#and now billie and z next!!!

[not-so-rosyyy]

Billie Eilish and Tom Holland meet at the 29th Critics' Choice Awards

[aizenat]

Gen z, I need yall to make Billie Ellish and Olivia Rodrigo your new white pop girlies and get them bigger than these millennials who need to retire.

Yes I’m being ageist against my fellow millennials. Anyone with a career spanning over a decade who is 35 or older needs to retire at this point. Hang it up. Be mentors for the younger kids to keep them good but it’s time for these geriatrics fucking quit thank you.

[doctorofmagic]

Regarding the recent events involving the MCU...

The only thing that I'll be addressing on my blog here is simply the fact that I've always been focused on 616!Doctor Strange, and due to recent events in comics, I'm slightly shifting it towards 616!Doctor Doom now.

That said, I'll not endorse whatever the hell will happen in the MCU and I appreciate if people keep that in mind when interacting with me. When I write about Doom, it's Victor von Doom, not Tony Stark. Ever.

That cast is disrespectful on so many levels, starting with whitewashing and romani erasure, but also everything that represents all the characters involved and how they relate to Stephen. It's bad for both Tony and Victor as separate characters as well, not to mention the relationship they were supposed to have given the events of Infamous Iron Man (and even before that).

Now more than ever, they'll be interconnected through the narrative, and I need that atrocity to be a separate thing from tags, and that includes the characters themselves and the ships as well.

I just need people to keep that in mind when interacting with me or my works. I know I don't have any control over that but one thing for certain is that fandom spaces will be hell for those who felt extremely betrayed by this decision. I'm doing my best to keep my socials safe and aware of the problematics this cast entails, but not everyone is willing to listen, as previously observed when it comes to Wanda.

All I'm saying is, Tony Stark and Victor von Doom are not interchangeable characters, the same way Clea and Christine aren't either. Yes, I'm absolutely aware of that one (1) alternate universe which was probably the inspiration for this. But it was supposed to be Victor's debut. This decision takes away his chance to be properly cast and honored as the complex character he is.

Little by little, I'm dropping everything related to the MCU, and depending on what happens next, I'll also avert my eyes from Stephen. It pains me to say that, but it is what it is. If they don't respect the fans and their voices, then they don't deserve my money or attention. They've been disrespectful towards Stephen for years, and I had enough at this point by keeping a z*onist actress and now whitewashing both Victor and Billy Kaplan. I cannot support this anymore.

Feel free to leave if you wish to remain in the MCU area of the fandom. I won't be returning to that place.

[asterinthesiren]

THEORIES and THOUGHTS: BILLY

With 4-ish days left for the next episode, finally, here is my long-overdue post about my insights about Episode 6! Also this is going to be a three parter, because as I'm writing this I realize that it is too much for a single post to consolidate all of my theories LMAO

Of course special mention to @justmonty because without her none of these theories would have been cooked at all

Part 1 Billy | Part 2 Agatha | Part 3 Trial and Next Ep

Alright HERE WE GO!

Ok, so first off, our gen-z son of a bitch himself, Billy. His reveal was so iconic but it confused the hell out of me because if HE IS Billy Maximoff, is he the reincarnated version or did Billy survive the hex and got adopted somewhere else?

Both is possible because in MoM, Wanda couldn't find him... which makes sense since Agatha said that a sigil put on someone hides that person from the sigil caster (if the sigil caster fits the requirements of the sigil), so the sigil would hide him from Wanda too. So this is what I think:

Wanda might have put a sigil on Billy, even BEFORE everything happened: as soon as she started suspecting that another witch was in the hex (which could be when she started suspecting Monica or as soon as Pietro didn't make sense). HOWEVER, it could also be when Billy and Tommy were tucked into bed that last time when Wanda was shrinking the hex down, when she already confirmed that Agatha existed (and other witches by proxy).

SO IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT SHE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIND THEM IN THIS UNIVERSE NOW BC SHES CONVINCED THAT THEYRE GONE IN THIS UNIVERSE.

so it's either: billy's soul, that still has the sigil, reincarnated into a new body OR billy survives for some reason and lives a new life; i mean even the fact that he was just living in Eastview (which he mentioned before his voice was muted), so incredibly near the hex is very telling of his origins from the get-go, and adds both more clues and more mystery to how he came to be.

which leads me to how Agatha figured out that Billy was Wanda's kid, rather than hers (of course the prerequisite here is that Rio tells her this). There are two prevailing theories, both of which are possible (and may coincide):

When Billy says Nicholas Scratch's name, the sigil doesn't work--which is the biggest dead giveaway that he wasn't Nicky. Because yes, Billy asked about what really happened to Agatha's son, but that doesn't really say anything because we don't know how much the sigil is censoring. If he was Nicholas Scratch, would the sigil block out his memories of Agatha too? So when the sigil lets him say Nicky's name, Agatha confirms that it's not him. By virtue of elimination, the only other young witch that could have been powerful enough or reckless enough to do anything like what Teen's been doing is Billy, and Agatha concludes this because Billy Maximoff would have an agenda. But that raises a question: if Billy wanted to take revenge on Agatha, why free her from the distorted spell in the first place? He could have just messed with her in the spell rather than freeing her.

When Agatha absorbs Alice's powers, her affinity for sensing spells and magic comes back. She said in Wandavision that she went into the hex because she felt the afterglow of so many spells being casted all at once, so it's possible that after absorbing Alice's powers, she sensed the power hidden in Teen and found it incredibly similar to Wanda's. From there, it doesn't take much to put two and two together.

With that in mind, after Agatha goads him into revealing his true power (more on that later), it's finally revealed that he has more or less the same magic that Wanda has, or at least an affinity for the same reality-bending, mind-control power that she had. NOW I POSIT YOU THIS:

(thank you to @justmonty for sending me this!)

Billy was always the catalyst of every trial so far. And let me remind you what he said when he first went into the road:

"It looks just like I pictured it."

SO, DOES THAT MEAN that he has a hand in what the road looks like? If he has the same or similar powers to Wanda, could he have made the road or manipulated it? What's the extent of his control here? Is it possible that he created a hex-like spell similar to Wanda's in the Witches' Road? I mean, he's so knowledgeable about the Road that there is a big chance that he can manipulate the things in it.

However, I come back to my earlier point: I genuinely don't think he's entirely in the know, because if his main motive is to fuck with Agatha, then why free her from the spell in the first place? What is he playing at? If he is the one controlling the trials, what does he have to gain from it? How much does he know?

I am very excited about the next episode, because as things stand now, it looks like the next episode will be from his perspective--or at least the story will follow him more than they will the others.

Those are my thoughts on Billy, Agatha and next episode coming next!

EDIT: This post speculating that Billy killed Sharon also 1) makes so much sense with the theory that he's somehow controlling the Road 2) fits in the evidence that he does have an agenda against Agatha because of Wanda. I mean, Sharon's entire trauma was about Wanda, so what if Billy killed her because of his fucked up belief that Wanda is perfect and sinless? MUCH TO THINK ABOUT

[spaceofentropy]

It was supposed to be a quick thing, when I started writing it. Instead, my fic for the Harringrove Corner Pride Event grew and grew until it became the 38k-word story it is now.

My prompt was "Find me in the future" and what I offer you today is a story about time travel, paradoxes, pining, the fear of screwing up, and also monsters, titled

Time travel is real

On ao3

Rated E for blood, not sexy times

Pairing: Harringrove (but the last chapter is all Munver because I am a self-indulgent fool!)

Relevant tags: Time Travel AU; Canon Divergence; Neil Hargrove is His Own Warning; Implied/Referenced Child Abuse; Blood and Injury; Homophobia; Internalized Homophobia; Protective Parent Jim "Chief" Hopper; Robin Buckley is a good friend; Fix-it fic (if by fix-it you mean I fuck things up even more and the body count is higher); Whump; Pride Parades; references to HIV/AIDS Crisis; Billy Hargrove tries to be a decent brother (results may vary); Karen Wheeler and the married ladies of Hawkins being creeps

Summary: It's the summer of 1981 and one of Billy's friend bets that Billy won't have the guts to go and spend five minutes talking with the naked weirdo that's hiding under the pier.
Billy's 14 and he has no idea of what consequences accepting that bet will have.

It starts like this:

"There's a weirdo under the pier."

From where he's propped against the wooden parapet, Billy stops letting his gaze float over the people walking by them on the pier and turns to look at Stab. The rest of their group does the same, all keeping their eyes politely away from Stab's busted lip and swollen cheek even as they look at him.

"As if the whole beachfront isn't full of weirdos every day," Jimmy Z. says in a dismissive huff.

Pudge and Lily nod, and she's already back to drawing little black toothy monsters on the green fabric of her shoes. There's a hole in the sole of her right shoe. She said her mom's waiting for her next weekly pay check to buy her a new pair. They've been waiting for the right pay check for two month.

Billy looks away and stomps down the jealous resentment over the fact that at least her mom seems to be the kind of parent that will never stop trying. Unlike his, or some of the parents of the others in their group.

"A different kind of weirdo," he hears Stab insist.

Billy does his best not to snicker when Jimmy F. eyes Stab with all the skepticism a five-foot-nothing kid can muster. Which is a lot, if your name is Jimmy Fernandez.

"Define different," Jimmy F. says.

"I think this one ran from an asylum or something like that."

"Like Roaming Maggie," Jimmy F. is quick to supply.

"No, different! This one doesn't have shit."

"So, like the poncho guy."

"No. He's naked."

"So, like Perv Guy last summer," Lily intervenes without even looking up, and Jimmy F. nods.

"No-ooooh!" Stab is getting closer to the end of his patience. "This one is not approaching anyone."

"Ok, so, like the high lady with the tattoos and the−"

"No, he's not talking to the sirens−"

"Kraken," Pudge says while exhaling a plume of smoke. "The lady with the orange bush said her talking to the kraken was what kept it from eating the pier."

Billy pulls a cig from his own pack as he tunes the diatribe out. There's a good chance they're gonna go on for hours. They've done it before. It's the first weekend of summer break and they still have fuck all to do: inane chatter is perfect for them to waste time but not money.

He likes when it's like this. When they can just sit around, or swim, or talk about shit that doesn't really matter. He likes when they can forget life is shit, parents are a mess, school's a drag, and the future is on fire. Nothing better than to let his friends' words wash over him and make the world seem a little less fucked.

He has just finished his cigarette, making sure to smoke every last bit of it, when he registers what Stab's saying:

"I bet Billy wouldn't."

"I wouldn't what?"

"Find the balls to go and talk to the weirdo under the pier."

[suspiciouslackofclowns]

It’s awkward at first. Like watching your parents kiss and having to look away to shield yourself from the secondhand embarrassment.

But now Max is… used to it. Appreciative of it, even.

For a while, she was seriously starting to doubt the existence of love. She figured that, if anything, the best she could hope for is to be able to tolerate someone enough to spend the rest of her life with them. To hope that she finds someone who doesn’t take pleasure in screaming at her or raising their fists.

Because all this talk of love and romance and whatever else is fantasy, clearly.

At least, that’s what she thought.

“You gonna pick something or just stare at the tapes forever?” Billy huffs.

He strolls past the couch, playfully nudging her arm and earning an eye roll. It’s Thursday night, which means that Steve has brought home an abundant selection of movies before they all get snatched up for the weekend at the video store. It also means that Lucas is curled up on the sofa next to her.

Movie nights used to be tense. Billy and Steve wouldn’t sit too close, and their presence, again, felt like that of parents. Like Max and Lucas shouldn’t sit too close either for fear of being scolded.

But, several weeks and a bestowed pack of condoms from Billy later, things are easier.

The blond, rather than finding a seat on the entire open half of the couch, heads straight for the recliner that Steve is already sitting in. Without even looking, Steve spreads his legs and opens his arms.

The beat up old La-Z-Boy gives an eerie creak under their shared weight when Billy eases into his lap.

At one point, Max would have felt awkward for bearing witness to it. Would have avoided looking at that side of the room for the whole evening or even turned in early for the night. But she watches, instead, how Steve’s arms lace around Billy’s waist and pull him closer. How Billy relaxes instantly and smiles when a kiss is pressed to his shoulder, to his neck, and then to his cheek.

