#}wish they were better quality but they were old insta stories =

[asphaltapostle]

falsehood, by Rupi Kaur

- It's on pg. 108 of my paperback copy of *Milk and Honey*. --- > you were the most beautiful thing i’d ever felt till now. and i was convinced you’d remain the most beautiful thing i’d ever feel. do you now how limiting that is. to think at such a ripe young age i’d experienced the most exhilarating person i’d ever meet. how i’d spend the rest of my life just settling. to think i’d tasted the rawest form of honey and everything else would be refined and synthetic. that nothing beyond this point would add up. that all the years beyond me could not combine themselves to be sweeter than you. --- just opened right to this and dang that inherently conductive quality of this work, I guess, is why it hits so hard. my immediate "rebuttal" (more a query) is... sincerely, bigly glad for you, Rupi, that this particular notion proved false in your life - and, too, I am quite sure it is nigh on a universal human truth enough to tell every other reader past present and future stopping on this one that it is *definitely* a lie in *their* lives. indeed, had you asked me this particular untruth in the form of a question, I might have even gone so far as to treat it as an *impossible* idea, basically. ...but if you want me to be sincere with u, I have been living this untruth for ... a really, exhaustingly long time. since around the time this collection was published, actually, and the only reason *I'm* not assailed by others continuing to insist that *it gets better* is because I stopped bringing it up a long time ago, naturally. when the *it* actually shows no signs of becoming an untruth, whatsoever, over the course of at least three distinct ways of living, continuing to express whatever sounds people do to illicit said idiom will just make you look insane, because it is. what I'm trying to note is, this is something that *can* technically ~~befall~~ a person. (had to strike it cuz, befall definitely reads like I'm trying to suggest it was anyone's but my own decisions that got me in this cute sitch.) it's not actually an interesting story, nor is it remotely close to the top of the ordered list of worst afflictions for a human being to live with, but I really wanted to express how much reading this made me wish I was just delusional and/or a liar. and to PROVE TO TUMBLR actually living through the quiet, relentless, static truth of this is prolly objectively WORSE than just being convinced you might have to for a few weeks enough to post on insta about it. in this single, subelement of life *I have suffered more than Rupi Kaur.* ain’t a reason to pity me. also, it’s a good outcome, as far as the whole is concerned. just gets really … old.

#prose #home #legacy #support

[tobinshotsauce]

ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ʙʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ: ᴋᴀᴘɪʟ & sᴋʏʟᴀʀ » ℤ𝕠𝕖𝕪'𝕤 𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 ℂ𝕒𝕤𝕥

#ktalwalkaredit #skylarastinedit #zepedit #kapil x skylar #kapil talwalkar #skylar astin #&;Rose #}wish they were better quality but they were old insta stories =/ #but theyre adorkable so love on them ♥

[mocakuuuma]

This is just some silly little story between my OCs, that I may or may not make a webcomic about them in the future. I haven’t written in years so it’s probably low quality and the draft credits go to my friend over on insta , @leika_artt

Anyway, enjoy my silly little OCs ig

——————————————————————

Dropping one leg off the ledge on top of an old building. Vrana overlooks the ancient city, that appears to be a sea of stars, outstretching into the horizon. Harsh wind blows on his face, messing up his raven hair. "A fragile lot, these ones." He thought out loud to himself. Cold windy nights like these were always calming and somehow magical to him. “They could be preparing for Christmas, could be hugging their loved one, talking to their parents... and would never be aware of the dangers of this world." He rests his head against his knee, letting out a sigh that carried all the weight in his body being released into this freezing night. "I wish I could be one of them." He said, his mind wandering off somewhere.

“Maybe in another world, little crow. Maybe in that world we might’ve been friends." A familiar voice shook Vrana out of his thoughts. He flinches away from the other’s hand, that was placed on his shoulder, landing on his feet with a glare directed at Kanin.

“Why are you here?” He sneers.

“What? Am I trespassing your private property? Didn’t know the facility allowed you to own land." Kanin's voice echoed into the night. Wind tickled along the bunny ears that rested on top of their hoodie, taking them into a sporadic waltz.

Vrana rolls his eyes. Very Kanin response of them. “Answer my question, bunny.” Despite the nickname, Kanin isn’t harmless like a bunny. A snake would be a much better nickname for them but that’s besides the point. He had to be on guard, especially if Kanin’s around.

“To have a chat." Kanin responds thoughtfully.

“Why don’t you go chat with your no good buddies?” Vrana retorts.

Ignoring Vrana’s rude comment, they spoke up again. “I mean at the end of the day, aren’t we just the same? Two gifted kids taken to a facility only to be a lab rat.”

“We are not the same! I don’t kill innocent people!”

“Oh yeah! The people I kill did have a hand in running the facility. Truly saints amongst men.” They said with their hands clasped together in a praying manner. “Even if we aren’t the same, we still stand on common ground.”

“The ground you stand on is drenched in blood. With your hands dripping wet.”

“Say what you will, I had to do what must be done. In order to give us peace. Peace that the gifted ones deser—“

“Peace?!” Vrana cuts Kanin off out of anger, gripping onto his daggers. “Was your ‘Gifted Protest’ peaceful?! People died because of it! Innocent men and women! Hell, kids too!”

Kanin glares through their mask, hearing those faulty accusations. “It was peaceful until those bastards came along. The facility sparked the violence and it escalated there.”

“Yeah sure, blame the facility for everything.” Vrana says sarcastically. “They’re actually making a positive change unlike you guys.”

“Positive change? What? You think child soldiers are a positive change?! Have you lost it?” Kanin spat out at the crow.

“Enough of this. Conversation is over.”

“Oh my, did I hit a nerve? So you do think I’m in the—“

“I said enough, Kanin!” With those words spilling out into the night. A swift yet painful jab in Vrana’s leg that was self inflicted causing him to lose a bit of his balance, but that didn’t last long. The injury switched over when the prey’s name was mentioned. Kanin didn’t react fast enough, they felt a sudden weakness in their leg, before they knew what was going on, Kanin is on the ground with a injured leg that’s healing. “Thought I’d let you off this time considering it’s nearing Christmas, but now you’re just asking to be brought back to the facility.”

