#dumb 13 year old me's logic was wild ]

[ivyial]

I'm shocked that Leshley/Eagleone is classified as a "rare pair".... like... the potential these two have. It's one of the rare (ironically) ships where both parties could end up genuinely happy together, despite horrific circumstances lmao. Why in the world isn't it more popular? Simple answer? People have no taste and can't read between lines. 😤

(omg my first ask thank u ily)

no cause exactly. i tweeted something similar a few months ago about how people go wild for disney fairytales but not this. especially since at the time, the new little mermaid movie had just come out and everyone on twitter was losing their minds over it. people love a good fairytale, so it's surprising that leshley/eagleone gets this much hate. like the reply to the tweet said, it's probably a matter of other shippers not wanting to change their mind because unfortunately, people are very intense when it comes to ships!! you either have to be all in or fuck off, which to me sounds like a ridiculous way to approach shipping in media. so that's the first reason why, and arguably a dumb one too, because when it comes to franchises that are not going to give you romance outright, like RE, there is no need to invest this much energy into a ship. it's not like there is a ship war to be won, at least not in my eyes.

the second reason is the whole age gap thing. since the loudest part of fandoms is populated by literal teenagers who apply high school logic to both fiction and real life adult situations and a teenager thinks it is wrong for a 14 year old to date an 18 year old (and they'd be right, because age gaps matter greatly as a teenager, due to puberty and the various experiences you either get or do not get at a certain age), they automatically think that any and all age gaps between adults are wrong. UNLESS it's people who are their parents' age. i've seen it happen a lot on tiktok, where kids would be like "you can't ship them, they have a 7 year age gap" and someone would inevitably reply "but my mom is 35 and my dad is 42". so they'd be forced to acknowledge that "yeah, but it's different in your case, they're old enough" (???) because you're not gonna tell a stranger online that their parents' relationship is "morally wrong" (though, honestly, i wouldn't be surprised if someone did).

teenagers, as well as teenagers fresh out of high school, are convinced that your early twenties are the direct follow-up to your high school experience. that is straight-up not true. as soon as you get to 20, everyone you know will be in radically different places in life. i mean, i have friends who are already engaged, some who have never been in a relationship, and i know someone from high school who had a child at 19 and got married right after. to them, maturity can only be gained much later in life, like in your thirties, because their parents are around that age, or because that's when people start to have kids these days. maybe i'm wrong. but that's how i see it.

and that's when they start to resort to the sibling coded thing lmao. and if you look at tweets or tiktoks about leon and ashley's dynamic (not framed in a romantic manner), everyone will go out of their way in the comments to make sure that it's known that THEY VIEW THEM AS SIBLINGS GUYS. like the average reply will be "THEY'RE SO SIBLINGS" or "MY FAVOURITE SIBLINGS" which makes me throw up in my mouth a little. like okay, we get it. you don't ship them and you think no one should either. no need to be flamboyant about it.

and then as you mentioned, there's also the fact that people can't read between the lines, or maybe they don't want to. when i played RE4R, i didn't pay attention to leon and ashley that much because i was too focused on the game itself hahahaha. my primary takeaway was that they had a great, supportive dynamic, and then i'd noticed a few moments like ashley flirting with leon about the armour, or leon's fingers trailing down ashley's arm for no reason on the bed in chapter 13, or leon's weirdly boyish and bashful tone when he says "can you make it down? i can catch you" (seriously. he tried to make this into an incentive and i'm not sure who it benefitted more, him or ashley). after seeing some eagleone content and analyses, i was like hang on a sec... there is something there. i will admit that i personally suck at flirting, or at recognising it for that matter, unless i try really hard. i mean, a guy once tried to get my number with a magic trick, and my only response was that he didn't logically need my number to tell me what my card was, and he could tell me right there and the trick would be the same. like no shit girl. you're fucking dense LMAO. but that's just a me thing. when you really start paying attention, leon and ashley's flirting gets pretty obvious.

i've also seen people argue that ashley's crush on leon is "innocent" and she just views him as a hero so that's why she thinks she likes him. you know, because a 20-year-old woman can't make decisions for herself. she doesn't know any better. obvious sarcasm. in wanting to protect (young) women, people are starting to shelter them to the point where we're going backwards towards (male) guardianship.

so so sorry this ended up being longer than i thought help

[living-is-hard-with-eyes-open]

So...

INTRODUCTION

I’m fully aware this was properly tagged. I usually don’t go looking for drama, even if everyone knows this fandom is full of shit and wild takes and factions, but today I was bored and my soul left my body when i read this. So sue me i guess. 

Being a Dany fan, I’m used to seeing takes saying she is Devil incarnate and fuck the slaves, long live the slavers because ThE EcOnOMy and SHE HERSELF killed every 13 years old in Astapor. 

I hate it, but after that shitshow and the way people like to rewrite history to make themselves think they were right all the time, i kind of get why this happens, even if I have no doubt all these takes are plain dumb. No, the only character in this fucking books who is fighting slavery is not the ultimate villain. Period. 

THE TRIDENT

But back to Arya and the post above... why do people have this tendency to rewrite the Trident Incident so much? Because it paints Sansa in a bad light? Sansa is 11. She is allowed to fuck things up, she is not a monster for the way she acts, but that doesn’t negate the fact that Lady being killed was not a “consequence” of Arya’s disrespect for the same “rules” Sansa understands so good. 

Because if the law says you have to stand by while a child prince mutilates another child, well, the law is fucked up and you should not follow it. Law is not the same as Justice. 

Arya did not say “fuck you” to royalty. Arya tried to defend his friend, who was being hurt, and was brave and right to do so. Arya saw something wrong happening, and tried to help; Sansa saw the same, and stood by. Again, this is not Sansa hate, she is a child, she is scared, she wants to be in good terms with his future husband, you know the rest. But that doesn’t negate what happened. These are facts. 

And what happened was not Arya’s fault: Sansa decided to spend her day with Joffrey; Arya decided to have fun with Mycah. Neither of these things are wrong: It was Joffrey who escalated things, because he is, well, Joffrey. 

Arya did nothing wrong. Are you seriously implying she was rebelling against the regime when defending Micah???? Was then Sansa a Traitor to her family when she run to tell Cersei about Ned’s plan??? Or can we all agree these are all children, and REBELLING AGAINST THE CROWN is not... the best way to describe Arya’s conduct in this scene??

THE WOLVES

So, the post above (and others) seems to imply Lady died because Arya drove Nymeria away, so Lady’s death is Arya’s fault. This is wrong for so many reasons: 

- Arya is not Cassandra. She has no way of knowing Cersei is going to order Lady’s death instead on Nymeria’s, because...

- ... Cersei’s orders are impulsive, irrational, and difficult to predict, because they have no basis in logic;

- It’s Robert pride that “forces” him to attend Cersei’s petition; because again, it’s not a reasonable thing to ask. 

- Hate to say it, but there is a good chance that if Sansa had told the truth, Robert would have been so embarrassed by Joffrey’s actions that he might not have had Lady killed. This is giving Bobby B some credit, and I’m not 100% sure I’m right in this because Robert sucks, but it is a possibility. 

MYCAH

Arya is not responsible for Mycah’s death, because a noble child of 9 has no way of anticipate that her playing with a butcher’s son is going to lead to his death. Again, Arya is not Cassandra??? 

Also, have we all forgotten that Arya was on the run too, and if Jaime have gotten to her first she would be at worst killed and at best maimed? Would OP be happy in this case, because then Arya would have suffered ThE COnSeQuENcEs Of HeR TErrIBlE cRiMeS (playing with another child) properly???

RECOGNIZING PRIVILEGE

“If you think she’ll realize her privilege, just like Jon...“ Tell me how Arya’s privilege has helped her from the moment she fled the Red Keep. Go ahead. Make a list. I’ll wait here. 

Now think about what would be Jon’s place in the Wall if he was not known as Ned’s son. I love Jon’s moment of realization in AGOT, it’s a good character moment, but his arc is intrinsecally linked to being Ned’s bastard; he would not be where he is (well he is dead at this point, but you know what i’m trying to say) without the privilege that comes with his Stark blood.  Jon needs to acknowledge his privilege because it is part of his story in a way Arya’s arc is not. 

Also... why is so important Arya realizes how privileged she is? Does Sansa needs to do it as well, or is she exempt because reasons? Or was OP trying to say that Arya needs to be aware of her position and act according to it, because the system they live in is so good it needs to be protected by never leaving the box society has put you in, and then everything will be great? 

Because even Sansa realizes this is bullshit, like in a second book. Try learning something of your fave, at least, i beg you. 

To sum up, privilege my ass. 

“SHE WAS ALWAYS FUCKED UP”

This part is for another post, if I’m in the right mood, because i’m getting angrier and I prefer when my sentences make sense. 

[theyapper0]

Amphibia season 1 rewatch + notes :)

So I just finished rewatching the ENTIRE season 1 of Amphibia and I have some notes on the episodes that stood out to me! There are some quick notes, a couple lengthy analyses and even some headcanons sprinkled in! It's like a written stew of season 1! I'll be doing a written Amphiba stew for season 2 too!!

It's kinda long so you could just skip this or hit the keep reading button and give it a read! 

S1: E2 Cane Crazy

Anne shows general disregard over other people's things

(Mimicking Hop Pop and breaking his cane, throwing all the wood carving things that Loggle made, even a coo coo clock that she even said was nice (And for him to say it took 20 years to make right after she broke it))

S1: E2 Flood, Sweat and Tears 

Anne would be the WORST during sleepovers and I LOVE IT!!! My girl is just being a tween, staying up late, playing would you rather and keeping everyone else up. I think that's ADORABLE and now I'm thinking about how sleepovers might've been back home with her, Sasha and Marcy… 

She also just stays up late in general?? She reads dumb magazines and eats CRUNCHY snacks. She is really just 13,,,

And it looks like Sprig does it too, not as much as Anne (probably because he is younger than her) but it seems like it has to be in his terms. Before, he looked to be annoyed with it when he was trying to sleep. But, if he was awake, like in the beginning or at the end of the episode, he had no problem staying up playing would you rather!!! 

S1: E3 Hop Luck 

Anne: Old things are dumb! 

And 

Anne:* violently GRABS Sprig and shoves him against the wall* don't you DARE talk about pineapple in my pizza… Ever…

Anne: 

Sprig: 

Anne: Okay! Let's go get these ingredients! 

HHHH ANNE!!! I love this funky little child SO MUCH!!! 

Hop Pop loves these kids so much that he was willing to put aside his old, traditional family recipes in exchange for making pizza with them. My heart is gonna explode I'm-

Anne please don't make your surrogate frog brother get married just to get some pizza dough I'M BEGGING YOU-

S1: E3 Stakeout 

Hop Pop: I'm a crisp 68!

Is Hop Pop actually 68 or does he mean more of 68 going on 80 68? Either way he looks great! 

Anne has Blam Berry Blitz ("the drink that punches you in the face and doesn't stop") in her bag along with all the OTHER stuff we already saw (air pump, toe nail clipper, pencils, cat toys, bath bombs, etc)

Anne is officially those friends that have EVERYTHING in their bag no matter what. 

I really like the relationship between Anne and Hop Pop, how they both in some way yearn for what was but in different ways (Anne wanting to go home and Hop Pop's olden ways when he was a little pollywog) but are still similar in how they try to remember. They try and try and try to keep what little family/friends they have safe and protected. They love the relationships they've formed with other people (And with each other) and would go great lengths to help and protect them!

Also I MAY be looking way too into it buuuut was Boulder-Tron (that rock dude that Polly hallucinated at the end) supposed to foreshadow Frobo??

S1: E4 Taking Charge 

Okay quick one, Anne nearly having a whole ass panic attack when her phone dies because she couldn't look at her photos or videos of home actually made me sad. This girl is only a CHILD and her entire home and everything is gone and she for real thought she couldn't ever get it back,,, 

Hop Pop: I mean, the part where the island itself is revealed to actually be…!

Sprig: No! 

Polly: Don't!

Anne: Spoilers 

I dunno why and again, I MIGHT BE LOOKING TOO DEEPLY INTO THIS, but maybe this is foreshadowing something with the land of Amphibia? That maybe there is more to this crazy land than we know? Maybe even a reason it, along with all the other universes even exists??? 

S1: E5 Breakout Star 

AHSBWJOA ONLY EPISODE 5 AND ANNE ALREADY HAS HER PHONE'S LOCK SCREEN OF THE PLANTER FAMILY I'M-

S1: E7 Dating Season 

Anne said that ⅔ of ALL soul mates start out as "just friends" 

…

I'm looking at you, team Sashannarcy 

S1: E7 Anne vs. Wild 

Hop Pop's behavior at the end of the episode when Anne finally shows them the calamity box is awfully sus…

He doesn't say anything but "may I?" To inspect the box and then is like "Nope, never seen it" I just feel like he knows something and then adding onto it with the whole burying it to protect his family just sounds like… he definitely knows something, maybe not a lot but there is something he's not telling the others 

Also, why would a book that HE has have information on the Calamity box?? 

(I fully support the Dr. P was a Planter and also possibly the pink frog who was friends with King Andrias theory)

S1: E10 Toad Tax 

At this point, Anne said that she has already been in Amphibia for over a month now. 

(And damn, Sasha's been in prison for like a month,,, yikes)

Also Hop Pop teaching Anne how to pay taxes is so adorable, she really is part of this family now guys,,,

And I love how Anne was able to win over the Wartwood people by being her natural, charming and not to mention caring self. Anne, like Marcy and Sasha, can be selfish because honestly what kid, especially a 13 year old, isn't. 

But what matters is that she always tries to make up for it. 

Yes she did join the arguably sketchy toads into getting the taxes from everyone in order to feel somewhat included in ANYTHING, but while she was doing it, she knew it was wrong. Anne knew it was wrong and tried to give back some of the stolen stuff. Hell, even at the end she risked her safety to protect people she felt didn't even LIKE her, like, Anne literally broke her arm from them because that's just how Anne is. 

S1: E10 Prison Break 

I always forget how like,,, SUPER cunning Sasha is. I mean, she was able to talk FIVE toads into quitting within a WEEK as a PRISONER. Like?? 

Grime: That's not a bird. It's a heron, a murderous predator that happens to love the taste of flesh 

Sasha: Cute 

The lines in this show I'M-

So Anne was a varsity tennis player and Sasha was a cheerleader and did Tai Chi. I still can't believe they were both jocks,,, 

(Well, Sasha I get but Anne? Sweet ol' lil baby with the lanky limbs Anne???) 

Hey um, why the FUCK does Grime have acid spit?

Sasha: *looking at photo of her, Anne, and Marcy* Hold on for a little longer, girls. I'm coming for you. And when I find you, we're gonna get home. But first, I think we're gonna have some fun with this place 

Okay so this line right here. Now I may not be even remotely correct but this line, this last piece of dialogue spoken by Sasha right before the episode ends leads me to believe that she… doesn't take this world seriously. 

At least not yet. 

I think the 3 girls all see Amphibia differently: Anne as more of an obstacle, a wall preventing her from being home, Marcy sees it as an escape from her life with constant stimuli, and Sasha, she sees it as just really another thing to control. Everyone and their mothers know that Sasha can be a little more than controlling and we all know that she liked being lieutenant just a little too much. 

This world is interesting to Sasha, not in the interesting that Anne sees it (who is interesting in the new people and the relationships she's formed) or Marcy (who is also interested in the relationships she's formed along with the thirst for knowledge and again, the constant stimuli in an environment where she isn't stifled and allowed to flourish). 

No, Sasha sees Amphibia as interesting because it gives her something to control. In a world that is not your own, a world that you will leave eventually, who would actually FOLLOW the rules put in place there? Especially a 13 year old who is basically like a war commander who, even if she does do something wrong or breaks a rule or two, the only person who might even dare to stop her is Grime, and even then, he might just encourage it because it is season 1 and they aren't that close and he doesn't really care for Sasha at this point. 

She also is actually very logical. Everything she does in Amphibia, all the morally questionable things she does, it is always for the same reason (or at least at first), to get her and her girls home. Wanting to sacrifice and kill Hop Pop at the end of season 1? Well The toads had promised if she helped, they'll help her find Marcy and bring the 3 of them home. She cares for Anne and Marcy SO MUCH that she is willing to go great lengths to help keep them safe. 

But even though Sasha didn't really care about anyone in Amphibia besides Anne and Marcy at first, it doesn't mean she won't ever. We see countless times throughout season 2 of Sasha caring. She feels regret with her impending betrayal on Anne and Marcy, she cares enough to try and warn Anne about King Andrias' evil plans. Hell, even in the season 3 intro we see her and Grime at Wartwood and it looks like they're gonna be starting another rebellion against the king to help all the amphibians in Amphibia. 

I just really like watching Sasha's appearance and knowing what will happen in the future with her character. 

S1: E13 Trip to the Archives 

Anne: I get this place. It's like a library from my world. Zoo books and manga, here I come! 

So whenever Anne goes to the library, presumably with Sasha and Marcy, she'd go straight to books on animals and manga probably while Marcy did whatever work they needed (if Anne's dialogue in season 2 with Marcy always doing the work for their group projects was anything to go off on)

I dunno, I think that's kinda cute that Anne liked reading books on animals and probably reading all the manga that Marcy recommended. 

Maybe Anne and Sasha would sit right next to each other while Marcy worked and read fun manga together and cackle with each other while Marcy tried SO HARD to concentrate and NOT infodump to them because she's read that specific manga 20 times and HAVE YOU GOTTEN TO THAT ONE PART WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTER GOES- 

S1: E15 Wally and Anne

MOSS MAN!! 

