#I just think it's nice that Kevin has a lot of moms

[jtl-fics]

Personally just think that while Kevin & Wymack would be kind of awkward in their whole embracing one another as family that Kevin does not have the same problem with Abby.

Partially because I think it'd be very funny for Wymack to go to Abby's house and walk in to just find Kevin and Abby on the couch drinking mimosas with face masks on watching their compromise show which is The Real Housewives of Exy Players.

[hunter-sylvester]

Skullflower is Autistic: A Breakdown.

Buckle the fuck up.

Disclaimer: Don't take any of this too seriously.

Also all of this was written over a year ago with only minor edits. I'm just posting it now cause it's been rotting in my drafts and, like, fuck it.

I've wanted to try and make a comprehensive breakdown like this for a while just because I love these characters and very heavily interpret them all as autistic (with ADHD as well.) But this is just the perspective of one guy. And I probably overstate it but the fact that we can all have our own very personal interpretations about media is what's great about analysis & fandom.

Hunter Sylvester.

Yes I'm doing Hunter first, what do you think I am? Unbiased? Please.

Autistic Perfectionism. Hunter's autistic perfectionism is something I've mentioned before and somewhat struggle to describe satisfactorily. But to me the most obvious example is his inability to deal with the idea of Emily joining Skullfucker as a cellist. Obviously, there's the queer angle to this but I think two reasons can play a role at once. He's in love with Kevin so he doesn't want a girl that Kevin picked to be a part of their band. Additionally, I'd argue that he can't deal with the idea of having a girl cellist as their bass player because it in NO WAY fits the mental image that Hunter has in his mind of what he wanted Skullfucker to be. It doesn't match the perfect idea that he's dreamed of, that he holds onto for dear life, so he can't deal with it.

Hyperfixations. "Hunter's been into a lot of things since I've known him but he's stuck with metal longer than any of them." - Kevin. Need I say more? Well, I will anyway. The guy hyperfixates. I think the closest thing we have to a canon confirmed hyperfixation is Dungeons & Dragons. Because of what in my mind is a combination of Autism and ADHD in Hunter, they don't fully leave him. He still likes and plays D&D, but he's not as obsessed with it as he used to be when he made his dad buy him the most ridiculous game terrain that fucking lights up.

Special Interests. I think one of the easiest claims to make is that metal is a special interest for Hunter. He entrenches his entire life in it and reaches for it when a stressful situation happens to try and make himself feel more okay. (getting his hair cut off by Skip and relating his new look to Jason Newsted) It's clearly something that comforts him, having been obsessed with it ever since his mom left. Which, regardless of the specific circumstances, is a horridly stressful situation for any 12-13 year old.

Struggles with social interaction. He doesn't seem to have a lot of friends. He gets along with Robbie, Kevin (obviously) and the people he plays D&D with but that seems to be it. Especially whenever the situation gets very stressful, Hunter's mind immediately reaches for his comfort interest to try and make it through (or to lash out). He can't easily just be comfortable in a strange social situation. Or a strange situation in general.

Stims. Hunter stims by playing guitar. That's it, that's the whole point. And there's this little move:

Kevin Schlieb.

Neutrality. The way Kevin just takes Hunter and Emily as they are feels autistic to me.

Struggles with social interaction. And he clearly wants it to be easier for him. He wants to connect to people but he doesn't know how. It's not like he doesn't understand people. He does. He understands Hunter better than Hunter understands himself. "sometimes he's not so nice to people when he's uncomfortable" "You are afraid of everybody" "you treat everybody like shit and you make them hate you" But that understanding of how people think and work doesn't translate to his direct interactions with most of his peers. Maybe because he understands other neurodivergent people but not neurotypicals. The fact he does have a decent read on, at the very least, his best friend could also be indicative of the extra work Kevin has had to put in over the course of his life to try and understand people to begin with.

Directness. A lot of Kevin does feel direct to me. I suppose in a 'what you see is what you get' sort of way. He obviously has the whole protagonist thing going on which tends to end you up with pretty neutral, earnest and open characters.

Stims:

Emily Spector.

Gets overstimulated. Emily's outbursts could be attributed more to a struggle regulating her emotions. It's not a huge stretch to assume her mystery medication is a mood stabilizer. However, the idea of it being a combination of being overstimulated and then no longer being able to deal with her anger on top of the distress she's already feeling feels apt to me. This is a stretch, but, we only ever see her have outbursts at school. A nightmare environment for the stimuli sensitive. Emily is by far the character out of the main three we spend the least time with, which could easily explain my previous point away. We hardly see her out of school to begin with. But I think there can be merit in taking it as a part of the story, rather than an incidental effect of her being left by the wayside.

Black and white thinking. "So first you tell me that I should hate him, and now you want me to help him?" - Emily. No, he didn't say you should hate him, Emily. "You have every right to be mad- especially at Hunter!" - Kevin.

Directness. I mean she literally calls up Kevin to ask him if he wants to go fuck in a parking lot and more power to her. But it is very direct.

Struggles with social interaction. And apart from Skip & Co. having a particular hate-boner for Hunter, Emily might actually be the most widely ostracized for her lack of social finesse. Which would check out because society is brutally cruel to girls. Kevin is shown to have some positive interaction outside of the other two main characters, so is Hunter. And, yes, so is Emily. But it's only with the janitor of the school, who she is implied to have had previous interactions with. Having your only friend at school be the fucking janitor is not a neurotypical experience. I know I certainly got along easier with a handful of teachers than I did with my peers back when I was at school.

Whatever this is. Fam, I've BEEN there...but it's not neurotypical:

A 'little' note to end on: I want to state that I love all three of these character very dearly. I don't pretend that I don't have a favorite, but they are all amazing. There's various reasons why Metal Lords is such a comforting movie, but a big one, is that the characters act in a way that feels incredibly familiar. They act like me. They act like my autistic friends. We make weird facial expressions, we understand the world and each other through our interests. The way all of them talk feels so close to home. (The swearing is actually part of that. A lot of real people swear and over-censoring of that tends to bug me but that's kinda beside the point lmao)

[candyunicornsateme]

Please feed me mccormick angst. Give me your headcanonssssssss

Okay so like my main usual ideas are not extremely grim but generally pretty dismal and depressing like.

Kevin to me is like the type to steal some money from Kenny for some random thing and maybe Carol will say "hey don't do that" but nothing comes of it and there's no getting it back. I also see him "borrowing" Kenny's stuff in general like his PSP and Kenny has to hide it from him. He's not really intentionally an asshole but he's kinda a pain in the ass stupid older brother that adds to Kenny's stress occasionally. Yanno what I mean.

