#there's a part of me that's like *can we just get an anthology series following various minor characters during their time in black sails*

[football-and-fanfics]

The Medic #6 - Trent Alexander-Arnold

About the series: The Medic will be an anthology-like series about the reader working for the medical team of the club. Each chapter will feature a different setting/scenario and a different player.

Who: Trent Alexander-Arnold Prompt: panic attack Requested by: as voted for by you. Warnings: contains descriptions of panic/anxiety attack.

"We need help, urgently!"

From the way Andy stormed into the small room you had set up as your workspace during this away match, you immediately knew something was very wrong. From his wide eyes to his apparent concern, it left little to the imagination.

"Whoa, calm down." You rose from your seat and hurried over to Andy. "What's going on? What happened?" "It's Trent, he..." Andy stammered frantically. "Something's happening to him, and... I don't know what to do." "It's alright, calm down." You tried to keep your voice as level as possible, even though this sounded like a potentially serious situation. "Can you take me to him, please?" Andy nodded curtly, before turning on his heel and leading the way.

You followed Andy at a trot back to the team's dressing room. As soon as you stepped inside, you didn't need long to see things were indeed serious.

Trent sat huddled away into a far corner of the dressing room, hugging his knees and face averted from the room. A few others of the team stood around him, yet keeping their distance. No one seemed to know what to do or how to handle this situation. You, on the other hand, saw this immediately for what it was: a panic attack.

"Please, everyone, take a few steps back. Give him some more space." You kept your voice calm, yet with enough authority that everyone instantly backed away a few meters. You sat down on the floor opposite Trent, making sure there was enough space between the two of you not to frighten him any further.

From the rigidness of all his muscles, to his strained, hitched breaths, it wasn't hard to see he was still in the middle of his panic attack. He looked almost catatonic, with his arms clamped around his knees like bear traps, and his haunted gaze focused on the floor.

For a short while you just sat with him, uttering soft words of comfort and reassurance, and trying to ease his heaving breaths. "You're going to be alright," you soothed, "just focus on my voice for now. Try to breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Rest your head between your knees." Trent tried to speak, but the only sound he could get himself to produce was a panicked whimper. "Don't talk," you said gently, "just try to focus on me. You're having a panic attack. I know it feels really scary right now, but you're going to be alright." Trent whimpered once again as his entire body trembled. "It's alright, I'm here with you," you spoke calmly, "we're getting through this, I promise."

It took well over fifteen minutes before you saw any change, but finally Trent seemed at least a little calmer.

You hovered a hand over Trent's forearm. "May I?" The minute nod of Trent's head was the signal you waited for. You gently placed your hand on his arm, feeling him still trembling. Trent slowly lifted his face off his knees and rested his head back against the wall. His breaths had calmed down for the most part, but there still was a wild, haunted look in his eyes.

"Are you ready to talk?" You asked without putting any kind of pressure on him. Trent nodded silently in reply. "Do you need the others to leave?" You had seen Trent's scared glance dart to the rest of the team standing at a little distance. "Yes, please." Trent's words were almost inaudible.

Andy, who was the only one standing close to Trent with you, started ushering the rest of the team out of the dressing room. "Not him..." Trent mumbled when he saw that Andy, too, was about to walk out the door. "Robbo," you called back to him to stop him from leaving, and motioned with you head for him to come back. "Do you want me to stay?" Andy asked. "Yeah," Trent answered softly before you could. Andy made his way back over and sat down on the floor next to you.

"Whenever you're ready." You gently prompted Trent to speak. Trent took a shuddering breath. "It's this place." "What about it?" You frowned. "It's..." Trent plucked at a loose thread of his socks as he searched for the words. "I made my first team debut here. A debut given to me by the gaffer, and I... suddenly realized this is the last time we'll be playing here with him as our coach."

You clicked on immediately. Everyone had taken the announcement of Klopp's departure at the end of the season very hard, but you hadn't actively realized that some players, like Trent, had never played for another coach since they had come into the first team. The shudder Andy gave beside you, told you that he hadn't actively realized this either.

"Trent..." You recollected yourself. "It's alright to feel this way. It's a big change we're facing, with a lot of things still uncertain, but this team can handle it. You can handle it." You felt him tremble underneath your hand still resting on his arm. "I'm just..." Trent mumbled, "... not good around new people." You knew Trent wasn't all that comfortable around people he didn't know, and could turn quite introverted. A challenge he had clearly already realized for himself for when Klopp's successor would take over.

"Hey." Andy now spoke up, gently patting Trent's knee. "Every new start is hard, but we're all in this together." Trent nodded through a sob. "Yeah..." he mumbled brokenly, "I just... guess I wasn't expecting it to be now already." "None of us did," you agreed. Trent scoffed. "Sure, but I don't see any of you having a panic attack over it." "Trust me," Andy chuckled wryly, "when the gaffer broke the news, I sure felt like it."

Trent blew out a deep breath, wiping a few stray tears from his cheeks. They had fallen without him even consciously knowing it. He looked thoroughly shaken up still, but at least somewhat calmer. The fact that this had caused him to have a panic attack startled him, but at the same time it made him realize what this club, this team, meant to him.

You gently pressed two fingers against the pulse point of Trent's wrist. His heartrate felt almost back to normal, and you no longer felt him tremble. "Are you doing better?" You asked. "I think I am," Trent confirmed, "although I don't think I can play a match right now." You nodded. "Maybe it's indeed best you didn't. I'll go tell the boss." "No." Trent stopped you. "I want to tell him myself."

Trent slowly scrambled to his feet. He looked a little unsteady with the aftermath of his panic attack, but otherwise he seemed fine. You kept a sharp eye on him, but didn't see anything that might suggest he was spiraling out of control again.

Andy slung an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Would you like me to come with you?" "If you would, please." Trent nodded meekly. Before the both of them could leave, you turned to Trent. "Take it easy, okay?" You urged him. "If you feel like panicking again, or even if you just want to have a good cry, you come straight to me." Trent smiled shortly. "I will, thank you."

Tags: @stonesyyyy, @footballffbarbiex, @football1921, @laurasstufff1, @nightlockcornucopia, @hbstre

Add me to the tags list | TAA masterlist | Writing masterlist

#footballandfanficsthemedic #trent alexander arnold #trent alexander arnold imagine #trent alexander arnold blurb #trent alexander arnold fanfic #trent alexander arnold fanfiction #football imagine #football blurb #football fanfic #football fanfiction #footballer imagine #footballer blurb #footballer fanfic #footballer fanfiction #footballandfanficstaa

[naamahdarling]

I'm creating a Eldritch horror story and I'm trying to base it off my own fears. Following that same logic, what kind of cosmic horror would you make?

I was raised with Lovecraft stories (paraphrased at first) as bedtime stories, so I sort of have eldritch/cosmic horror in my blood. I really really really love it.

The Magnus Archives hit it so far out of the park that any sort of eldritch powers fiction I create after this is now going to have to reckon with its presence in the genre. I...do not feel I personally have anything to add to that specific sort of angle after what they produced. Genuinely. Which doesn't mean I won't create, just that I'm aware that whatever I do isn't going to expand or encapsulate the genre the way TMA did.

I really like anthology horror in general, where related works are grouped by a theme, and the whole "witness statements" format that was a prominent part of TMA (and plenty of others) is VERY appealing to me as a fan of real-world weird occurrences, creepypasta, and personal stories of paranormal events, so the sort of thing I would be most likely to create would be a series of accounts or events relating to the same horrible subject.

I have decided that doing it as Magnus Archives fsnfiction would work just fine. Zero of the same characters showing up. Just witness statements. I actually have several written but I want to finish out the suite of Fears with one for each.

The other thing that really appeals to me is the idea that the monstrous and eldritch can be welcome, especially the influence of it on our bodies, but also in terms of the power that being truly feared gives uz. That the terrible chsnges that happen to you can be, somehow, revelatory and identity-affirming. That's a very trans/disabled/etc. theme.

What about the existential horror you would feel as you become LESS monstrous? That the thing that sets you apart and maybe hurts you but also makes you very powerful is suddenly leaving you. Now you are becoming just like the people that your pride in your monstrousness was intended to spite. How, then, can we be monstrous, be OURSELVES, when no-one can see our monstrousness? When we no longer have access to the Secrets and the Horrors and the Powers and the Knowledge, when that which is Other and Unknowable and Terrifying has left us, what do we do?

What if what most would consider "healing" actually destroyed something in the core of us? What if you grew back a wounded part of yourself and it grew back wrong" is an idea mined often enough in cosmic horror to be recognizable. What if growing back "wrong" meant growing back "normal?"

So I would very much enjoy writing a story where the angle was not "healing is scary to those who have been harmed, but it is ultimately for the best UwU" but "being forced to change to align with what others think is good and healthy until you AGREE WITH THEM is the REAL horror." Something I think most queer/trans people and most disabled people will instinctively grasp.

But I would like to extend that to specifically survivors of trauma, who can feel the sickening pressure of being told at every turn that their role now is to work to "get over" and "recover" from something the world did to them when others' definition of "recovery" (a return to normal, or the ability to re-engage with what traumatized them) can feel immediately, viscerally wrong. A denial of the injured state of the self, a shifting of the responsibility onto the traumatized person and away from external change and justice and restoration. A huge force you don't understand trying to change you or warping things around you? That's cosmic horror, baby. The force trying to change you is just "We need you to stop being different now." And you don't understand why you should want to.

I'm wrestling with this right now in therapy and getting almost nowhere by the standards by which most people define "recovery" because I refuse to see why on earth I should be the one to change or why my hate/anger is a problem I should solve to make things easier in the future for the same kind of people who hurt me.

At my core what I most want is for them to be absolutely terrified of me.

So there's a lot to work with there.

[wannab-urs]

The Spreadsheet Digest - Fic Recs | Vol. 10

Hi babies!!

Can't believe this is the TENTH week of TSD. I really love sharing what I read with y'all (even if it's lowkey embarrassing to admit how much smut I read in seven days). This week I branched out to a Pedro Boy I don't usually read AND I read a couple different series that like... changed my life.

Fic recs below the Pedro ;)

The last great american dynasty - a Joel one shot by @proxima-writes (part of the Folklore Anthology)

I love love love old homes and I also did a research project in college that involved reading historical letters so this was all just a really cool premise for me. Add in the snarky reader and grumpy joel and it's just heaven on earth for me.

Muddy Waters - a Joel / Ezra series by @bonezone44

This is like... weird. It gives me an eerie feeling. And that is such a fucking compliment btw. I am obsessed. The way you've written Ezra is so fucking interesting (and creepy). Love me a murder boy <3 And reader is really fascinating too ugh. This is so cool. (thanks toxic for pointing me to this w your rec ahhhh).

Bunny - a Javi P two shot by @whatsnewalycat

Obsessed with the premise here. Phone sex operator to get through school?? sign me up. The little Dale Gribble moment was delightful and then it's followed up by incredible phone sex with Javier. And then!!! Part TWO we get professor Javi, which is unfairly hot and the recognition from the voice and just.... oh my god it is everything. I mean this is just the perfect set up for dirty talk and boy does Javi have a mouth on him.

LJ's Bangathon - a Pedro Boys... bangathon? by @prolix-yuy

Every single one of these is incredible. I'm especially partial to the Oberyn x Sit on the Throne one because like... murder + dub con vibes and neither in the way you'd expect. I also adored Jack and Marcus Pike. Their dynamic was so good UGH. Anyway they're all amazing and you should read them.

