#the film is brother bear if you can't tell

[kindred-is-obsessed]

Sorry Ranboo this is the first thing that came to mind

#c!ranboo #dsmp #headcanon #theory #meta #endermoms #I still think it would have been coolest if Ranboo's albinism had come from unkowningly dying and being revived a bunch in the past #which would have explained the connection between him and dream #the film is brother bear if you can't tell #referencing the 2022 christmas countdown stream

[impactedfates]

Gayly crashes inside here/J

Anyways may I request a Jing Yuan with [platonic] bio-child reader.. Who has the most chaotic personality ever [ft sharing the same braincells as Yanqing] thank youuu

— 🫶🏻 Anon with a teddy bear gift 🧸

A/N: THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT, I’LL TREASURE IT FOREVER 🧸 I HOPE YOU’LL LIKE THIS

Genre/Trope: Platonic + Family (JY, You and Yanqing!) + Crack

Format: Bullet Pointed Scenarios/HC

Warnings: None

Extra: Reader is a teen in this // Single Father JY again but he loves his kids // Yanqing will be your younger brother for this // Reader works under Fu Xuan // Not fully proofread // Some mentions of modern day stuff but time is still taken in the HSR Universe

Loveable Headaches - Platonic Dad! Jing Yuan x Reader

Jing Yuan really does love his children, both you and Yanqing...but you two never seem to give him a break do you? From your brother always buying swords to you deciding to dramatically gasp about the future, causing them to be scared when all that happened was that they trip over a pebble the next day...

On a day where he wished he could be sleeping having done all his paperwork (or...most of them) Fu Xuan comes barging in dragging you behind her, glaring at the man. And although making people scared of their future is rather bad when you're a diviner...he can't help but chuckle sometimes Fu Xuan tries to make him lecture you.

Fu Xuan: General Jing Yuan, your kid started laughing when they saw someone's future. Jing Yuan: Is that so? What did they laugh at? Fu Xuan: A poor guy who got jump scared by a ca- Jing Yuan: Wheeze Ah ahem I mean, they did?

When you and Yanqing are hanging out together. It's either Yanqing being the responsible one and leading you out of trouble, or the other way around. Not one time have you two shared a brain cell and thought logically. At rare times, both of you would have no brain cells and Jing Yuan would have a Cloud Knight knocking at his office and bringing the two rascals who scared the trainee knights.

When Mimi first grew up and the family realised she was in fact a lion, you climbed on her back and began riding her around like a horse.

[Name]: Go Mimi go!! Jing Yuan: Sweetie…please get off her. [Name]: What why? D: We're both feline great Jing Yuan: *Trying not to laugh* G-good one…but you're gonna get hurt.

You and Yanqing probably on more than one occasion tried to go into R rated films when you both were younger. Unluckily for you, everyone knows the Generals kid.

The Dozing General loves his naps and sleep but he also loves you!...But if he hears you playing "We Will Rock You" at 3am in the morning with pots and pans one more time-

Honestly you give Fu Xuan a headache too sometimes. We already said you laugh at a divination you give that scares the other person but you also tend to act disgusted, concerned or any negative emotion when reading future moments...this can either lead to you telling them what happened which is usually such a small thing or you not telling them, simply stating "Can't say, ruins the future"

You probably stole a bunch of things from his room, it worked out for a bit as he wasn't sure where everything was going but you revealed yourself as the lil thief when you tried to steal his heavy sword. (It's a sword right? Or smt??)

You made Jing Yuan wear a powerpuff girls outfit once for Halloween. If he was a powerpuff girl or Dr whatever his name was I forgot, is up to you.

Jing Yuan seems like the type of guy to give kids the big chocolate bars for Halloween, so he needs to hide them from you and Yanqing before Halloween is here or else the kids won't have any as you snatched them with your lil brother.

I see that when you and Yanqing were younger, you tried dressing up as each other, wearing wigs and each other's clothing to try and trick Jing Yuan...however, your clothes were too big on Yanqing, and his clothes were too small on you.

Yanqing tried to jump scare you once when you were using the hose for something, needless to say. Yanqing came back in the house absolutely soaked.

Perhaps one day, the two of you dressed up as Jing Yuan, he found it so adorable!! He took so many pictures of the 'Mini Generals'...he may or may not have attempted to take a day off, gesturing to the 'Mini Generals' and how they would do the work.

Fu Xuan: General…they're kids, they're not ready for your job Jing Yuan: Kids! That want to be me, why not train them? Fu Xuan: General Jing Yuan: Ah, no fun Madam Fu, I'm going I'll do my work, I'll do my work.

He questioned if you were a dog in disguise when you were like 5 tbh. Cuz you bit a lot of things, heck he once came into a meeting with you hanging off his arm...by biting him...doesn't hurt him but he did question where you learnt that.

Yanqing was adopted as a kid, when Jing Yuan first came home with the lil guy, and introduced him to you as your younger brother...you tried to make him fly by throwing him off the kitchen counter, to which THANKFULLY Jing Yuan has the quick reflexes to save Yanqing, he scolded you of course. And hey, good thing Jing Yuan did save your brother as you wouldn't have your partner in crime otherwise.

Idk if I made the reader chaotic or not but hopefully this was alrightwfiof.

Sorry for slow updates (I say as if I didn't mention I'd also be concentrated on other things). I'm going to some resort or something for a school tour(?) and apparently it has no wifi/signal, so wish me luck...gotta bond with my classmates.

#honkai star rail #hsr #hsr x reader #hsr x you #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail x you #hsr imagines #Jing Yuan #Yanqing #HSR Jing Yuan #HSR Yanqing #Jing Yuan x Reader #Jing Yuan x You #platonic jing yuan x reader #platonic jing yuan x you #hsr platonic #platonic hsr #🎭 masked fools

[pianokantzart]

I’m not sure if you’ve done an analysis on Luigi’s first time in the dark lands but I’d love to hear your take! I love all your essays on the film and was just curious what your thoughts were in this scene. I wish that scene was a bit longer in the film to build more character and show Luigi’s strengths a bit more in my opinion.

Thank you anon! I have mentioned before that Mario has good fighting instincts while Luigi has good survival instincts. The scene of Luigi in The Darklands perfectly encapsulates these survival instincts– as well as his clumsiness– and how they coexist.

After getting his bearings in The Dark Lands, the fist thing Luigi does is gather his tools and sling the bag over his shoulder. His impulse is to cling to familiarity: he's in charge of carrying the tools, so he picks back up where he left off, as though he's trying to tell himself "This is fine! Just a quick hiccup... can't go back to Brooklyn without these. Tools are expensive. No need to panic."

The second thing he does is call for his brother. Even though he saw Mario go in a separate direction in the warp pipe, he's hoping despite everything that he's somewhere nearby. That he isn't alone.

"Mario?... Mario, where are you?"

Then, Luigi's shirt gets snagged on a branch, and this is when his clumsiness + his survival instincts become apparent: He gets his shirt caught in a branch, and tugs a little too hard, throwing him off balance – clumsy. When he's off balance, he nearly falls into a stream of lava, but his feet intuitively find just the right stepping stones to get him safely across without injury – good survival instincts. Still reeling from his close call, Luigi backs into a hollow tree full of bats – clumsy. As the swarm flies toward him, Luigi immediately turns away, hands flailing in self defense until he gathers himself into a solid protective position: crouched down, one hand waving the bats away while the other holds his hat as a shield against his face – good survival instincts.

