#when it was just pure comedy and insanity from the first minute

[tennant-davids]

DOCTOR WHO David Tennant as The Doctor in Wild Blue Yonder

#doctor who #dwedit #doctorwhoedit #wild blue yonder #david tennant #dtennantedit #usereena #arthurpendragonns #timelordgifs #userbbelcher #chewieblog #fourteenth doctor #*laurengifs #dw spoilers #i love how this was pitched as very scary and intense and all that #when it was just pure comedy and insanity from the first minute

[theonethatyaks93]

Animaniacs Season 3 Episodes 3-10 Opinions

Spoiler Warning: This review will give major spoilers for certain episodes of this show. Proceed at your own risk.

Hi guys. Listen, I think Season 3 was pretty strong and it improved after the first two episodes. However, the ending made me very pissed and I am kind of having an emotional moment right now. I just can’t believe that it’s over. And I can’t believe that it ended so poorly. I don’t think I’ll ever watch that last episode again, except for the cold opening. I just feel like the ending kind of lied to us. We got a Pinky and The Brain cold opening, not a full segment, and while it was good, for this to be the last appearance of the mice just makes me sad. The final segment also dragged on way too long and it just abruptly ended in a not funny way. This review will mainly focus on Pinky and The Brain, but I loved a few Warners segments such as “Warner Games”, “Santamaniacs”, “Island of Dr. Warneau”, and “Über Nachtmare”. Anyways, lets get on with the reviews.

“Talladega Mice” was one of the most surprisingly amazing segments of the entire reboot. I loved how it contained some references to older episodes and it was full of charming moments. I also loved how it focued on Pinky and his minor anxiety problems, with Brain having to calm him down to survive. This episode had the funniest moments in the entire third season, with me laughing for a solid 2+ minutes after watching this. I loved how it shows a softer side of Brain, with him using impressions to calm Pinky down. He also engages in an adorable tickle fight (Brain’s ticklish you guys!) and even allows Pinky to suck on his finger when he gets too stressed out. I feel really comfortable in saying that this segment felt very realistic in its portrayal of anxiety, stress, and the ways to cope with it. I relate to Pinky immensely here since I also have stress problems and need things to distract myself from them. I can safely say that this is a must-watch with hilarious moments, and some underlying messages.

“Mad Mouse: Furry Road” was a great, but not amazing segment. I was let down a bit, but I still found this fun and engaging. I loved Pinky’s sense of humor and Brain was also enjoyable. I think the animation was impressive and some of the moments between the mice were cute. While I think that it suffered from slow pacing at moments and not every joke was a slam dunk, (Also, that gross-out joke was not necessary, but shockingly, I’ve seen worse!) I still think that this is a decent watch.

“Groundmouse Day” was very funny and cute! I loved Brain and how he grew more and more insane after the day kept repeating. I loved Egwind and his cameo and Pinky was as adorable as he was funny. That moment when Pinky kissed Brain goodnight was one of the most pure and wholesome moments in the reboot (also Pinky is gay and so is Brain!). I loved the ending twist and I really felt every emotion seep from the screen. The expressions were wonderful and I loved all the Groundhog Day references. I felt really happy after watching this and I just feel like things were handled very well. Overall, I recommend this segment!

“All’s Fair in Love and Door” was hands-down the best episode from season 3. The drama, the comedy, the high-stakes, it was all amazing. Julia was as insane and hilarious as ever and Pinky deserves all the happiness. Also, Pinky and Brain love each other!!! The end blew my mind and I was very satisfied. I loved all the emotions and how realistic they all felt. I was surprised by a few things in this segment such as Brain covering Pinky to protect him from Julia (that jump was hilarious tho) and the real Julia showing up at the end! Please make a movie with Julia in it!!! The premise of this episode was extremely well-planned and all the VA’s did fantastic jobs with everything. This was the most surprising episode of the show in terms of twists and turns. Go watch this right now!!! I think this episode is worth your time!!

“How The Brain Thieved Christmas” was the episode that got me to cry. Yeah I know it’s cliche for me to like the Christmas episode but I did. The episode balanced perfect comedy, references, and genuine heart into one package. The first part was funny and engaging. The second part was tense and heartwarming. And when Pinky told Brain that he loved him, I screamed! I loved the Pinky dolls (especially the muscular one) and the moment when Pinky posed seductively was hilarious. The moment that got me was when Brain received the thing he needed to tack over the world from Pinky and he starts crying a little. The moment when all the characters sang “Silent Night” made me start getting a little steamy eyed. Pinky has the voice of an angel. I laughed when Brain finished the song at the end and I felt so warm and fuzzy after this episode; it was so good! Pinky and Brain truly care and love each other and I personally think that Brinky is canon now. This wasn’t as good as “A Pinky and The Brain Christmas” but I still felt emotions while watching this. I was also not happy that the show was ending, and I did a little ugly cry after watching, but still. A great Christmas episode with a fantastic ending, I couldn’t recommend this more.

“International Mouse of Mystery” was a huge letdown! I thought this was a full segment, but it was only a cold-opening?!! We were ripped off! Still it was a good opening with a pretty good song. Pinky is truly the second best singer on the show, without a doubt! I loved the animation and I think that this further hints at Brinky. Also, Pinky looks fabulous!! It’s a great idea, but it was just too short. If this is the last thing we see from the mice duo, I’ll be disappointed. Overall, not bad but just a huge disappointment and we were robbed of a proper conclusion.

All in all, I think this season was pretty solid. The ending was un-satisfying and there were a few moments of season 1’s weaker segments, but I still think this was better than the first season. Season 2 still is the best overall, but there were some great moments here. Just don’t watch the last episode except for the cold-opening if you want to keep you sanity and emotions in-check. I’ll still be talking about Pinky and The Brain constantly and I truly don’t think that this is the end of the franchise. Also, Brinky is canon!!!! Thank you guys so much for reading this!! I hope you enjoyed season 3!

#brinky #pinky and the brain #patb #animaniacs s3 #animaniacs spoilers #brinky is canon #gay mice #season three opinions #I love these mice so much! #I’m actually crying that this is over

[x-authorship-x]

So, you have a lot of bookmarks on AO3, which I love to go through, because you have good taste. But I must know, are there any fics, from any fandom, that are pretty much your all time favorites?

Hiya

Yeah I do have a lot 🤭 over 7K on my side of things (I know some people are super picky about what they bookmark but I just do what a finished and liked, and l I like 95% of what I finish anyway, because I prefer to filter my own bookmarks when rereading...) and generally I will say that they're all good in their own ways. My big favs? Regardless of fandom?

Hm.... This is off the top of my head

Disclaimer: be very mindful of tags, warnings, and ratings! This is also not in any way meant to stir discourse and I'll just block people if they try something

Update: had to slash my link numbers as even my drafts (almost twenty of them lol) wouldn't save SO-!

Naruto

Tobirama/Kagami (I tagged this "Kagami hauls ass out of the ground" because I desperately need that shortcut to finding it) ⬇️

Summary: It’s just his luck that whoever revived him lacked the courtesy to summon him onto a nice bloody battlefield. No, instead he’s underground, probably in his own fucking coffin and wearing his own goddamn corpse. He hopes he remembers this when his soul is re-released into the Pure Lands; he’s going to kick Tobirama’s ass for inventing Edo Tensei in the first place.

Mild crossover with Venom, Team 7 genfic BAMFness (this fic is enshrined in my mind) ⬇️ 

Summary: By all accounts, Sakura is dead for the first five minutes of her life.

Yet, she continues. If she occasionally has too many, too sharp teeth then that's their business.

Team 7 & Rookie 9... Hysterical, that's probably the word for this masterpiece of comedy (I cry every damn time it gets to Genma interrupting the alley fight) ⬇️

Summary: Kakashi comes down with a cold seven(ish?) days after he passes his first genin team. He knew children were a bad idea but he didn't think it would change anything this fast.

Bnha/My Hero Academia

This fic is the one I rec to get people to actually read fanfic for the first time (and it always works)⬇️

Summary: Heroes lead by Bakugo.

Villains lead by Midoriya.

Seven days prep time.

Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.

The Quirk-science in this Todoroki-centric (subtle reincarnation) fic is just so delicious ⬇️

Summary: Todoroki Shouto has memories that he didn't make on his own, motor skills that his brain doesn't know how to parse, and a love of science and mathematics and physics that means he broke down his Quirk into its most intricate, universe-bending components at the age of seven.

In one universe, he wants to become a hero. In this one, even though he doesn't want to, he might have to.

Hawks-centric fix it BAMFness because hello to that insane quirk, insane backstory training and bleeding heart!⬇️

Summary: After the incident at USJ the Hero Public Safety Commission is concerned about the security of UA. With All Might still a target and a member of the staff they offer to add another hero to their roster to boost their security as well as appease the public.

Hawks does not want this job. He has many other jobs that need doing.

The kids are kind of cool though. They make him laugh.

In which Hawks unwillingly adopts children by the bucket loads and learns some things about himself in turn.

Then the League of Villains happens and his newfound teaching knowledge gives him IDEAS

Okay so this was originally about three times as long BUT Tumblr won't let me post that many links together and it's getting very late for me SO so I'll quit here but...! If anyone wants more recs, the rest of my list (which were other fandoms) or if anyone has a rec for me/my followers, go ahead and drop into my askbox!

Happy reading, Anon! Do let me know if you try any of these and what you think of them! 

#torship #torship talks #ask #anon #torship recs #fic recs #fanfic recs #fanfic #naruto #bnha #mha #tobirama x kagami #team seven #class 1a #todoroki family #bnha hawks

[make-a-little-mischief]

FILM ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!

My Poysunal Favorite Shots of Jerry

Part Six

The Nutty Professor

*Edited by me with finishing touches and enhancements by @lovejl12

So this is going to double as a "Crazy Chemistry" post (been a hot minute since my first one). There's more to say about these shots than just Jerry lookin good, though that is still true.

This is the precise moment when I first watched the movie (after the initial shock of the reveal settled) that my stomach plummeted out my bum because I realized this was the same person I had overheard screaming and guffawing like a parrot with a sinus infection and I'd had the firm opinion that I could never ever be into him or watch his movies because I can't deal with that level of insanity...

Little did I know, it was not the sounds or the high energy that I would not be able to handle - it was the incomprehensible levels of sexiness.

When I tell you my jaw dropped and my eyes bugged out seeing him as Buddy Love...THAT'S Jerry Lewis??!! Holy crap...and it still blows my mind every time I watch the movie, the impact of characterization and performance - the effortless, minimal, and astoundingly distinct transformation from Professor Kelp that makes it genuinely feel like two separate people...and Buddy being closer to actual Jerry while still feeling like another individual into himself - it's mind boggling. Jerry Lewis is not only a gorgeous man but a great actor.

Speaking of moments that get me every time...

This part, where Buddy comes through Julius during a class lecture makes me squirm in the best way. I have an actual physical reaction to it that I can only describe as my body and mind going into a state of brief shock and awe. Hearing Buddy's tone of voice coming out of Julius' face is so jarring and so brilliant; as you start the scene you don't see it coming and you feel like Stella, just along for another classroom scene. Then the voice changes and you react exactly as she does - wtf was that?? It's perfectly played to put the audience in Stella's shoes and react along with her (especially if you're watching for the first time).

Also, hearing Jerry talking normally or as Buddy when he's dressed as Julius is one of my most favoritest things ever it just tickles me so much.

Also, the dad joke that Buddy makes about carbon dioxide has always been a gas is chefs kiss fantastic comedy. Love it. Would say something like that myself. Much appreciated.

And finally, I wanted to highlight this part during Buddy's song to Stella at the dance. I love the genuine, pure happiness on his face as he sings and keeps looking down at her. In the previous photo it was about Buddy coming through Julius and in this one it's Julius coming through Buddy to do something "really important" (essentially propose to Stella). After all of the outrageous bravado and peacocking, Buddy is finally fully human and vulnerable enough to express his love and appreciation to the woman he admires. He's just happy; he looks like a giddy school boy who's high on the energy of his crush. This is the first time the whole movie where Buddy is being honest in a way that's sweet and tender; he's letting the "inner man" out and by the look on his face, he's enjoying it. I just love how different Buddy is during this song compared to the others (more symbolism to talk about in another post). He's charming in a way that is truly romantic and pure of intent. Just from his smiles and his playfulness as he sings, we can see how much Julius has also had an affect on him - and how this experiment has combined the best of both men into one.

With all of that said, I view it as symbolic that the formula wears off when he tries to do "Old Black Magic". It's like Buddy tries to revert to his old ways but at this point there's no turning back. He (and Julius) are at the point of "If we're together forever, I've got a world that, you've got a world that, we've got a world that swings". Committed, joyful, walking on air, true love. He sang what needed to be sung, just for who it needed to be sung for. I think the intimacy of Buddy's song here - singing to Stella like she's the only one in the room - and it being a proud declaration- singing to her this time in bright exposed lighting and as a mature suitor who loves his woman and doesn't care who knows it - is a fantastic mirror to the "Old Black Magic" scene, shows great character growth and is pretty darn cute.

I have a lot more to say, but I'll leave it there for now. Once I start talking about anything in Nutty I start to compose a full on thesis. That darn Jerry and his brilliance are like too much.

#jerry lewis #the nutty professor #my favorite shots of jerry #professor kelp #buddy love #photoshop #photo edit #old movies #classic movies #1963

[iamnotawomanimagod]

2022 Year in Review

I'm so late, pretend I did this like five weeks ago.

I was tagged by the incomparable @lucerants for a 2022 Year in Review!! Here we go! I'm also gonna talk about 'em all so this is gonna get long!

Top 5 Movies you watched this year:

1 - The Medium (2021)

This is an excellent and disturbing Thai horror film about possession. The last thirty minutes are such pure insanity, all I could do was stare at the screen with my mouth gaping. Highly recommended if you love horror.

2 - Encanto (2022)

What a delightful and beautiful film! I loved the themes of family, being true to yourself, and the importance of acceptance. The music absolutely slaps - if "We Don't Talk About Bruno" didn't get stuck in your head this year, did you really live??

3 - The Fallout (2021)

This was one of the first Jenna Ortega films I saw, and I really enjoyed it. She and Maddie Ziegler had great chemistry and did a really good job of portraying their new-friends-but-also-maybe-more relationship. And it was a truly heartbreaking and very real depiction of what being a teenager in our mass shooting saturated society must feel like.

4 - Spiderman: No Way Home

I'm not really into Marvel, as a rule, but I had to check this movie out since they brought Tobey Maguire back. I was surprised at how emotional I got when story lines from over a decade ago got some closure, especially since that closure came with a lot of empathy for the villains. It was a really fun, meta, fan-servicey movie that made me smile, and even tear up a bit at the end.

5 - Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

Technically I watched this movie at the very beginning of 2023, but I'm going to add it here now because I think it's a movie that truly defined and reflected the feeling of being alive in the early 2020s so well. It was so brilliantly written and shot, just an absolute phantasmagorical roller-coaster of action, comedy, and incredibly heartfelt emotion. I had only heard good things going in, and this film absolutely lived up to my high expectations.

Top 5 TV shows you watched this year

1 - Station Eleven

This show changed me. It's truly one of the most beautiful, well-written, gentle, and human stories I've ever witnessed. It took a setting and premise I thought I was done with forever - post-apocalypse fiction - and made something profoundly impactful. Get the tissues. Prepare to feel everything.

2 - Interview with the Vampire

This was such a delightful adaptation, especially in the ways they changed it. Jacob Anderson as Louis captured the character in a way that brings incredible nuance, even more so in his position as a black gay man in the early 20th century. Sam Reid was an electric and terrifyingly appealing Lestat. And Bailey Bass brought Claudia to life and managed to perfectly portray her various life stages, even as she remains ageless. It's just a really, really good interpretation of a story that I already loved, so it was a joy to watch.

3 - House of the Dragon

I love messy blondes, I love tragic love stories, I love women and their complex and tender and vitriolic relationships. Also dragons. I'm interacting with the fandom via a ten-foot pole, and am very pleased that two of my most treasured mutuals (Luce, Rosy <3) were along for the ride with me for s1.