It’s nice, she thinks.

Someone is finally being gentle with her brother, and she couldn’t have picked anyone better suited for the job.

[sparklyeevee]

How to name Wheel of Time OCs.

You will need:

Two to five browser tabs

A little patience

If your OC is from between the Breaking and the New Era, the standard Wheel of Time map and a map of the era they're from (generally Ten Nations or Free Years.

To know where your character is from

1. For historical OCs, determine what country they would be from if they were born in the New Era. This may require you to make some Choices if their exact point of origin is now uninhabited, or the country they're from was very large.

2. In one of your browser tabs, enter into a search engine: category [country] people. If this does not bring up the appropriate category page on the wheel of time fanwiki, add the words Wheel of Time to your search.

3. In another tab, go to BehindTheName

4. Go back to the fanwiki and find the first given name on the list

5. Start typing it into the search bar on BehindTheName

6. If it, or something very similar (e.g. Edeyne instead of Edeyn) comes up, click the entry. Do not disregard user submitted names. Otherwise, repeat steps 4 and 5 with the next given name on the list.

7. Check the language of origin. If it is not among the 10 or 20 most commonly spoken languages in the world, click it to pull up the name list for that language. If it is, go back to step 4 and try the next name.

8. Scroll or search the list, using BehindTheName's filtering tools, find in page, or your own two eyeballs to find something you like. If you don't find anything, go back to step 4 and try the next name on the list.

9. Fix the spelling. None of the rules below are absolutes, but they will help the name 'feel' more Wheel of Time:

Remove diacritics

Change final y to i (e.g. Billy to Billi)

If your OC is not one of the Sea Folk, replace z with s

For feminine names, change final la or lla to lle. Optionally, change any final a to e.

Change x to another letter or letter combination representing whatever sound x makes in the name

Change oo to u

Simplify long consonant strings, e.g. shch to either sh or ch

10. For a surname, if you need one, begin again on step 4, but with the first surname listed, and disregard commonness on step 7.

[hogwartsandhawkins]

Prove Me Wrong

Chapter 11: M.O.O.N That Spells Moon

If you need to catch up here's the masterlist

Summary: After Jess makes an upsetting confession, Billy takes her on a drive

Small playlist:

Faithfully by Journey

What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish

Ceilings by Lizzy McAlpine

Warnings: Mentions of abuse, angst to fluff, Billy a little sappy again, mentions of religious trauma and Jess questioning her religion (This chapter isn't meant to convince my readers for or against religion in any way. I respect everyone's beliefs and just wanted to explore the character's personal experience with her own religion)

Word Count: 5.8k

Author's Note: Sorry I took forever to post, but I hope you lovely people enjoy!!!

Billy awoke the next morning at 11:27, feeling much better than he usually would the morning after a party, as this was the first time he left one about as sober as he arrived. Jess had planned on Wednesday to meet again today at noon to finish the paper they had already started on, but he was fairly certain that she had yet to wake up, considering the state she was in when she left Carol’s.  When it became closer to noon, however, be began to become anxious, wondering if she was fully expecting him like she said she would be days prior, if she was already awake, laying on her already-made bed, her unannotated copy of their shared text opened as she continued to look through other examples of the gods interfering as she waited. The thought of her flipping through pages, her hair pulled out of her face with that same banana clip she used when they studied, and seeing her smile gently at him when he walked through her bedroom door caused him to pull a white t-shirt over his bare torso and jeans over his boxers, making sure to grab the black leather jacket that was currently on his bedroom floor before leaving. 

He practically jogged his way to the Logan’s home, looking up at Jess’s window before striking the front door four times. It was quickly opened by Mrs. Logan, who looked as if she was preoccupied. She was out of breath as she opened the door, beads of sweat on her forehead.  

“Oh, Billy, Thank god.” Billy began looking around, wondering if she was actually talking to him, considering this was the strangest way he’s been invited into a home. 

“Uh, Mrs. Logan?” 

“Come in, come in.” She then moved out of the way, granting him a view of Mr. Logan, equally as exhausted, who was currently looking at a large television console, his hands resting on his hips. Billy then turned his head to look at the older TV that used to be in the center of the living room, which was now resting by the foot of the stairs. 

“Ah, would you look at that.” Mr. Logan turned his attention to Billy at the sound of footsteps, “The Mrs. can’t figure out where the new set should go.” He then looked over at his wife, his lips pressed in a straight line, his upper lip becoming nonexistent. 

“No. They just put it in the wrong place. I know where I want it, Stan.” 

When Billy furrowed his eyes at the mention of ‘they’, Mr. Logan filled him in. “The delivery guys.” 

“-and now, I want it where it should be.” 

“But sweetheart, It’s basically where the other one was.”

“But this one’s clunkier, it doesn’t look right here. It needs to be over there.” Billy followed her finger as she pointed to the corner of the room. Mr. Logan gave him a pointed look as if to explain what he’s been dealing with all morning. There was no way these two were making it there without spines breaking, so he nodded in acceptance as he began to pull his jacket off and folded it neatly over their Lay-Z-Boy, moving to the left of the TV set, causing Mr. Logan to follow suit, walking to the other side. 

“One. Two. Three.” Mr. Logan directed, them both, mostly Billy, lifting on three, Billy guiding the television as he looked behind him, making sure to not back into anything. When it reached the desired corner, both set it down with a huff, Mr. Logan giving Billy a grateful slap on the shoulder when done. “You’re a lifesaver, son.” Billy breathed out a laugh, looking over at him before quickly looking away again and down at his feet. 

“Well…” Mrs. Logan was now tilting her head at the sight of it in its new location, making Mr. Logan’s eyes widen in panic. 

“Don’t you dare, Beverley.” Billy laughed out loud this time, looking over at the television before turning his head to Mrs. Logan.

“What? You don’t like it?” 

“No no she likes it. Loves it. Don’t you Bev.” 

She looked at it with thought one last time before smiling. “You know what. It looks great. Thank you so much. I didn’t know how we were going to move it.”

“We weren’t,” Stan said dryly. He then looked over at the smaller console that was still sat by the stairs which was meant for Jess’s bedroom.  “Hey, kid, you think you could-“ 

 “No problem.” 

Billy positioned himself at the bottom of the TV, allowing Jess’s dad to walk backward behind it and not be burdened by most of the weight. The stairs became steeper than he remembered as his arms began to strain a bit, still tired from the last task. When they finally reached the top of the stairs and in front of Jess’s bedroom door, Billy had no problem setting it down as Stan directed and taking a break, shaking his arms out as Mr. Logan knocked on Jess’s door. 

“Jess? You dressed? Can we come in?” 

“I guess.” Billy noticed how groggy she sounded, now realizing he maybe shouldn’t have come yet after all. Stan opened the door to reveal Jess placing her head in between her hands, rubbing her temples, slouching on her unmade bed, slowly looking up when she heard the creaking. However, her mood shifted when she saw the TV on the ground. “It came a day early?” 

“Yup!” She didn’t notice Billy standing in the dark hallway, and when they picked up the TV, she jumped up, believing that her mother was on the other side of it. It wasn’t till he walked through her doorway did she see him holding it up. 

“What the heck are you doing here?” As she asked this question, she shamefully watched his arms flex as they found a place for the TV in one of the unoccupied corners of the room. 

Out of breath, Mr. Logan looked at the two before dismissing himself from her room, “You two can figure it out if you want it somewhere else.” He waived them off as he closed the door, leaving Billy to finally answer her question. 

“You said to be here at noon. Probably should’ve known a lightweight like you would be hungover.” 

“I’m not hungover,” Her voice was raspy, most likely from the combination of just waking up and having to scream over an incredibly loud stereo the night before, “I just have a small headache.” 

“Yeah. Cuz you’re hungover.” Jess rolled her eyes, now looking at her ‘new’ tv. What she was most excited about was the built-in VHS player, as she was more of a movie person than she was a person interested in the current shows, though she didn’t mind catching an episode of Cheers occasionally when her mother was watching it. 

“Do you think my dresser would hold it?” She was giving the television the same look her mother gave the larger one.

“Wouldn’t be able to use that then.” He nodded toward the mirror that was attached to the back side of her dresser. She huffed in agreeance, realizing she would need to place it on something so she could see it while lying in her bed. She began to look around her room, remembering that something when her eyes met one of her nightstands. 

“Oh! Come on.” She then left her room and began leading Billy to a room further down the hall. Billy started to realize how much of her house he had yet to see, as he never went passed the bathroom door which was right next to Jess’s room, and had only seen the main living area on the first floor. 

They entered a bedroom that had a decent amount of miscellaneous furniture that didn’t match the rest of the home. Everything was old and worn. Some pieces looked like they were ready to fall apart. Jess didn’t move into the room right away, looking around carefully as she breathed in slowly. When she finally entered, she walked around slowly, looking for something specific, but would pause at certain pieces of furniture, giving it her full attention before moving on. She stopped particularly longer at a seemingly simple chair, one of the pegs missing at the back left, causing it to lean against the wall. Billy noticed her prolonged looks and also began to look at different pieces, wondering what could be so interesting about furniture that looked like it was from the 60s. When Jess found the floor cabinet she came in the room for, she started drumming her fingers on the top of it, looking to see if it would hold under the weight. 

“Whatdya think? Could work right?” 

It was the ugliest thing Billy had ever seen. It was painted a sickly pea green, however, it didn’t look like it was painted by the original crafters, but instead by a random mom that decided to try her first DIY project. It bubbled in random places, looking as if the layer of paint could be peeled off, which tempted him, but he quickly decided against it, scared of what he might find underneath. 

“You want that in your room.” 

“You have a better idea?” 

Billy grumbled as he began to lift. “Jesus and it’s heavy?” 

“That means it’ll hold, right?” Jess was panting as she tried her best to help move it around the remaining furniture, through the door, down the hallway, and into the middle of her room. They both dropped it, Billy pausing to lean his body weight against it. 

He threw his head back when he realized he would now have to move the TV out of the way, reposition the cabinet, and then re-pick the TV up, placing it down on its new stand.  He made quick work of the television, as it wasn’t that heavy, then scooted the green atrocity, alternating sides to line it up where Jess wanted it. “Be careful of the shelves on the wall,” Jess instructed. 

“Yeah, yeah.” He left enough room to plug in the television behind the cabinet, sighing in relief when the TV was now where it belonged. “You wanna plug it in or should I, Logan.” She excitedly rushed over to the floor cabinet, finding the cord as she plugged it into the wall, wiggling it to ensure it was secured. She then jumped back up, turned it on, and watched it hum awake in awe, staring at the static once it was, a smile secured on her face. 

“You act like you’ve never seen one before.” 

“But it’s mine now.” Jess walked over to her dresser and knelt down in front of it, opening the bottom right drawer, which was filled with VHS tapes, some in the original casing, some not. She pulled out a stack, flipping through them. Billy looked down at them as well, realizing her movie collection mostly consisted of sci-fi and romantic comedies, nothing in between. 

“That’s all you got?” He asked now sitting down with her, holding up “Return of the Jedi”, facing it at her. 

“I like them.” She was now holding her “Sixteen Candles” copy and began walking toward the television. 

“We’re not actually watching that, are we?” 

“I’m just seeing if it works.” 

She placed the tape in, playing in the middle of one of the beginning trailers before walking back over to the pile and placing them back into the drawer, closing it afterward. She looked at the television again, content with the results, and then turned back to Billy, who had now stood up from where he was at and leaned against her dresser. 

“I need something to get rid of this… hangover…” She watched as Billy gave her a satisfied smirk when she admitted to having one, “Do you want anything?” 

Billy pushed off the dresser with his arm. “I’ll come with.” He looked back once more, seeing a trailer for something about a Breakfast Club, and left the room, following closely behind Jess, closing her door as they entered the hall. They came downstairs to find both of her parents staring at the brand new tv, it still off. 

“Did you guys move that?!” This was the first time Jess had seen it, unaware of how large it actually was until now. 

