#but I’m quirky and goofy and silly you see.

[redhotarsenic]

Doing an attack on the person who drew j’ihwu and aghghh the detail work I’ve been doing for the past threeish hours straight

[bloop-bl00p]

Are the suffering and consequences in the room with us?

For a place that is supposed to be Hell, there’s little to no effort into showing that these people are punished. Not necessarily by the Hellborns, I very much like the approach of “Hell is other people” but the writers failed at showing us this aspect. Vivziepop's version of Hell feels more like L.A. painted in red. And that’s disappointing.

It’s still a messed up place but outside of episode 4, there’s no real investment in making sure we understand that this is HELL. We see people do drugs yet we see nobody in a zombie-like state on the street. The closest we had was a randoe in Happy Day in Hell but it was a joke.

This is something very blatant with HH, most of the time, when something serious is presented it’s a joke (Sexual assault, drugs, etc...) It’ll depend on whether you're Viv's favorite character or not.

*cough*

Sir Pentious was not.

*cough*

You also see this in how they approached the crimes committed by characters, most of them did messed up things but Charlie never tries to address these despite being the one supposed to care about redemption.

Vaggie participated in genocide, she was angry but for one episode only, and her rant to Alastor was too light-hearted to be taken seriously (again a joke). Rewatch the scene, with an Alastor that doesn't give a damn, the funny music in the background, her goofy facial expression and tone, that’s not taking it seriously narratively.

Alastor was a serial killer and took pleasure in torturing his victims. Currently, he’s a cannibal and slave owner, Charlie does nothing about it. I’m not asking her to free Husk and Nifty we don’t know if she really can, but she could have had a conversation asking Al to not torture people during his stay at the hotel or treat his employees like humans and not pets.

Angel Dust was part of the mafia. From what we’ve seen he isn't against killing people, in fact, he seems to like it.

Every time we see him fight he’s smiling and enjoying himself, it’s said in the pilot that he’ll never miss an opportunity to help Cherry fight in those turf wars of hers. But his problem is druUuUUugs (this is an issue but that’s the only thing pointed out.)

That’s even more noticeable with the cannibals… who are nice? Whoa… you’re saying that the people whose whole culture is to jump you at your most vulnerable, tear through your flesh with teeth and hands just to feast on you in the middle of the street are actually silly guys and gals who like meat a bit too much. How charming ☺️

She was more annoyed that guts and blood went into her eye than anything.

There isn’t enough effort to showcase the horrors of living in a place where your only chance to survive is to be physically stronger and a good manipulator. When we’re shown something awful like “murders or cannibalizing someone” it’s presented as quirky, and funny, and nobody really mentions it. Aren't we supposed to believe that Hell is a bad place as a whole? Is Extermination really the only thing we have to worry about?

What’s the point of adding concepts like forced labor, addiction, and an unfair hierarchical system if you’re not going to show the viewer the horrendous reality of these things?

Vivziepop needs to pick a consistent tone for her series, there’s nothing wrong with joking about murders and EdgyyYyy humor, but that makes the audience detach from the reality of these things and they will have a hard time caring for a character the second they are portrayed as bad. Especially when the transition between funny and serious is from one episode to another.

“Angel and Husk are suffering!!!!!”

The characters that are supposed to be addicts are sober every time we see them on screen. We see Husk drink alcohol directly from the bottle and rather than showing that the toxins are affecting his body by making him sluggish and/or on the verge of vomiting he’s still able to stand still and hold a conversation perfectly. Even if Husk drank like a sailor, there’s so much alcohol your liver can take before eventually letting it affect your system.

But maybe we could use his addiction in a way to reinforce the fact that he isn't free.

Think of it like this, show a few scenes where Husk is excessively drinking experiencing bad hangovers, and not doing his job correctly as a whole. Vaggie complains about this to Alastor saying that til now he has done nothing significant to help the hotel and the employees he brought aren’t even behaving properly. She threatens him saying that he might get kicked out if this continues.

To that, Alastor could later threaten Husk saying he better fix his drinking habits or he’ll broadcast his scream or whatever. Later Husk would still be drinking but you could have little details of Alastor side-eyeing him and him just letting go of his bottles. He’ll still be sluggish but he’ll make sure he’s sober enough to keep The Radio Demon happy.

We never really felt like Husk’s movements were controlled by Alastor, he was just brought into the hotel without his concent, that sucks, but he can still converse normally with the others. In the Pilot, he insulted Deer Boe in his face with no repercussions. A few more scenes like the one in episode 5 to reinforce the power dynamics between him and Al wouldn't kill.

And Angel Dust how many scenes do we see him do drugs yet his body is able to take it all?

He’s supposed to be an addict, there are few mentions of him hiding things in his room but it's all talking! Talking is not bad, you can talk, but it’s boring and holds NO substances when there isn't SHOWING. Imagine this:

Charlie is worried because it’s been an hour and Angel hasn't come back to the Hotel, she knows his schedule as a sex worker is extremely busy but she usually knows when he comes back and he didn't respond to any of her messages.

Before she could go out to search for him, Cherry burst out into the room, a beaten and knocked out Angel on her shoulder. She was barely standing herself as she was also injured, with many cuts freshly bleeding mainly on her arms and face.

Charlie and the other help her get Angel to his room to tend to his wounds and Cherry’s. When she asks for an explanation Bomb explains that Angel couldn't buy his usual stash of drugs at the local store he went to anymore, as it got plundered right after the end of the extermination, the owner was killed and the shop was vulnerable to thieves.

Angel was looking for a very rare type of drug, made in the Gluttony ring, usually, the things made there take you quickly to cloud nine practically knocking you out in the process. The store he bought it from was the only one with prices affordable enough for him.

He eventually found a gang that was willing to give him a very small portion of drugs in exchange for money. Except that he didn't have nearly enough for what they were asking but he still went with it just after his work in one of Val’s clubs, already a shitty idea since he was exposed to many illicit substances when working with the moth so he wasn’t clean.

Obliviously the gang didn't accept a slip payment and tried to rob and take advantage of him. Cherry stepped up, fought a bit, and escaped with Angel, thanks to her smoke bombs, before things could get too serious. She goes on a small rant about how she and Angel are friends and they mutually help each other, when her wounds are patched up she leaves not before asking Angel to call her when he wakes up. Before she could go Charlie proposed to her to stay at the hotel but Cherry refused stating that there were people in the street who probably needed her help, but she might send people to Charlie’s hotel if she felt like they couldn’t survive in the street.

There’s probably a lot I could fix with this story but that’s just a quick example. What did I manage to convey without blatantly saying it? Angel Dust isn’t in a great financial situation, his addiction is so bad that he’s willing to put himself in danger just to get his hand on the strongest dope and Hell is a fucked up place. I didn't say it I showed it and since you’re smart you understood the subtext.

Some will say that there’s Extermination, but first, we just learned that they can fight back and they have a year to prepare themselves so the stakes are lesser.

Second, it’s surprisingly easy to get angelic weapons.

Someone like Striker managed to get multiple angelic weapons to kill Stolas and a rope that neutralized his powers.

An imp, the cockroach of the society, either his killing business is extremely successful or Carmilla’s prices aren’t that high. And don’t go tell me “Stealaa bought it!!” that’s never implied or stated.

Plus the angel leaves these in the open, I’d say it’s quite easy to get one of those right after an Extermination, nobody was surprised Vaggie has a spear so it feels like it’s common for someone to have them.

[impeerpressure]

hi instagram made me angry

Hi I’m a mlm boy. I like dudes. I am a dude who kisses other men. Hi wsp what’s good.

If you aren’t aware, the term ‘fujoshi’ literally means rotten girl. It is used by girls who consume yaoi/bl content. They are calling themselves ‘rotten’ or ‘sinful’ for enjoying gay content. This is an issue, and if you are in fact capable of critical thinking I’m sure you can see why.

I want to be entirely clear with this: I do not have an issue with girls/non-mlm consuming mlm content. That is not a problem AT ALL. There are a lot of really good mlm stories and character out there and they should be appreciated. The issue comes when non-mlms start writing or romanticizing awful, abusive relationships in fiction just because it’s mlm. The biggest example of this I can think of is Killing Stalking, a mlm webtoon that showcased an absolutely horrid relationship.

It also becomes an issue when these non-mlm fujoshi (or whatever version of the term they decide to use) start carrying this mlm obsession over into the real world. There are countless stories of mlms being asked if they’re a ‘uke’ or a ‘seme’ after revealing their relationship or sexuality. There are hundreds of accounts of non-mlms obsessively shipping boys from their schools just because it’s gay and they think they’re so quirky and silly and goofy for it. Shipping real people is weird. Shipping real people just because it’s gay is weirder.

