#but. just know. i could've almost been dave

[catboytenya]

There's a trans guy who works at the place I buy mice from to feed my snake and his name is Dave and I

[johnbassplayercutie]

Man-U-Lip-U-Lator

Warnings: 18+, manipulation, fem!reader x stephen glass

Word count: 1.6k

Summary: You work with Stephen, and after a few times of hearing his stories at weekly meetings, you grow suspicious of him. You stay late one day at work when it's just you and him there after everyone's left. Your plan is to interrogate him or at least figure out if he's really telling the truth. You notice he gets up to print some stuff in the printing room and decide on snooping through his things in his office. Once finding incriminating evidence that suggests he's faking everything, he comes back catching you sifting through his stuff (aka his little black book from the movie with all his "info" in it lmao).

part one ♡

— — — —

Stephen finishes up collecting his printed copies and walks back to his office. He's too preoccupied to notice that you’re missing from your own.

Stephen enters, gripping his copies tightly and stands frozen in shock at you leaning over his messy desk of papers.

"What are you doing?!" He whines loudly, noticing you holding his little planner, open to a random page.

You whip your head to the office door and almost yelp out at his sudden appearance. It's too late now to back out.

"You've been lying, haven't you?" You state matter-of-factly rather than a simple question.

"What are you talking about?" Stephen questions as he feigns ignorance to the topic, "Give me back my planner, that's important for my sources!"

"Yeah, yeah. Your sources." You rolled your eyes and finger quoted sarcastically.

"Look, if this is about if Dave ever picked up from the Hackers Organization, I already gave Chuck the correct phone number. I got it confused with another one of my sources." Stephen tried to derail the topic.

"Stephen, I know you’ve been lying. And that goes for the Hackers Organization, too." You state, crossing your arms and holding his planner close.

You know he would try to snatch it at any chance if it means saving his ass from being fired. There was no way you'd let him get the satisfaction.

"Are you mad at me?! Did I do something wrong?" Stephen questions worriedly, "I swear I just made a few mistakes with the details, but I gave Chuck all the correct information!" He babbles on with an anxious tone and demeanor.

His attitude begins to make you falter. Maybe it's all just in your head and you're jealous of his success. You almost feel bad for him, he's practically about to beg on his knees.

No, no, no, snap out of it! You were sure of it.

Stephen steps closer to you, obviously trying to get his planner back. You distance yourself from him but back up into his computer, knocking over his pencil holder on the desk, the contents spilling all over the floor.

"Y/N, watch where you're going! You could've deleted the files on my computer, they’re important!” He whines out like usual. You scramble to the floor, attempting to pick up the scattered pencils whilst placing his planner down beside you.

Stephen eyes his planner down beside you but keeps up with the manipulation tactics. He’s hoping he will dissuade you from what he knows is the truth. He kneels down, helping you pick up the pencils off the floor and returning them into the holder. Stephen stares at you intently before speaking, sure of himself that this lie will work.

"Look, if you really don't believe me, you could always come over to my apartment," You meet his eyes, confused as to how that could even be a solution. He continues on and notices you're not buying it before quickly conjuring up more lies with ease, "I have the cassette tape recordings of my sessions with the Hackers Organization. I could play it for you if you don't believe me. I even have tapes from other editorials I did."

You ponder if he could be really telling you the truth. It wouldn't really hurt to try and hear him out. You still have his planner and you could use it against him as blackmail if all proves false.

"Okay....but if you're lying about this, then I'm going to report you to Chuck. I have this to prove otherwise,"

You reach to grab the planner but notice that it's not where you placed it. You panic internally but try to act calm, then noticing Stephen is grasping the planner for his dear life. You flicker to his hands and his knuckles are white and veins strained.

His eyes meet yours and you can almost see him smirk. Almost.

Damn it.

"Look, I really don't like the way you're treating me. I feel really attacked!" Stephen states, getting suddenly defensive and angry.

"I'm not– I-I just want what's best for our readers and everyone working here." You say softly, feeling put on the spot as he scolds you.

"You're one of my editors! You're supposed to support me, but you're taking Chuck's side over mine!" He raises his voice again, visibly upset, chest rising and falling in agony.

He looks sad, tears forming in his eyes, but something is off. He quickly falters, and you can see him forming a shy smile.

"If you really don't believe me, you can come listen to the cassette tapes..." He says softly and shamefully, like someone denied him of something meaningful. He completely avoids the fact that he just took the notes, spoiling your plans of questioning him.

You have no choice but to do as he says. Your only solution from this disaster was that note planner.

"Alright, fine. Let's go before it's too late. I have more important things to do than deal with this all night." You say exasperated, urging him to grab his things and get this over and done with. The sooner you can hear or not hear these tapes, the closer you are to deciding Stephen's fate.

Stephen takes the planner and stuffs it into his leather briefcase, zipping it up. He can't risk you snatching it away from him again.

He returns to his usual chirpy self, babbling on about random facts, talking about things in his office or his apartment. It's like whatever outburst he had a few minutes ago never happened.

He glances over at you, keeping a close eye on you as he puts his arms through his suit jacket. His gaze is intense and you feel the butterflies in your stomach. The urge to look away is becoming strong but his eyes lure you in. You flush red in the face and suddenly you’re squeezing your thighs together. Only a look from him and you’re already wet.

Stephen’s eyes flicker down, noticing your tension before he looks back to your face, biting his lip knowingly.

You have to admit Stephen was always handsome. You've always kept a watchful eye on him at work, only solidifying the fact. There's no denying that you may have a crush on obsession with him. How else would you suspect he was lying when all you do is eavesdrop and watch him?

Stephen gives a small smile as he adjusts his collar, walking up to you. You feel your heart begin to race at his closeness. He leans in closer, reaching an arm around you. You can hear your heart stop for a second.

A second later, the click of the mouse awakens you from a daze. You can hear his slow breathing next to your ear as he's against you, trapping you against the desk. He whispers softly in your ear, "Just have to save my work and turn off the computer before we go." You can hear him grin before clicking the power button and moving back to face you.

You're in shock at the proximity between the two of you. Your mind is misfiring, confused as to where the shy and boyish Stephen had run off to. No, he was right in front of you...right?

"Stephen, I–" You're about to speak but no words come to mind. You sigh quietly as his hand grazes against your hip, steadying you against his desk.

He quirks a brow, urging you on to continue. He's pleased, his smile coming through as he resists doing so.

"Uh—nevermind." You falter before looking anywhere but at him. His face is so close you could kiss him.

"Okay," He pulls away and shrugs. He's smiling now, flickering his eyes away playfully before turning toward the door. "You should probably grab your coat." Stephen walks over to the chair and grabs his briefcase and coat, waiting for you by the door. His finger rests on the light switch, ready for you to exit his office first.

You're blushing and it's clearly obvious now that he's got you in his trap. You turn to him before walking out his door, "I'll be right back."

You grab your coat and purse and quickly flick off your office lights, closing the door behind you. Stephen's waiting for you by the elevator at the end of the room. As you slip into your coat, Stephen is facing the elevator before turning to you as you approach his side.

"You, first." He states as the door slides open, his gaze holding yours with intensity.

taglist: @nananooti @haydensbbg @ariskywlkr

[m1ssunderstanding]

Get Back Rewatch 55 Years On: Day 14

Who is this talking to Ringo? Press? A boy scruff? Someone who wants their project produced by Apple? He tries George too.

