#it's a wacky ass documentary and this is a wacky ass book

[nicknederson]

Paperback Nancy Drew Mysteries

#114 The Search for the Silver Persian

#ndedit #nancy drew #clue crew #yes i did this one watching that netflix cat show documentary #it's a wacky ass documentary and this is a wacky ass book #i've developed a new appreciation for the ending to this book #but the shirt is a reference specifically to a character being covered in cat hair when nancy bess and george first meet her #also yes i know that persian is not silver #i and the cover artist of this book both did not realize it wasn't a dark silver #we all make missnakes

[heloflor]

So, given that I didn’t have much time to work on fics recently because school, I’ve decided to relieve some stress by making a random representation of how I imagine Cavendish and Dakota’s house in their time-period looks like. And since I have no plans to ever describe it in detail in a fic, here it is ! Though, given how bad I am with designs, showing the house is mostly an excuse to infodump on domestic headcanons.

Regarding the last names, I didn’t make a typo for Cav. I like to imagine the two getting married way before the events of the show, with Cav taking “Dakota” as a last name, mostly because he got several siblings in-law on the Dakota side who adopted him on the spot.

And about the representation of the house : yeah it looks like shit. Since I can’t draw, I’ve decided to do something rather quick using MSPaint but yeah, not the best thing in the world. Though, if I get back to playing the Sims 3 at some point and end up making a Dwampyverse savefile, I’ll most likely try to recreate that house and could share a few pics.

I also went with a rectangular house with one floor instead of some futuristic-looking thing, mostly because I have no imagination when it comes to design. Though, you could still use the excuse that they want something more “old-timey” given their job or that they don’t have all the money of the world so they chose a simple house for the small cost. But yeah, by the end of the day, the choice is mostly because I can’t design shit.

But still one thing in my defense : looking at episodes that take place in the future like “Missing Milo” or “First Impressions”, it seems that most buildings are square-y with the roof being the weirdly-shaped part, with B.O.T.T. being one of the few exceptions. And looking at “A Christmas Peril”, the buildings are definitely more wacky but it’s 20 years later so…

I could also mention that I’m a bit unsatisfied with how empty the living-room and the bedroom ended up being but I’m drawing a total blank when trying to come up with the kind of stuff Vinnie and Balth would have that are linked to their interests. Though, maybe the excuse of them not being often at the house works ? Idk. Let’s just say I have ideas for the “basic” stuff, aka what you find in basically every single middle-class house, but draw a complete blank for anything that’s decorative. Still posting a map of the house tho because I don’t really consider it a work in progress if I simply have no idea and may never do. I’m very bad at design so bear with me on that one ! It’s not only about the house, it’s also about the fluffy headcanons !

So here’s under the cut some random info about the look of the rooms and furniture + a bunch of headcanons regarding Vinnie and Balth’s lives in this house. For each part of the house, you first have the info about how it looks first and then the headcanons.

Those headcanons are made with the idea that Vinnie and Balth are married (duh) but also, for a few, that Vinnie has three siblings + a few in-laws that he has a good relationship with.

(very long post ahead)

General :

- They bought the house in 2162, 2 years after getting married.

- It’s in the suburbs, or at least what the future version of the suburbs would look like. In other words, the presence of a backyard is debatable.

- There could be a garage for their time vehicle, so that they don’t have to go to headquarters every single day. And if not an actual garage, there’s at least some space to put it. In both cases, it would be near the bedroom’s side of the house.

- While the walls outside would have that futuristic “metallic” look, the walls inside would be a bit warmer. At the very least, the inside isn’t “future metallic white”, especially with Vinnie having photophobia.

- The intensity of the lights in every room can be adjusted. That way, Vinnie can put the dimmest light and navigate the house without his glasses. This is mostly useful for showering and midnight snacks.

- When they went house-hunting, Balth was the one who insisted that they needed a place with those kinds of lights. This is also the same kind of lights that Vinnie had in his now-former apartment.

- You know how near the end of the episode “First Impressions” you have Balth going into Mr. Block’s office ? Well, the way the door opens in that moment is how the door opens for every room of the house, perhaps excluding the main entrance (I like the idea of their front door being an “old” one, aka the “normal” doors we have today).

- Every room would have a spot that can create “tactile panels”, like some holographic tablet that can be used to change the settings of the house, for example changing the lights or the internet or even lock the doors and blinds.

- In 2175, when they were forced to leave the future, Vinnie stole a device from B.O.T.T. that made him able to create some kind of forcefield around the house that only he and Balth can remove. So, even if they’re not there anymore, the house still is theirs and can’t be sold to anyone else. And before you ask why B.O.T.T. didn’t simply send agents to bring the duo back and force them to open the shield : the forcefield works with hand-scan detection and Vinnie convinced Balth to use their left hands, the hands with the wedding rings. So if time-agents come knocking, they could try convincing the agents to let them use the bathroom first and they could wash their hands and use the soap to remove the rings. That way, the scan wouldn’t work and the agents would have no way of knowing why.

    Living room :

- There’s more furniture than showed here like souvenirs from previous missions or some random stuff that belongs to them. I just don’t have enough imagination. : /

- Likewise, the corridor has a few pictures or posters, like pictures that Vinnie didn’t have the space to put in his memory room but still wanted to display. Also, I want to say that Vinnie would display pictures of his family (sibling, in-laws and nephews) but I’ll see him more as having an album for family pictures, or a framed picture on his nightstand.

- There could definitely be a carpet or two. They would either be modern ones to fit the fact that they’re from the future or vintage stuff found in some of their missions. One of the carpets would be under the coffee table. Another would be in the big-ass space between the living-room and the kitchen, or in the corridor.

- The style is a mix between old and new stuff, with also a few things related to their interests. Like, for example, the couch could have an animal pattern or something (AND BY THAT I DON’T MEAN REAL ANIMAL FUR).

- Speaking of the couch, after looking up “futuristic couch” on the internet, they would absolutely have one of those gigantic couches that have like a bed attached to them due to how big they are. Btw I have no idea which company came up with this design and I couldn’t care less. It’s just that the design looks cool and would fit a futuristic house.

- The side table is a floating square, given how we see in “A Christmas Peril” that tables in the future don’t have feet anymore (that’s one way to protect your toes).

- The floor lamp is more futuristic. It’s like a white orb attached to a lamp foot.

- The TV is attached to the wall. The remote is some kind of holographic tablet, kind of like the house settings thingy.

  - This is where Balth would spend most of his mornings and evenings when they stay home. He’d just be sitting with a cup of tea, most of the time also a book, with the sun illuminating the room, just feeling comfortable and peaceful. The side table/cube was bought specifically for Balth’s tea. He would also use the lamp while reading in the late evening, either for the peace of having little to no light and solely focusing on the book or as a way for Vinnie to be in the room with the lights at the lowest setting. And speaking of Vinnie, he would sometimes join his husband on the couch, lying down with his head resting on Balth’s legs (cue Vinnie falling asleep, leading to a frustrated Balth who needs to pee but doesn’t want to wake him up).

- Since there’s a mini-table for when Balth drinks tea, the table right in front of the couch is mostly used for Vinnie to rest his legs on.

- And speaking of fluffy headcanons : movie nights. From time to time, aka minimum once a month, probably more, the couple would be in their pajamas cuddling on the couch while watching a movie, with Dennis resting in Balth’s arms.

For the movie choices, Balth would choose science-fiction, especially if there are any Professor-Time-themed movies, but also historical fiction (for some reason I tend to see Balth as having a liking for history ? I think it’s because of the way he dresses + his small rant about pirates in “Game Night” ? Idk honestly. It’s mostly a random headcanon that’s here for some weird reason). As for Vinnie, it’s mostly animal documentaries (Balth falls asleep halfway through but Vinnie doesn’t notice until after it’s over) or animated/family movies (the future equivalent of D*sney, S*ny pitcures, P*xar etc. Which are movies Balth would enjoy as well). For some weird reason I’ll also see the two of them being into mystery movies (crime-solving movies basically).

And if they sometimes decide to watch other genres, I could see Balth having a liking for some romance movies, because for some reason I like the idea of Balth being sappy. Besides, the guy is passionate when it comes to proving himself at his jobs and takes them pretty seriously in order to reach his objective. And given how he can be insecure and sometimes feels like a ball of anxiety, who’s to say he isn’t passionate when it comes to love too ? And no, I don’t mean passionate as in “making out all the time”, I mean passionate as in taking relationships seriously and making it work while also wishing to make sure his partner knows that he’s loved, even if Balth isn’t really the best at expressing his affection all the time.

On a different note, to get back to other genres : Vinnie would probably like horror movies. Because if cuddling in front of a sappy movie is great, having your husband show his love and trust for you by clinging to your arm out of fear is even better, nevermind the fact that you’re as terrified as he is.

    Kitchen :

- It’s one of those kitchens with two walls of cupboards/cabinets, both on the ground and elevated. One of the cabinets is used entirely for snacks. Because Vinnie.

- The wall separating the kitchen and the living room “has a hole in it”. It’s like you have a small wall with cupboards, a hole, and a wall connected to the ceiling with a few cabinets. Basically, you look up “kitchen cupboards” and imagine that the space in-between is a hole instead of the wall (why is it so hard to explain something so simple ?).

- This would be the most futuristic-looking room of their house. Looking up at references, they’re that Pinterest post showing a room with white cabinets with round corners and what seems to be slide doors. This is pretty much how I’ll see their kitchen, except bigger, with a different wall color and with one wall not being here (see above).

- The table is floating because of course it does. The chairs don’t tho. Also the chairs are as futuristic as the rest of the room. And looking up the internet again, the chairs are shaped like chairs.

  - So I put a stove but tbh I’m not sure how much these two would cook, given how in the show they’re always seen eating out (granted they don’t have a kitchen in their ‘apartment’ in Milo’s time). And given how most things seem automatized in the future, let’s just assume that the house can do most of the cooking itself with like a robot (aka plot-convenience technology) but still needs the necessary furniture and ingredients for the recipes. Also, if there’s an issue with their cooking system, they’ll probably know a few recipes and can feed themselves (Vinnie’s oldest brother Enzie would definitely teach his younger siblings a few recipes, at least enough to survive on their own. And he would be more than happy to teach his brother in-law as well).

- I put 4 chairs at the table but honestly I could see them keep 2 at all times and put the others in the storage room, especially the times they get very busy with their job for a few weeks and don’t have the time for social life.

- At some point, Balth probably tried to convince Vinnie to have better food habits and tried to put his snacks on the higher shelves. Not only did it not work because chairs exist but also it led to Vinnie getting frustrated. So Balth dropped it. Though, he would still try to talk Vinnie into working out to stay rather healthy.

    Memories room :

- Vinnie’s personal space. He basically saw the third biggest room of the house and went “mine now” and Balth had no issue letting him have it (hard to say no when Vinnie’s eyes shine like that).

- He already had a memory room in his old apartment.

- Basically, Vinnie brings back souvenirs from his missions, along with pictures he took, and put them on display. For more information, I made a post about it a while ago, so check it out if you want info on it.

