#Every time I see an anime man or woman I think is cute we go through this ALL OVER AGAIN | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bronx-bomber87 · 5 months

Text

Happy Wednesday amazing fandom :) Another good one where Tim is naturally the supportive husband. We get to delve into Lucy’s past a bit more. Find out more about why we dislike her mother LOL My rage for her is reignited. Lets get going though.

4x14 Long Shot

We join Lucy in the kitchen pouring over forms and getting frustrated. Tamara sits down next to her asking what’s she’s doing? Lucy explains it’s the forms for her egg extraction. Except it’s a little more intense than she expected. They are wanting to know tons of family history dating back to her great-great grandfather. Tamara says it’s probably just to harvest the best eggs. Lucy tells her it’s hard to answer these when she doesn’t know her real dad.

Tamara is surprised she doesn’t know this about her. Lucy is being surprisingly calm about the whole thing. Saying her dad was her dad. Since he was the man that raised her. Her mom only told her that her real dad wasn’t ready to be a dad. (Only part of it lying liar…)Tamara starts going off on what she could pass on to her kids. Lucy giving her a serious mom look. Haha I love them.

She tells her she’s taking reproductive bio at school. Lucy starts to look a little overwhelmed than she was before. Just replying with an ‘Mmhmm…’ Tamaras comments about her dad starting to sink in more. Wondering if she should be more bothered she doesn't know her real dad? That maybe she should pursue that but isn't sure.

We start our lovely ship out on a call. Lucy asking Tim if he thinks it’s weird she hasn’t tried to find her bio dad? First off I love him already knowing this already. Tim is clearly already clued into this fact. It’s not something she’s bringing up for the first time. Completely normal 'partner' stuff for him to know automatically. Second just having personal convos every day now I love it. Tim is soft at first telling her she doesn’t owe the guy anything. I mean she really doesn't from a logical standpoint.

Then Tim is a little more blunt in his second comment LOL Lucy is exasperated with him and I’m laughing. He’s trying to make a joke to lighten the mood. Doesn’t go over well but 'A 'for effort Tim haha It's his way of being supportive but trying to keep her head in the game. Since they are approaching a crime scene and all that.

They have a mini married moment as they walk up. Lucy makes a comment about she doesn’t know why she bothers talking to him about personal stuff. In response to his millimeter reply. Tim smiles and replies ‘Mission accomplished,’ Lucy looking at him with fond exasperation. Because that’s the level we’re at now. Exasperated with each other per usual but also still very fond.

This next part is so funny. They ask Bailey if they have a suspect? She says no... but she has a good idea whoever torched guys car is a woman. Ha. It’s easy to see why someone would after talking to this guy for two seconds. The arrogance is insane.

When he asks for Lucy’s number LMFAO I’m dying. Tim’s face and his ‘I’m out’ demeanor is too damn funny. He knows Lucy can handle herself and will put this man in his place if needed. So he walks away lets her handle it. Eric kills me with the facial expressions. Lucy’s face is also is super funny. She’s so annoyed but pulls out her pad anyway. Bracing herself to deal with this turd. Her face screaming 'Thanks Tim....'

They respond to a second call. A lady saying a crazy woman came in and released rats. She had an animal carrier and let them out during her breakfast rush. Tim asks her to describe the suspect. She lists the same thing the arson victim did. They put two and two together pretty quickly. They’re the same person. Apparently she used to work for this woman. They get a name in the process. Jordan Conner. Lucy is so cute getting distracted by the rat noise. I love her so much. After Lucy resets herself asks her if she has her address at all?

They make it to her apt and see a man rinsing his eyes out. Tim asking if he’s ok? Man is surly af with Tim. Saying does it look like he’s ok? Easy fella lol Tells them his tenant Jordan Conner pepper sprayed him. Letting them know she was three months behind on rent. Complaining she had special circumstances for being behind.

Tim gives him his card and tells him to call if she returns. I love when they’re walking away how close they are. Zero space between them as they exit. Tim brushing against Lucy as they talk about their next move with this woman. I see you guys. Don't think I don’t haha Tim says they’ll have to get a warrant for her phone. So they can stop her before her crime spree escalates any further.

The warrant leads them straight to her. They find Jordan sitting on her car in the hills. She seems resigned as hell. Like she was waiting for them to come find her. They approach her slowly and tell her all the people they’ve met with today. Her ex, her former boss and her landlord. Tim calling it a pretty epic revenge tour. She calls it her hit list. Lucy asks if she wants to talk about it? She sighs and says people suck. That they do…Tim agreeing saying ‘Yeah. Amen to that.' HA Also once again lets note the lack of space above. Mix this in with a tall/smol shot my heart is happy.

Lucy probes a little deeper. Saying she must’ve had a reason? Jordan opens up and tells them she has the breast cancer gene. It came from her mom and she had been waiting for it. So when she found a lump she wasn’t even surprised. Been waiting her whole life for it. She thought she was going to die. Then last week she went into remission. Tim tells her congrats. She doesn’t thank him. Just replies she was done apologizing for existing. Thus her hit list. Saying she wanted to make her own karma. That everything she did was worth it to her.

I can't say I blame her for being so angry. It does seem like the shitty people of the world get away with murder. If you're good, do your job, do right by people you still get screwed by life. I can't say I don't relate to her. Her BF bailed on her when she was sick. Saying he didn’t do bald chicks. That dude needs to have his penis revoked IMO. What an asshole. Her boss fired her for being late from chemo and her landlord raised her rent when she was too sick to work. That’s a lot. Lucy and Tim empathize but sadly have to still arrest her.

As Tim puts Jordan in the car we can see Lucy deep in her own thoughts. Tim mentioning how most people when they get second chance wanna be better. Saying 'Got to respect her for going the other way. 'Jordan's comment about making our own karma has struck a chord with Lucy. Voicing how she just waited around to get sick like her mom. You can she is conflicted. Asking Tim is it better to know or not? Does it do us any good to know? Truly needing his guidance on this one by asking these questions.

Lucy looks so shaken by the whole situation. I adore him knowing exactly where she’s at in this moment. No need to explain it. Knows what she is talking about without context. I love him tilting his head when he asks above if its about her bio dad? It's so cute. Being the supportive husband she needs. Giving her that last push to confront her mom. Especially if it’s going to eat at her like this. Lucy mentions she’ll go to her aunt Amy instead. Her mother would never tell her ha.

We get to meet Aunt Amy shortly after. Lucy tells her how she was given the egg appt. Explaining to her aunt how pissed she was about it at first. Amy relaying she tried to stop her from doing it. But she clearly didn’t listen to her. Lucy continues on that she decided to explore it. The forms are what’s slowing her down. She doesn’t know anything about her father’s side. We can see her aunt struggle with her telling her the truth.

Not wanting to betray her sister’s trust. I can empathize with that. We find out her mom. Her perfect strict pain in the ass mother slept with a patient. Not only that but that patient is her biological father. She hid it to protect her career and to push away the shame. Suddenly everything is coming into focus. Not surprising her lineage is tied to her mother’s selfishness. Poor Lucy is floored by this info. I know I was when I first watched it. Unreal.

Once they’re back in the shop Tim’s Lucy radar is going off. He looks over at her and see’s how distraught she is. Once again just like in 4x11 asking if she’s ok? This man is so soft for her at this point. Can’t stand her hurting. So he opens up the floor for her to talk. Knowing she is not doing ok. It’s his way of saying if you need to talk let’s talk I’m here to listen. Never be over how he has grown in this way. Seeing her hurting and wanting to help.

Having her hash it out with him. Because he knows it’ll make her feel better. This man ❤️ Sure loves his girl. Melissa crushes this scene. The emotions behind her voice kill me. She is on the verge of crying and Tim knows it. Look at her above she is so emotional she's not even sure where to start. She has a million and one emotions surging through her and it shows. With how she starts to try and talk then stops. Struggling to find the words to convey how she is feeling.

I can relate to this so much. Being so deeply emotional about your parents. Not even knowing where to begin. Only that you are so deeply hurt. Lucy takes another beat before beginning. Expressing how her mother has made her feel her whole life. It’s the worst when nothing you do is good enough. You strive to impress and always come up short. It’s hard not to get a complex about it. I mean I still struggle with my parents thinking I’m their f*ck up child. They’ve never said it but their actions scream it.

Lucy continues on about how her grades, BF’s, career never been good enough for her. Then she finds out her mom made the biggest transgression she could as a therapist. That ever since then she’s been trying to make up for that sin. By riding Lucy into the ground to make up for her mistake she made early in life. In her twisted mind if Lucy came out the way she wanted her to it would erase that shame.

So messed up on very many levels. We watch Tim nod along and let her know he's listening. To give her the opportunity get everything off her chest. You can see the worry in his eyes in the second gif. The way he looks over at her with such empathy in his eyes. Hating how much she is hurting in this moment.

Tim tries to do devil’s advocate. Giving her some logic but it doesn’t land. It never does with her mother. At least not at first. Lucy then voices the thing I’m sure she’s thought her whole life. That’s her mother resents her because she represents the one time she made a mistake. Tim tries to deter this but she cuts him off. (I will never be over how he uses her first name in this season. Something so damn intimate about it.)

Makes me wonder what he was going to say? There was some serious emotion behind his ‘ Lucy it’s..’ We’ll never know cause her aunt texted her what her father’s name is. This is where Tim tries to make her laugh. He’s doing such a solid job being the supportive husband. This tops it off IMO. He can always make her laugh and smile when she is stressed.

Knowing if he makes her laugh it’ll relieve that tension in her body a bit. Making a silly joke about her dad’s name. Saying least it’s not stupid like Dilbert LOL Distracting Lucy from her hurt for a moment with his silly joke. You know he’s proud of himself for getting her to smile in this moment. All he ever wants now in these kind of moments is to make her feel better. Mission accomplished Tim.

You made your girl feel better. Knowing she was on the verge of tears and taking a beat to make her smile. That’s love. 4x12 was about Tim being a control freak. How he doesn’t like to go outside his comfort zone ever. Then we see him do stuff like this. Things he wouldn’t have done pre-Lucy. Making jokes, reaching out to make sure she’s ok, if she’s not he is making it his mission to make her feel better. Gah I love this man so much and his journey. My damn heart.

Tim Bradford can go outside his comfort zone. The question is are you worth it to him to do so? Lucy has earned this out of him ten fold. This season is the fruit of all they’ve built the previous 3 seasons. It’s so glorious to watch the result of it. Said this before but moments like this are what make their slow burn so worth it. Look at how comfortable they are with one another. Lucy spiraling he lets her get it out then reels her back in with a joke. These two I cannot with how much I love them.

We end the episode how we started it with Tamara and Lucy. They’re stalking her potential father on social media. Tamara is so cute having a list of candidates ready for her. Lucy gets a phone call that interrupts their search. She gets the news that he’s dead. It’s so sad to watch her take this news in. Tamara trying to console her best she can about it. Saying yeah she didn’t know him but if not for him she wouldn’t be here. That it's ok to be sad about it.

