#I remember watching all the iron man movies first and to this day I believe that’s what made me a die-hard Tony fan lol | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mst3kproject · 1 year

Photo

Goncharov

Why the hell is an MST3K blog rising from the dead to review a forgotten Martin Scorcese film? I'd never heard of this movie until it suddenly became a meme, but I had a day off work and I figured I might as well see what all the fuss was about. Now I want to talk about what I saw, and this is the only movie blog I have, so I'm doing it here.

Ivan Goncharov is the biggest, baddest motherfucker east of the iron curtain, richer than a tsar and colder than a Siberian winter. He's got a beef with Neapolitan mafioso Mario Giglioli, so he heads to sunny Italy to confront him in person. His closest confidante, Andrey, thinks it's suicide to do this on Giglioli's home turf but accompanies Goncharov anyway out of loyalty. What follows is a two-hour dick-measuring contest as Goncharov and Giglioli try to out-intimidate each other, culminating in an orgy of gunfire where only one will be left standing... and this is the kind of movie where you can't take it for granted that it'll be the guy whose name is the title.

That's the ostensible plot, anyway. What makes Goncharov a far more interesting film than such an outline might imply is that the argument between the mobsters is just a backdrop. Having set up Goncharov's hard as steel, cold as ice reputation in the first act, the movie then sets about deconstructing it. Goncharov goes from a terrifying figure devoid of all morality to a tragic antihero, a man who has come to believe his own hype so completely that he can no longer let himself be human.

This is demonstrated mainly by watching the breakdown of his relationships over the course of the tense three days in Naples. The most important person in Goncharov's life is Andrey, the only one he comes near being vulnerable with. Their relationship is depicted as very touchy-feely in a literal sort of way, with Andrey helping Goncharov with his coat and shoes, lighting cigarettes for him, and touching his shoulder or arm as Goncharov confides in him. The framing emphasizes these touches in a very homoerotic way, and I don't think I've got my tumblr goggles on here. These guys have fucked.

As Goncharov becomes more and more obsessed with being tougher and more ruthless than Giglioli, whom he sees as an effeminate softie, Andrey tries to persuade him that the other man is not worth this sort of obsession. Whatever Giglioli did to insult Goncharov (we never find out), Andrey is of the opinion that they should just leave a dead horse in the asshole's bed and move on. Goncharov's pride will not allow him to do that, and the less subtle Andrey is in his attempts to dissuade him, the more Goncharov pushes him away, finally abandoning him entirely. The tragedy of the ending comes from the fact that Andrey refuses to abandon Goncharov in turn.

We also see Goncharov with his wife Katya. He is frequently cruel to her, and she tolerates it because he gives her expensive gifts and because she is seeking a vicarious mending of her relationship with her abusive father - she was never able to earn his love, but perhaps she can earn Goncharov's. This is doomed to failure, as much because of Goncharov as because Katya doesn't actually want it to succeed. Nursing a black eye, Katya pours her heart out to a bartender, Sofia, who tries to help her escape... but this cannot work out, either. As Katya herself says, she doesn't know who she is without her issues.

I am pleased to note, by the way, that every single major character in the movie is named and I can remember them all, which is a bit of a treat for me (I need to watch good movies more often). The only exception is Goncharov himself. The end credits list him as Ivan, but nobody ever calls him that, not even Andrey or Katya. In a flashback scene with his parents, neither calls him by name. This flashback, fascinatingly, is filmed in the first person, looking through Goncharov's own eyes. We are not allowed to see him as a younger, softer man. He refuses to show that side of himself even in the privacy of his memories.

These quieter moments contrast with scenes of ever-escalating brutality, as the Russians and Italians try to force each other to back down by the murder of underlings. The fact that it is literally a contest, and that Goncharov is aware of this and describes it as such, makes the worsening violence ever more meaningless. The death of Giglioli's confessor is particularly awful, and the way Goncharov's goons treat the chapel has to be ten times worse if you're Catholic (fun fact: this scene is apparently removed from the Italian version on Netflix, which must make what Andrey says while waiting for the train into a hell of a non sequitur).

At the climax, the two really can't do anything but kill each other, because it's the only place left to go. Giglioli's priest and mistress are dead. Goncharov's men are almost all dead or out of action, and Goncharov believes Andrey to be dead. The initial insult, whatever it was, is no longer relevant. They have pushed each other to a place where reconciliation is unthinkable. Whoever blinks first loses, but both have already lost so much that victory means nothing. Worse, each recognizes that the other is in the same position, and neither can acknowledge it.

This means Goncharov can also moonlight as an examination of violence in media. Why do movies showcase violence, and why do we watch it? The initial posturing serves a purpose - Goncharov wants Giglioli to know he's here to personally demand an apology, and Giglioli wants Goncharov to know he's outnumbered and should quit while he still can. But once it becomes an exercise in one-up-manship, the 'messages’ vanish and the men are now killing for the sake of killing. Violence in movies can often be gore for gore's sake, pulling out more and more stops in the effort to shock an audience that has been desensitized by years and years of this. That is what Goncharov and Giglioli are doing to each other. Truly distressing moments like the fate of the priest, or what Giuseppe "Icepick Joe" Cozzolino (dressed as a maid!) does to Sofia when he assumes she's Katya because she was in Katya's hotel room, make us wonder why we're watching this - and the mobsters wonder why they're doing it.

In the end, it's all just a blood-soaked version of the sunk cost fallacy. Goncharov had come too far in his vendetta to stop now. Andrey has followed him too far to turn back. Katya has been married to him too long to leave. Of course, any of them could quit at any time and escape from this terrible spiral, but they are unwilling to entertain the possibility. Like Goncharov himself, Andrey and Katya are prisoners of the identities they have built for themselves, and because their identities are so tied to him, they have to go down with him.

One thing I haven't seen a lot of discussion of on tumblr is the way the film uses the contrast in climate. Goncharov in Moscow is in his element. When you see his breath in the wintry air it's as if he's breathing smoke like a dragon. While other people huddle in the cold he stands up straight and tall. In Naples, on the other hand, he is out of place. He wears lighter clothing, but continues to choose long coats and upturned collars, while Giglioli goes around with his shirt unbuttoned. This should serve to emphasize Giglioli's home field advantage and yet, as we see through Goncharov's eyes, they just make Giglioli look soft. His apparent weakness makes Goncharov want to appear even stronger.

On a related note, it is interesting to me how sunlight is treated as something very unfriendly. In Russia, it glitters on ice crystals in the air and lights up condensation, harsh and white and giving no warmth whatsoever. In Italy it bakes and shimmers on stone and asphalt, casting harsh, black-edged shadows and emphasizing creased brows and frowning mouths. Outdoor scenes are, as far as I can tell, always hostile interactions. Even indoor scenes in natural light: the priest dies with harsh sunlight streaming in through the broken chapel window. When characters are softer with each other, it is always under artificial illumination. Sunlight is too bright, too revealing. People like this need some shadows to hide in.

Did I like this movie? That's a tough question. It's not really the type of movie you 'like'. It's definitely powerful and well-constructed, thoroughly absorbing and all that. There's a taste of Greek tragedy in the inevitability of the ending and the way Goncharov is eaten alive by hubris. But I wouldn't say I liked it. The characters are all terrible people whose arcs involve them getting worse, and the whole thing feels deeply claustrophobic, as if I, too, am trapped in Goncharov's downward spiral. When characters realize their mistakes, it is only when it's too late to correct them - but only in their own minds. It's a very pessimistic story, about human beings who are overcome by the very worst parts of themselves.

Is Goncharov deserving of all those glowing reviews? Yes. Was it unfairly snubbed at the Oscars because the academy was turned off by the violence? Probably. Will I ever watch it again? Fuck, no.

Excuse me, I have to go watch some Pixar movies if I ever want to smile again.

#mst3k #reviews #episodes that never were #goncharov #70's #there are horses in this movie #unreality #in case you've been on twitter or something all day #this movie doesn't exist.#i read six text posts and pulled this out of my ass at one in the morning

443 notes · View notes

t00turnttrauma · 2 years

Text

strong 2- jtk

cutesy lil part two for this one

word count: 5465

“It’s hot.”

“I know,” Jake sighed, shifting the small child on his lap. He narrowly avoided an elbow to the cheek from where she was moving the hair from her sticky neck.

“These people are kinda smelly.”

“Mhm.”

“Why are we packed so tight?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can’t we be outside? It’s nice out.”

“No idea.”

“Aren’t these seats too hard? Where’s mom with my cushion?”

“Sam, will you knock it off,” Jake snapped, leaning back to look around Y/N. “You’re a grown man, mom is not bringing your cushion.”

Y/N leaned around to look at Sam. “You pay taxes, Sam. You are more than old enough to remember the cushion for your bony ass.”

Sam grumbled something about taxes beneath his breath, crossing his legs and moving the cake. Susan giggled, mumbling something back to him. Josh climbed the stairs, James and Sebastian holding onto his hands. “Bathroom was a success.”

Cody shook his head behind him, mouthing to Jake and Y/N. Sebastian broke the soap dispenser.

Y/N smiled, motioning for James to sit between her and Jake. He squeezed in, leaning into his mother and wrapping his arm around her back. He was often wrapped around her like a belt, holding her hand during movie nights and asking her for homework help first.

In the two years that they’d been placed together, the Strongs were growing more and more confident by the day. The stability from their foster to adoptive family had given them a new outlook on life. James and Sebastian joined a soccer team. Victoria was in dance lessons after watching a movie about dancers. Cody and Susan were moving further into high school, learning how to drive, legally. Susan joined theater, Josh once making a compelling case over dinner one night. Now she was center stage, playing the goofy comic relief characters and pulling laughs from the audience. Anthony was thinking about the military. With his shitty disciplinary records, he had little hopes that he’d get into a good college. Jake hoped to shoo away the negativity with today’s event, Noah’s graduation.

Noah was somewhere in another room, cap and gown thrown on over a suit. The suit shopping was the worst. All his life, he thought that shopping with his parents was hell, but shopping as a parent was much worse and he made sure to apologize to his own parents for his tantrums as an adolescent. While Noah would have gone in something more casual, Jake convinced him to buy a few business casual outfits for when he might need them. They tried on suit after suit, Jake reminded why he liked more casual wear. He was shocked when he rose this morning to see Noah ironing his slacks and button up, a video on his phone teaching him how to tie a tie.

Truthfully, Noah didn’t think he’d make it to graduation. He was convinced his entire life that he would never amount to much. He believed he’d join the work force the day he turned 18, taking his siblings as far away as possible. Instead, he went from a father to a brother. He no longer made executive decisions for the kids, handing them off to Jake and Y/N. While they valued his opinion and what he felt would be best, he trusted them to do what’s right.

The rest of the family shuffled in, Jake’s parents and Danny. They sat on the row of bleachers behind them, taking Victoria from Jake’s lap and passing her back and forth when she grew restless. There they sat, waiting patiently for the music to start. Once it did, they soon realized that they were not out of the woods just yet. The program dragged on for what felt like an eternity. Opening remarks were made, then a speech from the over achieving class president. She introduced herself, then her Vice President. He smiled, wished everyone a farewell and a good life. Then he handed the reins over to the board member who was presenting the scholarships. Sam sighed, handing the boxed cake to Danny as he stumbled over other families. More recipients were called and celebrated.

“The recipient of the eight thousand dollar Life of Advancement Grant is Noah Strong.”

Jake looked at his wife. “Did you know he applied?”

She shook her head. “No.”

Sam returned from wherever he’d disappeared, sliding something to Danny. He’d come back just in time for the graduates to be called out. They sat through the A’s, and the B’s. Victoria dozed off in the middle only to be jostled awake when Josh stood up as the S’s started.

“Nicole Brett Sanders.”

“Come on,” Jake mumbled, seeing Noah looking around for his family. He willed the universe to bring his attention to the balcony they were in. “Up here, kid.”

“Everett Michael Smith.”

Noah finally looked up, waving at all of them. He quickly turned around, realizing he was next to go up the ramp. He gripped the handrail nervously, scratching his nose quickly. His heart rate picked. He thanked god that he put on two layers of deodorant in the morning. As he walked across the stage, he thought about his siblings and how he was setting the example.

“Noah Clayton Strong-Kiszka.”

Jake felt his heart stop upon hearing his name called out through the speakers. He squeezed Y/N’s hand. Through blurry tears, he watched as Noah shook his hands in the air, his diploma on proud display. He pointed at his family, smiling. Jake finally came to when he felt Josh’s arm around his shoulder, his other hand against his mouth to whistle for his nephew. He wiped away his tears and clapped, quieting as the next person approached the stage. Jake couldn’t focus on anything else. He felt like he was floating as Y/N and Josh led him down the bleachers. He raised Victoria on his shoulders, her tugs on his hair pulling him back to reality.

Y/N turned to Sam and Danny who’d been in charge of the cake. The bakery was only available for a morning pick up, meaning they had to walk around with the dessert all morning. “How’s the cake?”

