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my friend told me last night that he gets girls to come back to his place by telling them “oh i can’t wait to go home and have some stew” and “i’m so hungry, good thing i have stew at home” and it’s worked every time

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just thinking about how luke’s love for rory was never conditional but chris’ was. like, my point is, chris and rory seemed all good and well whenever chris and lorelai were getting along but once they inevitably fought, chris would leave again and he wouldn’t show up to any of rory’s events and such. but luke? luke was always supporting her, no matter if he and lorelai were getting along in that moment or not. idk just something i’ve been thinking about today.

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oikawa and hinata in brazil

the duality of sand, and what it means to begin again

their brief time together in brazil highlights how relationships and one’s perceptions of another change with time, age and experience. hinata, who used to be intimidated by the imposing grand king, is now seeing him laugh, trip and stumble in the sand. hinata, who in oikawa’s eyes was clumsy and unskilled, is now teaching him how to play beach. it’s seeing the other at their most vulnerable, this openness that allows them to connect with each other in a way they never would’ve been able to if they were both still in japan.

it was practically fate they met each other at the right place, right time. both of them being what the other needed the most. oikawa cheering hinata up in the depths of his loneliness and homesickness. hinata helping oikawa remember volleyball is fun. oikawa who was struggling to get somewhere and hinata reminding him of where oikawa had been before he’d ever gotten anywhere.

the way it was hinata, who started with nothing, who reminds oikawa what it felt like when he started out. hinata, who we watched build and establish his roots throughout the series, that reminds oikawa of his own. hinata shouyou from the concrete who reminds oikawa the grand king what it feels like to begin again.

there’s the symbolism of sand, its unsteadiness that forces you to get back to your roots, to start anew. for something that’s soft and has so much give, it mercilessly doesn’t let you get away with anything, yet is forgiving and gentle as you work to build yourself back up again, stronger than before. “relearning from the ground up, one more time.” it’s relearning what it means to truly connect to one other person because in beach, you only have one other ally on the same side of the net. both in beach and right now on the other side of the world, hinata and oikawa are the only allies the other has. both in beach and right now in brazil, this partnership is merely momentary–what does it mean to connect when the other is all you have?

hinata reminds oikawa the exhilaration of learning something new, being a beginner at something again, and feeling driven to get better at it. for oikawa, brazil–hinata–was a reset. being able to play with no pressure, to lose yourself in the game, to lose the game itself, all for the sake of just playing. that simple-minded goal of trying something you just learned again and again until you get it being your sole driving force, game scores themselves be damned. it doesn’t matter. not here, not right now.

only in those fleeting few days, in that one moment they were able to play these roles for each other. in brazil, only during this transient moment, they were both able to exist outside of their preconceived notions of each other. this unspoken acknowledgment between the other that japan oikawa and japan hinata are as far away as their home country itself. once opponents, now teammates who learn what it means to trust in someone else in a foreign and unforgiving realm.

the way both of them were feeling stuck and unmoored in foreign countries but it was happening upon the other through a chance encounter that helped ground each of them within this uncertain point of time in their lives. brazil was a brief interlude that was so ephemeral but helped give both of them the comfort and confidence to keep moving forward in their journeys to the top with renewed vigor.

they both remembered what it feels like to confidently take on a challenge, because you are invincible when you start at the bottom, when there’s nowhere else to go but up.

they both reminded each other of home, and what beginnings feel like. both reminded each other why they came here, so far away from home. they put themselves through these hardships because at the end of the day they love this sport. they fell in love with it before and through each other, fell in love with it again. through the other, they remembered that volleyball is fun.

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L to the OG could break me out of Vecna’s curse

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Incredibly blessed to have lived through both the Destiel-Putin-Election and the Reigen-Sans-Queen-Incident

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It's in honor of Mervyn Pumpkinhead

I haven't seen dancing pumpkin guy ONCE this year, are you guys okay?

