#but i do think its...a little funny how quick and absolute the 180 is? like now hes unfunny and ugly and smarmy or w/e | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

elysianslove · 3 years

Note

hi eli bby !! its me vio again shhshf

i loved ur vball player crush hcs w miya twins && suna and can i have that too w sakusa, semi && shirabu ? MY UNDERRATED BOYS CRIES SM <//3 thank u sm <33

hiiiii my love!!! tysm for requesting these boys i love them so much. i hope you like this lysm <3

sakusa kiyoomi

considering what i’ve seen in the anime, and some manga panels, i really don’t think omi’s a peoples person. so even in school, i doubt he was very involved with other students, and probably kept to himself

he’s also hyper-aware of his surroundings constantly, including the people around him, so the fact that he noticed you wasn’t a shock

it’s that he noticed you, and then he couldn’t stop thinking about you

probably had some dream about you that same night that cursed him with a crush on you yk the dreams i’m talking about right?

he still continues to keep to himself, and whenever he spots you from his peripheral vision he just dashes out of there. he realizes that forcing himself to act normally around you might actually improve his situation and help him get over whatever this stupid crush was but he was not taking any chances

he also knew nothing about you, just your last name!

so anyways both the boys and girls vbc’s are heading the same school, so they got one bus for the both of you and combined them.

because his general dislike for crowds, omi usually sits out in the front, especially because the door to the bus is right next to him. idk he just seems like the kind to map out an escape plan for every room/vehicle he enters i don’t have a reason why i think so

the game was happening on a weekend, really early, like way too early, so it wasn’t a surprise that you were tired. it’s an unspoken rule that those who sit in the back make a lotta noise and all that, so you opted for the front seats instead to at least try and rest a bit before the game

you don’t sit directly next to him, but there’s only an aisle separating the two of you

because, yk, manners, you give him a small smile before saying, “good morning!” and settling in your seat, your bag between your legs

omi on god freezes up lmfao

he doesn’t mean to sound so rude but it just comes out that way! he says something along the lines of “what are you doing here?” and immediately regrets it after it leaves his lips. he visibly cringes

but instead of being thrown off, you just laugh, and sakusa curses everything behind his mask because holy shit were you gorgeous and wow was his stomach just somersaulting

not a nice feeling

you explain to him briefly that you’re on the vbc and you were heading to play the girls of the same school he was gonna play against and all that, and he just hums and nods and tries to ignore the thump thump thump of his heart

you don’t really interact during the bus ride going to, it’s coming back that you do

you tell him that you managed to glimpse the last bit of his game, where he was landing a spike, and you complimented his skills and pointed out his freakish wrist move

he noted that he didn’t get to see you play and your brain went opportunity!

you go “well maybe you should come to one of my dates” like the absolute smooth talker you are

omi just hums and goes “i’ll see”

absolutely is there lol

the development into a relationship is more implicit than explicit. the two of you don’t announce to the world, but honestly, neither do you do it to yourselves. like you’d been on a coffee date with him at some point and your parent or sibling texted something you found funny and mentioned him as your boyfriend and you showed it to him and he was like

am i your boyfriend

like idk am i your girlfriend

he said yeah obviously

i love this boy so fucking much pleaseeeee

but yes just as your development into a couple is subtle, so is your overall relationship. and honestly? you wouldn’t have it any other way

semi eita

omg pretty setter semi eeee

so yk how shiratorizawa students live in dorms? there’s no way semi hasn’t noticed you before, even if it’s separate dorms for different genders. like you two probably come across each other every once in a while at a vending machine or something, and exchange a word or two

it’s not until when semi starts to look forward to seeing you, or when he gets disappointed every time you don’t make an appearance, that he realizes, you know, he’s kinda developed a liking to you

he doesn’t really know much about you, aside your name and your favorite go-to snack from the vending machine, so he’s left a little frustrated at the lack of interactions you two have. like he’s just living off that small laugh of acknowledgment and the hi, hope you sleep well! you know? like he wants more from you. he wants to get to know you

he can’t seem to ever see you in school either, because the stars hate him that much and don’t wanna align for the two of you, not even a little to share one class with him. just one

it’s just his luck, though, when a busy weekend for all the sports teams comes along, and each sport is sectioned off to a bus. volleyball boys and girls in one bus, swimming boys and girls in one bus, etc.

he really doesn’t expect it when you get on the bus, because what the fuck you play volleyball??? and then he really doesn’t expect it when you recognize him, gasp and grin, and wave at him, and go over to sit by him

his brain’s short-circuiting

you immediately start conversation as you’re setting your bag down like “i didn’t know you played volleyball!”

and he laughs and nods like “i didn’t know you did either”

it’s honestly a really cute and satisfying moment like okay maybe the stars were just taking their time aligning thank you universe

the two of you click immediately. like annoyingly so. you have so much in common, and you spend the entire ride chatting excitedly about everything and semi’s wishing he’d just asked you to hang out way sooner, like as early as the first time you’d met at that vending machine

the girls’ games finish a lot later than the boys, so he comes and watches you play, and is enamored by you, completely. in his head he’s just ‘this girl just keeps growing more perfect.’

he walks back with you to the bus, and sits next to you as well. when you arrive back at the school, you don’t immediately go to your dorms, and he suggests grabbing a refreshing drink from somewhere nearby

it’s incredible how you still have so much to talk about

the time passes really quick with him

it’s while you’re having that drink with him, probably iced tea or boba or something, he tells you about his small passion for music, and you make him promise to play you something at some point. he loops his pinky with yours :)

he also confides in you about having been replaced on his last year, and how he tries not to let it affect him but he really can’t help him. from then on, after each of your practices, you invite him in your gym, and have him set to you, just so you both have an excuse to spend time with each other, and so that he gets to practice and play the way he really wants to, without any restrictions placed upon him and no one waiting to take his place

i think as a couple you’d probably really bring out the best in each other, and you’re constantly always, always there for each other. really, really reliant and supportive as partners, you know?

you go to all his games, and whenever he’s pitched in, you scream his name the loudest and cheer him on so much. one look at your face, and he’s reminded of who he is and why he does what he does, and he’s immediately grounded aw <3

shirabu kenjirō

omg shirabu with a crush 🥺🤲🏼 i love it when characters seem so cold and standoffish but as soon as they’re around the people they care about they do a 180. that’s shirabu 100%

he really, really, really liked you. like it was embarrassing at this point. he totally denied it every time anyone even thought it, and he really tried his hardest not to be obvious around you

i like to think he saw you around school and that’s how it developed a little, but maybe you were friends with some of the vbc boys because of your shared interest in the sport, and you come to play with them sometimes after practice, he’d just never be there

but one time you walked in and he was like guess im not leaving

he was a little starstruck at the fact that you played volleyball. he honestly wouldn’t care, but it sorta felt nice that there really was something that you two had in common

and you were good. at everything. you received semi and ushijima’s serves, and goshiki’s and ōhira’s spikes, perfectly, and reacted to tendō’s blocks so well, and hit his tosses just right. you were incredible. maybe your skills were magnified from his specific lens, but there really was no denying you were skilled

damn this. all this.

especially any time you’d spike his toss and give him a really wide smile and say, “nice toss!” like seriously the way his heart’s spasming cannot be healthy what the fuck

and then he finds out the girls are sharing a bus with them, and then you walk in

and then you walk towards him

obviously, outwardly he looks unimpressed and unfazed but trust, his palms are sweaty as fuck

before the bus moves, you stand by his seat and make small talk with him about volleyball, before you realize the bus is moving and you have to sit down, but you’re still in the middle of a conversation with him, so you just sit next to him and continue like nothing happened

he just. allows it.

the school you’d been going to had a really big court where both the girls and boys were playing in the same gymnasium on opposite sides of the court, so when you arrived and changed and all, you were like “wanna warm up together” couple goals <3

pls semi, taichi and tendō would probably tease the fuck out of him lmfao. he’d just glare at them but he has such a big blush on his cheeks as he stretches and warms up with you that the glare is completely ineffective

you go to sit next to him on the bus ride home, but the day’s exhaustion catches up to you, plus the bus’s movements are lulling you, so you end up falling asleep on his shoulder, and when shirabu first notices that you’d actually fallen asleep, he looks down at you with such a dreamy and awestruck face. goshiki took a picture and likes to torment him with it. shirabu has it as his lockscreen now lol

as your boyfriend, he’s the exact same. very standoffish to everyone outwardly but to you? it’s a different story.

nonetheless it’s not very obvious. so yes, he will have a scowl on his face as he tells you off, but his lips are slightly upturned and there’s a little pink shade on his cheeks that show just how endearing he thinks you are

really loves to practice with you because he loves seeing you in your zone like that. also you look hot

anyways yes he’s such a cutie i will not take criticism

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu headcanons #hq x reader #sakusa x reader #sakusa kiyoomi x reader #sakusa headcanons #sakusa kiyoomi headcanons #semi x reader #semi eita x reader #semi headcanons #semi eita headcanons #shirabu x reader #shirabu kenjiro x reader #shirabu headcanons #shirabu kenjiro headcanons

654 notes · View notes

princessjungeun · 3 years

Text

TWICE Reaction to S/O Being Insecure

Request: Can I request twice reaction to their s/o being insecure?

Nayeon

Nayeon noticed you pouting in the mirror and adjusting your shirt as you sighed out of frustration, giving in and starting to pull it off. She asked, “What’s wrong? I think you look pretty in that one.” You refused, “No I don’t, not with these man shoulders of mine...” Nayeon knew you despised your shoulders after being made fun of for them as a kid. On top of that they are very muscular from high school sports which in your opinion made you look like some bulky man which is fine but just not a look you liked for yourself. Nayeon however loved your shoulders, she thought they were so attractive and they made you look strong. She stood on her toes and wrapped her one arm around your waist and another around your shoulder. Softly she kissed your bare skin and told you firmly, “Your shoulders are perfect baby. You have nothing to worry about, you look beautiful all the time.”

Jeongyeon

You and Jeongyeon had been watching a movie together, both of you doubling over laughing every so often when something funny happened. However you did you best to hide your laugh and stifle the sound of your own laugh when you could. Jeongyeon took notice and nudged your shoulder, “Why are you being weird?” You tried to play it off the best you could, pretending that you weren’t doing anything, “What are you talking about, I’m normal. You’re the weird one.” Your girlfriend frowned, “You’re not laughing with me. Why?” For a moment you stayed silent, hoping she’d get distracted with the movie playing behind you but she didn’t. She was still looking at you and waiting for an answer, you huffed, “My laugh is so ugly....I want a cute one.” Jeongyeon waited for you to continue until she realized that was the only problem. She asked, “Are you serious?” You nodded, “Yes! I wheeze then snort when I laugh. That’s so ugly and embarrassing! I want a cute laugh like you or like almost every other girl we know.” Jeongyeon frowned, “I love your laugh and it is cute. I love when your face turns pink because you’re laughing too hard and when your nose scrunches and you snort when you’re laughing. If you had a laugh like every other girl it’d be boring don’t you think?” You replied, “I guess so....thanks.” She pulled you into a hug and tickled your side, making you laugh so hard you fell off her lap.

Momo

Momo always noticed how you covered you mouth when you smiled when you were in public. She didn’t start to wonder why until you continued to do it even when it was just the two of you alone. Your girlfriend had done something and you started laughing, covering your mouth to hide your smile in the process. She reached out and grabbed your hand gently, asking, “Why do you do that? Cover your smile?” You replied, “My teeth aren’t straight...they’re ugly. I guess it’s a habit I formed over time?” Momo told you, “No, your teeth are perfect even if they aren’t straight. My bottom teeth are crooked too, it’s no big deal babe.” Although her words meant a lot and they did make you feel a little better, you still had to work through that opinion that lingered in the back of your mind.

Sana

In Sana’s eyes you were absolutely perfect, from top to bottom you were everything she dreamed of and then some. You knew you were perfect in your own way, after all your parents had instilled that in you since birth. However, you had one thing that you wished was different: your eyes. They were two different colors, one bright blue and the other partially blue but a majority chocolate brown. As a kid, your classmates always teased you and would call you names because of them. Your parents never let you get colored contacts, insisting that your eyes were and always would be beautiful. Sana didn’t even know your eyes were two different colors for almost a year of you two dating. You’d forgotten to put contacts in one night when she wanted to come over and she was taken aback. At first she thought you were joking, telling you that you forgot to put in another blue contact. However after looking closer and seeing the other, she realized those were your real eyes. All night Sana couldn’t look away, only adding to your insecurity. However she was quick to reassure you that they were beautiful, that you were beautiful.