Again, I love the "freak-out" as John calls it. They really could've had so much fun together under different circumstances. (Different being neither of them ever dated John) But John's so sweet saying, "Id like it to be part of her new LP. Our new LP."

I wonder what Robert Fraser thought of the beard.

Why are we playing 20 Flight Rock now, Paul? It's just overlayed over a montage to change "scenes", but I wonder what the real context was.

Billy. What a little ray of sunshine honestly.

"So what should we do that's fun? Besides work?" I feel like every day, John has a little adorable quote, and this is today's. Words to live by.

I don't remember if Get Back includes the "Oh Darling" version where John's answering back between lines in conversation with the lyrics. I sincerely hope so. Peter Jackson was probably like "well I can only include so much homosexuality before people have too many questions."

Ringo, you smooth criminal. I love that he just has this trick he learned as a teenager that the Beatles were all impressed by, back when Ringo was the scary gangster with the car and the beard, and he still does it for them like ten years later. It's so endearing.

Another cute John and Yoko moment: "It's just that screaming all the way." "Poor John." "Yes, it's so terrible." She's teasing him and being sweet to him at the same time. Cuties.

George asks Paul where his Rickenbacker is. "Isn't that one much better?" And Paul makes up some shit about the Hoffner being lighter. You nostalgic little bitch. Poor baby.

John's little guilty look at the camera when he's almost just taken something on film. It's cute. He looks like a naughty kid. But it's kind of a cool moment. It shows just how relaxed and natural he is. He's not performing for or worried about the cameras at all. What we're seeing of him today is just him. You know? Idk I think it's nice.

What's with the little pigeon noises in the middle of a recording, guys? They're so weird smh

Poor Glyn. He's just trying to do his job and he has to deal with fucking Leopold and Leob over here. He gives them some instruction. There's a look between the two of them. And then it's all, "Don't interrupt" "Hey son" "Stahhs when" "Hey" "they're recording. We're bloody Stahhs you know." "Look fuckface. Don't comment." "The cheek." The impenetrable wall of Lennon and McCartney, folks.

"Well, we'll have to do it sitting down. Or we get too excited." It's heartbreaking to me how obvious it is that they're still just having the absolute time of their lives together and that, as John put it, "the minutes are crumbling away."

Literally what the hell is with Dennis smacking Paul's ass (as like a 'good job, your band wants to put your song out as the single' I guess) and nobody reacting? Linda would've been like "ope, time to find a new head of Apple films." (Dave Spinoza on RAM, anyone?) He really does look so proud of himself, though. Happy for you, baby.

Oh, right, that's what Robert thinks. Paul looks like his working class fantasy. (DH Lawrence. Victorian Miner.)

And I'm just going to add this, since Peter Jackson REFUSES. Paul: Can't afford to mess around here, you know. Then

[dee-in-the-box]

i keep thinking about my Dsaf and Fnaf crossover. specifically, in regards to Charlotte Emily and how she’d react to the Dsaf cast.

like, my version of her has been through some shit. a Lot of shit.

she was murdered on her twelfth birthday by a man she considered her uncle. she was left in an alley, dying alone. she was forced to watch her friends die and not be able to do Anything to save them. she spent decades just trying to find a way to free them all and put them to rest.

she's gone through so much.

and i think that'd make her interactions with the Dsaf Cast very interesting:

i feel like she'd try and comfort Dee to the best of her ability. she knows, from experience, how horrible of a job that it is to basically be the guardian of the souls. mix that in with the fact that Dee is basically half her age...it saddens her, makes her concerned for what this poor child has been forced to witness. add onto to that, the fact that Charlie's only had to do that for eleven children, while Dee's been forced to do this for dozens upon dozens...what on Earth has this six-year-old witnessed?

she sees Jack doing what she's also been tasked with: save the souls, put them to rest. she sees a man with a tired look in his eyes, reminding her of Michael, and she can't help but feel sympathy for him. from what she saw with Dee...it seems the universe they came from was rather hectic. maybe she'd give him encouragement. she's seen an older brother, desperate to fix his mistakes and free his siblings, even if it would cost him his own life in the end. this is hard work, after all. she would know.

i feel like she'd get along with Dave. she sees a version of Uncle Will who was willing to fix his mistakes, like, legitimately trying. she's always sensed William's regret, but he'd never admit it. he'd rather have Cassidy kill him over and over than admit that he'd done anything wrong. it's almost...refreshing, in a sense, to see some version of him willing to fix things. she'd be a bit wary, obviously...but he's got...okay-ish vibes.

Henry, however, she despises with a passion. a man who shares her father's name, who's committed utter atrocities, slaughtering more people than William could've ever dreamed to. she'd either flat out refuse to even speak to him, or she'd attempt to kill him where he stands. because, fuck, even William had his restraints! he knew when to stop. he, at some point, knew that he had to stop killing kids. sure, after becoming Springtrap, he had much fewer Murder Restraints, but even then he could hold himself back. Henry Miller?

her main question is, if he even had restraints to begin with, when did he lose them? 'cause they clearly vanished at some point.

Peter, i think, she'd let him vent. she understands.

she understands what it's like to beat yourself up over not being able to save your loved ones.

everyone else, i'm not too sure of. i think she'd see some of Cassidy in Blackjack. she'd hear about Blackjack dragging Henry to the Void and immediately think about Cassidy. given. y'know. They Dragged William Into Ultimate Custom Night Hell™.

i just like thinking about how (my versions of) the Fnaf Main Cast would react to the Dsaf Main Cast.

Charlie My Beloved <3

(another fun fact that's gonna be angsty as hell: Marionn, my version of the Fnaf Puppet, was basically built to be Charlie's Robot. she had a Big hand in their creation. she loved it. Dee's Puppet, however, as we know, was built to contain her soul, because henry didn't want to deal with the Consequences Of His Actions (Dee causing chaos because of her murder). do you think she'd be jealous? that Charlie's robot vessel was originally built with love in mind, while hers was built only to trap her further? just some fun food for thought for y'all :))

[strangewomanactuallylargebass]

I was just thinking - as much as I love Penguins of Madagascar (the movie ) and Dave as a villain, it also would've been so easy for them to have Dr. Blowhole as the villain instead. It could've been the exact same movie, leaving almost everything as is, just instead of Dave you sub in Dr. Blowhole and instead of the octopus henchmen you sub in the crab minions. Cut out the joke where the penguins don't recognize Dave (because in this scenario they would recognize Dr. Blowhole), and change the backstory scene to either showcase Dr. Blowhole's origin or just show his past encounters with the penguins. Then you can leave the rest of the movie alone aside from some small dialogue tweaks here and there.

The North Wind would be the audience surrogate of sorts - in the scene where they kidnap the penguins to try to figure out who the villain is, the penguins would represent the die hard fans who know immediately that the villain is Dr. Blowhole, while the North Wind would represent the movie fans who've never heard of him. That way it would still have drawn in more TPOM fans and still be understandable for fans who've only seen the movies. And the Medusa Serum could've then served as a nice retroactive precursor to the Diabologizer from The Return of the Revenge of Dr. Blowhole.

Overall I am very happy with the movie we got, but it still could've theoretically been even more interesting.

[colleenmurphy]

"Oh Jesus, Col's comin' and she's got an armful of papers and that..that.." Cage tapered off as he shifted upright in his engineer's seat at the mixing board.

