#and for those of you curious enough to see this film its nothing like this artwork | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

innuendostudios · 1 year

Text

youtube

A new video essay has appeared. The second Protagony, this time looking at Abed Nadir and the weird way modern audiences treat the fourth wall.

If you like this video and would like to see more Protagony, Alt-Right Playbook, and what else have you in the future, consider backing me on Patreon!

Transcript below the cut:

The doors open. The line starts to move. The usher takes your ticket and points in the direction of your seat. Preshow music plays over the soundsystem as you side-shuffle past the knees of the folks in your row. You stick your bag and your jacket under the seat and sit down. You leaf through the playbill, futz around on your phone, until music starts to fade. The lights in the auditorium dim and the lights come up on the stage. The show is beginning.

This is one of those plays set in a single location: three walls on the stage represent the interior of a French bistro. French bistros typically have at least four walls, and that’s where you come in: the lip of the stage - what theatre nerds call “the proscenium” - is where the fourth wall would be, and it’s your job to pretend it’s there. Or - let me rephrase that: it’s your job to ignore that it’s not. That is the bargain you make when the lights go down.

To the characters onstage, everything inside those walls is real, and nothing on the other side of that fourth wall exists. The ambient noise, the guy two rows down and four seats over who’s clearly playing Words with Friends, even you yourself, you are - and this is a nerd word again - “non-diegetic.” You’re here, but you exist outside the story.

That is, until…

[Picasso at the Lapin Agile]

EINSTEIN: My name is Albert Einstein

FREDDIE: You can’t be, you just can’t be!

EINSTEIN: Sorry, I’m not myself today. (fluffs up his hair so he looks like Einstein.) Better?

FREDDIE: No no, that’s - (pause for laughter.) No no, that’s not what I mean. In order of appearance.

EINSTEIN: Come again?

FREDDIE: In order of appearance. You’re not third. (aside, to audience member) Excuse me, ma’am, can I borrow your program? (to Einstein) You’re fourth. It says so right here: Cast in order of appearance. I knew you were fourth. I knew it when you walked in.

[/Picasso at the Lapin Agile]

This is what we call “breaking the fourth wall,” and Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a great show for demonstrating it because the character Freddy literally reaches his hand through the wall and into the audience. Like many fourth wall breaks, this is played for laughs, because it’s a kind of narrative transgression; you’re not supposed to do that. When the diegetic intrudes upon the non-, the audience is reminded of all the things they were ignoring: that this is not a French bistro in 1904, but a bunch of plywood flats and actors in pancake makeup and period dress. The disbelief that was suspended is brought back to school, as it were.

But what I want to highlight is how durable the fourth wall is. For starters, in order for this joke to work, the audience has to be already suspending its disbelief; the boundary must be drawn before it can be broken. And, shortly after this gag, Einstein exits, Germaine enters [“Sorry I’m late”], Freddy makes a little wink to the audience [“You’re not late, you’re fourth”], and the scene continues as if nothing had happened. The audience wraps itself back up in the story, and the fourth wall is rebuilt, so that, when it’s broken later in the show [“When will you be there?” “When the play is over.”] it’s funny again! If the wall had stayed down, that joke wouldn’t work.

Why do we build the wall? So we can have a wall to break.

Often enough, these acknowledgements - in theatre but also film, novels, video games - any time a narrative reminds you of its own artifice, it is contained such that it does not disrupt the narrative too much. It operates like the soliloquies in Shakespeare or the songs in musicals. When Deadpool speaks to the audience, everyone around him goes deaf.

But what I got curious about, when I first read Francesco Casetti’s Inside the Gaze - or rather I read the glossary because it’s very dense Italian film theory and I was nineteen - was, what if you didn’t make that bargain when the lights went down? What if breaking the fourth wall wasn’t a disruption of the narrative, because the story is built such that the artifice is part of the narrative? Can you break the fourth wall… diegetically?

Now, that was a punchy idea as a teenager. As a man in his late thirties, I am aware this idea has been approached many times in many ways throughout the history of storytelling [Brecht: “Am I a joke to you?”]. We’re currently living in a golden age of metanarrative where most major properties have folded the audience’s relationship to that property into the text. But I wanna talk about my favorite example: Abed Nadir.

Now, my feelings about the show Community are… mixed, but I love me some Abed. [“pretty adorable”] Abed is a pop culture-damaged perpetual college student raised by his television, who loves TV to the point where it’s his primary metaphor for looking at the world. In other words, he’s an American millennial. His tendency to filter his life through sitcom tropes is lent a certain pointedness by being a character on a tropey sitcom. Por exemplo, when Annie asks him for help [“Phoebe and Chandler” clip], or when the new school year coincides with the conclusion of the previous season’s arcs [“self-contained capers” clip], or when it looks like he’s going to spend the day locked in study hall [“starting to feel like a bottle episode” clip]. In these moments, Abed Nadir is not breaking the fourth wall. He may not fully understand that real life doesn’t have bottle episodes, but this is real life to him. He’s not seeing the cameras pointing at him, he’s not disrupting the narrative by winking at a sitcom audience.

But there is a sitcom audience - we are the sitcom audience - and the writers did just use Abed to wink at us. “Cooperative Calligraphy” is a bottle episode. Abed is speaking diegetically to his friends, who read his comments as the pop culture references they are, but they double as things a person who was breaking the fourth wall might say. [“This is totally meta” clip] The rules of narrative are not transgressed, and, yet, we are, all the same, constantly reminded that we’re watching a work of fiction.

This kind of interreference, in which a sitcom points constantly at itself, at other sitcoms, and at “The Sitcom” as a medium, can come across kind of masturbatory. David Foster Wallace argued that the pop culture reference in mass media serves three functions: “(1) to help create a mood of irony and irreverence, (2) to make us uneasy and so ‘comment’ on the vapidity of U.S. culture, and (3) most important, these days, to be just plain realistic.” I would say (2) is far less prevalent now than when he was writing.

The reality is this: how you gonna write a twentysomething millennial in 2009 who doesn’t talk a lot about what’s on television? This is a conundrum many writers face. There is still the High culture urge to make art that is timeless, that avoids what Foster Wallace referred to as “the frivolous Now,” and the Low culture necessity of not looking dated eight months after you air. This can be approached many ways: you can avoid reference and just take the verisimilitudinous hit; you can create fictional, in-universe pop culture for your characters to reference; you can reference pop culture that is old enough to be considered timeless, functionally setting your story in a different “frivolous Now,” e.g. the way Sex Education and Life is Strange are both canonically set in the present but are aesthetically set in the late seventies and early nineties, respectively; or you can embrace chaos and just reference contemporary culture.

But, once you’re a show on TV with characters referencing other shows currently airing on TV, things might get a little meta, especially shows that lean into it the way Community does. So what does this do to the fourth wall? That supposedly sanctified construct, the violation of which is most often either a failure or an act of deliberate anarchy? How are we to suspend disbelief for stories that don’t even pretend not to be fake, and whose primary pleasure is in acknowledging the fakery?

Abed is, to me, a distillation of the modern audience’s more intricate relationship to the fourth wall. Art imitates life, and when much of life is spent discussing popular art, popular art begins to discuss itself. And art that discusses itself requires a more liminal relationship to the fourth wall. These days we don’t choose to either see it or ignore it, but pay both kinds of attention at once, letting the fourth wall, as needed, fade in and out of visibility, like glass when it catches the light, or seeing your face in the monitor when it fades to black. This was maybe inevitable in a media-saturated environment where the lines between audience, participant, and creator continue to blur, where we watch even straightforward media with an eye towards how it’s made, because we imagine making something like it ourselves one day, or because any viewing experience is potential #content. In a world where it is rarer and rarer to experience art in a darkened theatre that shuts out the world, but where it’s watched on phones during bus rides, in the background while cooking, in an open tab while writing emails. We keep fiction and reality running in tandem, shifting between them with little more than a saccade. The real world isn’t forgotten but edged out of the foreground during a cigarette break.

What tickles me is that Brecht violated suspension of disbelief to create distance between the fiction and its audience. But postmodern reflexivity just makes Abed relatable. He watches TV the same way we watch Community. You can imagine him watching his own show and responding much the way I am now: OK, so you want me to mentally construct a fourth wall that the performers will pretend is there, but the writers will constantly - and entertainingly - bring to my attention its nonexistence, such that I need to suspend my disbelief while thinking about the fact that I am suspending it, which should be mutually-exclusive modes of thought, but, to even understand what I’m watching, I’ll need to do both at once?

Cool.

Cool cool cool.

#Youtube

132 notes · View notes

starbuck09256 · 7 months

Text

Popcorn and horror

Tagging @today-in-fic and @xffictober2023

Season 2 Mulder has missed Scully.

Mulder POV

I knocked on her door, bouncing slightly on my heels. I have popcorn and one of those horror films she loves. She’s here, back from a place she still has no memory of. While I beg in my mind to find out more about what happened to her, her distant looks and the way she touches her much longer hair have caused me to take a step back from my normal interrogation style of curiosity. In truth, while I am desperate to know where she has been, I have missed her immensely in these last few months. I still wake to her voice on my voicemail, screaming for my help while I imagine the horrific truths of abduction stories I have heard. Even though it is Saturday night and she could of course be out, living the life that was taken from her for days on end, I’m hoping almost praying that she is home. That she is wrapped in those big fluffy robes she likes. I wait with my next breath stuck in my throat in anticipation.

Her soft footfalls are barely discernable from the TV in the background. She opens the door and I am greeted by my brilliant partner, shorter than normal without her heels, in the big fluffy robe just like I imagined. I can’t help the large grin as it spreads across my face in sheer delight. I peek through her door, and she gives me a warm smile and a soft “hi”. “I didn’t know you were coming by? Is there a case?” her voice is curious. I don’t usually just show up at her door. No, I've been romancing her mind for over a year because nothing gets Dana Scully more interested than clues, muddled with theories and the small sliver of details I always withhold from her. She thinks I do it because then she could easily dismiss me at the beginning, but it’s not why I leave out certain things. I know she, like me, loves the challenge, she loves the mystery, and that is why I’m here on a Saturday night with a microwaveable bag of popcorn and a horror movie. I want to know more about the mystery that is Dana Scully. In fact, I want to know everything about her now that she is here to stay.

She welcomes me into the apartment, its always tidy and smells of lemon pine sol. I look over to the TV and sure enough my lovely companion this evening is watching “Superstars of the Superbowl.” I can’t help my wicked grin. “I knew you would like it.” Even my voice is smug. She turns and clicks off the tv with the remote. “You know I’m only watching because of the defensive pick 6 with the 96 yard return.” I grin. Scully loves football. When we have a stakeout on Thursdays or Mondays sports radio is on, and to see her animated while the plays are read in the seat next to me is more than a turn on than I’m willing to admit. Scully even bets on the games. Several of the other agents in the bureau have learned of her prediction skills and are somewhat fearful of her growing accuracy.

I hold up the horror movie, I know she had mentioned wanting to see it before she was taken. She gives me a smile that I’m somewhat convinced could light up all of space as she takes the case in her hand. “Put the popcorn in and grab the 2 beers out of the fridge,” she says already popping out the Superbowl highlights and sliding in our horror movie night. I dutifully pop the popcorn putting it in a large bowl for us to share and grabbing the beers. I kill the lights and sit next to her. She clinks my beer bottle with hers and settles in a little closer to me. My arm stretches out around her shoulders as I snuggle in for the night of terror.

In the morning, when my eyes barely register the light shining through her sheer curtains, I feel her breath against my neck, her leg tucked in between mine as he body covers most of me. My hands have slipped under her shirt as I hug her slightly closer than I would have dared before. I’ll have nightmares for the next week from the film. But at least last night the women of my dreams kept the distant forces at bay.

#mulder and scully #msr #xfiles #fanfic #myfic #msr fanfic #season 2 #movie night

21 notes · View notes

itsgoghtime · 10 months

Text

I have a little story to tell…

*skip past the writing if you only want to see the pictures haha*

I know it’s not like… super important or anything, but I just have to tell someone how this quilt came about cause there really isn’t anyone to tell haha

In November, I found myself in the middle of an endless winter (seriously, the snow piles were 5 feet high and rising, like the Johnny Cash song) and I needed change. I needed something to distract myself with.

During this period, I had also decided I needed a new hobby. I had recently made the dive back into writing, but there was something missing.

