#Kristen plays tales

[wallynorthbynorthwest]

Flynn has the perfect entrance in tov. For the first 8-10hrs of the game Yuri and Estelle talk him up so much. Estelle trusts Yuri because he's Flynn's friend. Flynn is their special little guy and they talk about him so much that both Karol and Rita ask about him upon joining the party. The party stares out at the ocean in awe and wonder for the first time and Yuri is like "so this is what he sees" like they are literally nonstop talking about him

And then Yuri chases after some shady guys and gets cornered in an alley and it's not like he's gonna lose but he's in a pickle and then Flynn shows up. And it's not even a fight it is a dance. He and Yuri are partners as they move together to the music of steel on steel and it's mystifying to watch and it's like. I get it. I see what Estelle and Yuri see this guy deserves all the praise, he's what they've been building him up to be

[hkthatgffan]

The Mystery is Finally OUT of the Shack...

We interviewed Alex Hirsch!

Join me and fellow YouTuber @fordtato (Hana Hyperfixates) for our exclusive interview with Alex Hirsch, the creator of Gravity Falls.

Will the artbook ever be revived? Are there any plans for future Gravity Falls comics, or any other comic ideas that didn't make the final result? What's the story behind the line change between editions of Journal 3? Who is the intended identity of the baby in A Tale of Two Stans?

Get Alex's responses to our questions, in not one, but TWO separate hour-long videos, releasing to each of our channels this late March!

Hana Hyperfixates on YouTube

ThatGFFan on YouTube

ThatGFFan's FAQ on this whole process

3D Rendering in video by @brightdrawings

Thumbnail images of Hana and myself made by @stephreynaart

[Video Description: A 3D render of a green-plaid-patterned question mark floats and spins against a starry background, coming closer as dramatic music plays. White text appears on screen reading "Think of your most pressing Gravity Falls Questions…" "...and imagine finally having the answers." The voice of YouTuber That GF FAN reads "What would you have done if Kristen Schaal could not have voiced Mabel?" "Were there ever plans for more Gravity Falls graphic novels?" "Will the art book ever be revived?" "Alex, who is the baby?" Then the voice of Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls, responds "That's a good question." When the plaid question mark stops spinning, very close to the screen, a light blue triangle appears, and the screen fades to aqua, with text overlayed reading "An interview with Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls/ One part of a two-part video interview, featuring Hana Hyperfixiates/ Coming soon." /end video description]

[graysoncritic]

A (Negative) Review of Tom Taylor's Nightwing Run - What Went Wrong? Dick's Characterization

Introduction Who is Dick Grayson? What Went Wrong? Dick's Characterization What Went Wrong? Barbara Gordon What Went Wrong? Bludhaven (Part 1, Part 2) What Went Wrong? Melinda Lin Grayson What Went Wrong? Bea Bennett What Went Wrong? Villains Conclusion Bibliography

In the previous section, we explored not only who Dick Grayson is and why he is so beloved by his friends, but why many people — including Taylor and others at DC — have a hard time  understanding his character. By reducing Dick to a hero who is “good” and transforming into an “everyman” that anyone can project themselves onto, Taylor fundamentally removes that which makes Dick special, transforming him into a different character.

But there are other ways in which Taylor and DC mischaracterize Dick by erasing his history and transforming into a more “palatable” mainstream hero. That is what I wish to explore in more detail now. 

Let’s begin by examining how Taylor’s framing Dick’s story in Nightwing (and that of the Titans in Titans) as a coming-of-age tale contributes to a grand erasure of Dick Grayson’s greatness.

In Taylor’s run, Dick is treated as if he were a new superhero. However, even if this run (not the entire title that started in 2016 with Rebirth, but just Taylor’s run) were to become a new stand-in for the 1996 Nightwing solo in which Dick arrives in Bludhaven for the very first time, Dick Grayson should not be portrayed as someone new to vigilantism. Even if one were to generously interpret Taylor’s Dick as being only twenty-two years old after starting as Robin at twelve years of age and only recently having become Nightwing, Dick would still have a decade of experience doing detective and hero work. It is notable that most of that decade was spent with him leading the Titans, serving as Batman’s partner and second-in-command, and mentoring numerous young heroes.

(Wolfram, Amy, writer. Kerschl, Karl, illustrator. In the Beginning… Part Three. Teen Titans: Year One no. 03, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2008. pp. 09)

One of Dick’s core traits is that he is a natural, if at times reluctant, leader. Many key moments in his character history are defined by Dick feeling the weight of the responsibilities placed upon him and having to push through his personal reservations for the sake of others. 

Dick was the first child hero. He was the first sidekick. Out of universe and in universe. (In the introduction to  Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder: Scholars and Creators on 75 years of Robin, Nightwing, and Batman, Kristen L. Geaman mentions that some argue Mister America from Action Comics #2 is, in fact, the first side-kick. However, this claim is debated since Mister America played more of a comedic and “Watsonian” role [as Dick Grayson Fan C suggested], and Dick was the one who popularized the formula of the role.) He was the proof that the concept of a sidekick — a partner — could work. Proof that kids could be trained into this life. Proof that they did not need powers in order to be a hero. That is one of the reasons why, in-universe, he is admired by so many characters – because he is the trailblazer who opened the doors for every young hero and side-kick that came after him. Dick’s history is also why he has so many connections — it is because he was the one who opened the doors for everyone else, mentored so many people, and partnered with those who were his age and those who were much older that he gained so much respect in the superhero community. 

And yet, that history is called into question in Taylor’s narrative when he frames Dick as a young, new hero who is just beginning to assess what he wants to do with his life. Not only is it bad storytelling to portray Dick’s connections without factoring in the experience tied into them, it also demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of who Dick is, what he represents, and why he’s been so beloved for over 80 years.

This lack of appreciation and of respect towards Dick is extended to the other Titans in Taylor’s Titans (2023) run. As he himself pointed out, the first arc is called Out of the Shadows because, in his words, the Titans are “stepping out of the shadows of the Justice League.”

(Taylor, Tom [TomTaylorMade]. Twitter, 22 June 2023, https://twitter.com/jesswchen/status/1636971185782259716?s=20.)

And yet, to its fans, the Titans were never in the Justice League’s shadows. They were not inferior or subordinate to the Justice League, even if they may be less known. In-universe, the Titans may have modeled themselves after the Justice League and they may be allies, but the Titans are still an independent entity. From their very inception they defined themselves in contrast with how the Justice League operates. 

In fact, in JLA/Titans #02, Dick himself draws this distinction when arguing with Bruce and calling him out on his condescending behavior towards the Titans.

(Grayson, Devin; Jimenez, Phil, writers. Jimenez, Phil; Brown, Eliot R., illustrator. The Generation Gap. JLA/Titans no. 02, e-book ed. DC Comics, 1998. pp. 23)

Trying to repackage Dick and the Titans as newbie heroes who are only now experiencing independence demonstrates a lack of understanding of their history and who the Titans are meant to be. The Dark Crisis and The Dawn of the DCU attempt to frame Dick’s Nightwing series and Titans as coming-of-age tales, where only now the characters are stepping into adulthood. Taylor’s writing goes a step further and portrays them as making rookie mistakes, coming across as newbies, and as a result, erasing all of the rich history that have built these characters into who they are today.

As I mentioned above, even if we generously interpreted that Dick never lived in Bludhaven before, Dick should still have plenty of experience being a hero and living on his own. The moment in which he transitions from Robin to Nightwing (willingly or unwillingly depending on your preferred Nightwing origin story) is Dick’s coming-of-age moment. By the time he comes to Bludhaven, Dick already knows who he is, what he wants, and he knows how to care for himself. By the time Dick comes to Bludhaven, his internal struggles are not that of a young adult who just left the nest and does not yet feel like an adult, but rather that of an adult who knows his own abilities and is confident in who he is. 

And yet, in Nightwing #84, the first issue in Nightwing: Fear State, Taylor has Dick pondering on the responsibilities of taking care of Bludhaven. Right on the first page, he says “Fighting an entire corrupt system? Saving a whole city? There’s no training for that.” 

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Rodriguez, Robbi, illustrator.  Fear State Part 1 of 3. Nightwing: Rebirth. 84, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 03)

Except even the most basic knowledge of Dick’s character shows that he was, in fact, trained to save an entire system and to fight a corrupt system — he was trained to care for Gotham and to take out the corrupt systems that prevail in that city. Not only that, Dick has also been Batman, at which point he was also Gotham’s main protector. 

This mistake becomes even more outrageous when one considers that, though Taylor’s run is at times treated as a soft-reboot, Dick is still shown to have lived in Bludhaven while operating as Nightwing. This means that that generous interpretation I’ve been alluding to is not, in fact, compatible with the story as it is written. It is a falsehood, and therefore cannot be used to excuse the “new-in-town” approach Taylor uses when writing Dick. 

Dick’s apparent inexperience and, frankly, incompetence, is further highlighted by the amount of times Dick is saved by others, or the amount of times when he is dependent on others to do the work for him. These instances include, but are not limited to:

The people of Bludhaven answering Nightwing’s call when Heartless sets the tent city on fire in #81

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Leaping into the Light Part 4. Nightwing: Rebirth. 81, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 13)

Dick being knocked out with a single blow and then unmasked during his first attempt to investigate Melinda also in issues #81

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Leaping into the Light Part 4. Nightwing: Rebirth. 81, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 20 - 21)

Babs calling people to Dick’s rescue rather than trusting he could get out of it on his own in #82.

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator. Leaping into the Light Part 5. Nightwing: Rebirth. 82, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 03)

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator. The Battle for Bludhaven’s Heart Part Four. Nightwing: Rebirth. 95, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2022. pp 24 - 25)

In #90, when his building blew up and Wally came to save him, then proceeded to force him to rest away from Bludhaven instead of letting him take action.

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Get Grayson Act Three. Nightwing: Rebirth. 90, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2022. pp 15)

And needing Babs’ help during a car chase in #106,

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Byrne, Stephen. The Crew of the Crossed Part One. Nightwing: Rebirth. 106, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2023. pp 16)

Which greatly contrasts how, in #113 of the Nightwing (1996), Dick handles a similar situation while simultaneously mentoring Rose Wilson.

(Grayson, Devin, writer. Chian, Cliff, illustrator The Scorpion and the Frog. Nightwing no 113, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2005. pp. 19)

The thesis of Taylor’s run is that people need to rely on one another — we have to be each other’s safety net. And while that is an interesting theme to explore and one that certainly speaks to Dick’s history of doing things on his own out of fear of putting others in danger, Dick should still, more times than not, be able to do things by himself. After all, this is not an ensemble piece — this is Nightwing’s story and as his fans, we want to read about him. Cameos are fine. They can be fun, in fact. But cameos are different from Dick constantly struggling and needing help whenever he faces a challenge – the former portrays Dick as someone with powerful connections that deeply love him; the latter portrays Dick as being incapable of doing things without someone holding his hand.

This is another thing that Waid understands about Dick and portrays it clearly in World’s Finest. When Kara explains to Clark what first attracted her to Dick, she emphasizes how, despite the fact he had no powers, he could still save himself. 

(Waid, Mark, writer. Lupacchino, Emanuela, illustrator. Scream of the Chaos Monkey. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest no. 12, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2023. pp. 06 - 07)

Being not just competent, but exceeding even the highest expectations is at the core of Dick’s character. And, as was pointed out in the previous section, it also serves to feed into his toxic perfectionism — he is one of the top tier heroes, therefore people expect excellence from him. Dick does not want to fail those who put their trust in him, and so he demands perfection of himself to the point of self-destruction.

Beyond that, we cannot give Taylor credit for trying to tell a story about Dick growing out of his perfectionist bad habits by learning to rely on others. After all, if Dick is constantly asking for help, then he is not resisting help. And that removes his chance for growth. A character arc requires development and change, which means one cannot start at the endpoint. Therefore, it cannot be claimed that Taylor’s intentions are for Dick to learn to rely on others, for he has been doing so without hesitation since the beginning. 

