#but people have grown and now there's teens and even young adults who have gone there since babies

[fennopunk]

Yesterday at Ropecon's (a Finnish RPG convention) costume show there was a teeny tiny little Kiki (maybe 6yo, max) at the stage, with broom and all, and not only was she super adorable, but she was so brave because she clearly was shy but she was there at the stage in front of hundreds of people and she did wonderfully. She didn't really know how to answer the host's questions (probably because shy), but she was brave enough to speak to the mic, and that's amazing. The mic is scary for me as an adult and I remember how it felt as a shy child. Needless to say probably, but she got one of the loudest cheers of the show.

From what I could see in the dark, I'm pretty sure she was immediately afterwards escorted to her mom :)

[juiles]

Horror Movie Queen

Requested: yes

Summary: a teen reader whos done a bunch of horror movies is filming a scene where she has to scream, freaks everyone out in the cast. Italics is the filmed scene.

Tags: really just fluff except one mention of torture and hitting

Masterlist here.

Request form here.

Taglist here:

A/N: Its short but its something new. i think im getting back to writing again so thats exciting!!

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Y/n sat staring at the star studded cast in front of her at the reading table. Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen. It was wild all the people she had spent her whole life looking up to, and here she was, about to film a whole Marvel movie with them.

This was new territory for her too. A whole new genre of movie, different from the horror movies she was known for. The rest of the cast didn’t watch her movies so they didn’t know how she worked.

“Y/n? You okay?��� Chris Evans asked waving his hand around in front of her face. “You zoned out there.” He added softly to the teen who flushed slightly and nodded looking down at her hands. “Have you done enough reading now? Are you ready to get into costume and makeup?”

Y/n paused for a moment picking at her fingers before she looked up and nodded. “Yeah. Ill go get ready. I’ll see you guys tomorrow?” She took a quick glance around at everyone who shot her small nods before she disappeared. When she finally came to set, fully ready for her scene, her manager waved her over.

“Okay… lets get this over with guys.” She said, her manager chuckling at the bored look on the teenagers face that was currently covered in bruises and blood, her clothes hanging off of the girls frail body, a gash across her face where a scar usually sat on her characters face.

She was filming her background scene, how her character, Maddison, got where she was, fighting with the Avengers. The torture and pain the character had gone through obvious with the way she was dressed. “Alright you, are you ready to scream?” Thomas asked the girl with a grimace, knowing what he had to pretend to do to the girl. She nodded and stepped on to the set, a cold damp cell that had red splatter all over one wall, showing what she was supposed to have gone through. Thomas stepped forward, the director getting ready for filming, unknown to the teen, the rest of her cast mates stepped in to the studio, hiding in the shadows.

Scarlett elbowed a nervous looking Lizzie who motioned to the makeup on the girls face, the blonde shook her head slightly motioning to be quiet with a finger to her lips. Evans eyes widened as he studied the gash on the girls face. They all knew it was makeup, but as they had grown protective of the young girl, it scared them all. The all focused in on the girl when the director called action.

--Filming scene--

Maddison, a 13 year old girl who had been kidnapped by Baron Strucker at the age of 5, sat huddled against the bloody wall, her whole body shaking as she slowly lifted her head, a giant gash across her face, towards the man standing in front of her. The man merely raised his hand that held a ragged, rusty dagger and slashed down at the girl, her face getting slashed.

The girl let out a blood curdling scream, a scream so loud it even made Strucker take a step back out of shock. The man then turned on his heel and slammed the cell door closed whispering to the girl. “No one will ever want someone as disgusting as you.”

--Scene over--

The director called cut and y/n stood up and with a lack of emotion on her face and grabbed her water bottle. She had barely gotten a sip of it when she was collided with, a pair of arms wrapping around her, gripping her tightly. The teen squeaked as she tried to move the blonde hair to see the horrified look of all her adult castmates standing around her. She patted the back of what she assumed to be Scarlett with a look of confusion running across her face.

“What was that?” Mark asked as he nervously twisted his hands. “How did you bring that up? That was so real…”

“What do you mean?” Y/n asked as Scarlett finally pulled back. “I’m confused?”

“It was very convincing sounding darling.” The actress said, one hand not leaving the teens arm. “Are you okay?”

“Oh. I’m fine?” She responded. “I did- have you guys never seen any of my movies?”

RDJ looked at the girl sheepishly. “Your movies are intense kid… theyre a little scary for most of us.” The teen barked out a laugh shaking her head.

“My whole career I’ve only done horror movies, that scream just is what it is at this point. Nothing behind it, just 5 years of perfecting it.” She said with a small shrug and a small smirk on her face.

“Jesus kid, you gave us a heart attack as a whole.” Hemsworth chuckled as he ruffled the girls hair making the teen roll her eyes with a small smile as she was called back to the set.

Taglist: @mythixmagic @boredandneedfanfics @natashamaximoff-69 @asiangmrchk13

[blackbirdsblackberries]

Don't drink the Kool-Aid pt.1

I'll create a tag list if people want to be tagged. There's a meaning behind Savior Anwir's name! This chapter is a bit short considering it's technically a prologue.

Your day is a boring loop yet one you’ve grown to love.

You wake up, get ready for the day, wait in line for your tray of shitty food, sit with your “team”, finish eating. 

During the morning you spend your time exercising until you’re about to collapse. This will end around lunchtime in which you’ll get your lunch delivered to wherever you are in the place. Afterwards you are expected to show your devotion to your higher-ups, your family, your saviors. The rest of the day you either practice combat or defense.

Tiring as it might be, it was your life and you loved it. 

You don’t remember your life before joining Savior Anwir in her division of the Daughters of Eve. The division is based in Gotham City, a place even the devil himself had abandoned. Atleast, that’s what you’ve been told. 

You see, you’re not allowed out of the confines of the estate. It’s too dangerous, what if men take you away and use you? What if you get lost? What if you accidentally get killed? It’s terrifying to think of and keeps you away from the outside world.

Today however things have gone a bit differently, after showing devotion to your saviors you and everyone else is herded to the main hall - which was just the foyer area. This only happens when they take on new members. 

Will they be mean? Would they be overjoyous? There’s so many options and you don’t like any of them, you don’t like new people or change, you like how everything is now.

You take your place in the second row. 

The first row is for kids, the second for teens, the third for young adults, the fourth for adults, and the fifth for people over that age.

Savior Anwir stands atop the stairs in front of everyone, two people next to her. 

One is a girl with blonde hair, tanned skin and striking blue eyes, she’s in a purple hoodie and black leggings. The other is a girl with short black hair, brown eyes and beautiful clear skin, she herself is in a blackish gray graphic t-shirt and light gray sweatpants.

People start to murmur, a teammate of yours turns to you. 

“They seem off, right?” You don’t know why she’s asking you. Frankly, you don’t care, your team is full.

“I guess, but they seem nice enough.” Is all you say, no point in conspiring against people who haven’t even been in your presence for more than a minute.

The murmurs die down as soon as Savior Anwir raises her hands.

“Now, I understand everyone is excited for new sisters to be joining us,” Savior Anwir glances at the two beside her as if silently asking if she’s correct to call them sisters. Savior Anwir doesn’t actually care, she is simply doing it to make them seem more welcomed - you’ve been around long enough to know that.

She continues.

“But we must calm down and not cause strain on their mental capacities!” Savior Anwir puts a hand on either girl’s shoulders. “Please, introduce yourselves.”

The blonde one speaks up first “I’m Stephanie but everyone can call me Steph!” She seems energetic and like she doesn’t truly belong here.

The other one doesn’t speak up. Steph chuckles and speaks up again “This is Cassandra, you can just call her Cass! She’s mute.” Mutism is common here due to many people coping by not speaking at all. That’s probably why she’s mute, she was attacked and now chooses to be mute!

Right? Right.

Silence envelops the room then and you don't miss how Steph awkwardly looks around as if expecting applause - something you will not do until Savior Anwir says so.