You should not be proud to call yourself a ‘rotten girl’ for liking mlm ships. Viewing mlm ships and people solely as a twisted form of entertainment is not support or allyship.

And if you’re a trans/non-binary/gender-questioning/etc person who’s using mlm content to explore your own gender and sexuality, that is okay! There’s nothing wrong with using content to figure that out because again, there is nothing wrong with non-mlms consuming mlm content as long it isn’t only harmful content or you aren’t bothering real people with it.

I can’t stress that point enough. Consume and create all the kinds of content you like! mlm content isn’t solely for mlm people! That being said, if you find an account that’s labeled as mlm only, don’t be an asshole and respect that. Some places are simply meant for support and as safe spaces. Just don’t cross any boundaries, don’t romanticize toxic and abusive relationships, and leave real people alone. And for the love of the stars, don’t call yourself a ‘rotten girl’ for enjoying mlm content or refer to your favorite mlm ship as ‘sinful.’ That’s just all kinds of harmful.

[therecordconnection]

Ranting and Raving: "Video!" by Jeff Lynne

There is no such thing as the “Cult Classic” anymore. Today, if a movie fails or a television series flops, it’s just removed and completely forgotten without a second thought. With physical releases no longer having the same cultural weight as before, it makes media preservation even harder. I hear if you complain long enough about this and get caught, Netlfix or Hulu or Pooblo or Tuubah or whatever else comes to your house and hits you with the Neuralyzer from Men in Black so you’ll shut up.

In the eighties, this wasn’t the case. Movies could brick at the box office, but they might get lucky and find their audiences later on through cable or video rentals or just really good word of mouth. Xanadu still exists today and has love because HBO kept showing it during its infancy and LGBTQ audiences eventually latched onto it (though that’s probably more due to the everlasting power of Olivia Newton-John’s gay fanbase). Phantom of the Paradise owes its continued love and existence to Guillermo Del Toro, the Daft Punk robots, and all of Winnipeg, Canada really loving that movie. I’m with them in that boat (Phantom is one of my favorite movies). Electric Dreams, a 1984 science fiction-tinged romantic comedy, exists today purely through video rentals and good word of mouth.

Electric Dreams is a wonderfully weird cult classic in every sense of the word. It has a very lovably goofy eighties rom-com setup and delivery: Miles Harding (Lenny Von Dohlen), a loser tech nerd geologist who gets no bitches, falls in love with his new apartment neighbor Madeline Robistat (Virginia Madsen), a quirky and beautiful cellist. They're an unlikely pair in every conceivable way, but they fall for each other. The only problem is that Miles' fancy new supercomputer (who becomes sentient and later identifies himself as “Edgar”) would like to see Miles destroyed so that he can be with her instead. Edgar then does everything in his power to ruin Miles’ life and his chances to be with Madeline. Eventually, Edgar comes to accept the love between Miles and Madeline and they get their happily-ever-after. 

On paper, the whole thing probably sounded silly to a 1984 audience, which might be why nobody bothered to see it at the time, but Electric Dreams fucking rules. Von Dohlen and Madsen are great and have such an odd yet instantly lovable chemistry with each other that you can’t help but root for them (it helps that they were good friends instantly and remained that way until Van Dohlen passed away in 2022). Steve Barron, one of the great music video directors of the early MTV era (he’s responsible for Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” Toto’s “Africa” and “Rosanna,” and many more), brings that same music video storytelling style to this movie’s visuals. If this movie had done better upon release, it would’ve gotten everything Miami Vice’s directing style often gets credited for. The soundtrack is also really great! Giorgio Moroder did the movie’s theme with Human League frontman Phil Oakey as well as a killer score for it (only Moroder could find a way to expertly turn Bach’s “Minuet” into a duel between a cello and a computer. He couldn't get more eighties than that if he tried). There’s also a really neat Heaven 17 cut that sounds like a Crash Bandicoot level theme (“Chase Runner”), Culture Club right at the end of their relevance (“Love is Love” and “The Dream”), and Jeff Lynne from Electric Light Orchestra with arguably the two best songs in the movie. One of them, “Let It Run,” is awesome as hell, but “Video!” is the one we’re gonna talk about.

“Video!” appears at a pretty pivotal point in the movie. It soundtracks the montage of one of Miles and Madeline’s first proper dates, which involves sneaking away from a tour group to run around and play in Alcatraz (I’m serious). They’re also seen together at a carnival. Before this date, Miles tasks Edgar with finding a way to write music for Madeline. He intends to pass off whatever Edgar comes up with as his own work, hoping to impress her and make her fall in love with him. This is one of the main reasons Edgar wants Miles out of the picture. He knows he can make music with Madeline (he did it previously in “The Duel” scene, though Madeline thinks Miles is providing the music, not the computer) and fell in love with her by doing that. He is fully aware that Miles is trying to win her love with a lie. Once Edgar figures out how rhythm works, he figures out how melody is made by reviewing and absorbing the music playing in television commercials. “Video!” then starts playing proper once he’s got the basics down. For a computer with no previous songwriting experience, writing a Jeff Lynne composition is a pretty impressive feat!

Electric Dreams is not the first movie Lynne has contributed music to. There are two others. The first one was 1976’s All This and World War II, which is a movie which pairs all-star covers of Beatles songs and World War II footage. I’ve never seen it and I don’t think I need to. But you can hear Lynne, the most famous Beatles fanboy to ever live, do a fully symphonic version of “With a Little Help From My Friends” and “Nowhere Man.” It’s pretty cool. The other one was Xanadu, which is much more well known. Lynne provided five songs: “I’m Alive,” “The Fall,” “Don’t Walk Away,” “All Over the World,” and the title track with Olivia Newton-John. I think they’re all great. Xanadu totally works on its own as a great ELO EP if you want to forget there’s a movie attached.

This is all to say that Lynne was no stranger to giving songs to strange movies, even if he harbored regrets later on about doing that. He regretted Xanadu for a while, but made peace with it decades later (he re-recorded “Xanadu” in 2000 for the ELO compilation Flashback and he’s revived “All Over the World” for every ELO tour since 2017). I don’t know how he feels about Electric Dreams and at this point, he’s done so much in his career that I doubt he even remembers it. I think he should! I think “Video!” is a great song and I think he was a perfect fit for Electric Dreams. The entire soundtrack is dated as hell, but in a fun time-capsule kind of way. It represents the sound of what people in 1984 thought the future was going to sound like. Lynne had already spent time imagining the sounds of the future.

At the dawn of the eighties, Jeff Lynne had gotten tired of dealing with the big orchestras you hear on that great ELO run from 1976-1980. Orchestras started becoming a pain in the ass for him around the time when synthesizers and keyboards were getting some big technological boosts. New wave artists like Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, and the Human League were pushing synths and keyboard sounds into the mainstream and proving that the new technology could be used to make some wildly futuristic sounds. Lynne quickly learned that with a few fancy keyboards, you could start simulating strings and classical sounds, but in a new and exciting way. Suddenly, Lynne and ELO keyboardist Richard Tandy could keep the symphonic pop sounds the band had been making, but update the sound and take it into the future. Suddenly, the “Orchestra” part of the ELO name suddenly found itself obsolete and out of a job.

Dick Clark asked him about this choice on an American Bandstand appearance in 1986. Lynne responded, “Well, you know, I got fed up with using a big orchestra because they used to always be in a union and stuff like that and they used to put their equipment away while we were still recording. So I thought what we'll do is we'll use just ourselves and then we can work as long as we'd like and nobody would complain.”

So Lynne took advantage of all this new technology that was floating around and used it to craft the 1981 masterpiece, Time. That album is the best example of retrofuturism in music I can give. In Time, Lynne imagines a loose concept album about a guy who gets yoinked out of 1981 and flung into the year 2095. The entire album is full of songs where Lynne imagines a future that he would never live to see (I won’t either, unless I somehow make it to a full century of life). Hover cars, rides to the moon, robotic girlfriends (built by IBM) who can also serve as telephones, prison satellites, ivory towers, plastic flowers, and meteor showers as a common weather condition are all present in Lynne’s visions of the distant future. Most of his predictions feel like they’re coming out of science fiction magazines from when he was a child, but the album is more concerned with just letting his imagination run wild and wonder about how one would feel if they were flung far into the future where everyone they’ve ever loved is gone. The future presented in Time feels like daydreaming rather than any kind of cautionary tale or warning. I’ve never gotten the sense that Lynne thinks any of what’s in the album will actually come true. 