4 - The Wilds (s2)

I'll never forgive Amazon for giving this show the axe. I'll also never forgive the fandom for reacting to the boys so negatively. S3 would've been incredible. But! I'm glad that we got s2, and got to see more from the Unsinkable Eight. I'm glad we got to meet the boys and learn their stories. I'll always be impressed and grateful for the way this show handled a storyline about sexual assault between young men. And even though there are still so many unanswered questions and we needed an s3, I'm glad that pretty much all of the mysteries introduced in s1 were wrapped up by the end. Better to have loved those castaways and lost them than never loved them at all!

5 - Our Flag Means Death

This show was such a salve - a joyful little pirate sitcom that played on sitcom tropes in a way that made every episode a delight. It was funny, charming, and beautifully shot. I'm so excited for season two!

Top 5 DnD Campaigns you watched this year

The biggest shift in my life this year, especially in terms of media I consume, was my discovery of DnD actual play shows. If I wasn't actively watching a TV show this year, D20 was on in the background. I watched these campaigns multiple times each. I am obsessed.

1 - Critical Role's EXU: Calamity

One of the most heart-wrenching stories I've ever seen, beautifully told and acted by an incredible team of DnD players. The ending is so bittersweet and perfect. I caught the finale live and it wrecked me, I spent the last hour of it weeping. (It was also 1am and the end of a six-hour marathon.) What a masterpiece. The Bronze Ring endures.

2 - Dimension 20: Fantasy High Sophomore Year

This is my favorite campaign by the folks at Dimension 20. The fact that it's live, so delightfully chaotic, and has the lowest production value of any other season makes it so charming and comforting to me. Plus Kalina is easily a Top 3 D20 villain.

3 - D20: A Crown of Candy

Coming up at a close second, A Crown of Candy was the first D20 season I finished. I binged it in about two days (didn't watch the Adventuring Parties at first, though) and felt so thoroughly ripped from the world when it was over that I kinda mourned a family of candy people for like two days straight. It's such a fun, technicolor, sugary-sweet world - but the plot and characters are so complex, so dark, that I was completely swept away by their story. It's just a really well-built and clever world, and it features some of my favorite D20 characters ever (Amethar, Saccarhina, Lapin, and Calroy.)

4 - D20: The Seven

Since The Seven is set in the same world as Fantasy High, I went in with really steep expectations. I was definitely not disappointed. The vibes and relationships between all of the women at the table is so genuine and infectious. The story is touching, but there's so much chaos and so many shenanigans from the characters that there's also so much to laugh about. It's another comfort rewatch, for sure.

5 - D20: Misfits and Magic

Aabria as a GM is always a good time for me, and I really loved seeing this cast parody the Harry Potter universe (and associated "kids at magic boarding school" trope) with such affection, but also incisive criticism. It's funny, light-hearted, and also really fun to watch Brennan be a PC, and get to bounce off the other players as a single personality. (Evan + K = 4Ever)

Top 5 Songs of this year

(I'm not gonna take this from Spotify, although all of these songs were in my top 20)

1 - "It's Called: Freefall" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise

This song did it all for me in 2022. It was a comfort song, a pump-up song, a breakdown song, and a sing-a-long and dance song. I don't know why it struck such a chord with me - I'd enjoyed plenty of other RKS songs before, but never on this level. It just resonates. It was my top song of 2022 on Spotify, and given that the four next songs are all by Halsey, that's saying something.

2 - "Whispers" by Halsey

After seeing this song live, it swiftly reentered my top 5 from IICHLIWP. It's an intense experience even just as a studio track, but the way Halsey sang it in person elevated the song to something even more painfully relatable and real. It's a song that's followed me into 2023, that's for sure.

3 - "Bounce Man" by Twenty One Pilots

I didn't like most of Scaled and Icy, but this song was a huge exception. It was my go-to whenever I needed a pick-me-up. That addictively catchy chorus, the fun beat, the lyrics being hopeful in the face of a scary situation (classic TOP) - that's a combination that hits just right on a tough day.

4 - "Fucks Me Up" by Anthony Green

On the other side of the coin, this song will make you cry on that same tough day, but you'll feel better afterwards. My husband and I share a love for Saosin and Circa Survive, mostly because of Anthony Green's incredible vocals. This entire album is gorgeous, but this song (and the last verse in particular) - well, it fucks me up!

5 - "Tree House" by Alex G feat Emily Yacina

This one is sweet, fun, and calming, and is going to remain in my rotation for a long time to come. It reminds me of my best friend (she did show it to me, but it'd remind me of her even if she hadn't,) and makes me feel so cozy and safe. It's just nice. :)

Top 5 albums of this year

1 - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey

For the second year in a row, this album owned my entire life. Most of my top ten on my Spotify Wrapped was devoted to this album. I still go buckwild when I heard "Easier than Lying" and it's my most played song on Spotify EVER, which includes like five years of music-listening. Getting to see most of these songs live (and then some, that 2hr set was crazy) made for one of the best nights of my entire life. It was an emotional experience bordering on spiritual, which is not a place I normally visit. It's Halsey's masterpiece, a perfect marriage of her abilities as a lyricist combined with some of the best production they've ever had. I just love it so goddamn much.

2 - Boom. Done. by Anthony Green

This album is a beautiful, heart-wrenching, honest reflection on addiction, recovery, and trauma. It's sonically very soothing, but lyrically absolutely crushing, which makes for a very tender experience. My husband and I spent most of the end of the year with these songs on rotation when were listened to music together, so this album is going to hold a special place in my heart for a long time.

3 - HOLY FVCK by Demi Lovato

I feel Demi has always been destined to make an album like this. Their voice is perfect for rock music, and the honesty in her lyrics (which reflect her very difficult life experiences) just work so much better with guitars and drums behind them than snyth beats. I didn't love every song on this album, but it's definitely my favorite work by Demi thus far.

4 & 5. Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (Live at Webster Hall) and Badlands (Live at Webster Hall) by Halsey

Although these are two very different albums, I love them for the same reason, which is that they both are records of Halsey performing live. I truly think live performances are where they shine the brightest, and many of the live versions of these songs have completely replaced the studio versions for me.

Top 5 fictional characters of this year

1 - Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower (House of the Dragon)

As Luce said, you cannot separate them, it causes wars. I love them both so much. And I'm gonna love and hate watching them continue to tear each other apart.

2 - Louis de Pointe du Lac (Interview with the Vampire)

Jacob Anderson just killed the fuck out of this role, and made me appreciate Louis in a way I never have before.

3 - Adaine Abernant (Fantasy High)

I actually can't put into words how much I love Adaine, or why. If you know, you know.

4 - Kirsten Raymonde (Station Eleven)

I'm always a sucker for a fierce, protective woman with a metric fuckton of baggage, who still manages to maintain a heart of gold in the midst of a horrible situation. Kirsten is all of that, and so, so much more.

5 - Lizzie Saltzman (Legacies)

I just think she's a really fun extension on Caroline Forbes' character, as her heir apparent, and she was often the funniest and most emotionally engaging character on the show. Plus, y'know, Hizzie.

Top 5 games you played this year

The Quarry

The Mortuary Assistant

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The Long Dark

Martha is Dead

5 Positive Things that happened, no matter how small!

1 - I got to see Halsey in concert at my favorite venue!

2 - I moved to a bigger place!

3 - I went and visited my best friend in October!

4 - I got a new job!

5 - I spent a lot of really wonderful time on this website making dumb jokes, crying over shows, and chatting with all of you! <3

Since I'm so very, very late in posting this, I'm not gonna tag anyone, but if you wanna tell me about something you enjoyed last year, feel free!!

#I'm just gonna post this because if I don't do it now I never will #about me #year in review #2022 #year in review 2022 #rambling about my life

[rookie-critic]

Cocaine Bear (2023, dir. Elizabeth Banks) - review by Rookie-Critic

What to say about Cocaine Bear? It is schlocky, it takes awhile before the film really kicks it into high gear, the CGI on the bear is goofy, and while some of the acting is very, very good, some of it isn't that good, and I loved it. This is a movie where everyone on set was clearly having a ball the entire time, and that fun spirit leaks over into what you see on screen. The jokes land, the gore is plentiful and nasty without being too gross-out or too real (again, the CGI work isn't exactly Avatar-quality stuff), and sure, the bear looks silly, but it should look silly. Anyone saying that they wish the bear looked better is either a) a liar, or b) someone who hates fun. The whole vibe of the film is that of a cartoon version of an 80's slasher B-movie and, for the most part, it really works.

The acting in the film, outside of a couple of the more minor characters' performances, is outstanding. Not only do you have the late, great Ray Liotta in his final film appearance, but you also have Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson Jr., and Margo Martindale all giving great performances. However, and I mean this as no disrespect to any of the amazing actors I just mentioned, but none of them even hold a candle to the scene-stealing ability of Christian Convery. That kid is, other than maybe, MAYBE the bear, the funniest thing in the film by a country mile. From the second he shows up, it seems like every line that comes out of his character's mouth is pure comedic gold, and that doesn't let up until the credits start to roll. I've been aware of Convery since his turn as the titular character in Netflix's Sweet Tooth, and I was aware that he was an incredible young actor from that alone, but I had no idea just how funny he could be. Another high point of the film is that it doesn't shy away from the ridiculousness of its premise, and leans into it in the best, goriest way that it can, à la Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. It really feels like a bad 80s slasher mixed with the cocaine equivalent of a stoner comedy, but the kind of bad 80s slasher that you secretly really enjoy because everything that's happening, especially the gory deaths, are creative and well executed (pun definitely intended). I won't go into details of any specific thing, because more than half the fun of the film is staring, jaw dropped and eyes wide, at the pure blissful horror that is unfolding in front of you.

It's not all sunshine and cocaine, though; the film wants to be a cult classic so bad that it still falls prey to some B-movie problems. Firstly, the story is a little too boilerplate and basic for how much time the film spends setting it all up, and it causes a majority of the first act to be very slow. It's not the worst thing in the world, it manages to keep you engaged and holds a couple of the film's funnier moments (one in which the two main children find one of the bricks of cocaine), but when compared to the insanity that kicks off in the film's second and third acts, it is pretty boring. Also, there are a few sequences that feel poorly edited, mostly in the film's final act. It seemed like there were last minute decisions made to cut scenes out of the film, and then last-last minute decisions were made to somehow cut them back into the film. There's one flashback scene in particular that felt incredibly out of place to me. So much so that it honestly reminded of something along the lines of a Family Guy cutaway. I also could have used a bit more of Isiah Whitlock Jr.'s character, but that's just because he's fantastic in everything he's in.

Cocaine Bear isn't perfect, I won't even venture to call it great, but it was a fantastically fun distraction. It revels in its stupidity, it revels in its gory moments, and it revels in the fun it knows everyone on screen and everyone in the audience is having. A purely fun, harmless, hilarious, coke-addled roller coaster ride.

Score: 7/10

Currently only in theaters.

#Cocaine Bear #Elizabeth Banks #Keri Russell #Christian Convery #O'Shea Jackson Jr. #Alden Ehrenreich #Ray Liotta #Brooklynn Prince #Isiah Whitlock Jr. #Margo Martindale #Jesse Tyler Ferguson #Aaron Holliday #Ayoola Smart #Scott Seiss #Kahyun Kim #Kristofer Hivju #Hannah Hoekstra #J.B. Moore #Leo Hanna #Matthew Rhys #film review #movie review #2023 films

[asdamagicbiscuits]

My Top Theatre Highlights and Moments of 2021 AND 2022 (in no particular order, it’s all rather mishmashed I’m afraid. What happens when I get behind on my one yearly blog post 🙈) 

Hi beans!

I’m baaaaaaaaaack! Did yous miss me? 😜

First of all I want to start with a bit of background and an apology as to why I completely missed 2021’s blog post, and the lateness of 2022’s post. So I did have a skeleton of the 2021 post ready to write but I just was so so busy towards the end of 2021, and then I got Covid at the start of 2022 on my week off when I was going to sit down to write and upload it. So I decided to combine it with 2022’s. Similar story for 2022 (minus the covid mind) - I got super busy so I'm taking some time in my month off now to sit down and write this.

I don’t like that I’ve missed one and it’s made me sad, but I thought I’d start back with a bumper edition of theatre. So without further ado, let’s jump straight into it. I’ll combine years likely but I'll state if I saw it in 2021 or 2022 next to the title.

You can definitely say that 2021 was a year of two halves. Even so I crammed a lot into that half a year and still a chonky amount into 2022. Let’s jump in! 

Shitfaced Shakespeare (2021 and 2022) 

Wouldn’t be a Theatre Highlights without mentioning the booze and bard loving beans over at Shitfaced Shakespeare. Always a treat to see them in London but it was equally lovely to see them on my home turf at the Wyvern in Swindon. I even took the Mothership with me to see the touring show of Macbeth. She loved it. Chaotic as usual but in the best way possible. Can’t thank those talented beans enough for bringing some much needed comedy and some fabulous escapism from the real world for an hour or two. 

Hairspray (2021)

Hairspray. My first show back in an indoor theatre. Now this show for me was re-scheduled about four times. Every time Sarah and I had set a date for it, RESCHEDULED! Such was the 'living with Covid' era of theatre (let’s not discuss that now though).

My god this show was worth the wait. The cast were insanely brilliant. All so, so talented, each and every one of them! Hairspray is such an uplifting show and the London Coliseum is a beautiful theatre, MASSIVE. Like literally a very fancy and boujie barn! The roar of the audience when the show started was outstanding and such a thrill. It was fantastic to see Luke George on stage again too in his ensemble track as Fender.

Now I’m gonna talk about something else I was EXTREMELY lucky to get to witness. Luke George’s Debut performance as Link. It was the strangest of days for me. So I was in London for a job interview. It was a group interview and it did NOT go well, to the point where when I came out, I ran to the nearest quiet street I could find and just burst into tears (now I hear ya: you want the good stuff and what does this all have to do with Luke’s Link Debut. Hold fire gang. Painting a picture here. I’ll get to it!). Now my phone was still off from the interview but after about five minutes of crying I got my phone and turned it on. The very first notification to pop up was from West End Covers on Twitter ‘Tonight will be the debut of Luke George in the role of Link Larkin’. My heart stopped. My brain couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I’ve never felt such a switch from utter despair to pure excitement, joy, disbelief. My emotions were frazzled and it was about 4pm in the afternoon. Well naturally I ran and got a ticket. Think it's the fastest I’ve EVER bought a ticket for anything before. Awesome seat in the stalls. Luke was PHENOMENAL as Link. It was so brilliant to see him take on the role. Fantastic acting, dancing was great and a stunning vocal. The theatre gods were smiling on me in that delivery of a golden opportunity to see one of my stagey favs on for their cover!

I loved it so much I went back the next night to see him on as Link again! Such a talented and lovely person. Didn’t get to see Luke perform in 2022 but hopefully 2023 will give me another opportunity to see him shine on stage!

Anything Goes (2021) 

Now this show is very special to me. I was in a youth production as a teenager so when it was announced a revival was coming to the Barbican in London I knew I needed tickets! I managed to get my hands on a pair of tickets to see the show in previews. Now the reason was that Robert Lindsay was in the show as Moonface Martin and I didn’t know if he would do every show (I had seen him in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy years ago and he didn’t do the midweek matinees). I was determined to see Robert in the show as I knew he’d be OUTSTANDING and I didn’t want to run the risk of not seeing him on my first live experience of the show. THEN it was announced that Sutton Foster was coming over to play Reno Sweeney and I could have burst with excitement. The whole cast was chef's kiss sublime! So whilst everyone was losing their damn mind trying to get tickets to the show to see Sutton I was VERY smug sitting and being like I got my tickets already babes. 😜🙊 haha.

Okay. So the show. Well first of all it made my soul SO HAPPY!! Nostalgic. Stunning vocals from the whole company. Brilliant performances all round. I want to give a shoutout to Samuel Edwards and Nicole-Lily Baisden who shone as Billy Crocker and Hope Hardcourt. ‘It’s de-lovely’ was breathtaking and dream-like. Perfection! 

