#goes a reallllllly long way

[steveharrington]

longlegs spoilers and also sorry this is long, been trying to decide how i feel about this movie lol

ty for saying that about nicholas cage. he was good but i was never interested by or attached to longlegs as a character tbh; i found the bait and switch w the sotl vibes fun but i did come away feeling like longlegs was a meh buffalo bill remix (esp w the flashback scene where he sings). imo we should have spent less time w him; particularly the scene where he's at that hardware store and the driving scene - i think he would have been better served by having his presence known via the dolls, surviving victim, letters, lee's mom, and flashback exclusively first so his behavior in the interview could land better. i felt like i was too used to him being weird by that point for anything he does in the interview to actually land. i think lee's mom was way more interesting and i also found that scene w the surviving bday girl more unsettling than anything w longlegs himself. idk if you feel this way but i always felt kind of distanced from the movie? like i appreciated the craftsmanship and had a good time watching but i was never really invested in the action or characters so i never got tense/anxious/etc watching the movie.

yes!!!! i personally never felt the dread that everyone has been talking about, and that was very disappointing :/ i read so many review that were like “you’ll feel a sickening sense of dread that follows you home…….” and i just didn’t. when i think about a movie that creates an atmosphere of dread, my brain automatically goes to lake mungo. what makes lake mungo so successful imo is that it’s VERY restrained and holds back the scariest moment until the perfect time to really sucker punch you. blair witch is also great at building dread and making you feel trapped until the scariest scene, which is the end. i feel like longlegs was so eager to show you their spooooooky titular villain immediately, like literally the opening scene is the most disturbed i felt in the whole movie. from there, you just get used to longlegs. you understand his character from the hardware store scene and then there’s nowhere else to go with him.

i was so excited for the scene with lee and longlegs. it was all over the marketing, they used maika’s heart rate in the ads, i thought like omg this is gonna be SO scary but then it was just. confusing. longlegs just speaks in riddles that you as the audience member have no chance to figure out on your own, because the revelation just gets explained to you by lee’s mom in two minutes. you’re exactly right that it makes you feel less involved in the story and just like you’re kinda watching through glass, which makes it hard to feel dread or anxiety or fear

i hate that my brain does this, but when i’m watching a horror movie, if the thought “this movie is trying too hard to scare me” enters my brain, it’s so over. from there it’s doomed. i’m out and i can’t get back in. if i get the sense that a movie is throwing everything it can think of at the wall to try and scare me, and i only feel at most slightly unsettled, it reallllllly annoys me. and unfortunately i felt that with longlegs 💔 and i do like the story, the visuals, i LOVE lee harker as a character and maika’s performance of her, so i still enjoyed the movie and think it’s good! but i don’t think it’s unfair to weigh if a horror movie is actually scary when discussing it, esp when it was a core part of the marketing that everyone who watched it would pass out and throw up and die from fear, and yeah it didn’t hit in that sense

[tbh-entp]

Hi fellow entp friend , as you I'm an entp girl and I'm really struggling these days and start to feel guilty having this thought : I really find anyone around me so boring and it totally drains me ( idk if it's clear lool being tired for not having enough real social interaction/debate/deep talks, it's like people's monotony is draining my soul and I know I can even fall into depression being socially alone for too much time ) am I a jerk for thinking like that? Is this the famous reputation of entp being the most introverted extrovert in display ? What do I care so much but don't give a shit about anything in the same time

Hi friend!

I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. I don't want to assume, but this exact feeling was very much approaching depression for me, and beating it is no easy game. And you’re not a jerk for thinking like that--I’ve had the same thoughts when I wasn’t doing so well.

It's true that we're often called the most introverted extroverts (it's either us or the ENFPs, and I think it's us actually). But everyone is individual, as is our abilities to handle interaction without it draining us. When it gets to the point of you being completely bored, drained, and not caring.... it's not the introversion of your personality, you're just in a bit of a rut! Which is ok, it totally happens, and the goal is to get you out of it.

As someone who was pretty depressed for maybe... all of college, I'm not a stranger to these feelings, and the good news is that they don't have to last forever. It does require a bit of effort though. And the really symptom for me was actually not being able to be around people without feeling annoyed, frustrated, bored, and kinda useless. It doesn’t last forever though with effort! So that’s the good news.

Therapy is always a good thing if you can find it and/or afford it

I did group therapy in college for literally half a second, and although it wasn’t the best (and a lil expensive), it gave me some friends who I related to in this way

Friends who understand is very helpful, I’m actually living with someone now who is a little depressed, and though I’m not anymore, we relate over it, and we both understand when days are hard 

Take it slow and be proud of any small success or even effort

Did you brush your hair? Way to go!

Did you not brush your hair? It’s ok, you deserve a break, maybe you’ll get to it tomorrow. 

Just be kind and know things take time, and try to be pleased with what you do in the middle

If you can, take care of yourself!

As in, try to eat healthy, take time to rest, exercise if you can etc. 

Even if things aren’t finished, don’t work too much... stop when the time is up. Leave time for a hobby thing or something that doesn’t employ your brain or creativity

do a puzzle, take care of some plants, listen to music, etc. 

And don’t feel bad for stopping!

Also join clubs, find groups that do things you like

sometimes having responsibility or a reason to do things, someone to count on you, helps

even doing this stuff online helps

Eventually your spunk will come back, but really taking care of your mental just like any type of health thing is important

[cartoontees]

you know.... i reallllllly enjoy claudia as a villain since she’s such a complex character and has such a distinctly-”not-villain” personality but the more i think about it the more i think she should not be a villain in the end.... and get some sort of redemption. i thought soren would fulfill the role of ‘child of a villain who breaks the cycle’ and claudia would follow viren in his ways (a la zuko and azula dynamic), but she’s never shown truly evil motivations, and now she’s even dating an elf (the hated enemy of the humans!) since the two years her father hasn’t had a  direct influence over her actions.

so now i think that she could be a nice character who represents that even if it takes you a VERY long time to break free of your parents’ mindsets (however wrong they may be), that you can still be free. even if it takes you longer than some others (like claudia will take longer than her brother soren - mainly because she’s been praised by her father for something [dark magic] that she’s been adept at from an early age). after all, she was only 16 during the time of books 1-3, a year younger than soren. her redemption might take a different path than soren’s, but will hopefully be right for her.

either way she goes, whether true villain or redeemed hero, i’ll still enjoy claudia’s character. she’s very interesting either way so i’m excited to see which way she goes - neither a villain nor a hero in media so far will have an arc quite like hers.

[anir-lol]

Sebastian HCs when he was younger mostly cause I probably won't draw any of this lol

I'm just gonna be putting a warning here cause I'm gonna be talking about this stuff so

Death warning and Smoking warning

Alright first off his dad is dead

Died when Sebastian was like 3

How'd he die? Smoking

Already had fucked up lungs before, him smoking a bunch made it worse

He was stressed as hell when Sebastian was born, but still wanted to quit for him and Robin

He couldn't do it though...

You bet when she found out Sebastian smokes it worried her a shit ton

Sebastian started smoking when he was 18

Robin would go out of her way to look for the cigarette packs and throw them out

Really pissed off Sebastian since he was an adult and brought it all himself

Eventually after a few fights Robin stops throwing them out, but still sometimes tell him off when she sees it

Sebastian and his dad used to watch Sebastian's favorite show until 10pm

He even went out to buy a plush of his favorite character from the show

The plush was a bright green frog

Still keeps it close by even being older

It's the one thing Sebastian sees as something left of his dad, so he hugs it each time when he's sad over him (or sad in general)

Sebastian found him dead when he went out to go get his dad to watch his favorite show together

He was just lying there on the bed... With a cigarette on the floor

Sebastian didn't know any better, just thought he was sleeping

He just climbed and sat down on the bed and turned on the show, mad his dad was "sleeping"

Robin came home 3 hours later from hanging out with her friends to see Sebastian just sleeping on the bed next to his dad

She broke down reallllllly badly

Robin moved cause she couldn't handle being there with everything reminding her of her husband

Robin and Sebastian's dad worked on the house together when it was literally tearing down together, so she really couldn't be in the house

Even more that she was sleeping almost exactly where her husband died in the bed

Robin and Jodi knew each other in ZuZu city, so Sebastian and Sam basically grew up together

Robin got the idea of moving to Stardew Valley from Jodi

Both Robin and Jodi moved at the same time

Robin met Demetrius when she moved there and Sebastian already disliked him lol

Cause Sebastian didn't really understand the concept of death at the time, he kept thinking Demetrius was replacing his dad

Robin had to go and seriously talk to him about it, and for the longest it really affected him

When Sebastian was 4 Robin and Demetrius got married, and he was 5 they had Maru

When Maru came they had to make Sebastian's room into Maru's room, it made Sebastian really upset to start living in the basement

They also changed the living room to a scientist room for Demetrius, which upseted Sebastian even more