Jihyo

You and Jihyo had decided to take a vacation to Hawaii when she and the girls had a break between comebacks. She was in dire need of rest and relaxation from promotions and you needed time away from work. Jihyo was excited to head to the beach, all ready in her bathing suit and sandals. She didn’t hesitate to pull her shirt and shorts off and lay in the sun once you both found a spot. You on the other hand refused to take off your shorts. Your girlfriend poked your denim shorts, “Don’t you want to take them off? You’re gonna have some funny tan lines later.” You gently swatted her hand away and said, “No, it’s fine?” Your gaze flickered away from hers quickly and out facing the sand and water in front of you. Jihyo scooted back under the canopy and closer to you, lifting your head with her thumb to face you, she asked softly, “What’s wrong?” You shifted awkwardly in place, “I-I just don’t like the way my legs look that’s all.” Jihyo frowned, pulling you closer to her so you were sitting between her legs, your back against her front. She hugged you tight and told you, “but they’re perfect....” You let out a laugh, “trust me they’re far from it, don’t get me started on my stretch marks.” Jihyo’s hand rested on your thigh, her thumb grazing your skin softly, “they’re normal to have, I have them too. It’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, you’re so beautiful Y/N.” You could only smile bashfully, letting out a shy “Thank you.”

Mina

You sighed as you sat in the mirror trying to figure out what to do with your hair. You’d unintentionally left it uncombed for a few days too long and it now looked like a big frizzy tumbleweed. There was no time to wash it because it was already mid afternoon and you’d be up until the early morning if you were to start now. You and Mina were supposed to have left already, she wanted to go shopping in Gangnam for something and you were planning to tag along. However you couldn’t leave until you managed to do something with the tangled ball of curls that rested atop your head. Mina popped her head in the bathroom, seeing you just staring into the mirror. She asked, “Hey you okay in here?” That was all it took for you to start sobbing. You choked out, “M-my hair is s-s-so uglyyyyyy!” Mina rushed to your side, pulling you into a hug, “Who told you that? Why would you say that?” You cried, “its too puffy and big and it never cooperates! I’m just going to flat iron it all the time now. I’ll look prettier then.” Mina refused, “that’s not true Y/N. Your hair is so pretty, you can do so much with it unlike me. No matter what you do to it you’ll look beautiful okay?” You sniffled, “O-okay.”

Dahyun

Ever since people found out that you were dating Dahyun, they’d been supportive for the most part. However there were some netizens that reacted negatively, almost all of these people pointed out the one thing you disliked about your body the most: your ears. Your ears were absolutely tiny, you could barely fit two ear piercings on each one, they were that small. Dahyun noticed you wore hoods over your head or pulled your hair to cover your ears when you two were in public. She playfully pulled one of them, something she did often at home. When you swatted her hand away and frowned, covering your ears she asked, “What’s wrong?” You told her, “Stop that....I don’t like them.” Dahyun was quick to reply, “Why not? They’re so cute and small.” You sighed, “that’s exactly the problem, they’re tiny. They are so awkward and unproportioned to the rest of my head, I hate it. I want normal ears like you.” Your girlfriend reassured you, “Y/N, your ears are so precious. I think they’re so cute, you don’t have to be insecure about them okay?”

Chaeyoung

You were quite tall compared to Chaeyoung, standing at 180 cm, you towered over your girlfriend. Most times you loved it, having long arms and legs was great for reaching things on the top shelf or walking quickly from point A to point B. However you did feel a wave of insecurity when you went out with Chaeyoung and heard people mumbling between themselves. Most of the time it was “I wonder if she’s a model?” But others it was, “She’s too tall, she looks like a giant man. That’s not attractive.” You hated hearing these negative comments because there was nothing you could do to be smaller. You always wished that one day you’d wake up and be 165 cm, that was your ideal height, it was normal and you’d look like everyone else. Chaeyoung was always quick to notice when you started to feel insecure, she’d always shower you with complements, telling you how pretty you were and how she wished she had your height.

Tzuyu

You were a pretty confident person, you knew you were beautiful and you were one of the first people to point it out when you felt extra pretty. However, there were times when this wasn’t the case. You had terrible eyesight and due to that you wore contacts. You also had glasses but you didn’t wear them because you hated how thick the lenses were. You’d forgotten to pick up your contacts and you ran out, meaning you’d have to opt for your glasses for the day. Tzuyu had seen you in your glasses and honestly she thought they made you look cuter. You’d been walking around your apartment squinting and feeling around for things, unable to see without your glasses or contacts on. Tzuyu looked up from her phone, “Baby girl where are your glasses?” You shook your head, “Don’t need em.” She looked at you then said, “You’ve walked into the wall twice, poured chicken stock into your cereal thinking it was milk, and you’ve been squinting since you woke up. Go put them on so you don’t get hurt please.” You grabbed them from your bedroom and held them in your hand, looking down at them you played with the temple tips under your fingers. Your girlfriend asked, “what’s wrong?” You mumbled, “they make me look ugly....” Tzuyu gently took them from you, putting them on for you. It was the first time you’d seen her clearly all day, bringing a faint smile to your face. She grinned, “you look so cute, I love your glasses.”

#kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #kpop reactions #twice scenarios #twice imagine #twice reactions #twice nayeon #twice jeongyeon #twice momo #twice sana #twice jihyo #twice mina #twice dahyun #twice chaeyoung #twice tzuyu

96 notes · View notes

chat-noir-always-here · 4 years

Text

“Hey Arnold!” and “Miraculous!” parallels

Ever have an idea for a post that you take forever to get around to because 2020 is

actively

trying

to kill you?!

Welp, that’s me. I mean, uh, this is that post.

Long post is long and I don’t like cuts cuz I’ve lost a few posts in the past using them. Please filter the tag “long post” I use it for walls of text like these.

So there’s this show from my childhood called Hey Arnold!

Having been on air before I had cable (I and my unsupervised brothers and sisters spent our childhood watching Jerry Springer and Maury because there was literally nothing else on our cheap little TV. How hilarious is that?) I didn’t really have much of an experience with Hey Arnold! aside from brief little glances at it when i visited a friends home or the rare occasion where they showed cartoons at school. By the time I got satellite, the show was no longer on the air save for some late night reruns and the Christmas special which aired in December along with other Nickelodeon Christmas episodes (THE best Christmas episode EVER btw).

Really I couldn’t remember much about it until hearing about the Jungle Movie finally getting a release date (a total flop but at least its no cliff hanger) and decided to re-watch the entire series in preparation for said movie.

By which point I had discovered another show—Miraculous.

At first glance the two shows have absolutely nothing in common. Miraculous being a French-born mahou shoujo-esque CGI superhero TV series about a couple of middle schoolers who regularly battle a walking peppermint-frappucino-looking psychopath. Hey Arnold! being a more realistic children’s sitcom about a young football-headed boy who deals out humanitarian aid in the form of advice and simple good deeds to his neighbors, classmates and friends.

In terms of setting, logic, and animation the two series are as different as night and day.

So imagine my pleasant surprise to discover a whole post’s worth of parallels shared between the two shows???

And here they are in no particular order:

1)Arnold’s Parents/Adrien’s mom

Prior to the start of Miraculous, Emilie Agreste disappeared under mysterious circumstances leaving her family behind. Later on it was revealed that she was in fact sleeping (dead?) in a glass coffin beneath the Agreste mansion--unbeknownst to Adrien, or anyone else in Paris save for Gabriel and Nathalie.

In a similar fashion, Arnold’s parents, Miles and Stella, also disappeared prior to the start of Hey Arnold! and like Emilie were always referred to as “missing” rather than “dead.”

The Jungle Movie later revealed Miles and Stella weren’t dead, but like Emilie appears to be doing in her coffin, they were sleeping. Having caught a bout of sleeping sickness (apparently they do not need to be hooked up to IVs or other medical devices while in a comatose state cuz fuck logic) they simply needed their orphaned son to come and cure them with the help of the magical golden heart Helga provided him with.

Perhaps Mari holds the key to waking Emilie? That would be nice to see.

Not the miraculous of course--but some other key.

Although personally I’m hoping for a hardcore, devastating ending like Emilie dying, Gabriel going to prison where he belongs, and Adrien leaving the country for a bit until the second Hawk Moth shows up because I just like devastating cliffhangers and angst and being in utter turmoil over fictional people. But that’s just me.

2) Their best friends are dating

Smol parallel here: Arnold’s best friend Gerald and Helga’s Best friend Phoebe wind up together in The Jungle Movie after being imprisoned together by Lasombra. Similar to how Nino and Alya ended up together after being imprisoned by Ladybug (for their protection, of course).

3) The Bag of Money Episode/ The Ladybug episode

OOh boy both of these episodes make me rage.

Some context about the Bag of Money episode: Arnold and his friends Gerald and Sid find a random bag of money containing almost $4000. Sid is ecstatic and wants to split the money evenly between the three boys, but Arnold worries it could just be lost and convinces them to let him, Arnold, take the money to the police station. On the way he accidentally switches the bag with another one that is identical and contains a bunch of useless junk, and when he tries to explain what happened to his friends they don’t believe him because their bag of money was accidentally taken by an “old lady with pink hair and a peg leg.”

Arnold’s a good boy and he’s telling the truth--but the truth sounds crazy, even to my ears. Sid accuses Arnold of stealing the money and spreads lies to their classmates, whom Arnold has spent the ENTIRE SERIES helping in some form or fashion. Despite everything he’s done for them though, the vast majority of the class come to believe Arnold is a thief. Even Gerald, Arnold’s closest friend, nearly believes Sid over Arnold but eventually comes to Arnold’s defense. The other kids (save for Helga who doesn’t really make an appearance this episode) gang up on Arnold, but thankfully the old lady with pink hair and a peg leg shows up with an officer and together they explain the bag of money is now at the lost and found where it will remain and if gone unclaimed will be returned to Arnold, Gerald and Sid.

Pretty much everything is resolved and things return to normal between the kids.

But I hate this episode. I hate this episode so, so much. Arnold has spent the entire series helping these people out in some form or fashion. Literally thats the entire show. And after everything he’s done for them they’re so. Quick. To. Turn. On. Him.

Sound familiar???

4) Hidden Personality vs. Surface Personality

I do not refer to the cruddy “true selves” thing half the Miraculous fandom believes in. Depending on one’s individual circumstances, environment and how comfortable they are, said person’s behavior can fluctuate or even do a complete 180. This can be kinda frustrating when dealing on one’s own--”Who am I anyway? Is that me or is this me???”

It’s all you, fam.

Arnold and Helga are themselves too, no matter what metaphorical/actual mask they put on. There’s the side that everyone sees and then there’s the side almost no one sees. The hidden personality isn’t hidden due to a lack of trust, necessarily, but rather it is the result of retreating to their respective “shells”--ones which both Arnold and Helga were kinda punched, kicked, and shoved into.

Helga’s surface personality: Class bully, puts up a tough front, constantly torments Arnold because she can’t stand him and his niceness

Helga’s hidden personality: Poetic, abused and isolated, is in love with Arnold to the point of being obsessed with him and bullies him via surface personality in order to hide that fact

Of course Adrien is no bully--his reasons for not being the “cunning, funny, ultra-charming Chat Noir” 24/7 DOES have a lot to do with his toxic household, his dad, and the overwhelming expectations which are constantly smothering him as Adrien.

Adrien is a bug under a magnifying glass (or so he feels)

Chat Noir is a chance for a freedom.

Adrien’s surface personality was molded by his dad.

Helga’s is the result of her entire family. Her father is brash and loud, her mother is a confirmed alcoholic, her sister is a gifted prodigy, well-rounded and spends most of the series at university or elsewhere. Although her sister, Olga, has been shown to genuinely care for Helga, Olga is kinda the reason their parents neglect Helga. With their first daughter being the genius and prodigy she is, Helga’s parents poured all of their pride and affection and parental devotion onto her. Meanwhile Helga had to walk to pre-school alone. At four years old. In the rain. Not for the last time.

Which leads me to the next parallel.