Breaks my heart how she thought someday they’d meet. Somehow. That she had this idea of him that lingered in her mind. Tamara says she hates to ask. But was it genetic how he died? Lucy answers it was a car crash. He died alone. No kids, wife, nothing. You see the guilt crash over about this fact. I love Tamara doing what Tim would. Not letting her drown and pulling her back to shore emotionally. Refusing to let her beat herself up over it. Her makeshift family taking care of her this ep I love it.

~~~~

Side notes -non Chenford

Angela getting irritated by Wesley being home all day is too funny LOL pawning him off on a tv show to be a consultant.

Could care less about Nolan’s SL per usual haha

Thank you forever and always to those who like, comment and reblog these reviews. Means the absolute world to me :) see you all in 4x15

38 notes · View notes

w1ldthoughts · 9 months

Text

VIP Treatment

Series Masterlist

Synopsis: Jack comes to Miami to spend Zoey’s week off with her.

Jack spent the next three weeks talking to Zoey every minute he could. They would FaceTime, text, talk on the phone and send each other TikToks. He was always sneaking off when he got a phone call or smiling at his phone like an idiot and his team was starting to notice. Oddly enough, he didn’t care and he didn’t share any information with anyone, not even his best friend. He was in his own little personal paradise with this woman and he didn’t want to let anyone in.

“I’m gonna take a couple days to myself, I think. Before we head to Europe. Just wanna get away and get my mind right before getting back into work mode.” Jack states confidently, looking over at Urban on the couch. His friend gave him a knowing smile and a nod. He didn’t know who he was going to go see but he knew it was important if he was going alone.

“That’s a great idea! Enjoy yourself but not too much. We’ve got the show and Fashion week and so many other things planned.” Neelam reminds him, blissfully unaware of what was really going on.

“It’ll be low key and relaxed. Promise.”

He landed in Miami the next morning at 11 and immediately caught an Uber to Zoey’s Arte Grand Central apartment. The event planner’s ears perked up at the sound of a knock on her door. She barely had time to open the door before she was scooped up in his arms and his lips were on hers, gently nudging them apart. Zoey wrapped her legs around his waist and kicked the door closed without missing a beat. Her head was slightly tilted to the left, his soft lips tasted like the orange Phocus he had on the plane and his beard tickled her skin. The kiss was a little eager and erratic but mostly there was relief. Relief that they could finally both get away from work and actually spend some quality time together.

“I missed you.” He breathes out as they pull apart, setting her back on her feet. “And I really missed this,” the man laughed softly, going in for another short kiss.

“I missed you too. Welcome to my apartment and your home for the next four days.”

“It’s cute. And very…pink.” He observed and let Zoey give him a tour of the place.

His bags were placed in one of the guest rooms so he could have closet space and she sat down on the bed to watch him unpack. “So where’s the little demon?” He asked sarcastically, referring to Zoey’s 10 pound cat, Harper.

“First of all, don’t talk about my baby like that,” she narrowed her eyes, “just because you’re hateful and don’t like animals does not mean they’re demons. And second of all she’s probably hiding. Must’ve been able to smell your hater energy from a mile away.”

Jack unsuccessfully tries to stifle a laugh. “Oh I’m a hater now? I don’t wanna be around Harper’s little ass anyway. Her hair all over my clothes? I’m cool on that.”

“See? You’re proving my point. Hater.” She responds with a shake of the head. It was hard to believe he was actually here.

“Can’t believe I’m here either.” Had she actually said that out loud? He stepped away from his suitcase and walked over to the bed, laying down and gently pulling Zoey so she could rest her head on his chest. The sound of his steady heartbeat lulled her to sleep. Jack gave her a kiss on the forehead before dozing off.

Waking up in his arms was definitely something that she could get used to. There were so many nights the last few weeks that she imagined what it would feel like to be in his orbit again, to hug him and just forget about the harsh reality that was in front of her. It was completely unrealistic to assume that this blissful bubble of cutesy feelings would actually turn into something sustainable. But there was no harm in pretending for the next few days…right?

On the second day of his visit Zoey called in a favor and the aquarium was conveniently open after its normal hours, just for the two of them.

“Z, you did all this for little ol’ me?” Jack gasps, putting a hand on his chest for dramatic effect. He vividly remembers her delivering a very similar line the day they met.

“Shut up Jackman,” she nudges his shoulder as they walk side by side to the entrance, “I only did it so we wouldn’t end up on TMZ or in one of those terrifying deuxmoi Instagram stories.”

“Okay facts. Let’s head in.”

Something about the ocean was soothing, even this make believe one. Other parts made her never want to be near a body of open water again. It was all about balance, there’s so much beauty and life within it but there’s so much that we still don’t know and the possibilities of what’s actually down there are endless. Jack was the perfect person to experience this with, he took great pictures and never missed an opportunity to say “hey look, there’s you” when a strange looking fish swam by. They’d never had an issue coming up with topics of conversation, effortlessly moving from one thing to another until they reached the stingray petting zoo and he froze.

“I am not going near them.” He shook his head like a child being forced by their parents to eat vegetables. “Those motherfuckers killed Steve Irwin! I didn’t forget.” Jack whisper yelled.

“Why are you whispering? I don’t think they can hear you.” Zoey laughs, grabbing his hand but he still wouldn’t budge. Looking back and forth between him and the poor girl who had stayed behind to supervise them during this part of their visit, she silently begged for help.

“Mr. Harlow, the stingrays are actually totally harmless. Their defense mechanisms aren’t dangerous to humans.” The employee tries to reassure him.

Jack is still not convinced, squinting a bit to read her name-tag. Zoey did tell him to wear his glasses but he forgot. “Thank you Gabby but I think I’ll stand right here. You go have fun Zo. Unlike you, I value my life.” He crosses his arms.

Zoey huffs out an amused breath and happily walks over to the stingray filled pool. The cartilage velvety skin of the stingray felt so smooth to the touch, it was one of the coolest experiences of her life. They would swim up to the top of the water to graze her hand and one of them even waved in her direction every time he did a lap.

Her infectious laugh is what drew him towards the pool. In an instant Zoey felt his presence behind her, a warm aura like the sun had just come out in the middle of a severe thunderstorm. It was comforting becoming more and more routine, less daunting and more…domestic.

“Look at how friendly they are.” She smiled as he hesitantly knelt down next to her. “Here,” she guided his large hand into the water and immediately a baby stingray swam up, allowing them to run their hands along his back.

“They feel so slimy but…soft?” Jack questioned, looking amazed. Eventually they upgraded to feeding the animals pieces of fish in between their fingers, the sensation being equal to having a tiny vacuum suck up dirt in your hand. Watching her eyes grow wide and light up every time she encountered the stingrays made Jack forget where he was at entirely. He wanted to have a long look without it being creepy, just so he could engrave this moment in his memory for when he inevitably messed this up for himself. He pushed down the self deprecating thoughts when Zoey asked if he was having fun. The words were caught in his throat so he just nodded and dug for another piece of fish.

Once their little bucket of food was empty, they headed over to the nearby sink to wash their hands. They thanked the aquarium staff for having them and headed off to their next destination.

“Today was honestly really fun. Probably one of the best dates I’ve ever had. You really know how to make a guy feel special, do you treat 'em all like this?” Jack jokes, slinging his arm around her shoulder as they walked out of the restaurant after dinner.

“No, of course not! Baby you know you’re special.” His heart sings at the pet name. “And good, I’m glad you’re having the time of your life because I have another surprise for you.”

He had to forcibly stop himself from smiling this time because his cheeks were actually starting to hurt.

This visit had been better than she was expecting and truth be told this little crush was growing by the second. When they re-entered her apartment, he showered and changed into more comfortable clothes, per her suggestion, while she cuddled with her cat. Harper wasn’t the nicest when new people were around so she respectfully kept her distance from Jack, emerging from her carefully selected hiding spot when she was sure he’d be gone for a while.

“I really like him Harp. We might be in trouble here mama.” She whispered to her most trusted audience. That girl would never tell a soul.

Once Harper was peacefully asleep in her cat tree in Zoey’s office, the woman got up to prepare for the last part of the evening before hopping in the shower. After putting her hair up in a bun and throwing on an oversized shirt and knitted shorts, she heads back to the living room to find Jack on the couch watching MLB highlights.

“What are we about to get into?” Jack asks as we watched her dim the lights and turn off the tv.

“Just a little spa night. I figured since you’re going to be on camera and in Paris during the height of Fashion week you should look your glowly best. So I’m here to help you.”

She bent down and grabbed something from the table. “Here, you can put these on when we’re done.”

“You got me fuzzy socks? God you’re so cute.” He happily placed them next to him, awaiting the next step. She carefully climbed into his lap, helping him put on the clay face mask. “This shit smells like dirt. How is it going to make me glow if I feel dirty?”

“It feels dirty now but your skin will be baby smooth when we wash this off in 10 minutes.”

“Ten minutes? Imma turn into stone by then!”

Zoey tries to keep her face still, so as to not get cracks in her own mask. “Please, you’re so dramatic.”

During the time their masks settled, she plugged in the foot massagers and they entangled themselves long enough to put their feet in. Jack audibly relaxed into it immediately. He was in heaven.

The timer went off way sooner than he expected.

“I have some news for you.” Zoey stated as they washed their masks off in the bathroom. “My sister got an assistant coaching job on the University of Louisville’s volleyball team.”

“Wait,” he rushes out, “like Louisville, Kentucky? Where I live?”

“The very one.” She giggles. “She’s in Brazil with the team right now and I’m going to help her move in sometime after they come back. Now I have a reason to be in Kentucky.”

“Stop playing.” He whines, gently lacing their fingers together. “That means…you’ll come visit?” He didn’t know why he was so damn nervous to ask, there were a lot of things he’d been struggling to explain lately. Never usually an open book, he felt comfortable disclosing relatively anything and everything with her, trusting that she’d be there to catch him if he fell. And he was definitely falling.

She placed a warm hand on his cheek, letting him melt into her touch. “Of course I’ll come visit. Someone needs to teach you how to cook.” Zoey’s lips curl into a smile as his lips crash into hers, both of them trying to make these fickle moments last, every touch, every gesture…everything.

Two days later, Jack boarded a plane in denial that he was leaving a piece of himself in a three bedroom apartment in downtown Miami.

#jack harlow #jack harlow x oc #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow fanfic #jack x zoey #jack harlow series #jackman thomas harlow #jack harlow imagine

72 notes · View notes

popculturebuffet · 4 months

Text

Top 20 Animated Episodes of 2023 Part 1

Hello all you happy people! It's now 2024, and with 2023 behind us it's time for my faviorite yearly thing on this blog: my top 20 episodes of the year list!

For those of you new to this tradition or needing a refresher, each year I take 5 episodes each (or less if the show had less), from the various shows I watched that year, and then slowly wittle it down from a massive pile to the 20 best, split into two digestible parts, and let you all enjoy the results. It's one of my favorite things as it gives a nice, personal, wide berth of what happened in that year, gives this blog something unique to do, and allows me to touch on shows I haven't covered yet or may simply not get to for some time, if ever.

2023 was a mixed bag for me, both professionally and personally: It started.. with a kick in the teeth as my cat Stewie died after living a long, fufilling life of looking mildly pissed at everything but still being cute.

He was a good cat and his loss is something I still haven't fully gotten over a year later.

It was a harbringer of change: with Stewie's death we finally moved out of the house I lived in pretty much my whole life, and into a smaller, nicer and far better apartment with my own mini office in my room even and all my children/books/children returned to me. It's taken 6 months but I feel like i've fully settled into my new, wonderful home.

And towards the end of this year as the loss of Stewie still stung all this time later, I got another great change with the addition of Maddie

Maddie was the dog of a close friend of the family who had to go into a retirement home. She needed a home, and now has one in my room looking morose, licking my face and occasionally going under the bed for hours at a time like the cave goblin she is. She was a much needed bolt of sunshine in this storm of a year. I do metaphor good.

So with all these c-changes, how did this blog fair? Suprisingly great but not entirely in tact. Quality wise I do think I did some of my best work this year: I tackled the first apperances of every spider-man, woman and pig in into the spider-verse, the movie itself, finally web swining around a bit thanks to kev with a little more spidey planned for this year, with a tie in for Kraven later this year that's exactly what you think it is. I finally got to do an x-men month, covered rocko's modern life static cling for pride month, and in one of my finest hours, got to do a retrospective on one of my faviroite fairly recent comic strips breaking cat news with the help of my friend emma. Her sponsorship meant I got to cover something great and while few people have read it, i'm happy just to have it out there.

In addition to that I covered Tugs, an osbcure UK series and spirtual brother to thomas the tank engine that involved state mandated death dates for boats, pirates, and eleven minutes of explosions. I finally got to enjoy the madness that was the Telltale Sam and Max Games, with Save the World in the pocket and Beyond Time and Space wrapping up next week. And biggest, best and brightest of all I did a retrospecitve on little shop of horrors, finally seeing both the stage play and original corman film, as well as little shop. And someday i'll have recovered from seeing little shop.

The delay on that though brings me to the other shoe.. this year my productivity was in the basement and my week was at an all time low. Several reviews got delayed, from stewie's death leaving me unable to work for a few days for damn obvious reasons, to the move frequently taking my time or leaving me off balance. Not only that I didn't plan my time off for the move well, so I was left having to rearrange my whole schedule. It's why both pirate month and pride month, proud institutions on this blog, were reduced to a week and a three part special, something I wasn't remotely happy with. Things kept slipping by, and in general it wasn't my best year for getting shit done. I realized i'd simply taken WAY too much on, and thus have scaled back to ten reviews instead of 12 a month, and may scale back further if necessary: i'd rather these reviews be their best and get put through a spellcheck than be glad it's done only to realize I have nother thing that's due yesterday.

