#has it really gone this far

[battlekidx2]

Alastor Episodes 7 and 8 Thoughts

These two episodes really gave us a lot in regards to Alastor and I cannot wait to see where they go with him in season 2. What I find most fascinating about what they established with him in these episodes is how I think this perfectly sets up Alastor to directly challenge the show’s main themes of redemption.

Alastor is the only character in the main cast that I think could effectively challenge Charlie’s idea of redemption by making her face the question of “where the line for who can be redeemed and who is too far gone is?” 

Even Vaggie and her past as an exorcist couldn’t challenge Charlie’s ideals in the same way because Vaggie so clearly wants to be better and is trying to be better. She could only challenge Charlie’s idea of who could be redeemed. She couldn’t truly challenge the line of when someone is too far gone unlike Alastor. 

And to explain this I'll just jump right in.

It’s clear these two episodes were meant to show a shift in Alastor and Charlie’s relationship in some capacity. It’s a bit more of a subtle shift than with the other characters, but I think it’s setting up this future conflict well for the limited time the show has. 

At the start Charlie doesn’t think Alastor cares and calls him out on this. She directly states that she believes he enjoys the suffering. He refutes her idea of him by stating she doesn’t know what he feels. He purposefully hides his feelings behind a smile as a sign of control. (The first shift. It tells her there’s more beneath the surface)

Then Alastor helps Charlie enlist cannibal town and says he wants to mentor her in the song. This is more than the initial indifference and humor he got out of Charlie at the beginning. There’s an interest in seeing Charlie grow and being a part of it that wasn't there before. And, with Alastor helping Charlie here, trust is being built (at least on Charlie's end).

Then Alastor talks to Niffty (who he is clearly fond of) and admits he finds the group enjoyable to be around. He says he could grow accustomed to them after Niffty says she really likes them almost in agreement with her. He's very candid with Niffty and doesn't seem to feel the need to hide his emotions around her. They appear to be on the same wavelength.

And finally, Charlie is upset when she thinks that Alastor died against Adam and hugs him happily when he returns. In Charlie’s eyes Alastor has been helpful and risked himself and his power to protect the hotel. This is a true shift in their relationship on Charlie's end.

This bond is necessary because if (at the very least) Charlie doesn't care about Alastor then he won't be able to truly challenge her idea of redemption and the show implies it doesn't just go one way. It's just obscured.

To explain what I mean I want to look at Alastor's role in the final battle and that moment when he is alone after he escapes.

At the beginning of the battle he felt like the trump card he should have been. He makes the exorcists, before Adam destroys his shield, look like a joke. And he gives Adam a run for his money before he becomes overconfident and lets his guard down. He didn’t expect Adam to bounce back and have that much power left to show. He was caught completely off guard and paid the price. 

And instead of staying to face the end with the rest of the people in the hotel Alastor opts to save himself. He places himself first. When he leaves he seems almost smug, spouting off a one liner and smiling as he sinks into the shadows. It seems calculated and calm, but alone is a completely different story. This moment shakes Alastor and that moment alone puts his fight against Adam and decision to flee in a different light.

In this moment when he's alone he starts to lose it, saying there has to be a way out. This isn’t where things end. He will come out on top. 

He can feel his control over the situation slipping. His power and notoriety has been challenged left and right this season. First Vox, then Lucifer, then the loan sharks, now Adam. It’s one right after the other. And Adam almost killed him.

He’s struggling to grasp onto what little control he has left by forcing himself to keep on his smile and it calls back to the beginning of episode 7 when he says to Charlie that just because she sees a smile doesn't mean she knows how he really feels. His smile is a sign of control. And even in this moment you can see that last bit of control slipping. And it’s left him even more desperate for his freedom than before.

The Radio Demon was introduced almost as if he was an all powerful entity and now he is being brought back down to earth and he’s raging against it, barely keeping it just below the surface. 

But there’s even more to his breakdown than just his pride. The lines “Great Alastor, altruist, died for his friends. Sorry to disappoint that is not where this ends. I’m hungry for freedom like never before. The constraints of my deal surely have a backdoor.” strongly imply that he really does care for the residents of the hotel more than he wants to admit even to himself.

He is freaking out because he got too close to dying trying to protect and help people that he never thought he would care at all about and he’s doubling down on his plans from before. 

His immediate desperation to be free implies he is at the hotel because he is forced to be there, but he’s desperate to get out of the contract because he doesn’t like how it’s changing him. Alastor has always put himself first and here he is almost dying trying to protect this hotel and it's rattled him even more deeply than the blow to his pride.

