#btw this is referencing that bit in season 1

[likesdoodling]

This was created to express a very not targeted, totally not specific frustration with scammers in general-

*ahem

Mhm. Anyway. Sukuna and Yuji were the best fitting characters I thought of to impersonate this idea, so here we have it. At least I got a comic idea out of my totally not getting scammed-

:)

[robotsandramblings]

me reading the "new" "canon" heights for the Bad Batch on starwars.com:

nooo thank you, don't like those, i'll stick to the wookiepedia + my headcanons version lol ✌️

i'll save my overall analysis & ramblings for under the readmore

(here's the og thread that brought it to my attention. make sure to read op's corrected version!)

(p.s. the height chart was done by me on heightcomparison.com, it's not an official star wars image -- but the data matches starwars.com)

first off, i will acknowledge that visually, in the show, their heights are always a tricky thing. i've been referencing a bajillion screenshots since i came upon this thread. their comparative heights change in like every screenshot, due to camera angles and/or where they're standing relative to each other. we never get to see all five (5) of them standing shoulder-to-shoulder, side-by-side, in a single straight line, with an eye-level camera shot*.

i'll also acknowledge that i've always just gone off of what wookiepedia says, because it's the closest to an 'official' source that we've ever had -- but it's still not the official source. Here's the wookiepedia version, btw:

and you know what? depending on what screenshot you look at, these can both seem right. sometimes, Tech looks as tall as Crosshair; other times, Tech looks close to Echo's height. (Tech is also rarely at full height -- he's usually got his head and shoulders bent down to read his datapad. i think he slouches too.) i also find Hunter's height varies a lot too, depending on the shot.

Personally, i will be following the wookiepedia version. i think the starwars.com numbers are way, way off. (Warning: here's where the ranting part begins lol)

Wrecker has never, ever been a full head taller than Tech, Echo, or Hunter. what the actual fuck lmaooo

and 7 inches taller than Crosshair?? i don't think so lads

they're tryin' to tell me Echo is shorter than reg height??? bullshit lol. and Tech too??? also bullshit lmao

i refuse to believe Tech is only 2cm taller than Hunter; Tech should be, at minimum, 2 inches taller than Hunter.

i feel Omega's height can vary in the show, like Tech or Hunter as i mentioned. sometimes she seems very small, sometimes she seems taller than i remember.

that all said, i think the height for Omega is correct... for Season 1**. but S2? and now in S3? she's definitely grown a bit.

so i guess if i had to come up with my own numbers, i'd go primarily with the wookiepedia data, with a few tweaks...

Omega**: at least 140cm / 4' 7''

Hunter: 180-181cm / 5' 11''

Echo: 185cm / 6' 1''

Tech: 190-193cm / 6' 3'' - 6' 4''

Crosshair: 193cm / 6' 4''

Wrecker: 198-200cm max / 6' 6''

(i will hold onto Short King Hunter with a death grip until i die. even though i'll admit he looks reg/Echo height in a lot of shots. but i just really love the idea that's he's juuuust under 6' !)

**My headcanon is that in S1, Omega was approximately 10 years old. (which would match with starwars.com data, since average height for a 10-yr-old = 127-137cm.) i'm assuming we're at least 2 years later by S3, so she should be 12, which should put her height at 140-162cm.

i think in the show, they're keeping her closer to 140cm, but i'm equally onboard with her being on the taller side, closer to 162cm. i like the idea that she will eventually grow to reg clone height of 6 feet, thus she'd be on the taller end of "average" child height.

*there is one singular screenshot i came across which might be the closest. however, it's only properly showing the OG four -- Echo is in the shot, but disproportionately in front of them. it's also from their pilot in Clone Wars S7, which arguably was just a beginning stage for them, and changes were made before their own show aired, including the animation style/models.

it would explain where many of us got our idea of Tech = Crosshair same height. but Hunter is also nearly as tall as them?? certainly not 180cm lmao. so idk. take that as you will.

[pluviophile-bookworm]

Schmicago is Over and Done... so here are my thoughts on all of it (extra long post)

Episode 1: Welcome to Schmicago

In all honesty, I was fully prepared not to like this season bc I’m really not (or at least was not) that into this era of musicals, but all I needed was the start of Welcome to Schmicago and I was so completely in. Thank you to all the geniuses who made it possible.

No but… the second time round that the word ‘farrago’ comes up in the lyrics of the episode’s title song, I well, I was literally thinking ‘what the hey’s a farrago’, and the Narrator says ‘look it up’ — it’s like they’re reading the viewer’s thoughts. I love it. That’s the self-aware humour I’ve come for. Also, I did look it up and farrago means a confused mixture. I like it. It fits.

This is killing me (in the best way) — when they say ‘endings that are tragic’, the Narrator holds up a strand of Melissa’s hair. I love the double meaning.

I love love love this! At one point you can clearly hear Kristin Chenoweth saying ‘peas and carrots, peas and carrots’, and Josh and Melissa are like ‘Please don’t talk all at once, we can’t understand you’. Love that bit of theatre inside humour.

‘Do you have a cigarette, darling, I’m simply desperate’… what an introduction to Dove’s new character, Jenny Banks. Or, as I immediately dubbed her when I saw her, Liza Jr. I feel like I’m going to like her.

‘Fifty’s not that old’ — this coming, of course, from Keegan-Michael Key, who is 52 in real life. And ain’t he living proof of it, too.

I am loving Does That Shock You (I assume that’s the name of the song) [It’s Do We Shock You, actually, but there was no way for me to know that back when the episode aired, now was there?] — it’s like, ‘look, there’s a man and he’s wearing a dress’, ‘I like both boys and girls’, and, most hilariously, ‘I’ve experienced an orgasm. A female one.’ Goodness, this doesn’t shock me or Josh and Melissa, but it sure as the stars would render the people of Schmigadoon catatonic. And I love that, for some reason.

No but the cabaret girls… Annie, Kate, Molly, Tessie, Pepper, Duffy and Elsie. Like… a certain bunch of orphan girls from the same time period as all musicals referenced here take place. Plus Cabaret’s Elsie, of course. That’s basically as if… the girls grew up to become showgirls, which actually isn’t too far-fetched. And Ariana DeBose as the EmCee is slaying it. I love all of this. And Ann Harada is Madam Frau. Lady Lady. Cool! I love it.

‘My true passion is power [dramatic pause]… electricity’ I love love love all of this.

And Jenny Banks does a Cabaret-style number with chairography a la Mein Herr. Which is funny because Dove is just one of a whole bunch of people in this cast who would do (or, in certain cases, have done) a killer Mein Herr. Either way, I just know this will be one of my most replayed songs once the soundtrack comes out. When is that, btw? [That was yesterday, and I can fully attest to the above prediction being true.]

This number isn’t even subtle about what it’s doing. About as subtle as Va-Gi-Na or the Coming Out Reprise were last season ‘We’ve had a fine affair, but please get out of mein hair.’ I love this more than words can say.

Episode 2: Doorway to Where

The Narrator is just everything… ‘schmigadee-death… penalty’, anyone? Lovely.

Ahhh we’ve got Aaron!! That man’s voice makes me swoon in a way I didn’t think was possible to someone of my… identity. If you get what I’m trying to say. [What I’m trying to say is I’m aroace, but I do have a thing for voices, and for unconventionally attractive faces, except the latter isn’t relevant in very conventionally attractive Aaron’s case. He’s all voice to me. He could sing the phone book and I’d be done for.]

No but… his solo once again mentions squirrels and robins, and I’ve got to wonder why… like, is it just a reference to You Can’t Tame Me (my beloved), or is there something else? But also, his new character, Topher, strikes me as the only one who hasn’t changed quite as much — he’s once again a free spirit singing about squirrels and robins and wow, this is just utterly self-referential, isn’t it? I love that. 

‘Please. Mr Flanagan was my father… after he lost his medical license.’ I love that. And I’m going to love Jane Krakowski’s character in this, I feel like. ‘First we court the press, then I press the court.’ I adore sentences like that. Sue me. But only with Bobby Flanagan as my solicitor.

Ok, so this one I caught. Melissa’s showgirl audition is set to a number evoking I Hope I Get It from A Chorus Line. Good going, me!

‘Dad was in the military. You know, the type with a whistle. He used to force my brothers, sisters and me to perform for guests at dinner parties. God, I hated when he did that.’ I see you, Sound of Music. I see you clear and bright. ‘So this one night I begged him for a taste of champagne’… ok, so you’re Liesl, are you? Well, funny, because all I can think of is Cecily as Liesl in that one SNL sketch with John Mulaney.

Ok but when Melissa meets Topher, she’s like ‘You look… groovy’, and I was like, his ‘pants’ are not really high-waisted in this one, though. But there’s a good chance he’s both high and wasted at any given time. I mean, so I imagine, he’s a hippie. Not to stereotype people, but hey, everyone is a walking steretype here.

When Topher’s buddies come to bust him and Josh out of jail on the happiness bus, Josh is like ‘it’s literal? I thought it was a metaphor.’ To which I say… ‘It’s not a metaphor, oh no, it’s something more — it’s a literal bus’. How’s that for a reference?

Episode 3: Bells and Whistles

Ok we’re on to episode 3 and… ‘ Rizzo, ChaCha, Doodie/ Zuko and Kenickie’… why, hello Grease! I didn’t quite expect you there, but of course that was a mistake. And also, in a number starring Danny Bailey/Zuko Aaron Tveit himself, no less.

I see you, Miss Kristin Hannigan! And I’m loving it. Mrs Lovett x Miss Hannigan has never made so much sense before. Add in some Mme Thenardier for good measure, and you’ve got the ultimate composite character.

No, I swear, between Kristin and Alan, this is giving me huge Thenardier vibes, even if it’s actually meant to be a homage to Sweeney Todd, I believe. I’m loving it either way.

Ok, so… Alan’s character, Butcher Dooley Blight, is Jenny’s father here. I love it. But oh wow, this got really bloody and dark and gory really fast.

This might as well be one of my favourite courtroom scenes. I mean, ‘On the grounds of Brooklyn’ is still my go-to, but Bells and Whistles, and Fosse jazz hands are truly something else.

‘Why am I flanked by fools’ is the new ‘I’m surrounded by idiots’, and I love it. No but, his song is actually about wanting love from women who don’t want him. He’s giving Phantom. And, oh gosh, the resounding bass note it ends on… almost more impressive than a high note.

Episode 4: Something Real

Well, it’s true that Dove and Aaron are, in my humblest of opinions, the two people whose characters from this season and the previous one are most alike — I mean, she’s a cheerful girl whose cluelessness may or may not be (and in this one definitely is) just an act and whose father would kill for her sake, and he’s a free spirit who sings about robins and squirrels (even though Danny’s ‘pants are really high-waisted’ whereas Topher would rather forgo any trousers at all because ‘flowers don’t wear pants’... which I think is a valid choice, wanting to emulate a flower. Go for it) — so, in a way, what I called has very much come to pass. Now how this is going to turn out by the end is a whole other matter, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Also, here’s a post I made the day the s1 finale came out, and... I was a bit blindsided, but I had the spirit:

Ok so the Narrator may be a bit of an arse to Mel and Josh, but I love him. I want Tituss Burgess to narrate every show in song.

