#I mean they aren’t actually effective even if we are filming

[kissitbttr]

eddie earns his first blowjob from his mean cheerleader girlfriend

warning: 18+, oral receiving, insecure eddie,

a/n: this was requested but i lost the ask lmao, enjoy. also not really that filthy xx

-

sex has never been his forte,

sure he jerks himself off and has a pile of porn magazines stacked underneath his bed but never actually experienced… sex.

girls aren’t exactly lining up to be getting dicked down by him. not when you’re the town freak. if anything, they avoid him like a plague. the only time girls want to be around eddie is just so that he can give them free greens and nothing else. he’s not stupid, he can tell what their true intentions are.

so when y/n came into his life. he has no idea what to expect. obviously, she’s far more experienced and skilled when it comes to it and it makes him feel slightly insecure. and jealous too. because he knows all of her exes were handsome jocks who probably scored more than twenty girls in their lives. no doubt that they had given her so much pleasure than he could possibly offer.

he wants to make her feel good. he really does.

“so, steve and robin gave me these” she pulls up two DVDs and show them to him. “evil dead and carrie. which one do you like best?”

he cocks an eyebrow, eyes switching between the two films. “i thought you wanted chick flicks or something like that?”

she shrugs, deciding to put evil dead on the player. “horror movies make me horny. and what better way to watch it than with my favorite man, hm?”

he chuckles nervously when she shoots him a wink and a smile. flirtatious one. “usually girls get horny when they see porn. but oh, not you. pretty fucked up if i might say.”

“you love it” she responds, crawling beside him as they both lay comfortably on her bed. “how’s your day, baby”

he puffs out a long exaggerated breath. “kind of shit, ms.O'Donnell been up my ass about the last assignment. she wanted me to re-do it.”

“aw that sucks” she pouts, running her fingers through his hair. “want me to beat her up for you?”

“no, i’m good” he laughs, not wanting her to do something that’ll damage her academics. the thing is about y/n, when she says something along the lines of ‘beating someone up’ you better not take it lightly.

because she will do it.

“too bad. I’d love to see her blood pouring out of those nostrils.” she sighs, plopping her head down on his chest as she hooks her leg with his. his arm wraps around her body protectively. “the offer still stands.”

“hey, enough of that would ya?” he kisses the crown of her head, smiling to himself. “as sexy as it is to see you get violent, the consequences will be ten times worse if you punch a teacher.”

“just gotta wait till graduation then.” she innocently replies, finger drawing circles on his chest.

halfway through the movie, eddie is trying his best to keep his focus on the plot. but she’s making it so hard for him to do so. she continuously shifts her weight on him, ‘accidentally’ brushing against his hard shaft with an innocent ‘oops’ every time she does it.

they’ve been together for almost a month and he hasn’t gotten used to the effect she has on him. it’s frustrating how he can’t control his thoughts and clammy palms whenever she puts her hands on his body.

“you okay?” she wonders, looking up at him with her doe eyes and playful smile. “you feel so tense, teddy”

“y-yeah” he stammers as his focus remains fixed on the screen. “just uhm, peachy”

peachy?? who the fuck says that?!

she hums in response, moving her mouth to attach itself on his neck with fingers moving down south to softly palm him over the thick material of his pants. he takes in a deep breath at the touch, finding it more difficult to think straight with her lips on him.

“y/n” he calls her softly, hand gripping tightly around her waist as he feels himself grow even more. “sweetheart i-“

she shushes him. “you look so good right now i have to do something eds.” her tongue licks a bold stripe on the skin, pushing her chest against his, “we can take turns later, yeah?”

he gulps, body melting under her touch. “s-shit, y/n wait, wait!“ he suddenly exclaims, freeing himself from her grip

y/n frowns when eddie pushes her lightly. feeling annoyed why he’s like that towards her.

“eddie what the fuck?! do you not want me to suck your cock?” she harshly asks, then a sudden realization hits her. “are you fucking another bitch behind my back, munson?!”

he wide-eyed her as she crosses her arm, ready to kill him at that exact moment. “what? no! w-what makes you think I’m cheating on you?!”

“who is it?” she shoots immediately. “Julia from the cheer team or that fucking weird four-eyed wendy’s looking motherfucker at loves to stare at you across the hall?!”

eddie is confused. he doesn’t even know who she’s talking about, let alone a wendy-looking girl that keeps staring at him. how does she even know that?

he shakes his head furiously, wrapping her hands in his grasp to reassure her.“no! oh god y/n, of course not! . i only got my eyes for my girl, you know that. plus, Julia? she hates me and my friends, why would you even think of her?”

“then what’s going on!” she groans, moving to kneel in front of him as he sits up straight. “every time we make out or when i try to suck you off, you’d push me away. are you not attracted to me, anymore?”

“princess, believe me when i say this has nothing to do with you! of course I’m still attracted to you.” he says, looking at her in the eye. “shoot me in the head if i decided to leave you for another woman, i give you the permission.”

“okay, so what is it?” her voice turns soft. “you can tell me.”

sooner or later, of course, eddie has to tell her the truth. he hates having to keep secrets from her, but it’s embarrassing. who the hell wants to date a virgin? if she found out about that, she’d look at him differently. and he doesn’t want to lose her. not when things start to get better for him,

she notices how his eyes drop down to his lap, fiddling with his fingers as he removes his hands from hers. this causes her eyebrows to knit in concern.

“baby? what’s going on” she reaches out to softly pat her thumb across his cheek,

“it’s pretty embarrassing” he lowly chuckles,

“it’s not if it got you all worked up like this. come on, It’s your girl.” she ducks her head down a bit to take a look at his features,

he exhales. “well you know it’s just that i…” he trails off, “never had sex before..”

“what?!” she sounds genuinely surprised. “you’re a virgin?”

he nods, slowly looking up to meet her eyes. “yeah. it’s why i have been so… weird. I’m sorry. i know you expected more from me.”

seeing him get so vulnerable and embarrassed because of that makes her heart break. that’s why he’s been avoiding her touch? god, this man is so precious she feels like she’s going to pass out.

“eddie, you don’t have to be sorry for being … inexperienced. there’s nothing wrong with that. and ‘expected more’? baby, you are already enough for me.” she cradles his face to get him to look at her. “do you think i care about whether you’re a virgin or not? because i don’t.”

“well, you’ve been with those guys before, right? i bet they made you feel good. and i want to do that too. perhaps even better.”

oh her heart is about to leap out of her chest.

“made me feel good? they thought they were doing something. i had to fake it because they barely knew how to do it”. she rolls her eyes, earning a small laugh from him.

“plus, i think it’s cute that no one has ever touched you before.” she giggles, pressing a kiss on his nose,

“well i don’t want to be cute! i want to be hot. for you” he grumbles, frowning like a small child.

“you are, baby” she giggles, even more, shaking her head at this adorable man. “so cute and hot, you make my head spin and panties drop. not a day goes by that i do not think of you”

“you mean that?” his voice small. “because you don’t have to say that just because I’m your boyfriend.”

“i meant every word. do you know how many girls i had to threaten and slammed against the wall for eyeing you? countless.”

“you never told me that…”

“not important” she waves her hand in an attempt to change the subject. “now… how about i make you feel good, hm?”

she moves to put her weight on top of him, putting her legs on either side of his thighs. his heart is beating a mile per minute the moment she sits there. having no idea where to place his hands, he just place them next to her knees.

there’s a twinkle of lust across her eyes, the straps of her blue nightgown falling down her shoulders. long messy hair tucks on the either side of her neck

“but i want to make you feel good too. make you cum on my fingers” he struggles to say each word when her hand begins to untie the strings of his sweatpants.

“we have plenty of time to do that, but … i think my boyfriend deserves it more. don’t you think?”

“well... only if you want to” he's being shy, cheeks red and it drives her mad how cute he's being with her

“of course, i want to.” his pants are pulled now down on his thighs and his cock springs free. “would you let me take care of you?”

he nods frantically, becoming putty underneath her bedroom eyes as she slowly wraps her soft palm around the base of his hard shaft. eddie had never thought her eye contact is strong enough to make his body tremble.

“f-fuck, sweetheart” he blows a sigh of pleasure when she goes down to lick the tip, humming to herself when she finally got a taste of him,

he watches every move she makes. afraid that if he misses just one second, he will regret it. it still doesn't feel real to him. having the prettiest girl in Hawkins as his girlfriend going down on his cock. with a sweet, innocent look decorating her features, enough to make him cream already. but he's holding it.

dear god, he's trying to hold it.

”not even halfway through but you taste so good to me already” she smiles with her tongue still out, he catches a glimpse of her piercing and almost lets out a moan. ”and you have been hiding this from me? not nice”

the minute she slips his cock into her mouth, he's a goner already. brown eyes lulling onto the back of his head with a soft grunt following. she drags her tongue slowly from the base of his shaft, all the way up before closing her mouth around the reddening tip. keeping her eyes on him as she goes, who seems to be having a hard time trying to compose himself.

a devilish smile appears on her face, and her freshly manicured hand reaches out to give his balls a soft squeeze. he flinches at the sudden contact, groaning and moaning when she works on her tongue around him.

”does that feel good, eds?” she checks on him to make after pulling her mouth off. making sure he’s enjoying every moment. coating the tip with her spit before she spreads it with her thumb, ”like having my mouth on you?”

he can only nod to answer, his body is consumed by too much euphoria to give her a verbal response. chest raising with a heavy breath every time her fingers tip-toeing over the sensitive skin. balling his fists so hard, he wouldn't be surprised if his fingernails create a dent in his palms,

”use your words, come on” she moves her hand up and down the stiff flesh with a soft grip, watching his mouth fall open.

”fuck yes. it feels so good b-baby please... don't stop, please” he begs in between breaths, almost sounding like a squeak. eddie finally opens up his eyes to gaze back at her. giving her, his best pleading look, ”i wanted your mouth for so long”

”good boy” with that, she slides his cock back into her wet mouth. while her other hand runs up and down his thigh, sending a light shiver down his spine and arising goosebumps on his skin

eddie's fingers are curling up against the sheets. a strangled noise leaving his throat when the sight of her breasts almost spilling out from the dress. looking like a proper porn star.

he thinks he might actually pass out from this. the velvety insides of her mouth make his head spin and her tongue never seemed to stop teasing the tip. his legs are tense and she can see it from the corner of her eye. she’s taken by surprise when his hips accidentally bucking up, hitting the back of her throat.

”shit, s-sorry about that, sweetheart” he softly tells her, earning a squeeze on his thigh from her as a reassurance that it's okay.

he feels his body is blazing. he can't exactly describe it but it feels so good. pure bliss blooms inside of him when she continues to bob her head up and down. and fuck, eddie doesn't want to cum just yet. but he can't take it anymore. not when she peers up at him through her lashes, still with that innocent look on her face. or when she reaches out to squeeze his heavy balls of cum.

it gets even more harder when she sinks further, moaning around his cock because the sweet, sweet taste of him is creating an excitement that bubbles in her stomach

“f-fuck, fuck. i'm cumming” he rushes, thinking that she might pull away but she only wraps her lips tighter around him. sucking even harder until he releases it all. thick, white string of cum falling in her mouth and painting her tongue. eddie cries out in pleasure, screwing his eyes shut.

his fingers slowly start to loosen the grip around the sheets, his breath going steady, and relaxes both his legs.

she pops off of him, brushing a finger in the corner of her mouth to swipe his remaining. not wanting it to go to waste. “you're so adorable” with a giggle, she plops herself next to him, “how was it?”

“fucking amazing” he laughs breathlessly, rubbing his face up and down with his hands before facing her. a lopsided smile tugging her lips. ”god you were so good with it, I thought I was going to die”

“never heard that one before” she snickers playfully, making herself comfortable underneath the duvet. cuddling up to him. “you tasted so good too, what's the secret?”

he pretends to think while pulling herself close to him. “cheerios and cigarettes”

she swats his chest with the back of her hand, making him laugh. ”I'm gonna make you some real food. my man needs to have the stamina if he's planning to fuck me with his cock.”

he freezes, leaning back slightly to take a good look at her face to see if she's pulling his leg. “what?”

“you heard me.” her voice is stern but also playful. “you're gonna fuck me into oblivion and I will guide you through it if I have to. and we're not stopping until you make both of my legs shake that i can’t fucking walk to school tomorrow.”

eddie is certain he's in heaven right now

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson blurbs #eddie munson angst #eddie munson smut #eddie things #eddie munson x mean!cheerleader

[poetslore]

An exploration of themes in Netflix’s “Leave the world behind”

1. Societies reliability on technology and the side effects of this reliability. One example of this is Ethan Hawke’s character Clay. Clay attempts to drive back to town so he can buy a newspaper and hopefully come across someone who knows something about the blackout. Unfortunately Clay gets lost on the way to town due to the fact that his cars GPS isn’t working. If he hadn’t relied so heavily on technology he would’ve known how to read a map and likely would’ve made it to town.

2. Societies distrust in humanity. One theme that I immediately noticed is the characters distrust of other characters. Julia Roberts’ character Amanda immediately distrusts George and Ruth, while their spontaneous arrival is strange she immediately didn’t trust them (the second she heard them knock on the door she didn’t trust them). We as an audience also experience distrust. When we first see Kevin Bacon’s character Danny we think he is odd and is likely going to be a possible villain due to this odd behavior. When Rose and Archie come across the tool shed in the middle of the woods I presume most of the films audience thought someone creepy likely resided there. This growing distrust that society holds for humanity is caused by are easy access to negative media (petty and major crimes are reported more often) and due to our growing obsession with true crime which has made us paranoid and distrustful of even the kindest of people.

