#She's a surprisingly charismatic weirdo

[annatateson]

Nika, my current Pathfinder character <3

[ersatzpenguin]

Something that I think gets lost in all the internet bluster from bigots is the fact that most bigots are quiet—some of them can even be polite. They won’t say the things they think about you or your loved-ones to your face. And that honestly bothers me more in some ways.

A short story:

When we moved into our current house, and met our neighbor across the alley for the first time, she seemed surprisingly cold and distant. But, try as we might, we couldn’t pin down why. We quickly learned that she was good friends with the couple that lived in the house before us, and figured she must have just been sad to lose her friends. So, we went out of our way to be friendly and good neighbors. We were new to the city, and if she wanted friends, we were certainly looking for them. But, nothing changed.

In fact, over time, we noticed that she’d started actively avoiding eye contact with us—sometimes going so far as to act like we were not even there. For example, on a couple occasions her dog ran across the alley into our garage to say hello. When this happened, she’d tell the dog, “Former Owner 1 and Former Owner 2 don’t live there anymore, you can’t go over there”—all while ignoring our assurances that it’s okay, and we love dogs. Like, not really even replying or acknowledging us.

By this time, the only reason I could think of for her apparent disdain for us is the fact that we’re queer. But, she’d never said anything along those lines to us, and we live in a very queer-friendly neighborhood (in some ways, the “young gayborhood” in Minneapolis). So, wanting to believe the best about people, I figured I was wrong, and maybe we had done something we weren’t aware of to upset her—maybe right as we were moving in.

But, it bugged me. I don’t need to be friends with my neighbors by any means, but some sort of friendly communication seems necessary—after all, you want your neighbors to know they can talk to you about turning your music down instead of just calling the cops, etc. So, after we got to know our other neighbors better, I asked them if they knew anything about what was going on or if there was something we had done we weren’t aware of. While one hinted at her having said some “weird things,” most of them just affirmed that she’s not worth being friends with, has literally called the cops on another neighbor for noise without saying anything to them first, and has generally been a bit of a pain to have as a neighbor. She’s also apparently bragged about how the plants in her front yard discourage loitering. Hearing this, I thought to myself, “Fair enough. She’s just an antisocial jerk. I can handle that.”

And that’s how I thought of the situation for the last year or so. I had honestly gotten to the point where I felt bad for her—living alone, not seeming to ever have friends over or anything resembling a social life, just her and her admittedly much more charismatic dog. C’est la vie.

That is, until yesterday—when my partner pointed out she has a new sticker on her trash can. One of these:

And… there was my answer. She’s just a bigot. I spent multiple years worried we had somehow offended her without knowing what we did, trying to be as friendly as possible—and all that time and energy was for nothing because she’s one of those “‘Adam and Eve,’ not ‘Amanda and Eve’” weirdos.

Don’t get me wrong, I kind of like that she doesn’t feel like she can actively spout her nonsense to others—it speaks to the sort of community we have that the best she can manage is a poorly designed and thought-out bumper sticker on her trash can. I’m just frustrated that I spent so much of my time and energy worrying about her feelings before realizing she wasn’t worth it.

[ghostlywritten]

If Only I Had Stayed In The Shadows - Chapter Ten

James Potter x OC

Words: 4,8k

Prologue  Chapter One   Chapter Two  Chapter Three  Chapter Four  Chapter Five  Chapter Six  Chapter Seven  Chapter Eight  Chapter Nine

The break passed and life in Hogwarts continued in blissful peace for the next few months. At least for us students. Outside of the walls and grounds of Hogwarts, the situation was getting darker and darker each day. People went missing or were declared as dead, causing chills down our spines whenever the list grew longer with each newspaper.

I sighed, folding a piece of parchment that contained a letter from my parents about their well being. They were alright but had to take a lot of extra hours, giving how more and more muggleborn or halfblood wizards and witches were registered every day and night with the worst injuries at their hospital. Some - if not many - did not make it by the end of the next dawn. A hand snatched the letter from my hand and I glanced over at the messy-haired boy next to me as he unfolded it again. "Ever heard of privacy?" I asked and his eyes widenend in mock-astonishment, "No, what's that?"

His good mood evaporated slightly though after he skimmed the letter and an usually solemn expression graced his features instead. "Things are really getting worse everyday, aren't they?" he asked quietly, catching Sirius' attention from his other side.

"What's getting worse everyday?" he questioned, joining our conversation. Remus, Peter, Lily and Marlene looked up from their sheets as well. We were gathered together in the Common Room, sitting at one table to 'study'. Some would think it odd since we never usually mingled together, especially with Lily's open hatred towards James and everything the Marauders stood for. But ever since he and I got together, everyone consequently spent more time together as a group, surprisingly getting along...most of the time.

"A lot of people are dying or getting injured," James replied, handing me back my letter.

"Mom says, the hospital is being run down. They won't be able to carry so many patients for long," I added, feeling uneasy, "Apparently the healthcare system is close to collapsing."

"That's bad," Marlene commented, worry creasing her forehead, "What's going to happen if this goes on?" Everyone shrugged, glancing at each other helplessly as no one had an answer.

"The Ministry will figure it out eventually," Remus tried to reassure us all, straightening up in optimism.

"Right, they always do," Lily agreed, causing Sirius to scoff quietly. She gave him a challenging look, raising her eyebrow. "You've got anything to say, Black?"

"There is a lot I could say that would certainly not please you, Evans," Sirius quipped.

"Anyways," James cut in before a bicker session could begin between them, "We shouldn't turn our hair grey because of this. We are young! And still have more than a year left in the safest place in the country."

I nodded in agreement, leaning into him as he threw his arm around me. Lily silently flickered her deep green eyes between us.

"But what happens after we graduate?" Peter spoke up with an almost quivering voice as he still looked worried.

"Let our future selfs worry about that," Sirius dismissed.

"We should still have a plan though," Lily pointed out and I allowed a frown on my face after she finally ripped her intense gaze off. She had been doing that a lot lately, staring at our interactions longer than deemed normal. What was her issue? "You know, the teachers are planning to start sessions for career advice with each of us. Having no plan probably won't look good."

"Oh, I already know what I'm going to do," Sirius shot back immediately, smirking confidently, "Auror sounds pretty enticing, especially during this time, doesn't it?"

"Same," James said and I resisted the urge to raise my eyebrows at his confidence, "That or Quidditch," he added as an afterthought.

"I don't know," Marlene mused, "Auror does have a nice ring to it but I always thought I would do something with Potions...," Stunned silence and a collective jaw drop followed. The brown-haired beauty burst out in laughter at our disbelieved looks, shaking her head, "Just joking. You should see your faces."

I rolled my eyes at her. "You really got us there for a second, Marls," Remus chuckled.

The evening passed and even though I would have liked to say we did a lot of studying...we didn't. "Well, Remus and I gotta go," Lily sighed, getting up, "We're patrolling tonight."

"Uh, sounds fun," Marlene commented sarcastically and the red head shot her a look.

"Right, on it!" Remus got up as well, readying himself, "Boys, don't pull any pranks tonight. It will make me look bad."

"But Moony, now is the best time! With you on patrol, we won't get any punishment!" Sirius stated indignantly.

"That's exactly what I mean with making me look bad," Remus remarked with a sigh, "I'm a prefect, mate. Help me out by not doing anything."

The black-haired boy seemed to contemplate his options before giving in with a pout, "Fine, but you owe me."

"Good boy," Remus said, patting his head like a dog, "I'll see you guys later...ladies, have a good night."

"Night, Remus!"

"So, if no pranks are allowed...how about we get a midnight snack from the kitchen and head to the Astronomy Tower?" James suggested and I gave him an offended look even though my heart fluttered at his romantic suggestion. "I am second to your pranks? Really?"

"Of course you are!" Sirius snickered.

"Of course you are not!" James contradicted and it was his best mate's turn to give him an affronted look. "Really, Prongs? You're giving me up for a lass so easily?"

"...Pretty much, yes," James shrugged, causing me to snort.

Sirius pouted. "Can I at least tag along?"

"Me too?" Peter added himself.

"Sorry mates, this time is only for me and my love," James declined, pulling me closer as we got up and kissing my temple. I blushed slightly at his open affection. Ever since New Year's Eve we had become closer and practically glued to each other. I couldn't believe my luck at this point, wondering how I had managed to capture the attention of this charismatic and sweet boy when I was a rather boring girl with a boring life. Yet, here we were, officially together for about four months in and going strong.

After grabbing a few snacks from the kitchen, we headed up to the highest tower in the school. I sat down at the ledge, leaning against the barrier with my arms and resting my chin on them as I breathed in the fresh night air. James settled down next to me, quietly handing me a sandwich I bit into immediately whilst we enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and presence of the other. The view was magnificent, moonlight reflecting from the slight waves of the black sea and I imagined the Giant Squid breaking the surface with its tentacles from time to time.

"What are you thinking about?" James eventually asked softly and I glanced over. His cheek rested on his crossed arms, eyes locked on my face. I blushed slightly at his gaze, looking back out at the landscape. A tinge of happiness rose in me as I thought how life was for me at the moment. Despite my parents throwing fits because of my career choices, I had a great boyfriend, who supported me in everything. And as cliché as it sounded, he made me feel safe during the dangerous times of war raging just outside of the Hogwarts grounds. Is that what love makes you feel-? My thoughts came to a screeching halt at the l-word before it started racing uncontrollably fast. Love? Did I love him?

"Cec?" James poked my arm, breaking me out of my reverie and I twitched slightly in surprise, "Are you spacing out on me?"

"N-no, I was just...," my eyes flickered around for an escape, "..daydreaming," I ended lamely, pressing my mouth against my underarm.

"Okay?" James raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me, "Are you cold? You are twitching like a weirdo."

"Jeez, thanks," I said sarcastically, though immediately blushed when he scooted closer, throwing an arm around me. "It's alright, weirdo," he said with a grin, "I'll be your knight in shining amor once again and keep you warm."

"And once again, I gotta remind you of a little magic trick called Heating Charm," I replied with the same grin, warmth spreading through me at his cute gesture. James was full of cute gestures, it was a miracle no one knew that. Maybe, because he had never been able to show this side of him before. I bit my lip, shyly acknowledging the increase of my heartbeat at his proximity, the realisation of my feelings suddenly becoming clear.

I had fallen for that idiot.

Days had passed and I was mulling over how to tell James about my feelings. Should I tell him at all? Should I wait for him to say it first? Did he feel the same anyway?

There was only one person to ask for love advice. Someone, who had helped me before.

"Marlene, should I tell him?" I asked.

"Absolutely not," the beautiful Gryffindor answered immediately with her eyes wide.

"Why not?"

"The boy has to say it first. That's the rule."

I made a face. "Is that really? Or are you just making it up?"

Marlene sighed, grabbing my shoulders. "Dearest Cec. We girls easily fall in love. And we figure it out quite easily, too. A boy usually needs a while longer and if the girl were to approach him with her feelings, he would immediately feel swamped and make a beeline for the next exit. Until he is not sure of his own feelings, I wouldn't tell him."

I frowned slightly, "That's a bit biased, don't you think? I'm sure not all boys would try to run away."

"Oh believe me, they will," Marlene stated almost darkly. Something told me, she was talking from experience but I was not enough of a Gryffindor to dig deeper. She noticed my gaze though and immediately let go of my shoulders, leaning back in nonchalance. "I mean, you can risk it and tell him or you can wait. Personally, I believe waiting is the best. It doesn't hurt now, does it?"