Sam chuckled lightly as he tucked two forks into the nearby garbage can. “We, uh, took a few bites.”

Danny wiped the last of the frosting from the corner of his mouth. “Maybe a little more.” He grinned at her suspicious glare, showing the blue staining his teeth.

Y/N opened the box, staring for a moment. “I suppose that’s… fine. It’s too late to fix it now. I- I really don’t know what to say about this. Jake?”

Jake kept searching the crowd for Noah. He looked for the mop of dark hair, a glimpse of that shine in his eyes when he was truly happy. He finally spotted him talking to a teacher, the two of them with serious expressions. He walked over, Y/N following him. Josh grabbed Victoria from his twin’s shoulders. “Let’s go ask Uncle Danny why his mouth is blue,” he smiled, catching the attention of his mother. “Mom. The children picked at the cake.”

Sam, despite being an adult with a career and his own home, he tried to defend himself from his disappointed parents who were trying to keep track of the other kids within the massive crowd. “In my defense, we haven’t eaten.”

Danny nodded. “Since breakfast.” One thing about Daniel is that no one knew where he packed his food. He almost always had something nearby to curb his cravings.

Mrs. Kiszka glared at him. “So, you ate half of a sheet cake meant for 40 people?”

“It had a jelly filling!”

The two elated parents approached their oldest son and his guidance counselor. Y/N had met with her a few times to talk about how the Strongs might struggle with a new school, but they’d proved her wrong. She hugged her eldest son, quietly congratulating his achievement.

Jake shook the guidance counselor’s hand. “I’m Jake and this is Y/N, my wife.”

“This is my mom and dad,” Noah said, throwing his arms over Y/N and Jake’s shoulders.

Jake blinked. Dad. He’d just been introduced as Noah’s dad, without the adoptive part. His hearing buzzed until the guidance counselor began speaking.

“Noah is a very bright boy. I was shocked when he came to me with his applications.”

“Applications?” Y/N asked.

“Colleges, scholarships, anything under the sun,” she said. “Noah is one of the most prepared students I’ve met. You two are phenomenal parents. Anthony and Susan are very lucky to have you two to guide them.”

Y/N blushed, knowing that this was all of Noah’s own doing. She knew Noah had plans but he didn’t talk about them much so she assumed he was dragging his feet about college. She thanked the guidance counselor, guiding her son to the parking lot where the rest of the family had gathered. Noah grinned, tucking his cap and diploma beneath his arm.

“Where’s my cake? I’m starving.”

Sam and Danny looked at each other. The two silently agreed to approach him, opening the box nervously. Almost immediately, Victoria lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of cake. Noah grinned, setting Vicky down on the pavement. “Guess we’ll have to go for ice cream.”

Upon hearing the words of another sugar filled dessert, Victoria was no longer interested in the cake. She reached forward again, cleaning her hands off on Danny’s pants and shirt. “I’m ready for ice cream, mama.”

Y/N laughed, rooting through her bag for wipes. She knelt down to clean her hands off. Danny took another wipe, taking a bit of frosting from his pants, smearing it across Victoria’s nose. She giggled, shying away from her uncle and squealing. “Danny,” Y/N sighed, seeing how Victoria’s sleeves were now smeared with frosting.

Josh crept over to stand behind Sam. He looked down at his phone. No one noticed the childish glint in his eye or the subtle smirk on his lips. After sliding his phone into his pocket, he placed one hand beneath the cake. “Sam, let me carry it?”

Sam nodded. In the blink of an eye, Josh moved both of his arms together, raising the cake to Sam’s face and pushed his head down to meet in the middle. Sam pulled back slowly, blinking the frosting from his eyes.

“How’s the jelly filling?” Josh snickered, shying away from his father swatting at him. “It’s just a prank, Dad!”

Noah picked up a line of frosting from Sam’s cheek.

“Couldn’t get it from the eye?” Sam asked, trying to blink away the sweetness as he was still holding the now crumbled cake.

Ignoring his uncle, Noah swiped it onto Jake’s cheek. “Thank you, for everything.”

Jake pulled him into a hug, wiping the frosting onto Noah’s gown as he pulled away. “Anytime, kid.”

As the summer heat passed through, the activity bustled in the home. The Strongs had made friends with the neighborhood kids, creating a hangout spot. Feet ran through the house, Y/N preparing snacks in between chores that everyone would leave half finished. Jake and Y/N had hired contractors to build the guest house, limiting the kids of a play area for the time being. They planned for an in-ground pool the last time they spoke with the company, but now they were making a three bedroom extension to their home. Noah spent his days working in order to save up money for the semester. Jake knew better than to argue. Noah’s goal was to be as independent as possible while at school. Y/N and Jake both knew that it was a pride thing and let him work himself to the bone, but only for the summer. As the building grew, so did the kids. Susan and Cody were finally at Jake’s height, Sebastian hot on their trail.

The family embraced their first and final summer as a family. Between beach trips, concerts, and days at the lake house, they’d grown fond of each other. It was sweet until they reached the stage of wanting to tear each other’s throats out.

“Y/N, Susan just told James that his ear is going to fall off!” Sebastian shouted, pulling a weeping James into the kitchen, blubbering about his ear. He’d had an earache, swimmer’s ear as Y/N had learned, from the amount of time he’d been spending in pools. The poor boy had been sick back to back the entire summer.

“James,” she sighed. “Your ear is not going to fall off. If anything,” she raised her voice as Suzy walked past the door, “Susan’s will for lying to you!”

“Good save, Y/N,” Jake grumbled, seeing as James’s tears were not stopping. He pulled the drops out of the cabinet. Tilting James’s head, he let a few drops fall into his ear canal before patting his back. “Go play and come back if it hurts in an hour.”

James obviously felt better. Jake glanced outside to see Sebastian and James roughhousing in the garden.

“Control your children, Jake,” she mumbled back, stirring the concoction on the stove she’d spent all morning on.

“My children?”

“Yes, your children.”

“If anything-”

“Do not start this,” she snapped. Y/N sighed deeply, composing herself once again. “When are the kids going back to school?”

“Tuesday.”

“Not close enough.” She moved the pot to the side. “And Noah?”

“Th-” Jake stopped to think. “Thursday.”

“Dinner!” Y/N shouted, pouring bowls of soup for each child.

Suzy pouted. “Soup? In the summer?” She picked up the bowl and sniffed it. “Can’t we get some pi-”

Y/N shushed her quickly. “Do not mention the p word. Otherwise we’ll never get them to calm down.”

Susan grabbed Victoria’s bowl, leading the little girl over to the table. There was an empty spot, the family waiting for Noah to walk in. He was a little later than usual, but the festival a few blocks over made his drive home a tad bit longer. Jake had spent all summer trying to forget that Noah would be gone. Now as time was running out, his heart felt heavy. By next week, he’d be in his dorm away from his siblings. Most of Noah’s belongings were already packed in the garage. He and Y/N bonded over buying decorations for his room.

The two of them had gone out, running between department stores for duvets and curtains and mattress pads. Noah and Y/N decided to end their day over early dinner at a local restaurant. They ate quietly while watching the college football game that was blaring over the tv speakers above the bar.

“Thank you,” Noah said, grabbing the leather bill folder out of Y/N’s reach.

Y/N could never take compliments or positive feedback. “You know how much I love shopping.”

“It’s really cool,” he said, filling out the tip section and tucking even more cash into the folder. “I’ve never really had a mom, much less one that would do something like… this,” he waved the pen for a moment, “with me. Without everyone else.”

“Do you really think I would bring Jake?”

Noah laughed. “I think that the totals would have given him an early heart attack.”

She nodded. “The cigarettes he sneaks on the back porch definitely wouldn’t help, I’ll say that. But he really loves you guys. He’d get over it.”

“I know,” Noah grinned, raising his hand as the waiter walked past.

As the final week of summer faded away, last minute preparations were made. Hair was trimmed and nails were done. School shopping lists were checked off and supplies were labeled. Open houses were attended and items were dropped off. Jake felt a sort of buzz he’d never felt before or during the events. It felt different than when he finished a riff or when one of his kids handed him a finger painting. He couldn’t pinpoint the feeling, and that’s what bothered him the most.

Move-in day came in a flash. Jake and Noah spent all night loading the cars, avoiding the plethora of neighborhood kids running around. Y/N and the rest of the family stayed behind, their school still in session. They said their goodbyes, Noah watching them pile onto their buses and into their cars on their own. Jake and Noah made the drive to his campus, the car packed with all of his belongings. After checking in, the two began organizing Noah’s new living space. Jake never lived on a college campus, though he had been to a few parties here and there. School never appealed to him and he had his lucky break. Noah was terrified to leave his siblings. His entire life was nothing but one big shift. Change was his homeostasis. He never had a stable place. He finally settled into the Kiszka home, finding a warm bed to come home to every night and a meal whenever he wanted. Now he was going to have to completely readjust to a new environment. He started to get worried when as he came in and out of the building, he’d locked himself out three times.

They were almost finished with bringing everything in. Their only issue now was trying to set everything up. The room was small but still larger than they thought it would be. Jake had tasked himself with opening the boxes while Noah placed his things where he needed them. As the drawers filled and cardboard boxes were collapsed, Noah was delighted to see

“Go ahead,” Jake smiled. “I’ll finish the boxes and wait here.”

Noah looked back at his friends for a second. Thank you, he mouthed before disappearing down the hallway.

The first week without Noah was the toughest, mostly for James and Jake. James had gotten into the habit of crawling into Noah’s bed despite having his own room. Y/N was becoming slightly concerned over him. The kiszka household was mostly dark, save a few nightlights and the master bedroom. Y/N had

“Do you think James needs to see someone?” She asked, dropping her earrings into the jewelry dish. “He’s been really depressed about Noah moving away. He was a nervous wreck before, but I think he’s getting worse without him around.”

“Mhm,” Jake hummed, polishing his guitar.

“What about the therapist that the Donocans took Kenny to when they were going through their divorce?”

“That’s nice.”

“Maybe I could find someone who specializes in separation anxiety.” She shook her head. “Is it even separation anxiety? What do you think, Jake?”

Upon hearing his name, he finally looked at his waiting wife, realizing he had no idea what she was talking about. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I think we need to put James in therapy for his nerves.”

Jake nodded. “I think it’s definitely an option.” He knew James needed help, but he had years to get it. “Y/N, do you think Noah ate today? I haven’t seen any activity on his debit card.”

Y/N pulled back her side of the comforter. “He has a meal plan. He has plenty of options there.”

Noah was thriving in college. He had everything he could ever need on campus. He had friends to satisfy his social needs and food, he could live there for ages. There were a few people he couldn’t stand. There were those who complained about having to live with others. They constantly reported those who played music too loud fifteen minutes before quiet hours or complained that their rooms were too small. Noah was just grateful to be able to further his education and to have his basic needs.

It came crumbling down after two months. Jake and Y/N were taking the family to the city museum and they decided to take a detour to pick up Noah. Y/N was excited to finally see the campus, as were the other kids. Jake had been up almost every weekend, spending a few hours with Noah before driving himself back. He knew he was being a helicopter parent, but he wanted to make sure Noah was taking care of himself. He’d been distant all week, yet still agreed to go on the trip. Jake hadn’t received a text or anything from Noah. He was nervous to see his son again. He convinced himself of two possibilities: Noah hates him or he’d just gotten busy.

“I want to see your dorm,” Y/N beamed, hugging her oldest son as he barely came out of his building.

“Are you sure? It’s not that riveting.”

The family traveled up to his dorm, shushing each other so as to not disturb the other guests. Noah now understood why people were upset about their rooms being too small. With nine people, it was a tight squeeze. He gave them a tour of his room, snapping at Sebastian and James for jumping on his bed, but at least they’d taken off their boots. Autumn had rolled around and wet leaves littered the ground outside.

When they returned from the city museum, Jake followed Noah up, helping him carry the groceries they picked up on the way back.

“Goodbye,” Noah muttered, tossing things into his mini fridge. “You don’t have to come next weekend, I’ll be busy.”

“I-” Jake shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“Just stop coming around!”

“Why!”

“Because people only want to be friends with me because of you.”

Jake stayed quiet, mumbling a goodbye before trudging through the fall rain to the car.

For two weeks he decided to give Noah his space. During his weekly video chats, he no longer made on screen appearances, staying out of the room. Jake never noticed that when he would visit Noah, there would be a crowd. He just assumed that Noah had such good friends, not because he had a famous dad. A target had been painted on his back and Jake only shined a light on him.

Jake had been in a funk all week. He knew it was time to reach out to Noah, but he had no idea how. A text would only be ignored. A phone call would be directed to voicemail. He could always drive up and see him in person, but that would just make it worse if Noah turned him away.

He’d been distracted, finding that the studio was the only place he could really focus on something else. Josh was in the recording booth, redoing some of his parts that he felt were weak. Outside of the booth, Jake sat with Sam and Danny, listening to their brother wail.