3. Sometimes old is better. The teslas. If your remember just after the halfway mark of the film, Amanda and Clay decide that it’s best to leave to Scott’s house and go to Amanda’s sisters house in Jersey. On the way there they come across a pile up of Teslas and nearly get killed by oncoming teslas. This is because Teslas contain a self driving feature. This feature is purely technological which is how the hackers were able to manipulate the Teslas self driving feature in order to isolate communities.

4. Violence in the media. This is a rather small theme but remember when the flyers are thrown from the drone and Clay is absolutely terrified. Well the flyers said you know what (I don’t want to get reported or banned) Archie immediately knew what these flyers said due to the fact that he saw that exact same phrase in a video game.

5. Our hatred, yet reliability on humanity. This movie has one major theme and it first appears in the beginning of the movie. Amanda reveals that one of the prime reasons why she wanted to go on vacation was because she wanted to get away from people. Ruth is consistently harsh and downright disrespectful to Clay and Amanda and everyone in the family shows an annoyance to Rose, the youngest child. It’s obvious that 90% of the characters don’t actually like people and dislike socializing yet the characters consistently attempt to rely on the news and fellow people in an attempt to figure out what’s going on.

6. Age leads to discredit. Rose is probably one of the smartest characters in the film. She consistently takes note of small details such as the sirens and the deer, unfortunately everyone around her including her own parents consistently ignore what she has to say and discredit her intelligence as simply being the musings of a 13 year old. It is obvious that everyone (meaning Clay, Amanda, Archie, and Rose) don’t have any respect for each other and because of this lack of respect they aren’t a cohesive family whatsoever and they consistently get in little tiffs about the dumbest of things.

These were just some things I noticed while watching the film.

#leave the world behind #netflix #movies #movie review #themes #film #media analysis #movie analysis

[httplilyyy]

𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐘 || 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐈𝐀 𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐒

paring: alexia putellas x reader

summary: a halloween media day with a twist

warnings: a quick make out at the end but other than that its just pure fluff and the occasional swear word

words: 3423

a/n: i almost got carried away and made the ending full blown smut but i think i'll save that for another day 

woso masterlist

Today was media day. You were currently standing to the side with Alexia beside you as the two of you watched everyone get everything ready.

The camera crew was scattered all over the place, making sure the lights were right, the camera was at a good angle and so on.

Someone from the crew came over to the two of you and shyly held up two microphones for you both to put on.

You took both the microphones from the lady with a smile and handed one to Alexia whilst you put your one on.

What you didn’t notice, whilst you were putting on your mic, your shirt had ridden up a little and Alexia couldn’t help the shameful thoughts that flooded her brain.

As your shirt lifted, Alexia was just able to see the lower part of your abdomen, blushing profusely; she couldn't even begin to try and steer her eyes away from you.

You wouldn't want anyone else, other than Alexia, for you to do Media day with. She just made everything easier and she always managed to bring out the best side of you.

You were notoriously known as the jokester on the team but it was everyone else's turn to say the jokes when you were with Alexia. The two of you being dumped with the ‘power couple’ title even though you were only friends.

That's it. Just friends. Nothing more. Never.  

But how you wished that would change.

“You okay?” You asked, noticing Alexia’s changed demeanour.

“Sí.” Alexia replied with a small nod.

“You ready to lose?” You teased, bumping your shoulder into hers.

“You’re going down, y/l/n.” Alexia smiled.

“Oh? It's like that, is it? We’re on last name basis now?”

“It's like that.”

“Oh, it’s on Putellas.”

When the crew was ready, they beckoned you over. They directed you to the seat on the right, whilst Alexia sat beside you on the left. The two of you were sitting behind a table, full of items for the video you were filming.

After the general overview of what you had to do and everything double checked over, a crew member gave you a thumbs up to signal that the camera was recording.

“Bonjour.” You smiled, looking at Alexia who shook her head with a smile. “I’m Alexia Putellas.”

“And I'm y/n y/l/n.” Alexia played along.

“Today we are doing a series of different challenges all having to do with halloween.”

“Now try and say that in spanish.” Alexia chuckled.

“Um, Hola?” You questioned.

“Spot on.” Alexia smiled, trying not to laugh.

“Right,” you laughed, “the first challenge is a timed one.” You ‘ooh’d’ for dramatic effect causing Alexia to look at you weirdly but you shrugged her off with a goofy grin.

“Who’s going first?” Alexia asked.

“Calm down, I haven't even said what the challenge is yet.”

“What is it?”

“Um, I don't actually know, hold on.” You nervously scratched the back of your neck as you looked around the table, trying to find a card that had all the challenges on it. “Ah, found it.” You grinned, holding up the card.

You quickly scanned over what was written down before placing it back on the table.

“So, seeing as we aren’t dressed appropriately, we have to get into the proper attire.”

“Oh god.” Alexia mumbled, putting her head in her hands.

“We have been given some costumes to get into and whoever does so in the shortest time will win.”

“What are the costumes like?”

“No idea.” You shrugged with a smile. “You ready to lose, Putellas?”

“It’s on, y/l/n.”

The two of you got into your positions and the camera panned to you both. You were now standing with your costume in front of you, hidden away in a bag and the same went for Alexia.

Someone from the camera crew gave you a countdown which neither of you listened to, meaning you essentially cheated, and put on your costumes as quickly as possible.

When you took your costume out of the bag the first thought that came to mind was that you’ve been stitched up. You looked to your left and saw Alexia hastily putting her costume on.

Huffing to yourself you took the costume out of your bag and began to put it on. It wasn't long before you were both finished. You turned to face Alexia again and the midfielder was curled in a ball on the floor dying with laughter.

“I’m a fucking banana.” You said, raising your arms in disbelief. “How am I a banana when Alexia is a vampire? That's not fair!”

“This is great.” Alexia laughed, making no attempt to stop.

“This is not even remotely halloween like.” You huffed. “I could be dressed as a pumpkin, not a shoddy banana.”

“Careful, y/n. Your inner Brit is showing.” Alexia chuckled as she got up off the floor, holding her stomach from laughing too much.

“Shut up.” You mumbled.

“Wait, who won?” Alexia asked as she looked between you and the camera crew.

“That would be you, Alexia.” Someone said.

“Great. Fan-fucking-tastic.” You said. “I dress up as a banana and don't even win.”

Whilst alexia was too busy celebrating her win in the first challenge she missed the way you looked at her. She looked so carefree and you couldn't help but smile, watching as she danced on the spot.

“I must say, your dancing could use a little improvement.” You chuckled causing Alexia to stop. “Hey, no. Don't stop on my account, I thought it was cute.”

Alexia couldn't help the blush that creeped up the back of her neck to the tips of her ears, trying to shield her face from you making you laugh even more. You placed an arm around her shoulders as the two of you walked back to the table.

Once you both sat back down you picked up the card which had the list of things to do on it. You looked at Alexia, silently asking if she was ready and she sent a nod with a smile back at you.

“Right, next up we have a painting challenge.”

“Oh, mierda.”

“A face paint challenge.”

“This is only going to go one way.”

“And that’s tits up.” You chuckled. “You better make me look sexy, even though I already am.”

“Keep thinking that.” Alexia smiled as she got her face paint ready.

“Wha- Hey!”

“Can I do you first?”

“Whoa, take me out for dinner first.” You smirked as you saw a crimson colour appear on Alexia's cheeks.

“I mean, can I paint your face first?”

“You sure can.”

“Alright, close your eyes.” Alexia said quietly and you did as you were told.

Alexia tried to shuffle her chair closer but she was struggling a little, trying not to knock the paint all over the floor so you slowly opened your eyes to look at Alexia’s chair before using one hand to pull her closer whilst the other held the face paint.

You sent Alexia a smile before closing your eyes again, waiting for her to do whatever design on your face.

The two of you sat so closely that one of your legs was in between Alexia’s whilst the other was on the outside, meaning Alexia had her leg between yours too. If either of you moved, you’d practically be sitting on top of one another.

You felt Alexia gently take a hold of your face whilst soft brush strokes were made. The Catelonian held your chin, moving your face for better access.

Alexia was concentrating so hard she didn't notice you had opened your eyes a little, watching as her eyes darted around your face or the way her tongue poked out of her mouth a tiny bit.

“Boo.” You shouted, breaking Alexia’s concentration for her to let out a loud scream.

“Dios mío, pequeña mierda.” Alexia shouted as she jumped away from you, an angry look in her eyes.

“Sorry,” you chuckled, “you looked too concentrated.”

“I hate you.” Alexia mumbled, holding a hand over her heart.

“Mhm, sure you do.” You smirked. “Come sit back down.”

Alexia took a minute to recompose herself before she sat in front of you once again.

“Don't do that again.” Alexia said, pointing the paint brush towards you.

“Yes ma’am.” You said as you held your hands up in surrender.

“Close your eyes.” Alexia said, shaking her head as she let a little smile slip past her lips.

It wasn’t long till Alexia had finished painting your face and she couldn't help but let out a triumphant smile at her finished product. You decided not to look at it just yet as you wanted to paint Alexia’s face.

“Your turn,” you smiled, “close your eyes.”

Alexia nodded as she closed her eyes and you couldn't help but notice how ethereal she looked. How her face was as if it was sculpted by the gods themselves.

Doing the same as what Alexia had done to you, you gently placed your forefinger and thumb on Alexia’s chin, tilting her head down a little.

With your other hand you picked up the paintbrush and dipped it into some red paint. You gently drew a scar above her eyebrow before pulling away, happy with your work and you were about to say you were finished before an ingenious idea came to mind.

You washed off the red paint on the brush before dipping it into some black paint. You carefully drew some circular glasses onto Alexia’s face before letting out a little snort at your finished product.

Saying Alexia could open her eyes, she did so and you had to cover your mouth with your hand trying to stop yourself from laughing.

“What have you done?”

“Have a look for yourself.” You chuckled, handing Alexia a mirror.

“Y/n! What the hell is this!”

“You're Harry Potter!”

“Oh my.”

“Well, what am I?” You questioned and Alexia handed you back the mirror.

“A pumpkin!” Alexia said happily, her smile reaching her ears.

“I’m a pumpkin wearing a banana.” You deadpanned, turning to face Alexia, whose expression changed thinking you weren’t happy.

“Yeah, I thought it was cool.” Alexia said, looking down and playing with her fingers that laid on her lap.

“It's great.” You smiled, noticing how her mood had gone down. “I must be the best looking pumpkin in the whole universe.”

“Oh, for sure.” Alexia said, sarcastically as she looked up with a smile.

“I definitely won this challenge.” You said smugly.

“No way!” Alexia shook her head, the two of you looking at the people behind the camera.

“I think, y/n will have to take this one.” Someone said.

“Yes!” You yelled triumphantly, jumping out of your seat.

“There is no way y/n won this round.” Alexia huffed, crossing her arms in disbelief.

“Don’t be a sore loser, la reina.” You teased, sitting back down.

“Don’t call me that.” Alexia mumbled, sounding like a small child.

“Alright, what about mi reina?” You smirked, watching as Alexia’s eyes went wide as well as the blush that crept onto her cheeks.

“What's the next challenge?” Alexia asked, trying to change the subject and ignore the fluttering feeling inside.

“The third and final round is..” You trailed off looking at the challenge card. “A pumpkin carving challenge.”

“Oh, cool.”

“Just make sure not to mix my face up with a real pumpkin.” You chuckled.

“I’ll try, you look like a replica even without the face paint on.”

“Oh, it's like that is it? You trash talking me?”

“Yeah, what are you gonna do about it?”

“Do you want me to do something about it?” You questioned, tilting your head to the side a little.

“Let’s do the next challenge.” Alexia said quietly, transfixed on how your voice sounded, sending shivers down her spine.

“First up we obviously need pumpkins.” You pointed out.

“No? Really?” Alexia asked sarcastically.

“Yes, Sergeant sarcastic.”

“Alright, Captain obvious.”

“Wait, is this my pumpkin?” You asked, looking at the small orange blob in front of you.

“It's cute.” Alexia giggled.

“Hold on a minute.” You said, looking between Alexia’s pumpkin and yours. “I’ve been stitched up here.”

“How come?”

“Look at the size of your pumpkin compared to mine. It's huge.”

“That's what she said.” Alexia whispered.

“Did you just say what I think you did?”

“You might have some hearing problems.”

“Uh huh.” You looked at Alexia with a smile.

“Yeah, you should get that checked out.” Alexia smiled and you shook your head trying not to laugh.

“Anyway, we have thirty minutes to carve our pumpkin and whoever is the best will be crowned something but I don't know what that something is yet.”

“Countdown from three?”

“Three-” Before you even finished the word Alexia had already started with a chuckle, getting all her things and beginning to carve the pumpkin.

Due to the miniscule pumpkin in front of you it didn't take long for you to take out all the pulp from inside.

You took a hold of a sharpie and began to draw your design all around your pumpkin, once you were happy with your base line you used a small knife to cut out certain parts.

Being extra careful, you didn’t take your eye’s off your pumpkin till you heard Alexia grunt, trying to scoop out all the pulp from inside her pumpkin.

You looked between your pumpkin, which was nearly done, and Alexia’s before putting down your knife and taking a hold of Alexia’s pumpkin. With a look of confusion, Alexia watched as you helped take out the pulp from her pumpkin.

It was a wordless interaction and Alexia watched your every move from your arm flexing to the way your veins crawled from your hand and up your arm.