“Awww, look at you giving me the special treatment. Developing a crush on me?” Kanin teases as they count down the seconds till their recovery.

“If I did, I’d be disappointed with myself and disgusted too.” Said Vrana approaching Kanin to apprehend the other. Kanin only hummed in response, figuring out their next moves. They bounce up and back, putting distance between them and Vrana to avoid getting apprehended.

Vrana dashed forward, blurring into darkness, a kick launched at the other. Kanin slid beneath him and came out behind Vrana, throwing a punch. Catching it in one hand and Vrana slips out a dagger with the other. Vrana slashed at Kanin's chest. Kanin jerked back, taking in the shock. "You and your 'group', all of them should be apprehended." Vrana hissed.

"And then what, crow? Let kids be turned into soldiers?"

"Don't get smart."

“You just go on with your pathetic life. We are actually making changes.”

Darts comes whistling past Vrana's face. From experience, he knows these are instant-paralysing. Vrana gets into a defensive position and so does Kanin. They began circling each other like two predators fighting for the last piece of meat. "Changes should be good!" He goes for the leg, closing in, before the darts comes out again. Kanin hops over the sweep, delivering a hot kick to the face stunning Vrana.

"Tell that to the government, crow. You're out here, doing their dirty work. At what cost, Vrana?"

"Get out!" Finally, the crow throws out an effective hit. He unzips his left pant leg. the adrenaline builds as Kanin watch him jabs animalistically at his thigh with the needle in hand. “Kanin!" He yells through gritted teeth. Bunny was running towards the crow, to stop what the other was about to do, and collapses on one leg. They weren’t able to feel their leg or move it for that matter.

Vrana stands up ,with a grin, zips up his garment to cover the leg he can feel on this cold evening.

Kanin turns to rest on their back, "So skilled yet so, so stupid. You're on the wrong side of history, my friend." Vrana solemnly glares at Kanin, about to proceed with apprehension. He was stopped in his tracks when Kanin spoke up again. “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”

Vrana stares at the other, not reacting much to what had been said. He stood there for a bit, letting the silence drag on before breaking it with a defeated chuckle. “How long ago did the paralyser wear off?”

“Awhile ago. So, isn’t it beautiful?”

“I suppose…” Vrana looks up at the moon before walking towards the edge of the building. “The sunset was beautiful, wasn’t it?”

“Mmm, it was.” Kanin responds. As if taking their cue, they disappeared into the shadows, after getting that response. Hopefully, they won’t make a return.

What on earth was Kanin thinking? Saying stupid things like that. What was I thinking? Why did I respond to it? Was that their purpose to come here tonight? Or was it trying to get me to join them again?

Convincing Vrana to join their group has never work and it will never work. He sat down on the ledge again, thinking about Christmas, loved ones, and his dad. Will he able to come home on Christmas and be welcomed warmly by his family? Even after being Gifted and after the massacre that was the Gifted protest? He sighs and jumps down from the building, his mighty cape catching the wind. Gliding off with the words that Kanin has said to him. “Maybe in another world, bunny.” He mutters softly. The city onlookers look up in awe, silhouette of a jet black crow.

#moca.ocs #kanin hofferson #vrana dia #my oc fic #my ocs #original character #writing #short story #haven’t written in a long time #please be nice

[erenfanclub]

Take Care of Your Gods

ereri | mini bang 2019 fic | T rating | fantasy, fluff, slow burn

hi everyone! here’s my fic for the ereri mini bang run by @ererievents where I got to work with the incredible syn! find him @synstruckart or on twitter, insta, fb~ what a great opportunity to get to know him! thanks as always to the mods, and an extra special thanks to syn for putting up with me even before the actual art stage lol what a saint ♥ ♥ ♥

please go HERE to show your love for the art syn did for this self-indulgent story of mine~ i wanna hug that art so much

this is best read on AO3, as I’ll be updating throughout the week, but the prologue is under the cut for a quick preview!

It was an era where men and gods lived close to each other. Where humans had a respectful relationship with things they could not see, worshipping higher powers so that they could be saved from mortal weakness and the evils of the world. These beings had their own stories, of courage and kindness, of heartbreak and tragedy. Tales that humans would tell until they became truth or passed down into legend. Some were all but forgotten. But the most important teaching was always remembered, always passed on without fail.

Take care of your gods, and your gods will take care of you.

In the mountain village, the people needed a god to watch over their crops and livestock. Farm animals were placed on the flattest land, grazing on lush grass that grew where the competing wilderness had been cut back, and seeds were sown in smaller, man-made fields that looked like giant steps ascending the mountain. But even with all their tools and intelligence, humans could not fight their own ephemerality, and nature itself could not be tamed so easily. Many would not survive a harsh winter coupled with a bad harvest, and so they turned to a god and prayed for the protection of their livelihoods. Their home was settled high on the mountainside, on the south-eastern face where traversing the forest to get to the foothills was less perilous, but not so high as to disturb the powerful being believed to reside at the peak.

The shrine of their patron god was built overlooking the vast landscape, a short distance away from the uppermost houses. A safe and sacred place. Not overly large due to a river framing the area on one side and a cliff dominating another, but it was well tended to and frequently visited. Ever since its completion, disaster had never struck, and the village thrived. Wild animals stayed away from their food, trees that were planted for building materials grew thick and fast, locusts never swarmed their fields. The village rejoiced and thanked their god, honouring them with an annual festival and regular offerings.

Life was so bountiful that the humans thought they should no longer live in such isolation, and so they decided to try and expand in an effort to increase their quality of life even further. The population of the village had grown so much that it would not suffer from the loss of some adventurous young men and women, and so a group volunteered to travel to the base of the mountain and start a new settlement.