“No, the delivery guys brought it through the door. But Billy helped me move it the rest of the way since momdidn’t like where it was.” Jess shot her head toward Billy, who winked smugly in response. 

“Don’t say I didn’t do nothin' for ya,” he whispered in Jess’s ear before leading the way toward the kitchen. Jess searched through the fridge for something to cook, absolutely starving due to not having anything yet for breakfast, the hangover not helping the situation either. But to her disappointment, she found that there were no more eggs left. 

“Great.” 

“What is it hun?” 

“Eggs are gone.” 

“Well,” Mr. Logan chimed in, “if you didn’t bake so damn much maybe there would be some left. We don’t need the garage fridge full of sweets. We do, however, need eggs.” 

“You been holdin' out on me, Logan?” Billy was now crossing his arms, leaning the small of his back against the counter nearest the fridge as he looked down at Jess. 

“No, you had some…” She looked behind her before she continued, ensuring that her parents still found the powered-off TV more interesting than their conversation. “… the other night.” 

“You show me the garage, I take you to go get food.” Jess sighed and walked Billy through the door next to the pantry, turning on the light before walking to the left where an off-white fridge stood alone. It was 30 degrees colder in there, and when Billy opened the fridge, it seemed like it only got worse. “Jesus. Why?” He looked at the abundance of stacked containers and realized Mr. Logan was not over-exaggerating as the top three shelves were stocked with an assortment of brownies, cookies, and even the occasional container of cupcakes. 

“Well, the cheerleaders do a bake sale and-“ 

“Yeah in February?” 

“I’m perfecting the recipes!” 

“So what’s wrong with these?” He was now holding a Tupperware full of cookies, shaking it back and forth in his hand. 

“They didn’t rise like I wanted them to.” 

“Cool. I’m taking them. What about these? These the batch we had?” He had another container in his hands that had brownies in them, but there looked to be some missing. When she nodded in response, he nodded back but with more excitement. “Hell yeah. Get your shit let’s motor.” Jess followed Billy back into the house, closing the garage door and locking it from the kitchen when they were back in the warmth of her house. 

Billy set the Tupperware down on the kitchen counter closest to the living room and walked to the Lay-Z-Boy to retrieve his jacket that he left there when he first arrived, looking back at Jess as he flipped his hair out from underneath the collar. “I’ll wait.” Jess ran back to her room to change out of the sweatsuit she had worn the night before, just then realizing that drunk Jess had put the bottoms on backward before heading to the bathroom to take her makeup off last night. She threw on the first pair of jeans she found and searched her closet for a sweater, something thick this time, and ran back downstairs, socks in hand. Just as she reached the bottom, she sat down on the third to last stair as she pulled her socks over her feet, and grabbed the worn Nikes that were placed by her. 

“Okay, ready.” She was grabbing her house keys at the entry table, making her way to the front door before turning around to say goodbye to her parents, who were just now plugging the TV in. 

“Bye sweetheart, you two drive safe!”

“Drrsff kid.” Mr. Logan was behind the TV, his response muffled by his face being so near the wall. 

“Sooo… this town gotta IHOP or something?” Jess was locking the door as Billy stayed next to her, his hands in his pocket as he thought about where they could possibly eat in this city. 

“No, but our place serves breakfast till, like, two I think.” 

Billy smiled at the use of our, considering they had only been there twice this past week. He had already started to feel as if it was theirs, and he was glad Jess shared the same sentiment. 

“Sounds good, princess.” 

——

“Are you working again tomorrow?” Jess was pushing her eggs with her fork, wondering whether she could stomach another bite due to her insides now churning at the sight of anything that wasn’t toast. 

“What, can’t stand a day without me?” When she didn’t answer he decided to drop his joking demeanor and continue, “You don’t think we’ll finish the essay today?” 

“No. It’s not that. I already finished it yesterday in my free period by the way. I just forgot to tell you last night. You’re welcome.” She then placed a bit of egg on the tip of her tongue before mashing it on the roof of her mouth and swallowing, slightly cringing at the feeling of it dropping into her stomach. “It’s just…” She stopped as she watched their waiter walk past as he attended to the booth next to theirs. “I need an excuse for tomorrow.” 

Billy gave her a befuddled look before he got up from his place in the booth and held his hand out to help Jess do the same. “For what?” 

“Church tomorrow. Wednesday night is easy, since I say I’m just busy with school and practice, but when Sunday comes around… It’s just easier if I have someone to vouch for me not being there is all.” 

“Huh… Never took you for a girl that ditched something like that.” They walked to the front counter as Billy dug cash out of his wallet, softly pushing Jess’s hand away when she attempted to once again force the lone $5 that was kept in her small coin purse. 

She huffed as she placed it back where it had been stuck, looking back up at Billy once it was away, “And why’s that?” 

“Figured you were the kinda chick that lived there. You know since I saw that Bible in your closet and shit.” 

“Yeah, well, if you didn’t notice,” she now walked out of the diner, heading toward the passenger door and opening it to get in, waiting to continue when Billy was also inside the car. “it was buried in all the other shit I had in there.” 

“Okay?” 

“Meaning I don’t touch it anymore. Meaning I don’t go anymore.” 

“Then just don’t go.” 

“It’s not that simple.” 

“Why?” He pulled out of the parking lot and began driving back to the Logan’s, occasionally glancing back at Jess as she sighed, piqued at the thought of having to explain the dynamic of the Church, of the gossiping that she was sure took place as to why Beverly and Stan Logan’s daughter hadn’t been seen for over a month, of the questions her parents were receiving already, of the answers that her parents were already provided by Jess, and of the judgment of whether or not these excuses were good enough. She could already hear Mrs. Cunningham’s voice. Well, my little Chrissy has practice too. She’s been on the honor roll too, haven’t you Chrissy? The thought of the whispers and the persecution always sent Jess into a panic, and she feared that when she was finally ready to come back, she would no longer be welcome, which justified her absence even more. 

Instead of explaining, she slumped in her chair and mumbled, “You wouldn’t get it.” 

“Nah I wouldn’t,” he began to chuckle lightly, “Never believed in that bullshit.” 

“Do you think that’s all it is? Just bullshit…” Her voice was small, and it cracked slightly as it took on the weight of what it just asked. She had always been afraid to ask someone out loud, fearing that someone would hear her wavering devotion to her lifestyle. She just determined she would figure it out later, that this was just a hiccup and when everything was sure to be back to normal, she would laugh at her uncertainty and, hopefully, be able to return like nothing had happened. But she knew that to be false and it physically pained her to know that her lifestyle may have been for nothing. 

Tears began to well in her eyes and Billy quickly took notice of this, his chuckle catching in his throat, afraid that he caused this. He promptly pulled to the side of the road before he began to apologize. “Shit, Logan, I didn’t mean to say it like that-“ 

Jess cut off his apology by merely shaking her head, a small smile replacing her frown of contemplation which allowed Billy to breathe. “No, no you didn’t do anything. It’s just…” Billy stayed focused on her, waiting for her explanation, holding a comforting patience in the way he looked at her. It caused her to uncertainty to crumble down.

 She pushed her head back so she was looking up at the ceiling, up at where she used to direct all her strength. “I… I dedicated my life to that bullshit. And I don’t really know if there is a heaven, or a hell, or a God,I never really knew. I just had hope. But what I did know is that it made me feel something, that it was mine. That I wanted to be there, I really, really did.” She began to break down again, attempting to choke down her sobs as she continued to try and explain everything she had been thinking for a while, long before she stopped going to church, and youth nights, and activities. “And… and, Billy, what if it was all for nothing? What if every prayer I sent out, what if every service I attended, what if everything I’ve ever believed in was just nothing?” 

She knew the church was the reason she met Steve when she did, that their friendship wasn’t made through school but through the Wednesday nights and the Sunday mornings and every other activity in between. And when he decided he was too cool to go, Jess kept going. This place gave her Steve, gave her Chrissy, gave her hot chocolate during Christmas caroling nights and youth summer camp, where she was meant to be a counselor for a second year this summer. It gave her everything that she connected her youth to. But it also gave her anxiety, the kind that came from never being sure whether she was doing enough to be seen worthy by her church and by their God. It gave her the feeling of eyes being constantly on her when she first decided she couldn’t attend the early morning Bible studies before school as she was losing sleep. It gave her the question of whether her friend Alicia’s lifestyle would really put her in hell. It gave her heartache when she was told that the book, The Stand, a book that her father had given her, would also put her in hell if she didn’t throw it out. And it gave her even more heartache when she decided she’d read it anyway, as it became her favorite book. “And it sucks, it really sucks because you don’t know how much I beg that it is all real, that it wasn’t for nothing. Because I’ve given Him my life, and what if, after all these fucking years, what if I have been giving my life to nothing when I could’ve been giving it to myself.” She took another breath in and looked back down at her lap. Embarrassment began to creep in. Embarrassment from her confession and who she decided to confess to. 

Billy continued to look at her as she continued to break, and when she finally turned her gaze to meet his he studied her look of denial and acceptance. “Let me take you somewhere,” was all he said, his voice delicate but assertive. When she only nodded, he added, “It’s a far drive.” 

“That’s okay.” 

At this, Billy threw his car back into gear and began to turn around, driving in the direction they came. He would occasionally glance over at her, ensuring that she was doing better before he decided to turn up the radio, which after the advertisement, began to play “Faithfully” by Journey. Instead of flipping it to a different station as he would have last time, he let it play, allowing himself to listen to it a second time, continuing to look over at Jess’s puffy eyes and red nose as he listened to the lyrics. 

——

They had driven for a little over an hour and a half before Billy had pulled into a grassy lot. The drive consisted of music and ads, neither one of them speaking more than two words at a time as they continued their journey out of town. Jess’s eyes had cleared though her mind hadn’t, as she was still contemplating her earlier confession. It hurt her. It hurt her more than any pain she had felt, more than her sprained wrists and ankles from practice, more than her knee cracking. She had lost part of herself the first night she saw a Demogorgon, lost all faith in who she was and what she believed in. And though she spent the past year struggling to find that part again, it only took a five-minute conversation to determine it was gone, and she wasn’t so sure she liked that outcome. 

Billy reached behind him to retrieve that jacket he left in Jess’s room early Wednesday morning and handed it to her. “Put this on, you’ll need it.”

She looked out the passenger window as she blindly grabbed for the jacket, realizing that they were in the middle of nowhere. She looked out the rear window as well, and still couldn’t see a thing. She then cautiously looked over at Billy, “You didn’t bring me here to off me, did you?”

“I can take you back,” Billy laughed out. He moved his gaze from her mock-worried expression to the forest that they parked by, looking in the direction that he intended to lead them if she didn’t decide to leave. Instead, Jess laughed with him and opened her door, feeling the cold breeze and swiftly stepping outside to put Billy’s jacket on, feeling relieved that he happened to have an extra one in his car. It was much colder here, which Billy explained was due to them being closer to the Great Lakes. 

“How the hell did you find this place?” 

“Driving.” It was an easy enough explanation, but it wasn’t the whole explanation. What really happened was that at the end of another fit thrown by his father and another bloodied lip that accompanied it, he decided to go for a drive. He didn’t know where. All he knew was he had all day to figure it out. And after about two hours of mindless driving, he found a plot of grass that was much shorter than the rest of the surrounding grass, and unlike this time around, there were other cars parked there. Something called him to leave his car and when he did, he found a worn sign by the towers of trees that read “Creek Trail”. 

Billy led Jess to the same sign and then looked back at her as if asking if she was sure she wanted to continue. She looked up at him as well but said nothing, only watching the fog from his breath appear more rapidly the longer they stayed staring at one another. He then came closer, one hand reaching behind her neck and releasing her hair from under his jacket collar, allowing his palm to linger against the leather before pulling away. Instead of grabbing her hand, he held his palm outward for her to take, not moving his eyes off hers, and once she did, he began to lead her into the woods. 

They walked in silence for 3 minutes before they deviated from the path, and within another 4 minutes, Jess began to hear the crashing of rushing water. She glanced over at Billy curiously, but he wasn’t paying attention as he continued to effortlessly navigate through the roots and brush, careful not to take them anywhere that would lead to her falling. Then she saw it. It was the tallest waterfall she’d ever seen up close. Granted, she had only seen one before, but it was a sad excuse compared to what was now in front of her. She finally let go of his hand and began walking closer to it, mesmerized that this was only hours from where she lived. 

