#(I love and HATE my version of Michael. So much)

[brokendreamscreation]

//shenanigans with @themosthatedbeingg of our twins and the Michael I rp as

My Michael is the epitome of “NO FUN” and “Fuck them kids” Lebron James dunking the twins outta Heaven.

[lurkingshan]

On Boston and Brian Kinney

I’ve seen a lot of folks in the Only Friends tag recently making connections between the show and Queer as Folk, both US and UK versions, which makes sense because QaF is a clear reference for the show, both visually and thematically, and we know Jojo likes to reference western media in his work. One parallel folks are drawing is not tracking for me, however, so I am jumping in the wayback machine and putting on my old QaF stan hat to talk to y’all about Brian Kinney, and why Boston is actually nothing like him. Tagging @bengiyo and @neuroticbookworm who talked this through with me and also @slayerkitty because I saw you were contemplating this connection between the two characters.

So, first, why are people making this comparison? It really boils down to one thing: Brian and Boston are both sluts. That’s… pretty much it. They both like sex and prefer to have it with many different partners, and neither has much use for monogamy. But this is pretty much where their similarities end. 

So let’s remind ourselves who Brian Kinney is: a kind of fantasy of a hot, rich, self-actualized gay man with unmatched sexual prowess and a surface level flippancy masking a heart of gold. Brian is an adult man with a thriving career and money that he earned for himself after leaving his abusive and homophobic family (who would eventually explicitly reject him because of his sexuality). As a result, he is defiant in his commitment to live his life as loudly and queerly as possible—which includes a dedication to fucking and sucking, public sex, and a rejection of heteronormative constructs like monogamy.

Brian has a very clear moral code he lives by, even if it’s not one most can relate to. He decides to have a son with his (lesbian) best friend because part of him wants to believe in a better future and build a family of his own. He is extremely loyal to his found family even as he’s a jerk to their face most of the time, and he is always working behind the scenes to protect them even as he often hurts their feelings with his glib remarks and shitty behavior. Despite his disdain for monogamy, he never actually tries to destroy any of his friends’ happy relationships (in fact, he tries to sacrifice his own friendship with Michael to ensure he stays with his boyfriend).

Brian has a sense of responsibility to others and often takes on the blame for things he didn’t even do, which is why he takes baby gay Justin to Debbie and ensures he is cared for even as he tries to dissuade Justin from getting attached to him, and why he cares for Justin in the aftermath of his bashing. He cares deeply about his community, to the point where he pours his money into protecting the local gay scene, literally bankrupts himself to stop an anti-gay politician from winning an election, and gives up a dream job to stay put in Pittsburgh and help rebuild the community after a hate crime.

Brian is unflinchingly honest and he avoids making promises because once he does, he knows he will absolutely keep them—he takes his commitments seriously and he always does what he says he will. When he falls in love, he does not abandon his core values but he is willing to make some compromises. And he hides his better self and often wallows in self-destructive behavior because he feels deeply unworthy of love, which goes back to the intergenerational trauma he experienced as a child in an abusive home and the parental rejection he felt due to his sexuality. 

Boston, by contrast, is a character who feels more rooted in reality. He’s a pampered rich kid who is indulged in his hobbies and who already has a life plan laid out for him and paid for by his daddy. He likes to sleep around mostly because it’s fun, and because he knows his life here is temporary so he doesn’t see any point in getting attached to people. In stark contrast to Brian’s out and proud and fuck you if you have a problem with it brand of politics, he is still trying to hide who he is in service of his father’s political career, even if he’s pretty sloppy about it (see him fucking Top in a car with giant windows parked in the driveway at a house party).

Boston’s moral code is fungible and ever-changing to fit his circumstances—boy is a hypocrite (see his opinions about people filming and photographing him even as he does the same to others constantly). He has no loyalty and no qualms about hurting and betraying his friends, and actively tries to destroy their relationships for sport or as a means to get what he wants. He does not feel responsible for anyone and often lies and ducks accountability for the things he does. He does not care about his community at all, and in fact already has a NYC escape hatch in his back pocket for when he inevitably burns his bridges. He is not as honest as Brian and sends a lot of mixed messages to keep people guessing and on the hook.

Rather than hurting people by being brutally honest as Brian does, Boston plays psychological games and manipulates his friends and lovers, and he seems to take twisted pleasure in blowing up their happiness. We haven’t seen him make a promise or fall in love, and while there are some signs that he may have some sort of inferiority complex at play (with Mew in particular), his motives are not tied to any past trauma. Boston is just a messy bitch who loves chaos and doesn’t really care who gets hurt as long as he gets what he wants and stays entertained. Where Brian is literally a superhero to his loved ones, Boston is just a very flawed human being. 

But Shan, I hear you saying, I thought you liked Boston! I do, besties, I do. He’s a fantastic character and a very real kind of person many of us encounter in our 20s. Because that’s the thing: Boston is so young. He hasn’t developed any sense of responsibility to others or any understanding of the importance of queer community, and he has never had to take care of himself, which is perhaps the biggest difference between him and Brian. Brian has lived independently for more than a decade when we meet him in QaF, whereas Boston is a spoiled rich kid who has barely lived. Brian is a fully realized adult and his more nuanced characterization is a reflection of that; Boston is actually a pretty basic chaotic drama queen who will grow up eventually. 

TL;DR: Aside from being promiscuous, Boston has very little in common with Brian Kinney. He is more a reflection of a very real kind of person you will meet on the scene in queer communities than an homage to a larger than life fictional QaF character. And while OF is absolutely referencing some of the themes and values and stylistic flourishes of QaF, it is not making direct parallels to its characters. 

