#I’ve already talked about this movie a lot but I just re watched it so have some re watch thoughts lol

[juniperhillpatient]

Scream 6 re-watch thoughts (SPOILER alert!)

-there are so many details & references in this movie! I feel like I’ll catch more every time I re-watch

-quinn’s fake death is hilarious on re-watch. I love the kirsch siblings they’re so fucking funny. she didn’t have to fake be on the phone worried about the killings while ethan loomed behind her ominously for danny to see. iconic. theatre kid vibes. I bet richie sometimes let them be in his movies & they loved it & got all cutely excited

-on that note we were robbed of more quinn & ethan interactions 😭 I’m not sure what I would do to change this because obviously the mystery has to be kept alive but I love them & I wish I could see more of them being siblings

-the script is actually SO smart. every bit of dialogue between the heroes & villains before Ghostface is revealed is so well done with the consistent theme of “you fuck with my family, you die” except you don’t KNOW til the end how important some of those dialogue moments were. Idk just brilliant

-the parallels with this being a story about siblings killing for their sibling & the way the lines between Sam & Ghostface are blurring! ooh it’s so well done

-I love the carpenter sisters & the meeks martin twins i don’t care how corny the whole “core four” “we’re a family” thing is. inject it into my blood I love found family I love siblings who have a fun or complicated dynamic & would do anything for each other. the core four’s dynamic is my life actually

-I’ve seen a few people who didn’t like the final battle but this was possibly the best final battle of the entire franchise to me so far & I’m extremely confused by this bizarre take. like. I’ve seen it said a few times now but I don’t get it. Ethan & Wayne’s deaths were iconic. the whole “you have to let me go” thing. the reveals. the way I fucking CALLED it the first time I watched oh I KNEW it as soon as Quinn mentioned a dead brother! the synchronized knife swipe!!!

-the SYNCHRONIZED KNIFE SWIPE!

--the SYNCHRONIZED FUCKING KNIFE SWIPE! 🔪🔪🔪🥰🥰🥰💖💖💖🔪🔪🔪

-have I mentioned the synchronized knife swipe???

-Ethan’s death was so sexy sorry to his fan girls but I could watch Tara twist that knife into his skull all day

-Sam & Billy are the father daughter duo of all time I love you badly cgi’d skeet ulrich & I’m being totally sincere

-Chad almost dying should be a thing in every movie. I want him to have Vam Palmer Yellowjackets same ability to defy death it’s so funny to me

-“more main cast members should’ve died!!” I get this. I do. it’s a tough one. but. Ummm consider this. it’s secretly a feel good found family movie??? and also I don’t want my characters who I love to die 🥺 thanks for considering! the movie was perfect argument over forever

-my biggest critique is that my girl quinn had such a fucking lame death they could’ve had Sam & Tara team up on her, they could’ve done anything! sorry to Wayne & Ethan girlies but she was the most fun & charismatic Ghostface of the movie & her death was wasted. that’s literally my only issue with the entire movie.

-and I guess they could’ve done more with nyc & also I’m sad there was no beheadings except a mannequin but like… oh well. those things I can move past pretty easily. the did do a lot with nyc. the alley scene, the subway scene, the convenience store scene, & the ladder scene between apartments were all amazing. gale’s battle with Ghostface was a bit lame but I’m not sure what I would change since I don’t like. want Gale to die lol (maybe a little tiny bit I did but it’s complicated)

-Kirby’s role was perfect I love her & Hayden’s facial expressions are almost as good as David arquette’s

-anywho Sam wearing her daddy’s mask & using her daddy’s weapon & being a boss ass bitch was great. the gray tank top is my actual favorite character ❤️❤️❤️

[vrystalius]

Can I request a sequel to Sanemi and the art teacher? I simply loved this ask, thank you for making me happy with your writing and kindness!

Dinner in his livingroom

Part two of Lunch in the teacher’s lounge <3

Pairing: teacher!Sanemi x teacher!reader

(Not proofread!!)

Sanemi has been eyeing you the whole movie, not even paying attention to it anymore. You made yourself look so pretty with your hair all done, make-up real nice and your outfit perfect. His hands were resting on his lap, grabbing a handful of popcorn every now and then, itching to move a little closer to yours. But that would be weird since you’re his co-worker. Right?

It was already evening when the movie ended, the air around you two cool and the sun already disappeared. “Damn, already this late?” Sanemi took his phone out and checked the time “Didn’t we want to grab a bite as well?” He turned his head to you and stuffed his phone back into his jean pocket, crossing his arms over his chest. You pouted a little. “Yeah, sorry. I guess not. Most of the restaurants should be closed now, I’m sorry. I should’ve planned this out more.” You genuinely seemed upset about not being able to go out with him. Sanemi was eyeing you up and down, silently admiring you. He groaned loudly and shook his thoughts off. “I uhh.. I’ve got food at home. We could cook something up. If ya wanna come over.” He scratched the back of his head while avoiding eye contact. Your eyes sparkled up in delight as you stepped a little closer. “Really? I’d be happy to! I hope you don’t mind.” You clasped your hands together and smiled brightly up at him. Sanemi nodded and gestured over to his car. “Let’s go then. Come.”

Sanemi’s home is actually quite cozy. He has lots of family pictures on the wall and well taken care of plants. Everything is clean and quite organised. While Sanemi grabbed the ingredients to cook, you quietly admired him. You noticed how broad his shoulders are, how muscular his forearms looked and those scars on his face are pulling his whole look together. If you didn’t knew any better, you’d think he was some kind of fighter before becoming a teacher.

“What are you staring at?” While you were admiring him from behind, Sanemi glanced over to you, catching your gaze. He lifted his eyebrow. “Sorry! Sorry. Just tired.” You quickly moved over to his side, washing your hands in the sink.

A small smirk grew on his face while you weren’t looking.

You never knew how good of a cook Sanemi was! He basically did everything for you, leaving you to just watch him cook the best meal you’ve ever seen and probably tasted. You sat across Sanemi as you dug into the beautifully prepared meal he had prepared for you. “Mmhh!” You hummed and smiled brightly. He glanced over at you as you did so. “Is it good?” “Yeah! Thank you so much for cooking for me! I never thought you’d be so nice to me.” Sanemi raised his eyebrow slightly and glanced at you. Sure, he has the reputation to be a little meaner and rude, but were you really this hesitant to talk to him? “You don’t know a lotta things about me, I guess.” You nodded. “I hope to get to know more things about you though, you seem pretty nice.” He nodded again while quietly eating his meal.

Sanemi would love to get to know you. The students and teachers adore you, and you’ve been nothing but nice to him so far, even if he was rougher and hasher with you.

“Let’s do this again sometime. I can cook for you again… only if you’d like.“

💠

I love teacher Sanemi so much… I kind of hc him as a smoker and that Genya and him love together, but my creative juices ran out and I was too lazy to write- perhaps another time if you all want! And thank YOU so much for your kindness!!

I just re-read Sanemi’s description as a teacher in the kny again, and apparently small kids cry when he gets too close.. poor Nemi.

Anyways, make sure to EAT, SLEEP and DRINK enough!

Take care of yourselves <3

[irondad-creator-awards]

Writer Spotlight - KitCat992

This week we're hearing from @kitcat992, the author of the Identity Saga of which Identity Theft won The All-Time Favorite Award in 2023

Summary:

It's been months since the events of Civil War, and the Avengers are doing their best to remain a team, having promised to forgive and forget. Unfortunately for them, Tony Stark's latest invention has been stolen and recovering it causes tension to reappear. Meanwhile, in Queens, Peter Parker has two main priorities on his plate — complete his midterm finals, and track down a fishbowl wearing criminal that may or may not lead him right into the hands of the Avengers. Somehow between all of this, Spider-Man's identity is revealed to the Avengers, Steve and Tony's friendship may permanently be damaged due to continued hidden secrets, and Happy struggles to buy a youth-sized casket for Peter's funeral. Things were a lot easier when they were fighting over Bucky Barnes. (Or: The Avengers welcome Peter into their crazy superhero family and will do anything to protect him.)

How did you get into Irondad?

The MCU definitely did the trick for me! It was Infinity War specifically that actually drew me in. I’ve been a Spidey fan since I was a young girl, dating back into the late-late 90’s. So by the time Civil War came out, I was a jaded adult watching the film with a lot of feelings of disrespect when seeing Tony’s (at the time perceived) forced hand into Peter’s story. I’ve actually been open in talking about this before, because in hindsight it’s hilarious. I laugh quite often looking back on this. It was Homecoming that completely changed my perspective. It made me feel like there may be an opportunity for something new and totally fresh with Spider-Man, after seeing the same origin story told over and over and over again. Both on film and in the comics. Things got stale and boring, and the MCU gave light to something that could’ve been really original and new. I fell head-over-heels for a teenage Peter Parker, because as a huge Ultimate Spider-Man fan here, they already won me over with that one. And just like the Ultimate Comics, I loved the idea of Peter being guided into Superhero-ism by all those that came before him, while still branching out and doing his own thing. It ticked all my boxes. I was excited. With Infinity War, something just pulled me right in. Suddenly the idea of Tony having a hand in Peter Parker’s story was enthralling to me. As someone who has always gravitated towards pseudo father/son relationships in fandoms (along with a hearty aspect of team-as-a-family trope) I immediately consumed all tiny little bread crumbs we got in that movie. Retrospect gave me an even deeper love for Homecoming, having re-watched it with brand new eyes. And here we are today, where I’m still writing the two as if it were 2018. The MCU never panned out, unfortunately. It went in all the wrong directions and makes me wonder if we’re living in the “bad timeline”, as they say. But I still hold onto that “what could’ve been.” I hold onto it because I’ve never forgotten that first feeling of how special these two felt. How the concept, the idea, the what-could’ve-been — it all felt so original, so different, so unique. Everything with Superheroes had gotten stale and boring, repetitive and the same. This wasn’t that. We never saw it flesh out the way it should’ve been on film, but that feeling of uniqueness of what they could’ve been stays with me today, and it’s why I still enjoy writing them both as much as I do. Long story short, Irondad is every single box of mine ticked off.

☑ Spider-Man ☑ Iron man ☑ Pseudo father/son relationship ☑ Peter Parker as a teenager ☑ Peter Parker as a teenager AND growing into an adult guided by someone who came before him ☑ Basically the Ultimate Comics on film ☑ Tony Stark developing further as a character ☑ Tony Stark being a mentor and/or being emotionally attached to a pseudo son ☑ Tony Stark. Duh

 What’s your favorite Irondad scene?

