#it’s only cos I’ve been rewatching it recently

[thatludicrousdisplay]

okay but when you think about it, the first 3 episodes and the time leading up to ep4 of torchwood (s1 ofc) are kinda wild when you remember that ianto jones, that lil guy, is literally hiding half a cyberman in the basement

#torchwood #it’s only cos I’ve been rewatching it recently #and I just #I can’t get it out of my mind how mad it is #he’s so sweet and small and nobody pays attention to him #also the whole fact there’s a goddamn cyber conversion unit in the basement #it’s wild man

[howdomaddie]

on sora’s time in the sleeping worlds and coming to terms with other’s pain

so, i have recently been rewatching the kingdom hearts series through a youtube channel i follow that’s played through all the games, and i just finished dream drop distance in that rewatch. the player had quite a bit to say about the overall plot of that game, and that seems to fall in line with how i’ve seen a lot more people than i thought view DDD as well--that it’s not that great? i totally get being frustrated with the real organization shenanigans because the planned time travel was a bit much but…idk, i’ve never really been into KH for the villains and their schemes. DDD has always kind of been one of my favorites, so as i was rewatching this playthrough of it, i was thinking over why it gets the flack it does, and why i still think it’s good beyond that.

i’ve always loved riku’s arc, and i loved sora in DDD, but i was honestly “meh” on it until this current rewatch, when i was thinking over it all again, and remembering what had happened most recently to him. and now i think i’ve cracked it--i figured out a nice little piece for why sora’s arc works even if it’s subtle.

and…bear with me here…but it’s partially because of re:coded

STAY WITH ME, I PROMISE I HAVE A POINT!!! it’s below the cut since this will be long, but hear me out: sora in DDD is going through the same things that data sora did in re:coded, and proving that he will always come to the same conclusion about how to handle the pain the others in his heart have gone through (maybe someone’s discussed all of this before, so sorry if i’m just rehashing a well-known point, but…wanted to share my thoughts, haha)

okay. so, in order to really talk about this, let’s revisit what are probably the most important sections of re:coded, and what they do well on a story-telling level.

in the last quarter or so of re:coded, data sora is brought back to help mickey and co find the meaning of the second message that’s appeared in jiminy’s journal: “Their hurting will be mended when you return to end it.” data sora ends up arriving at an illusion of castle oblivion, and is goaded along by a data version of roxas to go deeper into the castle. this data roxas taunts him about how he’ll never remember the people data sora encounters in each part of the castle, poking and prodding him along through all the revisited worlds.

in one of the earliest rooms (destiny islands i think), data sora has a conversation with the data version of riku that has been helping us so far. data riku shows him a vision of riku and kairi from the events of KH1, with the warning that it’s something data riku wants data sora to see and feel. afterwards, data riku asks what data sora would have done if he’d known this. and data sora answers immediately:

[ ID: an image of data sora from kingdom hearts re:coded. he has a determined expression on his face, and his clenching his fist as a show of conviction. the subtitles read: I would’ve helped you, of course. Both of you! I’d’ve figured out how to undo the hurt. End ID. ]

data riku seems pleased with this outcome, and he eventually goes on to say: “Just follow your heart, and you can change the lives of not one, but many.” as data sora goes deeper into this version of castle oblivion, he only comes across more pain in his heart as he forgets the people he meets. he may forget the people themselves, but the doesn’t forget that he met someone as he goes through the castle.

[ ID: four images from kingdom hearts re:coded. data sora looks sad and pensive as he says this to data roxas, placing a hand over his heart: “It’s like you said; everyone I met I can’t remember. But still, I’m frustrated that I’ve forgotten them. I feel moments of loneliness. You said there would be no hurt feelings, but I AM hurting. When the memories are gone, they just leave a hole. And having that longing inside me hurts.” End ID. ]

data roxas eventually confronts data sora about what he’s come to terms with in the castle: that some of that pain he’s feeling is what helps him connect with others, to truly empathize with them. data roxas sees this as a sign that data sora passed his test, to see if he could come to terms with the pain in the hearts he’s most closely connected to.

data namine soon confirms that the real sora carries around a lot of pain that isn’t his own inside his heart--and that he’s found a way to face the suffering all of this disparate parts of himself had to endure. he’s already equipped to face it and help those he’s met that have been lost.

something that i think i’ve come to appreciate more is that as he’s gotten older, sora has ended up becoming really emotionally intelligent. he’s an extremely empathetic character, and kind of always has been. after all, he gave a piece of himself to someone to fix their broken heart when he was still an infant.

[ ID: an image from kingdom hearts birth by sleep. a four year old sora looks upset as he holds ventus’s heart in his hands and asks, “Are you sad?” ]

we all know that his empathy and ability to connect emotionally to others is kind of sora’s whole “thing”--his friends are his power! but it makes sense that sora’s able to face the pain and suffering characters like xion and ven went through because he is such an open and caring person.

anyway, there’s another thing from re:coded that struck me as i was thinking over what sora goes through in DDD, and i think it’s critical. it’s the instructions namine gives for how to handle the pain of others that sora is holding onto.

[ ID: three screenshots of data namine and data sora from kingdom hearts re:coded. data namine explains to data sora: “There’s only one way to deal with that [pain]; you face it head-on and then you accept it. And if it happens that the hurt is too great for you to bear it alone, well, then you turn to a friend close to your heart.” End ID. ]

this is less a “do this thing for the first time” to me--it’s data namine reinforcing something that data sora (and the real sora, obviously) already knows very well. there is strength to be found in the bonds you share, and that if you need it, you can always rely on the friends you’ve made. this was made apparently through the entire series but this serves as a reminder that yes, sora has been doing the best thing he can. he has remained true to his heart, and is willing to rely on those he cares about. we know that being alone and only relying on yourself is not the best thing to do in the series--it’s part of what drives riku to darkness in KH1--so that’s why this is a reassurance that sora already knows how to face this sort of pain.

so. WHAT on earth does this have to do with dream drop distance, you might be asking. well, part of that is inspired by this lets player i was rewatching (it’s dan form playframe, by the way, in case you’re wondering): he liked the general themes being played with at the end of re:coded, but was upset it was not happening to actual sora. and that stuck with me as i got to DDD in my rewatch, and that’s how i viewed sora’s stuff in that game.

anyway. let’s dive (ha) in, shall we?

at the end of re:coded, king mickey writes that letter in a bottle that gets to sora in the post credits of KH2 to explain what they discovered in the data version of jiminy’s journal. sora knows now that he’s the thread that will save people like roxas and xion and aqua, and he knows what data namine was wanting him to eventually face.

at the start of DDD, sora is aware that he needs to face the pain of others that is currently residing in his heart and find a way to save those that have been lost. he is primed with that knowledge, and likely wants to face it the way data sora did.

why do i think this? well…i think that the mark of mastery exam in DDD was really a chance for sora and riku to come to terms with what is still somewhat holding them back in their hearts, and do perform some true introspection.

we know how riku’s arc goes: he finally realizes that he does have the power to protect what matters to him, and that darkness in his heart is not something to fear. it does not make him any less worthy to wield a keyblade, nor does it keep him from being a keyblade master.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of riku and sora. sora’s arm is slung over riku’s shoulder and he is beaming. riku doesn’t seem to believe what he’s saying: “Really? I’m a Keyblade Master?” ]

but what about sora? outside of Overall Series Plot happening to him in this game and the contrived reason he isn’t also named a master, what does sora come to realize? well, it’s what data namine wanted for him: to face the pain inside him head on, and to rely on those close to his heart when he couldn’t do it alone.

what do i mean by this? let’s go world by world to see.

starting with hunchback, since we visit traverse town twice:

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora, who is looking at the camera. he appears thoughtful as he says of quasimodo: “He can’t let his heart be a prison.” ]

sora realizes that quasimodo is putting up walls in his heart that keep him from being hurt--walls that, in turn, are becoming something of a “prison”. they’re what keep quasimodo safe, but also keep him disconnected from others and is an excuse for why he doesn’t leave notre dame cathedral. 

at the end of sora’s time in this world, quasimodo has opened himself to others, and decides to not keep his fears from holding him back. as sora processes this information, of course, we have the villains telling him that his own heart is now a prison for someone else--ventus.

i don’t think this is true for sora and ven’s situation, and that the organization is just trying to make sora question himself. sora welcomed ven into his heart willingly to keep ven safe--it’s been a very long time, yes, and sora will eventually need to help ven return to his body, but sora’s heart isn’t exactly a prison. he just doesn’t really know that he still has ven with him, since he probably didn’t know what happened with ven when he was little.

so this is something sora still has to come to terms with: is his heart a prison for someone else? how does he set them free?

after hunchback, we have the grid and prankster’s paradise, and these should be easy enough to figure out.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora and quorra. sora is holding quorra back from attacking, and quorra says to sora of rinzler (originally sora’s friend tron), “He’s a program, Sora. Programs don’t have hearts.” End ID. ]

the grid for sora is all about his relationship to tron and making rinzler remember who he truly is. quorra is pretty quick to throw in the towel on sora’s attempts to reach his friend’s heart, but sora keeps trying--and eventually, he does manage to have a breakthrough. he helps tron fight off his reprogramming, and remember their friendship. he’s able to touch tron’s heart and remind him of what’s important--he just has to give tron the time he needs, and eventually help reprogram him.

my, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts three of sora, xion, and axel. sora has his hand on xion’s keyblade, and is persuading her not to hurt her friend axel--trying to remind her of who she really is. ]

there’s one quote from the jeff bridges character that i feel is important to note here: “That’s the thing about programs. Mess with the code just a little, and their whole nature and memory can change.”

sora’s time in the grid helps him understand a bit more of what “copies” of him can be going through, and honestly is an important part of why he is able to help xion and roxas in 3 (at least to me). xion’s suffering is tied to how the organization used and abused her, and them tampering with her memories is why she starts off on their side in 3. but sora, good boy that he is, manages to break through to her with a little help from roxas--just like he needed the right thing to reprogram rinzler and help him remember that he was tron all along.

as for prankster’s paradise…

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora and xemnas confronting each other. sora looks determined as he exclaims, “But if Pinocchio could be given one (a heart)--shouldn’t you be able to have a heart inside you, too?” End ID. ]

the fact that nobodies do actually have hearts is confirmed towards the end of the game, but it’s clear sora has already figured it out on his own. i’ll touch on it a little more later on, but sora knows that roxas has his own heart, living on inside his own--it’s a reminder of how roxas still exists, and how much of his own person he is outside of sora.

xemnas is still putting on the show here that nobodies are beings without hearts, and sora knows that is blatantly untrue--why else would roxas feel the things he did if that was the case?