Not helping were towards the end of the year, a massively loud noise from my computer fan that made it hard to concentrate, something that's hard for my adhd ass in general let alone with a giant whirring fan that nothing can out loud, and having finally solved tha tproblem thanks to my dad's help.... then having my wrist go out, and while it's recovered now, it meant an extra week off, which sounds nice and was in places.. but was mostly spent in pain or asleep to escpae the pain till I got things to help with that. Then after a nice christmas, a lovely few days after... I got a cold, which spent up a large chunk of my vacation in a sick coma.

I apologize a bit for all the venting as you can tell this year's been a long one. I came out the otherside well with a loveable dog and a great new work/living space, but it was a bitch getting to here.

Thankfully animation wise, the industry wasn't in as MUCH turmoil this year. It still wasn't great: We got more cancelations with Lumberjanes and Phoebe and Her Unicorn announced formally dead before arrival had even started, and cancellations for Inside Job, Star Trek Progidy and Praise Petey, the last two seemingly in limbo as a result, with only one getting saved. While it wasn't the cancelnado of last year that wrecked many a service and nearly ended me, it was still pretty bad and Warner showed zero signs of learning from their lessons: after taking a few months off thinking the heat died down they tried canceling coyote vs acme.. only to then nakedly start a bidding war, making what they were really doing with most projects obvious: making them unaviliable.. and then starting a bidding war for other streamers. I'm not upset many of these shows are on other streamers as their safer from Zaslav there, but it shows just how nakedly greedy, transparently corrupt and blatantly fraudlent Warner Bros Discovery has become.

While the sales of the brilliant Merry Little Batman and sure to be great Batman: Caped Crusader to amazon are GOOD as Amazon has learned what animation means, it unmasks warner as simply doing all this tax writeoff shit to make money.. and then often forgetting to even sell the shows, not carring if no one's buying and just shrugging off someone's heart and soul being cast into the void. The loss of Final Space and Close Enough STILL stings and hasn't gone away even with the maker of the former both having found a way to finish the story and move on with his life.

The cherry on top of this shit sundae is Zaslav, no shit, saying the decision to shelve Batgirl, a movie that was entirely done and could've had the elseworlds label slapped on it if they didn't want it in the DCU, BRAVE. Yes that.. really happened.

It wasn't just Zaslav fucking up this year though, as other execs certainly tried their hardest or were arm and arm with him: The biggest blunder is obviously the strikes which while not affecting animation for the most part, was still a long dark night of the soul that was entirely the fault of executives not wanting to give up the precious theorietical money they could make once AI gets to the point it can create actual things, nor the likenesses of DEAD PEOPLE they should have no right to. Exec behavior was at it's most disgraceful this year... I don't know how that bare somehow got lower but that's the hellscape we're in with both zaslav and iger beign part of the corprate hydra that kept rejecting any deals presented and tended to flip the table and leave in a huff , leaving the negotations for weeks at a time till it became apparent that no amount of veiled threats of starving them out.

That said the strikes... were a net positive: they were long, brutal and threw tv off and delayed a show or two.. but it was well worth it. It helped show just how much actors and writers of all pay levels are needed, got them badly needed pay increases and protections and left the door open to help fiddle with AI protections as while AI isn't remotely good at creating scripts, that's never stopped execs from promoting something anyway. Despite MANY attempts to demonize the strikers, frame them as hollywood elites despite the fact the bulk were just trying to live on and were putting their liveleyhoods at stake to make sure they had one, or paint them as the bad guys.. it never worked. The public held firm, the strikers held firm and deflected most attempts with solidarity, with said big fish they tried to use as propoganda.. instead gladly donating to help the strike keep going. Fran Drescher and co fought hard, and the result is a slightly better hollywood.

And that hope for a brighter future really radiated this year: while Animation is still in flux in places, a lot of the networks hit hard by corprate dumbfuckery last year started to regrow: Netflix, after a year or two of rapid cancellations and baffling decisions, finally regrew it's animation divsions: Outside of Inside Job, most cancelations were shows that really weren't the best idea or execution to start with, and most hits got renewed, with them even picking up Star Trek Prodigy for another season and likely as many as they can carry. They pivoted more to adult animation with hits like Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Pluto, Castlevania Nocturne, Carol and the End of the World and Blue Eyed Samurai, the latter three I wish I got to but i've heard are incredible.

While WBD was still BURNIN DOWN THE HOUSEEEE, it snuck in a few hits with My Adventures with Superman and tons of great stuff I did'nt get too like Scavengers Reign, the beginning of the end for Craig of the Creek, Fired on Mars, and Hair Love, while having a suprise banger in the form of Tiny Toons Loonveristy, proving just how to reboot a classic property once again. Not only that the finale movies for Venture Bros and Metalocalypse came out, which given the last year was a huge fingers crossed thing. But both came out, I got both on blu ray, and got neat posters with them in the bargin and both closed up two of adult swims best series in the way they richly deserved. We also got an Urkel Christmas Movie. I guess.

Amazon continued it's own building: in addition to the dark knight picups mentiond, Invincible and Legend of Vox Machina both had amazing season 2's, with Vox Machina picked up for two more seasons to close it out proper and a Mighty Nein spinoff, with a Belles Helles Spinoff all but guarnateed at some point, and Hazbin Hotel after a truly agonizing year of waiting for someone to announce they had it, finding a perfect home for the happiest place in hell.

Finally, the indie scene, already thriving blew the fuck up. For the first time I nominated six diffrent pilots from various indie creators who all did a fucking great job: Godspeed, Lackadaisy, In Limbo, Atlas and the Stars, and Swift Spark and the Defensive five all had impressive showings and I regret not watching Lackadaisy in time to support it, but I can't wait to see what it brings to the table and to see all of these shows make it to series, not to mention up coming ones like ToonrifiqTariq's "Hey" that are likely going to come out next year.

It's a strange time for animatoin.. but one tha'ts proven you can make your own way, that the big coprations are trying and that in film.. is at one of i'ts brightest: while there ere some stumbles we had masterpieces like Nimona, which also made disney look horribly stupid for homophobically canceling it, Across the Spider verse (which needed to treat it's animators better but still deserves mention), and TMNT Mutant Mayhem.

It was a hell of a year and I can't want to share the best of it with you. And as a result of such a good year there's a few firsts: This is the first year with Anime included and if you want to know why i'ts taken so long it wasn't snobbery.. I just.. plain forgot to watch the ones I DID want to watch the past few years. That's... really it. I usually prefer reading the manga, as it's both faster and less time consuming, and Some of the best often aren't on the streaming platforms I do have. Pluto and Scott Pilgrim got by by being adaptations of something I love with all my heart a piece and thus coudln't bear myself to miss, but I might try to vary up my viewing more next year. I do want to check Zom 100 out at some point.

Anyways the other is that I allowed two dtv movies in here. Now this is with a caveat: It has to be directly linked to an existing animated series, a sequel, a prequel, etc. It's something I never really thought about before, but makes sense: While Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart and Army of the Doomstar were both considered for my film list too and are films.. their the proper conclusion to their stories. Not only that with Pluto's inclusion on this list, we have a series that had episodes only about ten minutes or so shy of both films runtime, so I figured fudging the rules like this was fair. I would've included Craig Before the Creek, but I want to wait to watch it when it comes on HBO Max next month.. and buy it on Physical as I don't remotely trust WBD to keep digtial copies up forever anymore. And really it feels in the spirit of things like operation zero back in the day or in both metalocalypse and venture bros own histories, all this and gargantua 2 and doomstar requieum.

Okay now that's settled this years list is intresting as while there's a decent amount of returning shows most haven't been on this list before. Of the nominees the only returning shows are The Legend of Vox Machina, Invincible, Helluva Boss, The Great North, Miraculous and Big City Greens, with mainstays like Tuca and Bertie and Close Enough sadly gone thanks to WBD being pralines and dicks. Thus our shows competing are an eclectic mix of returning combatants, one for sadly the last times, revivials of old shows, reboots of old shows, two limited series, and a handful of spectacular pilots

These are the shows that I got to see this show and thus entered the running, all sorted by platform since.. there's a lot.

Amazon Prime: The Legend of Vox Machina Invincible

HBO Max: YOLO: Silver Destiny Clone High Tiny Toons Looniversity Adventure Time : Fionna and Cake Aqua Teen Hunger Force My Adventures with Superman Disney+: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur The Owl House (Final Year) Kiff Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir Big City Greens Hulu: The Great North Futurama Bob's Burgers The Simpsons Netflix: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Limited Series) Pluto (Limited Series) DTV: Venture Bros: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (Special) Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar (Special)

YouTube: Helluva Boss Godspeed Lackadaisy In Limbo The Amazing Digital Circus Atlas and the Stars Swift Spark and the Defensive Five

So with our nominees in clear view, who shined the brightest, who didn't and whose going to yell at me over my choices? find out under the cut!

FULL SPOILERS FOR MOST EPISODES ON THIS LIST. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

20. The First Episode (Atlas and the Stars, Pilot)

"Sorry for dragging you into this man. You don't have to trust me but I promise to make this up to you, I swear."

Coming in just under the wire as the last released episode on this list, it's placing is just a fun concidence, we have The First Episode... the pilot for new series Atlas and the Stars. You can watch it here

youtube

So it's come up soon but the reason I put MOST episodes on the spoiler warning.. is this pilot and another on the list, I really DON'T want to spoil much as both rely on you watching it, this one in paticular not revealing what the show's premise will be from here on out, instead telling the parallel tales of Atlas, a human from a dying planet who hyjacks a space ship to acheive her dream of endless freedom in the stars, Atmosphere, a shy loveable alien embarking on his first day regestring ships at a space port, and Quasar, the lord of a mysterious planet who keeps having to sacrifice.. somethign to a portal to keep it alive... and it can't keep up forever and his beligeured assitant nebula. ALl of this comes togeter in a beautifully animated, well active and creative sci fi adventure with one hell of a hook from where it goes form here, awesome character desgin work and some neat sci fi tek in Atlas' googles. Miranda Toomey used every inch of whateve rbudget she had to make this and it turne dout gorgeous, and I can't wait to see the next episode in this and how this story progresses. It's well done, gorgeous, heartfelt and engaging and I recommend you go watch it before we move on to our next entry.

19. Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (Venture Brothers, Finale Movie) "All you need to know is the person who gave birth to you loves you, I promise you that"

From a start to a finish we have Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, the long awaited and thankfully came out with a dvd and everything ending of the Venture Brothers. It's shockingly low on this list, but as much as I love this series.. it came out in a tight year with some even better finales, and had the burdern of having to cram in a season's worth of content, even with the cuts they made, into an 84 minute film.

The results are still excellent: Radiant is a fun, frantic race to the finish line that satisfyingly answers a lot of the series biggest questions: Who the boys mom was, how Monarch and Rusty are related, can HELPER fire a shot gun, will Hank and Dean reconcile... all the closure we needed in a tight 88 minute story that also includes classic hip hop traick it's takes 2, magnetic shenanigans, Hank using giant novelty checks for money, dermott using a piss filled super soaker, dean thinking he's a vampire, a halfway house for supernatural heroes, and Mantilla, one of the series most delightful villians and one I really wish we'd gotten proper time with. It's a joyous reaffermation of what this series is about, has nice moments for most of the best cast members, including Brick Frog my beloved, and ends on a mostly satisfying note. It also gives us a golem made entirely of pants and isn't that the greatest adventure of all?

18. "Lights, Camera, Sparks?!" (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Episode 5)

"You've known him for three f***ing days!" "Is that all it's been?!" Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was an easy faviorite this year and given my longstanding love of the Scott Pilgrim comics and like of the movie, it wasn't a huge shocker i'd love whatever the anime turned out being. I was pumped from the announcement, worried it'd just be "the movie but animated" when the cast was announced.. and then over the moon when it turned out that no, the cast was all coming back but the take on the franchise was all new.

What we got wasn't the straight adaptation that was pitched.. and was all the better for it. If you haven't seen Takes Off.. please do it's fantastic, I did a whole review on it, go, and if you won't then this is your last warning as I can't really talk about the episodes of it on this list without getting into spoilers as it's one of those series where the first episode twist.. defines the rest of the show.

Okay we good. So the first episode progresses as normal, a few tweaks to let you know this is it's own universe, enough character moments to show that even with the film voice actors the main cast is closer to the comics..... then Scott seemingly dies.

From there things go off the rails, and that's where the magic kicks in: While Scott's still key to the story and turns out, naturally, NOT to be dead, instead kidnapped by a mysterious portal, Ramona takes the lead, with us getting to know her better now she's the pov character instead of the guy worshipping the ground she skates on. While Ramona was fleshed out in the comics, the series gives her more to do as she solves this mystery. It's intriguing, it's fun, and it gives Mary Elizabeth Winstead the chance to play a more fleshed out version of the character with more sides to her than "aloof".

What the series also does well.. is go the fuck off the rails. Matthew uses his newfound confidence to punch gideon out of all his companies and fancy suits, Gideon becomes the best worst couple with julie, and Young Neil becomes a spacey moron who assumes the mysterious person writing a script based on how the story originally went is his sleep paralysis demon. The series has a lot of great character, animation and development as Ramona's forced to .. talk with her exes instead of her new boyfriend punching most of them for her.. but it can't be forgotten it's also delightfully nuts, easily the goofiest this franchise has gotten and i'm here for it.