I pondered over her words whilst wandering the halls in search of the one boy, who kept running through my mind. Sure, it wouldn't hurt to wait for him to say it first, but the question was how long would he need to realise it? Could I perhaps quicken it up by just telling him first, making him notice his own feelings faster? Or would it just pressure him to say it, too even if he doesn't mean it? That thought filled me with horror and I swiftly decided to keep my mouth shut.

Though, when I rounded the corner to the courtyard and saw him standing in all his bespectacled, nut brown messy haired glory I couldn't help but suddenly hear my heartbeat loud and clearly, drumming in my ears in a pace it would usually go after a sprint or a run up of blasted staircases. I couldn't help but stop short in my movements to savour the sight of his smile for a second, the same smile he would direct at his mates and me, all the people he loved (perhaps he did actually love me, too), his teeth shining in the sunlight that would occasionally peak through between the many clouds and I decided to tell him my feelings then and there, head slightly dizzy from the once again quick change of mind. But before I took a step forward, my eyes flickered away from him at the reflection of the sun on shiny red hair, rippled in perfect waves and slightly blinding. And then they flickered towards a pair of glistening, emerald green eyes that were smiling at the exact same boy I wanted to talk and spill my feelings to.

I swiftly stepped back in the shadows, wincing at my own behaviour. Why was I spying on them? They were doing nothing but talking, laughing at each other...something I had never seen Lily do with James before. Ever. Wishing I could hear what they were saying I looked back at James, feeling my chest warm at the sight of his smile but almost burn at the realisation who it was directed to. All the people he loved...

'No,' I shook my head, 'We've talked about this before we got together. He made it clear that he lost interest in her...after pining after her for years.' She clearly never reciprocated his feelings, so their not-lovestory was over when he moved on. But what if she did reciprocate his feelings? I thought back on all the times I caught her staring at us. Could it be that she had been feeling something for him all along and was just hiding it? Or didn't realise it until now?

Marlene's lessons on keeping a boy interested crossed my mind. Would trying hard to get work on girls, too? After all, James had been chasing her for years and suddenly stopped paying attention to her. He was even in a relationship. But would that spark an interest in Lily? Certainly not. She wasn't the type to chase after someone, who was taken, not to mention one, who had been annoying her for years. No, she was just befriending him now that he wasn't pining after her, seeing as they were in the same friendship circles. We were all spending more time together, the girls and the Marauders. And as Marlene, Alice and I were starting to get along more with the boys, so was Lily. It was bound to happen that we all grew closer. If anything, it was a good thing.

I relaxed a bit at that conclusion, smiling slightly as they laughed quite loudly at something James said. Back then, when I was obsessing more over other people's relationships (since I had none of my own), I always thought they would get along really well if James hadn't been chasing her in his boisterous and overly-done way. Him, with his wild and goofy nature that would dare her to many adventures, and her, who would be able to tame him and not take it too far, keeping him on the ground. 

+A perfect friendship. 

A perfect relationship.

My smile faded and I turned around. Despite myself, I didn't dare to reveal my feelings to the boy on that day.

Neither did I on the following days that turned to weeks until we reached the end of the spring and the world slowly turned warmer in the first days of the summer with a turn from April to May. Everything was as normal as it could get when you were friends with the Marauders. Classes were the same, Quidditch practices were the same, we had won the last game against Ravenclaw and were now on first place to win the Cup as long as Slytherin lost against Hufflepuff (which was quite unlikely, but nobody tell James). The Marauders pulled their usual pranks, although they were more tamed than in their previous years and less directed at us girls. James and I were still going to strong...yet none of us had said the l-word even though we had been together for almost eight months by now. And although Marlene kept reassuring me that it was normal for boys to take longer in their admittance for love, all the romantic books that I'd read throughout my teenage years stated otherwise. We should have long since reached that stage to proclaim our love for each other, shouldn't we? Hell, James proclaimed his love for Lily everyday for years ever since he saw her and they weren't even together. It shouldn't be hard for him to realise whether he loved me or not.

This fueled my insecurities more each day that passed without a confession, which caused me to keep my mouth shut about my own feelings, too. Instead I found myself frequently catching James and Lily alone, deep in conversation, whenever I was looking for him after he went missing on all of us. Either at the library, where I had never seen him go as often as now and on his own will, too, or outside at the courtyard or on the Hogwarts grounds with her sitting in the shade of a tree and him dangling from a branch above her, grinning down at her as she laughed whenever his glasses slipped askew from his upside down position. It was practically a picture ripped from the pages of a romance novel. And the burning feeling in my chest would continue.

"Lily and James are getting along pretty well, aren't they?" I commented off-handedly one day. Marlene, Alice and I were sat in the library together, studying for the upcoming exams with Lily having gone to fetch more books. Alice tensed up slightly, her eyes flashing from me to her book whilst Marlene looked up, shrugging nonchalantly. "Guess so. Now that he is not annoying her anymore."

"Right. Good thing," I said, nodding along to her words. Needless to say it was relieving to see that she had the same thoughts as me about this. An expert like her would have caught on if there was something more to their sudden closeness, right? Nonetheless I looked over at Alice, who suddenly seemed very busy with scribbling something down on her parchment. Alice, who out of the three of us was the closest to Lily and who would likely know exactly what was going on. "What do you think, Alice?" I asked her bluntly as she didn't seem to want to join the conversation on her own.

Startled, she looked up and I gave her a tight-lipped smile as I awaited her answer. "Eh, yes. They seem to get along better than before. At least, Lily is not yelling her head off anymore every time she sees him," she replied, laughing albeit nervously. Just then, the aforementioned girl headed back towards our table with four books stacked in her arms. I gnawed on my lip, wondering how to ease the constriction in my chest that had been my constant companion for a while now with the ongoing uncertainty.

"Hey Lily, are you dating someone?" I asked her as she sat down. Her books promptly landed on the table with a bang as she had slackened her grip on them in surprise. I cringed slightly at the glare thrown at us from Madam Pince and Lily mouthed a silent 'sorry' at her.

"What? Why do you ask?" she coughed slightly, glancing at the other girls, who had looked up in interest now.

I shrugged. "Just wondering. You are pretty and someone ought to have to courage to ask you out, now that James is not holding anyone back from it," I laughed slightly at the end, hoping to dissolve the suddenly awkward atmosphere that appeared at my statement.

"She's right, Lils," Marlene thankfully butted in, blissfully unaware, "You are the only single among us and you've been for a while. It's time to get some!" Lily went beet red, reaching over to smack her on the arm as we all snickered slightly. "Jesus, Marlene. That's so inappropiate!"

"What? It's true! You are the only single among us. And someone is bound to have asked you out lately! Right?" the brown-haired beauty pressed on and I had never been more grateful for her noisiness than now.

Lily grumbled under her breath, hesitating slightly before she gave in, "Maybe. Some Ravenclaw perhaps." Our eyes widened and Marlene squealed as quietly as she could. "I'm not interested though!" she quickly added at our excited looks, deflating my relief, "Now drop it. We are here to study." And with that, she successfully ended the topic.

Later at night I met up with James at the Astronomy Tower, our usual spot when we wanted to hang out after curfew. "Hey, how was your day?" he greeted me warmly as I sat down next to him at the edge of the tower, resting my arms against the railing. A cool breezed rushed throughout the tower and James quickly scooted closer to wrap his arms around me before I even started to shiver and I smiled at his sweet gesture.

"Quite well. Studied a lot. And you?"

"Quite well. Pranked a lot," he mimicked, grinning when I laughed slightly. "Which poor soul did you harrass this time?" I asked, resting the side of my head against my arms as I listened attentively to him recounting each prank with great detail, his arm leaving me once in a while to emphasize something but never failing to come back around me. "Sounds like you had a lot of fun today...," I remarked when he ended and he nodded with a beaming grin, "...and when did you study?" His beam deflated into a pout, causing my shoulders to shake in silent laughter.

"I don't need to study," he grumbled nudging me. "Sure, you don't." I nudged him back, slipping to the side and almost under the railing when he nudged me slightly harder. He quickly grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back towards him. "Sorry about that," he apologised embarrassed and I giggled slightly, resting against him. "Don't worry, I don't mind this at all," I replied, snuggling my head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tightly towards him. "Mhmm, I'm sure you don't," he chuckled into my hair, his lips grazing slightly against my earlobe and causing me to shiver. I could feel his smile as he deliberatly brushed against my ear again and I squirmed slightly, burying my red face in his chest. "Why so shy all of a sudden?" he teased and I stifled a gasp as he playfully nibbed at my ear. "I'm not shy," I protested, voice muffled. "Is that so?" He tried to back away but I tightened my arms around his waist, firmly keeping my face planted against his chest. "Yes!"

He laughed lightly, promptly dropping on his back and pulling me on top of him. I adjusted my position, placing a leg on each side of his hips and resting my ear on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "I could stay like this for a long while," James commented with a blissful sigh as he wrapped his robes around me for warmth. I raised my head to shoot him a smile and he grinned back at me softly. Craning my neck I placed a kiss against his jaw, unable to resist the urge. He quickly pulled me further up, rising up slightly to capture my mouth with his and my eyes fluttered shut as he held the back of my head, his fingers grasping my hair. I fisted his shirt, a swarm of butterflies causing a wreckage in my stomach as he molded his lips against mine, his tongue peeking out to run across my lower lip when a sudden noise erupted somewhere close.

I pulled away quickly. "Did you hear that?" I asked breathlessly as I looked up.

"Hear you moan for me?" James tugged me back down by the neck. "Not yet," he whispered huskily against my mouth. My eyes widened in surprise, heart pounding against my ribcage at his words. He nipped at my lip with his teeth playfully before fully placing his lips against mine again until I almost forgot what had interrupted us in the first place. But the fear of getting caught outside of curfew broke me out of my daze once more. "Seriously, James," I whispered breathlessly, looking up to squint at the doorway, "I think someone's down there. They might come up." James groaned, tugging at my shirt. "No ones down there."

"And what was that noise? What if we get caught?" I asked, sitting up.

"Probably gonna get detenti- uff," he hissed and I glanced down at him to see him holding his breath. "What's wrong...?" I questioned when I realised I had sat up directly on his groin. 

Oh. 

"Oh, Cec," he breathed out as his eyes darkened, "You really shouldn't have done that." He shot up, crashing his lips against mine before I could get another word out, his hand coming up to entangle in my hair as his other arm wound tightly around my waist, pulling me flush against him. A small moan escaped me when his sudden movement caused his hips to grind against mine as I sat securely between his torso and his slightly raised knees. "There is my moan," he smirked against my lips and I could have sworn my heart stopped at this devilish sight. Breathing out shakily, I took his face between my hands, seeing his eyes soften slightly before I tilted my head to deepen the kiss, unable to restrain myself in any way. He reciprocated eagerly, his hand fisting in my hair as our tongues clashed together. I moved slightly against him, a flash of excitement coursing through me when I heard his breath hitch. "Fuck, Cec," he groaned in my mouth and my eyes almost rolled back in pleasure at the mere sound. He reached down to grasp my thigh tightly, pulling me closer and I gasped against his mouth. His thumb stroke softly over my skin, smiling at the goosebumps erupting everywhere. He let his hand travel up until he reached the end of my skirt. "Can I?" he asked without detaching his lips once and I nodded, resisting the urge to moan when he dug his fingers in the exposed flesh under my skirt. "James," I breathed out as I broke away for air, feeling him shiver. His mouth trailed down to my neck, nibbling on it as I tangled my hand in his hair, his own letting go of my waist and reaching up to undo the buttons of my shirt-

"James and Cec sitting in a tree," an all to familiar voice reached our ears and my eyes snapped open. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" James halted his movements, burying his face in my neck with a groan.