As a result, the story is not about Dick being Bludhaven’s safety net while learning that he also has a safety net of his own, but rather about Dick always relying on his safety net, always knowing it was there, and having them also shoulder the responsibilities he took when he named himself Bludhaven’s protector. There is no room for Dick to grow because he is already at the end of his journey. And there is no room for Dick to be the hero of his story because others are constantly coming to his rescue when things get too difficult.

Once more, I must clarify that I’m not saying that Dick is not loved, or that Dick is not important to many people. I’m simply stating that the way his relationships are built gives him very little room to rely on them. He is their safety net but he doesn’t trust them to be his safety net. Exploring this requires going into the nuances of each relationship, where conflicts are created, and where people hurt the other in the heat of an argument. It would mean dealing with the messiness of complex human emotions, forcing characters and the audience to sit with uncomfortable feelings as we get to the root of Dick’s perfectionism and his fears.  

In June of 2022 a reader on Twitter asked Taylor about his decision to have Dick constantly falling, for, as they pointed out, this makes Dick look incompetent.

(Jonathan [@Nightwingdagoat]. Twitter, 21 June 2022, https://twitter.com/Nightwingdagoat/status/1539267708310765568)

Taylor responded by saying that these instances were Redondo’s call, and that it was their attempt to humanize Dick.

(Tom Taylor [@TomTaylorMade]. Twitter, 21 June 2022, https://twitter.com/Nightwingdagoat/status/1539267708310765568)

In fairness to Taylor, the following criticism will then be directed primarily at Redondo who believed these instances were the best way to “remind people that Nightwing is human.” That being said, as Taylor appears to support such a position, and as he has written numerous incidents where Dick is conveniently knocked over by others, I do believe this can be directed at him as well. 

Simply put, to have a character constantly fall is a superficial and lazy way to humanize said character. Casual falls like this, after all, are not failures. They contribute little to the story and have very little consequence.  

Nothing happens once Dick falls. The bad guy doesn’t get away, the innocent civilian is not hurt, the crucial piece of evidence needed to crack the case is not destroyed. There are no lasting consequences for Dick to deal with, no conflict that can arise from these falls, no tension to make Dick’s future success more emotionally effective. Furthermore, these falls are completely out of Dick’s control, taking away any responsibility he might have for his mistakes. 

If the flaws that are meant to “humanize” Dick are falls which he bears no agency over, then he, the good guy, has no responsibility over his own “failures.” Said “failures” also end up having no consequences to the plot, which gives Dick no crisis to respond to (furthering his passivity), and this robs Dick of character development opportunities. 

It creates a stasis in the story where the only conflicts Dick faces are the ones against really bad guys that always – always – lose to Dick and his connections, and ones which do not ask for moments of introspection.

Despite almost never falling in The Untouchable, Dick is far more human there than in Taylor’s and Redondo’s run. This is because Dick is forced to face the consequences of his “failure” to capture the Judge twice in the past. Dick is constantly thinking about the Judge’s victims, forcing himself to carry their lives on his shoulder. He pushes himself to toxic lengths. Whenever the Judge escapes his grasp, the conflict evolves, the stakes are raised, and the tension builds. Dick’s desperation becomes visceral to the reader, and that is what humanizes him to the reader. Similarly, the emotional pay-off of the climactic battle in the end grows with each obstacle Dick faces.

(Humphries, Sam, writer. Chang, Bernard, illustrator The Untouchable: Chapter Four: Infiltration. Nightwing: Rebirth no. 38, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2018. pp. 09)

But Dick’s newbie incompetence is not the only way Taylor mischaracterizes Dick. It is by combining the lighthearted tone of his story, his depiction of Dick as a blank canvas “good guy,” his avoidance of conflict, and his attempts at answering difficult real-world problems that Taylor ends up creating a version of Dick Grayson that is utterly self-absorbed and lacking in foresight.

Telling and not showing is an immense problem in Taylor’s writing. There’s a difference between how a writer attempts to portray a character and how, given their actions in the context of the narrative created, the story shows them to be the complete opposite. In such cases, the story triumphs over the writer. This is why I claim that, though Taylor tells the reader that Dick is caring, intelligent, and a hard worker, he actually shows Dick as as selfish, incompetent, and naive.  

Take, as an example, how Taylor sidelines the Heartless storyline in favor of slice-of-life scenes. If Heartless was not there, perhaps those sweet moments could be just that. However, as in the world of the story there is currently a serial killed running around free, making orphans out of the youth Dick vowed to protect, the fact that Dick is not constantly working to catch Heartless is not only out of character, it makes it so it seems he doesn't care what happens to the people of Bludhaven (And now also Gotham, given #111, which was released as this essay was being edited). Rather than stopping crime and bringing justice to Heartless’ victims, Dick would rather spend his nights in his apartment, enjoying a relaxing evening with his girlfriend and his dog. 

Please do not take this to mean that I consider a slice-of-life story to be inferior to other genres. My reason for highlighting this is not to undermine the value of slice-of-life, but rather to argue that such scenes do not live in isolation. They exist within the context of a larger narrative, and what would be sweet in a sitcom-style story comes across as something entirely different when other characters are facing life-and-death stakes. It does not matter how much the writer tells us that these characters are caring and compassionate — their lack of action and urgency portrays them as self-centered. 

Just as Taylor attempts to write the big climatic moments without properly building the momentum necessary to make them impactful, he similarly forgoes the work required to win the reader’s trust, and instead expects his audience to simply accept that important plot and character developments are happening off-screen. Rather than letting the audience experience the intrigue and devastation of the Heartless mystery by showing us how the horrors of these murders motivate Dick to continuously search for this cruel killer, Taylor instead advances these elements off-screen, opting instead to tell the reader they’ve occurred.

That is not to say that writers cannot streamline plots. They absolutely can and, in some cases, they absolutely should. However, streamlining a subplot is a far more complicated matter than just telling the reader said events happened off-screen and expecting them to simply accept it. 

While it is impossible to provide a precise checklist with the step-by-step guidelines on how to properly streamline a subplot, I believe one of the factors one must consider is whether that plot should be streamlined or not. Personally, I believe that Dick investigating the character who was meant to be this run’s main villain is too big and too important of a story to be played off offscreen.

Dick has hardly spent any time attempting to apprehend Heartless. Instead, as time of writing, his investigation of Heartless has practically nonexistent. Instead, after not focusing on him for the majority of the run, we are simply told by Dick and Babs that they’ve been keeping an eye on Heartless, even if their investigation is never shown to us. 

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Basri, Sami Nightwing. Nightwing: Rebirth. 111, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2023. pp 09)

If we, as readers, are to believe that Dick is the selfless detective and hero — the Heart of the DCU — that Taylor tell us he is, then finding and apprehending Heartless should be one of his top priorities. If Heartless was meant to be Nightwing’s big nemesis, then their confrontation should always be a source of great tension and conflict. Such importance would be demonstrated by showing Dick working towards stopping him at every moment he has free. But either those moments are not happening at all, or they are happening off-screen.

Having such an important conflict and such a crucial antagonistic dynamic develop does nothing to enrich the plot — in fact, it only detracts from them, for because we do not get to witness this relationship grow and we are only told that it is happening, the pay off that must come when Nightwing and Heartless finally have a big confrontation will be cheapened as a result. 

Heartless' actions are so brutal and create such urgency that not prioritizing Heartless' arrest makes it seem like Dick doesn't care about his victims. Batman doesn't wait around when the Joker breaks out of Arkham – he hunts the Joker down. Similarly, Dick didn't wait around on the Judge – he hunted him down. 

For Heartless to be the Big Bad, Dick should have put him in jail already and Heartless should have escaped. DIck should have faced him multiple times. He should have been Dick's priority because of how cruel and urgent his actions are.

Finally, there are three particular moments that I wish to discuss to illustrate how ambivalent Taylor is when it comes to Dick’s characterization, choosing to prioritize online discourse over who Dick Grayson’s established history and personality. 

The first one comes from a throwaway line. And yet, because this was a throwaway line that demonstrated how little thought Taylor gives to his main character. 

When Tim makes his first appearance in Taylor’s run in #80, Dick’s narration says that many would consider Tim to be the best Robin, and that he “totally gets it.”

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator.  Leaping into the Light Part Three. Nightwing: Rebirth. 80, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 09)

“Who is the best Robin” is a discourse that I, admittedly, care very little for. It serves no purpose other than to get fans to fight one another, bashing each other’s favorite characters in order to prop up their own. When posed on social media, this question becomes a thinly veiled attempt to generate high engagement. In reality, when people discuss “who is the best Robin,” they are, most often than not, truly arguing about who is their favorite Robin. But the question is framed in a way to be purposefully divisive, creating conflict within the fan community. The fact that DC plays into that divisiveness that requires their characters to be brought down so others can be lifted up for marketing material is concerning, but the fact that writers such as Taylor are letting that fan perception bleed into in-universe narration is nothing less than lazy writing that prioritizes online leaning into buzz over good storytelling.  

Naturally, as a Dick Grayson fan my opinion is that Tim is not the best Robin. Dick is. But my problem is not that Taylor said that Tim was the better Robin, but that I think Dick would never concede to the existence of a “best Robin.” In fact, not only do I believe that it is out of character for Dick to believe that one Robin can be defined as the best Robin, I would argue that Dick would be offended that such a question could be asked.

Dick, more than any of the other Robins, understands the purpose of a Robin, as he was the one who created the mantle. By seeing so many others inherit his family’s colors and his mother’s name for him, he also understands better than anyone that each person who becomes Robin has their purpose in their own unique way. Dick would understand how each of them made the Robin mantle unique, how they added to its mythos in their own way, and how all of their contributions are equally valid and equally important. He would never single out one of them as the best because he knows that Robin is about an ideal of justice by bringing light into the darkness. Most importantly, understanding how many Robins tied their self-worth to the mantle, Dick would never want others to feel as if they fell short of some arbitrary measure by proclaiming they are not “the best.” Dick would be against that measure, against the very idea of ranking Robins, as if they were interchangeable, as if they each didn’t make relevant contributions. He would hate the idea of the mantle he created in honor of his parents being used to judge and measure the worth of those he loves. Dick would argue that there can never be a "best Robin" because Robin is always about being your best self in the service of those who need your help, and you can't quantify that.

The concept of a “Best Robin” is a marketing strategy and a fan-oriented discourse that Taylor casually imposed into the narrative without considering whether his protagonist would adhere to such ideas. He prioritized internet discourse over characterization, and while the former may be immediately fulfilling as the page is cropped and shared a few thousand times in the first few days after publication, only the latter will leave an impression that will last decades. Taylor is embodying a current DC Comics trend to favor the former over the latter. As scholar Steve Baxi said in his review of Leaping into the Light, that page “doesn’t feel like Dick Grayson appreciating his brother, it feels like Dick Grayson saying what the audience wants to hear.” (Baxi, Steve, “TRADE COLLECTION REVIEW: Nightwing Vol. 1 - Leaping Into The Light” Comics Bookcase, August 2021)

Although they share similar problems, unlike the “Tim is the best Robin” throwaway narration, the second example I wish to discuss in detail became a big plot point in the beginning of Taylor’s run. I’m referring to the choice of having Dick become a billionaire due to the inheritance Alfred left to him.

To be more clear, my problem is not with the fact that Taylor made Dick into a billionaire (after all, Dick inheriting wealth from his parents is not a novel concept), but rather with Dick’s musings on the subject. (Dick’s financial situation is inconsistent across the years. While some like Dixon and Wolfman allude to him having a trust fund his parents set aside and that remained untouched until Dick’s adulthood, other writers like Humphrey who portray him as more middle class and sometimes struggling financially. Then there are the numerous times in which Dick was left homeless, implying that he did not have a safety fund to go to when tragedy struck.) On #79, Dick says, without a hint of irony, that he always thought that Bruce could do more to help Gotham with Bruce Wayne’s money than he does as Batman. 