As ironic as it is, I was on Instagram - which rarely happens nowadays - and found a quilt pattern that I instantly fell in love with.

this is the pattern for those who are curious - no secrets here haha

I sat on the idea for a month - I’m an anxious money spender (great for my bank account, not so great for any sort of aspiring to new hobbies like quilting) so nothing happened for a while. Then, on the spur of a moment, I bought the pattern.

And the pattern sat in the bottom drawer of my dresser for another month. (Almost two actually)

My friend finally convinced me that I needed to do something for me (for once) and so I made a trip to the fabric store and bought the yellow fabrics.

On the spur of a moment, in early January, I began cutting fabric. There was a moment where I really realized how much I was going to have to cut - and so I recruited a friend and let me tell you, for the next three weeks, we spent almost every evening together cutting fabric. We made a playlist of music we both enjoyed and kept adding to it and watching random films as we did so - it was a LOT.

And then - all the fabric was cut. But now we had to sew all the pieces together.

That took another month - stats to follow at the end because I think they really put this into perspective.

It was during this time I began watching The Mysterious Benedict Society. My good heavens friends, I loved this show from Episode One - and I had to share it with everyone I knew. (There will be a lil part about this at the end, cause I love you all so much)

We spent another threeish weeks sewing pieces together (again, stats to follow) - but we spent literally basically every day together making it happen.

To kinda skip some stuff - I chose the blues/whites on the back sometime in March, and I made the pattern myself (not crazy, it’s just a bunch of squares, and if you look at it at an angle, they’re lil hearts 🥺

I put the back together, which didn’t take long at all, and then got fleece to put in the middle as filler.

Long story short - there’s lots of issues that I had - right before I took it in for quilting, I washed the layers and had some holes that opened since some of the edges weren’t quite 1/4”, so that was frustrating. Also ran into some issues of the backing and the fleece not being big enough to allow quilting.

I ended up finally taking it in to be officially quilted on May 8th - to one of my aunts.

I got the quilt back (she had quite a few before mine haha) this last Monday, June 26.

Made the last trip to the fabric store on Friday, and did the binding yesterday - that was quite the adventure - this thing weighs like… 10-15 pounds, I swear. And not to mention, its 7ish feet by 9ish feet long.

What an absolutely wild adventure.

I have met the kindest, most genuine - and funny people in the history of ever because I watched MBS while I was doing this quilt. If I hadn’t started the quilt, I might’ve not seen MBS - and I might not have met all my amazing mutuals.

Lots of good things come so unexpectedly, you know?

Here, my friends, are the statistics:

- the design is 10x13 - totaling in 130 total squares

- each square has:

- 3 rectangles (390 total)

- 2 lil white squares for the corner of the stars (260 total)

- 2 each of color and white squares, sewn together at an angle to make 4 mismatched triangles that make the sharp pointy edges of the stars (520 total)

this means each square has 9 pieces that are sewn together. two different designs, so they match up to make stars at their junctions.

then, the back’s a lot simpler hehe - 64 pieces, we won’t count the extra white on the sides cause that’s technically part of the binding

IN CONCLUSION - this quilt has a total of 1,234 individual pieces

the front - all the Number Two vibes. when I first started watching MBS, it brought me so much joy that she always was wearing some sort of shade of yellow and that my quilt was just like that.

the back - Nathaniel vibes. the blues and the crisp whites, the fish kinda remind me of the island haha - but @sophieswundergarten bringing up that he wakes up in her childhood room just brought it full circle. two of my favorite characters represented on the same quilt - GAH (again, Nathaniel after his redemption arc, and specifically his arc in @nobody33333333 ‘s SOS, because to some degree, I can relate)

I’d like to think that Nicholas has quilts like this in his house - maybe even a quilt for everyone that represents them cause he seems like the type to have that.

thank you all for coming to this incredibly long TedTalk and for being so kind about it - I’m super proud of this quilt and I’ve been so excited to share it with someone!

#kinda mbs #you guys - I’m just so proud of this #it’s probably my favorite thing I’ve done #thank you for being so supportive and kind and all the things #you are the best

28 notes · View notes

mylittlemermaid221 · 12 days

Note

in celebration of the release week, rank songs from ttpd in terms of your excitement/curiosity about each one hehe 🤍

omg this is a good one!! Thank youuuuu 🥰🥰

So Long, London - its a tiny bit cliche maybe but London boy was one of my favs from lover so this one is going to tear me apart. I fear it might be like All too well but I also think she could just go full rock and anger and reputation

But daddy I love him - I mean in my head its a little mermaid reference, no doubt. Obviously no one knows how this song really goes so maybe its not a reference but in my head it is and alway will be. Like the film also came out in 1989, thats not a coincidence (sorry just went full clowning swiftie there 😅)

Fresh out of the slammer - Oh my god I need to know what kind of song this is going to be! Like is it anger or is it just so depressing I won't come outside for at least a week after the release? 😭

My boy only breaks his favorite toys - I have a feeling that the lyrics on this one are going to be devastating...😭 Like the whole album will but I have a feeling this will be peak Taylor story telling.✨

Who's afraid of little old me? - Oh again I have this dilemma like whats it gonna be?! how will it sound?! I think it will be slander and reputation and rock and stuff but again its Taylor, it might just be the most depressing thing you've ever heard. 😃

I can fix him (No really I can) - I don't know why but for some reason I'm going for the long titles. 😆😅 Anyway I just think the title is really funny and I need to know if and how she will sing those words.

loml - Another tricky one. I read theories that loml could not only stand for love of my life but maybe she'll end up changing it in loss of my life or something depressing. Maybe it will be about Travis and its just a happy love song! ❤️

Florida!!! - This is definitely going to be like the ultimate summer festival vibe banger, trust me, it will be that. If not, don't blame me. 😜

The tortured poets department - Another one where I don't know what to expect but the title makes me very excited! ✨ I mean its the title track so it must be something good.

I can do it with a broken heart - Again, I need to see the lyrics, I need to know the story she's going to tell.

The smallest man who ever lived - Omg actually I should've put this one higher but its just so many songs I'm excited for! This is another one that I'm like whats the story going to be? Will it be a country genre? Will it be like evermore/folklore? The title give us a little peak thats big enough for us to be like 'oh I know what this is about' but when you go think about it... you know nothing at all.

Guilty as sin? - Another tricky one... to be honest no idea what its going to be about, no predictions about the genre or style or something but the title sounds very promising. That's with all these songs really, the titles are its own poetry and we haven't even heard any of the lyrics. 😍🥰

Clara Bow - Another girl in the taylor universe! If its going to be anything like the last american dynasty, sign me up! I did research about Clara Bow (okay I lied, I saw an instagram real 😆) about it and her whole persona just makes me curious about this song.

Fortnight - From now on we have the song of which I have literally no idea what its going to sound like, whats it about. No thoughts in my head. 😅

Down Bad - The title sounds so cool but thats it. Furthermore I have no idea about this song.

The Alchemy - Maybe is the one lowest on the list the one I'm most curious of because I see this title and I just have zero thoughts how it will be. And I know it will definitely surprise me and end up being one of my faves, that always happens. 😂🥰

Bonus: Bonus Tracks

The black dog 🖤

The manuscript 🤍

The albatross 🩶

The bolter 🩶

I chose the black dog first cause that's the edition I preordered so it already has a special place in my heart 🖤 For the others I just went with the titles that sounded cool to me and like the aesthetics I picture in my head because I have no predictions furthermore, again. 😆😅

This was soooooo fun to do!!! It became quite the essay but I kind of made it my testament which I can refer back to once we hear the actual song. I mean if I got any of my predictions right, you'll know cause I won't shut up about it🙃 Thank you so much for your ask, Bel! 😍🥰 Always love seeing your name in my inbox 💖💖💖

#lovely people #asks #Bel #taylor swift #tortured poets #the tortured poets department #ttpd

2 notes · View notes

torturecave · 4 months

Note

HEYy anon from last questions here!! I got SO excited when you replied oh gosh it made my day!!! I love your takes on this franchise and these two so much, thank you for the insightful answer and for taking the time to reply, that was so kind of you and I appreciate it <3

I really wanted to know as like I said, literally your art is SO SO pleasing and good!!!!! your style is like nothing I have ever seen in an amazing way and I love how soft, touchy and dynamic it feels, it just gives me a sense of warmth that I cant get enough of ! <3 warning I started typing too much accidentally ops sorry in advance, excuse me any typos too its like 5am and i'm going wild hahah ;w;;

I was very curious with how you thought of Branch and Poppy now as I noticed how fond you were of their intimate pranch take, honestly maybe both takes can still coexist, I feel like Poppy was all down for being like that with Branch even before TWT, but he just wanted a confirmation to act on cuz he's a dork and needs it and fears the worst, and so Poppy found it hard to understand if there was consent in a sense maybe? The way in the start they basically hold hands (I think the hair intertwined is canonically supposed to be this, which is adorable af and shows just how comfortable Branch is with Poppy touching him ;;w;). And looking at it like that it is so sweet that he had so much fear and angst about his feelings being returned, I imagine everyone being like "wait you weren't dating already?". Pop trolls did see them ball dance in a pot while being cute as heck aughh i cant with them i love them and their slow burn. Really I still appreciate how the first movie ends with Branch asking for a hug, it shows how touch starved he was and how much he loves and trusts her now even if he's slow and clumsy at it, he doesn't ask for a group hug, he specifically waits when they're alone to get it, so adorable, he fell so hard, 10/10..

OH DON'T GEt me started on the hot air ballon scene, it is legitimately my favorite moment of the movie regarding both of them. It's filled with so much tension?... It being at midnight, the bickering, the way Poppy simply has to stare lovingly at Branch and he just can't take it, just looks!!!.... Wow. Thank you Dreamworks

Just like the first film, Poppy simply KNOWS Branch will jump in and come help her, she's really just hoping it doesn't take him a whole musical montage in which she's dying like last time, which is why I think she's so relieved, because I know she must realize Branch is following her no matter what, they just can't be separated !!! Much less now. :D

So that was a perfect little moment.. I think your wife was the one who made the little essay on how in the first film despite Poppy crashing his bunker, she's confident and not even surprised he came and how that's so telling, I just love the fact that Poppy from the start knows Branch deep down is soft and how despite being a happy bundle of sunshine Poppy also has her rather cruel ways of getting what she wants and is very very smart and smug. Makes their dynamic way more endearing X)

Incel Branch kills me, he has to be the a rare case for sure in this village help! A bit unrelated rambling coming but have you seen Holiday In Harmony special? In it he's ALL about his gf unashamed and unaware of how trolls think he's being strange and it is so funny. He also replaced all of his paranoid trauma carving in his bunker with Poppy related things and it kills me gosh, in one of the notes he calls her "My queen" too, god, hes down BAD!!! I love it T,,T

AAHH holy damn i'm chuckling hard at your observation about Girl's Just Want To Have Fun.... Wow Branch. What is up with that like you gotta wonder if it was intentional.. And he's also secretly lovingly caressing a picture of them (And on the spot /she's/ in!!!!). Doesn't help too that in the original storyboard he was naked.. Much thinking about this from now on from me, thank you very much for pointing it out X)

Those concepts/aus your wife and you had have been on my mind so often, thank to her too for her work, I absolutely also adore her artworks!! It's very nice to know that you two are happily together, I imagine it was fun for you two to grow and still keep watching the silly trolls franchise as more movies kept being done :DDD

Also she's absolutely right with her observation on TWT and TBT oh my gosHHHH. Poppy and Branch taking turns in being obsessed with each other is such a delightful way to describe it, they are so freaking cute. And the way she describes the first movie is spot on yes you get me!!!!! There's a beauty in just seeing them bond and how natural it feels. I still adore the mere fact that both of them actually have some sort of history and dare I say tension from the start that makes them so so good. The beggining in which Branch is obviously waiting for his invitation when warning Poppy and I can just imagine him sneaking into the scene to grab the smashed invitation while Poppy pretends she doesn't notice he did or deep down has to know he appreciates them because she keeps making them special for him and it is so sweetttt!!....

Stuff like that gets my imagination going wild X) and the scenery and exchanges as you say are so so nice :D I could go on and on about the first film but I enjoyed all of the movies for different reasons, definitely agree with you! I was very hesitant at first about TBT, but it surprised me for good!!! AND OH TRUE COLORS IS FOREVER BEST THEM SCENE ,,,, The intimacy and gentleness it has kills me everytime, the moment Poppy touches him and the color starts splashing back to him from the hand she touched instead of normally to emphasize SHE makes him happy is sublime and how they cant stop looking at each other gosh... Perfect perfect perfecttt !!! >www< ALSO later on their secret handshake and whole flirty dance it's just, a BIG catharsis to go after everything they went through !!!