The second village was built to the south, in a bowl-shaped valley that boasted wide, open space and possible connections with a town half a day’s walk away. Once past the initial hurdles that came with setting out into new land, the people began to trade; better food, fresher seasonings, surplus materials, and new knowledge. Much of this was sent up the mountain, to where families awaited news of the budding village below. The path up to the village on the mountain was improved, but it still took a healthy man a couple of hours to reach on foot. Coming down the slope was far easier, and so people followed the first group curiously, to visit and to see what the others had managed to make for themselves. Most chose to stay on the mountain, where they felt most secure. And as the time came for the festival, people realised that the celebrations could not stretch all the way down to them in the valley. And so another decision was made.

The new village needed a shrine. It needed a patron god of its own.

The beautiful structure was built nestled away in the surrounding forest, in an area cleared and purified specifically for it. The villagers used only the best materials, and devoted weeks of time to make it perfect. And once it was completed, they stood back and admired the result, confident that it was good enough to bring them the same prosperity that they had known all their lives on the mountain.

People took a break from their labours and came together the following day, throwing a small festival on the grounds of the new shrine, playing music and dancing to welcome the god. The sun was low in the sky when near-silence fell for the first time and people bowed their heads and prayed. They wished for good health and good fortune, and to live fulfilling lives in their new home. They clapped their hands and spoke words of prayer in unison. And by the time the murmured phrase had ended, a figure had appeared in front of the shrine’s sliding doors.

It was a child, a young boy who appeared to be around five years old, dressed in pristine white robes with dark blue accents and a golden crest. Even under the shade of the sloped roof, his skin was visibly tan and unblemished, and his green eyes were bright and wide. Brown hair swayed at his temples as he turned his head side to side, taking in his surroundings and the crowd before him. And although he stood in front of everyone, raised above them on the shrine steps, not one person was looking at him.

They could not see his arrival, despite being the ones who had called for him.

On that day, the young god sat on the steps of his shrine and marvelled at the world around him.

And on the next day, at sunrise, he stood up in the first rays of light and closed his eyes. He cleared his mind until only a name remained, a name that resonated within him, deep in his bones.  In the peace of the early morning, he spoke, his voice clear as a bell.

“My name is Eren.”

#ereriminibang2k19 #my writing #ereri #we've both worked so hard along with everyone else involved and we hope you enjoy!! #also why cant i do a line break anymore tumblr

[parks-involving-water]

Review: Midnight by Set It Off

Okay let's just get straight to it. Yall know I’m a slut for Set It Off. This is just gonna be me going in-depth into all of my favorite parts of the songs and lyrics. Les go

1. Killer In The Mirror

This has been a bop since DAY ONE are you kidding me????? The sampling? The sheer amount of fuck you energy? The fast part during the pre-chorus? The DROP for the chorus? Cody saying “knock ‘em all the FUCK out” adds 10 years to my lifespan every time I hear it.

Favorite Lyrics: Now I know, there’s no one I can trust I used to think there was Tell me that I’m cut throat- I think you got your eyes closed Feel the fear, and swallow back the tears Let weakness disappear There’s nobody but me here- the killer in the mirror

We been knew this shit goes hard NEXT

2. Hourglass

YOU DONT UNDERSTAND HOW BAD THIS DESTROYED ME WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT. The fucking,,,, instrumental!!! The beat!!!! Cinematics is on the phone and she said this is it chief!!!! God!!! Like can we PLEASE talk about the nananas during the bridge?? It’s such a small thing but it adds so fuckin much to the song,,,, unbelievable

Favorite Lyrics: I'm falling through the hourglass And I don't think I'll ever make it back So I throw stones at walls I'll never climb Victim to the sands of time

This is also such like? Such a defining song for the sound of the whole album, if you think about it. Quality shit

3. Lonely Dance

ANOTHER one we already knew slaps. The guitar? The trumpet? Iconic. This one has such a fucking Vibe. Also???? So relatable. Cody came through with the social anxiety moods and I owe him my life for it.

Favorite Lyrics: Some days I’m up, some days I’m down Some days, the world is way too loud Some days my bed won't let me out But I’m okay with missin’ out on the social anxiety Out on the phony friends I don’t need So I just turn off my phone, turn on TV Cause solo’s the only way I can breathe

Okay a great song but OLD NEWS let’s get to that Fresh Content

4. Different Songs

Possibly the danciest song on this album. The fucking guitar riff and the bass? The melodies? The harmonizing in the bg of the pre-chorus and the bridge? It all blends together and it’s SUCH a bop. The most poppin song about falling out of love I’ve ever heard

Favorite Lyrics: We once called it love, devolved into lust Jealousy speaks out to silence the trust We temper our words 'cause we're scared of the truth Humming tunes that we can't get through

5. For You Forever

The instrumental in this one KILLS me. So do Cody’s vocals, honestly. He really poured his heart out into those “forever”s and you FEEL it. This one really hits me in the heart tbh. The whole theme of giving up on something that you want so bad is big oof

Favorite Lyrics: She said; “I won't wait for you forever, for you forever So, don't you say it's for the better, it's for the better 'Cause I can't take later than never, later than never No, I won't wait for you forever”

6. Dancing With The Devil

THIS SHIT IS SO BRUTAL. Like even the opening- the distorted vocals,,, god. And the lyrics! So fucking pissed off. Cody once again KILLS the delivery. I will never be over the emotion he puts into every song he sings. And when that hook hits the second time with his normal vocals and then the distorted version UNDERNEATH? Hits so hard. Don't even TALK to me about the rap part god. Also,,,, idk if this is about who I Think It’s About but like either way,,, go off sis

Favorite Lyrics: You try to act as if you're saving me But you wouldn't cut the rope if it was hanging me I'm sick of people saying what you sow you reap 'Cause I've been counting down the minutes of that, so to speak Think of all the hours and hours of grindin’ That would turn into sour findings As I wonder if our resigning is becoming the silver lining But I’m not a coward, I’m fighting Cause if they’re the meat, then I’m biting So go ahead, ignoring and smiling Cause I’m climbing til’ I let you know

