#Good night status 2021

[coolnameloading]

Lute x Fem!reader

Came up with this idea a while ago and decided to make it a fic, I'll update eventually but it might take a while. basic gist is sinner reader gets saved by Vaggie and now works in the hotel to pay her back and meets Lute who she becomes a simp for almost instantly, enjoy.

You’ve been in hell since…well a while. You died sometime in 2021 or 2020, the details are blurry. 

The second you got to hell you knew why you were there. It’s because you ran. Whenever things got hard you ran, when you saw horrible things happening to people you ran, when your family was in danger you ran, and now that you’re in hell all you do is run.

Your soul has taken the form of a pastel blue and pink-haired human with 2 cow licks on your hair resembling cat ears...but they just resemble cat ears! Sure they might twitch sometimes and you can hear better now than when you were alive but it’s just weird tufts of hair.  Your skin is also powdery blue with pink stripes on your arms and torso, and your fingers have retractable claws. 

You were also given 2 small powers in the afterlife, it’s nothing like the V’s or Alastor’s powers but they got you out of a few tight spots.

Your first one was your speed, turns out that if you spend your life running like hell you also spend your after-life running like hell while in hell.

The second one was the ability to turn invisible for a few minutes at a time.

These abilities combined with your appearance have gotten you the nickname Cheshire which was just fine by you because you couldn’t remember your real name anyway but it felt a little too on-the-nose that your soul took the literal form of a scaredy cat. 

The unfortunate and unforeseen consequence of your powers and appearance ended up making you the favorite pastime of some bored overlords. Catching you has become a bit of a game for some of them.

Which is what led you to the hotel. You were running from some small fry overlord trying to heighten his status by catching the Cheshire.

He got pretty close actually, you were exhausted, had been running for days at this point and your invisibility wasn’t helping you out because you were being far too loud with how desperate you were to get away.

You kept running and running until you ran over Vaggie who pulled out her spear and pointed it at you until she saw your disheveled state and noticed that you were being chased.  

Once she realized what was happening she slashed at the overlord, injuring but not killing him and causing him to run away. 

After she helped get you to the hotel where Charlie let you have a room for a night and asked if you wanted to stay permanently the day after you agreed.

Do you believe in redemption? No, not really. But if you stay in the hotel the overlords can’t hunt you and you get a nice-ish place to sleep. Also, you feel like you owe Vaggie for saving your life so you help around with random tasks here and there. 

And everything was good for a while.

Until Charlie went to meet with Adam and Vaggie asked you to go with her to make sure she was safe. 

A few minutes after Charlie left she’d come to you with a worried expression and said,

“She’s too trusting, what if they try something? Just keep an eye on her please?” 

And you could hardly deny the woman who saved your life something so simple.

“Whatever ya say, boss.”

So you did, you turned invisible and followed behind Charlie while she tapped-danced her way to a giant elevator-looking thing. Where she had to sign in before walking into a large room with an exterminator and an angel with golden wings.

You hid behind Charlie’s chair paying close attention to everything happening with 2 major things standing out to you. 

The golden-winged angel is Adam and he’s a dick.

The exterminator standing next to him has a hot fucking voice.

After several minutes of listening to Adam talking about fucking some woman at a concert Charlie finally gets to pitch the hotel. 

Only to get cut off immediately by the exterminator, with the hot as fuck voice, who goes on a small rant about how the only reason Charlie and the other hell-borns are alive is that Lucifer cut a deal with Adam and the exterminators. 

Then she gets a little too close to Charlie for comfort and you reveal yourself hissing slightly at the exterminator. She immediately goes for her spear and Charlie stands in front of you.

“The extermination is over!”

She growls out, her horns showing and her eyes glowing red.

“You can’t touch her.”

Adam and the exterminator glare at you before he clears his throat, “Stand down danger tits…we’ll get her next time.”

He grumbles, clearly annoyed with the situation. 

The exterminator keeps glaring at you holding her spear tightly and it takes everything in you not to run.

You can’t help but look at her wings which are fluffed up in what must be aggravation, but you can’t help but notice how fluffy they are.

If she wasn’t pointing a spear at you you’d reach out to touch them. 

Your thoughts are interrupted by Adam yelling, “Lute get your flat ass back here now!”

The exterminator, Lute, walks back to Adam’s side and stands there glaring at you while Adam and Charlie continue their conversation.

Charlie goes back to explaining the hotel with her song only to get cut off…by a song….at this point, you’re thinking of asking Vaggie to pay you for this shit. 

The general idea of the song was that sinners deserve death because you all suck and that they’ll be back in 6 months.

Then the hologram of Adam somehow grabs Charlie and throws her out, when you run after her you see Lute’s hand trying to grab your wrist and you move out of the way.

 You’re sure as fuck not getting caught by an angel.

The Cheshire isn’t getting caught by a fucking angel…even if it’s one with a hot raspy voice…and who probably has hot abs….and you kinda have a mask kink now.

You might legit be into this bitch…but that’s a problem for later. 

For now, you have to check up on Charlie. 

“Boss, are you alright? That dickhead didn’t hurt you did he?”

You whisper, looking over her wrists for any bruising.

“N-no I’m fine Cheshire but what were you doing in there?”

She asks you taking her hands out of yours.

You giggle nervously and rub the back of your neck, “I was worried about ya boss, had to make sure you were alright.”

You feel guilty for lying to Charlie but you’d rather not get Vaggie in trouble for being worried about her girlfriend.

Charlie looks suspicious but doesn't ask any more questions and just nods her head. 

“Alright, now come on we need to go back to the hotel and come up with a plan.”

“Whatever you say, boss.”

The two of you walk back to the hotel to deliver the news to the others.

#lute x reader #hazbin hotel lute #fanfic #hazbin hotel #hazbin chaggie #hazbin angel dust #hazbin adam #hazbin vaggie #fem reader

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Cast: The Smiling Critters (or "Smiling Buddies")

Please refer to the below post as well:

(Attached link is for both halves of the art, designed by togebora)

A colourful band of friends, these are who you may (or may not) know as the Smiling Critters! Well, they are different in the IAB! continuity than you may know them in Poppy Playtime, especially over in Dimension MP-2021, where their roles are most prominent.

In this universe, they are NOT fictional characters from a TV show or toy lineup, but they are instead real characters in-universe who co-exist alongside everyone else in MP-2021. As it happened, all eight had applied for Bumper High School at the beginning of One More Hero and were getting ready to study alongside OMT!Tails and the ApocalypseTitan kid characters.

Daylight the Pup (DogDay)

The leader of the friend group and one of the most optimistic of the eight. He's shown to be very loyal to his friends, and he's one of the first OMT!Tails passes by on the open week at the school.

Bubba the Elephant (Bubba Bubbaphant)

The blue elephant member and one of the top students in classes, up there with OMT!Tails (mainly in math and science) and Max Cartwright. He's naturally smart and has a really good memory for things, and he's sometimes about to keep check on the below-mentioned petition and see how it's coming along.

Kickroyale the Chicken (Kickin' Chicken)

The yellow chicken member who is full of radical attitude for those around him and can be pretty smug about stuff. Though it does cause trouble on occasion for those around him, he's still got a good heart, and he's a bit of a softie deep down. Though he is the "cool kid" of his gang, he is pretty prone to fear, and is open to asking others for help if he really needs it.

As it happens, in One More Hero, he's the first to come to OMT!Tails and Bobby's aid when Benny starts bullying them for the heck of it (and even had the gall to mock Bobby's all-loving status), and he kept his trap shut when Richard attacked the school in More than One Universe to avoid being noticed.

Picky Patch the Pig (PickyPiggy)

The pink pig member and the big eater of the bunch. Contrary to her name, she isn't picky, but she enjoys lunchtimes at school and usually picks something filling and healthy to have for her daily meals. Of course, she can be picky about trying light snacks or fast foods, due to not wanting to be unhealthy in her life.

Picky is also one of the most optimistic and level-headed in the group, and is there to calm the others down if things are getting out of hand. And out of the goodness in her heart, when she heard that OMT!Tails was off sick, she shared some apples she had picked from an orchard for him to enjoy.

Hoppy Scotch the Bunny (Hoppy Hopscotch)

The green rabbit member and the most excitable of the bunch. She gives a lot of enthusiasm to friends around her, though can come off as loud or impatient sometimes because of this, so she does make time to slow down for her friends.

Of the bunch, she was one of the bigger fans of OMT!Sonic when he was still alive, and aspired to be able to run fast like him, hence her decision to ask OMT!Tails to give running or hopping a shot with her whenever they got the chance to hang out.

Crafty "CraftyCorn" Canvas the Unicorn

The white, yet colourful, unicorn member and one of the more shy members. She is shy around meeting new people, but especially enjoys art and the vast wonders it can create. As an aspiring artist, she finds it very important to share the art she creates with others and finding beauty in pretty much anything around her.

She's the Smiling Buddy who has the most influence in points of One More Hero's plot, as she had heard about the rising prevalence of AI in art theft and disliked the idea, so she enlisted OMT!Tails's help to go and get people to sign her petition to make AI art outright illegal in Dimension MP-2021.

OMT!Tails did find some difficulty in getting all the required signatures at first, but when the alternate crew from the Blur Gang came along, that's when he made excellent progress, and he handed the finished petition back to Crafty at the end of the story for her to put forward. She even painted a picture of him (including one with his nano-suit) and sent it to him as a thank you for what he did.

Bobby Hugster the Bear (Bobby Bearhug)

The young red bear member and the all-loving part of the gang. She's a young girl who shows love and compassion for pretty much anybody, no matter who they are. However, this all-loving status doesn't come without its flaws, as it leaves her vulnerable to bullying, which she wouldn't have made it through if not for people like OMT!Tails and Kickroyale having her back.

In One More Hero, she's the first to see how nervous Tails is about settling into his new school in those next six months, and offers him some starting companionship while he gets to grips with the place. And once she heard about what went down with Uma, she's the first to comfort OMT!Tails once he returns to the school dorms, knowing just how difficult it must be for him to cope with.

Of course, thanks to her being there whilst OMT!Tails was being comforted by the Blur Gang, it meant she also got caught up in the crazy hide-and-seek when Danny entered the room, and then pinned in the room with OMT!Tails when the Blur Gang headed out to shut down Eggman Nega's invention themselves, though she was freed once Tails got his heroic second wind.

