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yurimother · 3 years

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The Best Yuri of 2020

2020 was hell in every way, and many of us are looking forward to new possibilities and advances in 2021. However, the year brought us many small moments and gifts worth celebrating. Among these, the explosive growth and change within the Yuri genre are among the most precious and most outstanding achievements. This second century of Yuri opened with a bang, as phenomenal new works, creators, and moments made their mark and helped change the future genre.

This annual list is a celebration of just a handful of the fantastic titles, people, and events in Yuri. There are likely some even greater ones that did not make the list because there is so much content in both English and Japanese that even I cannot keep up. However, among the troves of treasure, these titles stood out as shining examples of Yuri excellence. Some were released this year, others were recently adapted into English, and still, others are established titles that rose to prominence to dominate the conversation and my mind this year, but every one of them is worthy of being on this list and in your heart.

Here is the Best Yuri of 2020!

15: The Curse of Kudan Remastered

Japanese Yuri visual novel developers show no sign of slowing down as they continue to push to new heights and try new ideas. These are the same amazing people who brought us the delightful educational Yuri game The Expression Amrilato and the hilarious and surprisingly queer OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbando’s. However, this most recent release, The Curse of Kudan Remastered, is their best work yet. Released near Halloween, this game brings a new edge of dark mystery and the occult to Yuri audiences worldwide.

The Curse of Kudan is available on MangaGamer, JAST USA, Denpasoft, and Sekai Project.

14: Adachi and Shimamura

English audiences were finally treated this year to Hitoma Iruma’s long-running and wildly successful Yuri light novel series, Adachi and Shimamura. Although the story struggles to gain traction, dedicated readers’ have their patience rewarded with a sweet tale full of gay pining. Alternatively, you can jump into its stellar anime adaptation, with gorgeous visuals and realized characters you will actually be willing to put up with the annoying Yashiro just to see where the title characters go. The series shows no sign of slowing down either, as the manga adaptation is coming to Western audiences next year.

Adachi and Shimamura is available to stream on Funimation. The light novel series is published by Seven Seas - https://amzn.to/3rTSZTK

Honorable Mention: Happy Go Lucky Days

The OVA adaptation of Fragtime got most of the attention this year. Still, director Takuya Satou and Pony Canyon also gave us this much-overlooked “love is love” anthology movie based on Takako Shimura’s manga (Sweet Blue Flowers, Wandering Son). The first short in the film, “Happy,” is easily the best Yuri anime of the year. It follows the beautiful yet realistic queer love story of two women hooking up at a mutual ex-girlfriend’s wedding, only for the relationship to blossom and warm viewers’ hearts. Sadly, while stylized, the budget demanded the animation cut a few too many corners. Additionally, the subsequent stories are at best tedious and at worst alarmingly problematic, which is why Happy Go Lucky Days only gets an honorable mention.

The OVA is streaming on HIDIVE

13: Mieri Hiranishi

The Yuri scene has many colorful creators with a breadth of different ideas and stories in the genre, yet few have provided as much humor and joy as Mieri. This talented creator spectacularly tumbled into the scene with her manga essay The Moment I Realized I Wasn’t Straight, which embodies the brutal honesty and realism of Nagata Kabi and matches it with exaggerated hilarity. She continues to chronicle her painful struggles of being a butch girl in love with butch girls in the monthly series The Girl that Can’t Get a Girlfriend. Alternatively, you can follow her on Twitter for just as much heart and laughter.

Read The Girl that Can’t get a Girlfriend on Tapas and Webtoon.

12: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

My Next Life as a Villainess has what can only be described as volcanic bisexual energy. Every character protagonist Catarina Claes encounters is entirely enthralled by her. Of course, she is far too preoccupied with her quest to avoid doom flags and change her ultimate fate to notice any romantic interest. The series is rewarding and well structured, as views are just as focused on how Catarina plans to avoid certain doom as they are with the various romantic misses her band of companions cooks up. While the “friendship ending” did not capitalize on its Yuri potential, it was perhaps the most satisfying possibility for this crazy harem, at least until season two comes out, which looks, unfortunately, to be significantly less queer.

My Next Life as a Villainess is streaming on Crunchyroll

11: Love Me for Who I Am

Kata Konayama’s manga series is less Yuri than a general LGBT work, but it has a lesbian character and explores her identity and struggles in great detail. Few titles before have captured the exciting and nervous waves of emotions that young people feel as they explore gender and sexual identities and try to find themselves. This heartfelt and extremely queer series rubberbands between cute moe dress up to tragic and gripping backstory, keeping readers on their toes the whole time.

Love me for Who I Am is published by Seven Seas - https://amzn.to/3rTSZTK

10: A Summer’s End – Hong Kong 1986

Oracle and Bone’s debut visual novel, A Summer’s End, is set in a vibrant and electric 1980’s Hong Kong. Drawing inspiration from classic Asian cinema, music, and fashion. The worlds of Michelle, a young office worker, and a free-spirited woman named Same collide. The two struggle to comprehend and accept each other’s feelings just as they struggle against society’s expectations and prejudices. An incredibly thoughtful and touching adventure, the creators incorporated vital contemporary elements include Asian LGBTQ rights and growing political unrest in Hong Kong, into this illustrious game.

The visual novel is available on Steam.

Honorable Mention: Goodbye, My Rose Garden

In the same vein as A Summer’s End, Goodbye, My Rose Garden is a beautiful period piece that incorporates LGBT views into its shattering narrative. The story follows a bright-eyed immigrant, Hanako, wanting to make a new life in England as an author at the dawn of the twentieth century. She takes a job as a maid to noblewoman Alice, but their relationship takes a turn when Alice asks Hanako to kill her. This poignant tale is beautiful and an honest depiction of love and its conflict with responsibility and society.

Goodbye, My Rose Garden is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/3hFSyaG

9: Shio Usui

Usui’s hit Shaikaijin Yuri manga Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon could easily take this spot even though it is not even out in English until February 2021. The manga is already making waves and receiving constant praise. The characters and their journey to discover love and self-acceptance are as charming as they are relatable and grounded. However, it is the creator, Usui, who really deserves acclaim. Not just for their work on Doughnuts, but having a second serialized story, Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemita, in monthly Yuri magazine Comic Yuri Hime simultaneously. It is even more remarkable when you consider these two iconic stories are Usui’s first long-running works, as they only contributed one-shots before.

8: Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka

Bloom Into You is possibly the most iconic Yuri series in the past decade, and while the manga deserves its own place on this list, the best thing to come out of the series as a whole is easily the light novels. This trilogy by Adachi and Shimamura creator Hitoma Iruma dives deep into supporting cast member Sayaka. Readers are treated to a delightful journey as she discovers her sexuality, experiences heartbreak, and finally finds herself breaking free and falling in love. With the help of gorgeous illustrations by Nakatani Nio herself, Iruma masterfully captures Sayaka’s unique voice and emotions in this wonderful series. Whether a fan of the originals or not, every Yurijin must check out Regarding Saeki Sayaka.

The light novel series is published by Seven Seas - https://amzn.to/3hFSyaG

7: Our Teachers are Dating

The best a Yuri can get. This workplace romance follows two teachers at the start of a new relationship taking nervous yet enthusiastic first steps, including saying I love you, going on their first date, and even sleeping together. It is so heartfelt and salacious that readers will squeal the whole time. Additionally, our heroines are supported in their relationship by everyone they know, their students, colleagues, and even the principal. It is a perfect world for these two lovebirds! Our Teachers are Dating would easily be number one or two in any other year, but the competition is fierce in 2020. So even though this is only number seven, it is still a master class Yuri manga.

The manga is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/38XY3O9

6: Amongst Us

Who would have thought that a comedy alternative universe story spinoff of a fantasy action series would be the single best Yuri webcomic this year? Shilin’s astounding artwork illustrations the hilarious and irresistible journey of girlfriends Blackbird and Veloce. These two eccentric young women get into all kinds of everyday mischief that bounces between tender and touching romance, completely outrageous comedy, and downright thirst-inducing sorcery. Seriously, you should buy the first volume for Veloce’s back muscles alone. The storyline skips between time, but both their established relationship and their meeting as teenagers are adorkable and captivating.

Amongst Us is available online free on Webtoon and the comic’s website. The first volume is in paperback on Shilin’s site.

Honorable Mention: Éclair

There are a lot of Yuri anthologies out there, and they have done some beautiful things. Many focus on themes like Syrup. Others collect a series of stories by an author into one bound work. However, out of all of them, Éclair is the most successful. ASCII Media Works took some of the genre’s most extraordinary creators and let them do whatever they wanted, and the results are spectacular. The incredible talent behind Éclair somehow packs a full volume’s worth of story and character into just a few pages with every chapter. While the first volume came overseas a few years ago, Yen Press gave Yurijin a gift this year by releasing the entire rest of the series in which readers can get lost.

The anthology series is published by Yen Press - https://amzn.to/38XY3O9

5: I’m in Love with the Villainess

A small trend of isekai Yuri with villainesses emerged recently, and I honestly had few hopes of I’m in Love with the Villainess. The series is pretty popular, but I often find that this does not denote quality, and with isekai having some institutional issues, I suspected this would fall flat. Then the volume three cover showcased an incredible accomplishment, allowing for a lesbian relationship to blossom into a family with children, and it blew me away. Finally, I read volume one and realized that the series has incredible character, some of the best world-building I have ever seen in a light novel, thoughtful discussions of inequality and societal issues, and most impressively, open and frank discussion of queer identity and life Yuri has ever seen! This one is something special.

The series is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/3nedvdZ

4: The Last of Us Part II

Yes, I know this one is not Yuri and that a portion of the population despises this game and will likely be exceptionally angry at me for including it. However, I maintain that it was an incredibly challenging masterpiece. Naughty Dog did not take the easy route out and delivered one of the most devastating media experiences I have ever seen. As I said in my article about the game, playing it changed me, and it sticks with me to this day. The Last of Us Part II earns its spot on this list because it pushed boundaries more with LGBTQ inclusion than any other AAA game. From brave inclusion of LGBTQ themes to queer characters and storylines at its center, the game changes gaming and it will never go back.

The Last of Us Part II is available on PlayStation 4

3: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

She-Ra feels like the culmination of all the LGBTQ progress western cartoons have made over the past few years. From The Legend of Korra to Steven Universe, young people are finally seeing more LGBTQ people represented on the small screen. This epic fantasy concluded with an amazing and powerful lesbian romance, delivering on its queer promise and revolutionized representation in a trope-defying crescendo.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is streaming on Netflix

2: The Conditions of Paradise

The greatest single Yuri work of all in 2020 was the English release of Akiko Morishima’s breakthrough manga, The Conditions of Paradise. Initially released in 2007, this anthology detailed the love between adult women. It was in every way a manga ahead of its time, and seeing it finally get a small piece of the recognition it deserves overseas is a true gift. The fact that we can own this legendary piece of Yuri history and Morishima’s other anthologies is nothing short of a blessing from the Yuri goddess.

The Conditions of Paradise is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/38bh4xq

Honorable Mention: Otherside Picnic

This eerie sci-fi horror series combines the best of pulse-pounding thrillers, complex and intelligent hard science fiction, and exciting Yuri romance. Author Iori Miyazawa spends as much time crafting a well-paced and intriguing narrative about a mysterious world where occult creatures roam as he does establishing two believable and grounded heroes in Sorawo and Toriko. The romance between the two may be slow to start, but their chemistry is undeniable and as the stakes and story build, so too does their relationship. Not only are the light novels incredible, but the series’ manga adaptation is coming soon to the West as well as an upcoming TV anime in early 2021.

Otherside Picnic is streaming on Funimation. The light novels are published by J-Novel Club - https://amzn.to/3niiv1g

1. Yuri subgenres

For a long time, Yuri was not a genre of its own, but elements of romances or bonds between women found in other works. Now, thanks to an increasing library of works, the advent of social media, and a wider audience, Yuri is a genre on its own, with many creators telling different stories in different styles. However, 2020 saw the continued emergence of something extraordinary, subgenres. Yuri is now so vast, we can actually categorize the works within. Depending on their characters, like classic schoolgirl romances or spicy shakaijin office affairs, their world, such as fantasy or isekai series and thrilling science fiction adventures, and even other elements within. One of my personal favorites is the feminist Yuri that emerges from titles like Sexiled, where women celebrate the accomplishments of other women and dismantle power structures stacked against them. Now, no matter what kind of Yurijin you are, there is something for you to love.

I am happy to leave 2020 behind, but I bring with me a renewed love and admiration for Yuri. 2021 looks to be a somehow even better year for the genre, and I am thrilled to experience every minute of it that I can. Yuri has transformed into something far greater than I ever thought it would be, and let us all enjoy its evolution and expansion together in 2021.

#yuri #manga #anime #top 10 #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtq+#queer #gay #girls love #gl #adachi and shimamura #otherside picnic #lists #2020 #happy new year #2021 #new year

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depressedhatakekakashi · 3 years

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Hello, Princess

Au: Royalty Au

Made with help from @whatshernameis

Words: 1534

Rating: General

Characters: Hatake Kakashi and Konan. Hints of Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai and Konan/Nohara Rin

Warnings: None

Summary: Parties have never been Kakashi’s favourite scene, but they’re a necessary part of his job protecting the prince. Thankfully, this time, he finds someone to keep him entertained.