[alexxncl]

‼️NIGHTBRINGER LESSON 40 SPOILERS‼️

masterlist | all lessons | season 2 | season 3 | lesson 39 | lesson 41.1 | lesson 41.2

the end of an era (season 2)

normal and hard spoilers

oh baby :(

see every time i remember how sheltered diavolo is it makes me hate his father that much more. he grew up with everything in the world, but practically nobody to share it with.

diavolo had to have been smart enough to have caught onto the reason behind mephisto's attachment to him at an early age. he might be dense, but he's not stupid. even if he and mephisto did end up becoming really good friends, diavolo knew early on that their proximity was for business and royalty purposes only, and that friendship and a genuine relationship was second to their professional relationship

i feel like this is why he initially thought of the brothers as treasures in regard to status rather than as people, and the mindset shifted to seeing them as treasures in regards to the relationship he formed with them. he wanted genuine connection, but forming a professional connection before a genuine relationship was so deeply ingrained in him that he defaulted to it without even realizing it

...he can't be fucking serious

GET HIM OUT I BEG

he would've done this regardless of the option we picked during the angel's trial i hate it here...can't he take a class or smth instead of experimenting on us

i'm gonna kill him /j

i'm a whore in the game so i technically date everyone at once. but why does he NEVER say i love you back ????? not even in the first game ????????

like ok you're a time demon who shouldn't get attached to anyone and you choose to stay unattached bc you'll lose everyone anyways blah blah blah but at least indulge me a little bit 💔

SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY I LOVE THEM

i feel like they know this is their last goodbye yk? obviously barbatos does, but this feels very, very final on their part. maybe it's a different version the feeling they have when they go into mc's room, like they can feel mc being pulled away from them physically

what if the end of the lesson or the story in the hard part of the lesson is them portalling back to their timeline and the brothers getting a glimpse of their alternate selves? and then everything clicking into place after mc leaves?

the fact that simeon has as many doubts about his father's intentions as lucifer and his brothers did really solidifies my belief that he wanted to, in the worst case, fall with the brothers. and if he didn't fall, he'd at least have begged for answers as much as lucifer did before the war. he was demoted after the war for helping the brothers in canon, and i feel like he still beats himself up about it because of the side he chose. him and raphael both, but raphael is better at hiding it

(i have a whole post about simeon and michael before the war here)

i've said this about a million times but...

the brothers ever 🫶🏽

they're such shitheads but also extremely concerned i love their dynamic sm

SEE I TOLD YOU ‼️ HE MASKS HIS FEAR WITH ANGER (even though i'm pretty sure this was confirmed in canon in the og game and in nb s1)

him admitting that he was scared though? putting his pride aside and actually talking about his feelings for once? this is proof of how much he trusts mc, how much he loves and cares for them, even if he can't explain why the feelings he holds for them are so strong

it also shows that he's thankful to have someone who will care about and protect his brothers as much as he does, and some of the weight of the "oldest brother" mantle has been lifted. it allows him to be vulnerable and at least a little more carefree, which is why he's seen joking and laughing with his brothers so much more often in the later lessons in comparison to season 1 and early season 2

i feel like i'm SUPOOSED to reach bc why would he phrase it like that ??? i don't think he knows...but he's really intuitive

or maybe this was a way of the devs using him to unofficially-officially send us off and into our original timeline. idk. i'm reaching but they made me

THEY DID NOT

oh i'm really gonna cry...they took what we wrote in season 1 and showed it to the boys

i COMPLETELY forgot we even did this 😭 god i'm gonna cry i love this game sm

I KNEW NO TIME PASSED THANK GODDDDDD

i don't think i'd be able to handle it if the same amount of time passed across realms

i also think this is why they emphasized "time soup" so heavily, you can be put anywhere at any time as if nothing had changed

...i can't believe it's over

...for now at least

well time to read the HDD story and catch up on devilgram

[lesbianrobin]

which showtunes do u guys think each 911 character would Destroy... i'm not talking ranges okay i'm talking pure emotion. pure vibes. performance power. here are my picks:

maddie: "she used to be mine" is low-hanging fruit and reductive but. i mean she'd kill. ANYWAY i think she would also slay "back to the palace" which is an earlier version of "on the steps of the palace" from into the woods which might be too much of a deep cut but i don't care. also she and chim would make me cry with "wedding song" from hadestown. ALSO "so much better" from legally blonde.

chimney: perhaps bringing starkid into this is embarrassing but i don't care. chim could fucking Own "show stoppin number" from the guy who didn't like musicals. like he would be So good. also chim could do "candy store" from heathers. maddie and hen are his heather mac and heather duke. like i just fully believe that he could commit the necessary energy. also i think chim could do any like romantic lead

buck: "maybe this time" from cabaret. like come on he'd bring down the house. also "my unfortunate erection" from the 25th annual putnam county spelling bee. he has the necessary pathetic vibe and general shamelessness regarding his penis. also "the schmuel song" from the last five years. ALSO "michael in the bathroom" from be more chill he would sing that song and cry about it whenever eddie was too busy to hang out with him.

eddie: he could not perform "maybe this time" from cabaret because he would break down in tears and be unable to sing. he Could own "not the boy next door" from the boy from oz. obviously. "god, i hate shakespeare" from something rotten! he just has the necessary haterism in his soul. "spooky mormon hell dream" from the book of mormon. i will refrain from assigning him anything from spring awakening because frankly i think if eddie diaz knew about that show it would upset him So profoundly and he would never recover.

bobby: "we both reached for the gun" from chicago. 10000%. also bobby and michael would deliver the greatest performance of "i love my dead gay son" from heathers of all time. "if i can't love her" from beauty and the beast.

athena: "anything goes" from anything goes. she just has that power idk. probably low-hanging fruit but "get down" from six. also i think she and bobby would slay "it takes two" from into the woods.

hen: "don't rain on my parade" from funny girl 100%. DON'T tell her not to live just sit and putter!!! also is it cheating to say she and karen could slay "take me or leave me" because it feels like cheating but they Literally could. also i think karen would slay "when he sees me" from waitress. sorry i'm letting karen overtake hen's bit but they're married what's hen's is karen's.

also the 118 could collectively slay "there! right there!" from legally blonde. also "what a game" from ragtime (eddie as father and buck as edgar. in my own personal opinion. because chim and bobby have Got to be baseball hooligans.) also eddie would fucking kill "ladies' choice" from hairspray but that's a movie thing so idk if it counts. but he'd kill.