And side note : I learned more about ADHD and autism later on and found out that the correct word for Vinnie’s passion for animals is a special interest, not a hyperfixation. The main difference between the two terms is how long your interest last. The reason I used “hyperfixation” in my post is because 1. I didn’t know that “special interest” was a term that existed and 2. people with ADHD kept talking about having hyperfixations and most people see Vinnie as having ADHD. So yeah, my bad for using the wrong term. And while I won’t change the current text from my post, especially with someone in the notes correcting me (I don’t want them to look like an idiot), I’ll definitely add a few words at the end of the post about it.

 - This is where Vinnie spends most of his time when at home, trying to keep the room in the best condition.

- There’s a window in the room but Vinnie condemned it in case some of his souvenirs were sensitive to the sunlight.

- The room is made entirely of shelves, with like four-five rows on the same wall. The shelves are either integrated into the walls or they’re floating because future. In any cases, there’s nothing around the shelves, it’s just shelves with stuff on it.

- When you enter the room, one of the rows of shelves next to you has all the animal-related stuff he gathered before starting a relationship with Balth. The rest of the room can have a few animal-themed objects but the pictures tend to be more linked to him and Balth.

- Likewise, when you enter the room, on the shelf you’re immediately facing, there’s a miniature recreation of their wedding altar with their wedding picture in its center. The miniature is made out of the future equivalent of papier-mâché and the altar is themed around time-travel with objects from all kinds of time-periods and cultures. And for those who might ask regarding the picture : Vinnie has a black suit and carries the bouquet while Balth has a white suit. Both have a hat that’s basically Balth’s usual hat (with the Professor-Time goggles, because themed wedding) but colored like their respective suit.

    Balthazar’s office :

- The room has quite a few libraries but this is mostly decorations. Basically, this room is more of an 1800th century study than anything, especially a rich/royal study. Yeah, for some reason I see Balth as having an office that’s just “rich 1800th century” aesthetic. I think it’s from the headcanon of him being a runaway prince 🤔.

- So yeah. The bookcases are vintage, the piano is your usual black piano, the armchairs are vintage and tbh Balth almost never uses them because he’d rather read in the living room, and the desk is vintage, though the stuff on the desk is futuristic. Balth is up to date with the technology he’s using to work, he just likes the older aesthetic for the rest.

- On his desk, despite literally living with the guy, Balth has a framed picture of Vinnie (again, I want the stubborn gay disaster to be sappy from time to time, with his love language being small touches and attention to details like for example being able to quickly see the kinds of foods Vinnie like the most so that when he’s in a bad mood, Balth can get him that specific food to make it better ; or learning Vinnie’s body language to know when he’s upset or bothered by something).

  - Balth mostly spends his time here to make the reports on their missions or work some administration stuff when needed. When he isn’t at his desk, he’s there to play the piano.

And yes, I throw out the window that line from “Backwards to School Night” that indicates Vinnie doesn’t know about Balth playing piano but tbh I ignore or question quite a few things from this episode such as : the line indicating that Vinnie and Balth don’t live together in their time-period since Balth doesn’t know Vinnie’s weekend habits ; the line about how the ray thing age you down to 90% your current age and yet baby Vinnie seems younger than the parents despite his adult self seeming older; the fact that Melissa read a book 16 times in the span of 6 minutes ; the fact that it’s called a “age regressor ray” and not a “age regressor ray-inator” (seriously, I am the only one always expecting Vinnie to say “inator” and being disappointed when he doesn’t ?).

- The couple absolutely sing songs together with Balth playing the piano. Or at least Vinnie would sing a song in the middle of the living-room and have Balth be annoyed by it, only for Vinnie to hear Balth play the same song on the piano later and join him.

    Bathroom :

- Not much to say here. It’s a bathroom. It’s futuristic-looking. The mirror is a cabinet. The tub is round. The bin comes in and out of the wall. The clothes drier also irons the clothes. The toilet is glued to the wall. The walls are dark gray or dark blue or at least a darker color so that Vinnie doesn’t have to dim the lights to the lowest level when he’s showering. There are also several little lights along with a main one so that Vinnie can light the small ones instead of getting a headache due to the brighter light. During lazy/slow days, Balth would take baths instead of showers (and Vinnie would want to join him to make out). Balth may or may not sing in the shower (Vinnie definitely does). That’s pretty much it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Guest/Storage room :

- Only used as a guest room when one or several members of the Dakota family are visiting the states and end up in the Tri-State-Area. So for 90% of the time, the room is used as storage.

- Bed’s not that big and very “squary”. Might or might not be floating.

- It’s mostly random junk that they don’t know where to put and don’t want to get rid of, like some stuff they got from their missions but that Vinnie doesn’t want in his room or some old things they want to give at a garage sale or that one Professor-Time body-pillow that Balth refuses to let go of while Vinnie just wants to trash the thing. The body-pillow being in the storage room in a junkpile was their compromise on the issue. Also, whenever someone might stay in the room, Balth makes sure there’s no way they will find the body-pillow (his sister in-law Bettie would never let him live it down).

- Not much to say here either aside from that.

    Master bedroom (the room in which the proportions are way bigger than the rest of the house because I have no idea what I’m doing) :

- I described the room quickly in my fic “nightmares” but yeah basically the room has several posters and pictures related to their interests, along with a bookshelf full of animal encyclopedias, time-travel facts, history books, Professor-Time fantasy books etc. There are also albums, whether it be family pictures or album of the two of them.

- Like for the living-room, there can definitely be more than what I described/pictured here. I’m just really bad at imagining the kind of stuff people would have in their bedrooms related to their interests. And speaking of which : at some point, there was the aquarium that Vinnie mentions in “Time Out”.

- Unlike the other rooms in which the windows have roller blinds (apparently that’s the english word for it ?), this one has curtains on top of it because Balth likes to open the window in the morning but he doesn’t want Vinnie to hurt his eyes. So with curtains, he can open them enough to light the room but not enough for the light to reach Vinnie’s face.

- The bed is pretty classic for a futuristic bed but with round edges and these two idiots definitely go crazy with the sheets design (animals, food, Professor-Time, past time-periods, stuff like that). Also, the bed is “open”. By that I mean that, if you look at futuristic designs, there tends to be some roof thing above the bed and linked to it. They wouldn’t have that.

- The nightstands are floating cubes.

- “Dennis’ chair” is just some random old wooden chair where Dennis stays most of the time. Balth almost never takes him during his missions and Dennis is a comfort object that Balth mostly talks to when sitting on the bed, movie nights aside. So the bear stays in the bedroom.

- The bookshelf would also be made of wood.

- The wardrobe is futuristic, with doors that can open by themselves with sensory detection. Also, unlike what that poor “drawing” shows, the wardrobe is “taller” than it is “larger”.

- The armchair is an egg chair.

  - They sleep

- They spoon

- Balth is the big spoon because 1. he’s taller and 2. he grew up sleeping while embracing a teddy bear and old habits die hard.

- When Balth goes to sleep or wakes up, he can’t help but play with Vinnie’s hair and give the small man a few kisses, feeling satisfaction in seeing his husband smile or try to pull away while laughing.

- Vinnie sleeps on the side closest to the window while Balth sleeps on the side nearest to Dennis.

- Balth’s nightstand has an alarm clock that’s basically just a holographic square with numbers on it, while Vinnie has an album or some random animal trinket. Vinnie’s alarm clock is not feeling Balth’s warmth against him. But if Vinnie has to use an actual alarm, the sound would either be some old-fashioned song or an animal noise (is this starting to get too much insistence on the “animal-loving” side of him ?)

- While Balth likes to read in the living-room, Vinnies likes it better to chill in the bedroom when reading. Also, during weekends and vacation days, Balth would sometimes read in bed before sleeping (yeah for some reason I really like the idea of Balth being a reader. I think it has to do with him being old or british ??? Weird brain is weird. And besides, if Balth reads, it would most likely be science fiction related to Professor Time). Vinnie uses this time as an excuse to cuddle.

- They have themed pajamas. Balth mostly has Professor-Time stuff (clocks, Heinz or Perry’s faces etc) while Vinnie has mostly animal-themed or food-themed pajamas.

- Vinnie sometimes sleeps naked in the summer. Balth is still trying to figure out how he feels about that.

- Random headcanon regarding Dennis : while he belongs to Balth who keeps him close when in doubt in order to vent or when he wants to get comfortable somewhere, I actually like to believe that, between the two, Vinnie is the one who talks the most to Dennis, mostly because Vinnie would just enter the bedroom and casually greet the bear, or he and Balth would have a dumb argument and Vinnie would playfully tell Dennis “Can you believe that guy ?” while pointing at Balth. Just, Vinnie being Vinnie and having random one-sided conversations with the bear.

And a little cute thing : while Vinnie really just talked to Dennis because why not, seeing the guy like the teddy bear so much would actually make Balth feel better about himself. I like to believe that grown-up men having plushies would still be seen as a ridiculous thing by most people (because toxic masculinity) and Balth got the habit of hiding Dennis when he was still trying to find the right guy for him. So seeing Vinnie have no issue whatsoever with the teddy bear and even liking him would definitely help Balth’s confidence, along with warming his heart.

- And since this post is all about headcanons : two things about phones and these two being sappy that have nothing to do with houses.

1. One day, Balth left his phone on a table and Vinnie decided to take a selfie with it because why not. After seeing that, Balth acted frustrated but ended up putting the pic as his phone background. Ever since, Balth’s phone background is a picture of Vinnie. The most recent one is from “We’re Going to the Zoo” with a picture of Vinnie holding squirrels in his arms while a third one is coming out of his pistachios-filled pants. The pic on the phone is a closeup, only showing Vinnie’s head and upper body. And for those who like angst, I’ll let you imagine how he must have felt having this as his phone background during the rogue arc.

2. Vinnie’s (numeric) phone password is 2703, aka march 27, the date of his wedding anniversary. The day is put first and the month second because Europe. Also, during busy weeks, this would be a good way for Vinnie to remember the anniversary.