7. Go To Bed Angry (Feat. Wayfarers)

This is! Such a good song, and I love the message. Like, settling issues instead of being passive aggressive or quietly angry. And it’s so nice to listen? Like everything feels so clean and leads into each other so well. Also!!! I’ve never listened to Wayfarers before but GOD the guest vocalist is AMAZING. Her and Cody’s voices harmonize so well. All in all a fuckin BOP

Favorite Lyrics: So don't you walk away from me Let's settle this, rather hear you scream Than whisper shit- there's no in-between 'Cause if we sleep in our feelings, we'll never start healing

8. Midnight Thoughts

ANOTHER one with some heavy Cinematics vibes. Honestly, I feel like this one is a great example of how amazing this album’s production is. Like, there’s so many little background elements that come together to make it sound so fuckin cool. For example, that one hook near the end where it suddenly strips back to just a beat and vocals? KILLED me. Also, another relatable anxiety bop,

Favorite Lyrics: Dim the lights, shut the blinds, but I’m counting the time Am I nervous or am I insane? Try to turn up the sound, but I can’t shut it out 'Cause I’m hearing the pulse in my veins

9. Criminal Minds

The orchestral feel to this one is so nice, and the rhythm of the lyrics feels so cool. The strings were such a good touch, they go really well with the electric guitar somehow. Cody’s vocals also feel really smooth in this one? Like this is just a pretty sounding number I love it

Favorite Lyrics: This stress eats at my soul I can't tell if I'm breathing at all Street drama takes its toll So, hit the road

10. No Disrespect

UGHHHHH don't get me STARTED on the chorus here. The stripped back staccato rhythm of the vocals with the bursts of instrumental, and then the way it flows into the full instrumental for the repetition in the second half of the chorus. It sounds so fucking gooooooooooooooood I'm having a crisis

Favorite Lyrics: 'Cause I don't see you the way you want to Forget your rescue, we're dreaming, dreaming, dreaming We had our good times, but time has passed by Begin your new life, I'm reaching, pleading, screaming

11. Stitch Me Up

I have SO much to say about this song. Cody and Shay are so fucking cute and their relationship is so nice. Any time Cody talks or sings about Shay you can feel how fuckin in love they are. The only two nice love songs I can ever remember him writing (The other one being Diamond Girl) have been about her and they’ve both been absolute gems. This one especially. It has such a potent vibe that I can really only describe as a summer song. It’s so,,, bouncy and lively and genuinely sweet with just a faint hint of sadness and ughhhhhhhh. PLUS the fuckin commentary Cody gave for this song on his insta story,,,,

“One of my favorites. These lyrics came straight from the heart. [Shay] and I have both come from damaged relationships, but somehow being broken is what made us whole.” 

Anyways love is real and I’m soft don't TOUCH ME

Favorite Lyrics: Stitch me up, stitch me up, don’t tear me apart I’ve been stuck in a rut, patched up in the dark Stitch me up, stitch me up, there’s pins in my heart Oh, pardon all my precious scars

12. Raise No Fool

Cody fuckin SNAPPED with this song and I’m living for it. One of the things Cody does so, so well, is delivering just the Most intense anger through his vocals and he brought it ALL for this one. You don’t know what happened but you fuckin FEEL it. Idk who this is about but like,,, killem Cody go Off bitch!!

Favorite Lyrics: Well, first you try to tell me that we're family Then you try to tell me that it's for the best You promise that you'll be there if I need ya But I don't need your handout, you can take it back!

13. I Want You (Gone) (Feat. Matt Appleton)

Another more mellow song, but it’s still so fuckin Good. It just has such a palpable vibe and feel. From what I can gather it’s about leaving a toxic relationship behind, and it Feels that way, in a sense? Like when I listen to it I just get this Feeling of something solemn yet triumphant and clean and new, like cutting someone shitty out of your life. PLUS, that sax? It adds SUCH a nice element to the second half of the song. Matt Appleton is a gift I’m so glad they brought him on for this song

Favorite Lyrics: I guess you'd say I'm blessed I threw away stress the moment I said I want you, I want you gone I'm on my own path, you're stuck in the past I want you, I want you gone

14. Unopened Windows

GOD,,, OKAY,,, HERE WE GO,,, Imma be real with yall. I cried the first time I heard this. It just be like that sometimes. But like this is LITERALLY Dad’s Song 2 and I wasn’t fuckin READY for that. There was no WARNING,,, I wasn’t told I was gonna get hit with that much EMOTION Okay okay for real though, this song is actually gorgeous. It’s just,,, pure fucking grief, so much of it, poured into a song. The composition, the vocals, every element of it is so powerful and heartbreaking. This is the kinda song you cry to- but like, a healing cry, the kind you have right before you take a deep breath and start moving on, y’know? The moment I heard Danny Boy near the end, I started crying all over again. Any time I hear this song or Dad’s Song, I cannot fucking begin to imagine how Cody must feel about what happened to his dad. It’s a kind of grief that can’t be explained. I’m just glad he feels like he can share it with all of us, and that he has a support system behind him. Also, I cannot communicate enough just how much this feels like a fucking,,, movie soundtrack. Like this shit would not feel out of place in a musical or something. The swelling orchestral music near the end fucking kills me. Gotta go cry again brb

Favorite Lyrics: All the stories left unwritten that we drew up in the past It's the game we never went to or the drinks we never had As I look up to the stars and make a wish to bring you back But I curse the roof above me and I learn to live behind all these Unopened windows, bound to my heart Fantasy so close feels so afar But I long to break the lock And live among the life we lost Through unopened windows; they tear me apart...

15. Happy All The Time (Feat. Skyler Acord)

WHAT a closing number. Addmmitedly a bit of a jarring followup to Unopened Windows, but it also makes a lot of sense, to go from a song about grief to a song about letting yourself process negative emotions. It also feels like SUCH a culmination of the album. Maxx even said in his Midnight release livestream, he thinks that it sort of represents the entire message of Midnight as a whole. The album was written to deal with a collection of sad, angry, and upsetting topics or experiences- this song takes all of those and says, “Dude, it’s fine, it’s okay to feel shitty, you don’t have to bottle it in or hide it” and honestly, there are so many people who need to hear that- it’s such an important message. Also??? The fucking???? Choir??? WHAT a touch. Honestly there are Several songs on this album that feel like they could be off a musical soundtrack and this is DEFINITELY one of them. It feels like a finale, and it’s so just powerful and uplifting and emotional, I love it so much.