You, completely oblivious to the way Alexia looked at you, continued to take the pulp out of Alexia’s pumpkin till it was empty. You slid Alexia’s pumpkin back towards her and continued on with your design.

It wasn’t long till you finished up your pumpkin and all you were doing was watching Alexia finish off her design. Once Alexia finally finished she looked up from her pumpkin and at you with a grin plastered on her face.

“Happy?” You asked, smiling at the Catalonian’s reaction.

“Sí.” Alexia nodded her head.

“Turn them around in three?” You suggested, gesturing to the pumpkins.

“Three, two, one..” Alexia counted and when she said one the two of you turned your pumpkins around to show each other.

You had the traditional pumpkin design on yours whereas Alexia went all out on hers. Your tiny little pumpkin was severely outdone by Alexia and you couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at your lack of effort.

“I think we know who won this round.” You huffed out a laugh and pointed to Alexia’s pumpkin.

“Really?” Alexia questioned, practically bouncing up and down on her seat.

“Yeah.” You smiled, looking at her with nothing but pure affection.

You realised you were staring but you just couldn't take your eyes off her and you didn’t want to either.

“What?” Alexia questioned, quickly catching on that you were looking at her.

“Nothing.” You shook your head with a dumb smile written across your face.

The two of you finished up the video and after crowning Alexia the halloween challenge queen you both said the outro and someone from the camera crew yelled ‘cut’.

You stood up and walked over to the camera crew, taking off your banana costume and mic before turning to Alexia who was doing the same thing.

The camera crew handed you some things to remove the face paint and you waited for Alexia before walking to a bathroom.

Once the two of you were inside, Alexia shut the door after her whilst you placed everything down by the sink.

Sharing the items between the two of you, you both began to clear the face paint from your faces. Alexia was done in a matter of minutes but you, however, were struggling to clear it all off.

“You’ve missed a couple spots.” Alexia chuckled, pointing to the small parts of face paint remaining on your face.

“It just won't come off.” You laughed along.

“Here, let me help.” Alexia said, taking the wipe from your hand, going to stand in front of you.

Alexia gently placed her hand under your chin to manoeuvre your head so she was able to get all the face paint off you.

Once Alexia was done she stepped back from you a little but you were still in close proximity.

“Thanks.” You whispered.

“No problem.” Alexia replied in a hushed tone, her breath fanning over your lips and the both of your chests rising up and down in tandem.

Neither of you moved, trying to resist the urge to do something you’d probably both regret.

“I really want to kiss you.” Alexia whispered, her lips ghosting yours.

“Then do it.” You replied.

Alexia slowly leaned in, her lips millimetres away from touching yours, silently asking if you were sure about this. The corner of your lips curved upwards as you tilted your head to the side, your lips ever so close to touching Alexia’s in front of you.

“Come on,” you said, “kiss me.”

Alexia moved in closer, her gaze fell to your lips before pressing her lips onto yours. Your hands went to cup Alexia’s cheeks whilst hers gripped onto the fabric at the bottom of your shirt, tugging you closer.

Lost in the passionate kiss everything around you started to slip away. Totally lost in the moment.

You felt Alexia slide her tongue across your bottom lip but you didn't grant her access, causing her to let out a small huff between kisses.

You chuckled before walking her backwards till her back hit the cold material of the counter. A soft gasp left her lips and you slid your tongue into her mouth, exploring every bit you could.

Alexia moved her hands from fisting your shirt up to your shoulders and you slowly moved yours down from her cheeks to rest your right hand on her waist and your left supporting you on the counter.

Alexia was trapped between you and the counter behind her, her mind fogged with thoughts of you.

Gently, you lifted Alexia onto the counter leading her to wrap her legs around your waist pulling you impossibly closer.

You trailed your kisses from Alexia’s lips and down to her neck. The Catalonian grinning as a soft hum escaped her lips.

Smirking, you felt Alexia shiver under your touch once you nipped at her pulse point, just below her ear.

Alexia craned her neck to the side so you could continue to kiss her warm, smooth skin, making Alexia sigh in content.

You pressed feather-like kisses up her neck, over her jaw and placed one more kiss on Alexia’s lips before finally pulling away to look at her.

“Why’d you stop?” Alexia questioned, trying to bring you back in for another kiss.

“Because I want to take you out before anything goes further.” You smiled, giving in and giving Alexia another kiss. “I want to do this properly.”

Alexia’s heart practically exploded, butterflies swarming her stomach.

“You really mean that?”

“Of course, I really like you.”

“I like you too, so much.”

“How about a date tomorrow? If you're free?”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“Okay.” You smiled, bringing Alexia into another quick kiss, one full of tenderness and care.

“I can't wait.”

The two of you rested your foreheads against each other, basking in the tranquillity that surrounded the both of you.

“You still have some face paint on your cheek.” Alexia chuckled, licking her thumb before wiping it off.

“Anywhere else?” You questioned with a smile.

“Oh yeah, just right here..” Alexia trailed off as she placed a kiss on your cheek.

“I think you missed a spot.” You said, wiggling your eyebrows.

“Did I?”

“Mhm.”

“How foolish of me.” Alexia grinned, leaning in once more and planting a kiss on your lips. It was short and sweet, leaving you both smiling like little kids at christmas.

It was safe to say, the two of you weren't in any rush to be getting out of the bathroom. Kisses after kisses leading you both to become more infatuated with each other.

if this was the result of media day, you could wait for more ones like it.

#alexia putellas imagine #alexia putellas x reader #alexia putellas imagines #alexia putellas #woso imagine #woso x reader

[princess-ibri]

I think it is both funny and slightly alarming that there are those who possess an intense dislike for anyone who ship Asha with Star (one person even derisively called this ship “Starsha” but jokes on them i like it xD);

1) “BASIC WHITE TWINK IS MORE POPULAR WITH THIS SHIPPERS THAN THE BLACK HEROINE” I think they conveniently forget that everyone knows what Asha looks like and is more or less fine with her appearance; The Star’s human appearance, on the other hand, has not left the figurative drawing board beyond the art book, therefore it is fun to delve into character design and see how he looks more fleshed out. Also, what do they mean “basic white twink?” I’ve seen plenty of Human/noid!Star concepts with various skin tones/ethnic features/builds. Then again, I explore more social media platforms than just Tumblr.

2) “THESE SHIPPERS KEEP WHITE/LIGHT-WASHING THE HEROINE” They are exploring the concept designs that were shown in the art book. Also, Afro-Latinos/Hispanics have a range of skin and eye colors. Another also: NOT ALL OF THE SHIPPERS CHANGE ASHA’S OFFICIAL APPEARANCE.

3) “WHO’S GOING TO TELL THESE SHIPPERS THAT THE HUMAN STAR IS/WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE HER GRANDPA?” We already know. We also know that was one of the POTENTIAL options that wounded up being scrapped. Therefore, Starsha headcanons don’t have to be tied to one single idea that could have happened.

4) “WHY ARE YOU SHIPPING ASHA WITH A HUMAN BOY VERSION OF THE LITTLE STAR WHEN _insert canon film character_ IS RIGHT THERE/ASHA DOESN’T NEED A ROMANCE?” First and most important of all, because we can and we want to. Second of all, not all of Starsha shippers headcanon the Star to be male. Third of all, no one has any issues with shipping Asha with any of her canon friends (or even a self-insert) or headcanoning her to be happy single; the only ones I see having any problems with any shipping are the ones who don’t like we are shipping the original concept of the Star and Asha.

Sorry for my rant. I just find it weird that those who don’t ship Star x Asha or who aren’t a fan of the Humanoid Star seem just so offended by the fact that this portion of the fandom exists and is having fun with their headcanons so far. It’s not like our headcanons have any effect on the official WISH Film.

P.S., I love your art and concepts! Not just for WISH, but those are some of my favorites!

Hey all absolutely excellent points! Yeah my rule is just, let people have fun with stuff? Cuz like--yeah guys none of this actually affects anything IRL of any actual importance so, chill out and go do what you want instead of getting upset other people don't want to do the same? Spending your time trying to police everyone else's fun just leaves less time for you to have any.

And thanks!! I've been enjoying working out how I want Wish to fit into the DisneyVerse and working some of the concept stuff in with the Canon the movie gave to do so! Hope you'll stick around for more!

#asks #wish 2023 #wish disney #wish movie #star x asha #wish star #asha wish #starsha #yeah you know what I like it too x) #imma go back and tag all the stuff with it xD #disney #DisneyVerse #human star

[illfoandillfie]

Kinktober Day 17: Afternoon Delight

Kinktober Masterlist | Regular Masterlist

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Reader

Words: 749

Warnings: more sweet than smutty, implied sex, discussions of filming sex scenes for movies, just pedro being v reassuring and lovey dovey.

A/N: highkey inspired by a scene in a book i read recently (the seven husbands of evelyn hugo) lmao

It had been a quiet weekend, one of the rare occasions neither you nor Pedro had anything scheduled. You’d allowed yourselves to sleep in, had a nice brunch with your coffees, and then settled in for a relaxing day of doing very little. By the mid-afternoon Pedro way sitting on one end of the couch reading and you were laying across the rest, your head in his lap, your attention on your phone. Every so often you let out a soft hum as Pedro absentmindedly played with your hair, and sometimes one of you would interrupt the quiet to share something funny you’d seen or just comment on how nice it was to do nothing. After some time in the peaceful bliss, Pedro’s page turning happened less frequently. You didn’t click to it right away but it became increasingly clear that something other than the plot of the novel had his attention. Finally, he cracked.   “Hey, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” You dragged your attention from your phone, “What is it?” “It’s about work next week.” “Mmm, what about it?” you asked, pushing yourself to sit up and face him better, a suspicion of what he was trying to get at already in your head.   “Well, next week we’ll be filming the sex scene.” “Right, I remember you mentioning that you’d be doing that soon.” “I thought I should warn you that it’s coming up, I think it’s going to be quite an...intense scene.” Your forehead creased as you pondered what that meant, “How so? What do you mean intense?” “Well, like I said before it’s got some actual nudity in it. Not full frontal but definitely my ass and I think her uhhh chest...maybe other parts too.” he blushed a little as he skirted around the words, “It’s not going to be a fade to black type scene, we aren’t shying away from showing the sex.” You’d let out a giggle as he’d cutely stumbled over his phrasing but fell quiet again with the rest, “Okay....do you feel like it’s overly gratuitous?” "No. I don’t think so. Our director explained his vision and the three of us talked through the scene. We came to the conclusion that it’s important for the characters. Seeing their desire for each other and seeing that each of them receives pleasure from the other will help the audience understand decisions they make later on. It’s not like it’ll be pornographic anyway, but it might not be that taseful either.” “Okay.” “Okay?” You shrugged, “Well, what do you want me to say? I mean I can’t say I’m thrilled at the idea of seeing you fuck someone else or even pretend to. But I know it’s your job and it sounds like it’s in there for a reason and that you were included in decisions about it, so if you feel comfortable doing the scenes then... okay.” “I’d still like to know if you have any misgivings,” he grabbed your hand, giving it a squeeze, “I’m not the only one this scene could effect.” You squeezed his hand back in a silent acknowledgement of his thoughtfulness, “I don’t know that I’d feel entirely comfortable watching it.” “If you want to skip the premiere screening you can.” He smiled, only a little bit teasing.   You laughed, “No, just give me a heads up when it’s coming up so I can close my eyes or pop out to the bathroom or something.” He chuckled, “Alright, deal.’ You swallowed thickly, “You don’t feel anything for her, do you? Your co-star I mean.” “No, definitely not. She’s beautiful, can’t deny that, and she’d really great to work with, but no.” You nodded again but before you could say anything more he’d pulled your hand to his chest, “You’re my heart. I want to do the scene because I think it’s important for the story we’re telling and the character I’m playing, but you are the only person I actually want to be with.” You smiled, “I know, but it’s very nice to hear you say it.” “I can do more than say it, if you like, I can prove it?” “How would you do tha-” Pedro cut you off, leaning in to kiss your neck and you melted into him with a nod and an, “mmhmm, yes please.” He laughed softly against your ear, making a shiver run down your spine, his hands already moving to remove your clothes, “It’ll be my absolute pleasure.”

#my writing #my blurbs #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal imagine

[biblioflyer]

Captain Marvel through the male gaze.

Fellas, we need to talk about Captain Marvel.

And I do mean “we.” I am one of you. Says so right on my birth certificate and I’ve never had reason to question it no matter how much feminist and trans-positive media I marinate in. I enjoy stuff even if I don’t completely relate to it in every way. I enjoy insights into the lives and priorities of people who are very different from me.

Author's note: This is quickly going to take on the sort of lecturing tone that I don't really intend to be the default tone of this blog, but even having sat on this for a few days, my primary emotion is frustration and try as I might, I feel it would be dishonest to try to scrape that frustration off the page.

There’s no point in denying it. This is Girl Power the Movie. It is very much about a woman refusing to be told to calm down, quit being so emotional, or that she should respect her limits. Spoiler alert: she doesn’t take it well.

This movie is full of tropes we love when it's a man!

When scrawny pre-supersoldier serum Steve Rogers picks himself back up to face the bullies and declares “I can do this all day” who actually wants him to stay on the ground in a fetal position, whimpering?

So why do so many men cast themselves as the villains in this movie? Why do we assume we are the ones who are jeering Carol? Telling her to slow down, stay down, calm down, stop being emotional? Why do we identify with the people who are using her as a weapon? Why do we identify with the guy who gets snippy when Carol doesn’t find his flirting amusing or the fanatics destroying entire civilizations?

