#the way may day is in three of these gifs and some of my fave moments are still missing

[dawntainbobbynash]

Anon asked: My favorite Bobby & May scenes

[lovemadethemdoit]

Hangster FIC RECS (complete fics only!) 🤠💘🐓

There are some high-quality long fics in this fandom and I’m sharing my faves with you because I’m nice (and selfish and want these authors to write more fics, duh.). Promise me one thing though? If you read a fic off my list and love it? Leave a comment for the author. They’ll be PSYCHED and write more. Possibly.

Okay, let’s go. More than 30 hangster fics for you to read. 😍😍😍

Under the cut. Feel free to reblog this post far and wide to energize this fandom, too!

********* wanting (18641 words) by bottledyarn

Additional Tags: Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Unrequited Love, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Internalized Homophobia, Pining, Banter, Slow Burn, Getting Together, First Kiss, Suicidal Thoughts, Jake "Hangman" Seresin Needs a Hug, Canon Timeline, Canon Compliant, POV Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Emotionally Repressed, 5+1 Things, Sort Of, 6+2 things, Jake can't emote and I can't count, Character Study

Summary:

Six times Jake Seresin assumes Bradley Bradshaw is something he can want but can't have, and how he learns the truth.

--

Jake Seresin is very good at a few things. Flying, obviously. Pissing people off. Wanting things he can't have.

But he's never been very good at dealing with Bradley Bradshaw.

During the mission, Jake is just trying his best to be better.

***

hold me through the shakes (7477 words) by spiritsontheroof

Additional Tags: Hurt Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Mentally, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Canon, Pining Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Exes, Getting Back Together, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Nightmares, Canon-Typical Violence, it's like. lightly discussed, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary:

Bradley spills hot coffee on his hand three days into their post-mission leave.

It’s not until he can’t get the bandage over the blister that he realizes his hands are shaking.

***

I Long For You (To Hold Me Ardently) (10265 words) by perishablealex

Additional Tags: POV Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Canon Compliant, Light Angst, Pining, Kinda?, Smut, Getting Together

Summary:

“We don't have to talk about it.” His eyes dart away from Bradley’s face, afraid that they will betray just how much he wants to talk about it, that they will reveal the vulnerability Jake feels in that moment, caught in a momentary suspension of time. The moment feels unreal with the golden light pouring over piano tiles long forgotten in his childhood, the man at his side that feels close enough to reach but not quite hold, the way that time stretches like molasses, sweet yet torturously slow and thick.

“I think we should, don’t you?”

Or: Rooster and Hangman sleep together after the mission without realizing that it may not have been meaningless for either of them.

***

No One Can Find The Rewind Button (71073 words) by FabuMazX

Additional Tags: Mpreg, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Slow Burn, Accidental Pregnancy, Mentions of miscarriage, IceMav are the best granddads

Summary:

It was only one night. But that's all it takes, isn't it?

Bradley and Jake are on good terms since the mission. Friends even. But they're not together, not like that. So why the universe decided to force them together with an unexpected surprise is anybody's guess.

***

something to be sheltered (19075 words) by MayWilder

Additional Tags: Found Family, Post-Mission, Meet the Family, Beau "Cyclone" Simpson is a Softie, Jake "Hangman" Seresin Needs a Hug, Jake "Hangman" Seresin Has Daddy Issues, Married Tom "Iceman" Kazansky/Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Temporary, no beta we die like goose, Father-Son Relationship, Light Angst

Series: Part 2 of Feels Like Home

Summary:

“My wife has asked that you join us for dinner tomorrow night,” Beau says carefully.

“Your wife, sir?” Jake’s brow furrows. “Why would she like to meet me?”

“She thinks its important that my mentee sees a healthy work-life balance.”

“I’m your mentee?” Jake teases, smirking lightly. “And you talk about me enough that your wife wants to meet me?”

“You can continue to be a pain in my ass,” Beau sighs, looking up at the ceiling. “Or, you can take the offer of a free dinner with a beautiful and intellectually stimulating woman.”

“Oh, I definitely want to see this side of Cyclone,” Jake grins. “Domesticated.”

“You’re bordering on impertinence.”

“Me? Never.”

“Let’s go back to when you respected me and my position.”

Jake appears to settle down, but only slightly. He clears his throat and squares his shoulders. “I’d be honored to attend dinner with your family, Admiral. Just tell me a date and time.”

*** or, Beau Simpson didn't mean to adopt a fully grown naval aviator, but, you know; shit happens.

***

flames look beautiful (if you forget what they can do) (8359 words) by Ravens_Words

Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Protective Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Protective Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Protective Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Idiots in Love, Getting Back Together, Background Relationships, Hints at IceMav, Hints at BobNix

Summary:

Bradley Bradshaw returns to consciousness with a gasp, hand going to his side, where a searing pain makes itself known.

  "-ster, hey," Jake snaps, holds his face in both hands and forces him to look his way, "breathe."

  Bradley does as he's told, as painful as it is, and his vision clears somewhat. Jake's crouched beside him, concern etched on his face, and what happened comes back to him in flashes.

  The mission going sideways at every possible turn, seeing Jake's plane get shot down in the sky, the less than smooth emergency landing in the woods that followed.

***

Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away? (48614 words) by LoveMadeThemDoIt

Additional Tags: Jake Seresin Has Daddy Issues, Homophobia, Emotional Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Found Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Jake POV, Bradley POV, Protective Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, Protective Javy “Coyote” Machado, Protective Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, Self-Denial, Jake “Hangman” Seresin Needs A Hug, Threats of Violence, Blackmail, Homophobic Slurs, Dissociation, Training Accidents, Jake is in the hospital at some point but he’ll be fine, Bradley makes sure Jake gets sleep, navy inaccuracies, Closeted Character, a dusting of IceMav, Beau „Cyclone“ Simpson is a softie, First Time, Anal Sex, Bottom Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, Post-Canon, Gay Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Bisexual Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Jake "Hangman" Seresin Has Bad Parents, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Self-Worth Issues, Happy Ending, Slow Burn, the movie plot is maybe three paragraphs at the beginning but this is POST-CANON

Summary:

Jake has no illusions he’ll come back from this mission. He’s the best fighter pilot the Navy has got on staff and this is not his ego talking. He’ll fly the mission, and it’ll be a shit show, because none of them have even managed to fly the simulation in the way they need to.

In his weaker moments, Jake wonders if his father is how he’s gotten this gig.

***

baby, I'm howlin' for you (87473 words) by hangmanbradshaw

Additional Tags: Werewolves, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Supernatural Elements, Full Shift Werewolves, think teen wolf meets twilight meets vampire diaries, Vampires, Witches, Werewolf Hunters, it's got all the things, they can shift but any romance stuff happens as humans fyi, Slow Burn, POV Alternating, Protective Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Possessive Behavior, also there's alphas and stuff but it's not abo, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Arranged Marriage, kind of, Also this takes place in like a medieval setting a la game of thrones, rut but not the sexy kind more the cuddly kind, Hand Jobs, Smut, Mating Bites, Accidental Voyeurism, Kinda, Top Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Bottom Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary:

His smirk widened. He may not have been happy about this, but he could appreciate that Bradley gave as good as he got. “I am good, Rooster. I’m very good.”

Bradley stared at him, expression battling between annoyance and what appeared to be a slight amount of amusement and intrigue. Jake continued, “Say, how does a werewolf get the nickname Rooster anyhow?”

Bradley raised an eyebrow. “That’s none of your business.”

Or

The Wolves & Foxes AU

***

When you're ready (45445 words) by The_Splendid_Wren

Additional Tags: I know you all saw it too, Idiots in Love, Hangman is actually not a dick, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rooster POV, Father-Son Relationship, Maverick is just trying to make Goose proud, Phoenix is a bro, Lots of staring into the scenery, Eventual Smut, Finally I have a reason to obsess over Top Gun again, References to Canon, Post-Canon, did i mention Hangman is a momma's boy?, not beta read we die like men, Slow Burn, Homophobic Language, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Smut, Therapy is good for everyone

Summary:

After the suicide-mission-that-wasn't the pilots of TOP GUN go their separate ways to enjoy a much earned week of leave. Rooster is set to spend his time with Maverick in an attempt to rekindle their familial relationship but it gets complicated when unresolved trauma from nearly dying keeps him from truly opening up. With a host of other issues like his unknown next assignment and his feelings for a rival paralyzing him, he truly has no idea how he ends up at the Seresin ranch house in Austin, Texas with the object of his desires right in front of him.

Or, Rooster is suffering PTSD and his friends and family try to help him. Whether that's getting therapy or confessing his very deeply buried feelings remains to be seen.

***

I will love you, dear, forever (17574 words) by FlowersOnMyMind

Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Alpha Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Explicit Sexual Content, Jake loves Bradley so much, Dagger Squad, Found Family, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Pining, mentioned icemav - Freeform, brief bobnix, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Pining Jake

Summary:

"Do you have someone to take care of you?" Jake asks.

"Are you offering, Seresin?"

"Are you asking, Bradshaw?"

or

Jake and Bradley help each other through their ruts and heats.

Jake pines.

***

You Love Him, and No One Else (50269 words) by Sceld

Additional Tags: Pining, LIKE TOO MUCH, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, just a collection of tropes because I Am Cringe, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Mostly Fluff, Internalized Homophobia, oh yeah and lots of it, very gay, derogatorily, Family Issues, Idiots in Love, idiots in general honestly, i hate it too don't worry, First Dates, but unofficially, Bad Cooking, Meeting the Parents, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Past Child Abuse, not graphic though, Slow Burn, First Kiss, Baking, Hopeful Ending

Summary:

“I’ve got it,” Jake offers, holding his hand out, but Rooster only tuts disappointedly.

“What kind of host would I be if I made you carry your own bag?”

Jake blanks on a response, his mouth twisting into a smile without his permission. Rooster turns to where Jake can now see the Bronco. Its engine is still running, and it’s warm inside when Jake closes the door behind him, clicking on his seatbelt by feeling along while he stares intently at the glove compartment in front of him, waiting while Rooster puts his bag in the boot. He doesn’t feel as weird as he thought he would, as he probably should. Every conflicting feeling from the F-14 is returning in waves. He’s helpless to resist the pull of the tide. It’s terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

 or;

Jake's apartment floods and his only other option is to stay with the last person in the world he wants to spend time with. Shenanigans ensue.

***

there's money for the taking (and the happiness we all deserve) (64769 words) by thegeckbros

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, Age Difference, it's 10ish years, Past Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst with a Happy Ending, Power Dynamics, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Casual Sex, author built a very elaborate world for like no reason, Tags May Change, Humor, or at least i like to hope, Explicit Sexual Content, Daddy Kink, like it’s a sugar DADDY au so it comes w the territory but still it’s there and it’s heavy

Summary:

“So, what, one of the richest dudes in New York wants to be your sugar daddy?”

“Kinda?” Jake sits back up, straightening up and turning his body towards Javy. “He doesn’t want like sex or anything. He just needs someone to pretend to date so his uncle and PR team get off his back about his reputation.”

or

a sugar daddy au in which jake is a struggling law student, bradley's a billionaire, and they weave a tangled web

***

Speak Softly, Love (67000 words) by Renai_chan

Additional Tags: Mafia AU, Iceman is a Mob Boss, Bradley is his heir, Icemav adore Jake, goose and carole are alive because i said so, Violence, Blood and Injury, tags to be updated as I go, Tattoos, Suit Kink, Lingerie, Rimming, Polyglot Bradley, Gun Violence, Revenge

Summary:

Jake leaves behind his crappy life in Texas and moves to California. There, he meets Bradley, a gorgeous man who works at a charity helping the homeless. They fall in love, and everything is sunshine and rainbows until he learns that Bradley is, in fact, Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, heir to the empire of his godfather, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, who rules the underbelly of Los Angeles with ice-cold ruthlessness. Suddenly, Jake find himself embroiled in the dangers of the LA Mafia

***

Forever your begonia (17576 words) by MerielTLA

Additional Tags: Idiots in Love, Enemies to Lovers, Secret Crush, Secret Admirer, Flowers, Language of Flowers, Jake "Hangman" Seresin is a Little Shit, Texan Jake "Hangman" Seresin, no beta we die like goose, Jake needs some romance in his life, Rooster is bad at feelings, unrequired required love, Emotional Constipation, This came out of nowhere, don´t blame me, Ice is alive, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky Lives

Summary:

“This is not for me.” Mickey grinned like a fucking maniac as he held out a small envelope for everyone to see, pointing at the signature in it.

Jake.

The blond felt his world tilt as he frowned at the offending four letters of his name. What. The. Fuck. He pulled the card away from the other´s hand as he looked at the fancy lettering in horrified amazement.

“Oh my GOD! Bagman has an admirer?!” Paybay yelled

or

Jake Hangman Seresin had never gotten flowers...until he did.

***

hanging on to ambiguity

(34033 words) by

haridwar

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Lifeguard Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Surfer Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, First Aid, Head Injury, Mutual Pining, Protective Javy "Coyote" Machado, Protective Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Miscommunication, they're bad at talking again, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV Multiple, Breaking Up & Making Up, Implied/Referenced Sex, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky Lives, Married Tom "Iceman" Kazansky/Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Drunkenness, drunk Jake is a mess, Natasha "Phoenix" Trace is So Done, Hurt Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Jake "Hangman" Seresin Has Daddy Issues, Parental Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Unhealthy Relationships, you might not like Bradley in this one (but you can still love him), Hospitalization, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hopeful Ending, everyone gets therapy

Summary:

an accident on the beach, a lifeguard to the rescue, and the repercussions of an unexpected reunion

***

it seemed so natural, darling, that you and I are here (20181 words) by haridwar

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Pilot Bradley Bradshaw, Las Vegas Wedding, Accidental Marriage, Drunken Shenanigans, Memory Loss, the inherent awkwardness of having a crush on the guy you're married to, Javy "Coyote" Machado is a Good Friend, Bradley gets his own Javy to hang out with, Sexual Content, Jealous Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, POV Alternating

Summary:

“Did we really do this?” Bradley asked. It was the first thing he had said since Jake’s brainwave and Jake was not a fan of how upset he sounded. “Are we- did we get married?”

or: what happens in Vegas...

***

you were almost too much for me (9648 words) by haridwar

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Bodyguard Bradley, Past Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw/Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Returning Home, Post-Break Up, Love Confessions, Jealous Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Wealthy Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Arguing, Reconciliation, Hopeful Ending

Summary:

Jake’s ex works for his father and that complicates things when he heads back home after The Mission ***

Men Like Us (41265 words) by DancingDisaster

Additional Tags: Breaking Up & Making Up, Getting Back Together, All aboard the Bradshaw-Seresin Shitshow Extravaganza, Idiots in Love, Ice Lives By Popular Demand, A romantic dramedy about two Idiot Flyboys

Summary:

Seresin men love with reckless abandon. It’s put every man before him in the ground.

Jake refuses to be buried.

He flies like he has nothing left to lose (he doesn’t), a one man army (he is), leaving everyone else in the dust (so they don’t leave him). Admiral Kazansky claps him on the shoulder, says he expects great things from him, and Jake’s smile is feral as the rest of his flight school cohort looks on in disbelief.

Hangman, they all say, like Jake’s entire personality was a long con, and he ranks first in class.

Rooster doesn’t look at all.

(They've got history spanning the better part of a decade and they are absolutely, positively not over it.)

***

like shooting stars (12737 words) by bottledyarn

Additional Tags: Fluff, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Anxious Jake "Hangman" Seresin, POV Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Texas, Texan Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Domestic Fluff, First Kiss, Getting Together, Soft Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Post-Canon, Just a little pretend relationship, as a treat, Only One Bed

Summary:

“Well," the gate agent said. "Only uniformed military members and their spouses can board priority, but—”

“That works out,” Bradshaw said, his voice tinny and distant in Jake's ringing ears. “Because this is my fiancé.”

If Jake hadn’t been able to choke down a piece of toast this morning, he thought he might be light-headed enough to just pass out right then and there.

--

Jake is trying to fly home for Thanksgiving and not have a panic attack on the airplane. Bradley is trying to skip town and spend the holiday in a mountain cabin to distract from another Thanksgiving alone. Between the two of them, they might both get where they need to go.

***

learning steps (20530 words) by vannral

Additional Tags: Friendship, Getting Together, Oblivious Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Idiots in Love, Pining, POV Outsider, Instructor!Bradley, Teaching, Protective Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Students, Reunions, Eventual Sex, Happy Ending

Summary:

”So, an instructor?”

A straight hit. Bradley shifts uncomfortably on the leather seat and clears his throat. ”… Yeah.”

In which Bradley becomes an instructor after the mission, Jake keeps showing up to his classes and his students are very curious about their dynamic.

***

unsportsmanlike conduct (16871 words) by ginnydear

Additional Tags: alternative universe, NFL, Enemies to Lovers, Bickering, Minor Injuries, Sexual Content, tweets as a plot device, everyone's alive because I say so

Summary:

He didn’t expect there to be highlight reels of him and Jake Seresin arguing and jawing at each other after their first game against each other. His Uncle Mav’s recorded it, saying it’s the beginning of his long, successful career - to have a rival.

 Bradley thinks it’s a pain in the ass.

 or - the hangster nfl au

***

one foot left, and then we're going down swinging (15944 words) by SaintClaire

Additional Tags: Dagger Squad, I put Hangman through the washing machine, but he's fine he comes back out, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky Lives, this is my sand pit, Found Family, life affirming kissing but everyone's pants stay on, for now, attempted abuse of barnyard poultry (not by Hangman), the horse lives, uhhh I don't think this is whump because I kiss it better, but if not let me know, damn good piloting skills, everyone has emotions

Summary:

“I’m still here.” he says, because it helps Bradley to be reminded sometimes. For all he’ll mouth off about Jake never shutting up, the sound of Jake’s voice can get him to drop the rigid set of his shoulders and relax, sit a little easier in the cockpit. “Still on your wing, Roo, just a little further away than normal.”

Jake gets shot down on a mission, tracker blown to smithereens and on his own in enemy territory. The thing about Hangman is that he might be a damn good pilot but that means he comes with the bloody-mindedness to see his shit through. He's got a family to get back to.

***

all my roads lead back to you (17094 words) by liadan14

Additional Tags: Secret Relationship, Secret Marriage, nonchronological storytelling, Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw Needs A Hug, Jake Seresin Needs A Hug, Communication via interior design, Accidental Marriage, the inherent romanticism of joint financial decisions, Alternate Universe: they weren't exes during the movie, they were just very bad at being a couple, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Size Kink, Jake pavlovs Bradley into having a size kink, just trust me on that last one, outsider pov, Relationship Reveal, Polyamory Negotiations, implied threesome, Implied past Icemav, Current Mav/Penny, Maverick about extremely unhealthy relationships: it was acceptable in the 80s, Penny and Bob are vying for the only braincell in the team championship

Summary:

“Where does this leave us?” Bradley asks eventually.

Jake snorts. “In what way?”

Bradley shrugs. “I don’t know. Emotionally, physically. Legally.”

Jake thinks he might be dizzy. He hasn’t drunk that much tonight, but he has been wondering about the answers to that question for a long time. Finally talking about it…it barely even feels real. “Let’s start with the last one,” he says. “That sounds like the easiest part.”

“Well,” Bradley says gamely. “Legally speaking, I think we’re, like, one piece of paper away from being married.”