Beautiful music.

Extravagant decorations.

Visitors from all over the world mingling and waiting patiently for the star of tonight's gathering to make her appearance.

It was all in place. All that had to happen was the big reveal.

The lights would dim, all eyes would turn to the stairs, and the steward would announce the arrival of Her royal highness, the princess of Amegakure. After that, the party would really begin.

Except, the princess was nowhere to be seen.

At least, not by anyone who wasn’t already looking in the crowd that had already formed in the large ballroom.

It was actually rather rude. Kakashi had put up with having his arrival announced, why did she get to sneak in through the back and act like she had been there the whole time?

He was going to have to take matters into his own hands, or he’d be stuck here all night waiting for a princess who was already there to arrive.

Making his way through the crowd, he zeroed in on the purple-haired princess dressed up in a beautiful red and black dress with a simple necklace and earrings that blended in perfectly with her outfit.

The best outfit a person could pick out for the purpose of blending into a crowd full of people trying desperately to get noticed, yet still leagues fancier than the simple blue tunic that Kakashi had chosen for himself.

Sliding in beside the undercover princess, Kakashi leaned himself against the wall beside her and looked out into the crowd for whatever it was that had caught her attention.

“You know, the party doesn’t start until the beautiful princess walks down the stairs,” He greets the glare she throws his way with a playful smile. “I’m sure the royal guards have been sent out to track down their lovely princess. They’re probably scouring the hallways of the castle as we speak.”

“Don’t you have a prince to keep your eyes on?” She shot back, clearly unimpressed with his poor attempts at a conversation starter. “Or does Konoha only hire the worst knights to guard their prince?”

“I have him in sight,” to prove a point, Kakashi directed her attention at the bright green outfit making its way through the room as the prince introduced himself to everyone that he could. “He doesn’t need me interrupting his attempts to make friends. I would just make it awkward.”

“Yet, here you are,” waving a hand between the two of them, she huffed when Kakashi responded with a simple shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t suppose there’s any way to convince you not to tell them where I am?”

“And ruin the show?” chuckling, Kakashi watched as his prince moved onto the next person. This time deciding to chat up a woman about their age in a beautiful purple dress. Princess Rin if he remembered correctly. Single and likely here to secure herself a marriage arrangement with one of the people that Princess Konan did not choose for herself. If she even made a choice at all tonight. “It’s actually kind of fun to watch your knights scramble around the place searching for you, not realizing that you’re right where you’re supposed to be.”

He’d call them stupid, but the Prince was always getting on his case about being ‘rude’ to other people.

“In that case, is there an actual reason that you’re here?” She turned her attention away from him, focusing once more on the crowded room. “Or are you just bored and in need of entertainment?”

‘Bored’ was certainly not a word he would usually use to describe his life. Not with someone like Prince Gai around to make sure there was always something interesting going on. Even if that ‘something interesting’ was a five am wake-up call so that he could do laps around the castle garden with his favorite knight at his side.

Though, in this case, it might actually be a fitting descriptor for how he was feeling. His Prince's attentions were focused on other people, and as long as he had him in sight and nothing was going wrong, Kakashi really had nothing much to do.

So ‘bored’ actually might be exactly what he was, but he wasn’t going to admit it.

“Have you chosen someone?” leaning in a bit closer, he tried to follow her line of sight. To see if there was anyone particular that she was watching. She seemed to pick up on this quickly though and instantly shifted her eyes back to him. “Come on now, it’s a simple question. This is supposed to be a night dedicated to you finding someone worthy of ruling a kingdom with. Surely you have someone in mind.”

Any good future monarch would have done their research before a big ball like this. Save themselves some trouble having to sit down with every single person and get to know them. Or, if it was the most advantageous alliance that Amegakure was looking for surely she would have studied up on which villages would be of the greatest benefit to her own.

Military strength, economic prosperity, other allegiances to be gained through a union of the two villages. There were a lot of things for a future monarch to examine before choosing the person they would dedicate themselves to for the rest of their lives.

He should know. He had been there by his Princes side when he went through the same endless task that Princess Konan no doubt found herself faced with now.

“What did he do?” Raised an eyebrow, Kakashi waited for the Princess to elaborate on her question. “Your Prince. I heard he didn’t even have a ball to choose his partner.”

“He didn’t,” there was supposed to be one of course. Just as Prince Obito had a ball, and Princess Kurenai, and even Princess Konan here at her own ball. It was expected that there would be a celebration for the Prince or Princess to meet with their possible matches and choose from the people placed in front of them. But his Prince, Gai, had chosen not to have such a celebration. “He couldn’t choose any of the people he was presented with as options, so the ball never happened.”

The Princesses eyes widened.

“That...that’s allowed?”

“It depends on one’s parents,” he admitted, his smile covered by the cloth mask that he kept over the bottom half of his face. “Prince Gai’s father has never been one to force his son into doing something he does not want to. After all, he himself was never married. The Prince was born in an agreement between him and the Princess of Iwagakure and was raised by the King alone.”

It was certainly not a common occurrence, but it was one that had allowed the Prince more freedom than others of his rank.

The Princess made a disapproving sound, her eyes returning to the floor in front of her. Except for this time, Kakashi could see exactly where it was she was looking. It was hard not to after all when her eyes wandered to the same spot as his own. Though, Prince Gai didn’t really seem like her type, meaning…

“You know, she has been having troubles picking someone out herself,” If looks could kill, he would be dead. With angry eyes, the Princess reached out to smack his arm, only to have him step out of the way just in time. “If you want, I could introduce you to her.”

Extracting her hand from his grasp, Konan examined him for a moment. Almost as if she was sizing him up. Trying to figure out if he was trustworthy.

“I’m a knight,” he reminded her softly. “I have no reason to do you any harm.”

“You could simply wish to see me embarrass myself.” She argued.

“Princess, I assure you that is not my goal,” Holding out an arm towards her, Kakashi gave her the best smile that he could come up with. Probably not a very welcoming smile, considering his face was usually hidden behind his armor and he wasn’t actually used to smiling at other people anymore. But it was a genuine smile. “The only person I ever aim to embarrass is Prince Obito.”

Speaking of which, maybe after he had introduced Princess Konan to Rin he would be able to find his old friend. It wasn’t truly a party until he managed to embarrass Obito in front of multiple people.

Processing his words, the Princess finally reached out to grab hold of his arm and allowed him to start leading her through the crowd towards the spot where Gai and Rin were still speaking.

It was kind of funny when he thought about it.

Princess Konan’s knights were running around the castle desperately searching for her so that the ball could officially start, all while Kakashi led her highness towards the one person she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off of when she should have been more focused on keeping out of sight.

Maybe if things went well, there would be another couple for Gai and him to spend time with, outside of peace talks and war rooms.

#Hatake Kakashi #Konan #Konan X Rin #Kakashi X Gai #Mostly Konan and Kakashi just chilling and talking #but hints of their feelings for the other two #Royalty au

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umblebumble · 3 years

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Dragon Age: Inquisition Daemons

So here’s another group daemon selection. I make my choices based off of a mix of analysis (The Daemon Forum is my favourite spot, link) and general vibe as well as plot/thematic things. For this, a lot of inspiration has come from fanfiction I’ve read where the daemon choice just makes sense. There will be minor spoilers for these characters personal plot arcs. Please let me know what you think, and share your own headcannons!

*As a note I tend to pick more mammals than anything else and I am working on widening my selections, but I still run very mammal-centric.

Solas - Common Raven. Raven’s are very clever birds and are great problem solvers and strategists. They go after what they want, and while they can roam in groups, they can work on their own as well. They are also mischievous and cocky; they will pull the tail feathers of larger birds to distract them from food or just for fun. This clever, cocky, proud bird is a very good match for our not-so-humble apostate. Thematically, ravens can be seen as death omens since they often eat carrion. However, they are also called ‘wolf birds’ because they have been known to have working relationships with wolves for hunting. Therefore a raven on the shoulder of a wolf would just make sense thematically to me.

Dorian - Scarlet Macaw. Parrots are far too clever for their own good and boredom is their worst enemy. Along with being bright and flashy to match the sparkly mage, their also very loud and opinionated and dramatic about everything just for the hell of it. I think a Macaw would be bold and striking on Dorian’s shoulder, and would have a razor tongue like the mage. However macaws can also be easily stressed and fall into self-destructive behaviour in bad environments. Thematically I think this parrot would have little bald patches hidden under its wings from where it would stress pluck. An interesting healing arc would be the bald patches growing back in as Dorian is accepted for who he is and doesn’t have to hide himself anymore.

Vivienne - Mute Swan. It can be said of water fowl that they appear graceful and serene on the surface but that’s because you can’t see the intricate paddling going on underneath. I feel that summarizes Vivienne well; she is serene and powerful and graceful at first glance, but behind the scenes there’s a lot of work and whispers and gathering of information. Swans are also very strong and assured. They could break bone with the strength of their wings, and they are confident and assured in their place and their power and status. Furthermore, they’re dedicated to their goals and will put in the work to reach them. However, I also like a swan for Vivienne because they mate for life. They are devoted to a single partner, and when that partner dies they mourn heavily. Vivienne appears unruffled and absolutely pristine to everyone around her and that’s because very few are allowed past her mask to see the softer heart inside that loves and then mourns her loved ones.

Iron Bull - Wild hog/Boar. Pigs are very underestimated animals - they appear big and slow, but they are vicious and incredibly intelligent. Pigs are seriously violent and I think this matches Bulls blood-thirsty battle-lust. But like Bull, his daemon would be underestimated; a war machine on the outside but the mind of a great spy on the inside. They’re social animals, and highly adaptable to a range of environments, and they can be very defensive and protective of themselves and those they care about. Overall I think a boar just suits every aspect of Bull visually and thematically.

Cassandra - Ram. *I initially said Mountain Goat but I had meant a Ram/Big Horned Sheep. Usually I headcanon Cassandra with a dog, a hound of some sort, but this was just very interesting and I quite liked it. When looking at a description of a Ram*, I just felt like it spoke for itself: “ Thick-skinned, competitive, and proud... Assertive and quick to put others in their place when they're crossed, definitely the confrontational sort. Highly defensive of their personal projects and themselves. Highly confident, not ones to doubt their abilities... Likely stubborn and highly straightforward, possibly blunt. Possibly planners, probably quite determined and persistent.” Cassandra is a hard-worker, determined and stubborn. She’s definitely the kind to attack a problem head-first, but she does have the capability to be quick, light on her feet and strategic about her approach. Rams are of the sheep family, and thus are very loyal and close to the people that belong in their circle.

Blackwall - Milksnake. Snakes are generally non-confrontational. They don’t pick fights but they will finish them, which is something I can see reflected in Blackwall’s more laid back attitude towards battle than the other warrior companions. Milksnakes are also very adaptable and will do well wherever they are. They’re a mix of solitary and social, they like being around others but also need their own space. They’re also rather internal and have a lot going on inside they don’t let show, not the kind to wear their heart on their sleeve. Mainly I enjoy the thematic meaning of a milksnake. Milksnakes are adapted to mimic a poisonous snake. Their colour pattern is close to that of a much more dangerous snake, and as such they often trick predators into thinking they are something they’re not. I like this thematically for the not-Warden who is pretending to be something much more fearsome than he is.

Sera - Rat. The common rat is an incredibly adaptable, resourceful, hardy creature. They will find a way in whatever circumstances and use whatever they have to their advantage. They are highly social beings and are made to work in groups, in teams and with others - a network much like the Red Jennies or little people. They’re bold, assertive, and even a little aggressive at times. A rat is seen as vermin and unwanted, but they’re everywhere and are clever and have their little hands in everything. Also, rats are thought of to be tricksters in mythos - the Chinese zodiac being an example of a rat tricking its way to the top. Sera uses her tricky playfulness mainly to pull pranks and cause mayhem, but she also uses it to stick up for others and assert her place in the world.

Varric - Vampire bat. Now I like the headcanon that dwarves don’t have daemons due to Fade-connection stuff and instead have weapons/armour like Armored Bears, but for the sake of argument I wanted to find what his daemon could be. A vampire bat is an unusual animal, and I think it, like Varric, would be the kind of person you don’t easily forget encountering. They are very sensitive, aware animals and are very in-tune with their surroundings and whats going on. They’re very social animals and thrive in groups. They have great communication skills and form close bonds with those they’re close to. Varric would do anything for the people he is closest to, and his natural environment is surrounded by people spinning tales and connecting with others. I think it’s an unusual daemon choice but I also like the idea that its a fun parallel to a surface dwarf - an underground animal, i.e. a rat, but in the sky with wings.