Sebastian and Maru actually got a long really well when they were younger

Whenever Demetrius started showing favoritism towards Maru and telling Sebastian a bunch of stuff he didn't like is when he started disliking both of them

Would listen to his mom a lot more than Demetrius when he was younger

Sebastian and Sam made friends with Abigail in the valley when he was 8, Sam was 9, and Abigail was 7

Pierre didn't want Abigail hanging out with them that young but fuck you Pierre she still did anyways 😩

So young and Lewis already hated them all lol

Sebastian has ginger hair just like Robin, and has light freckles too

Absolutely hates that summer shows his freckles more

Robin dyed her hair black once and Sebastian really wanted his hair dyed black too, so she let him get it dyed for him

Only seen black hair ever since lol

Whenever Sebastian got his motorcycle, the first place he went on it was his dad's grave

He learns a lot more of his dad from Robin mostly and rarely Jodi whenever she talk to Sebastian since it was such a young age for him when he died

Always wishes he got closer to his dad, even though he knew I'd hurt him more

Whenever he gets with the farmer, once they're really close he takes them to see his dad (if they wanted to)

He's really the only one to go out to buy flowers to put on his dad's grave

Sometimes Robin would ask him to go put some flowers for her that she brought

Whenever something he feels important happens in his life (whether being good of bad) he goes out to his dad's grave and talks to him about it

Always wonders how much different life would be with his dad still around

He one time saw and felt his dad's ghost hugging him and really freaked him out-

Especially cause he didn't even smoked anything

He tells this to the farmer once

The farmer tells him that they also see their grandfather in their dreams rating their farm and he's just like "wait is this shit normal????"

I don't do HCs stuff too btw, I just wanted to dump some of my Sebastian HC stuff lol and sorry if it's a bit dark too, I know the dad part is a bit messed up so uh-

[woahitslucyylu]

NSFW Alphabet - Rio.

GIF is not mine, credit to OG creator. 

He felt left out, so I made him one too! Everyone’s favorite money launderer is here with allllll his dirty secrets. Enjoy, frands! 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NSFW Alphabet A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Rio lives to take care of you. You hold him down and after sex, he’s just as gentle and compassionate. He will wrap you in his arms and remind you all the reasons that his success is yours too. A warm shower and a cold drink await you after most sessions complete with take out from your favorite restaurant. 

B = Body part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Rio loves his lips/smile. He knows a simple smirk can make you melt into a puddle. He isn’t above using it to manipulate you in the best ways. A slow lick of the lips, a smug smile, or a soft kiss can buy him a few hours if he has fallen out of your good graces. 

He loves your hips and ass. Your curvy frame fits so perfectly with his slender muscular self. He loves to feel you soft against him in bed as he runs his hands over your curves - leaving your skin electrified under his touch. He loves the dip from your back to the top of your ass, the perfect place for his hands in all situations. 

C = Cum (anything to do with cum)

Inside or in your mouth - he finds your willingness to accept him in the most intimate ways erotic. 

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Rio loves to make movies. His favorite angle is when you’re on the bed, back arched, and ass pressed against him and he makes you fuck yourself as he watches himself disappear inside you. 

“Keep going, mama. I didn’t say stop.” The erotic sound of skin against skin filled the room as you rolled your hips against him, moans slipping through your mouth. “You’re such a good girl. Look at how you take me.” Your praise kink is on overdrive as you come apart beneath him - another Oscar worthy performance. 

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

His list isn't long, but he knows what he is doing. Always the gentleman, you come first, second, and third - he will leave your body sore and sleepy with his expert skills. 

F = Favorite Position (This goes without saying)

Rio loves you from behind - he loves watching your ass bounce as he pushes into the mattress. He lives for you on top too. When you just can’t wait any longer, and you take control. He lays back willingly, puts his hand behind his head, and watches you sink onto him - the stretch makes you bite your lip and lean forward. He will pull you close - holding your throat with ever so much pressure and thrust into you - leaving you panting and begging. 

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Sarcasm, mild degradation, and dry humor are Rio’s calling cards and they don’t disappear in the bedroom. He will make you drip with his words, and chastise you for being so needy. As you grind against his jean-covered thigh, begging for more, he will reprimand you for making a mess - heat running through your body as he slides his fingers over you, feeling just how wet you really are. 

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Appearances are important, so he leaves nothing to be desired. He’s neat. 

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Rio spends his days playing a role and with you, the doors open and his real self tumbles out. He presses his forehead to yours and whispers sweet nothings as you greet him from his work day. He is content to watch you play Iron Chef in the kitchen as you talk about your days together. He finds the most comfort in breaking down the walls and letting you - physically and emotionally. 

J = Jack/Jill Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Rio may rub one out, because work has kept him away from you. The movies you create make it easy to remember how good you feel. 

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Needy, begging - Rio gets off on knowing you need him. It’s borderline codependent shit, but he loves it. When you pout around the house, your shirt tight and in just your panties, huffing and puffing while you wait for him to finish working is one of his favorite things. He knows you’re a brat, and he indulges in your tantrums, edging you until you slide into his lap, palming him through his pants and whisper how much you want him in your ear. 

L = Location (Favorite places to do the do)

Rio moves in the shadows, so it only makes sense that he fucks in them too. Late nights at the warehouse have you laid across the table as he fucks you - erotic noises echoing through the empty room or you slide into the backseat of the wagon, sinking onto him as Mick waits dutifully outside as you chase your release. 

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Rio lives to provide for you, so being able to fulfill every request - sexual or otherwise - is his motivation. When the bills are paid, you have more than enough money in your account, and you can’t walk from countless orgasms, that’s when he feels most successful. When you came into his life, success suddenly meant something different and taking care of you in every aspect is his reason. 

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Rio is illusive, so threesomes are out of the question. He is invisible, and you’re really the only woman he needs. 

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

You’re a brat and Rio tames you on your knees as he fucks your throat relentlessly. He gazes at you through half-hooded eyes, watching you gag as you open your mouth wider for him. “Mama, just like that.” His hands thread through your hair, pulling the strands so rough that you moan against him - sending shivers through his body. “See, you can listen, can’t you?” 

On the flip side, Rio loves to eat you. He enjoys the feel of your full thighs around his face as you rock back and forth. You were so apprehensive at first, but he reassured you, “Darlin’, if I die underneath you, it will be the happiest moment of my life.” The feeling of power, yet subtle submissiveness in the act of you riding his face is a powerful aphrodisiac. 

P = Pace (Are they fats and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

When he’s punishing you, he holds nothing back. You will feel every inch of him as he pushes you into the mattress or pulls you against him. Your skin will be marked and bruised, your ass sore from spanking - he will remind you he’s the boss. Yet, he has such gentleness when he’s reallllllly making love to you. His hands sliding over your breasts - just barely touching you as he kisses right beneath your ear, nipping and sucking as you moan beneath him. 

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

With Rio’s odd hours, sometimes a quickie is all you have and you will gladly take it any way you can. Sneaking away on lunch breaks is your MO and getting fucked raw in the parking lot by your crime boss boyfriend helps pass the rest of the day with ease. 

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Rio’s whole life is a risk, so it only makes sense that he takes calculated ones on with you. 

“When will they be here?” Your voice was soft in the dark car. “Not too much longer.” Rio threaded his fingers through yours - his thumb rubbing your hand reflexively. “Not too much longer, huh?” You inquired as you slid your hand over his jeans - feeling him grow hard underneath your touch. Your hands worked expertly to slide him out of his jeans - your mouth watering as you slid your tongue around his length. “Mami, now?” His dark eyes filled with lust as he watched your cheeks hollow - taking more in each time your head bobbed. Rio’s head laid back as you choked against his length, sliding your flat tongue, feeling each ridge. “Mama. Fuck.” His fingers pulled your hair - his tightening grasp directed your efforts as you felt him come undone - your throat filling with him. 

Sitting up, you wiped your mouth - a coy smirk breaking over your face as you realized Beth had been watching from the swing the whole time. 

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

Rio can push you to your limits and he always makes sure you come first. You are more than accommodating and he spends his time worshipping you. 

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Rio is not a conventional lover, and he will gladly tie your hands - teasing you with the lack of touch while he stares down at you. “Oh mama, what do you want?” His voice rough into your ear as he rocks against your hips - his fingers expertly rubbing your clit as you struggle against the binds. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Rio knows how responsive you are and loves to leave you wanting more. A dirty whisper in your ear as you wait to be seated at dinner, his hand resting right above your ass, his beard rubbing against your neck will leave you asking for the check before you’re even finished with the meal. 

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Rio isn’t loud, but he talks. 

“Look at you take this dick, mama.” 

“You’re such a good girl.” 

“Darlin, I didn’t say you could come.” 

“Take it. You asked for it.” 

“How could you think you could move my pussy?” 

“Fuck yourself till you come.” 

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

Rio is a sucker for cheesy romance - rose petals on the floor, candles lit, a bubble bath in a heart shaped tub - he loves it all. The weekend spent in Vegas felt like a rom com, but watching your man be intentional with his choices and his time makes your panties wet. 