Favorite Lyrics: It's okay, you're not crazy! Gotta taste the salt to love the sweet Let it out and scream “I'm okay, I'm not crazy!” 'Cause the tears remind me I'm alive It's fine to not be happy all the time!

Honestly, this may be my favorite album by them yet. It’s such a fucking monument to everything they’ve been through and learned and explored as a band for ten years, it has such a clear vision and comes together so well. The lyricism, vocals, instrumentals, composition, and production are all fucking fantastic. I’m so excited to see where this era leads us, and I’m so happy with what we’ve seen so far.

In conclusion, the boys did it again, I’m weeping, and stream Midnight on Itunes and Spotify. Peace out kids a bitch is gonna take a NAP

#set it off #set it off band #cody carson #maxx danziger #zach dewall #dan clermont #sio #midnight

[thedogsled]

Do you ever just read Christmas movie titles and think how much better the films would be/how much more fun they’d instantly be if they were queer stories? I do. It’s my hobby. In fact it’s probably the only thing that gets me through the holiday period. Christmas films are typically terrible anyway and they’ve made so much trash now that UK freeview has a whole channel that just plays trashy Xmas films round and round, so why not examine this phenomenon with some examples, and share the dubious fun and inspiration of my holiday habit. (Quality of original movies is not under interrogation, mind, and some of these actually sound like fics I’ve read, but I’ll get back to that in a minute...)

Here goes. Imagine your OTP, I guess?

A cynical TV executive accidentally knocks herself out while railing against the disappointments of her life. She wakes up to find herself in another world, where she is married to another woman and they have two children. As she comes to realise she is not dreaming, she must decide which life she wants to live.

This next one is the plot of Bride Wars but I beg you to imagine it rewritten as a crossfandom story with your two OTPs please. The Rainbow Wedding Show Down. Anything you can imagine would be miles better than this movie anyway.

Two lifelong best friends discover their weddings have been scheduled on the same day and at the same venue. Neither is prepared to back down, so a bitter rivalry ensues as years of friendship are cast aside in the struggle to sabotage each other's big day.

I haven’t seen this one, and it’s got Shatner in it, so the version in my imagination is already much better. Also it’s the 6000th retelling of a Christmas Carol to nobody’s surprise ever. WHY? I just imagine the Hallmark execs sitting their writers down and saying “Right, we need at least ten new Christmas Carol based movies this year, we need unique new suggestions, but don’t say ‘except that she has a girlfriend’ or you’re insta-fired.”

A professor is torn between staying in her hometown and marrying the woman she loves or travelling across the country to pursue her dream job. One night, a mysterious coachman offers her a chance to travel three years into the future to see how her decision pans out. 

I am 100% sure I’ve read the fic. If not, someone should write it for me anyway.

A New York teacher prepares to bring his new boyfriend, a diplomat from a small European nation, home to meet his parents at Christmas. However, he gets a shock when he learns that said boyfriend is secretly the heir to his country's throne - and his parents do not approve of their relationship.

Oh my god the fluff /suffocates underneath the cotton softness of this prompt. I’d imagine my OTP, but, you know, one of them is afraid of flying...

A single father invites a flight attendant to spend Christmas with him and his daughter after he misses his connection.

*pteradactylBisexual screeching noises* Or maybe this is a polyamory story WE JUST DON’T KNOW.

A woman is thrilled after her boyfriend invites her to his family's lake house for Christmas, but is disappointed when he spends all his time working. She befriends his assistant, but is unaware that she is secretly in love with her until a twist of fate leaves them alone together.

The heterosexualness is genuinely killing me by this point, I’m suffering for all of you. Also I’m changing the gender of this one because all the romance stories are about sad lonely white women. Gee, better wish for a man to come and save you from your miserable empty lives, ladies! HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

A man loses his job, his flat and his boyfriend just before Christmas - all thanks to his mischievous pet dog. A co-worker invites him to come and spend the holiday with him on his farm, and the experience leaves him torn between pursuing a new life in the country or trying to rebuild his old city life. 

If you read the next one without heteronormativity goggles on it’s already gay. This one could go so many ways. In the straight version I imagine the boss is a harpy and the designer destroys his existing relationship... /Googles for a second. Oh wait, I’ve seen this one. Yes. That is what happens, to absolutely nobody’s surprise. Nothing’s more Christmassy than this bitch, amirite? It would make an amazing polyamory story, I really wish that was what I’d watched instead.

An aspiring designer impulsively kisses a man she meets in a lift, only to discover he is her boss's boyfriend. She is given the task of decorating his house for a lavish Christmas party, but begins to fall in love with him - while he does not remember their previous encounter.

The next one leaves me in a weird position because I’ve watched the “queer” version already /bitter noises about 2007. The only difference is that this one is actually a romance, because presumably the two of them slowly realize that they do love each other, and that, my friends, is one of my favorite fanfic tropes ever, so...

Sparks fly between a graphic designer and his male counterpart when they agree to a loveless marriage of convenience to help each other out. 

Next. I’m just saying if you complicate this plot a little bit with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell it becomes a heartbreaking story of discovery and community coming together instead of just another bland romance with a 6.1 on IMDB.

A war widow and an injured soldier join forces to save the town's military museum with a Christmas fundraiser.

I could go on. This is just two days of programming, mostly on the aforementioned 24 hour Christmas channel. Girl meets boy in suffocating heterosexual repeat. But you know what? As a reader and a writer of fanfiction, it just makes me feel so lucky to be in this community where these stories DO exist, where I can click a button and read a story about a grumpy police detective who bonds with his male partner when they get trapped in a lift together on Christmas day. Cause they ain’t gonna put it on TV.