I also need to mention Carly Mercedes Dyer who stole the show as Erma. Such a stage presence, comic timing was on point and ‘Buddie, Beware’ was delightful to watch. 

Sutton Foster was exceptional and phenomenal like you would expect. ‘Blow, Gabriel, Blow’ earned a very well deserved standing ovation. It wasn’t just a little polite one, it went on for easily a couple of minutes and I hope I’m forgiven for saying this, but I could have sworn there was a moment in Sutton’s eyes as she was looking out at the audience to the cheers and people on their feet and the applause where she was genuinely so so touched by the reception she received. I said it on Instagram after and I’ll repeat it here if it wasn’t obvious. The West End loves you!’ 

Robert Lindsay was incredible as well. Brilliant comic timing, a great vocal. Loved the number he did with Sutton. It looked like they were having THE BEST time up there! 

A standing ovation at the end of Act 1.

A standing ovation at the of Blow, Gabriel, Blow.

A standing ovation at the end of Act 2.

I’ve never seen anything like it before.

Phantom Phantom with a sprinkle of Gantom (2021 and 2022) 

Sitting comfortably? I’ll wait a moment for you to get a biscuit? Ready? Okay great!

Let’s not waste any time and jump straight to it.

Gantom. So I didn’t get to see his debut show - I got close to it happening with the tour but in London it just wasn’t meant to be. However, I was able to get in for the show to see James Gant as Phantom at the end of October in 2021. Only waited six years to see him don the mask. Worth. The. Wait. The vocal. THE VOCAL. The acting. All fucking sublime (apols for the expletives here). James was hitting all the marks as Phantom I wanted to see. Music of the Night. Front Row. Devine. Now my favourite moment is in the Final Lair. It’s the ‘this face will churn a mothers fear etc etc’ section and the emotion in that. Pure magic. Broke my heart in the best way. It was one of those afternoons where at the end I couldn’t quite believe I had seen him play the role but I wanted to relive it immediately. Also whenever I’m in for a Gantom show the line ‘The GAAAAAAAAAANTOM of the Opera’ fully lives rent free in my mind. A fun insight into my brain I thought I’d share 🤪 I’d been saying for years what a phenomenal Phantom he would be, so to see the world catch up to that fact is great to see! ☺️ 

The Phantom company is full of exceptionally talented people though, and a few standouts for me are: 
Adam Linstead and Matt Harrop as the managers play wonderfully opposite each other. I especially love how Adam plays André as a bit of a nervous and anxious character - honestly it’s such a refreshing take on the role. Also when André shushes Firmin when Carlotta is singing Eliza’s solo it is the biggest mood ever. Lovely touch. 

Ellie Young as Meg. Delightful. Dreamy. Devineeeeee. Honestly such a gorgeous portrayal of my favourite character in the show. Meg is sassyyyyyy and we love that a lot. Flawless every time!

I also want to give a shout-out to all the ballet girls as the ballet numbers in the show are always a joy to watch for me. The talent and skill on that stage. Outstanding. I want to give a special mention to Jasmine Wallis, she always caught my attention in the ensemble numbers and for the longest time I couldn’t work out who the mystery ballet girl was with gorgeous lines and stunning performances. Her Masquerade costume was so pretty as well. 

Lucy St Louis and Holly Anne Hull as Christine. These two leading ladies. Stunning. Beautiful performances from them both. Vocals are out of this world and when they smile they light up the stage. Phantom is so lucky to have two such wonderful performers play Christine. 

Lucy’s last performance is January 21st so make sure you see her before she departs the Opera House to fly by bubble from March in Wicked.

Killian Donnelly as Phantom. I need to talk about how ICONIC this man’s performance is. Killian is a legend. I didn’t see him as Raoul but I’d heard great things so I was BUZZING to get the chance to see him don the Mask as Phantom. He didn’t disappoint at all and fully blew me away. So smooth. Commanding performance, incredible vocal. He plays so well opposite Lucy and Holly. I was so thrilled to get to see Killian and Holly together as I was going to see them on the tour so I was gutted when it got cancelled, and I felt like I was given a second opportunity with them being cast in the West End production. 

I can’t urge everyone enough to go and see Killian in the show before he departs the Opera House on February 4th! You won’t want to miss his Phantom.

The Phantom Of The Opera is currently playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London

Shagged Married Annoyed Live Tour (2021) 

Now for anyone who wasn’t aware Chris Ramsey and his incredibly talented and lovely wife Rosie do a podcast called Shagged Married Annoyed. They’ve won awards for it and genuinely it’s hilarious. People are disgusting but it’s so entertaining! So they did a live tour of it and I went to Wembley to see them!! It was honestly the best night of my life. To be in a room full of fellow SMAs and DAs (well, nearly. One bloke there had zero fucking idea of what was going on) was great. Listening to a podcast can feel very intimate as it’s just you or you and another person listening so you sort of forget that there are LOADS of people out there who love it as much as you do. 

I will say this. Hearing 10,000 people sing the ‘Let’s talk about shit’ jingle made my soul so, so happy it powered me through 'til Christmas! I also got quite emotional when the lights came up on Chris and Rosie on stage.

The podcast Shagged Married Annoyed is available on all good podcastery app things. Enjoy! The Ramseys are going back out on tour this year so make sure to snap up any remaining tickets as you’re gonna be in for a great night out!! (I think it’s this year. Sarah booked the tickets I just paid for mine. She’ll tell me when I need to turn up. Haha) 

Chris Ramsey’s tour (2021) 

So myself and Sarah had never seen a stand up comedy gig before but having LOVED Chris and Rosie’s podcast, Shagged Married Annoyed, it was only right that we got to see the man in action on his own tour. Even if it was a year and a half later than we should have seen it (bloody Rona!).

A bloody great night out! SO FUNNY. Face hurt by the end of the show which is a great sign of a hilarious comedy gig! 

Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

This show is really special to me especially as it was the soundtrack to getting me through most of the time I was off work. Heck, it even became a long-standing project in my singing lessons over that time, so getting to see the show again live from the front row was incredible. I do want to apologise to the cast for the fact that my glasses likely reflected the light back up to the stage. Wasn’t expecting the glare. The whole company and what they can create on stage with just 8 performers and the power of their voices in the musical numbers, it’s something really magic and special. Also getting to see Sam Tutty’s performance so close was awesome. I could go on but I’m conscious this is already a long post.

Carl Hutchinson’s Tour and A Pissmas Carol (2021) 

Now my last shows of the year saw me head to the lovely Leicester Square Theatre in London’s West End to see two shows essentially back to back. I’d love to say it was fully intentional but it was only half planned, mainly when me and my friend realised we could do it! 🤪 haha. 

So I saw Carl earlier in the year supporting Chris Ramsey on tour. Carl mentioned in the show that he was on tour. I bought a ticket to his tour. Absolutely hilarious show. Carl and his support act, Amy, had the audience in fits of laughter. Definitely look out for their names on the comedy circuit and I can’t urge you all enough to go see them. You’ll be in for a great night!

So my very last show of the year was to return once again to Victorian England to see Dickens classic A Pissmas Carol! A fantastic way as always to get into the festive spirit. Plus we all know it’s what Dickens would have wanted and totally his vision for his works! Hehe! 

Talent in buckets. The skills the gang have at Shitfaced Showtime will forever and always blow my mind. If you ever have the opportunity to see them - do it! Don’t hesitate. You’ll be in for a pissed up festive treat and you’ll leave with a lighter soul! 

Wicked (2022) 

So in the summer I got to take my little cousin to see Wicked, just waited a very long time to take her, and we had the best time in Oz. It was so fantastic to see Helen Woolf as Glinda and we were lucky enough to see Laura Harrison as Elphaba and oh my word. What brilliant leading ladies they are!! Laura delivered such a heartfelt and touching performance as Elphaba and played opposite Helen’s Glinda so beautifully. It was a dream to return to such a special show. The whole company were fantastic and my cousin loved the show. At the end she asked if we could go back and watch it again. I think I’ve got a little stagey in the making on my hands here… 🤪🙊☺️

Moulin Rouge (2022) 

So for most of 2022 I essentially moved into the Piccadilly Theatre as I saw Moulin Rouge A LOT. I saw an array of different performers in all roles. I got to see a cover debut. Let’s jump into it. 

Zoe Birkett as Satine. When it was announced MR was coming over there was one name which stood out to me for Satine and that was Zoe. Getting to see her debut show as Satine. Wowzers. She blew my mind and then some. Like, I knew she’d be outstanding but I wasn't expecting her to surpass the high expectations I had. Flawless. When she came down on the swing in the first moment the audience sees Satine and the cheer which erupted from the audience. My soul was so happy. 

Tanisha Spring as Satine. The pocket rocket herself. The first time I saw her Satine she melted my heart straight away. Her smile lights up a space. Like I genuinely saw the theatre get brighter when she smiled. 

And Liisi LaFontaine, principal Satine. Devine. So strong and sassy. Heartfelt performance. 

I love love love that no matter when you go to the Rouge you will see a woman of colour as the Sparkling Diamond Satine. I was so lucky to see each of the above ladies many times and each of them are pure perfection. Their individual interpretations of the role were fantastic and it was like watching pure magic every time I saw the show. 

Adam Gillian as Christian. It was like someone had taken Christian out of my head and put him on that stage. Acting. Genius. Vocals. Perfection every time. Again I was lucky to see Adam many times in the role and he was outstanding every time. I was lucky to see him with the three phenomenal ladies I mentioned above as Satine, and Adam always took such good care of them in scenes together. 

The Elephant Love Medley was always one of my highlights for the show. Getting to see Adam and Tanisha’s performances from the Can Can seats in the summer was the perfect, perfect night. The whole show is visually a masterpiece for the eyes, so getting to see it all so close was such a joy. I took my friend Abbie, she hadn’t seen the show before and so got the ultimate experience on her visit to the Rouge. It’s a night I won’t forget. 

The entire company is made up of so many talented, talented people. 

Special mentions to Katie Ella Dunsden, Tasmin January, Jonathan Cordin and Craig Ryder who always stood out in the ensemble numbers when I went. 

Moulin Rouge is playing at the Piccadilly Theatre!

Mary Poppins (2022) 

I was lucky enough to attend a Tech Talk before the evening show of Mary Poppins one night. It was fantastic to learn all the ins and outs of the technical aspects, like learning how Mary flies over the audience at the end of the show but ssshhhh, that’s a trade secret so I ain’t telling! 😜 

The show itself was as brilliant as ever. It was also the debut performance of Monique Young as Mary Poppins and what a performance she delivered. Excellent acting and a gorgeous vocal. If I didn’t know it was her first show, I would have thought she’d done it for years. So seamless and I absolutely was a mess and bawled my eyes out when she flew over the audience at the end. 

Ed Fringe (2022)

Okay beans. Answer a question for me. 

Who’s more mad? Me for suggesting an Edinburgh Day Trip or Sarah for agreeing to it? 😜

Yep. You read correctly. We did a day trip fringe. Overnight coach up there. About 14/15 hours in Edinburgh and then the coach straight back. It was BONKERS but honestly such a fun day. It was great to see a couple of shows and to have a wander round the city, exploring our old haunts. Deffo be back for a proper trip again. But wanted to mention it nonetheless. 

Cursed Child Cast Change (2022) 

Cast Changes don’t get any easier. Even after all this time. So I made my way back to the Palace to see the company’s last show together and I could never pass up an opportunity to see James McGregor perform on stage again! Deffo got deja vu though seeing him in his last performance in the show again 😜 haha. 

Although I never got the opportunity to see James don the Scar and Glasses I wanted to give him a mention regardless. (MY BLOG. MY RULES! 🤪). 

My friend Lucinda saw his debut and has told me the confrontation scene was as epic as I thought it would be. I’m so happy he got to play Harry Potter and whilst I’m gutted I never got to see him take on the role, knowing that many, many people did get to balanced it out. 

Newsies (2022)

So that first preview of Newsies in London on November 29th wasn’t gonna happen without my bum being on a seat in that building. When tickets were released I was determined to score tickets for it. I was nervous I will admit, just because this show means so much to me. It’s one of my favourite musicals and I came across it at a difficult time in my life, and the musical has come into my life again at another difficult time. The music is iconic. That soundtrack has been on repeat in my house more times than I can count. Newsies did not disappoint. An outstanding company. Choreographically it’s insane but what a wonder to behold. The energy in the room was like NOTHING I have experienced before. The whole company looked like they were having the best time and feeding off the energy the audience were giving them. I cried three times during the whole show. Once at Carrying The Banner cos in my head my brain was screaming ‘HOLY FUCK YOU’RE SEEING NEWSIES’, once at Watch What Happens and once at the end of the show because my brain was then screaming ‘HOLY SHIT YOU’VE JUST WATCHED NEWSIES’.

Ryan as Davey, Bronté as Katherine, Josh as Race were three standouts in that first preview but the TALENT on that stage is limitless. The whole company are all stars and the Troubadour Theatre lights up so bright when the whole cast are on stage shining brightly. 

Bronté as Katherine is PER FEC TION. LITERALLY. Comic timing - flawless. Acting - on point. Vocal - outstanding. I did cry, like full on ugly cry, at her Watch What Happens (it’s also my favourite song too so no pressure there 😜🙊 hehe). I can’t thank her enough for her beautiful performance 💛

I also NEED to give a shout-out to the lovely Clarice Julianda on leading the Brooklyn lasses as Spot. All Fansies know that’s Tommy Bracco’s track and he’s a powerhouse but Clarice is equally as fierce, strong and a force to be reckoned with. The perfect person to take on the role of Spot in London for the show's premiere. Seeing the bit in the show where all the Newsies are cowering about who was gonna go and tell the Brooklyn Newsies made me giggle. REPRESENTATION MATTERS. GIRLS ARE A FORCE!! 

Newsies is playing a limited season until April 16th at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. I can’t urge you enough to go and get tickets. Best. Night. Out. Ever. 

(What a last show of 2022 I got to experience!) 

So that pretty much wraps up this bumper edition of my Theatre for the past two years (ish. Haha).

For a year where I only got half a year of theatre in I think I did pretty well before business resumed the following year.

Before I sign off I do want to touch on the fact that for myself personally, it’s been a rollercoaster the past two years and I’m once again reminded of one of my favourite quotes which I’ll leave with you here. ‘Musical Theatre can save you, even if only for two or three hours at a time’. We all need saving sometimes and where better to escape everything than a theatre.

Thanks for reading, make sure to come back next year to see what I got up to and what theatre firsts I got to experience… (will deffo do better at uploading on NYE)

Until next time, cheerio! 

#theatrehighlights2021 #theatrehighlights2022 #musicaltheatre #stagey

[spiltscribbles]

Worth It

~Notes: Oof, I know I have so many prompts in my inbox and I appreciate them so much! But I wanted to write something after dinner in dedication and a gift to the lovely Remus-John-Lupin!!!!!!!<3<3<3 I love you RJ and I appreciate you and your friendship so fucking much, so this is just a strange little gift from me to you in thanks for how kind you’ve always been to me since I joined this crazy fandom, ILY and you’re my favorite slag!!!!

.-

Sirius silently reminds himself that he in fact likes Lily, he thinks she’s a total knock out and is happy that his brother is finally getting to date the girl of his dreams. He likes her damn it,! And one does not commit battery to folks that they like.

Assured that his pure irritation won’t bleed through his words, Sirius tries again in his most charming of inflections. “All I want is his number.”

“No,” she repeats, casually steadfast while poking at her salad— Not even bothering to flick her gaze up at an increasingly irate Sirius.

“Why are you being so fucking difficult!”

“Why are you still bitching about this,” she counters, finally giving him her undivided attention, even if it’s her glaring at him like she’d like to skewer Sirius on a stick.

“Hey guys, let’s chill.” James tries to mediate, laughing awkwardly between the pair of them, hand raised in concession and glasses going a bit skewed.