"First comes love!" Sirius sang joyfully as he appeared by the doorway, a piece of parchment in one hand and his wind lit up at the tip in the other. "Then comes marr-holy shit!" His eyes widened slightly at our disheveled figures but his smirk came back as soon as it had disappeared. "My my, first come the babies it seems with you two!"

"Fucking hell, Sirius!" James cursed, turning around to glare at his best mate.

"Hi Prongs!" Sirius greeted innocently, waving his parchment.

"Worst timing ever, mate!" I buried my face in my hand in embarrassment, wondering if our compromising position would go unnoticed if I pretended that it wasn't compromising.

"Sorry Prongsie, your babymaking has to wait. We've got a little something going on tonight," Sirius said, not sounding sorry at all as he nodded outside. I peeked a glance between my fingers to see James' eyes widen under his slightly askew glasses. Glancing over my shoulder I caught sight of the full moon, partially obscured by a few clouds.

"Right, give us a minute please," James requested and Sirius disappeared down the stairs again. His hazel eyes appeared startingly lighter under the shine of the full moon as he grasped my hips softly with both hands. "I've got to go," he said quietly and the atmosphere seemed suddenly serene in contrast to a minute ago.

"That's okay," I replied as quietly, adjusting his glasses once again and he smiled that sweet smile, that one damn sweet smile only reserved for his loved ones and my mouth opened before I could stop myself, "James, I l-"

"Prongs! Hurry up already!" Sirius cut me off from down the stairs. James huffed, rolling his eyes at his mate.

"I'm sorry. I really gotta go," he said and I nodded quickly, scrambling to get up and off him. He adjusted his clothes before stepping closer, giving me a sweet kiss. "Good night, love," he said softly as he fastened up the buttons he had undone on my shirt, "I will see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely. Good night."

Unbeknownst to him, to Sirius and to me, Sirius had just saved me from committing the biggest mistake tonight. Twice.

Chapter Eleven

[aion-rsa]

Best Romantic Movies on Hulu Right Now

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Romance gets a bad rap at the movies. Until you behold the best romantic movies on Hulu.

Yes, Hulu is on the case with an expansive collection of romantic movies for you to connect with your softer side… or the side of you that screams in an eternal tormented shriek, desperately trying to find a mate whose shrieks match your tone in this expansive disappointing nothingness of existence. Love is hard. Anywho, here are the best romantic movies on Hulu right now.

Sense and Sensibility

This Jane Austen character really seems to have a handle on romance. The 1995 film Sense and Sensibility is adapted from the Austen novel of the same name and has a great deal of talent both in front of and behind the camera. Oscar winner Ang Lee directs while Emma Thompson (yes, that Emma Thompson) wrote the script.

Thompson stars alongside Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant. The movie, like the book concerns the Dashwood sisters and their sudden descent into non-stupendous wealth. Of course then the romance begins (not between the sisters, weirdos. Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant are in this thing too, remember?)

AWOL

AWOL is how indie romances should be – small, authentic, affecting. Joey (Lola Kirke) and Rayna (Breeda Wool) are two young women from a nowheresville Pennsylvania town. They meetcute at a local carnival and quickly fall for each other but circumstances threaten to crush their romance before it can even begin.

AWOL understands first and foremost that while love is easy, relationships (and arguably everything else in the world is hard). Sometimes what you want and what your environment is able to allow you to have are two very different things.

Margarita with a Straw

2014’s Margarita with a Straw is both a coming-of-age and romance film the likes of which you’ve probably never seen. This Indian film comes from director Shonali Bose and stars Kalki Koechlin as Laila, an Indian teenager with cerebral palsy, trying to achieve some independence in her life.

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Movies

Best Romantic Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

By Alec Bojalad

Movies

Best Romantic Movies on Netflix

By Alec Bojalad

That opportunity comes for Laila when she is accepted to New York Universtiy and moves to Greenwich Village. There she meets and falls in love with blind Pakistani activist. Miles from home, Laila must deal with her changing, burgeoning sexuality and live in a world not built for her. But it’s cool: she can always take her margarita with a straw. 

Hello, My Name is Doris

Between TBS’s (now HBO Max’s) Search Party and Hello, My Name is Doris, director Michael Showalter had a stellar 2016. Hello, My Name is Doris is a wonderfully sweet, equally tragic and completely hilarious romantic comedy. 

Sally Field stars as the titular Doris, a lively woman in her ’60s who after the death of her mother becomes infatuated with a younger man. With the help of cliched self-help materials she does whatever she can to get his attention. Hello, My Name is Doris is an empathetic romantic comedy that will change how you view age.

Cashback

Cashback wins a very important award on this list: most intriguing, provocative poster. But it’s more than just a pretty poster. Cashback is a British romantic comedy about the most mundane of topics: working at a grocery store.

For anyone who as ever been young and had an interest in the opposite sex (or any sex for that matter), however, they know that one’s place of employment is often an absolute fountain of sex and chemistry. If that simple exposition isn’t enough, Cashback comes along with a sci-fi twist and more importantly: Oliver Wood from the Harry Potter series. 

Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In may seem like another odd choice for a romantic movie on Hulu but it’s romantic and sweet in a way that few other movies are. Sure, the players involved are a little boy and a little girl vampire (though the fact that she’s a vampire may very well mean she’s centuries old, just try not to think about it).

It’s a spooky yet undeniably sweet movie that presents the female side of a romantic entanglement as the ultimate protector.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

50 First Dates

50 First Dates has a somewhat disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score. Ignore that. It’s probably partially due to many critics’ distaste for at least one of the actors in the above screengrab. Not that they can be blamed. The presence of Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider in any comedy can be a rough sign. In 50 First Dates‘, however, it’s not an issue at all.

50 First Dates is a legitimately funny and romantic romantic comedy. Drew Barrymore stars as Lucy Whitmore, a woman with short-term memory loss. Due to a car accident, every day she wakes up believing it is October 13, 2002. Sandler’s character Henry Roth meets her in Hawaii and the two must overcome this bizarre condition to establish a lasting relationship.

Date Night

What do you get when you take the male lead of a popular NBC sitcom and pair him with the female lead (and mastermind behind) another popular NBC sitcom? A pretty decent rom-com as it turns out! Date Night stars Steve Carell (The Office) and Tina Fey (30 Rock) as a disaffected married couple trying to spice up their love life with a romantic night out on the town. But when a reservation steal turns into a case of mistaken identity, the pair’s night gets quite dangerous.

Date Night‘s action-heavy concept isn’t anything new to the romantic comedy genre but the presence of Carell and Fey (along with Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, James Franco, Kirsten Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, and a whole host of other impressive talent) is enough to make this a pleasant viewing experience.

The Princess Bride

So you want to watch one of the most purely lovely and entertaining romance movies of all time? Well Hulu is here to say “as you wish.” The Princess Bride is a 1987 fantasy adventure film based on a book by prolific screenwriter William Goldman. The inspiration to the story infamously came from Goldman’s two daughters requesting conflicting stories about “princesses” and “brides.” So the writer decided to do two for the price of one.

Read more

Movies

Why The Princess Bride Is a Perfect Fantasy Movie

By David Crow

Movies

Cary Elwes Responds to the Idea of Remaking The Princess Bride

By David Crow

In this adaptation, Cary Elwes stars as Westley, a young farmhand who loves Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright). But when Westley is shipwrecked and left for dead and Buttercup is betrothed to Prince Humperdinck, the hero must embark on a sprawling adventure to rescue her. And of course this is a framed bedtime story being told to Fred Savage in bed…as all movies should be.

The Boy Downstairs

So much of what goes into a good romantic relationship is timing. Sometimes the chemistry is there but the timing is not. 2017’s The Boy Downstairs delves into this phenomenon from a millennial perspective.

Aspiring Brooklyn writer Diana (Zosia Mamet) and aspiring musician (millennials are always aspiring, you see) Ben (Matthew Shear) are in a happy, successful relationship. But Diana is forced to break things off after she moves to London. When Diana returns, she finds a new apartment through her friend and guess who just happens to be the boy downstairs? That’s right: Ben…and with a new girlfriend, no less. What follows is a funny, yet mature examination of what it takes to get the right one back.

Happiest Season

The setup for Hulu’s 2020 Internet-breaking comedy Happiest Season is very romantic…to a point. Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis) are in love. Yay! Not only that, but they’re going to Harper’s parents’ house for Christmas where Abby might propose. Woo! Also Harper has not told her parents she’s a lesbian and in a committed relationship with a woman. Oh. Oh no. Poor Abby!

Read more

Movies

Happiest Season: The Problem With Harper’s Treatment of Abby and Riley

By Delia Harrington

Movies

Happiest Season Review: Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis Make Christmas Classic

By Natalie Zutter

Questionable setup aside, this an excellent, personal effort from actress turned writer-director Clea DuVall. It’s an attention-grabber and conversation-starter to be sure. It also certainly doesn’t hurt that much of the cast is mind-meltingly hot. Stewart, Davis, Alison Brie, and Aubrey Plaza are like a who’s who of TV and movie crushes. Hell even Victor Garber and Mary Steenburgen can absolutely get it. All in all, the charismatic cast and accessible concept makes for a surprisingly wholesome romance movie.

Plus One

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something really charming about erstwhile TV stars playing the lead opposite each other in a romantic movie. Such is the case with 2019’s Plus One, which stars Maya Erskine (of Pen15) and Jack Quaid (of The Boys).

Erskine and Quaid star as long-time friends Alice and Ben enduring the portion of their twenties where every friend seems to be getting married at once. Thankfully Alice and Ben have a longstanding agreement to always be each other’s “plus one” at every wedding. But such an arrangement couldn’t possibly lead to them discovering they have romantic feelings for each other, right? Right???

Palm Springs

“Time loop” movies frequently try to distinguish themself from Groundhog Day, the progenitor and most famous example of the form, by changing up the genre. Edge of Tomorrow is an action movie and Happy Death Day is a horror movie, for instance. What’s so impressive about Palm Springs is that it leans in to the romantic and comedic stylings of Groundhog Day and in many ways bests them.

In this movie, Andy Samberg styles as Nyles, a young man living through the hell of experiencing the same day (a wedding in Palm Springs) on a loop. In one particular loop, Nyles accidentally brings in the bride’s sister Sarah (Christin Milioti) and the two must confront the reality of living the same day over and over again forever together. You know…just like any couple.

LOVE AND BASKETBALL, Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, 2000, (c)New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett Collection

Love and Basketball

And now we come to a movie whose title is the two greatest things in the world! Love and Basketball is about…well, what you’d think. Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) and Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) are two next-door neighbors in Los Angeles, California, who are both singularly focused on pursuing their respective basketball careers.

Love and Basketball is a film all about passions – both creative and romantic. The movie also does a surprisingly thorough job of marking all the important beats of a relationship from childhood through the adult years. There’s a reason Love and Basketball has become a modest cult classic – it’s a fine execution of both the romantic and sports movie genres.

The post Best Romantic Movies on Hulu Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2QlunSD

[internetremix]

In IR lore, what are the personalities of your personas? Basic likes and dislikes?

Kristen: Goggles is An Child and behaves as such. She's very cheerful, very curious, a bit mischievous and also 100% obsessed with making fanwork of her internet family... like a goddamn weirdo. She'll usually be hanging out with everyone, spot some sort of inspiration, squeak with joy and then rush off to write or draw. She's also the defacto leader of the Smol Squad, which is composed of herself, Shyner, Jojo and Chi-chi, and she's usually the one squeaking out ridiculous plans in muppet for dumb shit like stealing cookies and trying to trap people in fanfiction scenarios. She likes to help and can often be found doing such things as assisting Xander in his many schemes or just popping up to provide shit like charts or hold things for other people- basically whenever it would be funny to have some goddamn muppet backing something up.