Topher, arriving at the junkyard: ‘The prodigal son has returned. Someone write that down.’ The Fansie in me, knocking over about three walls at once: ‘I got a pencil!’

S1 Josh: ‘I’m not singing if you’re not singing.’ S2 Josh: ‘Talk to Daddy, talk, talk to Daddy’… now that’s what I call character growth. And that aside, this is just such a fun number. I can see myself listening to it on repeat once the soundtrack drops (which I need now btw). [Ah, yes, the ‘I’m not having an argument that’s part of a musical number’ to ‘I am not a man of many words’ to ‘Talk to Daddy’ pipeline. We stan.]

Whoever decided to pair up Dove and Aaron for a duet is a freaking genius. I need to know who that was so I can send them flowers to thank them for this vocal match made in heaven.

‘More romance’? If there’s one thing I don’t like about Schmigadoon/Schmicago, and it’s just this tiny little thing, really, but… it’s that it seems to emphasise romance as the ultimate solution, the single bringer of happiness. Only, I suppose, it will end up subverting that by the end of the season. Which would be nice if it does, indeed, happen. [Well... not exactly. But next season maybe... hope springs eternal.]

Ok, a scene centring around Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming together in any sort of context is always welcome, but I’m just a bit too distracted by Dooley eating his mash using his cleaver as a spoon. It’s too funny!

No but the way he said ‘Life is just a pile of shit’… it spoke to my soul… somehow.

I have never, ever in my life laughed at the sight of someone openly discussing making children into meat, but if anyone can sell such a number, why, it’s those two. Marvellously morbid.

I hear you, ‘It’s a Hard-Knock Life’. I hear you loud and clear. Or should I say… It’s a Hard-Knock-off Life… ight I’ll see myself out. But who would have thought that mixing Annie with Sweeney Todd (and a sprinkle of Oliver!) would make such a delightfully dark and scrumptiously sinister song? Also, those tap-dancing children are so amazing! I wish we would get more than a number per season from them, but I always take what I can get. [This is another contender, along with Kaput and Talk to Daddy and Bells and Whistles, for my May Top Tracks on Spotify... what will end up happening remains to be seen, but the number of times I’ve looped those just since they were released there yesterday is already large enough to put them all in the top 20 if not the top 10.]

So this now marks two different songs I know where ‘scrumptious’ is rhymed with ‘presumptuous’ (Truly Scrumptious from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, of course, being the first), and in neither of those songs do these words sound like they should rhyme. This must be what Mel meant by that comment about imperfect rhymes, you know.

Doesn’t this just go to prove that you could sell infanticide to me if it’s accompanied by a musical number, and I’d eat it up with a spoon, or even a cleaver if I had one handy… what does that say about me, I wonder…

Episode 5: Famous as Hell

Cecily is such a star! (hey, nice alliterative phrase there) But for real, she is. Also, is this supposed to be Maybe This Time? I’ll know for sure once I watch the Schmeakdown, but I think it is, if not intertwined with something else as well.

Ok but the tribe seems to have imprinted on Josh like a bunch of baby ducklings. He’s their mama now. I love that.

I’m thinking the Narrator’s name should change to the Instigator. Love that for him.

‘Another damn rhetorical question’ might just be funnier than ‘Schmigadee-death penalty’. Either way, I love Tituss Burgess and what he does as the Narrator, or the Instigator if you will.

Ooh… I love this. Famous As Hell seems to be the sort of number which references everybody’s themes, and I love that in a number.

Ok so nobody should be subjected to 12-show day, but, like, as an obsessed fan I’d be there all day for it. Still, don’t make people perform until they bleed. Then again, this is Schmicago, so…

Wait a sec… so that’s what ‘substitutes become expedient’ meant? Not just the obvious ‘children-for-animals’ substitute, but ‘orphans-for-Kratt’. Well. I’m thinking Kratt wouldn’t make a very desirable load of sausages, though. Oh, great, now I’m considering it. I’m in so deep I’m losing awareness of how gory this all is.

Are those the twins who played the white-faced women in ASOUE, playing another pair of white-faced women? Why yes, it is them, Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins. Nice.

Ooh… ‘You’ve been getting my roses? — Moses supposes I have.’ I loved that. I’ve been wondering if Singing in the Rain could make it into the farrago, and it seems like it has.

Ok, now Kratt is definitely Phantom. Kidnapping Mel just after she’s become a star on stage and essentially going like, ‘you marry me or the man you love dies’. Also, what kind of a cliffhanger was this? I’m dying. How on earth will I make it to the finale? And there are so many knots to be untied, too many loose ends to be tied up… that’s an ambitious setup for the finale. [It was, indeed. Bit of a rush to untangle and tie up everything, it really was, but I loved it nonetheless.]

Episode 6: Over and Done

Ahhhh Ariana DeBose solo at last!! I’ve missed that so much. And a Dreamgirls solo at that! I found she was really underutilised this season, which sucks because she’s a queen, but is also completely understandable because there were so many plotlines even without her being at the forefront. Still though…

‘I shut down a dream ballet, I will shut down this’ Yes Mel, be in control of the narrative devices even if you can’t control the narrative… that is so poetic in its way. I love it.

Idk how I came to this thought, but Sgt. Rivera upon being told he has to kill Josh is giving the huntsman from Snow White. Can’t say I love that for him because it’s a really tight spot to be in, but his reaction is still one of my favourite moments.

Ok but like… is Ms. Codwell reluctant to let the orphans be killed now? What exactly was it that made her change her mind? And also, these poor kids are so death-happy, I can’t even begin to comprehend the black comedy of it all. It’s not even black comedy anymore, it’s saccharine tragedy.

Also, if Dooley and Ms Codwell get married, does that mean Kristin is going to be Dove’s mum once again? Because at first I enjoyed the subversion of them being completely unrelated here, but I’m starting to miss them as a mother-daughter duo. Maybe s3 can amend that? Whatever, just please let there be a s3.

Ok but Topher being a JCS homage all season and his tribe digging everything he says, and then once he pulls a literal Jesus, ‘turn the other cheek’ and whatnot, they’re sceptical? Idk, but I kinda dig that just bc I find it (1) funny and (2) totally reasonable.

I can’t… the Somewhere Love Is Waiting for You riff as Dooley reunites with his daughter… it’s too much. I’m going to cry. I was already going to cry, but this really is too much.

Ok but even when he doesn’t intend it, Dooley sure is good with that cleaver. And the narrative pulling a Phantom on the Phantom shout-out character… now that’s what I call poetic justice.

Yeah, sure, I’ll drink to that too. From now on I want all the villain death announcements to be done via Kaput reprise. Ding Dong the Witch is Dead who?

Rocky Horror Sgt. Rivera isn’t what I ever expected, but I’m digging it. I’m actually tearing up. What is with Schmigadoon season finales and making me sob my heart out? I need to have more of that.

Now excuse me for crossing my fandoms over here, but the tribe’s ending is giving Ordinaryish People by AJR: ‘Your hippie friends call you a sellout cos you buckled down and got a job’… indeed.

Goodness, Something Real with Topher and Jenny was one thing, but with Mel and Josh it feels that much more… real. I mean. Tell me it doesn’t. I’m not crying over the cheesiness that is a musical ending number, you are. Except I am, too, of course. How could I not be?

I did not have Narrator x Rivera on my bingo cards for this season, but like, ‘I don’t hate it’. I actually wish I could see it play out.

What’s better than Leprechaun Martin Short? Leprechaun Martin Short x2. I am living for every bizarre, out-of-left-field thing this finale throws at me. I really really really want more.

Ok but, as a lover of child-centric musicals, I now need a s3 with Josh and Mel and their little one in a land with more than one child-centred musical number. It’s not a want, it’s a need. 

[know-the-way]

Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears Discourse(?)(maybe idk?)

So… at this point I’ve watched the entire 3 series and film. Twice. I was going to post episode reactions for series 2 and 3, but I really need to skip ahead to Crypt of Tears because I have… questions. If anyone knows the answer or potential answer to any of them, please weigh in because I am just… struggling to understand some of the narrative decisions they made here.

(Btw, overall I enjoyed it, so I don’t want it to seem like I’m coming from a solely negative perspective - obviously, the last 5 minutes in particular… talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, etc etc. I may do a separate ‘things I enjoyed’ post. I just needed to talk this out. lol)

****Full warning, this is a very long post, I am so sorry in advance.****

1. Alright, first things first - wtf do you mean it’s been a YEAR since she left Melbourne?! What was she doing that whole time? Like obviously, you could infer that she got caught up in local shenanigans and hadn’t seen everything to a satisfactory end yet, but I feel it would’ve taken maybe 1-2 minutes to just briefly explain that for the audience’s sake.

I also totally understand that they were attempting to make a stand alone project that could be independent of the series, so referencing where the series left off would be antithetical to that. HOWEVER, I think at the point where fans of the series invested $1 million… that should have maybe made tying up loose ends from the series a bit more of a priority?

I also saw that they hoped to garner new audiences from the film. And maybe it’s just me, idk, but - I’m a new audience and the only thing that brought me to the film was the knowledge that I had 3 seasons worth of backstory to immerse myself in beforehand. There are very few scenarios in my mind that would’ve had me watching just the film and nothing else. So… help.

2. Similar to question 1 - SIX WEEKS?! Where was she for six whole weeks? How did she escape the train? Was it like a Bear Grylls situation out in the desert for a while or did she have to barter with local villages or something? Just again… 1-2 lines of dialogue and I’d be good. Instead, I’m just sitting here confused like, “okay cool, I’m super glad you’re alive and stuff, but um… HOW?!”**

(**acutely aware that this is how Jack must feel all the time) (and he deserves a pint from the pub for his troubles ‘cause omg)

3. SPEAKING OF JACK - *r2d2 screech* This poor man. Jesus. How many times does he have to grieve the love of his life? It’s kinda rude at this point.

I’ve read articles with the writers where they talked about wanting Phryne to be strong and independent without emasculating Jack as a character. And I remember thinking, “Yes! They do such an excellent job of finding that balance in the show and it’s really satisfying. It’s one of the things I love most about their dynamic - the freedom to be themselves while still having this very strong collaborative connection.”

^These scenes, though? Whaaaatttt happened? 🫠 I don’t think it emasculated him, but Phryne’s almost non-reaction to him being there… grieving her... it comes off kind of insensitive and perplexing at its bare bones, to me.

Upon a few rewatches of that scene, I’ve been able to slowly formulate potential justifications for her behavior - i.e. she did tell him to come after her and he didn’t, so maybe she lost hope on her end and dove into the first perilous mystery she could find to help herself get over him. Thus, when she finds out he’s there for her memorial service, I could see her inwardly going, “Okay wow, it took me dying for you to make any moves whatsoever. Cool. Good to know I’m only worth the trip if I’m not here anymore. (Hence, the ‘And I’m very sorry that I’m not dead!’ line later.)”

