#Cause even if the movie is done there have been plenty of times where they just drop it from ever releasing

[clownsuu]

Bro, Idk if you know about the fnaf movie but its coming out like maybe spring of next year I thnk-

My guy I am so used to them havin ideas and then two years later dropping cause they couldn't get anything working dawg- at this point iv accepted fate BDHDHSHSHDBX-

#Like m a n #I remember being so hype when I first heard about it years ago #And then now I'm like 🧍‍♂️ #Plus also too i am well over with making theories for the games #Like deadass #Security breach solved literally NOTHING it made only more questions #And I know it's mostly to blame with poor communication with Scott #But m a n it's b a d #Still love the game though even though it's a buggy glitchy mangled zero plot dumpster fire #Comfort game smhh though comfort fandom as a whole #Mostly now it's just making headcanons and just having fun #If they make a movie #They make a movie #But e h I'm not too hype about it til it's actually released HDHDHD #Cause even if the movie is done there have been plenty of times where they just drop it from ever releasing

[thecrazygamingzombie]

How Viviziepop kickstarted the third wave of indie animation.

Okay, I've been seeing a lot of people talk about the tweet below and how Viv doesn't deserve to take credit for the success of other indie animation projects online but the fact of the matter is...she does, in an indirect way at least.

First, let's start off with a brief history of indie animation:

everything started out on a site called newgrounds, I'm sure you've all heard of it. Created by Tom Fulp in the 90s to show case some of his half baked game ideas. Which eventually evolved into a place where indie creators could post anything they wanted without fear of censorship; the rating system that automatically removed any posts that dropped too low being the only source of quality control.

This gave indie animation it's initial foothold online but without any way of obtaining a revenue stream it never really moved beyond a fun hobby done to practice one's art/coding skills or just screw around with friends online.

This problem got more significant as time went on and many of the teenage artists that gave newgrounds it's inital success, such as RicePirate and Tom Fulp, grew into young adults who needed a revenue stream. Luckily they found one in the form of youtube.

With these monetization policies, many indie animators were actually able to go into animation practically full time. Their pre-existing income bolstered by that of youtube and what followed was a golden era of animation, just an explosion of content across the board. You had stuff like Eddsworld, Salad Fingers, ASDF movie, and tons of other creators bursting onto the scene.

all putting their content out there on Youtube for the world to see. All bolstered by revenue coming in from Youtube...but the good times never last

See, back then youtube's monetization policies were pretty simple: the more views your channel got, the more money you'd make. Great for short form animators and also great for clickbait youtubers who abused the system with deceiving thumbnails and titles!

To combat this, Youtube changed it's monetization policies in March of 2012: instead of being rewarded on view count, monetization would instead reward the time watched during a video. Which created a system where longer videos with frequent uploads were rewarded

In theory this was supposed to stop clickbait videos as people would just watch for a few seconds and leave. But in practice? It meant that animators were put at a heavy disadvantage as now they'd have to put in significantly more work for the same result.

This caused a complete and total crash of indie animation online. Between an unfair algorithm and the rise of gaming channels, most indie animators couldn't gather the same level of funding they could before and had to either quit or scale back.

Only the big name animators who could coast by on brand recognition such as Harry Partridge and TomSka among several others, or larger channels with dedicated teams similar to tv studios such as Mondo Media and Rooster Teeth. Were able to keep going.

This started a brief dark age for online animation until the advent of story time animators. People like Jaiden Animations, Swoozie, and TheOdd1sOut who relied on simplistic art styles with minimalist animation that focused on content reminiscent of old vlogs where the animators simply share stories from their everyday lives that allowed them to put out longer videos faster; thus working around the monetization system that had put so many animators out in the cold.

While they didn't solve the problem, in some ways they made it worse by starting a trend that attracted countless copycats, they did help sustain an interest in indie animation online and ensure there was a consistent audience for such a medium.

Now it wasn't a total wasteland mind you, as I said there were still plenty of animators who survived the purge. There were even a few channels such as Shut Up Cartoons and Mondo Media, again, that helped produce dozens of animated series from indie creators.

But even at it's best, these series were still very amateurish. The passion was obviously there but these were still very simplistic flash or stop motion animations with low budgets and small teams, focusing more on episodic skits than any sort of overarching plot

This environment of amateur passion projects, where animated series were usually very small scale and never really escaped from the limited sphere of youtube, went on for several years and kept the animation community alive. Until Viv posted Hazbin Hotel and brought about the third wave of indie animation.

Unlike the previous examples, Hazbin Hotel was a VERY different beast from most indie animation. Not only did it have an extremely distinct visual style but the animation was so fluid, so professionally made, it felt like something you'd see out of a mainstream studio. It felt leagues above the average indie project in terms of quality.

Now Viv had already a decent audience from her Zoophobia webcomic, her speed draws, and the die young video. So it wasn't like she was starting from nothing. But there was no denying that this new form of animation caught people's attention and caught it FAST.

You all can probably recall the explosion of discussion that surrounded the original pilot and how it was all the internet was talking about for awhile. Viv road that wave and used the momentum to launch 'Helluva Boss' another indie production with a similar style.

This made her even more popular, especially when she started cranking out new episodes of the latter series with the same high quality as before, and soon her fanbase swelled to millions. A fanbase that was more than happy to crowdfund Viv's work through patreon and merch sales. Then other animators saw this and realized that there was a sizable audience for animated content; one that could not only sustain professional level animation, but was desperate for more content of this scale. Soon several other series started cropping up like MurderDrones, Lackadaisy, Monkey Wrench, and the Amazing Digital Circus. All of which followed Viv's lead of producing high quality, fluid animation with overarching plots that drew funding entirely from legions of online fans.

For the first time in a long time, indie animation was breaking out of it's original platform and reaching far more mainstream audiences than it ever has in the past on a scale never before seen and it's all because Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss kicked off this new animation renaissance!

Now I'm not gonna say Viv was solely responsible, the series we enjoy now have thrived primarily on their own merits and the creative minds behind them.

But as it stands, her work played a big role in setting the stage for other indie animation projects and creating the perfect conditions for them to thrive amidst the current digital landscape. Like it or not, Viv is the catalyst for modern indie animation. To deny Viv her rightful place in history out of spite is nothing short of historical revisionism.

Give the gal her due, she's done some amazing things for this crazy world we live in.

Here's the videos I got most of my info from, it's important to cite one's sources after all!

#helluva boss #hazbin hotel #vivziepop #animation #indie animation #long post #tumblr essay #Youtube

[lloki]

Reader gets their wisdom teeth removed, and Mobius is there to take care of them ♡

word count: 757

You dreaded your wisdom teeth removal more than you had anything in your life, and that was really saying something. 

The only thing keeping your head on straight was your partner, Mobius. He was truly a gift, he knew exactly how to sooth you. Gentle touches and words that caused you to grin even when you were just about to be in tears. 

Even now, in the car ride to the dentist, he knew you needed music to focus instead of talking, so instead of words he held your hand firmly across the center console. Your hand shook near violently, but he kept you grounded the best he could. 

You had decided to go into the operating room on your own. You told Mobius that you were brave and could handle it, but the truth was you didn’t want him to worry, unable to help you. As you walked down the long hallway behind the dental assistant, a part of you wanted to run back into the waiting room and ask if he could come with, just to hold your hand, but you decided you had to be as brave as you said you were. 

The extractions went fine, your doctor and assistant were beyond kind and gave you plenty of time to be anxious. While they worked on you, you fidgeted with the ring Mobius had given you many months ago, and you were certain it was the only thing that got you through. 

When you walked out into the lobby, you found Mobius had been standing, possibly pacing. When he saw you his face lit up with relief, and then fell with worry once he saw how swollen your cheeks were. 

You gave him a weak smile and he crossed the room to take your hands in his, looking between your eyes when he spoke. “Hey, bunny. How was it?” 

Your tongue was numb and so were your lips, but you tried your best to muster a “it was okay, Mobius.” Though your lisp was very heavy, and it made Mobius smile. 

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you home.” 