Naksh the Cat (CatNap)

The last member of the Smiling Buddies, and arguably the one who's changed THE MOST from his original counterpart. He's not constantly sleepy, but he is selectively mute and hasn't smiled a lot, even when with his friends. He had a rough home life and finds comfort in being around people who genuinely get it.

He does show up to help comfort OMT!Tails after Uma is hospitalised, though due to being more nervous, he doesn't stick around after the Blur Gang arrive at his dorm, though does show fascination when he witnesses proof of the multiverse from them.

Through this knowledge, he saw about his portrayals from Playtime Co. and the horrors of the factory, and isn't afraid to show his dislike for BOTH portrayals, feeling they don't capture who he really is at all.

And in general...

Each of them enjoy being around OMT!Tails and have all supported him from the sidelines in his quest to protect Mobius from destruction at the hands of crazed villains. Though their roles are not as major as anyone from the Blur Gang, Quill Society or rogues gallery, they all still make sure to do their part where it counts.

Small Note

For all you Poppy Playtime fans that saw this post and liked it, welcome to my blog, where I post stuff related to a story based on Spider-Verse, but with hedgehogs, foxes and other characters from the Sonic multiverse. Be sure to stick around here to see more!

And as a side-note to you guys, the Smiling Critters (who I'll admit are my personal favourites from the game) are going to be the ONLY representation of Poppy Playtime in ALL of IAB!. That means the rest of the characters are absent in Dimension MP-2021 outright.

#sonic exe #sonic the hedgehog #spider verse #sth #sonic #sonic fandom #sth au #sonic au #spider man #poppy playtime #smiling critters

[bulbasaur-gone-rogue]

I HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO ABOUT MY BLORBOS SO Y’ALL GET IT

(For reference. This is for Aiden and Lambert from the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. All of these can be read with pretty much no knowledge. I went into these freaking blind off of… somewhere. I don’t know. I found them somewhere and went down a rabbit hole.)

I’ve been through all 58 or so pages worth of fanfiction in their tag. Lore-wise, we literally only know a name and vague affiliation on one of em. They’re my poor little meow meows. My silly rabbits.

I went through all those fics and I got like. Six recommendations. These all made me feel some kind of way, or I read them more than once. IN some ORDER!

1. Where I Stand by LadySesame.

Status: complete

Ohhhhhhh what if we were lovers and I thought you were dead and then you got dragged into my home (that I never quite had the courage to invite you back to) completely feral and with clear signs of torture and me n my bros and my (kinda shitty dad who I fight with a lot but he’s genuinely trying but also he’s fucking it up) and one of my brother’s weird boyfriend (who was kind of the only one who knew you existed and mattered to me in any way) had to figure out what the hell to do about all this. And then it gets better but worse before it gets better.

Vampire hunt flashback cool. Dynamic immaculate.

2. The Kaedwen Wolves by Kaerith

Status: incomplete, has not updated since 2021.

HOCKEY AU HOCKEY AU

Hockey aus really have it all. The banter. The rivals. The “we’re just homies. What do you mean I’m sending mixed signals.” The inherent homoeroticism of hockey. The “fellas is it gay to get in a fight on the ice so fast you forget to take your gloves off because some guy called your Good Friend over there a slur and like. I’m not gay or anything but also-”. And also men with muscles and a couple braincells but those only work occasionally. The chemistry.

This one would be tied for first but it’s still really early on and hasn’t updated in. A while.

3. Out of the Night That Covers Me by inexplicifics

Status: complete

Ough we love hurt/comfort and being kind in a world that is determined not to be. I love. Kind men with massive muscles who are so so so self-aware (but sometimes also stick their foot in their mouth real bad) And also terrifying women. I love terrifying women. Uh. Modern au. Everyone’s alive that I can think of.

4. Four Chambers by GilliganGoodfellow

Status: Complete

This one harmed me. It’s the accurate portrayal of grief. Warning for my homies. The Cat stays dead in this one. Had me wrecked for Amounts of Time

Rest of that series also bops and slaps. While I do love Complicated Feelings Towards Vesemir (he’s trying. He was part of an institution of child abuse. He didn’t have power to change anything. He was still part of it. He did the best he could. Maybe it wasn’t enough. He tried. Trying only gets you so far). Papa Vesemir ALSO has a place in my heart.

5. Denial by tnico

Status: complete

Author knows more weird little facts than I do. Scratches my brain. All of their works that I’ve read are stupidly good.

6. A Beginner’s Guide to Exploiting the Kaedweni Tax Code for Fun and Profit by heronfem

Status: incomplete, updating

You know.

#lambden #laiden #aiden the witcher #lambert the witcher

[jmdbjk]

JM Welive & JK Welive #3-4

Jimin’s Welive:

My god, he looks SOOOO good. All these years, when Jimin makes comments about how he looks, I always think, “omg, Jimin, you always look great!” He looked especially fantastic during this live though he admitted he’d had a sore throat and his voice was a little rough. He reassured us he took some meds and he’s fine.

Within the first 22 seconds, someone texts him because his phone vibrates once... he looks down... who is it? Is it his manager saying we leave in 20 minutes? Or someone else who wants to order chicken and look for something to watch on Netflix? ... ... ... he wanted to say something... but he didn’t... 

Anyway, Jimin continues and says “here I am alive and well!” and came to tell us. He’s seen our comments. His album is coming soon, it’s almost ready and he’s got lots of stuff in store for us. [squeeeeeeeeeee!!!!1!!] He even filmed something earlier in the day but he couldn’t talk about it. 

When he was talking about working with Taeyang, and specifically the MV, he said something to the effect that he realized he has been living comfortably like a child in a warm home... did he mean he realized how pampered he’s been as a member of BTS? I wrote about my impressions of the Vibe MV and I was not very complimentary of the production... is Jimin confirming that the conditions were not up to what he’s been used to? 

He was choosing his words carefully and I’m sure the reason he said it was to self-reflect on how fortunate he is. Perhaps he realizes his solo work process so far has also been very easy compared to other artists trying to make music and be successful. Jimin has a whole company behind him that can cater to every whim and he’s able to work with almost any producer he chooses and he’s able to have a lot of guidance in things he’s less experienced in.

He says he’s happy, doing the things he wants to be doing. He’s experiencing new things including being a fashion ambassador. He says happy things are happening one right after the other and I’m thrilled for him. It’s so good to see him in such a positive headspace because 2020 through 2021 were suckass.

He says he’s living the busy life and then (randomly?) mentions he has been watching Suchwita... 

After someone asked him if he saw Taeyang watching that old video of young Jimin singing/dancing to a Taeyang song, Jimin says he was so embarrassed and wonders how did he ever become Bangtan... hahahahahahahaaa... 

He talked more about Paris Fashion week and wanting to talk more about his work but he can’t say anything right now. Jimin is excited, y’all. I’m excited for him, it’s going to be so fun when his album is released!

JK Welive #3: Jungkookie has reached a certain status where he doesn’t answer to anyone. Though the members told him not to drink while live broadcasting... Jungkook is a man on a mission. 

And then boyfie shows up in the comments...

[That man’s mega-watt smile when he realized his Jiminie was in the comments... be still my heart... ]

He kept looking for Jimin in between laughing at Bam who was chasing the green dots swirling around on the walls.

He really wanted Jimin to be there... lol. 

And a screen shot of Jimin’s comments with Weverse translations:

When Jimin said “It’s night” he meant Bam, he saw Bam... “Bam” means night. And with the emojis... sobx5 It’s Bam sobx5

Jimin: (laughing) kekekekekeke don’t do it when you’re drunk kekekekekekeke (that amount of keke-ing is falling over laughing keke-ing don’t you think?)

Also Jimin: I am at another location for work, kekekekeke sobbing emoji... kissy face emoji (!!!)

Also Jimin: have fun with Army, I’ll be back after work (!!!) silly face emoji

I want to ask Jungkookie and Jiminie exactly who is acting more shameless these days?

JK Welive #4: 

Welp... the man on a mission didn’t count on Netflix’s big nope. From what I saw, Kookie was enjoying his chicken, beer and his Netflix show. 

Kookie did happen to tear his eyes away from his chicken and tv   program and saw Jimin back in the comments.

And Armys were quick enough to save this for us before the live got deleted... Jimin’s comments on the deleted Welive #4...

Jimin: commenting that Kookie is just sitting there watching TV with the live on... 

Jimin: (laughing) kekekekekeke you’re cute with the gloves on kekekekeke (he is falling over laughing again).

Jimin: (laughing) kekekekekekekekeke I want to tie your hair neatly kekeke

And lastly: (Korean OP clarified the wonky Weverse translation because apparently, Jimin dropped his formal language and spoke very informally/cutely) I gotta go, eat plenty, baby. (!!!!!)

Confirmed: Jimin and Jungkook are... still flirting in front of our morning salad. Like, I-want-to-tie-your-hair-back-eat-well-spend-time-with Bam-and-Army-babe-I’ll-be-back-later-after-work NUCLEAR level flirting.

Anon who is trying to make a big deal out of this formal greeting Jimin and Jungkook do all the time... I’ve seen them do this repeatedly... this formal polite-bowing-hello-nice-to-meet-you thing they’ve been doing that I’ve seen at least 4 different times now and is some inside joke of theirs. Just another one of those things that’s between the two of them. I can hear it now... at some point in the past, someone could have, maybe, who knows... said to them... “hey guys, chill a little, y’all being really loud, as in totally obvious with the hickey/touchy-feely/bedroom eyes”... and one of them said “what are we supposed to do? act like we just met?” And they ran with it (laughing all the way.)

BAHAHAHAHA!

Anyway. Nothing has changed. They are fine.

I hope they put #4 live back up after clearing any copyright claims on it and putting stickers all over that chicken box to hide the logos... [hears Hobi repeating “he never listens” while both of us shaking our heads].

#jikook #kookmin #jimin #jungkook #netflix please let them put that back up #nuclear level flirting

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 3x8 Thoughts

I’ve written all of these after seeing the episode only one time but I think this one might benefit from a rewatch more than anything else. Even if, unfortunately, this was absolutely my least favorite episode of this stupid wonderful show. (Or was it? What will a rewatch reveal to me?)