[journalsouppe]

The Touchstarved DEMO by @redspringstudio! I had so much fun replaying this DEMO over and over, I truly cannot wait for the full release. The art is gorgeous, the writing is excellent, and I am surprised at how much I really loved each character, I expected to at least hate one or two of them like with My Next Life lol. I highly recommend checking out the DEMO if you're a fan of otome games or gothic stories!

The DEMO can be found here on itch.io or here on steam! All the stickers are from different Hallween stickerbooks from Michael's Art Store ^^; (ngl I think this is one of my favorite spreads, I even did do some studies of the color/rendering fhdjsf)

Writing typed below! (plus extra notes)

Rating: 9.5 (demo score - great demo) Played: Sp 2024 Port: itch.io Play full? Y YES!!!!!!

Comments:

First Route: Origin - Unnamed. RO - Leander

love you have a choice of 3 origins

GORGEOUS ART!

this game made me realize I do really enjoy otome games and not as a joke or for irony lol fjdkfal

from initial appearances I like Vere and Mhin ^^;

all the gold on the angel doctor is so gorgeous

killer music

okay I thought I wouldn't like Leander but holy shit --

LMAO NOT HIS SEX ROOM

LETS go I got the special Leander option on the first try

I need to do studies of this art oml I need my art to look like this <3

DAMN, now I'm bummed I missed the kickstarter, I would LOVE the art book

I need the stickers too esp for when I journal the full version

not only do I like the art, the writing is very good too

Vere is so pretty...

I LOVE all the fun marketing lore and illustrations on the Red Spring Socials

ooo damn does Vere have a red option or did I do his route right without one

only three red choice dialogue. 4 recently for Kuras (no Vere)-- Vere has one now!!! Kuras and Vere should have them whenever the DEMO gets an update ^_^

I'm learning I'm good at making the correct decisions lol

I honestly didn't know you could die until after I finished Vere's route (2nd route I did correctly -- 1st was Leander) and was curious what submit surrender did (aka I didn't die initially but went back to see what would happen(

LMFAO NOT MHIN BLUSHING WHEN I TELL THEM OFF pfft

LMAOOO and now Mhin is scolding me

amused with who has slept with who

deathly curious on how fucked up Leander will be

Kuras's nose!!!!! <3

I love the concept designs of Sen and Elyon, I can't wait to meet them

LMFAO 'BASTARD'

ngl I love Ais's mullet

This should not have been one of my first otome games bc now my standards are so high, esp in regards to character design

I wonder if the flashing soulless in the title screen means we'll see more soulless in the full game (than just the one)

okay damn I also really like Ais, these are some really well written characters

LMAO I was not expecting this music for Kuras

oh interesting I didn't realize Mhin's red choice was during your first encounter if you're an alchemist

okay Kuras is very silly and goofy 10/10 guy

ooo good theories about Ocudeus and control on tumblr - "obedience" -- reference to someone thinking the "obedience suits you" line on Ais's character card was actually from Ocudeus not Ais

Summary:

I thought when playing more otome games it would be really hard to beat My Next Life, simply because I am a huge fan of the source material that preceded the game. But wow, with the way this game is setting up plotlines, the full version of this game could easily make it onto my top favorite games list. Otome games are all about replayability, and the way just the DEMO is so rich with content and alternating paths makes me so excited and hopeful for the full game's release. I am bummed I got onto the Touchstarved train late and missed the kickstarter, but hopefully a shop will open around release bc I'd kill for an art book. The art is just so gorgeous and I cannot wait to do some studies, especially with color and rendering. Before playing otome games, I like to look at the character profiles beforehand and predict who I'd like and dislike. And I am very delightfully surprised that any initial dislike I had of characters all but vanished because the writing and personalities of these characters were so well made. I thought I was going to hate Leander but he ended up being the character I'm most curious about. Although I would say my least favorite is Kuras simply bc I'm not a fan of romancing doctors, I am still curious about his background story and connection to the others. In other words, great character who is just not my type. I am also delightfully surprised at the "vulgarity" in this game without being overly explicit -- I have grown so tired of how sanitized a lot of games and shows have been that it's always really nice seeing indie companies play by their own rules. I am so glad I stumbled across this game!! At this point I've done every route favorably but haven't tried all the "wrong" options -- more to play whenever I think about how excited I am for the full game! I've also seen the sneak peaks of an upcoming update ^_^. Highly recommend the game!!

[sparrowssally]

A short rant regarding David Tennant, Michael Sheen, and their respective partners

Just started re-watching Staged a few days ago to celebrate finals being done and when I went in the tags to see other people talking about it…wow, was I in for a rude awakening!

Obviously the show is everyone playing heavily exaggerated versions of themselves, but the sheer amount of unhinged-ness that people were expressing in the tags was INSANE. The fact that there are people out there who either 1) just plain hate David’s wife Georgia, and 2) think David is secretly in love with Michael and that each of their respective partners are just FWB (despite both couples having multiple children) are quite frankly appalling.

I wasn’t around much in the Doctor Who fandom when people were rabid about wanting David and Billie Piper together so maybe this isn’t a new thing but Jesus…I was just shocked at how incredibly delusional and strange some people can be.

All this is to say, I firmly believe—based upon everything that I’ve seen—that David and Georgia seem to be very happy together and the same goes for Michael and Anna, and that David and Michael are close friends. Anyone suggesting otherwise and wanting to shame their wives/partners for roping them into “loveless” relationships (and having children as a way to “manipulate” them into staying) can very kindly fuck right off. All the sources people seem to be citing don’t add up and it’s clear (at least to me) that it’s people who largely just hate Georgia for being married to David and Anna for keeping Michael from being with David romantically.