They promptly ignore him.

“I like him. What is so difficult to understand Evans? Aren’t you like supposed to be some brainiac or some shit?”

“It’s been like two months Black,” she says pointedly, grip on her fork tightening while her mouth curls unpleasantly. “That’s way past your ordinary infatuations, so why the hell do you still even care.”

Sirius bares his teeth, pinning her with a glower that once made an old school yard bully of Regulus’s actually piss his pants. So of course Lily doesn’t even flinch. “He’s cute.”

“You’re a dog.”

“You’re being a total ass.”

“And you’re a bastard.”

“But you love me though.”

“Just barely.”

“So you’ll give me Remus’s number?”

“Dream on.” she says with a lofty sniff and haughty flip of the hair, discarding her barely eaten lunch before swaggering over to where a group of her friends from the STEM club are sat, including Alice Flores and Dorcas Meadowes. 

“Guess you’re back to square one Pads.” James says, unhelpful as fuck, so Sirius only flips him off before snatching back his calculus homework from a pitiful looking Peter.

“Fuck this.”

.-

Sirius thinks of himself as a reasonable sort of guy.

He isn’t one for holding grudges or obsessing over perceived slights. He’s brilliant whether he’s playing linebacker on the field or taking a exam in class.

For fuck’s sake, Sirius  can be plumped down in any and all social situations without warning, and can have the room eating out the palm of his hand within the first five minutes.

In layman’s terms, he’s decent and driven and downright charismatic. Mix this all together, and well Sirius thinks he’s a pretty fantastic fucking package— if he does say so himself. He can have his pick of the lot, truly. Especially when walking down the halls flocked by his best friend turned second brother on one end and little Petey, who’s a great hype man, on the other. So its only poetic justice that the one person who’s been able to swallow up all his attention is the one person who doesn’t even give him a second glance most days.

And that’s fucking ridiculous.

This is ridiculous! He is fucking ridiculous! No, record scratch. Remus fucking Lupin is the most ridiculous part of this all!

Remus lupin with his delightfully disheveled hair the color of gold and his crooked grin that’s everything darling in the world, and his big doe eyes that sometimes flare with green specs when he’s especially passionate in class or when he’s chatting with Lily in the halls. Remus lupin who’s only just moved here to Murray Hill from a small town in southern Illinois and who toppled Sirius’s world upside-down while he was at it. 

The first time they met was completely on accident.

It was the week before classes began, and Sirius had only just come back from his family trip to their villa in Rome, and he was only meant to meet James at the coffee shop that Lily was working at now. They were suppose to head to the city and go out drinking to celebrate the start of their senior year.  Sirius was suppose to find a nice, college aged girl to fuck because he’s given up on the boring lot that infests Hogwarts these days. It was suppose to be easy and fun and he was suppose to stay stringless and unattached as ever.

But that didn’t happen.

Instead, Sirius walked into the Howling Moon  and was met by the sight of the most lovely, most gorgeous boy he’s ever met. Hand to God, it felt like one of those slow motion moments in a Romantic Comedy when the disgruntled, wayward lead first sets their eyes on that love interest— the one to out shine all others, the one  who turns everything inside out and makes it all glitter gold.

“Hey there,” Remus had grinned like the fucking sun, slipping the pen from his ear and hand poised over the cups lining the counter. “What can I get ya?”

“Oh, erm— Yeah. Just a caramel macchiato, iced.”Sirius’s ordinarily smooth baritone almost fucking cracked while ordering, and Remus’s beautiful eyes had glittered.

“Would’ve taken you for a dark roast sort of guy.” He said, and Sirius swears that it was playful and flirtatious and a little mischievous too. 

Sirius was in love.

“I’ve been known to partake in sweets, you know, if they catch my eye,” he replied, eyes lingering meaningfully up and down Remus’s slighter frame.

“What a come on,” Remus had laughed, head thrown back to show off his long neck and Sirius was so fucking gobsmacked at how it quite literally sounded like all the most splendid instruments woven together.

He had ducked his head, so unordinary bashful but so beyond pleased. “What can I say beautiful, you bring it out of me.”

“”Cute.” Remus had chuckled, cheeks going a fetching red and scribbling down the order. “Definitely one of the more interesting one liners I’ve gotten today.”

Sirius ignored the flare of jealousy over that, considering that he hasn’t gotten to even kiss him yet, and he should probably take this slow if he doesn’t want to screw it up. “Has anyone of those bastards mentioned how your eyes put the brownies on sale to shame?”

“No one as hot as you if I’m being honest,” Remus retorted, ringing him up and sinking his teeth into his plump bottom lip. And fuck, Sirius knew he was in trouble from then on.

They had talked for over half an hour about nothing at all in that tiny bistro while Remus was busy exchanging the coffee pots for a fresh batch and rearranging the baked goods, and it was amazing.

 Sirius has always been someone who couldn’t sit still, who had to be fluttering all over the place to feel like he was actually headed somewhere, like he was getting something finished. But for the first time in too long, just sitting there, still and silent and besotted while Remus chatted about his hometown and moving half way across the country and his eccentric mother— Well Sirius felt completely balanced, completely calm. He felt like just as long as Remus was their chatting with him and smiling in that beguiling way of his, that Sirius could actually breathe without pressure. Like he knew what it meant to have a center.

So of course, right when he decided that he was going to snatch him up— to ask him out on a date before anyone else from their shitty class filled with degenerates and dick heads could— Lily of all people  had swaggered in, and gave him a caustic sort of glower that plainly said, keep the fuck away.

Ordinarily Sirius would’ve completely ignored her warning, would’ve unashamedly and excitedly chased after the cutest fucking boy he’s ever laid his eyes on with an absurd sort of zeal. But he under estimated just how much sway Lily was able to cater with Remus in the few weeks they worked with one another before he had met him. So instead of starting off the year with a brand new, insanely pretty boyfriend wrapped around one arm, Sirius has just spent the past nine weeks pining like a fucking love sick loser. Like he was starring in some cheesy John Hughes movie from the damn 80s!

And this will not do, this is not all right, not okay at all.

Sirius needs to figure out a way to get close to Remus, and outside of Lily’s overbearing claws. Something that only Remus likes, that Sirius can partake in to prove himself worthy.

As he promenades down the hall towards his free period, Sirius creates a mental check list of the things he knows Remus enjoys.

Remus enjoys poetry, and Sirius knows that he’s part of the school’s award winning Forensics team. But they meet during the football practices so Sirius couldn’t even try to impress him in that arena until the spring. He also knows that Remus likes history, that he’s going to end up majoring in classics in University, but Sirius really doubts his ability to memorize the Iliad in the matter of a few hours— He’s good, but not that good.

“Jesus fuck is this hard,” he mutters nastily to himself, tugging at the ends of his dark hair before ramming straight into a display outside the southern wing of their preparatory school’s building.

He winces, not so much for the throbbing in his toes, but because of Marlene’s snappish attitude when he makes it so that the table shakes.

“Keep your head out your ass Black,” she scolds before going back to filing her nails. And Sirius is about to snipe right back at her— That is until he catches on the bright poster adorned with small rainbows and the words, GSA FOOD DRIVE spelt out in large lettering.

And oh!

“Eureka!”

“Pardon?” Marlene asks, nose wrinkled indelicately as she eyes him like he’s about to puke on her brand new Doc Martens again like last weekend. Holy shit, she should really get over it by now.

But Sirius is smart enough and tactful enough not to mention his thoughts on the matter, only smiles down at her with pure elation. “Marls, what if I said I had a brilliant idea to help our lovely GSA.”

“I’d accuse you to only doing it to try and get in Lupin’s pants since he’s our new VP.”

Sirius grapples for his chest, feigning indignant. “You pain me my old friend.”

Marlene snorts. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“That’s neither here nor there.”

“So are your chances with Lupin.”

“You’re a sick fuck McKinnon.”

“What do you want from me you gnat.”

“Let me help with the fundraiser.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“I’ll tell Lily to get Meadowes to notice you?”

Marlene glares at him now. “We’ve been fucking for like a month you prick.”

“Oh— Erm, then for some of that good old Bi unity?”

Marlene suddenly looks so very shrewd and Sirius hates how every fucking woman in his life could eat him whole for breakfast. “Absolutely not.”

“Fine, what the fuck do you want.”

“You cover Fabian’s costs for the goods  when we go to that rave for 2KBABY in January.”

“Eh, didn’t you guys use to fuck?”

“Yes. But I don’t see the connection?”

“He won’t even give you a discount on the good shit?”

“Oh he does,” she leers, blue eyes glinting wickedly in the hallway light. “But I’d rather see you pay full price for’m.”

Sirius glares down at her, and repeats himself.  “You. Are. A. Sick. Fuck.”

Marlene just lies back in her seat and returns to manicuring her nails. “Well if cheekbones isn’t worth the bother?”

“Fine,” Sirius all but growls out. “But we do this my way.”

“Scout’s honor handsome,” she absolutely beams, and Sirius reminds himself that this is all for Remus and that’s worth it at the end of the day.

.-

It’s a week later, right before Thanksgiving break hits, and Sirius is sat in front of the cafeteria, smirking at the line of mostly pink faced girls and a few others amongst their midst, who have all queued up in front of him. A dollar in each of their hands, though he does see that a few have fives and even tens or more, and he doesn’t know how to subtly tell them that all he’s promising is a quick peck of his lips, and absolutely no other groping— including of his legendary ass or admittedly perfect abs.

“You’re just really enjoying yourself, aren’t you.” James hisses besides him after the latest girl— a blonde sophomore who’s decked out in Lulu Lemon for their only non uniform day of the week— scurries off. “Just a ego trip.”

“Jealous Jamie darling?” Sirius boasts, tipping back on his chair while Marlene collects the cash from the next five in line so that they can clammer closer towards him.

“I can’t believe all of them want to kiss you,” Peter marvels, round eyes completely in aw. 

“I can’t believe you think this is how to get Remus’s attention,” Lily interjects huffily, lips set in a moody pout while perched on James’s lap to Sirius’s left.

“I bet you would’ve been in line if you weren’t dating Jamie here.” Sirius counters, smug as all get out, and laughing when all Lily deigns as a adequate response is her middle finger.

Sirius is on cloud nine. He can’t believe he didn’t think of this sooner! Remus loves all this shit, from the club to the charity. This is perfect! This basically guarantees that he’ll finally get a good smooch on him. And once their lips finally  touch, Remus will surely feel the swarm of butterflies in his gut just like in those Harleyquin romance novels his cousin Narcissa would always read with a dreamy look on her face during their various Family vacations.

“You’re not gonna get him this way.”

“He’s not gonna know what hit’m Evans,” Sirius retorts, completely self assured.

.-

One should never bet against Lily Marie Evans.

Sirius knows this now. But he still hates it with the passion of a thousand burning suns.

By the end of the lunch hour, Sirius’s earned over sixty bucks to the GSA’s fundraiser fund, and absolutely zero potential boyfriends who look like golden angels and make Sirius’s knees weak.

“I told you,” Lily says in that sing-song sort of voice that is so not appreciated right now. “Remus is not the type to kiss you in front of a huge crowd and after like a bunch of others. That’s not his style.”

Sirius is moody as all get out, and he’s irritated that he’s just wasted five dozen perfectly fine kisses on folks who aren’t Remus, so he doesn’t bother to hide his irritation when he gripes back at her, “Then tell me what the fuck is his style.”

Miraculously, that actually proved enough to get Lily to slow down her stroll, and cock her head curiously at him. “You actually care.”

“What the fuck have I been trying to tell you Evans!” He nearly shouts.

“I just thought— You know. That it was a game.”

Sirius’s face goes stoney, and he juts his chin away from her. “It’s not always a fucking game, all right. It’s not a game with him— I like him. I like Remus.”

“Oh,” Lily says very quietly, her face pulled in a thousand different directions before settling on something akin to solemn. “You should go to the music room for your free period today.”

Sirius quirks a brow at her, frowning while he asks, “Why?”

“Just trust me S,” she says, reaching over her hand to squeeze his forearm.

Sirius watches her walk off, hand in hand with James, and he feels a strange twisting to his heart when he imagines a very similar image— only with him and Remus and punctuated by plenty of kisses to the cheek, and jawline and lips too.

.-

The music room is towards the back of the school, in a separate building along with the theatre and main auditorium.

The early autumnal chill lashes against Sirius’s face while he makes the track to the room, continuously chanting to himself that he actually trusts Lily and this is gonna be worth it if there’s a merciful God up there.

Once Sirius clammers in doors, he rubs his cold hands together, and shakes out his hair. 

The first thing he hears is the soft strumming of a guitar, and finds himself in front of the music room after following its melodic toon. 

Through the window he can spot the form of Remus bent over the instrument, his thick curls getting in his eyes and his steady hands plucking a few chords as he sits cross legged atop the piano.

Sirius feels his heart lodging in his throat at the sight of him, so beautiful and perfect and warm looking in that scarlet sweater. And he knows in his bones that this is some sort of unspoken blessing that Lily’s given him, so with a deep breath, Sirius opens the door and strolls in.

Remus starts slightly, going flushed once his eyes catch on Sirius’s own.

“Oh Sirius,” he greets, the corners of his mouth tipping into a smile that doesn’t ring true. “You pulled away from the haram?”

“That’s a bit much? Calling them a haram,” Sirius says cooly, hitching up besides him and swinging his long legs. “I just did it to help you.”

“Oh— Yeah,” Remus nods. “The GSA appreciates all the help we can get.”  His words are quiet, and he’s rinsing a hand through his curls, so Sirius can tell that he’s a bit nervous. And it’s impossibly cute, but also not on. He doubts that he’ll ever get his kiss if Remus won’t even look at him in the eyes.

Gingerly, Sirius sets the pad of his pointer finger beneath Remus’s chin, lifting his gaze upwards. “Not the GSA— Though I appreciate the club’s work and your part in that.”

“Oh,” Remus says again, lips pursed and his throat pulsing when he swallows down. “Then—“

“I did it for you Remus,” Sirius repeats heatedly. “I did it because I’ve been mad for you since ever meeting you in August, and I can’t get your fucking face or name or lips or ass out of my head. And I thought that if maybe I pulled a dumb stunt like that, you would actually kiss me along with the lot of those idiots who can’t even hold a candle to you.”

“M—My ass?” Remus questions, voice going pitchy and face bright with emotion. 

Sirius laughs, booming and bombastic. “You have the best ass I’ve ever seen Remus Lupin and it’s really obscene.”

Remus shoulder checks him, looking down and then back up through his lashes at Sirius and it’s a sight Sirius wish he can keep with him for the rest of his days.

“So you thought I’d want our first kiss to happen after you’ve just made out with half the school?” 

Sirius grimaces, bending down so that their lips are only inches apart. “Listen, I can be a complete dumb ass on occasion.”

“Don’t forget arrogant.”

“Okay, fair.”

“And brash too.”

“Right.”

“Also you tend—“

Sirius places a soft hand over Remus’s supple lips, glaring teasingly at the other boy, who’s grinning like the cat who’s caught the canary, his eyes teeming with laughter. 

Remus Lupin is going to be the death of  him, Sirius knows it.

“Listen Lupin, I’d like a shred of self respect here, so I can actually muster up the courage to ask you out on a proper date already.”

Remus perks at that, so Sirius moves his grasp.

 “You wanna ask me out?”

“Depends…. You wanna continue that little rant until I’m blue balled and  gutless.”

“Hmm,” Remus inches closer, setting his hand over Sirius’s on the piano. “Nah, I think I’d rather do this.”

He leans forwards and Sirius barely has enough time to gather his bearings when he feels Remus’s mouth over his own and it’s literally every starlit promise and sugar burnt secret and sunlit afternoon all rolled into one. And Sirius feels his heart thud an uneven staccato when he grabs for either end of Remus’s waistline and plunges his tongue into his own and he lets himself get lost in the overwhelming feeling of it all.