(Taylor, Tom. writer, Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Leaping into the Light Part Two. Nightwing: Rebirth. 79, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 07)

This is a popular online discourse that reveals lack of knowledge about Batman and a naive understanding of how corrupt systems function. I understand we are currently very critical (and rightly so) of billionaires and the hoarding of wealth. I understand that this leads many — media critics and everyday fans — to analyzing how wealth is portrayed in the stories that resonate within our culture. But anyone who claims that Bruce has not used his wealth for the benefit of Gotham outside of funding his Batman endeavors has not engaged properly with Batman media. I’m not going to go into the merits of how Bruce’s wealth should or should not be portrayed and how DC has currently been handling this issue (that is the subject for an entirely different essay that is not relevant to this discussion), but I will say that Bruce has, canonically, used a lot of his money to fund safety net programs in Gotham, to invest in small businesses and on individuals, and in trying to make the city more affordable and kinder to those with less. 

Twitter user Ashley|TheBatFamily 🦇 (@TheBat_Family) created a comprehensive Twitter thread of examples. These are but some of the ones that stood out to me and that feel most relevant to this essay:

In Cataclysm, Bruce attempted to lobby the US government to offer aid to Gotham after the earthquake; 

Bruce used his money to rebuild the city during No Man’s Land;

Bruce invested in the people who were ready to start new businesses so Gotham could offer jobs to its people and rebuild itself without being fully dependent on others;

Bruce created scholarships so more people could attend university;

Bruce funds Leslie’s free clinic as well as other hospitals around Gotham;

Bruce invested on low-income housing developments in Gotham by working with local firms, providing accommodations to local residents so no one would be displaced;

Bruce expanded and modernized Gotham’s public transportation system;

Bruce ensured all Wayne properties were secured against earthquakes (which led to those residences being the only ones standing during NML);

Bruce funds libraries and museums;

Bruce funds green efforts not just in Gotham, but in other places by buying land and making them nature preserves;

Bruce funds orphanages and provided them resources (from educational supplies to toys for the children);

Bruce provided support for immigrants;

Bruce funds appeals for wrongful convictions;

Bruce provides employment for former convicts;

(Ashley [TheBat_Family]. Twitter, 13 October 2020, https://twitter.com/TheBat_Family/status/1316006509923520512.)

In short, Bruce Wayne has done everything and more that Dick claimed he wished to do for Bludhaven. There’s nothing novel about the idea. Batman narratives don’t put as much focus on these endeavors and do not place as much emphasis on Bruce’s philanthropy simply because they Batman stories are, at their core, detective stories first and foremost. Their focus is on investigation and crime solving (Though I would argue that Cataclysm and No Man’s Land put a lot of focus on issues of wealth, class, and examine Bruce’s financial responsibility towards the city).

But just because these examples are not the focus of the stories in which they are present, it does not mean that they do not exist. Neither does it mean that Batman stories do not engage with themes of wealth and class inequality, as well as systemic corruption. In fact, I would argue that many of the best ones know how to use Bruce’s privileged status to explore these issues. The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder, for example, brilliantly uses the Court and the Talons to engage with these themes. (An essay analyzing the Court of Owls through such a lens would be a fascinating study, especially when exploring the parallels and foils between the Court and the Talons, and Bruce and Dick. Alas, this is not the place for it.)

Dick, who not only has always been characterized as knowing Bruce better than most people,  but who was also raised by Bruce, would know about every single one of the examples listed above. Dick, of all people, had a front row seat to all the ways in which Bruce helped Gotham with his wealth, both in examples that were covered by the press, and the ones Bruce did secretly without taking credit. Dick attended countless fundraising events, press briefs, boardroom meetings. But most importantly, Dick would have witnessed with his very own eyes that lack of funding is not at the root of Gotham’s problems.  The problem in Gotham is not lack of money or safety nets, but rather, it is that its systems are so corrupt that pumping more funds into it will do nothing to help those in need. Instead, it will only further enrich those who are already in power. That’s why in this comic book world with comic book conventions and comic book logic, Batman is needed. Batman is a disruption to the system, forcing it to change, dismantling it from both the outside and the inside. In Dixon and Grayson’s Nightwing runs, Dick’s understanding of systematic problems can be observed in his motivation to become a police officer, as he joins the force with the goal to weed out the corruption and dismantle the system from within. Money alone cannot save a city if the foundation was purposefully designed to favor those on the top by taking from those at the bottom.

(Dixon, Chuck, writer. McCarthy, Trevor, illustrator The Threshold. Nightwing. 60, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2001. pp 22)

But of course, Taylor never takes a moment to wonder how being raised by Bruce Wayne would influence Dick’s perspective on this matter. Instead, he once more takes a popular online discourse and makes Dick say it out without considering characterization. A more in-character and canonically accurate approach to such a story moment would have Dick comment on all the ways Bruce used his money behind the scenes to help Gotham, and how he wishes to do the same for Bludhaven. A single line change would have demonstrated Taylor's willingness to engage with Dick’s character history rather than just copying the hot takes he sees on social media. 

Not only that, this change in dialogue would also establish Bruce and Dick’s closeness as it would show that not only is Bruce a source of inspiration for Dick, but that Dick is one of the few people who have seen this side of Bruce. That would have also made the hug between Bruce and Dick in the #100 more emotionally effective and thematically cohesive, especially as they are in front of Alfred’s grave.

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Power Vacuum: Part Four: The Leap. Nightwing: Rebirth. 100, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2023. pp 44)

The truth is that Dick's Haven project engaged with issues homelessness only in the most shallow of manners. Rather than discussing the realities of this matter, it simply used it as a backdrop. It is an appropriation of hardships by someone who is unwilling to engage with the difficulties brought upon by said hardships. It is substance-less writing masquerading as social consciousness.

The third example I wish to cite which demonstrates Taylor’s lack of consideration for Dick’s character or his backstory comes when Haley is taken in #87. Dick’s internal monologue reads that “The last thing I’d want is for anyone to be threatened because they’re close to Dick Grayson,” referring to the fact that he is now a public figure thanks to the press conference he gave about his plans for Bludhaven. 

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator Get Grayson. Nightwing: Rebirth. 87, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 09)

The idea that Dick Grayson, billionaire Bruce Wayne’s first child, was unaware of the dangers faced by those associated with a public figure is laughable. The idea that the first Robin, who was often taken hostage by villains who wished to get to Batman (so much so that Frank Miller famously nicknamed him “Boy Hostage”), did not understand the threat posed to those who are close to powerful figures is insulting. After well over a decade as a superhero, and after well over a decade of being associated with a wealthy public figure, Dick should know better than most how such ties can put loved ones at risk. 

In-universe, this line makes Dick appear so self-centered that he does not take into consideration how his actions affect his loved ones. It makes him appear dense, unable to think through his actions and strategize contingency plans and safety precautions before taking such a giant risk. 

Out of universe, this betrays a lazy way of storytelling, with Taylor going for low-hanging fruits without thinking of how that might affect the characterization of his protagonist. Out of universe, a collection of throwaway, thoughtless lines like this demonstrates just how uninterested Taylor is in giving even the slightest consideration to who Dick Grayson is meant to be, instead putting his focus on the gimmick that will get him noticed on social media.

[skuttlesstrawberry]

Sometimes Brennan’s degree in religious studies shines through in an awe-inspiring way. Take, for example, the Temple of the Fallen Sun from episode 17 of Fantasy High Junior Year: it is explicitly an imperial temple. Now, the obvious level is that its symbols are all about conquest, but on a deeper level, its very nature is an imperial conquest.

The reveal, towards the end of the Bad Kids’ time in the temple, that the Sunstone Empire did not originally build this place is also a reflection of the imperial project. It took a faith that was life-giving for its people and twisted it into something foul, something that in D&D was explicitly infernal, but it could not completely erase the underlying divinity. At the end, they could not remove the underlying uncorrupted temple infrastructure; at the end, they could not twist Ankarna’s core nature so much that she would be willing to kill her sister or her spouse. The imperial faith of conquest can take over a religion, Brennan seems to be telling us, but it cannot fully transform the spark of divinity at the core of the original faith.

So let’s now talk about Spyre’s Church of Sol.

Maybe it wasn’t planned that way, but the longer the Fantasy High saga goes on, the more clear it seems to me that the Church of Sol is in many ways the greater scope villain of the Bad Kids’ tale. For Junior Year, it’s not just that complete slimebag Bobby Dawn, the Church of Sol’s resident celebrity cleric, is actively onside with Porter’s plan to ascend to godhood; it’s also that in the Temple of the Fallen Sun, the Legend Lore spell told us that it was the Church of Sol who planted the idea with the Sunstones of transforming their god from a sun god to a god of war and conquest!

Note, importantly, that it is the Church of Sol and not Sol himself who planted this idea. Legend Lore told us that, actually, Sol himself was HAPPY with (re)uniting the various groups of Spyre’s gods into one community. Rather, it was Sol’s church that noticed their God’s domain was divided and decided to do something about it. Recall, also, that it was the Church of Sol that innovated Devil’s Nectar; it’s entirely possible that Sol was deliberately kept out of the loop when it came to the church’s plans to make him into the One True Sun God.

Now, we also know that there’s a kind of henotheistic trinity-like thing going on with Sol, Gallicaea, and Helio. There’s some sort of family thing going on with Sol as the top Father God and Helio as the Crystal Dragon Jesus son with the serial numbers filed off; witness the decidedly evangelical Christianity flavor of their related churches. There’s also the whole vibe from both the Church of Sol and Helio’s followers that their gods are the only correct deities to follow and any other faith (or way of life) is Dangerously Wrong. This plays directly into the way that they really kicked off the chaos of Freshman Year and therefore the Bad Kids saga.

Yeah, Kalvaxus was the big bad of Freshman Year, but he and his direct minions weren’t the first enemies that the Bad Kids fought. That would be Doreen and the Corn Cuties, who were themselves borne of the attempt by Coach Daybreak and the Harvestmen cult to corrupt their own faith’s chosen and break the world.

This is actually deeply important: while Kristen’s parents are assholes and directly tied to a doomsday cult version of Helioic faith, there’s always been an implication that beyond the Harvestmen there’s a healthier version of the church of Helio that we haven’t really been able to interact with. And that’s okay: even a healthier version of Helio probably wouldn’t have been healthy for Kristen, given the extent of religious trauma she’s had to deal with, so it makes sense that even in Freshman year Kristen was being offered by Heaven itself alternate ways to have faith.

In Sophomore Year, we got a glimpse of the conflict within Gallican faith, with Tracker discovering in Fallinel a more oppressive and passive version of her faith, and choosing essentially to stay behind to try and breathe new life into it. Importantly, we learned Fallinel Gallicaea has a relationship with Sol, and so their churches are intertwined; Brennan even talked in Sophomore Year about how Gallicaea in Fallinel was being shaped by her State Church followers there. It was that twisted Gallican church that duped Cassandra’s original followers into forcing her transformation into the Nightmare King, you may recall.

What this all seems to be pointing to is the existence of an organization entwined with the Church of Sol that discovered Devil’s Nectar and a way to twist divinity to their ends by manipulating followers into the shapes most suiting their ends. We know from Pok Gukgak’s cautious statements that even the celestial-level actors have some side eye for Sol’s supposed followers. We know from Bakur that there’s an open question as to whether Sol or his followers are REALLY calling the shots. So: if Sol’s followers have their own plans, what’s their goal in all this corruptive influence that they’ve been spreading around?