Savior Anwir nods. "Thank you girls, you are very lucky to be joining today, it just so happens we've found some of our trainees have been plotting against us. So we have openings for you!"

You raise a brow, who would be so stupid to plot against your own family? The very family that graciously took you in and nurtured you, protected you and showed you true love.

Savior Anwir holds her hands out. "The two traitors who have decided they do not love us are none other than Mary Hailstone and Annie Malcomb! Please, come up here and shake hands with your replacements!"

You freeze, Mary and Annie belonged to your team, you three were as close as people get in this cult. They wouldn't of betrayed you... Right?

You watch as the two slowly ascend the staircase, heads down and hands shaking.

When you betray DoE there is only one punishment.

Mary and Annie both shake hands with Steph and Cass before Savior Anwir hands the traitors a gun each.

They had a choice, shoot each other or shoot themselves. They chose themselves.

You watch as Steph's eyes widen in horror and Cass's eyebrows twitch slightly.

You suppose you should pick up on little things they do now considering they'll be your new team members...

[smaeemo]

On the topic of s8 buddie speculation, I think that it’s important to recognize that they are actual adults.

Like these are fully grown men, who are inherently recovering and still mentally growing, but they are not teens or even young adults at this point. With Tommy specifically, my guy Tommy is a fully grown 40 year old, comfortable stable person who is experienced and confident within his identity and relationship. And while Buck has always been a little more immature, he is growing and getting healither and healthier as the seasons progress.

So as of right now Bucktommy is ideal for the two of them, but when it comes to Eddie it is a completely different ordeal.

Eddie’s emotional and mental states are in crisis mode, with chris, SINCE shannon, PTSD, all of above. And with adding in Marisol, and specificlally his relationship with God, this is now a perfect avenue for his queer identity. HOWEVER, With the Chris timeline, there has to be closure on one before the other, most likely chris first.

Here’s what I think will happen BRIEF IDEA

Chris -> Eddie Queer -> Eddie realizes he loves Buck -> Bucktommy break up due to TOMMY realizing this -> Buddie fight -> Eddie & Tommy talk + Eddie and team talk (or carla)-> Buck realizes/eddie tells him(but not fully establishedor resolved) -> DRAMA UNRELATED -> Big emotional AGGHH (Possibly to do with Chris) -> resolve that issue -> Circle back to the topic of their love -> Buck talks to peeps -> DRAMA -> Buddie Canon

(Buck and Eddie can be interchanged in specific parts due to the general theme of the dramas or perhaps the “confession” of sorts)

However my point is…

- Tommy will not be a bad sport and is NOT a bad person or bad for Buck. Wrong person wrong time, but a lovely couple as of right now. Specifically for Buck’s development. (I really hope they strengthen and continue Tommy’s character because I love him, and because I don’t think he should be known exclusively as a catalyst for Buck’s identity, kind of like Taylor was :()

- For Buddie to go canon, the Chris issue has to be resolved first WHICH could come before or after Eddie’s queer realization. Specifically after, perhaps due to his repressed feelings and idenrity becoming a prominent figure in his self care, and willingness to change. AND let go of Shannon IN A HEALTHY WAY. (also parent stuff)

- This is not high school, they are adults. BUCK HAD HIS ARC!! Eddie needs to figure out his shit.

- They are flawed and complex characters, so while yes, this is 9-1-1 so it will be theatrical, it will not be immature.

- It will be MESSY and DRAMATIC and with REALISTIC (ish) themes

-> Think of Bathena, Henren, Madney

- Buddie is a longstanding want from the Fandom, ergo, if executed wrong, there will be an actual outrage (look at how they reacted to Tommy) so this was/will be a very complicated and complex writing!

- OR casually dropped in (I highly doubt this option)

- Most of all, Chris is the main priority within Eddie’s life, so the Chris Arc and EDDIES arc need to take place PRIOR to canonical Buddie.

- Buck has suspiiously not gone through anything this seaosn.. so keep an eye out for that…

- TOMMY IS NOT BAD. I REPEAT TOMMY IS NOT BAD.

-> Not the right longterm relationshup for either of them, but a HEALTHY one

- Buddie may not go canon this season, but it’s still possible THEY HAVE ALL THE BUILDING BLOCKS

- But on a more media related note, please take into account:

-> Actors comfort

-> ABC’s policies

-> And of course, plotline: due to the NATIONAL/GLOBAL want and demand for Buddie, this arc would over shadow most other arcs, so other character arcs need to take place, and really develop before canon buddie

-> Also, please be respectful of other people, actors, and of course writers. As viewers we don’t see so much, and of course all media can be intperetted in many various ways, and even if you don’t agree, please respect and have compassion for your fellow 9-1-1 enjoyers (specifically regarding all of the listed items).

Ok, Stay safe, stay respectful, stay on the watch for potential buddie themes, be patient and most of all, have compassion for all parties involved, fictional and production wise.

[moonypears-blog]

Hi so I had ✨️thoughts✨️ on a concept for a stf episode/scenario/etc that I remembered tangentially related to your Papa story (so good btw) (also this may end up being long I'm so sorry)

It'd most likely be something geared towards an older audience (like not kindergartners lol, something for the spinoff whenever that happens maybe? Idk what the target audience for it will be considering we dont know anything about it) and framed as either a Father's Day or Halloween episode (I don't think we got any Father's day eps other than the one episode I hate with a burning passion)

Basically, Sofia is going through her things and finds something of Birk's, whether it be some sort of sailing gear or clothing or a gift or an image of them together (idk it could be anything, we know borderline nothing about this man) and she's hit with what I'm going to call the Rose Quartz effect. Missing a parent who you barely/don't know, having unanswered questions that won't/can't be answered, having all these conflicting feelings about this one person and feeling all of them yet none of them at the same time. Losing a parent at such a young age is rough and was just the tip on the iceberg of Sofia growing up far faster than she needed to.

Where am I going with this? Well, because of all of these unanswered questions and difficult emotions, Sofia wants to talk to her deceased father. Ghosts exist canonically in the series, who's to say they can't be summoned? Maybe she gets help from Cedric, or she finds a book on her own, or maybe she even gets help from Lucinda and the witches or that one ghost from the Ghostly Gala episode who's name I can't remember but I definitely had a crush on as a kid.

The main conflict of the episode would probably be all of these internal conflicting desires for Sofia, possibly also Miranda's own feelings about her belated husband (is this how you use belated? Idk lol).

Regardless of how it happens, the episode ends/has its final act with Sofia summoning her father, Birk. He sees how much his little girl has grown up, how brave and kind and smart she is. She gets to see and say goodbye to her father a final time and get proper closure. Maybe throw in a line or two there from Birk on just how grown up Sofia is, almost (definitely) too grown up for a pre-teen/adolescent girl.

The message of the episode would probably be something about grief and the process of it all, how it's okay to be angry that someone you love is gone, how talking about it opens old wounds but helps to heal them. It's bittersweet.

But yeah definitely not something suited for what the original demographic for stf was. Of course important to talk about, but with what I'm talking about it'd probably go over such young heads.

Sorry that this is so long! I had to get all my thoughts out and it got pretty rambley lmao

This is such a good idea for an episode!

I agree that Birk would be disheartened at how grown up Sofia is, obviously he'd know she's grown since she was five, but she's too far ahead, and not in the natural way that some children just emotionally mature quicker than their peers.

I think even though it's been a long time and Sofia doesn't really have anything to miss as she hardly knows life with him, she still really misses Birk, like I said in chapter two of "Papa..." some days she just wants to be by herself and lay in bed grieving him. I wish the show brought it up, especially for the potential children watching who lost one of their parents like Sofia. This would be a really good episode for that reason alone, honestly.

Honestly it wouldn't surprise me if this spin off went a more mature route, considering how a good deal of the fans are teens and adults, and there's going to be people watching who grew up on the show and are now older just out of curiosity. If I remember rightly something similar happened with miraculous ladybug, they started making the episodes more mature after the creators realised the main audience was teens and adults, not their original target audience. I've seen Craig interact with lots of older fans so he definitely knows they're a big audience!