***

never had a heart to mend (3735 words) by un_familiar

Additional Tags: Miscommunication, Cheating, (but not really i swear), Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, sorry this took a month to write thats embarrassing, Post-Canon, what do you call pining when youre already dating them, sorry about this (lying)

Summary:

Bradley won’t stop looking at him with concern, laying kisses on his bare back and asking softly, “Are you okay,” until Jake wants to scream You know what you’re fucking doing to me, but he can’t or he won’t and he’s never felt this helpless in his life. The best he can manage is a soft, “Just tired,” turning back into Bradley’s embrace and thinking God, just let me keep this.

***

of a feather (2501 words) by lilgreyarea

Additional Tags: Kid Fic, Halloween, Trick or Treating, Fluff, Post-Canon, Getting Together, (kinda), idk it’s just cute fluffy nonsense

Summary:

jake and his three-year-old daughter, sophie, run into bradley while trick-or-treating

***

The death of piece of mind (27595 words) by MerielTLA

Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky Lives, Rooster is bad at feelings, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Amnesia, I blame the title song, Protective Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Injured Rooster, no beta we die like goose, Miscommunication, Fluff and Angst, Fluff, It was supposed to be heavier but it evolved on its own, Hangster, sereshaw, IceMav, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon

Summary:

Last time he had seen Jake, had been fourteen months ago. More than a year since Bradley had escaped, like a coward, and had completely lost contact with the man his body missed with a strength that terrified him. The man that had been there for him as he had woken up, disoriented and scared. The man that had taken care of him, as he fought against his ruined leg and a fucked-up mind.

The one he had abandoned, at the first chance he got.

The man that was his husband, the one he didn’t remember.

 Or Bradley left after losing his memory and forgetting his relationship with Jake, but now he has begun to remember and it's time to get his hubby back. ***

How do you like your coffee? (23355 words) by WaffleToaster

Additional Tags: Memory Loss, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Accidents, Falling In Love, Idiots in Love, Fluff and Smut, Sex, Established Relationship, Developing Relationship, Injury Recovery, Tooth-Rotting Fluff

Summary:

Javy receives the first call after Jake makes an emergency landing on the tarmac and Bradley has to deal with the complications that arise.

“Do we get along now?”

“We do, yes. We’re.. good friends.”

“That’s good. Cause you seem like a nice guy, Rooster.” ***

lover be good to me (18920 words) by haridwar

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Baker Bradley, Long-Distance Relationship, Birthday Fluff, like literally so much of it, this one is super birthday centric, Strangers to Lovers, Married Tom "Iceman" Kazansky/Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, as per usual, Parental Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, POV Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Soft Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Sex Toys, Relationship Reveal

Summary:

Jake picks a random coffee shop to go be pensive in when he receives a birthday card he doesn't want and things turn out better than he ever could have imagined

***

you hang me up, unfinished (with the better part of me no longer mine)

(13140 words) by un_familiar

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Getting Together, Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Character Study, javy is the best friend ever, POV Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Jealousy, eventually, complete and total abuse of italics, Pining, the absolute minimum research went into this, do not look too closely at it!, Jake Is A Menace All Of The Time, javy and natasha are sick of them!, Miscommunication, Eventual Fluff

Summary:

There are a million things standing between Jake Seresin and his soulmate–gender, Jake’s tendency to overthink and run his mouth, the fact that his soulmark is high up on his ribs, hidden, the bruises his dad leaves, but the biggest one is probably the simple fact that he has no idea how to love. ***

Got to Make It on My Own (14196 words) by Renai_chan

Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Bradley, Omega Jake, Alpha Javy, Accidental Bonding, Drunk Sex, Ex-Somethings, One Night Stands, The Inherent Dubiousness of ABO, Platonic Sex, Javy is the BEST Bro, Marking, Biting, Bonding, Being an asshole as a coping mechanism, Jealous Bradley, Knotting, Idiot Men who Don't Communicate, Angst, Happy Ending

Summary:

Jake and Bradley spend one night together under the heavy, heavy influence of alcohol. It does not go well. But it goes worse for Jake than it does for Bradley because he wakes up with a bonding bite and his new alpha nowhere to be found.

When they're recalled for a special training detachment eight years later, Jake finds out that Bradley doesn't remember giving him the bite at all and Bradley finds out about it for the first time.

It still does not go well. ***

the long way home (5982 words) by nocturnelight

Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Canon, Parental Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Parental Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky & Pete "Maverick" Mitchell Raise Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky Lives, Married Tom "Iceman" Kazansky/Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Jake "Hangman" Seresin Needs a Hug, Healing, Therapy, And love communicated through scrambled eggs

Summary:

Jake and Bradley had come in late last night and settled into the guest room of Maverick and Iceman’s beach house. Jake had driven them both up at Pete and Tom’s insistence after Mav’s voice on the phone and Jake’s hand running up and down his back hadn’t been enough to get Bradley to stop shaking when he’d woken up screaming from a nightmare.

He's hoping being there will be good for Bradley, maybe finally get him to talk about how he's been feeling. Because Bradley's the one who's bottling everything up.

And Jake is perfectly fine. He swears.

ENJOY READING! LEAVE COMMENTS FOR THE WRITERS. WOHOO!!

[little-diable]

Clementine - Tommy Shelby

Written for my lovely @runnning-outof-time – congrats again on 3k!! I loved the flower garden theme paired with the song "From Austin" by one of my fave singers Zach Brian. This turned out sadder than intended, but I'm not sorry for it. Please like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this! Enjoy my loves. xxx

Summary: A flower garden, their own piece of heaven for Tommy and (y/n) before the war forces them to part ways. A flower garden that may force them to cross paths again, eventually.

Warnings: 18+, smut, unprotected piv, public sex, mentions war, mentions death of a child, mentions death of a loved one, angst, this is quite sad.

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x fem!widowed!reader (2.7k words)

“Quiet.” His voice echoed through the night, eyes focused on her frame. He had his hand stretched out for her to take, watching her struggle with her naked feet and the dirt covered seam of her dress. “On the count of three.”

Tommy began to count, tightening his grip on her hand before he pulled her up, helping (y/n) onto the stone wall. Both were heavily panting, sitting in silence for a few seconds before Tommy shot her an excited smirk. He jumped down from the wall, swallowed by the blanket of darkness lingering around them, momentarily leaving (y/n) behind.

“Come, I’ll catch you.” Tommy’s words encouraged her, forcing her to deeply exhale before she jumped into the dark abyss, squealing into the crook of his neck as he caught her, pressing the young woman against his chest. His scent engulfed her, reminding her of tobacco, of tea, and of the melancholic feeling of being homesick. 

(Y/n)’s insides churned, caught in her thoughts. Tommy would leave in a few days, one with hundreds of men that were urged on by the need to defend their home country, ready to die amongst other soldiers. But none of them understood the severity of their situation, none of them truly understood what it meant to die for their country, not taking the shadow of death following them around seriously.

“Don’t cry, we still have time.” His rough voice rang in her ears, eyes forced to meet his piercing ones. Tommy’s soft thumbs wiped away her tears, eyes flickering down to her lips before he pulled her in for a kiss. It wasn’t the first time Tommy had kissed her, and certainly wouldn’t be the last, and yet the kiss didn’t taste of love and longing, no, there was a bitter off-taste to it, once again reminding (y/n) of their fleeting time together. 

He parted from her with a sigh, fingers interlaced with hers as he started pulling (y/n) along. She couldn’t stop her eyes from wandering, admiring the flowers blooming in the garden, hands tingling to reach out to them, wanting to cherish their beauty. The flowers would wither before he’d return, petals falling to the ground like soldiers left to die on the cold warfield, and yet (y/n) found some kind of beauty in the thought of vanitas, in the transience of life. 

“Do you remember the first time you brought me here?” Her question was met with a laugh rumbling through Tommy as they came to halt in the middle of the garden, finding shelter in the veil of night's darkness. He pulled her in once again, forehead pressed against hers, reminiscing in the memories of their past years together. 

“You were so scared they’d find us, could barely pay attention to the flowers.” It had been years since Tommy had first sneaked into the garden, climbing the high walls because of some bet with his brothers. A drunken joke that had guided him into this small piece of heaven. The night he had brought (y/n) here for the first time, he had made a silent promise: one day he’d be wealthy enough to gift her a garden this rich of exotic flowers, of scents only those with enough money would be able to recognise. 

“I am glad you brought me here that day.” A smile tugged on her lips, weight shifted onto her toes to kiss him. The kiss was slow, not rushed by their fleeting time and the adrenaline thumping through their veins, wondering when or if they’d ever be caught trespassing, both were caught in the moment, needing to feel one another before their eventual goodbye would force them to part ways. 

Tommy’s hand toyed with the buttons of her dress, slowly popping them open one by one, not able to stop his smirk from widening. As the last button was opened, she dropped to her knees, eyes staring up at him with a dangerous glint swimming in them, hoping that he’d follow her down to the cold ground. The grass stroked along her arms, trapping her in a field of safety, finally succeeding in making her forget about the future laying ahead of them. For a few moments she was wrapped in the sweet scent of the flowers, of the clementine trees growing around them, a scent forever etched into her memory.

“I love you, and I always will, even if it’s the only thing I can promise.” Tommy murmured the words into the night, hands disappearing beneath the fabric of her dress, shuffling her underwear down her legs. She was soaked, dripping for his touch, not wanting to waste any time on touches she’d forget within the passing moments, clinging onto the emotions the upcoming minutes would push through her body. 

“I love you too, Tommy.” He fumbled with his trousers, freeing his cock before he spat into his hand, pumping himself a few times as (y/n) wrapped her legs around his waist. Both moaned in unison as he connected their bodies, sinking into her tightness like a sailor arriving back home after months away. There was no time to hold still, to admire the beauty she had exposed to him, no time to kiss every part of the body he’d dream of when his nights grew darker. 

Tommy fucked her into the cold ground, leaving marks on her hips with his tight grasp, hoping that his hands would mould against the shape of her body. Her moans left his heart racing, selfishly praying to whoever was listening that no other man would ever manage to make her feel like this, even though he had made his peace with the realisation that another man will eventually warm her bed. If there was one thing he wouldn’t ask her to do, it was beg her to wait for him, he wasn’t as oblivious as the other men his young age, knew well enough of the danger war unleashed upon those fighting for their country. 

Her walls fluttered around his cock, begging him to push her over the edge, needing to let go with his name burning on her lips like a salty breeze whispering secrets. Tommy buried his face in the crook of her neck, teeth grazing along her skin as his hand found her middle, shuffling the fabric of her dress up to her waist. Her bundle of nerves pulsed against his thumb, begging him to pick up the pace of his movements. 

Curses rumbled through (y/n) as she came, letting go with her eyes squeezed shut and her back arched off the grass. Her mind tried to grasp onto the moment, hoping that she’d never forget about the highs Tommy pushed through her, making her tremble beneath him. And as he followed her down the edge, releasing himself inside of her, walls painted white, she felt her thoughts slowly slipping, drowning out the sounds of the night, only focusing on him. 

……

The mansion was quiet, only the sound of (y/n) turning the pages of her book could be heard, filling the study. She had her eyes glued to the words, reading yet another novel her husband had brought home months ago, hoping to see a smile tug on her lips. (Y/n) was deep in thought, sucked into the story as if she was living through it herself, seeing the characters all too vividly. 

She jumped in her seat as the sound of somebody knocking on her door echoed through the house, eyes forced away from her pages. From her seat near the window she could hear the hurried steps of her maid, moving towards the door to greet the men (y/n) was expecting. Once again her eyes wandered back down to her pages, trying to finish the last words of the chapter. 

Her maid called her name, stepping into the study with a polite smile lingering on her lips, murmuring a soft “They are here” towards the reading woman. And with a sigh leaving her, (y/n) closed the book, tugging on her dress to shake off the wrinkles. Her eyes found the garden laying to her feet, a place once filled with loving memories she was now running from. 

The sound of someone clearing their throat forced (y/n) to turn towards her guests, freezing as her eyes found an all too familiar pair of blue eyes. She hadn’t known who would come by to talk about the property, had trusted her neighbour’s words, promising the woman that he knew just the right person to buy her mansion. Tommy’s name left her, spoken into the quiet study like a whisper leaving her in the depth of the night. 

“(Y/n), it’s good to see you again.” Even though his eyes were all too familiar, his voice had nothing comforting to it, not soft like it once had sounded, rather rough, similar to the cold gaze he now wore to stare her down. “Is your husband around? I was told he was looking to sell the property.”

“My husband’s dead, Thomas.” Wrapped in a thick silence, the two stared at one another, eyes only breaking their contact as Arthur pushed past Thomas, opening his arms for the woman he had once loved like a sister. The hug made tears well up in her eyes, clinging to the man she had known ever since she had been a child, the man whose wellbeing she had prayed for. 

“I’m sorry about your loss, love.” Arthur squeezed her hand before he stepped away from her, allowing her glassy eyes to find Tommy’s once again. He had pushed a cigarette between his lips, blowing out a thick blanket of smoke before he took a step closer, and another, sinking down in the chair she had been sitting on minutes ago. 

“Why are you trying to sell this place?” Her insides screamed at her to move closer, wanting to feel Tommy’s hands pressed against hers, and yet she didn’t dare move. (Y/n)’s trembling hand wiped away her falling tears, deeply exhaling as she was trying to find the strength to reply, thoughts running wild. It had been years since she had last seen the two of them, years she had spent waiting for their return, and yet the relief of seeing them again had never come, not receiving one message from Tommy. 

“It’s too big for me, I have no need for so many rooms, and the flower garden is too much for me to care for. There’s nothing left to stay here for, I’m leaving for America next Saturday.” Tommy seemingly tensed at the mention of the garden, eyes wandering to the window. It took him a moment to snap into motion, to rise from his seat and to walk up to the doors leading out into the garden. She watched him step outside, silently following with Arthur lingering behind. 

“You never wrote to me, not one single letter. We were waiting for you to come back to us.” (Y/n)’s murmurs were swallowed by the deep exhale leaving his pale lips, finishing his cigarette with a tired expression lingering on his features.

“We?” A whisper quiet as the night he had last brought her to the flower garden, filled with nothing but memories and confessions. Tommy started walking, slow enough for her to follow him, allowing her to watch him take in the blooming flowers, fingers darting out to stroke along the colourful petals. (Y/n) averted her gaze, heavily swallowing as she stroked her hand along the fabric of her dress. 

“We had a little girl. Clementine Shelby, at least that’s what she should have been called.” Her throat began to tighten up, heart breaking in her chest all over again, overwhelmed by the pain clashing through her. Tommy didn’t reply, he stared at her with dilated pupils, begging her to keep on talking, to tell him of their daughter’s fate, not expecting her next words to rip his soul from his fleshcage, evaporating into nothingness like the love he had once clung to. “Her lungs were weak, ever since she was born, but I had hope that we’d find some safety away from the city, away from the constant fear, and the news that kept growing worse. But her lungs weren’t made for the cold, she died before she could even try to begin to understand the love I had for her. My husband took good care of her, of us, but god, Tommy, it wasn’t supposed to end like this.” 

“You were engaged by the time I came back, I knew he’d give you the peace you deserved, the love you needed. The war has changed me, it has changed us all, I have no love left to give. People ruin people, I don't want to ruin you. Not you. But if I had known-” Tommy shook his head, eyes finding the grey sky above. Tears welled up in her eyes once again, arms crossed in front of her chest to try and keep her sobs bottled in, not wanting to break out into a fist of cries in front of Tommy. 

“You always thought I’m some damsel in distress you had to shelter from the world outside, some porcelain that would break if you’d grasp it too tightly. For God’s sake, Tommy, I may have married him, but not because I wanted to, but to help my parents survive with the little money they had, to help our daughter. I would have left him the second you returned to us.” The tears kept falling, no longer caught by her trembling fingers, struggling to keep on breathing as he turned towards her, watching the woman in front of him crumble. 

No words left the man as he pulled her into his chest, holding her close like he hadn’t done in years. She sobbed, choking on her breaths as he held her, eyes squeezed shut to bite down the pain spreading through his body, cursing himself for ever leaving her behind. Tommy Shelby was a selfish man, and yet his try to protect her from himself had been anything but selfish, at least not to him. 

“I once promised you that I will always love you, and I never broke that promise. You deserve better than this, something I can’t give you, and if I’m honest, I always knew that I won’t be able to provide you with what you deserve. It was selfish of me to hold onto you for so long, even before the war.” Tommy’s confession made her tremble, hands tightening their grip on the fabric of his suit. It felt like all those years ago, another goodbye that had once ripped her heart in two. 

“Look at me, Tommy.” Her whispers filled the morning, eyes taking in his frame, the empty eyes of his, filled with fear, with confusion, and that biting uncertainty. Her trembling hand cupped his warm cheek, pulling him in for a kiss. “Return to me, to us.”

“I love you, (y/n).” He pressed a kiss against her palm, eyes fluttering close to relish in the moment. With a step back Tommy parted from her, sparing the crying woman one last glance. And even though he knew that there was a chance for him to return, to make it back home eventually, Tommy knew that he’d never get to feel her lips again, that he’d never be fortunate enough to cling to her with loving words spilling from their lips ever again.

“I love you too, Thomas Shelby.”

He squeezed her arms before he stepped back from her, clearing his throat to let go of the memories flushing through his mind, “We’ll buy the property, it will be in good hands. I promise.” 

She watched him turn from her with glassy eyes, making his way back into the house, where Arthur had been watching the two. Tommy disappeared from her eyesight, a ghost of old times, fading like the flowers that would be laid to rest once autumn made itself comfortable in the garden she’d never step foot in again.

[maddys-nerd-blog]

Maddy’s Favorite TMNT Films Ranked!

It’s my birthday!!! I’m officially 25, which makes me shudder cuz I’m in my quarter life crisis now. REGARDLESS! Since it’s the day of my birth I thought it right to do something special!!

And that’s rank ALL the TMNT movies from my least favorite to my all-time faves!

I’m honored you all enjoyed my silly episode ranking, it was tons of fun to do and I loved writing it!! Chatting about these turtles has been nothing but fun and brings me tons of comfort, so I’m happy to do one of these again! I just pray my opinions aren’t too controversial 🤣🤣

Ten movies, all about four teenage mutant ninja turtles. One nerd to review these. This’ll be fun!!

Let’s kick some shell! 💜💜💜

Some criteria!

These are just my thoughts on the films! I’m not the end all, be all of what movie is THE BEST or THE WORST. If you like a movie that may have ranked lower, that’s awesome!! Let’s all share our opinions on them and have a fun time!

Straight to DVD films are included in this lineup!

The live concerts and We Wish You a Turtles Christmas are not allowed cuz those are fever dreams 🤣

I’ll be doing a classic ranking system from the bottom all the way to the top!

SPOILERS BEWARE! … AGAIN 🤣🤣 and some slight swearing, I may have gotten excited while writing this 🤣🤣🤣

Let’s begin!

10: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 ( 1993 )

My Score: 2 out of 10.

This movie is a fever dream and I can’t be convinced otherwise 🤣

I mean, can you blame me? This was made in a last ditch effort to get Turtlemania back in the mainstream just as it began to die down… and this was a BAD way to win fans back.

From the terrible comedy to the worst TMNT villain in the franchise to grace the silver screen in the form of Walker. Don’t even get me started on the god awful turtle costumes this time around because… dear lord, they’re nightmare fuel. If I saw these guys in an alley I’d run for the hills! They’re downright grotesque to look at! All the characters are either whiny, boring, or unlikable. I have nothing but respect to the voice actors of Leonardo and Michelangelo for sticking it through all three of the classic movies, despite the terrible script they had to work with in this installment. I also feel awful for Elias Koteas, who got the short end of the hockey stick— see what I did there? I’ll see myself out 😂— after ALL the grief Karen’s made him deal with after the first movie, getting booted from the sequel as a result of their nagging, only to be brought back to this mess. And what was with the ancestor-but-maybe-not-but-wait-he-might-be guy that Koteas was also playing??? His character made ZERO sense!