Anyway, this is completely random but I just felt like it needed to be said. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[zepskies]

Omgggg i loved your “love actually” one shot, it is truly the best Christmas film about!

Which got me thinking, Halloween, what would Soldier boy be like around autumn, does he like when his girlfriend forces him to dress up? I doubt it. Or when she had a marathon of horror films…🎃 and baked apple pie and had thriller by Michael Jackson on repeat!

Hey, hun!

Omg thanks so much! Love Actually (the movie) is the absolute best. And I had sooo much fun writing "Love Actually!"

But that's such a great question... To be honest, I think he would say "fuck no" to actually dressing up in a Halloween costume. 😂 We already know how he feels about capes...

The closest he might get (with a lot of cajoling and bribing on your part) is one of the older versions of his super suits, if he still has them. Or literally dressing in a black normal dress suit and saying, "What? I'm Bruce Wayne." 😈

But he would most definitely do the horror movie marathon with you (smirking and wrapping an arm around you when you inevitably hid your face in his shoulder during The Exorcist).

He would 💯 be stealing candy out of the bowl. Unapologetic when you glare at him. "Damn it, Ben. That's for the kids!"

He would devour apple pie and tolerate the first few repeats of "Thriller," until he gets so annoyed that he yanks your phone away and changes the song himself. "I can't fucking take it anymore! He may be the King of Pop, but this shit's gotta go."

Ben would, however, want to help you pick out your costume. Sluttier the better, of course. 🙄 He's nothing if not predictable there.

Unless you're going to a party though. Then he'd want you to keep it classy and sexy but not too sexy. He doesn't want to spend the whole night keeping an eye out for (who he deems, in his mind) other skeevy bastards.

You would hate for him to break your friends, so you'd probably compromise with him. But at the end of the night, maybe you give your boyfriend a little "peep show," so to speak.

Thanks so much for your question! This was too fun! I'm going to put a new section in my Soldier Boy Masterlist for "headcanons and imagines."

Soldier Boy Masterlist

Main Masterlist

[jackmkelly]

idk much about newsies uk as a production, can i know more about why you have beef with it? :-0

OVERALLLLLL i do love newsies uk and it was great and gave me the greatest joys (michaels jack, brontés kath, brooklyn girls) HOWEVER!!!! i Can always and Will always be critical of the things i love and newsies wont ever be an exception 🤕🤕

tooooooo many injuries happened in that show ! and .. fine its newsies ppl do get hurt when its so dance heavy it happened on bway and tour as well (but come on that shouldnt be normalized either lol). especially when its all about unions and how safety on the job is LITERALLY mentioned

it also eventually reached a point where brooklyn being all girls felt incredibly disingenuous. it didnt feel like it was supposed to be an empowering moment for kids in the audience and instead was just a way for the team to be like “we’re the version that had brooklyn girls” and that bugs me! and because kath and medda had alternates (which is a good thing pleaseeee normalize alts!🤞) brooklyn was down to 5 instead of 6 twice a week…. totally couldve been avoided if they just also hired an off stage female swing (i understand budget and all that but come on… if youre gonna flex ur girls make sure u have them lol). not to mention the fact that due to sickness and injury the boys had to cover brooklyn multiple times, which would be fine if the same rules applied the other way.. but it didnt… and that really urks me. theres No reason one of the girls couldnt have helped out in the manhattan ensemble when the boys were allowed to cover brooklyn

(i think newsies should be the most blindly casted show ever like who said they all have to be guys… open a book about the strike and they really werent so its just kinda tired to see it over and over again)

also in regards to the girls the element of surprise stopped being a valid excuse to not credit them accordingly after they put the girls on television so program still not saying lillie was spot by cast change even tho ever single man to play that role had it right in the playbill is icky to me

also once and for all is my favorite song in the show and i hate the way it was done there but thats its own issue

++ also also fan behavior was honestly atrocious and disgusting bc a lot of ppl were hiding racism and ableism behind “support for understudies!” bc why did people Want jack and crutchie specifically out a lot more than they wanted a davey or kath understudy but thats its own conversation.

[amomentoftimeandword]

Finally gave this one a chance...🫣

For my DC fans.. I'm *very* aware Ezra Miller was/is currently? controversial. BEFORE you come at me, I am a huge Batman nerd and that's really the only reason I watched this movie! 🫣

Pros:

1. Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman 🦇🙌🏼 . 2. Batman being Batman. 3. George Clooney showing up at the end as Bruce Wayne (solid ending). 4. Gal Gadot 🤩👏🏼 That's it 🤷🏼‍♀️

Cons:

** I hate saying this as a DC fan, but DC just CANNOT do live action movies well at ALL (The Dark Knight trilogy aside)!! I feel like they've never learned from their mistakes?? Have they never analyzed what is wrong and why their movies tank more often than not?? Sorry not sorry 🤷🏼‍♀️ I'll stick to the animated movies/shows which they excel at!! **

1. Ezra Miller's Flash. Can you say cringy?? (Not the whole time honestly, but majority, yes) 😬 seriously my least favorite version. Might be biased because I don't particularly care for Miller as a person... (Grant Gustin will always be my Flash) 2. The cameos of both George and Christopher Reeves and Adam West's Batman, felt weird. They don't appeal to a younger generation. The only reason I know about them is because my owner parents were around during that time and educated me on them. I think this film had plenty of missed opportunities to have current cameos of the same heroes. Especially since the CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths pulled in Miller's Flash. Could have returned the favor?? 3. Nicholas Cage Superman?? Hated that. No no no. Honestly not a huge Superman to begin with, but I respect a good portrayal of him when it happenes. But that was just bad. 4. Supergirl/Kara.. eh. 5. The Jason Momoa cameo in the post credits... Come on 🤦🏼‍♀️ Aquaman could have been so much better. 6. I love The Flash, as much as the next person, but there seems to always be a recurring theme with this character and it lacks uniqueness. Which theme? The one where Barry tries to go back in time to save his mom and inevitably f*cks up the timeline, creating a paradox. It is an overused plot to say the least. There's GOT to be more out there on him besides that?? I wanna see more of him taking on his enemies, his known ones from the Rogues gallery!!

