#I understand that there are three kids cartoons in my tv show list and i take back nothing

[violetsiren90]

Thank you @theharrowing for tagging me in the "3 songs, 3 books, 3 movies" challenge and the "8 TV shows" challenge! 💜

I'm so late to the game, I feel everyone must have recieved a tag at this point, but if you see this and want to play, feel free to mention me as your tagger! 😊

3 songs

Mikrocosmos - BTS

Stubborn Love - The Lumineers

The Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel

3 books

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien (I know it's three, but I'm cheating anyway 😎)

The Octopus by Frank Norris

My Antonia by Willa Cather

3 movies

Seven Samurai directed by Akira Kurosawa

Rope directed by Alfred Hitchcock

When Harry Met Sally directed by Rob Reiner

8 tv shows

Avatar: The Last Airbender

It's Okay to Not Be Okay

Young Justice

Community

Crash Landing on You

Star Trek: The Original Series

Combat!

Phineas and Ferb (I know it's a kid's show - I adore it)

[thenotebookwizard]

She-Ra | A Fanboy's Tale

The odd story of how I ended up in the She-Ra fandom. Because I would have put money down on that not ever having happened, but here I am.

So, to frame this story - a few things you should know about me.

My (main) job is Professional Adult™ - which is to say, I teach life skills to folk with neurodivergence, physical disability, and mental illness. I love my job. It lets me be a disability advocate. It lets me work with amazing people. It lets me discover, explore, and understand the world a little better every day. It lets me teach things I am very good at and learn things I am not. And it forces me to examine myself a lot.

I don't watch much TV. Or many movies. Anxiety about things. Lack of time. Lack of interest. Even fewer things I watch are cartoons. There are some older cartoons I love, but I don't really watch many cartoons. Not because they're bad or aren't entertaining or I have a prejudice against the form. Just - usually - I'm not exposed to ones I like.

Or they hit on the thing that makes me really wary of TV shows and movies these days. Which is - I love unironically heroic characters. I am so tired of the gray-area, morally compromised characters. I am tired of gritty, the bad guys win, the good guys have to be bad guys to win, the antiheroes, the Walter Whites (I loathe that show. And that character. It's awful.) Game of Thrones and ASOIAF. (Terrible people. Doing terrible things. For terrible reasons.)

I have worked with some families for more than a decade. Close to two decades, in some cases. Parents who needed to learn things to teach their kids. Kids with neurodivergence who needed someone to be able to fight for them at school when the parents didn't know the right code words and the laws. Siblings and niblings and adopted clans have all asked for my help over the years.

One such family has three kids, two parents and a bunch of adopted aunts/uncles. They are amazing people. Supportive. Accepting. Creative. They work hard, play hard, and find joy in ways I never have been able to.

The oldest kid loved Stephen Universe. They wrote fic. Drew fanart.

The oldest kid is autistic. Some social rules - are hard for them. Understanding the vagaries of fandom culture was just as hard. We never did find out what they did wrong (maybe it was their gemsona. Maybe it was a fic pairing. Maybe it was a youtube ramble. We really don't know.) But they did or said something that got a faction of the SU fandom riled up at them.

This is not an indictment of that fandom. I've been in fandom long enough to know that you can't blame all for a few. These few did some real damage, though. Threats. Mockery. Told my student to kill themselves. Slurs. Online stalking. Doxxing. Threatening phone calls. Threatening letters. Glitter bombs. False allegations called into their school. To police. Their home was vandalized. Their cars were vandalized to the point they were totaled.

They had to move. Both parents had to get new jobs. My student did not graduate from their high school. They were home schooled. They did not go to college. They did not get a job. They went into residential treatment for a year and some change. They have not yet recovered.

So when the youngest kid found She-Ra and the Princesses of Power a year or two ago and dove in with a powerful hyperfixation, their mother called me up in a blind panic. She could not go through it again.

She paid me to watch the show. To explore the fandom. To read the fic. To do what I do as a fandom person online.

So I did. To be fair, I was pretty much coasting along at that point. Coming out of a breakup, a health crisis, and COVID. No real new fandoms in years. Poking at a fic here and there. Not active on tumblr anymore. One or two servers. But my skills were there - I knew how to find fandoms. Servers. Fics.

The youngest was thrilled to find out their Mom wasn't going to take their hyperfixation away. They sent me a list of fics to read. Notes on the show. Youtube videos to watch. Articles to read. Blogs to read. Posts to read. Fanart to admire.

I watched the show - and my old fandom heart woke up a bit. The show had great villains. Great characters. An unironically heroic protagonist. A love story. At least, I thought it was a love story. By the time I was through season three, I figured that there was no way they were actually going to go through with Catradora. It was based on popular media properties from my childhood.

(Full disclosure: I loved She-Ra as a kid, more than He-Man. Mostly, because I saw her show first and Skeletor creeped me out. But I loved both and watched both. I love the Dolph Lundgren live action movie and I used to read the He-man and She-Ra comics. So I wasn't uninterested in my new work assignment.)

Then season four hit, and i was devastated. Glimmer had gone the 'dark hero' route. Adora was a sad, lonely mess. And the writers had taken Catra and, in the coldest, most brutal, purposeful, deliberate way taken her apart. Taken everything away from her. When they'd already given her so little. She always lost. Not just the battle or the war, but - herself. Her confidence.

By the time I started season five, I realized Catradora could never happen, because the things the writers would have to do to fix it, redeem them all and not leave me with the normal pyrrhic victory TV shows give these days wouldn't happen. No writers were that brave. No one breaks the cycle that way and gets away with it.

I was wrong.

Glimmer was saved by Catra, who apologized. Who sacrificed herself doing the right thing. Glimmer apologized. Glimmer owned her shit.

You have no idea how important that arc is to me. They took a character who had morally compromised themselves and had that character say: I was wrong. I messed up. I'm sorry.

And mean it. She didn't do it again. She didn't go back to her old ways. She stood her damn ground and stayed a hero. Hells yeah.

Adora - the titular hero of the show, without her magic, without her sword, said: Fuck it. We ball. And she walked right up to the big bad guy with more courage and heart than anyone since Luke Skywalker staring down Palpatine and said: Give me my friend back.

She rescued her arch-enemy. No one would have blamed her for leaving Catra behind with Prime. Catra was the enemy. Catra had broken the universe to get Adora back. Catra had tried to kill Adora and her friends over and over again. Catra had saved Adora as often as she'd tried to hurt her.

She stood before the Emperor of the Known Universe and defied him. She jumped off a cliff after Catra, and then when she stood back up, she had her sword. She had her power. And she kicked ass.

(Best episode. Season 5. Episode 5. Save the Cat.)

Then the writers doubled down and had them save the universe with love - through a kiss. Not only did all of that fit the old show, it was what I have wanted from a show for a long time. Unironic, unabashed, unashamed radical belief that doing the right thing and being a good person matter.

That you don't have to compromise yourself to beat the bad guys. It's when you accept yourself, you deal in radical acceptance, radical forgiveness, and the idea that people can change, grow, get better, become more -

Then you can save the world.

So, of course, I dove into the fic. And I found out where all the fic I'd been craving for ten years had gone. It was in the She-Ra fandom. Epics. One-shots. Love stories. AUs. All of it was right there, and more and more was being posted.

I read the fics my student sent. I joined servers. I read through tropes. Blogs. Posts. Articles. I even made myself watch videos.

And when I went back to that Mom, I told her the truth: there's controversy there, but here always is. There's a fight between ships. There's a lot of pain. A lot of hurt. Because this show touched on some big things - everything from growing up queer to growing up during war and disaster. It gave voices to a lot of things most shows and media won't touch or even look at.

But it's also a fandom full of beautiful people. People finding themselves, people expressing themselves, and people using story to redefine the world just a little bit at a time.

Which is what fandom has always done. When you scrape away the layers of hyperfixation and obsession and naked want for more of what the media gave us, you find people who believe, very strongly, in something the show expressed.

Just like Star Trek, so long ago. (And, not so long ago. I love you, Star Trek Discovery!)

So, I guess with that, discovering the She-Ra fandom turned me into a Professional Fanboy, because I got paid to do what I should have already done.

[skysometric]

you went on a big asking spree asking about everyone's favorite games, but I'm curious... did you have a favorite album, TV show, or movie this year?

an EXCELLENT question! but my answers my be a little disappointing, because...

Favorite Movie of 2023

i don't... really watch movies? they don't capture my interest or investment like games do. this isn't for lack of trying over the years, i've been exposed to many different genres; i just don't click with the format, i guess. i think of them like the average boomer thinks of games – they're cute little distractions and not much else.

there's definitely a few movies that i like and stand out as formative memories, i just don't go out of my way to watch more. even before the pandemic i would only ever go to the theaters like once a year, and for most of the pandemic i can't say i watched anything even digitally.

...but that did change this year! my partner and i watched both Sonic movies and the Mario movie at home, and of the three i can safely say i enjoyed Sonic 2 the most! i like what it was trying to do with its two stories intertwined, and it gave Sonic and friends a lot of time to shine both in action and characterization. plus the finale was super cool~

i do have a handful of films i want to watch one day... but it's kind of a "whenever i feel like it" basis. the ghibli films are high on the list, as are the monty python films and the truman show. maybe i could revisit ferris bueller's day off now that i'm an adult...?

Favorite TV Show of 2023

...i also don't really watch tv?? am i boring???

i mean, historically, i've gotten more into tv than movies. i like the long continuous plot threads, i like getting to know characters in detail, i like slice of life and comedy and cartoons. i have fond memories of watching sonic x, spongebob, survivor, and mythbusters growing up!

but like, as an adult i've never seen the office, or steven universe, or adventure time... and i'm in no rush to, they're just not really priority for me. i can't even think of other shows i might want to watch. idk!

i tried to watch some anime at one point but that didn't really do me either? i guess i had some fun watching squid girl a few years back... i think i just get understimulated by just watching things, vs playing them.

confusingly, you know what i do get into? livestreams and let's plays. so my weird, cop-out answer of "favorite series" is that i've been really enjoying Chuggaaconroy's let's play of pokemon bw2. his let's plays have gotten me caught up with a series that i wasn't "allowed" to play as a kid... i guess that's part of why watching someone play a game isn't as understimulating to me?

Favorite Album of 2023

you can probably guess where this is going – i don't really listen to music that plays on the radio or gets recommended by spotify. i have good reason for this one though: music with lyrics is overstimulating to me in specific circumstances, like when i'm working (always) or driving (the only time i'd use the radio).

but wait, movies are understimulating, even though there's talking... and music with lyrics is overstimulating, even though there's nothing to watch... argh! i don't even understand myself!!

either way i usually put on video game music, because that helps me focus at work, and (usually) doesn't have lyrics in it. i'm aware there's plenty of great instrumental music outside of just games, but games already have so much variety and quality to their osts – i've rarely ever had to seek out more! my music collection is already big enough!

my favorite album to listen to this year has been the music that plays in the cyberspace stages of Sonic Frontiers. the full game's ost is MASSIVE and incredibly diverse in styles, but the hardcore EDM of the cyberspace stages is extremely my style. and the remixes they added in the dlc are some of the best ones! been listening to the full playlist multiple times a week all year to power through some rough work days, and it still hasn't gotten old 💖

[pokimoko]

@pizzee Thank you for the tagging me to join in on the TV show tag game! I have the exact opposite problem to you in that I watch way too many shows. There's so many I've watched in the last few months alone that I've absolutely loved (Andor, Severance, Poker Face, The Sandman, The Last of Us, Vox Machina, etc etc) but for this I think I'll stick with the ones that I've connected to and cherished the most of the years. It wasn't required or even asked for but all of you are getting Backstory™ for these whether you like it or not. Anyway, in no particular order, here they are:

Moon Knight: Wow, I like the show that is now my defining personality trait? Shocker. But, no, seriously, I don't think I've latched onto a show or group of characters so quickly in my life, or so intensely before. This show has (as of posting this) made me write almost 200k worth of fic about it. I got bloody Discord because of this show because the brainrot was so intense. I am part of a fandom community for really the first time in my life because of this show. It's no exaggeration to say that this show has had a huge impact on me; the dinosaurs got off easy in comparison.

Lucifer: I started watching this show when Season 2 premiered way back in 2016 and I was there watching it up until the end. It was silly and emotional and heartwarming and campy, and the characters were amazing (do I own shirts that Ella Lopez wore in the show? Yes, yes I do.) and the music was excellent. This show loved the heck out of metaphors, and I am not immune to that. Or Tom Ellis.

The Owl House: I used to be obsessed with owls when I was younger (the 'Owls of Ga'Hoole' movie was my jam, and—I'm sorry Zack Snyder directed that??? What the f—ahem, sorry, as I was saying:), and while that particular interest faded over the years, I do remember I was drawn to this show because of the name, and then the premise, and then the characters (Hunter gets a gold star for making me go "argh this guy is annoying" to "I would die for him" within a span of two appearances), and then so, so many things. I've loved a lot of cartoons, many of which deserve a spot on this list, but this one just hits so many of the right notes for me. I will die mad that Disney robbed us of a full season 3, but I will always cherish what we got.

Adventure Time: The first show I ever binged in full, and essentially what kickstarted my career as a Tumblrite (my logo was Marceline for many a year—if you find my *gag* Wattpad account it'll still be there). I still have doodles for this show from when I was 14 (many of which were Bubbline, which was also my first ship). I am the silly little Tumblr fool I am today because of this show.

Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes: I used to watch this show on TV as a kid, random episodes here and there, never enough to truly understand what was going on but enough to know the characters. It was how I first came to know Marvel, long before I even liked superheroes, and it was the reason I watched 'The Avengers', which in turn was the reason I went and saw 'Age of Ultron' (the first MCU movie I ever saw at the cinema) and then, well, the rest is history. But it all started here, with this show. (Also, let's be real, the theme song slaps.)

Doctor Who: specifically the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor's seasons, though I love Ten's as well (even if 'Midnight' and the following Library episodes—episodes I now adore—scared me off from the show for almost 7 years). I might have also been a little in love with Clara. This show has made me sob with true and utter grief (musical motifs that will make you cry without warning and other secrets your Doctor won't tell you!) and also made me feel like I'm taking acid. It's got the range darling.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: I've watched this whole thing three times. It's just…It's good. It's really good. The world, the characters, the animation/visuals, the god damn narrative. I'm still in awe of how masterful this anime was. I aspire to this level of multilayered, intelligent storytelling… and also the level of comedy. It too has the range. And god I love when shows can do that well.