Also just see Kevin as the one to move out and disappear as soon as he's old enough to. Probably has the most tension with their dad, because... he's white trash and fights back? I guess? Which is compounded by one of the few scenes of him there is in the show. There's really not much to go off of with him in the show either so there's that too, so I am generalizing to a degree.

Kenny's dad is almost always a major touchy spot and source of issues, not just for Kenny. Like it's kind of a given. Most of the physical fighting happens between his parents especially when alcohol is involved, but I really have a hard time not thinking there'd be a few incidents if shit gets really bad. Like booze and drugs??? Some shit's bound to really blow up.

I normally picture Kenny not having many, if any, physical altercations with his dad, but I think his dad would totally just start bitching at him a lot of times, being jaded and complaining about money and demanding shit ("you have so much time to go hang with your friends you could be making money to pay for all this food you kids fucking eat"). Kenny generally ignores him, but it's anxiety inducing and at worst extremely frustrating. There's a lot more negative memories than good and I always see Kenny having some really fucked up internalized anger because he would leave instead of lashing out. Even grown up he wouldn't confront unless it was to protect someone else from getting hurt.

Like Kenny doesn't hate him but he wishes both his dad and his mom could stop drinking and taking their anger out on each other at the very least.

But maybe sometimes he does hate him. We can have a little hate and violence as a treat.

Carol is just stuck and forced to pick up the slack working long evening shifts and stuff like that, so no one's around to make the kids dinner, and she's usually too tired or checked out drinking, or arguing with Stuart on other days, to do too much. So homecooked meals are very rare, cleaning is sparse, and most times she just looks so tired and defeated just barely getting by. She expresses love and affection more, and the worst she would intentionally do is smack Kenny's arm. Sometimes she gives Kenny some tough love type of scolding, which could be a little something he can relate to with Kyle. Sometimes she sounds so sad though when she says nice things like that Kenny's her "sweet little boy", like she knows he's forced to look after himself and help look after Karen.

Kenny will come home late at night from hanging with friends or anything and his mom will be passed out alone on the couch on her stomach, just the glow of the old TV flickering some late-night infomercial no one's watching and reflecting on empty bottles and crap on the coffee table and Kenny just sighs. (This scene has been on my drawing list for years but at this point fuck it lmao)

Given their parents being like that, Karen grows up very anxious and unsure, and Kenny really is her rock until she gets older. :(

And KenNY... The idea of him fucking taking on the parentified child role and having to keep his shit together because he's gotta look out for Karen. He's gotta do shit like get Karen medicine when she's sick. Goes to the laundromat to clean their clothes because they don't have functioning machines at home (been there, it sucks). And he doesn't say shit about any of it, not the bruises, not the severity of drinking, not the having to escape his house because of the yelling. Until suddenly one day out of the blue he'll laugh and say his dad would've beat his ass if he did xyz and then doesn't explain or mention it again.

Yeah. Like that :)

BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG. I think more wholesome, nice stuff with all them is good too lol. I promise. I don't want anyone to assume this means I think other ideas/interpretations are "wrong". Kevin could be a derpy well-meaning brother too. Yanno.

Like I wish I could look at them and not only think of domestic violence and not wanting to be home, but like I said in my other post, my old edgelord hcs of yesteryear remain most heavily in Kenny's family. I just really love me some Kenny angst like that lol.

[eyedrateanatomy]

ok wait yeah i need to talk about the short. let me compile all my thoughts and theories hold on

-the candy club is absolutely a lure for kids. cult needs kids, kids like candy. theres a few things in the town that lure kids in. vans and stores that give out candy, clowns, etc. based on the fact that the candy dealer is associated with the cartel (who trade actual sugar i guess) kevin was probably just hired to be an easy pawn and a scapegoat. thats what pelo meant when he drew kevin being puppeteered by cd (gonna ignore the fact that cd has a poster that says his candy is better than the candy clubs. thats for later) but i dont think hed hire just Anyone since cd also works for the cult, and this leads to my next observation

-kevins mom is seen with a diamond on her shirt, and her hair sticking out to the sides in points just like skiddads hairstyle. kevin clearly doesnt know about any cult, at least not yet. do his parents know? are they forced into it? do they understand who theyre associated with? plus we all know a photo with a heart drawn under it is a bad sign for the fates of the people in the pic. coughs Hope and her mother coughs

-roy is doomed. he is dooooomed he is so fucking doomed. it hurts to say it but his friends have a right to give up on him and leave him. roy has been nonstop bullying and teasing skid and pump because of his own insecurities and theres been no change from him whatsoever. i sympathize with him, i know what its like to be too stubborn to change because its such a vulnerable, powerless feeling, but if my prediction is right, roys just gonna drive them away and become vulnerable to the tree entity instead. theyll all be. if hes lucky, he and his friends will live to meet again so he can make it up to them and skid & pump after a lot of self reflection and a good amount of humbling from the adults around him. or trees around him

-lila is So broken and i feel so bad for her. no nice clothes, unbrushed hair, worlds most miserable expression. you just know skid had to force her out of bed to make breakfast for them. i have a lot of thoughts about lilas grief, its really telling that years later shes struggling so hard to raise skid, whos Exactly like his father. skid himself probably struggled to cope, i think hes the one who scribbled out skiddads face in the photos. lila trims skids hair a lot, he knows she doesnt like any reminders of him but he believes the mask is enough and doesnt think of any reason why she trims it other than she just says its getting too long for the mask. also jaune is doing kind of a shit job caring for lila? dont take her out to drink wtf. i swear shes part of the cult

-skid and pumps hair is revealed which means i get to post this observation i made. notice how susie not only has the pointed sides, but her widows peak resembles the lower half of a diamond

-skiddad is back ugh. also that last image with kevin is horrifying. it reminds me of this. i still wonder what the dots mean. maybe theyre locations? or people? theres 22 dots if that helps

-what does this mean. why is it right above pump. why does the skull have a diamond on it. whos that other guy

-only a bad bitch like carmen is able to make rick That visibly mad. making him carrying that heavy bag to the car. deserved

-his stupid ass

-here he is again actually paralleling gregor

speaking of gregor, the cult member that stabs kevin Has to be him. its gotta be. also if ignacio wasnt in one of the robes i will give this short a 0/10 <- lying

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #15

Work Her Magic

There is some seriously cruel irony in posting the episode where Hazel's mom clearly wants to engage with her, but can't right now because she's busy (and thus Hazel's upset about how her mom is always working) IMMEDIATELY after the double-length episode where Dev was unable to get his dad's attention whatsoever. What the heck, Hazel? Did you learn nothing?

