#am i about to become a kon fan

[casscainmainly]

Kon fan! I haven't had the chance to read much of his later stuff but early on? Yea absolutely he talked like that.

One of my favorite panels with him is from this spinoff series he had in the 90s (Superboy and the Ravers) where he joins an illegal interdimensional space rave and has some adventures with the people he meets there. One such friend comes out as a gay man, and another starts being loudly homophobic about it. To which Kon's immediate response is just "why are you being so uncool about this?"

And now the idea that Kon's first response to bigotry is to call the offender a wet rag lives in my head rent free.

Oh my god I love this so much. You heard it from Superboy himself - homophobia is uncool!

Also the way he talks is, like, absolutely incredible. The more I read the more I love him:

This is TRUE comic book writing. This is TRUE allyship. This is the man Cass chose for her first comphet relationship for a reason!

(Panels from Superboy & The Ravers #19)

[brucewaynehater101]

I personally am not a fan of romantic/sexual a/b/o but I do have a headcanon for Tim.

I believe that Tim, regardless of gender, wouldn’t have the scents of his parents on him since they’re gone so frequently, essentially making him packless. Maybe the elites of Gotham prefer to wear scent blockers so there would not be anyone aware of Tim being rejected by his parents.

Taking into account Tim’s distant relationship with the bats when he first became Robin it wouldn’t be a surprise is Tim wasn’t invited to cuddling sessions where they would scent each other. As vigilantes they also frequently would wear scent blockers to avoid identification.

All this is to say that I would find it comedic if one day Red Robin takes off his scent blockers and instead of smelling like the rest of the bats pack if instead you could tell that he had bonded with young justice, romantic or platonic is up to you, since many of the young justice members would have also been rejected from the other packs around them.

-abo anon

Hi!!! Definitely agree on not a huge fan of romantic a/b/o. There's some cool stuff with platonic a/b/o, but shifter and/or creature fics tend to have most of those cool features.

Let's get into the hc/au, though!!!!

Does this AU have anything to do with pack bonds or nesting? For the sake of it, we will say that it does.

You're right that Tim probably wouldn't have his parents' scent on him. In fact, he probably thinks this is normal.

Is it nice when his parents are home, he gets scented, and then he feels safe, secure, and loved for a bit? Yeah. However, that's a luxury, not a need. It's nice, but Tim can live without it. He has everything else he needs (Tim, buddy, no).

We tie this mindset into the Gotham elite one as well. Tim knows it's improper to just have proof of scents wafting around. Everyone wears scent blockers (perhaps this became a norm due to rich people having affairs, marrying for money, etc). Therefore, Tim thinks it has to be common that the upper class just doesn't scent, or doesn't scent often. It's like those weird sitcoms Tim sees on the TV.

Then he becomes Robin.

At first, due to Dick and Bruce fighting, Tim doesn't see much of the cuddling, nesting, scenting behaviors. They still do it, but not as often or openly.

As the family starts to heal, the Waynes aren't purposefully trying to exclude Tim or anything. In fact, Dick (and maybe Bruce too) want to engage in those familial/loving activities. However, it's very intimate and only done with people you consider family. Dick does consider Tim to be his brother, but Tim has his parents. Also, how would the Waynes explain scenting their son to the Drakes when the Drakes go to do a similar thing?

Even after the Drakes die, Tim has his "uncle." They can't really explain away the Waynes scenting Tim, so they keep refraining.

While all of this is happening, Tim has fond his place with YJ. He's learned what scenting really means, how it's healthy and vital to them, and how horrid it was that his parents weren't around enough to do it. Tim has complicated feelings on that matter, though.

He found YJ and, even with retired members, they make sure to visit often for scenting purposes. Everyone in YJ is part of the family.

As anon said, you can hc a romantic poly for the core four or do a qpr. Either way, they are everything to each other.

Since YJ core were the first to consistently scent and bond with Tim, Kon and Bart's deaths particularly burned.

Anyways, he gets them back and everything. The Waynes are settling down. Things are good.

Then Tim takes off his scent blockers, which, for plot purposes, he's never done in front of the Waynes (maybe something about propriety's sake and YJ being the only ones he takes them off for). Chaos ensue when the Waynes realize that Tim doesn't smell like them, not one bit. He does smell heavily of YJ, though.

Also, perhaps YJ didn't wear blockers, but the batfam didn't know what Tim smelt like (due to the blockers), so they never connected the dots.

[vinelark]

🕷️ Recommend something of the asker's choice -- favorite identity shenanigans fic(s)?

i really was going to just recommend one, but i got...a bit carried away. here are two timkons, two superbats, some general batfams, and one absolute wildcard with svsss to cover every possible vibe here.

been a number and a name by @wynterstars, a timkon 90s period piece chock full of identity shenanigans and kon angst and platform boots; i adore the first two installments and am eagerly subscribed to the ongoing third installment.

call me cute and feed me sugar by @suzukiblu, a timkon wip in which tim, upon finding out kon is still relying on cadmus for room & board, accidentally-on-purpose becomes a 15 y/o sugar daddy. notably, kon does not know this rich tim drake kid is also robin.

the long hangover by @coffiocake, in which superbat somehow end up dating in all permutations before the full realizations hit; an excellent identity shenanigans longfic to settle in with for a night or two.

How to Date the Batman by @solomonara (+ the whole series), a superbat fic where most of the identity shenanigans are about them dating while other people don't know their secret identities; place of honor on this list for the chapter 3 jason & clark scene especially.

Say Uncle by @megaerakles, a batfam fic in which tim's harebrained fake uncle scheme gets even more harebrained when he hires jason todd to be his fake uncle; the multiple layers of identity shenanigans from tim pretending not to know who jason is + both of them pretending not to know tim is robin + tim actually not knowing jason is red hood yet are endlessly entertaining.

Top 10 Secret Identity Fails by @havendance, in which helena bertinelli is tim drake's new english teacher. cue a delightful fic of tim panicking for 2.5k words while helena is just trying to do her job (and worry a bit about robin).

love and bruises by @transdickiebird & @homobiwan, a laugh-out-loud and also genuinely sweet fic in which recently adopted jason todd thinks bruce and batman are two different people who happen to be dating each other, and jason is not thrilled about it.

wild card: The Best Luo Binghe by Neery, a svsss au in which pidw!luo binghe gets transported to a strange fertility celebration (fan convention), which is tbh a typical side quest for luo binghe until he meets a guy cosplaying as shen qingqiu, who has no clue he's talking to the real luo binghe. i think about this one every so often because 1) it's great and 2) it fully leans into the absolute bonkers metahumor potential of its source material. (which also means it will probably be incomprehensible if you're not familiar with svsss, but in that case just trust me that it's fun.)

[fic rec ask game]

[tobyscloset]

I am going to talk about my favourite things from chaos theory and of course, the downsides, and my personal opinions!! (Opinions based around the benrius/yasammy topic) So major spoilers ahead under the cut!

Goodsides :D

While chaos theory is a kids show, it definitely displays more mature content, something camp cretaceous did not show! This includes blood, and visual character death (Daniel Kons was specifically gruesome), and description of mental issues, this is specifically PTSD, implied depressive states and breakdowns, the show dives deep into the world of surprise, watching it i was shocked in a good way when a scene came up. Kenji's breakdown was perfectly animated and portrayed.

Each character never faded into the background and they were all equally focused on throughout the season. The show also focused on relationships between the campers, and their families. Specifically Sammy's. Each character has their own comical relief line even when in a dangerous situation. The campers never matured, only grew, they stayed themselves and still act as a group! Same way they did on Nublar.

The plot twists are bonkers, I was not expecting the DPW to be up to sketchy business, nor did I expect suddenly blossoming romance between characters. The budget is definitely higher than it was with camp cretaceous, I couldn't tell if some scenes were animated or real. Beautifully portrayed landscapes.

Overall, the show deserved every amazing rating and my personal rating is an 11/10.

Downsides D:

My first itch was the one-sided romance with Darius and Brooklynn. It certainly was a plot twist but I feel that it was absolutely unnecessary and could've been kept platonic. I feel it would be more heartbreaking and deep if Darius sent her voice messages as a friend, telling her that he's sorry and telling her things about his day. That one scene threw me off on the episode, not because I'm an angry benrius shipper but because it very much could've been kept platonic and felt unnecessary, but was written and played into perfectly. I have absolutely no criticism of the actual writing.

(this was talked about on the discord) - It feels like Brooklynn used to be independent and a baddie in camp cretaceous until she started becoming the love interest, and then it felt like she just became dependent on Kenji and unable to do things herself, so I am hoping that if we get a season 2, that we really get to see Brooklynn not be the love interest and work independently. And I genuinely hope that it won't turn out into another klance situation with Brooklynn, because she was super overhated before, and some angry benrius/benji shippers WILL hate her for "getting in the way of a mlm ship", which is not the case.

