunning dresses out of Good Will table cloths & curtains.

Or stitch two items together into one better whole.

They iron their clothes; they're not animals.

Really good at getting stains out?

Totally in on the corset bustier top trend, but they're using spiral steel boning in place of zip-ties. Because, again, they want things to last & they're not tacky.

Pass each other tips. Like to tuck your top into your tights to avoid the bulge under your skirt.

Some found big-name, organic makeup companies that don't test on animals. They use packaging that can be recycled or that's biodegradable.

Borrow their clothes, sure, whatever, but double-dip in their makeup & die. The bacteria will give them acne. (Or is it the oils? Either way, you'll perish.)

Happy to drop their skincare routine, though.

You need to cover up that tattoo you got from C7? They got you.

Flawless makeup on a budget. Expensive doesn't always mean better.

They're taking you to the pool for a first date? Take a seat, C10 knows just the stuff. They use what Disney Princesses use.

Can guess the right shade of foundation/lipstick for you on the first couple tries.

A lot of them invest in magnetic lashes because glue's a b¡tch.

Reusable makeup wipes.

Rick says C10 kids just sit around the lake & check their reflection, but consider: working out gets them their dream bod. So, yes, they do, in fact, train.

They just do it with intricate braids/hair gel & stylish sportwear.

And if a potential partner finds it unattractive that they’re “too muscly,” they’re no longer a potential partner.

Weapons disguised as jewelry or chapstick/lipstick.

Thalia had a mace canister that turned into a spear, & I gotta say, I.D.K. how she planned to get that through security. Imagine, alternatively, a tube that appears to be full of bright red lipstick when the T.S.A. agent opens it, but actually turns into a spear when opened by a half-blood.

(I have a headcanon that Riptide would just be a pen in the hands of a mortal. Bounced around for years as random objects until Poseidon nabbed it & took it to Chiron — recall that pen you lost?)

A pink, velvet choker that turns into a kopis with a dove embossed in the handle.

Many choose to train in heels. Might as well wear in training what they’ll be wearing when attacked in the street.

They’ve got no time for internalized misogyny. 

“C10′s weak ‘cause they like being pretty!” Good way to lose a kneecap, Annabeth. You’ve grown up in this camp, you knew Selina, & you should know better.

They confront Piper’s misogyny pretty early on after The Lost Hero, but Piper still takes some time to get over her bias toward pink.

Are we not gonna talk about Rick’s fashion choices for Piper throughout the series? “She looks so fashionable.” To whom, Rick? To whom?

You couldn’t’ve done a little internet surfing just to see what was in style? I never leave the house in anything but jeans, Converse, & a graphic t-shirt from Walmart, & even I know she’s dressed like a middle-schooler! Probably because that’s how I dressed in middle-school… That’s not the point.

The point is just because a character likes makeup or fashion or the color pink, doesn’t mean they can’t/won’t fight for their lives & the lives of their friends if/when the time comes. And it doesn’t mean that they’re stupid or judgmental.

I don’t know a lot about makeup. Hades, I don’t even wear makeup — you can’t rub your eyes or scratch your face; it would drive me crazy. I don’t know a lot about fashion either. I don’t understand it, but I can respect it.

❝‘Jesus,’ Sara says as Branley walks past us. ‘Too cold to show off cleavage, so instead she goes for jeans so tight I can see her thong.’ ‘She looks nice,’ I say, and she does. Branley always looks put together in a way that tells me she spends hours in front of a mirror before going outside. And while I don’t understand that, I can respect it.❞

— Alex Craft, Mindy McGinnis’s The Female of the Species

According to The Lost Hero, all children of Aphrodite intuitively speak French. Cool, cool, cool — but consider, all of them also intuitively speak the language of flowers. 

They see a red rose, and they just know it symbolizes love & passion. They see an orange lily, to contrast, & they know it symbolizes hatred. 

There’s a copy of The Language of Flowers in their cabin, and it’s full of annotations, like, So-and-so gave these to so-and-so for Valentines Day! And, So-and-so gave these to so-and-so after their kiss on the Fourth of July; they obviously didn’t do their research! 

They work together with C4 (Demeter) to provide flowers for funerals & the like.

C10 bookshelves also contain a lot of romance novels. 

Beaten up copies of Pride & Prejudice & The Fault in Our Stars with faded highlighter over the beautiful lines & annotations in the margins.

The outside walls are a dusty pink, & the wood’s stained a dark brown that goes surprisingly well with the pink.

Inside, the walls are covered in faded wallpaper.

The southwest wall has a bay window with extra storage in the seat. (There’s not a body in there; they swear.)

(That’s an Arsenic & Old Lace reference, for you youngsters.)

The curtains have one chiffon layer closer to the window & a thicker floral fabric for inside. The thick curtains are replaced based on the season & whether or not someone’s decided to make a romper out of them.

They have a real bell jar with a real rose in front of the window. Legend has it it’s from Aphrodite herself.

Said window is a stained glass image of a dove.

The chaise lounge was probably beautiful when it was brought it, but it’s got fingernail polish & makeup stains on it now. Honestly, someone should really have that thing cleaned.

As you might have noticed, I placed a gif of swans at the top instead of a fancast for Aphrodite. This is because I think, as I believe most Percy Jackson fans do, multiple people should play her. I'd cast Arden Cho, Camila Mendes, Candice Patton, Diane Kruger, & Gal Gadot to start with.

Visit my Aphrodite cabin Pinterest board or my headcanon masterlist.

DISCLAIMER ━━━ I know I got a tad political with this one, but I didn’t & don’t intend to offend anyone. ━━━ These headcanons are what I consider to be canon in my fanfictions. They may be others’s headcanons I’ve subconsciously filed away in my noggin. If one’s yours and you want it removed or credited, please send me your post and let me know.

[cybernaght]

Guardian rewatch: Episode 1

I am not over how fantastic the Guardian was after finishing it a couple days ago. I will probably re-post some of my thoughts on the show overall here eventually, but for now, I thought I’d compile series of random observations as I go through the series second time around. 

This is vastly inspired by canary3d’s wonderful Untamed recaps, but I’m neither as insightful, nor as witty as her, and have zero giffing skills. 

Disclaimer as follows: I’m mildly dyslexic, and appreciate polite corrections. I know very very basic Chinese after studying it many many years ago, but I remember little, and rely on subs when watching anything. Generally, new to fandom, not great with tech; please be nice. 