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Something I love about The Sandman, both the book and the TV Series, is how disgustingly banal evil is represented. The most "evil" people I can think about in the series are Burgess, The Corinthian, John Dee and the attendants at the Cereal convention (I would also count Desire in this list based on their actions and demeanor, however I don't think they are like the other people here). I love how pathetic all of them are, these people feel more tangible than most villains and monsters I've come across not because they have an actual reason to abuse those around them, but because even if they have a motive (Randall Burgess' death, The Corinthian's twisted perception of his reason to exist and his longing for independence, Dee's whole "lies v truth" philosophy or the Cereal Creeps' various excuses), the reason they do what they do isn't really because of it, not directly, but to satisfy a dark urge they've developed a taste for, be it for appreciation, complete intimacy and a sense of reliance or blood. To me, these people are cruel, abusive, amoral and downright evil not because of a tragic backstory, but because they chose to do evil things, have developed a taste, an enjoyment for being that way and have developed barriers to protect themselves from the blame for their actions.

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Thoughts on the Calliope segment of the bonus episode [spoilers ahead for Issue 17/ episode 11 of the Sandman]

While I truly appreciate some of the changes like not showing Calliope's sexual assault on screen, and it only being implied - I do think her talking to Maddoc before he even harmed her undermines the impact of her dialogue. In the comics it's a desperate attempt at making a clearly irrational man see reason, it's her fighting for her life and dignity after she's been wronged. In the show it seems like an attempt to show reason to a man before those things can happen to her all over again, and it works to a certain extent, because until that point Maddoc is not shown to be a writer being driven crazy & threatened to submit his work. In a way, Maddoc in the show is worse for still having abused Calliope, because he's doing it with the explicit knowledge that she was taken advantage of - but the reader's heart breaks in the comics in a way the show audience won't understand. It relies too much on implication, and the dialogue doesnt convey brutality.

That being said - the dialogue between Calliope and Morpheus is something I adored in the episode, especially when she says "I cannot forgive what he has done, but I must forgive the man." It seems to signal closure for what Dream has been through in S1 as well, with Burgess and his torture, and then forgiving "man" because he realizes there's so much more to life.

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I asked someone to watch The Sandman but it accidentally corrected to The Sad Man and you know what? It makes perfect sense. Sad Man it is.

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The dialogue sequence from Calliope where the girl asks for writing advice... that's a question that Neil Gaiman actually answered! I love it so much !!

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socks are just turtlenecks for the feet

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Morpheus is autistic because I said so

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I finished watching The Sandman a few days ago, and - as one does - have been scrolling through the tags and references on twitter and tumblr. A common opinion I've been seeing is that Dream's get up isn't "authentic" because he looks too human-esque / is quite different from the Comics. If I recall correctly, @neil-gaiman mentioned in an interview that they did try the pale skin & black eyes look, but it just didnt work out.

Regardless of whether it could have worked out or not, I'm really happy they stuck with the way Morpheus is shown on screen, and I have a bunch of reasons for that [outlined later]. But before that, I really want to talk about how ridiculous it is to expect a human become an absolute mirror of an illustration without it looking a bit off. Resemblance in terms of looks is important, yes, but only to fulfill the context/ reasons for why the character was drawn in a certain manner - and I think these are fulfilled really well. I want to outline three aspects about Dream that the show explores and how the makeup & eyes align with it. I have read the comics, but am writing this post on the basis of the show in isolation (as much in isolation as is possible)

1) Dream's Nature

We see right from the beginning of episode 1 that Dream is not someone who is particularly loquacious. Now of course it's understandable why one might not want to converse with their captor, but we see this throughout the season - with Death, with Hobbs, even with Matthew. Dream is someone, er, something, that only talks when it's required of him to do so - largely when he has to demand something or express authority. It's precisely because of his reticence that body language becomes the medium through which the audience is able to interpret his behavior and emotions.

In the comics, each reader has their own view of what Dream might look like, and there are the narrative / descriptive speech bubbles to help set the atmosphere & tone of a particular action or exchange of actions between the characters. In the show we only have the lighting, music, and of course, the way Sturridge carries himself. This is where the makeup & hair department shines.