[theunmarkedtombstone]

Typing Teenage Dirtbag aesthetic on pinterest is a disgrace, don't ask me why I was at the Devil's Sacrament, I get it, but my God no one actually understands that being a teenage dirtbag is supposed to be abt being a loser and not being a functioning teenager.

People who are NOT teenage dirtbags:

- Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You (hot, and people were afraid of him, which made him popular, even if for the wrong reasons. He scored the most beautiful girl in the world not by luck, but by actually putting in effort even if he was doing it for money. She literally wrote a poem for him. Clearly fucks).

- Effy Stonem from Skins (hot, knows it, has an actual sex life).

- Avril Lavigne (pop punk star who was almost a teenage dirtbag, but was also the consumer version of what a teenage dirtbag is) (I'm With You still fucks severely though).

- Chad Michael Murray in Freaky Friday (I genuinely don't remember his character that much but he fell in love with both Lindsay Lohan and Lindsay Lohan in Jamie Lee Curtis' body and attempted to pull HER, so idk that to me involves a level of confidence a teenage dirtbag shouldn't really possess. Also he's hot).

- Daria Morgendorffer from Daria (absolutely clinically depressed and it's difficult for me to say this, but she manages to out talk everyone too well for her to be an actual loser. She's just absolutely too intelligent to be there and an extremely uptight presence, but not really a dirtbag. She stole her only friend's boyfriend, which is toxic loser behavior, but then she managed to keep said friend and said boyfriend, before breaking up herself. She delivered a speech at the end of the show, and managed to be totally herself and reaffirm her own beliefs in front of her entire class. Her behavior was not a reaction to her surroundings it was who she was. Not a dirtbag).

People who ARE teenage dirtbags:

- Rodrick Heffley (thinks he's hot shit because he has a band, but his entire career came down to playing at the school talent show and his mom was the one who went viral. Also he canonically doesn't know how to spell. Iconic teenage dirtbag behavior).

- Janis Ian (manipulated her own friend to go after her enemy because her enemy destroyed her reputation in front of the whole school so much, she essentially got loserfied. She wears a tux to prom. Her only friend is an openly gay guy in 2004, who btw IS NOT a teenage dirtbag himself cause he's confident and he knows he's the shit).

- Sid from Skins (spends his entire time lusting over his best friend's girlfriend and, from what I remember, fucks her after his friend gets ran over by a bus or right before. Doesn't pull, only by accident and looking like that).

- Jane Lane from Daria (artist, loser, has a smart mouth, but not smart enough. Brother is a stoner who has a band that's gonna 'make it someday, man.' Entire family is a fucked up conglomerate of artists who are 'free thinkers'. Goes to school to see her best friend only. This best friend then fucks up her hair and steals her boyfriend, and she stays friends with her. Almost too cool to be a teenage dirtbag, but she has such an overwhelming vibe of it that looms over her that it makes it impossible for her to outlive it).

- Richie Tozier from It (smoker, trash mouth, constantly chased by bullies, doesn't pull, doesn't give, socially anxious, thinks his dick is bigger than yours (it is not)).

- Needy Lesnicki (I don't even need to explain why she's here, but here we go: Dated a drummer. Wore that to prom. Friends with the weirdo goth kids. Has a "punk rock" outfit to go to a bar. In love with her abusive best friend she can't quit. Constantly called a lesbian by the only girl who's weirder than her in her year).

- Juno MacDuff (talks like she's a constant stand up comedy routine. Pregnant from her best friend who's a bigger loser than her, and whom she loves dearly, at the age of 16. Into weird horror movies and comics. Knows how to play guitar. Threw up in her stepmother's urn and blamed her kid sister. Her only other best friend is a beautiful girl who's in love with her teacher and he is NOT hot. At all. So deprived she was almost sadly groomed. Sits on her car and contemplates the stars).

- Those two girls who are always hanging out in the bathroom in Drop Dead Gorgeous (look at them. Just look. One of them is pregnant and they are the only ones who have the guts to say that it's the popular girl and her mom who are murdering everyone because they know that no one gives a shit about what they have to say. Don't go to the school beauty pageant parade cause one of their waters broke. Still heavy smokers through it all).

Unclear:

- Colin Gray from Jennifer’s Body (Looks like that, but then he tried to pull the literal most beautiful girl in school now that she was socially irrelevant enough to go out with him and that still takes confidence. Also he looks like a MySpace wet dream in 2009, when looking like that was cool. Like I said, unclear).

- Kat Stratford (She is in between. She's a teenage dirtbag that knows she is one and embodies that with confidence, which by default makes her NOT a teenage dirtbag, you know? Difficult).

- Bill Denbrough (stutters, sure, but he also ends up with the only girl in their group, who's canonically chased by all the other loser boys. He's king of the losers, but if he lost the stutter, would he really still be a loser?)

That's it. Please stop sharing pictures of "teenagers" with vodka bottles and huge groups of friends, having fun. Those were the people you wanted to be in high school, therefore not teenage dirtbags. Being a teenage dirtbag is about pain and being a loser. Understand the essence. Thank you.

[evita-shelby]

Hi Juli! I hope you’ve been well!

I saw the latest list of prompts you reblogged and would love to know what you’d do with: "S/he gets their looks from you, definitely." "Is that a good thing or bad thing?" "No comment." for maybe Tommy and Eva if you think it’d fit.