Why not identify with Talos or Fury? The men who trust Carol, try to unchain her, believe in her capacity for goodness?

Good Straight Male Representation can Still be Badass.

In the intervening years since this movie was in theaters, I forgot how great of a character Talos is. He makes me proud to be a man! He’s such a great character, Fury too! As a man, there are some great audience surrogates in this movie. Some people are constantly complaining that all masculinity is “toxic” now or that there are no positive representations of men who aren’t “queer coded.” Lets just set aside for the moment how much the fandom fanatically loves Steve Rogers and Bucky and focus on this film.

Talos is a loving husband and father who took extreme risks to protect his family. He also interrupts a cycle of violence by choosing to try to appeal to Carol’s conscience. Talos uses reason but he also uses emotion too. These are both tools in his kit, neither is a liability. If you need a macho flex, he handily beats Fury in hand to hand combat and is generally an effective fighter throughout the movie. Yet when push comes to shove, Talos’ most powerful weapon is his ability to find a window into Carol’s humanity and reawaken it.

Fury saw someone disoriented and helped rather than shot first! He followed his instincts into saving the world! He also, rather critically, was open to changing his mind. The aliens he fought valiantly not all that long ago, he was able to allow himself to recognize that they weren’t monsters, they were people driven by very similar instincts and desires as human beings. If you don’t think Fury is a hard man, he had just instigated a car wreck he barely walked away from to win a fight merely a day or two before helping save the planet.

Yes, Carol is aloof and cold throughout much of the film. She’s an alien soldier constantly being told to suppress her emotions and follow orders uncritically. That last part is key! The theme isn’t that logic is bad! The theme is that rationality without morality is wrong. Suppressing empathy actually strips you of your rationality, and opens you to being gaslit into thinking that victims are enemies. Talos and Fury both use empathy to unlock Carol’s true persona and as well as their fighting skills to save the day.

Conceal, Don’t Feel

Carol was a soldier, the mantra to follow orders makes sense in that context. However there was always an ulterior motive. She is an amnesiac serving an authoritarian state as a member of a death squad! That’s why they want her to be an automaton! They don’t want her or any Kree pondering the wider implications of what they’re doing. Sound familiar?

Put the Phone Down.

Consequently, this is a single screen experience. If you are not scrutinizing Larson’s face, her body language, and small details in her tone of voice, you’re missing most of her performance! You have to pay attention to Clint Eastwood or Mads Mikkelson, they play very minutiae focused characters. Same with Captain Marvel. It's less austere than Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday, but it’s not far off!

Strangers in a Strange Land

The Skrull story is also just fantastic. They can stand in for so many displaced and diasporic people. Kurds, Uighurs, Afghans - anyone greeted with suspicion and violence. Anti-Semitism is also back on the rise. Whatever spicy takes you have about the Balfour Declaration or the occupation of the West Bank, you’d do well to remember that if you think most Americans aren’t personally responsible when a wedding gets strafed, the same applies to people of Jewish descent.

The Skrulls can be anyone literally and literarily. They’re such a great representation of any group seen as an interloper. But in the end it's about family, safety, and finding a home. Not taking anything from anyone. They don’t even want vengeance.

If it’s not about you, Don’t Make it About You!

If you are a man, a fan of superhero movies, think women are or should be equal to men - not each equal in separate spheres but equal, and you think this is a man hating movie, explain to me because I just don’t get it. Why do you think the cast, crew, writers, etc. think you are Jude Law’s Yon-Rogg instead of Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos? How can this movie hate men when the men who are the good guys are so awesome? Who doesn’t want to be a badass spy like Fury?

Did you think they were talking about you when they included a biker who gets snippy when Carol doesn’t respond to his flirting? Who do you think Marvel thinks you are in this movie and why aren’t you seeing yourself in the heroes?

#captain marvel #carol danvers #marvel mcu #girl power #positive masculinity #nick fury #talos #samuel l jackson #brie larson #skrulls #diaspora #ben mendelsohn #male fragility #marvel rewatch #Captain Marvel Rewatch

[circus4apsycho8]

autonomous. | chapter iv - lloyd x reader

𝚊/𝚗: 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚌'𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢!

𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍 𝚗𝚎𝚐𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝, 𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐

autonomous. | lloyd x reader | chapter iv

“To my father and his incredible power, to my pupils for successfully unlocking what secrets the Temple of Light holds, and to our newest member of the team for aiding in Lloyd’s safe return,” Sensei Wu says as everyone sits quietly around the table, ravenously eyeing the feast in sight. “May we thank my father for the guidance he provides us even beyond the grave. Our war has yet to be waged, but each day we grow stronger. To the good fight.”  

You glance around in awe as the ninja speak words of agreement before digging into their meals. In all honesty, you’re just astounded that this much food is normal for people in the city! Even so, the tools that the ninja are using to eat are unknown to you. You study the tool carefully and attempt to observe how the ninja are using them. But...they’re eating so fast that their hands are a blur!  

You’re snapped out of your thoughts when Lloyd gently nudges your bicep with his elbow. “What’s up?”

“What…are you using to eat?” you wonder, studying the tools intently. There are two variants available at either side of your plate. “I’ve never seen anything like them.”  

“It’s a dinglehopper,” Kai interrupts, causing Cole to hit him. “Ow!”  

“A dinglehopper?” you repeat, holding up the object and staring at it. What a bizarre name.  

“It’s actually called a fork,” Cole corrects, rolling his eyes. “Kai just won’t admit he has an obsession with princess movies.”   

“Do not!”  

“Yeah right. Who else slips in a reference from The Little Mermaid so easily?” Jay retorts.   

“Shut up! You guys obviously got the reference too!”   

“A fork?” you wonder. “And what’s a...mer-maid?”  

Lloyd chuckles lightly. “Okay, so you use forks to pick up foods that aren’t convenient to touch. You know, if something is sticky or wet. Just so your hands don’t get dirty. It’s also more sanitary than eating with your hands. And a mermaid is a mythological creature – half fish, half human. They’re referring to a mermaid that’s in an animated movie.”   

“Movies? And what does animate mean?”   

“Man, you really live under a rock, don’t you?” Jay states.  

“I do not,” you say, frowning in confusion as you stare at the redhead for clarification.  

“That’s not…” Jay sighs. “Never mind. We have a lot to teach you.”   

Zane offers you a patient smile, taking a moment to elaborate: “But to answer your question, a movie is a story or event recorded by a camera as a set of moving images and shown in a theater or on television. Also known as a motion picture or film."  

“Moving pictures that tell stories?” you wonder, trying to visualize what that looks like.  

Lloyd nods as he takes another bite. “Yep. There are tons of them too.”   

“Wow…”  

“Make sure to eat, dear. You’ll need your strength,” Misako reminds gently with a motherly smile.  

“Here, hold your fork like this,” Lloyd says, holding out the utensil in his hand. You study the way his fingers are wrapped around the item, doing your best to mimic it. Your fingers get crisscrossed in the process, though, causing you to frown.   

Lloyd laughs lightly, green eyes sparkling as he sets his fork down. “Here.”   

He gently grabs your wrist, taking a moment to reposition your fingers until they’re correct. You feel your cheeks warming at the close contact.   

“There, like that. Try it.”   

“Okay. Do I just…?”   

“Gently stab your food. Like this.” You watch in fascination as he spears a piece of food with his fork.   

“I don’t understand how we didn’t have anything like this back at camp,” you say, testing the fork out for yourself. “It’s such a simple idea but works so effectively!”   

The others chuckle as you admire the usefulness of the fork while finishing the small portion on your plate. What a useful object!   

“May I ask what it is that you made?” you ask, directing the question to Zane. “This is so much better than condensed evil! And the only other foods I’ve had have come from the island in one form or another.”   

“I’m sorry, one second, let’s back up…condensed what?” Jay interrupts with a confused glance.   

“Condensed evil. Remember when Garmadon had to stay with us? That black stuff he was eating? That’s what condensed evil is,” Cole explains.   

“Supposedly, it’s low in fat,” Kai adds between bites.   

“I prepared a grilled chicken paired with roast veggies and rolls,” Zane answers. “I hope it is to your liking.”   

“It very much is! It all tastes so divine!”   

“I am glad to hear it,” Zane replies with a smile. “Please help yourself to seconds if you so desire.”   

“Seconds?”   

“And thirds. Fourths and fifths if you want,” Cole adds, happily munching on a vegetable. “Hell, I might even go for sixths tonight.”   

“Seconds is another way of saying another plate of food,” Nya interjects, rolling her eyes at Cole. “And trust me when I say that average people do not eat as much as these idiots do. Hungry teenage guys are one thing, but hungry teenage guys that happen to train as ninjas? It’s a whole lot worse.”   

“Another plate?” you wonder, looking back towards Zane for another answer.   

“Of course. I always prepare enough for everyone to eat their fill. Considering everyone trains heavily, it is vital that everyone eats nutritiously so that we may perform our best.”   

“Wow…” Not only would you be able to savor all of the different foods offered in Ninjago, but you’d also be able to eat as much as you see fit rather than how much your father told you to eat!   

With that in mind, you help yourself to a bit more food, missing how the ninja are glancing at each other.   

Dinner – as you had learned it was called – passed by relatively quickly after that. During the remaining time, the ninja informed you that the fork was not the only utensil utilized for eating: spoons and knives exist too for scooping and cutting purposes! Even wilder, Jay also told you that people even use combinations of utensils too, like sporks! That way, you can both stab and scoop food! It’s simply ingenious!   

Now, you’re following Nya to her room, where you’re to stay for the time being.   

“Well, this is it,” Nya says as she pushes the door to her room open.   

“Whoa…this is all yours?” you ask, taking a step inside her room when she goes in.   

“All mine,” she confirms as she walks behind a giant, foldable screen. You take the opportunity to have a look around. There are containers of varying sizes, weapons, armor, more items you don’t recognize...   

You observe as she slings her gi over the top, emerging in a different outfit soon after.   

“I guess you don’t have any spare clothes on hand,” Nya states. “In that case, you can just borrow some stuff from us. If you want, I’ll scrounge up some stuff we don’t really wear that often before you shower.”   

“What is a shower?”   

“Here, I’ll show you.” Nya gestures for you to follow her, so you do. She leads you out in the hallway, where she opens another nearby door. “This is the bathroom, reserved for the girls only.”   

You nod, listening as she explains the various aspects that make up a functioning bathroom. She shows you how to operate everything too, leaving you baffled at what humanity has created to make everyday living easier. Not only that, but people from Ninjago even have specialized cleaning products that differ for hair and body! You can’t help but stare at the different bottles, listening as Nya explains each one.  

“Hang tight for a second, I’m going to go see if I can find you a change of clothes,” Nya says, stepping out of the bathroom.   

Her absence gives you a moment to yourself. After all that has happened today, it’s a welcome change.  

You set the bottle back on the ledge of the tub, quieting down as you take a deep breath. Are these really going to be your last few days on the island? Even though you’re looking forward to what the future holds, it’s still a huge transformation. You know that it’s going to take some adjusting.  

But what if people find you annoying?  

You swallow nervously, taking a moment to look at your reflection. Nya explained that it was called a mirror. You find that looking at yourself this clearly is off-putting. Sure, you’d seen your reflection a few times before - like in the rippling surface of water, or on a glass shard. But never this clearly. It’s strange.  

You avert your gaze to the floor. What will come of this new lifestyle, though? Will it be for the better? And how would your newfound power affect you in the end – will you prevail, or cave to the darkness?   

Your string of questions is interrupted when the door opens again, revealing Nya bearing a stack of folded clothes.   

“Here you go, these should do for the night. When we get back home, after everything blows over, we can go shopping to get you your own wardrobe and anything else you might need.”   

“Shopping?”   

She chuckles, setting the clothes on the counter. “I’ll explain later. Take your time in here, and if you need me, I’ll be right outside. Just yell at me.”   

You nod. “Thank you, Nya.”   

“Of course.”  

…   

The hot water of the shower reminded you of the hot springs you used to bathe in. Would you always have access to a shower now? You shake off the question as you dry yourself, gaze falling on the set of clothes Nya gave you.    

You reach for the article on top, taking a moment to unfold it. It’s…a thick long sleeve shirt with a hood sewn on it, and it’s green – similar to the shade of Lloyd’s eyes. On the front reads the words:   

green bean  

Underneath the phrase is a picture of a green bean with a cute face. After taking a moment to wonder why it has a face, you shrug it on. It’s much different than what you’re used to, but it’s warm and comfy. Next up come the pants, which are simply black and soft. You feel like you might just fall asleep in such a comfy outfit. How can fabric even be this soft?  

Once you’re finished in the bathroom, you step out, gi in hand as you walk into Nya’s room, setting your gi down on her dresser as she told you to do. Then, you start to wonder what to do next.   

“Settling in well?”   

You jump in surprise, turning to face the source of the voice. Lloyd stands there, still dressed in his gi.   

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he replies as you walk over to him.   

“Oh, it’s okay,” you say, smiling softly.  

He returns the smile, gaze slipping to your shirt. “Hey, you chose my hoodie?”    

“Hood-ie? Is that what this article is called?”   

“Sure is. It…uh, suits you,” he compliments with a nervous chuckle.   

“Really?”   

Lloyd nods in response. “By the way, I meant to ask… Are you doing okay? Today must have been a lot for you, and I know my team can be kind of overwhelming.”  

“I’m feeling better now, but yeah…it’s just going to take me some time to process that…this is my new life.”   