Which would be a fair point, imo, and they do have a track record of just… infuriating miscommunication, but ultimately… it’s all still hypothetical. We aren’t given any actual, spoken insight into her motivations or feelings in regards to Jack (the smallest glimpse we get is her teary eyes outside the door at his guesthouse along with the “damn it, Jack” line). So, without any further follow-up clarification in the film - at face value, that scene is harsh and almost callous imo. And, despite their many conflicts in the show, there was never once where I felt they weren’t at least making an effort to understand each other. Like there is never a point in the film where they take a moment to acknowledge the time lost between them. They don’t get to have that (necessary) release of emotion and mutual understanding (there’s no nightcap moment), so it just feels incomplete.

4. I promise not to make all of these redundant, but the quicksand scene. Obviously, I love it ~*for reasons*~, but I found myself once again choosing a side (Jack’s)???? Which, throughout the entirety of the tv series, I never chose a side between them ‘cause I could always understand both of their perspectives. In this scene and the reunion scene, I’m left confused both times about Phryne’s perspective. Maybe because Mac isn’t there to pull the full truth out of her just afterwards? That’s probably it.

But her lumping Jack in with “any other man” she doesn’t need to explain herself to - either that was a fear response or a flat out dishonest one. Girl quit playin’… we all know he’s not just any other man and we all know he has never tried to change you or take charge of you. Please, the bottom-leaning switch vibes that come off that man… he LIVES for you telling him what to do. He doesn’t want to control you, he just wANTS TO BE BESIDE YOU. GOD.

I so didn’t want to be frustrated with Phryne (I love her**) and I was honestly upset that I was, but there was just something… missing in both these instances for me (vulnerability maybe? idk) and I can’t quite get it to add up. It really probably was a lack of Mac, though.

(**again, Me 🤝 Jack, complicated feelings for a complex modern woman, we’ll both be at the bar if you need us)

5. Last one - “Is this your idea of sweet nothings?” “I thought they were out of the question?” “They are. Continue.”

Did I miss a scene where they laid ground rules for their partnership going forward in Shirin’s case? Or was that something that was cut/not included? Because… if there was a scene of them discussing that before Jack agreed to stay… that would have taken care of most of what I said above in and of itself.

(But no fr… did I miss a scene? Is my copy broken? Help?)

Gonna Leave on a Positive Note, because if you asked me if the below scene made it all worth it, I’d have to say yes:

[court-jobi]

Can I ask about two things? Blue Mando-Paz Feels and The Touch Barrier? Feel free to only answer one! This is @newpathwrites btw.

Hekk yeah I'll answer both, @newpathwrites!!! Let's goooo~

The Touch Barrier | Ver. 1 under the cut

Ah my lovely fic headcanons with no real name... The Google Doc I have my drabbles about Paz Viszla are on just a funny sheet called quite literally Blue Mando Paz Feels. We had so little Paz content at the time I began writing these in 2019, but when I tell you my mind went wild...

Big blue boi Mando had my heart from the get go, and I quickly envisioned a nameless little OC (that I have yet to get onto paper). I paired him with a gentle soul who has a heart bigger than her head, and shakes the moment a gun is put into her hands-- but I think that brand of softness may be just what he needed in this harsh lonely world Mandalorians are so used to. He's big, he's blue, and it's cuffing season.. all I gotta say on that.

Now that I've seen more of Viszla in Season 3 I HAVE NEW SOURCE MATERIAL MUAHAHAHA but (ach-hem) I really do think the newest episodes helped me figure out his 'voice' so I might pick these little stories back up!

//psst my favorite of these is one where oc/reader's helping him clean up after a yucky, muggy recon mission, seeing him scrub himself really hard and she fusses over how rough he's being-even with himself. I go into how to care for your beskar, some Din Djarin rivalry-ish backstory, and how SWEET Paz can be when he's treated gently... Perhaps I'll flesh this one out if there's interest?

But also... my beloved:

I answered a bit on my different directions on The Touch Barrier here... But I imagine you'll be most interested in the first iteration of it, so here's a snippet!!

"Are we ok?"

The helmet straightened up, fixed to you again from its nervous evasion. "What?"

"You look like a caged lothcat right now.." you shared, unable to hold back a smile. "And here I thought we were on hugging terms~"

Inside the beskar suit, Mando’s neck flared with heat. And before he could silence himself,

"..we are?"

You hummed noncommittally- betraying your whole-hearted desire.

"I hoped so. At least I thought we might be, based on how you boarded the other day. Unless you didn't necessarily want me there. After all, I know you were kinda having a hard time staying upright."

Only then did Mando's beskar curves slide more naturally into place. No longer bolted to the wall but angled catty corner to you. 

He recalled the 'hug' referenced, but he also remembered how he'd cupped your head to him after you'd brought him up to the cockpit-- that one was for comfort. Not stability.

"I was. But that's not why I .."

–but before he fully finished his train of thought, the baby in the hold let out a frustrated garble of calls as a rolling ball clinked out of his reach. Each plunk echoed down the rungs until it rolled off to parts unknown. You snorted, wondering what on earth he was getting into up there.

"Gosh, that little guy. Sorry, what were you saying?" you recentered from your distraction.

With a lag in his shoulders, the Mandalorian thought the truth to be the best answer. But still wanting to answer to the Child, he nodded his head on for you to continue down to the hull, and he'd follow,

"I was just going to say," he answered, "I didn't do that because I couldn't stand on my own. i-i mean I couldn't, true, but the thing is, I 'wanted to'..." 

His heart was thundering, some cracks in his words were audible,

"I was bleeding out all over the floor. But really, l I could think of was just how grateful I was that you hadn't been hurt. You were safe, and seeing you? I was relieved."

Now side by side in the open air cargo space you smiled, feeling a bit like the silly girls in the holonovels when they pushed their hair behind their ears.

"Well... For one, I'm glad you're not bleeding all over the floor."

That earned you a breathy laugh, "Thank you."

"And for two, I'm- glad you wanted to. Because I may or may not have been wanting to, myself.." 

Mando paused in his strides. which you matched. Even though you were unable to read his expression, you gave a satisfied little smile with your answer, 

"So… it sounds like we're on the same page."

"Sounds like we are."

The Child whined again, making both tip their head off to the side, perfectly in sync.

"I can go get him-- meet you back up top?"

"Okay." He nodded and they split.

Back in the cockpit, you wrangled the bouncing little potato sack. Mando turned when you came in, hearing you corral the kid trying to jump out of your arms to get a better view from his pram.

"Ok ok kiddo, good grief– your seat's but going anywhere!" You shrilled. Planted into his blankets, he sat back in content, swaying side to side, taking in the stars and clusters they were passing in awe.

"Handful?"

"More like tryin'a be a hand-empty, the little wiggle worm." you sassed. His playfighting was all in good fun.

The Mandalorian spun to meet you. First and foremost, you know he'd set the locks on the overhead panels on the side wall, but then he surprised you when he faced fully after you readjusted your clothes the kid had tugged every which way.

"You're good with him. He seems happy to have someone else around." He complimented, stepping into your space. 

Then- finally- meeting your sparkling eyes with all their silent anticipation of his arms, he wrapped around you to pull you in. You locked him in by the waist. 

Then, slightly softer, he nearly whispered, "and.. he's not the only one."

Smushed slightly into his flight suit padding above his chest plate, you smiled. The pats you gave him back passed assurance and as much comfort as you could manage in this relatively tiny hunk of metal in the vast black dust of space. 

"Feeling's mutual, hon."

Hope you liked it!! More of this may come one day...

...dangit.. now I wanna finish this. (le sigh)

[blackfairy312]

CHARACTER DESIGN RAMBLINGS

i'm taking breaks in-between making lineart for the new characters (James and Chris + Mary's dad (Harry) and brother (Mike)) and im thinking of how im gonna color them later.

for Harry and Mike i think im gonna change their greens to different shades and patterns so that the Schmidts aren't all wearing the same color (ik that them all wearing green in the minigames is probably just to symbolize that "oh yeah btw these guys are related to mary" like how William Afton was always fully purple to symbolize that it's the same guy)

for Harry i'll make his tie the same shade of blue as the Oragami Cat, as a sort of symbolic honor of his late wife (Mary's mother)

for Mike i'll give him a dark black/green striped shirt as a sort of "forced" Earthbound reference (also a throwback to back in 2014 we used to have a theory that Earthbound and FNAF took place in the same universe because they were our hyperfixations at the time and also they both took place in the 80s/90s and because Ninten and Ness both have dads who are represented by rotary dial phones which in FNAF represents the Phone Guy so our theory was that Phone Guy was Ninten who was also Ness' dad.. crazy Nightcord System Lore for you guys)

for Chris i'm basing his design off of the Cleaners from Carmen Sandiego so he'll have a similar color scheme to them hehe

for James his FNAC 3 design already looks like Adam DBD so im just gonna give him soft yellows for his coat and an orange for his tie, then his FNAC 1 design where he's older will have darker colors to symbolize the drastic change his mental state has gone through from following all of the incidents that keep happening at Candy's

i'll use the same idea for the older FNAC 1 and FNAF 1 designs of Mary, Chandler, and Mike. their regular clothes will be more darker in color to symbolize the drastic changes they've had mentally because of the trauma from Candy's (and Freddy's for Mike)

whenever i finish the references for Chris, James, Harry, and Mike, i'll start the sketches for the older versions of the Schmidt siblings and Chandler, plus the refs for Joey (FNAC 1 Phone Guy) and the cop that James has as an investigation partner.

idk if i'll make the refs for the Robotics Corp owner cause it seems like FNAC 4 will focus on that aspect of the story so i'll be very patient ♥️

DEVELOPMENT LORE DUMP;

if you notice now i really like referencing/taking from medias that i like. for example;

- (The Puppeteer) Vincent's personality is heavily pulled from Light Yagami, Norman Bates, Patrick Bateman, and James Sunderland (also Robbie from Victorious VERY SLIGHTLY)

- Vinnie -> Vivian plot concept is based on the Simon Doll from "The Real Jake" story from Fazbear Frights. i also realized there's a bit of Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein' there with his relationship with Komi.

- (The Rat Actor) Toni's entire character is literally just Jesse Pinkman with a little bit of Mike Schmidt (from the FNAF Movie)

- (The Cat Actor) Richie is also just Steve Harrington (specifically Season 3)

- Chandler is literally a mix of Gregory and Michael Afton, and his design is based loosely on the Golden Freddy kid from the FNAF movie (idk if he ever got a name)

- Glenn and Vincent's partnership is literally just pulled straight from Jack Walten and Felix Kranken. like the whole thing i have planned for them is just "What if Henry Emily and William Afton were Jack Walten and Felix Kranken?" and i promise it will make sense once i get to those chapters (i hope)

- James himself is entirely a SAW reference, and also a callback to an old OC of ours. i like underdog detective stories ♥️ though the first inspiration i got to make his character in the first place was from Donald Kimball from ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ᴘꜱʏᴄʜᴏ

- the names Harry and James are literally just references to Harry Mason and James Sunderland

- also the names Chandler and Joey are literally just a Friends reference (thanks to my friend Mimi )

- Komi's costume (The Pianist) is a cheap version of the Phantom from 'The Phantom of the Opera.' it's purposefully a shitty costume because she was trying to piss Vincent off on purpose (he read the original story and he's pretentious about it)

- Komi's last name this time around (bc she changes it for every universe) is a reference to Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who was the musical composer for such works as 'Swan Lake' and 'The Nutcracker' (more Nightcord System lore; we used to take ballet/tap dance classes as a young young child, and we saw the Nutcracker for a few Christmases in a row. a nice callback to an old hyperfixation that i sadly don't remember experiencing)

- Toni's last name (Russo) is a reference to Wizards of Waverly Place, the best Disney Channel sitcom EVER no one will ever convince me otherwise

- Richie's last name (Kennedy) is a reference to Leon S Kennedy from Resident Evil, and his nickname is a reference to Richie Toizer (in chapter two, Toni says 'Beep beep, Richie' to get him to shut up, another reference to IT)

- The initials for Vincent and Glenn's names are supposed to mirror William and Henry's. to spell it out; William Afton is W.A and Vincent Allard is V.A, while Henry Emily is H.E and Glenn Eriksen is G.E. in the English Alphabet, V comes before W and G comes before H. V and G come before W and H. The Rat and Cat Theater comes before Fredbear's Family Diner. Vincent and Glenn's legacy came before William and Henry's.