Also I can tell you enjoyed Viva, she was so fun and well, having more than one Poppy is simply guaranteed to be a treat ;;w;; definitely a bit I loved even if I couldn't believe they were going with the lost sibling stuff first X) How do you think Branch is handling being constantly braided and hyped by basically an older version of her gf at least in a superficial level? There's gotta be some funny feelings there somehow or at least I like to think. On a related note, also notice how lowkey horny Poppy gets about Branch's brothers, she is too much, I know it's because she's a fangirl but the similarities they share with Branch have to play a part too imo 0v0

I wish the movie would have shown us more of their sister moments, really found it more endearing than the brozone plot even if that was fun too ;v; I cant stop looking at your doodle where Viva is holding baby Poppy AUugh SO ADORABLE I LOVE IT SO MUCH we needed a moment like that in the movie you are doing god's work!!!<333

Also last thing but thoughts on Branch being called a boy toy? That shocked me when I watched TWT like damn does he seem that submissive? Poor guy.. Also the whole rock zombies moment in general just had a kinky tone somehow lmao. I bet rock trolls must have different social norms, really I adore how pop trolls seem to stand out thanks to being captured for so long, so much that they're the only ones who hug each other to cope with this. I really find the worldbuilding interesting in that regard!!

Now i'm just rambling nonsense hahah i'll try to stop now before I end up crashing tumblr somehow X) I'm sorry for that, I have so much thoughts about these movies and pranch/broppy and you and your wife just get it so much!!! Thanks again for the reply and taking your time on it, really appreciated and i'll keep an eye open for more stuff you post!!! It makes me happy to see you around, as I said, lovely art and content in general (Goes to your wife as well, you 2 are very talented!!!!) and you are so so kind!!!! Thank you <3 btw no need to reply to all of this or any haha, I just needed to get out some stuff cuz I loved your replies so much! I'll try to not spam on your askbox, im just a huge fan of how insighful and how nice your blog is!!! Though if you mind me asking so much let me know and i'll stop right away ;w; !

Last thing, regarding the underwear/clothing, that explains a lot thanks for sharing your thoughts,,, it's amusing that we get to see Branch slapped on the butt casually (Which you know always wanted to see it but coming from Poppy, like that art you did years ago 0v0) yet Poppy must not be lewded because if she had the power to show us how lewd she is these movies could not go on, she would be TOO powerful!!! Just look at how she growls at Branch X)))

Once again, thank you for reading my cringy fanboying, your thoughts and content in general makes my heart happy !!! <33 Have a nice day anytime you catch this :D *runs away once more*

Hello again! ^^ / Nice to see you again, and I'm happy to see my reply could do so much for you... Your ask was very refreshing and delightful to see! The same goes for this one as well. :3 It's nice to hear from someone who not only has an appreciation for my work but also the movies themselves. So you don't have to worry about typing too much either heh. (Honestly I would've answered this question sooner — I was immediately drafting my reply — but I got nerfed by a recent power outage + getting sick bwahaha. The world trying to stop me from talking about trolls...)

I will take a moment to really appreciate how you think my art is so unique. I don't want to sound too full of myself, but I do find that what I want to make / isn't something I can easily find...! I can accept it is particular... and that it can be enjoyed for that reason. >w>

I agree! I think the reality is that whatever Branch feels for Poppy is already reciprocated by TWT... To the point where I imagine that after TWT, whenever Branch had a conversation with Poppy about dating (?) she was probably like 'haha, why didn't you say so Branch!?' If he wanted that 'status' she would've been happy to oblige I think, nothing's stopping them... And whatever intimacy that included, she'd be eager for it as well.

Trying to word something here, huhm... I wonder if Poppy, on her own, wouldn't necessarily expect to be 'more' than Branch's best friend? She definitely knows she's special to Branch, enough to tease him over it lol, so I don't think she doubts her importance to him so much. ... And perhaps it's hard to, as Branch is still less social than the avg. troll, persnickety about being touched and whatnot. There's plenty of exclusivity in their bond. (Indeed no one is intertwining their hair so cutely with Branch-!!) It might be that Poppy is just happy to be... whatever she is to Branch, in that moment.

Though for Branch, he benefits from something as definitive as being Poppy's boyfriend. Because no one else is Poppy's boyfriend. Lots of trolls in the village are Poppy's 'friends', and she's probably called many of them her 'best friends' as well — Bridget currently occupies that niche after all. It isn't exclusive to be those things... And I think for Branch, it isn't reassuring to feel as though he is 'on the same level' as... Biggie or Cooper etc.

The REASON it is devastating to watch Fuzzbert high-five Poppy after he failed to is, because, it exemplifies the very things he doesn't want to be true. Like noooo HE CAN'T HAVE A WORSE CONNECTION TO POPPY THAN FUZZBERT...!!! He can't be a lower rung! In her life! Than Fuzzbert! He needs to DO more for her than that!! He needs to have some sort of... implicit value. I'm extrapolating a lot, but I wonder if being 'like Fuzzbert' would make Branch feel expendable, replaceable, basically not precious enough. Regardless of the fact that Poppy cares muchly for her village... but well, that's the thing, as a queen she is obligated to care for her subjects... It's not special, necessarily. And further doomer-incel thinking is to conclude, it's also not 'special' enough to love Poppy because EVERYONE loves queen Poppy... loving her a lot won't set you apart from all the other trolls...

TBT adds an interesting depth to Branch's misery, he... really believes it was his fault BroZone's performance went so badly, and that everyone left. As much as he believes he killed his grandma... It seems Branch has grown into someone who is very sensitive to the idea of abandonment. Unlike Poppy, Branch cannot reassure himself that he will stay in anyone's life, definitively... It didn't matter how much he loved his brothers, or grandma Rosie, they were equally taken from him. He's been isolated for many years without 'proof' that things will be different...

(I'm not sure if Abandonment Issues Branch is really Dreamworks' intention but I like what they've written here. As you can see my mind's been running wild with threading all the events together from all 3 movies. Tasty conclusions.)

While I'm here like a madman, I will share a tangent related to this all. :) Just something I've been thinking about lately... Even though I don't see Poppy jumping at the bit to date Branch quite like he is in TWT, it isn't out of a lack of enthusiasm or interest or anything like that... JUST that Poppy is more easily satisfied with not putting a term to their dynamic. Quite frankly I think she would be completely receptive to Branch romancing her... surprisingly early in the timeline!! Like as far back as movie 1? It's Branch who's been resisting her this whole time. I think she'd be like. Kind of, agog, if he was suddenly forward with her... if he recited poetry directly to her, even? Since he won't sing.

There's a point where Poppy is so so soo determined to even crack a smile out of Branch, to befriend him and sing with him. I think you could like. OVERWHELM HER, even, with the proposal of romance LMAO, I think it'd be like akdkjf..f jgdhfk what is this /// BRANCH LIKE ME MOMENT!? BRANCH... really... THE mysterious Branch kfkdfhs he doesn't like anyone.. ... 0.0 but he liek me? // omg //// but , waitactually yeah there's always been something here.. between us... hasn't there... 😏

So yeah this is just me saying not only do I think Poppy is receptive to Branch in TWT, I think she would be in the first movie, and, I think he could do, a lot, I think he could earnestly court and kiss that one tbh. If he put on the charm. Branch could be capable of a lot... it's just that he's held back by his traummies kfdhjgjsf

I think your wife was the one who made the little essay on how in the first film despite Poppy crashing his bunker, she's confident and not even surprised he came and how that's so telling

Yes that was my wife, she's fixated on the bunker scene and compiled caps / made gifs / and discussed it. It's an incredible scene really. Her brutal counter to Branch being all smug and difficult at her... can't handle her being smug in return, for real! Then we've always loved how she reacts when she sees Branch again, after having been beaten and battered by the world, blacked out in a spider web. Somehow she goes BRANCH my man. What a funny girl... Incredibly endearing lol. I always like the flow of that scene / them leaving the forest / then them walking on that fallen log. (The log is one of my fav panning shots in the movie~)

[laughing] I'm glad Incel Branch is amusing you, I want more people to see it this way, it's just too funny. What kind of troll... Oh but I have seen Holiday in Harmony! (I like the other special as well... Hope we get another with Viva this time as main focus. :3) Lol but yeah in this special I get the impression Branch just can't seem any less obsessed, it's funny the way Prince D and Cooper are there to get kinda like 😰😰... Put-off by Branch's idea of a present, the way he would go about making something for Poppy and the lengths he would be willing to go (like secretly measuring her etc.) They're just there to be like... the normal ones... for contrast ww

I hadn't observed his crazy lil pinboard so closely, I didn't know it said things like "my queen" but that's very sick (unwell). Looking it over, also some of the things in here are just like, a drawing of Poppy in a heart, cut-outs of hearts scribbled in with ink, help... The fact that he makes that little scrapbook in the end is very sweet, but I do love that because it's Branch, it has to be a scrapbook with a bit of a Deranged quality. Frantic and kind of oddly cobbled together.

HONESTLY it's sad now that we've seen his old bunker plans, because there was a time when Branch was able to make... NORMAL NOT SCARY ART...... Not anymore though.

The visualization of Branch's brain degrading over time (lol)

Another thing I did not know: that Branch was naked in the storyboard for his part of the opening seq in TWT. I... guess... it was gonna be us seeing both of them naked as a parallel but, ultimately I have to say I do prefer his bathrobe lol, I think it conveys still 'intimate at home' but has more of a chill vibe. (Spoken as someone with a clothes fetish. :B) Whatever the case I'm just glad to have pointed those lyrics out to you heh.

I'm a big fan of her work as well💞 She was my greatest inspiration back then, and remains to be, honestly she inspires me in every way now, she really helped me come into my own... I'm also glad we can be together and enjoy these movies still. I just have so many memories of talking to her about the first Trolls, and ah... IDK if I've ever posted the story here, but I actually tagged along with her to a furcon when we first met in person. She'd stay up talking to me as long as she could, then have to sleep because she was tabling at the con. I'd stay up a little later, writing fic based on our Trolls discussions... then I'd sleep in the hotel room until she came back, and between commissions she'd be drawing things based on our ideas. We'd exchange art/fic...

Recently when we were rewatching the 1st movie after watching Band Together, I couldn't stop myself from saying "these movies helped us fall in love 🥺"... pfwhsh. So yeah I have a lot of personal connection to it, though outside of that it's just a great movie. :3 The sense of history that the two have is the best...!

[simply nodding in agreement with all your appreciation for the diff scenes!] I also love how Branch's colors begin to return without him realizing, the way it starts at their point of contact... It is all perfect 💖 Oh I really love their dancing in the credits to September, seeing them bounce all along at the end of things is really so wonderful. Ugh lately I've been thirsty for every second of them flirtily dancing together. -_- I wish I could have some sort of saucy music video featuring them...

Ackk yeah I'm head-over-heels for Viva honestly... How could I not be, I adore Poppy so much. 'Two Poppies' was something meant to thrash me around by the ankles, there was no way I could be prepared for that!! Here I was concerned about being bogged down by brother stuff, I didn't stop and think... sister stuff. Goodness.

How do you think Branch is handling being constantly braided and hyped by basically an older version of her gf at least in a superficial level? There's gotta be some funny feelings there somehow or at least I like to think.

Perhaps you wrote this innocently, but, I feel like it's a targeted attack on me, what're you doing... (laughing) I accept it though. You're giving me an excuse to jump into my crazy thoughts.

I...! Do, think that Viva's attention, compounded with Poppy, will be overwhelming for Branch. As it is, I think meeting Viva is too much — kind of leaving Branch agog that Viva is so Poppy-like... Because, as we've discussed, Branch is so very obsessed with Poppy, and I think she is very unique to him, indescribably so. (It goes with the sentiment of 'of course everyone loves Poppy, she's a shining star amidst us all!!!') The idea of meeting another troll could feel like meeting Poppy... That's surreal! Why would that be the case...!? It's almost relieving, perhaps, to find out they're related.

... almost. Whatever relief and ah, placidity Branch feels about them reconnecting, I think it'll fade when dealing with them long term. Won't there be a moment where he's sitting between them, being fawned over, hugged and having his hair played with, hearing them hum together... and won't it make Branch feel dizzy, like argh where am I-? Like a bizarre dream. What's going on?