[sunset100]

TRAINING CAMP

part 1

Waking up in a dormitory full of strangers with no memory of how I got here was enough to demoralize a man, even a retired hardcase like myself.

            “I don’t worry about those sorts of things anymore,” Is what I told the young killer, so he’d leave me alone. He’d been trying out petty insults and dominance games on me for a while now. His idea of friendly banter. Baker was his last name. His first name might have been John. When he wasn’t insulting me, he was bugging me about killing all the young kids in the room. Beating them up, sometimes. Raping the pretty girls. I classified him as trouble, and kept an eye on him, but I doubted whether he had ever killed anyone.

            But you never know. Especially about weirdoes like him who enjoyed thinking about killing people. I’ve killed people in war, but I never enjoyed it. I did enjoy being the one who lived, but that was about it.

            I saw him as half a lunatic. Jumpy and twitchy, but a hard and cruel gleam in his eyes that said, if it came to it, he would go for me.

            “You say that ‘cause you’re old , eh? Can’t get it up anymore, okay old man?” He said this in a loud voice. Wanted everyone to hear him belittle the old man. Was a time when I’d have killed an Ordinary like him. Being so old, I’d grown cold and uncaring about such stuff. I ignored him. I looked around the room. Scared and confused faces on the people who’d awakened and sat up on their bunks. Way too many children and teens. A few young adults. Mostly female. A giant male stood out amongst them all. He was up and pacing about the huge room. The giant’s intense blue eyes met mine for a second and I felt his hard anger and determination. I looked away first as I didn’t want to challenge him. A dangerous man.

            The woman with the two red upside-down triangles tattooed underneath her eyes, one on the left, one on the right, was looking at me. My upside-down blue tattoos on my face were what had caught her attention, I guessed. Her eyes were as hard and deep as any I’d known. Maybe like mine back when I was her age. She was younger than I. Raised both my hands and used the sign language common between our two unreconciled peoples. No intention to harm was my message. Her kind and mine had been at peace for nearly a generation and I wasn’t about to break it. Especially with her. She smiled signed like wise. She kept looking at me, but not so harshly as before. Well. I’d have to talk with her and soon.

            Johnny had, in meantime, stopped going on about my manhood. Must’ve noticed that nobody was paying him any mind. More and more people were coming ‘round. Waking up. Realized they weren’t where they’d gone to sleep in. Like me, only they got scared and upset and demoralized right quick and showed it. Been through too many battles involving sorcery not to recognize it when I see it. And I’d been lucky to reach the age I had, what with all the wars I’d fought in. Maybe this was when my luck ran out. Like anybody, the thought of death scared me, but I’d long practice in putting that fear aside and focusing on the trouble right in front of me.

            “Yeah, all that. Been trying to suss out how I got here. How we all got here.” Hoped that talking to Johnny in a serious way, including him in my suspicions would calm him down.

            “You fucked over about this shit we’re in, old man? Hey, let me tell you, End Times. Demons and Gods and monster are all walking world, you get me, eh?” He laughed and then went on: “Hey man, maybe we’re dead. For real or real soon.”

            “Could I be dreaming?” I asked Johnny.

            “You? Fuck that, man. What if I’m dreaming?”

            Johnny’s point gave me pause.

            “Maybe I am just a figment of your imagination.”

            “Fuck off, old man.” Johnny said with a steely edge of finality. Well, I didn’t really feel like fighting him. I shut up and thought about what to do about the woman who could kill me, if she so chose. The true horror of being old started to sink in to me at that moment. Not to mention being kidnapped and if not helpless, then damned near it.

[bookwyrminspiration]

Had Sophie stayed in the human world until she was older like the Black Swan planned for her to, do you think their experiment would have worked?

They want her to bring change to the human world, but an elf raised as a human being who came to the Lost Cities as an adult would have incredibly hard time adjusting or taking the Black Swan seriously for reasons that I think are fairly obvious. She would have had a life, with friends and family in the human world. Then they would require her to sever all of those relationships because they want her to bring change to a world that she did not even know existed. Once she got to the Lost Cities, she would have incredibly hard time integrating to the different clothes, food and culture. Once she got past those hurdles, she would have to work incredibly hard to be taken seriously. She would be a grown woman that no one in the Lost Cities is connected to, who is advocating for change in a world that she has no connection to. I am thinking of real life equivalents of this, like a child being raised in Russia, who only speaks Russian and thinks of themselves as Russian, is brought to the United States as an adult to tackle American social issues. They do not understand American social issues and it will take a long time before they do. Exchange the word Russia for human, Russian for human world and United States for Elvin world. Her credibility would be very low in this scenario, as she would struggle to get people to hear her thoughts on issues especially because she is not impacted by these problems. Moreso, she would view herself as a human being and would ultimately defend humans and even betray the elves if she felt the elves were going to harm humans.

Ultimately, the Black Swan would not work out. They would bring her to the world of the elves, use her for a different perspective then bring her back to the human world. Then, there is the problem of her abilities and lifespan. Would they leave her with her abilities and do nothing to do with them? Would they leave her, an immortal being, in the human world to spend the rest of her life with people who live quickly and die quickly? That is an interesting way to handle things.

There are so many ways the plans of the Black Swan could have gone wrong.

That depends on what you consider "working" for Project Moonlark. If we're going solely with the goal of bringing a new perspective to the Lost Cities, that still would've been achieved; she still would've been raised with the same human mindset that the Black Swan was looking for. If we're going with the goal for her "to be something new", then she still would've been that.

I personally don't think the problems you're suggesting would be too different from how it is now in the series. Perhaps they waited until Sophie was in her 20s or 30s, before people could notice she wasn't aging, but that's still so small compared to the elven lifespan. That's hardly a difference to their world and those who've lived in it for centuries.

Sophie now still had a hard time adjusting (and is still adjusting, over 2 years later), she had friends and family that she had to sever ties with, she's not used to the clothing and culture--though she has gotten used to the food for the most part. I think almost everything you're proposing isn't unique to an adult Sophie, it's the same as she's going through as a young teen.

I do think you make a good point about having no connections, though. The elven world is incredibly isolated, and she wouldn't have the connections or circle she does without being adopted and going to school, both things that only happened because she's a kid. However, I do think that could be compensated for via connections in the Black Swan. She wouldn't have as much exposure outside of them, but she wouldn't be completely on her own. However, that does also mean there's no easy way for other people to learn about her and hear about her the way there is now, but there could be gossip that makes her more known, people just wouldn't first learn of her at school as her peers.

Based on my understanding, I think the biggest problem they'd encounter is Sophie herself. She goes along with other people's suggestions and submits to certain authority because she's a kid, because she doesn't have the same sway as an adult. Her parents can tell her to do things and discipline her, the Black Swan can partially shut her out and guide her citing her youth. Adult Sophie would be an adult. Redundant statement, I know, but my point is she would be more on their level. She'd have more autonomy, be more individual. Even as unaware as she is, she's more equal. She doesn't have to listen to what people tell her, she doesn't have to do what they say. She's an adult who can do what she wants for her own reasoning. So the Black Swan would have to truly work with her more to cooperate.

However, at a certain point she doesn't have a choice in the matter. She has abilities, she doesn't quite fit in the human world (though in both cases she still sees herself as more human), the Black Swan can hold info over her head (like her parents/origin), etc. She's tied to them and I think would always end up with them and in the elven world.

The way I see it, Project Moonlark still would've worked, it just would've played out differently. Different people in her life, different setting, different dynamics between her and others. But ultimately the core of it the same. Her being a child is crucial to the story as we know it, but not crucial to Project Moonlark. Even if she prefers humans, she's not going to turn a blind eye to elven problems and ignore everything. Her age isn't a huge factor in the project on its own, so a lot of the details (leaving her life behind, struggling to adapt, etc.) are ubiquitous!