My last point was with Darius' health. Darius never got that shine through and we really never got to see how he coped with Brooklynn's death or after the island. They show little cracks but never unpack his full health, which I do hope we get to see in future seasons.

Other than those three points, I really do have nothing to criticise because it was perfect.

Personal opinions/hopes on ships :3

I really do hope we get to see more yasammy content specifically how they build up their relationship more, especially comforting scenes like we got in Ben's soggy van. And Sammy telling Yaz about her family not being in contact, and I would really love to see their relationship play out further and elaborate on the family situation!! :)

-

As I autismed a little too hard and have had a hyperfixation on Benrius since 2021(?), it's not to say I didn't have my hopes up for their relationship in chaos theory, but I also can't say that I expected them to be canon. What maybe the directors could've done is provide that teeny bit of fan-headcanons, because from what I've seen, alot of people from the fandom headcanoned Ben as a gay man, so instead of a girlfriend he would've had a boyfriend. Or they could have Ben lie about the girlfriend because he may have worked out he likes boys, and has internalised homophobia. But back to benrius, they had ALOT of chemistry in camp cretaceous, and for me it was a little disappointing that their relationship dwindled down a little. What I am hoping (manifesting) is that Ben realises his feelings for Darius, and has issues coming out to him and confessing.

Despite my opinions and criticism, the show is definitely worth the watch and deserves every thumbs up from the viewers. I thank everyone who worked on chaos theory and put their best effort into it. 11/10 show. Thank you.

[erinwantstowrite]

Okok fr questions because I’m obsessed with Tim figure skater AU

Because the bats aren’t aware of tim being the one behind his vigilante mask, how are his relationships with them out of the suits? Do they interact often or on spare few occasions? (I see the happy birthday Bruce message and think they don’t talk *too* often? idk)

ALSO JANET AND TIMS SIGNATURES… them being so similar has me rocking back and forth crying (interpret as you will)

AHHHHH I LOVE FIGURE SKATING TIM AUUUUUU

be prepared i am about to YAP cause i love this au sm and now i gotta talk about it LFMAO

So far, the backstory is that Jay ended up not dying and was just extremely injured after the Joker incident. When he got back on his feet again, he joined a hockey team to make more friends outside of the hero community. Cass wanted to try figure skating and they start going to a rink in Gotham, and that's where they met Steph, who is "not" a vigilante. (She is, but more on that in a sec.)

While there, they start to hear more about "Tim" who comes by sometimes and is Steph's friend (they met when they were much younger and they are besties), and they end up connecting that the Tim they're talking about is "that famous figure skater from Bristol" that's always in the news. Cassie is a huge fan of Tim's, and she freaks out when she hears from Jason and Cass that this rink is one that Tim frequents. That's why she ends up dragging Bart and Kon to the rink to see Jason's practices or to hang out with Cass- so she can meet Tim.

However, it's sort of a well kept secret that Tim and his rink friends have. He's not supposed to go there anymore, because he has a private rink. Janet lived, but Jack went into his coma still. He eventually woke up and while Jack is recovering, he finds out they moved back to Bristol full time and there's no more travelling. In turn, they spend more time with Tim, but it's also a strain on their relationships. Jack gets on Tim's case about school, and Janet becomes Tim's manager and pressures him about skating. So Tim doesn't get to visit the rink as often anymore because of his workload. Like, he's in the gym 24/7, does his schoolwork online (he's grades ahead), doesn't ever get a break. Meanwhile, Jack and Janet are always fighting and sort of using Tim as an outlet/weapon against the other.

Buuuuuut, when he does visit, he meets Jason, Cass, Cassie, Bart, and Kon through the connection with Steph and other unnamed rink friends. They start getting to know Tim through the times that he's at the rink, and Steph, who is Janet's #1 hater and an instigator at heart, starts pushing for the vigilantes to look more into Tim's life and befriend him.

The dynamics at play are super funny because Steph and Tim are a vigilante. "A" vigilante, as in sharing the same identity. Tim doesn't have the time in his schedule to go out there, so Steph takes up that part of the role and they share this identity together- Steph taking out the bad guys as "Bird Watcher" and Tim doing the computer/tech work as "The Ornithologist". They're both detectives in their own right and work so well together that it's incredibly hard to distinguish that they aren't one person. They both know that the Bats are the Bats, but the Bats are unaware that these two are the same vigilante they've been trying to figure out for years now.

The rest of the family meets Tim through Jason's hockey stuff, away from Janet and just who he is as an individual. And then they see his figure skating side and the dynamic he has with Janet when Cass enters the same competitions as Tim. (This is my world and they compete against each other.) Obviously, Bruce sees this black haired, blue eyed kid who has parents that treat him like shit and goes "Another one, thank you!" So Tim ends up getting closer to them that way and Steph (again, Janet's #1 hater and looking for members for her club) is having the time of her life causing chaos on the side.

There is... a "tiny" little detail that I won't share yet, cause I truly do want to write this au at some point, and it's way more fun to see people react in real time to it. (I have SOOOO many Tim aus it's not even funny. Blame alighterwood for that.)

Also YESS Tim and Janet are so alike but so completely different it makes me CRAZY

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: October 2024

I'm not one for horror so don't expect too much spooky stuff out of this recap.

……….FILM……….

Dredd (2012) Karl Urban deserves greater recognition for this if for no other reason that that frown. I doubt we'll ever get another one of these so to me the ending sends a clear message that the only way to avoid becoming a bad apple is to quit the bushel.

Perfect Blue (1997) Loosely knowing the premise, I thought I was prepared for what I watched but HO BOY was I not! Some truths are timeless and I think the now dated technology makes it all hit even harder. So well directed and a perfect use of animation. This is going to stick with me for a while.

Millennium Actress (2001) After Perfect Blue, I wanted to continue with the director's filmography (Satoshi Kon) and wasn't ready for how this would FLOOR ME. Such an emotional and lovely depiction of the intermingling between art and life and what drives an artist throughout their career. And the trope of characters playing multiple roles in different time periods will always land for me.

Death Becomes Her (1992) I only know Meryl Streep from this, The Devil Wear Prada, and the Mamma Mia series so to me, she's strictly a comedic actor. Given its subject matter, this continues to age surprisingly well.

Hansel & Gretel (2002) Felt like a made-for-tv movie but turns out it had a theatrical release! I did laugh at the Boogeyman subbing in for the Sandman and the design of the Witch's oven is cool, but that's about it.

……….TELEVISION……….

Dandadan (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) Teens fight aliens and ghosts? Heck yes. I will say the first ep has an alien abduction scene that almost turned me off of the entire show but once you get past that, everything else is really great. Fun worldbuilding, clever rules, and at its core it's a charming romcom. Just promise me you'll watch past the abduction.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Episode 1.23 to 1.26) Okay so that's the ending! Not what I expected but you know what? I don't mind it. I know there's a movie that continues on after this BUT if it ended here I think I'd be okay with it. What a strange series.

Love is Blind (Episode 7.01 to 7.13) I keep thinking "why would anyone still sign up for this?" but here I am into another season asking "why would anyone still watch this?" And dang that reunion was meeeeeeeessy.

Love is Blind UK (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) This iteration feels a little more sincere, but that may be because the cast seems a little older or because the machine hasn't yet pumped out minor celebrities so folks don't know what might lie ahead? Either way I'm a fan.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Dead Man's Bones (Ft. Ryan Gosling) - Documentary Special Presentation by Pitchfork While spooky season is nearly over, the music of Dead Man's Bones is evergreen. Watch this, if you haven't seen it, and especially listen to the album if you haven't heard it. VIDEO

Game of Clones by Just Write As much a reflection on how artists can't create in a vacuum as it is a critique of the modern tv landscape. There's a lot on influence and the different ways artists react to prior work that I found both informative for my own approach and just generally really interesting. VIDEO

Why Are Movies So Obsessed With Trains? and The Infinite Possibilities of Train Action Scenes | Blue Flame Special by Patrick H. Willems I love trains. VIDEO (Obsessed) VIDEO (Blue Flame Special)

Black Cops Won't Save Us by F.D Signifier I'm not going to be able to add anything new to what's already been said in this video. VIDEO

……….READING……….

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (Complete) Very excited I found this at the start of the month but turns out Halloween plays a very small role. Not one of her strongest, perhaps because I felt like I'd pieced the mystery together far too soon.

Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber (Complete) There's something so wonderful about a story where two guys meet and immediately clock each other as awesome and become best friends. Such a delight. The end may be a worn out trope that you could spot a mile away, but it's all so evocative and swiftly paced that I just have to shrug and accept it was written in 1970.

Beauty by Kerascoët & Hubert (Complete) I wish I knew about where to find more comics like this. The artwork is loose and evocative but filled with details when necessary (and the COLOURS are so fantastic and are contained to each page to really highlight the format). The writing is also killer as it's both mature and whimsical. Every time I read this I'm reminded of just how fantastic it is.