The ride home, Mobius still held your hand just as firmly, though you were less shaken up than you had been before. Since you weren’t able to talk very easily, the ride home was still quiet aside from the radio and occasional hum coming from your partner. 

~~~

“Stay here,” Mobius said as he got out of the car. He rounded to your side and opened your door for you, helping you out. You wanted to tell him he was being silly, that it was your gums that hurt, not your feet, but you couldn’t help but love being pampered by him. 

As soon as you got inside and kicked off your shoes, Mobius led you to the bedroom where your favorite pajamas had been laid out for you. You didn’t remember him doing that before you left, he must have quietly done it while you were getting ready. You tried to smile but with numb lips, it didn’t come across as much. 

“You get changed, I’ll be in the living room if you need me.” 

After getting changed and putting on fuzzy socks that you found underneath your pajama shirt, you made your way to the living room to find Mobius had already set up a movie you loved on the tv. 

“I know your favorite part of movies is the popcorn, but that’ll have to wait for now.” 

You sat down next to him, cuddling into his side as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder. You took a deep breath through your nose, breathing in the clean citrusy-pine scent of him. You very carefully nuzzled your temple against his shoulder. 

“Popcorn is my second favorite part.” You barely made out, and Mobius smiled at the sound. 

“Oh yeah? What’s number one?”

“Being with you.” You batted your eyelashes up at him, and he chuckled before kissing your forehead. 

“What a coincidence, you’re my favorite part of any movie too.” He gave you a gentle squeeze and you let out a soft giggle. 

As the movie played in the background and the feel of your Mobius filled your senses, you couldn’t help but drift off to sleep. You weren’t sure how long you’d been asleep, but when you woke up, Mobius was asleep too. Your mouth wasn’t numb anymore, a smile effortlessly falling on your lips. Gently tucking your head back into his shoulder, you drifted back into your very comfortable sleep, feeling completely safe. 

#mobius m mobius #mobius m mobius x reader #gender neutral reader #fluff #babybats

[sobfultoast]

•°~● Pillow Forts ●~°•

You run to his dorm, almost tripping on the blankets that you've just dragged up several stories of the spiral staircases.

When you said you wanted to spend time with him, he was assuming you'd want to go to town, not make a pillow fort...

• ° ~ ● ~ ° •

Arcturus

Arcky is estatic! Believe it or not, Arcky has never made a pillow fort even though it seems like something he'd do. Arcky was more to make an adventurous tree fort than a snug pillow fort as a kid.

Arcky uses the blankets and pillows he has knitted as long as the ones you've dragged all the way to his dorm. Maybe some pastries he has been meaning to bring to you can be your snacks? There also are lots of plushes in your fort, too. Extra cushioning!

Arcky knows a spell that creates little, floaty lights that look like fire flies. It's perfect for the atmosphere.

Arky loves the idea of cuddling with you while watching a silly movie. Arky does like spending time with all his friends, as the extrovert he is, but he doesn't want to call everyone to this fort. He just wants to hug the person he loves St this moment. Maybe you can all make a fort together another time. Just not today.

Alpheratz

How can he say no? Something comfortable, where he can lay down and nap with you without some troublesome twats bothering him. Alpheratz loves the idea.

Alpheratz has plenty of blankets and pillows in his room. You didn't have to drag all yours to his dorm but more the merrier.

As soon as it is set up, he is diving into the fort, dragging you in with him. Put some music or a show on in the background as he hugs you.

Alpheratz will fall asleep after a few minutes. He can't stay awake through a movie, never.

Pollux

It was his idea. Pollux and his brothers used to make pillow forts all the time. He wanted to do this as soon as you two discussed a movie marathon of a franchise he loves. He was the one who sent you to your dorm to bring all the pillows and blankets you own to his dorm.

Poll knows how to make the perfect fort! He makes sure to use the softest pillows on the floor and that the blanket makes curtains for a sneaky entrance and privacy, but that the TV is still in sight and the bowl of popcorn is in hands reach! Now let the movies commence!

When you both start getting tired, he pulls you closer into a hug with a flushed smile. What's better than watching movies in a fort and then cuddling in a fort?

The fort fell on him during the night, causing one of his shelves to drop on him. Probably you, too, depending on how close you were to him.

Spica

Spica has only made one pillow fort in his life, and that was with Alpheratz when they were kids. Spica sees it a waste of time... He has so much paper work, he doesn't have time. He felt bad declining, but he thought it was stupid...

You didn't accept that as an answer, however. You got snacks, drinks, face masks, and a storybook. Everything you thought of to get him in a fort. You made a pillow fort in your dorm and messaged him to come to yours once he is done.

Spica can't say no now that you've spent your time making a pillow fort for him. He'll agree to this pillow fort this one time.

Putting the face masks on while reading a book together was the perfect way to rewind after a stressful week. Even if it is a bit childish in a fort like this, he enjoyed it more than he thought he would.

Spica fell asleep in the fort. He was exhausted, and it was so soft. Who could have blamed him?

Sirus

Really, Summoner? Are you really this childish? Sure, he'll indulge in this antic of yours. It amuses him.

Sirus doesn't really help, more like watches and making comments. He does give you the blankets and pillows when requested. Such help he is.

Sirus might suggest getting some snacks, and he just so happens to have a bag of them! ... It's full of black liquorice and dark chocolate.

Once the Fort is done, you both get into pillows and perhaps start doing eachothers nails while talking about rumours, gossip, and anecdotes.

Sirus might put on a recording of a play. He doesn't particularly like recordings as he believes it is better in person but a classic is a classic after all.

Sirus isn't a cuddly person, but he does admit it is very cozy in this pillow pile. He'd might accept a cuddle.

Vega

Vega is very surprised, but he doesn't say no, quite the opposite. He is actually looking forward to this. You're the only person he generally has fun with doing anything.

Vega suggests using the dorm's bed and chairs to hold the blanket above your heads. Using his shelves might result in one of his plant babies falling.

Vega doesn't really have a lot in his room. Vega also doesn't keep a TV in his dorm, but you guys can set up a movie on one of your stella tabs and some jelly for snacks. Vega might ask if you two can draw in the fort. That's what he and you used to do whenever you built one.

Vega feels like a kid again. It's so bitterly sweet. He loves this. He missed this.

•°~● Have a Cozy Day! ●~°•

#arcana twilight sirius #arcana twilight spica #arcana twilight arcturus #arcana twilight vega #arcana twilight alpheratz #arcana twilight pollux #arcana twilight

[sukibenders]

TBOSAS movie is proving time and time again that as long the character is a handsome white man, he can get away with anything or be babified of any wrongdoing. Like the number of people that I've seen go out of their way to try and justify Snow's actions, not even just young Snow anymore at this point but he's largely where this happens, using the term "he was just misunderstood" and acting as if his trauma was an excuse is mind-blowing. Did he go through traumatic stuff? Yes, but acting as if that excuses many of his actions, specifically for young Snow because there's no way in hell that mindset will work even a fraction with his older self (but people still try), is false and a mindset that needs to be stopped. Like I can't help but think about the way he views the people of the districts already in TBOSAS, seeing them and anything about them as animals rather than people, and how that mindset even falls on to the Covey and Lucy Gray herself. When reading some of their scenes together he comes off so passive aggressive when she talks about her plight, but it's largely because he treats her like an object---no, a PRIZE to be won and owned (thinking back to how, before they were even together romantically and where she didn't owe him shit, he still saw her as "his girl" and would get obsessive over the fact that others gravitated to her in a way he didn't like).

I'm not saying that it's wrong to find the bad guy attractive, it's not and Snow is very handsome, I will admit that. But just because he got a face card doesn't mean that should be basis for justifying every horrendous act he's done. And also, he's eighteen years old, why are people acting like he doesn't know his right from his left? He knows exactly what he's doing, from the books where his thoughts are literally laid out for us, to the movie itself. Though not as clear cut sometimes as the books, there are plenty scenes that let you know who he is (I think back to that classroom scene where Gaul is asking them questions, and Sejanus rightfully calls them out on their bs, but Snow uses his outrage and turns it into a way to make the Games better, completely going against Sejanus' original point).

What's even more sinister is some in the fandom going as far as to blame Lucy Gray for all of Snow's problems by saying "oh, but if she had just heard him out then maybe he wouldn't have been so heartbroken", as if she should had further risked her life and wellbeing to adhere to this man's needs when he was out to harm her or the fact that him having his heartbroken is justification for everything else he did before and after. There are many other examples of this, but it set a precedent for a very glaring problem in fandom spaces where the female character, especially if they are woc, is always to blame for the male, usually white, character's bad actions and that if they just listened to them and heard them out then so on and so on. Reminds me very much of the treatment of Alina in both show and books fandom spaces and babifying of the Darkling's actions by putting all the blame on her (never mind the fact that he's the cause for so much of her trauma, he's pretty after all *this was sarcasm*).

It's been a minute since I've seen the movie, so my example may be a little fuzzy, but my point still stands. You can like these characters and find them attractive, that's fine and normal. But where problems arise is when you try to paint over their bad acts because you thirst after them and/or proceed to place blame on the female characters, especially if they are woc, as a scapegoat.

#the hunger games #tbosas #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix #alina starkov #the darkling #anti coriolanus snow #thinking back to woc characters being blamed for yte male characters actions another eg. would be kiara from obx #i still remember people saying she was wrong for pushing rafe off the boat and leaving him that she should have heard him out #even tho he was responsible for so much pain towards her and her friends (some of which seemed racial motivated but that's for another time) #snow fans darkling fans or just anyone who can't interact with this post with a level head dni #lucy gray did nothing wrong! leave my girl alone! #she saw them red flags and dipped #and we love that for her

[nordschleifes]

chapter three — igual que ayer

➝ amr23 testing in bahrain does not go as planned as electronic and mechanical problems bring back ghosts from mclaren-honda days.

➝ word count: 5,4k

➝ warnings: fighting (again), racing description, unholy thoughts

➝ author's note: i got to a point i don't have words for these two. so, enjoy! tagging @christianpulisic10 and @alonsogirlie as requested.

Charlie sighed as she leaned against the pit wall, watching the mechanics gathered around the AMR23. The front wing had been removed so some repairs could be done after problems in the car’s electronic systems had been found during the morning test session. Felipe, the driver who was replacing Lance for testing, had to stop after being unable to change shift gears.

The repair work had already consumed a considerable portion of the team's alloted track time during the morning, and was about to start cutting into Fernando’s track time. It looked like the car wouldn’t be finished any time soon, as far as Charlie could tell from the mechanics’ back-and-forth chatter. Charlie felt like someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her head. There was no doubt that Fernando felt the same. 

Fernando seemed more excited for pre-season testing than anyone. While they were in Jerez, he’d remarked that he was surprised with the improvements in the car from the previous season, and had given plenty of feedback on where the team could continue to improve. He spent what felt like hours talking to the engineers and testing setups in the simulator.

During the shakedown at Silverstone, after the car's launch, Charlie couldn't help but notice how much Fernando's eyes sparkled as he shared his feedback with the other engineers and the mechanics. But now, with pre-season testing not going to plan, Charlie couldn’t help but feel like the team wasn’t living up to expectations.

Looking inside, Charlie realized that Fernando was not in the garage. She thought it was strange, because he always seemed to be around. Fernando had always had a fascination with what the mechanics were up to — he liked to watch the car being assembled and adjusted, and even watched it being repaired sometimes. She shook her head and took her headphones off, grabbed her water bottle from the pit wall, and walked through the pit lane, in the direction of the garage’s rear exit.

When she reached the door to the paddock, she found Fernando sitting on a low stack of blanketed tires, head down, reading something on his cell phone. With the top of his overalls unzipped and hanging at his waist, Charlie could see the outline of his abdominal muscles moving under his Nomex underlayer shirt, causing her whole body to flush.

She sat down on the stack of tires next to his without saying anything, careful to avoid exposing herself under the green uniform skirt she was wearing. It wasn't her favorite option, but it was too hot for pants in Bahrain, and the uniform shorts were neither comfortable nor flattering on her. The silence between them persisted for a few moments until one of them had the courage to break it.

— Is the car ready? — Fernando murmured.

— Not yet.

— How long?

— I don't know. It is still disassembled. There was a problem with the electronics.

Fernando let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

— That’s shit —  he said quietly.

— Yeah, it’s really shit.

The sound of the engines echoed through the paddock. It wasn’t very busy at the moment with everyone’s attention focused on what was happening on track. Looking down at her feet, Charlie felt a sense of deja-vu, like she was watching the same movie for the fifth time. The excitement surrounding a new season and a new car and hopes being dashed by some issue at pre-season testing was a familiar cycle at this point in her career.

— Can I ask you a question? — Fernando said quietly.

— You just did — Charlie replied, looking up at him with a small smile on her face. Fernando laughed, shaking his head — Yes, you can.

— Do you ever feel doubt?

— Fernando, that is completely…

— Professionally, I mean — he said, cutting her off — Have you ever made a career choice and regretted it?

— Are you already regretting coming here? — Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow.