[ashleysalcove]

Title: The Outsiders

Author: S.E. Hinton

Publication: April 24, 1967

Synopsis:

No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he's got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop. And he knows that he can count on his friends—true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on “greasers” like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect—until the night someone takes things too far.

First Line:

When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.

Favorite Character: Dallas Winston

OTP: Dallas and Cherry ☺️💕✨💖

Favorite Quote: “I could fall in love with Dallas Winston,” she said. “I hope I never see him again, or I will.”

Rating: ★★★★★

My Thoughts:

*SPOILERS*

Life is funny isn’t it? Funny in the way the things we like sometimes change as we age and mature. I think Taylor Swift is the only musician from my early teens that I still love, probably even more now than I did back then, at twenty-eight. I can’t tell you a single book I’d read back then that I would still enjoy today that isn’t for nostalgic reasons.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a book that I was supposed to read at fifteen years old for my advanced English class, but at the time I had so much going on at home that I wasn’t interested in anything and by my last class, which was Science, I was fighting to keep my eyes open. Years later I bought it again to read on my old iPad, but I only got through 1 and a half chapters. I wasn’t paying attention to what I read and I guess I just wasn’t interested in those types of stories at that time. I loved the Twilight Saga and Fallen and etc.

Today, at twenty-eight, I was able to read and finish it thanks to my kindle. I think that’s one of the drawbacks of being a ‘mood reader’ and one of many reasons I love my kindle. Being able to read the books I’m in the mood for the second I’m in the mood for them has helped me become a more voracious reader. Before, I’d always be in the mood to read something else by the time the book I ordered arrived.

I am of the belief that everything happens the way it’s supposed to. Everything happens for a reason. I don’t think that the meaning and the themes of The Outsiders would have resonated with me at fourteen or even twenty-two for that matter the way they have today. There’s something about being in your late twenties and reading a book like The Outsiders and thinking back on your childhood and the people you’ve interacted with or grown up around that makes this book more meaningful. Of course, those who read it back in high school and reread it today as adults might have differing opinions.

S.E. Hinton’s writing is so simple and beautiful and lyrical even which is surprising since she wrote The Outsiders in High School. That is amazing and quite an impressive accomplishment for a teenager to have especially since it’s considered an important piece of literature today. How many 16 or 17 year olds can say that they wrote a book that would be read over and over for years and in some cases even banned for, in my opinion, showing the hard truth of realities? Probably not many.

I love the characters so much. I love Dallas Winston. I can fix him (no really I can). I think Johnny Cade had a better understanding of the insides of people than Ponyboy does. Maybe it’s because Johnny had a more difficult home life than Ponyboy or maybe it’s because Johnny has seen a lot more than he has. I don’t know, but what I do know is that Johnny Cade deserved better than the ending he gets.

I love the foreshadowing S.E. Hinton does throughout the book. I think it’s very impressive she was able to do so on her first book and at such a young age too. I feel like there were times she could’ve gone into a little more detail like the fatal fight between Ponyboy and Johnny and the socs in the park. I feel like there could’ve been more emotion than there already was.

I think S.E. Hinton is incredibly skilled at dialogue. The dialogue and relationships between the characters just flow so beautifully throughout the book. My favorite scene is when Two-Bit, Johnny, and Ponyboy are walking Cherry and Marcia to Two-Bit’s so he could give them a ride home. I love the dialogue between Cherry and Johnny and I love how real it felt and how you could feel the pain Ponyboy feels when he shouts that it’s not fair that the greasers have all the rough breaks and how you could feel the figurative slap Johnny feels when Pony tells him that Johnny’s parents don’t care about him.

I love Ponyboy’s thinking that Darry hates him and I have to wonder if I would have thought that too had I read it when I was younger and if I had thought that how would I see things if I reread it as an adult? I guess I’ll never know. When Darry slaps Pony, as a reader, you can feel the hurt on both ends. As an adult I knew that Darry behaved the way he did and treated Pony the way he does partly because Darry loves him and is afraid to lose him but also because Darry wants Pony to be able to have the opportunities he had but was unable to explore.

I love the scene after everything goes down and the boys look for Dallas and find him at the one guy’s place, I forget his name, and the way Dallas came out to talk to them even though he was tired and sore from having his ribs cracked. I loved the way Dallas smiled when he realized Pony thought he had been with a girl. That way he smiled, I could see him so so clearly, and I think that’s when I started to love him. I love how Dally helped them out and the way he keeps his mouth shut and takes the blame for something Two-Bit did when he could have easily ratted him out. The hair on his chest. The way Dallas opens up to Johnny after Johnny says he and Pony are going to turn themselves in. The way he talks about Cherry and how she hates him and when I read that all I could think to myself was: if only you knew!

God, I fucking love Dallas Winston.

In the beginning of the book Pony only sees people on a surface level. He doesn’t see past their roughness and thinks of them in almost the way socs do. Pony grows up so much throughout the book. I love his relationship with his brothers and how soft all of the guys in their little gang are for each other. You can feel the love between all of them.

To Dallas those guys are the only family he has. They mean the world to him and it shows. I mean, how many people would you go to the door to see with freshly cracked ribs? How many people would you help run from the police to protect them from the hardness that jail can bring you?

Johnny didn’t deserve to die the way he does. Johnny Cade didn’t deserve to die at all. The final moment with Dallas and Johnny in the hospital is heartbreaking. The way Dally hoped that telling Johnny that the greasers beat the socs would make everything better. He thought for sure that if anything could have saved Johnny it would’ve been learning that. Reading it reminded me of Jennette McCurdy talking about how she naively thought that telling her mother she finally reached their goal weight would bring her back. And when telling Johnny that doesn’t work, Dallas tries again and harder this time because now it’s urgent. It was urgent before but now it really is because the thing Dallas thought for sure would save him wasn’t saving him. He tells Johnny that he’s still being called a hero and that he and the boys are proud of him.

Dallas has the biggest heart out of all of them and I think that’s why he prefers to be so hardened or to make people think he was. It was his way of protecting himself from more heartbreak but he’d let his guard down when it came to that lost little puppy that was Johnny Cade who idolized him and admired him so much. He didn’t even see it coming. I think the line that sums up Dally is one he speaks himself: “… you get tough like me and you don’t get hurt. You look out for yourself and nothin’ can touch you.”

I want to say that Dallas didn’t deserve to die the way he does, because he didn’t, but it’s hard because it was his choice. He wanted to die. He lost the one person he let himself love and I have to believe that it was also guilt that led him to dying the way he did. Guilt for being the one who told the boys about the church and how to get there.

God, I fucking love Dallas Winston.

[spook-study]

Can Nic Cage “Nic Cage” without being able to Nic Cage?

Hot on the heels of the return of the ‘killer robot’ movie, Willy’s Wonderland (2021) seized the moment in not one, not two, but three ways. First, they capitalized on the cult status return of their lead actor, second, they created a camp movie in the middle of horror’s current obsession with bleakness, and third, they did all this when "Five Night’s at Freddy’s" (FNAF) was truly reaching its zeitgeist.

Many people went out of their way to see this movie simply because Nicolas Cage starred. After reintroducing himself with a bang in Panos Cosmatos’ remarkably feverish Mandy (2018), he had reminded us that he was indeed a powerhouse performer, all without losing that manic intensity he became known for. So when Willy’s Wonderland came out, a movie about Nicolas Cage beating a bunch of possessed robots to death, suffice to say everyone went in expecting exactly that. But, to rephrase the first question: can Nicolas Cage perform in the style that he’s known for without (spoilers) having any lines?

As evidenced by the movie, we can confirm the Nic Cage Experience™ doesn't need to be accompanied by lines. He does just fine without.