I feel like they know exactly what Alastor can mean thematically and they want you to know he’s a villain while seeding hints there could be change under the surface (ones that Alastor himself is afraid of and wants to double down against). There’s a balancing act going on with him and it seems they really do want to challenge the idea of redemption with him. Not just Charlie’s, but his own as well.

Alastor is still in my opinion the best written character in the series. There’s just so much to unravel with him and he’s the most fun to try and dissect to me. I can’t wait to see what they have planned for him in season 2.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor #the show must go on #hello rosie #charlie #netflix #Alastor is such a fascinating character #he has the potential to really challenge Charlie's views of redemption #By either showing her when someone is too far gone #because he doubled down on his original plans #or actually accepting that he's changing #and finding “redemption” #thus proving that anyone can change #even a sadistic prideful overlord

[kazanskyy]

the pause tom has to take before he tells ken and rome they're doing chest compressions...

#tom wambsgans #succession #succession spoilers #that brief glimpse of a thousand-yard stare in his eyes before he packs it away #he just saw a man die in front of him and now he has to guide that man's children into this new reality #logan is far beyond cpr and tom is well aware. but he offers what kindness he can - 'i'll put you next to his ear so he can hear you' #logan is already gone. he can't hear those final words. #instead it's just tom - kneeling next to a body and listening to the cries of logan's children as they break #is it really any wonder he cried on the phone with greg after this? #linds original

[pokimoko]

The fact that Main-verse Ooo is as good and as kind as it is (relative to the other universes shown so far, at least, it's obviously not perfect) all because of the same character that starts off as the OG series' antagonist, the person we were made to see as the bad guy (albeit an often ineffectual one) for several seasons, is making me lose my mind.

Imagine finding out the guy you spent your childhood beating up and saving princesses from is in fact a driving catalyst behind you being able to exist, and not only exist but also live in a world that knows what kindness is. All because that man, the same man who you've witnessed do terrible things, once met a little girl and taught her how to be good.

Simon's story really shows us that even if you lose your way and forget how it is to be good yourself, the world keeps the memory for you. That act of love Simon showed Marcy by protecting her and seeing her as more than the monster she thought herself to be created ripples upon ripples, small at first but eventually enough to help give their wreckage of a world—a world that easily could have been forsaken, its goodness overlooked because of its inhospitable remains—a chance to grow into something beautiful. Because of those very same ripples Simon created, the people of Ooo grew up in a world where they know enough about kindness that they were able and willing to spare the 'bad guy' some, to see beyond the wreckage and allow him to grow too.

In saving Marceline, Simon helped to not only to save the world, but also himself.

#fionna and cake #fionna and cake spoilers #adventure time #simon petrikov #ice king #marceline abadeer #simon and marcy #meta #this was just a phone note to get thoughts out of my system but then it came out semi-coherent #so welp guess i'm writing meta now. i'm really in the deep end now. but yeah...Ice King and Simon's story being about the power of kindness #A cruel world requires constant cruelty to be maintained. But kindness? That reaches across time. one act of kindness sparks another #'I need to save you but whose going to save me?' That act of love and compassion is gonna save you ya dingus....eventually #In a less kind world finn and Jake could have watched those tapes about Simon and still decided IK was a hopeless cause. #That he was too far gone to be saved. But they didn't. They chose to treat him nicer and actually be friends with him. #One thing i always loved about IK's story is that he didn't have to completely change himself for people around him to treat him better #They changed their perspective and were kind to him and it was THAT that helped him change. to grow beyond the 'antagonist' role #to quote my go to and all time favourite good place quote: #'the point is people improve when they get external love and support. How can we hold that against them when they don't?' #Arrgh sorry I just always loved Ice King's arc in the show. From pesky antagonist to the person Finn dived into a chaos god to save #(the world's new beginning and its near ending being all because of simon. he has such main character energy and boy does he not want it) #And now we're getting Simon stuff and I'm so normal I'm so normal I'm so normal (<- has never been normal about this character) #(i...i have many MANY drawings of ice king and simon from 2015 and the years after. i was doomed from the start. F&C was the final straw) #(as was reading marcy's secret scrapbook recently...and here i thought i'd truly reached the capacity of hurt i can feel about these two) #Going insane over these last two episodes. 'she didn't have a me'. Fionna and Simon bonding. Gumlee kiss. PETRIGROF BACKSTORY #and the implication that Simon isn't remembering it accurately? Their sweet sounding love song actually foreshadowing their issues? #I am clawing at the walls. thank you AT crew you are enriching the enclosure that is my brain

[canisalbus]

AU where there is some sort of zombie-like (maybe something like a rabid vampirism?)