“I know the feeling. It’s not easy, but I think you’ve been doing well.”   

“Really?”   

“I do.”  

“Thank you,” you say.  

“The others will come around soon enough,” Lloyd replies. “Just don’t take anything rude they might say to heart.”  

You shrug in response, fiddling with your fingers as you turn to glance at the wall. “It’s okay. I understand their apprehension.”  

Lloyd sighs, setting a hand on your shoulder. “But I can tell you really want to do good now. Anyways, you should get some rest. My mom might have found a new lead for us to investigate tomorrow, so you should sleep while you can.”  

You nod, realizing that exhaustion had been lured out of hiding by the hot water of the shower. “Are you going to rest too?”  

“Yeah, they’re making me take the night off from watch duty. Again,” he answers irritably as the two of you start in the direction of Nya’s room.  

“Well, make sure you sleep,” you say.  

“I will, I will. I just wish I could help out more. I feel like I’ve just been sitting around...”  

You flop onto the...ah, what had Nya called it? Something with air. Oh! An air mattress! You sit up, facing Lloyd with a soft smile.  

“You haven’t been just sitting around,” you reply. “You’ve been helping out too!”  

Lloyd shakes his head, chuckling as he comes to a realization. “Oh, if you give me a second, I can get you a pillow. And a blanket, too.”  

You yawn as Lloyd goes to retrieve whatever he was talking about. You can’t really remember what he said, because you find a sudden wave of exhaustion overpowering you as your head hits the bare mattress, eyes closing. Before you’re able to ask Lloyd what a pillow is, you fall asleep.  

“Here, these should...” Lloyd quiets down as he spots you already asleep. “Oh.”  

He chuckles, going to drape the fleece Starfarer blanket over your figure before gently setting your head on the pillow. Man, what even were you sleeping on beforehand that made you fall asleep so quickly on an air mattress? Lloyd had to use it a few times in the past, and he always found that he had difficulty falling asleep on it.   

“Goodnight,” he mumbles, turning the lights off before exiting the room.  

…    

“Order up: coconut cream pie, served well done!” Kai yells as he shoots a beam of fire at an airborne coconut.   

You chuckle lightly as the ninja experiment with their newfound powers, deciding to head back to where the others are.  

This morning had been strange. You had awoken with a soft, large, and rectangular piece of fabric covering you, and with a cushion underneath your head. You don’t remember going to sleep with those!  

Nya told you that they were respectively a blanket and a pillow, and had explained their functions to you. You’re honestly shocked that the people of Ninjago are able to pull themselves away from such intoxicating caterers of comfiness every waking morning! It was a challenge to get up with how utterly comfortable and warm you were.  

But it wasn’t all bad. Mostly because Zane had made a fantastic breakfast for everyone. You learned that humans typically ate three times per day – which, once more, you found absolutely awesome – and ate your fill. Then, you went to observe the ninja as they messed with their new blades.  

Yeah, you might have accidentally cut a few trees down with your cool new corruption blade. And maybe you had destroyed a few coconuts that Jay threw at you.  

But it’s fine.  

Your thoughts return to the present after you make your way to where the Bounty rests, spotting Lloyd standing next to Dr. Julien as he tinkers with a mechanical bird. The blond turns to you, smiling at you in silent welcome as you peer over his shoulder.  

“Every cog, every gear is important. If one piece is missing, or out of place, the invention won’t work,” Dr. Julien explains as he closes the falcon’s panel. “Come now, little one. Time to fly.”   

You observe in fascination as the bird takes off, flying over to where the ninja are. “Wow, you made that?”   

“I sure did,” replies the doctor as he sets his tool down, turning to face you and Lloyd.   

“That’s incredible,” you note, watching the falcon flying around in the distance. “It is so lifelike, and yet…you made that with your own hands.”   

Julien chuckles, gingerly putting his tools away. “Thank you, my dear. All it takes is a bit of thought and ingenuity.”   

The sound of a new pair of footsteps catches your attention. Sensei Wu steps down, staff in hand as he studies the three of you. “It is like you ninja. You each serve very important roles and are key parts to a magnificent fighting force.”   

“If we're all gears, what if I'm the gear that doesn't work? What if I don't do my part? What if I can't defeat my father?”  

“You are stronger than you know, Lloyd,” you reassure, setting a hand on his bicep as you catch his stare. “You will prevail, but you have to believe in yourself and those that fight alongside you.”   

Sensei Wu nods in agreement. “What if there are no more ‘what-ifs’? The Final Battle is almost upon us. When that time comes, we will know the answer to ‘what-ifs’ whether we like it or not.”    

“I know you don’t want to face your father, but there is no other choice,” Nya adds.    

“But perhaps there is,” Misako interrupts, carrying a scroll. “I used to think it was inevitable, but then I found this.”    

The sound of oncoming footsteps catches your attention. The ninja trek down the hill, all invested in Misako’s words.     

“You mean Lloyd doesn’t have to fight? This I gotta hear,” Cole comments.    

“The scrolls say that when the Helmet of Darkness is bequeathed to its rightful ruler, the Celestial Clock will count down to the activation of an unspeakable weapon - the first sign that the Final Battle between good and evil has begun.”    

“Did you just say ‘unspeakable weapon’?” Kai questions as you bite your lip.    

“Uh… I’m still stuck on what ‘bequeathed’ means.”    

“I think you’re right,” you say, swallowing when everyone’s eyes land on you. “I’ve seen the Celestial Clock, and I was there when Garmadon took the helmet. It rested on a little button, I think, and now knowing what you just told me…that is definitely a possibility.”    

“So, the helmet was on a pressure plate or something?” Nya questions. “Well, it’s worth a shot.”    

While you listen to their discussion about stopping the Final Battle, part of you starts wondering if this is really the right thing to do. Isn’t it Lloyd’s destiny to stop Garmadon and the Overlord? Why would they inhibit that? You understand that he and Garmadon are related, but Lloyd’s light has the potential to purify. He is destined to win, after all, even if the battle seems to be outmatched.    

“But if you succeed in putting it back, then what’s stopping any of the foes from simply taking it again?” you interrupt with a frown. “Even if the helmet does stop the clock, that does not sound like a doable permanent solution. I thought destiny designated Lloyd to vanquish my father from this land, not from delaying the Final Battle.”    

“You raise a good point,” Sensei Wu agrees. “And while we are not considering it as a permanent answer, we could use the additional time.”  

“Bequeathed, anyone? Is anybody gonna help me out with that?”   

“Uh, that sounds great and all, and I know we have our new powers, but you expect us to get past his whole army of Stone Warriors and pluck the helmet off his head?” Kai points out.    

“My brother’s right. They’re good, but they’re not that good.”    

Misako looks up from her scroll, expression hardening in resolve as she straightens her posture. “I know. And that is why I am going to do it. I'll just need a little help.”    

The ninja nod, going to listen to her plan. Lloyd tries to join them, but is stopped when Wu sets a hand on his shoulder.    

“I’m sorry, Lloyd. This mission isn’t for you.”    

“But I’m all powered up. I can help!”    

“We mustn’t let you and your father come face to face yet. We’re trying to prevent the Final Battle, not welcome it.”  

“Yes, Sensei,” Lloyd relents, averting his gaze as he sighs.  

“I should remain as well,” you note. “My father will be able to sense when I am near.”  

“The two of you need to save your strength,” Misako notes, the four ninja behind her as they suit up.  

“If you all are planning on disguising yourselves, I would recommend approaching their camp from the southern end. There is a small patrol unit that passes through the area, but there’s plenty of cover available so that you can stage an ambush on them and take their armor,” you advise, folding your arms as you watch them nod.  

“Got it. Thanks,” Cole says. “Are we ready, guys?”  

“I think so,” Kai replies before shooting a pointed glare at you. You shrink back, fidgeting as you look away. “Don’t let your guard down, Lloyd.”  

“Enough, Kai,” Wu states. “You all should get going.”  

“Come on, boys,” Misako chides as they begin hiking through the woods, the sounds of their chattering fading when they are far enough.  

“Ignore him,” Lloyd advises, turning towards you. “He can be a jerk sometimes.”  

“No, it is understandable why he would be wary of me,” you mumble, suddenly wondering if your bloodline would cause many others concern as well. Would that scare people away from you?  

“He will come around eventually. They all will,” Wu notes, stroking his beard softly. “Nya, you’ll be helping with the repairs for the Bounty. You two need to reserve your strength. We will notify you when the ninja have retrieved the helmet.”  

“I have the Earth Driller on standby,” Nya states. “Although, we may not have enough room for everyone.”  

“I can go on foot if needed,” you reply, waving her concerns off. “I know this island well.”  

“That makes sense. I feel like you’d know it by the back of your hand by now!” Lloyd states, tone lighthearted. Even so, you’re not entirely sure what the joke is. You frown, making a face as you inspect the back of your hand confusedly.  

Wu chuckles softly as he turns towards Dr. Julien, Nya giggling at you as well.  

“What is so funny?” you wonder, turning towards Lloyd for help.  

“It’s a...uh, an expression,” he notes, seemingly fumbling for words.  

“We have expressed many things,” you argue, still lost.  

“Well, you know...like, you see the back of your hand so much that you’d probably know it by heart, now, right? Just like how you’ve been here and probably know the ins and outs of this place.”  

“Oh! I see! So, you’re comparing my knowledge of this island to how well I know the back of my hand!”  

“Exactly,” Lloyd replies.  

“I get it!” you cheer.  

“And that’s only the beginning of what you’ll learn,” Wu says, offering you a small smile.  

“I can’t wait!” you say.   

 “Anyway, we’ll have the Earth Driller ready for whenever they get the helmet,” Nya states. “So, if you two want to hang out inside, you can tell us when the falcon’s signal comes through on the monitor. We at least have that fixed.”  

“Sure thing,” Lloyd replies before grabbing your hand. “Come on!”  

“What? Where are we going?”  

“I’m going to show you something,” Lloyd adds.  

You perk up slightly, curiosity eating away at you as he guides you through the ship. Eventually, the two of you stop at a room you’ve not been in yet. “What is this room?”   

“It’s our living room. This is where we relax and take breaks,” he answers, sitting down on the couch. You look around at all the strange objects scattered about the area, wondering what their functions are. “Hey, since we have to lay low until we hear back from the falcon, wanna watch a movie?”   

“Really?!”  

“Yeah! Though, I’ll have to make us some popcorn and hot chocolate. This is your first movie so we’ve gotta do it right.”  

Your mind races with questions, wondering what he’s talking about as you follow him to the kitchen. He opens a cabinet, pulling out an object.  

“See this? This is a bag of popcorn. This clear stuff surrounding the bag is just plastic wrap. That’s so the bag is sealed until use.”  

You nod, studying him intently as you take in every detail that you can. Lloyd then tears the plastic off, throwing it away. “Now, this is how we make popcorn. You make sure it’s on the right side – you’ll know it’s on the right side because it’s labelled. Then, you just plop it in the microwave for about two, three minutes. Depends on what brand it is.” He places the bag in the microwave. “Wanna push the buttons?”   

“Yes, please!” you reply, stepping in front of the blond. “Two minutes?”   

“Yep.”  

You study the buttons on the machine, finger going to press down on what you hope to be the correct ones. “Like that?”   

“Good, now push the one that has the little sideways triangle on it.”   

You oblige, grinning when the device lights up and makes the popcorn inside start spinning. “Whoa!”   

“That’s not even the best part,” Lloyd adds as he looks down at you. “Listen for a few seconds.”   

You fall quiet, expression fading as you hold Lloyd’s expectant gaze, studying his vibrant green eyes. You’re about to ask him what you should be listening for, when suddenly…   

Pop!   

You gasp, whirling to face the microwave. “It popped!”  

“Yeah!”   

“Wait…so that’s why it’s called popcorn?!” you ask, watching as the bag starts to inflate as the popping sound intensifies. You can’t help but giggle at the sound. “That’s so funny!”  

“Yeah, that’s why,” he says, chuckling. “Hey, while that’s running, I’ll show you how to make hot chocolate.”  

“Okay!”  

“All we have is powdered hot chocolate. It’ll do in a pinch, but personally, I think my mom’s hot chocolate is the best.”  

“How does your mom make it?”  

“She uses real chocolate, and sometimes flavoring too – like peppermint or gingerbread. But I don’t think we have any actual chocolate on hand right now. We always keep instant packets stocked, though.”  

“I see,” you reply with a nod. Maybe you would be able to try Misako’s hot chocolate too one day!  

“So, all we have to do for these is warm up the milk. The milk is in here, the fridge. This just keeps stuff cold.” He pulls something out from the fridge, setting the object on the counter. “By the way, we call these milk gallons. Or jugs. Either works.”  

You nod, observing him as you make mental notes of what he’s saying. “Jay made us our own milk warmer. I just measure out the milk in the mugs before I pour it in so I make just enough but don’t waste any.”  

“Got it!”  

“So after it’s measured, we pour it in, and then...we press this button right here,” Lloyd states, pushing a small button located on the front of the warmer. “And we just wait until it’s done.”  

“And then you have hot milk?”  

“Yep! And now, I just prepare the mugs by dumping the powder in.”  

You peer into the mug, watching as Lloyd dumps all of the powder in. You notice tiny white squares present. “What are those white things?”  

“Marshmallows,” he notes. “They’re soft, fluffy, and sweet.”  

“Oh...” you mumble. “Interesting.”  

Then, a shrill beep startles you, causing you to jump slightly as you glance around.  

“Relax, it’s just the microwave,” Lloyd replies. “That means that it’s done.”  

