#but we can say that's part of the comedic effect okay?

[redbootsindoriath]

Okay so I didn’t remember that International Don’t Stab Your Best Friend Day was coming up until I was in the middle of a multi-day road trip, so here’s a comic I threw together in a huge rush while traveling in a moving vehicle and then took ages uploading on hotel wifi.

Transcription:

[Gurthang:] “Hey Túrin.” [Túrin:] “Yeah.” [Gurthang:] “I still can’t get over the fact that you literally murdered your best friend lol.” [Túrin:] “...” [Gurthang:] “Like how stupid do you have to be to do something like that, haha?” [Túrin:] “Oh yeah, you’re so right!  If only there had been someone there who could have said something!  A talking sword, for instance.” [Gurthang:] “Hey now, don’t pin this on me.” [Túrin:] “‘Dude stop, it’s just us, don’t freak out and stab anybody, even though it’s dark and you can’t see anything!’” [Elf 1:] “Is he okay?  Should we...do something about this?” [Elf 2:] “Absolutely not, I am not going near that situation.”

#anglachel/gurthang #túrin #the man the myth the legends #three shinies #everyone deserved better except mîm #my trash #is this actually funny or am i just tired #i'm sorry professor tolkien #/end classification tags #no but like it took me longer to get it uploaded than it did to draw it #i'm so sorry about the terrible art (i'm probably not even supposed to be drawing for another week or two) #but we can say that's part of the comedic effect okay? #anyway behold the return of the concerned nargothrond elves #i don't care if everyone there loved túrin #at least SOME of them had to see those red flags of his #''bloodstained son of ill fate'' yeah sure like nobody thought twice about that #(i forgot to tag the sword until the day after this was posted) #(shame on me)

[r3medialch8os]

devastating trobed quotes (a list)

does thinking of troy and abed ever make you inexplicably upset? well, it's all in the text! aside from troy and abed serving as frequent comedic buffers, they are given some weighty emotional scenes throughout community's run. just look at the meat of these lines!

we just won't get masking tape (what a beautiful, simplistic way to portray how troy is able to think around abed's systematic manner of viewing their friendship in its beginning stages as well as an illustration of how he deals with conflict)

i love you (pure honesty in a moment of intense distress)

i know (both a reference, because it's easy, and the truth)

you don't like people who tell you what to do, and i don't wanna be one of those people (one of the more heartbreaking things said between the two of them, with troy knowing exactly abed's qualms and negative experiences with being controlled, not wanting to add to it, and still having to fall into the pattern for the sake of keeping him safe, fearing he's risking their friendship by doing so)

you weren't supposed to think those things (you of all people, the person i trust most in this whole world)

this is going to be the last thing we ever do together, we can't stop (what the actual fuck)

i know you hate when people do this in movies (whispered quietly to abed by troy, without anyone else hearing, one of the most romantic, intimate lines in the whole show, argue with the wall)

you're gonna have to trust that you're gonna have to trust me (said to someone with severe trust issues, and for good reasons, just an incredible invocation of the bond they have)

for the first time in my long history of being locked inside things, i knew someone would come (as someone who was bullied in high school, this line hits so fucking hard, aren't we all waiting on this moment?)

you were out there somewhere, and you weren't looking for me? (devastating in a way where i simply cannot believe they throw words like these around casually)

the floor can't be lava forever, the game's gotta end (troy, perpetually insistent on indulging abed, on letting him do his thing, on enjoying his imagination, has to be the one to bring him back to reality this time, and even if he tries to do it as gentle as possible, it will never not rip my fucking heart out)

it's not a game for me troy. i'm seeing real lava because you're leaving, it's embarrassing. i don't wanna be crazy but i am crazy so i made a game that made you and everyone else see what i see. i don't want it to be there either, i swear. i want you to be able to leave but i don't think the lava goes away until you stop leaving (fuck it, i'm putting the whole thing, not a lot makes me cry but abed so clearly experiencing disillusion and trying to assuage troy while also communicating to him how hard it is to accept him leaving all with an air of embarrassment and hopelessness and desperation will do it for me, thank you very much)

i'm not leaving, okay? i promise. the floor's not lava now, just give me your hand (all i can say is that i bet it tore abed to pieces hearing these words)

i think i might be able to let troy go now (the way he says it too)

when i cloned you i had to patch some missing parts of your dna with genes from a homing pigeon. you may notice side effects like a compulsion to come back (in other words, i am in love with you and i never found the right time to say it)

#this is lowkey silly i just like to talk lol #community #abed nadir #nbc community #troy barnes #trobed #abed community #troy and abed #troy community #trobed community #community analysis

[the-duchess-of-domination]

College Tummy Tales

due to popular demand, here is a comprehensive list of all tummy-related events that happened on campus this semester (these are all 100% real, i promise you 😭😭😭)

1. this literally happened last friday. i live in a sophomore dorm with my roommate and best friend. we live in an all-gender wing, so me and her are constantly patrolling the hallways because really weird stuff happens at night. last friday we heard some activity near our door, and we decided to be nosy and see what was happening. we came out into the hallway and saw our RA standing near the bathroom, and this twenty-year old guy we live across from sitting on the floor (he’s SUPER cute, like he’s got that shoulder-length middle part haircut and is generally just really friendly and playful. i think he’s a theatre major). anyway, he was curled up on the floor with a bottle of ginger ale and he looked absolutely AWFUL. we asked if everything was okay and he cracked this really weak smile and told us the fish from our dining hall made him sick, and he puked and felt really dizzy and had to sit down on the floor. our RA passed by and got really worried about him and just stayed with him until he felt like he could walk back to his dorm. my roommate knows about my interests (she’s SO FUNNY and supportive) and she was like 😏 girl you gotta take care of him. i didn’t want to overwhelm him so we let him rest. i ended up texting him later and asked if he was feeling better, and he said he was and thanked me for checking up on him. i guess the moral of the story is don’t eat the fish from the dining hall.

2. i am friends with a lot of male theatre majors LMAO. this story happened like, a month ago and isn’t as eventful, but another cute male theatre major is in my ballet class (he is the ONLY guy in my ballet class), and one morning he was sitting out from dancing and i came over to talk to him. COMPLETELY UNPROMPTED he LAUNCHED into a monologue about how bad his stomach hurt that morning, complete with the moaning and groaning and everything, even like, sitting up and showing me his stomach and pushing it out. i was so stunned i just started laughing and he jokingly was like “why are you laughing at my pain????” and i was like “idk i guess you just saying the word tummy as a grown man” and he was like “my tummy? my delicate hurting tummy? my sore little belly?” i swear to god, the male theatre majors are built DIFFERENT.

3. on the topic, men seem to feel really comfortable just using the word “tummy” in general, which i find amusing. i can count a couple of occurrences of men using the word tummy for comedic effect, using phrases like “tummy ache survivor” or “having a tummy ache and being a very brave boy about it”

4. this next one happened in the dining hall and i thought someone would find it amusing. im not huge into burps, but last week this big boisterous frat guy kept burping SO LOUD in the dining hall. it was so fucking obnoxious and the burps were so long and sustained. i kept looking over to give them the stink eye, and the guy had like, 5 empty plates, so ig he was a little full and gassy or something because LORD. hopefully he didn’t eat the fish 😟

5. this last one is the real kicker. in one of my design classes there is this cute, chubby redhead that sits next to me. before class started he had begun complaining to no one in particular that he woke up nauseous that morning. im a really friendly girl so i guess people just feel comfortable sharing things with me, but during class this redhead leaned into my ear and whispered something. like ballet, i was so stunned i asked him to repeat it, and it turns out my ears did not deceive me. he said “i have a tummy ache” into my ear, and my eyes widened and i just couldn’t believe it. i asked if he was hungry or something and tried to offer him a granola bar from my bag, but he turned it down and said he was going to eat something after class. but WOW. im still in disbelief about that one.

anyway, that’s all i can think of for now. me and my roommate have a counter called “X amount of days without a man telling [my name] about his stomach.” so far we’ve only made it 2 days because that halloweekend guy in my poetry class made me have to reset the counter. anyway, love my roommate 💖 the other day she was like “girl you’re only attracted to him because he had an upset stomach 🤨” and i DIED because she’s so right. the bar is so low, boys.

#tummy ache #belly gurgling #belly ache #emeto kink #emetophilia #feedee boy #feedee feeder #feeding kink #male feedism #burp kink #burping #fantasies from the duchess 👑

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hello!!, can we get a part two of blue diamond reader but this time she moved on finding out that pink diamond gave her life for her child and now reader is the guardian/mother of her sisters child. But then one day the child then got attacked by the same god that shattered her dearest sister but the god has an army trying to conquer readers palace so out of rage reader most literally deleted their entire existence without of course feeling her pain and anguish to them, affecting the other gods that's watching this unfold cause the fight took in the middle of a god meeting🧍‍♀️ after the fight reader just went back to spoiling her child lowkey panicking if he got hurt.

And out of lol's i imagine some gods would come up to her kneeling down on one knee and just say "Marry me" simultaneously (for comedic effect) i also imagine that she's taller than most gods cause i saw that blue diamond is actually a giant women🤩 anyway that's all!! You're carrying the ROR fandom by writing these fics❤️‼️

My sweet darling, you’re gonna give me a big ass head with your sweet words!! When I read your request I almost literally cried! You’re so kind!!

-It had been years since Pink had been shattered, years since your heart had been shattered.