I love Hazel's parents so much. They're adorable. Marcus being a little jealous about how his wife's always talking to her publisher / coordinator when he wants to plan a date night is fantastic.

-> Assistant, that's her role.

omfg, the title card was grown-up Hazel?? I was multi-tasking on these notes and thought that was her mom. She's ADORABLE.

What the fliiiip? I'm not sure I've ever loved a design more... This is so good. Her color scheme is the same. She's still predominantly blue and those pink bits resemble her shirt stripes, and she's still got green shoes. That's impeccable. A+ thoughtful design.

I love her... I have no 'fic ideas for her at this exact moment, but I like her a lot.

Is the silverware at this school made of wood? Wanda has a funny texture on her disguise.

Hazel is gossiping about herself with her mom at lunch. I'm bracing for Hazel to find out info she'd rather not hear, but so far everything is just Angela gushing over her. I love that.

-> She didn't have a bad word to say, only how much she loves her daughter. Pure...

Antony!! And it was indeed a hand-me-down shirt!

I have some questions about these posters.

Terrible brand name.

I enjoy how Wanda has consistently put on shades this season. I was going to make a joke back in the dinosaur episode about how she did that in the OG series too. I think it was only twice, but those scenes are some of my signature memories of her (The Musical & trying to get her son out of Crocker's house during "Fairly Old Parent").

This was Cosmo as Rice President of Pixies Inc. (to me).

omg, ceiling sprinklers. The detail! Very curious to learn more about how these environments were rendered.

Return of the Meerkat-adjacent voice! Daran Norris!

???

Date night is back on!!

"So, you're probably wondering how I got here..."

Crock to the Future

Crocker?? Huh. Can't say I'm surprised.

-> I've always headcanoned Crocker with witch genes due to the Alden Bitterroot connection. I wonder if he's aged or looks the same (In "Secret Wish," he looked the same after aging 50 years and claimed it's because he was altered to look like that even when he was 10, so it prevented further signs of aging).

-> My theory is that he'll resemble Jorgen and have a patch around his mouth. No justification for this beyond "That seems to be the style to symbolize an older character from the OG series." I still want to know if Doug Dimmadome is dead.

-> If this Crocker turns out to be Kevin, I'm gonna lose my very last marble. Doesn't look likely though due to the freckle placement in that title card. But can you IMAGINE...

Marcus only has 9 toes... Wh- Why does he have more than 8? I thought everyone had 8. Did he cut it one in half with the weedwhacker and count it separately?

The Galax Institute is celebrating its 96th annual event. If that's an in-city location, Dimmadelphia is at minimum 96 years old.

-> He's 100% meeting Crocker at this parascience convention. If he meets the Fentons with that ghost machine, that'd be great.

A.J. NAME CONFIRMATION!! ... I don't love it because I headcanoned him as Archimedes Junior and I think that's cooler than Anthony James Jr., but I'll accept it! Curse my slowness in getting my A.J.-centric multi-chapter out.

-> A.J. founded the Galax Institution at age 10 and is Marcus's hero. First of all, I love that, and second of all... good to know. I was pretty sure Dimmadelphia was still close to Dimmsdale, but it's always nice to have confirmation.

Also, I am once again asking people who have strong feelings that Chloe is a Mary Sue to give me their opinions on A.J., who ends world hunger in Season 2, works with the government at age 10, can build a time machine in 10 seconds with paperclips and string, and who apparently founded the Galax Institute as a child. They would be friends, I think.

Don't actually give me your opinions, but I do think about them a lot.

-> I'm sad my Happy Peppy Betty plotline has her moving to Brightburg instead of Dimmadelphia. It's not like I knew this was coming, but... SHE.

Angela (to me): This is my super hot husband. I love him very much and anyone who calls his interest in parascience dumb will get a high heel to the eye.

I can't believe Mark is banned from the institute. A.J., I have some questions.

Oh, there he is! Baby face...

Huh. I don't have anything to say.

I'm unclear as to why Cosmo and Wanda aren't trying to avoid the magical detectors? Why can't they just leave? I feel like this plot would work better if they'd been sleeping inside Hazel's bag.

I like how Mark, his ship, and Dark Laser's ship are in the mural.

Oh, he has aged:

I'd LOVE to see Crocker interact with A.J. I don't think we'll get that lucky, but it would be fun.

-> I've been thinking this since Episode 1, but I'm starting to seriously debate changing all the times I had Crocker say "cryptozoology" in 'fic to "parascience" instead.

I am super puzzled that A.J. went into parascience after all the time he spent with Crocker. He certainly seems to believe it (unless there's a plot twist that he just wants to give people the opportunity to discover things but he doesn't personally believe in it), but like... that's a STORY. Are we gonna talk about that?

-> This dovetails so nicely into my "Norm & A.J." AU and my head is in my hands but there is nothing I can do about it right now. help.

Oh, I didn't clock that he was a janitor here. Either I was typing and missed that or it was said off-screen. Also I enjoy him crawling without using his hands.

/blinks. Wadjet dying in Age of Mythology sound effect, is that you? Usually in shows, I just hear the donkey sound (I think it's the same one Minecraft uses). This is a surprise.

It is the same sound; I looked it up. I don't know what to do with this information.

Is Crocker going to take Hazel's bag, but open it and ignore Cosmo and Wanda on the outside?

-> Wanda, why don't you just leave? I don't understand.

Wanda: Crocker used to terrorize our last godkid. Cosmo: And before that, he WAS our godkid Roy, Viv, and Chloe awkward monkey puppeting somewhere:

I mean, Chloe was also terrorized a little, but...

Okay, so... Cosmo and Wanda have clearly explained the godparenting basics to Hazel. She's aware she'll lose her memories. But... why didn't we get to see that?

The miserable godkids plot and the memory loss haven't been explained well in this series and I'm a little surprised, seeing as that's one of the biggest pieces of worldbuilding in the OG show. Since Hazel seems to have a loving home life, I wasn't sure if either rule was still canon until Poof-Peri showed up.

Wanda: Crocker would have to cover the entire building in a butterfly net to catch us. Which is impossible! Me: /"Viral Videots" flashbacks

Oh, please give me a sequel to one of my favorite jokes in the entire series...

Eh, I'll take it. I'm disappointed Cosmo and Wanda can still float, though. Hey, you guys aren't supposed to do that!

Hazel: I wish Crocker stopped trying to reveal fairies! Wanda: Oh, we can't do that, squirt. As long as the building's covered by a butterfly net, we're powerless!