There will be spoilers for the series as whole.

So, here goes: Guardian Rewatch, Episode 1

Watching the opening credits first time since the finale made me cry. That said, I have also watched the series from Viki, but am screen capping them from Youtube - and the opening credits here actually have… well, credits, so a mixed bag of emotions here. 

Pretty sure they blew 40% of their overall budget on the animated opening sequence; and on rewatch it’s actually making more sense. The is fairly good, as well, and I am fairly certain its narrated by Xiao Guo, establishing him as the POV character of sorts.

Oh those introductions of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan are hot as hell, both of them confident in their own elements. It’s a great way to quickly summarise not just them individually, but the contrast between them, to the audience.

The lollipops make their first appearance, before becoming narratively significant in about five different ways. We are also seeing Zhao Yunlan being a sly fox for the first time. He will remain sly fox for the duration of this show. 

We are treated to the first appearance of the ensemble cast, and I’m pretty sure they blew half of their CGI budget on the lovely scene of Xiao Guo being freaked out by the assortment of special abilities of his new team: Da Qing’s seamless cat transformation, Zhu Hong having a tail, Wang Zheng being all ghostly... they never look as great again. Not ever.  In hindsight, this feels like a mean tease: a promise of what this show could have looked like if the production company still had the money.

I am also pretty sure Bai Yu has a motorbike double, which explains why the motorbike stops featuring after they can no longer afford a motorbike double. Or maybe motorcycle goes away because Zhao Yunlan needs a car to drive Shen Wei around. We’ll never know. 

Shen Wei seeing Kunlun for the first time (and seeing Da Qing for the first time) in a millennia. There is a hint of Baby Shen Wei-ness about him. There is longing and hope and youth. I’m sure he was not allowing himself to have that facial expression since he came out of the magical coma how many decades ago. God damn this is a good performance. 

“Shen Wei? Good name!” And Shen Wei actually flinches a little. And he forgets to let go of the hand after he shakes it. And he looks so unabashedly hopeful, clutching the business hard. On first watch it read as “huh? What’s up with this guy?” On second watch, it’s like a perfect piece of the puzzle, slotting in place. GOD DAMN this is a good performance. 

Here he is again: Baby Shen Wei in all his owlishness. They are talking in the office, and Kunlun has a new name, may or may not remember him, is definitely suspicious of him, but he also listens with the same intensity, and he is alive, and he is here, and Shen Wei is young again, looking so very happy.  

Oh yay Lao Chu’s puppet brother is here! Actually fighting side by side. This will never happen again. Because they will never again have the money.

We are treated to a short mashup of Shen Wei’s memories as he is thinking “I hope you still remember our pact”. I wonder if there is a specific moment in the future when Shen Wei puts two and two (in this case: a man with a gun and processed sugar on a stick and super powerful artefacts that can do a lot of random magical stuff) together to make a time travel conclusion. Because it doesn’t happen straightaway. 

“I waited for you for ten thousand years”. 

The next day, Li Qian is asking “Is it worth doing anything to protect someone”? And Shen Wei replies that it is. Li Qian is reaching to touch the Hallow around her neck, a heirloom so important to her, chord looking so similar to the one hidden around Shen Wei’s own neck. Shen Wei looks over to Zhao Yunlan who is watching them converse. The... just the symbolism of this, is beautifully crafted as something you cannot possibly notice first time around. 

“Who knows”, says Shen Wei, when he speaks to Zhao Yunlan shortly after, “maybe we have met before.” He watches very very carefully to see if the words resonate. He watches so closely as Zhao Yunlan laughs and then steps away to answer a call. You know the exact moment it dawns on Shen Wei that Kunlun does not, in fact, remember anything, that it’s not a flirty game of cat and mouse. He honestly looks like he is about to cry. 

The first time we ever see Hei Pao Shi, he is not wearing a robe and a mask. First time we see Hei Pao Shi, he is facing off the Shadow Man while wearing a suit, looking stern and resolute (before being swiftly thrown off the roof)

Does he get flung off the roof deliberately so he can make his appearance in all his timeless glory as the world’s most powerful flex? Yes, yes he does. 

I thought this show was good first time around. It’s SUBLIME on rewatch.

Episode 2 will feature a lot of “Shen Wei, you bloody hypocrite” 

[purposelynana]

Not Me, The First Impression

I have a script on the back of my head. A tale about rebels fight the oppressor. In the matter of two people on the other side of idealism. Regarding principal in which important point to dictate someone's life. I admit it's rather high concept and particularly hard to execute. I tried to write it in the last couple of years. I ended up not finishing it and change the whole thing all over again. It's still on my Wattpad, but I unpublish it for now.

Then what's the correlation between my story and Not Me, a BL's story starring OffGun? Well. It's similar in idea. Not so much in execution.

Not Me is definitely a high concept one. The idea of rebels fighting against injustice had been told over and over. But what's interesting is that, in Thailand where the government pathetically not working, everything seemed an ill-fated relationship. We can be grateful this series survived the censorship. We can thankful that any of the cast or crew got no harassments from the so-called government. And thank God it's not China where basically the idea of loving the same gender sounded abstract.

Not Me is not perfect. The first episode got a big-ass plot hole in which I don't even understand until now. Yes, it deterred me from watching. But Twitter timeline has been praising Not Me for its social satire. I couldn't help but to give them another chance. Perhaps I could consider this as Avalanche low-budget version. Or Taxi Driver low-budget version. Either way, it's a nice compliment.

It's still early to praise this as a greatest thing that ever come out in 2021. Furthermore, they're going to end the series in 2022. Only 3 episodes that has been aired. The story itself slowly picked up. My head still full with ????? instead of !!!. Yet the shot already won me over. It's not your typical lakorn-esque. Please GMM, even your plot sometimes doesn't make sense, if you shot it with class, I forgive you, okay?

Mond can step on me.

[timeless-hollywood-classics]

Ida Lupino (4 February 1918 – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, and producer. She is widely regarded as the most prominent female filmmaker working in the 1950s during the Hollywood studio system. With her independent production company, she co-wrote and co-produced several social-message films and became the first woman to direct a film noir with The Hitch-Hiker in 1953. Among her other directed films the best known are Not Wanted about unwed pregnancy (she took over for a sick director and refused directorial credit), Never Fear (1949) loosely based upon her own experiences battling paralyzing polio, Outrage (1950) one of the first films about rape, The Bigamist (1953) (which was named in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) and The Trouble with Angels (1966).

