#if you find the characters consistent well good for you! enjoy your film! but there IS objective proof that the movie is bad

[wlwcatalogue]

Chinese GL Webseries & Shorts for the Wuxia-Uninclined

Have you ever wanted to venture into the world of Chinese GL webseries and short films, only to find yourself at a loss about where to begin, or intimidated by the unfamiliar tropes and terms of the wuxia genre?

Well, worry no more! Here's a selection of non-wuxia webseries and short films curated by yours truly. Now you too can enjoy the lavish costumes and location shoots of these Chinese productions, so rarely seen in F/F works outside of feature films and the occasional TV series~

By the way, these are all translated and subbed by the inimitable Douqi (@douqi7s), whose immense contribution to the English-language baihe fandom is surely in breach of anti-monopoly laws. Offer up your thanks at her Tumblr and Twitter!

At-a-glance list

Webseries:

Ye-Mu Season 2 (1 hr 20m total, 2023) - standalone

The Vampires (41m total, 2022)

Ye-Mu Season 1 (27m total, 2022) - standalone

The Lost World (1hr 5m total, 2023)

Short films - order corresponding to the pictures above:

A Tale of Yearning (5 mins, 2022)

"She Brought Colour Into My World" (2.5 mins, 2023)

"I'm Her Weapon" (3 mins, 2022)

Miss Shen and the Woman Warlord (6 mins, 2023)

Women's Script (5 mins, 2023)

The Caged Canary (5 mins, 2023)

The Beauty of the Law (6 mins, 2023)

Flowers Bloom; Flowers Wither (9 mins, 2022)

Commentary under the cut!

FYI, I've opted to link directly to the subtitled versions since they're probably more difficult to find than regular anime, TV series, movies etc. If a link is broken, please refer to Douqi's blog directly.

Important note for the uninitiated:

It’s a bit difficult to talk about canonicity in relation to live-action works made in the PRC, as things which would normally be used as evidence of canonicity all fall under the censorship regulations— explicit references to romantic relationships or queerness, declarations of love, kissing etc. are all off the table. So while these may not look canon in the most traditional sense, they are intended to be read as such and should certainly not be dismissed as queerbaiting or yuribait. Also, the creators can get very imaginative, so this is less of a problem than you may think – see the entries on Ye-Mu Season 2 and The Lost World in particular!

1. Ye-Mu Season 2 / 叶穆 2 (32 episodes / 1hr 20m total, 2023, dir. Zhang Zhiwei) - MyDramaList

(Note: Despite the name, Ye-Mu Season 2 is completely unrelated to the first season; the only thing the two share is the cast, crew, and focus on Penthouse-style melodrama.)

Determined to take revenge for her mother's death, Xu Baiqing (Sheng Wei) marries a wealthy and much older businessman in the hope of finding evidence to put him behind bars. But first she must assuage the suspicions of his cheerily hostile second daughter, moody youngest son, and estranged eldest daughter (Ye-Mu Zhixia, played by Wang Laoji), the latter of whom Xu Baiqing dated in university and who is currently seething at the sight of her former girlfriend marrying her father...

If you want to get a sense of the potential breadth of Chinese GL webseries, this is a pretty good place to start. It does a decent job of matching the tone and presentation of a melodrama you might catch on TV (and in fact looks higher-budget than some I can think of), while committing to something that can’t be done on TV yet— namely, featuring an F/F exes-to-stepmother storyline and delivering on the drama inherent in such a premise. Of particular note is how the framing and behaviour of Ye-Mu Zhixia is very much consistent with that of a male romantic lead; thanks to some clever writing, it’s basically impossible to deny the nature of her relationship with the main character. They don’t even lean on the plausible deniability afforded by the label of “friendship”— in fact, in an early scene she is incensed when the protagonist refers to her as “[her] only friend”. There are a few caveats – the main character ends up in a lot of scrapes that her ex-girlfriend has to save her from, the reveals are often rather unsurprising, and the story shifts more to a mystery focus around halfway – but it’s still worth checking out if a Korean-style melodrama with an F/F take on a romantic storyline sounds appealing.

 (CW: violence, murder, attempted sexual assault)

Note: See The Lost World (below), from the same creative team, for an even more impressive example of Chinese GL pushing the limits of censorship.

Links: MEGA / Internet Archive (compilation)

2. The Vampires / 吸血鬼鬼盲盒 (7 episodes / 41m total, 2022, dir. Zhang Zhiwei) - MyDramaList

(Note: Spoilers for the first 15 minutes or so, because otherwise the summary would be “They end up locked inside with the monsters on board”, which wouldn’t tell you much more than the title already does)

Every night, Tianyue (Ye Miao/夜喵) has been having dreams about the mysterious cruise ship docked at the pier. Convinced that there is treasure hidden inside, she and her exorcist-cultivator girlfriend Xiao Ling (Wei Miao/微渺) sneak on board only to find that they are trapped there until the sun comes up. Things don’t seem too bad at first: although they run into two vampires – the cute, cheeky Xingming (Yang Fuyu) and her elegant mistress Su Tanya (Sheng Wei) – they are able to call a truce, on the condition that the humans help search the ship for the latter’s beloved (Fu Cha, played by Wang Laoji). But when Fu Cha wakes up without her memories, it is clear that something is terribly wrong, and that the ship and its inhabitants harbour more secrets than expected.

For a webseries, The Vampires takes a while to get started— it’s a bit difficult to tell what kind of story or indeed what kind of tone it’s going for just based on the somewhat campy and comedic first section. But after that wobbly beginning, it manages to pull itself together to tell a compelling – and sometimes genuinely tense – tale about a motley band of humans and vampires, and the truths they have to face together. While the ending is no happily-ever-after, I found it satisfying and hopeful, and surprisingly affecting. Also, a bunch of the characters have real polyam energy, and this is reflected in the narrative beyond mere flirting!

(CW: abusive parents)

Links - MEGA / Internet Archive (compilation) / YouTube (compilation)

3. Ye-Mu Season 1 / 叶穆 (12 episodes / 27m total, 2022, dir. Zhang Zhiwei) - MyDramaList

(Note: Ye-Mu Seasons 1 and 2 are standalone stories; each season is entirely self-contained and the second season is not a continuation of the first.)

The head of the Ye-Mu family has died, leaving the next generation to squabble over the inheritance. It's a web of secrets, lies, and hidden resentments, as the characters dig out old grievances and fresh accusations in a desperate attempt to one-up each other. They're tangled up together to an almost incestuous degree, and indeed, the F/F subtext here is the ambiguous relationship between eldest daughter Ye-Mu Nanzhu (Sheng Wei) and second daughter Ye-Mu Nanmo (Wang Laoji) (rest assured that they are at least not biologically related).

Those who prefer darker stories and don't mind the pseudo-incest or other content warnings will find a melodrama which makes good use of its short runtime to deliver on twists, turns, and an explosive - if tragic - conclusion. That being said, the story is about the family drama in general, so do note that while the relationship between Nanzhu and Nanmo is narratively important, it is not fleshed out in great detail and certainly not the focus of the series.

(CW: suicide, ableist trope (spoiler – disabled character turns out to have been faking it), ableist language)

Links - MEGA / Internet Archive (compilation)

4. The Lost World / 夏夜知道风的甜 (1hr 5m total, 2023, dir. Zhang Zhiwei) - MyDramaList

(Note: Spoilers for the purpose of flagging triggering content, as it’s particularly easy to trip into for this show. Also, some vague spoilers for later episodes in order to highlight in order to highlight the themes etc.)

This webseries feels like two shows smushed into one: apart from the very beginning, the first half is a gritty, bullying-focused take on university life, while the second is a true-blue romantic comedy (aside from one blip – see the note below for details). But even if you’re wary of the bullying, I would still recommend watching the back half – which is basically standalone – as it’s a very funny and heartfelt story about two childhood friends finally getting their act together. Without further ado, here’s two blurbs!

From episode 1 onwards: After saving a classmate from the class bully, popular college student Xia Huaichu (Yang Fuyu) is subjected to a lengthy harassment campaign by the latter. She is suddenly faced with having to protect her reputation in the face of false allegations and fake nudes– despite the fact that all she wants to do is focus on reconciling with another classmate, a high school best friend whom she had previously lost touch with (Mu Qingfeng, played by Wang Laoji). From episode 14 onwards: Childhood friends Xia Huaichu (Yang Fuyu) and Mu Qingfeng (Wang Laoji) are caught in a weird gay purgatory where each has feelings for the other, and suspects that the other has feelings for them too. But both are exceedingly stubborn and want the other one to take the initiative in confessing, leading to ridiculous displays of I-don’t-care-isms and lots and lots of UST. (Does anybody use that term anymore??)

As you may have guessed, I’m not too keen on the first part of this show, nor the decidedly unnecessary attempted rape segment, though that’s partly on me for not checking the content warnings beforehand. And yet I’m very glad to have stuck with it, because the second half is not only hilarious, but also a masterclass in censorship-dodging that needs to be seen to be believed. Not just in terms of the suggestive scenes, of which there are many, either— the story is literally about two women starting a relationship and having to reckon with parental disapproval, homophobia, and other obstacles which platonic friends wouldn’t have to deal with. I honestly don’t know how this ever got approved, and can only applaud. Bravo.

Note: For those who want to avoid the triggering content, I’d recommend starting at episode 14, but make sure to skip episodes 19 and 20 as there is a foiled rape attempt.

(CW for entire series: bullying (incl. violence, fake nudes), sexual harassment, attempted sexual assault, fatphobic language, homophobia

CW for episodes 14-24: attempted sexual assault in episodes 19-20, homophobia)

Links - MEGA / Dropbox

SHORT FILMS

Quick note: Click on the English titles for the subtitled versions, and the Chinese titles (which are really just the video titles) for the originals. And yes, although the majority of these are shampoo commercials, they really do hold up as short films in their own right. Give them a try, you might be surprised!

A Tale of Yearning / 一见误终生，不见终生误 (5 mins, 2022, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – A bittersweet story about a literature-minded young woman (Sheng Wei) and a Chinese opera performer (Ai Ye) who bond over their love of fiction, only to be torn apart by harsh reality. Tragic ending, but I liked the more literary turn of the dialogue. Shampoo ad. (CW: homophobia)

“She Brought Colour Into My World” / “她走后，我的世界又失去了颜色” (2.5 mins, 2023, dir. Zou Hui Qu Le/走回去了) – A very restrained short film (actually, more like a music video) set during the late Qing era, wherein a sheltered young woman (Xiao Yu Za/小宇咂) falls for her female neighbour, recently returned from studying abroad (Sheng Wei). Lovely use of music and visuals to create a dreamlike atmosphere. Tragic ending. Not a shampoo ad.

“I’m Her Weapon” / 我是你手里的一把刀 (3 mins, 2022, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – A moody, interior piece about an assassin (Ai Ye) who yearns for some sign of affection from her handler (Sheng Wei), only to be left devastated by her new assignment. Surprisingly not a shampoo ad.

Miss Shen and the Woman Warlord / 我们是孤独行走的钟，但也要做敲响希望的钟 (6 mins, 2023, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – I’d like to describe this as being inspired by the story of Mai Jia’s novel The Message and the aesthetics of Kawashima Yoshiko (1990), but most Tumblr users would probably find those references deeply unhelpful. Basically, a female spy (Sheng Wei) disguises herself as a male soldier and infiltrates the mansion of a Republican warlord. There, she meets the warlord’s daughter (Ai Ye), who quickly realises that there is more to the promising young officer than meets the eye. Shampoo ad.