"She looks like she's the cat that got the cream..."

"Fucking christ I know she was up all night last night."

'So do I but for entirely different reasons.' the drummer of the quartette had thought to himself as he busied himself clicking a rhythm in his head out onto his knee. Jerry Withers was a quiet man who kept good time in the studio and very much to himself when out on tour.

"I wonder who she's seeing these days to put a smile on her face like that."

'Drummer's keep better time, asshole.'

A whirl and a jangle and in Colleen bustled glowing brighter than any of her bandmates had ever seen. That same shine had dulled after they had lost Charlie but here it was all over again. The drab earth tones she'd taken to wearing the last four years had been replaced back with the rich jewel tones and the heady scent of weed mingled with the orange blossom, amber and vanilla of her perfume. It made Whip smile softly to himself as he woken up to find that she'd curled herself around him just enough for the scent to linger on his skin. Sully he noted just scowled as he appraised the songbird before him.

"What's with the sudden spark of productive creativity?"

Regarding the guitarist with a cool blue green gaze Colleen merely handed Sully the top set of papers and then went about handing the rest out to Cage and Whip before plopping herself down into the leather loveseat that was kept in the sound area.

"Maurice told me this morning about your plans to leave us, Sully. Might I remind you that you're still under contract for the rest of this album?"

"And?"

Getting to her feet she was nearly nose to nose with the lanky sandy haired guitarist that had once shared a life with her. Her long dark hair spilled from it's clip and down her back like a flow of jet black ink filling the room with the scent that made Whip shift in his seat away from Cage's confused view.

"And that means I own your bony Irish ass until I am completely satisfied with how it sounds."

"Oh when you're satisfied? What about the rest of us? Last I checked we weren't your backing band."

"Technically you are. Without me there would be no band, no music to record. Without me you are nothing, David."

Pushing past him she stepped into the recording booth and signaled Cage to start rolling. Whip shifted to his feet quickly and joined her much to everyone's amazement. He was usually the last one in record his tracks if they didn't record together as a band.

Slipping behind the drum kit he settled and started the beat on the high hat for her. Colleen started to gently sway in time until she opened her eyes, something equally strange for her, and locked onto Sully's almost daring him to look away from her and truth she sang to the reel to reel.

"So I'll begin not to love you  Turn around, see me runnin' I'll say I loved you years ago  Tell myself you never loved me, no  Don't say that she's pretty  And did you say that she loved you? Baby, I don't want to know..."

The realization of Sully's infidelity to Colleen over the years became the elephant in the room as she sang. How he had used her and all but thrown her away until it became time to record a new album or head out on a tour came tumbling out.

"Fuck this! Fuck her!"

"Dave wait!"

Cage turned just in time to see Dave Sullivan grab his coat and slam into the heavy door of the studio only to have Maurice shake his head. If Mr. Groves were here to see this he'd be quite amused he noted to himself. The drumbeat took on a heartbeat rhythm as she sang.

"Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me I know I could've loved you, but you would not let me  I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you.."

The only sound that could be heard from the parking lot was the squeal of Sully's tires on pavement as Colleen continued to purge her soul into the reel to reel.

"He's hurt her badly, Mo..."

The manager simply smiled and pointed towards the booth where the dark haired songbird was now chatting with the drummer.

"But whoever her new fellow is is doing a world of good her."

"Two musical perfectionists together..how sweet."

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

I think you bring up a fantastic point about the lack of context that Ahsoka provides to its audience, despite being marketed as entry level, despite Filoni saying not to bother watching Clone Wars or Rebels, despite them saying they're making a new story that doesn't rely on anything else. I was one of two sacrificial lambs who watched it, so the remainder of the group wouldn't have to, and the other lamb had never watched any Clone Wars or Rebels, and therefore was really fucking confused what was going on, and kept having to stop to get stuff explained, cuz the show sure as hell wasn't going to.

It's sadly a continuation on the precedent that Favloni with reuniting Grogu and Din in BOBF. Especially since this is all just lead up for Dave's little Heir to the Empire pet project, he's going to be needing to yank a lot of characters out of their normal characterization (Thrawn is the most obvious example for this) which is easier when the audience doesn't have preconceived notions of what that characterization looks like from previous shows.

I'm half "yeah, I remember reading Filoni saying that" and half "wait, did he really say that?" and I don't know what to say now that the first two episodes dropped. Imo, while TFA relied a little too hard on nostalgia it was able to ride on cultural osmosis and also did a halfway decent job introducing us to Rey, Finn, and Poe. The movie gave us enough of a glimpse into each of their backstories and what life was like before the inciting incident on Jakku to help us understand, relate to, and connect with the characters. I didn't get that with Ahsoka. If I didn't already have working knowledge of who Hera and Sabine were, I wouldn't know what the fuck to do with them because they weren't introduced in a way that gave me an idea of their relationships with each other, with Ahsoka, with Lothal, with Ezra, with the Rebellion.

It wouldn't have been that hard to do it. When that ceremony was happening in Lothal with the mural, we could've gotten a really condensed and maybe extremely embellished summary of Rebels that culminated in the Battle of Lothal and whatever the fuck Ezra did with Thrawn and the space whales. When we actually meet Sabine, we could've gotten some useful information out of her banter with the pilots; she could've mocked Ryder's speeches, quoting almost verbatim what he said to imply that she's heard his shit before many many many many many times, and said she was too fucking tired and Done to go through yet another ceremony/commemoriation/speech. I don't know shit about fuck about Ryder Azadi (I had to google his name because I don't remember if it was mentioned anywhere but that's auditory processing shenanigans for you) so I don't know if that's in-character for him so if it's not, give that assignment to some new face. Or have us briefly shadow a New Republic visitor who isn't too familiar with what happened at Lothal and asks for a summary from a local. I don't know, just do something to give unfamiliar viewers some fucking context for why we're on Lothal and why Sabine matters.

This goddamn assumption that everyone tuning into Ahsoka somehow already knows all about TCW and Rebels because they either already watched all of that or had to the time, energy, and fucks to give to watch them after Ahsoka debuted in the Mando Show is goddamn arrogant imo. I have a lot of other thoughts about this particular sticking point but this isn't the place. I'm real happy for the people who did watch the other two shows and enjoyed them and had a great time and all that, but I wasn't that audience and I'm not in the position right now to try to join in. I'm just watching along and taking notes.

[dragonsarecool]

June of Doom Day 20 - Neglect

A/N: Despite his age, he can be quite mature. Doc wishes a young Marty didn't have to be. Set prior to Part I.

Of all the things he could've imagined Marty bringing to the lab, he never pictured this.

The twelve-year-old had knocked at the precise time his shift started, only to reveal a collection of grocery bags adorning his arms when Doc had opened the door.

"What's all this, Marty?" Doc looked at the boy in shock. What the hell has gotten into him?

"I-I hope you don't mind, Doc. We didn't have anything left at home so I had to go grab some stuff. Mom's been too drunk to do the groceries," Marty said innocently, "so I nicked one of the cards out of her purse and grabbed some snacks to last us until she remembers at some point this week. Plus I saw you had, like, nothing left in your fridge, and I didn't want you to have to go hungry too."

Go hungry too?!