5) Umbrella in the Rain

squeals in delight over this parallel<3<3<3

If you’ve never seen Hey Arnold! do yourselves a favor and watch this short little clip over how Helga and Arnold first met. If you have seen it, watch it anyway because it is the most adorable clip in the entire show.

youtube

Dr. Bliss: “So nobody’s ever noticed you?”

Helga: “...There was someone.”

The soft way Helga confesses that--you can actually hear how grateful she is to have such a tender memory from such a painful time.

In a similar manner, Adrien offered his umbrella to Marinette. Of course Adrien did it because Mari had to walk home in the rain and Arnold did it as a simple gesture of kindness (seeing as they were already at the school)--one of the many kind acts he displays throughout the series.

But just like Adrien needed unconditional love coming from somewhere, so did Helga. They were both denied this one common necessity which everyone else around them had. It’s not a lot to ask for, and they should’ve already had it coming from their families--but they didn’t.

And then, one rainy day, there it was--the unconditional love they needed.

6) Clinginess

What happens when you take someone, specifically a love-starved abused child from an unstable home environment--deprived of the one thing most crucial to their mental well-being--and miraculously provide them with that very necessity?

Clinginess.

I can’t really think of the correct word to describe this. “Clinginess” is pretty close to what I’m trying to describe, if not on point, so let’s go with that.

What I mean is Helga and Adrien both need Arnold and Ladybug respectively. That’s not a bad thing--it’s okay to need somebody else. What’s bad is hinging your entire being on this one connection. For if either kiddo were to be left behind they wouldn’t handle it very well.

It can’t really be helped with either Helga or Adrien. They didn’t really have the option to learn certain things and went deprived of unconditional love for such a long time. They’re kids--nine and fourteen/fifteen respectively. They’re not perfect and they’re traumatized for life. Being denied love from your family--the very people designed to love you--would do that to a person. Naturally they would cling to the first people to show up and provide them with the love they needed.

The Hey Arnold! wiki says this about Helga and Arnold’s relationship

Due to her unstable family upbringing where both her mother and father constantly neglect [Helga] and shower all of their attention onto Olga, leaving her deprived of the love and attention she needed growing up. On her way to preschool, Arnold helped her by keeping the rain off her with an umbrella and even complimented her on her hairbow. He even later gave her crackers during their snack time. Arnold's kindness and being the first person to notice her quickly caused Helga to transfer all of her love and attention to Arnold.

Of course Adrien’s tunnel vision isn’t quite as bad as Helga’s.

He treats his friends better.

He does love his father--

Even though his father is THE.

WORST.

PARENT.

EVER!!!

--because he’s Adrien and he’s just too precious a cinnamon roll and that’s still his dad even if the man does belong behind bars.

7) Unhealthy Obsession

I--

I...

Ugh. I am not going to delve too far into this. You’re just going to have to take my word for it. Helga’s creepy stalker behavior is a thousand times worse than Marinette’s. That pic up there of Helga hiding out in Arnold’s room watching him is pretty decent evidence to back up my argument, but it’s hardly the only example or even the worst incident.

Honestly I’m amazed at what Nicktoons were able to get away with in the late nineties/early 2000s.

But yes, Helga’s obsession with Arnold is rather unhealthy in the most extreme moments leading her to display behavior which is more often than not disturbing and concerning.

The Hey Arnold! wiki has this to say about Helga’s obsession with Arnold

Helga is possessive of her love for Arnold and thinks non-stop about him to the point of obsession. This is evidenced throughout the series by the many shrines and poems she makes of Arnold and of her frequent dramatic soliloquies about her love for Arnold.

Again--Mari isn’t as bad as all that. She’s a sweet girl with many healthy relationships in her life. She has ambition, creativity, and drive. But yeah she can be rather possessive of Adrien too, and that needs to stop. Like right now. Adrien doesn’t need another girl being possessive of him and thinking he’s perfect--he needs someone who acknowledges him as a flawed person and loves him despite that.

As for Helga and Arnold--show creator Craig Bartlett confirmed they are “made for each other” and wind up married with three kids, so I’m guessing Helga grew out of some of these bad habits? Or at least I hope so...

8) Helper/Humanitarian tendencies

As mentioned before, the plot of Hey Arnold! is more or less about Arnold helping people. As stated by Gerald in The Jungle Movie, “He’s a humanitarian! Like his parents!” Of course not every episode is about Arnold helping people. There are episodes devoted to supporting characters and they’re just as enjoyable and satisfying.

But as he is the titular character he spends a lot of time in the spotlight.

Remember that “best christmas special EVER” episode I mentioned before?

The reason it’s the best special, in my less than humble opinion, is due to a few things.

The special is not about Santa Claws. In fact, I don’t think he’s even mentioned, let alone shown and treated like an actual living character.

The focus on the entire episode is again on Arnold helping someone, but he doesn’t succeed. Not really.

The one who succeeded in helping someone was Helga, who accomplished the goal Arnold had set out to do.

The episode deals with some rather dark subject matter and is actually quite heartwarming as the “perfect present” Arnold was trying to provide someone with wasn’t something you can buy in the store

It’s also one of the episodes where Helga’s love for Arnold leaves her to do good and as her love for him is a secret, she expects nothing in return. She’s just happy to help him.

Kinda similar to Mari who is, as Adrien puts it in Mayura, “Our every day Ladybug.” Her kindness and devotion to helping others is what drives her as Ladybug and Marinette. It’s what brought Ivan and Mylene together. Is the reason Nathaniel and Mark now have a comic book together. And at the end of the day, that’s the reason for her strange behavior around Adrien--she wants to help him. Even if it’s just as a “good friend.”

9) There are two main characters

Although Hey Arnold! is technically a show about Arnold, one could argue it is just as much Helga’s story.

Similarly, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is named thusly in order to convey the fact that Adrien is just as much a main character as Marinette is.

Although I must say Hey Arnold! did a much better job of giving it’s co-character their dues. GIVE. ME. MORE. CHAT NOIR. FOCUSED. EPISODES. DAMMIT.

But, yes, in terms of screen time, Helga gets about as much as Arnold does. Her story and struggles were given just as much importance as Arnold’s and many people have even come to believe that the show is really about Helga. I’d say its about both of them.

10) Constantly bumping into each other

Granted this happens between Arnold and Helga more often than it does to the love square dorks.

But yes the two people meant to be together keep knocking into each other in their respective universes.

I forget who, but I remember reading that someone a while back theorized that this was the universe’s way of trying to push Arnold and Helga together. Kinda like the “Now kiss!” meme

Perhaps it’s the same for Adrien and Marinette?

;)

#long post #adriennette #shortaki #hey arnold #miraculous ladybug #love square #nicktoons #zag toons

67 notes · View notes

aileruaa · 5 years

Note

zetaflash: a first date?

hellooo i’m slowly getting to requests because I’ve been really busy! I never expected to receive so many requests and prompts LOL. I’m trying to fill them in accordance with Zetaflash week so let’s hope I can keep this up haha.

Bringing Bart to an aquarium for a first date was equal parts endearing and absolutely exhausting.

It just so happened that a couple of days ago, Eduardo’s father had received two complimentary tickets to the Central City Aquarium from a generous patron of the Metahuman Youth Center. He couldn’t go due to an influx of work, so he left them on Ed’s desk for his son to use.

“What are these?” Bart asked, picking up the tickets. He’d come over for video games and good company when the shiny tickets caught his eye.

“Oh, just tickets to the aquarium in Central City. You know, the huge tourist trap?” Ed replied, throwing his backpack onto the bed.

“Tourist trap or not, I’ve never been to an aquarium.” Bart sighed dreamily. He put the tickets down. “It seems crash.”

“Get out of here. Never?” Ed’s eyes widened. He wasn’t planning on going, because he had been there on a couple of school trips already, and it wasn’t exciting past a certain age.

“Well, I’ve been to Atlantis on a couple missions but I wasn’t allowed to leave the Bio-Ship ‘cause my body wasn’t suited for the depths or whatever.” Bart crossed his arms. “Lagoon Boy, M’Gann, and Kaldur got to swim around and all I was allowed to do was to keep watch.”

“That was probably for the best, dude. The pressure at those depths is probably insane.” Ed chuckled, picking up the tickets. Bart had already situated himself on his beanbag, fiddling with the controls. While Bart messed around with the settings, Ed realized this was the perfect opportunity to get Bart alone on a date, with little to no interruptions. He’d been dancing around the idea for a while, but he never had the time or the means to act on the feelings that had been budding in his chest for months, now. And while he wasn’t entirely confident that Bart felt the same way, their interactions definitely felt more than friendly at times. This was the golden opportunity to figure out if Bart had felt the same way- and he wasn’t about to let it go.

“Do you…want to go?”

The answer, of course, was a quick and enthusiastic yes. And just like that, their first real date outside of mission stakeouts and group hangouts was at the Central City Aquarium.

They were greeted by a big array of tropical fish as they entered. Bart was already on cloud nine, and they hadn’t even explored the place properly. As they passed by various penguins, eels, and crabs, Bart made sure to give each and every animal an energetic greeting and a proper look-over. He laughed and cheered at the various tricks displayed at the sea lion show, gleefully mentioning the time Garfield beat up Condiment King as a sea lion. He pat the turtles gently and commented sarcastically on their slow speed. He imitated the guppies’ facial expressions by bringing his cheeks together and puckering his lips. He imitated the penguins’ strange waddling, and all the while Ed couldn’t help but laugh at how silly Bart looked- and how endearing it all was.

“Hey, do you think the dolphins like being in the tanks?” Bart knocked on the glass as they passed the bottle-nosed dolphins. They were on their way to the special Underwater Beauties exhibit, but they kept getting sidetracked by Bart’s inability to walk past anything without making a comment. Ed grabbed his hand and guided him away from the glass, noticing the dolphin swimming away.

“No, but they probably don’t appreciate the tapping, either.” he said, pointing to the “DO NOT KNOCK ON THE GLASS” sign that Bart had overlooked.

“It’s nice to look at them and all, but I can’t imagine it’s super ethical.” Bart tapped on his chin thoughtfully, then turned to Ed with a mischievous grin.

“Let’s break them out. Be my lookout.”

“What? No.”

“Y’know, Prison Break-style? With your powers and mine, we can release them back into the wild. You and I can be the Robin Hoods of the dolphin world.”

“Bart, we are not-“ Ed lowered his voice, glancing around to see if any security guards were listening. “We are not stealing these dolphins from the tank.”

“Why not? Look at them, they’re too smart to be stuck in these tiny tanks.” Bart pouted.

“Even if we could somehow get into the tanks, they weigh like, 200 pounds. I can barely bench 180.” Ed rolled his eyes. “Plus, they’ve been bred in captivity way too long to be released back into the wild at this point.”

Bart sighed. “True.”

They passed by the dolphin exhibit into the stingray exhibit, where a group of children were sticking their hands in the water to touch the stingrays.

“Can we go do that?” Bart’s eyes lit up excitedly. Ed shrugged in agreement, but Bart didn’t even wait for his reaction to zoom to the station and plant himself next to a couple of elementary schoolers who had their hands in the tank.

“How do you do this? Do you just stick your hand in?” Bart asked the girl next to him. The girl giggled at Bart’s childlike curiosity.

“Yeah! They’re like dogs and they love being pet! But you have to be real still, or else they won’t come to you.”

“Oh man, I don’t know if I can be still enough for them to come to me.” Bart rolled up his sleeves and carefully dunked his hand into the water, waiting for one of the many gray stingrays to come. Ed walked over to Bart; he didn’t want to touch the stingrays but it was funny to watch them actively avoid Bart’s hand and swerve around to be pet by the younger children.

“You’ve gotta be still, hermano.” Ed said, leaning down.

“I am!” Bart’s vibrations made ripples in the water, repelling the stingrays.

“That’s not still,” The girl pointed out. Ed couldn’t help but laugh at Bart’s consternation.

“Stiller than that.” Ed rolled up his own sleeve and put his hand over Bart’s to calm the speedster’s shaky hand motion. As soon as Bart calmed his hand, Ed retracted his, not wanting to linger for more than he should have. He didn’t notice Bart’s ears turning red, however, because the moment Bart’s hand stilled, a stingray meandered its way underneath Bart’s palm to be pet. Bart’s smile widened and he stroked the stingray carefully.

“Finally!” he said.