I have tried very hard not to have a lot of fun-time-ruining expectations about this Media Experience that has bewitched me since January fucking 2021. But I’ll admit that I had some serious expectations about the writing of this episode. Keeley Hazell and Dylan Marron! I was so excited to see what the ultimate Keeley Jones expert, the Keeley inspiration, the namesake herself, would have to say about this character. And actually, I thought Juno Temple got some really incredible material to work with, and I think she acted the living fuck out of this episode. I came away with a deeper understanding of Keeley’s character. A sense of who she is when she wakes up in bed next to someone who delights her. A sense of how it feels when someone she loves deeply disappoints and hurts her, and how it feels when someone she could have loved chooses a status over a human, and how it feels when someone she used to love holds himself accountable to her. 

There was so much about this episode that felt incredibly natural: 

everything about Juno’s performance 

the ways Jack is charming and tantalizing and expansive and the ways she’s small and cowardly and disappointing were perfect…wlw rep doesn’t happen in a vacuum of purity, this is wlw rep but this is also billionaire asshole rep this is venture capitalism rep this is richer-than-Rebecca-Welton rep this is manipulator rep

the perfect moment when Jade tells Nate to celebrate his victories after a lifetime of hearing his father shame him for taking pride in his successes

the anti-chemistry chemistry of Ted and Michelle and their long history

absolutely everything about Rebecca as lifeline and sense-talker for Ted (and soulmate…I’m so tired, but it just remains true that they’re fucking soulmates, and I hope they find out and I’m still pretty sure they will)

Beard in an apron making pancakes for his boys

Rebecca holding Keeley and telling her a possibly slightly exaggerated story about her introduction to masturbation to cheer up her beloved bestie

the utter pain of Roy being once again a very good person who has fucked up badly in a parking lot (this time with consequences)

Ted’s sweet little voices as he reads to Henry (and the WTF moment he has about himself after Henry has fallen asleep)

Last night my wife and I went out for a beer and broke down a bunch of these moments and how good they actually were, and how strange it was to have, honestly, a wealth of beautifully written and acted moments in an episode that really didn’t work for us. Because those highs made the lows seem so much lower. 

The locker room scene…I’ve watched anti-harassment and standards-of-business videos for my corporate job that are better than whatever that was. I understand what they were trying to do. And I understand that this is a story that has so much real-life crossover and is so incredibly important to get right and was probably so complicated and often painful to write that I feel very empathetic about the ways that all that pressure might have conspired to make this episode worse instead of better. I have no interest in judging those conditions, nor do I think it’s some big hilarious gotcha that this writer (well, writers) wrote about this topic. But I do have to judge the final product, which reads like a group of people taking turns saying things like “This is a bad thing in our society” and “Is it so bad?” and “Yes, fellow man, it really is that bad” and “But wait, why should I have any responsibility for this bad thing in our society?” and “Well, here is why you actually do have some responsibility for this bad thing in our society.” 

Even the Keeley-Rebecca scene wavers in and out, whereas normally a scene with those two is rock solid. They spend a lot of time explaining the societal conditions to each other instead of relying on the shorthand that two best friends would use to communicate. I mean, thank God Rebecca was totally with Keeley on this one—if she hadn’t been, that would’ve warranted something on the spectrum of lecture—but because she was, their exchange of lines about sexualization just had me feeling like I am watching a TV show about a very special issue, I am watching a TV show about a very special issue. 

Just as I’m not looking to Jack Danvers to convince a homophobe why bi people are cool (she could be the coolest most respectful gal in the world and she’s not gonna convince a bigot that queer people actually are great!), I desperately wish they’d taken a less heavy hand with this stuff. Keeley’s pain—her vehement lack of embarrassment, her disappointment—says it all. 

And I am so sorry to say that I feel like Brendan Hunt, who always, always knows when to dial it down and when to dial it up, when to bury and when to emote, dialed it way too far up when talking to Henry while Ted’s on the phone with Rebecca. I am a huge defender of how this show uses musical scenes; bring on the cheese, bring on the champagne bottle microphones, bring on the sing-alongs and heightened emotions and funeral rick rolls. Every other time a character has sung on this show, it’s been natural in the awkwardness and the slightly-outsized emotions and the inherent goofiness of it all. This time, they just could not create the right emotional conditions to earn this moment. I’m not going to give a detailed critique of a child's performance on a public website, but unfortunately I think this is a moment when the writers actually underwrote what Henry needed to say, because I’m mystified as to how he’s actually feeling and doing. Understanding those things is essential to understanding where this story is going, so I’m really upset that a huge chunk of information is missing now.

And that leads me to the incredibly unsettling ending. I had to be talked down off a ledge. I’m now pretty sure the ambiguities of how Ted and Michelle are around each other are about recognizing the ways they used to work, their common reference points, their knowledge of each other, while simultaneously experiencing yet another goodbye, yet another turning point in this (realistic, tbh) endless cycle of navigating the split. But I’m really struggling to understand Ted’s headspace in the final couple minutes of the show, whereas usually I feel like I’m practically living inside his brain as I watch. 

I’ve loved s3 so far. I always knew it would be as distinct a thing of its own just as much as s1 and s2 were distinct from each other. As much as I’d be enjoying a return to the specific magic of s1, it would be impossible and wrong and even irresponsible of them to try to recreate it, and I think it would fall flat, and so I’m glad I knew that would never be my experience with this season of TV. And yet it’s a little unnerving, even as this person who’s tried to keep my high expectations open-ended, to feel so bummed about 3x8. The conversation over that beer about all the really good stuff did make me feel better, because it reminded me that the really badly done parts of this episode were less about story than about the circumstances of the storytelling. To me, those circumstances make the clunkers more forgivable instead of less. But it was still disappointing.

Probably every Ted Lasso fan feels this way on some level, but I am having such a singular experience. I am a fifteen-year-old girl again, holed up in my room because “no one understands………why I feel the way I feel about Ted Lasso.” The membrane between my takes and my empathetic yet judgmental reactions to other people’s takes is permeable and problematic. It’s shameful, but I want everyone to love it because I love it and I want everyone to calm down because I’m calm and I want everyone to be at the edge of their seat and not at all calm because I’m at the edge of my seat and not at all calm and I want everyone to love Ted/Rebecca even if they never kiss because I love Ted/Rebecca (even if they never kiss) and I want everyone to have hated this episode because I hated it and I want everyone to give it time and space to breathe because I’m trying to do that and I want everyone to wait and see what fucking happens because I’ve got some kind of freak patience when it comes to this fucking experience. I want to be my best self and I am not my best self. I’m insane about this show, and I’m not working on the issue. Eek. 

#ted lasso #ted lasso meta #meta by me #ted lasso s3 spoilers #ted lasso 3x8 #hot dork club #ted x rebecca #nate x jade #keeley x jack

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

ya got any ideas for gawain in your au? came up with a neat oc idea for gawain and the green knight. there's a lot of potential for a cute little monster transformation story seeing as a lot of the mythos features the green knight as being somehow transformed by morgan ^_^

I'm so glad you asked this... I actually had an old concept of this...

After ditching the G.S.A..... Morgan took on another apprentice (after Sir Dragato), "Gawain," and he's come to claim the seat as leader of the GSA.

He knew he wasn't as strong as the other knights... and a part of him always knew he'd never reach the legendary status as the others, so he made a deal with the devil (Morgan). He was her pawn... her puppet to secretly control the GSA in her name.

Gawain was supposed to be Meta's call to action to return & Dragato's "ah- ha" moment (my mentor was a scumbag to me).

But in the end, Gawain (my OC)... I had to cut him from the story. They took away too much from Dragato's storyline... and Meta's call to action is a different one.

So, these are my HCs if Gawain were in "Metamorphosed."

And @camachine, if you want to use it in your story, please feel free, you have my full blessing~

And for those of you who haven't read @camachine's "Metamorphosed" please do so before you keep reading, there will be several references/spoilers. (and it's a good read)

Inspo.

I drew reference from Gawain's original story "Gawain & the Green Knight," his original story... But I also drew from the modern retelling of The Green Knight (2021) the film She's his mother.

This is also considered a continuation of the previous work...minus the Gwynn revival...

Okay, so in "Metamorphosed," Gawain is the nephew of Arthur. The son of his other half-sister (Anna)... another one of Sir Uther's illegitimate kids and Morgan's sister. Yes, their mother cursed the Pendragon's name.

In the OG Arthurian legend, she's called Morgause (sometimes she's called Anna)... and it's too close to Morgan for me, so she's Anna.

This means she cursed the kids too... (Morgan had to get her pettiness from somewhere), however, if they wanted to avoid the curse... they just had to carry out their mother's will.

However, Anna wants to move on and live in peace, so she cuts Morgan out of her life. She married the love of her life (King Lot). She gets pregnant with Gawain and BAM! She dies giving birth to him... (Again, being a Pendragon means you're cursed!!)

King Lot falls into grief: and guess who he blames... baby Gawain! Since then, Gawain has put a lot of pressure on his son from the moment he was born... he would say to his young son, "You better make yourself useful and make yourself worth it..."

From the start, little Gawain had such an innocent desire to just be a great knight... so he could earn the love of his father... but he was never good enough for him... he just needed to be the perfect heir & knight so maybe... just maybe for once, his father to look at him...

No, in fact, his King Lot would deny he even had a son... because it would remind him that his dear wife was gone! As a result, Gawain would hide away in some far part of the castle... so he wouldn't be seen by anyone.

Then, one night, a monster comes and raids the castle... a basilisk (they assume it's one of Nightmare's monsters), but Gawain sees a ghostly figure... a green knight?

Wanting to prove himself, he dives right in to save his father. Everyone else is afraid, but Gawain isn't (well, he is.... but he's not missing out on the chance to prove himself to his father!) He chases after this ghost knight... while Morgan puts out an illusionary spell.

Making it look like this basilisk has killed Prince Gawain instantly (petrifying & swallowing him whole) & King Lot is now full of grief and regret. His son protected him despite all those years of coldness... and still loved him. Desperately wishing he could see his son again and apologize to his son.

Meanwhile, the real Prince Gawian follows the green knight (who is actually Dame Morgan in disguise) into an abandoned castle... and defeats him. (In refer. to the film The Green Knight 2021)

The ghost congratulates him on having their test of bravery and virtue... and says, "Since you've defeated me, you are now the Green Knight... and have earned my axe & title." However, Gawain is not easily convinced "No-no, one ever gets anything for free in this life... that's what my father says..."

Telling himself there must be more to this...The green knight offers it to him three times, sweetening the deal each time: "Along with the axe, I'll give my castle as well, and you'll be the perfect knight that you've always wanted to be..."