Now, here’s where we circle back around to Brennan’s knowledge of how real world religions and real world people work: the goal may simply be power and domination. In the real world, the connection between the State and some sort of organized Church power has always been a place where power and control could be minted. A cornerstone of the Roman Empire’s system of control was the idea of the Imperial Cult: you can absolutely continue worshipping your personal god as long as you also acknowledge that god’s place is subservient in the larger Roman order to Rome’s chosen divinity. On the other side of the world, China’s system emphasized having the Mandate of Heaven in order to rule; even their top divinity the August Personage of Jade would lose his job if he did not stay within the rules of the system.

In short: a group of folks who’ve figured out how to manipulate faith to make their positions indisputably Right are very dangerous in any world, and Brennan is absolutely correct to cast them as the villains behind the scenes manipulating everything.

[ankh-morporkianpostalworker]

Honestly, you'd think seeing the same six performers have characters discover the power of friendship and the meaning of family would get boring after a few times, but D20 makes it work every time, and I have a theory as to why, and the answer comes in three parts.

1 - It's never the same set of dynamics twice. The Bad Kids feel like siblings with friendly rivalries and stuff while the Heroes of New York have older sibling/younger sibling dynamics (with Kingston and Pete having a father/son dynamic). Crown of Candy has a conventional family dynamic, but Starstruck doesn't and Neverafter has hints of parental dynamics in Red and Mother Goose.

2 - The situations are different. This is probably the most self-evident, but the Found Family you find in a John Hughes High School is different from one you'd find in an extreme late-stage capitalist hellscape future which is different from one you'd find in an otherwise cold, unfeeling fractured fairy tale universe filled with unknowable eldritch monstrosities.

3 - The performers themselves. It feels like every season the cast try out new dynamics with each other. For example, Riz and Fig aren't particularly close (they're best friends and part of the Bad Kids, but they're closer with other members of the group) while Sof and Kug are drinking buddies and best friends and Barry and Syd are almost inseparable despite all three pairs being played by the same actors, and it feels like every cast member experiments with dynamics like that so part of tuning in to a new season is seeing how these actors bounce off of one another in new, exciting ways.

And when they do return to settings (like Elmville and New York), new dynamics are explored that bring the families together. All the little moments in Sophomore Year where the Bad Kids are there for each other in ways that mean the world to each other and build on dynamics like the three-sided friendship that The Bad Boys develop or the quiet moment Kristen and Gorgug share in the road where they console each other and tell each other how special they are. Or, in The Unsleeping City Chapter II, seeing how much Kingston, Sophie and Ricky ground Pete (a major theme of the season is that Vox Phantasmas are prone to ennui and self-destruction) and the fact that all three of them go to bat for Pete when he isn't around, with Kingston and Pete's dynamic going from the aforementioned father/son to a dynamic of older and younger brothers.

Tl:Dr Dimension 20 does found family real good.

[woven-birds]

ೃ ⁀➷

hello! <3

this is my main tumblr, it doesn’t really have a theme i just post whatever i like and what speaks to me. i have a few side blogs that are a bit more uniform that i’ve linked below if you’d like to check them out. :) 18 + only please!

i’m kristen. i am an avid daydreamer. a vegetarian. mom to two boys. bookworm. neurodivergent (AuDHD). 29. infp. half native american (mohawk tribe) & irish.

🌜🌞 taurus sun, gemini moon, libra rising 🌞🌛

i live in upstate new york. i read too many books and drink copious amounts of tea & coffee. i’m obsessed with anything antique or from a bygone era. my hair is always messy no matter how hard i try to make it look decent. i am comprised of dresses, flowers, & dreams. i’m forever sleepy. i still love playing on playgrounds. i often feel homesick for places that i’ve never been. my head is always in the clouds; i’m perpetually daydreaming. i feel most at peace in nature. i am a true crime/horror junkie. a self proclaimed weirdo. a proud member of the silly goose club. if i’m not reading, writing, doing a puzzle, playing a video game, or baking, you can probably find me listening to music, overthinking, or being anxious. sometimes if you’re lucky it’s all three. i’d rather be thrifting or looking at the stars.

my favorite sounds: trains in the distance (it’s an incredibly lonely sound but it’s strangly comforting to me in a way), birds singing, rain hitting the window, the keys of a typewriter, book pages turning, cats purring, clocks ticking, the sound of leaves crunching when you step on them in autumn, the crackling sound a record makes when the needle first touches it.

these are a few of my favorite things: flower crowns, old hollywood, gardens, fairies, teacups & teapots, fairy tales, bunnies, squishmallows, sharks, outer-space, macarons, graveyards, dresses, handwritten letters, studio ghibli, pressing flowers between the pages of my favorite books, strawberries, the smell of books, flowering tea, wes anderson films, bookstores & libraries, cuddling, butterflies, floral print, cozy sweaters, candles, when smells act as time machines, penny presses, everything about autumn, holding hands, rainy dreary days.

music: fleetwood mac, turnover, nirvana, the front bottoms, andrew mcmahon, chappell roan, bon iver, sonic youth, phoebe bridgers, david bowie, death cab for cutie, yeah yeah yeahs, mitski, ghost, the smiths, ethel cain, type o negative, pixies, the cure, faye webster, spiritbox, lana del rey, coheed and cambria, alexandra savior, fiona apple, sleep token, deftones, billie eilish, the story so far, taylor swift, eliott smith, bright eyes, florence + the machine, blink-182, & more.

tv: buffy, gossip girl, bridgerton, supernatural, doctor who, grey’s anatomy, the x files, the vampire diaries, yellow jackets, peaky blinders, last of us, outlander, new girl, it’s always sunny in philadelphia, walking dead, parks & rec, charmed, twin peaks, friends, what we do in the shadows, schitt’s creek, degrassi, community, pretty little liars, etc.

films: i love horror movies (terrifier, scream, & halloween are my favorites). i am also obsessed with studio ghibli, wes anderson, & audrey hepburn films. <3

books: my all time favorite books are jane eyre & pride and prejudice. i am also a fan of thrillers, poetry, fantasy, and a sucker for a cheesy romance book (sue me). always opened for book recommendations if you’d like to send me one! (:

my side blogs: @teacuploveletter // @fairieslivehere // @shesdaydreamingagain // @arainyautumnnight // @porcelainmoons // @clumsyhoneybee // @grungyfairy // @snowandtinsel //

other places you can find me:

instagram - kristenisdaydreaming

pinterest - magicwildflowers

twitter - rainygirl53

snapchat - rainygirl53

discord - kristenisdaydreaming

spotify

sometimes i ramble about things/write poetry

{posts are mostly from my queue (i’m usually far too lazy to tag them as such haha). also please feel free to ask or tell me anything, if you feel so inclined. <3}

tags: music // films // television // art // quotes // food // books // fashion // nature // flowers // tea // coffee // animals // doctor who // supernatural // pokémon // bridgerton // buffy // autumn // space // moon // sky // makeup // landscapes // interiors // studio ghibli // disney // animal crossing // fairies // important reminders // sanrio // sailor moon // vinyl //

(last updated november 2024)

[remidyal]

Bad Ideas of the Day, part 5, Even Worse Edition

It's time for my monthly-ish roundup of my regular bad ideas of the day from the D20 fanfic discord! Last month's is available here and has links back to all the prior ones because now there's too many for me to be bothered direct linking here!

As usual, these are a mix of fantasy high and other D20 prompts and are open for anyone who wants to do something with them, though I appreciate letting me know because I wanna read it!

Bad idea of the day, class swap (but not like that) edition: Due to a clerical error - namely, their cleric signed them up for it - all of the bad kids have to attend each other's classes for a week, resulting in Fabian sitting through a Worlds Religion lecture, Kristen doing her -3 Dex best to sneak around in rogue classes, Gorgug going to the bard classes that Fig never actually went to, Riz doing his best to remember everything Adaine's ever mentioned about how wizarding works, Fig faking fighting instead of raging for once, and Adaine trying to pass off her furious fist as just being how her anger manifests

Bad idea of the day, abc edition: In the village of Happly, at the harvest festival, Pinnochio enters his infamous bubblegum and whiskey pie and gets himself run out of town by a mob of angry villagers

Bad Idea of the Day, Toxic Masculinity is Undead edition: The adventurers of Solace are well aware of Halloween, because every year on that date the soulless corpses of villains slain in the past year rise again to chase after their killers. Can Fabian keep ahead of both Zombie Penelope Everpetal and Zombie Bill Seacaster?

Bad idea of the day, Figueroth Faeth's Day Off edition: Receiving notification halfway through junior year that one more unexcused absence is going to result in her being expelled, Fig drags her friends into a heist to break into the school, fake her attendance record and show that she's been there the whole time.

Bad Idea of the Day, Drama Edition: It turns out that there's a reason that Aguefort has a theater department. Once every hundred years, a performance must be put on that is quote truly moving unquote lest the school be destroyed, and it turns out that Riz is fated to play the heroine of the most recent attempt. Can the Bad Kids teach him to not botch his lines or hide under the stage?

Bad idea of the day, not all cats are good cats: Puss in Boots must fight off a new contender for children's hearts and minds as the trickster cat du dour. Can he successfully murder this strange cat and his lame rhymes and thing-like minions to keep his throne, or will he be the first to fall to seussian influences?

Bad idea of the day, death stalks you edition: Adaine starts sending out Solstice cards to people who annoy her throughout the year with prophecies of their deaths. Most of them she just makes up, but one or two are genuine every year just to mix things up.

Bad idea of the day, World's Greatest Detective edition: Riz is asked to solve a murder that seems to have all the classic detective tropes he truly loves involved; it's only partway through that he realizes that Fabian, with their friends' help, has staged it because they were all worried about Riz getting bored and spiraling between quests.

Bad idea of the day, I know Halloween was two days ago but I rewatched in the mouth of madness recently edition: The Bad Kids come to realize they are being controlled by mysterious and unknowable forces, and reach a decision: To cut off the flow of evil into the world, they are going to need to find and kill whatever a 'DM' is.

Bad idea of the day, I think we've all learned some valuable lessons here edition: The Dream Team realizes some kind of truly awful existence is sweeping over new york, in which every conversation and conflict ends with everyone having picked up a seemingly valuable but really quite shallow moral to the tale; they eventually figure out that it is in fact an attempt by a powerful sorcerer to turn the world into an after school special on this, a very special episode of The Unsleeping City.

Bad idea of the day, No Really A Starstruck ODYSSEY edition: The crew take a smash and grab job investigating missing people near a remote outpost, and discover a mad scientist conducting strange experiments but also offering great hospitality and food. Can the crew of the Wurst figure everything out before the more foolish of them (gunnie) end up as pigs?

Bad idea of the day, just how sure are you about this new god edition: In the summer before junior year, Fig and the Sig Figs record a music video for their new smash single. Watching it for the first time, Saint Kristen Applebees notices something in the video that noone else seems to be able to see: A familiar tabaxi, hanging out in the crowd watching the concert.

Bad idea of the day, that gum you like is going to come back in style edition: Fig at last discovers Porter's one flaw that makes him a truly intimidating barbarian with an unstoppable rage: Students putting chewed gum onto the bottom of their desks.

Bad idea of the day, ashes to ashes edition: Tired of Fig's chainsmoking cloves, Jawbone and Tracker stage an intervention to maybe at least talk her into some sort of rebellious vice that doesn't stink up the home of two werewolves with strong senses of smell at least

Bad idea of the day, my frog is real and so is magic edition: Adaine grows up without spellcasting ability at all until on the morning she starts at Aguefort, when on her way walking to school she runs across a frog who offers her magical powers she might be able to use to improve her life.

Bad Idea of the Day, You Wouldn't Steal a Car edition: Seeking to impress his father, Fabian gets into Solace's new age of piracy, selling illegal copies of movies, music and apps throughout Elmville. Will the lawsuits catch up to him in the end, or can his amass a horde of treasure suitable for a Seacaster?