“Oh,” you mumble, watching as Lloyd transfers the popcorn from the bag to a big bowl. Then, the milk warming machine beeps.  

“Now, we mix this with the powder,” Lloyd says, doing just that.  

“It smells fantastic,” you note, spotting the little marshmallows rising to the top. “The popcorn too!”  

“I know, right? Nothing beats this combo for a movie. Well, maybe adding other snacks too. But this will do for now.” He picks up the mugs. “I’ll get these if you’ll bring the bowl.”   

You nod, carrying the bowl as the two of you head back to the living room. “Hey, Lloyd?”   

“What’s up?” he answers as he sets the mugs on the small table in front of the couch.    

“Do I…ask too many questions?”   

“Of course you don’t,” he replies as he sits down. “There’s no such thing as too many questions in my books anyway.”   

“Really?”   

“Really. You have a right to learn about the world around you – everyone does. So...we’ll do our best to teach you.”   

You grin, sitting down next to him. “Thank you.”   

“No problem. Now, since it’s your first movie, you get to pick which one we watch…”   

“Oh, stars...” you trail off, feeling somewhat overwhelmed as Lloyd gestures to the massive stack of cases that they have. “How am I supposed to pick?!”  

“Which one looks interesting to you?”  

You survey the mass of discs, asking about the varying titles before selecting one and sitting back. The popcorn bowl is situated on Lloyd’s left thigh, which is pressed lightly against your right thigh. Lloyd answers all of the questions you ask about the movie’s story and characters too.  

While you do, you savor the new treats you’ve been given. The hot chocolate warms you up in a way that you’ve never felt before, chocolate blending together with the fluffy marshmallows to create a brand-new flavor experience. Paired with the contrasting saltiness of the popcorn, the combination only amplifies your thirst to learn more about what else Ninjago has to offer.  

While watching the movie and snacking on popcorn and hot cocoa, you realize just how foreign this is to you. Watching moving pictures while snacking on treats with the Green Ninja? You shudder upon realizing what your father would do should you fall into his hands again.  

“Hey, what’s wrong?”  

You blink, finding that pictures on the screen have frozen as Lloyd turns to you slowly, emerald eyes seeping with concern. “What?”  

“You’re crying,” he states. “Why?”  

“I...” you brush your cheek with your fingers, feeling the wetness that lingers on them as embarrassment courses through you. You’ve really ruined the moment now, haven’t you? “I’m sorry. It’s nothing. Please, continue.”  

“No, you’re upset!” he says. “What is it?”  

You stare at Lloyd for a few moments, finding yourself somewhat bewildered. Your father would have punished you for showing this kind of weakness. Yet, here Lloyd is, gently asking you why you’re upset. Being concerned about what could have caused your tears rather than shaming you for allowing them to flow in the first place.  

Lloyd says your name softly, taking one of your hands in his. “Hey...if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I mean...after all, we haven’t even known each other that long. But I just want you to know that you can talk to me if you want to. If there’s anything that’s upsetting you, or anything I said...just let me know.”  

Father told you that no one would care about your feelings – that ultimately, they are worthless and should not be paid any attention. And yet...here is Lloyd, encouraging you to explain why you’re upset.  

In other words, you’ve only been with the ninja for less than two whole days and yet you already feel more comfortable around them.  

“I’m sorry, it’s just...” you glance away from him, suddenly finding his stare too intense for you to handle. “It just occurred to me that my father will likely kill me if I’m ever to return.”  

“We’re not going to let that happen,” he replies, voice low. “You’re with us now. We’re gonna defeat him.”  

“My father cannot be defeated. Not permanently, anyway. Even if you do succeed here, he will find a way to return. He will kill me. He will escape and find a new champion. And he will not rest until Ninjago is his.”  

“No. You can’t think like that,” Lloyd states. “We’re going to win. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to win. And then, we can show you all kinds of stuff!”  

“I hope so,” you mumble.  

“Besides,” Lloyd chuckles. “I find it comforting that I’m not the only one who’s going to be fighting their evil dad.”  

For some reason, that makes you laugh. Lloyd laughs with you, setting the bowl of popcorn to the side as he takes one of your hands in his.  

“But...seriously. We’re gonna get you off of this island, and we’ll show you what life really has to offer.”  

“I can’t wait,” you mumble, grinning happily as you take another sip of your hot cocoa. “Thank you, Lloyd.”  

“Of course,” he replies, leaning back as he returns the popcorn bucket back to its spot.  

Lloyd is right. Your father’s reign of terror will come to an end soon, and he will no longer hold any control over you. Freedom is well within your grasp, even though it’s going to take one last push to gain it.  

With that thought in mind, you find yourself relaxing once more, finishing the movie with Lloyd as the two of you wait for the signal.

#ninjago #ninjago x reader #ninjagoxreader #lloyd x reader #lloydxreader #lloyd garmadon x reader #reader insert

[ivie-online]

there really is no ethical consumption under capitalism, but here’s the great news: we don’t solely exist as consumers.

‘no ethical consumption’ has more to do with the working/ownership class dichotomy and the inherently unethical manner under which goods are produced (work or starve) than the circumstances that individual goods (think fairtrade or cruelty free) are produced under.

i made a video where I broke down a lot of the common ‘conscious capitalist’ terms, but for a quick example: a ‘sustainable’ western clothing brand paying foreign workers $100/month to avoid paying western workers over 1k/month isn’t ethical because it relies upon the existence of capitalist imperialism for cheap labor, and in many cases, if the ‘sustainable’ business model had to cover health insurance, retirement, or even just minimum wage in a place like the U.S., it would completely fall apart. any company that requires cheap labor & resources from the global south in order to exist is by no means ethical.

as a consumer, you can certainly aim for harm reduction, but these actions will almost never be definitively ethical, which is completely fine, because under capitalism, we really only step into the role of consumer when we engage with the free market to buy things. you could argue that simply using social media, or watching netflix or whatever is consumption (and you’d be right!) but even so, most of us produce far more than we consume.

we produce not only at our jobs, but on our blogs, in our gardens, and in our homes and communities, for families, friends, neighbors, and strangers. we produce all types of art like music, film, and written works, not to mention the endless crafts and hobbies we dedicate ourselves to. just by engaging with one another, we’re constantly producing and reproducing our very culture itself! it’s in this realm, the realm of production rather than consumption, that we’re able to effect the most change.

now, many of us are going to have to live much, much differently than we do now, and using the ‘no ethical consumption under capitalism’ line to avoid acknowledging this is effectively climate change denialism. the beauty of the sustainability movement is that it provides actionable proof of concept, using the tools and circumstances we have right now. so yes, please do whatever you can to make more sustainable choices! thrift! adopt a plant based diet! question whether you actually need that new thing!

but remember that we aren’t only consumers, or even mostly consumers, so in order to build the world we want to see, we must each deeply understand how capitalism and other hegemonic forces work to undermine the way we relate to each other and our shared environment. to achieve this goal, and to effectively counteract capitalism’s destructive myopia, you can join a union, talk to your friends, start a community garden, join a mutual aid organization. if you can’t find one, start one.

we can’t consume our way out of this capitalist reality, but we certainly can produce a better world.

#sustainable #sustainability #environmentalism #climate crisis #climate denial #fast fashion #vegan #veganism #environment #ethicalbrand #ethical consumption #mine #thrifting #thrift #earth day #consciousfashion #consciousplanet #late stage capitalism

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: The Equalizer 3

Very seldom do film trilogies realize what type of genre they belong to and stick with it. The standard is to go big in the sequel and by the third film, pull out all the stops and have a major blast of a send off. Its a common downfall for trilogies that aren’t designed for that to do make that mistake. Its extremely rare for a franchise to circle back around to what made the first film fantastic and scale back down to a slower, smaller and more personal story. That is what this film did and it was a refreshing return of an almost forgotten style of storytelling. What I loved is the build up to the action and how precise it still was with every movement of the camera and brutal yet efficient execution the titular character dealt. The story itself isn't as earth shattering or epic as most would expect and that was its strong suit. It may come off familiar and stereotypical in many ways, but that didn't stop the film from being fun and exciting. The action in the film was great and I loved the cause and effect approach that most action have films have forgotten how to achieve. There is a reason for the carnage and doesn't have to involve a massive body count by the end.

Denzel Washington returns as the franchise hero Robert McCall and he hasn't skipped a beat. He is still that secretive, clean and precise avenger we all love but this time we get to see something that I want more characters to have. In this film, the actions of his life catch up to him and makes him come to grips with his vitality. I loved that for once he is actually looking for a peaceful life away from the world. It was a beautiful and warm ending for Robert that ties directly back to the first film. Dakota Fanning joins the franchise as CIA analyst Emma Collins and she was fantastic. The instant chemistry between her and Robert was awesome and wholesome. I liked her willingness to get into the investigative side of her job as this was her first major case. As a side note, its almost been 20 years since Denzel and Dakota have been on screen together and that chemistry and friendship is felt the moment they’re on screen together. David Denman was good as her CIA Operative partner Frank Conroy even if he's there just to showcase the international gravity of the situation and drive the exposition of the story forward. Remo Girone was great and loveable as Enzo Arisio. He really brings out the warmer side of Robert that I don't think he's seen in a long time and helps him appreciate the meaning of peace. Eugenio Mastrandrea was good as the town Marshal Gio Bonucci. He gets put through the ringer in the film and I loved that he never faltered. Andrea Dodero was great as your typical small time gangster Marco Quaranta. He is instantly despicable and its a testament to his excellent acting. Andrea Scarduzio was awesome and venomous as his older brother Vincent. I loved his vicious nature and his intensity once Robert comes on to his radar. The payoff in the conflict between was so satisfying and personal.

Marcelo Zarvos takes over as the composer this time around and he did a excellent job highlighting the beauty in the film and puncuating the action. The smooth, tense and slow building music to the action never over took the scenes, but the score really sores in the moments with the towns people. I loved the intimate way Italy is shown and how it highlights the food and its people. It was quite tranquil against the blood soaked action sequences. As I said before, the second film stayed true to the tone of the first film, but it quickly started to stray and become about the action set pieces. This film brings it all back and wraps up the story in a heartfelt way that may leave you wanting more, but doesn't over stay its welcome. I truly enjoyed this film and if you loved the first 2, then you'll enjoy this one. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in comments below. Thanks for reading!

#the equalizer 3 #denzel washington #dakota fanning #Eugenio Mastrandrea #Andrea Scarduzio #Andrea Dodero #David Denman #Remo Girone #antoine fuqua

[adamwatchesmovies]

Meteor (1979)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

Say what you will about 1998’s Armageddon. Its science is laughable, the sentimentality is cheap, the premise raises at least a couple of eyebrows… but one thing it isn’t is boring. The same can't be said about 1979’s Meteor. This space disaster film is likely to put you to sleep and the one thing it had going for it at the time - the special effects - don’t hold up today.

A comet passes through the Asteroid Belt and hits the asteroid Orpheus, sending it on a collision course with Earth. The United States government has only days to find a way to deflect or destroy it before Orpheus creates an extinction-level event. Our best hope rests in Hercules, a secret orbiting nuclear missile platform satellite designed by Dr. Paul Bradley (Sean Connery).

Let’s get one thing out of the way first. This title is awful. Orpheus is not a meteorite; it’s an asteroid. Why’d they call the film Meteor instead of Asteroid? Probably because the studio didn’t want their movie to sound like a butt thing. This movie is much too serious for that sort of nonsense.

While I appreciate a science fiction film trying to remain realistic, Meteor takes it too far. This story has no race to find a solution. Everything we need to save ourselves is already built. Hercules was designed to knock out space threats and doesn’t even require a pilot. How is there any tension then? Well, Hercules is a secret (illegal) missile base. Admitting it exists - even in the face of armageddon - would be embarrassing for the United States government. This means even though Hercules is our only hope, Major General Adlon (Martin Landau) fights Dr. Bradley every step of the way. World’s gonna end but, you know. Gotta hold onto those Cold War grudges. That’s what the movie is REALLY about. The U.S. has Hercules. They figure the USSR has something similar. On their own, neither station would have the firepower required to blast the space rock but together they would. If only we could come together in peace and harmony…

The movie is frustrating because it takes so long to get to the obvious. This movie is no Dr. Strangelove; it’s not funny or subversive. There aren’t any surprises, no unexpected twists. All you do is wait for people to get over their childish hang-ups. Even Dr. Paul Bradley is acting like a big baby. He’s all upset that the government hijacked his satellite and changed it so the missiles aim TOWARD the planet instead of away. Fair enough but come on, man. The planet’s about to blow up. Unless you’re in a weird state of depression or you don't think there's any point in living unless you're a billionaire and want to hold the planet ransom, there’s no point stalling. Just get on the project and save the world. You’ve got a family. Do it for them. Do it for the audience so we can get this over with and move on.

Meteor doesn’t have a story worth watching. It doesn’t have visuals worth seeing either. The small asteroids that end up falling on Earth (the film’s attempts to keep us awake while we wait for the main event) are just glowing balls that go past the screen. The destruction is nothing special (the fact that director Donald Neame uses footage from the 1978 disaster film Avalanche isn’t worth docking points from the overall score, but does show that we’re not talking spectacular in the least). The main asteroid is just a big cragly rock floating in space. It’s no sight to behold. In theory, the characters would pick up the slack. You’d be so worried about them, so invested in their character arcs this would feel like a big deal (it worked for Titanic) but you won’t care about any of this.