-You had hid yourself away, hiding your pain, your sorrow, until news came, news of Pink.

-She had been shattered, that part was true, but she was shattered saving the life of her child, choosing to give her own to keep her son safe.

-The young child was small, smaller than Pink was when she was only a child, but seeing him, seeing your Pink in this child, your heart soared with pure joy.

-With no hesitation whatsoever, you adopted your nephew, raising him with compassion, educating him on anything he wanted to learn, and being the parental figure that he always wanted to have, as he had been living in an orphanage until his powers bloomed, Pink’s powers.

-To celebrate the one-year anniversary of this reunion, you decided to hold a ball and everyone, humans and gods, showed up to help you celebrate.

-Many were put at ease, seeing you smiling so warmly, seeing the child you now cared for so tenderly, a few were a bit jealous, wanting some of your affection for themselves, but this party was for you and your nephew.

-You were speaking to several of the gods when a loud crash was heard and your eyes widened, seeing a large god, one you recognized as the one who had shattered Pink!

-He had escaped after he was being sent to prison, vanishing and you were in anguish that none could find him.

-Behind him was an army of other warriors, ones that wanted to kill the gods, and kill any trace of the Diamond Goddesses.

-Their mistake was going after your nephew, in an instant, your power exploded, sending everyone in attendance to their knees, overwhelmed by your emotions and with one swipe of your hand, the gods and his minions were gone, immediately being turned to dust.

-Jaws were dropped all over, gawking in awe over your breathtaking power, turning to you to see you near tears, holding your nephew, demanding to know if he was okay, only worried about him, and not batting a single eyelash at the gods you just singlehandedly destroyed with one move.

-Once you were calmed down, you heard several voices shout out in unison, “‘MARRY ME!!’” you turned, eyes wide, seeing Hercules, Thor, Loki, Raiden, Lu Bu, Ares, Zeus, Rudra, and Chuck, God of Accounting, all kneeling before you, staring up at you, holding up a hand to you, proposing to you.

-You froze, your mind completely shutting down as you gaped at the mass proposal, unable to process that they all just proposed to you.

#record of ragnarok #ror x reader

[an-atlas-or-other]

So I may or may not have started another list of notes for the first season or RWBY. It’s a habit okay-

Full disclosure I only started writing at like episode 7 or 8 so my notes aren’t comprehensive, nor do they address anything in particular. They’re just thoughts I felt the need to write down. That being said;

The moon is fucking oblong. Aside from having parts missing, that is (unless that’s supposed to be reflections and the moons not full. But it’s still oblong???)

Since all the teams’ names start with the leaders name, if Weiss were to lead the team I think a cool name would be WYBR (said wihb-er)

Some of the sound design is… not great. Most of the effects are too loud or too highly pitched. The music is good though!

How does evil dude talk normally with that massive cigar in his mouth?

AHAHA WEISS’ SCAR DOESNT MATCH UP WHEN SHE CLOSES HER EYE

Jean is really annoying. I know he’s stupid for comedic purposes but it happens too much, and his voice is also irritating. So is Ruby’s but at least she’s not dumb so I can excuse it more

Some of the scenes are kind of weird. Case one: episode 9 scene 1. There’s more but that’s the one I’m at right now. Some other scenes have that same sort of… feel? I don’t know how to explain it

Ahaha I’m wondering if that cup of coffee is just part of Ozpins character model. I don’t think I’ve seen him without it yet

When they say “our planet” it admits that they’re advanced enough that they know the concept but how do the kingdoms work. How are there only four? We don’t have a world map, and the one they showed us looked about the scale of your standard European map. Do they just claim a bunch of territory? But not do much with it? And against who, the grimm? They’re not going to respect national boundaries-

Are they implying Mr Peter is a pedophile? Also where did the cage come from. Why is the beast only now being rowdy-

Is Ozpin fucking omnipotent? Why is he everywhere, doesn’t he have anything better to do?

When did they change. Why did they change. There’s a uniform for a reason? Don’t you wear it during all school hours?

AHAHA JAUNDICE HAHAHA

Why do the teachers here drink so much

Fort Castle? That’s uncreative

Wow do they have noticeable stage posture

Jean is a little less annoying now

“You need to be wider and lower to the ground” what, does she want him to squat?

Isn’t it a liiiitle weird for the only even moderately dark person in the show to be the stowaway monkey guy

How did they know Penny is from out of town. She has no accent, and Vale seems to be racially homogeneous, so how do they know?

The jokes can be pretty funny sometimes (case one: “she does like tuna a lot”)

All the streets look exactly the same. No city is that perfectly planned

I really wish penny’s stockings (?) were pants. They’re really odd

I am loving that cane gun. I wish my cane had a gun (for legal reasons that is a joke)

Why is Weiss suddenly nice to Blake again. Did all her character development happen offscreen? Why?

#rwby #ruby rose #rwby ruby rose #weiss schnee #rwby weiss #blake belladonna #rwby blake #yang xiao long #rwby yang #rwby volume 1

[thesherrinfordfacility]

alright next up on the list of ideas to dredge up from the drafts and talk about in more detail is the focus on books in this season, because its driving me around the bend

but because i literally have no answers whatsoever to this, im just going to do a crowley-core #justgirlythings and just ask questions:

ep2 goob (rip) lines: "books are key!" which ok yeah obvious but:

"and see, the big ones can be used as fly swats - and i know what you're thinking, but it's okay, because the beauty part is, it never works!"... hmmmm

but also earlier on, goob asks aziraphale "what [letter] comes after 'K'?", which is 'L', but goob then immediately refers back to his book that he's alphabetising, which is A Tale of Two Cities, and that starts with 'it'...? so why highlight the letter 'L'? (this might be something of nothing but given Book of Life idk could literally have been ANY other letter)

but then we have the rest of the episodes that cascaded from the two things above; first, the book blueprint of the universe in ep1, which AWCW was referring to, but only from page 11 onwards (so what was on pages 1-11?):

ep2: crowley discovering that jane austen wrote books (like, other than it being a comedic point of their conflicting remembrance of her as a person, and gives the "you think you know someone!" foreshadowing, it felt very pointed that crowley learns that she was a writer as well)

ep2 also sees aziraphale looking at a huge tome which, given everything that's going on, seems weird that he'd be randomly consulting? idk what the book is so not doubling down on this... anyone know if ive just missed something obvious?

but also makes a point of consulting the bible after goob recites what god said to job in the bookshop. which, given that he and crowley readily recognise what god says (he even says to crowley, "I most certainly do [remember]"), seems weird that they'd need to consult a book to remind them who job was and his story... could be exposition and for the cool fall-through effect, but possibly felt a bit unneeded. plus, it got aziraphale so absorbed that he totally conked out and missed crowley leaving the shop:

aziraphale writing in his diary at his desk on his bed, lying in his tummy, feet kicking in the air, in ep3:

the magician's pamphlet that not only follows aziraphale's epiphany of realising he's in love with crowley but also literally sets up the opportunity for aziraphale to demonstrate how much he trusts him, and is ultimately used against them in being discovered as (at least) being traitors to their respective sides:

plus the Hoffman book, and the angel field-guide:

like, oversimplifying, but literally all of ep5 being based on jane austen works

emphasis on muriel wanting to read books in the background of the Showdown going on in ep6, being chucked The Crow Road by crowley, and metatron being weirdly interested in the fact that they're reading it... like, how would he not know what a book is? why is it "excellent", and a "perfectly splendid thing to do"? odd choice of words even if you want them to take over the bookshop:

now this one i can believe is literally just about goob in the shop and that's fine, but again the emphasis on books anyway (and also michael's weirdly strong but conflicting memory? might write a different post about that bc i think michael got got by metatron somewhere along the line):

back to ep2 but fitting to bookend on:

so okay yeah sure, im certain the book of life comes into all of this somewhere (ive posted about it here but im fairly certain it's not what heaven/hell seems to claim it is, and i think only the metatron truly knows that). there's been a lot of emphasis on memory too in this season, but taking that out of the equation a minute, the main things giving me heebie-jeebies is goob's line about using big books as fly swats, and obviously metty-babes' weird reaction to the crow road...

idk where im going with this and ill probably look at this again but all of this was floating around my noggin and i couldn't take it anymore

#good omens #*screams into the abyss* BOOKSSSSS #s2 meta #book of life theory #kinda

[twistedtavern]

I'm okay with a segmented WIP.

I patched it up, and I'm putting it in little segments, so it's in a publish-able state rn. Enjoy your long asf "pt 2"! I wanted to pad it out more so it flowed more smoothly, but this is all I can provide in my current state. I hope everyone who's been waiting since last year for this gets what they hoped for! No beta we die like Grim

CW: traumatic flashbacks, cannibalism mention (in a comedic way dw), existentialism (dereality? idk just to be safe)

Part 1! Part 3

~ Segment 1 ~

Jamil thought back to earlier this morning, remembering not fully registering his situation, reaching over for his alarm clock, only to be confused when it wasn't there. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, squinting into the darkness, and the realization sinking in that he was far, far away from Night Raven.

He heard a soft sound beside him, and looked to find you, wrapped up in his arms. You looked happy like this, with you safe and secure against his chest, sound asleep.

So it wasn't a dream...

He was finally here, able to hold you, talk to you, live here with you, love you with all his heart, free from the shackles of his past. It was strange, to think of the reality Jamil had been living even just the day before as 'the past', but that was the truth of it. His life was with you now.