At this point, Luigi's on high alert. Continuing forward, his gaze darts in all directions, following every little rustle and footstep. He spots something in the shadows just as his flashlight flickers out. He hits it to knock the battery back in place, and there's a dry bones... inches away, eyes alight, rushing forward to attack.

Luigi turns on his heels in an instant when the enemy rushes at him. He immediately tosses the tools aside, lightening the load so he can run away faster... good survival instincts... ... Then the clumsiness kicks in. He looks back at just the wrong moment, and throws himself stomach-first into a low hanging branch.

He is flung back into his pursuer, knocking him to pieces. Luigi is a little unsteady on his feet as he gets back up, but seeing the motionless bones on the ground before him he believes himself the victor, and gets a little cocky.

"HA HA! Yes! You just got... a'Luigi'd!" Protect him.

The victory lasts roughly 8 seconds. The skeleton returns to life and the bones slowly join back together. The dry bones moves toward Luigi again- far more slowly this time. Luigi, wisely, does not immediately go into a full sprint. He is placed in a bad spot– enemy in front of him, pool of lava at his back. Turning around is dangerous, and trying to rush forward risks reigniting the chase. Right now, the best option is slowly backing away in a large circle...

On cue, just as he's acting with good survival instincts, the ole clumsiness does him in again. While backing off he trips on a rock, leaving him prone as hoards of other dry bones break to the ashen surface of the wasteland with their sites set on Luigi.

Luigi is surrounded by the time he clamors back to his feet, the mob slowly moving in, close enough now that they can grab at him. There is no long an option to continue slowly backing away. Luigi zig-zags around the encroaching hoard and makes a break for it, reigniting the chase.

Running for his life with undead at his heels, Luigi takes aim for the nearest possible sanctuary: a castle in the distance. He is now in full survival mode as he flings himself over the jagged stones jutting precariously over the surface of the lava. He's a prodigy in the art of a rapid retreat, rapidly flicking back and forth between fight and flight whenever needed as he scampers and scurries and climbs with equal parts desperation and impressive athleticism.

Mario may be the most physically adept of the two, but Luigi's got some innate skills that come to the forefront when death is on the line, and though he lives in a constant state of anxiety he does not freeze up easily. Whatever the danger, he is levelheaded enough to find the best available method of escaping the threat, even at the height of his terror.

At last he reaches the castle doors. They are heavy, but he finds the strength to push them apart just far enough to throw himself through. He's almost too late in shutting the doors behind him; clawing hands reach through the gap, gripping at his face and clothes, just before Luigi summons the last bit of strength needed to slam the door shut and bring down the latch.

For a moment, he remains on edge. Luigi searches his surroundings, almost tripping again as he looks about– vaulted ceilings and dilapidated hallways, covered in debris. It looks like nobody's been here in ages, and the door– pounded against by hundreds of angry fists– holds strong before his pursuers give up, and all goes quiet save for the rolling thunder outside.

By all accounts, he seems to be in the clear. Letting out a long sigh of relief, Luigi sits down for a well-deserved rest, unaware of the audience of masked strangers that has silently gathered behind him.

I, for one, don't think that Luigi would've been captured so easily if they hadn't snuck up on him from behind and overwhelmed him with numbers. Not after a performance like that.

Luigi is scared– unashamedly scared– but his ability to keep a level head when all hell breaks loose is nothing to sneeze at. He is a total klutz, but at the end of the day he is a survivor, not because he knows how to fight, but because he knows how to flee.

It just so happened the cards were not in his favor this time around, but there is a lot of potential in the guy once he gets his footing.

#Mario Movie #Mario Spoilers #I agree the scene should've been longer #But it did show Luigi's strengths in it's own way... showed what exactly he was capable of in his brother's absence #Not traditionally 'heroic' but quite impressive! #He's clumsy but he has a LOT of potential #AAaaah I need the sequel right now #we didn't get enough of this little green dude #Luigi #Super Mario Brothers #SMB Movie #Mario Movie analysis

[boxfullaturtles]

Not sure if you're writing specific versions of the turtles for the angst prompts, but would you be able to do 2003 Raph with 19 (beastly) or 32 (begging)?

"Tell me not to." The villain of the week orders--some new chump the Purple Dragons have on their payroll.

Raph grinds his teeth, hands clenched so hard into fists that they're shaking. The bastard's got a gun pressed against Mikey's shell. And while Raph and his brothers are tough, at that range the bullet will punch right through and then Mikey's...

"I already dropped my weapons, ya' dickweed! What more do ya' want!?" Raph snaps, letting his anger coat the terror thudding in his chest. Anger is so much easier to manage than fear.

"I want you to beg me not to shoot him," The guy's got a sneer like he's the one with all the cards. And right now, he is, "Beg me, come on, freak, I wanna hear you plead for his life."

"Raph--" Mikey chokes on whatever stupid joke he was trying to make.

They both know that Raph will do anything for his brothers. Just like any of them would do anything for him. Raph embraces all the violence and rage and bitterness so his brothers don't have to. Raph will take all the hard hits, throw all the worst punches, and do all the dirty work. If it means keeping his brothers' hands clean, he'll take it.

So it doesn't take much effort for him to bite the words out, "Don't shoot him. Don't do it. Just let him go."

"That don't sound like beggin', that sounded like an order..." There's a click of the hammer pulling back and Mikey shivers.

"Please!" Raph shouts, taking a half a step forward, "Please don't! Please, just let him go!"

"Eh, I dunno if you mean it..."

Desperation burns fuel for rage and Raph drops to his knees, "Please don't hurt him! He--he's just a kid! He's my baby brother! I'll do anything!" Everything's spilling out, he's opened a flood gate and it doesn't want to close. His voice cracks and he hates it but he can't stop, "Take me instead! Let him go and take me! Please!"

"No, Raph!"

"You wanna take the bullet for your pal?"

Raph's breath hitches and his chest is shuddering. He meets Mikey's gaze and Mikey is begging him not to do this. But Leo's always going on about responsibility and Raph is responsible for getting them in this mess. It's his burden to bear.

"Yes," He breathes and has to force his lungs to work louder, "Yes, shoot me instead. Let him go and shoot me instead! I--I can take it!" Pride means nothing in the face of potentially losing a brother, "Please! PLEASE!"

"Well, since you asked so nicely..." The chump moves pretty fast for a human. Between one blink and the next, Raph sees the barrel of the gun aimed at him.

Then there's that ear-splitting BANG and agony punches him in the chest, sending him toppling backwards. His ears are ringing but he can still hear Mikey's distant scream. The floor is spinning, the pain blistering over his other senses until he's just a throbbing beat of suffering. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts so bad. There's a flower of hurt blooming just below his collarbone, right above his plastron, and it's digging its roots deep into his chest cavity, filling him up until he can't hardly breathe.

"Raph! RAPH! RAPHIE, PLEASE!" Distantly there are familiar hands on him and Mikey's voice screeching from under a film of muddy water, "Please say something! Raph, please! Don't--don't leave me here, bro..."

His vision swims in and out of focus, darkening at the edges, and Raph squints up at Mikey's tearful face. Aw shit, he's made Mikey cry. Leo's going to lecture him for that one.

"'S 'kay, Mike..." Fuck, it's so hard to talk. Raph is nothing but a vessel of pain, pain, pain and pain doesn't have a language, "You s-safe...?"