(fun fact : I was trying to come up with scenarios for fics when I ended up thinking about Vinnie’s password and that number came to mind. So I just went “guess that’s their wedding date now”)

#Milo Murphy's Law #Vinnie Dakota #Balthazar Cavendish #Dakavendish #long post #VERY long post #headcanons #Flor talks #hey look I'm rambling again about random shit #I am SO. BAD. at design #but yeah #have a house #and random ideas #also have Balthazar Dakota #it sounds more and more normal when you think about it a lot #also Dennis Cavendish #or is it Dennis Cavendish-Dakota ? #now to edit the memory room post

[ofcowardiceandkings]

I think you mentioned listening to podcasts? Do you have any favorites to reccommend? I've run out of content :(

that i do !

im not entirely sure what kind of podcast you'd be interested in but i'll throw out a few of the goodies in my huge library of stuff , i'll miss out a few of the HUGE podcasts that have been all over tumblr though

a LOT of it is true crime or human interest stuff , or history because im nerd ,, and a few of these dont have nearly enough attention so [shrug] i'll try to keep this short i guess lol this isnt EVERYTHING ive got in my library or listened series' by any measure

i AM gonna pop a shout to both Stuff You Missed in History Class and Stuff You Should Know from iHeartRadio because their HUGE archives have kept me from losing my mind many times over , and they cover a wide range of both important and wacky topics

BomBARDed (ongoing) this is the only fiction podcast i have happening right now really but its DAMN GOOD ONE .... it's an actual-play D&D 5E podcast in the DMs own musically-inspired world, focussed on a group of multiclass bards going to music school !! and all players (+DM) are members of the Texas band Lindby !! and they actually use and play music in the show with one original song an episode !! Kyle's worldbuilding and storycraft are truly incredible, and (Nick) Goodrich, (also Nick) Spurrier, and Ali's characters are in depth and interesting as well as an absolute powerhouse :') i actually made a piece for its first fanzine, Bardic Dreaming, which published earlier this year and is free to view now, all the players and the community are super wholesome its just very good overall 💙

History & Humans;

Fall of Civilisations (ongoing) legit one of my favourite podcast finds, im so glad my youtube autoplayed one of these ... it took me like 2 hours to realise it was 1) not the same as what was playing before and 2) had been on for 2 hours and wasnt near finished lmao. anyway, this is a series by historical fiction writer Paul Cooper, and is honest to all thats good one of the best documentary series ive encountered in years - and ive consumed a LOT of documentaries. it covered the downfall of various civilisations through history, and the episodes run from an hour to FOUR hours depending on the topic. its so chill to listen to and just get done, but over the pandemic all of the episodes have been given full movie-quality video versions too on youtube if youre more of a visual person.

Casting Lots: A Survival Cannibalism Podcast (on series break) yeah that says that lol ... its a SUPER niche topic but its very interesting and treated very well despite being kind of comical at times, the hosts are just naturally funny lol ... it delves around from the history of cannibalism in whole regions to specific incidents as recently as the 1970s, and of course the first episode is about the Donner Party, and it covers things ive never heard of despite being kind of important ?? anyway Alix and Carmella are good eggs

Sawbones (ongoing) i probably dont need to mention much here other than say that Justin and Sydnee saved me from being SO BORED sooo often, the history of medicine is wacky as hell and its what most of my history GCSE was on so [shrugs]

Cautionary Tales (on series break) this was a wild-card find lol ... it's by Tim Harford "the undercover economist" who writes for the Financial Times, and its topics kind of weave modern topics and science with how to learn from historical errors ... its a bit weird but well worth a go, also each series has a few celebrity guest voice actors which is pretty awesome

Ephemeral (ongoing) this is a very strange but thought provoking series about sounds and other things just barely saved. topics include the last castrato, the hello girls, hand-stamped records, the spread of kīkā kila music, and acoustic fossils of wild places.

Neat! The Boozecast (ongoing) history and bartending whats not to like lol ... hosted by Teylor Smirl and now their dad Tommy, they're just digging around in how important booze is to human culture

True Crime (white collar and weirdness);

Swindled (ongoing) this is an amazing show full stop. A Concerned Citizen details some of the most impactful and unruly things to happen in white collar and corporate crime. very factually accurate but given the sheer bullshit of the topics the deadpan snarking is [chefs kiss] absolutely warranted ..

American Scandal (on series break) this one is a series within a series type, and spends a few episodes at a time poking holes in some of America's biggest scandals, from a dramatised but fact-based point of view. such as what the hell was going on with Enron, how big tobacco was forced to own up to covering its own ass, how Iran-Contra happened, etc. it also now has a sister show called British Scandal, which does the same thing for British cases but with a slightly different format.

Missing in Alaska (finished) this was a fascinating series, a deep dive into what happened to two US government officials who disappeared on a small chartered flight in Alaska in 1972. it goes some really strange places, but it actually turned up a lot of previously unknown information through the audience. John Walczak's new series in a new feed is Missing on 9/11 which looks into what happened to Dr Sneha Philip.

Pretend (ongoing) Host Javier Leiva holds interviews with anyone living a lie, or who have been touched by them. con artists, snake oil salesmen, former cult members, catfishing victims, anyone and everyone.

Power: The Maxwells (finished) hosted by journalist Tara Palmeri, the story of media tycoon Robert Maxwell from nothing to empire to mysterious death and the scandals uncovered after he was gone.

Lets Talk About Sects (ongoing) Sarah Steele covering cults from around the world, in particular those in Australia - where she is from. She often has former members on the show to share their stories, and share knowledge of how they left. each story has the relevant content warnings at the start of each episode.

Brainwashed (finished) investigation of the CIA's covert mind control experiments, centred on the experiments performed at a hospital in Montreal, and its cultural impact.

Dr Death (2 series finished) two series investigating huge cases of fraud and medical malpractice, and how they were brought to a stop. series 1 covers Dr Duntsch and his horribly butchered neurosurgery, series 2 covers Dr Fata and his fraudulent cancer clinic

The Immaculate Deception (finished) untangling the weird and disturbing fertility fraud of Dr Jan Karbaat, who fathered children himself through his fertility clinic, and the impact of his deception. later episodes also touch on other similar cases.

True Crime (Violent/General);

The Casual Criminalist (ongoing) Simon Whistler of-the-many-youtube-channels cold reads a script about the case of the day, with some of his daft commentary thrown in.

Southern Fried True Crime (ongoing) Crimes from the American South hosted by Erica Kelley, she puts all the facts out there but refreshingly for true crime she doesnt hesitate to tell you if she thinks someone is human garbage lol

They Walk Among Us (ongoing) probably one of the most popular UK crime podcasts, very measured and well put together, not weird or annoying about it either.

All Crime No Cattle (ongoing, feed slowed down for now) specifically about crimes from Texas, hosted by Erin and Shay, they're very sensitive hosts and a lot of the cases they cover shed light on why the Texas criminal system is how it is or show an impact at a national level

Canadian True Crime (ongoing) Canadian crime from an Aussie who's lived there for a decade, Kristi is again a sensitive and measured host covering some important topics

True Crime (Violent/Deep Dive);

Hitman (finished) journalist Jasmyn Morris digs around in the sticky tangle around a book published by fringe publisher Paladin Press, and its apparent use as a blueprint in the killing of a mother, her friend and her 8 year old boy for financial gain.

Camp Hell: Anneewakee (ongoing) this series is exploring how a wilderness camp "correctional facility" was endorsed by the Georgia care and juvenile reform system, despite widespread abuses and shady practices the whole time. warning for csa and child cruelty throughout.

True Crime Bullshit (on series break) this one is a huge huge rabbithole but a very interesting one where the host Josh Hallmark has spent years digging into the life and potential crimes of Israel Keyes. Keyes is often mentioned as a serial killer with no pattern, but in picking it apart thats not quite true, and has sparked some re-evaluations of missing persons cases and stumbling upon information the FBI has redacted organically. there's also a series in the middle looking into the crimes of Kelly Cochran

Forgotten: Women of Juárez (finished) this series looks into the huge numbers of missing women of Ciudad Juárez, the strange circumstances surrounding them, and the potential cover-ups and corruptions on both sides of the border, trying to give a voice to all of the forgotten women and girls and their families without answers. the series itself is finished, but a spanish language edition is being released every week now.

aaaaaand i'll call it there before i list everything lol, i hope you find something to plug your boredom hole with !!

#audio #rory's ramblings #podcasts #asks #anon #long post

[angeltears-writing]

The Brother’s and movies

Lucifer

v  Lucifer tells anyone who asks that he enjoys serious, dramatic movies set during the wartimes the type that get Oscar nominations but are quite intense and a little dull.

v  Lucifer however holds a dirty little secret that his prideful nature will not allow him to outwardly share.

v  He LOVES Christmas movies.

v  The end of year holiday movie’s just alleviate all the stress in him. He is so happy while watching that he can barely keep the grin off his face.

v  DO NOT watch Home Alone with him and Mammon. Lucifer every 2 minutes is mouthing off against Mammon stating that HE is the Kevin of the family.

v  His favourite holiday movie is the Santa Clause.

v  The holidays are so special to him and the movies just capture the atmosphere and joy he feels.

v  He loves Christmas because he finally gets a break from his duties, he can have a fun little party with his beloved brothers and friends, he receives and gives meaningful gifts and even Satan is nice to him on Christmas.

v  When you come to the Devildom you bet Lucifer is watching Love Actually with you and every single romantic Christmas movie so he can feel enjoy the warm fuzzy feelings assiociated with his favourite holiday with his beloved Y/n.

Mammon

v  Before you came the Devildom Mammon solely watched hardcore triple X action movies. Unless on movie night with his brothers, then he’s forced to watch some boring artsy flick or some anime junk movie .*cough cough Levi*

v  He was a total dudebro and loved PointBreak.He owns the full collection of the Fast and the Furious. What’s not to love with the live fast, die hard law breaker lifestyle?

v  The man also lives for heist movies, Oceans 11? He has it memorised! He thinks about how HE would be a huge asset to the team and dreams about pulling off some high action super cool heist with you.

v  When Y/n comes to the Devildom it is like a flip of a switch for Mammon.

v  He says he can handle horror movies but you both know that’s a big fat lie so only insist on watching them if you wish to torture him.

v  He will complain and insult your choices of chick flicks and romantic comedies but he is enraptured.

v  HE LOVES it, he watches a couple of them in secret and daydreams about you and him as the main couple.

v  This man wants to pull a Heath Ledger and serenade you to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in front of his brothers, Diavolo, RAD, heck even the whole Devildom.

v  He is living for these romantic comedies and constantly tries to recreate his favourite cutesy moments with you. (Did he get you “special wishing sparkles” and told you to close your eyes and make a wish? Did he then give you a shy blushy kiss when you opened your eyes and say wish granted? Who knows that’s between you and him.)

v  Oh and you bet he’s crying when the couple’s fight and cheering so hard when they finally get together. He can’t help it he’s a secret romantic. Don’t be so loud about it Y/n! He has a tough guy attitude to maintain.

Leviathan

v  Anime movies. Need I go on?

v  He has the Blu-ray special editions of Studio Ghibli movies and he loves watching them on rainy cold days snuggled under a blanket with you.

v  He loves Ponyo for obvious water and fish related reasons. You guys have defiantly done cosplay photo shoots, he was Ponyo, you were Sosuke and Henry was the fishy sisters.

v  Other than anime movie’s Levi is a 80’s movie aficionado. He has seen every 80’s movie. He particularly relates to the high school movies for the theme of the awkward nerdy guy getting the super cool, popular girl of their dreams.

v  He does enjoy the nerdier comic book, big budget action movies, like Kick-Ass. He and Satan have faced off against each other regarding whether DC or Marvel movies are better. (He prefers the funny antics associated with Marvel plus he’s a Peter Parker fanboy)

v  He also is a huge fan of any Edgar Wright movie since seeing Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. (He let out a Woaahhhh when he saw the comics)

v  May Lord Diavolo have mercy upon you if the movie is a book or tv show adaption because Levi will not shut up during the movie. (He will pause the movie he’s not THAT inconsiderate.) You will not have a moment of peace after the movie has ended. He simply must share every single thought he had on what the movie did right and what the movie did wrong. Then he has to show you his fan casting list of who would better fit the roles and then just when you think it’s over he pushes you to re-watch the movie with him to listen to the director commentary.  

v  Levi will generally save his commentary for after the movie if you got to the movie theatre with him. Something about the change of atmosphere and the excitement that comes from the movie watching experience just puts him in a calmer less frantic mood and you can enjoy a simple quiet movie date for an hour or 2 before your ear will be talked off.