Women’s Script / 纵使“科考”无女子，无碍红袖���香，星辰有光 (5 mins, 2023, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – While sailing down a river, a girl (Zhi Chun He/至春禾) catches sight of a woman writing poetry on the riverbank (Sheng Wei), and is fascinated by both her beauty and her flaunting of the rules against women’s literacy. Shampoo ad. (CW: domestic violence)

The Caged Canary / 如果这是一场骗局，那我也只愿意输给你 (5 mins, 2023, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – The protagonist (Ai Ye) is sent by her parents to beguile a wealthy young man into marriage, but ends up developing feelings for his modern-woman sister (Sheng Wei) instead. Shampoo ad. (CW: attempted sexual assault)

Flowers Bloom; Flowers Wither / 她们一个被铁链禁锢，一个被男装束缚，直到救赎彼此 (9 mins, 2022, dir. Qian Li Min/千里明) – Takes the romance between a cross-dressing noblewoman (Du Ruo/杜若) and her supposedly-mad stepmother (Rou Lian Cheng/肉脸橙) to tell a story about the restrictions placed on women in historical times, and how resistance, even when futile, can still have meaning. Tragic ending, obviously. Not a shampoo ad. (CW: domestic violence, misogyny, accidental misgendering, gender dysphoria)

#sapphic #lesbian #gay #wlw #baihe #chinese gl #yuri #gl series #wlw series #short films #wlw recommendations #ye mu #wicked wealthy women #the vampires 2022 #the lost world 2023 #xia ye zhi dao feng zhi tian #zhang zhiwei #liu yun rui #wang laoji #wang xuexi #sheng wei #yang fuyu #ai ye #list

[matchesarelit]

Imagine If You Will...Garrett Unfiltered (Spencer Agnew x gn!reader)

Warnings: secrets, embarrassment, dirty memes, suggestive,

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Word Count: 1711  

Working at Smosh was pretty cool, you were however perpetually surrounded by and involved in strange doings. Such as the current situation that had you encircled by what could only be referred to as a swarm of Chosens. You stood centre stage in an incredibly oversized referee uniform; the bottom of the shirt reaching mid-calf and the shorts engulfing your shoes.

a/n *edit*: changes detailed at bottom of work.

You fixed your eyes on the instructions in your hands, nevermind that the words had almost immediately turned to garbled squiggly lines. You refused to let your eyes flitter to the man in front of you, who was impassionately explaining the rules and how to play the game. His speech was the reason you couldn't bear to look up at him, knowing the glow that he gives off when discussing things he enjoys and knowing that in moments like these you often find yourself watching him in an all but day-dream state. 

Forcing a long and exaggerated blink you attempted to readjust your focus, mainly because you wanted to pay attention to his gushing as you always did, but also because you did actually need to know how the game was played.

“Ten cards…prompt…blanks…card Tsar pic-” in your haze you managed to register the call from Kiana that interrupted his description, but you failed to catch what she said. Yet as he started again; ‘I-uh should go, dont worry youll get it when you start playing!’ you watched him move to leave, muttering a quick goodbye and thanks to his wishes of good luck, you thought about the video to come. If anyone knew the chaos that was the Chosen videos it would surely be him; after his appearance in many and his editing of many more.

Welp you were substantially boned and those scraps of instructions would have to do for the filming. Shifting focus; you attempted to get into character, although being the referee wasn’t a complicated position, it did require you to keep a straight face throughout the antics of the chosens. 

As you took your spot beside Shayne and the video began, it all came so naturally and the filming passed in the blink of an eye. Until, of course, the time came to pose for thumbnails; at which point you were caught off guard by Garrett’s voice calling out from beyond the set. 

“Y/n don't look now, but all your dreams have come true you are surrounded by Spencers!” 

As your cheeks grew hot, the cast and crew released many sputterings and guffaws at his declaration. Thank fuck that Spencer’s desk was on the other side of the building.

The only thing that nagged at the back of your mind as you all tidied and prepped for the next filming, was that Spencer would most definitely be the one editing this video and he would most definitely witness that embarrassing and incriminating moment. 

Sadly that was all there was to do, that and wait for the fallout. So you pushed on.

As lunch rolled around with only a few more shoots to do, everyone was pretty knackered with only low idle chatter echoing throughout the shared space. You only had one video left to film; a ‘Who Meme’d it’ that consisted of yourself, Spencer and Amanda as well as Shayne (of course), and then you were free to go. Sitting with Chanse and Angela you’d maintained a conversation around the latest shows you’d seen, attempting to keep your mind off the impending doom you knew was coming.

Dramatic? 

Yes. 

Wrong? 

No.

There wasn’t too much to do after lunch to set up, mainly getting yourself done up for the camera in a new outfit. Excited for the shoot you were the first one mic’d up and ready, already sitting in your chair as the others stepped onto set. This was your first time on this particular game, but you’d seen most of the other episodes and always thought it looked like good fun, not to mention you were able to submit some memes of your own. The game went by peacefully, you’d managed to gain a few points amongst your colleagues, however at the halfway point you’d found yourself in last place. As the man to your right leaned back in his seat, you took him in, making sure to keep your eyes fixed forward you utilised your peripherals to the best of your ability. His eyes lit up, he was swaying as he laughed and his hair created a fluffy halo around his head. He was always handsome, but like this, enjoying himself so thoroughly and comfortably he was beautiful.

Picking up a few points in the next round, after finally regaining your focus, giggling to yourself about the joke at Shayne’s (exasperated) expense what came on screen next almost made you choke. 

Shayne immediately lost it, leaning against the wall for support as his chest heaved, Kiana and Greg were offscreen releasing statements of “there is no way this can stay in” and “what in the world” respectively. Although, their exasperation was clearly forced; as smirks blossomed on their faces.

With a scoff you started writing your answer, trying your hardest to avoid the eyes on yourself and the man at your side. That was harder as Spencer’s eyes were also fixed on you even as his hand scribbled across the whiteboard. At the end of the round you’d all gained a point with Garrett creating that meme, you muttered curses just loud enough for him to hear as he stood in the wings sending him the meanest glare you could manage all the while failing to wipe the smile off your face. Despite the situation his teasing put you in Garrett was undeniably funny and this occasion was no different, so your grumpy expression faded soon enough for the next meme. 

Suddenly, however, your stool was inwtolerable and you were unable to remain still. Continuously fidgeting with the marker and board you were given, you failed to take note of the eyes tracing your hands and hips, sitting amidst a slight frown upon the face of the man beside you. You’re attention was set, for a time, on Shayne as you tried your darndest to win. You did not win, you came second to Spencer and as you looked to congratulate him, you found his eyes already set on yours. Until Shanye began to outro the video and you were forced to turn towards the camera; a wild grin pulling at your mouth as you gestured to the outfit of merch you had chosen to rep.

Following the conclusion of filming you gathered some things and moved to leave, before a call of your name stopped you in your tracks. Turning to face the voice, your eyes fall on Spencer who had returned to his desk and donned his oodie, twisting back and forth in his chair, his mouth pulled into a small smile as he gestured you over with his head. You complied wheeling over an empty chair to nestle yourself by his side, relishing in the soft warmth he gave out. The video on hin monitor was an old style mlg compilation of your favourite game, a game you had mentioned only once in an old video.

He laughed along with you as the video played and when it finished the two of you were stuck in a quiet awkward space.

Both of you searched for something to talk about, ignorant to the mutual nature of your desperation to further the interaction, the heartache over the seemingly unattainable.

As the seconds stretched to minutes Spencer snapped through the quiet as he hit a few keys on his laptop. Glancing at the screen you recognised the still image of the chosen video from that earlier, before you got the chance to speak he had panned through the footage to the last minute. He looked into your eyes as he hit play, as the playback continued he held your gaze, faces inches apart, shoulder still burrowed in his side. His facial expression remaining blank until those familiar words hit your ears, at which point he simply raised an eyebrow and began to smirk, allowing the video to end before he spoke up.

“So, does this mean I’m in your dreams?” His tone was jovial but the question seemed genuine and suddenly ,there were too many and too little thoughts running through your mind, how were you meant to respond? There was no way to get out of this…

Unless…

“Nah, honestly its a little embarrassing but theres just something about the chosen, that makes me all giggly.” You forced your tone to match his as your hand found his chest and you pushed to move away from him.

Welp that was the stupidest choice, honestly a rejection would have been better, the look on his face was near unreadable, at least for you. To anyone else, especially the small gaggle of cowrokers listening from the kitchen, the falling of his face was painful to watch. 

But maybe…

Just maybe this is salvageable… because losing Spencer in any capacity filled you with such dread as you could never surmount.

“And I mean it doesnt hurt that he shares a name with the cutest and most funniest guy I know.” looking at the man infront of you, you took notice of the plum colour of his cheeks not to mention his newfound inability to meet your eyes. Taking a moment to soften your eyes and move your hand to his arm “Seriously Sep, they were messing with me, I’ve kinda had a thing for you for a while and Tommy, and everyone else, kinda sussed it out a while ago. Sorry if it made you uncomfortable, I can keep my distance if this is too much.” leaning away from spencer you stood from your chair, your momentum soon cut off as a tug of your arm had you toppling backwards.

Arms creeping around your waist, he held you in place atop his lap. His head tucked into your neck as he spoke softly. “Please never even think of it, there is no such thing as too much when it comes to you.”

A/n *edit*: "crimson painted your cheeks" -> "your cheeks grew hot" I always attempt to keep my descriptions of the reader vague so that anyone can slide into that place, I apologise for the mistake. Thank you for making me aware of this.

#spencer agnew x reader #spencer agnew #spencer agnew imagine #smosh imagine #smosh x reader #the chosen x reader

[imahinatjon]

Christmas Day with BSD

X reader

Headcannons?

Only did some characters, not all.

:D

Merry Christmas

Dazai, Osamu

• He Wakes you up early Christmas day.

• Not intentionally, he's not TRYING to wake you up. No he's actually running a bath of cold water to sink into.

• He's sort of trying to commit s in there.

• You find him and pull him out though.

• That was your morning.

• You don't open presents yet. No, first, you make breakfast

• Breakfast consists of the left over takeaway you had the night before.

• He'll take you outside if it's snowing. He heard of a new met- what? Your not letting him? Wellll, he does suppose it IS Christmas and he can go the rest of the day without another attempt.

• So, because that plan was a no, he comes up with a other one? What plan was that? Snowball fight!

• That's how most your time does, he does not know when to give up. So he just carries on and on and on until you can't feel your fingers, your noses are bright red and it's way too cold.

• Eventually you go inside though.

• You don't have Christmas Dinner, unless someone else from the ADA (probably Atsushi or even Kunikida) brings something to eat over. You just snack on whatever is in the house. Which isn't much.

• You do eventually open presents. He gets you books, all books you've expressed interest in and don't have yet.

• He also hides dried pressed flowers in the books as bookmarks - a real bouquet of flowers wouldn't last being wrapped up for god knows how long ready to give you on Christmas, so he took the time to press and dry some.

• As for what you got him? It doesn't matter really. You could get him anything and he'd be happy.

• Might make a remark, but ultimately he's just happy that you even got him something.

• The night ends rather nicely. A cup of how chocolate as you sit in bed watching cheesy Christmas films on a laptop.

Nakajima, Atsushi

• He Wakes up emotional. This is his first Christmas outside the orphanage.

• And he's waking up next to you.

• He isn't going to wake you up, he's just going to lie next to you for a while, enjoying the moment until you wake up.

• He's happy to do whatever you want to do on Christmas.

• Spoil him please, he deserves it.

• Presents are done in the morning.

• He got you Jewlery and Makeup - he consulted Naomi and Yosano on what to get.

• It's not super expensive, but don't forget he doesn't have a lot anyway. He also doesn't know a thing about brands and such.

• If it's pretty and he thinks you'd like it, he'll get it.

• As for what you get him? He's another one you can get literally anything for and he'll love it.

• He will cry.

• Don't worry about it.

• You have Christmas Dinner out. You go to a restaurant that does Christmas dinners. He made sure it was reserved weeks in advance.

• Snow! If it snows he'll get exited. Like, he wants to play in the snow, but be warn and wrapped up when he does, instead of freezing in some old thin clothes and not enjoying it.

• He's fun to play with in the snow, he just does what he feels like, which is throwing a lot of snow.

• He's happy to help build a snowman though - he's quite good at it.