Bad idea of the day, unfamiliar edition: At Some Point in the future, Jayhson feels a magical tug from afar and appears due to the whims of one of these 'humans' who has summoned a familiar. Can he kill this whizzered and get back to his family?

Bad idea of the day, I shot the Sheriff edition: Riz wakes up one fine morning in his office to discover Agent Angela Worrel came knocking in the night, and one of the traps his paranoid ass has set up for his office has killed her. Can he cover up this capital offense, or will Worrel finally succeed, posthumously, in getting at least one Bad Kid in jail long term?

Bad idea of the day, foreseeable problems edition: The Hangman gets impounded due to a series of unpaid parking tickets, leading Fabian to argue that the Hangman should count as a pet and not a vehicle. This results in him also getting tickets for having his dog off the leash.

Bad idea of the day, Heaven or Hell edition: Following an unfortunate but hopefully temporary death, Figueroth Faeth finds herself at the center of a dispute between the planes that threatens a war, as Hell wants its archdevil but Rock Heaven insists that they have a claim to everyone who has a rock album go platinum. Will this begin a true battle of the bands?

Bad idea of the day, I admit these are getting weirder edition: The bad kids wake up one morning in the midst of a campaign designed by just the worst kind of a DM, with railroaded sidequests, boring samey npcs, and combat every six feet. Can they figure out what's going on and escape back to Spyre before rocks fall and they all die?

Bad idea of the day, Lost Things and Misfit Toys edition: Irritated as hell at the blue fairy after ending up a puppet again, Pinocchio turns not to his new stepmother for power but instead someone else who dislikes the blue fairy, someone else who believes in the occasional misdirection, someone who is pretending to be the blue fairy's sister…. one "Gwendolyn Thistlehop".

Bad idea of the day, the WORST fusion edition: After she goes on a mission trip to parts unknown, all of the bad kids notice that Kristen is acting… odder than normal. This is because (burrow's end spoiler!) she's being piloted by chipmunks, of course.

[etherealash]

Coco (2017)

Disney's 2017 movie "Coco" is celebrated for its heartfelt storytelling, vibrant animation, and evocative music that plays a central role in both the narrative and the emotional landscape of the film. The music of "Coco" is deeply interwoven with its thematic elements and setting, providing a rich layer of cultural authenticity and emotional depth. Let's delve into how the film's score situates the story within its narrative context, enhances cultural authenticity through character performance, and uses musical "framing" to structure the score within familiarized styles.

In what ways does the film’s score situate the story with its narrative context? The score of "Coco" situates the story within its narrative context by deeply rooting it in Mexican musical traditions. The film is set during Día de los Muertos, a time when families remember and honor their deceased loved ones. The music acts as a bridge between the world of the living and the dead, embodying the themes of memory, legacy, and familial love that are central to the film. Traditional Mexican instruments, such as the guitar, marimba, and trumpets, along with elements of Mariachi and Norteño styles are seamlessly incorporated into the film, grounding the film's setting authentically within Mexican culture. This musical approach not only supports the narrative context but also enriches the cultural backdrop against which the story unfolds.

The grito, demonstrated in this song, is traditional in Mexican music

How do songs use character performance to push cultural authenticity in the film’s diegesis? The rendition of "La Llorona" in Coco is a compelling example of how songs use character performance to push cultural authenticity. Unlike the more upbeat and youthful performances of Miguel, "La Llorona" is performed by the characters Mamá Imelda and Ernesto de la Cruz in a pivotal scene that blends traditional folklore with the film's thematic elements. "La Llorona" is a folk song deeply rooted in Mexican culture, with various versions telling the tale of a weeping woman. The performance of this song in "Coco" is not just a musical highlight but also a moment of emotional and cultural depth, showcasing the film's commitment to representing Mexican musical traditions authentically. Through this performance, "Coco" leverages music to deepen the narrative, connecting themes of loss, redemption, and familial bonds, while also paying homage to the rich tapestry of Mexican folklore.

La Llorona is a popular song that preexists the movie

In what ways does the film use musical “framing” to structure the score within familiarized styles? "Coco" employs musical "framing" to structure the score within familiarized styles, making the music accessible to a global audience while retaining its cultural specificity. The film's signature song, "Remember Me," composed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, serves as a prime example. It appears in various forms throughout the film, each tailored to different emotional tones and narrative moments—from a lullaby to a grand, emotional ballad. This technique of thematic variation helps to familiarize audiences with the core musical motifs, making the music a recurring narrative thread that enhances the emotional resonance of the story. By framing the music in this way, "Coco" ensures that its score is not only reflective of Mexican musical traditions but also universally relatable, bridging cultural divides through its thematic and emotional universality.

[wallynorthbynorthwest]

Hades II 🤝 Tales of Xillia 2

Kronos/Chronos as the final boss

[elizaviento]

Green on the Vine — Strawberry Wine (Part 14 of ?)

(Stardew Valley — Shane/Female Farmer/OC)

This chapter is rated NSFW — 4084 words. Blow job and come swallowing amid some wholesomeness. lmfao.

(FYI: Additional chapters of Green on the Vine — Strawberry Wine can be found in the Stardew Valley Fic Masterpost link in my blog description.  Or, you can click the #green on the vine strawberry wine tag in this post, within my blog, to access all additional chapters.)

*****

Shane spent every step back toward the ranch replaying his evening with the farmer, looping specific moments over and over until he was sure they'd imprint on his soul like a fresh brand, raw and searing. 

"I love you."

Had she really said the words, or had his desperate sense of longing manifested them from thin air and embedded each syllable into his ear canal like an intangible specter? It was hard enough to reconcile his unabated self-loathing with the reality of Kristen presenting him with a bouquet. He recalled learning of the saccharine tradition among Pelican Town shortly after he and Jas had moved in with Marnie. He'd scoffed and declared it cheesy, confident that he'd never indulge in such a mortifying display. Even while he planned to purchase one at week's end, he wondered if Kristen would laugh and call him a stupid sap. 

She would never do that. Just because you despise yourself doesn't mean you get to shove those insecurities onto her , he thought as he kicked a rock in his path and watched as it skittered into the tall summer grass. 

It all seemed so surreal in a way that Shane couldn't describe. He wasn't dumb enough to believe that fairy tale romances exist. Hell, every relationship he'd witnessed or been a part of had folded like a house of cards, with the exception of one — Yana and James. If any two people truly loved one another, it was them. Jas was proof of such love, inheriting the best parts of each of them, nurturing their essence even while what remained of their physical bodies merged with the earth, unrecognizable. Ashes to ashes; dust to dust.

Bullshit. They shouldn't have died, and no amount of poetic blather will make it okay. They deserved better. Jas deserves better…

Recognizing the infinite void he threatened to spiral into if he kept dwelling on things he couldn't change, Shane felt the seductive pull of some invisible thread guiding him toward a path etched with his footsteps over the years. The ranch was in sight, and those footprints nearly glowed, leading from the front stoop directly toward the faded oak door of the Stardrop Saloon. How many times had his fingers curled around the iron handle and pulled that door open to the aroma of marinara sauce and melted cheese? How many times had he drowned his traitorous memories under foam that bellowed over the rim of a frosted mug? How many times had he spewed them into a bucket, a toilet, Marnie's kitchen sink, his own bed? 

You're three days completely sober, Shaney boy. You can stretch it to four. You can do whatever you put your mind to.

Her voice echoed within his skull, almost as clear as a bell. Though, Yana had never seen him at his worst. She didn't have the opportunity to find him passed out on lake docks in lonely forests in the middle of the night. She didn't have to witness him guzzling cans upon cans of Joja brand clearance beer while he sloppily played James' favorite first-person shooter alone. And she certainly didn't have the misfortune to find him neglecting her precious daughter in favor of spending nearly every evening at some small town saloon where everyone surely despised him.

Shame burned the tips of his ears as these thoughts plagued him, especially when he realized that he was glad Yana wasn't alive to discover the deadbeat he'd become. It seemed that Kristen had taken up the torch as his designated babysitter, finding him in every one of those situations and more, drunk off his ass or altogether unconscious. And he'd treated her so horribly in the beginning.  

"Who even are you? Fuck off."

"No, I don't care what your name is. Go tell it to someone who gives a shit."

"Why can't you just ignore me like everyone else?"

Anytime her shock of curly auburn hair caught in his peripheral vision, or when the tinkle of her cute giggle wormed its way to his earshot, or when he noticed her dark brown eyes boring a hole through his head as if she could read his every thought, he wanted to scream. She was nice. Too nice. He'd been convinced she'd been put up to befriending him by Marnie, or she had a fucked up savior complex, and he couldn't decide which one was more unappealing.

He wasn't sure exactly when her presence ceased to feel like nails on a chalkboard or the scrapping of a fork across porcelain, but he could acutely pinpoint the night he'd looked her directly in the eye without forcing a scowl. He'd been standing on the edge of the very lake dock his feet found themselves thudding across now, early fall, a crisp chill nipping at his calves while he chased the bottom of his fifth beer can. One remained, and he'd handed it off to the farmer when she saddled herself up beside him without so much as a word in greeting. He supposed she'd grown weary of his insults but somehow still felt compelled to approach him regardless. He supposed he was glad for that.

The booze and his meandering broody thoughts had loosened his lips, confiding things he'd never said aloud to another human being, wondering if she'd look at him in abject horror. It would have been easier that way. Most people, especially those in Pelican Town, didn't like to ponder anything deeper than a mud puddle or a teardrop overflowing a thimble. If the frustratingly adorable farmer had been so shallow, perhaps he might have drank himself into oblivion by now. Instead, she listened — actually listened — and offered nothing more than her companionship, gulping her beer as if it didn't taste like warm piss on a good day.

"A woman after my own heart."

Pathetic. Shane had hated himself the second the cliché phrase tumbled from his mouth and abandoned her shortly after, standing alone in a halo of golden light from the lantern he'd left behind so she wouldn't be stranded in the dark.

He'd dreamt about her for the first time that night. The finer details had slipped from his mind and rolled down the length of his spine in the form of cold sweat by the time he'd stumbled to the bathroom to vomit. Despite telling the farmer that his liver was begging him to stop, he'd done anything but. The bottle of cheap whiskey he'd stashed above his closet door sang to him — a siren with the sweetest lullaby, promising a moonless night devoid of light or conscious thought. He gave in, slipping into the darkness like aching joints into a warm bath. Relief… alongside her freckled face. 

Night had fully fallen by the time Shane returned to the present, standing at the edge of the lake dock, fireflies twinkling over the water, reminding him of childhood and Marnie convincing him they were tiny fairies. Even then, Shane had wondered why fairies would waste their time in the presence of a little boy when they probably had important fairy business to attend to. He was nothing. He was no one. 

Except, maybe he wasn't. The farmer somehow found worth in him, despite all he'd done to discourage it. And, no matter how hard his self-loathing tried to convince him otherwise, she cared about him. She loved him. 

Suddenly feeling light-headed, Shane swayed slightly before stepping back from the edge of the dock, certain that if he looked down, he'd topple headfirst into the lake. 

You didn't say it back. Why didn't you say it back? She said you didn't have to, but you should have. You should have said it back.

"Shit," he hissed while running a trembling hand down his face. Summer evening humidity and sweat from his walk clung to his skin, coating his dry palm. A question formed in the back of his mind, the words swirling like a tornado around him while held captive within its tranquil eye.

Do you love her?

The question had never been posed before, so he'd never explicitly ruminated on the answer, even if its certainty had existed for longer than he’d realized. It had crept up on him, slow and undetected, biding its time while sprinkling pinches of adoration here, a drop of dependence there. Until the day he found her bloody and semi-unconscious in her kitchen, terrified that if he lost her, he'd lose the last piece of him that he considered human. 

Do you love her?

Yes. He did.

❦❧🍓❦❧

"Shane, is that you?" Marnie shouted over the cacophony of upbeat bubblegum pop and Jas' voice singing along to the lyrics at the top of her lungs. 