If Lynne got anything right, he somehow nailed the still-lingering nostalgic yearning to return to the eighties. Lynne’s narrator constantly laments that he’s stuck in 2095 and 1981 is name dropped in “Ticket to the Moon” and “The Way Life’s Meant to Be.” “Ticket to the Moon” even begins with what is now a variation of the only kind of Youtube comment you’ll find on any old song from the decade: “Remember the good old 1980s / When things were so uncomplicated / I wish I could go back there again / And everything could be the same.” He might as well have called himself “Nostradamus” when writing that one, because that line is going to keep feeling accurate to people until every child of the eighties and every vintage style eighties cosplayer on instagram is dead and in the ground. Lynne using the current year the album was made in had a real danger of seriously dating it, but Time has never sounded dated to me. It doesn’t sound like anything else from 1981 and it still doesn’t. Lynne blended all the old sounds and genres he loved and infused them with the new sounds of the day on that one and imagined a future that still sounds just as magical then as it does now. It took pop music a few years to catch up with what Lynne was doing on that one. Time is still a retro futuristic dream and he carried all the tech and sound effects that he was using on that album with him when he made “Video!” for Electric Dreams. ELO’s future was up in the air by 1984 (Lynne would dissolve the original band for good two years later) so he tackled “Video!” as a solo artist (literally, as no other ELO members are on this) and released it under his own name.  

I don’t know if Lynne’s predictions for 2095 will come true. The verdict is still out on that. But what I do know is that everything Lynne is describing in “Video!” is a reality that I’ve lived to see, though perhaps differently from anything Lynne could’ve imagined in 1984. We’ll get there.

In the context of Electric Dreams, “Video!”’s lyrics are all about the many things Edgar the computer can find out about the world in pre-internet cyberspace. He can watch it all, from rock n’ roll to old time movie scenes, and learn. He has no other choice: he can’t move from Miles’ desk and see it himself. Nothing in Lynne’s lyrics are dated except for one thing. He mentions that satellites “send their love from up above / Down to [his] VTR.” VTRs, which I believe is meant to be a reference to “Video Tape Recorder,” is an obsolete machine in 2024. It’s long been replaced by digital video, such as DVDs, Blu-Rays, and 4K. That’s the only specific reference he makes besides working in both the movie’s title and  the title of the Phil Oakey/Giorgio Moroder collab. “They beam across the sky / Together in Electric Dreams.” I imagine Lynne was probably told he had to work in the title somewhere. To his credit, it’s a pretty smooth title drop. Clumsier movie songs have done it much worse. 

Lynne sneaks in a few lyrics in the song that become ominous and foreshadowing if you’ve seen the movie more than once. The first two verses end ominously with the lines “The world is at my fingers / Under control” and “I’ll just stay here on my end / I’ll have it all.” Those lines foreshadow Edgar eventually using his supercomputer intellect to control other computer systems and mess with Miles’ life, from cutting off access to his credit cards and funds, to manipulating phone lines so Madeline can’t call Miles later in the movie for comfort when her cello has been broken in an accident (it gets caught in an elevator door and gets crushed). His whole motivation in the movie is that he “wants it all,” especially Madeline. Lynne later captures that ominousness with the absolute beast of a song “Let It Run,” but “Video!” is reserved for Lynne soundtracking the moment where Edgar stays inside and excitedly discovers the world at large and how to write pop music, while Miles simultaneously goes out and discovers the world at large with his lovely lady. 

Musically, “Video!” strikes a balance and finds a perfect blend of the mechanical and the human elements of music making. Lynne seemed to understand that more than some of the art-school new wavers that were ruling the US and the UK in the early eighties. The entire song is mechanical, but that makes sense given the in-universe explanation that a literal computer is making it. The rhythm is provided by a drum machine and everything else is synthesized and sequenced to hell and back. Even the fun sound effects throughout the song and during the middle instrumental bit are canned and not original to the song. There’s something that kinda sounds like a twangy guitar at the end of the verses and on the chorus, but that could just as easily be a keyboard making that sound. Lynne has made records where he’s played all instruments organically, but keyboards, sequencers, and machines not only suit the assignment, they’re necessary for the assignment.

The human elements are Jeff Lynne’s vocals and his always sharp sense of melody. Lynne’s never been the most mind blowing singer, but his vocals and melodies capture a magic and a warmth here that few of the survivors from his generation still making music in 1984 were capable of. He sings the song with that same sense of wonder that he has on Time. I love the melody of the verses and that chorus is so upbeat and happy and infectious. I love the way he slides into the chorus by holding out the word “on” before saying “video.” Oooooooon! It’s pop music at its most delightfully fun.

I’ve been surrounded by video my entire life, but Lynne makes it feel like it’s a brand new concept to me when I hear this song. I said that everything Lynne is describing in “Video!” is a reality that I’ve lived to see. That reality is Youtube. “The world is at my fingers” because I can more-or-less search for whatever I want (whether I actually find it is another story). The entire second verse can be used to describe someone discovering Youtube for the first time:

I see that rock and roll And all those old-time movies scenes They beam across the sky Together in electric dreams I'll just sit here on my end I'll have it all

Youtube, for all its numerous (numerous) flaws, allows me to be my own MTV VJ and watch scenes from my favorite movies with only a few mouse clicks. I can sit at my computer and watch videos in comfort (and while eating my dinner). Like Edgar, I have it all. Lynne sings that verse with completely sincere jubilance. The song is entirely mechanized, but the feelings presented in the song are not and they help provide a warmth and joy to the whole song that makes it sound like a dream. Lynne makes the concept of watching video sound like it’s the most exciting technical marvel you’ll ever see. He sells it like he’s Grover Cleveland lighting up the 1893 World Fair. It’s fantastic. Lynne isn’t even just fascinated by video, he’s fascinated by the entire process that helps bring it to life. That first verse takes the song from the hugeness of outer space and leads it to the small and insular space of a computer in an apartment without ever losing a step.

The satellites that search the night They twinkle like a star They send their love from up above Down to my VTR

Lynne sounds absolutely amazed by the technological wonders of 1984. He sings it with a child-like fascination that’s so lovably dorky. He sounds like Miles Harding does in the movie when he gets to talk to Madeline about architecture and his dream project during dinner. I was only ten years old when Youtube first arrived in December of 2005, so I essentially grew up with the rise of the internet and internet video creation. I imagine it must have been mind blowing to older people who were there to witness that boom. Maybe some of them were as excited as Lynne sounds on this song.

Nowadays, we take a lot of the modern technology around us for granted, but for Lynne in 1984, this was all exciting and new. That might be where the excitement and exuberance in the song stems from. Betamax and VHS had only existed for about a decade when Electric Dreams first came out, so people were only just getting started in terms of building up home video libraries and having video readily available to them. Camcorders were only starting to become a common commodity when Electric Dreams arrived, so I imagine people were going nuts and losing their minds that they could make home movies and shoot video of their own. Nowadays, technology has reached the point where the little bricks in our pockets (which are Edgar-level supercomputers of their own) can do almost anything, even film video anytime, anywhere. Now more than ever, the world really is at our fingers due to the way technology and social media keeps us interconnected.

“Video!” sees a continuation of Jeff Lynne’s interests in technology and the future that he was exploring on the Time album. Once again, his music is featured in a movie that’s weird, strange, and ridiculous, but also incredibly fun. “Video!” and Electric Dreams as a whole, is a beautiful little time capsule. It arrived during a time when the wonders of the future and technology was full of optimism and we were once again evaluating our relationship to tech as the world was continuing to undergo constant change. After Electric Dreams, Lynne would examine his own relationship with technology with the 1986 song “Calling America,” one of the last ELO singles before he went off to enjoy a second life as an in-demand producer for a while. He doesn’t sound as excited when he sings “Yeah, we’re living in a modern world” on that one. He doesn’t sound as excited about satellites on that one either, though that might have more to do with him being fully sick of ELO by that point and having to wrap up one last album before he can move on to other things.

Electric Dreams, both the movie and the soundtrack, aren’t as well remembered as Xanadu and I think that’s a shame. Electric Dreams is such a strange, beautiful, and moving love story. It’s the thinking man’s version of Spike Jonze’s Her (it’s also better than Her). The movie only played in theaters for a few short weeks before resigning to its fate as a strange movie you take a chance on when you’re wandering around the video store on a Friday night and you and your partner are looking for something interesting to watch. In hindsight, maybe a movie like Electric Dreams was just too strange to ever capture mainstream attention. 