“Pete, you gotta let go — I’m going to catch you.” When did you start writing and what made you sit down and write that first story?

I was 9 years old when I began writing. It was when fanfic.net had just popped into the realm of things, and fanfiction grabbed my interest far more than any of the fiction books at the library. It’s always ticked something for me, to read more about characters I’ve already become established with. And because of that, the first ever story I wrote was a fanfiction, specially for the 2002 Spider-Man movie. It was not good. But I’ve been writing ever since! Here and there and everywhere. Sprinkled throughout fandoms, always under a different alias, it seemed. KitCat has been my longest venture so far, and that’s entirely thanks to the Identity Saga. I’ve decided that if I ever take off for another alias from here, it’ll be on the published side of things. Not because I want to make any sort of money off writing (ha! It’s truly not a profitable source of income) but rather because I really friggin love telling stories. It’s fun. What do you like about writing most?

Seriously, it’s FUN. Being able to bring the scenes that are stuck in my head to life in written word? It’s a challenge, it’s a pain in the ass, it’s frustrating as hell, and it’s fun. I’ve been practicing writing since I was a kid, and while I’m absolutely no professional at it, I love that I’ve sharpened my skill set well enough that I can re-read my own work and feel as if I’m watching something happen in live-action. I’ve always been a person of heavy imagination, which in turn created a sort-of “cinematic” writing style. Because I’m far too poor to ever make a movie, writing is the next best thing to free all the stories that run rampant in my head. It’s fun, I really enjoy it. Which of your stories is your favorite and why?

It’s not a singular story, but I’m incredibly proud of the Identity Saga. What started as a far fetched dream to actually complete a lengthy series has somehow, beyond my understanding, become reality. I started with the intent of just completing the first installment, and only creating enough cliff-hanging plot threads that wouldn’t ruin the story if I weren’t able to execute the concept in its entirety. It’s taken years, and will take a handful more, but the finish line is up ahead and having that concept executed with so many people interested in its completion…well, I just think that’s real nifty. What’s your favorite trope to write?

Found family, and whump. And many times, found family AND whump. What inspired the story?

Comic books. Simple as that. I grew up on comic books, with many being a monthly subscription I’d get mailed to me — after much begging to my parents. I’ve always loved the tropey, corny, dramatic, fun, whimsical and fictional aspect of comic books, especially with superheroes. I’m sure there’s an answer behind that of which a therapist would love, but I simply allow myself to enjoy what I enjoy. :-P I had been in and out of the MCU fandom since the first Iron Man movie but dropped out when Civil War turned me off to the direction they had taken the characters — that being, the Avenger’s never actually being a team. I re-entered the fandom with Infinity War, because I had an intense false hope we’d seen an Avenger re-banding. You’re talking to someone who is all about the Avengers as a team, as friends, like the heyday of the cartoons. Anyhow, re-entering the fandom has immediately introduced me to Irondad, and sparked the flames from there. See: What got me into Irondad. As far as to what “inspired” the story, I really have no answer for that. I have a wild imagination, thanks to the aforementioned love of comic books. After seeing Infinity War, I had many daydreams that led into the concept of the Identity Saga. All I wanted to do was write this comic-booky, jambalaya of ideas story that made me happy. I wanted to see Irondad fleshed out in its entirety, I wanted to see Tony evolve into that Irondad-character the fandom saw potential for, and loved so much. I wanted to see Peter grow into Spider-Man, guided by his mentor and heroes he looked up to (seriously, Homecoming laid down groundwork for SO much and I’ll never see it any other way) I just wanted to see everything I’ve written so far, and everything I’ve yet to write, come to life. Words were the best way to do that. And to everyone who has drawn fan art for it along the way — you’ve made a girls dream come true. Can you tell us a little about the experience of writing it — did anything stand out or was there a particular person that helped more than others?

The experience of writing this story is a blur. It’s attached to momentum moments in my life that have gotten me where I am today. It’s literally a part of me in so many ways I can’t describe, and that’s weird. Ultimately though, I’m just proud of it. Sure, it’s faulty, sometimes clunky, definitely a show of work to the progress I’ve made in my writing. It has spelling errors that I’ve still ye to catch to this day. Paragraphs I’d like to re-word better, but still love for what it was. At the end of the day, it’s truly a display of the passion I’ve always had for these characters, and always will. How did you feel to be a winner of the Awards last year?

I’m very touched to be a winner, because to me that means many people have read and loved this story, and once again — I think that’s real nifty. The story is just my ideas and imagination put to words. How you read it, and how you perceive it…every person out there has their own vision of it, and I love knowing so many visions exist. It keeps Irondad alive.

Thank you so much for answering out questions, KitCat, and thank you for being a part of the 2023 Awards.

Nominations for the 2024 Awards will open July 1st so starting narrowing down your favorites.

[tallulahneale]

Title: You play too much

Pairing: Vince staples x fem!reader

Summary: Home girl who loves to get ate but doesn’t suckie suckie and wants to prove Vince wrong.

Word count: 1k

a/n: Where are all the Vince Staples lovers at?!?!

Tagline: “I’m not selfish”

Friday night and all the guys on your roster had served their purpose. Eating you out. You enjoyed it more than any other intimate act. So with nothing to do, you hit up your homeboy Vince. You and Vince go back since kindergarten, kinda drifted apart during high school but y’all reconnected during college.

You check the time, 5:18pm. “It’s not that late and chick-fil-a has drive-in perfect!” You thought to yourself. You reach for your phone to call Vince, he’s a homebody so you know he’ll be down to kick it with you.

*Ring ring*

“Hello?” Vince answers.

“Can you pick up some chick-fil-a pleaseeee? I’m peckish and bored.”

“Hello to you too nigga. Get you some manners”

You pause. You know he’s serious and you don’t like that.

“…”, ignoring what he said.

“… y/n, I know you can hear me” he continues, sounding unbothered.

“I want ice tea this time please. Ohh and the new honey pepper sandwiches! Thank youuu”

“Why you always like this bruh? FYI, you need some salad in your diet…”

“Hey! Be Nice!”

“Says the person that can’t even say hello.”

This nigga always doing the most, you thought to yourself.

“You’re coming over anyway so I’ll say hello when you get here. Killing two birds with one stone.” You replied smartly.

“Whatever cuh, I’ll be at yours around 6.”

“Okay; thank youuuu! Byeeee!”

“See you so-“

*Click*

You cleaned up around the flat and went to freshen up. Changing into your nightgown, the one that kept granny pregnant and all her bills paid! It’s extra comfy and you didn’t want to tease Vince. Recently, he’s been calling you out on a lot of your bs and you didn’t want to hear it today. Plus you knew you weren’t going out, once Vince came you’ll probably watch movies till you fall asleep.

The buzzer rings and you press the intercom, already knowing it’s Vince. You look at your outfit one more time to make sure you look presentable.

*Knock knock*

You open the door and see the bag of food on your welcome mat.

“I know damn well he didn’t just drop my food on the mat like I’m a raccoon.”

Vince jumps out the corner, startling you.

“Vince! Don’t do that! You know how I be spazzing out!” You give him a hug, “How have you been?”

Vince picks up the bags and follows you in.

“I’ve been good you know. Just getting ready for the Black in America Tour and the new season of the show, you know the usual.”

“I hear that! I’m hella excited for all of it, you really deserve all and more!”, you beam.

“I really appreciate that and you too cuh. You the homie for real.” He said giving you a hug before settling down on the couch.

“You’re welcome. You can pick what to watch, I’ve just been watching re-runs and I’m bored of them too.”

“Alright, but don’t complain when I pick one of my favourite 80s show.”

You grab a plate and a tray for the food. Just as you set it on the table, you hear your phone ringing. You check to see Peter Peter pumpkin eater calling. Vince sees it too and shakes his head. “Here we go again”, you thought to yourself.

“Why are you shaking your head like that?” You ask, knowing he’s about to say the truth that you’ve been avoiding.

Vince stares straight at you with an unimpressed expression “Why you save his name like that?” He says.

“You know why V, don’t make me say it.”

Sometimes you feel shy talking about intimate things with him, maybe because you know he’s cute but he’s your homeboy and you want to respect that boundary.

“First of all, that’s weird because the story is about a husband whose wife cheats and doesn’t know how to keep her. Secondly, I’ve seen Marcus the muncher, Louis the licker and Simon the sucker all call you before. Y/N you are creative af but you’re still wrong for all that.”

“You bet not be judging me like you don’t have a list of girl names saved worse and anyway, why you be looking at my phone. Mind your business sometimes” you say, feeling heated and a bit embarrassed.

“I know you’re still doing the “get licked and get kicked” out. Selfish ass.”

“I’m not selfish!” You exclaim.

“…”

“… I’m not! Quit tryna get me to feel guilty. You know what, I’mma prove you wrong. Tired of you being all high and mighty.”

You go to sit down on the couch right beside him, staring shyly into his eyes. He looks back at you with an intense smouldering expression. You’re not sure what he’s thinking so you ignore it. You gently run your fingertips across his bare arms, tracing his veins which draw your attention more than usual. You wink at him again before looking away. You bend over, arching your back closer to his zip, slowly pulling down, you realise that his little big friend is awake. Just as you’re about to pull it out, you look up and whisper to him…

“I told you I’m not selfish.”

You smirk and sip your ice tea.

——The End——

[autisticempathydaemon]

(I’m re-typing this because I forgot some key information and I apologize in advance for any typos or confusion, I’m bad at typing)

Hi, idk if you still answer these but it looked fun to try! I hope you’ve had a good day/night, may your dreams be pleasant and your crops watered for the ✨harvest✨

* What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why?

I don’t currently have one favorite but “Never Coming Back” from Violet Evergarden, “The Road Not Taken” by Hoyo-Mix, “Smooth Operator” by Sade and “Control” by Loveless are currently the top 4 for the day (honorable mention to “Kapp’n Song” from ACNH) I don’t really have a reason and it’s kinda just what my brain chemistry currently likes

* What is your Enneagram type?

9?? I think, I’m not entirely sure sense I got confused trying to figure it out X~X

* Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

ABSOLUTELY!! I’m not sure if I have a reason? Maybe it’s because I can just sit and listen to something I’m interested in for a long time and just relax and focus on one thing?? I also like to listen to livestreams and other long videos, I tend to watch/listen to “AthenaP”, “EIsSocial” and a Persona 4 analysis from “Hiding in Private”.