“Ever since I moved here, I’ve been trying to find… something… that reminded me of home. There’s no ocean here, but, this was close enough I guess.” He still had yet to look back at Jess and kept staring at the waterfall. “It’s different. But. Not bad.” He shoved his hand in his pocket, it now cold from the lack of touch. “Come here a lot when, well, you know.” He paused for a bit, taking in where they were and how the now setting sun was reflecting against the waterfall.  He had come to admire this place and, until recently, it was his favorite in Indiana. 

“And I just figured,” He then turned in Jess’s direction, who was still looking at the water in awe, “if there was a god… he’d be here.” He watched as her head snapped toward the sound of his voice. Her eyes took in and appreciated the boy in front of her. She felt a strange kind of sadness. She couldn’t describe the melting she felt in her chest. She felt the knot in her heart she had for months be replaced with something else, and it caused her to cry for the second time today. 

She began to walk toward Billy slowly but stopped a foot from him. She briefly looked back at the waterfall before meeting his eyes again. “And what if he’s not?” Her voice broke, it so soft that he would have missed the question if she wasn’t so close to him, the rushing water drowning out all other sound around them. 

“Then it’s just you and me here, and I’m okay with that.” 

Jess took a step closer, attempting to choke back the whimper that was threatening to come back. “Thank you,” she was able to manage to let out. 

“Come here.” He pulled her into his chest as she allowed the hot tears that burned her eyes to spill again. She hugged him back as he continued rub her shoulder, one arm wrapped behind her neck while the other was around her waist, his chin resting on her head that she buried as far as she could in his chest, her face slightly covered by the jacket he was wearing. Her arms snaked in between the jacket in his shirt, feeling the warmth that was trapped there. 

They stood there forever and not long enough, both of them admiring the waterfall as they held each other. Billy began to look at the sun that was now almost set. Against his better judgment, he thought of just staying here through the night with Jess, with her. But he knew it was about to get much colder without the sun to warm their surroundings, and so he pulled away slightly. He hated the feeling of the cold air replacing the space that was just earlier nonexistent, sighing as he made Jess aware of the time. “Should probably get goin’, gorgeous.” 

She laughed at the nickname, her laughter slightly muffled by the leftover tears. She knew that she looked anything but gorgeous at this moment. She was sure her hair was wild with Billy resting against it and occasionally rubbing it, and she felt her eyes nearly swollen shut as she wiped the remaining snot from under her nose. But Billy still smiled at her, offering his hand again so that he could lead her back to the car. 

“Careful, I ate shit around here the first time I was leaving. Hard when you can’t see.” He walked slower than he did when they first arrived. Jess didn’t mind , considering she wasn’t necessarily ready to go home. 

As he continued to point out protruding roots and branches, Jess began to ask light questions, hoping to change the depressing mood that she felt she placed over them the past few hours. “Have you found any other places?” 

He tsked at this question. “I went to lake Michigan once. Hoped it look like the California. It didn’t. Wasn’t that impressed, honestly.”

“Why’s that? I thought it would look a little like the beaches from there at least.” 

He shrugged at this and contemplated how to answer. “At first look, yeah, you could say that. But it was like… a cheap imitation. So I gave up on finding California in Indiana. Decided to just… find the best of Indiana I guess.” He looked back at Jess as he said the last part, but quickly directed his gaze back to his feet.

 They finally reached the sign as it began to get darker. Billy walked her toward the passenger door of his Camaro, opening it for her once they reached it. He then briskly walked around the front of the car to his own door, slamming it shut while blasting the heat. “Jesus it gets cold here.” He began to move his gear in place while he looked over at Jess. “Ready, princess?” She nodded her head toward him before resting her head against the window of her door. 

“So what was your favorite beach in California then?”

Billy seemed to greatly enjoy this question, as he began to describe in detail where his mother used to take him. He began to recount why the waves were always the best there, how his mother always laughed when he wiped out while he first started learning how to surf. She watched how his eyes erupted in thought, sparkling in a way she had never seen from him. As they continued to drive, Jess began to look to the now rising moon, the light from it adding to the light that she already felt. And as she sat there, blissfully listening to Billy’s childhood story accompanied by the soft hum of the radio, she realized two things: She no longer had faith in the man in the sky, and instead, had faith in the man sitting next to her.

But who prays for Satan? Who, in the eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?

-Mark Twain

@nix-rose @fandom-princess-forevermore @ooo---hazelgrimm---ooo @axionn @defenslessheart-main

[backtothethunder2023]

The Thundermans Return (new poster) (discussion + theory)

There are two versions (that I found so far) of the poster! BOTH are really, really confusing, but let's analyze!

Let's actually start with the background: it's Hiddenville, which makes sense ("The Thundermans Return" to Hiddenville), but we already know that the movie will take place in various locations, so I really hope we will get to see more of Metroburg (and that it will be included in a poster too). But it's really nostalgic and...strangely it sets a very interesting mood. I can't find the right word for it right now. Especially with the color of the sky. You really know SOMETHING is going to go down this time.

Now about the Thundermans. We have Max and Phoebe at the front: the new supersuits look really cool (especially the gloves!) and we have a standard pose that works well. Just one question: WHERE is the rest of Phoebe's left arm. At first thought she had her left hand on her hip, but obviously not, so this remains a mystery for now 🕵️‍♂️. Notice how all of the Thundermans are posing slightly differently and only the twins' poses are exactly the same! We -again-see the golden stripes on Max's arm that stand for being one of the captains of the T-Force (formally the Z-force). He also has a device (maybe a smartphone) in the pocket on his leg. In general, it seems that all the individual suits are slightly different (not just the boys and the girls).

(insert deleted comment about Max's new hairstyle here XD)

I want to talk about Billy next, because I just live for how happy he looks. Look at him. He's happy to be there, he looks cool and he's all ready to go! And no, he and the twins are not on a staircase or something - Diego is simply this tall now (and Phoebe and Max are both in a medium squat).

Next we have Nora: she has darker hair now (resembling Phoebe's hair colour) and I really like the pose she does with her left hand to focus her laser. Unfortunately her stance is slightly strange to me (but that's maybe also because Phoebe's elbow is covering half of her leg).

I don't have much to say about Hank and Barb, so let's move on to Chloe, who the center of this whole picture. I'm really intrigued by this. I love her smile and overall expression -she knows exactly what she's doing. AND - after looking at this picture for several minutes- she's sitting on a FLYING skateboard! Then there's a second flying skateboard with Dr. Colosso on top. WHAT is going on!? My first guess: flying skateboard - hoverboard-time travel. I actually made a post once on how Chloe might be able to travel in time due to her teleportation power. For me it makes sense (I will discuss this again on here soon), because it also helps with my theory of Mayhem's return (from the past, where he was more powerful). Also the "Thundermans Return..." return back to the future!?!? 👀

My last point is related to this theory. I saw this poster and thought it was strange (but very cool still!). And I thought it's the arm or leg placement, the composition, but you know what? It's the light. Let me explain: there are lights that comes from the sky, the background, then the ones from their individual superpowers (lasers for Nora, lightning for Barb etc.), but when you look closely at the wider poster, you will see a strange light in front of Phoebe and Max too. It doesn't look like telekinetic waves (which are normally not visible, but we saw them once on screen in the episode "Cape Fear"). Actually, I think this light comes from Chloe! She's in the middle, but creates a circular light (you can't really tell in the small poster, only in the wide version) around the Thundermans! Notice how Max's hand is almost reaching out through something - could it be a portal!?!? That really should be it, because Dr. Colosso is very obviously traveling through a portal as well. So are the Thundermans going back in time to stop their enemies? To stop Mayhem?!

Okay one more thing: the formation of the Thundermans kinda looks like a T and I'm so here for it. I can't wait!!! And I am so happy we got a poster!!!

[jinxtoyerekko]

Billy Hargrove x scary!gn!reader

Warning(s): racism, general bullying,

Also: I changed this a little so that Billy survived, they kinda left Neil behind somewhere, and he lives w Max and her mom now soOo. He's still kinda a shithead tho cuz old habits die hard.

Summary: You're new in town and boy did you get a reputation quickly. Almost quicker than Billy and he did not like that.

Feel free to request:

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

You had moved to Hawkins just the day before. You hadn't even talked to anyone besides your parents yet, but people already knew who you were.

(Y/n) (L/n), the new person who came from a place near Texas and moved to Hawkins from there thanks to some things going on back there.

You had lots of things going on in Texas. You fought with people, yelled a lot, were scary to most people, and just hated being in school, always arguing with teachers too.

But that wasn't why you had moved here. Your mother had chosen to move here since it was closer to your father's workplace. Not because of the fights you'd been in.

A sigh escaped you as you closed the door to your new room. You moved inside and decided to get changed.

You threw on some long, black denim pants before you pulled out a shirt from one of the many boxes. It was also black with 'Metallica' printed on it in red.

You stood at the window and looked outside. That's where you saw a blue Chevrolet 1979 Z/28 Camaro driving up to the house across from you. A girl with curly red hair got out, yelling something to the car before she closed the door and ran to the house.

The next person to get out was a man with blonde, even curlier hair. It was a dirty blonde. He also had a small beard just above his nose.

Your whole body felt cold when he looked up at you. You frowned lightly before you took a step away from the window.

"The fuck...", you mumbled to yourself before standing in front of your mirror to brush your hair. You sighed as you looked at yourself, turning slightly to see if anything was dirty.

It wasn't.

You made your way downstairs and went to put in your shoes. "I'm going on a walk."

Your mother came to you before looking at you with a bit of worry. "Like... like that? Are you sure? (Y/n), you already don't have a good reputation."

You looked up at your mother with a slight frown. "Leave me alone. It's not my fault that they all are assholes."

Your mother was quiet before she nodded and whispered a soft 'okay' before you made your way outside.

Exploring Hawkins wasn't exactly interesting. The shops were pretty boring at the Starcrout mall, and the school or community pool weren't exactly something for you either.

You looked around in front of Starcourt, arms crossing since you didn't exactly see anything you really liked. You preferred Texas over this and not just a bit.

You were pulled out of your little headspace when someone ran into you and pushed you forward lightly.

You turned around to see a brown haired boy who was much shorter than you were. "Watch where you walk.", he said to you as he laughed together with his friends.

You clenched your jaw, but let it be, taking in a deep breath to calm your nerves. You didn't need to disappoint your mom on your second day in Hawkins.

You walked off and eventually found your way to the lake in Hawkins. And finally you had found a place that was calm and quiet.

You smiled lightly and walked to the lake, pulling off your shoes to touch the water with your feet. "Finally."

Ever since that happened, it'd been a week. You finally had your first day in school and boy were you horrified.

It wasn't that you were scared of the people. You just weren't entirely ready to take anyone. You would fight if necessary, of course, but you hoped and prayed that you could control yourself enough so it won't happen. After all, it'd only worry your parents more.

You took a deep breath as you stepped out of the car, though you were stopped by your mom saying your name.

"(Y/n)... have fun. And... don't let anyone provoke you, okay?", she said. You looked at her for a moment before nodding softly. "I won't, thanks, mom."

She nodded and gave you a small wave before you closed the car door and walked towards the school. It wasn't a very tall building, as it had only one floor and the basement. But you already knew that.

You checked the paper in your hands for the room and then made your way to look for it. And you found it, but in front of it stood two boy and a girl.

The girl was the one you'd seen getting out of the car the day you properly moved in. One of the boys was the one you ran into at Starcourt who told you to watch where you're going.

The third one was unfamiliar to you. He had dark skin and black hair with brown eyes. It almost looked like he was trying to protect the girl.

You walked a little slower to listen in on the conversation, even if it wasn't entirely a good idea since eavesdropping wasn't exactly nice.

"Oh shut up, Mayfield. Lucas asked for it. Not my fault his parents didn't stay where they came from.", the boy who'd ran into you said. That statement by itself already made your blood boil.

