#because the trailer is too gorgeous for only one post

[iam93percentstardust]

one of the things that i loved about barbie (2023) that i think a lot of the posts making fun of male-written reviews miss is that, though the movie presents itself as a commentary on the patriarchy and sexism, the message at the core of the film isn't actually limited to being about (cis) women. it's about anyone who is Other.

i went to go see the movie on thursday afternoon before all the big midnight premieres, and the theater was still packed. there wasn't an empty seat in the entire theater. i had a seat at the end of the row, which i had picked out in a faint (futile) hope that no one would sit next to me. thirty seconds before the trailers started, a family of about 10 black people walked in and split up, presumably because they'd only just bought their tickets and there were no longer 10 seats together. the dad and the son, who was maybe a few years younger than me in his early-20s, a good foot and a half taller than me, and who i recognized as one of the football players at the local university, ended up taking the two empty seats next to me with the linebacker in the seat right next to me. and that was pretty much the last time i thought of them until the last twenty minutes of the movie.

see, in the last twenty minutes of the movie, america ferrera makes an impassioned speech about not just the limitations that male-dominated society puts on women but the limitations that women put on themselves in order to survive in said male-dominated society. it's about the contradictions that we're subjected to--you can't be too much, but you can't be too little either. you have to lift each other up but you're also in constant competition with other women for the shredded dregs of respect that men have left over for us. you can't say yes to a man because then you're a whore but you can't say no because then you're a prude. it was passionate and bitter and furious and it had every woman in the theater, myself included, in tears.

and in the silence of the theater following america ferrera's plea for barbie not to make herself less just so that society isn't threatened by her, the linebacker sitting next to me said fervently, "i feel that."

it brought everything to a screeching halt. now i'm a white woman, and though i'm fat and nowhere near as gorgeous as margot robbie, from the very first trailer, it was obvious that this was going to be a movie for me. and if done right, it was going to be a movie for all women (and i would argue that it was). but the thing that it also did right was that though the surface of the message was about women making themselves lesser, the core was that it was for anyone who makes themselves lesser to fit in. yeah, it's for women who are trying to fit into a male-dominated society, but it's also for bipoc who are trying to fit into a white-dominated society. it's for trans people trying to fit into a cis-dominated society. it's for gay people trying to fit into a heterosexual-dominated society. it's for anyone who's been Othered and has to shrink themselves in a desperate attempt to survive.

i love the posts making fun of male-written reviews that are butthurt that this movie isn't for them just as much as the next person. but i think it's important that we don't forget that those are representative of the people in power, the people that could never understand this message. barbie is for me, yeah, but it isn't just for me. it's for my trans friend who is six feet tall and has a beard and wears pink dresses every single day because they make her feel pretty. it's for my labmate who could practically be a barbie herself and irritates me every time she talks about thinphobia but also can't find someone who wants to be with her because she's brilliant and not because she's beautiful.

it's for the black linebacker who sat next to me in the theater and felt heard when a fictional character in a movie told him not to make himself smaller just to fit society's standards.

[ferrstappen]

LONG LIVE l Esteban Ocon

(a/n): omg the first installment of the Taylor Swift Collection. I'll admit this one was a bit of a stretch but I just had this idea and needed to get it out! I hope you enjoy it and would love to have your feedback <3

disclaimer: in this au, the reader plays the role Zendaya plays in the franchise.

summary: Esteban Ocon (aka the biggest Spiderman fan, according to himself) tried to bribe his girlfriend, gave her the silent treatment, he called her out during race weekends, but Marvel was just too good keeping their secrets. (actress!reader).

i) I said “remember this moment” in the back of my mind.

July 2018

When Esteban told his friend Lance that after months of liking every post and Instagram story of the actress playing Michelle Jones on the new Spider Man movies, he slid on her DMs in hopes she would answer, Lance laughed.

No, he didn’t laugh, he cackled.

It was July 2017, the first Spider-Man movie in the hands of Marvel Studios had just dropped and was a complete success, and of course Esteban had his team request a copy to the studios so he could host a viewing on his home theatre. 

He had avoided spoilers and even movie trailers in order to be surprised, most of his friends teased him about it, but he couldn’t careless, even dedicating that entire night to follow and stalk every cast member on Instagram. 

That’s when he noticed the gorgeous actress who played MJ, mysterious and intelligent on screen, and that’s when everything started for him. 

He googled her age, visited her Wikipedia page to see her accolades and projects, he even checked her dating history and the rumors surrounding her relationship with Tom Holland, the actor who played Spider-Man. 

His life went on, months went by where he silently liked her posts, just as another fan of the series and sequels of his favorite superhero, then he was focusing on the 2018 F1 Season, even as things turned ugly with not only having to worry about performing, but also with trying to keep his seat. 

Maybe his Instagram algorithm knew him a little too well when a Marvel fanpage showed on his timeline, announcing filming for the second movie of the Spider-Man sequel was taking place in London and Italy, and between the stress of training, press breathing on his shoulder about his future in Formula 1, he decided to take a risk.

Which takes him to his Canadian friend laughing at him. 

He made his way towards the Williams trailer where Lance was getting ready, not really caring that chances were he was going to take his seat at Racing Point, they were friends. That’s why Lance felt so comfortable staring at his friend in disbelief as he couldn’t stop the giggles that just kept coming. 

“Esteban, why would you subject yourself to being ignored? She’s from Hollywood, there’s no way she even knows who you are.” Lance tried to reason with his French friend, but Esteban shrugged. 

“It doesn’t matter, I know she’s probably not going to see it, but I have nothing to lose. It doesn’t even count as humiliation because we’ll probably never going to meet each other.”

Lance squinted his eyes at his friend. “You can’t have that attitude, dude!”

“But you just laughed on my face!” Esteban argued.

“Yes, because it’s my job as your friend, but at the same time I have to hype you up, you know?” Lance told him, but Esteban suspected he was just being too Canadian. “What did you tell her?”

Esteban sighed and scratched the back of his neck: “If she wanted to attend the British GP since they’re filming there.”

Lance let out a sound of approval. “You know? I think it could work out. Maybe you should find ways to drop how much of a fan of Spider-Man you are during press, you know? Just find a way, and then people will start ‘Oh, this Formula 1 driver is so adorable, he’s such a fanboy’.” The Canadian suggested. 

“How did you even think of that?” Esteban asked, but was interrupted by his iPhone going off, his engineer asking him where he was.

He didn’t get to talk with Lance again, just throwing himself on the hotel bed while his eyes were already closing due to stress and jetlag. Forcing himself off the bed to take a shower and then going to bed, checking his phone for one last time. 

His verified account worked in a weird way he still wasn’t able to fully grasp, only notifying him when other verified accounts messaged him or followed him.

And that’s what happened. 

Hey Esteban! I’m so sorry it’s taken so long to answer but ive been a bit busy. 

Attending Silverstone would actually be such a great time, is the invite still up? 

In case it is, this is my agent’s email so your people can give him the details ;)

The French read and reread the message at least ten times, not knowing if his mind was playing tricks with him, but when he read this notification, he gasped and dialed Lance. 

“LANCE!”

@(YNLN) started following you. 

ii) I was screaming “long live that look on your face”

(Y/N) thinks that Esteban exaggerated how much of a Spider-Man fan he was. They were officially dating now, so she figured it would eventually play down. 

God, was she wrong…

With the 2018 season finally over and Esteban not having a seat for 2019, he leaned heavily on her, even if he knew he was going to be under the wing of Mercedes for the time being, it wasn’t easy. 

She saw he was kind of down and with more free time than usual, plus they were still living the sweet first months of their relationship, so she surprised him with a guest pass and paper bracelet to allow him in the premises and set, leaving in on the table of her apartment while waiting for him to arrive for their movie date.

“Bebé, what is this?” He asked once he stepped inside your apartment, an envelope with his name written and an official Marvel stamp on it. He didn’t know what it was, but a grin was already starting to form. 

“Hello, Este. How are you? Did you miss me? Because I really missed you.” The actress placed her arms around his waist, shaking as his body trembled with a laugh before he leaned down to leave a caste kiss on her lips. 

“Of course I missed you, MJ.” He said and she playfully laughed at his nickname. “So, what is this?” He picked up the envelope. 

“It has your name on it, doesn’t it?” 

Esteban carefully moved from the embrace of his girlfriend and opened his gift, not even trying to hide the gasp that escaped his lips once he realized what was inside, carefully reading the letter inviting him to set, signed by Kevin Feige and Jon Watts, the director. 

“No, bebé… Is this for real?” He said with his accent getting thicker with excitement. 

“I think so.” She smiled before he kissed her, literally sweeping her off her feet. 

He knew he’d have to keep a low profile, the public not knowing yet about their relationship, the only one he had confided in was Lance, and now people in Mercedes knew, so it wouldn’t be long before the cat was out of the bag, but he was waiting for his girlfriend to feel comfortable to break the little comfy bubble they’d created.

They were in Venice when a black Mercedes picked them up at 4 AM, but he didn’t care. The street was closed and cameras were being placed, people walking all around as if it wasn’t the middle of the night and freezing. 

He knew it was cheesy, but the set lit up when she walked in. People greeted her all around, dozens of people and she stopped for each one of them, asking for their families and how was the hotel they were staying at. And the fact that he got to walk hand in hand with her, carefully carrying one of her bags, he was on cloud nine. 

But it got better. 

A British accent called (Y/N)’s name as they were approaching the luxury trailers parked not so far away from the set installed on the Italian streets. Of course Esteban recognized the accent, holding his girlfriend’s hand a little tighter. 

“Tom, this is Esteban, the guy you’ve been hearing so much about.” She said with a playful roll of her eyes, earning a chuckle from the brit as he extended his hand. 

“Pleasure to meet you, mate. I saw you during the Austin circuit, it looked sick!”

“I’m a big fan of your work, you’re the best Spider-Man,” Esteban said and his girlfriend just started to realize that maybe it wasn’t a play, he really was a huge fan. “And you’re always welcome on the paddock, just let me know.” Esteban said and Tom thanked him before being called to his trailer, telling the couple that they should go with the rest of the cast and other friends to have dinner.

“So… You’ve been talking a lot about me?” Esteban asked (Y/N), playfully raising his eyebrows and leaving a kiss on her hair. 

ACTION!

Esteban eyes followed as Peter Parker walked around the wrecked set, everything was wet and upside down, and he was in awe as he noticed (Y/N) making her way into the scene, questioning her friend if he was fine. 

Even if he couldn’t fully comprehend the dialogues or what was happening, his eyes were fixated on her, as she gave his co-star the same caring and sweet eyes that she gave him in real life, and he felt like the luckiest man on earth. 

The day was so great that they ignored the few tabloids that picked up the Instagram post of the Holland siblings, the happy couple, and other members of the cast when they went to dinner to a nice small restaurant. 

“Are Spider-Man star and F1’s star Esteban Ocon dating? We have the details from inside sources!”

 iii) When they gave us our trophies, and we held them up for our town.