Jake felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He scrambled for it, hoping it to be Noah. Instead he saw his wife’s face. He considered denying it, thinking it was just about dinner or something. The longer he stared at her photo, the more his brain ran with a negative feeling.

“Jake!”

“Y/N, hey-“

“I can’t find Sebastian or James. Oh my god,” she cried. “I can’t find them. Suzy and Anthony are out looking by the school and stuff, but-“

“What do you mean you can’t find them?” Jake demanded, standing up and knocking over a mic stand. The clatter interrupted Josh’s session in the booth, the music coming to a halt.

“I-I can’t find them! They’re gone. Their beds are made and their homework is done but their backpacks are gone.” She sobbed, shushing Victoria quickly. “I think they ran away, Jake.”

“Why would they do that?” Jake struggled to grab his keys from his coat pocket. Sam held the bottom of his jacket to make it easier for him. Jake nodded at his younger brother. He dropped the phone. “The kids ran away. I have to-“

“Just go!” They all shouted, pulling their own phones out.

Jake raced home. He stopped at the mini mart a few blocks between the home and the studio. The kids often walked together, but Noah, Anthony, or Susan had to be with them. They would often take trips on Friday, spending their allowance on a fountain drink, a hot dog, and chips before coming home for a movie night to kick off the weekend. He looked around, going to the woman at the counter.

“Have you seen two boys? They look just alike but they’re not twins. They’re about this tall and have shaggy blond, maybe light brown hair.”

She shook her head. “It’s been dead all afternoon.”

Jake left the store. His mind raced with every possible option. They went to the playground and lost track of time. Maybe they stopped at another store. They’re looking for Y/N’s birthday gift and she obviously can’t drive them. He held onto the nearby garbage can as his stomach churned, the worst options coming to light. Kidnapping at the top of his list. He had some crazy followers but none would be that insane, would they? He gagged, trying hard to hold his lunch down. Instead, he leaned over and into the garbage can. He coughed as his body tried to rid itself of the negativity, mistaking the reuben sandwich for the cause of his stomach ache. He winced at the burning of his nose, pinching off the mucus and spitting one last time.

By the time he made it home, there were two police cars in the street, their lights on. Y/N was on the porch, telling the police about her day.

“They came home from school like always. They changed their shoes and went up to do their homework. I went to clean up downstairs. Susan was going to bring friends over tonight so I wanted to set it up for a girls night. When I came back to call them for a snack, they were nowhere to be found.”

An officer turned to Jake. “And you are?”

“Their father. Adoptive.”

He nodded. “And where have you been all day?”

Jake felt his blood boil. “You think I did something to my own kids?!”

The officer shook his head. “No, but we want to get our ducks in a row.”

He apologized quietly. “I was at the studio all day with my brothers. We’re in a band.”

The man nodded. “We have an Amber Alert out. Chances are, they’re going somewhere they know. If anyone knows anything, we’ll tell you immediately.”

The two officers returned to their cars, leaving quietly. Jake sat beside his wife, feeling useless.

“How are we going to tell Noah?” She whispered, her eyes fixated on the sidewalk ahead of them.

Noah felt weird being on campus on a Friday night. Usually he’d be home by now, telling his siblings the funny stories from that week. He was itching to tell Susan about the head cheerleader he’d seen sneaking out of the stoner’s room at 3 in the morning with her clothes in hand. He wanted to tell Anthony about the girl in his anatomy class that he’d been trying to gain the courage to ask out for ice cream. But instead, here he was sitting in his dorm, throwing a hackysack into the air. His roommate had left earlier, catching an earlier train home. He looked at the guitar in the corner of his room, thinking about the lessons Jake had sent him. If he couldn’t talk to him, he’d have to get the next best thing.

Noah barely set his things up when there was a pounding on his door. Sliding off his bed, he opened the door to see Steven and Brady standing there.

“Party?” Steve asked, holding up a six pack. Noah nodded, grabbing his shoes and keys.

The frat house was the only one on campus, but it was legally not on the same property. People ran wild, letting all of their inhibitions loose. He dodged the drunk patrons, running back and forth. He’d been to plenty of parties before, ones even more wild than this. He spotted dancers on a table, the legs about to break from the pressure. He followed his friends, cradling a single warm beer for most of the night. Despite being interested in the music and the ambiance, he was no longer in the party mood. He tapped Steve's shoulder, muttering that he was leaving.

He felt much better in the fresh air of the cool autumn night. Noah checked the time, wondering if it was too late to call Jake. He felt the apology brewing in his mind, but he didn’t know how to shove them out. He jumped at the rustling near the dumpsters. Noah looked closer. A chill ran down his spine as he recognized the backpacks. The two names sprawled at the bottom made his blood run cold.

“What are you two doing here?”

“Noah?” Sebastian croaked out, holding James as he slept on his chest.

“Yeah, bud. What are you doing here?” He asked softly, picking up James, cradling him. James mumbled softly, cuddling into his brother’s chest.

Sebastian grabbed both backpacks. “We want you to stop fighting with Mr. Jake.”

Noah felt his heart drop. “What happened?”

The three of them walked back to his dorm. Sebastian unlocked the door, still crying as Noah put James into his bed. Sebastian began to cry. “I don’t want to go back.”

“Where?”

“To our old house.”

“Why would we go back there?”

“E-every time you fight with a foster family… we go back there. I don’t want to!”

Noah held Sebastian in his lap. At that moment he felt like he was 14 again, trying to keep his family together. He brushed his brown hair from Sebastian’s forehead. “Did you tell Jake and Y/N where you are?”

Jake stared at his phone, his stomach churning. He didn’t want to call Noah to tell him he’d lost two of his siblings. He’d been ignored all week and now he was terrified. He was so scared of how Noah would react. Susan had been in and out of the bathroom, bouts of nausea as she thought about her brothers. Anthony was still out looking with another group of people from the neighborhood. Y/N and Jake were instructed to stay home in case the two boys returned.

Jake, in a bout of blind confidence, raised his phone to his ear. “Noah, don’t freak out, but… you need to come home.”

Noah sighed. “I have them. Sebastian and James.”

“Wh-”

“I’ll bring them home tonight.”

Upon hearing that the boys were with their brother, Jake felt like he could finally breathe. He pulled his wife to the side. She choked out a sob, gripping onto her husband. “Oh, thank god,” she wailed. “I was so worried.”

Jake pet her hair, happy tears leaking out of his own eyes. He called Anthony and Susan, telling them that they’d found the boys. Anthony grabbed his keys. “Permit hours? I need night driving.”

The guitarist shook his head. “Too dangerous right now.”

They arrived in record time, Y/N sat in the back with a sleeping Victoria in her arms. Upon sensing that something was wrong, she refused to be let down out of her mother’s arms, even in her sleep. Jake noticed that Noah’s room was the only one that was still on. Noah had propped open the door for them. They shuffled up to his room as quietly as possible. Jake rapped his knuckles on the door only once before Noah swung the door open.

“Oh thank god,” Jake sighed, seeing the two boys in Noah’s bed cuddled together beneath the blankets.

The eight of them cried quietly, greeting Noah in the shuffle. When it was Jake’s turn, Noah nodded towards the hallway.

“Do you know why they ran?”

Jake shook his head. “It doesn’t mat-”

“Yes it does. They ran because we were fighting. They thought you were going to send us back to our bio family, like the others.”

“I would never.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” Noah sighed. “I’m just not used to being there. All my life we’ve been kicked to the curb and now we’re not struggling for the basics. It was an overnight change and I know that’s a cop-out answer, but-”

Jake pulled him into a hug. “You don’t have to answer.” He pulled back. “We can talk about it later.”

Noah nodded. “Can we go to Waffle House? I’m starving.”

Jake opened the door, seeing the family soundly asleep together. “Just you and I?”

Noah shook his head, flickering the light. “Rise and shine family!” He shouted.

Almost immediately, a shout from the room across the hall came through the air. “Shut up! No one cares about your cookie cutter family!”

92 notes · View notes

moviepixie · 9 months

Text

Barbie

Subtitle: Is Barbie Worth the hype

Now, I am one of the biggest Barbie enjoyers. I was even contemplating going to watch this in the cinema. I've heard people call this the greatest movie. But I'm here to give you the truth. If you look on the internet, this movie has a three-star review. A balance of five stars and 1 star and hardly any in between. This is my honest review.

********************************************************

To start with, I believe that the movie had some key points. I did enjoy Barbie because she could be whatever she wanted to be. I enjoyed looking at her life and watching almost every movie she had. However, ten minutes into the movie, I had to take a break. One thing people know about me is that I hate when things get political. Even if you must put it in a movie, I'd prefer it to be subtle and not loud.

The start of the movie felt like a lecture. The whole thing about Barbie's life being perfect every day and Ken's day only being perfect if Barbie looked at him felt too far-fetched. To add to that, there was a line saying that a pregnant doll is just too weird. I don't know what they were getting at but I felt like I was being lectured.

I got so tired of listening that I had to put the movie on 1.5x speed to get through it.

I gathered that this movie is more about Men being bad and the patriarchy being bad. It's also about women being good and the Matriarchy being better. Every single stereotype was rolled into a movie and spat at me as a watcher. Not to mention in the movie when Barbie was told that she sent feminism back 40 years or something, she just ran and cried. It also portrayed men as stupid.

It also has this narrative that in the real world, everyone hates women. There was also a part where they said that Ken was absolutely useless. Look I prefer the original series. I never looked down on Ken nor did I look down on Barbie. I loved how independent Barbie was and Ken didn't have to be put down so that Barbie could shine.

The next area of complaint is that when Ken reversed Barbie land and treated Barbie the way she treated him, she broke down about it She didn't like feeling unimportant which is kind of ironic. Not to mention that when everything fell apart, all she could do was lay flat on her face and sob. Nothing like the Barbie that I remember. I don't mind the sobbing but Barbie was never one to give up!

Not to mention that the solution to understanding all this was to rant about how impossible it was for it to be a woman. Now I'm not going to get into politics because I hate it and I hate talking about politics but this movie was a waste of an hour and 48 minutes of my life.

I went in with as little expectation as possible and was met with a word vomit of why the matriarchy is better and why men are bad and women should be in charge of everything. It wasn't my cup of tea and I'm honestly glad I didn't go and watch it in the cinema. I wouldn't have made it to the end.

I know I’m the end there was some sort of reparation but honestly, I’m over the movie.

Look, you can be anything you want to be regardless of your gender and no matter what you do either as a man or a woman, someone is always going to have something to say about you. Life is difficult for everyone and while Barbie does highlight some key struggles, it doesn't paint the full picture. All it does is show a certain portion that will please society. If the film was not aimed at making a statement then it wouldn't be an issue. The movie aimed at making a statement instead of making a correct statement. Men and women are unique in their own ways and face different sets of problems. That is my own opinion.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone but feminists and quite honestly, it was made for them. I wouldn't watch it again and if not for this review, I would have quit at the first 10 minutes. It’s not my cup of tea. You can promote feminism in a way that doesn't come up as lecturing, you can promote feminism in a way that does not put men down. It's safe to say that I'll never watch this movie again. I will never recommend it to people close to me and unless you're really into blatant lectures on why women have it harder than men, I wouldn't recommend it to you. I would rate this movie a 2.9/10 and that's because some parts were funny to me. It’s my opinion, if you liked the movie then good on you.

Crushes from the movie: you guessed it, none.

#barbie #barbenheimer #barbie movie #the barbie movie #barbie 2023 #should you watch barbie #is the barbie movie worth it?#netflix blog #movie reviewer #netflix reviewer #i review netflix shows #netflix movie reviewer

13 notes · View notes

sapphire-weapon · 9 months

Note

So I don't know if this is usually what you enjoy writing, because I'm a sucker for lonely angst, I'm prompting a (very short, as you said) fic (or imagine, maybe just a hc if it's easier?) about how Leon copes with his soul burning loneliness, especially when it's lit up by so many disappointments and failed expectations. He's a sad man, my poor heart, but also fuck the content is SO good, lmao. Sorry Leon, I'm giving you an actoss-the-universes hug though!

We know he drinks like a fish, but what does he actually say to himself?

Anon, have you seen my AO3? That's my favorite thing to write, actually (other than porn lmao).

Decided to set this just before Vendetta, when he first checks into his hotel in the middle of nowhere. I got the sense that, when Chris and Rebecca found him, it wasn't day one of his vacation; he was in the middle of it.

Remember that this was written mostly on my phone while at work, so it's not my best prose ever, but I hope u enjoy all the same.

It was raining.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise to Leon -- rain out in the middle of nowhere in Colorado -- so, maybe "surprising" wasn't the best word. Unbelievable, perhaps. Ironic in a way that was either cosmic or poetic -- he could never really remember the differences between either one. It was like something out of a bad movie, where the weather was set up to match the protagonist's mood.

Though, he knew better to think of himself as "the protagonist" anymore. Even within the context of his own life, he was hardly the main character. He hadn't been for years.