When Anne wakes up in the middle of the night and goes to grab Wally at town square, her hood is up and it's dark. The only thing we can make out of her face are…

Glowing blue eyes.

Glowing eyes that share an uncanny resemblance to the moss men.

And Anne loves doing elaborate, silly handshakes? That's so CUTE! Too bad none of her friends liked them as much as she did :( 

When they finally reached the foggy mountain place, Anne noticed glowing blue butterflies and started to follow them, which led her right to the moss man.

WAIT ANNE ALSO DID ROCK CLIMBING BACK HOME?? FUCKING JOCK!!!

S1 E20 Reunion 

Okay I WAS about to say that there wasn't anything to say about this last episode that hasn't already been said before BUT

The last couple moments, when Anne is holding Sasha off the cliff and trying to pull her up with the Planters, there's a couple interesting shots that I would like to talk about. 

While the Planters were holding onto Anne, they say things like "Hang on, Anne! We got you no matter what!" 

And even when the stone cliff starts to chip and break, none of the frogs back off, they don't loosen their grips, they just keep holding onto Anne. 

And they will never let go. 

Because they love her. Because in only 3 months, Anne was able to get a surrogate frog family and dozens of other frog friends in Wortwood. Because Anne has this amazing support system both literally and metaphorically. Because Anne is Anne. And Sasha...

Isn't like Anne. 

Matt Bradly himself even said that both Sasha and Anne are different from Anne, Anne is the heart, the emotional connection in their logical worlds. Anne can make so many friends so easily and Sasha… Sasha became a war genral, she lost a fight against the one person who she thought would never fight back. 

Sasha doesn't have what Anne has. She doesn't have the kind of skills to make such strong relationships, the kind where you risk your life for the other, in such a short amount of time. 

Hell, they even play a song called "Lean on Me", Anne has people to lean on and they would lean on her just the same. She found these people, made these friends, formed amazing relationships, in only THREE months. 

"Maybe you're better off without me"

And Sasha was only dragging her down. 

Sasha loves Anne, she cares for her and would do anything to protect her. That's why she let go. She didn't want to drag Anne down, to hurt her more than she already has. 

Sasha would do anything for Anne, even die. 

Over all notes: 

Season 1 is SUPER FUNNY!! The lines hit and they don't rely on toilet humor to get the audience to laugh. They use great one liners and physical humor that isn't fart or butt jokes. They do an excellent job on showing how crazy the world of Amphibia is through humor like how the animals are always eating each other. 

I really like how the characters were crafted so carefully! And the storyline!!! You could notice things that get explored in season 2 and I can't WAIT to see how many bread crumbs were left to lead up to season 3!

HOW DOES ANNE KEEP SO MANY THINGS IN HER BOOK BAG??? 

That stuff is in her SCHOOL BAG, why would she bring it to school??? So far I've got an air pump, toe nail clippers, pencils, cat toys, bath bombs and an energy drink. WHY??? I wonder if she held on to any of Sasha or Marcy's things too or ever forgot to give them back

Also again, I'M STILL IN SHOCK OF ANNE BEING A JOCK. I don't even know why I am, I knew she played sports and stuff it's just,,, she's so lanky,,, 

Her and Sasha are jock buddies and WILL shove other jocks in lockers if they ever pick on their nerd Marcy.

I also am in LOVE with Hop Pop's screams lmao

Be ready for an analysis of season 2! 

[drunkenraccoons]

Top 248 Songs

1. Mary Jane’s Last Dance - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

2. Cowgirl in the Sand - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

3. Caught in the Hustle - Immortal Technique

4. Hand in My Pocket - Alanis Morissette

5. Pulse - Ani DiFranco

6. Dogs - Pink Floyd

7. When the Music’s Over - The Doors

8. Eet - Regina Spektor

9. Providence - Ani DiFranco

10. Change Your Mind - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

11. It’s Good to Be King [Live Anthology] - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

12. Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan

13. Pigs - Pink Floyd

14. We R Who We R - Kesha

15. No Title - Ten Years After

16. Ribs - Lorde

17. Guns, Bitches, Brawls & Bottles - GG Allin

18. 2 On - Tinashe

19. The She - The Breeders

20. Raining Blood - Slayer

21. Cortez the Killer - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

22. Since I’ve Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin

23. Like a Hurricane [Weld] - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

24. Angie - The Rolling Stones

25. Darkness Darkness - Robert Plant

26. Nuthin but a ‘G’ Thang - Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg

27. Wake Up Time - Tom Petty

28. Complicated - Avril Lavigne

29. Det som Engang Var - Burzum

30. Ride the Lightning - Metallica

31. Cloud Blood - Ani DiFranco

32. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright - Bob Dylan

33. The Next Episode - Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg

34. Ghost of the Gang - Indigo Girls

35. New Ways to Fly - Garth Brooks

36. Bleed the Freak - Alice In Chains

37. Walls (No. 3) - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

38. Roadhouse Blues - The Doors

39. Sister Morphine - Rolling Stones

40. Serpentine - Ani DiFranco

41. Oedipus - Regina Spektor

42. LA Woman - The Doors

43. My Journey to the Stars - Burzum

44. Addicted - DJ Clay

45. The Final Cut - Pink Floyd

46. The Wrong Thing to Do - Mudcrutch

47. Soft Shoulder - Ani DiFranco

48. Simple Twist of Fate - Bob Dylan

49. Like an Inca - Neil Young

50. Jesus’ Todd - Burzum

51. Limehouse - The Breeders

52. Untouchable - Taylor Swift

53. Turn it Off - Paramore

54. The Last Supper - Jesus Christ Superstar

55. None Shall Pass - Aesop Rock

56. November Hotel (Live) - Mad Season

57. Signs of Age - Jake Holmes

58. Will to Love - Neil Young

59. Seek & Destroy - Metallica

60. I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes [Recorded Live] - Ten Years After

61. Tik Tok (Untold Remix) - Kesha

62. Forever & Always (Piano Version) - Taylor Swift

63. You Don’t Know How it Feels [Mojo 2010] - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

64. Dilate - Ani DiFranco

65. Rockin’ in the Free World - Neil Young

66. Breakdown [Live Anthology] - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

67. Two Suns in the Sunset - Pink Floyd

68. What’s Been Going On? - Amos Lee

69. There is a Light that Never Goes Out - Becca Stevens Band

70. Almost Cut my Hair - CSNY

71. What’s Up? - 4 Non Blondes

72. There Was Never a Moment When Evil Was Real - Non

73. Only God Can Judge Me - Tupac

74. Benighted - Opeth

75. Cliff - Lapsley

76. Tired Eyes - Neil Young

77. Forgot About Dre - Dr. Dre & Eminem

78. Time - Pink Floyd

79. Lost on You - LP

80. If it Makes You Happy - Sheryl Crow

81. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani

82. Cause of Death - Immortal Technique

83. Two-Headed Boy pt 2 - Neutral Milk Hotel

84. No Quarter [Song Remains the Same] - Led Zeppelin

85. Rockets - Cat Power

86. Out of Range- Ani DiFranco

87. Dumb - Nirvana

88. Sins of My Youth - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

89. All Weekend Long - Jack & Jack

90. Break My Body - Pixies

91. Thrasher - Neil Young

92. Closer (R3hab Remix) - The Chainsmokers

93. In the Kingdom Where Everything Dies, The Sky is Mort - Cryptopsy

94. Dead Flowers - Rolling Stones

95. Pavlov’s Daughter - Regina Spektor

96. Morgen Roede - Burzum

97. Suicide Note part 2 - Pantera

98. God Am - Alice In Chains

99. Five to One - The Doors

100. Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks

101. Careful - Paramore

102. Seasons in the Abyss - Slayer

103. Fearless - Hypocrisy

104. Through My Sails - Neil Young

105. Long Gone Day - Mad Season

106. Dance With the Devil - Immortal Technique

107. The Outside - Taylor Swift

108. Crazy Kids - Kesha

109. Opened - The Breeders

110. We Die Young - Alice In Chains

111. Somedays - Regina Spektor

112. Masters of War - Bob Dylan

113. War - Burzum

114. The Nile Song - Pink Floyd

115. A Woman in Love [Live Anthology] - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

116. Misfits - Neil Young

117. Down By the River - Low & Dirty Three

118. High Hopes - Pink Floyd

119. Paper Planes - MIA

120. Night Moves - Bob Seger

121. I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb Remix) - Mike Posner

122. No Sleep - Wiz Khalifa

123. Still Don’t Give a Fuck - Eminem

124. Long, Long Time Ago - Javier Navarrete

125. You are Not Bliss, You Are Not Free - Nekrasov

126. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter - Nirvana

127. I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here - David Crosby

128. Party and Bullshit - Notorious B.I.G.

129. Bandit - Neil Young

130. Beast of Burden - Rolling Stones

131. Painter - Lapsley

132. Redemption Song - Bob Marley

133. Shine On You Crazy Diamond part one - Pink Floyd

134. Gotta Serve Somebody - Bob Dylan

135. In the Light [Demo version] - Led Zeppelin

136. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix Experience

137. When I Die - GG Allin

138. Pints of Guinness Make You Strong - Against Me!

139. Interstellar Overdrive - Pink Floyd

140. The Old Laughing Lady [Canterburry House] - Neil Young

141. Strength Beyond Strength - Pantera

142. You Know You’re Right - Nirvana

143. Five Years - David Bowie

144. Because the Night - Patti Smith Group

145. Crawling Back to You - Tom Petty

146. Northern Star - Hole

147. Long Live - Taylor Swift

148. Trying to find a Balance - Atmosphere

149. Southern Man - Neil Young

150. Party By Myself - Cooper Phillip

151. Christmas in the Sand - Colbie Callait

152. Cool for the Summer - Demi Lovato

153. Sentimental Tune - Tegan & Sara

154. Jump in the Fire - Metallica

155. Chains - Torres

156. Willing to Fight [Living in Clip] - Ani DiFranco

157. Tuff Ghost - The Unicorns

158. Of a Lifetime - Journey

159. Heaven on Their Minds - Jesus Christ Superstar

160. Obnoxious - Immortal Technique

161. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen

162. Witching Hour - xxyyxx

163. Wolves - Garth Brooks

164. Carry On/Questions - CSNY

165. Levitate Me - Pixies

166. Rotten Apple - Alice In Chains

167. Summer in the City - Regina Spektor

168. It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleedin’) - Bob Dylan

169. King’s Highway [Mojo 2010] - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

170. Heartbreaker [How the West Was Won] - Led Zeppelin

171. Meet Rhonda - Douglas Pipes

172. Out on the Weekend - Neil Young

173. Near Dark - Burial

174. Aud Layne Sayne - Jimi Hendrix

175. Back of My Hand - Rolling Stones

176. Blank Space - Taylor Swift

177. Cymbaline - Pink Floyd

178. Animal (Billboard Remix) - Kesha

179. 4:41 AM (Sexual Revolution) - Roger Waters

180. Wild Horses [Stripped] - Rolling Stones

181. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

182. Have a Cigar - Pink Floyd

183. Cradle and All - Ani DiFranco

184. I Should Have Known It - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

185. King of Carrot Flowers pt 1 - Neutral Milk Hotel

186. Hard Sun - Eddie Vedder

187. Fuckin’ Up [Weld] - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

188. The River - Bruce Springsteen

189. Maria Maria - Santana

190. Wake Up - Wiz Khalifa

191. Meander - Pedestrian Deposit

192. 4+20 - Stephen Stills

193. Buzzcut Season - Lorde

194. Going to California - Led Zeppelin

195. Rock Music - Pixies

196. Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen

197. Legalize It - MaZe

198. Warrior - Kesha

199. Never Been - Logic

200. Weakness - Opeth

201. Glass House (Turkey Tamale Remix) - Ani DiFranco

202. Joining You - Alanis Morissette

203. Black Queen [CSNY 1974] - CSNY

204. Falling Short - Lapsley

205. A Better Son/Daughter - Rilo Kiley

206. Mr. Rager - Kid Cudi

207. Drive By - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

208. Holla at Me - Tupac

209. Fossil Record - White Suns

210. Overlap - Ani DiFranco

211. We Multiply - AIDS Wolf

212. Soak up the Sun - Sheryl Crow

213. Heart of the Sunrise - Yes

214. Cowgirl in the Sand [Massey Hall] - Neil Young

215. Wake Up - Mad Season

216. Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan

217. The Con - Tegan & Sara

218. Teardrops on My Guitar (Pop Mix) - Taylor Swift

219. On the Radio - Regina Spektor

220. Nude as the News - Cat Power

221. The Gunner’s Dream - Pink Floyd

222. Fate to Fatal - Breeders

223. Red Strokes - Garth Brooks

224. Point of no Return - Immortal Technique

225. Break on Through - The Doors

226. I’m Alive - Helloween

227. Blackened - Metallica

228. Immigrant Song [How the West Was Won] - Led Zeppelin

229. Luna - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

230. Anyday - Ani DiFranco

231. Sweet Virginia - Rolling Stones

232. I Know Places - Ryan Adams

233. Carrionshine - Cryptopsy

234. Money Becomes King - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

235. Laugh, I Nearly Died - Rolling Stones

236. Keilohesten - Burzum

237. Down by the River - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

238. Revolution is My Name - Pantera

239. D-7 - Nirvana

240. Dead - Pixies

241. Misery Business - Paramore

242. Burden - Opeth

243. Enter Sandman - Metallica

244. Clash With Reality - Pantera

245. Die Young - Kesha

246. Frogs - Alice In Chains

247. The Ghost Song - The Doors

248. Visions of Johanna - Bob Dylan

[fallintosanity]

four dudes on a camping trip with very limited funds, sharing tents, campers, and hotel rooms, is gonna lead to some Awkward(tm) situations

those situations are a lot funnier ten years later when you’re telling the story to someone else

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14, part 15, part 16

By the time they got to the little metal shed, Prompto was sweating under his borrowed wool mantle, and he was pretty sure he was starting to get a sunburn. Or heatstroke. His head ached from the heat and his throat was painfully dry, and he reached for the door of the shed, hoping to get inside and away from the relentless sun. 

But Future Prompto beat him to it, catching him by the shoulder and pulling him away. “Hang on,” he said, then banged hard on the metal wall beside the door. The sound rang across the desert and Prompto flinched, but his future self leaned in closer, his eyes unfocusing as he listened for something inside. Finally Future Prompto nodded, mostly to himself, and shoved open the door. “C’mon.”

“What was that about?” Prompto asked as he followed his adult self into the shed. The interior was dark after the unforgiving glare of the desert sun; the only light came from the sunlight leaking around the edges of the door and through a single dirt-crusted skylight in the middle of the ceiling. Squinting, he could just make out a hand pump in one corner and a narrow pipe on the wall behind it, capped with a calcium-encrusted showerhead. The floor was hard concrete, slanted unevenly inward to a rusted drain in the center. 

“Voretooths,” Future Prompto said. He pointed up toward the ceiling, to uneven gaps where the metal walls didn’t quite connect with the slanted roof. “I’ve never been sure if those holes are supposed to be for ventilation or if it’s just bad construction, but voretooths can sometimes wiggle through ‘em. They can smell the water in here. But once they’re in, they’re too dumb to get back out. Learned that the hard way the first time I opened the door and got jumped.” 

He grinned, as though getting jumped by freaking wild animals was amusing. Prompto stared at him. His future self’s grin widened and he thumped Prompto lightly on the shoulder. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Really.” 

Prompto glared at him. “Getting mauled by voretooths isn’t bad?” 

Future Prompto made fingerguns and mimed shooting something in the face, then blew imaginary smoke from his fingertips. “Don’t worry,” he said lightly. “You’ll get used to it.” 

Prompto was still trying to come up with a response to that which wasn’t sputtering indignation or screaming horror - really? Get used to being attacked by monsters? - when his future self squatted beside the hand pump and gave it a cursory once-over. “Good to go,” he pronounced. “I’ll take first shower, unless you want it. First has better water pressure, second’s usually cooler ‘cause the water’s coming up from deeper.” 

“Sure,” Prompto said. Cooler water sounded great. He’d been hoping for some relief from the heat inside the shed, but while they were out of the direct sunlight, it somehow felt even hotter inside. The air was heavy and still, difficult to draw into his lungs, and sweat was pooling in all the hollows of his bones. At least outside there’d been a light breeze to draw the heat away from his skin.

Future Prompto started working the pump, throwing his whole body into the first few motions until water began spurting from the faucet and the handle started to move on its own as the water pressure took over. When the stream had steadied into a constant flow, Future Prompto fiddled with a couple of turn handles on the side, and the flow diverted from the pump faucet up to the showerhead on the wall, spraying the center of the shed with water. Prompto hopped back out of range, while his future self stripped off his Kingsglaive jacket, gloves, and vest, plus the black undershirt beneath. Without bothering to remove his pants or boots, Future Prompto leaned forward into the spray, eyes closed against the water. 

Prompto took the moment to study his adult self. Lean muscle rippled through his shoulders and arms, under skin even more sickly pale than that of his face. Scars marked his torso: a thin line along the top of his right shoulder; four jagged parallel lines that were obviously and horrifyingly claw marks curving around his left hip to vanish beneath the waistband of his pants; and a single round scar, roughly the size of a grape, just under his left shoulder blade. Without the gloves and jacket, his own barcode tattoo was clearly visible on his wrist, the black ink unfading, as vivid as it had been for as long as Prompto could remember. 