Where one of the boys is bit/infected and desperately wants the other to join them, while also wanting to resist?

.

#oh that sounds so sad #I feel like in tragic scenarios like this Machete is always destined to be the weaker link #simply because the thought of Vasco unraveling and losing his mind legimately upsets me #like if Machete has rough time that's typical and he's used to it #but if they lose Vasco then they're both doomed #you know #I've always been really sensitive to zombie stories that deal with the concept of your loved one getting infected #and not quite knowing when they've gone too far and if there's still some of their former self left or not #they never end well but the idea of a person delusionally clinging to the hope of them both making it just #a trope that cuts deep instantly #anonymous #answered #now that I'm thinking about it this probably affects me so much because I have a massive fear of dementia #it runs in my family and I've seen what it can do to a person's psyche and personality and it scares me to death

[godbirdart]

literally why would i want to poison my brain immersing myself in petty internet drama all day when i can go outside see the sun and seek out the positive activities that are actually beneficial for my mental health

#people that feel compelled to argue with strangers you'll never meet irl: why would you do that to yourself #some of my mutuals are Really far gone down the virtue-signal internet drama [xyz is Gross i would never do xyz] rabbit hole #and it's kinda scary to see tbh #i've caught MYSELF suddenly getting a little combative and immediately i shut that shit down #twitter has changed people for the worse in the sense that they're more hostile than they used to be #i'm referring to petty shit that could've been solved through DMs or through a simple block and walk away #not like #actual warranted warnings and shit #gotta specify yknow

[starrysharks]

heavenly virtues - medical malpractice, 1st degree murder, and breaking and entering

#zeno's art #ocs #original characters #reassassination #dr savory #octavia #emery onion reliquary #lets go over their designs!!!! yay!!!!! #starting with savory - a lot has changed but not that much #he's far taller and lankier than he was before and his hair is darker purple underneath rather than green #those were just cosmetic changes to bring more personality to his silhouette and improve focus on his face #otherwise - the shape of the hair highlight changed (from ovals to an X) as did the shoes (no more broken chain on his boot 💔) #and also i tried to make his face look older because he looked out of place compared to other characters around his age #really just small changes. his design is quite simple so there isnt much to majorly overhaul #for octavia once again there are both many and not that many changes #shes spiker than ever her face shape changed and so did the shape of her limbs #also those weird little red thingies on her hair are gone. never actually liked them that much #also i just wanna say - octavia's skirt has an X on it to signify that savory made it because all his stuff has X's also #onion had the most changes. most importantly - they do not have a nose anymore #(thats just stylisation dont worry they have a nose) #but anyway their shapes have become more defined and they have freckles now!!! yay!!!! #god i really dont have much to say do i . ummmm these are the final designs and most likely the ones that will show up in the actual comic #when i finally write past chapter 1 o_o #ok bye sorry for all that waffle #i also drew up some other designs but they're spoilers

[lulu2992]

If you’ve played Far Cry 3, you’ve probably seen its “prequel”, a promotional web series called The Far Cry Experience starring Michael Mando as Vaas and Christopher Mintz-Plasse as himself.

In Episode 4 (spoilers), Vaas asks the audience if they want Chris to live or die. People decided he should live but, since there were two choices, they had to shoot two versions of the final episode.

Well, a few years ago, I realized that, on the Ubisoft Japan YouTube channel, both versions were available! So in case you didn’t know this video existed, here’s what would have happened if people had voted for Chris to die:

The video is dubbed in Japanese and I unfortunately don’t speak this language, so I can’t tell what they’re saying... But if you understand Japanese or are good at reading lips, maybe you can :)

#I imagine vaas tells the audience that they’re terrible people and should be ashamed #or that he has no faith in humanity anymore #I think it’s something he would say in the series #far cry 3 #the far cry experience #vaas montenegro #christopher mintz-plasse #michael mando #‘prequel’ in quotation marks because of course this isn’t really canon to me #I have things to say about vaas’ characterization #most of the original videos are gone now #ubi re-release the series on your channel and upload this version too please! #anyway I suppose not a lot of people knew this existed so… now you do :) #and if somebody here understands it I (and many other people I’m sure) would be grateful if you could translate it :’)

[twilight-zoned-out]

No space monster will ever be as liminally terrifying as Fourteen crabwalking in anger