Learning to Live - a Javi P series by @wheresarizona

This fucking fic is ruining my life. I've been completely consumed with it all week. I can see how a casual viewer of Narcos would say it's OoC for Javi, but I actually think it's kind of genius. Throughout the show you get all these slight glimpses into Javi's true nature: soft, sweet, caring, passionate, gentle... but he's so wrapped up in and beat down by everything in Colombia that he has to be an asshole or he won't fucking survive. The post-show Javi who is ready to start letting all that go is so fucking wonderful to see and I love that Cielito gets to help bring that out of him. The little moments of reconnecting with his family and remembering his mom bring me to tears. The long speeches in Spanish are just so lovely. If you need something to make you weak in the knees and a little teary eyed this is it. Passionate, adoring, filthy, gorgeous smut sandwiched between beautiful little moments of fluff and just the right amount of angst. Me encanta esta historia <3

With or Without You - a Javi P/Frankie series by @jksprincess10

Frankie is so adorable and sweet in this. He just wants to make reader feel good and he also wants to please Javi ugh. And reader is so mischievous getting Javi to do what she wants ahhhhh. And of course our dominant little Javi P is wonderful in this. Fucking top tier smut, Nad. We all know I love a MMF threesome fic lmao.

this is me trying - a Joel one shot by @swiftispunk

This is such a sweet platonic Joel and Ellie fic ugh. I really love fics that explore their relationship post season 1 and like... Joel coming to terms with everything. I loved the set up (similar to his panic attack in episode 6 when he sees the girl by the tree) and I love how Ellie comforts him in her own quintessentially Ellie way. You can see the bond they have where she just kind of knows what to do and say instinctively and it makes me so happy. I see a lot of fics where Joel is trying to comfort Ellie or get her to stop hating him for what he did and it's just really nice to see a fic where Ellie comforts him instead.

take what you need darling - a Joel one shot by @iamasaddie

big thick dick daddy joel what more do you need?

punch the clock - a Javi P one shot by @deathwife

Listen this is exactly what would happen if I worked anywhere near Javier Peña. I would find a way to get him to come with me and I would also be a sassy lil bitch to him constantly. Not like it would be difficult to get Javi to come with pretty much anything with legs and wearing a skirt, but still.

I Can Feel Your Heartbeat - a Jack (Whiskey) series by @psychedelic-ink

Cowboy Jack Daniels is a character who begs to be written as a stripper and this fic delivered. He's hot and sweet and I love it. Part two is sexy as all hell and features clumsy as fuck reader (which is so me). And then it drops the ANGST on you. God I love this. I cannot wait for part three.

The Secret - a Marcus M series by @frannyzooey

This collection of drabbles about a much older Marcus Moreno sneaking into your dorm at night is so fucking hot, y'all. I don't read a whole lot of Marcus Moreno unless he's being sweetly seduced by my favorite piece of shit human, Dieter Bravo. So I clicked on this bc it's by one of my favorite writers and was rec'd by another of my favorite writers and... alright. I'm on the Marcus Moreno train. I get it. And the drabbles left me desperately wanting a full story... wishful thinking?

----------oldies but goodies-----------

Soft - a Dieter one shot by @mishasminion360

Home for the weekend - a Joel one shot by @loquaciousferret

Genesis - an Ezra series by @max--phillips (I'll kiss you if you write more)

Perfectly Intoxicating - a Javi P series by @gracieispunk

Es Tarde y Te Necesito - a Javi P one shot by @gar6agef1r3

Say My Name - a Javi P one shot by @palioom

I Only See Daylight - a Din series by @millersdjarin

A Fresh Start - a Din series by @theidiotwhowritesthings

----------my shit------------

Nothing new! I'm planning a little Javi P thing maybe? Based on my username... MAYBE! Do not get excited.

And maybe a lil Dieter thing based on Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan but again don't hold me to it I am useless most of the time.

-------------------------------------

Happy Reading <3

#fic recs #the spreadsheet digest #vol 10 #pedro pascal #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro fics #pedro pascal character fanfiction

[emptymanuscript]

You know, I just saw a post supporting the writer's strike and saying there are plenty of old shows to watch... and it occurred to me that it might be good to share some shows we love just in case people haven't seen them yet.

Places that make it easy to find where to watch things: Reelgood and JustWatch. Check both, they sometimes conflict, get it wrong, etc.

My Recs (in hopes others will add) (admittedly the low hanging fruit):

The X-Files, 1993, 11 Seasons, free on freevee, available on Hulu, can rent or buy other places. If you haven't seen X-Files, you're missing out. It was a smash hit in the 90's for a good reason. Two detectives, a believer and a skeptic, try to solve unsolvable mysteries in the midst of grand conspiracy. And find, somehow, that as much as they annoy each other, they need each other.

Babylon 5, 1993 / 1994, 5 Seasons, free on Roku and Tubi. An Epic Space Opera that never quite got the success it deserved. It is one of those things whose influence is written all over modern sci-fi and fantasy without much acknowledgement. This is the interplay of empires and mythology, double dealing and political cruelty.

SPACE: 1999, 1975, 2 seasons, free on Crackle, Peacock, Fubo, Pluto, Freevee, Plex, Shout, and Roku. I dare you to listen to the theme song and not feel the groove of this classic campy space opera. When Earth's moon is ejected from orbit to hurtle through the galaxy, the people of Moonbase Alpha have to confront new alien weirdness every week. Part of what makes it so good is that the show takes itself completely seriously, there's no wink and nod in here.

Kindred: The Embraced, 1996, 1 Season, available as a slime tutorial. It's Vampire: The Masquerade as a cheesy soap opera. There are constant reminders of what the clans are like in the most pointed, ridiculous dialogue you can imagine. Had the lead actor not died, this show might have found its place in a couple of more seasons, as it is, it is deliciously campy and dumb. Days of our LARP.

Profit, 1996, 1 Season, available as a slime tutorial. What if the Antagonist was the Main Character. Profit was ahead of its time. It would be right at home in the modern streaming era but it absolutely didn't fit in its own day and age. Profit is dark and twisted (For people who follow me, see if you can find an early inspirations for JJ) with mature and uncomfortable themes. One of its benefits is that it was network televison, so it couldn't show all the gratuitous violence and sex that it would be given if it was made today. It's psychological violence and murder off screen, which, if you let yourself get into it, can grow into worse things than can be shown. Profit is about power, greed, and ruthlessness and what happens when someone even more ruthless and immoral than you shows up.

Farscape, 1999, 4 seasons and a TV movie, available for free on crackle, peacock, popcornflix, shout, freevee, pluto, roku, and tubi. In spite of my picture, this is live action space opera, but it is looney tunes, literally in one episode. This is what happens when the Jim Henson company decides to make a space opera as far away from Star Trek as possible. It's zany, over the top, sometimes hilarious, often creepy, and there's only one human who is far out of his depth.

Blake's 7, 1978, 4 seasons, available on BritBox, and you should be able to find all of it with a little searching on youtube. Like Farscape, this show focuses on escaped prisoners but when they find an advanced spacecraft, they decide to become freedom fighters against their fascist regime instead of just trying to escape. Darker than most of what you could find on US tv until fairly recently. These are wounded people in hostile space.

The Outer Limits, 1995, 7 seasons. Free on Roku. This is a sci-fi anthology series. Some episodes are more interesting and thought provoking than others but overall a lot of good stories.

There are now 12 series with 44 seasons between them totaling up to 880 episodes of Star Trek. That's about 3 months straight of 24 hour programming if you ran it back to back with no pauses at all. That's a lot of show. Mostly on Paramount+ but it's probably not terribly difficult to find the material less officially. It may not all be your cup of earl grey but there's a lot to try out to see if you like it.

1899, 2022, 1 season (cancelled), available on Netflix or wherever else one finds shows. This is my only modern show because I know it didn't get a lot of viewership in spite of being brilliantly twisty. 1899 is one of those shows that it is very hard to talk about without spoilers. I think it is however immediately obvious that the cruise ship Kerebos, en route to New York, is not at all in the situation it appears to be in. It is magnificently multilingual with the ability to communicate when you can't speak each other's language front and center in the narrative. It's sadly cancelled and the creators are on record that they don't want to finish it in another medium so we'll never know exactly what happened but there is wonder to be had from this first season.

Magnum P.I., 1980, 8 seasons. Free on freevee and Roku. 1 season available with Amazon Prime, rest for rent or purchase. Mix a lovable goofball naval vet with PTSD and a very stiff necked British curmudgeon vet with PTSD and you get a fun mystery every week in paradise. Magnum shrugs off most of his work and pawns it on to his friends getting by on charm and some wit.

Murder, She Wrote, 1984, 12 seasons. All available for free on Roku. 6 seasons available for free on freevee. Note that one of the primary writers for Murder, She Wrote was J. Michael Straczynski, this is the job that got him the ability to make Babylon 5. Jessica Fletcher is a charming and clever lady who has retired to the placid sea side village of Cabot Cove to write mystery novels but somehow always ends up at murder scenes. It has been estimated that if Cabot Cove was real, it would be the murder capital of the US.

Tales from the Crypt, 1989, 7 seasons, available as a slime tutorial. To get it to lucky number 13, I present another great anthology show. Every episode a different tale of the macabre or horrific. The crypt keeper is a charmingly gruesome host and there are a few episodes that have stuck with me since I first saw them in the 90's.

Hopefully one among these number can fulfill your needs and if not, hopefully someone else will tack on a few more. I know I left out plenty of my own favorites. There's lots to see while your current faves are on hiatus. There might be a brand new fandom waiting for you.

#writer's strike #tv recommendations

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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116. How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Man, I love Grady Hendrix.

I never know what I'm going to get with his books. When I started HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE, I wasn't sure if I was really into it. The start was a little bit on the slower side and I wasn't sure how I felt about the sibling dynamic.

Then I put the book down and read some other things. I think I wasn't in the right head space for it, so I eventually picked it up again a couple of months later. And I'm so glad I tried again!

This book made me laugh probably a few too many times considering it's horror, but those puppets (especially the main one) was absolutely hilarious. If you do audiobooks, I highly recommend listening to the one for this book, especially because you'll get the pleasure of hearing the voice actor do the puppet's voice--that catcall of his in particular. Man, that was funny.

But much like Hendrix's other works, one moment you're either mad or laughing, and the next you'll feel like you need to throw up. There are some seriously gruesome bits in this. If you're into that, you'll saw right through the pages.

This book had me feeling so many emotions and somehow, even after the worst (I thought it was the worst part), there were still four hours left in the audiobook. Those were some creepy and fast paced hours as the story raced towards a satisfying conclusion. Listen, I cried at the end. If that's not a rollercoaster of emotions, I don't know what is.

While it might not have been my favourite Hendrix book (HORRORSTÖR will always be my favourite), this was a fun one that might make you laugh, squirm with disgust, and cry. Especially fun to recommend this to people who have a phobia of dolls and/or puppets.

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117. The 39 Clues: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis--⭐️⭐️

Okay, aha, this series is written by different authors and...it shows.

Off the bat, I was slightly uncomfortable. From some of the jokes used (one sibling calling the other "Jackie Chan" because they were going to Japan when Jackie isn't even Japanese...), to the uncomfortable idea that one of the siblings is falling for her cousin. I get that it was alluded to in earlier books, but it was more like a "he's attractive and I have social anxiety" but seeing them flirt in this book was....kind of weird LOL.