Cole - Unsettled. I think that if Cole did have a daemon, it would be unsettled. He is a spirit and he is in constant state of flux, despite having a central purpose of compassion. And even if he becomes more human, he is very reminiscent of a child learning the world and as such I do not think he would be settled until he becomes more settled in himself. (I do have further headcanon ideas about this spirit-daemon stuff but that may be another post, or a later addition to this one. Let me know if you’re interested)

Leliana - Mongoose. Leliana was harder for me because I don’t know her as well. I didn’t play Origins, but from what I know she was a much younger, more playful, less burdened and jaded person back then. I think this suits a mongoose very well. They can be very inquisitive and open and playful in their youth, unfearful of the wide world and ready to investigate anything to learn more. But as an adult they are more cautious and guarded. Mongoose are incredible predators and are very adaptive, able to take on even snakes that others don’t dare attack. They are more solitary and secretive, and I think an elusive, mysterious mongoose would be a wonderful hint at the fierce power hidden behind the cooler facade of her everyday persona. Brutal, subtle, and unexpected, a mongoose fits the spymaster well as far as I know her.

Cullen - Border Collie. I always knew Cullen would have a dog daemon, it was just a matter of which. He’s loyal and extremely hardworking, and so I decided on herding dogs. I chose Border Collie specifically because of their intelligence, independence and ability to think strategically. This is the kind of dog that will happily take orders and follow command, but will also work on its own to get a job done. Of herding dogs, Border Collies also have the ability to be a bit more ruthless, I feel. They aren’t timid dogs and if left to their own devices could become destructive and rough due to boredom and lack of stimulation. Also, they are predisposed to listen and obey and thus could fall prey to poor leadership (as seen in Kirkwall). Any dog I think could fit for our loyal, hardworking Commander, but I think Border Collie is a good fit. A bit of a farm-boy turned soldier, follower turned commander aesthetic fits thematically with his overall arc.

Josephine - Zebra Longwing. This kind of butterfly is beautiful and poisonous, a perfect combination for our ambassador. Butterfly’s are social creatures and do well around others. Furthermore this kind of butterfly works in groups to achieve its goal, suggesting a calm, diplomatic mind that is good at working with others towards a goal. Furthermore, butterflies are very sensitive and aware creatures; they pay attention to their surroundings and are very intuitive about the environment and others. Lastly, with a slightly toxic nature, these insects warn off predators with their flashy pattern that advertise them as dangerous. I like this because I think Josephine’s daemon would be a great hint at how not-helpless she is, a bit of a giveaway to her power and abilities. Plus I think a pretty butterfly perched like a beautiful broach suits her aesthetic.

#dai #dragon age inquisition #daemons #daemon headcanons #wow that was long #daemon au

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midnight-at-wallmart · 4 years

Text

Stage Name: Mimi

Genre: Underground Rapper Joon / Underground Rapper Yoongi / Non-Idol AU

Pairing: Namjoon x Reader/ Yoongi x Reader

Word count: 4.6k

Rating: 18+

Summary: Kim Namjoon a.k.a Rap Monster, drops a new mixtape which includes a particularly interesting verse: "Is your name Mimi shawty?". Though completely unintentional, the real Mimi, an underground rapper like him and Yoongi, thinks it's a jab taken at her. What happens when the two meet?

CHAPTER 1

TW: alc*hol, mentions of physical violence

Hypothesis 1: The place in which two people meet is a reflection of their future.

This chapter shall prove that.

It is hard to move freely when all you can think about is how everyone seems to watch you. Everyone is putting it mildly. It feels like everything is watching you. Even the tall glass giants that tower over the streets are anticipating what your next move is. What are you going to do? Where are you going to go? It’s hard to even walk straight at this point. It feels like the alleyways are mixing up between your feet and suddenly, as you look around, you can’t recognize where you are. How did you get here? What led you astray? But it’s futile to stop at this point, so far in your journey towards your goal. So, you keep walking, so much that your legs are giving up under you and your lungs are burning up, your throat is begging for water and your head is dizzy. Your vision is blurry, stumbling around with your hands in front of you, hoping to stay stable, head is spinning with the want of rest and for everything to just stop. But it’s impossible at this point. You’re in this journey way too deep to just stop now, not when all that you want is right in front of you. Dangling, as if to challenge you to walk just a bit further. But can you? Can you get your feet to listen to you? Can you pick yourself up and go further? Is it worth risking everything you have just to get that one thing that will supposedly make you happy?

Seoul sings. In the daytime, it's too hard to notice what a beautiful symphony this city makes, the bustling and the huge crowds that trample the concrete underneath their feet on their way to work or school drowns, without a doubt, the song that this city sings. If you want to find the true rhythm of a city, you have to listen after the daylight creatures go home for the day, and the night ones come out. That is when you can really hear, what Seoul has to offer. Its inhabitants are active members in this continuous, never-ending concert, even though they don't realize it. They manage to execute it perfectly every single time. Everyone knows their tempo and notes, the place where they're supposed to be. Sounds of bottles opening, glass shattering, the base in speakers, lighter sparks, whimpers of pleasure, secrets told around the corner, you name it. They come together to make the most beautiful sound, and it's done perfectly every single time. And Lord, it's loud. The absolute sensory overload that the night brings pales in comparison to the one that the day brings. You can't compare the rushed, uncoordinated and rather selfish song that the day brings to the powerful, sometimes vicious and thrilling song of the night. The night keeps you on your toes, makes the hairs on your skin stand up, makes you skittish and aware of yourself so much more than what you're used to. Makes you feel watched...how tiring. This concert...it's tiring. You have to take a part in this and make the show reach it's end when the sun goes up, you can't just leave. You must see this thru. You want to see this thru. Even though, all you would want to do right now is close your eyes and drift off to sleep. Either way, it’s impossible to sleep in Seoul.

How could you, when everything is too bright, too loud, and too good.

"I'm so tired." Yoongi said, while yawning and stretching his arms behind his back.

11 PM in a empty parking lot underneath a shopping center. Namjoon's and Yoongi's favorite spot to talk things thru before a show. After the mall workers go home when their shifts are done, this place is practically desolate of any human contact, with the exception a few cars here and there that sometimes stop, but never for too long. Why would anyone want to sit here anyway? It looks haunted. The smell of wet concrete is horrid and coats your throat, a few light water drops from one of the broken mall pipes make a pretty beat that Namjoon thought would record and use in a song one day. But the absolute worst part is the flickering of the also broken, neon lights on the ceiling. They were so so bright, giving a light blue hue to the puddles of water on the ground. As a testament to just how grimy this parking lot is, this type of lights are most definitely old, not only is the sterile-like color giving it away, but also the intensity. None of the newer buildings in South Korea have these type of neon’s anymore, they take too much energy and are not kind to the eyes. Namjoon couldn't stand them, and neither could Yoongi. Especially Yoongi, since his idea of a perfect day is sitting in a secluded music studio with barely any lights on and as little human contact as possible. Namjoon knows this, because he had to drag him out of the studio to eat more times than Yoongi will ever admit in his life. Even so, this was their spot. This, is where things were taking shape, where they made plans for the future, where they shared lyrics or beats, where ideas were made and remade and so on...They’re creatures of the night, even though they probably don’t realize it.

But right now, it was a place to drink sort of warm beer before a show to calm your nerves.

"Drink some more, maybe it will help." Namjoon said dismissively, while taking another swing from the beer. But underneath that the devil may care attitude, Namjoon was feeling awful. To say that he was feeling overwhelmed right now would be an understatement. It felt like someone was squeezing his lungs with an iron fist. Each and every one of his senses was heightened. Everything was too loud. The beer in his hand was too strong. The smell of wet concrete was making him sick. No matter how many times he does this. he will always be too nervous for words.

"I'd recommend you the same thing." His friend said next to him, making himself more comfortable on the hood of the car and grinning. Always the smartass.

"Why? I feel great." Namjoon said with obvious fake enthusiasm.

"You don’t look like it. Might as well smash that bottle to the ground, you look like you’re about to break it."

He took a quick look at the hand that was holding the bottle. The grip on that poor bottle was so strong that his veins were protruding, and his knuckles turned white. Namjoon was so concentrated in holding all his nerves in that he forgot that he stood absolutely no chance against the human radar that his best friend, Min Yoongi was. Nothing could get past him, not even the simple gestures like turning the page on one of his loved books more aggressively, without Yoongi saying "Got to a bad part?" with a shit-eating grin. This...radar of his was both a blessing and a curse, at least to Namjoon. Right now, it felt like a curse.

"Are you saying this because you don’t want me to waste the beer?” Namjoon responded jokingly.

"Partially”. Yoongi returned his joke with a chuckle. „But also because I know how you’re like before a show. And I honestly don't know what you're so worried about. You've rehearsed this set so many times in the living room, I think I heard you sing it in your sleep. Stop worrying so much."

Easier said than done. When you love this as much as Namjoon does, every missed beat is a dagger straight into the heart. Rapping is all he ever did, and most likely will continue to do. He gained some fame after his first mixtape dropped about a year ago. The response was overwhelmingly positive from his fans, which he held in his heart dearly, but some...felt like what he was saying was “too much”. That's all he saw on social media lately in regard to him. It was either Rap Monster is too explicit, or Rap Monster can't keep a flow. Prudes and cowards. But he didn't really care about the potentially offended, pearl-clutching people that were trying to make him feel bad for being "explicit". They were not going to make him feel bad for expressing himself and being everything that all those people couldn't be. Themselves. Who cares? He only cares about the love that his fans give him, he only has eyes for them. When he sees their faces light up as soon as he entered the stage, nothing else matters. That's what life is all about for him. His fans. How they see him. And tonight's show, is all about that.

"It's all about them right now” was his mantra for tonight's show. As a thank you to the positive response to his mixtape drop, Namjoon decided to do a impromptu concert dedicated to his fans exclusively. Every song that they scream for him to sing, he'll sing it. He loved his fans so much, maybe too much, because he did present the idea of a "no ticket entrance" to Yoongi, which he shut down promptly with the threat of "potential non-fans entering", which could get nasty very quickly. Oh and Namjoon knows all about that. After being in the rap scene for a while and having hundreds of pairs of eyes watching everything you do, you start to learn a little bit about perspective. How you look and how you're looked at. And the only perspective that mattered to him was his fans. He wanted nothing more than to be loved by his fans thru the music that he puts out and make sure that everything he makes is artistically pleasing to him first. He would never in his life put out a half-assed song. He would never have collaborations with people that only want to sit in his spotlight and have a taste of it. No. Not on his time. Not on his hard work.

But that’s not the only perspective. There's another crowd watching behind the curtains, sneering at his success, laughing at his mistakes, making him feel that whatever he does, he'll never be good enough. And of course, they never have the balls to show their faces, they sit in the dark, either typing out hate or sitting posted up in the back of the club he's performing at, watching every move he does before dissecting it and judging it mercilessly. It was only talk and no bite until unfortunately, one night it did get physical, when a man outside of the club tried to fight him and Yoongi as they were leaving after a show. Yoongi is "small but packs a punch" as Namjoon liked to point out sometimes, so when he saw that he tried to fight back, he wasn't that surprise. Fortunately, there was never a fight because the man ran before his friend could get ready, probably getting scared that Yoongi actually tried to push back. Namjoon isn't a fan of violence, unless absolutely necessary, as in, to protect yourself, but besides that, he never genuinely got into a fight. Yoongi on the other case. he has been through a few fights here and there, but never in front of him. He mysteriously comes back at their shared apartment with cuts or bruises that "he doesn't want to talk about it", so Namjoon never pushed him further. He has an idea of where and how...but he'd rather not get on his friend's bad side.

"It's easier said than done" Namjoon said, picking up the conversation again after a long pause in which he thought about that back alley fight.

"I know a cure...if you're interested of course". The same gummy grin, with the same know-it-all attitude. Namjoon would never get tired of his friend's antics and gestures. After being together for so long, he has all his mannerism memorized. Which is why he knows exactly what this "cure" is, but he decided to play along.

"What is it, doctor Min Yoongi?"

Yoongi pushed himself from the hood of the car and walked towards the backseat door, opening it up and retrieving two bottles of beer from the case that they brought earlier in the night. They made a soft clanking sound as Yoongi walked towards hie friend, all smiles of course

"Tonight's prescription."

To Namjoon's surprise, Yoongi placed both bottles besides him on the ground, implying that the second one, was not for himself, but also for Namjoon.

"Both of them??"

"Yes."

"This is my second one Yoongi, I can't be four beers in at a concert, I'll be all over the place!"

His friend laughed, probably at the image of seeing him drunk on stage before continuing

"They're not even that strong. Besides, you're bigger than me, you can take some more. It's the only next best thing to...other stuff that will help you relax."

Namjoon wasn't sure about this. Sure, being a little bit buzzed might make him look and feel more relaxed on stage, but that would be a bit of a pang in his work ethic. And if he starts to get addicted to this before-a-show ritual of drinking, as he's seen with many artists...

"Other stuff..." said Namjoon suspiciously. He couldn't brush off Yoongi's words that easily. "That you couldn't possibly get a hold off..." he eyed him up and down "right, Yoongi?"