The rain reached out towards him in varying intervals -- sometimes as a quiet patter rapping on the glass of his hotel room window. Other times, a silent wind carried it over with more force. Water scattered against the pane almost horizontally, as if trying actively to cut through and break in. Leon pulled up a chair and simply watched it, a half-filled whiskey glass dangling idly from the tips of his fingers all the while.

This wasn't the first time this had happened, actually. It had been raining back then, too -- on the night he'd come as close to dying as he'd ever been.

In fact, if the CIA hadn't had his gun confiscated, he would have died.

Leon's resilience and aptitude for survival was damn near mythical among the ranks of government officials and military officers who had the clearance to know who he actually was. What they didn't know was that all of it could come undone in a matter of seconds; a villain lurked just out of sight, lying in wait as a constant threat. A villain who had almost won that night, if only he'd been armed.

There was truly no greater threat to the legend that was Leon Kennedy than himself.

"Hard to believe it's been seventeen whole years," he said aloud to no one.

He raised the glass to his lips and intended to just to just take a sip -- but he quickly thought better of it, threw his head back, and took the whole glass's worth of liquor like a giant shot.

It was the first drink of many, he already knew.

With a soft clink, he set the now-empty glass on the table beside him and turned his attention back to the window. Pale, cold light from the street lamps outside flickered beneath the oppressive downpour of rain, as though threatening to go out.

It was quiet. Aside from the rain, the world seemed almost dead just beyond these walls. There were no people about on the sidewalks, no cars in the street. The normal sights and sound of a busy city that Leon had become so completely used to in his adult life were now nowhere to be found. If he were of a mind to, it'd be easy to close his eyes and convince himself that he was the only person left alive on earth.

That had been the point, originally -- to get away from the constant movement and noise and chaos that was his life -- to find somewhere where he could be away from people, from expectation. That was what he'd wanted, and it was what he'd found here in this tiny little town.

But now that he was here and he was living it, he wasn't so sure that he wanted it after all.

"Story of my life," he murmured softly to himself -- and then immediately regretted it, loathing the sound of his own voice in this empty room.

It was a bad habit that he couldn't quite remember when he'd developed. No one ever listened to him anyway, so he made it a point to speak when no one could actually hear. In some twisted way, it made him feel less alone -- most times, at least. But not tonight.

Tonight, he didn't want to hear it from himself. He was so tired of himself -- of what he was doing, of the life he was living, of the person he'd become and of the personality that he'd developed.

He reached over and grabbed the bottle of whiskey he'd had set out on the table by the neck, screwing off the top using only his thumb and forefinger. He was careful to place it gently on the tabletop as soon as it sprang free from its rails, and he was just as quick to grab the bottle and refill the glass.

A gust of wind sent a spray of rainwater splashing hard against the window at an upwards angle. It caught Leon's attention only briefly from the corner of his eye, and he flicked his gaze in that direction for only a second before he refocused on what he was doing.

It was a hell of a thing, to be so sick and tired of himself. Tired of the way he thought about things, tired of his own interpretations of people and events, tired of the words he used and the habits he'd developed. He could remember being 20 and wondering at where he'd actually be in ten years, and it looked nothing like where he'd ended up.

At 21, he didn't expect to live long enough to see that ten-year mark hit. He didn't expect to see age 25, even. He didn't particularly want to, either.

But 25 came and went. Then 30. Then 35. And somehow, he was still here, now at 37, and nothing in his life had changed. He may as well have still been 21, if not for the fact that his cynicism had grown alongside his age, and his body had struggled to keep up with both.

Not that he was particularly helping it at all. He'd been doing well for a while -- taking care of himself, staying on top of his fitness, keeping a routine.

But a few dozen friends turned corpses made quick work of that little bit of progress, and now he was holed up in a shitty hotel in the middle of nowhere at the dead of night, using whiskey to top off (and soon exceed) his recommended caloric intake for the day.

He just didn't see the point anymore. What was the point of keeping himself in peak physical condition, if people were going to die under his watch no matter what shape he was in or how hard he fought? What was the point of trying to get close to anyone if he couldn't even stand to be around himself most days?

It was a question with no good answer, and he hated to think about it, besides. Thinking about it would start a horrible spiral of connecting thoughts regarding the transience of time and the fleeting nature of human existence, culminating in the grim reality of what was waiting for him back home once his too-short vacation was over.

Back when he was 20 and wondering where his life would end up, those were concepts he'd never even thought to consider, much less contemplate in such great detail that he fell out of time and space in the midst of a self-inflicted existential crisis.

Settling back against his seat and slouching down the slightest bit, Leon breathed out a heavy breath through his nose. Outside, he could see the faintest silhouettes of treetops scratching against the night's sky. Shadows danced across the leaves as the cold yellow light from the streetlamps got trapped between the boughs and disappeared into the void behind the bark.

Still, the world outside was quiet. Still, the area remained devoid of human life.

Leon took a sip of his drink and glanced over to the table to his left. He hadn't brought much with him. That was kind of the point. His bike's leather saddlebag sat unopened at the far end of the tabletop, leaving only two things within reach: the whiskey bottle and his gun.

It was on his gun that his attention lingered.

Slowly, absently, he pulled his whiskey glass from his lips and settled the base of it against the top of his right thigh. Somehow, he always ended up here -- in a staredown with his own weapon, acknowledging the grim reality that, one day, he was going to use it. One day, he'd do more than just look at it and feel the weight of inevitability settle down against his chest like a weighted blanket.

One day, it wouldn't even be a conscious thought in his mind; his thoughts would be blank and his body numb, and the act of shooting himself would come almost as second nature -- instinctual, even.

He knew that, because that was how he'd felt that night so, so many years ago. There was no question of "if" or "should." It was "I will" -- followed by the realization "I can't" and all of the horrible ugliness that came with feeling that he was so completely incompetent and worthless that he couldn't even kill himself properly.

The next time "I will" came to him, there'd be no one there to stop him. No one to take his weapon. And he will.

Leon took another sip of his whiskey and turned his attention back to the window. The incandescent lights in his hotel room flickered briefly, but they refused to give out beneath the force of the storm just yet -- though, it was probably just a matter of time.

And when that time came, he would welcome the darkness.

#resident evil 4 #leon kennedy #my writing

9 notes · View notes

scenetocause · 20 days

Text

15 questions 15 friends

got tagged by @lost-decade ty ❤️❤️❤️

Are you named after anyone?

no, just the usual random naming

When was the last time you cried?

i got really weepy about something not at all sad that me and my flatmate were watching the other day, can't remember what it was but i was being really embarrassing about it lol probably like mighty car mods or something insane but he was having a little cry as well so he can't chat shit

Do you have kids?

no. idk what the phrase for this in english is but that's a door so long closed whatever's behind it is dust and ashes.

What sports do you play/have you played?

for someone whose general interests are not very sporty i'm sort of weirdly athletic so quite a lot of things. trail running, gymnastics, swimming, bit of motorsport i guess. i'd like to do the berkeley marathons if someone invents a way to hold a busted knee meniscus together. i'd prob do an iron man or something but i don't like cycling.

Do you use sarcasm?

not really i find it very hard to read

What is the first thing you notice about people?

i should probably have something deep for this but usually just their hair or something

What is your eye color?

let's say tan

Scary movies or happy endings?

happy endings life is hard enough and i don't find any catharsis in angst (although i understand a lot of other people do)

Any talents?

err. no? oh wait i can cook but that's practice not talent

Where were you born?

somewhere way too specific

What are your hobbies?

i watch a lot of youtube. i've been wondering for the past year or so what i can do for a hobby but haven't come up with anything else.

Do you have any pets?

my other hobby is sending my flatmate pictures of cats and going "THIS OEN?????" i found a lovely little guy who i really hope i can bring home at the weekend and my flatmate will be like cassian i can't believe yet again i went away for two days and you've got a cat and i'll be like well second time is shame on you really.

How tall are you?

176cm or something. in that territory above normal sized but before actually tall.

Favorite subject at school?

i can't remember. maybe georgraphy? i didn't really go to school.

Dream job?

ideally no job. no that's not true though i'm naturally inclined to work. maybe if i owned a place and could make it a cool space and do community things and that sort of stuff

3 notes · View notes

gosiksmallspace · 3 months

Text

Shipper Tag Game

Thank you @godotismissingx for the tag! ❤️❤️❤️

Sorry that it took so much time 😅

Okay let's go!

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care anymore?

There were some k-pop ships I used to ship but as time went by I just stopped. Maybe because I’m not as much into k-pop as I used to be.

I also don’t ship any of Hetalia’s characters anymore.

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

Stella and Brandon from Winx Club or Kevin and Gewn from Ben 10: Alien Force. That was even before I was aware of what shipping was.

While I was aware, I think it was Shizaya? Durarara was one of the first animes I watched. And Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya's love-hate relationship was so good for a 12-year-old me.

Or it could be SasuNaru…

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

Written it was Merciless.

But read? That was so long time ago...

I remember I found some Ben 10 stories on the Internet and I read a lot of them as a kid.

But when I read and I was aware I was reading fanfics it was most likely SasuNaru or Darry. It was most likely still on Wattpad or fanfiction.net. On or those self-publishing blogs. Those were popular back then.

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw a fanart over?

Probably SasuNaru. Or another ship that was popular at the beginning of the 2010s.

5. Did you ever get into ship discourse?

I try not to. I mostly believe that fiction is fiction and when I don't like something I just don't read it.

I like to read people's points of view though.

6. Did you used to have any no-otp or have it currently?

Not really. I used to hate UkFrance from Hetalia but now I just don't care. And I never really shipped Destiel. But I'm not sure I would call them a no-otp.

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

A new chapter of Merciless fic that I'm always waiting for was published. It's called Hidsight by duty_free. AND IT'S AWESOME, GO READ IT. It's a wonderful continuation to The Merciless that can actually fix those two morons (I have hope, it's still ongoing)

Before it, my friend @frayed-at-the-seams published her fic about Junho and Hoyeol from D.P. It's called Dogs and Cats. It's an interesting supernatural spin on the original story and it allows Junho and Hoyeol to be cute ❤️

8. Currently, do you have any OTPs?

Of course. My absolute favorite obsession is Han Jaeho x Jo Hyunsoo from The Merciless

But there is more:

Roronora Zoro x Sanji (Zosan) from One Piece

Sakata Gintoki x Hijikata Toshirou (GinHiji) from Gintama

Shizuo Heiwajima x Orihara Izaya (Shizaya) from Durarara!!

Oga Tatsumi x Furuichi Takayuki (OgaFuru) from Beelzebub

Lee Dongsik x Han Juwon from Beyond Evil

Kang Yohan x Kim Gaon (GaHan) from Devil Judge

An Junho x Han Hoyeol from D.P.

Miyuki Kazuya x Sawamura Eijun (MiyuSawa) from Ace of Diamond

James T. Kirk x Spock from Star Trek

Merlin x Arthur Pendragon from BBC Merlin

James Bond x Q (00Q) from James Bond movies

Harry Hart x Gary "Eggsy" Unwin from Kingsman movies

Tony Stark aka Iron Man x Steve Rogers aka Captain America from Marvel Comics (comics only.)

Peter Parker aka Spiderman and Wade Wilson aka Deadpool from the Marvel Comics

Loid Forger x Yor Forger from SPY X FAMILY

Hino Eiji x Akhn (EiAn) from Kamen Rider OOO

Shijima Go x Chase from Kamen Rider Drive

Kiryu Sento x Banjo Ryuga from Kamen Rider Build

and many many more

Also as an exception to my k-pop rule, I still ship ChanBaek from EXO.

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

Robin and Barney from How I Met Your Mother. I get that it was planned from the beginning for Ted to end up with Robin but did they have to make Robin and Barney so good???

Also, Merthur, like they had a whole story about them? All 5 seasons?

And Sterek.

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

Zeke x Levi from Shingeki no Kyojin. I used to not be much into it but there is an amazing reincarnation comic AU on twitter (here) with them and I have to say that they have a potential.

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, was considered normal but now you would be canceled over?

Not sure... There were some ships that I wasn't aware of age. I don't mind ships with big age differences but I like for both parties to be over 18.

So maybe as an example Levi x Eren? Eren was 15 and now looking back I'm not sure if I would ship it.

12. What was your favorite crack ship?

Tried to think of something but my head is empty. I don't believe I don't have any crack ships!

13. Who is the couple you read more fanfics of?

Shizaya, GinHiji or ChanBaek. They have big fandoms so I could just move from one fic to another.

Also YoonMin. I used to ship them a lot but now not really but I read a lot of fics with them.

14. What most of your ships usually have in common?

They usually banter or tease each other. Those love-hate relationships are my favorites. And more of them lately have an age difference.