 Satan

v  DO NOT WATCH BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATIONS WITH HIM! HE IS WORSE THAN LEVI AND TWICE AS BRUTAL IN HIS CRITICS.

v  Now that that fact is out of the way Satan is a mystery fan. He enjoys the cheesy who dunnit type movie’s especially if the detective solving the mystery is very cool and charismatic with a fun catch phrase.

v  One that caught him of guard and quickly became his favourite was Knives Out. A clear mystery with a wacky bunch of characters all with misleading facts and motivations. Additionally he was thrown for a loop on the ending so he really enjoyed it for its unpredictability.

v  Of course Satan enjoys DC movies I mean he and Levithan read the comics and he is a clear believer that the serious tone and consequence from DC makes them the far superior super hero franchise.

v  Contrary to popular belief Satan does not like documentaries, he gets restless and bored watching them, but you keep putting on those boring long documentaries because it leads to a very steamy make out session with a slightly huffy Satan who had been complaining that his movie choice would have been much more enjoyable. Hush hush Satan we are not watching the Blue Planet to sate our curiosity of the inner workings of the environment but rather to quiet your adorable little tuts and huffs with soft sweet kisses and gentle touches.

v  The double edged sword that comes from picking a documentary is that Satan will indeed make you suffer by making his pick a terrifying horror movie since he thinks you are oh so adorable when you’re frightened. He thinks it’s really cute when you ask him to walk you to the bathroom because you’re afraid of the big scary monsters and it’s even cuter to him when you throw your face into his chest and refuse to look until the scary scene is over. Haaa he cannot resist and must pat your head and give you a small peck.

Asmo

v  When one watches a movie with Asmo, one does not simply see it, one lives it.

v  Asmo loves 90s and early 2000s movies about the pretty popular girls because he lives to see their fabulous closets, outfits and their dewy supple skin. He’s a huge fan of Clueless, Legally Blonde and Bring It on.

v  He also simply dies for those cult classic like, Mommie Dearest, Troop Beverly Hills, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Marie Antoinette, Death Becomes Her and many more. You guys put on face masks grab a couple of tasty cupcakes and start reciting the movies line for line bursting into giggles every time, that’s how many times you’ve seen them.

v  Asmo gets the appeal of campy movie’s that have not been appreciated for their odd charm so when you come along you bet he’s going to be shouting out his favourite one liners and you fire the responses right back. He’s in love.

v  What he loves most about the campy movies is the fabulosity and authenticity that comes from the movie’s just wanting to tell a great story and celebrate the oddities and dramatics of the characters. His favourites are the ones with drag queens particularly Priscilla Queen of the Desert, To Wong Foo and The Birdcage. How is he not meant to simply adore the beautiful wigs, costumes, the attitudes of the queens and the sharp, dry, witty humour.

v  Big blockbuster wise Asmo is inclined to see any musical, and yes for 3 weeks straight he will sing the songs of the musical, much  to the displeasure of his brothers but to the delight of you and Solomon who cheer him on and request encores. (Yes you all went to see Cats together, yes you dragged Satan along. Yes everyone but especially Satan was traumatised and yes Asmo did drape himself across every available surface in the House of Lamentation and belted out Memory for practically the whole Devildom to enjoy. Enough with the questions!)

v  Asmo’s favourite musical is Rocky Horror Picture show, you have monthly viewings where Asmo dresses up as Frank en Furter and performs…well not for you more on top of you.

v  Movies with Asmo are always fun treats, you both have a great time with each other and walk away from the movie’s feeling more emotional and closer with one another.

Beel

v  Beel’s taste in movies is similar to his taste in food he is not picky and enjoys a wide variety.

v  He enjoys mafia movies of any variety He likes the familial bond and the trust between members but does not enjoy the double crossing, it makes him feel sad.

v  Other than that he lives for the lively mood, the Italian food, the dramatic situations and the action sequences.

v  He has seen a few animated movies and his favourite is Brother Bear, it reminds him of him and Belphie and makes him soft.

v  He does actually does like twin movies because the plots are always outlandish and funny to him at least.

v  When it comes to movies where food is central to the plot, do not get him started. The amount of times you had to pause Ratatouille so he could get his 20th snack in the last 10 minutes was astonishing. He get’s extra hungry watching the movie but generally enjoys chatting to you about the food making process of each dish rather than paying attention to the plot. (You: Would you prepare food made by a rat? Him: Well I ate Solomon’s cooking once so even a rat’s cooking would be better than that)

v  He loves to ask which dish would you eat when restaurant scenes come up because he’s curious of your taste while watching the movie and sometimes he’ll stop paying attention the movie and instead just watch your reactions.

v  Generally speaking any movie suggestion he’s fine with as long as he gets to spend time with you and can binge on delicious movie snacks.

Belphie

v  The total opposite of Beel, Belphie is a total film snob and will harshly berate your movie choice and say ‘You really made me stay awake for this crap fest.’

v  He doesn’t mean to be mean (yes he does but he doesn’t like making you sad) he just has a very particular taste for movies and if he’s going to extend the effort to stay awake and pay attention he wants it to be worth his time.

v  He is actually the one in the house who does enjoy documentaries. What can he say some habits die hard and he’s still a total Earth nut even though he human-phobic.

v  Not to mention the gentle voice of David Attenbourough soothes him until he is just barely awake so when he finally drifts off he dreams of the wonderful parts of Earth and the miracles or nature.

v  He is a fan of Shakespeare movies particularly the rich dark one’s that are a bit more violent. The atmosphere surrounding them just fits and the plot is a classic so why watch a cheap knock-off of what he has dubbed perfect writing.

v  This man is an emo so of course he’s going to watch the slightly pretentious movies with poetry, his favourites are Dead Poets Society, The Crow and V for Vendetta.

v  On movie nights he is selfish! He insists that you watch his movie first then he immediately falls asleep after it ends. He feels no shame over this.

v  He hates twin themed movies, he thinks they’re cheap and over use the same gag of ‘Whoa they’re twins.’ (Sorry Mary-Kate and Ashley Belphie does not like you guys at all)

v  He watches brother themed movies with Beel and gets really soft because he loves his twin so much.

v  If you truly force him he will relent and watch your movie with you but he will make fun of it and bully you every second he is awake and the only way to silence him is to cuddle up close, let him lay his head on your chest or shoulder, massage his head or give him tons of kisses.  

v  Generally speaking a bad movie buddy but a great cuddle buddy for movie nights.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me luficer #obey me mammon #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me belphie #obey me beel #obey me brothers #obey me leviathan #mammon x reader #lucifer x reader #satan x reader #asmo x reader #leviathan x reader #belphie x reader #beel x reader #obey me x reader

[attract-mode-collective]

Scorpion Vs. Elon Musk’s Mom: FIGHT

Yes, that is indeed Elon Musk’s mother up there. And no, I do not have a bigger sized version of the pic. Guess we could always ask captain-price-official if one does exist.

Or perhaps make your own? Here’s Elon’s mum by herself (and in higher res)...

And with that, it’s time to see what else I tweeted during the first half of March! So, sticking with fighting games: which Street Fighter character does lighting better? Ryu, via the animated movie (via settei)...

… Or Bison, via the live action flick (via toghomevideo)...

I absolutely love win quotes from rom hacks (via bison2winquote)...

I have a massive backlog of games, yet Tekken 7 just shot straight to the top of the list, thanks to the knowledge that you can accurately recreate Dynamite Headdy characters (via mysterious0bob)...

This Hatsune Miku X Space Channel 5 figure is v. nice (via nendoroidoftheday)...

A friendly reminder to everyone that A. I'm a massive fan of Seaman & B. my birthday is about a month away (via nutastic)...

This scene at the beach with a Figma of Link, from A Link Between Worlds, feels more like Link's Awakening than anything else (via vyntic)...

Toys and models are no longer just for reenacting memorable in-game moments, they can also reproduce famous IRL events that surrounded the games themselves (via 8bitcentral)...

So what's the going rate for ET for the Atari 2600 that was supposedly dug up in for that so-called documentary, Atari: Game Over? Which I recently re-watched and still can't believe people think is real. At any rate, am assuming the autograph from Howard Scott Warshaw gives it some actual value (via it8bit)...

And what's the going rate for Chinese Famiclone karaoke carts, primarily one with Jackie Chan on the label. Am also wondering if it's cuz his songs are included... you are aware of his successful career in music as well, right? (via ulan-bator)...

Been struggling to come up with a zinger for the past 10 minutes, but ain't nuthin gonna beat "Welcome to the Velvet Room y'all!" (via jatayu)...

To be filed under: it's funny cuz it's true (via doctorbutler)...

So the weather has been awful around these parts, lots of rain & snow, which gets in the way of imagining a giant tetromino in the sky (via uvula.jp)...

When playing Super Mario Galaxy 2, please keep in mind that somewhere out there, despite being out of view, is the ghost of Luigi floating through vast stretches of empty space, with zero destination or purpose (via suppermariobroth)...

Speaking of Luigi, and Supper Mario Broth; they’ve taken the adventures he talks about in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and illustrated them in the form of a comic that closely adheres to the style of the game...

Also a friendly reminder of that rift between Mario & Luigi for a few years (they'd eventually make up & resume doing games together, as everyone knows) after Mario discovered his brother being all friendly with the enemy in Super Mario World (via peazy86)...

Yet another obscure Mario factoid: the move he uses to defeat Bowser in Super Mario 64 originates from an old furikake commercial that predates the game by about a decade (via suppermariobroth)...

Yet another random gif of Mario from the 80s, this one from a video guide from Super Mario Bros; I miss the days in which his look was not yet standardized (via suppermariobroth)...

And here we have a completely unlicensed Dr. Mario, unless Nintendo gave him the OK to brush up on his doctoring skills by assuming an alias at a family clinic in Houston TX (via suppermariobroth)...

It's funny how, when it comes to obscure Mario games, everyone brings up Mario Is Missing or Hotel Mario, but what about Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up? (via kazucrash)...

Mario gets his own breakfast cereal.

Luigi? Booze. (via @carolynmichelle)

A question that I posed on MAR10Day (via retrogamerblog)...

It's not Super Mario Bros, but simply…. Bros (via therubberfruit)...

I've never wanted something "bootleg" to be official as much as as this Dark Souls fan art. And if the actual game somehow looked like this, that would be... gladly welcomed (via gamefreaksnz)

Oh God, Nier is amazing and all, but I would SO be down for a yelling & screaming match with Yoko Taro on this point (via @Avisch_)...

Behold my fave Twitter thread in recent memory: "You see, that was taken from Africa, but it belonged to the Keyblade Masters. Imma take it off your hands for ya."

"Nah, It was taken by British soldiers in Africa but it's actually from Gaia. A sword far heavier than any sword has rights to be, yet a true 1st Class will wield it with ease. Don't trip, I'm gonna take it off your hands for you."