I know these are older books and while I did enjoy the adventure parts (and the cunning ways these family members outdo each other), there were some things I couldn't get past. I'll keep reading the series because I'm both curious about the mystery and because another author will write the next book.

Onto the next one!

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118. Night of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine--⭐️⭐️

I wanted to enjoy this one, but I know GOOSEBUMP books can be super hit or miss. This is such a popular book in the series, so I was hoping for...more? But there was so much wrong with this one. The competing twins were frustrating, but they're kids. I can understand their competition.

What I don't understand is the horrible parents. I know this is from a kid's perspective, so maybe we are seeing an inflated response from the parents, but that mother was a piece of work. What an impatient and disconnected woman. Listen, if my kid told me their doll was moving on its own, I'd be spraying holy water on it instead of yelling at them. Just, such questionable parenting. There's a reason why so many kids never want to tell their parents anything.

"Why don't they call me anymore?" Because when Billy told you that his puppet was trying to kill him, you didn't believe him. JK. It's not that serious, but it's sad to see that so many people in my generation grew up reading about parents like this.

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119. Our Shadows Have Claws by Various--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have mixed feelings about this collection. I never really pick up anthologies because I need my stories to be thicker than just a few pages, although I can fully appreciate the mastery of writing a powerful story a short number of pages long. But while there were definitely some knockout stories in this collection (in my opinion), there were some misses, too.

I went into this hoping to be spooked! I'm Latina, so seeing a Latine collection of horror stories made me incredibly excited (even with my apprehension for short stories). While the stories may not have been what I was hoping for, the artwork was gorgeous and creepy. I'll definitely be keeping this collection on my shelves both because it's amazing Latine rep, and because it's just a beautiful book aesthetically.

I've broken down the stories with my individual ratings and very short thoughts:

The Nightingale and the Lark: 3 Stars

I enjoyed seeing a story about the complicated dynamic of family and tradition. I'm kind of sad this is the Cuban one--but don't mind me, this is just me being a city bitch. I had no idea what this monster was and neither did my parents, but I'm assuming it's a campo monster. That being said, this was a pretty solid story to start with....but not scary. At all. It WAS interesting to see the morality living in the shadows of beliefs and fear.

¿Dónde Está el Duende?: 4 Stars

I think this is one of my favourites of the whole collection. It was so sinister and more than the monster itself, the actions of the humans involved made this one extra spooky. I remember thinking about it once it ended and feeling so uncomfortable when all of the pieces clicked together.

El Viejo de la Bolsa: 2 Stars

Meh. I feel like I zoned out with this one. I was so confused and by the end of the story, I had no idea what I'd just read. (This happens a few times with some of the stories in the collection.)

Beware the Empty Subway Car: 1.5 Stars

Honestly, this title was kind of misleading. There were some cool places this story could have gone but it was so boring. And it felt like...the point of the story was kind of random? Especially because it read more like one chapter in a bigger book. No shade to the authors, but it felt like the point of this story being included in this collection was missed. All backstory, barely any spooks. Meh. Least favourite, lowest rating.

Dismembered: 4 Stars

Having just lost my Abuela last December, this hella pulled on my heartstrings. Emotional and with a deeply heartbreaking twist, Dismembered is rightfully a favourite for a lot of other readers. Even if the beginning of the story feels gruesome, the heart of the story is beautiful.

Blood Kin: 4 Stars

I LOVE revenge stories. I was immediately hooked and I'm a sucker for the bad guy getting his due justice. Also, another heartstring puller. These authors giving me the spooks with a side of heartbreak. Thanks.

La Boca Del Lobo: 2 Stars

So, I *listened* to the audiobook of this collection. I have this thing where if a book isn't keeping my attention, then it's not a book I'm enjoying. When I'm invested, I am listening with both ears and hoping to catch everything. This story had me so disinterested that I had to replay the whole thing again because I missed the whole thing. The second time around wasn't any better.

Bloodstained Hands Like Ours: 2 Stars

While I loved the LGBTQ+ rep, I wasn't really feeling this one. It had a weird ending that made me think of superheroes. Much like the Subway Car story, this felt like a lot of backstory and not enough main creep story.

The Boy from Hell: 3.5 Stars

This was a fun one and felt like it could have been its own book. I especially loved how this story touches on the racism that lives in the Latine community. Also, even though I saw the twist a mile away, it was still fun to see.

La Patasola: 4 Stars

Loved the LGBTQ+ rep in this and how it forces the reader to see how ignorance and falling to peer pressure can ruin something so beautiful. I kind of wish I had more of this story so I could see the outcome of the events that happen. I really enjoyed this one. The ending was very satisfying.

The Other Side of the Mountains: 4 Stars

I think this one is a perfect example of backstory being well-balanced with the heart of the story. That twist was *chef's kiss*.

La Madrina: 3 Stars

I don't think this is a monster story. I think it's a great morality story that was well written and paced, but I think to call this a monster story does the heart of it a disservice. But I guess, in a way, it brings to question what we might define a monster to be.

Sugary Deaths: 3.5 Stars

This had a very satisfying ending for a creepy man who should not be around younger girls. This is one of those stories where you have to ask yourself, "Who's the real monster here?"

Leave No Tracks: 4 Stars

I loved this one because of how powerful it was. I thought it was a great allegory for the erosion of family and nature, and how the consequences of our choices can haunt us long after the choice has been made.

The Hour of the Wolf: 4 Stars

Probably one of my favourites overall. I love a good story with Karma and this one DELIVERED. Also, something I've noticed in this one and in some of the other stories is the importance of the all-knowing Abuela. Loved the creepy wolf vibes and the bullies facing some twisted revenge.

___

120. Help! We Have Strange Powers! by R.L. Stine--⭐️⭐️

This was pure chaos.

While I really enjoyed the last Horrorland book I listed to, this one was just too much. The production level felt like it was too much. And don't even get me started on these awful main characters. Also, this was another book with twins. LOL Stine had a trope.

I AM intrigued, however, about what is happening in Horrorland--I think that's the best part of these books.

___

121. Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells--⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow, I can't believe I finally finished this book that I started a year and a bit ago. I never thought this day would come LOL.

I think one of the reasons why I kept putting this one down is because it felt like a slower read--which is why I'm so happy my library got the audiobook edition! That definitely helped, although there were still instances where my brain zoned out because the story never really fully hooked me.

The mystery and intrigued was interesting--I wanted to see what twists and turns waiting for me as the MC navigated the truths being thrown at her. It makes me sort of fascinated enough to read the sequel, but I'm not fully sold on that yet.

One of the things I did love about this series is that it did have that fun early 2000s-2010s vibes that contemporary fantasy had, a la SOOKIE STACKHOUSE & the FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT series (but without the spiciness, just the tension.)

Other than the occasional slow pace, this was fun and I think would be a fun read for anyone who likes badass MCs taking over their own narrative after so many others have done it for them.

___

122. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pardon my French, but this book is a mindfuck.

I'm kind of freaked out about how good Kuang is at making you face your own mind when you're given an anti-hero MC who sometimes had you empathizing with her, and then abruptly remembering how awful they actually are. Granted, none of the characters in this book were the shitting rainbows kind of characters. These were characters that dangerously resembled the actual nature of so many people out there--people who you may know, or may have encountered. Those people who think they've been wronged and who think other groups get undeserved preferential treatment.

Other than this being a phenomenal commentary on the publishing industry, this is just such a fascinating exploration of the human condition and how biases can truly make us believe the things we believe--even when the rest of the world is pointing out how wrong your actions are. Also, Kuang shows us the dangers of having heavily unreliable narrators. The power of writing is sometimes having you empathize with the worst characters.

Trigger warning, though, for incredibly blasé racism and discussion of under-representing racism in history to make a story more palatable. Those scenes where the MC is editing the stolen manuscript were probably some of the harder ones for me because I KNOW there are editors and people in publishing who would think the same way.

Kuang is a genius and even though I wasn't a fan of THE POPPY WAR, YELLOWFACE & BABEL will forever remain as some of my favourites because of their blunt and incredible discussions on race and inequality.

I can't recommend this book enough. I do recommend doing it with a glass of wine...or something stronger. Just don't make any Pandan pancakes to eat along with this book.

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123. You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I will immediately say that while this had some fun moments and commentary on what it means to be a Black person in a horror setting, this book wasn't at all what I was expecting--and I don't mean that in a good way.

I really enjoyed seeing the MC and her strong connection with her girlfriend. That in itself felt like it was defying the horror genre stereotypes. I also loved the jabs at what we usually see in horror books (like couples having sex will always be like a dinner bell being rung for serial killers at killer camps).

Overall, this book had its creepy moments, weird twists, and an interesting ending. But I was hoping for...more. This felt like it didn't go where I was hoping it would go and it ended up just being an okay read.

I'm giving it three stars instead of two because while it wasn't what I was hoping for, it was still a fun read that I'd recommend to anyone wanting a slasher read.

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Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!

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Happy reading!

#books #reviews of the week #review #reviews #book list #booklr #bookworm #book blog #book blogger #my writing #my opinion #Features #on books #on reading #long text post #reviewer #book reviewer #book recos #book addict #book reviews

[substituted-shinigami]

Tiger Robe

AO3

Characters: Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo (implied RenRuki), with a guest appearance of the Advance Team peanut gallery

Rating: G

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship

Chapter Summary: While shopping with Ichigo in the World of the Living, Rukia finds a tiger print robe that reminds her of someone from her past. (Starts out in the Soul Society Arc, but then jumps around a couple of times, Author’s Note after the story)

Part of the "We Can't All Be Winners" anthology series of oneshots.

************************************************************************

“Okay, we're here,” Kurosaki Ichigo began as they entered the clothing store, “The women’s section is in the back. If you need clothes, I don’t mind buying you a set or two, so can you just please stop stealing Yuzu’s?!? She’s starting to get suspicious…” But Rukia wasn't listening to him. Instead, she was looking around the store, completely enthralled.

“Woah! This is incredible!” Rukia replied with wonder, as her wide eyes flitted from one brightly colored clothing display to the next, “And you can afford such garments on your allowance alone?” Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her in response.

“Yeah…? It’s just a cheap department store, Rukia.”

“Incredible…” she muttered to herself again as she continued to look around the huge, lively store with a mixture of awe and nervousness. Several people passed them by, chatting as they filed in or out of the entrance, and loud music played on the speakers overhead.

This is nothing like the open markets that sold only rags in Inuzuri, she thought, And once I got adopted by the Kuchiki Clan, the tailors came to me. I don’t think I’ve been to anything even resembling a regular clothing store since the Academy. There is too much choice! What should I…?

Rukia could feel Ichigo’s concerned eyes on the back of her neck. Quickly, she stood up straighter, and turned towards him.

“You said, I could get whatever I wanted, right?!” she asked with a devilish grin. Ichigo sighed heavily as if he was immediately regretting both this decision and his entire existence. He scratched the back of his head.

“Within reason! I’m not rich, you know," he scowled, "You can get one everyday outfit and one sleepwear, that’s it!” With that, he set off across the store.

“Ah! You're so stingy, Ichigo!” Rukia teased as she followed after him.

“Keep talking smack, and I’ll make you shop in the children’s section!”

“I might anyway,” Rukia mused, as they passed by a pair of child’s pajamas with bunnies on them, “children’s clothes have nicer prints.”