In not giving Sturridge the big poofy hair that seems integral to Dream, it allows the viewers to concentrate on his face without any distractions. This is crucial, because anything the viewer wants to know about Dream has to be ascertained through Sturridge's eyes & facial expressions. In not giving him pitch black eyes, Dream is emotionally an open book - we see him flinch when Jessany dies, his eyes cloud up when he learns about the theft of his tools, and the twinkle of amusement everytime he meets Hob Gadling. So yes, for the audience to get a feel of what lurks behind Dream's seemingly emo boy exterior, it is essential for us to be able to focus on his face. And Sturridge does this portrayal exceptionally well [although that's for a different post]

2) Dream's Relationship to Humanity

I think unarguably, this season is about Dream understanding his position with humans - right from the torture & frustration at being kept in captivity by Roderick Burgess, upto him acknowledging his companionship with Hob Gadling. I'd put forth that this exploration was successful because of how human Dream looks.

Every moment in episode 1 when the camera focuses on him, we're able to sense the pain in his eyes, the intensity of losing Jessany when he flinches, and the anger of being treated so horridly while captive. He is stripped down to a fragile being, and the audience is compelled to view him as a helpless human. With the demonic like appearance as in the comics, it would be difficult for an audience to accept that he was truly captured and couls not escape. Interestingly, one of the few (only?) times across the season when we do see Dream's pitch black eyes is when he blows sand into the security's eyes after stepping out from his prison & when he goes to exact revenge on Alex. It's a reminder that Dream is not human, but more importantly it comes at a point where Dream no longer wills to have a relationship with humanity, his only aim is to destroy those that hurt him.

Dream understanding that his purpose is to serve humanity is a product of him interacting with humans, or being compelled to observe humans (by Death). His appearance (and costume) here becomes integral to how people perceive him as well. Johanna Constantine looks him over when he approaches her, and even goes as far as to ask him who he is. Hob Gadling is curious each century as to Dream's identity. Both these sets of interactions were able to play out because Dream looked human. Both these people played significant roles in reminding him what he should be doing - Johanna when she reminded Dream that humanity was right in front of him, and Hob by just being Hob. Dream having humanlike characteristics makes it convincing & believable to the audience that he wants to serve them because he genuinely cares and understands his purpose - and not just because it was an obligation given to him upon his creation. It also shows his growth from being someone who plotted revenge for a century to someone who wants to help people.

3) Dream is Not Human

One can argue that Dream is not supposed to look human because he isn't - he's a menace, he's terrifying, he's the lord of dreams and nightmares. But the humanlike appearance is exactly what allows the direction to focus on actions and qualities that make him not human.

Gwendoline Christie [for those of you unaware, she plays Lucifer] in an interview with Cinemablend mentioned that the complexities and conflicts of Lucifer portrayed very human qualities of the character. "You believed that was a person, you could see it." The same goes for Dream - the audience, although aware that Dream is a member of the Endless, still sees some human-ness to him, and views him as a person. And it's this human-ness precisely that shows us how much he is not. His moments of tenderness when he gifts Abel the gargoyle egg or helps Shakespeare achieve his dreams of being a playwright contrasted with moments of abject harshness when he unmakes Gault or takes Hector away from Lyta are marks of the power that rests with Dream. Power is such a human thing to want - but to have so much of it is decidedly otherworldly, and wr are constantly reminded of the same. Dream is terrifying because he looks human but has power beyond the scope of human capacity and imagination.

tl,dr; I like that they didnt make tom sturridge look like comics dream because we were able to witness all the wonderful eye acting and walk through Dream's journey with him, while still being reminded that he is a Lord of the Endless

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Ricky Bowen (HSMTMTS) is autistic thank you

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THE BROTHERS SINGING I'VE HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE sjdjsjjsjwjs