With a star-studded cast that includes Natalie Wood and Henry Fonda, it’s a surprise this disaster flick only sparks to life towards the end, when it’s so cloying you can kind of smirk in a mixture of amusement and embarrassment. Meteor is the kind of movie you barely manage to watch once and then forget you ever did. (On VHS, September 26, 2021)

#Meteor #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #Ronald Neame #Stanley Mann #Edmund H. North #Sean Connery #Natalie Wood #Karl Malden #Brian Keith #Martin Landau #Trevor Howard #Richard Dysart #Henry Fonda #1979 movies #1979 films

[as-i-watch]

In terms of the writing for the live action, I’m less concerned about about the one liners in the trailer so much as whether or not that’s going to be the only type of joke. A lot of One Piece’s best comedic moments are very physical, often combining the humor with the action, and live action is well adept for that sort of physicality. Like what you find with Jackie Chan or Edgar Wright films. But most of the crew on the directing and writing side of production mostly have experience with crime dramas, medical dramas, superhero dramas that lean heavily towards drama, and supernatural dramas, with the only experience in comedy being of the romcom or sitcom variety.

A lot of which is genuinely good, great even! But it does mean that their main wheelhouses are mostly stories that are primarily driven by intimate interpersonal conflicts with sparse action sprinkled throughout, which I don’t feel that’s a story structure you can force One Piece to conform to without problems. Combined that with how big studio-driven projects tend to gravitate towards dialogue heavy comedy overall (the logic being it’s cheaper in the short term to film a million takes of different one liners, or film 6 straight hours of improv, and then string it all together in post) and I worry the end result of potentially taking that approach to One Piece would 80% of characters butting heads over issues that were basically footnotes in the original while also scaling back on any action/slapstick sequences that aren’t considered strictly necessary. And I really really REALLY don’t want a version of the East Blue saga where, for example, Luffy getting roped into working for the Baratie is drawn out across several scenes where crew members complain about it amongst themselves instead of roasting Luffy for the blunder in a single scene; or a pre-Arlong Park Zoro making a big stink every 20 minutes about not trusting Nami because of that one time she pushed him in Syrup Village, while also taking out the part about the Home Alone-style oil slick so it’s more a momentary annoyance that effected nothing rather than Zoro spending part of the fight making multiple attempts to claw his way up a slippery hill like a Sisyphusian himbo clown.

BUT given that Oda has writing credits on every single episodes and he apparently drew a lot of storyboards for the live action series so I’m hopeful the show keeps the physical comedy intact and the East Blue crew growing pains still stem from the endearing clumsiness and foolhardiness over the kind of interpersonal friction-to-outright-hostility that make for cheap ready-made drama to pad out runtimes but make it difficult to believe that the characters are actually friends; if that makes sense.

So far we only really have a really short teaser, in which i think it would be hard to show any physicall comedy bit?

I think the teaser was more to show us the charecters, sets and costumes (which were all amazing overall) and give us a taste of the tone, which i see is the thing that is making the most noise.

There's a lot of concern around the writing and i share that naturally, but i dont think we have enough to say for sure how its gonna be

I say until we have another trailer or some more promotional content, we enjoy the cast, the costumes and amazing REAL sets that in a cgi era are like a fucking oasis to my eyes

#ask #ask: op

[itsnothingofinterest]

Hey 👋 been a while, hope you're good?

I wanted to ask you about the recent bnha chapter and the direction it seems to be going in. I really don't get the core aspect of it, the message it seems to be sending.

With the students that are filming everything and the media doing the same thing, it's meant to restore faith in the heroes right? Part of the effort to bring everything back to normal by getting the civilians and even the foreign governments (I think the president was in one of the panels?) To believe and admire heroes for how hard they're trying?

It seems good at face value but isn't the overwhelming faith in heroes part of what messed everything up in the first place? Not exactly the over reliance on heroes but aren't they closely connected? Too much faith/trust leading to over reliance?

I get that it's necessary but it seems like it's being made such a large and positive part of the heroes efforts, and just like some of the other times the heroes are confronted with complex issues, they only focus on themselves/what they would do (deku/shoji) and not think of the wider effects that their choices will lead to for others. Do you think?

The only part that seems at first like it'll make things better is that they're filming gentle criminal too and his efforts, but like...gentle was barely a villain to start with. Barely a criminal and not very popular or well known. I mean his story itself could be inspiring and help others in the same situation as him but that's only if the heroes/society are willing to make that effort too, and currently I don't see how that meshes with their trying to bring 'normalcy' back. Do you feel differently about this or see something else?

Yeah it’s like I keep saying; this is all supposed to be so inspiring but the heroes, kids included, aren’t actually doing anything different. Base heroes are inspiring, on the ideal surface, but it’s their inability to constantly meet that ideal while still irresponsibly projecting it that’s…maybe not the cause of all the problems that led us here, some stuff got taken from the society of real world Japan after all, but it certainly contributed to a lot of ‘um.

Anyway I’m personally in full-blown “We are getting My Hero Part 2” mode so I’m thinking all this inspiring hero stuff is just to end part 1 on what feels like a high note. Tomura won’t be beat and not quite saved, hopefully he’ll leave with all his villains from this war & from prison, but he’ll leave peacefully and on maybe good footing with Deku. And meanwhile Deku will get to beat AFO, and become the new symbol of peace and aspiring All Might 2.0, which at this point is all he thinks he needs to be. The audience may know otherwise, but he can learn that later; for now everyone’s just relieved and junk.

A happy enough ending that we can leave things off on a To Be Continued.

Beats worrying about the kids (in)ability to better the world they're set to inherit, let me tell you.

#ask & reply #bnha #bnha 384 #bnha spoilers #hero society #midoriya izuku #class 1a #all might #shigaraki tomura #paranormal liberation front #PLF #all for one #my stupid long term predictions

[agentnico]

The Boy and the Heron (2023) Review

Robert Pattinson, is that you??

Plot: Mahito, a young 12-year-old boy, struggles to settle in a new town after his mother's death. However, when a talking heron informs Mahito that his mother is still alive, he enters an abandoned tower in search of her, which takes him to another world.

Seriously though, we need to discuss Robert Pattinson in this movie. He voices the titular heron, and this is Pattinson’s first ever foray into voice acting… and it is a true masterclass. He gives an unrecognisable performance using a raspy, zany voice, and one that you could easily mistake for the other voice actors in the movie like Mark Hamill and Willem Dafoe, to whom such vocal chords come much more naturally. Honestly, you have never heard Pattinson like this before, with the closest sounding performance in his filmography being in the 2020 crime drama The Devil All the Time as the high-pitched preacher, but even then you could mentally connect the voice to the actor. I must give Pattinson all the props in the world - for someone who started out as a sparkling teen-vamp in the Twilight films, he’s really worked hard to break himself out of the shadows of that series and consistently defy expectations and be an acting force to be reckoned with. Now his turn in The Boy and the Heron only justifies this even more, and more importantly should be a signal to other animation studios to give this guy more voice acting roles, as he’s great with those evidently. Like seriously, you can’t even begin to fathom Pattinson’s grows in this film - its something else.

Right, let’s talk about the actual film now! The Boy and the Heron sees the return of the legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki who most know through his projects with animation company Studio Ghibli. The guy’s a legend in the realm of anime, so me and my fiancée were excited to go see it, so we had a full date night planned - we travelled quite the way to get to the cinema that was showing this movie, as the film so far has had a very limited release here in the UK, and we enjoyed a fine meal at the local pub, and yours truly had the pleasure of accompanying the meal with a couple of pints as one should. We then go to buy the tickets and whaddayaknow they have all sold out. Yep, all that travelling and effort to see a film and yet it was not meant to be. Nonetheless, I instead made my way there again today, this time pre-ordering the seat a day in advance as that was a lesson learned. Oh yes, when it comes to a Hayao Miyazaki animation, I am one dedicated son of a bee to see that! Thank heavens I pre-booked that time, as the screening I was in was packed, and as I was in the lobby I overheard other customers trying to purchase tickets for The Boy and the Heron and being turned out. Look, Studio Ghibli has its fan-base, so it’s not surprising so many people want to go see it. It’s surprising though that cinemas aren’t providing enough screens to show it though, but that is a separate distribution matter in itself.

The Boy and the Heron plays out a little like a montage of Best Of, revisiting themes and devices familiar from Miyazaki’s previous films and tying them together with elements that have a clear autobiographical resonance for the director. From the various magical and absurd creatures to the stunning animation to the piano-heavy score by frequent Miyazaki collaborator Joe Hisaishi, it’s all the usual Ghibli goodness you know and love. Speaking of the score, the lush orchestral Hisaishi soundtrack is shimmering and exultant, that is filled with innocent beauty, yet also managing to embrace the darker aspects of the narrative. The animation as stated is superb, but I do mean it looks incredible. From the very opening sequence where Mahito is running through the burning streets of Tokyo to find his mother, the dizzying effect of the flames and the people around running in panic and being engulfed in the horrible disaster - that sequence is both beautiful from an artistic standpoint but also frightening as it reminds us of all the damage the Second World War brought to innocent people. But the rest of the film also brims with the spectacular hand-drawn animation Ghibli artists are know for, and I always loved how they managed to balance the whimsical fun elements with the more scarier ones. Speaking of which, after seeing this movie you’re going to have a very different opinion on parakeets. You have been warned.

Now in terms of the negative… the characterisation. A huge part of Ghibli movies in general, and especially those directed by Miyazaki, is that as a rule they are always driven by its characters, with their journeys at the forefront. World building and the narrative always took second place. Major examples of this are Howl’s Moving Castle, Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away, where you had these absolutely crazy fantasy-driven landscapes, yet at the same time the stories were laid back with simplicity and effective means and rules. However with The Boy and the Heron the world building is so convoluted and confusing at times that it seems Miyazaki put all his efforts into fleshing out this narrative instead of giving more time to the main character, who supposedly undergoes a deep emotional journey. However because we are busy being distracted with all the craziness of the world, the journey of the character’s growth is near non-existent, and as such the finale seems very abrupt and unfitting, with the story choices feeling undeserved and unnatural.

The Boy and the Heron is a beautiful animation from an auteur who’s delivered so many greats previously to which this one doesn’t come close to, but even Miyazaki’s mid-level film is most directors’ best. The lack of character building and interpersonal relationship is a heavy hindrance, but aside from that this is an engaging original story featuring a superb music score, great vocals (especially from Pattinson) and also nostalgia that reminds us how great Studio Ghibli truly is. Again, it’s not Miyazaki’s best, but it’s easily one of the best animations in the last few years, and will also make you want to avoid parakeets for good. Don’t make their cute little look fool you - they are sinister little bastards.

Overall score: 7/10

#the boy and the heron #movie #movie reviews #film #film reviews #cinema #adventure #drama #animation #studio ghibli #hayao miyazaki #2023 #2023 in film #2023 films #the boy and the heron review #robert pattinson #christian bale #florence pugh #mark hamill #willem dafoe #dave bautista #gemma chan #autobiography #Fantasy #how do you live #japan #japanese culture

[hrkrkrwpfrbrbrlablblblblwhitooap]

i think part of the reason his more recent videos seem to be lacking of charm compared to the early days is down to him becoming a bigger creator and parasocial relationships.

i still enjoy his new videos, it’s evident that he always puts a lot of care into his work to the point that he will amend years old videos over minor mistakes and i have nothing but respect for his dedication. that being said i do definitely prefer the older ones. they feel more friendly, more intimate, it’s like you’re actually in the space with him and he’s talking directly to you (or them for the old techdif) but now it’s hard to feel like anything other than a spectator.

because he’s grown so much he can’t really have that kind of close relationship to his fans anymore even if he wanted, but i think that’s a deliberate choice from him, knowing his stance on parasocial relationships. i guess he feels he has a duty of care to us to not let those things happen, and to him for his own safety, as while parasocial relationships aren’t inherently unhealthy they can very easily become that and can get out of hand (i have personal experience with that so i completely understand his point of view).

i think his new videos feel colder, because they are.

also i know we all hate it but “the algorithm”. to win at the game you can’t always do what you want, make the things you want, he’s fighting a losing battle against an invisible dictator. he’s stated so many times that he doesn’t like how clickbaity he’s having to be which means he’s probably had to turn down so many wonderful ideas because he knows no matter how good they could be, the algorithm won’t treat them kindly. he may not even like the change himself but has to keep up with it to survive.

we don’t know what goes on in his personal life, i noticed recently he’s been looking tired, more so than usual and we know he’s nearly burnt himself out in the past. maybe just needs a break.

maybe he’s had more and more bad experiences with the fandom (i think we can all understand that) and wants to distance himself from us, if i were in his position i’d feel the same and i’m guilty of a lot more than i’d want to admit here.

either way we can’t fault him or be too harsh, he is human after all and he’s going to change, he has every right to not be what we want him to be.

yeah it's worth pointing out that a lot of the time in the early days, he was literally making videos for a couple thousand people who knew him personally. And the algorithm's effect on his content is not helped by the thing I mentioned in the previous post about him making up arbitrary rules - you can bet that if it seems like the algorithm might slightly favor some factor, that's going to turn into an unbreakable law of content creation for him, possibly far past its actual relevance to his success. Case in point - the ridiculous drama with the lateral podcast and his ongoing refusal to provide a full length video version of the episodes. (God forbid we give the podcast a few months to build an audience before we make the decision on whether video works for it or not...!)

Nonetheless, I still think Matt behind the camera made a big difference. He will still come along to film sometimes (obviously, understandably, it can't be as regular as it was in 2016, this isn't a criticism, just an observation) and the difference in Tom's vibe is always noticeable from the moment the video starts.