Bee and Puppycat: I used to watch the YouTube series for this (along with 'Bravest Warriors' and a bunch of other Cartoon Hangover shorts) as a tween and it's just a very fond, cosy memory for me. And now there's the Netflix version and it's been wonderful to not only get more of what was already there, but more to the story in general. My childhood self is being tucked into bed and wrapped in a blanket, content in the knowledge that things left unfinished are not always over.

That really is the tip of the iceberg of all the shows I've loved over the years but we'd be here for a month of Sundays if I went on about all them, so I'll take my leave now and pass on the baton. I'm going to tag @yellowocaballero, @mockspector, @theophagism and @aster-o1d. Have fun! :3

[velvetineblue]

hewwo ?   /  /   MUN AND MUSE QUESTIONS  .  ♡

List 5 of your muse’s favourite sensations .

a perfect breeze; not too cold, not too hard, just enough to whistle through the grass and trees, and remind you that the earth really can be a pretty place . . . 

hearing the sound of laughter and warm conversation by your loved ones in the other room.

cold ice water with hints of fresh fruit inside, to flavor it.

a crowd tuned directly into you, effected by and influenced by the mood of your performance.

being trusted; being relied on.

Do they have any pet peeves ?

of course; who doesn’t ! here are some of the small, ‘insignificant’ things that minorly get on his nerves: medium-welldone/fried fish dishes ( fishies are best eaten fresh/raw in his humble onion, so he mourns to see it desecrated so... ), seeing people nail-biting, long text messages that are one big paragraph instead of broken up into smaller texts (i do that)... and if he has not met someone and pre-approved of them, he doesn’t like them telling him what to do or what not to do; this may lead him to commit acts of purely petty defiance against them . . .

Their comfort read ? (could be a book, magazine, comics, etc)

he preferred to read comic books as a kid, and some shonen manga’s. spiderman, batman, naruto, and godzilla comics being some of the major ones he reached for as a kid . . . so those would be the ‘comfort’ reads, though reading material is not what he’d usually reach for for comfort. but if he did, it would bring him some nostalgic comfort for a moment, . . . . until he got sad because oh no, the innocent childhood days of sitting on your bed reading a spiderman comic are gone, ahHhhHHhhhHH!!!!! 

If the book they are reading turns out to be shit, do they push through just for the sake of finishing it, or do they move on and find something else ?

he doesn’t read for leisure very often, but the same sentiment can be applied to various things: tv shows, food, etc. tai will usually abandon things he isn’t getting enjoyment from . . . but the exception is when it was recommended to him by a friend, or if it’s their favorite book, something like that -- in which case, he will want to stick it out, to see what it’s all about . . . even if he doesn’t like it, he’ll want to finish it, in hopes it will help him understand that person better or be closer to them.

Their comfort tv show / film .

he can relate to suki on this one : D it’s definitely the 2000′s cartoons / animation he watched growing up !  pokemon, naruto, disney movies that came out around and before that time, studio ghibli films; those are a few examples of the type of thing. his parents definitely used the tv to ‘babysit’ him a lot when he was at home, lmaoo. his childhood doesn’t have a lot of happy memories, but the pretty stories on the tv screen were a distraction from that, and inspired his adolescent imagination when he needed an escape from that reality, so, they are near and dear to his heart. 

A song that is currently stuck in their head ? (or multiple)

songs i have been listening to / or songs that i discovered recently, as they just came out within a few months of now . . . that he would like :  /   golden hour 😍     /   born to run  ( a classic but he’s like ‘damn bruce springsteen is THE DUDE... a man’s man... a musican-man’s-man... that man do be writing MUSIC AND SONGS.damb.....’ )  /    any way you want me   /    kids eat pills*    /   

The next three questions are for you. do you have anything special in common with your character ?

not much of significance; some of my characters are very similar to me, but he’s one of my most different ones. our similarities are relatively superficial things ( we both have a passion for music, and luv animals, make a lot of jokes, -- things like that... ), nothing really ‘special’ and highly personal comes to mind atm tbh. personally i think i gravitate towards writing characters quite different than me; i just find that i have more fun that way !  

What brings you the most joy about writing this character, right now ?

he’s sincere about who he is and what he feels-- even to a fault--, he’s witty & loves a good banter, he lives in the moment, and isn’t afraid to be silly or cringe ... but he contains a lot of depth, multitudes-- more than most will ever begin to uncover ... so he’s full of surprises, for those who choose to plumb those depths~ he’s just loads of fun to write!!

Who would win in a fight, you or them ?

him, for a million reasons asjjaj. among them, i’m WEAK like a limp noodle and SHORT, i don’t stand a chance. but it is for that reason that he’d never fight me lmao; he likes a challenge... or, dispatching a threat. i am neither, LOL.

Any advice from your muse ?

always be nice to your local 7-11 cashiers . . . if they like you, they will let you get free slushies every now and then, and let you take one of the candy bars by the register for free, too. ( sidenote: do not take any of the free hot dogs and/or gas station sushi they offer. it is not fit for consumption by mere mortals... ( who then, you ask, is it for? ) dare not thee question the ways of the 7-11 slurpee sage; he has spoketh.)

tagged by: @kamipyre​ thee freaking gREATEST tagging: um... hrm... who is alive out there who i haven’t seen tagged already... @seaprofound​ for the new bby boi perhaps ? :eyes: and @twojwrog​ UNLEASH MAGDA !!!!

[bearpillowmonster]

MCU TV Shows Ranking (That I've Seen)

Because there are just too many now to watch them all, plus, why watch the ones I'm uninterested in?

Anyways, the rules will encapsulate the whole show so all seasons as one, I can't say that I like S1 and disliked S2 and rank it only based on S1. I will also clarify if I think it's worth continuing.

Daredevil- Karen lacks, Foggy's good, Matt's really good, Kingpin's really good. Electra could use some work as well as the Hand. Bullseye is actually marvelous except for the very end but the three seasons make for a nice bundle.

Punisher- It's like comic and Jon Bernthal Punisher are two different things but I like both for different and similar reasons. It plays off of him very nicely and lays the groundwork for a more realistic setting with interesting action. Jigsaw was a compelling villain as well and I found myself liking a few other characters but there were definitely the few that lacked. Both seasons were decent enough. I'd be open to continue.

Hawkeye- Not bad, have some complaints about Kate but overall a good entertaining show. I'd watch a season 2 but I feel like it's not really made for one, they will probably just continue to appear in other stuff.

Falcon & The Winter Soldier - I actually liked it more than I thought I would as I didn't have much interest in the characters but it turns out that I just needed more time with them. Unlike most of the ones on this list, I liked the ending, though it didn't completely knock me over. I think that a lot of what was in this series should've been the basis for everything going forward because of how it treated their livelihoods and asked questions. I'm not sure any of these series matched the hype of the fake Captain America decapitating a guy with the shield. This paved the way for Cap 4 which would've been questionable without this series.

Wandavision - I wasn't hyped for this, I let it slip by my radar because whatever, I never cared for either of them anyway. People complain about it having a main superhero plot but that's what I stayed for, I liked that portion but then I finished it and I completely understand why now. It's not a bad series and has a lot of cool ideas but just a weird way to end things. It got Multiverse of Madness which was mid and Agatha isn't out yet but I'm not hyped for that either, wouldnt be surprised if it fails due to lack of name recognition.

Ms. Marvel- A few of these I like comparing to Disney Channel shows because of how they act and while it all started with this one, I have to admit, it actually gets a lot of the teenager stuff right but I think it throws so much at the wall that it has to get at least some of it so there are a few misses as well. The ending is dumb, her powers are ok but they could be used a lot better and I imagine they will. She was the best part of the Marvels and it's S2 worthy.

Cloak & Dagger - It was an entertaining watch but perhaps not the most enticing. I liked the characters but they were very much put into tv show circumstances so I felt like it was its own thing. I like the actors and characters enough to keep them in the MCU but don't care to see another season, I wasn't all that big on S2 anyway.

She-Hulk - Last place, huh? I actually had the most hype for this one because I was hoping we'd get with She-Hulk what we didn't get with Hulk. In fact, I like her more because I first learned about her in the cartoon and well-

I think a lot of kids couldn't resist THAT. So I grew attached to her and had all these ideas for how she could be introduced and-oh, no not that.

But I still held out hope because I lowered my expectations and just wanted a crumb but the more it went on, the less I liked it and then I learned that it was all by design and I wasn't really sure how to feel about that and then time passed and I was like, that shouldn't matter, it didn't pay off despite a cool ending. I logged all this in other posts. Yet- here I am- an advocate for S2...

[teamfreewilllover]

My List of Shows (may include spoilers)

My Favourite Shows:

↳ Supernatural (2005-Present): I've been in this fandom since 2011 and can honestly say its probably the best show I have ever watched. It has everything you could possibly want in a show, romance, horror, drama, family and especially a hot cast. I mean it even has Misha Collins in it, if you're not already watching it, then why not?!

↳ Game of Thrones (2011-Present): Does this show really need any introduction? I have been watching Game of Thrones for 2 years now, and it was such a good decision, I was hooked from the first episode. Yes, the nudity gets a bit much sometimes, but the storyline is so compelling and interesting that you just can't stop watching. Some of the best acting I've ever seen has come from this show.

↳ The 100 (2014-Present): This show is unbelievably underrated and deserves a bigger fanbase. The first few episodes are a bit slow, but once the first season picks up the pace, you will become hooked. The second season is incredible and so unpredictable, you never know what is going to happen next. Although I am not sure if season three is going to live up to previous seasons, it is still one of the best things on TV. I also thought I should mention the main female character is bisexual. That is all.

↳ The Walking Dead (2010-Present): This is one of the most intense shows I have ever watched. Every episode you are on the edge of your seats, praying that your favourite characters will survive. The reason why it is on this list is because of the amazing character developments that have happened on this show (Carol and Daryl's especially).

↳ Teen Wolf (2011-Present): This show has had its ups and downs, but if you can get through the cringy Season 1, you will be rewarded. Some of the most fun and interesting characters I've seen have come from this show. I can honestly say that Season 3 is one of the best seasons of any show I have ever seen. This show is very underrated and does deserve to be on this list. 

↳ Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008): I know, I know this is a kids show and a cartoon but it definitely deserves to be on this list. I started re-watching this show a year ago and it was one of the best choices I've made. The story, drama, graphics and acting is astonishing. It's like a journey you will never be able to forget. I can promise you if you watch this show, it will change your life.

Cancelled Shows That I Loved:

↳ Legend of the Seeker (2008-2010): This was the first TV show that I ever really started to get obsessed with and looking back I can see why. It has badass ladies, magic, sword fights, amazing villains and great storytelling. It is great to see the characters grow...and to see a few stay the same. You can watch it on youtube right now, and I promise you won't regret it.  

↳ Heroes (2006-2010): This show was amazing and I still can't really understand why it was cancelled. I know a lot of people say it goes downhill after Season 1, but I have to disagree because it had me hooked the whole time. Sylar's character especially is a selling point for this show, as he is one of the greatest villains ever made in my opinion.

↳ The Legend of Korra (2012-2014): Sequel show to Avatar: The Last Airbender, and while it never quite reaches A:TLA quality, it is close. I think the showrunners decided to end this show, rather than cancel it, which is understandable as it probably was the right time to let this show end. It has very interesting and thought-provoking storylines and some really good fighting sequences and is definitely worth the watch.

Shows That Went Downhill:

↳ Pretty Little Liars (2010-Present): A year ago this show would have been on my favourites list. Season 1-5 were amazing and really good fun to watch. Even Season 6A was good, and then the finale happened. After that the show's whole pace has completely changed. It's still watchable, but just not as good. Still, this is one of the best shows around, so give it a try.

↳ The Vampire Diaries (2009-Present): A show that could started out well, but quite quickly got worse and worse. Season's 1-3 were very enjoyable, and the storyline kept you interested. Then suddenly any story seemed to disappear and it was all about relationships. In my opinion, the one good thing about this show was Katherine Pierce, who was the entire reason I started this show. In Season 5 when she died...I stopped watching and that was the right decision.

↳ Doctor Who (2005-Present):

[ilikekidsshows]

One thing that pisses me off not just about the miraculous fandom but modern fandoms is fans inability to consume long overarching stories.

Like so many people are complaining about how long the reveal is taking or why haven't certain characters outgrown this trait yet or why is this character arc botched or abandoned. Like guys we just got the confirmation this show will be 7 seasons long PLUS like 3 tv specials. We're only roughly halfway through the series.

Once the reveal happens half the tension in the show is gone! I'm not saying leave the reveal till season 7 and make us wait 9 years this isn't HIMYM but miraculous is not a fast paced story. It's a long haul story. I just wish more fans would be patient. Miraculous is in the extremely fortunate and rare position that it will have a conclusive end and not be suddenly cancelled. That was and still is a huge problem for shows and cartoons with dedicated fans but networks pull the plug for stupid ass reasons.

So miraculous fans please chill the fuck out on things not resolving right away. We still have 78+ episodes plus the tv specials. If we get the end to certain things now it'll be so boring.

I think the concept of Instant Gratification describes the issue with many modern fandoms today. I hate to sound like I'm anti-technology, but the constant stream of quick and short bursts of entertainment allowed by the information age has made people more impatient. It's not about waiting for the climax to get a deeper sense of satisfaction, it's about getting that instant gratification right this instant. It's why one-shot fanfics are all over the place, when multi-chapter stories used to be just as common and popular, if not even more so, and it’s also why people are less willing to read a fic that’s still a work in progress. It's why people refuse to watch Youtube video essays even as they leave comments on the topic based on the title and thumbnail alone because, while they couldn't be assed to watch a 20-minute video (let alone an hour long one), they sure can spend that time calling the Youtuber names and making arguments the video actually already refutes. It's why a lot of online arguments happen only because one party read nothing but the first and maybe the last paragraph of someone's post and skipped all the explanation for their point of view (if I've ignored an counter argument for one of my posts, it was either because I missed it or because said counter argument did this. I have attention deficit issues so I do genuinely forget responses sometimes, but I'm also not writing a second essay for someone who's proven to me they won't read it).