the other three worlds--traverse town, the country of musketeers, and the symphony of sorcery--do the same thing that data namine did in re:coded. they reinforce the things sora already knows about connecting with others, and relying on their strength when he can’t do things alone.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora talking to neku in traverse town. when talking about neku denying that he said he needed shiki, sora says, “What? Why? You said you need her. That’s a good thing.” End ID. ]

sora says it directly to neku in the revisit to traverse town: it’s good that neku admitted to needing shiki around. sora has always trusted in people to rely on him and to return the favor, so he sees none of the shame that neku feels in admitting that he needs other people.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of mickey and donald. mickey looks to the camera as he says, “Goofy’s right. As a team, we can do anything!” End ID. ]

the recurring musketeer motto of “All for one, and one for all!” when sora joins mickey, donald, and goofy in protecting princess minnie is another reminder of all this: sora knows the true value of teamwork with his party members, and how important donald and goofy are to him. they are his friends for life, and they’ll be at his side the way he’s at theirs. he reassures them the way they reassure him and always have.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora, looking wistful as he talks about riku: “Don’t worry. I’ve got a friend out there who will help. He’s always picking up the slack for me.” End ID. ]

sora’s belief in riku is something that’s shown throughout the entire game, and the symphony of sorcery is just one example in truth--but sora has never doubted riku or even kairi and the others. even if he can’t see riku, even if his friends are a million miles away, sora knows that they have his back.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora in traverse town, looking happy and patting his chest as he says of riku, “Don’t worry. He’s with me--even when it might seem like he’s not.” End ID. ]

for the Overall Series Plot happening in DDD, this is very good for sora to remember--riku becomes a dream eater to protect sora in this game, so it’s quite literal. (i think it’s also important to remember this when thinking about the ending of kh3, and where sora has found himself. he still has people who love and care for him, even if they’re a million worlds apart from each other.)

and so, now we come to the heart of the matter. has sora ended up in the same place as data sora? can he accept the pain the different pieces of him went through, and help them? as of kh3’s ending we know he’s helped them, but what about DDD?

[ ID: three screenshots from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora and xion. sora asks who xion is, but trails off before he finishes asking. in the final shot, sora sheds a tear over xion. End ID. ]

sora does come face to face with namine and xion, and while he doesn’t connect with them, really, he does seem to feel their pain.

the most apparent interaction that leaves its mark is, of course, when he faces roxas.

[ ID: screenshots from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora speaking to roxas, saying, “Roxas, you’re you. We’re not the same. I wanted to tell you that.” End ID. ]

because sora is fully aware that roxas has his own heart, sora can firmly insist that roxas is his own person. roxas respects this, and opens his heart to sora, to share the truly terrible things that happened to him. and sora faces it, the way he needs to.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora, where sora looks angry and upset about what happened to roxas. He clenches his fist, and asks, “Did they cause all this pain?” End ID. ]

sora has faced at least roxas’s pain and suffering, at least. and he’s ready to do the same for the others in his heart--or, at least, that’s what i believe.

when riku encounters ansem the wise in sora’s heart at the end of the game, what ansem says is something i think kind of ties everything together:

“That is a statement to the love in his heart for other people, and the bonds that tie them together. Perhaps…he has the power to bring back the hearts and existences of those connected to him--to recreate people we thought were lost to us forever. [ … ] Sora has a heart like that--uncorrupted, willing to see the good before the bad. When he sees the heart in something, it then becomes real. When a connection seems broken, he may have the power to mend it. [ … ] He has touched countless hearts, he has accepted them, and he has saved them. [ … ] All Sora needs to do is be himself and follow wherever it is that his heart takes him. It is the best and only way.”

after the opening section of kh3 in olympus colosseum, what’s the thing that sets sora off on his journey?

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts three of sora, donald, goofy, and jiminy cricket in the gummi ship cockpit. sora looks determined as he says, “The others are following Aqua’s heart, so I’ll follow Roxas’s heart!”  End ID. ]

his desire for roxas to truly be his own person. so many people move mountains to make this a reality not just for roxas, but for xion and namine too--all because sora understood that roxas had his own heart, memories, and history. he saw roxas’s suffering and still pushed through to make sure his nobody got the life he deserved.

sora faced what he could, and did everything in his power to undo the suffering the people connected to him were feeling--and when he couldn’t do it himself, he let others help him. just the way namine (and her creation, data namine) wanted.

im sorry this is so long and kind of rambly--but i feel like i finally get sora in DDD outside of the organization’s plans for him, and that the off hand comment from this lets play i’m rewatching actually ended up being true. if you made it this far down in this silly post thanks for reading, hope you're having a good day ;u;

#kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts meta #sora kingdom hearts #THIS IS LONG IM SO SORRY #I ALSO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO TAG IT... #dream drop distance #re:coded #kh ddd #kh 3d #kh recoded

[urfavemcustan]

Recap

Summary: while talking about his recent lawsuit, Eduardo notices an uninterested bystander and is immediately intrigued

Warnings: oral sex (fem receiving), premature ejaculation

a/n: if you couldn’t tell, I rewatched the social network

After the settlement of the lawsuit, Eduardo found himself to be fairly content. At first he enjoyed retelling the tale of him standing up to his old friend.

Soon, talking about the case eventually became draining. For such a long time he just wanted it to be over and once it was it seems to take up a bigger fraction of his life. He felt he was constantly filling people in on the details the media messed up or simply left out.

Tonight wasn’t much different than that. Eduardo decided to go to a bar, the most upscale and expensive one he could find- mostly in hopes of everyone ignoring him. His hopes fell through of course and he was stuck in his usual position, explaining the play by play of the lawsuit to a big group of people.

As he told the story he could barely recall what prompted him to start talking, it seemed to be simply mechanical at this point. While he took a pause he scanned the bar, mostly everyone within earshot was paying attention to him. Everyone except for you. He caught a glimpse of you seated at the bar swirling your drink with a blank, almost disappointed expression.

“Hold on,” Wardo raised a hand to the crowd and sauntered over to you.

“Sorry, am I boring you?” He softly spoke, hovering over you as you sat.

“Completely,” you sighed, glad he had some self awareness.

“Seriously? This has been in the news for weeks and you're bored by a first hand account?”

“Exactly,” you looked up from your drink to face him, “I’ve been spoon feed information about you and this damn case for weeks and I’m sick of it.”

“My name is on the masthead of Facebook now,” he said proudly in an attempt to cause you to rethink your stance.

“So?”

“I’ve been recognized as a co founder,” he narrowed his eyes, knowing that this was sure to get a reaction from you.

“Okay?”

For some reason this not only annoyed him, it excited him, and secretly, it turned him on. He’s been receiving the highest volume of attention from women he’s ever had for the past few weeks and none of it has meant anything to him. Everyone, both men and women have been kissing up to him since his name’s been plastered everywhere. He can’t remember the last time someone’s had the nerve to challenge him.

“Can I talk to you somewhere private? Please?” 

“Why?” You enjoyed how your indifference to his status got him so riled. 

“Because I’ve never met anyone like you and I’m intrigued.” He sputtered.

“Alright, let’s talk.”

He led you to a dark closet filled with coats. He didn’t hesitate to close the door behind you and lean over you with a hand next to your head against the wall.

“Why don’t you care?” His wide eyes felt as if he were staring directly into your soul, searching for answer.”

“Have you considered the fact that others people have lives outside of Facebook?”

“I have and they don’t,” he chuckled, “it’s all people want to talk to me about.”

“And all you seem to talk about,” you retort, “it’s sad.”

He knew the conversation you were having would soon lose your interest, so he had to just throw himself out there.

“No,” he leaned in, nearly brushing lips with his own, “I’m actually quite interesting and I just thought of something else to keep you entertained.”

You aren’t stupid, you knew what he was hinting at. Under normal circumstances you would’ve told him to get lost, but his unwilling confidence couldn’t help but be slightly appealing. Also, it helped that he was hot and you were horny.

“Yeah? Why don’t you show me,” you looked up at him through your eyelashes.

He couldn’t keep up with this game any longer. Almost instantly he crashed his lips against yours, groaning once you let him into your mouth.

His kiss was deep and passionate, you couldn’t help but tangle you hand through his hair. He started placing sloppy kisses down your neck and his hands traveled to caress any skin available to him.

Suddenly, he fumbled as he got on his knees, he grabbed the sides of your thighs and looked up at you with the most blown out eyes you’ve ever seen.

He hiked your dress up and placed his face right on your clothed heat, “please let me eat you baby,” he mumbled into you, sending vibrations through your entire body.

All you could muster was an, “ok.”

Wardo pulled your panties down all the way and had you step out of them so he could hike your leg over his shoulder. Then, he didn’t waste anything time. His mouth was immediately all over your pussy. He alternated from sucking your clit to fucking your with his mouth to sobbing up whatever he could. This man was starved.

You got so caught up in the feeling that you unintentionally started to grind your core against his face. He matched your movements as he buried himself deeper somehow.

He could tell by the way you tightened your hip on his hair that you were close.

“Cum, cum for me please,” he mumbled against your clit as he started to fuck you with his fingers.

The merciless movement of his fingers were finally too much for you. You moaned incoherently as your pleasure was the only thing running though your mind. He worked you through your orgasm, lapping up every drop of you. 

“Come here,” you beckon him to stand up.

He obeyed, standing to meet your lips with his once again. You fumbled with his pants zipper in the dark.

Finally, you had his length in your hands. You lewdly spit into you palm and started pumping him.

Wardo couldn’t help but thinking about how long it’s been and how good you felt even though this was just your hand, he started thinking about how good the rest of you would feel.

“Fuck,” he groaned into your shoulder.

“Yeah?”

It was so simple, you said one word. But the way you said has his mind short-wire and then, “shit shit shit!”

He came right into your hand. You didn’t stop immediately, using it as lubricant while you continued causing him to convulse further. Once you saw you got everything out of him, you stopped.

“that’s never happened before,” he sputters, fumbling as he shoves a piece of paper in your hand.

“What’s this?”

“My business card,” he panted.

“Of course it is,” you scoffed.

“Call me sometime so I can redeem myself.”

“I’ll add you on Facebook.”

#the social network #eduardo saverin #Eduardo saverin x reader #andrew garfield #eduardo saverin smut #Wardo saverin #the social network fanfic

[strxnger-things]

Show, don’t tell: Mike and El are not seeing eye-to-eye in S4

I’ve seen many posts about this before, but I just wanted to add my own two cents. 

On my most recent rewatch of S4, it just seemed so obvious that Mike and El are not seeing eye-to-eye with each other. 

Beyond the narrative choices made, the cinematography alone shows it to the audience in such a literal way that I can’t believe it wasn’t an intentional choice.

(Also, this reading of their scenes is irregardless of the opinion of Mike’s sexuality. Even if Mike were straight (he’s not), S4 depicts a couple who are not communicating honestly, and desperately pretending to the other that everything is okay. This season shows the audience that Mike and El are no longer compatible... if they ever were.) 