The Janitor, the only name given to his character, manages to both walk his way through his insane night like it’s just another Tuesday, and go totally crazy when the situation calls for it. This balance makes for a captivating and enjoyable performance from Cage, both allowing him to play to his audience and play for the movie. There's a lot of realism in his performance, which for this movie seems almost antithetical. And yet, what is a good horror movie without the actors really living it? The Janitor was told to clean house, and clean house he did; going crazy is just part of the job.

The Janitor being left to his own devices, the plot and body fodder are provided by a competent group of young actors in classic horror movie roles. The sexually active girl and her boyfriend, the boy in love, the best buddies, the final girl. Peripheral adults flank the plot, but just because they’re grown and have struck a deal with the eponymous Willy, who is now possessing the body of a giant animatronic weasel, doesn’t mean they’re safe. These obvious tropes are played up not only by the actors, but by the script itself. Each word from final girl Liv is #inspirational, delivered with the melodrama of a daytime soap. The exaggerated performances and heightened reality of the script make this movie a total blast.

The downside of this is that there are many moments that feel redundant. They split up, kids have sex in the creepiest place, the lost puppy love interest is self sacrificing and over dramatic in his unrequited love, Liv pursues her ideals beyond the realm of reason. Despite knowing full well what has gone on, and is still going on in the arcade, each of the teens makes the stupidest decisions after entering the building. You'd think they'd be focused on getting out, or just not getting killed, but even that seems to be expecting too much of them. There's horror movie stupid, but the young characters in Willy's Wonderland are on a whole other stratosphere of idiotic.

The performances are passable for the most part, though there's barely any screen time spared for character development. Six teens, two sheriffs, one mechanic, and the latest owner of Willy's are all as flat as cardboard. The primary opposite of Cage, actress Emily Tosta's dogged nobility and bleeding heart final girl that she and director Kevin Lewis created rides the edge of a bad performance. While The Janitor has no lines, Liv picks up the slack; not always to great effect. Maybe five "hope speeches" is one or two too many, not only for the film but for Miss Tosta as well. There are only so many ways one can say "we have to do this!" Just ask Sarah Michelle Gellar.

It seems Willy’s Wonderland was founded on the back of its star. Rather than a movie in its own right, it mostly feels like a vehicle for Nic Cage. The plot feels built up around the idea of Cage's Janitor killing possessed animatronics rather than the thrust of the movie. There's precious little story to be had. This is where Willy’s falls flat. When watching a horror movie, you might eagerly anticipate the next kill, but everything else should be working in tandem to create a fully enjoyable experience from beginning to end. There’s being on the edge of your seat for the next robo-brawl, and looking at your watch waiting for it to come. It's unfortunate that the viewing experience contained much of the latter.

At 88 minutes long with eight animatronics to kill and a few dead teens (and adults) along the way, it’s amazing how Willy's managed to have dull moments at all. Averaging out, that's one kill, robot or otherwise, every six minutes or so, not including flashbacks. Yet, the thin plot and difficult-to-match performance of Cage left the screentime spent on the other cast feeling flat and boring. The other actors pushed for the melodrama, which was a smart choice when trying to share a movie with Cage, but the tone was off in comparison to The Janitor's.

On top of that difficulty, the tension was severely diminished by the large cast of animatronics, which forced the action sequences back to back. Make no mistake, the thrill and fun of Willy's lies in those sequences. But as a movie, this ultra-fast pacing did no favors to the other characters that were charged with attempting to build out a plot when the premise of Willy's amounts to "and then he kills the robots." Don’t expect the dread and fear that is foundational to FNAF, there is little time for anticipation. What could have been a hair-raising movie full of dark corners and jump scares ends up being an exciting romp with little fright to be found, despite its best efforts. There was just too little to build on and too much to do.

Even with these shortcomings, Willy’s Wonderland feels like it did exactly what it set out to do. The movie is fun and violent. Did it do anything wild and amazing? Not really. Will it be your favorite horror movie? A hard maybe. Will you put it on in the background of your Halloween party? Probably!

Without a doubt, the movie made good on its promises of silliness and Nic Cage doing what he does best. It’s a casual watch that one might enjoy seeing alongside their good friend Mary Jane, or with a couple of beers in their system. While not the first to cash in on the evil animatronic craze, check out The Banana Splits Movie (2019) for another round of beloved childhood characters gone wrong, Willy’s Wonderland certainly earned its keep.

It’s exciting to see the return of the killer robot and how it’s being interpreted in the modern day. From Metropolis (1927) to Gog (1951) to The Terminator (1984), and now Willy’s Wonderland, the deadly robot will always hold a special place in the horror canon. Whether possessed by the souls of serial killers or an AI turned rogue, humanity prevailing over machine will be a story told from here to kingdom come. The triumph of the will is twofold. There’s is the triumph of humanity over technology, a story that ensures and reinforces the idea that the best and most powerful form of life is organic, and there’s the success over a being that is supposedly, and in most cases is canonically, smarter than you.

With the way of the world as it is, and the all too dangerous territory the entertainment industry is headed into, it’s no wonder movies like Willy’s pop to mind. Perhaps there is nothing more satisfying right now than seeing The Janitor, a man just trying to do his job, literally demolish the machines that would take his life. The advent of the AI movie is certainly nothing new, though it is distinctly having a moment. While in most instances the solution to the AI problem is a bit more cerebral, there’s no outwitting to be done here. There are no guns or programmers involved in this mess. No one to hack into a system or rewire a relay. This is a killer robot movie for the Everyman. The Janitor hacks, smashes, kicks, punches, and rips these things to pieces. Who would have thought tearing a robot apart with your bare hands would be a relatable fantasy only two years after the movie’s release?

It’s a good enough looking movie, the design sometimes outpacing the execution, and there’s clearly a bunch of love put into it. Anyone who’s ever had a nightmare after visiting Chuck-E-Cheese’s will certainly feel vindicated. The colors move well between the 70s retro look of the Willy’s Wonderland arcade fun zone design and the more neon and vibrant tones used to signify the modern day, the contrast making it visually interesting. The job taking place overnight, the darkness is certainly used to cover some of the movie's visual blunders, and the shaky camera fight sequences can cover a multitude of shortcomings. Still, clever camera work aside, Willy's was obviously filmed on a low budget. Some of the effects will undoubtedly leave you wanting and probably wishing there were fewer evil animatronics. It wouldn’t have hurt the movie to cut out one or two, if only to increase the amount of time and care that could have been spent on the others.

The animatronic cast of characters are all strong, design-wise, and feel just adjacent enough to reality. No one would use a weasel as a children’s restaurant-arcade. Kids get called ‘weasel’ on the playground before they get pushed down. The other characters also feel not-quite-right in the same way. An alligator, a chameleon, an ostrich, a turtle, a gorilla, and the completely off-themed knight and siren. There’s little time to get to know each one of them, which in theory one could do seeing as each is possessed by the soul of a killer. There definitely could have been a bit more about the dead inhabitants, but with so many of them there simply wasn’t time. Is it enough to say they were all horrible child killers? Yes. Could there have been more said? Also yes. Does it really matter when Nic Cage is going buck wild on eight killer robots? That’s up to you to decide.

While it certainly won’t be the best entry in this niche, this movie has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. It's a silly, straight-forward movie with few frills and plenty of robo-killing action. Whether or not it's your birthday, Willy's Wonderland (2021) wants you to have fun! And you absolutely will.