That brings us to "Lights, Camera, Sparks?!", easily the biggest shit post of the entire series, and one of the funniest episodes of the year easily. While the previous ones are a bit melancholy in tone with the goofy stuff as a nice side dish, fitting how scott pilgrim rolls, LCS is just one long farce with Ramona struggling to get any detective shit done while Wallace wrecks envy and todd's relationship, Edgar Wright but voiced by Kevin McDonald slowly looses his mind, and Neil gets into various shenanigans while only being a quarter aware of anything going on, including what was in the script his sleep paralysis ramona from the future wrote.

The setup is simple: Toronotwood is making a film based on how scott's story usually go, again ghost written by a mysterious sleep paralysis demon, and hired Lucas and envy to play scott and ramona. Lucas got can...something for dating a 30 year old who looks like a high schooler, so now i'ts todd clumisly shoved into Scott's clothes. Wallace is also there, having throughly humilited the notoriously straight actor playing him out of a job and letting his ego grow 15 sizes that day.

What follows is a mocumentary masterclass as Envy and Todd can't stop being horny for two seconds, Wallace making out with Todd and being his bi awakening reading them to constantly "run lines in his trailer", Neil is hilaroius and you will repeat everything he says and Ramona is left bobbing around unable to actually get any answers.

This all leads to a delightful explosion as Todd falls in love with Wallace, Wallace is a callous dick, Wallace sicks his stunt doubles on Envy, Ramona is sicked on them, and everyone is confused, all cumilating in todd binge eating poutine and crying, an option I wish americans had but alas we are poutineless while Matt shuts down the production then sputters like a kid who got a lucky punch in on his bully when he finds out Scott is alive. Also Knives and Stephen get a meeting with him leading to the greatest musical of all time.

As you can tell this episode is very stupid and I love it. It's just 100% nonsense the whole way through, letting Wallace do something since the only main character who isn't Ramona he interacts with is in the future right now. There isn't much to disect, i'ts just pure comedy gold with props to both Kirean for really nailing a more douchestastic wallace and especially Brandon Routh who has shockingly deep comedic chops. A great episode and a nice break before we dive full speed into just where Scott went.

17. Lackadaisy (Pilot Episode)

Old Man River! That seems far too austere a name for something made of mirth and rage. O, roiling red-blood river vein. If chief among your traits is age, You're a wily, convoluted sage.

Is "old" the thing to call what rings the vernal heart of wester-lore? What brings us brassy-myth made kings. And a preponderance of bug-type things. To challenge titans come before!

O, demiurge to a try at Avalon-once-more?

And what august vitality in your wide aorta stream. You must have had to oversee alchemic change of timber beam to iron, brick and engine steam!

Your umber whiskey waters lance the prideful, sober sovereignty of faulty-haloed temperance, and wilt her self-sure countenance; Yes, righteousness is vanity. But sport's for imps, not elderly.

So if there's a name for migrant mass of veteran frivolity That snakes through seas of prairie grass and groves of summer sassafras; a name that flows as roguishly as wild waters, fast and free, It's your true name: Mississippi.

That beautiful poem opens up Lackadaisy, thank you wiki so I didn't have to transcribe that whole glorious thing, as a roustabout cat in 1927 St. Louis names rocky spends the first few minutes playing fiddle, basking in the glorious moonlight and waxing poetic about the mighty missisipi. It's a beautiful opening that shows off the series deft animation and MIssouri setting, something that makes me want to learn more about my own state's history. It's clear from the word go a LOT of love and research went into this setting, and given creator Tracy Butler had started Lackadaisy as an even MORE lavishly drawn webcomic.

Lackadaisy has a simple setup: three cats working for the titular saloon, Rocky, our dreamy narrator and mild loon, Freckle, his grumpy sidekick whose perhaps a bit TOO good with a gun, and Ivy, a peppy girl who takes jabs at Rocky and flirts with Freckle. I .. I ship the fuck out of it. These two are adorable. The three are robbing a body for canadian hooch but have to deal with the deathly serious and deathly hot, Mordecai Heller and his much more excitable, jokey and bloodthristy associates Serfafine and Nico Savoy.

The short is mostly a tense back and forth between both parties as our heroes barely surivive, we get a lot of good Ivy and Freckle content and Rocky saves the day by hyjacking a goddamn steam shovel and loading it with dynamite while waxing poetic and laughing madly. If that's not enough to get you to check it out if you haven't, I have clearly failed in some way as Lackadasiy is excellent and like Atlas and the Stars, leaves me wanting more of this cast. I'll defintely be reading the comic and plan to at least try to get the print editions coming up soon, as the pilot does a good job of showing who these characters are simply by action.. but leaving you questioning WHO they are and how they all ended up in a failing saloon, and why say Mordecai spares Ivy towards the end. Whatever it is I only want more of this, and am so happy those of you who weren't late adoptres like me helped get us a full season 1. Thank you so much and I can't wait for this show to show up here again. It's gonna be a riot and Micheael Kovach steals the show any time Rocky speaks, while SunWongCho is just... amazing as Mordecai and gives us a great antagonist to work with, a classic mystery man whose side your not sure who he's on, you just know he's a threat when he shows up.

16. Simon Petrikov (Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, Season 1 Episode 2)

Does somebody jump for joy? Does somebody cry? Now that I'm not part of that sadness? Does somebody want me now? Now that I can’t fly? Now that I'm not part of the madness? Part of the madness?

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake surprised the hell out of me in the best way possible. See while I never stopped caring in SOME way about adventure time, my dropping off mid series after ... THAT happened in Breezy, only coming back occasionally for an episode or two, the orgalorg arc and the finale, I really wasn't interested. I did enjoy the two episodes of Distant Lands I saw, Stakes was excellent and Together Again felt like a more fitting final chapter to the series. Both didn't feel like continuation of the story: Stakes was a coda giving us the Bubbline content CN denied us and Together Again is an Epilogue, set at the very end of Finn's story.

So I was kind of.. Meh on Fionna and Cake's announcment. I wasn't against it but I'd just never really cared about these two, with the series having made two great episodes about them (and two more I hadn't seen at the time), but the whole "created by a creepy old guy" part of it always held me back from fully embracing these two. I was badly hoping they'd throw away the whole fanfic conceit and just move on.

They didn't do that.. but Fionna and Cake not only found a way to revitalize that, but reminded me WHY the original series was so strong. Fionna and Cake grew up with the original audience, a piece about metafiction, fandom, growing up, and depression all made wonderful and really stretching the property as far as it'll go and i'ts unexpected season 2 greenlight makes me all too excited.

The thing I was most excited for though.. was still greatly done. Alongside Fionna and Cake getting a slice of life makeover thanks to Simon going back to "normal", we get some closure for Simon who ended the series seemingly fine: Betty is gone, but he's sane, Marcy gets her real dad back, job done right?

Adam Muto, Adventure Time's ep from season 6 and the archeticht of most things from Rebcca Sugar's leaving till present day, disagreed, planning a simon special for distant lands before rewriting it for this series. And it points out something a lot of fans noticed about this ending: it's.. not okay. Simon lost betty AGAIN, and is now trapped in a world he never made.

And the series makes this into his arc, how does he fit into this world, and what he tries to do to escape it instead of dealing with it. Simon Petrkiov paints a picture of where Simon's been in the 10 year time jump between Come Along With Me and his debut in this series, Simon Petrikov.. and it's a deeply depressing picture.

Simon's a living exhibit on the humans floating island, unable to connect with his fellow humans as he can't relate to them in any way shape or form. He's a 20th Century man and their 24th century men and women. Not helping is an overzealous, or sweet fan girl he keeps shooing away who just CAN'T understand that the man who wrote Fionna and Cake.. ISN'T the same guy making toast in a fake apartment and watching Cheers every day. The Ice King was PART of simon, but they were never the same person and every reminder of the hell the poor man went under, the things he did, the people he hurt just reminds Simon how far away he is from home.

Not helping is something all too common with depression and trauma, something I know all too well... Simon won't open up to people. He doesn't get help (and as we learn via a minerva bot in the finale Therapy was ALWAYS there for him), and he keeps space from the surrogate family he does have. He dosen't want to "ruin" marcy finally being in a good place and thus barely calls her, content to just visit and pretend things are okay. Finn TRIES reaching out.. but while he's older, wiser, and beardier now, and to my delight still with Huntress Wizard (and in headcanon in a throuple with Flame Princess, but that just me. ), but he's still an adrenline junky raised by a loveable manchild who can't quite relate to someone like Simon, who just wants his old life back.

All this is punctuated by the return of Rebecca Sugar, who sings the beautiful and tragic "part of the madness" which sums up where Simon is: he's normal, he's who HE wants to be.. but the world simply feels like it rejects him, when really he's just as much rejecting it. Instead of trying to find some calm in the storm of this life and admit he needs help.. he chases betty, trying badly to get her back even though it just.. isnt' possible.. and causing this series as a result. He just can't let go.. but the series shows him he has to if he wants to truly live.

15. Miraculous World Paris : Tales of Shadybug and Claw Noir (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir World Special 4) | In the daytime, I'm Gabriel Just a normal man, with a normal life But I have a secret I must keep at any cost Or all hope will be lost. Miraculous! Fear is a cage! Hear the message, answer the call! Miraculous! Yes, you can change! The power of love will free us all! Miraculous!

Yeah after two years of watching it, Miraculous Ladybug actually made this list. I'm shocked i'ts both this high AND this good. See while i'm a fan of Miraculous Ladybug, most of the fandom is more a fan of what it could be, the potetial it'd have if Thomas Astruc hadn't been the one mostly running it for 5 seasons and running it straight into the ground into the molten core of the earth. The Recent film, while far from perfect, felt like more what the series SHOULD'VE been, with the secret id bullshit resolved by the end of what's essentially movie/season 1, Gabe given more depth etc.

So i'ts ironic that in the same year the show itself, via it's spinoff specials gives us ANOTHER universe that's way better than the mess they've made of the main timeline with Miraculous World Paris. Mirror Universes are nothing new, to the point Kev and I have a whole series on mirror universe episodes featuring this very special planned, starting later this month.

With Ladybug's lack of subtley, misuse of good ideas and goofy incompetence, I assumed this special would be at best goofy fun with overblown multiverse and mirror universe tropes. Instead... it's the single best episode of the shows run, a truly moving piece that made me enjoy mirror universes again the same way Fionna and cake has made me enjoy AU's again

Miraculous knows just the right way to make evil counterparts: instead of the earth 3 versions of Marinette, Adrien and Gabriel the complete opposites of our heroes or just "Evil, Evil and less of a prick", Shady Bug, Claw Noir and Betterfly are all the same people we've come to know, simply gone down a diffrent route. Gabe is a better person, having STARTED as his earth 1 shitheal self working with his earth's eviil shadow overlord supreme... the loss of his life somehow changing this course. Instead of using the butterfly miraculous to try and bend the world in shape to get his wife back, he honors her legacy as Betterfly, helping others, something that seems IMPOSSIBLE for our gabe to consider without an ulterior motive.. but all too plausible if he just let go of his ego and his wife and let her die in peace instead of holding her in a dome coma and fighting teens. If he accepted he can't control something

Likewise Shadybug is Mari if Alaya hadn't befriended her, if Chloe just kept bullying Mari and Mari never stood up to her, the bullying just made her worse. If her parents WEREN'T there to support her: the bakery and her room is.. but it's very clear her alternate parents just aren't the loving duo our Mari's are. This is the kind of Mari that would've easily become an akuma.. but instead becomes something WORSE thanks to Supreme, a mysterious entity linked to the guardians, very heavily implied to be earth 3 Master Wu, who gives out the miraculouses to those who can tighten his grip on earth, and selected Mari and an Adrien who never went to school and thus never got out of his shell and is even MORE distant form his dad due to Gabe's new job as his pawns.

It results in a tearful battle as our heroes are both forced to TRUST the best life version of their nemisis, and battle what easily could'e ben them, while their counterparts find out , after Shadybug tries the wish thing, that supreme was using them and their lives are being drained by overusing their powers, explaning why the regular miraculouses limit our heroes to one use of their powers and limited timing. This is what happens otherwise and Monarch is all too happy to take advantage of that. There's more to this special, a lot more I can't wait to explore in april, but needless to say Miraculous World Paris.. is what I wanted from this series: a creative, tightly told, heartbreakingly well done superhero story with tense action, creative uses of the kwamis, and good character stuff for BOTH versions of our protagonists. I'ts a true masterwork and I wish THIS is the show we got more consistently.

14. The Amazing Rudy (Bob's Burgers, Season 14, Episode 2)

"I kinda walked away on dinner with my dad and her boyfriend and dad and his vicky for the first time which I guess how family dinners are gonna be from now on and I guess technically... I ran away"

It's weird but despite my deep love of the Great North (Which for the first time since it's debut missed the list this year, but damn did it have a good one, even if season 4 had to wait for 2024), until this year I wasn't consistently watching it's sister show Bob's Burgers anymore. I liked Bob's, I loved the movie, I had nothing against it. But any time I tried to get back there'd be an episdoe that just took me out. So now while I won't watch every episode, I still watch most, as the show is good as ever, if not on a comeback after a few seasons apparently felt (if TV Tropes is a good indciator) as very hit and miss. Season 14 is fantastic and it's no surprise it's second episode ended up being one of the series best.