Jamil looked back at the clock, seeing that it was only 5 in the morning. For someone who held his previous schedule, a very sensible time to wake up in the morning, but for a free man, an abysmal hour. He blinked drowsily, your warmth tempting him to lay back down and go to sleep again.

He snuggled up behind you once more, happily holding you close. The room was dead silent, the only sound coming from your breathing and heartbeat. The warmth he had felt before was far more subdued, but quite a bit stronger than when you would close the game before. It made him wonder, would he be able to feel your emotions more strongly now that he was actually in the same reality as you?

And so, Jamil laid silently at your side, simply enjoying your presence beside him as he zoned out completely. He had a lot to process, after all.

The seconds ticked by, then minutes, then an hour. The sun had just started to rise, and Jamil looked back at the clock. It was now 6 am, and Jamil didn't feel any sleepier. He was usually up making breakfast right about now, so maybe he should start his day.

Slowly slinking his way out of bed, Jamil took extra precaution not to wake you as he went to grab his bag. In a few short moments, he was all dressed and ready for the day, making some of the extra curry he had brought.

That was when you ran up to him out of the blue, startled by your realization of his presence, and insisting that you help him set up breakfast. And now, he found himself sitting in your living room. The air felt tense and restless against his skin, no doubt the effect of your racing thoughts. It had gone quiet between the two of you, neither knowing what to say.

" So..." you awkwardly began, " You're... alive. Like, ALIVE alive."

" What do you mean?" he asked.

" You're human, not like an imitation of a human, but a whole, full package person with thoughts and emotions and stuff."

" Of course I am."

" That's so... weird... I thought you'd be like HAL 9000 in there or something."

He made a face, " What? I've never heard of that. Sounds like some kind of evil robot..." exasperation showed in his voice as he deadpanned, " You don't really think I'm an evil robot, do you?"

You shook your head, " I mean... You were crying and cuddling me last night, so you seem pretty human."

Jamil looked away, " Didn't have to bring that up."

" That couldn't be fake. Unless you're like... a REALLY evil robot. Then I'm just screwed."

He seemed to grow increasingly tired of this, " Could we not talk about the different levels of evil I could be?"

You, having chosen violence this morning, decided to push it further, " So you're denying that you're evil, but not that you're a robot?"

" I CAN PASS A CAPTCHA."

" That's not saying much nowadays."

His tone flattened as he glared, " Now that I think about it, I didn't poison check that curry before I packed it," causing you to pause and simply blink at him, confused. Until you remembered just who the hell you were talking to as well as his extensive history with poisoned food. Jamil laughed while you spluttered and panicked at the sudden realization, and the almost cartoonish look of betrayal on your face only made him laugh harder.

You realized you had been tricked, and could only huff at him, " You might not be a robot, but you're just plain evil."

" I do what's necessary."

The betrayal gave way to immediate concern, " Scary response, please don't kill me in my sleep."

Jamil's voice went low and threatening as he purred, " Only if you behave.♡"

You almost launched yourself out of your seat at the timbre of his voice, " JEEZUS- Okay, now you're just TRYING to scare me!!"

He sat back, his flinch from the now-fading burst of mixed heat and cold wiping the utterly terrifying grin from his face, " Did it work?"

" I think I saw a vision of my untimely demise when you made eye contact with me."

" Good. Then I won't have to put you in the curry."

Jamil felt another, smaller, flash of cold as you wailed " YOU'RE GONNA EAT ME?!?"

" Hmmmmmm, no. I don't think you'd taste very good."

" Okay, FIRST of all, why did you have to hesitate so long on that- and SECOND, you could have at least said I'd be too sweet..."

" What, you want me to taste test you?"

" NOT WHAT I MEA- Wait. Hold on a second."

Jamil made a sound like what you would expect a question mark to sound like.

" Do you... work like some kind of vampire?? Do you have to eat people or drink blood or something to stay here?!?"

" What? No-" Jamil defended, before he went quiet. His concerned expression only deepened, " I... don't think I actually know the answer to that."

" YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE TO EAT PEOPLE OR NOT?!?"

" Well, shit, I HOPE I don't, because if I have to live as a monster I would have at least liked to have a big scary castle to go with it."

Completely unprompted and without hesitation came your immediate response, " Would you accept me as a sacrifice from the nearby village-"

" Yes." was his, also immediate, response.

You paused in embarrassed silence for a short while.

It was Jamil who broke the quiet next, " I do hope that I don't have to do any of that, though. But... what you said about me being human before..."

" Wait, you aren't?"

" Not technically, I guess. Watch," he closed his eyes, reaching up toward his face. You watched with unprepared curiosity as he began to scratch at the center of his forehead, eventually managing to catch on a seam and tug at the split. Your heart nearly stopped and your body froze as you saw Jamil pull back a perfectly even section of his own face, revealing a luminescent purple skin underneath. You took in a sharp breath.

"OHMYGODWHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCK-!!!!!!"

A rapid, high pitched string of jumbled words erupted from you as you shot away like a spooked cat. The sudden cold and noise startled Jamil as well, the other sections of his face swinging completely open. He quickly moved to piece his skin back together, immediately going to comfort you.

" Hey- Hey! You're okay. I'm okay. You don't have to panic." Jamil reasoned, standing up to come closer to you. His hands touched yours, and he looked you in the eyes. Any trace of any sort of opening was long gone, and you couldn't help but to become overwhelmed with curiosity. Blinking owlishly, you reached for his face, your fingertips making contact with his cheek. Nothing felt irregular, and if you hadn't just seen what he just did with your own eyes, you would never have known.

" Hooooly shit."

Jamil leaned into your touch, " You do not want to find out how I learned about that."

The cold he had felt before faded, replaced with the pressing aura of your concern, " Is... Does it involve the others?"

" Yes. All of them, they've done terrible things. To each other, to themselves, but Malleus was the worst of them. They left me mostly out of it, but I think that's just because if anything happened to me, you would know immediately."

A horror, awakening deep within your bones, set into you. If Jamil was right, and you had no way of knowing if he was ever wrong, then you had spent months fawning and cooing over monsters, unknowing that they were alive, possibly watching your every move, listening to your every word. You clung to Jamil, seemingly the sole 'good' one, only because you had poured as much love into him as you had. He hugged you as well, clutching you closely in a safe embrace.

" But, we're both safe now." he said, letting out a breath as the cold left him. Jamil led you back to the couch, sitting closer to you than he had been before. You sat silently for a moment, gazing down at the floor. His soft smile faded to concern, " ...Are you okay?" he asked, " Did I scare you too badly?"

" I'm... No. I'm not really okay," you sighed, looking right at him with a seriousness he had never seen from you, " What happened in there?"

Jamil avoided eye contact, " A lot happened. That's a discussion for later."

" It's always later, Jamil! You're free now,  you can SAY things!" the budding warmth in the air began to feel as if it were beginning to sizzle against Jamil's skin, " It's not like anyone can tell you to shut up, because you're MAGIC and you can SPLIT YOUR FACE OPEN and jury's still out on you EATING PEOPLE and- and you're REAL, and..." your voice faded into panicked hyperventilating as you stood up, wrapping your arms around yourself as the swirling, uncomfortable heat made an almost sour tang in every breath.

Jamil wanted to reach out and envelop you in a tight, comforting squeeze, but he withheld himself. Comforting Kalim, he had done that his whole life. He knew its every in and out and tip and trick, but you... You weren't Kalim. You were scared, overwhelmed by things far out of his wheelhouse of what he is used to giving comfort for. But... he would try. That was all he could do, in this new world.

Especially for you.

You felt his hand gently come in contact with your shoulder, leading you back to the couch to sit down as he stood in front of you. He looked at you with one of the most comforting expressions you think you've ever seen.

" Listen..." he began softly, " Just calm down and let me help you make sense of it."

A worried, muffled sound escaped you, but it was quickly silenced by Jamil cupping your face in his hands and tilting your head down to press a gentle kiss to your forehead.

" Better?"

You looked up and let out a deep breath before nodding. The air seemed to settle with your heartbeat.

" Good. Now," he clapped his hands together, " The concerns. The face thing is normal, it doesn't hurt if I do it the way I showed you. I didn't mean to scare you when I said you don't want to find out, it's just embarrassing."

You nod again, as gullible and trusting as he thought you'd be.

" I'll be honest, I'm not sure if magic works here. I was able to get here with magic, but that doesn't guarantee I'll be able to use it now that I'm out," he paused to briefly think on it, " We'd have to test it somewhere..." the air was now quite a bit calmer than before, but he felt the need to continue, " And no, I'm not a robot. I'm not evil or a vampire, either. I'm just me. Happy now?"

You stood up and hugged him, and he sighed as he rubbed a hand along your back, feeling you ease up. A part of him thought you just liked listening to him talk, and he honestly didn't mind that.

A mix of a laugh and sigh of relief left you as you joked, " Usually the way things go when video game characters are alive is that they want to kill somebody. 5 times out of 10 that usually happens, so I had to check my bases, yknow?"

Now it was Jamil's turn to be concerned, " Wait, that happens? Is that just a common occurrence here??"

" Nah, just in scary internet stories. They usually suck." you laughed.

Jamil sighed in exasperation and squeezed you, " Don't scare me like that."

" What, like you did to me earlier this morning?" you teased.

" What, like you haven't gotten dressed all morning?" he gently tugged at the collar of your pajama shirt. Amid your surprised embarrassment, you could almost feel his smug expression behind your peripheral vision.