— No, no. I am fully aware of my choices and its consequences. But, in almost all the interviews I've given so far and all of the articles I’ve read they always talk about my choice to come to Aston was a gamble, that it was too risky. That, or they say it was a mistake and that I just did it for the money.

Charlie looked down at her hands, thoughtfully.

— While I know I made a good choice, I can't help feeling that I could have done something else… Like I could have avoided a possible mistake, you know?

— Well, for starters, I think there's very little you could have done differently in your career — Charlie said, looking up at him again — I think that of all your team changes, the most questionable was your first spell at McLaren. However, just like your stints at Ferrari and Renault, going to McLaren at that moment was the logical choice, which made sense to you at the time.

— Everyone else seems to disagree…

— Because they’re speaking from hindsight, and the knowledge that it didn’t work out. But did they know it wouldn't work back in 2007? In 2010? In 2015? It's easy to look back now and say you’ve made some questionable career decisions, but they never stop to consider what led you to make them.

— Indeed — Fernando said. Charlie’s gaze shifted to his hands, watching as he traced the outline of a tattoo of a cross on his wrist with his index finger.

— And in the end, does it matter? Will looking back change anything?

— No, it won’t.

— Then there's no use dwelling on it now.

He looked up at her, the corner of his lips curling into a smile.

— That reminds me of a quote I read once. “The samurai must be like a dragonfly, always moving forward and never back".

— Well, I think that answers your question.

— Only one of them. You never told me your answer about regret.

— What do you mean by regret?

— Have you ever regretted a career choice?

Charlie pursed her lips, looking down at her knees.

— There was a period when I regretted being at McLaren. But, I realized that I couldn't make my professional satisfaction conditional on other people's professional satisfaction — she replied, giving him a sidelong glance — After I realized that, it was hard to feel regret.

— Do you regret changing teams?

— No. I liked my years at McLaren, but it was time to move on to something else. And this team had everything I was looking for, at least professionally. It was good timing, like… It felt like I was meant to be here.

— It was meant to be?

— Yes. You know, like it was fate. Like I was destined to be wearing this green shirt.

Fernando let out a laugh, shaking his head.

— Only someone like you would believe such things, Charlie.

— You don’t think that it feels like fate that we’re working together again?

— It's not fate. That doesn’t exist.

— Of course it does, Fernando.

— It doesn’t.

— Now you're going to say that God doesn't exist either — Charlie said, trying to stifle a grin.

— Well…

She turned to look at Fernando, surprised.

— Do you not believe in God?

— No — he answered — I've never felt that presence or whatever people talk about when they talk about God. If a plane crashes and people die, it's because there was a mechanical problem or human error, not because a superior entity thinks your time has come.

— I expected something different from a man who comes from the land of the “Catholic kings”.

— Just because most of my country is Catholic doesn’t mean that I have to be.

Charlie smiled.

— Yeah, that makes sense.

— And you? Do you believe in God?

— I do. I don’t follow any particular religion, but I believe there is a higher being that intervenes in our lives in some ways. In fact, it's the only explanation I can find for some things I've seen in my life.

— Like what?

— You walking away from that crash of yours in Australia, in 2015.

His face showed surprise at her answer. However, before he could respond, someone said her name from the doorway. She turned to see Mikey, Fernando’s head mechanic, wiping the sweat from his brow.

— Yeah? — she answered.

— The car is ready. We can get on track.

— Excellent — Charlie replied, standing up and trying to be subtle about pulling her skirt back down. Then, she turned to Fernando — Shall we?

— Yeah, let's go — he replied, heaving a sigh as he got to his feet.

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to verifying the reliability of the components and collecting aerodynamic data to correlate with what had already been seen in the wind tunnel. Doing so many laps would also help Fernando get used to the new car, and get used to working with Charlie while he was on-track.

Over the next two days, the team worked on tweaking aerodynamic performance and optimizing the car’s setups. On a few occasions they also ran some race and qualifying simulations with the compounds that would be used in the first race of the season, which Fernando called the best part of the three days of testing.

However, for Charlie, the best part was when she arrived at the hotel room at the end of the third day, took a shower, and collapsed into bed with the air conditioner on as high as it would go. She slept like a log that night.

The next few days were rather uneventful for Charlie. She didn't go home after the tests, in order to save time, money and energy, after all, the first race of the season would be at the same track where testing took place. She developed a routine over the next few days: wake up, get ready, have breakfast at the hotel, and then work in her room for the rest of the day. It wasn’t very exciting, or fun, but at least things got more interesting on Tuesday morning after testing.

The alarm on her cell phone went off promptly at 7AM like it did every morning. Charlie got up and stretched a little before heading to the bathroom to brush her teeth and fix her hair. As she was deciding what clothes to put on, she decided to open the curtains on the balcony door, just to get some sunlight in the room.

As she pushed aside the thick fabric, Charlie was met with a view of the Persian Gulf stretching out in front of her, the palm trees gently moving in the sea breeze. However, it didn't take long for her attention to move from the view to another balcony of the hotel, which she could clearly see because of the shape of the building. The other balcony was almost directly facing hers.

There was a man sitting on one particular balcony, a silicone resistance band tied around the railing and looped around his head, moving his neck side-to-side against the tension. She was close enough that she could see the way the muscles in his neck contracted and released with each repetition, and that the exertion had him sweating and breathing heavily.

It was Fernando.

It wasn't as if she had never seen him working out. She would see him using the gyms at the hotels they were staying in sometimes especially after he’d returned to Formula 1 with Alpine. It never really caught her eye before, but this was different. This felt more personal, almost intimate, him exercising alone on the balcony of his suite with just her as an audience.

Charlie turned quickly and walked back into the room, feeling herself blushing furiously, a strange sensation creeping down towards her belly. She wasn’t used to feeling like this because of Fernando. Her standard operating procedure with Fernando was to feel annoyance, repulsion, disgust, anger… Not the messy sensations that tingled just below her navel.

Charlie looked out to the balcony again, taking care to keep herself hidden behind the curtains. She saw that he no longer had the resistance band around his head and was standing, leaning on the balcony railing as he drank water from a water bottle. Her heart leapt as she noticed that she could make out the beads of sweat that ran down the curve of his throat and made his muscular arms glisten in the morning sunlight, remembering what it was like when he wrapped her in those arms in the middle of that street in Jerez when he came to her rescue. She remembered feeling so comfortable, so peaceful as he embraced her… She needed to experience that again.

“This is insanity, Charlotte, stop it”, she thought, shaking her head and stepping away from the window. She tried to push any thoughts about Fernando out of her mind as she changed clothes and headed downstairs for breakfast.

However, the next morning was even worse. She was awake even before her phone's alarm went off, anxiety and anticipation preventing her from sleeping. As soon as she got up and opened the curtain, she saw that Fernando was there again, doing the same exercises as the day before.

Only this time, he'd ditched the T-shirt.

Suddenly the room became too hot. The fabric of the blue T-shirt Charlie was wearing felt suddenly uncomfortable against her skin. Her mouth was dry and her muscles tense. As much as she wanted to look away, she couldn’t.

Even worse, she wanted to touch him. 

A scene played out in Charlie's mind almost automatically. She would be standing at his balcony door, watching him and biting her lower lip. Then, slowly, she would approach Fernando and settle in his lap, her eyes fixed on his, pupils dilated.

— Charlotte — he would murmur, one hand on her face, his thumb lightly brushing her cheek. Charlie hated when anyone called her by her full name, but there was something about hearing the way Fernando said it, with his accent, that made her change her mind. In his voice, that became the most beautiful name in the world.

With her fingers tangled in his dark hair, Charlie wouldn't have the heart to say anything. Any words would spoil this moment. She would kiss him slowly, enjoying the slightly salty flavor that permeated Fernando's lips. She would feel one of his hands squeezing her thigh as she moved closer, pressing her body against his. She would chase the drops of sweat down his neck with her tongue. In that position, Charlie would be able to defy any law of physics that said it was impossible for two bodies to occupy the same place in space.

Of course it was possible. Everything was possible when there was desire involved.

Charlie snapped out of her reverie when she realized that Fernando had removed the elastic band from his head and had gotten up from his chair. Walking back to his suite, she bit her lip hard as she studied the tattoo on his upper back, the novelty of seeing it up close making her skin feel hotter.

Then, she heard the familiar sound of notifications on her phone. As she picked it from her bed and unlocked it, Charlie felt her hands go cold and her stomach churn. Fernando had sent her a message: “I don't usually have an audience when I work out”.

He knew she was there. He knew she was watching him, taking in every detail and allowing her mind to create the most erotic scenarios possible. He knew she was relishing every second of those moments, wishing they would never end.

Charlie wished the earth would swallow her whole.

The next time she saw Fernando was on Thursday, during media day. When he came into the engineers' room in the motorhome, Charlie felt her shoulders tense. The myriad possibilities of what he might say as he addressed her filled her mind. However, he limited himself to saying “good morning” when he sat down next to her to discuss and establish strategies for the weekend.

It was only when Sunday rolled around that Charlie felt the true weight of that race. It was Fernando's first for Aston Martin, the first of the two together in fact, as an engineer and driver duo. Considering how many times she'd seen Mike, his engineer during his second stint at McLaren, try to placate Fernando when he exploded over the radio, Charlie couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't going to be any better at managing him.

“But someone has to do it”, she thought as she walked back to the garage from where she was briefing him on the grid. She had already had a quick discussion with Fernando about the choice of tires for Russell and Sainz, as well as the strategy Lance would use, considering his physical condition — still recovering from two broken wrists — and his unfortunate grid position, just behind the Mercedes. She got settled at the pit wall with her headset, and took a deep breath before opening the radio channel with Fernando. 

— Radio check, one, two, three.

Silence.

— I don't hear you, Fernando — Charlie said, as she checked their connection through the computer.

— One, two, three, hi? — she finally managed to hear his voice — One, two, three, four, five, six…

— Okay, now I hear you. Sounds like you have a little delay on your radio, but short messages will do, okay?

— Copy.

— So, Fernando, as soon as they start, Matty will turn on the pit limiter, then you can leave — she said, as she checked her notes — Remembering that we want is target plus nine. Target plus nine.

— Temperatures?

Her eyes found the indicators on the screen.

— We are happy with the temperature of the brakes and tires. They are good. I repeat, brake and tire temperatures are good.

— Copy.

On the screens, she could see the teams pulling away from the cars on the grid. As all twenty drivers began the formation lap, Charlie's eyes glued to the dark green car in front. As soon as Fernando stopped on the grid, she instructed him to put the car in start mode.

— Last car on the grid now — she said — First gear.

The five starting lights came on, one by one. And then they went out.

The cars sped down the straight, a tussle between the Red Bulls and Ferraris sending sparks flying across the track. However, Charlie was not interested in those cars, but in Fernando, who was trying to stay away from the first lap chaos, following the outside of the first few corners. Until, around the last corner of the first sector, she heard something she was dreading.

— I got hit in turn four, check.

— Copy, Fernando, understood — she said, looking at the computer screen, realizing that there was something wrong with the right rear tire of the car. The pressure was unstable — We saw it and we're checking. So far so good. You have Russell in front of you and Bottas behind.

— Yes, but, I mean, they can't do that — Fernando complained, while the replay of the moment appeared right above her. Charlie's stomach twisted as she realized that it was Lance who had touched him. “I can't tell him that, he won’t be able to focus on anything else”, she thought.

— Yes, understood, we're checking. Manage the tires for now if you can — she replied, trying to keep her voice even. After closing communication with him, Charlie took a deep breath, trying to focus. This wasn't the time to panic, especially with an entire race ahead of them.

— Charlie — Raúl said, making her turn to face him — We're going to need to stop him. The right rear has very unstable pressure.

— Can't he hold it? — she asked, scanning the information on the screen in front of her.

— Not with that much variance. it's too risky to leave him on the track, even if he is careful.

Charlie ran her hand over her face as she looked at the colored dots trailing around the circuit. She pressed the radio button again.

— Now, Lance is the car behind us, 1.3 behind. Russell is still 1.4 ahead.

— Copy. Level one. Ten, I mean.

— Yes, copy, understood — she replied, looking back at the tire pressure, something heavy inside her chest. After confirming the decision with the pit crew and the pit wall, she began subtly setting up his stop — So Russell 1.8, Lance 1.4. Consider the yellow button on turn 10.

— Copy.

Two corners later, Charlie found the ideal moment to update him about the situation.

— So, Fernando, the three cars in front are not escaping, we are doing well in managing the pace, but we will need to stop on this lap.

— The tires are good, I think we should continue.

— The pressure in the right rear is unstable. So, box this lap, box, box, box.

— Understood — he replied. He sounded annoyed.

After a relatively quick pit stop for a set of hard tyres, Charlie updated him on his position in the race, a less than encouraging eighth place considering the good start he had made.

— Russell is behind you and Magnussen's right in front of him. You've got plenty of power if you need it — she said, as she looked up at the screen, watching the black Mercedes pass the Haas — Russell just passed Magnussen now, he's right behind you, 0.9 behind, 0.8 behind, he has DRS.