She loves plush toys, particularly Crockernanner, and also loves sugar, star decorations, and cuddles. She likes being picked up and loves attention, and she's pretty consistently attached to at least one person, often her big brother Split if she's not with the Smol Squad. She is in eternal war with Phill since he bullies her constantly, and will occasionally try to set up elaborate traps for revenge only to fail miserably. Also she's a huge weeb. She does not like to sleep and will often go days without it before being dragged off by some bigger person to take a goddamn nap you ridiculous child.  She is also very afraid of thunderstorms, she doesn't like loud noises or the dark.

She also has... various flaws and problems. But those are spoilers and I have no idea when/if we’ll be doing story stuff with IRsonas so I don’t want to give too much away with that.

Sorry this is very long, I think about my child a lot.

Jojo: JoJo is also a very happy child... like, stupid happy all the time. Like, they don't really have a concept of being angry. they're either manic happy or a bit sad. They love to find any way to make anybody smile or laugh, whether it be a somber happy, or a crying fit of laughter. They thrive off of happiness. They're a bit mischievous as well, and will try to play pranks and swipe things to chew on. They'll just appear in random places you'd never expect. like, in the pantry, the vent, or in your drawer. They chew things all the time to keep their dragon teeth sharp! They do tend to come off as obnoxious and kind of useless sometimes? But that's ok.

They love happiness, rocks, swimming, sandwiches, Vanilla coke, coffee, pianos, stars, ghost stuff(horror genre), and laughter. JoJo is pretty similar to Goggles now that I think about it x_xJoJo is best friends with Phill, and will always be on him in some way. Like his leg, back, holding onto his scarf by their teeth, etc. They're also very close with Goggles and Shyner, and Scott (even though Shyner tries to chase JoJo off with knives, JoJo will take it as a game of tag or something)JoJo doesn't like being yelled at or being told to go away. They get spooked easily by loud noises. They always get paranoid when they think someone is mad at them and will go to ungodly lengths to make them not mad or slightly annoyed with them, which sometimes makes people more annoyed with them than they were before.

JoJo is just an exaggerated version of me XD

Atwas: Atwas is fairly easy going. They make light of things often, and often hide serious sentiments behind jokes. They’re the type to roll with goofy and silly situations, and are very “yes and” type that enjoys escalating things in the name of light-hearted fun. They enjoy playing pranks, especially ones that take advantage of their hologrammatic nature (being able to enter and ‘possess’ electronics is something that they take advantage of often). Being technically in the cloud and a part of the internet at all times, they will often chime in with fun (often unrelated or humorous) metrics about situations and people as they occur—and often forgets that having a HUD isn’t something everyone has access to.

Being ‘technically’ invulnerable, atwas isn’t phased by the more dangerous things that go on in the IR tower, but usually prefers being a spectator or commentator as opposed to being an active participant in general shenaniganry. They don’t have any particular animosity towards anyone, and will occasionally help manage technical parts and functions of the tower.

They enjoy things like tech, cold weather, tea, fun statistics, darkness; and aesthetics like Film Noir and Retrowave.

They dislike things like excessively hot weather, being interrupted, getting too personal, having to put in a lot of ���effort”, and being out of the loop.

Shyner: Shyner can easily be summed up to a tsundere in denial, and is the definition of an agent of chaos. If something goes wrong, she’s the one pouring a trail of kerosene to let the fire spread. She's loud, impulsive, and really doesn't give two shits. While quirky and charismatic, she’s also sarcastic and witty, reveling in the amusement of making fun of others. She’s often stubborn and impatient, thinking highly of her own beliefs and angered by those who dare to challenge her ideals. She also lacks a filter, and enjoys garnishing her words with colorful profanities. Filled with gripes of past trauma, she’s engaged in a constant internal war of turmoil and grief. She’s incredibly cautious and closed off around those she doesn’t trust, and can be very selfish.  Despite this, she’s loyal to the few people she cares about, going out of her way to put them first if a dire situation were to arise. She’s also very sneaky and mischievous, often finding amusement in spying on others. Her MBTI is INTP-T.

Her hobbies include stargazing, ghost hunting, spying, and Satanic worship. She enjoys melancholy vibes, horror movies, animals, thunderstorms, and has an unhealthy obsession with sweets. Yes, this child will stab you without hesitancy if you take her cookies. She dislikes seafood, big crowds, kiddie leashes, and is afraid of experiencing intense emotion she doesn’t understand.I love my satanic smol bean very much. If I may be so bold as to dive into the nitty-gritty psychology, Shyner possesses many flaws, a lot of which I personally struggled with growing up. She is a reflection of my past self, some gripes with my current self, and the perception of how I could have turned out if I hadn’t met my family at IR. Hiding behind the exterior of being a merciless bully, she still has an intense internal desire to be a good person, but gets frustrated and often derails herself in the process of fighting her desire to act on impulse. She keeps most relationships with people at arm's length, fearing that if someone were to think highly of her, it would only be a matter of time before they’re disappointed. If we were to go full-fledged story mode, she would most definitely have an intense character redemption arc, making the revelation that being shitty to those who care about her isn’t the way to run from her problems and hide away from her own sense of self-insecurity/hatred.

Phill: Phill likes mischief, bad jokes, sexual undertones, Jojo, sexual overtones, bullying Kristen, and the colour pink. That's it xD

Jojo: :D yay

Alex: Alex don't give a shit but is for whatever reason the bossman and is also as powerful as silver age Superman, just don't try actual murder of the crew and he won't yeet you into the sun

Moon: 2019 Moon is an idiot. If we didn't know any better, we would assume he was born from nothing but an old head of lettuce in Satan's refrigerator. Think like Scott from Monster Prom, but different. He knows his right from his left, but the compass is still just "NESW" to him. Impulsive, lovable, and kinda loud, this muscley dumbass will do practically anything you tell him to if he finds it enjoyable. When paired with a few people, he works well as a second to many dynamic duos. Brodingles and Moon/Split and Moon are two really good ones, dangerous shenanigans ensue. Can and will rap like a beast, any challenge to a freestyle will result in a career ending and a death being sentenced. Extroverted people pleaser, definitely shooting high to perform and when adapting to a character, goes a little too hard. This man played Gander in Charlottes Web and didn't stop making goose sounds for months. Did I mention he's also a disney princess? Singing, animals, mortal enemy falling to their death? Everything

Dawn: ToonWolf/Dawn's personality falls within the confines of recklessly adventurous who doesn't think things through entirely. They like to try and rope others into going on various hikes, treasure hunts, mythic/cryptid searches, etc. Unapologetic sailor mouth. They will fight for friends and family. Various animals, trinkets, treasures, and cool but useless garbage are brought back to the tower often (oops theres a liiiiiiitle bit of hoarding). Sometimes those animals consist of dogs, cats, lizards, bears, wolves, The Great Noble One, horses, lions, elk, you get the idea (Can I keep them?Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaseeeeee??????????).

Overall they are most comfortable and relaxed in/around water and likes a whole lotta things including sailing, swimming, adventure, stargazing, animals, mythology/legends, friends, family, and drawing.

They dislike waking up early, limitations, being talked down to, boredom, desert/hot/humid/dry weather, coffee, and the movie "Cube"

Tex: Tex is an avid cryptid detective + has a surprisingly good intuition when creating conspiracy theories about them to follow. Mm lots of memes and disguises. Smart, but usually just off on their own thinking about other stuff.Totally has a wall in their room dedicated to figuring all the cryptids out with like, red string and everything.

[saikostories]

FT - A Moment With You pt1

"MMMMM! What a good morning!"

She rubbed her eyes and looked around her room. And no sign of pink of blue.. YES! Oh! what bliss it was to finally have a restful night without having to constantly worry. yes.. you wouldn't believe the stress that came with having to worry about Natsu "accidently" or not groping her or hugging her to death. Of course he was a natural heater. It was nice but Lucy couldn't help but feel like he didn't know any boundaries. She loved his as a best friend and knew that Natsu was too dense to realize or have any emotions like… passionate love.. romance.. dates.. kisses. Just some things you don't do to a girl unless you are dating! Is that too hard to understand? Lucy did not by any means want to be an easy girl. No.. she would be a gem to be worked for. Lucy laughed out loud as she got up from her bed and entered the bathroom to shower. All the while she thought. Natsu was too dumb to realize that both she and Lisanna liked him. And of course Lisanna liked Natsu much more than Lucy did… at least that was what Lucy truly believed in. Lisanna was such a sweet girl and Natsu was a sweet friend. Frustrating but sweet. Lucy would have no hard feelings if they coupled up… even if it meant her losing her best friend and partner. But that didn't mean Lucy would give him up so easily either. As she thought through what her relationship was with Natsu, Lucy sighed.. hopeless Natsu… After getting dressed Lucy headed towards the guild. The sun warm on her skin and a slight cool breeze made her hair fly in the wind. She loved the breeze. It made her wish she could fly… or borrow Wendy's magic for a while. Either could work. She smiled happily as she finally entered the guild. "Good morning!" Lucy entered with a smile.

"Good morning!" was said throughout the guild by various members.

"Oh Lucy!" Cana said behind the bar. She had a barrel of alcohol already in her hands.. Lucy sweatdropped. "You finally came! I was waiting for ya." Obviously Cana was already tipsy..

"Hi Cana.. I see you already started on your alcohol!" Lucy said as she sat on her bar stool. Something felt odd. Lucy looked around, scanning the guild for certain people. It looked so empty.

"Ah.. looking for a certain someone Lucy? Hmmm?" Cana said smiling with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh stop it Cana. Where is everyone? I don't see.." Lucy said looking back at Cana..

"your teams already gone out on a mission." Cana said taking another swig of beer.

"huh? Really?" Lucy said with wide eyes.

"Yea.. Natsu and Happy went with Lisanna on a week long mission."

Lucy froze… "What?"

"yea.. they left not that long ago. Sorry Lucy… Lisanna got him excited about a job request… she also said something about Igneel.. maybe they have a lead? Probably why he left in such a hurry."

"Oh… okay. Where's the others?"

"Gray went on a mission with Juvia."

"Oh really? Gray finally opened up to her huh?" Lucy said weakly smiling.

"yea I know right! Bout time. OH! All the s-class mages are out on S-class jobs right now. We are getting a lot of request after winning the GMG. Erza went solo… but guess what?" Cana said as she leaned over the bar counter in a whisper.

"Mira and Laxus went on a S-class mission together!" Cana said smiling.

"What!? Really?!" Lucy said sitting up straight.

"YEA! Well must have been a pretty dangerous mission if both of them had to go." Cana took another big gulp of her beer.

"Wow.. I need to tell Levy.. Where is she by the way?"

"Oh… she's out on a mission with her team and Gajeel and Lily."

"OMG no….! Really?!"

"I know right! Hahaha can't imagine the drama with that group. Jet and Droy jealous of Gajeel and him annoyed to death. Poor Levy. Hahaha"

"wow… I guess I could ask Wendy to go on a mission with me."

"Ah…. Wendy went to train with Porlyusica."

"Oh! Good for her! She'll definitely get stronger in her healing magic."

"Yup." Cana smiled

"So.. does that mean you're filling for Mira.. and that's why you're drinking all the bar's alcohol?" Lucy smirked.

"Yup you know me well" Cana winked at Lucy. The two girls laughed out to their hearts content. Cana too drunk to realize that Lucy.. was forcing her smile and laugh a little too much.. but not to the extent that anyone around would notice…

Except a few shadows lurking alone on the second floor..