And that Splinter puppet???? THAT THING IS UGLY.

I would never watch this one again unless it was for memes. “What did you expect, maybe the Addams family?!”

No, but I expected a better script than this BS.

9: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows ( 2016 )

My Score: 3.4 out of 10

This may be a tighter script and a slightly more coherent plot, but DAMN, I can’t bare to watch this one for more than ten minutes on a good day.

First of all, Leonardo in this one is downright terrible and a bad leader. I’m STUNNED he never gets reprimanded by his Sensei for his nasty treatment of his brothers— telling Donnie to LIE TO HIS FAMILY ABOUT THE OOZE????? That’s out of character! Belittling Raph with that whole ‘There’s only one vote that counts’ line???? And putting the blame on him and Mikey for the police station fiasco?! He comes off as a bully!!

The plot is somewhat stronger than the first but it’s just taking elements from the Marvel movies, such as the hole in the sky like The Avengers. Shoving needless fan service in our faces as if to say ‘SEE??? WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST ONE, WE HEARD YOU, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED RIGHT?! LOOK! THERE’S A FROZEN NEUTRINO ON KRANG’S SHIP!’ Sorry, but this ain’t the Sonic movie, it isn’t going to work unless you actually respect the material you’re adapting! Like with the Sonic movie! They fixed Sonic’s look because of fan demand, and they actually respected their advise! Here though? It’s like they’re just throwing it in our faces just to spite us. It’s not coming from a place of love. Casey Jones in this film is a joke— what a waste to this iconic character to turn him from a badass vigilante into a whining baby vying for April’s affection. Bebop and Rocksteady are annoying as hell. Stockman sucks. Karai is a nothing sandwich. Shredder barely does ANYTHING. And Krang??? EW. Just… ew.

But for all my ranting this far, I do have some positives from this one— April actually gets to have a playful personality which is fun! Once again the turtles are the highlight. Their designs this time around are great!! Less accessories but it allows for more room to show the guys’ fighting abilities and the accessories they do have is there as an added bonus, not to clutter their look! I feel like this was Donnie and Raph’s movie more than anything! The amount of attention they get in this film alone shows that there were writers who loved these guys and treated them with respect! That scene where Donnie single-handedly TOOK CONTROL OF A CRASHING AIRPLANE USING HIS BO AS THE STEERING?! THAT WAS SICK!!! And Raph once again is an absolute BEAST in battle! The motion capture artists are phenomenal as the titular man characters, they all had great chemistry together! I just feel awful that they had to be treated so badly behind the scenes…

It’s not a great movie, and even with the few redeeming factors it still makes me irritated.

8: Turtles Forever ( 2009 )

My Score: 3.5 out of 10

PLEASE DON’T HATE ME 🤣

Remember what I said about us not getting a proper crossover until Ciro Nieli adapted the 1987 turtles into the show?

Yeeeeeah. This one was NOT it. And this was supposed to be the 25th anniversary movie???

For some reason, ALL the ‘03 turtles are so bitter and mean to the 87 counterparts. They’re putting them down at every instance where combat or character bonding is involved, which is ridiculous. ‘03 Donnie WOULD NEVER be so nonchalant about meeting another version of himself— and why does he constantly put down ‘87 Donatello for his inventions??? They should be hyping each other up and talking techno babble! Why is Splinter the only likable person in the whole movie?! Why did they change April and Casey’s designs to look like random anime characters?! ( NOTE: I know they changed them to match the 2007 film at the time, I’m just being funny )

I already can’t stand the ‘03 version of Shredder but DAMN, they’re making him out to be the most amazing version of him out there. It’s like the writers behind this movie are ragging ‘87 Shredder— WHY DID THEY MAKE HIM A HAPLESS IDIOT?! They gave ‘87 Shredder so much disrespect! In the original cartoon, while he could be used for laughs, he was also taken seriously and seen as a very real threat. He was no slouch whatsoever either, he easily took the turtles out in one episode in season two! The only ones who actually stayed ‘in character’ were Bebop and Rocksteady! It’s like this movie is tearing down what made the OG series fun and iconic to build the ‘03 turtles up to be THE greatest team. I just wanted these two teams to be working together and learning from one another in their own ways! Like, imagine a scene where ‘87 Raphael teaches ‘03 Raph to rip the fourth wall! Or ‘03 Mike and ‘87 Mikey showing each other their own nunchuck tricks! You know? ACTUAL BONDING????

And yes, the OG voice actors were swapped cuz of union disputes by 4Kids. The only one that sounds kind of like his original voice was the guy playing ‘87 Raph. Otherwise? They all sound pretty bad. It actually made me cringe the first time I got around to hearing them, I did NOT get used to them.

I understand there’s an extended cut out there that addresses some of the issues that were cut for time, but unfortunately we don’t have that version to go off of, so I’m left with this.

All I have to say is, THANK YOU CIRO NIELI!!!

7: TMNT ( 2007 )

My Score: 6 out of 10

No this was not intentional 🤣🤣🤣

We’re nearing the halfway point and we’ve reached the TMNT movie I saw as a kid! Fun fact, this movie came out after my birthday and I BEGGED my dad to take me to see it. So as a birthday treat he took me and my brother to see it opening day! Not only was this my introduction to the turtles, but it made eight year old me curious about the series!

Is it as good as I remember?

Well… no, but it’s not bad!

I’ll admit, the plot is kinda slapdash and nonsensical. Like… I know, I know, this is a franchise about teenage turtles who learn ninjutsu and fight a man dressed like a cheese grater. But even for me this story is out there. Why do the Stone Generals have no personality or defining traits other than the weapons they use? Why is Winters so generic? The concept of an immortal general searching for thousands of years for the lost monsters to atone for his terrible mistakes is cool, just not for this franchise if that makes sense. Also this movie doesn’t seem to wanna give Donnie or Mikey any agency; they’re mainly in the background doing comedic stuff or off on the wayside with nothing to do whilst Leo and Raph are pushed into the spotlight. For a story centered around bringing a fractured family back together we don’t get to see how Mikey or Donnie have been handling Leo’s absence during his time spent in Costa Rica.

Yet through this muddy plot we have some of the most iconic/ memorable moments in this franchise! Raph being the Nightwatcher— which is coming back in the comics soon!, Donnie’s tech support meme, THE LEO VS RAPH FIGHT ON THE ROOFTOPS WHICH STILL LOOKS FREAKIN AMAZING TO THIS DAY???? Seriously, Imagi Studios had such an incredible future ahead of them, it’s a shame they went bankrupt! Some of my favorite actions moments in this movie are towards the end where the family is in Winters’ compound and we’re treated to a one-take camera pan of them brawling through a slew of Foot ninja!

And the voice cast here is great!!! Nolan North as Raph??? James Arnold Taylor as Leo?! CHRIS EVANS AS CASEY?! AND MOTHER FING MAKO, AKA UNCLE IROH HIMSELF AS SPLINTER?! It’s a great ensemble!!! Everyone here clearly gave it their all, they should all be praised for this!!

You can tell there was a ton of attention to detail put into this one, and that the people behind it had tons of fun animating it. We could have had a really cool film series on our hands had the studio not fallen under. Otherwise, I still enjoy watching this purely for nostalgia purposes!

6: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze ( 1991 )

My Score: 6.9 out of 10

For a movie made right after the first to cash in on the Turtlemania high, I gotta say, this one’s really fun!

It’s not without flaws though; Karen’s gotta ruin the fun once again and the tone was dragged WAAAAAAY down to take away the darker themes from the previous film cuz they thought children couldn’t handle any action that was too violent. Karen’s also took Mikey’s nunchucks away and got rid of Casey. The story is goofier and doesn’t allow for any space for these characters to breathe or emote past being lighthearted and funny. April isn’t as down to earth since Judith Hoag was replaced, Casey Jones is sorely missed in this story, Tokka and Razar are just dumb, bumbling monsters made to replace Bebop and Rocksteady. Professor Perry is obviously supposed to be Stockman, and the Shredder doesn’t truly engage with the turtles until the end of the movie. The Super Shredder was just a missed opportunity! The turtles don’t get to use their weapons at all except for Donnie cuz he uses a giant stick.

The positives outweigh all of that though! As always the turtles are fun and lovable, the new voice for Donnie is awesome, we get some great comedy spliced throughout the film, the Go Ninja dance sequence is so memorable that to this day people are still bringing it up! And I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up the introduction to Keno, played by Ernie Ryes Jr., the stunt double of Donatello in the first film!! Keno is a GREAT addition to this cast! I adored his quips and the action stunts he pulls off are thrilling! I honestly think he’d be an awesome character to keep bringing back in new projects! COUGH MUTANT MATHEM SHOW COUGH. I wish he was in more stuff cuz he really is a fun addition to the roster! I even had the opportunity to meet Ernie Ryes Jr. this last summer with a friend of mine, and he was SO nice and SO chill! He was so excited to meet fans who were talking about TMNT, and when I told him how much the franchise meant to me, he gave me a hug and took a pic with me!!! He was such a great guy!!!

I can always go back to this one and smile throughout the movie! Also, GO NINJA GO NINJA GO—

ONTO THE TOP FIVE!! From here on out these are the movies I can rewatch over and over and never grow tired of viewing them!! So let’s get this party started!!

5: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ( 2014 ) ⭐️

My Score: 7.8 out of 10

Say what you will, but I love the first movie more than the sequel 🤣

I love this movie, it’s a ton of fun and the action is truly a spectacle! I feel like I had more fun with this first movie than it’s sequel because, firstly, the plot is quick and engaging. Sure, there are some issues, but I can forgive it because…

This movie IS JUST FUN.

I know this is gonna be a controversial opinion but I really like the first movie over the sequel! I really liked April! I’m of the opinion that Megan Fox can be a decent actress if she’s given the right script, and in this movie, despite the fact she might not have the most compelling arc, she’s still a good interpretation of the spunky reporter we all love! Will Arnet is also pretty funny as Vern! I still think Sacks should have been Stockman instead of Shredder. Making that swap has no integral change to the plot and it would have made more sense. Like… why not keep the mad scientist character as the already established mad scientist? The origin change inspired by the IDW comics may be jarring but I didn’t mind it! It’s just a different iteration of their upbringing but it still remains true to the turtles themselves!

The motion capture technology for the turtles is jaw dropping. I mean it. It feels like Megan Fox is making direct eye contact with these giant mutants, they’re interacting with the scene and characters, when they engage people in combat you FEEL those blows and believe they’re actually beating the snot out of these thugs.

But by far, the turtles are the biggest highlight of this movie. They’re tons of fun to watch and their banter and chemistry is great!

Do they have tons of needless accessories? Yeah

Do they look cluttered? Yeah

But does that take from their personality? NO

Donnie IS A CINNAROLL AND MUST BE CHERISHED. I feel his own techy gadgets and gear adds to his introverted personality! He’s such a lovable dork and I really liked him in this one! Jeremy Howard is a perfect fit to voice/ act for him, nobody can convince me otherwise. PLUS THAT ONE MOMENT WHERE HE SMASHES HIS BO INTO A FOOT GOON’S KNEECAP????

Raph IS A FREAKIN BEAST! GOD-DAYUM, this turtle is easily the strongest incarnation of the hothead to date! Tossing shipping containers like it’s nothing, casually breaking through steel fans to create a blockade against the Foot! I might be in the minority but Alan Richardson is THE first voice I think of when I’m told to say which Raph I prefer!

Mikey is still a bit iffy for me cuz of the weird innuendo jokes, but I can see why people like him! I still think him flying around on a hoverboard skateboard is dope as hell though. And Leo is likable in this one!! He’s actually a responsible older brother who’s devoted to his family and not a selfish jerk keeping secrets from his brothers 🤣🤣😂

Plus, the emotional parts of this one hit harder than the sequel for me, especially on my first viewing. The Splinter Vs Shredder fight is intense and really REALLY well choreographed, very inventive and exciting with all the stunts Splinter pulls off. The moment where Leo and Mikey both scream for their father, the blink and you miss it line of Leo calling Splinter ‘dad’— which was improvised by Leo’s motion capture actor— and the gut-wrenching aftermath of the battle where they’re led away in chains believing their father is dead… that may have gotten me misty eyed.

The snow chase? Badass.

The climax? Pretty damn good.

That elevator scene that was entirely off script and improvised by the motion capture actors? BEST SCENE IN THE ENTIRE FILM.

Is this the best? No, but it didn’t have to be! I love this one! And I can happily say it’s the most fun I’ve had with the Bayverse turtles 🤣

4: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ( 1990 ) ⭐️

My Score: 8.9 out of 10

This is, without question, one of the most stunning displays of practical effects and costume work in any film made at this time. Henson’s Creature Workshop truly outdid themselves in this feature with their work on the turtles.

The turtles look like living, breathing creatures. They actually look as though they’re real! There a small flaws, yes, but I can look past it because the amount of detail and effort that went into these things is incredible!! The stunt actors brought the action to a whole new level in those suits! You can tell every ounce of passion was put into this, and everyone had so much faith in seeing that these turtles lifelike! Brian Tochi, Josh Pais, Corey Feldman and Robbie Rist were perfectly cast as the four mutant turtles!!!

Judith Hoag plays a phenomenal April! Fun, spunky, witty and clever! I met her last summer too and she was truly wonderful!! Such a kind woman who listened to my story and connected with me!

Whoever hired Elias Koteas as Casey needs an eternal raise. He looks like he popped out of the comic and came to life. He was perfect!!

Splinter in this movie IS A GREAT FATHER AND AN AWESOME PARENT.

Shredder gives me chills he’s so intimidating.

When this movie came out everyone went bonkers with Turtlemania fever. The critics slept on this one because this was Eastman and Laird’s comics brought to reality. Steve Barron of Take on Me fame delivered on presenting the dark and gritty nature of the turtle’s lives and how brutal the Foot truly is.

I gotta highlight that score for this film because John DuPrez??? You’re a GENIUS.

My only issue is Danny. He was just obnoxious and selfish the whole way through until the climax. Like… hope you have a couple thousand dollars left to give April instead of the 20 you stole, kid, YOU GOT HER HOUSE BURNED DOWN.

THAT FIGHT SCENE ON THE ROOFTOP IS DOPE AND FUCKING AMAZING. AND CASEY CASUALLY TURNING SHREDDER INTO CRUSHED TUNA???? WE LOVE A BASED CASEY.

I don’t know what else to say other than this is the epitome of a true 90’s classic.

3: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie ( 2022 ) 🥉

My Score: 9 out of 10

Holy. Shit.

This movie LOOKS FUCKING GORGEOUS. DISNEY WHO????? DREAMWORKS WHO???

Before I got into the fandom I found this movie through the trailer and Black Nerd Comedy’s discussion about it. On a day I was bored I turned this on.

AND THIS MADE MY JAW DROP.

I had ZERO clue this movie looked as visually pleasing as it did. I adore this film and the animation behind it. It’s so clean, so slick, the pacing is just right, the action alone made the hair on my arms stand up! I love watching the animatics and storyboards behind the action scenes of this film just to study it and marvel at how freakin talented these artists and animators are!!!!

The voice cast knocked it out of the ballpark! Ben Schwartz in particular deserves massive praise for his performance as Leo, such a dynamic range of emotion to balance out the ‘comedy guy’ to ground him in this serious situation. Plus, Sora from Kingdom Hearts is in this as Casey Jr! 🤣🤣 his character arc having to change from the carefree prankster to the leader who had to step up and save his family is a thrilling plot point we see unfold!

I loved the characters!! I loved the score!!! I loved how this film wasn’t afraid to be genuinely SCARY with the Krang.

The angst???? The whump???? THE CLIMACTIC SHOWDOWN???? CHEFS KISS!!

WHY DID I NOT DISCOVER RISE SOONER?!

I can’t help but gush over this movie of because this is top notch quality!!! I have nothing to say, this one is OP!

2: Batman Vs The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ( 2019 ) 🥈

My Score: 9.8 out of 10

I.

FUCKING.

LOVE.

THIS CROSSOVER.

Literally one of the best crossover films of all time. I adore this Hellboy art style for the film, I adore the opening intro where it’s all German-deco-Impressionism/ noir influenced and it’s all dark and covered in shadow minus the blips of color to symbolize the characters.

I adore the handling of the martial arts versus the brutal, grounded combat style of Batman! I love how the animators literally used the backgrounds to their advantage and made them pieces for the characters to use as weapons!

I adore how the turtles have such natural banter and chemistry with one another! I love how Batgirl and Donnie bond!!! I adore how everyone plays off of each other! The dialogue is fun and full of charm! I loved watching Batman and Shredder going completely off the rails on each other!

I love Donnie!!

I love Mikey!!

I love Batgirl!!

I love the subtle reference to Pink Floyd!!!

I LOVE ALL THE REFERENCES TO ALL THE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF TMNT HISTORY BECAUSE YOU KNOW THESE WRITERS/ STORYBOARDERS/ DIRECTORS CARED ABOUT THIS.

My only complaint? The Batman villains are underutilized, their mutant designs are bland as hell and Joker and Harley suck. But I’ve always hated those two so that’s not an issue with the film itself.

That pizza party at the end MAKES this for me. I got the comics this was adapted from, those are SOOOOO GOOD!

Nothing but high praise here. All my heart goes to this one. And this used to be my champion, until this movie blew it out of the water…

1: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem ( 2023 ) 👑

My Score: 12 out of 10

This. THIS is the quintessential TMNT film experience.

Call me biased. Call me boring. Call me basic, but THIS MOVIE SAVED ME THIS PAST SUMMER.

The teaser came out the week of my birthday last year. I couldn’t stop smiling when we got that first taste of what the animation was going to be like. It was like a feast for the eyes!

I trained myself not to watch ANYTHING past that first trailer. I had to ignore leaks and spoilers for MONTHS, I ever ignored the posters of the characters themselves because I wanted to be genuinely surprised by who was in the movie. It was like I was prepping for Endgame all over again. I got the figures to prepare for the movie, I bought early fan screening tickets in advance, I took my best friend with me to share the moment cuz there was no way I was NOT gonna have my bestie there too. I even custom tie dyed a shirt with Leo and Donnie’s colors and decked myself out in TMNT gear the day of the premier. I went into that movie bouncing in my seat.

And I left that movie smiling with joy and laughing and crying. And then I proceeded to see it THREE MORE TIMES IN THEATERS. That’s an honor only reserved for the movies that have moved me enough to cry.

The plot is simple but the twists and turns they take leaves you surprised and on the edge! The soundtracks are STELLAR, both the score and the music they used. There are plenty of Easter eggs to find on a rewatch. The jokes ALWAYS LAND! I love these weird cringy turtles and their memes 🤣🤣

The turtles are precious babies that must be protected! Leo is awkward but lovable. Donnie is a Cinnaroll. Raph is hilarious and probably needs a stress toy to calm his anger. Mikey is a joy to watch and he’s relatable! April is fun as hell, MUTANT MAYHEM SPLINTER IS A GREAT DAD AND IN MY TOP THREE BEST RAT DADS LIST. Superfly is HELLA scary, the iconic mutants they included are fun, MONDO GECKO MY BABY BOY LOOK AT HIM GO!

This voice cast is going to become iconic. Everyone from Ice Cube to Jackie Chan to Paul Rudd to the very first actual teen cast of the titular characters!!! Nicolas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Brady Noon and Sharon Brown Jr delivered excellent performances and brought these guys to life!