W... Wanda? What exactly are you saying? You wanna run that by me again?

I like how A.J. came prepared for Crocker to interfere so he brought a back-up award to give to Marcus, haha.

... Hm. I feel slightly unsatisfied, but I'm not sure I could put into words why. I didn't really have expectations and yet I feel confused.

[librarycomic]

Alterations by Ray Xu. Union Square Kids, 2024. 9781454945840. 238pp.

Kevin loves to draw and read comics. He's constantly irritating to his older sister, Betty, and they share a room. Both kids pitch in to help their mom, who's always working at her business, Lee's Alterations and Cleaners. (Kevin's parents are divorced, and his dad is just gone.) Luckily Kevin's mom has some help in the form of her mother, Kevin's Popo, who lives with them, cooks for them, tries to get both kids to eat a lot, and loves to watch Jeopardy.

Kevin has problems at school, mostly involving a former friend and a nickname Kevin earns after bringing something super stinky (but super delicious) for lunch from home. The science fiction comics Kevin draws provide some distraction for him, and he has a few great friends who are there for him, too.

Kevin is such a nice kid it's easy to root for him, and this is a beautiful story about a family who has everything because they have each other. My favorite people in the graphic novel are Kevin's grandma, who reminds me of someone I used to work with who was way too honest, and the demanding folks Kevin's mother has to deal with at work. (I think all library people will identify with his mom in the difficult customer service moments these folks create.)

[death-in-a-handbasket]

This is a different Edgar anon, been reading their takes on Edgar so I’d like to add a few facts.

(Spoilers for idv lore)

Edgar is arrogant and mean (as seen in trailer) but he isn’t just that, in Game 5 lore he’s described to be polite, quiet and level headed that Kevin likes Edgar and Vera was creeped out by the way Edgar acts as she thought he was just a rich coddled boy. Either way, he isn’t the type get into arguments directly.

Edgar has a big hatred for Nobility due to his past and has distaste for attending parties hosted by nobles.

His sister died on his bday-

According to Vera, Edgar’s paintings that stuns hunter in gameplay canonically has that affect to draw people into their art. (He also drew something unsavory to see the horrified and shock faces of other survivors and he was implied to have been amused by it?-)

He assigns the people important to him with colours like his mom, his sister and Mr Sarai his mentor being red like his blood.

In his original story by his creator he used to have a cat named Mary that also tragically died.

He can definitely be mean and arrogant though especially about his art and he has a lack of trust for others.

He’s neither a soft boy nor a guy to brag about his status as a noble to others or look at them for being different or being ‘peasants’ as fanfics or fan arts made him out to be.

Anyways, I’m so surprised to see the lack of Edgar x reader content. I’m pretty sure there used to be more (I read a lot of them) but so many idv writing blogs has deactivated so unfortunately not a lot for Edgar now 🥲

Sorry for info dumping, please feel free to ignore if you want lol.

- 🎨 anon?

again, never apologize for infodumping, I quite enjoy it :D

also I think most of the points you covered I saw on the wiki when I was doing my research for these Edgar asks, I like doing a deep dive to form an opinion of my own before I start giving commentary on other people’s asks shdbjndkfj

I digress the point about him being rather level headed in the face of the match while everyone else was either losing it or forming personal issues amongst each other was interesting, especially since his game file was written from the baron’s third party perspective and is less liable to be biased in watching people act batshit

I think around most people he chooses to hold them at a distance and play at being a more solitary third party observer, it’s only when you get up close in his business that he opens his mouth and rudeness comes out. I 100% second you on the notion that he’s not going to use his status for bragging rights or hold that over people, he’s had enough of that bullshit already

I do still think he holds a superiority complex though, just not due to class origins (though it does bias him a bit) but rather he holds himself highly because he thinks of himself as the most authentic. I also think he holds himself as knowledgeable and has bias against those who he considers stupid, alas that’s where the thread of his upbringing him biases him shdbfjnfkg

He’s only argumentative if you pick a fight with him first or insult something he cares about/considers himself knowledgeable of, so while he would take the backseat in other people’s triflings and scoff at whatever they’re bickering over, should it turn to something that’s relevant to him his insufferable tendencies surface

that’s my thoughts on him thus far with the addition of your thoughts and infodump, feel free to critique/add in more asks :D nice seeing you here

[spaceorphan18]

Your segment of the podcast was wonderful! Honestly I got emotional. I’m so glad they talked to you.

SNARKY!!?! I'm so glad you listened and got emotional. Did you catch my shout out to you? ;)

If you don't mind, I'm going to just give some little tidbits about doing the zoom call with Kevin and Jenna

There was no intro with me. The only person I talked to before the call was the producer and that was through email. I had no idea what to expect, and I was really nervous going in. I made a few small notes of things I'd like have said, and I think most everything got covered.

I didn't think it was real until Kevin and Jenna popped on screen.

I was a little shocked when Kevin was so enthusiastic about me A) being an OG glee fan and B) about my real job.

I was taken aback, a little, by how very good looking Kevin was.

(I tried to look nice - but I looked ultimately like me and not like someone who has a lot of money, lol)

The conversation felt mostly like it was me and Kevin, who seemed to be driving it. I had to remind myself to look at Jenna as I talked, too.

(I'll talk more about Jenna later in another post)

I tried to be polite and professional. As the convo went on, it felt really easy to do the conversation. It felt both longer and shorter than I expected.

Funny thing about when I started writing fanfic -- I lied a little, but I didn't want to go into the biggest reason that I was held back so long from writing fanfic is due to my severe social anxiety and the scariness of the glee fandom. But I felt like that was too complex to get into.

Also did you notice Kevin's insulation that I started writing after the show started getting bad after season 3? After the convo was over -- I was really bummed I didn't defend the later seasons in that moment.

I felt really bad when I said fanfic isn't for you, and I hope my reasoning was clear. They seemed to be understanding, though?

Kevin just beamed when I brought up that I wrote Office fanfic. Btw, I COMPLETELY forgot that he was on an episode of Office while doing the interview.

There was one point that I thought, maybe, Jenna had snapped with me -- and it was when she mentioned that they were fans of things, too. Mom (who told me she noticed Jenna's oddness and apathy) said she didn't notice that moment, so it may have been just me.

(Mom did say that I should not have said Kurt was my favorite character - but I reminded her that she already knew since the producer had already asked me that as a vetting question)

I was a little surprised when they didn't ask me about my favorites like they did with a lot of the other fan guests they have. I did mention Kurt in the episode. But I was a little bummed I didn't get to do the usual. (Apparently, they didn't with the first woman either?)