The severe lack of anything warm wholehearted and queer for any holiday makes me angry, nvm the fact that in these stories only white women experience romance, they’re only ever romanced by white guys, and having a decent job means you’re doomed to loneliness forever. So while you can tear my hideously tropey smushy hurt comfort fanfic from my cold dead hands, at least I have “And there was only one bed” to retreat back to. In the greater scheme of things, tis the season to stab Straight White Christmas in the eye for marginalizing everybody else as well HOHOHO ASSHOLES. 

P.S. Fuck you, NBC, for suggesting that Holiday in Handcuffs is a gay movie because it has a gay side character, and fuck you Hallmark Publishing, who a year ago said same sex relationships are fine, and they’d be up for making movies about the content they published, but to this day only straight (white) books have been put on the market. Nice. Well guess what, I have a greetings card for you:

#long post for ts #tis the season #not spn #in defense of fanfiction

[uomo-accattivante]

I love this entire commentary below by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (contains spoilers)

Recently, I went to see the new Star Wars. I know, I wanted to see it sooner, but I have babies. Anyway, getting home from the cinema, I was curious to see what people were saying about the movie, and what I discovered surprised me. While most critics and many fans loved it as much as I did, there was also a passionate contingent who decidedly didn’t.

I was intrigued. A lot of my favorite movies polarize audiences. Many, many voices had much to say, and I only got through reading a tiny speck of it, but right away, I noticed a recurring theme in the various objections. In fact, I noticed a number of recurring themes, and I’m tempted to write down my thoughts about several of them. But in the interest of brevity (and the likelihood that I actually manage to finish writing this), I’ll limit myself to this one:

What happened to Luke Skywalker?

Before I dive into what I think, forgive me for prefacing just a bit more. I should say, the writer and director of The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson, is a good friend of mine. I played the protagonist in two of his movies, Brick and Looper, and in fact, for the sake of some kind of brotherly streak, he gave me cameos in his other two movies, The Brothers Bloom, and this one. However, and this is important, I’m NOT speaking for him here. He doesn’t even know I’m writing this. I guess I should probably make sure it’s cool with him if I’m gonna post it publicly. I’ll worry about that later. But for now, I’m gonna repeat myself, because I want to be really clear, this is just my own opinion, and in no way do I carry any special authority on this movie. I’m probably biased in its favor, but then again, we’re all biased somehow, so there’s that.

I also wanna say, I’m not here to tell anybody they’re wrong. Personally, I don’t think it’s possible to be wrong when it comes to movies, or art, or literature, or whatever you wanna call it. In our ever more gamified culture, with endless awards shows, publicized box office figures, and the all-knowing Tomatometer, it seems conversations about movies are more and more often put into quantified terms of good and bad, best and worst, right and wrong. And then there’s the twitface-insta-fueled tribalism, people taking sides, pointing fingers and spitting venom at the other guys. There seems to be a lot of that going around right now from both lovers and haters of this movie. Dear oh dear, folks. This isn’t politics or sports. The fruit is in the subjectivity. If you feel differently than I do, I’m 100% cool with that. I think it’s often in these very differences of perspective that movies can be at their most enlightening, helping us learn something about each other and ourselves.

So, with all that said, I’ll ask again… What happened to Luke Skywalker?

The Luke Skywalker we meet in The Last Jedi is very different than the Luke Skywalker we remember from the original Star Wars movies. In the past, Luke was hopeful, an idealist, deeply driven to venture out into the galaxy, find his destiny, and do the right thing, no matter the cost. Now he’s apathetic, cynical even, hunkered down on an island and seemingly passionate about nothing but his own isolation. He’s wasting his talents on an eccentric day-to-day routine of laughable animal husbandry and death-defying spearfishing. When a young potential Jedi with profound aptitude, Rey, comes to find him seeking a mentor, he literally tosses her lightsaber over his shoulder into the dirt. And later, when facing said youngster in combat, he ends up on his knees, defeated.

And even worse than becoming personally weird and physically weak, he’s become morally questionable. The plot hinges on a moment from the recent past where Luke contemplates killing Ben Solo, his own nephew, in his sleep, sensing the young man’s attraction to the dark side of the Force, and fearful of the damage he might cause. I saw the point made several times that decades earlier, in Return of the Jedi, Luke is so righteous, so forgiving, he even refuses to kill the reprehensibly villainous Darth Vader. Clearly this is an enormous departure.

It makes sense that all of this might not feel very good. For so many of us, Luke is the epitome of a hero. He is what we strive to be. He’s also our access point into a world we love. We got to know Star Wars through the eyes of this character. And now, after all this time, we finally get to see him again, and he sorta sucks as a person. He’s disrespecting everything a Jedi is supposed to stand for. Ultimately it feels like he’s disrespecting us. Or, as some fans concluded, this just isn’t the real Luke Skywalker, but rather a bastardization perpetrated by bad storytelling or corporate interests.

And again, if that’s how you feel, more power to you. I think there’s a certain enjoyment to be had from taking a subversive stance against the biggest “Big Hollywood” movie of the year. And I know I couldn’t kill that buzz even if I wanted to. But if you’re feeling disappointed in the man Luke Skywalker has become in The Last Jedi, and maybe it’s getting in the way of you really loving the movie, and you’re kinda wishing you didn’t feel that way, because you want to love the movie… read on.

The way I see it, The Last Jedi takes two big risks in its depiction of Luke. 1) He’s different than he used to be. 2) Not only is he different, he’s changed for the worse.

As for the first risk, he didn’t have to be different. He’s one of the most iconic movie characters ever. A safer bet would have been to bring him back and make him just like he always was. This is what The Force Awakens did exceedingly well. For example, the Han Solo we meet in that movie is pretty much the same charmingly roguish character we loved in the original trilogy. Yes, he’s gotten older, had a kid, but it hardly seems to have changed him much. And that was fine by me. Seeing him again after so many years felt like a sweet reunion with an old friend. So, why not do the same for Luke?

