#this was just going to be their Invasion Week

[suzukiblu]

Thank-you sentences for derpsheep behind the cut; weird amnesia Timberkon. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“You can recognize their heartbeats?” Bernard asks incredulously–that is a very creepy and invasive thing to recognize about someone, much less be passively listening to, what the fuck–and then frowns. “Wait, got back from where?” 

“Long story,” Superboy mutters. “Alternate realities were involved. It sucked. But I got back here, and it’s supposed to be right, and there’s people I recognize, but there’s . . . different people, too. And no one here recognizes me. And I thought . . .” 

“That you were either totally insane or just stranded in the wrong reality for no discernable reason with no idea how to find the right one?” Bernard assumes. 

“That, yeah,” Superboy says tightly. “Definitely that.” 

“Good news, I guess, if you are insane, it’s a shared delusion, and if you’re in the wrong reality, so am I,” Bernard says. “Because again, I definitely remember you. And Hawaii. And Superman being dead. And like, all that shit in general. Also you kinda died that one time too? There was a statue, I’m pretty sure. Actually I think there were two.” 

Superboy’s smile is tight and humorless, and he digs his fingers into the inside of his wrist. Bernard has no clue how a dude in such severe and obvious distress can look so fucking good about, like . . . literally everything he’s got going on over there. It’s a lot of “everything”, is all. Superboy is a lot no matter what, obviously, but still. Like, extra a lot. Secret bonus levels of a lot. 

A lot. 

“I mean, there used to be,” Superboy says, and the pained smile he’s wearing turns–bitter, kind of. 

Fuck, Bernard feels so bad for this dude. Like so many levels of so bad. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way but I need to google some shit,” he says as he digs his phone out. Tim is clearly taking his sweet-ass time in the bathroom, and since he isn’t actually in there waiting for Superboy, it’s gotta be a Bat thing, which usually gives him a good fifteen or twenty minutes of fuck-around time before Tim makes it back with the weak excuse du jour. Or, like, three and a half weeks, one very memorable and kinda fucking awful time that Bernard had spent wondering if jumping into the timestream was how vigilantes ghosted you. “And maybe check some forums or something.” 

“I don’t think ‘is this weird dude at the boba shop crazy’ is gonna pop up on Bing, man,” Superboy says, still wearing the same bitter smile. Bernard wonders why he didn’t just go to the Justice League and explain himself to them. Like, they’d probably believe him, right? Or at least they wouldn’t instantly not believe him; they’d check things out or whatever. 

Alternately, though: half-Kryptonian full-telekinetic with Lex Luthor’s DNA and Superman’s face who doesn’t even know if he’s crazy or not.  

So like . . . that seems like an awkward conversation to have with Superman, maybe, Bernard allows. Or just fucking agonizing and terrifying and wildly, wildly likely to end in one of those stupid misunderstanding-based super-fights and, like, maybe also getting drop-kicked into the Phantom Zone because said stupid fight would be against Superman and that is, apparently, what Superman usually does with supervillain Kryptonians. And probably Superboy is having some very understandable issues about getting drop-kicked out of reality right now, if that’s a concern he’s had. Which–the Phantom Zone isn’t the same thing as an alternate reality, as far as Bernard’s aware, but also what the fuck does he know about the Phantom Zone? 

Bernard googles, in quick succession: Superman’s death, the Phantom Zone, and Superboy. He gets a ton of articles and photographs and blog posts with absolutely zero trace of Superboy in a single one of them, a lot of contradicting intel about what the hell the Phantom Zone actually is, and also some blurry candid photos of a ten year-old in ripped jeans and an S-shield hoodie that he’s never seen before in his life. 

. . . so that’s weird, yeah, Bernard observes, blinking down at his phone. 

“Huh,” he says, brow furrowing. “Hey, should I know this kid?” 

“Did you literally just google ‘Superboy’?” Superboy asks, which is notably not an answer to Bernard’s question. 