Of course, it's only by constantly consuming only fast-paced content that you can become this impatient. People have different ideas about stories based on what stories they have encountered in the past.

Another thing that influences the Miraculous fandom in particular is that, while I love to show off exactly how much Miraculous has done to build up the overarching plotlines, Miraculous isn't really a show that's about a single story. It's easy to understand why people think it is one though: there's one main villain, we keep discovering more about the mythology, one of the main plot threads is the romantic relationship between the leads and singular episodes and plot elements tend to get payoff later. What is the purpose of a show if not to progress the story? Because the heroes aren't getting closer to defeating Gabriel or getting together, people think that the story isn't accomplishing anything.

I'll do a comparison to illustrate why these things aren't as clear-cut signs of a continuous storyline as people think. In the Spider-Man comics, you can pick any issue up and the chances are that the villain will be a part of Spider-Man's already established Rogues Gallery, who's back for more after who knows how many defeats, and those past defeats might even get referenced in callbacks to previous issues. It's also very possible that Peter and Mary Jane's relationship is the central focus with them not being together yet, having relationship problems or even having broken up (in really old issues the girl might be Gwen Stacy and short-term options have also always been available for romantic entanglements). Does this mean Spider-Man is a continuous story where the only point is that all the villains get put away for good and Peter and MJ live happily ever after? No, it doesn't. Spider-Man is designed to go on indefinitely, so there's no clear ending point. So, what is the point of Spider-Man then, if there is no Ending?

It used to be the single issue, because comic books used to have every issue be a stand-alone story about the hero and their supportive cast. These days it's more every three-to-six issues, because superhero comics are written to have short story arcs that can then be collected into trade paperbacks. A superhero series is not a single story; it's a series that functions as a story engine, meaning the series can generate several shorter stories where the hero helps fix a problem or solve a mystery.

In the superhero genre a villain will never get killed off or removed from stories permanently as long as the writers think they can still come up with stories to tell about them. The hero's romantic life will never be completely smooth sailing unless the writer is using other things to ramp up the stakes. Everything always allows for there to be another adventure.

I think the huge success of Avatar: the Last Airbender made people think that a series that is a single story is always superior to a series with multiple shorter plots. When I was liveblogging Sailor Moon, a viewer offered to give me a list of all the non-filler episodes because they genuinely thought I'd feel like I was wasting time on the show otherwise. This attitude is simply not based on fact. It's not fair to compare Miraculous Ladybug to Avatar, because they're both setting up to do completely different things. Miraculous Ladybug is trying to become a brand, like Batman or Spider-Man. It is part of the "Zag Heroes" lineup, a series of French-created superhero franchises to compete in the America-centric superhero market. This challenge is good for the genre, because Marvel and DC have started resembling each other more and more as these companies stew in their old ideas and copy everything that worked for the other one. The superhero genre needs new blood.

Also, Avatar: the Last Airbender first became popular by doing episodic plots for almost the entirety of the first season because it's actually not a wise choice to expect the audience to be willing to commit to a story that'll only give payoff later when working with an untested IP. Very often shows with longer story arcs start with the episodic format to hook people first, and sometimes the more linear plot is introduced specifically because the audience for the show is now expected to be both dedicated enough and older and capable of keeping up. Because, here's the thing: you can't expect little kids to remember every episode or even every character you've introduced in your show. I'm not sure if people are ready to hear that but I'm throwing it out there anyway. Kids are not dumb, they can understand more complex storylines, but many kids are still training their memory, so they might not remember the details of complex storylines that go on for too long.

This is why the news that Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season was going to have a recommended viewing order originally had me concerned. Miraculous is being branded for kids. The plot requiring too much skill in memorizing story details will make it less accessible to kids and might put those two additional seasons at risk. However, it seems that the "constantly changing status quo" concept of Truth, Lies and Gang of Secrets was a fluke and the evolution of the show is more subtle, so they might not be cutting the amount of episodes for those final seasons because the show is getting too complicated for kids to follow all the important details.

Regardless, Miraculous Ladybug being an adventure cartoon TV show instead of a comic book or a more cheaper-to-produce TV drama does mean that Miraculous Ladybug isn’t expected to go on for decades like a superhero comic or a soap opera. Because of this, it can have evolution and changes and even a planned ending. The show is expected to end at some point, even by the people making money off of it, mostly because making a cartoon like this indefinitely costs a lot of money, and kids’ adventure shows tend to see a decrease in returns if they go on for too long.

[pandaren]

That one post going around talking about there being few to no butch lesbian characters is really bothering me. I wish OP would clarify why they believe the listed characters cannot be interpreted as butch, or even just as lesbians. Do they object to the list because some of the shows the characters originate are "cringe" to a lot of people? It's a little confusing.

For starters, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were married in the FiM finale. I definitely interpret them both as butch myself, but regardless of your opinion on that, it's pretty safe to say that they can be considered lesbians in my opinion. I also believe Catra and Adora became a couple at the end of the newer She-Ra. Again, whether or not she is butch in your eyes, it seems reasonable to assume Catra is also a lesbian.

The thing I want to criticize the list for is citing Jasper from Steven Universe as one of the characters. I actually really love her but keep in mind that her main character traits involve being aggressive, hot headed, and violent; she is a villain for the bulk of the series after all! Of course you're allowed to interpret her as butch too, but keeping in mind who she is as a character, I don't think it's a good look to cite her for an example. Rather, I would cite Bismuth and Pearl as being candidates for SU's butch line up.

Bismuth is similarly built to Jasper, but in personality the total opposite, a gentle and compassionate soul with a sense of humor. To me, she embodies the spirit of how most butches are much better than Jasper ever could! But Pearl is probably the best choice to cite in this case, because you can point to specifics in the show to build a case for her being considered butch; both in Mr.Greg and for Ruby & Sapphire's wedding, she's all dressed up in a tuxedo for the events. She's also known for being the chivalrous type, especially wrt Rose; to the point where she literally considers herself a knight. And also, she has three separate love interests that are all women (or women coded, for lack of a better term for Leia Pearl™️). I definitely think Pearl would relate to the butch label in this case.

I can also understand the frustration that all of the characters cited are from cartoons aimed at all ages and not from regular kinds of TV shows. A lot of folks say things like, "go watch something that isn't a kids' show for once!" and can feel left out when those shows are the only ones that seem to have characters that are lesbian or even sapphic in general. That isn't to say having lesbian or any LGBT characters in kids' media is ever a bad thing, quite the opposite is true, but in no way should they only appear in kids' media. Adults deserve to feel seen too!

I've looked at the comments on the post, and a lot of people seem to be genuinely baffled as to why somebody may see a My Little Pony or any cartoon character really as a lesbian, or as butch specifically. For me, I cannot see why this is an odd concept. Especially since the MLP show writers are well aware that it has an audience that isn't solely little kids anymore and want to try & keep the attention of older fans as well as the young ones. It all just feels...I dunno, tbh! It just feels off to me.

[chiseler]

The Silva Screen

Howard Da Silva 

Am I the only one who constantly gets character actors Howard Da Silva and Henry Silva confused? 

Howard Da Silva was born in Cleveland in 1909 and was working as a steelworker when he decided to go to drama school. He first appeared on Broadway at age 20, and made a name for himself playing Jud in the original production of Oklahoma!.

Da Silva (born Silvablatt) was a burly, jowly man with a boxer’s face, thinning hair and an unmistakable voice, half-midwest, half Lower East Side. He made the move to Hollywood in the mid-thirties and, over the next decade and a half established himself as a familiar screen presence playing gruff but ultimately understanding characters. He was the tough but fatherly criminal mentor in They Drive By Night, and Nat, Ray Milland’s wise but increasingly frustrated bartender in The Lost Weekend. He played opposite Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake in The Blue Dahlia, Edward G. Robinson and John Garfield in The Sea Wolf, and portrayed Wilson in the 1949 adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

After actor and fink Robert Taylor, while testifying as a friendly witness before HUAC in 1947, described Da Silva as a troublemaker “who always has something to say at the wrong time,” Da Silva himself was called to testify about his supposed communist sympathies. When brought before the committee in 1951, Da Silva became the first of over three hundred writers, actors and directors to refuse to answer questions, citing the Fifth Amendment. He was promptly blacklisted and for much of the next decade vanished from movie and television screens, though he continued to work in theater.

When he reappeared in the early Sixties, older, balder, and jowlier, he found himself playing an array of historical figures from Ben Franklin to Franklin Roosevelt to Boss Tweed to, ironically, Nikita Kruschev in The Missiles of October and Louis B. Mayer in Mommy Dearest. He also appeared in the 1974 adaptation of The Great Gatsby, this time around playing Meyer Wolfsheim. He made his final screen appearance in 1984’s Garbo Talks, and died of cancer two years later.

Henry Silva

Henry Silva, meanwhile, was born in Brooklyn in 1928. Although often accused of being Puerto Rican, he insisted his mother was Spanish and his father Sicilian. His father walked out on the family when Henry was three months old, at which point he and his mother moved to Harlem.

Silva, who had decided early on to become an actor, dropped out of public school at age 13 and enrolled in acting classes, taking a dishwashing job in a local hotel restaurant to help support him and his mother. Fourteen years later, he’d finally worked his way up the ranks to become a waiter in that same hotel.

Then twenty-seven, Silva, having grown into a darkly handsome young man standing six-foot-two, decided to apply to the Actor’s Studio, and was accepted. He soon made his Broadway debut in in 1956 in A Hatful of Rain, with classmates Shelley Winters and Ben Gazzara. The play became such a hit it soon landed Silva in Hollywood, where he co-starred in the 1957 film adaptation.

His commanding stature and sharp, angular, swarthy good looks not only made Silva an easy choice for producers looking for a suave but sinister villain, they also allowed him to play everything from Mexicans to Russians to Italians to Middle Easterners to Asians to Native Americans with very little extra makeup. He was a chameleon without even trying.

In the Fifties and early Sixties he played a string of suave and sinister gangsters, killers and thieves on TV series like The Untouchables, Climax and The Outer Limits and in films ranging from Green Mansions to Ride a Crooked Trail. He became a regular Rat Pack satellite, appearing in Ocean’s 11, Sergeants 3, and making guest spots on The Joey Bishop Show, as well as playing one of the evil stepbrothers in Jerry Lewis’ Cinderfella. In what may have been his breakthrough role, he again co-starred with Sinatra in 1962’s The Manchurian Candidate as the double-crossing Korean guide who delivers Sinatra’s company into the hands of those dirty commies. 

He earned his first starring role the next year as the titular Mob assassin Johnny Cool (co-starring fellow Rat Pack alumni Joey Bishop and Sammy Davis Jr.), after which he accepted an invitation from an Italian producer and moved his family to Rome. Over the next decade he would become a star throughout Europe, appearing in dozens of Spaghetti Westerns, occasionally even playing the hero.

He returned to the States in the mid-Seventies to once again co-star with Sinatra in 1977’s Contract on Cherry Street. Following that, he would spend much of the Eighties playing cartoon villains in comic strip movies (Buck Rogers, Dick Tracy) and and endless string of cheap jingoistic action films (Megaforce, Code of Silence), as well as a few sub-lowbrow comedies (Cannonball Run II, Lust in the Dust). He was admittedly spectacular  in his brief turn as Brock, the would-be Great White hunter out to kill a monstrous alligator roaming the Chicago sewer system in Lewis Teague’s 1980 darkly comic monster movie Alligator.

After co-starring in Jim Jarmusch’s 1999 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and a quick cameo in the 2001 remake of Ocean’s 11, Silva retired from acting at age 73.

But back to where all this started—namely, am I the only one who gets Howard Da Silva and Henry Silva confused?

Yes, Howard Da Silva was some twenty years older than Henry Silva. And yes, Howard was born in Cleveland to Jewish parents while Henry was a Spanish-Italian kid from Brooklyn. And yes, Howard was a steel woorker while Henry washed dishes in a hotel restaurant. And yes, Henry was some four inches taller than Howard, and had thick black hair to boot. Yes, Henry tended to play suave and sinister villains while Howard tended to play gruff but lovable types. Yes, Henry played everything from Italians to Mexicans to Asians while Howard was as decidedly American as they come, and yes, Henry is still alive while Howard died in 1986. But if you’re going to say “Yes, you dunce, you’re the only one who gets them confused, because you’re stupid,” consider the following.

First, Henry Silva’s official biography is suspiciously inconsistent. Despite repeated claims about his heritage, a 1930 U.S. Census entry states that both of Silva’s parents were from Puerto Rico. But I guess being half Spanish and half Sicillian is much more Romantic than being just another Puerto Rican kid from Brooklyn. That same form also lists Henry’s given name as “Harry.” What’s more, after supposedly working at the same hotel for fourteen years, shouldn’t he have worked his way up to something more than waiter? You’d think he’d at least be night manager or something, right? And despite his claims he made his film debut only after the 1956 Broadway  premiere of A Hatful of Rain, his first screen appearance was actually in 1952’s Viva Zapata!.

Now, given we can clearly not trust a thing Henry Silva says, or has ever said, about himself, ask yourself the following questions:

Is it mere coincidence that Howard Da Silva and Henry Silva, as prolific as both were, never appeared onscreen together? Their careers overlapped for some thirty years! What are the odds of that? I mean, Sinatra co-starred with Groucho Marx, for godsakes! 

 And is it sheer coincidence that Henry Silva’s film debut in Viva Zapata! occurred at the precise moment Howard Da Silva had been blacklisted? Think about it—Howard vanishes and Henry steps in. Hmm, right? Plenty of other blacklisted artists worked under the radar by using pseudonyms. Maybe Howard, given his troublemaking reputation, decided to take the idea of thumbing his nose at HUAC a few steps further.  I mean, take a look at the two of them side by side. Give Howard some lifts, a little swarthy makeup and a black toupee and BOOM! He’s Henry Silva.

And what better way to throw off the scent than to play a completely opposite character type from the one you were known for? And how better to flip the bird, just for fun, than by playing a bunch of evil communists and revolutionaries?

After the blacklist ended, Howard was faced with a dilemma. He could work again, which was great, but what to do about Henry? Kill him off? Retire him? His career had just taken off and was going great guns in the early Sixties. Then it struck him—with Henry still around, he had two solid income streams flowing. Why give that up? Both Howard and his alter-ego Henry were character actors, after all, meaning they were rarely needed on set for more than a couple days on each picture. Easy as pie to do a Howard role one day, then a Henry role at the end of the week.