After that statement, he saw in Yoongi's eyes that he didn't like what he implied. Drugs here are impossible to get a hold off. Of course, if you're rich and have connections, everything is possible. But what Yoongi lacked in wealth, he made up in "a guy that knows a guy that knows a guy". So it wasn't a huge stretch in the imagination that his friend could make something work. But Namjoon refuse to believe that his friend would get involved in this stuff. He wouldn't let him get involved in this stuff. The problem with that is that Yoongi is extremely secretive, never lets words out unless absolutely necessary, or Namjoon has to pull him by his tongue to speak. It was next to impossible to read what was going on through his mind. But after knowing him for so long, he could read that the brow crease in his face and the look in his eyes bothered him. It was like lightning, so fast that if Namjoon wasn't looking directly in Yoongi's face, he couldn't make out what his reaction might be. He was wrong anyway to assume that he's be mad, because Yoongi replied alarmingly calm.

"I'm going to assume that the beer got to your head for you to say shit like that, so I'll let it slide." He reached down to the ground and grabbed one of the bottles that he brought, popped it open and took a swig. Smiling he continued "Have to revise your prescription...if I gave you two you might've thought I'm a pimp on the low or something."

There was a strain in his voice, as if he was holding back. So much for not getting to his bad side. But Yoongi wasn't currently thinking about that. He was making plans in how protect his friend from the very thing he got suspicious about. Of course, it hurt to hear Namjoon make assumptions about him without evidence to stand on. It was suspicion. That’s it. And he's partially right in his suspicion, but not in the way he thinks. Yoongi had more experience in the rap scene than him, so it was only natural that he would help Namjoon in everything related to it. Especially now, when every eye is on him and what his next move might be. He’s had way too many acquaintances fall in vicious business because of all the temptations that came with fame. To lust after all things that cam make a good person fall from grace becomes incredibly easy and more accessible than ever. So Yoongi’s main priority in regards to Namjoon was to make sure that he stays on track with his career and morals, most of all.

But that came with challenges. First, and quite frankly the only one, is Namjoon himself. Yoongi swears on his life that he has never met a more stubborn person than the taller man that is currently sipping beer next to him, looking all apologetic. Every time he tries to steer his friend from a potentially dangerous situation, he tugs as hard as he can to keep it his way. A good example would be the back alley fight, in which even though Yoongi said to stay back and let him handle it, Namjoon was ready to fight. He yaps about "not liking violence" but Yoongi knows it's bullshit. Ever since he got a little bit of fame, it's like Namjoon is itching at the palms to punch a dude into next week. Success is giving him tunnel vision and it's what Yoongi is scared about the most. All he's going to see in front of him is cash, cars and diamond rings with no regards to what's next to him: family, friends, fans etc. His worst fears about what might become of Namjoon’s career could become a reality, no matter how many warning signs he could place in front of him. But he would be damned if he let this shit happen. He would drill his mind every single day if that’s what it took to stir his friend away from the danger that this life could expose him to.

"I'm sorry." Namjoon was genuine in his apology. He looked straight at Yoongi, even though he wasn't looking back at him. He was staring into the distance, as if to size up the emptiness of the parking lot. It was obvious that Yoongi was upset, and Namjoon felt terrible for that. But at the same time, there was a part of him that was telling him that was justified in his suspicion. A voice in the back of his head telling him that something isn't quite right. Therefore, he continued.

"But you have to understand me too." Yoongi whipped his head quickly at that.

"Understand? Understand what Namjoon?". He came off way more threatening than how he wanted. It was hard not to. This is a touchy subject for them, and it was always a bit of a problem in their relationship. Secrets. They trust each other with their life but not enough to tell each other how they really feel. They lack in communication, both of them, Yoongi was a brick wall and Namjoon was determined to break it, even without Yoongi's will which made things difficult. Also, Namjoon doesn't know when to drop it. Like now right, for example.

"You never tell me anything. Ever. Not even when I'm in the right to question you."

Yoongi felt guilt take over him, it the worst possible way. The kind of guilt that makes someone question if whatever they're doing right now is the right thing to do, even if it makes other feel uncomfortable or unwanted. As if this missed connection that Yoongi put intentionally between them was for a greater purpose. At least, that's what Yoongi liked to think. Sure, he could open up, tell him that he wants nothing more than to just see him succeed at everything he wants, to protect him from this life's fatal choices, to trust him unconditionally...but he wasn't ready for it. Not right now at least. Brick walls have feelings too, you know?

“Joonie-”

“Listen! I get it...” Namjoon said dismissively before drinking the rest of the now-lukewarm beer: “You don’t have to babysit me Yoongi, I know what might happen.” There was stifled anger in his words, that even though he tried to contain to not come off as angry to his friend, Yoongi picked on it.

“I’m just trying to-”

“I know what you’re trying to do! You don’t want me to become like all your other rapper friends. I assure you; it won’t happen.” His face was angled towards the neon light of the parking lot, staring into the distance almost. The lights were so strong it made him want to pull his eyes out…must be hard being so shiny and up there: “Joonie don’t do this, Joonie don’t do that…” he continued in a mocking tone that didn’t help to alleviate the tension that was currently rising.

“I’m not saying all of this to babysit you, I’m saying all of this because I care about you! And don’t you worry about my friends, mind your business!” Now they were both angry at each other. The tension was starting to rise between them. To Yoongi, the parking lot started to shrink, making him feel cornered, and to Namjoon started to expand beyond his comprehension, just like his suspicion and determination. Namjoon really didn't want to fight his friend, especially right before a show. This really wasn't the kind of adrenaline that he wanted. Maybe he should've accepted that second beer.

“Is that why you get calls at 2 AM to pick their drunk asses off from the club? Because your protection worked so well?” He was staring at Yoongi now, with the intent to prove him wrong. That he can do this without ending up like all the others. To prove him that he doesn’t need help from him. He can't be sure why he insists into proving that he's special or cut from a different cloth but the look in Yoongi's eyes made him reconsider his purpose entirely. Yoongi's eyes showed that all thosecalls at 2 AM weren't giving him any sort of pleasure but were making him sad instead. Instead of the anger that Namjoon expected to throw back at him, his eyes were pointed downwards, half lidded, and his arms were gathered more tightly around him

"If you think I like having to prevent my friends from becoming drug addicts and alcoholics, you're very wrong." Yoongi now looked straight at him now. "I just want you to not forget who you are."

Namjoon didn't expect that all, he would have rather have Yoongi curse him out and call him names than to give him this regretful look. He could tell that he was hurting deep inside, deeper than what he could comprehend. His shoulders are slumped as if he's got the world's weight on him, wanting to get crushed and disappear under the ground. What web of feelings does Yoongi have tangled in him, so much that he can't even tell Namjoon how he really feels.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." He got cut off quickly. The fact that he didn't even let him finish his apology send a clear message. To stop talking.

"Just finish that beer."

And so he did. After a few sips, in which the silence hung so heavy between both of them that it felt crushing, the sounds of tires scratching and screaming crashed completely against that silence. Both of the men whipped their heads around confused in the direction of the sounds. The car that pulled up in the parking lot didn't looked like the usual cars that stop sometimes here, it looked quite expensive, which is why that reckless driving made them question who was behind the steering wheel to risk the destruction of such a nice car. After a few more swerves, that left dark round marks on the cement and the smoke cleared out, it stopped next to Yoongi and Namjoon's parked car. The windows were tinted, so you couldn't make out who was in the car. Instead, a song with heavy base was coming out, making the identity of this driver even more mysterious. Yoongi was quick to judge, thinking that it must be some rich father’s son that stole his daddy's car and is trying to show off. He clicked his tongue at the thought, Namjoon thought similarly, but judging by the different pitches of screams that were inside the car as they were swerving, it was highly probable that were girls there. It completed Yoongi's fantasy perfectly. Rich boy trying to show off daddy's car to some girls. Perfect.

But very wrong.

Both of them had quite the surprise when a girl opens up the door from the driver’s seat and exists, slamming the car's door with such force that it startled the two men. The rest of the people in the car come out, two girls and two men, who were so giddy and happy, it was clear that they were at least a little bit buzzed. But Yoongi an Namjoon were two distracted by the designated driver for tonight. She seemed sober, very much so, the look of pure stoic indifference to the screams of her friends said a lot. She checked herself out in the tinted mirror of the car, fixing her hair and outfit. Namjoon was so distracted by her identity, he barely had time to process her appearance. And it was a lot to process. It wouldn't do it justice to call her beautiful. It's like everything about her was effortless, from hair strands that didn't need to be fixed, to her hands smoothing out the creases in her outfit which mapped out the shape of her body. While Namjoon ogled at her without a crumb of shame, Yoongi looked at her face in the car window. He wasn't blind, he could admit that she was a beautiful girl, but there was a complete crash when you looked at her expression. Purely devoid of any emotion. Stone cold, Stoic. Completely unreadable. Maybe she was shy or more reserved, though, that hard cold stare into the car window could hardly be of a shy person. Her friends were calling out to her, making signs to come to the trunk and open it. So this was her car.

"Come ooonnnn...! I don't wont this soju to get warm!”

"Open iiitttt..."

Her friends, presumably, slurred their words like children, like they were trying to make their babysitter open the cabinet with sweets. But she didn’t budge at their insistence. Not even a little bit. She just kept...staring at the car window. Namjoon, in his true philosophical nature, started to draw conclusions "Maybe she's deaf? Or just works as a driver to these people? Did she forget to turn headlights off?" Yoongi was harsher, his experiences spoke for themselves "She hates these people...who wouldn't hate to carry around 4 drunk people at the same time." Namjoon eventually ran out of space in his mind to draw out his theories, so he gave up and lifted the bottle of beer that had a sip at the bottom, only to stop suddenly. He noticed something. She wasn't looking in the window at herself. She was looking at them. The window tint was so dark you couldn't really make out the reflection. As soon as Namjoon caught that, which he didn't even had time to process fully the extent of how fucking weird it is to stare at someone through a car window, she took it upon herself to point that out, in a lightning fast turn from her car and a scowl directed at them.

"What the fuck are you looking at!?''

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spaceorphan18 · 4 years

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Beauty and the Beast

Nostalgia Memory: Weirdly, I don’t really have much memory of watching this as a kid - despite this being a favorite Disney film of mine. The one memory that sticks out is when it came out on VHS and we were watching - one of my dad’s friends was there -- and he was perplexed by the idea that Belle was able to get the Beast on her horse. And now I can’t unthink that when that scene comes along. Anyway...

What do you say about a film that’s near perfection?

The Little Mermaid was an incredible change of direction -- lifting Disney from really flailing over a span of a few decades. Beauty and the Beast solidifies that this new, fantastic form of story telling is here to stick around for a little while. Even while I was watching it - I was trying to find things I could possibly complain about, and I couldn’t come up with things to say. This film is beautiful, and still so worth watching even nearly thirty years later.

We have another Menken and Ashman musical on our hands, that brings a worthwhile fairy tale to life. The script is tight - the padding Disney is often known for is absolutely gone. All of the scenes in this film are relevant towards the plot (though I suppose Be Our Guest might be a slight exception.) This animation is the second to incorporate digital use, and it shows - as much of the film is breathtaking in its beauty. The story is timeless, the characters layered and interesting, and the music is emotional, profound, and sometimes catchy. It’s not surprising that this film was for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

So, let’s bullet point some great things about this film:

The story about finding beauty inside yourself is relevant as it ever will be, and the fairy tale goes much deeper than many of Disney films tread.

In fact - there’s a lot of meta you can go into with this film, and I hope there are people who’ve taken the time to break this one down, because it stands out as a notable piece of art to discuss as well as a fun kids Disney film.

Belle is a thinking Disney princess -- she’s odd because she’s intelligent - and yet that’s marked as a good trait to have, she’s brave and caring, and she’s not afraid to be who she is - despite a society who wants her to be something else.

Belle doesn’t have any woodland creature friends, I’ve noticed (though she doesn’t have any, which is still a minor issue with Disney Princesses across the board.)

I have a lot to say about Gaston - he deserves his own post as to why he’s possibly one of the most frightening of the Disney villains because he represents toxic masculinity at its worst -- and the fact that he might be one of the most realistic villains ever in one of these films. He’s scary because he hits so close to home.

Unfortunate that he’s the character of ‘The Fool’ but LaFou is very clearly gay.

Mob mentality at its worst -- this film shows so much how misinformation can get carried away.

Lumiere and Cogsworth are an absolute delight and really could have had their own TV show dedicated to them.

This whole film is set up like a musical -- including how the shots are done, it’s really kind of cool.

This is the first time one of the songs were turned into a pop tune and sung by notable artists during the end credits. This is gonna be a thing going forward.

Apparently France is the ‘New’ England.

Since I don’t have a ton to pick apart in a film that really works well as is, I want to bring up three other things kind of related to the film.

1. There’s a common thing that goes on with internet bloggers - trying to break something down because they can. Taking this movie, there are a lot of questions that can be asked -- Why does the village not know about the beast? Aren’t they under his rule? The Beast was only 11 when the curse happened - why did he look like he was in his twenties? Where are the Beast;s parents? What happened to Belle’s mom? and so on and so on.

But, you know what? While we can have fun with these questions as a side tangent -- this story isn’t about any of those questions. This is a fairy tale, and a cautionary tale, and functions exactly the way its supposed to. I don’t believe the story should answer every single question for you. It’s true that there are many stories out there with plotholes that hinder the story, but I think internet culture takes it to the extreme when examining the media they consume.