- Toni's roommate is named Brian, and Brian has a girlfriend named Jilian. this is just a reference to Briam Griffin and Jilian from Family Guy (i was watching LS Mark when i made their names)

- The Puppeteer being named Vincent is literally just a callback to Rebornica's Purple Guy being named Vincent. ancient FNAF lore, you had to be there.

there might be more cool facts that i'll share later!

[profblahson]

Dies Irae

Eight notes.

Hell, this theme can be identified in fewer, especially when you know what you’re looking for. But eight notes is about all it takes, and you’ve got yourself one of the most iconic themes surrounding death, horror, and the macabre.

Even if you don’t know it by name, you almost certainly know it by sound.

————————————

This is the first post the month of spooky and macabre music for Spooky Season! I wanted to start off with a classic and widely-used piece (or chant in this case). I’m planning a few of these, so keep an eye out throughout the month!

Art by @nynehells , go check them out!

————————————

What is the Dies Irae?

From Latin, “Day of Wrath,” this sequence is dated as far back as the 13th century. While who formally wrote the chant is not entirely known (originally attributed, however, to Thomas of Celano, but that is now debated), the text is clearly based on a Biblical passage, Zep 1:14-16. Below is both the Latin-English translation of the Dies Irae’s opening stanza, and the referenced Bible text.

The poem does in fact end on a more hopeful note, but the opening lines are harrowing, and where a lot of music draws inspiration.

This is the most typical variation of the chant, in d minor. Already off to a great start, as d minor is often called one of the darkest and saddest keys in the circle. The closeness of the starting pitches (Me-Re/F-E is only a half step) adds tension, and the whole step resolution to our home note (Te-Do/C-D) is weak, leaving our ears a bit put off. We don’t travel far - only the distance of a Perfect Fourth, another interval full of tension, with little release. All this combined with such intense lyrics, it’s no wonder the music is so commonly used with death. Sung as a slow chant, and you’ve created a menacing piece of music that has haunted the world over for literal centuries.

Dies Irae in Music

The Dies Irae is ubiquitous in classical music and horror/thriller scores. We’ll take a quick look at some of the more popular uses of the piece! Two classical pieces and two modern pop culture references.

Hilariously, for purposes of this post, the first two examples don’t directly use the Dies Irae chant; instead, they set the text to frenetic, intense music (and I also like them :) )

Requiem - Mozart

The Dies Irae is part of the Ordinary, and so it’s included in Requiems, which is a Mass for the Dead. Mozart’s Requiem was the last piece he worked on before his death (passed before completing it), and it’s a huge choral work.

The Dies Irae appears relatively early on, and it’s a mood changer. Fast, aggressive, chaotic…it truly sounds like impending doom.

The goal of this movement seems to make audiences feel the frantic energy of the text. It SCREAMS Day of Wrath!!

Requiem - Verdi

Another use of the frantic energy depicted in the text. Verdi’s Dies Irae is also loud, bombastic, and quite literally hits you hard right away. Hear that gun-shot bass drum and timpani! The strings absolutely fly by; Intense and fast chromatic lines in the trumpets sound as though they’re heralding in one’s doom. (This one’s my favorite btw)

Common to both of these examples: dynamics are turned up to 11, their tempi are fast and relentless, and both use wicked scalar motion which, combined with the speed, create a blast of sound that simply pummel listeners.

Some more recent uses of the Dies Irae in media up next! For these two, we actually hear the chant proper, not use of the text.

The Shining Theme

I mean, it's quite literally the Dies Irae! This movie even uses the second half of the chant that a lot of pieces and references don't get into. Right off the bat, hearing the Dies Irae, we know this film is going to include a lot of death (which is exactly what occurs). The main theme is played on this funky organ/synth, adding atmosphere, with little room for release.

Sweeney Todd

So, I’m gonna just link Sideways’ video on this musical, because he just does a better job than I ever could. Please watch this video because it’s oh so good.

The TL;DW of the video is: the Dies Irae is used throughout the music of Sweeney Todd. It’s literally baked into (pun intended) the score. Invert notes here, play it backwards there, change the rhythm a bit, or reharmonize it this way, and you can create an entire musical that hints at the themes of death right off the bat! It’s very clever writing.

Closing Thoughts

It’s obviously very difficult to separate the Dies Irae and the concept of Death, since even from its inception the text and music has, uh, been like that! The intense energy of the text lends itself to frantic music, and composers have taken advantage of this for a long time. Even when just hinting at the chant, the music takes on a more sinister, intense mood, and composers can take and morph the primary chant into what they want, while still implying Death.

I actually have two more classical pieces that use the Dies Irae that I’d like to talk about in a bit more depth separate from this post (plus this one is already long as is!). One of them is often cited as one of the first and most known uses of the chant to imply character death in the music; the other uses the theme a bit differently. I’m just excited to write and look at a bit more because they’ve got spooky and macabre elements!

Thanks for listening and your time!

[meteormoss]

hello!!! so your fic he curtains pulled out of the wall got me into the stick season album and my brain chemistry is forever changed

anyways do you have any like?? specific song associations for chapters or characters?

This ask is harder than you think to answer. My actual answer I'm going to keep just to Stick Season songs (+1 other noah kahan song because its too perfect) but the playlists feature some other songs. I'm going to link them at the end, feel free to give them a listen or look. Dirt roads earned all these empty scars playlist is still a WIP tho

The very last chapter of the curtains pulled out of the wall (and im thinking the 2nd chapter of dirt roads earned all these empth scars) is heavily inspired by The View Between Villages. Specifically the transition of feelings, but i referenced it as well with how he sits in his car. This song specifically makes me oh so ill, and i think it means a lot to the entire story.

New perspective is more of a characterization of the town and cleo and the relarionship (mostly with cleo tho) through bdubs' eyes, but it's not quite on the nose with it.

Stick season is straight up a bdubs song. Like literally everything in it heavily helped me characterize him. That is a bdubs song. Even if a lot of the characterization isn't directly discussed. (Oh, btw, for those of you who are curious, the season of the sticks is winter, cuz thats all you see, i didnt get it at first either)

Homesick just generally makes me think of the story abd enviorment, the very beginning lyrics are of course a reference to cleo. "I got dreams but i cant make myself believe them, spend the rest of my life with what couldve been, and i will die in the house i grew up in, im home sick" is both bdubs and etho.

Come Over is a bit of the first chapter, a bit of enviorment, a bit of bdubs, a bit of desperation to not get left irrefutably alone. "Someday im gonna be somebody people want" should stick in your mind

All My Love is a lot of the very first chapters, especially from the pov of the curtains pulled out of the wall, very much less so for dirt roads earned all these empty scars and thats because of the differences of perspective. I cant even pull out a lyric to emphasive this because that whole chapter is so much this song. "Now i know your name but not who you are" is a really important line for both fics, and both povs, and all the characters. Its just one to remember.

Still is a lot of the thought going into writing the final chapter and thr funeral chapter. It didnt really go into the actual writings as intensely but i would confidently say it bled in. But for me personally those chapters and this song are intrisically tied.

Strawberry Wine is nostalgia for bdubs, its the reason he's not moved on as well. This is such a bdubs song. "We buried your bones in plywood" is such a complicated line theres a reason it's the series title. It's simultaneously a reference to the state of cleo and etho in this. Cleo is nothing but old pictures shoved in a wooden box in the attic, something buried in dust and anger. Inaccessible. Etho's literally got his bobes buried in a wooden box. He's dead, also entierly inaccessible.

Northern Attitude is the cleo song off of Stick Season. That's literally her. She built everything there and uprooted it too. She's realized she's callused and notably mean because of her original enviorment and it stands out where she is now. She reflects sometimes, but mostly she pushes it all off.

And then we come to the song that i need to mention because of how it explains Cleo. Paul Revere by Noah Kahan. This ones going to heavily inspire chapter 2 of her side of this, dirt roads earned all these empty scars. Chapter 2 is gonna be very similar to chapter 2 of the curtains pulled out of the wall, but the timings will be a bit off from each other, it'll be the heading to bdubs' that this song really represents. But it's also the cleo song ever. It characterizes the time before she left, when she left, and when she's been gone. It discusses how she hasnt moved on or let go, she just doesnt cling as bdubs does. Shes hurt and angry but she understands she doesnt need or want it and it's such a fight between forces inside her and it tears her up. "If I could leave I wouldve already left" is such an essential line to her character, shes physically removed, but pieces of her are still out there in the cold.

Sorry some of these are a little more broad than you asked, i just think they're just as essential. You have to understand the enviorment on a level to understand the characters.

[uncertaininnit]

(otterverse recap, 2/3)

now it's time for my personal favorite season of the otterverse, season 2! if season 1 is where the joke became a bit, then season 2 is where the bit became a roleplay, and also the last season where the tumblr inbox itself is referenced as part of the plot/world they live in.

it starts, as many things do, in a wendy's. c!otter (she/they/rain/star/paw, played by @leonardoturtle) is vibing, until a bunch of eldritch fellas and other weirdos essentially show up to start bothering paw.

notable here are lung anon, blood anon, tin star anon, and raccoon anon (i believe they were all played by the one the only @donatelloturtle, all they/them since anons), who are. actually i dont remember much abt tin star and raccoon other than they were in gay love but blood and lung anons? yeah those guys were on some tma shit. also, there was pedant anon (played by me, they/them, kind of an asshole but had some funny moments), wendy's employees #1 and 2 (different anons, one played by me and the other by @wallace-marte), a few failed ARG anons that never quite got off the ground, and pink text anon (played by @wisp-exe). out of these, lung anon, pink text anon, and the wendy's employees are the most important, despite what pedant anon would have you think, with lung and blood especially aiming for the annihilation of the world and all of reality (the other anons all made fun of them for it).

for a while, it's just a lot of ominous muttering and vague joke-making, as we the rpers try to get something fun off the ground (we didn't really start properly communicating behind the scenes until mid-s3)- and then in rolls pink text anon, the bitch-ass motherfucker themself. they taunt and threaten every otterverse participant i know of- even me. (this was the birth of c!gumy, btw! she used she/xe and will be important later!)

c!otter gets attacked by an apocalyptic eldritch flesh creature (later retconned to be a tbh creature), and harbinger anon (played by @harbinger-anon, whose main i can't remember) saves star by destroying the messenger.