* Tell me about your childhood imaginary friend.

My brain didn’t cook one up

* What is your go-to way to fall asleep?

Rotating like a rotisserie chicken, Comforter/Blanket on, Hugging a Plushie (usually this Peep I’ve had sense 2018 or my Wolf Build-A-Bear) and one earbud in either playing music, a rp audio (currently redacted) or an analysis video ive heard about 20 times

* If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?)

I’ve been through a lot of names online due to my indecisive-ness but currently I was thinking KC/Kayce. I have a lot of memories associated with the name and I like how it sounds <3

* What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why?

The Smash Tournament with the Shaw Pack, Sam Healing you after the Fight with the Two Vampires (or honestly any Sam Audio), and the Gameboi’s Anthology. I think it’s the comforting/close/intimate (in a way?not sussy intimate tho) nature of the audios

* What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.)

I haven’t listened to most of the boys/stories and I tend to cater my listening to what I know I already like with little to no experimentation; so I don’t really have a boy(s) in mind that doesn’t appeal to me as of right now

* Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to.

either “Yuri! On Ice” or “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic”. I watched both of these shows WAYY to many times to the point it’s concerning!! YOI which reminded me of my love of figure skating (watching and ice skating in general) and then I got into MLPFIM when the Season 2 final (Canterlot Wedding) aired and was obsessed after that for like 6yrs and still have moments of fixation for a couple days.

* Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend?

Probably Huxley, Lasko and/or Caelum.. and like all of the Shaw Pack (I’m indecisive)

* Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.)

If I still have energy to talk/think, Pokémon. Tired, Half-Asleep, My Own Funeral or Given the Opportunity, I will become the Yap King for about 3hrs!! Once I get my Communication Skills under wraps it’s over for Everyone! >:D

* Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo.

I don’t go to the gas station more than like 3 times a year, but probably a carbonated drink.. or lemonade if available. I’m a self-proclaimed slut for lemonade 24/7, 365.

* Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment.

If you mean the Redactedverse, then Sam, Porter (I made my own sense there isn’t an official one as of typing this) and Gamboi’s. But if you Music, then a playlist I made called “more tunes” and it has all my Emotion-Filled, Loud and Auditor-ally Stimulating Songs like “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, “Control” by Loveless and like 1/4 of 6arleyhumans Discography to listen to when I’m Under-stimulated or just Bored

* What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why?

Idk if I have a “Guilty Pleasure” but I have a “Angry Pleasure” and that’s Miraculous Ladybug. I waited 8yrs real time for some of the stuff that goes down and in their time it’s been like 9 months. I’m gonna cut myself off before I rant but damn do I have a love-hate relationship with this show

* And whatever else you think tells me about who you are!

I’m an INFP, I’m the Middle Child of 3, I have Psychological Parental Problems, I love the Stars and Anything Outer-Space themed/related, My favorite color is Blue, I’m more of a Listener then a Talker, I tend to think about my Past, I’m probably Mentally Ill (specifically, I think I have Depression, Anxiety, Autism and MAYBE BPD/Borderline Personality Disorder. gotta love multi-wielding these issues), Love the Mystery Genre and specifically I’m always down for a Murder Mystery at a Mansion, People Pleaser™, I like the Rain and Cold Weather, I prefer to binge rather than one at a time otherwise I’m probably never finishing the media in question, I own 2/3 cats (it’s complicated, their names are Lucifer, Hazel and Marbles <3), My favorite food is Ice Cream (yes it’s a food, fight me.) I’m pretty sure I gave up my dream to be a professional figure skater and go to the Olympics but I hope to ice skate more when I get the opportunity, and finally “It’s not the Heat, it’s the Humidity”.

Thank you for your time <3 (platonic heart for existing)

This was a hard one for me because I have an inkling that the boy I’m picking for you, you haven’t listened to. Ollie isn’t the most narratively interesting playlist on the channel, but I do think he’d be the most perfect for you.

First and foremost, Ollie is an openly communicative, affectionate, and supportive partner; these are really good traits when dating a Type Nine who are characterized by a desire for peace and harmony, the people pleasers of the Enneagram. When his Baby signs up for too much work or has family issues, he’s right there helping you however he can, uplifting you. Next, Ollie is definitely also an introvert, and I love that for y’all, that the home you made together is where you go to recharge. It’s a good home and a good life- no Inversion, no covert, just comfort and safety and fun.

Like, Ollie’s no werewolf, vampire, or daemon obvs. He’s just a guy, but he’s a guy who’d love your cats and introduce you to his own. He’d buy you a telescope and put it in his office so you could look at the stars together. He’d watch Yuri on Ice and Miraculous Ladybug for the first time with you because he wants to engage with your interests and is curious about what the person he loves loves. I don’t think he can figure skate for shit, but he goes with you all the time anyway no matter how many times he falls on his butt. What he is good at is games, and he hosts a murder mystery party for your birthday every year.

Song:

Hey, hey, hey, lover (hey-hey)/ You don't have to be a star/ Hey, hey, hey, lover (hey-hey)/ I love you just the way you are/ For love is just the same/ Without fortune or fame/ Just give me/ True love and understanding

This, to me, is the quintessential Ollie song, I think of him whenever I hear it. It’s cute, and the backing tracks are layered in a way I find so satisfying and I hope you find auditorily stimulating. I can imagine this playing through a shared set of earbuds or a little Bluetooth speaker while you hold his hands and help him stay upright on ice skates.

Runner-ups:

Camelopardalis is a really cute runner-up for you, because he’d be such a supportive presence for someone who identifies as a people pleaser. I also like pairing d(a)emons with people who love space, because it’s so cute to imagine them pointing out their constellation to you. Your other runner-up is, of course, Xavier who could make you an ice skating rink whenever he wants and happily would.

Note: I think you modified and submitted your entry a couple of times, so I picked the one that I felt gave me the most information to work with.

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[shutupholden]

What’s On My Shelf? #1: Stop Making Sense (1984)

David Byrne in Stop Making Sense.

The year is 2024, and streaming services are dominating the film and TV industry. They’re also collecting other streaming services like Infinity Stones and calling it “bundling”. What a time to be alive!

A lot of people out there think that physical media is dying. If your name is Best Buy, you apparently think it’s already dead. But it’s still very much alive and there’s still a market for it. I currently have over 200 titles sitting on my shelf and that number will absolutely continue to grow because I love physical media.

That brings me to the point of this post—and the potential series of posts to come.

A few weeks ago I had a random idea for a podcast called What’s On My Shelf?, which would involve me choosing a film in my collection at random and talking about it. Because I hate the sound of my own voice and do a better job writing my thoughts down than actually verbalizing them, I scratched the podcast idea and opted for the same thing but in blog form.

Today the randomizer, which pulls films from my Letterboxd lists that I use to digitally catalog my collection, chose 1984’s Stop Making Sense.

Conceived for the stage by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and directed by Jonathan Demme, Stop Making Sense captures the iconic band as they take the stage at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Shot over four nights and featuring hits like “Burning Down the House” and “Once in a Lifetime”, as well as the now infamous “Big Suit”, it is considered one of the greatest concert films of all time.

David Byrne in True Stories (1986).

I first got into David Byrne and the Talking Heads sometime in 2021. I became particularly obsessed with “Once in a Lifetime” and had it on repeat. That same year I watched David Byrne’s first and only directorial effort, True Stories (1986), which had a killer soundtrack. Sometime after that, I watched David Byrne’s American Utopia on HBO, which is a Spike Lee-directed recording of Byrne’s Broadway show of the same name. I loved the music so much and listened to it everyday for months.

Flash forward to 2023 when A24 announces that they’ll be re-releasing Stop Making Sense in IMAX. I was so excited that I went and bought a copy of the film, which in hindsight was a painfully unnecessary purchase but I had never seen it before and I wanted to as soon as I possibly could.

David Byrne and Chris Frantz in Stop Making Sense.

The film blew my mind when I watched it alone in my room, so when the time finally came for it to hit IMAX screens, I was ready. I picked up a buddy of mine (who lived an hour and a half away) and drove to the closest AMC that was screening the film (which was another hour away), and had my mind blown all over again. A24’s remaster looked and sounded INCREDIBLE in IMAX and was worth the drive. The underwhelmingly brief live-streamed Q&A afterwards… not so much.

The collector's edition of Stop Making Sense, released by A24.

Earlier this year, A24 finally announced a physical release of the film on 4K UHD, which I pre-ordered immediately despite already owning a copy of the film on Blu-ray… and not having the kind of income to just drop $60 on a movie like that. After months of waiting it finally arrived in the mail this week. I have yet to open it at this point, but I’m excited to watch it again!

There’s a reason Stop Making Sense is considered one of the greatest concert films of all time. The music, the staging, the choreography, the decision to have the band members and set pieces come in one by one—it’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen. To quote my own Letterboxd review: “Just good vibes all around. Big Suit.”

[twilightknight17]

Last night on P3R: middle-school SEES, struggling with my social calendar, the Abyss of Time, questionable movie choices, and oh god we finished Sunset and now I’m hitting sad stuff in everything else I’m playing/watching too.

I’m still in Tartarus from last time, so I can knock out a few more floors before we go home. I’ve been introduced to a new thing, though, and it’s a Big Hand!

I kind of love how goofy the hands are. They do a little dance and sometimes it syncs up with the music. ^_^

After that, it’s time for the next gatekeeper floor! And it’s--

...oh. Oh god. Is this it? I’m not ready for this. I’ve got Mitsuru with me, but oh man. Not the Table.

……

...false alarm. This is a Terminal Table, not a Crying Table. We’re safe for a little longer.

That wasn’t so bad.

Also, I got a weapon for Shinji as a quest reward, and it’s a crossing sign from in front of a school. It’s so silly.

I rolled through the next set of floors pretty quick, but I don’t think anyone’s quite prepared to take on another gatekeeper. Everyone is pretty drained in terms of SP. So we’re gonna head home for the night, and go learn some more nonsense from school tomorrow.

...all right, actually an acceptable discussion related to the book we’re reading. But hey, sometimes your soulmate can be your rival! Seven years from now, two rival soulmates are gonna be climbing through a cognitive space station!

This is not a fair discussion when Minato’s soulmate still isn’t here for another month and a half.

Anyway, Mitsuru is very worried about Shinji. He wants to extend his leave of absence from school again even though he’s come back to the dorm. So I guess he’s been absent for two years now? She really wants him to re-enroll, though. She, Akihiko, and Shinji were the only three members of SEES originally, back when the three of them were in middle school.