My god, it’s all so perfect! What an ingenious scheme! And what better way to throw everyone off the scent for good than to have Howard “die” in 1986? At that point, after all, Henry was awfully busy with those stupid action movies that paid so well, while Howard’s own jobs were becoming more sporadic and low-profile.

So there you have it, and remember you read it here first—Howard Da Silva and Henry Silva WERE THE SAME PERSON! I likely never would have figured it out for myself had Howard just put another minute’s worth of work into choosing a name for his alter ego back in 1952.

By Jim Knipfel

[obsidianfr3sk]

The Origins (Chapter 6)

Summary:  Before the Renegades put an end to the Age of Anarchy, they were six kids trying to survive day by day in a city ruled by chaos and desolation. Is there a space for hope and kindness somewhere in Gatlon City? Maybe.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25123756/chapters/62695558

Tag list: @nodrianbcyes @blueraspberry-official @healing-winston-pratt @plain-jane-mclain @novas-tunnel-of-anxiety @novas-egg-beater @callumtreadwell

Notes at the end of the capter

The world we’re gonna make

Age of Anarchy

Year 10

After going to the comic shop, they walked a mile to reach Joe's Basket. Hugh opened the door and smiled at the man behind the counter. That apparently innocent move gave him an excuse to leave the door open, so an invisible Simon could enter without raising suspicions.

Follow the routine.

He looked at the few products that remained on the shelves. Probably the owner could not afford more merchandise or the suppliers were robbed. Hugh frequently saw cases of trucks carrying food being attacked by gangs or by Anarchists.

“Not that there is much difference between one and the other,” his aunt once said.

(Hugh repeated the same sentence a few days ago, and Simon found it “dangerously hilarious”.)

The man behind the counter was following him with his gaze as if he suspected Hugh was going to steal something. Most countermen did the same when he came in. They took advantage of that mistrust. Simon went to the other end of the store and put everything he could find (that was among the things allowed to steal) into his backpack, while Hugh distracted them.

He felt an invisible hand touch his shoulder. It was his signal to buy something and get the hell out of there. They never ended a robbery without buying something.

Hugh took a chocolate bar and put it on the counter.

“Two dollars.”

He took out the coins he had in his jacket pocket. Eighty cents.

“I don't have enough.” He smiled at him uncomfortably and turned around. “Sorry for the inconvenience”

“How is your aunt?” he asked him.

Hugh was caught off guard by that question.

“She was your aunt, wasn't she? The lady you came with the other time.”

He could hear Simon thinking, “How could you be such an idiot?”

“Yes. She is fine.”

“I'm glad that she's recovered.”

“She hasn't,” he blurted out.

“What do you mean?”

He didn't know why he had said that.

“We don’t know what she has,” he whispered.

“Why are you smiling?” the counterman asked, disturbed.

“Sorry.” Hugh put on a serious face again. “It's a defense mechanism.”

The counterman nodded.

“I understand. No one can afford medical care these days. Not like there's a lot of hospitals left anyways.”

Hugh laughed. Even if they could afford a hospital, he knew his aunt wouldn’t want to go. “Don't worry, honey, I'll be all right. I'm too stubborn to die.”

“Take the chocolate.”

“No, I couldn't.”

“Don't worry, no one's buying them. You are the first customer I've had today.”

“Really? It seems like everyone does their shopping here.”

“Roaches do,” he replied. “They came last night, took a lot, and paid nothing if you know what I mean.”

Hugh knew what he meant.

“Sorry.”

Simon slapped him on the shoulder.

“Take the chocolate,” insisted the man from the counter. “And tell your aunt I say hello.”

Hugh took it. He would definitely tell his aunt. Surely she would be happy to know the counterman had remembered her.

“Our family has always been characterized by our beauty,” she would say, arranging his blonde curls. It was the same line she said every time someone remembered her name or paid her a vague compliment about her appearance. “When you grow up, you will have all the girls behind you.”

Heather Everhart always was talking about what was going to happen when Hugh grew up. When he was little, she told him “I promise that when you grow up, I’ll tell you everything about your parents.” Fortunately, his aunt Heather wasn’t known as someone who didn’t keep her promises, so during his fourteenth birthday, Hugh walked the streets of Gatlon City, holding his aunt's arm, and wondering if she was taking him to a place where the answers about his past were. All those years, his aunt Heather refused to respond to his questions about them.

And now, he may finally know where he came from.

After a long walk, they arrived at the richest neighborhood in Gatlon City. It wasn’t anything like he had imagined. Yeah, it seemed a lot better than where he lived, but most of the houses were completely abandoned. His aunt walked swiftly without even stopping to admire the pretty houses that remained. Hugh forced himself to follow her example and keep going.

They finally stopped in front of the biggest mansion Hugh had ever seen. Its walls were covered by mold and climbing plants, the windows had been shattered, and the doors were stolen.

“What are we doing here?” he asked.

His aunt Heather pointed at the mailbox. Hugh removed the dust that covered it and revealed the name carved on it.

Everhart.

“Sit down, Hugh."

"Here in the sidewalk?"

"Yes. Don't worry about messing your clothes." He hesitated. The sidewalk looked unclean and dusty, and he was wearing his newest pair of jeans. "Come on, honey, it's not like you do your laundry."

He finally did it. Anything to get the answer he wanted.

Heather and Hugh Everhart were the richest and most popular kids at school. They did everything together, not only because they were twins, but they were also best friends.  Their paths divided when they went to college. She majored in theatre and he studied "something to do with politics".  Sometimes he made fun of her for choosing to pursue an art-related career, but she didn't care. Heather loved being a costume designer and was having a lot of work offers from Broadway shows.

When Hugh Everhart became mayor of Gatlon City, the power he now had started to change him, and his views about the prodigies did too. He started a campaign against them, even going as far as to start segregating public spaces and reinforcing the rule against prodigies attending to the same school as non-prodigies.

“It was a rule that already existed, but no one took it as seriously, and some school districts turned a blind eye when they discovered a child was a prodigy,” his aunt explained.

Then, Hugh asked about his mother.

“Oh, Anna was a friend of mine. She played the main role and was the most beautiful woman in the room. I introduced her to your father during the first Broadway productions I worked on. I will always regret that night,” she said. “They felt in love pretty quickly, got married the next year, and then you arrived.” Her smile disappeared. “Anna hadn’t been honest with your dad though.”

“Did she cheat on him?”

“No! No, no, no. Something worse. She didn’t tell him she was a prodigy until you were born.”

Hugh was starting to know how the story was going to end. He wanted her to stop, but at the same time, he wanted to know the truth, even if it hurt him.

So he let her finish.

“Your dad was pissed. He didn’t want anything to do with you, so he forced Anna to let you on my porch. The only thing she told me was she wanted you to be named after your father. Two days later, she died.”

“Did he kill her?”

Suddenly, his aunt stood up, took him by the arm, and started to get away from the house as fast as possible.

“Someone’s watching us,” she whispered.

Hugh looked at one of the houses. In its garden, a young woman was watching them go. They made eye contact, and she smiled. Her hair was curly and her skin was dark and soft. Hugh tried to smile back, but his aunt didn’t let him.

“Don’t look at her." She waited until they were out of the neighborhood to keep talking. “Look, I don’t know if he killed her," she mumbled. "They said it was suicide, and Anna had some problems, but your father and I never spoke again after that.”

Hugh didn’t like to think about his parents now. But it didn't matter, his family was perfect just the way it was. He, his aunt... and Simon.

Simon's dad had just left for work when they arrived. His sister was sitting in the living room, mesmerized by the old television they had. Mr. Westwood had managed to fix an old DVD player and Sophie was delighted with the cartoons she was now able to watch. They had kept the TV at low volume though. That way, the neighbors wouldn’t found out that they had a TV and wanted to break in.

“I'm here, Sophie,” Simon announced.

Sophie turned to see them. Hugh greeted her and she greeted him back. Then, he followed Simon into the basement.

“You shouldn't have stayed that long,” Simon said, dropping his backpack on the floor.

“It would have been more suspicious if it seemed like I was in a hurry to leave, don't you think?” he answered.

“We won’t go back there,” said Simon. “You’ll be recognized again.”

“You're right. I'm too handsome to be forgotten.”

“Nice. I think I'll keep your share of the loot just for that comment.”

“What do we have today?”

Five cans of beans, two of vegetables, one loaf of old bread, and three small boxes of pear juice.

When he first met Simon, Hugh was shocked to hear him say, “Now that I'm a prodigy, I'll be able to steal better.” First, he laughed, thinking it was a joke, but Simon remained serious.

Shortly afterward, his aunt's hand-made carpet business started to lose clients. All the money they could get was used to pay the bills. Hugh had never been so hungry in his life, so he asked Simon if he could help him get food.

“I could,” he replied with a shrug, "but you wouldn't like the way I get food, and I don't have any other idea."

“I will love any idea you have.”

Even if it means stealing.

“You will call the police if I tell you.”

“What police?” Hugh asked.

That the first time he heard Simon’s laugh. It was as wonderful as the first time he saw him smile.

“It's Sophie's birthday tomorrow, so I want the juice boxes,” Simon said. “It’ll be my gift”

Hugh did not answer. He still had his mind on Joe's Basket.

The store was empty because the Roaches were there. He imagined the terror the man behind the counter must have felt. Had a gun been pointed at his head? Did they hit him? Did they hurt him in any way? Did they threaten his family?

How long would it take to realize that things were missing from the shelves? Some never did, but once a lady noticed a bag of flour was missing as soon as they left her store. She grabbed Hugh's arm and demanded that he return what he had stolen from her. Luckily, Simon was carrying everything, and no one could see him. After several screams and threats, Hugh managed to convince the lady that he had taken nothing and let him go.

The man at the counter had no idea what he was doing when he gave him that free chocolate bar. He was giving his merchandise to a thief. Surely he would feel betrayed. He had had an act of kindness with someone, and that was how they paid him?

“Well, you can keep one box of pear juice,” said Simon, holding it out to him, “and a half loaf of bread. I would prefer that you keep all the vegetables. Sophie makes a big fuss when it's the only thing to eat.”

Hugh got out of his thoughts and took the chocolate out of his pocket.

“Here. It's for you."

Simon did not hesitate to accept it. He broke it in half and gave him the largest piece. It was a great sacrifice on his part because Simon loved everything that had chocolate. It was difficult to get, but every time Hugh saw it in a store, he bought a bar for Simon, and every time, Simon share it with him.

He wiped away the remnants of candy on his pants before taking the new Wonder Man number out of the paper bag. He sat down on one of the old cushions in the corner of the basement and began to read it.

Simon gazed at him with curiosity. Hugh noticed it but said nothing. He knew that Simon had no interest in the plot of The Fantastic Adventures of Wonder Man. He preferred The Scarlet Enchantress and the Phantom Feline, and read nothing but that, although they no longer produced any more numbers. Its creator had been killed after drawing the Scarlet Enchantress attacking Ace Anarchy with an energy hit.

Simon sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“Why are you so quiet?” he asked.

“I'm not.”

“Does it have something to do with the Roaches?”

He adjusted his glasses. They were already starting to cause excruciating headaches. Hugh really needed new ones.

“I do not like it either.”

“I know,” said Hugh. “I've never thought otherwise.”

“Well, you have a very curious way of showing it.”

Hugh opened one of the pear juices and raised his eyebrows.

“There is something you don't know about me, Westwood.”

“What thing, Everhart?” he asked with a frown.

He left the juice on one side and the comic book on the other. Then, he went to the shelf where they kept a box full of the comics they bought. Hugh took out the blue mask of Wonder Man his aunt made for him and put it on with a mysterious air, cautious so that Simon did not see him doing it.

“Hugh—”

“I'm not Hugh... I'm Wonder Man!” he exclaimed turning around. “And your kingdom of chaos is over!”

Simon was startled, but he immediately started to laugh and took his black Phantom Feline mask from the box. He put it on awkwardly as he climbed onto the table and picked up a red cloth to use as a cape.

“I would like to see you try it, Wonder Man,” Simon purred mysteriously covering his face with the cape. “But you will have to catch me first.”

Hugh created handcuffs with his powers and Simon vanished.

Silence invaded the room. He had to be very aware of each sound. Even the slightest movement could give away Simon's position and make Hugh the winner of the fight for Gatlon City that was unfolding inside their heads.

Hugh was the one who came up with the game. It all started because they argued over who would win in a fight: Wonder Man or the Phantom Feline. Simon was convinced that the Phantom Feline would end Wonder Man in a matter of seconds, because “Wonder Man was too stupid to find Phantom Feline when he turned invisible.” Hugh replied that the Wonder Man was extremely intelligent and that the Phantom Cat was no match for him.

“And I will prove it to you.”

Since then, they put on their masks and pretended to be Wonder Man and Phantom Feline whenever one of them was sad or upset. Like when Hugh's aunt was in bed for three days and her fever did not go down, or when Simon's father lost one of his many jobs and refused to speak to his children.

“Don't you think you're a little old to play like that?” Mr. Westwood asked them.

“Not at all,” they replied at the same time.

Hugh heard a rustle to his left. He turned, and before he could react, the handcuffs were snatched from his hand and he was thrown onto the cushions in the corner.

Simon put him the handcuffs and place his foot on Hugh’s chest.

“And the Phantom Feline takes control of Gatlon City in record time!” he exclaimed with an evil laugh.

“I will end with you, villain!” Hugh growled.

Simon took his razor out of his pocket and placed it just above the heart.

“Any last words?”

Hugh looked at him with determination. “Long live to justice.”

Simon nodded and stabbed him. The razor blade fell at the same time that Hugh played dead.

“Evil has triumphed. It always does,” Simon whispered, staring into the distance dramatically.

Hugh turned to look at the back cover of the comic book he'd left on the floor.

He was nothing like him. Wonder Man was stronger, taller, and did not wear glasses that were not from his graduation. He had dark skin and brown eyes, hiding his identity behind a blue mask and a tight uniform. On the back cover, he stood on a pile of villains defeated by him, his chin up and a silver spear nailed to Ace Anarchy's iconic gold helmet.

His blood went to his feet.

“Simon—“

“I saw it too,” he replied. He knelt and removed the handcuffs. “Now you will no longer find out what happened to Wonder Man at the end of the story.”