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kuroo is an "i am aware of social rules from careful observation but i can only guess how, when, and with who it's appropriate to break or bend them, so it's hard to form friendships that are deeper than surface level" autistic

bokuto is a "i love talking to and being with people but they tell me i can be too much. i wish i knew exactly what that meant so i could stop but people are always so vague when i upset them" autistic

akaashi is a "there is a social interaction flowchart in my brain with hundreds of different paths that i go through every time i interact with a person i am not incredibly close with. it's exhausting and i freeze whenever i find myself in a situation i don't have a script for" autistic

kenma is an "no one tells me what they expect from me but i know it's more than i can give. i can never tell when something i do or say is going to be considered 'wrong' so maybe i just shouldn't say things" autistic

kuroo finds that friendship comes easily with the other three. of course, he's been friends with kenma since they were little, but the other two are so... strange in the best way possible. seeing their disregard for norms lets him relax enough that he doesn't find connection blocked by the wall of rules he has to force himself to follow.

bokuto loves being with the other three because he's one hundred percent confident that their friendship is real. he can be himself around them without the tiniest bit of worry that they're gearing up to tell him that he's too much, because he knows they love him and would tell him explicitly if he ever did something to upset them.

akaashi enjoys the other three's company because they don't act the way his mental flowchart does. he can easily predict how they'll act and react, not because he watched them as an outsider for years in hopes that he could learn to be "normal," but because he genuinely understands them in a way he doesn't most other people. and they understand him.

kenma enjoys the other three's company because they never make him feel like there's anything wrong with the way he is, and he knows they never will. his deeply ingrained fears might not ever disappear, but he finds that with them there's almost no hesitation, no pause to consider possible reprecussions of any statement he makes before he says it. it's good, and comfortable, like it should be.

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HAIKYUU! Ramblings - Inarizaki's players view themselves as a product of volleyball

Throughout Haikyuu! we get an insight into the different mindsets of each team and the players, their techniques of playing, and the atmosphere they play volleyball in. For the members of the Inarizaki team, each play in each match is about putting the best foot forward- not one's personal best, but the absolute best there is on court. While at face value, this may seem similar to any competitive club, there is a unique sort of pressure experienced by the players of Inarizaki that other school teams do not have. There are two factors that contribute to this:

1) The Cheering Squad 

In the beginning of the match, Inarizaki’s cheer squad seems to be just like any other- clapping for and aggressively supporting their team. However, it is soon revealed that they also jeer at the mistakes made by their own members (contrary to other audiences like karasuno’s who might be upset in the moment but never show it for the sake of the players). This creates an immense amount of pressure in the players, to the extent that they worry about losing because of the backlash they would face.

The players own feelings of loss are heavily influenced by the reactions of the audience, and this is evident when Atsumu Miya addresses the crowd in his brain “Insult us already, losers don’t need applause.” His surprise at the crowd clapping for the team shows how foreign the experience of being appreciated not for the results, but for the game, is to him- and this feeling probably extends to the rest of the team.

2) Inarizaki’s Slogan 

Inarizaki’s slogan reads “We Don’t Need Memories,” signifying that the past is of no importance. While it can be interpreted to emphasise focusing on the present & future, the manner in which it is deployed is extremely business-like; nothing about the past matters because you need to focus on achieving your next result. This way of thinking does not allow the players to reflect on their mistakes and actions, due to which they never end up playing the sport for themselves.

Conclusion

Miya’s expectation of getting insulted after losing the match, despite individually having played excellently, shows how he hasn’t (within the atmosphere of Inarizaki) gotten the chance to play volleyball for himself.

Osamu saying “We fooled around too much” to his brother, after performing the quick attack that ultimately resulted in Inarizaki losing, further showcases how much the idea of winning as the sole focus of volleyball has been ingrained in the players. The mentality of ‘having fun can’t produce the best results’ can be attributed to the same result-oriented mindset.

This is also why Kita saying “the journey is more important than the result, but children don’t understand that” becomes such a profound moment in the show- these kids have always trained in an atmosphere that prioritises results, and prioritises them to the extent that other aspects of sports such as individual and collective growth are side-lined. The saddest part about it is that this wasn’t something taught to them- but something they had to pick up on through exposure to the activity in such an environment.