THIS ANIMATION IS SO UNIQUE AND COOL!!! It looks like EVERY medium was explored and used— everything from 3D to sketchy hand drawn, erratic wild outlining to claymation?! DUDE THIS IS LITERALLY SPIDERVERSE BUT FOR TMNT!!!

The MOTHER FUCKING NO DIGGITY MONTAGE ARE YOU KIDDING ME—

It was all I wanted. It was everything I wanted it to be and then some. After the shit I had to go through in 2023, it felt like a giant breath of fresh air to enjoy something I was so excited for, if only just for an hour and a half. I went straight home and showed my older sister, who was recovering at home at the time during one of her treatments, all the merch I got from the fan event and rattling off about the movie. She laughed and said ‘I’m glad you had a great time!’

Not gonna lie, I was apprehensive when I heard Seth Rogan was the one helming this project cuz his track record of movies hasn’t been the most… friendly to sit through. But, with this? I tip my hat to him! He delivered for the fans, big time.

I loved this film. It’s my favorite TMNT movie of all time. I’m totally stoked for the new series coming out this summer. All I have left to say?

COWABUNGA! 💜❤️🧡💙

TADA~! And that’s it! This took me a week to finish but I’m proud of it!! 😁 I had so much fun making this list!!!

What would you rank these movies? I’d love to know and hear your thoughts on them!! 😁

Thanks for reading!! Have a great day! 💜💜💜💜

@queen-with-the-quill @tending-the-hearth @mermmarie @lameboobah @tmnt-tychou @indieyuugure @wasted-and-ready @figuringitoutasigoalong @angelicdavinci @zandiiangelspit @jadethest0ne @turtle-babe83

[bossalphadotdocx]

[would you save me a spark? we'll light up the dark]

Pairing: Captain John Price x GN!Reader (3rd pov)

A/N: baby's first fic on this blog! Fierce is the callsign for reader. My sister may be a doctor but I'm not one and it's too late to ask her abt medical conditions by the time I'm writing this

Cw: major character death (you, as the reader), grief, medical inaccuracies

Part 2

He held their body close to his chest. Damn his vest for blocking to feel the last warmth left in their body. He could feel their blood seeping into his sleeves, his gloves. Then he saw it. The necklace he gave them fell out of their neckline alongside their dog tags.

It made a soft cling amongst the loud battlefield. And that's when his heart truly stopped.

He regretted everything. He regretted for not telling them of his feelings earlier than he should. He regretted of the missed chances. He regretted for dismissing the hints.

"Wherever you go, captain, I shall follow." Those were the last words they told him through the comms.

"Goddammit, and here you are...going to a place where I can't follow."

He sobbed. "I'm so sorry...sweetheart."

The spark of his life...now only a fleeting embers in the air.

-

They hummed a tune. One that Price often heard them humming before missions. He got curious and asked them, "I always hear you humming that, what's the title?" The sergeant looked at him with a smile and they grinned.

"The title of the song is Save Me a Spark, sir. It's by Sleeping With Sirens. If you're curious, you might want to check their entire discography."

It turned out, Price didn't like most of their songs except for select few. And Save Me a Spark was one of them. In the privacy of his office, the song often on replay.

One day, Gaz walked in without knocking and he grinned ear to ear when he heard that his captain listening to a certain sergeant's favorite song. When Gaz pointed it out, Price couldn't help blushing and yelled at him to get out. He knew he wouldn't get a good night's sleep that night because obviously Gaz going to tell Soap about their captain's crush toward one of their members. He wouldn't worry much about Ghost.

One day before another mission, the team was preparing themselves. Pulling on their gears and clipping their ammo's to their vests. Price looked at one of his sergeants, his hands still busy with his vest, shuffled on his feet nervously. "I listened to their discography, sergeant but...their music way too loud for me."

The sergeant chuckled instead. "I know, cap. Rock isn't for everyone. It's nothing to be ashamed of." They said as they clicked the last things they needed to their vest.

Price felt his ears reddened. Praying no one noticed, he asked them, "What's your favorite genre then, sergeant?" He felt like it's a silly thing to ask. As if he's going back to high school years trying to make a move on a girl who looked at him weird with that question.

The sergeant put their finger on their chin and hummed. He could hear shuffling behind him and some whispers that he knew coming from Gaz and Soap. The little shits.

"Beside the obvious rock genre, I listen to pretty much anything, sir. A bit of pop, K-pop, hip-hop, anything really. It's a hit or miss too." They said. "If you want, I can give you a playlist of my favorites?" At this, he heard some hissing behind him, "Say yes! Say yes!"

To which he nodded, a bit enthusiastically. "Yes, I would love to."

The sergeant smiled and bumped their fist onto Price's vest. "After this mission then. Hope you will enjoy some of my faves too!"

He grinned. Hard not to, afterall.

"It's a promise, then."

They smiled at Price, made a salute gesture and nodded. "See you later, cap!"

After a short while, he could hear whistles behind him. The other two sergeants of 141 and the lieutenant, most especially the former two were giving him a face of both amusement and shit eating grins. Even he could see the squint on Ghost's eyes. The three of them going to be the death of him.

--

The mission, apparently, went awry. What he thought would be a quick "get in, get out" mission went south real quick. It's a short miracle the five of them made it out alive with only minor scratches and bruises on them. He tended to his brave soldiers, all thanks to Gaz for pulling Soap and Fierce out.

Once they're in the base clinic, it turned out that Fierce got a light concussion and they needed rest. They grumbled under their breath and Price offered to bring them to their room to which Fierce nodded, head still down. Price knew they were gritting their teeth, holding in the headache that came from the concussion.

After checking the other three for the last time, Price lead the way and put his hand on their back for a second, to Fierce to move forward, signalling them it's time for them to rest in their room. They nodded and walked beside Price.

"You must rest right away, soldier. We did some damage to them before things went shit." He tried to assure them. Fierce huffed and just kept walking beside him. Price could see them trying to keep up with his pace and he slowed down for their sake. They just got a concussion after all.

For the entirety of their walk to Fierce's room, they kept silent. One which Price would raise an eyebrow at, as he knew Fierce was quiet talkative even with him. He knew they got concussion but this...is very quiet of them.

As they arrived at their destination, Price said "Is something bothering you, Fierce?". Fierce halted their movement to open the door to their room and looked up at their captain's face, only for them to look into his eyes for a second and then lowered it to the ground.

They wriggled with their fingers then shook their hands away on their sides--Price noticed the tick. "It's nothing, sir."

Price crossed his arms, his stance was a sign of patience, silently urging them to tell him what's on their mind and he would wait for them. It was obvious the captain wasn't going anywhere until he got his answers, they sighed. "I'm upset that I couldn't tell you about my favorite songs right away after the mission, sir."

Price's eyebrows went deep into his beanie. Surprised at the answer as that's not one he was expecting.

He was expecting...some self blaming and ready to give them a piece of his mind if they did. But this one made him flabbergasted.

They both stood in silence, in the hall which thankfully no one was there to witness his moment of weakness. He scratched his mustache, a poor attempt in trying to calm down the sudden thumping of his heart. He uncrossed his arms and put them on his hips instead.

He smiled and patted Fierce's shoulder.

"It's fine, Fierce. There's always tomorrow. How about this, you can come into my office tomorrow morning and we can listen to your favorites together?" He offered.

Please say yes. Please say yes. Goodness, this feeling is worse than being shot in the shoulder.

They beamed. And it was one of the most beautiful sight Price ever laid his eyes on and he subconsciously smiled too. Fierce nodded so fast, their eyes squinted from how big their smile was it made Price worry because the last thing they all need was another trip back to the base clinic.

Then Fierce clutched their head and Price quickly grabbed their arms to help them balance themself. They quickly reassured him, sheepishly, they said "It's okay, cap. I got too excited, nothing a short rest won't help." They quickly opened their door and walked into their room.

But before they had the chance to close the door, Price held it open with his hand, leaning a bit inside and quickly he told them, "John."

Fierce looked up, confusion evident on their face.

"You can call me John...when we're in private."

The sergeant grinned, white teeth on display, and nodded. "I will see you tomorrow...John."

---

Final A/N: TBH I DIDN'T EXPECT TO MAKE IT THIS LONG and make it a series to boot? Oh god forbid. This fic alone took me almost a week what with work and masters degree I'm currently having. Don't ask when the next update is, but I'm surely hooked w this fic to continue it!

[fictionalwh0ree]

layla- dallas winston

summary: you thought dallas winston was the man for you, but when that relationship crashed and burned, you start dating sodapop curtis. unfortunately, being around soda means being around dallas, and being around dallas is bad news. based off of layla by derek and the dominoes.

word count: 2.2k

warnings: swearing, smoking, cheating

a/n: this is based off my fave song so i hope ygs like it!! i’m almost at 1.5k which means i might be doing a celebration soon👀

life was easy for you in tulsa; you were intelligent, charismatic, and gorgeous. despite coming from the north side of town and living in a rough neighbourhood, your spot as head cheerleader at will rogers high school had given you an in with some of the soc girls. to an outsider, you looked just like them in your cardigans and plaid skirts. to top it all off, you were dating one of the cutest guys in tulsa, sodapop curtis. it was only natural. everyone thought you were living the perfect life. but is that ever true?

soda was a nice guy. he treated you right and you loved how heads turned when the two of you went out together, but he was ordinary. your friends had convinced you thats what you needed, reminding you of the guys you had involved yourself with before. in particular, dallas winston. you’d met him at some party. you couldn’t even say you’d hit it off because you were in a bad place at the time. your dad, who was the only one present in the house, was on one of his mean streaks. his words tore through you day after day, but dallas was there to help you. he’d pick you up after a screaming match and console you by telling you that your dad wasn’t shit and that you were everything. he really made you feel special and you thought he was being sincere when he said this stuff to you. but the two of you were never official, he’d never even mentioned you to his friends. eventually he pushed you away, seeing you maybe once a week and going straight into a hookup. he left you scrambling for the phone every time it rang, only for it to be your dad calling you from work or a telemarketer.

your situation with him almost destroyed you. you were known for being a put together person, but all of a sudden, you’d changed. your whole mood was determined by how your “date” the previous night went, or whether he called you in the morning before school. you’d come to school having just brushed your hair and your cheering had become lousy. i mean, how were you supposed to cheer people up when you couldn’t cheer yourself up? your friends questioned what it was about him that was so special that you’d let him treat you the way he did and the only way you could describe it was that “there’s just something about him.”

it only ended when your cheer coach threatened to demote you to one of the girls in the back who just smiles and shakes pompoms. you couldn’t let that happen over a boy who couldn’t even introduce you to his friends. you thought there was special between the two of you, you could tell, but it wasn’t meant to be, you thought.

then along came soda. the may heat had hit, and it hit strong. the city dried up and the air was still. as your exams got closer and closer, your friends had spent more and more time at the library. you’d often take a study break by walking to the dx around the corner and getting drinks for you and your friends. as you checked out, the cute guy at the cash would always make conversation with you. his smile alone was enough to bring a smile to your own face. soon you were taking far too many study breaks, all to see the blue eyed boy at the gas station. it was no surprise when he asked you out, and when you made it official three weeks later your friends were over the moon. once school was out, you met his friends and family and you knew you were bound to spend all summer around him. much to your dismay, this also meant a lot of time around dallas.

the first time you’d met the gang, dallas had given you a dirty up and down, but as your eyes locked, you could sense some hurt behind them. he definitely hadn’t been expecting this. soda brushed the look off, saying something quick like,

“that’s dallas. don’t worry about him, he’s just like that.”

just like you thought, you spent many days around soda and the rest of the gang. whether it was a trip to the drive in, or a day by the river, his friends were there. dallas seemed to warm up to you a little, occasionally throwing a half-smile your way or participating in a conversation you were in. you were glad the two of you were okay, but you could also tell something was up. you could feel it in the lingering glances from the brown eyed boy. you called yourself delusional, saying you were making it up, trying and trying to convince yourself that the longing in his eyes was all in your head. even when you weren’t looking, you could feel the way his eyes followed you. you noticed the way he’d light a cigarette when soda would wrap his arms around you or kiss your cheek. you probably noticed more than you should. you willed yourself to keep your eyes on your man.

you and soda hit three months the week before school started up again. you’d had a good time with him, and even though he treated you like you were his world, you wanted something more from him. you didn’t know what it was, but you knew what you had wasn’t right. your friends pleaded for you to stay with him, reminding how cute and stable he was, how he treated you right. you reluctantly agreed with them, convincing yourself it’d be best to stick it out with soda if you wanted a nice senior year with a boyfriend.

the weekend before school started, buck was throwing a huge end of summer party. some of your greaser friends had asked you to go, and you’d turned them down until soda asked you. he told you he was gonna go either way because the gang was going, but he’d have a way better time if you went too. you complied, meaning friday evening you were in your room getting ready. you put on a casual outfit, jeans and a tank top, before doing your hair and makeup. you told soda you’d meet him at bucks and he agreed.

when you arrived, the sun was just beginning to set, but the party was lively. you walked inside, finding soda standing against the wall. you greeted him quickly and went to grab a drink. the night went on and you socialized with everyone, soda by your side with his hand on your waist. the red lights at bucks paired with the shit faced girls and guys screaming soon made for an overwhelming environment. you excused yourself, telling soda you were gonna step out the back for a bit. he let you go, enthralled in his conversation with steve.

when the cool night air hit your face, you let out a sigh of relief. you dug into your pocket for the joint you’d rolled before you’d left your house. you did a quick check of your surroundings, but only saw the large field that stayed on the other side of bucks. you slowed your breathing as you searched your pockets for a lighter. to your dismay, you’d left it at home.

“shit,” you muttered.

in that moment, the door to your left opened. you spinned quick, met by a familiar face.

“need a light?” the boy said.

“please,” you said.

dallas used the chain around his neck to light a match before he lit his own cigarette and then lit your joint.

“didn’t know you smoked weed,” he said, standing at your side.

“here and there,” you said, looking at the view.

“so, how’re you and ken doll?” he mocked.

“we’re fine, thanks for asking,” you said, turning to face his smug face.

“really?” he said, smiling deviously as you inhaled, “because i heard you haven’t even fucked him yet. you had no problem doing that with me.”

“well maybe i’m looking for something meaningful now,” you spat.

dallas’s smile faltered for a moment, his eyes flashing with pain.

“weren’t you looking for something meaningful with me? i just didn’t give it to you,” he said calmly, words slurring slightly from the alcohol.

your eyes prickled with tears, the memories of your time together hurting your heart.

“did you come out here just to be a major asshole or what?” you said, looking away from him and inhaling again.

he stepped closer to you, leaning against the porch fence like you. his brows were furrowed together in concern as he took in that what he said hurt you. his mind was running a million miles a minute as he looked at you.

“y/n,” he said.

you pressed your eyes together, stopping the tears from flowing out.

“what?” you said, sniffling and still not looking in his direction.

he threw his cigarette off the porch before placing his hand on your chin, turning your face towards him. you could barely look him in the eye, and when you did you could barely see him through the tears, but you noticed something in his eyes that you’d never seen before, regret.

when you didn’t pull away, he leaned forward, kissing you with a tenderness you’d never seen before. in that moment, you knew what was missing between you and soda. the sparks you felt with dallas were unlike anything you’d ever felt before. you kissed for a moment, lingering in the familiar taste of cigarettes and jack daniels before you pushed away.

“dallas, i can’t. i’m with soda now,” you said, not able to look him in the eyes.

“doll please,” he pleaded.

you’d never seen this behaviour from him before. you looked at him, a mixture of hurt and confusion coming from you. his own eyes were welling up slightly.

“dal- i- you know i can’t. i’m happy with soda, he treats me right. he doesn’t deserve this,” you said.

“don’t lie to me y/n,” he said firmly, “you think i didn’t listen to the stuff you said to me back then? i know you, you’re not happy with soda.”

“i am,” you protested, a tear slipping your eyes.

“you’re as happy as you could be with a guy like soda but you’re not satisfied,” he said.

“and you’re gonna make me happy dallas? like you did before?” you yelled, “you almost destroyed me.”

“i- i know,” he said before glancing around discreetly, “i’m sorry.”

“what?” you said, in shock.

“i fucked up,” he said.

“yeah, you did,” you scoffed.

you moved towards the door but dallas reached for your wrist. he spun you around so your back was against the wall. he placed a kiss on your lips.

“i’m begging, darling, please,” he muttered against them.

you moved your head to the side, denying him access to your lips.

“why now?” you said sternly, causing dallas to back up, “why now when i have someone who treats me right? why did you just start caring about me now?”

“now? the whole problem was that i started caring about you. i got scared and i pushed you away. it’s what i fucking do, okay? don’t tell me you didn’t know i cared about you,” he shouted, the vulnerability from the boy scaring you a little.

“dal you can’t just treat people like shit when you’re scared! was i supposed to think you cared about me when you wouldn’t even pick up the phone if i called?” you said.

“i’m sorry. please y/n, you’ve got me on my knees,” he said, searching for forgiveness

your eyes darted between his own, searching for some indicator that this was just some sick joke on his part. you wanted to feel any other way about him. you begged yourself to take his pathetic excuse and use it as a way to end your suffering, but you couldn’t. just like he knew you, you’d grown to know him too. you hated that you knew he was being sincere. you hated that you felt sympathy for him. you hated that he was right about soda. you hated how badly you wanted to kiss him.

you looked at him once more, cursing yourself for what you were about to do. in one swift motion, you grabbed the collar of his leather jacket and pulled him towards you, kissing him again. he kissed you back passionately and you could feel him smile against your lips.

“fuck you, dallas winston,” you said against his lips.

“fuck you too,” he laughed.

[dozing-composing]

Dealers choice!

Where would 3 of your faves take their SO for a perfect date?

Gosh, It's So Hard To Choose Between Three. I Have So Many Favorites Of The Show. The Whole Cast Pretty Much Has My Heart (Along With Many Of You, Also!) I'll Do What I Can! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

๋࣭ ⭑ ᴅʀ. ᴍʀꜱ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴀʀᴄʜ/ᴅʀ. ɢɪʀʟꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ

✦ She's THE "It Girl." She knows how to run things and get them done. She's an absolute queen that serves major cunt. But sometimes, the pressure builds up. Being a villain and councilwoman is exhausting and often takes a toll on her both mentally and physically. ✦ She'd look for something to do that helps take her mind off everything for a while. A quiet little getaway. Perhaps renting an Airbnb or going remote to take a load off will help. ✦ Or, something simple. She loves the simplicity of a good old-fashioned picnic. Just you and her settled on a blanket, having quaint little conversations and chowing down on some homemade snacks. Maybe add a little wine in the mix if you're up for it. ✦ All she cares for is spending quality time with you. Anything you want to do, you do it together. Even if it's just sitting in silence. She adores your presence, wherever and whenever it may be.

๋࣭ ⭑ ᴊᴇꜰꜰᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴛᴡɪʟɪɢʜᴛ

✦ He's going to try and impress you on each date somehow. Be it him flaunting his vampire killing skills and flashing his necklace or him gloating on how he's considered "magic." ✦ But nothing could compare when he pulls up in his Blood Vessel. It's his pride and joy (other than his fang necklace, of course!) ✦ That would always be his go-to for date night ideas. Just you, and him in the closed vicinity of his car. He thinks it's a classic move. Plus, you can do many things with a car! ✦ The best type of these dates is going out for a scenic drive. These are the kind of days or nights where you can do most anything. Want to jam out? Sure, pick a playlist! I Spy? Yeah! He'll hype up whatever idea you come up with. And at every stop sign or red light, he always leans over for a quick kiss!

