#but there is some dialogue inbetween that i cut out

[elvenbeard]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Yes I'm actually doing this on a Wednesday wooo :D

I just went back through all my tags of the last month and man, you guys ;__; <3 I'm not good at keeping up with tumblr atm and I don't have something to share every week, so I think once a month a WIP Wednesday might be a good compromise XD Thank you for all the tags!!

@theviridianbunny @dreamskug @ouroboros-hideout @lokiina @therealnightcity @chevvy-yates tagging you all right back!

So, with that off of my list of works in progress, as is answering all the tag games and quizzes, some projects I'm working on atm:

Writing: Love is stored in the olive jar (WT) - Chapter 13

It's done, but still needs a lot of editing, as it got very heavy on dialogue in the end and I want it all to flow more nicely and make it a bit more scenic XD Too many instances of "she looked up again" or "he paused for a moment/second" xD But I'm getting there! Here's a snippet from the already somewhat polished beginning:

“Alright,” Fuentes said as she finally caught her breath again, “I suggest we cut straight to the chase.” “Yes,” V nodded, “Thank you again for taking the time.” “Of course,” Fuentes nodded, “I have to admit, I have been thinking about you and your case a lot these past days. Even with the limited knowledge I have so far, I still believe I may be able to help. If you are willing now to tell me more about your condition now, of course.” ‘Willing’ wasn’t the word V would use, it was more a necessity at this point. “I will,” he said, “But only if you can provide me with a certain level of security.” Fuentes shifted in her chair slightly and frowned, then she opened one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out a tablet. She turned it on and began to search for something on it while maintaining eye contact with V as best as she managed. “You’ve come here today as my patient. As far as I’m concerned, everything, anything that we discuss, falls under the doctor-patient confidentiality. My contract with the Little China MedCenter binds me to treat your data and information with utmost care and discretion. All data we store is locked away securely, all in accordance with your Trauma Team policy. I can resend you the patient information papers and contracts, although I think most of them you should already have…” “I care less about the MedCenter than about what you personally do with the information I’m going to give you,” V said, and Fuentes stopped her search, narrowing her eyes slightly. “I’m not sure what you’re alluding to,” she said, still polite, but significantly more tense than before. “Nothing,” V shook his head carefully, “This is just not something I tell random strangers on the street… no offense, of course. If I have to play with open cards, I need you to as well.”

In which Vince hates doctors but has to trust one now, boo XD

Writing: Some drabbles :3

Inbetween the longfic I still have some ask prompt drabbles to fill that I'm looking forward to tackling soon! And in a sudden burst of inspiration I wrote out a long although not very serious convo between Vince and Johnny the other day xD I'd love to turn it into a (VP) comic maybe, but I'm not sure yet XD

Art: Nothing new since last time, slowly chipping away at some bigger projects inbetween

VP: Currently no concrete plans for a bigger project

Although I wanna do more "days in the life" for Vince!! And I wanna play around more with some poses though and have a very soft set to share that I gotta edit a bit still ;_; Tomorrow probably!

Also, I'd like to turn the interface thingies from my recent "V as NPC" projects into shareable templates, that is also on my wip/ to-do list! Just wanna gather some in-game reference shots first :D

Modding: 👀👀👀

I'm working on a little something maybe, and I'm so excited :DDD Just gotta relearn how to do Archive XL, it's been half a year xD And I fought MLSetup Builder so fucking hard, but now I know how to edit MLMask Setups, so that's a victory at least XD And I have a base for a very kitschy coat :3

But yes, so much to that so far! See you again in a month or so probably with an ever-growing pile of wips xD But maybe some more writing, maybe some more art, and maybe a finished mod after too long 👀

[minks-country-club]

No one asked but I'm doing it anyway cuz I love them

With the fandom I'm in now: "Possibilities" because It's the most I've written and it's been such a pleasure. The response from my readers and their engagement has been wonderful and I just really like the story of it. I also really loved to write "Seven Devils" (BTS) but I think that one's been discontinued at this point.

"Possibilities" (for the reason above). I'm also excited for "The Devil Has Got Into That Beast".

I don't think I regret writing any of my stories but I am sad that some have been discontinued because I just lost interest in continuing them :(

I actually have a draft compilation over on my Wattpad. They're ones that simply didn't make the cut into my story. I have a few there but I don't think I've ever really deleted drafts, maybe just those.

I like the fact that you can add covers and banners cuz I think it's cute but it can be a pain in the ass thinking of covers and making them. I also like how you can add stories to libraries. But other than that it's not a very good site😭 It's super glitchy for me, I don't like the ads (I understand tho), and I dont like how you cant bookmark what chapter you're on.

Grammarly!

Twilight Saga! I am obsessed with Jakeward, it's my OTP but I also love Red Dead Redemption just as much.

Maybe a 6? 7 at best?

Picsart.

Jakeward (Edward Cullen x Jacob Black) although it can be a very repetitive sometimes, but I'm trying to explore more dynamics and scenarios between them. And because I'm just really into writing about them rn. I also think Morston (John Marston x Arthur Morgan) is easy because there are countless ways to explore them and all super fun.

Music is a huge inspo and my biggest, reading Twilight (surprisingly), reading other fanfics and watching movies/shows!

I absolutely have trouble. When i first start out with a new fandom, it's super easy because all these ideas suddenly come to me. But after doing it for a while, it's harder because I've already got most of what I want to write out of my system. Yet I still want to write more! And so the struggle begins. I also think that the "inbetween" stage is tough, where you have scenes you want to get to but don't know how to get there or what to write for fillers or how to continue a story to its end. Motivation to continue a story and actually write it is super hard for me.

Sometimes. I mainly struggle with dialogue in the sense that I know what the character would say and how they would say it, but I think when you look back on it, you couldn't really differentiate the characters unless you specifically say who said the line. Like making it obvious who said what. But other than that, I think I know the characters well enough to know how they'd act in certain situations.

I have! Only twice tho! I actually don't like writing smut that much because I just find it a bit of a drag. It can be a bit repetitive at times so i want the smut i write to be as unique each time as possible. I do tend to avoid it when a smutty scene is approaching because I can't be bothered to write it😭 But I love reading smut and want to add my contribution with certain dynamics so I do plan on writing more. I love writing angst and I do like writing fluff.

I've ways been interested in creating stories. I love creating new worlds and scenarios and I find picturing what I write to be aesthetically pleasing and pretty. And the feedback from the readers is always a highlight. I find it crazy how strangers from all over the world come together to read something I made and take the time to tell me they love it and what they think of it. It's just so nice!

Thank you!💜💜💜

You can find me on Wattpad: Minkkksss and Ao3: Minkkk

[lavendertune]

Ouf okay, let's do this (Part 1)

I typically write in Times New Roman or Calibri, simply because I enjoy the style of the font. I tried using other fonts but my eyes rebel against anything else than the aforementioned two.

I started by writing everything by hand! Back in school when I was bored I got out my pad and started scribbling, or when I was travelling too. Back then I didn’t have a laptop yet which ended in massive folders filled with my stuff. Once I got a laptop and realized editing and writing in general is much much easier on it I switched immediately and never returned lmao.

It’s terrible, actually. I have that little oriel in my living room with old furniture and a lot of candles. I typically sit down in my comfy round rattan chair, light the candles, turn on my playlist and start writing. The curse, though, is that I need absolute solitude. It’s hard for me when someone else is in the room or when there is another source of light/noise. This is making it really hard for me to write because I’m living with my partner and he usually spends his time in the living room.

Unecessarily. Uneccesariy. Unnecessarily. Gods, I always forget how to write it.

Idk if it’s superstition but you write better the more you travel. Going out, meeting people, seeing other places; It all gives you motivation and inspiration. Which is why I always take my laptop with me, no matter where I go.

Never getting to finish my novels. My original motivation came with an original idea I started writing years back, but playing FFXIV, falling in love with Zenos and starting “Like Fire and Ice” cut inbetween my original novels. I’m currently trying my best to “finish” “Like Fire and Ice” (although I have a lot more planned still) so I can start writing what I had originally planned.

Realizing that I’ve done that. It was me who wrote all of these words. All of these pages. And there are actually people out there who read it. Honestly, every comment I get on my stories makes me giggle like a little kid.

I’d probably choose to leave out the dialogue. You don’t have to let your characters speak to tell an interesting story, but without at least a little bit of action it would get too boring for me and possibly the reader. It would probably be something dark and mysterious, perhaps something about a cryptid.

Yepp. A 100% . Had my own experiences and have been working with the paranormal/occult for some years now. Also, I love Ghost Adventures and Sam&Colby.

Haunt me? No. If I found something disturbing or just straight up “bad” I cross it from my mind.

Hmn, not really. I do “love” to kill of characters, but only for character or plot development. My deaths are usually calculated. I may miss the characters but I do not grieve them for I know they achieved what they needed to.

Easy! Better concentration, more time to write and a better memory. Those are the three things always ruining my flow.

Hmn, good question. I don’t have a problem with any kind of topic thinking about. I usually make sure to do my research before writing about more sensitive stuff but it never bothers me. I don’t enjoy writing slice of life type settings though.

I do! And honesty, I don’t actually care if I get them back or not. I do have a handful of books I cherish and I wouldn’t hand out because I use them for inspiration or research, the rest on the other hand mostly just exists? I’ve read them, of course. But I rarely read books multiple times. I rather give them away to people who’ll enjoy the story and know I made someone else happy in doing so.

Never in my life would I butcher a book like this, heavens. It hurts me to see mistreated books, be it dog-ears or similar. Even worse are books whose pages have started to curl from moisture, which is why I would never read in the bathtub. We can still be friends, though know you leave a cut in the deepest parts of my soul.

You ask the guy with a sifter for a brain. Uff good question, I think it was a keychain? I honestly can’t remember.

*nervous laughter* Honey, you don’t want to open this box. To make a long story short, it’s more or less an enemies to allies to lovers with three different timelines. In these timelines I explore the different routes the relationship between my hero and my antagonist can take and the various outside influences that drive them to make certain decisions. It’s a fun way to bring light to different aspects to their characters and to show how the way people treat you can change your point of view and, ultimately, your decisions.

“Like Fire and Ice” – Accursed Bonds – Part Ten “I'm so tired.” “Then rest.” A quick noise of complaint comes from somewhere next to me but I don't have the strength to see who made it. All that's left for me to do is take a breath in as Zenos' arm gently lays over my back once the healing touch has faded. I expect it to hurt, but it seems like I've gotten too numb to feel a thing. And still the Garlean makes sure to move as carefully as possible as he slips his other arm underneath my thighs and lifts me up. “You are safe now, hero.” His strong arms cradling me, holding me close to his chest, I feel my heart explode. It's a warmth I haven't felt in years, a light I thought had left my world. Sighing quietly I open my eyes, leaning my weak head against his chest as I look out to the vastness of the Steppe, my eyes threatening to fall shut. It's sunrise. This was one of the scenes I had been looking forward to for ages. In it our hero is rescued by his friends together with the help of their enemy after having been abducted by a mysterious group currently terrorizing their allies. I actually got the idea from one of these “prompt-videos” on tiktok in which the beaten up hero stands in front of their enemy who asks them “Who did this to you?”. I loved this idea so much I somehow had to implement it into my story, but I at that point I was already too far into my storyline to add it. So I sat down and thought how to turn and twist it to make it fit. My first idea was to separate the two in one way or another, forcing my hero to face a different enemy on their own. Unable to come up with a good idea I chose to just keep on writing and so I did until I was presented with the perfect moment to implement it. At this point of the story my hero and his enemy had already begun to (although out of necessity) work together and had to spend a good amount of time travelling alone. Finally being fully confronted with the other they managed to find some sort of way to get along and actually started to bond a little. Still, my hero clung to the trauma and the pain his enemy had inflicted on him and thousands of others and pushed him away, forcibly building a wall between the two. His abduction, though, made him realize just how comfortable he had grown with his enemy. Even though part of him still hated that madman he couldn’t deny that there was something pulling him towards his enemy. During the days spent with his captors he was subject to torture and wilful neglect which in the end almost cost him his life. When his enemy finally had found him he snapped and ruthlessly killed the man that had tortured my hero, the rest of his friends and the other captors staring in horror at the scene. I wanted to show my characters and my readers just to what lengths his enemy would go to save my hero and also to open my hero’s eyes and admit his true feelings.

Weird Questions for Writers (because writers are weird)

1. What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting?

2. If you had to give up your keyboard and write your stories exclusively by hand, could you do it? If you already write everything by hand, a) are you a wizard and b) pen or pencil?

3. What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

4. What’s a word that makes you go absolutely feral?

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true?