• Also will make snow angels.

• If you ask, he'll turn into the tiger to play in the snow with you.

• He ends up going to sleep really early later that day, your cuddled up watching films on a phone, and he falls sleep 5 minutes in.

• He's had a busy day.

Edogawa, Ranpo

• Up really early and waking you up with him as he begs for presents. He really wants his presents.

• So thats the first thing you do.

• He's easy to buy for. You get him anything related to sweets and he's ecstatic - especially if they're really hard to come by snacks, or imported snacks from abroad.

• As for what he gets you? Remember that really expensive thing you mentioned a few months back? How you were looking to save up for this very specific collectable item?

• Well, he got it for you, you can stop saving now.

• Dinner is early. He wants to eat dinner early because then he'll have more room for snacks later.

• You comply because its Christmas.

• You cook dinner. He tries to help but gives up because he's useless in the kitchen. He just watches you cook.

• He doesn't want to play in the snow, but will if you want to. Don't expect too much enthusiasm though.

• The snow it pretty and he likes it, but it's also really cold and he's kinda lazy.

• He'd rather just sit with a cup of hotchocolate and watch the snow with you.

• You two don't watch films. Electronics are banned!

• You play bored games instead.

• You invite Fukuzawa and Yosano and play board games.

• Fukuzawa will suggest monopoly - say no.

Akutagawa, Ryuunosuke

• He's not getting up. Sorry.

• He's got the day off, like Mori has basically said - It's Christmas, don't do any work.

• Gin Wakes up early though.

• You spend the time up until Akutagawa Wakes up making breakfast with Gin.

• You exchange presents with the two siblings and its not really a momentous occasion, but rather just a small simple exchange - except you and Akutagawa banded together to get something really expensive for Gin, along with a few extra items.

• You get Akutagawa a new tea set. He won't say anything but you'll catch him using it later that evening.

• Akutagawa won't play in the snow, but he'll watch you and Gin.

• You can't convince him either.

• He looks so grumpy! Don't worry he's haply enough.

• You don't have a full Christmas Dinner, but you do have a small dinner in the evening. The rest of the day is snacks.

• In the evening everyone is doing their own thing.

• But Akutagawa will let you cuddle up to him if you want. It is Christmas afterall.

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor

• I'm sorry but your not celebrating Christmas :'(

• OK, no, but seriously. You can get Fyodor into Christmas Dinner at least.

• He's not a festive guy okay? Can't force someone to celebrate Christmas.

• If you really want to though, he'll budge a little. He's not changing his mind, and you need to understand that, but he will get you a small present and have dinner with you.

• He's not decorated.

• He's not going out in the snow either. Partly for his own health.

• The night is like any other. If you want a Christmas film on, fine, but he's going to keep reading his book, he's not interested.

Gogol, Nikolai

• He's all over Christmas.

• Decorations EVERYWHERE.

• He's got you a bunch of presents too - all last minute buys, some of it might be stolen. Who knows?!

• He's expecting something big from you, something great. Good luck finding something.

• Forgets about Christmas Dinner.

• Will drag you out into the snow and beat you at a snowball fight so severely that you'll never want to see snow again. (Not really, he needs someone to throw snowballs at next year)

• It's not that he loves Christmas or anything. It's just that it's an excuse for presents and celebrating, and if he gets even an inkling thay you like Christmas, then he's going to go overboard on the whole holiday.

Sigma

• Your probably the first person he's celebrated with

• He did a lot of research for this.

• So, the morning was an early wakeup,

• He got you a LOT of presents. Like, he had a list of things you'd mentioned over the year, and if you hadn't already brought it yourself, he went ahead and got it for you.

• It was excessive and your spoilt.

• You almost feel bad about what you for him because of it, but he assures you that you didn't need to.

• Still happy to accept your gift though, very happy.

• Dinner is actually rather simple. It's nice, quiet and it's just the two of you.

• He's taken measures to make sure Nikolai doesn't pop up and interrupt you.

• You can't play in the snow, considering your in the sky casino.

• But you do sit with him and watch from one of the many windows in a nicer part of the casino that's also private.

• It's calm and pleasant and relaxing and you'll probably fall asleep.

• He'll try and carry you back to your room, but probably won't succeed, he's too scared of accidentally waking you up.

• So he ends up falling asleep there with you.

Suehiro, Tetchou

• You'd never realise it until the day, but he's actually pretty exited for Christmas.

• He Wakes up early, and when you wake up and question it, he plays it off like he's just getting ready for the day but the expression on his face tells you hoe exited he is.

• Presents - he made you something. It's not fantastic, but he put in a lot of effort, so you appreciate it anyway.

• As for what you got him? Something he can eat, like chocolate. He'd like that i think.

• As for dinner, don't let him cook! Or at least, let him think he's helping, let him do something he can't mess up and do the rest yourself. It'll be okay. If you cook it, he'll eat it, even if the colours don't all match.

• He's not interested in the snow. At least, that's what he says. It'll take a bit to get him to admit to wanting to go out in the snow

• Or you could just say you want to go out in the snow, and he'll insist on accompanying you.

• You both build a snowman each. A snow couple!

• His kinda sucks though.

Jouno, Saigiku

• He's not bothered about Christmas, but if you are then he's going to spoil you and be mean about it.

• He Wakes up at his usual time. Of course, if you got up early, he stirred a little, but didn't get up.

• When he does wake up he doesn't say much, just a small comment or reply to your questions here or there.

• He's another one who's spoilt you.

• He had a list of things to get you that he'd remembered.

• He brought (dragged) Tetchou along to buy those gifts.

• They were all things you liked too. You haven't exactly mentioned the things he got you, but he knows you well enough to be able to come up with things you never even realised you would've wanted

• He does make fun of how exited you get, only lightly, and the smile on his face is genuine - he's happy.

• He asked you not to get him anything, wether or not you bother is up to you. It'd be nice if you did though.

• You two don't have Christmas Dinner.

• You do have A dinner, it's just something small, homely, easy to make that both of you like. No need for a big dinner.

• The night ends with cuddling. He'd quiet, holding you and simply listening to your heartbeat as it slows and you fall asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Might be a lil out of character, but oh well, it's Christmas.

Masterlist :3

#imagine #fanfic #bungou stray dogs #x reader #christmas #dazai x reader #bsd dazai #atsushi x reader #bsd atsushi #ranpo x reader #bsd akutagawa #akutagawa x reader #bsd fyodor #fyodor x reader #nikolai x reader #bsd nikolai #sigma x reader #bsd sigma #bsd tetchou #bsd jouno

[absolutebl]

Hey Abl, trust you are well. So I took a month off bl to deal with life stuff and upon my return there's a lot of new shows and I'm feeling overwhelmed and need to prioritize. What should I start with that started airing in late October/November? Spanx!

BL Quick Picks - End of 2023 Releases

That finished its run? Sorry I don't keep that close track of things ending but stuff I loved that ended relatively recently as follows. (I'm giving you a range of styles to suit your mood.)

Felling light and fluffy?

Jun & Jun

(Korea Viki)

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. Others boys are sniffing around too. Operative word being "sniffing" as much of this romance involves smell. With a snappy (sometimes even raunchy) script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and descent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching. With tons of rewatch potential (especially the last few eps), my only caution is this is for fans of the BL genre only, I don’t think it’ll work for anyone else. 9/10

Feeling complex and drama llama?

I Feel You Linger in the Air

(Thailand grey, YT for some)

I truly loved this time travel romance. IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but no as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy BL… from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy. The main couple (both as a pair and individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. Pity about the ending. Oh it wasn’t that sad but it wasn’t good either. This show should easily have earned a 10 from me except that it fumbled the… erm… balls. Argh. Whatever. 9/10

Feeling odd and chaotic?

Why R U?

(Korea iQIYI)

Korea decided to remake, of all possible Thai BLs, Why RU? And that is exactly what we got: a short form, clean & pretty, slightly confusing, uneven chemistry, all the same tropes KBL that kind of cliff-noted the original but with none of the heat or complex relationship dynamics. I just … what world is this? Because it is BOTH bizarro land, and EXACTLY what I expected. How do I rate it? In the end I have to go back to simple questions: did I like it, would I rewatch it, and would I recommend it? Yes. Probably. And probably not. What the actual hell? 8/10

Feeling dark and complex?

Tokyo in April is AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa

(Japan Viki)

Two young men with a shared tragic past reunite and fall in love all over again, but the past will not stop hunting them. Based on a manga, this office set reunion romance is GREAT… damn it. It’s Japan in full on soft focus which means it gets emo, abusive, and chewy. These two characters are giving parts of their souls away in a desperate attempt to shape themselves to the expectations they have of each other. Japan gave us the Bed Friends that Thailand could never even imagine. But here’s the thing: I don’t enjoy my BL this heavy and cutting. I know that for The 8th Sense crowd this is peak BL and I can’t argue with the fact that the romantic devotion, domesticity, script, and acting IS all on point. It’s just not my personal preference for that point to be so damn sharp. I appreciate that this being 2023 I have the luxury of consistent quality (especially from Japan) and thus the ability to say… I acknowledge that this SHOULD get a 9/10 but I can’t emotionally go higher than 8/10

Feeling sappy and in need of comfort?

Stay By My Side

(Taiwan Viki)

This show was an interesting take on the "ghost boyfriend" trope. About a boy who is tormented by hearing the dead, except when he is around one other boy - desperation+proximity = love. Unfortunately, the story was erratic and waffled about. While the leads turned in solid performances and the sappy domesticity was off the charts, it never really had the strength of the narrative convictions such a strong concept should have supplied. Highly rewatchable and enjoyable for that sappy domesticity but not a whole lot more. Still I always give extra credit for the diabetes-inducing sugar content and rewatch capacity. 8/10 

Feeling sexy?

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho

(Japan Gaga)

I liked it a lot and it's classic yaoi of the kind that really only works from Japan. Basically: boys who fell in love in college end up living together but both are so repressed they actually don't realize they're in love. It's higher heat from Japan and well done, but it leaned into the "why don't they just talk for fuck's sake?" trope which is only exacerbated into undiluted frustration by the fact that they're already fucking. It's good, but watching requires more patience than usual, even from Japan. 8/10

Feeling sweet and earnest?

Sing My Crush

(Korea iQIYI)

This a cute coming of age drama around music and 2 kinds of self acceptance and actualization journeys. This was basically Korea’s version of About Youth, and was perhaps a bit too soft and ungrounded by comparison, like a marshmallow sculpture. Sweet but somewhat lacking in discernible flavor. 8/10

If you want to know what I'm enjoying that's airing right now, I'm mot yet caught up this week but I have time today so the weekly ranking will drop in a few hours. But I can tell you with confidence that very little is likely to unseat...

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thailand iQiyi)

from my affections right now. I love it unconditionally and it's airing on iQIYI.

#asked and answered #2023 BL recomendations #end of year only #ouch burn on GMMTV none of theirs made the cute #stop fuckign up GMMTV #thai bl #japanese bl #korean bl #taiwanese bl #my dear gangster oppa #Sing My Crush #my personal weatherman #Stay By My Side #Tokyo in April is #Why R U? Korea #i feel you linger in the air #Jun and Jun #viki #gaga

[kydrogendragon]

Dec 16 - Snowed In

(Ao3 Link) (Masterpost Link)

“It doesn’t look like it’s letting up anytime soon,” Hob says, holding his half-drank mocha as he stares out the window. They’d rented a place up in the Highlands, taking some time for themselves after the busy holiday season. Morpheus had mentioned wanting to go somewhere quiet and with good views. He claimed he’d heard such environments were beneficial to “spurring the imagination in one’s mind.” So Hob found a cabin for rent on short notice, packed their bags and Morpheus’s laptop, and they headed out.

They got in late last night and the snow was coming down hard. The forecast had mentioned a small storm was going to be rolling in, but after listening to the news this morning, it looked like that small storm wasn’t so small after all. By the time they had gotten settled down for the night, there was easily 15 cm of snow on the ground and climbing. When they’d woken up in the morning, there was at least 25 cm, maybe more. And the snow still came down.