As a piece of evidence all on its own, I think it’d be easy enough to debunk Mike wearing his sunglasses as having any sort of hidden meaning: he’s on vacation, it was probably really sunny outside, so it makes sense that he put his sunglasses on, right? As a costume choice, it also completes the wacky, adorable, ‘I’m-trying-hard-to-fit-in’ vibe he has going, because he clearly thinks this is how people dress in California. 

However, not only is this not a standalone piece of evidence, it’s also curious to consider that this is the only time throughout the entire season that Mike and El share an inarguably romantic interaction, when they kiss. 

When Mike removes his sunglasses, we only get about 2-3 seconds of what appears to be open, honest interaction between them:

... before El notices the “From, Mike” on the bouquet of flowers. Later, the audience learns that El’s unhappiness with the relationship has been growing for some time, because Mike won’t tell her he loves her - even more mysteriously, he’s never even written “Love, Mike” on any of his letters he sent her. 

With both Mike and El continuing to pretend that all is fine between them, they continue to interact in a strange, phony way that feels over-the-top and false. It sort of feels like we’re watching an imitation of a romance movie airport reunion, rather than seeing any genuine emotion from both of these characters we’ve come to know (the only genuine moment we see is a glimpse of El’s disappointment and weariness when she initially reads ‘From, Mike’ again.) 

More under the cut ‘cos this is probably going to be pretty long. 

As mentioned in this post (watch the video!) Mike just... isn’t really looking at El at any point throughout the remainder of this scene. Instead, there are a lot of quick, furtive glances in her vague direction (and arguably, at Will) that indicate he’s very distracted.  Again, Mike and El are only shown making genuine eye contact for one very brief moment, right at the end of the scene when he kisses her on the forehead (and they’re still playing their Everything Is Fine And We’re So Happy game). 

Next we see Mike and El continuing their strange charade at the roller rink, and still, they’re barely making any eye contact. Not whilst on the rink, not when fetching their skates, not when they’re sat at the table. It’s all quick, emotionless, detached looks, like there’s some weird disconnect between them. 

After El’s lies of the past six months come to light, the charade of the happy couple is finally broken. After this, the camera deliberately shows Mike and El’s mutual refusal to make eye contact with the other. There’s no point in pretending anymore: things are not okay between them. 

At the beginning of the following scene, El’s back is turned. When she finally turns to face Mike so they can look each other in the eye, she’s now standing over him. There’s a visual imbalance; they’re not on the same level (literally and figuratively). 

When we finally get to see genuine eye contact between Mike and El, it’s during a scene that is directly juxtaposed with one between Mike and Will. The difference between the two scenes is stark, as has been pointed out plenty of times (special shoutout to “You never say it / I say it” and “I didn’t say it / You didn’t have to”). 

Beyond the obvious narrative choices (a fight and break up / an apology and reconciliation), we also see how Will initially has his back turned to Mike, but keeps turning to make prolonged eye contact with him. Eventually, he turns his body towards Mike, remaining at a similar eye level.

It’s this deliberate positioning that creates the emotional tension in Mike and Will’s scene: they’re eye-to-eye, on the same level, their eye contact uninterrupted for several long moments. They’re in sync with each other. They’re connected.  (Again, this reading is irregardless of Mike’s sexuality or any preferred ship. I’m just reading what the cinematography and direction is putting down. At this point in the show’s timeline, Mike and Will’s ten year long friendship is blatantly shown as the more compatible bond in comparison to Mike and El’s tumultuous and uncertain relationship.) 

After El and Mike’s fight, El is arrested. Whilst there are honest emotions displayed during the scene where she’s taken away in the police van, there’s still a visual imbalance. Mike stands at the window with the promise to fix the situation, whilst El sits detatched and weary once again, her eye contact hesitant. As the police van retreats, we see the distance physically grow between them. (I personally believe that moment was symbolic of El finally letting go of Mike in a romantic sense, but that’s not what this post is about).  The most genuine shot we get of Mike and El in this entire season is this reunion in the desert: 

In this moment, however brief, Mike and El are on the same page. The relief and love shared between the two is palpable. It’s a deliberate close up shot (just as deliberate as the blocking of Will stood on his marker in the background, but again, that’s not what this post is about). Despite their relationship issues, it’s clear that they care deeply for each other, and Mike is obviously glad to see that El is still alive after learning she was being hunted by the government. 

We get one more visual clue/costume choice that, along with the rest of what I’ve talked about in this post, could be another indication that something is still preventing Mike and El from fully seeing eye-to-eye: 

This is probably my favorite moment between the two, simply because we get to see Mike acting... well, more like himself for the first (and only) time with El this season. He’s allowing himself to be goofy. He wants things to remain light-hearted. He wants to cheer her up, and make her laugh.  However, the air isn’t fully clear between them. Things remain unspoken, unresolved. El smiles fondly, but she knows that, after their fight, it’s finally time to speak openly and honestly with each other.  The cinematography shows that they’re finally on the same level, eye-to-eye, truly looking at the other...

... only, before we get to hear what El actually wanted to discuss with Mike, we’re all interrupted by Argyle.  ^ This is the peak of Mike and El’s mutual understanding this season. 

Because after that, we’re left with the infamous monologue scene. Here, we’re shown a visual imbalance yet again. Instead of an improvement, we’re going backwards. Not only are Mike and El now on different planes of existence, El cannot even see Mike as he gives her his monologue, let alone maintain eye contact. She has her eyes shut, completely blind, trapped, and unable to respond. 

The only reaction we see are her facial expressions, which alone as a storytelling device is a deliberately ambiguous choice of the writers and directors to use. They want the audience to keep guessing how El feels about everything Mike said until the end of this narrative arc (which we’ll get to in the final season). 

To finish up, we see El and Mike sitting apart in the van. There is no interaction between them. The scene in the hospital room briefly shows El placing her head on Mike’s chest, whilst he wraps an arm around her shoulder. They’re comforting each other in their grief, which indicates they’re on good terms - however, it’s important to remember that this entire scene is more about Max’s death than anything else.  We learn through Mike and Will’s shared look that El has not opened up to anyone about restarting Max’s heart. 

We don’t get a single verbal interaction between Mike and El after the monologue, and instead we’re told that El is keeping her distance (“Did she... talk to you at all? / Not much. I mean, a little.”) Again, this is clearly a deliberate choice to keep the audience hooked until the next season. This storyline is not over. It’s one of many cliffhangers written into the show so that we all tune in to Season 5 to see what happens next.  If we pay attention to El’s behavior in the cabin at the end of the season, it’s obvious that she’s displeased with Mike and/or Will. It’s up to us as an audience to speculate why that could be, and try to fill in the gaps.  Bonus last shot:

TL;DR: M*leven is bones

#I don't believe mike is straight but i think it's even more obvious that m*leven is in trouble when you realise #that IF you read these scenes thinking mike was straight (lol) #it doesn't change anything between mike and el #they're unhappy #that monologue didn't magically fix everything #they're incompatible and the show made a lot of effort to show it #st4 thoughts #anti m*leven #byler #<- target audience #long post

[sillyunicorn]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers 💫

thank you @mostlymaudlin for the tag <3 tagging @facewithoutheart @martsonmars @cutestkilla and @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

68! Which is…wild. Six of them are songs though.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

126,027 - dang!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Primarily the simon snow series and all for the game. I recently got into young royals so a few there as well, plus one each for a couple other shows I like.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Like rory my top 5 are all andreil! aftg has a large and voracious readership. Better than Sex (4k, T) / Eating Well (1k, T) / Needing/Getting (3k, T) / Friendly Neighborhood Vamp (.5k, T) / Soak up the Sun (.5k, T)

Rest under the cut!

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Usually yes! Sometimes I go through spells of not replying…but I’m grateful for every single kudos and comment, it’s amazing and wonderful <3

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

This is tough bc i love me a happy ending and i don’t really do angst anyway lmao. My joke answer is my crack andreil fic Monday, but maybe the real answer is my snowbaz fic+song Breakable bc I left off before things get fully resolved (but it is clearly hopeful imo).

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

The happiEST?? Hmmm. I think my overall Happiest fic might be like, Mon Chou? And Better than Sex. both of those are just like, gooey with happiness. And both have happy endings so I’ll say one of them. Actually from a different approach I’ll say my time loop fic has the happiest ending bc it’s probably the angstiest thing I’ve written haha so the ending is such a relief. 

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have not!! Super grateful for everyone who leaves lovely warm positive comments on my work <3333 

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not on my own LOL. i do have some M/E fics in my works though thanks to some collabs (see Q13 lol) <3

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I have not! I think about it sometimes….it’s just usually hard for me to imagine a world where all my blorbos live, even though I almost only write AUs…a mystery

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, which is wild!!! I think several of my Vandrew fics and BtS have been translated into russian. Thank you translators, you’re incredible. 

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes!! This was one of my most fun and treasured early fandom experiences with @facewithoutheart and @martsonmars <3 published results include The Chain (i was really just losing my mind in the doc while christina wrote tbh) and The Muse’s Waking which is probably the weirdest thing I’ve ever (partially) written hahah

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Making me chooooooose ugh. Idk man i reread a snowbaz fic today and almost cried and they were my first fandom love so today i’m going to say them <3 

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I recently picked up a fic i abandoned 2 years ago so now i’m like well never say never! But one that’s in my “this is in the past now” pile that i was just thinking about is my andreil Alex Rider (TV) AU. i actually had an idea for how to get around the bit i was stuck on while rewatching Alex Rider the other day sooo…. But likely still abandoned

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think, somewhat incongruously, 1) writing concisely and 2) setting a mood. I think both these things are true in say Weightless (andreil, 1k, T).

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

PLOT. plot is so hard. That’s too broad of an answer so i’ll say, keeping multiple storylines/arcs progressing at once. I don’t do it much. It’s a fun challenge though. I usually write little one-shot, single-conflict fics bc that comes easier for me. 

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Love it. Not fluent in any other language enough to really do it justice but i’d like to.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I think i wrote some hp and some jane austen fic before i ever got into Fandom Proper lol. First published fandom was for the Simon Snow Series <3

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

I think the one i’ve gone back to the most is Weightless. I set it in one of my favorite IRL places and it has tender blood drinking so. How could I beat that, really?