Apparently they could barely handle the first floor of the tower, which… They were children, so I’m not surprised. No adult supervision, either, and Mitsuru only had minor navi powers. I’m surprised none of them got killed. At least Ken has all of us who’ve already learned to fight to keep him safe.

They promised that they’d all graduate high school together, which explains why Mitsuru is so invested. She clearly cares about both of them a lot.

You can hand over the extension form here, but there’s also the option to hold onto them and go find Shinji to talk again. So… I guess you can literally just end the events there if you choose to not take the form back and go pry.

...there’s nothing we can do?

And any miracles I can make will come too late. If only my sister was here… It’s just a cruel twist of fate that which twin survives the car accident determines whether Shinji can live ten years later.

He says he’s happy to spend time with me, though.

This isn’t fair, you can’t hit me like this after the fic Jade and I finished and the end of MGS4 and the fic my other friend is writing AND--

God. And he doesn’t want to tell anyone.

At least Junpei is happy. He really, really likes Chidori. But he’s willing to go at her pace on everything.

Good for you, my guy.

Let’s go upstairs and check on Ken. He’s banging something around in his room, so probably good to make sure that he hasn’t dropped a box on his head or something.

He’s fine, but he does ask me to come in, because he wants to ask for a favor. Turns out, he’s got a pet hamster!

...you’re gonna be fine, Ken. But okay. What’s the little guy’s name?

……amazing. Yes, I will take care of Hamburger, but I’m also not gonna let anything happen to you. Everyone here is going to take care of you. You’ve noticed, right?

Because you’re the youngest and you’re our collective baby brother/kid. No one wants you to get hurt, and it’s unnerving how you talk like you don’t matter, and like you’re not planning to make it through all this alive.

Maybe school will be less depressing. It’s a good day to go to art club. Apparently Keisuke’s dad is very enthusiastic about him studying art abroad! And he says he’s going to go! But then he immediately says he’s not excited about it, so… Keisuke, seriously. What do you want to do?

Ah, well, I’m sure he’ll figure it out.

And then a box falls on Minato’s head, and everything goes dark.

Keisuke gets Mina to the nurse’s office, and after he wakes up, checks him over. Apparently Minato has dodged a concussion. He blames himself, because apparently he’s the one who put the box on the shelf. He’s not used to cleaning, because the maid does all of that at home.

Right. Sure. Careless at cleaning because of the maid. Cool.

He really seems to like the idea of being a doctor, and he’s afraid that if he goes to become an artist, that’s it, he can never be a doctor.

So… sounds like you made a decision, dude.

Keisuke. What. Do. You. Want. For fuck’s sake.

Anyway. So people have been talking about the culture festival all week. There’s gonna be a haunted house. There’s gonna be fried food. The archery club was gonna do a maid cafe, which I know because Yukari was so mad she was gonna have to wear a maid dress.

But, a typhoon is rolling in, so the festival is canceled, and isn’t gonna be rescheduled despite Mitsuru’s efforts. And after school on Friday, we head straight home, because the wind is starting to really kick up.

But… there’s still one person wandering around Port Island Station.

He’s not worried about the oncoming storm. He wants to talk, specifically about Chidori. He asked if she was okay. If we were taking care of her. If she was being a problem.

...no, you dumb asshole.

He also wants to bitch at me again about how we want to stop the Dark Hour.

Apathy? Maybe if you’d caught me six months ago. I have people I like now, and a reason to care. Meanwhile, you’re sitting there talking about how I don’t understand the ‘true value’ of my powers. What value is that? Wandering around at midnight killing people, like you do?

Minato is drenched by the time we get back to the dorm, because the downpour has kicked in and the typhoon has properly arrived. Everyone is a little cranky about missing the festival (except Yukari), and Minato’s got chills and fatigue from getting soaked, so he opts to go to bed early because he’s not feeling well.

…uh. Hi? Is the elevator about to crash?

Igor says that he hasn’t called me in my dreams in a while, and wants to open up some more special fusions for me to do. Which is great and all, but like… I am trying to sleep because I am sick. Can we do this any other time?

I see. Well, that’s… vague? Are you talking about like… the other Full Moon Shadows? The Clockwork God? Do you know what’s about to happen and won’t tell me? Although I guess you can’t help it, considering who made you.

Even if he wasn’t always like that.

Well, let’s get a good night’s sleep and see how we feel in the morni--

Minato. Mina. Darling. It’s MONDAY. You slept for TWO DAYS?

So, according to Q, Minato was feeling well enough that the team went to Tartarus last night. And Igor left the Velvet Room at some point, making it unstable enough to crash the elevator into the Abyss of Time. Apparently it’s not just the Abyss that no one remembers. They don’t seem to remember the instigating trip to Tartarus either.

Weird. But understandable I guess.

Anyway I missed two days of possibly playing my MMO all day. You could have at least showed me my teammates checking on me!

I guess I’ll spend my vacation hanging out with Shinji. Senpaiiii, teach me to cook!

...senpai is mean. XD

But apparently I’m a menace in the kitchen, so maybe I deserve it.

Let’s go to the movies, too!

Yes, we’re seeing this. It’s a movie about cute animals!

…….oh fuck me this is Watership Down isn’t it

Shinjiro-senpai I’m so sorry.

He sounds like he’s about to cry. X’’’’D

I thought it was a nice movie!!!!

Well, now someone has wandered into Tartarus again, so let’s head back, and check in with the Velvet Room about those new fusions. I’m not a high enough level for them yet, but it can’t hurt to look.

...why does it get its own fire attack. Why does it inflict charm.

WHY IS ITS LEVEL UP ITEM ITS HEAD. WHAT HEAD.

God.

After buying everyone new weapons and fusing some more personas, we’re probably going to be in Tartarus for a while. Because, well…

I’m broke.

So next time, yeah, we’re gonna save people, but also, time to look for so much money.

[meraki-yao]

I feel like there’s something wrong with me - I don’t love the RWRB book as much as the wider fandom does and sometimes I feel like I’m being shamed for enjoying the movie more. I just can’t find the same passion in the book like I do for the movie. I tried a few times to get into it - tried to see what about it was so magical. There are a few lines I like, though that’s about it. I’ve read essays and replies and pieces that give it so much praise. What am I missing???

I know the book means a lot to so many people and nothing would be here without Casey….it just puts me off to know there’s such a vehement hatred against the movie adaptation. 😓 I try to avoid the negative stuff in the tags and online but sometimes it pops up and it gets so draining. I don’t want it to taint my experience of the movie because it really came out at a time when I desperately needed joy and love and hope.

I’m glad to follow people like you and others in this fandom who have a deep appreciation and love for what Matthew, Nick, Taylor and co. have given us ❤️ They put so much love and care into the story and i’ll always have a place for it in my heart.

Thanks for listening - hope this isn’t too much to unload on you.

Firstly thank you for viewing my blog as a safe space to tell me this. It means a lot that you trust me. 💜

There is nothing wrong with you for not enjoying the book. Books, movies, and shows are complicated things: We often see consensus in opinions because of the shared experience and taught moralistic values the majority of society shares, but at the end of the day, our perception is our own, influenced by our individual personality, experiences and thoughts. As long as your opinions are genuine (as in you really feel that way, you tried seeing the other side and still couldn't agree with it, and you're not disagreeing for the sake of hurting others and disagreeing), it's okay to have them. They are valid, and you are still a valid part of this fandom.

Just to put in my two cents, while I do love both the book and the movie, and I'm able to view them as equal but alternate tellings of the story like two parallel universes, I do find myself going back to the movie more. There are parts of the book I like more, and there are parts of the movie I like more. But mostly I think because I'm more drawn to older, more mature portrayals, I rewatch the movie more than I re-read the book. So if you're saying you like the movie much more, I do understand. Sometimes a book sticks, sometimes it doesn't. It's just part of the reading process. The fact that you acknowledge that the book means a lot to people and that it's the start of everything and can appreciate that despite not feeling the same way is actually really respectful and nice of you. I appreciate that.

I think a lot of the hate towards the movie is the common adaptation hate. Whenever a book is adapted into visual media, every book fan already has their own idea of what it would look like because they visualize the scenes in their head while reading, and they want the book to come to life page by page, word by word. So when that media goes against what they wanted, they get tend to get upset. Taylor himself talked about understanding the judgment that automatically comes with a book adaptation because he remembered feeling disappointed watching the first Harry Potter movie and realized that one of his favourite characters wasn't in it. The truth is, and I emphasise this a lot, that visual media has a lot more constraints that a book doesn't have, therefore adjustments and changes have to be made. In my opinion, as long as the changes make sense and are consistent, and the core of the story is still present and strong, we should learn to understand the changes. Unfortunately, a lot of people can't look past that.

There was a lot of negative stuff in the tags that I kept seeing when the movie first came out. But please remember that this is your space, and if you just want to have a good time, just block the blogs that write shit about the movie. I blocked a lot during the early days, and I was only using Tumblr for like two weeks at that point. There's a fine line between keeping your peace and staying in an information bubble for confirmation bias, but I think in this case, avoiding it would be the best thing. You're here to enjoy RWRB after all.

As for the tags, honestly, the way I do it is that I follow the tags, but I rarely if ever go look into the tags. See if that's something you wanna consider doing.

As much as you can tone it down and block a lot of it out, negativity unfortunately happens in one way or another. I've experienced it in this fandom. But ultimately the good far outweighs the bad, and if the bad seems overwhelming, I do think it would be a good idea to take a step back from RWRB for a few days and come back when the impact of the negativity dies down.