Hungaroring, 2021

Every reporter went crazy when they saw (Y/N) driving a Land Rover with Esteban Ocon as her co-pilot, smiles on their faces as they pretended to ignore the hundreds of flashes capturing their faces through the tinted windows. 

They’d been dating for almost two years, but still hadn’t confirmed anything. Of course people knew; everyone involved in F1 and Marvel knew they were official since 2019, and of course their fans were aware they were together after seeing pictures of them together all the time, but no one has managed to capture even the slightest form of PDA between them, which made people still think they were friends… Very close friends. 

But there was something about this weekend that made them act more carefree, holding hands when they got out of the car, not caring if paparazzi got low-quality, grainy photos of the showing the tiniest bit of affection. 

The actress pecked his lips before he went to his driver’s room to get ready, engineers rapidly approaching him to talk a few things over. 

Time flew by and soon she was giving him one last hug and good luck kiss before he got in the car. 

“You know, this is pretty dangerous…” Esteban dramatically said, earning a grin from his girlfriend. 

“Estie, no.”

“But… I’m your boyfriend. You can trust me!” 

“It’s a secret, only a couple more months to go and you’ll watch it. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it more not knowing what’s gonna happen… Plus, I know you’re going to tell Lance whatever I tell you.”

“Is the multiverse theory true?” She was tempted to tell him something, but she always chose against it, having signed too many NDAs.

Just as she was going to answer, Esteban was called to get in the car before the race. 

“I love you, Este. Drive safely, okay?” (Y/N) got on her tiptoes and kissed him softly, like it was just the two of them. 

“Je t’aime beaucoup, bebé.” 

She became accustomed to the roaring of motors, the smell of gasoline and the rush of a pit stop, but that didn’t mean the worried butterflies on her stomach calmed down, she still bit her nails while listening to his radio and watching him overtake his rivals. His parents were the same, eyes not moving from the screen.

But today, it was a different kind of anxiety. She was on the edge of her seat, the fresh coat of nail polish chipped as everyone in the garage started realizing that they were going to win. The first for the team and for Esteban. 

She couldn’t stay seated during the last four laps, completely aware that F1 cameras were paying more attention to the Alpine garage, wanting to get the best reactions, and obviously she was there, but she couldn’t care less. 

It became real during the last lap, mechanics and engineers running to greet their driver on their maiden win.

Esteban parked the car and got out, jumping right into the awaiting arms of everyone involved, his face was one of pure disbelief, his eyes glassy with unshed tears and shaky hands.

She was holding your phone as his mom and dad went to hug him and congratulate him, wanting to immortalize the moment after so many years and sacrifices. Of course she loved his parents, but she wanted the moment to be over to hug him and congratulate him.

And that’s what happened when he noticed her. He noticed that he didn’t really know how to approach her, knowing cameras were filming their every movement and being broadcasted.

That’s why she took the matters in her own hands. Her hand went to cup his face, his arms found their home on her waist as he lifted her and kissed her. It wasn’t a pretty kiss, they were trying to pour every feeling, knowing words wouldn’t do it justice.

“Babe, I’m so proud of you, congratulations. Shit, I don’t even know what to say!” They laughed and went for another short kiss, people around them cheering. 

“You know what a great prize would be?” He asked her, gently placing her back on the ground. 

“Not a chance, Estie.”

(YNLN) just posted.

(YNLN): GP winner/king of my heart/love of my life @estebanocon

iv) Long live the walls we crashed through, how the kingdom lights shined just for me and you. 

Sadly, Esteban wasn’t afraid to admit he pleaded his girlfriend to show him the new Spider-Man script. He tried to bribe her with silly gifts, gave her the silent treatment. His last resort was to call her out during race weekends. 

“Esteban, we are living the last races of the 2021 season and you seem alone, did you girlfriend leave you for Peter Parker yet?” The interviewer asked him laughing, making Esteban smile. 

“Yes, she is in the middle of her press tour for the latest movie.”

“I don’t remember many movies creating this level of hype and mystery, do you have any inside details?”

“Don’t even get me started,” Esteban answered, his accent getting thicker. “I don’t know anything, she has kept everything a secret. I’ve pleaded, I even spoke with her co-stars and they told me (Y/N) warned them to not tell me anything! Not even after I offered full-access paddock passes!” Esteban was  shooting his last shot to get any information, even if it meant exposing his girlfriend. 

“Interesting, Marvel is that good keeping secrets, huh? We hope to see you on the red carpet. Good luck on the race! Esteban Ocon, everybody!” 

“You are shameless!” That was the first thing Esteban heard after he picked up the FaceTime call from his girlfriend. 

“Oh, you saw it?” He asked her nonchalantly, like it wasn’t a big deal. 

“You just have to hang on a couple of weeks and you’ll see it. Babe, I have to be back with the interviews soon, but I was told you can bring a plus one to the premier.”

“Am I not your plus one?” Esteban asked confused. 

“Nah, people like you too much now. We can walk the red carpet together, though!”

Esteban smiled at the sight of her perfectly dressed girlfriend. “No, it’s your moment, wouldn’t want to steal it with my perfect height and handsome looks.” He joked, earning a loud laugh from her, his favorite sound. 

She was right, time flew by. Now Esteban was admiring as people worked on her dress and makeup. Someone was fixing his hair for one last time before they left the fancy hotel room. 

Paparazzi were already lining up outside the hotel, waiting for them. They smiled before the valet got the car. She gave him a weird look, seeing a sports car, very similar to his Alpine car, with no one inside. 

“You didn’t think I was going to let someone else drive you, right?” He offered his arm and opened the door for her, helping her with the dress and leaving a kiss on her hand before walking towards the pilot seat. 

She couldn’t stop smiling, resting her hand on Esteban’s thigh during the short ride as he expertly drove, eyes not leaving the road to interlace their fingers. 

“Chérie… You have one last chance.”

“Esteban!” She stared at him in disbelief. 

“Can’t blame a fan for trying.”

Esteban would never tell her, but it was completely worth it in the end. His eyes couldn’t leave the screen for a second, too enthralled by the story being played in front of him, not even noticing the nervous eyes of his girlfriend, she wanted him to enjoy it because, as she found out during the time loving him, he was not exaggerating how much of a fan he was.

She noticed how he didn’t even try to hide the tears and the gasps during the movie, he probably didn’t notice how his grip on her hand got tighter every time a twist happened. Tears were falling freely as he watched his girlfriend on screen, playing what he thought was the saddest scene on modern cinema. 

He was the first one on his feet to start the stand-up ovation in the movie theatre. He didn’t care about anything when the lights were turned on, his only worry being softly kissing her lips while people around them were still cheering. 

“Shit, I still can’t believe he pulled it off…” 

That was Lance, shaking his head and taking a picture with his iPhone to show it at their wedding, knowing that Esteban and (YN) were endgame, even if he made fun of Esteban.

[radioactivemelody]

After a long, excruciating wait, our suffering shall end. I literally woke up with this trailer being shown EVERYWHERE. 

And it is only natural for me to analyze frame by frame because I'm so, so hyped today. So, let's get into it.

Understanding the new trailer

The trailer opens with a phone call and what appears to be a young girl talking to Homura.

The entire sequence makes me understand that the Magical Girls knows, at some point, what Homura did. They are aware she isn't their Law of Cycles, asking if she can accept the risks and responsibilities.

Now, the risks and responsibilities of what? Of being essentially the replacements for what Madoka Kaname, the Law of Cycles, was? The salvation of all Magical Girls?

Which is promptly replied by Homura, who asks if they can fight against the curse of this world? I still haven't understood what she meant with that. The curse of this world? The witches, perhaps? But she says "curse", not "curses" as in plural. It is just one, singular curse.

Walpurgisnacht.

And then, the trailer begins to show a black and white sequence of Homura. Only Homura, from the anime to the last movie, Rebellion. The voice says there is only one thing she can do and that's love. They call her "Akuma-san", which translates to "Devil".

This part here intrigues me the most. They say she is a Magical Girl they don't know. And keep asking to bring hope, just bring hope, release that girl.

Which strengths my previously mentioned theory. The Magical Girls from the new world appear to have some type of acknowledgement that Homura isn't the Law of Cycles from before. They are asking for her to bring hope back. To bring Madoka back, thus, asking, demanding for her to release that girl. Release Madoka back so she can return to being the Law of Cycles.

They know Homura isn't their savior, that she is a false god who took the place from their true, original goddess and savior. And maybe, they might rally to overthrow her and put Madoka back in her place.

Look how Madoka's name is inside quotation marks. We kind of know post-Rebellion Madoka is just a Madoka without her memories of being a goddess, helpless to fight back because Homura keeps beaming her with a memory-wiping laser. This Madoka is not the original Madoka, just a shell, a reflection of what Homura desires her to be.

…A new Magical Girl? She wields Homura's bow after Madoka's divine ascension, her outfit resembles Homura's and has Mami's ribbons. What the hell is going over here? I saw someone saying that it might be an artificially created Magical Girl by Homura in order to defeat Walpurgisnacht but honestly, I have NO idea.

This frame in particular. Homura's uniform is a tad different from what we are accustomed to see. Also, the umbrella. It resembles way too much the bottom part of Walpurgisnacht's dress. I might be reading it in a nonsensical way but look, the movie is called Walpurgisnacht: Rising, everything counts at this point.

And just like Rebellion, this movie will be gorgeous in the visual aspect.

Aside from everyone getting some improvement in their outfits, we have Sayaka. Oh, Sayaka. She has ribbons(?) in her mouth.

When Homura became the Devil, remember who was the first person from the quartet to see her? Exactly, Sayaka did. In a way, Sayaka is the bearer of the truth. She knows the world they're living in is fake. She knows what happened to Madoka. And yet, she can't propagate the truth. Not even to herself because she can't remember.

Those ribbons in her mouth might symbolize the fact Homura silenced her from telling the truth. And if they end up remembering, she is going to be the first.

Everyone talks about a confrontation between Madoka and Homura but let me enlighten you: a confrontation between Homura and Sayaka. Scene absolutely worthy of every Oscar ever known. This is true cinema.

AND THE CLARA DOLLS ARE BACK!!! And in this scene we have three of them. I tried to identificate them but due to the "simplism" of them, it's kind of hard but hey, I tried! I might be wrong but anyways.

From left to right: Manuke (stupid-looking), Usotsuki (liar) e Warukuchi (slanderer).

Considering the Clara Dolls represent Homura's emotions and flaws… Yeah, our girl is suffering. Prepare for another movie that will wrench your heart beyond recognition.

[wheneverfeasible]

wc: 2.3k || rating: T || cw: none || summary: Jim Hopper and Will Byers have a bonding moment post-S4. pre-Byler || now on ao3

Jim wouldn’t say that it wasn’t an adjustment. Of course it was.

It had been easier with Eleven because, though it had been years, he’d once been a dad to a little girl before too. Not that El was anything like Sarah had been, and Jim had made absolute fucking certain El knew that she was not in any way a replacement for Sarah, but she was still a little girl. Or had been, at least.