๋࣭ ⭑ ʀᴇᴅ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ

✦ This gentle giant is just tooth-rotting sweet. He is the most doting and loving person you've ever met. He kisses the back of your hand each time he greets you. He escorts you with your arm in his everywhere you go. He has a whole picture album on his phone full of pictures of you. ✦ He uses his horse as his main transportation to get around, and if you're comfortable, it's how he gets you around also. However, he is more than willing to use other means if needed. ✦ He's more on the traditional side, somewhat contradicting his punkish ways back then. Now, he's all for those charming little walks on the street or even visiting a museum or gallery. ✦ But nothing beats those nights where you both are at home and have a candlelit dinner. Sometimes the main dish is something new you both haven't tried. When it really comes down to it, you both enjoy and savor it all.

[markmybirds]

15 Day BL Challenge

Doing this Day-By-Day will probably be too much for brain so I have decided since it's relaxed I will be doing this 1-5 days over 3 days. I just want to also add on that I am an avid watcher of many different kinds of dramas, and I embrace different countries also. But I will probably go off of mostly Thailand here. This will get more complicated if I invest in my JBL and TaiwanBL pools and Growing KBL. I may do honourary mentions to those couples though I choose to use some of those pairings as my faves.

(Mom Life..) Also final beginning note: All original screen grab/posters/gif makers are given credit in the image descriptions. Day One: Favourite OG Actor Pairing My choice is Boun Noppanut Guntachai and Prem Warut Chawalitrujiwong (With Honourary Mentions: Billkin & PP Krit, Both Nattapong & Newyear Kitiwhut, Max Kornthas & Nat Natasitt and Ja Phachara & First Chalongrat) I will say I didn't know who to choose because I don't know who would be considered "OG" so I went with like a comfort couple of mine that has been continuously a comfort couple. I can't put into words how much I love them but really, if it's BounPrem I'm there and I'm watching it. I love how both of them are "comfortable" in their own way and they have shown us that they can be supportive of one another even when working on their solo activities. Boun has also put people in their place a few times for misconceptions of himself and Prem. As for Prem I just have always enjoyed his quiet nature. Also his quick responses that come out of nowhere and surprise Boun. (Example: Saying I love you when Boun told an interviewer he would love someone to say it genuinely to him one day.. Or that he'd donate his heart to Boun if he needed a replacement. Actually my husband and Boun have the same condition! It's something that can be helped when they're older.)

Also. Boun has one of the best laughs in all of Thailand oh and his earrings~! Come at me if you disagree. I am vibrating in anticipation for The Vampire Project.

Day Two: Favourite Rookie Actor Pairing Oh boy. Uh. There are so many but I think in the circumstances that both of the actors were rookies when they did their first series together? Tutor Koraphat Lamnoi and Yim Pharinyakorn Khansawa. Although Yim had been in the business since he was a teenager he didn't have a successful drama until he was paired with Tutor in Cutie Pie as NuerSyn. (Honourary Second Place: GeminiFourth Honourary Third Place: DaouOffroad Honourary Taiwanese Coupling: Tseng Jing Hua and Peng Cian You~. And shush! They were SO A COUPLE OK. ).

I just enjoy these two so much, their aesthetic is of course off the charts with Yim's ethereal alien looks and the fae-kind creature we know as Tutor. I consider them my comfort couple. The moment Yim entered Cutie Pie as Syn I knew he'd be my favourite character. After I finally got more into CP due to War, I got smacked by them a second time years later.

Also don't tell Zee and NuNew or Max and Nat but they were my favourite land for DMDLand2. Poker Land slapped so hard and both of these men are super talented. Yim was even sick when he performed and Tutor kept taking glances to check in on him. They are my comfort couple, I enjoy their relationship (whatever it is offcam) dynamic that we get to see. They admit to bickering a lot at the beginning of their promotions as a CPL. I love how daring they have been since the beginning too, our poor Kla and Ker working hard to maintain their and our sanities with these two. I can't wait for "Battle of the Writers"! Day Three: Side Dish That Should've Been the Main Course Warning to those who are heart broken like me: NetJames Incoming.

This is going to hurt my heart. This drama was not a BL but the side dish was our same sex relationship trope in the drama. The main coupling was two amazing actors who I love dearly I just felt that the director did NOT use Great and Four's actually-there-tension at all. The side couple is: Net Siraphop Manithikhun and James Supamonkon Wongwisut as Captain and Foei in Catch Me Baby. (I advise for people's sanity to never read MDL comments on dramas though. They have a weird hate for Thai actors..) I am not going to sit here and explain how I feel about NetJames since the news. I respect them, and I think NetJames fans need to learn to respect their boundaries and what they are going through right now. Cause ISTG if I read another: WHERE IS ___!? in their IG lives again I will explode and take everyone out. Also, I will forever support them individually or together.

That said Captain and Foei had that frienemies to lovers trope and chef's kiss. Just. I started this drama before I got back into the Thai BL scene again and it was what made me anticipate and watch Bed Friend every week when it aired. I have honourary mentions but every one of these I loved the main couple just as much or a little more than these side couples so I didn't choose them. Or they were the second half of their show's main couple or they got a spin off or show of their own (LOOKIN AT YOU YIDIAO~). GeminiFourth as Heart and Li Ming in Moonlight Chicken, JeffBarcode as KimChay in KinnPorsche, TutorYim as NuerSyn in CP and CP2 and NB, AyaKate as YiwaMarine in Wedding Plan (This is GL couple~), PealSee as TheeThai from Laws of Attraction and you can argue this with me but if you saw MoD you know this is canon: GreatMD as Inspector M/Dr. Oat in Manner of Death. Oh one more. Sorry. I love myself a good Side Couple: Xiao Kaizhong and Gao Han as MaoK in Falling Into Your Smile (they're a couple ok. AS READER OF THEIR WEBNOVEL YOU CAN NOT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.)

Day Four: Fave Ship Dynamic Oh my gods. Do you know how hard this question is for me? I'm like.. "Yes?". As a character artist and avid role player I like most ship dynamics. Wardog would tell you it's "Side Character Plots". So if I had to choose only one it'd be Character with Trauma x Green Flag. I love it even more if the Green Flag learns to be one through trying to be there for their love interest. They could also just both be people with trauma and both be green flags who heal each other. I am extending an invitation to view this gifset by Pharawee in its entirety because it's my fave part of LITA. And I have a lot of fave parts in LITA.

And here are some couples that fit here: FortPeat as PrapaiSky from Love in the Air, JaFirst as LeoFiat from Don't Say No, Okura Takato and Hyuga Wataru as Kaido Amane and Yamasuga Ryuji from Kimi to Narakoi wo Shite Mite mo, Tseng Jing Hua and Peng Cian You as Pu Yi Yong and Cao Guangyan from Oh No! Here Comes Trouble, NetJames as KingUea in Bed Friend, JimmySea as MhokDay in Last Twilight, PavelPooh (PoohPavel? ekeke) as CharlieBabe from Pit Babe and I could be here all day listing this trope.. So one more and I think this ship works on both sides: BillyBabe as PhayaTharn from The Sign.

Day Five: Biggest Flop Uhm. The problem is I like lower-income-shows but I think because of the lack of ethics behind this show: For Him and not because of the cast. I really enjoyed the cast, I just feel awful they had to work with so little to get at least decent content out. And that Tor had been harassed and stalked by one of the production members. I enjoyed the first few episodes, though the decline in quality of script and shots the cast had been given is very evident each episode you go through. The chemistry of the couples was chemistrying even with scenes like stepping on a new tattoo... For more information about this I would view befuddledcinnamonroll's 15 Day Challenge and pharawee's (wow we're on that tumblr a lot in this) coverage of the issues: here and here. Also reading through some of the casts' Twitters and

Another "Possible Flop" right now, hopefully not forever, I would say is Red Peafowl. Which is such a shame since their pilot slapped so hard.

TBC tomorrow~.

To do your own 15 Day BL Challenge Go Here!

[prismatic-bell]

Hey everybody, it's SMALL BUSINESS BLACK FRIDAY!!!!

Friends, Romans, countrypeople, all my scallywags and hooligans, longtime veterans and Twitter refugees, it's that time again.

LET ME YELL AT YOU EXCITEDLY ABOUT MY ROOMMATE'S ETSY SHOP

Follow me under the readmore and let me expound, Watson.

It is WINTER, and thus time to MOISTURIZE and KEEP YOUR SKIN HEALTHY. You can do this with a variety of products sold worldwide but none will provide you the scent and satisfaction of HANDMADE COLD-PROCESS SOAP. Perhaps you'd enjoy the light, subtle scent of green tea and cucumber, or maybe you want to smell like a movie cowboy looks (so, you know, all the good stuff without the sweat and cow poop). If you want to make your bathroom smell nice for guests this winter season consider the aptly-named Christmas Tree scent, or you can clean and exfoliate with my personal favorite, Coffee scent with real coffee beans in it. None of these quite your thing? No problem--click into the main shop, there are seventeen scents from apple to lavender and I've only shown you four.

Now that you're clean, I must insist you pamper your face with ZEO'S LIP BALMS which are as soft and silky as a kitten's itty-bitty nose and come in many flavors

Are you a proud BASIC BITCH like moi? Would you bleed pumpkin spice if we cut open your veins? Do you wear a toque with a bobble on top and screech excitedly every time you see the leaves turn color? PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE BRAND-SPANKING-NEW FALL FLAVORS LINE which has not been available in person for like three years and not online, um, ever. Featuring such delights as Chai Latte and Cinnamon Donut (among others), all you need is a favorite cozy sweater. Or, if you're slightly more bougie than that--an Intermediate-Level Bitch, let us say--you may enjoy THE COFFEE SHOP LINE, which is also entirely new and features all your faves from your local cafe--whether you enjoy the simplicity of Black Coffee, One Sugar or the sucrose-soaked glory of a Caramel Macchiato. And if you simply gotta have a classic, you can do so in mutiple ways with the reintroduced WIZARD OF OZ LINE. I can't pick a favorite from this one. It's like picking a favorite child. From the sharp and strong Rosemary Spearmint of the Wicked Witch to the Chocolate Cinnamon sweetness of the Tin Man's exceptionally large heart, it's a delightful collection that--yes--features two perfect cold-weather flavors, Dorothy's Cinnamon Apple Vanilla and the Scarecrow's Spiced Orange Vanilla. (okay, okay, Dorothy's my favorite.) Ah but PERHAPS YOU ARE WONDERING IF ZEO'S RESTOCKED YOUR FAVORITE. Have you heard me rhapsodize before about the Sailor Senshi balms, Steven Universe flavors, or variety in the Overwatch line? Good news for you--all of these, along with Yuri! On Ice and Wonder Woman, have been restocked. COME REPLENISH YOUR FAVORITE.

Now that your lips have been touched by the equivalent of Julie Andrews personally gracing you with her presence, HOW DO YOUR HANDS AND FEET FEEL???? Bit scratchy, perhaps? Nipped up with the weather? In need of some TLC? Zeo's fantastic CUTICLE OIL doing wonders for your fingernails and the areas thereabouts, but you need something more heavy-duty for the rest?

Well grab a pair of socks you don't mind getting messy and pick up THE MOST AMAZING HAND AND FOOT SALVE YOU WILL EVER OWN. I will personally swear by it. Your poor abused soles and fingers will feel as though they've been dipped in the sparkles ubiquitous to Disney princesses and then wrapped lovingly in the finest of elf fabrics. You will wake up in the morning certain your skin has been carefully and benevolently replaced by a supernatural being that wants you to have a really fantastic day. "Half an ounce? That doesn't seem like a lot--" You don't need a lot. There is every possibility Zeo secretly got this recipe from Miracle Max.

Is this whole post just an excuse for me to post funny gifs? No, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying it.

SO WITH YOUR FOOTSIES AND TOOTSIES PAMPERED PERHAPS YOU'RE ALSO OF THE HIRSUTE PERSUASION, or, statistically likely, know somebody who is. You need your whiskers to behave themselves and remain as the most luscious facial locks so you might, someday, aspire to be this gentleman.

(I think we all aspire to be this gentleman, whoever he is.)

ZEO CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT TOO

Moisturize your muttonchops with BEARD OIL! Condition your chin with BEARD CREAM! Subdue your stubble with BEARD BALM!!! All three of these products will provide you with soft, supple whiskers, and the beard balm can be used to do some lightweight taming. (It also works on regular hair on particularly staticky days, if you're the kind of person who has that kind of trouble.)

NOW THAT YOU'RE ALL CLEAN AND MOISTURIZED DO YOU WANNA SMELL GOOD

HECK YEAH YOU WANNA SMELL GOOD

Tumblr has decided I don't need any more gifs because apparently I've abused my power too much, so you're all spared from my horrible Jack Sparrow puns. That's okay because according to Johnny Depp, Jack smells absolutely horrific.

INSTEAD LET ME INTEREST YOU IN THE NEW ALICE IN WONDERLAND LINE OF SCENTED OIL ROLLERS

There's Alice. There's the Hatter. There's the Queen of Hearts. There's lush, English scents and a teatime to make your heart sing. All are guaranteed to delight you but the Queen, especially, is a wonderful winter scent.

HEY BUT MAYBE YOU LIKED THAT COWBOY IDEA SO YOU SHOULD TAKE A GANDER AT THE TRIGUN LINE Featuring our favorite foursome (Vash, Wolfwood, Millie, and Meryl), you have four fantastic takes on The Old West But In Space In The Future. You assume gunpowder? YOU'RE RIGHT. You assume leather? CORRECT. You assume vanilla? ....no? You haven't watched the show recently enough, go back and do it again. Take some donuts as snack food.

BUT DID YOU PERHAPS WANT SOMETHING A LITTLE SHARPER AND MORE ESOTERIC, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN THE YONA LINE WHICH NOW ALSO HAS TWO NEW SCENTS Designed to smell as though you're hanging in ancient Japan with dragon gods, these are admittedly not my faves (personal preference, I'm not the patchouli type) but are adored by all who try them. So what, Nina, is your type, if not patchouli, you ask, AND FRIEND I WILL REFER YOU TO THE DARK TOWER LINE. On first glance this is similar to the Trigun line, but there's one major difference: where Trigun leans heavily on hope and light, The Dark Tower is postapocalyptic and comes with a tinge of darkness and danger. These are the smokier scents, the heavier scents, the ones with just a hint of bitterness at what a better, fairer world would have been--but with such joy that for this moment, at least, we are here, to enjoy what we have.

Ah. But you, friend, you're the more particular type. You need something a little more unique. In that case, allow me to introduce you, please, to THE YU-GI-OH LINE. Featuring ten characters from the original show, there's no taste this line won't match. A sexier gambler-slash-archaeologist than Indiana Jones could ever hope to be? Choose the suave and masculine Suguroku. Sexy and sophisticated lady of status? Mai Kujaki. Your life's goal is to smell like the physical embodiment of a Claire's store if Claire's actually sold decent body sprays? Anzu Mazaki. A mystery wrapped in an enigma and tied up with a whiff of the esoteric? May I present Ryou Bakura?

AND NOW FINALLY

THE DENOUEMENT OF THIS POST

From the time this post goes live until midnight Arizona time on Monday, all items in the shop are 25% off for the Black Friday weekend. This is an automatic sale and requires no input from you except your purchase.

COME BASK IN THE DELIGHTS OF SELF-CARE AND SUPPORT A SMALL BUSINESS!!!

[carronyaflowers]

Thank you @official-impravidus for the tag!

Rules: Post 10 of your fave movies and tag 10 people.

10. Epic (2013)

When I first watched this, I was such a slut for Josh Hutcherson and Amanda Seyfried. I was so in love with Nod and MK, and Queen Tara + Ronin?? KILL ME

9. Pirates of the Carribean Trilogy

Look at her! She's my queen, my king, my awakening!! And I'm counting the first three films in one because I refuse to separate them. Jack will forever be one of my icons, and Elizabeth + Will will forever be my number 1 ship (even if it doesn't look like it, rhey're my one).

8. 20th Century Girl (2022)

Because this movie made me weep. The friendships! The high school of it all. The first love. 🤧🤧🤧 This is due for a rewatch actually.

7. Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

I'm a hoe for these bitches actually. THIS is my justice league. SO FUCKING ICONIC AND PLOT AND CHARACTER ARCS. And henry cavill in that superman suit!!!

6. Lord of the Rings Trilogy

"It's like the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad has happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer. I know now folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something. That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for." <- TURN THAT SHIT UP

5. The Princess Bride (1987)

Ohh another iconic iconic film. It made me laugh it made me cry it comforted me. If i could, i'd sell my soul to watch this again for the first time.

4. Pride and Prejudice (2005)

HANDS AND LONGING AND YEARNING AND PINING AND KEIRA KNIGHTLEY. YOU HAVE BEWITCHED ME. WALKS IN THE MEADOWS. THE MUSEUM HOUSE THINGY.

3. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

I'm so jealous of Sam and Suzy's love. Just two kids against the world. And it's so so much. Like take me to an island and let's just wander it together. This is so dear to me, JUST TAKE ME TO MOONRISE KINGDOM WHERE WE CAN DANCE ON THE BEACH.

2. Moulin Rouge (2001)

Such a bonus that when i searched moulin rouge to search for gifs, scott and tessa showed up. Anyways, this film THIS FILM. The audacity it had to take my heart and make it believe in love only to rip it to shreds. And forever robbed that come what may wasn't eligible for best music for oscars bc it wasn't originally written for moulin rouge. And also, look at mr mcgregor and ms kidman. someone mash up my fave songs and create an elephant love medley for me.

1. Dead Poets Society (1989)

i miss neil.

Tagging these people bc i'm curious abt ur fave films: @f1-giuki @dreamingamongthestars @newtness532 @pancsaa @alestire @muhtants @nerdypandablizzard @putyourreddresson @xiaoluclair @fabbyf1

[vivalavi-daa]

K-Dramas (February-May 2022)

1. My Liberation Notes

About: Three siblings, exhausted by the monotony of day to day adulthood, seek to find fulfillment and freedom from their unremarkable lives

Interesting posters, lovely intro video, and beautiful sceneries that makes every scene & line that's being delivered seem poetic. These are what captivated me from the beginning. But it's not just that. My Liberation Notes is remarkable because it realistically depicts the mundane lives of adults that the actors said it feels like they are shooting for a documentary. The way they explore adults issues such as loneliness, working lives, family dynamic, and even highlight the introverts struggle is what really gets me... Every character has something that I can relate to. And that's why it's so easy to get immersed in the story.

It may be a slow paced drama, but that's its charm. Even when there are so many quiet scenes with no dialogues, I find it so refreshing to watch how much the silence speaks and how inner monologues could deliver deeper meanings to the stories. The lines make me feel that my uneasy feelings about life/the world feel validated while watching it.

My Liberation Notes is a gem with a genre that's hard to find & that makes it my fave drama of this year <3

2. Twenty Five Twenty One (2521)

About: In a time where dreams seem out of reach, a teen fencer pursues her ambitions and meets a hardworking young man who seeks to rebuilds his life.

2521 has everything you could ask for in a youth drama: heart fluttering romance, heartwarming friendship, and hopeful stories that encourage you to pursue your dreams. I knew I'd love it when it started out engaging with the introduction of young Hee Do & Yi jin who have a contrasting perspectives about the world. Yijin is a hardworking guy who starts to feel the weight of reality and feel lost, meanwhile Hee Do is a bright girl with an optimistic spirit. Her existence has brought Yijin to hold on hope and be brave enough to taste happiness that comes his way. I must stress, I love how they build connection in the pursuit of happiness together!! The friends to lovers excellency!