#doctor who #fourteenth doctor #dw #doctor who special #dw spoilers #doctor who spoilers #wild blue yonder #twilight-zoned-out #it's actually really surprising Davies has gone extreme 'normal doctor who episode' for these specials and I've liked that approach so far #I liked the main plot of this episode a lot #I'm disappointed with the Timeless Child being official though and also somehow the plot of both specials seeming slightly barebones #despite all the stuff that happens in them #maybe it's just that 14 talks much less than 10 #it feels as if the older episodes were stuffed a bit more #but these specials seem more focused on a 'welcome back' than an 'off we go' which again is kind of what they were meant to be #it's just bizarre in a way I can't quite articulate #wild blue yonder spoilers

[holedyke]

going to the dentist tmr for the first time in 5 years. and at 8am no less

#in my worst fears they will remove all my teeth bc theyre too far gone (not true) and be soooo mad at me or give me 1000 fillings or some #shit like that bc okay i know my teeth arent great bad genes + plus i rlly struggle w taking care of my teeth but I TRY!!!!! i really do #anyway just nervous. my anxiety has been so bad lately im certain its bc my lack of enrichment in my enclosure (been unemployed since oct #despite my best efforts) and so i havent really been out of the house much bc everything costs fucking money which i dont have but i do #believe that it is taking its toll!!! #h

[chloecherrysip]

all the pain will change into a memory of when we were amazing (mario & luigi-centric post-movie fic, part 2!)

(Part one can be found here!)

(Thanks again to everyone who read the first part and was so sweet about it! Here's the continuation. This is a shorter interlude with Mario and Luigi's family before we get to the main "meat" of the story AKA Mario and Luigi talking on their own in the third part, coming soon. I hope you enjoy, and I appreciate any thoughts/feedback. I will get this uploaded on AO3 as soon as I can as well, if you'd prefer to read over there.)

+

“Hey-o!” 

Things had been so quiet on their long, long, long trek back home that the sudden noise made Mario stiffen as they shuffled through the door, every nerve on high alert for a breathless few seconds. Luigi, who had practically sleepwalked the last block with his head leaned against Mario’s head, using his brother's hat as a makeshift pillow, started too, mumbling a greeting that barely resembled the English language, waving at the front door before realizing he was turned around and swaying around to face the warm light of the dining room instead. It looked like dinner was already over, dishes and silverware being cleared away.

“Look who finally decided to show up! Brooklyn’s brand-new heroes!” Uncle Arthur raised a nearly empty glass of what looked like wine in laughing celebration. “What, you save the city from a bunch of weird turtle goons one time and you’re too good to share a meal with us regular bums?” 

“They were helping with the cleanup,” Aunt Marie hissed, swatting him hard enough to elicit a yelp. “Where were you out there, huh?” She smiled warmly at Mario and Luigi on her way to the kitchen. “Sorry we couldn’t wait any longer. Gramps and Mia needed to get to bed. But don’t worry, we saved plenty!”

“Probably too busy signing autographs for all the bella signore,” Uncle Tony guffawed. “Hard to blame ‘em! Better enjoy it before they figure out you’re plumbers with no money!”

“Heh, yeah. Caught us fair and square,” Mario said, managing a weak laugh. Luigi let loose a tiny, snorting chuckle too, although whether that was because he was backing Mario up or just blindly mimicking what he heard, too lost in his own sleepy little world, Mario wasn’t sure. They were still holding onto one another, which they’d maintained the entire walk back except in places where it was impossible to proceed in that way (ladders and the like). That way, a repeat of the stairs incident couldn’t happen, and Mario had known exactly when Luigi was getting shaky enough to need a break. He squeezed his brother’s hand as a way to check in. It took a few seconds, but Luigi squeezed back gently, which was a small relief.

“Is that the boys!?” Without any further warning, their mother barreled out of the kitchen like a runaway train. She grabbed them in both arms, her shaking grip tight enough that both brothers wheezed from a sudden lack of air. “Oddio, where have you been? You already vanished on us once! My old heart can’t take much more of this.” 

“You’re not that old, Ma,” Luigi murmured, patting her shoulder.

“Sorry,” Mario said as clearly as he could manage with his face smothered in her hair. “Didn’t mean to make ya worry. Just, uh, lost track of time, that’s all.”

“What happened?” That was Dad, moving slower to catch up with her, his brow creased deep. “Are you all right?”

“Never been better!” Luigi insisted, overly bright. The bone-crushing hug had woken him up a little, but now he was using his I’m definitely lying but maybe if I speak at a much higher volume, no one will be able to tell voice. “We were just, y’know, real busy making sure everyone on the block could still…flush their toilets! Everyone forgets how important that is. Can ya believe it?”

“And we had to make sure our friends got home safely too,” Mario jumped in, rubbing his mom’s back with his free hand as she continued to hold on for dear life. You get temporarily swallowed by a giant, man-eating plant in front of your parents one time… “But we’re definitely not going anywhere for the rest of the night, and Aunt Marie said something about leftover food, if you can forgive us…?”