3/5*

[bloomingdead]

it’s so weird to me how oblivious people are to the reason why adam mcintyre took so long to be taken seriously by the whole internet. i keep seeing posts questioning why this was all swept under the rug three years ago, but the answer is so obvious to me. adam was a child during his relationship with colleen and was still a minor when he came forward about his experiences. most of colleen/miranda’s fans are all underage. most people “grow out of” miranda sings as they get older, and likely never interact with her content again. i have friends who have and i myself grew out of miranda’s content, forgetting about it rather than processing how weird her videos and live shows were. 

 obviously the other people in the same position as him were too young to understand how truly odd it is for a THIRTY+ YEAR OLD WOMAN to be engaging with her underage fans the way she did. they all either had been in or would die to be in adam’s shoes! every teenager would probably shit themselves to directly interact with someone they consider famous or even more so their idol. but as you get older, and you start to understand “oh, actually, that was really weird,” it’s harder to ignore what you or others have gone through. the people adam considered friends who turned against him were all still confused about their position and importance in colleen’s life, but more than half of them probably got dropped (if not all) after her apology in 2020. and that probably made them think, “wait, if colleen thinks our relationship is inappropriate enough to abandon me, then maybe it was inappropriate the whole time.” 

i wouldn’t be surprised to find out that less than 10% of colleen’s fans are over the age of 18. in fact it would be interesting if through all this she is pressured to, or someone does the hacking to, release her analytics information showing that a majority of her fans are ages 12-16. i know i stopped watching her at about 15 years old. i was embarrassed of MY humor, not hers. i closed that chapter of gross, inappropriate, sometimes offensive humor and never looked back. even though she was a grown ass woman promoting the humor she does to a “pg13 audience,” i never thought about it for how serious it was. because i didn’t know, because i was just a kid.

i feel like the internet has just started realizing in the last 5, maybe 7 years, that NO adult/minor internet relationship is appropriate. unless there’s a reason, like work/school/family, there’s no excuse for a famous internet personality to be speaking almost daily with a minor. a minor doesn’t need to know about your relationship issues, work drama, or any weird miniscule details about your life. there’s no reason, with such different stages in each person’s life, to be interacting with one another. 

the reason adam was ignored all those years ago was because an adult who was directly involved called him a liar. to which other adults who see no reason to interact with a minor because they’re not fucking weirdos, went “okay, this minor is not my business” and disappeared from the situation. while other under-18′s who didn’t have the life experience to know better, went along and destroyed adam’s internet presence in favor of colleen. and now, that same adult who was directly involved (kodee tyler) admitted they lied (to save herself from impending fallout), so this situation is back in the spotlight because adults will only listen to other adults. and now, because adam is an adult too, other adults feel comfortable getting the story straight from him.

but anyway, i think we need to stop asking why he was ignored for so long and instead ask ourselves how we can prevent this from happening to other teens on the internet. to me it’s obvious this was able to go on so long because colleen’s internet personality is targeted directly towards minors and so only minors were involved in or witnessed the drama. now they’re old enough to conceptualize what adam (or they themselves) went through, speak out about it, and actually be taken seriously because they have grown into adults themselves.

[lya-dustin]

Someone will remember us

Chapter 38

Cw: teen pregnancy, talks of abortion, morning sickness,mortality rate of teen moms

Gif by:@carlarosonn

“I remember when Teora first held you.” Mother struggles to sit beside her on the old rug Aemma sits on. “She called you little Aem, and from then on, we decided to keep calling you that. When it became time for you to have a Septa, there was no better person to entrust you to.”

Teora who had fussed over her, kissed her hurts, taught her prayers and loved her enough to shelter her and her brothers from the irrational hatred people had towards them.

“How am I supposed to live without her?” Aemma asked with a sniffle, she hates this endless crying. Hates it because Teora used to tease her about it, and she can hear her even if she’s gone.

“You know I asked Alicent the same question when my mother died.” Her mother wrapped her shawl over Aemma’s shoulder, like she used to do when she was little and felt a bit chilly.

“I can hardly believe there was a time she didn’t hate you, mama.” Aemma snuggled up to her mother and breathed in her scent, she missed her dreadfully. Especially now that everything has gone to shit.

“Believe it, little Aem. She was like a sister to me, dearer to me than anyone else to me in the world, until she married my father and then everything changed.” Her mother holds her tightly, soothed her as if she were still a child. You wouldn’t think Aemma was woman grown if you saw her now. “Alicent told me that my mother was not truly gone, that she would always be with me in my heart, in my memories. Teora will live on as long as we never forget her.

We will get through this, one day it won’t hurt us as much.”

---

“Mumuña.” Grandmother, Daemon whispers when Aemma runs out the moment the fish course was served.

The funeral was over, the final farewell was the most difficult part and Rhaenyra was glad to see how well her daughter was doing five days after.

“Rhaenys was ill when Laenor---” she cannot say the words, she could not believe Laenor who never did anything wrong in his life was dead. “It’s the grief making her sick.”

Aemma had only been married for a moon and three weeks, there was no way her younger brother could have gotten her with child so soon.

For fuck’s sake, both were still more children than adults.

“I have sired seven children ---that I am aware of--- I can recognize a pregnant woman by now. You are to be a grandmother, dear wife.” He whispered helping her up.

Daemon had to be wrong in his assumption, yes, he is wrong, she tells herself as she goes after her daughter.

“Kevlyn says the malaise will go away by itself, mama.” Her girl is fanning herself and drinking water with one of the servant girls rushing to fetch a bucket and the maester checking her for signs of other illnesses.

“What is your prognosis, maester?” Rhaenyra asked the man who seemed to have stumbled on a different theory.

“When was the last time you have bled, your highness?” the man asked Aemma who choked on her water in embarrassment.

No, her daughter couldn’t be pregnant. It’s too soon.

“It was supposed to come this week, but it has not come.” Her girl looks at the floor unable to look at them in shame.

“Have you taken the moon tea as Gerardys suggested?” Rhaenyra asks her, they had this conversation. Should Aemma not wish for children yet, she should drink the tea.

The Maester had said Aemma was too young to have a child, to wait until she felt ready to be a mother and preferably around her twentieth nameday.

Girls die because they force them to be mothers too soon, Gerardys had scolded her when she told him about the deal mother and daughter had made.

She shook her head, “I tried but Orwyle said they are forbidden to give it to ladies unless the queen or the Hand allows it.”

Alicent couldn’t be so calloused, to damn women with a child they do not want or cannot have without costing them their lives.

Poor Helaena, she had never been given the chance to choose.

“We did our best to take precautions, but---” the girl cannot even form the words to say it.

They were little more than children, much younger than Rhaenyra and Harwin were when Jacaerys came less than a year after Aemma.

If two adults had trouble making sure Harwin didn’t spill his seed inside her, what chance did two over eager teenagers have?

The Maester looked at the princess of Dragonstone with worry, a fit could cause a miscarriage, or complications in the birthing stool.

Her daughter cannot die.

“Have moon tea prepared for her. If she is not with child it will not hurt for her to prevent it for a while longer.” Rhaenyra orders focusing on the well-being of her daughter and heir.

“No, I will not drink it. You cannot make me; I am of age.” Aemma shook her head in fear. “This child is what may stop Hightower from usurping you, the rift between our families will be mended by my son. Aemon will be born whether we like it or not.”

Aemon, she has named a baby she isn’t even sure exists yet.

Aemon, the true heir. Aemon after Jaehaerys and Alysanne’s firstborn son, Rhaenys’ father who’s heir was robbed of her birthright because of something as trivial as her sex.

Had they come this girl? To have her girl of six and ten put herself at the mercy of the gods just to stop their families from killing each other.

Once she had suggested that Aegon marry Aemma to tie the families together, now she sees how her heir has taken it on herself to force them to stop their fighting or risk losing their hope for the future.

“If that is your wish, I will not stop you. I only ask that you allow me to take care of you when the time comes, neither I nor Maester Gerardys will not take no for an answer.”

----

“You look green, sweet sister.” Baela teases her as they break fast together. “As green as your husband.”

Baela has seen battle, Moondancer has killed pirates, sell-sails and sell-swords alike.

Jace has been blooded too under grandmother’s watchful eye a week ago.

Aemond had killed the people who attacked her as she went after the men at the Rat Pit, but he is irritated that a girl of four and ten has more combat experience than he does.

It will change today, he has gone to answer Celtigar's warning of pirates nearing Claw Isle with Jace and Daemon, the only one willing to teach him how to fight on dragon back.