The Amazing Rudy is something completely different in tone and staging, with a more melancholy peanuts style soundtrack, a somber tone and more muted humor. It fits perfectly, as the episode isn't centered around the Belchers this time but Louise's best friend, future husband and morality pet Rudy. The show has had secondary character spotlights before, Rudy getting a few himself, but usually the Belchers are still front and center and one of them still plays a major role in following this character around. For instance a few episodes later we get "bully-leive it or not" a zeke spotlight episode, but one where the other three kids are still very present: Zeke and his shameful past are the focus, but Louise and Tina still figure heavily into the plot, louise nearly bullyign Zeke's former bullying victim thinking the guy bullied zeke and that's why zeke freezes up seeing the guy, while Tina guiding the kid around is what kicks things off. The two aren't the focus, but it still feels like a bobs burgers adventure, helped with a bob subplot where he grapples with Jimmy Pesto, now played by Eric Bauza after a long absence thanks to his previous actor being an insurrectionist which lets face it Jimmy totally also was or at the very least thought about before finding the air fair was too much.

Here the focus is on Rudy to the point it feels like an episode of a Rudy spinoff show that does not exist but we now all want it too. It's still in Seymour's Bay (Which I forget is the name of the town this show takes place in as mostly people we know are in wonder wharf or on ocean avenue), just following Rudy as the lead instead. The Belcher's show up, in the middle of a bob's burger's episode we'll never see about Gene getting good grades and thus getting baked potato lasagna, a recipie he made up and assumes "everyone else must enjoy" is part of the reward, with the payoff him realizing he can't force someone to love his abomination, but he CAN have their portions. Being Rudy's closest friends and future wife it makes since there the ones he talks to when he goes to the mall with his dad to get a magic trick for the night and a snappy hat when he crosses them.

The Belcher's presence also hammers home what Rudy's dealing with though and that's.. a loss of family. Rudy's Parents are divorced. This isn't a new fact as it's come up casually in the past: being the kids Teddy, i.e. the person closest to them in their age group to be clear, not the person who defintely has passed by the restraunt at night every night and just.. stares in the window. But being the kids most prominent supporting character, with Jimmy Junior and Zeke a close shared second, we've gotten to know him: his parents divorce is amnicable, he alternates weekends, and they've both moved on. We haven't really seen his mom but Rudy seems just fine with her and with his dad being his primary caregiver, is a bit closer to him, as shown in this ep as the two are adorably in synch and have their rythm.

See Rudy didn't LOOSE his mom or dad, both are still very present.. but he lost the three of them as a family and until recently had their monthly "We're still a family' dinner", what, as we learn in a heartbreaking montage i'll get too shortly, was a monthly family dinner and became a way to show that both his parents still loved him and still liked each other even if they weren't together. The problem is while a well meaning gesture, both parents have started bringing their partners, which is fair but makes it less a family dinner.. and more Rudy stuck with four adults having a hangout who accidently forget he's there. While I never went through one of these as a middle schooler when my parents broke up, I know the type of event Rudy deals with all too well: it's mostly adults, there's no one to talk to and your alone. Granted I was fine with it because I just.. read whatever book I brought anyway, but rudy is a social butterfly, an awkward awkward butterfly, so he has no idea how to handle this, or really deal with it.

His one ace in the hole is a magic trick, from his faviorite shop, the same one we saw in the magic episode way back. See while Rudy's love of being a magician is another character trait that's come up, this episode gives weight to it: Rudy got into magic not just because he dearly loves it and the person at the shop gladly mentors him and supports his talent, but it's seen in a montage of previous dinners that any time his parents started fighting, before and after divorce, a simple trick reentered the night and reminded them what's important.

Naturally the trick, done using a glass of drinking water and some tablets, goes wrong, and while Rudy's parents encourage him to try again and no one really is mad at him or upset it went wrong and spilled everywhere, he feels utterly humiliated, something we all went through as kids: you screw something up and while your parents don't make a deal out of it, you just can't. Hell I still have that problem. So combine that with already not wanting ot be here and Rudy bounces, his parents not aware he's gone.

Naturally, given the earlier setup, he bounces to the Belchers. And it's easy to see why: The Belchers are a loving, wonderful family, and Bob and Linda not only gladly let Rudy join, but engage with him in a way Rudy's parents simply forgot. Rudy's parents aren't callous... adults simply make mistakes and in likely trying ot make sure rudy's okay with both their partners being there, their partners feel good, the million other things they got going on.. they talked over Rudy. It's what makes this work: we feel for rudy, but it stings more that this isn't some problem with an easy fix. There will be plenty more dinners where he's wallpaper and plenty more times they likely forget him without meaning to. The trick COULD'VE helped.. but it failing was a reminder it was just a distraction from the fact his parent's aren't a family anymore, just two people who share a kid, loving him and caring about each other.. but what little bit of what he had before the divorce is just gone.

Brian Huskey's voice as he gives the monologue I used for this episode's quote is just heartbreaking.. you can feel the kid just.. relaizing he can't just run away from it. It's just.. how things are. HIs sad revelation of this just hits, Louise's "Oh boy", and Rudy sounds on the verge of tears.. we've seen him mad, we've seen him kinda sad.. but never like this. Just a child realizing things won't be the same and he has nothing to do but go back to it.

Thankfully as bob and linda mindly panic after realizing "oh god this child just ran and his parents don't know oh god", Louise knows what her best friends need and offers to walk him back. not only is the moment shiptastic.. it's sweet. Louise gets Rudy is having a hard time with all of this and needs some support, needs someone his own age there to talk with and to help deflect attention. And to punch out anyone on the way who tries to hurt them with brass knuckles, which naturally linda gave her as santa. After all he IS from the streets. It provides a pretty morose episode an utterly sweet ending as the two walk back, Bob couldn't be prouder, and Rudy.. for now at least.. isn't alone among his own family anymore. He may never have what he had back.. but he's gained someone pretty good along the way.

13. Watching and Dreaming (The Owl House, Season 3 Episode 3, Series Finale)

"Eda, King, Thank you for Everything" "Right Back atcha kiddo" "Weirdos?" "Weirdos"

The Owl house was the best show of the 2020's and while it had some stiff compettion this year, it still hasn't been surpassed. It was hilarious, had a wonderfully built messed up world with lots of thought, deep character arcs, and was sadly cut short way too soon, but will never leave the hearts of those of us who loved it.

So thankfully they stuck the landing, as Watching and Dreaming was a worthy conclusion to the series. After the decent but easily weakest of the three season 3 specials "For the Future", Watching and Dreaming is a nicely packed finale that wraps up the series wonderfully and while it leaves me wanting only MORE, MORE DAMN YOU MORE, as the series always had, it's a good note to end on while Dana gets the hell out of mouseton for a while.

It was also the last episode of a show I covered as it came out, with an attempt to do so with legend of vox machina adding way too much to my work load this year to really work out, and as a finale to that.. it was just as welcome.

Watching and Dreaming spends it's first third on the Collector, and while there is a bit of disconnect between what he puts our heroes through and where he left off, with Luz once again hving her anxieties reinforced via a horrifying puppet show, the show quickly recovers as the big three are reunited after two long episodes and several long months in and out of universe: Luz has her other mom and little brother back, Eda has her kids back and King has her family back. We also get a quick show of just how far they've come since the pilot as each one easily bodies the collector's games... and leaves him wondering why they won't play fair, why this isn't working. It takes three people who had to learn their lessons the hard way through tears, isolation and learning their life was a lie, to teach the boy god empathy and unveil that at his heart.. he's just a kdi who REALLY didn't know what he was doing was awful.

Unfortunately just as the collector learns friendship, belos POSSESS THE TITAN'S CORPSE ITSELF and plans to do .. something.. genocidey and after an attempt to just forgive him fails, the only thing our heros have is each other, with Luz's friends aka our other heroes busy saving allt he puppets with their new starry pjamaed pal.

Luz gets a last minute somewhat asspully upgrade, but it's all three together that defeats belos. It's an epic finale but one that nicely focuses on who Dana intended as the core of the series: a child who found her place in another world and learned responsibility and to forgive herself, a witch who learned to forigve and let others in, and a titan who learned empathy, all kicking that blobs ass. And then curb stomping it. It's a moving, fast paced, excellently animated finale with a fun time skip epilogue to tie it all together. Owl House may be gone... but it'll never be forgotten.

12. Army of the Doomstar (Metalocalypse, Finale Movie)

"I am a wheel in the gear of the Klok. I feel not my mortality".

The other adult swim finale movie this year and the one that had the harder road. While Venture Bros got it's movie offer at the same time as cancelation, it took Brendon Small a decade, a whole ass album designed to be as close to a finale as he could get without a lisence and a LOT of campaning to finish his story to get here. Metalocalypse ended just as the final verse of blood, metal and stupidity was about to be written, and it was thanks to Small and the Fans themselves that we finally got it with this movie.

Army wraps up 4 seasons and another movie, a movie I dearly loved when it came out and still do, with an epic. It's darker in tone as the metalocalypse that begun at the start of the series is almost here and Nathan Explosion has a full on existential crisis trying to write the song that will save the world, having no idea how and not helped by his disasterous attempted propsoal to abigail while on a lot of wine and xanax (Props to small for ending a pretty disliked subplot exactly the way it shoudl without just.. tossing it out for time or some shit AND making it tie perfectly into the plot). The films dives into the overexpecations we put on creatives to MAKE US MORE DAMMIT, and how hard that actually is.. but also how fans.. are something to treasure and not spit in their face as our heroes have the whole series, seeing them more as parasites than people.

It maintains the series ballance of having an epic story.. but not sugarcoating that these guys are fucking morons with Nathan charging into a funeral on xanax and telling everyone, Pickels having ot literally be everyone's mom, and Pickles ordering a last meal fo rnathan of cool ranch diritos and choclate milk. The shows as goofy as ever, but adds a heart that's been only glimpsed on occasion as our heroes are allergic to feelings, as our heroes must save the world. We also get some kickass metal music as always, with SOS being a standout, giving us one last awesome dethklok performance and song as our heroes rally the world to show them their not alone.. and they never were. An epic, hilarious, and well done film that manages to cover all the bases it needs to and wrap everything up in 96 minutes. Pretty brutal.

11. The World Vs Scott Pilgrim (Scott Pilgrim Takes off Episode 6, Series Finale)

"Hey, because I'll have a lot of trouble saying it later, let me say it now: I love you, Scott. And I run away from the thing that I love. But what I've done in the past doesn't have to define me. Help me keep remembering that, okay?"

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was a thrilling watch but there was one worry I had as it went.. sticking the landing. It set up a compelling mystery, to the point I genuinely wasn't sure who would kidnap scott as while the twins DID have to show up and were likely involved.. it just didn't fit that it was them. It being their robot who being a robot has never eaten anything, thus never eaten meat and would have none of the bilogicial weaknesses of a human, was brilliant as it is hilarious bonkers.

Who sent the robot.. was even better as it turned out to be Scott himself, a twist that told me everything was going to be alright. Specifically this is a scott who lived what this story would've been: Scott beats the exes, gets the girl, and they have a happy relationship and then marriage for 15 years, having become their best selves. The thing the series challenges though .. is if they can STAY better versions of themselves. It's something the other versions didn't really WANT to poke at because it makes the ending less happy: if they don't end up together, what's the point of all this. Yet.. relatoinships break up. Hope Larson, the real life inspriation for Ramona, divorced Brian Lee O Malley. The relationship COULD fail and where would that leave them.

As it turns out.. not great as Ramona bailed when it got hard while being vauge as usual, and Scott spiraled hard into his worst habits, moving in with wallace, again, and rather than figure out where he wen twrong.. wanted to hit undo on what he felt was a sunk cost, a relationship he put his heart into only for it to seemingly fail, even if he still had a chance to save it. Hence the brilliant and only not making this list because this year was paccckkked with good episodes, 2 Scott 2 Pilgrim before this. It also helps the takes off scott spedrun his charater development as future him is everything Scott tries to ignore about himself, his laziness, selfishness, short sightentess and very stupid brain, as a person he really can't ignore because that person kidnapped him because he took a joke Wallace made seriously.

So Scott naturally motors with the help of Future Wallace and Older Ramona, who was indeed the sleep paralysis demon and like her ex husband really sucks at plans, but gives Scott a lift home. So.. everything good? Ramona Grew, Scott Grew, Scott acknowlegeds he never should've dated a literal teenager... we goo dright? Right?

Thing is as this episode reveals midway through... Older Scott REALLY didn't want his past self to take the gamble that he could do it the right way and instead of giving himself tips.. gave himself anti kissing nanites so he and ramona can't kiss, the two naturally thinking it's the exes. We get a great opening here as scott confronts each of them, having only kinda witnessed their changes.. and most don't care. Even Gideon's moved on to Julie, his perfect match and a pariing I can't belivie I love and fits perfectly: their both the worst, and together their awful. Brilliant.

The two seemingly don't solve things.. but thankfully Old Scott is more than willing to show his hand.. as even older scott. Even Older Scott is terrifying, taking some of Scott's good traits.. and making them into something nightmarish. After his failure to change the future, not considering that

Instead looses his mind, training himself in video games and the martial arts for 10 years, all to counter everything his friends and the exes can do... all so he can KILL EVERY LAST ONE. Scott's worst nightmare across all realities has come to past, he's an evil ex.. and the evilest ex of all. Well in terms of power and madness, Gideon still put a bunch of women in jars because they broke up with him who Matt hopefully let out in this timeline.

We get a great fight as the utterly jacked, utterly terrifying even older scott, who nicely resembles evil ryu from street fighter and has pixel effects ala movie!gideon, cleans house, with Ramona wondering if she should just.. leave all this. It's only realizing that's literally all she does that gets her to realize she want sto fight for this, even if it ends poorly, and Scott, already all in, helps her.