#phew this was a journey #thank you for coming on it with me #tag game

[ofmermaidstories]

hello, darling mermsy!! i’m back, yet again, with another brainrot proposal for you — but this time for our blasty boy!

we’ve heard of dekules, but are we ready for bakushang? shangkugo? (basically just katsuki as li shang, i’m realising only now that there’s no easy way to merge their names together <//3) they’re both tall, dark, brooding, but are soft and caring if you get through to them deep enough. our courageous, troublemaking Y/N and the newly appointed captain of the emperor’s army, bakugo katsuki! what a perfect match!!

i believe this isn’t by any means an original idea!! i know andy has a fic about this (it’s absolutely incredible, melted my brain just three chapters in) if u haven’t already read it!!! just wanted to get your take on this if u haven’t already done one yet, bc i recently rewatched the 1998 mulan and had the lightbulb to word vomit about this to you!!!

hansy!!! my love!!! i’m sorry, i meant to slip into your inbox to wish you well/ask how your exams went—are you free from the perils of schoolwork, yet??? you’re so clever, i bet you did well. 🥺🍀

but okay let’s play, LOL. War Paint was one of the very first BNHA x Reader fics I ever read so I will always be fiercely loyal to it!!! Saying that, and I mean this with nothing but absolute love Andy, DONT @ ME, but reading War Paint gave me less Mulan vibes and more Song of the Lionness ones.

(Simplifying it—really simplifying it—a girl pretends to be her twin brother so she can train as a knight! There’s lots of magic and even some romance and Tamora Pierce has been one of my favourite authors since I was a kid!)

I think it has to do with the fact that War Paint is focused on barrack/training/castle life and the subplot with the thief—whereas when I think of Mulan, I think of war.

Mulan is one of my favourite 🅱️isney movies!!! I first saw it when my primary school had a fundraiser—they set up a projector and screened Mulan and I very distinctly remember being overwhelmingly excited as the opening credits started (I nearly choked on my red twists/twizzlers) and my Dad telling me I had to be quiet LOL. If I had to make a graphic showcasing all the fundamental pieces of media to both my personality and who I became as a person, Mulan would be centre of it. 🥹

(PSA: true to your heart is a bop and has been in my liked songs on spotty ever since i’ve had an account!)

Tbh, I’d never seriously tackle a Mulan-inspired fic just out of respect for Andie Trousers Multipled by Several, but if I did, I would absolutely play hard into the war angle LOL. Maybe even indulge in some war crimes!!! You know that scene where they finally make it to the village in the pass and it’s been burnt to the ground? Yeah. Yeah. 😌 I think we can ramp that up. Have our Reader and Captain Bakugou & Co engage in some Revenge War Crimes. People are bastards in wars already, without feeling justified about it. I was literally just watching a documentary the other week about some Aussie soldier who’s facing trial (has faced trial?) for being an absolute cunt—one of his lighter cruelties involved him shooting a family’s tied-up dog as he searched their home, so take that, take the power people feel like they have when you give them a weapon and a uniform, and then put them in front of a massacred village and see what happens next. 🔪

And idk id guess there’d be a romance in there somewhere too. 💀💀💀💀 tbh im more interested in the war tho LOL. (BECAUSE!!!! LISTEN!!! i like a challenge!!!!!!!! And I think trying to fic-ify an AU that dovetails closely to the (🅱️isney) Mulan tale brings up a lot of interesting questions when it comes to world-building, and like what you need to avoid/honour, especially if you’re borrowing from an actual, real world culture for it. The Mulan legend is Chinese, for starters—and My Hero has a Japanese cast written by a Japanese man. So, okay, maybe to simplify things for ourselves we Fantasy-AU it—but then do we eurocentric the world around them, to play it safe? Is that less playing it safe and more whitewashing? My Hero being Japanese informs the canon characters, which are traits that spill over into our fanon. Traits that we love! So is it a disservice to them to strip them of it, just so we can play War? Does this stripping make it worse when we bring in atrocities like slain villagers, and revenge acts? Do we honour canon by letting them keep their Quirks? How badly does that ramp up things then???? Like, idk, I could literally bang on about this for hours (and have, in the group chat LMAO im sorry besties 😭))

This is literally too much overthinking for your ask, Hansy, I’m sorry. 😭 ITS IMPORTANT THO. Because the world around them informs our characters!!!! So pretending we sort all that out, now we have our upstart, hot-as-shit Captain Bakugou, who has idolised General Toshinori for years now—and he’s out to prove he can train the best of them!!! Except he’s working with like, farm boys! Gutter-rats, given the choice of this or execution! Maybe there’s a cohort of like, genuine scrappers, but Captain Baku here has deliberately been given the bottom of the conscript list: this is a test. And I!! Personally!!! Think that should make him an utter bastard when dealing with our Reader!!! I think in canon, Bakugou is like, learning that people need more than to be told “u suck, do better” so I like to believe Captain Bakugou would try—maybe he and his lil friends learnt hard in a trial by fire when they were kids, during the First War—so he’s earnt this leadership role. But he’s used to fighting with peers! Peers that knew what they were doing! And now he has to oversee the training of like, the most inept civilians he’s ever witnessed! I think we could justify him losing his cool—specifically with our Reader. 😌

A Reader who doesn’t take it!!! I’ve always liked that in 🅱️isney’s Mulan, she does it for her father. So I’d give that same motivation to our Reader—a tomboy who’s always been better at giving the village boys a run for their money in their little games, who’s always wanted to go and play with them when they roughhouse. Maybe to make things more interesting, we introduce a fiancé—one of those same village boys! They grow up together, have an arranged match. Maybe he’s genuinely kind, in love with Reader whereas Reader’s just kinda like, ho-hum—but then the War pt. 2 rolls in, and he’s swept off in the first round of conscription (so that there’s no one left to volunteer in Reader’s place for her dad, in the next round!).

Oh. You know what? We could ramp up that massacred village scene by making his platoon or whatever they’re called the ones that were stationed there—so Reader finds fiancé’s helmet!!!!! And then she’s all like, omg, 😧. And then she could tie it to her saddlebags and eventually bring it home to his folks. 🥺

(Reader and Bakugou could prop themselves up in their grief, maybe? Because I know in the film the stationed army is overseen by Li Shang’s father, right? So maybe in this version it’s like, idk, Jeanist or Edgeshot or something. Maybe Endeavour? Less because I think Bakugou would be cut up about it, and more because that means we could throw Todoroki in there as well, like, presumed dead (and then he’s NOT because I know Andy would have my head if I killed off her Special Angel Man in a fic!!!), but then that means in the meantime that Bakugou can mourn one of his besties (and they are besties!!!)).

I don’t want a dumbass Bakugou, either, so I think we’d have to follow Andy’s lead and have our Captain clue in early-on that Reader has been lying about their identity. And Bakugou just admires tenacity so he’s less like omg my gendernorms are being called into question and more like FUCK why won’t this useless extra get better at FIGHTING??? That could also maybe make any romantic moments kinda interesting—Reader could have this whole internal thing of, oh my God, he doesn’t know the truth, I’m terrible, is he going to be embarrassed when he finds out??? And then you have the actual reveal—someone else making the discovery, and wanting Reader executed for it, and then Bakugou’s refusal to do so is less a begrudging “you saved my life, and now my debt is paid” and more a silent confession of his feelings!!!!

I just—there’s so much you could do!! There’s so much you could do with all of that!!! Urk!!!! I wanna rip into it with my TEETH. I just—aJFDLKSFJLKSDFJLdmfhfskdmhj.

#ofmermaidstories-asks #hansluv: one last hope (and it’s you) 🏺🌷✨ #tw: animal cruelty #tw: war #tw: death #mermaids drag people underwater: dark content

[lesbianlotties]

20 questions for fic writers

thanks for tagging me @lilolilyr !! ily <33

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

120 works!

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

oh i didn't want to be outed on this but... 1,262,993

3. What fandoms do you write for?

i have written for 18 fandoms! currently i'm only writing for yellowjackets. but i might write more for ronance, i could update the warrior nun fic. and who knows, maybe a new season/movie will get me writing wednesday and the old guard again!

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Aftermath Kudos: 3,605 - aka "holy shit a lot of people were reading wednesday fanfic huh??"

make my menace into someone you'd adore Kudos: 2,179 - ronance coworkers enemies to lovers my beloved!

through the grief can't fight the feeling of relief Kudos: 1,381 - very soft warrior nun fic

five times Deena and Sam met in secret (and one time they didn’t)  Kudos: 1,154 - ngl i didn't think fear street fics got these many kudos but this was a lovely time!

Elvis cloned by aliens (you never know...) Kudos: 912 - it's literally insane to me that a one shot got this many kudos! (let's get it to 1k? 👀)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes!! i think like 99% of the time. i just love it so much. i love saying thank u because i'm genuinely SO thankful for every comment. and i have a feeling if i reply it might inspire people to leave more comments. and also sometimes it's a chance to just talk more about the fic! which i love doing, there's nothing like getting to talk about it

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hmmm i don't love writing angsty endings, as you'll see by the fact that i wrote these two super angsty endings and then i went and wrote a sequel/alternate ending for both ghsjfdghkdfjg but anyway there's:

I'm sorry (it should've been me) - nancy tells robin she loves her but she's too late (in the rain)

If I could hold you for a minute (darling, I'd go through it again) - laura lee reincarnated as the bear and you know what happened to it

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

oh most of them lmao hmm i think i’m going to go for these “everyone survived post canon and they move in together to be happy and heal as a family” Extremely Uneventful Subject for tog and Who would I be without you, without them? for yellowjackets

8. Do you get hate on fic?

hmmm no i think that’s never happened! the closest thing might have been someone suggesting i always killed certain character when it’s the entire opposite. or the funny alternative, when someone literally only mentioned the men in the background of the story in every single comment they left lol but even those were mostly nice comments!

9. Do you write smut?

i do yes! not much and i only yielded and started writing it recently but i’ve loved it so far lol four of my most popular yj fics are smut, one of them is one of my favorites ever, and there’s that one ronance fic i posted on anon first… iykyk

10. Do you write crossovers?

i’ve done two! Immortals and Librarians for tog and gunpowder milkshake and (Red) Room For 8 for ocean’s 8 and hill house

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of!! hopefuly not

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! 【翻译】Being with you (Makes the flame burn good) by R_H_Felidae_Athena

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i have tried but they haven’t been posted/finished yet :(

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

okay so that’s a Tough question. judging by amount of fic written it’s robin and nancy, my current favorite is lottie and laura lee, but i also just rewatched bly manor and let me tell you, there’s no one at the level of dani and jamie <3

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?

there’s too many 😭 going as far back as the ocean’s 8 days there's the haunted house one, then fear street enemies to lovers, my warrior nun fic, yellowjackets coffee shop au, and all the ideas i haven’t even started ghsjfdghjf

16. What are your writing strengths?

oh don't do this to me. i literally never know what to reply to this. i... well i'd like to think i'm good at characterization and maybe dialogue!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

hmm i think i have a serious lack of discipline that means i only write when the mood is right and i will never stick to a schedule or plan or routine lol and okay i'll admit it, i might be too lazy to do the research necessary to write certain things/stories so i just avoid them 😭 but in my defense it's because too much research for academic reasons made me allergic to it

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

hm. i did this somewhat regularly with the old guard and in one ronance fic but looking back i don’t love it very much, it’s just okay i guess. this is just for me personally!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

ocean’s 8 hgsjdfghjf closely followed by the haunting of hill house

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

VERY very tough question!! they’re all my babies and i couldn’t possibly pick any fav- actually i have a few! but i’ll keep it to 3 special ones that funnily enough are far from being my most popular ones (pls read them i worked so so hard on them)

God's very simple and love shouldn't burn - aka my lottielee manifesto! 