15. What you absolutely hate in a ship?

Lack of chemistry? I hate too much drama but also don't like where everything is fine. And cheating.

tagging (no preassure): @daxianme @yardmargs @frayed-at-the-seams @bobafvcks @babischlong-six @stanaclown @igonecrazy @chhagiya @lovemevermore @ilikeallthepenguins @manproposes-goddisposes @backtomanyang @inashoe @darktecno @areththeimagine and everyone who wants :)

#tag games #tag #game #tag game #shipper tag game #shipping #ships #fandom

6 notes · View notes

winderlylandchime · 5 months

Note

I still cannot believe someone from Europe cares about my brother watching a tv show. Actually I still can’t believe anyone including you cares about him. But to explain how we/he watches the episodes: at the beginning i was in full control of the dvd cases because there are episode descriptions on them. And when you click on the episodes to play it also shows descriptions. So the way we at first did it for him to avoid any spoilers (his wishes bc he absolutely hates spoilers) was that he would close his eyes until the episode started. BUT then he started to care a lot more than he expected and tbh he was less high from his meds so I couldn’t win fights anymore so he wanted to control the dvd cases and the cds and all that. So he made me tape a piece of paper over the descriptions on the cases and then, like a fucking child, after I/he puts the cd in, he selects the ep number and then closes his eyes and either makes me press play or he hopes for the best and does it himself. One time he pressed play and one of the bts interview videos started playing and he covered his ears and screamed like a child until i turned it off. Anyway all he’s seen so far is the dvd intro with the episode numbers and nothing else. He hates spoilers of any kind so he’s treating this like his life depends on it. Few years ago when the Avengers movie came out (the one with iron man’s death) he didn’t leave the house for 2 days because he was scared of spoilers and he even deleted his entire social media cause of it l so this is not even the top 20 most dramatic things he’s done when it comes to shows/movies. So what I’m saying is, he has no fucking clue about episode titles or anything, so all will be news to him. And tbh I’m very happy about that because 1) in the ep descriptions Vic’s death is also revealed in a description later on so he’d for sure see it and 2) I completely forgot the 10th episode title and when I saw your response with the screenshot I actually felt relieved that he’s such a drama queen because I cannot wait for him to see that little moment so if itd be spoiled for him, id riot.

OH your brother has fandom blood running in his veins. His commitment to avoiding spoilers for his media is commendable. I had to do the same thing when I was traveling for the end of last season of RPDR (btw I adore Jinkx! Good taste brother anon!). (And then I realized that because I was abroad the WoW app would actually show the American franchise episodes and I could watch it.)

There are fans from Europe here on tumblr and the person I text with was on tumblr but deactivated while making me promise to keep them appraised of your brother’s reactions. We’re all invested because this is the most exciting thing to happen in the fandom since 2020 20th anniversary YouTube thing. And Gale didn’t show up so this is even better because your brother is wholly focused on Britin (sorry Scott ILY but no one cares about Ted). (Also remember the early days of the pandemic when we could just watch hours of our favs from an ancient tv show catch up?)

I promise that every single person is holding their breath for your brother to watch 510. His reaction is going to be everything.

#ask winderlylandchime #dear sweet anon #queer as folk #a straight man watches qaf us 2000 in the year of our lord 2023

2 notes · View notes

quordleona03 · 1 year

Text

Friend and Stranger: Kimble/Gerard

I think I saw The Fugitive in the cinema when it first came out, 1993-1994, and enjoyed it. Back in April 2001, I'd just moved 500 miles to a new job and I was out of touch with a lot of people and I wasn't in the mood for socialising when I came home, and one evening I came home and switched on the TV and it was showing The Fugitive. I slipped a tape in the videorecorder (that's how long ago this was) and started recording the movie, because I planned to have it on in the background while I was making supper, feeding the cats, that kind of thing. I didn't plan to keep the tape. I did keep the tape. For months. I watched the movie, I watched the intensity of feeling between hunter and hunted, and I wanted to write a slash story, but throughout most of the movie, whenever they are in the same place at the same time, Kimble is running and Gerard is pursuing. The one time they're close enough to touch, standing still, and entirely alone, well "The guy did a Peter Pan right off of this dam, right here!"

And I wrote this story. I wrote this story because I loved every moment of Gerard's pursuit of Kimble, from "Go get him!" to that ice-pack for Kimble's hands at the end.

youtube

I wanted Kimble and Gerard to meet again:

Your fugitive’s name is – Gerard smiled. “Richard,” he said, casually pausing by the seat.

Doctor Kimble’s head snapped up and he stared at Gerard. What I want out of each and every one of you is a hard target search of every hiding place in that area. Go get him. Gerard wondered what the man was hearing. Remember, opera ain’t over till the Big Dog howls. All he’d known about this man then was a bearded face in a faxed photo and an empty set of leg-irons.

Gerard’s sense of humour had, he was unregretfully aware, got him into trouble a few times. But sometimes a joke went too far. There had been a look of panic in Doctor Kimble’s eyes, and Gerard was relieved to see it transmute into a scowl.

“Sorry, sir,” Gerard murmured, passing on. He had stopped for less than a minute. He had known Doctor Richard Kimble as quarry and puzzle for only five days. He’d thought about him since, but five days was hardly long enough to insist on an acquaintance.

One of my Things in fanfic is when a person who is accustomed to privilege, to having people listen and defer, abruptly has that privilege removed and is interacting with people on a completely different level. Richard Kimble went from being a respected, wealthy surgeon to being a captive, a felon, and a fugitive.

“What’s more, you could not believe that you were in a situation where no one would believe a word you said. Doctor Richard Kimble.” [Gerard] gave a curious, sarcastic emphasis to Doctor. “And where’d you get that crap lawyer?” Throughout the movie, whenever Gerard speaks to Kimble, he uses "Richard" - which struck me especially in the Chicago lock-up when Gerard sees Kimble going down stairs while he is climbing the stairs in the other direction and Gerard recognises him from that one glimpse of his back view. He’d had nightmares like this – too much like this: alone and believing himself safe, someone saying Richard, and looking up to see Deputy Marshal Gerard looming over him, with that tight-lipped, arrogant grin set on his face.

Throughout the movie we keep getting this sudden POV changes from Kimble to Gerard. I wanted to write this sequel to the movie with that same kind of effect, I wanted to transmute those intense feelings they had for each other as hunter and hunted into something more intimate and just as personal.

I had to think of something with an emotional impact on both their lives to bring them together, given the circumstances under which they'd originally met. What I came up with melds fact and fiction, the death penalty in Illinois and the death of a canon character, and yes, they do, of course, have sex. I researched the death penalty. Because in my story Richard Kimble is opposed to the death penalty, Sam Gerard had to be for it, and therefore I wrote, coming from Gerard's mouth, a sustained and passionate defence of the death penalty, which I didn't agree with and still don't - but I knew Gerard did. The story ended. I finished it and sent it out to be beta-read and got first responses back and got home from work on a Monday night in September, looked through my notes and the beta-reader's notes and decided, all else being equal, I would start the satisfying process of editing "Friend and Stranger" the next day. The next day was Tuesday 11th September 2001 and I didn't do anything with any fanfic for quite a while. I did, eventually, finish editing "Friend and Stranger" and I even wrote a sequel, since "Friend and Stranger" ended, unavoidably in my view, not cosily but with the costly and fruitful tension of opposites.

I messed around with Kimble and Gerard one more time purely for fun, but I still see Friend and Stranger / No Dreams, No Waking as the story I wrote from the movie, not the only story that could be written of course, but the only story I could write - and except for those kind of fannish games, I've never been tempted to write another story.

#The Fugitive #The Fugitive (1993)#Richard Kimble #Sam Gerard #Kimble/Gerard #Youtube

5 notes · View notes

squishmallow36 · 2 years

Text

Keeper of the Lost Prepositions - Twenty-nine

Word count: 2.8k

Tw: unnamed homophobic human

Taglist (lmk if you want to be added/removed!): @stellar-lune @gaslight-gaetkeep-gayboss @kamikothe1and0lny @nyxpixels @florida-floppy-frog @poppinspop @crystallinewalker @uni-seahorse-572 @solreefs @books-over-boys @rusted-phone-calls @when-wax-wings-melt @cotyledon-tomentosa @good-old-fashioned-lover-boy7 @dexter-dizzknees

On Ao3 or below the cut!

“Lovise,” I call, even though I know she can easily hear me if I speak normally. Or whisper. I tested it one day.

“Yeah?” she asks, poking her head in the door.

“How would you feel about going to the Forbidden Cities?”

Cue the longest sigh in recorded history.

“What now?” she asks tiredly.

“I’ve got to go talk to Amy about something I sent her. Yes, I know I could just keep messaging her, and you know how I’m not exactly the biggest fan of hails.”

“Is it about Keefe?”

“Actually, it is not. I sent her the Tinker thing just because I knew she wouldn’t have any preconceived opinions because they’ve never met, so she wouldn’t have any bias in her analysis.”

“You could have asked me before you did that,” Lovise argues.

“I didn’t realize I needed permission to text my friends.”

Her mouth formed several words before settling on, “I think you and I both know that you’re going to go with or without me, so just please make sure you do whatever techy things you can to avoid any issues. And by issues I mean the Neverseen. It’s been almost three weeks since Sophie burned down their wearhouse, and there haven’t been any obvious counter moves.”

“I wouldn’t go without you. You remember how hard it was to get away when I first met with Tinker. And I already have a program to loop my registry pendant to make it look like I’m staying in my room. It’ll only hold up for as long as I can plausibly go without food, though. Or if the mods notice, but I doubt they’ll look that closely.”

“And what if they do?”

“Absolute worst case scenario, they’re undercover Neverseen agents, figure out where we are, and then ambush us. But that’s exactly why you’re stuck dealing with me, no?”

“Just try to keep it short. If you can manage to not go off on a tangent about anything, it would be greatly appreciated,” Lovise concedes.

“You know I’m going to go off on a tangent. The tangent will probably be more of the conversation than the actual reason for the conversation in the first place.”

“I know. Just try.”

“Do or do not, there is no try.”

She clearly recognizes my Star Wars reference— which makes me very proud of myself. Giving me an unamused look, she says, “Then do.”

With that, she heads back outside my room, leaving me to my thoughts again.

Yeah, I don’t vibe with that right now.

I distract myself until I get tired by playing more Portal for a little while, followed by some Minecraft.

The next morning is nothing special, well, at least in reference to other mornings when I get woken up at way-too-freaking-early o’clock.

I spend the beginning of the day watching the first two movies in the MCU by order of release, Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk.

After I’ve successfully wasted most of the day, I realise that it makes my registry pendant loop more believable, so I have been productive today.

I also tracked down Amy’s coordinates so that I can make a temporary leaping crystal so I can actually get there.

That’s just a little helpful.

I get dust all over my bed in the process, but at this point there’s so many crumbs it doesn’t even matter.

Every now and then I even find what I think is sand from the Shores of Solace. I went outside, like, once! And there’s still sand!

After triple checking the time conversions, I give Amy a few minutes to get home before leaping there.

I immediately message, Let me know when and where you want to meet.

Im still at school so if ur willing to wander over here we could tell my parents that were working on some school project…again

What’s its name? I need to plug it into Google Maps, I reply.

I give Lovise my Obscurer—which is definitely not one of the ones I’ve messed with recently—and Amy answers, Allen At Steinbeck.

I reply, Thanks!, and type it into Google Maps, and, thankfully, it’s only a couple of blocks away.

When I get close, I tell Amy, I made it over here. Where are you?

Hold on ill find u whats around u

I think I’m near the front door. I’m pretty sure that I can see a sign with the school’s name on it. Just know I could still be in the Obscurer’s field, so I may or may not be visible.

Whyd u bring it then

Goblins. Specifically Lovise.

Makes sense

I watch what I’ve decided to call the front door, and there’s a decent amount of kids still walking out even though it’s nearly twenty minutes after school ended.

When Amy comes out, I start walking towards her, still looking at my Imparter to help deter potential other humans from talking to me. I perfected this method at Foxfire, and it’s nice to know that it works for more than one species.

“Hey. Found you.” Amy says, once I’m within normal speaking range.

“Hi,” I reply, putting my Imparter back in my pocket.

“Can you give me a sec? I have to ask my parents if I can go to Starbucks with some friends.”

“Yep. Do you maybe want to pull over? Texting in the middle of the sidewalk doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

“Nah. I do this all the time. Haven’t died yet.”

She puts her phone away after a few seconds and asks, “So you’ve you been? What’d you break since we last saw each other?”

“It’s actually a pretty extensive list.”

“Why is that not surprising?”

“Because Sophie is very good at breaking things.”

“Pretty sure all of you elves are good at breaking things.”

“Aren’t you worried about someone hearing you?”

“About what? I doubt they’re listening and even if they aren’t they’ll think we’re a little crazy. It’s not the weirdest thing I’ve heard while walking down a street.”

At some point we started walking in the same direction I already was today.

“This would have been easier if you had just told me to go here.”

“Yes, I’d love to have to navigate you through a mall,” she replies sarcastically. “Relax. There won’t be too many people there. We can talk about your conspiracy theory.”