" Shit! I forgot!!" you let go and bolted into your bedroom, rushing to your closet to find something to wear. Jamil sat down and waited for you to get dressed, simply waiting for you to return.

~ Segment 2 ~

" Are you sure? Am I recognizable?" Jamil asked as he fussed with his hair. You had suggested that the two of you go to the park, just to get into an open space and test if things like magic and flight still worked on Earth as they did in Wonderland.

" Relax, Jamil," you soothed, admiring a particularly pretty hair clip, " Your game is a bit more on the obscure side, it's not like you're Mario or something."

He resisted the urge to tilt his head in confusion, " Who's that?"

" Oh. Guess I can't blame you for not knowing. You've probably got something wonky 'cause of copyrights," you mused to yourself.

Jamil sighed, " I don't get it."

" I've gotta show you all this later, we pretty much have... forever," you paused for a moment, letting that sink in, " ...wow."

Jamil went quiet for a moment, too, processing not only his new life situation, but the implication that you thought of this new arrangement as forever. He tensed. His own surprise at your willingness made him consider the alternative outcome, you not wanting him. Him being kicked out into a world where he knew nothing, his chest cold for what may be the rest of his life, having to make it with what he managed to steal from his old world. Jamil swallowed thickly, his fingers beginning to fidget as he considered the possibility.

" Hm...? Jamil, what's wrong?" he jumped slightly as he heard you ask.

" W-What?" he turned to face you, failing to entirely conceal his emotions before your brow furrowed, " Nothing's wrong."

" Jamil, you're from an anime game. You're a lot more expressive than you think," you said, giving his head a loving pat, " You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I wanna know what's bothering you."

He placed his hand over yours, giving it a slight squeeze as he avoided eye contact. His silence hung for a few seconds before all he could do was shake his head no. Your features softened, and you moved to gingerly cup his face with both hands, " Hey. I love you, okay? I'm not gonna love you any less any time soon, and that's a promise."

As you leaned in to press a kiss to his forehead, Jamil felt a bloom of warmth in his chest, and when your lips connected, it felt like a circuit had been completed between your heart and his. His insides swirled with the tingling softness of butterflies, and it felt like you had taken all the thoughts that troubled him and muffled them with a big, warm blanket. Jamil wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close to bury his face in your shoulder. You leaned into it, embracing him in turn and shifting your body to support his, slowly rubbing up and down his back for good measure.

Eventually, the tension in his shoulders was released with deep, shaky breaths. You knew those, those were about-to-sob breaths. Jamil felt you give him a squeeze, and his next breath was steadier. He took in another one, and quietly said " Do you... Do you promise it'll be forever?"

" Well, I mean, unless you get tired of me. You're uh... kind of way out of my league." you muttered, internally wincing.

He squeezed you tighter, and the rhythm of his breathing hiccuped slightly with the barest hint of exasperated amusement, " I crossed the boundaries of realityto be here. I wouldn't let myself get tired of you."

Relief flooded you at the feeling of the situation lightening. You gave him a little pat, " That's good. Do you want me to hold you a little longer or are you all clear to go?"

Jamil considered pulling away, but he just felt so warm in your arms... maybe it would be best to stay. He shook his head and clung to you, easing when he felt you get comfortable in his embrace. You sighed contentedly, " Aww, you're just a big lovey snuggle bug after a-"

" A BUG???" he cried, suddenly completely upright. You felt that if you hadn't already been holding him, he would have jumped into your arms like a cartoon character.

Startled by his outburst, you rushed to soothe him again, " No no no- not an ACTUAL bug. No, Jamil, you're okay. You're safe. There's no bug," you assured, guess you have to be more careful with your terms of endearment.

Jamil sighed in that exasperated way he always does, and instead of just moving on, you stayed stubborn in wanting to call him snuggly. He is clearly not a bug, so he was...

You beamed once the answer, an admittedly obvious one, came to mind, " You're a snuggle snake!"

Jamil looked at you with an indiscernible expression for a brief moment, before the most adorable smile you had ever seen broke out onto his face, and he started to laugh, the sound genuine and happy. You couldn't help but to start laughing alongside him. Your joy fueled his, and his fueled yours, making a beautiful cycle of laughter, warmth, and feelings of butterflies between you both. It pushed his worries away like pesky rain clouds, and made room for sunshine. Not the blistering hot sun of the desert, but the soft kind of sunshine in children's rhymes and storybooks. At that moment, the two of you were inseparable, and that was all he needed.

It was this kind of happiness that he was so unaccustomed to, this light brightness in his heart that melted him softly from the inside, even as the laughter died down. He looked at you with a soft smile, " What am I ever going to do with you?"

" Maybe come to the park with me, for starters," you teased.

Jamil conceded, " Alright, alright. I'm ready to go now."

You turned to walk towards the door, but out of the corner of your eye you saw a bit of movement. You looked and saw Jamil's hand trying to discreetly reach for yours, but your next step put enough distance between the two of you to make him give up the chase. But before he could lower it to his side, you turned to reach for it. You took his hand in yours, and Jamil felt his face heat up, as if the two of you hadn't just been all over each other. The feeling of connection through the touch returned, the pulse in your fingers meeting his and coming to share its pace.

You led the way as you went to grab your wallet and keys before heading out the door, Jamil shyly falling into step behind you. Once you left the apartment and locked the door, Jamil began to look around, curious about his new surroundings. His expression held a bit of innocence to it, and it almost looked to you like a puppy poking around its new home.

Once you reached your car, you noticed that Jamil was looking at it with a thoughtful expression, his head tilted ever so slightly to the side.

" Something on your mind?" you asked gently as you moved to unlock the door and get in the car.

" Ah- Well..." he took a moment to find his words as you opened the door for him from inside. He got in and simply said " I'm just not used to things looking like... this."

You looked at him quizzically for a brief moment before realizing what he meant. You couldn't help but laugh, " Looking like something that's not worth an entire country?"

It was plain to see that he was doing his best to be polite about it, but it was easy for you to put two and two together. Judging by how he looked away, you knew you were right.

" Yeah... I guess I'll just have to get used to it," he admitted, " But at least I have you."

Having been caught off guard by his soft, sincere tone, you tried to hide your flushed face, the butterflies in your stomach stirring. He smiled sweetly, unable to resist how cute your reaction was. 

The car soon rumbled to life, and Jamil looked out the window, eager to see his new surroundings. You couldn't help but smile. It was nice, seeing this new side of him and knowing you brought that out. You turned on the car radio, switching between stations until you reached one that fit the mood. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Jamil look over at the radio, accompanied by a small 'hmm', before he resumed looking out the window.

But, as the scenery passed by, he laid eyes on a sight, a scene as common as they come, but one that filled him with a deep, all-consuming dread. Old voices filled his head, memories that could never be buried, for they laid the code by which he lived.

" Jamil! What are you DOING?!? Put that away before Kalim sees!"

A family. A mother and father, clutching the tiny hands of their children as they strolled merrily down the sidewalk.

" For every two you win, you must lose three."

A single thought crossed his mind.

" Quit your crying, you have to go cheer Kalim up. I know it scared you, but it's your duty."

What had he done?

They were going to face punishment, be thrown out, or worse. He ran, and they were going to suffer for it. His family was doomed, and it was all his fault. Jamil didn't register the sound of your voice from beside him, caught up in the downward spiral, a spiral so familiar it almost felt natural.

" Jamil!"

He snapped to attention, looking over at you with wide, teary eyes. Your expression turned to one of surprise, and before he could wipe away the evidence of his thoughts, the car suddenly turned sharply. Jamil clung to the door beside him as you practically swung the car into a parking spot, stopping immediately. The click of your seatbelt came from beside him, and soon he was being smothered with affection.

" Are you okay? What's wrong?" you asked, your voice urgent but gentle. He could feel what he could abstractly label as a mix of your concern, your protection, and your love, all rolled into one. Jamil was still reeling from the sudden stop, but he clung to you the first chance he got.

" You... you stopped? For me...?"

" Of course I did! I couldn't just keep going! Now tell me what's wrong."

At first, he couldn't get the words out. But, the sincerity in your eyes compelled it out of him, " ...I guess I'll have to get used to that, too."

" It's just the two of us. I'll always stop and make sure you're okay," you assured. And, for a moment, you couldn't help but to see the boy that had been hidden and repressed under years of responsibility and terrible treatment. There was something in his expression that brought a protectiveness to your heart, and you wrapped your arms tightly around him, " You're with me now. I'm not gonna let anyone treat you like that again!"

You leaned in to give him a kiss on his forehead before looking him in the eyes, cupping the sides of his face in your hands. He put one hand over yours instinctively, leaning into the touch as if he were trying to hide his face in your palm. Jamil couldn't look you in the eye anymore.

" Would it be better if we got to where we were going first?" you asked softly, and when he nodded, you pressed your forehead to his in understanding, " That's okay, just hold my hand while we go."

You put one hand on the shift and the other on the wheel, feeling Jamil's hand settle on yours as you got back on the road.

It didn't take long to reach the park, casting furtive glances at Jamil as you went, and soon you came to a stop.

~ Segment 3 ~

You clung to Jamil with all you had, the only thing keeping you from falling being a thin rod of wood and magic you didn't know would even work until now. He had one hand on the shaft of the broomstick, his other arm over yours to comfort you.