“Whatever,” Ichigo replied, “Wear what you want when you sleep, but when you are out and about, try to wear typical 'teen clothes'. Otherwise people might get the wrong idea when we are walking together.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rukia dismissed with a wave of her hand. As they continued walking along on their way to the back of the store, passing from the children's section into the men's, Rukia’s eyes were caught by a brightly colored robe. Turning towards it, she felt taken aback when she beheld the largest, tackiest tiger print bathrobe she had ever seen. Suddenly, she felt like she was thrown back over forty years…

_______________________________

“Oi, Rukia! Look at that!” Renji shouted to her while staring at a stall in Southern Rukongai. Rukia stopped mid run and turned around. They had finally made it all the way to the fifth district, but still had a ways to go.

“What is it, Renji? We've gotta get going if we are going to make it to the Shin'ō Academy by the day of the entrance ceremony!”

“I know, I know! Just come look at this real quick!” Renji replied enthusiastically while waving her over. Rukia sighed, but ultimately relented, and walked over to him.

“What? That tacky tiger print yukata?” She asked while crossing her arms. Renji immediately spun on her.

“It’s not tacky! Tiger’s are cool!” he defended. He turned back towards the robe, a twinkle in his eyes, “They are strong and powerful! And when we become strong and powerful shinigami and get paid good money to beat up a bunch of hollows, I’m going to buy a ton of “tacky tiger yukata”, so you better watch out!” Renji turned and tried to give her a smug smirk, but his smile was too big, too goofy, too…genuine. Rukia quickly turned away, a mixture of emotions tumbling within her.

“Psh, yeah, whatever, dork… Come on, let's get going. If we're late, and get thrown out, you'll have a real tiger to deal with!” She said as she began to march down the road again. Renji took one last look back at the robe before jogging to catch up with her.

"Yeah, alright, alright. I'm coming, Miss Tiger."

________________________________

“Oi! Rukia!”

Rukia hadn’t even realized she had stopped until she heard Ichigo shouting her name. She immediately spun on him.

“What?!” she snapped back.

“You stopped in the middle of the aisle! What’s so dang interesting that you hadn’t heard me call you three times?!” Ichigo asked. He looked up at the tiger robe and then back down at her questioningly, “Not exactly your size, is it?”

“Whatever! It’s tacky anyway!” Rukia snapped, and marched off towards the women’s section. Ichigo scratched the back of his head, shrugged, and followed after her.

__________________________________

  “Now listen up, all of you, this is a World of the Living store!” Vice Captain and Advance Team Leader Abarai Renji proclaimed professionally as they entered the building. He turned around towards the group of shinigami in gigai following him and continued, “You may each pick out a few outfits to use while here. You know your budget, so please stick with it!” he finished, giving Matsumoto Rangiku a pointed look.

“Why are you looking at me? You should look at Yumichika! He’s way worse!” she whined dramatically. Renji sighed. Matusumoto was reliable in battle, but when it came to budgets? Less so.

“Yumichika has Ikkaku to keep him on budget,” Renji countered.

“Yeah, and he listens to him on these matters about as much as I listen to my captain,” Matusmoto muttered.

“Hey!” Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro yelled.

“Normally, I would argue with her, but she’s right on that point,” Ayasegawa Yumichika said with a flick of his hair, “Although, I do tend to spend more money on make-up than I do on clothing.”

“It’s true,” Madarame Ikkaku agreed, “He’s found us some really nice eyeliner over the years, hasn’t he, Renji?”

Renji was rubbing his temples by this point. He greatly respected his mentors from the Eleventh, but sometimes he wished he didn’t always have to be the adult in these situations, “There is no make-up budget, only a clothing budget.”

“What?! That’s absurd!” Yumichika lamented loudly.

“How am I supposed to dress like the women of the World of the Living without make-up?!” Matsumoto complained.

“Fine! Whatever! Get what you want! Just stay on budget! Now go!” And with that, the groups split off, Yumichika and Ikkaku in one direction and Matsumoto and Hitsugaya in another. Hitsugaya stopped, and turned back towards Renji.

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant Abarai, I’ll keep her on budget.”

“Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya,” Renji replied, a little relieved. Hitusgaya nodded, and went after his lieutenant. Renji sighed and began rubbing his temples again.

“Not easy being a parent, is it?” Rukia teased as she walked up to him.

“No, not at all,” He grumbled in response. Rukia laughed lightly.

“Come on, I’ll show you where the men’s section is. It’s right before the women’s section so it’s on the way anyway,” She replied, strutting off. Renji followed after her.

“Here we are!” Rukia announced once they had arrived, “The everyday wear is here, the socks and underwear are over there, and the sleepwear is-” But she froze the minute her eyes fell upon a familiar looking brightly colored sleeping robe. Renji looked up to see what she was staring at.

“Oh, wow! A tiger robe!” he exclaimed excitedly. Rukia felt a familiar mixture of emotions as she watched him immediately walk right up to it, “This is so cool! How much does it cost, I wonder? Ah…”

“What?” Rukia asked tentatively, “Is…Is it expensive?”

“Yeah… It’s pretty pricey. Makes sense, this material is so amazingly soft! Oh well… I guess it is a little tacky, huh?” He joked half heartedly, as he put back the robe. Rukia stared at him for about half a beat before responding.

“Yeah, it is…but you’re tacky enough to pull it off,” she finished with a smirk. Renji wheeled around and scowled at her.

“Hey!”

“What?” Rukia asked innocently, as she grabbed the largest size robe off the rack, “I said you could pull it off, didn’t I? Anyway, what size are you? Like a gazillion extra large?”

“That’s not even a real number, Rukia, let alone a real size. And no, don’t buy that!”

“Why not? You said we could get whatever we wanted as long as we stayed within our budget, so this qualifies,” Rukia reasoned. Renji threw up his hands in protest.

“If you buy that, you will only have money for one like, one dress!” he exclaimed, “You won’t even have enough for sleepwear!”

“So?” Rukia asked, as she removed the robe from the hanger and began carefully folding it, “I already have some leftover World of the Living clothes I left at Ichigo’s house. I don’t need more than one new dress. Plus, like you said, I can choose to spend my money however I like! And I’ve chosen to buy this very large, very tacky tiger robe. But oh no!” She exclaimed, smacking her forehead dramatically, “What to do? I bought a size too large! I suppose I'll just have to give it away!” She handed Renji the neatly folded up robe.

Renji stared at her wide eyed for a moment, before relaxing and finally taking the offered robe, “Pft. Fine. Whatever. Spend your money however you like…” he finished, smiling a little as he rubbed the back of his neck.

”Thank you, Oh Great Advance Team Leader,” Rukia proclaimed, as she bowed dramatically. She found herself smiling as well, “I certainly will!”

__________________________________

Epilogue

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot!” Ichigo said as he stood before the Senkaimon doors, about to return to the World of the Living once more, “Rukia, could you give this to Renji? Hat-and-Clogs told me to give him this. Apparently he left it at his shop when the captains came and took you guys back to Soul Society during the war. Not this last war, the one before that. You all sure have a lot of those, huh? You should work on that. Anyway, here you go,” He pulled out a rather large, brightly colored, crumpled ball of cloth.

“Hm? O-Oh! Renji’s tiger robe! I thought we would never get it back!” Rukia exclaimed, taking it from him, “Hmph! That candy selling jerk probably used it to do gods know what. I better wash it before I give it back to him tonight. Anyway, thanks, Ichigo!” Ichigo watched Rukia as she carefully smoothed out and then folded up the robe. Suddenly, something clicked.

“W-Wait! Is that why you were acting so weird at the store back then?” Rukia turned to look at him.

“Huh?!”

“Back then, when you were secretly living in my closet, I took you to the store to get you some more clothes, remember? While there you started reminiscing right after you saw that tiger robe!” Ichigo exclaimed. He crossed his arms and looked up in thought, “So Renji had his own, huh? That’s surprising, I didn’t think he had too many World of the Living clothes…”

“He doesn’t, fool! I…uh…bought it for him,” Rukia finished quietly. Ichigo looked at her again. He raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, you did, huh?”

“Y-Yeah! So what?!” Rukia snapped. Ichigo regarded her wordlessly for a while. Eventually, he clasped his hands behind his head and turned towards the Senkaimon.

“Nothing. Anyway, I’ve got to head back. I’ll see you later, Rukia,” Ichigo said, walking towards the doors once more. Rukia blinked.

“Oh. Uh. Okay. See you later, Ichigo.”

Ichigo was about to step through the doors, when he stopped and turned to look at her over his shoulder, “Oh, and uh, don’t forget to invite me to the wedding.” Rukia’s face turned beet red.

“W-What?! Why you-” she shouted. Rukia tried to aim a kick at him, but as usual Ichigo was frustratingly quick, and with a flash, he was gone.

>>>>>>>>>> Author’s Note <<<<<<<<<<<

A/N: Phew! Took awhile to get this one out, but it’s finally here! Originally, I had it scheduled for April, but I’m glad I held onto it longer to edit it more at my leisure. I’ve always had the feeling that despite the fact she refused to talk about it, Rukia still thought about Renji and their past together a lot during their separation (albeit probably sadly and unbidden on her part). Even in the World of the Living, I bet anytime she saw something tiger or pineapple print, she was reminded of her “stupid” redhead with the “stupid” eyebrows! Speaking of tiger print, have you heard of Bleach Gree cards? They are cards of Bleach characters, one of which, of course, includes Renji in a tiger print robe as he’s dressed up as what I think is an oni for new years. Well guess what? If you look through the Rukia set, you can find her dressed up in a matching outfit, tiger print and all! I guess she wasn’t kidding when she said not to make fun of Renji for his tiger print, huh?! xD Anyway, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

#bleach #renji abarai #rukia kuchiki #ichigo kurosaki #renruki #advance team peanut gallery #tiger robe #we can't all be winners #wcabw #And so it begins! #I decided to start adding on the author's notes from ao3 on these so that the tumblr readers can get them too! #Anyway see you all next week with even more renruki fanfiction! xD

[kristsingto]

Commentary on Good Old Days through an exploration of its stories based in family.

An anthology series marked by the objects of significance for its various characters, Good Old Days explores many themes. Some major reoccurring explorations delve into chasing dreams, love, academic pressure, grief, and more. But what stood out most to me was the way the series handled very different uses of parents in their stories.

Every story was influenced greatly by the parental figures in their lives, whether it was Phu accepting his mother's death and moving on from it, Piang with her dad, Kai and Got coming to understand the generational trauma they were subjected to, or Mai being raised in a family whose expectations led to the death of her uncle.

I'll be focusing on three of the stories within the anthology. Bond and Relationship, Road to Regret, and Somewhere Only We Belong.

*A striking exclusion is likely Memory of Happiness, as Piang's dynamic with her father is quite central to the storyline. But I don't have quite as much to say on it compared to others. To be brief: I enjoy the idea it's going for (about taking on the family business and making it yours; both Piang and Jap transform what their parents did before them into their own, new versions, that are just as great as what came before) but I didn't enjoy some other parts (mainly in relation to how the series explains her dad's actions).

Bond and Relationship, the first story, focuses on Phu, a young man who closes himself off from creating "bonds" with people after losing his dog, Ryu, as a child. What quickly becomes apparent is that the story hopes to explore grief and the importance of finding new people.