“But what about Lovise? The Obscurer won’t work very well in an enclosed space.”

“I’ll run in and get something to cover our story and also because I’m hungry, and we can talk outside. Does that work?”

It takes less than five minutes to get over there, and I claim a table while Amy heads in to get something. I pull out my Imparter again, and before I realize, she’s back with some sort of coffee if I had to guess and two muffins.

“They’re just blueberry, so you’re probably going to be disappointed. Once you try Mallowmelt, nothing else measures up.”

“Well, I have to argue with that. Fitz did make these cinnamon Ripplefluffs, and I would kill for them.”

“Just knowing that they’re Elvin, I would too.”

She takes a sip from her coffee, and I say, “I promised Lovise I wouldn’t go off on too many tangents, so, if you’re willing, it’s conspiracy time.”

“I’m always ready for conspiracy time. What did you put together from the stuff you sent me?”

“I don’t know how accurate any of this is, but I’m fairly convinced that Tinker is part of the Neverseen.”

“Yeah. But that’s not the fun part.”

“By the fun part are you referring to the Lesbian flag on one of the pages? Wait, did I even add that page of the notebook? Whatever.”

“You recognized that? Three weeks ago you totally silently nerded out because I came out.”

“I’ve been doing some research. Too much, most would say. People have been coming out ever since you did. I can think of five and probably another two, not even including you or your girlfriend, without trying. Three weeks ago, that number was exactly zero.”

Her eyes widen.

“I don’t want to make anything weird with people, so I’m not going to list them.”

“Makes sense. Are you thinking Tinker’s trans or that other file, the non-pyro one, you sent me was just a cover like one of the Fork man’s disguises?”

“I actually hadn’t thought about the latter option. I just knew that they mostly go by Tinker, to the point that Mr. Forkle doesn’t know her real identity. I was thinking that it had some parallels with the idea of a chosen name, but mostly I just thought the picture looked similar.”

“Do you happen to have a picture of Tinker?”

“That would be helpful,” I reply, beginning the long search through my camera roll. I haven’t taken a direct picture, but I’m hoping that they’re in the background at least once.

I smile when I find them, so I show it to Amy, saying, “Sorry it’s a little blurry. And far away. And not facing forward. I can try to find another one—.”

“It’s good enough. You know her better than I do, so if you think the two look similar enough, then it might be a possibility.”

“I guess so. But something still feels off. I guess we probably shouldn’t be digging into their files like this. On the other hand, the Neverseen thing is kinda important.”

“Yeah, the subtext in the journal definitely felt more like an ‘I can’t escape an evil organization’ than what I’ve heard about the Black Swan. But I agree with your other point too. It feels like we’ve accidentally uncovered something we probably shouldn’t’ve.”

“It’s just difficult because I showed this to Fitz yesterday and he needed an explanation of ‘LGBTQ’, so this is all one tangled mess.”

“Fun. I don’t think it’s all a black and white issue, so just because she might be part of a terrorist organization, it doesn’t mean she’s a terrible person.”

“Of course it’s not black and white. We left that behind when everyone started coming out of the closet.”

She laughs. “That’s great.”

Last night I made the decision to come out to Amy, and I know that’s the best segway into that kind of conversation I’m going to get organically. It’s just getting the nerve to do it before this conversation takes a different turn.

Hands probably shaking, but too preoccupied to check, I take a shuddering breath.

“Speaking of coming out of the closet...”

I stop, trying to find the right words.

“I don’t know exactly what’s going on in my brain, but I know for a fact that I’m not straight.”

“I knew it.”

I’m not sure whether to be relieved or extra worried.

“What?”

“Oh please. Like I believed you were straight for half a second. That whole energy of the crush on your cousin was not straight if you ask me. And like, you definitely have the vibe of gay best friend, whether you like it or not. ”

“First of all, I’m not totally convinced that my crush on Sophie was just my brain’s pathetic attempt at liking a girl, and, second of all, how dare you know I’m not straight before I did!”

“Am I allowed to know who your gay awakening is? Hot elf boy or other hot elf boy or is there another other hot elf boy that I don’t know?”

“I don’t know which one is which so I don’t know how to answer that.”

“The blond one, the teal-eyed one, or neither of the above?”

“I feel like you’re going to blackmail me if I answer that,” I reply.

“So that means it’s down to my two given options,” notes Amy.

I blush, and I know that’s all she needs to confirm her hypothesis.

“Please? I won’t tell anyone that you know. It’s contained in the unwritten gay-lesbian solidarity rules.”

Amy’s gaze focuses on something behind me, and I turn around to see what she’s seeing.

“Give me a minute.” Amy stands up and stalks toward a man that has a very similar build to an ogre.

“What did you just say?” she demands.

He snorts. “I knew you queers were sensitive, but, by God, you’re a bunch of special snowflakes.”

“When, exactly, did ‘special snowflake’ become synonymous with ‘standing up for yourself because some jerk just walked past you and your friend and muttered about how we’re going to hell’?” she argues.

“Just stating a fact. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to actually do things with my life, unlike you abominations.”

Amy seems to realize that he’s not worth her time, or maybe that murder is illegal, and sits back down at our table, teeth still clenched.

“I’ve had enough of people like him for a lifetime.” Taking a calming breath, she asks, “You elves don’t have prejudices like the humans do. When can I live there? I don’t want to deal with this anymore.”

“Uh, funny story. Thanks to the Matchmaking system, nobody even knows there’s anything beyond straight relationships,” I gave an awkward double thumbs up that did nothing but make everything even cringier.

“That sounds…very bad. At least a good chunk of people here are either accepting or indifferent. And, from what I’ve heard, elves aren’t good with the unexpected.”

“That’s an understatement,” I reply, barely containing a snort.

“On the other hand, there are still a few countries here where being gay results in capital punishment.”

“That’s…” I can’t form words. I’ve gotten acquainted with the idea that humans can be violent creatures, but that is steps too far. And by steps I mean we left what might be considered okay a few miles back.

How dare they punish someone for existing? I can’t help it that I have a crush on Wonderboy, it just kind of happened.

“And a whole bunch more that result in imprisonment,” Amy adds cheerfully. “Maybe you should get to work on your Elvin gay rights campaign sooner than later. You’re even more stubborn than we are.”

Oh stars I can see the council taking that route.

“Great.” It takes every effort I have to not swear.

“Exactly.”

“That’s the kind of wonderful information that I’d rather not know.”

“Welcome to the land of the LGBTQ. It’s a fun place, if you can’t tell.”

“Sounds like it.”

“It’s not all horrible. Sometimes it is pretty damn fun arguing with homophobic donkeys. Especially during pride month.”

“Is it sad that I’m proud of myself for knowing what that is?”

“Very,” she replies, smiling.

Amy takes a sip from her coffee, mostly sucking air through her straw.

She says, “You probably have some elfy thing you’ve gotta do today, so I just want to leave you with one final thing, lovingly cultivated from way too much time spent on the internet. No matter how many times you change your label, no matter how long you’ve spent with a certain label, no matter what your labels are, you are valid. Remember that. I’m almost certain that someone, at some point, especially in the near future while you’re still questioning, will make you doubt that. And feel free to text me whenever you want. I’ll respond as soon as I see it…which may be a few days if my phone gets taken away again.”

“Back at you. If you have anything you need to ask me for some reason, I’ll respond at the same rate. Although it’ll either be immediate or a few hours because I was actually focused on something.”

Somehow, as we start walking back to Amy’s house, the conversation turns to Disney movies. I think there was something about gay Disney princes in there.

I know her parents will ask a whole bunch of questions about why she was walking home with some random kid they’ve never met, so we say our goodbyes a little more than a block away from her house.

Once she’s out of earshot, I turn around and ask, “Lovise? Where are you?”

She comes to me because trying to answer would be just a little difficult without using sight or sound.

When I’m within the range of the Obscurer, she lectures, “You really shouldn’t have let Amy walk up to that guy. It could have very easily gone badly, and I might have had to step in.”

“I think she could have handled herself, but I see your point. I doubt I could have stopped her though. She seemed ready to tear his head off and I’d rather not stand in the way of that.”

“Fair point. Getting your charge seriously injured is a big bodyguarding no-no.”

“You’ve spent too much time with Ro.”

“You’ve spent too much time with Keefe to be healthy, so…”

That’s not going to be easily argued against, so I cut my losses and leap us back home.

#detz #dex dizznee #fitz vacker #Stars i love amy

6 notes · View notes

dramaticnerdwithanxiety11 · 2 years

Text

Here have the obnoxious list of quotes of have because i think they're very neat (these come from all over the place ranging from fanfiction, to google to my own fingies)

Also it's funny that I can see with complete clarity where I started getting into new fandoms because I started collecting new quotes relating to them.

(i promise they get less angsty 😭 these are a year and a half in the works)

I've got too many tabs open in my brain, and it's too laggy to close any.

I think i'll just collapse right here, thanks!

All I wanted was for you to leave. But I didn't think you actually would..

You're just like a bomb going off right next to my head..

Why do I have to cram all of my thoughts together just to be heard?

I wish your silence didn't scare me so much..

My body looks like a poorly drawn anatomy lesson, or a bunch of mismatched pieces sewn together.

Why did I have to grow up afraid to admit i'm scared?

What a stupid way to die.

An immortal man with a death wish, how fucking ironic.

Why did we have to turn into such an ugly sight?

I can't tell you why, but it feels like something's wrong.

What would my mother think, now that she's watched her son be buried?

What would you think of me, an immortal man with a death wish?

They are the stars and the moon to my empty sky.

Dreams are like… jigsaw puzzles, assembled wrong.

Are you, or the others, crazy?

How do you paint a pretty picture when your brush is broken?

Is it only in movies that it's black and white?

Sometimes the worst place you can be in is your own head.

Alone. Because everyone will inevitably leave him.

Because I know what it's like to be afraid of your own mind.

I came face to face with a version of "me" that was nothing like myself.

The present is all we get, so we need to make it work.

We're just kids. We aren't supposed to be heroes.

It's all a bit tragic, isn't it?

She is a child that was forced to grow up.

I stopped being a kid the day you sent me down here to die.

Are monsters born, or created?

We'll never be those kids again.

Dear Death, I'm ready.

I needed a hug, but all they gave me was a box of matches and a knife.

I'm that memory you don't remember.

My mind is blessed with madness, and cursed with the knowledge that’s it’s there.

My eyes burn with unshed tears and suddenly I wish it didn't hurt so much to cry.

I don’t know what's happening but that's okay

We were thin but we were thick as thieves

I will not be another flower, picked for my beauty and left to die.

Even white roses have black shadows.

To plant a garden, is to believe in tomorrow.

In an endless garden of Flowers I will always pick You.

My Garden of Roses is wilting, because i spent too much time watering yours..

If i had a flower for every time i thought of you, i could walk through my garden forever.

Are you sure it isn't the Thorns that have Roses..?

Laughter after Tears is is the human equivalent of a Rainbow

I THINK I'M OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW I AINT SHIT.

I heard everything. It was just easier to pretend I didn't.

Remember how bright our first days were?

I miss not knowing who you were, because at least you couldn't hurt me so much without more than a word.

I'm dying slow and I can't stop it.

I really am my fathers child, aren't I?

If I dont go to hell when I die i might go heaven- but probably not.

If this is how you folks make art, it's fucking depressing.

I'm sorry mom and dad, I know I fucked up bad. I should've done better.

You entered the circus, boy, now play like the clowns.

The intimacy of being understood

However fair is for fools, take them away!

Life is a party and I'm starting to think I'm the piñata

I can't telling if I'm dying or not, all I know is I can't breathe.

Sometimes the shortest stick is the sharpest.

You don't hate me because i'm crazy, you hate me because i'm right.

I might be the writer, but you will always be the words.

I'm sending an old friend good luck, through a wishing well of magic.

Karma's probably fake, unless you meet someone who Really believes in it, cause they'll make it happen.

Does it count as being after dark, if the streetlights are on and nobody is looking for you?

Memory lane is not a Well-Mainted Public Road, it's a backroad lined with burning trees.

Sometimes you have to become a monster to stay human

"To be fair I have no intentions of murdering someone then popping a cyanide pill to escape the consequences,"

"You don't pump blood, I would know, I've had my hands in your heart before. Also, you're a terrible liar,"

Just killed a woman, feelin good~

"Fashionless wonder? He won't be saying that when I throttle him with my bowtie.."

"Handfull of BEES?"

"3am is the bitching hour, prove me wrong,"

"He's perfect, we made a baby!" "Team effort," "Go team!"

"Welcome to fucking Applebees do you want the apples or bees?" "Bees..?" "THEY HAVE SELECTED THE BEES!"

Welcome to the nightmare inside my head~

The point is; Frogs are bitches and ~we~ do not associate with terrorists

I'M STILL HEADING DOWNHILL, BUT I FOUND A HORSE IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT. SO LIKE, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Characters are their own beings. I just write up their incident reports.