Thanks so much if you choose to!! 🧡

thanks for asking K, i am doing great, still on my hunger games x peaky mood lol

i love the prompt, i had an idea for it but not sure which man in Eva's harem would i write it with

gif by @marta-krasina

Baby Di

“She gets her looks from you, definitely.” Eva points out what would become a softer version of Tommy’s jawline on their baby daughter.

Their little witch will be stunning when she grows up, those mismatched eyes of hers were gonna make her impossible to resist. Diane Elizabeth Shelby would break more hearts than her parents ever did.

 “Is that a good thing or bad thing?” Tom asks, cooing at their baby girl as if he hadn’t fucked up their marriage last summer.

She shouldn’t make it worse; she hates the distance between them and the fucking fact that he missed Diane's birth because of office bullshit in London that he could have done later. He’d been told by Eva that he’d get stuck in bad weather and went anyways. By the time he got through the snow, Eva had delivered their daughter in only the company of nuns and a very terrified Michael.

Tommy had been like his old self again, gotten her pink camellias like he always did when he fucked up, even kissed the top of her head as he’d done when Charlie was born.

“No comment.” The witch teased her husband. Perhaps they could end all this endless fighting now that they have sweet little Di in their arms.

[hauntedlovewasteland]

The first time I came out was in 2009/2010, I was 11/12 and came out as a lesbian (I was born a female at birth) I knew from a young age I was attracted almost solely to women and not men and from a young age I knew I was different from my peers. I have always been someone that has been outspoken about myself and sure of who I am. I was also struggling with my gender identity for a long time. I was more boyish than the other girls I knew. On most of the major holidays and birthdays from age 5-9 i exclusively asked my parents to call me a boy name I had chosen. My mom had no problem with doing this, my dad on the other hand not so much. I remember that from between the ages of 10-16 I had at least 6 different conversations with my dad (mom died in 2007) about how I felt more like a boy, I didn’t like looking like a girl and I hated my birth name (my birth name was Candace Michelle) I didn’t feel like my name fit me. I didn’t feel comfortable in my body and I hated it. It wasn’t until the year 2014 that he finally accepted that I wasn’t just a tomboy, that I was transgender. I struggled with my mental health for many years, I struggled with suicidal ideation and more. It was January of 2015 the first time I went into the mental hospital because I was so close to ending my life that is what pushed my dad to somewhat accept me. We did research, found a therapist who was a gender identity therapist who would take me on as a client. We found an endocrinologist in my area that would accept someone under 18 to medically transition. I didn’t start my medical transition until 9/15/15, I was 17 and I was in my senior year of high school. It was one of the hardest bust most important year of my life. For first part of my transition and prior to it my dad was adamant about not legally changing my name for me. He said I would have to do it myself when I turned 18, but luckily my doctor who was helping my transition kept pestering my dad about how with my name still legally being a “girls name” the blood work I was getting done would be tested the way a woman’s would be and not the way a man’s would be and that was a no no, it wasn’t until January of 2016 my dad finally caved and helped me legally change my name to Isaac Michael. I think he did it in part of being annoyed by the doctor. I remember when we discussed changing my name legally I asked him if he wanted to choose my name, he had told me that it was my choice to choose my name that felt most me but he had asked me to make my middle name the male version of my birth name because had I been born biologically male that was more than likely going to be my middle name. So I did just that, I let him choose my middle name and luckily it went pretty well with the first name I chose. I was so grateful for this because this way I was going to be graduating as Isaac instead of Candace. Today I have been on Testosterone for 8 years and 9 months. I am so proud of myself and the journey I’ve been on. I am comfortable with my body for the most part and I’ve loved seeing how masculine I’ve become and being able to smile looking at myself and not hate what I see in the mirror. Here are some photos of my childhood, my teenage years before testosterone and than each year anniversary of being on testosterone

[come-see-our-show]

Now that it’s been a week since I've watched Roald Dahl's Matilda: The Musical, here are all my thoughts (as someone who loves the musical and played Bruce once):

THE BABIES SINGING IN THE OPENING NUMBER WAS THE CUTEST SHIT I'VE EVER SEEN

The cast was INCREDIBLE!! Emma Thompson was terrifying! Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough were hilarious! Lashana Lynch was so endearing! AND I WANNA SEE ALISHA WEIR IN MORE STUFF BECAUSE SHE ATE IT UP

I want to give credit to the makeup team for Trunchbull's makeup because even though I knew it was Emma Thompson, they did such a good job of realistically transforming her into someone else. Her appearance wasn't a joke in the same way that it is in the musical. Her character in the stage version is definitely pretty misogynistic and transphobic because they play into her masculinity by having a man play her. Here, it's just a way of adding to her character, but it isn't what makes her scary.

All of the changes worked so well in adapting it for the screen. It wasn't just a copy-paste (couch cough everybody's talking about jamie) Examples of the changes that really worked:

Getting rid of Michael Wormwood. It makes sense since the Wormwoods clearly hate kids.

Giving Lavender a pet newt (very Chekhov's Guncore)

Including telekinesis throughout the whole story instead of just showing it a few times in the 3rd act. This includes Nigel asking Matilda if she has TK, Matilda messing with the doors in the cake scene, exploding the chokey, THE FUCKING CHAINS

Having the Spain news earlier in the story, causing a catalyst of events. Matilda is enraged, she sings I'm Here, she explodes the chokey (which was BONE-CHILLING), it gives Trunchbull a reason to make more chokies, and now Matilda is so emotional that she can take her powers to the extreme with the chalkboard and the chains and throwing Trunchbull out the window. All of this gave much better pacing in the story and made it all connected.

Having more scenes outside of the classroom (the cake scene and The Smell of Rebellion) and putting Ms. Phelps' library in her car. It's quirky and also gives them an excuse to put the storytelling scenes in pretty locations.

Giving Ms Honey a bike while her co-worker had a car, foreshadowing her being poor.