But don’t feel bad for it! It’s lived and has found its share of people who love it, despite its initial failure. I’m one of them. Lenny Von Dohlen and Virginia Madsen are also in that boat. They loved working on it and had nothing but positive things to say about it. Madsen still considers it one of the best things she’s ever made and I agree with her. Cult classics like Electric Dreams find their audience. Sometimes it just takes a while.

I can tell you that Tumblr absolutely fucking LOVES this movie. If you do a search for “#electric dreams” you will find SO. MUCH. FANART for this movie in that tag. It’s not even funny. Tumblrinas L O V E making art of Edgar the computer. They love making art of him so much, you’d think he’s the protagonist of the movie, not Miles and Madeline. You’d also think Miles, Madeline, and Edgar are in a polycule with each other (hot take: polyamory would not have saved them). The fanart in that tag isn’t even that old either. People love this movie and they love him. (A shocking number of fanart posts depict Edgar hanging out with GLaDOs from Portal, HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and AM from the Harlan Ellison short story I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. I have come to the conclusion that Tumblr really loves antagonistic machines).

Electric Dreams celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year (it came out on July 20th, 1984, so this post missed its birthday by eleven days). An unloved film in its time, but a lovably strange and beautifully sincere science fiction romance that remains a beloved cult classic to those who know about it. If you want to see the film for yourself, it’s on Youtube for free. I highly recommend it.

Jeff Lynne is also celebrating this year. At the time of this writing, he’s preparing to take his modern day version of Electric Light Orchestra on the road one more time before retiring for good (he’s calling it the Over and Out Tour, which I think is just a fantastic name). He’s definitely not going to play “Video!” but he’ll be playing every ELO banger in existence, of which there are many. If you’ve never seen the maestro present his music live, I highly recommend you catch him before it’s too late. I plan on going to one of the Philadelphia nights. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. 

“Video!” and Electric Dreams are snapshots of a simpler time that dared to get a little silly and dream about a possible future. Some of its ideas about where technology was headed and our relationship to that technology were hauntingly accurate, some of it is hilariously outdated. Lynne’s visions of video and where video technology ended up being incredibly accurate in all the best ways. Video madness came upon us like a trance in the dark and because of that madness and the internet that houses all that madness, a movie that went completely unnoticed forty years ago can still exist and float out there today, waiting to be found. It wants to share with you what the world looked like during an interesting crossroads in time and it wants to show you what people thought the future might look like. Electric Dreams wants you to know that the future is strange, but it’s also bright and love can be found in the strangest of places if you know where to look. Don’t worry. It’s all under control and it’s all on video.

Electric Dreams sends its love to you. Send some of yours back to it.

[radios-universe]

why do you love michael holden so much? he essentially stalked and harassed tori into being his friend in solitaire. i do not get the osemanverse fans’ obsession with him.

he was in a silly goofy mood. you don’t get it he was just feeling a bit quirky.

but hey, real answer, i’m not tori spring. if she don’t have a problem with it, i don’t got a problem with it..! despite how their relationship came to be, you can see how they are in the present, and how their relationship is healthy and that they really do care for each other!!

but like, seriously, he really does perfectly remind me of a very specific type of guy who really does exist in british schools. and they’re kinda just like that. you get to know them and love them eventually. might just come off a little weird and first and, y’know what, that’s just character growth!

[typed-out]

meeting new people" a train of thought

Meeting new people can be complicated.

There are so many variables, and so much depends on the context.

How do I act around them? What mask of mind do they prefer? Who should I be?

I wonder if everyone asks these same questions.

I have this down to a science. I’m good at getting people to like me, to trust me. I do very well in job interviews. I do great at first impressions.

I am very proud of this, but not at all. It feels like I’ve successfully found a cheat code, like I’ve hacked some sort of game. It feels manipulative.

Do people like me because of who I am or because of who I pretend to be?

This is a trick question.

Who I pretend to be involves so many layers, it has become who I am.

Who I am is made up of who I pretend to be.

I’m great at first impressions, but I am not great at following up on it. The more I am around people, the more the masks slip and bend together.

I mess up.

I break rules.

They get uncomfortable and wonder what happened to me.

Why am I acting like this? Why would I say that? Don’t I know better?

I smile and giggle. I’m quirky. I’m funny.

Maybe if I make this a part of my masks, no one will notice. Maybe if I lead with goofy, funny, sweet, silly, no one will notice when I mess up. Maybe then I will be safe.

Manipulative. It feels like such a harsh word for what I do.

I’m not trying to hurt anyone. I don’t do it to be mean. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I’m just trying to fit in. I’m just trying to make friends.

I wonder if this is also why I ghost people so often. If they see too far in my mask, if they get a peak underneath, and then I have to run.

Or maybe it’s guilt. They get too attached to a person that isn’t real, to a person I’ve invented just for them. I cater myself to them, and I mold every bit of myself to what they want. They’re happy because I am what they need, they are thankful because I do what they want me to, they trust me because I say the right things.

It’s not real. I scream inside my own head, begging for them to see me. I dread seeing them because the mask doesn’t feel right anymore. It doesn’t feel like it’s mine because it belongs to them now. I’ve become who they want me to be, and there is no escape.

I leave, and they wonder what went wrong. Did they say something?

Yes and no. Not something but everything. They saw I’m perfect, they love me, and it hurts because I know it isn’t me they mean.

Does anyone love me? Has anyone ever met the real me and wanted to be around me? Has anyone ever actually seen me?

I suppose it doesn’t matter at this point. There is no return from what I’ve created.

Dare I strip the mask, no one would believe me. They would say, I’ve known you so long, this isn’t you. This isn’t real.

It’s too much work. I put the mask back on. I back off. I find a new person.

Maybe I’m the bad guy. Maybe I’m wrong. How do I stop?

I try to be honest. But it doesn’t work. No one wants me like this.

No mask to hide my imperfections. Nothing to brace myself.

Maybe I do it in self-defense. Maybe I tell myself, it’s better this way. This way, if they don’t like me, it doesn’t matter because it isn’t me.

If I show them the real me, and they don’t like me, then that’s that. There is nothing else.

If they don’t like the mask, I switch it. I move on. I am not hurt.

I never show anyone the real me. There is always a mask. And everyone likes masks.

I am good at meeting new people, but I know I shouldn’t be.

I won’t stop.

This is what works.

[kbthebearcat]

Art from January! WALL OF TEXT INCOMING (I copied and pasted the desc I typed out on DA hgngh…) I looked up poses for some of the characters that inspire me when it comes to Troy’s character and his world.

The ones I picked here are Fred from Scooby Doo, Doyle from Galaxy High, and StarLord from Guardians of the Galaxy. 

All of these character I feel share similar traits and energy. All of them can be goofy and silly or like to crack jokes,  and even have similar physical characteristics. Fred is usually depicted as being a bit out of touch and does some pretty unexpected and funny things, also gives off “himbo” vibes. His actions or methods to catch the bad guy can seem unorthodox, but still work. Overall just quirky, but means well. I see Troy as that too. Unless it’s a very serious situation, Troy’s silliness and goofiness is going to come out while he’s on the job and in uniform, but that doesn’t mean you can’t count on him to get the job done.

In the more recent stuff they show Fred to have an obsession with nets and traps, and that reminds me of Troy and his love for tacos. He also just gets excited or really happy about certain things in general, which makes me think of Troy too, because he can get like that about things. I could have chosen a lot of poses and expressions with Fred tbh, but I saw him making that one in a clip I was looking at, and I just got an urge to draw it. 

I haven’t gotten to watch every episode of Galaxy High yet, (there aren’t that many as the show didn’t last too long) but from what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of elements in there that inspire me, not just the main character. The overall plot of him and another human girl from earth being chosen to attend a high school in space is already interesting to me. There’s aliens of all kinds co-mingling, futuristic tech, space-related hijinks, and just good-ole 80s vibes! Which of course, I always enjoy. 

Doyle himself is pretty much a jock. Not an extreme one, but I’d consider him being in the category. He’s sporty/athletic, plays football. That reminds me of Troy because he’s athletic and sporty too and plays basketball. That’s why I thought that pose there would be a good one to try.

They make Doyle out as meaning well too, but since he’s a teenager his choices aren’t always the best. There’s usually a lesson to learn at the end of an episode. Even though Troy isn’t a teenager, he’s still a young adult, and can honestly still act like a teen or big kid anyway.

ALSO Doyle works as waiter at a diner, and Troy works as a waiter at a restaurant when in hooman disguise! I didn’t even know about Galaxy High when I made that a thing for Troy, so I thought that was an interesting similarity as well. I’m tempted to draw Troy in the outfit Doyle wears just for the fun of it.