“Of course, of course.” She finally stepped back, but not before one good, firm pinch of the cheek between her fingers for each of them. “You’ve worked so hard, my brave boys. You must be about ready to turn inside out from hunger already. Sit, sit, I’ll bring it to you—”

“Actually, Ma,” Mario interjected as gingerly as possible. “It’s been a really, really long day. Could we, uh, maybe take the food in our room? I know, I know, you don’t like that, but if anything gets messy, I’ll take care of it, promise—” 

“Ya can’t be serious!” Uncle Tony spoke up all of a sudden, his chair screeching against the floor as he jumped up. “You two still gotta give us the whole rundown of where ya been! Where did that angry, spikey dragon-turtle-guy even come from?”

“And the tiny kid who looked like a big ole mushroom with legs!” Uncle Arthur added.

“What about that giant monkey in the tie?” Aunt Marie piped up, half-laughing in sheer disbelief as she came back into the room. “He could talk! And not just little words, no — if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was hittin’ on me.”

“Look, I get it, I get it,” Mario insisted as good-naturedly as he could manage. He started to inch towards the hallway with Luigi in tow, who he could feel becoming jittery from all the new noise. All he needed was a few good, firm excuses, a clear escape route, and they were home-free. “It was pretty crazy stuff, right? But seriously, we’re dead on our feet as it is—” 

“Then sit down already and take a load off!” Uncle Tony insisted right back. “We’ll make coffee!” 

“Nooooo, no coffee for me. Now!? I-I think I might shake right out of my skin if, “Luigi started to joke, only to squeak when Uncle Tony grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to steer him around anyway.

“C’moooon! A story like this can’t wait,” Uncle Arthur groaned. “This is the wildest thing that’s happened since Gramps’ teeth were eaten by that dog on the subway! Have some pity for your elders and their boring lives.” 

“We’ll tell ya all about it tomorrow, I swear!” Mario said a little louder, desperately trying to sound casual even as the words scraped up his throat. It was too loud, too bright. A new wave of dizziness swam over him; everything was starting to seem more and more like a dream, his vision smearing at the edges. The only thing that still felt solid, real was his hold on Luigi. He stayed focused on it like a lifeline, even as they were jostled around. “And you’ll understand then why we need to sleep for a million years and then some, I swear, ‘cause we, we’ve really gone through the ringer here...”

“Don’t you think you’ll feel better if you just sit down for a minute?” Ma asked, smiling warmly. “Besides, I wanted to know a little more about that princess—”

“Ya gotta eat anyway!” Uncle Arthur downed what was left of his glass in one swig. “Don’t make us beg!” 

“Forget the coffee. We’ll break out the Sangiovese and that’ll loosen you up real good,” Uncle Tony snickered.

Their uncle grabbed at Luigi again, pulling him along harder this time — hard enough that he panicked, his flailing hand struggling for a better grip on Mario’s before they were ripped apart. And that reminded Mario’s fuzzy, exhausted brain of something. A feeling he didn’t know how to describe in words but that cut into him like a knife between his ribs just the same, bone-deep and blindsiding and instantly overwhelming. He thought of—

(pink clouds and faint swirling light and green pipes and weird wind tunnels he could practically swim through and black shadows like soot in the air and lava glowing and Luigi shouting his name, Luigi panicking as he tried to calm him down, Luigi’s hand warm and snug against his because nothing could hurt them if they were together and nothing was going to separate them as long as Mario was strong enough, steady enough to make it that way but then there was a sound like thunder and the pressure grew and grew and grew and grew and GREW AND)

His body acted on its own. With both hands, he wrenched Luigi back towards him a few stumbling steps, out of Uncle Tony’s hands. “No!” He yelled, a hoarse, guttural sound. 

Silence, save for car horns on the street outside.

Clarity came over Mario in a slow, creeping wave, quickly turning into a feeling of horror as he registered the way everyone had frozen in place around him, staring with wide, frightened eyes. Even their parents looked stricken. Luigi’s tired expression had flooded with worry too, but there was a glint of something warmer there as well — understanding. I felt it, his eyes said to Mario, as clear as day. I remembered too.

“I-I’m sorry, but we really, REALLY need to take a rain check, all right?” That was Luigi, breaking the silence, talking way more assertively than he usually ever did at home. Most of the time, the others drowned him out, but now, he had everyone’s undivided attention, insistently pointing with his one free hand that wasn’t still clinging to Mario’s. “We, me and Mario here, are a little loopy, all right? Not thinking straight in the least! It’s been a hard day — a hard couple of days! Three days, in fact! Maybe three days, or two! Heck, I don’t even know what day it is anymore! That’s how out of whack we are! Do ya get it already!?” 