Throughout her 48-year career, she made acting appearances in 59 films and directed eight others, working primarily in the United States, where she became a citizen in 1948. As an actress her best known films are The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) with Basil Rathbone, They Drive by Night (1940) with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart, High Sierra (1941) with Bogart, The Sea Wolf (1941) with Edward G. Robinson and John Garfield, Ladies in Retirement (1941) with Louis Hayward, Moontide (1942) with Jean Gabin, The Hard Way (1943), Deep Valley (1947) with Dane Clark, Road House (1948) with Cornel Wilde and Richard Widmark, While the City Sleeps (1956) with Dana Andrews and Vincent Price. and Junior Bonner (1972) with Steve McQueen.

She also directed more than 100 episodes of television productions in a variety of genres including westerns, supernatural tales, situation comedies, murder mysteries, and gangster stories. She was the only woman to direct an episode of the original The Twilight Zone series ("The Masks"), as well as the only director to have starred in an episode of the show ("The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine").

Lupino was born in Herne Hill, London, to actress Connie O'Shea (also known as Connie Emerald) and music hall comedian Stanley Lupino, a member of the theatrical Lupino family, which included Lupino Lane, a song-and-dance man. Her father, a top name in musical comedy in the UK and a member of a centuries-old theatrical dynasty dating back to Renaissance Italy, encouraged her to perform at an early age. He built a backyard theatre for Lupino and her sister Rita (1920–2016), who also became an actress and dancer. Lupino wrote her first play at age seven and toured with a travelling theatre company as a child. By the age of ten, Lupino had memorised the leading female roles in each of Shakespeare's plays. After her intense childhood training for stage plays, Ida's uncle Lupino Lane assisted her in moving towards film acting by getting her work as a background actress at British International Studios.

She wanted to be a writer, but in order to please her father, Lupino enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She excelled in a number of "bad girl" film roles, often playing prostitutes. Lupino did not enjoy being an actress and felt uncomfortable with many of the early roles she was given. She felt that she was pushed into the profession due to her family history.

Lupino worked as both a stage and screen actress. She first took to the stage in 1934 as the lead in The Pursuit of Happiness at the Paramount Studio Theatre.[10] Lupino made her first film appearance in The Love Race (1931) and the following year, aged 14, she worked under director Allan Dwan in Her First Affaire, in a role for which her mother had previously tested.[11] She played leading roles in five British films in 1933 at Warner Bros.' Teddington studios and for Julius Hagen at Twickenham, including The Ghost Camera with John Mills and I Lived with You with Ivor Novello.

Dubbed "the English Jean Harlow", she was discovered by Paramount in the 1933 film Money for Speed, playing a good girl/bad girl dual role. Lupino claimed the talent scouts saw her play only the sweet girl in the film and not the part of the prostitute, so she was asked to try out for the lead role in Alice in Wonderland (1933). When she arrived in Hollywood, the Paramount producers did not know what to make of their sultry potential leading lady, but she did get a five-year contract.

Lupino starred in over a dozen films in the mid-1930s, working with Columbia in a two-film deal, one of which, The Light That Failed (1939), was a role she acquired after running into the director's office unannounced, demanding an audition. After this breakthrough performance as a spiteful cockney model who torments Ronald Colman, she began to be taken seriously as a dramatic actress. As a result, her parts improved during the 1940s, and she jokingly referred to herself as "the poor man's Bette Davis", taking the roles that Davis refused.

Mark Hellinger, associate producer at Warner Bros., was impressed by Lupino's performance in The Light That Failed, and hired her for the femme-fatale role in the Raoul Walsh-directed They Drive by Night (1940), opposite stars George Raft, Ann Sheridan and Humphrey Bogart. The film did well and the critical consensus was that Lupino stole the movie, particularly in her unhinged courtroom scene. Warner Bros. offered her a contract which she negotiated to include some freelance rights. She worked with Walsh and Bogart again in High Sierra (1941), where she impressed critic Bosley Crowther in her role as an "adoring moll".

Her performance in The Hard Way (1943) won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. She starred in Pillow to Post (1945), which was her only comedic leading role. After the drama Deep Valley (1947) finished shooting, neither Warner Bros. nor Lupino moved to renew her contract and she left the studio in 1947. Although in demand throughout the 1940s, she arguably never became a major star although she often had top billing in her pictures, above actors such as Humphrey Bogart, and was repeatedly critically lauded for her realistic, direct acting style.

She often incurred the ire of studio boss Jack Warner by objecting to her casting, refusing poorly written roles that she felt were beneath her dignity as an actress, and making script revisions deemed unacceptable by the studio. As a result, she spent a great deal of her time at Warner Bros. suspended. In 1942, she rejected an offer to star with Ronald Reagan in Kings Row, and was immediately put on suspension at the studio. Eventually, a tentative rapprochement was brokered, but her relationship with the studio remained strained. In 1947, Lupino left Warner Brothers and appeared for 20th Century Fox as a nightclub singer in the film noir Road House, performing her musical numbers in the film. She starred in On Dangerous Ground in 1951, and may have taken on some of the directing tasks of the film while director Nicholas Ray was ill.

While on suspension, Lupino had ample time to observe filming and editing processes, and she became interested in directing. She described how bored she was on set while "someone else seemed to be doing all the interesting work".

She and her husband Collier Young formed an independent company, The Filmakers, to produce, direct, and write low-budget, issue-oriented films. Her first directing job came unexpectedly in 1949 when director Elmer Clifton suffered a mild heart attack and was unable to finish Not Wanted, a film Lupino co-produced and co-wrote. Lupino stepped in to finish the film without taking directorial credit out of respect for Clifton. Although the film's subject of out-of-wedlock pregnancy was controversial, it received a vast amount of publicity, and she was invited to discuss the film with Eleanor Roosevelt on a national radio program.

Never Fear (1949), a film about polio (which she had personally experienced replete with paralysis at age 16), was her first director's credit. After producing four more films about social issues, including Outrage (1950), a film about rape (while this word is never used in the movie), Lupino directed her first hard-paced, all-male-cast film, The Hitch-Hiker (1953), making her the first woman to direct a film noir. The Filmakers went on to produce 12 feature films, six of which Lupino directed or co-directed, five of which she wrote or co-wrote, three of which she acted in, and one of which she co-produced.