Asides from the two relationship, the whole friendship stories of the five are what makes it more gripping. Their characters development, how they bond with each other, and how comical & refreshing each scene of them together was. It truly brightens the atmosphere of 2022 <3

3. A Business Proposal

About: Hari, a regular employee, shows up to a blind date in disguise of her rich friend to scare him away. Things go awry when he turns out to be her CEO and makes a proposal.

1) I didn't expect the scenes to produce this much laughter and 2) I didn't expect this kdrama to be this nice & entertaining! Even though the stories is full of cliche & (even some cringe lines), they managed to get high ratings during its airing. It's no wonder though. Not only serving us with the leads' visuals, every character is interesting in their own way and both main & side romance are just as adorable. It's a light kdrama & that's amusing to watch. Definitely one of the best romcom to me!

4. Thirty Nine

About: Three best friends leaning on each other as they experience life, love, and loss on the brink of turning 40.

This drama was claimed to be heartwarming, when it turns out it is also heart wrenching at the same time. I was particularly drawn to the lessons that friends make life worth living and that love always perseveres. It's heartwarming to see the three best friends are so devoted to each other and try to be their happiest selves when they're together. The actors' chemistry is also overflowing more than I can expect. One thing I want to note about 39 is that I don't agree with some of the things in this kdrama (if you watch the drama you'll know). It's not a flawless kdrama but still, it's a decent adult friendship kdrama with impeccable acting & satisfying characters arc.

5. Shooting Stars

About: Daily lives of people in an entertainment agency and romance between a top star and a head of the stars' promotion team.

The trope is nothing new, it reminded me of kdramas like So I Married an Anti Fan with slight difference. I can't describe the trope well... and that, in fact, is what makes it appealing. The leads are friends who are also enemies who will (obviously) become lovers. Their interaction dynamic is really engaging to watch and wrapped in fun vibes. At first, I wasn't that attracted to the portrayal of the side characters though. But as I get to know them, they become more interesting & I realize that they're also important part of the story as they give us insight about the lives of people working in entertainment industry.

5. Tomorrow

About: A young man who is employed by a company of grim reapers in the underworld to save people's lives.

I was mainly fascinated by the visuals the whole time I watched this... and the plot is also compelling. A company of grim reapers? Interesting. A division of grim reapers whose job is to save people's lives? Sign me up. Also, with the team that consisted of two cool grim reapers (who behave like cats) who adopted a guy (who behaves like adorable puppy)? Amusing.

Each episode has different themes to tell, but it has a central story. Though dealing with serious issue like suicides, it is also combined with humour but stlll, those who feel vulnerable must be careful with the triggers. It's a supernatural drama with unique vibes and it's reflective with advices to give.

6. The Sound of Magic

About: a magician living in an abandoned theme park who helps a disenchanted teenager enduring her harsh reality.

I didn't expect it to be a musical drama?? although the title seems pretty obvious. But I like to be surprised & impressed though. As the first musical kdrama I've ever seen, the first few minutes is already intriguing. The characters have interesting stories, especially the mysterious magician. Tbh it felt kinda off to see the casts in their roles at first (the after effects of seeing them in their previous works) but their good actings as great actors help me got adapted to see their roles immediately. The whole musical performances always filled with magical & pleasant looking cinematography & I like that a lot.

7. The Killers' Shopping List

About: An odd murder case near the supermarket that leads the supermarket workers (Dae Sung and his mother) with Dae Sung's girlfriend to figure out the case together.

Watched it for the casts, and the plot seems new and interesting too. It is filled with misteries but seasoned with humours. I have watched two eps and it's not bad, but I am still waiting to be more enthralled though...

Kdrama recs: 7/?

[drabbles-mc]

Degrees of Separation (2)

Taza Romero x M!Reader

Summary: You transferred out of Yuma and into Santo Padre in a last-ditch attempt to outrun old ghosts and old problems. The small charter, located in an even smaller border-town, seemed like the perfect place to try and shake off everything that had happened to you so that you could start over. You were ready to live with your old secrets. But the deeper you get into the charter, the more you realize you may have simply traded in your old secrets for new ones, and this time you wouldn’t be going down for them alone.

Chapter Index

Warnings: language, alcohol, smoking

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: A couple cameos from some household faves. I’m so excited to set things up nicely so we can really go through all the angst together, y’all. Thanks for coming along for the ride! xo

Mayans Taglist: @garbinge @buckybarneshairpullingkink​ @thesandbeneathmytoes @paintballkid711​ @queenbeered​ @kelpies-shed​ @sesamepancakes​ @yourwonkywriter​ @chibsytelford​ @gemini0410​ @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead​ @plentyoffandoms​ @amorestevens​ @twistnet​ @themoonandthewicked​ @bucky-iss-bae​ @encounterthepast​ @bport76​ @rosieposie0624​ @mylittlelonelyappreciationtoo​ @mijop​ @choochoo284​ @blessedboo​ @holl2712​ @lakamaa12​ @masterlistforimagines​ @toni9​ @shadow-of-wonder​ @withmyteeth​ @crowfootwrites​ @redpoodlern​ @punkgoddess-98​ @black-repunzel99​ @lexondeck​ @fanfic-n-tabulous​ @i-love-scott-mccall​ @mijagif​ @frattsparty​ @winchestershiresauce​ @mveggieburger​ @beardburnsupersoldiers​ @thanossexual​ @xeniarocks​ @littlekittymeow​ @beardsanddetectives​ @bruxasolta​ @passionatewrites​ (If you want to be added to any of my taglists, please let me know!)

Days turned into weeks, and neither you nor Taza had brought up the conversation from the party that night. Some days you wondered if it had even happened at all, or if you’d just imagined it. Every now and then you’d find yourself looking over at him and he’d already be looking at you, an expression on his face that you couldn’t quite discern. It wasn’t an angry look, or a sad one, but it wasn’t particularly happy, either. And you didn’t know him anywhere near well enough to try and figure out what that was all about.

Bishop dismissed everyone from Templo with the exception of Taza and Hank. It wasn’t uncommon for the heads of the table to hang back after a meeting. Normally you wouldn’t give it a second thought. But you noticed the way that all three of them watched you as you got up to leave with the rest of the men at the table. You kept a straight face, not wanting to show that it was a little nerve-wracking, but it wasn’t easy.

Sliding the Templo door shut behind you, you let out a small sigh of relief. You were shaking your head at yourself as you made your way towards the bar. The thoughts that were beginning to swirl around your brain were cut off by Creeper’s voice as he popped up next to you.

“Don’t worry about it.”

You looked over at him, confused, “What?”

He shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. You’ve been here about a month, right?” he shrugged when you nodded, “You handle business and keep your mouth shut. Nobody has an issue with you. That’s all they’re gonna say when Bishop asks what they think about you staying here.”

There was something reassuring about the matter-of-fact way he made the statement. The two of you didn’t talk too much, but to be fair Creeper didn’t seem like an overly chatty guy. You did notice that he still had made a point over the last few weeks to check in with you a couple times. He seemed to be like you in the way that he tended to watch everything that was unfolding around him.

You finally managed to get yourself to respond to his statement, “Thank you.”

He nodded. “No problem.” He clapped you on the shoulder before heading towards the pool table.

Part of you wanted to linger, to see what the three men looked like when they walked back out of Templo. But the other part of you couldn’t bear to just sit around and wait. Instead, you slipped out the clubhouse door and started to make your way towards your bike. Throwing your leg over, you got situated as you clipped your helmet on. You were just about to start it up and take off when you heard a whistle come from the clubhouse steps.

Looking back over your shoulder, you saw Taza making his way to you. You inadvertently tensed up, worried that he was bearing bad news of some kind. He seemed relaxed enough, and you hoped that was a good sign.

“All good?” you asked as he stopped beside your bike.

He nodded. “Yea. Wasn’t expecting you to head out so fast.”

“You guys need—”

“No,” he shook his head, “just wanted to run something by you.”

You nodded. “Alright. What’s up?”

“That run next week?” he paused, “You want in on it?”

Your eyes widened, not expecting that to be the offer. It was going to be the first fairly large run since you transferred, and you would’ve understood if you were told to stay back. You weren’t going to argue the offer to go with them though.

You nodded. “Yea, for sure.”

“Good,” Taza smiled, “because if I get stuck on the road with Angel again someone’s gonna have to run interference.”

The days leading up to the run were busy but organized. Truth be told you were glad that you were going to be able to be on your bike instead of stuck in the back of a supply truck for hours on end. It probably wouldn’t always be the case, but you would take the win while you could. It was different being on this side of it all, as opposed to when you were in Yuma where you were the next to last stop for everything that was being transported. Now you were at the start of the supply chain. You felt the difference in pressure. No one else seemed all that nervous, which was the only thing that was reassuring to you.

It'd been a long but smooth day of riding. The handoff went smoothly, and quickly, but it was still too late in the day to turn around and head back home. And, judging by the look of everyone, no one really wanted to do that anyway. Everyone was looking forward to keeping their feet on solid ground for a bit, getting a few hours of sleep even if that sleep was in a cheap hotel room.

Most of the guys hopped off their bikes and headed straight for their hotel rooms. It was pretty clear that it was going to be cheap takeout for dinner, and whatever beer Angel grabbed a case of from the gas station a couple buildings down. Everything was so relaxed and that was difficult for you to adjust to.

You were sitting at the edge of the concrete curb outside your hotel room door. You propped your elbows against your knees, cigarette between your fingers as the smoke curled from it up against the dingy lights above you. It was quiet enough outside that you could hear the various televisions inside the rooms on the first floor.

You heard the sound of gravel crunching underneath someone’s feet and looked up to see Angel, case of beer hanging from one hand. He gestured to it. “Want one?”

You shrugged, nodding, “Sure.”

He set the case down and ripped it open with ease before lofting one of the bottles to you.  You said thank you before popping the cap off against the edge of the curb. Angel watched you, and you were waiting for whatever comment he was going to make.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say more than three words at a time, man,” Angel chuckled.

You laughed, “No?”

Angel rolled his eyes, shaking his head, “Yea, like that.”

You took a sip of your beer. “Guess I just haven’t had that much to say.”

He laughed. “Yea, sure,” he opened a beer for himself, “if you say so.” With that, he picked up the case of beer and continued on towards his room.

You heard the sound of one of the doors opening and turned around to see who it was. Taza walked out of his room, no kutte on, looking tired but relaxed. Angel gestured towards the case of beer that was tucked under his arm and Taza chuckled, taking one as he walked by. You wondered if he was going to head into one of the other rooms, if he had business to discuss with Bishop. Instead, he lowered himself down and sat next to you.

You held out your pack of cigarettes, wordlessly offering one to him. He shook his head, opting to take a sip of his beer instead. Neither of you said anything for a few minutes, just enjoying the semi-silence of the night. Everything seemed so still after the constant movement of the day. You felt Taza’s eyes on you as you tapped the ashes off the end of your cigarette. You felt like he wanted to say something, or that maybe you should be saying something, but you didn’t know what.

“Are we good?” you finally looked head-on at him, finding him still staring at you.

He nodded, expression not faltering in the slightest. “We’re good,” he paused, “Is there a reason you think that we shouldn’t be?”

You shook your head. “No. I just,” you sucked in a deep breath, not quite sure if getting into this conversation was worth it or not, “what you said before…we never talked about it.”

He turned back to looking up at the stars, “Didn’t think that there was anything to talk about.”

There was something in the ease with which he sat with you that made you feel better, even if it was only a little bit. You took another drag from your cigarette. “Right. Well. Thank you.”

He took a long drink from the bottle in his hand. “We all have each other’s backs here.”

“I see that,” you looked down at the beer bottle that was on the ground in front of you, “It’s a good feeling. Still, uh, still feels like I’m getting used to it sometimes,” you nodded back towards the doors behind you, “Angel called me out for not talking much,” you chuckled, “Guess I didn’t think it was all that noticeable.”

“That’s because Angel never shuts up,” Taza joked.

You nodded, laughing, “I guess that’s fair.” You paused to snub the last of your cigarette out beneath your boot. “I’ve been on the outside of shit for a long fucking time,” you picked up your beer bottle, “and I guess it’s a tough habit to break.”

Taza nodded. “I get that.” He shifted slightly, the outside of his leg pressing just barely against yours. “It gets easier, though.”

You glanced down and couldn’t help but notice how neither of you pulled away. You wondered if he even noticed. You tried not to stare as you nodded. “I hope so.”

[virtie333]

For the One-shot ask game... you have so many to choose from! I'm going to pick more than one, but don't feel obliged to do them all!

Rosemary for Remembrance: 2, 12, 22

The Back Corner: 4, 14, 20

And so I don't choose just smut, A Matter of Trust (my fave!): 6, 16, 21

Well, anon, since this is the only ask I got, I'm going to answer them all! Thank you for brightening my day!

Rosemary for Remembrance

2. Where did the title came from?

I had just watched Daisy Ridley's Ophelia the week before I wrote this, so that is where the title came from!

12. What scene was the easiest to write?

Believe it or not, I think the scene where Poe confronts Rey about his sex dream was the easiest. Dialog is always easy for me, especially when it gets emotional. I don't know what that says about me.

22. If you would rewrite it, how would you rewrite it?

Nope. I've never had any desire to rewrite any of my stories. Once they are posted/published, that's it. It is what it is and I have no interest in changing it.

The Back Corner

4. How long did it take to write it?

Oh, boy. I wrote this one two years ago, so I don't really remember. It was for Damerey Week, and I wrote a story for every day, so I'm going to assume I wrote it in a day or two. Maybe a bit longer, as I made this one in 5 parts. I probably wrote a part and then put it away for a while, like I do with chapters on my long fics.

14. What scene is the most different to the original plan?

Hmmmm... I don't think too much was different. Every part had to result in them in the Back Corner, so every scene had to end up in the bookstore. Only one started outside of it, actually, and I had to get them to the bookstore at some point, so I think the attempted break-in was a plot point that came along as I was writing.

20. What part of the oneshot are you most proud of?

Honestly? I was pretty proud of the fact that I kept them from kissing through the whole thing! That was hard! I love the idea of kissing Poe, so it's very hard to NOT write it! But for the story to end the way I wanted, they couldn't do it. No matter how much they wanted to!

A Matter of Trust

6. Have you written similar oneshots before?

No! This one was one of my most unique stories! I had never written anything like it before and I absolutely loved it!

16. What character was the hardest to write for?

Well, at this point I had been writing Rey and Poe for a long time. As I always try to do, I try to keep them as close to their movie characters as I can, trying me best to imagine how the Rey and Poe we all know would react to this kind of situation. It actually wasn't too difficult, as the Dystopian setting isn't too far removed from desolate/dangerous planets in Star Wars. The hard part (but also one of the most fun!) was trying to incorporate as many other Star Wars characters as I could into the found-family dynamic.

21. What part of the oneshot are you least proud of?

Hopefully this doesn't sound too egotistical, but there is not a bit of this story I am not proud of. It's one of my all-time favorites.

Thank you so much for this! My one-shots never seem to get the attention my long-fics do, and while they may not take as much time to write, my whole heart is still involved. You picked three good ones, too!

[grigori77]

2023 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 1)

30.  SICK – the year’s first real horror cinema surprise was also one of its VERY FIRST standouts period, a brilliant little streaming sleeper from Peacock which snuck in under the radar but EFFORTLESSLY captured my attention AND the darker parts of my imagination.  Best of all, though, it was SO COOL to see legendary revisionist horror screenwriter Kevin Williamson return to the “big screen” again after spending so long plying his trade on TV – I was VERY MUCH the target audience for Scream when it came out, I just ATE UP his delicious post-modern deconstruction of the slasher genre and its subsequent follow-ups (although Robert Rodriguez’ The Faculty, his fantastic take on alien invasion movie tropes, remains my very favourite of Willaimson’s creations to date), even if it did lead to a fresh sub-genre which, paradoxically, became increasingly tired and toothless as the years progressed.  In the end, I think it’s probably A GOOD THING he took a step back – he just needed a chance to rethink things and find a fresh angle to come at the genre … and BY THE GODS has he ever found one with THIS.  Interestingly, for Williamson at least, the Pandemic couldn’t have come along at a better time, giving him fertile ground indeed in which to grow a particularly potent darkly comic slasher which EASILY lives up to his masterworks.  Taking place in the early days of the original outbreak, when the first Lockdown was just starting, infection alerts and self-isolation were only just becoming a major thing and everybody was PANICKING over how much they really DIDN’T yet know about what was REALLY going on, the setting was already ripe for some pretty intense, chaotic storytelling … so adding a brutal serial killer with a penchant for killing off the idiots who flagrantly flaunted the COVID safety restrictions and purposefully went out of their way to pretend things were the same as normal was a slick move.  The main bulk of the narrative revolves around three college kids in some nondescript part of the US – Parker (Blockers and The Society’s Gideon Adlon), a well-off party girl who’s looking to make some major changes in her life, and her best friend Miri (up-and coming R&B artist Beth Million), who go to Parker’s family’s expansive country home to quarantine in comfort, and Parker’s newly-EX boyfriend DJ (Man of Steel and Teen Wolf’s Dylan Sprayberry), who turns up ostensibly to try and patch things up between them but may simply have come for an opportunistic hook-up – who are targeted by a killer who subsequently hunts them during a night of fraught tension, smartly staged stalk-and-slash set-pieces and a hefty dose of Williamson’s characteristic jet black-but-enjoyably geeky sense of humour, which is this time pitched to a particularly sharp edge of biting finger-on-the-pulse satire given the rich socio-political real-life material he’s able to mine here.  The small but extremely potent cast are all BRILLIANT, although the film really is DOMINATED by Adlon, who once again shows that she’s destined for GREAT THINGS INDEED in the future with a brilliant turn that runs an impressive gamut from irresponsibly entitled brat to vitally determined survivor once circumstances have fully driven her to take proper responsibility for her childish behaviour, making for a compellingly sympathetic young heroine we find easy enough to root for.  It probably helps the man behind the camera is John Hyams (All Square, Alone), son of legendary genre-hopping director Peter Hyams, who shows he’s definitely inherited his dad’s impressive skill by crafting a lean, tight and precise slice of thrilling cinema which takes full advantage of a tight budget and (mostly) a single location, which results in a brilliant little comedy horror gem that I’d heartily recommend folk hunt down on streaming, or at the very least keep in mind for Halloween …

29.  HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE – it’s always nice when a sharp little indie banger sneaks in under the radar to place on one of my lists for the year, and this impressive critically acclaimed underdog thriller definitely shaped up as one of the year’s most memorable examples.  It’s a very low-fi, gritty down-and-dirty procedural slice-of-life thriller about a motley collection of eco-terrorists banding together to sabotage an oil pipeline in West Texas, focusing almost entirely on this core group of disillusioned youths played by eight uniformly EXCEPTIONAL actors each handing in genuine (ahem) dynamite performances.  Ariele Barer (Marvel’s Runaways), The Revenant’s Forrest Goodluck, American Honey’s Sasha Lane and Marcus Scribner (probably best known as the voice of She-Ra & the Princesses of Power’s Bow) are the undeniable stand-outs here, but all of these kids are ON FIRE throughout, showing they’ve got truly BRIGHT futures ahead of them indeed, while Irene Bedard (Smoke Signals) also impresses in a supporting turn as Joanna, an FBI agent who may be onto their plans … the film bounces between the varying points of view amongst the characters, gradually unveiling their motivations to commit a morally complex terrorist act through a series of scattered flashbacks punctuating the planning, execution and aftermath of the bombing itself, with writer-director Daniel Goldhaber (Cam, here co-adapting Andreas Maim’s incendiary non-fiction novel with Ariele Barer herself and Cam’s co-writer Jordan Sjol) weaving a suitably taut and atmospheric slowburn path throughout the flawlessly executed narrative, the film brilliantly building its wire-taut tension to a rewardingly cathartic climax which is as provocative as the challenging subject matter.  This is a film that asks some VERY BIG QUESTIONS and delivers some suitably complicated and rightfully TROUBLING answers, a razor sharp piece of indie cinema which definitely deserves the critical acclaim and cult hit status it’s earned …