“Don’t get me wrong,” Future Prompto remarked as he straightened out of the spray, shaking his head and sending water flying around the shed, “I missed the sun like fuck these last ten years, but boy did I forget how hot it gets in Leide in the daylight.” He turned to face Prompto, absently snagging his vest from where he’d draped it over the pump and using it to wipe his face dry. 

Given how scarred his back was, Prompto had half-expected to see more scars on his chest and stomach, but to his surprise there was only one: a small round rough patch on his left pec, directly opposite the grape-sized scar on his back, right over his… 

Prompto blinked, his stomach plummeting. 

Right over his future self’s heart.

The little round scar on his back wasn’t the size of a grape. It was the size of a bullet. 

“That’s…” he whispered. 

Noticing the direction of his gaze, Future Prompto glanced down at his own chest and flinched, his expression darkening. His left hand rose to wrap around his right wrist, over the barcode. “That’s how I learned never to turn my back on anyone,” he said softly. “Even people I thought were my friends.” 

He’d said earlier that everyone knew about the barcode, what it meant, but he hadn’t said someone had—Prompto’s stomach roiled and he leaned forward, curling his arms around himself as everything from the last twenty-four hours hit him in a sudden awful rush. 

Yesterday he’d been nothing more than the weird kid at school with a passion for photography, a tattoo he couldn’t explain, and the friendship of the Crown Prince. Now he’d been kidnapped by daemons, rescued, and swept outside the safety of the Wall by his future self. He’d learned he was an inhuman freak, a lab experiment meant to be turned into a daemon and harvested to power MTs. Such an empty little thing, Izunia had said last night. Prompto wasn’t a person, but an enemy weapon, something to be exterminated with a bullet to the heart. Someone had tried on his future self. Someone supposedly his friend. I’m surprised you care. There are so many more where it came from.  

The panic attack Prompto had managed to stave off last night roared back in full force and he staggered, would have fallen except his adult self caught him and held him up. He buried his face against Future Prompto’s shoulder, shaking, wanting to scream except he couldn’t get enough air. “I can’t—I’m not—I—” he gasped, and the words snapped something inside him and he wailed, “I want to go home!”    

His adult self didn’t answer, but the arms wrapped around him tightened. He didn’t need his future self to tell him he couldn’t go home, not anymore. Even if Prompto returned to his house, it wouldn’t be the same. Nothing would ever be the same again. 

They stood there for several minutes, until Prompto’s sobs eased and he was able to stand on his own again. He scrubbed an arm over his face, acutely aware of how much of a mess he was and feeling all the worse for it. Noctis would never break down like this. Ignis and Gladio would probably laugh at Prompto if they saw him right now. He’d always been worthless and this just proved it. 

Future Prompto, though, just nudged him toward the still-running shower. “Water’s safe to drink, if you want,” he said gently. 

Prompto hiccupped, nodded. Cupped his hands under the spray and splashed his face with water, then filled his palms for a drink. The water was cold on his skin, soothing to his parched throat, and he stuck his head directly into the spray and drank until he felt slightly less like a disaster.

When he came up for air, his adult self said, “It sucks. Not gonna pretend otherwise. But… there’s still a few good people out there. And Noctis needs you.” 

Prompto shuddered. “I’m not anyone,” he whispered. I’m not even human, apparently, and he didn’t have to say it; saw the thought reflected in his adult self’s eyes. “Why me?” 

Future Prompto gave a soft, strange little laugh, turning away to stare up out through the dirty skylight. “He told me once he doesn’t make time for any old loser. I guess if the Crown Prince - the King - says you’re good enough, you are. No matter what anyone else thinks.” 

Prompto opened his mouth and closed it again, not sure what to say to that. His adult self looked down again, a wry smile tugging at his mouth, and jerked his chin at the shower. “Better take that shower before the well runs dry,” he said. 

“...right,” Prompto whispered. He shivered again, not from cold - it was still baking hot in the little shed - but from all the emotions pounding beneath his skin. Pull yourself together, he thought. “Yeah, okay.” 

Blue crystals sparkled in Future Prompto’s hand, forming into a bar of soap he tossed to Prompto. “I’ll dig up some clothes, too, when you're done.”

“Thanks,” Prompto managed. He started to tug the wool mantle from his shoulders, then stopped, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. Logically, there was no reason to be embarrassed to strip down in front of his adult self - there was literally nothing about his body Future Prompto hadn't already seen. But while Prompto wasn't fat anymore, he wasn't much happier with his knobby knees and bony elbows, and still had no desire to be naked in front of anyone. He looked back at his adult self - but Future Prompto had already turned around, humming under his breath and bobbing his head as he pulled on his black undershirt. Prompto almost laughed. Of course his future self would know he was uncomfortable. 

Well, Prompto could at least try not to make a bigger inconvenience of himself than he already had. He stripped off the mantle, his borrowed boots, and then his pajama pants, draping them over the pipes as Future Prompto had done earlier, and stepped into the water. The cold felt good on his overheated skin, washing away the tears on his face and easing the puffiness of his eyes. The soap smelled harsh and utilitarian, but worked just fine, and Prompto scrubbed off the dirt and blood from last night. The bruises on his torso were already a spectacular riot of purple, black, and blue; he could clearly see the imprint of the hand of the daemon that had carried him.

He didn't want to know if there was a bruise in the shape of Ardyn Izunia’s hand on his throat.

The water pressure had faded to a trickle by the time he finished. He eyed the pump, trying to guess how to turn it off properly, but his future self saved him. “I got that,” he said. “Gotta refill the water bottles anyway, or Iggy’ll kick my ass.” He crouched beside the pump, fiddling with the dials again until the water came out of the faucet instead of the showerhead, and began filling Kingsglaive-issue bottles he pulled from the armory. 

While he did that, Prompto stepped off to the side and tried to scrape the remaining water from his body with his hands. Without a towel, it didn't work well, and eventually he gave up and just shook himself, then squeezed the water out of his hair. For a couple of seconds he almost felt cool despite the shed’s oppressive heat, as the bone-dry desert air evaporated the last of the moisture from his skin. 

“Here,” Future Prompto said, and Prompto turned to see him holding out a bundle of tan and red cloth, though he was still looking away. “They’ll be a little big, but workable. The underwear’s clean, I promise,” he added. “Trust me, you don't want to go commando in those pants in this desert. I have no idea how Gladio stands it.”

Prompto nearly dropped the clothes into the water pooled on the floor. “You—Ugh!” he sputtered. “That’s more than I ever wanted to know about Gladio. Why do you know that?!”

“We lived in each other's pockets for a few months after the Crown City fell,” his future self said with a shrug. “You learn a lot about each other doing that.”

Prompto yanked on the clothes as fast as he could, trying very hard not to think about the fact that it was someone else's underwear. Was it really someone else if that someone was him in the future? “You guys know about this thing called ‘privacy’, don’t you?” he asked.

His adult self laughed. “Oh, we know. You learn real fucking quick to knock before entering the tent or hotel room if you aren't one hundred percent positive where everyone else is. Even if you think you are one hundred percent positive.”

It took a second for Prompto to realize what he meant. “Titan’s balls, dude!” he swore. “That’s so wrong!”

Future Prompto waggled his eyebrows. “Not Titan’s balls.”

“Ew!” Prompto buried his face in his hands. “That is more than I want to know about any of them.”

“Get used to it,” Future Prompto said loftily. “You make friends with the Crown Prince and his retainers, you get to learn all about the royal… assets.”

“My future self hates me,” Prompto announced dramatically, hauling his borrowed boots back on - though the protest was somewhat weakened by the fact that Future Prompto had included socks with the bundle of clothes so Prompto wasn’t barefoot inside the combat boots anymore. “You’re trying to kill me with embarrassment.” 

“C’mon,” Future Prompto protested. “I can give you all kinds of dirt on the guys. Did you know Ignis shaves his—”

Prompto clapped his hands over his ears. “No, I don’t, and I don’t want to!” 

“You sure? It’s good blackmail material next time you want to get Iggy to go to Kenny Crow’s instead of making stew for the hundredth time—” 

“I'm leaving now,” Prompto announced. He scooped up his pajama pants and the borrowed mantle and stomped out the door without waiting for a response. “You're disgusting.” The brilliant sunlight blinded him and he flinched back before catching his balance. 

Future Prompto followed, eyes sparkling, until the sun hit his face and he actually stumbled against the doorframe. “Ow. Sunlight. Right.” He scrubbed a hand over his eyes and blinked a few times, then set out toward the haven. “Okay, here’s one that’s safer for your tender virgin ears—”

“Ugh!”

“Did you know Gladio can sing?” Future Prompto said. “And I don’t just mean carry a tune - guy has pipes. If he hadn’t decided to be Noct’s Shield he could’ve been a headliner at the Altissia Opera House.” 

“Seriously?” Prompto asked in surprise. He didn’t know Gladio all that well yet, not nearly as well as his future self clearly did. Gladio had started accompanying Noct everywhere last year, as part of taking on full-time Shield duties when he turned twenty, but stayed in the background and didn’t talk much around Prompto. Prompto’d thought it was because Gladio disapproved of the Crown Prince’s friendship with a nobody. 

“Seriously,” Future Prompto confirmed. “Get a little beer in him and he’ll break your heart with the best rendition of ‘Every Day Gone By’ from Beloved you’ve ever heard. A few years back, he was visiting Hammerhead when this group of hunters passed through. One of ‘em was an ex-opera singer, and someone talked her and Gladio into doing some fancy piece from this two hundred-year-old opera. My Altissian’s not good enough to understand the lyrics, but they sounded fucking incredible.” 

“...Okay, that’s pretty cool actually,” Prompto admitted. 

“Told ya.” His adult self grinned. “There was this other time, shit, way back in Insomnia. Probably would’ve been this summer for you. Me ‘n Noct were out at the arcade, and Gladio was tagging along ‘cause, y’know, Shield, and…” He kept talking, telling stories about first Gladio and then Ignis and Noctis as they made their way across the desert, and by the time they reached the haven, Prompto was laughing. The horrors of his origin and what had happened to his future self still sat like iron weights at the back of his thoughts, but he could face the others now without risking another breakdown.

[dyketectivecomics]

I’m the anon whose setting the bomb off by asking why season six won’t happen

TL;DR- bc Teen Titans (2003) ended! It wasn’t canceled! It was brought to a conclusion, that fans weren’t super happy with obviously, but it was an ending nonetheless.

I’d really like to encourage everyone in the fandom to read the interviews gathered by TitansTower (2nd half of the page) during the time TT03 actually aired. David Slack, Glen Murakami, & the crew have said over and over again, the original order for the series was for 4 seasons. WB hadn’t expected the popularity of the show to last past that, but it exceeded expectations and by the time season 4 was wrapping up development, they were asked to pen a movie and move forward with development for s5.

They had LOTS of ideas for season 5 too! More side characters they wanted to explore! More depth to get into the Brotherhood’s plot! But unfortunately, when they pitched the idea of a Longer season/more episodes, they were asked to keep it at 13 eps, the usual order. There were Talks about a possible 6th season & the crew started prepping for it and pitching it because, hey! they were passionate abt the show they were working on too! But WB ultimately decided to move onto other projects and guess what? So did the crew! Because that’s just what happens! Things end and you have to accept it and move on. Huh it’s almost like Things Chan-

(The rest under the cut here, is very much getting more into a Rant that veers way off topic (the Bomb is above mostly, the shrapnel is below lmao) & it hasn’t been proofread for errors bc I am, as the kids say, Big Mad. so Beware. You’ve been Warned) (also tagged: long post, in case the cut doesnt work for whatever reason, sorry mobile users RIP)

[[MORE]]

Even IF, for whatever reason, against all logic & reasoning they decided to Greenlight a sixth season, 12 years after this series ENDED. I GUARANTEE fans would find SOMETHING to bitch about every single step of the way. Just look at Young Justice. Much shorter timeframe between s2 and s3 getting picked up and yknow what fans are still doing? Being the Same Old Fans that Fans who Fan will Be.

Misinformation gets spread around every so often too, and I just wanna be really fucking clear: No amount of Toy Sales success/failure had anything to do with the show. No amount of the Demographics they Targeted vs Ones they Hit, had anything to do with the cartoons perceived ‘failure’. Especially considering that, again, they got a movie+5th season that hadn’t originally been planned for. So from that, no amount of fan petitions or campaigns were going to ‘bring it back’ because WB & the crew, again, had moved on to other projects. Because the show, as a production, had reached a natural conclusion.

Now sure, let’s fast forward to 2011/2012? The DC Nation block gets dropped into a SatAM slot. Nostalgia hits Big as, alongside new eps of Green Lantern:TAS & Young Justice, they showcase a plethora of shorts! One of which, is the New Teen Titans, done in that ~*adorable*~ Super-D form but with more or less the same style as the first cartoon.

Fans lose their minds and there’s a resurgence of petitions and letter writing campaigns (ones that I will readily admit to participating in because I was 15 and we all do DUMB things when we’re 15) And through all of this. WB/DC answers our Monkey Paw wish.

But here’s the thing abt the monkeys paw: you’ll get what you wish for, but it’s gonna come with a Big Ass Catch

And that catch, while they gave us the same lineup and same voicecast, they also gave us a comedy-focused & fully super-d/simplified style. And “fans” were Outraged with that.

But here we are again, 7 years later. And there’s a whole generation of fans who have forgotten the mistakes of the past, thinking and hoping against any kind of logic & blinded by nostalgia, that maybe JUST MAYBE. WB will revive a cartoon that ended in Two Thousand and Fucking Seven.

I tutor kids now who weren’t even born by then! The only Titans they know are TTG! And when they tell me they LOVE them, I say “that’s AWESOME dude! Did you know that they’ve got comic books abt them too?”

I tell them about the new generation of TTG! comics, the ones based on the cartoon they grew up with, not the ones I did. I let them know that there’s even more kid & teen heroes beyond the titans. And if they have a certain fav I let them tell me everything they love abt them and I tell them a cool Fact that might encourage them to find out more later!

Some days I HATE TTG, but I will NEVER tell a child that I hate something they love. I saw too much of that when I was growing up and I’ll be damned before I turn around and do the same damn thing to these kids.

Cartoons are a WONDERFUL medium to introduce a new generation of fans to these characters. And we should be encouraging WB to take more chances on bringing more of them to life. Not asking for the same few characters or groups to be redone over and over again.

Give me a Birds of Prey limited series! Give me a Secret Six Adult Oriented action-comedy! Explore that Amethyst short, with all its 80s game tech+magical girl anime aesthetic! Explore more Obscure characters with a quick 5-10 min story! Put a fresh new spin on a golden/silver age storyline (bc lbrhh some of them got WILD)

Just for the love of fuck stop pretending that One cartoon was the absolute Peak of Achievement and is the only thing that deserves to be revived or redone to death. Teen Titans WILL get another cartoon eventually. It’s like Scooby Doo and Batman. Its like Sherlock Holmes or Star Trek. It’s just a little early in its journey but it WILL have another reboot, another reimagining, another chance to shine for an entirely new generation. Everyone will have their preferences.

Just sit down, have a juice box and popcorn and enjoy ur fan servicey nonsense movie that you asked for But Didn’t Ask For, until we get that brand new series again.

TTG is gonna have to end eventually. And when it does, WB will be rubbing their hands together just biding its time until they can reboot the Titans again.

[shen-yuannana]

Eight Hours (Between You and Me)

Minho/Reader/Jisung

Summary: It’s always been you and Jisung. He was the sun to your dusk and dawn - it wasn’t until later that you realized you needed your night.

Genre: Pirate AU, light fluff, medium angst, polyamory.

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Cursing, angst, a sword fight, & kissing.

Length: 6,262 words

Masterlist

-

When the ship first crashed through the waves, you couldn’t help but spy a building on the distant edge of the water. A beautiful brick and mortar manor blended into the sky just a few meters from the cliff’s edge, presumably old and full of history - and also full of riches.

“Look’s profitable,” Jisung mused, leaning on the rail next to you. You didn’t even need to glance at him to know his signature smirk was gracing his lips. “You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?”

“Without a doubt.”

-

You and Jisung had arrived in the city two nights ago, a crew hand on a ship ironically named The Charity. This city was simply a small stop on your way to a greater prize in the south, but that didn’t stop you and your fellow crew members from enjoying the ride.

The first days were for selling and buying, and nights were for making merry. The third night was always the best, as everyone went wild before the departure the next day – the taverns both blessed and cursed with their patronage. The morning after was the worst, though, as everyone trudged back to the ship with killer hangovers while dreading the day’s work ahead.

Currently, it was the third day in the city. Jisung and you had snuck away from your responsibilities (as usual) and were making your way through the marketplace - pickpocketing coin purses and valuable items from those who didn’t look like they’d miss them. By the time you reached the center of town square, you had full pockets and grins, looking forward to blowing it all that same evening.

You sat on the edge of the fountain, sorting the imperfect circles of metal into separate purses depending on if they were bronze, silver, or gold. Jisung sat next to you, legs crossed as he helped you sort.

“Do you want to go for the manor tonight?” You asked him, counting out another ten gold pieces. The sprawling estate could be seen just over the tops of the surrounding buildings, visible only because of the high hill it sat on.

“Yeah.” The two of you had scouted the area the previous day, having found an easy entrance over the east wall. By scaling the horse stables, you could reach a balcony. It was dangerous if you slipped due to the drop, but as long as lady luck was on your side, you would be okay.