6. What is your darkest fear about writing?

7. What is your deepest joy about writing?

8. If you had to write an entire story without either action or dialogue, which would you choose and how would it go?

9. Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?

11. Do you believe in the old advice to “kill your darlings?” Are you a ruthless darling assassin? What happens to the darlings you murder? Do you have a darling graveyard? Do you grieve?

12. If a genie offered you three writing wishes, what would they be? Btw if you wish for more wishes the genie turns all your current WIPs into Lorem Ipsum, I don’t make the rules

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy?

14. Do you lend your books to people? Are people scared to borrow books from you? Do you know exactly where all your “lost” books are and which specific friend from school you haven’t seen in twelve years still possesses them? Will you ever get them back?

15. Do you write in the margins of your books? Dog-ear your pages? Read in the bath? Why or why not? Do you judge people who do these things? Can we still be friends?

16. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark?

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage.

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

20. If a witch offered you the choice between eternal happiness with your one true love and the ability to finally finish, perfect, and publish your dearest, darlingest, most precious WIP in exactly the way you've always imagined it — which would you choose? You can’t have both sorry, life’s a bitch

21. Could you ever quit writing? Do you ever wish you could? Why or why not?

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

23. Describe the physical environment in which you write. Be as detailed as possible. Tell me what’s around you as you work. Paint me a picture.

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

25. What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story?

26. How do you get into your character’s head? How do you get out? Do you ever regret going in there in the first place?

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why?

28. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why?

29. Where do you draw your inspiration? What do you do when the inspiration well runs dry?

30. Talk to me about the role dreams play in your writing life. Have you ever used material from your dreams in your writing? Have you ever written in a dream? Did you remember it when you woke up?

31. Write a short love letter to your readers.

32. What is a line from a poem/novel/fanfic etc that you return to from time and time again? How did you find it? What does it mean to you?

33. Do you practice any other art besides writing? Does that art ever tie into your writing, or is it entirely separate?

34. Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go:

35. What’s your favorite writing rule to smash into smithereens?

36. They say to Write What You Know. Setting aside for a moment the fact that this is terrible advice...what do you Know?

37. If you were to be remembered only by the words you’ve put on the page, what would future historians think of you?

38. What is something about your writing process YOU think is Really Weird? If you are comfortable, please share. If you’re not comfortable, what do you think cats say about us?

39. What keeps you writing when you feel like giving up?

40. Please share a poem with me, I need it.

[reviewsclown]

Resident Evil: the Final Chapter 2016

I do like how this movie starts with a big prologue, there was a lot of stuff pre the first movie that wasn't really known about, gives a bit of a recap since its been, 12 years since the first movie? Why's the red queen back? I thought they killed her, like it was a big thing they broke her mainframe. and that raccoon city got nuked. But we have to go back there for an airborne antivirus that can destroy everything t-virus related, why didn't we use this before? why did no one know about this? c'mon man. Also wesker is back even though he got nuked too last time? Or like the scientists who was making clones from the third movie is back? Because get this, the one that got super mutated too was a clone The plots just no good, I have a feeling they really wanted to retcon out the 4th movie so it barely gets any mention, just that Arcadia existed, and past history with Wesker and whatnot.

Something happened in the last 4 years that made filmography dogshit clearly because they can no longer film fight scenes worth anything. Constantly, constantly cutting. Every single fight scene in this it's just bad. The dialogues no good either in this it's become quippy, the movie is clip farming. Whatever they figured out in the original movies to make CGI zombies look good it seems they also forgot, they're all just brown and covered in flesh-y greebles (bone, sinew etc). Like points for originality I guess, the weird flying monster, the humanoid bio weapon, the dogs maybe? It just looks bad. The set design too, is also pretty weird, especially because they're supposed to be in The Hive, y'know the place from the first movie that had a pretty set aesthetic going on in design and what kind of traps were in place. But now it's like a torture maze where every floor is a trapdoor with a tunnel that leads into some kind of murder hole, just completely doesn't work.

There's probably a theme in this movie, Isaacs, a guy who was cloned multiple times and thought he was the real one became really christian, and views the T-virus zombies as a biblical plague. There's the red queen which was based entirely on someones daughter, the living daughter now old because of some disease, and alice the 'perfect specimen' who's basically inbetween, the maiden, the mother and the crone, the triple goddess famous of neopaganism. what could it mean.

Final Review: Yeah this one was bad too, about as bad as 4 but in a different direction so it's hard to measure. Didn't even have good music, not worth watching.

[emmym1]

My thoughts on... Captain Marvel 2019 (#1-5) "Re-entry"

So i've decided to start reading Captain Marvel (2019)! I've heard tons of great things about this run and I am super hyped that I finally get to read it. Captain Marvel has always been a really cool and awesome character to me so i'm excited to explore her stories beyond her movie appearances! And it did not dissapoint so far.

So the story starts off with an absolutely badass team-up between Captain Marvel & Jessica Drew aka Spider-Woman. I absolutely love their dynamic, they're such a fun duo to see in action. Not only do they kick ass together, they also have some pretty fun dialogue inbetween that. It's amazing to see how well they play into each other's strenghts and weaknesses. After their team-up where they defeated some kind of alien monster they split ways and Carol has a meeting with Tony Stark about joining the Avengers again. Turns out they're all about good PR and stuff now so Carol has to do an interview, to which she annoyingly agrees. Shortly after agreeing to it she meets a young hero called Hazmat, she has toxic based powers that can be extremely dangerous. Tony has been helping her keep it under control but it's safe to say she doesn't like him very much. She's able to have a much nicer bond with Carol. She's a pretty fun hero and throughout these first few issues she was a really good addition. After that she meets up with Rhodey after not seeing him for quite some time, although their meetup gets cut short by the interviewer - Ripley Ryan - who was sent by Stark to do the intveriew with Carol. They once again get cut short as Nuclear Man attacks Carol. This dude is the absolute worst and a such a mysoginist, it's actually extremely satisfying to see Carol kick his ass into oblivion. Their fight doesn't last long as Carol beats him fairly easily. Rhodey did call in the Avengers, although they were too late to the scene. Nuclear Man tries to escape through what seems to be a portal while taking Ripley with him. Luckily Carol is able to get into the portal before it closes, while the other avengers can't. Although what's on the other side of this portal is quite insane. Turns out the portal was actually a barrier placed around Roosevelt Island, the part of city has completely changed into a post apocalyptic warzone where time works differently. Turns out Spider-Woman, Echo & Hazmat all have been trapped there for weeks. It was really cool to see them all in post apocalyptic versions of their costumes, they look super badass! As they fill in Carol on the situation it turns out Nuclear Man has turned Roosevelt Island into his playground. He has captured all the men while Spider-Woman, Echo & Hazmat have been safeguarding the women. It's an all womens camp except for one exception, Som. He's the only man in the camp which raises big suspicious with Carol. How come he was the only one to escape? Regardless, she decides to trust him for the time being and with the others she starts to build up an army. It's really cool to see Carol's leadership skills come in action here, she's so organised and knows exactly what do. It's super cool to see her take things into her own hands and lead this army of women. As the days pass by she also gets a new post apocalyptic look, including a new haircut! Which also just looks amazingly badass (they should adapt it in the movies honestly).

As they fight off Nuclear Man's robot army in order to get more supplies, the one and only She-Hulk falls from the sky. Although she quickly loses power and is just falling from the sky at breakneck speed. Luckily Carol is able to save her. It's interesting to see how she calculates the situation to account for her powers so she doesn't accidentally kill people with it. It's a really cool detail that adds a lot of weight to her powers. As they save She-Hulk they retreat and regroup. Due to the barrier alot of the heroes are getting their powers damped to the point where for some of them they don't even work anymore. Carol has had it with Som and decides to interrogate him as he saw Nuclear Man's robots try to capture him and refer to him as "Prince". Turns out he's actually Nuclear Man's son! Turns out Nuclear Man wants Carol to be his bride so she and Nuclear Man can make powerful children (This guy continues to be the worst and an insane creep). He reveals he knows of a tunnel which he used to escape that might come in handy to free the men who are being held hostage. Carol decides to believe Som but orders Echo to tail him just in case. They go to the tunnel for recon and find out that the men are being put in the robots Nuclear Man is using to fight off the women army, which makes saving them a lot more delicate. Carol decides to send everyone back so they can inform the others while she stays and tries to find out more. While she explores the tunnel she stumbles across Rogue, the person who drained her of her power and memories a while back. It's a pretty hardhitting confrontation for her as it brings back a lot of trauma for her. Rogue even starts to absorb her powers again until an electric shock passes her out. Turns out Nuclear Man is controlling her and wants her and Captain Marvel to battle it out to the death, the winner becomes his bride. Carol quickly passes out as she has no energy left after Rogue partially drained her. Back at the camp of the women army the alarms are being rung as Carol still hasn't returned. A battleplan gets made and they decide to finally start their attack on Nuclear Man's base. They re-engineered their weapons to be emp based so that they can save the men without harming them. Back at Nuclear Man's base a fight for the death between Carol & Rogue has begun. It's honestly such a tragic fight to witness. Rogue has no control and you can see her even cry and beg Carol to kill her. Honestly it was a moment that really stood out and hit hard for me. For Carol too it's an incredibly hard fight as she's reliving her worst memories. Knowing she can't win she decides to let Rogue absorb her but then take control over Rogue's body so they can still both win and defeat Nuclear Man. The plan works and it's honestly such a badass moment. It's really intriguing to see these 2 heroes with such a complicated past with each other team up like this in such a badass way to defeat this creep.

After seemingly defeating him Carol returns to her body and so do her powers. However Nuclear Man explains he has bomb ready to detonate. None of them know how or where the bomb is but Echo does. She reveals that she feels like Som is the bomb and it turns out to be true. This is also a really hard hitting moment for Som, he's questioning his entire life. Was he really Nuclear Man's son or just a weapon all along? They have to come up with a plan fast and they decide to let Rogue absorb the bomb. It works and as they absorb the bomb the dome over Roosevelt Island dissapears. They're back in the real world where time works normally again. Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman, Hazmat, Echo & She-Hulk all team up to give Nuclear Man on final blow and the big bad gets defeated. Everyone is safe again and the Avengers show up to help evacuating everybody. Upon seeing Rhodey again he and Carol share a kiss before Carol heads back for debrief. A few days later Ripley also shares her article she made on Captain Marvel after spending a month with her in the wasteland. And the title isn't really flattering. She did Carol dirty, not going to lie! In the final panel of this arc we see that someone was behind the alien monster attack from the beginning of this arc and seemingly has plans for Carol. Curious to see where that'll lead to! This first arc was an amazing introduction to Captain Marvel. I really loved how they showed how she thinks in battle and how she accounts for her power levels. It's super cool stuff and really adds a lot of weight to them. I also love how it ties into Carol as a character. She seems to have suffered a lot of loss and mistakes during battle and kind of struggles with that a lot. She constantly thinks about the cost of things and the mistakes she made. However no matter what happens or what gets thrown to her, she always gets up. Because to put it in her words "if you always get up, then it's never over". I found this to be a really powerful quote that really stuck with me. It's pretty inspiring to me. All of this really sets her up to be an amazing character with a lot of depth to it. And i can't wait for them to explore that further. Carol and Jessica Drew's dynamic was also a real highlight for me. They're such a power duo and their bond with each other is so good. They're perfectly tuned into each other and they work so well together in battle. Hazmat was also an amazing addition to this story, she kind of enriched it in a way i feel. All by all this was an amazing start to this run and it has made me very excited for what's to come. The art is absolutely amazing and there are so many cool and badass moments in this first arc that feel really empowering. It was really cool to see Carol team up with Spider-Woman, Hazmat, Echo & She Hulk. They're an amazing team and I hope it isn't the last we see of them in this run. I feel like they've layed the foundation for an amazing story and i cannot wait to see what comes next!