The expectation at that point was that Russell would close the gap on Fernando, but he was managing to keep him out of DRS range. That way, her attention could turn to the car in front. However, Fernando’s mind was elsewhere.

— Did they investigate the incident? — he asked.

— Yes, they did. No further action — Charlie replied, feeling her shoulders tense. She didn't like lying, especially considering she was the only source of outside information he had in the car. However, that wasn't the time to bother him with that information, especially since the incident was caused by his teammate.

— Copy — Fernando replied, his voice betraying no emotion.

The race went on, data piling up on the screen in front of Charlie, who was checking the notes she had taken the day before, right after qualifying. With a stop much earlier than planned, she would need to change their plan, considering that their stint would be longer and that the wear on the tires of Lewis, who was ahead, were growing at a fast pace.

— We're closing the gap to Hamilton, two tenths a lap — she said into the radio — We're happy with tire management, it's good for now.

— Yes, they have more degradation, we have to think about how to use that.

— Copy that, Hamilton 2.6 ahead.

— Let's get closer and see what they do.

That plan took about five laps and hinged on Lewis forcing his tires to wear even more before his second stop, which happened on lap 30. Charlie warned Fernando to stay on the track, taking advantage of the George and Lewis going to the pits.

— Behind you, Lance and Russell stopped and we're keeping an eye on that difference. Hamilton and Sainz in front of you also stopped, let's build a gap on them with the tires — she said — For the moment, let's stay out, let's stay out.

— Understood — Fernando replied, as Charlie's eyes searched for the difference between him and Hamilton, the numbers constantly changing making her jaw clench.

Fernando’s final stop came two laps later, with a new set of hard tires fitted to his car. Two more laps and he was trying to overtake Lewis, failing on his first attempt through a wide run off the exit of turn four, but securing the position at turn 10.

— Yes! Let's go — the Spaniard exclaimed over the radio, making Charlie smile.

— Great job. Hamilton is 0.5 behind. Sainz is next, but watch out for Hamilton too. He has DRS, he's in the DRS range.

However, despite Lewis’ effort, it was clear that something was missing for him to get closer, probably due to the aerodynamic problems of the car he was driving. However, if the gap to Lewis was widening, the gap to Carlos Sainz, who was just ahead, was not narrowing as she had hoped.

— Hamilton is 1.0 behind. We still have 15 laps, 15. Sainz is 1.4 ahead.

— His tires are much older?

— Three laps older than ours. Three laps.

The advantage appeared to be on their side as Sainz appeared to have tire problems. However, whenever Fernando got close to the chance to open the DRS, Carlos managed to get away, lap after lap. It was extremely frustrating.

— Four laps to go. All safety car windows are closed.

— Copy, four laps. Any concerns? Any advice? I'm avoiding curbs and a slide at turn 12, anything else?

The question took Charlie by surprise. Taking a general look at the screen in front of her, everything looked within expected parameters. The car was responding perfectly and the care that the driver was taking was already good enough. But there was something about that question that made her smile as she answered.

— No, it's all very good, Fernando, it's all good, we're happy with everything.

— Okay, understood.

As she watched the dark green car pass the checkered flag, relief surged through her chest. She had made it. She had survived the first race.

— And that's a P5 — Charlie said — Very good, Fernando.

— Awesome! — he exclaimed — This is amazing, I'm so proud of you all.

— A damage-limiting race after the first-lap collision, but a great result nonetheless.

— Great. What about Lance?

— Sixth, coming out of turn 10 now — she replied — When you stop, park the car right next to the Ferrari, okay? Then you can head to weigh-in.

— Copy, Charlie — Fernando said — By the way, you were amazing today.

She felt her cheeks heat up.

— Oh, well — she said, trying not to smile — Thank you. See you at the debrief, okay?

— Yeah, see you later — he replied, in a quiet tone, which made Charlie let out a sigh. Usually the worst part of weekends with Fernando were debriefs. “Maybe it won't be so bad today”, she thought as she climbed the stairs in the motorhome to the meeting.

She was sorely mistaken.

The driver entered the room with a serious face, settling into the chair beside her with his arms crossed. When the meeting started, he remained silent, listening to what Mike and Dan had to say. Until, when the team principal asked if there were any questions before they started to dissect the data, Fernando raised his hand.

— I wanted to know why Charlie didn't tell me that Lance was the one who hit me on the first lap — the driver said, glancing at her.

Charlie looked at him a little surprised. Not just because he discovered the culprit even before the debrief, but because of how he’d asked. She hoped that Fernando would face the situation more casually, after all, they had masterfully circumvented the problem during the race and had achieved a good result given the context.

Also, because Fernando had told her that she’d done an amazing job.

— It wasn't the information you needed at the time — she started to reply, only for Fernando to interrupt her.

— And that I only found out when I went to talk to George, that I thought I was the one who hit me and he had no idea what I was talking about.

Charlie pursed her lips, trying to ignore the pain in her chest. 

— I was just trying to keep your focus on the race and not on external issues…

— External issues can affect my performance, Charlie.

— What did you want me to do? Did you want me to say that it was Lance that hit you, that your tire was flat and that your race was fucked? Why? For you to complain for 56 laps that he fucked your race and should be investigated?

— Better than saying everything was fine, isn't it?

She took a deep breath, before running a hand over her face. It wouldn't do any good to let him get under her skin.

— My job is to keep you informed and focused during the race — Charlie said, trying to keep a measured tone — We were going to discuss this here, by the way, I was planning to ask Ben if it was a problem with Lance’s car or if it was just a mistake in the apex of the corner, but you seem to be unable to carry on a mature conversation about this.

— Me? You’re saying I’m incapable of carrying on a conversation? — Fernando laughed.

— Yes, you are incapable of carrying on a conversation, and you have shown it countless times.

— For God's sake — he murmured — I've always tried to be reasonable with you.

— Oh, yes — Charlie replied, in an ironic tone — I remember those occasions when you talked to me, or rather, you kept saying that I was an idiot for asking you to save fuel and you still said that the fact I was a woman explained why I was asking that.

He stared at her, his face making it clear that he had no idea what she was talking about.

— You don't remember, do you? — she said, feeling her eyes sting. But she couldn’t cry, not here. Not now. — Of course you don’t. Why would I still expect you to remember that? There's no space in your head to remember the day you yelled at an engineer in 2015...

— Wait, you’re saying this was in 2015? — he asked, before letting out an incredulous laugh — For God's sake, get over it.

Charlie stood up, blood boiling in her veins.

— It's you who has to get over it! No one can put up with you being an overbearing asshole all the time anymore, because that's what you are. You’re just an asshole, a spoiled brat!

He smiled.

— And you think acting like a spoiled brat is the best way to handle this, Charlotte?

— I already told you not to call me Charlotte, you idiot! — she screamed.

— That’s your name, isn't it?

— I didn't give you any permission to call me that.

— I need your permission to call you by your name?

— Yes, you do!

— I don't give a shit for your permission, Charlotte — Fernando replied, putting emphasis on every syllable of her name.

— Shut up, you two — Mike yelled, slapping his hand on the top of the table. They both looked at the team principal, each of them looking a bit scared — This is the most ridiculous scene I've ever seen in all the years I've worked in motorsport. More ridiculous than what happened in my office in January.

— January? — she heard Lance ask Ben quietly.

— Mike, you saw that she — Fernando began, but stopped when Mike raised a hand to him, signaling him to be silent.

— Fernando, I understand your frustration in not being informed, but Charlie did the right thing in this case. Letting you know that Lance hit you during the race would only make the situation more tense and we wanted you to stay focused on driving.

Charlie felt some relief at Mike's support. She knew information like that shouldn't be shared over the radio. However, her satisfaction at being right in that argument was short-lived.

— However, that doesn't justify your reaction, Charlie. I understand that you are in a difficult position and that you two have a history, but to keep discussing your relationship like this during every debrief this season is not productive.

— We are not discussing our relationship, I'm just asking...

— Charlie, please — Mike said, his voice calm — Just be reasonable.

— Yes, Charlotte, be reasonable — Fernando murmured beside her, teasing her.

— Shut up — she hissed in Fernando’s direction before looking back at Mike, who didn't look the least bit pleased about it.

— I just want you to put your differences aside. You don't need to be friends or anything, just try to work together in a minimally civilized way. I believe that all of us here will be happy with this.

— I would definitely be happy — Lance muttered, as Ben elbowed him in the ribs — What? It's true! He can’t shut up about her!

Charlie looked to the side, where Fernando was still sitting, arms crossed. After a long exchange of glances, which seemed to go on longer than any civil conversation they'd had up to that point, she finally relented.

— Okay — she said, sitting back in her chair — I'll try.

— And you, Fernando?

— I'm already trying.

— I hope so — Mike said — Now, let's talk about the race, for real now.

#fa #fernando alonso #fernando alonso x oc #fernando alonso fic #fernando alonso fanfic #formula 1 fic #formula one fic #f1 fic #formula one fanfic #formula 1 fanfic #f1 fanfic #f1 x oc #formula 1 x oc #formula one x oc #nordswrites

[vivisection-and-vampyrism]

Home Sweet Home part six

Content Warnings: Abusive Relationship, Stockholm Syndrome, Drug Use, Blood Drinking, Fictional Bigotry, Brief Homophobic Language, Discussion of Trauma Including: Sexual, Religious, Emotional, and Physical Abuse, Past Injury/Amputation, Vampire Taxidermy, Vampire Whumpee, Human Whumper

Note: Home Sweet Home Wednesdays are back on! Have some, um, Falkner being a creep.

After all its stress over trying to win over Falkner's newest captives while still staying the favorite, October felt it deserved some reward for its trouble.

Thankfully, Falkner was much in the same mind, and decided this was a good evening to cuddle and watch a movie.

They curled up on the sofa together, Van Helsing (2004) playing at a low volume on their television. It was one of their favorite movies, despite the wild inaccuracies in how it portrayed vampires. Mostly because it was gory bisexual eye candy filled to the brim with murder, cleavage, and supposedly straight characters who acted like utter fags.

Falkner undid the brace of his prosthetic leg and set the false limb aside. He rubbed the spot where it attached, over where his knee used to be, a look of pain etched on his face.

"Are your ghost pains screwing you up again?" October asked, pretending to be concerned. It didn't really understand how an amputated limb could still cause pain, especially with the quality of modern medical care.

"They always are," Falkner groaned. "That mother fucking leech…"

October's mouth quirked a small smile. "If I had been that vampire, I would have killed you outright. None of this crushing every bone in your leg business."

Falkner offered the stuffed head above his mantelpiece a sideways glance, more amused than pained now. "Then you're smarter than he was, my angel."

"Not smart enough." October laid its head on Falkner's lap, baring its throat in a submissive gesture. "Or else I wouldn't be here, now would I?"

"You still don't trust me, angel?" Falkner ran his fingers through October's purple hair, as though it were some kind of lap cat. "I'm hurt. And after all I've done for you…"

October knew Falkner was teasing, or else it wouldn't dare respond honestly. But this was all part of their little game. Going back and forth verbally for awhile, neither of them actually caring for the movie they had seen thirty times over.

"Yes," October drawled. "Because holding me captive and sticking me in the sun anytime I complained was sure to earn you my trust. How silly of me."

"Your complaining often consisted of trying to break my neck. So I think my methods of self defense against an apex predator such as yourself were justified."

"Oh yes, totally justified. The same way that going weeks between feeding me and only allowing it when you need a hit of vampire venom is."

"It's your lucky day, then. Because I'm in need of some pain relief, angel."

Falkner scratched October behind its ears, eliciting a purr. He had always enjoyed the sound. A low rumble from deep inside October's chest, rising and falling along with its breathing. So much like a domestic cat.

"What, no more complaints?" Falkner asked. "Is the promise of blood enough to stopper that vicious forked tongue of yours? And here I was beginning to enjoy our little spat."

"Oh, I have plenty more to complain about." October grinned at him. "You're a cruel master, and it can't be denied."

"Ah, so the vampire with the blood of thousands on its pretty little hands thinks I'm the cruel one. At least I let you live. You can't say the same of your victims."

"Harsh words, considering the only reason you didn't crop off my head and stick it on your walk was because you liked keeping me chained to your bed. Admit it, you found raping a vampire more thrilling than desecrating a corpse."

"And lucky for me," Falkner said, trailing his fingertips over October's jawline, "I managed to capture the most beautiful vampire I've ever seen… What hunter wouldn't want you chained to his bed? I know none of my friends ever missed out on an opportunity to get you in such a vulnerable position."

There was a time when those words would have disgusted October. When it would have considered it a humiliation to be defeated and dishonored by a human.

But now its main coping mechanism was to find whatever anjoyment that it could, blocking out natural shame or fear. The silver collar around its neck was enough of a reminder to behave.

No chains necessary. Not anymore.

"And who can blame them?" it asked silkily. "As you can tell, I'm incredibly attractive. But are you sure that's a good enough excuse to take me thrashing and screaming? Why, if I were human, I doubt your excuses would hold up in court."

"Shame you aren't. After all, vampires aren't legally recognized as people. Even animal cruelty laws don't apply. You used your immunity from our laws for so long, getting away with murdering and tormenting innocent humans… How does it feel to be on the other side of the issue?"

October couldn't help but laugh. Maybe this really was some kind of retribution. After all, the truly evil were supposed to enjoy full sinful lives, that way they could be punished by God to the fullest extent possible.

Only the good died young, and October had gotten very old indeed.

But who could have guessed that it would have ended up here? Centuries ago, when it was hung by a Christian mob for the sin of having been born. Ishraq, it had been called back then. A dhampir conceived of rape who never had a chance.