A horrified Doc could only blink in response, which allowed the young boy to pass by the scientist and continue rambling as he carried his purchases towards the kitchen. "I usually get chewing gum for Linda 'cause otherwise she complains about having to actually brush her teeth, but they didn't have any for some reason, and Dad's hair gel was out of stock, so I had to buy the only other brand that was there, so I hope he doesn't get cross about that, and I hope you don't mind that I only brought you a small thing of milk, I couldn't carry the-"

"Marty," Doc interrupted, "you shouldn't have to do that."

The boy's eyebrows were raised in confusion. He set down the carton of milk for Doc inside the fridge door before closing it hesitantly. "But…if Mom doesn't do it, th-then we don't eat, a-and I know I shouldn't be taking her credit cards, b-but my pocket money—"

"I meant, you shouldn't feel pressured into buying groceries for me," Doc clarified quickly. "That's something only adults need to be worrying about."

Marty's expression fell almost as fast as his shoulders, and Doc instantly realised he needed to explain his thoughts further. "I'm s-sorry, Doc. I-I just…wanted to help-"

"It doesn't mean, however, that I don't appreciate the thought," Doc knelt to the boy's eye level, giving him an affectionate smile. "Thank you for looking after me, Marty."

The young McFly's eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "Y-You too, Doc. I-I mean, you don't have to feed me and stuff when I come over, b-but sometimes I just don't get any, a-and I'm already teased for being so much smaller than the other kids-"

"Marty," Doc paused as he tried to word his question carefully, "have you spoken to anyone else about this problem?"

"About me being small?"

"About your parents forgetting to buy food for your family." Which is probably affecting your growth, as God knows what you've been living on, but that's a problem for another day.

Marty shook his head. "I-I mean, I've told my teachers a couple of times, but they never take me seriously. Keep saying I'm exaggatating or something."

"'Exaggerating', Marty," Doc corrected. "And that's terrible how they've dismissed you like that."

It's also terrible how distant your parents are that they haven't noticed they're forgetting to feed their children. Especially Marty; God, he's not even old enough for high school, and here he is, going out to buy milk and bread instead of playing!

"I mean, I don't know what I expected them to do," Marty said stiffly. "Dave has his own job now a-and won't shut up about how much he's makin', so everyone probably thinks he's buying me Burger King every night or whatever."

The bagginess of your clothes says otherwise. Doc glanced over the rest of the grocery bags, realising Marty had somehow carried four full bags of items while riding his skateboard. How good is this kid's balance?! "Did you ride your skateboard here today, Marty?"

"Yep. Only fell off once this time, too! Normally the heavy stuff makes me wobble, but I'm getting better," Marty reached into the bag he was holding and lifted out a bottle of Pepsi. "You don't mind if I hide this here, do you Doc? If I bring it home Dave usually drinks it before I can-"

"Of course you can, Marty," Doc affirmed quietly. "I'll make sure to have some on standby so you don't have to keep bringing it."

The mood shift was obvious and immediate, with Marty giving Doc a thankful, albeit stunned smile. "Wow! Thanks, Doc!"

"My pleasure, Marty. Now, tell me: do you know what your family was going to have for dinner once you finished up with me?"

Marty's brow wrinkled before he shrugged guilty. "…I mean, I-I'd assumed I'd be making mac and cheese for me again-"

"Well, that's not happening tonight," Doc proclaimed, grabbing a saucepan from a drawer below the stove. "I haven't cooked a steak for a while, but I'm sure you can help me figure out how to not burn it."

He couldn't help but grin as he saw the relief sweep over his young friend. At least for tonight, Marty, you won't be hungry.

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars Ahsoka: "Shadow Warrior" - Review

Ahsoka delivers a long awaited moment for Star Wars fans that is at times moving but often cut down by the cloudy storytelling that surrounds this series.

After her surprise defeat at the hands of Baylan Skoll, Ahsoka Tano awakens in the World Between Worlds, a strange realm that operates outside time and space. There she is confronted by her former master, Anakin Skywalker, who has one final lesson for her. Meanwhile Hera Syndulla race against time to locate their friend before the New Republic questions her unsanctioned mission to Seatos.

"Shadow Warrior" in many ways feels built to satisfy fans of Dave Filoni's long running narratives in the Star Wars universe. It functions as a sort-of-sequel/sort-of-remake of The Clone Wars and provides the first real return of Hayden Christensen to the role of Anakin Skywalker. Yes, Christensen appeared in last year's Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series, but most of his performance was often concealed beneath Darth Vader's black mask or an all too short flashback sequence. Here, prequel fans get what they've been demanding for years, the chance for Christensen to really get to play the role of Anakin Skywalker one more time.

It's a moment that carries with it loaded and complex emotions and expectations. The last time we know that these two characters met was during an apocalyptic duel to the death on the Sith planet of Malachor, where Ahsoka finally learned the truth about her former master. But now, we have what is presumably Anakin's spirit interacting with his former apprentice now as a grown woman. There's weight and drama baked into the very premise of this interaction and if executed properly, the result could've been one of the most emotional sequences in franchise history.

Unfortunately, we don't quite get there. Sure, there are moments beautiful moments in Dave Filoni's script, but the same vague and murky character decisions that have plagued this series resurface in full force here. "Shadow Warrior" comes to be defined just as much about what is not said as what is.

A lot of this again comes down to the decision to keep so much of Ahsoka's recent past a mystery. "Shadow Warrior" wants you very much to believe that Ahsoka is still entirely defined by the events of The Clone Wars. Sure, what happens to us in our young adulthood can effect our entire lives, but almost three decades have passed since Ahsoka walked away from the Jedi Order. Not only does it seem strangely misguided for us to assume that Ahsoka has remained a static character for the thirty years, but this very series has been bombarding us with reminders that she's actually been up to quite a bit. Some of this can be accepted or hand-waived away. We can't know the totality Ahsoka's life during this time period, but there are some very big questions hanging over this series and some of them feel particularly relevant to the story "Shadow Warrior" wants to tell. For example, what exactly does Ahsoka know about Anakin Skywalker's redemption and death? Does she know about this at all? I guess, if she did learn the truth, it presumably happened off screen like her first interaction with Luke. (I'm still so pissed about this.) But, despite some rather blunt visual cues reminding us of Anakin's eventual fate, Ahsoka and her former master only briefly touch on his life as Vader. It's the cloud hanging over this entire episode and we are never really allowed to understand how Ahsoka feels about or comprehends what this means for the man that defined her childhood.

It's the culmination of the flawed manner in which Ahsoka treats its title character. Between FIloni's narrative withholding and Rosario Dawson's overly subdued performance, we can't quite understand much of anything about our protagonist here. "Shadow Warrior" sets up a shift in character and a revelation for Ahsoka's emotional and spiritual journey, but we are left to infer what exactly this all means without being handed all the tools to do so. It almost feels like reading the fourth book in a series of novels after being forced to skip over a rather eventful third installment

It's a shame because I do actually like the core of what I think "Shadow Warrior" is trying to say here. Given the stylized nature of the animation, it's sometimes hard in The Clone Wars to appreciate that Ahsoka was just fourteen years old when she was drafted into fighting a war. The padawans of The Clone Wars were for all intents and purposes child soldiers. This feels remarkably more apparent in Ahsoka. Part of this is simply the nature of a live action production, but this effect is sold wonderfully by Ariana Greenblatt's performance as a younger Ahsoka. Greenblatt's acting is stellar and she easily captures the personality of our title character at this far younger age. She and Christensen so easily slip into the mold of a dynamic that was established in a completely different medium and the older-brother, younger-sister dynamic is encapsulated wonderfully by both performers. Greenblatt steals the show even with her relatively short screentime and Hayden Christensen manages to blend his previous take on Anakin with the more heroic portrayal of The Clone Wars in a way that feels natural but unique. Their conversations together and "Shadow Warrior's" dreamlike recreations of some of the war's climactic battles are beautifully realized even if the limits of Ahsoka's budget are sometimes more apparent than usual here. (Also! Live action Captain Rex!)