If you rewrite your life, may I still play a part? - stranger things, nancy wheeler choose your own adventure fic!

my heart (is like a haunted house) - tog, andy falls in love with quynh’s ghost

tagging: @natscatorrcio @dufrau @eskawrites @scorchedhearth @sapphicscience @yee-hawlw @reesesfastbreak (if you want to! no pressure!) and pls pls anyone that sees this and wants to share say i tagged u!

#sorry it took so long life kept happening Right as i was writing this hgsjdfhgjf #this was fun!! #thank you for tagging me!!

[nothingneverforever]

Stuff I’ve just watched and almost completely did not enjoy

First, Superstore (2015-2021): I watched this show mostly while getting ready for work in the morning or brushing my teeth at night, really just moments where I’m not focusing much and needing to wind up/down, but there were probably only 5 minutes of all the six seasons that I enjoyed even remotely. I know it seems to be a sitcom must-have but really, does every character have to be unlikable? Is that really the only way to depict realness? And I don’t think they were intended to all be insufferable but then again, how could the characters not intentionally have been written that way? Were we actually supposed to feel endeared to their irritating qualities? Which never changed from start to end btw

Did I cry from being utterly moved in the last 10 minutes of the very last episode of the sixth season, yes. Does that mean anything, absolutely not omfg in fact as I’m typing this I’m reminded more and more of how irritating this shit was… and why do Americans only know how to write about or talk about or involve themselves in sex? Can fucking grow up or not seriously

Ok fuck this shit too I’m sorry I am not anywhere near invested enough to find a better or more effective or astute way of conveying this complaint. When this film first showed up on my home page, I was okayishly-interested since I find Gabrielle Union likeable enough (also thinking of her makes me think of her husband who makes me think of LeBron which is an ever-pleasant experience naturally) but also the male lead Keith Powers is someone who bring such nostalgia, I remember being in my teens and following the fashion world quite closely for whatever nonsense reason and specifically keeping up with the models and runway shows for the sake of saving the pictures as inspiration for my then-“art” creation (OGs remember howmanybrothers…). Anyway, I remember Keith from this era so well : https://black-boys.tumblr.com/post/89627223362/keith-powers-calvin-klein-ss-15/amp

And of course, I excused or perhaps even allowed the ridiculous age gap the leads have (IRL as well as in the show which is about 20 years) because ummmm feminismmsms and reverse sexism ain’t real right gang 😂😅 but anyway yes obviously I was entering into my viewing ready to enjoy a joke of an experience but

Bruh

Fuck this disgusting shit dude

Yes, the leads are talking about sex and yes, the male character wants to ruin and destroy and demolish the female character in this context …. Shocking!!!!!!!!!

We really can’t have one single fucking romance movie that isn’t pornified in language or imagery or reference huh

Anyway I stopped the movie at that point obviously cos I fucking died

And then again obviously I continued about 3 hours later when I’d run out of cat videos to watch and I need constant constant feed of media input lest I pause and think about work or the rest of my life and add to my alter act overwhelming amount of stress….

And the movie got worse guys she got preggers and they stayed together also she is his mom’s age in the show and they are long-time nemeses so yea 😂😂😂 this is the society liberals want?!!!??!!!??

May my next Netflix watch be something lovely and warm and real and no freaking stupid idiot sex references or scene or whatever boring unimaginative shiat pls…

Anyway I rewatched Haunting of Hill House recently and it was the best ever hehe!

[fiireside]

When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love.

i was tagged by @tightredpants and @elorianna !!! this was actually v fun to do and i loved reading everyone else’s and hearing what you guys think of your own writing :) so interesting and adds a whole new layer to my appreciation of your works 

1: time in a bottle

the story of Alex and Miles’ relationship, told through the myriad of ways to say “I love you” without using such words

my big bang fic! i spent SO long working on this one, coming up w how to use each of the 100 ways to say i love you (though i only used like 30 of them cos all 100 would’ve been insane), planning out how to line the ideas up w their lives, writing and rewriting every scene... i think i rewrote each at least once, most of them more than that, lol. i reread this fic the other night after not having read it in a WHILE and it actually held up for me. i love how it all came together, how full circle the first and last vignettes are, the way you see their relationship develop thru the little snippets over time. it’s my longest fic too which i treat as an accomplishment cos i usually don’t have the stamina to finish a longer idea.

2: you’re my top 100 shows

in a better, happier universe, Miles goes home to Alex after all his shows, and this is probably (hopefully) what happens

UGH i love this one. if time in a bottle hadn’t been a product of so much hard work this would be my favorite of all my fics. it came to me so naturally, i’m not even kidding when i say the entire fic was inspired by one comment a friend of mine at the time made. she was talking about miles’ look and vibe during the coup de grace tour and how the fluffy hair and makeup and everything makes him look very ‘ruffled and soft’ and ‘buzzed and content’ ... no joke those words inspired the whole fic. and they’re of course in there :) i could just see the whole story in my head and i wrote it in one sitting like a maniac. i also just love alex being fully obsessed w miles and miles treating alex like he’s made of glass. hehe. plus i’m weak for middle of the night sleepy sex. so yeah. definitely one of my fav fics of mine.

3: a wonderful week

“It’s been a wonderful week, hasn’t it, Miles?”

my first fic!!! this was so fun to write, i wasn’t even writing it at first with the intention of posting it, i just rewatched that interview and the look on alex’s fucking face when he says it, knowing how all their shows during that wonderful week had gone... ugh. they’re so gay the fic just wrote itself basically

4: never get tired of dancing (with you)

Miles and Alex are both going back on tour this year, and it makes Alex a bit nervous.

this is my most recent fic after not having written in literally years and i’m honestly very pleased with how it turned out. it’s been a hot minute since i’ve written anything and my life has been insane since january but i finally sat down and properly listened to miles’ new album and it just opened the floodgates. i had a vague idea from a while ago for a fic where alex is having a bad day and miles comforts him and i started trying to flesh out that idea but it turned into this fic somehow. i rly enjoy writing alex’s overthinking and miles helping him through it by simplifying the issue alex has made so complex in his head cos it’s what i imagine their dynamic to be irl and i feel like demonstrates why they are so good for each other. they’re v different people but they complement each other so beautifully and clearly would go to the ends of the earth for the other and it just warmed my heart to make a little world for them again ❤️

5: saturn’s return

saturn’s return is when the planet saturn comes back to meet your natal saturn in your late 20s and early 30s. it is a wake-up call, and this is why so many fear it’s sobering realities. if you’ve spent your twenties in a fog, coasting on your youthful charm, it becomes obvious that your foundation is too flimsy for the long haul. sometimes we make life choices before we really know who we are. at saturn’s return, some of these choices are revealed to be out of sync with our true destiny.

ah yes. saturn’s return. this one is very special to me even tho i rarely reread it since it makes me cringe for some reason. i had such a cathartic time writing it, like i wrote the whole thing in a day or two and posted it kind of hastily cos barely a day later i decided it actually wasn’t finished and went and wrote like 8k more words and had to repost it lmao. but i am proud of it, it was a cool concept to build a story around and it also was super validating how well it was received and all the comments i got definitely motivated me to keep writing and made me feel like a part of the little milex bubble on here with you all :)

so yeah :) most of the fic writers i would tag have already done this so i tag whoever wants to do it and specifically my love @yellowloid 🥰

#milex #milex fanfiction

[lunarwildrose]

Tag game! :3

Favourite time of the year: Autumn when the leaves are changing (my favourite time to take walks, plus I feel most inspired in the Autumn), and Spring when the cherry blossoms are briefly blooming (I love going to the cherry blossom festival best♡).

Comfort food: Cheese pizza (can have on my diet), mac n cheese (only on cheat days) … basically, cheese anything, although I really want a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sammich again. I’m on a diet so I haven’t had one since before the day I started keto in April.

Favourite Dessert: Strawberry cheesecake mini snack bars, and strawberry ice cream, on keto. Otherwise, strawberry cheesecake, and strawberry fruit bars, on cheat days.

Things you collect: Fox stuffies, and merch related to Karasu. I am also blessed enough to have luvly friends and mutuals who send me Karasu-related merch and handmade gifts especially made for me, too! :3 ♡

Favourite musical artist: Tie between Atsushi Sakurai (frontman of BUCK-TICK) for male vocalists, and Amy Lee (frontwoman of Evanescence) for female vocalists. What I like about them, aside from both having cool dark images, is that they're both basically Gothic rock, and sing about Dream-and-Death-related imagery. ♡

Last song you listened to: “Hold” by The Pierces, my most personal favourite song, as it purrfectly describes my romance with Karasu. ♡

Last movie you watched: Thor: Love And Thunder in theatre with my brothers. It was funny, but also sad! Made me appreciate the human characters more, especially Jane who I couldn't stand before. Valkyrie is still best girl, tho! ;3 ♡

Last series you watched: The Vampire Diaries, or Yu Yu Hakusho, I don’t remember, cos I did rewatch Karasu vs. Kurama recently.

Series you're currently watching: The Vampire Diaries with Micky, but he’s so busy nowadays that we haven’t watched in a while. We had just finished Season 3, so Elena just became a vampyre (finally), but I’m eager and restless to get around to The Originals, cos I’m a slut for Elijah for his resemblance to Hubby (which is Leopold, my old fictional husband in our original stories, not my current fictional husband/SO in my imaginary world being Karasu).

Current obsession: Karasu … as usual. And Gothic art and fiction too, also as usual. Gothic rock and symphonic metal, too, again as usual. I've recently became fascinated by religion again, too, though. There's so many things modern worldly-based Christians, and especially the Catholics, get wrong about God's Word in The Bible.

A dream place to visit: Rockport, Mass. - I still want to meet my music/art hero and old crush, David Robinson (drummer and artist for The Cars) in person. We just talk online for the past decade, and he’s active in my DR Fanclub on Facebook these days now.

A place you’ve been that you want to go back to: Ansonia, Conn. for the Autumn and Harvest Festivals.

Something you want: Peace of mind … namely: mental stability, and better physical health.