Phu lives a solitary life, unwilling to let anyone into his life due to fear of losing them. He pushes Mint, his love interest away, and he closes himself off from caring for as long as he can. His mom, then, tries to get him to have people to lean on as best she can, because soon, she'll die of illness. In the end, Phu realizes what he was meant to learn, but loses Mint due to his unwillingness to open up. However, he takes the lesson to heart and seizes the opportunity the moment he finds someone else.

His dog, Ryu, I feel was more of an extension and prelude to the loss of Phu's mother within the context of the story. He's a gift from his mother that specifically symbolizes her care for him. In essence, losing Ryu and closing off, Phu experiences an earlier version of his mother's death.

A complication on a fairly straightforward story (in my opinion, one of the most thematically simple of the series) is Phu's status as being adopted. This is something that brings Phu to wishing to push his mother away again. It's a test of sorts on his growth, and he accepts his mother back into his heart because nothing has truly changed. His mother is still the same woman who has always loved him.

All in all, a story about losing a parent and preventing yourself from closing yourself off afterward.

Probably the most interesting to me, Road to Regret follows three people following a mother's death. Whereas the first story of the anthology focuses mainly on the growth before the death of a mother who cared for Phu in a healthy manner, this story focuses on the aftermath of the death of a mother who deeply scarred both of her children, Kai and Got.

Both Kai and Got have issues within their personal lives, and are more prickly than any of the other protagonists in the series. Kai, notably, has a tumultuous relationship with Bomb, her ex-husband, after the business they began tomorrow went south. Got, on the other hand, is flippant about Ton's feelings for him, unsure of whether or not to get closer to him or not.

Their mother was damaging to both of them. Kai was overlooked by her mother, more harshly criticized. She always had to do more, do better, was fucking up, not trying hard enough. Got was preferred. She would put extra fish on his plate as Kai watched on then chastise him for whining, since he's a guy, saying "I'm sorry for your future wife." She took the idea of him being homosexual (which he was) negatively, denying it.

Kai is the eldest daughter. She's under pressure, the one who has to bottle it all up and clean up her mother's house after she dies. Kai is aware her mother prefers her brother, and it's the cause of a great complicated bunch of emotions within her heart. And most importantly, she doesn't want to become like her mother.

Kai, Got, and Boom get in their mother's car and drive to deliver an unsent letter from their mother to the family she left. The car was what she drove when she ran away with their dad. Both Kai and Got believe it would have been better if she had stayed there and didn't have them. When they get to their destination, you come to realize what the story is all about. Generational trauma, and how it repeats itself.

Kai's mother went through many of the feelings that Kai was made to go through. She lived in a suffocating household, suffering under the misogyny of her family. She tried to run away from it all, only for her relationship to fall apart and to emulate how she was raised with her children. She mentions how women are "already inferior" to Kai when she's younger, and how she became a failure. And Kai is terrified of becoming like her mother one day. Her mother ran away with a boy, and so did Kai. She decides to leave Bomb before he can leave her, the way her dad did to his mom. Kai does not want to be left. What she realizes at the end, though, is that it isn't leaving or being left. The two exes reconcile by the end, and it's about trying again, to make a relationship better than that of what her parents had. Got, similarly, reaches out to Ton in the end. Both of them still have issues with trusting others, and yet they find hope to try by the end.

The story comes together at the end, when Kai reads the letter. It's a letter from their mother to her family, where she expresses never having been properly loved, and not being able to do the same for her own children as a result. She saw herself as a failure in how she ended up, but was at least happy that she had gotten away from her family. The last part of the letter is their mother's last words to her, and it's confirmation she realized how she fucked up as a parent. How she didn't understand them and how she hurt them with the misery that was inside of her, but that she did wish she could have been a better parent. And honestly, the letter made me feel emotional. It's like, cathartic in many ways to see something like this. Road to Regret is emotional, and imperfect, kind of like the characters in it.

It's a story about accepting the way the trauma of your lives are passed down from the ones from generations ago, and learning from it.

The final story of the anthology, Somewhere Only We Belong follows the story of Hey and Mai. The shopkeeper, Hey has been in the entire show as a prominent character preserving the memories of our other characters. Here, we learn about why Hey is the way he is, attached to the past. He was abandoned by both of his parents to go live with his grandpa, with fake promises of coming back for him. The last gift he gets is a video game console - the one he plays consistently throughout the show.

Hey learns about the importance of objects and appreciating things around him thanks to his grandpa, who becomes the one supportive figure in Hey's life. He ends up becoming attached to his video game console, playing the same games (Harvest Moon, actually) even when he's all grown up. His mom never comes back for him. And his dad just sends him expensive gifts instead of anything else.

The other lead, Mai, is a highschooler studying to become a doctor. Her mom pressures her to maintain a 4.0 GPA and to be someone who is useful, while complaining about her brother, who is staying with them, saying he shouldn't have been born. Mai's uncle is seen as a "useless" person, as an unsuccessful online writer who "writes what he believes." He tells Mai to enjoy her life, not to push herself too much. An academically pressured kid, she's always only studying - but she begins to go to Hey's vintage game shop, as the one thing that is just for enjoyment and not related to studying.

She begins to go to the game shop after school, eliciting suspicion from her mother. And the pressure on her starts to weigh on her until she starts breaking down. And then just as her mother finds out about Mai going to the gameshop, her uncle commits suicide. It's a turning point of the story, and the way the series shows just how expectations that separate people into worthy or unworthy based on their success are harmful.

In many households, children are pressured out of finding what they actually enjoy and wish to pursue and into studying with only the goal of top grades and getting into prestigious universities. What Somewhere Only We Belong explores, here, is when it goes too far, and how it harms everyone. Hey pushes Mai away because of what he thinks is best for her, as society sees it, preventing both of them from pursuing what was growing between them.

Mai, in the end, is able to escape from the pressure brought upon her by her family. She goes to study abroad, to follow her dreams, the way she deserves to. Mai heals from what was pushed onto her, by leaving.

And then we come back to Hey, our nostalgic memory keeper, as he loses his shop and has to learn to move on from the past. What I found the best showcase of how Hey's abandonment factored into this was how he would listlessly play the console that he got as he was truly abandoned by both of his parents, stuck in the past. And when he learned to move on, to stop keeping it in his heart, he began to play new games. And it's with this that he's able to heal from the past and go after what he was once unable to, reuniting with Mai finally, and playing mobile games with her. Hey and Mai reunite with what they both love, but it's a new form of it, as they've both grown up and changed; they can start again.

#okay so this is my compromise between oh god i have thoughts and I Dont Wanna Rewatch All This Now #sou rambles #good old days #dont like what i wrote . too recap-y. but here is some thoughts #gmmtv

[wanderingnork]

Top Ten Horror Movies: 2023

Back at Halloween, I listed my top ten horror movies of all time. Now, I'm going to list the top ten just from this year. It's 10 out of 48. Not the quantitatively best movies, necessarily, but the ones that compelled me the most, that I enjoyed the most, that I remember the best. In ascending order:

Slotherhouse: A sorority girl adopts an illegally-acquired sloth in order to try to increase her popularity while she runs for sorority president. Things go spectacularly wrong when the sloth turns out to be...murderous.

I liked this movie for its sheer audacity. Slasher villain sloth? They committed to the bit! They made it a slasher! And the sloth was done with a puppet. A VERY GOOD PUPPET. Sloths already look like plush toys, so this wasn't a huge stretch. The puppet required five puppeteers to operate, had ten axes of movement in her adorable face, and a real voice actor handling her lines. Yes, LINES. The sloth noises are part of the script! Is it a great movie? No. But is it a joy to see an audacious, absurd, well-crafted labor of love on the silver screen? YES.

The Ruins: A group of foolish college students go to visit a forgotten Mayan pyramid. Very quickly, they find out why it was forgotten when the vines covering the pyramid turn out to be...murderous.

This movie is clever, bloody, and relentless. Whenever things went wrong, my stomach dropped even further. I was on the edge of my seat by the end. My ONE quibble: I think the alternate ending should have been the real ending, and I don't understand the rationale for why it wasn't. It's real. To me.

Southbound: A series of connected short horror stories that take place along the same stretch of road in the desert of Southern California. Each story flows into the next, with the final story circling back to the beginning of the movie.

A delightful anthology that felt more like it was a single movie, I really just enjoyed Southbound a lot. Each story has good horror in different ways. Some are psychological, some are body horror, some have monsters, but they all come together to tell a single tale. And what a chilling tale it is. Plus, I love getting to see the variety of ages and body types throughout the movie. This movie is populated by Real People and that's wonderful, especially for one that's so...dare I say, liminal in nature.

Five Nights at Freddy's: A young man in dire need of money to care for his younger sister takes a job as a security guard at an abandoned pizzeria. He thinks it's an easy job, until the animatronics that used to entertain children turn out to be...you guessed it, murderous!

This one I loved largely for the animatronics. The work put in to make those iconic haunted robots weighty and real is staggering. They exist! Actors in suits, puppets, full moving animatronics...it's beautiful. Just beautiful. The movie itself is a great adaptation, but we're all really there for Freddy and his friends. I'm so excited I finally got to meet them on the big screen.

Incantation: A woman asks viewers to repeat an incantation to help her ailing daughter as the film opens. We follow the story of mother and daughter from the mother's ill-starred exploration of a taboo ritual in rural Taiwan to the climax of the movie, which has to be seen to be believed.

Contains the scariest monster I saw this year, full stop. Also had to peel myself off the ceiling when it was over from the tension. And then listen to really loud music to get that fucking incantation out of my head.

Skinamarink: Two children awaken to find that their father is missing, and so are all the doors and windows of their house.

This is a divisive one. People either love it or they hate it, and even people who love it can see why others don't. It really does contain a lot of still shots of doors and ceilings at weird angles. But...something about this got to me. To the child who used to have night terrors. To the part of me that still doesn't like doorframes full of darkness. This movie will live with me for a long time.

Splinter: A troubled couple gets carjacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend. When they stop at a gas station, the four of them have to work together to survive as a monster hunts them down.

This was a MARVELOUS monster movie. I loved the splinter beast. I loved the disembodied crawling hand. But more importantly, I really loved that escaped convict character up there. He turned out to be the true hero of the story and I cried for him. It was unexpected, but I have to say out of all the characters I saw this year...he's #1.

Phase IV: A strange event results in ants becoming sentient. Two scientists go out to study them, and quickly get a lot more than they bargained for as the ants assert their dominion.

I would have dismissed this as a silly B-movie except for the ant actors. Yes, ACTORS. The sequences of the ants are shot using macrophotography, carefully cut so that ants seem to have personalities and goals. Their deaths are tragic. Their heroes are bold. I cared more about them than I did about the human protagonists! And it's all beautifully shot, too, with so much detail and care put into everything. It's a real tragedy that so many ants actually died during filming, though.

The Red Shoes: A ballerina takes on a challenging role in a ballet based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Red Shoes. As she embraces her role, the lines between stage and reality become increasingly blurred.

A pretty standard but well-crafted and beautifully-costuemd tragedy, this stands out for the GLORIOUS ballet sequence. We get to see it performed in full, 15 minutes of dance, music, and art, including beautiful practical effects and painted sets that transport us directly into the fairy tale itself. You can watch it for free on YouTube here (and the full movie is available for free there, too, if you so choose). It's beautiful and haunting enough to be a horror short film on its own.