Gawain is tempted by each one, but something in his gut tells him not to... just as he's about to leave...the third offer is him something he could never refuse... "You'll get to have a mother again~"

With this... they'll be a family again... THIS IS IT!? Gawain (like in the original tale, Gawain gives into his human desire but "the desire to stay alive,"... it's the desire to see his mother).

Without hesitation, he grabs the axe only to be cursed instantly... As a result, Morgan makes him the"Green Knight..." endowing him with her dark Faye magic (making him into a monster- Basilisk) and in the process, he also loses his memories...

With Morgan rewriting it to this narrative:

Morgan was his mother, and their father abandoned them after he was turned into a monster (by Nightmare). He was afraid to be associated with him because of Sir Uther's regimen in the G.S.A. (and wanted no retribution.) And his cruel father even wanted to prove his allegiance to Uther & the GSA... but his mother wouldn't allow it. His mother saved him from his evil father, and as a result, he (his father) left them. And plans to destroy the GSA and make it a safer world for her and her precious son!

Basically, this gives him (Gawain) reason to hate the Pendragons (Sir Arthur & his family) as well as having unwavering love & loyalty to "his mother," who did everything to protect him because "she loves him so much"~ Plus (him being half-monster) it's a great reason for keeping him from going outside so often so he's not recognized as King Lot's. (The curse altered his appearance, but if you look hard enough, you can see it's Gawain under there.)

Lucky for Morgan... (despite knowing they had a prince)... the kingdom barely knew what the young prince looked like. Only coming out when it was necessary... Gawain did this intentionally so as not to upset his father with his present. (Oh how convenient~)

(Almost if not all) Arthurian interpretations Morgan always uses her kids as tools for revenge... Gawain's no different~

The orange color represents the Lothian Kingdom (King Lot), but after being cursed, the original color is turned red (red - Morgan).

Their name changed to Yvain (In Arthurian lore that is the name of Morgan le Faye) And then his monster form... Basilisk.

According to my source, a basilisk is a "hybrid chicken-serpent" but to make things easier for myself I just keep thinking about one one from Harry Potter (but @camachine feel free to change up the monster form for the guy already.)

But his smaller, default form would be a snake. (Basically, to symbolize he's a "snake" within the GSA.) He'd collect secrets and intel through the walls of the GSA and bring it back to Morgan.

She plans to destroy everything Sir Uther built (the GSA)... with Gawain being her most valuable chess piece. Taking over the GSA and installing him as the new leader... she's more than fulfilling her promise to help become "the perfect knight," she's basically ensuring he'll be that best. (She'll just happen to be rulering through him... Momma's gotta get something outta this!)

Not only that (despite having his memories erased), Gawain's core hasn't changed. He's still the same young lad desperate for love & praise... the thing he's never gotten from his father. And because of that, he was willing to do anything for his dear mother~

It's actually easy for Morgan to be, good to this kid... after all, she's still his auntie... (She's basically Mother Gothel from Rapunzel...)

A part of her is still upset with he sister (Anna) for abandoning her (for not wanting to get involved with their mother's curse). Using her sister's son as her pawn was just her way of getting back at her... dear sister... Speaking of siblings let's talk about Sir Arthur.

After finding out that she had a half-brother, she discovers that Uther actually acknowledged him (Arthur) as his son and denied her as his daughter... UNACCEPTABLE!

So what does she do... make him feel the same jealousy & inadequacy she's felt... all those years Uther denied her. And what does she do... she rubs her loving relationship with her son right in his face... (Kindly remind him of how bad he screwed up his relationship with his son...)

Dame Morgan rolls up with Gawain (now being called Ywain her son), who has just been accepted as one of the higher-ups... since someone got kicked off (Arthur) of the high council.

And how did Gawain manage to get it in such a short amount of time, you may ask?

Remember, our dear Gawain was a prince after all... he still had muscle & instinctual memory of his royal training. was clever, polite, graceful, respectful... (he's everything a prince should be... ) And Morgan can take credit for it all, for raising him so well~

(fake) Mother & son just happened to be off to celebrate, But then she sees Arthur as they're leaving and "OH HOW COULD SHE MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!"

Sir Arthur (of course, was suspicious)... he never heard of Morgan being married before... let alone having a son. (Especially after flirting with his wife all those years ago...) Plus, this boy looked familiar...

(And he should... Arthur met King Lot and his son... years ago that twice even...)

But Morgan's a grade-A+ actress... and can play "the bitter ex-wife who's still trying to forget about her divorce..." perfectly. And doesn't miss the chance to remind him about his deceased wife Gwynn... who was killed by(Arthur) his own hand. And she ever so gracefully brings up her son... & ever so subtly shows off their bond, rubbing it in Arthur's face.

And Gawain (ever the faithful son) sees what she's doing and allows his mother to fawn over him in public. Even allowing her to call him "her his little apple." A nickname she'd call him ever since he was a little lad (that was his favorite memory of her). (TOO BAD IT'S FABRICATED... :')

I definitely wrote this within the timeline where Arthur stabs Falspar while he was trying to kill Meta Knight and fails... (or this could fit around where Falspar & Dragato leave the GSA after the wedding)

(But move it around wherever you want! :3 )

I'd like to think it's after the stabbing because in the sense Morgan's basically saying: "Oh look, it's my darling son that I love very much! Arthur, what did you do with yours... oh that's right, you stabbed yours... I'd never do that! Look at what you lost! SUCKS TO BE YOU!"

Arthur sees this sweet, touching scene between mother & son, and he can't help but envy them. (Reminding him all too well that he's all alone in the world, because of his own actions.) After successfully guilt-tripping Arthur, the two gleefully leave him in tears. Little did he know Arthur had just let the most dangerous duo in the galaxy slip from his grasp!

At that moment... had Arthur not been wrapped in his own personal problems he could have recognized (if he, looked hard enough) Gawain and saved him.

But even if he did... by then (after the incident,) Arthur's reputation had been already destroyed. Had he not wasted his time accusing an innocent man (Meta Knight) of treason. And now, because of his own decisions, a guilty woman walks free (Morgan), and the galaxy's gonna suffer for it (Dammit, Arthur!)

Despite putting on a "show" she's actually a good (evil) mom... she's supportive, kind, nurturing, loving, but not out of the kindness of her heart. She's merely fulfilling the end of the bargain...

To be still under her spell, Morgan must continue to fulfill her promises to him. Castle (given), perfect knight (taking over the GSA), and loving mother (check).

As long as Gawain believes her to be his mother, then he's forever under her spell. (Because that's what he wanted). He does have the power to save himself (the red flags are all there) once he realizes that he can break free... (but it's not that simple.)

Morgan poisoned his mind, yes, but this is a sweet poison. In the memories she created, he gave him the normal childhood he'd always wanted. A loving mother who adores him he loses that and will have to accept that he was a lonely prince who was ignored most of his life and is hated by his father.

As long as Gawain wants her love, he'll continue to be under her spell.

I wrote in a way that Gawain could save himself if only he'd realize that he doesn't have to be perfect... that he was always worthy of love, and that he doesn't need her (Morgan's) love, and that he was always enough. The spell would be broken!

(The original tale of Gawain & the Green Knight was supposed to represent one's acceptance of human flaws and that one can not be perfect... so that's why it's the key to set him free! SELF LOVE & ACCEPTANCE!)

Or if King Lot can find & recognize his son and snap him out of this mess. After the incident, Lot vowed to find the body of his son... but has yet to find it, so he's holding out hope that he's still alive. But then, again Lotty (King Lot) ... had you just loved your son properly none of this would have happened!

Those are my HC for Gawain, if he existed in "Metamorphosed," @camachine, thank you so much for your question! Even though I had scrapped him from KBASW, I'm so glad I got to revive him for your Kirby (au), it was so much fun! Hope you enjoyed it!

#kirby #kbasw #kirby oc #sir gawain #dame morgan #asks #answered #hc #metamorphosed #glory's end #kirby au #sir arthur kirby #friend's au

[journalsouppe]

Stardew Valley!!! I love a lot about this spread but I wish I didn't use so many pen colors. This is another game I played before I even started journaling so I had to recall a lot of my older thoughts. Sebby's little corner might've been even bigger 😅 (Y'all might even guess where the name PumpkinSouppe came from, but it is also my favorite dish irl)

The Sebastian sticker is by ArcaneGoldArt! They have a whole collection of all the love interests.

Writing typed below!

Rating: 9.3 Played: Fa 2021 Port: PC (steam) Favorite? Y Replayable? Y Recommend? Y

Comments:

Name: Beans

Farm: Soup

German Shepherd

Beach Farm

Spouse: Seb <3

The Junimo are SO cute

only talked to like 7 characters lol I'm so introverted

had so many wiki pages open

LOVE the dungeons and enemies + the hunter log/achievements

It's sometimes pretty creepy

You can put hats on the horse and children lmao

don't like Shane at all (skull emoji)

stopped playing when I got the child, not the biggest fan [but I'm also against sacrifice]

#1 Krobus fan, love him

love my crazy animal names

made a little statue garden

so many eggplant parms

so much fun catching all the legendary fish!

the movies are so pretty and fun

The Sebastian corner: (DO NOT SAY ANYTHING)

(List of his favorite and liked gifts) Frozen tear, obsidian, pumpkin soup, sashimi, void egg, flounder, quartz

motorcycle kiss T^T

LOVE his theme

when he hid behind the tree lmao (I accidentally planted a tree right in front of where he would stand and I thought he would just disappear once a week and I could never find him)

quit smoking for me

he loves Jasmine tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you can kiss him <3!!!

Frog Sanctuary

Game Dev notes:

really good day/night + seasonal cycle with relation to player mechanics

great progression of unlockable events -- well paced

great long term achievements

amazing cooking mechanics and storage

no definitive objects, very choose your own adventure!

easy controls, nothing memorable

beautiful pixel art and boundaries

Summary:

One of my all time favorite games. It is the gold standard of farming games and even has one of the best fishing mechanics. I played this during the beginning of my health problem during senior year and it really helped me cope a lot. Although I didn't play multiplayer, my friend and I played at the same time. This game has so many cherished memories especially when I got to compare gameplay with my friend. Made by one man, this is such an unbelievable game. There's unlockable events after x amount of years that entice players to continue playing.; There's also no one way to play, for example I was a lot more introverted and only talked to a few characters whereas my friend played more socially. Maybe someday I'll continue playing to complete more achievements. My one gripe is there's a lot of responsibilities to get back into, so it's a little hard to get back into. It's one of the games I can recommend to everyone. It's hard if you makes it hard, cozy if you make it cozy, etc. Excellent designs, animation, gameplay, story, choices, etc. My worry is that this game is so well crafted I'm worried playing other farming games won't live up, I am so excited for ConcernedApe's new game. He is a major inspiration to start making my own games. I have also heard modded Stardew is really good and really worth checking out. All in all, a superb game loved by so many fans. Highly recommend.