The Adventures of Tintin: Red Rackham's Treasure (Complete) Grew up watching the cartoon yet never read any of the comics so when I saw this at a thrift, I was really excited. While mostly self-contained, it really does feel like it's part of a bigger story and I suppose I was expecting a little more pulp adventure? The art is stellar so I'll continue to pick these up as I see them.

……….AUDIO……….

Slugger by Sasami (2024) Two solid songs though I admit I tend to prefer her fuzzier/more dangerous-sounding tracks from Squeeze. Here's hoping the full album has a good mix.

Search Engine (Podcast) Always a great listen but their recent two-parter about why it's so hard to tax billionaires in the united states was a particular standout.

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Tuesday Crew just relocated some migrating birds and are now choosing from their myriads of quests. You can read all about them here!

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo) Top down Zelda is always going to be great, and this art style is 100% what I want out of games. Do I like the summoning mechanic? Sure. Do I think it leads to game design feeling half-baked? Yes. But I will say it stuck the landing so overall: big fan.

And that's it. See you in November!

[starwarsmum]

Chapter three, up now on AO3

Chapter 3: Jon

Summary:

Team Miraculous finds their way to the Watchtower, and Superboy is confused <3

There was a lot of bustle on the Watchtower that day, people whispering and looking around, hopeful to get a view of the Parisian hero team. Rumour was that Wonder Woman herself was going to be showing them around, partially because she could speak French but mostly because her mother had been a previous Ladybug heroine and she was, simply put, a fan.

Superboy was mostly indifferent to the hubbub, not wanting to get in the way, so he joined up with who he thought would be the least interested in getting to know the team - the remaining batboys and Kon. He was therefore surprised when he found both Nightwing and Red Hood talking about the French team with even more interest than anyone else he had heard.

“Sup batties,” he greeted, floating towards them. “Wow, I didn't think you knew how to get excited about visitors, aren't you all normally suspicious of anything new?” He joked, smiling at Red Robin who was scrolling through something on a tablet.

“Hey Superboy,” Nightwing greeted, bouncing up. Superboy did a double take because Nightwing had become famous for being almost as brooding as the big B ever since- he cut off the thought before it fully formed. “Isn't it great? I've hardly heard anything about the French super team, I can't wait to meet them. Do you think they're huggers?”

“God I hope not,” came Red Hood’s voice. “I told you we should've asked for more information, I hate going into these things blind. They'd better speak English or I swear, I'm gonna walk out.”

“Oh please, your French is way better than it used to be,” Dick snorted. “I mean, you get enough practice with-”

“Zip it ’Wing,” Hood growled, making Nightwing look down, abashed. Well that was interesting - did Red Hood get a girlfriend or something? Superboy tried to shut down the bubbling curiosity, as Hood would absolutely eviscerate anyone who tried to pry into his private life. “And just cos I can speak it doesn't mean I wanna practice in the suit, got it?”

“And these are some of our Gotham vigilantes and Metropolis heroes. They don't often interact outside of their bubble, but Nightwing and Superboy are the friendliest if you need to speak with them.” Wonder Woman had made her way over to their room, clearly hoping to impress the younger heroes. “Hello boys, this is Ladybug and her Miraculous Team.”

“ Bonjour, messieurs, I am sure we will get along fine. It is a pleasure to meet you, I have heard much about les garçons from Gotham and Metropolis. These are some of my team, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Viperion and Honey Bee. Malheureusement, not everyone could, or wanted to, attend this meeting. I am sure you understand, we have been a team by ourselves for a long time, and not all of them wished to involve themselves internationally.”

“Of course, Madame Ladybug, I'm sure nobody is offended,” Wonder Woman interjected. “But this does conclude the tour of the Watchtower, is there anything else you wished to discuss before we have the meeting later this afternoon?”

“Non, merci. I would request that you take my team back to the lunch hall, I am sure they are hungry. I would like to speak with Superboy before I join them. It is a personal matter,” she said firmly, when it looked as though she would be interrupted. Reluctantly, her team and Wonder Woman left, glancing curiously at her as they did so. “Mon dieu, I knew it would be tiring when I agreed to adjoin myself to the Justice League but I did not expect everyone to be so…”

“Hah, yeah, sorry buggie, everyone's been curious about your team so there was no chance of you getting out of anything.” Red Hood shrugged but leaned forward to engage in the conversation. “I have to ask though, didn't you have a different teammate? A partner? What was his name, cat black?”

“Ah, you mean Chat Noir,” Ladybug said, nodding. “ Oui, Chat was my partner when I was younger, a best friend mais… we grew apart. I no longer have a superhero partner, as such. Someone close to me wears the Black Cat Miraculous so that balance remains, but he only transforms in extreme circumstances. Now, s’il vous plaît, I really must speak with Superboy, preferably alone.”

“Uh, sure thing.” There were several raised eyebrows but Ladybug ignored them as she let Superboy lead them away. “Uh, did you want a soundproof room or something? Just because the other Superboy would be able to hear everything, otherwise.”

“Uh, sure thing.” There were several raised eyebrows but Ladybug ignored them as she let Superboy lead them away. “Uh, did you want a soundproof room or something? Just because the other Superboy would be able to hear everything, otherwise.”

“ Oui , that would be appreciated, thank you.” He could hear the others grumbling but ignored them. He was definitely curious and didn't want the others to know what they talked about in real time. “Thank you, Superboy, for meeting with me. I must say, I have heard a lot about you.”

“Oh, really?” Superboy was surprised - he was much more accustomed to people having heard about his Dad than himself. Why would a French superheroine have heard about him more so than others? “So, is this like, a fan thing?”

“Oh, non, desolée, I have heard about you from a…mutual source. Un petit oiseau , as it were. I do not wish to use a name, whilst I am unsure whether we are being observed, but this little bird would very much like to see you if you are willing.”

“Uh, sure, the thing is, this seems kind of very sketchy, I'm sure you understand,” Superboy answered, feeling like he was missing a joke. She seemed unsurprised and nodded amiably smiling a little. “Right, so I don't really know how you expect me to meet with this ‘mutual source', I'm sorry.”

“D’accord, you are correct to be suspicious, but I will give you the coordinates as I promised him I would. We shall be at them every Saturday at 16 heures for the foreseeable future, starting tomorrow. One thing I can say is, if you are on the fence about meeting with us, Nightwing and Red Hood can vouch for us. They will likely be surprised but if you tell them that Penny has asked to meet you, they will understand. And now that I have shared this information with you, I must go and meet with my team.”

Superboy was even more confused as she walked away, wondering how on earth he was supposed to explain any of this to the others. He walked slowly back to the room, immediately bombarded with questions from Kon and Nightwing. He held his hands up to stop them and they quieted down immediately.

“I honestly have no idea what just happened. She said we had a mutual friend who wanted to see me? Something about a little birdie, honestly I am beyond confused. And it looks like you have no idea what she's talking about Nightwing, even though she said you would vouch for her,” he added, causing Nightwing to frown. “I didn't think you knew her but she said to say ‘Penny asked to see me’, and-”

“What?!” The shout came from both Nightwing and Red Hood, the latter shooting up from his seat and the former grabbing Superboy's wrist. “No seriously, she said…but that would mean…Jesus, how did we not see it?”

“No, no way, that's what she meant, freaking ‘birds of a feather’,” Red Hood ranted, ripping his helmet off to run his hand through his hair. “Are you shitting me, she's a superhero?!”

“Okay, I'm officially lost,” Red Robin said, looking back and forth between his two brothers. “Who's this Penny, and why would that make you two freak out like this?”

“She's -”

“It's complicated, Red,” Nightwing cut in, looking exhausted. “And it's not our secret to share, but if she approached you, Superboy, and told you to say that, it means she doesn't mind us knowing who she is. And I guarantee you, choosing not to meet with her would be a huge mistake.”

After that, Red Hood and Nightwing refused to answer any more questions, which only made the others more curious. They approached the meeting that afternoon in varying states of anticipation. Kon seemed to be bored of it, Red Robin was annoyed with his brothers for not sharing what they knew, and Nightwing and Red Hood practically bounced into the room. They made their way over to the French group and practically smothered Ladybug.

She seemed to take it well enough, smirking mischievously up at them as they complained about how she should have told them sooner, especially as they were ambushed with the information. The rest of her team looked nervous until Ladybug introduced the pair and said that they were ‘practically family', after which they nodded and made polite conversation. 

Superboy remained tense for the whole meeting, taking note of everything Ladybug did. He noticed that she was polite with almost everyone, she got along with them too. The only person she seemed not to tolerate was Batman . Which baffled Superboy, how could she not get on with Batman, but apparently knew Nightwing and Red Hood? But it was clear that she did not like the man, only giving him one-word answers and elaborating only when someone else followed up.