Falkner was right. He had to be. October's life had always gone in cycles of suffering then lashing out and inflicting suffering on others.

Maybe it had never crawled out of its shallow grave to enact its revenge on its murderers.

Maybe this was hell.

"You win," it said, faking light heartedness as it sat up and threw its arms around Falkner's shoulders. "My arguments have run out. You may now enjoy your two hours of peace before I concoct some new ones."

"Perfect timing. I have a better use for your mouth…" Falkner ran his thumb over October's lip. "Bite me."

October didn't need to be told twice. It sunk its fangs deep into Falkner's wrist, and released a good strong dose of venom as soon as the taste of blood met its tongue.

Falkner let out a contented sigh, leaning back on the couch. He slowly stroked October's hair as it fed.

After weeks of starvation, it took all its self control not to drain Falkner dry. But it was a good pet. And good pets didn't murder their owners while being shown a kindness.

Their symbiotic relationship favored him in so many ways, and drug induced euphoria was one of them, even if it meant waking up dizzy from blood loss.

Taglist: @sulnusoup13 @heavenlyeden @kira-the-whump-enthusiast @excessive-vampires @pigeonwhumps @foresttheblep

#hart rambles #home sweet home #whump #pet whump #vampire whump #whump writing #Angst #Emotional whump #Vampire whumpee #Human whumper #Abuse #Whump writing #Whump series

[enchantcdstories]

Float like a Butterfly- Part 1

Word Count: 3657

Content Warnings/tags: Seeing Marc and Steven’s costumes for the first time, Seeing Marc and Steven fight for the first time, Reader knows about Moon knight but just never got see him fighting, violence, harassment, slurs, this idea has probably been done before I’m sorry, Protective Steven and Marc, female reader, catcalling, swearing, suit porn, implied sexy times. (Gif was not made by me) Summary: Moon Knight and Mr. Knight don’t normally deal with thugs, but for you – they’d make an exception.  Tag list: @later-gators12

[Y/N] 

Hey! Just on my way home now. Had to work a bit of overtime to help close. I’m just walking to the bus stop now- should be ten minutes away <3 

[Steven’s Phone] 

Alright, Love! Be safe, yeah? Got dinner all ready and waiting. <# 

[Steven’s Phone]

I meant <$

[Steven’s Phone] 

>3

[Steven’s Phone]

<3. Got it. 

You breathed out a laugh to yourself as you pressed the button on the side of your phone, locking it and sliding it into your pocket. The bus stop wasn’t too far away, just down the road a little bit, but the empty road seemed to stretch for hours in your eyes. No cars, no people, not even lit up houses. It all seemed so eerily empty. The sun had set hours ago, and the only source of light was the overhead lamp post  that tinted everything a sickening orange color. 

You pulled your jacket a bit tighter around your shoulders, the bite of the cold London air chilling you to your core. Only a few more minutes and then you’d be sitting in a warm bus, you thought, looking both ways across the empty street before jogging lightly to the bus stop. The darkness was a bit unnerving, the entire scene ahead of you playing out the start of every cookie cutter horror movie out there. Nervously, you took out your phone, tapping at a few apps in hopes to try and distract you from the void of people around you. You’ve done this route before, you thought, plenty of times. Then that small voice in the back of your head reminded you that it was never this late at night. 

After several minutes and no bus later, you opened the app that told you the various bus times, and a frown slid onto your face,  your heart plummeting into your stomach. The bus was running behind, much more than you were comfortable with. It would take you a lot longer to get home now. For a moment, you wondered if you should listen to music to distract you. Steven made you a spotify playlist ‘in case you ever missed him’ with some songs thrown in by Marc here or there, but you kept your earbuds in your bag. Something about wanting to stay alert in scenarios like these. You heard a noise from down the street, causing you to jump and grip your bag and phone tighter. You couldn’t make out if it was people or the wind – maybe a car?

Peeking down the road, you checked to see if maybe, by some grace of God, you could see the bus’s headlights approaching. Seeing nothing, you huffed and refreshed the app and sighing at the words ‘bus delayed’ still glowing up from the screen. You thrust the phone back into your pocket and bounce a bit, trying to keep the blood flowing in the cold air. You were starting to shiver now. Another noise down the street caught your attention, this time it was very clearly people: footsteps slapping against the cement and boisterous laughter. 

You jumped again at the buzzing feeling in your pocket, your phone signalling a notification to you. Sighing in relief that you didn’t feel so alone on this street now, thanks to your phone, you pressed the side button and your face was washed in the glow of the screen. Two missed texts appeared. You must have missed it in all your shivering. One from Steven, asking where you were about five minutes ago, and a new one from Marc, asking if you were okay. Your finger hovered over the reply button, already drafting a reply about how sorry you were and how cold you were and how you just wanted the bus to arrive, when the footsteps you heard earlier got louder. It made your blood run cold. 

Looking up, you could make out three figures, swaying and laughing as they made their way down the street to you, clearly drunk and out of their own minds. They were cackling and leaning on each other, swaggering this way and that with several paper bag wrapped bottles in their hands. They seemed to have spotted you, their laughter suddenly getting louder and their gestures now directed more to you. Remembering to text Marc back suddenly vanished from your mind, the task ignored all together. 

“H-hello there, love… Whatcha…Whatcha doin’ out here all by yourself?” The man in the front, with a black knit cap and a black jacket, called out to you, swaying and giggling to himself. You offer him a small smile before lowering your head down and hoping that he’d walk past you. Your heart raced and you began to sweat despite the cold. You refused to become another statistic. The footsteps got closer and closer before you could practically feel the group of guys next to you. The smell of alcohol practically oozed off of them and filled the air, making your nose wrinkle. The knit cap guy blinked at you, as if expecting an answer. 

“Babydoll, I’m talking to ya, yeah? Don’t you feel like talking?” You angled yourself so you were facing away from him, trying your best to just ignore him – maybe, if you were lucky, he’d go away. The hand on your shoulder that felt rough even through a jacket said otherwise. You jerked your shoulder away from him, spinning on your heel and taking a step back. Knit cap man’s friends seemed to get amusement out of this, snickering to themselves as if testing you. 

“Don’t touch me.” You grit out, trying not to show too much emotion that they could pick up on. Knit cap guy laughed, looking back to his friends (whom you now named brown scarf guy and green jacket guy) and cackled– a harsh and cruel laugh. 

“Little bitch is picky, eh? Don’t like that, now do I?” He asked his buddies, who were leaning on the brick wall next to them and glaring at you. “Think we need to teach her some manners, eh?” He reached again for you, this time with more force and determination in the way his body moved. You skittered away from his grip, heart slamming in your chest with fear. 

“I said don’t–” 

“She said not to touch her, mate.” You recognize that voice, nearly instantly you could practically see what face Steven was making even by the sound of his voice. Turning around revealed, however, that it wasn’t your curly haired boy, but someone else entirely. Where warm brown eyes should have greeted you, bright white glowing ones sat in their place. His normal tropical shirt was replaced with a crisp white suit and tie, with the pants to match. A white fabric mask covered his whole head. You took a step backwards, a bit jarred by the sight in front of you, bumping into knit cap guy in the process. 

“Easy babygirl, I- I got you.” The man wrapped his arms around you, the smell of alcohol stinging your nose now with how bad he smelled. You grunted as you moved, struggling to push the man off without getting his stench on you or letting him get a handful of anything. The figure that you swore Steven’s voice just came out of seemed to pause, tilting his head as if he were listening to something before blinking. The crisp, white suit was soon fading from view, replaced instead by old and dirtier looking wrappings carefully making their way around the figure’s shoulders and face, his arms and torso. A hood seemingly came out of no where, enveloping his head as the same glowing eyes remained, a cape flowed out behind him and flapped in the light, brisk wind. You balked for a moment, confused and intrigued at the same time. In your eyes, he looked very similar to a mummy in a museum. 

The caped figure grabbed the man’s arms around you, ripping them off of you and twisting one of them back. The man’s scream echoed out into the air, jolting you to full attention and sending a shiver down your spine. You danced out of the way, behind the caped crusader, watching in both relief and horror as he wrestled with the knit cap guy. The drunkard’s friends seemed to want to get in on the situation as well, rolling up sleeves and smashing open liquor bottles to use as makeshift weapons. You weren’t entierly sure if you were dreaming this or not. 

It all looked like a choreographed fight in a movie, the way the white mummified figure moved with such skill and grace, darting about as he avoided punches and delivered ones in return. Logic dictated that maybe perhaps you should turn away and call Marc to come pick you up, to get as far away from the scene as possible; but then another wondered if you’d need to describe this scene to the cops in the future. The man pushed one of the drunk men’s heads into the nearby lamppost, the resulting clang echoing down the street, making you wince. 

As you watched all the commotion,, you had let your guard down a little– not noticing one of the drunk guy’s buddies making his way for you in some sort of revenge fit. You noticed only at the last moment, turning to run from the offending man in some sort of weak attempt at a get away before he grabbed your wrist. You could practically feel it bruising. 

“So what, are you that freak’s toy that he wants to protect or something?” He spat out, his voice coarse and growling. You didn’t even have to pull away before you felt the man release his grip. It all happened so fast, that the next thing you saw was his body hit the pavement a few yards away. The fighting had stopped, you realized, the street going back to its eerily silent self, minus the buzz of the street lamp. Blinking, you stared at the scene in front of you; three bodies lying in various positions on the pavement with the white cloaked figure standing over them, his cape dramatically billowing behind him as he glared at the men on the ground. You opened your mouth before closing it, gaping like a fish as you struggled to form works. What do you say in a situation like this? Thank you for beating the shit out of those guys, where do you get your suit dry cleaned? The figure turned to you, body in a more relaxed and less menacing (well, about as much as he could) position. 

“Are you alright?” He stayed a good foot away from you, but even then you could recongize his voice. It wasn’t Steven, like you had heard before, but suddenly it made sense as to why you might have thought that. 

“Marc? W-what..” The hood and mask that concealed Marc’s face vanished, revealing his stern looking expression that you grew to love so much. You’d kiss that expression off his face some nights. His face wore a look of concern after he got a hold on his bearings. Everything in your mind clicked and made sense. You knew he did ‘superhero’ things – Steven’s words, not Marc’s. You knew he took care of people who did evil, evil, things; but you hadn’t ever assumed he had some sort of super suit, like he was some Avenger. Marc had insisted you never see this side of him, his ‘work’, to protect you. 

“They didn’t hurt you, did they?��� Marc asked, glancing around as if he were expecting more to come out of the shadows at any moment. You shook your head, looking over your body for a moment just to make sure. 

“N-no they…you got here just in time. Or Steven did? Was that…was that Steven? Is this the suit?” You suddenly had a million questions spill from your mouth now that your shaken up brain had settled. Marc took one last look at his handiwork and grabbed you by the arm – his touch much more gentler than that of the drunk guys who were now on the ground – and pulled you out of the street from public view. He walked with purpose, and even seemed taller in this suit than he would in his street clothes. 

“Look,” he started, rubbing a gloved hand over his face. You could sense he hadn’t wanted you to find out this way. “I know this looks bad, but you didn’t answer your texts and Steven was worried and –” You made him stop mid sentence as you let your eyes wander over the chest of his suit, getting to really see it for the first time. You had to admit that you had a bit of a thing for men in suits, super suits included. 

You were correct in the bandages department, a tough linen and armor combination that bulked him out. It travelled along his whole body, though it was nicely designed. You couldn’t help but run your hands along him – a move that normally got you shoved into the bed with a laugh – moving to inspect his hands as you flipped them over and back up to his chest. 

“You’ve been hiding this from me? You have a super cool superhero suit and you’ve just been hiding it from me?” You say, eyes still lingering over his chest. Marc flushed as he let your hands roam his body, trying to keep his voice as even as possible. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s cool… its more a required– What are you doing?” He asked, furrowing his eyebrows. You let a breathy laugh out from your lips, your cheeks flushed from the cold and your fingers starting to freeze just a bit. 

“I think I’m just in shock from what happened, but this is…insanely cool.” The rest of the world melted around you as you forgot about the men lying on the ground just out of sight. Your hands were both resting on his pecs–  in the bedroom you’d be making a tongue in cheek comment about what great tits he had. You fingernail tapped on the metal moon shaped figure embedded into his chest. 

“What’s this do?” 

“Mainly kill people.” 

“Oh.” You take your hands off of it, as if it had shocked you in that instant. Marc chuckled and reached up, sliding it out of the little holder and handing it to you. It was heavy and well weighted, a shimmery gold with heiroglyphics carved into the middle of it. Marc cleared his throat, watching you with an amused look in his eyes. 

“The suit was a gift from uh–” 

“Bird brain, I know.” 

“Maybe don’t say that to his face, not like you can.” 

You gave the little moon back to him, handing it over gently and letting your fingers overlap with his for just a lingering moment. You had more questions still acting as a battering ram in the back of your head. 

“Your eyes, how did you do the…glowing thing?” Marc gave a joking sigh, giving you a bemused look as you grinned up at him. In an instant the hood and mask came back, the glowing eyes beaming in all their glory. You grin, the eyes alone giving a million questions. Could he see properly with that? 

“It’s a little unnerving.” You admit with a laugh, though it soon disappears when you glance over to the direction of the bus stop. “Those people…are they…?” 

“Do you wanna know?” 

“Not really.” 