It looks like their stay might be longer than anticipated.

“What shall we do?” Morpheus asks from his spot on the couch near the fireplace. Hob had gotten a fire started - thankfully, there was a lot of pre-cut wood both inside and out in the log shed. At least they wouldn’t need to worry about not having enough heat. The cabin they had rented was well stocked (Hob thinks he remembers something about extreme sudden weather and ensuring there was enough supplies in cases like this listed on the website) and they didn’t have anything they needed to get back into town for, so if they stayed longer, it didn’t matter all that much.

“Guess we’re stuck here for a bit. At least until the snow stops coming down long enough that we can dig ourselves out. Or until the owners of the place come by with a snowplow to clear out the road.” Hob shrugs. “Guess until then, we just enjoy our time here like we planned.”

Morpheus nods and settles back into the plush cushions. His laptop - Hob had gotten him his very own for Christmas - was set on his lap. The coffee table was pulled closer, almost touching the couch, so Morpheus’s array of mugs were within reach. Hob discovered, soon after Morpheus had moved in, he was a fan of always having a variety of drinks available. His current array consisted of hot chocolate (with mini marshmallows, of course), green tea with honey, a water bottle that Hob had insisted he always have, and a half-drank can of cola. You know, the essentials.

Hob steps back over to his side of the couch and plops down, pulling Morpheus’s feet into his lap. The TV above the fireplace was muted (the sound distracted Morpheus) but was currently playing through the movie Elf that had been in the DVD player when they arrived. Hob had put the subtitles on since he knew the movie well enough to follow along without sound. He worked his fingers against the muscles in Morpheus’s feet and followed along to the film, enjoying the gentle clacking of laptop keys and crackling of wood in the fireplace.

They sat there, each content in their own little worlds and by the time the movie had finally ended, Morpheus, Hob realized as he turned to face his lover, was staring at him from over the top of his laptop. Hob arched a brow in question.

“I was simply… studying.” Morpheus replies, a light blush on the crests of his cheeks.

“Oh? That so?” Hob asks, smirking. “Something for your work?”

Morpheus nods and looks back down at his screen. His lips are pursed. “I… I wished to describe the flames upon this character’s face better. Yours made for an excellent reference.”

Hob had gotten used to this, over the past few days. Whatever story Morpheus was writing at the time, he always seemed to find a reason to “study” Hob. For his writing, of course. Definitely not as a not-so-subtle reason to oogle him. The last time he had caught Morpheus’s staring, when he’d looked over at the screen of his laptop, there hadn’t even been a word document or anything open. It was just the desktop screen. Not that Hob doubted he was telling the truth, occasionally, but he was certain that it made Morpheus more comfortable with looking at him casually. It always made Hob’s heart soar. He just wished Morpheus didn’t feel like he needed an excuse to do so. He’d gladly take Morpheus’s eyes on him anytime, after all.

“Well, if that’s the case, stare away then!” He says, patting Morpheus’s feet before setting them to his side. Hob stands, stretching his limbs out with a groan. “I am gonna grab a bite first, though. Want anything?”

Morpheus considers him, tilting his head in thought. It was adorable when he did that. It reminded him a bit of Matthew’s mannerisms. He’d said that once, in fact. Morpheus had just scowled at him, but it just made him all the cuter. Hob’s pretty sure he would have gotten a death glare if he’d said that thought aloud.

“A sandwich, perhaps. If it is no trouble.” He says, turning back to his computer.

“No trouble at all, love,” Hob says, leaning down and kissing the top of his love’s mess of inky black bed-head. He hears Morpheus huff fondly as he walks towards the kitchen. You know , he thinks as he pulls out the bread and spreads and fillings. A few more days of this bliss wouldn’t be too bad, after all. Perhaps getting snowed in was its own Christmas miracle, in a way.

#dreamling #hob gadling #dream of the endless #the sandman #ky writes #december writing list #kydrogen's december drabbles 2023

[xopinkroses]

DMC boys + Lady and Kyrie watching horror movies with Reader♥

Summary; What watching a horror movie with Dante, Vergil, Nero, Lady and Kyrie would be like-- plus their favourite movies :)

Warnings; Mentions of blood/gore/sex and other horror themes

MASTERLIST🌸

Dante

Dante has a short attention span when it comes to movies, if it doesn’t catch his attention within the first few minutes then he’s going to nope out. He’s more of an action or comedy kind of guy and horror movies are often slower in pace so be careful what you pick out! To keep his focus on any movie, he either needs to get attached to the characters or be laughing his ass off– so comedy horror is probably your best bet. I feel like he’d really enjoy Shaun of the Dead! It's not even a headcanon that he would love that one, it's just the truth. 

You’ll lay cuddled up on the couch, you laying on his chest to keep him still. It’s the only way for him to give most movies a fighting chance. Not that he couldn’t just get up if he wanted, you weigh literally nothing to him after all. He enjoys the affection, and will gladly return it tenfold. Running a hand over your back and nuzzling his cheek into the top of your head 

He has been thoroughly desensitised to gore over the years so it genuinely will not have any effect on him in film. But if it looks fake enough, he’ll be amused enough to keep watching. A well placed jumpscare could catch him off guard and he’ll be annoyed… but also reluctantly impressed. 

Vergil

 Is not a fan of movies in general. But if you happen to be watching one while he’s in the room, he might put his book down if it catches his attention. Eventually he’ll stop fighting the urge and just sit down beside you, letting the movie take his focus. He becomes fond of psychological horror, or ones that require a bit of thought to understand. I think he’d like Silence of the Lambs, having a borderline scary fixation for Hannibal Lecter; he finds him fascinating! 

Vergil still requires a bit of coaxing to get him to watch a movie with you, but even if he doesn’t like it– he’ll still keep watching it. Both to make you happy and so he can say that he’s done it. Dante and Nero have been making fun of him for not understating pop culture. So he’s been trying to immerse himself in everything he’s missed. Bloody slashers and thrillers just aren’t his thing. He finds the overuse of blood and nudity to be distasteful, and if the acting isn’t great then he won’t be able to get past it. He does enjoy making fun of the movies though. He has a sharp tongue and the way you laugh at his remarks strokes his ego. 

Nero

Nero is a casual movie goer, not really too fussed either way. He likes some of the classic horror staples but his guilty pleasure is a good romance. He’s a massive softy at heart and a good romance will have him hooked. For some reason I feel like he’d enjoy Candyman. It’s not a straight up love story but he enjoys a gothic romance.

Movie nights with Nero consist of sitting on the floor in front of the tv like children with snacks strewn around you, one of his arms wrapped around you. If you jump at any point he will make fun of you, just saying! He also has a tendency to gravitate towards zombie films, american ones tend to have a lot of action, and he thinks the whole moral descent into savagery plot most of them have is pretty interesting. 

Lady

A massive fan of the more trashy stuff. Blood, gore, nudity in abundance. Sprinkle in a bit of terrible, overdramatic acting and you’ve sold her completely! Friday the 13th and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre are some of her favourites. She can quote these movies off by heart and you can expect her to be dramatically reenacting them in the middle of the living room as the scene plays out on screen. She’s a closested nerd is what I’m saying. 

You two have movie nights, cuddled together on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in between you. Expect her to throw popcorn at the screen if a character pisses her off, which is a lot. Horror movie characters can be remarkably stupid, but to her its all part of the fun! 

Kyrie

 Kyrie has never had the opportunity to watch that many scary movies and is absolutely horrified when you actually expose her to one. She’ll hide her face in your shoulder at all the scary parts and yelp at every jumpscare. If she gets freaked out enough she might straight up walk out of the room. 

She’s such a caring person and she doesn’t want any of the characters to die, even if they are having sex before marraige! Every final girl is cheered on to the fullest extent, she needs some kind of happy ending to make everything bearable. She’d probably like more childish movies like the Corpse Bride or Casper, ones that aren’t actually scary. Please just turn this scary movie off!!

She’s going to scold you later for putting her through this. 

~ 🖤

#devil may cry #dmc #devil may cry x reader #dmc x reader #dante x reader #vergil x reader #nero x reader #lady x reader #kyrie x reader #dmc imagines #dmc headcanons

[xbunny-k]

The Actor & I: PART TWO – My Job...is what?

This is part two of a very long, SLOW BURN series on Austin Butler and a Production Assistant on set of Elvis (2022). Part One is here! Anything italicized is main character’s thoughts! Warnings: Fluff, eventual Spoilers for Elvis (2022), mild language (If i missed anything, please comment so i can add!) Please, if you like this, share it, comment, like it and enjoy! xx

Austin and his team shake hands with Baz, Toby and the other Warner Brother executives. I immediately know my role is to disappear in the back, stay out of sight unless spoken to and take notes of everything said and gestured, but as I begin to step back, Austin makes his way and says, “Hi, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Austin.” What is happening? He’s so gorgeous?? Ana say something… Out of what feels like nowhere, my boss, Alison, interrupts, “Oh this is a PA that will be working with you, Anastasia.”

Snapped out of my trance I mumble, “It’s just Ana. Nice to meet you, Mr. Butler.” His teeth sink into bottom lip and he smirks, “Ana, please it’s Austin” as he’s being called over by Baz. Everyone begins to take their seats and I am behind the Warner Brothers team and facing Austin and his agent and manager, which I’m finding to be a distraction. Ana, he is just an actor. You’ve met tons of actors, get it together.

Toby begins talking about how Warner Brothers is a family and immediately I see Austin’s eyes light up. I know he was nervous about coming in, but it seems he is starting to sense the meeting is going to be filled with good news. Baz takes over and gets straight to the point, “We knew from the start, but the process confirmed you are the one we want to play Elvis. So Austin, are you ready to fly?” Austin immediately lights up and glides to Baz with the biggest embrace. “Yes, Baz oh my god, yes!”

The room immediately feels like the best place to be. Austin hugs his agent, manager and Toby even hugs him. Now that the offer is out, I find it time to pass out to Austin’s team and the Warner Brothers team copies of the official offer. While Austin is able to zone out during this part, he gives me a warm smile and we hold eye contact for what feels like a noticeably long period of time. Ana, look away. Take notes. You’re supposed to be working. What are you doing?

After almost an hour, Alison looks at me and signals for me to come forward. Toby says his goodbyes, as head of the studio, he is off to another meeting and doesn’t need to stay for all the details now that the offer has been officially accepted. Now it’s just Alison, Baz, Austin, his team, and you. My boss signals for me to take Toby’s seat, which feels strange as I know I’m supposed to be out of sight.

Alison looks over at me and then Austin as she says, “Anastasia here will be your personal PA on set. She’ll be your Warner Brothers Studio representation so anything you need from the studio; she can handle as well as just any personal assistant type needs. She’ll be with you every step of the way moving forward until the press tour is done. She’ll be with you in all prep, so any trips to Graceland, dance studios, screenings of Elvis footage needed outside of what you can access from home, etc. Furthermore, she’ll be on set with you every day once in Australia, with you at press junkets and events, premieres, and any event you’ll be representing the film. We want you to have someone consistent throughout the project so if you need anything, you’re comfortable.”

My job…is what? My cheeks must be bright red as I can feel my face is warm. Ana, calm down. Calm down. Breathe. You’re just going to accompany an actor on the biggest adventure of his career. Austin is looking at you, smiling. Oh. This hot, sexy, Ana stop it! Look up! Say something!! And stop blushing!! You snap out of your trance and look at Alison. 

Alison smiles at you and looks to Austin, “This is news to our Anastasia here as well, but we wanted her to see you accepted the part before we confirmed this responsibility with her.” She smiles at you again, most likely hoping you’ll stop blushing and maybe say something…

“Wow, thank you for this opportunity, I was already so excited to be involved with filming, but working directly with you Mr. Butler will be even better! You’re going to be an amazing Elvis and I’m excited to support your work in preproduction, during filming, any way I can,” you say softly, but confidently to Austin as you continue to feel your cheeks warm. Ok, that was good. You’re professional. Just stop blushing you idiot!!