“We should head back soon, then. Lighten our pockets,” Jisung reasoned.

You nodded, looking out across the market place. Tucked in the corner next to a cloth dealer was a beautiful display – masks, ribbons, and veils made out of fine materials. Some of them looked very pricy, but those were stuck behind the vendor in a locked glass display case. There were other cheaper ones, but none of them quite caught your eye like the one’s in the case.

You looked at Jisung, seeing that his eyes had followed your line of sight. “Do you like them?” You asked innocently. Jisung chuckled.

“You want to buy one, don’t you?”

“You read my mind.”

You rose to your feet, heading over to the stand. The vendor was a lanky old man, his back in a permanent hunch from painting ceramic masks for years upon years. He created you with a smile, attempting to sit straighter.

“How much are the ones in the back?” You asked, pointing at them. The old man glanced over his shoulder, tsking at you.

“No offense,” the old man inquired, “but aren’t you a little young to afford something like that?”

You lifted the heavy coin purse onto the counter, smiling at the delightful thump it made.

“Oh lord,” he marveled, looking at you with a knit brow. You shrugged, smiling.

“I’m good at my job.”

He snorted, turning to open the display case, “I’d say!” He fumbled through them, pulling out a few he thought you would like and laying them in front of you.

He laid three masks in front of you: one in blue, another in black, and one in red. Upon seeing the red mask, you were immediately enamored. “May I touch it?” you asked, hand eagerly awaiting.

The vendor nodded, tacking on a warning that if you broke it, you bought it. Judging by the hefty price tag on the thing, you decided it would be wise to heed his advice, carefully running your fingers over the fine detailing. It was gorgeous, needless to say, and was surprisingly light, considering what it was made out of.

“I’ll take it.” You said, counting out the due amount from the coin purse. You glanced over your shoulder, eyes landing on your friend. Jisung had lain down on the edge of the fountain, eyes shut as he bathed in the light, the sun glinting off of his salt-bleached hair and warming his already tan skin.

You pursed you lips, peering around the vendor. “By chance do you have one in gold?”

-

“You spent all of it?” Jisung screeched, sitting up from his cat nap and swiping the now light coin purse. It gave a weak jingle, only two coins left over.

“We still have all the silver and bronze left,” you muttered. “Besides,” you reached into your coat, pulling out the red mask, “It was worth it.”

Jisung sputtered in disbelief, “A single mask cost 100 gold pieces, and you bought it? Are you insane?”

“I am insane,” you affirmed, “but this was only 40 gold pieces.” You reached into your coat again with a teasing smile and pulled out the matching gold mask. “This baby right here was 60.” You held it out to him, tucking your own back into your deep pockets.

He took it, face red with both reluctance and fluster. Jisung had always hated how you caught him off-guard with cheesy romantic gestures, “Is this mine?” He asked, still cautious.

You smiled, ruffling his golden locks. “Of course.” He swatted your hand away. “When I saw them, my first thought was that they were pretty, but that was about it. But then I thought about the manor, and… well… if were gonna make bank later, why don’t we have fun doing it? We’ll be a pair of Venetian bandits, swiping jewels and taking names and lookin’ hot while doing it.”

Jisung was about to quip back when a sharp voice cut through the air, the tone high but rich. Both of you immediately turned to look for it, ears seeking out the source of the delightfully somber tune.

Across the town square was a tall, slim figure shrouded in white, mask just like your’s and Jisung’s adorning his face, except his was blue. It covered half of his face, the details blurred through the veil of the English net that covered the rest of his figure. Their appearance was ghostly, but beautiful nonetheless.

Both you and Jisung were completely and totally enthralled, watching their lips move as they swayed to their own beat.

Stood at the cold face,

Stood with our backs to the sun.

They turned on their heel, bending back with their arm extended. Your jaw dropped, amazed at the degree of flexibility. Their arm flourished, drawing down to caress the edge of their mask as they bent back up, moving like water.

I can remember being nothing but fearless and young.

We’ve become echoes, but echoes, they fade away.

Jisung gaped, taking his gaze away from the ethereal figure to see how the rest of the square was reacting. A good portion of the citizens had stopped to listen, smiles on their faces as they swayed along to the beat. The rest, though, continued on with their daily business. It made him wonder if this was a regular occurrence – if boys this beautiful stopped on the daily to sing their hearts out to anyone and everyone.

We’ve fallen to the dark as we dive under the waves.

“Who is he?” You whispered to yourself after the third song. He was starting the fourth song when Jisung response, voice breathless. At that moment, you knew the two of your were on the same page.

“I have no idea,” he said, “but I need to find out.”

You grabbed his hand, bringing it to your lips. He looked at you, watching your eyes glimmer with a knowing smile as you kissed his knuckles. He snorted, pulling his hand away and pushing you back playfully.

You whined and flopped, laying down precariously by the fountain like Jisung had been doing when you were buying the masks. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Jisung stand, walking over to your side. He sat down grabbing your hands and wrapping them in his.

He perched his chin on the bricks you were laying on and proceeded to whisper dumb shit in your ear. You laughed, covering your mouth to prevent being rude to the singer. As much as the singer was beautiful, you had Jisung to entertain you. You didn’t want to get attached to a faceless figure you would never see again.

You were curious, and Jisung was too, but that curiosity was not enough to overcome logic. Tonight, you were going to rob a manor blind. Tomorrow, you were going to sail the ocean with your crew. Today, you were going to bask in the sun with your favorite boy, biting your lip and laughing as he tried his best to make you laugh – and succeeding.

-

By the time the shrouded figure had vanished, it was the evening. The foot traffic had slowed from a raging river to a small trickle, the dark side of the once glowing city rising as the sun set.

The city square was fine for the most part, but you and Jisung made sure to stick to well-lit paths on the way to the manor. While the rapier at your side made you feel safe, you would feel better if you didn’t have to use it. Jisung had one too, but he was hopeless with it – he was much better at talking his way out of situations instead.

The two of you tied on your masks, making sure they were secure by sliding two fingers under the laces and giving it a tug. As you approached the gate of the manor, you hoped this would go smoothly, but knowing yourself, something was bound to go wrong. It was just a matter of how wrong.

Jisung scaled the brick wall beside the gate, reaching down to help you follow after him. You gripped his forearm and he gripped yours, lifting you up onto the wall. You hopped off, landing amongst the bushes.

Keeping to the shadows, the two of you circumvented the garden and greenhouse, staying as low and quiet as you could. You nearly choked Jisung when he stubbed his toe, cursing as loud as a bullhorn. Luckily, no one was in the garden at this time of night, but it didn’t stop you from being frustrated.

“Sorry,” Jisung whispered sheepishly, breath warm on the back of your neck as the two of you peered around the corner. You gave him a small hum, and he knew you had forgiven him.

You dashed across the open space between the garden shed and the horse stalls, waving for Jisung once the coast was clear. He held his finger to his lips as the two of you pressed your backs to the weathered wood, gesturing to the horse stall and mouthing, “Stable boy.”

You nodded, following him as he moved around you to the far end of the stables, wanting to put as much distance between the two of you and the sleeping boy as he could.

The stables were taller than the wall at the front gate and also had an overhang, so Jisung wasn’t able to scale it on his own. Instead he squatted down, boosting you up so that you could grip the edge and pull yourself on top. You leaned down, letting Jisung use your arm to pull himself up. As he pulled himself up, he snuck a quick peck on the lips, winking with a cheesy smile.

You swatted at him with no real force. He was lucky you were afraid of really hitting him, knowing that you wouldn’t risk any unnecessary noise in fear of alerting a guard or servant.

Instead, you flicked him on the shoulder, brushing past him as you walked low.

“The jump will have to be quick,” you whispered, “we’re too visible up here.”

Jisung nodded, “Got it.”

You took off running, concentrating your movement in a short sprint. You were glad that you were running on old wood, as it was far quieter than sheet metal. You crossed the gap between the stalls and the balcony, catching the banister with a solid grip and scrambling up.

As Jisung prepared to cross the gap, you held your breath. The drop looked much farther in the dark night, the drop onto the gravel road dark and shadowed. Jisung sprung off of the stabled, arm outstretched. You were about to sigh in relief when his grip on the balcony slipped.

Leaning over the rail, you snatched his hand and caught his full weight, making you gasp in pain. Jisung cursed under his breath, bringing up his other hand to grab at the railing.

With some minor struggling, he pulled himself up and over, still holding your hand. You exhaled slowly, and Jisung chuckled.

“Nice catch.”

This time, you flicked him on the forehead.

-

The house was surprisingly vacant. Most of the rooms were empty – decorated, but with no signs of being lived in. The only rooms that showed signs of life were the study on the second floor, the library, and the dinning room on the first floor.

There was no noise at all besides your and Jisung’s muffled steps and your rummaging through drawers. You swiped anything of value – mostly loose coins, art that you could remove from the frame and roll up, and jewelry.

When you first entered, you descended the stairs to the first floor, sweeping each layer of the building as you made your way up to the top floor. You left your spoils in two separate sacks on the same balcony you had entered from so that you made less noise when exploring the 3rd floor, knowing that the upper floors were where the inhabitants normally slept in these types of houses. It was in your best interest to stay quiet, especially since people usually kept their most precious valuables in their bedrooms.

On the top floor, you and Jisung doubled teamed for safety. You took the master bedroom and Jisung stood watch outside the door, ready to warn you at the first sign of trouble. You acted as fast as you could while making minimal noise so as not to wake the sleeping old man, grabbing the jewelry that hung on display on top of the dresser and vanity with deft hands.

As soon as you had deemed the amount suitable, you exited the room, tapping Jisung on the shoulder to tell him that it was time to move onto the next room. He nodded, following the well-established order the two of you had outspokenly agreed upon since the two of you could walk.

Jisung stood watch as you entered the next room. It was less extravagant than the master bedroom and looked less lived in, but still had signs of life – the walls were bare, but a journal sat open on the desk and the sheets were ruffled.

The sheets were ruffled.

You looked closer at the bed, brow furrowing.

THE SHEETS WERE RUFFLED.

The puzzle pieces figuratively clicked into place as you took a step back to the door. No one was in the bed. Smoke lingered in the air. Whoever normally occupied this room was awake.

You opened your mouth, about to turn on your heal when suddenly arms were wrapped around you, a large hand covering your lips. Your gasp was muffled, but when you breathed in, you realized you recognized their scent.

Salt water and citrus.

You relaxed as Jisung quickly pulled you to the side, backing the two of you up into the closet. He removed his hand from your mouth as he held you against him, using his free hand to close the closet door as best he could. Down the hallway, from an area you hadn’t explored yet, you could hear footsteps.

They weren’t heavy, but rather quiet instead. They sounded male, judging by the time between each tap, but they also sounded very much awake – as if they had spent the whole night pacing nervously. Awake meant alert, and alert was very bad.

You cursed mentally when the footsteps halted outside the room you and Jisung were currently in, their steps now lighter and more cautious. You racked you brain, trying to remember if the door was left open or not, if you had moved something obvious, or-

“Hello?” Their voice was quiet – barely above a whisper – as the moved to the center of the room and looked about. They looked at the floor, and you realized you had kicked up the edge of the rug when Jisung had swept you up into the closet.

Jisung tensed. He saw it too.

The man looked at the closet. Through the shutters of the closet door, it was too dark to make out his features, but he had an air to himself that made him familiar. His shoulders were broad, and he seemed to more leg than torso with long, but graceful, arms.

He continued looking at the closet, voice wavering as he spoke. “I know you’re in there.”

Neither you or Jisung moved a muscle, even when the man stepped forward another foot. He seemed unsure.

“Come out now or I will scream.”

You felt Jisung’s arm twitch against your stomach. He was contemplating it, and honestly? You were too. You would bet your life that he was glad you had splurged on those masks right about now.

The man opened his mouth, and Jisung pushed the door open with a cautious hand, revealing the two of you. He was tall with black hair and cat-like eyes, and he was very, very beautiful. The man took a step back upon seeing the rapiers at your and Jisung’s sides. He closed his mouth, lips steeling into a neutral expression.

He was trying to look tough, but your keen eyes didn’t miss the trembling hands at his side.

“Who are you?” he asked, voice louder than before. “I demand you take off your masks.”

Jisung removed his hand from around your waist, stepping beside you. You shook your head, opting not to speak. You glanced around the room subtly, looking for a way out. The man had left the door open. As you glanced in that direction, your eyes caught a glimmer of blue on the nightstand.

It was a mask, just like the one’s you and Jisung were hiding behind at the moment, except it was blue. You connected the dots, and a smile rose to your lips.

“You’re the performer,” you said, breaking the silence. The man stiffened. You assumed he wasn’t used to being recognized.

“He is?” Jisung said in surprise, mouth hanging open. You glared at him and he closed his mouth with a grumble, following your line of sight. He gasped again, almost comically, upon seeing the mask. “He is.”

The man straightened his back, pulling at the collar of his shirt. You gave him a once-over, noticing he was wearing clothes not at all suitable for sleeping. Unassuming trousers, a billowy white dress shirt, and a belt. He must have returned to the room to retrieve something he had forgotten. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

You scoffed, stepping forward. You had many questions, even if asking them wasn’t in your best interests. “Why are you dressed in the middle of the night?”

He scowled, “Why are you in my home in the middle of the night?”

You took another step forward, now within arm’s length. “Why did you have to come back to your room, assuming it is yours?”

“What are you insinuating?” Jisung put his hand on his rapier as the man stepped forward, toe to toe with you. You looked him in the eye.

“Are you running away?” The room was so silent you could hear the grandfather clock ticking on the first floor. The man didn’t respond, and you reached up to caress his jaw as it cinched. You had struck a nerve.

“Why would you want to run away?” Jisung whispered, taking his hand away from the rapier. He grabbed your hand and pulled it away from the man’s face. He always had been the more emotionally attuned one, anyway.

“It’s none of your business,” he hissed. Jisung nodded, muttering fair point. You brushed Jisung’s hand off of your own, taking back a step. You set down the bag of stolen items in a slow arc, keeping an eye on the mysterious man.

“Let’s strike a deal,” you reasoned. The man quirked his brow as you continued, “You let us steel what we’ve already gathered, and we’ll return the favor by helping you escape whatever it is you’re running away from.”

The man seemed to ponder that, watching as Jisung moved back to stand beside you. He narrowed his eyes as he shifted his footing, looking down his nose at you and your partner, “And how do I know you won’t stab me in the back.”

“You’re too pretty to stab,” Jisung smirked, “Besides, we aren’t the killing type.”

“Somehow,” he frowned, eying you with your hand on your rapier, “I don’t believe that.”

“Okay,” Jisung snorted, “This morally grey shrike might be toeing the line, but I’ve never hurt a person in my life – at least physically.”

That got a little smile out the man, who wearily stuck out his hand. Both you and Jisung reached out to grab it when he suddenly pulled his hand back, “You keep the goods, you help me get out. How far are you talking?”

“As far as you want to go,” you said cheekily, nearly daring to wink before Jisung whacked you in the stomach. “As long as you help out on the ship, you’ll go wherever the Charity takes you. When you want to leave, do it. No one will stop you.”

He hesitates a moment longer before re-extending his hand, the three of you shaking on it.

The performer smiles, as charismatic and heart-stopping as ever. “Let’s get out of here, shall we?”

-

Three months pass. You learn his name is Minho, and that he had decided to run away after being betrothed to an older stranger he had no interest in for the sake of politics. The performance he had given in town was his last, so he couldn’t help but make it somber. It was by chance he had chosen that night, but Jisung kept trying to convince the two of you that it was fate.

“I’m telling you,” Jisung whined, “That a gift like that-” he points at Minho, “- Isn’t given by chance.”

Minho smirked, leaning up against the foremast, “Wow, tell me how you really feel.”

“Please stop inflating his ego,” you groaned.

“You’re just mad I’m not inflating yours,” Jisung teased, leaning towards Minho for a high-five which he gladly gave him.

You rolled your eyes in response, laying flat on the deck, but you secretly found the two’s antics endearing. The three of you had really grown close in the time since your departure from Minho’s city – a trio of close friends, despite the constant borderline flirting.

Since leaving, Minho had put on some muscle. He was still graceful, but now he was sinewy and buff - enough to throw you over his shoulder (which he hasn’t yet done, but you wanted him to, although you would never admit that out loud to either of the boys).

He still danced, pulling other crew members into the spontaneous daily sing-alongs, along with teaching the crew more music so that they weren’t stuck to the same 5 sea shanties. Most importantly, though, kept the spirits high with his natural charm and verbal dexterity – always lightening the mood with jokes and snappy puns that were more suited to a forty-year-old father of three than a twenty-year-old ship-hand. You weren’t complaining, though. You loved it.

“Earth to Y/N,” Minho’s hand snapped in front of your face. You scrunched up your nose and swatted his hand away, the older boy laughing in response. “You’re gonna go blind if you keep looking into the sky.”

He was leaning over you now, head blocking the sun. His hair drifted around his face with the same lull as the sea, soft and ethereal. Fondness washed over you like a wave, and then it hit you – he was beautiful. Heart-racing. Positively delightful.

It has always been you and Jisung, Jisung and you and no one else. But now there was Minho and his stupidly beautiful face with his perfect mouth and perfect brain and perfect everything and he made you want to scream. It was so uncharacteristic of you to feel so strongly about something, but holy shit, you sure felt something for him.