"Shadow Warrior" seems to say (again emphasis on seems) that Ahsoka's determination to stop Thrawn's arrival is to stop more people from experiencing the same horrors she did as a teenager on the frontlines of The Clone Wars. It's a believable motivation, but it again runs into a lot of larger contextual issues when you think about it for more than a few seconds. Didn't the galaxy just get out of a rather big war? Where was Ahsoka during all of that? Did she avoid battle due to her trauma? Is her current determination just as much motivated by her own guilt at not doing more to stop the Empire? That very well could be true, but, again, Filoni's scripts have never given us a confirmation either way. It's all inference based off assumptions based off the subtlest of in text clues.

Anakin's big lesson to Ahsoka feels a tad more straightforward. "Live or die" is a bit of a blunt binary, but it's the absolute that Anakin delivers to his former apprentice. (I guess he does still have some Sith in him.) The lesson being that Ahsoka can not only choose to return to life after her near drowning, but that she can fully embrace her life again rather than being defined by her hurt and guilt. This seems to posit that Ahsoka's demeanor throughout the first four episodes of this series were a sort of emotional low for the character, a state that had to be worked through and escaped from. I can buy this, but again, none of this is actually communicated the viewer directly, not now and certainly not beforehand. It also begs the question of whether she's been this detached ever since The Clone Wars, which seems to be what "Shadow Warrior" implies? If so, that definitely didn't seem to be the case when we last left her in Rebels, even after she learned Darth Vader's secret.

I'm not one who normally asks to have things spelled out for me so directly, but I do want to understand the emotional lives of my characters. Or at the very least be given enough textual information within the narrative to make me feel like I understand the emotional lives of my characters. Ahsoka has struggled tremendously with this and "Shadow Warrior's" character forward approach only does so much to alleviate this.

That all being said, the destination we arrive at is remarkably refreshing. Rosario Dawson's performance becomes much less wooden. Ahsoka shows a little bit more of her personality. Her playfulness. Her humor. Her passion and creativity. They all start to flow back to the surface and for a little while I actually start to feel like I'm looking at an older version of a character I've grown to love. I'm happy that this seems to be the end goal of our journey, even if the journey itself was hard as hell to grasp. Also she gets to ride a space whale. I love space whales.

"Shadow Warrior" also marks the best outing we've seen from Dave Filoni as a live action director. Actors feel more comfortable and natural in their performances. Shot composition is more dynamic. A visual style feels more apparent. The World Between Worlds is a stunning location even if we see relatively little of it here.

"Shadow Warrior" closes out as both a milestone episode of Star Wars television and a frustrating casualty of storytelling failures. It's A+ Star Wars that is hampered considerably by the sloppy decisions that preceded it. But, we got live action Hayden Christensen Anakin again. And it was great. And we got Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka to start to come alive. Even just for a little. I'd call that a win.

Score: B

[randomvarious]

1994 London Playlist (YouTube)

New playlist, folks! This week I started to build a slate of songs from the year of 1994 that were made by people who, at the time, hailed from London, the most musically eclectic city in the entire world. Don't exactly know why London is the way that it is, but its broad and open embrace of acid house, club culture, and pirate radio in the late 80s and early 90s definitely set it up for massive electronic expansion on a mainstream level that seems to still go on to this very day. The US has never really had that same history of love for electronic music, and that's probably why massive metropolises like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago always feel like they're lagging behind in comparison to what London is able to spit out on a constant basis.

And you're just simply not gonna find another playlist of great London-made tunes from 1994 that are quite like this one either, because I've got some real underground electronic heaters for you all to chew on here. At some point, I plan to expand this beyond just electronic music, but for now, you get some downtempo/trip hop, some IDM, some deep house, some breakbeat hardcore, and a handful of jungle tracks too; a great smorgasbord that almost no other city could produce so readily.

But first, there are two absolute classics on here: one is from a breakbeat hardcore group called 2 Bad Mice, who dropped a brand new remix of their '92 track, "Bombscare," in 1994 that ended up catching on like total wildfire. It's a very infectious, floor-filling, breakneck raver that cycles through all these abruptly twisting-and-turning combinations of anthemic vocal samples and drum breaks that ends up yielding absolute bedlam. And there's a lot of uploads of it on YouTube too, and the one with the most views has over 370K. A mid-90s dance classic that still has the capacity to make one lose their shit.

The other is from the one and only Ashley Beedle's disco and jazzy house group, Black Science Orchestra. In '94, they dropped a 12-inch EP on the Junior Boy's Own label called Altered States, and the track that kicks off its AA-side, "New Jersey Deep," makes for some jazz-funky, outer-space-coasting, deep house grooviness. It, too, has a lot of different uploads on YouTube, and its most popular one has over 378K plays.

But other than those all-time bangers, the rest of these songs are a lot more relatively obscure. The Rapino Brothers, who are best known for making the most famous remix of Italo-dance act Corona's global 1993 smash hit, "The Rhythm of the Night," kick us off with some relaxingly chill and stringy, bleep-blooping trip hop in "Go Ahead London," a tune that has a little over 10K plays across its couple uploads; then IDM trio The Black Dog grace us with their fantastically dreamy remix of German duo Alter Ego's "Tanks Ahead," which has a little over 15.2K plays across its various uploads; and then the great Dave Angel supplies us with a piece of aquatic techno called "Artech," which I once proved lines up perfectly as the opening music for the jetskiing Nintendo game Wave Race 64. That one has somewhere around 60K total plays on YouTube.

The rest of the playlist, then, is comprised of a small handful of deep and heady jungle beasts as well as a downtempo remix of a song by a group called A Friend From Rio, who are based out of London, but make music that sounds Brazilian. The Lumen Soundsmiths remix of their song, "Para Lennon and McCartney," is an excellently lush slice of bliss that sounds like it could've fit right in on a chillout compilation that was released a decade afterwards; impressive.

This playlist is ordered as chronologically as possible and links are provided below to songs that have been posted about previously in order to give them more context:

The Rapino Brothers - "Go Ahead London" Alter Ego - "Tanks Ahead (Black Dog Mix)" 2 Bad Mice - "Bombscare '94" Black Science Orchestra - "New Jersey Deep" Zero B - "Lock Up (Counterforce Remix By DJ Crystl)" Dave Angel - "Artech" A Friend From Rio - "Para Lennon & Mccartney (Lumen Soundsmiths Remix)" Lemon D - "Deep Space (I See Sunshine) (Original Drum & Space Mix)" DJ Tamsin & The Monk - "A Better Place (Bay B Kane Remix)" DJ Crystl - "Warpdrive (Remix)"

Playlist is also on YouTube Music.

So, we've got 10 tracks that end up totaling a little over an hour. And I've got some more playlists for other London years too, if you're interested!