"Nah, It was taken by British soldiers in Africa but it's actually from Hyrule. Originally crafted by the goddess Hylia herself. Only a true hero that is pure of heart and strong of body is capable of wielding the sacred blade. Don't trip, I'm gonna take it off your hands for you."

Naturally the star of Home Alone 1 & Home Alone 2 has both a NES Classic and Famicom Mini, like all Hollywood bigwigs (via @SimonParkin)...

While discussing Ready Player One with a colleague, was reminded of the dude who was so inspired by the book that he turned his apartment into an arcade (and then his fiancé broke up with him; via nydailynews.com)...

Recently there was some kind of event at Sega HQ, I think? Details are basically nonexistent due to the language barrier, but far as I can gather, 16 super fans were invited to come by & party (via @SEGA_OFFICIAL)...

... If you check out #セガ公式アカウントオフ会 you'll see numerous pics from the get-together, though the one thing that stands out is the assortment of Sega hardware (via @KK__Cy)...

... MIA, cuz no variants were on display, is my fave alt ver. of the Mega Drive: the Wondermega. But @yu100s took one of his own… with the ugly ass US Sonic 1 NOT FOR RESALE cart inserted, Jesus fucking Christ...

The Sega logo in katakana looks pretty hawt (via @Exciteless)...

... Yet the Sega logo in Arabic which is official, is even hawter (via boingboing.net)...

Please enjoy your daily recommended dosage of an erotic hospital-management sim (via @topherflorence)...

NCSX makes the fidget spinner comparison, though the fidget cube seems a bit more appropriate; behold the fidget game controller...

Toy Fair recently took place, and naturally I took tons of pictures. You can find all of them on my personal Instagram, though a few are worth re-posting here. Like the latest in NECA's line of classic movie characters, as they appeared in video game adaptations...

Though in the case of their take on the Alien vs. Predator arcade game, they even included Capcom's original characters...

Unpainted, pre-production figures from Reflection's upcoming Ghost 'N Goblins line, sporting the oh-so popular Kenner-eqsue retro look...

Pint-sized arcade cabs, available this fall for $400. They’ll come unassembled, though dead simple to put together; the construction of the assembled mini cab was surprisingly sturdy, plus the screen wasn't bad (contrary to the picture that my iPhone's camera paints). Though the controls were shit; no word on whether the parts can be swapped or not...

Was delighted to not not only see Cuphead merch at Toy Fair, but more than just one instance (though this was the only time I was allowed to take a picture)...

Came across a producer of infant goods that had a selection of Super Mario baby bibs...

I asked the rep if this was their first foray into video games and the answer was "Yes." And when asked who's been mostly buying them, was told "Video game collectors, who don't even have children… it's so bizarre!!!"

Sticking with bibs, here's a set that tied to Dragon Quest (via miki800.com)...

... I asked on Twitter what they said and @alexfkraus was kind enough to provide translations, here and here.

Was so inspired by @MinusWorld listing which characters he'd like to see in the next Super Smash Bros that I decided to cite a few of my own:

- Mona from WarioWare - Nester from Nintendo Power’s Howard & Nester comics - Link from that Japanese A Link To The Past commercial - A deck of Hanafuda cards

... BTW, had no idea Ollie also mentioned a Hanafuda; I only saw his initial four, initially! Anyhow, my second round of choices:

- Ashley from Another Code - The "who are you running from?" guy in the Game Boy Camera - Lucas from The Wizard - The 4WD from Stunt Race FX (since Fighters Megamix with the Daytona USA 2 car clearly ain't ever happening)

I alas forgot to include BoxBoy, much like how I got these Uniqlo shirts when they were on sale last year (via minusworld.co.uk)...

Here we have my fave reaction on Tumblr to the Nintendo Direct with the Smash 5 reveal, if only for the punchline (via mendelpalace)...

And here we have my fave reaction on Twitter (via @redford)...

This one is also great because wrestling (via @SteveYurko)...

Speaking of wrestling, remember that time Tazz, while commentating for Smackdown, was also playing a game of Final Fantasy X-2… or so he thought? (via defjamvendetta)

"hey quick question whoever's developing the wwe games now: what the fuck"

"It helps him eat small fish"

"better question: why isn't this an option in every game ever"

"FAIR POINT" (via snoozlebee)

Whereas most publishers in Japan, during the 80s & 90s, had festivals (or carnivals) centered around shmups, Asmik's was based on women's wrestling (via oldgamemags)...

It's not for a video game, though the illustration is by someone who has been involved in a few; it's by Satoshi Yoshioka, of Snatcher and Policenauts fame (via videogamesdensetsu)...

It's not for a video game that actually exists, but is instead a completely fictional instructional manual, one that makes you wish it was real (via tomeccles)...

Just when you think you've seen every ultra, wacky & obscure video game box art there is to see out there (via @CoolBoxArt)...

I have a serious soft sport for the usage of video game imagery among early 80s musicians (via siryl)...

... What the final product looks like BTW/FYI...

A. so there's a VR version of Fruit Ninja, did not know that, & B. if you like watching people play it (for whatever reason), yet wish you could actually see a person swinging a sword and not just some abstract swiping motions… here ya go (via prostheticknowledge)...

Playing games in VR is so 2017… Handling your collection of games in VR? Now THAT is very 2018 (via mendelpalace)...

Lots of friends are playing the new DBZ fighting game, though I'll give it a shot once it hits the arcades and is also in a cab like this (via @Fotosdecomics)...

I absolutely need to get my hands on this S.H. Figuarts Shinya Arino (via tinycartridge)...

Available right now, some Altered Beast, Bare Knuckles, and Rent-a-Hero resin kits (via miki800.com)...

Cursed? More like blessed amirite (via @Pretzel_Pup)...

I know Yoji Shinkawa is best buds with Hideo Kojima, but would he be open to doing another gig at Konami? Cuz him art directing a reboot of Twin Bee would kinda be the best (via @SESKOU)...

There's money on the table with this Metroid X Pepsi mash-up, am confident of this (via ryangilleece)...

Cuz even someone like Samus Aran needs a good stretch every once in a while (via jon-bliss)...

And this third piece of Metroid fan art in a row is very much related to Metroid 3, aka Super Metroid (even though it technically depicts the ending to Metroid 2; via mmillus)...

Awakening indeed (via brookietf)...

For those who have asked, yes, I have seen the hack that connects the Switch to an itty-bitty black & white TV...

Though I'm only really interested in tiny b&w CRT TVs if I can play Duck Hunt on them (via arcade-crusade)...

I not only dig teeny-tiny displays for light gun games, but also for driving games as well (perhaps some of you might remember the following from this)...

Back to tube displays; seeing Zelda on a CRT also reminded me of how Dark Souls look on a CRT, aka CRT Souls or 480i Souls (which again I'm hoping regular readers of the blog remember, especially since the original post has fallen victim to a Tumblr bug)...

"while playing king's field just now i died in the magic cave of fire and when i warped back there were beautiful graphical glitches everywhere" (via mendelpalace)...

Some landscapes, filled with beauty and mystery and terror, are accidental (see: the graphical glitches from before)… whereas others are completely deliberate, as in the case of Atlantia (via obscurevideogames)...

Once again, I REALLY need to figure out a way to play some PC88 games (via obscurevideogames)...

Here we have a semi-common Space Invaders sighting for the time, in an episode of Battle Fever J, one of the earliest Super Sentai shows (via himitsusentaiblog)...

And here we have a rare Game Gear sighting, in old OVA anime, Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko. Hell, it’s a rare Game Gear in anything sighting; the only other example that comes to mind is Rumble In The Bronx (via @TheOtaking)...

And an equally rare Sonic on the runway sighting (via kotaku.com)...

I normally watch a video in its entirety before making a recommendation. Yet when it came to this overview of Last Bronx's legacy in Japan (and lack thereof in the West), hearing the main theme to Beat Takeshi's Violent Cop near the 3 min mark was all I needed (have since watched the whole thing, and as expected, it's another awesome Kim Justice production)...

And finally, a friend notes: "subzero's right arm is real close to trump's spinal column

just sayin" (via @jbillinson)...

[hhawkeye]

⭐🌟, beloved friend?

- 6:15

⭐ - fiction or nonfiction?

nonfiction in books but fiction in tv/film! idk why i just prefer reading about real actual events and if i do read fiction i like it to be set within reality if that makes sense. but in tv or film i prefer fiction mainly because most factual pieces are... eh. there are interesting ones for sure but in general they just don't hold my attention and a lot of the time feel sensationalised which i know is a generalised statement and harsh and my uni lecturers would kick my ass if they heard me saying that but idk. i just dont enjoy it as much!!

HOWEVER i very much enjoy creating factual pieces and documentaries so. hm. i create things i hate watching huh. weirdo

🌟 - poetry or novels?

poetry<3 rn i'm going through a book called uhhh "love speaks its name" which is a collection of ~gay and lesbian~ love poetry so. i just kinda flip to a random page every night and read some and feel Emotions. uh but in general i just prefer poetry esp poetry that gets a little weird and wacky and plays by its own rules. i enjoy bad boys even in poems

#ty bb<333

[unpretty]

i'm supposed to be doing homework and you know what that means

LET'S READ: KRAVEN THE HUNTER

(Previously On, or, The Mess So Far)

This time it's The Amazing Spider-Man #34, published in March of 1966. That's right, it took two goddamn years for Kraven to get back from being deported. Although I may have gotten the date wrong on that last post, I think it was actually May and not August? Whatever, who cares. This is still being written by Stan Lee and drawn by Ditko, which is to say, it is still batshit bonkers and 500% the most canon. Look at this fucking cover.

Jesus Christ.

This is also the start of Kraven's Belt Telephone, which is the game artists play where they can't actually figure out what the fuck is going on with Kraven's belt. Because this is still Ditko, I assume he remembers that they are tusks full of drugs? But if you saw this cover without context you would just see a weird junglepunk spikey belt.

I don't really like posting full pages but this comic starts with a full-page spread and it's a doozy.

THE SOMEWHAT MAGNIFICENT MENACE.

ALL YOU CAN SEE ARE KRAVEN'S BUFF LEGS.

THE FIRST INSTANCE OF KRAVEN HAVING A REALLY BOMB-ASS HOUSE FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF HAVING SOMEWHERE TO KEEP ALL HIS DEAD ANIMALS.

God, it's actually really hard not to post whole pages. This is a really Kraven-centric comic to start with, which wasn't a problem before, when Stan made the mistake of thinking I cared about Peter Parker's relationship problems.

Kraven doesn't even want to cut off Spider-Man's head and mount it to the wall. Even Kraven thinks that would be fucking weird. He just wants the goddamn mask. He wants to kick Spidey's ass and steal his mask, like a fucking luchador.

Kraven then proceeds to drink some weird fucking jungle drugs, which are still being referred to as 'potions'. Every time they use the word 'potion' just substitute 'drug' because that's what's happening.

Then he fights a fucking lion.

Hey, see how he calls that lion Simba? The first time I read this comic I was like 'lol of course he calls it Simba' and just took it for granted that Kraven was a big fan of the Lion King or something. It seemed plausible. Look at his pants.