Austin gets up from his seat and is coming towards…you. Your cheeks are not warm, they’re on fire. Ana, calm down. Immediately stop blushing. Listen to me!! Stop blushing!! Austin embraces you in a hug. Instantly, you feel this strange feeling you’ve been longing for. You feel at peace. Your thoughts disappear and you just feel calm. You’re so close to him, his scent overtakes you. It’s like rich black leather, textured with addictive patchouli and vetiver; it envelops you like a second skin almost. Ana, this is a WORK MEETING snap out of it!! You immediately tense up and it feels like he notices as he abruptly pulls out of the hug.

“You prefer Ana or Anastasia,” Austin asks looking at you intensely. “Whichever works best for you, sir.” He bites down on his bottom lip and says, “I think you said Ana earlier so…Ana, I’m excited to work with you on this journey.” He smiles at you and your cheeks are at again…hot like lava.

Over the next few hours, details regarding the contract are discussed as well some scheduling for additional meetings to come between Baz, Austin and the studio, all of which are now my job to attend. As the meeting comes to a close and everyone is leaving the office at the lot, Austin makes his way towards…you. Ana, keep it together. You are 21, stop acting like a teenager. Your cheeks continue like much of the morning and afternoon, red hot.

“Would it be cool if we exchanged numbers? I think it’d be easier if we texted back and forth about little things instead of just emails since we’ll be spending so much time together over the next year or two,” Austin quietly asked you. REMAIN CALM ANA, REMAIN CALM. HE IS JUST AN ACTOR YOU ARE WORKING WITH. A VERY, VERY HOT ACTOR. BUT STILL, IT IS WORK, ANA!

“Oh yeah, of course! Here, let me type my number in and then you can just send me a text, so I have yours,” you confidently respond. That was good, no freaking out on the outside. Good job, Ana. Playing it cool…. I mean professional. Austin smiles and grabs his phone back from your hands, but his fingers graze yours. Your cheeks instantly are warm…hot…no, burning. Damn…this job is going to be hard.

#austin butler #austin butler x reader #austin butler fanfiction #austin butler fic #austin butler elvis #elvis #elvis 2022 #elvis movie #fanfic #fan fiction #fan fic

[shannankle]

My Running Thoughts on DFF (Episodes 1-4)

Just started and caught up with DFF, thoughts from my watch for episodes 1-4 are below

Episode 1

Okay but people not hearing from someone is kind of the definition of disappeared

"Don't over think it he probably just moved" lol very comforting

Okay why are you smoking with asthma--I assume this will be related to how he dies, you better keep your inhaler on you at all times when the horrors start

Hmmm some relationship red flags from this guy

Lol our killer getting a bit handsy lol, but what are the actual logistics of that?

Throws cigarette over the railing, starts a fire, end of show--it's all a PSA: only YOU can prevent forest fires

Lol did he just bite his dick to make a point 😂 That's right stand your ground, bite his dick!

Okay so is this a real person or supernatural? Cause the hand and now only one person is hearing weird things. I wonder if there will be a trend of the newbies not hearing or seeing things for a while

Owww. Well the murder got right to the point--the stick kind

I don't know anatomy that well but why is there blood in his mouth? I mean I'll let it slide since it's a trope but I'm still wondering

I think we should split up 😅

Poor guy hasn't even started lessons yet and now he has to deal with tree impalement. Oh good, yeah he's right don't pull it out

Some good delegation from Phee (? still learning names)

Okay that's so not where you're going to find jumper cables ...Okay I was wrong but it certainly wouldn't be where I'd look

Maybe one of you just take the motorcycle? Seems like less of a waste of time, cause it'll take at least 10 minutes to jump that truck...

Oh good, but they should've done that before wasting time finding cables

Oh walkie talkies or radio smart

Who keeps a saw in their kitchen?

Team bike is not doing well lol

Wait so the murderer did try something, enough to cut his arms, crazy that they figured that out just like that though

Okay so it is supernatural maybe cause they aren't seeing it at the same time. I guess it could be hallucinations but it's so consistent

Oh brave to try and bring the bike back still

Wait are they holding off on what they saw in the video till next week or did I just miss it, I'm very good at missing more subtle jump scares but then jumping at stuff that wasn't supposed to be scary

Oh wow they actually used a busted bike for shooting, love that, truly delightful

Love that they give us these behind the scenes it's a nice reprieve from the spooky spooky. It reminds me of something I read on tumblr about how blooper reels serve a similar role to curtain calls for tragedies, they let us know that the actors are okay after all and it's all a show. I will now take all horror with bloopers please! sincerely, a resident scaredy cat

Alright I enjoyed that even if I won't sleep tonight, that mask is so well done and I'm starting to get a feel for the characters

Episode 2

Wait does iqiyi only have this tagged as romance 😳

Ah yes separate from the group that's smart

This is why you don't go off on your own in a horror show, and your even one of the ones convinced it's supernatural man

The masked man: Can you give me directions please, I seem to be lost

Oh wait I'm bad at faces it's the other guy, but also still stupidly alone

I know you're alone but maybe try and fight back

So will the axe be gone and no one believes him or will someone find it later in horror?

Lol he's seeking revenge cause he's upset you tried to film a sequel, don't mess with a writer 🤣

"Thai ghosts can do anything"...Oh interesting that they're making that explicit distinction. If my understanding is right, thai phee can be physical and there's less of a distinction between corporeal vs incorporeal, ghost vs monster. So they're setting the possible stakes and genre. This is a western style slasher but if it is supernatural we'll likely be operating on thai rules for that not western ghost stories. Heck it might mean that this is both physical and supernatural.

Guys, I don't think getting rid of evidence is going to make a ghost move on from its attachments

Ooof that's more than a little rash ouch. Oh not real. So if they're hallucinating it's not just the old group

Interesting to phrase it as "beat him"--so was it self defense in the past or maybe they see it as justified?

Ouch is right my poor ears

Okay physical knife but hallucinated choking. I like that they're playing with whether this is a person or supernatural. It totally fits with the emphasis on this potentially being a thai ghost. Cause it's hard not to waver back and forth.

Is it still not noon yet? Like I assume that'll fall through anyway but still, will the plot all happen in like two days? Interesting if so

All he said was he heard a sound, why are you asking if he saw someone? Suspicious me thinks

Ah really un-suspicious doc

Okay but 2 guys there were also around 3 years ago, you just gave your plan to find the drive first away...

I'm confused why Jin doesn't want it destroyed

Oooh punchout, fight fight fight

Well I knew the uncle wouldn't make it but goodness gracious 🤣

Okay I know it's supposed to be scary but I laughed when he was still handing them the bags

Wow seriously just abandon everyone including your boyfriend, you're on my shit list now

Also you didn't check that you were past the wire when you rode off

Okay Top, but you and Tee literally have encountered the thing before why are you acting like Tee is ridiculous for saying he saw and heard someone

Oh good job you do care a little even if you're going to lie your ass off about it--you're still on my shit list, Tee

Ghosts don't use wire, but like Thai ones could technically, but I guess that's a lot of extra work when you could do anything else as a ghost. I'm really liking how it's playing that line. Is this supernatural? Is it a slasher? What type of horror is this? We don't know yet, the characters certainly don't either.

Did the uncle's body just move?

The end song is very pretty, not what I'd choose for a horror show but it is a nice safe wind down from the scary

Episode 3

Really liking Ta's acting here, it's obviously a bigger role but he's standing out way more to me than in KinnPorsche

Okay I know we are upset about trust issues, but saying Top shouldn't go alone is smart actually you dumb asses

Sure you can set up the walkie talkies to communicate but then anyone can listen in if they know what channel you tune it to, so watch out

Oh yes let White go get the other walkie talkie alone

Ummm shouldn't you still have it tuned to the outside and try it as you drive out to see if you can reach anyone

I feel bad for the guys who are new. Unless they're in on it. Tan is pretty persistent

I do like that we as the audience are as curious as the newbies about what the heck happened in the past, it's a nice way to draw us in and give that past stakes beyond just a motivation reveal

Okay thank you, no touching or concealing bodies thank you. But good point about attracting animals

Okay yeah his body did move

I don't know why that attack felt so cartoonish, not in a bad way just visually it read that way to my brain

Oh Top is gone...dramatic!

Nice that they want to go after him but also how do they expect to catch up with a bike

Wait weren't they leaving, how'd he get back so fast?

Okay so only Top saw it, so is it supernatural or are more people in on it. Tan, I have my eye on you

Lol that's a big temple to just be hiding, spooky though

I want to know more about this Janta. Is it supposed to be a buddhist sect or older practices? Feels like it fits a trend I've noticed of older folk practices being framed as spooky in thai horror but my sample size is small and my context still pretty limited

Duuude great doctor over here, trying to shut up the dying guy. Have you killed before Fluke? Huh?

Interesting how their desire to hide the past keeps making them go against what would be best for survival, like telling white to go somewhere else

Yay white being smart and polite to the deceased! He best live

I think this is the first time I've seen them carrying weapons/defense of any kind. Hope they use it

Oh God how bad is this going to be? That is a lot of blood

Well he's not on the ceiling. After watching both Shutter and Nang Nak the possibility is totally there

I wonder what the writing says

Wait was that a statue or a mummy

Lol aware of the genre now, let's not split up, a little late, but good job guys

Wait one of them is named Phee, I'm guessing it's intonated differently but still an interesting choice

Ah here comes smoking with asthma, still betting that fucks him over when his inhaler is stolen or something

Wait who asked about the smell, cause White doesn't seem to be sniffing or anything

White being a little princess and the pea over here, good for him, I'm putting my bet on him for final girl. White for final girl 2024!

Oh boy what they absolutely don't need is a gun in this situation, I see it helping for defense but also being ripe for so much to go wrong

Lol the sudden flash back scared me more than the axe throwing scare earlier. My ability to miss jump scares but jump at random shit instead prevails

Okay good hide that sucker, no one needs to know you have a gun until the pivotal moment you use it to save yourself

Okay it was the dudes at the shrine who asked about the smell

Wow these guys are so unobservant pffff, let's all pay no attention while the axe guy just walks right up to us

Okay they all see it this time, so unless it's Top in there the rest are accounted for I think

Glad they're fighting back physically this time

I mean maybe try a few more swings before running, 4 on 1 you could maybe get the mask off

Maybe wait on opening the drive, White, cause I feel like doc is going to come looking for you soon

Oh doc is scary, hope White hid that in time

I don't feel like hiding in a confined axeable space is the smartest choice

Ah saved by another idiot

Locked in a casket by your own stupidity. I think they should kiss about it.

Oh did he already sew the wound? Not sure the logistics on that when it's a stab wound

Okay these two are stupid, like there was so much time to run while axe guy just slowly walks

Okay but axe guy on the motor bike is such a funny image...WEEEEEEE

Interesting, so does axe guy not want the disk shown or is he after doc now

So not abandoning White this time, how gallant

No but White is right you best sterilize things

Doc is losing it

And the gun comes out at the worst time

Okay so mask reveal, interesting

Will we actually get to know so early?! It's got to be a twist. Cause if it's Top under there then there's definitely more to it

Episode 4

Fluke's lost it

Is he going to force white to do the sewing?!

Boy you better sanitize that needle

Oof did not want to see the stitching, but at least doc did it himself

He's bleeding in his abdominal cavity AND you just used unsanitized equipment so he's probably going to get a nasty infection

Ah the romance of being locked in a box. I think the oxygen problem could be resolved by kissing actually

Again? Did he dislocated his arm in the past or something

Not going to try and snap it back in, probably smart I guess

What ghost or human could lift a person like that, well it's got to be one or the other guys

Wait I'm pretty sure those were the pants Top was wearing

Yeah okay kind of suspected but how does that work?

And does that mean he's headed to help or harm White

Oh now a ghost? And not in a mask so a real spirit this time, unless it's hallucinations? So I'm guessing multiple things are happening at once in terms of the attackers.