"Don't go chasing waterfalls. Stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to,"

"Drop dead," "Low blow..."

"I would like to apologize... that you, are depriving some village of their IDIOT!"

"Dad, could you stop playing tennis with hitler for just a moment and, yaknow, take a quick call?"

There's a hole in your soul [and something is trying to get out]

I'm exhausted and filled with a longing I don't know how to control.

Longing floods out of me like blood, and I truly haven't learned to properly staunch my wounds.

You're the Hyde to my Jekyll, the Chaos to my Calm. The Hate to my Love, the Lost to my Longing.

I've split myself so far down the middle I'm truly not sure where I end and where I begin.

Sometimes I wonder if joking about not having a soul was ever truly a joke.

I will force feed you a vial of impure salts and then watch as you writhe. Don't test me, kid.

There's something strange, there's something wrong. I see a change, it's like when love dies...

God knows; I am careless; this is the true hour of my death, and what is to follow concerns another than myself.

'If he be Mr. Hyde,' Utterson had thought, 'Then I'll shall be Mr. Seek.'

#quotes #status quotes #quote list #long post

3 notes · View notes

eiremauve · 1 year

Text

This post is brought to you by Disney continuing to inflict Marvel advertisements on me when I'm trying to watch sports.

Anyone who claims that Tony's arc somehow came "full circle" in the devastation that was Endgame is either trying to hoodwink or has been hoodwinked. (Obviously Pepper saying "You're going to kill yourself, Tony. I'm not going to be a part of it." means that he totes will die and she will be there, actually.) Here are some reasons why.

One of the defining things about Tony is his ability to adapt and survive. When he is held captive with shrapnel in his chest, he builds a suit with a box of scraps and blasts his way out. When he gets electrocuted (as in the first Iron Man movie) he alters the suit to handle lightning (as in the first Avengers movie). This trait of his is even mentioned at the beginning of Endgame when he leaves Pepper a message saying that he wished he could pull off a miracle one last time. (Incidentally, this stands for what Tony is incapable of saying to Pepper at the end and is very bloody bleak.)

Since Age of Ultron Tony was concerned about the future, specifically he was worried about an alien invasion. This looms over him and he would like to come up with an actual plan to deal with it but of course no plan ever was. Thanos himself mentions it in the final battle. So of course, when you have a character concerned about the future the thing to do is make sure they don't have any. And if a character is concerned about a villain obviously the thing to do make sure they don't have time to enjoy his defeat.

Another important thing about Tony's arc is family and parenthood. There is an entire conversation between Tony and Yinsen about family. He has issues with his dad-in Iron Man 2 he tells Nick Fury that his father was bad at parenting and we see a see where young Tony is clambering around a structure in Howard's office that will be important later and Howard feels the need to call his wife Maria to deal with his son. Not only does Tony act as a father-figure to two fatherless boys, Peter and Harley, in Endgame he has a daughter. Morgan, like him, has a habit of clambering over things and instead of calling on Pepper he puts her to bed himself. Due to time-travel he has a conversation with his dad who also says that his dad was bad and claims to want to break the cycle of bad fathering. Which, of course, as Tony explicitly said that Howard was a bad father-fission mailed my dude. In a hopeful, sane, full-circle kind of story, this would lead to Tony going back to his family and raising his daughter. As it turns out, Tony is too busy being dead to do so. A dead dad breaks the cycle of bad ones I guess? (Note: I do not want to deal with what Morgan may or may not remember and we all can think what we like…but think of the implications of her being like 5 yourself. And then remember Thanos declaring that he hopes people remember him. Yikes.) And this does not even get into his repeated wish of a life with Pepper, e.g. "So we can end the fight, so we get to go home?"

Also! He has declared that he is Iron Man twice before and in both cases it is happy (he is alive and the day is saved!) and in neither case is he wearing the suit and in fact the second time he says it he says he is Iron Man without any toys. It does make me doubt the Russos et al actually believe that, especially when you consider that both of the 2 Avengers they killed off technically lack superpowers. I guess if you take on the superhero job at Marvel and dare to be important without having superpowers you die.

We Tony stans, especially those of us who (like me) got into Marvel because of Iron Man (2008) really did get punked and showed up to Endgame wearing clown makeup. We weren't literally in Tom Holland's position, told the scene he was in would be a wedding but in actual fact it was a funeral, but we were trolled and are in fact still being trolled, told a pile of broken sticks is totally an arc. While I do sometimes wonder if Kevin Feige did in fact plan this but of course he never had an actual plan-he just put directors and writers who are Cap stans to a ridiculous degree in charge of the Avengers because he is a moron. The result of course, was predictable. After a final battle in which Rodgers gets to be officially declared worthy and use Thor's hammer and in which Tony dies, the subsequent funeral is directly followed by Rodgers getting to undo his sacrifice (cause he totally deserves it) and get to spend the rest of his long life with his old flame. Because the directors and screenwriters wanted to make sure we knew that they could have had Tony and Nat back but of course they wanted them both dead.

#mcu ranting #ranting

0 notes

financialsmatter · 1 year

Text

Sunday Funnies, If You're Not Offended...

Welcome back to this week’s edition of the Sunday Funnies where just three days ago, the politics of “inclusion” officially took precedence over quality of work. Wait! What? Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared to argue Thursday that the performance of White House staff and the Biden Administration should be judged on race, gender and sexual preference. This begs the question: “How many people are actually good at their job?” Jean-Pierre: "The Cabinet is majority people of color for the first time in history. The Cabinet is majority female for the first time in history. A majority of White House senior staff identify is female and a record 7 assistants to the president are LGBTQ+." “So again, this is something that the president prides himself on,” she concluded. Prides himself on? Wow! If this doesn’t tell you how twisted/perverted politics have become then you shouldn’t continue reading our Sunday Funnies. And, no, you can’t make this stuff up. Sad to say this makes you wonder if Ms. Jean-Pierre is familiar with this famous quote: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." ~Martin Luther King~ Ironically (or NOT) this affirmative action clown show in DC is just about the opposite of what Dr. King dreamed about. Seriously, if this keeps up, we wonder how long will it be until they try to rename it the People of Color house? And the public reaction is… And we could argue that the biggest racists are those who actually hire people based on color of the skin. But let’s get back to the Funnies. At times we get criticized for our funnies being “Not Funny” but more politically motivated. And that may be true to an extent. But, then again, if the increasingly bizarro world we’re living in continues unchecked, it will become more acceptable and/or normal. However, what we’re seeing in real time is NOT NORMAL. So, as long as they openly mock us, we don’t feel the least bit bad about mocking them. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. ~Galatians 6:7~ And that’s precisely why we publish the Sunday Funnies. You see, we use our funnies/memes/cartoons in an effort to counter the madness and frustration that accompanies Turbulent Times. Because when it’s all said and done, we all need to laugh every now and then. Why? Laughter is good for your soul. And it’s healthy to be a bit silly…especially in the face of fear mongering, medical tyranny, and especially the threat of WWIII. It’s all the more reason why we won’t apologize…especially if our Funnies just happen to hurt some Progressive/Socialist/Communist/Globalist’s feeeellwwings. And please remember: The Sunday Funnies are not just about our nations bizarre state of politics/finance/beliefs. It’s about awareness of what’s happening in the world that we choose to poke fun at. And, if our funnies/memes/cartoons/etc. provide you with a laugh or two – and/or open your eyes to some stark realities – then we consider that a victory. So, when things tend to get a bit overwhelming, we believe it’s best to remember that Humor is Waaaayyyyy better than Hatred…which is contrary to what the world wants you to believe. And we hope you see the Sunday Funnies as a refreshing oasis in the middle of a parched, dry, and increasingly dark world that we’re living in. As always, we remind you: As difficult as things might appear, Evil Always Overplays its Hand…And Righteousness Prevails. Thanks again for joining us on this crazy journey we’re on and remember America Was Built by the Brave, Not by the Fearful… ******************************** From the Movie “V for Vendetta” (a must watch…circa 2005) to Today’s Reality ************************************** Not Sure if This Should Be Categorized You Can’t Make This Stuff Up or Believe it or Not ********************************************** Giving Away Billions While Supporting Other Nations Borders vs Real Presidential Acts of Kindness **************************************** A Big “Hat Tip” to Goya Foods…Again ********************************** Another Example of the “New Normal” ************************************** How the Presstitutes Are Conditioning You ************************************** More Truth Revealed About the East Palestine Disaster… ************************************ For Those Who Hated Barney the First Time… ************************************ Maybe Not the Loudest, But Certainly One of The Most Annoying… *********************************** When No Words Are Necessary… ************************************ For Gamers of All Ages… **************************************** Has This Ever Happened to YOU? ************************************ Looks Like Don Lemon’s Hatred/Bias Reporting Has Finally Caught Up With Him ******************************** Former Felon and Black Panther Angela Davis, (Millennials, Ask Your Parents About Her) Who Happens to Teach That America Was Built By Racist Colonizers…Has An “Oh, The Irony” Moment ************************************* Gender Confusion and Pronouns Are Distractions From… ****************************************** Another “Why Girls Are Different From Boys” Meme ************************************* How the Staff of Financial$Matter Responds When Asked… ************************************* Once Again, the Haters Want to Blame Trump ************************************ How Our Government Responds to Emergencies… ************************************* Same Breed Same Race…Different Hair Color ************************************* The Pet Version of “Same Breed Same Race…Different Hair Color” The Impossible Stupidity of the "ONE RACE - HUMAN RACE" Worldview…It’s a War On White People ********************************** When Kids Daydream in School… ************************************** Democrats Looking for Answers… ********************************** First Lady Fashion is Begging “Bring Back Melania Trump, Please” ************************************* No Words Are Necessary ********************************* From an Old Song From the 70s… “And the Sign Said Stupid People Need Not Apply” *********************************** Oh, the Irony! ************************************ Once Again, the “Prince of Peace” Destroys Another Myth About Socialism ********************************* ********************************* That’s all for this week’s edition of the Sunday Funnies. And throughout the Political Chaos of 2023, you can expect us to poke fun at the headline grabbers every weekend, as usual. However, if you want to see more risqué and/or NSFW memes you can find them (HERE). As always, we hope you enjoy our memes/cartoons/rants etc. and that they bring a smile to your face. We definitely love to hear your comments so keep ‘em coming. And although the world seems pretty dark these days, we encourage you to see why you have a lot to hope for in 2023 and beyond (HERE). In the meantime, be sure to share these funnies with friends and family members. Caution: They may get offended. But remind them…It’s important to laugh together and laugh often. And be sure to tell them… We’re Not Just About Finance…but we use finance to give you hope. See You Next Sunday… Invest with confidence. Sincerely, James Vincent The Reverend of Finance Copyright © 2023 It's Not Just About Finance, LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Read the full article

0 notes

fireflyoflight · 1 year

Text

MCU Rankings: Iron Man (2008)

My Original Post

TL/DR: I’m re-watching the MCU and reviewing them film by film and giving them a score based on a list of criteria, then ranking them. I’m hoping that I fall back in love with a franchise I once adored until late last year. With that out of the way, let’s get started with the movie that started it all, my personal favorite, Iron Man.

Iron Man is my favorite MCU movie. Back when I fancied the idea of doing this while providing backstories to each movie, I did a lot of research on this movie and the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general. Like, did you know that Marvel had given away rights to so many of their famous properties (Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four) that they had a very small amount of notable heroes to make movies on. They gathered a bunch of kids into a room with pictures of each hero and asked who would they rather play with as a toy. To many Marvel executives’ surprise, it was Iron Man. Keep in mind this is post-Civil War where Tony...wasn’t exactly portrayed in the best light. But, toy sales. And here we are 14 years later. So, needless to say, it was a real treat to jump into this movie.

So, here are the categories I will be ranking each film on: entertainment value (how much I enjoyed the movie), story, acting/cast, Visuals/CGI, Characters, Pacing, World-Building, Humor (if applicable), Technical Aspects (cinematography, editing, costumes, etc.), Action (I mean, this is the MCU, come on), the beginning, the ending, music, and finally, execution.

One last warning: This is 100% my opinion. Movies will be ranked differently than what you would, but I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts as well.

Entertainment Value: 5/5

Like I said before, this is my favorite MCU movie. I could watch it once a week for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy. It is a fun ride from beginning to end and while it isn’t the perfect movie, it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Story: 4/5

Marvel wasn’t in the best place when they started working on this movie so they couldn’t exactly re-invent the wheel. It’s your average super-hero origin story that we have seen over and over again (although it wasn’t too overdone by 2008). I appreciated the updating in some sections, with Vietnam in the original source material being replaced with Afghanistan since America was still in the middle of the Afghanistan war (2001-2014). Tony’s arc was simple, but believable and powerful. He saw the effects of his company (and his father’s legacy) destroy the lives of innocents and promises the turn it around, first by making the Iron Man suit and then vows to use it to protect the weak.