Here is something that I only realized recently: The Lion King didn't come out until 1995. That's not for another thirty years after this comic came out.

This briefly raised the concern that Kraven just intermittently refers to things by the Swahili word for them. That Kraven just speaks Swahili and thinks it sounds nice.

Do you want to know what piece of pop culture Kraven is actually referencing?

A fucking two-hour black and white documentary about Africa, from 1928. First of all: what the fuck, Stan Lee. Second of all: what the fuck, Kraven. I bet he saw that shit in theaters. I mean the retcon that Kraven is Old As Balls hasn't been written yet, but like. Come on. This motherfucker likes nature documentaries. Of course he does.

So anyway, Kraven wrassles a fucking lion, and has so much fun wrassling the lion and working off his weird drug high that he lets it go.

I'm also pretty into the implications of 'rogue lion'. This was just a rando asshole lion, attacking randos. That's not normal lion behavior! Especially not for dude lions! But it's fine because Kraven set it's shit straight, I guess. That lion has learned an important lesson about--

WAIT. WHAT IF IT ATTACKED HIM BECAUSE OF THE FUCKING LION VEST. FUCK. I know that's not what Stan Lee intended but also I don't care. That lion was territorial and now it thinks this weird lion-man kicked his ass. Amazing.

Some things:

Delivering animals to zoos

He was doing that last time he showed up, too, I'm pretty sure

How many zoos in the Marvel universe owe their conservation efforts and research to this one weird dude who stocked half their fucking exhibits

Kraven is totally capable of wearing normal clothes and when he does he looks like Freddie Mercury

These are all just facts.

Anyway now the comic goes back to Peter Parker's relationship problems. What did I just say, Stan. Have we learned nothing.

His girlfriend Betty is having nightmares that Peter is Spider-Man, because she knows he's keeping secrets and that's the worst one she can think of. gg peter. Peter is feeling better since Aunt May had some kind of surgery, which she needed for her heart problems, which are why he almost quit being Spider-Man.

Did I mention that Kraven actually does appear in another comic before this one? It's just one single panel where it's implied that Kraven chased Spider-Man through a featureless void with two cheetahs, at some point.

I didn't bother posting about that comic because it's only got that one Kraven cameo, but it is technically the first appearance of Kraven the Tamer. Chasing Spider-Men with a dude and another cheetah isn't something that cheetahs usually do. He tamed those cheetahs, and trained them to chase his enemies.

Anyway that was Spider-Man #18, the first comic where Spider-Man tries to quit being Spider-Man in the 700 issue run of The Amazing Spider-Man. He does it because his Aunt May has heart problems and someone has to take care of her instead of getting chased by cheetahs in a featureless void, being threatened in a really vague way by a large man who wants to do unspeakable things when he gets his hands on him.

Please just tell people you're a teenager, Peter.

Right, where was I. Aunt May had surgery, for her old lady heart. Peter Parker is in college now! I think. He's at Empire State University. That's college, right? Right. Everyone wants to bang Gwen Stacy except Peter, who everyone hates, because he never wants to hang out and he got a scholarship.

If looks could kill everyone in this panel would be responsible for my murder. Look at all these fucking faces.

Later, Peter decides not to help the police with a crime, because he doesn't need the money. That sounds like I'm exaggerating to make Spider-Man sound bad but I assure you that is literally what happens.

What the fuck, Peter.

Meanwhile, Kraven needs somewhere to keep his luggage.

Where did he buy a green suit, and why. How old is that suit. Why is the Chameleon's hideout just full of weird disembodied faces and why isn't Kraven more creeped out by this. This place looks like a weird music video.

"Finally, free from the tyranny of shirts" - Kraven, I guess.

Hey, can we talk about Kraven being FUCKING BANNED from the United States for a minute?? Like, literally never allowed to return??? What the fuck. How is he getting animals to these zoos. Are they aware he's not allowed to enter the United States. Do they care. Has no one put in the good word for this man.

Thanks, Stan. Thank you for taking the time to set the scene, and then apologizing for setting the scene, because you assume that people reading comics don't know how stories work.

This sounds sarcastic but literally Stan Lee explains basic storytelling mechanics in sidebars all the fucking time and it's amazing??? Stan Lee assumes that you, dear reader, are unfamiliar with books. EXCELSIOR.

Oh no, what a wacky misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding was deliberate all along.

Now, Kraven has not stolen Peter's costume. Even if he did, it wouldn't fit. Peter's a lanky teen nightmare. Kraven is swole. Kraven sewed himself a Spider-Man costume. It's the only explanation. Kraven the Hunter sat down and made a faithful recreation of Spider-Man's costume, in a bigger size. He is using his newfound power to emulate Spider-Man to annoy the shit out of JJ. That is literally all he fucking does. And no one notices that Spider-Man suddenly got big and Russian and started calling people fools all the time.

HE'S LITERALLY NOT COMMITTING ANY REAL CRIMES. HE'S JUST JUMPSCARING JJ ALL THE TIME. THAT'S IT. THAT'S HIS WHOLE FUCKING PLAN. GOD.

Hey so what's Peter up to?

Why was it necessary to specify the type of apple.

Spider-Man finally decides to intervene and WHAT IS THIS

I'M FUCKING CRYING. IT LOOKS LIKE A MANNEQUIN SOMEONE SWUNG AROUND ON A STRING. HOW DO YOU HAVE CHEESY SPECIAL EFFECTS IN A COMIC BOOK. FUCK.

Spider-Man spots his impersonator and gives chase. Remember how I mentioned the huge number of weird Dillinger gangsters? Some of them are on the ground, and see Spider-Man swinging by. I guess they only see one of him? You'd think they'd see two Spider-Men and be unsettled, but instead they decide to give chase and kick his ass. They don't even have powers.

Kraven reveals himself in a dramatic rooftop scene! Spider-Man is stunned! It was Kraven all along! How did he change costumes so fast? Was he wearing his lion vest under the Spider-Man costume? How did he get the mane under there? How did no one notice that Kraven is significantly larger than the normal, non-Russian Spider-Man? This whole situation raises a lot of questions, and Spider-Man isn't asking any of them, because he'd rather call Kraven a weak idiot baby.

What the fuck is jungle scent.

Is this. Did he. Is that.

Did Kraven just spray Spider-Man with animal piss. What the fuck kind of animal has spider-sense disabling piss. Literally, what the fuck. Does his spider-sense just short circuit because once a man has been sprayed with piss he has hit rock bottom and there's nothing else in this world that can truly do him harm. I really don't know but this is my working theory which no one can ever disprove.

Anyway Kraven has set a bunch of traps to drive Spider-Man inside of the abandoned building, which is full of even more traps. TRAPS. TRAPS EVERYWHERE.

They do a lot of running around inside a dark fucked up old building, while old-timey gangsters also run into the abandoned building, intent on kicking Spider-Man's ass.

Peter, you insufferable fucking pedant. Note that apparently he does not give even half of a fuck about who they are or why they're there, he's just mad they're getting involved in his fight with Kraven. He has to spend like ten minutes just getting rid of randos so he can get back to THE REAL FIGHT.

THIS IS THE LEAST VIOLENT GRAPPLE I HAVE EVER SEEN.

I am laughing just, really hard at the way Kraven just tries to pick him up with a hug. Just sweeping him off his fucking feet. Peter's in college now, right? He's at least 18? I can find this hilarious for all the wrong reasons? Whatever, I'm going to. They proceed to spend a page rolling around the floor of an abandoned building, in the dark, punching each other in the face.

Bull elephant.

More randos show up, and the boys are deeply offended.

For fuck's sake.

For fuck's sake.

This is deeply upsetting to me for a number of reasons, most of which involve my assumption that the jungle scent is piss. Spider-Man reeks of piss and Kraven is using it to follow him.

Anyway there are more traps, and also falling bricks. which are one of Spider-Man's greatest weaknesses. I don't think Kraven knows that about Spider-Man. Are we all familiar with Spider-Man's tendency to get hit in the head with bricks? Well, whatever.

PETER HAD BETTER BE EIGHTEEN BECAUSE KRAVEN IS RIDING THAT BOY LIKE A GODDAMN ATOM BOMB THROUGH THE FUCKING AIR, WHILE MONOLOGUING ABOUT SUBDUING HIM WITH HIS RAW STRENGTH.

Then they go inside another abandoned building to roll around on the floor in the dark for a while, again. You would think that someone would do something clever here to resolve this fight, but they literally just keep punching each other until Spider-Man can get a good hit in.

Yeah you just. You hammer away, Peter. You do that.

What the fuck is a spider-beam signal.

HONORRR.

JJ is so fucking mad that Spider-Man wasn't actually following him everywhere. I like that Kraven literally went the extra mile to really make sure everyone knew it was him. "See how I'm big, and Russian? And that evil Spider-Man was big, and Russian? Eh? Eh?"

Anyway then a bunch of other stuff happens about Peter Parker's love life, but who cares, because Kraven isn't in the rest of this comic. Because he just got arrested. Because he turned himself in. Because he promised.

WILL OUR HERO EVER GET OUT OF JAIL AND KICK SPIDER-MAN'S ASS? WILL EVERYTHING HE SAYS AND DOES EVER STOP BEING SO WEIRDLY SEXUAL? TUNE IN NEXT TIME, I GUESS

(Next Time, Which Was Actually Last Time)

#original #kraven the hunter #kraven readalong

[sprinkleofhappinessuniverse]

Freckles And Feelings - (Dean x Castiel)

Synopsis: Cas has developed a crush on Dean but the only problem is they’ve never spoken and he can’t seem to work up the courage to go up and speak to him. A.k.a. The three times Cas embarrassed himself in front of Dean and the one time he didn’t. 

Pairing: Dean x Castiel)

Word Count: 2,576

Warnings: Light swearing, second hand embarrassment and fluff. 

A/N: thank you @illbeyourgentlemanstory for reading over this for me and for your encouragement💙 I haven’t written these dorks in a long while and I wanted to write something fluffy after the season finale fiasco (which I’m still in denial about).

Cas looked onwards in the queue in the café and spotted Dean, not too far in front of him talking animatedly to Benny and Victor. They seemed to be in their own happy bubble, laughing and joking loudly as Victor pushes Dean. Dean shuffled backwards awkwardly until he was standing directly in the haze the sun cast through the café’s window.

Cas watched as Dean’s green eyes twinkled in the sunlight which also highlighted the light array of freckles that danced across his face. Benny said something - Cas couldn’t hear over the din of patrons and radio music - and Dean’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he broke into wholehearted laugh that gained him a few looks.

Dean was unfairly pretty. It was the conclusion Cas came to every time he saw Dean. He had never actually spoken to Dean, only seeing him around campus, or sitting around in cafés or the library. Cas had no confidence whatsoever to strike up a conversation which led him quietly observing the handsome stranger from afar.

“Yeesh, you’re like a drooling dog.” Cas’ startled out of his thoughts at the sound of Gabriel’s voice and scowled at him. Gabriel gave Cas a knowing smirk before casting a quick look to Dean. Meg looked up from her phone and followed Gabriel’s gaze before turning back to Cas with the same knowing smirk.

“What? See something you like, Clarence.” She said. Cas’s scowl deepened and he sighed.