Leaving Luke unchanged would have been a huge missed opportunity. Think about how rare this is. A trilogy of movies is made with a young protagonist played by an actor in his 20s. Then, no fewer than 40 YEARS LATER (A New Hope came out in 1977) this actor gets to play the same character as an older man. I don’t know how many times that has ever happened in the history of movies. Has it ever happened?

This gives the filmmaker and the actor an extraordinary opportunity to tell a story about one of the most universal truths in human experience — getting older. We all get older, and those of us who are lucky enough to survive our youth all face the joys, the terrors, the puzzles, the pitfalls, the surprises, and the inevitabilities that come along with doing so. Re-meeting our beloved protagonist decades after we last saw him, only to learn that the passing years have changed some of his most fundamental qualities, I’ll admit, it’s almost hard to see. But in that glaring contrast between the Luke of old and the new Old Luke, The Last Jedi offers a uniquely fascinating portrayal of a man’s life marching inescapably forward.

Time changes us. Go talk to anybody in their sixties and ask if they feel very different than they did in their twenties. The look on their face will almost surely speak volumes. As do so many such looks from Mark Hamill in what I feel is a beautifully nuanced and heartfelt performance.

The second big risk I mentioned was that Luke has not only changed, he’s changed for the worse. But to me, the obvious response here is that movie characters are usually better when they’re flawed. Speaking as an actor, when I’m considering whether or not I want to play a certain character, I’m always looking for a healthy balance of virtues and shortcomings. Otherwise, it doesn’t feel real. No one is a perfect hero or a perfect villain, we’re more complicated than that, every one of us. Flawless characters feel thin. And forgive me if I blaspheme, but the young Luke Skywalker always did feel just a little light to me, which is why it was so cool this time around to see him fill out into a more imperfect human being.

A flawed main character is one of the main distinctions between a story with substance and a gratuitous spectacle. It’s often through a character overcoming their flaws that a movie can really say something. Yes, when the movie begins, Luke has grown cynical. He’s lost faith in what it means to be a Jedi. He’s let fear of the Dark Side of the Force corner him into isolation and inaction. But he needs to start there, so that he can overcome this grave deficit.

To me, this is a story about not losing faith: faith in the outside world, faith in your allies as well as your enemies, in the future as well as the past, in the next generation that will take your place, and yes, faith in your own damn self. Luke has made mistakes that had terrible consequences, and his regret is so strong that he wants to give up. We need to see that despair, hidden under a crusty front of indifference, so that when he finally decides to put himself out there and make the ultimate sacrifice, it means something. It means more than just stalling the First Order to let the remainder of the Resistance escape. Our protagonist has arrived at the end of his journey. He’s re-found his faith, both in the past and the future of the Jedi Order, and even more importantly, in himself. Again, it’s in that glaring contrast between a journey’s beginnings and its end where we find a story’s meaning.

And so, speaking of faith, I’ll end on a bit of a meta note here. It feels to me like a good chunk of the backlash against The Last Jedi is about exactly that. Star Wars has a certain sanctity for a great many of us, and it’s understandable why current circumstances might rattle a fan’s faith. The ultimate authority in this world, its auteur, George Lucas, has recently passed the torch onto the next generation. The new owner of Lucasfilm is a massive media conglomerate. But I think the new Luke Skywalker of Episode VIII gives us good reason to feel reassured.

That a big Hollywood studio would take such risks on such a big property — again, to present their central hero in a drastically different light than ever before, to unflinchingly deliver the ominous message that even the most pure-hearted idealists can struggle through darkness and doubt — these are not the kinds of decisions that get made when short-term profitability is prioritized above all else. These are risks taken in the interest of building a world that is not only good for selling popcorn and action figures this year, but that thrives in the long-run on a bed of literary substance and artistic dignity. As a fan, I take it as a sign of respect that the movie was not only a good time, but a provocative challenge. A lot of studios and filmmakers don’t think so highly of their audiences. In the end, to me, The Last Jedi demonstrates not only that we can still have faith in Star Wars, but that Star Wars still has faith in us.

#spoilers #star wars #the last jedi #rian johnson #joseph gordon-levitt #luke skywalker #mark hamill #han solo #ben solo #darth vader #george lucas #lucasfilm #commentary

[marvelandponder]

3 for the Price of 1!

When My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) finally came out, I wanted to review it right. And to do that, I had to call in a few friends. 

I basically knew this had to be a collab of some sort, but instead of reaching out to big names in the fandom, I decided to ask a couple of friends to review the movie with me. What’s more in the spirit of things than making something with the friends, new and old, that we made because of this show and its ridiculous fandom?

I have links to Mr. Mikail’s and DigiKate’s spoiler-free and, in the case of DigiKate, full-length spoiler reviews!

I’ll wait until the blu-ray/DVD comes out in January to release my full spoiler-filled review (mostly because you know how busy I’ve been the past two months, but also because I have friends who haven’t seen the movie yet), but until then, here’s some general thoughts on the movie and how it fits into the modern animated films scene.

How does it measure up to other movies? Should we be comparing it differently because it’s a movie based on a TV show? How the fuck did the Emoji Movie get nominated for Best Animated Feature when MLP: The Movie didn’t?

Meta-Narratives in Kids Movies

Gotta get this out of the way first. Big surprise: I loved it.

I knew I’d enjoy it, but I couldn’t believe how much I was smiling, even by the first big musical number. Every time a minor character came on screen that I recognized, I had to hold back a scream. I was so proud of the girls, and so impressed with DHX’s work.

I just. Fucking. Loved it.

So, there’s no denying it. My Little Pony: The Movie is an absolute joy for fans (for reasons I can’t get into in the spoiler-free review), but I think what separates this from being a universally beloved insta-classic anywhere except among fans is the landscape of kids movies these days.

Take a look at the likes of Frozen, Moana, and Zootopia and you’ll find a lot of meta commentary on the way Disney usually tells its stories—sometimes, even while embracing those cliches if necessary.