Lucy said goodbye to Cana and the rest of the guild members still sitting around.. she walked out of the guild doors with a wide smile but as she walked further and further away… her smile began to slowly fade until her face was expressionless. She walked silently past the townspeople who recognized her.. who smiled and waved at her.. she in return gave a quick gentle smile back and returned to her emotionless expression. Four shadows followed her along the streets. They were trailing her from atop of the rooftops of the buildings. They watched her every move, her face...

Arriving at her apartment, Lucy slowly walked up the stairs to her apartment door. She let out a breath of air that she didn't she was holding and stepped inside. She closed the door and stood waiting.. listening for a sound of her friends having barged into her home. Natsu and happy in her kitchen eating.. or Gray lounging on her sofa.. or Erza looking through her drawers for lingerie. She desperately waited for something/someone to make a sound, but her home was…. Silent. Walking over to her sofa, she plopped down on it. She was laying on her back with an arm over her eyes.

"Gray.. Erza.. Wendy… Natsu…. How could you all leave without telling me…" Lucy said whispering to herself.

My friends ditched me.

Tears ran down the side of her face. She remained silent. Her entire left arm began to ache and her left hand felt weak. She tried increasing her blood circulation in hopes to make the feeling pass by opening and closing her fist repeatedly.. but surprisingly she found it hard to make a tight fist.. her left hand felt so weak. While her right hand felt completely normal.. odd...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Lucy panicked. She didn't want to let anyone see her crying. She didn't want to let anyone know, how hurt she felt. It was her burden. She got up quickly and wiped away the tears. Taking a few deep breaths as she walked to her door, she wondered who was visiting her. Her left arm still ached and her left had was clenched in a weak trembling fist.

"I'll have to figure out what's wrong with me arm later.. but for now.. Lucy get yourself together!" Lucy thought to herself. Mustering up courage to bring back happy Lucy.. fake or not.. she opened her door smiling. But what she saw brought her wide smile to fade.. her eyes wide with complete shock. Four familiar men stood at her door. Lucy took a step back. And a pink haired man hesitantly took a step forward. She took another two steps back. The pink haired man stepped into the apartment, followed by a raven haired man. A long black haired man stepped inside after and finally a blonde haired man filed in. He closed the door behind him and with a CLICK… the door was locked.

The blonde haired man turned around to face the girl. The four men facing her.. their eyes all on her.. the completely shocked Lucy... She took their appearances in.. Gray taller and more built. Gajeel's black hair was still long but brushed! And clean! He had a cool bandana on his head. Laxus looked the same yet.. softer and more charismatic?! And Natsu… he was also taller.. more built.. toned.. handsome... They all looked… more mature.. more… MANLY… and Lucy's heart.. was running a race.. they were MUCH MORE HANDSOME than the boys she knew.

"Who… who are you?" Lucy said as she still grabbed her left arm with her right. Her left fist was still clenched loosely and trembling.

"Luce… it's us." Natsu said smiling softly.

Lucy eyed him with confusion written all over her face.

"Lucy… it really is us." Gray softly smiled as well. Something in his eyes.. also in Natsu's..

Lucy looked towards Gajeel.. his eyes.. Laxus.. his eyes too… something about them…

"You guys can't be my Gray.. Gajeel.. Laxus.. Natsu… they're.."

"We aren't from this time period.. bunnygirl.. obviously we're from the future." Gajeel said crossing his arms.

"EEHHH!?... OUCH!" Lucy took a step back but tripped, hitting her head onto a wall. Gray quickly ran over and held his hand over her bump. He gently used his magic to cool the aching spot. Lucy opened one of her squinting eyes..

"Owie…." Through her one eye.. she saw a very handsome mature Gray reaching over to her head with one hand and felt a cool hand caressing her cheek. It took a moment for her to realize that she was lying on the floor.. Gray kneeling by her side.. she could see his well defined muscles… he just had to be shirtless… To make it worse… the three other men quickly came over and knelt by her as well. Worry in their eyes. Surrounded by them.. Lucy felt like her head was spinning.. she was blushing mad.. embarrassed.. she quickly sat up and scooted back against the wall. She thought to herself… How in the world did they become so handsome?! Is this really them in the future?!

"You're still clumsy." Gray said laughing.

"Little Bunny." Gajeel smirked while giving her a playful look.

"Blondie." Laxus said shaking his head while smiling softly.

"Weirdo." Natsu said as he ran a hand through his hair… he looked good doing it. Lucy opened her mouth to speak… frustrated… that she was being bullied by even the future boys…. No not boys.. MEN…. She sighed and face palmed herself.

"Yea… you're them alright.." Lucy spoke muffled through her hand.

"Of course we are Luce." Natsu said smiling widely. She brought her hand away from her face..

"How many years..?" Lucy asked as she looked at them.

"How many years what?" Gajeel asked.

"How many years into the future did you guys come from?"

"7 years from now." Laxus said staring into her eyes. Lucy stared back into his beautiful blue/gray eyes… and his words echoed through her mind…

…

…

…

7 YEARS?! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?!"

Lucy waited for them to respond, but they just stared back.

"…Well?" Lucy asked as she relaxed now. She examined them closer now. They had scratches here and there. Some of the cuts were bleeding. She thought to herself "What had they been doing? Were they in danger? Or did they find that book again from the guild?"

"Honestly… we don't know why we are here.." Natsu scratched his chin as he leaned back to sit on his butt now.

"Or how we got here." Gajeel added.

She thought to herself… she had a frown on and was lightly biting her lip as she looked down at her knees. It was awfully quiet and now she was feeling awkward. She looked up at their faces and saw that they were all staring at her intently. She couldn't help but giggle, making her frown disappear. She smiled at them warmly.

"Why are you laughing?" Laxus asked confused.

"You're so weird Luce" Natsu said with a smile and an eyebrow raised.

"Oh nothing. You four look like lost puppies." Lucy said as she began to get up.

"What?! I aint even close to being like a puppy bunnygirl!" Gajeel barked at her.

"You did not just call me a puppy either." Laxus said with a frown.

"Luce you can't call us puppies!" Natsu yelled.

"Yea Lucy. It hurts our pride. We are men." Gray said as if he was hurt.

"Okay okay. I take it back~" Lucy smiled as she walked towards her bedroom.

The men watched her as she walked away. They just kept staring…

When she reached the doorway, she looked around back at them. "Are you guys feeling okay?" She was looking at them sideways, unconsciously giving them a great view of her curves.

"Y..Yeaa.. Luce.. why wouldn't we be?" Natsu stuttered.

"Well.. you guys just keep staring… and its creeping me out."

"Stop creeping Luce out Gajeel, Gray, Laxus.. It's making her feel uncomfortable" Natsu said with arms crossed, glaring at the three. The three in return gave Natsu their death glares.. causing Natsu to gulp.

"Hahahahaa." Lucy was laughing hard as she grapped her stomach. Her smile.. her laugh… her voice… brought the boys back to staring at her again. Once she was done, she spoke to them warmly..

"Come on. Lets get you guys cleaned up." Lucy turned around and went inside her bedroom.

Natsu got up first.. then Gray.. Laxus.. then Gajeel. Natsu plopped on Lucy's bed smiling widely. Lucy smiled and shook her head. She thought to herself "I guess Natsu doesn't change that much". She went to her bathroom and clamored around for something.

Laxus and Gajeel looked around her bedroom, taking in all the Lucy-ness. Gray sat in his favorite sofa chair, leaving Laxus and Gajeel to sit at Lucy's table in the middle of the bedroom.

Soon, Lucy came out with first aid supplies. Having been closest to Natsu, she started with him. She sat at the edge of the bed and opened her first aid kit. Natsu laid still.. which was very rare and odd. He just watched her work, not saying a word.

She put some alcohol on the cotton balls and washed all his cuts and scratches. He winced slightly at the touch of alcohol on his cuts.. but remained quiet. She bandaged his cuts and had the luxury of touching… the manlier Natsu's muscles.. skin. The older Natsu of course noticed Lucy's unnecessary touches and found them… soothing. Her hands were warm and soft.

He was just as hot as usual, temperature wise. But definitely, a more aged Natsu was in her care. Scars she's never seen before were on his arms, his chest. She looked at Natsu's face and found him staring back into her eyes. She blushed red and looked away. Quickly finishing with Natsu.. she stood up to go to the next patient.

For the other three as well, she found herself being the object of their fascination. They were staring again. She blushed lightly again and quickly went to Gray's side. She knelt on the ground as Gray sat on the sofa.

"Lucy it's fine… I"

"Just sit still Gray." Lucy put her hand on his arm, making Gray freeze. He watched her intently.

She continued and swabbed a cut… causing Gray to hiss softly from the burn. She looked up at Gray with worried eyes…

"cough….So Lucy…." Gray started up a conversation in the awkward silence.

"Yes Gray" Lucy smiled.

"Why aren't you with Team Natsu?"

Lucy stopped midair from dabbing a cut she was working on.

"Lucy… I'm sorry.. you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

She continued and swabbed a cut… causing Gray to hiss softly from the burn. She looked up at Gray with worried eyes…

"Sorry…. Did I do it too hard?"

“No.. it's fine... Lucy… I'm sorry.. you don't have to answer if you don't want to."She brought her face close to the wound.. and began to blow on it. Gray perked up in his seat and froze.. Lucy looked at him and stifled a laugh. She blew softly on the cuts. The men all watched in silence.. Natsu looking sideways as he lay on the bed. Lucy continued to work."I… don't know… why don't you tell me?" Lucy said with her bangs covering her eyes.What… do you mean?" Gray asked confused. Lucy got up as she finished with Gray's wounds and walked over to Gajeel. way.. no way bunny girl. I'm fine. I don't need your help." Gajeel said frowning as she walked over to him."Just sit still and take it you big baby." Lucy said with a hand to her hips. Gajeel raised an eyebrow."First you call me a puppy… and now a baby? Bunny girl.. are you blind?" Gajeel said incredulously."Wait wait a minute. Answer my queston Lucy. What do you mean why don't I tell you?" Gray askedLucy ignored Gajeel's question. She brought up a chair next to Gajeel and took Gajeel's arm into her hands. Gajeel flinched but couldn't move away. He felt her warm hands on his skin, her scent so close to him. She began to swab his wounds.. Gajeel clenched his jaw from the burn.. and closed his eyes for a second… he saw Lucy watch him from the corner of his eye.. her face plagued with worry.. "sorry… just bear with it for a little while.. I can't have you guys getting infections from these cuts." Lucy said softly"LUCY! Stop ignoring me and answer my question!" Gray raised his voice."It… it was you guys… you guys left me." Lucy spoke as she tended to another cut on Gajeel's other arm.

"What you mean you guys Luce?" Natsu sat up on the bed now.

Gajeel watched Lucy's face. Her attention all on treating him. He felt so pathetic right now.. getting treated for such small cuts. But he wouldn't argue with bunnygirl right now.

"You guys left me this morning. You guys did it. Natsu left on a mission with Lisanna." Natsu opened his mouth to speak but Lucy continued.

"Gray… you left on a mission with Juvia.. Erza went solo.." Lucy blew on Gajeel's cut.. causing Gajeel to blush slightly as he watched her pucker her lips out.

"Levy and Gajeel went on a mission together.. Even Laxus and Mira went on a mission today too."

She bandaged Gajeel up and was done. "See. That wasn't too bad was it Gajeel" Lucy smiled as she got up and took her chair towards Laxus.

"You guys all left without even letting me know." Lucy said softly as she looked towards a surprised Gray. Gray and Natsu.. didn't know what to say. Heck they all didn't know what to say.. they remembered the day.. so differently.