Again only one person seeing it

Omg did this fool just pull a "I'm not lost the woods are just cursed" 😂 going to pull that one out next time I don't want to admit I'm lost. Not all who wander are lost, some are just stuck in cursed woods where they shot a horror film and are now being hunted down for real.

They literally went a foot before spotting the house

I see they brought the supplies the uncle bled all over inside

Why is a random newspaper with tee's uncle sitting there, seems very planted. Did Fluke put it there?

Oh God is that foreshadowing is there something in his stomach

Did Top poison himself or was he forced?

He probably shouldn't become a doctor if he's complaining over two patients

Looks like some clay can but that's cursory search. Oh he learned it from detective conan how cute if this wasn't life or death

Bleeding eyes seems to be a thing

Why are they using a hair dryer on the clay and not like the oven

Hmmm maybe try the oven before waiting till the sun comes out!

Dun dun dun

Possession? Or has Top just lost it?

Oh no! Friend on friend violence! We're one man down now

Okay but why now? Por has been dying just fine until now. And the killer seems pretty well planned. So I don't think Top is the actual one behind anything. I mean I guess he could've faked the poisoning but again why kill him now? Cause wouldn't it be better to go after White who saw the tape?

I mean no one checked it was loaded so I guess it makes sense it wouldn't be shooting bullets

I'm not convinced it's just Top being a maniac, I still think there's a supernatural component or at least more going on

Ruh roh it is loaded after all what did I say about bad things happening if you throw a gun into the mix

White love you bud but you are being super unhelpful right now

It looked more like he was trying to shoot himself

Good job White atta boy!

Oh fluke looks so sad...

And then there were 7 (or 8 I guess if we have an extra person running around after all)

I do like that because this is a show and not a film we get their moment of grief and that's given space 😔

Now doc has no patients (too soon?)

Ahhh poor doc, that's a lot before you've even had your training, wouldn't blame him if he switched majors (allowing he stays alive and all)

Yes for goodness sake tie him up, though I'm guessing he'll be back to normal and it's not the end, that or he's gone already

How'd these idiots get locked in the shrine, you were outside before, go around

Wait who was on the walkie?

Dude I think getting out is way more important than your resume, though I guess if you think it's over

The comparison and contrast between Top losing it supernaturally (or hallucinating idk) and fluke losing it cause of the past and his anxiety over the future

Ah the joys of youth, friendship, and threatening each other with a gun in a cabin

Dang dude

Once again fear of the past is making them choose to screw themselves over, mostly Fluke here, but yeah

Dude you have alibis and CCTV footage, you'll be fine (i mean you won't cause it's definitely not over but yeah)

Top making a hilariously dramatic re-entrance

And then there were 6? 7 I guess if we still assume there's an extra person. If the shot actually landed. Maybe doc just got himself a new patient instead

Oh looking forward to seeing Non and a non-passed-out Por next week!

#dff the series #dead friend forever #my posts #my reactions #dff episode 1 #dff episode 2 #dff episode 3 #dff episode 4

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

I don’t read a lot of fic but I trust ur taste so I checked out The Cabinet Maker and Proceed With Caution and I absolutely LOVED them…I loved the specificity and almost cinematic quality of each, and how they each explored a facet of jikook’s dynamic in a way that I feel familiar with, and in a way that feels kind of honest to how much we actually know about them if that makes sense? I guess, with the AU settings I appreciated the exaggerations and embellishments made by the author that made them feel like a unique vision of each

of course, looking around ao3, not all fics possess those qualities it seems LOL I wanted to ask if u have any tips for how you come across good fics…any search filters you use, do you base exclusively off summary, how does something catch your eye even if the premise is quite vague (proceed with caution I probably wouldn’t have picked on my own)…is it more through recs and bookmarks? Keen for any advice, it’s a zoo out there

It's nice to hear you enjoyed the fics, anon. I subscribe to your sentiments as well regarding their cinematic quality and how the characters are portrayed. I'd love to see a film based on the Cabinet Maker.

As to how I find fics, I don't really have a system. Sometimes it's completely random. I found Proceed with Caution when it was 7 chapters in and most likely it showed up on twitter under a post liked by some account I followed, I must have liked the moodboard, read the summary and that was it. Then I excitely waited for a new chapter each week. I tend to mostly read completed fics, but I'm also currently subscribed to some authors/ongoing fics and getting that email weekly is one of the many joys one can have.

What I don't do is search the stories on ao3 based on bookmarks/kudos/hits. I think it's a common way to do it, but I've always looked for it based on most recently uploaded. That's my most consistent choice. Then, I can end up reading a fic from let's say 2019 if I'm interested in a specific tag. Another thing that I do (like many others I assume) is that I subscribe to an author if I like one work of theirs and then I tend to keep up with future fics they work on. Or I also go and snoop through their own bookmarks and see what I like from there.

#m thoughts #fanfiction #fanfic talk

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: December 2022

And so another year draws to a close. It was surely a strange one and I have this weird feeling that 2023 is going to be a good one? Just a hunch. Anywhere here’s all the art I experienced this month.

……….FILM……….

House (1977) I knew it was gonna be dreamlike and indescribably weird but I was still consistently surprised. Fun and sad and beautiful and again...weird. We watched the interviews included with the Criterion Collection DVD and it added so much. I never would’ve known “Mac” was short for “Stomach”! Just bursting with ideas and I saw someone describe it as a cinematic I Spy and that really resonated. Lots of details that are easily missed so I’ll definitely be watching this again.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022) Incredible. Everything I wanted (and didn’t know I wanted) out of a Weird Al biopic. I wasn’t expecting so much of the humor to land for me and if you at any point enjoyed a Weird Al song I think you’ll dig this movie.

Mean Girls (2004) A really great watch, even to this day. Aged better than a lot of teen comedies, though I did find the soundtrack distracting this time? Were teen movie soundtracks always so...shoehorned? Oh well you still can’t beat such classics as “That’s why her hair is so big, it’s full of secrets”, “You go, Glen Coco”, and “get in loser we’re going shopping.” 

Gremlins (1984) An annual holiday tradition and one that really gets me in the Christmas spirit. It’s something about those carolling creatures and them all singing along to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves that does it for me.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) Another annual tradition and the artistry in the Rankin/Bass specials hold up so well.

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) Having never seen this before, I was interested in watching a Rankin/Bass film without the lenses of nostalgia. Surprisingly dark in a lot of the story, but just as weird and charming as the other productions.

……….TELEVISION……….

Andor (Episode 1.01 to 1.01) Season 2 of The Mandalorian was probably the last Star Wars media I’d watched and wasn’t planning on checking this out...until everything I heard was raving about it. You know what? It’s worth checking out. Really great character-driven television that has something to say! I really hope Andor season 2 doesn’t fall into the same trap as The Mandalorian.

Cybergunk (Caleb Gamman, Youtube) Okay I don’t normally include stuff I watch on YouTube but this series made me realize I should! I’ve been burning through Gamman’s catalog but his Cybergunk series is really resonating with me. It feels like it’s explaining the technological stall we’re experiencing right now in a concise and entertaining way. Watch it here.

……….READING……….

The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale (Complete) An interesting, and depressing, read. Though to be clear, it’s not a hopeless read. I really appreciated each chapter ending with researched suggestions for reform. It really does make the case that most problems that the US polices are made worse by policing. Maybe some of them wouldn’t even be problems if they weren’t policed? As a non-US reader it definitely acted as a cautionary tale and with that in mind, I wholly recommend.

Alice: Through the Needle’s Eye by Gilbert Adair (Complete) Books that build off of Carroll’s work is often hit or miss for me. The trend seems to be dark, brooding, and skewing towards YA. Nothing wrong with that but that doesn’t click with me. This. This clicks with me. It’s a spiritual successor to the first two stories in the tone, plotting, and style. You want whimsical poems and wordplay? You got it. You want nonsensical characters? There’s a full cast here. Anyway, big fan.

Spider-Man: Blue by Jeph Loeb and Time Sale (Complete) It just feels right to read this in the winter, you know? All the snowy skyscraper scenes and Peter getting sick from the cold. Classic stuff. 

……….AUDIO……….

I’m Your Empress Of by Empress Of (2022) Just started listening to this but really digging it so far!

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The holidays meant we only played a handful of times but it was a great couple of sessions! The broke into a castle, stole a book, discovered strange rock creatures have infested the Munchkin District’s capital, and more!

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Mof1 group is spinning a lot of plates at the moment. They’re hunting newts so that they can enter a cave and return an eye to stop a terrible evil from being released. Super fun!

And that’s it. See you in January!

#monthly media #kolbisneat #Andrew Kolb

[justthegreat1]

New York, New Rules: Scream VI Review

Pictured above is the “Scream VI” poster.

Image credit: Paramount Pictures and SPYGLASS Media Group

One year ago, Scream (2022) slashed its way into theaters, and it received critical acclaim while being a box office hit making $138.9 million at the box office. It was a beautiful tribute to series creator Wes Craven and as I said in my Scream (2022) review, I almost teared up. So, lets just cut to the chase and go straight into my spoiler free thoughts on this latest entry into the “Scream” franchise.

Scream VI is a 2023 slasher horror film directed by the Radio Silence team consisting of Matt-Bettinelli Olpin and Tyler Gillet. Scream VI is produced by Kevin Williamson, Courteney Cox, and Gary Barber. The cast involves Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter, Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin, Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin, Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis, and Roger Jackson as “The Voice”.

The Plot:

Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.

Positives:

One positive I have about Scream VI was how sadistic Ghostface was, this version of Ghostface wanted to take out the characters by any means necessary. The thought of not knowing who the killer in a massive city such as New York is terrifying. The chase scenes were thrilling, the kills were brutal, and the dialogue Ghostface gets gave me chills.

Pictured above is Ghostface with a shotgun in the already iconic bodega scene.

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures and SPYGLASS Media Group

The second positive I have was how well the characters were done, each character was likeable, and they built up the suspense factor because you had no idea who lives or dies. I also appreciated how they subverted your expectations in this movie. I’m glad that the killer reveal wasn’t as obvious as other movies.

Pictured above is Sam and Tara Carpenter hiding from Ghostface.

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures and SPYGLASS Media Group

The final positive I have about this movie was the performances of each cast member. Each character’s dialogue felt organic and natural. The characters were as I said likeable, and I felt so sad after a certain character died. The characters left a mark in their own way in my opinion.

Pictured above is the Ghostface mask.

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures and SPYGLASS Media Group

Negatives:

The only negative I can think of is that some scenes went by a little quick and I couldn’t process what was happening. Other than that, I think this might be one of the better horror movies to come out earlier this year (Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed them, but not as much as this). Well, I guess this is just a knit pick, I felt like some of the main characters were invincible regardless if they were stabbed multiple times.

My overall thoughts:

After watching Scream VI, I would like to see more of this world and hopefully we get a Scream VII after Hollywood sorts out whatever is going on. This movie delivered on its scares, thrills, and chills the “Scream” franchise is known for.

Where to watch Scream VI?

Paramount+

Digital retailers

Blu-Ray and DVD

#scream vi #scream #horror #2023 movies #horror movies 2023 #movie review

[camerawhoisalsocam]

"A rwby critic and a longtime dc fan" Hate to break it to you?

But RWBY manages to stay consistent. DC? Where do we even begin on their retcons.

Look, if you wanna whine and complain, that's fine. But at the end of the day, Monty , Miles, Kerry? At least their work is forever in progress.

All you people do is insult them on social media and then wonder why people won't listen to you after you complain. People enjoyed the crossover, and part 2 will be there soon.

And unlike you, the rest of us intend to enjoy things...which, as a critic, I understand that's rather difficult.