Still was in a lot of ways, but she was growing up. Still needed her dad though, that much had become certain from the moment they reunited. He was just happy that Joyce had been there for her, had all but already been her mom even before he and Joyce finally became a thing.

And they did become a Thing. It took some doing with having to come back from the dead, with the Byers moving back to Hawkins, and with figuring themselves all out as they settled into this new normal. El had become a part of the Byers family, and sure Jim had his and El’s cabin, but it wasn’t really fit for so many people. So, with a little assistance from the US Government who owed them for an entire lifetime of pain and terror, they bought a new house.

Jim remembered when he used to live in a trailer by the lake, and here he was now living in a sprawling goddamn near-mansion in Loch Nora, not too far down from the Harrington residence actually. It was a gorgeous two-story, five bedroom, three and a half bathroom house with its own pool, and plenty of space for all the kids when they inevitably came to visit. It was…a lot, sometimes. More than Jim was used to, but he never regretted what it meant to be with Joyce.

Even if it was an adjustment.

Jim had, quite quickly, gone from being a single parent with one daughter to a stepfather of sorts to two boys, one of them already grown. He could tell that it was an adjustment to the boys as well, whose last experience with a male figure was Bob Newby who hadn’t been more than just their mom’s boyfriend.

And sure, it wasn’t like he and Joyce were married or anything. They were still getting used to the idea of simply being together themselves, but there was years of history between them, even before all this shit with the Upside Down. What’s more, Jim couldn’t take El away from the family she made with the Byers, so it only made sense to move in together. Make up for lost time.

He could tell it was awkward for the boys as much as it was for him, though Jonathan and him had reached some kind of understanding and bonding due to the boy’s age and the fact that they’d sneak off away from Joyce to smoke pot together occasionally. It was different with Will, however.

Jim could tell he was…maybe wary wasn’t quite the right word, but it was close enough. Jim knew he wasn’t the kind of softness that Bob had been, knew that Russia had changed him further, sharpening bits of himself and hardening others. He was learning to move past that though, surprisingly enough with Steve Harrington of all people and that Robin Buckley girl. They’d talked about it, finally having someone else who understood, and it…it helped.

Living so close to the Harringtons, Steve started coming around a lot more often, helping Joyce out with the kids, or shooting the shit with Hopper. Sometimes Robin joined him, sometimes not. He made certain the girl knew she was always welcome, however, with or without Steve, after she had confessed that she felt like she didn’t deserve to be part of the discussion because the Russians never hit her. He made damn certain she knew that there was more than just one type of torture.

So yeah, Jim was doing better, settling back into his normal (or as normal as it got) life, taking up work as a private investigator, though Cal had offered him his job as chief back. Jim didn’t want it anymore, however, and with the tidy sum of money the government gave to the Hopper-Byers family, he wasn’t in desperate need of money as he worked out his new occupation. He had agreed to help out, unofficially, when needed, however.

It left him time to get used to his new family dynamic, however. To be there for El, Joyce, and the boys, though Jonathan seemed to finally start relaxing again now that the Vecna creep was well and truly gone.

But still Will was hesitant with him, not quite timid but watchful. Especially when Mike was over. Jim always had to suppress a sigh at that. He had thought that he was in the clear once El and the twerp broke up, but no such luck apparently.

And Jim knew. He recalled Joyce’s words, knew what that asshole Lonnie had called the boy, and before it might have been explained away from the kid just being a gentle soul when he was younger, but there was no denying the way that Will looked at Mike. Worse, the way Mike looked at Will. He wanted to grumble, put off by the disrespect shown towards El even though she had been the one to break things off, but El had assured him that she was fine.

Jim knew how he looked. He was large, and while he was no longer portly, he was solid. He kept up with his exercise, even took to jogging in the morning with Steve and Lucas, and made good use of his new pool when it was warm enough to do so. Sometimes even when it wasn’t. He knew he was intimidating. He knew that to a young gay kid whose own father had spouted hate, it had to be scary.

He also didn’t want to out the poor kid, however. Right now it was technically only conjecture. Just an idea. He wasn’t trying to be the kid’s dad. He knew he couldn’t force himself into that position. The kid was grown enough to not need him to, after all.

But…he wanted Jonathan and Will both to know that he was there for them, whenever and whatever they needed. Jim had no problem with alternative lifestyles. As long as his kids were safe and happy, that was all that mattered.

So Jim tried to soften himself some, joked and teased Will like he did with El, made it obvious that he was in it until the end, that whether or not he and Joyce ever got married, they were his in whatever capacity they let him have them. And slowly, ever so slowly, Will began opening up to him.

It started with his artwork. He’d painted a portrait of the family, all five of them, as a Mother’s Day present for Joyce. He showed Jim first, asking his opinion and obviously nervous about it, but Jim could only praise the work with genuine compliments. He even joking said he might just have to pay Will to do a portrait for his office like those fancy muckity mucks.

Will then surprised him, on Father’s Day, with a portrait of his own. Jim was not ashamed to say that it brought tears to his eyes, and he promptly hung it up in a place of honor.

From then on, things got a little more comfortable, and Will even joined him and the others on their morning jogs sometimes, or some of the other exercises Jim partook in. Slowly Will even started filling out, and he could tell it helped the boy’s confidence some, though he also noticed it made Mike stare more too.

Jim wasn’t stupid. Though there had been a period of time where he didn’t give a shit, where he drank his life away through heartbreak and barely existed, he had still been a cop. And a damn good one once he got a scent. He could piece together clues and figure things out and see what others didn’t want you to see.

It was why, one summer afternoon while Will was sprawled on chair beside him by the pool, watching fucking Mike bellyflop after a failed jump that may or may not have been caused by El, with the puppiest of lovesick eyes that Jim had finally had enough. He sighed heavily, causing Will to glance at him, and he shook his head at the lost cause.

“Really, kid? Wheeler?” he lightly complained. He didn’t look at Will, but he could see him freeze in his peripheral vision, could feel the fear wafting off of him. Jim didn’t react to it, just took a sip of his beer before letting out another sigh. “I guess I am destined to have Wheeler as a fu—freaking in-law. But truly, kid,�� he said, and finally looked at Will and ignored his wide eyes to lightly clap a hand on his knee. “You could do so much better.”

Will flinched, ever so slightly, at Jim’s hand moving towards him, and he seemed to be holding his breath, but Jim didn’t let it hurt him. Too much. It was understandable why he’d think someone like Jim, a former cop, might have some hidden prejudices. So he just squeezed Will’s knee before releasing it and settling back into his chair.

But Will just continued staring at him, blinking slowly, before his face slowly went from deathly pale to flushed pink. “I—” he started to squeak out, before clearing his throat and beginning to fidget with his own can of pop. He looked down, hunching his shoulders, before glancing back over at Jim. “I’m…he doesn’t…it’s not…”

“Will,” Jim said, fixing the boy with a look that caused him to snap his jaw shut. “What part of our family is normal?” His raised his brows and spread out a hand to indicate the pool and yard full of their massive found family, something even Jim hadn’t thought possible. “Your sister can literally kill people with her mind,” he dryly pointed out.

That caused Will to snort, a hesitant smile curling his lips. “That’s…fair,” he allowed carefully.

“Your paramour’s sister is probably a better shot than I am,” Jim continued without any ill will towards that. It was mostly the truth. “I’m somewhat friends with a Russian former prison guard. And there’s…” His eyes closed as though it was painful to admit. “Murray.”

Will let out a real laugh at that, before he looked away with an embarrassed look. “He’s not my…paramour,” he said, rolling his eyes at the last word.

“But you want him to be.” It wasn’t a question. Will looked up at Jim again, and though there was still that sense of wariness, Jim could see a small spark of hope in his eyes.

“That doesn’t…gross you out?”

“Oh it definitely grosses me out,” Jim said easily, but continued on before Will could become upset. “But just because it’s Mike. It grossed me out when El liked him too.” Will covered his mouth when a startled laugh left him, causing Jim to grin.

He glanced over at Joyce when he felt her eyes on him, and he gave her a small wink and nod. Her eyes moved towards Will, seeing his shocked and cautiously happy expression, and understanding dawned on her own face. She smiled at him, and even from here he could see her eyes shine with unshed tears before she turned back to her conversation with Robin and Steve.

Turning back to Will, Jim tried to offer an easy, open smile. By the way Will’s shoulders untensed, he thought he had to have succeeded at least a little bit. “You know more than just about anyone how short and precarious life can be. Why waste it judging someone for who they love, the way they were born? Just as pointless as judging them for the color of their skin.”

Jim indicated across the way with his beer can where Erica was sassing Lucas and Dustin about something. “You don’t judge the Sinclairs, do you?”

“Of course not,” Will rushed to say with a small frown. “They’re some of my best friends.”

“And you’re my…” Jim hesitated. He didn’t want to overstep, but…there was no denying he loved Joyce. For him, she was it, and that meant her kids were too. Just as his was hers. Whether or not he and Joyce ever got married, these were his kids now.

Jim looked at Will, who was looking back at him with that wary hopefulness again. He forced himself to expose some vulnerability, letting out a soft sigh as he moved to ruffle the boy’s hair who was probably a little too old to have his hair ruffled.

“And you’re my kid,” he finished, his voice a little gruff, though he’d deny it was from emotion. Or that said emotion bubbled up inside him again at the wide smile Will gave him. He cleared his throat, turning his gaze towards Mike and swallowing down another grimace. Christ.

“You like who you like. Anyone who causes you grief about that can come talk to me.” He let his gaze sweep over the party, taking in Joyce, Jonathan, Steve, El, even Mike, and all the others too. “And trust me. There’s gonna be a whole line behind me.”

Will flushed a little, chewing his bottom lip as he followed Jim’s line of sight. He hesitated, seemed to be bracing himself, and drew in a deep breath. “I’m gay,” he softly said, and the words sounded heavy on his tongue for how light he suddenly seemed after staring those two words that were anything but small or simple in a town like Hawkins.

“I know, son,” Jim murmured, and he leaned back in his chair as Will did the same, a relieved smile lighting the young man’s face as he relaxed fully and completely next to Jim for the first time. “I know.”

-

tagged: @derythcorvinus

[ohemgeeejay]

I watched Lisa Frankenstein today with some of my friends and OH MY GOURD.

When I saw a promotional poster in my local theatre two weeks ago, I was intrigued. When I saw the trailer during the pre-show for Night Swim that same day, I was persuaded. But when I saw Diablo Cody and Zelda Williams on a poster while leaving the theatre, I knew I had to watch it.

And it did not disappoint.

That movie was so good! It was so much fun. The dialogue was fantastic, the humour was well timed and well written, the set design was beautiful, and the general aesthetics of the film were downright gorgeous. I also loved the character dynamics, especially between Lisa and Taff.

I was truly shocked to find that it’s kind of a flop. The critic reviews are so low, which doesn’t surprise me, although it does disappoint me. Especially seeing people call these characters one dimensional and stereotypical. I completely disagree; and I think the way that Taff loved, supported, and stuck up for Lisa right from the beginning was proof of that. She was more than her peppy, popular cheerleader archetype, she was a person and a character of her own.