[dykeomania]

Trying to find tattoo designs and my horny ass imagines tattooartist!ellie tattooing ur ribs or thighs. Her gloved hands smoothing out ur skin whilst she focuses on getting the tiny details right, and then you’ll simultaneously catch her staring at ur tits or directly inbetween ur legs AHHHHHH

bye because i'm about to have so much fun (cw: nothing really but we're talking about sex obviously, so minors begone dni)

there would be so much sexual tension that neither of you would know what to do with. ellie trying to be professional and not trying to do something as simple as flirting too hard but like you're getting an underboob tattoo or something and you joke and you're like "sorry my tits are like uneven" and she could say anything but she literally chooses to say "your tits are perfect, you are so fine (meant in like 2 different ways probably)" like come on

i literally am so entangled in the singular thought of reader getting an underboob tattoo as their first tattoo and ellie (who is like, arms tatted, wife-beater pleaser tank, half-down-half-bun, black nitrile(?) gloves, like. actually super intimidating looking but her personality juxtaposes that the second she comes around the corner to shake your hand and say hi) spanning out the skin in that area. and y'all are talking about anything to pass the time -- the food place down the street that just opened up, about some of the worst people she's ever gotten, whatever, but y'all are flirt. ting. and it's so hard not to look at her because she's just so fucking hot and when you do look at her she like catches your gazes and she just knows and she smirks and she asks you "you okay?" and you're like Mhm. and she's just like "you know you can tell me to stop if you want me to." and it's such a simple sentence but like the sexual tension and and and and and you're like, you're like, you're like, "no, i'm fine, it's fine" [clearly not fine] and she's like "mm." and then she's like "you're doing so good though, for a first. just a 'couple more minutes and you'll be out of here." and there's like a pause because this shit kinda huts and she's just like "steady breaths, babe. you got it." LIKE THE BABE? LIKE IT'S SO SIMPLE BUT THE DIALOGUE IS SO EFFECTIVE LIKE

ANYWAYS so she finishes the tattoo. and you're like obviously over the moon, you're like holy shit, it's looks so good, dadadada. and it gets to the point where y'all are just talking as she's processing the payment and you're like "i wish i could tip you more, this is insane" and ellie. was feeling particularly bold. and particularly corny that day. so she's like, "well, what if i told you i accept other forms of gratitude?" and you're like, "oh?" and she like looks at you and she's like "mm.. depending on what you're doing for the next couple hours," and then she's like, "you could let me take you out." bites finger... ugh i'm having so much fun, anyways, SO LIKE YOU'RE LIKE. UH! but you're a strong bitch. can't let her see that you're freaking out. so you're like kinda shaking but you're like, "or?" (and you thought you ate). but she's looks you dead in the eyes and tilts her head a little and she's like "or we could head to the back? and you can show me how thankful you really are?"

now in any other situation. if anyone ever said that to you. you probably would've squinted at them and told them to go fuck themselves.

but she's like really hot. So.

basically you choose the second option and boom cut to you giving ellie head up against a wall in the artistry region of the shop and ellie literally giving you the tongue and finger combo of a lifetime on her tattoo chair!!!!!!!!!!!! woooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(she also compliments the placement of your underboob tattoo; says it looks pretty from where she is when she's fucking you. but also offers to take you out nonetheless, or offers you your next tat for free. whichever or whatever, as long as it means she got to see you again.)

[glitchyvoice]

how to write hmm

never thought id be giving writing advice kind of crazy, huge compliment though tyty

this all goes for both original works and fanfic btw

(also this is long so adding a cut)

for starters, always write down the ideas you have. even if its something you dont think youll have time to use write it down!! i have so many characters and stories from ages ago ive written down and while some of it may go unused ive recently taken old characters i thought i was never gonna use and put them all together in their own story!! you just never know when you might want that character or storyline so its good to have your ideas down :))

second, it doesnt matter where in the story it is, if you have an idea for a scene, or even just a scrap of dialogue, write it!! you can put it where its supposed to be when you get to it, and itll help you fill out the timeline of events. also if you end up scrapping a scene, dont delete it. save it somewhere, you might just find that theres somewhere else that it works better.

as for how i write?? im still learning. i look at how my favs write and study it. why do i like their writing so much? i take the things i learn from studying their work and compare it to mine and then sometimes i realize that theres just some small thing about the way i write i wanna do differently!! like art, you do this and eventually build up your own style.

when it comes to sitting down and writing, im honestly extremely improvisational. i can sit down and just write for ages on end, (adhd permitting) but a mistake i HAVE made many many times in the past is sitting down and writing without planning anything at all. while going with the flow is okay, if you have no end in mind then well. there wont be an end. you can trap yourself super easily in a scene if you have two characters start a conversation without a point in mind. who are these characters? why are they talking? whats the point of this conversation? what are their personalities like and how do they conflict?? how does that affect how they talk to each other?? how does this conversation need to end?? its all story beats. when i plan a chapter nowadays i write down the key story beats of said chapter. these are the things that need to happen in the chapter. and then i work on the inbetweens.

chapter 2 of fates twine is gonna be better than ch 1 bc ch 1 was my learning process of some of this stuff. but i knew from the beginning the things i wanted to happen.

yes ur honor i am indeed about to break my own fic chapter down. im autistic enough for that

mara starts in the bed of flowers with rue -> they run off and find the red crown -> mystic seller convo -> they go to notus village -> mara ends the chapter by falling asleep

these are our storybeats. now we have to figure out the inbetweens. why does mara run away?? they cant just run away. there has to be a reason for them to do it. where do they find the red crown?? why would they put it on?? they dont want to be a god, they wouldnt just put it on. what makes them?? ignore as i skip over the mystic seller convo def not a reason for that they go to notus village. how?? how are they getting there?? they dk where that is. theyre not just gonna wander in. mara falls asleep. how do we get to that point?? they cant just walk into the village and pass out. (i mean. they can. but that would be an incredibly lame way to end a chapter.)

every beat also has to have a reason. not only are there story beats for each chapter, theres also a wider narrative. what is each beat leading to? why does this beat need to be established?? what plot point are we trying to reach that these things connect to?? essentially yeah. things need to have a reason.

another important thing. it doesnt have to be perfect the first go around. if you cant figure out a conversation or even an entire scene when youre trying to work on it? you can skip it!! you can add a silly note and come back to it once youve written more and have a better grasp on what you want to happen.

push yourself to write but dont push yourself to write. what i mean by this is essentially yeah. sometimes when you sit down to write you have no idea where to start. you want the first line to be cool but uh... you dont know how. just start writing. even if its literally just "this thing happens blah blah blah anyways" ive written that exact sentence before!! it works. swings back around to "just skip it!! you can come back later!!" just yk make sure you actually get yourself writing.

however if you sit down to write and youre burned out?? if your head hurts and it actually sucks and isnt fun?? dont. dont force yourself. sit down, take a break, do something fun. if you force it itll just get worse.

for now i think thats it?? thats what i can think of anyway. super messy ik but i hope this helps somewhat!! if you have any more specific questions feel free to ask

wanna ramble.. idk what about i just wanna ramble

[acdeaky]

out of the blue (3am calls)

warning: mentions of nightmares, implications of PTSD, fluff

note: this is (technically) my other submission for @celestialbarnes’ 4k writing challenge! i chose the prompt ‘bed’ and dialogue 9 ‘“was it the nightmares again?” “no” “you suck at lying”’ congrats again, rachel! and enjoy 🤍

read my other submission here!

word count: 1.9k

“...sorry that i can’t come to the phone right now, but- james?” you picked up, hearing the shaking breaths of bucky’s down the line as he tries to self soothe himself.

“hey,” he sighed down the receiver; you could imagine his metal hand running through his shortened locks, too. “did i wake you?”

“no, no, i’m always awake at...three-fourteen in the morning.” you replied, a teasing tone to your voice as you rubbed your sleep-ridden eyes.

“i just needed to hear your voice,” to ground me, he wanted to say, “i’m sorry, it was selfish.”

“i don’t mind, i wanna talk to you.” you smiled, knowing in a minute or so you’d be leaving the confines of your apartment to walk across the hall to bucky’s.

the other side of the phone stayed quiet for a moment, the only thing being heard was the static of the line. you didn’t want to say anything, knowing bucky usually needed a minute or two to collect this thoughts before he asked you to come over.

his excuse was that he felt like a burden; your response was always the opposite. ever since you had met him, something you always reminded him was that you were there for him, knowing what he had been through. although he was hesitant, the majority of the time you were by his side in the early hours of the morning.

“can you come over? just for a little while?” bucky’s voice was small, quiet, as always when he asked those four words. both of you knew that you’d be there much longer than ‘a little while’, but you didn’t mind when you forever replied,

“of course.”

it wasn’t long before you pulled a hoodie over your head, slipping on some socks before making your way to your front door. you grabbed your keys and opened your door, turning and twisting the lock as quickly as you could.

the hallway seemed darker than usual that night, the chill of the wooden floorboards seeping through your socks and hitting the pads of your feet as you crossed over to bucky’s apartment door. you knocked, waiting for the answer which came only a second or two later.

“i’m sorry.” was the first and only words he spoke as the door swung open.

“it’s okay.” you replied as bucky stood to the side, allowing you to step through the door before he closed it behind you.

the bareness of his apartment always worried you; it felt as if there was little progress happening, but it was. slowly but surely, and bucky knew this, he was just waiting for the right moment to ask you to go shopping with him. help pick out a new sofa, one you found comfortable. maybe even a coffee table, or a dining table so you had a proper place to sit while you ate your various take-outs every week.

it wasn’t like you didn’t see each other enough for him to ask, but he was hesitant; worried you’d say no, that he’d miss judged your friendship, your relationship even, that you were only a source of comfort on nights like this and not a friend who helped make a house a home.

even after that time you’d been with him whilst buying new bed sheets. his mind kept telling him right place, right time, that you didn’t actually want to do that with him, but you’d felt obliged to when running into each other in the store.

he was wrong, of course. your friendship meant the world to the both of you and you adored bucky, but he needed time and so did you. so, your friendship was just that: friends who saw each other the majority of the time, who found any free moment to spend together and who slept next to each other on nights like these...

bucky locked the door behind you before grabbing himself a quick drink, watching your figure as you stepped into the side of the living room and hovered over the blanket and pillow on the floor.

like usual, you said nothing, only following the same route into his bedroom while bucky left his now empty glass in the sink. just as he turned the corner, you were pulling the covers back, pulling off your hoodie and sliding under the sheets.

he watched for a minute, waiting for you to find a comfortable spot with the sheets pulled tightly around your body.

his mattress was cold, still hard, yet comfortable, from when he first bought it. the sheets were soft, too, your choice - of course - colours which you had said complemented his eyes; it was more difficult hiding the blush on his face than you hiding the price tag. he bought them anyway, knowing that you wanted the best for him and hoping that you’d put them to use some time.

and use them you had. there had been many nights since that day which you had spent in his bed, curled up against him as you feel asleep and bucky attempted to. you were the only reason the sheets got washed often; other than you and him on nights like these, nobody else used them.

it wasn’t long before he moved from his place by the door, following your early actions and joining you under the covers. ever the gentleman, bucky stayed on his side while you stayed on yours, him on his back with you on your side facing him.

it took for you to move closer to him, pressing your body into his for either of you to begin feeling any comfort.

the warmth of bucky’s body was a pleasant contrast to the mattress, both of you slowly warming up the longer you were huddled together. truly, you hadn’t meant to lay like this, but after climbing under the sheets next to him for the first time, bucky pulled you into his side and wrapped his arms around you. as if on instinct, your head laid on his bare chest, a hand resting in the middle of his torso as you shifted onto your side.

there were some delicate whispers from the two of you before you drifted to sleep. your kind words soothed bucky’s mind as he allowed himself to relax and settle back into the pillows; a luxury he rarely let himself have. his allowed you to feel them reverberate in his chest, his low hums acting as a settler for your thoughts.

both of you were asleep moments later.

-

“was it the nightmares again?” you asked the following night, your back against the headboard of your bed, the bright moonlight shining through the thin curtains you’d forgotten to pull across the window earlier.

“no”

“you suck at lying.” a light giggle came from you, followed by bucky’s unpleased sigh. you were right; he knew it and so did you, but you wanted him to admit it.

“i really don’t.” you scoffed lightly at those words, knowing that he didn’t even believe his own words.

“james barnes, how have you not yet learned that you cannot lie to me? i know you.” like always, there was a teasing tone to your voice, trying your best to cheer him up over the phone, especially when you could just tell that the nightmares were bad tonight.

for a moment, the other side of the phone feel silent, except for some light rustling of covers. you knew he was laid on the floor, blanket on top of and under him. regardless of how many times the two of you had tried, bucky could never find comfort inbetween his sheets unless you were there by his side.

“buck? you still there?” you hadn’t meant for your voice to go so quiet, but you really didn’t want to stop talking to him; you never wanted to stop talking to him.

“yeh, yeh i’m still here-” his sentence was almost cut off by three rough knocks at your door, making you body stiffen.

“hold that thought, buck.” you replied, moving slowly off of your bed and towards your slightly open bedroom door.

“doll, its okay,” he spoke softly, noticing the slight quiver to your voice. “its only me”

“could you not have told me that?” you laughed, speeding up to open the door as to not let him stand in the hallway for much longer.

“hey.” he smiled as the door opened, dropping his phone from his ear before ending the call.