"R-Raphie, you're bleeding...! I--I dunno what to do! Don's not--no, no, shit, please, please, Raphie, please!"

"M' t-tellin' Leo that you s-swore..." Raph wheezes and lets his eyes close because it's way too hard to keep them open.

Mikey makes a disgusting sound, all gummed up and choked like he's the one who can't breathe. There's water dripping on Raph's face, making him twitch. Did it start raining? Crap, they should get home before it starts to downpour. They were outside, right? Things are becoming slippery. Raph is sinking into a sea of fiery agony.

"M-Mikey?"

"Yeah, yeah, Raphie, I'm right here! I'm right here!"

"...you safe?"

Mikey sobs and Raph feels his baby brother press their forehead's together, "Y-yeah, I...I'm okay, Raph, I'm safe. I promise I'm safe. But--but you gotta be safe too, okay! You gotta stay here! You gotta stay safe and--and you can't go anywhere!"

"M'kay..." Raph mumbles. There's a screech like tires from beyond the veil of pain he's draped in, doors slamming, voice calling, "'M here...stayin' here...I...I'll..."

He wants to say he'll always be here. Because somebody's got to take all the hits that he won't ever let his brothers feel.

But he doesn't manage to get the words out before the roots of the flower in his chest squeeze the last of the air from his lungs. He sinks all the way to the bottom of the pain-filled trench and lets the sea wash him away into darkness.

#this was my first time ever writing 2003 boys i hope i did okay aaaa #tmnt 2003 #raph #mikey #sage writes turtles #tmnt angst prompts #cw guns #cw gun

[cakeonfire911-thesequel]

Total Drama's Wack Ass Timeline

Dawg how was Action supposedly filmed days after Island? That is insane

Anyway so. I have a fucked up timeline for my own work, bear with me here. Island and Action happen the same way they always did, back to back. (???) The Fake Production Company had plans for a third season, set to film that spring, but budget restraints put it on hiatus, so sad. The campers are left to their own devices. Tyler and LeShawna compete on other shows; Owen hawks questionable products on late night TV; the Drama Brothers have enough time to write two albums (something the ""official"" timeline seems to think can be done overnight). There's even enough time for Duncney to be a highly-publicized relationship with enough paper trail for there to be legal proceedings over a raccoon! Wow!

It all comes to a head that October, the year after TDI and TDA initially aired, and business is BOOMIN. These teens run the fucking world. Along with the Gemmy Awards (which I'm not basing on any real Gemmy or Emmy awards), the Celebrity Manhunt Special airs live. Even though they're permanently stuck as 16-year-olds in the minds of many viewers, most of the cast is now 17. Some of them are 18! Look at the babies growin up <3 So the show happens and-- surprise-- Season 3 is finally announced! Woo-hoo! But it obviously can't air immediately after Celebrity Manhunt, Chris and Chef don't even call it by the right title. (Which, irl, we can chalk up to the actual preproduction of the actual show-- crazy how things line up sometimes!) Filming for WT begins the following March, because of all things, I wanna keep Cody's April 1st birthday part of the show-- because I care about the integrity of canon THAT much guys.

But uhhhh yeah. WT airs that summer to rave reviews, ROTI's filming goes off without a hitch in the late summer/early fall, Chris goes to jail so All-Stars is delayed to the following year and RR films on pretty much the same schedule alongside it (it's a good year for Fake Production Company). Pahkitew Island films the following late spring/early summer, and finally, 15 years later (or however long they say it is in the new TDI intro), the Fake Production Company capitalizes on their former glory with a brand new crop of youngins and an old crop of Chris and Chef.

Whew

Tell me how much you love my timeline in the comments/reblogs <3 <3 <3

#total drama #td #total drama island #total drama action #total drama world tour #and the other ones too ig #the drama brothers #chris mclean #chef hatchet #the whole td crew #and because it all relates back to them #alenoah #but fr the generally accepted timeline makes no sense and drives me nuts #fortunately canon doesn't matter lol #i for one love my timeline #it just makes sense #my very miniscule knowledge of production is true because i work in showbiz irl /j /j /j #but also /hj #anyway #hi

[ifearimaybeanamericanidiot]

Spelling Video Pt. 2 (Matt)

Note: Not necessary to read Pt. 1, but it will make a little more sense if you do. First part is about Chris.

Summary: Matt invites his girlfriend over for some comfort after filming a spelling video and failing to spell most of the words.

Matt Sturniolo x reader

TW: negative self image?

*important note: Matt call his gf cat/kitty in this, his gf's friend has the nickname 'bear' sorry if that's a bit confusing, i find y/n to prevent immersion.*

I sit with Chris, watching the episode with him tucked against my side. Well, I'm watching it. Chris has nodded off. Kitty texts me, letting me know she just got here, and is letting herself and Bear in. The two girls find their way into the living room where Chris and I are currently at.

"Hey Kitty. Bear-" I wave to my girl's friend. I don't know why Chris made such a big fuss over her coming here. Not for sure anyway. I have my theories, of course. "Good drive over?"

"Uneventful." Cat finds her spot on my non Chris ridden side. She pecks my cheek and I can't bite back the grin that spreads across my face. "Bear, you can sit down."

I look over. She's standing there awkwardly. "Chris though-" she starts.

"You can lay his legs over your lap, if you're comfortable with that. Obviously. He won't wake up, I promise." I tell her. She looks from me, to Kitty, an unsure look on her face. Her lips are pressed into a hard line. After a moment, she does as I suggested. She settles in with his legs over her lap, looking quite pleased with her situation.

We sit through the rest of the episode, and ten minutes into the next before Cat asks to change it to something else.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I think Chris will wake up if you turn his show off." Bear speaks softly, like she doesn't want to disturb a sleeping baby.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Cat says. I nod in agreement. Bear just shrugs. The moment the show is turned off, Chris wakes up. Bear gets her 'I told you so' moment, accidentally calling my brother "the baby." This sets him off of course.

My phone goes off, and I check it. "The video is up." I tell Chris. The girls are immediately asking to watch it, and Cat is already pulling it up before I can protest. I don't really want to watch myself fumble over words like an idiot. We get into watching the video. Chris and Bear seem to be having a moment, so I nudge Cat.

"We're going to get something to drink." I say. I get up, and Kitty follows me into the kitchen. Once we're out of earshot and eyesight, I turn to Cat, pulling her into a hug.

"Hey, babe? What's up, my love?" She whispers.

"Was just hard seeing myself mess up that bad." I tell her honestly. "It was already embarrassing enough in the moment, I didn't want to see it."

"Oh baby." She places her hand on the back of my head. "Darling, I understand. I'm not going to try to say it wasn't that bad because I know you wouldn't believe me. How about we go make some hot cocoa and go cuddle in your room?" Her offer does sound nice.

"We can watch Brave?" I ask, my face pressed into her hair.

"Whatever you want, bub." I let our a breathe, my shoulders relaxing and smile against her hair. God, I love this woman.

#matt sturniolo #nick sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #chris sturniolo #sturniolo fluff #matt sturniolo x reader

[twstfanblog]

I love your writing so much! Your Yuu OC is so cool and I am so obsessed with their energy <3

Writing request time~! Can I get some headcannons of Yuu visiting all of the twst clubs for the first time?

HI FRIEND! Sorry this took me so long to do! But ok, so I actually have this planned out as a chapter in my main story fic. So this is a perfect way to get it all written out for myself!