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants)

He may be skinny, but his dick isn’t. 

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Rio is a busy man and compartmentalizes most of his feelings, including his sex drive. He misses you constantly, but money ain’t going to wash itself, so he keeps his shit together. 

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Rio keeps odd hours, so he does fall asleep after, but it’s without guilt, because you’re snuggled right there with him. 

[countesskittymeow]

And here we are for episode two. Couldn't watch it last night cz my kid woke up xD anywho, first thoughts, Im kinda digging this green and gold marvel logo a lot more than the boring red one xD

Mind control? Evil Loki Variant does mind control. I wonder if this Variant ever faced Thanos. Also! They used the song! Its one of my favourite songs!!! Now i wanna sing along but unfortunately I can't because my kid is asleep and I dont want to wake her up in the middle of the night. I do wonder why the variant kept the hot commander alive unlike all the other attacks

Why does the TVA have such a retro vibe?

Loki definitely wants everyone to know how awesome he is.

There used to be a HULK LOKI??? Also the look on Loki's face 🤣

The one after the hulk is just... I honestly don't have words to describe that one.. just wut???

I love the geeky Loki telling them about the nuances of magic (Im already creating a headcanon that this is an act and he's only showing them what they want to see i.e. an eager to please, slightly duplicitous version of Loki who wants them to know he's super useful to keep around)

Professor Loki. I do like the sound of that even if I suddenly flashed back to all of the harry potter crossover fics i used to read where Loki became a teacher at Hogwarts.

Mobius just gave Loki an answer from Doctor Who!!! Well sorta like that, not the same one but its all wibbly wobbly timey whimey stuff!

Loki is making his attempts at manipulation very very obvious and somewhat desperate. I'm really really reallllllly hoping this is an act. Come on writer people dont make me regret my decision to watch this show. I really wanna love it but I'm in that once bitten twice shy boat regarding the handling of his character so I'm either gonna come out of this series absolutely loving it orrrrrr I'm gonna hate it FOREVER and happily live in my headcanons.

It was an act! We finally see the real Loki! There is hope for this show yet!

Also the way his voice goes from the higher pitched eager to please tone to that deeper, slightly sinister yet 'i know I'm powerful and you should fear me' tone was fun to see.

This had better still be an act. He's supposed to be awesome at playing the long game.

He got shushed! So he shushed her back!

So wait... The total population on Asgard less than 10,000? Really?

Yeah Loki. Stabbing people in the back is boring. Stab them in the face! Much more fun that way.

Total Doctor Who vibes! They went to Pompeii! Ohhh imagine how fun it would be to see Doctor and Donna strolling somewhere in the background. Not that that would happen but now its my new headcanon and you'll have to stab me in the face to pry this headcanon from my claws xD

Loki, I'm loving your enthusiasm but the word Volcano was coined AFTER Pompeii's destruction. I doubt they know what you're talking about 😂 also, there's a volcano 'splodin! In the background, where the hell are the earthquakes?

Magic lizards. Loki really has a way with naming things doesn't he

Existence is chaos. Loki is the god of chaos. Since in algebra if a=b and b=c then a=c=a SO Loki is the god of existence and the variant Loki has already reached that conclusion so now the magic space lizards are feeling threatened by variant loki's potential and they want the variant dead to keep being the most powerful magic space lizards inside and outside of existence! Guys! I've just solved this season's plotline. If I don't live react to the remaining series episodes, know that I was found by you know who and taken for giving out spoilers.

Mobius: You're very clever!

Loki: and that surprises you? O_o

Asgard getting destroyed was a class seven apocalypse but the thin in 2050 is a level ten? I wonder how these classifications work.

The grin! The grin! They're both doing the grin!

You guys mean to tell me that NONE of the product packagings or designs have been altered or upgraded in thirty years? Dove, Axe, Vaseline, Tresseme, its all literally the same as the stuff I saw on the shelves at the grocers this week 🤣 i know it's a minor thing but I find that kinda hilarious.

Whyyyyyyy does Loki keep getting knocked around so much. Also, why isn't he using any magic. Grrrr... I find this most displeasing

She blond?!? Why is she blond??

Poor Mobius. I feel kinda sorry for him tbh.

And that's wrap on this episode. Still having mixed feelings about the series. There are parts that I like and then there are parts which keep bugging me. I'm not familiar with the various plotlines in the comics so I dunno whatever happened in those to the Loki though I find it interesting that Lady Loki (why is she blonddddd??? Why not make her a redhead instead? Loki was a redhead in most of the depictions pre-avengers, wasn't he?) has that broken horn on her headpiece like that one version from the comics.

[panharmonium]

some disjointed thoughts about stranger things 2 under the cut (concealed to hide spoilers from my sister)

so, season 2!

i’ve gone into every season of this show knowing absolutely nothing about it.  i’ve had no exposure to the fandom or to reviews or anything that would indicate what it was about or how good the seasons are in relation to each other, which i like, because i know my opinions are my own.  season 1 i watched back in the winter, i think, and it was amazing.  blew me away. 

i just finished season 2 and i’m like...not as into it?

and i’m glad i had no preexposure to anything, because if i had, i’d worry that i was just being influenced by other people’s opinions, but i genuinely don’t know what people think of the various seasons.  i’ve been stringently avoiding anything about this show, have it blocked on tumblr, etc, so i could watch it cold.

i’d have to watch it again to really pin down the places where my investment was flagging, and i’ll probably do that eventually, because i know my roommate will want to see it, but my general impression was this: they had me hooked in the beginning, and then they started to lose me.

- i feel like overall it was 9 episodes where very little substance actually happened.  plotlines were stretched out over a reallllllly long period of time and became paper-thin.  like nancy and jonathan?  the only thing they really did over those entire nine episodes was make a tape recording and send it to the paper.  that was their whole story, and it could have fit in one episode.

- and what did happen felt like it suffered from a lack of focus.  can i explain this in more detail without watching the show again?  not really.  but i just mean that in S1, i could tell you what each of the main character’s arcs were, and i could lay out how those arcs had clear beginnings, middles, and endings.  in S2, i can really only do that for El (and even that i feel like got messy by the last third).  

- the horror vibe was different this season.  it was LESS scary, to me.  S1 was a CREEP factor that had my skin crawling - it wasn’t like...creature horror - it was the unsettlingness.  the whole parallel world thing was so - well, the only word for it is unsettling, like.  you felt like you could take a step and accidentally wind up somewhere no one should be - the idea that you can be trapped so close to somebody and yet so far away - you just felt like the world was inside out (or upside down, if you will).  and so much of the fear in the first one came from how incomprehensible and uncertain the entire situation was - you didn’t know how things worked and nobody believed you when you tried to tell them what was happening.  that scene where the christmas lights spell out R-U-N?  scariest fucking thing i’ve ever seen.  but S2 changed it to be like...it felt like more of a monster flick.  like a zombie movie or something - lots of creatures running around that you can just shoot with a gun - that’s just not really the same vibe as the first season, and i didn’t find it quite as interesting.

- i don’t want to be That Person, because i liked maxine as a character in general, on her own terms, but from a writing perspective - what even was the purpose of her introduction?  her and her brother both, honestly, the whole family.  i feel almost bad for saying that, because i can guarantee that there were people out there complaining about her being introduced because “they just wanted to have another girl; it’s so stupid, blah blah,” cue more sexist stuff, etc, and that’s really not where i’m coming from, but for me, from a general storytelling perspective, i don’t understand why she or her family were introduced.  they were superfluous to the story.  they didn’t need to be there.  and since i don’t even feel like the returning characters got enough development this season (see point #2), i don’t understand why we spent so much time on her/her family/her introduction to the Party.  it felt like filler.

- stranger things S2 did that thing teen wolf does where 2/3 of the way through the season it drops a tonally-different expository/flashback episode that does a lot of the legwork tying other shit together while also being completely disconnected from the rest of the plot, which is basically an info dump and is my least favorite way of relaying plot/getting characters to the spot the writer wants them to go.  i think kali was the most interesting new character we met this season; i was rapt every time she was onscreen, but i don’t love the “we’re going to shove all of the character development and background info into this one episode and at the end El has had her turnaround and goes back home.”  it didn’t feel believable to me.  are we ever going to see those people again, or were they just a plot convenience to serve the aforementioned purpose?  (idk, i haven’t watched S3 yet, so...we’ll see.)

- some weird...minor tonal changes/dropped plots?  in S1 one of the running undercurrents was how mike and nancy’s mom wanted them to talk to her and she really did care about what was going on but they couldn’t connect to her and that bothered her, whereas in S2 it’s like - that theme has been dropped; she’s not involved in their lives really at all, and her and ted’s spousal relationship is just being played for laughs, and there was that REALLY weird scene with her like...lusting after billy??????  that was so fucking bizarre.  

and until one line in the very last episode, they dropped the whole thing about hopper’s daughter, too - the way they wove that into the first season was brilliantly done, and just - you don’t see a bit of it in S2, and that felt off, to me.