Marc looked off to the side for a moment, catching his reflection in a puddle just to your side. He looked as if he were nodded to himself, listening to something. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever.” He mumbled to the reflection, before drawing his attention back to you. He put a hand on your cheek, the soft linen rubbing against your skin. “I’ll see you around?” Now it was your turn to look confused. 

“What?” You asked, watching as before your eyes the suit Marc was wearing– hood and all– vanished from sight, replaced instead by the crisp formal white suit that you had seen earlier. The eyes still glowed familiarly, scrunching up in what looked like a smile before dropping back to their wide, concerned look. 

“Are you alright, love? Those guys looked right dodgy…” Steven’s voice broke the silence, glowing eyes searching your form to see if he could spot any injuries. You placed both of your hands on his suit, rubbing the soft fabric beneath your fingertips. 

“I knew it was you back there…” You murmured, hands tracing over his neatly done up tie. Even that had heiroglyphics printed onto it. Steven’s gloved hands cover yours, adjusting his tie a bit. He puffed out his chest, as if he was showing off his costume to you like a bird showing off his plumage.

“Cool, innit? Bit more sophisticated than Marc’s.” 

 Grinning, you carefully lifted a hand to his featureless face, thumb rubbing over his cheek. It felt odd to look into eyes that held no expression and only glowed back at you, a mask that had no mouth and you could only pick out where his nose was. It looked tough, intimidating in a way. Steven’s hands once again covered yours;, his hands were warm, you realized. 

“Still me, love. Still Marc too.” He hummed, thumb rubbing over your hand. You bit your lip to keep from grinning all the time. 

“It’s weird. A good weird. You protected me.” Steven’s mask melted away under your touch, his gentle gaze looking down at you as his face nuzzled into your hand. You felt butterflies dance around in your stomach looking at those chocolate brown eyes again. 

“Thank you,” you spoke softly to him, taking a step forward to be as close to him as possible. “For saving me. Both you and Marc.” A red flush creeped up onto Steven’s cheeks, eyes bearing into you with all the love and adoration he could muster. 

“It’s nothing, really. You weren’t texting back, yeah? And I just…well Marc too but.. My gut instinct just told me something…bad was happening.” Steven looked over to the direction where the men on the ground were still laying. “I’m so, so sorry you had to go through that. You don’t deserve that, love.” 

You cut him off before he could apologize again for something he couldn’t control, leaning up to place a kiss on his cheek sweetly. “I’m fine, honestly babe. I’ve got a superhero to protect me now. Maybe I’ll start getting into trouble to see him more often.” You winked, smiling widely. Steven eyes lit up and his own laugh burst from his lips. 

“Has Marc told you what his superhero name is? The name Khonshu gave him?” He looked like a giddy child, practically bouncing from foot to foot. You gave a faux gasp, letting your hand fall to your side. 

“He has *not*. Fess up, what is it?” You ask, playing into how happy he was about this new information. Steven paused for a moment, looking just over your shoulder. 

Normally, you couldn’t see when an alter fronted. It was an invisible moment that you had learned to pick up on, a moment you continued to keep sacred and as stress free as possible. Now, however, you could *see* the switch happening. You had realized it before, but now it made more sense. Steven’s neatly pressed suit transformed back to Marc’s, the wrappings flying over each limb and inch of him to secure to him. Marc’s face remained uncovered, but the stern eyebrows had returned. 

“Hey, did you know I can fly like this?” Marc asked, his question clearly trying to distract you from the conversation you and Steven were having. You blink as you got your bearings as to what was going on. Sometimes even the boys moved too quick for you to keep up. 

“Did you force Steven out so he wouldn’t tell me?” You put your hands on your hips like a scolding parent. 

“Do you want to fly or not?” He asked, getting a bit impatient and annoyed. You shook your head, grinning. 

“Not until you tell me.” You weren’t going to back down on this. Marc let out a tired sigh, running a hand over his face as you looked at him with anticipation. 

“I work under Khonshu as his Moon Knight.” He sounded a little embarrassed, despite his gruff exterior. A snort escaped your mouth as your hands flew up to cover it. You had to admit, it was a little silly. Marc shot you a ‘less-than-thrilled’ look at your reaction. 

“And Steven does he..also..work under that name?” You gave a slight cough to hide the laugh that bubbled from your throat. You blinked in surprise as Steven fronted yet again, rapidly switching the costume each time. 

“Mr. Knight, thank you very much. More formal, innit?” The sound of voices coming from the street over, where you were just nearly attacked, causing a spike of anxiety to course through your veins. Steven’s hand flew to your arm, as if he was prepared to throw you behind him in a split second. 

“We should go,” he said, not waiting for an answer before dragging you along the side road towards the direction of the flat. His mask had formed back around his head, muffling his voice as he spoke. “‘Fraid I can’t fly yet, Marc said he’ll teach me though. Dinner will be cold too, I’m afraid.” He looked back around to you before letting his whole costume fade away, revealing one of his goofy tropical shirts that he always wore. You slid your hand into his properly, feeling his warm touch pull you along. 

“So,” you started, taking a few extra strides to keep up with him. “Does this mean if I marry you…will I be Mrs. Knight?”

#Moon Knight #Marc Spector #Steven Grant #Marc Spector x female reader #Steven Grant x female reader

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Kaguya-Sama: The First Kiss That Never Ends

I have never quite understood the hype behind Kaguya-sama.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great show. Actually, strike that; it's a fantastic show. It's one of the most consistently funny comedies of the past few years, and its clever character work and outrageous animation are more than deserving of their high praise. But whenever I hear people calling it the best rom com of all time, all I can think is, "Wow, y'all really are so young that you've never heard of Toradora, huh?" Never mind Kimi ni Todoke, Ore Monogatari, and countless other spectacular shoujo rom coms that people are all too quick to forget even exist. I love Kaguya-sama dearly, but I've never quite felt comfortable ranking it among the best of the best like so many others do.

At least, not until I watched this movie.

Now, though? I understand completely.

See, the reason I never rated this show as highly as other people is because to me, Kaguya and Shirogane's romance is the least interesting part of it all. Even after season 3 finally made me give a damn about them officially hooking up as a couple, Kaguya-sama is always at its most interesting to me when it's focused on anything other than its title character. Chika's insane wild card antics, Hayasaka's perfectly deadpan straight man routine, Ishigami's bizarrely endearing blend of misanthropy and sincerity... Kaguya's supporting cast has always been its biggest draw for me. Kaguya and Shirogane aren't bad by any means, and they've had plenty of great moments between them. But most of the time when Kaguya-sama is playing at being a straight romance, it just doesn't connect with me as strongly as it's trying to.

And that's why The First Kiss That Never Ends is so phenomenal. Because after four years of show, it finally, finally made me fall in love with the main romance of Kaguya-sama. After all this time, I get why these two crazy kids are so special to so many people. I get why countless adoring fans consider this their favorite rom com, even if it's still not my personal best. No longer am I standing on the sidelines in mild confusion; I am officially a full throated Kaguya-sama stan at last. And in accomplishing this feat, this movie finally helped me understand why these two weren't clicking for me before... and how I may not have been giving this show as much credit as it deserved.

You see, one of the central tropes in Kaguya-sama's romance is a trope that I have more bad experiences with than I can count: the Ice Queen. Kaguya is a frigid, closed-off girl who must learn to open her heart and be honest about her feelings over the course of the show. It's a character type I've seen a lot, and it's a character type that is dangerously easy to fuck up. Because if you don't treat this kind of story with care, it can very easily come off like the story sees her as a haughty bitch who needs to learn her place, stop being so stuck up, and let a man sweep her into his arms. And considering how many hang-ups a lot of male anime writers clearly have about writing female characters... yeah, let's just say I have enough nightmares of this trope being done wrong to last a lifetime.

And Kaguya's not even a bad example of the trope! She's always been a very well handled character, even as far back as season 1. But one always had this uncertainty in the back of my mind: how aware is this show of the gendered nature of the tropes it's playing with? There are countless times where either the narrator or the characters will make some sweeping statement about what girls are like, or what boys are like, or how relationships between men and women are "supposed" to work. And while they're always presented so absurdly that no rational person could take them seriously, it's never quite clear how unseriously we're supposed to take them. Cause, like... there's a lot of these moments for them to not be indicative of something.

So that's where I've been at with Kaguya the Ice Queen. A very loaded, very gendered trope in a series that has a very unclear stance of loaded, gendered tropes. Was it trying to say something? Did it have some grand thesis about the harmful nature of gendered expectations waiting in the wings? Or like so many anime before it, was it just uncritically parroting the same old tired expectations for good little boys and girls? Looking back, this was the sword of Damacles hanging over my head as I've watched and enjoyed Kaguya-sama, the uncertainty that kept me from opening my heart to it fully. Whether I could fully put it into words or not, I couldn't get past that question: is this show yet another victim of sexist stereotypes it doesn't fully understand?

Thank god, then, that The First Kiss Never Ends had finally proven the answer to be no.

Yes, if you thought the aftermath of Kaguya and Shirogane's first kiss was going to be smooth sailing for these two neurotic messes, you clearly don't know what show you're watching. They've taken the biggest step forward imaginable and brought their relationship right to the precipice of being official. Victory is so close they can taste it, but with that comes a terror the likes of which they've never felt before. Suddenly the reality of what their lives are about to become crashes up against their long standing hang-ups about love and self worth, and their mutual fear over thinking they aren't yet living up to the standard of what a Person In A Relationship is supposed to be leads to the biggest rift in their relationship yet. Neither understands what the other wants from them- hell, they don't even understand what they want from themselves. Which means after so many mental battles and false starts, it's time for Shirogane and Kaguya to rip off their masks and face each other's true selves once and for all, even if they can't bear the answers they think are waiting in the other's gaze.

And yes, in exposing themselves so completely, it makes clear just how inexorably their issues are bound up in gender. Kaguya's so obsessed with playing out the script of the submissive lady who lets the man make all the first moves that her spiraling self-loathing ends up hurting everyone who tries to get close to her. Miyuki's so wrapped up in the need to prove himself manly enough to be worthy of Kaguya that he loses the ability to connect with her on her own terms. And when these two deeply flawed approaches to romance collide with the heightened tension of two dumb kids desperate not to fuck everything up, they feed into each other in the worst way.

In other words, what this movie proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that Kaguya-sama fully understands the importance of leaving gender roles behind. The final boss of this show isn't just the inescapable fear of knowing and being known; it's also, explicitly, how that fear is made worse by gendered expectations that leave lost kids flailing in an attempt to live up to unhealthy notions of love and companionship. It's the kind of misunderstanding plot that actually makes sense and leaves you agonized because of how well it understands why their wires are getting crossed, as opposed to agonized because the writers are clearly dragging things out tortuously to avoid progressing the plot an inch further. For Kaguya and Shirogane to truly overcome their issues, they must leave behind their notions of who they're supposed to be, how they're supposed to act, and see each other as the people they are. Not a girl and guy following a pre-written script, but two complex human beings who make each other's lives that much brighter for being in them.

And in retrospect, that's always been what Kaguya-sama is about, hasn't it? All of this show's best non-comedic moments have been when it takes an ax to a restrictive gendered trope and lets the character behind it fly free. Miko's introductory arc was all about Shirogane realizing that this girl most people dismissed as a naggy bitch in need of an ego check was in fact one of the most passionate, dedicated people in the school, and doing his damndest to give her a chance to speak her truth. And hey, remember how Ishigami's rise from Reddit-pilled loner to someone who can embrace his place in the world without feeling like an incel involved him dressing in drag and feeling happy doing so? When you look back at the whole picture, Kaguya-sama has always been about breaking free of gendered expectations, in ways both big and small. And now that we've reached the climax of Kaguya and Shirogane's arc, it's finally time for them to break free just the same.

And my god, it is spectacular. It's an emotional payoff to years of slow-burn character work that makes look back and realize just how fucking good it’s been at laying the foundation for this moment. It bares Kaguya and Shirogane’s souls like never before, and it took me from being nominally interested in their antics to openly weeping over their attempts to understand each other. This isn't just a beautiful finale that washes away all my concerns, it's made me appreciate everything this show was doing so wonderfully before that I was too uncertain to pick up on. At last, I can see that Kaguya-sama is as incredible as everyone says. It is genuinely a masterpiece of rom com storytelling. It's an uproarious, beautiful tale about the importance of living true to yourself, even when you feel like yourself is something to run away from. And if this movie is the last part of the manga to be adapted, then it's as perfect a conclusion as I could hope for.

It's not a perfect movie overall, to be fair. It pretty much skips over an Ishigami/Miko subplot it starts building up, and there are points in the middle where the lighting is so dark it's almost impossible to see what's going on. Which is a weird misstep for a series that's always had such a strong visual identity. But as a climax to this war of hearts and minds that finally made me care about those hearts and minds, it's an unimpeachable triumph. The First Kiss That Never Ends made me believe the hype at last, and I can't wait to join the rest of the world in preaching the glories of the series it caps off so wonderfully. And I give it a score of:

9/10