Putting Matilda's bedroom in the attic made so much sense because the Wormwoods obviously did the bare minimum for their child.

The students' drawings in Ms Honey's cottage

SO MANY FANTASY SEQUENCES! BRUCE!! WHEN I GROW UP!!! QUIET!!!!

All of the kids were so adorable (and ridiculously talented!)

The storytelling sequences!!! Interweaving it with the real world worked so well, like Matilda making it a real story for school but also clearly using it to cope. And putting them in a real circus made me more empathy for the Honeys, which lacked in the stage version because it always felt very thrown-in to me. Like, I genuinely got nervous during the stunt with the dynamite. It also made "I'm Here" even more emotional. Carl Spencer was amazing as Magnus and I teared up a bit. Also the parallels of I'm Here vs My House, helping Matilda put the pieces together.

The new song wasn't my favorite but it was a really nice finishing touch. Even though the circus at the school didn't logically make sense it was so fun

The only things I disliked: I wanted more of the already incredible stuff. More of the Wormwoods, who were absolutely hilarious, especially Mrs Wormwood. I really missed "Loud" (though removing it helped with the pacing). I wanted a bit more of Bruce (they didn’t give him the high note in Revolting Children 😭), and I would've liked Ms Honey to be a bit more affectionate with Matilda.

Anywho I want snort this movie like cocaine

[absentia-if]

RO Quotes Beginning With ‘You Have No Idea’

Kade/Kara: “You have no idea what I’ve done these last few years. Have no idea what I’ve had to do in order to make myself feel better about seeing the sunrise without you. I will never compare what I went through with what happened to you, because they can’t be compared, but it was hell. It may not have been your version, but hell isn’t the same for everyone.”

Michael/Margot: “You have no idea how much I’ve yearned for you. How I’ve waited with bated breath for you to just smile at me. To look at me with anything akin to love in your eyes. You have no idea how important you are to me— I don’t think there are enough words in this world that will be able to express it. To express how much I love you, but it’s not enough anymore. My love isn’t enough anymore.”

Blaine/Blaire: “You have no idea, huh? You truly can’t see how much this is hurting me? I hate what’s happened. I hate that you lost so much, and if I could trade places with you in a heartbeat I would. I hate knowing that you’ve been in pain, and I hate that I haven’t been able to be there for you in so long, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you hurt me too.”

Wren/Wynn: “You have no idea what you’re doing! You don’t know what you’re messing with, and because of that you’re going to pay the price! And, I promise you, it’s a price that’s going to be way too high. It’s going to hurt, and it’s going to create a wound that’s so deep it’ll never properly heal, and all you’ll have is yourself to blame for it being there.”

Nicholas/Natalie: “You have no idea who I am! You haven’t ever truly taken the time to know me. Did you really think I would thank you? That I’d be happy about what’s happened? They’re my best friend, and I may never see them again, speak with them again, because of what’s happened today. You have no idea how much you’ve just broken me.”

[not-wholly-unheroic]

I hope to write a full review of Peter Pan and Wendy at some point in the near future once I’ve had the chance to rewatch it a few times, but in the meantime, it makes me sad that so many people seem to have hated it, and I need to just gush about a few of my favorite parts.

(Warning: This list will contain SPOILERS for the film.)

Wendy’s very realistic reaction to having her favorite bedtime story character show up in her bedroom in the middle of the night (“How are you real?!).

The reworking of the “kiss” scene. Although the childhood romance/first love thing between the two of them in most versions is adorable, seeing Wendy sort of mentally panic and scramble to find SOMETHING to give Peter when, after getting hurt, Michael suggests someone give him a kiss to make it better and Peter says he doesn’t know what that is but he thinks he needs one is hilarious and totally something an awkward teen girl would do when confronted with kissing a boy in front of her brothers.

Mr. Smee’s good heart and kindness. Gaffigan’s Smee tries on more than one occasion to shield the kids from the worst of Hook’s wrath and/or scary situations as best he can while still being loyal to Hook. And it is openly acknowledged that there is a sort of father/son relationship between Hook and Smee due to Smee having pulled him from the sea when he was just a boy. Law’s Hook isn’t always good to Smee, but he very much recognizes he wouldn’t be alive without him. It’s also nice to see that although a bit of a dork sometimes, this Smee isn’t stupid, and actually seems pretty perceptive at times.

The sea shanties!!! I love that they found a way to work a few songs into the film without it feeling too out of place in a live-action movie that isn’t a full-on musical. The songs themselves are catchy and the lyrics (which are mostly about things in the deep that will eat you…) serve to remind us of the hellish nightmare Hook lives every day in fear of the crocodile. We also get a nod to the Disney sequel. (Props to the songwriter for managing to work the word “cephalopod” into a song and actually having it fit the rhyme.) Also, the second song arguably has a ticking motif in the slow drum beat.

The crocodile’s appearance and attitude. This thing is terrifying. It’s HUGE. There is absolutely no one in their right mind who wouldn’t run from this creature. While it wants Hook most of all, it isn’t opposed to eating others either (and does apparently nab a few men who get shoved out of the way by Hook or who aren’t fast enough). Also, all the spears sticking out of its hide. Makes me think of Moby Dick. The crew has apparently tried on many occasions to get rid of this crocodile but it refuses to die.

The similarities and differences in Peter’s fight with Hook at Skull Rock as opposed to the animated film. Hook ALMOST steps off a ledge at one point like in the animated version, but Smee is there to grab us coat and pull him back before he can fall. We also get some good shadow sequences like in the animated film…but apparently, Hook’s shadow can harm Peter’s with the effect that Peter himself actually feels it.

Hook’s reaction to the crocodile. His first words on seeing the creature are just a very quiet sort of shaky, “Oh, God….” When it lunges for him at one point, he freezes in terror for a second before his instinct to run kicks back in. This man is traumatized.