Aegon had been offered the chance to go with them, but he preferred to spend the say as far away from family duty as he possibly could. It didn’t help that Sunfyre was as lazy as his sister, Syrax.

Do not tighten your saddle chains too much, taoba, Daemon had chided him, you need room to jump if your mount fails you.

It wasn’t his fault that after Aemma’s father died there was no one to teach him properly.

Helaena fared worse; her mother forbade her from doing more than fly Dreamfyre. No maneuvers, no self defense, just the most basic flight patterns.

But there was time to learn, which was a small mercy for them.

Daemon had taken it all as an affront to their person, they may have lived here for centuries, but to forget their culture and family’s roots was to forget yourself.

This gave Aemma the space needed to do Kevlyn’s rather stupid examination and plan accordingly.

This time next year she may be holding her son.

This time next year she will be Princess of Dragonstone and her worst fears will come true.

“There is a possibility that I may be with child. Gods, I’ve never hated omelets as I have done this past two weeks.” Aemma used to be fond of these, especially the ones mother’s cooks made in Dragonstone, but even Baela’s omelet across the table has her wanting to retch.

She eats sweet fruits, plain soft buns sprinkled with cinnamon and fig rolls instead, Aemma used to like sweets, but never figs.

Teora used to like fig rolls.

And that thought has her wanting to cry again. Teora will never know about Aemon.

“Congratulations to you and your prick of a husband.” Baela will never forgive Aemond for the things he said that night and Aemma can admit that Aemond is more of an acquired taste.

If it had been me, I would’ve taken both his eyes, Baela had boldly said once to Aemma’s horror. Baela was more Daemon’s daughter than Laena’s and it was why her father favored her over Rhaena.

Aemond was a pretentious cold fish and an ass to those who didn’t know him like Aemma did.

They see the veneer of aloof confident Prince who appears to be in complete control of himself, but not the awkwardness and insecurities that he has on account of

being raised by his mother and Criston Cole

being maimed by Luke

being the second son of a Targaryen King

It is a lethal combination if you ask his wife.

But she loves Aemond even if he’s a little too dutiful to his mother and his favorite philosophy is that true freedom comes from obeying ---which she hates quite a lot.

“Mother pissed on wheat, said it was how Kevlyn had examined your mother and Aunt Alarra.” Baela said looking over the balcony where they can still see Vhagar in all her size try to keep up with the faster and younger dragons.

She had coiled with the Cannibal; the old bat had shocked everyone with that.

Everyone except Daemon who prided himself in knowing Caraxes had been the last male dragon to confirm Vhagar ---like the god she was named after--- was female.

“At least there is no poking and prodding to it. Even if it sounds rather undignified to piss in front of the maester and mother.” Aemma felt a little better knowing what this examination was.

And sure enough, the wheat seeds sprout.

Aemon, the Young Dragon, the Conqueror of Dorne, King of the Seven Kingdoms.

The prince Viserys had butchered his wife open for and then married a girl young enough to have been sired by him.

[sidehugsnsideblogs]

FCSU #91 Together Again

After what seemed like eons Farrah was at last to be reunited with her children. She awoke to find Lee on her doorstep. “We are being called to a center place.” Was all he said. The entire group was once again living together she was told. LeRoyce claimed this gathering had religious significance but the truth was he was running out of money and could no longer afford multiple properties. The group (minus Rachel) were now living in a tiny cabin in the woods of Windenburg. It was far too small for the amount of people living there. 

The first thing Farrah noticed was that Emma's eldest two daughters were missing. Vangie explained that LeRoyce had driven them out to another polygamous enclave to be married in exchange for brides for Lee and Roy, who now lived with their wives in tents behind the house. Emma was heartbroken. She never got to say goodbye to her dear Sincerity and Serenity. In the past Emma had been a fervent believer now she just seemed broken. 

Rachel was still gone and no one knew where she was sequestered. Once LeRoyce started running out of money Rachel simply moved to her own condo not far from Royce’s prison. There she lived quietly “repenting” but mostly just enjoying the peace and quiet. Farrah, who didn’t know this, was alarmed by her absence. Rachel and Maggie had always been the leaders amongst the wives. Now they were both missing in action. Mother Maggie was physically present but she seemed like a different person. She was forgetful and often angry because she didn’t recognize anyone she lived with. The other wives kept her mostly on bed rest but worried that she required more in-depth care.

As soon as she laid eyes on her daughters Farrah rushed to hug them. She couldn’t believe how they’d grown!. Hope and Faith were now teenagers and the oldest unmarried daughters left. They showed Farrah around the cabin, She, Evangeline and all the children would be sleeping in the cold, cramped cellar below the kitchen. LeRoyce, Emma and Maggie occupied the two bedrooms. The tiny cabin was quaint and kind of reminded Farrah of the Swamphouse. Here too the power seemed to fluctuate, leaving them in the dark for days on end sometimes. 

 LeRoyce came and went as he pleased, always muttering to himself. His brothers were wholly obsessed with their new wives and seemed detached from LeRoyce's machinations. As the women realized that LeRoyce was having money problems they began to knit clothing to sell online. Hopefully it would be enough to keep food on their plates. LeRoyce, despite seeming so busy, did not work. When he was home he spent his time holding a special “prayer class” for the girls or showing them videos of disturbing things like the Waco standoff.

From the cellar Evangeline and Farrah could hear the vile things he was teaching them. He claimed that each girl was put on this earth to worship him. There was little mention of a Prophet anymore, it was clear LeRoyce had seized power. He preached that no age was too young to marry, that the outside world was evil and if anyone dared stray, she would be killed in atonement. They were never to second guess or defy him. He also referred to the girls collectively as "my ladies" a term usually reserved for spouses. Just hearing him speak those words sent a shiver down Farrah’s spine. 

"We have got to get them out of here." Breathed Evangeline. Farrah was shocked. She'd never imagined Vangie of all people having thoughts like that. "He's going to marry them if we don't do something." Farrah nodded. She was playing by the rules for now, but looking for an opportunity to take her girls and run, seemed like Vangie was too. The girls themselves were aware of the danger they were in. They stuck as close to their mothers as possible. The oldest girls would accompany the younger ones everywhere, even to the bathroom, lest anyone be caught alone. Vangie, Farrah and the teens slept closest to the ladder at night. And the adults traded off keeping watch at night. 

Even the true believers were doubting LeRoyce's leadership. Hope still prayed and fasted often but Farrah noticed that she begged for deliverance for the Prophet and for things to go back to the way it was before. Emma was sullen and quiet. She'd bonded with her daughter-in-laws but clearly missed her own girls. Lee and Roy's wives were both expecting now and wanted to share this exciting time with their own families. They were also tired of sleeping in tents outside. The boys were obsessed with their brides and were inclined to listen to them.

It made total sense then, when early one morning Lee and Roy quietly loaded up their van with their meager possessions. Emma met with her remaining daughter, Joyful at the top of the ladder and they all made their way to the van together. They had to get away before sunrise. It would be easier to get lost in the dark. They sped away, successfully. By the time LeRoyce awoke, they were long gone. 

He was livid. He tore into Farrah and Evangeline, the two remaining wives. "Where are they? What did they tell you?" He screamed. The girls told him over and over that they didn't know and no one had talked to them about it. LeRoyce banned them from using any furniture or plumbing. He made them spend hours upon hours on their knees, praying for forgiveness. He grew more frantic as the pressures piled up.

[mokkamicci]

The growth of Miraculous

Miraculous Ladybug has actually really improved its writing and storytelling since Season 1. I think it's a testament to the writers who have really improved the dialogue and relationships between characters. Some of the dialogues even sound realistic.

Despite a lot of people who have said in the past that the writing of MLB is very flawed and cringy, it has actually grown a lot from the beginning. When Miraculous first aired, it was originally targeted towards kids and pre-teens I believe. And that did show in the writing in Season 1.