Again, it's completely okay for you to not enjoy the book, and try to make your experience as happy as you can make it. Thank you again for reaching out to me, I'm glad my love for this movie and everyone involved can make you a bit happier. If there's anything else you want to rant about please feel free to reach out to me again! 💜

[strideofpride]

anything you’ve been watching/reading lately that you’d recommend? i think you have stellar taste in media (aka it often matches mine lol) so am curious! hope you feel better soon 💖

Ummmm yes, love this ask!!! (Also I’m so flattered 🥰 you have great taste as well btw)

Books:

Mo Ryan’s Burn It Down! If you’re at all interested in the entertainment industry and how it all gets made, this is basically required reading

the Succession script books (pricey but personally worth it)

I just finished Jill Gutowitz’s Girls Can Kiss Now and felt very seen, a wee bit too relatable

And I’m currently also reading Ann Patchett’s This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, which is a great book for my fellow writers to read

Substack:

I’m a paid subscriber to Hunter Harris’ Hung Up newsletter and I’ve never once regretted it lol

Gotta shout out Dracula Daily as well as the one podcast I listen to rn, re: Dracula (I listen and read at the same time which is perfect for me lol)

Gilmore Women - a Gilmore Girls recap newsletter that talks about everything wrong with each episode lol. I sped through the first six seasons and now I’m depressed that I’m caught up lol

TV:

Minx s2 - it is on Starz which I know most people don’t have but this season has been EXCELLENT

Only Murders in the Building s3 - it’s like a comfort show for me at this point, despite being about murder it makes me feel so cozy. Nora Ephron vibes

The Bear s2 - everyone’s been talking about it already but I just finished and god it was GOOD

The Sopranos - everyone should be doing # Sopranos Sunday with me!!! It’s so fun!! This show is soooo good, really living up to the hype for me

Acapulco - really cute show, makes me wish I was still on vacation in Mexico

Poker Face - bring back standalone episodes like this!!! Bring back character actors doing incredible guest star roles!!!

The Other Two - just. It was the funniest show on TV. It really was. 30 Rock’s spiritual successor which is pretty much the highest praise I can give it

Movies:

Red Eye - I rewatched it after Oppenheimer and it really holds up. Fun, tight thriller that is only like an hour 20 lol. Also Brian Cox aka Logan Roy is in it (and Jayma Mays my beloved)

Theater Camp - as a Jewish theater kid who went to and/or worked at a summer camp every year of her life from ages 4-20, there was no way I wasn’t gonna like this

Mamma Mia series - obviously everyone on tumblr knows about these already but I made my family watch them with me for the Fourth of July and god if I could live in the world of any movie it’d be this one ❤️

Man Up - very cute & fun British rom com I first discovered in college and rewatched this summer. Everyone has incredible comedic chemistry in this, and Lake Bell & Simon Pegg have great sexual chemistry as well (quite a lot of British faces who were nobodies when this was made who’ve gone on to bigger things - most notably Phoebe Waller-Bridge who’s only in a single scene)

X-Men: First Class - my favorite superhero movie ❤️

Indiana Jones series - I rewatched the whole series and saw the new one in theaters this summer. The first and third are literal masterpieces. Second one is mean spirited and racist. Fourth actually has quite a bit of charm, but then it fell apart in the back half. The new one…woof. Nobody but Steven Spielberg should be allowed to direct Indy movies.

Asteroid City - the longer it’s been since I saw it, the more and more I think it might be Wes’ masterpiece

Past Lives - incredible. But I know you already know that one lol

Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret - perfect, perfect film.

The Other Guys - we need Adam McKay and Will Ferrell to get back together, the fate of studio comedies hangs on this (anyway this movie is hilarious - but also if hell is real Marky Mark is obviously gonna burn for all eternity)

Comedy:

John Mulaney: Baby J - I saw him do this special live when he was touring it and I’m mad he cut the FBI bit but he’s still got it

[shakyhandz]

The Dead Three’s Chosen - Re-Animator Style

Okay so, big thoughts are happening.

I would like to propose this quaint imagine. Please suspend your disbelief for some out of character ness that may occur in this scenario.

We’ll start with Doctor Herbert West, Chosen of Bhaal, wizard interested in the re-animated living - necromancy. He would be an unwilling chosen from the start. Not because he’s adverse to murder, really he doesn’t mind, but because the blood of Bhaal makes him a bit more impulsive, and he ends up killing his test subjects before he can progress his research. It’s all very inconvenient, you see.

I feel like Bhaal would like West as a chosen, for the most part. I don’t see him as a murderous beast, lusting for blood, and committing murder sprees. But I do see him killing people and using their corpses to kill more people. And being a bhaalspawn, I’m sure there’s a dark urge that drives his curiosity to disassemble bodies and put them back together. I imagine his lab looking a bit like Balthazar’s lab.

Bhaal himself can animate the dead and talk through them, and I just have this bit in my head of Bhaal possessing some of the corpses West re animates so that he can talk to West, as West isn’t going to pray/commune with him anytime soon. The dynamic is like a rebellious son ignoring his father, “stop ignoring me, son” Bhaal would say, and it would piss West off every time.

While I’ve seen it be said that Bhaal hates necromancy, as it’s giving life to something already dead, I’d argue that Bhaal would see the necromancy as a good thing as long as it was a means to more death. “Life is strength if it means you can use it to end more lives” - Bhaal, probably. And we know that West has no problem mixing murder with his necromancy.

But that’s the thing, West doesn’t want his re-animated corpses to be mindless murder zombies, he wants to actually perfect the art of necromancy, create actual life. And it drives his father absolutely mad. The deity painfully hand sculpted this man to make him his perfect murderous son, only for him to become obsessed with the one thing he’ll never grasp for long - the living.

Enter, Doctor Daniel Cain, Death Cleric and Chosen of Myrkul. Cain didn’t start out as a Myrkul worshipper, he first was a life cleric of Kelemvor. However, a particularly traumatic event (perhaps a girlfriend dies, driving him to madness. or maybe he starts to dabble in magic that Kelemvor doesn't approve of and causes something horrible to happen) leads him to switch his faith. Those who turn to Myrkul usually experience a lot of death in their lives. It has to be something very upsetting for him to switch like that.

If you have other ideas as to how he came to be Myrkul’s chosen, feel free to share.

Those who worship Myrkul typically have these views - death is inevitable, natural, and should be embraced, but also respected- feared.

Perhaps Cain is fueling his faith for Myrkul due to a personal fear of death that he holds. More so for the fear for others. Or perhaps Cain seeks a way to extend the life of other people through Myrkul, I know the deity is all about the acceptance of death, but the deity has been known to extend lives of the living if it suits his cause.

I can’t really think of a solid reason as to why Cain would choose to worship Myrkul, at least not before all the events that go down in the movie, LOL, he’s a lot more jaded after.

It is also said that worshippers seek to give comfortable deaths to people, so perhaps in this scenario instead of Cain being a “healing” doctor, he’s more of a “quality of life” doctor. He’s going to manage your pain levels, sit “death-watch” beside you in your last hours, and make you as comfortable as you can be for when you inevitably pass.

Perhaps he finds an odd peace helping others in this way, easing the suffering and burdens that many carry to their end.

Next, we have Doctor Carl Hill, Chosen of Bane, a paladin who has broken his hippocratic oath, LOL (idea was given by a commenter on a previous post.)

Hill actively chooses to worship his god. He’s a powerful hypnotist and specializes in matters of the brain (idk what people of Faerûn would consider a “brain doctor” but he’s that.) He’s controlling, conniving, and holds political clout inside of Baldur’s gate.

If we are following the story of the game, I’m imagining him coming up with the idea to enslave the elder brain instead of the durge. Or maybe he does peek at West’s notes and steals some of his ideas about it. I’m also thinking about the brains that are hooked up to the steel watch, very Dr. Hill coded.

Now, when the summons for these three chosen are issued by their gods, West is very keen on ignoring the call. Perhaps West also has a butler in this scenario that desperately tries to convince him to work with the other chosen, but West really isn’t interested.

So the ever diligent butler takes it upon himself to go knocking on the doors of the other chosen (spawning into their abodes unannounced) and, agonizingly, asks them to seek out West themselves.

Hill will think himself above such a task, more concerned with his work than for that sorry excuse of a chosen, at least by his standards. Really, does Bane not consider him powerful enough to do this on his own? Ridiculous.

Cain, on the other hand, agrees to fetch West. He could seek him out for many reasons, maybe he doesn’t like the idea of working with Hill and wants to see what this other guy is all about. Maybe he knows about West already, or has heard about his research. And then they meet.

I’m thinking they meet while West is animating one of those hairless cats, maybe many of them, and it’s running around, bouncing off the laboratory walls, and Cain kills it dead with a spell. And West gets so pissed and upset at this absolute nobody coming in and crushing one of his experiments. And Cain’s all like “oh sorry, I thought you were in trouble, here” and revives the dead cat again for him. But West is like “No! It’s not the same! There’s a better way” or whatever because I assume Myrkul’s magic isn’t gonna do what West wants. Myrkul’s magic is more about bringing back the body rather than the mind, if that makes sense.

So Cain is like “oh, better? For real?” Because Cain got into the whole Myrkul business (I assume) to bring back a loved one or something along those lines, so he’s like “tell me more.” And so West goes “okay” and then he kills the cat again. And then shows Cain some of his experiments. And well, I’m sure it doesn’t take long to become “roommates” again.

Let’s bring it back to Dr. Hill. In this scenario there is no Orin to throw a wrench in everyone’s perfect plans. Hill is our Orin. If we are going straight off of the game events, He’s going to be the one to go after West and try to off him. He’s going to steal all his research and leave him for dead. Whether or not he loses his memories, I’ll leave that for you all to decide in your own imagines.

I’m also thinking, if West gets wormed and tossed aside, Cain is gonna have some inner turmoil. To combat the loneliness or whatever, I’d say Cain brings Megan back to life, sorta like Isobel. During this time of West being M.I.A, Hill steals her away, leaving Cain seething mad and grief stricken all over again. That’s the emotional state Cain is in when West encounters him again.

If West doesn’t remember Cain, I feel like Cain would lay it all out for him. And tell him what Hill did. And so West is ofc going to seek revenge, and Cain is all for it.

If West does remember all the events upon meeting Cain again, I feel like he would be a bit miffed that Cain decided to turn to Megan instead of looking for West’s dead body and re animating him instead. I doubt he’d tell Cain that but I feel like, deep down, he’d be a bit jealous of his dead girlfriend. And so ofc he’s going to want to kill Hill, but also, he’ll probably plot to get rid of Megan too lol.

And that’s it! Those are my thoughts on the topic for now. Ofc I have little mini scenarios in my head about everything but that’s rough idea as a whole. Personally, for this scenario, idk if I would have it follow the game story line, I like to imagine these three on the set of a morbid rom-com doctor show where they run the most diabolical hospital in the name of the dead three LMAO.

Anyway, as always I’d love to hear your thoughts and input. If it inspires you to create your own art or stories, regardless if it follows this imagine, I’d really like to see because I’m so into this crossover.

[agirlnherfandoms]

Omg same though, i was all about zutara growing up! Recently, my bf saw atla for the first time, and I was watching it with him (its been years, it was so fun!)