Currently working on: My mental and physical health. I’ve lost nearly 40lbs in five months so far, even on a “dirty” keto diet (I still eat too many sniks, lol), and haven’t exercised or walked in forever, due to chronic fatigue and physical aches and pains … I want to incorporate walking and exercise back into my life again, so I can further lose weight, get fit and flexible again, and just feel better in general about my body. I have severe body dysmorphic disorder and am in remission from bulimia nervosa eating disorder (though I still binge eat, and starve myself out of hatred, I'll admit), on top of an inferiority complex, so I always am feeling horrible having to see (and can't help comparing my chubby ass to) models on social media, and ads online and in RL, all the time (mostly Photoshopped and using pretty, flattering filters, I know, on top of already unrealistic beauty standards, but still ... it affects my mental health seeing them all the time - can't help it).

#personal #tag #Karasu #Atsushi Sakurai #Amy Lee #Gothic #Goth #Autumn #Spring #mental health #physical health

[zalrb]

Ok this isn’t a full thought yet, just instinctively wanted to ask you what you think, so bare with me haha… but I was bored checked out Jessica Szor’s gg podcast (basically bts interviews) and hearing them talk about ed & leighton is so interesting?? Because I’ve recently discussed DE with a friend (politely explaining to a casual watcher why they suck lol) and was re-browsing your masterlists to send her some posts. And I rarely think of chair anymore (although I did ship them) unless grouped/compared with DE like asks you get. And aside from your many posts comparing chemistry, or damon vs chuck + klaus charm, and earned narratives… I think an under-the-radar difference that the cast, casting director, savage&schwartz have each brought up without prompting is the way they adapted the writing in gg *because* of chair’s chemistry. On its own just interesting, BUT it strikes me as possibly a defining significance vs DE who are the opposite, everything about DE was forced and contrived because of an intended narrative, whereas chair had chemistry and the writers followed that to play with it the best they could. Are they comparable ships and similarly problematic? Yes. But chair feels like they saw the chemistry and were like… OK how can we write for this? While delena was like we want this narrative and dynamic… how can we write this no matter what? I feel like I’m not getting at the light bulb moment I had very well, but it’s just that I forgot that chair were not all planned and so the writing(from the seasons i watched at least) did everything possible *despite* their dynamic that the writers understood(you know… not JP thinking DE could kiss s1 and make sense) to let that shine, and chair was such a defining thing for gg because of that. DE may have been the “chair of tvd” vibe, even in popularity, but this feels like a huge reason why chair are a toxic ship I enjoy watching and when compared to delena I’m like… but no? Ugh, I’m so sorry this is so long, I hope you actually have a response and might be able to help me illustrate and interpret what felt like a simple thought lmao. 😅

Uh, I'm not really sure what the intended point here is except that the writers wrote to Chair chemistry and that worked because their chemistry elevated the show -- although frankly, I don't think it worked past season 2 when their narrative interrupted their chemistry and after rewatching season 1, I found that I found certain things a bit intense for the scenes we got but it didn’t matter because I went along with it due to the chemistry  -- and the TVD writers tried to force a Damon and Elena dynamic and that didn't work, which I've spoken about before in different ways:

and for TVD, I just speak about how JP and co know when there’s chemistry because they stay out of the way when the scene partners interact but they stubbornly hold on to dynamic because it doesn’t fit their vision of the show

but I mostly speak about that in relation to Bamon: 

and how Dobsley were given Silas/Amara and Katherine/Stefan so their chemistry could go somewhere 

and then they just stopped interacting or when they did interact only spoke about Damon and sometimes Caroline 

it’s all very deliberate

[megan-loves-surveys]

#20.

If I could choose what decade I was born in, I’d choose… The 80's is fine.

The first thing I’d do after winning the lottery is… Sit back for a bit and consider how to spend it without going crazy and losing it all.

The videos that always make me laugh are… Mock The Week, I rewatch them all the time and they're always funny even if I've seen them like 10 times already.

A trend I really love is… Not sure.

One of my most original costumes was… I've never really dressed up for anything.

Between sunrises and sunsets, I prefer… Sunsets.

If for one day I could be invisible or fly, I’d choose to… Fly.

My perfect pizza looks like… Hawaiian.

I wish I had hair like… Mercedes Mone, especially when she had her long blue or purple hair. Absolute perfection <3

If I could be feared by all or loved by all, I’d choose to be… Loved I guess lol.

Once in my life, I’d like to cut my hair like… I don't want to cut my hair.

My feelings about coconut flavour are… Love it! The texture sucks, but the flavour is yummy.

One of my favorite writers is… Rachel Caine. RIP.

My favorite mode of transportation is… Car.

One of my favorite singers is… Ayumi Hamasaki.

When I go to a new restaurant and have no idea what to order I… Look at the menu and then just order fish & chips or pasta LOL.

What’s a favorite hobby of yours? Reading Wiki articles, especially about geography.

I think a good source of therapy is… Depends.

A friend who I can always be myself around is… My boyfriend if he counts.

A friend who always makes me laugh is… Ngawari.

Something helpful to lose weight is… A balance of eating healthy and working out. And the occasional splurge cos if you don't, you'll go insane.

In the shower, I like to sing… Sometimes.

The furthest I’ve ever traveled is… The UK. Literally on the opposite side of the world, takes 24 hours to get there.

The best car I’ve ever owned is… I've never had a car.

A party I had so much fun at was… David's birthday dinner.

A fear of mine is… Spiders.

My favorite season is… Summer.

If you knew me well, you’d gift me… Converse, Spotify or Steam giftcards or anything Pokémon related.

Between movies and TV, which would you prefer? TV.

A new year’s resolution I haven’t been able to accomplish yet is… I only had one and it was to keep going to the gym.

The image that best reflects my personality is… Too lazy to find one lol.

Who do you know who makes the best French toast? I don't really like French toast.

What was the last thing you ate that had cheese on it? I had mac & cheese last night.

What is your favourite pizza parlour? Pizza Hut.

Name three things you like about winter. My birthday, cute clothes and wearing Converse all the time xD

Is winter your favourite season? It's my least favourite, it sucks.

Do you know anyone whose favourite season is winter, and if yes, who? Probably.

What is the most frustrating thing that’s happened to you recently? I was on reception at work and the computer died on me - usually it's quiet and I wouldn't even get anybody coming into the office while I got it back up and running (the reception computer is old and crappy, I've been trying to convince my boss to get a new one lol). But of course this time, 4 people came in while I was trying to figure out why the computer died. I had to tell them I couldn't do anything - they were understanding except this woman who got mad at me and literally stood there tapping her foot. She was so annoying, I was more frustrated with her than the computer lol.

Are you happy today? Yeah, today was good.

Who is someone you’ve been enjoying watching on YouTube recently? I watched literally all of Matt Rose's videos last week, lol. He's so hilarious, check him out.

What’s your favorite song at the moment? Girls Aloud - Disco Bunny

Are your hands dry right now? Not particularly.

Do you own pajamas with llamas on them? No. But now I kinda want to xD

Would you ever wear hot pink cat-eye glasses? No.

What is something you’ve been undecided about recently, if anything? When I should get my hair done again - the purple in my hair still looks good, but the roots are growing out lmao.

How often do you use the toaster? Maybe once a week.

Have you ever made a dreamcatcher? No.

If applicable, what color boombox did you have as a kid? I had a stereo, it was silver lol.

Would you rather dress up as a zombie or a unicorn for Halloween? Unicorn.

Who was the last of your friends to have a baby? I think... Jennifer?

What’s the most ridiculous thing you���ve heard lately? Oh, I dunno.

Can you see snow out your window right now? It doesn't snow where I live.

What are three of your favorite things to do when it snows? -

Have you ever contemplated shaving your head, and if so, why? Hell no.

What types of cancer are in your family? None. Thank god.

What color socks are you wearing? None.

Which cartoon character looks the most like you? None, lol.

Which family member did you get your height from? Both sides, cos I'm short and both of my parents are too. It's funny though cos my Uncle on my Mum's side is over 6 foot, but my Mum is 5'4" lol.

Do you believe in the supernatural? No.

What color looks the worst on you? Pink tbh.

What year were you born? 1987.

Do you own a pair of plaid pants? Yes.

Which TV channel did you watch the most as a kid? TV2.

Who is your favorite cousin? Patrick, he was always cool and nice to me.

Do you prefer black tea, herbal tea, or green tea? I don't like tea.

What do you think of hypnosis? Do you believe in it? I think it's kinda cool even if it's not really real.

What’s your favorite fast food restaurant? KFC. I could eat that shit all the time LOL.

What would a Lisa Frank version of you look like? No idea.

If you had to choose a country to live in besides your own, which country would you choose? UK. Or maybe Australia, next door to home.

What’s the most dangerous thing that’s happened to you recently? Recently? Um... hmm.

What color ink did the last pen you wrote with have? Blue.

Have you ever had a friend with the same name as you? Yes, a few actually. Spelt the same, cos there's lots of different spellings.

Do you think you look better with long hair or short hair? Longer.

What are three things you are thankful for? Jon Moxley, my boyfriend and music.

What did the last mask you wore look like? It was likely my Mox mask, it's orange and black and has Mox's skull logo on it.

Did you wear a mask today? No, I haven't worn one since 2022!

Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Yes.

Do you ever find youtube’s video recommendations annoying? Yeah, especially when they recommend shit I already watched.

Which did you have first: Myspace or Facebook? I never had Myspace, so Facebook.

What color was your nursery when you were a baby? No clue.

Do you prefer canoeing or kayaking? Never done either.

When was the last time you went kayaking? -

Do you have anyone you can trust? Yes.

What color is/was the last carpet you sat on? Dark blue.

Do you have a rug in your room? I do, it's super soft, I love standing on it for no reason xD

What was the name of the first college dorm you lived in? -

When is the next time you will take a shower/bath? Which one will you take? Tomorrow, probably, after work.

Are you currently waiting on someone to do something for you/to you? Only to talk to David about the IPW show, but it's not till Saturday so I have time still.

As a child, did you ever get the chance to go to Disney World/ Disneyland? No. I live in New Zealand, nowhere near them lol.

What state do you live in? What’s the best aspect about this state? -

Are you someone who is really committed to politics in your area/ country? Politics is boring, the only time I pay attention is when it's election time.

When was the last time you were on a boat? Where did you travel on it? Lemme think... it was definitely in the USA, probably going to the Statue of Liberty haha.

Are you planning on going anywhere with someone, sometime today? Nowhere exciting, I just walked to the takeaways with my Mum earlier.

Does your family ever have any kind of weird traditions in your house? Depends what you consider weird.

When is the next time you will attend a family reunion? Where will it be? I won't, lol.

Do you have any friends who act like they don’t know you in public? No. Pretty shitty of friends to do that.

Do you like cereal? What would you consider your favorite kind of cereal? Love it! My fave is Sultana Bran prob.

Do you find your school to be loaded with hot guys or not so much? -

If you have siblings, have they moved out or do they still live with you? I'm an only child.