Lupino once called herself a "bulldozer" to secure financing for her production company, but she referred to herself as "mother" while on set. On set, the back of her director's chair was labeled "Mother of Us All".[3] Her studio emphasized her femininity, often at the urging of Lupino herself. She credited her refusal to renew her contract with Warner Bros. under the pretenses of domesticity, claiming "I had decided that nothing lay ahead of me but the life of the neurotic star with no family and no home." She made a point to seem nonthreatening in a male-dominated environment, stating, "That's where being a man makes a great deal of difference. I don't suppose the men particularly care about leaving their wives and children. During the vacation period, the wife can always fly over and be with him. It's difficult for a wife to say to her husband, come sit on the set and watch."

Although directing became Lupino's passion, the drive for money kept her on camera, so she could acquire the funds to make her own productions. She became a wily low-budget filmmaker, reusing sets from other studio productions and talking her physician into appearing as a doctor in the delivery scene of Not Wanted. She used what is now called product placement, placing Coke, Cadillac, and other brands in her films, such as The Bigamist. She shot in public places to avoid set-rental costs and planned scenes in pre-production to avoid technical mistakes and retakes. She joked that if she had been the "poor man's Bette Davis" as an actress, she had now become the "poor man's Don Siegel" as a director.

The Filmakers production company closed shop in 1955, and Lupino turned almost immediately to television, directing episodes of more than thirty US TV series from 1956 through 1968. She also helmed a feature film in 1965 for the Catholic schoolgirl comedy The Trouble With Angels, starring Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell; this was Lupino's last theatrical film as a director. She continued acting as well, going on to a successful television career throughout the 1960s and '70s.

Lupino's career as a director continued through 1968. Her directing efforts during these years were almost exclusively for television productions such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller, The Twilight Zone, Have Gun – Will Travel, Honey West, The Donna Reed Show, Gilligan's Island, 77 Sunset Strip, The Rifleman, The Virginian, Sam Benedict, The Untouchables, Hong Kong, The Fugitive, and Bewitched.

After the demise of The Filmakers, Lupino continued working as an actress until the end of the 1970s, mainly in television. Lupino appeared in 19 episodes of Four Star Playhouse from 1952 to 1956, an endeavor involving partners Charles Boyer, Dick Powell and David Niven. From January 1957 to September 1958, Lupino starred with her then-husband Howard Duff in the sitcom Mr. Adams and Eve, in which the duo played husband-and-wife film stars named Howard Adams and Eve Drake, living in Beverly Hills, California.[22] Duff and Lupino also co-starred as themselves in 1959 in one of the 13 one-hour installments of The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour and an episode of The Dinah Shore Chevy Show in 1960. Lupino guest-starred in numerous television shows, including The Ford Television Theatre (1954), Bonanza (1959), Burke's Law (1963–64), The Virginian (1963–65), Batman (1968), The Mod Squad (1969), Family Affair (1969–70), The Wild, Wild West (1969), Nanny and the Professor (1971), Columbo: Short Fuse (1972), Columbo: Swan Song (1974) in which she plays Johnny Cash's character's zealous wife, Barnaby Jones (1974), The Streets of San Francisco, Ellery Queen (1975), Police Woman (1975), and Charlie's Angels (1977). Her final acting appearance was in the 1979 film My Boys Are Good Boys.

Lupino has two distinctions with The Twilight Zone series, as the only woman to have directed an episode ("The Masks") and the only person to have worked as both actor for one episode ("The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine"), and director for another.

Lupino's Filmakers movies deal with unconventional and controversial subject matter that studio producers would not touch, including out-of-wedlock pregnancy, bigamy, and rape. She described her independent work as "films that had social significance and yet were entertainment ... base on true stories, things the public could understand because they had happened or been of news value." She focused on women's issues for many of her films and she liked strong characters, "[Not] women who have masculine qualities about them, but [a role] that has intestinal fortitude, some guts to it."

In the film The Bigamist, the two women characters represent the career woman and the homemaker. The title character is married to a woman (Joan Fontaine) who, unable to have children, has devoted her energy to her career. While on one of many business trips, he meets a waitress (Lupino) with whom he has a child, and then marries her.[25] Marsha Orgeron, in her book Hollywood Ambitions, describes these characters as "struggling to figure out their place in environments that mirror the social constraints that Lupino faced".[13] However, Donati, in his biography of Lupino, said "The solutions to the character's problems within the films were often conventional, even conservative, more reinforcing the 1950s' ideology than undercutting it."

Ahead of her time within the studio system, Lupino was intent on creating films that were rooted in reality. On Never Fear, Lupino said, "People are tired of having the wool pulled over their eyes. They pay out good money for their theatre tickets and they want something in return. They want realism. And you can't be realistic with the same glamorous mugs on the screen all the time."

Lupino's films are critical of many traditional social institutions, which reflect her contempt for the patriarchal structure that existed in Hollywood. Lupino rejected the commodification of female stars and as an actress, she resisted becoming an object of desire. She said in 1949, "Hollywood careers are perishable commodities", and sought to avoid such a fate for herself.

Ida Lupino was diagnosed with polio in 1934. The New York Times reported that the outbreak of polio within the Hollywood community was due to contaminated swimming pools. The disease severely affected her ability to work, and her contract with Paramount fell apart shortly after her diagnosis. Lupino recovered and eventually directed, produced, and wrote many films, including a film loosely based upon her travails with polio titled Never Fear in 1949, the first film that she was credited for directing (she had earlier stepped in for an ill director on Not Wanted and refused directorial credit out of respect for her colleague). Her experience with the disease gave Lupino the courage to focus on her intellectual abilities over simply her physical appearance. In an interview with Hollywood, Lupino said, "I realized that my life and my courage and my hopes did not lie in my body. If that body was paralyzed, my brain could still work industriously...If I weren't able to act, I would be able to write. Even if I weren't able to use a pencil or typewriter, I could dictate."[31] Film magazines from the 1930s and 1940s, such as The Hollywood Reporter and Motion Picture Daily, frequently published updates on her condition. Lupino worked for various non-profit organizations to help raise funds for polio research.

Lupino's interests outside the entertainment industry included writing short stories and children's books, and composing music. Her composition "Aladdin's Suite" was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1937. She composed this piece while on bedrest due to polio in 1935.

She became an American citizen in June 1948 and a staunch Democrat who supported the presidency of John F. Kennedy. Lupino was Catholic.