I guess back then I was kinda using katara as a self insert?? Haha I just had the biggest crush on zuko 😭

But watching it again recently idk I found this new appreciation for kataang, and aang especially! I just think aangs so charming and cute? 🥴

Like the headband episode? I mean, come on! Gahhh that episode made a kataang stan (the near kiss, and the way they look at each other at the end of the dance 🥺). Also that last atla comic had such a cute art style, and the kataang stuff was adorable!

AND LET ME TELL YOU! WHEN👏🏼 I 👏🏼 FOUND 👏🏼 OUT 👏🏼 WE'RE 👏🏼GETTING 👏🏼 AN 👏🏼 ATLA 👏🏼 MOVIE 👏🏼 WITH 👏🏼 ADULT 👏🏼 KATAANG 👏🏼 / GAANG 👏🏼 🤯🤯 (and katara and aang as the lead characters, I CANT WAIT!)

Also one thing I hated about shipping zutara was all the aang slander that came with it by other zutara fans, I couldn't stand it 😭😭

Hi anon!! 😊

Yay love seeing people relate to the post I posted about becoming a Kataang shipper during my re-watch of ATLA 😘 (you can read it here if you haven’t already).

Firstly, yesss, watching ATLA is still fun after years. Ngl I think when I was younger (mostly because Netflix wasn’t really big), I watched Avatar but not thoroughly. It was more like, if the episode is on the TV, I’m going to watch it. I might have missed an episode or I’d have to wait till next week to see the next episode. This is compared to when I got older and I could do a full binge watch of the whole thing on Netflix (which I recommend 😉).

Secondly, haha I soooo relate to crushing on Zuko. Honestly, still do lol (literally have you seen what he looks like in the comics!?! I didn’t know his hair could get better than season 3 but 😍). And yeah, definitely understand using Katara as a self-insert for the Zuko love 😂. Love an enemies to lovers!!!

(The above two are from The Promise)

(…and these two are from The Search)

Aww yes, I don’t think I paid much attention to Aang when I was younger (other than him being the main character lol) because of how much I loved Zuko. But truly, every single character is so amazing that they all deserve the same amount of love and attention 🥹.

THAT DANCE!! I don’t know what’s in the air at the Fire Nation but Aang was too smooth. After watching that episode, my standards went up by 5000%. I feel like that might have been the episode on my rewatch that made me think a bit differently about Kataang. I think prior to that I was still fully on the Zxtara (going to x the ship name out again in case shippers don’t want to see this xx) train but then that episode happened and I thought this is fricking cuteeee (then of course proceeded to rewatch again).

I’m so happy they’re giving us more adult Gaang content!! So so excited for that movie 😍 and all the Kataang content to come.

Yeah, and on your final point, I do remember lots of Aang hate from some shippers (I do think there might still be some even now). Definitely not saying all Zxtara shippers hate Aang (and definitely don’t think that was what anon was implying)!!! I do think it was a small minority who were probably just trying to find an excuse to hate Aang but I have seen many Zxtara shippers who absolutely adore Aang which always makes me happy because he is a sweet sunshine who deserves all the love and appreciation ☺️.

(This above picture still forever makes me soft 🥹)

-

Disclaimer just in case you didn’t read the post anon’s replying too / you don’t want to read it lol: I still ship Zxtara and this isn’t Zxtara hate. I just found that rewatching ATLA has made me ship Kataang as well. Perfectly fine if you favour one ship over the other! I’ve just found love for both :)

-

Love hearing opinions because none of my friends or family want to talk about fandoms with me so please keep them coming 🥺.

[emotionalsupportaudino]

So I started an actual blog???

I wanted to be able to put thoughts out into the word and Tumblr is my funtime space where I reblog shit and don't say anything, so you can find it here: https://battletoasters.wordpress.com/

However I do want to note that I want to say shit about my first posts because they were about the best bits of 2023, so if you're interested here's my best book, best movie and best album of 2023 I'll post them here!

But there was a LOT more in these posts, including why I love Another 2001, how Scott Pilgrim Takes Off shattered and surpassed all my expectations, and how Anne of Cleves from SIX is probably the hottest character I have ever seen in a musical lmao.

Best Book of 2023: Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

It arrived to my address on release day. And it sat next to my bed for several days, staring at me. It dared me to read it. I couldn’t. What if Straight was a fluke? What if this story rejected me? What if it told me I wasn’t enough–wasn’t queer enough, wasn’t neurodivergent enough, wasn’t traumatized enough by my history in a fundamentalist cult? Or worse, what if its horror was rooted in re-traumatizing folks who had already been through the cruelty of fundamentalist Christianity’s intolerance? What if Chuck Tingle didn’t get it? This story was so personal to me, as a queer kid who grew up drowning deep in conservativism, who came out of it realizing that I wasn’t neurotypical, and who had taken more than a decade to recover enough to not physically recoil from street proselytizing. I spent a week giving the book a wide berth. And then I picked it up. Within two pages, I had called my partner to read out passages. Within 20 pages, I had to put it down, not because I was scared, but because I was all but reading my own story. I had annotated this book to hell and back, each color tab representing something else. “Oh, I’ve felt this in my queer experience!” “Oh, this hits very close to home for my religious experience…” “Oh, damn, I didn’t know that about root beer.” One scene sticks with me, especially: Rose watching a commercial for the conversion camp, the titular Camp Damascus, and thinking about how cool it would be to go there. I was instantly teleported to being 14 years old and begging my parents to let me go on a retreat, because it would be so cool to get closer to god. In reality, it was a weekend of love bombing and berating, over and over, in turn. It was a weekend that broke my spirit, made me feel like I was the lowest form of life, and that I could only be loved if I was in the church. But I thought it was so cool back then. I wanted to scream at Rose, I wanted to tell her what it was really like, wanted to fight every adult in her life, wanted to shake her and tell her how dumb she was to think that. But more than anything, I wanted to hug her, and tell her she was worth so much more, because maybe if this fictional kid could understand that, I could reach back to my teenage self and save her from the hell she was about to go through.

Best Film of 2023: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse

Everyone has talked about this film to hell and back, but there are some things that I really want to talk about that I didn’t see getting discussed a lot. First and foremost? I would die for Pavitr Prabhakar. I get why Hobie is the fan favorite. Love that guy, too. But PAV. And it’s not just because he’s hilarious and charismatic. There is a line in the Mumbattan scene that I think about a lot. “I can do both.” Pav hits us with the point of the movie in a throwaway line. While everyone else in the film (short of Hobie and Miles) believes in the importance of canon events and that you can’t save everyone, Pav is like Miles. He believes he can do it all. He’s wrong–but not for the reasons that Miguel thinks. Pav is wrong because he can’t do it all. But when he works together with Miles, Hobie and Gwen, they can do both. They don’t have to suffer, they don’t have to sit back and let the bad things happen. Does Mumbattan grow unstable after? Yes. But Spot was right there messing with the tech. It’s not Miles or Pav’s fault. It would have happened even if he’d let Inspector Singh die. (By the way, as someone whose partner’s dad is almost impossible to read, the “I’ve never seen him so emotional” line ruins me every single time.)

Best Album of the Year: So Much (For) Stardust by Fall Out Boy

The way I JUMPED out of bed the day this album released is not even funny. And I messaged everyone I knew who was even kind of into Fall Out Boy that they made a real FOB album. It’s an album I can’t listen to with anyone else in my apartment because I am compelled to sing and dance to it. There is not a single song on this album that I will skip over. (Song specifically, I don’t count “The Pink Seashell”.) The album has some range, but it doesn’t feel like the last three. It feels like they remembered what they loved about pop punk. With that they reminded me of what I loved about pop punk. This was my #1 album on Spotify this year, and I don’t even feel slightly bad about that. For months my discord status was “The stars are the same as ever, I don’t have the guts to keep it together.” If you ever liked Fall Out Boy, please come back for So Much (For) Stardust. You will not regret it. Also this year FOB released an updated version of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” that encompasses literally my entire lifetime. That was a surreal experience to say the least.

I talk more about stuff, so if you want to read it check it out. Like and subscribe?? I guess??? lmao.

[wahbegan]

Skinamarink (Re-Appraisal)

Okay, so this is the first time i’ve ever done this for a movie, but i couldn’t get this one out of my head. As y’all may remember, i spent my initial review mainly talking about the issues i had with it and then sending it off with a mediocre score and a lukewarm recommendation if you’re into arthouse shit.

But, for whatever reason, i couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I found myself liking the movie more and more the more distance I had from actually watching it, and the more i was just researching the (very sparse) lore and looking at tumblr posts and shit. Which seemed super weird to me, and idk that i should recommend a movie based on how it makes you feel AFTER you’re done watching it

So i watched it again last night

This time, i really thoroughly enjoyed myself. I knew what I was in for, I could follow the plot, I was prepared for the weird way it was shot so it wasn’t distracting, and the nature of the scares meant that they actually stayed pretty effective the second time around as well.

It was MUCH more emotionally effective. It made me anxious, it made me incredibly fucking depressed, it made me feel a little bit sick to tell you the truth. It actually succeeded in just about everything it set out to do. 

I also didn’t realize the first time around how...not irrelevant the visuals are, but secondary. A lot of the movie is told through sound alone, and the sound quality really is incredible and very fucking creepy. I caught myself at times wondering if you could just listen to this entire movie and still get what was going on. You couldn’t, and the visuals are important and very striking sometimes, but almost. Either way, it’s very interesting.

 I would highly recommend this movie, based on my second viewing of it, but therein lies the catch

Okay, my praise out of the way, here’s where i’m gonna start dumping all over it

Skinamarink is kinda like hypnosis. It only works if you let it. You can’t watch it like a normal movie. You have to really immerse yourself in it, i mean, in a sense you have to almost actively TRY to enjoy it, or at least try to engage with and understand it. There’s a whole section of people i know who just read that and went “Oh, well that alone makes it a shit movie.” 

Which is a valid take, and you’ll fucking hate Skinamarink.

But if you let yourself get totally immersed, watch it alone in the dark with like some very nice quality headphones and pay very close to attention to everything you see and hear (because many of the infamous static shots of random ceiling corners and shit are actually giving you some kind of information), you’ll have a really great....great’s probably the wrong word, a really tense and uncomfortable and horrifying experience.