Hugh kept staring at that image. The spear. The helmet.

And he smiled.

“In the end, he beats Ace Anarchy.”

“Hugh, accept it. There will be no end,” said Simon, shaking his head. “He will never beat Ace Anarchy.”

“Maybe he doesn't,” Hugh muttered. “But what if we did?”

The End.

Now, you may be all like “wut obsi tf is this the end???” I mean, the end of this fic?? yeah. but the end of this the obsiverse??? i don’t think so bitch. this month i’ll be posting the first chapter of a new fic, Rise of the Renegades, which is going to be a continuation of The Origins. It’ll be all about the first year of the guys as the Renegades, how they formed, their fisrt missions, and maybe their first encounter with Ace:))) don’t wanna give spoiler tho. 

I hope you support the continution as much as you supported this fic. Seriously all the comments and tags mean a lot to me. I’m not use to sharing my writing, at least not outside school work, so it's great to know that people all over the world like what I do. Los adoro <3 Keep it weird.

Also all the chapter titles were from the song A Million Dreams it was one of the main inspirations for this work

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

ODAAT S4 POLL RESULTS

thank you so, so much to everyone who answered this little survey!! here’s some basic info gleaned from the 43 participants:

no one said that season 4 is better than seasons 1-3

more than 95% think it’s worse than seasons 1-3

no one said their faves are fully getting the attention they deserve

exactly one person is ‘loving’ s4, another 9 ‘kinda like it’

the remaining 3/4 are indifferent to it, dislike or hate it

slightly more than 1/3 have given up watching s4 already

the final question was What's one of your favorite or least favorite things about S4 so far? 9 participants listed a favorite thing. 37 participants listed a least favorite thing. (some people included both a favorite and least favorite in their answers.)

the most commonly mentioned ‘favorite thing’ was alex’s character development in s4. 

the most commonly mentioned ‘least favorite thing’ was the schneider/avery relationship including the pregnancy, followed closely by s4′s lack of emotional depth, schneider’s previous arc being minimized, and the penelope/max relationship. 

you can see all 43 anonymous answers behind this cut:

Idk 

Alex

i think the problem is they’re starting conversations to then finish them too early. like i was really interested to see where they went with sydlena with elena going to college but then it was just taken back so quickly..

Fave: the show continues; also, Alex’s girlfriend. Least fave: the way Penelope and Max’s characters have been changed to make their relationship fit the new budget

The relapse in Penelope and Schneider’s friendship esp after how S3 showed SUCH growth. Not to mention, the lack of emotional depth. It’s just. Different.

Idk

.

Least favorite:Penelope and Max make no sense??? Explain the kids issue??? Also why is Avery pregnant.......I don’t like her character

they basically took away schneiders character arc

Don't have one

The demolishing of Schneider's characters growth is the most maddening thing

it doesn't have the same feel as the 1st 3 seasons.

My least favorite thing is how rushed some development is, particularly in relationships, to show that everything is fine, but also ignores the issues and struggles we were introduced to in previous seasons regarding characters. For example, Schneider and Avery are all in love and totally fine, but what happened to his addiction? How does he feel about being a father? How did they move past their breakup from when he relapsed? And with Penelope, while I loved that they showed that she could be happy with her family and still want romance, why Max again? How do they resolve the fact that he wants kids but she doesn't want more?

Penelope and Max's reunion was too rushed and Schneider and Avery's relationship is too rushed too

favorite~ alex being given some sort of storyline (the whole clothing thing and feeling insecure in the family) cuz he’s never given attention and then least favorite~ how schneider’s alcoholism has been completely sidelined and max and penny not discussing the whole kids thing. also how cuba wasn’t brought up until the mid season finale when s3 literally ended with that

My least favorite thing about season four is that it doesn’t feel like the first three seasons. I feel like the bonds that the characters have built over the years are breaking.

Schneider suddenly needing to have a baby with avery to have a family when he's been part of the alvarez fam the whole time :)))

i don’t like the lack of emotional stuff and the random bringing back old love interests without explanation

none of the characters feel like the same people or like they've regressed and lost character growth

max and avery least favorite :(

I don't like the fact that it feels like it has to explain a lot about older seasons, it feels a bit forced, but I also understand why it happens, if/when there's a season 5 I think I'm going to like it better than this season (same thing happened for me with seasons 1, 2 and 3, my favorite being the last)

Least favorite: I feel like we've lost Schneider's story. Between retconning aspects of his relationship with Avery (like them saying they've never broken up or that their first fight happened this season). It suddenly feels like he's not a member of the family like he was in S3.

The way they’ve completely regressed all the character arcs and storylines for a lot of the characters, especially Schneider

Character continuity seems to have been thrown out e.g. schneider has regressed a lot and there is no follow up on his s3 plotline

I really wish they could be longer - I do think the episodes need to be longer for storyline purposes. I think that’s why this season feels slightly different to me. Favourite thing is seeing Schneider and Avery be happy. They seem to be moving quick but it also seems to be working for them.

it used to make me FEEL. now it’s flat

That Max came back and he and Pen still haven't addressed the child-sized elephant in the room but that's okay because he's awesome /ends sarcasm. Also the baby pregancy storyline was WAY out of left field. Also what happened with Schneider's sobriety? Is he still going to meetings?

I'm happy Alex is getting good storylines and Elena and Syd are adorable but Schneider and Penelope's relationship with Avery and MaX IS TOO MUCH TOO SOON

Pen had worries about her date and ran immediately to her BFF to help her sort it out. YOU KNOW, THAT SEEMED PROMISING.

Just the overall lack of depth

Everything about Schneider/Avery has been handled extremely poorly imo

My least favourite thing is how they dismissed Schneider’s sobriety storyline

I loved the final live action episode that aired before the pandemic took over (ends on the roof garden not sure the number/title) but otherwise it's been feeling like it's skimming the surface of most serious issues that they used to tackle head on. Hoping this is just an adjustment period/growing pains but we'll see.

The baby storyline is way too rushed, and I really don't like it

Favorite: Alex taking sewing classes, least favorite: Avery/Schneider

Everythings too superficial

I hated that they didn't get to the end of season 3 Cuba reveal until episode 6, and that they've regressed Dr. B & Lydia's relationship again. Either put them together or make clear you never well, damn.

schneider/avery feels rushed and lacks emotional depth. At the end of season 3 they were broken up, barely a quarter into season 4 they've moved in together and are pregnant. It doesn't make sense. Avery is just a cartoon version of Schneider. They don't feel real.

Least favourite: The storylines aren't as deep/handled as seriously. I don't like what they have done with Schneider. I don't think they explored his relationship with Avery well enough for me to be invested in it. I also don't think now is the right time to explore them having a child.

We're halfway through the season and there has been no character growth for anyone. It's a typical sitcom. Every emotional arc has been abandoned or ignored. Why are we not seeing Schneider freak out about becoming a parent, considering his history? Why are Penelope and Schneider not as close as they once were?

The meta/4th wall joke from animated special about tv shows being animated & least them telling Schindler he’s not part of the family.. like wtf multiple times too. Also the dropping of storylines (Sobriety/Cuba) & the ex partners back and everyone is happy

Alex got some much needed character development, but they basically hamstringed Penelope and Schneider

The episodes are shorter and the comedy seems cheaper and easier, the jokes don’t have the depth they used to

[monkeymindscream]

1, 2, 11 and 28

Well this got long quickly...

1. How long ago did you discover The Dark Crystal, and how?

I wassssss three or four, I think? So over two decades ago by this point (because yo’ girl here is dusty). It was Easter and my aunt gave me THIS:

Before anyone asks: no, I did not dig this old-as-balls VHS out for the sake of this ask. It was already sitting in my room. 

(Also I want everyone to know that I wonder every single day which skeksis that’s supposed to be on the cover. Is that supposed to be skekSil?? Is that Sil?? Why does he Look Like That???)

I had a very complicated relationship with this movie for most of my childhood, actually? Which - on that note - unnecessary tangential story time!

When me and my little sister ( @shuri-flurry ) were little, our parents used to take us to this video place to rent movies, yeah? And the place they’d take us to would frequently have The Dark Crystal playing on the TVs they had mounted towards the ceiling of the store. “Previewing the merchandise,” or something.

(Upon reflection, though, there was seemingly no reason for them to have had Dark Crystal playing. This would have been in the mid to late 90s, and therefore well after the movie had been released and needing to be advertised. So I’m not sure what the Video Vision employees thought they were doing there).

My little sister and I - despite having already seen the movie at this point and therefore knowing exactly what we were looking at - were royally freaked out. To the degree that for months afterwards we would be coming up with battle strategies in the car whenever we were taken to rent movies. Essentially, put your head down as soon as you walk through the door so you couldn’t see the TVs, and KEEP it down until you’d discerned whether or not Dark Crystal was playing and how much risk you were in of seeing a skeksis (as long as you couldn’t see them move you were safe).

Now, reading all of the above you’d think I didn’t like the move, right? Wrong! I loved the movie, and would watch in on loop. And my favorite part of it was, in fact, a fucking skeksis (which we’ll get to in a sec here). It’s just that for some ungodly reason, I was utterly terrified of the thing that brought me joy.

Figure that one out.

2. If you watched TDC as a child, who were your favorites then, and who are they now? If not, do you think that your child self would have enjoyed it?

My fave back in the day was our most beloved bastard, dear skekSil. For as much as the skeks freaked me out as a kid, I couldn’t resist falling in love with Sil. Mostly because my villain-lovin’ baby-heart felt incredibly bad for him. Not only was he picked on by the other skeksis (from a toddler’s point of view, at least), but when he talked to Jen and Kira, they were mean and ran away!! Even after he saved them from the Garthim!! RUDE you guys, not cool!!

(I knew that he didn’t have Jen and Kira’s best interests at heart when he was talking about “peace,” but I couldn’t quite comprehend it at that age. If that makes any sense at all.)

He’s still up there in my top 5, although now it’s because as an adult I can appreciate just how cutthroat and devious he is, all while doing it so... uniquely. In all of fiction, there’s only ONE Chamberlain. 

He’ll be very aggrieved to know that he’s sharing the spotlight with several others now, though (all still skeks; don’t know if this counts as irony or just me upholding my brand): 

SkekSo has clawed his way up the ranks, which knowing him either involved stalking his way up to the front of the line of potential faves and expecting everyone to just. Move out of the way for him (which, credit, they did), or it involved actual clawing. The emperor that AoR showed us would absolutely rip a bitch’s face off to bolster himself, and damn him, I adore him for it.

I’ve always had a soft-spot for scientists and abused underlings, and when you combine the two you get skekTek. Obviously he’s a fave. Honestly, his character is kind of more what my child-self had initially interpreted Sil to be, but with the addition of snapping under the abuse and violently committing murder (so he continues to check all my boxes!)

Is there a single person in this fandom who DOESN’T have skekGra somewhere on their list of favorite characters? Anyone? Because he’s certainly on mine.

Last but not least (none of these are in any kind of order, honestly), we’ve got skekLi, and Wig it is ENTIRELY your fault for this. I didn’t even need to meet him in canon - I didn’t even need to read the book he’s in (y’know, literally his only canon appearance???) because you swooped the fuck in and made him the most lovable creature in existence. The impudence.

11. Three favorite romantic ships?

Wig, why would you ask me a question you already know the answer to? You’re the reason I ship anything in this fandom, I was a blank slate before you. Have I not gushed enough? Have I left room for doubt in your mind?

Listing these in chronological order of when I got dragged in if anyone’s interested in knowing, here we go:

a. Li/Gra

When we first started talking, Wig sent me a variety of arts, right? Because she’s sweet like that. Among them was this, which I babbled in the tags on (jokingly, this was only supposed to be a JOKE!), and, in response, she sends me this. Then, while I’m floundering, she drops THIS on me. And then followed that up with about, ohhhh, three, four months? Of developing, pure, heart-wrenching ANGST. 

And that’s how I got tricked into shipping Li/Gra.

b. Sil/Ung

This used to be a pairing I didn’t understand the hype for. Like... Yeah, okay, they had the rivalry thing going in the movie for all of five seconds, but apart from that I couldn’t comprehend any interesting ways their characters could bounce off each other. There was no chemistry as far as I could see.

Enter Wig, sliding into my DMs one day, sending me cute art. Then, after softening me up with this initial strike, she casually goes, “have you heard about this scrapped early plot idea in the novel where Zok initiates another trial by stone after Ung won the first one, and uses the reflection in his sword to break the rock leading to Ung being exiled too?” 

And then, when I was weak, finished me off with "AU WHERE THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENS AND THEY HAVE TO BEGRUDGINGLY WORK TOGETHER TO GET BACK INTO THE CASTLE."

One dramatic reimaging of the movie, several instances of character development, and the dramatic culmination of all discussed -later, and I’m sobbing my entire shipping heart out.

And that’s how I got tricked into shipping Sil/Ung.

c. So/Li 

This one I’ll accept partial responsibility for, since I was technically the one to go “hey wait-” over it, but I would have never stumbled on the realization if I’d never talked to Wig, so I’m still holding her accountable.

This all started when Wig reblogged this, and then we got talking about how this angle might affect Li’s relationship with So. Things escalate and then suddenly it hits me: A demanding, violent tyrant, and the ONE(1) asshole who is both not afraid to and routinely gets away with aggressively taking the piss outta him?? That is FANTASTIC. I’m only human for God’s sake how is one person supposed to be able to resist that kind of dynamic-??

And that’s how I- ah shit. I didn’t technically get tricked into this one, I played myself. My pattern is all thrown off.

28. If skekEkt wanted to design something especially for you, what would you ask him to make (formal wear, armor, an accessory etc.)?

Hooooo boy, okay, here’s the thing: I never know how to respond to people wanting to like... GIVE me things. Or DO things for me. And I don’t imagine I’d feel any less awkward when the person wanting to do things for me is a friggin’ skeksis, who aren’t known for their generosity. It’d make me feel like an exception and I don’t know if I could cope with that.

More to the point, I’m literally a cartoon character. Y’wanna know what my daily outfits usually consist of? I take t-shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants (or jeans if I’m going out) that are two or three sizes too big, and then I layer. I call it “I’ve rolled out of a dumpster please leave me to my business” -chic. 

None of which meshes with Ekt’s brand of style at all. Nor does Ekt strike me as the type who’d tolerate his creative vision to being restricted in any form, if you catch my drift.