"Blondie I'm fine." Laxus said trying to stop her from touching him. He crossed his arms. Lucy instead sat down in front of him and brought her hands to one of his arms. She gently tugged. He relaxed and let her take his arm. She swabbed his cuts and looked up at his face when she swabbed, to make sure she wasn't hurting him too much. But all he did was stare right back into her chocolate eyes. No wince, no squinting of eyes in pain. He took it all so well. They continued to stare into each other's eyes until…

“Ahem.. AHHHEEMMM…" Natsu cleared her throat on the bed.. "Luce… my throat hurts."

Lucy sighed.. as she broke her stare away from Laxus.. Laxus in tern death glared at Natsu.. who looked away innocently.

"I'm sorry Lucy…" Gray said softly

"I'm sorry too Luce…" Natsu said softly. "I didn't mean to leave you all alone. I just got so excited in finding Igneel… I…"

"Forgot about me?" Lucy completed his sentence.

"No.. I could never forget about you.. I just…"

"Lucy.. we could never.." Gray spoke simultaneously with Natsu…

"Just face it Natsu.. Gray.. You all forgot about me.. It's okay. I understand why." Lucy fake smiled. She lowered her face.. her bangs covered her eyes.. but she continued to smile as she worked gently on Laxus' wounds..

"What do you mean you understand why?" Laxus said softly in his low voice.

"I.. I mean it was a matter of time… right?.. Gray and Juvia would finally get together."

Gray flinched…

"Levy would be with Gajeel."

Gajeel flinched and looked sharply at Lucy.

"Erza with a certain masked man. Natsu with.. Lisanna."

Natsu flinched… he looked worriedly at Lucy.

"Haha.. and the looks of it now.. Even you Laxus.. possibly you and Mira" Laxus quickly grabbed Lucy's wrist and tugged her towards him. She looked up surprised at his face.. his glare boring into her.

"Look here Blondie… I don't know what the heck you're thinking in that confusing woman brain of yours. But just stop. Don't do that to yourself." He growled.

Lucy gulped..

"I'm sorry that these little boys left you behind and made you feel less important than you really are. But you shouldn't have expected too much from these boys anyways." He stared into her eyes.

"WHAT!" Natsu and Gray yelled together.

"I AM A MAN!" Natsu yelled.

"I AIN'T ANYWHERE LITTLE" Gray yelled.

Lucy, Laxus, and Gajeel stared at the two. Lucy and Gray blushed after realizing what Gray had just shouted…

"Bakas. Can't believe you guys just left her. He's talking about HER Natsu and Gray you idiots. But I guess you guys haven't grown much so you guys are still little boys. Gihi."

"What you say Gajeel" Natsu growled lowly… Lucy's eyes widened. She had never seen Natsu talk is such a dangeriously… delicious voice.

"You wanna fight?" Gray growled as well… getting battle stance ready. She watched Gray's muscles flex. Gajeel smirked and flexed his muscles as well to get ready for a fight. Of course Lucy noticed him as well.

"Oh my…" Lucy thought to herself as she blushed and shuddered. She forgot that her wrist was in Laxus' hands.. Laxus felt her shudder and looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

Then she realized. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" Gajeel, Natsu, and Gray glared at her… them still in their passion of plummeting each other's faces in. "You are in my house. My rules. No fighting!" Lucy yelled. To her surprise the three paled and went back to their seats. She smiled as she had a personal win.

“Wow.. I didn't know I had such power over them. Maybe they do grow brains in the future." Lucy thought to herself. Little did she know that Laxus death glared them down.

She looked back at Laxus.. and blushed that Laxus was still grabbing her wrist. Laxus gently let go.. and Lucy quickly bandaged him up. "I really am sorry Luce… I didn't mean to hurt you… I was young.. I didn't think."

"Ha. You don't think.. EVER." Gray laughed.

"Oiy Stripper. Shut up. I'm trying to apologize here." Natsu glared at Gray. Gray shut his mouth now.. he looked at Lucy.

"Sorry Lucy… I didn't mean to either… You know I wouldn't have left if I knew.. You're important to us." Gray smiled.

"Yea… I know…" Lucy smiled. "You guys sure grew up."

"What that's supposed to mean?" Natsu asked tilting his head.

"Well.. you guys are apologizing.. not fighting when I ask you guys to.. and aren't acting like babies when I treat your wounds."

"HA! EVEN BUNNYGIRL THINKS YOU GUYS ACTED LIKE BABIES! Little babies. Gihi." Gajeel pointed a finger at them.

"Luuuuccceeee.." Natsu whined.

"Lucy!" Gray facepalmed himself.

Lucy giggled. Laxus smirked.

"You're all done!" Lucy said happily as she looked at Laxus.

"Thanks Blondie. You didn't have to though."

"No.. I couldn't ignore it. It was mainly for my peace of mind."

"Well.. since you're not doing anything.. and we're stuck here for the time being.. why don't we do something together." Laxus asked.

"uh… what do you mean?" Lucy was startled.

“Well… we can't go walking around Magnolia. It'll alter the future. Oh.. don't even think about asking us about the future cuz we are not telling a word. It seems you're the only one who can help us get back to our own time. So while we find a way to get back… why don't we help you out by going on missions?" Gray suggested.

"Great idea popsicle head! We can help Lucy get money for her rent and find a way back at the same time! It's perfect!" Natsu got excited. They all looked at Gajeel with confused looks.

"You.. want to train me?" Lucy said with her eyebrows raised.

"Well.. we are all S-class mages.. it'll help you a lot to train with us."

Lucy looked at him with an agape mouth... "what happened to you?!" Lucy said shocked.

"What?" Gajeel said confused.

"You're…. so NICE!... It's unsettling…." Lucy squinted her eyes.. she was doubtful of his intentions.

"Dang bunnygirl.. I can be nice if I want to.. and I've changed… that doesn't mean that I've gotten soft. Don't get the wrong idea." He hardened.

"uh-huh… I've got my eyes on you Gajeel Redfox." Lucy said still with squinted eyes. Gajeel smirked and leaned forwards towards her. She stood up from her seat, the first aid kit in her hands. She was about to walk away when Laxus stood up.. towering over her… he was looking down at her.

"So.. what do you say.. the idiots in your time took you for granted. But that was because they were immature." Laxus brought his hand to her chin and gently pushed her face upwards so she could see him.

"But don't mistake me for them. How about you and I go on a mission together. I'll show you how it feels to be treated as a woman by a REAL MAN." Lucy gasped. Gajeel.. Gray.. Natsu… gaped at Laxus and Lucy…

"When are we leaving then?" Gajeel spoke.

"Lets go tonight." Natsu said smiling widely. "Okay Luce?"

Lucy stuttered… "O..okay.” Gajeel smirked.. "This is going to be fun." He thought to himself.

[daniel--berry]

Worst to Best Superhero Movies I’ve Seen

31) The Amazing Spider-Man

I hate this movie. I laughed throughout the entire film. “The lizard” could not have been a worse super-villain. I sort of liked the yellow Spidey-eyes, I guess. Emma Stone gave a nice performance. Can’t write anything else about it.

30) Doctor Strange

This is one of the only movies on the list I fell asleep during. Some of the visuals were pretty original, but the storyline was like a terrible version of Kung Fu Panda. Maybe if they casted Jack Black instead of super-boring Benedict Cumberbatch (I loved you in Sherlock baby, don’t be offended), Doctor Strange could have had a little charisma. I think this is the only movie on this list that made me upset after watching it.

29) Suicide Squad

What is this movie, some kind of Suicide Squad? Maaaan, what a great cast in such a forgettable movie. Here’s the thing though, I liked it more than most people did. I think whatever-her-name-is was a charismatic (though definitely not funny) Harley Quinn. Jared Leto wasn’t super offensive as the Joker, I looked forward to his scenes, but he looked like an idiot, like a twenty year old with temporary tattoos. What is this guy, some kind of Joker?

28) Thor

I can’t remember this movie. It was probably better than Suicide Squad though. Oh yeah, there’s that part where he throws his coffee on the ground and yells “Another!”. Haha, that was pretty funny.

27) Deadpool

Haha, he uses bad words! But it’s a superhero movie! This movie will serve best as the first R-rated movie a 12 year old sees behind his parent’s back. This is the other one I fell asleep during. 

26) Thor: The Dark World

This one’s interesting. I actually like this movie a lot, in theory. Visually, it’s one of my favorite Marvel movies. You could even say that if I made a MCU movie, it would look a lot like this one. Again, in theory, this is cool. It made Loki an anti-hero after the Avengers, which I think is a great choice. Unfortunately, this is a big piece of shit. And it will make you (unjustly) dislike Natalie Portman. 

25) Wonder Woman

Wow, I thought I’d love this movie. I’ve always thought Wonder Woman was a great character. Gal Gadot is almost perfect for the role. But man, what a boring story. Way too much time is spent on an ugly island, and the rest of the movie is a fish-out-of-water Crocodile Dundee rip-off, with Tumblr-friendly British humor. Haha, that English woman’s accent is sooo British! No thank you. A DAMN boring movie! 

24) The Amazing Spider-Man 2

We’re starting to get to superhero movies that I actually sort-of enjoy. This is my second favorite Spider-Man movie, but that’s out of the three ones on this list. I think this movie ruined Jamie Foxx’s career. Spider-Man has never looked better, though. Definitely the best Spidey-suit. I’m a sucker for those huge eyes. I walked out of the movie wanting to see a sequel, to be honest.

23) Ant-Man

I don’t remember this one, but I remember laughing a lot. Doesn’t Ant-Man work at Baskin Robbins or something in this? Oh yeah, and Michael Douglas is in this. I love that guy!

22) Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

What a STUPID title for a movie. Nothing felt natural here. Did I mention that I hate the title? Here’s the thing, some of the elements of this movie work great. People made fun of the “Martha” twist, but I liked it, as well as Ben Affleck’s portrayal of Batman. But again, nothing was natural about this story. The tone shift is so dramatic from Man of Steel, and yet it’s supposed to be a direct sequel. Henry Cavill’s Superman isn’t memorable. Jesse Eisenberg’s lines were badly written and he never seemed like a real human being. Still, I didn’t hate it.

21) Thor: Ragnarok

Such great ideas here. Pairing Hulk and Thor for a comedy? Wonderful. Jeff Goldblum as a charismatic (gay) planet emperor is my favorite new MCU character. More of him, please! Why so low on this list? Hela sucked, as all Thor villains do. But man, she sucked the worst. The goddess of death? She just looks kind of goth, and never does anything too death-y. I like how the fire monster destroys the Thor world (what’s it called again?), and to the movie’s credit, it doesn’t treat this like an earth-shattering moment. Because let’s be honest, we never gave a fuck about that place.

20) Avengers: Age of Ultron

Ok, yes. This movie has aged pretty badly. But there’s a lot to like! Vision is a graceful, hot, AI legend right out of the gate. Lots of nice seeds are sown here, but it’s too bad that Ultron was a big dumbass who didn’t know how to execute any of his angsty plans. His “age” lasted about a day? Day of Ultron. Still, Tony Stark deserves to be put in prison by now.

19) Guardians of the Galaxy

As far as nailing a tone down, this movie did it best. You can call this movie airtight in its execution. The only negative is that every following Marvel movie felt like it had to be just as funny as this one.

18) Man of Steel

I love me a serious superhero film. I think this movie is best described in pros and cons. Pros: Henry Cavill is the best onscreen Superman yet, Michael Shannon made an otherwise goofy role kind of believable, the special effects are the best I’ve ever seen in a superhero film. Cons: None of this matters, because you’ve just never seen a more boring plot to a film in your life.