Instead of gripping the back of his head and pulling him down for a kiss, you rolled over, cheek to the moist wood floor. You stood, heading over to the railing and looking over it into the swirling cerulean on the sea. Jisung joined you, Minho not far behind. You stayed silent, enjoying the quiet that had fallen around the three of you.

Jisung reached for your hand and you took it – you just wish you could’ve reached out for Minho’s too.

-

Another three months passed. As of then, you had stopped in a port town you had never been to before, but it was warm, so it must’ve been closer to the equator. Minho said that where he came from it was winter.

Sometimes the older boy seemed to miss him home a lot, but Jisung and you never let him dwell on it long. It wasn’t good to think negatively about the past, but instead to look forward to the future. That was something you always said, but now you were unsure. You were entirely unsure of what you future looked like and it was rubbing your emotions raw from the inside out.

Jisung picked up on it first, unsurprisingly.

“What’s wrong?” he said, pulling a chair forward and straddling it. You looked at him out of the corner of your eye, ignoring him. He frowned, “We’ve been friends too long for you to ignore me, Y/N.”

You grunted, rolling over in your cot so you faced away from him. You heard Jisung sigh and the chair scrape back. Assuming he was leaving, you gripped the sheets tighter, preparing for the door slam of his departure so you could cry as soon as it closed, but it never came. Instead, you opened your eyes to see Jisung circumventing your cot.

“No,” you whined, pulling the blanket up to cover your face. Jisung ignored you and crawled in the cot, circling his arms tight around your shoulders and lower back. He rubbed his hands up and down, comforting you.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. You tucked your face in his neck, fighting back the tears that threatened to flow.

“No, it’s not.” You began shaking, the tears pricking your eyes. When you opened your mouth again, they began to pour against your will. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m so confused.”

“What are you so confused about?” He stroked your back, counting the divots in your back with a gentle hand. “Tell me, baby.”

“I can’t…” emotions never did come easily for you.

“You can,” Jisung squeezed you tight, “and you will, eventually. Because whatever this is, it is hurting you, and I never want to see you hurt. I want to help whatever way I can, so please, let me.”

“I don’t deserve you,” you sobbed, actions contradicting your words as you pulled him closer.

“Of course you deserve me!” He said, almost scandalized. “I love you.”

I love you.

You sobbed harder, and Jisung cooed and hushed until all that was left of your anxious fit was soft shudders and sniffles. Over the course of the half hour, you had made up your mind – it was better to be safe than sorry.

Taking a deep breath, you asked, “What are we?”

“Family,” Jisung responded without hesitation. You nodded, sighing.

“I know that, but what is,” you gestured between the two of you, “this?”

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

“Are we in love?”

Jisung hesitated, composing his thoughts. “I’m in love,” he confessed, “…are you?”

“Yes,” you admitted, “I’d say I am, but-”

He lifted his head, looking down at you. “But what?”

“I think I’m in love, not just with you, but another as well.” You let that sink in for a moment before moving on, Jisung’s full attention on you. Rather than looking upset, he looked curious and – dare you say – hopeful. “Minho.”

His eyes lit up immediately, “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Are you serious?”

“Deadly.”

“Oh my seven seas,” he sat up, putting his face in his hands. He shook his head, letting out a strangled noise akin to both a laugh and a groan of pain, “We are, undeniably, the dumbest two people to walk planet earth.”

You guffawed, sitting up beside him, “Speak for yourself, halfwit!”

“The only reason people think you’re smart is because you’re brutally sarcastic!” He shot back, “You have the emotional intelligence of a clam!”

You snorted, pushing him back down onto the cot. You laid over him, resting your head on his beating heart as you reached for his hand in order to play with his fingers. He let you do so without a fight, smiling down at you as you bit your lip to hide your own broad grin.

Notching your fingers together, you brought your combined hands to your lips, kissing each knuckle, “So we both like Minho?”

“Yes.”

“And we both like each other?”

“Mostly.”

“That’s good enough for me, then.” You leaned forward, stretching to place a kiss on his cheek. “The real question is: does Minho like us?”

“Mayhaps,” Jisung grinned, “But that’s a problem for another day.” He pulled you up by the waist, your faces mere centimeters apart. You leaned down and he pressed up – meeting halfway.

Jisung was familiar. He was the sky, the sun, the breath of sea air that kisses your lips when you open your eyes each day. To him, you were the bonfire that burned in the night, the smoke that hissed pleasantly in his lungs after a long night on the town, and the peace behind his eyes when he lied down to rest.

Minho was the last piece to your puzzle. He was the night to your dawn and dusk and to Jisung’s vibrant day. He was the ocean – dangerous, beautiful, and life-giving – and the two of you would be damned if you had to give him up.

-

Two weeks later, at dusk, Minho broke the news.

You were at the beach watching the sunset, sitting in a row by a dying fire. In your hands were flasks of alcohol and cloths packed with lumps of bread and cheese. It was something the three of you had done a million times, but tonight felt… strange. Minho shifted beside you.

“I’m leaving.”

Jisung and you immediately tensed up and you choked on your flask of whiskey while Jisung simultaneously dropped his bread with a dull thump, shocked.

“What?” Your brow knit, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. You made fire eye contact with the boy across from you. “No!”

Minho looks down at his lap, onyx hair shading his face like a curtain, “You said that when I wanted to leave, I was free to do so. That no one would stop you.”

“Yes, but…” you trailed off, unsure of how to word it. This wasn’t exactly how you and Jisung had planned to confess.

Your partner picked up where you left off, “What Y/N means is that things were different back then. We didn’t know you.”

“You know me now,” Minho said. His voice was bitter.

“And?” Jisung prompted.

“I think the two of you are better off without me.”

Hearing Minho say this lit a fire in your heart, burning with a violent fury. No, the two of you were not better off without him, not by a long shot. You took another swig of whiskey and stood up, grabbing your rapier.

“Stand the fuck up,” you commanded, gesturing for Minho to lift his own weapon.

“I’m not going to fucking fight you,” Minho said, patronized. “You haven’t won against me once in the past three weeks.”

“Yeah? Well, I don’t care,” You threw the flask aside and got in stance, arm at the ready. “You and your flexible ass may be nimble, but I’m the one who taught you – I sure as hell can beat you.”

“No. You’re crazy!”

You ignored him, arm still extended, although it was now wavering. You repeated the words you said to him all those months ago, “Let's strike a deal, Lee Minho. I win, your ass says right where it is. I lose, do whatever you like.”

Jisung stood up, “Y/N, I don’t know if this is the best-”

“You want a fight?” Minho rose to his feet, brandishing his rapier, “You got one.”

He lunged at you, whipping the thin sword like a viper – you countered in a heartbeat.

The metal shafts danced around each other, deflecting each blow while their silver surfaces glimmered in the firelight. Your face was knit tight, determined.

The older boy lunged again before you went on the offensive, pressing him back upwards of ten meters beyond the fire. In the dim light, his eyes looked tired and frustrated. Yours probably looked the same.

Jisung watched from a distance, helpless. He couldn’t intervene when Minho and you decided to go at each other’s throats, and never would, even if he wanted to.

Minho danced around you, making you fudge your footwork. You crumbled under your improper stance and crashed to the sand with a depressing thud. Minho’s sword was at your throat. You had lost.

Rolling out of the way, you stood, tears flowing down your cheeks harder than ever before. You never knew you could cry this much, not to mention that it was humanly possible to let this much water out of your eyes. Jisung was right – you did have the emotional intelligence of a clam.

Covering your mouth, you felt the anger pour out of you, leaving you with nothing but pure heartbreak. Minho was leaving. He didn’t want to be around you or Jisung. He thought you didn’t need him, but you did – you really, truly did.

You took a shuddering breath, turning to face Minho. The orange light dancing across his cheeks clashed with his guilty expression, “You won.”

“I did,” his voice was soft. Breakable. Behind you, you could hear Jisung approaching tentatively. You waited until he arrived and put an arm over your shoulder before you spoke again. Minho flinched when he put an arm over your shoulders, turning away.

“Minho,” Jisung called. Minho stayed put, making eye contact with your partner as if it was the last time he was ever going to see him.

“Yes?”

“Why do you think we don’t want you here?”

He didn’t answer, looking away instead.

“We aren’t better off without you,” he continued. When he reached forward, Minho put up no fight. “You’re more important than you think.”

Minho snorted, scowling. “Prove it.”

You never did take well to challenges.

Taking him by his word, you stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar. He gasped as you pressed your lips to his, kissing him like you’ve never kissed someone before. You tried to convey to him what you couldn’t with words – all your frustration, your needs, and most importantly – your undying adoration.

Bringing your hand behind his head, you kissed him harder, breaking away for a second so that you had breath for more. This was the best way you knew how to prove it – you always preferred action, after all.

When you broke away, you leaned your forehead onto his, warm breath puffing on each other’s lips. Minho stumbled around his words struggling to put together a coherent sentence. “I, you, him… what?”

Jisung cut him off, grabbing the taller boy by the collar just as you did and pulling him down for a kiss. Unlike yours, his was sweet – forgiving and honest. When he pulled away, Minho was stunned.

He laughed when he spoke, lips pressed red, “We really are a bunch of halfwits, aren’t we?”

The three of you laughed, falling back into step. You shook your head, the dumb smile refusing to fall from your lips, and collapsed on the sand. Jisung and Minho joined you, cozying up to each other like a pack of stray dogs lumping together for warmth.

To anyone else, this would have looked strange, but to you?

To you, this was home, and you wouldn’t change a single thing about it.

-

Ayo this took forever, but holy shit,,,, it was fun. I am a hoe for both soft and emotional interactions.

Thank you so much for reading this! And as always, reblogs, likes, and responses are VERY much appreciated!

Masterlist

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[excerpt] 15. This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Does anyone apart from Pusha T relish a good diss track as much as Swift? 2017’s Reputation might have its patchy moments of just-out-of-date beats but it’s also full of deliciously vicious moments. I Did Something Bad was a beautiful middle finger to an ex (Calvin Harris, apparently), Look What You Made Me Do cut down her critics and this track, which is effectively a more bitter Bad Blood, battered Kim and Kanye. “Friends don’t try to trick you/Get you on the phone and mind-twist you” she sings in an apparent swipe at the ‘I made that b**** famous’ controversy, while underneath stuttering electro-pop clashes with tinkling piano. The chorus is Swift at her most bitingly patronising, smiling as she twists the knife in.

14. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Swift managed her first US number one with We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. The singer’s knack for an earworm is obvious here, with the song one of the simplest but strongest of her career. The rest of Red dabbles with pop but Swift’s country roots are still very visible here. A foot-stomping acoustic guitar riff is right at the heart of the track, which is a much lighter take on the relationship at the heart of All Too Well. The old Taylor might not be able to come the phone right now, but she was on top form here.

13. Our Song

Jaunty violins, talk about God, a Nashville accent that twangs like a banjo string: Our Song is Taylor in full country mode. It’s got all the hallmarks of her early verse-chorus-bridge songwriting, and Swift reportedly put it together in 20 minutes for her ninth grade talent show before the record company nabbed it for her debut album. Built around a colossal chorus, where her delivery cracks like a drum beat, Our Song is a vivid picture of her teenage years and a testament to Swift’s natural songwriting nous – a reminder that, despite the headlines, she’s built a career on talent, not merely hype and controversy. Tim McGraw, which starts the album, has much the same effect.

12. I Knew You Were Trouble

2012 album Red took Swift’s popularity to new levels and the universal appeal of I Knew You Were Trouble was a key part of that success. The song became one of the most parodied tracks of the year but even adding screaming goats into the mix couldn’t the hamper its impact. It’s perhaps surprising that despite the song’s success, the chorus marked one of the singer’s most experimental to date, flirting with dubstep, pop and dance influences. It’s the perfect example of Swift’s early musical experimentations – as was the U2-esque album opener State of Grace – which would eventually pave the way for the reinvention on 1989 two years later.

11. Shake It Off

Shake It Off is perhaps the perfect song to explain Taylor Swift and seems to encapsulate the contradictions which have made her a star. For everything that’s toe-curling and cringeworthy (see: “this sick beat”, the whole “my ex man” riff), it’s also infectious, irresistible and triumphantly confident; Swift knows it’s geeky and doesn’t care. It’s a song to shimmy to – and then to kiss your crush to, when she asks the fella with the hella good hair to shake, shake, shake. Grab the white wine and go be basic – sometimes it’s fun.

10. 22

While Swift can occasionally lean-in on her wry way of seeing the world, she’s also gloriously unafraid of big, dumb pop. 22 is almost comically simplistic: the opening guitar riff is just a watered down Wild Thing, the drum beat is mindlessly insistent – a bass kick on every single beat – and the main hook (“I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22”) has all the intelligence of a failed GCSE. None of it matters; the song is a joyous riot, set in a world where there are no pressures, no bills and the sun only goes down so everyone can go to bed together. It is fun, it is silly, it’s happiness is infectiously single-minded and the best lines come right at the end: “You look like bad news, I gotta have you”. There’s even Nile Rodgers-style guitar thrown in on the chorus. Splendid stuff. No wonder it’s said to be Harry Styles’ favourite Swift song.

9. Fifteen

Much has been made of Swift’s big transformation from country singer to pop behemoth but even before she was out of her teens she was flirting with stadium friendly rock. Still, Fifteen had plenty of banjo all over it, while her voice charmingly twangs as she talks boys and cars and heartbreak. Of which, it’s the lyrics that make this one: the song itself is so polished and clean it could have been assembled on a Tennessee production line, but Swift manages to infuse it with a sense of failed teenage romance that feels real – unsurprising, perhaps, given it’s based on her and her best friend Abigail Anderson’s years at Hendersonville High School.

“In your life you’ll do things greater than/Dating the boy on the football team/But I didn’t know it at fifteen” she sings, “Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now”. Ain’t that the truth.

8. Love Story

Ten years ago, pre-Kanye-at-the-VMAs, Swift was, in Britain at least, still that country girl with that one catchy song. This was that song; a hopelessly romantic tale of teenage love, Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet over pop-punk guitars and key changes and, of course, a happy ending replacing the tragedy. Eight million copies sold, making it the best selling country single of all time and paving the way for the decade of massive success that followed.

7. Blank Space

Blank Space is a minimalist masterpiece that paradoxically is crammed with hooks (something she manages again, like a magic trick, on Clean). The song in itself is actually surprisingly slow-moving; chords are long, drawn-out and the drums snap but are unhurried. The genius here in is Swift’s vocals, which are catchy enough that the whole thing seems to be one long chorus. Blank Space also marks the beginning of Swift sending herself up; in it, she satirises her media image as a man-obsessed, relationship addicted nightmare who serially dates for songwriting material. Hilariously, the key line (“Got a long list of ex-lovers/They’ll tell you I’m insane”) has often been misheard – including by her own mother – as “all the lonely Starbucks lovers”, which rather changes the point somewhat. The video is a work of art too, introducing the world to the ‘new Taylor’ – before the new Taylor became the old, dead Taylor. Oh, and look out for her slip up at 3.40, it’s hilarious.

6. New Year’s Day

The beautiful, reverb soaked piano that flutters through New Year’s Day is a sign of what could be to come for Swift – not now, perhaps, but maybe in 20 years. It could be played then and just as good. If All Too Well is her great grown-up heartbreak track, this is her great grown-up love song. Whereas 1989’s You Are In Love used a similar sound for a rip of Bruce Springsteen’s Street’s of Philadelphia, here it’s more of a James Blake vibe. The beauty is in the simplicity; this is a love as rational as it is passionate. The metaphor is about being there for the good times (the party at midnight) and the bad (cleaning up bottles on New Year’s Day). There is a stroke of brilliance, too: “Please don’t ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognise anywhere” she sings as a reprise, realising what too few of us do until it’s too late: love is as fragile as it precious.

5. You Belong With Me

Taylor has a long-standing love affair with power chords and pop-punk goodness. On Red, there’s Holy Ground, before that was Speak Now’s girl-breaking-free-to-rule-the-world Long Live and before that was You Belong With Me on Fearless. It’s sometimes criticised for being too similar to her other early hits but in truth, it’s just the best example of them. It’s also wonderfully full Taylor: she plays the self-deprecating dork in love with her best friend, and the video is completely, brilliantly hysterical. There are all the elements needed: crashing guitars, unrequited love, a little teenage angst. It’s far from perfect: the lyrics are her corniest, the premise is cliched and the country embellishments have been tactlessly tacked on as if purely to placate the country audience. But, in the end, it’s catchy, sweetly endearing and you’ll be singing along merrily. If you want another fill of the good stuff, put on Fearless, which is just a little less catchy but with a better guitar solo.

4. Ronan

Little known, not on any albums and barely performed live – to date it’s only been aired twice, with the first version live on a Stand Up to Cancer telethon the one to listen to – Ronan perhaps seems a unlikely entry on the list, but it stands the Swift song that aches the most, and is unlike anything else she’s written. Over the chime of trembling guitar chords, she sings as the voice of Maya Thompson, a mother who lost her four-year-old Ronan to cancer. Written after reading Thompson’s blog, Swift articulates the unsteady, insistent rhythm of grief with painful clarity. In the end, like in life, the loss stings the sharpest in the little things. “And it’s about to be Halloween, you could be anything you wanted” she sings, her voice shaking and her eyes glassy with tears, “If you were still here.”