"Yeah, Marn, it's me!" he yelled, shutting the front door and greeting her with a half-hearted wave. Her frizzy hair was tied up in a high ponytail while she stirred a pot of something steamy on the stove, seemingly unphased by the ear-splitting racket threatening to crack his skull like a ball pein hammer.

"Good! Dinner will be ready in a bit! Go fetch Jas?"

He nodded, unable to muster up the energy to yell back at her when he knew he had to step into the lion's den known as his goddaughter's bedroom. When he saw the door was closed, he winced. How much louder could it possibly be inside ?

When he tapped the dancing little girl on the shoulder to get her attention, wiggling in front of a stereo that used to belong to her father, she launched upward like a rocket, a blood-curdling scream slicing through the music.

"Uncle Shane!" she squealed when she swiveled and caught him laughing, playfully slapping him on the arm while he reached over her to turn the volume down. "You scared me!"

"Uh-huh," he said, folding his arms as he stared down at her. "Yasmeen, how many times have I told you that you'll blow the speakers if you keep turning it up that loud?"

She wrinkled her nose at the use of her real name, knowing that he meant business this time. "Okay. I'm sorry," she mumbled, fiddling with the hem of her dress. "I won't do it again. Promise."

"You'll also damage your hearing, just like —" He cut himself off, biting his tongue before the remainder of the thought could be vocalized. 

"Just like what?" she asked, her large doe-like eyes staring up at him, brimming with curiosity. 

Unsure what compelled him, he placed a hand on top of her hand and continued. "Just like your mom, kiddo. She used to listen to music so loud her ears would ring. Drove your dad nuts."

"Oh," she replied, her face drooping so suddenly that Shane mentally cursed himself for being such an idiot. But she surprised him, as she often did, by reaching up to remove his hand from her head and clasp it in hers, tiny in comparison. "Will you tell me about the music she liked sometime?

"Yeah, I will." Rapidly blinking his eyes to keep the traitorous tears at bay, he scooped her up and carried her to the kitchen.

Dinner consisted of Marnie's famous spaghetti and meatballs, Jas' favorite, and the usual conversation. Shane was content to listen, mainly when Jas spoke about school and the things she'd learned that day, occasionally challenging her with questions. But the thinly veiled glances from Marnie in his direction indicated she had several questions of her own that he would be obliged to answer. Luckily, she'd kept her lips buttoned until Shane led Jas to bed for the night.

"Uncle Shane," Jas began as she snuggled under the covers and clutched her favorite teddy bear under her arm, "Aunt Marnie said you were at Miss Krissy's farm today."

"Did she?" he asked, tucking the sheets and blanket under her legs and feet, hoping his face didn't betray his unease. 

"Mmhmm," the little girl confirmed between gaping yawns. "Do you think I can visit the farm sometime? I wanna pet the kitty."

"You have lots of kitties here," Shane said, unsure why the thought of Jas romping around his girlfriend's farm put a sticky lump in his throat. Especially when he'd just agreed to move the both of them in just hours before.

"I know. But none of them are white."

"That's true," he relented, forcing himself to relax. It would be best to get Jas acclimated to the new environment sooner rather than later, right?

"So can I?"

"Yeah, kiddo. I'll tell Kriss you wanna come over soon. But now, you need to sleep," he said, smoothing her hair from her face while another vortex-like yawn overtook her, eyelids fluttering and sealed shut by the time he softly closed the door behind him.

"So —" Marnie spoke as he meandered back into the kitchen, anticipating her probing questions as if he were about to be presented in front of a firing squad. "Lewis told me someone bought a bouquet from Pierre earlier today."

"That's interesting," he replied, skirting past her to pull open the fridge and pluck a can of Joja Cola from the top shelf. Only then did he realize he'd forgotten the damn bouquet at Kristen's, discarded on the tea table by her front door. 

"Indeed, it is. He doesn't know who bought it, though. He was collecting taxes today, and Pierre's weekly sales manifest only shows quantity, which I guess makes sense. Why would he need to keep track of who buys what?" She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes slashing through him like lasers as she attempted to discern his inscrutable expression. The crack of the soda can as he pulled back the tab caused her to flinch and then roll her eyes.

"Pierre didn't just tell him?" he asked, almost bored as he sipped his soda and sat in one of the kitchen chairs.

"No," she replied, frustration creeping into her tone.

"That's shocking, considering how much everyone loves to shove their noses in other people's business. Guess I had the wrong idea about Pierre."

"Shane." She approached and stood directly beside him, arms still crossed and clearly incredulous by his blase attitude. "Were you really not going to tell me that you bought a bouquet for Krissy? We're family, and I want to be happy for you. Did she say yes?"

He took another deep gulp from the soda can, allowing her to flounder in uncertainty a few seconds longer before finally replying, "I didn't buy it."

"What?" Her face fell so fast it was almost comical, and Shane bit his lip to keep from smiling. "Then who?"

"She did." He wasn't disappointed when his aunt's expression morphed from sullen to confused to cautiously delighted within a second. When she opened her mouth again, he cut her off before she could ask if Kriss had bought the bouquet for someone other than him. "I said yes. Guess I got a girlfriend now."

"Well, what do you know…" Marnie said, her eyes already swimmy and red around the edges. "That girl always did have spunk." Without another word, she grasped her nephew by the shoulders and yanked him up into a rib-crushing hug, pressing her wet cheek into the hollow of his throat. "I am very happy for you, Shane," she mumbled as he awkwardly patted her on the back. He honestly hadn't expected such an emotional reaction and wondered if Marnie had doubts about his ability to function in a stable relationship. If so, he couldn't exactly blame her.

"Uh — thanks," he said when she finally released and leveled him with serious eyes.

"When you tell Jas, be honest. She's too smart for her own good and picks up on everything anyway." The implication of that statement wasn't lost on Shane, and he shifted his eyes to the side, not particularly interested in discussing her weird "secret" relationship with Lewis.

"Yeah, Marn. I know. She's just like her mom."

The slightly uncomfortable conversation wrapped up with Marnie capturing him in another hug before she took a phone call from someone with a familiar male voice. Shane gestured that he was heading to bed, resigned to the fact that everyone in the Valley would be aware of the newest official couple in town by morning.

A text from the farmer lit up his damaged phone screen just as he switched off his bedside lamp, and a thrill shot through his body like a low jolt of electricity.

You left your bouquet here.

With a guilty sigh, he tapped out a reply, the pads of his fingers sliding over the cracks. 

I know. Sorry. You gonna break up with me?

He unconsciously held his breath; a small part of him actually worried she might have a change of heart.

No such luck. You're stuck with me for a while. I put the flowers in water so they won't die. Did you leave it so Marnie wouldn't find out?

He supposed that was a fair question. He wasn't blind to his caginess, and neither was she.

No, babe. I told Marnie. I'll tell Jas soon.

Her reply took longer than usual, and Shane found himself chewing on his thumbnail, waiting.

Good night. I love you.

A breath caught in his lungs as the words popped on screen, slightly warped by the cracks but unmistakable, confirming it hadn't been a one-off fluke.

Good night, pretty baby. See you in the morning.

❦❧🍓❦❧

Shane attempted to keep his breathing even while Kristen's tongue swirled around the head of his dick, her deep chocolate eyes staring up at him, nails digging into the back of his thigh as she anchored it for leverage. Even without the use of her other hand, she bobbed her head effortlessly, hollowing her cheeks for the perfect amount of stabilizing suction, holding him captive in many more ways than one. 

He'd arrived at 5 am and found her waiting for him outside the coop with a cup of coffee so strong it could wake the dead. Considering he hadn't had a drink since Friday, he'd felt surprisingly light on his feet. The usual deep thirst that drenched every cell in his body still made itself known, especially in the quiet moments when he was alone, and his mind wandered and dwelled on intrusive thoughts. ( What if this is all an elaborate prank? She can't really be this into you. She'll change her mind. They always do.) The burn at the back of his throat, the trembling of his hands, the cold sweat that shone on his forehead and pooled in the dip under his nose. But those troublesome symptoms and the aching thirst itself became slightly less prominent when he was with the farmer. Like now, with his cock fully lodged in the warmth of her pretty mouth.

He wasn't exactly sure how he'd ended up with his shorts and boxers around his ankles while leaning against the wall next to the front door. He'd fully intended to only give her one quick kiss after he'd tended to the hens and told her he'd return in the evening. But she was persuasive, and he quickly gave in the second her deft fingers pulled down the zipper and smuggled their way inside, whispering that she wanted to make sure he wouldn't forget her while he stocked rows and rows of shelves with imitation food products. The notion was absurd. She was constantly on his mind, lurking around every nook and cranny, having burrowed into the gray matter of his brain like a parasite he would carry for life. 

"Pretty baby…" He threaded his fingers through her unruly hair, curls wrapping around each digit, creating the illusion of crimson waves across his flesh. His stomach was beginning to tighten along with his balls. "Honey, I'm gonna come if…" He trailed off into a deep groan when she shifted below him, grasping the shaft of his cock in her hand to stroke him in time with the movements of her mouth, her tongue trailing slick pleasure in its wake. Of course, her goal was to make him come, and her quickening pace proved that assumption correct. He was dangerously close.

"Do it in my mouth," she demanded in the few seconds she released him to speak. "Come right down my throat."

"Holy fucking shit," he whined, gripping at her scalp as she laved the flat of her tongue from the base of his shaft to the tip, pulling back his foreskin to swirl her tongue again, a maneuver that made him weak in the knees. "Are you sure, babe?" She simply relaxed the back of her throat and nestled her nose in his pubic hair in response.

Never in his life had a woman willingly offered to let him come in her mouth. He'd done it once by accident when he was 18, and the girl gagged before storming out of the back seat of his car with her shirt and bra clutched to her chest. He'd heard of women enjoying such an act during bar crawls with drinking buddies but always chalked it up to male bravado, convinced they were probably making it up to win the latest dick-measuring contest. But now, here he was, a beautiful woman on her knees before him, requesting the very thing he thought was a myth.

"Kristen," he croaked, brushing his fingers across her forehead. "Look at me." Her dark eyes rolled upward to lock with his, even while maintaining a steady rhythm with her hand and mouth, captivating him. "Fuck yeah, you're gonna make me come. You're so beautiful." The praise poured from his lips like sweet wine, effortless. Every minute he spent with her, the less he second-guessed himself. She made him feel powerful and wanted and desired. Like a heady drug that dulled his anxiety while somehow heightening his self-confidence to levels unheard of, and he was quickly becoming irrevocably addicted.

She hummed in appreciation, switching up her technique, taking his cock deeper, nudging the back of her throat in preparation while Shane clutched the curls at the crown of her head. His stomach tightened, and his thighs quivered, forcing him to lean heavily on the wall, hoping his knees wouldn't give out. 

"Shit, babe — are you ready?" His gasps seemed to echo within the darkened living room, even as the first rays of sunlight peeked through the curtains at his left. It suddenly occurred to him that anyone could glace through the crack at the right angle and catch him receiving the blowjob of a fucking lifetime. The somewhat perverse thought helped tip him over the edge, intense pleasure ripping through him on a wave of euphoria that softened his tense muscles, threatening to spill him to the floor while his cock pulsed against the back of his girlfriend's eager throat.

"Mmm," she hummed once she'd swallowed and clumsily wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Guess I don't need breakfast now."

He weakly snorted in response as he watched her stand and walk toward the kitchen for a glass of water she'd left sitting on the counter.

"I dunno if I'll ever get used to the shit you say," he remarked, pulling up his boxers and shorts. Once his belt was buckled, he slipped his phone from his pocket to check the time. 

"Told you I wouldn't make you late," she said, approaching him with a seductive sway to her hips. When she was close enough, he didn't hesitate to tug her in for a parting kiss, emotion swelling in his chest that he still felt hesitant to speak aloud.