By the end of the meeting Batman was broodier than usual, which only seemed to make Ladybug smug. Nightwing and Red Hood seemed to find it hilarious and Red Robin took some pleasure in it too. When she bid them all farewell, promising to be reachable if and when they needed the team, she gave Superboy another unreadable look before vanishing into the Zeta tube to head back to Paris.

The following day, Superboy decided that his curiosity was too strong, and that he had to meet with the mysterious Ladybug and their ‘mutual friend', if only to put an end to his constant musing. He flew up to the top of the building matching the coordinates he had been given. He had arrived early, so as not to be taken by surprise, only to realise that Ladybug had arrived before him. She smiled and waved up at him before turning towards the roof access door.

“Uh, hey, sorry for getting here so early, time zones and all,” he said, wishing he could hear her heartbeat. It was very disconcerting as he could hear everyone else's heartbeats, just not Team Miraculous. For example, there were two other heartbeats very nearby, a young one and- the other was familiar, very familiar, though he couldn't quite place it. 

“Please, Monsieur Kent , you absolutely meant to be here early,” she said, smiling as he froze at the use of his alter ego’s name. “Désolée, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, but it feels dishonest not to tell you that I know your name. Mon amour was very clear that honesty is important to you.”

“Which is why I said that I should be the one to greet him, ma cherie, ” came an amused voice. Jon whirled towards it and saw a tall, broad shouldered man walking towards him. He was wearing a red shirt, a black hoodie and dark jeans. The lining of his jacket was yellow and the man was carrying a small child. The silence stretched as Jon stared at him and the man chuckled awkwardly. “Tt, Kent, you act as though nobody has ever discerned your identity before.”

“Damian?” He whispered, dropping to the roof. “Is it really you?"

“It is me,” Damian rumbled, watching as his wife dropped her transformation and took the child from him. He stood awkwardly, not sure how to proceed. “You know, this is the least I have been hugged by people from my previous life, which is saying something given that Todd was the first.”

In the blink of an eye, Jon had launched himself at Damian, squeezing him until he let out a choked breath. “Sorry, I'm sorry, I just can't believe it's you . I haven't heard from you since you said you were leaving! I knew if I gave you space you'd come back but it's been 5 years and then Dick and Jason and Tim hadn't heard about you, they couldn't find you anywhere and I -”

“Breathe, Kent,” Damian said, glancing towards Ladybug- or, well, the woman who was Ladybug a few moments ago. Now there was just a petite woman with dark hair and blue eyes, wearing a cheerful sun dress and holding a babbling baby who was reaching back for Damian. “Perhaps we should take this party inside, I would not like to have to explain to our neighbours that Superboy has taken an interest in us.”

Once they were settled in the apartment, Ladybug introduced her civilian identity and then excused herself to finish cooking dinner. Damian then introduced Penélope, AKA Penny, and they chatted about how the previous visits had gone. It helped that Damian had said goodbye before vanishing into thin air, there was no real bad blood between them.

“I still can't believe you have a kid. And Marinette? She's great! I mean, she freaked me out yesterday when she pulled up to the Watchtower and basically frosted your dad out at the meeting. But given how much we all hate your old man, it made her friends in the batfam. I'm pretty sure Tim is confused as hell though, when are you gonna tell him what's going on?”

“We are unsure when we will be able to reach out to Drake. But as you now know, it would be unreasonable to ask you to keep this from everyone."

“Hey, I can keep a secret! You trusted Dick and Jason to keep it secret,” he pouted, crossing his arms. “You know I wouldn't tell anyone else if you didn't want me to. I didn't tell them I dropped you off in Germany when you wanted to leave, did I?”

“It is not because we do not trust you, Kent. It is about not making you keep a secret from your family. I have a…different perspective than I did when I left the manor. If someone, even you, asked me to keep something from Marinette, I would be uncomfortable. I would do it, because you are my best friend, but I would be unhappy. I cannot imagine that you would be happy to keep a secret from your family.”

“Huh, that's a surprising amount of insight from you,” Jon said, blinking. “Tell you what, if they ask me, I'll tell them, otherwise my lips are sealed. Except for Bruce, he can jump off a cliff as far as I'm concerned. But I'm glad you're happy Dames, it's nice to see.”

“Thank you, Kent. I have missed speaking with you, even if you were always…exuberant.” Jon laughed, beaming at his friend. They both turned as Marinette carried food through to the dining table. “Perhaps you should change, whilst you may be comfortable in your suit, I would like to have a family meal. Don't worry, Marinette has some extra clothes for you in the other room.”

Jon nodded before heading to the room Damian had indicated. Hanging on the wardrobe was a soft blue sweater, grey jeans and a bag to put them in. He changed at superspeed and was surprised by how comfortable they were. Stepping back out, he was confronted by Marinette who circled him, shifting his arms up and down.

“Um, is everything okay?” He asked nervously, glancing at Damian who only chuckled. “Did I wear them wrong or something?”

“ Non, I am just checking to see what adjustments I must make. I could only guess at your size when I met you yesterday. Damian is a good model but you are not quite the same size which means I could not perfect it.” She sighed before taking a seat and motioning for Jon to do the same. “Which reminds me, I have emailed Monsieur Drake about doing an in-person consultation. If he is available, I plan on setting it for Juin, just before mon anniversaire. Perhaps we could make a holiday of it?”

“Whatever you wish, mon coeur, ” Damian agreed. “Would you like to see if Jagged is free? Or perhaps Alya and Nino?”

“I might see if Adrien and Felix are available and wish to join us,” Marinette mused. “We could make it a longer, more adventurous trip. Would you be available to see us, Jon?”

“Uh, you’re gonna have a hard time keeping me away! I've missed too much of D’s life as it is, you'll be lucky to get a Saturday night without me.” Damian chuckled and Marinette beamed back at him. “But I don't know if Tim's going to be able to get away from work to get that in-person consult. He's been pretty swamped since Bruce started over doing it with his night job.”

“Tt, I am glad I never showed an inclination for the family business. Drake was always better suited for it and it would only have served to lock me into Gotham. But I think what Marinette is saying is that we shall be making a house call on Drake to have the consultation.”

“You would come back to Gotham?” Jon asked, wide-eyed. “But…I thought you didn't want everyone to know where you were.”

Damian sighed and ruffled his hair with one hand. Penélope burbled and smacked her spoon to the table, easing a smile onto his face. “When I was freshly 18 and did not know how to live away from my family, I wanted them to stay away so I could make my own life. But I am settled now, I know what and who I am. No matter who I come across, I will be able to return to my home.”

The conversation became easier, happy to relax and catch up. As it got later, Marinette excused herself to put Penélope to bed, leaving the two men to chat more. It got later and Jon started to yawn, which somehow made Marinette reappear, brandishing a pair of pyjamas and insisting he stay the night.

“Are you sure? I can just head on over to the Zeta tube and crash on the Watchtower, it won't be a problem.”

“Do not argue with me, Jon. I have already set up the spare bed and you did not get a chance to say au revoir to Penélope properly. I must insist, stay for tonight and then you can go after breakfast tomorrow.”

Jon settled into their spare bed, glancing around the room. There was a creative desk in the corner, completely overrun with fabrics, notebooks and various sewing equipment. In another there was a bookshelf full of old notebooks, photo albums, picture frames and knick-knacks. The apartment was clearly full of memories and love, it gave him a sense of peace to see so much. 

The next morning, Jon awoke to the sounds of someone cooking and singing along to a pop song. He aimed his head in the direction of the noise and squinted so that he could see the shapes of 2 people dancing around each other as they worked together. He grinned, turned around and stretched, before clambering out of the bed. 

When he joined them in the kitchen, Marinette was plating some fresh croissants and pouring coffee from a carafe into three mugs. She flashed him another blinding smile before inviting him to join them at the kitchen island. He slid onto a bar stool and accepted a plate and a mug of coffee.

“Wow, these look incredible! Thanks Marinette. I'm sorry I can't stay too much longer, but my family will be wondering where I went and I don't really want to let my dad know - he's good friends with Bruce and might feel the need, you know?”

“We know, but don't worry, I'm sure it will not be long before he knows anyway. It is très difficile to keep it secret when so many people need to know. It is a risk we are willing to take now."

“Regardless, we do not want you to lie to your family, Kent. Marinette has already received an email back from Drake so we shall be making the trip to Gotham in 2 months, after which it will be nigh impossible to keep the information from him.”

Jon looked unsure but they seemed calm and their heartbeats had not changed so he would have to take their word. It was with teary eyes that Jon said goodbye but Damian invited him to join the weekly video call that he did with Dick and Jason, which cheered him up considerably.

He flew back to Metropolis, clutching the bag Marinette had insisted he take, and marveling at how much Damian had grown. He was determined not to be the one to ruin that by telling anyone who didn't need to know where he was.