“Easy there, Lu,” Mario whispered. There was so much frantic gesturing going on that Luigi was starting to throw himself off-balance, swaying dangerously. He still felt ashamed, raw inside from the outburst, but Luigi jumping in had lessened it to the point that he could breathe again, at least. His amazing brother really was full of surprises today, it seemed. “But he’s right. I…it’s just been a lot."

Some glances were shared around the table. Surprisingly, it was Uncle Tony who spoke up first. 

“Y’know what? You do look like you’d be shoo-ins for a zombie movie, no makeup needed.” He clapped them lightly on the shoulders one more time and then sat back down with a backwards wave of the hand. “Don’t worry about us. Go on, get out of here.”

“Get plenty of rest,” Aunt Marie said, her smile plainly apologetic. 

“Man, that just gave me deja-vu like nobody’s business,” Uncle Arthur laughed. “Remember when they were tiny, Tony? We couldn’t peel them off each other for anything in the world.” 

“Oh man, do I,” Tony snorted. “Not without them scratching and screeching like stray cats! Might as well have made you two — whaddya call it again? — conjoined twins and saved a couple steps.” 

“There was that one time we were babysitting at the park down the street—” 

Mario didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. “Come on,” a familiar, gruff voice said near his ear, followed by two large arms herding him and Luigi away, their mother following close behind. “Get yourselves into the kitchen already.”

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Mario couldn’t help but insist once they were there, heels squeaking on the faded linoleum. Several of his stern talking-to’s over the years had started out much like this in the past; speaking up right away and defending himself before the inevitable yelling happened was practically second nature. “I didn’t mean to yell, I swear, it was just—”

“Never mind that,” the older man cut him off. There was something soft in his tone, softer than Mario could remember hearing it before, and that was when he realized that he'd misread the situation entirely. His dad's eyes were dark with concern, not anger. "Now come on. Give me your gloves, and shoes too. Both of you."

Mario and Luigi glanced at each other and then down at themselves in confused unison, dimly registering that yes, they were still wearing all of that, having forgotten to take everything off at the door like they usually did. Some slow shuffling later, and it was gathered in a pile. Their dad plucked their hats off their heads as well (also missed), tucking everything in the sturdy crook of one arm. He used his free hand to ruffle their hair and pat their faces, one after the other.

"You did good out there," he said, "but what matters most is that you're all right. That's always gonna be what matters most to us. I just," he swallowed slowly, thickly, "I want to make sure you both know that."

For one very brittle moment, as his dad held his face in his big, warm palm, Mario genuinely didn't trust himself to not start either laughing or sobbing right then and there — maybe a crazy mixture of both. The feeling passed, thankfully, but he still managed a wobbly smile, a small nod.

“Now go and wash up. Ma will get the food ready.” Sure enough, their mother was already bustling around like a madwoman, plates clattering and half-empty pots simmering again on the stove. “Luigi, you first. Datti una mossa.” 

“Yessir!” Luigi looked back at Mario before going, a tired, reassuring, still slightly worried look that said I’ll see you in a couple of minutes, okay? Mario reflected it back, and their dad walked Luigi out of the room, towards the hallway.

“Just promise me you’ll tell us what happened tomorrow, all right?” Mario's attention returned to his mother, who was finishing stirring some reheated sauce with a little too much shaky speed before coming over to him, smushing his cheeks in both hands. “I don’t care how old you two get. You're still my babies, and babies shouldn't keep secrets from their poor mother."

“I promise, I promise! You’re gonna pop my teeth out, Ma!” Mario half-laughed, gently tugging at her wrists so he could talk more clearly. “Definitely tomorrow, okay? Right now, I…I don’t know if I could tell ya if I tried. It’s just a crazy blur, and I really gotta process it all myself, still. We just need a little time."

“I understand.” She drew him into another hug. Mario couldn’t help but sink into the familiar warmth, clinging to her. He’d been so worried about Luigi that he’d never even considered the idea that he might never see his parents again either. The realization hit harder than he’d anticipated. “Besides, I know I have nothing to worry about when you two are together. You do such a good job of looking after your brother.” 

(Or even worse, what if he’d been able to come home in the end — but alone? What if he’d had to sit his parents down and tell them that Luigi was…) 

There it was again — that sudden, sour feeling of wanting to cry, such a heavy wave inside him that he had to clench his teeth to the point of pain to hold back a gasp.

