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mask131 · 7 months ago

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You know how there is a tendency by the USA industries to copy famous British shows? The Office. Ghosts. Skins. Being Human. Shameless. Queer as Folk. Men Behaving Badly. All these shows have a UK vs US version. And everybody keeps talking about the differences and comparisons. It is such a well-known and documented phenomenon that Wikipedia has a FRIGGIN' LIST of American shows based on English ones (here it is if you want to check it out). They even tried to do an American Absolutely Fabulous! Can you believe that? There is an unpicked pilot out there for an American "AbFab" show! Crazy...

There is however a very similar phenomenon nobody talks about (probably because it does not involve English-speaking media, hence why people are less interested in this).

Turns out there is quite a handful of American movies "based" (cough cough) on French movies! Ranging from straight-up remakes to rip-offs "inspired by".

Recently, as I was looking at a video dissecting some American comedies that failed at the box-office, I discovered this movie:

"Dinner for Schmucks". Released in 2010. Just by looking at the movie's title and poster I already knew what it was about and could tell you all about it. No, not because I watched it - but because this is actually an American copy of one of the most famous French comedies of the 90s: "Le dîner de cons"

Jay Roach, "Dinner for Schmucks" director, denied any claim that his movie was a remake of the French one. He said it was merely "inspired" by Le dîner de cons. But it is pretty HEAVILY influenced if you ask me.

You must understand that Le dîner de cons is still to this day considered one of the great classics of French comedy. It was a movie adaptation of a theater play of the same name. The same guy did the theater play and the movie (Francis Veber), and the same guy played the titular "Schmuck" in both media: Jacques Villeret. Jacques Villeret whose role in Le dîner de cons stays his most memorable and iconic character to date. To tell you how big this movie was, when it was released in France it was the second most-watched movie of the year, right behind... Titanic.

So when you compare that to this American movie. An American movie that bombed and was deemed a failure. And when you take into account the fact none of the fans of the American movie seem to even know the existence of the French one, despite this being a movie EVERYBODY in France knows at least by name... Argh.

Now... this discovery did surprise me, but it did not surprise me THAT much. Because I was aware of something similar that had happened before.

I am a big fan of another great classic of French comedy. Le Père Noël est une ordure (Santa Claus is an asshole).

This 1982 movie (again, based on a previous theater play and reusing most of the same actors as on the stage version) is still considered to this day a classic in many ways. A classic of dark French comedy ; a classic of Christmas movies in France ; and one of the master-pieces of the comedy group Le Splendid, right behind their movies Les Bronzés. Just like with Un dîner de cons, most French people can recognize its visuals or quote you a line, even if they didn't actually see the movie. [If you ask me... I am much more of a fan of the stage play. The movie is the most famous of the two, but I saw the theater play first, and the two pieces differ mostly with their endings. The movie's ending is dark but happy/optimistic ; while the play's ending is hilarious grim and devastating. But that's mostly a question of tastes.]

Anyway, since I was a fan I bought the official companion book about the movie, and that's in there that I discovered the existence of 1994's Mixed Nuts.

An American comedy movie that was a re... Oh sorry, just like for "Dinner for Schmucks", the people behind this movie refused to say it was a "remake". They said it was merely "based on" the French movie. And just like "Dinner for Schmucks", it was a big failure.

I distinctively remember how the person who wrote for the French companion book was not kind AT ALL on this American movie. Notably they pointed out that one of the reason it failed in the USA, and nobody wanted to see it in France, was because it took this dark comedy about suicide and couple abuse and murder (it is still hilarious fun, trust me), and tried to turn it into a "politically correct" optimistic, all-family comedy a la "typical American comedy". Except the core story was designed to be about the dark side of Christmas, the hypocrisy of society (and of Christmas), and just a bunch of not-nice, not-good people getting stuck together on one Christmas night filled with blood, sex and despair (again, it is actually VERY FUN, I assure you). Something that was deemed not "palatable" enough for American audiences.

These two cases being brought up, I got curious and I went on Wikipedia to check if there were other American movies "inspired by", "remaking" or just "blatantly ripping-off" French movies. And I was NOT disappointed!

There's too many to list, but I will leave the most jarring, shocking or flabbergasting cases (at last for me, a French person) under the cut. I mean, I knew about the US vs UK tv shows battles, and I knew about the American remakes of J-Horror (The Grudge, The Ring), but I never thought they'd have done something similar with French cinema!

And you know what the worst thing is? Most of these American remakes were failures, right? And the French movies were much more successful and famous than them... Yet, most American people know only about their American movies, which failed, and don't know one piece of info about the French movies, despite them still being showed and talked to this day. This is honestly such a jarring cultural gap. [And also a confirmation that American movie industry would rather remake dozens and dozens of foreign movies rather than bother releasing them dubbed or subtitled. Crazy.] Hopefully things are changing a bit because today, due to how the Internet exists, the original French pieces are talked about much more. People know better the original Taxi movie or the Les Intouchables movie than their American remake... Still though...

Anyway here is the list of these cinematic crimes underneath the cut

2000's Under Suspicion. Created out of the classic French thriller Garde à vue, a greatly awarded movie that gathered two legends of French cinema, Lino Ventura and Michel Serrault (and which is Serrault's darkest role ever).

2017's The Upside. Created out of 2011's Intouchables, an international success of a comedy that notably turned small-career actor Omar Sy into one of the huge names of French cinema.

2004's Taxi. A failed remake attempting to cash on 1998's Taxi, the movie that started the immensely famous Taxi movie franchise.

1998's Pure Luck. Not many people know this movie is based on 1981's La Chèvre, one of the famous comedies of actor Pierre Richard. (And there's the... other guy. Better not talk of him for a while Xp)

2015's Martyrs. A remake of what is considered one of the most famous (and disturbing) French horror movies of the 2000s: 2008's Martyrs, one of the big names of the "New French Extremism". (Well it is Franco-Canadian... But still)

1991's Oscar. A remake of 1967's Oscar, one of the great comedies of the 60s featuring the comedy legend Louis de Funès.

1996's The Birdcage. Created out of 1978's La Cage aux Folles, the most iconic role of Michel Serrault (in the comedy genre) and a very influential piece of fiction when it comes to depictions of gay couples and drag queens in French cinema.

1988's And God Created Woman. An American remake of 1956's Et Dieu... créa la femme, aka the movie that turned Brigitte Bardot into an international star.

2021's CODA. An American remake of 2014's La Famille Bélier. I think it was the first big movie of Louane, and it was notoriously talked about for having a big representation of people with earing problems since it is about a talented singer born into a family of deaf people. (And it is not a comedy, it is a drama movie).

By all of the hells, even Some Like it Hot! Yes even Some Like it Hot was inspired by a French movie: 1935's Fanfare d'amour!

If you want to see more, just look at the Wikipedia category for "American remakes of French movies".

#cinema #foreign cinema #american movies #french movies #french cinema #american cinema #foreign remakes #american remakes #remakes #movies #french things #france #french culture

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echonk3 · 1 year ago

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999 Week 2023 - Junpei

so this is from the view of a fellow college student. also this is inspired by useless equations by Pensysto over on ao3 which please go read it is so good and the fic that turned me onto writing in second person

You know it’s common for people who went missing to come back changed and Junpei, the dude who you met who was like everybody, was no exception.

No matter how much Googling you did to try and find out what the hell happened, the most you got was maybe this blurry photo from Nevada of somebody who was definitely Junpei. You’d recognize his Marty McFly outfit almost anywhere, considering that was a common outfit for him. But you can’t bring yourself to ask him about it. Both because the main place you see him is on campus, and because the few people who had been to his apartment say that they saw the recycling bin almost overflowing with beer cans. Not to mention, the time they found him drunk in one of the seemingly rare times he’s even at his place. One of them talked about him babbling about zeroes and gas masks and weapons and fire and puzzles and numbers, though another talked of him being cheerful yet talking about some dark topics.

Though, you think him being drunk is the only way he’ll sleep, because as the days go on his eye bags become darker and it gets to the point where he falls asleep during a class. It’s as if he was simply going through the motions. Goes to classes, neglecting the work he’s given, and then is spotted wandering or at a local bar.

This all may have taken place over the course of a few months, but it felt like a few days. And all of these lead to the spiralling rumours. Waterboarding due to water aversion and the talk of submarines making him recoil a bit and especially talk of the Titanic just bringing a look of absolute fear into his eyes, that he went insane but hasn’t been diagnosed with something even if the Psych majors keep saying that he likely has PTSD, that somehow Santa Claus kidnapped him (though it was from the dude who was near constantly high and who spouts bullshit half the time).

Another visit to his apartment brings a friend of yours talking to you about it, about “like there’s this corkboard with the red strings and everything. Something about a girl named Akane. There was like a bunch of random shit there, like mentions of the dude who killed his coworkers recently.”

Junpei’s clothing starts to change, as if he just bought a bunch of random black clothes because they match everything instead of putting effort into his kinda shitty clothing choices. Some people say it’s better, but they haven’t seen the shit he’s been going through. They don’t know that he’s come from somebody with shitty jokes and the fashion sense of somebody who didn’t care to a clearly traumatized, likely alcoholic trying to find somebody.