The lack of love for this movie is crazy! I genuinely enjoyed that movie so much, and I feel an oncoming fixation.

My friend described it as slasher meets romcom and that feels like a decently accurate representation of the vibes. It’s lighter on the horror and heavier on the humour, but it’s absolutely charming.

It’s a great watch, one of the best times I’ve had seeing something in theatres in a while.

And I mean, the poster art is just the cherry on top! It’s gorgeous, and it captures the vibes of the movie perfectly. Huge props to whoever made these posters, I love them and would love to have one for my room.

I’ve seen many call the film “uneven,” or “disjointed,” criticizing its pacing. I understand why some people may dislike it, as it’s an uncommon path of plot progression, but I found it to be very enjoyable. I think that the unusual pacing of the film only made it stand out more.

All around, I really loved this movie. If you liked Heathers, Jennifer’s Body, Beetlejuice, or any other campy cult classics, I highly recommend it. I can definitely see Lisa Frankenstein becoming a cult classic itself in a few years.

I apologize if this post is a bit all over the place, I have a lot of thoughts about this film. And a lot of love for it too. I just had to talk about it, because I cannot get this movie out of my head! I think it’s quickly becoming a favourite, and I know I’m going to have to watch it again.

[redvelvettecakes1]

TADC RANT POST 🍭 !

(⚠️spoilers for the new trailer of episode 2 that glitch has just posted⚠️)

SORRY I’M A COUPLE OF HOURS LATE TO POSTING ABOUT THIS, BUT LETS START OF WITH RAGATHA BECAUSE SHE IS MY FAVOURITE.

SHE LOOKS SO GORGEOUS IN THIS TRAILER, LIKE I GENUINELY CANNOT GET OVER HOW PRETTY SHE IS, GUYS WHY IS SHE ACTUALLY KINDA… 🤭 SHE LOOKS EVEN MORE PRETTIER THAN SHE DID IN EPISODE ONE, I ACTUALLY LOVE HER SO MUCH AND I’M GLAD WE ARE GETTING MUCH MORE CONTENT OF HER IT SEEMS IN THE NEXT EPISODE.

PRAYING THEY ALSO MAKE A PLUSHIE OF HER FOR EPISODE 2 AS WELL. 😞🙏

LOOKS LIKE THERE IS ALSO GOING TO BE MORE ANGST..

I WONDER WHERE POMNI IS FALLING FROM?? I WANT TO FIND OUT SO BAD THIS EPISODE LOOKS SO GOOD ALREADY AND IT’S ONLY THE TRAILER.

ALSO.. POSSIBLE JAX ANGST?? IM NOT REALLY A FAN OF JAX BUT IM SURPRISED TO SEE WE COULD BE GETTING SOME ANGST OF HIM, ESPECIALLY IN ONLY THE SECOND EPISODE, HONESTLY DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE ANGST OF JAX SO SOON, GIVEN HIS WHOLE CHARACTER.

AND THEN HERE ARE SOME OTHER SCENES THAT I THOUGHT WERE CUTE FROM THE TRAILER.

JAX HAS A CANDY GUN?? 😭 AND THE PINK GUMMY ELEPHANT IS SO CUTE TOO, THE CANDY WORLD THAT THEY ARE IN LOOKS SO COOL AND INTERESTING, GANGLE AND JAX ALONE TOGETHER TOO?? I hope jax doesn’t try to hurt gangle like the first episode… 💀

ANYWAYS THE RELEASE DATE IS MAY 3RD AND I AM GENUINELY SO HYPED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

[rkvriki]

— their favorite things to do with you !

hey everyone, new post here !

make sure to leave feedback. my asks are open and so is my inbox so let's talk !

WARNINGS ! mentions of food, might contain grammar errors, lmk if there are any missing ones.

word count: 1.5k

LEE HEESEUNG !

— go to the cinema 

heeseung loves to be updated on the movies that are released recently and what’s better than watching them with his favorite person?

when a new trailer is released he���s already sending the link to you telling you to go watch it with him when it comes out.

sometimes when one is released one of the boys asks him to go watch it together and he refuses straight away because he wants to watch it with you.

and it would be so cute !

he would take you during the week when people were busy with work so the room would be more secluded and you could have more privacy.

he would keep an arm around you during the whole movie and he definitely sneaks little kisses here and there but not too much to not distract you.

after the movie you would have dinner and during the whole time you two would be discussing the movies and make theories.

when you got home and were already in bed, ready to fall asleep one of you would go like

“but what if…”

and you would go back to discussing theories and different plots that could have happened.

PARK JONGSEONG !

— go on shopping sprees

you try telling me this man isn’t a shopping addict.

whenever he has free time or a free day he will take you to go shopping.

at this point you shouldn’t even bother to bring you wallet, because jake refuses to let you pay for anything.

jay will literally be offended if you refuse to let him pay.

it’s honestly so fun to go shopping with him.

he always chooses at least one piece of clothing for you and if you ask him your opinion on something he will literally turn into a fashion pro.

he also lets you choose something for him, which most of the times is a hoodie that will be more used by you than him.

when you are a a store he will see something that remind him of you and he will buy it without even telling you.

he looks like so proud when he sees you trying something, because it's his girl right there looking so gorgeous !!

you always leave the shopping center with both arms full of bags almost struggling to take them all.

SIM JAEYUN !

— watching the sunset

jake is totally the type to take you to a rooftop or even the beach to watch the sunset with you.

it’s a healing moment for both of you, where you find peace in each other.

you two started doing this when you started dating when one of you was feeling down and it became a routine to do it at least once or twice a week.

jake would take you to the beach, to a place only you knew, that would be empty.

you always took a towel and sometimes even snacks.

it is almost automatic how he sits down and you sit between his legs with your back to his chest and he just embraces you.

sometimes you two just rant about something that’s bothering either of you or would just sit in silence, feeling the breeze from the sea hit your faces.

jake would love the way the sun rays hit your face during the golden hour.

he would stare at you so lovingly wishing to stay like that forever.

you would feel so safe with him too.

watching the sunset helped you trust each other a lot, which made communication better for you two whenever something was wrong.

PARK SUNGHOON !

— go on ice rink dates 

i’ve been waiting for an opportunity to write about sunghoon and ice skating.

he would be so eager to teach you how to skate and would teach you so many tricks.

he would even go as far as to rent a rink for a whole day just to be with you alone.

he would just stare and smile at you like a proud dad when you learned how to skate properly.

you were always worried you would fall down but he was always there to hold you in case that happened.

when he taught you how to jump was really funny because you kept falling down (obviously) and he kept making fun of you being the man he is.

but hoon would be so grateful you made an effort to do something that was once his passion. you would obviously enjoy it, because you were doing it with him and you wanted to keep him doing something you knew he really loved since an early age.

you loved when he showed you different performances he did in his competitions. you would be staring at him wi.th heart eyes if it was possible.

he looks so graceful while skating and it makes your heart explode.

KIM SUNOO !

— go on picnics

sunoo loves eating and so do you !

he would have so many things prepared for you to do and he would even ask jay to help him and give advice on cooking, just to make sure you would be satisfied.

he had specific plates, cups and cutlery for you guys to use in the picnics.

you went mainly to han river since it is not too busy and not too calm, just the perfect mood for you to enjoy your time together.

sunoo was always in charge of bringing the main dish while you always brought the dessert and drinks.

there were times where one of you would buy foods from different countries to try out together.

after eating you would go on walks along the river or would go somewhere where you could do something fun like an arcade or an amusement park.

but there were also times where you would just sit and talk for hours and hours, just enjoying each other's presence.

sunoo always brought with him a mini film camera and took candid pics of you that he keeps in a box hidden under his bed.

sometimes you would bring card games to play with him.

with sunoo you would never be bored. his presence alone was enough for you to have fun.

this little moments were so important to you since he was always so busy, so you always made sure you enjoyed them to the fullest.

YANG JUNGWON !

— taking you to amusement parks

idk why but jungwon just screams amusement parks.

the moment he walks in the park, his face immediately lights up. his doe eyes would stare at all the rides, eager to go on all of them.

he loves roller coasters and is always up to go to the scariest ones, while you weren’t much of a fan of them but still went anyway.

he would take so many pictures of you, finding your face under the colorful lights so pretty.

he would definitely buy cotton candy for you to share.

he would go on the cabins where he can win plushies just to get you one big bear.

he would play a game as many times he needed just for one plushie. all the effort is worthy when he sees you eyes light up when you grab the plushie from his hands, never forgetting to give him a kiss on his cheek or a quick peck on his lips.

you guys would try all the foods available and  most of your money would go on there.

won always leaves ferris wheels for last.

he loves the view, the view being you and the scenery behind you.

he loves the way you look at the landscape before your eyes. he will literally smile through the whole ride.

jungwon loves you so much it hurts.

NISHIMURA RIKI !

—  go painting with you

you know that en-log where he goes painting in a cafe? yeah that's it.

riki loves trying out new hobbies with you and the one he found to love the most was painting.

he would book a booth for both of you and you would spend hours just drawing and painting a canvas together.

you take turns on painting something in a single canvas until you make a pretty painting.

niki just loves how your ideas mix together and form a beautiful piece of work.

this activity meant a lot to you two, it made you closer than you already were.

he loved watching your focused face while working on the drawing.

you get surprised at how niki had the ability of being good at so many things, never failing to amaze you with each thing he did.

painting with you made niki love the little things in life, like how he could feel so happy just painting with you.

after you guys are finished painting, you would step back and appreciate the piece of art you both made.

niki would take the canvas to the dorms and proudly show his art to the other member the work you guys made together.

[before-it-felt-like-a-sin]

Heyyy how u doing? Heard you're bored so HERE AM I🗣️🗣️

What are your main theories for s3? Any thoughts on Taissa or Shauna as possible Antler Queens?

Okay main theories:

1. I think s3 is when we get the pit girl scene, simply because judging by my rough timeline I've got going in my head, they're only there for one winter. So it's likely this season, or MAYBE season five which I then would make pit girl the last survivor. But I'm leaning season 3.

2. Thinking that we're gonna see adult Akilah! She's one of my faves so I'd be really excited. Or we're at least getting more of her because in the s3 promo video they posted her trailer said TEEN Akilah!!! I'm really happy about that.

3. I was actually kind of thinking Van has the potential for Antler Queen? I know based on height it's unlikely. But so much shit has happened to my gorgeous ginger queen that she's likely to be hunted and survive. BUT if it's not Van I feel like Tai or Lottie. Misty is fs a no because we know it's not her based on the pilot, and Shauna wants it too badly for it to be her. (Imo at least)

4. I so badly hope that Lottie and Nat have some sort of fight (over Travis, maybe?) and end up kissing. I feel like it could make sense with everything we've seen but that's def more of a hope than a theory lmao.