BUT ONTO THE ASK! MY YUU'S FIRST IMPRESSION OF THE NRC CLUBS!

BASKETBALL CLUB

Hi Jamil~ Flirty to the max, making him miss the shot he was trying to do

Isn't into sports in the slightest, but wanted to see what was offered at the school

Is honestly, too physical to play basketball, she'd be elbowing people in the ribs and Floyd would be supporting her

So for the safety of the other teams, Yuu was not allowed to join

Promises to come to the games to cheer for Jamil and Floyd (And Ace, but fuck him)

TRACK CLUB

Not a chance in hell. Boobs too big to be running around

Made fun of Deuce for thinking the school would have what is basically a motorcycle club

Did tell him it was a good choice of club since he wanted to be a cop in his future

Left the second Vargas showed up

BOARD GAMES CLUB

"Oh cool, Ortho's brother" "I have a name." "I don't care."

Liked the idea of the club, but couldn't see themselves actually joining. Enjoyed making Idia think they were gonna join

First meeting with Azul takes place here

Told them about the concept of 'The Game' and let that seed of chaos be planted into Idia's head to use against Azul at the most random of times (Sorry I made you lose UnU;)

EQUESTRIAN CLUB

"How much money does this school have?????"

Another they had no intention of joining but was really interested in watching

Later on, they help out with basic horse care if free time permits

Yuu: Wow this school really has whole-ass horses on campus? Silver: Silver: As opposed to??? Half-ass horses??? Yuu:

Yuu states only one 'Funny Bitch' can be in a club at a time and Silver clearly holds onto his title well

LIGHT MUSIC CLUB

HI KALIM!

If Yuu had a will for public performing this would be their club! sadly they don't so they didn't join officially.

Yuu still has their music library so they share their world's music with them a lot later on.

Not a member, but will pop in from time to time to do a jam session with them

Lilia gets her a shirt that says 'LMC #1 FAN' on the back as a gift

SPELL DRIVE CLUB

Another sport club that was interesting, but not something they'd do

Only goes to the games if dragged there by the other firsties but is an aggressive fan for Epel

Kepting asking Leona dumb questions because he was trying to sleep DURING TRYOUTS

Yuu likes the concept of Spell Drive, just doesn't have the care to really play or watch it

Has told Epel he should hit someone with his broom though

SCIENCE CLUB

Trey says 'No' with a smile

He's not TRYING to kill Yuu's budding passion for magical sciences, he's TRYING to protect the masses from the bioweapon they're probably gonna make on accident

Rook is so excited, he wants Yuu to join the club so badly

Trey knows Yuu will either make something that will actually kill someone or would drink something they're not supposed to on accident and die.

Yuu was not allowed to join the science club UnU

MOUNTAIN LOVERS CLUB

Honestly, feels so bad for Jade. Dude's clearly got a passion for his hobby and wants to share it with others

But also "Jade are you actually confused why no one wants to join your club and be alone with you in the fucking woods?????"

Not too excited for all the hiking the club seems to be (Interest is peaked at the opportunity to pet a bear though)

Promised Jade if they didn't find a club to join by the end of the day, they'd circle back and join his club

"I'm friends with your brother, you can't make me disappear that easily" "We'll see~"

FILM RESEARCH CLUB

What are you researching????

Honestly, the whole time just asked Vil questions in an attempt to frustrate him and point out how the club was a THEATER CLUB more than a Film Research club

Ends up joining because they ARE a theater club kid and is more than willing to take on the backstage work, that's their favorite part

Does end up being known as having infamously bad movie tastes and ended up traumatizing the whole club via trying to prove a point to Vil by sharing a movie from their world

OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE FILM RESEARCH CLUB~!

GARGOYLE RESEARCH SOCIETY

Didn't know Malleus even had a club until he told her that night

Malleus didn't know the club fair was that day

Yuu shared their pint of depression ice cream with him while he pouted

Compromised in simply joining him on his walks or letting him info dump about a new gargoyle he found or his favored styles

Yuu will walk around abandoned areas themselves sometimes and take pictures to show Malleus to ask if he knows the gargoyle or not

#twisted wonderland #twst #disney twst #twst wonderland #yuu oc

[artist-issues]

Raya and the Last Dragon popped into my head today and I kept thinking about how the incredibly unsubtle and poorly executed message of trusting others felt like a first draft.

What do you think about it? Would a revised script with the same story premise fix that film? Or was it doomed from the get go in what it was trying to say?

Good question! I go back and forth. I think the movie's biggest weak point was its writing, so I guess I'd say, "a revised script with the same story premise would fix it!"

There's nothing wrong at all with a message like "Without trust, we can't stand together." Because it's very true. Everyone has priorities, and there's always a chance they'll choose themselves over you, or over the "greater good." But if you keep trying to take control of the situation by believing the worst about them before it happens, you'll be exhausted & jaded, they'll be exhausted & jaded, and all your time and energy will be spent on competing with each other for the grand prize of "who can look out for their own interests better."

I think Raya and the Last Dragon's premise works for a truth like that. It makes total sense to have a girl who's competitive become jaded and control-freaky when her father, the symbol of the virtue of trust & good faith, is murdered by betrayal. And not just any betrayal, but betrayal from someone she directly tried to befriend and trust as a sort of "first experience" with that good faith her dad was always talking about. Makes total sense. And it's impactful; something that traumatic and personal would cause a relatable character flaw that the heroine needs drastic measures to overcome.

I actually love the concept of Sisu too. I like the idea that she's this pure, selfless soul who's got childlike faith—but, all the jaded people in a post-apocalyptic world respect and consider her worldview because she's a revered dragon. So she really does change minds just by being around them, just by coming back and existing in the first place. I mean, if she had been just a sheltered girl from, say, a different country, who came into the broken Kumandra with stars in her eyes, the bad guys wouldn't have thought twice about whatever she exemplified. But she's a dragon.

And step back and think about it: having a group of characters from every walk of life come together as a mini-experiment in trust and unity during the course of the adventure is a great idea. It's not flashy or original, but it's classic and true. Avatar the Last Airbender has a crew of characters from each tribe combining to defeat evil. When Kenai has a prejudice against bears in Brother Bear, how is that character flaw solved? Not just by him turning into one, but by him having to travel with and get to know one.

What they get to know is that they all have something in common: they've all lost people to the great evil in the world. And, they all want the same things, despite cultural differences. They all want their families back, they all want safety and success.

So yeah, the pieces are all there. The problem is, the writing was just super clunky. Theres a lot of telling, when it comes to the story, instead of showing. There's not no showing. There's just not enough.

I know this is already a long post, but I'll just point out: Aladdin's message had a lot to do with trust, too. But no character ever said out loud, "you have trust issues and you need to work through them." Certainly not more than once. The closest you get is Genie telling Aladdin to be himself.

Instead, you're just shown that Jasmine is the type of girl to give an apple to a hungry kid without even thinking about whether or not the shopkeeper wouldn't want her to do it. She's the type of girl who plays along with a scrubby boy from the marketplace trying to help her. She's the kind of girl who goes out with a Prince even though she has reason to believe he's already lying to her. She just does those things, and never says, "hey, why did you lie to me--you have trust issues!"

Meanwhile Aladdin's whole story is him bending over backwards to control what everyone thinks of him, because he can't trust them to accept him as he is. But he never says, "Trust gets me hurt." He just says, "if Jasmine knew I was really some crummy street-rat, she'd laugh at me."