2. A while back, there was a huge push to discuss the film in the light of Stockholm Syndrome. I stumbled upon a video essay by notable Youtuber Lindsey Ellis about why that’s a bunch of garbage. Check it out if you have a second, it’s really quite amazing, and she discusses this better than I ever could.

3. The Live-Action Remake. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so disappointed in a film. It doesn’t work, and misses the point of the animated feature while being nearly a shot for shot remake of it. I didn’t like it much, and I think Disney remaking all of its old films nearly exactly the same as their animated counterparts is getting to be ridiculous.

Final Thoughts: This ties Sleeping Beauty as my favorite film Disney has put out. Topic and beautiful today, this is an amazing film that pushed Disney into the higher quality bracket they hadn’t been known for since the studio started.

#thoughts on disney

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pjstafford · 4 years

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The Bad Boy/Good Guy public personality dynamic of David Duchovny

Written as a birthday gift (with her blog prompt) for Charmion @grungekid84

Dedication: Charmion and I are of different generations; separated in age by over twenty years. I was the age she is now, about, when the X-files was new and she watched it first as a child. Yet today we share similarities in thoughts related to our celebrity crush. To both Charmion and David Duchovny I say, I hope this blog does the love the justice it deserves.

Why are women 20 to 70 years of age fan girls of the 59 year old David Duchovny? Not simply fans! Fans might watch a movie because an actor is in it. They might rewatch a series a half dozen times. Fan girls like Charmion have an Xfile room and paint pictures. Fan girls like myself write blogs, fan fic and team up with fan girls like Cathy Glinski to present at academic conferences. Why do women who have no other celebrity crushes have this need to celebrate this one celebrity in these ways? It seems significant to me the age range of women who are fan girls. I have stood in an audience surrounded by women barely old enough to meet the 21 age limit who knew every word to each of his songs. I heard one such woman say that this is an experience she would tell her grandchildren about. I, also, know women closer to 70 who have traveled to a meet and greet or comic con because they wanted the opportunity to thank this celebrity for the years of joy. Just today as I start to write this a woman I do not know tweeted @hearteyes4david an open letter to the world with a life wish to meet and thank this man. There are so many of us who just want to say thank you. And I won’t say none of us are not, but most of us are not crazy. We are lobbyists, store managers, attorneys, emergency room nurses, church secretaries of different ages and nationalities, many happily married, most normal women ( and some men). So many of us eager, compelled almost, to meet a single specific man and say thank you.

Some of it, people will say, is lust. Yes, it’s possible that if he was a less attractive man we would wish to thank him in person less. Still, can you truly look at the picture at the end of this blog and say his looks are so much more Adonis like than any other man? To say it’s purely a physical lust for a handsome man is dismissive of the intelligent, thoughtful women so moved to want to thank him.

His talent? “Sweet baby Jesus” he gave us Mulder and if that wasn’t enough, Moody. Whether he is playing a man who has lost his wife in Return to me, a drugged out doctor in Playing God, or a Russian operative determine to see the US nuked in Phantomn he makes every character seem so real that he gets a reputation for only playing himself. He is so good of an actor playing such diverse roles that folks can’t believe is truly acting. Still, I think most of us would just be fans and not fan girls if good looks and talent was all he had going for him

He is multi-talented and many love the rock star with romantic, heart breaking lyrics. For me, as I have often said, he is my favorite living novelist with three novels published and a fourth to come out soon. He writes intelligent, funny, heart breaking novels with an unique style and characters that again seem real (even the talking animals). In a recent interview he said something to the effect that his kids could read these novels and know who he was a man. I think that’s why I love his writing so much is because lyrics or prose they are authentic expressions of an artist’s personality; which brings me to Charmion prompt...the personality of David Duchovny.

I have met the man briefly a handful of times. I like the man I have met, but I can’t pretend to know more anymore than his public persona. I know how he comes across in interviews, what others who know him say about him, and all I can possibly gleam from his public art...from the things he has acted in and from his written art- the XFiles the Unnatural, the movie “House of D”, the novels, the lyrics, the distorted selfies in the mirrors reflections he tweeted when he used to tweet. This is how I know what I know about the man...and the fact that the few times I met him he was soft spoken, polite, humble and kind; taking time to answer my questions intelligently, joke a little and write kind words.

I know he is flawed. It is impossible to be a fan and not know about some of the faults which have been well publicized. As he himself says in my favorite of his songs, “I got skeletons in my closet which time ain’t forgot...”. They will never be forgotten. They will be included 20 or 30 years from now in his obituary. His flawed character is a fact, it has been aired, it is part of who he is.

I have written that what I love best about his writing is the combination of darkness and despair with the lightness of the human spirit and resiliency (mmm...the ability to believe?) rising out of darkness. He writes about the most depressing subjects on earth realistically and the fairy tale quality which rises to fill our hearts, to make us laugh and cry, is as real. It is either or both n amazing technique and/ or a result of a world view. I choose to believe it is the latter.

David Duchovny is no saint, but God Damn, he seems like a remarkably good guy with enough of a bad/boy mischievous side to make his personality as sexy as fucking itself. See how I just got a little different in my language there. David puts fucking in a book title, god damn in a song, gets bleeped on air record breaking number of times. God damn, fuck you if you think this is a man who is afraid to swear. He is not really Fox Freaking Mulder but he is David Fucking Duchovny

He is a good guy. He is intelligent. His ability to reference the high brow literary comes across in all his works. His second album title is from a Shakespeare quote. Walt Whitman shows up throughout his novels (and his dog’s tweets). He is well read, it quite well known. If you don’t get that reference, he would, as a Dylan fan and a fan of many other musical artists. He is also happy to talk about and reference sporting heros.

He is a bad boy. Oh, but the lowbrow humor! Early interviews have fart jokes, bathroom humor. He has a knack for intermixing the profane and profound. His novel, Miss Subways, has the elementary teacher leaving the classroom in tears when an assignment (write a letter to a Shakespeare minor character) results in an innocent boy reading “My dearest Fellatio...”.

He is a good guy. He is a romantic. He gave the XFiles fans the shippy Mulder and Scully baseball scene. He believes in his heart that Californication was at heart a love story. He writes lyrics for his ex wife who loves the rain saying “ It will always be raining in this song.” In his novel are real people having real sex type of scenes...no great erotica with flowing hair and heaving bosoms for this man, but discussion of lights on or off or an older couple off screen and an adult son hearing and embarrassed.

He is a bad boy. The man has no fear of nudity. . In his first movie he was filmed completely naked. In the commentary to the rapture he admits that he told the director he thought the character slept in the nude. (Hence the balls shot). It was his idea to wear the red speedo. He improvised the moonshot in evolution.

He is a good guy. He believes in causes. He volunteers and donates to protect the planet, for animal rights, for music education and for planned parenthood. His was the only story in over 200 XFiles episodes that truly dealt with racial injustice and segregation.

He is a good guy. In House of D the thirteen year old boy’s best friend is a forty year old janitor with special needs. He is a bad boy. That boy and janitor told each other a lot of pee jokes.

I can go on and on and on about the bad boy/good guy public personna of David Duchovny, but I am going to close with a subject that might tempt fate and bring forth the haters. I want to end with thinking about David and women.

In Red Shoes diaries David was in the forefront of the soft porn explosion. In an interview this year Brigitte Bako describes her experience in filming the movie as the “worst experience of my life”; but has nothing but complimentary things to say about David, how sweet and nice he was. They became close friends and she later appeared in an episode of Californication.

In Californication, David was the star of one of the raunchiest series in television history. Tits and ass, fucking and punching. I love the show but it would likely not be made today although, to be fair, it demonstrates women having agency over their sexuality. Nevertheless, actresses who appeared on that show have recently been asked what it was like. Over and over again they talk about how comfortable the environment was and how polite and respectful David was.

Much has been made over Gillian Anderson being paid half of David Duchovny’s salary. This is hardly his fault and something he argued against once he was made aware of it, but, as a fan of the show, I love hearing him talk protectively of Mulder and of wanting to protect that relationship. I love that he was responsible for rewriting an ending to one of seasons 11 episodes which end not with Mulder objectifying Scully and not with him in his under wear, but with Scully opining the door and him standing there. As David said, Scully being in control of her own desires.

Finally in Miss Subways, I find a female character written with such realism and authenticity that I have to go back to the 19th century to find a female literary character so relatable to me. She is a reader, beautiful to some men, a little eccentric in some ways, vulnerable, strong but without a great belief in herself or her talent. She’s just fucking real in a fucking real world despite being in a surrealistic fantasy novel with Irish banshees and African spider goddesses, parallel timelines and phones that can alter reality.

We, the fan girls, love this celebrity, David Duchovny because of his looks, his talent and his personality; because he is a bad boy and a good guy; because he inspires us, because he is flawed as we all are and goes through his life trying to be present in the day. For all the fan women who have yet to meet you, Mr. Duchovny, I say thank you and we love you, until they can meet you and tell you themselves.

Happy Birthday, Charmion. If you should meet him someday when I am not there give him an extra hug for me.

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leonardofrei-blog · 6 years

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I have come to bring this dead Tumblr back to life solely so that I can say this (S7 spoilers)(also really long because I like to write)

I absolutely loved Voltron season 7 and it is my current favourite season

I’m doing this post thingy because I’m seeing a failry big backlash from fans here because of the events of Season 7 and pretty much treating it like the worst season ever so I”d like to throw my 2 cents into the mix

The actual plot of this season (the Galra war on Earth and everything around defeating the fleet and the battle that comes right after that) is good, is just pure and of quality GOOD

the 3D animation was also amazing compared to other seasons, that fight coreography on the last fight was simply amazing

Just throwing that out there becauce the things that actually matter get buried by the hate

the main things I see people complaining about: the whole deal with Adam and Shiro, Lance and Allura’s relationship and Keith and Acxa’s possible future relationship

The big deal here is of course Adam, he’s Shiro ex boyfriend

and he dies

the shitty commander refuses to listen to the dude that knows bout alien stuff and gets all of the best pilots killed when the invasion starts, including Adam

the controversy here is that the crew has been hyping LGBT representation ever since 2016 and when they finally deliver it they kill the character

Personally I’m okay with it

the way they dealt with Shiro’s gay arc is that they completely ommited the fact that he was gay up untill now, and even then it wasn’t a big part of him or he’s identidity, mainly that the fact that he’s gay only affects wich person he has a romantic interest in, not who he is as a person, wich is great because it distances himself for any form of tokenism wich are rarely done well

Adam himself wasn’t much important, the scenes we got of him during the flashback were not the main focus, he was a side character on a scene designed to explain and develop Shiro and Keith’s relationship, counting the fact that the scene in question is him breaking up with Shiro since Shiro would put more focus on the missions than on Adam or himself, given he was sick

That (and the fact that Shiro spends 6 seasons without ever even mentioning him) shows that while they were a thing in the past, that’s it, it was a thing of the past, he’s still care for Adam as a person or friend, but lover was never the question, (also because Shiro is the calm and collected type and in the middle of a war situation like that it would be in character for him to hold anything back, specially since they were about to go discuss important stuff) and the scene that he dies? well a lot of people do, they likely just used Adam to try and get more emotional response of the scene where a bunch of people we never heard about die offscreen deaths

Characterwise, the whole thing with Adam was fine, he had one purpose and he filled it, while also introducing Shiro’s sexuality in a normalized way, instead of making it a big deal for his character, wich is indeed wasted potential, but when it comes to representation, normalizing it does better than bringing attention to it

the whole thing about they introducing a gay character solely to kill him, yeah I can see why people would find it offensive, specially since the crew did alluded to a lot bout a character being gay, but then again they were refering mostly about Shiro and most of the hype and attention drawn to Adam was made by the fans for the fans, so yeah

Next is the whole deal with Lance-Allura-Keith-Acxa

as we all know Klance is the big ship of the fandom, everyone seems to ship it and you can’t find a single Voltron crack video on YT without finding one with a Klance reference on it, that also likely led to the popularity of the theory that Acxa was Keith’s long lost sister that no one ever mentioned

long story short, fans wanted Lance to move on from his crush on Allura since she showed no romantic interest on him, and people wanted Acxa to be Keith’s sister because it would be different and if they used the scenes they had to build a relationship it wouldn’t be good since they had few scenes together and a lot of them revolved one of the two being attacked by the other one

I’ll do this quick, Lance’s entire romantic plot revolved around him going from “this chick’s hot I wanna date her” to “Oh my god I am in actual love with this beaultiful and amazing woman”, spending 6 seasons worth of development of that and just have him choose to get over it and not get with her is simply dumb and makes no sense, you don’t spend that much screentime of a character building said feelings up to then have they give up when the other one doesn’t immediately love them solely to sell this idea of maturity, if that was the goal they’d focus more on it on earlier volumes and deal with it quickly (plus he literally died for her, kind of awkward to not follow through with the subplot after that)

the deal with Allura not being in love with Lance, well it happened mid season, while she was still being woo’d by Lotor and before she learned he was comitting genocide on a global scale