#WOLFSTAR #REMUS LUPIN #SIRIUS BLACK #MARAUDERS #HARRY POTTER SERIES #💜rj💜 #SPILT INK

[theygotlost]

THOUGHTS ON SONIC 2 now that ive had like a day to process it. spoilers for full movie

as much as I like ben schwartz and idris elba and think they gave a really good performance, Im glad that they didnt cast some random ass celebrity for tails and just let colleen o'shaugnessy do her job <3 professional voice actor supremacy <3

i dont know how its possible but jim carrey was even more insane in this one than the first one. like this performance is HIGH CAMP and i expect no less from carrey but also sometimes it goes a little too far and becomes cringe. but "dis is how i roll" i guess 🙄

if eggman and his henchman dont kiss with tongue in the next one im walking out. its so obvious that this needs to happen just objectively.

what was up with the whole sister's wedding subplot?? i swear there were several minutes of this movie dedicated to this lady seeking revenge on her fed husband and then making up and getting back with him and its like a whole emotional arc for a character thats not important at all and HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SONIC? there was actually a moment in the theater where i FORGOT I WAS WATCHING A SONIC MOVIE cause this unrelated scene from some unfunny adult comedy from the 2010s somehow made its way into the final cut. and since sonic and tails are captured by the feds and locked in a cage during this scene it would have made a lot more sense to have a scene with sonics mom (sorry i forgot the names of all the human characters) like sneaking past the gaurds and having an epic prison break moment where she saves the day????? BUT NO therea literally a 10 second shot of her freeing them and then the scene ends and they move on. wtf.

there are just way too many unfunny pop culture references and pop songs that are going to date this movie HORRIBLY. in fact they were ALREADY dated before this movie came out. uptown funk in 2022? really? 😒 i know a lot of it was more for the parents/older audiences members who are watching with their kids but the sonic franchise has been so successful over the past 3 DECADES cause its so timeless. several generations of children love sonic cause hes just a cool guy with no ties to current events or anything. a few references would have been fine but it was PRACTICALLY NONSTOP.

kind of related to my previous points but the best parts of this movie (and the first sonic movie) are when sonic just gets to Be Sonic. and knuckles gets to Be Knuckles and tails gets to Be Tails. and they do sonic character things. like the sonic vs. knuckles fights are super freaking epic and SUPER SONIC WAS SUPER FREAKING EPIC.... like this is what sonic is all about folks!!! PURE UNADULTERATED EPICNESS!!!!!!

SHADOW CONFIRMED FOR SONIC 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[appleb18]

Why Modern Cartoons is Not Great as it Used to be in this Decade

As 2010′s draw near to the end and begin a next-generation, cartoons have changed from being a fun episodic adventure with a meaningful message and can get dark sometimes to a story-driven show with deep messages. While cartoons have a great start in early 2010s such as Adventure Time, Regular Show, Gravity Falls, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, however as time passes cartoons are becoming less interesting and not many aren’t talking about it. So what the hell happened with modern cartoons? Let’s get to the bottom of what happened to this decade of cartoons and why isn’t anyone talking about it anymore 

The Animation Quality 

The quality of the animation of cartoons back in 2000′s were amazing, so many variations of animation styles that look very appealing such as 

Samurai Jack 

Avatar: The Last Airbender 

Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends 

Recess 

Proud Family and so many more

But now in modern cartoons, most cartoon shows are using a similar style of animation which many people called it “Calarts style”. Most cartoon shows are using because it’s cheap however it takes away creativity, more detail nor being organic. Look at Infinity Train, compare from the pilot to the release 

It looks very boring having most cartoons look the same. Then there’s artistic freedom where creators let them draw whatever they want such as Steven Universe and OK KO. That sounds good but really though it just looks lazy and unprofessional. This is very distracting that most characters go off-model every scene like why Rebecca and Ian-Jones Quarry think it was a good idea! 

Great to Below Average

So now let’s talk about the three shows that were once popular Steven Universe, Voltron, and Star vs The Forces of Evil. The trope I’ve been seeing as of late about these shows that it was pretty hype and they deliver on that. All they need to do is conclude it and call it a good cartoon but then crash and burned in later seasons. 

Steven Universe didn’t get popular until “Jailbreak” and that was when everyone was watching it. It had character development, an interesting world of gems, a gorgeous background and has one of the best soundtracks. This isn’t surprising because the creator is the same person who wrote Marceline episodes in Adventure Time which was Rebecca Sugar that created the series. Then season 4 and season 5 happened which the show drop in quality like mostly the show prefer showing filler which makes the plot go too fast and made arcs underwhelming, crystals gems and Lapis Lazuli and Peridot aren’t being used that much in the show and having each villain being beaten by simply talking to them. While there is Steven Universe Future but that hasn’t gotten interesting in my opinion. 

Star vs The Forces of Evil is a show used to be interesting for the two seasons and “Battle for Mewni” arc but then shipping drama got out of hand and that resulted to fell from grace 

Then there’s Voltron and we all how that turned out for the last two seasons

What these three have in common that they set up this interesting premise and world in the first few seasons but they all went downhill. Awful character writing, insane plot twist, and terrible pacing. I did wish that those shows would get better like how Adventure Time and Regular Show had one bad season but after that, they both got better but they didn’t and it went from being great to disappointingly average. 

Comedy Over Messages

Now that’s got the most hype shows, let’s talk about shows that not many people talk about because the premise and world aren’t engaging enough to watch and which they are We Bare Bears, Craig in the Creek, Clarence, OK KO, and The Loud House. While I’m not saying they aren’t bad but it is just not interesting to watch, it's just that it’s too tame and too comedic. The main issue I have it doesn’t really teach viewers like they used to anymore 

OK KO was about to talk about gun violence but they turn it into a comedy. In “Let’s Not Be Skeletons” people overuse the gun and resulting everyone to turn skeletons and KO tries to stop it but fails. By the end of the episode, it was a dream and calls Congress to stop it from happening. I really hate how writers of this episode of making a serious issue turn into comedy and that’s a pretty awful way of doing it. 

Look at Static Shock and Fat Albert, instead of making Gun Violence a joke, they talk about how serious it is by having someone shot and that devastated the characters a lot 

Then there's Hey Arnold, it really dives into serious issues such as 

“Pigeon Man” showcases that some people are meant to be with other people while others like Pigeon Man are just different and can’t be with other people. 

“Helga on the Couch” showcases Helga's anger issues and those issues manifest because her family ignores her because of her sister. Never truly cares for like no makes her lunch for school and no one brought her to school when she was a young girl. The only person that cares for was Arnold.

Then there’s my personal favorite, “Arnold Christmas”. Mr. Hyunh is always sad at Christmas and this episode revealed that he had a daughter and all he wanted was to see her grow up but there was a war coming near his village. In order to do so, he had to give her up so she can have a better life. It took 20 years to get out of the country and he almost gave up hope to find her until Helga helped Arnold to search for her and be reunited with her father. 

Modern cartoons don’t show those kinds of messages anymore and there’s something worse than that and I hate how cartoon shows keep doing this. 

Today’s Villains

I” ve been seeing a lot lately that the main antagonist isn't handled well in cartoons as of lately. Most villains have been getting redeemed lately and not paying their crimes. While show creatures try to make them sympathetic and the victim however it doesn’t excuse them for their crimes. 

White Diamond who caused multiple mass genocide on worlds, brainwash any gem that stands in her way and shatter gems gets easily defeated by simply getting talk to and just not gonna do it anymore because Steven said so. 

Mina Loveberry and her Mewni soldiers wanted to destroy monsters. When her and her army magic depleted, she just goes in the wilderness and no one stopped her. 

Moon Butterfly helped Mina create her soldiers so she can retake the throne from Ecipsa. Instead of having the monsters and her surrendering the throne that she was attending to do, however, her plan backfired when Mewni Soldiers and Mina wanted to kill all the monsters. Why didn’t Moon saw that coming, they were clearly racist against them. Then by the end of the show, she never once apologized for what she has done. 

Starlight Glimmer created a cult that no one has cutie marks until the mane six defeated her in “Cutie Map” She returns and her revenge on Twilight by going back in time and making sure Rainbow Dash doesn’t perform the Sonic Rainboom. After multiple going to multiple timelines, she finally catches up to her and then her tragic backstory been revealed and it was very disappointing. The reason she caused all of this because her friend moved away and that’s it. That’s not all, instead of her facing her crimes like most villains such as Tirek or Queen Chrysalis, she gets off the hook and she became friends with Twilight in a matter of minutes 

A good example of a good antagonist is Aku from Samurai Jack. When he first appeared in the show, he’s pure evil, destroying anything that stood in his way and ruling over the weak but as the show progresses, the serious villain became more comedic villain but that doesn’t mean he’s a silly character, he’s far from that. He’s still all-powerful and should be taken seriously. This is what I want from a villain.  He’s powerful, he’s truly evil and has a personality. 

Villains can be sympathetic and relatable however shouldn’t be forgiven so easily. When a character crosses the line by taking multiple innocent lives should never be redeemed, even if they have a sad backstory 

Cartoons lately have become less popular in this past decade, the glaring problems about cartoons are its animation, comedy over messages, messy plots, and terrible villain. People will only talk about cartoons from the late ’80s to 2012. I’m afraid that this day of age that it isn’t appealing anymore than in previous years. The only animation that people will talk about is anime shows which I can’t lie, is far superior to cartoons as of now. I feel that the only way it can make it back on top is it needs something like Adventure Time or Gravity Falls moment that reinvent it more relevant and view to modern audiences. I really do like to watch cartoon shows for animation, message, and characters but I keep seeing issues in modern cartoons and I hope that it will change in the future. 

#Adventure Time #My Litte Pony: Friendship is Magic #MLP:FiM #Regular Show #Gravity Falls #Steven Universe #OK KO Let's Be Heroes #Craig of the Creek #Steven Universe Future #Star vs The Forces of Evil #Voltron #Clarence #Infinity Train #She-Ra #The Amazing World of Gumball #We Bare Bears

[letterboxd]

Savage Cinema.

From anarchists and adultery to milk baths and massacres, Matthew Turner shares five of the weirdest and wildest highlights of Hollywood’s pre-Code era, as #PreCodeApril comes to a close.

Pre-Code April was directly inspired by Noirvember, a month-long celebration of noir cinema instigated by Marya Gates (Oldfilmsflicker). I did Noirvember for the first time in November 2019, really enjoyed it, and thought it would be great to do the same thing for pre-Code movies. Although I’ve watched most of the classic 1930s films, I realised there were a huge number of pre-Code films I’d never seen (of my Letterboxd list of over 900 Pre-Code films, I have only seen 200).

As a sucker for a bit of wordplay, no matter how tenuous, I picked April partly because it’s six months away from Noirvember and partly because of the shared “pr” sound in April and Pre-Code. I’ve been absolutely delighted by the response—the #PreCodeApril hashtag on Twitter is a daily treasure trove of pre-Code-related joy, but I was genuinely thrilled to see the response on Letterboxd (here is my watchlist for the month). It’s been a real pleasure to see pre-Code movies constantly popping up in my ‘new from friends’ feed. My hope is that it’ll be even bigger next year—and that maybe TCM will want to get involved, the way they do with Noirvember.

Produced between 1929 and 1934, pre-Code cinema refers to films made in a brief period between the silent era, and Hollywood beginning to enforce the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines (mandatory enforcement came in from July 1934). The “Code” in question was popularly known as the Hays Code, after then MPPDA president Will H. Hays. As the depression set in and box office declined, theater owners needed fare that would drive cinema-goers to the movies. It was a wild time to be a scriptwriter; they threw everything at the page, designers added even more, and actors played out the kinds of scenes, from the suggestive to the overt, that would otherwise be banned for decades to come.

The following five films demonstrate some of Hollywood’s craziest pre-Code excesses. They’re still jaw-dropping, even by today’s standards, and notably give female characters an agency that would be later denied as the Christian morals of the Code overruled writers’ kinks.

Madam Satan (1930) Directed by Cecil B. DeMille, written by Elsie Janis, Jeanie Macpherson and Gladys Unger

A critical and commercial flop in 1930, Cecil B. DeMille’s utterly insane musical comedy stars Kay Johnson as a straight-laced wife who plots to win back her unfaithful husband (Reginald Denny) by seducing him at a costume party, disguised as a mysterious devil woman. The location of this party? Oh, nothing too fancy, just on board a giant zeppelin. (“Madam Satan or: How the Film gets Fucking Crazy on the Blimp,” as Ryan reviewed it.)

Madam Satan is not by any stretch of the imagination a good movie (the editing alone is laughably bad), but as a piece of pre-Code craziness, it really has to be seen to be believed. Co-written by a trio of women and set in just three locations, it goes from racy bedroom farce to avant-garde musical to full-on disaster movie after a bolt of lightning hits the blimp.

The film is justly celebrated (in camp classic circles, at least) for the wildly over-the-top costumes paraded in the masquerade ball sequence, but there’s weird outfit joy everywhere you look. Keep an eye out for an enterprising extra who’s come dressed as a set of triplets.

Call Her Savage (1932) Directed by John Francis Dillon, written by Tiffany Thayer and Edwin J. Burke

Adapted from a salacious novel by Tiffany Thayer, Call Her Savage was former silent star Clara Bow’s second-to-last film before her retirement at the age of 28. She plays Texas gal Nasa Springer, who’s always had a “savage” temper she can’t explain. In the space of 88 minutes she goes from wild teenager to jilted newlywed to young mother to prostitute to wealthy society girl to alcoholic before finally (it’s implied) settling down with her Native-American friend after discovering that she’s half-Native-American, something the audience has known all along.

Bow’s performance is frankly astonishing, to the point where you simply can’t believe what you’re seeing from one moment to the next. Sample scenes see her savagely whipping both a snake and her Indian friend, smashing a guitar over a musician’s head and violently wrestling her Great Dane… and that’s all in the first five minutes. She’s also frequently in a state of near undress throughout—one funny scene has her maids chasing her with a dressing gown because they’re afraid she’ll run down the street in her négligée.

The rest of the film includes alcohol, adultery, strong violence, attempted rape, murder, syphilis (not named, but heavily implied) and baby death. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of outrageous content and Bow is pure dynamite throughout. The film is also noted for being one of the first on-screen portrayals of homosexuality, when Nasa visits a gay bar in the Village frequented by “wild poets and anarchists”.

Smarty (1934) Directed by Robert Florey, written by Carl Erickson and F. Hugh Herbert

This deeply problematic sex comedy features pre-Code stars Joan Blondell and Warren William (often nicknamed ‘The King of Pre-Code’) at their absolute filthiest. Blondell plays Vicki, a capricious, happily married wife who gets an obvious kick out of taunting her husband, Tony (William). When he cracks and slaps her at a party, she divorces him and marries her lawyer, Vernon (Edward Everett Horton), whom she also goads into slapping her in a deliberate ploy to win back Tony.

Essentially, Smarty hinges on Vicki liking rough sex and it’s completely blatant about it, ending with her sighing “Hit me again” (the film’s UK title!) as they sink into a clinch on a couch, a rapturous expression on her face. It’s a controversial film because on the surface it looks like it’s condoning domestic violence, but it’s very clearly about Vicki’s openly expressed sexual desires—she wants to be punished and dominated, she just has a rather dodgy way of getting what she wants.

It might be unsophisticated, but in some ways Smarty is remarkably ahead of its time and ripe for rediscovery. To that end, it would make a fascinating double bill with Stephen Shainberg’s Secretary (2002). Oh, and it’s also chock-full of lingerie scenes (like most pre-Code films), if you like that sort of thing.

Massacre (1934) Directed by Alan Crosland, written by Sheridan Gibney, Ralph Block and Robert Gessner

Several pre-Code films (notably those made by Warner Bros) took a no-punches-pulled approach to their depiction of social issues, and star Richard Barthelmess actively sought out such projects. Here he plays Joe Thunderhorse, a Native American who’s become famous on the rodeo circuit. When he returns to his tribe to bury his father, he ends up fighting for their rights, taking on corrupt government officials and religious authorities.