- killing bob was a bad call.  it was gratuitous, AND it was contrived - who the hell is running for their life and then just stops dead in the lobby to smile at their girlfriend?  ANY SENSIBLE PERSON WOULD KEEP RUNNING FOR THE DOOR.  like - bob died, but the doctor survived????????  the doctor, who was attacked and immobilized and defenseless in a stairwell, somehow wasn’t killed??????  of course not, because he needed to survive, so he could get El her papers later....that entire thing irritated me.  it made no sense.  that was actually the point where i said to myself “uh-oh.  first Bad-with-a-capital-B decision this show’s made.”  

- lack of consistency in terms of how, exactly, Stuff Works.  in S1 it was like - the Upside Down is everywhere.  the demigorgon could come through anywhere, if you were unlucky.  that was part of what made it so creepy - there’s this whole other world and it is RIGHT THERE with you, and sometimes the fabric separating the two universes gets scary thin, and bam, you’re somewhere no human has any business being.  whereas in S2 it’s like - ok, things are coming through this one portal and spreading through tunnels underground, in our own dimension???  like at first i thought hopper had actually entered the Upside Down in the tunnels, but then it seemed like the tunnels were still on our plane, just gross-looking.  so why in S1 could the demigorgon come through the ceiling of will’s house, or through that tree in the woods, or take barbara through the pool?  why did the lab people think burning that little gate would help, when the first monster from last season was obviously popping into our dimension from all sorts of other places?  

- this is a minor quibble, but it was driving me up the WALL in the last couple of episodes - what in god’s name were they injecting will with???  and HOW.  mike just grabs that syringe off the counter like “we need to make will go to sleep” - there is NO reason that anyone in the room would know what was in the syringe or what the correct dosage was or HOW TO GIVE AN INJECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE.  joyce gives it???????  by stabbing straight down????????  into will’s arm????????????  what the hell kind of injection technique is that?!?!?!  that’s not....how that works.  ever.  and maxine does it to billy too, in his NECK - just straight in there.  there is no....look, people in human medicine can weigh in better than me here; maybe things are different, but just from the veterinary perspective, you can’t just stab a creature any old place you want, and giving something via any route that isn’t intravenous isn’t going to drop an animal immediately, AND you do not have control over how long they’re going to be out.  if you give a sedative, you can’t just wake an animal up by wafting ammonia under their nose.  AND the animal is likely not going to be actually asleep until you also give an anaesthetic induction agent, and if you do give an anaesthetic induction agent, you’d better have some monitoring equipment and a breathing apparatus hooked up to your patient!

look, it just - the “go to sleep” injection was used to solve too many critical situations for me to just ignore it.  it bothered me.

anyhow.  overall, i didn’t hate it.  but i thought it was way less cohesive than the first season, and therefore way less effective.  i’m still curious to see what happens in S3, but my expectations are lower now. 

[if you wanna talk to me about this, you have my permission, but ONLY if you’re able to do it without talking about S3 in any capacity, including your own personal evaluation of how good/bad it is in relation to the other seasons.  i like to watch without knowing other people’s opinions of things, otherwise i feel like my viewing experience is colored by what i hear.  thanks! :) ]

[badass-at-fandoming]

For the OC questions ask game, 🦋, 🌟& 💎 for Cassandra 😄

Thank you, friend!! Cassandra is really on my mind lately. Though perhaps the better question is if she’s ever not lol

🦋 If your OC could change everything (or just something) about their life would they? What would they change? What do they think would happen if they did? What would their loved ones think?

Part of the point of Kinder Universe is everything goes well for Cassandra, so this question is rather difficult, haha. Her wish would be focused on someone else. She wishes Sergio was Embraced by her Toreador mentor, Jeanette duCharme, instead of ghouled, so they and she could be on equal footing. She wishes she found a way to create peace between Matilda and her family, without Matilda ending up as a Kindred and demented to Nathan. She wishes she had left Matilda with clearer instructions, so the vampire hunting didn’t blow up in their faces. She wishes she didn’t have to choose between LA and traveling with Beckett. She wishes being Malkavian didn’t come at so high a cost.

Her loved ones think she’s a hopeless dreamer. That’s not always a bad thing.

🌟 When your OC loses all hope, who do they turn to first? What helps make them feel better? What calms them down and reassures them? Why?

OOF. This is complicated! Darkest hours happen a lot in horror games, and, because they’re horror games, the characters face them alone, by choice or design.

When Cassandra was a young woman, she would turn to her mother and her family’s patriarch and patron, Antonio, for help. Generally, when Cassandra is upset, she turns to people, or self-soothes by pampering herself, like with bubble baths, fancy perfume, dancing, listening to music, singing etc. She’s an extrovert, so, like, seeking people is her default.

After her mother and Antonio were dead, she’d turn to her father, Enzo. However, it became apparent reallllllly quick that Enzo was not one for coddling and comfort--he would tell her to deal with it herself. Sure, he would help in material ways, like money, but didn’t Cassandra know he had real problems? like how to start the Italian mafia in LA lol

SOOOO her father’s rejection started a trend of self-reliance that does not always end well for her. Sure, in those brief, shining decades where all the Bonpensieros lived peacefully under the LA Camarilla, Cassandra had a quite large support system. She had her family, her mentor Jeanette, her friend Nick Knight, her Malkavian sister Matilda, her touchstone Frank Putnman, and her chosen family of Sancha, Elena, Zelde, and Sergio. If she was upset, she could go to any of these people for help, comfort, wisdom, and reassurance. But when things got really tough and really grim, Cassandra told no one. She faced it alone, and people she cared about died or were driven from the city, but they didn’t all die, and she grips that cold victory tight.

In the San Andreas timeline, she still holds that self-reliance, and she’s better at leveraging her connections to get what she wants. In A Kinder Universe...hmmm, I want to say Beckett, but I think it’s Sergio. They’ve been with her through the very thick and the very thin. There’s a Diary story I’ve skimmed wherein Anatole ditches Beckett to attend some great Malkavian meeting, and I think Cassandra would ditch him as well, BUT she would leave Sergio there to guard him. Sergio is not terribly pleased about this, and they and Beckett run after the wayward prophets.

💎 Does your OC collect anything? Is there a reason? When did they start and is it beginning to turn into a little bit of a hoarding issue? What do they do with their collection?

Uhhh, so this is pretty dark, but, um, do skulls of loved ones count as a collection.

In San Andreas timeline, Cassandra has collected the skulls of her sire Cactus Jack, Sergio, and Zelde. She also has the entire skeleton of a party guest at Antonio’s final party, ya know, the one that got blown up and incinerated Antonio, her family home, and their entire fortune. The skeleton died holding a wax tube recording of Antonio’s research into the Eye of Hazimel. From the Cobweb, Antonio guided Cassandra into finding this skeleton and recording, so it’s, ah, pretty special to her. She holds onto these bones out of grief.

A Kinder Universe is slightly cheerier! She only has Cactus Jack’s skull and the skeleton. Both of them stay at the Bonpensiero Mansion in her room. She also has her little shrine to Caine at Haven, but idk if that counts as a collection. She built it as a way to externalize and act on her Malkavian derangement (hearing Caine’s Voice). She offers flowers, prayers, and candles to the shrine, like Catholics do to saints. Also song lyrics once, haha. In addition, her room houses copies of her 3 albums and 5 films.

Whew! This got long! Thank you again for asking! :D :D :D

[hobbitkiller]

She-Ra, Supergirl, and Tangled: A Tale of Three Female Relationships: Part 3

*SPOILER WARNING FOR SHE-RA, SUPERGIRL, AND TANGLED: THE SERIES*

Previously on “A Tale of Three Female Relationships” AKA HobbitKiller clearly misses grad school but not enough to find secondary sources for a multi-part tublr. post (or thoroughly proofread):

In Part 2, I discussed the impact narcissistic mother figures, resentment for chosen ones, and repressing emotions has had on three female relationships in three different series: Adora and Catra from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Lena and Kara from Supergirl, and Rapunzel and Cassandra from Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure.

These posts are a deep dive into where these relationships went wrong and will eventually culminate in a discussion of what these relationships say about the portrayal of female characters and female relationships in media.

For today’s installment, I will be covering two subjects: Blond Bulldozers and I Don’t Care (I Ship It). WARNING: This one gets reallllllly long. Like, possibly multiple sittings.

PART VI: BLOND BULLDOZERS

In my first post in this series, I jokingly mentioned that one half in all three of these relationships is a superpowered blonde who saves the world.

There are of course many implications in the fact that, though all three of these shows strive for increased diversity compared to their source material (It is also interesting that these are all shows based on pre-existing franchises), the main character continues to be a fair-skinned blond woman. 