"And don't try to fight me on it. Your brother can't defend you here, little girl.", he continued and by then you stood by then and cleared your throat. "I have to go through."

All three of them looked at you. You first looked at the girl, then at the boy. The brunette eyed you up and down before scoffing softly. "You're that guy from starcourt."

You took a deep breath and looked at him. "Yes, I am. But I still need to go through. I want to get to class."

He laughed softly and stepped up to you. "Do you even know who you're talking to?"

You looked into his eyes, with nothing but emptiness within your own. No fear, no anger, no worry, no sadness. Not even happiness. Just pure nothing. "No, but I don't care either. Let me pass and leave the damn kids alone."

The boy was shocked at how monotone your voice was but it didn't take him long to just walk off to his own class.

You rolled your eyes but as you were about to go past them the girl stood in front of you. You looked at her confused and raised a brow. "Yes?"

She sighed softly and looked at the boy who you learned was called Lucas before looking back at you. "Thanks."

You looked at her for a few seconds before giving a small smile. "No problem."

The day went by pretty calmly. No one started a fight with you, and no one tried to bother you. That was until the lunch break came.

You took your food and made your way into the hall, looking around if there were any free tables, but there really weren't. You stopped when you saw the girl from earlier look your way and wave at you.

You sighed and made your way over, greeting her with a small wave and she smiled lightly. "Guys. This is (Y/n). They're really cool. Right, Lucas?"

She looked at the male beside her, who nodded lightly. "And super scary." She nudged him lightly, but you only laughed at this. "I'm only scary if the person deserves to be scared."

Eventually, everyone introduced themselves to you. You sat by them and ate while listening to them talk. You found what they said to be very interesting.

They first talked about what kinds of music they listened to, so you pretty much knew all their music tastes. Then it went over to free time activities, so you were pretty informed on that part, too.

You soon finished eating and brought your stuff away. As you were returning to the group, you suddenly felt something wet spread all over your head and down to your pants.

You turned to see the guy from earlier again, but this time, he had a bottle of mountain dew in his hands. Soft gasps and loud laughs were heard as you clenched your teeth harshly.

You took off the rings you wore to make it fair. "You motherfucker.", was all you said before you stepped towards him and punched him straight in the face.

He stumbled back before he went in to attack you, too, launching a strong punch against your stomach. You coughed for a moment before jumping at him and pushing him down onto the floor.

The two of you wrestled with one another before you were finally pulled apart by some teachers. By then, both your nodes were bloody, and he had a black eye from you. You also had several bruises and scratches on you.

Both of you were taken to the principals office, and after everything was talked through, you were allowed to leave. Aka you had to go home while the school called your parents. But you didn't.

Instead, you sat yourself at a sunny spot by the school and relaxed a little while drinking some of the tea you'd brought from Texas.

After a while of sitting there, you heard the bells ring and decided to pack up and make your way home.

As you were packing up, Max spotted you and decided to run towards you. "(Y/n)! What happened? You were gone and suddenly I see you beating Jason up like he insulted your family."

You stood slowly as you looked at her, throwing your bag over your shoulder to carry it. The two of you walked towards the parking spots slowly. "It's... well... He didn't exactly insult me. He decided to pour a bottle of mountain dew over me. Now I'm all bloody and sticky." You complained softly, not really caring about the bloody part since that was your fault and you were used to it already.

Max nodded softly and pat your shoulder as she smiled. "It'll be okay. Next time just tell one of us, okay?"

You laughed and looked at her. "And what are you gonna do? Fight him for me? No way."

She chuckled softly. The girl looked towards a car, that blue camaro, before she looked at you. "You live across from us, right? Need a ride?"

You thought for a moment before nodding softly. "I'd love a ride. But maybe asked the person who's driving first."

Max sighed and nodded lightly. "Wait right here."

You nodded at her command and waited patiently as she walked to the car and spoke to the guy leaning on it. It was the guy you'd made eye contact with that day you first slept here.

He really has beautiful eyes. You thought as you stared at the two. You quickly looked away, though, when said male looked your way as if he wanted to kill you.

Him and Max seemed to argue for a moment before she walked towards you again and grabbed the sleeve of your shirt. "Cmon. Since you live across from us, he said it's cool as long as nothing gets dirty."

You looked down at yourself before looking at her again. "If I bleed on something, I'll clean it up. I promise."

You both laughed before making your way towards the car again.

Max sat in the back with you, laughing and talking to you. You tried to be as calm about it as possible, but the eye contact you had with her brother now and then made your guts twist in a weird way.

Once you were there, all of you got out of the car. You said thanks before giving Max a small side hug and then making your way over to your house. You unlocked the door and got inside.

You had exactly a second to breathe before your mother came running to you, clearly worried. "Oh baby!" She went to hug you tightly.

You turned your head away and sighed. "Mom, please..."

"What happened? The school said you were let off early. Why are you here so late? And why are you so sticky? Is it all the blood?"

You sighed and took your mother's hands. "Mom." , you started sternly so she'd listen. "I came home a little latet because I wanted to take a break before walking home. My friend offered that her brother could take me home too."

You paused for a moment before continuing. "During lunch break a guy poured mountain dew over me to annoy me and I lost it. So no, the blood isn't what's making me sticky. It's the drink that got poured over me."

Your mother seemed to relax just mildly as she gently held your hands close. "I'm so sorry, (N/n). Go take a shower and get changed, okay? I'll take care of your bruises afterwards."

You nodded softly and went upstairs to your room. You put your things away before taking a towel and going to take a shower in the bathroom that was right next to your own.

You hurried up to get yourself clean before you made your way back to your room, wrapped up tightly in the towel.

You walked up to your window to close the curtains but stopped for a moment when you saw Maxs' brother, standing at his window without really doing anything beside smoking.

You frowned lightly. And again, it happened. You noticed your stare and looked up at you. This time, you didn't look away.

You stared at each other for a minute, then two and then three. At first the stare was cold, from both sides, but eventually both of your stares went soft since glaring at someone was kinda annoying and hurt eventually.

You shrieked when your door opened and your mom came in. You closed the curtains before breathing out. "Mooom!! You scared me!"

Later that day, your mom came into your room while you were reading wuietly to yourself. She smiled at you before speaking up. "Hey, angel. There's someone at the door for you."

You raised a brow at her and stood up to go downstairs. At the door, you saw Max, smiling when she saw you.

"Hi, Max."

"Hi! So... we're meeting up at Steves place. Wanna come along?"

You thought for a moment, seeing her brother sitting in the car. You swallowed before leaning towards Max lightly. "Is he coming along?" You asked as you nudged your head towards him.

Max looked at her brother before nodding. "Yeah, Billy is coming along. But only because the adults get to drink alcohol."

You laughed softly and raised a brow. "Really? Wow, how nice. Well... sure. I'll come along. Give me a few minutes, I need to get ready."

She nodded and went to the car, where she got inside and spoken to her brother.

After about 10 minutes, you looked at yourself in the mirror. Your hair looked the same it always did but you wore somewhat different clothing today.

Of course, you stayed all black, but your jeans were extra tight, and your shirt was a little shorter than usual. And on top of that, you took a grew hanky, which you put into your back packet happily, simply because you'd seen Eddie do it and it looked cool.

You were also aware of the meaning, but your pansexual ass could not care any less who comes to flirt with you. As long as they're old enough and kind, you were happy.

You quickly picked up some things you needed before saying bye to your parents. "I don't know when I'll be back, but if I stay at someone else's, I'll call."

After that, you ran to Billys car and went to sit in the back, again together with Max.

"Everyone ready now?", Billy asked, and you could feel your body growing goosebumps from how hot his voice sounded.

"Yes."

"Took long enough."

At Steves house, you were welcomed by music playing from inside. It wasn't the usual booming music from these parties around Hawkins. Instead it was rather nice music. Actually good music.

You followed Max and Billy inside, greeting everyone before sitting with the older people. This included Steve, Billy, Eddie, Nancy, and Robin. Later on, you found out that Jonathan would join some time later since he still had something to do.

You guys were in a separate room, but now and then, someone went to check on the kids. Especially when they went quiet.

Around 10 pm, some kids were asleep, others just had some small talk. By then, you already had one or two beers and weren't exactly steady on your feet anymore.

You were pretty sensitive to alcohol so it was no wonder. When the others went to swim in the pool, you sat at the edge, only being allowed to stay with someone at your side.

Steve said he'd watch you for a while, holding you up and talking to you to make sure you wouldn't feel alone or anything like that.

"So, I'm sorry, but I just can't not ask. These rumors about why you moved here. Are they true?", he asked to which you shook your head.

"Nope. I moved here because of my dad. Not cuz I got kicked outta school.", you murmured softly as you looked at the male in the water. "My dad got a new workplace, and Texas is too far away, and Hawkins was the closest without being too expensive."

Steve nodded softly as he moved out to sit beside you. "I see. Well... it was pretty cool how you beat up Jason."

You smiled and nodded lightly. "Thanks."

The two of you were intruppted by Billy approaching the two of you. He pat Steves shoulder before sighing. "Your boyfriend is in desperate need of you."

Steve laughed and got up slowly. "Alright. Be nice to them, Billy.", he said before walking off to where Eddie was.

For a few minutes, the two of you were quiet until you spoke up, without thinking of what the consequences might be. "You have pretty eyes. They remind me of salt water. And my favorite pool back in Texas."

Billy looked over at you with a slight red hue on his cheeks before he scoffed softly. "Well... yours aren't as bad either. Pretty soft for someone who's feared everywhere."

You cackled at what he said, not even knowing why you found it to be so funny. "Well...", you looked at him. "I do go soft for certain people."

The two of you looked at each other for a moment. It took a moment for you both to get soft again, but it happened. This expression of pure adoration in eachothers eyes.

"You're not as scary as people say you are."

"Neither are you."

And at that moment, something in your chest twisted and made you feel all warm inside. You had no idea what it was and why it was there, but you didn't complain. You liked it.

"I like you.", you said as you tilted your head lightly.

Billy laughed and looked away again. This time, he was more than red. "I like you too."

[dlrconlicense]

Louise Brealey On Starring In BBC Three’s Upcoming Comedy Such Brave Girls

Such Brave Girls will arrive on BBC iPlayer on 22 November

By Olivia Emily | 3 days ago

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Louise Brealey is perhaps best known for her witty portrayal of lovelorn morgue technician Molly Hooper in Sherlock – but we’re loving her recent comedy work even more. She’ll next be seen in the BBC‘s hotly anticipated comedy Such Brave Girls, coming later this month. Written by Kate Sadler, Louise plays Deb, the matriarch of a dysfunctional family, trying and failing to keep her kamikaze daughters from disaster. We sat down with Louise to hear all about it.

Interview: Louise Brealey

© Leo Staar

Hi Louise, how’s life going at the moment?

Hello! It’s been a busy summer – my new film has been doing the festival circuit so there have been a lot of planes, trains and automobiles.

You’re about to star in BBC’s new series Such Brave Girls – can you give us an elevator pitch for the show?

Two messed-up twenty-something (real-life) sisters [Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson] and their total car crash of a mother attempt to navigate their way out of disaster and into love.

You play Deb – can you describe her?

Deb is amazing. She’s a shockingly bad mum who has completely messed up her two Gen Z daughters. I think of her as one of those vending machines at railway stations and swimming pools where you can get a Twix, but all that’s on her shelves is Tough Love.

What was it like playing her?

A terrifying hoot – she has a lot of lines.

How did you get into character/prepare for the role?

I based Deb on a little girl I used to know. You could see every emotion on her face. Guile, rage, confusion, fear. When she was cross, she scowled. When she was delighted, she beamed.

I used my real accent: Northamptonshire. It has softened over the years, so I sound a lot posher now, but it’s how my family speak and I’ve never had the chance to work using it.

Any funny stories from rehearsals or filming?

The scenes requiring our amazing intimacy coordinator, Elle McAlpine, were hysterically funny and genuinely not at all awkward. Poor Paul Bazely who plays Dev may have experienced some chafing.

What is the cast dynamic? Who was your favourite person to work with?