And one day, like any other, you watch as a car comes to the curb, right as Junpei is walking by, his shoulders slumped and his hand limply hanging onto a bag. Out comes a hulking man, a girl with bright pink hair, a man with silver hair and a pretty lady who may be much older than you but goddamn.

He looks shocked as he sees them, and you think he’s stammering but you’re not in earshot and you don’t want to get closer lest you make it awkward. They’re saying something to him, and a minute later he takes a step forward, and almost immediately slumps over into the arms of the woman, dropping his bag and his head hanging over her shoulder. She pats him on the back, and ushers him into the car as the girl plucks his bag from the ground and they all join the two.

That was the last you’ve seen of him. All you know is that he’s dropped out, and you recognize the people from the blurry Nevada photo that’s now become embroiled in the case of the man who killed his coworkers during a death game. But you’re unable to ask Junpei about that now.

You hope that he’s doing well now at least, you think as the clock turns to 12 for 2029, just a bit over a year after the day he came back.

#zero escape #junpei zero escape #junpei tenmyouji #999 week

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bethanythebogwitch · 10 months ago

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Oops, I wrote a thing.

The First Annual Iconic Fictional Characters Meet-And-Greet Luncheon.

“I gotta say,” said Spider-Man, mask pulled up to allow him to sip his drink, “I was skeptical of the idea of getting a bunch of the most famous characters in fiction together to have lunch, but it’s going pretty well.”

“Indeed,” replied Sherlock Holmes. “A few minor hitches aside, the day has been capital.”

“Minor, you a-say,” muttered Mario, who had been spared from one of Anansi’s little pranks at the very last second thanks to Holmes’s powers of deduction and quick warning.

“Well considering some of the company we have, it could be a lot worse,” Holmes stated. “Fortunately, the villains seem mostly well-behaved. Though I do intend to keep an eye on Dracula. I’ve noticed him glancing at people’s necks a bit more than I am comfortable with.”

Shortly after that, the trio broke up to go mingle with others. An opportunity like this, to meet characters from other stories, was a rare one that all were eager to take advantage of. Holmes did find the nametags, each reading ‘Hello, my name is…’ were a touch irritating as he would have preferred to figure out the identities of the other guests through deduction. Though most were not as skilled at the craft as him, so he supposed the nametags were there for their sake. Holmes was seeking one who was said to be his equal. It would be fascinating to test his own mind against this Batman, who he believed could match wits with Moriarty whilst being considerably less murderous.

On his way across the outdoor pavilion the luncheon was being hosted at, Holmes took to observing the other guests. They certainly were a fascinating bunch and up to quite a bit. At one table, Hercules was flirting with Cinderella and at another Santa Claus was giving the first ever gift to a confused but grateful Frankenstein’s Monster. The sight of Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse bickering was not surprising, though Darth Vader watching with apparent interest did raise an eyebrow or two. At the outskirts of the meeting place, Little Red Riding Hood and Peter Pan were playing a game of chasing around Pikachu while Gandalf was setting up a fireworks display for later. Holmes at last spotted his quarry, Batman’s cape and cowl making him stand out from the crows and contrasting with the blue science uniform of his conversation partner, Spock.

As the great detective turned and started walking toward the superhero, he was suddenly stopped by a great booming noise accompanied by everyone and everything on the pavilion shaking as though in an earthquake. Someone screamed and pointed behind him. Holmes turned to see something astonishing. He could describe it no better than as a living mountain. The creature, for it was clearly alive and moving, towered over the pavilion, its shadow casting every guest in darkness. Multiple screams rang out as the rest of the guests saw the titanic beast looming over them all. A few of the characters rose to fight if necessary, most looking grimly stoic, though Goku looked eager for a challenge. Others tried to flee, while Captain Kirk raised a phaser at the same time that The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the creature.

Holmes was the first to speak up. “Ah. Ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing to fear. This creature is another guest to this fine event.”

“How do you figure?” asked James Bond (who, Holmes noted, had spilled his martini onto his tuxedo in the excitement).

“Elementary,” Responded Holmes, “Observe”. He raised his hand and pointed at the creature. On its chest, barely visible amongst the scaled skin of the behemoth was a nametag. It read as follows:

“Hello, my name is Godzilla.”

Art idea: a meet-and-greet of so iconic they are near-universally recognizable. People like Sherlock Holmes, Superman, Darth Vader, Mario, Mickey Mouse, and Frankenstein's Monster are chatting with each other. Then, the ground begins to shake and a shadow falls over the meeting. The character look up in horror only to realize this is another guest.

Godzilla.

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coloredsolos · 2 years ago

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HOLIDAY EVENT

I am so excited to announce my first ever holiday event! here you will find a list of prompts and dialogues you get to choose from!

how to request

my inbox is open! send me either a situation OR a dialogue and the character you’d like as well as the category of the piece!! (ex. situations 6, fluff, armin)

please remember to read my rules before requesting

im going to try and avoid duplicate requests so make sure to check back here and see if the situation or dialogue has been taken!

extended rules

I will only be writing for attack on titan characters at this time

i’m fully open to suggestions as well, don’t be shy :)

I tend to a write gn!reader but I can write f!reader if requested!!

please choose either a situational prompt OR a dialogue prompt! i want there to be plenty of options for others so for now let’s stick with one per person!

make sure you clarify what number and what type of prompt you’re choosing as well as what category you’d like! (ex. situations 6, fluff)

SITUATIONS

snowed in

sledding

ice skating

snowball fight

baking

watching christmas movies

christmas dinner

gift shopping

gift wrapping

gift giving

not enough blankets

mistletoe

secret santa

sick during the holidays

fake dating for holiday event

new years countdown

new years day

DIALOGUE

“Is that supposed to be a snowman?”

“I can’t get the star on! Will you give me a hand?”

“Well we can’t put this photo in our christmas card.”

“You really thought I wouldn’t see you putting mistletoe all over the house? I’ll kiss you if you just ask…”

“I’m not sure if the eggnog has me seeing stars, but you look more beautiful than ever right now.”

“You’re absolutely freezing, come here.”

“Your lips are cold.”

“I can’t believe I got stuck on a ski lift with you of all people.”

“There’s more tape on that present than wrapping paper.”

“What are you doing with that mistletoe? Oh…”

“You know this frosting would taste a hundred times better on you.”

“Stop trying to get me to walk under the mistletoe!!”

“There’s no way I’m letting you spend the holidays alone.”

“Are you even tall enough to put the star on top of the tree?”

“I’d let you sit on my lap…” “Too bad you aren’t Santa Claus.”

“That’s the ugliest sweater I’ve ever seen.”

“Hey… if we don’t both find somebody by midnight then maybe… you and me?” “Ask me properly and I might consider it.”

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teentitwns · 4 years ago

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soooo, as you know i wrote some bbrae fanfictions and, this one, especifically, called “all you had to do was stay” (yes, taylor swift’s song) was published in 2017 but i deleted after sometime because im little lazy and the history always seems easily in my mind.

anyway! i decided to rewrite this fanfiction and the first chapter is already posted on the brazilian website that i use (spirit fanfics), so why not put in here too?

please, remember that im brazilian and my english is a little broken - sorry for the mistakes you’ll find on the text.

well, thats it. im really nervous right now and insecure. i hope you like it and, maybe, i can post the fanfiction on ao3 or another website.

_______________

The protective dome around Raven was totally useless and, like her friends, she knew it.

She was there, standing in the middle of the contraption built by Cyborg, with all her vital signs being recorded on the computers that occupied a large part of the room, beeping together with the devices that showed her brain waves.

Everything had been perfectly assembled and positioned so that she had the best protection that anyone could have in the face of what was about to happen, but all those technological tools made her feel like a laboratory rat, studied in vain to discover that in the end the experience had gone wrong again.

She sighed loudly and propped her elbows on her knees, resting her face in one hand; she no longer cared about floating.

She felt physically and mentally drained to use her powers in something as unnecessary as floating, and she didn't need to be inches from the ground at that moment.

In fact, it was better to have contact with the earth, with the concrete floor. At least she would be sure that she was still alive, that the world was fine and whole.

Raven let out a loud snort and huffed impatiently, her eyes roaming the room until they found the door, waiting, miraculously, for one of the other Titans to enter. She had been inside that dome for hours and she couldn't take it anymore - loneliness was good when chosen willingly, not out of obligation.

To her despair, in addition to the blatant private prison that was happening there, the kidnapping, or anything else of that level, the situation made terrible flashbacks go through her head, making her remember Slade, the brand of Scath , the end of the world and, consequently, Trigon.

Why did everything have to be so similar? It seemed that karma was acting exactly the same as it had on her sixteenth birthday, creating a tedious and scary looping. She never considered herself a fan of automatic repetitions anyway.

Unconsciously, she took her left hand into the pocket of her midnight blue cloak in hopes of finding a specific object inside it, but this time, she had no lucky coin to cling to and consider as an amulet. She was alone, forgotten, practically left to die, just as she should have been two years ago, on the fateful day when Trigon’s Prophecy almost came true.