There's so little that can 'get to' Branch quite like Poppy does. He doesn't give anyone the same amount of attention or consideration he does her, and he's not as interested in others, he likes his space and privacy. Viva is going to challenge this... by being Poppy-like! On top of that, Viva has a past that will let her connect with Branch's? She'll benefit from his perspective and advice, too... This + the fact that she is Poppy's sister, of course Poppy's going to make sure Viva spends lots of time together with her and Branch — all that time lost, they need to make up for it! And because Viva is going to like what she likes then Viva must like and enjoy time with Branch! Er, and she will I think, since she point-blank goes "I like you!" after that little braid moment, after the kiss... h-hm, I wonder what it's like to have your hair missed with mid-kiss.... ueuahhg

If anything, it's like the movie is twisting my arm, forcing me to think about Branch having "funny feelings" about it all... In fact I have to think about everyone in this circumstance having "funny feelings"...! Viva and Poppy are screaming like fangirls together at the end of the movie, aren't they? And when Branch "proposes" to Poppy, the first thing she does is invite Viva to join her, ahaha.

Just to make me more insane, there's this BroZone tape inside beside Viva's rollerskate bed... So even Viva has some sort of familiarity with BroZone? A fan in some capacity...?? So could her and Poppy really just lay there girlishly, ranking the members in terms of hotness!? Per-haps........

Me and my wife have been fervidly thinking about this all... Discussing chicanery like, well because Poppy has that odd comment about her hypothetical sister being mistaken as her twin earlier, I wonder if they would have fun doing switcheroos. Dressing up as the other and enjoying acting as the other. Branch would be shaken up to have mixed them up, even for a second...

A more innocuous scene we've discussed is one where Poppy invites Viva over to Branch's bunker for the first time, though unannounced. In this moment, a sleepy out-of-it Branch could approach Viva, purring from behind — and then quickly must. Become stiff when it's like LOL Branch it's meee! & Poppy is like, HAHA did you think she was me!? XD Branch hehehee!!!! The girls are so fond of one another, I think being seen as similar would only flatter and excite them. It's more sisterly bonding. It's Branch who will feel like [cries] nooo waiit that's not-!! I- you two are individuals to me-!! [voice cracking]

[sighs] and beyond THAT... I've thought of more intimate things between all three... I can't in good consciousness go into great detail (too weird) (and it'll take a million years) but well, you can just know that this is where I am at with them. In my mind I see Branch twirling the girls around, and them all singing together... I've also been mentally making mash-ups and creating playlists basically, of things for them to sing at/with one another...

On a related note, also notice how lowkey horny Poppy gets about Branch's brothers, she is too much, I know it's because she's a fangirl but the similarities they share with Branch have to play a part too imo 0v0

LOL thank you for being willing to say it, point blank, like yes... She, just is, horny, about Branch's brothers, fsr that is the thing, ongoing in the movie. I know the idea is that they're depicting that usual "boyband fever" but, most boybands aren't composed of. Brothers-!! So I think that's what creates this strangeness ultimately, like, *doubletakes* ??

I am sure part of Poppy's appreciation of meeting the members of Brozone is her current connection to Branch. It's like something she's loved in the past now informs her about her partner... Untold levels of excitement! It's not just meeting a celebrity, it's meeting someone who was close to Branch ! That Branch sang with!! All those years ago!!! And... I imagine any resemblance between them isn't a small thing lol.

Though it kind of amuses me, the difference here is that Branch's brothers are not... deeply into Poppy... in the same way. There is a barrier. I think JD is offended by their intro and, really in general more of a Lone Ranger type, while Bruce is extremely monogamous (seeing Brandy as his Soulmate out here), and Clay is like... too orderly, not leaning into the bit of being asked to do his old dances etc...

(An aside — IG fandom fsr sees Clay & Viva as a thing but I don't?? I suppose his willingness to leave her behind and slip out w/o her noticing and, describing her as "she's got some stuff going on" doesn't feel loving to me... They feel more like co-workers, genuinely able to collaborate on their job, but that's it. Amusingly enough, even how Viva talks about Clay, calling him "Mr. Clay" and saying he does the BORING STUFF makes me feel like, it's a Funny sort of rship like, Viva feeling 'lol couldn't be me' about Clay's nature... Not like besties out here? Hence, why Viva is so lonesome and desperate to have Poppy back in her life...)

Anyways it's all amusing, the way Poppy seems to be the only one down for it. Though to be fair, I do think it'd be like, a bit Much, if Branch's brothers abandoned him 20+ years ago, and then they come back in his life, condescend him as the baby and, flirt with his girlfriend. It's for the best they don't... go that, far. Branch doesn't seem keen on sharing so much with his bros in That Way, I don't think.

Him and Poppy have such different circumstances with their siblings... IG in the case of, if Viva were to fangirl and gush over Branch, it wouldn't bother POPPY remotely... if anything it's a way of bonding. And I- guess I don't think the 'siblings' element is off-putting for Poppy, she just seems so open-minded to many things in this movie LOL... That's my takeaway at least.

Yeah I'd have loved for there to be more sister focus in this movie, I'm happy with what I got but I could always use more! I needed to draw Viva with baby Poppy especially... Poppy's fixation on having a sister throughout TBT makes me think she somehow has deep, buried memories of Viva. Enough to give her this sense that she "should" have a sister... like something is missing. She was just so young though, she can't recall it distinctly.

On Viva's end, she's so emotional when she processes that Poppy survived, that she's finally meeting her again... You can just tell that Poppy meant so much to her, even from that brief time together. And I just love how Viva describes Poppy as having been so cute, eensy and weensy... I have to believe that when Poppy was born Viva was the sort of kid to be like, I'm going to be the best big sister ever! I'll love you forever and always Poppy! We're going to be the best-est of friends! Carrying her around in her hair and whatnot... Gah. I can see it so well.

oh lmao that scene just makes me laugh... In general Barb's referral to Branch as Poppy's boyfriend seems to be in a heckling manner, as he comes to her rescue, meant to be rude perhaps about his loyalty to her? He does fling himself to protect her, maybe it's all just making fun of that behavior... like Branch is her dog lol.

The rock zombie scene does have ? A quality to it? I think when you watch Poppy shredding it and throwing her head back, tongue out, it does make you feel something. The glowing red eyes. Perhaps though it's just the 'aesthetic' of rock, things like messy hair and heavy eyeliner and fishnets just have an ~evocative~ vibe, compared to their typical outfits, which are more modest. I think that's mostly what we're picking up on. 'Trashy' is often slutty as well.

I agree overall there's a gap in culture... Though I also like how the more the movies progress, the more we have to conclude King Peppy's faction of trolls are distinctly sheltered, since Viva's group managed to be more resourceful and aware of themselves? I used to think it was a result of domestication, but I think actually it's just that Peppy has specific hang-ups and wants no one to dwell on any bad memories. It's an interesting thing to instill into your group... Poppy's generation of trolls post-Trollstice tree times are quite distinct.

And, I'm glad, my underwear insight was of value to you. Omg but wrt spanking... I feel so... *tugs collar up sheepishly.....* *closes eyes* .... like I said, I don't begrudge that old art I made, but it feels embarrassingly dated... I was quite young and figuring out my preferences out, at the time. Now ermm, I'm more into projecting into the one doing-the-spanking, so my modern inclinations have been thinking of Branch as the one who spanks Poppy...

It feels silly to talk about but I'm now. Into top/dom Branch..... This is like where my thoughts terminate with Poppy being all crazed fangirliing for Branch, that she'd become an overstimulated love-struck girlie under his touch. Also we don't think about Poppy being poly anymore either kfdsgsh we amusingly hit a point in conversation recently that was like. 'Sheltered virgin Poppy.... now that is thought provoking'..... It would be a gap moe situation though, like all her natural sauciness and overt thirst co-exists with a lack of experience, so there's anxiety when things actually get intense. When it's time for private dirty dancing if you will.

(... it's hard to believe anyone would still be reading this post rn...)

WELL anyways you're a very nice person, thanks for your fun questions. *waves as you scamper off...!*

#this is such an emotional journey by the end. good luck

6 notes · View notes

winecupwars · 1 year

Text

progress report: year-end edition

we went a full year without one of these funky little things, can you believe it? well let's get back into it. here's my 2022, all wrapped up :)

some neat things that happened this year:

my 28th birthday! i remember looking for songs that mention being 28 and they were all forlorn, with lyrics like "i'm 28... is it too late?" like. hello? you're in your late twenties, not turning into dust. i swear, society's obsession with being young and thinking that life ends at 30 is the cause of so much unnessary pain and worry. aging is a gift! let yourself grow old!!

first time to vote in a national election!! the one i voted for didn't win, sadly, and the one who won is an inept corrupt piece of shit who i wish would get the comeuppance he and his entire family deserves. i hate them so much. but enough about that.

my first work anniversary! as of now, this is the longest i've worked at any company. and i still like my job, amazingly. i can see myself working here for the next few years.

went through a battery of blood tests and doctors appointments, which all came down to this conclusion: i need to lose weight and fix my diet. which i am doing now! i am eating somewhat better, and exercising semi-regularly. i'm working on it.

i have a girlfriend now!!!!! we've been together a month and a few weeks as of this december hehe. i'm happy :)

i took a pottery class and realized that it's challenging and expensive. on the fence about pursuing it as a hobby, tbh

wrote some moz/ulysses stuff that i posted on ao3 and on my fallout tumblr!! drew a bunch of fallout oc art as well. finally made an oc page with all new art, for example. check it out if you want!

got my first tattoo!! it's of the skull from the skeleton on the cover of the black parade, with lyrics from famous last words. it's so nice and now i want another one. they can be addicting!

started a vinyl collection finally!!!!

wrote up an entire thing about my plans for kapitan kwek kwek, as well as a script for the first story!! i was about to draw when i got distracted by my gf ahahahahhaha

learned how to make browned butter horlicks cookies! i think they're going to be my signature cookies now.

there are definitely more things that happened that i've forgotten about lmao but those are the big ones that immediately came to mind.

as for the media that i experienced this year - i dedicated an entire notebook to it, with ratings and little blurbs of how the thing made me feel. it's cool, and i recommend doing it. reading back on those entries, i think here's my top pieces of media for this year:

book: i'm glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy

i didn't read a lot of books this year, but this was the one that i fully enjoyed the most, despite its subject matter. after reading, i just want the best for jennette. her life has been nothing short of tragic, and she writes about it so simply and yet so impactfully.

series: amc's interview with the vampire

there were soooo many good shows that i watched this year. our flag means death, the bear, abbott elementary, arcane, etc etc, but this one. this one. kept me on the edge of my seat for the few weeks it was on air. my cousins and i were hooked! it's doing its own thing and that's what makes it a great adaptation. best show of the year, by a mile.

movie: nocebo (2022) dir. lorcan finnegan

i watched this with my girlfriend in the cinema, during the qcinema festival. i honestly only wanted to watch it because i was curious about whether it'll be racist towards filipinos, but surprisingly, it wasn't! it's a filipino-irish (!) film that is ugh so good and so subtle and so magical and heavy. justice for all kentex workers, and for all workers like them, who are being paid poverty wages and worked to the bone in terrible conditions, all for foreign bosses who could not care less about thier wellbeing. we will have our justice.

youtube

album: the loneliest time by carly rae jepsen

it was a toss-up between this, laurel hell by mitski, and dance fever by florence and the machine, but in the end, carly rae jepsen's pop masterpiece won. it's just fun, and more of carly's signature pop flavor. top three songs: sideways, bends, and bad thing twice. though, honestly? all songs are top-tier.

i'm happy to be doing this again! i need to get back in the groove of writing, to be honest. and what is the point of a blog if i don't, well, blog? so. here. see you all again in a week!

#progress report #shh peri shhh

2 notes · View notes

ecsundance · 3 months

Text

You Will Never be Me, So Understand me: Disability within A Different Man (2024).

A Different Man (2024), is a dramatic narrative film in which the story of Edward (Sebastian Stan) is revealed. Edward is afflicted with neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumor growth along the nerves of the body. This condition has manifested in his face, causing his vision to be compromised as well as verbal speech. Since Sebastian Stan dose not actually suffer from neurofibromatosis the use of practical makeup is implemented which provides a very convincing look. It is not comical in any way, and I applaud the film for the realistic look as it keeps the audience immersed in the story rather than being off-put by a bad makeup job. Edward's condition has a clear impact on his social comfortability. He is shown as a shy and nervous individual around most people he interacts with, only opening up after a highly invasive and taxing medical procedure removes the tumors from his face causing him to adopt a new personality and new moniker, "Guy". Soon after this procedure, an old "friend" (see the film if you're curious about the air quotes) from Edward's past writes a play about him, because as far as she knows he is dead. Guy then goes on to strive for the role he was born to play, but many obstacles lay in the path. If the the plot sounds boring to you, I suggest you check it out anyways just for the practical effects.