Jamil took a deep breath in, savoring the sweet night air. The stars overhead were shining so brilliantly, reflected in his dark irises that looked at you with nothing but gentle wonder. The glass was no longer shimmering between the two of you, any and all barriers to your touch removed save for the clothes on your back. His face heated and he pointedly looked down to avoid the thought. But it brought a question to his mind, was this what he imagined this to be? This freedom, the loss of everything that had shackled him in his brief years of life? He looked back at you when he felt your death grip on his torso loosen, and he realized that no, for all his knowledge and experience and hopes, he could never have imagined a feeling so blissful and truly splendid.

To not only be loved and understood after a lifetime of hiding, but to love and to understand another, it was unparalleled. Soaring through the sky with the only person in this world and the world before to know him, truly know him, with their arms wrapped tightly around him, trusting him wholly with their being, there was no crime he could commit that he would regret should it be required for their safety. Jamil tilted his head back, resting gently against you.

" Is this scaring you?" he asked softly.

" Are you kidding? This... this is amazing! You're amazing!" came your breathless response.

Jamil's face heated, " I-it's just flying..."

" Jamil, it's MAGIC! I never even thought that was possible!" you exclaimed, smiling as the wind whipped at your clothes.

The sound of your disbelieving laughter and the feeling of your arms locked around his chest made him almost dizzy, and he felt glad that you were positioned behind him, or else you would have seen his flustered face. It was embarrassing, feeling like some love-drunk cartoon character whenever the warmth surged in his chest. He was usually good at not showing his emotions, but he couldn't keep the puppy-love smile off his face.

You buried your face into his shoulder, smiling brightly. Everything felt perfect, like riding off into a happy ending's sunset. Jamil had successfully managed to save you from a fate in the hands of his treacherous peers, and got to stay in this new world with you forever in return.

There was nothing that could spoil this. Absolutely nothing in this world, and this world specifically, that could be going wrong. Certainly not at this very moment. It's not like they could come through the connection that you and Jamil had absolutely closed permanently.

Or that one already had.

Jamil's brow suddenly furrowed slightly in thought, " Wait... We severed the connection, right?"

You looked at him, " What connection?"

He looked back at you, a horrific sinking feeling in his stomach, " We got rid of the game, right...?"

You thought for a moment, dread creeping in for you as well, " No... You just shut the phone off."

A terrible, freezing feeling stabbed through the two of you, the icy chill of fear.

In your humble little home, an intruder began to stare down the reflection of his own red eyes in a knife he had grabbed from your kitchen. An old friend of his had once told him not to touch knives, thinking that he could hurt himself.

Too bad he never would have thought he would be hurting someone else.

~ Segment 4 will get its own post because I hit the word limit ~

#self aware jamil #self aware au

[minthe-lover]

Chapter Analysis 219

I have extremely mixed feelings on this chapter, on one hand I fully hate Daphne and eros but I do like persephone showing some sort of lasting trauma in relation to the sexual assault sort of, I'll get into that later.

Now Eros has crossed over from annoyingly loveable to just.. annoying.

Now this chapter has by far the dumbest fucking thing that rs has ever done in relation to the time skip. Eros and psyches relationship is the second biggest and most important after persephone and hades, it was set up in one of the first chapters.. and rs decided to have them get married OFF SCREEN.

I don't care if your a fan of lore olympus this is objectively a terrible fucking choice. You don't have big important steps in a relationship happen off screen.. and then don't fucking show us any of it???? Like even in the few panels we have we just get a boring shot of eros in the suit, and then him being 'tired'. WE DON'T EVEN SEE PSYCHE.

why did rs think this was a good idea???? is so easy to fit to! just have eros about to get married have him invite persephone!! Out of all the freaken chapters to not have a flash back why are you having it be the most fucking important part of eros story.. like holy shit.

Next is gonna be covering... just all the stuff. My main annoyance is where Lore Olympus, self labeled 'deconstruction of purity culture' mainly only presents sex itself as a sexual option. We have all these comedic panels of Persephone saying how horny she is.. but we have no mention of masturbation? Like come on.. ya got the masturbating with the hades tree joke right there-

Instead you just get general "Oh I wish I could have sex!" jokes that feel.. really bland. They don't feel creative to the world, the closet we is the five years one. All of them could be said by any character in any story and it would be alright... it's just boring...

Now tied to the whole sexual assault plot line and this episode, it's sort of like half way done alright. While it's shown that her worried is partly effected by her assault but most of it is just general worry that hades doesn't want to have sex with her. she talks more about worry that hades isn't horny for her but nothing to do with a fear of the sex itself.

Also again I do like that the sexual assault is brought up.. but it's done so gently. Its supposed to be this big heavy thing but it's brought up passively and moved on from so quicky

Her worried are more with hades feelings and his interest in her, instead of her comfortablity with sex itself. Now as for hades nervousness.. I don't mind it, I like that lore olympus is showing a man being nervous to have sex. Alot of media does portray men as always 100% ready and okay with sex.. though I'm very cautious with how rs will write this... I'm very very worried about how it's gonna be handled.

Also they all talk like highschoolers, like rs you are allowed to swear right? you can say dick.. you've said dick before. why is persephone talking like a highschooler that just dry humped someone for the first time.

Now daphne and eros and.. very bad friends. They bring up sex first when they both know that persephone had been raped.. and continue to talk about it after Persephone expresses discomfort. If you didn't want to pressure or rush Persephone then why did you fucking faint when she brought up not having sex.

The closest they get to be somewhat decent is with Daphne mentioning that she should go to therapy and communicate with hades. It's the closest thing that they get to being a good friend... cause yeah persephone desperately need more then a single therapy session.

also like... why.. why the fuck is apollo running for president???? Like there has been no level of democracy in this whole goddamn story and now it's supposed to be this big element to it? Also I've said this before.. rs.. please please do not write it so that the people who vote for apollo are terrible/stupid etc etc.

Now I just.. really hate the art in this chapter, it's nothing terrible it's just.. boring. It's three pink characters talking to each other in a pink background with nothing else to it. It's boring and just awkwardly blends into each other and doesn't really work well. Plus with persephone and daphne being in the same chapter there is just so many awkward boob anatomy and ones that look like their about to pop out.

#anti lore olympus #lore olympus critical #anti lo #lo critical #anti lo art

[kaatara]

list of my pet peeves ep 1-3:

katara not catching aang when he falls out the iceberg

shallowness of katara/sokka conflict

katara with no rage

NO PENGUIN SLIDDING???

katara not getting aang out of the avatar state by telling him he still has a family and catching him

aang not even waterbending? katara not being frustrated that aang can waterbend better than her although he's doing it for the first time in his life??

iroh giving a "it's war" excuse for war crimes???like he would never

NO SOKKA SUBMITTING TO SUKI AND WEARING THE KYOSHI OUTFIT AND MAKEUP OUT OF RESPECT FOR HER TRADITION IN ORDER TO LEARN FROM HER (CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY)

katara and sokka going into the secret tunnel WITHOUT AANG

katara and sokka travelling through omashu system WITHOUT AANG (and jumping onto another trolley without aang's airbending as IF)

mai is a different person

so the crystals are fake and do not show the way? ??what No they got out the tunnel because aang and katara followed the crystals after the light went off--

too early to show iroh/aang friendship. it's literally in the 1st episode we had to wait a season and a half to see this relationship

why is everything so fast paced like slow tf down

Zuko not saying "Honor" at least once. I'm not even saying for comedic effect, but it's literally so important to him that it's out of character for him NOT to say it

why is the background so blurry and fake who made this

why is there no wind like these locations feel fake AF

Aang should be "flying"/falling through the air much faster and the air scooter is too slow

not enough aangrobatics

Iroh showing compassion to the earth kingdom soldier instead of Zuko. weird change but okay

weird to change the first suki/sokka kiss into a full lip kiss when it was a cheek kiss and it was smth very sweet and innocent

katara feeling like she got 0 opinions of her own, 0 attachment to aang or sokka, 0 emotions she just be staring with dead eyes and parted lips at everything around her like she koh

#natla #there are things i like as well ofc but these things really stick out #prob i forgot a few more pet peeves #atla

[fjtrickster-blog]

Another ROTTMNT Rant (feat. Splinter)

I'm going to preface this that these are thoughts that just keep bugging me and I just wanted to scream them into the void and no one seemed to mind the Big Mama discussion one so here we are.

Granted this one is a bit more of a spicy take as this is Rise Splinter and over all I think his characterization in general is... spicy.

I've seen two camps that have sorta formed over this Splinter and I just can't get out of my head my need to talk about it and only the internet shares my hyperfixation so thus this post. If you don't agree: fair. If you want to discuss I don't mind. I just want to examine the situation as I haven't seen anyone really stop to examine it without clearly being in camp "Splinter is a good Dad" camp or "Splinter is the absolute worst Dad" camp. And I think there's merit in examining both why those two camps exist and seeing what evidence is actually presented in the show. Though I'll admit I'm not outside the campgrounds in this situation but I am sorta on the edge of the "good Dad" camp looking over the fence and going "y'know those guys have a point" which is what this rant will be about.

Okay disclaimers out of the way we'll get into it now. Now keeping in mind that the Rise series for the most part has a lot of moments played for comedy. The series for the most part presents the world with this lens so it is inherently difficult to see what is supposed to be taken as truth and what is played for laughs. It's difficult to line up objective reality when the comedic effect of for example Splinter acting like the teenager trying to avoid being grounded when he steals the Turtle Tank. Where Donnie in particular takes on the angry strict parent role.