“See, you just had to be a little patient.” Ed nodded.

“Ugh, but it’s all slimy and wet. Not the most pleasant sensation.” Bart got up with a grimace, quickly wiping his hand on his jeans.

“Makes sense, no?” Ed followed suit. But Bart was already on his way to the piranha area, attention grabbed by the “FEED ME” signs.

“Dude, I’ve always wanted to feed piranhas!” Bart said, grabbing a handful of piranha food and looming over the tank.

“Wait, be careful!” Ed dashed over, realizing Bart was leaning a little too close into the tank for comfort. “They’ll bite-“

It was too late. Bart released the food into the water, and a bunch of piranhas jumped up. His hand was close enough for one lucky piranha to latch on. Bart yelped, shaking his hand to get the piranha off his finger.

“Jesus, Bart!” Ed gently brought Bart’s finger up to inspect the damage. He was bleeding, but the wound was already fixing itself. The nip was strong, but was no match for Bart’s accelerated healing. An employee came dashing over, and Bart hid his hand away to hide the fact that his accelerated healing was already doing its job. After a rushed excuse, the two made their way into the big archway of tropical fish separating the rest of the aquarium from the special exhibit.

“Man, you have to be more careful. That was a close one,” Ed sighed.

“Sorry. First time feeding piranhas, got a little too excited.” Bart grinned sheepishly. He glanced at the hand Ed was holding to get them out of the area, and Ed noticed too, detaching himself from Bart.

“Well, good thing you heal fast.” Ed coughed, feeling his cheeks beginning to flush.

“So, uh, what’s next on the map?” Bart asked, trying to dissipate the sudden bout of awkwardness.

“Oh, it’s-“ Ed stared at the map. “The special exhibit, straight ahead. You wanna save this for later, or go now?”

“Let’s just go now. I wanna see what’s so special about this special exhibit.”

The room was dark, and sparsely filled- this was the part of the aquarium where patrons had to pay extra, and therefore it was a lot quieter than the other touristy areas. It was for good reason, however; it was a smaller room, but it was well-maintained and was truly magnificent. The luminescence from the jellyfish barely lit up the dim area, but it was enough for Ed to see Bart’s awe-filled reaction. They were surrounded by colorful, lit-up ocean creatures on all sides, and the otherwise pitch-dark room was filled with beautiful organisms. Bart’s jaw hung slack, soaking up the visuals.

“Do you like it?” Ed asked carefully, confused at Bart’s silence.

“Like it? Dude, this is so crash!” Bart exclaimed, piping down when an old woman shushed him angrily. He turned back to the tanks surrounding them. “They’re the prettiest things I’ve ever seen.”

“I’ve seen prettier things,” Ed murmured under his breath, staring at Bart’s dimly-lit profile. He’d seen this a couple of times already, so the magic was lost on him- but to Bart, this was a one-of-a-kind experience. And watching his crush look up at the colorful jellyfish was another experience altogether.

“Like what?” Bart asked, turning. He hadn’t expected Bart to hear.

Ed wanted so badly to respond truthfully, to say, “You. You’re such a sight for sore eyes.” But he was just a teenager with no smooth moves or confidence in him whatsoever, so he responded with a simple, “Just…some things.”

Bart smiled. “Come to think of it, I think I’ve seen prettier things, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Like you.” Bart poked his finger into Ed’s chest playfully.

Ed raised his eyebrows, surprised as all Hell at Bart’s forwardness.

“P-pretty-“ he sputtered.

“I guess pretty’s not the right word, huh?” Bart said. “Handsome? Guapo, as Jaime puts it?”

“Wait, hold up.” Ed waved his hand in front of him, flustered. “I…”

“Oh.” Bart’s face fell; Ed could tell even in the darkness. “Sorry, I thought-“

“No, you’re not-“

“I just thought that-“

“I’m serious, you’re-“

“That maybe you felt the same way-“

“I wasn’t- wait, what?”

Bart looked up sheepishly. “I don’t know, I thought we had something going on and I wasn’t ever sure until you asked me to go to the aquarium. I thought this was a date. That you felt the same way about me.”

Ed opened his mouth, then closed it.

“Sorry, I’m making things weird, aren’t I? Let’s just pretend-“

“No, it is!” Ed grabbed Bart’s hand for the third time that day, this time with more force. “A-and you’re right. I do feel the same way.”

“Really?” Bart perked up again, relieved.

“Yeah. I just didn’t know if I could call this a date, or if you ever felt the same, ‘cause, y’know.”

“What?”

“You’re just super friendly with everyone.” Ed shrugged.

Bart huffed. “But I thought I made it obvious that I liked you. I gave you half of my giant cookie the other day!”

“I…didn’t know that was supposed to be a sign that you liked me.”

“Well, it was.”

“Now we know.” Ed smiled. This time, he didn’t let go of Bart’s hand; rather, he laced their fingers together.

“Yeah.”

The two observed the jellyfish for a few more moments before Bart got restless again.

“Ah, well, this was crash, but I kinda wanna get back to the piranhas for biting me.” Bart tugged on Ed’s hand. “Come with?

Ed laughed. “I don’t think I have a choice.”

#young justice #bart allen #eduardo dorado jr #bartuardo #zetaflash #zetaflash-week

59 notes · View notes

inurnctdreams · 6 years

Text

falling in love with a dreamie's older sibling - taeyong!au

:: first post on this new blog!! i'm a lil rusty so pls bear with me, it's been a few ｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

(I also got super carried away but I have more ideas for this au if anyone wants a part 2!)

ok so taeyong was a lil (a lot) scared when they told him he'd be the leader of this new group with infinte members

but he took it in his stride bc hey four's not so bad, they're all around his age and mark's very mature and hardworking

six he can deal with, plus, hey! a friend for mark, even if donghyuk can be a brat

and then the dreamies debuted

he was like "yes i know i said mark was mature and hardworking but you're putting him in charge of six babies. he's still a (my) baby!!"

so ofc, even though he wasn't their official leader, he took them under his wing and looked after these children bc that's just who taeyong is

and yeah maybe they're rowdy and hyperactive but they're good kids and they understand what being an idol expects of them

he wouldn't change them for the world and he loves his crazy (not so) little family

the other older members help out a lot too so he never feels too pressured

he can do this!!

then you came along

your parents had asked you to keep an eye on your younger brother when you moved into seoul for school

you attended their debut showcase with your parents but you only had time for a quick hug and an "i'm proud of u!!" before you had to rush back for work so you didn't really see any of the other members

hey you gotta support yourself in the big city somehow

you ofc streamed all of ncts stuff and supported them in any way you could, which wasn't a lot being a student in the city with your own lil apartment

though you always tried to text your brother often to make sure he was eating and taking care of himself/he was being taken care of

and you managed to sneak in a few visits to the dreamies' practices or between schedules

but you'd never actually been to the dorms

you got to know the other dreamies too as they hung out while you facetimed him or appeared in the vlives you could catch

but! finally, there was a day where miraculously you were both free

so you planned to go for ice cream and ofc some of the other dreamies heard of your plan and begged until your ice cream catch up with your lil bro turned into an ice cream catch up with ur lil bro and two of the other dreamies

so the day finally arrived and you were stood outside the dorms after being waved through by security, not exactly knowing what to expect

there were like 18 teenage-early twenties boys living in those three conjoined apartments with almost no adult supervision

so while you were sorta expecting dirty laundry everywhere, stained walls and sweaty smells, surely someone had to be keeping them in check??

the door swings open to reveal your excited little brother and a relatively clean living room

a couple of guys you recognise from various performances/ads/general idolness are lounging on the sofa

you can hear music coming from somewhere further in the apartment

and something that smells absolutely divine is coming from the kitchen

"(Y/N)!!" your brother pounces on you and drags you inside, introducing you to all the members in the room and shouting for his fellow dreamies to hurry up getting ready

they're all lovely and you're glad they all seem as nice as your brother described them, glad that he's got friends and support here when you can't give it to him

the three boys all put their shoes on by the door and you're exchanging polite goodbyes with the other boys when a head pops round the doorway on the other side of the room

and oH

you definitely recognise this one

lee taeyong, general leader of nct and the guy you'd sorta maybe taken a small (huge) liking to from the moment you clicked play on the 7th sense MV

he's even cuter in person

"you guys off?"

"yeah taeyong-hyung! (Y/N)'s taking us out for ice cream!"

"Hey, I'm your elder, brat! How come you use honorifics with him and not me huh?"

and ofc you're joking but the look on all the guys' faces as you reprimanded and simultaneously embarrassed your little brother was golden

then you started laughing as you were practically dragged out of the apartment

but not without a lingering look from one lee taeyong

you start hanging around the dorms more often after that

you're on break from studies and now you've broken the ice with the rest of your brother's group members, it's quite a nice escape from the world

if you count them whining about teasing and pranks a nice escape anyway

and it has nothing to do with taeyong no sir

speaking of ty track

you were not what he was expecting

when the dreamies would go on about you they described you as such a nag

always making sure they were eating/sleeping/resting/working hard

"honestly more of a mom than you, hyung!"

and what was wrong with that?

you were concerned about your lil bro all alone in the idol world, in his eyes it just made you a good older sibling

but he wasn't expecting you to be so... carefree yet caring along with it

like how you tricked them all the day you met about scolding your brother

or how you'd help the dreamies (and johnny and taeil) prank each other then act like you had no clue what was going on once caught

or how you'd try dancing to nct's choreo when you visited the practise room and fail adorably yet pridefully every time

or how you'd help the kids with their homework when the other members were busy, even though he could see the pile of your own in your bag when you opened it to get your pencil case out

or how you offered to help him cook/clean despite not living there

or how you'd sneak in with the spare key they'd given you when you knew they were out all day and would come home exhausted, only to find the laundry done and folded, dinner portioned in the fridge and you snoring sweetly on the sofa at 3am

or how you'd basically become a part of that crazy (still not so) little family

or how he'd pretty much seemed to have fallen in love with you without even realising it

it hit him suddenly though

one night, you'd texted him to say you wouldn't be able to make it to dinner at the dorm tonight because you'd been called into work

and he was disappointed, sure, but work was work and he admired your ability to support yourself in the city

he looked around at everyone at dinner and realised how much he missed your laugh, and your witty comments, and your habit of scolding your brother for talking with his mouth open

and wow... how did this person become so important to him so quickly??

so dinner had been cleaned up and everyone was chilling/in bed when he gets a text

"hey tae i know its really late and i know you told me not to but i missed the last bus so i started walking home from work and i think someone's following me. i know it's probably nothing but we should've listened to yuta when he said not to watch that horror move last night and i'm scared"

and this feeling just swells up inside him

this need, to protect you, to find you and never let you out of his sight again

and before he knows it he's shoving on a hoodie and sneakers and shutting the apartment door softly behind him, texting simply a "where are you?" in reply

never mind it's like one in the morning, and he's kinda angry because he told you he didn't like you walking home alone late at night, but that's just fuelling him more

you tell him you're a few streets away from your apartment and the boy just does a complete 180 and starts running in the other direction

he comes to a stop at the beginning of her street, panting a little

and then he sees you

tired? i don't know her??

you're standing under a street lamp and you're shivering and before he knows what he's doing he's tugging you into his chest and holding on for dear life

you scream but then you recognise the cologne and the set of arms wrapped around you and you relax, hugging him back and burying your face in his chest

and all that built up tension and terror from being alone in the cold and dark leaves you

bc taeyong's here, he came to your rescue

"i'm sorry" you keep mumbling, and eventually he pulls back to look you in the eye

"stop it. yeah i'm a little mad you put yourself in danger, but right now i don't care. i'm just glad you're okay"

and you nod, looking down at your feet

and then you start giggling

and he's like wtf

now he's genuinely concerned something's wrong with you

"your shoes don't match"

and he looks down at his feet to see that, in his haste to get to you, he'd put on very mismatching sneakers

and yeah, that is kinda funny

so you're both standing under this street lamp at half one in the morning, after he'd run from the dorms to make sure you were safe, laughing over the fact that he had on one bright orange sneaker and one black and green

and you both look up at each other at the same time

and he stares into your eyes (which happens quite often now he thinks of it... you two always seem to be subconsciously seeking each other out)

and he just knows it: he's in love with you

#l havent written in ages forgive me if its terrible #nct scenarios #taeyong scenarios #nct #lee taeyong #taeyong #neo culture technology #nct imagines #taeyong imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines

76 notes · View notes

the-domestication-of-the-dog · 4 years

Text

The 10th Annual L.A.O.K. Awards

Wow. Ten years of the Layokies. What a trip. I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to all five of my faithful fans for your readership over the years. In my first ever Layokies post, I named it the “1st (Possibly) Annual L.A.O.K. Awards.” I had no idea how long I’d be working at the Academy, let alone living in LA, but here we are. I bragged about seeing 180 movies that year. I just checked my Letterboxd stats for this year and it turns out I watched...180 movies. However, this year I hit a new personal best for new releases: 125. While this is about half as many as some people I know, some of the first Layokies were based on a field of 60 or 70 movies, so I’ve doubled up on my old self. Funny thing is, I can still look on other year-end lists and find many films I haven’t seen, and even some I haven’t heard of, so the field of films I’ve added are probably in the middle to bottom range of the pack. But someone out there has to watch Tolkien, Gemini Man, The Goldfinch, and Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, so it might as well be me.