By using the character of Edward the film questions the way society treats people with disabilities. During one scene, Edward is acting for a company HR video that is promoting the inclusion of disabled coworkers. The taste in your mouth after this scene will be sour as it treats disabled people as worldly beings that need to be treated in an entirely different manner than anyone else would be. Interestingly enough, the film also contains a character opposite of Edward named Oswald who is played by Adam Pearson who legitimately suffers from neurofibromatosis. Pearson's performance as Oswald is too good not to watch. Oswald is this over the top actor type, who according to Pearson was pretty annoying to see on the big screen as he is nothing like that in real life. The inclusion of Oswald, and specifically Adam Pearson, points out the horrible message that HR video was sending. That being it is a disservice and dehumanizing to doubt the capabilities of those who suffer from disabilities.

Additionally the film intuitively puts into question the inclusion of disabled actors within. Why is it the case that Adam Pearson, a disabled actor, being in a film is a stand out moment. Does the inclusion of a disabled actor have to be this big event, and if so why? Also should a non disabled director be allowed to tell the story of a disabled person played by an actor who is not even truly disabled! Ultimately these are just questions, but the film does not to try to answer them. It is just asking us to consider things like this. The most intentional thing A Different Man is calling us to act upon is gaining an understanding of what its like being disabled, and being treated as such by society. As an able bodied person I will never know what that is like and it was something I never considered previously, but this film highlights the sometimes bizarre way we tend to treat people different from us.

Ben Wilson

0 notes

spewagepipe · 4 months

Text

On 2023

I have so many awards to give out this year – let's get to it.

Best 2023 Video Game: Baldur's Gate 3 Yeah, BG3 is good – this isn't exactly a hot take. But look, this wasn't as cut and dry as you might imagine. The fact that BG3 is possibly the single best game of the year is a testament to how much work the developers had to put in to overcome the inherent awfulness of the 5E D&D mechanics that it was saddled with.

Best Older Game that I Finished in 2023: Disco Elysium If BG3 is an A-Tier CRPG, then Disco Elysium represents the S-Tier of the genre. I had to interrupt my play-through of it last year, much to my shame, but I wrapped it up in April this year and now it's competing hard for the GOAT in my books.

Left 4 Dead Award for Best Cooperative Shooter: Remnant 2 The other major competitor for best 2023 game was Remnant 2, because although it doesn't have the sheer breadth of possibility of BG3, it is a very good shooter with a number of interesting puzzles, guns, and Soulsbornean bosses, and cooperative multiplayer so I can hang with my pals.

Best Horror Game that I Played in 2023: Iron Lung I also played Signalis this year, which was definitely a more expansive and involved game – but Iron Lung takes this because despite its short length, it's profoundly immersive and intense for that whole duration.

The Pandemic Legacy Season 0 Award for Finally Starting to play Pandemic Legacy Season 0 After Multiple Years of Having a Real-World Pandemic Making In-Person Board Games an Impossibility: Pandemic Legacy Season 0 I finally got to play it. It's very good.

The Franchise Game I Played in 2023 That Made the Biggest Improvements Over Its Predecessors: Dishonored: Death of the Outsider They stripped out most of the pointless progression, stripped out the chaos system, made most of what remains into task-oriented "find the bonecharm" type stuff, and finally introduced regenerating mana. I don't know if I'd go as far as to say that they perfected the core systems, but they came pretty damn close.

Best Worker-Placement Game that I Tried in 2023: Feast For Odin I've never liked the worker-placement genre much, but Feast For Odin is an entirely different beast. It cleanly removes basically every ADHD-aggravating mechanic that is typical of the genre, and then replaces them with a lovely Tetris mini-game. It fits so much more neatly into my brain, and yet doesn't seem to have lost any depth in the exchange (as compared to other games of the genre).

Best RPG that I Tried in 2023: Alice Is Missing I am genuinely curious about whether or not Alice Is Missing potentially represents a totally new way to run a GM-less RPG. These rules (and the story context) provide just enough of a plot-backbone and prompting to get players to produce consistently powerful stories every time.

Most Promising Non-RPG Story-Game Format that I Tried in 2023: Arkham Horror: the Card Game Speaking of GM-less stuff, I finally played the AH LCG and holy crap it really blows all of the previous Arkham Horror franchise out of the water (to say nothing of putting to shame a dozen other would-be story-driven tabletop games). I probably haven't played enough of it to really pass judgment just yet, but I am absolutely blown away by the promise on display here.

Best 2023 Movie Because I Honestly Just Didn't Get Out to the Theatre Very Much, But Clearly This Film Still Whips Ass: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse I feel like there might've been one or two better movies this year, but I didn't see any of those. I don't feel bad about throwing "best movie" at Across the Spider-Verse though, because it's clearly top-tier regardless.

Biggest Cinema Phenomenon that I Totally Missed: Barbie Everybody and their dog loves this movie, and I was just, like, busy for the entire season. I'm gonna go see it next Thursday, I swear.

The Finally Made a Good Dungeons & Dragons Movie: Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves Inside me there are two wolves. One wants to pretend that this is the first time they've ever adapted D&D for any kind of cinematic medium in an attempt to bury the older films and the cartoon show in the Dustbin of History. The other wants to show all that garbage off so that people appreciate the extent to which I have suffered at the hands of this brand. Regardless, this new film was like a breath of fresh air by comparison, and with any luck it'll bring a few more new folks to the hobby.

Holy Shit I Can't Believe I Still Haven't Seen This New Godzilla Movie, Everyone Fucking Loves It: Godzilla Minus One This is now the most critically acclaimed Godzilla film ever made, and that somehow includes the original? I am so fuckin' gized y'all, I can't even start.

#retrospective #2023 #new year #movies #video games #tabletop #awards

1 note · View note

icarusthelunarguard · 1 year

Text

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

Drive-In movie season has begun. Remember going with your family when you were younger? Let’s take you back 10 years to see what the worst Second Feature in a Double-Play ticket might have been.

Aries

What do you get when you mix Michael Bay, the Rock and a ripped Mark Wahlberg? The highly forgettable ‘Pain and Gain’; the story about a group of ex-convicts and bodybuilders convicted of kidnapping, extortion, torture, and murder in Miami in the mid-1990s. This week skip the gym. Leg Day can wait.

Taurus

We have high hopes for your taste in entertainment and that you’re unfamiliar with ‘Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa’. With a budget of $15M it earned TEN TIMES its cost. This week watch an episode of, “OW! MY BALLS!” instead.

Gemini

Ridley Scott is an amazing director, known for some amazing movies like Alien, Blade Runner, and the Apple 1984 commercial. To say that his crime-thriller, ‘The Counsellor’ opened to a worldwide collective shrug would be about right. This week be content with just being “OK”.

Cancer Moon-Child

It’s safe to say that most movies with Johnny Depp do great in the entertainment circles. Pairing him with Armie Hammer as a character that hadn’t seen a movie since 1981 might have been a mistake. 2013’s ‘The Lone Ranger’ was… poor. This week try to remember what Tonto’s Horse’s name was.

Leo

If you want to enjoy the Sports Illustrated Bikini Issue on the big screen, look no further than the curious movie, ‘Spring Breakers’. Is it brilliant commentary on today's youth or a sexist, boring, ludicrous exploitation movie? We don’t know, and truth be told we don’t care. This week just throw away your Suncoast Video Rental card.

Virgo

If you take Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Michael Caine, and set them in a universe where sleight-of-hand magic almost is magic, you get ‘Now You See Me’. But, see, the problem is… when you have the literal embodiment of GOD in your film, how can you not just come to the obvious conclusion that he’s the one making all the magic happen? This week order a bowl of tomato soup.

Libra

Remember when Disney used to make some amazing live-action films? They did ‘Treasure Island’, ‘Old Yeller’, ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’, ‘TRON’, and ‘Flight of the Navigator’. For your movie we’re sad to say it’s ‘Saving Mr. Banks’. This week go watch ‘Old Yeller’... and bring some tissues.

Scorpio

Remember when ‘Die Hard’ was a fun escapist movie? Even ‘Die Hard 2’ was pretty good. And we could have left it there, but NO! ‘Die Hard with a Vengeance’ then ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ and then FINALLY we come to your movie… ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’. Enough is enough. This week don’t go to the movies; read the 1979 novel ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ by Roderick Thorp instead.

Sagittarius

A Sandra Bullock and George Clooney movie could have been a fun outing, but ‘Gravity’? It sets them in Low Earth Orbit fighting to survive Kessler Syndrome with long periods of stressful silence, trying to read Russian. Where’s the fun in that? This week renew your subscription to Duolingo.

Capricorn

The only thing more horrible than your movie is the style of clothing in it. ‘Anchorman 2’ has traditional 1970’s wide lapels, plaid pants, brown leather suit jackets, and ties that were almost wider than they were long. This week be glad you don’t have to wear those styles today.

Aquarius

How many super-hero origin movies are we going to get for the same character? Superman, Batman, Spider-man… but for you, ‘The Wolverine’. Not ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’, just ‘The Wolverine’. We get it - claws, super-healing, super-sniffer, secret military test human subject… Just let Hugh Jackman do musical theatre like he really wants to.

Pisces

You don’t get off that easy either, Pisces. You get a super-hero movie too; ‘Iron Man 3’, aka “Why the hell did Sir Ben Kingsley agree to do this film?” He’s played Gandhi, Itzhak Stern, and Otto Frank. Why would he agree to be playing a two-bit washed up English actor impersonating The Mandarin?! This week… start filling your pool now. It might be ready by the time it’s warm enough to swim in it.

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

#horrorscope #horoscope #parody #comedy #funny #movies #drive-in

0 notes

jakeperalta · 1 year

Note

Hi! Did you hear about Emily Henry's novels being made into movies now? I was going to catch up on reading them all but I also feel weird reading it now cuz what if the characters look nothing like the actors. Like I wish I knew who the cast is going to be so it would be easier and not weird. That has helped me a lot with Daisy Jones actually cuz they feel like the characters. I have looked at the fan casts that she has posted before to help me but idk. Sometimes it's just random I guess..like for People on Vacation I was picturing Florence Pugh and Timothee Chalamet..for some reason but not like from Little Women lol. Then I think for Beach Read..it was Jess Mariano which kinda fit the character and maybe Rory I think. For Book Lovers, people suggested Logan Lerman and idk who else for the female though. Cuz sometimes it's easier to think of male actors but not female ones for some reason. But then it's like..well I know they are not going to be cast in the movie so it's weird. Do you have any fan cast ideas in general so it could help me while I'm reading? Just curious..but it's so crazy to me that they are all being adapted into a movie! That must feel so weird as an author and to be successful enough that all of your books being made into movies. Are they all like being made at the same time? It's similar with Taylor Jenkins Reid too! Anyway which do you think would translate the best to a movie and why? I know you're probably most excited for People we meet on Vacation.

yes!! it's one of those things where on one hand it's super exciting and I can't wait to see the books come to life but on the other hand there's the slight fear that it will seem too different to the version in my head or they'll make changes I don't like. but it seems like emily henry herself has a lot of faith in the screenwriter so I'm hopeful! it's wild how in the space of a few years she's gone from publishing one book to having three all with upcoming movies and more books to be published, but I think of the big trend for rom com books recently hers definitely stand out amongst many average ones.

I totally get what you mean about casting, it's always weird when an actor is totally not what you pictured. I don't really have any strong images of these characters in mind (in fact both times I read pwmov I kept picturing poppy as a redhead even though it's specified several times that's she's blonde, sometimes my brain just creates its own image and won't budge 😅), although I may realise I have ideas of what I don't think they look like when the casting is announced (I've seen people say harry styles as gus and that is a huge no for me lol)

of the fan casts I've seen I think there's a lot that could work, a couple that have stuck in my mind are dev patel for beach read and sebastian stan for book lovers. I would take this opportunity to further my zoey deutch/glen powell in another rom com agenda but I'm not sure how — maybe pwmov? although I think those actors would have to be younger since it starts from university age. also for that reason I think it may be a little harder to translate to film because of how much time it spans. I feel like book lovers would maybe work best as a film? but I'm super excited for them all!