Martyrs: When a young woman seeks revenge on the people who kidnapped and tortured her as a child, nothing goes according to plan--and it's her best friend who will pay the ultimate price.

Unflinching, brutal, Martyrs brings us face to face with violence that isn't cinematic or interesting. This isn't Saw, where the appeal is in the clever traps and tension of escape. It's a story about inescapable violence enacted on an innocent person. I also think it's a story about...the Final Girl. The character, the young woman, the innocent victim, who takes on the monster so that the audience can experience catharsis and find themselves free of their pain for a while. Thanks to Anna's sacrifice in Martyrs, I experienced that kind of catharsis myself. And that's what makes it the best horror movie I saw this year: no other horror movie made me feel like this one did. No other horror movie changed me on a fundamental level like this one did.

(Interested in other horror recs? Check out the lists here.)

#nork rants #horror recs #the horror tag

[wiccllng]

THE YOUNG AVENGERS ARE BACK!

in: MARVEL’S VOICES: YOUNG AVENGERS #5 (a 6 part series!)

written by Anthony Oliveira and art by Jethro Morales

?,$,&;&:9:! THEY’RE BACK! and this is a marvel unlimited exclusive FOR NOW (at least i’m hoping). hopefully we get a physical release for this just as we did for the wiccan and hulkling comic. anyways, less talking, let me give you more info on the comic!

“The anthology series renowned for its fresh take on “the world outside your window” launches a new, ongoing six-part story! Now available exclusively on the Marvel Unlimited app, MARVEL’S VOICES: YOUNG AVENGERS #5 launches in the exclusive Infinity Comic format. Fans clamored for it, and we’re finally here to deliver: pop culture critic Anthony Oliveira finally puts his pen to the Young Avengers with up-and-coming artist Jethro Morales!”

“We spoke to the writer and artist about their personal Young Avengers fandom, what readers can expect from this all-new arc, and their favorite parts about bringing the super-team back into the forefront!” “Young Avengers has a dedicated fan base who I'm sure are stoked to see the “Young Avengers” name reignited. What can readers expect from this story?”

ANTHONY OLIVEIRA: Events transpire! Protagonists and antagonists clash! Scenes follow, one after another, though not always in order! And we will learn what power cannot do, and what forgiveness can. People are certainly very excited for the Young Avengers to be back, and absolutely no one more than me! But the years since have changed them, I think. These characters have been off on their own adventures for a while, and I wanted to really get to know them again. So for each of the characters we got, I tried to think really hard about the story each of them needs right now, and did my best to give it to them. If you don’t know these heroes this is a great chance to befriend them; if you do, I think it will feel like catching up with an old best friend.

JETHRO MORALES: The fans can expect a lot of heartfelt moments with tons of action and fun in every panel and page throughout the arc. And, as one of the artists, I gave it my all to convey visually all the emotions and excitement masterfully written by Anthony that I hope the fans will appreciate.

Preview from MARVEL’S VOICES: YOUNG AVENGERS INFINITY COMIC #5.

(before i cut to the chase, here’s our writers excitement about wiccan and hulkling!)

Any favorite Young Avengers runs or solo character series that you've appreciated as fans? (Or can recommend for Unlimited readers!)

ANTHONY OLIVEIRA: I have been reading YOUNG AVENGERS since the very first week it came out! I remember in those early days thinking it was impossible that what seemed to be happening with Wiccan and Hulkling was actually happening—queer people like us just weren’t shown in comics or on TV. It was like a miracle.

Preview from MARVEL’S VOICES: YOUNG AVENGERS INFINITY COMIC #5.

i’ll leave the rest of the article/q&a here!:

Read MARVEL’S VOICES: YOUNG AVENGERS INFINITY COMIC #5 on the Marvel Unlimited app now, and come back each Wednesday for new issues from the six-part arc!

EVERY WEDNESDAY!

#marvel #billy kaplan altman #hulkling #billyteddy #teddy kaplan altman #tommy shepherd #wiccan and hulkling #wiccan marvel #tommy shepard #empyre #comics #marvel comics #marvel pride #young avengers #avengers #infinity comics

[mllemaenad]

56853 To answer the tags, when the pantheon of fears got defined and named, and start to feel less something eldritch and unknowable and more like a malevolent set of classifications.

I'd actually place the shift from horror to fantasy much earlier than that. I'd place it at about the point when the peril begins to be directed at the core characters, rather than at assorted one-off characters.

And that's partly because of the kind of horror it initially purports to be. It's an anthology series. These various people may be the sole survivors of some terrible, nightmare event, or they may be doomed themselves and just not quite realise it yet. They all do what you're supposed to do when you get in over your head like that: they go and report it to the experts. And that does not help.

In most cases, the stories are set years or even decades prior, so rendering assistance is very much a moot point. But beyond that, the role of the narrator (who does not yet feel like a protagonist) is to sigh, somehow audibly roll his eyes, and chalk the whole thing up to hallucinations and an epic hangover. The listener can be pretty sure that, within the context of the narrative, this "really happened" because that's the type of story they signed up for. But within the story, it goes unacknowledged. Part of what makes it unsettling is that there are things that lurk in the dark, and they could come for anyone – and nobody will do anything about it.

But then. I mean then. New office security protocol: in addition to ensuring that your workstation is locked when you leave it, and preventing members of the public from following you into secure areas, please keep a fire extinguisher handy as impromptu bug spray to deal with the evil insect infestation. Also, we've accepted that sleeping in the office because your home is under siege by malevolent entities is just a thing that's going to happen now.

From that point on:

The reality of the situation is broadly acknowledged by the core cast of characters, and as time goes on they establish that a significant number of other people in the world are quite clear on the monsters are real problem.

The individual stories are reframed as less horrors that might happen to you, and no one would know and more solid research into dealing with problems the characters are having right now.

The audience focus is directed more towards "Will the core cast survive?" And the answer is usually yes. Obviously they can and do kill characters, but a main character is not disposable in the way that an incidental one is, so the feel shifts to "How will they survive this?" rather than the sure knowledge that they won't.

The character focus shifts to understanding the situation and dealing with it, in a way that begins to smell of quest long before anybody has to trudge across most of a country on foot.

I'm not saying they deal with it well. It's amazing how often "If we blow it up, that'll be fine, right?" is the plan du jour. Actually, it's like - oh, that thing from The Good Place ...

That. It remains horror themed up to the end, of course: no one ever meets an Ent and has a really lovely afternoon singing and drinking in a forest glade. But stories where (however reluctant) heroes band together to deal with foes of tremendous power are quite different from stories where someone faces a thing alone in the dark and can do little if anything about it.

I don't really mean it as a criticism. As I say, I quite enjoyed it. It reminded me of The Sandman in some ways: in how a myriad of little stories built up into a big one, and in how part of it considered how much an anthropomorphic representation of a concept even could change its nature.

I just think the nature of storytelling is interesting. When the focus shifted to the core characters, it was about something they were dealing with; a known (if awful) part of their world. And that is not frightening in the same way as that but what if of a standalone horror.

#the magnus archives #tma podcast

[monstermonstre]

Faves of 2022

Self explanatory end of the year list of my favourite everythings I consumed this year. That includes things that came out before 2022 but that I read/watched/played for the first time this year. For those of you who are only interested in what came in 2022 I will put them at the top of each list for visibility.

Other than that, the lists aren’t sorted by any order of preference, that’s just too much to ask.

Films

🩳 for short films, 🏳️‍🌈 for queer films (how queer they are vary immensely here so please don’t take this as me putting them all in the same basket, it’s just to highlight which could be of interest for someone looking for queer narratives and/or point of views), and finally 🌐 for films that are not a North American production.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) 🏳️‍🌈

Triangle of Sadness (2022) 🌐

Kimi (2022)

Barbarian (2022)

Starfuckers (2022) 🩳🏳️‍🌈

Prey (2022)

Turning Red (2022)

Love and Leashes (2022) 🌐

Rest of the list under the ‘read more’

Ringu (1998) 🌐

Keyboard Fantasies (2019) 🏳️‍🌈

Two Cars, One Night (2004) 🩳🌐

Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (1970) 🩳🏳️‍🌈

Tama Tū (2004) 🩳🌐

Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo (2016) 🏳️‍🌈🌐

Next Goal Wins (2014) 🏳️‍🌈🌐

Knife+Heart (2018) 🏳️‍🌈🌐

I Lost My Body (2019) 🌐

Towards Tenderness (2016) 🩳🏳️‍🌈🌐

Danton’s Death (2011) 🩳🌐

All the Crows In the World (2021) 🩳🏳️‍🌈🌐

Ex Machina (2014)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

The Samurai (2014) 🏳️‍🌈🌐

One Cut of the Dead (2017) 🌐

Prisoners (2013)

Rope (1948) 🏳️‍🌈

Frankenstein (1931) 🏳️‍🌈

The Old Dark House (1932) 🏳️‍🌈

Cat People (1942) 🏳️‍🌈

Happy Together (1997) 🏳️‍🌈🌐

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Chris Fleming: Showpig (2018)

Rashomon (1950) 🌐

La Cage aux Folles (1978) 🏳️‍🌈🌐

Books

I don’t have a lot in this list so I feel more inclined to give a lil explanation for each entry.

To Strip the Flesh by Oto Toda (2022 for the translation, 2020 in the original japanese): an anthology manga with a main story about a preop trans man who makes a living livestreaming himself cutting meat from animals that his father hunted (part of his success relying on how attractive he is to his audience who perceive him as a woman) and his struggle around coming out to his father and pursuing gender-affirming surgery.

It’s a beautiful and visceral (in every sense of the word) manga and I can’t recommend it enough. With a caveat that it contains, both in its main story and the short that make the anthology, a lot of body horror that might not be for everyone.

No Sleep Till Shengal by Zerocalcare (2022): don’t know that I have much to say about this one. People familiar with his work might understand why.

Monstrous Regiment and Going Postal by Terry Pratchett: continuing my exploration of the Discworld and enjoyed the two a great deal. Monstrous Regiment has become my favourite Discworld and maybe a favourite in general as well. It’s rare (at least to me, but maybe I’m not looking in the right places) to find satisfying trans representation in fiction, even more so in genre fiction, and even more so in stories that are overall a fun time. The final few pages make me emotional every time I read them.  “Around him, the kitchen worked.” and “‘A choice?’ said Rosemary.” forever.

My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame: just gonna copy the wiki summary “the series follows the relationship between single father Yaichi, his daughter Kana, and Mike Flanagan, the Canadian husband of Yaichi's estranged and recently deceased twin brother.” It’s a manga, it’s beautiful, glad I finally got around to reading it.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: took me ages to get to this despite having devoured Six of Crows but here we are. Since it’s a sequel I don’t feel like I can say much other than I had a great time with it and the ending got me. It helped me get out of a reading slump I was in.

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay: checked this one out because I saw the trailer for the upcoming film adaptation and it hooked me. It was such an easy read I finished it in 3 days (which is very fast for me nowadays). I still don’t really know what to think of it, still recovering from the ending and trying to make up my mind, but it did its job of keeping me invested and turning the pages fast. I’m very curious to see how they adapt it too.

Dracula by Bram Stoker: so thankful for dracula daily for getting me to read this, joined the squad of “why the hell adaptations do this to Mina and why do they omit my man Quincey?”.

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers: even less “plot” than the first book but I couldn’t give a shit. I love the Wayfarers universe and its characters and this was such a comfortable and satisfying read. It even made me reevaluate some of my stances on AIs.