#bullet journal #journalsouppe #journal #video game journal #stardew valley #stardew sebastian

[taekooktimeline]

April 19, 2023

April 19, 2023  - Tae goes live! 

When asked how his day was, he mentions he hasn’t done anything in the last week and a half but stay home. This comment is interesting, since this fits the time frame Jk was gone in LA (from  April 8-16). 

Timestamp 3:22 https://www.instagram.com/p/CrPsWQntXxp/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Tae mentions he finished the K drama “The Glory” (it’s really good and worth a watch if you haven’t seen it). He proceeds to reenact a scene featuring antagonist Jeo Jae-Joon.

Timestamp 7:50, re-enacts at 8:26

Taekook are known to watch shows and act out skits together. In one of his March 14, 2023 lives, Jk re-enacted a scene of main protagonist Dong-eun clapping and mock cheering Yeon-jin. This collage shows Taekook reenacting scenes from the show.

https://twitter.com/taekoomania/status/1648635549522206721?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Tae reads off a comment suggesting he do a live karaoke next time with Jungkook, but he initially reads it as “like Jungkook.” Jungkook is known to give us this style of live, singing and staying online for quite some time to hangout with us. 

Realizing the suggestion is “with Jungkook” he softly smiles and says it would be nice to do a karaoke live with him.

Remember, they’re known to share playlists and sing songs together.

timestamp 8:59 https://twitter.com/puples_greens/status/1648622505631031296?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/ging_jjk/status/1648622290589081600?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Also remember Hobi just talked about spending time with Taekook before his military service (💔) and mentioned how they kept singing, and how much they love to sing. 

Timestamp 21:29 of his April 14, 2023 live

Tae mentions he hasn’t seen the members in a long time. 

Timestamp 9:35

But we know he’s spent quite some time with Jk - bowling, skiing, paradise hotel, the musical, etc. This reminds me of his 2021 birthday greeting, when he said “members and Jwekwe” and also when he mentioned playing games with friends and “Jungkookie is here too.” Tae separates Jk from members and friends, because he’s in a different category☺️

(a few of these pictures are older, like Namsan 2018, but the sentiment is the same! Shoutout to my good friend @Koosyoyo for this collage) https://twitter.com/koosyoyo/status/1632503451975561216?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg )

Tae is asked if he’s drank recently.

He mentions the last time he drank was the night he spent time with Jk and Hobi.

Timestamp 21:56 Recap of that hangout - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline/714807882986799104/april-8-2023

#taekook #taekooktimeline #2023 #closeness

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

https://x.com/louist91updates/status/1776133963687551431?s=46&t=0gtaQgoPaYlPe77tCH6Yng

This kind of thing bothers me as a new fan of Louis. I became a fan in 2021, and was never a fan of “the band” as he likes to call it. So every time he brings them up, talks about a reunion, or collaborations it just feels like he’s refusing to move on/catering to the past/ valuing old fans over new fans. Like I know ge likes to point out the fans that “have grown up together” which is nice to an extent, but you’re two albums and two world tours (many more years) into your SOLO career. It is time to let go, brother! He is just too sentimental for my liking sometimes. Like I get that you had a good time, but we’ve heard all of the stories a million times. Nothing is changing with that topic. What happened to faith in the FUTURE? Full steam ahead, I say!

Also… I just really don’t want to feel obligated to listen to a Liam payne song because Louis wrote on it 😶

New fans have to listen to One Direction songs whether they want to or not, at his concerts. Sometimes 3 or 4 songs. And they miss their favorite songs from FITF (Headline, Paradise, Chicago, Common People) because we’re listening to the 2000th iteration of Night Changes.

After this tour, it’s also possible that we’ll never hear some of these songs again, the way we will never hear Miss You or Always You or Defenceless or Only The Brave. It’s almost as if these songs aren’t as good as Drag Me Down, when actually they’re 1. Solo music at a solo concert, 2. Objectively better songs.

Anyway rant over.

On the positive side, Louis used to jump at the topic and say unequivocally that he would love 1D to be back 1000%. Now he drags his feet and hesitates a bit, saying, how would that work with five different sounds (notice he said five)?

It’s giving false hope to naive fans to lead them on by suggesting there’s some sort of inevitability to reunion because of nostalgia or memories. It would be for money, for some fans, and for a limited engagement. Louis knows that.

[fxreflyes]

Prithee tell us about your favorite visits to museums, firefly. It’s a long and silent January night and your stories will keep madness from us. (To be read in the voice of a Dickensian child of 6 years old, sitting before the hearth.) ☕️

hey hey!! :) my favorite seafaring vessel, a joy as always to meet u here. fret not, i will not let madness consume you! <3

(the context for the voice definitely helped, i most certainly did read it in the voice of a dickensian child. i can hear the crackle of the hearth as i pen these words!)

oh where to start! this is a bit of a brain dump, but is semi-chronological and images included in the order of discussion

first, summer of 2016, going to the hermitage and making puns about all of the art! they were not good puns. i believe my brother called the statue below a "boar"ing statue. it was quite hot since we went in summer and we were very surprised that the musuem had no ac since there is generally some to protect the art from the elements. so twas a very sticky and humor filled walk thru some art that has seen quite a lot (pic 1)

fall of 2018, went to the met's heavenly body's fashion exhibit with 2 friends from high school. i love & still go to musuem's w one of them, she's v sweet. the exhibit took place in the part of the museum that is older and looks like a church, so it was v prescient!! (pics 2-4, the leather jacket was so cool)

spring 2019, went to the met again (can u tell i went to college in nyc) and to the frick for my art history class to do a scavenger hunt for the class. quite honestly the most fun assignment ever. it was going through the museums and finding the art and writing about it. there were 50 or so things to find out. we went 3 times total for 3 sessions of the hunt. went w my dad for one, he has said he wants to do more even now

fall of 2019 i went to the met's instruments of rock n roll and saw instruments from a lot of famous musicians! i have a bunch of pics of them, but was v fun i went w my dad and got a bunch of music taste from him so that was cool. i was v amused by this many headed guitar hahaha (pic 5)

winter 2020 i went to a black tie gala in an art musuem so that was v fun & festive!!!

ok covid took a hit to this list so fall 2021! natural history musuem in london! went w my brother bc he was doing his masters same time as i was studying abroad there. i mean it's gorgeous. my brother is v interested in rocks so spent a while in the geology section! lots of cool rocks.

feb 2022, went to the met around my bday! my bf flew to visit me. saw very cool swords. pictured below!

summer 2022, went to the Louvre and the musee d'Orsay! saw the painting of dante and virgil in hell which was v cool, i have always loved that one.

for the sake of brevity, lets go to feb 2023, went to the whitney to see my fav artist edward hopper and an exhibit on him! went w the same friend as i went to the met in 2018 w. went w my brother too. fav exhibit ever probably, just bc i love hopper and i have included my fav painting by him, new york movie! my mom had a book on hopper growing up on our coffee table so always read it

oh my this is not brief. the fire is dwindling! ill stoke it.

this summer! the prado in madrid! i love goya so seeing his work was just so cool. they v sadly didnt allow photography in the museum but saw his black paintings the ones w saturn eating his children.

i hope my little tales help stave off the madness <33

#i just finished work & saw this & want u to kno i smiled #this took me so very long to write hahaha sorry i hope youre still awake #twas so fun!! #there r so many more museums too!! #i also wrote this to the country playlist u made me ty :') #ships tag

[lastchancestardomm]

Evil-Type

Word Count - 1.4K

Warnings: None. Possible Swearing.

Status - Not Beta Read

A/N: Do people still care about Sword & Shield??? I still religiously play that shit. Whatever, this was written in like 2021 on my computer right after I beat Piers, so the events are loosely based on how that match-up went. Yes, every Gym Leader (except Melony– Scorbunny superiority) beat my ass. I still shake in my boots thinking about post-game Hop. Fun fact, the only Pokémon on my team I didn't mention was my Greedent "Alvina". Also, some anime-battle shenanigans may ensue, but this fanfiction why should you or I care.

The neon lights flooded the shut-up city, Spikemuth, in a bleeding glow. The lights beckoned challengers to the bowels of the town, where his music rang like a Siren's call.

His voice thundered above the cries of admiration from his fans. Sam could've given up right there, just to sit and listen to his bewitching song. But she had made it this far, it was too late to give up.

The high-pitched scream of the Toxtricity Amped Forme belting out it's own electric tune would be enough to take Sam off her feet as she ran through dingy little Spikemuth, fighting duo after duo of Team Yell grunts.

Soon, she found herself standing below the punk rocker as he stood on his neon throne. His song it a crescendo when he noticed the Gym Challenger, dwarfed by his audience.

"(sigh) So you're finally here?" he spoke to himself, although amplified by his mic. Team Yell took it as a signal to clear out, as their mighty Piers hopped down from the stage; his voluminous hair swaying.

"Well... ya see... I'm not really a great Gym Leader. Figured that's why nobody was comin' to challenge me..." he admitted to Sam, still somewhat talking to himself. He absentmindedly rocked the mic stand, awaiting some response from Sam.

"I have good ears, so I overheard 'bout the city bein' shut up, then when I was alone it was like my soul was weepin'," he said, his rock voice trailing each word with a rasp.

Sam stared at the rocker like a poor Deerling in the headlights. "Oh, I'm sorry," Sam said. Piers nearly smiled at her words, but quickly gained his composure.

Team Yell was far too hyped about the new Gym Challenger, as they rattled and shook the fence holding them back like a mob. Piers ruffled his own hair and he smirked at his own Team; only raising their energy.

"This is a simple Gym Stadium, we can't even Dynamax our Pokémon... but... I still hope you enjoy the battle," Piers began.

"I will..." Sam promised under her breath, too quiet for the Gym Leader to hear. She held her starter's Pokéball closely, and stepped back into her side of the battlefield.