We are like a little family when we are filming. I feel very protective of Kat and Lizzie. And Paul is a wonderful human being and a phenomenal actor.

Are you still in touch with any of your co-stars?

Yes, we message all the time.

Josie (KAT SADLER), Deb (LOUISE BREALEY), Billie (LIZZIE DAVIDSON) in Such Brave Girls. © BBC/Various Artists Limited/James Stack

You’re perhaps best known for your role as Molly in Sherlock. What is that like to look back on?

Bittersweet because I don’t feel we finished it, and we have lost Una Stubbs. But it was incredible to be a part of what was really a phenomenon. It couldn’t happen now with streaming.

Any special memories from the show?

Too many. Having a candle in an egg custard tart (my favourite) on my birthday in Benedict’s trailer… Laughing and laughing with darling Una and Rupert Graves, who is a dreamboat.

You’ve also starred in the likes of Lockwood & Co, Brian and Charles and Back recently. But what has been your favourite project to date?

I loved working on Clique for the BBC a few years back. I got to play a hard-ass Queen Bee university lecturer in power suits who was afraid of no one, and then to completely fall apart. In an Edinburgh accent.

I loved Lockwood & Co. How does it feel for the show to be cancelled after just one series?

I felt so bad for the young cast, the crew, the fans and everyone whose livelihoods depended on the show coming back. It got such fantastic reviews and great viewing figures. I feel like the hoop it had to jump through for the streamer was just too impossibly small.

Any roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about? (If you’re allowed to tell us!)

I’m the lead in a lesbian chicken factory musical film called Chuck Chuck Baby.

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

This is much too hard. There have been so many that I admired, and some I now call dear friends. But my buddy Jeff Rawle I’ve worked with three times now, and we are trying to make it a fourth.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

Antonia Pemberton, who played Nanny in Peter Hall’s Uncle Vanya when I was Sonya. She told me not to keep tomatoes in the fridge.

What’s your dream role?

I’m desperate to get back on stage. I’ve been doing film and television for the past seven years, but theatre is my heart and my home.

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

I’d like a good horror. I can’t watch them because I’m a scaredy-cat, but I’d love to be in one.

© Leo Staar

Do you get to spend much time at home?

Not enough. I’ve been gadding about.

Do you live in the town or the country? Which do you prefer?

I’ve lived in London since I left university. I live on a hill next to an oak tree, so it feels like we are in the branches. I can never leave London because I’d miss the culture stuff, but I am a woodland creature.

What’s your interior design style?

A mish-mash of old things I’ve found in auctions. Too many books.

How do you find balance in your personal and work lives?

I don’t.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

An astronaut.

If you could give advice to your 15-year-old self, what would it be?

Don’t sleep with that guy’s flatmate when you are 21.

How can we all live a little bit better?

Choose love.

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?

I’m going to run away to a southern European city for January and February to write.

Quick Fire

I’m currently watching… Only Murders in the Building

What I’m reading… We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… Silo. I love Rebecca Ferguson.

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… The Motive and the Cue with Mark Gatiss in the West End because I was away for its National Theatre run.

Favourite film of all time… Don’t Look Now

Favourite song of all time… ‘Disco 2000’ by Pulp

Band/singer I always have on repeat… Leonard Cohen

My ultimate cultural recommendation… Join all the museums and galleries

Cultural guilty pleasure… Overcooked 2. It’s computer game where you run around and try to make kebabs.

What’s next for me is… Walking my dog in Beckenham Place Park – it’s south London’s secret mini Hampstead Heath.

Watch

Louise Brealey stars in Such Brave Girls, on BBC iPlayer from 22 November. bbc.co.uk

[superhero-smackdown]

Bracket(??) Announcement!

I have FINALLY (which I am very sorry for guys) finished going through my submissions and have created something that looks like a bracket. BUT, in order to include the most characters, I have devised a group round with 128 characters divided into 8 groups and have sorted them in a way that prevents this competition from becoming a batman vs spider-man final.

making the polls shouldn't take nearly as long so be on the lookout for those! this will be pinned and I'll make sure to edit this post with links to the polls, and matchups are not necessarily going to be heroes next to each other! matches can be made up by any two heroes in the same group

polls will last a day for now and one group will be posted per day

as of right now top 4 from each group will make it to the bracket round but that is absolutely subject to change so don't count on that

Without further ado, your Superhero Smackdown competitors!!!

GROUP 1

Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Gwen Stacy/Spider-Men and Ghost Spider (Marvel)

Garfield Logan/Beast Boy (DC)

Steve Rogers/Captain America (Marvel)

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (Marvel)

The Incredibles and Frozone (Pixar)

Kori'ander/Starfire (DC)

Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Marvel)

Stephanie Brown/Spoiler (DC)

Toshinori Yagi/All Might (My Hero Academia)

Charles Xavier/Professor X (Marvel)

Jessica Jones (Marvel)

Jason Todd/Red Hood (DC)

Black Noir (The Boys)

Jim Gordon (DC)

Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Marvel)

Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Marvel)

GROUP 2

Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (DC)

T'Challa Udaku/Black Panther (Marvel)

Sam Wilson/Falcon/Captain America (Marvel)

Dick Grayson/Nightwing (DC)

Peter Quill/Starlord (Marvel)

Minhkhoa Khan/The Ghost-Maker (DC)

The Green Lantern Corp (DC)

Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (DC)

Arthur Curry/Aquaman (DC)

Cassandra Cain/Black Bat (DC)

Queen Maeve (The Boys)

Clark Kent/Superman (DC)

Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat (Marvel)

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Marvel)

Cissie King-Jones/Arrowette (DC)

Marc Spector, Steve Grant, Jake Lockley/Moon Knight (Marvel)

GROUP 3

Barry Allen/The Flash (DC)

Starlight (The Boys)

Kate Kane/Batwoman (DC)

Darkwing Duck (DuckTales)

Shouta Aizawa/Eraserhead (My Hero Academia)

Roy Harper/Arsenal (DC)

Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Marvel)

Tim Drake/Red Robin (DC)

The Autobots (Transformers TV Show)

Bruce Wayne/Batman (DC)

Ororo Monroe/Storm (Marvel)

The Midnighter (DC)

Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Marvel)

Logan, James Howlett/Wolverine (Marvel)

Kon Kent/Superboy (DC)

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (DC)

GROUP 4

Danny Fenton/Danny Phantom (Danny Phantom)

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

The Powerpuff Girls (The Powerpuff Girls)

Izuku Midoriya/Deku (My Hero Academia)

Ben Tennyson/Ben 10 (Ben 10)

Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir (Miraculous Ladybug)

Kate Bishop/Hawkeye (Marvel)

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug (Miraculous Ladybug)

America Chavez/Miss America (Marvel)

Kim Possible (Kim Possible)

Link and Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)

Goku (Dragon Ball Z)

The Power Rangers (The Power Rangers Series)

Kamala Khan/Miss Marvel (Marvel)

Virgil Hawkins/Static (DC)

Billy Batson/Captain Marvel/Shazam (DC)

GROUP 5

Damian Wayne/Robin (DC)

Phineas Flynn, Ferb Fletcher/The Beak (Phineas and Ferb)

Alex, Sam, and Clover (Totally Spies)

Jubilation Lee/Jubilee (Marvel)

Alya Cesaire/Rena Rouge (Miraculous Ladybug)

Flash Thompson/Agent Venom (Marvel)

Shoto Todoroki/Shoto (My Hero Academia)

Gwen Poole/Gwenpool (Marvel)

Nino Lahiffe/Carapace (Miraculous Ladybug)

Kaio Kincaid/K.O. (OK K.O.! Let's be Heroes)

Katsuki Bakugo/Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight (My Hero Academia)

Felicia Hardy/Black Cat (Marvel)

Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd/Wiccan and Speed (Marvel)

Viv Vision (Marvel)

Doreen Green/Squirrel Girl (Marvel)

Mia Dearden/Speedy (DC)

GROUP 6

Undine Wells and Kokoro Aichi/Alchemical Water and Heartful Punch (Sleepless Domain)

Olive Silverlock and Maps Mizoguchi/The Detective Club (DC)

Nova Artino and Adrian Everhart/Insomia and Sketch (Renegades Trilogy)

Karen Fields/Voyd (Pixar)

Laura Kinney/X-23/Wolverine (Marvel)

William Wisp/The Wisperer (Just Roll With It)

Kagami Tsurugi/Ryuuko (Miraculous Ladybug)

Gizmoduck (DuckTales)

Dakota Cole/D.C. (Just Roll With It)

Rumi Usagiyama/Miruko (My Hero Academia)

Luka Couffaine/Viperion (Miraculous Ladybug)

Neena Thurman/Domino (Marvel)

Vyncent Sol/Virion (Just Roll With It)

Elpis (Valor Academy)

Captain Rainbow (Nintendo)

Moza/Emara (Emara)

GROUP 7

Mark Grayson/Invincible (Invincible)

Jimmy Woo (Marvel)

Kirby (Nintendo)

The Doctor (Doctor Who)

Zorro (The Mark of Zorro)

Phil Coulson (Marvel)

Megamind (Megamind)

Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)

Donald Duck/The Duck Avenger/Paperinik (Disney)

Saitama/Caped Baldy (One Punch Man)

He-Man and She-Ra (He-Man: Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power)

Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic Games)

The Tick (The Tick)

Robin Hood (English Folklore)

Yamada Hizashi/Present Mic (My Hero Academia)

Klaus Hargreeves/Number 4/The Séance (The Umbrella Academy)

GROUP 8

Super Grover (Seasame Street)

Wario-Man (Nintendo)

Fanboy and Chum Chum (Fanboy and Chum Chum)

Ace and Gary/The Ambiguously Gay Duo (Saturday Night Live)

Hero Cookie (Cookie Run)

Floyd Belkin/Splitter/Arm-Fall-Off-Boy (DC)

Bob Dobalina/Bob, Agent of Hydra (Marvel)

Bibleman (Bibleman TV Show)

Larry-Boy (VeggieTales)

Sharkboy and Lavagirl (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl)

Mermaid Man and Barnicle Boy (SpongeBob SquarePants)

Daniel MacIntyre/Cactusman/SCP-2800 (SCP Foundation)

Morbius (Morbius)

Jarro (DC)

Jeff the Land Shark (Marvel)

Steel Samurai (Ace Attorney)

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 24/08/2024 (Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga "Die with a Smile")

Chase, Status and Stormzy remain at the top of the UK Singles Chart for a second week as “BACKBONE” retains its #1 spot amidst a surprisingly slow week. The big story is Gaga and Bruno returning with their comeback duet to the top 10, but before we get to any of that, well, there’s just about everything else. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: references to war

Rundown

As always, we start our episode with the notable dropouts - those being songs exiting the UK Top 75, which is what I cover, after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid farewell to a small group of “Alibi” by Sevdaliza, Pabllo Vittar and Yseult, “DEVIL IS A LIE” by Tommy Richman and two tracks from Central Cee - not his best week - those being “gen z luv” - thank God - and “BAND4BAND” with Lil Baby.

As for our notable gains and re-entries, we have “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield scrape back at #75, but the big story in these categories is Post Malone, whose country duets album F-1 Trillion fails to chart any new songs, probably because it’s not all that great and the UK is going to rarely grant much success to a full-on country pivot, but we do have a big return for “Pour Me a Drink” with Blake Shelton at #39, and his other songs see gains: “I Had Some Help” with Morgan Wallen at #29 and the terrible “Guy for That” with Luke Combs at #25. We do see some notable boosts outside of Post, in particular for “The Man Who Can’t be Moved” by The Script at #64, “You’re Gonna Go Far” by Noah Kahan at #60, Taylor Swift gains for “Fortnight” featuring, well, Post Malone at #50 and “Cruel Summer” at #41, “Carry You Home” by Alex Warren at #46, “Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez at #35 - definitely not complaining about that one - “Big Dawgs” by Hanumankind and Kalmi at #15 and finally, Chappell Roan snabs her second top 10 with “HOT TO GO!” at #10.