[aellegro]

wait till you hear about this next nominee: MOON AERA, born on the 18th of JUNE, 1997 and bears a striking resemblance to LEE SAEROM. they’re a FIRST year BACHELOR OF MUSIC COMPOSITION student and HAVE BEEN IN MULTIPLE COMMERCIALS — impressed yet? rumor has it they’re hoping to be a FAMOUS CELEBRITY, but personally, i think they should aim a little higher — something like the king’s club, for one. now, that suits them a little more, don’t you think? guess we’ll just have to see if they’ve got the talent for it in our upcoming recruitment round.

HIIIIIIIIIIIII i’m kon (she/her) and i’m so glad to finally meet and greet all of u and ur beautiful muses!! have been lurking but decided to bite the bullet and apply for bxc8!!! honestly did Not expect to be accepted so fast ejlfnjenwo kind of screamed... but i can’t wait to be writing and scheming with all of u... also!! i’m available to plot on either dms or dc (plzzzz add me on evermeow) so smash that like button <33 i’ll try my best to fill in the blanks but if u have any questions feel free to ask!!

background

she’s born the youngest of three, the first (and only) daughter after two sons, and the first granddaughter on both sides of the family

technically has 3 brothers if you count her cousin (son of the ent. company ceo) since he was an only child and liked hanging out with the siblings… considered himself one of them tbh

which made her uncle really grateful to their family for taking care of his son since he was busy taking care of the company and whatnot (also like… since he’s separated from his wife but that’s irrelevant)

back to her, she’s pretty much an angel in the eyes of literally everybody in her family like she can do no wrong 😇 and if she did the other person was probably at fault and started it first anyway

veeeery verrrrrry doted on and spoiled because of that which really all goes to her head and is internalised that she can get whatever she wants — 27 years and it hasn’t been disproven yet!

all things considered she pretty much cruised through school with the help of her brothers and anyone who wanted to get on her good side

it’s really only in the last year of high school where she was like! hey… maybe i don’t want to graduate as a nobody, marry some dickhead and be known only as his wife… hmm maybe i could be a celebrity… it’s nice to have people’s attention on me ❤️ and if i marry someone he’d be known as moon aera’s husband instead #feminism am i right

…it’s kind of strange to stick your guns to a random train of thought but it really did seem appealing to 18yo aera at the time and she’s nothing if not very determined to make her dreams reality + it seemed cool (also if that happened to include a little plastic surgery then so be it)

to her credit, she didn’t rely on her family from the jump. she went for multiple auditions by herself then announced it to her family after people got back to her about starring in the commercials… things definitely got chaotic in the moon household that day

got recruited by a company that wasn’t her uncle’s after a few of her commercials were released but trust that he definitely had a hand in ensuring that she’d get preferential treatment anyway

as for the king’s club… sensed the many, many opportunities that came with becoming a chessmaster and accepted right away

miiiiight have had something to do with the resignation of cho minah (the other black bishop initiate) but who’s to say she did? cho minah never complained either so all’s fair in war and all that good jazz… didn’t even become an aera anti after she debuted so that’s a #WIN for sure

speaking of initiates dropping out, she wasn’t close to noh hyungseo and was decidedly neutral in 2016 but if she had to choose, she’s definitely not his biggest fan. was definitely shocked during the incident but we move on… like how aera could give less of a shit about noh hyungseo and his death in 2024.

did really freaking well for herself after that if you just ignore all her haters and naysayers, and seemingly (since we all know it’s not just effort) girlbossed her way up until she became a household name, with her face plastered everywhere and her songs on repeat at any shop you enter

honestly… long live moon aera and her army

personality

gemini sun, scorpio moon, virgo rising

[−] tends to be impulsive (see: auditioning without prior consultation), especially about what she wants. has a bit of a short fuse but usually gets over it quickly unless you really wrong her one way or another… then you’re doneeeee ⚰️ resentful like no other, kxe1 knows what i’m talking about. genuinely feels like the world revolves around her and that people should have the same amount of loyalty she does towards them.

[+] intuitive and observant. very flexible and is able to thrive in different environments, can make friends or at the very least find common ground with just about anyone anywhere.

in 2016: very affable, barrelling past any icy exteriors. perceptive enough to know which buttons to push and when, making it easy for her to make friends. for the most part, it’s not a facade at all which lends a little more credibility to how genuine she’s being with you. her sense of humour is snarky and a little crude but what else can you expect from growing up with a bunch of brothers. that one friend who has to stop and say hi to anyone who recognises them. but don’t be fooled because she’s still a self-serving bitch at the end of the day 😒

in 2024: with the passing years, she’s definitely mellowed out and uses most of her cheerfulness whenever she’s interacting with fans. is more or less the same, just a little bit more cynical and jaded due to her experience in the industry 🚬 but hey, that’s exactly what she signed up for. her circle of friends is much smaller now but everyone who’s met/worked with her all say she’s very nice and kind and would like to get to know her more.

trivia/misc.

her fans are called dear… i hope everyone here is a dear and streams her music

ever since she went solo, she’s had more creative control thanks to her uncle’s intervention and actively takes part in composing her songs and lyric writing

first brother: moon jaeyoung, 1991, chief prosecutor / second brother: moon daehyun, 1994, high school teacher (science) / cousin: moon yejun, 1995, head of artist development — if anyone wants a plot where aera plays matchmaker for your muse with any of them lmk

has a maltese named bada and she genuinely adores her dog so much like that’s her little baby. watch what you say about bada because she has her own separate fanbase i don’t make the rules

artist blurbs

ouiwish (위위시) was a girl group under GROOVE Media. The group consisted of 5 members: Dabin, Miso, Yume, Hanbyul, and Aera. The group originally debuted on August 10, 2015 with 4 members, with fifth member Aera joining the group on November 23, 2018 for their sixth comeback. GROOVE Media released an announcement stating that the group officially disbanded on 31 August, 2020.

Moon Aera (문애라) is an actress and soloist under DH Entertainment. She initially debuted as a member of ouiwish (위위시) before making her official debut as a soloist on 5 March, 2021 and made her acting debut in 2019 as a minor role in the drama ‘Love in Sadness’.

i’ll add more soon i’m kind of over this and want this out ASAP i’m sorryyyy we can fuse brains when we plot together

[linettefox]

NOTE: All info about my fan series is subject to change as I am writing it. More details may be added or altered in the future.

New Fan series ideas & info dump:

I made a logo for my most recent fan series Konfy Earth Precure. Here it is in Japanese and English:

The themes for this series are foxes and nature. Honestly as soon as I saw we're letting regular dogs and cats become Precure now my brain immediately went "So I can have a Precure that is literally just a fox" and so planing for this fan series began with ideas of making it fit Wonderful's vibe just with some more fights considering writing action is my favorite part of making fan series.

The Name Meaning:

Kon Kon is the Japanese fox sound. I knew I wanted the main cure's name to be punt like Wonderful and Nyammy's are so I went with Konfy which is a pun on the word comfy and kon.

I research foxes in my spare time, I just love googling random facts and trivia about them. Recently I learned what a group of foxes is called there were three names given. Skulk, leash, and earth. No one knows what a skulk is and Konfy Leash Precure sounds weird so I went with Earth which also happened to fit the environmental themes I was going for.

The Cures:

They have not been designed yet and are in very early stages of development but I will share what I got so far for this duo.

Moribe Sierra/Cure Earth - She/her - 14 - A human girl who can become a fox. Outgoing, compassionate, loves animals, friendly.

Sume/Cure Konfy - She/her - A fox kit that can become a human. Feisty, honest, protective, naive, loves food, adventurous.

The only design elements I know for a fact is that Sume is a silver fox and Sierra will have hair the color of a red one. (Note: Both silver and red foxes are variants of the common fox) In their cure forms they will be humans with fox ears and tails being in between human and fox forms.

Moribe (森部) etymology: (Origin: Japanese)

Mori (森) - "forest, woods."

Be (部) - "section, department, category."

Sierra etymology: (Origin: Spanish)

Saw or mountain range.

I named her after the Sierra Nevada fox which is the one Google says is unfortunately most endangered. I thought it fit with the environmental themes. Also I know Cure Earth is already a thing but the name was too fitting not to use.

Sume (スメ) etymology: (Origin: Unknown)

I took the word "kitsune" which is Japanese for fox and shortened it to Sune before deciding I liked Sume best.

The Location:

I am still debating which town should base mine on, all I know is I want it to be near a big forest of some kind. Maybe they'd even have a nature park to explore. Of course I don't know Japan that well but I do like loosely basing my locations off of real places since Precure is set there.

Ideas for Villains:

The generals will be based on a wolf, cougar, bear, eagle and snake respectively they will be known as the Feral Five.

The monsters will be robotic and the Feral Five may end up becoming robots when they can't fulfill their duties. The reason for this is I don't want to show any animals as true villains because even though they hunt foxes it's all just for survival.

The big bad will probably be like a scientist trying to take over the forest with his robotic army or something. Think Dr. Eggman inspired I guess although completely different design.

Allies:

Since I do not plan to have a mid season at the moment aside from the mascots I will be creating a Yui/Seiju type character from Sierra's class that will know their identities. For now here's all I have for allies though.