Ultimately it's not the duo who win their future this time.. but Ramona's own future, what could be, even older ramona, saving her past self via fusion, a super mode (Just like Sonic 2.. or 3.. or dragon ball.), and some words of encouragment, giving EOS another chance and Scott the beautiful words above.

It's a powerful message and one that's real: it's hard to change.. but it's even harder to get change to stick. You just have to keep remembering it.. and keep trying. No matter how bad things seem.. you can make it better.

This is all helped by the beautiful ending, a pixel version of god only knows as everyone, exes now included, gets to live their best life and we last see Ramona as she dons what we finally find to be her natural hair color, blond (with some highlights because, hey, it looks badass), ready to face the future)... and the best worst couple hyping a sequel that will never happen, but frankly it'd be werider if they didn't, A truly spectacular finale to what may be the best version of this story.

#scott pilgrim takes off #lackadaisy #atlas and the stars #metalocalypse #the venture bros #the owl house #bobs burgers #miraculous ladybug #animation #2023 #best of 2023

23 notes · View notes

harveyb-wabbit92 · 2 years

Text

Funny things overheard on Gear Station PA: Pt. 2

Ingo: Attention Passengers, I can't believe I have to repeat this! But, Please, PLEASE. Don't stick out you arm out and wave at the trains to make them stop! You will break or lose your arm! It has happened! We were almost sued! Keep your appendages behind the yellow line at all times!

==============================================

Emmet: Emergency, EMERGENCY!! Pregnant woman in labor! Pregnant woman in labor on the south-bound line!!! And she's breaking my throwing hand! -- --OH ARC! I SEE THE HEAD!?

===============================================

Ingo: I didn't think this was possible, but, No skateboarding up the down escalators!

==============================================

Emmet: Attent-...Y'know what? Screw it, who the hell brings a portable grill onto the Subway, uses it to grill fish; stinkin' up the cars! Then ditches the damn thing for us to clean up?! When I find you, you better have a bike, cos you ain't riding my on trains no more!

=============================================

Ingo: *ahem* Attention: would the couple who challenge the Double-battle line, please return platform 4? You forgot your baby! (baby babbles) Oh no, don't chew on my tie. (radio turns off.)

================================================

Emmet: A reminder to passengers, our depot agents are not babysitters, They are paid to help run the train station, not watch your kids so you can go shopping! They have every right to report your child as abandoned after four hours... So curb the hissy-fit, and go get your kid at the police station!

================================================

Ingo: *singing* Heart arches by the number, troubles by the score, everyday you love me less, Each day I lov- *panic*...IS THIS THING ON?! (radio turns off, passengers groan in disappointment.)

==============================================

Emmet: *singing* Country roads, take me home to the place I belong!~ West Nimbassss, What?-...*someone tells Emmet his mics on.* Yes I know it's on, why do you thin- {radio turns off)

================================================

Emmet: Attention! the entry stairs are not a carpark! the entry stairs are not a carpark!

================================================

Ingo: Please don't cut your hair on the train, it's a safety hazard!

================================================

Emmet: Please, use the bathroom before stepping on the train! Don't defecate on the train! It's gross and a biohazard! We don't want to clean your crap! That goes garbage too! toss it in a bin, you animals!

=================================================

Ingo: Attention passengers there'll be slight delay in-... Who are you? *a random lady requests a song* No, I won't sing Sinatra's My Way! This is a train not a karaoke bar! Go back to your seat ma'am! (He ends up singing it after the lady sends their child up to ask.)

================================================

Emmet: *singing* Spinarak-man, Spinarak-man does whatever a Spinarak can!~

================================================

Ingo: Attention passengers! I apologize for the the repulsive odor emanating from the battle car. *gags* Subway boss Emmet suffers from a form lactose intolerance. And he accidentally used the wrong milk for his cereal this morning. Ple *Urg*... Please vacate the train in calm manner, and come back in about two hours... Again, I apologize!

====================================================

Ingo: To the tough-guy who threw his glass soda bottle at my pregnant wife's head, because and I quote "She's an ugly bitch who wouldn't give me her number." Please come meet me outside...Now.

{Someone left in a ambulance that day...And it wasn't Ingo.}

======================================================

Ingo: No lightsaber battles in the aisles. Yes! Emmet and Elesa, I'm talking about you!

=======================================================

Emmet: Don't try to pet or pick up the purple Sneasels! Yes they look cute, but you'll regret it! I know I did.

======================================================

Ingo: Please don't touch or capture any of the 420 Joltiks you see wandering around the station! Emmet will know he keeps count!

=====================================================

Emmet: Please! stop getting frisky on the subway people! I understand the thrill of it all, but Arc sake! We're the ones who have to clean up after you! Erk! Seriously find a hotel or something, Nimbasa's a verrry big and accommodating city!

======================================================

#Shippers DNI #pokemon incorrect quotes #submas #tw: suggestive #subway boss ingo #subway boss emmet #gym leader elesa #nimbasa trio #gear station #subway bosses #pokemon #milk makes Emmet gassy #subway boss ingo x reader

666 notes · View notes

asmolfolk · 1 year

Note

Hello, is it possible to request headcanons for Ares from shuumatsu no valkyrie with a wife reader who is a complete badass(like, every gods admire her bcs she’s super strong and multitalented)?

Thank you for your request! I don't know if you wanted a Human or God, but - because it's ROR, I'm doing it as both. I decided to mix this one with another one [One that askes about breaking up with Ares.] May be a little too OOC, because his personality is being dumb-

You were one of the womans that got lost in history... Or that all your credits were given to a man.

But, don't get me wrong... You were a beast, a master in adaptating and in fighting, but you wasn't a complete warrior... You were way more than just that.

A woman that had to learn from nothing, just some crappy books and some informations...

A woman that needed to marry someone rich, a woman that needed to work [Work, Angelicaaa~]

And you did everything right. They WINNED because of you... You were a symbol for the feminist movement when your history was released to the words - discovered by a historian.

You were a mother, daughter, warrior, friend, teacher...

In greek, those warriors - especially the ones that had connection with gods - were turned into demigods or gods... And that was no different for you. You were called the 'Demigod of Estrategy', since you were very similar to Athena.

And well, out of all the gods - Three of them had their eye on you since the beginning.

Thor, Athena and Ares.

Thor is a bitch in heat when he notices that someone is strong, to be honest, I could see him trying to court you.

Athena was impressed by your abilities, she was quite happy that you were someone so similar to her - But, as a mother, you knew things that she didn't. You were different... But a good different.

And then... Ares.

Okay, let's start out by JUST saying a fact... Ares is a feminist. Yes, yes, not THIS Ares - But since this Ares is pretty blant [Dumb no thoughts], I'm mixing some stuff.

Ares LITERALLY killed Poseidon's son because he force his daughter, he was probably the FIRST god to see that kind of thing as wrong.

Do you think he isn't going to just respect you?? He doesn't care that you are a woman, you are strong, you are intelligent and you know how to take care of yourself... You are what he wanted to fully be.

Expect to have a lot of gifts, and most of them being things that you can use. [Weapons, armors and others]

If Ares know that you have one or more things that you want, you KNOW that you are getting them. He don't care, you are his EVERYTHING!!

He is just so cute with you, omgggg!

Totally the type to just hold your hand and tell you

"You are the most perfect being that was born, in life and in death - If we ever meet it, I want to be by your side forever. I want to be with you even after death."

He quickly answer that gods can actually die before you turns more confused-

Even if Ares is a lil' dummy idiot, he is YOUR dummy idiot.

Always let you take his seat, if you want him to sit on your lap - YOU HAVE THIS MAN LIKE A DOG. Just chilling in your lap while Hermes is having mental breakdown.

Talking about Hermes - Hermes is his lil' bro... And I'm telling you that he JUST CAN'T with you two. He always is holding a laugh when he sees you treating his brother like a dog or baby...

Shut it, Hermes - Or I will do a Sub!Hermes headcanons and I'm going to expose you, you litt-

Ahem... Oh, yeah.

Zeus REALLY have a thing for you, he tried to get into your pants a lot of times... And this old bitch is annoying as shit. You swear, if you see him transforming into a animal one more time - you gonna lose it.

Hera is always with an eye on you, she was hateful towards you even... She almost killed you a lot of times...

But, after you and Ares decided to get together, she became the 'perfect' mother in law. She was quite protective about her son [Some versions say that Hera created Ares alone] and tried everything to make his life good...

So, having someone that respected marriage, was strong, was intelligent and that was 'similar' to her?? Okay, hold on... She loves you now.

Hera sees herself on you, but, you were lucky. She still remember how beautiful and intelligent she 'were', how her life was destroyed because Zeus wanted her.

Relationship with Ares.

Being in a relationship with this dumb idiot would have a lot of highs and downs, one of them being the fact that everyone sees him as a dumb child that doesn't know how to do one thing right. With that in mind, you should worry yourself too much - after all, even tho Ares hates it, he does agree that he is a lil' dummie. He would never give you up, never gonna let you down. He supports and hypes you up every time. He is probably one of the most respectful towards you out of all the gods and would be one of those who wouldn't force himself onto you [Forcing you into a relationship] and he wouldn't mind if you ever break up with him, he would get sad - yes - but if he can still be friends with you, he is happy. In a whole, Ares is a wholesome boyfriend that tries his best with you... Even if his best is... Well, just letting you go.

Espect to have a lot of gifts, praises, kisses... He can sit on your lap or let you sit on his. He doesn't care being the 'babygirl', he just likes whatever you like.

He always tells you anything that he thinks it's important, he still have some secrets - but most of them are just, dumb lil' things that he enjoys or nothing that would affect your relationship.

He doesn't feel jealous - not because he doesn't love you, but because he trusts you... And also bcs he isn't against having open relationships and yada yada - you guys talk with eachother.

#snv x reader #ror x y/n #ror x you #ror x reader #ares x reader #snv ares #x reader #female reader #shuumatsu no valkyrie x reader #shuumatsu no valkyrie #shuumatsu no walkure

75 notes · View notes

honeyyjems · 2 years

Text

sfw + nsfw headcanons

content warning (s): mature language - mention of asphyxiation - spitting - biting - exhibitionism - overstimulation - oral sex (fem receiving) - daddy kink - hand kink - breeding - unprotected sex - corruption - slight slapping - hard dom! porco

pairing: porco galliard x fem!reader

word count: 2.6k

a/n: i wanted to use this as a prep for my lifeguard! porco for @taixju summer collab (x) but that will be 100% dirtier and filthy. I have been having brainrot of him since he’s been animated *screech* i wanted to write more but you get the gist

banner credit: made it myself but porco fanart artist creds to @/KinNiku_OishiiZ on twitter

masterlist | requests | join my tag-list

✯ Porco isn't much for relationships and mostly plays around with others; however, all of his morals did a whole 360 once you stepped into his life.

✯ Very much a cocky, stuck-up man, and knows what exactly to make one fluster but doesn't know how to react when someone can actually deal with his bullshit.

✯ He is attracted to confident women who are assured of themselves, he does have a soft spot for shy girls because he knows just what to say to make them stutter.

✯ Porco is a hard worker and down bad for a hard-working woman because he knows if they want something, they will do anything to achieve that.

✯ Gives you cute pet names/classic ones like doll, darling, baby, bubs, love, honey, sweets, and amor.

✯ Porco comes from an Italian family, plain and simple. An Italian man with hints of his Italian accent.

✯ Although Porco has a mean facade towards everyone, he is a real sweetheart and kind human being, and that's what attracted you to him. He can be an angry and grumpy bean, he still cares and loves in his weird unique way, especially the ones he cares for deeply.

✯ He knows when something is wrong with you and wants to get down to what the problem is, he is always there for you and up for a vent if you need one.

✯ Porco knows you can overwork and pile much on your shoulders, so he does his part. If that may be acts of service or just being there, he always manages to always keep a smile on your face; it is what he loves most about you.

✯ Porco is your best friend in one and KNOWS you better than yourself; he is your equal and brings out the best in you.

✯ Porco bullied others for being romantic to their significant others but he really is a secret sweet tooth romantic and anything that is cheesy, already has it planned.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✯ Definitely would be very cocky and stuck up around you because of his crush on you, thinking it would go in a good direction because he has no brains and doesn't think before he acts. He is much rather surprised to see you snap back at him with each comment or rather how you ignore him.

✯ Each passing day, he notices how he's always looking for you, waiting to see what you’ll say back or the annoying side looks you give him that he finds oh so cute.

✯ After finally getting the guts to ask you out, Porco would be the one to go out of his way to coordinate dates like visiting parks, cafes, museums, and different bookstores to check out on each date. He is a very big bookworm but you didn't know that until your third date. so we already know he will want to visit every possible local bookstore with you.

✯ He was the first to say “I love you”, and it did take some time for him. He wanted to be sure of himself because he knew you were, he was mesmerized at how beautiful you looked with the warm lights reflecting off of you, as you read together in his bedroom so caught up in the moment, he mumbled “I love you.” catching you a bit off guard but you always knew you loved him from the first stupid comment he made when you first met. Returning the mutual feeling made him push up his reading glasses to poorly hide his crimson shade cheeks.

✯ Book reading dates are something special because you and Porco both have a mutual love for books, no matter the genre or length they can be, that’s why he’s the best to have as a book buddy. He would ensure he had all the annotating supplies ready, even going as far as getting your favorite latte or drink before coming over.

✯ He loves to see your facial expressions while you read, the little giggles you let out make his heart flutter, pausing his reading; Porco really does love your smile. The way he feels all warm inside because he falls for you all over again as if he isn’t already.