That’s mostly a matter to be discussed another day, but I do find it interesting that all of these relationships feature one blond and one not-blond. Lena and Cassandra have black hair, and Catra is...well...a cat-person. Beyond that, the blond is not only the hero, but is typically depicted as morally superior and more righteous. Kara, AKA Supergirl, was literally declared the “Paragon of Hope” in the latest CW crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths. That title could just as easily have gone to Rapunzel whose chief characteristics are her optimism, desire to see others achieve their dreams, and belief that everyone gets a second chance no matter their criminal past and exploits (seriously, everyone in Corona--the name of the kingdom unfortunately for right now--gets one total pardon as long as they’re sorry even if the tried to kill multiple people). Adora is a little less cotton-candy that Kara or Rapunzel. She has the same moral righteousness, but actually has more of an edge to her than many of her friends due to her upbringing as a child soldier. Still, all three blondes are meant, for the most part, to be the moral center of their shows.

But, the thing is, when I look at these relationships, I can’t help but think of another popular blonde/not blonde friendship that went wrong:

Ahhh, Wicked, the prototypical female friendship story for so many of us. Wicked aims to take this classic dynamic of the morally pure blond protagonist and their dark-haired frienemy and turn it a bit on its head. Throughout the musical, Glinda is treated as pure, superior, and good because she is flattering and pretty. In reality, Glinda is often selfish and lacks the courage to stand up to people and systems she believes are wrong. Elphaba, on the other hand, is treated like an outcast because of her green skin and social awkwardness. Yet, for most of the musical, she is the one with the moral righteousness. She is labeled “wicked” by those in power for challenging them and standing up to them.

We’ll discuss Wicked more in the finale of this multi-part post.

For now, I’d like to contrast that relationship to the three being analyzed right now. None of these three shows goes as far as Wicked did to undermine this trope of the perfect blond versus the darker brunette. This makes sense as none of the three properties is seeking to deconstruct their source material or turn it on its head in the way Wicked aims to do so for the Wizard of Oz (the movie more than anything else). They seek to update and diversify certain aspects to be sure (someone heard loud and clear the criticism that there are no people of color in Tangled), but not to challenge them.

That being said, each show does try to layer in flaws in their blond protagonists approach to relationships. These flaws tend to be more subtle than those of the people around them, perhaps to protect said blondes from becoming too unlikeable, but they are clearly there.

In the last post, I talked a lot about the resentment of the non-blondes in these relationships and how that helped lead to the relationships falling apart. Those characters are also much more the aggressors in said relationships and are much more set on taking down the other party.

However, the blondes in each relationship are not without blame for it falling apart.

In the previous post, I discussed how being friends of a so-called “chosen one” or “golden child” can breed resentment. I also mentioned that raising someone as a “golden child” is its own form of abuse. It creates a level of unrealistic expectations to always be perfect and responsible. It can be the same for a “chosen one.”

Adora, Kara, and Rapunzel all feel a tremendous amount of responsibility as the “saviors” of their respective worlds. This manifests itself in a need to constantly “fix” everyone else’s problems. Adora frequently describes her need to fix whatever goes wrong in the Rebellion. Kara feels it’s her job to fix things so much that she contacted her former boss’s estranged son behind her back to try to reconnect them. Rapunzel frequently becomes involved in the personal lives of her friends for the sake of fixing their problems.

To an extent, this is a good quality. All three of our blond saviors have good hearts and don’t want to see anyone else suffer, partially because all of them have suffered their own childhood traumas from being raised as a child soldier to witnessing one’s entire planet and species destroyed to being held prisoner for 18 years.

However, as the title of this section suggests, all three of these characters tend to take a bulldozer approach to their involvement with their loved ones’ lives. This creates tension in many of their relationships, not just those discussed in these posts. Adora’s attempts to help her friend Glimmer after Glimmer becomes queen come off as controlling and as though Adora doesn’t respect Glimmer’s position of authority. Kara, in addition to the incident with her boss’s son, had also tried to control the life of another alien (and eventual boyfriend), Mon El as well as did things like break into her sister’s apartment when she was sad. Rapunzel promises to fix everyone’s problems, which leads to friends feeling betrayed when she can’t follow through. She also frequently intrudes in Cassandra’s life and plans.

One of the most threatening things for people like Catra, Lena, or Cassandra is to feel as though they do not have control over their lives. When you already have trust issues, feeling like someone else is trying to control you can feel like you’re being trapped. Control is particularly important to Lena. In many ways, she has the same feelings of responsibility as Kara. Like Kara, Lena, having been raised by one of the most powerful and influential families on the planet, feels a sense of responsibility to be a world leader. She feels that even more keenly in light of the villainous actions of her mother and brother--that she has to restore honor to the family name. As discussed in the previous post, this feeling in Lena manifests itself in her actions towards her friends through buying them things or trying to solve problems for them such as buying Kara’s and James’s place of work, Catco, to save it from being purchased by a scumbag.

This need to take back control of her life and legacy, to me, is why Lena reacts so drastically to discovering that Kara is Supergirl. Being mad at Kara for keeping secrets is, frankly, hypocritical on several counts. Not only does Lena keep many, many secrets from Kara throughout the show, but she is also fine with the fact that Alex, Kara’s sister, never told Lena explicitly that she was an agent of the Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO). Of course, the reason why Lena wasn’t mad at Alex is because Lena had already known who Alex was, thus giving her power and control in that relationship. Finding out that her friend had successfully hidden her identity for years and had been influencing events without Lena’s knowledge took away the control Lena felt she had over that relationship.

Cassandra also feels a keen lack of control over her life and her relationship with Rapunzel due to the fact that Rapunzel is both her monarch and direct employer. Cassandra serves Rapunzel and that is the first avenue through which they formed a relationship. Early in their relationship, Cassandra resented Rapunzel’s attempts to become friends and said the chance of a Lady in Waiting and a princess becoming friends was a million to one. Rapunzel, by nature of being “irrepressible” (as her friends call her), manages to worm her way into Cassandra’s heart to the point that Cassandra almost forgets that she and Rapunzel are not equals.

What I find interesting about both Cassandra and Lena is that they both, in some ways, considered themselves the protectors of their naive blond friends. While it’s true that Cassandra always knew her station was below Rapunzel, part of her job early on was teaching Rapunzel how to be a member of the court--what to do, when to curtsy, who was who, etc. In fact, Rapunzel had so little exposure to the outside world, Cass was partly responsibly for teaching her how to interact socially in general. There’s also the added factor that Cassandra is 4 years older than Rapunzel, which can seem like a lot at their ages. Lena, as previously discussed, saw herself as a major figure in shaping the future of the world. She went out of her way to help Kara by buying Catco and tried to protect Kara if they were ever in physical danger together.

Both of these characters suffered from an abrupt challenge to the relationship roles they previously thought they had. Cassandra in this scene and Lena when Lex tells her that Kara is Supergirl.

It’s interesting that, in that scene, Lex emphasizes the idea that Lena has been a fool. (And, fair enough, I’m pretty sure everyone who’s ever watched the show found it hard to believe that Lena never once realized her best friend was Supergirl. I mean...really, glasses?) But this idea, that she had been a fool plays right into Lena’s fear of losing control. It’s the idea that someone else was pulling strings while she was oblivious that taps right into her deepest insecurities.

Catra’s issues with feeling controlled by Adora are mostly revealed in the episode discussed last post called “Promise.” They come up again in the third season finale when Adora tries to convince Catra to come with her and leave a world that is crumbling out of existence and Catra declares that she will never  go with Adora, and that she won’t “let you win” and “would rather see the whole world end (which it’s doing BTW) than let that happen.” Catra believes the way to get control back from Adora is to “win” at any cost. 

In the end, this idea of “winning” becomes part of all three relationships. It’s no longer about working together or “us against the world” for the not-blondes who have felt crushed under the weight of their friends. Now it’s about achieving their goals in spite of the collateral damage.

And the most frustrating part is that the blondes are largely oblivious to the fact that they make their friends feel this way or that they are overstepping boundaries. They just think they’re doing the right thing because they’re “taking care of” or “fixing” the problem. They’re so concerned with taking care of or protecting their friends, that they don’t realize how patronizing and condescending that can feel.

So, even as these relationship turn so sour, why are so many people not only rooting for the friendship to return, but for our ladies to go the next level beyond?

PART VII: I DON’T CARE (I SHIP IT)

I sometimes wonder how the greatest point of contention, the biggest source of toxicity, and the most exhausting part of fandom became shipping. I have seen more nastiness among fans and toward creators and actors about shipping than just about anything else.

Shipping has a long history in fandom, though that term is relatively recent. People have been writing fan fiction about Kirk and Spock getting together since the show was on and fan fiction was written and shared at either in-person gatherings or through semi-underground fanzines. 

And, trust me, I’ve been in the trenches of a ship war. Back when Avatar: The Last Airbender was airing, I was a hardcore Zutara shipper. And, to be more honest, it made me a jerk. Part of that is just because I was a teenager at the time, and teenagers don’t always realize the potential impacts of their actions due to brain chemistry etc, etc. But still, the intensity with which I argued that my ship either would or should become canon when the creators of the show clearly preferred the other relationship embarrasses me when I look back at it.