pink text anon! introduces themself to otter as rains "guide," and starts pushing star to do things and "follow their lead," ominously and vaguely talking about the end of days and whatnot. what really makes them different is that they go into other ppl's askboxes and pull them into their story- namely, me and felix (cc!felix, to be clear. we all are/were mcyt fans we use c! and cc! a lot bc all of our characters have/had the same names as us lmao). pink text told felix to "protect the sea" and me (c!gumy) to "trick the sea". c!gumy resented being manipulated, and vowed to hunt down and reveal pink text anon.

sadly, c!gumy never got the chance, because less than an hour later pink text tricked c!otter into pulling a lever that brought about the apocalypse that lung and blood anons were talking about. tbh creatures appeared Everywhere, and the RP part of this story really kicked into high gear. pink text also revealed themself to be c!wisp (y'know, that guy! you remember disc!), and gave a whole villain monologue abt being wronged and getting revenge and stuff.

c!gumy... did NOT take this well. she kinda did a triple cannonball backflip into the deep end and swore revenge against c!wisp. u know how it is.

however, after the initial moment of panic- c!wisp seemed repentant, at least somewhat, and guided c!otter to pull the lever again and possibly end the annihilation.

so, the group heads back towards the lever, all while being attacked by monstrous tbh beasts. several characters die at this point (pedant dies offscreen lmao what an L), most importantly c!gumy (tackled c!wisp to the ground and got them both mauled), c!wisp (who lasted long enough after that to fight off one more beast, and also got hit in the head by a pebble thrown by c!gumy in xir final moments), and c!otter, who sacrificed herself for c!felix, dying in front of xem.

the apocalypse was stopped, but the damage is done- the old world is gone, and while there aren't any more new monsters coming in, there's still thousands roaming the streets. even so, there's still hope, as the wendy's employees (who have at this point fallen in gay love) have survived the carnage and start working to build a new future for themselves. their names are daisy cabiosas (they/them, played by me), and carmin aloys (he/him, played by wali), and since they wanted to unionize back when capitalism was a problem, their new settlement is called Union.

and that's otterverse season 2!

The Wendy’s employees 😭🏳️‍🌈🫶 love stays winning I giess

At this point who isn’t a former mcyt watcher

How did you guys keep any track of the anons. Also this is so unlike season one it’s hard to believe they’re the same universe

[charlotteperaltaalcott]

charlatans -- 0 - prologue

-- crossposted on ao3 under tearjerker -- summary: --

AU -- jake has an actual sister --

"Charlotte Peralta-Alcott, pretty, clever, and moderately financially okay--she lives in a city, with an unsettling home-life history and incredibly happy disposition, seemed to unite *some* of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly thirty-two years in the world with very...little...to distress or vex her."

Set around the beginning of Season 1, Jake reunites with his full-blooded, (weird adjective!) biological younger sister after about 15 years of separation when she leaves London and decides to look for a job in New York. Shockingly, Jake hasn't disclosed that he has a sister to the precinct. Which is odd, considering he has no qualms complaining about his dad frequently.

-- notes: --

hi squad,

this is my first b99 work so tell me if there are any inaccuracies!

(btw technical non-inaccuracy: gina is not included in the prologue because charlotte did technically know her, but they had too much of an age gap for them to be close friends enough for charlotte to divulge the events referenced in the prologue.)

have fun reading as much as i did writing bc i just think jake deserves a witty, lawfully good relative who shaped him into the childishly mature man he is. and also wanted to diss roger more than the show does bc he SUCKS.

----- 0 -- prologue

The world swarms around me as I tumble, pretty comically, down the side of a flat, emerald-green hill. I’m 16, almost 17, poorly playing girls’ football, in preparatory school. I’m also in England. These are all rudimentary, digestible facts that don’t seem weird for my age and geography.

Then, the world gets a little more familiar. Six months ago, I was in America, in New York, eating pretty good pizza, going to high school, and having a stable shelter for a bit—six years, to be exact. No, no. I lived in more than just a ‘shelter���; I lived at home, my home.

I continue to roll down the endless saturated, green cliff; it seems pretty endless. It’s spring. My birthday is soon. It doesn’t feel like it should be. The rest of the girls are 17. Maybe I should blame my poor sportsmanship on our age difference. I don’t want them to know about my birthday being soon though because it feels weirdly sacred, like Christmas being dedicated to spending time with family. At Christmas, most of the other girls left to go home for the break. I stayed at school with some girl named Cathy, who’s a self-proclaimed orphan with a rich, alcoholic uncle and blabbers about him all the time. Luckily, I got one crackly landline call from my family to escape from her.

I finally stop plummeting, landing in a rather supportive flowering shrub. I roll out of the bush, some brambles tangling in my hair—thankfully it’s pulled up, and I snake my way towards a creek. It’s quite beautiful out. It’s March 31st, which, according to the prep-school girls, should be a drizzly, frigid day. It’s around 12 degrees Celsius out. I sit with my legs pulled against my chest, so I can pull my school sweater over my bare knees, on some relatively smooth, mossy rocks near the creek’s shore. I see my reflection, set against the whites and light greens of the early blossoming trees in the distance, in the babbling, green-hued water. I’m still pale from the winter. I have box-dyed black hair, in the color ‘Midnight’, which is fading patchily; I did it in the airport bathroom in London in September when I was first sent to board. My dad left me at the airport alone, so the parentless paradise of England seemed like a pretty good place to express myself. I have hazel, green eyes that seem to match the color of the creek’s water.

I feel a tingle of nostalgia as I look up from the water. The surrounding shore is gravelly like Upstate. The trees are old and tall like Upstate.

I never was this sheltered, really. I am a pretty happy person, sunny even. Maybe I just feel scorned because of my parents.

I miss New York. I dip the tip of my right Oxford in the creek. The water is freezing still. At least the climate in New York is similar to England’s.

I suddenly grow more conscious of my surroundings; my eyes dart around at the nearly barren scenery before growing misty with remembrance. —— Suddenly, in my mind, it’s August. Jake stops our dad’s musty, antiquated cobalt-blue car in the middle of New York State. We both get out and sprint into a meadow, a little off the highway, that looks out to a mountain range. Jake yells something enthusiastically that cheers me up, but I can’t hear it now, it’s all garbled like I’m underwater. I’m really nervous still, but I start laughing.

We sit down in a patchy clearing in the meadow; the grass is just beginning to die. It’s a beautiful rust color in the evening sunlight. We talk and laugh some more. I pull a few blue and white wildflowers from the field, and I braid them gingerly together in my lap. He watches me and tries to do the same thing, but his fingers are larger and less gentle so they snap a few of the stems. We laugh. He asks me something, related to what I told him in the car. I can vaguely piece together one of my replies, speaking in a pretty cheerful, sincere tone,

“Oh, and I would have bouquets with ivy and Queen Anne’s Lace and peonies. And you would walk me down the aisle.”

He laughs at my inflection, but then he considers what I said. The conversation seems less foggy as it goes on. “Wouldn’t Dad walk you down the aisle?”

I suddenly turn serious, a grim look on my face, but I don’t know why. My hair’s still honey-blonde, and it matches the golden August sky, and it whips in my face slightly while I speak.

“Dad only cares about you, Jake. He was married to your Mom, not mine.”

He seems hurt by this, his brown eyes, the same color as the old, tall trees, widen slightly and he tries to respond. I continue despite this, my eyes feeling heavy from the unbearable truth. And tears. More from tears than the truth.

“I found something in the mail yesterday. Dad’s sending me to boarding school. In England. When you leave for the academy.” I enunciate bitterly, looking down at my lap at my loosely connected flower crown.

Jake starts crying. I don’t know what to do. My hands raise involuntarily to try and comfort him, and then he hugs me tightly. I start crying, tears drip down my cheeks as the wind continues to batter them. I hug him back. I squeeze him like I won’t see him ever again. Like he’s being drafted and it’s 1970. I grip the flower crown painfully hard in my hands, my arms wound around his back.

——

I feel the same wind beat against my face as I hug my knees closer to my chest. I’m still in the forest downhill to the school. I feel a little lightheaded. Suddenly, I recall what I said to Dad when he left me at the airport.

—— “You don’t care about us! Jake left for the police academy, so now you can remove us both from your insanely busy, tedious life by sending me away for school as well! How is that something that a selfless, caring parent would do?”

Dad defended himself loudly, but I couldn’t hear. The blood rushed in my ears too fast for me to hear what he said.

“Fine! You know what? I’m going to become a cop, just like Jake. And you’re going to have to deal with both of us abandoning your great expectations for our lives.”

He yelled something strong back, invective. “At least Jake will never be a—”

I didn’t allow him to finish his sentence before I slapped him. Because I knew that the next word—the way his lips curled around his front teeth as if he had savored waiting to say it—would be despicable.

——

I feel lightheaded as I recall this. I think I have a mild concussion. I flop over uselessly against the rocks, my vision dimming from the cool mist-colored skies to the warm black of subconsciousness. I dream of not being in England. I dream of home. I dream of being something more than a preparatory student in England. An American one. I dream of meeting with Jake again. I miss my brother. I hope the world will bring me back to him.

The sun pricks bright green dots in the darkness of my closed eyelids. Someone lifts me. They smell like cheap musk and sandalwood cologne and mop water. A dog sniffs at me. Oh, it’s the janitor. He had a dog? I think Jake would laugh if he saw me now. Or he would say, “Where did you go wrong?” And I would say, “I didn’t?” Or I would say, “When I slapped Dad and dyed my hair black and said I was going to become a detective and decided to label myself a ‘scorned daughter’ just like Cathy did. Nothing Cathy does is mature. I should've known.”

The janitor accidentally, feebly slipped into a puddle while carrying me. I’m muddy and my navy sweater is partially soaked and will probably smell like mildew even after the nurse sets it out to dry. His stubble grates the side of my face as he lifts me again; it feels like a handful of needles scraping against my cheek. Jake would probably laugh if he saw me. Now. Not probably, but 100% for sure. -----

[tinyfiramonglarches]

Am I the only one who thinks that literature references in Psycho-pass (especially Season 1) are absolutely unique? The book selection is quite usual for sci-fi/dystopia genre (1984 must never be missed) but interpretion of these books are absolutely unusual. It´s fun, sometimes little bit spicy or outright totally perverted... and, these references perfectly set into the plot and dialogues. Btw. if you read those books, have you noticed how much some of the referenced books change the content of the story or do they deepen its importance?

Two examples: William Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus- for me is inextricably linked to that Rikako Oryo case. It's pretty awful already. But if you compare the plot of the play with these few episodes you will find that Rikako is just "kinda weird" school girl with unusual interests. (yeah, be honest, she didn´t eat anyone, she is cutie pie...) José Ortega y Gasset - The Revolt of the Masses - The sociological study deals with a special type of people who do not belong to modern society. They may not be extremely exceptional, intelligent, but society will never accept them. Because they realize they are part of the crowd. And only this awareness separates them from society. And it makes perfect sense for Makishima´s identity. And also on the basis of which sybila selects its members.