In all honesty, my absolute favorite thing about living in Los Angeles and working at the Academy is access to watching movies and being around the general cinephile community, and even a bad couple of hours in a movie theater beats a lot else. Over Christmas break I saw Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in Shawnee, OK’s own Cinema Center 8.

It was quite a trip going back to this theater after so many years and to think of the love of film that was fostered there. Alas, the picture was pretty muddy, and I’m almost positive they showed it in 2k. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now, in penance for naming The King’s Speech Best Picture in my first year (lol), I give you five real good’uns for 2019:

Best Film The Farewell The King Little Women Parasite Uncut Gems

Sometimes I touch on a year being good or bad for film in general. Not sure about the whole, but I’ll call 2019 a real SEC year (aka stacked at the top and mediocre to poor the rest of the way down). While I would probably only give one title on this list must-see status (Parasite), these are all definite should-sees. The Farewell made me laugh and cry and cringe. One might even go so far as to say it “gave me all the feels.” The King gave me actual siege warfare and period-accurate haircuts. Little Women hit me with that structure, and at first I was all “hol up,” but then I was all “OK I see you.” Little Women also made me cry because I cry in movies now. (A quick aside, because while I absolutely loved Little Women, it’s not really going to come up again. If you liked the movie and haven’t read the book, please do yourself a favor and make it the next one on your list. You can’t know how great this movie is unless you know how good Beth is. Beth kind of got lost in this one, and you need to know Beth.) Parasite blew me away through its normality (who, having seen The Host, Snowpiercer, and Okja could have guessed that it wasn’t about some actual alien parasite??). And Uncut Gems was exactly as perfect as I expected it to be. And the Layokie goes to... The King

Faithful readers will know that one of my absolute favorite genres is ‘discreet conversation behind castle walls,’ and The King absolutely nailed it. It has everything: leadership position foisted on a worthy but flawed character who doesn’t want it, conversations in tents about battle tactics, love built on almost nothing but mutual respect, and most of all, Robert Pattinson doing a funny accent (it’s just a French accent, but he makes it quite funny). I would have already watched this again five times on Netflix, but I’m hoping and praying for an Oscar nomination that will never ever in a million years come in hopes that I can see it again in the theater during nominations screenings.

The Next Five Six 1917 Honey Boy The Laundromat The Lighthouse Marriage Story Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Best Actor Timothée Chalamet - The King Adam Driver - Marriage Story Paul Walter Hauser - Richard Jewell Joaquin Phoenix - Joker Adam Sandler - Uncut Gems

Another super stacked category this year. You might even say they’re *puts on sunglasses*...Stacked Actors. (<-- This is a really good joke for anyone whose favorite band from 7th-8th grade was The Foo Fighters.) These are all kind of obvious, so I’ll take a second to comment on Paul Walter Hauser and the fact that I gave out a very specific award last year titled “Refuse to Watch - Any More Clint Eastwood Movies” after trying and failing to watch The 15:17 to Paris on a plane (one of the worst pieces of filmmaking I’ve ever witnessed). Then this year Richard Jewell was getting such good buzz, and it seemed like such a good cast, and it was such a low-risk watch (on my second screen at work while doing spreadsheets), that I decided to shamefully renege on my earlier pronouncement and give it a shot. And...it was great pretty good! What is the deeal with Clint Eastwood?? He’s made some of my least favorite movies of the decade (Gran Torino, Invictus, Hereafter was a particularly awful stretch, Sully was pointless, and even parts of American Sniper, which was otherwise tolerable, were absolute cringefests). Anywho, I was very impressed by Paul Walter Hauser’s understated but perfect performance, in which he gets one good chance to blow up and yell at people--which you know I love. I hope he gets nominated, because it would be a great Oscar clip. (My ultimate dream job would be to pick the acting Oscars clips and I would be very very good at it.)

And the Layokie goes to... The Sandman (love that everyone is calling him the Sandman again)

I touched on Adam Sandler “A” in the Best Supporting Actor section of my 2018 Layokies post regarding his performance in The Meyerowitz Stories, lamenting that he hadn’t taken more dramatic roles after Punch-Drunk Love and hoping that good writer/directors would keep casting him. One more wish granted by the Safdie brothers. Adam Sandler’s talent is undeniable. He is truly one of the Great Actors of his generation. I really hope this is a respected-actor-making turn for him, but the upcoming roles on his IMDd--Hubie Halloween and Hotel Transylvania 4--don’t give much hope for the immediate future.

Honorable Mentions Taron Egerton - Rocketman (but only for the phone booth scene) Shia LaBeouf - The Peanut Butter Falcon Noah Jupe - Honey Boy Robert Pattinson - The Lighthouse Jonathan Pryce - The Two Popes

Best Actress Ana de Armas - Knives Out Scarlett Johansson - Marriage Story Elisabeth Moss - Her Smell Florence Pugh - Midsommar Saoirse Ronan - Little Women

Found out last night from my resident celebrity expert Bridgette Smith that Florence Pugh is dating Zach Braff and it absolutely crushed me.

And the Layokie goes to... Elisabeth Moss - Her Smell

Her Smell was the last 2019 film I watched before writing this post, and I was really just looking for something to pass the time. I had been wanting to see it for a long time and noticed it was on HBO, so I pressed play and planned to work on this post while I watched. I couldn’t. I was riveted. The writing, score, and sound design are incredible, but it’s all tied together by Elisabeth Moss’s performance. She’s excellent at being revolting but still has all of those qualities that made her Peggy. You can’t not like her, even though you fairly hate her.

Honorable Mentions Awkwafina - The Farewell Cynthia Erivo - Harriet Lupita Nyong’o - Us (You know I love weird voices, you know I love actors doing weird voices and faces, but this was a bit much even for me. Reflective of Us on the whole, which I thought was interesting but really missed the mark.) Charlize Theron - Bombshell

Best Director Ari Aster - Midsommar Bong Joon Ho - Parasite David Michôd - The King Benny and Josh Safdie - Uncut Gems Céline Sciamma - Portrait of a Lady on Fire

And the Layokie goes to... Benny and Josh Safdie - Uncut Gems

Wired: New directors Tired: Old directors

Boy do I not understand the love for The Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I’m not totally against boring movies if there’s a good reason for it (Midsommar was actually quite boring), but these were some of the least compelling films I watched all year. On the other hand, you have these young directors coming out of prestige horror, Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, and to a lesser extent David Robert Mitchell and Trey Edwards Shults, making some of the most dynamic films out there. Reminds me of Roger Ebert talking about early Scorsese in Life Itself (which I can’t find a clip of). Then you have Benny and Josh Safdie doing Scorsese better than Scorsese with literally breathtaking shots like the one below. How they construct such amazing edits out of such disparate takes as the one in the still above is a wonder. They’ll go from five extreme close-ups in a row to a jaw-dropping shot of the inside of a jewelry store zoomed in from across the street. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg on what makes them the best filmmakers working right now.

Honorable Mentions Noah Baumbach - Marriage Story Robert Eggers - The Lighthouse Claire Denis - High Life Greta Gerwig - Little Women Alejandro Landes - Monos Sam Mendes - 1917 Alex Ross Perry - Her Smell Joe Talbot - The Last Black Man in San Francisco Lulu Wang - The Farewell

Best Supporting Actress Laura Dern - Marriage Story Lena Headey - Fighting with My Family Lee Jung Eun - Parasite (The housekeeper) Meryl Streep - The Laundromat Shuzhen Zhao - The Farewell (Nai Nai)

And the Layokie goes to... Laura Dern - Marriage Story

Here’s one for the Laura Dern stan accounts: There’s no question that Noah Baumbach is a talented director of actors, but Laura Dern makes so much out of seemingly not a lot in this role. She truly embodies a wholly unique and three-dimensional character that could have extremely easily been one-note.

Honorable Mentions Lily-Rose Depp - The King Florence Pugh - Little Women Margot Robbie - Bombshell

Best Supporting Actor Timothée Chalamet - Little Women Willem Dafoe - The Lighthouse Shia LaBeouf - Honey Boy Al Pacino - The Irishman Robert Pattinson - The King

And the Layokie goes to... Willem Dafoe - The Lighthouse

For being all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT7uR4wNMJs

Honorable Mentions Bill Hader - It Chapter Two Tim Heidecker - Us Sam Rockwell - Richard Jewell Song Kang Ho - Parasite (the dad) Lakeith Stanfield - Uncut Gems

Best Original Screenplay The Farewell - Lulu Wang Her Smell - Alex Ross Perry Marriage Story - Noah Baumbach Parasite - Bong Joon Ho Uncut Gems - Benny and Josh Safdie

And the Layokie goes to... Parasite - Bong Joon Ho

Another genre we don’t get nearly enough of: comedies of errors. A script like this is as sophisticated as any mystery, political thriller, or...some other sophisticated type of script, like uh, I don’t know, they usually just say Chinatown or Witness. I did think it lagged a bit in the third act, but everything that came before it was so tight. Twist after turn after twist, so funny, so shocking. This is such a rare prestige crowd-pleaser that it really does harken back to Hitchcock; if a wide audience can get over watching subtitles, this has to have one of the lowest barriers for entry of any foreign film in a long time. Here’s hoping for a Best Picture Oscar nomination and a wide release. Uncut Gems played at Shawnee’s other theater (titled simply Movies 6), so it’s not that far out of the realm of possibility. But I know people in LA, even that work at the Academy, who won’t watch subtitled films, so getting people to actually go see it is another question.

Honorable Mentions Peterloo - Mike Leigh

Best Adapted Screenplay Jojo Rabbit - Taika Waititi Joker - Todd Philips & Scott Silver The King - David Michôd The Laundromat - Scott Z. Burns The Two Popes - Anthony McCarten

And the Layokie goes to... The King - Joel Edgerton and David Michôd

It wouldn’t be the Layokies without me championing one film that no one else cares about. I just really really liked The King. Timothée Chalamet is so hot right now! How did this get so overlooked?? 😭

Best Documentary Apollo 11 Honeyland It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It Maiden Mike Wallace is Here

And the Layokie goes to... Maiden

As I’m in the process of producing a documentary right now, it pains me a bit that my top two picks in this category are almost entirely archival. I thought Mike Wallace is Here was so well done, and the director did some amazing things playing with aspect ratio. But Maiden came into port first. What is wrong with people who don’t appreciate sports? This xkcd comic (who I usually appreciate) makes me so angry. Tell the women who worked their asses off for years to claw their way into this male-dominated space and literally made the world a better place that their efforts were no more than a weighted random number generator on which to build narratives! Clearly the narratives are there, but it rarely has as much to do with the result of the competition as it does the effort that it took individual human beings to get there. See also: Undefeated (currently streaming on Netflix).

Honorable Mentions Fyre They Shall Not Grow Old Satan & Adam

Best Foreign Language Film Duh Parasite

Biggest Missed Opportunity Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (How the first live action Pokemon movie should have happened)

Not Even Close to Enough Monsters Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Most Unbelievable Cosplay Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers

Absolutely Crushing the Sensitive Dad Roles Billy Crudup in After the Wedding and Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

Good in Everything Too obvious, but Florence Pugh - Fighting with My Family, Midsommar, Little Women Robert Pattinson - High Life, The Lighthouse, The King Adam Driver - The Dead Don’t Die, Marriage Story, The Report, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Destigmatizing Fatness Award Dolemite is My Name The Laundromat Skin Almost Hustlers but then not (Lizzo got what, 30 seconds of screentime??)