The ending was super, super awkward, and I believe, the only point that was edited. At the very end - Kevin asked for my goodreads account. I was so stunned that all I could say was that it was my full name. I kind of wonder (now) if he was trying to get me to plug some kind of social media? Anyway, the producer jumped in and said she'd get him the info.

It kind of then ended abruptly, as they were saying goodbye. They shut down and the Kevin popped on again to say goodbye again. I could also hear Jenna going straight into asking about what they were doing next.

Fwiw - Kevin never did slide into my Goodreads DMs, which is fine. I didn't really expect him too.

The producer then sent me a message a half hour later saying that Kevin and Jenna 'genuinely' liked talking to me and that I was an awesome guest. (and that she'd be in touch).

I really liked how the conversation went (mostly) but afterwards, I was kind of bummed that that was it. I have so much more I wanted to say --- and there was a part of me that kind of wanted to speak up about a lot of things that we always talk about here. But I'm glad I didn't get off topic, and that I did have a professional, honest, and hopefully education conversation about fanfic.

Fwiw - the producer sent me one last message letting me know that the podcast had aired. I did send a thank you email back, but have not yet heard a response -- so I'm guessing that is that.

I am grateful for the experience. Everyone has been so lovely about it, and people even in my real life have had a lot of good things to say. I suppose it's my little fifteen minutes of fame.

I hope people listening got something out of it, too. I haven't listened to it myself - but I just feel awkward about it, and don't really want to.

It does make me want to podcast again, though, and really dig into all the things that Kevin and Jenna don't get into. Maybe someday I can talk Snarky into another podcast when we both have time.

Thanks dear for supporting me and helping me. <3

[electraslight]

Not a request, but a question: just...what are your thoughts on Gwen? Like, what impressions do you get from her character? I'd be lying if I said she isn't my favourite B10 character, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. What you think of canon Gwen, which Gwen is the best iyo, if you want maybe some headcanons...

But only if you want to, of course. Thanks in advance!!

hey!!! to answer ur question i love gwen very dearly and shes one of my favorites!! shes probably the charatcer ive drawn the most bc i draw her all the time traditionally. Shes also the character ive done the most fanon stuff for as her drastic personality shifts between series kind of make it so u have to be fanon-ey lol. i kind of merge classic gwen's bitchiness pettiness and general childishness with uaf gwens maturity and (while not very present in the show) angst potential. as for what gwen i think is the best i still always love classic gwen bc i paticularly hate how they made gwen a mom character and also nullified a lot of her personality to make gwevin work. i just love girls that suck lol, but i do like uaf gwen for the anodite stuff, which plays into my super ultra fanon hcs and my 'gwen is trans' conspiracy, plus i like that her villians changed to reflect her struggles in a way in uaf, becoming less fun evil magic people and more cruel predators preying on her and the people she loves.

i dont really know how to condense my gwen fanon into single headcanons lol, i have a very complex narrative in my head about her.

-before the roadtrip one of her worst fears was transformation, she used to watch movies where someone would be transformed into something against their will and get really scared which she became more desensitized to bc of ben but which is also one of the reasons she is extremely distressed by her not being a real human. she has nightmares all the time of her stepping out of her skin and it being stolen from her so shed be stuck as an anodite forever

-she loves computery stuff and coding and the like, and when she went to college she majored in compsci. she lost this interest around uaf bc she was stressed due to the anodite thing and the DNaliens invading but she picked it back up around ov. shes likd of sad cooper was such a creep to her because she wanted to talk computers with him

-she doesnt like being alone in public so she always takes ben or kevin with her anywhere.

-shes very bad at making female friends because she has a tendency to hate most girls she knows for insignificant reasons or just the mere association of them and ben. shes only able to really become friends with girls who r either unrelated to ben or who shes forced to be around all the time. this is also why she hates all her girl cousins (shes kind of a mysoginist lol)

-shes very judgy and often very harsh in her judgements and not easy to trust, but she puts on an air of being trusting and nice so as to not appear hostile or mean. she did this with kevin and never really trusted him fully even when she was trying to get him to ask her out. she only really trusts grandpa max and ben in her life, then later kevin.

-her mom didnt allow her to have a lot of sugar as a kid because it made her irritable, but once she goes to college she contracts a crippling orange soda addiction

there ya go!! sorry soem of these r heavy i have a lot of gwen thoughts. here take a gwevin 4 the road

[doulayogimama]

It's times like these when I'm very grateful for my families "Schitt's Creek" like financial downfall. We lost everything... and we had a lot. My life did a real 180 turn really fast. One year I was shopping for range rovers that my dad would buy me for my 16th bday (true story, barf, lolol) and the next I was living with my grandparents and my parents were on the cusp of divorce.

Instead of getting a job at 16, I started selling all of my expensive designer belongings on eBay. I started selling things for other people too and taking 10% of the sales. Did that through college until I started babysitting.

My family has also embraced the Marie Kondo philosophies before that lady was even born, lmao. Object brings no joy or is of no use? Yay, charity! Or maybe a garbage pile. Either way, no clutter allowed. Clutter = anxiety.

Did I think in a million years we would be in this situation, selling our gorgeous condo not even 1.5 years into buying it? Nope! But c'est la vie. Sometimes you end up with neighbors who are toxic and I can either stay because it's my right or I can sell all my shit and go because I deserve better and life is too short.

We both wholeheartedly chose plan B after realizing this wasn't going to change. I'm really grateful to have a partner that is willing to do that with me, that sees material objects the same way I do. My home is not meant to collect "things" it's meant to be a safe place. And this place where we are now.... definitely not a safe feeling place. Can we afford to buy in the real estate markets we want to live in (nyc/miami)? Nope. But we're jumping anyway and choosing adventure, uncertainty, and joy.

Kevin's mom is very much a lover of things and she doesn't throw anything away and has lived in the same house for 30 years. Sky's room is really pretty, her toys are new and high quality, and she just said "it's such a shame that all of those toys are going to go to waste." I just chuckled at our differences. I'm not going to stay in a toxic place over nice toys or a couch???? Those things don't mean anything.... they are replaceable. S gets so much more joy playing with other kids at the beach or the playground than she does with her toys. No toy has ever captured her attention for more than a week or two. So, who cares??

I don't know, I'm just grateful. My family and I went through a lot of hardship in 2008 but the resilience it instilled in me, the knowing that true everlasting joy never ever comes from things, but from people and your environment. Having a purse or shoe collection brings me no joy. Knowing I can walk away from a bad situation with dignity, despite what I may be losing materially, that does. My husband has never experienced anything like what I have but he still understands and more than that, he's excited to jump with me. He's not attached to anything but his family.