These days, fandom shipping has gotten even more complicated and contentious.

Back when those women (and it was mostly women) were typing their Kirk/Spock fan fiction and mailing it to other fans, they knew Kirk and Spock would never actually get together on the show. That was the case for the majority of fandoms until very recently--that there was no expectations of actual canon lgbtq representation. People could claim there was deliberate subtext or coding, but very few, if any people, expected shows to actually have openly lgbtq characters.

Then, it started to actually happen. Not just in a, “the actor said they saw their character as gay” or “the creators said they coded that character as gay” way. Characters actually started being lgbt on screen in ways that weren’t demeaning or stereotypes. Major characters, too.

For me, a big moment that gave rise to the hopes of many that their lgbt ships might actually have a shot at being confirmed as canon was, funnily enough, the sequel show to Avatar: TLA, The Legend of Korra.

The above was the closest the couple got to an on-screen intimate moment, and some fans didn’t believe it was romantic until it was later confirmed by the show creators. Nickelodeon was only willing to go so far, after all. The followup comics, however, are much more explicit with the relationship and the two share multiple kisses and intimate moments.

Many fans argue that Korrasami (as the ship between Korra and Asami is called) was too subtle to be considered real representation. But a wave could certainly be felt throughout the world of animation afterword. Shows became even more bold about confirming lgbt characters or at least became less subtle in their coding. 

And suddenly, the idea that a main character’s finale pairing might be anything other than straight became a real possibility and, in some cases, an expectation.

In addition to the growing visibility of lgbt relationships in media, another change was slowly taking place within fandom. 

For much of modern fandom, the most popular ships have been male/male (mlm). Back when I was getting into fan fiction (because I love reminding people that I’m old), this was called “slash.” Slash was exclusively a term for mlm relationships. Same-sex relationships between women (wlw) were labeled “fem-slash,” and were much more rare.

Multiple people have discussed theories for why mlm was, and continues to be in many cases, the most popular type of ship. Some believe it has to do with the prevalence of straight women in fandom who might fetishize mlm relationships. While I have no doubt that’s partly true, I believe the other common argument has a great deal of merit: there were more mlm ships because male characters were more interesting and more prevalent. 

Star Trek: The Original Series had only two main female characters and neither of them was given close to the emotional depth as Spock or Kirk. Lord of the Rings, which was one of the most popular pieces of media on which to write fanfic when I was younger, has so few women the movies had to add in a boat load of new scenes for Arwen.

Recently, though, not only have more shows invested in writing dynamic, interesting female characters, but they have included multiple diverse female characters with relationships with each other and not just the men in the shows. 

So, not only do more people ship wlw ships, but more people expect to actually see those ships represented in their media. Never before has a wlw ship becoming “endgame” seemed more possible.

In many ways this is fantastic. More representation being not only more possible but more expected is absolutely necessary for our media to progress and grow. This has, however, lead to some growing tensions in communities where shipping has, in some ways, become its own form of activism, which means that there is not only people’s personal feelings and preferences for ships on the line, but people who feel that fighting for their ship to become canon is a proxy battle for their own acceptance. 

All three of these wlw ships mean a lot to the people who ship them, and all three have been met with the desire, and occasionally demand, of canon validation as well as a heady mess of coding, accusations of queer baiting, and the lingering question of which, if any, relationships might get the same, and hopefully more explicit, validation that Korrasami had.

Let’s start this deep dive into these relationships as ships with the one that has, in canon, already been resolved.

Yep, that’s definitely a Disney twirl going on there.

One of the first points often made when the validity of a mlm or wlw ship is questioned is that, if you say an m/f couple do the same thing, no one would question that it was romantic. This makes it interesting, and sets off the shipping alarm for anyone who’s a fan of wlw ships when Tangled: The Series goes out of its way to not only give Cass and Rapunzel (ship name: Cassunzel) romantic moments like the above “Disney twirl,” but also directly parallels relationship moments that occurred between Rapunzel and her canon boyfriend/future husband Eugene (AKA Flynn Rider).

Look familiar? It’s almost a shot-for-shot remake of Rapunzel and Eugene meeting for the first time. In this episode, Cassandra accidentally wipes Rapunzel’s memory to the point where Rapunzel thinks she’s still in the tower. It plays out, in part, as “What if Cassandra had found her instead of Eugene?”--something every shipper had doubtless already asked themselves at least once.

Another major moment of paralleling between the two relationships is the endings of both the movie and the series. 

Eugene dies in the end of Tangled only to be resurrected by Rapunzel’s love. Cassandra dies in the series finale of Tangled: The Series, only to be resurrected by Rapunzel’s love. And it is love, that much is very clear.

The only debate really, is whether it’s romantic or platonic love. 

Cassandra and Rapunzel never get official validation in the show or by the executive producers. The most confirmation fans get outside of the text of the show are comments made by some people who work on the show saying that they deliberately coded Cassandra as gay as they could whenever they could.

Yet, for the most part, the creators of this show are largely given a pass by Cassunzel shippers for not making their ship canon. Most understand that, as a Disney property, many hands are tied, particularly given that, due the previous establishment both form the end of Tangled and from the short Tangled Ever After that Rapunzel and Eugene do get married. The reaction seems to largely be that Disney and the show got about as close to confirming it as they could without doing so.

So let’s transition from the show that met, and in some ways, passed expectations to one that has set expectations super high: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. 

She-Ra is perhaps one of the most lgbtqia coded shows out there right now. The first season even ends with them saving the day with a rainbow.

Here is show-runner and executive producer Noelle Stevenson on queerness in her life and She-Ra:

Yet, despite these deliberate attempts to show representation and to challenge heteronormative ideas, the show has yet to show any of its primary characters or even second tier characters in queer romantic relationships. We have seen a few parents, one pair on in a photo, and their is one married couple of women, but none of these characters are prominently featured on the show.

She-Ra has set expectations incredibly high and has yet to deliver.

Even so, part of what sets She-Ra apart from the other two shows discussed here is that there are multiple queer shipping opportunities. Catra and Adora (ship name Catradora) are one of, if not the, most popular ships, but both Catra and Adora have other female characters with which they could be just as easily shipped.

On the one hand, the pressure is pretty high to establish at least one major queer ship before the end of the show. On the other hand, the pressure is much less that the ship specifically be Catradora.

The near-certainty that there will be one or more wlw ships confirmed before the end of She-Ra means, to me, that Catradora has the greatest chance to become canon.

So, there’s Cassunzel that never really had much of a chance for canon confirmation and Catradora, which has a better chance of becoming canon, but also has less pressure to become THE ship. Where does that leave Lena and Kara?

Anyone who has been in the Supergirl fandom knows that it can feel like a battleground. While all fandoms tend to have their issues, Supergirl’s can be so contentions that it, frankly, makes watching the show less fun. This doesn’t all fall on one groups shoulders, I’ve seen nastiness from many sides over different issues. However, the biggest point of contention tends to center around the potential ship of Lena and Kara (Supercorp). 

Supercorp, as a ship, is completely valid. Kara has way more chemistry with Lena than she has had with any of her male love interests, and two of those guys were played by people whom actress Melissa Benoist was actually in relationships with (though the first was an abusive dirtbag, so lack of chemistry probably makes sense there). Lena once thanked Kara by filling her entire office with flowers. There are cuddles, and Kara’s unwavering (until recently) faith in Lena’s goodness. It’s hard not to ship them.

The issue in the fandom, is not so much that people ship Supercorp (though there are increasingly more people who have issues with the ship itself, which is something I’ll address about all three of these ships in the next post) but the vehemence with which some who ship Supercorp approach whether it will be endgame.

In a way, the frustration is understandable. Supergirl is, in many ways, a show that has made a point of including LGBTQ representation. The second season featured a multiple episode story arc of Supergirl’s adoptive sister Alex Danvers (I will stan her until the end of time) realizing she was a lesbian, coming out, and eventually starting a relationship with another woman. Supergirl also made headlines for featuring the first live-action trans superhero on tv with the introduction of Dreamer in Season 4. The trans actress who plays Dreamer, Nicole Maines, has even had input on how the character is represented including a recent episode that discussed the often ignored violence targeting trans people, particularly trans women of color.

She-Ra and Supergirl have different approaches to representation. She-Ra takes place in a fantasy world and appears to take the approach that nothing about identity or sexuality should be assumed about anyone. There is no heteronormativity in Etheria, yet no major characters are in non-m/f relationships. Supergirl on the other hand, is set in a world more similar to ours which has heteronormativity, homophobia, and transphobia, which leads to the show making episodes and story-arcs specifically about those topics while also somewhat constraining the show. There are arguments to be made about the worth of both approaches and both can serve a purpose for viewers, particularly young viewers, who are searching for characters like them in media.