#answered #anonymous

0 notes

separatist-apologist · 2 years

Note

I’m curious to hear any thoughts you might have on the Canto Bight sequence in TLJ. It can be hard for me personally to not react violently to criticism of TLJ since i love it, and the crit is usually made in bad faith from a place of misogyny and racism—all of that weird hate can make it hard to have an actual nuanced critical discussion of the movie. I think there’s something to be said about the pacing with that storyline not feeling quite in the pocket though. It also still tends to feel like Finn’s character is sort of underused in TLJ (though nothing like the trash fire that was his dead end storyline in TROS). That being said, I also love how Rose and Finn ultimately delivered the whole thesis of the movie. Anyway, you always seem to have great perspectives so I would love to hear your thoughts!

I feel like I've made it as a blog when people ask me my feelings on SW. This comes at a perfect time, I'm working on my Merrin/Cal fic.

First of all, I understand why you feel uncomfortable with the criticism. All of those movies were a LIGHTNING rod for racism/misogyny. I'm not saying you do this, but I do personally get frustrated when people swing hard in the opposite direction of like, these films are perfect and if you hate them you're a misogynist. I have a ten year old, she's gone as Rey twice for Halloween. I assure you I do not hate the women in these films. They did a really good job of drawing in a new generation of SW fans.

For me, TLJ makes me...mad. Luke Skywalker is my favorite character. Enough said. To your point about Canto Bite, I think it feels wrong because the morality aspect of it is slapped together as an afterthought. They don't free the children in any meaningful way- they actually cause a lot of problems for the native people/slave children with their break out (and the end scene of the boy using the force to sweep...I'm always like...ok?????).

Rose and Finn are there to help Poe's coup. They're looking for DJ and through their eyes, we get to see a sliver of the way the wealthy elite have benefitted from endless war/profiteering/the imperialism of the last three decades. In the books, a lot of commentary is made that Core worlds never really feel the Empire the way, say, Kashyyyk does. Canto Bite is where the wealthy go to play at the expense of the locals who cannot afford to utilize any of the services they offer.

And thats...real life. It's literally American life for a vast majority of people and JJ Abrams ALMOST takes us there. The movie ALMOST makes a statement before swerving left at the last minute and just abandoning it. Yeah its bad, yeah Rose doesn't like it...but Canto Bite is just ANOTHER macguffin and it makes it feel hollow.

I rewatched all 9 movies when RoS came out and honestly, you could cut all of that and it doesn't change anything so long as DJ ends up with them. It impacted nothing and I'd argue it didn't really stick with the viewer when you're also asking people to grapple with Luke (HATE) and Rey/Ren which is the vastly more interesting story. Poe's coup is ALSO a lot more interesting imo and is criminally just...left untouched.

Much like Finn's WHOLE CHARACTER. He is force sensitive. How many people are even aware? I genuinely, 100% believe JJ caved to the outrage of the worst, loudest voices of this fandom and cut Rose entirely and sidelined Finn but Rian isn't much better. The better part of me feels like maybe they didn't know what to do with him but like, they really didn't try, either. I know people love the romance between Rey/Kylo but I wish the story had been more about Rey/Finn finding their way in the force. The set up is so interesting, his backstory is EASILY the most interesting and it never gets utilized.

I think the sequels will get the prequel treatment over time. The sequels have good parts of them, so don't take this as me like, saying they're utter trash (you know I love Poe and I will hear 0 criticisms). Thats the problems. There are so many narratively interesting pieces to these characters and the movies went the laziest, most boring route to tell a story that is fundamentally at odds with what I thinks Star Wars has always been about.

#oof sorry for the dissertation #let me know your thoughts too!#i feel like a lot of my star wars people are PT and OT people only #a lot of people feel betrayed and burned by RoS #and i don't blame them

1 note · View note

321spongebolt · 2 years

Text

“The Looney Tunes Show” review/rant

(NOTE: Don't read this post if you like "The Looney Tunes Show" and find it a guilty pleasure. I can try to respect your opinions. You're still welcome to read the post if you're just curious about the other half of this post.)

For generations, everyone has come to know and love the “Looney Tunes”. From the classic cartoons of the 1940s to 1980s to the live action theatrical films like “Space Jam” and “Looney Tunes: Back in Action”. And even “Looney Tunes” video games that are either hit or miss like “Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time” or “Looney Tunes: ACME Arsenal”.

On Friday, May 6th, 2011, 11 years ago to this day, "The Looney Tunes Show" premiered on Cartoon Network next to "The Amazing World of Gumball". A lot of people, including myself had high hopes for this show. Unfortunately, this turned out to be nothing but a disgrace to its source material.

This show started a downfall for the Looney Tunes.

BAD THINGS

Jeff Bergman was cast as Bugs, Daffy, Tweety, Sylvester, and Foghorn. And while he did those characters in the early 90s, they don't sound all that good these days. Kristen Wiig does horrible as Lola (but a little on that later). Roz Ryan voices Witch Hazel, which is not the right way to go. And even worse is the fact that Gossamer sounds like a kid when he's supposed to be a monster! Anyone else is okay. Not the best, but decent enough.

How the characters were depicted is hit or miss. Some depictions are okay, others aren't so faithful. Let's start with my biggest highlight, Lola. She debuted in the 1996 movie "Space Jam", but in this show, she is anything but the Lola we know. The show makes her a stalker idiot, when Lola would never stalk Bugs or be stupid. One episode, "Jailbird and Jail Bunny" to me feels like Bugs is so out of character. He would never want to get arrested. If anything, Bugs is suppose to set a good example to the audience, when here, he's doing the opposite. What were you thinking, Warner Bros.!? There’s also Taz being treated as a dog when the reality is, he's a Tasmanian Devil! Are they really that stupid? I don't know who else has problems, but that's all I can think of.

If this is supposed to be an animated sitcom, let alone adult-oriented (it’s technically TV-PG rated), where's the laugh track? And the audience noises like cheering and gasping and "aw"ing? Now, a sitcom wouldn’t have been a bad idea if they added those in. It almost would’ve dated back to when Warner Bros and Hanna Barbera released animated sitcom programs in the 60s and 70s like “The Flintstones” and “Scooby-Doo”.

The “Merrie Melodies” are just average at best. A lot of them are based on flanderized character personalities like Lola's for example. The Wile E. Coyote CG cartoons on the other hand are more forgettable, as I believe this was more of an experiment like with the 2010 theatrical CG shorts, which were even better. Don't get me wrong, these are nice additions to serve as substitutes for commercial breaks, but they don’t really hold up.

GOOD THINGS

The artstyle may not have been perfect, but it does look pleasant. It’s almost as if you’re reading a comic book.

"Blow My Stack", "Daffy Duck the Wizard", and "Laser Beam" are the only good “Merrie Melodies” segments that really stood out.

CONCLUSION

"The Looney Tunes Show" is nothing more than a disgrace that should be frowned upon and never be remembered by Looney Tunes fans. The voices sound absolutely nothing like the Looney Tunes characters we know (with a few exceptions of course). And of course, the writing for these characters are awful. If I had to rate this between “Good”, “Bad”, or “Mediocre”, I would have to give this show “Bad”.

If you still hate "The Looney Tunes Show", even 10 years later, Tell me your thoughts in the comments section below. And also don't forget to leave a like or a love if you support what you're about to see on this post. I’m planning to write a post on how to rewrite this show and make it better.

#hate post #rant post #the looney tunes show #the looney tunes show hate #reviews

0 notes

fickleminder · 3 years

Text

the years start coming and they don’t stop coming (part 2)

Special thanks to @elvishdork, @rsmrymnt-tea, @victoireshaven, @lunarscribbles, @leuxbraus, @yeet-to-yeet, @oksoweredointhis, and several anons for giving me a much-needed kick in the muse to get this thing done. Love you all 💚

Part 1 here

They find your grave first.

You’re buried next to your parents, the only thing left of you a simple tombstone in the old cemetery. The space isn’t very well cared for, especially since you never married or had children. Your worn marker is chipped in several places, and even your name has begun to fade from the elements over the years. All in all, there’s nothing special distinguishing your final resting place from that of countless other humans’.

Forgotten. Just as you had been in life.

Lilith is the only one bold enough to approach, at first. Murmuring a soft prayer, she gets to work cleaning up, wiping the dust from your tombstone and sweeping away dead leaves with her bare hands.

She is joined by Mammon, who takes halting steps towards your grave and falls to his knees. He pats down his pockets, cursing lowly before tearing off a strip from his shirt and rubbing at the marker, polishing it with so much fervor as though he’s determined to make it shine brighter than Goldie.

Once the space has been cleared, tiny offerings are placed and carefully rearranged: a black rose with petals as dark as the Devildom skies; a limited-edition TSL keychain; and a small cupcake with rainbow sprinkles, slightly smushed on one side but otherwise perfectly intact.

Asmo sobs openly without care for his smudging makeup or expensive clothes. Belphie looks like he just wants to curl up next to your grave and sleep for the next five years.

Satan stands at the edge of the group, not an ounce of sympathy for his mourning brothers. He’s the only one who knows: the coffin underneath is empty.

“Satan,” Solomon greets wryly. “Good afternoon. I was wondering if you’ve seen a certain errant apprentice of mine.”

The demon in question shoots a curious glance at the purring Calico in his lap. “I might have. Something wrong?”

“It’s a funny story actually,” Solomon replies, explaining how you had immediately run off upon successfully performing your first shapeshift. In hindsight, the sorcerer should have gone through the entire process before encouraging you to give it a shot, and now you’re stuck as a feline with no knowledge of how to turn back.

“I see…” Something in Satan’s tone makes the fur at the back of your neck stand up. You try to shake off the blissful dazed state his petting has put you in and jump away, but he’s quick to grab you by the scruff before you can escape. “Thanks Solomon, I’ll keep you updated.”

Satan hangs up and lifts you to the level of his face with a frown. “So eager to come see me that you ditched Solomon at the first opportunity? Normally I’d be flattered, but that was very irresponsible of you.”

Apparently returning to your beloved demon as soon as you could isn’t enough to excuse your impulsive actions, so you pull out the big guns: bringing your front paws together just below your chin and making your eyes go as wide as they can.

Satan forever regrets letting you make him watch that film series with the green ogre all those years ago. He sets you down gently, sighing in exasperation. “Silly human. What am I going to do with you?”

You meow innocently in response.

The front door is still broken.

Its hinges barely hold onto the wall, creaking threateningly whenever someone comes and goes. The rest of the house isn’t quite in shambles, but not much effort has been put into getting it back to its pristine state.

Lilith does her best to support her siblings, but they’ve been in a depressive mood for weeks now and there’s only so much she can do to get them through each day. She’s even approached Lord Diavolo and Barbatos for help, seeking their advice to rally the broken brothers together, asking if they knew how your life went, if only to take comfort in the fact that you lived happily and healthily to a ripe old age.

She steers clear of the angels and sorcerer who visit the Devildom occasionally. While Lilith knows you were close friends with them, she’s strictly forbidden from making contact with anybody who isn’t already aware of her presence. The how and why of her resurrection is still a mystery, but one thing is for certain: your ties to her must never come to light lest she brings another great war upon her grieving family. Although it’ll take time to recover from losing you, she’s determined to be there for them every step of the way.

(And if anyone is suspicious about a certain Avatar of Wrath’s lack of rage, they’re wallowing too deeply in their own misery to notice.)

Catching Satan playing with stray cats in the garden isn’t an uncommon occurrence, but nobody ever expected to hear —

“What… What did you just call it?”

Satan’s arms tighten protectively around you as he repeats your name, glaring at his brothers as though daring them to do something about it. You poke your head out of his jacket to peek at the others, trying to gauge their reactions.

“That name belongs to our human! Call it something else!”

“Shut up, Mammon! Satan, may I?”

You nuzzle Asmo’s outstretched fingers gently, your heart swelling at the familiar scent of his favorite hand lotion. Flashbulb memories of spa sessions and shopping sprees and gossiping late into school nights hit you all at once; if not for your feline body, you probably would have burst into tears.

Mammon sniggers at the disgruntled expression on Satan’s face when you practically climb into Asmo’s arms and paw at his chest. Satan looks about ready to commit fratricide when Asmo makes a dirty comment about how even animals can’t resist him, but Mammon’s jeers get stuck in his throat when you suddenly turn your attention to him.