Inside Out and How to Train Your Dragon 2 tackle deeply emotional subjects, as modern Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks love to do.

Even Lego: Batman was a ceaselessly rapid-fire comedy with a heart, and hit on all fronts for it.

So, what? Is there something we’re missing? Well, MLP: The Movie does have all those elements to various degrees---meta humour, emotional subject matter, and quite a number of great jokes. But then, what’s the real missing element for general audiences and movie critics?

A clever, unique message and/or implementation. As much as we love MLP, we know it’s not the first to talk about the value of friendship. And it’s certainly not the first movie to use the 3-act fetch-quest structure it does.

If you wanna know what’s stopping MLP: The Movie from being as phenomenal to other people as it is to me, it’s that this is something I haven’t seen before, and this is something they’ve seen a hundred times (even if it was done pretty well here).

As a fan, who knows these characters inside and out, I haven’t seen these characters pushed to their limits in quite the ways they are here. Leaving Equestria and the lore and worldbuilding therein is inspiring, as it expands the possibilities and the map itself of a world I love so much. And to be honest there are one or two dark moments (by MLP’s standard) that I couldn’t believe!

Basically, the novelty and originality of the movie, at least in terms of story, comes mostly from the perspective of fans and staff members who have been dealing with this world and its characters for the better part of a decade now. 

But since they used both the message of friendship without bells and whistles and the tried-and-true road trip movie plot beats, I can see why some audience members think this is adorable, but bland. 

If however you think of MLP: The Movie as a response to the recent string of Disney movies that playfully roll their eyes at Disney’s happy-go-lucky (or meet-cute-and-go-marry as the case may be) philosophies, then it’s very relevant.

And a bit of that structure is actually there. Within the movie itself there’s a bit of that eye-rolling, and as seen in the trailers, it comes from the villains. The heroes remain genuinely positive and even schmaltzy, and that’s what wins the day in the end.

These days Disney in particular feels the need to call itself out on all that, and while it can be refreshing, that can also put a bit of a cynical edge into these movies that, frankly, doesn’t always need to be there. Sometimes you do need to believe in the cheesy, sometimes you need your friends and all the sentiment that comes with them. A kinder world can be incredibly charming. Trust me.

But maybe I’m being a bit harsh. All those movies have teams and budgets multiple times the size that MLP: The Movie did. Maybe it’s fairer to compare it to other animated show turned theatrical releases.

So what does that landscape look like?

Adaptation Land

There’s nothing like seeing your favourite show on the big screen for the first time. Upped visuals, bigger stories---what more could you want? 

It’s here where I think MLP: The Movie measures up in wonderful ways.

Even going from a seemingly similar medium like TV to movies is a pretty hard transition, and I think there are any number of common pitfalls and crowning moments of awesome that come along with that.

But it’s very rare for an theatrical adaption of an animated show to quite meet the same level of quality as the big Disney, Pixar, and sometimes Dreamworks movies.

And it’s obvious as to why. The lower budgets, teams often having to split their time between the show and a movie, bigger-and-better-itis, you name it.

But even if I can’t say most of these movies are transcendent, there’s often still a level of excellence achieved. Even with the relatively low-performing Powerpuff Girls Movie, or the cheesiness of Pokemon: The First Movie, you can still find great movies in this category.

It’s just... they’re always better if you’ve watched the show. Always. There’s more depth, greater knowledge of what this means for the characters, a built-in love and understanding ofthe world. The phrase “for the fans” is implied. It has to be.

Unless, of course, you’re like the Lego: Ninjago movie which (I haven’t seen but heard) totally and completely abandons the canon of the show. But then, what’s the point in making a movie based on that show?

You see the problems show staffs face here? 

So, I think MLP: The Movie is exceedingly enjoyable, but is that really just for fans? And if it is, did it cater enough to fans? 

In her review, ILoveKimPossibleALot made a good point: we spend the movie with a new set of villains, in new territory, with new characters, and a new story unrelated to the backstories and lore that we, as fans, are so interested in.

I’ve seen a number of fans actually wish the season seven finale’s story and MLP: The Movie’s story were switched. 

The season seven finale is straight up lore porn, and one of the greatest two-parters MLP has had. And honestly I would love to see this expanded on in a way to see what it would be like for Starswirl to be emotional. Build it all up even more so the weight of the regret hits home harder.

But, see, that would be impossible, because MLP: The Movie went into production 3-4 years ago.

You can tell, too. No spoilers, but Twilight’s arc in this movie is very reminiscent of something she might go through in season 4 and Rainbow Rocks.

That’s yet another reason animated adaptations are so tricky---unless you’re in the case of Hey Arnold, which is about to premiere its final movie this friday over a decade after the end of the show. In that case, no matter how long the movie took, they knew for sure where the characters would be, and thus, where they could take them.

Which isn’t to say MLP: The Movie doesn’t do anything with the characters, far from it, but I think it’s also far from how deep it could’ve gone. 

But then... that rounds back to the top, and how it compares to other animated movies in the eyes of general audiences, and how they might feel alienated, and we just keep going ‘round and ‘round in circles.

So, does any of that make it a bad story or a bad movie? No, certainly not! For fans, this is a moving character study and a celebration of a lot of the elements we love most from the show (meta humour, genuine heart, the works). The beats, as standard as they are, pretty much all work, save for maybe Grubber’s comic relief depending on your sense of humour.

But, you know, it’s funny to be left with the feeling that you just watched something incredible, that made you so happy you couldn’t believe it, only to have to admit it’s understandable that critics and even general audiences won’t feel the same way. But, that’s where I am. 

Depends on the context.

Go check out Mr. Mikail’s review here! And Digikate’s reviews here (spoiler-free) and here (spoiler)! *Will be updated with links shortly

Year of the Pony

#MLP #mlp: the movie #my little pony #my little pony: the movie #my little pony the movie #twilight sparkle #rainbow dash #fluttershy #applejack #rarity #pinkie pie #year of the pony #yearofthepony #reviews #movie review #movie reviews #analysis #animated movies #cartoons #animation