3. Out Of The Woods

Like the heartbroken logic in All You Had To Do Was Stay (the song Ryan Adams’ did best on his mixed 1989 cover album), it’s the naivety in this one that makes it so damned sad. Jack Antonoff produced a piece of driving rock dressed up as radio-pop, the stuttering drums and Blade Runner synths casting shadows over everything, the choir on the chorus giving it enough size to fill stadiums. It’s one for anyone who’s been wrapped up in a love that’s left them shaky with the uncertainty of it all, who’s gone to sleep and woken up with the same thought, of praying they’re getting as much love as they’re giving.

2. Style

Like a designer parading a new collection down the runway, Swift showcased her new direction perfectly on this aptly titled track. Pulsating synths drive the verses along before a huge sing-along chorus kicks in, marking a dramatic change from her guitar-led earlier compositions. It’s a formula that Swift would return to time and time again in her later work, not least on the similar Getaway Car from 2017 album reputation. The song remains a highlight at Swift’s live shows — after all, pop hooks as good as this will never go out of style.

1. All Too Well

Everyone jokes about the lost scarf, but this is Swift’s most sincere tale of heartbreak and is heartbreaking itself. Though it takes a handful of listens at least to ‘get’ this track, it’s worn out and weary and the hurt goes deep. Swift says it was one of the hardest to write, and it’s one of the hardest to listen to; she sounds like she’s singing right from the bones and it’s searingly, uncomfortably intimate. Having it on doesn’t feel so much like listening as eavesdropping: other ruminations in her back catalogue are broader, relatable, but here we’re hearing her specific turmoil. Nowhere else on record does she sound as cut up the way she does halfway through this one – Jake Gyllenhaal, you realise, really broke her heart.

Plenty of Swift songs are overwrought, but the drama here is sincere: her voice trembles with pain, and the song, which starts sparse, swells and hardens up like a lump in the throat. It’s little surprise the original cut was 10 minutes long; the song is cinematic, with a touch of Raymond Carver in the sparse, classically American lyrics: “'Cause there we are again in the middle of the night/We’re dancing round the kitchen in the refrigerator light”.

When she gets to end of it, there are lines that induce a wince: “You call me up again just to break me like a promise/So casually cruel in the name of being honest” she says. Then you hear her lost to her heartbreak: “Time won’t fly, it’s like I’m paralyzed by it/I’d like to be my old self again/But I’m still trying to find it”. Love – especially when it cools – changes everything.

[birdiethebibliophile]

{fic} That Old Sweet Feeling (part 25)

Fandom:  The Adventure Zone:  Commitment Rating:  M Chapter Warnings:  None Relationship:  Nadiya Jones/Mary Word Count:  1,543

Here on AO3. Read the rest: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24

Tagging @someone-called-f1nch, @voidfishkid, @mellowstarscape, and @jumpboy-rembrandt!

I’ve literally had parts of this chapter written for six months. I can’t believe it’s finally here.

Chapter Summary:   Nadiya finds herself grounded. Mary Sage reaches for the stars. (You know what happens next.)

__________________

Nadiya wasn’t ordinarily one for walks through the park, but when it was Mary Sage who invited her on one, (“I checked with Grace, she says it’s in the radius of the blocker, we’re good”) she found herself physically unable to decline. So now, they were walking along a sidewalk lined with soft green grass and tall trees. Mary Sage had her hands stuffed into the pockets of a hoodie she’d tossed on and she’d put three dandelions in her hair for no apparent reason and God, Nadiya was in trouble.

The trouble being that she was too goddamn gay.

“Nad?”

“Hmm?”

“You like science, right?”

“Uh, duh.” Nadiya rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, dumb question.” Mary Sage hip-checked her. “I was wonderin’. How’d you get through the gates? In Halleluland.”

“Oh.” Nadiya thought back. She, Remy, and Irene standing in front of the worn, pearly gates. The calm, booming voice saying, Step up and tell me of your faith. In what do you believe?  Kardala announcing that she loved Jesus and his terrible Bible. “Well, Kardala got onto one hand and talked about Jesus, and I got on the other one and talked about science stuff, I guess.”

“An’ that worked?”

“Yeah, we got in, didn’t we?”

“So you believe in science?”

Nadiya was about to brush off the question, then caught Mary Sage’s eye. She looked genuinely curious. “Well…” she said, forehead wrinkling. “I mean, you could say it like that, yeah. I believe in… logic. I believe there are certain rules the universe follows. And even the things that seem chaotic are still built on theories that we can describe.”

“Give me an example,” Mary Sage said, leaning up against a convenient tree and biting at the knot in one of her bracelets.

“Okay.” Nadiya joined her near the tree. “How about gravity? No matter what, things are going to be pulled towards the largest gravitational force in the area. Unless things get really big or really small, but even then, there are rules.”

Mary Sage studied her, head on one side. “And that’s just how science works?”

“Yeah. There’s an explanation for everything. Even with things like, uh, like quantum mechanics. That’s based on probability, so you can’t predict it, but you still can count on it to be unreliable, if that makes sense.”

“Somethin’ you can stand on,” Mary Sage said softly. “Somethin’ to ground you.”

“If you want to put it like that.” Nadiya dragged the toe of her shoe through the grass. “I always… I never…” She sighed. “You could say there wasn’t much that was stable  when I was growing up. My parents got divorced when I was pretty young, and I grew up on military bases with a bunch of private tutors, and we moved every couple years. I like… consistency. No matter how many times you split white light into its components, you always get the same colors. No matter what you break down to get at them, the elements stay the same. Everyone has the same cells that make up their bodies, even if they don’t always work the same way.” Nadiya caught her breath slightly.

“Sounds like what you’re talkin’ about is faith,” Mary Sage said.

Nadiya looked up. “Not really.”

“More in common than you might think.” Mary Sage propped one foot back against the trunk of the tree. “It’s all about counting on the way things work. Except instead of a bunch of rules an’ theories an’ shit, it’s about relationships.” She laughed a little. “Bonds, I guess. Means there’s even more in common than we thought, ‘cause of that bond science stuff Remy’s mom figured out.”

“What do you mean?” Nadiya asked. “About the relationships part.”

Mary Sage hummed, rubbing the cuff of her hoodie sleeve along her lower lip. “It’s all about the relationship between God and His people. Whole Bible’s about that. Hell, all of religion’s about it, even if it isn’t the same god.”

Nadiya had never heard it put that way. Had never thought about it like that.

“When I was little,” Mary Sage continued, “Mom an’ Dad would… tell me stories. Bible stories. But they weren’t boring, or… about, I dunno, followin’ rules an’ stuff. They were about relationships, an’ how you could count on God an’ each other. Not so different.”

“Not so different,” Nadiya said. “I… I guess not.”

“All about what it’s built on.” Mary Sage smiled, and her cheeks dimpled. “Science can’t explain everything, Nad. You gotta trust. You gotta have faith.”

She pushed herself off the tree trunk, and took a step forwards, and she was right in front of Nadiya.

“Tell me, Nadiya Jones,” she said, and her hand came up, fingers clenching into Nadiya’s shirt collar. “In what do you believe?”

“I believe in you,” Nadiya said, and Mary Sage kissed her.

Mary Sage kissed how she looked:  wild, ridiculous, desperate. Her mouth was hungry against Nadiya’s, all tongue and teeth, and holy shit, Nadiya hadn’t kissed anyone in so long. She felt like she’d almost forgotten how. But somehow, her hands found Mary Sage’s mass of red hair and tangled into it – like it needed to be more tangled than it already was. Than it always was.

And Nadiya kissed her back.

She pushed against Mary Sage’s hungry mouth, held her face close. Angled her lips against Mary’s. Mary Sage could kiss her deeper like this, and she did. Her tongue stroked deep into Nadiya’s mouth, and then Nadiya let out a muffled sound as Mary Sage’s hands dropped to her hips, digging in hard.

Mary Sage laughed, that infectious, throaty giggle that made Nadiya’s heart open up like a fucking sunflower. “You didn’t think Space Cadet was a prude, didja? Just ‘cause I know the good book inside and out?”

“What about you,” Nadiya said, voice embarrassingly breathless, “screams prudery, exactly?”

Mary Sage shoved her glasses back up her nose, and then her hands snaked further back, grabbing Nadiya’s ass and pulling their bodies flush. “Not much,” she said, and kissed Nadiya again.

Nadiya felt every millimeter where Mary Sage was pressed against her, from her fingers to her hips to her breasts to her lips. God, Mary Sage’s lips were perfect. Her whole mouth, really. Who would’ve thought all it would take to turn Nadiya into a total sap was locking lips with this ridiculous Christian wiseass who’d tried to kill her when they’d first met? But here they were, and Mary Sage nipped at Nadiya’s lower lip, and Nadiya saw stars.

“You have flowers in your hair,” Nadiya mumbled against Mary Sage’s mouth.

“Yeah,” Mary Sage agreed.

“We’re on the run from a cult.”

“Seems that way.”

“We’re going to infiltrate a government function in like, twenty-four hours.”

“Sure are.”

“Is this –”

Mary Sage shrugged. “Just means now or never, right?” She kissed Nadiya again, open-mouthed, but had to break off because she was giggling again. “Remy’s gonna give me so much shit. I, uh, mighta mentioned I had a crush on you back in Nevada. When we were locked up and freakin’ out and we were bonding.”

“You have a crush on me?”

Mary Sage stared. “Nad, I just kissed the bejeezus outta you. I have the biggest fuckin’ crush on you.”

“Well.” Nadiya cleared her throat. “That’s good to know. I’ll… take it into account.”

“God, you’re such a fuckin’ nerd,” Mary Sage said. “It’s a good thing you’re so cute.”

“You said I was hot the other day.”

“Yeah, that too.” Mary Sage pushed her face against Nadiya’s neck. “You drive me crazy, Nad. I’m crazy about you. You know that, right?”

“Now I do.” Nadiya rested her cheek on Mary Sage’s head. “I… really like you, too.”

Mary Sage gave a long, rusty sigh and wedged herself more firmly into Nadiya’s arms. They stood like that for a moment, swaying slightly, arms around each other.

“We should get back,” Nadiya murmured. “Irene’s going to be worried.”

“Yeah. Don’t want anyone to figure out where we are.” Mary Sage reluctantly pulled back. Then, suddenly, she smiled. Pulling back the sleeve of one of her hoodies, she started picking at the knot to one of her bracelets – a green and orange chevron. After about a minute of work, she managed to get it undone. “Hold out your hand.”

“Which one?”

“Left.”

Nadiya did as directed, and Mary Sage tied the bracelet around her wrist, affixing it with a tight knot. “It’s a friendship bracelet,” she explained as she secured the ends. “Made a ton of ‘em at Bible camp over the years.” She glanced up at Nadiya with a grin. “Only this one means more than friendship, ya dig?”

“I dig.” Nadiya looked at the bracelet, running her fingers along the light bumps of the embroidery floss. “Thanks.”

“It could mean we’re girlfriends now. If you want,” Mary Sage added, as if she’d just thought of that.

Nadiya’s face heated, but she nodded. “I’d… like that.”

Mary Sage’s smile spread over her entire face, her muddy eyes crinkling behind her glasses, and she leaned up to kiss the corner of Nadiya’s mouth. “Good,” she said. “’Cause I would too.”

[alemoncakelife]

SANSA STARK WAS NOT A STUPID BRAT. HERE’S WHY

 So I see this a lot where people tend to describe Sansa as ‘no longer being the stupid bratty child she was’ and of course they’re talking how she acted Season 1. Now, I will never dispute that Sansa Stark was naive, because every single child character in the series is naive. This is because they are children. However, I will argue against any statement that claims Sansa was ever a ‘brat’ or ‘stupid’, because it’s a terrible misinterpretation of her scenes. So just to be sure I was making a legit argument, I looked up the actual definitions of these words:

Now I’m going to argue why Sansa Stark is not - and never has been - these 2 things...

NOT A BRAT

Yes, Sansa is a child. She is 13 in the show. But she is renowned for being an exceptionally well behaved lady who prioritises manners. Take the scene where Sansa is trying to act like a real Southern Lady with Septa Mordane. She is trying to act like she is too grown up to need a Septa and ends up being rude, and she regrets it. This is her face after she says “Oh wait. I just realised. I don’t care.”

In this scene she is so clearly trying to imitate Cersei as she believes that this is how a true Queen should speak and act. This is naive of her. Yet when Septa tells her, “Now you are being rude” her expression changes to this:

It’s the face of a guilty girl!! She’s upset that someone finds her rude. She doesn’t want to be rude! She is just trying to prove to everyone that she would make a good Queen.

Also, this moment is literally Sansa at her worst, and it’s really nothing to hate her for. All she does is make some snarky remarks and regret them almost as soon as she makes them. Heck, if anyone is badly behaved it’s wild child Arya who physically attacks her sister in front of the royal family and stabs a table repeatedly with a knife when she’s angry. Yet Sansa seems to be the Stark Child referred to by fans as a brat?

-

A lot of people also criticise her for being spoiled and wanting to be Queen, which links to her supposedly bratty behaviour. This criticism seems to come from the scene with Catelyn where Sansa claims that marrying Joffrey is “The only thing I’ve ever wanted”. 

I can understand why people would think this makes her spoiled. But in truth, all of the Stark children are spoiled. They are children to the most powerful family in the North and Cat and Ned are not strict with them imo. For example, when Catelyn sees Bran climbing she firmly tells him not to, but then when she sees he’s lying about obeying her, she just makes a joke out of it??! And when Arya uses a bow and arrow which goes against all her Septa’s efforts to make a Lady out of her, Ned simply applauds her. Ned also lets her keep Needle. For goodness sake they let their kids have direwolves for pets!! My point is, Ned and Cat seldom really say no to any of their children. So for Sansa to say it’s the only thing she ever wanted is actually pretty clever, because she knows that if she says that, they’ll probably say yes. (and they did.)

SIDE NOTE: It’s never the fault of a child if they are spoiled. It’s the fault of the parents. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory teaches us this. But Sansa is NO VERUCA!! A lot of fans say they don’t feel sorry for Sansa when she suffers because she was spoiled before. That was a part of her life that was caused by her parents. Not by her. And how does getting spoiled mean you deserve to be stripped, beaten and forced to stare upon your father’s rotting severed head? I can’t even use Google Maps to find logic for that.

-

There’s also a lot of hypocrisy by some fans as many hate Sansa for wanting to be Queen (for like 1 year) and hail Daenerys, Margaery and Cersei who devote their lives to gaining power and wearing crowns. Sansa’s reasons for wanting to be Queen are very different to the others however. Sansa Stark wanting to marry a Prince and be a Queen is not unlike a teenage girl today wanting to marry a famous footballer and be a WAG. It’s not a desire for political power and superiority. Sansa probably shares her ambitions with hundreds of other noble girls in Westeros. Her want to be Queen also never meant she wanted to betray her family, which is another common gripe some have with her. Sansa simply wants to spread her wings like any other teenager and fly out into the world and do well in the world. She believed that being Queen was the ultimate honour for a woman and she’d make her family proud of her! She acknowledges the power she could bring to her family if she were Queen. “He’d be the 2nd most powerful man in the kingdoms”. This is what she says about her father when she’s considering how she may be travelling South to marry Joffrey. If her want to be Queen was linked with a want to betray her family, she’d probably say something like, “I’d be marrying the most powerful man in the kingdoms.” yet she doesn’t say this, because she doesn’t want power for herself, but for her whole family. When her father was arrested, Sansa literally begs Joffrey to spare his life in front of the whole court which puts her at enormous risk of being charged with treason herself. In that moment, Joffrey could have easily charged her refused to make her a Queen. If Sansa truly put Queen Life above family, why would she risk lsoing that title to save her father? Notice that she only wrote that ‘treacherous’ letter to Robb because Cersei told her that the fate of her Father depended on her writing to Robb. That letter wasn’t Sansa taking the Lannister’s side, that was her saying what she had to say to keep Ned alive. I’m done with people suggesting she wasn’t loyal to her family from the start.

-

Now let’s talk about the importance of Cinnamon Roll/Direwolf Lady.

This is easily the most misinterpreted story and aspect of Sansa’s character EVER. Sansa loves Lady, just like all the other Stark’s love their wolves. Lady loves  Sansa and the two have such a sweet, pure relationship and a bond that’s much deeper than Ned, Septa Mordane or anyone else for that matter can understand. 

Lady was unfairly killed, and it was not Sansa Stark’s fault. This. Is. A. Fact. When asked by King Robert who was in the wrong (Joffrey/Arya) she takes nobody’s side. This is because Arya is her family and she won’t betray her, but Joffrey is her betrothed (and she’s seen his temper now) so she won’t betray him because it could lead to a lifetime of misery for her family. Either way, whoever side she would take would cause a massive problem somehow. She Sansa says “I don’t remember...I didn’t see”. Nobody suspects for a minute that Lady’s life has anything at all to do with this situation. So Sansa’s answer is not something that condemns her pet. It is then Cersei who suggests killing Lady as punishment for Nymeria’s attack which is ridiculous but Robert agrees and Ned fights against it pretty feebly. He could have followed him and pestered him to change his mind but nope. And Sansa puts up a FIGHT. 

“No. Not Lady. Lady didn’t BITE ANYONE SHE’S GOOD!”  is what Sansa yells at both Cersei AND Joffrey. This is very unusual behaviour for Sansa because until now she’s tried extra hard to get this pair to like her but now her direwolf’s life is about to be taken by them she is more than willing to snarl at them. 

This isn’t bratty behaviour. This is a girl who doesn’t want her best friend wolf to die. 