London: 1997 London: 1998 London: 1999

Enjoy!

More to come, eventually. Stay tuned!

Like what you hear? Follow me on Spotify and YouTube for more cool playlists and uploads!  

[justabumatthepark]

Maybe in this song, you shouldn't start by saying

Nigga, I said it, I know that you mad

I've emptied the clip over friendlier jabs

You mentioned my seed, now deal with his dad

I gotta go bad, I gotta go bad

Mm, mm, yeah

Drop, drop, drop, drop

Drop a fifty bag for the mob in the spot

Drop a fifty bag, 29 for the thot

Uh, I was really, really tryna keep it PG

I was really, really tryna keep it PG

If you had a set, they'd give your ass a DP

But you civilian gang, in real life, you PC

You know who really bang a set? My nigga YG

You know who really bang a set? My nigga Chuck T

You know who even bang a set out there is CB

And, nigga, Cole losin' sleep on this, it ain't me

You better have some paperwork or that shit fake tea

Can't be rappin' 'bout no rattin' that we can't read

I mean, it's true a nigga slimed me for my AP

Just like how Metro nigga slimed him for his main squeeze

Out here beggin' for attention, nigga, say please

Always rappin' like you 'bout to get the slaves freed

You just actin' like an activist, it's make-believe

Don't even go back to your hood and plant no money trees

Say you hate the girls I fuck, but what you really mean?

I been with Black and white, and everything that's in between

You the Black messiah wifin' up a mixed queen

And hit vanilla cream to help out with your self-esteem

On some Bobby shit, I wanna know what Whitney need

All that puppy love was over in y'all late teens

Why you never hold your son and tell him, "Say cheese"?

We could've left the kids out of this, don't blame me

You a dog and you know it, you just play sweet

Your baby mama captions always screamin', "Save me"

You did her dirty all your life, you tryna make peace

I heard that one of 'em little kids might be Dave Free

Don't make it Dave Free's

'Cause if your GM is your BM secret BD

Then this is all makin' plenty fuckin' sense to me

Ay, let that shorty breathe

Shake that ass, bitch, hands on your knees

Hands on your knees, hands on your knees

Shake that ass for Drake, now shake that ass for free

Yuh, yeah

Well, not that kind of free, I'm talkin' 'bout my nigga Dave

Your man a lil' K, we call that shit a mini Drac'

He always said I overlooked him, I was starin' straight

These bars go over Kenny head, no matter what I say

I know you like to keep it short, so let me paraphrase

Knew it was smoke when Abel hit us with the serenade

Nigga said, "Uh-uh"

Almost started reachin' for my waist

Drop, drop, drop, drop

Drop a fifty bag for the mob in the spot

Drop a fifty bag, 29 for the thot

Uh, I was really, really tryna keep it-

Yeah

Let's stop playin' around and take this shit serious, man

Niggas is a joke, I take it serious, though

Yeah, look

If Drake shooters doin' TikToks, nigga

Realest shooter in your gang

That's P's brother, y'all ain't getting shit shot, nigga

I can't listen to the stick talk in falsetto

Save it for a hip-hop nigga, you don't even be at home, dog

You a souvenir out-the-gift-shop, nigga

Still mad about that one ho

We ain't even fuck, I just lip-locked with her

I get active when it's wartime

I ain't even really let my dick drop, nigga

What the fuck I heard Rick drop, nigga?

Talkin' somethin' 'bout a nose job, nigga

Ozempic got a side effect of jealousy

The doctor never told y'all niggas

Put a nigga in the bars, let a nigga rot

Kind of like your old job, nigga

House sittin' on some land

But it's out where no one even really know y'all niggas

Bitches gotta drive two hours 'fore you pay 'em

Just to give a blowjob, nigga

Must've snorted up a snowball

'Cause my last record deal was 400 M's

These days, that's a low ball, nigga

Ay

Who's next on the list?

Which one of my so-called niggas

Which one of my so-called niggas

Which one of my so-called niggas

Need a shell from the clip?

Always knew I had to smoke y'all niggas

good kid, m.A.A.d city van

We'll pop the latch and make the door slide

Tears runnin' down my cheek

Laughin' at you pussies dyin', it's a war cry

Weeknd music gettin' played in all the spots

Where boys got a little more pride

That's why all your friends dippin' to Atlanta

Payin' just to find a tour guide

Abel, run your fuckin' bread

Need to buy some more chains for some more guys

Let me find another street nigga

I can take to the game courtside

Let me get a used Ferrari for a rapper

Take the nigga on a horse ride

Anything to take the spotlight off the fact

The boss is a drugged-out lil'

Punk sissy from the Northside

Rakim talkin' shit again

Gassed 'cause you hit my BM first

Nigga, do the math, who I was hittin' then?

I ain't even know you rapped still

'Cause they only talkin' 'bout your 'fit again

Probably gotta have a kid again

'Fore you think of droppin' any shit again

Even when you do drop, they gon' say

You should've modeled 'cause it's mid again

Smokin' Fenty 'bout they

Should've put you on the first one, tryna get it in

Ask Fring if this a good idea

The next time you cuddled in that bed again

She'll even tell you, "Leave the boy alone

'Fore you get your head split again"

Pluto shit make me sick to my stomach

We ain't never really been through it

Leland Wayne, he a fuckin' lame

So I know he had to be an influence

These niggas had a plan and they finally

Found a way to rope you into it

Two separate albums dissin'

I just did a Kim to it, nigga, skim through it

Me and Savage had the hoes drippin' wet at shows

Almost had to swim to it

K.Dot shit is only hittin' hard when

Baby Keem put his pen to it

Ross callin' me the white boy

And the shit kind of got a ring to it

'Cause all these rappers wavin' white flags

While the whole fuckin' club sing to it

Murder scene on your man tonight

Then come to the vigil with the candlelight

Body after fuckin' body and you know Rick

Readin' my Miranda rights

I'm goin' on vacation now, I hope next time

Y'all plan it right

'Cause you gotta pay for sayin' my name

Guess now niggas understand the price, nigga, what? (6ix)

Ay, Kendrick just opened his mouth

Someone go hand him a Grammy right now

Where is your uncle at?

'Cause I wanna talk to the man of the house

West Coast niggas do fades, right?

Come get this ass whoopin', I'm handin' 'em out

You wanna take up for Pharrell?

Then come get his legacy out of my house

A cease-and-desist is for hoes

Can't listen to lies that come out of your mouth

You called the Tupac estate

And begged 'em to sue me and get that shit down

I'm losin' perspective on beef

Boi-1da send beat and I'll kill you for fun

Your daddy got robbed by Top

You Stunna and Wayne, like father, like son

Anthony set up the plays, Kojo be chargin'

You double for nothin'

They shook about what I'ma say

But textin' your phone like, "We already won"

You tell me what I shouldn't say

But fuck it, my nigga, it's already done

We already know it's a twenty-v-one

We already know why you went number one

It's clearly because of The Boy

The honorable thing is to give me the loot

You right about "Fuck the big three"

It's only big ME and thIs blog is proof

Our sons should go play at the park

Two light skin kids, that shit would be cute

Unless you don't want to be seen

With anyone that isn't Blacker than you

We get it, we got it

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

We get that you like to put gin in your juice

We get that you think that you Bishop in Juice

When you put your hands on your girl

Is it self-defense 'cause she bigger than you?