[skibasyndrome]

Finally making a pinned post, hope I do this right

my name is Simon, you can call me that or skibasyndrome or any variation of either that you can think of

25-y/o university student with a passion for literature and languages and everything surrounding that (hmu, I will talk about it for hours)

me and tumblr go way back (like... 2012 way back), but it's only through my very recent discovery of Young Royals (August 2023) that I decided to get back into online fan spaces after a long break (best decision ever btw)

I'm gay and a trans man

I mostly just write fics (or talk about writing)

Feel free to reach out and talk to me about anything and everything, I love talking to people :)

things to note about this blog

I will simp about Omar Rudberg. Sorry, I'm just too gay for whatever it is he is doing 24/7

there's almost always a party in my tags because that's where I go to voice my opinions or just be... emotionally affected by things

hope you like Young Royals, because there's rarely anything else on here these days

personal posts are tagged "simon.out."

should go without saying but fuck right off with any -isms or -phobias

See my Young Royals fics below the cut (or at skibasyndrome on ao3)

It seems a place for us to dream (T, 1.8 k)

Or: The things going through Wilhelm's head during that S3 snippet.

You crave the Applause / Yet hate the Attention (E, chaptered, 4/4, 22.3 k)

Or: How Wilhelm realizes that maybe, if you squint a little, he might have a praise kink.

But I'm a vampire smile, you'll meet a sticky end (E, 4.1 k)

Or: Simon's vampire-esque makeup is really doing things to Wilhelm that he didn't expect. A Halloween fic.

In This Together (T, 3.5 k)

Or: Wilhelm tries — and fails — to surprise Simon with hot chocolate. Simon doesn't mind. Contribution to Wilmon Secret Santa 2023.

It's in the water, baby (E, 4.9 k)

Or: A sweet and spicy story sponsored by the infamous Lake Still (TM) s3 promo pic.

Never Letting You Go (E, 5.7 k)

Or: The infamous Hallway Smut (TM) Scene as briefly seen in the S3 trailer and (re)imagined by me. There's light angst, sex, and so many feelings.

Lavender Haze (E, 13.3 k)

Or: Wilhelm spots the most gorgeous man in a nightclub. He's wearing a lavender shirt that makes Wilhelm's head spin and imagination run wild. And a smile that does things to his heart he's not quite sure what to make of yet.

All this shit is new to me (E, chaptered, 3/?, 24 k)

Or: After meeting and hooking up with Simon at a club, Wille needs to figure out what exactly that means for them (or whether there even is a "them" to figure out). A sequel to Lavender Haze.

Wille's Month 2024:

Day 1 (Sandwich): Vegan butter, two slices of Gouda, a few slices of cucumber (G, 1.6 k) Day 8 (Wedding/Engagement): Roots of Love (T, 1.2 k) Day 9 (Riding): Close, Closer (E, 1.3 k) Day 25 (Hands): Got my Hands all over You (E, 7.1 k)

Simon's Month 2024:

Day 2 (Food): I could eat that boy for lunch (M, 7.9 k) (co-written with @iwouldnevergetintofanfic & @pagegirlintraining) Day 14 (Senses): Kyss mig med dinä röda läppar (or, affectionately: the cherry fic) (T, 3.4 k)

Flash The Camera, You're A Star! (T, 10.1 k) (co-written with @pagegirlintraining)

Or: the one where Wille is an even bigger simp than usual and Simon can’t quite stay mad at him.

(ca.)-5-sentence-ficlets

Or: people send me a sentence, I write 5 or more sentences to turn it into a ficlet. wild variety of stories ranging from dark to fluffy to (slightly) steamy (always open for these types of prompts)

[love-toxin]

i’m kissing you with tongue in thanks of your plus size fics!!! tribbing with nancy???? the thought of feeling steve’s chest hair as he presses you into the mattress and fucks a baby into you nice and deep???? 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫feeling WAY too feral. then the bully eddie one you just posted???? him telling her to bite down on his necklace while rubbing one out???? i think you’re actually trying to kill me. also thinking about eddie riding plus size angelface’s strap and i need to lay down. - @bloodandtime <3

heheh.....heh.....ur just giving me ideas out here.....

(cws: f!plus size!angelface, kinda subby worshipper eddie, pegging, rimming, fingering, body worship, mommy kink)

You've ventured into fingering him, even into eating him out, but when Eddie's faced with you sat on his bed with your legs spread, it's a whole other beast for him to contend with. Even though you look so sweet and touch him so gentle when you reach out for his hand, and lock your pinky with his.

"C'mere, baby."

Baby. It still shakes him to his core, that word. Never in his life would he think that Eddie Munson, notorious freak of the backwoods trailer park, would ever be somebody's baby. Least of all you.

Just look at you. Sitting back against the wall with one leg hanging over the side of his bed, while the other stretches out to toe at the sheets he'd just replaced so they'd be nice and fresh for you. You've got such a darling smile and you're like....you've got the personality of a mom, almost, that's how he feels. Tender, sensitive, and open, you give everyone a listening ear and you laugh in such a cheery way that anybody in their right mind would feel their day getting better upon hearing it. You care for him so much that you treat him like he's worth more than he is, like he's a prince that deserves kindness and sweetness and love that he's only ever grasped miniscule moments of before they slip away. With you, he gets that feeling all the time, and maybe someday soon he'll realize that it's just cause he's been in love with you since the day you met.

For now, though, he follows your lead and brings his legs up to kneel on his own bed, eyes drawing down towards your bare skin that's all exposed for his pleasure. You seem intent on hiding it or at least minimizing it much of the time, but glory's sakes he can't believe you don't just show it all off all the time, because you're so goddamn gorgeous. Smooth skin and full tits and thighs that he loves seeing squish together, a pudgy tummy with the prettiest array of little zigzag lines across it with chubby cheeks to match--you're like a fireworks display, you're always impressive and he finds renewed appreciation for you every time he sees you this way. It always makes his heart flutter when he does, and when he sits himself between your legs he feels that same thudding in his chest. Although that could be because he's got a look at what you're packing, which is probably a six or seven inch strap that's coloured a pretty, pale red. The black harness digs into your chubby hips and just accentuates your curves that much more, and while he's making a point to try and suck the drool back at the sight of you, he's also feeling so dizzy in the head that he might just collapse.

It's a little ironic, considering you've just spent the last hour or so with your head between his own legs--his cock is still puffy and aching from being played with, and yet he's loose and slick and prepared from you fingering him and licking him open. He should be ready as you guide him by the hips to straddle you, and yet he's still feeling nervous. Self-conscious might be the right word. But when you ask him in that sweet, tender voice if he's ready and if he's okay to keep going, he answers you not just with a bitten lip and a nod, but with his hips descending further until he feels the tip catch against his rim. He doesn't even let himself think twice about it, just starts sinking down and lets a gasp rip out of him when you hit something very soft and sensitive.

"Mnh-!" That moan is so embarrassing, but not as much as the way he jerks forward and collapses into your shoulders, arms loosely wrapped round your head to pin you to his chest as your cock keeps stretching him out. It burns so good, so good, he wants more but he wants to slow down but he wants more of you. His thighs are shaking as he holds himself up, but when his back starts to arch at the feeling of your tongue lapping up at his nipple, Eddie can sense that he's easing up and it gets much easier to work that next inch or two down to the hilt.

"Fuck me," He groans into your hair, and you tilt your head back to look up at him, lips still sealed around his peachy, sensitive bud until you pull off with a pop. His fingers card through your locks until he manages to grip your face between his hands, and he grunts into an open-mouthed kiss before he finally puffs out his request again. "God, just fucking fuck the shit out of me,"

His begging is so cute, so sweet. He doesn't even know how hard his weight is grinding the base of your strap against your clit, how you can feel how tight he is just by the resistance of the toy as you pull away a bit just to thrust right back up. And when you do, and Eddie throws his head back on instinct to send those curls flying, you get quite the reward in the form of a loud, pleading yelp.

"Mommy!" Eddie cries out, the word drawling down into a constant whine as you start bucking your hips in a frenzy. No more adjusting, no more getting used to the odd sensations--you don't give him even a second to think twice about letting that slip, and your fingers wrap around his poor, swollen cock in a tight fist just for extra good measure. He's leaking already with one stroke, but even when his hand scrabbles down to try and stop you cause he's gonna cum right away mommy, you just murmur into his neck that you wanna see your good boy enjoy his present.

"Mommy's gonna make you cum so much more, baby." You grin, and Eddie can't wrap his brain around all this all at once--it's too much, too much embarrassment and pleasure and deep, aching need, and all he can think about is how full his balls are and how good it would feel to cum all over your pretty, jiggling tummy. He can feel you in his, his hairy happy trail probably all that's masking the bulge he can only hope to see, and his fuzzy thighs rubbing back and forth over your soft ones as he rides you like you're a goddamn stallion. He doesn't wanna crush you by being on top, but his mind harkens back to when you used to say the same things about sitting on his face, and only then does he manage to interrupt your forceful rhythm and start swiveling his hips as best he can, all with your strap still buried in his ass all the way to the base. He can tell how it feels by your reaction--your eyes screw shut and your mouth hangs open in pleasure, a beautiful moan coming off your lips as you meet his movements with your own, hard thrusts.

It's a symbiotic relationship; he works his own weight into making your pussy feel soooooo good, and you react with those insanely tight bucks of your hips that have his heart pounding right up against the bars of his ribcage. By the time he's even lucid enough to realize that his end is just cresting over him, you're digging your nails into his hips and releasing your hold on his cock to grab his other side, keening out with a wanton cry as you yank him back down on your strap and your legs start to twitch as you ride out that mind-numbingly strong orgasm. His name is peppered throughout the string of whiny moans you let out, and so does yours roll around in his mouth as he humps that plushy belly until he's splattering it white with fat, pearly ropes of spunk that he could swear he's been saving up since birth.

"God....god, fuck's sakes, that was good..." Only when he slumps back do you come to life enough to catch him, and follow his movements with your hands holding him up by the spine as he lays down against the sheets and you kneel over him--your hard, dripping crimson cock still nestled safe and warm inside his ass. "M'sorry I....got carried away..."

"No, no." You shake your head, and brace yourself with both hands just above his shoulders to loom above him, and kiss those laboured breaths right off his lips. "Don't you apologize, baby boy. You were so, so good for mommy."

Fuck, that cheeky grin could kill him. And he's sure it will by the time you're done giving him all those orgasms you promised, and he's collapsed into a weepy little mess with his face buried between your tits, and your hand stroking through his hair as he clings to those curves of yours and dreams all about his mommy.

[basicrese]

oh my gods i could cry right now, i really could.

so here's my reactions to the first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians (long post ahead):

Episode 1

To start, I know we've seen and heard this from the trailer and sneak peeks already but hearing the line for real from the first episode, oh I almost lost it right then and there. This has been YEARS in the making.

Baby percy already embodying the snark and sass from facial expressions and internal monologue alone, i love him

In a similar regard, I know we've already seen it from sneak peeks but the possible Blackjack cameo made me so happy 🥹

The portrayal of the mist is everything I wanted and more actually

Sally being a Medusa ally, i know that's right!!!!!