[moonlight-fan2008]

Back on my Moonlight BS lol

Things I would have liked to see happen in season two (had we got a second season):

Btw: yes I know they had ideas for season 2 but I’m ignoring it (or most of it at least) since I think they were just ideas/drafts and not anything concrete. Plus it’s not like they ever came to fruition in the end anyway.

P.s: this turned out longer than I thought. I’m sorry 🙂

So here is my list in no particular order, sometimes with a reasoning:

1. What happens after the door closes or at least the morning after

2. A.d.a Talbot “interrogating” (so to speak) Guillermo the next day after getting the list of vampires names, Guillermo works in the coroner’s office so it won’t be too out of the ordinary for an A.D.A to be asking a technician questions which turn to personal chit chat questions.

3. As a result we get more information about Guillermo and he gets to be fleshed out a bit more and he’s also the first to suspect something is off about Talbot.

4. More human/vampire relationships that isn’t about drinking blood.

5. Even though Emma and Jackson were killed we still see vampires leaving L.A

6. More vampires that hate being vampires

7. Coraline returns (and not as a flashback), I like Shannyn Sossamon and I feel like there’s more that can be done about Coraline’s story

8. What is so special (in universe) about Beth and Coraline’s rare blood type

9. Have Coraline reveal why she choose to kidnap Beth

10. Lance returns, (yes he’s a bastard but I would like to see him help the L.A vampires even if it’s only for his own survival and not for any vampire solidarity)

11. A pregnancy scare or maybe Beth actually is pregnant (why? because I like drama that’s why) and it’s interesting on re-watch that even from the first episode, family and children are referenced quite a bit especially with episode “What’s left behind”

12. Beth freaks out about the pregnancy scare because she doesn’t know how far along she is it may be Josh’s baby but it looks more like it can be Mick’s baby

13. Talbot “invites” Mick to more and more crime scenes and now Mick is starting to suspect something is off about Talbot.

14. Somehow “The Cleaners” find out about the list Talbot has and immediately suspect Beth and Mick tries to defend her but they won’t listen because Mick and Beth are a couple, but Josef comes to her rescue and reveals she put a hit out on Dean Foster (the gross paparazzi from the episode Click) and the vampires back off Beth.

15. There’s drama about that reveal but Mick can’t be mad for long and he comes clean about killing Tejada (from episode love last forever)

16. A holiday episode nothing cheesy or anything, maybe there’s murders happening around Halloween and the killer is dressed like a vampire or something like that but this time it’s an actual vampire and not a human posing as a vampire like in episode one.

17. Vampires start disappearing because of the list people (I think the creators had intended to call them “The Legion” but that sounds more like a vampire cult than a group of people who hunt vampires. At least to me)

18. Mick finds out about the pregnancy scare/Beth being pregnant and gets worried about the response from the vampire community.

19. Return of the mortal cure

20. So I have two possible ideas for Det. Carl

A. He is part of “The Legion” and that’s a season finale reveal but at the start of season two and as season two progresses he acts more and more odd (Why? Drama and to give him more characterization)

B. He’s in a relationship with a vampire (I think it would be interesting and maybe he and Mick won’t be so hostile to each other and maybe they can go on double dates with Mick/Beth) and it would give the vampires an ally (this would be a mid-season finale reveal)

21. Beth has a baby and we get to see first time dad (and overprotective) Mick

22. Vampires who are stuck in some weird half-human/half-vampire existence (sort of like this vampire named Vladimir Tod in his series called The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod)

23. Something happens with Sarah Whitely

24. Beth and Mick move in together, I think it will more convenient for Beth to move in with Mick, just became his apartment is a little more secure and has all his vampire things hidden away in their secret compartments. 

25. More background information about Logan

26. Vampires going after Talbot

Are some of these ideas dumb? Maybe. Would they be good episodes? Idk probably not, lol but i don’t care. I just got bored and wanted to put my ideas out there

Was this a waste of time? Yes but I don’t care lol

[sprinklesandshatters]

A Review on NCT 127′s 3rd Album <Sticker>

So NCT 127 just came back with their 3rd Full Album <Sticker> and this is my first 127 comeback since I became a fan last year! Neozone is such a special album for me as it was their first album that I explored entirely. I've known NCT as the group who never fails any expectations so I've kept mine up although I know they'll exceed it anyway. And guess what, they did! I absolutely love their new album hence this review~

This isn't a technical music review—as I am not a musician myself—but rather a listener's honest takes, goofy notes, and interpretation on each of the tracks in the album. I admit I've also struggled to build my own opinions on some of the tracks until I listened to them over and over again.

I have also heard there are mixed opinions on the title track <Sticker> and a lot says it's another acquired taste. But I think it's not just that, as it can be a grower, just like how most of NCT's songs were for me. Maybe after a few listens and a right passage of time, it will grow on those people. The bottom line here is, I like it a lot! 😛

So I listed down the songs according to their respective track numbers and followed each with a bulleted list of my opinions and interpretations.

(Viewer/reader discretion: before you continue, minors, do not interact as there are few 18+ contents under the cut. Thank you.)

1. Sticker

THEY DIDN'T JUST PUNCH A NEW NOTCH ON THE BELT LIKE THAT

THIS SONG SLAPS, LITERALLY SLAPS… AND WHIPS 

The recorder at the intro boyyyy I thought something was wrong but then I remember it’s NCT lmao

It already stuck in my head from my first listen from the Instagram audio.

With Taeyong opening the verse with his divine rapping, I knew I'm in for a new ride.

STICK-UH STICK-UGH STICK-UGHGHGH

To those complaining it sounding like noise music, imagine it sounding generic. I don't think it would fit as the title track. Not a b-track or in their repertoire, even. They are called NCT because they define the NEO in the music culture and music technology!

It honestly was an unorthodox, just like all of their title tracks, which I’m inherently here for.

Literally, no one does it like them!

The growls and the vocal flexes and adlibs! (You can tell it has Yoo Youngjin's brand.)

The crisp metronome sound that’s consistently ticking except for the pre-chorus and the dance break adds depth to the soundscape. I love how it’s used instead of the usual snaps.

The production quality blew my mind. Like how can someone think those melodies would sound so exquisite? CAN I CALL THEM GENIUS?

The piano at the back, oh my God—Yes! It adds this mystifying element to the song.

I'm not sure if it's a midi violin at the pre-chorus, but it added thrill to the song. It was a great transition from the bass line in the verses to the combination of the flawless harmony with the same instrumental.

"You treat me like a boy, like a grown-up child chasing a dream" JUNGWOO BABY NO MORE HUH

Taeil, Doyoung, and Haechan—the bridge vocal trinity!

But why the heck are they cowboys? I dig the concept, but why? LMAO

BTW GUNSLINGER MARK I’M ON MY KNEES YEEHAW

This is easily one of my favorite tracks from NCT 127's entire discography 💚

2. Lemonade

(⌐■_■)

Jaehyun starting off this song with his deep voice eee

The song opens to a verse oozing with chill confidence. They're like, yeah you're lurking because we’re cool.

This is such a huge slap to their haters. NCT's not chillin' like a villain, nah they're the main characters!

Well maybe they’re villains, but still ya not cooler than them ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Funny enough how they could have just referred haters as simply lemons whose sour/bitter to the taste, but 127 squad's success is sweeter than all the haters' spiteful remarks so yeah, SIPPY SIPPY LEMONADE 🧃

"WOOF"

I might have just barked too wOW

Yuta’s vocals hooooO his voice just sounds so glamorous mhmm

Also Mark referencing their previous title tracks such as: Firetruck, Cherry Bomb, and Regular (it's Irregular in the lyrics) in his rap part 👌💅

I just love Mark's energy when he raps. HE RESOLUTELY BITES AND STRAIGHT UP EATS EVERY TIME HE DOES.

3. Breakfast

Now breakfast time, oh jeez!

AAAHAHFU—

Summer 127's bestie!

If Summer 127 talks about dancing all night long, Breakfast is the morning after.

You know what it is.

"Even if I gulp and drink you, it's not enough for me." oho Taeyong no you ha—STOP

Sexual innuendos aside, isn't it just sweet if someone tells you they'd want to have breakfast with you every day?  Okay maybe I'm melting at the thought 😩🙈💞

And I can see myself dancing to this song as I make breakfast (in the afternoon or at midnight bc I’m crazy)

This was an okay b-track for me at the first skim on the album, but boy it grew on me wildly.

Honestly one of my favorite tracks in this album.

4. Focus

Did I just invade a private call? LMAO

The analog voice filters make it like so.

Dude, this feels intimate in the level of eavesdropping a phone call between seasoned lovers. Then you realize you hear them whispering their kinks over the line and you're ooh, that's sexy! hfgklhfhf

My first listen to this, I almost went feral because,

"I can't wait to eat you…" when it's actually "I can't wait 'til we chill…" aahaha

"Baby call me when you want me." OKAY!

This sounds relaxing and chill. I'd love to play this on a late night drive or just before bed time along with Fly Away With Me, Sun & Moon, My Youth, and Long Flight.

Belongs to ‘make out session’ playlist  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

That was lowkey a playlist recommendation, huh?

I'd be kidding if I don't say I could touch myself while listening to this song AHAHAFGHFJFJ

I didn't know this would grow on me this much lol I love love LOVE THIS!

5. The Rainy Night

Ooh, the holy melancholy!

Piano at the intro—I knew I'd cry to this.

This song isn't just about break-up, but the heartbreak after one.

The yearning; the remnant pieces from the shattering of what was once there.

I think I crumbled from this one.

This hit so hard I felt like I fit in the shoes with the lyrics throughout the entire song.

What’s fascinating is I clearly forgot the title when I mentally said this sounds like a sad rainy day song from the first listen.

Something I’d turn up when it suddenly rains, just because I want to feel the blues.

Taeil and Haechan singing in lower register? I wanna cry :( they’re just one of the best vocalists in K-music industry right now.

Could have been also nice if they added Yuta to the vocals.

"My selfish heart who waits for you to come back," OKAY WHO HURT THEM?

And the fact that they sang it so good that it translated every ounce of the emotions well even before I looked up for English translations is the reason why I love this song too.

6. Far

Hmm… What the hell?! Do I like this? Wait...

Alright!

The jumpy vibe from the first verse to the pre-chorus set the mood for this song. It sounds merry and heavy. It was honestly too much to take until I’ve reached the chorus part.

Honestly, I think this song could fit NCT Dream better, as it gives off a vibe similar to Hello Future's b-tracks. If some credible source say this could have made HF’s track list, I might believe you too fast.

Also Dream’s Deja Vu where they go na nananananana na na na~

Playful yet confident! That’s what I mean!

As usual, the vocals are insane! Vocal flex from left to right!

I swear Jungwoo sounded a bit like Taemin at the second verse that I had to replay it hahaha

I love hearing Johnny as a vocalist! SM, how many signs do you need until you utilize his vocal talent???

Taeil's part where he sings, "go nuts, go nuts, 'til we go bust, go bust" IDEK BUT I SNORTED A LAUGH AT FIRST LISTEN HFCAHKFHK

Not my favorite, but still great though!

But wait it’s actually stuck in my head???

7. Bring The Noize

Yes, they never beat those noise music allegations

HERE'S SOME NOIZE, BITCHES

I love me some noisy percussions. AND THE BASS YO

This screams so much confidence!