Stupid, he thought bitterly, almost angrily. What did he even have to be crying about? Once again, he weathered the rush, kept the walls intact by a hair. He closed his eyes and just let himself be held.

“Of course, Ma,” he croaked. “Always.” 

#mario movie #super mario bros movie #super mario bros #mario and luigi #cherrysip fic #i am SUCH a big Mario and Luigi's Family Apologist you don't even know lol #they just remind me of my own family so much #when you have a big family the sheer number of people makes it really easy to lose things in the shuffle #especially when you're ALSO a family that ruthlessly teases each other about things like mine does #it is sometimes very hard to tell when something has gone too far or someone just isn't in the mood until the breaking point #but once that does hit i'd like to think that everyone takes it seriously in their family and backs off and reinforces the love first #next part will be longer and will just be mario and luigi! #thank YOU for reading <3 <3 <3

[radars-teddy-bear]

through heavy , heavy tears : hawkeyes first instinct is to be KIND he’s so much less guarded than trapper and even bj when first meeting people ( even ones he probably won’t like ) he always treats them with respect . i’m going to be physically ill

#i have a headcanon that people were kind of really mean to hawkeye as a kid and this little detail about him reinforces it #he very much gives like . i was weird and left out as a kid but people love me now and i never want to be like those people who left me out #i feel like you see it most heavily with radar but he also does this thing when he steps back when he realizes he’s actually hurt someone’s #feelings . #idk like #he’s not kind ALL the time . like he obviously jokes around a LOT and some of those jokes can be pretty mean and even then sometimes he has #trouble apologizing #but at the same time ( most of the time ) if he realizes something has gone too far he’ll do what he can to express that he didn’t mean it i #in his own hawkeye way #i’m thinking about in ‘ for want of a boot ‘ when trapper calls radar short and radar gets upset about it and hawk’s like #‘ hey you know he’s only joking ‘ in that soft voice #or in ‘ house arrest ‘ when radar gets the platform shoes and hawkeye was like ‘ i was out of line for making fun of you ‘ #those are the instances that come to mind but there’s a TON more #idk i just really love that detail about him #that he’s willing to step back and recognize when a joke’s maybe gone too far #he even does it with frank and charles #mash #mashposting #m*a*s*h #mash 4077 #hawkeye pierce #hawkeye

[notalexhorne]

One of my favourite things about Taskmaster, and it really doesn't get talked about nearly enough, is the relationship between Greg and the panelists. There is the element that nobody wants to be there sometimes, including Greg and Alex. Nobody's having a good time, and everyone's suffering. It's a mutual case of Stockholm Syndrome, as has been mentioned on the show multiple times.

But the bit I like best is when everyone just becomes sick of one another's bullshit. It's expected for the panel to reach a point where they get sick of one another and threaten to throw down, or tell someone to stuff a satsuma up their ass.

I particularly enjoyed this series crossing a brand new line of Frankie threatening to sue Alex over his terrible wording of a task, and Greg offering to help with the costs. It reminded me of when Greg offered to put his own money toward counselling fees, because there is clearly something wrong with Rhod Gilbert.

But what I love best is that this is a show where the host will tell his contestants to fuck off, or flip them off, pull them to an unlit corner of the stage to give them a personal telling off because they have managed to uniquely irritate him. The moment of silence in series 10, because he's so fucking fed up with how awful all of them are at completing tasks still makes me howl every time I watch it. He instantly regresses five grown adults to school children as soon as he stands up in front of them.

In a vacuum, out of context, it's all dreadfully horrible and toxic, but that's what this entire character is. He's an insane tyrant, and the whole concept of the show hinges on that. What would that insane man want done? And I love how much he leans into it.

#taskmaster #greg davies #alex horne #but equally he's really good at spotting when to turn it all off and drop character when necessary #he's done it a few times when contestants have had vulnerable moments that could have turned into something real nasty #he's also good at noticing when something has gone too far and shutting it down before it can go any further #it is just a role which is what makes the whole thing fun #he's not going up on stage to be cruel to people for the sake of it #the show is a group roast and it goes both ways

[theoryofwhatnow]

animal symbolism for like minds but the best i can come up with is

alex - fox (deceiving, red haired, sly and rogue)

nigel - magpie, and/or some other kind of corvid (unassuming, eery, dark colored and widely considered to be a symbol of bad luck or an omen)

guys please help me out here, i need to think of something better.

something like this

but also (y’know? because nigel was fated to die for alex- or so he believed)