Also note how these relationships were build up, Lotor did nothing but constantly tell Allura how awesome she was and how he’d never get anything done were not for her, he was constantly making moves on her by forcing this romantic vibe on a constant basis, basically he won her over by constantly using pick-up lines

the scene where she learns that LAnce actually loves her and not just hits on her like he used to do to every other girl, her reaction was that of pity/sadness that he felt that way because she liked Lotor

Then Lotor turned evil and on a non romantic scene (wich ironically is what makes it romantic) Lance comes to her and pretty much does the same that Lotor did, tell her how awesome she is, but unlike Lotor, it comes from a place of actual respect, Lance admires and respects Allura as an individual, and that is why he grew to love her, she realized it by the end of season 6, and knowing he liked her would help getting her to either start liking him or getting the feelings that were there to emerge and morph into love, culminating in the scenes from the last episodes where they make it clear she also loves him

Grantes, yes it short of came out of nowhee given that on previous episodes they basically had no interactions by themselves, specially on Allura’s part that would help show a progression

but then again next Season IS the last season to they might have rushed it because of that, this show has always had some pacing problems in the end

Acxa and Keith tho, they have had few interactions, and I think that is enough

unlike Lance, that had a lot of his character based on a romantic subplot, Keith has a lot of plot going on for him, so it is not necessary for him to get a lot of screentime dedicated to it, specially since Acxa is a really secondary character that doesn’t appear much on the plot

the whole scene with the other ones basically screaming at the camera that she had feelings for Keith were probably meant for the audience to make it clear, given how many people were still passing the whole sister theory around (even tho it was never shown to have any proof or anything that would led one to consider it being true, also because having them being siblings given the ammount of coinsidences that led them to believe and form a very weird and f**ked up “friendship” would just be bad writting) and because Klance was still a thing going strong, also the characters didn’t pay much mind to it because it was clear the others were just taunting them

it does seem that from now on they will build something that could become a relationship, since they already had short of a mutual respect and now they can build it up more without needing to kill each other everytime they meet

Overall, this insanely long post is solely my opinion on the matter, that Voltron Season 7 was amazing and that maybe I can get someone to look at it on a new light

Hopefully

seriously tho it was an amazing season, I mean have you guys seen the final fight? Holy S**t

#voltron #voltron legendary defender #voltron season 7

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hannahberrie · 6 years

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Stranger Things Returns Bigger and Darker Than Ever Before

[A/N]: I’m currently enrolled in a Magazine Writing class at university, in which we write magazine-style feature essays. For one of my assignments, we got to do a review essay on a media of our choice. I, of course, went with the second season of Stranger Things!

My professor wound up really loving it, she’s even going to use it to teach future classes! Some of you guys said you were curious to read it, so here it is! Small disclaimer: I kind of spill the tea on just a few things that I didn’t like about the season, so please don’t hate me for my opinions!

After the first season of Stranger Things skyrocketed into the pop-culture stratosphere last summer, the bar for the second installment was set dauntingly high. The creators of the infamous Netflix original series, twin brothers Ross and Matt Duffer, were no longer unknown underdogs with minimal experience under their belts, but rather household names credited with creating one of Netflix’s most popular television series to date.

Stranger Things 2 was released on October 27, 2017. The installment was largely promoted as a cinematic sequel, despite the season’s nine-episode composition. This would prove to be risky. “Netflix was like, ‘Don’t do that, because sequels are known to be bad,’” Matt Duffer said to Entertainment Weekly, recounting what had happened upon pitching the second season. “I was like, ‘Yes, but what about T2 and Aliens and Toy Story 2 and Godfather II?’ We want people to argue about what season is better. I want the debate. I want the Toy Story debate!”

So, now that the second season has been released, one looming question remains: Could Stranger Things 2 possibly live up to the first season?

Yes.

When we return to Hawkins, Indiana, the fictional town where Things is set, we’re reunited with all the characters we came to love in the previous installment. Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb Mclaughlin), and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) are now 13 years-old and back to doing what they love: geeking out over video games. Joyce (Winona Ryder), Will’s mother, has a new love interest in her life. Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Mike’s older sister, is still mourning the loss of her best friend from the previous season, while also dealing with the ongoing love triangle between Steve (Joe Keery), the once hard-hearted jock turned softie, and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Will’s older brother and the quiet, ever-dedicated introvert. Police Chief Hopper (David Harbour) is back to dealing with the dull crimes of Hawkins residents, notably two farmers arguing over who poisoned the other’s pumpkin patch.

But, in typical Stranger Things fashion, nothing is as it seems. Will, having been rescued from The Upside Down (a dark, mirrored dimension of our world) in the last season, is still struggling with the trauma of his experience. The newly re-staffed Hawkins Laboratory is still shrouded with secrets. And who could forget about Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), the adorable, bad-ass, telekinetic 13-year-old who seemingly disappeared in last season’s finale?

To quote Matt Duffer, “It’s cliché to say bigger and darker,” but the second season of Stranger Things is exactly that, though it does take its time building up to it. While last season dropped viewers right into the action, this season is much more of a slow build. The first few episodes feel more like character studies than a sci-fi thriller, but it works. The Duffers have created a sandbox full of diverse and lovable characters, and now they get to play in it. There are several scenes that, while adding little to the overarching plot, are entertaining in and of themselves, as they just show the characters being themselves, like Mike and Lucas arguing over who gets to be Venkman (à la Ghostbusters) for Halloween, Steve providing Dustin with hair styling advice, Joyce struggling to play back a VHS-C tape, or Eleven breathlessly captivated by the soap operas she watches on TV.

While the last season kept characters’ plotlines grouped into three main categories (the kids, the teens, and the adults), season two blurs these borders. Relationships seamlessly broaden outside their natural boundaries as new character dynamics are explored. In particular, the bonds that form between Steve and Dustin, as well as Hopper and Eleven, are heart-warming and ingenious combinations. Both pairings provide not only humorous fun, but emotional weight, and the acting chemistry between the respective performers is undeniable.

However, the new season is definitely not all fun and games. As the episodes go on, the plot slowly builds upon itself, taking small moments and extrapolating them. Events that seem mundane, such as Will feeling chilly or Dustin finding a slug-like creature in his trash can, turn out to have monstrous consequences (no pun intended).

Nowhere is this phenomenon best executed than through Schnapps’ performance as Will Byers. In season one, Will hardly had any screen time, but in the new installment, he’s the primary driver behind all the main action. His performance starts off with a subdued Will, an average kid who feels isolated by his peers. When he tells his older brother, Jonathan, that he’s sick of feeling like “a freak,” because of how carefully he’s treated, his voice aches with the painstaking frustration of any child who just wants to live a normal life. But by the final episodes, in grating contrast, Schnapp’s performance explodes into a frenzied, darkened terror. As the darkness from the Upside Down overwhelms Will, Schnapp writhes in convulsive fits, screams in complete and utter agony, and at times (perhaps most horrifically) is completely, emotionlessly, and hauntingly still.

Despite being only 13 years old, Schnapp completely excels in Stranger Things 2, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his powerful performance makes him one of the youngest Emmy-award winners to date. His performance, along with the continually solid delivery from the rest of the cast, makes the show.

While the season may start slow, the payoff is completely worth the wait; it all cumulates in an electrifying, heart-pounding final two episodes that are some of the best hours of television I’ve ever seen.

However, this new season is not without its faults. The story falters when it dares to step outside of Hawkins. Two new characters are introduced: young tomboy Max (Sadie Sink) and her Jack-Nicholson-esque older brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery), but both feel largely one-dimensional. While not unlikable, Max doesn’t add much to the overall arc of the story, and largely serves as a plot device to create tension between Dustin and Lucas. Her brother Billy, while terrifying, often feels like he’s just there to bide time for the show and add a little drama on the side. There’s definitely potential to be explored with both characters, but this season leaves them thoroughly underdeveloped.

The biggest step outside of Hawkins takes place in episode 7, one of the most polarizing episodes in the whole series. The Lost Sister spends the entirety of its runtime taking Eleven out of Hawkins and into Chicago, where she meets up with a rag-tag gang of criminals who have darker intentions lurking beneath the surface. The Duffer Brothers insist that this episode was necessary, stating that “Eleven’s journey kind of fell apart, like the ending didn’t work, without it.” Even though the episode does give Eleven the opportunity to grow and strengthen as an individual, it’s unfortunately filled with unlikeable characters, feels painfully long and repetitive, and is the only episode of the series that I might consider skipping upon re-watch.

The Duffer Brothers reportedly want a four-season run for the series, but in order to do this, they’ll have to master the balance of expanding Hawkins while also staying true to the heart of the show. Season 2 shows hints of this, but it’s still a work-in-progress. Nevertheless, the new season is deeply satisfying and a true love-letter to its fans. I had the pleasure of watching it surrounded by friends and family, and throughout the entirety of its nine-hour-runtime, we were cheering, pleading, screaming, laughing, crying, and having the time of our lives, something that I believe is a welcome and much-needed relief.

Even though the original season of Stranger Things aired only a year ago, the world, particularly the United States, has arguably changed since its July 2016 release. Trump was elected into office. Three major hurricanes tore apart regions like Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. We’ve seen over 17 terrorist-related attacks, including the worst mass shooting to date.

As tension seeps deeper into our world, the darkness can often feel suffocating. This is similarly mirrored in Stranger Things 2. The first season was bright with childlike ingenuity. Even when attempting a feat so immensely impossible as saving their best friend, Will, from another dimension, the characters found strength through relying on each other and relating their problems to familiar entities, like Dungeons and Dragons.

In contrast, despite all the monsters, superpowers, and multiple dimensions, the second season is weighted with the gravity of reality. The boys have to learn that not every problem can be solved like a board game. As Mike states when discussing how the boys should protect Will, “This isn’t D&D. This is real life.”

The second season is much darker, and not just in a figurative sense. The lighting often shadows scenes in blacks, reds, and yellows — colors that traditionally represent deceit, hazard, aggression, danger, and fear.

The violence is more graphic as well. Instead of a lone Demogorgon monster creeping out of The Upside Down and capturing a single victim, there are hoards that feast upon their prey with bloodied vigor. No character is safe as even the lives of the children are continually put on the line.

Times have changed. The stakes have changed.

But despite all this, it would be thoroughly inaccurate to write Stranger Things off as a depressing, nihilist series. For with every gruesome horror, there are pulsating moments of hope and light that continue to carry the show just as strongly as they did in season one. One of the most heart-wrenching and warming moments takes place in the penultimate episode, The Mind Flayer, in which Joyce, Mike, and Jonathan attempt to reach the remaining ounce of Will that hasn’t been swallowed up by the demonic force possessing him. Though tears stream down their faces and their voices are laden with sorrow, they powerfully recount their happiest memories spent with him: Mike meeting Will on the first day of preschool, Jonathan building a fort with Will after their father walked out on them, and Joyce’s proud recollection of Will’s 8th birthday, in which he drew a spaceship for her with his new box of 120 crayons. Will stares back at them, shaking, a single, intense light illuminating his wide-eyed face.

The moment stands out as one of the best written, directed, and acted scenes in the whole season, and reminds not only the show’s characters, but we as viewers, to never give up. Even when it seems that all we love has been lost, there is light, there is strength, and there is hope.

#berrie fics #i do like max fyi #i just think the duffers need to do more with her character #stranger things

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ewutai · 7 years

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50;mark please!♡♡

prompt: 50. “I’m starting an idiot jar. Any time you do or say anything idiotic, you have to put at least a dollar in it—more depending on how stupid the thing that you said or did was.”

Off guard | MARK

⇢summary: even the coolest NYC hero gets to fall in love with a pretty smile.

⇢genre: spider man!au | slightly florist!reader | super super fluff (like 1000%)

⇢pairing: mark lee / reader

⇢word count: 2.7k

a/n: this is a draft i wrote for another writing blog (i’ll be posting there too anyway) but i really thought you’d like it :)) i really hope you do!!! ((though i’ve started another spider man au with mark and i intend to dedicate it to you because this prompt inspired me ^^)) ah!! lowkey inspired by spider-man homecoming i love tom holland so i hope this is at least good ^~^

First encounters arenot always very magical, neither are they like we dreamt.

When Mark Lee first landed his eyes on the hysterical form of you, therewere paper sheets flying over the wind and a very frustrated body running fromone side to other of the street, aimlessly trying to gather as much documentsas your hands could hold—and to be at least honest, you could not pick eventhree of them. You wheezed, annoyed by the fact that your chemistry essay wasvanishing from your vision and traveling to a place very far away from whereyou were.

That, you thought, was my only salvation. Without that piece of work you wouldprobably fail the subject—considering that the essay was a component for thelast test you’d to take (to be exact: 40% of your mark depended on that stupid assignment). You sighed; you’dhave to manage the entire night for that, making the whole thing again.

Mark shifted the weight of his body and gulped—Haechan (his friend)rolled his eyes, completely aware of his friend’s new-born platonic love—he peekeda paper close to where he was standing, and with all courage he had ever hadinside his physique Mark took his way to you. To Haechan’s eyes his actionswere clumsy and his words sounded like whisper and made no sense at all. Heremembered how Mark had been when Liz was still around and how he had hearteyes over her—it was annoying.