The build up from the pre-chorus to the chorus—FIRE!

This song reminds me a lot of SuperM's Super Car, especially with the engine roar samples and the battle cry-like singing at the chorus.

JAEHYUN RAPPING? You mean Jaehyun the visual, the vocalist, the actor, the model, the funny dude, aka my everything?! (markie bb look pls look away for a moment)

THEY DELIVERED IT STRAIGHT FROM NEOCITY THAT'S SOME NCT MUSIC RIGHT THERE NO ONE DOES IT LIKE THEM

When I said I'd play Focus on a late night drive, and if I add this in the playlist, VROOM VROOM SPEED LIMIT WHAT

OUTTA MY WAY

“We got no shame” ouh TAEYONG’S FLOW IS JUST VERY HIM AND HE’S IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN

You know what's so clever about this song? It's how it ended with Mark's final rap without any instrumental, leaving you  standing there with a doppler effect-like post experience.

A super car on a super speed just whooshed past you and you look its way as it zips through the road. It's gone in an instant but you're floored dumbfounded at a sidewalk. That's how I describe this song.

8. Magic Carpet Ride

This song… Wow. Oh gosh it's so beautiful.

Their harmony in the chorus—it makes me want to kiss someone so passionately that I'd cry.

This makes me want to feel love that transcends the universe. Literally, just please take me on a magic carpet ride :(

The background harmonies too oh my goodness—HEAVENLY.

Jaehyun's voice is so warm and soulful it fits perfectly with songs of this genre.

Okay alright Doyoung Grande!

And Taeil makes me feel like I'm listening to old school R&B.

The first time I heard this from the track video, I can't stop replaying because it's just that great.

This makes me want to love. I think that sums it up.

9. Road Trip

This is such a soothing song for me, especially how I easily become nostalgic thinking about the road trips I've had.

Whenever I listen to this, my brain immediately conjures up thoughts of my ideal getaways. Gazing at the sky through the car window, stirring up from a nap in the middle of the ride, and   eventually reaching your destination.

Oh, to travel around anywhere... (curse you covid-19)

Okay that's it. I'M PACKING UP.

But where do I go—

I could also imagine Mark playing this on the guitar and the other members sing along together, something like that.

Just Wholesome™ vibes.

I love how it evokes such a nice emotion within me effortlessly.

This isn't my favorite, but I still love this.

10. Dreamer

Eyyyy such a refreshing song!

This song is so bright it makes me want to dance. I play this first in the shower!

It reminds me so much of Elevator (from Neozone)

The horns make it more lively I think!

Yuta and Jungwoo's voice suits lively songs like this.

The background vocal in low register in Taeyong's part in the first verse is so good ahhfhf

Taeil, the R&B vocal king you are...

There's this part where Doyoung and Johnny harmonized, that at first listen they seemed to clash, but it sounded actually fine after a few listens. Maybe it's just that I've never heard them do it before.

And I think it's Doyoung's laugh at the end of the bridge? Oh my goodness I really love this too!

11. Promise You

MY FIRST LOVE AND MOST FAVORITE SONG IN THE ALBUM!!!

The first time I heard this from their NCIT Sharehouse Sitcom, I fell in love with the song already.

It sounds like something you'd feel from a warm, welcoming hug.

The lyrics are so beautiful and endearing. It's definitely a be-there-for-you type of song that will touch your heart.

It definitely sounds like a promise.

A song about platonic intimacy.

This really fits to be the closing song of the album. It's like the end of it but holds a promise that says “see you soon.”

Because they cherish their fans like that.

It's also like I've watched a movie with a happy ending, where the camera pans up to the clear sky and this song starts playing.

Speaking of ending, I would love to hear them sing this as an encore stage in their concert. You know, that moment just before the stage lights die down at the end of the concert where they send final blows of flying kisses to NCTzens. Then you come home smiling and crying.

This wasn't supposed to be this long since I originally planned to write this with just simple phrases and emojis but I got too engrossed lol. I also meant to include my own ratings but I figured it’s pointless since I can’t really decide about them hahaha

I really enjoyed the whole album and I love how they're progressively defining what NEO means by breaking through standards. It's not NCT music if it doesn't make you say "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?" But then you realize it’s stuck in your head and you’re enjoying it already.

✨ OVERALL RATING: 127/10 💚

if you’ve reached until here, thank you for letting me share you a braincell or two 💞

[hopefullystillatheatrestudent]

this might be a weird thought but the way jensen performs masculinity (and i KNOW it’s a performance cause like, have you SEEN the mockumentary?) is just.... so inherently queer to me lmao

ok. okokokokokok. you asked for this. i have a LOT of thoughts on this. it’s gonna be under a cut because i’m gonna be annoying and psychoanalyse a celebrity i’ve never met(and hope i never do) but trust and believe when i tell you i know what i’m talking about so

you want my opinion? here goes. there is absolutely no way jensen ackles is straight. i hear you, ‘how do you know that he’s bi? that’s invasive and creepy’ but may i counter that point by saying how do you know he’s straight???? why is the default for everyone heterosexual? that’s a toxic mentality to have; ‘oh you don’t know for sure so just treat him like he’s 100% straight just in case’ like....what? heteronormativity drives me wild i’m sorry

and also, um, just to, um, prove my point that this man is decidedly not straight™(i really don’t want to do this but like it has to be said) we KNOW he’s not straight because his d*ck has spoken for itself around misha, like, four times. I HATE SAYING IT!!!!!!! but, um, straight men don’t get aroused by men. ...do i really need to explain myself further???? that’s what i thought(and don’t give me the ‘it could have been for unrelated reasons’ or ‘that wasn’t a boner!’ crap because um good lord yes it was and misha caused every single one so no it wasn’t a coincidence i’m gonna move on before i collapse into myself like a dying star)

anyway, on to the topic at hand which is jensen and his performative masculinity. and it’s a juicy one.

after the unconscious amount of hours i’ve put into watching and subconsciously judging jackles, i have come to the conclusion that like, 90% of how he presents himself and talks and even moves is an act. it’s a facade. it’s a shield. he is not that person. it actually seems exhausting, because he tries to compose himself in this macho, manly, confident and effortlessly cool way, but he’s not that person he desperately wishes he was and wants to be perceived as. he’s on guard every second, even the slightest tilt of his head is like, pre-meditated in some way? if i’m going FULL body language analyst mode, i’ve noticed he has a certain posture he always shifts himself into, and it’s very ‘pursed lips, stoic faced, gruff voiced, square-shoulder, broad and manly’ but, not to be rude jensen, it kind of reads as a little kid imitating the adults he thinks are cool? oof i am going IN huh(it’s out of love though i promise)

he is trying to be this person at every second:

because that’s who he wishes he was, because that’s how he gets validation from the people around him that he looks up to; straight white guys. but to me, who he presents himself to be at conventions is just as much of a performance as this whole eye of the tiger bit is.

oh i should mention i know his body language isn’t naturally like that because how he naturally carries himself is actually pretty flamboyant? like he seriously must be toning himself down HARD

examples:

there’s no tension in his body here as opposed to the eye of the tiger gif. i’d describe it as...generally loose and free? he’s at ease when he moves like that and you can see it.

oh and dude!!! DUDE!!!! how could i not mention the fucking SPECTACLE that is his voice??? jensen. i watched season one. i know where your voice naturally sits. THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU SOUND LIKE. and there have been so many accounts of fans visiting jensen in his trailer and being surprised that his real voice is two octaves higher. again, his performance of masculinity is all encompassing. he can’t even talk normally because, in his mind, that’s a chink in his armour.

and, like you said, anon, this whole smokes-and-mirrors gong show of ‘i am the cool texan man�� is inherently queer. who are you trying to impress??? guys??? that’s pretty gay dude.(btw: gay[honorary])

i feel like i’ve already read this man for filth but i have to keep going bc i have so much to say

ok next thing i’m gonna talk about is how jensen says one thing but everything else about him tells us the exact opposite. another HUGE element of performative masculinity, ONE THAT DEAN WINCHESTER IS A MASTER OF. have i mentioned how dean and jensen are like mirrors of each other when it comes to their sexuality and queer identity??? because it is fascinating how everything i say about jensen also directly applies to dean.

allow me to introduce the grumpy face™. as in, the face he glues on when he’s enjoying doing something but doesn’t want to let anyone know it. and it’s ALWAYS when he’s doing something that could be seen as unmanly in any way. (and when i say manly i mean the ‘ideal’ version of manhood that doesn’t really exist but that jensen seems to be striving for[and dean too])

prime example is this video he did with daneel. the grumpy face™ doesn’t budge the whole time as he’s like,,,,playing an instrument and acting like he doesn’t want to bc i guess that’s too girly??? but i also find this video fascinating because the joke IN it is kind of that they’re both poking fun at him for being so insecure about playing a freaking flute. because, i mean, he gets into it, but he wants you to think he is not.

also this picture.

what is this. i hate them. jensen is smushing himself into misha’s forehead but noooo his face is telling us ‘i hate this’ because CLEARLY he does. also misha’s so happy ew gross

he does that face in photo ops with misha ALL THE TIME but how many times has he also literally asked the con goers if he can also have those photos on his phone too? because of course he actually loves touching misha and is actually a sentimental fool but he tries so hard to hide it and fails so spectacularly.

oh and this. and of COURSE this. actually let’s talk about the hitch kiss for a hot minute because it’s a perfect example of exactly what i’m talking about

(he is so transparent guys. he tries so hard but he’s so obvious.)

1. misha was never supposed to be onstage with him. so it’s a boldface LIE and OBVIOUS PLOY TO GET MISHA TO KISS HIM when he says ‘they’d like us to make out now’. but of course the way he says it is ‘oh my god can you believe what these crazy panel people are making us do haha but i mean what they say goes amirite’. same energy as ‘oh my god did you just dare us to kiss rn???’ ‘....no i didn’t’ ‘oh my god i can’t believe you’d ask that haha but i can’t say no to a dare lol’ it’s the SAME THING

2. the fact that he was in the worst mood before misha came onstage and FAKE KISSING HIM made him feel...SO?? much better? like not just a little better a lot better like, again, that says a lot, because if they weren’t dating he would not be in a better mood if misha kissed his cheek unprompted. bc that cheek kiss wasn’t a joke it was a genuine sign of affection and AHHHH

3. after the kiss happens. you know, the one that jensen actively leans into and is smiling like an idiot the whole time through and is quite clearly having the time of his life during....he says ‘well, that was uncomfortable’. .......my guy. um. i don’t know how to tell you that i do in fact have eyes and you are NOT pulling the fast one you think you are

like i’m so sorry jensen but i have you pegged. it’s literally no use.

god there’s so many instances of him doing this with misha specifically. the whole ‘ew gross lol’ but then everything about him tells us the exact opposite. like this(i hate this. how dare he say ‘he has though, hasn’t he?’ LIKE THAT?????)