The empath, a “witch” as many called her, allowed herself to laugh with mockery. She hated feeling sorry for her own tragic life, but she couldn't escape the pitiful thoughts she was having. She probably didn't think differently from what her friends had in mind - she was just a poor girl, victim of circumstances, who was not to blame for being the fruit of the forbidden, unhealthy relationship between a human and an interdimensional demon. She was not to blame for being “Daddy's darling”, the one chosen to bring him to Earth for the second time, since she was a poorly raised daughter and prevented him the first time.

Now, at eighteen, she wouldn't be as lucky as she was at sixteen.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos…”, she closed her eyes and started to meditate, with nothing else to do. “Azarath Metrion Zinthos…”

“Raven!"

She opened her eyes with a start, facing Beast Boy. Awkwardly, he spread his hands on the thick glass of the dome, breathing heavily.

“Great.", She thought. “Of all the people that Robin could send, he chose the most restless."

" What are you doing here?", she asked.

“Dude, isn't it obvious? We’re doing it wrong! ”, Beast Boy waved his hands compulsively. “I mean, it's your father! There is no one better to stop him than you!”

“If I leave here it will be easier to get to Earth."

“I really don't want to be pessimistic, but he's already here, mama."

“Beast Boy..."

“It worked last time, didn't it? What good will it do you to be stuck in that dome? The world will end anyway!”

“Weren't you the one who was upbeat until two seconds ago?"

“I still am!"

“Does Robin know you're here?"

“…yes."

“I don’t believe that."

“Of course I told him,", the shapeshifter scratched the back of his head, causing his newly acquired muscles to start filling his uniform to appear. “I just don't know if he paid attention.”, He gave a nervous smile.

“It doesn't count as a warning."

“Have you never been told that what counts is the intention?"

Raven rolled her eyes and uncrossed her legs, standing up. She walked over to where Beast Boy was, touching the dome with her fingertips. He smiled broadly, running to the nearest computer and typing in the code that would free her.

When the dome barriers disappeared, Raven adjusted the hood on her head, thinking about the possibilities that surrounded her. Beast Boy was right, after all. Trigon was already on Earth, like the first time, and she would not be of much help if she were trapped, safe and sound, while her friends killed themselves to save the world.

“I knew you'd be up for it!" He celebrated, approaching her.

“It wasn't your worst idea."

“I'm smart, you underestimate me too much."

“I must have my reasons for that, right?

“Taking into account my discussions about tofu being the best food in the world can’t be considered as a reason.”

“No?”

“We all have our childish moments.”

“And you have your adult moments.”, she said.

“Nothing for having released you, I’m at your service.

“Where are they?”

“Downtown.”

“Excellent.”

“Raven”, Beast Boy called her when she started to leave. “Are you ready to go?”

“You don’t?”

“It's just… You have nothing to bring you luck.”

“I don't believe in luck.”, she lied, ignoring the thought that she had been wishing for a lucky charm a few minutes ago.

“Why not?”

“I make my own luck.”

“But it's always good to have help, isn't it?”

“Come on, Beast Boy.”

He shook his head negatively and approached her, holding her arm firmly and preventing her from getting away. The difference in height between them remained almost nil, with Raven looking a little taller from a distance because of the hood.

She frowned and looked at him without understanding, trying to pull her arm out of his grip, uncomfortable with the position they were in.

“It's just…”, Beast Boy started to speak. “I shouldn't be here and I know it. You are always so focused and correct that you even embarrass me for acting that way, but, last time, you had the coin I gave you and we won.

“I don’t know where it is.”, Raven lied, lowering her head to hide the blush on her cheeks. Some of her emotions were manifested in Nevermore, reminding her of the small passion she held for him. Passion, that, that she was sure that she would never be reciprocated. He was not a philanderer, he had never dated anyone after Terra, but he was not unaware of love affairs like her. She had a little more experience, even though she was also small. “We can't keep others waiting.”

“I can't let you go without an amulet.”

“There is no such thing as luck, Beast Boy! How many times have I told you that we need to run after what we want?”

“Many.”

“And none of them fixed on your brain?”

“Apparently no.”

“I should have imagined.”

“Why can't you give me a credit?”

“You are acting like a child who believes in Santa Claus.”

“And you're being cruel to me.”, he complained. “I thought you stopped that a while ago.”

“I stopped. Are we going to battle or not?”, Raven asked impatiently. “The world is about to end!”

“I know!”

“Then let me go!”

“I can't let you leave here without an amulet!”

“So give me this shit!”

Raven's words echoed around the room, and Beast Boy smirked, as if he had been waiting for this ever since they started arguing.

Such nonsense fights and quick discussions were not new to them, who were used to being awkward a few times a day, always for stupid reasons. However, that time, the shapeshifter had a purpose and, knowing that Raven would play the game, he put his idea into practice, which ended up working very well, thank you.

Raven shook her head and shrugged, silently asking if he wouldn't give her anything. She was waiting for a frog charm or other coin, but all she received was a warm kiss on the mouth, which made her blow up the nearest computer monitor.

The touch of Beast Boy's lips on his made her close her eyes instantly, her body and mind embracing the fact that she wanted that kiss - she had even been waiting for him for a long time, having fantasized the moment several times in the stillness of his. room.

On the other hand, Beast Boy didn't explode at all, but he felt his whole body vibrating. Her cheeks were as flushed as Raven’s, and it had taken him a long time to have the courage to kiss her.

The kiss could not be considered "worthy of a movie" because the two were too tense to give themselves up completely. They did not know where to put their hands and neither should they do it; A light in their heads blinked incessantly, reminding them that the world was ending while they were kissing, and billions of people were at risk.

It could be considered an ordinary kiss, but for Raven and Beast Boy, it meant much more than that.

They separate after a few seconds, unable to exchange a direct look. Beast Boy cleared his throat and Raven clung more tightly to her cloak, almost disappearing inside it.

“Raven”, Beast Boy smiled, making her look him in the eye quickly. Without breaking eye contact, he simply stuck a five-cent coin in her hand. Like old times. “Good luck.”

—————————————-

ok, i had no idea that the text would lose the diagramming!!! i wrote this on my iphone notes, sorryyyy

#teentitwns #bbrae #bbrae fanfiction #raven #beast boy #fanfiction

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bigskydreaming · 5 years ago

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Headcanon that in a world where superhero sightings probably get talked about in the same way people talk about seeing a famous celebrity out on the street somewhere, people also post and share stories about being saved by a superhero to social media.

And Gotham has plenty of those stories being posted by its citizens, seeing as how there’s more than a few vigilantes operating all across the city and has been for years. You’ve got the Batman saves, and the Batwoman saves, the Batgirls, the Huntress, the occasional Catwoman save and Batwing and more....and then of course, you’ve got everyone who has a story about being saved by a Robin.

Because of course in a city as associated with darkness as Gotham, the bold brightness of the Robins have always stood out in contrast...that’s part of the point of them after all. Its not necessarily that they’re thought of more than any of their less colorful counterparts, so much as that they’ve always had a tendency to...capture the imagination. Especially with their age, and yet still undeniably skilled....the mere oddity of their presence alongside the grim and dour Batman in the first place....the fact that over time, it became evident to anyone that there was more than one, that a succession of some sort was taking place...

All of those are the kinds of things that make people wonder. Speculate. Talk.

And at some point in the past, that talking led to communities. Online groups at first, largely conspiracy theory type servers that liked to toss out theories about where Robin came from, how does a kid end up a crime fighter on par with someone like Batman, who stands side by side with the mightiest of the Justice League....where Robin was and if he was alright, when the first one disappeared without a word and after years of Gotham growing used to his presence, being suddenly aware all over again of just how young he was and that his presence might not be as permanent as they’d all grown to expect (hope)...wondering (hoping) if this new Nightwing character who was seen in New York with the rest of the Titans, where Robin used to stand, if maybe that might be him and just what that might mean and why.....

And of course, it wouldn’t be surprising if the people most focused on Robin in particular, most invested in wondering about who he might be and where he was now, if he was alright, if he was still out there saving people even if under another name, well....it only makes sense that a lot of the people in those specific online groups, little communities....were ones who had at some point had their own stories to share. About a time a mischievous kid older than his years had saved them from some terrible fate, reassuring them with a confidence that defied his young age and making them feel safe with a demonstration of skill that was all the more impressive considering that very same fact.

Because here’s the thing about being saved by a hero: that only tends to happen when you’re in some great danger in the first place. The kind of thing that will always stick with you, even if you ended up making it home alright that night, even if it didn’t end as badly for you as it could’ve...because you’re unable to avoid the realization of what that ‘could’ve’ really entails. That’s the kind of experience that for many people can be life-changing, the first time violence transitioned from just being a thing you watched happen safely from the other side of a screen, to a thing that you were face to face with, surrounded by, immersed in....