28.  COCAINE BEAR – gods, if EVER there was a true story that seemed TAILOR MADE for cinema, it’s the bizarre tale of Cokey the Bear, AKA Pablo Eskobear, an American black bear that died after ingesting 34 keys of cocaine that were dumped out of a smuggler’s cargo plane over the Tennessee wilderness in 1985.  That being said, it’s not a huge surprise it’s taken Hollywood SO LONG to actually get it made, perhaps it’s just TOO CRAZY a concept for it to have been made before now.  Ultimately, the film takes A LOT of liberties with the truth to instead craft an entertaining story, but in the end that’s definitely the smart move, simply using the concept as a springboard to craft a gloriously batshit horror comedy with a JET BLACK sense of humour populated by an offbeat collection of quirky characters.  Keri Russell stars as Sari, a nurse and single mother who has to brave the woods in order to find her young daughter Dee Dee (The Florida Project’s Brooklyn Prince), who’s playing hooky in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest with her best friend Henry (Sweet Tooth’s Christian Convery) right when Cokey goes on her drug-fuelled homicidal rampage; meanwhile, recently bereaved widower Eddie (Solo’s Alden Ehrenreich) and his best friend Daveed (Straight Outta Compton’s O’Shea Jackson Jr.) are two drug cartel enforcers reluctantly scouring the area in search of their lost product at the behest of Eddie’s overbearing St Louis drug kingpin father Syd White (the late, great Ray Liotta, to whom the film is dedicated); and then there’s hapless but dogged Knoxville detective Bob (the venerable Isaiah Whitlock Jr.), who knows he can bust White if he can just get his hands on the evidence.  All three parties converge in the park while the bear wreaks merry havoc in Elizabeth Banks’ third film as a director (after Pitch Perfect 2 and the CRIMINALLY mistreated and overlooked Charlie’s Angels reboot), which looks like it might FINALLY get people to start taking her serious BEHIND the camera as well as IN FRONT of it – this is a proper laugh-riot of a film which is also delightfully non-PC, and it’s liberally peppered with impressively blood-soaked effects to thrill the gore-hounds as well as an impressively well-realised digital animal character in the eponymous drug-addled beastie.  The cast are brilliant too, Russell and Ehrenreich both particularly impressing in their respective nominal lead roles while the kids are EXCEPTIONAL (particularly Convery, getting to gleefully overact as one of the most hyperactive-yet-not-irritating kids I’ve ever seen on screen), and it’s both enriching and a little heartbreaking to watch Liotta once again act his socks off in one of his very last film roles; that being said, several of the scenes are thoroughly STOLEN by the irrepressible Margo Martindale, who’s clearly having the time of her life in one of her most gloriously OTT roles as foul-mouthed, much put-upon park Ranger Liz.  Ultimately this is a horror comedy where the balance is definitely tipped very much in favour of the laughs over the scares, but that’s fine, because with a concept this batshit bonkers we were always gonna find it too funny to ever be remotely scary, so the end result is one of THE FUNNIEST MOVIES I ran across in the cinema all year, rightfully revelling in its own inherent irreverence.  It’s just about the most fun you could ever expect it to be, which is just what you want from a movie about a cocaine bear, really …

27.  THE FLASH – oh boy … yeah, this one is gonna be a COMPLICATED talk.  This was one TROUBLED project from day one, from the major shake-ups surrounding the Joss Whedon-compromised Justice League film and the subsequent mess THAT unleashed, through the whole conflicting debate over Zack Snyder’s original vision for the DCEU, and then the eventual collapse of the Cinematic Universe itself, this film, originally entitled Flashpoint (which personally I like A WHOLE LOT more, actually, since it really does pay DIRECT reference to the actually storyline they went with) went through a whole collection of incarnations and reiterations and, for a while, it was starting to look like we might NEVER see it hit our cinema screens at all … and that’s without even mentioning star Ezra Miller’s ongoing legal troubles and essential CANCELLING after their continued outrageous, unacceptable off-set behaviour, which looked set to torpedo the film all on its own.  Honestly, I have to admit I was MYSELF a little wary going in, not because of these particular problems but more just the prospect of what I would actually do if, in spite of all this, I actually still LIKED IT … unfortunately for me, that was VERY MUCH the case, which is why we’re here in the first place. 

But I must forge on, and so I’m gonna just take this film on ITS OWN face value and ignore the external problems … at least until THE END of the review … because The Flash is, actually, pretty fucking GREAT.  Barry Allen (Miller) is finally coming into his own as a fully-fledged member of the Justic League, even if this does frequently mean he’s essentially cleaning up the extreme messes left behind when Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) gets involved in particularly BIG potential world-shattering events, as brilliantly illustrated in the film’s suitably SPECTACULAR opening set-piece, which does a BEAUTIFUL job of not only letting us know EXACTLY what this incarnation of the Flash is actually capable of, but also revealing Barry’s own distinctly unique, offbeat and, frankly, really rather ADORABLE personal style of superheroism.  Then the plot itself kicks off when Barry’s father Henry (Ron Livingstone), serving life in prison for the wrongfully-convicted murder of Barry’s mother Nora (Pan’s Labyrinth’s wonderful Maribel Verdu), sees his latest (and, it looks like, FINAL) appeal fall flat due to a crucial new piece of evidence turning out to be useless, and Barry decides he's had enough of ignoring a particularly potent aspect of his superpowers –

the ability to run SO FAST that he can actually GO BACK IN TIME!!!  So he races back to the day of his mother’s death and tweaks circumstances so that she survives, only for Barry to then get punted off track before he can return to the present by an unknown entity within “the Speedforce” which then lands him in 2013, just days before Earth’s invasion by the hostile Kryptonian forces of General Zod (Michael Shannon), as seen in Man of Steel.  Still with us so far?  Yeah, well it gets EVEN MORE complicated, cuz it turns out that, while his mum is now STILL ALIVE, Barry hasn’t got his powers in this universe, which means that he has to reform the Justice League himself in THIS timeline in order to defeat Zod.  Except that there are FAR MORE consequences to messing with time than Barry ever took into account set to make things all but insurmountably complicated for him to succeed … beyond this we’re getting into DANGEROUS spoiler territory, beyond the fact that these new developments give rise to whole fresh and very complicated ideas of alternative universes somewhat akin to what the MCU’s already started experimenting with (which is also, actually, something that the DC comics universe does ALL THE BLOODY TIME), which gives rise to whole new incarnations of beloved characters from the established DCEU, some of which HAVE already been revealed in the trailers and beyond, but others not so much, so … yeah, anyway, it’s a glorious MESS of a narrative, but somehow this film does a REALLY IMPRESSIVE job of navigating this jumble in an impressively coherent and breezy way that ultimately makes this a whole lot of fun to watch, actually.  Of course, the lion’s share of the praise for this HAS TO go to screenwriter Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey & the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) for wrangling the UNHOLY MESS of development done for the previous incarnations into an actual WORKING script, which was then brought to life with suitably brave and adventurous SKILL by director Andy Muschietti (Mama and It Chapter One and Two), but the uniformly EXCEPTIONAL cast shoulder a good deal of that responsibility too –

Miller may be problematic in real life, but there can be no denying that he is FUCKING BRILLIANT in his signature role, crafting a hyperactive, ultra-awkward social misfit of a superhero that us various underdog kids just can’t help rooting for, while it is a MASSIVE pleasure to get to see MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE Batman return as this AU’s altered version of Bruce Wayne, the legendary Michael Keaton himself again proving why he really is THE VERY BEST VERSION of the character out there (and I will accept NO ARGUMENT AT ALL about that, I swear you can all FIGHT ME on this particular hill upon which I am determined to DIE if I must), and Livingstone and Verdu bring an IMMENSE amount of pathos to their characters throughout which makes it ABUNDANTLY CLEAR why Barry tries SO HARD to save them both, and it’s also great fun getting to see Michael Shannon back as the Big Bad here again, I always really liked this spectacular scenery-chewing version of Zod.  For me, though, the biggest win here has to be The Young & the Restless’ Sasha Calle, making her big screen debut as the most impressive and DCEU-consistent incarnation of Kara Zor-El, aka SUPERGIRL, that we could ever have hoped for, she’s a truly AWESOME creation, EASILY as badass as Henry Cavill’s Supes but also a good deal more complex as a character too.  Ultimately it��s a shame that circumstances mean that we likely won’t get to see more of her in future projects, much like Keaton’s returning Batman, as they’re definitely the unexpected heart and soul of the film, easily delivering in the most impressively iconic set-pieces and memorable character beats.  Indeed, this is SO BLOODY BRILLIANT all round as a film – from its spectacular action sequences, through its frequent gleefully anarchic screwball humour, to a variety of impressive jaw-dropping game-changer twists in the narrative – that the fact that the DCEU itself is officially over and all of this means PRECISELY ZERO in the face of where it’s all going in James Gunn’s incoming Cinematic Universe reboot makes this feel all the more ultimately pointless, which lends any viewing a bittersweet aftertaste no matter HOW enjoyable it all is.  I mean granted, it’s NOT perfect (there is, famously, some pretty clunky CGI that ALMOST takes you out of the experience, especially in the climactic sequence when we see the timelines start to collide), but then very few of the DCEU movies HAVE BEEN anyway, and this one still works just fine for what it is.  So it may not have any actual VALUE for the series moving forward, but it’s still a really great movie that MORE THAN deserves to be seen for its own merits, and I highly recommend you give it a chance anyway.  At least Gunn and co have seen the sense to keep Muschietti onboard for their reboot (namely helming the new DCU’s Batman reboot The Brave & the Bold), and if they’ve any more sense they’ll bring Christina Hodson back for more too …

26.  THE EQUALIZER 3 – Director Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington have had a long and extremely fruitful working relationship, from their earliest collaboration on his best-known film, Training Day (which finally landed Washington his long-overdue best actor Oscar, although many of us agree that it SHOULD have gone to him a few years prior for The Hurricane), through the EXTREMELY impressive remake of the classic western The Magnificent Seven, to their most lucrative and long-running collab to date, a series of feature adaptations of a cult classic TV thriller show from the 80s which has now reached its THIRD instalment and STILL seems to be running at full steam with no sign of flagging.  Indeed, this just might be THE BEST ONE YET … Washington once again effortlessly delivers a coolly sophisticated, often understated but still typically deeply nuanced turn as Robert McCall, the former special-forces soldier turned SOCOM operative who reemerged from self-imposed faked-death-retirement in the first film in order to deliver bloody retribution for the brutal assault of a young girl, only to subsequently find a new calling as a freelance guardian angel for the weak and powerless who have nowhere else to turn with a dangerous problem.  This time round his antiheroic adventures has brought him to Italy, where the ill-fated end of his latest operation sees him near death from a bullet in his back, being nursed back to health in the remote coastal town of Altamonte.  It’s here that he finally finds that true peace that’s so long eluded him as he recovers from his injuries, but he finds himself ultimately dragged back into the fray when a

Camorra crime outfit from Naples, looking to expand their operation to new territories, starts trying to exploit the townsfolk that Robert has grown so close to beyond their breaking point … ultimately this is a more slowburn, understated affair than the previous two films, but that actually proves to be this instalment’s greatest strength, allowing us to get closer to our Equalizer than ever before, as well as the people he’s driven to help, which makes this BY FAR the most emotionally investing film in the trilogy, and makes us root for Robert like never before as we wait for him to FINALLY bring the pain to these Mafioso thugs.  That dam-break, when they finally come, is as viscerally intense as we’ve come to expect from the series, but thanks to the additional groundwork this time round the kills and cathartic payback delivered feel more satisfyingly substantial, while the film’s greatest pleasures ultimately lie more in the anticipation as Fuqua cranks the tension tighter and we edge further forward in our seats.  Once again, the supporting cast all shine through, with Andrea Scarduzio (Colour On the Cross) giving great bad guy as subtly reptilian Mob boss Vincent Quaranta, ably backed up by Andrea Dodero (Thou Shalt Not Hate) as Vincent’s vicious, jumped up thug of a little brother Marco, while Gaia Scodellaro (CentroVetrine) and Eugenio Mastrandeo (From Scratch) deftly show us what’s so worth fighting for in this town as effervescently friendly local café owner Aminah and Altamonte’s principled but pragmatically fair sole Carabinieri Gio Bonucci; the biggest standout, however, is Dakota Fanning as Emma Collins, the smart and dogged FBI agent who ends up tracking Robert down following his involvement in the opening showdown and uncovers a whole nest of previous overlooked criminal chaos.  At the end of the day though, this is ONCE AGAIN every inch Washington’s film, the erstwhile star clearly enjoying himself immensely in one of the best and most iconic

roles of his career, although this third instalment looks like it might be the last Equalizer with him in the lead since it becomes abundantly clear that it’s looking to wind things up for Robet’s final adventure in a suitably satisfying way.  That being said, there’s definitely room, interest and clear demand for more from both the fanbase AND the creatives here, with the pervading theory being that we may be going back to the early days of McCall’s time with the CIA, in which case the obvious choice moving forward would be to let John David Washington step into his dad’s shoes as young Robert.  In truth it’s the only smart choice …

25.  ANT-MAN & THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA – coming off the back of 2022’s decidedly hit-and-miss big screen slate for Disney and Marvel’s current flagship property, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, THIS past year’s first MCU release had A LOT of eyes on it.  Gods know, I definitely had TWO OF ‘EM … and it probably wasn’t the best title to be laying all this weight on, either – the Ant-Man movies in particular have always been a bit of a marmite property within the larger universe, with as many detractors as fans, which definitely didn’t help things here.  If this turned out to be third time unlucky for Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang and the rest, it could spell much larger disaster for the MCU overall, or at the very least signify that the cracks are definitely growing beyond the studios’ capacity to patch ‘em up on the run.  So I’ll admit, I went into this one with a whole lot of trepidation … was it unwarranted?  Well, being completely honest … not ENTIRELY.  Tried-and-tested comedy director Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man films have always been a pretty mad collection anyway, as much a full-blown comedy sub-franchise as the Guardians of the Galaxy movies or Thor under Taika Waititi, but even so they still managed to keep ONE FOOT on the ground even while the rest was set EXTENSIVELY in the Quantum Realm, but this one has somewhat jumped the shark.  Granted, part of this film’s particular OTT outlandishness and unabashed WACKINESS is down to narrative necessity – giving too much away plot-wise unfortunately runs the risk of dropping some MASSIVE spoilers, but it’s at least safe to say that the lion’s share of the story takes place ENTIRELY in the Quantum Realm this time, and it’s a place which is A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT from anything we might have imagined from our very brief visits in Ant-Man & the Wasp and Avengers: Endgame.  For a start, it’s A WHOLE LOT BIGGER than we thought it was, and MUCH more heavily populated by some truly WEIRD SHIT … the film also has some major heavy-lifting to do with regards to setting up the Big Bad for Phase 5 and 6 both – Kang the Conqueror (The Last Black Man In San Francisco and Creed III’s Jonathan Majors), a Multiverse-based Thanos level threat we first encountered (sort of) in 2021’s runaway hit first season of Loki.  This at least is one of the areas in which the movie definitely SUCCEEDED – ultimately problematic as he may have become since the film’s release, Majors at least did a commendable job of establishing one of the franchise’s most interesting and effective supervillains, a near God Tier Bad Guy who’s clearly gonna give the whole Avengers roster a run for their money when they finally come face to face with him (in whatever recast form he ultimately takes).  The plot, such as it is, is pure scrambled bananas, a heavyweight mindfuck it’s best to just DISENGAGE the brain to go with in order to get proper enjoyment

out of – this is definitely a cinematic GUILTY PLEASURE, and trying to take it even remotely seriously immediately draws the eye to a thousand gaping plot-holes and glaring narrative stumbles.  At least the patented stunning, primary coloured visuals, winning sense of humour and cavalcade of delightfully wacky set-pieces (the clone-spawning “probability explosion” sequence is a particularly overblown, super-trippy highlight with an unexpected tear-jerk factor built in) are all fully functional and behaving correctly, and the thoroughly endearing cast all deliver admirably with nary an off-note hint of miscasting – Rudd and Evangeline Lilly (returning as Hope van Dyne AKA the titular Wasp) are both still pitch perfect, while it’s nice to see Michael Douglas and PARTICULARLY Michelle Pfeiffer getting to do a whole lot more this time round as Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, and the glaring Michael Pena-shaped hole is ALMOST filled by a few other quality comedic turns from the likes of deadpan laugh-MASTER Bill Murray and David Dastmalchian (here returning in a VERY interesting but also very DIFFERENT role to what we’ve seen from him here before), as well as a surprise returning face (ahem) from this trilogy’s past.  Meanwhile, alongside Majors there are other similarly noteworthy series newcomers who make BIG IMPRESSIONS, from Z Nation and The Mandalorian’s Katy O’Brien (who’s been a growing favourite of mine for a little while now), who’s a completely EPIC badass I wanna see A LOT more of in the future as hard-nosed Quantum freedom fighter Jentorra, to Kathryn Newton (Supernatural, Freaky), making the role of Scott’s now (pretty much) full-grown daughter Cassie ENTIRELY her own, and she’s clearly got a MAJOR future ahead of her in the MCU herself now she’s started carving out her own super-powered secret identity (roll on Young Avengers, I say!).  The movie may be another flawed, somewhat unwieldy and occasionally downright CLUNKY beast, but the franchise is still managing to stand up where it counts, and compared to the likes of Thor: Love & Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever it definitely holds up a good deal better in its own right.  Most of all, though, it’s A WHOLE LOT of pure, unadulterated FUN, which is ultimately exactly what you want from a big primary-coloured superhero blockbuster.  In the end, it still remains to be seen if the MCU can be clawed back from the brink it’s still teetering perilously on the edge of, but despite all that’s still wrong with it, this is at least a VERY SMALL step back in the right direction …

24.  THE PALE BLUE EYE – largely sneaking in under the radar on Netflix to start the New Year off, the latest offering from highly acclaimed indie writer-director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Black Mass, Antlers) is, much as we’d likely expect from such a consistently varied, genre-hopping filmmaker, a strange, unique and deeply intriguing beast of a film.  Adapted from Louis Bayard’s well-received speculative fiction novel about a young Edgar Allan Poe aiding the investigation of a bafflingly macabre murder in the US Military Academy at West Point in the early 1830s.  Christian Bale returns with typical stoic, intense and magnificently brooding megawatt presence for his THIRD leading man tour of duty for Cooper (after Out of the Furnace and Hostiles) as Augustus Landor, a former West Point graduate-turned misanthropic former detective brought in to lead the investigation into the brutal hanging and evisceration (with additional heart-removal) of a young cadet that’s baffling the faculty and local police, which is soon compounded when additional bodies start piling up.  He’s aided in his endeavours by another cadet, the young Poe himself (played to PERFECTION by Harry Potter’s own Harry Melling, continuing his meteoric and deeply impressive rise to prominence with another TOUR-DE-FORCE performance here), while the clues lead to a variety of deeply troubling twists and revelations as well as an intriguing collection of suitably odd and often highly charismatic characters played by the sterling likes of Lucy Boynton, Toby Jones, Simon McBurney and a fascinatingly unusual turn from Robert Duvall, although the real standout here is a truly MAGNIFICENT career-best performance from Gillian Anderson.  Cooper piles on the story’s doom-laden gothic atmosphere to great effect throughout while cranking up the slowburn and deeply uncomfortable suspenseful tension throughout, while the plot is nothing short of MACHIAVELLIAN in its levels of ingenious labyrinthine intelligence, dropping an ultimate denouement that you really have to be paying SERIOUS ATTENTION to see coming, and the production design, costumes, period detail and, most of all, the thoroughly MOODY bleak-midwinter cinematography make for a freezing cold but thoroughly rewarding feast for the eyes for the most discerning film-fanatic.  Altogether Cooper’s delivered another winner, and I hope he continues to make films this good well into the future.