so yeah my point with that is he really wants us to think he is one thing when he is the antithesis of what he’s trying to be. he really likes those things that he talks down about, and everything he’s loudly projecting is all to hide how he really feels. he went to a gay bar with daneel, for crying out loud. he wants to play a role in drag. he’s queer and he likes it. pov: you’re jensen ackles train of thought: ‘ok so i really like this thing that people might make fun of me for or call me gay for liking so if i just say ‘lol as if’ and make a grossed-out face they will be FOOLED. i am a genius. hey misha wanna blow on my ear lol i meAN GROSS EW’

i have two more things i want to talk about when it comes to this topic so PLEASE bear with me anon this is why you took so long to answer clearly lmao

ok so we’re now going to go over my favorite hot take of all time. which is ‘how do we know dean’s performing masculinity? because sam isn’t.’ only replace dean with jensen and sam with jared and oh my god do we ever have a case

jared is as STRAIGHT as they come. he is secure in that knowledge. and that’s why he is perfectly comfortable treating misha like this:

and not try to scream ‘i am not enjoying doing this!!!!!!’ at us. because he doesn’t care what we think of his sexuality like jensen does(because he has nothing to hide whereas jensen DOES)

something i found the other day that no one has brought up but i SCREAMED upon finding it is this one clip THAT I CAN’T FIND OH GOD but i promise i’m not making it up. i can’t believe i can’t find it guys it is gold. i need need NEED to talk about it. and if anyone knows what i’m referencing and can apply links in any way i will love you forever but here’s what happens off the top of my head:

ok so i’m a bit too braindead to explain it perfectly but um basically it’s a j2 panel and someone brings up magic mike and i think jared says ‘yeah i didn’t watch it’ and then jensen says ‘all the way through’. stupid joke. whatever. the joke is that jared is gay for watching magic mike.

and then i literally kid you not. jared gets this like ‘jesus christ ok dude? lol’ look on his face and then goes ‘projecting much, mr. ackles?’ and jensen gets a guilty look on his face and walks away. and jared did not say it as a joke. he was being dead pan and earnest. and jensen knew it too, he knew he was projecting. i wish i could show you guys the clip i promise if i ever find it i’ll link it but IS THAT NOT SO DAMNING FOR JENSEN????? like come ON. also proves my point that when you compare how they feel about watching magic mike. jared doesn’t care bc watching it just doesn’t interest him, but he also thinks that just watching it in itself doesn’t make you gay. jensen however.......has a different mindset, clearly.

‘projecting much, mr. ackles?’ is actually a great title for my next and FINAL section(we’re almost there folks) which is how jensen projects his insecurites about his own sexuality and relationship with misha onto misha.

i hope by now we’ve all seen this video of jensen impersonating cas. it is a blatant microaggression on his part. and like obviously homophobic. it’s like in his mind if he makes fun of them for being gay it makes them both less gay somehow??? it’s self-deprecation in a way??? let’s just tell it like it is: that impression was just jensen��s overt internalized homophobia rearing it’s ugly head. he does it a LOT too when it comes to misha.

i mean:

and that whole mess where he’s making fun of misha for being a bottom in their panel in 2016? ‘so you’re saying, like with football terms, there’s a handler and there’s a receiver heheheehe’ jensen you’re not exempt from being gay just because you know football terms lmao

oh and his OTHER impression of misha where he mocks him for...bicycling...because it’s not a manly enough sport??? jensen NO ONE else has ever thought this hard in their lives about what constitutes as masculine enough to be a sport before. that’s all you bud. we don’t find those jokes nearly as funny as you do. you are reaching, sir

the good news is that misha thinks it’s hilarious and knows it’s projecting on jensen’s part and will tease him endlessly for it. many stories come to mind, like that one photo op story where they’re literally dressed in rainbow banners and pride stickers but when misha goes to hold his hand jensen said something like ‘no way’ and then misha stepped back, put his hands on his hips and went ‘that’s the part that’s too gay for you???’ and jensen LOST it

or when that whole underwear thing happened(messy messY MESSY BTW) and then a fan asked a question about what dean and cas would do in rome and misha just said ‘when in rome’ and jensen makes a face like ‘are you serious’ and then misha says ‘you can’t look at me like that anymore, because of what you did!!!!!!’

OH and that whole story about when misha suggested they put jensen in the closet for that cat video....yeah um

and then when jensen was asked to do bisexual finger guns for a photo op and the con goer said ‘he looks bisexual here’ and misha literally said ‘oh he definitely looks bisexual here. i would say he’s actually closer to the gay side of the spectrum’ so..um...make with that as you will

OH MY GOD i’m finally done. wow. WOW. that was a lot. i hope i’ve blown your minds. ty anon i really wanted to talk about this and i hope you’re happy with the outcome!!!!!!

[lovelyelbowleech]

ms. leech!!! it’s hair anon!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!

oh boy going into depth’s gonna be hard because i’m feeling a Lot but. the short of it is is this chapter gave me pretty much EVERYTHING i wanted. hakoda finding out zuko’s name, that he’s a firebender, and slowly coming to accept the fact that he’s just fire nation? check check and CHECK. and bato and panuk both wanting to protect him too :’) zuko and sokka’s conversation by the river was incredible btw. zuko confessing to sokka genuinely upset me, and when they hugged it made me tear up. (also, idk if you’ve read the comics [no judgement here if you haven’t, i haven’t read most of them and don’t accept most of them as canon for the sake of my own sanity lmao] but there’s a short one set between the second and third season i believe that like. very much matches the dynamic you’re trying to show with him trying to accept how much sokka has bonded with zuko, except the comic is much less serious because it’s about sokka’s growing fondness for fire nation food. the thing i’m referencing isn’t that deep but i just thought it was neat that there was official lore backing up the way you’re portraying hakoda and his thoughts, even if the lore itself is a little silly. if you don’t know what i’m talking about, i can try to submit it to you! <3)

also, on a technical level, having hakoda function essentially as an omnipotent narrator during the river scene while still being a single viewpoint is INSANE, full compliments, and i’m literally so impressed and am definitely going to steal that for my own works in the future. but seriously, like. just the plot device of having hakoda be injured and trapped, so that way there is a 1) biased narrator for max emotional points (hakoda thinking that he’s going to watch sokka die literally made me gasp, and that isn’t something we’d get with a standard third-person omnipotent narrator) and 2) still a mostly-functional omnipotent narrator whose only lack in omnipotence is being unable to read sokka and zuko’s mindsets, although he’s good enough at it/unbiased enough that the readers trust his judgment, which then 3) resolves in a way that both is relevant to the plot in general and keeps zuko and sokka’s (although primarily zuko’s at the end of the chapter lmao) actions relevant to hakoda’s narration? literally genius shit. like god-tier writing. i got my undergraduate degree in creative writing and that makes me want to write an essay about it. holy SHIT. this is all to say thank you SO much for sharing your wiring with us, as always, and i will be waiting patiently and SO EAGERLY for the next chapter :’) i hope you’re having a good night/day!!

Hi Hair!Anon! I always look forward to your comments 😁

I am glad you enjoyed the POV - it was bloody hard to write - this whole chapter was like pulling teeth! 😂 On several occasions I did wonder what the hell I was trying to do! (Ii am hoping the next one will be easier!)

I have not read the comic you mentioned (I have read bits of the comics, but not all of them, and not in any sort of coherent order- although I know vaguely what happened in them) but I like the idea there is some official lore backing up my nonsense!

I am glad you are still enjoying the fic! ❤️

[tempenensis]

Hi, I forgot to include the link for the post I'm talking about so I’m resending the ask, sorry about that. About the tweet and your notes given in that post, I think I know why they’re different. There are quite a few other tweets (1), (2) that also mentioned the same thing about the reifu pattern on vol 16 as in that it represents "loneliness" based on the kanji. The image they referenced is taken from the Chintaku Reifu Cards [鎮宅霊符カード] series. A preview of the cards can also be seen in this link. I'm not proficient in nihongo so I don't understand the summary by Amazon JP but according to "Google Translate"-san, it seems to say that the "Chintaku Reifu Cards" is a series of 72 reifu or talisman cards for warding against disasters and it's based on the 64 hexagrams of I Ching with the year divided into 72 to represent the seasons with the religion god as the North Star in Daoism. Please correct me here cos I strongly suspect I have misinterpreted the summary.

I'm also not an expert on Daoism philosophy, its folklore practices or the I Ching (they are very complicated and difficult subjects only fully understood by religion experts and university researchers) but luckily there are some for-dummies posts on talismans here (1), (2), (3). Notably they talk about the “Chintaku-nanajuni-reifu” [鎮宅七十二霊符], a set of 72 talismans composed of stylized star diagrams and talismanic script. As mentioned by one of the links, the deity associated with the Chintaku-nanajuni-reifu is Chintaku Reifujin in Japan, Myōken Bosatsu in Buddhism or Zhenwu (Xuan Tian Shang Di) the Perfected Warrior in Chinese Daoism. The title of the 72 talismans (Taishang zhenzai lingfu in Chinese) is only one of the many names attributed to them but basically they are meant for stabilizing the fengshui of the home and safeguard the household against unclean things and disasters. The "Taishang" refers to Taishang Laojun (太上老君), the revered Daoist god who also made a cameo in the Journey to the West novel. The famous philosopher Lao-tzu (Li Erh) is said to be his incarnation and legend has it that he wrote the Tao Te Ching and left it with the border guard before disappearing over the horizon of the western borders on his water buffalo, never to be seen again. It’s not known exactly who created the talismans in the first place but onmyojis were known to adopt them in their arsenal too. If you compare the preview image of the Chintaku Reifu Cards with the Taishang zhenzai lingfu, you will notice that the patterns for both sets are actually the same. But the pattern for the “loneliness” reifu from the cards and tweets actually has a different meaning in the Taishang zhenzai lingfu (cropped from the Zhihu answer which has all the 72 talismans). In the out-of-print “Taoism and the Arts of China”(p. 310), the talisman is said to protect against “abnormalities in the shape of pigs, cats, dogs, or all those that eat their own young,” which is what the Chinese sources are also saying. The sitting figure in the middle of the illustration on the right is Xuan Tian Shang Di or Chintaku Reifujin. "Google Translate"-san can help verify the text itself if you don’t mind machine translation. For further comparison, here’s the Chintaku-nanajuni-reifu from Hoshida Myoken Shrine in Osaka. You can make out the words for the talisman from the picture and they should have the same meaning.

Sad to say, I still don’t know why the reifu cards have such a different meaning. Maybe there will be an answer for those who have much better nihongo-tsu. All I can say (after such a long-winded ask, gomen again) is that for people who want to adjust the fengshui of their homes, it’s probably better to consult certified experts rather than tinker on their own. The Komatsu-ji Minamiboso that have been mentioned by one of the links above is a Shingon Buddhist temple with info about omamori and nice cat pictures (scroll down). For the more adventurous, you can read about the 64 hexagrams and 8 Trigrams of I Ching here: (1), (2).

Btw I will have to decline translating the mountain of archaic words from the Chinese sites == It’s just pain (to infinity), trust me.

Btw again, there’s an interesting tweet about the talismans in jjk ch2 referring to the Chintaku-nanajuni-reifuas well which includes link to a Taisho-era book about it.

Oh, no, no, thank you for the long winded ask. Now I understand where the disparity comes from. Onmyouji talisman is also derived from reifu and they may have different meanings from the one originated in Chinese.

(Also looks that there is a bit difference between kodoku reifu and the cover pattern , forgive my nitpicky eyes)