“hey.” you mirrored his smile, doing the same while moving to the side to allow him in. as you shut and locked the door, bucky went through his usual routine every time he stepped into your apartment this late at night. his keys were dropped into the bowl on top of the cabinet by your front door, then he grabbed a drink fro your kitchen that was adjacent to your entryway, and then he met you in the doorway of your bedroom, your arms open and waiting for him.

he gladly accepted the contact, always relying on you to ground him when it felt like he’d been floating for too long. and tonight he had been.

both of you used the minimal light from the moon to figure out your way to your bed, his right hand never letting go of yours until he finally had to. the covers were pulled back from where you had left them moments ago, the sheets now cold.

the two of you laid in your bed moment later, bucky being the first to be settled on his back as you began to be pressed against his side, your head on his chest. along with the curtains, earlier you had left a small window open, allowing the noise of brooklyn at night to seep through to your room. neither of you would be falling asleep anytime soon.

“i love you, buck.” your whispered confession making its way to bucky just before he closed his eyes.

“love you, too.” he replied, not allowing the true meaning of his words to be heard.

“no, bucky,” you sat up, leaning your weight onto your right elbow as your left hand reached out for his cheek. “i love you, okay? i love you.”

there was no words for him. he truly hadn’t expected the weight of your confession and it has shocked him beyond words. all he could think to say was,

“i love you, too, doll.” his shy smile made an appearance, reminding you of the first time you saw each other. with that, you leaned forward, placing a delicate kiss onto his lips, the corner of his mouth and on his cheek.

bucky’s smile never faltered, only growing wider the longer you planted kisses upon his skin.

after leaving a lingering one on his jaw, you moved back to face him, resting your forehead onto his. “goodnight, baby.” you whispered, pressing one last kiss on to his lips.

“goodnight, doll.” bucky repeated your actions, leaving the both of you in a fit of smiles.

and, just like earlier, you laid on your side, your head resting above bucky’s heart with his vibranium arm around your shoulders. the two of you were asleep a few moments later, the steady beat of his heart bringing about a peace which you always felt around him.

-

taglist (for people who i think might enjoy this): @forever-rogue @buvky @buckys-darling @barnessupremacy @wallflowerbarnes @bvckysmoon @gryffindorwriter @lokiscollar @propertyofpoeandbucky @buckys-bug @aerynwrites

bucky taglist: @marvel-rhapsody @bloomingbucky

[vostokovasmelina]

— 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭.

a/n: these aren't really dialogue prompts, they're mostly just inspirations, so i'll use them to come up with the concept, and won't have the characters actually say these lines. also, please try to stick to one prompt per request!

requests are open

FLUFF

1. "we snuck into a yacht club party pretending to be a duchess and a prince" (starlight)

2. "nothing lasts forever but this is getting good now" (wildest dreams)

3. "loose lips sink ships all the damn time – not this time" (i know places)

4. "you keep his shirt, he keeps his word" (you are in love)

5. "we can't make any promises now, can we, babe? but you can make me a drink" (delicate)

6. "the taste of your lips is my idea of luxury" (king of my heart)

7. "i don't want you like a best friend" (dress)

8. "you don't need to save me but would you run away with me?" (call it what you want)

9. "take me out, and take me home" (lover)

10. "i think he knows when we get all alone i'll make myself at home and he'll want me to stay" (i think he knows)

11. "i hate accidents except when we went from friends to this" (paper rings)

12. "i once believed love would be burning red but it's golden" (daylight)

13. "and isn't it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?" (invisible string)

14. "all these people think love's for show but i would die for you in secret" (peace)

15. "rough on the surface, but you cut through like a knife" (willow)

16. "and the coastal town we wandered 'round had never seen a love as pure as it" (gold rush)

17. "and if you're ever tired of being known for who you know, you know that you'll always know me" (dorothea)

18. "no more keeping score, now i just keep you warm" (long story short)

ANGST

1. "but moving on from him is impossible when i still see it all in my head" (red)

2. "and the saddest fear comes creeping in that you never loved me, or her, or anyone, or anything" (i knew you were trouble.)

3. "and you call me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest" (all too well)

4. "but you keep my old scarf from that very first week 'cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me" (all too well)

5. "i bet you think i either moved on or hate you ‘cause each time you reach out, there’s no reply" (i almost do)

6. "you wear your best apology but i was there to watch you leave" (the last time)

7. "people like you always want back the love they pushed aside, but people like me are gone forever when you say goodbye" (all you had to do was stay)

8. "tell me that it's not my fault, tell me that i'm all you want, even when i break your heart" (afterglow)

9. "if one thing had been different, would everything be different today?" (the 1)

10. "'cause you never gave a warning sign" "i gave so many signs" (exile)

11. "even on my worst day, did i deserve, babe, all the hell you gave me?" (my tears ricochet)

12. "i remember thinking i had you" (august)

13. "don't call me "kid", don't call me "baby", look at this godforsaken mess that you made me" (illicit affairs)

14. "but you'll find the real thing instead, she'll patch up your tapestry that i shred" (champagne problems)

15. "i won't ask you to wait if you don't ask me to stay" ('tis the damn season)

16. "i know my love should be celebrated but you tolerate it" (tolerate it)

17. "i sit and listen, i polish plates until they gleam and glisten" (tolerate it)

18. "no one teaches you what to do when a good man hurts you and you know you hurt him too" (happiness)

19. "what's a lifetime of achievement if i pushed you to the edge?" (coney island)

20. "yes, i got your letter; yes, i'm doing better" (closure)

INBETWEEN

1. "i think it's strange that you think i'm funny 'cause he never did" (begin again)

2. "we were built to fall apart, then fall back together" (out of the woods)

3. "been losing grip on sinking ships, you showed up just in time" (this love)

4. "i once was poison ivy, but now i'm your daisy" (don't blame me)

5. "you're so cool, it makes me hate you so much" (gorgeous)

6. "for whatever it's worth, i love you, ain't that the worst thing you ever heard?" (cruel summer)

7. "help me hold on to you" (the archer)

8. "i hope i never lose you, hope it never ends" (cornelia street)

9. "hell is when i fight with you but we can patch it up good" (false god)

10. "i knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired, and you'd be standing in my front porch light, and i knew you'd come back to me" (cardigan)

11. "your back beneath the sun, wishing i could write my name on it" (august)

12. "and maybe i don't quite know what to say but i'm here in your doorway" (this is me trying)

13. "i don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch" (gold rush)

14. "and i'll be yours for the weekend" ('tis the damn season)

15. "so tell me to run or dare to sit and watch what we'll become and drink my husband's wine" (ivy)

[thepopatochispfren]

the little things (with horrortale sans - i.e. axe)

something very self indulgent on my part. basically, an off day and good ol' spooky sansy helps you out C:

and just a small warning, there's a bit of swearing in the dialogue later. - mod pop

as you got close with axe, you had begun to realize a few things.

many ticks he did would often go unnoticed by the untrained eye, but now you figured they were often indicators of how he was feeling when he couldn't verbalize it.

the way his eyelight gave off the fuzzy glow of a nighttime neon sign often meant he was lost in thought. his phalange tapping would be an accompaniment to the mood, and the speed he tapped would show whether he was annoyed, absentminded, or anywhere inbetween.

and there was always that low frequency tone you could only hear in dead silence around him, which always followed a rhythm. when it would slow down, then you knew it was when he was the most relaxed.

that was his soul beat, he told you a couple years once you finally asked about it.

but what you never realized was that he picked up things about you too.

when you had woken up you thought you felt good.

you got up without a hitch and your morning routine went smoothly as ever, and you went on to breakfast feeling clean and happy.

it was only when you went to put away the dishes is when it all went wrong.

you passed by the mirror, barely catching your reflection but it caused you to stop.

this is me, you thought. but you just couldn't stop staring.

it didn't help the longer you looked, the more imperfections you saw. going from your face, to slowly down to your body. you frowned.

this is me.

you retreated to the couch, hiding into the blankets. it was some time until axe found you staring blankly at the dark, off screen of the television.

wordlessly, he sat down beside you, and began his tapping on the couch arm.

it was to the rhythm of some song you couldn't remember the name of, but that thought briefly lingered as you returned to more unsavory ones. you held the blankets tighter to your form.

he opened his arm, and you took the invitation to lean into his side. he allowed a couple minutes to pass as he tapped onto your blanketed shoulder.

he cleared his nonexistent throat.

"what was it." you stared at the frame of the mirror, he followed your gaze.

"we could throw that out. 's not like i enjoy admiring myself either." you shook your head.

"No, I need it to make sure I don't look as much of a mess as I feel." you saw the red glow faintly light the corners of your blanket.

a silent invitation.

"It's superficial."

he tapped.

"It's nothing."

"must be something if you're this bothered."

you smooshed your face into the soft fabric, muffling your voice.

"I just feel inadequate." you heard him snort.

"Sans."

"oh, you're serious." you peeked through the crevices of the blanket, and he could see your worried brows.

"of what?"

pausing, you shifted your hands out of the blanket to vaguely gesture at yourself. his stare wordlessly asked, why ?

"I could be better." a double tap, you sighed.

"Look better, feel better, be better. I don't- I'm not-" you struggled for a lack of words, before exasperatingly coming to, "-attractive? I guess??"

you grit your teeth, knowing it bothered you more than you should.

his tapping stopped, making you look up at him.

"and who says you have to be?" your brows furrowed more, but for a different reason.

"Society? People? Me?" he exhaled in amusement through his nasal cavity.

"guess i'm hideous then." your eyes widened, and you were about to argue otherwise, but he cut you off. "-and that's fucking fine."

you stared, he glanced off, resuming his tapping.

"if i wanted to look at something someone else says is 'pretty' or 'attractive', i'd look at the stars or a painting or some shit. beauty shouldn't be some baseline standard that everyone needs to aim for, 'specially when it's changing all the fucking time."

his eyelight shone a more vibrant red, indicating his focus.

"maybe you just need to accept that.. maybe you can be ugly, and that's okay too. beauty is in the eye of the beholder or something, right?" he scratched the back of his skull with his free hand.

"and i know that's hard to remember when what's 'attractive's being shoved in your face all the time, so i don't blame ya for being so damn stressed about it." he paused, glancing towards you again.

"just.. know looking bad is okay, normal even. focus more on feeling good, changing your mindset, do things that make ya happy.. stuff like that."

another pause, but paired with alternating quick taps of his fingers, nervousness.

"did.. did that make sense? or was it a rambly mess?" you smiled at him, resting your head on his shoulder.

"perfectly."

the tv was finally turned on, and the ugly two of you were happy to spend the rest of the day feeling normal.

[wolfstarlights]

Hi there, if you're still taking the dialogue prompts may I request “We could get arrested for this” with Drarry or Wolfstar whichever you like 🌺

I‘m sorry this took so long. Yes, definitely still taking the prompts, I was just a little busy. Thank you so much for sending one💕

Since I love both these ships A LOT I have decided to do Drarry but also include Wolfstar. I hope you like the direction I took with this. I also hope you don’t mind that I’m making this a muggle/modern/Highschool AU :)

Harry and Draco have been enemies ever since they started going to school together. This is mostly because of Draco’s prejudices that his family raised him with but also because of Harry’s stubbornness and hotheadedness.

When they’re in their second year of Highschool they got a new English teacher (who also happened to be Harry’s godfather‘s husband) and who was openly bi.

The same year was also when Draco wasn’t able to deny his attraction to boys-only anymore and since his parents (especially his father) wouldn’t approve of a gay son, he struggled a lot and lost quite a bit of his cockiness and self-confidence

After he had broken off all contact with his childhood friends and had generally distanced himself from other people because of anxiety and constant fear of accidentally outing himself, he decided he needed to talk to someone

Remus Lupin is pleasantly surprised when he sees the fifteen-year-old boy coming up to him after everyone else had left the classroom.

They talk and Draco does his best to hide his emotions and especially the nervousness behind a facade but his voice is shaking as he tells his teacher about his sexuality and his fear of his parents finding out.

Remus reassured him that there is nothing wrong with him and that he could always just come to him if he had problems with his parents.

The next day Remus tells Harry to keep an eye on Draco and to spend some time with him. He doesn’t out him, of course, but Harry has his suspicions.

At first Harry isn’t particularly excited about his new task but with every lunch break they spend together they grow closer and closer and after a few weeks Harry starts developing a crush and lunch breaks with Draco are the highlight of his day.

Hermione and Ron are a little jealous at first. It doesn’t take them long though to figure out Harry’s feelings and they are mostly over it after that. They start teasing him about it, of course.