17) Batman

There will be no disrespect for the classics here. Every good superhero movie owes it all to Batman. This movie nailed it in every category. Jack Nicholson’s weirdo Joker was all-too-perfect, and the goth-horror scenery was inspired. Best of all, Michael Keaton made the idea of a gay orphan dressing up as a bat pretty relatable.

16) Superman

They haven’t quite gotten it right until 2006, but more on that up the list. This is the best Superman will ever be, because the character really just doesn’t work in the modern day. Christopher Reeve gives a romantic, gosh-golly version of the comic character, and it’s pretty damn good. Also, Marlon Brando’s Jor-El is haunting and gorgeous when he speaks. Another classic.

15) Batman Begins

Blah blah blah, gritty, dark, blah blah blah. Reinvented superhero movies, blah blah blah realistic.

14) Captain America: The First Avenger

This is the heart and soul of the MCU, and one of the most unique out of the series. Still feels important even in the third phase, and has a lot of great messages that I am too lazy to write. Great movie, and Chris Evans as Captain America was the best casting choice since Robert Downey Jr. Nothing but greatness here.

13) Iron Man 2

Do people really think this is the worst of the MCU? Not by a long-shot. But oh my god, Tony Stark is just such a war criminal. And Mickey Rourke is delightful! I love that part where Iron Man empties his bladder into his own Iron Man suit. Did Superman ever do that shit? Fuck Superman!

12) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

My ass has seen a lot of superhero movies, but I don’t think my ass has smiled more watching one of them. Ummmm, what a fucking great movie? With a fucking great plot? And, like, a great villain for fucking once? A truly lovely film.

11) The Dark Knight Rises

A marxist superhero film? No wonder it’s not the fan favorite. But I love it just the same. The funeral scene at the end is beautifully acted by all involved. Yes, Bruce Wayne died, but it didn’t feel cheap. Catwoman driving the batpod? An icon of cinema. A great ending to a great blah blah blah, not as good as The Dark Blah blah blah.

10) Marvel’s The Avengers

What a moment for a little thirteen year old nerdfuck like me. It leans on the immature side of the MCU, yes. But it’s damn near perfect filmmaking, and by far the most accessible superhero movie to date. Hulk Smash!

9) Iron Man 3

We’re getting into real personal-favorite territory here. Shane Black’s Christmas superhero film is hated by a lot of people, but don’t worry, they’re all just sweaty ugly nerds with untouched genitals who don’t realize that Fu-Manchu proto-Asian wizard stereotypes aren’t exactly the best material for a 2013 film. Man, I adore this movie. It’s a perfect blend of comedy (not too much) and drama (not too much), with an infusion of self awareness that appeals to a cynical guy like me.

8) Superman Returns

This movie really understands Superman. It’s too bad it was overshadowed by Batman Begins, because this movie has a lot to offer. No, it isn’t action-packed, and yes it does star Kevin Spacey (gross) as Lex Luther, but the romanticism and themes of a post-superhero world are rich with wonderful dialogue and the best onscreen Lois Lane yet. Forget the Kryptonite iceberg at the end, Superman’s journey of finding himself is surprisingly great material for a film, delicately directed by Bryan Singer. Wait, is that TWO pedophile boy rapists in one film? Yikes, you know what.......never mind. 

7) Captain America: Civil War

The re-watchability here is astonishing. It’s not even an Avengers film, and it’s still easily the best Avengers film. And yet, it stays its course as a personal story of loyalty and sacrifice for the titular character. It’s totally a Captain America movie. Also, can Tony Stark just get fucking imprisoned already?

6) Iron Man

Easily the “coolest” superhero movie ever made. I can watch terrorists get blown up by lasers all day! A true classic, and still feels just a little more legitimate than all the other MCU films.

5) Spider-Man: Homecoming

A relatable protagonist? A relatable villain? An evil psycopath? (Tony Stark). What’s not to love? It might not have “amazing” in the title like those other fuck-your-mom Spidey movies, but it most certainly is. (Amazing, I mean).

4) The Dark Knight

Blah blah blah joker, blah blah blah Heath Ledger, Christopher Nolan. Blahblahblahblah dark, reinvented the genre, blah blah blah.

3) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Yes I’ll say it. Here we have the best story in a superhero film to date. And to disguise all the intellectual themes of post-terrorist society, individuality, corruption, the pointlessness of patriotism, and homoeroticism, we have just enough kick-ass action scenes for your average brain-dead male to get a kick out of it too.

2) X-Men: Days of Future Past

I’m a sucker for time travel, and fuck me if this didn’t deliver 100%. This was my first X-Men movie experience, and I still think about it about once every couple of weeks. I don’t even want to write about it because I get embarrassed by my love for this movie.

1) Logan

The world’s changed. All the mutants are dead. Patrick Stewart is a senile fuck. Wolverine’s claws hurt when he tries to bring them out. Jesus Christ, there’s so much here that I can’t believe it’s a real movie. There’s just something about seeing a grizzly Hugh Jackman in a bloody t-shirt that really grinds my gears. It’s tragic, it’s beautiful, it’s expansive, and it feels like the last superhero movie that ever needs to be made.

[recentanimenews]

THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH Relives a Whole Lotta Trauma in Episodes 169-175!

Welcome to THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH! I’m Danni Wilmoth and I’ll be your host this week as we barrel on through all 220 episodes of the original Naruto anime adaptation. After last week’s spooky search for a g-g-g-g-g-ghost in the Land of Birds arc for episodes 162-168, it’s time to flesh out some backstories and meet some less than savory side characters along the way in episodes 169-175. This time around we’re going a little bit back to basics with another Orochimaru-centric filler arc in the Land of Seas, but with a few things that make it stand out from the rest in a pretty positive way! Instead of another ultimately fruitless search for Sasuke, we get to meet back up with Anko -- Chunin Exam proctor and Orochimaru’s former student -- to learn a bit more about her and what it was like to be under Orochimaru’s command (hint: it’s not great.) Additionally, we get an after school special about the dangers of having money as well as an introduction to a new arc about, well, searching for a bunch of money. But before we can see how that arc plays out, we first need to dive in and see what the rest of the Crunchyroll Features team thought about this latest batch of Naruto filler goodness!

  Like Randy Owen used to say, you can’t keep a good power-hungry snake man down. Orochimaru is BACK...sort of...These first few episodes were kind of a return to form with the central conflict revolving around Orochimaru’s former associates, only this time more out of chance than a search for Sasuke. How did you feel about Orochimaru’s inclusion in this arc compared to in previous filler arcs? Joseph: I actually thought it was really cool to see Orochimaru more in the light of someone who used to be a teacher. It’s kind of heartbreaking to see the impact of his evil on former disciples like Anko, so it was nice to have a slightly different perspective on the sinister snake boi. Carolyn: I didn’t hate it. It was fine to step away from him for a bit. And it’s fine for him to be back for a spell. Seems like a natural way to sort of steer the story back to Sasuke. And to be honest, I really, really liked this arc, filler or not. Paul: Orochimaru's inclusion in the Land of the Sea story arc works better than in some previous filler arcs specifically because they used it as a means of fleshing out Anko's backstory. Amnesia can be a narrative crutch, but the horror imagery and the self-affirming conclusion were a strong combination, and it was striking to see how Orochimaru's influence still looms large over her. Jared: I think having that long of a break between him being in an arc really helped here. We get a good look at some of the really messed up stuff he’d been doing even when he was still technically with the Leaf, which I think helped make it feel less like filler and more in the style of the earlier arcs. Kevin: Despite my previous grievances with the filler arcs seeming to need to put Orochimaru in everything, I felt like he actually added something this time, rather than being shoehorned in, since he added to Anko’s development. So I liked him being here, probably because it’s not related to the actual mission, but instead is just a coincidence. Kara: As much as I grouse about all evil roads leading back to Orochimaru, I kinda liked this. I also like looking at more reminders of the fact that people didn’t always consider Orochimaru evil. There was a time when people trusted him—hell, the fact that he was a trusted teacher really drives home some of the emotion behind the Leaf Ninja dealing with him. Noelle: I think this was fine, mostly because instead of focusing more on the puppeteering aspect of Orochimaru in the present, this focuses on how he used to be framed. He is still considered part of the Sannin, and once held a lot of respect in the village, and him betraying them all was a vital blow and not just a random ninja running away. I liked it.

  Anko’s also back, y’all! She was an early favorite for me when we met her during the Chunin Exams, so it kind of bummed me out when the plot just kind of forgot about her. We also get to see more Ino and Shino in action with Naruto too. How did you feel about this group’s dynamic during these episodes? Joseph: I thought their dynamic was a little stronger than it was in previous filler episodes, but I’ll admit I was glazing over a little once again during this arc. At this point we’re so far away from the actual story of Naruto that I forgot what it’s like. I like Anko being back, though. Carolyn: I liked it. I was a fan of the arc and I was a fan of seeing an old character come back. We keep seeing all these new characters that we have to simultaneously learn the origins of and try to care for. I liked seeing the backstory to someone we already know. I felt like the dynamic was a bit of a return to form, as well. This felt like early Naruto to me. Paul: Bringing back Anko opened up interesting dramatic opportunities, and the showrunners did a good job taking advantage of them. As much as I enjoy Naruto teaming up with supporting characters from other ninja squads, I had a hard time justifying the combo with Shino and Ino here. The three of them seem like the worst possible combination for a naval mission. Amphibious combat doesn't speak to any of their individual strengths. Jared: I’d say the only downside to the group dynamic is they made Ino at times act too much like Sakura would, but other than that I thought it was good. Bringing Anko back in the way they did makes a ton of sense and should have been the case for a lot of other characters. Kevin: Their first reaction was mine, as well. What possible team combination could result from this group? As it turns out, basically nothing, since they fight together, but don’t really work off of each other in any way. It’s not as though I dislike them as a team, there’s just not much material in terms of character dynamics or fighting styles to work off of. The most interesting moments for me were Ino commenting on Naruto’s boundless energy. Kara: Anko’s back! She seemed really fun from the get-go, so I’m glad we’re revisiting her. Ino/Shino/Naruto was surprisingly effective, though I have to admit my favorite part of their team-up was when they were sailing away at the end, and they pan to Ino and Naruto in turn laughing and Shino’s just standing there like a stone-cold weirdo. A+ Noelle: I don’t think it exactly worked per se, but at least they’re trying out something different. If you have a massive cast of characters, then you might as well use them. The filler going this route, even through unconventional combinations of characters (especially since canon tends to keep the teams together), is still something worth exploring.