Being run out of town by racist angry neighbors is no ones idea of a good time, but I am fucking strong. My family is strong and we are moving on up. We are blessed and we will leave this place with joy in our hearts despite not having much in the material sense very soon.

[d8nielaa]

could we get a cute kwp x reader where he meets her parent for the first time 🫶🏻 love ur work <3

Authors note: ofc anon! thank you so much!

Meeting the Parents

Kevin William Paul x fem!reader

You had been dating Kevin for a few months now, and it felt like everything was moving at just the right pace. He was kind, funny, and the type of guy you could easily picture a future with. But, as much as you loved him, you couldn't shake the nerves about the idea of him meeting your parents for the first time.

It wasn’t that you thought they’d be difficult—your parents were actually quite easygoing—but the pressure of introducing someone you cared about to your family always brought up those little butterflies.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” You asked him, pacing in your living room as Kevin leaned casually against the doorframe.

“Of course, babe. I’ve met a lot of people's families in my life,” Kevin said, his deep voice smooth with that easy confidence you adored. “Besides, I wanna meet the people who raised such a beautiful girl.”

You paused in your tracks, turning to give him a soft, grateful smile. The sincerity in his eyes made your nerves settle a little. "Thanks, Kevin. It’s just… you know how parents can be."

“I’ve got this,” he said with a grin. “I’ll charm them. Don’t worry.” He winked, and your heart did a little flip.

Before you knew it, you were sitting in the car, Kevin's hand resting on your knee, your fingers lightly entwined with his as you both made the short drive to your family’s home.

When you arrived, your mom was the first to greet you at the door, as always. She was all smiles, arms wide open to hug you as she stepped aside to let you both in. “There you are! I was starting to think you weren’t going to show up at all!” she teased, pulling you into a warm embrace.

You chuckled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Sorry, we’re here now.”

Kevin smiled nervously behind you, stepping inside and offering a polite wave. “Hi, Mrs. Y/L/N, it’s really nice to meet you.”

“Oh, none of that ‘Mrs. Y/L/N’ nonsense,” your mom said with a warm laugh, reaching out to shake his hand. “You call me Claudia, Kevin. None of that formal stuff around here.”

Kevin smiled, clearly relieved by her friendly demeanor. "Okay, sounds good. Thank you."

Your dad appeared next, offering a hearty handshake to Kevin. “Welcome to the chaos,” he said with a chuckle, gesturing around at the family photos and clutter that decorated your living room. “It’s good to finally meet you, Kevin. Y/N talks about you a lot.”

You felt your cheeks heat up, and you tried to pretend you weren’t thinking about all the times you’d gushed about him to your parents in the past. It wasn’t hard—after all, Kevin was always on your mind. Your dad gave you a knowing smile, which only made you blush more.

Kevin, though, seemed unfazed by the attention. He was a social guy, but you knew he had a soft spot for making a good first impression. As you all sat down to dinner, he engaged your parents with the same easy charm that you’d come to love.

“I’ll tell you, Kevin,” your dad said between bites of steak, “I was a little concerned at first. Y/N has always been so independent, and I wasn’t sure if anyone would be able to keep up with her.”

Kevin’s smile softened, and he reached over to take your hand. “I’m up for the challenge,” he said, voice warm but playful. “I think we make a great team.”

Your heart skipped a beat as you caught your mom’s knowing smile from across the table. She was probably already imagining your future together, and you couldn't blame her—it was hard not to when you had someone like Kevin by your side.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of laughter, light teasing, and casual conversation. Kevin fit in seamlessly, cracking jokes with your dad, asking your mom about her garden, and even making fun of you in the way only someone who was truly comfortable with you could. He had a way of making everyone feel at ease, and you couldn’t help but admire him for it.

When it was time to go, your parents waved you off from the doorstep. “It was great meeting you, Kevin!” your mom said with a big smile. “You’re welcome here anytime.”

Kevin grinned, his hand resting lightly on the small of your back as he nodded. “I’ll take you up on that, Mrs. Y/L/N. I mean… Claudia.”

You laughed, feeling the last of your nerves melt away. “You did great,” you said, giving him a playful nudge as you walked toward the car.

Kevin opened the door for you, his grin still wide. “Told you I’d charm them.”

“I’ll give you that,” you said, shaking your head fondly as you climbed into the passenger seat. “You were perfect.”

Kevin slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine, his eyes meeting yours for a brief moment. “Well, they raised an amazing person, so it wasn’t hard.”

Your heart swelled. He was too good to be true. “You’re amazing too, you know that?”

He winked at you as he drove off, his hand finding yours again. “Yeah, I know. But I’m glad they think so, too.”

And at that, you couldn't't help but lean in and give him a soft kiss on his cheek.

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

Authors Note: kwp I love you with all my heart

[mandy4ever69420]

what do you think about gallavich having kids

well they both seem to really like kids so i ignore my automatic flinch reaction to the corniness of "tv couple has kids" because its not out of character. you know, it's a stated goal of a nice man. i think it'd be nice for them. certainly not til they're in their 30s at least though Sorry Ian one apartment does not a family ready man make

like obviously the whole yevgeny thing would have to be reckoned with like mickey as a man who likes kids + did not want that child but grew fond of him anyway + was forcibly separated for years by incarceration* and not a single aspect of that is conductive to a good emotional response to just having another one. i don't know necessarily that reconnecting is necessary (as opposed to just, noticing and dealing with how it feels) though i think it'd be nice, maybe to have mickey a sort of more distant family figure for yevgeny - i don't think svetlana would allow yevgeny to live in a way that his needs weren't being met AND i think jumping back into being fully involved would probably freak mickey out

as much as i enjoyed their new apartment i think it's a little sad that they don't live with a couple family members anymore (for now) because i think being able to be close with siblings' kids would be really good for ^^ all that - also it's just safer for kids to have a larger support system than just their parents

there are unfortunately also not a lot of ethical ways for a gay couple to GET a kid... i don't have all the sources, i'd have to ask to get a better explanation, but adoption and surrogacy are both highly flawed systems that often mislead and exploit birth parents. annoyingly enough the most ethical idea presented was probably the "you want me banging your sister??" (IVF exists btw mickey. no you do not have to bang his sister in this scenario) exchange because they know debbie and she'd be able and definitely determined to be involved in the life of any hypothetical child. BUT STILL - even beyond that they'd need to be sure she wanted to be involved, id say it'd be important to know she already wanted another kid. like BEFORE saying anything. pregnancy is a potentially dangerous and traumatic process that it's really not fair to ask of someone!