#WasteYourAudience’sTime2019 The Souvenir The Proposal

Didn’t Actually Deserve to be Driven into the Ground Dark Phoenix The Kitchen

Just Plain Liked It Triple Frontier

Most Forgettable Tie: Tolkien and High Life (not for me, but it took me a full 10 minutes to convince Becca that she watched this, and I had to describe the masturbation chamber aka fuck box in a lot of detail before she got it, and I’m still not totally convinced she remembers it)

The Something Award Motherless Brooklyn

The Nothing Award Judy

Worst Movies 1. Rambo: Last Blood 2. Between Two Ferns: The Movie 3. Abominable 4. The Lion King 5. Godzilla: King of the Monsters 6. Wine Country 7. Jumanji: The Next Level 8. Frozen II 9. The Goldfinch 10. Pet Semetary

Best Scenes

Avengers: Endgame - The hammer, the portals, all the nerdy/normie BS, what can I say call me a basic bitch but there were some genuine holy schmoly moments in this that made it a really fun movie to experience in the theater

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - When Mr. Rogers uses the puppets on Lloyd

Captain Marvel - When she went full shit on ‘em

Climax - The opening dance sequence (the only thing that made this movie worth watching)

The Farewell - Too many to choose from, but I think my favorite moment in this movie was when they were taking photos of the fiances and another couple stumbled in on them, claiming they were lost. That couple leaves and we never see them again. These are the kinds of details that make movies come alive. Absolutely brilliant.

Gemini Man - The motorcycle chase (a rare scene actually made better by the high frame rate)

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - The knife fight in the knife store

The King - The conversation between Hal and Catherine

Knock Down the House - When A.O.C. debated the incompetent proxy

The Last Black Man in San Francisco - Skateboarding into town

Little Women - The “break-up” scene between Jo and Laurie (not a spoiler)

Midsommar - The drug trip scene (not that I’ve ever done drugs but this was the most accurate drug trip scene of all time) and the Ättestupa ceremony. Also found out in the video linked above that Ari Aster pronounces it Mid-SO-mar?? I thought that was the dumb way to pronounce it but apparently I’m the dumb one. Also also, another amazing detail worth mentioning: I absolutely loved that every time they were in their community sleeping barn, there was a baby crying somewhere on the second floor that we never see. Such a perfect way to put the characters and the audience on edge and indicate that there’s something wrong here.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - While I didn’t care for this movie, the scene where Brad Pitt went to the movie ranch and when he fantasized about going to the film set were absolutely dripping with tension, which made them as just as riveting as the rest of the movie wasn’t

Parasite - When the other family comes home early

The Peanut Butter Falcon - The scene after they come out of the corn field and share one of their first genuine moments

Uncut Gems - *Sarah Palin voice* All of ‘em, any of ‘em. But seriously the finale with the Celtics game

Us - The initial home invasion and the visit to the Tylers’ home (Tim Heidecker and Elisabeth Moss)

The A.V. Club also does a best scenes list at the end of the year, and I love writing mine first and then seeing what they came up with. I’m always surprised at how many we match on. Just goes to show that a good scene is universal. I also enjoyed some of theirs that I overlooked here, including from Her Smell, Bombshell, Ad Astra (I almost included the moon chase myself and thought the baboon scene was equally compelling), and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Stupidest Scenes Every other John Wick 3 scene

Deserves Discussion The Dead Don’t Die

This movie was a lot of fun. But then it also completely sucked? Not really a Jim Jarmusch fan in the first place, but this had so many awesome elements to it: a great cast, great soundtrack, really fun and unexpected ways of breaking the 4th wall, but then it was also pointless and boring. I would love for someone to tell me why this is a good movie after all, but judging by its complete absence from the end-of-the-year discussion (or any discussion), I’m guessing no one cares enough to mount that challenge.

Best Visuals Alita: Battle Angel Aquarella A Hidden Life Honeyland Midsommar Monos

Many LOLs It Chapter Two Jojo Rabbit Parasite

Best Song Ready or Not - The Hide and Seek Song (why was this not submitted?)

youtube

Best Soundtrack Waves - Never have I already known so many songs on a film’s soundtrack; it’s almost as if Trey Edwards Shults is another white guy around my age with the same interests as me...

Worst Accents Midway

Started But Never Finished Cats Cold Case Hammarskjold Genndy Tartakovsky’s ‘Primal’ - Tales of Savagery The Highway Men High Flying Bird Queen and Slim Spies in Disguise

Didn’t See Ash is Purest White Atlantics The Beach Bum The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (still really want to see this one) Clemency Diane Invisible Life Luce Shadow Synonyms Transit Woman at War

Absent on Purpose Pain & Glory Ford v Ferrari I think these are the only two contenders that I’ve seen and haven’t mentioned. I actually liked both of these movies quite a bit. Just didn’t stand out for me in any one category I suppose. But then also: Booksmart Brittany Runs a Marathon Just Mercy The Mustang

Hah!

0 notes

bitchfitch · 3 years

Text

Prince Art Fight resource

currently Prince mostly exists as concept art and half finished 3d models >> so this is all i really have for him. on the images front

the following is an excerpt from a no longer canon/ old draft that gets his vibes across fairly well:

Lowell rounded the corner, and saw nothing in the dark alley way beyond.

No masked man, no trash cans, or crates, just a bare alley. That in of itself was suspicious. Why would the alley have been cleared out like this? Lowell's hand strayed to grip of his pistol, his blood was thundering in his ears as the sounds of the nearly empty street behind him melded with the soft grited sound of his footsteps.

A shape stepped from the darkness as a light turned on, back lighting them and blinding Lowell. The prince giggled as he stepped forward, but the sound was wrong, the footsteps were coming from behind him, not in front of him.

He turned, drawing his gun in the instant it took him to react.

Lowell sucked in a breath as he saw the barrel of his weapon land less than an inch from the smooth plastic of The Prince's mask. Lowell's hand shook, as the prince bowed his head to lightly tap the front of his mask against the barrel.

The light bonk of metal on plastic would have been comedic if not for the dread running through Lowell's veins.

"Hello, Cailean Lowell," his voice was softer than Lowell had expected it to be, and he pronounced Lowell's name correctly without having to be coached, "It's nice to meet you finally, I heard you've been looking for me?"

Lowell lowers his gun. His finger had been on the trigger, one twitch and he would have been no better than his coworkers.

He speaks without thinking, "Are you The Prince, or is your name just Prince?" he momentarily considers turning the gun on himself.

The masked man cocks his head, the huff that rattles through the modulator sounds just slightly amused, "It's just Prince, i don't know where the 'The' came from, but it felt to late to start correcting people,"

Lowell nodded lamely. He had a few scripts he used when speaking to new people. Rules of engagement and guides to keep him from looking as socially incompetent as he often was. He had absolutely no idea to which to use with Prince.

"Hm, does the cat have your tongue Hound Dog? If its if your earlier remark was not what you wanted it to be. just know that it's going to be nice to work with someone who actually knows my name," he put his hands in the pokets of his jacket and rocked back on the edge of his heels, looking as at peace and confident as could be,

"Sorry, I'm just not exactly sure what to do in this sort of situation," he finally thought to reholster his weapon, and did so hurriedly and awkwardly.

"Well then just let me be your guide. Let's start over, ok?" he stuck out his hand "It's nice to meet you Detective, I'm Prince,"

Cailean smiled nervously as he took the smaller hand in his, shaking it as he said "Hello, I'm Cailean Lowell, its… This has been a long time coming hasn't it?"

Prince huffs again as he takes his hand back, Lowell can tell it's almost an laugh. He wonders why Prince doesn't laugh fully.

"It has been, Now come inside we have a lot to talk about,"

---

La Lunch was usually a very hipster establishment, with reclaimed wood nailed artfully to the wallsvand those uncomfortable metal chairs, edison bulbs on low hanging cords, Lowell actually appreciated those, on cold winter mornings the heat they emitted was a godsend.

But, that's not what La Lunch was today.

All but one table had been pushed along the walls with their chairs stacked neatly on top of them. Rich red and gold fabric was draped artfully over the legs of the chairs, making them look something between a palace decoration and a circus tent.

the sole table with two chairs in the center had small battery operated tea lights scattered across the center with two place settings.

Lowell marveled for a moment at the set up, and everything else about this encounter so far, it was all so… Funny. Like a joke or a harmless prank was playing out around him, and not like he was sitting down with a man wanted in connection to multiple murders, disappearances, and robberies. His nerves were prickling at the back of his mind but he was still comfortable in this situation.

He took his seat as Prince disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. When he returned a moment later he was carrying a plate with a slightly burnt steak and some undercooked veggies.

"I have never once claimed cooking as a strong suit, but i hope this will do," he chirps as he sets it down in front of Lowell,

Lowell bit his tongue before he could offer to tutor him, "Why are you doing this?" He reminded himself to be suspicious, Prince worked on misdirection and and subtle tricks, Lowell absolutely should not trust any food he made

"You know what they say," Prince sighed as he took his seat across from Lowell, "The fastest way to a mans heart is between the fourth and fifth rib, but a close second is through the stomach," he gestured with one hand as he leaned his chin on the palm of the other.

"Ah," Lowell regarded him cautiously, he had to pick his next words carefully, "Should i take that to mean you wont be letting me leave alive?"

Prince froze, "Yeah, i worded that badly. You can leave at any point, and i promise the food isn't intentionally poisoned. I don't intend to hurt you,"

"Intentionally poisoned?"

"Like i said, I'm not a good cook," he huffed that non laugh.

Lowell couldnt help but smile a little. Maybe it was Prince's small size that just made him cute? Or was it the way he over emphasized all his motions to make his body language reflect what a facial expression normally would? The soft voice and easy charm probably played a part in it.

"Prince, why did you ask me hear? You know im looking to arrest you, right?" He hesitated for a second before pulling his handcuffs from his pocket and setting them on the table,

Prince froze as soon as the cuffs came into view, he turned stiff and his tone carried barely contained nerves, a near 180 from a moment ago. "Yes, but you haven't yet. And i know i intrigue you," he took a moment to force himself to take a breath, Lowell hadnt been prone to panic attacks in many years but he still recognized the symptoms, "I can help you, and I think we could work well together,"

Lowell had never heard of Prince having such dramatic reactions, or even having any fears. he briefly considered putting the cuffs away, but he needed to know more, and it seemed they gave him a modicum of power in this situation, "What could you need from me?" he tried to pretend he didn't notice the change

"Smart muscle," he replied his voice back to being that cool neutral but his posture still tense and nervous, "You were very close to finding me on your own, not many could say that detective. I would like that sort of analytic mind on my side." he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, still trying to present calm confidence, "And you're big."

"Should I take offense to that?" Lowell cracks a smile, guilt is starting to eat at him, Prince hadn't flinched at a gun in his face but a pair of handcuffs has him this scared. What was going on in his head? Why was it the cuffs that got him?

"No, Its actually a very nice trait. A few of my… roudier clients have started to key into the fact that I'm not very big, and i make a point of being unarmed." he cocks his head "I don't particularly like it when people try to push me around. Having a fellow your size at my back would probably get them to settle down,"

Lowell nods, he isn't really considering it is he? Is it the guilt? "I… will consider it." Prince perks up a little, "But, I want answers first."

Prince slowly taps one of his claws against his mask's chin, Lowell had wondered what they were made of but the sharp metallic sound answered his question, "how about this? you can ask me as many questions as you like, and while I may not answer all of them, i will always tell you the truth when i do. Does that work?"

"Only if you give me a reason for not answering."

"Fine, i will not be specific if i dont want to," he holds out his hand, "Deal?"

Lowell shakes it with a nod. "Why are you scared of handcuffs?" its a quick and easy question to start off with.

"You'll most likely be finding out latter tonight whether i want you to or not, until then I'm passing on this one, i dont want to get into it right now," he settles back into his seat, "But, now that youve told me you know i dont like them. Put them away." his tone turned sharp enough to nick Lowell's confidence.

"Of course, sorry," he quickly shooves them back in his pocket, "Sorry, What do you mean ill be finding out later tonight?"

"This is an interview, and before anything becomes official id like to take you on a little practical test."