Hook and Peter’s relationship. Okay, yeah, I’m upset they went with the very cliche “Hook was a Lost Boy” deal which has been done so many times now in book retellings that it’s not even new or interesting anymore (not to mention Hook really needs to be an Etonian to make him who he is…) BUT I am very pleased at the emotional depth the actors and writers went to here for BOTH of the characters. Hook is still clearly capable of brutality but he’s also deeply wounded. Peter is selfish and cocky like any little boy might be, but he’s not evil and genuinely misses the friend he used to have in James. They weren’t black and white hero/villain tropes. They were complex characters who both dealt with things poorly, and it takes Wendy pushing on their emotional walls and asking hard questions to finally make them see they can stop hurting each other and maybe repair what has been broken.

The quotes they gave Law as Hook. So many good ones that I may make an entirely separate post about it but the entire brig scene with Wendy is gut-wrenching. At first, my reaction was, “Why is he telling her all of this?” But then, I remembered that even Barrie’s Hook has a tendency to monologue and I think part of the reason he tells her so much is simply because she might be the first person other than Smee to actually want to LISTEN to his side of things. (Much as how Tink points out later in the film that Wendy is one of the first people to really hear her.)

Peter actually needing and accepting help. While admittedly, I think they may have leaned into the “girl power” thing a little too heavily in this version, it was nice to see Peter actually realize that he DOES need people in his life and that it’s OKAY to ask for help sometimes.

Everything about the ending. Peter apologizing to Hook and flat-out refusing to fight him. Hook’s initial anger and disbelief. Peter reaching out and grabbing him by the claw to keep him from falling. The pained and terrified look on Hook’s face as he scrambles to come up with just one happy thought and can’t find any. The look of horror from Peter as he watches his former best friend fall to what he assumes will be his death. The fact that Peter MOURNS for him. The symbolism of “Hook” falling away and dying while “James” survives. The little hopeful smile he gives when he sees Peter coming back. UGH! It was SO GOOD!!! 😭 And that’s not even including the emotional scene with Peter and Wendy saying their goodbyes on the rooftop in London.

This film wasn’t without it’s flaws. The pacing was a little off in places, and it doesn’t feel quite like an epic adventure…but BOY, does it have some heart to it.

[kepnerandavery]

Bridgerton season 3 (part 1) review

Thoughts on polin this season:

I stand corrected, people. I loved Penelope and Colin this season. I found the writing of those two as individual characters and a couple (on the show) to be mediocre before, but my god, it's like they jumped straight out of the fourth book this season. It's like I finally got to meet book Penelope and Colin (especially Colin). And the chemistry of the leads really surprised me too. I don't know what was going on before this season, but they are great together now. The writing/portrayal of the personalities of the two characters and their connection was spot on, and I honestly have no notes. I wish they had kept this same essence since the beginning, but I get why they were saving this until their season. As I expected, the execution of the translation of this season and couple from the book to screen was the best out of all three seasons. I wish the past two couples got the same attention and treatment (specially kanthony), but alas, there's nothing to be done about that. RMB is my fourth favourite book in the series, but this season is honestly my favourite. The dialogue, costumes, locations, aesthetic of the sets, and even the silent moments between the leads were so poignant. And this season made it clear how a show having a female show-runner can impact it so positively.

Now, on to the other things:

I really liked how they handled Penelope and Eloise's friendship and its fallout this season. Their friendship was written more subtly and with care this season and resembled the one in the books for the first time ever for me. And how they both changed as individuals by the absence of the solace the two of them found in each other in the past as they stood against the confoundedness and cruelty of society was written so well.

Kanthony were adorable and really cute and it's such a shame that we got so few scenes of them. At least they are together and happy.

I hate how they keep making a mockery of Benedict's character. It's clear that he should have already met Sophie and gotten his story cause his character feels lost among everyone else, but the poor boy is still smiling, so that's something I guess. I just wish they would for once properly focus on his love for art and improvement of his talent instead of his little dalliances. It's almost like the writers think that he has no other values/interests beyond that. I feel like the writers are so much better at handling Eloise's character and preparing her for her season than they are at writing Ben's. For god's sake, they should at least give him a best friend, or further build his relationship with one of his siblings or Violet to give his character some substantiality.

Eloise was really great this season and seemed so much more mature and grounded. Her costumes were immaculate too. I just wish we had seen her bond with Francesca more cause they're really close in the books.

As for Francesca, I'm sorry, I didn't like how her character or story was written this season. She was never meant to be this.. idk... plain and quirky? (no one come at me cause I'm a book Fran apologist). After watching these four episodes I feel like Ruby had a better grasp on Francesca's character than Hannah does but it could also have something to do with the very bland writing. But then again, most of what we know of Fran is from WHWW and she is more mature in it, so like polin, her character could also get major development later on as she gets older. But I don't have high hopes for that. And dare I say, I also didn't like how John was written either. He was always way more confident and outgoing in my mind (I also expected them to cast an actor of a larger build and screen presence to play him). But I do see how this version of him suits the new version of Fran. But all in all, neither of them were this particular in my imagination. I hadn't had any hopes for the adaptation of Michael's character since last season came out, so this is literally the nail on that coffin for me. At this point, I'm very desensitised to being let down by this show and prefer to be pleasantly surprised, so who cares.

The soundtrack was great (though nothing can beat season one's in my opinion). But Snow On The Beach playing in episode four at the exact moment it did was really poignant and sweet so it's my favourite song they used this season (so far).

Favorite quote:

"Eros and Psyche battling it out." "What you are trying to say, Miss Cowper? Are they not old friends?" "The oldest of friends, really. Ever since the Featheringtons moved in across the street." "Across the street from the Bridgerton house?" 😭 (argghhh! why is that the cutest thing? whoever wrote that deserves a raise!!!)

Suffice to say, I'm very excited to see how the rest of the season is written. I hope they handle the whole LWD thing with care too.