In the following months Draco and Harry’s feelings for each other grow and so does Draco’s self-confidence.

He tests his mother with some offhand questions about the lgbtq+ community and decides it’s safe to come out to her. She is so proud that he told her and promises to try her best to change Lucius‘ stand on the matter, warm him up to the idea without endangering Draco.

He might have cried.

Anyways, he is so excited about his mother supporting him that he tells Harry about it the next day, forgetting that he isn’t really out to Harry yet.

Harry is so full of glee that he forgets to come out to Draco as well, even though he really wanted to do that for weeks.

He realizes this only when he arrives at home after school and he really feels like punching himself for it.

At dinner the same day his parents remind him that the following week‘s Monday will be his godfathers‘ tenth marriage anniversary. Harry really wants to do something for that and the Marauder part of his brain supplies him with an amazing idea.

The next day at lunch he asks Draco if he has plans for Sunday night. He doesn’t.

Only after seeing Draco’s blush he realises that he must have sounded like he wanted to ask Draco on a date. Which he didn’t intend to do but the thought that it could be sorta like a date made his heartbeat speed up.

He told Draco to meet him in front of the school building at 11 PM on Sunday and to bring sellotape. Draco was confused but agreed to it.

“We could get arrested for this, you know?” Draco said while Harry was letting them into the school with Remus’ key. He had “borrowed” it from him when the couple was over for Sunday brunch and just hoped that Remus didn’t notice it was missing until he put it back.

Harry ignored the comment and grabbed Draco’s hand boldly, pulling him through the dark and deserted school corridors. He refused to let it go in order to unlock the door to Remus’ classroom causing him to take embarrassingly long but he managed in the end. He didn’t dare look Draco in the eye for the next few minutes though.

As soon as they were in he had to drop Draco’s hand so they could get started on their project. He immediately missed the warmth.

The two of them made easy conversation while cutting colourful paper into large letters and sellotaping them to walls and windows. In the end they wrote something on the blackboard as well and Harry even dared to sign it with his name.

“You are crazy!” Draco laughed in disbelief as Harry locked the door to the classroom behind them.

“Is that a bad thing?” Harry returned cheekily and turned around to face Draco.

Draco seemed to think about the question while slowly stepping closer towards Harry.

When there were only a few inches left inbetween them and Harry’s heart was beating out of his chest, he finally said: “I think I’m not in a fit position to judge that, seeing as I am pretty crazy about you.“

And Harry, the impulsive Gryffindor he is, surges forward and smashes their mouths together.

Long story short: Draco and Harry are now finally dating and Remus almost got a heart attack when he found his classroom the next morning, walls and blackboard all covered in “CONGRATS TO 10 YEARS OF WOLFSTAR” and other embarrassing anniversary stuff. He wouldn’t have needed the signature on the blackboard to identify the work of a child raised by four Marauders and Lily Evans.

Okay, This got a Little out of hand, hehe. I hope you enjoyed reading this <3

[demonfox38]

Okay. Made it through the last season of Netflix's "Castlevania" interpretation. Thoughts are below the cut.

I've often thought of this series as the exploitation version of "Castlevania," and hiring Malcom McDowell confirms that.

Although, I find it hilarious that both Malcolm McDowell and Patrick Stewart have ended up voicing the same character. I'm sure there's a "Star Trek Generations" joke to be made in there, but I'm not Mike Stoklasa.

Also, I was cracking up a bit when Varney's plot twist happened. Mostly, because it came off a bit Skeletor-esque in vocal performance.

Also, also—laughing that the final boss went the "Castlevania: Lament of Innocence" route despite barely touching on that game's plot.

Animation had its ups and downs with this season. It seemed like there were some frame issues (not enough inbetweening.) I do appreciate how they incorporated more of Alucard's SOTN animations into his fights, however.

Additionally, some of the fight scenes' pacing seemed to have issues, particularly regarding weapon recovery.

The whole bit with St. Germain was off. Like, he's a weird asshole in "Castlevania: Curse of Darkness", but he's more of a weird asshole there in the same way that casually encountering "Doctor Who"'s Doctor would also be strange. Not a straight up villainous boob. Kinda makes sense thematically to have another character who is willing to do horrible shit for their lost loved one, but the series honestly did not do a good job establishing her. Like, did she even have a voice actor? Or a name? All I'm saying is it was much easier for outsiders to get the Lisa revenge thing Dracula had going.

Also, how dare you joke about not being deaf and then have a villainous monologue, TV show.

Greta's a good girl. Well, outside of being an occasional homewrecker. Point is, she's competent and trying her best to save people in a bad situation, and anyone having issues with her is not to be trusted in the same way that you don't trust people who don't like Rochelle from "Left 4 Dead 2."

Look at me. Do not trust people who do not like Rochelle from "Left 4 Dead 2." Yes, her writing could have been better, but she's still a viable character. Let people Thunder Child their ships on the rocks of your better self. Got me?

Also, y'all really need to embrace more polyamory. Or understand the fact that Alucard's not going to love just one person in his life. Dude lives to be at least 600 in the game's timeline. For a dude who loves humans, constricting him to just one who may live to be 100 at best is cruel.

There are some interesting philosophical dialogues going on here, but I can see where some people may lose their patience for them. Considering one of Castlevania's most popular memes is a philosophy debate, you're just gonna have to suck that up. My personal favorites included the topic of acting versus reacting, as well as having agency in one's story.

Striga's battle theme was cool, but otherwise, the music was forgettable. Yes, that is a sin. Punishable by Death? In this series, maybe!

The gore's still over the top. Which, okay, fine. There's a bit of that in game. It's just generally a bit more reserved with it or uses it in crucial boss fights.

RIP doggie.

The Targoviste plot's a bit of a wash, but it doesn't feel as useless as Trevor and Sypha's previous plot predicament. It's just nothing of a surprise, considering how many times the writing has played the "authority figures are useless" and "dark secret surprise" tropes in this series. Like, Greta being reliable is actually more surprising than anything with this plot.

I cannot emphasize enough how boring I found Carmilla's interpretation and plot arc. You guys could have had a giant, naked lesbian riding a skull and spewing magic at people while her cat-eared girlfriend jumped them for extra damage. But no. Vanilla lady with a scarlet sword for you. So long. Farewell. Auf Wiedersehen. Good night.  

Gotta say, as much of a deviation from his source character as he is, Isaac really turned out well in this series. He's definitely evidence that you don't always need to stick to source material.

His Abel is fucking sick, dude. Way to go, king.

Also, I was expecting more violence from Hector this season. Oh, well. At least he got a teeny bit of a spine.

Look. I'm not an alchemist by any means. I'm just a bit baffled by this season's emphasis of obtaining a Rebis. Like, any time the game series has talked about the Magnum Opus of Alchemy, it's more been in pursuit of making a Philosopher's Stone (or at the very least, a Crimson Stone, as seen in "Castlevania: Lament of Innocence.") Pulling a Rebis out of the aether is…well. Could have been more interesting than it was. I mean, it was a bit nightmarish, but it really didn't do much.

Sypha's really never getting back to her family, is she?

Love the idea that the cross subweapon is basically a fancy chakram.

GERGOTH. BUDDY. FRIENDO.

Really appreciating the monster variety in these last two seasons. I mean, that's a big selling point of the "Castlevania" games. Not so much vampires standing around and bickering in dick-waving contests.

Breaking out of the bullet points to hit on the big subject of this season—that is, the ending being surprisingly happy.

There's been a lot of shit that's happened over the last few years. Obviously, a pandemic. Konami's run by pricks. Then, there's the situation with the allegations of sexual coercion with Warren Ellis. Additionally, the terrible ending of "Game of Thrones" likely impacted how this season was developed, considering it seemed to be chasing its progression in construction. (I mean, look at Carmilla and Daenerys.) I don't know how many people were happy with the last season of "Castlevania," but from my POV, it double-tapped itself in the foot with the way it pushed simultaneous sex and violence in its last two episodes. My point is, there was little taste for additional darkness, considering everything that has been happening. Society is drained.

A happy ending was what people really wanted. And man, did this pull through, in that regard. But, there's a conversation to be had in if this swerved too far or if it violates some artistic integrity to give people what they want. So, let's have it.

Look. Man. Have you seen a "Castlevania" ending? When you do it right, it's crumbled castles and rainbow-colored skies. If you do it really right, it results in a pretty girl holding the main character's hand. There is happiness in these games. Hope. Forgiveness and redemption. If this is supposed to be any bit an accurate interpretation of these games, it absolutely should end in such a joyful fashion. (Okay, maybe giving Dracula and Lisa a second honeymoon at the end was a bit much, but I get where people would want that.)

Did some items need to be addressed more? Absolutely. Alucard staking people and Hector getting sexually coerced into servitude are some pretty big topics to just wave away. (Oh, shit. That second part is even worse now with what Ellis was allegedly doing, isn't it?) I suppose I'm just glad the series didn't go full Sephiroth with Alucard. And at least Hector finally took some stand in his situation, even if it wasn't the bombastic, hateful revenge I'm used to seeing from this character in other stories.

I think the creators of this series were trying to save this show from the fate of "Game of Thrones." (To some extent, perhaps the "Voltron" re-interpretation as well.) There's so much media out there anymore that if a production team doesn't nail the ending, their creation gets wiped out of the collective consciousness. To that extent, I think the creators were successful in saving their series. Did it do damage to itself in yanking out of its construction and themes? A bit. But, in doing so, it pivoted back to being more like a proper "Castlevania" product. (And of course, by proper, I mean anything ignoring "Lords of Shadows." God, people need to stop chasing other products when developing "Castlevania" stuff and just let the series be as it is.)

I am very curious as to how much of this season was part of an original draft and how much was revised in backlash to everything that has happened. It doesn't seem like Trevor was intended to survive, but to some extent, Sypha had to. (I mean, until she has a kid, anyway. See "Lords of Shadows" series for dickery regarding that.) I'm also wondering if there was more intended for the Carmilla subplot, as much as the series was banging on about her invading locations. I'm not even sure St. Germain was intended to be a villain all along. Getting into a bitchfight with Death? Sure. Doing what he did here? That's a weird arc, dude.

If you come away from my POV with anything, it should be this: GO PLAY THE GAMES.

Do it. Do it, you ghouls. Go to the Steam store and download the "Castlevania Anniversary Collection." Boot up your PS3 or 4 or 18 or whatever and get "Symphony of the Night." Throttle Nintendo's stores until "Aria of Sorrow" or "Dawn of Sorrow" or "Harmony of Dissonance" or whatever rattles out of their moldy pockets. Find a ROM. Find an ISO. Just play a game. Especially, one of the ones made before 2010.

"Castlevania" as a game series isn't about hordes of vampires dick-waving at each other or edgy swearing or being grim and dark. Some of that stuff's there, sure. But, at its core, it's what game developers created when they looked at Universal Monster Movie creations and went "That's cool. Let's fight that!" It's a series about pushing technology in MMC chips to make rich, vibrant music. It's about flourishing artwork and layers of sprites dripping particles and gore onto players. It's sober and goofy and very pro curry.

The thing is, "Castlevania" players have their own unique connection to the series. We're the weirdos you see clapping their hands when a mutilated dinosaur shows up on screen. It's not because the monster alone is cool. It's that we've fought and struggled and bodied that thing through several floors like a goddamn "X-Men: Children of the Atom" stage. It's kicked our asses. We've kicked its ass. We've got a connection to it that you just don't get from passively watching it barf lasers through a computer monitor or TV screen. Like, you know how people go, "Well, the movie wasn't as good as the book?" It's obnoxious, sure. But, those who read the source materials have to go to the effort of constructing their own sets and people to understand what's happening. In a similar fashion, game players build up their own skill set to reach that next rung.

Maybe you don't always get a payout when you invest your resources into something. But, there is a sense of accomplishment, seeing what you can do.

There's a reason this series got an adaptation. I mean, outside of Konami's head executives wanting easy money. "Castlevania" is a fantastic video game series. Has it got a few problems? Oh yeah. Especially after outsourcing and pachislot machines became all the rage. But, there's a reason Simon and Richter Belmont are playable in "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate." There's a reason I spent a significant amount of time playing these games and writing or drawing fanworks for it. These games are wonderful. Beautiful. Difficult, but inspiring. Reasons I will still bang on about them decades years down the road.

When I get exasperated by layers of angst and edge lord content this Netflix series generated, I want you to know why. The roots of this show are good games held captive under poor management. Some people on staff know this. I wish they had more scenario and writing control. But mostly, I don't want to shit on them or their work. (Well, other than perhaps the obvious target.) I just want you to see what I love in these games.

And also to watch Crashervania. Because that's legit.