So, why are the people behind Supergirl so often accused of homophobia?

I mentioned in the Blond Bulldozers section that it is a bit telling that all three shows being discussed here attempt to create diversity while having the whitest, most mainstream character as the lead. There are many who would argue that the true values of the shows are represented by their main characters, and that the rest are window dressing to try to make the show look good as a form of tokenism. The point being that shows won’t really show a commitment to diversity until the main characters are just as diverse as the rest of the cast.

These are all valid arguments. 

A less valid argument is the claim that Supercorp is being deliberately baited by the creators of the show. Queer baiting is a term that seems to have a lot of subjectivity tied up with it. The general idea is that it is when creators purposefully use queer coding or other means to inspire queer shipping of characters as a means to draw in the queer community to their show but then never delivering on that potential.

In some ways, all three of these shows could be accused of queer baiting. The direct parallels in between Cassandra/Rapunzel and Eugene/Rapunzel were no accident. The coding and “anything can happen” while very little does on She-Ra is much the same. And Supergirl is trying to center a large part of the show around the relationship between Kara and Lena, a relationship they know many of the fans see as romantic.

Yet, to me, Supergirl, is actually a less guilty party, at least when it comes to Supercorp. One can, again, argue that the canon LGBT ships and characters exist to pander and draw in those audiences, but Supercorp, I believe, genuinely came out of a place of wanting Kara to have a strong female relationship with someone other than her sister, mother, or boss, and I’m sure this falling-out was in the plans fairly early on.

Has the show completely shut down the idea? No, I don’t think they would be foolish enough to do that. But I don’t believe that it rises to the level of baiting. Shows like Sherlock or movies like Pitch Perfect 3 are, to me, much more egregious examples.

Still, as I said, I can understand the frustration of Supercorp shippers, I just feel like the level of anger directed by some not just at the creatives who make the show but at other fans as well is not fully justified. (And yes, I know “not all Supercorps” and I also know other fans have been jerks. Sanvers shippers who are being asses about Kelly are just as bad.) And who knows? I’d never say never to the ship maybe becoming canon eventually after Kara and Lena work out their issues.

That being said, all three of these ships, regardless of canon status, are incredibly popular, and I want to examine more of what that is and the reason some people are wary of these ships and the potential messages they send. This leads me to our topics for our next installment:

MY WIFE IS A BITCH AND I LIKE HER SO MUCH

and

POISON PARADISE

I will try to make the next one shorter. Also, sorry for typos, I did not give this a thorough read-through. I used all my brain power just writing it.

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S4 Ep 18 pt 1: California Public Transit can Take you to Hell, but it Can’t Take You to the Freakin Mall

Apparently Tumblr did an update, joining the throng of techie websites that chose a godawful very open and round sans fontface that creates a hell ton of white-space.

Aaaaaa

Not quite sure why every website feels like they must make all websites look like a mobile site. I do enjoy having a dark mode now and that’s nice, but man...I miss the bold font we used to have for titles on text files. Really told you “this is a title.”

Not like it matters since y’all are reading this on my own blog where I have control of how it looks, but man...that awful typeface where there kerning is nice for short stuff but just...too wide for serious reading. It’s everywhere I go.

And speaking of bad kerning, like I saw this ad for a gym that was called “49ERSFIT” (because that’s our football team, in case you don’t know) but the kerning was reallllllly narrow so I looked at it and all I could see was “49ERSHIT” and like...I can’t unsee it. I can never unsee that.

Anyways, enough about how I’m haunted by font, lets talk about Yugi, who used to be haunted by Yami, up until he died this morning. So now Yami is just kicking it all on his own for a total of....maybe a few hours now, and has already destroyed an entire Caltrain, and whatever ecosystem was in this lake.

Seto Kaiba would be so proud.

Somewhere in the Ocean, or over the ocean, or...wherever the hell Atlantis is, Darts has decided that Pharaoh is NOT dead after all, and sends Rafael to finish the job, because youknow--Darts won’t move his lazy ass until all of his lackeys are fully dead. It’s an anime.

And then we have a jump cut to this tent scene. I don’t know how much time has passed. It’s suggested it’s enough time to fully sleep. So...a full day?

And Yugioh pulls the most unexpected plot turn out of their pocket because why not, it’s Season 4. This season is just about “how many strings can I pull and get away with” (I mean have you SEEN the Death Count lately?)

........

there’s a lot of things I expected out of this kids show.

This was never one of those things I thought I would see with my eyes--one of those things I could cap with my prt scr button, and one of those things I could paste into Photoshop and be like “wow this is really a thing that was made canon.”

Like for how long I had to cap this photo of Yami and Tea sharing a bed together, the people who made this show, spent THAT much longer having to animate it. What is just mindboggling about Yugioh, is that no one on the entire team was like “oh did we just...” and this set-up happens--and they treat it like NOTHING is happening.

Like, how is that humanly possible to write your flagship pairing into the same bed and then just not even recognize it? Like I get how it’s physically possible, I just watched it, but as a writer, as an artist, as someone who tells stories, how is it possible to resist poking fun at this?

Like the RESTRAINT on the Yugioh team, y’all.

(read more under the cut)

I hope you enjoyed this trope that flashed on the screen for all of like...a minute. Lets throw a giant dog at it.

So fun fact, the Egyptian god that is shaped like a wolf is Wepwawet. He’s best known for guiding people through the underworld, which fits nicely into this episode. But, did the writers know that? Is that why Skye is here? To be a reference to Wepwawet? I have no idea. But this dog is here, and every time his eyes look directly into the camera they are drawn--a little bit wrong. Not as bad as when they drew horses, but wow they did not really enjoy drawing this dog’s eyes when it’s straight on.

As for Chris and old man in this episode, I don’t know where they got this outfit style from. It sure ain’t traditional Ohlone. It’s...I mean it’s what happens when you don’t do your research, honestly. And I get the sense that these two aren’t supposed to be any Native American tribe as recent as Ohlone, and might be Atlantean from things they say later in this episode, in regards to cards and the spirit realm or whatever--but uh...

...where did these outfits...come from? I just want to know their research. Chris has a 1920′s hat for some reason. The old man has a staff with poofy bits on it. He dresses more like a 1960′s hippie than he does an indigenous person. Questions. I have questions.

Chris leads us outside to where this old biblical-looking character is collecting all of Yugi’s dropped cards. No idea where Weevil’s went, including the card of his that currently contains his soul. Probably underneath that Caltrain somewhere.

What does Kaiba make these cards OUT OF?

Yami has decided, after this card shunned him once, that maybe it’s time to remove it from his deck.

(Pretty sure he did not decide to remove the Orichalcos, however, which is still in there, as we see later. Thing is, I just realized that Oricalchos would basically be Yugi’s soul, right? So maybe he just keeps it around for company? Takes it out occasionally and waves at it?)

Iron Heart kind of seems like that type of old guy who used to be a hippie and now teaches Physics to High Schoolers. I say this because I’ve had a couple of teachers a lot like Iron Heart where like you’d look at them and it’d be like “Yo you have to be like 600 years old, but like, all you talk about is all the drugs you did during the Hippie Era, how are you even still ALIVE?”

Speaking of people that shouldn’t be alive (although unlike my physics teacher, this guy is deffo dead...)

And then just completely out of no where Yami demands a Spirit Journey.

Like what the hell, Yami? That’s like...a crazy blunt assumption to make. Mind you, if I had asked my High School Physics teacher for a spirit journey, he would have had a lot of stories for me. He regularly told us that he could kick the ceiling (but couldn’t do it right now because he had to go to his special chiropractor first and get the right medication for that.)

Sorry my bro also had this Phsyics teacher and he just told me that he witnessed this 70+ year old man kick the ceiling and like...I don’t know if he’s lying. Either way, that is an incredible chiropractor.

And then, adjust your seat belts folks, because then this happens,

WOW!

WOW THAT’S A LOT OF LORE!

WOW HELL IS MY BACKYARD!

LITERALLY HELL BACK THERE!

Wow. Maybe that’s why California is on fire so often, amiright?

Man. In the Yugioh Universe 1.) The Loma Prieta Earthquake never happened so the Embarcadero is still multilevel 2.) The Bay Area industry got completely wiped out by Pegasus/Darts/Kaiba and is a literal wasteland 3.) The Caltrain actually goes fast 4.) Hell/Spirit Purgatory is located somewhere between the bedroom communities of San Jose and Millbrea.

The Yugioh Alternate California Universe is kind of awesome.

Ah, welcome to Yosemite, now conveniently placed in South Bay.

It also has Hell for some reason.

And then Yugioh decided to use a background from some other anime to save costs.

Speechless, I’m absolutely speechless.

This is a good season, I don’t know what some of y’all were complaining about.

Anyway, I split this one into two because it felt like...too long for one update, but the other one will be hopefully up this weekend, that’s right--I’m getting back in to the swing of things. Sort of. Kind of.

but anyways, if you just got here, this is a link to read these in chrono order from the beginning.