Do you ever actually like going to Wal-Mart or is it regularly boring? We don't have it in NZ.

Do you know anyone who has or has had any kind of mental illness/ disorder? Oh definitely.

#survey #surveys #personal survey #random survey

[bleachellie]

finished my yu-gi-oh rewatch that i started in october, god damn 🥹 the yugi vs atem duel from the last 4 episodes is always sooo good!! 🤧 and for the first time i just watched the epilogue that was only included in the japanese version too, and altho it doesn’t add too much (tho it’s nice to see like, rebecca, serenity and all the other characters in it again!!) it’s still bizarre to me they cut it from the dub?? like would it rly have been so hard to include it?? 😵‍💫

so now, before i go onto gx (which i’ve never actually fully watched before 😳) i think what i’m gonna do next is finally watch the toei anime, cos i’ve never actually watched that at all b4, and then also check out the few episodes of 4kids uncut duelist kingdom dub, which i only found out exist recently and is apparently a lot closer to the japanese version 🤔

#ellie talks ygo

[cleflink]

Howdy friend! Your Santa again

I’m glad to hear you enjoy Hakuba! He’s been one of my favorites for awhile, so I hope you can’t fault me for shoving him into an arguably very small role in your gift(s). I’m still working on logistics, but I’m sure you know how the brain rot works.

And yeah, Hakuba really has gotten the short end of the stick it seems. Especially when he has such an interesting dynamic (with characters like Kaito and Heiji) that I feel it goes wasted. He truly brings out the worst in everyone and I think that’s beautiful.

As for Kaito heist’s, I have to agree with you on the Miraculous Air Walk!! I’m still having my own watch through, and I’m only halfway through the series, so I’ve yet to see every KID heist, but Air Walk is HHHHHHHHH! Everything is so fun about it, from the Kaito and Conan interactions to the part with Kaito nearly blowing up. It’s probably the first heist that I actually felt excited for and wanted to know how it ended.

Other than that, I dunno, does the one from Movie 8 count? Surely it shouldn’t, I don’t think he really stole much, let alone put on a show for anyone outside of Conan, but that entire first half of the film was the best thing I had ever seen. The jabs at Conan by disguising as Shinichi? Literally doing everything to get Conan’s attention? The tension on the roof? Truly, I’d say it’s a crime that in all the gif sets I’ve seen for “Magician of the Silver Sky,” not one of them includes the one second of Conan licking his lips while staring KID down. Like, what was that???? Why does no one talk about that?!????

Heck, even the ending was just so fun to watch. “We might die. Give me the six-year-old to help pilot the out of control plane.” Stupid idiot children, I love them all.

So yeah, those are my current favorites so far! If I had to guess, I would say I will enjoy the Teleportation Magic heist more, but I’m not sure! I’m basing that guess solely on the gif sets I’ve seen.

A shame to hear that the episodes don’t hold up as they do in later broadcasts, but at the least we can still have crumbs. Unlike Hakuba, who is starving in the corner.

Take care, my friend!

–DCMKSS

Hello!

I shall never complain about bonus Hakuba. :) Hakuba IS a character who brings out the worst in others, isn't he? (Sorry Hakuba) ^_^;. Always makes me enjoy future fic to see how that dynamic has (or hasn't) changed as they all grow up. I agree with you so much about his relationship with Hattori too. I actually find Hattori and Hakuba a fascinating pair, because they have so few interactions in canon, and yet fandom is like 'yep, I ship it'. Which, honestly, fair. It would be nice to see them get to face off more often in canon. I love seeing people throw the two of them at each other to see what happens.

It also makes me thoroughly enjoy movie 10 where Kaito's tricking them all, and yet Hakuba and Hattori still have the same combative chaos energy as ever. Kaito certainly knows how to sell a part!

I think Movie 8 totally counts! Conan and KID's very literal face-off in that one is such a fantastic opening (and you're absolutely right - that tongue action should be getting a lot more attention! Conan, stop being so thirsty when you look six). I also like how that movie gives us a nice mix of KID and KID-in disguise. Of course KID can convince a plane full of moderately sensible adults to let him have a child as his co-pilot. Him making the police chase him to make the landing strip is one of my favourite 'oh, you clever bastard' moments. Ah, this is making me want to go back and rewatch all the KID movies again (think my job will mind? orz).

Ooh, the Teleportation Heist is another of my absolute favourites. It has a lot of the same energy as the Midair Walk, and I love the solution to how Kaito's pulling off the trick. It also makes my little shipper heart happy in a number of different ways. I hope you enjoy it when you get there! And I also hope that you enjoy the more recent heists more than I have been - KID content is better than no KID content, I guess? Gosho could definitely deliver more on the Hakuba content, though.

Later days!

clef :)

#clef babbles #dcmk secret santa

[mostlymovieswithmax]

Movies I watched in May

Sadly, I kind of skipped writing a post for April. It was a mad month with so much going on: lots of emails sent and lots of stress. I started a new job so I’m getting to grips with that... and even then, I still watched a bunch of movies. But this is about what I watched in May and, yeah… still a bunch. So if you’re looking to get into some other movies - possibly some you’ve thought about watching but didn’t know what they were like, or maybe like the look of something you’ve never heard of - then this may help! So here’s every film I watched from the 1st to the 31st of May 2021 Tenet (2020) - 8/10 This was my third time watching Christopher Nolan’s most Christopher Nolan movie ever and it makes no sense but I still love it. The spectacle of it all is truly like nothing I’ve ever seen. I had also watched it four days prior to this watch also, only this time I had enabled audio description for the visually impaired, thinking it would make it funny… It didn’t.

Nomadland (2020) - 6/10 Chloé Zhao’s new movie got a lot of awards attention. Everyone was hyped for this and when it got put out on Disney+ I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. Seeing these real nomads certainly gave the film an authenticity, along with McDormand’s ever-praisable acting. But generally I found it quite underwhelming and lacking a lot in its pacing. Nomadland surely has its moments of captivating cinematography and enticing commentary on the culture of these people, but it felt like it went on forever without any kind of forward direction or goal. The Prince of Egypt (1998) - 6/10 I reviewed this on my podcast, The Sunday Movie Marathon. For what it is, it’s pretty fun but nowhere near as good as some of the best DreamWorks movies.

Chinatown (1974) - 8/10 What a fantastic and wonderfully unpredictable mystery crime film! I regret to say I’ve not seen many Jack Nicholson performances but he steals the show. Despite Polanski’s infamy, it’d be a lie to claim this wasn’t truly masterful. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) - 8/10 Admittedly I was half asleep as I curled up on the sofa to watch this again on a whim. I watched this with someone who demanded the dubbed version over the subtitled version and while I objected heavily, I knew I’d seen the movie before so it didn’t matter too much. That person also fell asleep about 20 minutes in, so how pointless an argument it was. Howl’s Moving Castle boasts superb animation, the likes of which I’ve only come to expect of Miyazaki. The story is so unique and the colours are absolutely gorgeous. This may not be my favourite from the legendary director but there’s no denying its splendour.

Bāhubali: The Beginning (2015) - 3/10 The next morning I watched some absolute trash. This crazy, over the top Indian movie is hilarious and I could perhaps recommend it if it weren’t so long. That being said, Bāhubali was not a dumpster fire; it has a lot of good-looking visual effects and it’s easy to see the ambition for this epic story, it just doesn’t come together. There’s fun to be had with how the main character is basically the strongest man in the world and yet still comes across as just a lucky dumbass, along with all the dancing that makes no sense but is still entertaining to watch. Seven Samurai (1954) - 10/10 If it wasn’t obvious already, Seven Samurai is a masterpiece. I reviewed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast, so more thoughts can be found there. Red Road (2006) - 6/10 Another recommendation on episode 30 of the podcast. Red Road really captures the authentic British working class experience. Before Sunrise (1995) - 10/10 One of the best romances put to film. The first in Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy is undoubtedly my favourite, despite its counterparts being almost equally as good. It tells the story of a young couple travelling through Europe, who happen to meet on a train and spend the day together. It is gloriously shot on location in Vienna and features some of the most interesting dialogue I’ve ever seen put to film. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

Tokyo Story (1953) - 9/10 This Japanese classic - along with being visually and sonically masterful - is a lot about appreciating the people in your life and taking the time to show them that you love them. It’s about knowing it’s never too late to rekindle old relationships if you truly want to, which is something I’ve been able to relate to in recent years. It broke my heart in two. Tokyo Story will make you want to call your mother. Before Sunset (2004) - 10/10 Almost a decade after Sunrise, Sunset carries a sombre yet relieving feeling. Again, the performances from Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke take me away, evoking nostalgic feelings as they stroll through the contemporary Parisian streets. There is no regret in me for buying the Criterion blu-ray boxset for this trilogy. Before Midnight (2013) - 10/10 Here, Linklater cements this trilogy as one of the best in film history. It’s certainly not the ending I expected, yet it’s an ending I appreciate endlessly. Because it doesn’t really end. Midnight shows the troubling times of a strained relationship; one that has endured so long and despite initially feeling almost dreamlike in how idealistically that first encounter was portrayed, the cracks appear as the film forces you to come to terms with the fact that fairy-tale romances just don’t exist. Relationships require effort and sacrifice and sometimes the ones that truly work are those that endure through all the rough patches to emerge stronger. The Holy Mountain (1973) - 10/10 Jodorowsky’s masterpiece is absolute insanity. I talked more about it on The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10 Another watch for Grand Budapest because I bought the Criterion blu-ray. As unalterably perfect as ever. Blue Jay (2016) - 6/10 Rather good up to a point. My co-hosts and I did not agree on how good this movie was, which is a discussion you can listen to on my podcast. Shadow and Bone: The Afterparty (2021) - 3/10 For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed the first season of Shadow and Bone, which is why I wanted to see what ‘The Afterparty’ was about. This could have been a lot better and much less annoying if all those terrible comedians weren’t hosting and telling bad jokes. I don’t want to see Fortune Feimster attempt to tell a joke about oiling her body as the cast of the show sit awkwardly in their homes over Zoom. If it had simply been a half hour, 45 minute chat with the cast and crew about how they made the show and their thoughts on it, a lot of embarrassment and time-wasting could have been spared. Wadjda (2012) - 6/10 Another recommendation discussed at length on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Wadjda was pretty interesting from a cultural perspective but largely familiar in terms of story structure.