Haechan called Mark once, warning him to just let the thing go, after allthey still had to go to class, but the brunette boy simply ignored his friend’scries.

Mark touched your shoulder. “Hum, excuse me.”

You turned your body to face the him. “Ah, yes?”

“I guess,” he said, stuttering “I guess this belongs to you” Mark handedyou the paper.

“Thank you” you gave him the sweetest smile you could.

You didn’t know, but Mark Lee melted under you gaze, completely amusedby the beautiful sight of you and your smile. He had never seen you before thatday, but he’s utterly sure you were the most gorgeous girl in the universe; notonly because your eyes were almost closed when you smiled, neither because yourperfume was a mixture of lilies and mint—which made Mark feel a little dizzydue to the dulcet scent—but yet because you showed him the purest reaction hehad ever expected.

It didn’t take much, though, for you to perceive some hesitancy comingfrom him. The boy in front of you had locked his eyes with yours for a moment,and then the silent had paired. After that, he’d coughed and gulped repeatedly;he’d rubbed his hands and slid them inside his pockets, then had taken them outand massaged the back of his neck. He’s so embarrassed, you noticed, but therewas no reason to be. Now, with the funny scene before you, the only thing youcould possibly do was chuckle.

The brunette widened his eyes and watched you laughing at his posture.He turned his head to his friend, whom was starting to giggle too.

You took a deep breath. “What’s your name?”

He blinked once and then twice, not believing you really asked that question.

The boy cleared his throat. “It’s Lee,” he coughed “I mean, Mark Lee.”

“Well Mark Lee,” you winked “nice to meet you.”

Mark nervously grinned; his words were stuck on his gullet, willing toslip out of his mouth and yell to the world that love at first sight was indeedreal, but all he did was keep his lips glued. To your eyes, he was completelyuncomfortable with the entire situation—maybe he just wasn’t very good withconversations, or when it comes to girlshe was always unprepared—so you slightly shrugged your shoulders and

“So,” you said “I better get going.”

He really wanted to hold your wrist and stop you from leaving, but all hedid was follow you with his eyes, watching you go away and then vanish in thecrowd of people. He foolishly smiled, already memorizing all your features andyour delicate gestures. Haechan stepped closer and called Mark’s name, finallybringing him back to reality.

“She was pretty,” he said.

“I know right” Mark agreed.

“Yeah,” Haechan touched his friend’s shoulder and “but you didn’t askfor her name, dumbass.”

“Oh, man”

And that was enough to darken Mark’s entire day. He kept running theprevious encounter inside his mind, trying the best he could to remember everysingle thing from the place he met you—the coffee shop, the floristry, all thebuildings and some houses. Haechan told him to stop, because it’d be so much in vain doing all that effort tofind just a girl, but Mark ignoredhis friend once again.

It’s not just a girl; it was a girl who made his heart almost burst outof his chest.

He sat down on his chair inside the classroom—the next subject wasgeography so he was pretty comfortable with just driving his attention toanything else but the class. Mark rested his head in one of his hands andtapped his fingers on top of the table; the noise following the pace of histhoughts.

It was so odd. He had never felt that way before; so desperate. He swallowed his saliva likeit was poison, the liquid burning his throat all the way down—Mark Lee feltimpotent. Not even his powers would bring you back to his vision; not even hispowers would make you appear in front of him. From once he wished he could goback and time and just make a question as simple as ‘what’s your name’, and then maybe he would not be feeling soregretful.

Truth to be said, he should not feel regretful at all. You did not knowhim, he did not know you.

Regardless, he still felt the necessity of having you around.

Haechan tried his best to light Mark’s mood up, saying all sort ofnonsenses to make his friend chuckle or at least smile; though it was in vain,he kept doing whatever he could to transform the disappointed expression in Mark’sface into something more…joyful.

Worthless.

The school day became a burden (it’s already, but especially that day itfelt like ton on Mark’s shoulders), and when the bell finally ringed Mark sensedthe easiness filling his chest. He lazily walked home, not as excited to reachhis room as he’d always be. All the way he had his earphones immersed in hisears, fulfilling his audition with his favourite songs and beats; he tapped hishands on his thighs within the music’s rhythm. He didn’t even bothered throwingweb on the buildings and flying back home—no, he was too exhausted for that—butfor once, he forgot how stupid he had been earlier on the day.

However, when he finally laid down on his bed all he could think aboutwas you.

“Mark,” Haechan whispered “I said I’d be your guy in the chair, not yourguy who spends the night awake watchingan empty street”

Mark sighed. “I know, Haechan,” he said; the blame completely visible inhis voice tone “I know.”

“Look,” Haechan wheezed “we’d never seen that girl before, I am prettysure it’s pure coincidence. There’s no need for us to be here the entire night—likewe were psychos—guarding this dark and terrifying street.”

“Haechan, I—”

“Mark, shouldn’t you be, like, webbing people or something?” Haechanasked and it’s pretty much clear that he was already annoyed. “I mean, did you forget you’re Spider-Man?”

“Shit, Haechan, no!” Mark shouts “I mean,” now he whispers “can you belouder? It’s just—”

“Shush” Haechan said “I’m starting an idiot jar. Any time you do or sayanything idiotic, you have to put at least a dollar in it—more depending on howstupid the thing that you said or did was. Because” he wheezed “you must bereally really idiot to fall in loveso easily.”

“You have no words,” Haechan sighed, shook his head and continued “I amdoing this for once because I know how bothered you’ve been. But after this youshould give up, it’s not like she’s the only girl in the world.”

Mark knew; he was fully conscious of that assumption. You were not the only girl in the world—butstill, he couldn’t take you out of his mind not even for a second. He yawnedand blinked his eyes for ninth times; he and Haechan had been there since thebeginning of the evening, the sleepiness reaching out for him like a positivepolo of a magnet reaches out for the negative one. The worst part of it all: heknew he wouldn’t endure much longer.

The best part: Haechan would probably wake him up. Or he thought so.

They both rested their bodies on a bench; Haechan’s head leaning on Mark’sshoulders, and Mark’s head leaning on Haechan’s. The cold air was freezing andit could snow in any moment, but Mark found it very refreshing—a new differentfeeling.

He’d been searching for you for dear life; jumping from building tobuilding peeking girls with the same body shape, same hair colour and same anything he could find. Similaritiescould bring you back to his sight, he’d say, so Mark kept his hopes highbringing his stamina to nearly 0% every single day. And a week passed by, thentwo weeks passed by—and soon a month since he had met you and Mark had nothingbut your image in his mind. He hissed and hissed about it, not believing youcould simply disappear.

So the last drop of belief he had was patrol the night. Exactly whereyou met him. Exactly in front of the flower shop.

Haechan endlessly protested about it—and he would forever do it—becausehe was sure Mark would forget you soon, but for his despair it hadn’t happened.In the end, reluctantly, Haechan stood by his friend’s side, immersing hishands inside his warm pockets and shrinking his neck as much as he could,causing it to be completely englobed by his scarf. He felt his eyelids heavyand before he could blink, Haechan was already in deep sleep.

Mark only knew his friend had fallen asleep when he snored. He had neverpaid much attention on it, but now the sound of Haechan’s growls caused him togiggle—and then the giggle became a snore, and then Mark knew he was reachinghis limit.

And, for his happiness, it’s already Sunday—at that meant I don’t need to worry with neither waking upearly nor school. With the last drop of energy left, Mark straightened uphis body, giving Haechan as much comfort as he could, and then he fell asleephimself.

You, on the other hand, were completely worried with time. Sundays werenot the correct synonym for restingand at 6AM you had your sneakers on and a very comfy hoodie covering up yourtorso. Slowly, you stepped out of home and walked your way to the floristrywhere you worked—you had this part-time job there, and once in a while theyasked you to work on Sundays too—listening to your favourite playlist. You’ddance a bit following the song’s rhythm, but soon stop because it’s too weirdto be so happy in a Sunday morning.

When you reached your workplace your pace slowed down and you held thefront door’s key in your hand; you were excited—and that was so uncommon—thatyou didn’t even notice two sleepy bodies on a bench just feet away from theflower shop.

It’s around eleven o’clock when your boss touched your shoulder and gaveyou an odd look.

“What?” You tilted your head.

“Those two,” he pointed a finger to two boys, outside the floristry,sleeping “they’ve been here since—I don’t know since when to be exact.”

“Do you want me to call the police?”

“No,” your boss violently shook his head “maybe they’re homeless, theymust eat.”

“So,” you began “you want me to buy them some coffee?”

“Yes, yes. Here, take this,” he handed you some money “and buy themwhatever they like.”

You took the money, not so uncomfortable with the idea as much as youthought you’d be. With fast steps, you walked all the way to the two tiredbodies on the bench and cleared your throat, aiming to wake them up with asound. None of them moved an inch; you sighed and prepared yourself to yell a ‘hey, sup? Wanna eat something?’ but youstopped right after you recognised a face. Mark

“Lee?” You said; your voice sounding much louder than you wanted it tobe.

“No, Mr. Stark, please don’t leave me without my sui—” Mark shouted, butshut his mouth when his eyes met yours “Oh, hey! Hi! Hey, hum, hi” he stuttered.

It’s cute, you admitted to yourself, when he stutters while talking toyou; his nervousness showing.

“Hey, Mark.” You smiled—and once again, the brunette boy felt theadrenalin being lunched on his veins and increasing his heartbeat. “So, did youtwo sleep here?”

Mark looked down, only now noticing that Haechan had fallen down and hishead was resting on the bench’s cold material. He took off his own scarf andput under Haechan’s head, transforming it into a pillow.

“Ah, no, no” he denied, vigorously shaking his head—and not convincingyou at all “we were just walking andwe were so so tired because you knowwe’ve been exercising every morning and then Haechan is not completely on shapeso we just decided we should rest and we fell asleep and—”

You cut him off. “Mark, please talk slowly.”

He nervously laughed. “Ah, sorry.”

“Anyway,” you looked down to Haechan and then moved your gaze to Mark“are you hungry? My boss gave me money because he thought you guys werehomeless and asked me to buy you something.”

“No, no!” Mark stood up abruptly. “No, no.”

“Well, if you don’t want to grab a meal with me is completely fine,don’t overreact.”

He widened his eyes. “No! I really reallywant to grab a meal with you. I mean I’ve been looking for you since thatday you were trying to gather your—” he stopped as soon as he realised he was talking too much “I mean, it’s not that.I just don’t want your boss to buy us anything.”

You giggled. “You’re very cute, MarkLee.”

He gulped, completely amused by your words. Mark thought it was a dream,so he roughly rubbed his eyelids and shook his head once and twice. He didn’tbelieve you were actually in front ofhim, smiling and calling him cute; Markhad a smile drawn on his face from cheek to cheek—and it looked so charming to you that you couldn’thold the small laugh leaving your mouth.

Mark gathered as much air as his lungs could and “You know my name, butI don’t know yours.”

You shifted the weight on your body from foot to foot. “Oh, that’scorrect Mark Lee.”

“So,” he began “what’s your name?”

“I’ll tell you, someday,” you said smirking at him “maybe after you askme out.”

Mark nearly chocked with his own saliva, totally flustered with yourwords. Before he could say anything else you added

“Now you know, Mark Lee” your voice sounded like melody to his ears “Iwork at the flower shop, every day from 3pm to 7pm. Just pick the date andtime.”

You turned on your hills and took your way in the floristry. Because youhad your back to Mark, you didn’t see how he celebrated this event—neither didyou see when Haechan woke up startled by Mark’s loud whispers and when both ofthem said low ‘yeses’ throughout theair, truly happy because now Mark Lee had a chance with you.

#if there's any 'peter'/'parker'/'ned' left is bc this is was originally a peter parker fic :)))#mark #mark lee #mark lee scenarios #lee minhyung #nct scenarios #minhyung scenarios #mark scenarios #nct mark scenarios #nct x reader #nct fluff #spider man au #nct fanfic #nct imagines #nct stories #mark lee fluff #minhyung fluff #less than 5k #drabble

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markormoviegoer · 6 years

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Once Upon a Time at Christmas I Watched a Horrible Movie

Christmas horror movies have become a strange tradition that I welcome with open arms. It mixes a time the year where spirits are incredibly high with a feeling of dread or despair. Sometimes they're so bad that they're good like The Gingerdead Man, Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 or my personal favourite, Santa's Slay. Other times they're just straight up good fun like the classic Gremlins and Krampus, both of which are part of my Christmas tradition now. Most of the times they end up being pretty terrible and this time I have watched one of the worst that I have ever seen. I try to watch every Christmas horror movie I find and Once Upon a Time at Christmas is making me rethink that mantra.

It was directed by Paul Tanter, written by the trio of Christopher Jolley, Simon Phillips, and Paul Tanter again. The lead actors are Simon Phillips, Sayla de Goede, Jeff Ellenberger, and Laurel Brady. One of the funniest things I have ever seen was the sheer amount of logos before the movie started. There were six different logos from production, distribution, or effects companies. I couldn't help but find myself laughing at first and then getting a bit frustrated as it kept going. I couldn't find much more info about the movie besides it was filmed in Canada which hurt me a little bit.