“Oh hell no, I don’t want any part of this!” The second-born declares, backing away quickly before you can even think about pouncing on him. (Is it his imagination, or did your ears actually droop slightly at that?) He spins on his heel and stalks off with a parting shot: “Good luck getting Lucifer to let you keep that stupid cat!”

Word spreads fast in the House of Lamentation.

Lucifer’s first instinct to get rid of you is justified twice over. The last time Satan had been allowed one (1) pet resulted in utter catastrophe — no pun intended — and having another creature with your name running around would be a constant reminder of his failure. As it is, being the sole feline presence in the area for four days and counting is the only reason you’ve not been evicted yet.

What’s more unsettling is the fact that there’s been no sign of your soul in the Devildom despite it being many years since you passed. Lucifer had been certain that having pacts with all seven Avatars of Sin would have guaranteed you a place here, so where did you go? Were you avoiding them?

Perhaps you’d been granted eternal rest in the Celestial Realm. The notion is highly improbable, but not impossible. Lucifer knows he could always ask Simeon, or even Michael if he was really desperate, but pride aside, he just can’t bring himself to do it, can’t stomach the confirmation that you’d choose to go someplace he and his brothers cannot follow.

He’s hard-pressed to blame you though, nor Lord Diavolo and Barbatos for keeping their silence. The fault lies with him and his family, as much as it pains him to admit it.

One particular evening sees Lucifer practically dragging his feet into his study, prepared for another late night of report writing. He’s armed with coffee, cursed vinyl records, a new footrest he’s been wanting to try out —

And a mangy cat sprawled atop the files and folders on his desk, napping away without a care in the world.

Thoughts of you already fill the gaps between paperwork and wrangling his siblings and a thousand other things on his to-do list; the first-born doesn’t need another in the form of a pesky animal. He growls your name, fully intending to chase you off, but your immediate response gives him pause.

There’s a certain intelligence in your eyes, Lucifer observes as you blink warily at him. It’s not unlike that of Mammon’s crows, the birds being much smarter and more aware than others give them credit for. Satan’s magical prowess doesn’t warrant a familiar, but Lucifer wouldn’t put it past his brother to pass you off as one. Either way, he has no time for this.

“Out. Now.”

He sets his cup of Hell Coffee in front of you with a loud thud, clearly an intimidation tactic, but you don’t even twitch except to stretch out your neck and give the hot beverage a curious sniff.

Lucifer raises an eyebrow, his lips curling in amusement. “Try it. I dare you.”

While it’s spitefully tempting to knock that bitter monstrosity to the floor, you quite prefer to keep living. Holding your ground, you curl back up and close your eyes.

A frustrated growl, leather-clad hands lifting you upwards, and then you strike.

Your claws latch onto Lucifer’s waistcoat, digging deeply enough to secure a solid grip on his torso without tearing into the fabric. The surprise attack forces him into his chair, his arms instinctively curling around you to prevent your fall. Once you’re certain he’s seated and comfortable, you let out a deliberate yawn and snuggle into the demon’s chest.

There’s pressure on your back, firm and unyielding at first, then soft and contemplative. Lucifer’s heart beats strongly against your ears, his chest rumbling with a wistful murmur of your name as he strokes your fur.

“Very well. Since you insist, I’ll let you stay.” Shifting to accommodate the warm weight on his lap, he picks up his pen and gets to work.

Maybe just for tonight, he can pretend you’re still here with him.

Fortunately for Mammon, nobody was around to hear his high-pitched shriek when something furry smacked firmly onto his backside.

“Oi, what’s the big idea?” He whips around with a flustered glare, turning in circles as you weave between his legs. “You trying to steal my wallet or something?”

It takes a few more swipes at his hips before Mammon realizes you’re trying to get at the black and yellow feathered keychain hanging from his belt. He unclips it and holds it at a distance, watching curiously as you eye it like fish bait dangling from a hook.

Within the safety of his room, the Avatar of Greed is more than happy to indulge you as you chase after the trinket in a game of keep away. Unlike dogs (specifically three-headed ones who live in underground tombs), he has no qualms interacting with cats, especially when they don’t belong to nasty witches or turn out to be a younger brother who had accidentally cursed himself. Speaking of…

“I don’t care what Satan says. I’m gonna call you Cat, not — not —” Mammon can’t bring himself to say your name, not when he’d failed you so terribly. Just the thought alone is enough to sour his mood; he drops the keychain at your feet, no longer interested in fooling around.

They didn’t even see you off, he realizes belatedly. You had healed his family after centuries of discord, and they didn’t have the decency to say goodbye when you had to leave. Even his last memory of you is a nostalgic blur.

Were you angry? Did you resent them till the end? Maybe you eventually learned to live without them, while they took for granted that you’d always be there.

“Sorry Cat, playtime’s over. Let’s get you back to —” Mammon almost jumps when he spots you on his bed, staring intently at a black and white lump next to his pillow. “No no no, that’s not a chew toy! I swear, if there’s so much as a scratch on it, I’ll —”

Inches away from grabbing you by the scruff, his hand freezes when you nuzzle the stuffed panda fondly, curling around it with a soft purr. Your paws are gentle as they knead the handmade toy and pull it closer to you.

Mammon’s heart swells and breaks all over again. He kicks off his boots and lies down next to you, and you take the opportunity to burrow into his side, the panda squished lightly between your bodies.

Your first man doesn’t say a word, but it takes a long time for his shuddering breaths to even out.

Henry 2.0’s not technically a rubber duck, but he makes a pretty good listener. That said, Levi was not expecting a reply in the middle of another bug-induced rant.

“H-h-how did you get inside my room?!” Backed up against the edge of his desk and holding his keyboard out like a shield, the demon nearly has a heart attack at the thought that you’re here to devour his best friend as a snack. “Shoo! Shoo!”

In your defense, you don’t seem very interested in the goldfish swimming idly nearby. As a matter of fact, you hardly give the tank a second glance as you stalk towards your main target like a predator on the hunt. A distant part of Levi’s brain faintly notes the way you take care to sidestep the many wires strewn about.

“Oh nonononono! I’m just a yucky otaku, not very tasty at all —”

[That’s okay, Levi! I’m just happy to see you!]

Both of you freeze. Despite the electronic undertone, that was unmistakably your voice. The keyboard is lowered as Levi’s arms go limp, and you realize he must have accidentally pressed something in his panic. There’s also a little tune playing from the speakers; it takes a while, but you recognize it as an 8-bit rendition of the song the two of you had composed and sang to way back when.

“Don’t look at me like that!” Levi whines, his whole posture slumping as he sinks into his gaming chair. “I’m pathetic, I know. It’s not the same, but this AI is the closest I can get to…”

He gestures absently at his monitor, where a character sprite with your likeness is displayed on the screen. An open program at the side shows an array of different skins: the RAD uniform, your favorite casual wear, a yukata, the Henry costume for the TSL play, a bunny-themed uniform at the Fall, and a pink sheep onesie, among others.

Credit where it’s due, Levi’s attention to detail is impeccable. Snippets of memories play out behind your eyes as you drink in the individual outfits; Satan might call you masochistic for reliving those bittersweet moments, but he isn't around to tease you so you're free to indulge. Levi seems to have forgotten all about his apprehension by the time you come back to yourself, too busy rambling about the bugs in his code, insisting that even the smallest fragment of you artificially brought back to life had to be true to canon.

Meow-ing and nya-ing where appropriate, you settle down near a pile of snacks and make yourself comfortable. You’re no rubber duck either, but you’ve always been more than happy to lend your favorite otaku a listening ear.

“Still no luck?”

“I’ve been trying, but someone —” Satan gives your furry butt a light smack, earning a flick on the cheek with your tail “— doesn’t seem too keen on paying attention.”

Simeon laughs at the indignant look on your face. He pats his knees, prompting you to hop from Satan’s lap onto his. “Don’t be so stubborn, little lamb,” the angel chides, scratching the spot beneath your chin that makes you melt into his touch. “It takes a lot of energy to maintain another form. You’ve only just started learning how to control your magic, so don’t push it.”

“Food’s here!” Luke returns with tea and an assortment of baked treats, his bangs somewhat ruffled. No doubt the café staff have been fussing over the cute little boy who volunteered to pick up his table’s orders. “Are all humans like this?” He pouts, fixing his hair after setting down the tray. “These better be good or I’m not coming back!”

And so begins the next step in Simeon and Luke’s ambitious quest to sample all the desserts of the human world. Unfortunately, you low-key regret not being in your original body when they start withholding food.

“Sorry, no whipped cream for you.” Simeon lifts his plate away from your hungry paw. Next to him, Satan smirks into his cup. “That’ll make you sick, you know.”

Traitors! Both of them! You vacate Simeon’s lap with a rueful meow, curling up next to Luke’s feet instead.

The little angel is your only ally, you decide, and definitely not because he sneaks you blueberries under the table when the other two aren’t looking.

Stepping inside Asmo’s room is like venturing into the perfume section of a department store, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.

“You’re such a -hic- cute kitty!” Asmo giggles at the way you sneeze when he hugs you to his chest. The smell of demonus on his clothes is almost as strong as all the beauty products he usually applies on a daily basis.

The fifth-born has been alternating between partying non-stop for days, getting drunk off his ass, and holing himself up in his room where no one will know if he lets himself his appearance fall apart. By chance, you had managed to catch him somewhere in-between.

“It’s no fun without you here.” He sighs, one hand clumsily running through your fur, the other nursing a cup of hangover remedy. Courtesy of Satan, if you had to guess. You nudge Asmo's shaking arm with a paw, prompting him to down the rest of the drink before he spills it all over the sheets. “Uwaaaah~ This sucks! Don’t tell anyone, but my eyeliner game hasn’t been the same since you left. I’ve always -hic- preferred the way you drew them, you know?”

“Meow.”

“I'm always beautiful, but you're the only one who actually made me believe it.”

“Meow.”

“Exactly! Ooh wait, I’ve got an idea!” Setting you down at the edge of his bed, Asmo rummages through his room with drunken excitement and returns with a small pile of items. He lays them out separately in front of you: a hairbrush, a cluster of clips and colorful ribbons, and his D.D.D. “Let’s play a game~ Apparently this is a tradition for newborns in some human cultures. Shall I groom you? Doll you up? Post pictures of you on Devilgram? Hehe, I’ll let you choose whatever you want!”

You don’t even have to think about it.

Asmo lights up when you pad towards the accessories in the center, but his smile freezes when all you do is step over them and keep moving forward, making yourself at home in his lap instead. You nuzzle his chest affectionately and match his hitching breaths with purrs.

Soft hands wind around your body and pull you atop the demon as he flops backwards onto the pillows with a choked sob. “G-good kitty -hic- such a sweetheart, oh yes you are!” Asmo holds you tight and drops kisses onto your head, but even the demonus can’t completely mask the faint traces of salt mixed into his scent.

Frantic yowling summons Beel to the garden, where he finds you clinging to the side of a rattan basket in fright. One of the ropes tethering it to the tree branches had snapped while you were napping inside; you may have the body of a feline, but you don’t trust yourself to land safely on your feet if you jump.

“It’s okay, don’t be scared.” The demon is careful not to make any sudden movements as he reaches for you, coaxing you to let go. With his height, all he has to do is stretch out his arms and his hands are already mere inches away from you. “I’ll catch you, I promise.”

He does, of course. Beel is often reliable like that. And if you thought he was big before, he’s a giant compared to you now.

“You’re so tiny…” He marvels at the kitten nestled in his palms, rubbing your head with feather-light touches. “You hardly weigh anything. Has Satan been taking good care of you?”

You meow affirmatively and lick his fingers in gratitude, but Beel’s already on his way to the kitchen, determined to fill your belly (and his). He retrieves several containers marked with cat stickers and practically lays out a feast for you.

“Eat up. You’re still growing, you know.” Beel helps himself to a plate of cheeseburgers as he watches you munch on some cooked chicken. His free hand stays close to you, petting you absently. For a few blissful moments, you get to enjoy sharing a meal with him again, until —

“Were you happy? Did you have enough food?”

— the chicken suddenly tastes like ash in your mouth.

“Lilith said you did, but she wasn’t there. I wasn’t… None of us were.” Beel lowers a half-eaten burger and stares at you with such a forlorn expression that you just want to wipe it off of his face. He’s even stopped eating, which is a big red flag. Upon noticing that you’ve paused too, he forces a smile and scratches your chin. “Don’t worry about me, you can keep going.”