5 notes · View notes

itdisneymatter · 7 years

Text

Day 04 - Hollywood Studios

TLDR: Hollywood Studios today. Absolutely non stop for the first five hours, attraction highlights include Frozen Sing Along, Star Tours, & Indy. Oh and some awesome guy won Toy Story Mania :P We missed Tower of Terror due to a late family lunch at a Drive In style Diner. Awesome lunch. Heavy Rain. Rain jackets on. Home. Mall. Purchased a new laptop. Missed dinner with the rest of the group, due to the aforementioned late family lunch. No appetite for dinner. Wrote today's entry on the new laptop - so. much. fastness! Good decision. End.

Hoo-ray for Hollywood!

We had to hit Hollywood Studios early for Jedi Academy registration as you can't book it in advance, which meant skipping breakfast (I really shouldn't even expect anything else, should I?). Kids managed to grab a banana but Ann and myself were good to wait, though we did receive our regular morning coffees courtesy of my parents (or their hotel rather).

Patrick loves learning about everything and has been churning out little tidbits of impressive yet totally useless facts at random intervals since we got here. So I'm introducing a new segment for the blog, Patrick's Fun Fact of the Day. So Patrick's Fun Fact of the Day for today is this:

Water is the only substance which is heavier in its liquid form than when its a solid. Hence why ice floats on water.

(Some research into this does reveal that there are a handful of other unusual substances which exhibit the same property, but I'm gonna give him this one - he's still only 10). Look out for future installments soon!

Once we reached Hollywood Studios, we made a bee-line for the Jedi Academy to register. I remember from last time that the queues and wait were massive, but this time it was much more efficient, which is no bad thing. Had a return time for late afternoon, after lunch, which meant that our morning plan (which was pretty jam-packed), was untouched.

A little light one to start us off, the Path Of the Jedi - a 10 minute video which was a compilation of some of the best bits from all the Star Wars movies. For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire. I've seen the movies hundreds of time but hearing these opening lines from Alec Guinness, sent shivers down my spine. Then seeing Carrie Fisher as the feisty Princess Leia, only added to it. One thing I forgot to mention on the first day was Robin Williams being the sole reason for me choosing The Genie for my Magic Band. There are certain people who absence on this earth you still struggle to get your head around and reminders of them bring are always laced with a little sadness. Williams is one and Carrie Fisher is another. Seeing Princess Leia on screen is amazing and heartbreaking in equal measure. The Last Jedi is going to be a sore one for many people I think. Anyway I digress. Even my brother Michael, who has never really seen the movies (yeah I know), said they looked good and wouldn't mind watching them.

Next up, was For A First Time In Forever, a Frozen Sing Along Celebration. I might have said this before but this was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time (except those funny Buzz-feed posts about people completely misspelling words - that shit is funny, man). The two main characters, some random unknown characters, though not as unknown as the Arendelle baby (family in-joke, sorry), but their patter and puns were just brilliant, I couldn't stop laughing! The show essentially was a karaoke for (most of) the songs from Frozen and the girls, who were singing away without missing a word, loved it. Side note, this scene in the movie is my most favorite-est part ever, and its not because I fancy Elsa (though it kind of is).

And here’s a few more, including Grace & Emily singing along to the finale, which covered the whole audience in a blanket of snow :)

More Star Wars-y goodness in Star Tours, our first Fast Pass, was up next. We were all placed in the first two rows so had great seats! Prior to lifting off in our little spacecraft piloted by the Galaxy's favourite robotic duo, Threepio and R2, they select a random in the audience, who has been identified as the Rebel Spy. And Emily was selected as the Rebel Spy!!! :D Great simulator ride through Kashyyyk, Naboo & the Gungan City and wee BB8 even made an appearance. The kids were howling and screaming every time we dodged a Star Destroyer or Tie Fighter - fantastic ride. Gracie then wanted to buy a Chewie and Lightsaber in the wee shop after the ride, but as we were returning though it best to do it then, instead of carrying it about all day, she wasn't too pleased (kids can be so impatient, haha).

Indy next, and this was the Epic Stunt Spectacular lived up to its name. Not really changed in the last few decades but still a must-see. Even wee Isabella was going really excited by all the explosions and acrobatics. Pictures speak louder than words as they say, so here’s a few from today.

Stopped for a breather as it was pretty non stop since getting to the park, so the guys got some lunch while we just opted for some desserts as we had lunch booked for later in the day at Sci-fi Dine In Theater.

Reach For The Sky!

After everyone was re=energized it was time for a bit of friendly competition in our next Fast Pass: Toy Story Mania, a 3-D shooting game where points mean... well just points, so the highest one wins. I’ve been unbeaten at this for the last two trips so I was psyching myself up beforehand as there were a few new contenders on the block.

The Official Toy Story Mania Leader-board 2017

Gerry: 175400

Corrie: 144200

Michael: 137300

Ann: 128300

Kevin: 121600

Patrick: 90400 (?)

Robert: 78200

Pauline: 73600

Mum: 53600

Wullie: 53400

Alessio: 30200

Gracie: 20400

Emily: 16500

Oh looks who's top... I retain my Toy Story Crown for another year and absolutely smashed last visits score of 143,000. BOOM! Now to find somewhere to get this printed and laminated! :P Just need to continue my streak on Men In Black and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Ill have won the Treble! We just made Beauty and the Beast Musical last show after that, and had pretty poor seats way at the back. It didn’t help that there was a big guy sitting right in front of me, blocking my or rather my camera's, vision. Great show which mirrored the animated classic (just like the live action movie, like seriously, no change or twist at all???).

Although we were right next to The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror after existing Beauty, we had lunch booked, so unfortunately had to skip out on our last Fast Pass. Emily talked non stop about the Tower Of Terror before the holiday so she was more than excited at this point and she absolutely loved it. She was joined with Kevin, Michael, Sarah Jane and Corrie.

Attack Of The 50ft Woman!

I think the first time I seen the iconic poster for this movie was in McFly's - a bar in Coatbridge Main St, which was my first real pub growing up. Some fond memories in there, and many hazy ones. Sci-Fi Dine In Theater - this place was the real deal, Cadillacs for booths, a huge screen showing clips of 50s classics. 50's style waiters and waitresses, milkshakes, retro decor all in the style of a 50's drive in (think Jack Rabbit Slims in Pulp Fiction with a big screen). It was phenomenal and really glad we booked it, 180 days or so ago now. I went for a Reuben sandwich (awesome), Patrick, a Caprese sandwich (possibly slightly better than mine, possibly), Robert settled on a classic cheeseburger and Ann & Gracie split a rack of ribs and a stack of onion rings. Root beer all round save for me who went with a classic Cherry Coke which came topped with a cherry on top (which that wee sneak-thief Gracie snaffled while I was watching the big screen). All served by the lovely Flora. Bonus Fun Fact Of The Day from Patrick: There were 48 cars in total in the restaurant, each representing one of the 48 states in 1955 :D Our car was from California. Highly recommend this one for anyone visiting, if you like that sort of thing.

You are no Jedi.

When we exited it started raining, HARD. We all had rain jackets, including my camera bag (thank you Manfrotto, you wonderful, thoughtful camera bag maker, you). This was similar to the other night, but I supposed we were better prepared for it this time. We found out where the rest of the party was, and caught up with them. They had just came out of The Great Movie Ride, and after a quick discussion, we agreed that heading home would be the best option. We had covered most of the main rides, with only a few smaller ones remaining, so not really missing anything. Leaving meant no Jedi Training, but they call off the Academy in the event of heavy rain anyway, so we may want to catch it again on our return (you could even call it, Return Of The Jedi! Ok, Ill shut up). We said our goodbyes (quickly) to the other party and set off from the park in a nice warm car (which is usually a bad thing, most days). We were comparing it to the day we visited Typhoon Lagoon two years ago, when it absolutely poured and it was such a vivid memory as the traffic was horrendously bad and took forever to get home. Then we ended up on Same road as typhoon lagoon, dun dun DUN! No delays this time around though, which was good.

Now Tuesday is Kids Eat Free at Miller's Alehouse and we had pre-arranged to all go there tonight, well except that I forgot that our lunch was so late at Hollywood, which meant we had not long eaten. So we dropped my mum and dad off at their hotel and said that we'd see how we felt about dinner later on. For the past few days Id been scouring the internet look for a laptop to replace the absolute dinosaur of a machine that I brought with me. The prices in general were pretty terrific, so I'd narrowed down a few from Best Buy and we made a plan to go pick one up. We got to the shop, where we were instantly set upon by a server asking what I was looking for, I explained the particular model, and she showed them to me. She then asked what it was for and I explained it was for internet and some photo editing. She then directed me towards some laptops at double the price, saying that these ones had touchscreen and had a better processor (it actually had the same processor, but I let it go). I mean don’t get me wrong she was pleasant enough, but don’t try and sell people Office by calling it 'Microsoft' - you either don’t know your stuff or that’s just a sales tactic to trip anyone up who doesn't know any better. I got the feeling it was the later after the hard sell on everything else, which is just plain wrong.

The thing is I wasn't planning to buy a laptop over here but after seeing the prices thought it would be good idea, but I really didn't want to spend a lot on it. To put it in perspective, the one I was looking at was $449 - the same spec machine in PC World back home was 500 quid! I don’t think the assistant really knew what she was talking about in all fairness, though it didn't help with Ann calling Lightroom, LIGHTNING ROOM! Haha, it was like that sketch from The Interns where Vince Vaughn kept saying 'On The Line' instead of Online. Wee soul :P

Going out to the Mall we got stuck in traffic, which meant that going for dinner was definitely out for us. Werent particularly hunger still, so just picked up some snacks, on the way home. When I unpacked and set up the laptop (it took a while to download and install Lightning Room ;) but I was more than impressed. Example - on the first night it took over 4hrs to download around 500 images from a 16Gb memory card. This laptop took less than 10 minutes to do the same. It actually seems to run faster than my Mac at home, so might need to look into a wee upgrade in the near future. On a complete unrelated note, Ann is the most beautiful-est, prettiest girl in all the seven kingdoms... ;)

To round off today, here’s our first wee family pic from Memory Maker taken this afternoon (when it was still sunny :)

0 notes

e3khatena · 7 years

Note

Someone subjected me to it, so I'll return the favor. Do them all, yes?