So not only am I awkward and uncomfortable with people doing things for me, but he’d be doing something for me where I wouldn’t know what to do with the finished product.

Just kill me it’d be so much easier.

[ficsxreaderr]

Music to my eyes [6]

Pairing: Single dad!Bucky Barnes x reader. (Modern day AU)

Summary: As a simple worker at a record store, there’s so much  you want to do in life yet, which doesn’t involve a serious relationship  and much less a relationship with a guy who’s a father. Once you meet  Bucky Barnes you’re not sure you can live up to that anymore.

Warnings: None? Fluff?

Requests are open. Tagging for a permanent list and this fic are open.

Reblogging and feeback are welcome and appreciated!

Series masterlist | Masterlist

It’s Saturday night and, clearly, you went to your now usual breakfast today, and it was…okay. You sat at the usual booth, next to Sarah, obviously and had a very pleasant conversation with your friends. Now, you’re resting on your bed, doing some writing, which you haven’t done in a while and it feels great now, until your phone interrupts you with a call from Sam.

“Sam, I just saw you today, do you miss me that much?” You joke as soon as you pick up, and he chuckles.

“Of course I do, why are you surprised?” He jokes back. “You know, I really want to talk to you about something.”

“Wow, is it serious?” You put your laptop aside for a moment, giving him your full attention.

“Not serious but, you know, Steve’s getting married.”

“What?! He is?! How am I just learning this?!” You’re truly shocked, even more than when you found out Bucky had a kid.

“Relax, that’s the thing. He hasn’t been planning for long and the invitations are sent, he really wants you there and he said that since they didn’t have time to send you one, I have to take you as my plus one.”

“You have to? So you’re only doing that for Steve, huh?” You’re back at joking, smiling as you wait for his answer.

“Stop it you fool, you’ve not heard my point yet.”

“Well, get to it.” You demand, laughing right after.

“Bucky could take you too but he won’t because he’s too much of a wuss, so I am taking you and when he sees you in that hot dress that I will help you pick, he’ll drop to his knees and express his undying love for you.”

“Sam! What the hell are you thinking? If Bucky doesn’t want to take me, maybe it’s not a great idea that I go, what if it’s awkward? Sarah’s going to be there and…” You sigh. “I don’t know, Sam.”

“Y/N, that’s exactly why you have to go, you’ve got to show him that you’re not waiting for him to make a move on you and that you definitely don’t expect a thing from him.”

“Sam, but that’s the thing, I don’t want to be with him, I don’t want to prove anything to him because we’re just friends. I can’t be with him.” You know you need to repeat all these things to yourself more than to Sam but saying them out loud is quite helpful.

“What are you talking about? Why are you so stubborn to realize that you two are meant for each other?”

“Because you know me. You know me better than anyone, this is not the life I want. I want to write and travel, I want to make things on my own, for myself. I don’t even have a writing job yet, Sam. I can’t get involved with someone that wants a potential mother for his child and expects commitment so soon. I’m not saying he’s said those things but he’s a father and I need to set limits before I get hurt. Or before I hurt him.”

“I’m not going to deny any of the things you said, sweetheart, but how are you going to get over him then?”

“I don’t know, Sam, but I need to stop these feelings from growing first.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But listen, think about the wedding, Steve said he really wants you to go, he’s just sad you didn’t meet before. And Peggy said so, too.”

“Yeah, I promise I’ll think about it.” You sigh deeply, losing the tension that saying all those things brought.

“I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“No, of course you didn’t, you only mean well, Sam.”

That night you went to sleep at 2 AM talking to Sam and listening to his jokes and his scenarios in which you and Bucky got married, which he only started speaking about once you authorized him. After all, some jokes hurt nobody. He is definitely the best friend one could ask for and he certainly is the one person that understands

/

Outside the coffee house, Sarah has taken your hand instead of Sam’s, which obviously gave you an opportunity to bug him about how he’s not the favorite anymore.

“No, wait, I’m the favorite.” Says Steve, rather offended.

“I don’t think so, Steven.” You shake your head as Sarah hugs your leg and you stroke her hair.

“Daddy, we’re watching movies today, right?” Sarah looks up to Bucky and he freezes for a moment. He gives you a quick glance but you try to avoid it so he doesn’t think you want to join them, which you don’t actually.

“Yes, honey.” It’s all Bucky responds. Sarah lets go of you and takes Bucky’s hand instead. “What is it, Sarah?” He frowns, kneeling so he’s at her height.

“I want Y/N to come with us, I want to show her my favorite movies.” She tries to whisper to him but you listen, everyone listened.

“I will ask her, okay?” He kisses her forehead and stands up. You give quick glances to Steve and Sam who look at their phone screens so they’re not asked anything.

“Y/N, um…we have this movie…afternoon on Sundays, would you like to come?” He frowns, clearly thinking you’re saying no. For a moment, you hesitate and look down at Sarah who’s smiling at you, and you smile at her. Shifting your glance to Bucky, you take a breath and smile to him.

“Of course.” You almost murmur. “If it’s not a problem, I’d really like that.” You nod and notice how Bucky’s shoulders drop and how his lips curl up in a toothy grin.

Steve and Sam casually excused themselves saying they had errands to run and on your way to Bucky’s you texted Sam a code very easy to decipher about how you’re going to murder him for leaving you alone with Bucky.

“Daddy, let’s make lots of popcorn!” Sarah exclaims as the three of you enter Bucky’s loft.

“Yes, we’ll do that, Sarah.” He responds with a chuckle. “Please, make yourself at home.” Both of you take off your coats and he takes yours to put in on the hanger.

“Thanks. Have I told you I love this place? I’ve always wanted a loft.” You say, looking around as you always do when you’re here.

“It’s a great option, to be honest, it’s a lot of space and you can do whatever you want with it.” He responds as you both get to the kitchen. Sarah has gone to the living room to turn on the TV and look for the movies you’re watching. “Listen, I know Sarah can be…persuasive sometimes and I’m sorry if you’ve ever done something you…really didn’t want to.” He says as you he takes out the bag of popcorn from the cupboard.

“No, come on, I…I love being around her and I have…a lot of fun with you, too.”

“For a minute there I thought you were just using me to get to her.” He quirks up an eyebrow sarcastically, making you chuckle.

“I’m sorry I gave that impression.” You reply with sarcasm, too. You help him put popcorn into the machine. “Wow, I’m buying one of these, it’s so much easier.” You add.

“Yeah, especially helpful with a kid that wants popcorn almost every day.” He chuckles.

“Do you give her popcorn every day?” You tease him.

“No, of course not, but she does ask a lot so sometimes I have no other choice.” He presses the button and both of you wait. “What would you like to drink? I have wine, beer, lemonade and Capri Suns.” He says as he opens the fridge.

“Whatever you’re having is fine by me.” You reply as you sit on a stool. Bucky hesitates for a moment, he wants to bring out the bottle of wine he bought some months ago, he was keeping it for something special, but he doesn’t know if you’ll be freaked out if he does. He considers your answer, if you didn’t want wine, you would’ve said so. Right? He brushes off all the thoughts and makes a decision for once, bringing out the bottle of wine. You decide to take two glasses from the cupboard and he pours some wine for both of you.

“We can order some pizza if you want.” He says before taking a sip of wine.

“No, popcorn’s fine for now, I’m still kind of full from the big breakfast.” He nods and once the popcorn is ready, both of you make your way to the living room to find Sarah watching cartoons.

“Sarah, popcorn’s here, what movie do you want to watch?” Bucky says as you both sit. Sarah decided to use her little chair this time, leaving you both to sit on the big couch.

“I want Y/N to pick the movie!” She says taking a mouthful of popcorn. Bucky and you look at each other with a smile. “She can be really persuasive.” You whisper, making him laugh.

“I know, I live with her.” You laugh at that, making Bucky’s heart skip a beat at the sound that he’s grown very fond of lately.

“But can I pick the movie? I can be convincing too, you know.” You quirk up an eyebrow, making him bite his lip.

“Oh, yeah, how so?”  He tilts his head to one side, frowning, but with an amused look on his face. If you had given into your impulses, you would’ve kissed him as he stared with glistening blue eyes and blushed cheeks.

“If you let me pick it, I’ll babysit for Sarah whenever you ask me to.” You whisper, hoping she doesn’t hear you.

His eyebrows shoot up in amusement and he replies, with a smirk, “You’re good.”

As expected the afternoon goes by so smoothly, after you picked the first movie, Sarah picked the next one, her favorite, Mulan. The best, and hardest, part of it all was how close Bucky and you were all the time. He let his arm rest on the backrest, leaving his side free for you to sit there, once he glanced at you and gave you an assuring smile, you sat as close to him, folding your legs beneath you.

Bucky froze the moment your head fell over his shoulder as you were dozing off, he kept staring at the screen but all he was thinking was how close you were to each other and how comfortable you were around him. After a moment of seeing you’re definitely asleep, he slowly slides his arm down, so it’s now around you. He let his hand gently fall over your hip, and his heart stopped at the feeling of finally being able to touch you and have you in his arms. Subconsciously, you snuggled closer, if it was possible, and let your hand fall over his chest. His breath hitched at the contact, unable to hide the smile on his face. He didn’t move at all, not even his hand though it itched to caress your hip and your thigh, he wanted to kiss your hair and fall asleep with you, too.

Fluttering your eyes as you start waking up, you have to take a moment to realize that, first, you were taking a nap, and second…you weren’t home. Your heart stops for a moment when you notice everything and you slowly sit up, feeling how his arm lets go of you, much to your dislike.

“How long was I out?” You run a hand through your hair, in a hopeless attempt to fix it. He stares at you with lazy eyes and a smirk, knowing he wants to laugh at you. “Don’t you laugh at me, you happen to be very comfortable.” You narrow your eyes and cross your arms.

“You missed Mulan.” He points at the screen as the ending credits roll by. He tucks a strand of hair that’s still over your face, behind your ear, and smiles. “Sleep well?” he frowns, almost in concern, as his hand lingers over your cheek.

“Mhm.” You nod and smile. He shifts his gaze to his hand and drops it, probably realizing he was lingering. You turn around to notice Sarah’s asleep too. “She fell asleep too, see?” You point at her with your thumb and he chuckles. You tilt your head to one side, not really noticing, and bite your lip. His laugh really hypnotizes you.

“What is it?” His voice gets lower every minute he speaks, making it even harder to refrain from kissing him. You notice you’re staring and blink rapidly as you come back to Earth and clear your throat.

“Nothing, I…I’m still dizzy or something.” You chuckle, too nervously for your liking, and you sigh deeply. “Want to order pizza?” You frown, afraid he noticed your uneasiness, but even if he did, his warm look lets you relax.

“Of course.”

Sarah woke up exclusively to eat some pizza, and the three of you shared yet another pleasant moment together. Eating in the living room, talking, and laughing felt so familiar, as if you belonged here, with them. Sarah said you’re the official guest for Sunday Movies and Bucky didn’t even try to fight it, he chuckled and said you couldn’t refuse the offer. You didn’t try to fight either. After a good unhealthy meal, Sarah said she was getting sleepy, again, and Bucky took her to brush her teeth and prepare her for bedtime. You waited downstairs, not really wanting to intrude in a moment that you’ve always thought was intimate between a parent and their kid.

“Alright, she’s out.” He says as he sits on the couch beside you. You look him in the eye for a moment, thinking of every possible thing to say, and there’s so much, but you can’t.

“I had a lot of fun today, you have no idea.” You shake your head in disbelief, making him smile a mile wide.

“I had the best time, Y/N, thank you for being so great to Sarah and…to me.” His gaze never parts from yours as he frowns almost apologetically and it hurts in a way because it makes you think of many women that might have dated him and were mean to Sarah or had nothing to do with her, and it really breaks your heart. Which is exactly why you don’t want to date him, so you don’t break his heart.

“Don’t even say it, Bucky, you guys are…the best company,” You shrug. “And I’m glad we met.” You blurt out and realize it might be interpreted in different ways by him, which is just what you didn’t want to do. Noticing how you’re letting this conversation go somewhere you don’t want it to, you divert your gaze from his eyes for a moment. He clears his throat and leans back on the couch, running a hand through his hair, making it look kind of messy.

“When was the last time you cut your hair?” You add with an amused tone, trying to break the tension that was starting to build up. He scoffs, faux-offended, and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Well, like two months ago, is it that bad?” He quirks up an eyebrow, challenging you to answer and you press your lips in a thin line, suppressing a laugh.

“All I’m saying is you need a haircut and I can help.” You shrug, mimicking his position.

“You know how to cut hair?” He shifts in his place again, propping his arm over the backrest.

“Yeah, I cut my brother’s hair all the time, and he got tons of compliments for it but if you’re so offended that I mentioned your long and uneven hair then…” You tease him, shrugging as if you don’t even care anymore, smirking at him, watching as he bites his lip.

“Alright, cut my hair.” You quirk up an eyebrow. “Please?” He frowns, making you laugh at him and he laughs with you, making the world stop for a moment.

“You do learn from Sarah, don’t you?” You narrow your eyes at him, making him smile in excitement.

“I’ll go get some scissors.” He almost jumps from the couch and goes up to his room to get them, along with a comb and a towel.

“What if you give me a bad haircut?” He asks after you’ve put the towel around him and have wet his hair with the handheld shower head. He sits on a stool from the kitchen, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

“Do you want a decent hair or not?” You almost exclaim, looking at him in the mirror.

“Alright, alright, I’ll shut up now.” He holds his hands up in surrender, making you chuckle.

“Well, you can talk, just not about me cutting your hair. Not until I’m done.” You point a demanding finger at him and he chuckles. Bucky’s heart leaves him the moment you run your hands through his hair in the most delicate way. You comb his hair so it’s all in the same direction, and he swears he could fall asleep under your touch. He tries to talk and make conversation so his mind isn’t so distracted thinking how he could get used to this and how right this feels. He knows it is, he knows he should do something soon, but he’s still afraid of losing you when he barely just found you.

You take your time, clearly at your advantage, to get his haircut just right, for moments, you stand in front of him, leaning over you can get a closer look. Your eyes find each other’s, as they usually do, and with a small smile, you continue. Once you’re done, you run your hands through his hair to make sure it’s even and then you comb it, so he can finally see it.