Lupino died from a stroke while undergoing treatment for colon cancer in Los Angeles on 3 August 1995, at the age of 77. Her memoirs, Ida Lupino: Beyond the Camera, were edited after her death and published by Mary Ann Anderson.

Lupino learned filmmaking from everyone she observed on set, including William Ziegler, the cameraman for Not Wanted. When in preproduction on Never Fear, she conferred with Michael Gordon on directorial technique, organization, and plotting. Cinematographer Archie Stout said of Ms. Lupino, "Ida has more knowledge of camera angles and lenses than any director I've ever worked with, with the exception of Victor Fleming. She knows how a woman looks on the screen and what light that woman should have, probably better than I do." Lupino also worked with editor Stanford Tischler, who said of her, "She wasn't the kind of director who would shoot something, then hope any flaws could be fixed in the cutting room. The acting was always there, to her credit."

Author Ally Acker compares Lupino to pioneering silent-film director Lois Weber for their focus on controversial, socially relevant topics. With their ambiguous endings, Lupino's films never offered simple solutions for her troubled characters, and Acker finds parallels to her storytelling style in the work of the modern European "New Wave" directors, such as Margarethe von Trotta.

Ronnie Scheib, who issued a Kino release of three of Lupino's films, likens Lupino's themes and directorial style to directors Nicholas Ray, Sam Fuller, and Robert Aldrich, saying, "Lupino very much belongs to that generation of modernist filmmakers." On whether Lupino should be considered a feminist filmmaker, Scheib states, "I don't think Lupino was concerned with showing strong people, men or women. She often said that she was interested in lost, bewildered people, and I think she was talking about the postwar trauma of people who couldn't go home again."

Author Richard Koszarski noted Lupino's choice to play with gender roles regarding women's film stereotypes during the studio era: "Her films display the obsessions and consistencies of a true auteur... In her films The Bigamist and The Hitch-Hiker, Lupino was able to reduce the male to the same sort of dangerous, irrational force that women represented in most male-directed examples of Hollywood film noir."

Lupino did not openly consider herself a feminist, saying, "I had to do something to fill up my time between contracts. Keeping a feminine approach is vital — men hate bossy females ... Often I pretended to a cameraman to know less than I did. That way I got more cooperation." Village Voice writer Carrie Rickey, though, holds Lupino up as a model of modern feminist filmmaking: "Not only did Lupino take control of production, direction, and screenplay, but [also] each of her movies addresses the brutal repercussions of sexuality, independence and dependence."

By 1972, Lupino said she wished more women were hired as directors and producers in Hollywood, noting that only very powerful actresses or writers had the chance to work in the field. She directed or costarred a number of times with young, fellow British actresses on a similar journey of developing their American film careers like Hayley Mills and Pamela Franklin.

Actress Bea Arthur, best remembered for her work in Maude and The Golden Girls, was motivated to escape her stifling hometown by following in Lupino's footsteps and becoming an actress, saying, "My dream was to become a very small blonde movie star like Ida Lupino and those other women I saw up there on the screen during the Depression."

Lupino has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for contributions to the fields of television and film — located at 1724 Vine Street and 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.

New York Film Critics Circle Award - Best Actress, The Hard Way, 1943

Inaugural Saturn Award - Best Supporting Actress, The Devil's Rain, 1975

A Commemorative Blue Plaque is dedicated to Lupino and her father Stanley Lupino by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America and the Theatre and Film Guild of Great Britain and America at the house where she was born in Herne Hill, London, 16 February 2016

Composer Carla Bley paid tribute to Lupino with her jazz composition "Ida Lupino" in 1964.

The Hitch-Hiker was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1998 while Outrage was inducted in 2020.

[cartoonfan101]

Okay look.

I’m a big fan of both Amphibia and Owl House, and both are pretty great shows, but for someone to say “Amphibia is better than Owl House” just feels wrong to me. And I’m not saying you can’t like Amphibia more, because that’s valid, but there is just no way it’s better I’m general.

Owl House has done so much in the representation department for not only the lgbtq+ community but also poc, people with different body types, etc. But Amphibia on the other hand, only (at the moment) has three main human characters, who yes 2/3 of them are poc, but they’re all literal stick figures. Luz has a realistic body type, while Anne looks like she hasn’t eaten in years. I understand people look like that but for all three of those characters to be skinny is just… eh. I understand it’s the art style, but in the trailer for season 3 they showed people with different body types so I don’t understand why they didn’t do that from the beginning.

And while both shows do this pretty well, I can’t help but favor the way owl house covers actual human behavior (idk how else to describe it sos) more than Amphibia. Like in the beginning of Amphibia I was hooked on Anne struggling to understand the true meaning of friendship, but I kinda forgot about it as the series went on. What I love about owl house is they give characters redemption, but don’t always say you’re forgiven. Like in understanding Willow after Amity apologized Willow says something along the lines of “I can’t say we’re friends, but it’s a start” and Willow and Amity haven’t had many moments of extreme friendship since then. Like their friendship didn’t pick right back where it left off. Sasha is an interesting character though, because of her “I know what I’m doing isn’t right in Anne and/or Marcy’s eyes, but I like what I’m doing” which is something I wish they dove into a little more. How this is a point you may be wondering, is while both shows do it well, the owl house is more constant with it, and shows it with more than just the main characters.

The main characters in both shows can’t compare I’m sorry. Luz is not only great representation, but she’s a take on the “quirky” stereotype that makes her more than just that. She also does so much to help the people she likes, and even manages to make her way into people hearts (😏). I also find her very relatable and funny but that’s me. It just makes sense to me why the show is centered around Luz… but Anne. Anne is an okay character, I just wish she wasn’t the main one. I’ll admit she’s done a bit, but compared to Marcy and Sasha, her trauma is kinda just witnessing everyone else get hurt. Yes, that’s an awful thing, but I would much rather see Marcy or Sasha as the main character. I will admit, Anne not being the classic Disney channel cartoon quirky female main character is nice, I can’t help but feel she’s a bit… basic? This point is a bit more opinionated so I apologize for that.