Overall I only read 2 of the books I said were on my to-read for 2022 but I achieved my goal of reading at least 12 books this year (even beat it by 1!) and got out of a years long reading slump so it’s a win! Looking forward to my reading in 2023.

TV Shows

Faves new shows of 2022: Our Flag Means Death, Severance, The Bear, Murderville and Interview with the Vampire

Other than that I watch too many things and TV Time is awful to navigate but off the top of my head other shows that didn’t start this year that I feel the need to highlight: What We Do In The Shadows (this latest finale was a gut punch in the best of ways), Chucky (the most fun I’ve had consistently watching anything this year), The Night Of (took me a while to get to this miniseries but it didn’t disappoint to say the least), Taskmaster NZ (the superior version), Barry, Succession, The Casketeers, Los Espookys...

Oh and you should subscribe to Dropout

Everything Else

I don’t play that much video games but of the ones I played and finished (or that can’t be finished) I played and finished Spiritfarer this year and that didn’t disappoint. Also the new Just Dance (2023 Edition) is insane. Yes they sacrificed a lot in the process but if you only take the new songs and maps into account it’s the best they’ve ever done.

And music wise I already answered a lot of Spotify Wrapped questions and that’s probably that. I’m a filthy casual enjoyer of music, incapable of having any critical sense for it.

I made this list mostly for myself and also for those of you who might have similar taste as mine and looking for recs. If after reading this you think you might have recs for me, feel free to drop them in replies or DMs!

Happy new year!

#monstrueux blabla

[defiantdreemurrs]

bussyween, part three: halloween iii - season of the witch (1982)

last we left off, michael myers got his ass wrecked by dr loomis in a hospital and laurie strode stared off into a camera. clearly the next place you would go following this is to completely erase the previous two films, turning them into popular fiction in your new continuity, and write a story completely unrelated to the other films in your series. right? this time on bussyween, were gonna look at 1982s halloween iii: season of the witch, directed by tommy lee wallace.

let me completely undercut the sarcasm in the opening paragraph of this by saying i dont think the decision to pivot to an anthology series was a bad decision. i just thought it was funny. i actually think the direction behind halloween iii was a great idea at the time, i feel like endlessly bringing back michael myers would have made the series just like every other slasher film series that continuously brought its main killer back thru the most idiotic and contrived of reasons.

wonder how well that turned out for em.

no my only real problem is with the actual movie itself. ill be up front and say while i found this movie fun and enjoyable i didnt find it particularly good.

for starters, the premise itself is kinda goofy. ancient celtic magic allows the movies villain to use endless amounts of halloween masks to murder children by turning their heads into bugs and snakes. its a silly premise that i actually do really like but its executed almost laughably. for what is ostensibly a horror movie it really wasnt even that scary.

now, in all fairness, i had had this movies plot spoiled almost rotten for me. which i feel like was a bad thing for this one because unlike the first two movies, its not actually that different reading or hearing about it vs actually watching it. those movies i knew what would happen and roughly when, but the way its presented makes it still feel scary when it happens. this movie meanwhile did not have that effect.

i feel like this is because a significant amount of this movies "scares" are either incredibly underwhelming kills (minus the woman who gets a drill piercing into her skull, that one is good) or are just aspects of the mystery that have already been spoiled for me, thus ruining them. universal demanded they include a number of slasher conventions such as a high kill count and plenty of sex, which while i dont have a problem with these elements in a vacuum, they really dont fit what is otherwise more of a mystery thriller than a slasher movie.

the music as usual is excellent, and the sound design is a step up from the at times silly sounding synthesizer sounds heard in parts of halloween iis score. none of the previous halloween themes return for the new score, it is entirely original, but there is a moment of the original 1978 halloween score used in the film to incredible effect. i wont spoil it because i want someone reading this who hasnt seen the movie before to see it for themselves but it happens about two thirds of the way thru the movie.

the acting in this movie, though, much like the execution of the premise, leaves a bit to be desired. there are some returning cast members playing entirely new roles, as well as other carpenter collaborators who didnt originally appear in a halloween film. some of them do alright, but leading man tom atkins feels way too goofy for a role like this. our villain, however, played by dan o'herlihy, could not have been better casted or acted. absolutely steals the show in just about every scene hes in.

i dont have as much to say about this movie as i did the last one, im not sure if thats because im writing it while high after having written the last review while having just seen the film today. maybe i should be giving myself some room to think about each film before writing about them. but ultimately i dont really care cause im doing this for myself anyways. overall i feel like halloween iii earns its rep as just kind of a weird film in a weird place in its series, and i can understand why audiences back in the day reacted poorly to it. regardless its a fun movie that id absolutely watch again and enjoyed for most of the wrong reasons entirely.

next time on bussyween, its the start of everyones least favorite subset of the halloween movies, halloween 4: the curse of michael myers. so stay tuned!

#halloween #bussyween #halloween iii #tom atkins #john carpenter #alan howarth #silver shamrock

[elle-thinks]

Tales from the Hood Commentary - Unapologetically Black Storytelling

Let’s talk about Tales from the Hood. This film, or really, film anthology, is Blackity, Black, Black. We see a majority Black cast star in stories written and directed by Black filmmakers in an effort to address some of the many issues facing African Americans in the nineties. The theme of the movie is retribution, and the film does not toy with ambiguity. It unapologetically tackles Black-on-Black gang violence, domestic abuse, police brutality, political racism, Black complacency in supporting racist institutions, and more. While these messages are blatant in the film’s storytelling, I wonder if the artistic liberties were conducive in communicating these main ideas to the audience.

The movie itself is a parody of Tales from the Crypt, which is a horror anthology television series. Being a parody, there’s a lot more flexibility in comedy and satire on top of the already exaggerated aspects of horror movies. The first couple stories in the anthology, I could follow along easily, but as the movie progressed, I found myself getting a bit lost in its theatrics. There was also some especially graphic imagery of lynching and violence during the ending of the movie that was seemingly placed more for shock value than to incite fear in the viewer. In my watch of the film, seeing this made my eyes glaze over and I stopped caring about the message. As a Black woman, I felt I didn’t need to see more racial violence towards Black people and the horror was no longer fictitious or supernatural. In my brief discussion with a few of my peers, they noted that they also felt similarly.

                As a film that was made by Black people, for Black people, it portrayed Black characters in ways that were not often seen in the horror genre, or in film in general. One depiction that stood out to me especially, was the perspective of a Black cop that was complicit in police violence against a Black man. Rarely do we get insight into this point of view. The showcase of guilt and fatigue at failing to change the system from the inside is still especially relevant almost thirty years later.  In this example and other ways, the movie eliminates or elaborates upon one-dimensional tropes for Black characters in horror media, like the sacrifice, the mystic, the nanny, the Black-coded monster, and more. If a trope is present in the film, it was generally embellished in a number of ways to add more depth and value for that character in the plot.

                Interestingly, a common thread that was mentioned by UCLA Prof. Tananarive Due in her analysis of the film, was the use of art to express moments of reckoning. Paintings, drawings, custom dolls, and other forms of art are employed to illustrate both vengeance and justice in powerful ways. I’m not sure if this was intended by the film’s creators, but I think it was a unique way to tie the films messages to Black artistry and culture. The Black community is especially proficient in providing aesthetics and media that become very popular, and the film’s use of art may have been a connection to this. What can I say? We’ve just got style.

                In conclusion, I enjoyed watching the movie because it was an incredibly distinctive experience. I also think it did a great job of eliciting audience reactions because what most people remember is how a movie made them feel. Personally, I laughed, was disgusted, was on the edge of my seat, and more. It was a very entertaining movie and I think it accomplished the goals its production team had established concerning Black representation in media. While many parts of the film were a bit over the top, I don’t think it detracted from the story’s messaging. At some parts, I think the point was to be over the top.

#tales #hood #tales from the hood #movie #horror #black #race #race and ethnicity #retribution #revenge #anthology #parody #commentary #art #nineties #90s

[independentaussie]

Why do I write such weird dark stuff?

Excerpt from Random Soul Audit I get that question a lot. Sometimes I ask it myself. Why write weird dark stuff? I really don't know the answer. It just comes out. That's a cop-out. You and I both know it. Nothing comes from nothing. That weird dark stuff must come from somewhere - so where? I guess part of the answer comes in the form of a rhetorical question. Why do people read that stuff? I can answer that question, at least from my own personal point of view. You see, I've read libraries of weird dark stuff ranging from King's Dark Tower series right through to hundreds of "pulp" stories churned out by obscure writers in what is called the "small press." I'm a sucker for a good story. if I get through the first two paragraphs I'm all in. Those first two paragraphs should grab me by the throat and not let go. Dark weird stuff tends to do that far more often than stories about sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.

The dark man fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed...

Now, that's the kind of opening sentence that invites curiosity and sets up a story. What is the chase about? Who are the adversaries? What is in dispute? Why cross the desert? Can the Dark Man be caught? Why is he running? What happens when the two adversaries meet? I'm willing to bet that when Stephen King wrote the opening line of the Dark Tower Series he had a range of similar questions because that's the essence of good story writing - the writer doesn't know the story when they start either. Fiction writing is the art of tapping into the subconscious to put flesh and bone on a fragment of an idea. Story writing can't be taught. The structured essay format when applied to fiction is stifling and counterproductive. Formulas kill good stories. In reviewing the stories in my forthcoming anthology of dark weird stuff, I was constantly asking, "Where did that come from?" Not so much in relation to the idea, but where the story went. Some recurring themes are evident- a twisted view of religion evident in stories like Statue and Last Miracle, an underlying mistrust of authority notable in Random Soul Audit, Clone and others and an underlying fear of technology being used for less than altruistic purposes (The Player, Firebugs, Mitzi). These themes no longer surprise me. I understand where they come from, having worked through my own personal demons. But there is something else going on that sort of balances those negative themes.

Excerpt from Mitzi Writing weird dark stuff allows me to put good people in various degrees of dark situations. I put their feet to the fire and see how they react. They don't always win. That's not the way the world works. Sometimes, they fail the test. However, in many cases, there seems that my belief in the essential goodness of people breaks through and if it doesn't win the day, it gives it one hell of a fight,

I think that I have to write as I do.

There is no choice. I go where my subconscious takes me. And my subconscious self has been screaming to be heard. Part of my journey has involved a retrospective look at the darkness that enveloped me as a young man and a recognition that the world has equal elements of light and dark. My writing has been exploring that twilight zone seemingly, forever. The result has been some dark entertaining stories.

Excerpt from Statue So, I invite you, dear reader, to read my forthcoming book, Dark Weird Stuff (Book 1) and explore the darkness within all of us. You can keep up to date with my progress and get a sample story by subscribing below. Only by feeling the dark can we ever appreciate the light.' Get  Your Sample Story Now!EmailName Feature Photo by Wendelin Jacober at Pexels Read the full article

#darkness #horror #sciencefiction #speculativefiction

[queers-of-nassau]

the minor characters of black sails are so damn good 

I’d be annoyed that they weren’t bigger characters if the main characters of black sails weren’t also so damn good

#black sails #there's a part of me that's like *can we just get an anthology series following various minor characters during their time in black sails*

[timextoxhajima]

KISS & MAKE UP: LEE HEESEUNG

≛ an anthology series of break-up stories that end up in a one-night stand [only hyungline] -> HEESEUNG | JAY | SUNGHOON | JAKE

≛ genre: smut, angst

≛ warnings: cursing, exhibitionism

≛ word count: 2.5k

≛ synopsis: Following your parent's bankrupcy, you chose to focus on supporting your family, making it difficult for you to maintain a relationship. Fastforward a few years later, your little brother plays a hand in getting you back in contact with your ex-boyfriend, Lee Heeseung.