"I won't doubt you again." He was slowly drifting back to earth but didn't feel the usual weight that rode his shoulders like an unwanted phantom, tethered to him since childhood. "Hey, um —" He faltered, uncertain if this was the right time. When she regarded him with a questioning smile, he shouldered on. "Jas wants to come over. You think Saturday is a good day?"

"Yeah, that's perfect!"

Her enthusiasm — how her face instantly lit up, causing her eyes to sparkle in a stray sliver of sunlight — melted the anxiety seizing his lungs, and he exhaled, relieved.

She captured him in another kiss, much more passionate than he'd expected, before shoving him out the front door. Seconds later, he heard her ancient record player roar to life, Frank Sinatra flying him to the moon, even if it was just a Joja Mart.

[loudwolftraveler]

𝔒ℭ'𝔖 𝔑𝔞𝔪𝔢 𝔏𝔦𝔰𝔱 (Pt.1?)

A/N: Hello, hello! these are the OC's Name List, specifically the names of the original characters i have in my fanfic works so far that may publish here soon. I won't add the main cast of the MFJINX SERIES here yet. There will be more to go but these are the focusing OC that will play a role. More characters will also appear in the future ongoing series. 

OC = Original character.

WORDS: 672

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

In another life & history repeat itself characters.

The Main Cast: Husband and wife.

First name of the husband: Amillo Angles Bernadotte.

: The heir of the Bernadotte family.

: The future emperor of Bernadotte Empire.

: The lover of Sophia.

Second name of the husband: Chester Elsher.

: The reincarnation of Amillo Angles Bernadotte.

Wife's name: Sophia Herbert → Sophia Bernadotte.

: The illegitimate child of the duke Herbert from Herbert Household.

: Empress of Bernadotte Empire.

: The lover of Amillo.

The second name of the wife is based on the reader's name.

—------------

MFJINX SERIES: Mystery or Reminiscence?

.

World 1 (Arc 1): An Ideal Love For Flawed Pair.

-Main Cast of the Arc 1:

Heroine, Employee: Evelyn Wilson → Hero: Elise Wilson.

1st ML, CEO: Zian Hart

2nd ML, COO (MC): Anthony Mitchell

Antagonist?, Chairman: Cyrus Elrod 

.

World 2 (Arc 2): The Mafia's Darling And Her Desires.

-Main Cast of the Arc 2:

Heroine: Natalia Anderson

ML: Liam Ross (R.) Albrecht

ML's Fiance's (MC): Rachel Paterson

.

World 3 (Arc 3): On earth, You're Ours to Claim.

-Main Cast of the Arc 3:

Heroine: Eleanor Scott (Got a nickname of "Ellie")

Heroine's Brother: Jacob Scott (Got a nickname of "Caleb")

1st ML (Pride): Ashmit or "Ash" by Eleanor.

2nd ML (Gluttony): Gaurava or "Raj" by Eleanor.

3rd ML (Envy): Livius or "Livi" by Eleanor.

4th ML (Lust): Sharnaz or "Arna" by Eleanor.

5th ML (Greed): Isidore or "Isis" by Eleanor.

6th ML (Sloth): Morey or "rey-rey" by Eleanor.

7th ML (Wrath): Ursula or "Silas" by Eleanor.

.

World 4 (Arc 4): A world without you.

-Main Cast of the Arc 4:

Heroine: Diana Winfred

ML: Jeremiah Stewart (Subject-099, Nicknames: "Jerry" or "Jeremy")

Side character & The Villain? (MC): Emrin Reid (Subject-0100)

—-----------------

Your heart never belongs to anyone, not even me & A weird dream upon knowing everything.

Hellion Bruesewitz

Liliya Chiara (Cherly Rae possessed this character's body)

Eloise Chiara (step sister)

Isaac Ryder

Winter Grace

Xianna Bruesewitz (The Novel Mc, the daughter of both Eloise and Hellion)

Cheryl Rae (Mc)

—--------------

Sweet Lies (Ocs x oc) (SERIES)

Mentioned:

Ezra Darius

Sylvia Hensley

Cosette Hwang (Mc)

Characters will introduce later:

Ethan Colton

Luka Thomson

Amir Hansley (Older brother of Sylvia)

—-------------------

I would fall in love with a dominant woman like you. (M!Oc x Reader)

Huizhong Asrava

—------------------

The world I never wanted to be (Hsr SERIES) (X Gn!reader)

Benjamin Sylvester

Shin Keiko

Ji-hun

—-------------------

The old tale about once heroes. (SERIES, Miraculous ladybug concept idea) (Ocs x Oc)

Daughter: Magdalena or "Lena" Beaumont (Mc)

Papa: Zion Beaumont

Mama: Madeleine Wynn → Madeleine Beaumont.

Death son?: Theodore or "Theo" Beaumont

And more...

—-----------------------

Reincarnated as a love interest but I dislike the heroine. (Ocs x M!Oc) (SERIES)

Heroine: Daphne Swega

1st ML: Dylan "Sullivan" (The character the mc possessed.)

2nd ML: Isaac Lyle

3rd ML: Mike Andre

4th ML: Max Cecilia (C.) Adonis

5th ML: Helen Henry *Also known as "kierian"

6th ML: Alastair Raven

MC's Family

Older Brother: Chris Adler a.k.a Xavier Zack [Chris Z. Adler] (The mc)

Sister: Kristen Z. Adler

Father: Elijah Zack (Z.) Adler

Mother: Iris Z. Adler

Scarlett Thatcher (Chris' female best friend, also his close confidant in both his model and YouTube/Steamer career.) 

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

That's all, as i told you on my conversation, there's more but i stil don't feel shy to publish those :') Hopefully if I am able to complete those and have a little confidence, i might be able to share those. Btw One is full of scenarios from the romance manhwa while the other one has parts.

Also from the sweet Lies, the prologue is done, probably around corner :)  

Yesterday i was scrolling to the youtube watch few videos here and there, then one of the video make my brain have a new idea 💀 PleAse T-T I can't have more ideas cuz my works will pile up T-T 

(I will write that idea now--)

- July 5

[inapat17]

What to say about the movie Civil War by Alex Garland

With "Civil War," Garland explores the complexities of human nature and societal upheaval, presenting a dystopian vision that resonates with contemporary issues. This blog delves into the thematic essence, cinematic techniques, and overall impact of "Civil War," making it a must-watch for fans of speculative fiction.

Thematic Exploration

"Civil War" delves deep into the fabric of societal fractures and the human condition. Set in a not-so-distant future, the film portrays an American society on the brink of collapse, divided by ideological and political conflict. Garland's narrative is a chilling exploration of what happens when a society loses its cohesion and descends into chaos. The title itself is a stark reminder of the ever-present threat of internal conflict within nations, making it highly relevant in today's polarized world.

One of the central themes of "Civil War" is the fragility of democracy and the ease with which civil liberties can be crushed. Garland uses his characters to depict various facets of this theme. Throughout their journey within the states, the main characters (war reporters) introduce us to this new fractured society where the loss of trust in institutions leads to extreme violence. This thematic depth is what sets Garland's work apart, offering viewers not just a story, but a mirror to our own society.

Cinematic Techniques

The visual storytelling in “Civil War” is very striking and intense, with a meticulous attention to detail that enhances its dystopian atmosphere. The scenes of violence are shockingly realistic, brutal and traumatic - for my part. This film depicts the daily life of war journalists. Above all, it highlights the dualism of this profession: whether you're prepared to risk your life for a good photo or not.The cinematography by Rob Hardy, plays a crucial role in immersing the audience in this dystopian world. Hardy's use of long, unbroken shots creates a sense of continuity and realism, making the unfolding chaos feel both inevitable and inescapable. 

The sound design also deserves special mention; the ambient sounds by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow add layers of tension and unease, making the film an auditory experience as much as a visual one. It also confuses the viewer and makes the scenes all the more shocking.

Character Development

Garland's characters are complex and multi-dimensional, reflecting the gray areas of morality that the film seeks to explore. The protagonist (Kristen Dunst - LeeSmith), portrayed with nuanced intensity by an as-yet-undisclosed lead actor, embodies the struggle for survival and integrity in a world where the lines between right and wrong are increasingly blurred. Supporting characters (Wagner Moura -  Joel / Cailee Speany - Jessie / Stephen McKinley Henderson - Sammy)  add depth to the narrative, each representing different responses to the societal collapse—some succumb to fear and hatred, while others strive to find a semblance of humanity and hope.

The interactions between characters are where Garland's script truly shines. Dialogue is sparse but impactful, often leaving much unsaid, which adds to the tension and the viewers' engagement.

Impact and Conclusion

"Civil War" is not just a film; it is a commentary on the state of our world. Garland's cautionary tale challenges viewers to reflect on their own beliefs and the direction in which our society is heading.

In conclusion, "Civil War" by Alex Garland is a compelling and thought-provoking film that deserves attention and discussion. Its exploration of societal collapse is really interesting. As we navigate through increasingly turbulent times, Garland's film serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of unity, empathy, and vigilance. 

Trigger warning : the character with the pink glasses is the worst of all,  in my opinion.

BOILEAU Ninon

[gangseysallhere]

WE'RE GETTING SHIVER!

EXCLUSIVE: Andy Fickman (One True Loves) is set to direct Shiver, a feature adaptation of the same-name novel by New York Times bestseller Maggie Stiefvater.

Producer Addam Bramich (Russell Crowe’s Poker Face) optioned the book, published by Scholastic in 2009, which is the first in Stiefvater’s globally bestselling series The Wolves of Mercy Falls and spent more than 40 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. The film will follow Grace, who for years has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf — her wolf — has a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human — or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

A writer for the film has not yet been attached. But Bramich will produce alongside Fickman and Betsy Sullenger (You Again, Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse) through their Oops Doughnut Productions, with Stiefvater consulting.

“From the first page of Maggie Stiefvater’s novel, I was transported to a vivid, magical and romantic world that I immediately wanted to bring to life,” said Fickman. “These multidimensional characters are grounded in the daily joys and terrors of high school, live in an elevated arena between fantasy and reality, and love across those boundaries and without limits. I’m thrilled to bring this stunning tale of forbidden romance to the screen along with a fresh coat of Minnesota snow.”

“We could not be more thrilled to embark on this journey with the incredibly talented director Andy Fickman, as we bring the adventurous and thrilling world within this story to the big screen,” added Bramich. “With this unique story, and the help of the brilliant author Maggie Stiefvater, it is with great enthusiasm that we begin this exciting collaboration.”

Fickman is an award-winning writer, director and producer whose romantic dramedy One True Loves hits theaters on April 7th. Simu Liu, Phillipa Soo and Luke Bracey star in that pic based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestseller. In conjunction with Village Roadshow, he also recently directed and produced the stage capture of his award-winning show Heathers the Musical, which debuted to acclaim on Roku last September. The stage show is currently selling out at The Other Palace Theatre in London, where it has received several West End noms and other accolades.

Other notable titles helmed by Fickman include Fox’s family comedy Parental Guidance starring Billy Crystal and Bette Midler, DreamWorks’ teen sports rom-com She’s the Man, Paramount’s Playing with Fire starring John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key and John Leguizamo, Disney’s hit films The Game Plan and Race to Witch Mountain, both starring Dwayne Johnson, as well as Disney/Touchstone’s comedy You Again starring Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Betty White and more.

On the television side, Fickman most recently directed and exec produced Netflix’s NASCAR comedy The Crew, starring Kevin James, Freddie Stroma and Sarah Stiles. He previously collaborated with James as director and EP of his Netflix stand-up special Kevin James: Never Don’t Give Up, also directing on Nickelodeon’s No Good Nick, starring Melissa Joan Hart and Sean Astin.

An author of books for all ages, as well as a musician and artist, Stiefvater’s book series The Wolves of Mercy Falls and The Raven Cycle were both #1 New York Times bestsellers. She also previously penned The Scorpio Races, which was named a Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book in 2012.