23.  DOOR MOUSE – Avan Jogia may be best known as an actor in fare like Caprica, Zombieland: Double Tap and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, but his debut feature as a writer-director definitely shows he’s got a lot of potential as a genuine filmmaking talent moving forward.  This is an edgy, offbeat and enjoyably quirky little indie oddity that CLEARLY doesn’t care to play by anyone’s conventional rules, telling its unapologetically DARK and dirty little story the way IT WANTS TO without ever trying to spell its message out for the viewer.  Riverdale’s Hayley Law is, as ever, simply MESMERISING as Mouse, a tough, hard-bitten burlesque dancer looking to make a better life for herself as a comic book creator, only for fate to throw a wrench in the works for her when girls at her club start disappearing under mysterious circumstances.  Her resulting investigation leads to the shocking realisation that they’re being kidnapped into a life of sexual slavery, and it looks like she’s going to have to make a bold and very dangerous choice in order to effect a rescue … as always, Law simply OWNS the screen, powering the story along with equal parts guarded bravado and well-hidden wounded vulnerability, and she’s ably supported by the likes of Keith Powers (Straight Outta Compton) as Mouse’s best friend Ugly, the club’s unassuming but VERY capable bouncer, the great Famke Janssen as Mama, the club’s owner and Mouse’s laconic mother figure, and Jogia himself as her ex-boyfriend, local drug-dealing hood Mooney.  The plot twists and turns with suitably pulpy skill while Mouse’s comic book bleeds into the narrative through striking imagery and quirky little animated episodes, while the film tackles big, dark themes with an unflinching eye and refuses to deliver easy answers, particularly in the cathartic but suitably JET BLACK ending.  This is a hell of a debut for a promising new filmmaking talent, then, and I’d LOVE to spend some more time with Mouse herself if Jogia and Law are willing …

22.  SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS – it’s interesting that, at least on here, the DC Cinematic Universe (AKA the DCEU) has managed to stand up so well this past year, especially given the recent MAJOR upheavals that have rocked the franchise as a whole.  Not least because said Universe is essentially about to get hit with a Hard Reset under the guidance of new DC Studios CEO James Gunn, so none of this even MATTERS any more going forward … certainly this fact has NOT been lost on cinemagoers, who were already starting to pull away when Black Adam came out in late 2022 and subsequently seemed content to STAY away IN DROVES for this one, likely waiting to give it a go in the privacy and safety of their own homes once it hit streaming.  In a way this sounded a pre-emptive death knell for the DCEU which I was genuinely sceptical about it recovering from … which is a shame, because 2019’s Shazam! was one of the franchise’s BEST FEATURES, a gleefully anarchic post-modern deconstruction of the overblown superhero antics the franchise largely glorified before while never taking itself particularly seriously but simply playing itself with just the right amount of knowing wink-and-nod.  Even more of a shame, then, that this follow-up has proven to be SUCH a performance TURKEY, because it’s JUST AS GOOD as the first one, taking all the lessons learned from the first movie to heart and delivering more of everything that really WORKED once again while trying something new and fresh to expand on this little corner of the Universe with impressive aplomb and consummate skill. 

Returning director David F. Sandberg (Lights Out) once again delivers in HIGH STYLE and customary spooky flair as he and returning screenwriter Henry Gayden (Earth To Echo, There’s Someone In Your House), along with Fast & Furious franchise lynchpin scribe Chris Morgan, expand on the adventures of coming-of-age young hero Billy Batson (Andi Mack’s Asher Angel) and his (still unnamed) superpowered alter ego (Zachary Levi), alongside his now similarly gifted teenaged foster siblings, as the Daughters of Atlas – Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Anthea (Rachel Zegler), a trio of immensely powerful but (somewhat) morally dubious classical Greek goddesses – come to claim their powers for their own in order to rejuvenate the Tree of Life and punish Mankind for its wickedness.  The usual existential high stakes, then.  Angel and Levi are, once again, ON FIRE here, the former star of Chuck in particular once again proving what an undisputable comedic MASTER he is while they both deliver MAGNIFICENTLY in the dramatic moments too, while their returning co-stars and sterling veteran support are once again just as great as before, It’s Jack Dylan Grazer particularly getting to really SHINE this time round in a particularly WEIGHTY role that nonetheless once again manages to utilise his own impressive comedic talents to full effect too, while it’s also GREAT to see This Is Us’ Faith Herman get a much more expanded role this time round as the irrepressible Darla; Djimon Hounsou, meanwhile, also gets a lot more to do as he returns as the enjoyably crabby and pompous Wizard Shazam, who’s none too happy with Billy for breaking the staff last time round and setting this all off in the first place.  The Daughters, meanwhile, are FANTASTIC antagonists, Liu and Mirren clearly enjoying the opportunity to be flamboyant, majestic and over-the-top in proper Shakespearean

style, while Zegler invests “Anne” with a good deal more moral fibre and complexity as the most sympathetic (and ultimately conflicted) of the trio.  Sandberg and co again deliver IN SPADES on the action, atmospherics, gorgeously exotic design and sheer creativity which made the first movie such an unexpected treat, while also delivering more of that winning, sometimes downright SCREWBALL BONKERS humour to keep it entertaining and let you know that, just like its predecessor, this film knows FULL WELL how ridiculous it is and is fully prepared to just OWN IT.  The end result is, ultimately, one of the best of the closing slate of DCEU films, which just makes it even sadder to think that they probably won’t continue the story once the franchise reboots.

21.  GODZILLA MINUS ONE – as much as I LOVE the new efforts of Warner Bros’ impressively robust Monsterverse Expanded Universe to bring the greatest big screen kaiju of them all to life, I am not even REMOTELY surprised that it took a Japanese writer-director to truly get right down to the heart of the character with what feels like the truest, most respectful and, quite simply, VERY BEST big screen reworking of the classic original to date.  Mostly I just count myself lucky I was able to find a showing at my local cinema that I could actually get to – this is definitely one of those features that really does DESERVE to be seen on the BIG screen.  Writer-director Takashi Yamazaki certainly has an impressive track record, having helmed the likes of Space Battleship Yamato, The Great War of Archimedes and Lupin III: The First, but even so, this came somewhat out of the blue to not only become a MASSIVE, runaway hit in Japan but also in foreign markets, particularly blowing away western audiences who are universally praising it as one of THE greatest movies of this decade so far.  All right … from a purely critical point of view, I may not quite think THAT about this, but this IS an EXTREMELY GOOD FILM, Yamazaki guiding an impressively game cast and clearly deeply committed crew to create a work of rare emotional power and uplifting intensity that tells a breathless tale of the unbreakable power of the human spirit even in the face of HORRIFIC cataclysmic events … a theme which has, of course, remained close to the hearts of the Japanese ever since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which famously directly informed Ishiro Honda’s beloved original.  This time round, Godzilla is a pure, monstrous and thoroughly TERRIFYING force of nature throughout the film, a devastating and unstoppable mutated aberration created by the fallout of America’s H-bombs, which is unleashing unfathomable chaos across post-World War II Japan, leading a band of desperate civilians to take matters into their own hands and attempt a desperate stand to stop the horror before all is lost.  Ryunosuke Kamiki (probably best known for his years of work as one of Studio Ghibli’s key voice actors) proves a compellingly fallible hero as deeply traumatised failed kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima, who finds himself battling internal demons even worse than the monster he’s up against in the real world, ably supported by Minami Hanabe (The Great War of Archimedes) as Noriko, the spirited young adoptive mother that Koichi takes in after returning from the war and forms a tight bond with, Hidetaka Yoshiaki (Always: Sunset On Third Street) as Professor Kenji Noda, the former Naval weapons engineer who becomes Koichi’s mentor, and Munetaka Aoki (Rurouni Kenshin) as Sosaku Tachibana, a former Naval fighter mechanic suffering from his own deep-seated traumas after the War.  This is an interesting departure from the classic Kaiju cinema recipe, because while the Big G is definitely a powerful and potent threat that casts a very BIG shadow over events here, Minus One is ultimately less of a monster movie than a movie with a monster IN IT, Yamazaki preferring to focus on the human story and concentrate our attention on the horrors these people have to endure at the unfathomably massive claws of this terrible creature, certainly physical but predominantly mental and emotional.  That’s not to say it ain’t suitably potent in the action stakes, EASILY delivering some suitably THRILLING set-pieces while the creature himself and the chaos he unleashes is portrayed with impressively executed visual effects flair … it’s just that, ultimately, this is a film which is much more of a triumph of GREAT WRITING, peerless direction and awards-worthy performances from an astonishing cast.  In other words, it’s just a really GREAT FILM, period.  Which makes this something TRULY SPECIAL after all, I guess …

[lavender-annd-lilac]

Salutations/Hello/‘sup dawg/[your preferred form of introductory greeting here],

Today is the day you have been waiting for since birth - the beginning of the rest of your life, the chance to become the architect of your own future.

I come to humbly present you with a challenge. Should you choose to accept, there is no prize, but there is no penalty either. Or is there… 👹

The challenge is as follows:

Separate the following items into TWO (2) to FOUR (4) mutually exclusive categories - ie. items belonging to separate categories cannot have qualities that overlap, ie. no middle circle part of the Venn diagram.

Here are your items:

Pop tart

Calzone

Easy over egg

Coffins

Perogies

Tide pod

Ravioli

Lava cake

Skeleton while it is still encased within a living human body

Jelly donut

The box that may or may not contain Schrödinger's cat

Further stipulations:

👉You may use ONE (1) of the above items as a category in itself - eg. you could claim that the egg, perogies and tide pods all fall under the category of “ravioli”, or that the calzone and ravioli are both examples of “coffins”.

👉 Each category must contain at least TWO (2) items

👉 Every item on the list must be used

👉 each item may only be used ONCE

👉 The items may not be modified in any way

Sincerely,

Your biggest fan, your most ardent supporter and an individual who probably needs a reminder (or three) about word limits, appropriate social interactions, and the overall concept of “less is more”

Ok I’m editing in an example hahaha. See below:

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

No obligation tagging some of my faves 🥹:

(But anyone can take up the challenge!!! You’ve got this!! 🙌)

@imyourbratzdoll @thenhewaswrongaboutme @secretswiftymarvelfan @blindmagdalena @georgiapeach30513 @straywords @cable-knit-sweater @cockslutpadalecki @syntheticavenger @delaber @rustytricycle @littlelioncub43 @xieyaohuan @makeyoumine69 @charnelhouse @navybrat817 @kinanabinks @the-iceni-bitch @sweater-daddiesdumbdork @st3rgirl @runa-falls @heli0s-writes @speechlessxx @jtargaryen18

[gonewiddershins]

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I tagged 5,370 of my posts in 2022

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Longest Tag: 109 characters

#every twilight/thorn princess fanart i see is so hot and/or serious – something straight out of a mafia movie

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Book Rec Ask Meme (Part 3 of 7)

18. your least favorite book ever

One of the effects of being a shameless DNF-er is how I don't really have least favorite books. Because they can't be my least fave if I drop them halfway through and go and happily read something else instead. Least favorite book (singular) ever is even worse- why on earth would I read a book I loathe that much? The only answer is "Buddy Reads" and even for that I have drawn lines I will Not Cross. And even if those lines were crossed, I feel uncomfortable rating that book as "the worst" because making me read something I don't like makes me very, very mad and that naturally spills over to my feelings about the actual book.

So I skimmed through Goodreads and randomly picked a book that made me mad enough that I remembered being mad to this day. This actually means the book had potential, because I tend to forget books which had no redeeming features whatsoever. But this is also the third draft of this answer so it's what you're getting. (There is actually book I dislike more than this one, but that's getting saved for the un-recommend question.)

Tangled by Emma Chase is an office romcom. And it would probably be pretty entertaining (my tastes they are so low) if (a) the author did not decide that swearing was an inherently funny action and used it to indicate idk- something positive about the male lead, (b) it weren't for the unquestioned gender essentialism - you know the thing, men are like this women are like that and god forbid anyone deviates even slightly from the norm, and (c) I didn't keep getting smacked in the face with constant workplace sexual harassment.

The harassment was bad enough to have my oblivious self feel mildly uncomfortable when I first read it. When I skimmed through it again to remember why I hated it so much it almost made me want to puke. If any guy thought about me the way the ML thought about the FL I would knee him in the balls. Also, I HATE it when romances end with a "grand gesture" that magically solves everything. Especially in this case. FL, you were so fucking bland that I don't remember a goddamned thing about you but you should have kneed him in the balls. For fuck's sake.

QUOTE: (slime. slime all over my face and my arms.)

Doe Eyes may be telling me no…but her body? Her body’s screaming, Yes, yes, fuck me on the bar. In the span of three minutes, she’s told me why she’s here, what she does for a living, and allowed me to fondle her hand. Those are not the actions of a woman who is not interested—those are the actions of a woman who does not want to be interested. And I can definitely work with that.

23. a book that is currently on your TBR

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3 notes - Posted July 7, 2022

#4

1, 9 10 13 15 16 18 23 52 53 55 60 63 71 80 86 107 121 127 134 135 for ur ask meme

wheeeee~

okay so there's are enough of these questions that I'm gonna answer this in parts because otherwise (a) I'll never finish and (b) tumblr WILL end up earing my drafts and I wince just thinking about that. So here we go-

1. a book that is close to your heart

The Beginning by K.A. Applegate. Anyone who's spent some time on my tumblr knows about my obsession with this series. It drilled into my ear and took over all higher life form function way back when I was an impressionable pre-teen. And then after sometime, when I thought I'd found other things to obsess about, I found copies of the final arc and it decided to permanently take up residence in my brain.

The Beginning is the final installment of the Animorphs series, which famously feature kids turning into animals to fight brain stealing alien puppeteers. It's not a climax- it's a extended denouement, because the books have always been about how children people are affected by war as much as as it was about the actual war. Animorphs also ended on a very bittersweet note, something unthinkable to baby me who had never seen a story end this way before. It was a learning experience.

Quote:

"Jake, you can't . . ." She took a deep breath. "You can't equate the victim and the perpetrator."

"So as long as you're playing defense it's not possible to commit a war crime?" I asked. "That's pretty close to just saying that the winner makes the rules because it's the winner who writes the history."

She grabbed my arm and searched for my eyes, forcing me to look at her. "No, Jake, it isn't. There are a lot of close calls in history, lots of wars where the blame is evenly split between the sides. This isn't one of them. Before they came to Earth no human ever attacked a Yeerk. No human ever harmed a Yeerk. This one is clear: We are the victims. They made war on us."

"That's good," I said softly. "All of that is good. We have justification. We're the good guys."

Marco said, "That's right, Big Jake, we are."

I nodded. "That's good for the big picture. See, my problem is a little more personal."

Ax asked.

"Well, Ax-man, you're right, you did call my attention to the possibilities on the Pool ship. And when you did that I guess I should have thought, Well, Jake, it's a harsh, terrible thing to do, but you're justified because, after all, you're the victim here. But that's not what I thought. You know what I thought?"

Cassie released her grip on me. But Marco just took a step up close, right in my face.

"I know what you thought, Jake. You thought Die, you filthy worms. Feel the fear, Yeerks. Feel the pain. Feel the helplessness. You wanted them to suffer and the idea of them suffering and dying made you happy. You were thrilled. You were high."

Cassie winced. She looked away.

I said, "Yeah, Marco. That was about it: word for word."

9. your favourite book of 2020 2022

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3 notes - Posted July 4, 2022

#3

Book Rec Ask Meme (Part 2 of 7)

13. your favorite romance novel

You should know by now that I don't actually have favorites. I have a list of things I like and how much I like them varies with time, emotions, circumstances, and also maybe the phases of the moon. But The Duke in Disguise by Cat Sabastian was the first book I thought of when I saw this question, so it's the answer by default.

A Duke in Disguise is a standalone (technically it's part of a series, but books in romance novels series are often functionally standalones with cameos) romance story about two childhood friends- a prickly left-leaning publisher trying to keep her business afloat and an illustrator (engraver, to be precise) who turns out to be the long-lost heir to a dukedom. It's filled with class rage and ideas about what independence means and wonderful friend and family characters. The heroine is bi and filled with rage goes to her ex-girlfriend when she wants to yell about stuff. It's great.

QUOTE:

How one was meant to feed all these people on a couple of mutton chops Verity did not know. Supper was supposed to serve four: herself, Nate, Ash, and Charlie. But Nate had come home with three friends he met at the pub, which would have been bad enough even if he hadn’t evidently also invited Amelia Allenby, the half-grown daughter of Verity’s friend. At half past seven, a carriage pulled up in front of the house and disgorged a girl in pearl earbobs and a white muslin frock, dressed as if she were going to dine with the great and good of the land, rather than pick at too few mutton chops and be an eyewitness to sedition. Amelia was seventeen and looked upon Nate with a degree of hero worship that nobody who brought three hungry radicals home to dinner deserved.

15. a book rec you really enjoyed

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4 notes - Posted July 6, 2022

#2

1, 19, 27

1. a book that is close to your heart

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. I mean, I love almost everything this author writes but I'd only read her space opera series before this, and space opera was (at least back then) not as much my genre as Fantasy is.

It was also a very different type of fantasy from what I'd experienced. I'd mostly read grand sweeping fantasy epics before CoC, with a dash of Tamora Pierce to even things out. But I think this was the first time I'd seen adult fantasy which was less about world domination and more about people just trying to get by in the face of curses and life in general etc. Caz is a wonderful protagonist because he's so tired and so traumatized and he juxtaposes beautifully with Iselle (who is the /thematic/ protagonist) who's vibrant and a beacon of hope. The divinity-based magic system is wonderful. The way of breaking the curse is wonderfully clever. This book made me actually weep more than once. I just- //flails

It also made me be more active about searching for adult fantasy I was actually interested in, because till that point I really thought all we could have were chosen one quest narratives.

Quote:

“Any man can be kind when he is comfortable. I'd always thought kindness a trivial virtue, therefore. But when we were hungry, thirsty, sick, frightened, with our deaths shouting at us, in the heart of horror, you were still as unfailingly courteous as a gentleman at ease before his own hearth.”

19. a book that put you in a reading slump

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5 notes - Posted July 4, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

It just struck me how the MCU is milking the hell out of a nearly manufactured out of whole cloth mentor-mentee/dad-son relationship between a billionaire superhero and a socially disadvantaged kid superhero while the dc cinematic universe, which has multiple canon relationships like that, ignored them COMPLETELY in favor of more serial killer showcases.

7 notes - Posted April 14, 2022

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