Also, this is almost the opposite of one of those blockbuster Marvel movies where they don’t even want the actors to know what’s going on lest something be spoiled, i would honestly highly recommend going into Skinamarink already knowing the basic beats of the plot. Not y’know a scene-by-scene breakdown, but just knowing what pretty much happens greatly improved my enjoyment of it the second time.

What happens being, essentially, that a kid playing with some imaginary friend seems to fall down the stairs and hit his head. They get home from the hospital later that night and the dad goes to bed. The sister gets up later to find the dad has disappeared into thin air, along with all their house’s doors and windows. From there, it’s largely just the story of these two kids trying to make sense of and survive their situation while they’re fucked with in gradually and then very fucking dramatically escalating ways by what appears to be an omnipotent entity. Think I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream starring two kids just barely too old to be called toddlers, and no motivation or backstory is given for AM and you’ll start to understand what it’s going for.

In terms of technique, it’s shot in a deliberately frustrating and disorienting way that is often supposed to be mimicking a child’s perspective. You don’t get a good look at anyone’s face, ever. The two main characters are exclusively shot from the waist down, usually the knees down. Once in a blue moon you get the back of someone’s head.

Characters are usually completely off-screen, and so is the action. I don’t just mean the gore and scary shit. I mean almost literally everything that happens happens off-screen while the camera is pointed somewhere else. If you’re lucky, you’ll see an object get dragged on or off-screen, but that’s about it.

The dialogue that is there, and there’s not a lot, is almost entirely whispered and almost unintelligible, to the point that about half the lines are subtitled by the movie itself. It’s...not easy to follow.

Again, if that description turns you off, you’re gonna wanna give it a miss

Finally, i’d watch the director’s short film “Heck” first, it’s on youtube for free and it’s only half an hour. It’s not the same story, but it’s a very similar one with a very similar style, and serves as a very nice litmus test for your ability to put up with Skinamarink’s.....idiosyncracies.

So yes, i would recommend the movie. With a lot of fucking qualifiers. If it’s not worth the trouble to you, it’s not worth the trouble to you, and that’s fine. I don’t think i’d call it y’know the BEST horror movie of the year based on just how limited the appeal is. But i do believe for a select group of weirdos and art hoes (myself included) it’s one of the most bleak, disturbing, and anxiety-provoking horror films in a while and highly enjoyable.

TL;DR My first review remains true in that if you love arthouse pretentious shit you should give it a go and if you hate arthouse pretentious shit you should give it a miss and if you’re unsure you should read the long version and use your own discretion, but i actually really liked it. Eventually. I had to warm up to it

[malonemelody]

A few words about Tár...

Let me rant about this movie because when we are talking about  Cate Blanchett I can start a TED Talk.

But anyways, TÁR.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Wow, let’s go.

First let’s start with my review, I already gave this movie a 5 stars rating on letterboxd because I was so hyped after I finished the movie. It may change in a few days or in a next re watch but I understand the grip people were talking about.  I was expecting some Suspiria kind of shit, a movie that I could not watch because I thought it was “too cult”. But TÁR has some funny elements and I found myself laughing a few times because of the craziness. In my letterboxd review I said that this was the “joker for saphics” since Lydia really goes nuts and over the top in some scenes. Anyways...

I thought the cinematography was obscene. The camera shots made me cr4zy since they were so beautiful. The hidden elements of Krista in the background, lurking around Lydia, driving her up to madness and guilt were just... OH GOD good! It was like a horror movie, so appealing. I guess that’s it I’m not going to pretend I know a lot about this but I thought it was great. But these elements were important for the plot too.  

I’m excited to talk about Cate’s character so let’s settle this first. Lydia Tár is like the student at Julliard described her “a bitch”. Lydia was a slave to her own narcissistic personality and what to say when people around her seem to appreciate and praise her for that kind of behaviour. She was the shit, or at least that what she thought. I can’t stop thinking about her lol I first started writing this after my first watch but now at the second watch I can’t shake this feeling that she left upon me. Lydia Tár is not real, folks, I know. I could write an essay and a research paper about this character. I have no words for Cate since I’m biased. I’m in love with this woman and after watching Tár it became more evident. She must be the only actress that I’ve watched the whole cinematography and she did not disappoint me in this one.  Incredible, just incredible acting. I had so many questions about Krista and Lydia's relationship, but it probably was just like most of Lydia's relationship's in this movie: transactional and abusive. The way that she offered a solo opportunity to Olga just so she could be in debt with her and make her happy and to Francesca too. That made me think that was the way that she treated Krista too and maybe she took it too far and that threatened Lydia's career. Anyways, just some of my thoughts...

The ending was phenomenal, nothing could ever prepare me to what happened to Lydia and I almost ran out of breath from laughing. I was not expecting that. This movie is not about the cancel culture. This movie is about every corrupted artist and person in this world. The abuse of power that could lead a person to lengths and to corrupt the artist’s own soul.

[sistrrrenchantress]

6 Questions Tag Game

Thanks @dwellerinroots for the tag! I haven’t actually ever done one of these so here goes nothing.

1. Last Song?

Ughgh I think Malibu by Hole. I last listened to a podcast and I only use Spotify so I’m like 98% it was Malibu. Anyways I love that song. It’s hopeful and sad and when I was in high school I really wanted someone to whisk me away and we’d go live somewhere by the beach in like a van. You know like those kinda romantic, hazy dreams of van-life before you realize that it’s not realistic.

2. Last Show?

I was gonna say The Last of Us, but actually I watched Modern Family last night. TBH my partner likes TLoU a lot more than I do, but it’s got some scenes that melt my heart a bit. Anyways Modern Family always acts like a personal pick-me-up since it’s kinda nostalgic. Plus sometimes I wish my family was more like them. It also kinda helped me realize what wasn’t healthy about my own personal relationships and know that life goes on even if your family sucks sometimes so even if it’s a mess it kinda has helped me? Idk why I’m trying to explain myself here lmao. I had a class where everyone said it was problematic and I don’t want people thinking I agree with everything in the show or whatever.

3. Currently Watching?

I just finished watching Wakanda Forever so I think it counts since I started this before it ended lmao. Anyways I thought it was okay. Not good, but not terrible. But I also think it was closer to terrible than good. It just felt confused, like it didn’t know what message or arc Shuri was supposed to have so idk idk. I’m not a movie critic so… yeah

4. Currently Reading?

I’m still reading Hyperion. I know it’s been a month, but in my defense the blues have hit me like a truck and I’ve solely been focusing on keeping my GPA. I have one more short story left, which is the Consol’s. Also, I should’ve mentioned but it’s a collection of sci-fi short stories (Canterbury Tales style) taking place eons into the future after Earth has literally imploded. It follows a group of people brought together on a pilgrimage to travel to the mysterious Time Temple on the planet of Hyperion. There’s more but I really don’t wanna spoil anything for anyone who might want to read or was already planning. Anyways the priest’s tale is my absolute favorite, because I like it’s spooky vibe and other spoiler-filled reasons. However they’re all written really well and I would recommend this to just about everyone since I think it’s just a really fun read.

5. Current Obsession?

Oof I don’t really have one because I’ve been feeling down. However Cyberpunk 2077 was it for a while, then TES again, and I’m just floating now. Anyways I’m always interested in TES, the Witcher, Dragon Age, etc. It’s just not as intense as other people though. I feel kinda boring now. Well, at least I’ve been getting back into art and blender and messing around with trying to learn my father’s language again. And I love writing and creating generally so that’s really that.

6. Unrelated Stuff I’ve Been Doing?

I already talked about this a little I guess. I’m learning Polish again and watching more shows with the dub in Spanish so I don’t lose it since I just don’t talk to my family much anymore. I’ve been messing with blender and unreal engine. I re-started this art-schedule-thing that I got from a yt video. I really want to improve my digital art. I also have like 10 billion tabs open with videos on blender and unreal so maybe I’ll post what I’m working on one day. I kinda gave up on my NaNoWriMo because I’m too moody and I don’t know what’s wrong with my executive function but we haven’t been on the same page recently. However, listening to podcasts (like Unresolved Textual Tension or You’re Wrong About and Rotten Mango) has kinda helped my mood a little. But if I’m being real here, real life kinda takes up most of my time. So school (gotta love deciding for a dual degree really late in my undergrad) and all the volunteer/internship things I have to do kinda just take up most of my life. That’s a little depressing lmao, but it is what it is.

Anyways, thanks for the tag! I don’t feel like I’m active enough to tag anyone and I’m shy so anyone who sees and wants to do it, feel free.

[jessequinones]

Magically Changing Your POC pt3

Before you read, this is the third time I created an article talking about this, though I can't seem to find the original articles here, you can find a link to the first one within the next paragraph. If you read pt 2 on Tumblr some of this might sound familiar because I basically re-wrote that for my own website but I added a lot more so that's why I'm calling this pt3)

So, I would like to take another look into this trope because I’ve received a lot of different kinds of comments on it from different platforms and first of all, thank you to everyone who commented on the previous article, you're making me analyse this trope a bit deeper and I hope this will answer a few of your questions. If this is the first you’re reading this article you may find the previous one here: https://justwritingwithjesse.blogspot.com/2024/04/writing-advice-magically-changing-your.html There are three main questions which appeared in the previous article. “Is the trope considered racist if only the main character transforms?”

“Brother Bear and The Emperor New Groove shouldn’t fall under the same category as your other examples because everyone in those stories is POC.”

“Transformation stories have been done for several years throughout different cultures.”

That’s a lot to go through but I hope this article will clarify a few things and if not, please keep leaving those comments.

Before I begin, I want to tackle part of the “Transformation stories have been done throughout the years and by several cultures.”

Nearly any story you can think of has already been told, nearly every trope has been around for years, and nothing is new if you look behind you. However, it’s still new for a lot of people living today.

I’m fully aware this trope has been done throughout history, but when I talk about it, I’m mainly gonna focus on Disney stories because one, they’re stories just as much as any other and two, they have the broadest appeal and millions of people see them across the world. In 2023 Moana was the most streamed movie on Disney+ for the United States of America and that movie came out in 2016 so don’t hit me with the “No one is watching these movies” bit. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/dwayne-johnson-teases-moana-2-at-cinemacon-this-is-what-he-has-said-about-disney-film/articleshow/109235284.cms?from=mdr

In 2023 Disney earned 88 billion dollars and for the sake of this article, they’re the largest storytelling company: https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/DIS/disney/revenue#:~:text=Disney%20revenue%20for%20the%20twelve,a%2022.7%25%20increase%20from%202021.