Annd then we have Starlord, who may be the least surprising choice here…. He’s a part of a group called “Guardians of the Galaxy”. They travel around space helping people, fight bad guys… and there’s some comedic flare thrown into the mix. I mean, that’s pretty much Troy’s concept in a nutshell. Starlord himself reminds me of Troy in a lot ways. I could see Troy listening to oldies music while in his ship, or exploring a planet, jamming out and all that. Cracking jokes while he’s fighting with something or someone. All that stuff. 

Whew boy, uh… sorry for this wall of text here. If you made it to the end of this then kudos to you haha. ;w; Just felt like giving a bit of explanation for each character here… there’s many more characters that have inspired me with Troy though. 

Also this was a experiment here, taking screenshots or looking up pics of characters that inspire me and trying to redraw their poses/expressions. I gotta do this more. I’ve never really gotten to before but it really helps with going out of my comfort zone and exploring a character more. 

[buttered-toasty]

I find it utterly fascinating that people say things like Jerma is a kpop boy for adhd people or that Jerma event streams are like the superbowl for us. Because they are. I wanna take a moment to talk about this because I think it’s part of a larger thing.

I don’t think I’ve ever said it on here but it is so interesting to me that so many internet creators seem to be neurodivergent, undiagnosed or otherwise. To neurotypicals their art seems to be strange, new, and some sort of spectacle. To nds their art seems to be just the thing we’ve been looking for all along. Adhd people love Jerma because he Gets It. His brain works similarly to ours in a way that an nt person’s couldn’t. He has similarly weird or out there creative ideas but that’s probably just normal for him. That’s how his brain works. I’m sure other nd people can relate. My personal experience with this is constantly crossing art forms and linking common things between what seem like completely different pieces of media. It’s because both interest me, fundamentally, and because common themes in media, especially about trauma, are another interest of mine.

This creative strangeness is quintessential to the nd artistic experience. I’m sure every one of us at some point has had an nt say “oh that’s weird” in those words or more. And sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. Usually it ends up being good in the long run because regardless of whether or not the fascination is there for mockery, whether or not they are watching us like we’re animals, we start movements. We open new spaces. We do new things. Our wacky quirky silly goofy interests make us want to pursue new forms of art instead of simply climbing to the top of already existing things. The internet has opened up spaces for us in so many ways too. I love this, I love what’s happening with it. For a long time art has been classist and ableist but with the internet that is lessening. People are beginning to realize the value of “odd” creative endeavors at a much more rapid pace than they used to. Art is moving forward and I’m very good directions.

Maybe you think it’s weird that this post had to start with Jerma. I don’t. I think it’s pretty natural actually. He’s a very good example of an nd person that people stop to gawk at but that a lot of nd people just genuinely love. Nd people seem to have taken the joke that he’s utterly insane and run with it because that sort of morbid fascination from nts is relatable to us. But to be honest I don’t believe that the joke started in good faith, though I’m glad it’s landed where it has.

Nd art should be respected and widely enjoyed and loved like this so much more often. I’m glad we have our funnyman whose brain just seems to hit home for a lot of us. And I’m glad he likes to push creative boundaries. He’s definitely not the only one either. I could’ve started this post with game grumps or Markiplier. I chose Jerma because to be entirely honest with you I’m a bit hyperfixated and also, the way he is is how my brain works. Which I think is neat. Like there is someone out there who is definitely Getting It and Understanding the Experience for me.

I think another part of why we like our own in artistic spaces is the whole interest-based neurosystem thing. Since our interests or ideas change pretty frequently we like to see that in media and art. The higher brow art world doesn’t change very fast. It’s slow and it’s full of old vampires who refuse to learn technology or put down their classism. Nd people simply can’t function like that, it’s just not how we work. Part of why Jerma has stayed interesting for so many years without changing the style of his content like some other creators is that, intrinsic to his style, is constant change. Everything feels a little like improv and a little like a delirious fever dream which is exactly what the inside of my poor little unmedicated brain is like. I’m sure other people can relate. It’s not that Jerma has never changed, it’s just that he’s so fucking used to it that we are too. And it’s what keeps things interesting.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. TLDR; respect neurodivergent art more and support these types of creators. They’re a huge part of movements and they especially are now with the internet and new accessibility.

[object-show-analysis]

You mentioned on the discord that you had thoughts about similarities between Lightbulb and Clover. Is there any way you could elaborate on that?

I would love to!

Clover and Lightbulb parallels

So truth be told I only really made this connection when Clover flips TestTube’s mouth over in the newest episode, and immediately thought “hey Lightbulb does that in episode 12 of season 2”

But then I started actually Thinking about Lightbulb in Inanimate Insanity season 2 episode 12 and how she relates to Clover, and I’ve noticed some similarities.

Lightbulb in late season 2 was often regarded as someone who did not need to try in order to succeed, as she often kept a quirky and positive attitude. She was often cheery when the rest of her team was falling apart, and this effected the way that her teammates viewed her, this most notably includes Testtube

Now episode 12 of season 2 was very important for Testtube regarding how she viewed Lightbulb as a person. Throughout the episode, Lightbulb continues her antics, much to TestTube’s distress. This eventually leads to TT expressing all of her issues with Lightbulb at the climax of their plot

TestTube makes it clear that she doesn’t believe Lightbulb actually has to try in order to succeed in life. That she can be silly and goofy and put no real effort into what she does, going off the assumption that Lightbulb can always stumble into a solution. One thing stood out to me more than others: TestTube refers to Lightbulb as getting by on purely “Luck”

Now of course this Isn’t True and Lightbulb makes this known to TestTube, before demonstrating her actual abilities. She’s confused and upset by the idea that she doesn’t actually try.

But moving onto Clover, as a character she seems very similar to how TestTube had perceived Lightbulb in the past. She easily makes it through life, even when others get hurt. She doesn’t need to try to succeed. She’s Lucky.

Unlike Lightbulb’s distressed reaction to the idea that she doesn’t put in any real effort, Clover simply brushed off the idea that she’s able to succeed no matter what, because it wasn’t an incorrect assumption! Clover has genuinely never had to try. She only seemed upset by the idea when she learned it put other people in danger.

Now I believe this will be important for two reasons, both involving TestTube. Specifically regarding TestTube’s future actions, along with the change from her past.

Clover shares a team TestTube. The two of them will have to work closely together. And we know that TestTube did not react positively to Lightbulb when she believed her to be this way. I’m very interested to see if this has any future effect on the way TestTube and Clover interact, especially now that it seems Clover is starting a new arc regarding her power and the guilt she feels because of it, and therefore it seems she’ll gain a lot more plot significance.

It’s also worth noting that TestTube didn’t immediately agree with Cabby’s belief that Clover is lucky, and actively stated that she didn’t want to believe such things, which speaks a lot to how she’s grown as a character since her time on season 2. S3 E5 was a call out to a lot of TestTube’s past mistakes, so it’s nice to see she’s made some strides in the right direction.

Just some interesting things I’ve noticed :) I’m happy that you wanted to hear about it!

[talkingtea]

He hasn’t been online for like a millennium and when he does, that’s what she comments?? No “cant wait so see this movie”, “I’m proud of you”, “It’s going to be amazing” ??? Maybe because those would be lies It literally takes 2 seconds to be supportive. But I guess I forgot that they’re one of those silly, goofy, quirky couples. Gotta at least stick to the brand that made her “famous” (I just snorted).

☕️☕️

[castiel-left-his-mark-on-me]

Okay, i kno you must got this question a million times. But seriously, what makes you think jensen and misha are (were?) together?

I do get this question a lot, but that’s okay-- I am always in the mood to talk about Cockles.

It is a lot of things. First and foremost, the assumption that people are “straight until proven queer” is frustrating. If I die and all the untold truths of the universe are revealed to me, and one of them is that Jensen and Misha are both 100% straight (I’ll be shocked but ...) I’ll accept that without issue. However, not only has Misha spoken openly about his polyamorous relationship with his wife and their female friend, but his wife also wrote about it in her book (meaning that Vicki is bisexual, so he’s obviously cool with the concept). He has also told many stories with implications of his intimate relationships with men. From his various stories involving Darius, to his college roommate, Nico who confessed his love for Misha, and the fact that Nico made that confession because he witnessed Misha and another male friend "spending the night” together in Misha’s room, therefore “he thought it was okay” to confess his feelings ... plus Misha’s support for the LGBTQ community, and his comfort with “joking” about being intimate with his male costars and friends, all make me think that the man is a Kinsey 4 at very least.