#note on the lateral drama: I literally do not understand what he is trying to communicate with that update #part of it sounds like he is saying that putting clips on YT doesn't work because it makes people angry they're not full episodes #which would seem to suggest that he should upload full episodes #and part of it sounds like he is saying ONLY clips work on YT #as ads of sorts to push people towards the audio-only main show #I don't get it #but I think he looked a right arse saying ''buy some damn subtitles'' & then turning around and taking months to buy some damn transcripts #that's my OPINION #idk my thought on tom for a while now has been that he's nice to look at and his videos are fun but his personality is kinda jerk-y #with the corollary that [REDACTED] #like he really does seem like [DATA EXPUNGED] #don't tell anyone I said that #whatever #these tags are too long

[honeyrisuke]

The State of the VFX Industry- or: Why I am so fucking furious about the Chip and Dale Movie

I’ve been thinking long and hard about if I should really do this... and if yes, how.

I hope the following is in any way interesting or informative and not just me rambling about something.

Let’s start out here: I’m a VFX artist with a couple years of experience in the VFX and Animation industry. That’s about as much as I will put into this post for privacy reasons.

About a year before the pandemic I got the oportunity to work at M/PC- which is one of the biggest VFX studios in the world, making anything from the Harry Potter movies over the Disney Remakes, Marvel films, that Dinosaur Documentary that just came out, etc.

If a movie contains VFX (meaning it’s live-action shots with any type of effects edited over), there’s a VERY high chance M/PC was working on some of the material- if not almost all of it.

My exact experience with how I got there or personal details are irrelevant here- but this is what I can say about them.

They hire people from all over the world, push them through a harsh crunchtime for as little pay as possible and then throw them back out. In some cases, they forget to extend work permits, which has resulted in people being deported in the past. Sometimes they extend work permits on such a short notice that the people end up only being allowed to work in the country via a loophole, and of course they end up losing that workpermit if they end up getting fired- which is very common, as they like to throw people out the second they don’t need them anymore.

I was shushed several times for bringing up labourlaws (not unions, not anything- just the actual labour laws in the country we were in) because that could get me fired if the wrong person hears it. I wasn’t from that country; So I had to clock in every morning and do 150% because I knew if I just stood my ground and said “no” to Overtime I’d be packing my shit and stepping on a plane a month later.

The office we were in itself had no windows and only sparce ceiling lights, which was why if we locked our PC screens, they turned white- to create a light source. We did however get little USB lights :) because, you know. that helps.

Frequently, we were asked to work through lunchtime and also do more overtime after work, which was why I would quite commonly have workdays where I spent between 10-12 hours straight at my desk working. They would always tap on the harsh deadlines for shots- most of which weren’t our fault for being overdue, which resulted in them asking us to come in on weekends. In winter, I had a moment where I realized that I hadn’t seen the sun in about 2 weeks. When I then said “no” to overtime for a day, just so I could refresh my head, I was told I “needed to be careful if I wanted to keep the job”.

Not because I was not doing my work the way it was in my contract- but because I wasn’t willing to spend 10 hours at the office on a sunday- which was NOT a workday according to said contract.

Over time, I ended up getting more cocky about saying no to Overtime when I didn’t feel good, or asking for someone else to take a task I was given because I knew I wouldn’t be done with it by it’s deadline due to the other things I still had to do- which was probably was led to me being laid off.

The only people who got to stand up against this pressure were people in higher positions- and even they were expected to be at the studio every single day of the week, no matter what was going on. I had a lead who left work around 3 pm on a **sunday** and was only allowed to do so because it was his sons birthday. I am still sort of shocked that they made him come in at all.

These time constraints aren’t an accident. They aren’t a miscalculation. VFX artists are treated like this to keep the cost low, to be as cheap as possible. Specifically M/PC is known for this. Cut corners where you can, mistreat your workers as well as you can and whatever comes out will be good enough.

On top of that- remember how people were angry that they didnt list ANY VFX artists on the stupid dinosaur documentary? Approximately half of all VFX artists working on a film don’t get credited. This isn’t about the studio I worked at- this is a general thing. You can work your ass off for hours upon hours for years just to get that stupid flop of a movie out, and they won’t even credit you. This may not sound like a big deal, but ultimately it means that if you say you worked on those movies in a future job interview and they go and check if you actually did- they won’t find you, and it looks like you were lying about your work experience.

Now, obviously, whenever I tell people that this is happening in one of the biggest studios in the industry, they go like “but if it’s that bad, why is nobody sounding the alarms about it? Why is nobody fighting against it?”

For the same reason you hear vague sexual abuse allegations from companies like that but never see who made them or what exactly happened. If you speak up against it, and they find out who did, they make sure you can never work at their company or any company connected to them ever again.

*And they are ALL connected.*

The one’s that don’t directly belong to T/echnicolour are just besties with T/echnicolour, and they share informations like that. Because, you know. Nobody wants to hire a snitch.

While I was working there, the studio in Vancouver closed down. If you heard “the studio that made sonic and cats closed down”, that was it. And no matter how much the internet liked to make this about “the poor studio and the poor animators being kicked out because mean, mean fans made it so they didn’t get money boohoo”.... that. was not it.

The details here are muddy on purpose, so I can’t clearly speak on this- but what I can say is that, while the closure of Vancouver loomed over them, they never got a clear info or anything. The remaining workers just showed up one day after doing overtime for way too long and the studio was gone and closed. We, at the other studio, received an email thanking the nice collegues over from Vancouver for their faantaaaastic work.

Right after this email dropped, we were all immediately called into a meeting on the company floor, where first we were told that our jobs were not affected by this (which was true, they weren’t, they just hadn’t been stable to begin with), but they also made it very clear that if we went to post about this on social media, or talk to any journalistic publication about this incident, we would lose our jobs and be *blacklisted*. I can’t quote them verbatim, but I do remember them mentioning how “most of us were very young”, and how “this would be very unfortunate for us”.

They knew they fucked up, and let us know if we spoke to anyone about what had happened we’d never work again- because they wanted it to be muddy. They wanted the general narrative to be “the poor poor studio that made sonic and cats had to close down because of public backlash”. That story is MILES better for their reputation than “we squeezed every last droplet out of the foreigners we made work there in hopes they don’t know their own labour laws and then purposefully run that office’s finances into the ground so we can fire them all at once”

This all is also, by the way, why I am purposefully leaving out a lot of information in this post. Not because I’m insane and paranoid or anything- but they do that. They check the internet for stuff about them. And I’d honestly enjoy NOT using my expensive degree to go back to work in a coffee shop because I made an inconsequential post on tumblr dot com- but I feel it would be the better thing to do than to sit there and be fucking pissed without doing ANYTHING.

So, to bring it all back- Why am I so pissed about the chip and dale movie?

The reason for why a lot of VFX-heavy movies look like absolute shit, is not because VFX itself is a problem or doomed to be ugly or because the artists are bad or blind or whatever- it’s because of all of those exploitative factors.

The artists don’t get a say in anything. If you speak up about something being wrong, you might get fired. Your opinions don’t matter. The timecrunch is so tight that you don’t get the chance to make it right- and to be clear, nobody who is officially an “artist” gets any time to make it right. The people making the decisions and who would be able to speak up are the people who are handleing the money. The issue with VFX is in not even one case the VFX itself; the issue with VFX is the capitalistic nature of the goddamn film industry. All of those movies aren’t movies that wanna tell a story or that want to inspire- they are money machines. The people who make the decision don’t give a fuck what the movie looks like or if it’s good, and they especially don’t give a fuck about if the people working on it die doing it- as long as it’s cheap, it’s good.

That is also why productions prefer using 100% VFX instead of costumes and puppets. Because costume makers, SFX artists, makeup artists and puppeteers have labour unions. They get paid properly for their work. They work humane hours. They might take longer and have the chance to make it right- which in turn makes something more expensive. Not because their work is worth more; but because they have the priviledge to expect fair compensation.

VFX artists don’t get that priviledge- not to mention the countless VFX artists who live and work in the global south, a lot of them also for a Technicolour studio, who get way less for all that work... only so rebel fucking wilson and james corden can dress up at the oscars and piss all over that labour.

And while making those jokes as just some guy on the internet is like... sort of annoying for people who are affected in some way, imagine if people who are literally responsible for why these things are ugly in the first place, and for all the labour abuses made those jokes.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIVE IT UP FOR THE FUCKING CHIP AND DALE MOVIE

Everything about it, from how they used old assets without crediting the original artists, to how the jokes don’t make fun of the production houses but treat it like this was “just a thing lol” to the fact that the “2D” lead characters aren’t actually 2D animated but cellshaded 3D characters in order to save money-

is deeply, incredibly insulting.

To make the same artists that have been through production hell by the hands of the producers and execs who commissioned this piece of shit work on a movie that actively mocks their entire profession is one of the most disrespectful things I could possibly fucking imagine

This is on the same level as if let’s say amazon made a trademark “amazon pissbottle”, making fun of their own labour rights abuses, while having the same underpaid workers who gotta piss into bottles bc they dont get pee breaks package and deliver the fucking things

I want to genuinly tear my hair out about the level of disrespect that this movie is on. When the trailer first came out, I had no clue what to feel and was just SO confused, but by now I have sorted my thoughts and feelings and gotta say- fuck everyone who is responsible. Fuck everyone who planned that shit out.

and also: genuinly, fuck everybody who likes it. As much as it “is funny” or whatever, the whole thing is a symptom of a diseased industry, and I am genuinly hoping that more and more people get the chance to speak up about this- because it might only get worse from here.

If you really read this until the end, thank you for hearing me out haha,,, This wasn’t meant to vent or make anyone feel sorry. This was meant to put the situation of that industry into perspective and give an appropriate backdrop for what’s going on, and why a lot of these things are genuinly dispicable.

Next time you go to the cinema and the VFX looks like shit- just know that this is not a VFX problem, and making fun of VFX itself is misguided. Make fun of the people responsible. Make fun of the director. Look at which studios were involved in the making of the film at the end of the credits and drag their ass. Tag their social media profiles, ask them how much their regular artists get during crunchtime.

Let them eat their fucking OT cake themselves.

#VFX #chipanddale #chip and dale movie #chip and dale 2022 #i almost hope the MPC people find this post and know its me so their fucking recruiters stop harassing me on linkedin

[perlukafarinn]

finally watched avengers: endgame and i have thoughts. nothing i’m about to say is new but i just need to get this out so i can stop thinking about this movie

this movie is so ugly to look at. so much of it looks like a video game cutscene; you can feel the weightlessness of the cgi and it makes you feel less invested in the action. 

the action is also poorly staged. i’m no expert by any means but a lot of it was confusing and difficult to watch, not helped by the screen being so damn dark. the lotr trilogy pulled these epic battles off much better 20 years ago, there’s no excuse.

the characters are massacred all around. since the characters are the only thing that ever drew me to the mcu to start with, this is a problem.

even tony, who is treated with a lot of (imo) unearned reverence, still gets screwed by poor character continuity. he’s had to learn the same lesson about how being a hero requires selflessness/sacrifice in like three separate movies now. it doesn’t help that this is rdj’s worst performance in any of these films so far, you can really tell he’s looking towards the exit

i can’t think about steve’s ending without getting pissed off. i think this might be the worst way they could have possibly ended his story? and they sloppily try to justify it by completely rewriting his character trajectory in this movie. just bad decisions all around

nat’s death was stupid and they should feel bad. clint was so very much the obvious choice to sacrifice himself for the soul stone, if we even had to have that stupid plot point. even if they wanted to do the bait and switch ‘oh you think one of them’s gonna die but it’s actually the other one’, you could have had nat arguing more passionately that she’s doing this so clint can reunite with his family and then have clint beat her to the jump with a whole ‘redemption through sacrifice’ moment (because he needed to be redeemed after the first half of that movie and he isn’t really).

the stupidity of nat’s death is even more obvious when you show the characters talking about her after and it’s just a room full of men. really drives home why she was considered the most expendable avenger

thor’s story i feel like could have worked if it didn’t rely so much on fat jokes. but i still think the trajectory they took in infinity war, effectively erasing all the good work ragnarok did, was stupid in the first place. 

the time travel plot felt like an excuse for cheap sentimentality and fan service. when they had like three characters meet dead loved ones in quick succession i wanted to laugh. and they literally just reshow some well known shots from older movies, no new footage needed.

all of the mcu women gathering on the battlefield felt like a cheap ploy for some unearned praise. you know, since they’re so progressive for including so many badass female characters in their movies when most of them haven’t been developed beyond being side characters in men’s stories.

the way ‘five years later’ faded in one word at a time pissed me off so much i groaned out loud. you could feel the decision making process behind it, the gasps they were hoping to elicit from the audience. you know when scorcese said these movies aren’t cinema, they’re theme park attractions? he might have been talking about this exact moment (i don’t agree with that take but endgame was doing its best to convince me otherwise)

you know, the reason it took me three years to watch this movie is that i was so burnt out on the mcu after infinity war that i didn’t feel like watching another marvel movie. so i didn’t, until now. and i probably never would have gotten around to endgame if not for my mission to watch every movie from ‘1001 movies you must see before you die’. now that i have watched it? possibly the second worst time i’ve had watching a movie from that list (nothing is topping saló). 

#wank for ts #i know i'm three years late to the party but i just had to get this out #this is rant-y and poorly worded but at least i've expelled all of it now #and i can go back to never thinking about the mcu anymore #except when i feel like reading the occasional stucky fic lmao