Massacre is fascinating because on the one hand it’s wildly insensitive—Barthelmess and co-star Ann Dvorak are both cast as Native Americans—but on the other, it burns with a righteous fury and does more than any other Hollywood film (before or since) to champion the rights and highlight the injustices dealt out to Native Americans. That fury is encapsulated in a horrifying and rightly upsetting rape scene (it happens off-screen, but the cuts leave you in no doubt) that the film handles with surprising sensitivity.

In addition to being a passionate fight against racism and social injustice, the film also has some genuinely shocking sexual content. Most notably, Joe is seen making love to a rich white woman (Claire Dodd, who’s also in Smarty) who has an obvious sexual fetish, flaunting him in front of her friends and making a shrine in her room with Native-American paraphernalia.

The Sign of the Cross (1932) Directed by Cecil B. DeMille, written by Waldemar Young and Sidney Buchman

Yes, this is Cecil B. DeMille again, but no list of weird and wild pre-Code films would be complete without the jaw-dropping ancient Rome epic, The Sign of the Cross. Adapted from an 1895 play by Wilson Barrett, it stars Frederic March as Marcus Superbus (stop sniggering at the back there), who’s torn between his loyalty to Emperor Nero (Charles Laughton) and his love for a Christian woman (Elissa Landi), while also fending off the advances of the Emperor’s wife, Poppaea (Claudette Colbert).

The film is racy enough in its sexual content alone: highlights include the famous scene of Claudette Colbert taking a nude milk bath and an erotic “lesbian” dance sequence, where Joyzelle Joyner’s “most wicked and talented woman in Rome” does ‘The Dance of the Naked Moon’ at Frederic March’s orgy, trying to tempt Landi’s virtuous Christian, to the obvious arousal of the gathered guests.

However, it’s the climactic gladiatorial-arena sequence that will leave your jaw on the floor. Lasting around twelve minutes, it includes: someone getting eaten by a tiger, a tied-up, naked women being approached by hungry crocodiles, pygmies getting chopped up by female barbarians, elephants stomping on heads, a gorilla approaching a naked woman tied to a stake, a man getting gored by a bull, and gladiators fighting to the death, complete with blood and gory injury detail.

The whole thing is genuinely horrifying, even for 2021. Best of all, DeMille pointedly critiques the audience (ourselves included), by showing a series of reaction shots ranging from intense enjoyment to abject seen-it-all-before boredom.

Matthew Turner (FilmFan1971) is a critic, author, podcaster and lifelong film fanatic. His favorite film is ‘Vertigo’. The films in this article are also listed here: Five of the Pre-Code Era’s Most Outrageous Films.

#preCodeApril #pre code april #precode april #hays code #mppa code #cecil b demille #clara bow #matthew turner #letterboxd #1930s films #1920s films #depression films

[wonwooslibrary]

high school sweethearts

member: joshua x female reader 

genre: fluff, comedy, high school AU, non-idol AU

word count: 1778

warnings: alcohol / drunk seungcheol 

inspiration: the audio for the hallway scene was inspired by this video

summary: you and your husband, joshua flash back to the night of your prom ten years ago. 

author’s note: idk why I decided to do this lmao but happy birthday shua! please enjoy this small piece I wrote in like ten minutes. this is so bad I am so sorry

Neither you or your husband were fancy restaurant people. Both you and Joshua spent little to no time at home besides sleeping. After years of many dates of trying to dress up and go out, you both decided that going out was not your thing. So, for your five year wedding anniversary, you decided it would be best to just stay home. 

The time spent sitting on the couch in the living room, a bag of chips and a jar of dip between you while a cliché hallmark Christmas movie was playing on the TV was more than wither of you could ask for. 

Suddenly, Joshua looked over at you and moved his hand to brush a strand of your hair out of your eyes. When you looked at him, he smiled, a look of pure love taking over his face. 

“Do you remember prom?” he asked you, his eyes glossing over a bit. 

“I remember Jeonghan spiking the punch, Seungcheol getting drunk and, uh, the rooftop.”

When Joshua asked a seventeen year old you to go to prom with him, you were freaking out. 

“It’s Joshua Hong!” you exclaimed to your friend, “I am not going to survive this night.”

“Y/n! you’ve been best friends with him for how long? Almost what, nine years?”

“Almost seven.” you corrected. 

“Whatever! you’re insane if you can’t clearly see that he has the same feelings for you that you have for him!”

“Mhm, yeah, right.” you replied sarcastically. 

“What did you tell him when he asked?” your friend questioned you, her hands on your shoulders shaking you. 

“I said maybe.” you responded in a quiet voice. 

“Maybe? Nu-uh. No way. You’re going to call him and tell him you’re going to prom with him!” 

Three days after that phone call, your friend took you out to buy a dress and get your nails done. You didn’t see why you had to get your nails done and you definitely didn’t see why all of this was coming out of your wallet. but of course, as your friend, she spent the whole trip obsessing over the fact that you were going to prom with Joshua Hong. “You have to look perfect!” she’d exclaim. 

The night of the event wasn’t nearly as grand as everyone would expect it to be. A high school prom being held in the gym that smelled like dirty socks and disappointment. Of course, you did have one of the prettiest dresses at the event, though unless you wanted to spend another hundred dollars, it needed to be returned to the boutique by three in the afternoon the following day. You kept stumbling in the heels that were definitely too high for you to walk in, and you decided that if it wasn’t for you holding on to Joshua’s arm with dear life, you would have faceplanted into the gym floor at least ten times by now. 

By the time the event actually started, you had given up on all hope of enjoying the night. It was loud, and the teacher chaperones were being to controlling over the room of teenagers. You didn’t fail to notice that a teacher had to come up to Soonyoung and tell him that he can’t take the whole dance floor for himself almost five times throughout the night. 

Though the chaperones were being controlling, they clearly didn’t check people’s bags and IDs when entering the building. And they clearly didn’t notice the bottle of vodka Jeonghan pulled out of his bag and dumped into the punch bowl. 

Now if the room wasn’t loud enough, it was about to get a lot worse. 

You and Joshua sat on the floor of hallway right outside the gym. The closed doors made the hallway much quieter with only muffled sound of the music able to be heard. You glanced around the empty hallway, until Joshua began talking. 

“Being in school after school hours and on weekends always seems so surreal, doesn’t it?” He questioned you, loosening the black tie that was around his neck.

“It does. Especially with us being dressed up and the teachers not.” you replied. 

The hallway became quiet once more. Though this didn’t last long until two loud voices were heard while the doors to the gym were shoved open. 

Running out the door was a very drunk Seungcheol, with three teachers running after him through the rest of the school. Also exiting the gym were two of your friends, Jimin and Taehyung, that both happened to be in your class. Though instead of running, the two males pushed the door slightly open and called out to you and Shua. 

“The teachers found Jeonghan’s empty bottle of vodka.” Taehyung started. “I don’t think Cheol is going to last for any longer before he trips and gets caught.”

You and Joshua looked at each other and began laughing. Of course your best friends would do something this stupid on prom night. Joshua stood up, brushing off his slacks before offering his hand to you in order to help you up from the floor. You took his hand and quietly thanked him. 

“We’ll be back in the gym in a little bit, guys” Joshua told Jimin and Taehyung, who both simply nodded and went back into the gym. 

Your best friend offered you his arm, and you began walking in the opposite direction that Seungcheol ran. 

“Damn it!” he exclaimed suddenly. You looked over at him curiously. 

“What?” 

“I owe Jeonghan twenty bucks now.”

“What did you and Han bet on this time?”

“Who would get drunk first. I bet on Soonyoung, and Han bet on Seungcheol.”

You rolled your eyes. “Soonyoung. I’m kind of surprised he didn’t get drunk first.” 

Your walk became quiet once again. Joshua brought you to the stairs of the school that led to the roof. 

“Have you ever been to the roof?” he asked, pulling a key out of his pocket and putting it into the keyhole. 

“I’ve been to the door, but I’ve never been outside. How’d you get a key?” 

“I know a few people.” you giggled at his answer. 

When you both got outside, there was two lawn chairs and a table waiting for you. 

“Sit with me?” Shua looked at you and tilted his head towards the chairs. 

You quickly agreed. Once you both sat in the chairs, Joshua started a conversation. 

“You know,” he started, “Now that prom is almost over, we only have a few weeks left before we graduate.” 

“Yeah, I know. I am going to miss it here, no matter how much I hated it some days.” 

“Do you think we’ll ever see each other after we graduate?” Joshua questioned, turning his head to face you and brushing a small strand of hair out of your eyes and putting it behind your ear. 

“I haven’t thought about it, but I hope so. I want to be able to see everyone again.”

“Me too.”

“I wonder if Soonyoung got kicked out for kicking people off the dance floor yet. and I wonder if the teachers found out the vodka was Jeonghan’s.”

“oh Jeonghan, as much as he is a brother to me, he is an idiot.” 

You laughed at Joshua’s words, when suddenly an idea came to your head. 

“Shua! we haven’t danced yet!” you said, standing up out of the chair and grabbing your phone off of the table. You began playing one of your favorite slow songs and turned the volume on your phone all the way up. “Dance with me?” you asked him, holding your hand out for him to grab. 

He took your hand and pulled you close to him. He wrapped his arms around your waist and began to move you with him. 

You placed your head on his chest, your eyes falling shut to the soft sound of the music and his heartbeat. Joshua placed his chin on your head, breathing in the sent of your vanilla shampoo. 

“Y/n-ie,” Shua started. 

“Hmm?” you softly questioned, seemingly half asleep. 

“I love you.” 

You smiled and moved to face him. 

“R-really?” you stuttered your way through your reply. 

“Why wouldn’t I?” he replied, putting a finger under your chin. He leaned forward and placed his lips on top of yours. The kiss lasted mere seconds, and then he pulled away. 

“Let’s get you home.” Shua stated as he took your hand in his and pulled you towards the door. 

You got outside (and on the ground) fairly quickly, Joshua shedding off his jacket and putting it over your shoulders, only for you to put it on. All of a sudden, he took off running out of the parking lot and down the street. 

“Shua! wait for me!” Joshua was running down the sidewalk as fast as he could, leaving you behind in the dust. 

“Ditch the shoes and start running then!” he called out to you, already at the end of the street. 

You sighed. “Fine!” you bent down to undo the buckle on your heels, right first, then left. When you glanced back up, Joshua was waiting for you, his shoulder leaning against the stop sign that was significantly taller than him. 

You looked at him, admiring his outfit, without realizing that he is doing the same to you. He was dressed nicely, the white button down he is wearing now wrinkled and the black slacks tight around his thighs. His tie is more loose than it was in the hallway. When you looked at his face, you noticed him looking at you. He smiled and waved his hand, motioning for you to run and catch up with him. 

You picked your heels up off of the ground and laced your fingers around the straps. You used your free hand (and the fingers that were not carrying your shoes) to lift up your long dress. You began jogging to catch up to him, your hair quickly falling out of the fancy up do it was in. 

When you got to the stop and stood next to Joshua, he took your hand again and began walking towards your house. 

“Damn I kind of forgot about Jimin and Taehyung. We didn’t even meet them back in the gym like we said we would.” Joshua laughed. 

“We weren’t the smartest back then, were we?”

“We were just two stupid teenagers in love.” Joshua put his arm around you and pulled you close to him, the bag of chips quickly falling to the floor. 

You cuddled up to him and put your head on his chest.  

“I love you, Shua.” you whispered.

“I love you too, Y/n.”

#seventeen #seventeenfanfiction #hong jisoo #joshua #joshua hong #drabble #seventeen drabbles #happy joshua day

[cherrytdatt]

talk to me

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Word count: ~1.6k

Request: Hiii can u write one with Tom. He’s been talking to the reader really flirty and invite her to the pub with the boys. He went to get drinks, the reader goes 5 mins later because he didn’t come back and sees him with a girl. Angst but fluff at the end plz Sorry for my bad English I’m from Argentina!

A/N: i loved your request! i changed it just a little bit, but it was the way my brain decided to work, sorry... 🥺 also i’m really bad at flirting so...i hope you like it.

Playlist: Linger - The Cranberries, Stop Crying Your Heart Out - Oasis,  Every Breath You Take - The Pollice

"Y/N!!!" Harrison screamed your name as soon as you walked into the pub. You shook your head, feeling your cheeks burn cause everyone looked at you. You waved at him and the others in his table and went to the bar to order a beer.

"Hey, guys," you said, seating on the free spot by Tom's side, and they all smiled and greeted you. "What are you guys talking about?"

"These idiots are arguing about something I don't care, so I was just drinking, waiting for you to have someone to talk to," Tom said, pointing to the other boys.

"Well, your agony it's over. I'm here now," you smiled. "Did you order any food?"

"Pizza for me. Burguer for you," he said.

"Did you order me food?" you asked, and he nodded. "How cute, thanks."

"So, how was your week?" he asked, stretching his arm behind your back.

"Awful. I had three exams, two papers, and I got into a fight with a co-worker," you told him. "I'm pretty sure this..." you motioned between you two. "Is the best thing that happened all week," you said.

"I'm happy I'm on the good side of your week," he smiled.

"What about you? What you've been doing?"

"Not much...just enjoying my days off while I can," he shrugged. "Hey... do you wanna hang out tomorrow? I'm running out of things to do," he asked with a smile.

"Sure, what do you wanna do?"

"Pizza and movies?" he offered, knowing you would never say no to that.

"No violent movies. No drama. No terror. And no Marvel movies," you said, laughing at his pout when you said 'no Marvel movies'. "I'll accept comedy or rom-com. Or anything with Saoirse," you listed.

"You're making this too hard," he said, still pouting.

"You can cancel," you quipped.

"Nah...it's a date," he winked at you.

You and Tom had been flirting for months now. In the beginning, soon after Harrison introduced you two, you thought that something could happen. After one month exchanging glances and hugs that lasted longer than they needed, you kind of gave up, thinking that must've been Tom's charm. But sometimes, like now, you couldn't avoid the thought and the feeling that his words could mean something more.

"Hey, I'm heading to the bar. Do you want something?" he asked.

"Another beer, please," you said, swinging your empty bottle. You got up, so he could go to the bar. 

"So... you two?" Harrison asked once Tom was far enough not to hear you.

"What?" you asked, confused.

"When are you two gonna stop being idiots and hook up?"

"I don't know what are you talking about. We're just friends," you lied.

"Sure, and he didn't invite you to spend the day with him tomorrow, knowing that I'm gonna be out with friends, Tuwaine will go see his family, and Harry has a gig in town?" Harrison said, with a malicious smile in his face. "It will be just you two," he added like you didn't have enough information.

"I hang out with you all the time," you argued.

"Yeah...but I never called it a date," he said.

"You're being idiot, and I'm going to the bathroom cause I don't wanna talk about this anymore," you said, leaving the table.

You didn't wanna think about what Harrison said. Sure he wasn't totally wrong, but thinking about Tom like more than friends was stupid, because he was Tom. Cute, charming, kind, good-looking, and insanely hot Tom, and you were you. Cute but awkward, and lazy you. So, it was useless to keep nurturing this idea of you two possibly being together.

And what you saw next just confirmed that. Tom Holland, using all his charm and beauty, on a model-like girl. "Fuck," you mumbled to yourself, feeling your chest tightening, and your mouth getting dryer. He brushed her arm, letting his hand on her elbow after. Suddenly you couldn't hear anything besides your heart beating, and a buzz, that you didn't know where was coming from. "Fuckfuckfuck," you repeated, going back to the table.

"Hey, are you okay?" Harrison's voice was pure noise.

"I have to go," you said, passing by him.

"What happened?" he went after you.

"I just need to go," you said, still walking.

"Y/N! Talk to me!" he grabbed your arm, stopping you. Your eyes glanced at the bar, where the scene kept happening. Harrison followed your eyes, seeing his best friend flirting with a girl in the bar. "I'm sorry, Y/N," he said, hugging you.

"I don't know why I'm acting like this," you let out a humorless chuckle.

"It's okay," he said, stroking your hair. "Let me take you home, okay?" he asked.

"No, I don't wanna ruin your night. I just..." you were feeling your entire body hurt, and you didn't even understand why.