Thank you all for reading. Here's holding out hope for season 4!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #kaguya-sama: love is war #kaguya-sama #kaguya-sama wa kokurasetai #kaguya sama

[bogkeep]

i don't know if it's just me, but there's posts that i keep seeing that are like "people need to stop cycling through fandoms so fast," usually with a sentiment about the importance of commenting and sharing people's work and nurture their communities. i think Fandom Sustainability is a very interesting topic so i have THOUGHTS............ like first of absolutely all, that's a weird onus to put on people. Fandom Is For Fun. people don't usually control what their brainworms are gonna wriggle about. nobody should have to sign a five year contract for Enjoying Thing Together With Others. like. i understand that a lot of these posts are directed at people that are Enjoying the works of fanartists and fanfic writers, to urge them to share and react and feed their inspiration - but what about me, A Creator Of Such Things? are you making it my obligation to keep drawing fanart for a specific thing? becuase i've gotten plenty of lovely comments and feedback and all around soft and fuzzy feelings from the communities i've partaken in, but i'm only human. it's not that i lose love or interest for the properties, it's just - sometimes life happens. sometimes my momentum is unsustainable and i gotta slow down eventually. sometimes i want to draw other things! and yeah, i'm only one person, i'm not a whole fandom, and i can only speak on my experiences. i just feel like there's a narrative of "nice comments and engagement can keep an artist/writer go on forever" which i don't really agree with. reblogs and comments absolutely make me want to make more stuff! being part of a community is absolutely inspiring and fills me with ideas! but that can only take me so far. i think plenty of artists carry the same feelings of guilt for not drawing more X, or have gotten asks pleading for more Y. feeling unappreciated is not the only reason people stop creating a specific content.

my next Thought is that i think there are external sources causing fandom lifespans to shorten. i think there's a well documented phenomena that it's easier to sustain a fan community for long running, serial media with waiting time inbetween content, than it is for one-off movies or like, entire showruns premiered all at once for bingeability. and the current climate of "we're probably going to cancel this show after two seasons for capitalist rot reasons" and disillusionment with corporation and streaming services? probably not helping either!

i DO think there's something to be said for the speed of social media as opposed to, what, email lists? snail mail compendiums? but early tumblr was like, dominated by approximately five fandoms or something for years and years, so it CAN be done. clearly. maybe the change for discord servers to be the main hubs for communities, as opposed to old school forums? i think that may be one of the culprits for sure, because servers are so fast and exhuasting and there's Stuff going on all the time and you can only keep up so much before you burn out. i think. maybe it's just me who's burnt out thinking about it, because i know there can be really good servers that are well moderated and paced and sustainable! i've tried fandoming in several formats - i've done old school forum. i've done discord server. i've done Small Group Of Friends. i've done Just Vibing On My Blog/Twitter. and to me - and this is of course personal experience and not speaking for everyone else - the best longterm strategies for me has been the ones where i have the least contact with the actual fan communities. partaking in communities has been amazing and inspiring, i've made lots of close friends i'm still in contact with, but active participation in fandom is not something i can hold up forever. i can either burn in a fiery blaze for a little while or i can keep a low simmer for a long time. it's so much easier to love a story on my own terms when i don't have to be involved in every controversy of its fan community, even if it means trading away ideas and inspiration and drive. there's a balance to be struck between the two, of course. then there's like... sometimes something happens, either with the Media or with the Fandom. there's always going to be a risk with attaching yourself to a community and pouring yourself into it. do i have to keep loving something even if the creator of it makes it too weird for me? should i have to stay in a space that causes me stress or pain? sometimes the right thing for us to do is leave. sometimes we need a change. i think it's lovely when people stay to keep communities good, to keep creating good fanwork in spite of dissappointing creators. i think it's good to nurture love, but. it's a choice everyone has to make for themself. you should stay because you want to, not to martyr yourself for the sake of proving a point. last Thought i want to honor is that yeah, i believe there's Attitudes Afoot that are a sustainability drain: how old can a fandom get before it's Cringe? how large can a fandom get before it's Cringe? either we're all Cringe or none of us are. people love what they love, and is it not cruel to mock someone for something so joyful, based on arbitrary lines in the sand? if pre-2014 tumblr culture was good at anything it was to love hard and fearlessly. i DO think it's worth creating good and sustainable communities, to love well and responsibly, and find joy on your own terms. i think there's many ways to fandom and one way isn't more right than the other. a relationship is worthwhile even when it's not everlasting.

#too long for twitter #hi i'm writing essays based on 2-3 posts i saw on my dashboard over the past couple months again #can you tell i'm burnt out and have fandom trauma #using the word Sustainable fifty times because i think that's at the core of intentionally doing things always

[mejomonster]

Okay so I'm watching: she likes to cook and she likes to eat

And I've got to say

It's Beyond refreshing, beyond kind to my heart, just so absolutely lovely that one of the women is allowed to enjoy eating a lot, wants to and needs to eat a lot, and she's considered wonderful for it! She's a wonderful sweet person who eats for energy, and for good yummy food, and eats plentiful, and just.

It is absolutely DEVOID in media, to see a woman have big (or even tiny portions) and eat with the simple joy of nourishing yourself and bonding with your loved ones and enjoying tje meal. Where a diet is never mentioned (in pretty little liars theyd occasionally show food to indicate X was on a diet or binging). It is absolutely DEVOID in media to see a woman facing absolutely no negatives for eating like a normal person does every day, and in fact to revel in that simple good aspect of life we all have daily.

It is also absolutely DEVOID in media to see a woman who's tall, who doesn't wear makeup, who dresses ordinary, who's not Hyper Femme (cause let's be real media absolutely loves turning even their most "butch" characters into conventionally skinny makeup wearing hair styling characters if you even get to see someone less than high femme most of the time, and the "ordinary" woman on screen is skinnier and in more dressy clothing and fancy hair and makeup then most ordinary women in real life... in real life, most women I know look like this girl who loves to eat! They wear ponytails simply done, clothes they wore to work on their feet, no makeup). To see her through loving eyes, the gaze of the other woman who CHERISHES her so much? It's so nice. It's a slice of reality instead of shows making this fake cookie cut Polished reality. The cook is so happy to have met her, and I too would be. I also have been. We've all likely met sweet kind people like her. Or been her. That's closer to my reality then so many women I see in shows.

It's also... I personally feel like it's made with the intended audience OF queer women. The girl who likes to eat, she buys pads for the cook who's having a rotten day, she comes over to help her, and THAT is a kind of peak sweet thing a friend or lover could do but I've seen a million shows and movies that would rather do anything than mention the word pads. (Just like a million shows that'd rather do anything but put in a woman who simply eats and enjoys it and does not destroy herself if someone is biased against her, put in a woman who doesn't wear makeup or cater in any way to a look that would appeal to the male gaze or whatever, just. This show does so much that like??? If I had a REAL CRUSH or was hanging out with friends in my life, THIS is what it would be like. This feels closer to my life experience and things I'd hope to experience than anything I ever saw on pretty little liars or buffy the vampire slayer or a bunch of other shows with women as leads).

It's just. Really really nice to feel that actual good things in life, usually avoided or even shamed in media, are depicted in this show comfortingly and kindly and positively.

#rant #lb #she likes to cook and she likes to eat #its also very warm to your heart like Our Dining Table is and like Koisenu Futari are

[burningexeter]

[PITCH]

A new scene, fully animated, for the next anniversary of The Incredibles (2004)

What is it (or rather an elaboration):

A whole new entire sequence for any of the movie's anniversaries and a special re-release in theaters that is done in the most on-point and immaculate detail in the exact same animation style of the 2004 original to where it feels like a completely unearthed, never-before-seen scene that's been fully restored.

PREMISE:

Taking place right after her dealing with the guards but way before she found her husband with Mirage, Helen Parr or as she's now known as Elastigirl continues on her search for Bob, Mr. Incredible himself, somewhere in Syndrome's high level and high tech lair on Nomanisan Island. But after that whole incident earlier, she's now more careful than she ever was and it's because of this along with plenty of other close calls that lead her into an entirely closed off and top secret underground room, section and chamber that's been hidden from the guards.

There, she finds an entire chamber with blurry and fog-like mirrors, an encased cement body of a woman in the middle across a bridge over water and the key to finding her husband Bob.

Helen is more than willing to risk it in saving her loved one but after successfully doing it, her bumbling boobishness causes her to trip and come not just face-to-face but nose-to-nose and breast-to-breast with the woman in cement. A horrified Elastigirl screams in horror as the cements cracks and once she gets up, it completely breaks apart to show that the woman is alive, well and not happy. The mirrors burst through and out comes several other women that it's revealed that they were holding and are now awakened.

Now Elastigirl has to fight her way out of this just like before while at the same time with a bigger threat then and there that prepares her for the larger threats that she'll face with her family by her side this time later in the film.

Notes/Details/Trivia:

• Through visual storytelling without a single line of dialogue or exposition, the backstory for the women in the chamber is shown and how Syndrome essentially betrayed them. And top it off, these clearly aren't ordinary women. Even though they have their own distinctive designs to where you can tell them apart, all women are light purple skinned with dark purple spy-type catsuits and pitch black eyes with the awesome and underrated villain Eris from the not-so-good Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas serving as the clear and obvious influence with their overall designs.

• Just like with the 2004 film that this is being added to, the entire sequence will obviously have a dark and intense edge that this time is a little more horror-oriented with these women all giving Elastigirl a run for her money with her boobishness still being a problem.

• The sequence won't just be pointless however for it actually still serves a story purpose in that it leads Elastigirl to where Bob is being held until Mirage with a change of heart releases him. It's a new scene that still serves a point in the overall story.

• What will help add more to the movie is that throughout Syndrome's hidden room, section and even chamber, there's several objects that Syndrome has collected over his adult years and it's objects from a shitload of other media. For example since it's the best of the bunch, in fighting against the chamber women especially the main one in the middle, Elastigirl uses an object she grabs to use as a defense mechanism only for it to be sliced in half which leads to yet another boob moment for Helen as she looks at it in half and looks at the slicer with a "Huh?". But what is that object you may ask —

It's the Spear Of Osiris.

Now as for whether or not, this will ever become a real thing. I don't know but it's a fun idea.

#the incredibles #pixar #brad bird #holly hunter #elastigirl #helen parr #Youtube

[saemi-the-dreamer]

(Probably unpopular opinion for you but idk): I know that Prince Hans does not "deserve" a redemption arc and will probably not get one in Frozen 3 or 4. But I can't help but hope for one anyway. Sorry not sorry.

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

Anon, I can tell you weren't following my blog after Frozen was released XD

I see Hans as a complex character, not just a greedy villain, so yeah. I really hope to see him getting redeemed!... just hoping Elsa is not the one to redeem him, otherwise I'd flip a table ffs. We barely know anything about him, it'd be great to learn more about the Southern Isles and the Royals there. We only know Hans is the last of 13 kids, and that 2 of his brothers pretended he didn't exist. For. Two. Years. Talk about a messed-up family! While it doesn't excuse his actions, it's no wonder he was desperate to get away and became twisted himself. And Hans getting redemption doesn't mean he has to be friends with everyone or live in Arendelle, it can be Anna getting closure for what happened and then she reaches out to help him and end it on the two saying goodbye with a smile, each going to live their own life. There is a wonderful fanfiction that I recommend: Based on a True Lie which does a very good Hans redemption (in a way) and where Anna is really the main heroine <3

I honestly feel like Hans was done dirty and handled poorly, even as a villain. I wouldn't have minded him being a villain if the movie had done it well, Hans being a twisted villain could have been very good, but honestly? Every time I re-watch Frozen, I think "Nope, still not buying it."

Watch Toy Story 2 and there, you have a very good twisted villain! At first watch, there is little chance you'd suspect Stinky Pete to be a bad guy; but when you rewatch it, you can see the foreshadowings and little hints of his manipulation of both Jessie and Woody (even if I personally believe he did care about Jessie, at some point) to get what he wanted.

Why am I not convinced about Hans being "Evil", before his "reveal"?

One: after the meet-cute scene with Anna

This looks way too genuine, and he had no reason to fake it, no one was looking! And don't use the "red herring" excuse, it's not good either. They could - no SHOULD - have cut the scene the moment he fell into the water if Hans was meant to be just a greedy bad guy.

Two: there are no real signs (read "red flags") of manipulation in his speech and actions.

They're vague and a stretch at best, like the line "'Cause, like, I've been searchin' my whole life to find my own place" Many Disney protags have used similar lines and were looking for a place where they felt they belonged (Belle, Ariel, Hercules, Quasimodo, Aladdin...). Honestly, it's more that he adapts to the situation (that he has no control over btw).

He's not the one to push Elsa to reveal her powers, the two sisters were arguing and both were at the end of their own rope. No one knew Elsa had powers.