[starsescape]

With the door to the main hall closed behind her Jill found herself in an winding corridor that lead further in to the east wing. She look to her sides to see no one was about to ambush her, the part of the corridor she was in was safe. Almost opposite to her was a closed door to the main office and through it Jill would be able to reach the stairs back to the second floor and the chief’s office.. There has to be some clues on how and where to remove the eggs.

Jill turn her attention away from the door and look further down the corridor. Public phones were set along the wall where the corridor turn towards the press room. Rachel.. Jill realize she hadn’t call or heard from Rachel since she had left the teen’s apartment where they last saw each other. It had been in the late afternoon, now it was late evening or an early night. With everything that had happened it was hard to say. Part of her want to rush to call them and hear that they were safe, but Jill force herself to slow down. The gunfire still ring in her ear, the loud echo in the hall had made the sound of it unbearable, and made it hard for Jill to make out if there was anyone around the corner.

Taking the shotgun in her arms Jill step out with the barrel aimed around the turn just to see it empty. Clear.. But not for long. The infected in the hall would soon follow her here. Knowing that she didn’t have much time Jill dialed the apartment. Come on.. She stood there with the receiver against her ear, but soon Jill made out the distinction on the sound it gave. It wasn’t beebing as if she was waiting for them to pick up, but instead to announce that the line to the apartment was either cut or down for the time being.

[Unlocked a side story for Megan.]

Please, be safe. Jill put down the receiver and hang up. There was no use to try again. However, her hand still held onto it as if holding on meant that she could somehow hear Rachel’s voice and to have a reassurance from her that both teens, Ellie and Megan, were safe with her while Jill tried to find the missing girl, Audrey. Eventually she let go of the receiver wishing that they were still safe.

Jill stood in the turning point in the corridor for a while longer. The idea of just going through the main office and head to the second floor quickly cross her mind, but she turn away from the way she came from. She turn to look the other way that lead to the press office. Juno must have come this way. It would be just a quick detour to know if they were okay and to check the area with the hope of finding some ammunition. If the officers in charge of building up the defences of the first floor hold out in the press room there was bound to be something there.. If they are willing to spare anything.

The door to the next corridor was left open and from close Jill could see how someone’s foot was stuck between the door frame. With a gentle push she had the door open wide and reveal an infected lay on the floor. She wait a moment to see if they would move, but nothing happened. Jill crouch over them to check their pockets. [Randomized outcome] With a chuckle she took the twelve bucks they had on them. Must be Juno’s handiwork.. The defeated infected on the floor had been brought down with a shock instead of gunfire. She is safe.

She move further down the next corridor. Apart from the one defeated infected at the door the area was clear. Jill turn to see the rest of the hallway where two doors were on her right and one at the very end on her left. The two doors had numbers 1 and 2 on them with no other signs, but Jill knew that those were the interrogation rooms. Room 1 was for interrogation while the room 2 was for observation with a two-way mirror between them.

Jill was about to move past the interrogation rooms, but she heard noise coming from the room 1 as she pass by it. She tried to stop and listen, but it was difficult to make out anything through the door. It was locked when she tried the handle with the shotgun at the ready. I can see in from the other room.. Jill move away from the door and tried the room 2. It was open. She step inside the empty observation room and after making sure no one else was there Jill turn her gaze to see through the two-way mirror.

[Vote for what Jill should do]

What happened next was dark… (Taboo kink / dialogue warning).

The light of the interrogation room flickered overhead, not that the trio in the room paid it any mind. Or rather, one of them had more pressing matters to worry about as she was drilled from behind by one officer and orally filled by the other, their hips moving independently of the other to awkwardly bounce her back and forth between them in their makeshift spit roast of the pink haired woman. The duo chuckled to themselves between grunts, the one at her head holding what looked to be a taser in one hand, a battery pack in the other, and seemed to be in the process of placing it into the taser.

"Dumb bitch wasted the full charge earlier on one of those creeps. Lucky for us, huh?" He secured the battery in place with a laugh before placing his now free hand in her pink hair, gripping it by the fistful as he passed the shock weapon to his partner. "Give the bitch a few jolts to her clit if she starts to put up a fight again."

"Heh, why don't I give her a little taste of her own toy right now?" He caught the device with ease and lowered it to the nub atop her sex, thumb hovering over the activation trigger with a mischevious grin. 

"Not while I'm about to nut in her throat. Have some patience!" He slapped her ass, making the meat jiggle and a squeal of pain and pleasure erupt from her throat. "You can keep it at the ready there, but don't do a damn thing with it until she starts fighting us back again. We don't want to wear her out too soon, we have all the time in the world.. Right, Juno?" The man said and press her head down to swallow his shaft in full.

Juno choked and gagged on the cock invading her throat, her eyes unfocused with a shroud of pleasure as she tried to find her escape from this hell. The only advantage she had from being inbetween the two of them was that they couldn't see her eyes darting around, searching desperately for any opening that she could use while avoiding her own reflection in the two-way mirror. It was as if Juno avoid Jill’s gaze despite not knowing she was behind the glass.

This is my fault... Jill couldn’t avert her eyes from the sight of Juno being used nor could she stop her juices trickling down her thighs before too long.

[dweemeister]

Movie Odyssey Retrospective

Cinderella (1950)

In the first few decades of Walt Disney Productions’ (now Walt Disney Animation Studios) existence, the studio veered perilously between periods of feast and famine. The success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Dumbo (1941), and the modestly-budgeted films of the package era kept the studio afloat despite Walt Disney’s occasionally disastrous business instincts and rotten luck due to World War II cutting off European audiences. With WWII concluded, Disney’s propaganda commitments to the federal government and tightened budgets were no more. With the exception of the aftermath from the release of The Black Cauldron (1985), the studio’s survival has not been seriously endangered since. That is in large part because of the gamble that is Cinderella, directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson.

Any rebirth for Disney animated features depended on Cinderella’s success. Not since Dumbo had so much been riding on one of the studio’s movies – especially now as Walt was dividing his attention between animation, live-action features, television, a preliminary plan to build a small play park, and collaborating with the FBI to root out suspected communists at his own studio. More later on Cinderella’s legacy (I think you, the reader, have an idea about what happened to the Disney studios after this), but the film was the fifth highest-grossing movie in North American theaters that year, ahead of Born Yesterday and behind Cheaper by the Dozen and Annie Get Your Gun. In various ways, Cinderella is among the most important movies in the Disney animated canon, even if it does little to nothing to elevate animation in cinema and contains issues that have metastasized in subsequent Disney animated features.

Decades before the Disney name became synonymous with fairy tales and princesses, the writing team assigned to Cinderella used Snow White as their template on this film. The opening minutes of Cinderella share much of Snow White’s alchemy: the opening of an ornate storybook, an orphaned young woman whose lot in life is to be a rag-wearing scullery maid, that same woman singing about dreams to an audience of animals that instinctively know of her kindness. What starts off too similarly like the second coming of Snow White then descends into an overstretched sequence of the animals’ tomfoolery (half the film is dedicated to the animals’ hijinks!).

Cinderella’s animals, unlike those in Snow White, are fully anthropomorphic – they wear clothes, converse with Cinderella in their high-pitched squeak-talking, tiptoe around the obviously villainous cat named Lucifer, and make fools of themselves to entertain the youngest set. In the opening minutes, Cinderella squanders its serviceable musical opening for vapid hilarity as it unlearns the lessons that began with Snow White and reached its apotheosis with Bambi (1942). In works where animals live alongside humans, animal side characters serving as comic relief are most effective and timeless when they behave like animals, not humans. Disney’s animated canon has been hampered by this development – one codified by Cinderella and, in its foulest iterations in recent decades (e.g. 2005′s Chicken Little), originates from commercial, not artistic, decision-making. The excessive screentime for the animals in the film’s opening third and especially the heavily gender-coded dialogue and behavior by the mice – “Leave the sewing to the women!” – is enough to eject Cinderella from the upper echelons of the Disney animated canon.

In my review to Snow White, I wrote that the writing of female characters in Disney’s animated canon films reflects the writers’ understanding of gendered roles in their respective times. Cinderella expressly looked to Snow White for inspiration after two decades where the Great Depression and World War II upended traditional gender norms. In the 1930s and ‘40s, thousands of American women found themselves in traditionally male occupations, altering – if only for a time – popular beliefs about what might be considered masculine or feminine behavior. Over in Burbank at the Disney studios, its departments were segregated by gender (its ink and paint department was solely staffed by women, and there were no significant clusters of women elsewhere in the studio) – insulating it from this phenomenon.

As if foreshadowing the gender-conforming atmosphere of the 1950s, it should not be a surprise that Cinderella cannot envision women beyond a vessel for marriage or a homemaker. With an eye towards a prince to sweep her away from her stepmother and stepsisters, an interesting protagonist Cinderella does not make. And with Cinderella not showcasing as much of her personality as Snow White did, she feels far more inert as a character than her predecessor. However, comparable to Snow White, Cinderella’s life has been one of deprivation and a lack of healthy human interaction – one without quarter, love from others. Knowing little else about life beyond her scullery duties, it is easy to see why she holds such retrograde beliefs for her own salvation.

Cinderella’s rough beginning is nevertheless the prelude to its visual wonderment. The visuals in animated feature films are the collaborative work of hundreds – credited or otherwise – of animators, background artists, character designers, painters, inbetweeners, cinematographers, and more. Sometimes, one particular artist wields an influence that extends across an entire feature. In the correct set of circumstances, they set an aesthetic that alters the artistic direction of animated films for an entire national film industry or a single studio. For Cinderella, its visual beauty is set by its backgrounds. Tyrus Wong’s background art defined Bambi a decade earlier; here, it is Mary Blair’s work that defines Cinderella.

Blair, a modernist whose style fit the films at United Productions of America (UPA; a breakaway studio which was founded by striking Disney animators) better than Disney, had been working at the studio since 1940. She worked through the package films era and on two live-action/animation hybrids in Song of the South (1946) and So Dear to My Heart (1948). But it is Cinderella where Blair’s style – flat, graphic, abstract – is the dominant force of the film. Blair’s buildings and their arches shoot upwards, supported by architecturally impossible reed-thin columns, making rooms cavernous and façades larger than life. The sprawl of these interiors suggests not only the fantastical atmosphere that this fairy tale inhabits, but the grandiosity of Cinderella’s story. The vertical frames of Blair’s buildings are elegant and abstract, never intimidating, as if hailing from a children’s storybook. With the exception of when Cinderella is dancing with (and fleeing) Prince Charming, blues, whites, and sometimes muted greens dominate the scenes of her regal desires – as if shimmering in moonlight.

In character design, three men – all part of the “Nine Old Men” fraternity – served as supervising animators for Cinderella. I find Cinderella’s character design plainly uninteresting, but it is how she moves that will leave awestruck this film’s most vocal detractors. Marc Davis (the three principal animated characters in Song of the South, Alice in 1951’s Alice in Wonderland); Eric Larson (Peter Pan in 1953’s Peter Pan, Mowgli and Bagheera in 1967’s The Jungle Book); and Les Clark (1928’s Steamboat Willie, 1961’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians) made heavy use of rotoscoping in their attempts to animate Cinderella. Rotoscoping, developed by Max Fleischer (and made exclusive to Fleischer Studios by patent from 1915-1934), involves an animator tracing the movements over projected live-action footage as opposed to animating something from scratch or some other form of reference. As an animator traces over the footage, they may add a personal flourish – a delay or embellishment of movement – in the process. For animating humans, adhering completely to human movement via Rotoscope results in footage that looks stilted, as if hailing from a different universe than one created for an animated film. For Davis, Larson, and Clark, there hardly is a scene where Cinderella is not benefitting from rotoscoping. The rotoscoped animation allows Cinderella to move more fluidly than any human character drawn by the Disney animators at this point in the studio’s history. Whether she is scrubbing the floors, waltzing with her animal friends or Prince Charming, or making herself scarce before the stroke of midnight, there is a majestic grace to her movement – and yes, that includes the moment where she loses her glass slipper.

The less cartoonish a character acts in Cinderella, the more they are rotoscoped. So alongside Cinderella, Prince Charming and especially stepmother Lady Tremaine – the latter’s supervising character animator was Frank Thomas (an animator for the Seven Dwarfs on Snow White, supervising animator for Tod and Copper on 1981’s The Fox and the Hound) – are the two other characters heavily rotoscoped in the film. Lady Tremaine’s imposing posture and manner of dress gifts her a wordless authority over everyone residing in the Tremaine château. In contrast to Cinderella’s stepsisters – characters who act and look in ways that one might expect in a bawdy animated short film – her stern demeanor, realistically angled long face, and deliberate movements effuse opportunism, menace, spite. Lady Tremaine’s appearance, in respect to how much it contributes to the film, is a pronounced upgrade from the Queen in Snow White. She relates a spectacular amount of characterization in just a glance, a scowl. Yet, Lady Tremaine’s darkly charismatic character design would only be the appetizer to even more iconic villainous designs to appear later that decade.