“Y’know, it’d be a whole lot easier to admit your crush and talk to him than blushing like a twelve year old girl.” Gabriel said, not-so-quietly. Cas rolled his eyes.

“I do not have a crush. Besides the opportunity to speak hasn’t arisen nor do I think it will.” Cas deadpanned. Gabriel smirked again and Cas could tell by the arch of his eyebrows that whatever he was thinking, wouldn’t be good.

Then, Quicker than he could blink, Gabriel slapped the history textbook out of his hands and kicked it along the floor. Cas gasped,  and watched as it slid across the floor and hit Dean’s foot. Dean stopped talking and looked down at the book before looking up at Cas.

Cas, too embarrassed to say anything, blinked back.

“Sorry about my baby bro over here! He can be real clumsy when in the presence of hot gu– Ow!” Gabriel exclaimed once Cas elbowed him in the ribs.

“Why don’t you go over and get your book.” Meg teased. She turned to Dean.  “You don’t don’t bite do you, freckles?”

Dean awkwardly shook his head. Already feeling his face flush Cas walked over to where the book was.

“Uh, here man.” Dean said picking up the book and handing it to Cas.

“I am very sorry about this.” Cas muttered. Dean shrugged and smiled. They locked eyes for a moment before Cas turned his focus to the floor. “Uh, I should…go back to where I was standing in line, because that’s where I was.” He stumbled awkwardly quickly turning away. He had no idea what he was saying and could feel his face flush with embarrassment.

“What the hell was that?” Gabriel said. Cas glared at him and Gabriel pursed his lips knowing better than to tease his brother.

It took everything in Cas’ willpower not to roll his eyes at the haggle of students who had cornered him and were shouting about something or the other. The Theatre society were performing what they called documentary theatre and were set up around campus showing the rest of the university current affairs through the power of theatre. Cas didn’t understand it and wished it didn’t interfere with his simple walk to the library.

Carefully, he maneuvered out of the small crowd and breathed a sigh of relief. His relief was short lived when someone bumped into him causing him to stumble backwards, trip over something lying on the ground and falling, hard. 

“Sorry about that brother.” he heard Benny’s voice say. Benny soon came to view as he felt someone place a hand in his shoulder.

“Woah, you alright, man?” Cas turned his head to the side ready to grumble a response but found his voice hitch a little when he saw who was crouching beside him. Dean. Somehow, he was even prettier up close despite Cas noticing the small imperfections detailing his face. Concern was etched across his face and Cas felt a small tug in his stomach.

“I’m fine.” Cas muttered. Dean nodded and stood up, holding out his hand. Cas took it and heaved himself up. Even Dean’s hand felt nice, especially slotted with his.

A voice worked its way inside his head, chiding him for his thoughts. Dean doesn’t even know him. The sooner he gets over this crush the better.

“You’re the textbook guy!” Benny said breaking Cas away from his thoughts and he immediately felt the embarrassment of Gabriel’s previous interference. Dean now looked at him, with a look of recognition and lips pursed into a small smile. Shyly, Cas nodded.

“Unless your mom had bad naming choices, I’m guessing your name ain’t the textbook guy.” Dean said, still smiling.

“Uh, Castiel. My name is Castiel.” Cas replied quietly,  cringing at his sudden shyness. Dean had a look on his face as though he were considering Cas’ own name and then held out his hand.

“Cool. I’m Dean.” Cas shook his hand, deciding not to mention the fact that he already knew his name due to his countless hours of ‘observing’. Dean’s eyes flickered toward their clasped hands before furrowing his eyebrows. “Dude, I would have just settled for a hand slap or a hi five.”

“My apologies.” Cas said, looking down at his feet. Dean let out a laugh.

“No, It’s cool, man, I liked it.” Dean settled his hand on Cas’ shoulder and he couldn’t help but let out a small smile.

“C’mon Dean, Vic will kick our asses if we leave him waitin’ much longer.” Benny said, already walking away.

“See you later.” Dean said, clapping Cas’ shoulder. Cas stood still smiling. Although embarrassed about falling over and the awkward handshake, Cas decided that Dean’s laugh was one of his favourite sounds.

It had been a few days since Cas’ first encounter with Dean and it was all he could think about. He deliberately didn’t tell Meg and Gabriel knowing he would be subject to their endless teasing, as if he didn’t get teased enough by them.

He walked into the library which was dead quiet, seemingly devoid of students. Cas didn’t mind, he liked the peace. As he walked on further he noticed that he would not be alone after all as he spotted Charlie standing at one of the tables, humming the imperial march theme,  surrounded by large boxes of books.

“Hello Charlie.” Cas greeted, walking beside her. Charlie jumped and let out a little squeak.

“Sorry Cas, I didn’t expect to see you here. As you can see, It’s kinda a ghost town in here.” She said gesturing to the empty library.

“Do you need any help?”

“Yes please. I’ve never been around so many books in my life. I mean, I love books but being around boxes full of them for two hours straight? I’m kinda going crazy.” She huffed, eyes scanning the various boxes. “The boxes should be labelled, just put them in the right section. One of the other volunteers can shelve them.”

Charlie moved to the opposite of the table and started sorting through another pile of books, putting them in the right boxes. Cas picked up a box full of autobiographies and put them at the beginning of the  ‘Non-Fiction’ aisle. He made his way back and went to pick up another box. He was about to make conversation with Charlie when he saw her look up and smirk.

“Sup loser!” She said. Confused Cas furrowed his eyebrows until he heard the scuffle of footsteps behind him, letting him know that Charlie was in fact not calling him a loser. He turned around and of all the students in the university it was Dean that walked in. Backpack slung over one shoulder he smirked.

“Hey nerd.” He greeted back to Charlie before worming his way around the table to hug her. “Hey Castiel.”

“Hello Dean.” Cas replied, ignoring the fuzzy feeling in his stomach.  He picked up another box, this time containing books on animals and nature. As he walked over to the non-fiction aisle he was sure he heard Dean whisper ‘Don't’. Curiosity led him to pause for a few moments however whatever the subject was, was seemingly dropped.

“I got into another heated debate with Garth today.” Charlie said.

“Crap. Did you threaten stab him with your binder this time?” Dean said a hint of amusement in his voice. As Cas walked back over to the table he saw Charlie roll her eyes.

“He claimed that The Incredible Hulk was a better superhero than Batman! In what world does that make sense?”

“The wacky world of Garth. Why were you even arguing with him anyway? The dude pays two dollars for a newspaper, three times a week, just to read the Marmaduke and Garfield comic strips.”

“I know. But he insulted Batman. Dude Batman.”

“C’mere you big baby, it’s okay Bruce Wayne will always remain the superior hero.” Dean teased pulling her into a hug.

“But not as superior as Wonder Woman.” Charlie mumbled. Dean met Cas gaze and shook his head causing Cas to smile.

“Word of advice. Never argue about Superheroes with Charlie especially Wonder Woman.” Dean joked.

“We’re married in an alternate universe.” Charlie mumbled before pulling away, “but seriously Cas who do you think is the more superior hero, Batman or The Incredible Hulk?”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

“I am not familiar with either of those character. I haven’t seen the films or read the comics.” Cas murmured. Judging by the looks on Dean and Charlie’s faces this was not the answer they were expecting.

“Dude we need to educate you. You need to watch the Batman films, even Batman and Robin. “ Dean said, a little eagerly. Cas noticed Charlie glancing between the both of them and smirking.

Cas nodded quickly before returning his attention to one of the boxes. The closest one to him was a particularly large one and Cas wasn’t too sure how he was going to move this one. Too shy to ask for help he tried to lift it. He failed. He tried again. He managed to lift one side a little however he didn’t anticipate its weight and when he felt the heaviness in arms he dropped the side he managed to drop the side he was lifting. It fell with a bang causing both Dean and Charlie to jump.

“You need any help buddy?” Dean called out. Cas knew he couldn’t lift this up by himself however his stubbornness got the better of him (and besides he really didn’t want to look weak in front of Dean).

“Nope I’ve got it.’ He proceeded to try and lift again. When he thought he lifted it up successfully he went to move his hand to the other side however as luck would have it, it became really heavy. Cas yanked his hand back and stumbled backwards.

“Woah, lemme help you.” Dean said moving to the other side of the box. Cas felt his cheeks flush.

“I guess I don’t have it after all.” He murmured lifting the other side of the box up. Dean said nothing as the two of them moves the box to the correct section.

“And that’s how I discovered that a pickled chocolate milkshake is the best hangover cure.” Gabriel babbled, shoving a few fried into his mouth. Cas grimaced and was certain that a pickled chocolate milkshake would not cure a hangover.

“Fascinating. That explains where the little brain cells you did have went.” Meg said distastefully. “Have you finally spoken to Freckles yet, Clarence?”

Cas shook his head and avoided her gaze.

“I don’t understand why you have such a massive stick up your ass. Worried he’ll fall in love with this?” Gabriel said, finger circling his face. “I know Meg has.”

“In your dreams sweetheart.” Meg leant over and stole a couple of Gabriel’s fries.

“Here comes loverboy now!” Gabriel piped up nudging Cas. Cas looked up to see Dean walking over to his table smiling.

“Hey Cas.” Dean greeted.  Cas couldn’t help but smile back as Dean used his nickname.

“Hello Dean.” He noticed Gabriel and Meg staring at him. “Uh, would like to sit with us?”

Dean stared at the three of them, looking a little lost.

“Here have a seat. We don’t bite, freckles.” Meg said somewhat patronising, pulling out a chair. Dean frowned but obliged. 

“Uh, it’s Dean.”

“Cute. I didn’t ask.” Meg said bluntly. Cas glared at her.

“So what brings you to this side of the woods Dean-O?” Gabriel asked.

“Uh, I wanted to ask Cas something.”

“You do?” Cas replied, surprised. Dean nodded before awkwardly looking at Meg and Gabriel then back at Cas with a few moments of silence passing.

“Well this is sickening. I’m gonna leave you two lovesick puppies before you start playing kissy face with each other.” Meg said getting up and collecting her garbage. She hit Gabriel on the shoulder. “You too, Sandler.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes but stood up shoving his last few fries in his mouth before collecting his own garbage and throwing into the nearby bin.

“You’re no fun. Catch you later kiddos. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” He began to walk away before quickly running back and leaning down in between Dean and Cas and smirking. “Oh and use protection.”

“Bye Clarence. Bye, Dean.” she turned away with Gabriel following. Cas rolled his eyes.

“They seem-”

“Unpleasant. Ignore them .” Cas said picking up his burger. “Meg’s personality is an acquired taste and I’m stuck with Gabriel.”

“You two related or something?”

“He’s my twin brother.”

“And you’re both named after angels?”

“Our mother had an obsession with them. Unfortunately, I can’t get away from him. He’s extremely obnoxious as you saw, but I’ve learned to tolerate him.”

“Yeah, brothers will do that to you.” Dean chuckled.

“Do you have a brother, Dean?”

“Yeah, he’s younger than me. Wants to go to college too. He’s a real nerd. I saw your textbook the other day, you studying History?” Cas nodded.