"You're not ruining my night. I'm tired anyway. Let's go home and watch a movie, okay?" he offered with a smile.

"Harrison..." you started.

"I won't accept no as an answer," he said. "Just wait for me outside," he ran his hands up and down your arms, and you nodded.

You walked out of the pub, not looking back. To be honest, you didn't know why you were feeling so bad. You and Tom never had anything, and you told yourself countless times that nothing was going on between you two. Why you were feeling like you had your heart broken, then?

"Hey, guys. I'm leaving," Harrison announced to the boys.

"Where are you going? Where's Y/N?" Tom asked, going back to the table. All the other boys were confused too.

“Is she okay?” Sam asked.

“She was looking sick when she went out,” Harry said.

"She's not feeling good so, I'm gonna take her home," Harrison explained.

"What? Why?" Tom was confused, he talked to you five minutes ago. You were perfectly fine.

"I don't know, mate. She's just leaving," he answered.

"Let me take her home," he said, putting the two bottles he was holding in the table.

"I don't know if it'll be a good idea," Harrison scratched his neck.

"Why not?" Tom asked.

"Look, mate. I can't tell you, okay? It's just...her things. You should talk to her later. Now, I have to go. She's waiting" he said, pointing to the window of the pub.

"Later..." Tom muttered, pushing his friend lightly, and going outside. Harrison watched his friend leave the pub, a frown in his face. He didn't want to put you through more distress, but he knew that talk to Tom, was something you should've done a long time ago.

"You really don't need..." you stopped, seeing that wasn't Harrison going out of the bar.

"What happened?" Tom asked.

"N-nothing..." you lied, felling your chest heavy.

"Why are you leaving? You just asked me to get you a beer," he said, confused.

"I don't know. I'm just not feeling it anymore," you shrugged.

"I don't believe you. We were fine five minutes ago," Tom was confused.

"I really don't wanna talk about it now. Can we talk tomorrow?" you asked, rubbing your eyes and your cheeks.

"Fine," he nodded. "Then, let's go," Tom said, starting to walk.

"Wha...what about Harrison? He was walking me home," you put your hands in your pockets.

"I told him I would take you home," he said, waving for you to follow him.

"I rather have Harrison taking me home," you stated.

"Yeah, well, too bad. If you don't tell me what happened, you'll have to settle for me," he shrugged.

"This is so stupid," you stared at him, weighing your choices.

"So...which one is gonna be?" he asked, and you looked from one side to another, not knowing what to do.

"Why do you do this?" you said with a hurt voice.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Why do you do these nice things, and flirt with me, and when I think that maybe there's something between us, you go and flirt with some random girl?" you blurted out.

"What are you talking about?" he chuckled, making you angrier.

"I'm talking about the girl you were flirting two minutes ago in the bar," you pointed to the pub.

"I...are you jealous?" he asked, a cocky grin appearing on his face.

"I-I'm not...jealous. I'm just...I'm confused. That's all," you stuttered.

"Sure," he said, skeptical.

"Well, now I'm really going home alone," you said, passing by him.

"No! First, you are gonna tell me why you are jealous of a friend that I don't see in months, that was telling me how she got engaged two months ago," he said, with a smile, raising one eyebrow, and you froze.

"I'm not...I'm not jealous," you said, and he laughed. "I'm leaving," you said, starting to walk, annoyed and embarrassed.

"I like you too," he said, and you stopped. "I was afraid I was getting the signs wrong since you are nice with everyone, so I was waiting for a confirmation, and you just gave me," he said, and you turned to look at him. A smile threatening to rise on your face. "I like you too," he repeated.

You waited a few seconds, absorbing what he said. "I'm not nice to everyone," you replied.

"I tell you that I like you, and that's the part you decide to comment on?" he laughed. "You are unbelievable," he shook his head.

"Do you still wanna take me home?" you asked, a half smile on your face.

"Sure," he walked to you. "But first, I'm doing this," he said, holding your face with one hand and pulling you closer, ending the distance between your lips.

#tom holland x reader #tom holland #i’m not good at this and yet i’m doing it #tom holland fluff #fluff #tom holland blurb #tom holland imagine #tom holland fic #tom holland scenario #tomhollandxreader #blurbs #tom holland angst #tom holland x fem!reader #tom holland x you #tom holland x female reader #tom x y/n #tom holland x y/n #tom hollandxreader

[chipsfics]

Part 1 - Introduction/Invitation

Part one of my currently-unnamed Inanimate Insanity fanfiction :)! Feat. Tissues and Yinyang. Some shipping but not a whole lot ;)

Rated: PG (A few heavy themes)

Hope you enjoy and much more to come !! :D

~~~~

Unlike Tissues, Yinyang knew he was going to be eliminated. Yin did, at least. He figured after a certain amount of time, the viewers just saw him as... Annoying. He had used up his entertainment value- Inanimate Insanity had packaged and squeezed dry his "quirks" of any and all comedy until they were just problems again. He was sure his other half knew elimination was at least a possibility- He was probably too preoccupied with his own thoughts, which sometimes blended together with Yin's. A lot of... "Everyone here hates me," and "I hate everyone here." Seemed like the situation was stressing them both out.

Weeks later, After they were all freed from the closet, Yinyang watched the episode where he was eliminated. Yinyang cried, not because he lost, but something kind of got tangled in his brain watching the way he acted. He was grinding his teeth watching the playback, Yang holding back tears and Yin letting them flow freely. If only, if only, if only. Needless to say, he didn't really remember a lot about what happened cooped up in that tiny closet. He mostly hid in the corner and tried not to grind his teeth down to his gums. Tissues, on the other hand, barely knew what was going on. One place to another, off a plane, rushing from iceberg to dodgeball court, grass field to bleachers- Next thing he knew he sneezed himself through a portal and ended up cooped up in a closet. Once the dizzy feeling cleared and he ended up face down, alone, in an empty closet with a locked door- One thing was abundantly clear: He lost. As usual. When another contestant stepped through the portal, the relief he felt was overwhelming- and as the closet filled up with eliminated contestants, the sense of relief he felt was replaced by self loathing and shame- Everyone else pretty much all hated him. As usual.

When they finally got a breath of fresh air, space to move around, personal rooms and even a breakfast juice bar- After everyone who came in contact with him was thoroughly sprayed down by Soap, nobody hated him anymore. They just didn't talk to him. Although, when he walked in the hallway, Soap would follow a safe distance behind him and clean where he last stepped with disinfectant. That didn't really help his self-esteem.

One quiet afternoon, everyone was still trying to settle into their new (but much nicer) living situations, Tissues got paired with the roommate who hated him the most. One Trophy horseplay, who was the one who stomped his face in more than a couple times while stuck in the closet. Of course, due to the technological advancements of melife, Mephone brought him back immediately after he got the death notification- bzz-ding, Tissues died again, to Trophy's frustration. Living with Trophy, he tried to keep all of his stuff in one corner- And he was kind of being shoved over by Trophy's ever-growing collection of sports equipment. Apparently he had nowhere to put it except for cluttering up their shared bedroom. He didn't have much things anyway- and he spent most of his time in the front game room. Tissues, Yinyang, and a few wanderers in and out every day in that same room, that same dinky game system, the same 4 outdated platforming games. He didn't remember the names of those old things, and he wasn't great at them anyway- It'd surprise you, but he didn't have the best hand-eye-coordination. 

Yinyang was also bad at them. He'd argue and curse and throw the controller and tug at the wires, Tissues would follow slowly behind him in co-op play. It was fun to play with someone who had the same skill level as he did, and it seemed like Yinyang had mellowed out a little from his appearance on the show- Having a bit more freedom and alone time seemed to make Yang calm down and Yin become cheerier and more friendly. If Tissues could say one Inanimate Insanity contestant was his friend- It was Yinyang. They had something big and terrifying in common- They were both freaks. The unlovable tend to find a way to love each other.

~~~~

Yaaaawn. Tissues stretched and looked at the clock- 11:30, about 3 hours earlier than when he usually woke up. He wiped the drool off his face, got up and feverishly brushed his teeth. He realized the breakfast bar was still open for another 30 minutes- More like 25 now that he'd dragged himself out of bed. OJ wasn't the world's most attentive hotel owner, but the breakfast bar seemed like something he was passionate about. There were rumors that he refilled the cereal dispensers by himself and doesn't let anyone else do it. Soap always threw a fit when someone else did the chores for her, although she seemed to have a quiet respect for OJ's breakfast bar. Tissues took the elevator down- He didn't trust himself to go down the stairs because of his vertigo. Lo and behold, someone else bumped into his hand reaching for the down arrow. It was Yinyang! 

"O-oh, go ahead, you first," Tissues said bashfully. 

"No, you first!" Yin chirped. "I assume we're both going down?" 

"Yeah, I'm gonna try and catch the last wave of breakfast, guyse. I'm not usually up this... SNIFF. Early," Tissues said, and jammed his finger into the down button, which started to glow a faint yellow.

"Wait, is the free breakfast thing still open?" Yinyang said, "The one where you can make waffles with the little do-it-yourself waffle iron?" 

"Is that what that is? I thought it was just a weird smoothie dispenser. I thought the stuff that came out of it tasted like waffle batter," He sniffed.

Yinyang laughed. Tissues would have been peeved, but it didn't seem like Yinyang was laughing AT him. That, or just the fact that his laugh was crisp and clear as a ringing bell. Tissues didn't think he heard him genuinely laugh a whole ton of times. It was nice. 

As they waited for the elevator to come up, Tissues noticed one of Yinyang's eyes blinking and drooping. Yang's side seemed to be sleepier than Yin's- His body lagging to one side until he had to jerk back into a standing position. Was it possible for one half to fall asleep and the other half to stay awake? DING. Tissues' train of thoughts was interrupted by the elevator door sliding open. They stepped in, and for the entire ride down Tissues fought as hard as he could not to sneeze- In a closed place like an elevator, that could be very annoying. More annoying than usual. The elevator ride was mostly silent and awkward- It seemed that Yang almost tried to fight on what button to press, but he was too tired and hungry to cause any trouble this early. It was a Saturday after all, the slowest days in the hotel, and once they made it downstairs to the breakfast bar, there didn't seem to be many contestants looking for something to eat so late. Tissues grabbed a paper plate and put a blueberry muffin on it, and got a small paper cup of orange juice. He noticed Yin and Yang were having some sort of quiet argument about what to get for a drink. Tissues couldn't help but overhear-

"Coffee." Yang spoke in a harsh whisper. "Not today, Water." Yin replied. "Coffee." "Juice, then." "Ok, Fine." "Apple juice." "I want orange." "Not today. Apple Juice feels more..." "Pure?" "Yeah." "Bull." "Let's just get our food, I'm too tired to argue." "..." "..." "Me too." 

Tissues seemed distracted, until Yinyang moved down the line and bumped him further down. He looked away, face flushed, and moved to the couch, flicking on the TV- He felt like he had just intruded on Yinyang's privacy, but Yinyang didn't seem to care. He'd grabbed apple juice and a pastry of some kind, filled with cream cheese. Yinyang and Tissues ate together, Tissues sitting on the carpet and Yinyang on the couch close by, both staring at the gameshow program that was playing on TV- something that aired often, it was starting to get old. That and the fact that the episodes are hard to tell apart. Same host every time, same backdrop, same formula. Because of this, Tissues' mind couldn't help but wander, and so did his eyes. Yinyang was focused intently on the tv, one hand, Yin's, tapping the sides of the paper cup and the other, Yang's, lifting the pastry to his mouth and taking a bite. They seemed to have figured out a good way to eat without arguing. 

"So," Tissues said, breaking the silence.

"Yes?" Yin said politely. 

"Can i sit next to you guyse?" Tissues asked. Yinyang looked a bit puzzled.

"Sure. Why not?" Yinyang said, "Just try not to get any of your germs on me." Yang grumbled. Yin pinched his arm. "Don't be rude," Yang growled, but once Tissues got up and hopped up onto the couch cushion next to him, Yang seemed to have forgotten about it. Tissues was so short he had to put in a lot of effort to get onto the couch- It was almost comical. Because of that, he preferred to sit on the ground. People seemed to prefer him down there anyway. It was kind of nice, up there, though, and honestly the only thing he felt different was... More comfortable, and taller. It was nice. He hadn't even noticed the TV program changing from the game show to an ad break- some kind of infomercial on chairs. 

"Sooo.... Do you want to go and check out the pool today? I've heard that there's like, complimentary towels. I haven't actually been there yet," Tissues said.

"Are you... asking us to hang out with you?" Yinyang said curiously. 

"Well sure," Tissues smiled. "We're friends, right?"

"Umm..." Yinyang's face flushed a bright red. "Of course!" Yin chimed. 

"Whatever." Yang added, clenching his jaw and slightly baring his sharp teeth.

"I just didn't wanna show up alone. Can you swim?" He asked. Yinyang looked away.

"Not really," He said, embarrassed. "It takes a lot of coordination, and Yin hates listening." Yang said aggresively. Yin glared at his other half. 

"Ohhh thats cool. I can't either," Tissues replied. "I was just planning on sitting by the side. Maybe putting my feet in- Its just nice to have like... uhh. SNIFF. Change of scenery... I like the chlorine smell." 

"Well that sounds nice!" Yinyang said. "But we need to go back to our room first, Right?" Yang sounded like he was directing the question less towards Tissues and more towards Yin. 