Then when Ned does kill Lady, however humanely, Sansa is rightfully furious with him for many episodes. Her coldness towards him isn’t unjustified. Imagine if your own dad killed your pet! You can’t tell me you wouldn’t be saltier than the Dead Sea about it for a long long time. It’s not like Ned just broke his daughter’s favourite toy. He took the life of a creature who had an almost spiritual connection to his child. 

This is why Sansa doesn’t appreciate the doll Ned gets her. He tells her it’s made by the person that makes all of Princess Myrcella’s toys. But she doesn’t want to be like the little Princess. “I haven’t played with dolls since I was 8″. So that’s 5 years Ned hasn’t been paying attention. She doesn’t want to be a little girl anymore. She is due to be a Queen. She wants to be seen as an adult. It’s also a piss poor compensation for Lady’s life. A doll couldn’t make her feel safe. A doll is fragile and lifeless. If anything it just makes Sansa more sad. Yet she never threw a tantrum. She never wrecked the doll. She simply gave her dad an icy look and left the table. Need I mention that she didn’t leave the table without asking “May I be excused?” Wow. What a BRAT!! •rolls eyes so intensely people think I’m warging.*

So to conclude the section about Sansa being a brat. She isn’t. She’d be a brat if she was crying about not getting to eat lemon cakes in King’s Landing. She’d be a brat if she tore up her Northern dresses because they didn’t look as pretty as the Kings Landing Couture. But Sansa stark is courteous and dignified at almost every moment, even when she is angry or heartbroken. When she lashes out, it is not because of trivial things, it is because her innocent wolf was killed by the very Man she trusted most. Her unhappiness is more than understandable.

-

NOT STUPID

There are plenty of characters who call Sansa stupid, but that doesn’t mean they’re right. There is a difference between being naive to the world and just being downright dumb. Sansa is a very intelligent 13 year-old.

Many think that Sansa only got smart when Ned died or Littlefinger took her under his sleazy wing. I disagree. Sansa knew the role she had to play and she played it. So she learns that King Robert plans to wed her to his son. Then when Cersei summons her during the feast, Sansa smiles, makes eye contact, stands confidently and uses all her courtesies despite probably being nervous because she knows it’s important she builds a good relationship with the Royals. Sansa also keeps her cool around Joffrey. On the Kingsroad when he lashes out at her, she never again brings it up to him. She knows she’ll have a better relationship with him if she acts like the incident never happened, and since she’s going to be his wife for life at some point, it’s vital that they have a relationship that at least comes off as a good one. 

Furthermore, Sansa is not a character that’s aware of the game of thrones. She’s ignorant to it. So it Arya. So is Joffrey. All the kids are ignorant to this game at the start. So it’s not like Sansa was the only one who doesn’t get how Kings Landing really works. Joffrey only learns to play it a little when Cersei attempts to teach him. “Everyone who isn’t us is an enemy.”

Sansa may not get the snaky side of the city. But she understands politics, and she knows her history. The scene in the throne room between her and Septa Mordane shows us that Sansa is smarter than anyone knows! She tells the Septa who built the iron throne and who built the Red Keep. But she surprises Septa by stating that her Grandfather and Uncle were murdered here by the Mad King. She also knows that there’s a lot of pressure on her to give birth to male heirs. She knows what may happen if she could only provide Joffrey with daughters. She knows her responsibilities and the stakes. A stupid girl would just be excited to be Queen, but Sansa is looking at all the possibilities and risks. Septa Mordane tries to protect her by avoiding discussion about the Mad King and what would happen if she only had girls. But Sansa pushes her to discuss it. If she was truly an idiot, she would let Septa tell her how great it will be when she sits by her husband’s side.

Then she tries to utilise the good relationship she’s built with Joffrey and Cersei to keep Ned alive.

This whole scene reinforces how smart she is! 

First off, this is the most Southern she’s ever looked, this is because she knows that she needs to make the court believe she is loyal to the South and the Lannisters. She wears Joffrey’s pendant to remind him of her loyalty to him. She then drops to her knees to assure the King that she deeply respects him. It’s almost like she’s praying to him. She’s really appealing to his pride! Then she blames everyone who’s betrayed the crown for Ned’s treason. She implies that Renly or Stannis lied to him. She suggests that the milk of the poppy clouded his mind. She reminds everyone how loyal her Father was to Robert and how much he loved him. She says everything and anything that may deter her Father from truly being treasonous. This is one of the bravest, most intelligent things Sansa has ever done, and if Joffrey wasn’t so capricious, it would have saved her Father’s life.

A dumb girl wouldn’t have paid such close attention to her appearance and word choice. A dumb girl probably would have just believed that her dad was a traitor because a boy she fancied and a woman she idolised said so. But Sansa doesn’t believe them. She even asks to speak with him. The moment he’s arrested she constructs a plead for his life. If she was stupid, she wouldn’t even know how to do that.

So there we have it. A super long post about how I disagree with the notion that Sansa Stark has ever been a stupid brat. I see her as an intelligent child who knew what was expected of her and learnt all she could to best play her role in the world. She loved her family despite their quarrels and was and always will be loyal to them. And if you think I’m wrong, cool... and I guess the look she gives Joffrey after he kills Ned Stark means she still wants to be Queen and have his babies. #TRAITOR

[crystalmethchristmas]

Y'all it's time for a motherfucking story time

So I've found that when I'm very angry it helps me to write out the story so that's what the fuck I'm gonna do

Y'all don't even understand how upset and angry and confused and genuinely dumbfounded by this situation that I am I could not stop thinking about this for the last two days

So my sister has a boyfriend for the story we'll call him Eric Harris

So on this particular Friday in July 2018 my mom drops me off at my sisters house on her way to work

I'm there to babysit my one year old niece and my two year old nephew and one year old niece

So my sister left for work before I got there so now it's just me, Eric, and the kids.

So we're all sitting in the living room. My niece starts crying so I pick her up and go to the kitchen (which is connected to the living room) and start to pour her some milk

Now I don't know if this fool has said something to me or asked me something and I didn't hear him or if he's just actually insane

But

Get ready for this and fucking brace yourselves

This fool says my name in a kind of demanding/angry type of tone so I kind of pause and am like ???

and he deadass starts going off on a fucking rant talking bout sum "when I speak to I expect a reply stop being disrespectful you're acting so childish stop ignoring me after everything I do for your sister I don't need everybody giving me shit all the time" like snapping and the whole time I'm just standing there like

Because I for real have no fucking clue as to what in the hell hes talking about... like...at all

I have no idea what to say I'm just mad confused and like caught off guard like I have no idea what the hell is going on

So I don't reply to his rant because A. what on god green earth do you want me to say to that and because B. he ain't give enough time to reply even if I wanted to before he gets up and like stomps outside (presumably to smoke a cigarette like the disgusting dirty cant breath tar soaked lunges having ass bitch that he is) and slams the door like a 13 year old that just got grounded

So I'm sitting here still trying to process what the hell just happened

Like y'all deadass nothing like this has ever happened to me before like no ones ever just randomly snapped at me for no reason with no prior argument no build up or nothing it's literally so crazy

I had no type of problem with him and I had no idea he had any problems with me

So I have no idea how long I was just sitting there with the kids completely fucking bewildered

So I'm thinking he's gonna come back inside and like apologize or something like a normal human being.... does he? Fuck no.

He comes back inside takes his shoes off and throws throws THROWS them at the wall and throws a glass mug in the sink and is like stomping around slamming doors just acting a whole fool

Now at this point I become a little nervous a little anxious because I'm like this fool is actually insane Idk how to deal with idk what to do idk if I should talk to him or not say nothing to him like I have no idea what to do because I'm like what is he gonna do would he try to swing on me or like take the kids or something wild and on top of all that I remember that this fool has a gun somewhere in the house and idk where it is

Anyway he goes in the bathroom and gets in the shower and is purposely playing his music extra loud like the walls are shaking and y'all know he's purposely playing petty songs talking bout some miss me with that draaaaaaaama

And I'm genuinely just at a loss like I have never been before with absolutely no clue what to do so I'm tryna go through my options

I see his keys on the wall in the kitchen and I'm like I could put the kids in his car and take off but bet he'll call the cops and say I stole his car and kidnapped his kids

So I'm like I could take the kids and walk a block to the dollar tree and just stay there till he's gone but he'd lock the door and I don't got a key

I'm like should I call my mom? My mom already don't like him and I know she'll come down here and beat somebody's ass. But I don't wanna worry her if it's not a big deal and she's at work she's all the way on the other side of town and if he hears me calling her it could make him even more mad

So I go to text my sister and right before I start typing a text she just texts me "sorry" so he called her

And I'm like okay i know what ima do the neighbors are always outside chilling so I put the kids shoes on and we go outside until he leaves

He comes outside and he holds the baby for a minute and tells my nephew bye he doesn't say anything to me and I keep my head down I don't even look at him

So I'm expecting that some point during the day or the next day I might get a text or something getting an apology Do I? No.

So during the day I'm still debating telling my mom but I'm like no I'll tell her on Sunday when I go home

So my sister gets home and she's like "what the asshole say to you?"

And. I just say he was mad that I was "ignoring" him and she's like "well just tell him hi when you see him and you can say it in a sarcastic tone or whatever idc"

And she basically tells me that he called her and told her what "happened" (I doubt he told her what actually happened i mean I really don't think he called and was like yeah I just randomly screamed and cussed at your sixteen year old sister even though I'm a grown ass man)

And basically she was like "okay🤷🏻‍♀️" and he was all "that's all your gonna day?" And she was all "she doesn't have to talk to you if she doesn't want to" and then

He was just all in his feeling cause none of the family likes him

BITCH I WONDER THE FUCK WHY

And tbh I been nice af to this fool I haven't been ignoring I haven't been arguing with him none of that I've just been chilling doing me and if he got the vibe that I was purposely ignoring him or treating him some type of way then that's honestly him projecting his own insecurities

And if he felt i was giving off those type of vibes then there's ways to express that and deal with that besides raising your voice and cursing at a 16 year old in front of your two young children

I didn't even have no type of problem with him before this but I fucking do now and he did that to himself

I have never treated him any different than I treat anybody else and I did not deserve the to be talked to the way that I was talked to by him I had done nothing to him and he had absolutely no fucking reason to disrespect me or speak to me in the tone and at the volume that he did

Like bitch I'm sorry you (a grown ass man) is so fucking hurt by a 16 year old "ignoring" you like are you serious

He always all in his feelings that people don't like nobody fucks with him everybody's mean to him blah blah blah

The problem is not nobody else casting unfair judgement the problem is not nobody else's attitude the problem is not nobody else's inability to move on from past situations

Bitch you are the problem

The problem is you and your actions

You're the reason people don't like you

You're upset because you think I don't like you? So... you... scream and yell at me... to.... make me like you? What the hell kind of sense does that make?

I was really gonna just let it go but I can not stop thinking about the situation and how fucking angry it makes me

Because I literally didn't do anything

Now I can't wait to go home and tomorrow and tell my mom because she already doesn't like Eric and when she hears about this she's gonna be livid and I hope to fuck Eric gets what the fuck he's got coming to his ugly greasy white ass and I'm already know if my stepdad didn't just back surgery and allay he would beat the fuck outta Eric and I would record that shit and send it to his mom

I told my dad today and even my dad who doesn't give a fuck about nothing was like "excuse me what" and my step mom was like "you need to pull him aside and talk about that"

And that's another thing that just doesn't make any fucking sense like zero logic Eric is mad desperate to make my mom like him and then decided to yell at and cuss at her youngest child her baby like are you fucking dumb

All I know is this motherfucker is not invited to thanksgiving or Christmas no more

I don't even wanna see his ass on saint Patrick's Day bitch

I guess I'll update y'all once I tell my mom idk I'm just like so

Conflicted

Cause like I deadass didn't do anything

Like idk how to feel I’m mad confused

[strawberry-jules]

the fourth

hi again. it’s 10:41pm.

today was a fucking shit show. like appallingly so. my schedule was supposed to roughly look like this:

6-7am: get up, get ready, go get coffee

8-9: vet appt

9-10: breakfast, clean the kitchen for mom

10-11: post office, quick target run

11.30-4pm: read 2 chapters from textbook

4-5.30: run, shower, etc

5.30-7.30: read half a chapter, take some me time, idk

9pm-11pm: vibe time baybee

here’s how it turned out, roughly.

got coffee, it was very fun. barista is making it very hard to not have a crush on them by simply existing. how rude! took belle to the vet, everything was fine and dandy, as i figured. came home, had a bagel with spinach and eggs, cleaned the kitchen, it was fantastic. my brother ended up needing to ship out his christmas gift to his friend in croatia, but his classes weren’t over until 1:30, so i was like no worries! i’ll just go study for my final till your classes are over, just let me know. i ended up reading absolutely nothing and getting sucked into whatever fucking dumb shit exists on the internet. i also picked 3 therapists from our network and emailed them, introducing myself, and asking for quick interviews next week to see if we’re good fits, because i want to start going to therapy. 

i was very excited by this development. it’s taken me over a year of saying i would go to therapy for me to finally get the courage to reach out. at about 12, i went into my parents’ room and said “guess what? i’m finally starting therapy!” and my mother, without missing a beat, says “oh, sorry we did such a bad job raising you. why do you need therapy? i thought we did a great job.” i was fucking stunned. i was like, “woah, no! this isn’t a reflection of you. this is me finally taking care of myself, i have personal things i need to work through. however, i do think that therapy is useful to anyone, and i think everyone should try therapy, at least once,” to which she had the brilliant insight, “there’s nothing wrong with me. should i just make something up about my family and go talk to a stranger about it? is that what you’re doing?” and my dad was like, “hey, that’s not what she’s saying” and my mom basically went off saying that i was weird for thinking that everyone should try therapy, and that i didn’t actually need it, and that it’s weird that i’ve been to therapy twice now, wasn’t complaining to that high school counselor that my parents were so strict enough for me?

those quotes are as close to word for word as i can get, i’m pretty sure it’s exactly what was said. the conversation lasted less than a minute, before i said “i think i need to excuse myself,” and walked away. i came and sat at my desk for i don’t even know how long. i looked at myself in my phone camera, and my face had become so translucent, it was almost green from my blood veins. i walked up to my window and contemplated trying to take the screen out to climb out, but i realized that if i did jump, it would be in my neighbor’s driveway, and that felt really insensitive, so i walked away. i sat back down at my desk and contemplated all the reasons my mom was right, before i realized that she wasn’t right. i have finally realized that i’m not fine. 

i’m a depressed, suicidal 20 year old with undiagnosed adhd and ocd, a diagnosed eating disorder, and i’ve been a closeted lesbian for 13 years. i have every right to feel not okay. i didn’t need my mother’s permission to go to therapy, i have my own health insurance and i’m an adult who feels the need to ask for help, and that’s okay.

so i did what i do best, and spewed verbal diarrhea onto my private snap story about what happened and how i’ve been feeling these last few days. my brother’s classes ended early, so i took the opportunity to leave the house as soon as possible, and we took as long as possible to get to the fedex drop box, before i dropped him back at home and kept driving around, trying to process how i felt. i didn’t return either of my textbooks. i think i’m just going to send the one i bought in october after christmas, idk when it’s due but i can’t deal with the fucking lines at the post office anymore. i walked up to the post office, looked at the winding line into a building where the lovely hicks in my hometown refuse to wear masks, decided i wasn’t ready to get covid yet, and went to deposit cash so i could buy weed. i’ll just bite the $40 and buy the one that was due today, maybe i’ll give it to someone next semester. 

i got home and responded to my friends’ responses to my story. i got an overwhelmingly positive and loving response from my friends. every single one stuck up for me, supported me, and shared that they’ve been feeling similarly. which is heartbreaking, i can’t believe that all of us have been dealing with this so privately! but anyway, that’s a tomorrow issue. 

after i did that, i was ordering my weed when barista texted me, saying they had a question for me, which, when you have a major crush on a coworker with a girlfriend, is a very concerning text to receive. turns out, they just made me earrings! they walked their dog to my house and delivered the insanely cool polymer clay snake earrings. when i greeted them with a hug, they pulled me in so close, literally every part of their body was pressed against mine and my cheek rested on their head so perfectly. they’re on the shorter side, probably 3-4 inches shorter than me, but so strong. the way their arms felt around my back was wild, it was so tight but so gentle but so firm but so, so warm and soft. their hair was soft but frizzy and smelled like them and a little bit like an argan oil shampoo and a little like coffee. their eyes are so much more intensely ice blue in the sun. they hugged me the same way goodbye, and we chatted for a good portion of the evening, about our coworkers and being homeschooled and being nerdy high schoolers and the earrings.

i finally got one chapter done before dinner was ready at 8:30pm, which is late, even by our standards. after dinner, as i was decorating a sugar cookie named gerard, my parents kept making snarky comments about me being a stoner, and i was like yes, bold statements coming from the parents that just used my account to buy a tincture and edibles. anyway, i came upstairs and tried to read more but i’m too emotionally exhausted. eve ended up giving me a call, finally, and filled me in on her life, which is always crazy but i love to hear her voice, so it’s okay. then i learned a tiktok dance, which left me concerningly out of breath, considering it’s only been like 4 days since i ran and i can’t be that out of shape? but i showered and did my skincare routine and made sure my laundry was in the dryer before i sat down to start this. 

it’s now 11:20pm, and i’m very proud to report that i am no longer angry with my mother for what she said to me. i’m sad that it’s how she feels, but i recognize that what i’m going through is something she will never understand, as a straight woman who, while prudish, has a healthy relationship with drugs and sex. i love her, and i forgive her, but i’m going to talk to her tomorrow and hold her accountable for gaslighting her already unstable daughter. what she did wasn’t fair, and it hurt. i know she probably feels insecure because she definitely does have things she knows she should go to therapy for, i know for a fact that she faced a lot of childhood and adolescent trauma and i would personally love to make sure she’s in a healthy place with it. but i can’t force her to, obviously, so i have to just hope that she doesn’t project on to me too much in the coming weeks.

i’m exhausted, and i think i’ll go to bed. i feel good about how i handled today, i caught myself in time to think through my actions before i did something completely unwarranted and unhinged. i know that at the time, my brain was in flight mode and i couldn’t cope immediately so i just followed the “i want to die” instinct because it was the strongest, but i still had enough of my logical brain in gear to have forethought. look at you go, prefrontal cortex! knowing that the part of me that is still healthy and wants to live is strong enough to put the kibosh on that maneuver is enough to give me hope that i will be okay someday. i never thought that i would be someone to be experiencing things like this. i really thought that people were being dramatic, if i’m being totally honest. now that i’m experiencing it, i understand. i’m sorry that i didn’t have more empathy.