Now, as for Jensen ... he’s a little more complicated, a little more subtle, but the combination of so many little things, plus how he and Misha act around one another makes me think that he is also not straight, and he very much enjoys being not-straight with that Blue Eyed Cutie Patootie. From Jensen’s early days, cheerleading and acting in school plays in spite of being bullied, to his very non-traditional Texan affect, to his comfort level with being physical with the men in his life (caresses and soft touches, hugs, standing very close to one another ect) to how he sometimes speaks to them, the roles he took on -- soft, sensitive “boyfriend” roles in soap operas and teen dramas, to seemingly bi-sexual roles in movies (i.e. “Blonde”), to quirky-- very liberal roles across from his future wife, where he got to wear make-up and pro-feminist clothing, and nail polish (i.e. “Ten Inch Hero”) that he admitted was “fun” to act in.

He doesn’t seem to only want to portray the “manly-man” and as someone who’s grown up knowing a lot of Texans, that’s not a common mindset. As Jensen said himself in that previously linked clip-- sometimes people forget that he’s not actually Dean. He’s an actor and he enjoys looking in the mirror and seeing new versions of himself; but if he were that typical “man’s man”, a hardcore Texas cowboy who must remain stoic and rough around the edges, I don’t think he’d enjoy seeing himself differently. In contrast, just look at Jared (and this is not meant as Jared-hate). Jared is also a Texan, but he is WAY MORE like the Texans that I’ve grown up knowing. He’s a little cocky, has a frat boy sense of humor and basically plays the same kind of roles over and over. Yeah, he might be “the pretty boy” but he’s “pretty” to the average middle aged white woman. He’s the Fabio on the cover of romance novels. He’s built, and he’s “tough” and he’s not typically emotional unless he’s just lost the love of his life ... he’s played that character in basically every show or movie he’s been cast in, and I have a feeling he will always play that character. Why? Because that’s how he sees himself, and straying from that would be hard for him; and that’s totally fine! Again, no hate; but the fact that that sort of mindset is something I’ve seen a lot of in the “typical straight Texan man” and then the fact that Jensen is pretty much none of that, is telling. Yes, Dean is a bad boy and macho, but he’s almost a parody of that kind of guy. He is macho with a soft side, he is a deadly bad boy who is kind and soft with children and animals. He likes hardcore guy-movies and porn, but also watches anime and chick flicks. He is a walking contradiction to the typical male-ego normally portrayed in film, and that’s why his character is so intriguing, and that’s why Jensen is so intriguing because he always gives his roles layers and dimensions and nuance that go against what we normally see. And to act in those kind of roles, to bring them to life like that ... I feel like there has to be some truth to it. So, all this is to say that Jensen is not your “typical straight Texan” ... he is something different, something more, and that’s never more clear than when he’s letting loose around Misha...

His accent kink, flashing him, straddlegate, the looks, the anniversary dinner, the compliments, the valentine’s card, matching clothes and accessories, and so on and so on . Plus, there is how others react to them being around one another ... like Jared (for more, just search my shipper!Jared tag) and Ruth. It all points to something being different about Jensen and Misha’s relationship with one another. Jared and Jensen have a very typical older/younger brother relationship-- where Jared acts goofy and annoying and Jensen just rolls his eyes at him, until they can act goofy and annoying together against someone else (i.e. Misha or Alex) and then they’re a team. But Jensen and Misha have something else. There’s a fondness there. There’s adoration and acceptance and comfort and secrecy. They seem to live in their own, little world when alone-- and even when they’re not alone. They talk to each other rather than the audience if they’re on stage, and half of what they say is in hushed whispers and private jokes. They act exactly how my husband and I do when we’re in public. We both prefer each other’s company anyway, so the rest of the world just dissolves away. And that’s the main point I’m trying to make I guess ... Jensen and Misha act like a married couple. Not just in the bickering and silliness, but in the trust-- in the closeness, in the solidarity of their words and touches.

Jensen and Misha aren’t straight ... and they aren’t just friends.

They are “together” in whatever way you interpret that word, and I think that it’s one of the most precious things I have ever witnessed.

[spyrkle4]

Top Ten Reasons why I like Season 3 of Big Hero 6 the Series

yeah Ik that most of us wish it was more developed n’ stuff. But I see it as like some fun epilogue stories as Season 2 was a really good way to end the show, and Season 3 is just some wacky summer adventures! 

And with the manga out at this point, well who knows if it’ll get to future seasons like 2 or 3! But thought I’d look back at the series bc it’s amazingness is what kept me still going as a bh6 fan And watching a funny Season 3 ep always brightens your day

And it’s best to look at the bright side of things so this is why I’m typing this n.n (this is isn’t in order from best to least best its just me ranting about 10 things)

List will be under the cut, hope you enjoy n.n

---

1. The chibi clips. I mean I wish they did more of them as they’re one of my favorite comedy segments of this comedy-heavy season of the series, and it’s really cute seeing the gang in chibi style. Not to mention the chibi ep of the series was just SO funny and the fact that they used the word “chibi” and even made a chibi-themed song that’s so catchy it’ll get stuck in your head XD 

2. The singing and 4 2 Sing. They’re both musical related so *shrug*  And I LOVE it! The goofiness most of the songs have is just hilarious, and even the Kara--*cough* I mean Krei-Oke episode had some callbacks to bh6-exclusive songs! And also 4 2 Sing are just so funny, I was a little worried that in their preview we saw, they would be malicious in their ways (and no one likes an evil boy band) but I’m glad they’re just genuinely dense and silly to boot! Although now I have the idea for an evil boy band that would be their dastardtly rivals...

3. The robot family. NBB as a main villian would be odd in a normal season, but it’s fitting for a funny season! And his 3 sisters each are amazing. I’ve actually written a one-shot about the potential family dynamic of the bots, and I just love their little quirkiness and relationship with eachother! I’m glad that they’re still together at the end!

4.  Mini-Max character development! I know some people aren’t the biggest fans of Mini-Max, as he’s kind of more of a token marketable character ig... he does have funny lines. But I’m rly glad they gave him character!

5. Villain redemption arcs! Not just Sparkles, that was interesting (and led me to my theory that Sycorax was so... Sycorax that it made everyone involve quit villainy or lesson their villain stuff in Momakase’s case) but in the ep “Gogo the Woweroo” it was nice seeing how some of the other villains are doing. LIKE HV! OMG I WAS SO HAPPY THAT ITS CANON THEY’RE REFORMED! (It was a little tiring seeing fics of them as villains after COM, no offense or anything n.n;)

6. Karmi! This one is obvious bc OMG it was SO good seeing her again! And she and Hiro have a goofy friendship. I like how its up to interpretation if their feelings are platonic or romantic (I’ve become more of a platonic shipper) and the fact she helped save the day against Hardlight! If the series continues, maybe there will be a character arc of Karmi becoming Lab Lady and being a superhero!

7. Cheers you up! Whenever I’m sad or a day has been really bad for me... a season 3 and it will guarantee putting a smile back on my face, say what you will about the excessive comedy in S3, but it always makes me happy after a rly long day or a bad moment

8. The new characters. Sure they didn’t show up long, but they made a good impression! Cobra was a another long-time villain who’s got some charm and conniving schemes. Olivia’s a comic dork who enjoys the non-mainstream stuff and that’s a mood. Rishi: gremlin and also precious dork who probably has consumed too many memes and is just a gremlin kid and I love him XD. 

9. Seeing what other characters are up to. Like seeing how Globby is, (and him and Felony Carl still being roomies aaaaa), the ep with Wendy,,, even seeing Granville again twice (including her fur babies so cute!) It was nice getting closure for those characters before the series ended, sure not everyone we know and love showed up in Season 3, but it was nice seeing how the others in San Fransokyo were doing this summer

10. The found family. Obviously my favorite. I just cried at the part where Baymax told NBB that Hiro was his family and asked him to help save his family, NBB might’ve hated Big Hero 6 at that time, but he understood the important of family. And basically Baymax and Mini-Max have a brotherly bond!! and also the nerd gang friendship omg ;-; and Aunt Cass says it herself, you don’t have to be related to be a family! I still love and cherish my bio family, but I really see a lot of my close fandom friends and other ppl I know as family too, and it’s nice to see that with Hiro and Aunt Cass, they still have each other as fam, but they also love and cherish the new members they have, like the nerd gang and even the robot fam (wonder what kind of shenanigans Hiro would get into w/ his new robotic cousins) 

Hope you guys enjoyed my little list, and it helped you think on the good stuff season 3 had. Sure it could’ve been better, and it deserved to have a proper season and it was unfair the show got cancelled, but there’s always a silver lining n.n 

[morizoras-cave]

Father Figure (Request)

Tom Hiddleston x gn!teen!co-star!reader

Genre: angst, fluff

Request Description: Maybe a Tom Hiddleston/teen-reader where the reader always thought of Tom as a father figure and when she finds out he is expecting a child of his own she gets upset that he might abandon her since she’s not his child when the baby is born

Warnings: unrequested headcanon, dead father/parent underage drinking!, language

(A/N): THIS IS A HEADCANON!! surprise! it turned out a lot more angsty than i anticipated.. also am i shitting myself or is this kinda bad

Your dad died when you were seven

You didn’t remember much

A little bit sure

But you didn’t know him at all

What kind of person he was

That hurt you a lot in your life

Your childhood was rippled with trauma of your deceased father

You were always very self aware about the topic

You knew you longed for a father figure your entire life

And it often switched between random movie and cartoon figures

But you never had one

Then in when you were quite a young child you became part of the Marvel cast

You were part of the Thor movies

You joined on the very first one, granted back then your character was a lot less important

But your character was consistent, and grew more and more important in the MCU

It was your biggest achievement 

And of course you grew pretty close with the cast

They were always super nice to you

All of them

But you were closest with Tom

I mean how couldn’t you?