Even when you walk away from something like that, you don’t walk away quite the same. And that’s something only someone with similar experience, similar knowledge, will ever quite get, in that way that makes you feel secure that you’re not just being humored, you’re not just being fed the right words by someone who secretly is listening to you share your story while thinking “well how bad, how dangerous could it really have been, if a kid could be the one to save you from it?”

So its only natural that Gothamites with similar experiences, similar stories, would find each other online. Gravitate towards each other over time. And because they’re all largely local still, eventually small gatherings start to happen in real time, offline. Just a few people at first, grabbing a drink together and swapping stories. But then one meet-up becomes two, adds a few more people and next thing you know there’s a regular thing happening in some hole in the wall place only born and bred Gothamites ever frequent. Maybe just once a month. Maybe not even that often. Once every couple of months, a bunch of people just talking, sharing, bonding over the times they survived a brush with Gotham’s darkness, all thanks to the help of just a little patch of bright.

Because here’s the thing nobody else, no matter how sympathetic, ever quite one hundred percent gets: and that’s just how scared they were on the night their save happened. Just how close it really was, just how thin the faint line between what happened and what could’ve happened actually looked, every time they look back on it.

See, because compared to that - and what else do most of them have to compare it to - the calm, steady, cheerful reassurances of the Boy Wonder stood out all the more. Then and now. Both in his presence and in their hindsight.

To have been so shaken by their own close calls, and only finding comfort through his confidence that it was okay, it was over, they were safe now...only able to believe him because he said it all with such conviction that it must be true, just as all the rumors of a boy who could fly like the Bat and take down criminals just as capably had turned out (thankfully) to be more than just urban legend and exaggerated rumors....

Well, its usually only days later that most of them untangled enough of what they were thinking and feeling after their near-miss, to see that surety of his for what it was: experience. The very same experience they’d had, with violence, with near-death....just multiplied by however many dangers he’d confronted that same night he’d saved them, and that multiplied by however many nights he’d spent out there saving anyone at all.

That was a lot of danger, when they really thought about it, tallied it all up. A lot of violence, a lot of blood and screaming as well as all the things they’d been spared from experiencing but that not everyone could be similarly spared from, not in a city like Gotham, not in a place where there was so much darkness and only so many tiny little patches of bright breaking through.

And when they thought about it like that, and thought back to how young he’d been, yet still so capable, so unphased, unbothered...the rock they’d needed to desperately cling to, something stable and unmoving to grab hold of while they found their footing, sought out solid ground firm enough under their feet again that they could steadily walk the rest of the way on their own...

...that’s when the doubts start to actually creep in, you see. That’s when they start to question their own recollection of the night in question, doubt what they’d seen. Wonder if maybe they hadn’t just bought into the myth, the legend, and imagined him as smaller, younger than he really was. That’s when they start to think: did it really even happen? Could I have just dreamed it all?

Because how could someone like that even be real, is what they almost all had at some point wondered. Asked themselves. In a world of aliens and gods, it still at times seems impossible to them that someone like that could truly exist. That he wasn’t just a figment of their imagination, a fairy tale they’d conjured to make the world seem a little less drab, a little less dark. Yes Virginia. Even grown-ups need a Santa Claus to believe in, every now and again.

It was how young he had been, and still so practiced and self-assured, when they were often so much older and yet next to him felt as though they had lived so much less - it just didn’t seem plausible.

It was how bright he had been, even while draped in shadows - it just didn’t seem possible.

It was how carefree he had been, as though the blood on his suit and the bruises on his face meant nothing to him at all, how nimbly he’d danced around punches thrown by bigger and badder as though they barely even mattered, how he stood like an island surrounded by a sea of violence and murder and chaos and just laughed while all of that tried to break upon his shores, like it barely even existed - it just didn’t seem real.

And whenever the doubts started to double and the truth of those nights felt hazy and far away and open to interpretation, that’s when they’d grab their coat and meet up with a few friends at that little hole in the wall. Share their stories again, swap their truths, and tell their tales that in the company of others didn’t feel quite so tall as they had just a few hours ago alone in their room. They’d each survived something, after all. They hadn’t made that up. And someone had saved them, they hadn’t made him up either. And with each re-telling, each newcomer’s new story newly shared....the fog clears a little more, the memory gets a little sharper, and the Robin revealed in it is standing exactly where their recollection says he’s supposed to be....exactly where he’d been all along.

And for some of them, weighed down by drudgery and depression and the death by a thousand papercuts that’s living in Gotham, working a dead-end job and not even sure which direction is up....its like being saved all over again. Because it hadn’t been a nightmare and it hadn’t been a dream. The danger had been real but so had the hero. A dozen other voices chime in over the course of a night and confirm: none of them had needed to play make-believe, to wish upon a star, to conjure a fairy tale to make the world feel a little more bearable...because that implausibly young, impossibly bright, unbothered island amidst a sea of Gotham’s madness.....was real.

And when someone like that could exist, did exist, well....the world can’t be just dark and dismal and dreary after all.

Robin was the proof that’s a lie.

And when one Robin seemed to become two, and two became three, and by four and five it was accepted fact that Gotham’s Robin was a plural, and his pluralization was a legacy of Robins...

...it was just more proof to them all that Gotham’s reputation of being nothing but a city of loss and hopelessness? Was a dirty, rotten liar.

Because one Robin can be a fluke. Two Robins a coincidence. Three is a pattern, but by the time you get to five that’s a clear fuck you to anyone who looked at their city and saw nothing but the dark.

After all, Gotham’s still the only city on Earth that can lay claim to being the natural nesting ground of Robins. Not just once, but five times and counting.

So suck on that, Metropolis.

They don’t have a name, this little Thursday night meet-up group of theirs, but they’ve never needed one. The people that need to find them always do. Which is how Dick comes across them eventually, largely by chance.

He left early that first time, ears burning, not in the right frame of mind to hear what sounded like praise he’d never sought, especially not when no one in the room could have any idea he was in there with them. But the second time he winds up there is no accident, nor is the third. Its not every week, hell, its not like he’s even in Gotham all that much....but its there when he needs it.

When he needs to be reminded that once upon a time, times ten, times ten more....someone needed him. And he’d been there.

And they hadn’t forgotten.

Its why, at some point years later, after Jason came back from the dead and tentatively trod his way back across bridges not irreparably burned after all, on a night when in a rare show of vulnerability he just happened to open up to his brother about wondering if when all was said and done, it ever really mattered that he’d been Robin at all....

Maybe it was fate that just so happened to fall on a Thursday. All Dick knew was it was perfectly obvious where they had to go.

So Dick dragged his brother across town, bitching and moaning but still intrigued enough to make it just a show rather than an actual protest....

And they grabbed a booth in the back, ordered drinks they never touched, and just sat there and listened. It was a good-sized crowd that night. Plenty of regulars, a lot of ‘old-timers’ from Dick’s earliest Robin days. But this group had a lot of time and practice sharing stories by now, swapping little details, timelines, the like. The rest of the world might still be largely ignorant of the differences between Gotham’s birds, but the regulars here, they’d long since hammered out a pretty good idea of who was who. Even without Jason being surprised to realize he vaguely recognized a few faces here and there, never having imagined ever seeing them again - let alone in such a different setting - the room didn’t lack for shares from people who were quite clear that their Robin was definitely the second one.

They all knew by now which was ‘their Robin’ and were happy and proud to pay proper credit where it was due. The rescues of the first Robin often mentioned keeping tabs on whenever Nightwing showed up in the news....it was just nice to hear he was doing well. The rescues of the second knew he was the Red Hood...’their Robin’ had always been a bit rougher around the edges, they claimed, which was how they’d been sure they owed their gratitude to a different one than the first, back when they were all still unsure who was who and what was what. And the Robin-conspiracy-servers their little Thursday night group had once started out as had been among the first to theorize that the Red Hood might be a former Robin, back when he’d first appeared on the scene.

So when he started wearing a red Bat symbol himself, and hearsay had made the rounds from a friend of a friend of a friend who swears they heard the Joker himself ranting about the Hood being a little birdie who didn’t even have the decency to stay dead as he was dragged away to a cop car....there’d been a lot of crowing from ‘the second Robin’s section’ of the bar that night. “Hear that? Can’t even kill our Robin! Takes a lickin’, keeps on tickin’. Now that’s Gotham, baby!” Sports teams couldn’t boast to having a better crowd.

Not that any of the others there that night begrudged them their celebratory cheers. A Robin was still a Robin, after all.

And so on and so on. The rescues of the third were no less firm about knowing where to give their due, and those of the fourth might have been relatively few in number, but they made up for it in spirit. Those of the fifth were proud to lay claim to the current ‘sitting Robin’ for however long he may roost (or so the jokes went), and when a few playful shouts would sound out here and there about how the fifth seems “awfully angry for a Robin, isn’t he?” they were met with cheerful hollers back: “Hey, he’s just focused, alright?”

And if Jason left that first night without a word, but just happened to already have claimed a table at the back when Dick wandered in another Thursday a few weeks later, well, that was hardly worth mentioning. So instead Dick just ordered another of what his brother was having and settled in alongside him.