The incidental score by Oliver Wallace and Paul J. Smith is dominated by quotations from the songs, and is not nearly as independent from the soundtrack as previous Disney animated canon scores. For the first time in a Disney animated feature, the studio looked outside its Burbank campus for its songwriters. Looking towards Tin Pan Alley, Disney hired Mack David (the title songs to 1959’s The Hanging Tree, 1963’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World); Al Hoffman (“Papa Loves Mambo”, “A Whale of a Tale” from 1954’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea); and Jerry Livingston (the title songs to The Hanging Tree, 1965’s Cat Ballou). Cinderella possesses a wonderful musical score, headlined by “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”, and “So This is Love” – ignoring “The Work Song” (squeak-sung by the mice in something that set a precedent for Alvin and the Chipmunks), of course.

One of these, obviously, is unlike the others. “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”, sung by the Fairy Godmother (voiced by Verna Felton, who voiced the Elephant Matriarch and Mrs. Jumbo in Dumbo and, over the 1950s, became a Disney voice cast regular), is an exuberant frolic, and easily one of the best songs with nonsense lyrics in film history. Nonsense and novelty songs in Hollywood typically wear out their welcome, running a minute or more longer than they should. Clocking in at roughly one minute, the Fairy Godmother performs her magic, and promptly whisks Cinderella away to Prince Charming’s ball by song – a musical exemplar in narrative brevity.

Thirteen years following Snow White, Cinderella benefits from advances in recording technology and a richer – if not necessarily fuller – orchestral sound. Ilene Woods was primarily a radio singer, and her voice’s timbre is suited to play Cinderella. “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” parallels Snow White’s “I’m Wishing” in its exceptionally early placement and nowadays-formulaic function. But it is a serviceable introduction to Cinderella as a character, even with no specific dream mentioned in the lyrics. Sung with Mike Douglas (as Prince Charming), “So This is Love” is a dreamy duet, a waltz that musically defies a typical waltz. Waltzes, in ¾ time, usually have a pulse that even those not versed in music can “feel”. That pulse is usually on the downbeat, the “1”. Yet “So This is Love” generally begins its phrases and pulses on the “and” of the second beat (as one would count a measure as: “1 and 2 and 3 and”). The song’s frequent use of slurred notes, even fermatas, gives it its romantic flow and dramatic ebbs. This is an unconventional waltz, one that resists categorization and a song that would have been quite difficult to compose – despite its outwards simplicity.

Walt Disney appreciated the financial cushion that Cinderella provided (funding for the project met fierce resistance from his brother and the company’s CEO, Roy), and never truly worried about funding issues after the film’s release. The funds from Cinderella were injected across the company: for feature animation, live-action narrative features, the True-Life Adventures nature documentary series, Disney’s eventual television presence, and into purchasing a tract of orange groves in Anaheim. As for Cinderella itself, Walt could see the artistic shortcuts (rotoscoping included) in most every frame. It was no Snow White, he thought to himself. And though this 1950 adaptation was technologically superior in every way from the 1922 silent Laugh-O-Gram* short based on the same story, there seemed to be no artistic fulfillment for Walt in this Cinderella’s success.

Cinderella heralds the start of the Disney studios’ “Silver Age” – the second half of Walt Disney’s tenure as the creative ringleader at his namesake studio. Various film writers will provide conflicting definitions for these periods in Disney animation history. According to this blog, the Silver Age (1950-1967) is named as such due to the cessation of the package films and the return of more traditional animated features, Walt retreating from his once-omnipresent role in the artistic decision-making for those animated features, and the limited animation of the 1960s. However, the Silver Age is also the beginning of the studio consciously crafting large portions of these movies (if not the entire movie) explicitly for children. This is not to say films specifically for children are not worthwhile – Dumbo being a prime example. But to introduce characters, plot devices, and humor geared for children at the expense of the film’s storytelling or thematic resonance to viewers of all ages is the Disney studios at its most cynical and business-minded. These trends – that are not solely the fault of any single film – have persisted into modern animation, and are artistically incompatible with Disney’s Golden Age animated features. Those cynical trends are absent in the next Disney animated feature – an adaptation of a Lewis Carroll work that embraces a tsunami of colors and its own looniness.

To audiences in North America who had not seen a non-package animated feature in almost a decade and to war-weary audiences abroad reintroducing themselves to Disney films, Cinderella must have been an astonishing work after episodically-structured movies without a natural through line. In this Silver Age, Walt Disney and his animators would define the studio’s hallmarks – princesses, fairy tales, comic relief intended for children inserted for non-artistic reasons, and the distinctive visual style of artists like Mary Blair. Cinderella is the genesis for these developments. The Silver Age’s most innovative, accomplished work would still be several years away.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

* Founded in 1921 by Walt Disney, The Laugh-O-Gram studio was located in Kansas City, Missouri, and was the short-lived predecessor of the modern-day Walt Disney Animation Studios. Alongside future animation industry stalwarts Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising, and Friz Freleng, the Laugh-O-Gram studios made short animated silent films. Many of these films were based on fairy tales – including Cinderella (1922).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

This is the twentieth Movie Odyssey Retrospective. Movie Odyssey Retrospectives are reviews on films I had seen in their entirety before this blog’s creation or films I failed to give a full-length write-up to following the blog’s creation. Previous Retrospectives include 12 Angry Men (1957), Oliver! (1968), and Jingle All the Way (1996).

[arkus-rhapsode]

MHA 280 Discussion: Did Kirishima Steal Mina’s Spotlight?

So, as you can all tell from this title, chapter 280 of My Hero Academia has debuted and has had some “mixed” feedback. Most of it revolving around the instance of Mina seemingly being set up as the person who was going to deliver the final dosage of anesthetic to Gigantomachia, but was instead saved by Kirishima, who actually finished the beast off.

Now as I said, this moment has been mixed, many people like it and see it as a great character opportunity for Kirishima as he finally comes full circle from the first time he froze up meeting Gigantomachia. While others see this as Horikoshi taking a potentially cool female character finally get a spotlight moment but then undermined.

Personally had to sit on this for awhile and think about how I felt about this. Mainly because I thought that this was good, but not sure how to feel about Mina being literally pushed aside. However after sometime I sorta found myself more okay with this.

Now if you want my most raw opinion, I do believe the idea of it at least being Mina’s vial used to put Giganto to sleep by Kirishima was the best possible way to handle this situation Hori wanted to tell. As it doesn’t totally erase Mina as a contributor. However upon revisiting chapter 280 and chapter 279, I believe I came up with a conclusion to my feelings on this moment.

But before I elaborate, I’d like to revisit the end of chapter 279, which built these expectations of Mina getting the big damn spotlight.

If you look at chapter 279′s ending page, it does set up Mina as being important and will likely be the to carry us into the next chapter. However, there is no defining text that indicates that she is the central hope. Mt Lady’s dialogue could apply to any able-bodied UA student at the time. As well as the structure of the page pushes Mina into the bottom.

This is not some big one full page character portrait of the one who will be central hope, but rather Mina is placed in the last panel at the bottom of the page with little narration caption that makes it seem as if she is the most important. In fact, with the way the chapter just seems to end right there, it makes it appear that Mina is more of a convenience.

Now regardless of this, there is no denying that this created an expectation by the audience to see Mina do something. Especially since the honor of a color page was devoted to Mina. Similarly, the last character centric color cover page we got was Miruko the same chapter she was the one to end on shattering Shigaraki’s tube.

And Horikoshi does follow through on this with Mina seemingly focused om as the one so close to doing throwing the vial into Gigantomachia’s mouth.

Even bothering to hone in on Mina’s own internal struggles while thinking of Midnight and then shedding her armor. Only for her to realize who Gigantomachia is and then fold because of previous trauma from the first time the met.

Now we must remember what this means for both Kirishima and Mina. As the two were both present of meeting Gigantomachia as young teens and it left an impression on both. However, if we recall the Kirishima’s flashback, it was Mina who took the initiative to protect people from Gigantomachia while Kirishima couldn’t muster himself to intervene.

But now, its the reverse, Mina is the one unable to follow through while Kirishima is the one to do this.

Now, before I cover what this means for Mina, I want to say that this is good character writing. And essentially rounds out Kirishima’s arc. The villain who was the sole root of him seconded guessing his decision to become a hero is now the person who he is standing up to.

It once again is an example of Horikoshi giving a character, no matter how minor a moment. But the root cause of the discourse on this chapter is the fact this was not a moment for Mina. Regardless if Kirishima was well written, does that make it bad writing when it comes to Mina?

Well as I observed, I think there was an expectation built by the audience, but not one that would seem like they were cheated out of the moment. I do believe we saw a “bait and switch.” People expected it to be Mina only to misdirect you and have it be Kirishima, however, outside of the color page, I can’t really say there was spotlight put on Mina beyond her conveniently being the closest person. And I think that’s where a lot of my issues come with, because I read this week to week.

Now as previously stated, chapter 279 just kind ends. And as I read that last week I was like, “that’s it?” Like it almost seemed a rather odd place to cut it off at. There was no big end cap to this chapter. It almost had felt like that chapters 279 and 280 were actually suppose to be one big chapter. but had a pause put inbetween them.

And when read the two chapters together, they actually flowed much better. Treating it as one big chapter. with the focus going from the group of young heroes to Mina. Which actually is pretty clever as Mina is the one who gives the last bit of interpersonal connection with Momo when she tells her about looking forward to ending this.

And while this definitely made me like Kirishima saving Mina in 280 more, What I mainly drew from this was Mina never really had a spotlight to steal. As melodramatic as that might sound. If this whole excursion between chapter 279 and 280 was anything, it was one big relay race. With the baton passing off to other characters as they all worked to put down Gigantomachia. Everyone contributed, it was just Kirishima who pushed it across the finish line.

Now lets face it, most tend to equate the victory with the one who did finally throw it in rather than the group effort. And from a storytelling perspective, it had to be either Kirishima or Mina, their the only kid characters who would have an emotional victory putting down Gigantomachia. If it was someone like Kaminari, it be cool he stopped the deadly force, but he doesn’t know Gigantomachia. He doesn’t he a personal stake beyond, “big bad villain that I’m obligated to stop.” Which would not be as powerful.

Especially seeing as Gigantomachia as a villain is just this massive force that you can’t just take a couple of characters to fight against him, Hori used everyone in UA. The final “punch” was just delivered by someone who would benefit from a character background standpoint to do some.

But its controversy also lies in the disproportionate amount of times it seems the female heroes don’t get to be superheroic while a bunch of the guys get super cool character driven victories. The biggest example I can think of is during the Yakuza arc where Nejire is the only big 3 to not get a character introspection of what has pushed them to be at the top of UA while most of the female cast fights a character away from most the underground action.

And as I had brought up in a previous post, characters like Momo who are consistently hyped only for them to lose to either prove the enemy stronger or the fact that they’re not ready yet.

Now those are legitimate gripes I can understand why readers would have with chapter 280, but where I disagree with that is, this was not really a singular person’s win. Afterall, this strategy of trapping Giganto was Momo’s idea. Does she get all the credit? Well, no. But she contributed, she mattered. And that is something we got from Mina, as it was still her vial used to put Giganto to sleep.

There wasn’t a “oh look, she was built up only to fail and now a man must do the work.” No there was clearly an effort put forward, just like everyone else. But then you have the fact Mina froze up, now this leaves me interested in where would go from there. As I brought up, Kirishima has essentially gone full circle, that means we could likely see him phased out more in favor of other characters. And the fact that Mina froze has opened up a new possibility to explore.

In my Momo post, I brought up how they’ve now redefined Momo more as a strategist and leader. He strength doesn’t come from her physical prowess on the battlefield like Bakugou, but rather her skill in support. This is an interesting concept that tries to show off a character’ value isn’t just by how many big bads they’ve punched out. Though I completely understand the need to see more female heroes as action girls rather than simply support.

In conclusion, I do not believe that Kirishima stole any spotlight from Mina. As there wasn’t really a spotlight to begin with. However, expectations were generated from the end of 279 and unfortunately the way a week to week format is structured allowed those expectations to grow. Which resulted in 280 having this underlying sense of disappointment for those who had expectations. However, taking both chapters together as a whole, there’s a lot stronger story here, and makes me hope we get that when we get an anime adaptation of this. It would be tough, but talented directors know what to do with multiple chapters worth of material.