✯ Porco was interested in these "spicy" books you talked about because you frequently get flustered which led you to get up and "take a lap", so he read along with you. He wants to get in on the action too

✯ Sometimes the dates can get steamy, blame the erotic books you buddy read together, but you nudge him on and leave him to always say, “why don't we recreate this scene ourselves rather than reading it?”; it was way better experiencing it than reading.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✯ OVERLY handsy person, he will find any opportunity to have his hands on you; placing his hand into your back pocket, basically cupping your ass, hooking his finger onto your beltline, and wrapping his arms around your waist

✯ Hugs from him are just the best, although Porco is the size of fucking Mount Everest, the way his body fits perfectly into yours. Hugs from behind would be his signature move, he loves to hear you yelp in surprise and nudge your butt back into him while placing his chin on top of your head.

✯ Porco is the most loudly jealous person, but his actions would speak louder than words. If there are a group of guys eyeing you down, he places his arm around your waist and brings you in to trace his long finger over your lips, no kiss is needed. You know exactly what he was trying to do, make it loud and clear your his.

✯ As mentioned before, Porco loves having his hands on you, sometimes being a little too excessive but you love the feeling of his large calloused hands on the low of your back.

✯ Porco loves your hands, although you hate them, he loves the soft and warmness it gives him. Your hands are much smaller compared to his but he loves how delicate they look in his.

✯ He DEFINITELY buys you rings just to fidget with them when you hold hands

✯ Porco notices the small glances you give his large hands and fingers so he messages pictures of his veiny hands and arms post-workout; queue mutual hand kinks

✯ When you would be feeling down or not yourself, Porco knows just what to do to help make you feel better. If you didn't want to talk about it, he would just hold you close to him to let you know that he is there for you.

✯ Cuddling would be the best because he is like a giant human furnace, there is no blanket needed but sometimes you do need to push him away causing him to whine.

✯ Porco has been with many girls, there are no questions about that, but he very much is careful and worships you. He reassures your insecurities, as there is really nothing to be insecure about, and very much praises your whole body, all the imperfections you see are perfect to him. He has never felt this way about anyone and he holds that dear to him, there is nobody like the way you smile, smell, and soft finger trances you leave behind on his skin, which is what makes you special.

✯ He loves to trace his fingers over your stretch marks, connect the dots with the freckles on your body, and caress your tummy. Simply would love to have his head on your chest to hear the way your heart beats and soft breathing.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

✯ Porco was a very much well-known manwhore before meeting you, he knows how to please a woman and what makes them quiver under his touch.

✯ Porco’s cock is a little above average his ego is crumbling, quite beefy, and has a very good girth to it. He likes to keep it trimmed and not completely shaven but has a light happy trail.

✯ Although he may have a little above average dick, Porco knows how to give you a proper fuck, and have you creaming on his cock.

✯ Porco was a nervous bitch in the beginning with you. He wanted to make sure he was making you feel good, he gets more aroused when he knows he’s pleasuring you; however, he has never easily gotten a hard-on just from a simple makeout sesh nor had a woman that can keep up with him.

✯ Just having you make out on top of him while grinding against his cock would make him drip precum. The sounds of your pretty moans against his mouth, and the way you tug on his undercut literally will make him combust.

✯ Porco has never had a woman make him easily come undone but he swears you have something, also don't moan too hot or he’ll rip all your clothes off but he knows you love that oh so much.

✯ Porco is very much handsy during book reading dates and will have you sit in between his legs, fingering you, while you read your erotic book. Hearing your soft pants and heavy breathing as you try to concentrate. He loves watching you struggle so he bites on your ear lobe to make it even better for him.

✯ Porco has many kinks: degradation, praise kink, hair pulling, dirty talk, choking, asphyxiation, spitting, spanking, biting, exhibitionism, overstimulation, and pet names like sweet girl, pretty girl, baby. He loves it when he is in control and call him sir, or especially daddy.

✯ Porco never really had the thought of breeding or corruption until you. The way you sweet-talked the kids in your family or how you bit back at his snarky comments, giving a pressing hard-on in his pants that you could only relieve.

✯ Porco can be a soft dom when he wants to be a little soft and delicate with you; however, he is a very much hard dom. When fucking you, he holds your face making you passionately look into your eyes and feeling your hot moans in his mouth. He can be a little too invested in you and grab you by the neck slightly choking, but you give devilish smile, such a dirty slut for his cock you are.

✯ Always asks for consent no matter how long you’ve been together, he wants to make sure you feel comfortable and safe; you are what matters most, he could care less about himself. Your pleasure is important so you will always be put first.

✯ Going into what matters most, he will absolutely make sure you have all the orgasms first, ensuring what he’s doing is good and asking if you like it. He can tell you love it when he feels you squeeze around him. That's how he found out you loved letting him spit in your mouth.

✯ After finding your spit kink, he loves how dirty you were so he would grab your throat in any environment, always catching you by surprise and using it as an opportunity to spit in your mouth. He knows you're dripping wet by the time you get home or in the car. You did fuck like dogs in the car after he did that in front of Jean, he is very much territorial.

✯ He knows your body, everything, he quickly catches on to the things that make you moan and whimper. Definitely keeping a mental note to ensure his do’s and don’ts.

✯ What Porco lives for is you riding him. He loves the look on your fucked out face, eyes rolling back, telling him to go faster and deeper. He loves giving you light slaps across your face, as he tells you to beg for it. When picking up the pace, he will grab onto your neck and squeeze to make your face crimson red; only making you focus on his hard fast cock ramming into your cunt.

✯ Another thing Porco loves is to eat you out and his mouth does fucking god wonders. He loves the fact his tongue is making you whimper and moan and enjoys overstimulating you after you’ve cum all over his mouth. He loves to have his fingers inside you while he licks your sensitive clit and brings his long calloused fingers to have you taste your sweet slick.

✯ Sometimes you need to smack that man like you’re tagging out but that only makes him hold you down by grabbing your neck. He is just addicted to the sweet taste you leave in his mouth.

✯ High key loves your tits cause that’s his thing I don’t make the rules. Once he saw you lean over and saw your cleavage that was his limit. Squeezes your tits hard just to hear you yelp but religiously worships them. Your thighs are another thing, his dick twitches to you squeezing his head as he made you cum on his tongue.

✯ Lovemaking isn't his fortay but he’ll do so if he wants to show his love for you. When he is highly stressed, he will be extremely rough. During or after, he’ll ask if you’re okay and if he’s hurting you; Porco gives the best and most amazing aftercare.

✯ This man is super strong, super strong to where he can hold you against walls and hold you up while he fucks you, but loves to fuck you like a rag doll. Pulling your hair as he fucks you doggy style, pinching and biting your tits as he rams into you.

✯ As mentioned before, Porco has never had a woman that can keep up with him nor can have the dirtiest & kinky sex with him, so you were a package deal. Sometimes your sex drive was more than his, you can never get enough of his cock.

✯ He will find every opportunity to fuck you. Any surface place in the house is already checked off. Car sex? Yes, Public bookstore sex? Yes, party bathroom sex? Fuck yeah. Of course, Reiner walked in on you both but continued on like rabbit dogs. Let's just say you both were a match made in kink heaven

✯ Confidence and his ego radiate off him just by him making you cum on his hard cock not to mention his breeding tendencies, he’s never wanted more to cum inside a girl before you. He is a huge family man and loves kids. This man is so infatuated with you that he sees you having his children. His breeding kink is activated when you beg him to cum inside you. Since then, he loses control when he thinks about fucking a baby into you. He makes sure that every last drop of his cum is inside you and literally sticks his finger in your already overstimulated cunt to stop his seed drip out of you.

✯ Porco loves trying new things so bringing toys into the mix was a god-tier. Fascinated by your toys, he would be so excited to use them on you. Instantly gets hard watching what they do to you and gets entranced at the faces you make and the way you moan his name while looking at him. Especially the remote-controlled underwear vibrators, the exhibitionism at its MAX

✯ Although Porco was a manwhore, he became a manwhore for you and only you. He surprises and suggests new positions and games just so he can fuck your brains out. He can fuck you anywhere or on any surface possible, I think you're both just horny for each other and can’t get enough.

tag-list: @kentosovertime @sugarmapoops @sugarbooger513 @severelytalentless @bebechinas99 @jeankirsteinsgirl @katgalle

243 notes · View notes

capobegone · 1 year

Text

My Thoughts on the Swordsmith Village Movie!

Alright y’all, this goes without saying, but I’ll announce it anyway:

SPOILER WARNING FOR THE KNY MOVIE. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED, DO NOT PROCEED. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT 200 DOLLARS.

Anyway. Now that that’s said and done, let’s begin! Here are my favorite parts, in no particular order.

-GOTOU. GOTOU THE KAKUSHI. He’s always been my favorite background character; he only shows up a few times but somehow he is around SO MUCH for the key events in Tanjiro’s journey. His abdominal breathing to scream for the butterfly girls was fantastic because a) abdominal breathing really is effective to project, from a vocalist’s standpoint, and b) it goes to show that even if he can’t wield a sword or use a breath technique, he still understands the importance of proper breath support! Good for you, Gotou-san!

-My theater’s audience laughed the most at Inosuke hanging from the ceiling. That was a hit. I already knew it was gonna happen but I was laughing too because I was just so giddy!! They also really enjoyed the scenes of Tengen’s wives arguing while he’s dying of poisoning. A classic.

-ZENITSU IN HIS LITTLE SCARF. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.

-But seriously, I enjoyed the scene of Zenitsu with the other slayers and Gotou with his Kakushi friend. It gives us a rare glimpse into daily corps life when one is not fighting extremely important battles against upper moons.

-They recapped bits from the previous episode in the beginning of the swordsmith village arc, so we got to watch poor Kagaya choking and gagging on his own blood TWICE, BACK TO BACK. Which, as much as I love him dearly and felt awful for him, it was kinda funny. Side-note, Amane is a GOAT for sticking with him and taking care of him during all of this. She’s a queen through and through.

-Mitsuri. Oh, Mitsuri, the love of my life. I want to kiss her little face. Her voice actor is so wonderful!! Watching her play with Nezuko and easily pick her up and hold her hand was so heartwarming!! Her little song about dinner made my heart sing too!! The little sparkle edits whenever she got excited!! Mitsuri-chan, please be my wife. Just, uh, don’t tell Obanai.

-Also, the hot spring scene?? Hello?? I had seen the leaks, but they didn’t do it justice. I was not expecting them to fully show her entire butt. With both cheeks. I was gripping the seat for dear life so I didn’t screech out loud. Ufotable really went for it with the Mitsuri fanservice, and as much as my feminist side wants to disagree with this, I am unfortunately too gay to care. I shamelessly enjoyed every second of it.

-Speaking of hot springs, the crow noise that Tanjiro made when he jumped in took me OUT. And baby Nezuko swimming by was SO CUTE I CAN’T TAKE IT. UGH.

-AND ALSO: GENYA!! I LOVE GENYA!! I’m so so excited to see more of him! The talk Tanjiro and Mitsuri had about his relationship with Sanemi made me sad, but then them worrying about him not eating enough and going to bring him some rice balls made it okay again.

-Speaking of which… why was Genya skipping his meals? Was he just avoiding Tanjiro and Mitsuri? Did he bring his own food like they hypothesized? Was his tummy messed up from eating demon, like Gyoumei always worried it would be? Seeing as he still had fangs, it had probably happened recently, and if demons can’t eat human food…am I over analyzing? I think I’m over analyzing.

-The snapping of Gyutaro breaking Tanjiro’s fingers in surround sound made the woman next to me physically recoil. Girl, same. Shit was nasty.

-NEZUKO SLITHERING AROUND UNDER THE TABLE LMAOO

-The little tease of Muichiro at the end. Come on man, I want MORE!! DON’T DO THIS TO ME!!

-The entire upper moon meeting. Wow. The animation was insane. Good lord, the infinity castle was wonderfully confusing! It was a little overwhelming with all the flashes and transitions, but it helped that Akaza was in just as much of a state of sensory overload as the rest of us. Man did NOT want Douma touching him on top of everything else that was rubbing his temper the wrong way, and Douma could not have given less of a damn. But wow, did they make Douma such a funny little dude!! Crawling all over the floor and flashing peace signs and such. How wonderful. The scene of Nakime immediately shutting him down was glorious.

-Not sure if I’m the hugest fan of the way they just. Blipped out? I guess I always imagined Nakime would make them doors to go in and out of the infinity castle, so it felt a liiiiittle underwhelming. But, of course, that’s just me.

-Akaza falling was sick as hell. I just know he thought he was super cool. Which…yeah, he totally was. What can I say, I love him. Akaza punching off Douma’s face only to immediately get in trouble with Kokushibo? *chef’s kiss*

-But…the credits. They left in all of the credits, which was just a teeny bit awkward. I was just sitting there staring at them (I cannot read Japanese and I saw it subbed) and anxious out of my MIND to see swordsmith village! (Which, the village itself looked gorgeous, by the way!) Still, I think it was absolutely worth the wait.

Overall, it was just such a fun experience!! I’ve never been to a movie on my own before, and I’m so glad this was the first one. It was so, so epic and I enjoyed myself thoroughly! Planning on going to see it again with my sister when she’s back in town. Easy 10/10 for me, because I just adored every moment with every character!! If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to do so! :D

#kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #swordsmith village arc #kny movie spoilers!!#akaza #tanjiro kamado #kamado nezuko #uzui tengen #douma #kanroji mitsuri #tokito muichiro #genya shinazugawa #kagaya ubuyashiki #kokushibo #nakime #zenitsu agatsuma #inosuke hashibira #gyutaro #did I get everyone’s character tags? I hope so lmao I tried

44 notes · View notes

fricchead · 7 months

Note

Hai there! Wishing you a great day!! 🌹

...So, I was wondering, what are your top 5 UY storylines or the ones you just have a soft spot for?

Hope you'll reply! X3

Hihihihiiii also wishing you a great day !!!

I’m going to be going off the storylines from both the original 80’s anime and some off the manga (I haven’t completely finished it lol) and I feel like the UY 2022 reboot doesn’t have a lot AS FOR NOW

But here are my top 5 (there’s so many but I had to pick) :D