They needed a fake ID to sneak Tim in as he was still a few years shy by the time it became a regular thing for Dick and Jason whenever they were both in town and free on a Thursday. Tim could’ve done without all the short jokes Jason lobbed his way when joking that a fake could only do so much, but it didn’t seem worth complaining about once he figured out where his brothers had dragged him and why. Stephanie had taken very little prodding to get there - most of the work had been in convincing her to just trust them about not insisting on bringing Cass along too. Once she got there, she understood. This was a Robin thing, Cass would understand.

Which she did of course. Its not like it was a secret, where Steph would go whenever she’d be gone for a Thursday night and not on patrol....and the boys are fairly certain the Batgirls have since found their own version. (Steph does seem to alternate weeks, between hanging with them and going somewhere).

There was some debate about when to bring Damian along - a few jokes about fake IDs not being magic booster seats - before ultimately they decided just to wait on that for now. After all, Damian still was Robin, and this....well, it was never about the praise, any kind of ego boost. It was just exactly what it was for anyone there for those Thursday night meets:

It was about the reminder. That wherever they were now, whomever they were now....these Robins had been real. They’d been there. They’d mattered. And that would never be forgotten.

And if any of the regulars ever thought anything in particular about the table of three black-haired boys and a blond girl, quietly hanging out and listening in the back, never drawing attention to themselves, never sharing stories themselves, well. They kept it to themselves.

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thelittleredheadedmusician · 4 years ago

Note

Barefoot Waltz

Beauty Pop

Dramacon

The Garden of Words

Hana-Kimi

I.O.N

Last Hope

Lover's->Flat

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin

Re-Gifters

Runaways

Scott Pilgrim

Ai Yori Aoshi

Animeta!

Astra Lost in Space

Azumanga Daioh

Bakuman

Barakamon

BattleAngel Alita

Beet The Vandel Buster

Behind Story

Behind The Scenes

Black Cat

Citrus 1

Cowboy Bebop

DeathNote

Disappearance of Yuki-Chan

Dojin Work

Drifting Dragons

Eden's Zero

Eromanga Sensei

FairyTail

Fruits Basket

FullMetal Alchemist

Gunsmith Cats

Gunsmith Cats Burst

Gurren Lagann

Kare Kano

K-On

Komi Can't Communicate

Love Hina

Manga Dogs

Mär

Marmalade Boy

Maison Ikkoku

MegaTokyo

Mobile Suit Gundam 00F

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 1

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 2

Mobile Suit Gundam The Last Outpost

Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt

Mobile Suit Gundam Endless Waltz Glory of Losers

NTR Netsuzou Trap

Ouran Highschool Host Club

Our Wonderful Days

Pastel

Ringworld

Shortcake Cake

Skip•Beat

Steel Fist Riku

Suzuka

Syrup

Takane & Hana

Tiger and Bunny

Very Very Sweet

Voice of Love

Voice Over

Wanted

Wild Ones

GRAPHIC NOVEL

Another Castle: Grimoré

Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers

Check Please

Citizen of The Galaxy

Concrete

Dead Boy Detectives

Death Jr.

Dishonored

Doctor Star

Electric Girl

Frontlines: Requiem

The Fountain

Galaxy Quest

Hellgate London

Highlander The American Dream

High Level

The Jetsons

Kin: Descent of Man

Klaus: How Santa Claus Began

Klaus: The New Adventures of Claus

Klaus: The Life and Times of Santa Claus

The Legend Of Drizzt 1-7

Mirror's Edge: Exordium

Neverending

Newbury and Hobbes: The Undying

Orbiter

Ravine 1-2

R.I.P.D City of The Damned

Rust

Secret Identities

Starlight

Star Mage

The Star Wars (based on the original script)

Superior

Swordquest

Ultra

WildFire

Alex + Ada (I own volume one but won't be continuing the series myself. But it is finished.)

Anne Bonnie

Atomic Robo

Birthright

The Books of Magic (original 90's run, no idea about the new series)

Calvin and Hobbes

Crux: Atlantis Rising

Danger Girl

East of West

Fanboys Vs. Zombies

Invincible

The Losers

Kingsman

Jupiter Jet

Miracle Man

Saga

Splinter Cell Echoes

Spyboy

Starborn

ARTEMIS FOWL

ASSASSIN'S CREED

ASTRO CITY

CRITICAL ROLE

CTRL+ALT+DEL

DCU

All Star Superman

Batman Arkham Knight

Batman War Games

Batman War Drums

Batman War Crimes

Batman Year 100

Batman White Knight

Batman Curse of The White Knight

DC Comics Bombshells

Gotham Academy

Earth One Batman

Earth One Green Lantern

Earth One Superman

Earth One Teen Titans

Earth One Wonder Woman

Green Lantern 80th Anniversary

Harleen

Harley Quinn White Knight

Justice League of America Riddle of the Beast

Justice League: The New Frontier

Kingdom Come

Superman Red Son

Superman Secret Identity

Superman Smashes The Klan

Watchmen

DC ElseWorlds

Green Lantern 1001 Emerald Nights

Green Lantern: Evil's Might 1-3

Superman: Kal

Superman/Batman Alternate History

Stan Lee Green Lantern, JLA, Wonder Woman, The Flash

FABLES

Fables

Fables: Werewolves Of The Heartland

Fables: The Wolf Among Us

Fairest

Fairest: In All The Land

Jack of Fables

Cinderella From Fabletown With Love

Cinderella Fables Are Forever

Everafter

1001 Nights of Snowfall

Complete Covers

IRREDEEMABLE

Incorruptible

Irredeemable

JUPITER'S LEGACY

Jupiter's Legacy

Jupiter's Circle

LADY MECHANIKA

Lady Mechanika

THE LIBRARIANS

Librarians

LOLA XOXO

Lola

Lola Wasteland Madame

LUMBERJANES

LumberJanes

MCU

House of M

Ms. Marvel

Wolverine The End

Wolverine Origins

X-Men The End

MERCY THOMPSON

Mercy Thompson Moon Called 1

POWERS

Powers: Bureau

Powers

PROJECT BLACK SKY

Barb Wire

Blackout

Brain Boy

Captain Midnight

Ghost

King Tiger

The Occultist

Secret Files

Sky Man

PROJECT SUPERPOWERS

SEJIC-VERSE

BloodStain - SFW

SunStone - NSFW

SunStone Mercy - NSFW

Swing - NSFW

TOMB RAIDER

Tomb Raider 1-3 (Between Tomb Raider and Rise)

Tomb Raider 1-4 (Between Rise and Shadow)

TRIPPING OVER YOU

Tripping Over You

Extra Mini - NSFW

UNWRITTEN

The Unwritten

The Unwritten: The Ship That Sank Twice

RECS RECS RECS RECS RECS RECS!!!

I have heard of quite a few of these and seen most of the manga come thru my register at work lol. I can second the Check Please rec (it’s also a webcomic!) and I’ve been reading the newer Books of Magic in the past year or so ironically enough and thought it was fun, was considering fishing some of the 90s out of the dollar bin at a local comic shop but the condition wasn’t good. Calvin and Hobbes is a CLASSIC and I’ve been meaning to get around to Kingsmen cause I enjoyed the movies. DC Bombshells is a GIFT. A Gift. And I adore the Earth One Teen Titans, kinda wished they’d continued it. Kingdom Come is another classic and something I was leant in high school, I was very lucky in high school lol. Lumberjanes is adorable as well! I know you said you weren’t looking to start new stuff but Fence is a good one and has Check Please vibes. The Umbrella Academy is also great when it comes to just weird superhero flavored nonsense. And Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is a classic for a very good reason.

#recs #long post

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fly-pow-bye · 5 years ago

Text

See It Firsts for 12/13/2019

Today’s a big day for See It Firsts, as it’s the annual “New in 2020” batch!

But first, yes, there is an early episode of Transformers Cyberverse:

Ghost Town Part 1 - When Windblade mysteriously steals the Allspark, Optimus, Bumblebee, Hot Rod and Cheetor follow her to a strange abandoned city.

Ghost Town Part 2 - Teletraan-X attempts to rehabilitate Starscream while Optimus, Bee, Hot Rod and Cheetor's quest to save Windblade uncovers a city that is more than meets the eye.

And, if one wants to watch the Christmas specials of Teen Titans Go, they’re in luck:

Beast Boy on a Shelf - Santa Claus forces Beast Boy to become a spy and report on the Titans' naughty behavior.

Christmas Crusaders - Santa Claus and Robin must stop the nefarious Coal Miner.

Anyway, let’s go through the section. There’s a new episode of Apple and Onion:

Sausage and Sweetie Smash - Apple and Onion must conquer their obsessions of sausages and a video game.

A new episode of Ben 10 2016:

Gentle Ben - Grandpa Max's alma mater asks him to use the Omni-Copter to transport an important exhibit to an exotic nature reserve, but when the exhibit turns out to be a rare and very large baby moth, Ben must keep Tim Buktu from stealing the moth while learning that sometimes you need to use finesse and not force to solve hard problems.