Freddy Got Fingered (2001) - 2/10 A truly terrible movie with maybe one or two scenes that stop it from being a complete catastrophe. Tom Green tried to create something that almost holds a middle finger to everyone who watches it and to some that could be a fun experience, but to me it just came across as utterly irritating. It’s simply a bunch of scenes threaded together with an incredibly loose plot. He wears the skin of a dead deer, smacks a disabled woman over and over again on the legs to turn her on, and he swings a newborn baby around a hospital room by its umbilical cord (that part was actually pretty funny). I cannot believe I watched this again, although I think I repressed a lot of it since having seen it for the first time around five years ago. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 - (2011) I have to say, these movies seem to get better with each instalment. They’re still not very good though. That being said, I’m amazed at how many times I’ve watched each of the Twilight movies at this point. This time around, I watched Breaking Dawn - Part 1 with a YMS commentary track on YouTube and that made the experience a lot more entertaining. Otherwise, this film is super dumb but pretty entertaining. I would recommend watching these movies with friends. Solaris (1972) - 8/10 Andrei Tarkovsky’s grand sci-fi epic about the emotional crises of a crew on the space station orbiting the fictional planet Solaris is much as strange and creepy as you might expect from the master Russian auter. I had wanted to watch this for a while so I bought the Criterion blu-ray and it’s just stunning. It’s clear to see the 2001: A Space Odyssey inspiration but Solaris is quite a different beast entirely. Jaws (1975) - 4/10 I really tried to get into this classic movie, but Jaws exhibits basically everything I don’t like about Steven Spielberg’s directing. For sure, the effects are crazily good but the story itself is poorly handled and largely uninteresting. It was just a massive slog to get through.

Darkman (1990) - 6/10 Sam Raimi’s superhero movie is so much fun, albeit massively stupid. Further discussion on Darkman can be found on episode 32 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast. Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1995) - 1/10 Abysmal. I forgot the movie as I watched it. This was part of a marathon my friends and I did for episode 32 of our podcast. Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996) - 1/10 Perhaps this trilogy is not so great after all. Only marginally better than Darkman II but still pretty terrible. More thoughts on episode 32 of my podcast. F For Fake (1973) - 8/10 Rewatching this proved to be a worthwhile decision. Albeit slightly boring, there’s no denying how crazy the story of this documentary about art forgers is. The standout however, is the director himself. Orson Welles makes a lot of this film about himself and how hot his girlfriend is and it is hilarious.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021) - 4/10 More style over substance, Sony’s new animated adventure wants so much to be in trend with the current internet culture but it simply doesn’t understand what it’s emulating. There’s a nyan cat reference, for crying out loud. For every joke that works, there are about ten more that do not and were it not for the wonderful animation, it simply wouldn’t be getting so much praise. Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10 The first movie I’ve seen in a cinema since 2020 and damn it was good to be back! I’ve already reviewed Taxi Driver in my March wrap-up but seeing it in the cinema was a real treat. Irreversible (2002) - 8/10 One of the most viscerally horrendous experiences I’ve ever had while watching a movie. I cannot believe a friend of mine gave me the DVD to watch. More thoughts on episode 32 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast. Don’t watch it with the family. The Golden Compass (2007) - 1/10 I had no recollection of this being as bad as it is. The Golden Compass is the definition of a factory mandated movie. Nothing it does on its own is worth any kind of merit. I would say, if you wanted an experience like what this tries to communicate, a better option by far is the BBC series, His Dark Materials. More of my thoughts can be found in the review I wrote on Letterboxd.

Antichrist (2009) - 8/10 Lars von Trier is nothing if not provocative and I can understand why someone would not like Antichrist, but I enjoyed it quite a lot. After watching it, I wrote a slightly disjointed summary of my interpretations of this highly metaphorical movie in the group chat, so fair warning for a bit of spoilers and graphic descriptions: It's like, the patriarchy, man! Oppression! Men are the rational thinkers with big brains and the women just cry and be emotional. So she's seen as crazy when she's smashing his cock and driving a drill through his leg to keep him weighted down. Like, how does he like it, ya know? So then she mutilates herself like she did with him and now they're both wounded, but the animals crowd around her (and the crow that he couldn't kill because it's Mother nature, not Father nature, duh). Then he kills her, even though she could've killed him loads of times but didn't. So it's like "haha big win for the man who was subjected to such horrific torture. Victory!" And then all the women with no faces come out of the woods because it's like a constant cycle. Manchester By The Sea (2016) - 6/10 Great performances in this super sad movie. I can’t say I got too much out of it though. Roar (1981) - 9/10 Watching Roar again was still as terrifying an experience as the first time. If you want to watch something that’s loose on plot with poor acting but with real big cats getting in the way of production and physically attacking people, look no further. This is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen because it’s all basically real. Cannot recommend it enough. Eyes Without A Face (1960) - 8/10 I’m glad I checked this old French movie out again. There’s a lot to marvel at in so many aspects, what with the premise itself - a mad surgeon taking the faces from unsuspecting women and transplanting them onto another - being incredibly unique for the time. Short, sweet and entertaining!

Se7en (1995) - 10/10 The first in a David Fincher marathon we did for The Sunday Movie Marathon, episode 33. Zodiac (2007) - 10/10 Second in the marathon, as it was getting late, we decided to watch half that evening and the last half on the following evening. Zodiac is a brilliant movie and you can hear more of my thoughts on the podcast (though I apologise; my audio is not the best in this episode). Gone Girl (2014) - 10/10 My favourite Fincher movie. More insights into this masterpiece in episode 33 of the podcast. Friends: The Reunion (2021) - 6/10 It was heartwarming to see the old actors for this great show together again. I talked about the Friends reunion film at length in episode 33 of my podcast.

Wolfwalkers (2020) - 10/10 I reviewed this in an earlier post but would like to reiterate just how wonderful Wolfwalkers is. If you get the chance, please see it in the cinema. I couldn’t stop crying from how beautiful it was. Raya and The Last Dragon (2021) - 6/10 After watching Wolfwalkers, I decided I didn’t want to go home. So I had lunch in town and booked a ticket for Disney’s Raya and The Last Dragon. A child was coughing directly behind me the entire time. Again, I reviewed this in an earlier post but generally it was decent but I have so many problems with the execution. The Princess Bride (1987) - 9/10 Clearly I underrated this the last time I watched it. The Princess Bride is warm and hilarious with some delightfully memorable characters. A real classic!

The Invisible Kid (1988) - 1/10 About as good as you’d expect a movie with that name to be, The Invisible Kid was a pick for The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast, the discussion for which you can listen to in episode 34. Babel (2006) - 9/10 The same night that I watched The Invisible Kid, I watched a masterful and dour drama from the director of Birdman and The Revenant. Babel calls back to an earlier movie of Iñárritu’s, called Amores Perros and as I was informed while we watched this for the podcast, it turns out Babel is part of a trilogy alongside the aforementioned film. More thoughts in episode 34 of the podcast. Snake Eyes (1998) - 1/10 After feeling thoroughly emotionally wiped out after Babel, we immediately watched another recommendation for the podcast: Snake Eyes, starring Nicolas Cage. This was a truly underwhelming experience and for more of a breakdown into what makes this movie so bad, you can listen to us talk about it on the podcast.

#may #movies #wrap-up #film #follow for more #Twitter: @MHShukster #tenet #nomadland #the prince of egypt #chinatown #howl's moving castle #bahubali: the beginning #seven samurai #red road #before sunrise #tokyo story #before sunset #before midnight #the holy mountain #the grand budapest hotel #blue jay #shadow and bone #shadow and bone: the afterparty #wadjda #freddy got fingered #the twilight saga: breaking dawn - part 1 #solaris #jaws #darkman #darkman ii: the return of durant

[netherlady]

Rewatching Nine and the beginning of Ten, these episodes were so…good.

I think I’m starting to pinpoint my biggest disappointment with Eleven and Twelve.

I’ve seen it talked about multiple times, but honestly—these seasons were well-paced, the stories were captivating, heart breaking—and even the interpersonal issues were so lovely and honest. Mickey’s rant during Boom Town. Rose confessing to Jackie that she met her father. I loved the Doctor’s relationships with everyone. There’s something that pulls at my heart when he sees Sarah Jane Smith for the first time in so long. I never liked that they pit her and Rose against each other at first, but that’s a subject for another day. I did, however, love that they confronted the Doctor with leaving companions behind; and the complicated feelings he carries about being an ancient thing, outliving people he loves—by consequence of design. It doesn’t change that he hurt Sarah Jane, and continues to do the same to the people that get left behind. Bless her show and the resurrection of K-9. And I won’t get started on Martha and Donna, I could talk about them forever. I loved them. So so so much.

I feel maybe they tried to continue to talk about the loss of companions with Eleven and The Power of Three. But it just didn’t…hit the same way.

Eleven and Twelve feel like…soaps.

I used to watch soaps with my grandmother; not by choice, but it was the only TV she’d watch with me. I ended up being very well-versed in General Hospital and Days of Our Lives. It felt like the same story episode after episode, someone dies or nearly dies, someone sleeps with someone—then with someone else, pregnancies, attempted murders, successful murders, blackmail, betrayal, love triangles; a constant barrage of pain and drama; a test of the heart from one moment to the next, without even trying to make a different point or statement. Every single episode.

It became a meme about how many times Rory the Roman died. And, honestly, Amy died a lot too. So many episodes were devoted to Amy proving how much she loved Rory, or fake-outs with him mistaking her having feelings for the Doctor. Watching the Ponds with Eleven often felt like I was watching the same episode over and over again. River was interesting, but her entire motivation began and ended with the Doctor; she could have been so much more. When they introduced Oswin Oswald, I was thrilled for this new companion—she seemed such an interesting foil. But it didn’t work out that way. Clara left me cold. It still felt like I was watching another story about impossible love, unhealthy co-dependence, and soap. I was so excited for Peter Capaldi, honestly, I’d loved him for ages. And I was optimistic after his first episode, I adored Twelve immediately. But it just…turned into the same thing.

I think that’s why I loved Bill and Missy so much when they came along. They felt so -new-. And while they love to play kill-the-gays on this show, at least in the beginning I knew Bill wasn’t going to be another romantic attachment. She was so so so brilliant. And their relationship felt so familiar, and warm. She didn’t have enough time.

Still. I honestly don’t rewatch much of either Eleven or Twelve without feeling distinctly unsatisfied.

I love those Doctors in my own way, don’t get me wrong. Just on this most recent rewatch, I’m figuring how I feel at last I think.

I took a long break on DW a while ago. I’m honestly only just catching up with Thirteen. And so far, I adore her. These episodes feel so much like the DW I used to watch with my mom, loud suits and big scarves and all.

I just lost her. My mom. And the start of Thirteen hits like a motherfucker. But, for the first time in a while, I’m excited. This new Doctor is so…oh, a big word, a big, wonderful, complicated word.

Alive.

#doctor who #the doctor #12th doctor #11th doctor #13th doctor #river song #amy pond #rory williams #clara oswald #bill potts #missy doctor who #martha jones #donna noble #rose tyler #sarah jane smith #sarah jane adventures #k 9 #brian williams #personal rant #things involving me