Acting/Cast: 3.5/5

I’m gonna get some hate for this but over the years I have really grown to dislike Gwyneth Paltrow’s performance as Pepper. She and Robert Downey Jr. have very little chemistry and her acting is wooden. She just seems bored the entire time she’s on screen. So that gave this category a pretty big hit. Also, unpopular opinion, Terrence Howard is okay in this. Just okay. Maybe it’s that I’m so used to Don Cheadle’s version of Rhodey who isn’t such a stick in the mud, but he seems so severe.

Jeff Bridges made a great mentor character and an even more surprising antagonist. I remember being floored by finding out that he was behind Tony’s kidnapping. And of course, Robert Downey Jr. was amazing. He is Iron Man. You can still see in the comics today where his performance has influenced how Tony Stark is written to this day.

Plus, RDJ is apparently behind the famous “I am Iron Man” line. This movie saved his career and you can tell he gives 100% the entire time the camera is on him.

(Also, I couldn’t award too many points since he only appeared in an after-credits scene but Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury? *chef’s kiss* Perfection. He was my first introduction to Nick Fury and I can’t imagine another actor portraying him.)

Visuals: 4/5

This movie is stunning, especially considering the budget they were given...well, for 2008. It’s a bit dated now. However, you cannot argue that Tony’s suits look sleek and almost realistic.

Characters: 4/5

Again, have to deduct because Pepper just wasn’t enjoyable to me. Rhodey was okay. I loved his relationship with Tony, especially when they are reunited after Tony escaped from the Ten Rings. You can tell that Tony is his best friend something that is carried out until Tony’s death in Endgame. Stane is a wonderful villain, always keeping his cards close to his chest until the opportune moment and letting Tony underestimate him due to his history as his father’s partner and friend. Stane’s biggest mistake is underestimating people himself. He thought he could cheap out on the assassination by not telling Raza that the target was Tony Stark, which lead to Tony’s capture and the birth of Iron Man. Then, he made the biggest mistake in horror movies by leaving without making sure his opponent was actually dead, which led to Tony managing to make it down to his lab and getting the Mk I Arc Reactor and saving Pepper. Big points had to go to Tony, again because of Robert Downey Jr.’s performance. He is a lovely step up from clumsy adorkable Peter Parker from the Raimi Spider-Man movies and gruff Logan from X-Men and he’s more charming that Reed Richards of the FF duology. Tony Stark knows how to walk into a room and own it--sometimes literally. The guy has chemistry with a disembodied voice and a robot for crying out loud!

Pacing: 4/5

The pacing is good, there are some parts where it is a bit rushed and where it drags a bit but overall, it works well.

World-Building: 4/5

This was the movie that started it all and, like I said in the story section, they didn’t remake the wheel. We got introductions to several characters that will stay with us for the next ten years. My one big complaint is that it just seemed like they killed off the Ten Rings and they weren’t brought up again for 5 years (and even then the less we say about the “Mandarin” in that movie the better). We are also given an introduction to S.H.I.E.L.D (though why it took Phil Coulson an entire movie to use the acronym that they surely had to have used before then, no clue). Speaking of Phil, he was a fun original addition to the cast with Tony and Pepper constantly blowing him off only for him to come in and help save the day at the end.

Humor: 4.5/5

While some of the jokes didn’t land, most did.

Technical Aspects: 4.5/5

This movie is stunning both behind the camera and in front of it. Honestly, my one complaint is the costume department letting Gwyneth Paltrow run around that facility in high heels seven years before we gave Bryce Dallas Howard shit for it in Jurassic World.

Action: 4.5/5

The action in this movie is pretty solid, especially considering all the work they had to do with adding CGI in afterwards.

Beginning: 5/5

This is one of the most iconic opening scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I can quote it all the way until they hit the ambush. It keeps you interested all the way until it cuts back to the award ceremony and you are glued to the screen wondering how the hell Tony got into that mess to begin with since there’s no way in hell he was a soldier.

Ending: 5/5

Likewise, iconic. Extra points for “I am Iron Man”. This scene alone shows just how far Tony has come in such a short time and gave birth to the juggernaut that is the MCU.

Music: 5/5

My dad raised me on classic rock. This soundtrack hits all the best spots. As soon as “Back in Black” starts playing, I know I’m in for a good time, especially with “Iron Man” playing just as the credits begin to roll. No complaints whatsoever.

Execution: 5/5

The movie sets out to give a good origin story to Tony Stark and it does it. It’s filled with quotes I can still recite to this day with an awesome soundtrack. It even managed to make a star out of one of Marvel’s most disliked B-Listers and saved RDJ’s career.

Bonus: Stan Lee Cameo: 4/5 It made me chuckle.

Overall Score: 4.4/5

I wasn’t surprised that it scored this high (I’m also biased but you knew that going into this).

#marvel #marvel cinematic universe #Iron Man #review

0 notes

selfshipstorm · 2 years

Note

Howdy Bear, I'm so sorry that things are stressful for you and hope that you're able the find peace soon ✨💙🥺 I wanted to ask these questions to try and help; feel free to answer whichever you feel inspired to!

• What are your top five favorite books and why?

• What is one of your favorite childhood comfort films and why?

• What flowers do you like the most? Feel free to send photo refs!

• Which element do you relate to the most: earth, wind, air, or fire? Why?

• What are some of your favorite colors? Feel free to send photo refs!

• Feel free to introduce me to Kerry!

Remember to breathe deep, to take time to be quiet, to reflect on the things in life that make you happy, to reach out to people you care / care about you in your IRL space, try and treat yourself with little things like your favorite sweet treats.

If it helps, this quote always gives me comfort when I'm going through extremely stressful times: "Even this too, shall pass". Try to think of future things you're looking forward to, and if you don't have any, try to make some.

I believe in you.

Clover @tex-treasures

Ergh, stressful times, but I hope that a new week sees calmer waters in my future. It's been a rough week, seas got choppy, but i'm still standing and the boat's still upright, so that counts for something. I've got a nice cup of hot apple cider and some donuts, I thought i'd snack while I answered these. Thank you for the inclusion of that lovely quote, I feel like I need to put it up somewhere in my day to day interactions until I get all this ironed out fully. ( Hi, Bear from the future here! This got a bit long. Strap in for some reading. There are pictures and a song to look forward to, though. :) )

The question that immediately jumped out at me was one of my favorite comfort films from childhood. This has reminded me that I need to go back and watch this sometime soon. The Princess Bride. I unabashedly love that movie, and I more than likely always will. I saw it for the first time around age seven or eight, and it stuck with me for years. I can probably recite that entire movie word for word as it plays in front of me. It's a tale of love and loss and friendship and betrayal with a happy ending to close everything off. It was a nice movie, and I will still always laugh at the little bits with the grandfather and grandson telling this story as we see it play out. "As you wish" is one of those movie phrases that is going to be permanently stuck in my brain, no matter what.

Books. The one topic that will always fall close to my heart. I was a child who's friend group was mostly books, only a few real live people. This became a bit of a nostalgia list opposed to favorites, as they're all books i discovered when i was younger, but i do still adore them all, even this long after discovering them. First on my list is Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. Yeah, the one that Shopping Website Company turned into a movie i'm scared to watch, i'm that attached to this book. Catherine's personality as seen through her narration in the diary entry style of writing drew me in, I got a copy of the book from a garage sale in fifth grade for twenty five cents out of a bargain book bin. I fell in love with the tale. Second is Precious Bones by Mika Ashley-Hollinger. The book follows ten year old Bones in the Florida swamplands, circa the late 1940s. Her father, Nolay, is the prime suspect when Bones and her best friend Little Man find one of the real estate developers Nolay had scared off the family land dead at the edge of the swamp after a storm blows in, and foul play is suspected. Bones is determined to figure out the answers and help her father. In case you want to read it, I won't spoil the ending. Third place is taken by The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. This was another chance find, I picked it up from a thrift store because the blurb about the book sounded interesting, and I gave it a read. I thought it was quite an interesting concept, and got rapidly attached to the characters. The story was a little complicated for me to follow the first time through, but once I read it again, I realized how a lot of the puzzle pieces fit. Again, since it's a mystery, I won't spoil the ending. All i'll say is that it follows the story of the inheritance of Sam Westing, the mysterious owner of the Westing Paper Plant. Whoever can solve the mystery of who killed him receives his millions. I can only think of these three at the moment, but they're three books I always come back to.

Flowers! This is so blessed. So, most of my favorite flowers are simply wildflowers, or flowers you can find absolutely everywhere, because i'm simple. Firstly on the list, falls railroad lillies. I know that's not what they're called, but that's what I grew up calling them. I'm not sure of their actual name. They're these lovely orange lillies that tend to grow in abundance near railroad tracks, in ditches, or other out of the way places, hence their name. I'm also incredibly fond of larkspur ( particularly blue ), queen anne's lace, and black-eyed susans!

Now, for the Info Dump. You gave me an excuse to talk about Kerry ( and by extent, CP2.077. ) so I will most definitely be doing that. Also, i apologize in advance for the word dividing, I do not want to be perceived by the fandom if it's still living on this website. They're here to critique things and play the game as it's meant to be played and i'm here to run around and look at all the visuals while Johnny chirps in my ear like an off key canary because I do all the sidequests before continuing with the actual plot of the game. Anyhow, imagine with me if you will. History proceeded a bit differently, and we are in a future where technological advancements have surged forward at an astounding rate. The year is 2077, and we're in the free city-state of Ni.ght City, located on the coast of what once would have been central California. However, technically we first meet Kerry in a flashback. 2023. A lot of things happened in 2023, including the end of Samurai and the attack on Ara.saka Tower. We first meet Kerry when he's trying ( albeit unsuccessfully ) to talk Johnny out of the attack. ( A moment of interlude here, just to mention that I love that his design in the 2023 flashback stays true to his design in the original Cyb.erp.unk 2013/2020 ttrpg source material. That was a detail that could have easily been overlooked or ignored, but they stayed true to his original design, at least for the moments in the past. I appreciate that nod to the source material. ) Back to the future ( heh ) to meet Kerry for the second time, when Johnny insists we check up on his old bandmate and so we sneak into his mansion to sit and play guitar to make him trust us and realize it's actually Johnny. Of course, after Samurai broke up, Kerry made it big on his own, leading to his successes and the mansion on the good side of town. Johnny was worried about him after seeing some troubling headlines about Kerry's mental state, and wanted to make sure his friend was alright, that being the main reason Johnny eggs the player on to go check on Kerry.

Now. On to the man himself! Back in his Samurai days, Kerry filled the role of vocal and lead/rhythm guitar, and had the same dream Johnny did. Changing the world through music. However, he and Johnny didn't always agree on the methods, and this lead to some rough patches between the friends, Kerry even making a few grand tries at leaving the band, but his somewhat complex relationship with Johnny would always pull him back. Samurai officially ended with Johnny's departure, and left Kerry in a rough patch. That rough patch eventually lead him back to his roots, and he stayed on Masbate in the Philippines for two years to re-gather the pieces and see what he could pull out of it all. He returned and launched an exceptionally successful solo career, that after a little leg work, took off. An unexpected turn in his life was the marriage and the kids, but all that left him with was the now ex-wife getting a decent chunk of their shared possessions, and the kids, and promptly shutting him out of their lives. He tried to keep in contact, but the ex-wife was having none of it, and used most of Kerry's well meaning if misguided attempts at positive relations to prevent his kids from idolising him. As of the game's events he appears to be still a popular artist, although he's afraid of falling to the shadows, and he cares an immense amount about the public opinion, keeping tabs on articles relating to himself. He's started losing inspiration, however, rather understandably after almost half a century in the spotlight. His missions in the game are some of the most fun because you get to go around town with him and break things and cause chaos, and it all starts because a new girl group used one of his songs, and he's angry that he was never informed about it. However, if you play your cards right in the game, and this is how I choose to see my canon, there's a happy ending where Kerry partners with the girls on a new project and starts plotting his revenge against his manager who went behind his back, knowing that he can't just outright fire his manager thanks to the hold the manager has on his music. And here in the timeline begins the romance options, and I change canon a BUNCH from here on out. Boy, oh boy, I sound like the wiki. /lh Kerry is a man with a very long rollercoaster of a past, that has left him with doubts around himself, his music, and the people he surrounds himself with. I just want to be able to be there for him, hype him up when he needs it and show him that, at the very least, i'm not going anywhere. <3 ( i will also be subjecting you to him singing, please enjoy :D )

youtube

And here is his face for you to look at ( some of my favorite pictures i've gathered ) :)

Thank you for the ask and for the lovely distraction. @tex-treasures

#opening the mailbox #tex-treasures #this turned into an essay #it got very long #dont feel obliged to reply to any of this/gen #but if this brings up more questions feel free to ask them #im praying this all formats right and doesn't break ive been at this forever-#tales from the cave #< i talked abt myself so it fits there #🗡🎸 || don't take love off the table yet #🎵 || k.e.#'i believe in you' thank you <3

1 note · View note