You don’t, of course. Instead, you paw at his other hand and make a show of snatching his food, prompting Beel to shove the rest of it into his mouth, more out of reflex than actual hunger. Something clicks in his brain when he sees you take a bite of your chicken immediately after.

“Oh, you want us to eat together?” He picks up another burger and swallows it whole; you dig into a piece of turkey with gusto. “…Okay. I’d like that.”

Obviously you don’t empty out the containers, but Beel polishes off everything on his plate.

It’s a given fact that the constellations in the Devildom’s skies differ from those in the human world, a fact you discovered the first time you had ventured into the planetarium in search of familiar stars to alleviate a bout of homesickness during the early days of the exchange program. It also wasn’t until Belphie’s release from the attic that you had any hope of identifying them.

Although the sky is obscured with heavy clouds tonight, the youngest brother already knows all the stars by heart. Little purple sparks twinkle against the clear glass of the planetarium’s dome, mimicking the placement of constellations normally scattered across the surface.

“And that’s it, I guess.” Belphie yawns into your fur, cuddling you closer. Satan definitely knew what he was doing when he adopted you as a therapy animal; you make an excellent nap buddy. “Pretty neat, huh?”

You seem more interested in the sparkling lights hovering above you than the actual meaning behind their formations, but that’s okay. So long as he gets to spend time with you.

“It’s not exactly common knowledge, but Diavolo created one constellation for each of the Avatars.” Belphie laughs at the way you visibly perk up at the information. He’s shared this tidbit with you before, but you never get tired of hearing it. “Heh, Lilith refuses to admit it, but I think she’s a little jealous. What do you say, shall we make something up for her?”

Belphie loosens his hold on you to conjure a ball of shimmering purple energy. You wriggle out of his grasp to bat at it, sending a spark into the air with every hit. Clearly he’s manipulating where they go, the three additional lights forming an ‘L’ amidst the rest.

Job done, you reclaim your spot on Belphie’s pillow, but the demon has a pensive look on his face. He flicks his wrist, and several more lights emerge to join the others in the shape of your initials.

You meow at him sadly. Belphie doesn’t respond except to let the energy ball dissipate and pull you back into his arms, staring miserably at the newest constellation. You can tell he’s getting sleepy again, his breaths beginning to slow, but he fights his drowsiness to keep his magic alive for as long as he can.

And even when he finally succumbs to his sin, your name is the last to fade.

“I told you so.”

“Mmrp.”

“Oi, watch the attitude or I won’t be so inclined to help you.”

An empty threat. You nip at Satan’s fingers half-heartedly, but the paws keeping his hand on your head betrays your need for his touch and comfort right now.

It was hard to believe him when he had first told you about his brothers mourning your death. After not hearing from them ever since Lilith showed up, you didn’t think they would remember or even miss you. The hurt from being abandoned all those decades ago never really faded away; you blamed the tiny piece of your heart that refused to let go, nursing the painful spark of hope that maybe tomorrow would be the day they finally thought of you, or maybe you just needed to give your silly boys more time to come around.

(They were happy without you, and yet when Simeon slid the Ring of Light onto your finger, all you could think about was the second chance to be a part of their lives again.)

You had resigned yourself to a one-sided reunion by the time you were able to return to the Devildom, prepared to love your second family from afar. The shapeshifting was supposed to be temporary; once you ascertained that everyone was doing well, you would turn back and… okay, you hadn’t thought that far yet, but you would have worked something out eventually.

“Hey.” Satan’s voice is uncharacteristically soft, his tone gentle as he scratches the base of your ears. “Everything will be alright. Trust me, you’ll always have a place with us.”

Even the Avatar of Wrath can only relish his brothers’ suffering for so long. You know Satan has your back no matter what, but the choice is clear: it’s time to come clean.

(Whispered words come to you in a dream.

“I never meant to replace you.” The silence of the night is steeped in guilt and remorse. “I am forever grateful for all my family has done for me, but my only regret is that it cost them you. You saved them, you made them whole again, and… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I hope you find peace, wherever you are. Goodnight, little one.”

A final, gentle stroke of your fur, and then all is still.)

Things, as usual, don’t go according to plan.

When it happens, you tumble roughly from Diavolo’s arms, landing on all fours with a hiss. He’s quick to apologize, thinking he might have been too eager in his petting. “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

But there’s no way for you to tell him about the burning sensation on your left paw, the echoes of wrath searing through your fur and making your blood boil. Getting to Satan is the only thing on your mind as you dart away from the demon prince’s hands, past a confused Barbatos, and towards the House of Lamentation.

It’s the calm in the middle of the storm.

You squeeze inside through a broken window to see Lilith standing between two groups: Satan and the twins in one, and Asmo with the older brothers in the other. The fourth-born looks more roughed up than the rest; you spy his D.D.D. in an equally dismal state where it lies discarded in a corner, littered with spider cracks and —

“I’m serious!” Satan laughs at your pout. “No wrinkles whatsoever. You’re as handsome as the day I first laid eyes on you, my dear.”

You swat his arm with reddening cheeks. The demon’s exaggeration knows no bounds, and yet his honeyed words easily make you blush as though you’re seventeen and not seventy.

“Come here, I’ll prove it.” He draws you close and fires up his D.D.D.’s camera. “Say cheese!”

The self-conscious smile on your face morphs into one of surprise when you feel warm lips on your temple, a split second before the flash goes off.

— a photo of the two of you on the flickering screen.

“We should be thanking him!” Lilith argues, gesturing fervently at the larger group. In the short time you’ve known your soft-spoken ancestor, you’ve never seen her so worked up before. “He was there when we weren’t! He took care of —”

“Then why the fuck didn’t he tell us?! He had no right keeping —”

“No right?” Satan is seething. “I was the only one who gave a damn! You — all of you chose to forget! I shouldn’t have to remind you that our human was still cohabitating with us when you lot decided to just abandon —”

“That’s not true! I bet you cursed us so that only you would remember!”

“Not to mention that glamor on the door was your doing, and all those times you snuck off on your own —”

“Everyone, stop it! Fighting about this now won’t change anything…”

“We’re to blame here.”

“No, I refuse to accept this!”

You can’t tell who lunges first, but then horns and wings and tails start coming out and everything quickly descends into chaos. A brawl between the brothers isn’t new to you, but this level of raw violence certainly is. No spells or hexes are used, just good old-fashioned fangs, claws, and brute force. All you can discern is Belphie tugging Lilith a safe distance away before joining the melee; the rest are moving too fast for your eyes to track.

Satan is wrath incarnate. He dishes out as much as he takes, but three vs. four aren’t the best odds even with Beel on his side, let alone against all his older siblings. His betrayal is unforgivable, and your horror must have bled through the pact because you sense a brief surge of panic from Satan’s end, an unspoken plea for you to stay out of the way.

But with that much blood, feathers and scales being shed, and infernal demonic snarls ringing in your ears, you have to step in before someone gets killed for real. Satan shouldn’t have to pay the price for your cowardice; this is all your fault and you need to fix things now.

You spot Lucifer flying high, preparing for a dive-bomb. A swift leap onto the couch and you’re in position to go for his wings — sorry not sorry — but Lilith grabs you in mid-air before you can throw yourself into the fray.

“Kitty, no! You’ll get hurt!” She pulls you back and out of harm’s way. You hiss at her angrily, but no matter how hard you struggle, how viciously you dare to claw at her arms, gouging bloody ribbons into her delicate skin, she refuses to let go.

“You. Utter. BASTARD!” A streak of white is all you can make out of Mammon, who easily weaves around Beel and Belphie and goes in for the kill. You feel a flash of genuine fear from Satan, and the last shred of your patience finally snaps.

The attack never lands.

What sends all movements screeching to a complete halt is not the sudden burst of light in the brothers’ peripheral vision or Lilith’s startled yelp, but the loose threads of magic under their skins abruptly yanked taut as faded pact marks flare to life, and:

“EVERYBODY SIT!!”

As though gravity had been increased tenfold, seven demons slam to the ground so quickly that all breath is knocked out of them in one sharp exhale. Even without the order pinning them to the floor, hearing your voice again after so many decades would have done the trick.

Everyone’s eyes are on you in a heartbeat, you in all your immortal glory, looking not a day older than at the start of the exchange program. It’s you, it has to be; appearances aside, the pacts you have with them are all the proof they need.

Lilith looks absolutely stunned at the cat-turned-person in her hold, her arms looped loosely around your waist. It’s just as well, given that your body’s starting to slump dangerously.

“See, I was paying attention.” One last jab at Satan, and then you’re toppling backwards in a dead faint.

You wake up in Lilith’s bed with a raging headache and your worried great-great-n-times-over grandmother hovering over you.

“Oh, thank goodness!” She helps you sit up, handing you a glass of water with a straw. The pounding in your skull gradually ebbs away as you take small sips. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I have a magically-induced hangover.” You went drinking with Solomon once. Never again. There’s also a fresh bruise on your shoulder, and you rub it with a wince. “Where’d this come from? And how long was I out?”

“Not too long, you slept for about an hour. And I, uh, might have accidentally knocked you into the doorframe. Twice.”

For some reason, an image of Lilith dragging you through the house by your feet pops into your head.

“Everybody was panicking when you collapsed, okay?” She whines, and you take a moment to appreciate just how frazzled she looks, the poor thing. “I didn’t think you’d want my brothers smothering you, so I carried you here. I told them to calm down and talk things through before bringing you back.”

“I’m honestly surprised they haven’t barged in by now.”

“Well, they’re still in the common room…”

“That’s unusually civil of them —”

“Stuck to the floor.”

“WHAT?!”

The tension in Lilith’s shoulders loosens as she giggles uncontrollably. “I think your pacts with them worked a little too well. If you’re up for it, shall we?”

You don’t fully register the exhaustion in your bones until you attempt to get out of bed. Although you stumble like a newborn calf at first, Lilith keeps a steady grip on your waist until you can more or less walk under your own power. An hour’s nap isn’t nearly enough to undo weeks of shapeshifting and activating seven dormant pacts at once, but it’s better than nothing.

(Lilith waves away your apologies when you notice the scratch marks on her arms. She assures you they’ll fade in time — one perk of her curious brand of immortality is that injuries never seem to stick — and says nothing when she in turn spies her eldest brother’s ring sitting snugly on your finger.)

Needless to say, some ground rules are in order first.

“No more fighting, got it?” You try your best to channel Lucifer during one of his infamous lectures, but if his unimpressed glare is anything to go by, you’re not doing a very good job of it. Really, it’s unfair how he can still assert his authority while looking so disheveled. “And no dogpiling on Satan either.”

“Darling, we’re hurt!” Asmo pouts, wriggling as suggestively as he can while his chest is pressed to the carpet. “First time we’re seeing you in forever and you’re just going to order us around?”

“I didn’t think…” you wanted me back, the words stick in your throat. You bite your lip, wilting slightly as whatever courage you managed to scrape together on the way down evaporates into thin air. They aren’t angry at you for deceiving them, right? The past few weeks have shown just how much they missed you, but better safe than sorry. “Just — let’s just settle this peacefully, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, now let us up already!” Mammon demands impatiently. You can’t help but stifle a weak laugh; his attitude has always been a familiar comfort.

(You also don’t notice the way Lilith starts inching away from you.)

The second the magic binding your demons is dispelled, everybody moves at once.

Mammon pounces first, clearing the distance in one great leap and tackling you to the ground with a tearful cry of your name.

Lucifer reaches you second, cushioning your fall with his wings while efficiently delivering a sharp smack to the back of Mammon’s head along the way. You make a mental note to scold him for that later.

Levi’s tail coils tightly around your thigh, the tip tracing the pulsing orange mark on your skin, eager for contact yet not quite wanting to be flattened by the rest of his brothers.

Asmo circles around and cradles your head from behind, planting relieved kisses all over your face.

Belphie clings to your free side like a koala and nuzzles into your chest, while Beel just wraps his arms around the whole group and scoops everybody into the air, leaving Levi dangling for dear life.

Lilith goes to help Satan off the floor amidst a chorus of “Beel I can’t breathe!” and “Put us down!” The beating he took has left him somewhat disgruntled, but hearing the laughter in your voice softens him enough to accept Lilith’s fussing without much complaint.

There’re still talks to be had, apologies to be made, and generally a long way to go before things can return to some semblance of normalcy, but the first step has been taken, and maybe it’s finally time for their family to start healing properly.

#writing #obey me #obey me fanfic #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me lilith #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me simeon #obey me luke #obey me solomon #obey me replaced mc au

938 notes · View notes