In fact it's interesting how many moments between Donnie and Splinter both bring up problematic behavior of a parent being framed in comedic light. Donnie is the one who suggests in an off handed line when they're tricked by Big Mama that he's never gotten parental approval before thus why he was tricked. This comes up again with Donnie frustrated when Splinter is interrupted when he was possibly about to say "I'm proud of you". Not that it's limited to Donnie but Donnie tends to be the one to throw out jokes about these things in offhanded comments.

Given Donnie's mad scientist energy and Splinter's boomer-esque quality of not understanding tech. It's possible that Splinter over the years has had a hard time dealing with or understanding Donnie and so he would be overly harsh when Donnie messed up likely because it resulted in a bigger mess than his other brothers. It doesn't help considering Donnie is cannonically autistic which wouldn't help with either understanding the more subtle cues of the other.

However that doesn't explain how the other turtles show little signs of Splinter's emotional distance. Again everything we see is presented in the idea of "haha isn't this funny" but examine the kind of lengths and steaks they put into EARNING the right to get HUGS. All the Rise turtles (Donnie I can see arguements either way) tend to be very touchy with each other: climbing on each other, turtle pile lots of hugs. Given their isolation the fact that Splinter seems to hold physical affection as a reward rather than something freely given is I think concerning. Of course it's an isolated episode but the turtles all seem to crave approval and validation to a certain extent. Some more than others. I'd argue this is an indication of some amount of neglect.

Moreover Spliner IN THE SERIES. Has actively put himself and his sons into dangerous situations. More over. It bothers me that the moments we see Splinter being a GOOD father figure. Where he gives an encouraging speech and such. The only moments where he makes that sort of connection of building up someone instead of yelling at them how they should do something. The TWO WHOLE TIMES we see it. ARE WITH APRIL AND CASANDRA. (I'm not counting the movie in this and even then he had like two lines max with Leo about listening to his team). I don't mean to exclude April but I found it telling that Splinter's episodes where he willingly goes out and hangs with someone it's APRIL. It's ALWAYS APRIL. Sure the turtles ditch Splinter on occasion but the only moments we see Splinter in good mentor roll is with a human. I find this concerning. His conversations with his own sons are very much tinged in regret or him pushing an agenda (in the demolition derby case). It's like he can't get over that his sons aren't human on some level or sees too much of himself in them and it taints his reactions to them. To be fair the show doesn't give much chance to show off Splinter maybe he's had these moments with the turtles but we only have the show to go off and I think this fact is one of the points people who don't think Splinter is a good dad twig on. I'll also admit the one time we see Splinter hanging with a turtle that isn't agenda based is in the hidden city tales and there Draxum gets in the way. It's just the show seems to actively sabotage moments of Splinter being a good dad to his actual sons.

You can even see some of this behavior reflected in the turtles. The ditching Splinter or excluding him. The strict parenting attitude (mostly Donnie). The vanity (Leo mostly). The keeping secrets (none of them tell Splinter about Draxum in fact this is paralleled in the scene where Splinter realized the Foot are a thing to draw attention to it). Splinter is consistently shown prioritizing his own interests or wants or feelings over his sons.

NOW Splinter has several reasons for why he is the way he is. He's clearly going through depression. He had a strict grandfather as his only father figure. The loss of his mother had a big impact on him. I think the betrayal of Big Mama hit hard. The years and years of constant fighting in the Battle Nexus. The implied "duty and destiny" of the Hamato clan that was shoved on him. He also went from prisoner to single parent of 4 and also mutated into a freak in one night. All of those inform the reasons for WHY he's like this now.

But while they inform his character I don't think they should JUSTIFY his actions. However on the other hand his actions I don't think should CONDEMN his character. Splinter as the series goes on clearly grows WITH his sons. He tries to open up to them more. He more actively attempts to be involved in situations. He does his best to protect them. He clearly LOVES his sons.

Does love justify him? No. Not alone at any rate. However Splinter clearly does more than just pay lip service to the notion. When he realizes the problem when the boys are kidnapped, he clearly starts actively attempting to do better. Does he always stick the landing? NO. He's a person. He has flaws but he doesn't remain static either.

Honestly I think that's the best thing about this Splinter. I find it occasionally frustrating when people either make Splinter this empathetic emotionally open Dad who is here for his kids all the time and knows exactly what to say. I also find it frustrating when he's made out worse than he is being openly neglectful to the point of forcing Raph to be the adult (because while Raph has Eldest Child Syndrom he is clearly NOT that mature at the start of the series).

Splinter isn't the BEST dad. He's not the WORST either. He's trying and he's willing to admit his faults which is not something everyone can do which I think puts him in the "better than some dads" camp. And much like some people rant about how people focus too much on only certain aspects of the Turtles. I feel like the same could be extended to Splinter. He's more than his mimicked strict parenting techniques (from his grandfather) or his selfish nature or his familial love for his kids. He's a well rounded character that has some distinct flaws and really should be appreciated for all of them.

Alright rant over. For anyone who read this far. If you want to further the discussion I'd love to hear other thoughts. I think active literary discussion is fun and interesting and I appreciate you reading this to the end. Have a great day.

#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise splinter #rant post

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Jurassic Park (Spielberg, 1993)

Scattered observations on the 3D re-release:

I don’t remember at what age I first watched the movie, but when I was ten years old, my parents got me the Special Edition VHS (which included a second cassette with extensive making-of features), at which point I proceeded to watch the movie every single day for…at least a few months, quite possibly a year. I don’t rewatch movies with anywhere near the same frequency these days, so it’s safe to say that I’ve seen this more times than any other movie. The point is, I know this movie like the back of my hand, and in particular, certain musical cues elicit a Pavlovian response from me at this point. And by certain, I mean pretty much all the significant ones, and seeing this for the first time in a theatre, with the John Williams score booming through the sound system, I had chills going down my spine for practically the entire runtime. Okay, maybe the air conditioner played a part too.

This is being re-released into select theatres for its thirtieth anniversary in a 3D version that I believe was actually made a decade ago for its twentieth anniversary. The 3D has obvious benefits for the many scenes of spectacle (all of which are iconic), in particular because Spielberg’s blocking and shot compositions here stress the sense of depth and perspective. (For an obvious example, go to the first T-Rex attack and note how often we look over a character’s shoulder or through a window or have anything in the foreground for scale.) But the visual strategy is so consistent throughout the movie that it bears unexpected benefits in the dialogue scenes. Take the scene where Hammond is talking to the scientists and Ian Malcolm is dropping some cold, hard truths about the folly of man in bending nature to his will. It seems a little more profound with the extra dimension. (On a side note, I guess I took it for granted just how quotable this movie is. “When you gotta go, you gotta go.” “Hold on to your butts.” Etc, etc. The only bad bit of dialogue was Ellie Sattler’s speech about taking power for granted, which shouldn’t have passed the first draft.) Also take the scene where the characters interrupt their tour to go see the triceratops. The big pile of shit is even bigger in 3D. Thankfully the movie wasn’t released in smell-o-vision.

Like a lot of people, I went through a Michael Crichton phase in my teens, and I remember the source novel being one of his better books. But while Crichton is skilled at crafting technobabble-infused page-turners, Spielberg solutions pretty effectively for his shortcomings at character development. Most notably, Ian Malcolm in the book is a know-it-all who has the right opinion 100% of the time and also happens to agree with Crichton on every key issue. This probably holds true with the movie as well, but by casting Jeff Goldblum, the character is allowed to be twitchy, off-putting and alive in ways he isn’t in the novel. (As Hammond remarks, "I really hate that man." He's also allowed to be sexy, as anyone who remembers the scene in the emergency bunker where he has his shirt open can attest.) The same goes for the rest of the characters, who are played by a murderer’s row of character actors. I could just rattle off the entire cast list, but a few choices Spielberg makes I found particularly astute include making Alan Grant initially annoyed by children so that he gets something of an arc, combining the treacherous Ed Regis and the lawyer Donald Gennaro into just the latter and allowing Martin Ferrero to put his comedic talents to use. I also understand that Wayne Knight was cast after Spielberg saw him in Basic Instinct, where he used some of the same tics of nervous muttering, profuse sweating and looking down through his classes in a particular way that he repurposes here with more sinister intent. He also has some of that disgruntled quality from his role in Seinfeld. This is probably the best casting choice in the movie. (On a side note, the further I get in my career, the more relatable Dennis Nedry becomes, and the more common skimping on IT spend seems to be a problem. “Don't get cheap on me, Dodgson. That was Hammond's mistake.”)

The most drastic change in characterization is probably turning Hammond from a POS to a kindly old man. Crichton plays him too obviously as a villain, and certain Richard Attenborough could have pulled that off, but I think Spielberg turning him into a more sympathetic figure complicates the material interestingly. I think as something of a mogul himself, Spielberg identifies readily with Hammond’s motivations, and is willing to seek the beauty in these possibilities and present us with images that might take our breath away. (Exhibit A: The first shot of the brontosauruses, built up with reaction shots, then making great use of the height of the frame and the silhouettes of the actors in the foreground before giving us a complete view.) He wants the park to succeed, even if in the back of his head he knows it will fail. To paraphrase a quote about Samuel Fuller, when it comes to dinosaur parks, only the point of view of someone who has been tempted is of any interest. (Compare this to Jurassic World, where the dinosaurs are readily dismissed with ironic distance, and you’ll see what the difference in worldview offers in basic spectacle.) Spielberg is also technophilic when it comes to capturing computer displays, indicator lights and the like, all captured lovingly while being milked for tension.