  We’ve talked at length about how filler is usually “plot-proof,” meaning nothing that happens is allowed to forward the plot or alter any characterizations outside of what the source material planned for. So it came as a real surprise to me that the Land of Seas ended up completely reshaping Anko’s established role in the story. In “canon” she’s established as Orochimaru’s former pupil who was cast aside and feels inadequate for it. Now, thanks to this filler arc, she realizes she rejected him of her own volition, absolving herself of the burden that’s defined her so far. Do you think this is a positive development, or did the writers take too many liberties with the characters? Joseph: I don’t recall if Anko is explored much further later, so it seemed like the writers were just able to slip this revelation in without pushing too many other important pieces in the process. I’m glad something positive came of the arc rather than it ending with Naruto farting and making everything that just happened completely pointless. Carolyn: It’s a bit of a cheesy ending, but I thought it was different enough and actually does progress the story to a mild degree. Naruto and friends could at least have a new ally. Paul: I'm not familiar with the manga canon and this is my first time watching the anime, so I can't comment on whether giving Anko a richer backstory feels like the writers are taking liberties. I'm glad that Anko is able to work through a past trauma in a positive way, and it was interesting to see her unconsciously mimicking some of her former teacher's mannerisms (sinister grins, licking her kunai, snake-themed Jutsu, etc.). Jared: Not knowing the actual canon, if they don’t actually go into her backstory at all, I think they actually did a really good job of establishing what happened with her and showing someone that could cast aside Orochimaru’s charismatic ways. When the arc started I thought it was smart that they were going into her backstory since it was brought up very early on, but never really addressed again. Given what we’ve seen with some of the filler thus far, they could’ve easily messed this up, but in all honesty, they really brought their A game here. Kevin: From what I remember of Shippuden, and knowing at least the early parts of Boruto, I might actually consider this the peak of her character. I quite like that they developed her further, and that they gave her younger self some agency in rejecting Orochimaru, even if it may end up contradicting some other character moments as a result. Basically I’m okay with retcons, provided that they result in better characters. Kara: Like a lot of the others, I don’t know the manga. But in general, I am all about characters discovering agency in hurtful and abusive situations. It’s kind of hopeful and encouraging in a way—not all of Orochimaru’s evil is limited to weird ninja magic, and some of his behaviors exist in real-world toxic people. So I love seeing positive examples of taking charge and growing out of that in anime. Noelle: From what I remember, Anko is barely touched upon in the manga and Shippuden, so sure, it’s fine that they manage to reframe her story here. Wouldn’t Kishimoto have to at least approve of these stories anyway? In terms of what was reframed, her original appearance had her more lost, as a victim wanting revenge, having her life stolen away from her. Trying to find the inner strength to regain that-- that’s pretty alright. It adds more depth to her, and I can’t say that’s a negative.  

  Of course, all good things must come to an end, and so we were introduced to surely the absolute worst character who has and will ever appear in Naruto fiction: a (literal) snot-nosed trust fund brat whose name I forget but detest too much to go look up out of fear that I will once again lay eyes on his incorrigible countenance. We talk a lot about our favorites in these write-ups, but let’s get messy for a bit. Out of all the one-note side characters we’ve met so far on these adventures, which one do you utterly despise the most? Joseph: Gosh, it might be this kid. This felt like some weird two-cent episode of Pokémon than a ninja action show, complete with our requisite moral at the end. The only thing I liked about him was the fact that his nose was so full of snot that the subtitles had him saying Darudo instead of Naruto. Carolyn: Yeah, he’s pretty obnoxious. I honestly can’t say that I’ve truly hated most characters, otherwise. Paul: Kunihisa is the worst kind of stock character, but even though the stereotypical rich kid with a chip on his shoulder feels like lazy writing, I can't work up the passion to despise him, because that would require devoting further energy to the definition of a throwaway character. He sucks, but at least Kunihisa didn't linger like Mizuki, who was poorly written in a way that dominated for several episodes and took the spotlight away from fun characters like Fujin and Raijin. Jared: What a weird episode that was. Even with the way he’s designed, I wasn’t sure if they were trying to be borderline offensive or what. Like Paul says, it helps he really doesn’t stick around past this episode so I think that lessens the blow of him, but oof. Didn’t know we needed to have an after school special about the dangers of greed. Kevin: Basically every character in the show, filler or not, has some kind of redeeming quality, even if it takes time to surface. And then there’s this kid. Kara: I did not like this child. I am having an extremely hard time thinking of another filler character I dislike as much as his child. Noelle: Dear god I hope we never see this kid again. Everyone else might not have clicked with me for various reasons, but this kid was one big nope.

  It looks like we’ll have to wait until next time to see the end of the treasure-hunting arc, so let’s set up a fun exercise in the meantime. Put yourself in Tsunade’s shoes for a few moments. You need to put a three person team together to search for some buried treasure to pay off your extreme gambling debts. You have your pick of anyone in the village. There are three catches, though. One: the treasure map is vague and there are probably lots of traps protecting the treasure. Two: you have to make sure it isn’t a team smart enough to figure out you’re sending them on a completely self-serving mission. Three: one of them has to be Naruto. Now, who will be your mission leader, who will be their subordinate, and who will be Naruto? Joseph: I’m gonna have to keep Kiba and Akamaru, because you just can’t kick a dog to the curb when you’re hunting for something. I’d probably go ahead and toss Ino in there as the leader, because she’d be smart about the mission but too annoyed at Naruto being Naruto to think about the true motive behind it. Naruto will be Naruto, naturally. Carolyn: Gosh dangit, they can’t be smart? Can I say Shikamaru anyway because he likely wouldn’t care to tell anyone what’s going on? He would be 1,000 percent smart enough to figure out that vague map. Rock Lee is a good boy and would be loyal and do my bidding and trust that I have good reasons for this shady mission. Naruto will be the leader, Shikamaru will be his subordinate, and Rock Lee will be Naruto. Paul: I hope that Tsunade isn't dumb enough to fall for a trick as blatantly obvious as a sinister dude showing up with a secret treasure map to a hidden cave full of fabulous wealth, so I suspect the real mission is to bust up this ring of face-stealing ninja. If the assignment weren't a set-up, I'd send Naruto, Neji, and Sakura. Neji would be the brains of the operation and he could search for danger with his Byakugan, Sakura would provide support and medical treatment if things turned pear-shaped, and Naruto would disarm traps by blundering into them face-first. Jared: Man, the caveat of the team not being smart makes this tough. I think Rock Lee would be a lock in that case, since he’d just go with whatever if Guy told him it was good. I think I’d cast Shino as leader since we’ve seen him be able to keep Naruto in line at times, but also he could use his bugs to help search in the beginning. That, and you need a straight man to Naruto and Lee’s goofy antics. Kevin: Team leader: Shizune. She already knows about Tsunade’s debts, so can keep quiet about the real reason for the mission, and is also a medical ninja, so fewer and less serious injuries should something go wrong. Naruto: Kiba. He’s good at tracking and knows the area, but is still a Naruto, so he won’t realize what’s going on (I’d send Sasuke as the Naruto due to his ninjutsu power and general competence while not caring enough to wonder about the purpose of the mission, but obviously he can’t really go at the moment). Subordinate: Realistically any combat specialist, but for the sake of team variety let’s go with Lee, since his insane strength could probably help with negating at least some traps, and the team doesn’t have much Taijutsu power yet. Kara: I think there’s actually a lot of wiggle room with the “not smart” caveat. Between keeping Naruto in line and parsing the map, even the most solid team leader won’t have time to question what’s going on. I’m actually going to go with my fanfic filler team from before: Sakura, Rock Lee, and Naruto. Sakura can take point, Lee can be her subordinate because he’s resilient enough to handle any traps, and Naruto will be too busy swooning over Sakura-chyen to have a random mid-episode Wisdom roll crit success. Noelle: Tough to say, but not being too smart would discount the obvious choices of Shikamaru and Sakura, so I’d say team leader would be post-character development Neji, who is calculating enough (and has earned Naruto’s respect at this point), to keep everyone together. It would help that he’s good in combat. For the traps, I’d say Tenten, because she’s a traps and weapons expert, and who better to get around those? Naruto for plot armor.

  I can’t think of any snarky ways to ask that haven’t already been done already, so let’s just get to it. Highs and lows? Joseph: My high was seeing Naruto using his shadow clones to play soccer with himself. Of course he’d use them for fun when he’s bored! The low was probably the snot-nosed brat episode. Throwaway Case Closed side character lookin’ turd. Carolyn: I actually really liked seeing Anko learn by identifying with Naruto. We’ve seen him identify with the villains time and again and learn some lesson or other in the process. “I was almost just like them!” I like seeing the other side of the coin. I have a feeling lots of low points are going to be the same here, but yeah, the snot-nosed kid. Paul: My high point was Anko recovering her memories and finding closure with that portion of her past as Orochimaru's student. Addressing past trauma with a healthy resolution that makes a character feel stronger and more in control of their life is always a positive, which is why my low-point is that Isaribi doesn't get a similar conclusion. She's an anime-original character from a filler arc, but couldn't we have a few seconds to confirm that she's got a happy, healthy future ahead of her? Will the townspeople finally accept Isaribi, or will they continue to abuse and mistreat her? Could she relocate to the Village Hidden in the Leaves instead? Give me something. I want to know that the fish girl is okay. Jared: That first arc was just real good in a way I wasn’t expecting. I also enjoyed Naruto’s attempt at playing soccer by himself, but he’s gotta seperate those teams better! Can’t have everyone looking the same! Low point would probably be the rich kid episode. What a weird episode. Kevin: High - Naruto and Isaribi’s relationship throughout the Land of Sea arc. Sure, she ends up being another of the “oh, we’re similar,” situations, but early on Naruto can’t say how they’re similar, so she doesn’t believe him until he’s pushed to the point of showing the Kyuubi’s power. Low - The kid who’s so annoying none of us are even bothering to look up his name. Dishonorable mention - “Sorry, no more ferries today.” “How else can we possibly get to Mother Island?” YOU CAN WALK ON WATER! Kara: High point is the return of Akamaru the Good Boy. Low point is existence of rich child. I don’t care if he learned the value of senseless beauty and hard work, I wish he’d sunk into that bottomless swamp. Noelle: I really liked Anko, because we haven’t seen a lot of her, and what ended up being delivered was pretty satisfactory! I will always happily consume good development. Low point, that kid. I swear, that kid.

  COUNTERS: This Week: Bowls of Ramen: 0 + 1 uncountable scene "I'm Gonna be Hokage!": 0 Shadow Clones Created: 22 + 1 variable scene Total so far: Bowls of Ramen: 171 bowls, 9 cups "I'm Gonna be Hokage!": 55 Shadow Clones Created: 683 And that’s it for this week! Remember that you’re always welcome to watch along with the Rewatch, especially if you’ve never seen the original Naruto! Watch Naruto today! Here’s our upcoming schedule: - Next week, JARED CLEMONS leads us to the Hidden Village of Star! - On July 19th, JOSEPH LUSTER is back to continue the Star Guard mission! -And on July 26th, KARA DENNISON returns to guide us through the end of the Peddlers Escort Mission!

CATCH UP ON THE REWATCH!

Episodes 162-168: The Tale of the Phantom Samurai

Episodes 155-161: Quickfire Curry

Epsiodes 148-154: The Forest is Abuzz With Ninjas

Episodes 141-147: Mizuki Strikes Back!

Episodes 134-140: The Climactic Clash

Episodes 127-133: Naruto vs Sasuke

Episodes 120-126: The Sand Siblings Return

Episodes 113-119: Operation Rescue Sasuke

Episodes 106-112: Sasuke Goes Rogue

Episodes 99-105: Trouble in the Land of Tea

Episodes 92-98: Clash of the Sannin

Episodes 85-91: A Life-Changing Decision

Episodes 78-84: The Fall of a Legend

Episodes 71-77: Sands of Sorrow

Episodes 64-70: Crashing the Chunin Exam

Episodes 57-63: Family Feud

Episodes 50-56: Rock Lee Rally

Episodes 43-49: The Gate

Episodes 36-42: Through the Woods

Episodes 29-35: Sakura Unleashed

Episodes 22-28: Chunin Exams Kickoff

Episodes 15-21: Leaving the Land of Waves

Episodes 8-14: Beginners' Battle

Episodes 1-7: I'm Gonna Be the Hokage!

  Thank you for joining us for the GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you all next time!   Have anything to say about our thoughts on Episodes 162-168? Let us know in the comments! Don't forget, we're also accepting questions and comments for next week, so don't be shy and feel free to ask away!

------- Danni Wilmoth is a Features and Social Videos writer for Crunchyroll and also co-hosts the video game podcast Indiecent. You can find more words from her on Twitter @NanamisEgg.   Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

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