"Heh... I'm the Gym Leader of Spikemuth, Piers, the Dark-type user! You want to challenge me even though you know you'll lose?! Well.. this song's for you, foolish trainer!" Piers' vocals picked up where he left off as the music kicked up once more.

"Are you ready for a moshpit with me and my party? Spikemuth, it's time to rock!" Piers barked into his mic. The Pokéball quaked in Sam's hands, her Pokémon eager to conquer another Gym.

"My 'mons are all riled up 'cuz of the music! Let's start this already!" Sam demanded, throwing out her dear Cinderace; Inferno. Piers chuckled at her enthusiasm, and followed suit by tossed up his Scrafty.

"Everyone cheer on my Pokémon! Oi Scrafty, intimidate the opponent! Go on bruv!" Piers' voice rang out into the night as the battle began.

Inferno attempted to use Electro Ball, but the Scrafty moved first and hit with a Fake Out. Inferno flinched, and gritted his teeth on the Charcoal item in his mouth.

Scrafty managed to move faster than Inferno the next turn, and used Sand Attack. The pocket sand scattered around Sam's side, as Inferno wiped his eyes of the pesky granules.

Inferno let out a cry of defiance and landed and OHKO with a direct Pyro Ball. Scrafty whimpered as he returned to his trainer.

"Aces! Heck yeah, Inferno! Show this Obstagoon-wannabe who's in charge!" Sam cheered. Inferno let out a cry of pride, and bounced in place to hype up his energy.

"Ha! Prepared to be messed up with my Malamar's Contrary ability!" Piers chuckled, doing a showy trick with his mic stand to show he's the one with talent in this place.

Team Yell roared in support of their leader, the music seemingly getting louder and louder.

Inferno cackled along with his trainer, as she called out for him to use U-turn. Inferno's feet blazed up with green fire and Bug-type energy– delivering a powerful, OHKO kick to the Malamar.

Piers flinched, reacting for his poor Pokémon. "My Malamar didn't even get to show off 'er moves! If ya think you're so tough, prepare to face the proud, high roar of my Obstagoon!"

Piers tossed out his imposing Obstagoon, as Sam fumbled around in her bag for her own. Inferno returned to Sam, as Punk Rock, her precious 'Obby, emerged and roared fear into the opposing Obstagoon.

"Ey, ey, ey! A copycat! Why she bringin' another 'Obby to face our man Piers?!" a Team Yell grunt shouted. Sam shook her head, offended.

The opposing Obstagoon used Throat Chop on Punk Rock, as she went for a Headbutt. The Obstagoon stumbled back, but regained footing when Punk Rock's next move was called.

Punk Rock lunged for Piers' Obstagoon, preparing to use Cross Chop and end the Obstagoon v. Obstagoon match-up. The opposing Obstagoon blocked it with Obstruct, lowering Punk Rock's Defense.

Sam wasn't deterred though. "You really think you can block my hits?! You have a storm comin' Piers!" Sam howled, Punk Rock harmonizing with her taunt.

She ordered Punk Rock to use Cross Chop once more, the attack hitting Piers' Obstagoon head-on; but it stood defiantly with it's health in red, its boosted Defense IVs helping it hold on.

The opposing Obstagoon laughed in Sam and Punk Rock's face, as Sam rummaged around in her bag for a basic Potion to bring Punk Rock back to full health from half; due to Piers' Obstagoon using Throat Chop from before.

Piers took this instance as an opportunity, and with the boost of the lowered Defense, his Obstagoon managed to faint Punk Rock with a Counter.

Sam called back Punk Rock, and had an idea. She stalled emptily for a few minutes before coming back with Yngwie, her powerful Low-Key Forme Toxtricity, who strummed his chest with excitement. "Yngwie, use Acid Spray!" Sam chimed.

And with that, Yngwie flung his head back and acid emerged from his fangs onto the opposing Obstagoon. The Blocking Pokémon went into temporary surprise as his Special Defense dropped.

Piers hummed, wondering what plan Sam had in mind. Though, as Team Yell shouted and yapped, he flashed his team a smirk and ordered Obstagoon to use Throat Chop.

Swiftly changing out, Piers' Obstagoon hit Elitra–Sam's always-ready Boltund–instead of Yngwie. Stalling a turn as Piers attacked the roused Elitra with a Shadow Claw, Sam used a Defense X on Yngwie.

Yngwie came back out and with a cry from Sam, he used Boomburst to faint the dastardly Obstagoon. Piers' eyes flinched with surprise as he kept on singing.

"Well, we're gonna stink after this, but who cares. Prepare to get hit with the Aftermath of my Skuntank!" Piers roared. Team Yell began to chant in support for Piers.

The Skuntank came out and Sam recoiled at the heinous odor the Pokémon carried. Yngwie was far from intimidated by the fellow Poison-type though, and was fully prepared to send a Sludge Wave back at the Skuntank and its trainer.

"Yngwie wait–!" Sam called out, choking on the stench of the Skuntank's fur. She wasn't used to such a nasty-smelling Poison-Pokémon.

The Skuntank moved quickly, using Snarl to lower Yngwie's precious Special Attack stat. Yngwie, almost immediately, clapped back with Overdrive– it not fainting the bulky Skuntank.

Sam swapped out Yngwie and came back with Nevermore, her trusty Corviknight. Piers ordered his Skuntank to Screech the newcoming Pokémon on the field.

"Nevermore! Use Brave Bird!" Sam called out. Nevermore cawed and flew up, comically banging her head on the roof overhang.

Despite that, as the reverbed bang rang out, Nevermore came down like a bullet onto the Skuntank. The Skuntank groaned as it flew and landed by its trainer's feet, fainted.

Piers himself groaned, and exasperatedly fell to his knees in defeat. "Me an' my team gave it our best... but I'm glad to battle. An' seems like me Pokémon feel the same way,"

Sam chuckled nervously at the display, and stepped towards Piers. She held out a hand, and he took it and lifted himself to his feet.

"Oh... and here's your Dark Badge," he said, handing over the pin for Sam to add to her collection. The seventh Gym was defeated!

#pokemon #pokemon sword #pokemon shield #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon swsh #piers #piers pokemon #piers swsh #pokemon piers #pokémon #my work #my writing #proshippers dni #pls reblog

[betagrove]

Get to know me better

Tagged by @carmenpeach 💙

Last Song I Listened To: Detonation, from my The World Ends With You mixtape CD I've kept in the car since like 2021. Not my favorite song on there, but I like that the vocalist has a lisp and it sounds like he says "you want the right / to gettin' an abortion"

Currently Watching: Uh, the last movie I watched was Runaway Bride the other night :) first time viewing for me, not so for my wife. Genuinely incredible romcom and Joan Cusack plays a funny woman so 4.5/5⭐

Spicy vs Sweet vs Savory: Out of these I think savory takes it! It's such a great foundation to add onto and also stellar on its own. 2nd place goes to spicy and 3rd place to sweet since I've kinda lost my sweet tooth!

Relationship Status: My lovely wife @sistemshock and I have been lifelong best friends, partners, and a high-concept improv comedy duo since we met at age 10 ! :) People think it's strange for a gay thing and a straight woman to be together but we know what we're doing 🤫

Current Obsession: I'm getting back into TWEWY hard since I found a good crack for Neo. I'm also always and forever obsessed with Bayonetta. 🦇🥀 Bayonetta you mystery you came along with a destiny this is your life the battlefield telling you who you are bayonetta this is your time youre gonna sparkle youre gonna shine girl when you fight it looks like a dance you are magic youre magic

Favorite Color: Ok. Well my favorite is deep royal Blue. But she gets enough spotlight. Tonight I'm naming Burnt Orange as the winner of today's challenge :) something about her is so beautiful and soothing to me, I think she's far underrated in the color hierarchy. A tier

I'm tagging: @death-rebirth-senshi and @bigbroemen for being my most loyal mutuals liking my 0 note flop posts 🫡

[blowflyfag]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: March 2024

AND NEW PAN-AFRIKAN WORLD DIASPORA WRESTLING CHAMPION … Suge D Topples A Reign Longer Than Roman’s

At 1,338 days, Trish Adora stood tall as the longest-tenured world titleholder recognized by PWI. NOW, her coveted title begins a bold, new era led by ambitious ring vet Suge D

TEXT BY KEVIN McELVANEY

PHOTOS BY JAYLEE MEDIA

“IF YOU SAID I could … if you said i couldn’t … thank you.” Thus reads a tweet by the newly crowned Suge D, composed the night he fulfilled a mission that even he thought might be impossible. Indeed, the veteran grappler–who proudly embraces the label “journeyman” after competing around the globe for two decades–had twice tried to unseat Trish Adora as the Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling champion. On Sunday, October 15, 2023, he was finally successful in his third attempt..

“This is the real deal … and I feel like there's like such a weight and a responsibility to go with that, and I'm still letting it sink in,” Suge said, speaking with PWI a few days after likely the biggest win of his career. “(TWE Chattanooga champion) Darian Bengston called me the other day, saying, ‘I was talking to my friends, and it’s like, I wonder if it’s set in for Suge yet that he’s an actual world champion.’ By the time this makes print, no, it probably still hasn’t set in. But I totally get the responsibility.”

The gorgeous, green PAWD title belt Suge D grasps during our interview has become one of the most coveted prizes on the independent circuit since its February 2020 introduction. Commissioned by the District of Columbia-based F1ght Club Pro, the championship is meant to highlight Black wrestlers not just locally, but from all over the globe; to create opportunities in an industry that hasn’t always been kind to marginalized groups.

[Suge D and Trish Adora bridge up off the canvas, each attempting to outleverage the other. Nearby, Darius Carter prepares to put the boots to the two fan favorites.]

“Lucha libre is this authentic Mexican thing,” explains Suge D, by way of comparison. “It’s a Latin thing. And it can exist in its own realm and its own world, untouched by anything else that comes into it. They’ll allow some guests in. But you can have greats in lucha libre that have never touched American soil, and it’s all good. There’s a respect and a reverence for it–same thing with Japanese Wrestling. Once we start talking about the idea of Black wrestling doing the same thing, I feel like it kind of rubs people the wrong way. I’ve even seen people make comments about it, like, ‘Oh, that’s such a racist title.’ No, we’re just celebrating the cultural aspects of us as Black performers, African-American performers, Afro-Latino performers.” Suge adds that he wants wrestling fans of all backgrounds to enjoy the matches and stories on display.