"appointment to see Mr. Kane?????" "at D'angelo's??????" They're making me go crazy because all these subtle name drops and I have no idea if they're just tiny easter eggs or if they mean something in the long run 😩😩

the design for Mrs. Dodds as a fury?????? absolutely amazing and I love how they carried that entire scene out; how she was there one moment and gone the next and that Percy didn't suddenly turn into this invincible warrior. It perfectly set up the suspiciousness of what just happened because it all happened so fast and there was no room for Percy to process what actually happened because suddenly no one even knows who she is. BUT YET there's a momentary flicker of guilt and hesitation in Grover's face and curiosity in Mr. Brunner's (just as it was written!). You can almost hear Percy's inner monologue doubting their words because it didn't add up to their body language but simultaneously doubting his narrative too because everyone is proving what he saw otherwise.

"I'm all wet now" as Sally, dripping wet because she had just been basking in the rain, goes to hug him. there is little to none seriousness in this child's body

"You fell in love with God? Like Jesus?" unseriousness.

the very intentional lighting during the goodbye scene in the way it only cast golden on half of Percy and Sally's faces

the depiction of Sally being crushed like ofc we know she's being held captive in the Underworld BUT PERCY DOESN'T AND HE THINKS HE JUST WATCHED HIS MOTHER DIE IN SUCH A BRUTAL WAY RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS EYES I COULD SOB LIKE THE WAY HE FOUGHT? THAT WAS ALL RAGE AND DESPAIR.

ngl Percy just dropping names left and right made me so anxious with the whole "names have power thing" HJGKLDSBSG had me going "don't say his name out loud!!" during the car scene

oh that end-credits was gorgeous. and the way it depicts the entire story even ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

the sneak peek of camp after the credits, we're about to eat!!!

i did not realize rick even cameoed until i saw it on twitter help

Episode 2

"You drool when you sleep." SCENE EVERYBODY CHEERED

Mr. D passed out while holding a can of coke is the only way he could have been introduced actually (and the first Peter Johnson!)

The Big House is so pretty???

The vulnerability in Percy's voice when he was asking for help to find his dad i can't do this 🧎🏻‍♀️

THE. CAMP. IT'S SO VAST AND BEAUTIFUL I COULD ONLY DREAM OF TIMES LIKE THESE IN THE PAST. also the way i'm taking it right now is that the cabins are already so gorgeous so when annabeth revamps the place by tlo? they are going to go crazier with the set design i fear

the supposed red herring on the scoring that makes you think luke is gonna bully percy but he's actually a good guy that'll be a mentor figure to him WHEN THAT IN FACT IS THE REAL RED HERRING LIKE IT'S THE GENIUS OVER GENIUS FOR ME

i was kinda lost on who the other guy with luke and percy was at first until i realized it was chris. he doesn't know what'll happen to him when the fourth season rolls around like laugh while u still can chris

percy already advocating for the unclaimed, he has always been a real one!!!

grover you sweet little satyr i need to give him a hug. the protector also needs to be protected 🥹

the way i could tell there would be an answer to the god of disappointment joke help; like they're quips to you percy but they will actually have answers to every rhetorical question you throw their way 😭😭

"ignoring me is one thing, but he doesn't get to ignore you." one thing about percy, his mother always comes first 🙏

i can't get enough over the gorgeous cinematography I CAN'T

dior embodies clarisse's pride and cruelty with such accuracy but she's so pretty i wanna forget how mean she is LMAO

the percabeth dynamics already going so strong i could cry, like that first interaction???

i love ms. annabeth chase so much she is everything to me, the poise! the confidence! the leadership!

the capture the flag sequences oh it was everything

"I am Sally Jackson's son!" EXACTLYYYY

overall, i am going through the motions and it has been absolutely beautiful so far and everything down to the cast, crew, production, set design, costume design, scoring, cinematography has been done immensely well. i can't believe we're actually here 🥹💙

[so-long-soldier28]

so... i still haven't recovered from this...

📍covington, ga ❤️

also !!!

met these adorably sweet people! finally convinced my mom to jump in a photo with me. mind my bad posture, I was SO nervous, but it was so worth it and we're definitely going back. neither of us wanted to leave! not only was the convention amazing, so was the town. my mom was on zillow as we were driving home, haha, we've been looking to move anyway! I have so many more pictures and videos, but posting these for now! 🥰

no surprise to anyone that follows me, but I was most excited (and nervous) for chris, but he was such an angel! I wrote him a little note and was able to give it to him. he signed "kai" really small under his auto, and it was so cute!

chord was there because one of his songs is in the show and is really significant in it. got to satisfy my sam evans love on top of my tvd love. he's such a gem of a person.

and then kat and michael are just perfect, too. I met michael in september, so it was great to see him again. kat is so gorgeous, I couldn't speak around her. she's such a sweetheart as well.

the panels were so fun; a large majority of the cast was there. ian and paul were separated so I heard paul talk more than ever 😅. and meanwhile, chris and ian were together, so it was back and forth chaos between them but so entertaining. 10/10 recommend both epiccons and covington. I could talk about it for hours.

additional fun for anyone interested 😅

it was in the upper eighties in temperature, so extremely hot. they had blood bags, some filled with gatorade, which were fun to try.

when I got charles michael davis' auto, he pulled his table outside of the tent because the air conditioning was broken and he was not thrilled about it. he was so nice and super chill, though.

chris brochu was there, too, so I got his auto, and he was just as cool as he seems. very quiet but down to earth and such a nice guy. his eyes are even bluer in person, might I add!

danielle campbell was so intimidatingly beautiful, but such a sweetheart. I was actually able to have a small conversation with her once I collected myself. she's so smiley, it makes you happy to see hers.

scarlett hefner was the last auto I got, aside from chris wood and chord, and much like danielle, she's just gorgeous. I've loved her since pansy parkinson and told her that, too. she was so nice during our short conversation. someone in line before me took a selfie with her with a slytherin tie! she's very shy, too, but that could be because she was in a panel with chris and ian, who are very excitable.

honorable mentions...

a lot of the legacies cast was there, and I didn't attend anything legacies focused, but what I saw of the cast was actually quite nice. leo howard, especially, was fun. I almost ran straight into him, and he was so chill about it 😅.

I regret not doing any of the meet and greets, but my mom has already said that we'll just have to do them next time. I completely agree with that. I also need trevino's auto, haha.

the originals panel was fun, too. there was a mini h2o reunion with claire and phoebe. sebastian roche was there, and as much as I love tvd, he'll always be balthazar to me.

arielle kebbel is also a complete angel, and she has the CUTEST laugh. everyone needs to go watch her new lifeguard show on FOX, because we saw a trailer and she looked great! she's another absolute angel I saw this weekend.

anyway, I need to go to sleep because I have another three hours of driving tomorrow (now today.) but at bell's grocery store (the one in the 1994 prison world), I made sure to get some pork rinds, so I have a good driving snack. and when I get back, I'm going to chill out with the apple cinnamon balsamic vinegar we got at an amazinggg olive oil store in covington. seriously, I'm in love with that little town. I'd move in a heartbeat if I could. ❤️

[ben-the-hyena]

Quick little rant y'all can ignore (I just love ranting too much)

Unpopular opinion : it is NOT to be a hipster or to be like "I'M NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS~" but very often either I will hate or just not be interested to watch at all the newest Tumblr fandom. I really feel like a Tumblrite but sometimes it feels like I just can't enjoy or be hyped by whatever the others are hyped with without doing it on purpose, as if we have nearly no common taste. I mean sure we all are unique and loving everything others we do is boring and impossible and would prove the person is shallow and can't be true, but just, absolutely nearly every big Tumblr fanfavorites annoys me

Superwholock ? Sherlock was nice but not THAT nice and the others never interested me. HH/HB ? Loathe the characters and story. Lackadaisy ? Don't understand the hype. Nimona ? Don't care. She-Ra ? Hated it. The Owl House ? Can't stand the posts on my dashboard nor the charadesigns. Centaurworld ? I know it is one of those things that look lame in the trailer but from what I got gets deeper, but I saw it being so much overhyped I can't. Green Eggs and Ham ? Ugh couldn't it have just been the old cartoon ? Arcane ? The more people said it was revolutionary the less I wanted to check it out. SU ? I used to love it but then it betrayed me with how badly written it endes up to be. SVSFOE ? Except one or 2 arcs it was not my type and the ending infuriated me. Ducktales ? Only season 1 was good to me. Miraculous Ladybug ? It broke my heart so fuck you show. Encanto ? "Narcissic families are ok and misunderstood if they are pretty". Wendell and Wild ? The demons did look interesting and I was curious for them but sadly the main character is insufferable and Idgaf she is sad she is still an asshole but gets away with it. Wednesday ? Tim Burton understood NOTHING avout the Addams Family and flanderized Wesnesday. HtTyD ? Should have been a standalone. LOK and to be fair ANYTHING coming after ATLA books comics and upcoming series included ? Burn em to the ground. Rise of the Guardians ? Seriously the animation is gorgeous but you have the blandest plot and characters ever but everybody calls it original and groundbreaking wtf ?! Arlo the gator boy/I Love Arlo ? Ew it looks ugly as fuck and I am VERY wary of titles that self congratulate (coincidently the Lou! franchise became very shitty when it was renamed into I Love Lou Very Much so it ticks me off) makes me wanna do the contrary and hate Arlo. Carmen San Diego ? Didn't care. The Cuphead Show ? Only season 1a is good 1b and 1c are shit but because "gae devil" everybody loves it holy shit the game is better. Frozen 2 ? Admit it, you liked it ONLY because you see Elsa like a lesbian and wanted to go "HAHA GET FUCKED" to Let It Go. AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON LIVE ACTION REMAKES

Some I even actually just didn't dislike it or care at first but it was seeing all the excessive posting and love for it despite 1) not wanting to watch (I love Arlo, never I wanted to kill a gator child so much force of seeing him on my dash) and/or 2) seeing legetimate problems and flaws and yet everybody ignoring it (Encanto, I hated the end but I did like the movie itself but seeing everybody justifying the end made me loathe it) it turns into hate. But some I hate from the start but seeing everybody love it anyway makes me wonder if at that rate the problem is me and I nitpick too much or of course like everyone I just have my own tastes and what pops up on my dash is not a reflect of universal taste ?

But I often call it a curse because everybody seems to have fun and it's as if I am doomed not to like and it looks like what the audience usually loves is just not my type, which sucks because I don't have many people to vent about it, not many people to gush about the obscure things I love because I am cursed to really invest myself in old fandoms I only find about now or stuff that don't even interest much people but fit my specific niche tastes, dashboards flooded with "OMG GUYS WATCH IT IT IS *SO* IMPORTANT AND THE BEST EVER" making me want not to whereas only 3 likes on posts of franchises I love that are barely known or loved... Probably why I have so many obscure fandoms actually. I am SURE it is subconsciously why I wanted to give a chance to Elemental and Avatar 2 since nobody talked about it in good or at all here !