This also leaves me optimistic for the future as Mina’s fumble has made something to be explored as well as the potential conclusion to one of the most beloved characters in the series. I guess all we can do is wait and see.

[okaybutlikeimagine]

Hello. Thoughts on Dads!Harringrove??? the boys like in their mid 40s with 3 kids. what type of parents do you think they’ll be??? will their grandpa jim spoil them??? i love harringrove parents w all my heart. they both deserve a big happy family of their own 🥰

Hello, my thoughts are it’s the cutest damn thing ever and i could cry just thinking about it aUGH HARRINGROVE DADS.

Okay, so i’ve read quite a few things talking about the Harringrove Dads and adopting little babies, adopting sweet little girls, etc. and i absolutely live and die for that shit. Like i’m so serious, i think it’s so sweet, it warms my heart, i eat it up, i LOVE it

But also (and i’m sure i’m not the first to say it) I feel like they’re NOT the type to go adopting babies. They’re not getting a surrogate to raise a kid from infancy. They may want to, they may have that inkling, they may see Jonathan and Nancy having a baby and get that infamous Baby Fever, but I just… I really can’t bring myself to write that.

Bc (in my canon) Billy was adopted as a 17 year old delinquent. El was adopted as a 12 year old lab rat. Steve was basically abandoned at home when he got too old to be the “cute little boy” their parents could tote around to promote their Nuclear Family image. They’re two boys who were made very keenly aware that there are shitty people out there who believe kids get less desirable the older they get. Shitty people who think babies are worth more than older kids who probably just come with “problems”.

(i’ve also been rewatching Boy Meets World and GUYS. i see a lot of Billy in Shawn Hunter. Boy who’s taken in bc he’s been neglected and he’s a sensitive kid underneath but he’s got this hard, bad boy shell bc it’s easier than crying every day)(AUGH and just like Will in Fresh Prince goddamnit i fucking LIVE for those kids who think and act all tough and use their pretty looks like a weapon but all they really need is a caring and stern hand who’s gonna keep them on the straight and narrow and help them out along the way i am SOFT.)

So if these boys have 3 kids, it’s 3 kids who were seen as the “worst” of the bunch. 3 kids they fought to connect with bc these kids didn’t see anything in themselves anymore but goddamnit, Steve and Billy saw 3 kids beat and broken by the system that told them the older they got, the smaller their chances were of ever getting out of this place. They came with problems and fears and shells harder than Billy’s steel toed boots but like hell were Billy and Steve going to let these kids go the rest of their lives thinking they were damaged goods.

(god now i wanna write OCs of their children. look what you did to me!)

Okay so their parenting style changes as they grow and adopt more kids, as what happens with most parents. They learn what’s good and what’s not so good and they get better at fixing problems (but of course it’s never quite that easy bc they’re adopting kids of different ages).

And of course i’m saying they adopt the kids everyone has turned away, but for their first kid they adopt a little boy, about 5 years old, bc they gotta start small. He’s very cute and has a bit of a lisp and he mixes up some of his letters and he’s… energetic. He runs and he screams and he tires himself out real quick to the point where he just flops down and takes naps where he is, meaning there has been more than one occasion where Billy or Steve has found the child sleeping face first in the middle of a room (the entry room seems to be his favorite. Billy doesn’t blame him, the carpet is softer there than anywhere else.) One time he even flopped down on the middle of the sidewalk and again in the middle of a department store. Both times Billy scooped him up like a rag doll and carried him around the rest of their trip out.

And i know it’s not the BEST movie but i can’t help but think their parenting at the beginning would be a bit like the movie Big Daddy. Like, a lot of well-intentioned but misguided advice, a lot of “real world” lessons (like how to piss on the side of the road), a lot of hurried and frazzled solutions to things because “kids are messy why are kids so fucking messy why can’t he ever stay clean?”

“He’s just a kid, Steve, c’mon-”

“He’s always sticky! How! How is he always sticky? What’s making him so sticky!”

And I just!! Augh!! Imagine Steve at work all day and Billy has off/maybe he’s inbetween jobs right now so he can be home with the kid/whatever and so he has errands to run and takes their little kid with him and the kid’s like:

“What’s your real name?”

“You know that. It’s Billy.”

“…. why?”

And Billy shrugs with an “I dunno, cuz I couldn’t talk and my parents could and they had to call me somethin.”

“You could’n talk?”

“Hey, you couldn’t either.”

The boy thinks for a second before: “Could too.”

“Could not. Not when you were a baby.” He pokes the boy in the shoulder, still very tentative with how much the little tike can take. “Don’t start attacking me! You didn’t name yourself.”

They walk for a second but Billy chimes in before the kid can.

“Hey, that’s not fair though, is it?”

The boy looks up and shakes his head, but he can see the confusion in his eyes.

“You should be able to name yourself, right? What do you want your name to be? Anything in the world, what do you want me to call you?”

Which is how Steve comes home to their child and Billy eating some baby carrots smothered in BBQ sauce and his husband telling him: “By the way, the kid’s new name is Hot Dog.”

“…. what?”

“He picked it out himself.”

And just imagine Billy and the kid are going grocery shopping and Billy catches the boy reaching for a can of spaghetti-o’s.

Billy reaches for the can and takes it off the shelf. “You like these?”

The kid nods.

“Alright then. Watch out-” he hold the kid back gently before chucking the can at the ground. He turns to his boy. “Dented cans are half off. Y’know, Microsoft dropped 3 points.”

His kid nods in awe.

“Wanna pick that up for me?” Billy asks and the kid follows, before rearing the can back to throw it on the ground.

“Woah woah woah! Watch it there!” Billy grabs the boy’s arm, before aiming it a different way. “Aim away from your feet… there ya go. I know they’re kinda tiny targets but still, don’t wanna give yourself a flat tire there.”

The kid chucks it and Billy laughs. “Nice job, little dude.”

And i just have so many THOUGHTS about this!!! Their second kid being a little 9 year old girl who’s real fucking good at boxing and fighting and also a little too good at sneaking out the window. They’ve caught her a few times in the backyard or the front yard, just sitting around shivering. It always gives Billy and Steve a heart attack.

“What are you doing out here?” Steve asks, kneeling down to look at the girl, Billy taking note of her hands balled up into little fists.

“I heard a… noise. A loud noise.”

“Oh, yeah, your brother just dropped a glass.”

“Oh. Did you… did you… hurt him?” Her fists clench tighter, her shoulders get tighter, closer to her ears. Billy sees himself in it. He wants to ease her shoulders down out of her ears.

“No! No of course we didn’t.” Steve soothes, rubbing the girls arms soothingly. She looks skeptical.

But it becomes a pattern, and they realize it’s whenever she thinks something is going on or someone is in danger. To the point where if any loud noise happens, one of them rushes outside to look for Jordan climbing out a window.

Steve’s out there this time, grabbing hold of her middle and helping her out of the window because they’ve let their plants grow a little wiley and she was having a hard time getting past them. He sets her down gently.

“It’s fine, hun. You’re fine. Your dad just dropped a pan.”

“Oh…”

“Y’know, you can’t keep doing this.”

“What?”

“Ditching out the window like this.” He kneels down to look at her. “It’s not safe. And one of these days it’s gonna be snowing and you’re gonna jump out in your PJs and be all cold.”

“I’ve done it before.”

And if that doesn’t break Steve’s heart. He thinks about Billy when he was a kid. About the stories Billy has told him when he’s tired and a little drunk and feeling a little emotional. Steve loses himself in the sadness of the thought for a second.

He brushes a little bit of dirt off her shoulder.

“Yeah… well you don’t have to ever again, alright? I mean it. Nothing is happening to you here. We’re not gonna hurt you… Now give me a hug.”

She accepts it, which is big for her, and Steve squeezes her as tight as he squeezed Billy that one night he found him with a cut on his cheek and bruises all up and down his arms.

And then they adopt another boy. A 17 year old boy. A boy who’s been in and out of so many homes he doesn’t have a number for it. A boy who’s angry and jaded and… loves poetry and is so gentle with children and animals.

And him and Billy butt heads… a lot. They’re so similar… at least he’s similar to what Billy used to be. And it pisses them both off bc suddenly Billy knows what Hop felt- frustration. Utter frustration at this boy not understanding his fucking potential.

And i’ve written a whole dialogue for this but it’s long and very dramatic and I might just end up writing a fic about all of these little sweethearts (bc i have so many ideas!!!) but basically the boy telling Billy and Steve that he’s fucked up. He’s fucked up and no one will ever be able to change that and Billy is adamant that he’s not until he admits-

“No. You’re right, you are fucked up.”

Steve is shocked. “Billy!”

“No, shut up Steve.” Billy points at the kid. “You are fucked up. You’re a fucked up kid, and you know what? I’m fucked up too. And so is Steve. And so is your aunt El, and your Aunt Max, and your Uncle Will and Uncle Jonathan. And y’know what else? Your grandpa Jim is fucked up too. Hell, even your Grandma Joyce is fucked up. Wish I could tell you she’s not but ding ding ding! She is!”

And they get in a fight. There’s no fists, no touching, but it’s a major fight of Billy telling this boy what Hop told him once: You’re our kid now and we love you. And you can leave and never think about us again but we’re never gonna forget you.

And: “Don’t you dare fucking compare us to those assholes because I’m not giving up on you. We’re not giving up on you. You’re family now and no matter what you do, I’m gonna be there to worry about you and be happy for you because you deserve it!”

And Billy gets frustrated with all of his yelling so he grabs his stress ball and walks away, breathing heavy, and Steve is there to look the boy in the eye and tell him Billy’s right. And that he understands that the boy has a past before they ever met him “but Billy had a life before he met me… and same with me and him, and we can still love each other. So maybe we’re just on an even playing field. We get to learn about you while you learn about us and… and even so, we can still love each other, right?”

AUGH I’M SOFT. ANYWAY.

Hop and Joyce spoil them fucking rotten. It’s really hard to spoil a 17 year old boy as stubborn as an ox (“You were bad enough, now you bring me another one?” “You saying you didn’t like taking care of me, Pops?” “I’m saying I have enough gray hair as it is.” “Oh shush, Hop!” Joyce hits him) but they do their best. They give him love and support. Joyce bakes a shitton of cookies and cakes and Hop buys the kids toys (and the older boy CDs and records and band tees)(“I’m trying! The older I get, the less I know what kids what.”)

And they love all their aunts and uncles too! The little girl has a hard time reading and she reads way below her level, so Aunt El helps her out!

“I understand. I learned to read really late.”

“Really?” The girl’s heart lifts a bit. “How late?”

“I was twelve.”

“Really??”

El nods and gives a kind smile. “Yeah, but I learned, didn’t I? I had a lot of help, and I can help you, too! Just like your dad helped me.”

The girl smiles brightly.

Will’s favorite is the youngest boy (but he would never tell the other two that. Of course not.) because he’s silly and he took to Will almost instantly and he likes to roll around in the grass and catch bugs and those were never really things Will liked as a kid and he… he likes that. He didn’t think he’d ever like that but there’s something about this kid that brings out adventure in him. He reminds Will of Mike when they first met. A bundle of energy and excitement that always dragged Will around on adventures.

The older one hangs out a lot with Max and Jonathan. Jonathan likes hanging out with the kid cuz he reminds him of Billy when Billy was young. (“I don’t remember you being this… exhausting though.” Jonathan tells Billy.) (“You’re just getting old, bud.” Billy says with a laugh and a clap on the back) They smoke weed whenever they can and Jonathan gives the boy some good old 70’s and 80’s music to listen to and tells the boy “Meatloaf is not the best of our decade, don’t listen to your father. Either of them, honestly. Their music taste is shit.”

Max hangs out with the older one too. She gives him advice about girls and how to talk to them and she picks up a skateboard for the first time in years because of him. They go to the skate park sometimes and everyone there is amazed that a twenty something year old girl is here to skate with them until she skates circles around them. (She becomes the hit of the skate park)

She also wrestles around with the little 8 year old girl sometimes! She has a lot of heart to hearts with the kid, giving her advice as well and telling her silly stories of both Billy and Steve so that the girl learns to trust them more.

And overall they’re a big, loving family!! And they’re slightly dysfunctional too and i just! Can’t see it happening any other way!! Bc they’re a little dysfunctional but they’re dysfunctional with LOVE and isn’t that what matters???? It’s a lot of work and a lot of sweat and a lot of tears but it’s their family and in the end their kids love them to death bc they realize their fathers love them to death and!!! Everyone’s heart is full and happy and i’m crying!