● Spinosa - She/her - A seed fairy that came to find the help of the Precure, Spike’s sister. Strict, worried, brave, hard worker.

● Spike - He/him - A seed fairy that came to find the help of the Precure, Spinosa’s brother. Laid back, calm, brave, lazy but well-meaning.

● Reynard (Or just Rey) - He/him - A kitsune mentor-type character, gave the cures their powers and sent Spinosa and Spike to find them. Mysterious, wise, fun, caring.

For the mascots I thought it'd be weird to have a normal fairy alongside realistic animals so I looked for other things to base them on. I looked up what were symbiotic to foxes and spiky seeds came up because they often hitch a ride in their tails. So I made mascots based on seeds. Rey isn't really a mascot more of a Rosemary type character.

Miscellaneous Ideas:

For the transformation I thought it'd be cute if they high fives to start them. No transformation device necessary they just high five while saying the phrase and the transformation starts. I imagine it being playful and upbeat with some Elegance mixed in.

That is all I have for now, will this is ever be finished and released? Idk! Anyways bye! Thoughts welcome.

[thespamman24]

Rock Musicians Rated Based on Wether They Would Like Anime or Not.

This is a completely normal thing to think about. I'm a completely normal person.

Jimmy Hendrix- Would have loved Cowboy Bebop and Gundam. If he had been a child in the 2000s then he would have dressed as Sasuke for Halloween.

John Lennon- Would have been a big attack on titan fan and frequently gotten into online arguments. Lightly ashamed of being into anime. Has a crush on the evil woman from Chainsawman.

Paul Mccartney- Would not be an anime fan. Apathetic towards anime.

George Harrison- Has seen the 1997 Berserk Series and Ghost in the Shell. Not into anime, but willing to see it.

Ringo Starr- Would not be an anime fan, but he wouldn't mind seeing a Ghibli film.

Eric Clapton- Would regularly make fun of anyone into anime.

Gerald Way- Confirmed fan of anime.

Thom Yorke- Has possible watched a few anime. Would probably love Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Rivers Cuomo- Has most likely watched an anime. Would probably be into very weird and niche romance anime stuff.

David Bowie- David Bowie would either, A. have watched a few well known anime like Death Note and Full metal Alchemist but not be really all that into anime or B. be the biggest anime fan ever, but like, in a bisexual way.

Kurt Cobain- Enjoys slice of life anime, but not in a weird way.

Dave Grohl- Has mostly likely watched something anime, but I doubt he sees it as different from other cartoons.

Courtney Love- Extremely toxic RWBY fan. Regularly gets into arguments over ships.

David Byrne- I am confident that David Bryne has watched some anime at some point. I don't know what, but he definetly has. Would probably love Akira.

Freddy Mercury- I had to think about this long and hard and I think Freddy would be into shonen like Dragon ball Z.

Brian May- Would not be into anime.

Billy Joe Armstrong- Has most definetly seen an anime before. If he was born two decades later then he would have been the biggest Jojo fan ever.

Alex Turner- Hah! No.

Bono- Into "intellectual" anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion. Has seen multiple Satoshi Kon films.

Bruce Springsteen- No.

Robert Fripp- Robert Fripp was born in the wrong generation. Had he been a millenial, then Robert would be obsessed. He would attend anime conventions, wear cosplay, and regularly get into arguments online.

Pete Townshend- Casual anime watcher who's seen one or two and is kind of ashamed about it because of the internet.

Roger Waters- Constantly getting into arguments about Gundam online. Is a moderator of some anime subreddit.

David Gilmore- No.

Lou Reed- Used to regularly make fun of anime because of...you know...but somehow ended up becoming really into it, like really into it.

Ian Anderson- Watches the weirdest fucking anime. Just the strangest shit you have ever seen.

Jon Anderson- Steve seems like a big fan of all things cyberpunk. He'd love Akira and Ghost in the Shell, and would definetly enjoy the Blame! manga.

Steve Howe- Has not seen any well known anime, but has seen some lesser known stuff that's "weird in a good way".

Patti Smith- Kawoshin shipper.

Bill Bruford- No.

Joan Jett- Nah.

[pyreofsunflowers]

What I watched this week (3/6-3/12 '23)

Perfect Blue (1997, dir. Satoshi Kon)

I'm not saying anything new when I say I loved what a mindfuck this movie is. Truly a masterpiece in keeping you glued to the narrative and second guessing your own interpretation of the film.

It's really hard to talk about this movie without getting into really big spoiler territory but I'll do my best to describe why this film is such a masterpiece. Beyond the striking visuals and the intense score, Perfect Blue tackles the psyche of fame in a way I've never seen done before. It gets it so perfect, from the jealousy, the self loathing, to the wide variety of opinions of the public it paints a compelling picture of how fame literally, and figuratively traps one in it's web. Much like Mima, I constantly found myself backtracking and second guessing the films narrative, and ultimately the payoff left me with just the right amount of unanswered questions. I can't wait to re-watch and pick up on anything I may have missed.

5/5

Fallen Angels (1995, dir. Wong Kar-wai)

This!!! movie!!! is!!! so!!! sweet!!!! It's a movie about weirdos falling in love made for weirdos. The plot is just a loose thread that holds this bundle of joy and light against the grimey city underbelly together in the bestest of ways. This movie is ultimately about its characters, and for having so many different arcs going on all it once, it manages to give each one the right ammount of time to shine and grab onto my mind enough to leave a mark.

The theme of love and lonlieness permeates and saturates this film through the dark, intimate aesthetics and the bloody over the top gunfights and it makes it something special - and one of my favroites.

5/5

Escape From New York (1981, dir. John Carpenter)

Watching this movie as a metal gear solid fan is a trip, and probably contributed to 90% of my enjoyment of it. I know I know everyone has said it, "Snake plisken! snake plisken!" but there's more to it than that. The pacing, the plot structure, the elements of sci-fi all of it was used as a base in MGS and it's so cool to see it in it's original form!

Metal Gear references aside, Escape from New York is a solid sci fi action flick with good (albeit silly) worldbuilding and a solid, likeable cast of characters. I thought the movie lagged a little bit, but it made up for it in every other aspect - especially in it's action scenes.

4/5

Scream 3 + 4 (2000, 2011, dir. Wes Craven)

Oh scream, why does everyone love you? Honestly, am I just missing something with these movies? Is there some secret piece of knwoeldge I've glossed over? Or are people just stupid. I don't know. These movies are painfully boring and uninteresting people! The twists aren't fun, the gore is boring, the satire is blunt, and oh my god are the characters ever awful!

Look, I understand that looking for good characters in a Slasher is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, I understand that! But I'd forgive this movie if it didn't spend so much fucking time on them! I do not care about Sidney prescott. I do not care about Gale Weathers. I do not care about Dewey Riley. They are all fine as plot devices to keep the kills coming, but as these movies go on and on they become more and more about these people who I simply do not care about.

Scream 3: 1.5/5

Scream 4: 2/5

Scream + Scream 6 (2022, 20223 dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett)

Sadly, new directors couldn't fix this movie. They continue to perpetuate every flaw of the Craven films, and somehow manage to make them worse. The characters are just as flat, the movie is still way to long, and despite all the talk of "requels" , "elevated horror" and "reboots'' the satire continues to feel dated and overall blunt. I'm sorry, Scream franchise but saying something is a trope then doing it is neither funny or good satire.

I also personally find these two insulting as they try to knock sigh "whiney snowflake nerds with letterboxed" accounts down a peg for not enjoying.... shallow cashgrab franchise shlock? very strange angle for a satire to take but alright I guess. Also this film trys to tackle social media and. Just fails so horribly on it. At least 6 finally had some good kills.

Scream (2022): 0.5/5

Scream 6: 2/5

Better Call Saul S6 (2022, shrn.  Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. That is my emotions on the end of this show. OH MY GOD what a ride this series has been, did you know I actually started it to get some inspiration for a long abandonded fanfiction? because I did. And GOD am I ever glad I did because the payoff, the journey was incredible. I haven't been this nethralled by a TV show in perhaps ever. I was on the edge of my seat for the entirtiy of season 6, just waiting to see how it would all come crashing down and MY GOD did it ever.

It is so hard for me to be and speak normally about this show, in fact I don't think I could even if I tried so I'm just going to leave it at that. Until next week folks!

[psychewritesbs]

I was just wondering if you've read csm manga? I would love to hear if you have any analysis for it

HOLA! Ok so... I have to admit that... 🫣 I am not a fan of Chainsaw Man because Fujimoto's writing style is something I have a bit of a hard time with. Which is just another way of saying that I didn't vibe with the manga's mood.

This is a bit of an irony because I did read the manga in one night and I actually really liked the anime, especially towards the end.

Actually Kick Back, the opening, is probably in line to become one of my most listened to songs in 2023 the song is such a banger dammit.