A new episode of Craig of the Creek:

Creek Daycare - Craig and his sister, Jessica, try their hand at running the daycare at the Creek.

A new episode of Mao Mao:

Mao Mao's Nakey - When MM loses his clothes while trying to scale the Ruby Pure Heart, he has to get back to Sheriff's HQ by daybreak.

One oddity: Unikitty is shown in the app in the “Coming in 2020“ section, but the episode shown in it is an episode that will air in 2019 as part of the Christmas Eve marathon. I guess there should be more than 7 episodes in Season 3, which these batch of episodes are considered, so maybe it’s just a reminder that Unikitty will still have new episodes in 2020. Anyway, there’s even more early episodes of Unikitty.

Grown Up Stuff - Puppycorn doesn't want to grow up. To ease his woes, Unikitty spends the day teaching him all the fun things about being an adult.

Stop the Presses - Richard's newspapers aren't selling, so his friends pull out all the stops to put the printed word back on top.

Castles and Kitties - Score Creeper traps the gang in a fantasy role playing game where they must follow a complex set of rules to win their freedom.

Brain Trust - Dr. Fox accidentally transports the gang inside her brain, where they must control her movements to complete a dangerous experiment.

Dunklecorn - A mysterious relative, Uncle Donklecorn, shows up unexpectedly, claiming to be family.

P.L.O.T. Device 2: Beyond the Bored Dome - Dr. Fox reprograms the P.L.O.T. Device to only generate boring events, but the gang can't help but add drama and excitement to every scenario.

Also in the “Coming in 2020” section, but list episodes that were already put up earlier, are Ninjago and Bakugan Battle Planet.

That’s it for this batch. If one has a cable or satellite subscription, they can check them out. Stay tuned.

#fpb news #apple and onion #ben 10 2016 #ben 10 #craig of the creek #mao mao heroes of pure heart #unikitty #transformers #transformers cyberverse #cartoon network

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heyyyharry · 6 years ago

Text

Halloween Special: Bugs and Hisses (Part 1)

(from the Flatmate!Harry Series)

…in which Harry and Y/N are invited to a Halloween party, but they don’t arrive together (first Halloween as flatmates).

This takes place somewhere after Hand in Hand, Harry and Y/N are not yet together. This chapter is a Halloween Special so it’s a bit long that’s why I split it into two parts! ;)

Warning: mention of smut and nothing else but fluff

So a bit of rambling here but I was watching Reign and there was this character called Olivia who had a sexual relationship with Queen Mary’s fiancé — Prince Francis. She came back after years away from him then plotted to break up him and Mary. I don’t know who wrote that tv series but we sure share a same piece of mind! Anyway, you may now proceed.

There’s only one week left until Halloween and Y/N has been waiting for that day from the first of October. Harry has been complaining about the creepy skeleton in their living room which an old neighbor left for them when she moved away. Y/N placed it there not only to give their flat some Halloween vibe but also to scare the kids who come trick-or-treating. However, all it’s done so far is scaring the shit out of Harry whenever he comes home late.

“I should carry around with me a piece of paper saying ‘Y/N did it’ in case I die from a heart attack someday,” he tells her as he walks out from the kitchen with his coffee mug and joins her on the sofa.

“How do you get scared every single time even though you know it’s fake?” She asks while scrolling through Netflix on her laptop.

Harry squints his eyes at her in response. “You know those Halloween movies where a character approaches a ghost thinking it’s either decoration or a man in a costume, only to find out it’s really a ghost? Yeah that’s not gonna be me.”

Y/N stares at her flatmate in disbelief for a couple seconds before shaking her head and telling him, “you know what? Sometimes you’re just weird.”

“Thank you, baby.” He grins and brings the mug to his lips. And despite knowing he’s only joking with the nickname, Y/N cannot help but smile to herself.

She’s had a crush on him for a while now. Ironically she used to think he would be the last person she would fall for, but here she is, heart-eyes for her annoying flatmate no matter what he does or says.

People may see Harry as a tough guy who’s hard to approach, she knows he cries watching The Notebook every single time. They assume he doesn’t care about anyone else but himself, she knows he keeps a photo of his mum and sister in his wallet. They think he’s all about parties and one-night-stands, she knows he likes candles and homemade meals and staying in with a book on a rainy day. But then again, she also knows, no matter how much she thinks she knows him, she’s never going to be the girl he ends up with.

“Have you heard of Alex’s Halloween party?” Harry asks, receiving a nod from Y/N.

“Yeah, I’ve been invited actually.”

“Wait, really?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, I didn’t know you were friends with Alex.”

“Why? Just because he’s popular?”

“No, because the guy’s a dick, and you’re—” Harry pauses then suddenly clears his throat and changes the subject, “anyway, are you coming?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Harry’s trying his best not to sound too disappointed, because he doesn’t want her to know he’s secretly wanting them to go together, not as a date, but kind of like a date.

“I promised Jamie I’d take him trick-or-treating that night.”

Harry raises an eyebrow at the girl. “Seriously? You’re going to babysit on Halloween? Where’s his mum?”

“She’s got a date.”

“You’re gonna sacrifice your night-out so our upstairs neighbor can go on a date?” He puts one hand on her shoulder and looking at her deep in the eyes, trying not to laugh. “Y/N, you’re not Halloween’s Santa Claus.”

Y/N shrugs his hand off her and rolls her eyes, resulting in a smirk on Harry’s face as he realizes she rolls her eyes at lot when talking to him. “I barely know anyone at the party. Alex only invited me because I helped him with his essay, and you don’t count because you never act like you know me in public.”

Harry breathes out a laugh as he hears her then rises from the sofa.

“Alright,” he says. “It’s your loss then.”

As Y/N shifts her attention back to her laptop screen, Harry brings his empty mug back to the kitchen, frowning when he turns away from her.

She wasn’t wrong when she said he never acted like he knew her, but that’s because he didn’t like her back then. Now, though he hates to admit it even to himself, he certainly likes her more than she may want him to.

...

Y/N suggests hiding their costumes from each other until Halloween night because she likes surprises. Harry doesn’t object to it but he hates that idea. He's dying to know what she’s going to wear because if she goes out wearing something too revealing, consider himself dead. It’s frustrating enough for him to get inappropriate thoughts about her once in a while, he doesn’t want to worry about others thinking about her the same way he does!

Well, lucky for him, Y/N chooses to stay true to who she is even on Halloween. When that night comes, she steps out from her bedroom in her costume, which is a long-sleeved, plain white dress, paired with a headband to which attached a halo made of feathers. Harry has never felt more relieved to see the safe length of the dress.

“Guess who I’m supposed to be!” She smiles cheerfully at him, putting her hands on her hips and playfully strikes a pose for her flatmate to get a better look of her appearance.

"A ghost?” Harry chuckles and Y/N huffs at his response.

“An angel! There’s literally a fake halo above my head!”

“Then where are your wings?”

“This is a low budget costume, I can’t afford a pair of wings.”

The way Y/N’s squinting her eyes at Harry makes his smile grow a little too big. She’s so adorable, so precious that he wants to comment something cheesy like ‘with or without all this, you’re still an angel’, but since they’re barely friends, he can’t say weird stuff like that, can he?

“What are you supposed to be?” she finally asks, gawking at him from head to toes.

He just looks so damn good in that white shirt with the suspenders and corduroy pants, and she also likes how his hair is all pushed back. It doesn’t matter who he’s dressed as, she’s already melting.

“Jack Dawson from Titanic,” Harry answers with a smug on his face. “I’ve been told I resemble young Leo.”

“How could they disrespect Leo like that?” Y/N scoffs, making Harry drop his jaw.

“Angels don’t mock their flatmates every chance they get! No wonder you’ve got no wings!”

“You deserved it for calling me a ghost!” Y/N flips her hair in a playful way, resulting a smirk upon Harry’s lips as she grabs her bag and heads to the door. “I gotta go now. Shouldn’t you already be on your way to the party?”

“I’m waiting for a friend.”

“Oh you’re going with Niall?”

“Uh...yeah, Niall.” He presses his lips into a small smile, already regretting agreeing to go with this girl Niall set him up with, but his flatmate does not need to know.

“Okay, have fun then!” Y/N opens the door and waves at him before she leaves. “And bring your key please! If you come home at 2AM and bang on the door, I’ll let you sleep in the hallway!”

“You will never get your wings with that attitude!” Harry shouts out, then quickly catches a glimpse of a secret smile on her face before the door is shut between them. That smile alone can keep him grinning at the entrance like an idiot, even a moment after she’s already gone.

...

“Thank you for looking after Jamie, Y/N.”

“No biggie.” Y/N smiles as she returns the little boy back to his mum then checks the watch on her wrist, it’s now 9PM, still too early for her to call it a night but already too late for her trick-or-treat companion. Jamie says goodbye to his babysitter then listens to his mum and goes to his room to change.

"How’s your date?” Y/N asks the young mum after his son’s left. She cannot help but stare at this woman’s sexy nurse costume, which is quite PG-13 for her six-year-old son, Y/N thinks to herself, but she won’t say that out loud of course.