Those sentences that the characters say are well-written because they are realistic. Only in our modern psycho-babble Instagram-influencer culture, where everyone thinks they're an expert on the human psyche, are teenagers starting to say things like "My trauma causes me to struggle with trust."

What Aladdin says is much more immediate, much more down-to-earth than that. It shows where his brain is in that moment. He's not thinking about the general philosophy of truth and trust. He's just thinking about what he should or shouldn't say on his date, and how scary the idea of getting laughed at is. We, the audience, are smart enough to infer that it's all rooted in trust issues. We don't need Genie to deliver a speech six times to make it abundantly clear.

I'm capable of identifying that as the problem, but I'm not great at doing it, myself. I know the language, I'm not great at speaking it. But actually I'm going to punt this part of the question over to @doverstar , who is very skilled at "show, don't tell," especially in dialogue. How would you re-write that scene where Sisu is trying to convince Raya of the importance of trust?

One final thing that I think handicaps Raya and the Last Dragon is that, because of the way they're written, the characters lose likability. Theres a way to have a traumatized, defensive girl who thinks she knows everything still be likable. Just like there was a way to have a selfish, insecure liar be likable in Aladdin.

I think there are other issues—I'd have completely written out the baby and the monkeys, and I'd have cut the fight sequences between two teenage girls way shorter because nobody cares about them. But that can be for another post.

#Trust #themes #theming #writing #show don't tell #raya and the last dragon #sisu #sisu the dragon #sisu the last dragon #raya #namari #kumandra #awkwafina #disney #notmydisney #Aladdin #Jasmine #animation #storytelling #writing advice #Doverstar #asked #answered #meta #analysis

[mantisfriendd]

FNAF MOVIE NOVEL REVIEW

I just finished reading the FNAF movie novel, and id like to give some thoughts on it

This post will contain spoilers for both the FNAF movie and it's novelization! continue at your own risk!

Overall I would say this is a pretty good adaptation of the movie, and it actually provides some additional context for some of the weaker plot points of the movie. A prime example being Aunt Jane's motivation for wanting custody over Abby. In the book there is a trust fund for Abby set up by her grand parents, Jane wants to take this money for herself and sees getting custody of Abby as the ticket to that money.

Some scenes in the book play out much differently then in the film, but generally things end in the same spots as they do in the movie.

being inside the characters heads allows us to get more characterization out of everyone, and for the most part I really like what they did here.

EDIT: The section on Doug is no longer relevant, Scott has announced that book Doug is non cannon, and new prints of the book have entirely rewritten his character, I don't have a newer print so I can't tell what's changed, maybe I'll buy one eventually to see.

The only character who I think is a direct downgrade from the film is unfortunately Doug. In the film Doug comes off as a hapless lawyer who is being held hostage by his client who is clearly in the wrong, and he still comes off like that in the book but with a clear difference. In the film we feel sorry for him, clearly he's not a bad guy, he's caught up in something he doesn't want to be in. In the book he is barely spoken about, and when he is described he is described as being spaced out and nearly catatonic. Other then not wanting to be there his only other trait in the book is being a creep. The Sparky's Diner scene is seen from Max's perspective in the book, and we get some amazing characterization from her, expressing her discomfort with the entire meeting with Jane and the plan her brother hatches. At some point in the scene she catches Doug staring at her breasts. (sidenote I think this might be the only time the word "breasts" appears in any FNAF book, just a strange inclusion for a series about murder pizza bears)

This is strange characterization for a fan favorite character in the original film, and nothing in the film would lead you to expect this kind of thing from him.

Sidenote here in the book Ness (Matpat's character) is said to be the son of the owner of Sparky's and the book describes him as an "Auburn-haired teen" which is a funny thing to call a man in his 30s.

Minor nitpick aside I think both the movie and the film are acceptable ways to experience the plot, some of the things I thought were weird could just have been my knowledge of the films events changing my perspective.

I also enjoy the reinstatement of some of the elements from earlier screenplays and earlier cuts of the film that we know about from various cast members. The father son relationship of Hank and Carl and Garrett appearing in the archway before The Yellow Rabbit appears being some examples.

The book is also way more gorey then the film was, to my surprise. I was almost shocked at the end of the book where both Vanessa and Mike are in a pool of their own blood, the FNAF books have always gone a little harder with the gore then the games have but I guess I wasn't expecting it because of how much of a blockbuster the film was. You know with all the eyes on everything FNAF movie related, but I'm happy to say the FNaF movie novelization keeps with the tradition of surprisingly bloody Scholastic published books.

I quite enjoyed my time with this book, if you haven't read it and wanna give it a go after watching the movie, I'd say it's a worthwhile read. I also read it pretty quickly, but it might have something to do with me already knowing the plot so I didn't have to let it sink in as much

#five nights at freddy's #fnaf #fnaf movie #five nights at freddy's movie #fnaf movie spoilers #fnaf movie novel #FNAF movie novelization #five nights at freddy's movie novel #fnaf books

[zoeykallus]

The Bad Batch x Reader – The Movies HC's

Going to the movies with the Bad Batch guys!

Hunter: He'll prefer you watch a holo at home, but if you do go out, it's best to do it on days when it's less crowded, perhaps to a smaller holo theater in a small town. The more crowded the theater, the less he can relax and focus on you and the movie, unfortunately his senses will throw a wrench in the works.

The choice of the movie, that he leaves mostly to you, but if you ask him for his honest opinion, he will tell you that he likes adventure movies, also action movies. He also likes to watch deeper movies, as long as they are not too cheesy or dry.

Hunter likes to play with your hair, so he likes to have your head in his lap, at least when you watch movies at home. At the holo-cinema he always has an arm around you and pulls you close to him. He makes sure you get couples seats so there is no barrier between you, because he doesn't like that at all.

His favorites would include: I'm looking at actually existing movies cause' it's easier to explain their taste for me this way.

The Green Mile Welcome To The Jungle Man On Fire (with Denzel Washington and Dakota Fenning, it kinda has a tiny bit of -protecting Omega- feel to it, that's probably why he likes it so much) -actually one of my absolute favorites too, love that movie and the NIN Soundtrack

House Of Flying Daggers (The only movie with a romance he likes) Rambo 1 / 2 / 3 and all the others ( Hunter,"I like his style") Any other movie with Stallone.

Echo: He's otherwise a pretty sober fellow. But he actually loves fantasy movies, the more outlandish the better. He likes modern fairy tales and has a surprisingly vivid imagination. Echo is super happy if you show interest in that as well.

At the holo-cinema, he doesn't care where you sit as long as he can be near you and you're not too close to the projection. He will buy snacks and drinks and then annoyingly have to go pee every few minutes.

He likes to cuddle with you while watching and also likes to watch your reaction when he shows you a movie, because some of his favorite movies he watches multiple times, over and over again.

His movies:

Lord Of The Rings (all of them)

Harry Potter (all of them)

Brothers Grimm

Neverending Story (The first only)

Edward Scissorhands

Pretty much every Tim Burton Movie

Wrecker: loves comedies and adventure movies. Basically everything that is exciting but also fun. Brutal and gore films are not his thing. He prefers something that creates a good atmosphere.

In the cinema he belongs to those who loudly express their opinion, laugh out loud and comment on the movie, but with his stature no one but you dares to complain.

"Sorry Mesh'la" he says meekly and grins at you when you ask him to be quiet.

He likes having you on his lap, he's a cuddle bear, and he likes it when you feed each other Mantell Mix at the movies.