[Darius Carter nails Suge with a blatant low blow during the triple-threat bout. Though he prefers to rely on his mat prowess, Carter is definitely not above taking such shortcuts.]

Though the March 2020 declaration of a global pandemic limited the title’s reach in its early days, inaugural Pan-Afrikan champion Trish Asdora defended it valiantly across the U.S. for the first two years of her reign.She ventured overseas as soon as she was able to do so–March 2022–retaining over Rhio and Mercedez Blaze on two consecutive nights at PROGRESS Wrestling. By that time, the coveted green belt was already seen as the provenance of a legitimate world champion, recognized as such by PWI the previous summer.

Like the IWTV Independent Wrestling World championship, which earned world-title status on the same day in August 2021, the Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Wrestling crown was a traveling championship in the traditional sense. “The Afro Punk” put it up for grabs with regularity, pinning or submitting some of the toughest competition the U.S. had to offer: dynamic performers such as Big Swole, Janai Kai, Eel O’Neal, and Ashton Starr (to name a few). She memorably retained against MLW superheavyweight Calvin Tankman at GCW’s For The Culture 2023.

[Adora and Suge D know each other quite well, which resulted in another thrilling battle between the two.]

When Adora’s schedule became busier–competing for AEW and Ring of Honor, training at the NJPW Academy–her World title defenses became far less frequent. In October 2023, she faced her ultimate challenger at F1ght Club Pro’s “Thriller” show, battling Darius Carter and Suge D in the triple-threat main event.

The smug, ruthless Carter had never forgotten the disputed finish to an August 2021 title bout with Adora at New Jersey's We Are Wrestling. And the man who dubbed himself “Wrestling’s Richest Prize” was favored by many to go home with the championship on that fateful day two years later–perhaps even by the wrestler who ultimately left with the belt around his waist. “Darius Carter is a terrible man,” admitted Suge D. “But he’s a great wrestler.”

Carter was prematurely taken out of the fight by Eel O'Neal, who attempted to cash in a “wild card” title shot during the scheduled triple-threat. An altercation between the two erstwhile allies allowed the championship to be decided between Suge D and Trish Adora. The fan favorites each showed off their mat prowess, trading pinning combinations until, finally, it was the challenger who pinned the champ’s shoulders to the mat for a three-count.

“I’m not just saying this because she and I have become close friends: I think the world of her. She’s a one-of-one,” Suge says of Adora. “There’s a tenacity about her and goal-making. She’ll write down what she wants and fixate on what it’s going to take to make these things happen. She goes out there and tries every door, every lock, every key to unlock those doors and get where she’s going. If it isn’t enough, she will go back and rewrite that list, fixate, and then try to top that list.”

Trish Adora is a tough act to follow. Twenty years into his career, Suge D now faces a barrage of potential challengers–all of whom want to defeat him and become world champion. This is a prize, after all, that has become world champion. This is a prize, after all, that has been spoken of with reverence by independent and contracted wrestlers alike; one mentioned on ROH TV by wrestler-commentator Caprice Coleman (someone Suge holds in high regard and would be happy to grant a title shot.)

[Carter became incensed when his Best Business Bureau ally, Eel O’Neal, attempted to cash in a guaranteed title shot during the match.]

To his credit, Suge D welcomes the onslaught of contenders. “There are great talents at Battle Club Pro, ACTION Wrestling, West Coast Pro, Naptown, Glory Pro, Asé Wrestling.”he says. “You literally could have a super-indie right now and just book it with Black talent and still be able to have two, three, or four more drafts of a show with completely different talent, and it’s all good.”

[New Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora champ Suge D poses with inaugural titleholder Trish Adora and F1ght Club promoter Jonny X backstage.]

On the U.S. indie circuit, Suge singles out heavy hitters including Bryan Keith, Camaro Jackson, and Arik Royal, along with Joseline Navarro (his first confirmed challenger), as those he’d like to see get a chance at the Pan-Afrikan World championship. In the U.K., he cites the work of Roy Johnson, whose “Everything Patterned events put Black wrestlers in the spotlight: British veteran Warren Banks, recent IMPACT signee Leon Slater, and possible opponents. Then, there’s Zombie Dragon, who competes and helps train grapplers for China’s Middle Kingdom Wrestling. Suge praises Dragon’s aesthetic and in-ring abilities, expressing interest in a possible international matchup.

It’s obvious that the new champ wants to emphasize the global nature of the Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora title. Of course, he’ll have to work hard not to lose it to another determined athlete along the way.

“You know, I’m a wrestling nerd at heart,” Suge D reflects. “When we have these conversations about PWI, I was deep in those magazines, reading the international section and finding out all this other stuff. With social media, I want to know more about everybody that’s out there, and I want to be able to connect us. If Trish was the foundation of this championship, I'm trying to pave the streets that lead to this house, so that we can have a community. So, whether they come to me or I gotta go out there to find them, that’s what I'm gonna do.”

#pwi #pro wrestling illustrated #suge d #Trish adora #F1ght club

[spook-study]

Can Nic Cage “Nic Cage” without being able to Nic Cage?

Hot on the heels of the return of the ‘killer robot’ movie, Willy’s Wonderland (2021) seized the moment in not one, not two, but three ways. First, they capitalized on the cult status return of their lead actor, second, they created a camp movie in the middle of horror’s current obsession with bleakness, and third, they did all this when "Five Night’s at Freddy’s" (FNAF) was truly reaching its zeitgeist.

Many people went out of their way to see this movie simply because Nicolas Cage starred. After reintroducing himself with a bang in Panos Cosmatos’ remarkably feverish Mandy (2018), he had reminded us that he was indeed a powerhouse performer, all without losing that manic intensity he became known for. So when Willy’s Wonderland came out, a movie about Nicolas Cage beating a bunch of possessed robots to death, suffice to say everyone went in expecting exactly that. But, to rephrase the first question: can Nicolas Cage perform in the style that he’s known for without (spoilers) having any lines?

As evidenced by the movie, we can confirm the Nic Cage Experience™ doesn't need to be accompanied by lines. He does just fine without.

The Janitor, the only name given to his character, manages to both walk his way through his insane night like it’s just another Tuesday, and go totally crazy when the situation calls for it. This balance makes for a captivating and enjoyable performance from Cage, both allowing him to play to his audience and play for the movie. There's a lot of realism in his performance, which for this movie seems almost antithetical. And yet, what is a good horror movie without the actors really living it? The Janitor was told to clean house, and clean house he did; going crazy is just part of the job.

The Janitor being left to his own devices, the plot and body fodder are provided by a competent group of young actors in classic horror movie roles. The sexually active girl and her boyfriend, the boy in love, the best buddies, the final girl. Peripheral adults flank the plot, but just because they’re grown and have struck a deal with the eponymous Willy, who is now possessing the body of a giant animatronic weasel, doesn’t mean they’re safe. These obvious tropes are played up not only by the actors, but by the script itself. Each word from final girl Liv is #inspirational, delivered with the melodrama of a daytime soap. The exaggerated performances and heightened reality of the script make this movie a total blast.

The downside of this is that there are many moments that feel redundant. They split up, kids have sex in the creepiest place, the lost puppy love interest is self sacrificing and over dramatic in his unrequited love, Liv pursues her ideals beyond the realm of reason. Despite knowing full well what has gone on, and is still going on in the arcade, each of the teens makes the stupidest decisions after entering the building. You'd think they'd be focused on getting out, or just not getting killed, but even that seems to be expecting too much of them. There's horror movie stupid, but the young characters in Willy's Wonderland are on a whole other stratosphere of idiotic.

The performances are passable for the most part, though there's barely any screen time spared for character development. Six teens, two sheriffs, one mechanic, and the latest owner of Willy's are all as flat as cardboard. The primary opposite of Cage, actress Emily Tosta's dogged nobility and bleeding heart final girl that she and director Kevin Lewis created rides the edge of a bad performance. While The Janitor has no lines, Liv picks up the slack; not always to great effect. Maybe five "hope speeches" is one or two too many, not only for the film but for Miss Tosta as well. There are only so many ways one can say "we have to do this!" Just ask Sarah Michelle Gellar.

It seems Willy’s Wonderland was founded on the back of its star. Rather than a movie in its own right, it mostly feels like a vehicle for Nic Cage. The plot feels built up around the idea of Cage's Janitor killing possessed animatronics rather than the thrust of the movie. There's precious little story to be had. This is where Willy’s falls flat. When watching a horror movie, you might eagerly anticipate the next kill, but everything else should be working in tandem to create a fully enjoyable experience from beginning to end. There’s being on the edge of your seat for the next robo-brawl, and looking at your watch waiting for it to come. It's unfortunate that the viewing experience contained much of the latter.

At 88 minutes long with eight animatronics to kill and a few dead teens (and adults) along the way, it’s amazing how Willy's managed to have dull moments at all. Averaging out, that's one kill, robot or otherwise, every six minutes or so, not including flashbacks. Yet, the thin plot and difficult-to-match performance of Cage left the screentime spent on the other cast feeling flat and boring. The other actors pushed for the melodrama, which was a smart choice when trying to share a movie with Cage, but the tone was off in comparison to The Janitor's.

On top of that difficulty, the tension was severely diminished by the large cast of animatronics, which forced the action sequences back to back. Make no mistake, the thrill and fun of Willy's lies in those sequences. But as a movie, this ultra-fast pacing did no favors to the other characters that were charged with attempting to build out a plot when the premise of Willy's amounts to "and then he kills the robots." Don’t expect the dread and fear that is foundational to FNAF, there is little time for anticipation. What could have been a hair-raising movie full of dark corners and jump scares ends up being an exciting romp with little fright to be found, despite its best efforts. There was just too little to build on and too much to do.

Even with these shortcomings, Willy’s Wonderland feels like it did exactly what it set out to do. The movie is fun and violent. Did it do anything wild and amazing? Not really. Will it be your favorite horror movie? A hard maybe. Will you put it on in the background of your Halloween party? Probably!

Without a doubt, the movie made good on its promises of silliness and Nic Cage doing what he does best. It’s a casual watch that one might enjoy seeing alongside their good friend Mary Jane, or with a couple of beers in their system. While not the first to cash in on the evil animatronic craze, check out The Banana Splits Movie (2019) for another round of beloved childhood characters gone wrong, Willy’s Wonderland certainly earned its keep.