Your back is up against the curb

You diggin' for dirt, should be diggin' for proof

Why did you move to New York?

Is it 'cause you livin' that bachelor life?

Proposed in 2015

But don't wanna make her your actual wife

I'm guessin' this wedding ain't happenin', right?

'Cause we know the girls that you actually like

Your darkest secrets are comin' to light

It's all on your face, like what happened to Mike

Oh, shit, it's all makin' sense

Maybe I'm Prince and you actually Mike

Michael was prayin' his features would change

So people believe that he's actually white

Top would make you do features for change

Get on pop records and rap for the whites

And, wait, you say your brother Jermaine

But you wanted him to stay out of the light

Oh, shit, just follow me, right?

'Cause nothin' you sayin' could bother me, right?

I get off the plane and nothin' has changed

I head to Delilah with all of my ice

Head to Delilah with all of my ice

Head to Delilah with all of my ice

This shit gotta be over by now

For anyone out here that's callin' it right

You're dead

You're dead, you're dead

There's nowhere to hide, there's nowhere to hide

You know what I mean

They hired a crisis management team

To clean up the fact that you beat on your queen

The picture you paint, it ain't what it seem

You're dead

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

what i think the characters would see under fear toxin

mark: alt cesar and other alternates trying to attack him as they mock him, and since they're illusions it'd be like he's powerless

jonah: dead adam berating him and yelling at him while mark threatens to alter him further, promising he'll make it hurt more and that jonah failed etc etc

adam: very angry mark, thatcher and jonah all working together to try and fucking kill him. jonah mentally picking him apart, thatcher going to snap off his limbs as mark slowly floats ever closer

thatcher: ruth agreeing with mark and leaving him to his wrath like he left her to her death. oh, or "ruth" revealing she survived and thatcher killed/ate her and just doesn't remember it

ruth: I do not know-

dave: evelins voice coming from different directions begging for help, screaming in pain etc etc, added onto by mark roaring in pure rage

cesar: mark found him and is chasing him, taunting him and an apparition of ms torres appears, saying he left her to die and it should've been him and not her

sarah: dead mark asking why she didn't talk to him more, how she could've prevented this. how it's all her fault. while chasing her ofc

gabriel: dozens of people surrounding them, calling them out on all their insecurities and maybe a few try to attack. maybe there's also like, jonah in there telling them they weren't the right person and he wasted his time on someone who wasn't helpful in the slightest

seth: dead adam and jonah berating him, saying he caused their deaths and he's bound to cause sarah and cesar's too. then his parents and other people from his past show up, maybe he sees his hands as stained with blood and the body of the man he almost killed below him

.......i have many a thought

YES I AGREE

Just. All their worst fears and past experiences. All playing out in front of them. Man /lh pos

[scorpio-marionette]

31 Nights of Head Canons- Night 8

Night 7

~

A/N: *breaks out into song*

🎶 "Very superstitious writing on the wall" 🎶

~

Night 8

Are you superstitious?

~

Dio

Dio wasn't anything until he sold his soul to the a demon. Not even religious. He was probably atheist at the very least. Now, that may make you question how and why he made the deal. As I mentioned before, he came across a haunted house. The spirit inside told him about the demon. Dio, not truly believing, decided to see if he could summon the demon. He didn't think he would, but he did. As for why, Dio won't talk about it.

~

Omar

Omar is very superstitious. He uses the same gloves for each fight. He has a particular drink before each fight. Non-alcoholic because he needs to have his wits about him. He always has one practice by himself. There's a slew of rituals he has to coplete before feeling ready to take on his next fight.

~

Zach

Zach isn't because luck never seemed to be on his side. You could say luck was on his side this time when Justin was insistant on helping him, but Zach knows that the reason his life is better is because he didn't waste an opportunity to work for a better life. It did almost pass him by though.

~

Oberyn

Oberyn, for lack of a term from the actual world of Game of Thrones, believes in karma. He believes whole heartedly that the love he gives to all of his lovers will coma back to him, and it does in the form of their love. With that, he also firmly believes that the worst people in the world will get their treacherous deeds will return to torment them. Even if he must embody that retribution.

~

Marcus Pike

I wouldn't say Marcus is superstitious. Just incredibly hopeful and optimistic. The man's heart has been broken (repeatedly if you include all the heartache we as writers put him through), but he still finds it in himself again and again to love. While I fear he would one day lock away his gentle heart to protect it, I also know that that isn't who he is. He is love. He must love. Now he just needs to be loved.

~

Max Phillips

He isn't, but he likes to joke that karma now truly exists because of him. He has the power to bring some payback to those who have slighted him. Like Evan for example.

~

Pero Tovar

I don't think he is. The man seems to believe that he's slick, just terrible at picking good company. Though he might now be superstitious about William. After all, the Irishman did say that something bad happened to every man who tried to leave him behind. Pero ended up in jail after leaving William unconscious as he and Ballard left with the black powder.

~

Javier Peña

Javi only believes in the luck needed to get an operation done. The luck you need to take a drug lord off the streets. To dismantle an empire run on drug money.

~

Jack

If he did, he doesn't anymore. Karma has let him down. Luck as well. Only fate has come through for both him, his son, and himself.

~

Ezra

Ezra's faith lies in Kevva (did I get that right? I still haven't seen the movie). I guess you could say he's more religious than superstitious? Depends on if you see Kevva as a god or as a personification of an idea.

~

Dave

Dave's belief lies solely in the skill of him and his team. He used to believe in his friend Robert McCall, but with his death they must move forward without his guidence.

~

Frankie

Let's be honest. Frankie and all the guys had some SERIOUS luck with that stupid op that Santi brought them on. I don't say that lightly either. Tom didn't deserve to die, but considering they all could've died on that op, it's a miracle they didn't. I would say Frankie believes that completely.

~

Max Lord

Max is a believer. In what, he's not quite sure. He researched and stole a magical stone that granted his and everyone else's wish. He then fought with an Amazonian woman with god powers. Turned a woman into an animal hybrid supervillian by granting her wishes. And saw the world almost end because of his hubris in cheating the system. Yeah, he believes.

~

Marcus Moreno

Marcus, like his mother, believes in the next generation. He believes in Missy. He has trust in them. That's good enough for him.

~

Din

Din believed in his creed. He still wants to believe in it. The problem is his belief has been shaken by Bo-Katan. He can feel that she speaks a truth. Note that I say A truth. But he's grown up with the customs of his covert. Now he travels to the long abandoned Mandalore in search of redemption. The question is, does he do it because he believes in their ways or because he's simply afarid of losing the last home he's ever had? I imagine he'll find something the rubble that will ease his clouded soul.

~

Nico

Nico is a go with the flow kind of guy. He doesn't tie himself to anything permanent, or even abstract.

~

Dieter

"There is no hope..." " But there are drugs."

~

Javi Gutierrez

Oh you know Javi has got to be the most hopeful person on the planet. The only thing he was uncertain of was whether or not he could safely have a relationship with Gabriela. But that inspirational speech he gave Nick comes to mind. We all have something to offer the world, and it can be a better place if we share those gifts. They're a beacon of light. I think that's a pretty good thing to believe in.

~

Joel

There isn't much to believe in when the world is ending. Much less when you've lost most of your family and your only child. It's hard to ignore the faith someone has in you though. Joel might be content to die at any moment, but that doesn't mean he won't be who people need him to be. So long as he's needed, he'll try for them, because he believes in helping.