shameless itself within the show briefly referenced the problems with adoption and surrogacy both - in how objectively horrifying some of the people karen talked to were, in how horribly unfair it would've been to separate v's mom from her child with kevin, in those men who wanted to adopt liam and carl with no concern for their existing family who loved them.

thinking about ian and mickey having kids inevitably leads me also into the philosophy of the "nuclear family" which is just in general not a great setup anyway... having more support and more regular contact with trustworthy loving adults is always healthier for a child. having only 2 people be in control of your whole life + whom you rely on for everything carries more potential for abuse or just flat-out overwhelming the parents. so being in a wider family network is probably not what ian is picturing but if i could email him i'd recommend it wholeheartedly

*and probably not knowing where svetlana is. i assume she gave up hope that mickey would care because they're both such "show by doing" ass bitches which is IMPOSSIBLE to do from inside prison. so he can't express his care for a child he's grown attached to and she can't see him care for her son -> she feels heartbroken and doesn't want her son to grow up around a man who "doesn't care" -> she cuts off contact, leaves the area, refuses to discuss mickey. all speculative

[hopetorun]

tagged by @bropunzeling and @postoperation 💕

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason.

first fic (on ao3): perspective, a star wars (legends) eu rarepair fic that i wrote for yuletide in 2011 that honestly was like pulling teeth at the time and i don’t think i’ve ever reread. i crossposted and then deleted some social network fic but i honestly don’t remember if i ever backdated any of it correctly anyway so this is probably the first one regardless since i got an ao3 specifically to participate in yuletide in 2011

last fic: make a better mistake, the brady/quinn home by now timestamp i put on here the other day. i don’t have much to say about this really except that it was fun to write out one of the bits of their backstory, which i have a lot of thoughts and feelings about

fic for a fandom/ship i only wrote once: don’t read the last page, broadchurch pornography i wrote in the year of someone’s lord 2021 after rewatching because my mom hadn’t seen it and wanted to. i wrote so much het porn in 2021 and yet i still can barely bring myself to write any of the common slang terms for vagina 💀

favorite fic in the fandom/ship with the most works: well in the summer of 2012 i was possessed by demons and wrote two then-avengers/now-mcu fics but i can’t say i like either of them. i guess i think this one is better, if pressed. honestly i don't feel a need to delete them but i am glad that no one ever seems to read them lol

fic i wish more people read: the sky is big enough, which i feel like i've said before! i really like how it came together but dropping 15k unannounced and unheralded on a medium-sized fandom and peacing out isn't exactly the best way to attract readers 😂 at least it exists for me to pretend is part of the game of thrones canon

fic you agonized over the most: this is kind of a toss-up. on the one hand, it took me the better part of six months to write preference, which clocks in at a not actually all that long 37k, because for mysterious reasons it was just a really slow story for me to pick through and i had to put a lot of thought into what i could do with each scene since the structure (which i imposed on myself btw. i made this problem) is so limiting. on the other hand the actual writing sessions for home by now were easy and productive but the story took ten whole entire months of my life, a major characterization revision just under halfway through, and a major pacing evening-out three quarters of the way through. both involved a lot of crying about whether the story was actually good.

fic that sprang fully formed from my mind without any effort: okay this is a throwback and also such a rarepair as in the only fic in the tag but years ago i wrote jt compher/his college teammate kevin lohan and it was just such an enjoyable story to write because i had a clear vision of the arc and it came together neatly and the non-linear structure meant i got to play with some fun juxtaposition. anyway: instructions for dancing

a story i'm proud of: this is not the end. was this a ridiculous thing to write in any year, much less the year 2020? sure. but write it i did, and it was the first novel-length story i ever successfully wrote, much less completed and edited and posted. and i think it's a nice story! proud of myself for getting over the long story hump and proud of myself for doing it while also doing graduate school. and proud of myself for finding something to do with my time so that my entire life didn't just become work and grad school in 2020.

[thatoneluckybee]

SINCE YOU’VE FINISHED TFC GIVE ME ALL YOUR STANCES ON THE CHARACTERS SO FAR….

Memory sucks screenshotted character names hang on

Neil: Failing in every way I have no idea how he is still alive. This boy is the narrative's favorite punching bag it's very entertaining. Nothing ever goes right for him. Rest in Peace Neil's Mom and Neil's Sanity

Andrew: Need to bonk him with a large tree branch a few times to see if that will fix whatever is wrong with this kid. Stop punching glass you are gonna hurty. And stop drugging people those drugs are for you YOU NEED TO TAKE THEM YOU WILL GET ARRESTED AGAIN YOU FOOL

Kevin: Waiting to see how the character plays out so far but like the setup they've given him. Very annoying to deal with most of the book but I'm really curious to see if he remembers Neil ever and how he reacts and it's interesting to see his dynamic with everyone. Get him a 7up and a hug.

Dan: Hasn't done much but the little she has done so far I support if anything happens to her we riot. She's keeping people in line she's trying okay

Matt: Just kinda here. Do not trust any of these characters but at least he seems to be one of the few with some semblance of a moral compass.

Allison: Keep your pants on please

Nicky: Keep your pants on please. Waiting to see how character goes. Don't think he's a bad person per se but needs a LOT of development and to be smacked with a newspaper

Aaron: Just here as well. Good for him. make better choices for once in your life please I—

Seth: Dead boy. Ha! That's what you get. Rest in Peace I do still feel kinda bad that you died over someone else's family drama though

Renee: I have no idea what's up with her but it is KILLING ME. Why is Neil so afraid of her. Sweet girl do not trust her because of that but rainbow hair tips and I love that

Bee: Why does they hate me D: she seems like a good person tho!

Wymack: PLEASE STOP CALLING CHILDREN SLURS ITS WEIRD TO READ. But overall seems like a good person even if he shows it strangely.

Abby: Are they dating or not. I didn't even notice but now that I know there's a bet on it I want to know. She seems really sweet so far (nice to Neil during physical, comforted Kevin, etc) but will have to wait and see as she doesn't get much time in the spotlight.

[crossover-enthusiast]

WEREWOLF JAUNE AND FAT THEIF????????

Spill 👀

Spilling the 🍵

Gonna do Jaune first and then FT since they don't have a bunch of overlapping stuff, unlike Kevin and Rick

Jaune

Jaune is SO ENERGETIC PLS. On the full moon her and her husband go out into the woods so she can run around without being constrained. It's a nice exercise for both of them!