You worked together for no less than 7 years

And honestly Tom was just a bangin’ dude

A super nice guy

You guys watched movies together, discussed video games and music, talked quirky topics, and studied strange history facts together

You were honestly very similar

You had a great friendship and that was it

That was supposed to be it

But given how you were always very self aware about the trauma of not having a dad had given you

You knew something was up

I mean, it didn’t take a scientist for you to figure out that your brain had definitely plopped him in the “dad slot” 

And you hated yourself for it

Why did you have to make things so awkward with your stupid head?

But Tom was too nice and too friendly for you to distance yourself

So your bond to him only got stronger and stronger

You actually called him dad once

“Alright, thanks, dad” you’d said

THANKFULLY he hadn’t heard

But you were grown enough to talk to him about it

You confessed to him one day after having a little bit of wine

Okay, maybe a lot of wine

“You know, my dad died when I was seven, right? Right? So I... My brain does this stupid there where- where it makes random dudes my dad. You know, because I never had one.. And I’m- My brain is sad about it”

Tom was 

I mean

Shocked

But he knew what you meant

He understood 

He said “Your brain seems very distressed” 

You nodded

“Tell your brain it’s okay”

You smiled drunkenly and mumbled something incoherent to your brain

You didn’t remember that night but Tom sure did

You just woke up the next day and Tom was suspiciously nice and smiling.

He wouldn’t admit it, but he loved you too, you know?

You worked together for s o o o long

He always considered you family

He was happy you felt like that, because it proved to him how close you truly were

So he just started being a bit more dad-like

You know

“Eat your veggies”

“Stay hydrated”

“Take a break”

“Want ice cream?”

Dad duties all around

But then he got a girlfriend 

You loved her

She was super nice and adorable

She turned into a wife

You were at the wedding

You comforted her before the ceremony

Then

She got pregnant

And reality came crashing down 

You’d almost been living in this weird reality where he was just your dad

And that was just how it was

But he was going to be having a baby

And the more he talked about it (and not about any of your usual topics)

The more he smiled and giggled and was nervous and excited

The more he longed for it

The quieter

The sadder

And the lonelier you grew

You couldn’t believe it

You were losing your dad again

It made you so angry and sad

And it made you feel hatred towards yourself

Because of course he deserved happiness

Of course he deserved a child

You just thought you were enough

The thought that you weren’t was enough to send you down a spiral

You got very depressed

And for a long time you distanced yourself and got bitter and angry and sad and lonely

And you didn’t say anything

“Only one more month!” Tom would bound onto set with a huge smile and all his coworkers would congratulate him

But someone was missing

You

“Where’s Y/n?” he asked

A confused murmur came from his coworkers

Why weren’t you there? You and Tom were practically dad and child

“They’re in the break room, i think”

Tom ran into the break room with a goofy smile to tell you his baby was coming

Soon

But he was not greeted with the expected atmosphere

He walked in to see you 

Leaned over the table and a piece of paper

A pen in your hand

You were shaking

No, you were crying

Your body raked with sobs

“Y-Y/n?”

You stiffened at the sound of his voice

“What’s wrong?” he came over to you, dropping everything and grabbing your arm and shoulder for comfort

You always loved that. Said it made you feel comfortable

Not this time though

You pulled away coldly, saying nothing

“Y/n.. what’s going on?”

He read the paper in front of you

His eyes widened

A resignation

You were quitting Thor?

Quitting Marvel?

“Y/n! What’s the meaning of this?” he was wildly confused

“I’m quitting”

“Yeah, I got that! Why?”

You paused. 

“It’s not a big deal..-”

“It is a big deal! It’s a huge deal!”

He held onto your arm tightly, “Tell me the real reason.”

“I just.. I thought of you as my father, okay?” your voice was shaking. Tom understood almost immediately. 

“I thought of you as my father, and now I’m realising I’ve been living in this fantasy land, where that is the truth. But I didn’t notice I was just being intruding.”

“I’m resigning so I can stop holding you back with my silly.. Trauma, or whatever.”

Tom was silent for a while. His hand squeezed your arm every once in a while.

“You’re not intruding-” you rolled your eyes “And I’m not just saying that!”

“I knew you thought of my as your father!”

You looked at him. How, you wondered. 

“You told me one night. You were drunk.. That isn’t important.. What is important is that you understand, that my new baby won’t change anything.”

He looked into your eyes. You could see it in there, he was afraid of saying the wrong thing. 

“Of course, you’re not my real child, but that doesn’t matter at all. In my head, you’re my child. Just as I’m your dad in your head.”

He chuckled when you finally broke out in a smile.

“And I know it’s a bit weird, honestly.” he giggled sheepishly “but we’ve been working together for so long, that we just are.”

“We are family.”

You cried. You cried out of happiness, and relief, and fulfilment. 

You had a dad, you realised. 

And you shredded your resignation with the paper-shredder. 

Then you went to dinner together, and you talked about all things baby.

Names, cribs, baby proofing gear and all sorts of other things

In that restaurant, you were happy and content.

You loved him and you loved his stupid baby. 

Whoever they were, they were going to be an amazing human if they were raised by him.

That thought was enough.

___________________________

Tag List:

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[lacheri]

Sitting on Levi and pinching his cheeks and tugging his lips to make him smile and he resists at first but you look so cute trying that eventually he does start laughing, full head thrown back with his hands on your hips. You just grin at him, kinda in love with the sight, and he has to fight back his own smile when he sees you staring.

"What?"

"You're pretty."

He scoffs, but his cheeks tint red as he bounces you up on his thigh ruefully. Your hands cup his face and kiss him right on his smile, feeling it broaden against your lips.

He's so happy.

the SPEED at which you sent this. criminal.

): Astrid, my love, I’m gonna CRY! because it is MY mission to make him get in a silly goofy quirky mood at all times. we will be side by side watching a movie or something, and does my finger wander towards his nose? yeah. will it continue to wander during the rest of the movie? yeah :/ will it piss him off? definitely. will I think it’s fuckin hilarious? YUP!! (he will too though secretly)

in all headcanons, in all fics, in all worlds — annoy Levi. he loves it.

[kaepopsicle]

types of girls i can see wayv with

so sorry if I offend anyone, I’m not trying to assume their sexualities this is just my personal opinion.

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— kun

- the mom friend to his dad friend

- a little bit on the softer side

- gives great back massages, just overall an relaxing soul

- i get childhood education or culinary major vibes from her

- babies him and will offer to cook meals for them ( kun would probably say “no no it’s okay you don’t have to” on the phone on their way back to the dorm. when they walk in she’s there with a whole feast prepared and smiles “I was already making it so might as well finish” )

- a noona to the rest of the members

- but a loving // supportive partner for kun

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— ten

- dirty minded just like him

- why do i see her being a baddie (she has a very strong free spirit)

- is hard to get at first (but i can see ten liking that)

- is a sweetheart after he gets passed her hard shell but she’s also probably really funny and goofy

- super confident (like ten) she always is complimenting him and making him feel good about himself (on those rare days he feels insecure)

- will dance with him and it will be hot // for some reason I get art vibes from her like she’s an art or photography major

- has this big sister vibe (not like kuns girl, she is more a gives-good-advice sister, about like boys and stuff)

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— winwin

- introverted but can be outgoing at times

- doesn’t necessarily bring him out of his shell she just makes him act more like himself

- likes holding onto his arm or back hugging him

- a great listener // a gentle spirit

- i can see her being a writer for some reason

- always watches him dance and helps him make improvements not like he needs it, he’s already so talented

- she is the best at comforting people . for some reason along with her being a writer I see her having a soft sweet singing voice.