5. Since your departure/ After You’ve gone

UNORIGINAL BUT IDC BECAUSE IT JUST HITS THE JUGULAR. It’s just such a bittersweet episode and yes I know Ataru deserves to be punished every once in a while but seeing this mans BAWLING had me- HHHHHHH

Put this on #5 because while it’s already a fan favorite, there’s others I prefer more

4. Dolphin Dating and Beach Babe Patrol

I like both the manga and anime adaption !!! It’s a very fun chapter/episode and hearing Ataru refer to Lum as “his woman” has me eating drywall and breaking plates

3. Valentines disillusions

WHY WAS THIS NOT IN THE ANIME THIS IS A FREAKING CRIME— THIS IS SUCH A CUTE CHAPTER YOU SEE THAT FACE ??? HE REALLY CRIED HIMSELF TO SLEEP BECAUSE HE THOUGHT LUM WOULD RATHER GIVE MENDOU A CHOCOLATE INSTEAD OF HIM HES SUCH AN IDIOT I LUB HIM

Now this was hard because as I went down the list I realized… how can I pick only 5 ?? Like as I was finding the episodes and chapters I was like ‘oh shit I forgot about this one’ but I think #2 will be TWO STORYLINES BECAUSE YES

2. I love Darling’s Kindness/ Love has No Boundaries-Goodness ! Words aren’t getting to Darling !

As I’m typing this I realize I didn’t add Lum thinking she’s turning into a cow, Electric Jungle, Inaba the Dream Maker, Big Bottle Little Bottle, Happy Birthday My Darling, How I’ve Waited for You, Thrilling First Date, etc. and now i wanna kick myself because HOW DID I FORGET. ANWAYS These two have a GRIP on me

And now #1 yayayayay

1. The Final Chapter/ Boy Meets Girl

Words cannot DESCRIBE how much I love this arc. Absolute perfection. The movie adapted it so amazingly, and captured it so well. This storyline truly shows how strong Ataru’s and Lum’s love for each other is, and while we never got the actual “I love you” WE DIDNT NEED IT BECAUSE HE SHOWED IT AND IT GETS ME IN TEARS EVERY TIME.

Thank you so much for the ask Yume 💗💗💗 i would’ve wrote more, but as you can tell, I suck ASS at formatting and analyzing but I’m always excited to gets asks !!

#urusei yatsura #ataru moroboshi #lum invader #atalum #lumtaru #うる星やつら #lum x ataru #ataru x lum #lum #thanks for the asks #sorry I suck at writing

18 notes · View notes

giftcard-giveway2024 · 2 months

Text

A cute guy likes me on a dating app. After chatting with them for weeks, we decide to go on a date. They are very flirtatious and forward over the app, but not when we meet in person. He admits he thought I was transmasc like him, we laugh about it because his mistake is funny and means I'm not passing but in a silly backwards way. I think his sudden awkwardness in person may be nervousness and flirt with him in ways less forward and aggressive than he'd been flirting with me earlier, and they become cold and distant for the rest of the date. By the time I get home they've blocked me on the app we met on. This case of being mistaken as a transmasc on a dating app will happen 3 more times, and in 2/3 times it results in a similar sudden lack of interest where once they were coming on to me. None of these people will be cis.

I am in a self defense class for queer people, learning hand to hand combat as a community. I have been here months. I notice I'm the only transfem in the classes but there are other trans people there so I don't think much of it. Today I have some stubble as I did not have time to shave before the early morning class. When discussing unrealistic action movie and anime fight scenes I describe on of my favorites, quoting the lines as I pantomime the goofy moves. They smile and laugh along until the word bitch leaves my lips in one quote, then the bisexual woman who only ever they/thems me glares at me like I've committed a grevious crime, and the rest of the class looks at me like a freak in awkward silence for a moment before moving on. I learn bitch is not a word a clocky bitch can "reclaim". I am quiet in classes now, and when I go I focus primarily on the training, when I see other trans women try it out they often give me a sad look and do not return for a second class. I get a sinking feeling that if I ever use this training to save my life one day I'd be branded a violent man instead of a strong woman.

I am texting with a good friend of years who was one of the people who helped me realize I was trans like them and even the one who helped pick out my name loves talking about our shared interests and sharing their favorite smut with me. We bond over favorite stories, artists, characters, and kinks as well as our trans experience. Yet they constantly tell me they could never date someone who's AMAB because of the trauma of being "female socialized" and their genital preferences for vulvas. Every compliment they have ever given me on my appearance or outfit is followed up by "but in a non-sexual way, I could never date you". Today I finally have the courage tell them they don't need to say that every time. They ignore this response. We keep talking for awhile, but they start taking months to respond to my messages and respond with a short sentence at most. They no longer share details about their life and shut me out when I ask or share details about mine, even the most mundane and chaste details. I stop talking to them. A birthday gift I bought them months before this falling out happened looms at me in my closet. I cannot use it as it doesn't fit me but can't bring myself to throw it away, just in case we reconcile one day. I feel pathetic for craving friendship with someone who sees me as "abuser-bodied", that so much of my early stages would've been impossible without their help. I feel a little more lost without them.

I am at a queer/trans/enby kink dance party with some friends. I am scantily clad and wearing a skirt and high heeled boots. I do not pass well so this space is one of the few places I feel safe and free dressing like this. It is packed with queer and trans people just like me engaged in delightful debauchery and wearing very little. The music hurts my ears but I'm happy to be here, I feel overstimulated but alive and authentic. I am approached by a beautiful stranger from across the dance floor, she is graceful and stylish, like some modern Galadriel clad in leather, white lace, and industrial piercings with impeccable voice training. She compliments my outfit, I compliment hers. She tells me I need to shave my armpits if I want to look like a real woman. My two friends stand up for me and yell at her. They assure me she was just being an asshole, that women were supposed to be hairy, but I can't help but notice how both of them have hairy armpits and yet the "advice" targeted me. The wide range of bodies that people here tonight find desirable on cis women don't seem to apply to the women like me. I am the only one of us that doesn't go home with a hookup at the end of the night. I realize now she likely spoke from experience. I am still hurt by her words, but realizing the kinds of experiences she must have had herself to feel her words were kind advice hurts far worse.

A local queer photographer who's work I follow is looking for women & non-binary models for a photoshoot. I have become comfortable with getting photos taken of me for the first time in my life since my egg cracked, and had a few small time modeling gigs under my belt. With something like this I could actually have the beginnings of a portfolio. I reach and am told that they are not looking for trans women models, "only women and AFABs". Getting the same line I get from agencies from an independent queer photographer repackaged in "woke" terminology stings. I see many queer and nonbinary models I looked up to take part in the shoot. I have to wonder if they knew that the photographer's definition of woman didn't include trans women, or if like me in my martial arts class they noticed no transfems were there but didn't think much of it because there were other trans people there.

It is years ago and I am still an egg. I am with my partner of 4 years. I am exhausted after a long day. She asks me for sex in the voice that I know means saying no will hurt her. I learned from her long ago men have high and insatiable sex drives, therefore saying no meant I wanted to have sex, just not with her. So I say yes. The sex is painful and unsatisfying, and I simply do my best to thrust through the discomfort until she cums. I feel numb and hurt. She enjoys herself but seems sad I did not cum. I assure her I love her. When we hold eachother after my obligation has been met and I finally feel comfortable and safe. We begin talking. She talks about the trashy women she saw on the street today, describing their cringe outfits and ugly styles and bad hair. All the styles and clothes and hair I yearn to try myself in my deepest and most repressed desires. I change the subject and ask her about work and family. She asks if I'd still love her if she were a man and I say yes. She says she would still love me if I were a woman. Something in that statement feels like a lie. It is months later when we break up and I move out. Now that I am a woman I look back and know from our years together that if I were a woman then she'd hate the kind of woman I'd become. That if I were a woman she'd still have the same expectations of me as a man, that her refusal of sex equated an impersonal not being in the mood but my refusal of sex equated a cruel refusal of love.

A lesbian group begins organizing a queer woman's strip night event. A safe place for amateur performers to shine and women to perform and enjoy sexuality away from the male gaze. I see no transfems in the promotional material or leadership team, and I've learned not to think nothing of it just because there are other trans people there. I do not go.

I am talking with my therapist. They are trans too and an amazing therapist, often providing insights and advice only someone else with the lived experience of being trans can. I express distress and suicidal ideation at the fact I feel like I need to pass before I can dress the way I want. That until I get expensive hair removal procedures and FFS I can never feel safe and welcome presenting authentically. I lament how these things are expensive and may never be accessible to me. They tell me I need to deal with my "internalized transphobia", as if these feelings aren't a result of constant rejection and othering by external forces even within queer spaces. As if the scrap of womanhood others sometimes acknowledge in me does not rely on their perceptions of me.

There is a publication accepting works from trans people of all stripes to document trans experiences. It gets flamed for not having a single transfem as a contributor. The people behind it apologize profusely, they say didn't notice no transfems had sent work in and would do a sequel publication that was transfem-centric. I wonder if anyone had noticed there were no transfems but didn't think much of it because there were other trans people there. I think about the kinds of spaces I've seen like that, and the implications it has about how they treat transfems, and I am unsurprised no transfems submitted.

One of my closest friends for years is very supportive of me when I first begin crossdressing and experimenting with they/them pronouns. She gives me suggestions on cute clothes to wear and takes me shopping as well as asks for pictures. We had helped eachother discover we were both queer as young teens, come to terms with it, and navigate it in a hostile environment, so I have complete trust. We are close enough we are frequently asking eachother advice on serious life choices & relationships, sending nudes for critique + tips before sending them to our partners, and sharing our most secret and vulnerable moments. She often asks me for tips on getting her straight boyfriends into pegging and crossdressing that make me slightly uncomfortable but I don't mind, she is a loyal friend I would endure a great many discomforts for. I host a lunch for us one day, and come out to her as a trans woman. I tell her my new name, say I no longer use he/him pronouns, and thank her for her support on my journey thus far. She launches into a monologue about how by changing my name I am throwing away all our memories together and spitting in the face of my family. Taken aback by her sudden heel turn after being so supportive of me being nonbinary and GNC, I excuse myself to go to the bathroom to get a break and give her some time to process. When I am in the bathroom trying not to cry, she is on the phone. I overhear her misgendering me as she is talking about me being bisexual in a frightened voice. She sounds truly afraid that I intend to be sexually violent towards her. When I leave the bathroom and sit back down I pretend not to have heard. She gets off the phone, saying she was just chatting with her boyfriend. We talk a bit longer, she explains how "the surgery" is dangerous and experimental and she hopes I won't get it. I assure her I won't and do my best to change the subject and hope she comes around after some time to process things, hurt and shocked that what I saw as a natural shift in the path I was already on marked me as frightening in her eyes after knowing eachother for over a decade. That a fellow bisexual suddenly saw my bisexuality as dangerous now that I was asserting myself as a trans woman. I say goodbye to her, and she says goodbye to me using my deadname, I do not risk an argument to correct her. It is months after the meeting we have not seen eachother since and she has not responded to any messages I sent. After reflecting on her reaction further I decide that I don't really want to spend time with someone who thinks these things about me for my own safety and mental health, regardless of our history. A friend of 14 years who supported my queerness and transness gone the instant I crossed an intangible woman-shaped line that marked me as a predator and invader in her eyes.

I log online and day after day see trans women getting banned and harassed. Seeing baseless callout posts calling them groomers and abusers getting taken seriously by other queer and trans people. Seeing proof that deep down so many people I consider kindred spirits see me and people like me as worthy of intense scrutiny and policing to keep "the queer community" safe and united. The blocklist grows but everything stays the same. I treasure the people in my life who don't take part in this and would do anything for them, but it seems they get fewer each time.

I'm not making this post to seek sympathy, I am used to this kind of shit and far worse has happened to myself and others. I just make this to illustrate transmisogyny is not some "online-only" issue like people claim. Even if online issues weren't "real" (as healed is fond of saying, "online is real") this has tangible effects in the way trans women are treated offline as well. By communities, friends, partners, colleagues, systems, etc. That's why we talk about it.

So much of the discussions people have paint transmisogyny as some online oppression olympics maliciously trying to divide the community, smear transmascs, and "reinvent bioessentialism". That is not what it is about. Discussions about transmisogyny is about how we are treated for being what we are, and while related to transphobia and misogyny it is seperate because it often represents doors other trans people and women can walk through that transfems cannot. It has affected me in my most intimate moments when I was with other trans and queer people I felt safe around, and taught me that I need to carefully manage my persona and presentation at all times lest my authenticity be branded "male socialization". I am even terrified to express attraction to people who express attraction towards me because I'm so used to being treated like a predator upon reciprocating or being used and abandoned by people I trusted. I am terrified to be too excited about shared interests with friends lest I be too loud or talkative about it and branded with aggressive male socialization. So I make myself quiet and small, and shrink from the community and people I care about, and become more and more isolated.

Anyways, stop platforming anons who spread lies about trans women, stop hopping on TERF harassment campaigns because the trans gal they're smearing "gave you bad vibes", and maybe consider carefully if in your own life where you draw the line for a transfem's behavior is any different from where you'd draw the line for anyone who's not one

#the owl house #across the spiderverse #succession #welcome home #wally darling #the mandalorian #ted lasso #taylor swift #super mario #star wars

5 notes · View notes