≛ taglist: @from-xero @haechanhues @abdiitcryy @kyleeanne [please send me a dm/ask to be added to the taglist for jake, hee and sunghoon's chapters!]

the scent of muffins and milkshakes wafts through your nose as a usual morning routine, the sight of pretty sparkles on cakes and lollipops makes you sick sometimes, but why would you give it up for free breakfast?

"you look like shit."

dongpyo sucks on his lips, wiping his hands on his apron and pouting his lips.

"you'd look like shit too if you were at the party! why didn't you come?"

"i was busy. honestly, i was surprised you were still awake when i got home."

"i was? i don't remember you coming home."

"i said 'awake', not 'sober'."

dongpyo rolls his eyes and flips the switch on the coffee machine.

"you should get your nose out of your books some day now, maybe figure out what having a life means," he pulls the glass panel behind the counter open, using a pair of tongs to pick out a muffin. "i know you've been working hard for us and thank you, but you should go back and... y'know, pick up where you left off."

"i do have a life, and it's the reason why i'm getting by now," you lean an arm on the counter where the cashier's register was. "who was at the party?"

"too many people to list," he places the muffin into the microwave oven by the coffee machine and tends to a take-away cup. "jay was there though."

"jay?"

"yes, jay."

"jay as in 'jay park jong seong'?"

"how many 'jay park's do we know?" dongpyo pours the coffee into the cup and fits it into a carrier.

the name 'jay park' doesn't really mean much to me, but it's his friend that makes me want to throw myself off a building.

jay was good friends was heeseung.

and yeah, you guessed it.

but no, we didn't break up on bad terms. after my parents went bankrupt, dongpyo relied on me for awhile. that meant that i worked part-time while studying, and my parents were never really at home, trying to make ends meet as well. they earned just enough to get the entire family to get by, and i made enough to provide dongpyo with his allowance.

it was a hard time, and yes, i do blame my parents for my fall-out with heeseung. we were dating at the time before everything caved in on itself and while heeseung was more than happy to help support this family that he wasn't even a part of, my parents thought nothing of him but as a distraction.

"i thought he was away for college," you pull out a ten dollar note from your wallet and slap it on the counter.

"he chose to come back here for his exchange sem," dongpyo places the muffin into a paper bag and pushes it to you, alongside the cup of coffee. he slides the note back to you.

you look up at him with slightly squinted eyes, hesitant to take the note; very well aware that he knew what was going on inside your head.

"he's most likely in town if jay's in town too."

"thanks for the treat," you quickly evade the subtle hint, taking the note and shoving it back into your wallet.

"are you free saturday?"

"no," you pick the things off the counter.

"cover my shift and you'll get 100%!"

your fingers wrap around the metal bar on the glass doors, the offer stopping you in your tracks.

"i was invited to a party-"

"again?"

"my shift's on saturday from evening to closing. you just have to put up with some stupid kids and couples for a few hours and you can fuck off back home by midnight."

by now, you're frowning at him with skeptical eyes.

"110%."

"what does that mean?"

"breakfast treats like this," you wave the bag in the air. "for the next month every time i walk in."

dongpyo pouts and rolls his eyes.

"no? k, bye-"

"ah- ah! fine! fine."

with a little chuckle, you turn and head out the shop. "see you at home."

it's not that i was avoiding him. i was just... not in the condition to see him again.

he was a promise i couldn't keep, and it hurt me more than anything to know that i couldn't turn back time and change how the way things turned out, because no matter how hard i tried, our breakup was not my doing.

it was my parents.

i wouldn't have been able to foresee the fall in stocks or predict the sudden collapse of multiple agencies at once.

we might live a picture-perfect life now, but it wasn't done without blood, sweat and tears.

so maybe i should've seen what dongpyo had been planning when he was nice enough (albeit reluctant) to give me more than the shift's earnings.

the last couple had decided to leave a tip for you, considering they stayed a little past closing time and delayed your going home. but being at the shop gave you a sense of peace amidst all the familiarity.

you had grown up in this town and your parents used to take you and dongpyo to this very shop to get cakes or sweets whenever you got good grades, and you enjoyed it - because that was the only uninterrupted time they had with you.

after bankruptcy, it's like your entire family had vanished.

that is, until dongpyo picked himself up and started working here.

"coffee stock... teabags-" and a soft grunt as you tip-toe, reaching into the cabinet above the blenders to check the teabag boxes.

you can feel the muscle in your calves strain as you reach for it, but the bell on the glass door rings.

"hey, sorry! we're closed!"

you pull back and huff a little, but your breath is stuck in your throat within a second of processing who was standing at the door.

"i- uh..." heeseung has a bouquet of flowers in his hands, awkwardly crinkling the wrap as he walks over to the cashier's counter. "let me just... help you with that before i... yeah."

and he does just that, placing the bouquet on the counter then walking around it and behind you, reaching up to get the teabag box that you were looking for.

"i'm assuming you were looking for this?"

"...yeah, thanks," gingerly taking the box from him, you open it and look into it. you know you're supposed to count the box, because if it were any number below 10, you had to go in the back and look for a new box, and if the back was out, you'd have to tell the shop owner to order more.

but you just... stared, afraid to look up and at him and listen to what he has to say. he's not usually a man of many words, so when he shows up like that with a bouquet of flowers, all you want to do is dig a hole and hide yourself in it.

especially since it's been years.

"are you just gonna pretend i'm a ghost or...?"

slowly turning around with a small look of reluctance on your face, you suck in a deep breath. "i just... wish i knew dongpyo set this up."

"actually, i asked him to help me set this up," heeseung looks over his shoulder behind him for the flowers, which he takes and admires for a moment before holding it out to you. "jay's in town, you must've heard."

your eyes are stuck to the flowers now. they'd be stuck anywhere but his face.

"i did," you blink your daydream away and turn, shoving the teabox back up in the cabinet. you whirl around on your heels, turning your back on him and closing your eyes for a few seconds. "look, i'm... i have to close the shop."

"i'll help you-"

"i don't think-"

"dongpyo gave me a to-do list."

this little...

but you shake your head and contain the slight frustration. you're not mad that he's here, you're not mad that dongpyo gave him a perfect list of things to do so you couldn't try chasing him away for being useless, you were mad because he was here without warning, stealing all the words off your tongue, taking every last bit of pride from the depths of your heart as if he was the one at fault for how your relationship ended up.

by the time you had processed the sight of heeseung turning around and opening the glass door to the display to get the leftover muffins and pastries out, you were already on the verge of ripping your hair out.

not from any negative thought, but from the sheer urge to run your hands through his hair and hold his hands, hug him and inhale all of his scent.

you missed him, you know you did, you just never thought of contacting him again, not after intentionally pushing him away.

heeseung spots you frozen in your corner as he takes out the last muffin, placing it on the counter behind him as he offers you sad look.

his eyes are dulled, but there's a hint of excitement that he's with you again. his hands are balled into awkward fists and then relaxed - he wants to hold you as much as you want to touch him.

"i should've stayed even when you tried to get rid of me."

and yet he still blames himself.

"not your fault," you instantly shake your head. "none of it was on you. it was on my family, on me, and you did what i told you to do."

"then will you push me away if i told you i still want you?"

he stares at you through the little strands of his hair.

"i-"

but then his arms are long - long enough to reach out and slide over your cheek and for him to pull himself closer to you. both his hands cup your face like cupping a little kitten's face when you find it cute, and then with sad, longing eyes that had almost seemed regretful like he had forgotten how you felt like, he leans down and presses a pretty kiss to your lips.

for a moment, all you could think about was how oily your face was and how tired you looked, but then you remembered: heeseung doesn't care.

the scent of him swarms your nose like strong perfume on a subway - the same way this strange overwhelming feeling swells your entire chest. feeling his shoulders under your hands as you hold him down feels like hugging a life-sized bear plush that you need to make you a little less lonely.

but this sweet moment is morphed into something more desperate, something more needy, when heeseung bends down just so he can pick you up by the thighs and rest your rear on the counter.

his hands are on your thighs, gently squeezing and massaging your curves because he missed them, lips unable to tear away from yours because he never really thought he could taste them again.

"hee," you pull away first, biting on your bottom lip while cupping his face. "there's... a camera in this shop."

"your brother told me how to get rid of it," a cheeky smile appears on his lips as he runs his palm up your hip and waist to your neck, thumb stroking your cheek. "he offered, not that i asked."

"we're still in plain sight," you whisper. heeseung shakes his head slightly, reluctant to pull away from your face.

"i'll keep it subtle."

the smile that heeseung has on his lips before he kisses you again is sweeter than everything you have in the shop. he carefully lifts you off the counter, taking off your shorts that, luckily, cooperates with him. and he, already given the idea by your little brother, wore jeans.

he pulls away, kissing your nose and your cheek before moving down to your jaw and your neck. butterfly kisses and slightly raspy breaths tickle your skin, erupting goosebumps all over you and rushing chills down your skin as your fingers clamour for something to hold on to.

they eventually find heeseung's arms, undoing his belt and the zipper just enough for his-

"you smell like chocolate and whip cream," he mumbles into your ear, gently nipping at your lobe.

"we could've waited until we got home," the words come out airy when the cool air hits you where you're sensitive.

"who said we can't do it again when we're home?" heeseung looks up at you, already aligning himself with you.

his rhetorical question teases you for a moment, then he leans forward to kiss you again, this time pushing himself in as well.

the stretch is familiar, and the little gasp you let out into his mouth is received with a quiet chuckle.

"oh- fuck-"

"nice to know you haven't been fucking anybody else," he kisses your forehead, finger automatically moving down to where his shirt is draped over.

"i don't-" thrust. "really have the time to-" thrust. "heeseung-"

"you sound so pretty when you say my name, did i ever tell you that?"

you'd respond, but you're too preoccupied hiding your face in his shoulder, muffling your sounds into his shirt.

"it's okay, i'm here," burying his nose into your hair, he shifts his hips as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and he isn't even really breathless - are you the only one falling apart?

but it was quick - maybe it was the mere thought of heeseung being here to physically fuck you and touch you again after years of longing that made it so much easier for you to finish. he smells like everything you missed, and the thought of being caught having sex in a shop with someone else just isn't appealing.

that is, unless it's heeseung.

heeseung knows when you've come by the bite your sinking your teeth into his shirt, your nails digging into his back and the pulsing and shaking your hips are doing to him as well.

how horribly sweet and pretty is that smile he has on his face when he cups your face, holding it at a distance so he can see your now half-lidded eyes, momentarily tired from the quick session?

"that's my girl," he tilts his head, kissing your forehead.

but an accidental flash from outside the shop catches both your attention, and you instantly turn to look out.

dongpyo has the most embarrassed smile on his face as he fumbles with his phone, dropping it onto the pavement while trying to shove it into his pocket.

"yah!" heeseung yells, deliberately turning to face dongpyo with his package uncovered.

"i'm sorry!" the younger disgustedly turns away, covering his face. i'm sorry! i'll help delete the camera footage!"

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