[flockofdoves]

spotify wrapped stuff bc i like archiving it here i guess

this year was weird and my musical listening habits kinda reflected that so its cool they divided by season ig

the design of this is kinda dumb w/o titles imo but ig youre not supposed to screenshot the whole thing so.

thats brockhampton, mitski (think i got most intensely into mitski fall 2018, i still like her music but that def makes sense as my winter phase for this year), my chemical romance, gerard way & ray toro

the protomen, the mountain goats, and like. two pics for damon albarn i guess? all of it was just journey to the west which was supposed to be a gorillaz album tho

mcr, gorillaz, the mountain goats, lemon demon

the coup, mcr, the coup again (i dont understand the image logic on these 4 pages some are albums some are artists), the used

september/october was me getting really intensely into the coups discography that i hadnt listened to as much and then november with mcr reunion brought me just. exclusively listening to mcr plus its members side projects plus the occasional other band i associate with them like the used so that makes a lot of sense lol

of course

def listened more than that but so much of my obsessive listening was stuff not even on spotify bc i wanted to get back into their more obscure stuff ive neglected since streaming

did not expect this honestly although i guess i really have no idea what i wouldve expected i listen to almost all their songs so much. this was the first song i ever got into by them when i was 11 so its kinda poetic or w/e i guess to begin and end the decade with

honestly was not expecting the mountain goats so high? i like them but theyre not any of my go to top favorites at least not yet. i think its the combo of listening to just beat the champ over and over again bc that albums a lot of fun i love pro wrestling and i dont know their other ones as well and then jacqueline and rain gave me a rec list for what to listen to next that i kept starting but didnt get around to making the time to listening actively enough, would like to soon!

the things on this one were kinda dumb it showed me russell crowe (from the les mis soundtrack) for australia dkfjghdf

genre-fluid. what a term

theres like . a lot going on here i guess https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EtcQvYE0EPa4s?

the second to last song i honestly dont even know what that is or why its on here? maybe it was on a playlist i was trying to listen to idk. similarly dont know why some songs are on here and not others but thats the only one i def didnt legit listen to at least somewhat

i didnt discover the protomen this year! ive loved them for a few years now jacqueline introduced me to them but i think i just didnt add them to spotify til now accidentally

i’m honestly really confused about 2013 i dont think i had spotify as a 13-14 year old?????? but like . listening to the sweeney todd soundtrack absolutely checks out for the cusp between me being emo and a theater kid dfkjghdfkj and i dont have it in my library now so like? i guess i did??? (also 2016 is just weird (i like regina spektor but not That Much) bc i only listened to like. 3 songs i didnt have premium i used itunes)

nice

wild..

[knightofbalance-13]

I’ve decided to switch focus for a moment from RWDE to this, a sort of hyperbolic series of videos criticizing Video Games. I will might also cover his Twilight Princess/Skyward Sword too but I wanna hit this because I am very well versed in Pokemon and I have been a fan of the series since I picked up an old Red Version back in the early 2000′s so yeah, I have been a long term fan having played the games from Red to X and the only reason I don’t play Sun or Moon is because I haven’t gotten the games. I have done quite a bit of research on them though so I feel confident that I can debate this. So let’s begin:

0:25

Actually yes, they have. A lot. Like the Steel Type which WASN’T a part of Generation 1, Berries, alternate Pokeballs with differing catch rates based on conditions, Natures, Physical/Special Split, Double Battles, Held items, Evs and Ivs, Abilities, Breeding, EV training, Poke-amie, Mega Evolution which completely changed the game, Roaming Legendaries, the Fairy Type and re typing of previous Pokemon, the Alolan forms, Poekpolaga, Z-Moves and many others because I don’t do competitive battles. And this is all coming without delving into how THESE aspects are changed and built upon, such as the Triple battle, Rotation battle and Inverse Battle being built off of the Double Battles along with the various new Pokeballs, The change with the Physical Special Spilit, the sheer variety of the held items and the Abilities that are rare like Hidden Abilities or Mega Abilities. And then we have spin off games, such as the Mystery Dungeon Series, the Ranger series, the Rumble series, Pokemon COnquest, Pokemon Snap, Poke Collseum, Pokemon XD, Pokken and such. This is simply not true.

1:50

This Mario analogy really bites him in the ass because if Pokemon is nothing but these turn based battles, then Mario would be, by his logic, nothing but jumping around. And once again, this only applies to the Pokemon main series, not the spin offs which have dungeon crawling, adventure games, beat em ups, stradegy games, photo shooting and fighting games. So this compliant still doesn’t hold up and with  the Mario analogy kind of gives an air of willful ignorance.

2:08

“Copy and Paste”? Really? So the fact that there are new characters, new locations, new cities, new types of battles, new items and so are completely disregarded? If so, then no wonder you have a problem: you aren’t taking things into account. And then there’s the fact that not every Pokemon fan watches trailers so that flaw doesn’t apply to them and is thus not a universal criticism.

3:22

*Groans and growls* A. That doesn’t even make sense considering wild Pokemon cannot stall the game like that, they would have no concept of such a thing being WILD Pokemon, another Pokemon means more experience points without having to look for more Pokemon, grinding is inherently slow so “quickly” doesn’t even make sense, you are pretty much guaranteed to be stronger than any none Legendary Wild pokemon in the game so a second pokemon would pose no threat and this could have just been avoided if you mentioned how in generation 5 when you are faced by two wild pokemon you could send out two. I know this is a joke but the joke is so poorly written and so badly enacted that there’s no humor for me to suspend my disbelief for him.

3:43

Gee, i dunno. Because that’s over 800 POKEMON that you would need to program into the game which is located on a hand held console meaning it has less space and less processing power than a console. Also, Pokemon following you around is your suggestion? Dude, that is the definition of a novelty: as cheap throwaway gimmick that in fact would be just like that “new coat of paint” you were complaining about. All the stuff I mentioned but you refuse to acknowledge actually impacts the gameplay.

4:22

...Would you believe it if I said that this exact analogy is why I decided to do all of this? Yeah, this is a TERRIBLE analogy. First off, you’d HAVE to order the Cheesecake, just like how you’d BUY a pokemon game. If you complain about getting the same basic formula as before, it’s no one’s fault but your own.

Secondly, stuff like Abilities, Fairy Types and Mega Evolution would change the game entirely so it would be exactly the same as before. But you know what IS essentially chocolate shaving? Having your Pokemon follow you around. The one specific compliant so far and it spits in the face of everything else.

Third: The part about not putting chocolate shaving on strawberry would be disgusting if it actually happened, just like how adding in Pokemon following you everywhere would clash with the gimmicks of some of the gyms.

Fourth: The part about being more expensive is just blatantly false: Teh starting price of Pokémon games, at least since Diamond and Pearl, has always been 50 dollars. Are older games cheaper now? Yes but that’s how prices go: The newest games are more expensive because they expanded more than the older games.

Fifth: You can stop ordering cheesecake at many time and look for another dessert, just like you can stop playing the main series of games and look at the spin-offs or just different games. Nobody is forcing you but yourself.

4:32

Hehehehe...

Remember this.

4:37

But if you change the battles, that would be a complete OVERHAUL of the game, that thing you said Pokemon didn’t need to do 5 SECONDS ago!

4:43 And Abilities, and new types, and Mega Evolution, and held items, and Double+ battles...

Also, no unique Z-Moves? Well, sorry Catasrropika, 10 000 000 Volt Thunderbolt, Stoked Sparksurfer, Extremem Evoboost, Pulververizing Pancake, Genesis Supernova Sinister Arrow Raid, Mailcious Moonsault, Oceanic Operetta, Guardian of Alola, Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike and Clangorous Soulblaze: None of you are unique enough!

4:52 Then don’t USE the Z-Moves: You have a choice to not use them. Even so, you cannot speak for everyone and if this is YOUR issue, that’s YOUR problem, not Gamefreak’s/

5:13 A. The opinionh about Totem Pokemon is personal opinion and without any proof is irrelevant.

And B. What about Kiawe’s trial which is about spotting the difference in the dancing, or Mallow’s trial where you have to find four ingredients or Sophocies’s trial where you have to answer several questions? A bit more expansive than most Pokemon Gyms.

5:30 Because if they did do that: Then the Gym Leaders (oir Captains here) would just feel like a generic trainer. It works for the rivals because you see their teams grow but with Gym Leaders? One battle and that’s it. The types give them more personality and more vibrancy.

5:39

Why are the rivals dumb? What makes them dumb? ... No answer? Well then, they aren’t the dumb ones here.

And if we talk about rivals as a whole: What about Gladion? He’s a call back to older rivals, specifically Silver with his personalty and parental troubles.

6:33

A. YOU DID NOT FINISH THE GAME. This explains why you have made so many mistakes here: You are talking out of your ass and pretending you know this stuff without seeing it for yourself or, lie me, doing any research on them. If you don’t even confirm what you are saying is true, why should anyone believe you?

And B. Exp. Share is OPTIONAL: You have no one to blame for that but yourself if you let your team get that overleveled.

.7:12

A. Pikachu’s voice is literally it saying “pik-a-chu” That’s it. Nothing else. You are directly lying here.

B. That skit is as unfunny as one form modren Family Guy

And C. Pikachu’s only appear in SOS battles and only in two places so they DON’T appear that often. And even if Hau has a Pikachu, he uses it three times and evolves it into a Raichu.

7:40 Then that would break the game, making attacks with low PP completely worthless and making super hard to defeat Pokemon like Shuckle a terror. You say, don’t do a big overhaul but this WOULD be a big overhaul.

8:04 THAT is the very definition of a complete overhaul. You just contradicted yourself AGAIN.

8:15 You mean like a dungeon crawler, or a beat em up or an adventure game or a fighting game? Like the ones that already exist? Yeah, kind of makes it look like you don’t do a lick of research.

8:27 Okay then, what’s your excuse for fans like me, ones who ARE older but still enjoy the new games? Nothing?

8:35 ... He says they should do a spin off game...and references a spin off game...

.. Do I even need to be here?

8:57

A. Teh E-Shop games cost about six bucks a piece: Not really a cash grab.

And B. That part ignores the legal side of things where, by using already existing Pokemon, the creators have every right to protect their intellectual property if they so choose. Not to mention this sin’t even exclusive to Pokemon, which around the time Uranium got hit a Metroid fangame was hit as well so this is clearly Nintendo’s doing.

9:39

...

You know...Nothing...and I mean nothing...pisses me off more than some whiny, entitled, arrogant, pissant pseudo-fan claiming that a creator is being lazy or some shit because all that says is that you understanding NOTHING about what they d Especially since this so called “artistic intergrity” was gone when you started not doing research, contradicting yourself and outright LYING just to push your narrative while insulting the real fans for paying attention to the changes that the creators have done over the years and teh chances tehy’ve taken.

And the most ironic thing is, you putting LESS effort into your videos would actually HELP. Because you already don’t do research or fact check anything you say, you already take footage from other places and the one thing you put effort into were the WORST parts of the video. Remove the original animations and you’d actually have a better product. Funny how stuff rebounds on you.

[the-wandering-platypus]

Rant #3 : WTF is wrong with the love story in It??

Spoiler alerts ahead. Also TW for child and domestic abuse. 

TL;DR: love triangle between girl, chubby boy, and speech impediment boy. Chubby boy literally got the same treatment as Quasimodo, and does not “get the girl” even though the plot pushes them together. Reason? Chubby guy is fat, whereas speech impediment guy has his impediment disappearing from time to time so it’s “less annoying”.

So I just went and saw the movie It, and it was shit to my opinion. I’m not to going to talk about the lack of actual scary content and the veeeerrrryyyyyyyyyy predictable plot, but rather I will rant about the infuriating love triangle because it is incredibly dumb and fatphobic. Fair warning that since the character development in this movie is about as big as my love for Stephen King (and King is a racist piece of trash that does not deserve the attention he gets), I do not remember any name and so I will make do with nicknames.

SO. Love triangle is between the only woman in the group, the chubby guy, and the main character with speech impediment. So chubby guy is new in the school and no one is nice to him (because obviously he is chubby, so he is awkward, shy, and loves books. Chubby guys cannot be anything else eh....), but love interest decides to be nice, signes her yearbook and they bond over their secret love of a music band. So that’s all great, but since we have Shitty Plot Fairy™ writing this movie, chubby guys HAS to fall in love with love interest because ONE nice action OBVIOUSLY means that she wants to make out with you. Plus it is obviously IMPOSSIBLE for a boy and a girl (they’re around 13 mind you) to be just friends!!! Soooo chubby guys does what every movie hero does to show their love: they write an anonymous poem. Fast forward many clown apparitions, speech impediment guy meets love interest in a very normal way, aka he sees her in a flash of white light as she smiles and walk slowly. Everyday stuff. So now we know that out of all the guys, at least two of them are infatuated with the only girl, just because she did ONE nice thing for them (she bought stuff for speech impediment guy or something like this). I would like to remind that they are all around 13 years old, but again how can a boy and a girl be just friend??? I mean... a nice gesture OBVIOUSLY implies that she wants to be with you right?????

So after several cringey sex jokes and more clowns, all the boys and love interest are swimming in the lake in their underwear. I’m going to forget the moment where EVERY boy are looking at the girl while she sunbathes because again, they are all attracted to her since she is a girl, so they have to drool over her (again 13 or so year old) boobs. But in this moment we have very poorly acted flirty looks between chubby guy, love interest, and speech impediment guy. But because speech impediment guy is not fat, he is confident and can actually compliment her whereas chubby guy is fat so he is shy. Results: +2 points for speech impediment guy in romance.

So now here is the list of wtf moments where the plot pushes chubby guy and love interest together, yet Shitty Plot Fairy™ decided that she should go with the speech impediment guy instead:

She finds the anonymous poem and loves it

She talks about poems to speech impediment guy, but he doesn’t seem to understand what she talks about, and she looks genuinely disappointed.

After one clown attack, she goes for chubby guy to get comfort, but apparently realizes he’s fat so she just put her hand on his shoulder and goes for a hug with speech impediment guy. 

Love interest is captured by clown, but thanks to Shitty Plot Fairy™ she is not killed unlike literally all the other kids, but rather put in a transe-like state thingy (no explanation about that so don’t look for one). And I’m not joking when I say that the only way to wake her up is a “true love kiss” situation, where chubby guys decides to bypass consent and kiss her. She wakes up and realizes omg you’re the one writing the poem! Aww so cute !! but you’re still fat so I’m just going to hug you.

At the end after the “amazing” battle against clown, they all leave except Speech Impediment guy and love interest, where they just talk and he runs after her to kiss her *eyeroll for the millionth time*. But Shitty Plot Fairy™ made sure that Speech impediment guy lost his impediment earlier during a very courageous speech. Because apparently you can’t be a strong leader with a speech impediment, and love interest cannot possibly fall in love with a handicapped guy unless it’s curable.........

In the end, chubby guy was literally Quasimodo’ed : the plot put beautiful girl and fat guy in a position so that they would finish together, but a wild beautiful boy appears and hey fuck all logic and the beginning of the plot you’re going to be with him now. It infuriates me that the SOLE AND ONLY reason they’re not together is because he’s fat. There are no other logical explanation if we follow the shitty plot. 

Now even if they had finished together it would still be a shitty movie in my opinion, because there are A LOT more problems (whitewashing, sexualization of kids, terrible characters, questionable acting, ...). But this unnecessary love subplot annoyed me more than anything because the writers didn’t even follow their own shitty plot rules for the sole reason that the character is fat so he can’t possibly have the happy ending. 

So there is nothing worth saving in the movie, which annoys me because the only interesting thing in this movie was the kid’s relationships with their respective parents. It would have been interesting to see the dichotomy between the imagined fear created by Pennywise, and the real fear that is child abuse; and as such they could realize that they don’t fear clown because they faced worse in their own homes.... But hey instead we have a shitty development, with clown disappearing for what I call Carebear reasons: “we are stronger together!!!! We are not afraid of you anymore because reasons!!!! We are just kids yet we found out where the meanie lives !!!! Basically we won because we are a bunch of white kids that are cast are losers but bullying is bad so redemption arc.

So save yourself the trouble, this movie is shit (again in my opinion), and exhibits blatant fatphobia, sexism, racism, and misogyny.