When I talk about tropes, I try to bring in examples of movies which most of the general public has seen (which is Disney). I know they don’t have the best writing or storytelling, but they’re the standard, which means they’re a good place to look at said tropes and figure out why these tropes are still around, and how they’re being used.

So, now that we know I’m fully aware of the history, let’s stay focused on the modern age of storytelling and let’s begin with the rest of the article.

Is the trope considered racist if only the main character transforms? Princess and the Frog, Soul, Brother Bear, The Emperor's New Groove, Coco, only had the main character transform and not the rest of the cast so is this trope considered racist? This trope has less to do with the rest of the cast transforming and more about the number of times it pops up in the first place by non-white writers.

Tangent: People of colour can tell their own story with their own culture however they want. This trope wouldn’t apply to them. It only applies to white people who write a POC story as it seems to be a common occurrence where they tend to make a person of colour transform against their will. This trope also won’t apply to a white person creating a story about another white person who transforms against their will because that wouldn't be a part of the magically changing your POC trope. Before you say, “What if a person of colour writes a story where the white person gets transformed against their will?” Again, this trope doesn’t apply. Not to mention white people can find stories about themselves where they don’t change very easily. The trope can't be “Magically Changing Your POC” when the main character is white, it’ll just be a transformation trope at that point.

Sorry about that tangent, moving on.

Disney has been telling stories for 83 years (when it comes to their animated movies) and both times when someone in the black community could see themselves for who they are, (in the animation side of things) the main character doesn’t stay as themselves and that’s the problem with this trope.

One could argue there have been two movies featuring Native Americans, Pocahontas and Brother Bear, in which only Brother Bear is a movie about transformation and while that’s true. Pocahontas is just...really...bad. Talking about everything that movie does wrong would require another post all on its own and I would rather not speak over the countless Native Americans who already complained about said movie. In fact, Brother Bear only exist because it was a response to Pocahontas as a way for Disney to say they could write a better Native American story. (Though they’ll never admit it.)

Moving on, remember when I said I felt like the reason why this trope exists is because white writers don’t know how to write a person of colour so they transform the main character to make it “easier”? Out of those two movies (using Soul and Princess and the Frog as reference), there were six writers in total; only one had a black writer, and he wasn’t even the lead writer for said movie. (I’ll let you guess which movie he was a part of.)

Coco isn’t a Hispanic story in the sense it wasn’t created by Hispanic people who knew the culture. (Don’t even try to debate this.) The people at Pixar said it themselves, they only came up with the idea of Coco after going to...Florida...and discovering a skeleton mariachi band...

[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/coco-how-pixar-brought-day-dead-story-life-1065932/]

The original idea for the film came to Unkrich, 50, during a 2011 family vacation while visiting the Mexico pavilion at Disney’s Epcot theme park in Florida. “I was riding this boat and we passed a mariachi skeleton band, and that was my trigger moment,” he recalls. “I started to think about the potential of telling a story set against the culture of Mexico. I had never seen a full story told against Dia de los Muertos.” - December 12th 2017

Now, there are two things about this quote which stick out, first of all, Unkrick (who’s white if you haven’t guessed) came about the idea for a MEXICAN HOLIDAY STORY while in THE UNITED STATES and secondly, he did admit he came up with this idea before “Book of Life” so I’ll give him a pass on never seeing a story set in Dia de los Muertos.

Those are three stories where the main writer is white, creating a story featuring POC characters and they all transformed at some point in the story against their will. (I’m not gonna go over every single writer for every single movie I mentioned, you get the picture.)

I’ve also gotten the argument that The Little Mermaid is a transformation story and while that's true. It’s about a mermaid transforming into a human, not a human being transformed against their will. Also Aerial chose to be transformed, she signed the contract. Last I checked Tiana didn’t choose to be a frog. I’ve also seen the argument that the Beast in Beauty and the Beast is a transformation story and all I have to say is no…it’s not. The story is about Belle, yes the Beast does get transformed into a beast at the start of the movie, against his will, but it’s not his story. It’s Belle’s, it’s a love story. The Beast is also a white person, so once more, it’s not a part of the magically changing your POC trope. (Before I hear anyone say The Princess and The Frog is also a love story, the main conflict of that movie is both characters trying to not be frogs anymore. The romance is kind of a side plot.)

Going back to “Is the trope racist if only the main character does it?”

As I said before this trope has less to do with just the main character, or the rest of the cast all joining in on the fun and more so with the amount of times it has appeared. However, if we’re just sticking with the only main characters section, those are the ones we’re supposed to relate with and it’s hard to relate to someone if the majority of the movie they’re a frog, or a bear, or a literal dead guy in the case of Soul.

Side characters improve a story, but the story isn’t about them, it’s about the hero against an obstacle. (Most often times a villain). When comparing stories, talking about them and the impact they leave, unless it’s needed, no one cares about the side characters. Having gay LGBTQIA+ characters in your story is great, and the LGBTQIA+ community might enjoy them if they're done well, but the LGBTQIA+ community would still want a story where they’re the hero, not just the supporting cast. In fact, going back to the black-and-white style of television. During the Wild West days, it was a trope where the white cowboy always had a funny Hispanic sidekick and who got the girl? The white cowboy. So yeah, communities who only see themselves as supporting roles, even if they enjoy those characters will often want a story where they're the hero for a change. This is why Zoro is such a good Hispanic cowboy movie because the main character is Hispanic and not a sidekick. (Also fun fact, the voice actor for Puss in Boots is in fact, Zorro.)

Getting back on track, if every time you could see a story where the main character represents you and your culture but they never stay human, it can kind of feel dehumanising...Which it is. The main character doesn’t stay human...which is dehumanising.

Don’t forget, that people of colour have been compared to animals their entire lives. While I don’t think any of these writers who wrote those transformation stories did it because of racism. It’s such a common trope that it should at least be considered before writing your transformation story.

"Two of your examples Brother Bear and The Emperor New Groove shouldn’t fall under the same category as your other examples because everyone in those stories is POC" The same thing could be said about Coco, however, the amount of POC in the story doesn’t change because this trope is more about the writers.

When I went to see who wrote those two movies I wasn’t expecting a list this long.

Tab Murphy, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton Steve Bencich Ron J. Friedman, Stephen J. Anderson, Stevie Wermers, Kevin Deters, Woody Woodman, Thom Enriquez, Kevin Harkey, Broose Johnson, John Norton, John Puglisi, Tim Hodge, Tom LaBaff, Ray Shenusay, Brian Pimental, Jim Story, Don Dougherty, Don Hall, Samuel Levine, Aurian Redson, Chris Williams, Jeff Hand, Sam J. Levine, Roger Allers.

None of those are repeating names mind you and they're all for Brother Bear.

I’m not gonna be digging through each name, and discover who’s Native American because of the top five people who made Brother Bear, (CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner 2003). The two directors, Arron Blaise and Robert Walker, along with top writer I’d assume, Tab Murphy, are all white. (I at least didn’t find anything to suggest they were Native Americans.)

The Emperor's New Groove also has a lot of writers mind you, just not as bad as Brother Bear.

The trope about magically changing your POC isn’t really about the story, but who’s writing it, and even in stories where everyone is a person of colour. White people will still tend to force a transformation trope.

“Most good stories are about transformation. A character is changed or transformed by the course of events in a story. We thought it was a great metaphor to have Kenai transformed physically and then by the end of the film transformed emotionally as well.” - Chuck Williams 2021 (https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/in-their-own-words-the-directors-of-brother-bear/)

Nothing is wrong with this kind of thinking, but if you’re Native American, and you want to watch a Disney animated movie about your culture, you can either pick Pocahontas or go with a guy who doesn’t stay as a human at the end of the story. If you’re white you can choose Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, The Black Cauldron, Atlantis, Treasure Planet, Wreck it Ralph, Tangled, Frozen. Etc.

I know I missed some but that’s the point. When it comes to representation, there’s a lot white people can choose from and please don’t get me started with “Some of these movies the main character is ___”. I know. Despite, Snow White being German, white people (mainly talking about the United States) can relate to her easier than they can with Pocahontas or Tiana. However, if you’re a person of colour, it’s gonna be harder to connect with anyone who doesn’t have your own skin tone. (I said harder, not impossible.)

This is why I and other people of colour talk about this trope. We just want to see stories where we can stay human throughout the entirety of it without changing. We know those stories are out there, but for the sake of this article, Disney is the largest storyteller in the world. Whenever it releases a new story, everyone from around the world is watching. We would like to be the hero and not an animal. We don’t want to be dehumanised.

"Transformation stories have been done throughout the years and by several cultures" I’ve already touched on this briefly at the beginning so I won’t spend too much time on it here. I know this, you know this, everyone knows this. The problem with this line of thinking is that it's not what we’re talking about. We know this trope has been done before but in our current age, we don’t want to see it, at least not as often as it has been appearing.

Do you know how many LGBTQIA+ stories there are? Thousands, maybe even millions if you look hard enough. Do you know how many LGBTQIA+ stories that are mainstream? That almost everyone has either seen or at least knows about? Very...very...few.

Not everyone can find stories about themselves, not everyone knows where to look. Like I said before, Disney is the biggest storyteller in the world, it’s a very safe bet people have seen a Disney movie. People of colour would like more stories where they aren’t getting transformed midway through because it’s a recurring pattern if you haven’t guessed already. It seems to be a reoccurring pattern with white people who are in charge of said story if you haven’t guessed.

This wouldn’t be a problem if the number of POC stories overshadowed the number of times they get transformed but as of right now, that’s not the case. In fact, there are more stories (In the Disney lineup) where the main characters are animals instead of a POC staying as a human throughout the entire story. Don’t you think that’s a bit of a problem?

Why do you think it’s easier and more common (for white writers and directors) to write a story about talking dogs than it is to have a POC stay themselves for the entirety of the story? I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure out of all of Disney's history, only two people of colour got to direct a Disney animated movie. They’re, Carlos López Estrada and Charise Castro Smith. Carlos helped with Raya and The Last Dragon while Charise helped with Encanto and I’m pretty sure both of them were only co-directors.

You can argue all you like that the trope isn’t racist or that I’m stretching with this article but until there are more POC stories where the main character stays human throughout the whole story, and those stories surpass the number of talking animals. Then yes, I and other people of colour will keep saying the trope where a POC gets transformed against their will, by a white writer might be doing it because of racism (subconsciously) because it’s easier to write a story about talking animals than it is for a white person to write a story about someone being a person of colour.