“He was hot until he opened his mouth.” The woman rolls her eyes and leans a shoulder against the door. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?”

“The boy you brought here? The one you were handcuffed to?”

“Oh.” Y/N breathes out a laugh, and for some reason doesn’t bother to correct the lady’s false assumption. “He’s out with his friends.”

“And left you on your own on Halloween night when everyone out there is having sex?!”

Y/N immediately lowers her voice just in case Jamie can hear them. “Everyone’s having sex on Halloween night?”

“People tend to have lots of sex on special occasions, like New Year’s Eve, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter...”

Y/N widens her eyes.

“Aaaanyway, go get your man if you don’t want him to stick his dick in a random hole like my ex-husband did! That son of a bitch!” The young mum looks at the ceiling and heaves a sigh before turning back to the girl. “But make sure you’ve got the key before using those handcuffs again. Safety first, young lady!”

Y/N has to hold back her laughter as she thanks her upstairs neighbor for the ‘useful’ advice before heading back to the lift. Suddenly, a soft little voice stops her immediately.

“Y/N! Wait!”

Jamie runs past his mother toward Y/N, carrying his trick-or-treat bag. The boy hands it to her with both hands with a lovely smile on his face as he says, “here, have some more of my sweets!”

The offer catches Y/N by surprise, she shakes her head fast. “No, no, you keep them all, I’ve got a bunch already, remember?”

“These aren’t all for you. Share them with Harry!”

“You remember Harry?” Y/N giggles as she accepts the bag from the kid who nods his head.

“Yeah and I miss him. You should bring him here next time and we can play good cop, bad cop again!” Jamie bounces on his feet and swings his arms in excitement. So as not to disappoint the boy, Y/N gives him her word, that she’ll bring Harry the next time she comes over to babysit him.

“Wait, wait, there’s a card inside too! Open it!”

“A card?” Y/N chuckles as she searches through the bag and finds a colorful Halloween card, inside of which are a few simple words written in a six-year-old’s messy handwriting.

Happy Halloween!

Bugs and Hisses, Jamie.

“Aww, thank you, J! I love this a lot, and I’m sure Harry will too!” Y/N replies and bends down to kiss the boy on the forehead, telling him goodnight, and also goodbye.

Now Y/N hopes she can make it on time to see her flatmate before Halloween is over and before Harry ends up in the warm bed of another girl.

...

Y/N takes an Uber to Alex’s place, which is a bit far from where she lives. It takes more than a fourty-five-minute drive to get there, all for this boy she likes so much who probably doesn’t even consider her as his friend! Thinking about that makes Y/N feel so stupid.

Does she regret it? Yes.

Does she still want to go? Definitely!

Normally she never shows up alone at a loud and crowded place, to be surrounded by people she doesn’t know. Call her boring or whatsoever, but she would prefer to stay in her comfort zone. That is why the moment Y/N opens the door to Alex’s flat, and is greeted by the deafening music and a room packed with sweaty and drunk people, her whole body stiffens all at once.

It’s still not too late to walk out and go home then finish her night curled up in her bed enjoying a horror movies marathon. However, that’s not the option she’s going for tonight. She chooses to enter instead, pushing her way through the crowd to search for a familiar face and figure.

Then, she finds him at last.

He’s just not alone.

Harry’s standing in the corner, pressing up against a girl in a tiny leopard print dress. His mouth is attached to hers, his eyes are closed as he’s enjoying the heated kiss like nothing else matters. The way his fingers dance across the skin of the girl’s thighs make Y/N feel so uncomfortable.

She turns away, but she doesn’t want to leave. She would just be sad on the quiet drive back home so she might as well just be sad now in a room surrounded by other people and plenty of alcohol.

Y/N marches the counter at the back of the room where they keep the liquor then pours herself a glass, then stands with her back against the wall, watching drunk people making out, dancing like lunatics, and doing things they’re sure gonna regret when the morning comes. Then she feels thankful she’s not one of them.

“Well, well, well, looks who’s here!”

It’s going to be a lie if she says she’s not happy to hear his voice, but considering what she’s seen back there, Y/N does not wish to look at Harry’s face at the moment.

“Came all the way here for trick-or-treating?” he jokes and comes to stand beside her, leaning his back against the wall as well.

She just scoffs without looking at him. “Why are you here talking to me?”

“Because you’re standing alone? I deserve a thank you.”

She doesn’t reply. Harry starts to feel something is off because there’s only one explanation for her to act so coldly toward him and that is — he must have done something wrong.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” he says to her.

“I thought you came with Niall.” She shrugs and turns to look at him at last. “Who’s your date?”

“I don’t have a date.”

“You were sucking on her tongue a minute ago?”

“What? Are you jealous or something?”

“You wish!” Y/N snorts and crosses her arms in front of her chest, the thing she always does whenever she gets defensive. “I came because you sounded like you wanted me to. But here I am, alone at the back of the room as I expected.”

“I’m here with you now, aren’t I?” He playfully nudges her with his elbow but her expression stays unpleasant. “She’s not my date, I don’t even know her name!”

“Hey Harry!” Niall suddenly approaches the flatmates and he looks so stunned to see Y/N as well. “Why is Y/N here? I thought you came with Clarissa?”

“Ooooh, right, her name is Clarissa! See? I can’t even remember her name!” Harry fakes a nervous laugh but Y/N is not very amused with his lie. She brings the glass to her lips and gulps down the alcohol like it’s the only thing that keeps her sane at the moment. Niall and Harry exchange looks, neither dares to say a single word.

Then comes another one of Harry’s friends whom Y/N does not know, but let’s be real, Harry is probably friends with most of the people here.

“Hey guys, the party’s getting boring, let’s go!” the guy says in delight as he rubs his palms together. “Trix is sick, she cannot join us now we need another person.”

“Louis, how about Harry’s girlfriend?” Niall speaks up as he grabs Y/N by the arms and pushes her forward, toward this Louis guy. The seemingly older boy stares at the girl then his friend Harry, his eyes full of doubt.

“This is your girlfriend, Harold?”

“No!” Harry and Y/N deny at the same time.

“Okay then...” Louis squints his eyes and looks at Niall who secretly gives him a nod to confirm Harry’s and Y/N’s non-existent romantic relationship, as a result receives a death glare from Harry.

“Alright so now there are six of you, perfect, let’s go!” Louis says and turns to leave but Y/N’s hesitation stops him.

“Wait, go where?!” Is everybody here high or something? She thinks to herself.

“Wait for us in the car, I’ll explain it to her,” Harry tells his two friends, who agree and walk away to leave him behind with his bewildered flatmate.

“Harry, what’s going on?”

“Nothing, it’s just a fun Halloween tradition our group came up with for Halloween.”

“Oh my God!” Y/N covers her mouth to hold back a loud gasp as she gazes at him with cow eyes. “Are...Are you in a cult?!”

“What?” Harry laughs quietly. He has a love/hate relationship with Y/N’s worst assumptions whenever she freaks out. “No, Y/N, we’re not.”

The answer makes Y/N sigh in relief and Harry can only think about how much he wants to kiss her because she looks so cute under this lighting. Still he has to shake off that thought, now is the least appropriate.

“Last year Niall suggested that it would be fun to do something scary on Halloween, so he came up with the idea that one person would dare the rest of us to do a challenge and the winner or winners would receive a prize from the host. Last year Niall made us do a scavenger hunt in a cemetery. This year it’s Louis’ turn to come up with the challenge. Don’t worry, love, it’s all safe.”

“What is the challenge this year?”

“I don’t know, you have to get to the destination to find out.”

“Then how do you know it’s safe?!”

“It is! Trust me,” Harry chuckles and reaches out to grab her hand. “I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. You’ve got to trust me.”

His voice sounds so soothing, it makes her wonder if he really does care about her or he just wants her participation in this because they’re missing one member, either way, it works. She cannot say no when he’s giving her that look and holding her hand so gently.

Eventually, Y/N nods her head, receiving a smile from her flatmate in return.

“If I die tonight, I’ll become a ghost and haunt you for the rest of your life.”

Her warning leaves a grin on his face. “Good. You’re already dressed like a ghost.”

“You must think you’re funny but you’re not.” Y/N glares at him as they head to the front door.

She’s too worried about this game with his group of friends to notice that he’s still holding her hand. Harry, on the other note, is well aware of that, still he’s very much enjoying it, and he just can’t wait to show her the real fun of Halloween.

PART 2

#flatmate!harry #what will happen in the second part hmm?#what do you think the challenge is gonna be?#harry styles fanfic #harry styles one shot #harry styles series #harry styles writing #harry styles imagine #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles blurb #harry styles angst #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #boyfriend!harry #bestfriend!harry

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julianpistris-archive · 6 years ago

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&&who: open (vittori) &&where: Pistris Penthouse &&when: post-murder

Julian hadn’t been this strung out since... he couldn’t remember. But did it matter? Music blasted through his apartment- Alexa play King’s Dead- at a volume that was almost offensive. Though considering he owned the building he couldn’t care less. This was it, the move they’d all been waiting for. Careful planning led to one of the biggest plays in their game: the execution of Milena King.