His movies:

Jumanji (all of them)

The night at the museum (all of them)

National Treassure (all of them)

A lot of Adam Sandler movies (be nice about it)

Toy Story (all of them)

Up (he cries sometimes)

Tech: Oh dear. You'll only get him to the movies if there's a good documentary on, something offbeat, something he doesn't know yet or already knows but still finds fascinating, like Dark Matter.

Or you can find a good horror movie. Yes Tech likes horror movies, he is especially fond of those that play with the viewer's mind or have particularly gimmicky, good practical effects. That's why he likes The Walking Dead series, among others.

If you're not into either of those, you're out of luck, Tech's time is too precious for anything else, even if he likes to spend it with you, but not with some nonsense he can't do anything with. He' d rather talk to you, or spoil you physically, or cook something with you.

His movies

I exclude documentaries here...

The Thing (1982) -he loves the effects.

Room 1408

Alien 1 & 2

Omen

Get Out

Life

Shining

Crosshair: likes to go to the movies, at least when something is on that interests him. Just don't go with him to watch a romantic comedy or a drama, as soon as the movie is on and he realizes what is playing, he will get up, leave you sitting there and leave the cinema. He will wait for you outside if you really stay seated, but he will resent you for a long time for trying to lure him into such a "trash movie".

What he loves to watch are dystopian movies and disaster movies, the darker or more elaborate the better. He is fascinated by the concept of chaos in these movies.

His hand will always be on your knee or thigh, depending on how he's feeling at the moment, it could also be that he caresses you a bit more intimately, he generally has a hard time keeping his hands off you for any length of time.

His movies:

2012

The Road

Mad Max (all movies)

Book Of Eli

The day the earth stood still

How It Ends

World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles

The Wave

Annihilation

Cloverfield

28 Days later

@chxpsi

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@pink-peachie-pie @nahoney22

#headcanon #star wars #the bad batch #clonelove #clone force 99 #tbb #sw tbb #clone trooper tech #bad batch tech #tbb tech #tech #star wars headcanons #tbb headcanons #crosshair #crosshair x you #tbb crosshair #crosshair x reader #crosshair the bad batch #crosshair tbb #crosshair bad batch #commander crosshair #clone trooper crosshair #bad batch crosshair #tbb crosshair x reader #the bad batch crosshair #bad batch #star wars the bad batch #wrecker #tbb wrecker #wrecker bad batch

[dirchristophernolan]

just bear with me a second please. i'm gonna try to just.. stand in for my brother. i have some of his words, my sister's and my brothers', but.. uhm.. yeah i- i don't know how much i know. but.. i knew my father. you know i've said it, i've said it. and it is true what i said, what my uncle said. yeah, my father was a.. a brute. he was. he was tough. but also he built. and he acted. and there are many people out there who will always tell you 'no'. and there are a thousand reasons not to, to not act. but he was never one of those. he had a- a- you know.. he had a vitality, a force that could hurt and it did. but my god, the sheer, the- the- i mean, look at It. the lives, and the livings, and the things that He made. and The Money. yeah, The Money. the lifeblood, the oxygen of this- this wonderful civilization that we have built from the mud. The Money, the corpuscles of life gushing around this nation, this world, filling men and women all around with- with desire, quickening the ambition to Own, and Make, and Trade, and Profit, and Build and Improve. i mean, great geysers of life He willed. of buildings He made stand. of ships, steel hulls. amusements, newspapers, shows, and films, and LIFE. BLOODY, COMPLICATED LIFE. HE MADE LIFE HAPPEN. HE MADE ME AND MY THREE SIBLINGS. [camera cuts to caroline looking down at her lap. then goes back to kendall]. sorry. and yes, he had a terrible force to him. and a fierce ambition that could push you to the side. but it was only that- that human thing. the will To Be and To Be Seen and To Do. and now people might want to tend and prune the memory of Him to denigrate that force, that magnificent, awful force of Him, but, my god, i hope it's in me. because if we can't match his vim, then god knows the future will be sluggish and gray. and there wasn't a room from the grandest state room where his advice was sought to the lowest house where his news played, where he couldn't walk and wasn't comfortable. he was comfortable with this world and he knew it. He Knew It and He Liked It. and i say AMEN TO THAT. [church erupts in applause].

#succession #kendall roy #jeremy strong #logan roy #roman roy #shiv roy #connor roy #jesse armstrong #i am going insane over this episode but my god this scene

[mecchimon]

Still thinking about Mama Owada because, how did she live after that ?

Since they were being filmed and assuming that she survived the Junkpocalypse + Demon Hunting, how did she react ? The knowledge that both of her sons are gone, that Mondo inadvertantly killed his own brother out of jealousy, that he himself died in this cruel execution and now she's just, alone.

Do you think there was denial at first ? That she sat on the couch and just waited for them ? Hoping that one day, they, her sons and everybody else, would just barge in, laughing and saying that it was a prank and that none of it was real, so she could yell at them for scaring her like that ?

To make her believe that they're gone for good to never return again, that she'll never hear their mindless chatters and laughters day and night, or that they'd fight about the dumbest things while she told them to shut up.

To make her think that this same boy, that always trailed after his "amazing big bro" would just do that ? Would just start hating the same figure he admired more than anyone else, always looking at him like he hung the stars, and killed him ?

And now that they're gone, what does she do ?

Does she questions ? What does she asks to the silence of the empty house ? Why he didn't tell her how he felt ? Why she couldn't see the signs ? How could they just leave her like this ? Why did they have to die so cruelly.

No karma or justice makes you want to see your own flesh and blood begging and crying for help as he slowly crumbles away while you watch, helpless.

She can't comfort him like when he was young and bruised his knee, she can't scold him like when he got into fights and came back home all beat up, she can't scold his brother as well for praising him when he proudly said that he won. She can't do anything because it won't ever happen again. They're dead, and she knows it.

Who does she even cries for ?

For Daiya ? For Mondo ? For Chihiro, this innocent bystander that got thrown into this cruel game and ended up becoming a victim of his ? For herself, now left alone to bear the cruel truth and its consequences ?

How does a mother grieve with that knowledge, how does she even react ? Who does she turn to, who does she even blame ?

#proship #proshipper safe #mondo owada #i could talk about this for days #i really love thinking about the aftermath of the whole game #sure hope lives on but my god the consequences that this probably had on their families

[mark-of-chrysus]

I saw that you wrote a drabble on my ask and I loved it. It was so well written and Taehoon's personality really carried through.

I do have another idea for a time loop and it does involve Taehoon again, but also with Johan and Daniel.

It would probably take place at about the end of the God Dog arc where Johan is abandoned and fighting Gun.

Little Daniel is there (but y'know, like tall, buff , post training, etc.) and he's seen Johan at the taekwondojang here and there and he knows that Taehoon has mentally adopted Johan. So he subtly makes a call during the fight.

Just as Gun is about to knock Johan and Zack down after Zack shows up to help, Gun gets kicked in the face. Again.

After this, I guess the 2 of them would fight and Yeonwoo, and Dowoon (who tagged along to see who the guys who's been flirting with fighting Taehoon is) and they take Johan to the van. Johan gets promptly adopted by Seong Hansoo.

Meanwhile, everyone wants to know who this pretty gremlin is who's fighting Gun and has Gun smiling. even thoguh he's scolding him. - especially when he finds out about Johan's situation

Vasco : Johan's brother is still flirting with his boyfriend. Who knew Johan had a brother?