“Cool. Mechanical engineering right here.” Dean said gesturing to himself. “I drive a Chevy Impala, best damn car you will ever see.” Cas nodded in approval.

“You wanted to ask me something?” Cas said breaking the silence that fell between them.

“Uh, yeah.” Dean fiddled with his hands awkwardly. “Um, I know we haven’t spoken but I like you Cas.”

“You like me?” Cas’ eyes widened.

“Yeah, you seem cool. And I was thinking about what you said how you’ve never seen Batman, which is crazy by the way, and well Charlie wants to hold a movie night, it’d be good if you came.”

“Really?” Cas wasn’t sure he was dreaming. Did Gabriel slip something in his drink?

“Yeah. I’m not really good with this stuff.” Dean said scratching at the table.

“It’s fine, Dean.” Cas said placing a hand on his arm. “I’d love to.”

Tags: @saawek @damnandriel-in-hell @aliensliveinspace @awayto-wonderland

@damn-try-again @runtosleepdreamer @readerwriterme @deanissmitten

#Dean x Cas #Destiel Drabble #Dean x Castiel #Destiel #deancas #deancas fics #Dean Winchester #Castiel

[generallyspecificblog]

  I watched episodes 1 & 2 of the new season of Stranger Things on Netflix this weekend, its been a long time coming. I’ve been waiting patiently for this season since the last one ended. The show grew on me in a big way, i did not like it initially. Something about it is mysterious and innocent and this season looks to have more of a suspenseful and scary vibe. I’ve only watched two episodes thus far so this is an incomplete project but I felt I needed to write about it because i haven’t blogged a long one in a few days. What follows are my hot takes, conspiracy theories, and honorable mentions of “Stranger Things” Season 2.

Ah, the ’80’s, things were slower back then i’m sure, i wouldn’t know though because i was -10 in 1980. The fact that in one of the opening scenes the boys are scrambling for quarters to go play arcade games just tells me that those were the good days. Reminds me of the movie/documentary, “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters”, if you haven’t seen that i suggest that you stop reading this blog and go watch that documentary, you will not be let down, you will also have your masculinity tested by a man named Billy Mitchell. Also that is probably the only time i’ll suggest that you stop reading the blog so you know its worth it. Anyways, quarters are king and Mike robs Nancy of her piggy bank which i think is just great, but also i feel like Nancy is a bit too old for a piggy bank.

So the boys (Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin) rally at the local arcade room, Those for sure were only around for laundering money i imagine, and get to playing. At some point Will hears something and wanders off and somehow he is pulled into the upside-down place, his home pretty much the whole 1st season, and sees a dark sky with red lightning and a shadow demon thing with tornadoes for arms and then snaps out of it. First off i would like to say that i do not completely understand what the show writers are going for with the existence of the “Upside-down” place. I guess the easiest way to explain it is an alternate dimension that’s evil and terrible, but i just don’t know how it all works. I will admit that i think that if i were to somehow be instantly teleported to a place like that, i would for sure only be able to cry and close my eyes until i inevitably died because that place, and that monster thing seem completely terrifying. With all of that being said i think that calling it “The Upside-Down Place” is a rookie move and who ever came up with it needs to go to prison. It’s like calling it “Creepy Avenue” or “Elm Street”, how about a better name for the place that your main characters fear and where pure evil resides. As a matter of fact i will no longer refer to it as the “Upside-down” place and from here on out it will be called the “Thunderdome” or “Satans Basement” or “Oklahoma” ANYTHING but “Upside-down” place.  So, Will snaps out of it somehow and his excuse to his friend for being outside is that he needed some air, I found that funny because this show is set in the 80’s and no chance kids were as messed up and snowflakey as they are now. “Needing some air” in the 80’s was just something you said when you wanted your 3rd cigarette from your 2nd pack of the day, i assume. Be more dramatic Will.

The cameos in these first two episodes were very interesting and i didn’t hate them, i’d actually be excited if they all stayed on as regulars. First we have Brett Gelman playing Murray Bauman, aparrently some kind of private investigator with suspicion of Russian assistance in the events that transpired last season. Gelman is killing it lately with the cameos and honestly is just a really funny guy, i will never forget him in The Other Guys as the Arnold Palmer obsessed wanna-be swinger who begs Will Ferrels character to bang his wife.

Next and my favorite so far is the incomparable Mikey Walsh, the lovable Samwise Gamgee, Rudy HIMSELF, Sean Astin playing Bob “The Brain” Newby. Sean Astin is top 10 in my favorite actors, all around good dude, and just as lovable as they get. His character in Stranger Things is Joyce Byers’ new love interest it seems, and he does a fantastic job. The dynamic between him and Joyce is weird but i am fully invested after 2 episodes. Sean Astin nerding out about video cameras and radio shack is grade-a television folks.

Other than that there is a new pair of sibling characters in the show, Billy and Maxine AKA MadMax, that i just don’t know about yet. Billy is an absolute psychopath that resembles a younger Zac Efron who is fond of younger Zac Efrons who drives like a bat outta hell. This Billy dude is like a cross between Kurt Cobain on a bender and Jack Nicholson from The Shining. Pure crazy, but an entertaining character. His sister, i’m assuming, Maxine (or Max as she so rudely corrected the zany teacher at the school) is a very boyish little girl who is apparently good at arcade games and skateboarding, possessing some of the same crazy traits as her aforementioned brother. Some subtle yet understandable misogyny is featured in a scene where the boys are spying on her and say something along the lines of “girls cant play video games”. There is a new psychiatrist guy that talks to Will too but he is very boring and on the bad guys side so i don’t particularly care for him. Out of the new characters i mentioned above i would rank them accordingly: 1. Bob 2. Murray 3. Billy 4. Maxine 956. Doctor Boring D.O.

As for our returning characters a lot has changed in good ole Hawkins and its nearing the one year anniversary of the finale of last season some time around Halloween, obviously. The iconic Reagan Bush ’84 Campaign signs make an appearance in these episodes a couple of times in peoples yards and i love it, shout out Rowdy Gentleman.  The boys are still up to their nerdy shenanigans riding around on bikes and talking on their giant walkie-talkies. An exciting part is that they dress up as Ghostbusters for Halloween and being the season is set in 1984 i give 1,000 kudos to the kids for being such trailblazing fans of the film, and 2,000 kudos to their parents for making the costumes from scratch. There is a pretty comical argument between Mike and Lucas on who gets to be Venkman, Bill Murrays character, with an awkward reference to the only black Ghostbuster, Winston Zeddemore played by Ernie Hudson, being lame because he was late to the team.

  Mike is emotionally invested in 2 boxes of toys for some reason and misses the hell out of his superhuman girlfriend, 11, just being an emo little baby pretty much the whole time. Will and Mike make some weird pact while trick-or-treating where Mike says “If you’re weird, I’m Weird” kind of like Ryan Gossling does in the Notebook (If you’re a bird, I’m a bird). Lucas and Dustin fight over who is gonna date Maxine.

Our guy Will, who spent the majority of last season in the Thunderdome, has turned into a monster in the eyes of the kids at school. He gets bullied a bit, being called “Zombie Boy” and getting notes put in his locker saying the same thing, thank god Twitter or Facebook didn’t exist back then or this dude would of 13 Reasons Why’d his way through the rest of this season, probably. He takes it with stride though, animating his new nickname pretty artistically, wouldn’t be surprised if he creates a comic book about his Zombie alter ego and becomes a millionaire.

Steve and Nancy are still an item, probably my second favorite couple behind Johnathan and crippling loneliness. Nancy has become annoying because out of the clouds she starts actually caring that her friend Barb is dead, probably because she feels guilty, i mean you’d have to be an idiot to not blame Nancy for the demise of our homely heroine, Barb. There is a scene where Nancy and Steve go have dinner with Barbs parents and enjoy some KFC #fingerlickingood. Barbs parents are delusional at this point, in denial that Barb is dead. They are not in good health, mainly because of the fried chicken, and have plans to sell their home to fund a wild goose chase led by the wacky ex-journalist, P.I. Bauman. That should be successful. R.I.P Barb. Some how Steve has become more likable. Probably because of his hair which has some how become bigger, the higher the hair the closer to heaven, i see you Steve. Nancy and Steve go to a Halloween party together where she gets tipsy on some jungle juice, or as the raging toga bro, who is later seen yakking his brains out, calls it, “Pure Fuel”. Nancy, in typical white girl wasted fashion, says “bullshit” 9 million times after getting a cup of hunch punch spilled on her and brings up the past (Her and Steve basically murdering Barb, gone but never forgotten). Surprisingly Steve peaces out instead of taking advantage of Nancy like he did last season. Johnathan, in typical lonely guy fashion, swoops in like a sad pigeon and saves the day by taking her home and tucking her in. I feel it is necessary to say that i think Johnathan looks like an anorexic Bill Hader from SNL and i hope other people see that too.

  My favorite character, 11, or Elle as Chief Hopper adorably calls her, has taken up residence in a cabin out in the sticks. Chief Hopper is my 2nd favorite character in the show and he has become some type of father figure to 11 letting her stay in his cabin and is keeping her safe from the Russians or whoever is trying to get her. 11 is still a super hero and controls stuff with her mind. She has grown her hair out lookin like a jerry curl gettin real high up there, watch out Steve. Hopper is still whippin around in that dope ass Trailblazer and totin that 6-shooter like a rootin tootin cowboy, they should call him Sheriff instead of Chief. The interaction between Sheriff Hopper and 11 is perfect and comical. 11 is still very robot-like and says “five one five” instead of 5:15 at one point alluding that she hasn’t become much more normal than the first season. There are a few flashbacks to season one including one where 11 is breaking through some gooey womb-like substance out of Thunderdome and it reminds me of Jim Carrey being born from a rhino in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. In another scene 11 kills and begins to cook a squirrel to eat and then beams it at some hunter dudes face in the woods because i guess that’s what Russian cyborgs do. Sheriff Hopper misses hanging out with Elle for Halloween and that broke my heart, do better man.

As usual the soundtrack for the show is the absolute best, the beginning credit song that sounds like Daft Punk time traveled back to the 80’s is up there with Game of Thrones intro song. So far the show is fantastic and there are a lot more witty references and noteworthy things to say but i have just realized that i have written 2,000+ words and most of this was just mindless stammering on and so with that i give my superlatives and predictions thus-far:

Most likely to die alone: Jonathan Byers

Worst Father of the Year: Sheriff Hopper

Most likely to Smash for sure: Hopper and Joyce

Most Improved: Barb

Best Hair: Steve

Probably Gonna Finish Last: Bob “The Brain” Newby

Most Athletic: The Bike Boys

Life of the Party: Yoga bro

Most Likely to Become President: Reagan Bush ’84

Biggest Twist: Barb is alive!

Token Black Guy: Lucas

Least Likely to do Anything, Ever: The dumb psychiatrist guy

Most likely to end up in jail or an insane asylum probably: Billy

Most Likely To Confuse The Millennium Falcon with the Starship Enterprise: My Fiance while watching the show with me.

      Stranger Things: Season 2 Return of Barb, Maybe. I watched episodes 1 & 2 of the new season of Stranger Things on Netflix this weekend, its been a long time coming.

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