The plot of the movie is a fairly cool idea, there is a killer dressed as Santa Claus killing people based on the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was either deliberate or a straight up mistake that they started on the wrong day. The twelve days of Christmas actually start on Christmas day itself but I can see them wanting to have the climax on Christmas day instead of taking place during the new year. Anyway, we follow the police and a family as they try to figure out what is going on and it is painful to watch. The police force are an amazing level of incompetence and it makes the movie even more frustrating. As the story comes to its climax it becomes a poor man's imitation of The Dark Knight which is incredibly strange.

This paragraph is solely dedicated to spoilers. If you don't want the ending ruined, please skip ahead to the next one. From the moment that I first saw any images for this movie it became clear that Mrs. Claus was heavily influenced by Harley Quinn from the DC comics to the point that I kept imaging Batman coming down and putting a stop to this killing spree with some level of competence. As I said before, the killings were based on the Twelves Days of Christmas and it was obvious very quickly. The first victim was named partridge and he had a pear with him, the next two were killed in Turtle Dove park or something stupid, the third were three from the Frenchen family and so on. It wasn't until The tenth or eleventh murder that the cops figured out what the pattern was despite them having it all laid out on the board behind them. It was a whole new level of incompetency that I have never seen in a movie before. Now to look at the film's climax. For context I must remind you of a scene from The Dark Knight. There is a scene where the Joker makes Batman make a decision where either Harvey Dent or Rachel must die. By now we know that he tries to save them both which results in Rachel getting killed as the police try to rescue her, while Batman goes to save Dent because of what he wants him to represent. Now imagine that done incredibly poorly between a man with a half burnt face dressed as Santa and a blue eyed innocent girl. Their twelfth day of Christmas takes place during a drumming competition and it ends up with the girls mother and friend tied up with IEDs attached to them. The monologue that Santa goes on is a poor copy of what the Joker said and it was infuriating. The stupid part of it all is he's making her choose which one to kill while they are literally tied up on either side of a doorway with Santa in front of the door. Everybody is in such close proximity that it's unlikely that anybody would survive this encounter. But the whole time it just felt lazy and uninspired. The twelve murders were as cliché as they come with the climax of the film being a cheap ripoff of a good film from nearly a decade earlier. On top of all this they have the gall to end the movie with the opening scene in a terrible attempt to garner interest in a sequel. I'll stop talking about any true spoilers now.

The acting was truly laughable. The lines were terribly recited and every character seemed like a horrible caricature of horror movie tropes. I didn't care for any of them in any way so all suspense that they managed to cobble together was lost immediately. The Santa Claus character was British just because the director is British and they worked together in the past. They used awful British slang as key plot points which makes zero sense in this very clearly American based movie. As someone who hates the new Harley Quinn in the comics the Mrs. Claus character was unbearable. I would be terribly surprised learn that Paul Tanter wasn't a big comic book fan but I wouldn't be surprised if he said he's never seen The Dark Knight or read any Batman comics.

The technical aspects of this movie were perfectly fitting with everything else, meaning that they were absolutely terrible. The whole movie looked cheap. The shots were boring and uninspired, the blood effects were the worst I've seen as they were just incredibly cheap CGI, and they kept using the same stupid shots involving a drone. The sets looked super cheap. There was a scene that took place in a mall where you could very clearly see that everything was closed while they wanted to make it seem like it was open. The police officers just stumble upon many of the crime scenes by chance because they give no other reason why they would go to these places. When the cop comes upon one of said murder scenes one of the corpses very obviously blinks in the foreground of the shot when they're supposed to be long dead and they never bothered to reshoot it or use another take. The drone shots I mentioned are everywhere and used in copious amounts. Almost every single transitional shot was the drone starting close to the ground and flying upwards. It's like they used a large portion of the budget on a drone and they were just looking for ways to use it. I've seen bad movies but this one was the most poorly made that I can remember seeing.

I can't recommend anyone to ever watch this. It's the worst movie I have seen in such a long time. It's a ripoff of many better movies executed terribly. The acting is below amateur, the special effects are like they were done by a college student fresh into the program and the camera shots were just boring. In a horror movie you need something special in order for it to work. Paul Tanter has 13 feature films and multiple television shows under his belt but it feels like he doesn't even have the most basic grasp of what film making is. It seems like he tried to make it slightly humorous at times but everything fell flat. The worst thing that came out of this movie is the sequel which is currently in pre-production. This is one of those movies that should be buried under obscurity and never see the light of day. How it is possibly getting a sequel is baffling. But, maybe, just maybe it will pull of what Silent Night, Deadly Night did in making a sequel that ends up being much better than the first. As it stands right now, I would much rather get a lump of coal in my stocking then this steaming pile of garbage. Merry Christmas.

#once upon a time #Once Upon a time at Christmas #santa claus #christmas #christmas horror #Markor #Film Review #Movie Review #Merry Christmas

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month9books · 7 years

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Riverdale Recap and Review - Season 1 - Chapter 7 - In a Lonely Place by Andrew Buckley

That 50’s style comic book opening scene with Jughead wearing his crown and Archie in the sweater with the bowtie was beautifully shot, iconically accurate, and all sorts of creepy. This is something that Riverdale does well, I’ve seen it since episode one and they’ve managed to maintain it almost every single week so far: they commit to the weekly theme and they hit it hard right on the offset. Sure, they’ve only got 42(ish) minutes to work with so there’s no time to beat around the bush, but major props have to go to the producers, writers, and showrunners for consistently hitting the right notes in what’s become an almost perfect symphony of characters and story arcs. This week’s themes of ‘home’ and ‘hope’ are driven like a knife through Archie’s back during that opening sequence that narratively asks the question as to what a home truly is. We’ve seen so many different homes in Riverdale already, it’s easy to see why that particular theme probably gets revisited more than most but it was especially poignant this week with Jughead’s story. So let’s get to it . . .

I feel Archie redeemed himself a little this week after last week’s severe dip in his collective IQ. While he doesn’t shine through as being incredibly intuitive (he managed to ignore the fact that Jughead was homeless for how long?) he grabs some major points for having a heart of gold. He feels bad that he wasn’t there for Betty during her time of need and he fights to help Jughead by arranging for Mr. Jones to go back to work even though he doesn’t even have the full back story yet, he just wants to help his hurting friend. His dedication as a friend despite differences or awkwardness actually gave him a few moments to shine. Yes, he’s completely overshadowed by everyone else on the show but I still feel he gained a little ground this week.

After Polly’s magical escape from the mental institution, she sneaks (like a ninja) into her parent’s attic only to be found by Betty. All the characters in Riverdale have such strong personalities and stories, I’m having a little trouble getting behind Polly though. While she’s obviously not the ‘party girl’ that the Blossoms paint her to be, there’s something not quite right about that girl, and her continuing to cling to wanting to go live on a farm somewhere just doesn’t seem grounded in reality.

Either way, Betty helps her, first by appealing to the Blossoms via Cheryl, and then by Veronica’s intervention to move her into the Lodge residence. The Blossoms once again reiterated that they’re the big, evil, rich family of Riverdale by pulling a Rumpelstiltskin. They want Jason’s baby but they couldn’t care less about Polly, and I can’t completely blame them for that because we really haven’t been given enough reason to sympathize with Polly just yet. The Blossoms want the baby, but Cheryl, in an off-character moment of morality, wants what’s best for Jason’s unborn child and turns on her own family to place Polly in a safe place. This is sure to cause even more conflict in the Blossom household but it looks like Cheryl is beginning to hold her own against her deranged mother, which is nice to see.

We should get this out of the way before I get into this next story point. I love Veronica. Not the character as such, but more Camila Mendes’ portrayal is just so spot on that it’s scary. Which is why this one is tough to write about because her grandiose sweeping gestures and on-point wordplay has been stunning so far. But this week our dear Ronnie headed into some cliche-ridden waters and it was a shame because the character deserves better. Veronica holds a grudge against her mother for forging her signature, not because it was wrong, funnily enough, but because it would paint her in a negative light with her father (daddy issues much?). She proceeds to head out for a night on the town (Riverdale has a nightclub? And a busy one? On a school night?) with Kevin, Reggie, and Josie in order to defy her mother into negotiating with her. It feels like a classic rich girl move and that is too much of a departure from what we’ve come to know about Veronica. While it represents her past life, it’s a life she’s determined to leave behind but goes ahead with it anyway. In the end, all it boils down to is a quick convo with her mother, and all is well again in the Lodge household. Although it will be interesting to see how Mr. Lodge reacts to Hermione’s deception.

Hats (and paper crowns) off to Skeet Ulrich for almost completely dominating the performance side of this episode of Riverdale. I say ‘almost’ because Jughead is the one that steals the show and delivers the feels. Jughead has pulled a Harry Potter and now lives under the stairs at school. We learn the reason why is because his Dad is somewhat of a deadbeat and his Mom and sister have left town. Father/son stuff always rips my heart a new one so I fully felt the story this week. Jughead wants his Dad to get his act together and he’s holding onto hope that it can actually happen and that it will eventually lead to a happy home, in one form or another. After Archie and Jughead get FP his job back, it all seems to be going well, until they head out for dinner and old demons join them at the table at Pops. We learn the backstory of Fred and FP’s friendship, their doomed partnership, and the clear signs that they hold each other responsible. I think Fred comes out on top here as FP obviously has some issues when it comes to making the right decisions above his own self interests, but they’re both a little at fault and I was shocked that Archie actually cut through the crap and addressed the issue with his Dad. Sure, FP was bad for business but did Fred ever consider what it would mean for Jughead’s family? In true Fred Andrews fashion, he quickly redeems himself by inventing an alibi for Jughead to help prove he’s not the murderer.

Jughead getting taken downtown and questioned was a bit of a leap for Sheriff Keller but I think he’s really grasping at straws at this point. The killer is in town, we’ve already met him, but no one knows who it is. There were a lot of great scenes between Jughead and his Dad but their relationship, and the weekly themes, are driven home by the confrontation behind the police station. We can truly believe that FP wants to clean up his act and wants Jughead to be proud of him, but he lacks the motivation and willpower to do it and prefers to continually blame others for his actions. Jughead on the other hand clings on to hope that his Dad can turn his life around and rebuild their home as a family, but it was clear in that scene that Jughead doesn’t truly believe it to be possible and, furthermore, his Dad knows it too. Which is why Jughead moves into the Andrews household and FP willingly lets him go.

This week’s cliffhanger piece is the sight of Jason’s jacket hanging in Mr. Jones’ closet. We last saw that jacket in the hidden car last week so it could be that Mr. Jones torched the car, Jason had multiple jackets, or someone else fired up the vehicle and then planted the jackets in Mr. Jones’ trailer . Mr. Jones is too obvious to be the killer so we can scratch him off the list. (As my Polly/Betty multiple personality theory got shot all to hell, I have a new one . . . which I’ll share before next week’s episode. Stay tuned!)

What is a happy home in Riverdale? It almost doesn’t exist because every household is so rife with drama and problems that it seems impossible. But this episode was all about hope for a happy home and we can only assume that our dear characters will find exactly that, in one form or another. Even if it’s just an air mattress on a friend’s floor. Just hopefully not anytime too soon because the drama on this show is just so much wicked freakin fun!

STRAY THOUGHTS OF AWESOMENESS . . .

- Polly jumped out of a window and, despite there being blood on the glass, she survives completely unscathed. I think it’s safe to say that Polly is a mutant/immortal/vampire or something to that effect.

- The Cooper’s attic is the place scary things go to die. What’s with those freakin dolls?!

- The Betty/Jughead (Bughead as the kids are calling it online) is still pushed to the back of the bus again this week. Juggie putting his arm around Betty causing Archie and Ronnie to address the gesture brought some of it to the surface but it’s still not sitting at the forefront of the story. Understandable though as there’s a ton of other stuff going on.

- The Team Blossom hunting crew has actual hunting dogs. Dogs are well known to be very useful when tracking pregnant teenagers.

- I’m seriously looking forward to when we get to see Mr. Lodge in the flesh. It has to happen. We all know it!

- Mr. Blossom’s wig disturbs me more and more every single week.

- Alice Cooper continues to be evil. Not Penelope Blossom evil. But evil. Press conference outside the church? What? Why? Worst mother of the year award goes to . . .

Andrew Buckley attended the Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program. After pitching and developing several screenplay projects for film and television, he worked in marketing and public relations, before becoming a professional copy and content writer. During this time Andrew began writing his first adult novel, DEATH, THE DEVIL AND THE GOLDFISH, followed closely by his second novel, STILTSKIN both published by Curiosity Quills Press. Andrew also writes under the pen name 'Jane D. Everly' for his HAVELOCK series of novels. Look for his first upper middle grade novel HAIR IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES available now fromMonth9Books with the sequel scheduled for release in August 2017.Andrew also co-hosts a geek movie podcast, is working on several new novels, and has a stunning amount of other ideas. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with one beautiful wife, three kids, one cat, one needy dog, and a multitude of characters that live comfortably inside of his mind.Andrew is represented by Mark Gottlieb at the Trident Media Group.

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#riverdale #the cw #the cw network #tv show #review #Andrew Buckley #hair in all the wrong places #month9books

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