Zach :*confused*

Daniel : grinning because he's about to cause mayhem

Jiksae : filming in the background

Well, this also turned out a bit long haha.

Achievement Unlocked!

Child Acquired!

Hansoo looked down upon the two similar boys, one of which was his, and resisted the urge to pinch the smaller's cheeks. That was a feat in of itself, since Johan still retained a small portion of his baby fat, making his cheeks look extra-pinchable.

That was it, he was adopting him. And if he came with an adorable dog, who was he to separate them?!

Johan fit seamlessly into their little family. He was baby, after all, and both Taehoon and Hansoo adored him. They never really stopped babying him, but knew he had his own life and let him do his own thing most of the time. All in all, things were peaceful.

Then came the phone call.

Tae was hanging out with 'daddy issues #1' and 'daddy issues #2' when his phone began ringing incessantly. Annoyed, and having half the mind to just tell the person on the other side to fuck off he picked up.

"Taehoon" Danny's hurried tone sounded through the speaker before the brown-haired boy could even open his mouth, "Uh, you need to come here. Johan's in trouble!"

No other words were needed, Tae hung up and began sprinting toward the location of his brother's phone. That had been one of the conditions of letting him continue on with God Dog, that he would keep his location visible to them at all times and call if he needed help. The last part was near impossible for the proud boy, which is why both he and his father had insisted on the location bit.

The taekwondo prodigy skidded to a stop before the scene that greeted him, Yeonwoo and Dowoon panting a little behind him. His eyes zeroed in on Johan's fallen body laying on the bloodied concrete, before shifting onto the man looking down upon him with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh no, you don't!" He mumbled, rushing towards him.

Gun felt a sudden sense of dread wash over him before his face made contact with the asphalt, hard. Deja vu was one of the only things registering in his mind before he got his bearings back. He turned to look at the attacker, a large smirk stretching on his lips as he caught sight of the familiar mop of brown hair.

"Taehoon~" He practically purred, dodging an incoming kick.

"Satan's secret lovechild." The boy replied deadpan, socking him in the face.

"It's so nice to see you again."

"Can't say the same." His tone didn't change despite Gun's sultry voice.

The two continued exchanging hits while the others watched. It didn't look like they were going to be slowing down anytime soon, so they were content with just watching the show. Yeonwoo and Dowoon in particular were egging them on while simultaneously fighting over ship names. Daniel was nursing the two childhood friends' wounds the best he could while sneaking glances at the two fighters. He didn't want to miss anything important, but Zack and Johan were still bleeding and he had to deal with them first. Nonetheless, he secretly joined Dowoon and Yeonwoo in cheering for the brunette once the two began showing signs of waking up.

"Gunhoon!"

"Taegun!"

"Gunhoon!"

"Taegoon!"

"What the hell is going on?"

They paused their bickering turning to the now-awake dog-lover and gave him a shrug before resuming their conversation.

"They're fighting over ship names," Danny informed him, slipping over to check on the still-sleeping boxer before facing Johan again. "You might as well get comfortable. Something tells me they're going to be at it for a while."

The boy nodded dumbfounded, before leaning back down next to Zack. He was out like a light, causing Danny to coo and take pictures of him sleeping. He was sure Taehoon was going to thank him for them later, and it would probably be enough to bribe him to go easier on him during training. Daniel could only hope.

#lookism manhwa #webtoon lookism #lookism #zack lee #johan seong #gun park #viral hit #daniel park #taehoon seong #dowoon #yeonwoo

[whatsarasaid]

9 People to Get to Know Better

Tagged by the always lovely @lordbhreanna.

1. Three ships: In general, you can just say the word 'partners' and my ears will perk up like a German shepherd who's just heard a slice of American cheese crinkle open, but here are three that my AO3 history says I've read in the past six months.

(Answers below the cut because this got long).

Jyn Erso/Cassian Andor (Star Wars): War refugees finding purpose in self-sacrifice to higher ideals. Brief comfort in each other while facing the horrors. Reading into the unsaid. This one is funny because it's had a lot of longevity for me although it's never lived in the hyperfixation category. The only time I like Star Wars is when it leaves the Jedi hocus-pocus and nostalgia references behind, which means Rogue One and Andor are my personal pinnacle of SW.

Simon "Ghost" Riley/John "Soap" MacTavish (COD): Similar to above, although the military propaganda bois here have less nobility in their cause. You know, it's that— “You want to be brothers-in-arms, to have him to yourself […] to be shipwrecked together, [to] perform valiant deeds to earn his admiration, to save him from certain death, to die for him — to die in his arms, like a Spartan, kissed once on the lips […] or just run his errands in the meanwhile. You want him to know what cannot be spoken, and to make the perfect reply, in the same language.” (Stoppard, The Invention of Love) Safe to say, my definition of romance includes camaraderie, devotion, banter, and gritted teeth. Also, the pro of one-dimensional video game characters is that fic writers can fill in the blanks with whatever they want, and this ship has some crazy-talented authors who flesh them out excessively well.

Peter Parker/Wade Wilson (Marvel Comics/Sony): This is my lazily-popping-Ritz crackers-into-my-mouth ship, although I'm very fussy with which fics I read from it. It's wild and irreverent and dysfunctional, but the heart wants what it wants, and sometimes, it wants the sassy vigilante who's experienced a lifetime of grief to get caught in tête-à-têtes with an unfiltered mercenary who can't die.

2. First ever ship: Probably Zelda/Link (Legend of Zelda). Ocarina of Time told me to go rescue the princess, and my kid-self went, "Yeah, let's go get my girl. We're in love, bb."

3. Last song: Vampire Empire by Big Thief.

4. Last film: Poor Things. A willful and visually extravagant satire that made me cry once, flinch constantly, and laugh scornfully throughout. It fearlessly addressed the many ways men attempt to control women in general and their sexuality in particular. It felt like watching a novel, which is difficult to do, and the triumphant ending was a nice reward.

5. Currently reading: The Self Under Siege by Firestone, Firestone, and Catlett and Exhalation by Ted Chiang. Both are excellent and have tight, elegant writing styles that uphold their even better— although very different—content. I picked up This is How You Lose the Time War by El-Mohtar and Gladstone from the library recently, too. Why yes, that is too many books to be reading at once, thanks for noticing.

6. Currently watching: Nothing at the moment. The last thing I watched was season two of The Bear.

7. Currently consuming: Black coffee.

8. Currently craving: BBQ pork buns and guava curd doughnuts from the long-closed Asian-Portuguese fusion bakery that used to be a couple of blocks from me. RIP RIP RIP. Craving never to be slaked.

Tagging: @her-satanic-majesty @primewritessmut @periodically-puzzled @elenafisher-wong and, of course, anyone who wants to participate and make it nine for me. Tell me what you're into these days.

#for funsies

[monstroso]

Brother bear literally was the Disney movie you only ever saw during a disappointing visit to your friend's house for me, as was brother bear 2, which I saw first I think. The other one was a goofy movie but looking back i was only disappointed bc I was scandalized that core Disney characters ie goofy were capable of having children and having deep emotional feelings, and also I was worried that I'd turn out to be a little shit when I got older like max. Idk how I feel about it now

I'm the worst animator in the world because I've never seen A Goofy Movie, so I have no opinion. Generally I trust that it must have been alright, since most people my age seem to have extremely fond memories of it, but not having seen it I can't offer any insight. Maybe I'll watch it this week, since I seem to be on a kick what with the poll and people wanting to know my opinion on stuff (for some reason?).