I am not even sure and just like me those who love these franchises and are part of these fandoms must just have their own specific intersts peaked of course and if so it is absolutely alright ! But often I see they all have a pattern and I feel like, like when I ranted in my posg that defends Elemental, that they will love it and adore it just for ONE element not matter the rest hence why they only talk about that one element that irritates me when I am flooded in posts praising it but really it is just that element. "Omg so much representation" ok cool what is the plot "it is a trans allegory" yes but more precise ? "it is so GAY (affectionate) and girl power !!!" yes but ? The characters ? "Oh the characters are minorities some are LGBT half are POC and some even have a disability and they fight heteronormativity and traditional beauty standards" ok ok I GOT it but what are they like as people !?! "there is a canon gay ship in it I love them little blorbos" I DON'T GIVE A SHIT DAMMIT WHAT IS THE PLOT AND HOW ARE THE CHARACTERS "also it has a varied cast and is made by minorities and women !" Ok bye now I won't be able to help but see it being loved only because of those and not for its story and it will make me bitter about it as if there is nothing else but that to defend because it implies the scenario itself isn't that special for people to only talk about the Christmas present package rather than the content

It is very occasional I will actually get curious because it IS my type thanks to Tumblr : WOY, Pinky and the Brain Undertale, Good Omens, TDC : AOR. It needs to strike a sort of special chord in me to go "uh !?! A modern cartoon that feels like an old cartoon with funny designs and animation and funny characters !??! Uh !?! 2 gay mice that were probably not meant to be gay but they accidentally cracked many eggs in their portrayal and to think I was not interestee when I thought Brain was bidimensional and didn't give a shit about Pinky like I thought ??! Uh !?! Fun skeletons and a macho fish woman with cute pixel style !? Uh !?! Angel and demon are friends and were on Earth for years looking for a kid !?! Uh !?! In that prequel it shows one reformed Skeksis being actually good helping Gelfling and in a relationship with his Mystic ??!" And other Tumblr favorites I loved like idk FNAF, MLP FIM, Spiderverse, Puss in Boots 2, The Bad Guys and usually in general most popular big studios block buster animated movies I loved and others did were stuff I found by myself which Tumblr just coincidently did too so it doesn't count. Some I even discover them years later when the hype died down and nobody speaks about it anymore (reinforcing my idea that IS probably wrong that they don't even really love it but just go "OO SHINY" when something is new and pretty) that I can notice and love years later or at least late a franchise, like I don't wait on purpose I just really discover it at this moment or something peaking my interest only happened recently or peaked my attention now

Those aside most of the time I will really not be interested, a third of the time because "I am told to so I don't wanna" and it has to be myself or it will feel like a chore like when I am recommended stuff IRL I will actually postpone even if if I had not been recommended I would have started watching it earlier (I heard from a friend this looks like a symptom in a type of neurodivergence but I AM NOT SURE), a third of the time it really doesn't look or sound like my type of story at all and I keep wondering why there is nothing new for me and why everybody is so hyped by it, and a third I actually give a try and I end up straight up hating it or just finding it meh and overrated. I just need to find my own fandoms myself, even if they are obscure, that spark my interest, hoping they don't become bad in the end (SU, Ducktales, the Cuphead Show, Miraculous Ladybug etc. Sigh) which happened too many times already and makes me even more wary force of experience about what is popular since even when I myself find it becomes shit people still love it. And of course they totally HAVE the right to never would I harrass and police what people have to like and dislike, but it kind of feels lonely at times and sometimes it makes me think if something is wrong with me not to enjoy what seems to be enjoyed by everyone else and if it is my fault ; and thinking that even makes me anxious and guilty feeling like I am ranting for nothing and people will think I am an attention seeker making me even more gjulty and so on which becomes a vicious circle with my anxiety

[444lpblue]

The Witch and the Beast #1 - The Witch and the City of Blazing Red

Screenplay: Yuuichirou Momose Storyboard/Episode Direction: Takayuki Hamana Chief Animation Direction: Hiroya Iijima Animation Direction: Kei Tsushima, Yuri Hashimoto, Guonian Wang, Kazuharu Tada, Miyoko Shikibu, Asuna Imahashi, Shinya Segawa (Monster AD: Shouya Gotou) Key Animation: Mana Azumaya, Noa Kawamura, Shigenori Taniguchi, Yoshihito Narimatsu, Yuki Uejou, Hiroyuki Kamura, Mitsuyo Tsuno, Kouichi Hayamizu, Kazunori Ozawa, Shouya Gotou, Yoshiko Nakamura, Studio Maf, Yuka Hayashi, Takuya Nemoto, Maru Animation, Yeong-Nam Ko, Su-Jin Oh

A bit late on this, aren't I? But no matter what, I was going to write about this, and I will write about every episode too – don't worry about it!

If you were in the know how of Yokohama Animation Lab's recent animes, much like me, you were probably very nervous about The Witch and the Beast adaptation. I mean, I made a whole write-up on the outlook, which mostly hinges on director Hamana's consistency in terms of quality and his tendency to bring in specific animators. Well, now that the episode is out, how do I actually feel?

It's… surprisingly very well done. Of course, I'm not saying it's perfect; the biggest issues are likely the limited animation and a bit of off-modelness. But I'm not going to lie, guys. Maybe I am biased because The Witch and the Beast is one of my favorite mangas, but I genuinely had a lot of fun with this debut, and I kind of loved it. It felt like it had the soul of the manga I love despite some production hiccups.

First, let's talk about what you probably felt but haven't been able to confirm. The episode was indeed better than the PV. I got a sense of this as I was watching, and I was really kind of confused about why I didn't feel like the PV looked this good. When I looked back, it was very interesting to see how many differences there were and the improvements that made the shots so much better.

The obvious improvement in the shading of Guideau and Ashaf is apparent, but I also love the addition of the impact gust that they added to Guideau's stomp. Personally, it was something I noticed in the PV as feeling a bit too still. The only effects in the PV were just simple camera shakes, which didn't really sell the impact of her stomp that much at all. Seeing improvements like these from the trailer to the actual episode fills me with a lot of hope for the production. I feel like it shows that, unlike more recent Yokohama productions, they are trying a significant amount more.

If you couldn't already tell from some of the close-ups I've provided in this post, while the on-modelness of some farther away shots can be questioned, the close-ups in this show are absolutely gorgeous. I wasn't super sold on Iijima's character designs initially, but after seeing the improved shading and the various shots they kind of hid from us in the PV, the designs are freaking gorgeous up close. The Witch and the Beast, the manga, has always been a visual spectacle that relied a lot on its art direction, aesthetics, and of course, character designs. While it's nearly impossible for the anime to match it, I think they came very close. The characters' eyes are so pretty; I love the compositing effects they applied to them. It feels like it gives them a lot of depth and kind of like an otherworldly blur, which I think looks great. The features are sharp; they're so pretty. Everyone has their premium eyelash extensions on, and it's just about as aesthetically pleasing to me as the manga. To be honest, it might be my favorite character design for the season.

And since I also briefly mentioned the compositing, I have to apologize to Natsumi Uchida. I specifically pointed her out in my social media rambles as someone who was making me worry a bit. And that mostly stems from her recent effort in The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World, which, to be frank, I thought was terrible. The effects looked cheap, just due to how bright and almost neon at times they are. They don't fit in with their environments; it just wasn't pleasant to look at. However, her work in The Witch and the Beast is so much better. While some effects are somewhat questionable, like the smoke and Ashaf's crow appearing when he was saving Guideau, I would definitely say the compositing was a highlight in this episode. It really puts a stamp on the character designs with the beautiful compositing over them. It makes every scene paired with the art direction feel so dense, like everything is just so in-depth.

The art direction in this show is probably its best visual element. It absolutely shines. I mean, if you had to pick something out from this production as a major highlight, it has to be one of the undeniable biggest pros of the show so far. The series is a dark fantasy, but it's not a dull one. A lot of adaptations, I feel, confuse this with each other a bit. A dark fantasy doesn't have to mean dull colors or a realistic design; after all, The Witch and the Beast is all about its aesthetically gothic yet fantasy appearance that is quite grandiose and beautiful in nature, and the art direction covers that perfectly. So huge credit to the art director, Hirotsugu Kakoi and his crew at Kagoshima Ramecahirim.

One of my biggest worries for the anime adaptation, when I first saw the trailer, was actually, believe it or not, kind of its color palette. I genuinely thought they didn't get a full sense of Satake's style. It felt a bit too plain to me when I always imagined the colors in the world in this series to be very solid and strong, while not bright. I think the series functions on its boldness, and the backgrounds are a perfect example of it. The opening, I think, is a great example of this too, just them surrounded by those buildings in the midst of the night feels almost overwhelmingly dense. It really serves as the main appeal in many of the show's shots and ties everything (the compositing, the character designs, and the aesthetic) all together. The buildings and architectures, a mix of 2D and 3D, blend in so perfectly. You can take so many of those shots and make them your wallpaper; honestly, it's so pretty. It's also not just the buildings; the flowers in the room where Guideau and Ione fight were stunning. I also love the visual of the flowers always fluttering up due to impact; it just created such a magical experience for me. It's such a simple addition, but it was great. That, paired with the great soundtrack which goes from almost Persona-like music to soft notes of somberness that build up to the release of a monster, just all goes together so well.

At the beginning of this write-up, I already noted its production issues in terms of sometimes limited animation and a good bit of off-modelness in farther away shots (which I hope they'll fix in the Blu-Ray). There are many instances of very solid animation, which you can just look up on Sakugabooru if you want an example. I'm very impressed by Hamana's ability to manage this level of quality and a very strong self-identity of the show's visuals.

His direction in this episode, while some people might not like it due to its reminiscent of older styles, is noteworthy. Many of his shots rely on simple zoom-ins and zoom-outs, which I would say was a more common technique around 2008 or so. His way of transitioning is also a lot less focused on smooth transitions than most styles nowadays. For example, in Ghost Hunt, Gungrave, or Library of Bantorra, the flow of the storyboard is much less smooth and flowing than modern ones. Hamana's boards feel much more jumpy, I suppose? There's a larger gap that isn't covered by anything, which seems to have given many reviewers the impression of a slideshow. Personally, I don't mind it too much, as I think he still has some pretty interesting ideas. The transitions to Guideau getting stabbed and then grabbing Ione, I thought were really well done and mesmerizing. All the choices for the fluttering flowers were probably directly from him.

And hey, normally I don't like his openings, but the opening for The Witch and the Beast is badass, and I might write an individual write-up for it this week. However, I would also love to see other storyboarders and episode directors on some episodes to compare, especially for future episodes like for Johan and Phanora. I would love to see somebody like Shinj Itadaki give it a try, who I really hope to see in this series at some point. I think it's very possible due to the fact he's worked with Hamana before, and he's worked with Yokohama Animation Lab before. Much like a lot of the key animators here, he was also on Ancient Magus Bride S2, which, if you guys didn't know for some reason, contains an oddly large amount of staff that Hamana worked with before across the years, and they're also appearing in The Witch and the Beast now.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed the debut, despite its issues. I could ramble about it all day; there are so many things I want to talk about. However, I think it would be best to save that for when we get to future episodes. In this write-up, I've already spent a lot of time discussing more of what I like about the general direction and visual appeal of the series. Hopefully, in future episodes, I will be able to go more in-depth on specific storyboards, direction, and visuals that the upcoming episodes will showcase. I'll see you guys next week for the next episode of The Witch and the Beast.