“Alright, you can see…and talk about it now.” You say as you stand aside so you’re not blocking the mirror and he smiles instantly, remaining silent for moment. “Please, say something, I’m dying here.”

“I love it.” He says, simply, unable to stop smiling.

“You do?! Oh, that’s amazing, I was so scared!” You draw both hands to your chest in relief, making him chuckle. “Let me just remove these tiny hairs.” You add, taking off the towel and brushing your hand along his nape. His heart freezes at your warm touch, and he has to take a deep breath to gain composure. He stands up slowly, turning to see you.

“Thanks, Y/N.” He nods with a smirk.

“It’s nothing, I’m just happy I didn’t mess it up.” You wave it off as you put his things back in the drawers. You turn around to find him a bit closer to you, and both of you stare at each other for a while. His gaze drops to your lips for a second and shifts back to your eyes.  You bite your lip, more nervous than flirty, and you feel your breathing speeding up.

“Bucky…no.” You speak something you didn’t really want to, but what was right. At least what you thought was right at the moment.

Bucky never knew two words could hurt so bad, he didn’t know his world could fall to pieces and change like that with just a few letters. He takes a small step back, his shoulders visibly dropping and his chest deflating as he lets out a breath.

“I-I’m sorry, Bucky, I…I can’t.” Your brain is only letting out useless words that won’t make this moment any better.

“No, I’m sorry, I…”

“Please, don’t apologize, you didn’t do anything wrong.” You shake your head. “I just feel like for now we should stay friends.” There. Finally. Some. Fucking. Useful. Words.

“Yeah, no, I get it.” His voice is low, almost a whisper. “Let’s be friends.” It is so bitter, the taste of those words. He never wanted to say them, he never wanted to hear them either. But he is not about to let go of you just yet.

/

Life without you is harder for Bucky than he ever thought, it’s been a month since that day you left after he said you should stay friends, and he hasn’t heard a word from you. He doesn’t ask Sam about you, he avoids Sarah’s questions, which is probably the hardest thing as he sees she misses you so much.

He’s forgotten how many times he’s checked his phone hoping there was a text from you or he’s dialed your number but deleted it right after. He thinks of you almost all the time, he’s dreamt of you a couple of nights and he’s woken up with an empty heart as he remembers he’s not with you, not even as a friend. He goes to work and it distracts him a bit, but it’s not for long, because as soon as he gets home he wishes you were there waiting for him; he takes Sarah out, to play, to eat, to know new places and as much as she’s the love of his life, he wishes you were there, holding his hand and Sarah’s. With the wedding around the corner, he’s so sad he couldn’t take you as his plus one, he would’ve loved to sit with you, talk, and dance all night. Now he has to settle for the sight of you and Sam from afar and talking to a bridesmaid he knows nothing about…a girl he’s not in love with.

For you it’s been worse, you think, because you’ve to bear with the guilt of what you did and how you haven’t had the courage to contact him. Remembering Sarah and her excitement when she saw you only makes it worse, you know you hurt her…and her father, and it sucks. You keep repeating that scene in your head, it could’ve gone so differently, you could’ve kissed him and finally told him how you felt but you didn’t have it in you to admit it. Now, you’re trying to find a reason as to why you actually rejected him, why you were so scared of being with him, of his life, and there’s not one. Not one valid reason. You’re in love with him, you miss him, his laugh, his jokes, his voice, his eyes, his only presence was comforting for you. And you threw it all away for fear. And it was unfair for three people, well, two and a kid. Oh, how you miss little Sarah and her laugh, her little eyes, and braiding her hair. You never wanted that life, and you still don’t, but they were a good thing in your life and you can only wish you can have that again someday.

|Tagging some members of the fam I think might enjoy this (feel free to ask me to remove your tag)

@sebbbystaaan @chloerinebarnes @stuckonjbbarnes @mushyjellybeans @honeyvbarnes @babblingbonky​ @mrwinterr @valkyriesryde​ @mypassionsarenysins​ @livyourextralife​

Permanent taglist: @imma-new-soul​

Fic taglist: @eliza5616​ @jamesbarnesappreciationclub​  @93generation​

[puppyexpressions]

10 Great Apartment Dogs

Are you thinking about adopting a brand new puppy? It can be difficult making a decision on which type to get when all of their faces are just so darn cute! Whether you’re living in an apartment complex now or are about to move, you know you at least want to learn more about dogs that are best suited for apartments. We thought you might. That’s why we compiled this list of the most apartment friendly dogs for your consideration and although we’ve narrowed it down to the top ten, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of great pups out there! Use this list as a jumping off point to get you going in the right direction.

1. Pug

This snorting, wrinkly-faced little character with a cinnamon-roll tail is one of my favorite toy dog breeds. He’ll grow to be about 18 lbs (unless you over feed him and make him a big fatty!), follow you around the house, and want to sleep in bed with you. If you can’t stand snoring, then the pug is not your dog. He’ll wheeze louder than your drunken grandpa, who’s passed out in front of the TV. And his beauty is unique. But how can you stare into his cartoon-like eyes and feel anything but love? Unfortunately, due to those bug eyes, pugs are prone to eye injuries. But they’re easy going and affectionate, getting along well with other dogs and with cats too. So if your girlfriend’s high-maintenance Siamese has to stay, you won’t worry about your pug making a meal out of it (he might wrestle with it instead, so let’s hope the cat’s a fighter!).

Take your pug on daily walks and everyone in the neighborhood will admire his cute wiggle as he struts around town. Just be careful not to over exert him. Because of their brachiocephalic (fancy way of saying flat-nosed) faces, pugs can have breathing issues, especially in warm weather. So when you’re outdoors, watch your pug carefully for signs of overheating.

Grooming level required: High. This guy needs you to clean out his facial wrinkles on a daily basis to remove dirt and debris, and also requires daily brushing. Pugs shed a lot, so invest in a decent vacuum cleaner!

Noise level: Medium. Pugs aren’t going to bark without good reason.

Kid friendliness: High. If trained well, pugs enjoy children!

Exercise: Low. Don’t overwork or overheat this little sausage!

2. Bichon Frise

Your Bichon Frise will get along well with other animals, should you already own any. His energy level is high, so be sure to take him for walks in the park and to play indoor games as well. Except scrabble. He’s intelligent, but c’mon, he’s still a dog. If left alone for long periods of time, the Bichon suffers from separation anxiety. Workaholics who spend all day and night at the office will break his fluffy little heart!

Grooming level required: Low. The Bichon’s coat barely sheds, so this breed is good for people with allergies. Bichons do need daily brushing to keep their fur from matting. Also, a monthly bath is required to keep your dog’s coat white.

Noise Level: Low. He’s not prone to yippiness like the poor excuse for a dog that belongs to that crotchety old lady down the hall.

Kid friendliness: Medium. Bichons are good with children, but puppies should be handled by kids only under adult supervision.

Exercise: High. Get your Bichon out of the house regularly for a game of fetch, and practice teaching him tricks at home.

3. Chihuahua

I know what you’re thinking. Yo quiero Taco Bell. Three crunchy tacos supreme, please! But there’s a reason that the adorable Chihuahua is the star of commercials and Hollywood movies: she’s got that it factor! This little baby weighs in at 2-6 lbs, so she can definitely fit in your Fendi handbag. But you don’t need to be a reality show has-been like Paris Hilton to walk around toting one of these babies. Chihuahua’s can be bigger divas than J-Lo if overindulged, so remind your doggie who’s the boss. That being said, they’re affectionate, intelligent and fast learners.

Your Chihuahua’s larger-than-life personality means she’s loud and talkative. Forgetting her size, she’ll probably challenge the Doberman down the block to a fight, so be careful when you’re on walks together. This go-anywhere companion needs a loving owner to take care of her for the next eighteen years. If that scares the bejesus out of your commitment-phobic self, this dog is not for you!

Grooming level required: Low. You only need to brush once a week.

Noise level: Medium to high. These dogs like to talk!

Kid friendliness: Low. It’s too dangerous to have these tiny dogs around children under the age of eight, because your Chihuahua might get injured. But do socialize her around kids.

Exercise: High. Chihuahuas need 20-30 minutes of daily exercise, and are eager to keep playing, so make sure your dog doesn’t wear herself out.

4. Poodle

There’s a reason there are so many -oodle bred dogs (goldendoodle, labradoodle, schnoodle, etc)! Poodles are one of the best-behaved and even-mannered breeds you can own. They’re also hypoallergenic so people with allergies won’t have to worry! The poodle is the second most intelligent dog breed which makes them incredibly skillful and quick learners . Although they are slightly larger in size, they’re also skinny so tend to fall under most apartment weight limits. They are relatively quiet, don’t have large amounts of energy, and tend to get along well with other dogs and humans. Basically, Poodles are every apartment accommodating personality trait rolled up into the perfect pup!

Noise level: Low. You’re more likely to hear your neighbors getting rowdy during a game of Pictionary than hear your Poodle make a racket.

Kid friendliness: High. Poodles love kids. Simple as that.

Exercise: Medium. Poodles do have a good amount of energy but that doesn’t mean they need to be running around in open spaces all the time. Exercising their minds with thinking games and training inside your apartment work just as well!

5. Shiba Inu

This member of Japan’s six native dog breeds is known for her fun personality, pointy ears and agility. Your friends might point out that your curly-tailed Shiba resembles a fox and is like a Ninja Warrior! Weighing in at 20 lbs, she’s nimble, quick, keen and alert. The Shiba is fiercely independent, which is why it’s important to socialize her early with other dogs. This smarty-pants may think she knows what’s best, so look for a trainer who understands this breed’s unique mindset.

Another thing- your Shiba doesn’t like to share her toys. She’ll guard her belongings with her teeth bared. Be sure to give your Shiba Inu enough exercise with a neighborhood walk or jog. But if you take her off leash, be careful-she’ll chase cats (if you live in an urban neighborhood like mine) or squirrels, and could potentially be aggressive with other dogs. If you don’t appreciate her firecracker personality, the Shiba might not be for you. But give her love and she’ll love you right back, charming you with her spunk and loyalty.

Grooming level required: Low, though she’ll shed heavily twice a year. Ready to splurge on that Dyson vacuum yet?

Noise level: Medium. She shouldn’t bark unless something suspicious is going on, or another dog is making her feel threatened.

Kid friendliness: Medium. The Shiba Inu will be friendly towards children as long as they treat her with kindness and respect. No tail pulling!

Exercise: Medium. Getting outside is important for this breed. Make sure she gets a good daily workout.

6. Chinese Crested

Some refer to the Chinese Crested as the worlds ugliest dog? But if you’re sick, your Chinese Crested will lie in bed with you for hours. This 12 lb sack of love will fall in love with you, make you her world, and never leave your side. If you’ve just gone through a soul-crushing breakup, the Chinese Crested will nurse your blackened heart back to health.

This heat-loving canine can lounge in the sun like a lizard, so if you live in the Arizona desert, a Chinese Crested is for you. However, he has no tolerance for cold, and can’t be exposed to it as a means of ‘toughening up.’ Please don’t torture your dog, let him be comfortable!

Like that time you sent your ex-boyfriend two hundred text messages, your Crested also suffers from separation anxiety. Be careful, this David Blaine-esque dog can escape from almost any enclosure, and will dig, bark and climb if he’s freaked out. But he’ll play games, cuddle affectionately, and love your family with all his hairless little heart.

Grooming level required: Medium. Even though he’s hairless, the hair he does have needs to be trimmed. Also, he needs to be bathed regularly.

Noise level: High. Yep, this guy’s a talker. He’ll bark to protect his home, and sometimes he’ll sing!

Kid friendliness: Medium: They do well with kids, but small children could be a danger to the dog because he’s so tiny.

Exercise: Low. Chinese Crested dogs will tire out after about 15-20 minutes of play time and want to go back to their den. But they can jump over low fences, so be careful not to let them escape!

7. Boston Terrier

This tuxedo-wearing gentleman is a dapper and affectionate dog. The only problem? He might be too smart for his own good. 10-25 lbs of stubbornness in a handsome black and white coat, Boston Terriers can be hyperactive at times. But they’re so incredibly cute, all bad behavior is forgiven. Just look at those big round eyes! Not to say that Boston’s are all trouble. Like Matt Damon’s character in Good Will Hunting, they’re fighters on the outside, but loving and affectionate at home. Because they’re in the same class of dogs as pugs (brachycephalic), these guys are prone to over heating. Their funny antics will amuse all your friends, as will their snorting, drooling and flatulence. That’s right- don’t get a Boston Terrier if fart jokes make you uncomfortable. These dogs are usually quiet, but like a true Bostonian, they’ll get scrappy if another male invades their territory. How about them apples?

Grooming level required: Medium. Brush your Boston weekly and wash his face everyday, to check his eyes for redness or irritation. Like the pug, these big-eyed dogs are prone to eye problems.

Noise level: Low, except when another male is on his turf.

Kid friendliness: High. Bostons love children!

Exercise: Medium. These dogs are fairly inactive indoors. He’ll take a walk with you, and he loves to play, but then he’ll tire out and take a nap.

8. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

You fell in love with her as Elizabeth Taylor, Charlotte’s dog in Sex and the City. (If you’re a chick, then like me, you’ve probably seen every episode more than once). The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is intelligent, sweet and tail-waggingly cute. Cavaliers are attached to their owners and like to be spoiled. They shouldn’t be left alone for long, so part-time workers or stay-at-home moms make good owners. Cavaliers are too friendly to become good guard dogs. Please don’t rely on your girl as an alarm system! After barking at an intruder, she’ll probably try to lick his face off. At 13-18 pounds, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the perfect size for apartment dwellers. Cavaliers enjoy a good game of chase; therefore, cats should be ready to play tag. But your parakeet will get eaten…seriously. So yeah, don’t own a bird. You can’t take the hunting instinct out of this English lady!

Grooming level required: Medium-High. Brush their coat 3-4 times a week and bathe the dog when necessary.

Noise level: Low. The Cavalier might bark when someone comes to the door, or she’ll just ignore it and keep quiet.

Kid friendliness: High. She’ll sit on your daughter’s lap while watching Spongebob.

Exercise: Medium. Take her out for walks, but don’t let her off the leash. This poor little princess has no street smarts whatsoever, and might run in front of a car.