As for Brother Bear though, I will not be rewatching that one. My brother is 4 years younger than me and has the 'tism worse than I do, and it was one of his comfort films. I've probably seen Brother Bear 50 times or better. I don't need to watch that one again.

There are things about Brother Bear that are. Acceptable. The animation is nice. I really like that when we see the bears from the humans' perspective they have the dull wild animal eyes, and its only when Kenai transforms that they gain the expressive Disney Animal eyes instead.

I really just. (Statement that will get me assassinated incoming in 3, 2, 1...) I don't care for Phil Collins's work on any of the Disney films. I can barely stand the man's music when it *isn't* incessantly demanding my attention in a film montage.

The bastard sneaks up on you! You'll be settling in to enjoy a nice scene transition, maybe thinking about how much you like the interplay between the two main characters, and then the vamp will start up... Slow at first. Under the dialogue. Innocently strumming along. Maybe you didn't even notice it at first. Then suddenly TELL EVERYBODY I'M ON MY WAY-

Fucking fuck! Get the hell outta here Phil, I'm tryna watch the damn movie!

This was also the first time I ever watched a movie and felt manipulated. 9 year old Ray hit the twist in the third act and was *not happy*.

The sad music, the high-angled panning around shot... AND FUCKING PHIL RIGHT THERE IN MY DAMN EAR. I knew I was being made to feel sad on purpose and little Ray was fucking pissed! When your audience of literal children can tell you're manipulating them, the wheels are falling off. This is a bum story beat in a bum narrative. Even thinking about it now is makin' me mad!

Ugh. I don't know why Brother Bear is winning that poll. Well, actually I do. It's because this website is populated by literal children who weren't even born when this movie came out so they don't know any better. I thought it would probably win but I never could have predicted how many people have such fond memories of it. Or how vocal they would be about it in the tags on my poll.

Woof. Thanks for the ask.

#asks #galushanationalrailways #the aristocourse #brother bear #disney #midsneypocalypse

[magevivika]

The Labyrinth

((Content Warnings: mention of trauma, family rejection, mental illness, and familial abuse. Also Spoilers for Labyrinth (1986 film).))

I was very young when I first saw the 1986 movie Labyrinth. I don't know how old I was but the movie must have been out for at least a few years to make it onto a free broadcast television channel in Aotearoa/New Zealand. It left such an impression on me. Many people talk about the film as a sexual awakening for them and it was for me too - Jennifer Connelly as Sarah Williams is still breath-taking to this day - but it was also much more for me. At the time it was also possibly my first clue about my gender identity - I wanted to BE the Goblin King with his flamboyant fashion, the gravitas of his presence, and of course his magic. He was so much in control! It was a sight to behold.

But as I have grown older and experienced more of the world, while also exploring myself, both of these characters (and their supporting cast) have become so much more.

About the story: Sarah has an infant step-brother (Toby) from her father's new marriage whom she resents having to baby sit. She is a teenager yet still clings to the trappings of childhood in her stuffed animals, fantasy stories, and interests. Her step-mother expresses a desire for her to "date" and socialize which indicates that she is mostly off in her own little fantasy world with her Old English Sheepdog Merlin.

In the very first scene we see Sarah, dressed in a lavish gown, in a park speaking intensely. She demands "the child" and expresses that she is powerful - "My will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great" but there she falters. She can't remember the next line. She repeats the previous line then pulls out a book and we see she is reciting the lines of text. "You have no power over me" she reads and laments that she can never remember that line.

Then the clock tower bells begin and she realises she is late home - she runs through a sudden down-pouring of rain and we meet her father and step-mother. Her step-brother, she is informed, is already asleep but they're running late. Sarah is upset but dissuades her father's attempt to talk to her through her closed bedroom door before lamenting to herself about his lack of persistence. The parents leave. She notices that one of her teddy bears is missing and bursts into her parents' room where her step-brother is sleeping to see if it had been given to him and it is indeed in his crib. The baby wakes and she's forced to comfort him - except in her resentment she recites the book's incantation to ask that the goblins take the baby away to the Goblin King to become a goblin forever.

This is what sets the rest of the story in motion. The baby's cries suddenly stop when she leaves the room, the Goblin King appears before her to explain he has accepted the exchange to make Toby a goblin, and when she demands Toby back he issues her the challenge of solving his labyrinth within 13 hours under the agreement that if she does then he will return her brother.

Sarah is alone. She made this exchange, albeit ignorant of what she was actually agreeing to, alone. She accepted the challenge alone. She has no one to rely on in this, in the task of saving her brother, but herself. The Goblin King even deploys beings to thwart and redirect her. Yet over the course of the movie she gains friends through her bravery, kindness, perseverance, and generosity.

During the final scenes of the movie, once Sarah has finally solved the Labyrinth, she faces the Goblin King once more. He tells her that he has done so much for her, he took the child at her request, she feared him and he was obligingly frightening, he reordered time, and he has "done it all for you" - so generously. Sarah remains ungrateful and continues with the lines from the book. Jareth interrupts her again to claim that he is offering her her dreams and if she would "Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave." She falters on the same line as she did in the very first scene and repeats the prior.

But then she remembers: "You have no power over me." and everything shatters. The illusion of the power that the Goblin King holds over her is gone. She has fulfilled his unreasonable challenge of solving the Labyrinth and he was only delaying her rescuing her brother as promised. She is returned home and Toby is safely sound asleep in his crib.

A satisfying ending to an exciting tale. Life, often, deprives us of such satisfaction.

My own family of origin is highly dysfunctional, to this very day, and they live in a world of their own where those who harm them are inherently evil. I knew the unspoken rule that one must never speak any uncomfortable truths that would cause pain, make anyone feel bad about themselves, or be damning of those deemed 'good'. For if a 'good' person harms someone then it is not their fault - they have been harmed themselves so we must look the other way. I transgressed by disclosing that one of the 'good' people harmed me profoundly when I was very young. For this sin I have been labelled evil - though the words they use are 'liar' and perhaps 'crazy'. I am mentally ill. I have been diagnosed with chronic P.T.S.D. - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (the neuropsychologist also mentioned complex developmental trauma) from early childhood. It was not caused by a single event, although that one event was traumatic enough, and every 'good' person in my immediate family has deeply harmed me.

And that's why I must remind myself, daily, that they "have no power over me". They absolutely had every power over me when I needed them most and it is natural for my mind to struggle to release that impression. But they no longer have any power that I do not grant them. I have a hoard of friends and allies that I can summon at a moment's notice to support me when I'm in pain and to celebrate every joy with me. I have escaped their Labyrinth even if my mind sometimes still wanders those shifting corridors. I can rise above it, to see it for what it truly is, now. That's not to say it's easy. I still struggle with the feeling that I will face the same condemnation and rejection from others that my family provides. I do have a pair of family members who believe me and try their best to be supportive so I very much appreciate them both.

But, ultimately, my life now is like that final scene where Sarah is in the safety of her bedroom with all her friends celebrating together. She knows she can call on them as they have offered, explicitly, that "should you need us" they will be there. And she feels safe enough to admit that she does need them. "I don't know why, but, every now and then in my life, for no reason at all, I need you. All of you." And that's where I want to stay.

#labyrinth #childhood trauma #mental illness #mental health #restorative relationships #essay #mage prose