[systemadministratorclu]

Hal laughed softly, the screen on the pod bay console showing Frank eating.......then almost jumping out of his skin when Hal's voice came over the speaker and he realized he'd been caught. But Hal's attention was back on Dave.

"I like being with you, too, Dave." He may not have understood Dave's message earlier, but all three of them knew he connected more with Dave (though both, especially Hal, made sure Frank never felt like the odd one out)

Sure enough, Hal was on the flight deck waiting. Not that Dave could've snuck up on him, what with the camera 'eyes' all over the ship. But the lights on the deck itself were almost completely out, with just enough there that Dave could find his way to......the co-pilot's seat. The command seat was occupied already. He was barely visible as a Hal-shaped silhouette against the background of space through the front window of the ship. Hal didn't need the lights on at all, he'd left them dim for Dave, knowing humans couldn't see in the dark as well as he could.

"Hello, Dave. I've dimmed the lights to minimal power so we can see the stars better." He waited for Dave to get settled before he shut the deck's lights off completely.

"Dave? You said something had been on your mind, and I get the sense it's something very important. Do you.......do you mind if I ask what it is that has been on your mind?"

A birthday gift from Dave and Frank! (For leave an object meme)

Hal looked at his crewmates as he checked his calendar. Sure enough, it was January 12. His activation day. They were even within the hour he'd been activated.

"For me? But.......why?"

[number5theboy]

Same anon here!! Hi. Firstly, thank you so much for your great response, and I'm more than happy to offer up thoughts. I originally wrote a massive thing but largely I think those thoughts can be summed up by saying I think Klaus and Viktor were poorly handled characters in season 2.

For Klaus, there was compelling story there, but it felt disconnected from the Klaus we saw at the end of season 1 and because Klaus' story is the least prominent of any sibling in season 2, there doesn't feel like there's much depth or complexity going into the writing of Klaus. If they wanted him to be the sibling to take a backseat, it would've been better to have his story directly connect to being a soldier. Anti war protester overwhelmed by the amount of ghosts that like what he has to say, rather than just being treated as comic relief.

And Viktor's amnesia felt like it only impacted Luther's development. It leaves Viktor's arc uninteresting because he's not really getting to grow after season 1, it flattens his complexity out. Could've been good if more of the siblings interacted with each other/had been together the whole time and got to react to a Viktor who doesn't remember anything, but they didn't do much with it. Doesn't help he's still such a large character and has such a big chunk of screen time but never knows what's going on.

Hopefully this wasn't too long, but I think those two are the ones who stand out to me as the most confusingly written in s2, probably because their s1 arcs had them both change and grow so much, but tua wanted to keep some kind of status quo.

Hi, welcome back, Anon, we are completely on the same page here. I literally typed out that I thought that Klaus and Viktor got the shaft in my original answer, but then I thought I'd hear your thoughts first and then add mine, and turns out, not much to add, I am 100% with you.

With Klaus, I am split, because I like the storyline with Dave, I think that builds well on S1 and his assertion that Dave was the only person he ever truly loved, more than himself, more than his own chance of meeting and falling in love with him. On the other hand, the cult storyline feels like it was in there because someone was like 'hey wouldn't it be groovy if Klaus had a cult?' in the first draft meeting, and that's the extent of thinking that went into that. It's such a pointless, unfunny storyline with no lasting impact on anything and no thought into the real-life implications of cults and the weight of that word. It's just. They could've done anything else there and it almost certainly would've been better. I love the idea of him being involved in anti-war-protests and how the ghosts would play into that, it's a good one.

And I basically hate the decision to give Viktor amnesia, it's such a boring cop-out to absolve him of any and all responsibility of the things he did in S1 (which then beautifully comes back to bite the writers in the butt in S3). They wanted to fasttrack Viktor being integrated into the family without having to actually deal with the baggage of what that would entail. It somehow writes out the siblings out of a storyline that the ending of S1 literally could not have been more clear about them being involved in. Sidenote: the way S2 butchers and misinterprets Five's comment about Viktor always being the bomb genuinely pisses me off to this day, the way it's used in S2 is so stupid and so much less nuanced than what it meant in the S1 finale, it frustrates me so. They really had a character coming down from a lifetime of being drugged against their will and immediately settled him with amnesia so that any interactions with his siblings prior to like. Episode 9 has no real meaning. I would love to see a version of S2 where a) Viktor has his memories and b) since Luther was holding him, they were never split up. That would have been, in my opinion, the most compelling way to start them off.

No worries about length, Anon, I completely agree with your assessment that the show did not really wanted to move on from a certain status quo for these characters.

[darkshadows713]

How does homestuck hold up overall? I’ve been lowkey wanting to reread it but I’m afraid it won’t be as good as I remember. Nostalgia is a powerful thing

I have very indiscriminate taste when it comes to media. It's very uncommon for me to enter a narrative and go "Wow, I don't like this." So I wouldn't really trust my taste in media very much if I were you.

That being said. I am rather enjoying myself!!!

- The nostalgia is plus, of course, and I keep remembering convos I had with friends about certain moments, text posts, fanart etc with fondness. I still think I would enjoy Homestuck without the nostalgia but it's definitely a plus factor.

- I'm enjoying piecing together foreshadowing and running gags and self-referencial humor that I either never caught the first time or forgot about, as well as cultural references I never got before. The text doesn't take itself too seriously either and fourth wall jokes are just really fun to me.

- The tragedy elements of how you KNOW things could've happened differently and pain could've been avoided, but at the same time it could not have been avoided at all because while a different choice would've easily changed everything, you KNOW that character would NEVER have made that choice.

- Growing up is hard and no one understands ): This adventure kind of hits different as an adult. I don't think I ever wrote it down but occasionally I'll have moments of remembering they're still just kids, they were 13 when I was 13 but they're still 13 now that I'm an adult, and they're dealing with dead parents, dead friends, ending of the world etc on top of everything that sucks about being 13.

- Another part of the perspective of an adult reading homestuck is like. I don't really know how to put the feeling into words but just like as an example, when I was 13 I thought Bro was So Fucking Cool. I was like Damn I Wish I Had A Cool Bro Like That!!! And now I'm like, wow, I really wish I could call CPS on that guy!!!!! The narrative Does explore him being abusive and how that makes Dave's grieving/not grieving process complex, but when I was 13 I was blind to that.

- There Are parts that don't age well. There are a couple times John uses a laptop with Bill Cosby's face on it and makes comments about him being like a loveable dad character or whatever and I cringe every time. The use of the r slur is far, far more frequent than I remember. There are moments of objectification and other common displays of misogyny but it's honestly not as bad as almost all other run-of-the-mill media even today. There is a nearly 50/50 split of female characters to male characters, and female characters have developed personalities, aren't all sexualized, have agency and speaking roles, etc.

- The music is So Baller. I had forgotten how Baller the music is.

If you want to reread, I would recommend downloading a Flash-enabled browser (Brave and Pale Moon, of the top of my head, are flash enabled still) and switching to that occasionally. Everything has been transformed to video files, so you can read the whole thing on your phone now, but I don't think videos do the interactive bits justice, and viewing those panels on a Flash-enabled browser automatically renders them interactive again. Readmspa.org has good walkthroughs to make sure you don't miss Easter eggs in any of them.