The fillers is the biggest problem for me. Owl house did a great job making filler episodes that had to do will the plot or world building in someway, and with an exception of a couple episodes in season 1, people usually find all of the episodes entertaining in some way. Amphibia season 1 makes me want to jump out the window. There’s only two episodes I actually like watching in that season, and wow it’s the ones with Sasha in them! Season 2 is a bit better, but honestly I only like the filler episodes with Marcy in them. While I understand it’s a “kids show”, when you have another kids show on the same channel, playing at the same time period, who can manage to bring an adult audience who enjoys the filler episodes, I don’t see how you can use that as an excuse. Someone also pointed out the fact that Amphibia is more of a slow burn, which makes sense, but they could have executed it in a better way that was more compelling to the audience. I’ve seen too many people stop watching Amphibia because of the filler episodes, and people shouldn’t have to skip over content because it’s boring, you know?

I also feel more of an attachment to all of the characters in owl house. Like I either love them, or I love to hate them, no matter who they are. Like it’s been a year since we got any real Skara scenes, and I still love her… but in Amphibia I could care less about most of the frogs. Like I don’t even remember most of their names- I feel like having a cast of characters that people can love and appreciate, no matter who they are, contributes to a great show. Not only do I talk about this a little bit, but the fandoms honestly show this as well. The owl house fandom has done so much to make the Hexside students seem like a bigger deal than they are because they actually like them. In Amphibia, you can find one or two posts about a certain character, and never hear about them again OR the character is all you hear about.

Tbh tho, both shows are extremely similar, and I see why it’s hard to choose one over the other, I just have to be honest and say I don’t understand why Amphibia is better. I know most of my arguments were based on opinion, but like, a lot of people agree with my opinion (except the Anne thing. I’ll forever be alone on that). If you like Amphibia more, than good for you, I won’t judge. This is just how I feel about it and I would love to hear your opinion.

But while we’re here I will be talking about the utter bs Disney is showing to the two shows. Like Amphibia is getting ANOTHER theme song take over, a Christmas special, celebrity voice actors, and not to mention a full season three…

While the owl house is stuck with shortening it’s third season cause “budget cuts”. Bitch please. If you were losing so much money, then why not take some of your money away from Amphibia’s theme song take over and put it towards a full season three for toh. They both get the same amount of attention, but just because one is pushing boundaries for violence rather than the lgbtq community, doesn’t mean you can pick favorites.

Anyways feel free to argue with me 😌

(Edit: I quickly went back and edited some of the arguments so theyre a little less opinionated, which I’ll probably do again lmao)

[noassallclass]

So what do you think of FJ? Please be a little mean lol I like your thoughts on CR stuff✌

Oooh i am glad I have piqued your interest!

For me Fjorester at best is stale, boring, no flavor, zero chemistry. Like inoffensively milquetoast and I literally cannot grasp the concept of people actually enjoying the ship and finding it engaging.

Like I was never interested in FJ but I mean Travis describing Fjords feelings towards Jester as "being worn down" really solidifies it as a bad ship...

Because how exactly did Jester wear you down Fjord? Like what steps did Jester take to make you fall for her basically against all your reservations? Because where I am standing Jester really hasn't shown any interest in Fjord since the mid 40 episodes, which was about 60 episodes before the Playlist came out.

And that’s where Fjorester comes at worse, a complete reversal of at the very least Jester’s character growth. Because From episode 40 to episode 99 Jester has taken steps away from being romantically interested in Fjord and also finding self worth within herself and not having to find value in how a guy she had a crush on saw her. Especially since he’s kind of a goober that I feel like Jester questioned what she saw of him in the first place.

Like to me, Fjord and Jester consciously uncoupled throughout the series. I feel like there were times where Jester would try and test the waters again with Fjord to see if there were any romantic feelings still there and it seemed like the interactions always came up short for Jester.

The most prominent example I can think of right now is Jester asking Fjord if she could workout with him and everything went horribly wrong. Like yes some of that had to do with the poor rolls that Travis was rolling, but Fjord acted so poorly about it and acted like his masculinity was injured, even if he was trying to be comedic, and Jester was just like “Ok yikes dude nevermind”

At that point I think Jester thought Fjord ain’t shit anyway and that seemed like a big old nail in the coffin. Because before that we had moments where Jester couldn’t be less interested in Fjord, like when Beau knocked him down for touching her fresh tattoo and he whined to Jester who just told him to “Stay Down”. I mean she also kicked him when he was drowning and told him to “just get up man”

I mean even recently Jester told Fjord to shut the fuck up because he was mumbling to himself about how he was hoarding his money. Like as much as Fjord has grown out of his machismo phase and has just become a more open, vulnerable person. With Jester I still see the old Fjord who has to defend his masculinity in front of Jester and just be a general asshat and Jester at the very least didn’t find it charming. That is until the Hiatus attacked.

“You wore me down” is such a bad, unappealing way of describing how you feel about someone romantically, especially when there was really no effort or attempt on Jester’s part to pursue any type of relationship with Fjord for the majority of their in canon time together. Like not “I got to know you as you are and I’ve grown fond of you” or “We’ve grown so much and I admired you for who you have become”. Ya know...things that would make sense narratively and character development wise. like 3 months of Jester having crush did nothing for you Fjord but 9 months of radio silence is what wore you down?

No, what really wore Fjord down was the rest of the friend group, especially Nott/Veth poking and prodding both him and Jester to get together because for some reason the party doesn’t think Jester has the ability for growing out of a highschool crush that wasn’t really based on reality in the first place? And that is one of the worse parts of Fjorester is everyone keeps putting their own ideas of who Jester is and what she wants above who Jester actually is. It’s like their extreme makeover home edition but instead of making the kid’s bedroom all about one thing the kid likes its the mighty nein making Jester’s romance all about Fjord because she liked him that one time.

It’s honestly like highschool friend group relationship drama shit where your friends won’t give up the fact one friend has a crush on another friend until it either becomes so awkward it ruins their friendship or they date each other even though it would never end good from the start. Like Veth wriggling her eyebrows when Jester and Fjord had dinner together, but it was so uneventful they just skipped it but of course Veth had to make a big deal about it.

Not to mention that Fjord is one of the worse culprits in fundamentally not understanding Jester At All. Like he doesn’t infantilize Jester but he greatly underestimates her complexity, like he looks like a deer in headlights when Jester talks about anything more complicated than liking cupcakes. He also condescends and negs her a lot. Like he thinks Jester is an incurable fibber and just straight up doesn’t believe her when she does things she is capable of.

like not even thinking Jester could dupe the Hag into lifting the curse on Nott and Jester rightfully called him out because his pattern of condescension is irritating AF. And he pulled the exact shit again when Jester said she talked to a tree. Like he fully gets on board with Caduceus talking to plants and stuff but for Jester it must be all make believe. I’d have less of an issue if he didn’t believe everything Jester says if he didn’t always do it in a snotty, passive aggressive way of like “oooh suuuure Jester ooooof coooourse”

like sir, with that attitude you should get nothing, you lose, Jester is better off without you! 

with all of the above you would expect “oh yeah it doesn’t seem too likely, even if Fjord has feelings for Jester now” because like it isn’t great, and Jester up until the Hiatus gave him Nothing. But Now! Now they are pushing it, like it is 1 of the 2 main ships steering the show and the cast thinks we should be gobbling it up as much as they are.