Finally, in the top five… the trio of Huh, WhoNow and whatshername have finally made it, with “Kisses” by BL3SS, CamrinWatsin and bbyclose making it to #5. The rest should be familiar: “Guess” by Charli xcx featuring Billie Eilish at #4, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish at #3, “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan at #2 and the aforementioned “BACKBONE” at the very top. Now before we get to our big top 10 debut, let’s see what’s scraping up below it.

New Entries

#72 - “Cry Baby” - Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie and David Guetta

Produced by Jack Patterson and Grace Chatto

If we end the show with a long-awaited collab between two big-name 2010s hit-makers who have kept quiet for most of this decade, but always create a global smash when they arrive… then I guess we’ll start with a trio of European hit-makers from the 2010s who haven’t been able to go away, and given this is actually a week after it debuted in the top 100, I think the impact of that next Clean Bandit album may be a little muted. What I was personally terrified of when this line-up appeared was the prospect of the previous hit they’d blatantly sample, so the fact that this is an original song is already an improvement on my low expectations. As for its quality, well, firstly, it immediately sounded outdated. Sure, the country flair they acknowledged is contemporary but the Official Charts Company themselves noted that the whistling harmonised with the typical Clean Bandit string swell resembles the sea shanties of 2021, and really, this is just an undeniably Just Dance 2018 line-up. The main melodic hook resembles a traditional folk sing-song, but that translates to a particularly staccato tropical house drop, and when you find out from the band themelves in their OCC interview that this is straight out of 2020, with them dismissing most of the changes they’d made to the track since and releasing an earlier version, everything starts to make sense. Guetta says it was four years in the making but realistically, this had been made four years ago, and it speaks to the public’s change of taste that this seems to be more of a slow burn. The song is completely serviceable, but made redundant but much else of Clean Bandit’s catalogue, and this was made long before Anne-Marie really channelled her bratty instincts in her last record, so apart from some cute obnoxious laughter in the backing ad-libs, this feels dry, lacking in much to set it apart, which for all three of these acts, is pretty par for the course nowadays.

#55 - “New Woman” - LISA featuring ROSALÍA

Produced by Max Martin and ILYA

Now if there’s something that definitely isn’t lacking in personality, it would be a track by BLACKPINK star LISA with a guest appearance from ROSALÍA, and naturally, production from Max Martin instead of any of the weirder acts like Arca or el Guincho that ROSALÍA often gels with, and LISA could use to help her carve a distinct sound. It struck me as a bizarre decision, and one that I’m genuinely surprised she had the ability to make, especially given LISA seemed inching closer to both rap and the avant-garde with “Rockstar”. Martin and ILYA may have taken themselves further out of their comfort zone by enlisting Tove Lo as a writer, and given the robotic vocal loop that is barely on beat, the blocks of synths against the factorial drums and even record scratches, you can hear her all over this more garish attempt at an 80s pastiche, even in LISA’s verses themselves, as her vocal delivery of monosyllabic, abstract and separate phrases borderline feels like an impression, before the fast-paced, staccato chorus full of stuttering meshing with the flashy chiptune synths that seems just as like Tove Lo.

The song is all about a newly-gained female confidence, and whilst the lyrics don’t stand out to me as particularly quotable, they may not need to, especially since ROSALÍA takes the song into a murkier territory with a wave of grim bass fuzz, drowning out the melody and replacing what remains with hyperpop-esque effects as she dominates the mix alongside a stray, overly loud snare, so she can take a flex verse to an oddly sinister edge, using her sheer emotional strength as a coping mechanism before it flashes back abruptly, in typical K-pop fashion, to the plastic pop mask. It’s rare that the stop-and-start momentum of K-pop is used to such thematic success, on the charts at least, and honestly I really like the progression, and they even find time in the mix to give LISA the opportunity to rap as a book-end on the intro and outro - it fits the call-and-response post-chorus really well. Surprisingly enough, I really enjoyed this, and I also appreciate seeing Max Martin being taken out of his comfort zone whilst still employing his signature sound. It makes a lot of sense that the presence of ROSALÍA and Tove Lo would prompt that, and I’m slightly more interested in where LISA goes from here rather than wherever I could have predicted she went from “Rockstar”.

#53 - “Pretty Slowly” - Benson Boone

Produced by Evan Blair

Well, at least one of these songs can be quick and easy. As the lieutenant-general of the Boonecorps and CEO of BDS - Benson Defense Squad - I don’t think this one’s too great. It’s still good, I genuinely like this guy and the wordy, tripping-over-himself way of writing his lyrics, but the folkish tones are almost childlike in the verses, not fitting for his whinier tone, especially with some questionable pronounciations and inflections along the way. The overlong build of the chorus makes perfect sense with the stomp-clap elevation and backing vocals given how the track lyrically themes itself around the gradual degradation of a relationship, with him only getting into his signature shriek once it feels too fast to prevent it all from collapsing. The harmonies that are slightly off on timing and have a gang vocals feel whilst still feeling very attached to Boone’s tone makes the song have a great sense of panic in its fuller moments. I just wish that led to more than the frankly disappointing bridge-turned-outro, as a mostly good song ends with a slower, melancholic rise, with an awkward vocal mastering job, and repetitive lyric that really does not resolve the song’s post-breakup angst in a satisfying or even compelling way. Even blowing out the mix to ridiculous proportions, which honestly usually helps me enjoy a song, doesn’t help me get over the weird left turn and frankly, I think this is where he needs some help lyrically: actually completing his song’s narratives. It’s still fine, though, and we stay in folk rock territory with…

#48 - “Nobody’s Soldier” - Hozier

Produced by Bekon, Pete G, Chakra and Sergiu Gherman

Though not as explosive as his last EP of B-sides, thanks to the lack of a really immediate hit like “Too Sweet”, Hozier is still trickling out another trilogy, with the new EP Unaired. The stand-out opener is the anti-war song “Nobody’s Soldier”, which got the video treatment and takes on a lone-wolf character fitting for its strident guitar fuzz and distorted intro, taking a third option in between selling yourself physically to a warzone and selling yourself to a capitalistic society, becoming another product in the midst of others fighting for “consumer” attention, with several pieces of imagery directly mirroring the experiences of those in the trenches of the World Wars. Hozier sounds as powerful in the relentless, dynamically-mixed chorus as he sounds uncertain in the tense, breathy clinging of the verses, demonstrating a very real disillusionment with the selfishness inherent in a society that benefits financially from promoting and waging conflict, both as industry market competition and actual bloodshed.

Whilst more of an anthemic independence, Hozier can come off as a tad weak here, being buried in the mix sometimes by the more prominent, almost digital-sounding guitar pumping in the right channel, and not having the best enunciation - not that you really need that in a populist protest song - but the lyrics also seem to look too in between two dimensions to really settle for what change can be made. I don’t exactly think there’s all too much room in the geopolitical climate for centrist disgruntlement, and I can’t see a society where the potential motive behind this song - just being “all about the music” and wanting to release art rather than force himself into commercialism and/or war, which he paints several parallels between - isn’t selling yourself. Even in a world where art is not commodified to the extent it is now, the deeply personal lyrics of some of Hozier’s tracks combined with the need to create a centralised space wherein that art can be expressed, spread and accessed is creating a product out of yourself, it almost seems unavoidable. The song is still very good, I am not really going to defy a song’s impact, grit and tightly-written narrative if I don’t agree with it thematically, though I feel it may stem too closely to “Too Sweet” for Hozier’s own good in its overarching themes and tone, setting itself apart with a harsher and political edge but falling into the traps of circling itself into recapturing the same idea, to the point of being a tad under-developed, all the same.

#7 - “Die with a Smile” - Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

Produced by Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, D’Mile and watt

As much as Bruno and Gaga both feel like icons of a 2010s style of grandiose pop long gone, they still have made plenty of work that I personally enjoy greatly on many more levels than pure nostalgia, and I think that’s part of why the two have resonated so strongly and for so long, alongside the diverse range of their talents and genre-scoping abilities, they’re like pop music polymaths, and in Gaga’s case, she works between so many forms and mediums that calling her a “singer” feels like an understatement. Both acts have recruited people from their side - D’Mile and James Fauntleroy are writing here alongside producer Andrew Watt from the pop rock sphere - so this dramatic re-entry, which may be on either artists’ album or both, whenever that’s coming for either of them since it’s been a while on both fronts, should be an easy push and slam dunk on both the charts and in the eyes of the critics. And is it worth the hype? Does it pass the already high expectations we have for these two, we can probably call it now, legends of pop music? …Yeah, obviously, the song’s fantastic.

The conceit of the exhausted “ooh-ooh” from Bruno that enters the song in through feathery falsetto and returns to signal the floating verses, both of which start outside of their respective singer’s control, is such a neat little detail that Bruno would obviously add in, those sneaky refrains are probably part of what makes his musicianship so special to Gaga herself, as explained in their Variety article, and you can definitely tell that this was Bruno’s song first, mostly because it’s a smooth jam that has his harmonies dripping all over it, even when Gaga’s supposed to be the lead vocal. The dramatic drumming that fills in for the gentler guitars is mixed so perfectly, down to a really brilliant panning job when they first come in, that it adds a lot of genuine strength to this power ballad, even when the rest of the instrumental benefits from its languid, throwback slide, balancing the song’s aged comfort, which you can really hear in Bruno’s “just for a while” delivery in the chorus, with a lovestruck intensity from their early 2010s work remaining, especially through Gaga’s belting that meshes note to note with Bruno, particularly in the rougher pre-chorus. It feels like a perfect middle man between the youthful, dedicated bops that launched them into fame and the natural adult contemporary conclusion, bringing that same 100% energy to a style more fitting of their age and career progression.

I adore the production details down to Gaga’s vocal being distanced and filtered in the second chorus to bubble below Bruno’s delicate take, signalling the careening swell of pianos to come in the bridge, which wastes no time from dipping its toes into the shallow pool of water that sounds like it’s below their performance, to crashing into theatrics like a true megastar moment. The sheer strength of the instrumental break sends Gaga into a ferociously dedicated passion right after, and renders Bruno’s early coos into a screech that resonates through the mix well into the passage’s closing moments. I love the thematic conceit of Bruno always overpowering Gaga on the “I’d wanna hold you just for a while” line whilst she’s much more prominent in both renditions she has of the chorus’ first half. There’s simply so much to appreciate about this song, but perhaps its biggest appeal is just how big it sounds. It’s written like the climax to a soundtrack, its scale lyrically is that of the end of the world, and it features some absolute powerhouses going toe-to-toe on an instrumental so layered and massive that it could overpower any of the two at any given moment.

It should be of no surprise that these two titans come together for this extravagant of a song, and the two always felt like they should have crossed paths a long time ago given their similar - but not nearly identical - paths that have not just followed but actively played on the public perceptions of what a pop star could and couldn’t be, whether through the gesamtkunstwerk spectacle of Lady Gaga’s time in the limelight, using her decade and change with the public eye to make the most challenging pop of its time whilst branching across film, fashion and contemporary art in a way that has forever fused the artforms, or Bruno’s slow-burn dedication to perfectly replicate the styles of music he holds dear, in blind disregard to release dates, and prove himself as a man who makes art purely because he loves it and wants to transmit that joy he experiences unto others. Simply put, I imagine these two are somewhat on the way out in their hit-making career, so to have this beast of a power ballad as their ending credits, with the two finally coming together to prove that dominance and evolution, it really is kind of beautiful. It does help that I’ve been alive to track these artists’ progression, and for much of the second half, document it on here, so a song like this that even uses the subtext of their pop stardom being somewhat behind them, or even them just being beyond that now, will resonate particularly well with me, in particular because ARTPOP and An Evening with Silk Sonic are borderline perfect albums, in my opinion, and whilst this may be more comfortably in Bruno’s camp, “Die with a Smile” still hits immensely and I really hope it smashes just to give them that victory lap. I can’t say this about really any song that debuts and I have to review in real-time, but this one… it feels like an all-timer. An absolutely perfect song to end this episode. This is pop music incarnate.