#open for discussion this is just my starting point #two creatures who would actually be considered opposites or enemies in many aspects concerning the food chain / general pecking order #i went with these two options right off the rip because you see nigel with a dead fox and a dead magpie #the fox: in his crawlspace when alex begins to show that he trusts him. but the magpie: in their room when alex was still resentful of him #not too much thought has gone into this yet because i'm still very unsure of which direction to take it #who’s to say which is the antagonist. surely it’s the fox but the magpie will still prey on something it believes is dead (or too far gone) #idk #thoughts? #this is really only important because i want to incorporate it into my artwork somehow #like minds #nigel colbie #murderous intent #alex forbes #like minds 2006 #alex forbes x nigel colbie #animal symbolism

[mattodore]

guy whose childhood drags behind him like a dead body

#river dipping #simblr #ts4 #ts4 edit #theodore doe #echthroi #i forgot to post this after sharing theo's birthday edit last night... listen i was so tired i just hit post and passed out #but so far today i've just been looking through character page themes for a bit and messing around with codes while watching dropout tv #i still need to get to my activity feed sometime today or tomorrow and then i want to set aside some time to just hang out on here #and catch up on things like i keep disappearing and missing out on posts jgkhjfnkh so i gotta do that... #but i'm actually fighting off the world's biggest nap rn..... my meds work really well but lord i'm still so tired all the time woof #so i'll probably end up caving soon lmao #but!!! anyway!! THEO!!! there was nothing i could do abt the proportions on theo as a kid like i couldn't make his head any smaller... #the sims team actually hate me so bad and are trying to force the huge cartoonishly big heads onto my sims </3 #also when i aged him down to a kid like all of his presets were gone so i just had to try and replicate them to the best of my abilities #his lip preset actually has a much deeper cupid's bow but thanks to the liquify tool <33333 it looks like his regular preset #i've actually posted teen theo on here before but i've made a ton of changes to him since then so this version is pretty different compared #to the older version of him at sixteen #he's definitely got more baby fat than he did before like his cheeks are pretty round #um. also i have these closeups i took of adult theo from the pose i made for his birthday edit that i gotta edit a lil and then post!!! #bc you really didn't get to see his expression or the actual pose that well and EYEEEE personally am really in love with the details #of the pose itself like ugh.......... theo is so.......................... yeah. #holds him

[nikikikiko]

i was thinking abt kid’s humanity and contemplating if i should post an analysis about it and then it hit me that maka albarn would probably listen to nightcore. but also i feel like soul would absolutely despise nightcore with his whole body (he gets a very visceral reaction. he really hates the sped up and squeaky voices nightcore makes) so it probably ends up with a lot of conversations like this:

soul “what r u listening to?”

maka, listening to Monster How should I Feel Nightcore “nothing. dw abt it.”

#soul eater #headcanons #soul eater headcanons #death the kid #but hes mentioned only briefly #im sorry #this is actually a #maka albarn #and #soul eater evans #headcanon zone #i just think maka has what it takes to be the nightcore kid of her friendgroup #and on that: i think crona ALSO likes nightcore #blackstar probably found out at some point #tried to listen to nightcore and well #either he really loves it and he’s super proud abt it and goes since im a big man im super supportive #or he found out what hell sounds like #either way maka has TRASH music taste though and nightcore doesn’t change this #soul is trying to wattpad protagonist his way into fixing her but no he can’t she’s too far gone #she’s never allowed to pick the music ever because she WILL just turn on like cascada every time we touch nightcore and EVERYONE suffers

[the-one-who-lambs]

so. successfully defended my master's. I have some a bunch of revisions to do for my written thesis before I officially have a master's, but I'm very nearly done with it.

I'll be doing research over the summer, but it's not nearly as fast-paced as normal semesters are, and this was a semester in turbo mode. And boy I certainly felt it. I should have a week or so before this semester is officially over, then I'll be able to finish up my thesis and have more time/energy for writing.

I know I've said that updates would be slower than normal this academic year (this semester, especially) and y'all have been very patient with me, so thanks so much. I've still got another draft/revisions to go, but I'm hoping I'll be able to get back to normal Hannah writing mode because I miss averaging 500-1000 words a day lmao

#hannah's rambles #every time I think of fanfic writers who take much longer between updates than I do I'm always like #“I will wait as long as needed!! I will be excited with them! And even if they don't update again I'm so glad to have read their works!” #and when it comes to me im like “hm haven't updated main wip in almost a month I might as well have gone missing” JDLKFGJFDLKGJDF #I've had a REALLY tough semester but there have been so many things keeping me going #And among many others.. getting to share my stories with y'all for this long has been an absolute joy #thanks for coming along on this journey with me (so far)!! whether you've only been here a few weeks or since the beginning