9. English Bulldog

There’s a reason the English Bulldog has been chosen as a mascot for so many universities and sports teams. The breed is known for being tough and tenacious, but personally I think the bulldog’s squashy face is too adorable to be intimidating. I mean, look at that broad head and those stubby legs, that funny under bite and all those wrinkles! The laziest of dogs, this 40-50 lb guy is perfect if you want someone to cuddle with. Though they’re courageous and protective of their families, bulldogs are also friendly and playful. You might think it’s cute when your bulldog snores (not so cute when he farts), but beware of the many respiratory problems they’re prone to. You better start pumping some iron at the gym because you’ll need to be able to lift this fatty when it’s time to take him to the vet! Your bulldog will sleep until it’s time to eat again (just like your good-for-nothing ex-husband), so don’t expect a lot of activity from him. Though he loves children, you won’t find your bulldog playing fetch at the family barbecue. He’ll be sitting next to you, waiting for his hamburger patty.

Grooming level required: Medium. Brush his coat once a week and clean the wrinkles of his face every day with a damp cloth. He’s an average shedder: brushing more than once a week will reduce the amount of hair.

Noise level: Low. They are too lazy to bark. In fact, he’s probably asleep.

Kid friendliness: Very high. This tolerant sweetheart will let your toddler torment him.

Exercise: Low. He won’t want to go on a walk, but you need to take him anyway. Once a day is fine. But keep him away from swimming pools and hot tubs. He can’t swim!

10. Bitsa

What’s a Bitsa you ask? A bitsa this and a bitsa that! In other words, a mixed breed, a mutt, a few little slices of heaven all mixed into one great dog. Mixed breeds are great because they tend to not have any super dominant traits. Since they’re a mix of different breeds, their personality traits tend to blend together into a much more mellow mutt. A mellow temperament helps this dog breed adjust to a variety of households and living conditions more easily. Bitsa’s are also statistically proven to be healthier than purebreds, so if you’re spending extra on pet rent or a deposit, you’re more likely spending less at the vet. Lastly, because they are a combination of breeds, you’re more likely to be allowed to have say a pitbull-mix than, unfortunately, if your dog is predominately pitbull.

Noise level, kid friendliness, and exercise all depend on the specific dog you have but can be highly affected by the way they are raised!

[gojira007]

Movie Meme

Took me a bit of time, but I was tagged by @bunnikkila to list my nine favorite movies, and since I can’t help but be ridiculously verbose about that very topic, you can see them all under the cut 8D

As for who I tag?  Well, as always with the caveat that you are free to ignore if you don’t wanna, I’ll go with: @elistodragonwings @kaikaku @donnys-boy @robotnik-mun @sally-mun @fini-mun @werewolf-t33th  @cviperfan and @wildwoodmage​

and don’t worry, if you DO go for it, you don’t have to get as Extra as I did about it XD

9.) 

Look, the meme is about Favorite Movies, not necessarily the BEST Movies, OK?  And for the most part this list consists of films where that division is less meaningful in terms of how I evaluate the other movies on here.  But in this specific case, “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie”, which is ultimately not all that different from the “Mystery Science Theater 3000″ TV show it spun off from and thus not particularly impressive as a work of Cinema Qua Cinema, makes the cut primarily because it’s a movie I know so well and have enjoyed so often that I can practically recite the whole thing to you by rote; I quote it all the time in my day-to-day life, I think about it often when I need a little smile, and it’s also become my favorite tool for introducing newcomers to MST3K as a whole since it was designed with a slightly broader audience in mind than the more willfully-eclectic series.  And given how much I love MST3K As A Whole, that’s an especially strong factor in its favor.

8.) 

Looky looky, @bunnikkila, we (unsurprisingly) have a pick in common!  I’m sure this is the one and only time THAT’S going to happen on this list. 8D

Y’know, nearly thirty years (and one fairly useless remake >_>) later, I think the thing that impresses me about “The Lion King” is just how much it is still able to grab me emotionally.  Some of that is unquestionably tied up with how strongly I associate this movie with my family, all of whom it became very special to as a Shared Experience.  But I also don’t know of a lot of people who haven’t had that same emotional experience with it, and that to me suggests there’s more going on here than just Nostalgia.  The mixture of Shakesperean plotting with Disney’s signature strength of Character, for one thing, granting the movie’s story an Epic Scope that never forgets the emotional inner lives of its cast.  The music for another, not only its instantly-iconic song-book but also its memorable score, armed with both Big Bombast and Gentle Sentiment.  And the unforgettably gorgeous animation, rendering every last element of its world with believable naturalism and strongly-defined personality.  All of it, together, makes for what I still personally consider the Crowning Achievement of the Disney Renaissance.

7.)

I think, if I had to name the thing I find most lacking in far too many modern Action Movies, it’s Clarity.  They all tend to lard their plots up with a bunch of unnecessary contrivances and complications in hopes of making themselves appear more clever than they actually are, and all it usually does is just dilute the impact of the whole thing.  “Mad Max: Fury Road”, by contrast, is all about Clarity.  I could sum up literally its entire plot in a paragraph if I wanted, because it is basically One Big Chase Scene from start to finish, never really deviating from that structure for more than a few minutes at a time.  And that, combined with its exceptionally well-crafted Action Sequences, means that the full weight of its visceral power hits you full force every time.  But don’t be fooled; that simplicity is not to be mistaken for shallowness.  Indeed, precisely by getting out of its own way, knowing exactly what it wants to do and why, “Fury Road” also delivers a story that is, in spite of what you might guess, genuinely subtle and smart.  Every character is immediately unforgettable and compelling because their role in the story is so well-considered and their personalities all so stark.  The world it crafts feels at once fascinatingly surreal and yet All Too Real at the same time because even its most Fantastic elements are ultimately just grotesque reflections of things the audience knows only too well.  And most of all, it tells a story with real, meaningful Themes that are deeply woven into each of its individual elements, such that the whole thing is deeply satisfying emotionally, but also piercingly Relevant in all the best, most affecting ways.

6.) 

Oh look, another pick I have in common with @bunnikkila!  This must be the last one, right?

But yeah, this is just a legitimately great movie, at every level, in every way.  Stylistically, it is one of the most radically inventive things to have ever been made in the world of Western Animated Movies, gleefully mixing together a vast array of Aesthetics and Techniques that are at once viscerally distinct and yet coherently connected, all rendered with a fantastic eye toward the world of Comic Book Visual Language that keeps finding new and extremely fun ways to play with that instantly-recognizable iconography.  For that alone, I would call it one of the greatest triumphs of 21st century animation.  But then, on top of that, the story it tells is one that is simultaneously Arch and self-aware, delivering some of the most fantastically hilarious punch-lines imaginable more than a few of which are at the expense of the very franchise it is working within...but also entirely earnest, sincere, and emotionally affecting.  It is, at once, a movie that manages to be about The Idea Of Spider-Man in its totality while also being about just one kid coming to grips with who he is, what he can do, and what his life can be.  I don’t know that I can remember the last time a movie so immediately and unmistakably marked itself as an Enduring Masterpiece, but “Into the Spider-Verse” absolutely pulled it off.

5.)

Ordinarily, I would cheat and give this slot to the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy in its totality.  But somehow, the fact that this is about “FAVORITE” movies instead of just what we think the BEST one is compels me to narrow it down to just one.  And if I had to pick just one, it would be the first of the three, “Fellowship of the Ring”.  It’s not necessarily anything that the other two movies get wrong, either.  All three of the LotR movies possess many of its keenest strengths, after all.  For a starter, there’s the keen understanding of how best to adapt the source material without being enslaved to it; capturing many of its most iconic moments while cleverly tweaking elements to make them more cinematic, knowing what scenes to focus on for the sake of more clearly focusing the emotional through-lines of the story, and knowing what scenes, no matter how good on the page, ultimately don’t fit to the shape the adaptation has taken.  There’s also its pitch-perfect casting, each and every actor doing a fantastic job of embodying the characters so well that even as your personal vision of them from the books may differ radically from what is on-screen, they nonetheless end up feeling Right for the part and a strong, compelling presence.  And there’s the deft visual hand of director Peter Jackson, who knows exactly how to craft a Middle Earth that feels at once lived-in and real but also Fantastic and magical.  “Fellowship”, for me at least, thus wins out mostly because it has the good luck of being adapted from the strongest of the three books, the point at which the narrative is at its most unified and thus has the strongest overall momentum.  But also because so few movies have so swept me away with the sense of stepping into a world I have always dreamed of in my mind’s eye, and that’s the sort of thing that can only happen at the beginning of a journey.

4.) 

Now here’s a movie that is literally sown in to my very being.  It’s the last movie my mother saw in theaters before becoming a Mom.  I grew up watching the “Real Ghostbusters” cartoon all the time and playing with the attendant toys; I had a “Ghostbusters” Birthday Party when I was, like, four years old.  It has been my annual Halloween Tradition to get myself a big Cheese Pizza and watch this movie for about as long as I’ve had disposable income to myself.  There is, quite literally, no point in my life where I don’t remember “Ghostbusters” being a fixture in it.  And as a nice bonus?  It is, legitimately, a Genuinely Great Movie.  I realize that isn’t quite as universally agreed upon these days as it was even a few years ago (thanks, Literally The Worst Kind Of Virulently Misogynist Assholes lD; ), but I still feel pretty confident in saying this one really is That Good.  I still find basically every one of its jokes hilarious; even now I could quote just about any one of them and get a laugh.  I still find its central premise, What If Exorcism Was A Blue-Collar Business, a brilliant, almost subversively clever one that takes The Supernatural out of the realm of The Unknowable and into a world where even you, an ordinary person off the street, can in fact fight back against it.  I still think it’s one of the all-time great examples of how to balance Tone in this sort of High Concept Genre Bender, by allowing The Story to be played relatively straight while allowing the comedy to flow naturally from the characters’ reactions to that story, allowing its Ghostly aspects to land as Genuinely Scary (or at least Worth Taking Seriously) without getting too Stern and Serious about it.  And I still listen to that unforgettable Title Song all the time!  So yeah, even if I could be more objective about it, “Ghostbusters” would almost certainly make this cut.      

3.) 

And so we come to the third and last pick I have in common with @bunnikkila, not coincidentally a movie that played a key role in solidifying our friendship, as bonding over our shared love of it was a big part of how we got to know each other on deviantART waaaay back in the day <3

By 2008, I really didn’t think it was possible for a movie or comic or TV show to really become “part” of me anymore, the way things like Sonic the Hedgehog or Marvel Super Heroes or Some Other Movie Character Who Might Be At The Top Of This List had.  And then “WALL-E” came along and proved that to be completely, utterly wrong.  I didn’t just love this movie, I was inspired by it, to a degree of strength and consistency that I’m still not entirely sure has yet been matched.  And to be sure, some of that is undoubtedly because the movie had already basically won the war before I’d even bought my ticket; Adorable Robots In Love is something like My Platonic Storytelling Ideal, after all.  But even setting that aside, “WALL-E” is a movie where even now I can’t help but be keenly aware, and gently awed, at the beauty of its craft; indeed, watching this movie in a theater did a lot to make me better understand why movies work on us the way they do, because I left that theater chewing so much on every last one of its elements.  Its gorgeous animation, the way it conveys Character through Actions more so than language, the dream-like quality of its musical score (even as i type this i get teary thinking about certain motifs), the clear and meaningful way it builds its theme and story together so harmoniously, and the particular perspective it takes on our relationships with each other, with our environments, and with our own technology...all of it speaks to me deeply and profoundly, and it’s no coincidence that I have seen this movie more times in theaters than any other on this list (twelve times, for the record, and I still remember each and every time XD).

2.) 

This one needs no personal qualifications, to my mind.  Yes, I have some degree of nostalgic attachment to it for having seen it relatively young with my brothers and being deeply moved by it then, but it’s not at all like the kind of Nostalgia I have for “The Lion King”.  “Princess Mononoke” is just flat-out, full-stop a complete Masterpiece, not just my personal pick for one of the single-best animated films ever made, but one of the best films period.  It’s almost difficult for me to put into words how great this movie is, certainly in a way that hasn’t been repeated to death by thousands of other smarter people, because no one of its elements quite answers the question of why it is so great, to my mind.  Yes, the animation is absolutely gorgeous with a design sensibility that brings Ancient Mythology to life so vividly that its influence can still be felt today (The Forest Spirit alone has been homaged all over the place).  And yes, the music is hauntingly beautiful, at once capturing the gentle rhythm of nature but also the elegiac tone of Life Moving On.  And yes, the story is an incredible mixture of the Broad Mythic Strokes of an Ancient Legend grounded in all too human Emotions and Ideas about the balance of nature, the full meaning and cost of Warfare, and perhaps most important of all, about how we determine Right and Wrong when everyone involved in a conflict is fighting simply for the right to survive.  But all of those things add up together to something even greater than a simple sum, because each one isn’t just good in its own right but because each element so perfectly reinforces the other.  And even having said all that?  I really could just carry on singing this movie’s praises.  Just...an absolute masterpiece, top to bottom.

1.) 

I don’t imagine any of you are terribly surprised at this, right?  I almost feel like it’d be redundant to explain my love for this movie, given how self-obvious I imagine it is to basically everyone who knows me Literally At All.  But heck, I’ve rambled on this long, why not go all the way?  Because the thing of it is, “Gojira” (to be clear, the original Japanese movie from 1954 rather than its American edit, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” from 1956) doesn’t just top the list by being a Great Movie.  Though to be clear, it really is.  Flawless?  No; there’s a reliance on puppetry that even for the time can be a bit chintzier than the movie can really afford, in particular.  But brilliant, even so, a heart-wrenching example of Science Fiction Storytelling As Allegory, one that, in a rarity not just for its own genre but indeed for many movies in general, very meaningfully lingers on its deepest, darkest implications.  Many a film critic has pointed it out, and it remains true: the stark black-and-white photography heightens the sense of Implacable Horror at the core of the story, and the way the central Melodrama, a tragic love triangle that carries with it many aspects of Class Conflict and Personal Desire VS. The Collective Good, ties back into the main story is truly beautiful in its elegance and emotional impact.  Still, for me personally, it tops the list, now and always, because it is a movie that affirmed something for me, that the character I had fallen in love with as a child convincing his family to watch a monster movie with him on television to prove his seven-year-old bravery, really was as genuinely as powerful and meaningful a figure as I had always imagined him to be.