"Oh. Well that's ok. I'm here all day," Tissues said, pulling his mouth into a goofy half-smile. Yinyang finished off his apple juice and got up, silently turned and smiled towards Tissues, and walked away. Tissues wondered what he was thinking about. 

~~~~

#inanimate insanity #fanfiction #ii #ii2 #fanfic #yinyang #tissues #tissyang #tissuyang #yissues

[dercolaris]

Bittersweet

Fandom: Resident Evil Village

Characters: Alcina Dimitrescu, Karl Heisenberg

Relationship: Alcina Dimitrescu & Karl Heisenberg (Hate-Love)

Genre: Romance, Tension

Word length: 3177

Warnings: Smut, Light gore

Status: Complete

Short Summary: It's a constant battle - no matter how it ends up being fought.

Karl panted hard and quickly pulled himself up from the floor, lifting his heavy metal hammer with a grunt. He put his slipped sunglasses back into position with two fingers and began to grin. This whole visit had gotten completely out of hand, but who could tell if an escalation might not have its good sides too? His eyes stared aggressively into his opponent's yellow opals. The grey-haired man wiped one of the dirty strands of hair from his face and called out boastfully to the Countess: “I really don't want to spoil your fun right now, Alcina, but in a direct fight you simply have no chance against me. So do yourself a favour and give up finally. We can talk about our little dispute like civilized mutants if you want.” The vampire snorted arrogantly and raised her right hand, spreading her fingers wide apart. The imposing claws slid smoothly out of the fingertips, for a brief moment looked like the mighty skeleton of a powerful wing. Alcina raised an eyebrow and replied cold-heartedly: "I won't let your simple-minded arrogance go unpunished today, Heisenberg." Karl smiled in amusement. He now gripped the hammer tightly in both hands and shouted loudly at the Countess: “Well, come on then. I am waiting, Lady Dimitrescu. Show me what you can do.” The black-haired woman growled barely audibly at this obvious provocation and began to approach her much smaller opponent with graceful steps. He made himself ready for another exchange of blows with the threatening Countess. Contrary to what he said, the man knew very well that the vampire was a more than equal opponent and that the outcome of the argument was far from certain. The fire in the fireplace flickered as the tall woman strutted elegantly past it. Karl briefly let his gaze wander through the bedroom. There wasn't a lot of space in the narrow rooms of the castle and he actually had no intention of destroying more than was really necessary. Alcina closed the distance between them with a quick, surprisingly wide step and let her claws crash mercilessly down on the grey-haired man.

The Lord reacted at the right moment and blocked the attack with his hammer. The cold iron met solid wood. The vampire had clenched her teeth and was putting insane pressure on the heavy weapon. Karl consistently countered with his superhuman strength. Nevertheless, after a few seconds he felt how his right boot threatened to slip backwards and his arms began to tremble. The huge body size of the woman in combination with the parasite in her organism made her an unpredictable elemental force of violence. The black-haired woman laughed triumphantly as she slowly forced her opponent back. She came closer and closer to his face and angrily whispered to his lips: “You may impress fools with big words, Karl, but in the end all that counts is the actual strength of your body. I am indisputably superior to you.” “We will see about that, Alcina”, replied the man with great difficulty. Before the addressed person could reply, the Lord pressed her back a few meters with a strong jerk. The vampire just laughed dryly at this gesture and immediately came closer to him, let her claws play in the air for a moment. Karl took a deep breath and looked around the bedroom again for some help. There were still some metal parts in the room that he could use for his own purposes. He finally focused again on the tall woman in front of him and rubbed his wet forehead with the back of his hand. This time the black-haired woman tried to stab directly with the pointed blades, but her claws missed the target by a few centimetres. Karl had taken a step to the side and now used the handle of his hammer again to push the vampire's hip with gentle force. She stumbled to the side in surprise, but quickly recovered from this weak attack. Alcina stared at him with devastation and spat out loud: "You are just delaying the inevitable, Heisenberg!"

The man laughed visibly amused at this statement. He took a deep breath and got ready for the next round. The Countess was not taking long to strike again. Cold metal met solid wood, which was meanwhile very battered. Some splinters loosened from the sturdy handle and trickled to the floor, collecting on the completely shifted carpet. This did not necessarily make standing under these extreme conditions easier, but the vampire also seemed to have problems with the insecure position. Karl suddenly began to grin broadly. The black-haired woman frowned sceptically and asked almost annoyed: "In view of the impending defeat, did you suddenly become aware of the comedy of your human exuberance?" Alcina was seething with anger. In her anger, she didn't notice the metal objects in the air around her. It was only when they hit her right side hard that she became aware of the grey-haired man's perfidious plan. More and more metal pattered against her body. The vampire tried desperately to withstand them, but at a certain point the crowd was no longer manageable. The Countess finally stumbled helplessly and completely lost her footing, being mercilessly hurled against the door of the bedroom by the metal. Her black, elegant hat was torn from her head by the powerful swing.

After the violent collision with the wood she slid down onto the carpet and sat on the floor for a moment, visibly dazed. The tall woman had to gather there first. Karl took advantage of this situation almost shamelessly. He gripped the handle of the hammer a little wider than before, rushed to his opponent without a word and pressed the wood tightly to her shoulders. Their faces were again only a few inches apart. Alcina screamed in surprise and tried to free herself from the unfamiliar fixation. Usually it was she who put others in such awkward situations. The vampire hissed with hatred: “That you have to resort to such cheap tricks to assert yourself against me is more than embarrassing, Heisenberg. It doesn't surprise me in the least, however. This behaviour is so common for human things like you.” The grey-haired man laughed in amusement and increased the pressure on the Countess's chest. The tall lady maintained her weakening resistance for a few minutes, but then reluctantly gave up. Karl grinned wider and spoke teasingly: “Embarrassing or not, in the end nobody asks how the general actually fought his war – all that counts is that he really won it. So please don't be a bad loser now, Alcina.” The addressed person snorted contemptuously and looked him almost murderously into the eyes covered by the sunglasses. The Lord, too, stared at her no less bloodthirsty. The silence returned like a bad omen between the opponents, gradually washing away the previous unrest. The grey-haired man suddenly felt his heart beating faster in his chest and his blood gradually simmering. He already knew this unpredictable turn in these encounters with the dangerously beautiful vampire. There was practically always an unbelievable tension between them, which could tear like an overloaded bond at any second. What happened after that was still unknown. So far they had never let it get that far and had found a way out of the intolerable situation beforehand. The Countess also seemed to be affected by this change of atmosphere.

She was breathing much more calmly than before and let the claws slide back into her hand. The anger in her yellow opals also slowly disappeared, giving way to a new expression: a suppressed desire. She tilted her head a little and slowly came closer to the man, breathing softly to his lips: "I hate to lose these little games between us, Karl. I hope you know that." The Lord could feel the vampire's warm breath on his skin. Only a few millimetres separated them from a forbidden or cursed contact, which would presumably lead to something that both those present could no longer control. It was a bittersweet temptation. The grey-haired man let his eyes fall slowly and whispered hoarsely: "If one wins, the other must inevitably lose." Alcina smiled lasciviously and finally closed the last gap between their lips. The kiss was of an unusually timid nature. It stood in absolute contrast to their usual brutality among themselves, gave a deeper insight into their complicated relationship. Karl lost himself in the gentle touch and hesitantly moved his cracked lips against those of the tall woman. A soft, comforting sound came out of her throat. After a few seconds, the Lord reluctantly broke the kiss and stared at the vampire's perfect face. She kept her eyes closed, only whispered lustfully: “For once I agree with you on this point, but maybe you can make my defeat a little more bearable for me tonight. You surely know how to use your pure manhood skilfully, Karl."

Alcina emphasized the last sentence with a powerful and seductive undertone in her voice. The person addressed hadn't noticed how her left hand had placed on his still tense forearm. When did the woman also find time to take off the elegant gloves? Her long, warm fingers travelled down the heavy coat to his wrists, then slipped under the leather and touched the dirty skin underneath it. Apparently the Countess was not so bothered by his dirty demeanour as she had often assured her in meetings with Mother Miranda. The grey-haired man smiled mischievously and replied obscenely: “Of course. So let's translate our unimportant dispute into another, much more interesting language.” Alcina put her other hand on the Lords cheek, smeared with engine oil, and took off his sunglasses. She then sealed their lips for another kiss. The timidity of the first touch gave way to a burgeoning passion. Karl loosened the hammer from the vampire's shoulder and threw it next to him with a loud sound. This also broke the last physical barricade between them. To make it same as his partner, the grey-haired man pulled the leather gloves from his dirty fingers and slid his hand into her black, silky hair. The tall woman continued to stroke his arm. Suddenly the Countess released the kiss and rose, keeping her head slightly crouched so that she could continue to be at eye level with her visitor. Her hands flicked the leather hat off his head and then slipped under his worn coat, brushing it quickly over his shoulders. The grey-haired man was briefly surprised, but finally helped the vampire more than willingly to get rid of some of his clothes. The heavy coat was immediately followed by the crumpled shirt. His bare chest was explored by the Countess's curious fingers. Every small scar fell under the pleasure of the tender fingertips. Karl forgot to breathe for a brief moment. The situation was more than surreal. What kept the tall woman from extending her claws again and successfully tearing him to pieces? The grey-haired man smiled a little to himself. The answer was quite obvious: he had already successfully won the fight tonight.

There was no reason for further hostility for either side. He just let Alcina have her way and relaxed under the touch. The black-haired woman circled her finger around the Lords navel, then asked seductively: "I need a little help from a strong human man like you, Heisenberg." She turned her back on her visitor. Karl complied without a word. He slowly loosened the buttons, repeatedly touching the skin that was becoming visible while doing this task. She was so incredibly pale and beautiful at the same time. He finally took a step back. The vampire turned elegantly around to face him. She looked lasciviously into his eyes and pushed the sleeves of the white dress over her shoulders. The fabric slid down her long arms as if in slow motion. The man swallowed hard at the breathtaking sight. The dress fell like a curtain from the shapely body of the Countess, collected like a small puddle of silky fabric on the floor. Her jet black lingerie had a bigger effect on the grey-haired man than he wanted to admit. Alcina put her right hand on her hip and held out her left hand demandingly to her guest. She was still a noblewoman and definitely wanted to be treated that way. The man had certain duties to perform. Karl carefully took her hand in his and helped her to step out of her dress. On this occasion he came close to her again. The vampire finally put her hand flat on his chest and ran her fingers down his belly to the waistband of his pants. While she opened the belt without any hurry, she whispered softly into his ear: “You know how to deal with a noble lady. Very commendable. I expected far worse from you, Heisenberg.” The person addressed felt his breath getting faster and faster. It had been a long time since he indulged his lust. He replied with a dry throat: "I'm always good for a surprise, Lady Dimitrescu."

The woman smiled lasciviously and gained access to the Lords trousers. There she rubbed the fleshy object of her desire almost tenderly. Karl sighed cautiously and wanted to put his hands on the body of the vampire when she stopped him. She bent down again and licked the man's neck up to his ear with her long tongue, breathed into it: "I would like to continue this lively, non-verbal conversation on my bed." The grey-haired grinned a little. He could hardly refuse her wish. Their way led to the Countess's spacious sleeping quarters. In front of the bed, both of them took off their troublesome shoes. The vampire pushed the Lord onto the soft blanket and grabbed the clasp of the black brassiere with her hands. Karl licked his lips, slid a little further into the middle of the bed. He enjoyed this unique sight. The tall woman dropped the fabric on the floor and presented herself unabashedly to the hungry eyes of the male visitor. He became more and more restless. Alcina turned her head slightly to the side and played teasingly with her fingers around her breasts, moving leisurely along the contours. She finally looked at the grey-haired man with a smile and spoke softly: “I hope that you are really worth all this effort. Don't disappoint me, Karl.” With these words, the Countess's last shell fell. She stood absolutely naked in front of the bed like a sinister goddess who deserved to be desired and above all to be worshipped.

The man was about to take off his pants when Alcina moved smoothly over his comparatively small body. Her breasts touched his warm skin, snuggled gently against his chest. The next kiss started a fire. A fire that could cover the entire forest around the village. The vampire pushed the work trousers a little over his hip and freed the stiff member from the boxer shorts. Her talented fingers played teasingly with the sensitive skin. This time Karl groaned a little more indignantly at the steady stimulation. Alcina smiled visibly satisfied as she slowly straightened up and placed her knees next to his hips. "You are not allowed to move, Heisenberg," hissed the Countess decisively. She didn't wait for the man to answer and instead gripped the penis tighter in her hand, directing it into the most comfortable position for her for the first penetration. The vampire closed her eyes with relish, then slowly sank onto the erect member. The grey-haired man gasped heavily and trembled at the onset of the comforting feeling. The tall woman groaned throatily, then whispered excitedly: "Smaller than I thought, but certainly not unusable." Karl was about to protest loudly at this statement when the black-haired woman began to move on his hip without warning. His resistance died in a surprised sigh. He put his hands on her waist and watched with fascination as the beauty rode him elegantly. She seemed to be enjoying it tremendously. Again and again muffled sounds came from her throat. The grey-haired man caressed her pale skin, moved a hand to her full breasts. He didn't let anyone tell him what to do. Alcina acknowledged the gentle massage on her bust with a loud moan and put her head back a little. At the same time, Karl began to thrust his hip against the woman on his lap. They found a common, mutually agreeable rhythm and surrendered to their animal instincts.

The vampire in particular had longed for such a moment far too long. Letting go was a privilege of the common folk, not a noble lady. This simplicity was practically not allowed to her. Alcina bit her lower lip and placed her hands on her partner's chest. Karl couldn't get enough of this rare sight. The warmth around him increased with every second and the constant, even stimulation was gradually driving him insane. He growled throatily, his fingers at her waist tightened into the unusually cool skin. The tall woman groaned unreservedly and looked through half-open eyes into the Lords grey opals. It was a unique moment of total opening to another soul. A soul she normally loathed. At least she pretended to be. The same was true for Karl. It kindled the fire in him again and he thrust harder with his hips, hunched faster into the abdomen of the vampire. She groaned in surprise, then hissed somewhat awkwardly: "I had forbidden you to..." The Countess got no further in her sentence. The grey-haired man took control as before in their fight. He kept his dominance – at all costs. The black-haired woman's fingers clawed deeply into his chest, tearing small wounds on the dirty skin. Alcina immediately lowered her head and gleefully licked the traces of the red liquid. It seemed to give her even more pleasure, so the man let her have this small treat. At the same time, his self-healing powers created an unexpectedly good feeling. The woman sat up again and moaned her pleasure in the thick atmosphere of the bedroom. A small trail of blood run down her red lips. Finally she screams out short of breath: “Karl. Don't stop now. Don't you dare stop now.” This was certainly not his plan. He kept the rhythm. His heart pounded powerfully in his chest. Suddenly he felt it. The Countess tightened around his shaft, the muscles contracted and held the penis in a tight grip. The vampire had put her head back, screamed her unexpectedly violent climax out loud. That also brought Karl over the edge. His body tensed up and he couldn't delay his orgasm any longer, coming with a gurgling sound. Warm semen squeezed out of the shaft, flowed into the unknown uterus. Alcina began to tremble slightly as the surge of pleasure slowly subsided and a feeling of satisfaction set in. There was still that unique passion in her eyes, as well as the insatiable hunger for more.

#Resident Evil Village #Resident Evil 8 #Alcina Dimitrescu #Karl Heisenberg #Hate-Love #Fight #Romance #Tension

[ilovealldramas]

Best Kdramas I watched in 2020

2020 was really the year of the kdramas for me. So many good ones to choose from.

1. Stranger 1&2

I can’t believe it took me this long to discover this drama. It is perfect! I love Bae Doona and Cho Seung-woo, they portray their characters perfectly. The story in both seasons tell a beautifully intense story about corruption within Korea. 

2. Kingdom 2

This show makes the Walking Dead look like child’s play. This show is insane. Zombies? In historical Joseon? A show where the people in high office are just as scary as the zombies? Yes Please! Season 2 definitely held up to the first season. Hoping for season 3.

3. Tale of Nokdu

This show reverses the cross-dressing trope. The show reels you in with the comedy so then you are hooked for the pure angst that comes later. I really loved all the characters and thought the storyline was great and fast-paced. Jang Dong-yoon really impressed me here with his performance, I hope he will gain more leading roles in the future.

4. Mystic Pop-up Bar

This show had a unique premise. I’ll admit when I saw the trailers I wasn’t sure about this show, but I’m sure glad I checked it out. I loved the chemistry between the main characters and how they formed their own family unit. I loved how wacky the show could be at some parts and then very emotional at other parts. I love how the afterlife was portrayed in this show, all the gods were so funny!!

5. Life

This was so good, another corruption/politics drama. I’m kinda seeing a pattern here lol. I watched this mainly for Cho Seung-woo’s character and he never disappoints. The drama was hard to follow and understand at times, but all the characters were beautifully portrayed.

6. The Crowned Clown 

Yeo Jin-goo really was able to show off his acting chops in this one! I loved the story in this one. It was intense and high stakes. I loved the relationship between the queen and Ha-seon and the relationship between him and the left minister. This show would be higher on the list, but the last episode was pretty lack-luster especially compared to the other episodes.

7. Hotel del Luna

I love the unique story for this drama. I really love dark fantasy so this was just my cup of tea. The drama had many great emotional moments as well as funny ones. I didn’t really like the lead couple, I thought they were better as friends. I also though Yeo Jin-goo was completely wasted in this drama. 

8. Possessed

I think this was the first kdrama I watched this year. I loved the supernatural aspects of it. It was another detective drama. The story was good, full of plotholes but I was so engaged with the main couple that I didn’t care. And that ending destroyed me.

9. 100 Days My Prince

I love the amnesia trope. This drama had a good storyline, I like the female main lead. It did take me a while to warm up to the male lead which is why its lower on the list. I also was very invested in the crown princess and bodyguard’s lovestory as well. I think I rooted for them more than the lead couple. I also think the the ending was a bit too fairytale like, but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the show as a whole.

10. Rookie Historian

This show was just adorable. I loved the main lead and especially the female lead, she was just awesome. I also loved all the female supporting characters and how feminist this show was. However, the overarching storyline was pointless, the main conflict of the show was resolved in less than five minutes during the last episode. I think the writers were more concerned about the romance than anything else.

Honorable Mentions:

Mr. Queen and Uncanny Counter, which still ongoing hence why I didn’t put them on the list yet.

#stranger #secret forest kdrama #hotel del luna #bae doona #kingdom #netflix #rookie historian goo hae ryung #tale of nokdu #life #crowned clown #mystic pop up bar #top picks