If he closed his eyes, he could see it now. He’d emerged from the shadows like death itself, the gun that had been on him the entirety of the festival finally seeing daylight. The metal was smooth and cold, sitting comfortably as fingers traced the trigger. Was it sane to find beauty in murder? No- though Julian Pistris had long fallen off the normal mental spectrum. Lips curved into a horrible smile, watching as the realization of a life cut short flashed across Milena King’s features. A woman who had so much red in her ledger must’ve considered the possibility of an ugly death. Bravely staring down the barrel, Julian quickly turned her from an intangible powerhouse to a crumpled body.

It seemed the Titans of the world were falling all around them: Vincent, Milena, his own brother. Surely there was something poetic about the powerful being taken out by the forgotten, those who had their life born anew from ash. Like a goddamn Santa Claus, Julian had brought a happy Christmas to the Vittori- gifts included. And currently? It was snowing in his apartment, coke lined up nicely on each countertop. Julian eyes flickered to his television, the security camera alerting him of another presence entering the space. He was an unsuspecting Most Wanted for the Ivory... his act of violence couldn’t be traced back to him, for now. It didn’t hurt to be careful, just in case. Julian walked to his door, unlocking it at as he took in his fellow Vittori. The neck of a bottle was clenched in his hand, dark irises consuming most of the color in his eyes as he grinned. “Tell me what song this is.”

#drugs tw #violence tw #ftwstarter

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mrjoelgarcia9 · 6 years ago

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Let’s Talk #TeenTitansGoVsTeenTitans: Early Thoughts

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Despite what I have said in the past about Teen Titans Go!, this film looks terrible. However, there is a bright side to this unusual crossover.

For my early thoughts on Teen Titans Go! Vs Teen Titans, feel free to keep reading. There will be spoilers.

To get out of the way first, I believe both shows are in their own respective ways good. The 2003 Teen Titans series was a good adaptation with a unique take on the characters and heavily inspired by anime. Teen Titans Go! is a good series which satirizes the overall DC universe. Both shows have their respective wide range of debatable flaws, yet are enjoyed by different fan bases.

Ever since it began airing, Go! has occasionally referenced its predecessor, which makes some fans of the show feel like they are being mocked. Examples include a “funny” dub of a scene from Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo and a gag about Robin taking off his mask. Said fans have considered this show to be part of an unholy trinity of reboots alongside Ben 10 and The Powerpuff Girls.

Then the following post-credits scene was shown in Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.

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Many fans assumed it meant a potential sixth season. Prior to the film’s premiere, Cartoon Network briefly reran the 2003 series for the first time in HD. In addition, one of Warner Bros’ San Diego Comic-Con bags in 2017 acknowledged the situation by featuring the show’s heroes beating up their Go! counterparts (except for Starfire).

The film’s subsequent Blu-ray and DVD releases debunked that possibility by revealing a trailer for Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans.

As the trailer appears to indicate, the 2003 Titans have been brought to the Go! world to fight their counterparts. It is quickly revealed their respective Trigons have teamed up to take over the Multiverse. With this in mind, the two groups reluctantly team up to stop the two of them and apparently also Santa Claus.

The crossover premise is not the problem. It is possible to write a coherent story about wildly different characters either fighting each other or teaming up to stop a bigger threat. Spider-Man: Into The Spider Verse, for example, had a team consisting of six different interpretations of Spider-Man which included a cartoon pig and a schoolgirl operating a robot.

The actual problem, based solely on the trailer, is the animation. Like Go! and its theatrical feature, it appears to be animated in Flash. While it works for that show and its characters, it looks glaringly bad on the 2003 characters. Their stylized anime-based designs look out of place in the brightly colored Go! world. They also appear to have been shrunk down. This animation conflict is reminiscent of the DC Super Hero Girls web series’ final season.

The trailer ends with a moment that appears to spoil the climax. It features the two teams alongside several variations of the Titans such as a bird Robin, the original 80s version of Starfire, and what appear to be the New 52 versions of Nightwing and Cyborg (even though neither was technically part of the Titans).

Despite these flaws, there is at least one major positive: It will be the first time the 2003 Titans have appeared since Trouble in Tokyo came out in 2006.

Outside of the occasional DCAU animated film, such as Justice League vs. The Fatal Five (Justice League Unlimited), it is rare to see a reappearance of a superhero animated series years after it ended. The only other time a non-DCAU show has been brought back was in 2018, with the direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave and The Bold.

This film shows DC and Warner Bros are aware of their fans. They probably would not have made it if everyone had stopped complaining about Teen Titans Go! It can, and should, satisfy fans of both shows.

For fans of the 2003 series, it will be great to see the characters back in action. In addition, the film’s potential successful sales and positive feedback could give Warner Bros an excellent reason to produce a proper continuation reminiscent of DC Universe’s Young Justice: Outsiders.

For Teen Titans Go! fans who never watched the 2003 show, it could serve as an introduction to a similar (but different) group of characters.

For fans of the 2003 series who may disagree, this film might be the only way for the show to earn a revival and reveal whatever happened to Terra.

Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans will premiere on Sunday July 21st at San Diego Comic-Con.

Until next time, thank you for reading!

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i-8-ur-soul · 3 years ago

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Why is it important for me that Hange is a woman (and why I get that it is important for you that she is nonbinary or a trans man)?

wiI think that, just as many people that will read this words, I am a female person socialized as a girl, which means that regardless of my interests, the gender that was forced onto me was always lame. I had to play with pink toys and I was from a young age trained for the labor of mother and wife I had to take when I became an adult, when what I wanted to play with was Hot Wheels tracks and chemistry kits. Santa Claus' best gifts were a telescope and a microscope that I used to play with for hours and hours. So there's that on the story of my life, I eventually started self identifying as non binary during high school when I was poisoned with the (then Tumblr's, now mainstream) ideas of gender. Gender that I now consider awful and useless. I don't identify myself with any gender, I just accept myself as a woman.

Well, that was a bit tmi (sorry). We were talking about Hange and the thing is I see myself in her a lot, as a near-sighted brunette with the tendency to say things out of place and to wear masculine clothes.

An anime of this kind with intelligence and curiosity as the defining characteristics of a female character? It was incredible because we're never short of that sort of male character, in fact in AOT we have Armin, Erwin and even Jean (who I may say, is lacking on curiosity a bit). Later on the series we have Pieck, who has similar characteristics with Jean, but we only see her on the last chapters.

Also, there's the passion Hange has for her studies and the titans, passion that is often punished when women show it, and she is a whole scientist that comes up with a great lot of conclusions and plans.

She is also the only woman commander of any military branch. We have Shadis, Erwin, Pixis, Nile, Armin and that old depraved guy who looks like colonel Sanders, but never a woman, they are all men. Basically, she is the most powerful woman in the series (remember Historia is under the military's will) and she leads what in a point is the weakest military branch, then the most betrayed.

And then there is the fact that her body is never sexual and you can never see her wearing skirts, she is always using comfortable clothes like the guys wear. And even when she is not typically feminine, she is not used as a the stereotype of a lesbian, but she is actually bugged by her fellow Survey Corps members because she used to have a crush on Keith Shadis *chef's kiss*, because there's gender non conforming women attracted to men or to women and men too.

In truth, when my brother (firm believer and practitioner of gender) told me she was non binary I felt I lost a hero. What were they taking from us a character with all the virtues I listed above? Which of these characteristics make Hange a "non-female"? Being a scientist? Being the leader of a squad and then of the Survey Corps? Having small breasts? Not using "women's" clothing? It was like "damn, we're really not allowed to have any representation".

After thinking it over with a colder head, I realized it must be important for those people who choose not to give up on gender, but to bend it and grip it to see themselves in a character as amazing as Hange, even if I myself don't share this belief system I was in that position for a period of time and I got super exited when I saw characters that resembled the way I felt. Because at the end of the day we're all people who need to see ourselves in the content we enjoy, especially because we as a class, female people are underrepresented in the media and if a non binary person sees themself in Hange so be it. As long as they don't insist on correcting the pronouns I use for her I won't fight them or care if they use "they/them" for Hange. At the end of the day that their interpretation of the character and it's as valid as mine.

This is why, when Isayama said Hange's gender is up to the reader, for me, she became a woman (an adult human female) without the ties of gender pulling her back and down. Because she remembers me of the time I understood I don't have to stop being a woman to be curious or noisy, or to dress or act the way I like.

I love you Hange Zöe and I hope in the future we can have more characters like you, truly ours, so girls in the future won't grow up hating themselves anymore because of the way they have forced us to look like.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk and if you got her ily. I'm open to dialogue as long as you don't call me TERF because in that case I'll lose all hope in humanity :(.

My goal in posting this here is not to win arguments or change minds, just to let out something that has been in my mind for a while.

#hange #snk hange #hange zöe #hange zoe #snk #shingeki no kyoujin eren #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #ataque a los titanes #gender #female hange #personal #hanji zoe #hanji #hanji zöe #attack on titan hanji #attack on titan hange #aot hange #aot hanji

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