*horrible but joyous raptor noise*

200: My crush’s name is: The pineapple one.199: I was born in: 1997198: I am really: Confused about things and such.197: My cellphone company is: AT&T and they kind of suck but not too much.196: My eye color is: Usually a bluish-gray, more gray in the winter and more greenish in the spring. Not vividly, still mostly gray.195: My shoe size is: 12.194: My ring size is: I think I have an Ace Ring in 13? So that, I guess.193: My height is: 6′0″-ish.192: I am allergic to: A hecking lot of types of medication.191: My 1st car was: A Hyundai that had it brakes rot out, the lower control arms snapped, and now it doesn’t have power steering. I just got my second car 2 months ago.190: My 1st job was: Alright.189: Last book you read: Legends of Localization: MOTHER 2. Super awesome.188: My bed is: A bed!187: My pet: Icha, a retired police dog. 186: My best friend: Dan. I have not talked to so many of my other friends in so long, I need to get better at that.185: My favorite shampoo is: I dunno, the stuff I use? I don’t study the bottle.184: Xbox or ps3: Wii U, to be completely honest. Hopefully the Switch is awesome.183: Piggy banks are: A typo based on a type of coin bank made of a certain type of clay.182: In my pockets: Actually nothing right now.181: On my calendar: I have class in Chicago tomorrow. :\180: Marriage is: Not something I plan to do.179: Spongebob can: Please get canned already? Fairly Oddparents, too. Actually, that one first.178: My mom: Is a mom.177: The last three songs I bought were? Two songs from the Diablo Swing Orchestra (probably the coolest hecking band ever) preceeded by Ballroom Blitz.176: Last YouTube video watched: A bunch of trash TF2 joke weapon demonstrations.175: How many cousins do you have? I dunno, like three or four immediate cousins?174: Do you have any siblings? An older and a younger brother.173: Are your parents divorced? No.172: Are you taller than your mom? Yes.171: Do you play an instrument? Nope.170: What did you do yesterday? My best.[ I Believe In ]169: Love at first sight: Nope.168: Luck: I got all the bad stuff.167: Fate: If y’had a chance t’chainge yer faet, wood yeh?166: Yourself: What a funny story, Mark!165: Aliens: I mean, somewhere out there. They’re probably, like, bacteria, but I mean whatever.164: Heaven: I like to imagine the afterlife is one giant void where you just wait to come back and you get to see all your past and future lives but forget everything immediately upon being resurrected as a new human.163: Hell: See immediately above.162: God: If you do, that’s cool. 161: Horoscopes: Read six of them. Chances are, more than one fits you well.160: Soul mates: Nope.159: Ghosts: Nope.158: Gay Marriage: I mean, do whatever. If its not immoral and illegal and everyone involved is okay with it, then cool.157: War: It never changes, but I kinda wish it would. Why is it this hard for people to support each other. 156: Orbs: They don’t exist because nobody has ever seen a perfect sphere in real life before.155: Magic: There are people who claim this is real?[ This or That ]154: Hugs or Kisses: I dunno?153: Drunk or High: Having a height advantage to your opponents makes it that much harder for them to seek adequate cover and that much easier to defeat them.152: Phone or Online: I hate the call quality in the US.151: Red heads or Black haired: You don’t see that many actual natural gingers out there.150: Blondes or Brunettes: I mean, I’m blond, so there’s some bias.149: Hot or cold: The cold. LA would kill me.148: Summer or winter: Specifically the first month of the winter. Past that its gray and sludgy and horrible.147: Autumn or Spring: Spring.146: Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate.145: Night or Day: The nighttime makes everything feel forbidden. I shouldn’t be out this late, I shouldn’t be doing this this late, etc.144: Oranges or Apples: Oranges. Citrus is awesome.143: Curly or Straight hair: I dunno.142: McDonalds or Burger King: Burger King has the better chicken nuggets, but both aren’t that great. In this town, its Culvers, Portillo’s, or you eat the DIRT you find in the GROUND.141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate: Like a 60% dark chocolate. 70% tastes great at first but the aftertaste is horrible, afraid to go darker than that. Heard 100% is the worst.140: Mac or PC: PC, since I make games using software that runs on 139: Flip flops or high heals: Mages with a high heal yield are always welcome in the party.138: Ugly and rich OR sweet and poor: I’ve kind of had it with the rich at this point.137: Coke or Pepsi: Regular coke but Cherry Pepsi. Crystal Pepsi is also back but my life was ruined when I found out its just regular Pepsi with no coloring.136: Hillary or Obama: I would gladly take either of them right now. Barack seems like he’d be a dad friend.135: Burried or cremated: I want to be burned to ashes and thrown from the mountains.134: Singing or Dancing: I dunno.133: Coach or Chanel: Coach was a playable character in L4D2 and thus is infinitely more useful.132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks: Who the frack are these people.131: Small town or Big city: I’ve kind of had it with the city.130: Wal-Mart or Target: Target. Or, for white people with minimal senses of humor, Targét (Tar-zhey).129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler: Stiller is meh but never reaches Sandler levels of awful.128: Manicure or Pedicure: [SOUNDS OF LITTLE INTEREST]127: East Coast or West Coast: The East Coast has HP Lovecraft’s home.126: Your Birthday or Christmas: Both seem to end in familial drama.125: Chocolate or Flowers: Chocolate is dang wonderful. Can’t take a handful, eat the tulips. Y’just cahn’t do theat.124: Disney or Six Flags: Six whole flags. Great America has the Viper and its the closest you will ever get to a life-changing moment. 123: Yankees or Red Sox: I am indifferent towards New York or Boston, doubly so concerning Baseball.[ Here’s What I Think About ]122: War: Like, really guys, talk out your differences and treat people with respect. Its not that hard.121: George Bush: He would have made a brilliant painter or a decent comedian, but for some reason he ended up as president. But now he’s paining portraits of veterans wounded in the wars he started, so there’s that.120: Gay Marriage: Of course.119: The presidential election: 2016 was a terrible year, can we just fast forward to an election where two decent, respectable human beings are being voted for on election day.118: Abortion: Every woman has their reason, and its not the right of men to get to decide what happens.117: MySpace: ‘sead.116: Reality TV: Ech.115: Parents: Its a toxic environment.114: Back stabbers: I get you want that double critical hit, but please don’t stab me. I just want to grab the papers. End TF2 joke.113: Ebay: I dunno?112: Facebook: I had a video of a chick being forced down a grinder suddenly load and go full screen the last time I used the app. Yeah no.111: Work: Cash money.110: My Neighbors: My next door neighbors are absolutely wonderful people. The people past there are pretty bleh.109: Gas Prices: They’ve been higher, they’ve been lower.108: Designer Clothes: Heck.107: College: I have the presidential scholarship and have taken the maximum out on all possible loans and I cannot afford to live on-campus.106: Sports: Nah.105: My family: I am always feeling much better and more comfortable when spending time at a friend’s house than my own house.104: The future: Kinda losing hope, kinda just wish I had the skills to make great games quick and then just live in peace somewhere nice, kinda want to get struck with construction equipment, etc.[ Last time I ]103: Hugged someone: I couldn’t tell you, its been, I dunno, a decade or so?102: Last time you ate: 11:something today.101: Saw someone I haven’t seen in awhile: Spent some time at a friend’s place Friday. Haven’t gotten to speak with them in such a long time, felt nice.100: Cried in front of someone: I dunno?99: Went to a movie theater: The last film I saw in theaters was Godzilla and I lost interest when Walter White died.98: Took a vacation: Absolutely never! I was in Florida for a few weeks a few years ago (2013, I think?), but it barely counts because half of it was rainy days, Minecraft, and Nostalgia Critic.97: Swam in a pool: Couple years ago?96: Changed a diaper: If this answer becomes anything but never I will have seen too much.95: Got my nails done: Never.94: Went to a wedding: Never.93: Broke a bone: Pretty sure never?92: Got a peircing: Never.91: Broke the law: I once forgot to stop at a stop sign nobody else was at. Take me away, coppers, throw me in the slammer.90: Texted: I think Friday night?[ MISC ]89: Who makes you laugh the most: Dan.88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is: Not having anywhere to be. 87: The last movie I saw: I watched The Adventures of Tintin for like the 9th time. I wonder how that film stands up in black/white. I heard really good stuff about Mad Max: Fury Road in B/W.86: The thing that I’m looking forward to the most: Switch Switch Switch SwiTCH SWITCH SW85: The thing im not looking forward to: The hatred spiraling around the 45th President. Actual Nazis spoke of their goals and were praised on national TV. One of them got punched and is afraid he will become a meme. What the heck is going on. How much Nyquil did I accidentally drink. Is this a dying dream. Please let it be.84: People call me: Really needy and obnoxious. Or that might just be me.83: The most difficult thing to do is: Have one good day. Friday was the first one since probably October.82: I have gotten a speeding ticket: Nope, but I did get one because my brakes went out and I hit the bumper of the car in front of me. 81: My zodiac sign is: Gemini, but it really doesn’t make a difference.80: The first person i talked to today was: Dan.79: First time you had a crush: Quite a while ago. It was the orange one and it was alright. Pineapple is the better flavor though.78: The one person who i can’t hide things from: Dan.77: Last time someone said something you were thinking: I dunno.76: Right now I am talking to: A Tumblr text post.75: What are you going to do when you grow up: Design dem vidya gaems. 74: I have/will get a job: I have a job? Its my second one, been there 3 months.73: Tomorrow: I’LL72: Today: Is almost over.71: Next Summer: I’ll be out of school until September again?70: Next Weekend: Will be practically the end of the month? What am I supposed to put do--69: I have these pets: I have one (1) dog.68: The worst sound in the world: I have been woken at 2 in the morning by someone loudly blaring “Now look at this NET!” at me as a joke. 67: The person that makes me cry the most is: I dunno, Speilberg? Because he won’t make thAT TINTIN SEQUEL--66: People that make you happy: Dan and the other ragtag band of friends I have.65: Last time I cried: Like ~a week ago?64: My friends are: @eishkrooked @virtifrication-order @ahogehope and my non-Tungle friends Steve, Byron, Haley and Sam.63: My computer is: More expensive than my first car.62: My School: Costs far too much.61: My Car: Is alright.60: I lose all respect for people who: Justify killing or dehumanizing a lot of people quickly.59: The movie I cried at was: Wreck-It Ralph. Because I am a loser.58: Your hair color is: Blond.57: TV shows you watch: Actually between stuff because everything is over or on hiatus.56: Favorite web site: Steam, I guess?55: Your dream vacation: As many of my friends as possible and we all go to somewhere rad, I dunno where though.54: The worst pain I was ever in was: I once had a coughing fit at 1AM that caused me to spit up some blood and it hurt so bad I collapsed on the floor and cried myself back to sleep. But Death’s gonna have to bare-knuckle box me for my life, he tried to kill me with life-threatening pneumonia twice and that did bugger all. Come at me scrublord, I’m ripped.53: How do you like your steak cooked: Medium-well.52: My room is: Barely my room.51: My favorite celebrity is: JK Simmons.50: Where would you like to be: Somewhere nice.49: Do you want children: Not really, no. Maybe adopt some? I dunno.48: Ever been in love: Nope.47: Who’s your best friend: This is like the third time this question has appeared.46: More guy friends or girl friends: More good friends.45: One thing that makes you feel great is: Ever get to steal, like, all the stars in a Chance Time? That power changes you.44: One person that you wish you could see right now: I want to know how Haley is doing. She moved off to Minnesota after graduating high school and has not been online in like have a year. 43: Do you have a 5 year plan: I barely have a five-day plan.42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die: I could die at any minute, lists just leave “I could have___”s everywhere.41: Have you pre-named your children: Nope.40: Last person I got mad at: It took Arin 4 hours to make it to the end of Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door’s first major boss. FOUR HOURS.39: I would like to move to: A nice flat somewhere just outside Chicago.38: I wish I was a professional: Game dev because then, again, good things made quick.[ My Favorites ]37: Candy: York Peppermint Patties, also a fan of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.36: Vehicle: Can Tesla just do a cheap electric car already? 35: President: Obama is definitely top of the list. Amazing public speaker, total dad.34: State visited: Illinois.33: Cellphone provider: If only Metronet could do phones.32: Athlete: JK Simmons got ripped, I can include him.31: Actor: See above!30: Actress: Ashly Burch (Ms. Pauling in TF2). 29: Singer: Lynda Carter became a freaking phenominal jazz singer between the 70s and Fallout 4. Probably the best part about that game.28: Band: Diablo Swing Orchestra, hands down.27: Clothing store: The cheapest one I can get good-quality stuff at.26: Grocery store: Jewel? I dunno, don’t hassle me.25: TV show: Gravity Falls deserves all the awards.24: Movie: This might come as a surprise, but the Adventu23: Website: Steam? I dunno.22: Animal: Samoyeds and Malamutes. Japanese Akitas come in third.21: Theme park: Six Flags is pretty rad. 20: Holiday: According to the store I work at, Italian Market is a holiday and now its my favorite holiday.19: Sport to watch: Not a sportwatcher.18: Sport to play: Used to spar. That was rad.17: Magazine: Rest in peace, Nintendo Power.16: Book: Journal 3 is such a fabulous blend of so many good things.15: Day of the week: Monday, actually. I don’t need to commute, my brothers are out of the house, I can record or work on personal projects, etc.14: Beach: Not a fan of beaches.13: Concert attended: Have not attended any live whatsits.12: Thing to cook: Pasta. And then I have it all. Because its pasta.11: Food: Read above.10: Restaurant: It depends. Subway is cheap, Corner Bakery Cafe is right inside Union Station and their Mac and Chee is awesome, but if money is no object, then I’d go for Olive Garden because “endless pasta” are two words that get slung around in there.9: Radio station: I hate the FM radio.8: Yankee candle scent: Fresh-cut lawn.7: Perfume: Nah.6: Flower: I don’t have an answer.5: Color: One of those deep, vivid blues. Something like Tumblr’s but with some more saturation.4: Talk show host: Nah.3: Comedian: SungWon Cho or Barry Kramer.2: Dog breed: 22 has all the answers you need.1: Did you answer all these truthfully? I could be a jerk and say I answered one of these incorrectly, but nah, they’re legit. Or are they? They are. Or are they?

Thanks!

1 note · View note