He doesn't manipulate Anna to push her to go after Elsa and give him control of Arendelle; Anna makes the decision on her own, he even tries to stop her or says that he should go with her, but she's the one to ask him to watch over Arendelle while she's on her journey.

The candlestick falling on Elsa was an accident! I don't care what everyone says, given how fast it happened, Hans couldn't have aimed so precisely. Hans glancing up is once again too vague, he might have been checking for a place where he could deviate the arrow without hurting anyone but he had no time. Plus, I don't know for you, but I saw plenty of people glancing up as they think/before they act (and do so too sometimes) for no real reason. Light argument at best.

At most, you can argue he lied to seduce Anna.

And honestly? Revealing his evil plan this way is just so dumb! I get that many villains tend to monologue too much for their own good because they're overconfident and when they believe they've already won, but here? It's stupid and too risky, a good manipulative villain wouldn't have revealed himself at that moment in my opinion. Either you make him a master manipulator, or you just make him a puny opportunist, you can't have both; and either way, he should have acted way differently before the reveal. No wonder so many fans (myself included) had a theory that the Trolls were the ones who messed him up with their magic "Get the fiancé out of the way and the whole thing will be fixed" so their champion (Kristoff) would get the girl.

#ask meme #long answer #frozen #prince hans #hans westergaard #unpopular opinion #I got carried away #sorry not sorry

[ask-missparker]

Hey huge fan of your series and appearances in the movies. I have a question, how do you feel about the way your showed in the media? - ElizaHamilLove21 

Aw thank you, uhhh it still surprises me how much they film of our lives but I love the drama of it all and the effects for the entertainment side of it. How do I feel about how I’m showed in media? Huh?

Well it depends cause if it’s Feige running the whole thing, *roll her eyes a bit* then they don’t like to admit or even acknowledge all the things I’ve heard and done in the Agents Of SHIELD series. Like I’ve been to space, time travel, fought HYDRA, some of HIVE and kicked ass on the streets of other countries before Peter Parker ever did! But oh no, they don’t talk about that. They rather keep it more streamlined with the previous version of my role, than my TV counterpart instead. Which is understandable i guess, but i loved that we were able to have a version of me interactions with Gwen Stacy and Matt Murdock.

Another thing, in a lot of movies they make me like a second parent to Peter or give me different love interests too! Which, i mean I don’t mind it’s always fun to see who I’m dating at the moment. Such as in Far From Home, they had Quentin Beck as my ex-boyfriend, which isn’t the worst thing to make for me and added to a interesting dynamic but in real life, we were just good friends.

I have a small role in X-Men but i was casted as another actress.

Piper from Charmed played a version of my character, but she was a darker brunette and her—my name was Morse not Parker. I see the intention though because there plenty different versions comic book of me. Some are comic books where i have no powers at all and I take on the mantle of Mockingbird using my auntie Bobbi Morse last name, after her death in Hawkeye series.

There are a lot of more things i can talk about if you like.

——

Keep the chain going: @purpleprincessonfyre @meiramel @gcthvile @rickb-chaos @gaminggirlsstuff @wizzzardofoz @mallowbee4 @luna-d-marsh @halesfavoriteharlot @rooster-84 and etc

#ask my ocs #agents of shield #marvel ask blog #far from home #ask missparker #spiderman oc #x men oc #danielle campbell #piper halliwell #x men movies #danielle campbell crackship #spiderman far from home

[rcvana]

BE MY MISTAKE ... KYRIE HAN ! characters. kyrie han, maya wang warnings. suggestive content, briefly sexual content, i believe that all ! word count. 0.891

Kyrie is a complicated man. Some would say he’s impossible to love. He’s dumb, he’s impulsive, and he fucks up with everyone he loves. He makes everything harder for everyone. It’s almost hilarious how he seems to never make the right choices. Almost.

Almost because his choices are those made by assholes. Ones he would classify as mistakes but they keep happening, so even his friends are left wondering if they’re really mistakes or just the fucked up way he was born. 

And he’s sure this is going to be another mistake that he’ll have to excuse around others, as he stands at the doorstep. He knocks on the door of the lofty home. It’s one of the nicest houses Kyrie’s seen up-close in Korea. The door opens up, revealing a girl of shorter stature and thick, chocolate colored hair. 

“Hey,” Maya greets, her eyes their usual sultry low. 

Kyrie leans down and places a brief kiss on her cheek. Maya steps aside, allowing Kyrie to enter. He eyes her up and down, taking in the baby pink loungewear she’s clad in. “You look good.”

“Thanks,” she smiles. 

He feels a little odd, being here. It’s not like he hasn’t been here plenty of times before, laying his feet wherever he pleases and eating up the food she cooked. But things are different now, considering the circumstances. 

The house is empty, Maya’s daughter is with Addy today. Kyrie always admired how Maya never invited anyone over that was anything more than platonic (or a man in general that wasn’t her father), when Kaia was there. She was a good mother, he knew that. It’s something that drew him to her in the first place. He likes a woman who handles her business, he always says. That knows her priorities and has them straight. 

“Are you okay?” Maya asks, taking him by surprise. “You’ve been, like, spacing out since you got here.”

“Nah, I’m good,” Kyrie envelopes her hands in his, staring down into her golden shaded eyes. “I’m more than good, ‘cause I’m here with you.”

She smiles coyly, a flush creeping across her cheeks. 

“I, uh, I have this movie that I liked and thought that you might like,” she says, squeezing his palm. 

“Let’s watch it.”

Of course, naturally, an actual watching of movies only lasted about twenty minutes before the cuddling started feeling more hot than it initially did. Because then hands started moving, and then kissing got involved, and then they succumb to the feelings of sweltering passion and the coming undone that nears rough. That’s how sex always was between Kyrie and Maya. Everything was fast and rough, and it’s not to say it doesn’t feel good. Maya was good at everything she did in the bed. She knew what she was doing. It’s just not like what he just now found out he loves. It’s not like how it is with Charmeine. 

Kyrie takes a deep breath, lying his head on the pillow. Maya follows him from underneath the thick blanket, her head crashing on his chest, which rises and falls with each hard breath. The movie is coming to its climax, just as they had done. He’s not sure what the movie was about. There’s something about dogs and people who live on a farm. It’s not anything Kyrie would pay to see. He prefers old-fashioned 90s movies or inappropriate comedies. He doesn’t know where Maya got the idea that this would be a movie he liked. 

He wraps his arm anxiously over her shoulders, his thumb rubbing the soft of her skin. He’s done a lot of fucked up shit but this has to be one of the worst. It feels like one of the worst. Guilt is a feeling that eats you from the inside out. 

“You know how good you are, right?” Kyrie randomly asks. 

Maya meekly giggles. “Where did that come from?”

“You’re so good. I don’t know how you can be so good,” he says. “You’re good at being a mom, you’re good at being a singer, you’re good at fucking,” he laughs at that last one, so does she. 

“Nobody can take that away from you,” he pulls her closer, staring up at the ceiling. 

She doesn’t say anything, listening to his words and his heartbeat together. 

“You’re so beautiful and I’m…I’m so lucky that I even got to be with someone like you,” Kyrie rambles. “I don’t even know how I got this chance.”

He got this chance because he was trying to “heal her” after getting her heart shitted on by the father of her child. She wasn’t doing her best when they first started talking. Her mind was swindled with thoughts of never finding love if she couldn’t find it with Addy. So when Kyrie came around, talking a big game, treating her like no one ever did, it felt like Kyrie was swooping in and saving her like some sort of Prince Charming-Superhero hybrid. Sometimes the second love can feel almost as bad as the first did. 

“You’re so perfect. I wish I could give you the world.” He pauses, thinking for a moment the words getting caught in his throat. “Nobody really deserves you.”

“Why does this feel like goodbye?” 

Because it is. Something he should’ve said. 

“I just wanted to tell you.”

#𓈒 ˙ ☕ ּ 𖠗 writings #𓈒 ˙ ☕ ּ 𖠗 kyrie #ficnetfairy #fake kpop oc #idolverse #fake kpop group #fictional kpop group #fictional idol oc #fictional kpop idol #fictional idol community #idol oc #idol au #kpop oc #kpop au

[calliethetrekkie]

Star Trek TOS S01E02: The Corbomite Maneuver

Original Thoughts

"Boring. Is this gonna be like the Star Trek movie curse? Where every odd numbered episode is meh at best and stupid at worse, while all the even numbered episodes are at least interesting? All I remember after watching it is that they dealt with an alien force that originally looked like a Rubix Cube without the squares. Oh and the voice of Ted Cassidy, that was nice~ But yeah, otherwise it was boring. Not unwatchable, but forgettable, 2/5."

(Original Post)

Rewatch Thoughts

The only thing meh at best and stupid at worst is that opinion. Shame on you Callie from two years ago! Also, I kept calling it 'Corbonite Maneuver' for some reason. Whoops.

Okay really, I think the reason that I felt that way was because I was watching the show in the order they had it on streaming. In other words, the airing order, not the production order. Thus, when compared to episodes like The Naked Time and The Enemy Within which were pretty intense episodes, this one came off as slow and uneventful in comparison. Had I watched it in production order, this would have been first after the two pilot episodes and I likely wouldn't have had as much of an issue with it. I'd have probably still found it boring, but it wouldn't feel as big of a letdown as the first time.

But here we are two years later. I had watched the episode again in-between then and now and had come around to it. It's funny how different your perception can be after you go back after watching the whole series through. The Man Trap is a great example, but we'll get there later. I'd already done some meta analysis on the episode, so feel free to check that out. It's mainly a McKirk post analyzing how their professional relationship can conflict as well as their personal relationship that I feel is especially vital in this episode. I'm probably gonna give it a do-over on my main blog down the line. But I'll give the abridged version of it and my other thoughts here.

As far as the episode itself goes, it's still not my favorite by any means, but I wouldn't rank it as low as I did originally. Watching it as a series premiere, this one does the job perfectly. It establishes our captain, the main crew members we'll be seeing, and what we can expect from the show. It may seem a bit, for lack of a better word, cheap to a modern audience. But I can imagine had this aired properly, this would have wowed the audiences of the 60's. There's also some legitimate tension about how Kirk was going to pull them out of this mess and with how rather... harsh and stressed he was, it shows that for all his flaws, he is very much an effective captain.

Kirk having problems isn't a bad thing either. There's plenty of growth for him as a captain. Here we see him stressed, demanding, and pushing things way too hard. He demands simulations to be conducted while the ship is still being repaired AND while the officers are still getting their wits together. It's especially clear with navigator Bailey, who is barely holding himself together. He's tense, uncertain, eventually freezes up and later has a full-on breakdown from all the stress and fear. McCoy even tries to get Kirk to see this and quit pushing too hard, but Kirk is incapable of doing so at this moment. This may be the Enterprise's first major crisis since Kirk became captain, and thus everything is on his shoulders. He's stressed. His stress is causing everyone else stress as he's trying to figure out what to do. By the end, he manages to effectively get them out of danger with both his bluff about corbomite and then leading the crew to breaking from the tractor beam.

And in the end, it's clear that Kirk isn't a bad guy. He is very much devoted to the mission of discovering new worlds and new life. Even after everything, he chooses to help Balok when the distress signal goes out and tries to make things up to bailey by letting him be the first along with himself and McCoy to have the first encounter. Which leads to bailey essentially becoming their ambassador... which whether letting him stay maybe wasn't the best idea, but he saw that Bailey wanted to do it and allowed it. And at the end of the day, that is their mission. To exchange information and cultures with other worlds.

We do a lot of good character establishing. We have Kirk of course, but McCoy also gets it really well. He puts off a red alert to finish Kirk's physical while he has the chance, showing that he's a doctor before all else. He's frequently trying to guide Jim to take notice of the crew's mental state while also trying to ease Kirk's own state. He provokes an argument with Kirk regarding Bailey's breakdown despite the fact they're potentially minutes away from death, which is what gets Kirk to actually snap. He had no problem talking back to the captian, even threatening to report him to his face, but considering he chose to do so at the worst moment shows a level of short-sightedness when focused on a certain thing. For a guy who didn't get any top billing until Season 2, they clearly knew that DeForest Kelley as McCoy was gonna be a stand-out and indeed he was.

It also establishes Kirk and McCoy's relationship really well from the get-go. While them having an argument like this is rare, it shows how it can happen. You could even say that they both learn from it and try to be more understanding of each other's concerns and position later. It doesn't always work, but it's a step in the right direction. And they both know their fault and apologize. You can tell that even this early on, they have a close bond. Kirk noticeably eases up and opens up around McCoy moreso than anyone else, aside from a little with Spock. He's not even using Bones yet, but that could be because he's trying to be the professional captain, but after this eases up on that. Really, I could go on all day about these two, but again that's for my main blog. But with how major their relationship truly is and how it often gets overshadowed by Kirk/Spock and Spock/McCoy, it's nice to see it so early on and done so well.

Aside from that, there isn't much more to say. It's a good episode. Not great, but nowhere near as bad as I made it out in my original watchthrough. Spock doesn't have a lot for me to go over aside from being established as the logical second-in-command. The little scene where McCoy says he'd love to teach Spock poker is cute though, and outright hilarious considering how they interact later. But hey gotta start somewhere haha. Overall, it's a good episode. It isn't great, but as an introduction to ST, the cast, and the show's purpose? It nails it perfectly and was enjoyable. It certainly wasn't boring or forgettable this time around.

Oh and because I'm an animation nerd, hearing Ted Cassidy (most well known as Lurch in The Addams Family and various animation roles) as Balok was still an utter joy~!

Original Ranking: 2/5

Rewatch Ranking: 6/10

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#star trek #star trek tos #st reviews #tos s1 reviews #the corbomite maneuver #tos s1 #tos reviews