Fickman is repped by WME, Entertainment 360 and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Stiefvater by Angela Cheng Caplan of Cheng Caplan Company, Richard Pine of InkWell Management and VanderKloot Law.

[heavenboy09]

10 YEARS AGO TODAY

ON NOVEMBER 27TH, 2013

DISNEY INVITES YOU ALL

TO WITNESS

THE SINGLE MOST SPECTACULAR ANIMATED FILM OF 2013 & THE BIGGEST ANIMATED FILM OF DISNEY'S CINEMA 🎥

SINCE THE DEBUT OF THE LION KING 🦁 🤴 IN 1994

BASED ON THE INSPIRATION OF THE HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN'S FAIRY 🧚‍♀️ TALE " THE SNOW ❄ QUEEN 👸

IN A FAR AWAY LAND

IN A ENCHANTED COUNTRY IN EUROPE 🇪🇺

LIES A KINGDOM 🏰

A PEACEFUL KINGDOM OF TRANQUILITY & HEART ❤

& THE SNOW ❄ THERE IS LIKE MAGIC ✨

THAT KINGDOM 🏰 IS KNOWN AS

THE KINGDOM OF ARENDELLE 🏰❄🇳🇴

THERE THE CITIZENS OF IT'S JOYOUS & GRACIOUS HOSTS

THE KING 🤴 & QUEEN 👸 OF ARENDELLE

& THEIR LOVELY 2 DAUGHTERS WHO ONE DAY, ONE OF THEM WILL BE THE FUTURE QUEEN 👸 OF THEIR BEAUTIFUL KINGDOM

WATCH OVER THE PEOPLE & RULE WITH KINDNESS & MERCY FOR ALL THOSE LIVE IN THE LAND

PRINCESS ELSA👸🏼  OF ARENDELLE POSSESSES MAGICAL POWERS ❄    ALLOWING HER TO CONTROL ICE 🧊AND SNOW❄, OFTEN USING THEM TO PLAY WITH HER YOUNGER SISTER  ANNA  IN THEIR CHILDHOOD.

AFTER ELSA ACCIDENTALLY INJURES ANNA WITH HER MAGIC, THEIR PARENTS

THE KING 🤴AND QUEEN 👸

TAKE THEM TO A COLONY OF STONE🗿 TROLLS LED BY PEBBLE, WHO HEALS ANNA BUT ERASES HER MEMORIES OF ELLA'S MAGIC ✨. 

PABBBIE WARNS ELSA THAT SHE MUST LEARN TO CONTROL HER POWERS,

AND THAT FEAR WILL BE HER ENEMY.

THE SISTERS ARE ISOLATED WITHIN THE CASTLE🏰, THE GATES OF WHICH ARE NOW CLOSED OFF TO THE PUBLIC. OUT OF FEAR OF HER INCREASINGLY UNPREDICTABLE POWERS, ELSA CEASES ALL CONTACT WITH ANNA, CAUSING THEM TO BECOME EMOTIONALLY DISTANT.

WHEN THE SISTERS ARE TEENAGERS, THE KING 🤴 AND QUEEN 👸 ARE LOST AT SEA AND PRESUMED DEAD.

UPON REACHING ADULTHOOD, ELSA IS DUE TO BE CROWNED QUEEN 👸🏼 BUT FEARS THAT HER SUBJECTS WILL DISCOVER HER MAGIC✨ AND FEAR HER.

THE CASTLE GATES ARE OPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS TO THE PUBLIC AND VISITING DIGNITARIES, INCLUDING THE SCHEMING DUKE OF WESELTON AND  PRINCE 🤴 HANS OF THE SOUTHERN ISLES. 

WHEN THEIR KINGDOM 🏰 BECOMES TRAPPED IN PERPETUAL WINTER ❄, FEARLESS ANNA👸  JOINS FORCES WITH MOUNTAINEER KRISTOFF🤴 AND HIS REINDEER🦌 SIDEKICK TO FIND ANNA'S SISTER, SNOW QUEEN ELSA

AND BREAK HER ICY SPELL🧊. ALTHOUGH THEIR EPIC JOURNEY LEADS THEM TO ENCOUNTERS WITH MYSTICAL TROLLS🗿, A COMEDIC SNOWMAN ⛄ HARSH CONDITIONS, AND MAGIC ✨AT EVERY TURN.

ANNA AND KRISTOFF BRAVELY PUSH ONWARD IN A RACE TO SAVE THEIR KINGDOM FROM WINTER'S COLD GRIP 🥶.

DISNEY & WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS PRESENTS

THE 1# DISNEY FILM OF 2013

& THE GLOBAL SENSATIONAL FILM THAT TOOK LITTLE GIRLS 👧 EVERYWHERE TO A MAGICAL PLACE WHERE YOU COULD LET IT ALL GO. 

KRISTEN BELL 🔔

IDINA MENZEL ❄

JONATHAN GROFF 🦌

& JOSH GAD ⛄

IN

DISNEY'S

FROZEN ❄👸👸🏼🤴🏰⛄🦌

HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY TO DISNEY'S FROZEN ❄👸👸🏼🤴🏰⛄🦌

IT'S TIME ONCE AGAIN.  TO LET IT GO ❄😉 #Frozen #Disney #PrincessElsa #PrincessAnna #Kristoff #Sven #Olaf #KristenBell #IdinaMenzel #JonathanGroff #JoshGad #LetItGo

[lol-jackles]

There were doubts about the cast because based on the BTS videos and pics on the main actors' social media (it was shot in 2022), they looked "too straight." But it was from the BTS, of course they weren't in characters. Once the trailer was out, 99% of those doubts were gone, I dare say. And now they're addicted to the movie, like me. Just watch this 2hour-ish movie until the end I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Your gf too. #RWRB

youtu(.)be/pt56IC8gDZ4?si=Vug_-r1Vio2Gm4sr

The link appear to be gone, maybe it was a copyright issue. No worries, I've just seen it on Amazon Prime.

That was it for the royal wedding food fight? Right, tv movie budget. And nothing can top Bridesmaid bridal shower meltdown and Kristen Wiig losing her fight against a giant cookie.

Alex nearly lost me when he said the President doesn't need the Midwest vote. I thought, "I reeeeeally hope he has a redemption arc." But then I remember it's a romantic comedy so never mind. So it took me a little longer than it should to get into the Rom-Com mindset due to the political themed setting. That said, Zahra the deputy chief of staff became my immediate favorite character, her advice to Alex was an accidental double entrendre.

We see Prince Henry from Alex's pov: the moment Henry stopped being a dick, he became a near flawless human being, which is a fantasy from Alex's pov. Only when Henry rejects Alex's fantasy that we see Henry's vulnerability, the real Henry, while Alex yammers on his fantasy of them being an out couple after his mother's reelection as President. Alex is such an idealist that it hurts my teeth.

Henry breaks it off so Alex naturally "storm the palace gate" to get his man back. Henry tells Alex that their relationship cost Alex nothing, and it turned to be correct when they are outed by Alex's spiteful ex...uh, make-out partner? Who happens to be a journalist? Alex is so reckless that it hurts my teeth. But his infatuation over Henry is earnest, so that makes it okay.

Sidenote, when Henry said their relationship, especially if outed, cost Alex nothing, it reminded me of when Sam told Dean that his willingness to make the sacrifice as long as he's the one not getting hurt. Which coincidentally I got an Ask asking me to review "The Purge", that will be coming soon.

The outing scandal may have cost Henry his grandfather and older brother and if this was real life, Buckingham Palace would have ceded any protection of him. Alex, as predicted by Henry, suffers no consequence: his parents accepted his sexuality, he got his boyfriend back, and his mother wins the reelection (*ignore the electoral college map on the screen oh my God!*) and he lives happily ever after with Henry who found unexpected acceptance from his subject.

I believe the political themed setting hindered me from fulling getting into this rom-com. Even so, I agree with Anon I that this is a lighthearted, corny, escapist movie. The two leads have good chemistry and they felt like they have a real connection. The no-nonsense deputy chief of staff became their biggest advocate and I admit I chuckled when it turns out she and the equerry were having a secret relationship. Sure, the pandering elements were extra cringe, but the characters are charming in a fairy tale way.

As for the Destiel fanfiction claim by Anon II, was it because Alex has dark hair and down-turn eye shapes were like Misha? If anything Alex reminds me a bit more of Dean due to his infatuation over Henry. Even though Henry made the first move, Alex did most of the pursuing of the reserved, quiet Henry who dream of living a normal life as a writer living in Paris. Even Taylor's acting choices reminded me of Dean as Alex at times can comes off cartoonish, whereas Nicholas plays Henry with more dramatic seriousness.

In conclusion, the movie is predictable fun with heart and romance and jokes that mostly lands.

Score: 7 out of 10. 1 point deduction for everybody being so cheery and happy. 1 point deduction for underdeveloped happy side characters. 2 points deductions for that damn electoral map. 1 point returned for the believable romantic tension between Alex and Henry.

[msclaritea]

Explained | Snow White live-action remake: Why is Disney classic stirring modern controversy? - Entertainment News

"Zegler's honest, but perhaps ill-advised, remarks on the original film's dated portrayal of gender dynamics and her vision for a more empowered Snow White added fuel to the fire. In an interview last year, she told Extra TV, "The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird! So we didn’t do that this time. We have a different approach to what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie. All of Andrew’s scenes could get cut, who knows? It’s Hollywood, baby (Andrew being actor Andrew Jonathan who plays the role of a prince who awakens Snow White with a kiss)." 

The response to her comments, let's say, was less than wholesome. Traditionalists yearning for the comforting embrace of nostalgia and seeking a faithful recreation of the animated classic, reviled Zegler, sharing on social media claiming how Zegler is dark-skinned and ugly as compared to the image of Snow White they have in their minds. They will probably continue to complain until the movie comes out. or even after that. Some did celebrate her comments, and the chance to challenge conventions in a new adaption of the classic tale for modern audiences.

The clash between tradition and progress extended to the portrayal of love and feminism. Zegler's assertion that the prince in the original was akin to a "stalker" was met with resistance from those who romanticised everything about the original. Once you become emotionally attached to something or even an idea of that something, reason vanishes. Zegler's declaration that the new Snow White wouldn't rely on the prince for salvation challenged the very idea of the story those traditionalists had in their minds. Thus, Zegler became not Snow White but the Evil Queen for them."

YO, CAN SOMEONE SEND ME SOME BOOTS? I JUST STEPPED INTO A VAT OF BULLSHIT! Below is a list from Wiki of Love Action remakes of Snow White, just in the 2000s. There were over 12 others before then. Two of them from Germany, featuring ONLY the Dwarves. Was the writer of this article counting on short term memory?

7 Dwarves – Men Alone in the Wood (7 Zwerge – Männer allein im Wald) (2004), a German comedy film

The Brothers Grimm (2005), an adventure fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, and Lena Headey

7 Dwarves: The Forest Is Not Enough (7 Zwerge – Der Wald ist nicht genug) (2006), sequel to the 2004 German film 7 Dwarves – Men Alone in the Wood

Sydney White (2007), a modernization, starring Amanda Bynes

Blancanieves (2012), a silent Spanish film based on the fairy tale.

Mirror Mirror (2012), starring Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen Clementianna,[93] Lily Collins as Snow White, Armie Hammer as Prince Andrew Alcott, and Nathan Lane as Brighton, the Queen's majordomo.

The Huntsman series:

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, and Sam Claflin.

The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016), which features Snow White as a minor character.

How is it that people are throwing so-called fits over live adaptations when some of these others are quite recent and varied in storyline? We're all used to the modern twisting of fairy tales. What some are not used to is being so inartifully and clumsily lectured about male female relationships by an actress who looks about 12 years old. You know what this is about: Interference and ongoing attempted sabotage of the Disney brand.