All that to say that you probably won't see a whole lot of csm in my blog other than what's under the cut.

I think I've shared my favorite panel before. Basically it's the scene with Denji holding Power after rescuing her from inside the Bat Devil's guts. I loved the gore in contrast to the scene of Denji holding Power holding Nyanko (or whatever the cat's name was).

I'd say the manga did it better but I couldn't find the panel quickly. But anyways, I LOVE this panel. It's a lot of fun.

I've also compared the animation style to Satoshi Kon anime. I have to wonder about the anime's director because of the way he chose to adapt the anime. And for some reason I get massive "inspired by Satoshi Kon" vibes.

I've also praised the adaptation of that scene of Aki crying. I think MAPPA was defo flexing on their animation skills with Aki. I need them to please be kind like that to Megumi.

Oh yes, speaking of Megumi, I've also addressed Aki's eyelashes not being as long as Megumi's.

I think somewhere in one of my jjk liveblogs I've talked about Denji being a relatable Shonen mc in that his aspirations are not grandiose but grounded in his persona as a relatable teenage boy who has the whole idea around human intimacy all twisted.

I haven't made a post about it, but in private conversation with moots I've also compared Tokyo Babylon's Sakurazuka Seishiro to Makima. They're both predators albeit for different purposes and reasons and Seishiro is definitively way more cringe than Makima.

My brain works in mysterious ways so I am sad to admit that this is about the level of intelligence I have dedicated to csm.

But @justafrenchlondoner and @littleholmes for sure like CSM and have kept up with it and like to write down their thoughts on it. I've seen write ups on everything from panels about counting farts to the possible places where Denji's journey will go.

Hope this helps and thanks for reaching out!!

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week?

Action Comics #1053 - Finally found a Metallo design that I like! Way Sandoval has the remnants of his skin clinging to his metal frame makes him look like one of the Flayed Necrons from Warhammer 40k, and I love it! With Lex shifting towards trying to "help" Clark, it's good to have another villain who does terrible acts and holds Superman responsible for them. Metallo turns a bunch of Blue Earthers into cyborg zombies? It's all Superman's fault! And I am a fan of Corben's path to villainy starting when he first encounters a gun, and now he's become a gun himself. But the real intriguing point for me this issue was Kon, Kenan, and Otho. Kon and Kenan express reservations about saving one of Metallo's minions. Clark advocates compassion for all, but those two clearly have doubts. Then at the end we have Otho seemingly attacking the Blue Earthers. Three members of the Superfamily are already chafing under Clark's authority. I'm excited to see how Clark handles members of his Family not being totally aligned with his approach and outlook. If PKJ is building up to a revolt within the Family, I can't wait to see the fallout of that!

Stargirl #5 - Weakest issue of the run, too much exposition for me. It's a mini Johns, you don't need to treat every issue like it's someone's first and do a big info dump. Sue me though, I like Boom and I am interested in how she is going to fit into the JSA. Anyone want to place bets that Hourman is recruiting sidekicks for a crisis in the future that will also tie into the War of the Four Legions I expect Johns to announce on Friday at Megacon?

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #5 - Good start! Has enough of the DP patented weirdness to *feel* like the DP, while also being recognizable as something set in the mainline DCU. Never could buy the Way/Derington run as set on the same Earth as the mainline capes, but this I can. Beast Girl is cute and Degenerate might prove entertaining if Cliff is around to keep him in check. Degenerate's attempt to act tough bouncing right off of Cliff's blasé attitude was funny. And really even if the writing had been bad, the Burnham art alone is worth the price. Seems like we're finally going to see Malluh move on from Brain and do his own thing with Immortus.

Detective Comics #1070 - One of Ram's weaker issues. Enjoyed the analysis of the nature of Gotham and the Vigil poking their heads in, but at this point "what if YOU'RE the real villain Batman?" is not a hard hitting or particularly gripping question.

Gotham City: Year One #6 - Best "Batman without Batman comic" since Gotham Central ended. All the same I would prefer this stay out of continuity, not really a fan of how King all but says Slam is the true father of Thomas Wayne. I don't like when they try to make Bruce into someone with oppressed minority heritage. I like that it's the story of a WASP billionaire who beats the shit out of criminals. Trying to smooth out his edges so he can be Twitter and Tumblr's "unproblematic fave"? Nah fuck that, Batman's at his best when he's a character that makes you uncomfortable and unsure if he can overcome the unsettling parts of who he is.

Waller vs. Wildstorm #1 - Not a Wildstorm guy so I have no clue who Battalion is or what's his deal beyond what the issue shares, but I love Lois here. We get to see rookie Lois who has doubts and fears, it's a different take on her from the norm which I enjoy. Also dig the Cold War setting, that period between the JSA going away and the new age of superheroes that Superman kicks off is prime setting for stories about civilians and non-cape metas.

Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #5 - Not really sure what the conflict with Horizon would even be at this point. They sent Beetles because they feared the Reach taking over Earth, Jaime has shown the other Beetles he's not a threat, unless the Horizon are bad guys after all, what's left to do?

Invincible Iron Man #4 - Good issue but... I don't buy this "rivalry" between Fei Long and Tony at all. Long comes across as a total poser and try hard that Tony takes apart with ease. The Mandarin or Justin Hammer this guy is not, even gets called out on how he's just rehashing old clichés. Doesn't come across as arch nemesis material, nor does he even really have a compelling reason to be feuding with Tony.

Sabretooth & The Exiles #5 - Didn't end anywhere near as strongly as it began, but I respect how it made no compromises about what a piece of shit Sabretooth is.

Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker #5 - Had high hopes for this mini but it sadly ended up being yet another example of why creators who have done seminal work before on a character shouldn't return.

[introvertunderthebed]

About Me

I've had this blog for about two years and only just realized I never like actually introduced myself.

So hi! I go by Issy or Iutb and use any/all pronouns!

I've been posting fanfiction to Ao3 for over four years, though I like to think I'm a better writer now than I was back in high school. I draw on occasion, and I've been trying lately to get into oil painting and watercolor. I like to listen to music (folk, rock, and classical) and play minecraft (I've logged 60+hours just in the last two weeks).

(my fandoms and ships under the Read More)

My Fandoms:

Avatar: The Last Airbender - This is the show that got me into writing, but I'm not as active in it anymore. Zuko is both my sweet baby girl and also my favorite punching bag.

Harry Potter - !!Obligatory Disclaimer!! I do not support JKR or any of the things she says! When I write these characters, they are all some flavor of Queer!

Special Mention: The Marauders fandom

My Hero Academia - To be honest, I got so deep into this fandom that my versions of the characters are no longer connected to canon like at all.

Supernatural - I don't write for spn, but this show has held me in a chokehold for years at this point, so it deserves a place in this list.

Marvel - I do not like any of the recent Marvel movies but I am a big fan of Spider-man and Iron Man, so I've written several things about them (but not posted bc they're just snippets).

Percy Jackson - I have never read or watched pjo, but i somehow got sucked into the fandom. I do not know how this happened.

Danny Phantom - Again, I have never watched dp. I have become obsessed with through Tumblr and fanfic though.

DC - The Batfam and general Justice League chaos. End of sentence.

Aphmau - I say this regretfully, but my elementary school obsession has come back to haunt me. This is the fandom that got me into fanfiction at the ripe old age of 9. I prefer Minecraft Diaries to Mystreet, and my pension for dramatic, high magic worldbuilding will be the death of me trying to fill the plot holes in that Irene forsaken series.

My Favourite Tropes and Ships:

Time Travel Fix-it

Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Reconciliation

Found Family

Everyone lives/nobody dies

Reaction fics

HP - Harry has a million something titles, Slytherin Harry, focus on Wizengamot and politics, anything with the goblins, Harry raised by others, Draco/Harry, Theo/Harry, Blaise/Harry, Hermione/Harry, Neville/Hannah

Marauders - Canon Divergence (you will never catch me adhering to canon), one of them stealing Harry away from the Dursleys, Black brothers angst, Black sisters angst, James/Regulus/Lily, Remus/Sirius, Remus/Severus, Barty/Evan

MHA - Vigilante AU, Quirkless Izuku, unconventional friendships, Izuku/Kirishima, Todoroki/Bakugou, Todoroki/Sero, Sero/Iida, Izuku/Monoma, Izuku/Shinsou, Uraraka/Toga, Aizawa/Mic/Shirakumo, Dabi/Hawks, Shigaraki/Natsuo

SPN - Cas lives (non-negotiable), finale does not happen, witch Sam/doesn't lose demonic powers, Dean/Cas, Sam/Eileen, Sam/Rowena

ATLA - Zuko is the avatar, zuko joins the gaang early, gaang finds out about zuko's scar, early zuko redemption (can you find the common theme here), Zuko/Sokka, Aang/Katara, Katara/Yue, Ty Lee/Mai/Azula