Was bit when she was in her mid to late teens, doing dumb teen stuff with her friends. Dunno how much of that group knows but at least Lila and Frank figured it out later

Werejaune is the only supernatural creature Lila likes. She was understandably a bit concerned but Jaune quickly showed she meant no harm so now they just vibe :>

It is still so weird for her tho

Meanwhile Jaune's husband is like "yeah this happened" - he doesn't really care all that much, Jaune is still Jaune and he loves her all the same!

In an inversion of the usual werewolf appearance tropes, her shirt stays completely intact because of how baggy it is, meanwhile her leggings are torn to shreds

Bc Jaune was bit Ross dodged the wolfy gene, though he still has slightly sharper canines than usual

Ross is completely aware his mom is a werewolf, by the way. On full moons he avoids the house and the woods

In addition to being energetic Jaune is also just really affectionate, always snuggling up on the people she likes. She has absolutely just picked up Ross and carried him around before and it is so embarrassing for him

I just think it's funny bc if you heard Ross say "one of my parents is a werewolf" you'd assume it was his dad bc he's bulky and covered in body hair, but nah it's his smol momther

Sometimes Frank will come across Werejaune wandering around town and, if he isn't doing anything important, will lure her into the van and take her back to her house. Takes her a minute but she recognizes him and is happy to see him again :>

Jaune is also v protective. If she catches you hurting her pack in any way you are a dead man

Her fur feels kinda scratchy, like feet on carpet

While wolfed out her tail becomes another thing for her to stim with! Thumping it against the ground gives her a nice feeling and sound

Compared to the others it actually takes a bit for her to get overstimulated when her Werewolf Senses kick in, though when it does happen she tends to power through it, then crash until she transforms

Fat Thief

Just a big, dopey buppy

Constantly the :3 emoticon

Also incredibly affectionate, basically just a big lap dog

Speaking of, he can and will lay in TT's lap if he catches him sitting down. Thin Thief acts like he hates it but he does find it kind of cute. Also FT's so warm and soft in winter and the house they're squatting in has shit heating so he takes it

Was probably born with it

Thin Thief did not know about it when they first became a team but boy was he made aware of it

Thin Thief did not sign up for this. Werethief has basically imprinted on him. Save him

On the brightside though the wolf stuff means FT is basically a dog charmer! This has gotten the thieves out of many situations with guard dogs and family pets that would have otherwise ended badly

He gets to keep his sweater when wolfed out bc it's really stretchy :>

The prison uniform, though... not so much. He went through a few of them before they got busted out. Thankfully it was not questioned

Speaking of them in jail, John and Jack coincidentally always had something going on during the full moon - and this was even before John got bit - so they never found out

Being in jail during the full moon was actually pretty rough for FT. He's used to having big open spaces to roam about, so suddenly being confined in a small box was not fun. TT had to keep him from running out of the house the first full moon they were free because he was just so excited

Out of all the werewolves he's the least dangerous, it takes a lot to provoke him and he'll only attack if you try to harm him or Thin Thief

Harm Thin Thief however and You Have Chosen Death

Sound gets to FT the most when the Werewolf Senses kick in, it is torture for him. TT steals a pair of headphones for him one time and tries to brush it off as FT hugs him because that is just so sweet and considerate and he loves the headphones (looks goofy as hell on top of the mask tho)

I never talk about them but I have SO MANY thoughts thanks again

[stormyoceans]

Have a nice day, Monica! 🌸 Merry Christmas! Regardless of age or status, this time will always seem fabulous. On these lines I will be your personal Kevin McAllister, mentally protecting not only your home, but also your health, sophisticatedly dealing with insomnia that is trying to steal your sleep. I set a wide variety of traps, set snares and keep cans of paint ready if the insomniac wants to cross the threshold of your house. Thank you for the little joys of reading all your posts written with love, for the emotions that I experienced while reading them. This is definitely better for mental health than a browser window with world news. Peace and happiness to you and your home! Take care of yourself!🌸

And by tradition, a question for you: the top 5 of your favorite Christmas cartoons and films?

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO MY DEAR 🌸 ANON!!!!!!!!! 💜

the idea of you taking a page out of kevin's book and setting up all kind of traps to keep insomnia away from me is both so hilarious and incredibly sweet that i don't quite know what to say except thank you. thank you for always being so lovely, for sending me the kindest messages and for caring about my health. if i was able to give you back even just a little of the happiness that you gave me, then im really glad!!!!!!

as for your question, im actually not very big on christmas movies, but here are some that are very dear to me and that i end up watching every year:

home alone and home alone 2. THEE CHRISTMAS MOVIES OF ALL TIME. A HOLIDAY STAPLE. maybe im cheating by putting both of them together, but when i was a kid (and here im gonna show how truly old am i) we had them on video tape and we would always watch them on christmas day one right after the other. if i had to choose tho, i think i'd pick home alone 2. i know it's not as good as the first one, but for some reason it's always been very comforting to me (and i always dearly loved pigeon lady).

tokyo godfathers. i stumbled upon this movie completely by accident in my late teens when i was very into animanga and it immediately became one of my favorites. it's about 3 homeless people (a former drag queen, a runaway teen, and a grumpy alcoholic) who find a baby in a dumpster and try to reunite it with its family. it’s got humor, it’s got heart, it's about chosen and blood family, and most of all it's both very human and very magical.

klaus. it's the most recent movie in this list and consequently the one that has less sentimental value, but in such a short time it has become very important to me. it's hilarious, heartwarming and one of the most comforting movies i've ever seen. to quote klaus, "one true, selfless act always sparks another." that's the true spirit of the holidays to me and how i strive to live my life.

trading places. so fun fact.. here in italy our national television has been airing this movie on christmas eve every single year without fail since - i kid you not - 1997. i was 6 years old at the time. i am now 32. i spent 26 years of my life watching trading places on christmas eve. what i was doing yesterday evening? watching trading places. and just like me, so was every single italian out there. it doesn't even matter if we like it or not, that's not the point, it's just become tradition like setting up the christmas tree and it's the only certainty we have left in this country: on christmas eve we watch trading places (hashtag just italian things).

the santa clause. this is another movie that used to air a lot around the holidays when i was a kid. i've never particularly cared about it, but my mom ADORED this movie and she always put it on while cooking for christmas. once i got older enough to help her in the kitchen, it still kept us company in the background as we worked, so i inevitably ended up growing fond of it and it's one of those movies that to this day i make sure to find the time to watch with my mom every year.