Like why should we be rooting for a couple that 1) don’t understand each other 2) don’t necessarily enjoy each others company and 3) are completely adversarial to each other I think at any moment they’re ready to throw down

Is it because “oh they make each other better because they call each other out on their shit”? because it would be better if they didn’t do it through gritted teeth like they are thinking of which layer of hell they will be sent to after they kill the other person

Is it because the majority of straight couple in media have the two people in a couple hate each others guts until they kiss? I don’t think we should be setting our standards for het romances that low.

Because Jester showed interest in Fjord once and can no longer have feelings for any other person?

Or is it because now that Fjord has caught feelings it doesn’t matter what development Jester has made that has pushed her narrative away from being about romancing men that ain’t shit for her?

like CR is tripping over themselves and destroying any compelling romance to give us the blandest, low budget, hallmark hetero romance story that literally nobody asked for.

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Won’t You Stay (Part 2)

Summary: Jensen starts his first day of work and learns who the reader is...

Masterlist

Pairing: Jensen x Director!reader 

Word Count: 2,400ish

Warnings: language

A/N: There is no taglist for this series. Check out the masterlist to see how to be notified of new parts. Please enjoy!

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“Ella,” you said into your phone the next morning as you walked out of your budget meeting, ready to dive into filming. “It was an accident. I’m sure the girl on the other team knows that.”

“I know. I broke her nose though. I felt so bad,” she said. 

“She’ll live. Talk to your coach. Maybe she knows the other one and you can send a get well card or something,” you said.

“Yeah, I think maybe I’ll do that,” she said. “How’s the movie going? I didn’t hear dad come home last night.”

“There was a slight problem yesterday but hopefully it’s settled now,” you said, hearing the phone get shuffled around. “No, Anthony, I’m not getting you Gil Nicholas’ autograph. Guy isn’t even going to be in the movie.”

“Really?” asked your brother.

“Really. He’s kind of a douche. I gotta go and you guys have school. I’ll talk to you guys later,” you said.

“Wait!” said Anthony. “The Nolan situation. You said you’d help.”

“Help what? You two are dating,” you said.

“Mom and dad, genius,” he said.

“Anthony,” groaned Ella in the background. “Mom and dad will not care that you like boys. Y/N and I like boys and they don’t.”

“Yeah but I’m the only boy and our dad literally plays a badass on TV and in movies, El,” he said.

“Anthony. Our dad also was a single father to me for years. He played dress up and princesses and he gave me the puberty talk. He loves you no matter what. So does mom. Trust me,” you said.

“Yeah, but you’re like, his favorite,” he said. You shut your eyes and sighed. “You know what I mean. You’re special.”

“I didn’t meet mom until I was ten years old, Anthony. Dad and I were on our own. I’m not his favorite. There’s no favorite,” you said. “Dad is just overly protective of me is all. We’ll talk about your cute little boyfriend later, okay? I promise.”

“Alright. See ya,” he said. You shook your head as you hung up and headed onto the set, stopping by the breakfast line to grab some coffee. 

An hour later you were at the Hale’s house location, everything looking like it was running smoothly. You popped inside and saw your dad rehearsing with Jensen, giving them both a smile.

“How’s it going?” you asked.

“Good,” said your dad. “We gonna start soon?”

“Five or so minutes,” you said, Jensen staring at you.

“Sorry. I didn’t realize you were a PA on the movie,” he said. Your dad chuckled along with a few other people in the room.

“Y/N Y/L/N,” you said, holding out a hand and watching the color drain from Jensen’s face. “I’m your director and the author of The Dark Woods.”

“Well fuck me,” he said, shaking your hand as you smirked. “Oh my...I am so sorry for being late last night and assuming you were a PA and you’re Ethan Y/L/N’s daughter and you wrote my favorite book ever which I was totally fanboying out over last night and I’m going to shut up now.”

“Don’t do that. You’re getting paid to talk after all,” you said with a smile. “Walk with me for a second.”

He followed you out to the back porch and across the yard, swallowing loudly when you came to a stop by a tree.

“Sorry about not mentioning it earlier. I didn’t want you to be nervous in your audition if I was there and I figured it wasn’t a huge deal if you found out this morning,” you said.

“No, no mam. It’s-”

“Please, no mam or boss or that crap. Y/N, that’s it,” you said. “I’m not even your boss.”

“I’m mostly embarrassed about how I gushed last night about the book to the freakin author,” he said, some blush crossing his cheeks.

“As the freakin author, we live for that shit,” you laughed. Jensen relaxed and let out a small one of his own. “I watched your audition. You knew Lyle inside and out.”

“I’ve read the book more than a few times. I…” he trailed off, face going red.

“Yes?”

“I should quit while I’m ahead,” he said. 

“Maybe you can tell me why you like it so much over that drink,” you said, giving him a smile. He looked around and raised an eyebrow.

“You still want to do that?” he asked.

“I’m in charge. It doesn’t mean I’m your boss. That’s casting’s job. I would still expect a drink,” you said.

“Is that such a good idea?” he asked.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” 

“I sort of asked as...not friends,” he said. “You being...you and the director…”

“Oh,” you said.

“Your dad is kind of terrifying too,” he said. 

“Yeah. He has scared off more than a few guys. Or they’re more interested in him,” you said, forcing a smile. You’d never in a million years want him to feel uncomfortable so if he wanted to keep things professional, that was okay with you. “I guess I’ll be drinking alone on Saturday then.”

“I mean, I didn’t say…” he trailed off. “Maybe someday-“

“It’s cool, Jensen. Let’s get started for the day, hm?” you said. He nodded and you headed back inside the house, finding your chair in a back room. “We ready to go?”

“Mhm,” said your assistant director AJ as he took a seat beside you. You sat back and pulled on your headphones as various departments started shouting off, the camera lining up its first shot.