I remember the first time I watched Miraculous, it was the first Origins episode. I remember the scene where Master Fu had a client at his parlour for a massage and he had some lines I absolutely cringed at when he said them. And I thought to myself, "yeah, you can really tell that this show is made for kids".

I would argue that with the progression of themes and lore being shown from Season 3 onwards, Miraculous has really become a show that is more targeted towards older teens and young adults. And I'm really happy that they've gone in this direction. If Miraculous stayed the same from Season 1, I doubt it would be as successful as it is now. Choosing to incorporate darker themes and plotlines really helped make the show better. How long could they have really milked the childish tone of the show despite the fact that the characters are literally teenagers?

Basically, MIraculous has become a show that used to be targeted towards kids, to a show that is now on the same level as The Dragon Prince, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia and Dragons: Race To The Edge. I think by pursuing darker storylines that focus on the main leads, Miraculous will continue to do well, and fans of the show would feel less embarrassed talking about it because of its stigma of being a show "made for kids".

[biosblades]

I also feel like being friends with adults helps a lot with fear of growing up. Like right now there’s a pretty pervasive thought process that at age 25 you stop being allowed to enjoy anything you previously liked, your whole life becomes doing your taxes and working in an office, and you’re a creep for trying to engage in any form of recreation (especially online). Genuinely believing that makes growing up a HORRIFYING concept. And I know young people afraid of it because of how 10 year olds are obsessed with anti-aging skincare, how teens call 30 year olds old hags, how gen z won’t stfu about how old millennials look/act and how out of touch they are, how the common insults online are “you really care about this?? At your big age??” “Don’t you have to go do your taxes or something” “damn you’re really [20+] and beefing [engaging in conversation/civil discourse] with a whole CHILD [15-18 year old]”

All of these are expressions of fear. They’re attempts by older teens to desperately grasp onto their youth because they’re terrified of what it would mean to be one of those “old hags” and they feel the need to loudly and clearly separate themselves from that. I get it, I was there too. I’m gen z + very online, and I was terrified of outgrowing my welcome. But once I met some 30+ year olds and became friends I literally realized they were still human, they were actually pretty cool people, and we had things in common; now I don’t feel that same need to constantly announce that I’m not one of the stinky grown ups to feel like I’m allowed to exist. And it gave me a model of what my future could look like. Now I realize that there’s not some stopwatch that’ll go off in a few years’ time and end my ability to engage in anything I’ve ever loved before. I realize that my life won’t just end the day I turn 25

I also think these ideas are where the “I’m just a 29 year old teenage girl” come from. We’ve literally dehumanized tf out of anyone older than 18/20/25

And I feel like a lot of the vicious distain toward children and teens amongst young adults is also a defense mechanism. If you’re gonna be looked at as a creep for occupying the same space as a kid/teen, obviously you’re not gonna want them existing in any place you want to be.

This dehumanization of adults and the assumption that all inter generational relationships are creepy/suspicious is hurting everyone. Teens are people, they can actually be cool friends. 30 year olds are people, they can also actually be cool friends. Why must we enforce this separation that’s making everyone super miserable and uncomfortable (and stunting teens’ development/depriving them of role models while simultaneously gatekeeping cultural developments from 30+ year olds, assuring that they actually do become out of touch/unsympathetic to younger people. It’s an artificially created generational divide that doesn’t need to be there)

I don’t know how to fix the systemic problem, but dropping my own attitude helped immensely. I now have close friends of all ages, and the benefits for all of us are clear. The ability to gain knowledge from people older than me who have already gone through stuff, benefit from it and build upon it myself, and then pass it on and make my younger friends’ lives even easier just feels like exactly what being human is about

i think some of you guys are insane 👍 it's actually possible for a 16 year old to be online friends with someone in their 20s. source: teenagers are actually people who can talk to other people about shared interests.

[castlebyersafterdark]

Do you think how one perceived the characters in relation to you plays a role in whether you have cuteness aggression toward will or not and just what you think of byler in general? Just in terms of whether you saw The Party and Will specifically as peers to journey WITH or as someone way younger than you to protect and WATCH grow up. The latter seems to instinctively activate that maternal (or paternal) instinct that the first doesn’t necessarily offer. I never saw him as a “baby.”

I’m not sure if this makes sense. Like personally I’m a few years older than finn and noah, so I’m not in the same exact age bracket as the Party. But I’m def in the same overall generation as the actors. So for me, when I was watching ST in real time for the first time, idk if I ever developed the “cuteness aggression” or anything like that. And I wonder if it’s because I perceived the characters as being my peers rather than being way younger than me, just based on where I was in my self-concept.

Which is not the case for everyone in my age bracket- I know lots of people related more to the older teens, and obviously those way older than me probably related more to Winona and David H! But that’s just how I experienced the show. Now that I revisit the early seasons, yeah it’s obvious how young and innocent and smol Will was, and it puts everything into a new perspective. I don’t know if I feel the cuteness aggression you describe, but I do understand the concept more.

It does create a weird disconnect tho when you see how grown up and hot Finn and Noah are now, in contrast with their “baby roots,” even as they’re still playing characters who haven’t aged much. What are your thoughts?

I think I understand what you're getting at. When I watched the show the first season I was just starting college, but I connected with the party immediately because they reminded me of myself and kids I grew up with when I was their age? So more so than the teens or adults in the show, clearly the heart of the show did hit for me. Childhood innocence. So no, not peers, but they reminded me personally of peers from a certain time in my life that I very much tend to romanticize (and even wish might have gone differently, but that's another story). I'm not saying media HAS to be relatable to everyone, but your take-away does influence how you view and interpret things. So others may have taken away something similar or it could be something else entirely. I can only speak to how I felt.

While I'm not really like Will much - I did connect to his character immediately in season 1 and 2 just as this kid who gets taken into this terrible scenario. You put yourself in his shoes. You want him to be saved and come out on the other side of the situation loved and alright, the darling of his mother and adored by his friends. He was just so small and sweet in contrast to the horrors. And more in season 2 it really popped off, it had already clicked for me that he was this young gay kid going through a really hard time and that just made it even more apparent? And then once he fell into the love interest role in a pairing I decided I was into, I think that early relatability and viewpoint is just how me, and many others it seems, are talking about him and characterizing him. Sweet Will!! Cute angel Will!! That's just so him to me.

And in regarding the actors, I can look at a photo online and say some guy is hot but it's not like I'm ever going to meet them so, sure!! What's the harm haha. It's who they are now so that's what I'm going to look at and focus on as time moves forward. Everyone was a child at one point, and hopefully grows up. The progression of lives for both character and actor alike...

[bawathudyat]

i never know why i turned out like this. everything was colorful as a child—everything was beautiful, serene, and bright. even the bad ones looked good, and even the dead looked so alive. i loved my family, myself, my friends, and my life. each small thing gave me a serotonin boost that made me feel like i could fly.

i was ready to grow, to nurture, and to fully live in the world. my happy memories from my childhood established expectations of adulting that excited me when i was a kid. my days were not complete without me praying for my age to fastly double up. i wanted to meet the grown up version of myself and see how my life would be as a teenager.

if only i knew that growing up is not as pretty as i thought it would be, i would have just enjoyed my limited time as a clueless young girl. all my hopes have dissolved into a bitter despair, all my dreams have popped like a balloon, and all my expectations have evaporated. even my eyes are different now for i cannot find anything enchanting anymore, as if the spirited view of the world i had was taken away from me.

now that my younger self saw the life i am living as a teen, she realized that the youngster who was once so happy to be around her family is now a teen who hates talking to everyone in the house. her smile is long gone; she never uses her mouth for a good cause because everything she says is an uproar that disturbs the calm home of her mother and father. the daughter who made everyone proud is now a person who shocks the people around her with her devolution. she hates her life the same way how she hates the woman she have become.

she realized that the the grown up version of her hates her… that every night, the 16 years old her whispers to herself, “if only that kid never fucking wished to grow up.”

ZK / september 02, 2023.