Obviously, seeing this in a theatre helped me to really soak in the set pieces, but as I’ve seen this movie like a hundred times (and quite possible more), this time around I really took note of the timing. There’s the scene where Nedry steals the embryos, which feels like something out of Mission: Impossible. (I know these guys all watch each other’s movies, and I wonder if De Palma pulled a little bit from this scene.) And a particularly strong sequence juggles Muldoon hunting the raptors with Sattler trying to turn the power back on with Hammond and Malcolm’s guidance and Grant and the kids trying to get over the giant fence. It would be one thing if it was played all relentlessly, but I love the way the movie lets you grasp the relationships between the different lines of action entirely visually (the camera panning down the switches a little faster than Sattler flips them) and occasionally lulls you into a false sense of security (Grant having a goof with the kids before they begin their climb). Just a masterclass in editing. This Spielberg guy is a pretty good director, huh?

I’ve seen this movie countless times but this was my first time seeing it in a theatre, and guess what? It’s still great.

#film #movie review #jurassic park #steven spielberg #🦖 #dino droppings? droppings? #if pirates of the caribbean breaks down #the pirates don't eat the tourists #we can discuss sexism in survival situations when i get back #nedry was right #nedry died for our sins #congratulations you've reached the end of the tags #see here i'm now sitting by myself talking to myself #that's chaos theory

[burning-sol]

Okay so while looking through posts I could only find one about Albatrio vs God Slayers? Which I'm sure I had another around here somewhere but what the hell, who's keeping score?

So where to start. Well when I initially thought about it, it was back in like SEPTEMBER so this has been in the back of my mind for a while. The Albatrio have certainly become a lot stronger than then, so I'm not sure if it still applies when I say that the Albatrio are the underdogs in the fight... But that was a part of the idea back then and a part of WHY it was so compelling to me. Our goofy little pirates were fighting against LITERAL god slayers featuring: a machine built to kill said gods; someone presenting as a perfect person with charisma and a sword that collects the dead god's power to boot; and an ACTUAL celestial being. They were outclassed.

And I'd always thought of the matchup as being Chip vs Rumi, Gillion vs Thanatos, and Jay vs Peter/Exandroth to emphasise their roles in each team and how the Albatrio fell short. I mean in combat, I think I've made my point about the Albatrio being outclassed... But particularly I am enthralled in the idea of Chip and Rumi fighting. Because Chip is NOT a leader, right? The first chance he got, Chip tried to defer his leadership. RUMI was successfully upstarting a religion (cult) and had a charisma that RIVALLED the god of charisma. Rumi appears fucking perfect at any given moment - and if that didn't make apparent the difference between each group then I dunno what would.

But also, the God Slayers don't exactly get along?? You could feel the lack of cohesion for a good goddamn portion of their journey. I'd LOVE the fight to end with the Albatrio coming out on top simply because their chemistry is far better than that of the God Slayers, and they're able to coordinate an effective plan. Power of friendship y'all!!! Respect it.

So yeah we have powerful bad guys vs underdog good guys I love that shit.

Other notes I will write down! In dot points! Try to keep up.

Despite Rumi appearing better put together, they are actually like hiding a lot about themselves?? Obviously. They have that in common with Chip. Trying to pretend they're well put together.

Back when Jay's character had an emphasis on her bow and fire, Exandroth seemed like a good matchup considering its own flaming motif. But actually, with Jay moving away from that it's REALLY scary for her to be facing up against someone so firey.

^^^ The above note was taking into consideration my aforementioned matchup. BUT YOU KNOW WHO ELSE HAS FIRE AND IS BIG AND SCARY AND MAYBE REMINISCENT OF HER FATHER..... Jay and Thanatos, let's bring that trauma to light guys.

Gillion is chosen by the gods and Thanatos is a god slayer. Probably the most obviously good guy vs bad guy of the bunch. THEY'RE LITERALLY BLUE/GREEN VS RED??? *calling out to the distance* You seeing this shit????

Let's have Rumi and Gillion talk about destiny.

Let's have Rumi and Gillion not talk and instead pit an elegant af bitch against a fish out to destroy!!! We love the contrast of fighting styles. ALSO LIGHTNING??? THUNDER???

Chip and Exandroth have comedic potential for sure. Let the pathetic man run about while being chased by a hell creature, this will work out great!!!

Or you know just have Peter and Chip talk. They're both literally just sad guys with sad lives.

Also let Peter and Jay talk! As the least insane out of their teams, they are entitled to ten minutes of convo between each other.

Exandroth and Jay are women... The girlies hanging out...

Back to bullying Chip, make him fight Thanatos. He is going to piss himself.

Rumi and Jay are VERY talkative. Their fight would leave you in god damn awe and their dialogue would actually be so thoughtful. I can barely imagine what they'd talk about, but I know it'd be good shit!!!

Actually have Jay stop and inspect Thanatos and talk about how he was made. Have Exandroth join in. They're discussing how the robot got made. Like in terms of engineering.

GILLION AND EXANDROTH FIGHT AND DESTROY LITERALLY EVERYTHING AS THEY TRY TO PURGE. PURGE AND SMITE AND PURGE AND PURGE AND RID THE EVIL FROM THE WORLD AND BRING RETRIBUTION AND oh shit dude we actually have so much in common. This is awkward. Do we like continue to be homicidal maniacs or do we stop and vibe?

Omg Lizard and Pretzel could duke it out???? YES!!

MOON BEAST. MOON BEAST. Thanatos and Exandroth hype up the Moon Beast. Chip and Gillion "MOON BEAST!!!" until they start getting chewed. Gillion Tidestrider chosen by the moon is not happy with this.

This is all I can think to dump at the moment but hopefully by now you can see how much I want Albatrio vs God Slayers to be a thing!!!

#jrwi spoilers #<- ? i dunno maybe #📚 my posts #📌 thoughts #🖋️ writing #just roll with it #jrwi riptide #jrwi apotheosis

[writing-with-olive]

i’ve never actually seen frozen 2 loll but i liked the first frozen! what do u find so appealing about it?

Okay SO!

Note that my favorite character is Elsa. this will quickly become apparent. Also uh.... spoilers for overall arcs (i won't name specific plot points in this one)

So frozen one is kinda... finding yourself in the roles that you are supposed to fill, but in your own way. Elsa was supposed to be this queen that was normal, contained, fit the mold just right, and that gave her crippling anxiety and depression but she was able to master herself enough that she was able to fit that mold. Frozen 2 goes beyond that. basically it looks at who the characters should be in the world. Elsa can be queen but also... it's not her place. not really. there's so much to her so even if it isn't debilitating, it just doesn't feel right. she has to figure out who she is, not just how she can fit other's expectations of her without cracking. In a really big way, frozen 2 is about healing and becoming. It's about doing what is right - by everyone - and not so much in a big bombastic way but more about finding a peace within the world.

You also see this with the other characters. so like anna for example. Frozen 1 was her movie. Like elsa was the antagonist (not to be confused with villain), but Anna was the one making everything go. She was finding who she was and learning for the first time in forever how the world worked, how to fit that. She succeeds in her goal but she hasn't really stepped into her full potential yet. Frozen 2, she's not so desperate, frantically looking for anyone who will so much as give her a passing glance. She has a stable romantic relationship (with the one exception of the "so you think i'm crazy?" scene when she goes wildly out of character and misinterprets everything kristoff is saying for comedic relief. i skip that scene because i don't like it.) and in this case a lot of her arc is twofold: it's about learning how to maintain those healthy relationships, and it's about how keep going when things feel hopeless. Because she uh.... well she goes to a dark place for a hot second. Honestly neither arc is particularly common in most stories today. We have so, so many romance books about them getting together but not that start off with them already being in a relationship. The sibling dynamic is really healthy and realistic - elsa and anna are working out the little bits here and there but there's not this huge wall between them anymore. And the mental health thing. OH that part's huge. because anna is probably one of the most optimistic and stubborn characters i know and seeing her take a HIT and then stand up and go "i will take this one step at a time." like especially with her the movie goes out of its way to explore that it's okay to be in a bad place and/because there is always a way forward.

Going back to elsa, we also get to see why she has powers and honestly, the meshing of her journey and her powers is done really well. like it's not a generic origin stories, it's using that increasing knowelege of self to grow into who she is and find that potential. also she is either ace, a lesbian, or both. as someone who is ace that makes me very very happy

And also olaf. I never connected with him as much of a character but he's got the mental health thing going too. (the "we're controlling what we can, when things feel out of control." scene is awesome)

There's also a lot of interesting commentary about the danger of Othering and the longterm/multigenerational effects of prejudice and powerhungriness.

And the songs. they don't have quite the same loud and proud vibes as Let it Go, but the two that we get from elsa include one that's about who she is when she's not on that emotional "i've finally snapped/made an emotional breakthrough/stopped repressing all of my feelings" euphoria high, and another when she just understands. like truly truly understands who she is and how she fits into the world.



#frozen #frozen 2 #elsa #anna #olaf #kristoff #mental health #opinions

[hard4josh]

Hi, Mom, and the greatest 15 minutes of film

So I was watching the Oscars yesterday(one of the few times I actually cared about the Oscars), and as we all know, Everything, Everywhere, all at once took home 7 Oscars, including best picture.