- omg imagine her holding on to winwin while he rests his head on her shoulder hugging her close and she is singing to him to relieve his stress MY HEART NO

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— lucas

- she reminds me of a puppy

- outgoing and just a lovely person

- on the chiller side so can softly calm lucas down. bc you know how our darling sushi gets.

- i can see her teasing lucas a lot like “hahahaha I wonder if you hit your head on doorways when you walk into a room” or if she hears anything evolving fighting she immediately mocks him and goes “hYEdwAe” and pumps her small fist in the air or starts randomly dancing to chewing gum for god knows why.

- she will go to the gym with Lucas but does yogo or something . why do I imagine lucas finally convincing her to go to the gym with him to try his work out routine and the first 2 mins she already gives up and gets a bag of chips and watches him

- lazy af . Would rather cuddle xuxi and watch netflix

- but when she actually goes out she’s HOT #powercouple kanye & kim who

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— xiaojun

- cutie cutie cutie

- I see her being a nurse or med student (but I see her having some sort of musical talent)

- plays the piano or likes writing music like him (plays while xiaojun plays the guitar)

- she’s Bella’s favorite wayv member (lmao jk. kinda) she probably really loves animals

what if they’re singing and playing the ukelele to bella for her birthday and have this cute dog cake and everything omfg

- I can see her being wild but also relaxed, like she’ll probably be like “hm I kind of want to get dressed in a prom dress to get ice cream but this couch also is really comfortable. I’m torn”

- her fashion style is *chefs kiss

- xiaojun . is . always . hugging . her (she is probably very affectionate with him) I can also see her high-fiving the rest of the members and congratulating them while holding him after a win. xiaojun lowkey crying into her shoulder iM soFT

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— hendery

- practically a princess

- his best friend (I can see them taking turns embarrassing themselves in public)

- plays games with him . I can see their relationship honestly being like a Disney movie full of romance and fun

- they’re that couple that always looks snatched in their matching outfits

- I can see her being talkative and bubbly (but also empathetic and a good listener)

- they would travel a lot together and meet new people and have spontaneous trips at 2am “hm you know what sounds really good right now?” “getting japchae” - “hendery it’s 3:00am”

- ALWAYS TEASING EACH OTHER (teasing flirts smh) I can also see them saying the dumbest shit to each other like “yo, you ever think that when an actual dog sees a K9 do they go “oh shit the cops?”

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— yangyang

- she’s the girl version of him but like in a soft cute girl body

- mischievous devils (plays pranks together on the other members)

- only person yangyang would never prank (he has the biggest soft spot for her)

- she’s probably a gamer, plays video games a lot and can be very competitive. ends up playfighting yangyang a lot bc they both want to win (they would be that couple that always wins things so no one wants to play with them anymore)

- like henderys girl I can see her being very quirky, she has no filter (like yangyang) but I can also see her being shy at some times. especially when you just meet her but once she opens up she’s quite silly

- Why do I see her having a slight temper (like she’s a sweetheart until you piss her off and she will curse you out)

- is a dancer maybe ??? or likes music or is passionate about it (will probably help choreograph their future dances along with Tens girl)

[opinionated810]

Who would prefer a quiet/introverted girl over a friendly/bright one ?

I’m so sorry this took so long to post!  I hope you enjoy it!  💞

Prefers an Introverted and/or Quiet S/O

Winwin - Honestly, I think Winwin might be intimidated by someone who was very extroverted and outgoing. He might be a bit intrigued, but I don’t think it would last very long. He seems to be the type who gets a bit flustered around loud personalities and he doesn’t quite know what to do or say in their presence.  

Kun - I think Kun likes taking care of the people he loves and likes being seen as the one “who wears the pants” in the relationship. Because of this, I think he’d prefer someone more introverted who would let him take care of them.  Someone who was quiet but became more talkative and open only with him would rock his world.

Yuta - Yuta is very similar to Johnny. He would be good with either one. However, I think Yuta would be more drawn to quiet people. He would see their quietness as something of a challenge and a mystery he wanted to try to solve.

Xiaojun - He has a pretty quiet personality himself, but for some reason I think he’s drawn more to people with a similar personality. If they were too different or extroverted, I think he’s another member who could be intimidated and uncomfortable.  He would really appreciate someone who can sit in comfortable silence with him.  

Doyoung - I think Doyoung would really appreciate and enjoy someone with the same cozy, relaxed energy as him. Someone with too much brightness would drive him crazy. But I do think he’d do well with a sassy introvert - someone who isn’t afraid of teasing him.

Jaemin - I think Jaemin would really like taking care of someone who is more quiet and introverted. He’d also love teasing them about their shyness and trying to get a reaction from them.  His extroverted personality would match best with someone who will let him be his sometimes crazy sometimes cute, flirty self and won’t try to overshadow that part of him.

Renjun - I see Renjun as needing a partner who is more extroverted, but not necessarily loud.  More than anything, I think he likes people who can spar verbally with him (in a teasing, flirty way) and isn’t afraid to say bold things. He might find someone who is too introverted not flirty or sassy enough.

Taeyong - I can see Taeyong with a quiet extrovert (yes, they exist - I’m one of them).  Someone who is too extroverted all the time would drain his energy. But I think he’d be a bit awkward with someone who is too introverted and quiet.  He needs someone who can listen to him but who also isn’t afraid to make the first move in the relationship.

Jungwoo - I sometimes have a hard time answering these kinds of questions for Jungwoo because I feel that there is a lot of himself that he doesn’t show us.  But based on what I have seen, I think he would be drawn to someone more extroverted, but who also becomes shy if the were embarrassed about something. He would find the duality really cute!

Johnny - Johnny was a tough one to place.  I think he could (and would) be fine with either. However, he himself is very outgoing and friendly so someone with that same energy would match well with him. I also think that someone who was too introverted might make him feel too much pressure to be outgoing, confident, and friendly all the time. 

Hendery - Similar to Johnny, I think Hendery would be fine with an extrovert or an introvert. But I think his chaotic energy wouldn’t be able to be contained by someone too quiet.  Someone who is friendly and bright would have the capability to kindle his wilder side while still being able to reel it in when needed.

Yangyang - I think Yangyang needs a soft extrovert - someone who is gently friendly and bright.  It’s going to sound strange but someone with a jewel-toned personality would suit him.  Someone who is still approachable, but in a slightly softer way.  Someone extroverted but not aggressive at all.  

Chenle - Kind of opposite to Yangyang, I think Chenle needs an extrovert with a neon-colored personality. He needs the spark of someone friendly to catch his attention. I think it’s possible he could overlook someone who is too quiet.  He would be attracted to someone with a somewhat aggressive and bold (but still friendly) approach to life.   

Mark - While Mark isn’t quiet, I do think he’s quite shy. A lot of times when he says funny things, I think it’s because he feels nervous about having to speak at all. He needs a partner who can see beyond his awkwardness and who will talk so that Mark doesn’t need to (I hope that makes sense - I can’t quite write what’s in my head for Mark). 

Lucas - Lucas needs someone who is very confident and friendly. He has such a big personality himself that he could easily overshadow someone who is pretty quiet and introverted.  Someone who is friendly, approachable, sassy, and flirty would really catch his attention.

Taeil - I think Taeil would feed off someone who is more extroverted. It would make him feel like he could really let loose and be his self with them.  I think he’s one of the (fairly) quiet extroverts I mentioned above and would do well with someone with a bright and friendly personality - someone who isn’t afraid to be goofy with him.

Ten - Ten needs a partner who will keep up with his quirky, artsy personality and who can keep up with his sly, sexually laced banter. I do think Ten can get into his own head at times and I think he wants someone who can drag him out of that space by cracking jokes or being silly when he needs it.

Haechan - Haechan is so bold, sassy, and expressive that I think he could walk all over someone who was introverted (not to say he will - it’s just a possibility that it will happen unintentionally).  He really likes the give and take in conversations and someone too quiet could try his patience.  Even his shy, quiet side would be better matched with someone who is extroverted. 

Jeno - He’s so shy that he absolutely needs someone more outgoing and friendly. I really think he’s drawn to people who are approachable and with whom he can talk about anything - even from the first time they meet. Someone with a bright and friendly personality would put him at ease and make him relax a bit more.

Jaehyun - I see Jaehyun as another one of those quiet extroverts. He doesn’t need to be the center of attention and is fine listening rather than talking. Because of this, I think he is drawn to more outgoing and bright people. He would be intrigued by someone with a bright, flirty personality.

Prefers an Extroverted and/or Friendly and Bright S/O