[spencerdaze]

Overanalyzing Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak

Continuing with my very long posts overanalyzing my favourite movies, yesterday I saw del Toro's 2015 Crimson Peak for like the 50th time. Being one of my favourite movies i always talk about how i could make an essay just based on the link between the power of the characters and their hair, and i though 'Welp, Tumblr exists, might as well!' so here it is. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

For those of you who don't know, Crimson Peak is the name of a movie from 2015 directed and written (i think) by Guillermo del Toro. It's NOT a horror movie, as many people think, but a gothic romance type of movie, with a lot of ambiance and spirits that are more metaphorical than scary. The movie was not very well received because people thought it would be a horror movie due to the trailers focusing too much on the horror aspect of the ghosts, but i find it to be one of the best movies made in the gothic genre. As a gothic writer myself, it really is one of the best examples of the genre there is!

Now, the movie has a lot of gorgeous aesthetic choices that carry a heavy symbolism. Set in the 1890s to the 1900s, the victorian aesthetic of the turn of the century helps the movie have more modern aditions like typewriters and gramophones, which almost helps the story feel more modern since most gothic stories take place in the middle of the nineteenth century, and they feel further and more distant to readers. Many of the choices in clothing also help with one of the biggest symbolisms in it: the moth vs the butterfly. Edith, our protagonist, wears appropriate clothing for the period with big puffy sleeves and golden colours that help us see her as a beautiful butterfly, while Lucille wears clothes from a decade earlier, which help with showing the brothers are struggling with money, but also stucks her in a 1970s dress that almost looks like a pupa, where a dangerous black moth is going to come out of. Lucille is placed as the black moth, dangerous for the butterfly and opressive to herself and others. The costuming in the movie is great, but i want to talk about the colors the movie uses and how they relate to power.

In Edith's home, the main colours used are golds and browns, which help us see she feels powerful and good in her hometown, as shown also by her golden hair. Lucille and Thomas inmediatly look out of place, dressed mostly in black and cool greys, with the exception being Lucille's red dress she wears when she's first introduced, showing us she's dangerous, a walking red flag. Her hair, of course, is a deep raven black. Lucille and Edith both have a power struggle, in this case because of the love the each feel for Thomas, and the only thing that doesn't change in them is their hair colour, since in the climax and fighting scene both of them wear their hair loose while dressed in white, showing their power struggle. Something happens in Allerdale Hall as well: Edith's clothes become darker and less saturated, and her hair becomes loose. Her hair, her power, is becoming less and less as Lucille, still dressed in black for most of this part of the film, has gained power being in her isolated mansion.

While in Edith's town, at the park, Lucille cuts of a butterfly's chrysallis from a tree branch before the butterfly comes out, as she sits on a floor covered in dead butterflies in golden colours. And this is one of my favourite parallels of the movie. In the last moments of the film, before her fight with Edith, while Edith signs her lawyer's documents focibly, Lucille cuts of a lock of her hair. In the victorian era, cutting your hair wasn't very common amongst the higher classes, only being done to people who had passed away as a means of remembering by creating jewels out of their hair. The act of cutting of one of Edith's golden locks is basically Lucille telling her 'I won, you have no power, this is your end, your death', similar to how she cuts of the butterfly from the tree, yet again showing Lucille as a black moth that eats the golden butterfly. But Edith still has her power, with her golden hair long and cascading down her shoulders, and she uses said power to escape and, in the end, manages to kill the black month, turning Lucille into a black vengeful spirit.

This movie is one of the best i've seen in a while and you can see how obssessed i am with it lol. Just like the hair, the costuming and settings of the film as well as things like lighting and use of colour are charged with heavy symbolisms and meanings that you can look into if you're obssessed with it like i am. I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it and you like ghostly romances in creepy haunted mansions.

[lediz-watches]

Hazbin Hotel: Season One

Because I basically implied I was gonna do it.

I have watched the first season. If you've found my fics you know I had a lot of fun with it. So now let's talk about it for what it is... so far. Because Alastor's semifinal scene... -gestures vaguely in mild frustration-

That annoyed me more than the end of Squid Game season one, now I think about it. But let's come back to it after we talk about the show as a whole.

Because I did really love it!

So the basic story, as per the pilot, is that the Princess of Hell is sick of Heaven killing her people every year, and so dreams up a rehabilitation centre, with the idea that sinners can redeem themselves and get into Heaven. But unfortunately, Heaven has their own agenda, and has actually decided to completely wipe out every sinner instead. The first season covers six months as the princess desperately tries to prove her hotel works before the next time Heaven's exterminators arrive. Spoiler that isn't a spoiler because the trailers said so: she does not.

And the fact that's not a spoiler is ultimately the flaw of the show. In eight episodes, they couldn't afford for that to be a spoiler - it was just an inevitable fact.

The long and the short of it is that the story of Hazbin Hotel's season one should have been at least eighteen episodes. I'm not saying that as a hater - I understand that this show was a risky, expensive sell, and eight episodes would've been tough to convince anyone to produce. They did great with what they got.

The animation on this show is genuinely amazing for its style. They skip the details in weird sections, but there's movement when it matters, there's character work, there's gorgeous little DETAILS. The soundtrack is great. There's only a few songs I didn't love, and the actual voice work is amazing. This was a well produced show.

But it was too short for what it was doing.

We needed an episode for each individual character, instead of sharing each one between two. I actually didn't mind Alastor not being in half the episodes, because of his whole deal, but when he was, we should have learned more about the overlords and gotten more foreshadowing. But we just didn't have TIME. So we got these snapshots of amazing characters and I just honestly couldn't bring myself to care about them.

Like Sir Pentious. I actually loved his story, and especially his final episode, but I'm pretty sure we spent like ten minutes with him IN TOTAL, so like... who the hell cares?

And I said in my post about the pilot that the show was going to hinge on Charlie for me, and... it didn't. It really didn't. Because she's... not developed enough. I simply didn't understand her motivation - or perhaps the word is 'believe' her motivation. She's this all-loving princess... from Hell. She loves her people... and wants to kick them all out of her kingdom? Not once in this series did I genuinely see an example of Charlie LIKING Hell. She LOVES Heaven when she goes, and she SAYS she loves her people, but... frikking show it, woman.

And the annoying thing about that is that because we didn't have enough time to develop her character, I don't know if that was intentional. Because there are a couple of instances that make me think it WAS. There's a subtle sort of cruelty in Charlie that could have been very, very interesting if I could trust that it was intentional. She rakes Angel Dust over the coals without noticing, she lovingly goes along with Alastor tearing strips off her Dad's already fragile emotional state, her way of saying that Heaven is going along with her is to gleefully point out "they're at each other's throats!", she's got nastiness in her, and... yet no one mentions it. So maybe it's not supposed to be cruelty, maybe it's just the writers are kind of nasty, and maybe I'm just looking for something outside her physical form that marks her as the princess of Hell.

Instead, I was sold on Hazbin Hotel by Vaggie, of all characters. Who in the pilot, was just THERE, as far as I was concerned. But her story of redemption and being saved by her ability to love, and having to confront who she was versus who she wants to be? That was lovely. I bought that. I would have liked more time with her to see how she used that love, but it was beautiful for what it was. I enjoyed Vaggie's character.

Husk and Angel were a nice little love story, but as I said in the other post, I wasn't there for it. I respect their episode, it was technically amazing, and I am in awe of everyone involved in the creation of the Poison sequence, while Loser, Baby has joined multiple of my spotify playlists, but... yeah, that's all I have to say about them. Enjoy, fandom, I know you love them. But I don't care. Their contracts are way more interesting to me than their characters, I'm sorry.

Niffty, the little darling. I love her. I love what she did. But she's comic relief and that's it. I have no further feelings about her. I am actually okay with that, as long as that's all the show wants me to feel about her.

But then... Alastor.

Oh, Alastor. You fucked up sacrifice to Heaven, Hell, and Fandom.

I mean, obviously I love him. Amir Talai is amazing, Alastor's design choices are fascinating, and the titbits of legitimate character we get from him, verbal or not (THOSE STITCHES) are sweet ambrosia, but... But.

I wouldn't mind if Alastor wasn't actually important. If he was just there to provide world building - if his whole deal was just sitting in the radio tower to introduce and close off each episode like the Greek Chorus, occasionally descending to connect the characters with people outside the Hotel, I would be very happy.

I would also be happy if he was actually a main character, working either for or against Charlie. I loved his scenes with Vaggie, and Charlie, and his duet with Lucifer was amazing, BUT.

He's NOT. EITHER. OF THESE THINGS.

As of episode eight, I'm not even convinced Alastor is actually a character! At this point I wonder if Alastor isn't actually a mask that Eve, of all people, is WEARING, and the man we think we've been getting to know sold himself to her to protect someone he cared about and hasn't been sentient since the day he died. GOD I hope that's just a crackpot theory borne of frustration because I AM FRUSTRATED with the hints and bits and pieces. And THAT is how I left the series as a whole. Frustrated.

Because just as the show IS amazing despite its pacing, Alastor IS a great character. I love Chaotic Neutral chaos goblins that save the universe because they're one of the idiots that live there. But by episode eight, I wanted some kind of closure. By the end of that episode, I wanted to be sure of whether I was rooting for Alastor to knock Hell out from under Lucifer's depressed feet, or for Charlie to save him from himself.

And like I said, right now, I'm no longer even sure he's REAL. And if all this just turns out to be Charlie's legitimately good intentions against Eve's revenge scheme... That's... egh.

That's less interesting to me. That's not a story of choice and redemption, that's just yet another love conquers all story and guys, I grew up on Sailor Moon too, but... can we try a new one?

Give me Charlie being confronted with her own motivations, and learning how to actually LEAD. Not just... repeat Vaggie's story of fighting for the people she loves on a grander scale.

(Oh god... I just realised how much that would cheapen Vaggie's story. Oh god, please don't do that!)

There's a theory that I saw that I'm a little in love with, about Alastor actually having been sold to Heaven AND Hell by his mother and father respectively, and that his arc is legitimately about him trying desperately to free himself from both. And THAT is an interesting story, and an interesting way for Charlie to grow, as she has to learn to realise that sometimes you get put in crappy situations and you can dig, and fight, and struggle, and all it does is drag you down deeper. Recovering from THAT is rehabilitation.

And that's the story I want at this point.

And I just don't think we're gonna get it in another eight episodes. Not when the Huskerdust nation must be appeased and Lilith's whole story needs to play out, and...

But. Whatever. I did love this series, and I will be watching it again, and if they release the soundtrack on CD I will be buying it, and if the show gets a DVD release I'll be buying that too.

But yeah. It was not long enough to be deep enough, and I end it frustrated.

...I'm gonna go listen to the soundtrack again.