DC - Justice leagues meets the batfamily, batfam angst, Titans Tower AU, crossover with Danny Phantom, Marvel, or White Collar, focus on Jason or Dick, Dick/Wally, Jason/Roy, Tim/Kon/Bernard, Cass/Steph, Bruce/Selina, Bruce/Clark

Marvel - Peter's field trip to SI, Irondad, functional avengers, Loki redemption, Team Iron Man, Tony/Pepper, Tony/Loki, Peter/MJ, Peter/Ned, Peter/Harley

Aphmau - MCD rewrites, religious trauma, Aphmau/Laurence/Garroth, Aphmau/Zoey, Dante/Nana/Nicole, Zane/Nana (MYS)

Blog Tags:

[tba]

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

How to hide from my family that I'm an 18 doujinshi author by Damian Wayne

by Sakura20 Hello everyone, I am Damian wayne al-ghul, son of Batman and grandson of the Leader of the Assassins. Today is another day that I successfully hid my secret identity from my family but it seems I rejoiced too soon, the Clone discovered my secret. Now I have to find a way to destroy the evidence and the body so that no one becomes suspicious Everyone, good news, I don't have to shut up the Clone forever and I also have a new assistant. The bad news is that this new assistant is a fan of mine and his salary is an Otp drawing but this also raises suspicions from everyone around. Hm,should I go back to the first option ? And what the hell with request about supersons ? Words: 645, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Super Sons (Comics) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Barry Allen, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Tim Drake, Kon-El | Conner Kent, Jonathan Samuel Kent, Damian Wayne, Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne Relationships: Jonathan Kent/Damian Wayne, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent Additional Tags: Jealous Jonathan Samuel Kent, Misunderstandings via https://ift.tt/6I5MtJy

[adultswim2021]

Saul of the Mole Men #12: “The Girly Bird Gets the Ring” | May 7, 2007 - 12:00AM | S01E12

Okay, FINE. Here’s an episode of the Saul show that sucks. In this episode we mostly step away from Saul (who we see running away from a big tidal wave, from last episode) and revisit the whole Bird Bat Mole Man Johnny Tambourine thing from a few episodes back. Lil’s Bird Bat Blood Bath is now headline news, and the Bird Bats are declaring war on the Mole Men. In that episode, the one where Lil slaughters the Bird Bats after a bolt of testosterone from his newly-acquired sack, Saul had taken Lil’s nards away because of this incident. Here we learn that Saul still has them.

Remember when a lady bird shows up and lays and egg on Johnny Tambourine’s face from, I think, the same episode? That turns out to be the Bird Bat king’s daughter, the Bird Bat princess. Will the romance between these two star-crossed lovers result in peace? Or will it just make things worse? The two do wed, but her father will not rest until Lil, the killer of many Bird Bats, is brought to justice. The Bird Bat King steadies his laser pistol on Lil’s brains. Clancy leaps in front of the laser to protect Lil. Johnny jumps in front of the laser to protect Clancy. Bird Bat Princess jumps in front of the laser to protect Johnny, and she’s done for. What will become of all of this? Probably nothing? 

This one does have one sorta funny part where it cuts to a little girl at the end, reading a Tiger-Beat-esque magazine covering the show in a scene that presumably takes place in our real world where Saul is just a TV show. She’s a typical Saul of the Mole Men fan, of course. She screams at the ambiguity of it all. I don’t remember watching this episode, but I do remember this gag; and I think that’s because I was striving to be as complete as possible with Adult Swim collecting. Even though I was not actively watching Saul, I still recorded it and placed the recordings onto DVDs, and the little bit of editing I did meant that I’d just see snippets of the show here and there.

Bad episode? Well, it’s a typical episode of Saul. So, yeah.

Superdeluxe.com (first version; 2007-2008)

Hey! I posted a YouTube video of some bumps on here and, I’ll be honest, I didn’t actually watch it. Kon did, and informed me that there were Superdeluxe.com promos all over the place. I guess I should talk about Superdeluxe on here, now! 

Super Deluxe was launched as a close cousin to Adult Swim, featuring some shows and shorts from the same talent pool. A lot of stuff on there was from people I’d never heard of before, though. It was Turner owned, online-only, and more significantly did not adhere to the same standards and practices (when orphaned Super Deluxe shows were migrated over to Adult Swim’s streaming site they had to add additional censorship). There was some good stuff on there, but also a lot of garbage. I would say the greatness to garbage ratio was much more lopsided on Super Deluxe compared to Adult Swim. I remember there was a Fark show, for fuck’s sake. 

Okay, so I opened up the wikipedia page for Super Deluxe, and now I’m going to list every show that was on there that I even remember a little bit: 

I Am Babycakes/The Professor Bros/China, IL

By Brad Neely! This was the breakout hit of the site as far as I was concerned. Basically a collection of stills drawn by Bran Neely making a very limited animation. I believe he did all the voices too. Really wonderful, hilarious stuff. China, IL the initial special that birthed the actual TV series that followed it later on, was sort of the cross-over event that established that they were all in the same universe*, and if I remember correctly it was presented in four short parts on Super Deluxe and then aired as an 11-minute pilot on Adult Swim. It eventually became a show with more traditional animation.

*actually I think the characters crossed-over considerably on each other’s series, but I don’t feel like fact-checking this! SORRY! I’ll just be wrong!

Comedy by the Numbers

I was familiar with the album and the book, which I don’t remember if they came out at the same time. Was this funny? Can comedy about comedy be funny? I literally don’t remember. Sorry! 

Derek and Simon: The Show

Derek Waters of Drunk History and Simon Hellberg of being more famous than Derek Waters had a thing on here that I don’t really remember that well. It seemed like they were going for something more relatable about two young guys who do young guy things. I believe this was produced by Bob Odenkirk, who was bit by the Tim & Eric bug, trying to come up with swanky new duos. I remember him trying with two other dudes who I don’t remember very well. I remember them being like two Kyle Gass’s. Does anyone remember this? It was like LARRY AND STEVE or some shit. Please somebody write me and tell me who they were. They also released a podcast that literally ran for one episode but the guest was Paul F. Tompkins and it was just this disjointed compilation of JUST RIFFS, like they deleted anything that resembled a serious conversation. It was exhausting.

Okay, I figured out the podcast name, but it seems like it doesn’t exist anywhere. It was called “Over Where I’m Pointing” and the episode title was “Rivet”. What the fuck was this

Maria Bamford Show

GREAT! Front-facing camera comedy but good. She’s basically doing her act and there are moments that honestly transcend in this format. I think this came out on DVD with one her albums, but I don’t really remember. 

Penelope Princess of Pets

With Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal. I don’t think I watched this, but I remember the promos and thinking it looked good. A bunch of these are on youtube in stunning 240p. 

The Freeloader's Guide To Easy Living

AHHH! It’s Jonah Ray! AHHH!! It’s people I knew from message boards as extras!!! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF! (my wife is in one of these).

This gave me my first taste of Jonah Ray and boy, I did not like what I saw. The topic of the show was basically how to get away with being a scumbag, like stealing people’s drinks and touching girl’s asses, presented in a faux educational film format. Jonah was a very bland, cookie-cutter “hipster” of this particular era. I knew a zillion guys who looked and sounded exactly like him, with his weak voice, and stories about getting drunk, and not being very nice to women.

The one defining gag I remembered was there’s a part where he gets drunk and grabs a woman’s ass, and then he blames it on some dude also at the bar. Then he leads an angry mob to take him and execute him in a back room just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Jonah’s sticky fingers allowed to grab ass another day. It’s a well that comedy of this stripe draws from constantly: we take a staid gag to a more gruesome conclusion, and that’s the joke. The joke is that a character murders another character. I mean, it’s the easiest shit in the world to come up with. I don’t respect it!

I will again make it sorta-clear: Jonah in 2007 is a different guy than Jonah in 2023, at least I assume, so please relegate this scorn to the past. I just like rehashing stuff like this because I’m nasty*

*mentally ill

Tim & Eric Nite Live

I’m gonna cover these puppies eventually, I think! Tim & Eric do their own public access style live internet show. Absolutely essential Tim & Eric. Probably better than a lot of Awesome Show episodes.

Y’All So Stupid

Devin Flynn, who worked on Wonder Showzen, did this sorta stream-of-consciousness trippy animation show that I don’t really remember the particulars of other than it was great. Wikipedia says it’s all on YouTube, but all I could find were unofficial uploads. Better than nothing, I guess! 

SuperDeluxe.com came back in like 2015 for a few years, and it was similar but I don’t think it had quite as much to do with Adult Swim. There was also ThingX, which was another SuperDeluxe-style internet-only turner network, I think? All I know is early episodes of On Cinema debuted on there before they too got absorbed by Adult Swim.

MAIL BAG

Im awfully jealous of your message board friends actually, yes

I’m sorry! Making friends is hard, especially these days. Maybe go outside and do your coolest trick or move until somebody notices and you will have a crew in no time. Good advice? I don’t know.