. But we’re not here to talk about Everything, Everywhere, all at once, nor are we here to start a war over who should’ve won it instead. If there's anything the past few years have taught us, the Oscars have really never been about the definitive best film of the year. It’s just a few old white people’s opinions on the films they watched and what they thought was the best or most important, and as biased as their opinions might be, we shouldn’t have to give them so much say in the definition of good films. It would be impossible for the Oscars to actually determine the best film of the year, because hidden in the midst of million dollar films are the 20 dollar college projects you’ve never seen. 

And that’s what I’m making this video for, to celebrate a film that grossed more than several Marvel movies. In fact, it’s the highest grossing film directed by a female director. No, it’s not Wonder Woman, it’s actually a Chinese slice of life film. I may be underestimating the number of films you guys watch, but outside of the Scorsese film, does the name “Hi, Mom” ring any bells?

------------------------------------

Before we get started, although I’m making the assumption that most of you haven’t seen this film yet, I will be talking about major spoilers in the film including the massive twist at the end. If you want to watch the film for yourself before coming back yourself, go for it. But I’m mostly working off the assumption that regardless of spoilers, a good film should still leave an emotional impact on the viewer. It’s not a perfect idea, but because I’m selfish and really want to have a chance to talk about this film, I’m leaving the spoiler warning just in case. Are we good? Great, because we’ve got a lot to talk about.

Hi, Mom is a 2021 comedy time travel film based loosely on the life of director Jia Ling. At a very young age, Jia lost her mother in a car accident. From understanding that tragedy and the movie title, you can probably piece together the core themes of this film. (It’s a time travel fix-it film from a daughter who lost her mother). Jia Ling, after her mom gets into a car accident, somehow travels back into the 1980s and meets a younger version of her mother.

While the film is based around time travel, it never focuses on it, and I think that’s part of what makes Hi, Mom, so special. It’s not a film that focuses on the mystery and consequences of playing with time, but instead focuses on the relationship built between mother and daughter. Jia Ling, feeling that she’s nothing but a disappointment to her mother, travels back in time. She wants to make her mother happy, even going so far as to sacrifice her own existence. It’s a film that centers itself in emotions, in wanting to make her mom happy. The coolest thing? The relationship between them isn’t the modern generational trauma parenting that has been done so many times before. Instead, it’s a wholesome one, albeit one where Jia doesn’t believe she’s giving her mother enough happiness. 

The film is all about juggling this, with the comedic effect of Jia trying not to give away that she’s from the future while simultaneously pleasing her mom. It all culminates in this beautiful montage at the end, where Jia Ling is just about to go back to her time again. She comes to the realization that the stitch her mother stitched beforehand shouldn’t have been possible, because it was supposed to be a stitch of a dog that she owned in the future. She realizes that her mom isn’t actually her mom from the past, but instead her mom traveled back in time as well. As time slows down, Jia runs, trying to get to her mother, but she’s too slow. The atmosphere is turning gray, and time is reverting. And then…

Okay it’s probably a bit cliche to have all hope be lost only for it to not be lost and her mother to show up, but that’s not actually her mom. It’s just a memory of it, and Jia is watching through her happiest moments.

#oscars #jia ling #chinese film #everything everywhere all at once #hi mom #Youtube

[robinsnest2111]

I wanted to let you know I'm perfectly okay with you posting your response to my other ask - and this one - publicly.

Also, the German Guilt™ is bullshit and needs to go. I feel so bad for everyone over there; y'all rarely show much national pride anymore unless it's for a sporting event. Germans have just as much right to feel proud of their heritage as anybody else. (Heaven knows we Americans show plenty of it😂) I'd venture to say the majority of people understand the regime was one of those things that takes special circumstances to even happen. One of those 'the planets have to align just so' type events. It was a different era; a different political climate altogether. Those who still throw slurs are uneducated idiots. Ignore 'em, call 'em a dummkopf...whatever floats your boat.😄 Same applies to any other Germans who might be reading this.

But yeah, the war ended 78 years ago, our countries have been close allies for decades, etc. It's time to let the past go. Remembering it in order to prevent atrocities from happening again is fine. Continuously feeling guilty over the actions of people who are long dead, however, is not. If y'all could survive the absolute chaos that was the Weimar Republic, you guys can handle this too.🇺🇲💜🇩🇪

(I would have sent all of this to you in a message, but you only allow messages from Tumblrs you follow.)

thank you for your kind and encouraging words

idk about my fellow Germans, but for me national pride is a very difficult subject. the war may be long over and the regime smashed, but if you look closely, its ghost is still present in many parts of daily life, society, and power structures here. Still so much to change and improve.

The ones yelling the loudest for a comeback of traditions, culture and national pride are very obviously aligned with far right conservative ideology, purity of the German people and other such harmful nonsense and paint a very narrow-minded and hate-filled picture of what they consider German culture, traditions and values. All while stealing and misusing other cultures' symbols and traditions for their goals.

Personally, I've never been shown or taught much of anything about regional (and national) history, traditions and culture apart from the shameful role we played in the 30s and 40s. There's not much to be proud of from my current point of view.

[All of this makes enjoying or being interested in any media that involves this era, no matter if the nazis are painted as fools and losers in a comedic light or as evil Bad Guys in a more serious way, even objective deep dive documentaries, feel dangerous and forbidden. Other Germans don't shy away from occasionally making fun of Hitler and the Nazis, idk why it is so difficult for me. Maybe because the lines between humour, education and glorification are so damn blurry, can turn into a slippery slope so fast, you cannot look into other people's brains and know the true motivations behind their actions, and I've never been good at navigating all this.]

Anyway, maybe I need to dig deep into local archives and do some research myself. Find some pieces of light (local folklore, everyday history, smaller lesser known traditions, etc.) underneath the dark heavy blanket of Germany's national past. Try to differentiate and balance it out in my brain. Find nuance. To quiet the part of my mind that keeps shouting "IT'S ALL CONNECTED AAAHHHH!" whenever I think about German history and culture, cause and effect, etc.

As always, this is only how I personally feel and think about this in this moment, I'm obviously NOT speaking for all of the German people!

#frau wilhelm klink #ask robin #if i think about this any longer my brain will short circuit and i'll only be able to yell in desperation orz #PEACE AND LOVE ON PLANET EARTH I AM BEGGING ON MY KNEES

[bellamysgriffin]

Now I’m curious about your ST thoughts!!!😭 but could you talk about your favorite parts of stranger things/your favorite characters? (If you don’t want to share the unpopular opinions ofc!)

omg of course i have No Fear of discourse, i'm always open to sharing unpopular opinions, i just couldn't be bothered to type up a whole post unprompted lmao but okay

starting with my fav parts of the show:

i will forever say s1 is the best season of the show and it really doesn't matter how good s5 is, because it won't top s1. from the bottom of my heart i think stranger things would have been a kickass miniseries and probably should have stopped after season 1 because i think it went from a good show to a fun show after that

that said there are always things i love from each season. in s2 i really adored hopper and el's story, in s3 i loved robin's inclusion, and in s4 i thought the max stuff was really great

i am also unashamedly a stancy truther and i literally dont care what y'all say i'm correct and it would actually make PERFECT sense for them to get back together now

hopper is forever my fav character and i think david harbour's performance in this show is truly incredible

then if we want to go to my um... controversial opinions. i'll just let them rip

i think all the kid actors except for sadie sink have gotten noticeably worse. although i would say gaten matarazzo is pretty much the same, and i want to say finn wolfhard hasn't gotten worse but maybe that's because he was so great in the it movies. in this, there's really no way to tell bc they don't give him anything to do lmao

i don't have any real investment in the mike/will/el love triangle but i will say if you rewatch the first season, it's pretty clear that mike really loved el and i think it's just because they feel so lackluster right now that people are convinced they won't end up together but like. i personally would not be getting my hopes up lmao

i also think fanon perception of the show has truly gotten so divorced from reality it's literally crazy. i can expand upon this but i don't want to piss people off THAT much lmao

i think stranger things has a huge problem with consistent characterization and there's always one character you see that with most pronounced from season to season. in s2 it was joyce who straightened her hair and put on eyeshadow and became an entirely different kind of parent because of that i guess. s3 it was hopper who became an oafish comedic device. and in s4 i hate to say it and you guys will be mad, but robin. that is a different fucking character than season 3!!! in s3 she was like. the cool girl/savvy loner, kind of snarky, relatively sarcastic and like ridiculously smart. in s4 she's just like gangly and awkward and talks a mild a minute and claims to have no understanding of social cues. what???? i mean, i like the nerdy lesbian as much as the cool lesbian but that's just blatantly not what she was and i think it's really disappointing that they took this character that was aloof and witty and very socially savvy and made her a nerd because that's how writing lesbians made more sense in their brain i guess i don't know

and for the real kicker..... i think eleven should have died in s4. i'm actually so fucking bored that she didn't. and that's not because i hate her character but because she has effectively turned into a deus ex machina and i am tired of every season ending with millie bobby brown sticking her hand out and screaming until the monster dies. i was SO BORED during the last half of that battle. and look, they had their chance to get rid of that deus ex machina without killing her when they took her powers away, but they obviously didn't know how to write without that convenient plot device in their back pocket so they immediately gave her powers back to her. stupid! killing 11 would have genuinely been the most interesting thing to do going into s5 because then our main cast would be confronted with how to stop the monster without their resident superhero, and that's a difficult thing to write which is obviously why the stranger things writers didn't want to do it lmao. so yea. i'm team kill eleven before the finale so i don't have to sit through another hour of telekinetic lazy writing

#dana answers stuff #sorry this was so negative but !! that's my thoughts