It’s exciting to see the return of the killer robot and how it’s being interpreted in the modern day. From Metropolis (1927) to Gog (1951) to The Terminator (1984), and now Willy’s Wonderland, the deadly robot will always hold a special place in the horror canon. Whether possessed by the souls of serial killers or an AI turned rogue, humanity prevailing over machine will be a story told from here to kingdom come. The triumph of the will is twofold. There’s is the triumph of humanity over technology, a story that ensures and reinforces the idea that the best and most powerful form of life is organic, and there’s the success over a being that is supposedly, and in most cases is canonically, smarter than you.

With the way of the world as it is, and the all too dangerous territory the entertainment industry is headed into, it’s no wonder movies like Willy’s pop to mind. Perhaps there is nothing more satisfying right now than seeing The Janitor, a man just trying to do his job, literally demolish the machines that would take his life. The advent of the AI movie is certainly nothing new, though it is distinctly having a moment. While in most instances the solution to the AI problem is a bit more cerebral, there’s no outwitting to be done here. There are no guns or programmers involved in this mess. No one to hack into a system or rewire a relay. This is a killer robot movie for the Everyman. The Janitor hacks, smashes, kicks, punches, and rips these things to pieces. Who would have thought tearing a robot apart with your bare hands would be a relatable fantasy only two years after the movie’s release?

It’s a good enough looking movie, the design sometimes outpacing the execution, and there’s clearly a bunch of love put into it. Anyone who’s ever had a nightmare after visiting Chuck-E-Cheese’s will certainly feel vindicated. The colors move well between the 70s retro look of the Willy’s Wonderland arcade fun zone design and the more neon and vibrant tones used to signify the modern day, the contrast making it visually interesting. The job taking place overnight, the darkness is certainly used to cover some of the movie's visual blunders, and the shaky camera fight sequences can cover a multitude of shortcomings. Still, clever camera work aside, Willy's was obviously filmed on a low budget. Some of the effects will undoubtedly leave you wanting and probably wishing there were fewer evil animatronics. It wouldn’t have hurt the movie to cut out one or two, if only to increase the amount of time and care that could have been spent on the others.

The animatronic cast of characters are all strong, design-wise, and feel just adjacent enough to reality. No one would use a weasel as a children’s restaurant-arcade. Kids get called ‘weasel’ on the playground before they get pushed down. The other characters also feel not-quite-right in the same way. An alligator, a chameleon, an ostrich, a turtle, a gorilla, and the completely off-themed knight and siren. There’s little time to get to know each one of them, which in theory one could do seeing as each is possessed by the soul of a killer. There definitely could have been a bit more about the dead inhabitants, but with so many of them there simply wasn’t time. Is it enough to say they were all horrible child killers? Yes. Could there have been more said? Also yes. Does it really matter when Nic Cage is going buck wild on eight killer robots? That’s up to you to decide.

While it certainly won’t be the best entry in this niche, this movie has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. It's a silly, straight-forward movie with few frills and plenty of robo-killing action. Whether or not it's your birthday, Willy's Wonderland (2021) wants you to have fun! And you absolutely will.

3/5*

#Willy's Wonderland #2021 #horror #spook study #movie review #review #long posts about horror #movies #film #my writing #3/5

[moonlatias]

Good Friday... and the season of my rebirth

My third year of starting down my new spiritual path... and my first year since I officially self-dedicated to being eclectic Wiccan. Though my spiritual path has taken me in directions I never expected... I still feel like eclectic Wiccan/theistic Luciferian is still the best description for me at the moment. So far, the journey has been fulfilling, and I know there's still so much to learn.

According to my first journal entry on Good Friday 2021, the reason I began to look away from my original religion of Catholicism was because I felt so spiritually unfulfilled. I had traumatic experiences with my dad, I felt uncomfortable with the incompatibility of what the church said vs what I personally felt and believed, and I hated the fear of not being free to question any of it. What I've discovered since then has made me thankful every day that I finally found the courage to question it anyway.

Lent/Good Friday has since become my most important observance in my new spirituality. I've taken this season in Christianity and turned it into a period where I can reflect on where I've been and where I'm going. A celebration of me liberating myself from old obligations and embracing new freedoms and understandings. I observe Lent (by giving up something and abstaining from meat on Fridays, just like before), and then I celebrate Good Friday by indulging in the things I gave up all Lent. So this year, I gave up soda (very hard, lol). Then yesterday on Good Friday, I went ahead and ate meat and drank soda. (The soda was even part of my offering to the God and Goddess as I spent time with them in ritual, and thanked them for guiding me this whole time.)

I spent a lot of time cleaning up my altar, before hanging up two images that I spent a lot of time considering before choosing them. The statues are still incredibly important by portraying the God as the Horned God, and the Goddess as the Mother of Tides, but the images also show the other aspect(s) of them that are important to me--the God as Lucifer, and the Goddess as both Lady of the Moon and Mother of the Earth (this particular picture is Aradia to me, who is symbolic of the Divine as human, and humanity as part of the Divine). I'm really happy with them. <3 (They are art prints by @krabat-art and Arwen-Art.)

Mostly what I did with my ritual was prayer, a bonus shout-out/offering to Thor (because I low-key owed him for a few things and I kept promising to offer him something; I'm just glad he's very cool about it, lol), spending time writing down stuff in my Book of Shadows, journaling... and then spending time with a brand-new tarot deck I've been soooo excited about.

It's the Neopets tarot deck--specifically the fancy Geekify version and not the newer Faerie Edition--which I'm super glad I splurged on because it is gorgeous!

Thick cards, gold foiling on the edges and text, almost velvety finish... these cards are luxurious. Asked it a couple questions just to get to know it and... I think we're going to get along juuuuust fine. :)

Spending time with the God and Goddess last night helped me feel... so invigorated and at peace again. I feel like with the return of spring came a surge of energy that I feel once again, and it's my hope for this year that I continue to evolve, grow, and be brave enough to jump into the opportunities that I encounter along the way.

This season for Christians is a time of rebirth and hope, and I still feel that in my Wiccan path... just for a completely different reason. This is the season of MY rebirth and MY hope for the future, and I'm still as happy as ever to be on this path.

#eclectic wicca #paganism #theistic luciferianism #deity worship #wicca #god #goddess #thor deity #ex catholic #ex christian #my ​wheel of the year #personal

[skydalorian]

Favourite Character Bingo - 2023

Characters I first encountered in 2023 (not necessarily part of media released in that year).

These are intended to be ordered loosely according to genre, moving from classic to contemporary horror, sci-fi horror, thriller horror, on to drama, comedy, then comic/cartoon and fantasy. Naturally, plenty of these don't quite stay in their own prescribed mould and could be considered fitting for another genre, but this is MY PARTY and I make the rules >:(

The hardest thing I've ever done may just be forcing myself to choose only one Baldur's Gate 3 character. If this was ordered by fondness for the characters, Astarion would be up top, but it's not and I'm petty so he's last and least.

As may surprise no-one, the prevailing trends are trickster archetypes, gothic looks, autism coding, and sympathetic or misunderstood status and/or rebellion. Also Billy Crystal is there.

Listing below the cut!

Countess Marya Zeleska - Dracula's Daughter (1936)

Mrs. Danvers - Rebecca (1940)

Lady Sylvia Marsh - The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

Nevena - You Won't Be Alone (2022)

Kim Diamond - Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

Brynn AND the Aliens - No One Will Save You (2023) (as an interacting set of characters, not necessarily as interesting actors singularly)

Violet and Corky - Bound (1996)

Andrea "Dre" Greene - Swarm (2023)

Gunther - V/H/S/85 (2023) - Goth boy who saves the day through his prescient lucid dreaming and rebels against being falsely cast as the villain, hell yeah.

Willard - Willard (1971) - would be in the top three if this were sorted by level of favoritism.

Gerd Wiesler - The Lives of Others/Das Leben der Anderen (2006)

Primo - Big Night (1996)

Walter Tattersall - Yellowjackets (2021-) - of call the cast and I fixate on THIS GUY. Got me again, Elijah!

Willie Jack Sampson - Reservation Dogs (2021)

Barabara Howard and Melissa Schemmenti - Abbott Elementary (2022-) - My god these two gripped me. Just give them an entire season. Gregory can be there too.

Gregory Eddie - Abbott Elementary (2022-)

Sally Albright and Harry Burns - When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Raven - Teen Titans: Beast World (2023-) - solely for her design; I am practically floating at the departure from emo/punk Raven and a return to a more whimsical gothic look. Another artist draws her looking like Billie Lourd and I'm into it.

Sharon Apple - Macross Plus (1994/1995)

Spider-Punk/Hobie Brown - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

The Medicine Seller/Kusuriuri/薬売り - Mononoke/モノノ怪 (2007)

Astarion - Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) - He's my best friend, he's my pal, he's my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good time boy, and I've been so excited for you all to see his whole schtick since way back in 2020.

Runner Up's: Shin Hati (Ahsoka), Mirror Woman (The Art of Mirrors) - don't ask, Nearly everyone else form Baldur's Gate 3 but especially all the companions and the Emperor oopsies I'm a sucker, Padraic (Banshees of Inisherin), Mary (Carnival of Souls), everyone from Dungeon Meshi but esepecially Marcille and Senshi, Lorne Malvo (Fargo), Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell), Brigitte (Ginger Snaps), The Harppy (Harpya), Joel and Ellie (The Last of Us; kept out because of the Zionist higher plot), Dracula and Clemens (The Last Voyage of the Demeter), Martin (Martin), Izzy Hands (Our Flag Means Death), Father Amorth (The Pope's Exorcist), Deer Lady (Reservation Dogs), Elora Danan (Reservation Dogs), Adam (SAW), Carl (Skyman), Kris (Solaris), Kurt Kunkle (Spree), Sammi Curr and Eddie (Trick or Treat), Bitch Cat (V/H/S/94),

#favorite character bingo #favorite character bingo 2023 #2023 #mine #my art #myart #my media #countess zaleska #marya zaleska #dracula's daughter #mrs. danvers #rebecca #lady sylvia marsh #the lair of the white worm #nevena #you won't be alone #kim #kim diamond #blair witch 2 #book of shadows: blair witch 2 #brynn #no one will save you #corky #violet #corky and violet #violet and corky #bound #dre #andrea greene #dre greene