First things first thanks for being my first anon I honestly didn't know if I had it turned on or not. Also congratulations for being my first rwby related braindead anon, now I know I've made it. Now onto the response

Rwby has consistency? Yeah its consistently disappointing and dogshit. Trust me I know all about DC's retcons, bad stories, nonsensical decisions that the writers make that make the characters worse. Wanna know the difference between RWBY and DC? Rwby has had only a few interpretations, the main canon, the crossover, ice queendom, the books, the antholgy manga, a few comics (some being dc crossovers again), and rwby chibi. And half of those can even be considered pseudo canon. With DC? They have had DECADES of comics, movies, cartoons, TV shows, and all sorts of different adoptions. Because DC is bigger they can have alot of bad, but SOOOO MUCH more good.

Next up, dont bring Monty into this. I wont discredit his work and im not gonna say "this wasnt how he wanted rwby" or anything like this. Let the guy be. This is specifically going towards Miles and Kerry, I wanna have faith they're good people, twitter says otherwise for Miles. I know they can make some decent writing, early rwby, camp camp, they even wrote some of RVB. They haven't made anything good nowadays which is why im mad, I know they can write but keep fucking up!

And if your gonna say all I do is whine and complain maybe you should remember that your complaining about the opinion of some random guy on the internet. But hey you arent completely whining your giving a passive aggressive anonymous ask.

If people like the crossover, good. Im glad someone can find some good in a film and series I dont like. I may not have enjoyed the crossover but get good on you for finding it enjoying. I know why people dont listen to us "whiners" its cuz we hurt their feelings and were big mean cyber bullies. Im a dude on the internet, why the hell should you take it so seriously. What did you think I'd take you seriously as well? I know the real reason why rwby fans dont listen, its cuz RT doesn't listen. They dont see the genuine harm in their writing or dont want to acknowledge it and so their fans piggyback off their mentality. You fans dont listen because RT has their heads so far up their asses they think that RWBY will do fine because there's brain rotted fans like you who'll defend this hot garbage and do nothing but constantly try and shit on people who have an opinion. And quite frankly I think my opinion is right

Dont call yourself a critic, I dont know jackshit about you so for all I know your a fellow cave troll. Reply without the anon button and prove it next time. I know im not a professional writer or critic, I say that I am since im just been watching both franchises, im a dude on tumblr, dont take that part seriously. But I do know how to form an opinion on what I like and what I think is terribly written schlock thats being defended by fans who have a weird symbiotic relationship with a company that will treat their fans like shit.

So all in all, cope. I dont like the dogshit crossover, Miles and Kerry's writing sucks now, and you've officially made my morning. Thanks for stopping by anon. Next time RWBY makes something good for once i'll actually talk about how I like it, maybe with some criticism but hey, nothings perfect. I understand thats rather difficult to understand

#rwde #anon post #yay im one of the cool kids now!

[stevensavage]

Dungeons and Marios: Honor Among Brothers

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve's Tumblr, and Pillowfort.  Find out more at my newsletter, and all my social media at my linktr.ee)

I consider the films Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and the Super Mario Brothers movie to be successes as good films. I found them both enjoyable, but also find that both of them work because the people behind them made similar choices.  There’s a lot of lessons there, and you know me, I’m definitely going to write it down. 

Let me pause to note I do not consider them to be of equal quality.  The Dungeons and Dragons movie is fun, emotionally resonant, and both grand yet very human.  The Super Mario Brothers film is a fun romp with some clever choices, but not as deep.  But the lessons - even where they both don’t succeed - are illustrative.

So how did two different films do same things, let’s take a look.  There are of course spoilers here, so here there be dragons (or Koopas).

Be Fun and Entertaining

Both movies are actually fun.  There’s action, there’s jokes, there’s actors and actresses giving it their all.  I had a good time at both. Super Mario Brothers was so snappy and tight I didn’t even take a break.

Fun can be forgotten, especially when you already have other things on your mind like adaption.  But you have to give people a reason to pay attention beyond “hey I adapted this.”  Be it Chris Pine being a charisma bomb or a brain-twisting Mario scene where the infamous Rainbow Road is realized, give people a reason to enjoy it.

You can also tell people enjoyed making them, both have a joy to them.  Which probably says a lot about why they work as well.

Don’t Run Away From What You Are

The Dungeons and Dragons film is just like the games - not the books.  A group of confused dumbasses get into trouble and save the day.  It feels like a gaming session, right down to bad luck and unwise choices.

The Super Mario Brothers movie is colorful, bright, and strange. There are moments it has homages to the games and gameplay, but outside of those it runs on a kind of game logic.  It feels like a game and doesn’t apologize at all.

This is what people came for.  I do not come wanting an explanation of Mordenkainen’s magic or how to use a Fire Flower.  I want to see hypercompetent stupidity and someone yelling “wahoo” he stomps on evil turtles.  And I got it.

Use It But Don’t Overexplain

Dungeons and Dragons brings decades of history, rules, rules changes, rules arguments, novels, adaptions, and more.  What do you do with that?  Well, it’s raw material but you tell a story first - ten minutes of rules are boring but the sorcerer Simon struggling to “attune” to a magical item is interesting because it’s about a person.

Meanwhile the Mario film inherits a disjointed series of games and events without an exact timeline or even consistency.  The film takes a pile of stuff and forges it into a setting but also doesn’t explain it much.  Power ups just exist - what matters is how you use them.  An industro-solarpunk kingdom of apes just exist - what matters is if you can make them allies.  Tell a story - besides people already bought into the premise of plumbers teleported to this cartoony realm anyway.

The stuff you adapt is fuel for an actual story.

Get A Cast That Works

Want a good adaption?  Get a cast that will embrace the roles and bring things to life so people feel and enjoy the film.  Even the best script is nothing without the right cast.

Dungeons and Dragons cast is stellar.  It’s like a movie filled with leads that just happens to center on Chris Pine’s bard, Edgin.  From the humor to the pathos, the cast brings you into the film.  A few characters might have been used better or given more depth, but everyone used what they got and then some.

Super Mario mostly does the same thing.  Jack Black owns his role as Bowser and brings pathos to the character (more later).  Anya Taylor-Joys Princess Peach is fantastic, badass, and charming enough she’s sort of the main character at times.  Charlie Day is terribly underused as Luigi, but clearly brought is A game.  I could compliment others, but you get the idea.  The film is inherently ridiculous but the cast is game, as it were.

Now Chris Pratt is the elephant in the room.  Regarding his problematic statements, I looked into them for this article, and it appears he’s not bigoted, but is not always thoughtful or good at reading a situation.  Regarding his acting, he can “phone it in” but can really shine when he sinks his teeth into a role.

That being said, his Mairo performance was extremely generic.  It was enough to move things along and make Mario human, but he didn’t add anything to the role.  Whether it’s his fault or the scriptwriters, I’m not sure.  I also noticed the animators did some amazing expression work with Bowser and Peach and wondered if they were more restrained with Mario.

Either way, lesson learned - get a cast that’s good and let them go.

Give Us Real Emotional Arcs

The Dungeons and Dragons movie brought tears to my eyes, once during That Scene at the end (if you saw it, you know), and once afterwards when I realized how I related to a character’s speech.  The movie has multiple emotional arcs that bring it to life, give characters reasons to do things, and help you connect.

This is not consistent among the cast or characters, and I blame the script.  It’s a perfectly fine script, but a few more scenes could have done wonders.  But what is there is good.

Believe it or not Super Mario Brothers does this too, multiple times.  In fact, there’s a scene where Mario and his original nemesis Donkey Kong find out they’re a lot alike.  When a cartoon plumber and a big monkey share parallel emotions, you’ve done something right.

However Super Mario Brothers also doesn’t dive into the emotional arcs as well as Dungeons and Dragons and is poorer for it.  There’s some unused potential, from Mario feeling defensive about Luigi to Princess Peach’s isolation as a lone human in her world.  There’s unexplored character motivations, such as Toad’s heroic drive that differentiates him from his fellows.  I feel there’s 5-10 minutes of cut footage that made it a better movie.

But the lessons stay the same.  In fact  . . .

Give Us Relatable Villains

Hugh Grant, playing con-man Forge  charms his way through the Dungeons and Dragons movie in a way only he could.  Daisy Head’s creepy sorceress Sofina is something out of a horror film, and you believe she’d like nothing more to murder the idiots surrounding her.  Both get scenes that aren’t just villainy but humanity - Forge finds a joy in adoptive fatherhood, and Sofina snaps over how annoying Forge is in a relatable way.

This is great, they’re enjoyable.  They get human moments - but only the acting covers the fact they’re otherwise paper-thin characters.  Both could have shown more depth with just a few tweaks or an extra scene or two.  The actors clearly work with what they have, but there could have been more.

Meanwhile let me commit blasphemy - Jack Black’s Bowser in Super Mario not only gets to be relatable, his character is better handled than the villains in Dungeons and Dragons.

Yes I went there.

Black’s Bowser is a terrifying warlord and a hopeless romantic.  Madly in love with Princess Peach, he hopes to impress her and marry her instead of conquering her kingdom (sort of).  Throw in Black’s performance with excellent animation, and Bowser becomes sympathetic, a kind of ridiculously Shakespearean character of extremes.  If anything, I felt there was more to explore.

Both films add villains with some understandable traits.  Super Mario does it better.  Forge and Sofina aren’t interesting enough on their own, but Black’s Bowser feels like he could carry an entire film.

Do A Film Not A Preview

As I’ve said before, I will compliment the Marvel movies on sheer competency. However, I’m also extremely tired that the interlinked nature of stories seems to “wash out” the films.  There’s that need to keep the mega-franchise going, and there’s a certain “safety” in choices that wears thin.  Make something that stands on its own – like these films!

Dungeons and Dragons and Super Mario Brothers are delightfully standalone.  They do their job, they deliver.  Sure you may care due to the games - in fact it’s the only reason to care about Super Mario Brothers.  But both stand on their own quite well and in a satisfying manner.

There’s just that thrill of being able to “close the book” and move on with each.  Both deserve sequels of some kind, but its nice to see them deliver and be done.  It helps the people making them focus, and it means each film is reliably complete.

In Conclusion

So there you have it.  Both of these adaptions based on games, both wildly different, really succeed due to the same choices.  Embrace what you do, don’t overexplain, get the right cast and real emotional arcs we feel.  That’s it.

It feels unnecessary to explain this, but maybe the fact I feel this says volumes about the poor media I’ve seen - and how I enjoyed these two pieces.  Let’s learn from them, and maybe apply these lessons to things beyond giant big budget movies.

Steven Savage

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com

#super mario brothers #dungeons and dragons #super mario brothers movie #dungeons and dragons movie #analysis #adaption #culture #media #jack black #chris pine

[aposemetric]

hi! i'm kinda bored these days because i've just been rewatching shows but i've got an itch to start some new ones and expand my media palate; i was told to ask you because a friend of mine said you had really good taste in anime ^_^ any recs? just list off your favorites! thanks and have a happy new year!

OH... ANON <3 you speak words that sound like birdsong to me. happy new year to you, too!

i'll list the ones i find the very best in no particular order, and i'll attempt to give a "short" description of why they might be worth your time! it'll obviously depend on several things like your own tastes and whether you've ever actually seen any anime etc., but it should cover a range of themes/genres at least :)

Hunter x Hunter (2011) 148 eps

hxh is an action-adventure story that starts out deceptively simple, but is structured in a way where each 'arc' has a wildly different theme/genre influences, meaning you really would never guess where it goes from its somewhat slow start. incredible character writing with emotional highpoints that feel like fantastic pay-off. a real journey, and one that pretty much everyone who's ever touched this show (and There Are Many) will vouch for! best of its genre, hands down.

Cardcaptor Sakura (1998) 70 eps + two films

if you're looking for something very sweet and relaxing, then this is the best pick! css is an episodic type of show you'd most enjoy taking slowly; it's a look into the seemingly idyllic daily life of this lovely cast of characters who are dealing with magic and mystery. this show feels like marshmallows, and with its intrigue captures the feeling of childlike wonder supremely well. a great take on light fantasy set in the modern world, with beautiful animation to boot!

Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988) 110 eps + two films

if i could force people to watch anything ever, it would be this show. logh is a brilliant epic (in the literary sense) (also in the gamer sense) space opera that at a surface level seems to be about politics and spaceship battles, when it really has character-driven appeal at its core. if you just love wondering why that general looked at his right hand man like that when that other admiral made that clearly philosophically-dubious remark... well. it's genuinely a masterpiece, poses interesting political & philosophical questions about systems of rulership and domestic life and our roles in society, is funny, and has what maybe is the best character of all time. i could not recommend this more!

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (2011)

chances are you know of jjba! it's unlike any other anime in presentation and style, for which it is super well-known. jjba has the rather unique appeal of consisting of 'parts', with different casts & settings for each part, while still being a story that ultimately follows one bloodline. this means you start off enjoying a shakespearean tragedy set in 1880s england at some point, and a mafia storyline set in italy in the 2000s at another. jjba does very ridiculous and flashy things, but does them so convincingly and takes itself so seriously that you end up buying every strange twist it throws at you! jjba is just super fun.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006) 28 eps + 'The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya' film

haruhi is an eccentric show with an equally eccentric cast, refusing loyalty to any genre despite an overfamiliar setting. it's... seriously hard to describe what exactly is going on in this show. it plays into the meta of certain anime tropes, and presents characters as being prime examples of those tropes... before you learn they're acting the part knowingly. it dabbles in philosophy, drama, and sci-fi, and yet saying that doesn't represent its appeal accurately at all. it's very non-traditional, yet very easy to get into. it has the best anime film of all time. this is one where you really should check out the first episode, or a trailer, because words aren't going to do it any justice!

Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997) 39 eps + 'Adolescence' film

ourgh... this story. rgu seems like it's going to be a fun story about sword-duels, before hitting you with a genuinely harrowing examination of (gender) roles we're forced to play, systems of control and oppression, and so much dense symbolism you could write fifteen essays after one watch. it's flowery and artistic, and the type of show that requires active input from the viewer in the form of analysis and interpretation. it has a greek chorus! it's not at all hard to care for the (very mentally ill) cast of characters, and you might find yourself fundamentally changed as a person after watching this. especially if you're queer, this show will likely poke hard into your soul.

Berserk (1997) 25 eps

many recommend skipping ep1 for spoiler reasons. i recommend skipping it because it's not interesting. we r not the same. it is a story set in horses-and-knights-and-such era europe, which i generally despise, but this show is SO beautifully atmospheric in its dreamy colours and out-of-this-world soundtrack that it ends up feeling like a hazy and hope-filled memory by the time berserk reveals itself to be... a tragedy. a story that fundamentally is about two people who long for connection with the other so badly, but whose formative experiences were always irrevocably going to contort their fate. additional shout-out to the soundtrack for being completely unlike anything else, and certainly not what you imagine a show set in that era to sound like!

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) 26 eps + 'End of Evangelion' film

another very famous show, nge is all about the psychological profiles of some very disturbed characters! they have SO many issues and the show loves to make them go on introspective little journeys of suffering. packed full with symbolism (again), nge loves invoking biblical themes/symbols especially. this story is about the Human Condition and about the pain of trying to get closer to others, all wrapped up alongside some good old action.

91 Days (2016) 12 eps

finally, this is a relatively underground choice here! a very easy show to enjoy, especially for those who haven't watched anime before, 91 days offers a relatively short but well-bounded mafia revenge story. what this show sets out to do, it does quite perfectly, and so it's probably the most straightforward entry in this list. it nails its narrative well, has a fun setting (1920s america), and is really good at sticking the landing when it comes to delivering on emotions and storylines that build throughout the show!

if anyone reads this far, have a great day/evening! :)

#NOTE: look up both trigger warning lists AND watch guides/watch orders for these !!! #doesthedogdie is a good site for the former. reddit will usually help with the latter. make sure to take care bc some of these shows #contain very heavy topics! #i am so utterly incapable of keeping things short i do apologise anon this isnt what u were bargaining for LMAO 😭 #BUT ALSO. THANK YOU FOR HUMOURING ME LIKE THIS. I LOVE YOU ! AND YOUR FRIEND TOO?? who on earth is this friend im so suspicious #also rapidfire handful of other good anime: mob psycho 100. yuri on ice. sailor moon. promare. 80s devilman ovas.

[ohpleaselarry]

Annual Writing Self-Evaluation 2022

Thank you @greenblueish and @brightgolden for the tag! I did this last year but I couldn’t find it haha, so if I have repeating answers, oh well! Here we go :)

1. Number of stories posted to AO3 this year: 7 (though it’d technically be more as the a-z series are separate fics)

2. Word count posted for the year: 314,557!

3. Fandoms I wrote for: one direction

4. Pairings: Larry

5. Story with the most:

Kudos: dont know its lost til you find it

Bookmarks: dont know its lost til you find it

Comments: Louis&Harry: A-Z

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why): 

a-z for sure. It has, and continues to, push me like crazy to not only write an unfamiliar prompt, but also to write quicker than I usually do. (I say as I haven’t updated it in 6 months lmao)

7. Work I’m least proud of (and why):

honestly, this is something I never thought I’d say, but I’m rather proud of everything I’ve done this year. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so even if I’m happy enough to upload, ill always find something that could’ve been changed, but despite that I feel like I grow more and more every year.

8. Share or describe a favourite review you received:

this is my least favourite question because I love each and every comment I get. I don’t have a specific one to shout-out, but I do have many users I look forward to seeing the comments of. Any comments that mention specific parts or quotes of the fic that they loved are always really lovely to read and make me smile so much.

9. A time when writing was really, really hard:

the last two months have been the hardest this year, which is probably clear by the lack of uploads. I started a new antidepressant in October and it’s taken a toll on me quite heavily physically, and therefore also on the creative side of myself. I’m settling into my dose, though, and have started to write consistently again these last few weeks! Not to mention my mental health is steadily increasing for the first time since I was 12 years old, so I definitely think this’ll be a great positive change for my writing.

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

The alpha drop, probably. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be good, seeing as I couldn’t find anything on any omegaverse forums about alpha drops even being a thing, so I was sort of flying blind. Luckily, it seems to be taken well and in the end I rather liked it.

11. A favourite excerpt of your writing:

This is a hard question, especially since I don’t enjoy rereading my fics, as I tend to only find mistakes, but I’m trying to get better at being proud of myself, so I’m going to cheat a little and say the whole introduction up to the boys meeting in night song is my favourite. Writing an au that isn’t my own makes it even harder to be proud of, especially when the source is something as incredibly well done as studio ghibli, but I truly tried my best to not only capture the essence of the original film, but also make it my own, and I’m quite proud of the fic as a whole.

12. How did you grow as a writer this year:

Reckon I could look back and find a thousand different answers to this question, as I feel like I grow as a writer every few months, haha, but probably the biggest growth has been letting go of word count expectations. I used to be quite hard on myself about it, and would have a silly “minimum of 20k or nothing” rule for myself. Though I know I still have a ways to go in terms of writing self-love, allowing myself to write until it feels good, rather than when I’ve reached the “minimum” acceptable word count, has been an incredible weight off my shoulders. Writing shouldn’t be stressing me out, and it took me a long time to realise that, but I’m glad I have.

13. How do you hope to grow next year:

I hope to learn new writing patterns. I feel like there are a handful of parallels in all of my fics, and I’d like to move onto more varying ways of writing.

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

Unsure if this counts, and I’m 90% sure this was my answer last year as well, but it’ll definitely have to be music, usually classical or instrumentals. I listen to it every single time I write, and it is my biggest motivator.

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

I’ll be home tonight, definitely. I feel like there’s a bit of me in every fic I write, but that one was the most this year.

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

Don’t give up a scene even if you think it’s shit. Finish it out, and move on to the next one. You can always go back and fix it later. Keeping the flow of non-block is much more important.

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: 

I’m really hoping to finish a-z before 2023 is up, especially because I have another long series planned that I refuse to start before a-z is finished, as I’d hate to lose motivation for it.

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read.

I feel like everyone’s done this already, so I tag anyone who’s read this and wants to do it :)

#mutual games #annual writing self evaluation

[obsidianvibranium]

💜 About Me

I love animals, memes, mental health positivity, and analyzing the media I consume. Marvel and cat stuff makes up about 85-90% of this blog’s content, so if either of those things is a point of contention, then this blog is not for you. However I am consistent in my tagging so you could block either if you wanted to.

I do read fanfiction for Marvel and I have an entire “side blog” for it: @violets-library. I also have a side-side blog where I keep my queue of fanfics I would like to read at some point, and where you can send me fic recs: @violetsreadinglist .

I also have another side blog which houses all of the things I like that aren’t (and which I probably enjoy more so than) marvel; that blog is @sleepingthestral

This blog is movies, tv shows, literature, music, history, language, memes, more animals, comedy, franchises (Harry Potter) and other stuff. I typically don’t post the same memes on both my main and this blog (unless its super important or super funny) so there is a difference in content.

If you would like to know more about me, check out the #about me tag.

💜 My Love/Hate Of MCU

As to why I hate Disney (as the company is now) is explained here, here, and here. The gist of it is that disney is a factory producing mediocre stories with characters that have great foundations but little to no meaningful development. Disney’s policies and actions as of late regarding its treatment of employees, as well as its blatant disregard for artistic respect and consistency, means that I refuse to give them any of my money and that includes paying for Disney plus or seeing the movies in theater. They are a consumerist organization that is only focused on money instead of being focused on telling important stories that will bridge the gaps between various cultures and societal groups.

That being said, Marvel, which is owned by Disney, fits that same consumerist, money-making profile and I loathe it. They have great foundations for these characters but they refuse to do anything to maintain consistency between the individual hero franchises and the avengers/group films. An example of this is the overall plot for Steve’s character in endgame, but I won’t get into the details of that argument here. Another example is their inability to recognize Bucky as a hero and not a villain, and another, their treatment of Sam Wilson since he became Captain America (i.e. there’s no mention of him in any of the latest projects. Hence, my love/hate relationship with the mcu: a love of the characters but a hatred of the plots and the writers’ inability to maintain character consistency (which is why I read fanfiction).

This is also why I rant about it all the time and try to show what the characters should be like; you can find these rants and writings HERE.

However, there are some good things they’ve done within the characters, though they are few and far between, and those things, in addition to fanart and gif sets, are what I reblog if I’m not ranting.

💜 Navigation

I am a huge proponent for spreading kindness and genuine positivity, and all the posts that fit under this umbrella are marked: #spread the love

↪️ #mental health #self love

↪️ #mutuals (my besties)

➡️ #taggame

➡️ #picrew

↪️ #support your content creators

↪️ #writing positivity

All of my posts about our fellow creatures will be marked #animals.

↪️ #cats #cat

➡️ #kittens #kitten

↪️ #dogs #dog

➡️ #puppies #puppy

↪️ #hedgehogs

↪️ #birds

➡️ #ducks

➡️ #owls

➡️ Et cetera…

↪️ #fox #foxes

↪️ #goat #goats

↪️ #otter #otters

Et cetera…

Inter-species friendships and photos will be tagged #besties

And all animal posts are typically delineated #cute or #funny, sometimes both.

SEASONAL TAGS

#autumn vibes

➡️ #halloween

#winter vibes

➡️ #christmas

#spring vibes

#summer vibes

OTHER TAGS

#absolute fuckery #hilarious

Random stuff that I found funny.

#iconic #an icon #bad bitch energy #the salt

People/characters/animals that I admire for their sass.

#words of wisdom

Words to live by.

#true shit #so true

The facts, Jack.

#super important #signal boost #psa

Everyone should read/see.

Warnings: #tw anxiety #tw depression #tw eating disorder #suicide mention #tw abuse

Please block these tags if any of these things are triggering to you.

Lastly, anything can be tagged with #that’s my queue, which just means that it’s been queued and I didn’t directly reblog it right then.

💜 Marvel Content Navigation.

#about me #violets posts