“Obviously, yeah, the entire internet is in my pocket, why would I not do that,” Bernard replies reasonably, still scrolling through random photos of this completely unrecognizable kid. Said kid continues to look like a total fucking stranger and Bernard continues to have zero clue who he is or why he’s wearing the “S”. Another clone, maybe? Like, an even mini-er mini-Super? Bernard can’t see his face all that clearly in any of the pics, still, but he’s at least got Superman’s coloring, it looks like. 

“Because Tim would give you shit about it, probably, I don’t know,” Superboy lies, because he very obviously does know. Probably better than Bernard does himself, come to think of it, which is kind of a weird thought but also, like, an obviously objectively true one. Superboy’s spent a lot more time with Tim than he has, even having been, like . . . unrealitied and all. 

God, that is still so disturbing a concept, too. 

[swan2swan]

One of the most solid writing elements of Independence Day that has really helped the movie stand the test of time is just how methodical the aliens are in their destruction of Earth.

Despite all of their advanced tech, everything has its limits. They can't just bombard Earth from orbit because their weapons don't work that way--the blast from their mega-cannons spreads across the city because of the City Destroyers' massive size and shields. The dramatic charge time at the end is matched by the charge times in the beginnings (it's a few seconds longer in the climax, but the City Destroyer just spent a lot of energy moving full speed to Area 51 and probably hadn't charged the cannon as effectively as the ones resting above cities for hours had--which is logical!); everything works on a consistent standard.

The aliens also rely on the Earth's satellite connections to function, adding a level of realism to their communication and function--and yes, people make fun of the virus plot, but the writers show their work throughout and address every point step by step.

All of this combines so that, while you can't see the aliens acting at all in the movie, you can work out exactly what they're doing. There's a logical pattern to every action they take, and it doesn't matter if the commander in the final battle is smugly sitting back and swirling a glass of Space Wine as he prepares to exterminate the little humans for his Glorious Leader, or screaming furiously at every officer to get that weapon online before something damages his ship further--the goal is clear. The movie is a huge chess game, both sides are players, but we're only seeing one perspective.

That makes it an odd case where a Sci-Fi film is actually a War Movie, and I love it.

[jackalopescruff]

my most beautiful gmod screenshot

[electoons]

fuck it. ulothir moodboard

[wherela]

I have gotten my hopes up that I will be getting engaged on Saturday, and I know that if it doesn't happen (it probably won't!) I'll be so so disappointed. But it's either this Saturday, or like.in a month.

[stormyrainyday]

this entire year has been flop after flop why am i losing so bad your honor i am literally just some guy

[kyathedino]

I hate it when I'm trying to be mysterious and elusive and people decide to just respect my privacy😔

[dalroti]

My body will be like *takes 6 months to gain 1 kg* *loses it in 2 days*

[grassbreads]

I have a cut on my lip that won't heal because it splits open again every time someone makes me laugh, and unfortunately my coworkers have chosen to be funny today

[orcelito]

Remembering that a 4 hour psychological test means 4 hours under the examiner's microscope. I hope they let me listen to music during a written test, but idk if that would defeat the purpose or not. I... really don't know what to expect tomorrow, and it's kind of making me a bit nervous. Lol.

[hiveswap]

we've had Nighthawk, Starhawk, and now there's a DARKhawk TOO???

[batemanofficial]

i need weed. i need a medical card so bad or im gonna go out of my fuckign GOURD

[spiritmoon23]

I think its funny that my environmental art class is doing its best to make me hate the very idea of caring for the environment

[grassbreads]

I finished the draft of my professor Xi Ping Tai Sui fic, and it is. over 8k.

[lilgynt]

yes i understand i got groomed but also made plans to visit said groomer and made sure to dress hot to prove something?

[whisperofthewaves]

I will just stop using the mobile app until that damn purple bubble about somethingsomething tags goes away bc I'm this close to chucking my phone at the wall every time it blocks half my screen.