“Action!” you called. Your dad walked into the kitchen, pointing for Jensen to take a seat. He begrudgingly did so, your dad going to the fridge and pulling out a carton of eggs.

“You live here?” asked Jensen.

“No. I pay the mortgage on this place for fun. Of course I live here, kid,” he said. “Now keep your mouth shut.”

“You’re not a very pleasant person,” mumbled Jensen. Your dad spun around and grabbed the fork off the table, holding it up to Jensen’s neck. He froze, not even letting a breath escape.

“I am still not positive if I’m letting you live yet so be quiet if you want to increase your odds,” he said. Jensen swallowed and your dad pulled away, going back to the eggs. “I hope you like fried eggs.”

“Actually I don’t,” said Jensen. Your dad spun around again but this time Jensen stared him down.

“Fried eggs it is,” he said with a smirk. Jensen rolled his eyes and you called cut.

“Do it again,” you said. “Jensen, can you pause when you walk in and take a look around this time? Notice the house a bit.”

“No problem,” he said.

“Reset,” you said, waiting for them to get out of view of the camera. “Action!”

“Hey, Jensen,” you said, catching him in the parking lot for the actors near the production office that evening. He spun around with a smile, fixing his backpack on his shoulders. 

“Hi, Y/N. What’s up?” he asked.

“I uh, just wanted to say you did really good today. I’m really happy you’re playing Lyle,” you said.

“Oh. Thanks. I’m nowhere near as good as your dad,” he said. “He’s kind of insanely good at this.”

“He’s had more practice,” you said. “Honestly though, I’m glad Gil dropped out. He wouldn’t have done what you were doing today.”

“Why’d he drop out anyways? He’s in freaking Marvel movies. He’s huge,” said Jensen.

“I think he got an offer to do some serious drama. He doesn’t need a breakthrough role. He’s already had that. To be honest I never liked the choice,” you said.

“Well, Lyle’s smart. Gil isn’t exactly known for playing intelligent characters,” said Jensen. You smirked and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I probably shouldn’t trash talk him. I’ve never met him.”

“I have. Trust me. He deserves it. You know your Lyle Sullivan,” you said. 

“I started rereading today during a few breaks. Never hurts to have the source material in your head,” he said. 

“Not sure Gil can read so you’re already winning,” you said. Jensen laughed and nodded. “You don’t have to reread though Jensen. I kept the script the same as the book.”

“Oh, I know. I could tell there weren’t really any changes between them. I just like rereading it,” he said.

“I like to read it every once in a while too,” you said. “I’d say if you ever had any questions on how to play a scene or how Lyle would act feel free to ask but I have a feeling you won’t need help in that department.”

“You had plenty of notes for me today,” he said, ducking his head down.

“I’m sorry,” you said, his head instantly popping up.

“No, no. They were good. It’s kind of why I’m reading it again. Take the kitchen scene today. It’s very clear in the book how Lyle looks around the space,” he said. You stared at him and smiled.

“Jensen, you don’t have to memorize the thing. It’s why I give you notes, so you don’t have to. I know I went a bit overboard today. I’ll try to ease up some.”

“No, it’s good. Keep doing it. It makes it better,” he said. “I want to make it look as good as possible. I can’t imagine being in charge of everything.”

“Well I only get called kid in every meeting I’m in which is lovely,” you said. “I mean my dad is the other lead. I get the whole people thinking this is nepotism thing.”

“Didn’t you use a pen name during publishing though, at least to get someone to choose it on it’s own merits, not your name? I thought I read that,” he said.

“Yeah. I did. Once I got the deal I gave my real name. I mean, people can think whatever they want. I wanted it published because it was good enough though, not because some chick in an office thinks my dad is attractive or something,” you said.

“I can understand that,” he said. “Hey, can I ask question about the book?”

“Shoot,” you said as he leaned back against his car.

“Why does the cover have a picture of the woods on a bright day if it’s the Dark Woods? I always wondered that,” he said.

“Oh boy,” you laughed. “It’s been a while since I’ve been asked that. If you can believe it, there was a printing error where they forgot to add a filter but it was too late to go back and fix it. I ended up liking it.”

“Here I thought it was because Lyle’s a good guy, Hale too, despite all the reasons they have to be bad,” he said. “You know, light in dark. Symbolism or whatever.”

“Nah,” you laughed, Jensen letting out one of his own. “I do like that interpretation though. I uh, I’m sorry for keeping you. I’m sure you want to get home. I have to go do some more work. I won’t keep you anymore.”

“No, it’s cool. I like talking to you,” he said. “I’ll catch you around tomorrow, Y/N.”

“You too, Jensen.”

You headed into the building, heading upstairs to where your movie had a few rooms to use. You popped into your small office and pulled out your laptop from your backpack, stretching before you grabbed your binder and sat down.

You skimmed through it and made some notes, hopping back and forth between it and your email for a while. You yawned and put your head in your hand, scrolling through a few things and making a choice on a few costume choices for Jensen and your dad.

“Kiddo,” said your dad, shaking your shoulder all of a sudden. You popped your head up from your production office desk, your dad giving you a smile. “You missed mom’s calls earlier. She had me come check on you since you never answered. I think you conked out at some point.”

“What time is it?” you yawned.

“About three in the morning. I checked your apartment first,” he said. “Come on, up and at ‘em.”

“I got to be here at six for prep, might as well stay,” you said, stretching in your seat.

“You’ll burn yourself out if you pull all-nighters all the time,” he said. “It’s only day three.”

“And it took a lot longer to film yesterday’s scenes than I thought it would,” you said. “Everything was good but the location hopping took way longer than I thought it would.”

“Follow me,” he said. You groaned and he pulled you to your feet, guiding you down the hall and outside to the night air. You walked for a few minutes until you were at his trailer door, your dad opening it up and flipping on the light switch.

“Your trailers have gotten nicer over the years,” you said as you stepped up inside

“And what was your favorite part of my trailers ever since you were a little girl?” he asked, walking you back to the bedroom. “The big ass bed.”

“They were awesome for jumping on,” you said.

“Well next time you skip dinner at our place, text mom so she doesn’t worry and the next time you need to stay late, crash here, sweetie,” he said. “Now sleep, kiddo. I’ll be out on the pullout.”

“Thanks dad,” you said, getting a kiss on the forehead before you plopped down on the bed.

“Rest up. Tomorrow’s a big stunt day.”

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A/N: Read Part 3 here!