Conclusion

Wow, I mean, you can’t really have it better than that! Only five songs, not one I dislike, and aside from one, they’re all very good, so it gives you an easy Worst of the Week - “Cry Baby” by Clean Bandit, David Guetta and Anne-Marie - without actually being hard to listen to, and I’m spoiled rotten for the Honourable Mention but the Best of the Week is barely a choice simply because of how far Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars run away with it with “Die with a Smile”. Ultimately, I gave the Honourable Mention to LISA and ROSALÍA for “New Woman”, mostly because there are small nitpicks with the others, but this is ultimately a nice little batch of songs. As for what’s on the horizon, I suppose we’ll have to look out for Sabrina Carpenter’s newest album release given her recently-acquired megastar status, as well as new tracks to look out for from Myles Smith and Coldplay. Hell, Fontaines D.C. might end up with something here, you can’t count them out. For now, thank you for reading, long live Cola Boyy, and I’ll see you next week!

[hummingbird-games]

Dev Diaries

August 15, 2024

Raise your hand if you've got too much dip on ya chip 🥹🤚🏽

Ko-fi updates have been pushed back tooooooo...next...month...? Hopefully?? My month of birth. Apologies.

I'd originally planned to have the next content update + last HSD 2 demo update by *checks notes* December 2024, but I wrote a loooot of words and I'm a fan of about 0.032% of them. (Ryan?? Billie?? Lydia?? Y'all suck and I'm gonna scrEAM--) Ahem. Rather than pushing to have those missing sprites, scenes, and sanity, I've decided to push back my personal deadline. Itch.io page has been updated accordingly...

ALSO I JUST REALLY WANNA PLAY SOME VNS WITHOUT FEELIN' GUILTY THAT I'M NOT WORKING ON MY OWN 😭

The Knight Dance has my hopes and wishes of being updated and *done* by the end of the year. My hopes and wishes haven't been worth a hill of beans lately so brace yourselves accordingly, LOL. The rest of the VA to be coded in, so here's to y'all experiencing the game in its finished and final form one day!!!!

#LovedVN is on a slight hiatus. If slight hiatus means I'm not currently fiddling with it + it won't be done by this year. Probably will be shifted to a certain jam I have eyeballs on. Perhaps I will post things to ko-fi??? Tune in next time on Dragon Ball Z--wait--

OH, while I was gone, I commissioned something fuuuuuuun.

Miss. Vee as the shojo girlie protag we need!!!! Art credits to Treshell on IG. (the manga cover design is all me doe 😂 I now want a volume 2)

...And because y'all have been so patient (and I'm pretty sure most people who read these devlogs want HSD stuff anyway, fair, here's Ryan and Billie with special guest--off screen appearance-- from Mom!!):

Cool.

BYE!!!

- Gemini 💩

[roxyteal]

More ACNL shenanigans because I ran out of space before yippee!!! (Long post!!!)

"I see you joined his crew."

"Look on the top right corner. He disappears. Like magic..."

"Ahhh, 2020. I'm sure it'll be great."

"God DAMMIT."

"Yes, you are right. I should be painted."

"What amazing luck."

"Whoa. Colorful..."

"Yes. But if I must look up at you for a second longer, my head might snap off."

"Oh Hell YES. You are a person of class."

"It's a very nice feeling. I would highly recommend."

"Understood. Also, if it's not too much trouble, please tell my father I said hello. Oh, right. Black sweater. Red bowtie. Glasses. Yes, that's him!" (He cannot wear his maid outfit during the cafe minigame. Sad...)

"Keep in mind, this is my second card. After the first expired. Thank you Viktor, for extending my Bingo play time. I don't know what I would do without you."

"... Yes, it would be cool. I have zero doubts about this."

"Famous?"

"This is honestly pretty fun."

"You assholes made me demolish it as a PWP. For that oh-so-special 'perfect town' rating. Well. Now you get to see it every time you enter my house. Fuck you."

"I suppose I just do not see it, then."

"Life is a struggle right now..."

I think those fucking snowman bingo pics really filled this one up. On God.

Will Billy ever get a bingo??? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!!!

[evilelena]

An excerpt from 3x6 (Episode written by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Joe Piarulli, and Luan Thomas)

_____

Then the scene changes — and the next thing we know, we’re staring at another wallet-sized photo.

Unlike Betsy’s photo, this one’s in colour (and has a small rip in the top right corner). It shows Johnny looking much younger than he does now, but a few years older than when we’ve previously seen him as Teenaged Johnny.

College-Aged Johnny is dressed in jeans in the photo, and has a gold cross hanging around his neck — but no shirt on. He’s standing in front of ocean waves with a “soulful” expression on his face, his wet hair hanging down in what looks like a mullet hairdo. Overall, the photo seems very…not candid.

We notice that the photo is being held by Miguel’s hand; however, we don’t see the rest of Miguel just yet. Instead, Miguel’s hand moves the photo behind a different snapshot of College-Aged Johnny.

The second photo looks just as staged as the first one. Again, Johnny’s (maybe) at the beach; but in this photo, he’s leaning or sitting fake-casually against some wooden stairs whilst gazing “mysteriously” at the camera. He’s wearing a pair of white pants, no shirt, the gold cross necklace — and a black headband that’s a little too wide to be his special black karate headband (plus, Johnny had quit karate by his college years) holding back his mullet-y hairdo.

We hear Johnny’s present-day self say-

JOHNNY’S VOICE: (matter-of-factly) These are the only photos I have. Don’t have much after high school.

Then we see Johnny on his davenport, staring expectantly at Miguel — who’s free of his harness (it’s now on Johnny’s coffee table, underneath one of the pulley contraption ropes hanging down from Johnny’s ceiling), and sitting in his wheelchair.

Miguel peers down at the photos in his hand, wracking his brain for something tactful to say about them.

MIGUEL: (thinking What now? while trying to sound nonchalant) Oh. Okay, um..

Miguel glances at Johnny, and asks in his most polite voice-

MIGUEL: Do you have any where you’re wearing a shirt, maybe?

Johnny murmurs Yes, and reaches into a cardboard box on the table in front of him. Despite what Johnny told Miguel, the box appears to have several photos in it (granted, they might be pictures of Johnny’s beloved late mother Laura, or baseball cards or something).

JOHNNY: (handing Miguel another photo) There you go, how’s that?

Miguel takes the photo from Johnny’s hand, saying Okay. Miguel hopes his eyes will land on a picture from this decade where Sensei looks normal — not like he’s posed for the cover of a corny romance paperback for teen girls called My Dream Guy, as he did in those two old photos.

But the third snapshot is also at least thirty years old; and Sensei’s “shirt” is a torn white tank top that doesn’t even cover half of him. He’s wearing a gold cross necklace in this picture, too (the only thing Miguel doesn’t find weird. Miguel’s never seen present-day Sensei wear a cross necklace, but Miguel’s ma often does.)

College-Aged Sensei is also wearing a pair of no-longer-in-fashion jeans, which his hands are slung faux-casually in the front pockets of. He’s leaning against a fake rock or tree, and has very 1980’s hair (albeit not a mullet this time). Although he’s smiling in the third photo, to Miguel the smile seems put-on for the camera.

MIGUEL: (pretending to consider the photo) Uh…that’s…um….

Miguel isn’t sure why Sensei even has such photos. Because they live near Hollywood (and the photos look like headshots or modeling shots), Miguel wonders fleetingly if Sensei tried to pursue an acting career back in the day; but he doesn’t feel like asking Sensei at the moment.

Miguel also notices with some mild curiosity how the upper left corner of the third photo says ‘BILLY’ on it — followed by a vaguely foreign-looking word that starts with the letter Z.

The Z-word (Miguel’s not sure how to pronounce it) happens to be a word Miguel recognises from a chain of convenience stores in Poland. Miguel knows about the stores because a Polish exchange student at West Valley High once brought something to school in a bag, which had the Z-word printed on it. When another student pointed to the bag and asked What does that word mean?, the exchange student explained how there are many stores called the Z-word back in his home country — and a few in the Czech Republic.

(If Miguel’s memory serves correctly, the exchange student said the Z-word also means “little frog”. Miguel found the conversation interesting, and eavesdropped because he loves geography. Last summer, Miguel actually used his geography knowledge to call out Kreese — when Kreese was hanging around the Cobra Kai dojo pretending to be Johnny’s friend and told the Cobras a bunch of tall tales about how he’d killed all these warlords a long time ago, yet he couldn’t even keep his African countries straight.)

Did Sensei travel to Europe in the 80’s and pose for these pictures, and get them developed at that store?, Miguel thinks, as he simultaneously tries to come up with an inoffensive way to decline all three of Sensei’s college photos. Is there a town or village in Poland called Billy? Maybe the chain has a location in Billy?

Miguel forgets about the words printed on Sensei’s third photo a moment later, though. He focuses on the task at hand, and tells Sensei-

MIGUEL: (nodding, smiling, and keeping his tone pleasant) Y’know. We’re probably just better off going with new photos.

JOHNNY: (staring thoughtfully at Miguel) Ya, like present-day?

Miguel answers Johnny’s question affirmatively, but secretly wonders what else “new” might mean.

A moment later, Miguel wonders even more how Sensei’s mind works — and has to do everything in his power to keep from visibly cringing. Because Sensei next says-

JOHNNY: (sounding doubtful and dubious) Hmm, ya, I’m not sure I want’chu to grease me up right now. Baby oil gets all over everything.

Johnny (suddenly concerned about the cleanliness of his bachelor-pad apartment) bites his lip in hesitation, like he’s worried Miguel will somehow produce a bottle of baby oil and…use it on Johnny, and smear it all over Johnny’s davenport and coffee table and circle-shaped table in the process.

Meanwhile, Miguel thinks Wtf? Then he deduces that a 1980’s person in Billy, Poland must have used baby oil to prepare College-Aged Sensei for the photos, so he’d look more like he went “swimming” or “surfing”.

MIGUEL: (murmurs with closed eyes, barely managing to maintain his calm-) I’m not gonna grease you…

Miguel stops talking — as he recalls how nicely Sensei wrote about him in the 80-page Facebook message to Ali. Miguel also feels relieved he’s not attached to the pulley, or wearing his baby harness right now.

In no hurry to put the harness back on, Miguel opens his eyes and says-

MIGUEL: (helpfully and maturely) I was just thinking maybe we could go with something more…contemporary? Ya?

Johnny considers this for a moment. Then he snaps his fingers, and points at Miguel like Miguel just gave him a brilliant idea. 

JOHNNY: Yes!

Johnny points at his laptop, declaring as Miguel frantically shakes his head no-

JOHNNY: We’ll look at what Ali’s into, and take pictures of me doing the same stuff.

Miguel, thinking Sensei’s suggestion sounds like something one of his classmates would come up with, tries to clarify-

MIGUEL: That’s not exactly what I meant…

But Johnny barely seems to hear Miguel, and is already peering at Ali’s photos again on his Dell laptop computer. 

JOHNNY: (studying Ali’s Facebook photos) I’m not doin’ yoga.

MIGUEL: (resigned to going along with this silly plan) No.

JOHNNY: I will pet a dog.

Johnny glances at Miguel.

JOHNNY: You think the aquarium will let me get in there with the dolphins?

MIGUEL (staring at Sensei like he’s an alien from the destroyed planet Melmac) I dunno??

Johnny nods distractedly and scrutinises Ali’s profile for another moment or two. Then he grins at Miguel, because Johnny just thought of another possibility — at least in his head, since this service doesn’t actually exist anymore (and hasn’t for years).

JOHNNY: (citing a photo-developing service popular in the 1980’s) You know what? We could Fotomat it.

MIGUEL: (utterly perplexed) What?

Johnny doesn’t explain what Fotomat is and merely snaps his fingers again. Ready to get to work on emulating Ali’s interests, Johnny instructs Miguel-

JOHNNY: Alright, let’s go, Hot Wheels.

Johnny stands, and taps Miguel’s leg so he’ll hurry up — which Miguel sees, but doesn’t feel on account of being paralysed.

JOHNNY: C’mon!

Miguel looks like he’d rather not. Johnny heads for the door, as Miguel frowns down at the dated photos of Sensei still held in Miguel’s hands.

But Miguel feels he owes it to Sensei to try. Thus, he calls out (so Sensei will know he’s following right behind)-

MIGUEL: Alright, let’s do it!