[wolvesofinnistrad]

Ben and Callum's real first time having sex and Callum is hopelessly nervous and worried and out of his depth. Ben has to guide him through it and like "Have you never watched a porn Callum? Never done Anal?"

Callum just looks scandalized.

Ben trying to get it all together and he's enjoying it, he is because it's Callum, but he also realizes how anxious Callum is.

Before Ben can say anything about it though Callum presses in a little deeper and suddenly Ben's practically mewling.

Callum freaks out and stops, "are you okay, did I hurt ya?"

Ben is just laughing now, licking his lips as he stares at his boyfriend. "No you git, just, felt good is all. Kinda nudged against that spot."

"Spot?" Callum asks, confused puppy face kneeling naked over Ben.

Ben rolls his eyes, he really doesn't want to give a sex lesson mid sex but this is his boyfriend and they both deserve pleasure so he relents. "My prostate Callum. Spot inside the arse makes you feel good when you rub it. Why blokes like getting fucked?"

Callum stares for a minute before leaning in. "There's a spot in there that's for sex?"

And that makes Ben laugh, something he doesn't normally do during sex unless the other guy is pitiful at it. But this isn't that, it's cute how Callum is so new and inexperienced.

"Yes Callum, there's a spot in there," he emphasize the last word, "that makes you feel really good. Bravo hitting it accidentally. We'll work up to being able to do more than that." He's smirking, teasing now.

Callum though, Callum takes it as a challenge. He kisses Ben to distract from his probing thrusts until he hears Ben gasp, and then it's Callums turn to grin. He goes slow, careful, making sure he drags against it every time.

Ben doesn't know what's happening, the sex suddenly went from endearingly awkward to him moaning Callums name and gripping at the sheets. "Callum, Cal, fuck."

"Yes babe?"

Ben can see the shiteating grin and wants to retort but Callum moves just right again and his eyes are rolling back. Callum starts stroking him in time with his thrusts and he's pretty sure he's never seen anyone get that much better at sex in the span of ten minutes but he isn't complaining.

There's only one thing missing.

"Callum, Cal please," Ben moans out, biting his lip because he doesn't know how to ask for this. Because this is his Callum, sweet, wholesome, probably thinks slow lovemaking all night is the height of sex, Callum. Not some bloke he picked up at a club for a quick shag in their flat or an alley.

"Whaddya need Ben?" Callum asks, knuckles caressing bens cheek so softly.

"Can you... Go a bit faster or, er harder?" He asks, and he shouldn't be embarrassed, he's never been before, but this is different. This is someone he is falling in love with and he doesn't want to scare him off. He's always been roguh around the edges, Callum smooths some of that off, but there are some places Ben still needs that in his life.

"Oh. Well, I didn't want to hurt ya, did I?" Callum says, giving a little goofy laugh.

"Callum, I promise you that going faster or harder is not going to hurt me. It's going to feel way better."

Callum makes a face at that. "Are ya sure?"

Ben nods, leaning up to kiss his boyfriend. "I promise. Now get a move on, don't got all day," he says, laughing and tapping Callum's bum with his foot.

And that's how Ben learns that Callum was reallllllly holding back on him. Apparently being told to give it his all makes Callum go a bit wild and Ben ends up getting one of the roughest, fastest, hottest fucks of his life.

It's also how Ben learns that if Callum keeps nailing his prostate like that, and really gives it to him good the way he likes, he can cum without even touching himself.

"Callum fuck, bloody hell I'm cumming!" He shouts as he splatters his own chest, and that sends Callum over the edge too.

When it's over they're both sweaty and sticky, lying in a crumpled heap panting.

"You okay? Kinda, kinda got a bit carried away at the end there," Callum whispers, touching Ben's cheek, giving him a light peck.

Ben's nearly delirious with pleasure, and an overwhelming sense that he'd never had that good of sex. "Callum I think you nearly killed me..." he laughs, thinking that if death by the best shag of his life was his way to go he'd gladly accept it as long as it's with Callum.

Callum looks gaunt, looking over Ben with worry. "Oh No! I told ya. I told ya I'd hurt ya if I did this I'm sorry Ben!"

Ben grabs him and kisses him hard. "Shut up. That was the best sex I've ever had. I'm actually kind of shocked, I didn't think you had that in ya."

That makes Callum pause, a nervous little chuckle bubbling up. "So it was good? And you don't have to be nice I know it's my first time with a guy and-"

Ben cuts him off. "Callum I said you nearly killed me because I thought I was gonna go brain dead. You near short circuited me up here," he taps his head. "I've never seen anyone go from just ok to mind blowing in one session. That was, amazing Callum."

Callum smiles, a bit shy and awkward, but he bends down and kisses Ben again, slow, languid. "Good. Next time I'll really go all out then."

Ben's eyes go wide. "What do ya mean next time..."

"Well, I was still holding back a bit. Still a bit worried I might have been mistaken. Now I know I don't gotta worry. I can give you everything."

Ben's pretty sure if Callum gave him any more he would actually combust, but what a wonderful way it'll be to go.

[headcans-oneshots-and-stuff]

Those Comics | Chapter One

Marvel/DC crossover x reader Warnings: Swearing and reallllllly, reallllllly bit of Angst (not really) Word count: 3353  Summary: When a sparring session with Wanda goes wrong, you find yourself in a really familiar, but still strange place... Series: You’re here | Chapter Two | Chapter Three

"Why are you always reading those comics? Don't they get boring after some time?" Tony asked coming into the living room where you sat upside down on a fluffy, grey armchair, reading the Gotham Academy comic that you've already read thousands of times. "I'll stop reading 'those comics' when you stop listening to AC-DC," you replied with a smirk on your lips, not looking up from the page you were currently on. "That-...That's not the same thing," he defended himself. "Yep, it is," Peter interfered from the bar in the corner in the room, where he worked on his Spanish-homework. With your eyes on the graphics in front of you, you didn't see how Tony mouthed 'Traitor' at Peter, but Peter just shrugged. You were like his older sister and he would always stand behind you, no matter what. "But...you're a superhero yourself and you live in a building full of other superheroes. Why do you need to read about them?" Knowing that you couldn't continue reading in peace you set the comic down and teleported it into your Bookshelf. "I always loved it. It was the only thing I cared for besides my lab and...after the incident...Well, I just wanted to have a little bit normality," you said, looking at the ceiling. Tony knew better than to say anything. Every Avenger knew that talking about the 'incident' is an absolute no-go. Back when you were only 18 years old, only a few months after getting your first job at one of America's finest Laboratories, your whole life changed. You tried to impress your new employer and so you did everything in your power and managed to get blood samples of Captain America, Black Widow, Spider-man and even a little sample of Hulks blood and you had an explicit plan for them. No. You didn't want to create a superhuman who'll be able to destroy something, you just wanted to help people. You knew that all the heroes you had blood from had a faster healing capacity than the average human and you wanted to use this, but you were stupid and tried to do it alone. Long story short: Something exploded, you inhaled some stuff, you changed and now you have the typical super soldier powers (Strength, speed and fast healing) and, because of a little big bang that happened when the blood cells of the different heroes mixed and started to attack each other + heat + science, the power to teleport yourself and other things/people. After that, you got recruited by Natasha Romanov and since then you're a part of the Avengers and a part of the family. You considered Tony a father because he was always there for you and would move heaven and hell for you, Natasha a mother, because she'd never doubt you and would support you when you needed support, and Peter, Wanda, Pietro (and Shuri) your siblings. Of course, the rest was also family, but your relationship with those was especially strong. Tony cleared his throat beside you and you noticed that you spaced off. "Did you say something?" you asked him, raising your eyebrows. "Yes. I don't think it's healthy to sit with your head down for so long," he said with a hint of concern in his voice. Rolling your eyes, even though your head indeed began to hurt, you rolled yourself off of the armchair and stood up, glad that you weren't dizzy. "Miss Y/L/N, Miss and Mister Maximoff want me to tell you that they hoped you'd join training today," surprised you FRIDAY. You huffed, but answered: "Tell them I'll be there in five." You winked at Tony, who only chuckled and sat down, and went over to Peter to give him a kiss on his cheek. "When you're finished, you can take yourself a piece of the apple pie in the fridge-" you thought for a moment, "-you know what take two and give one to May. Greet her from me." Peter hugged you and said: "Will do. Go easy on Wanda and Pietro." "No promises," you giggled and teleported yourself into your room to put on your training clothes. 

Three minutes later you stood in the training Area, surveyed by Clint and Natasha, besides Wanda and Pietro, stretching yourself. "We'll start with 10 rounds," stated Natasha, which earned her a laugh from Piet, a chuckle from you and a groan from Wanda. As the only one without physic-enhancing-powers, she obviously had the most problems with that. All three of you went into the starting position when Natasha added: "For Wanda." Pietro and you looked at her confused, but she continued with a smirk: "10 rounds for Wanda, 25 rounds for Y/N and 100 rounds for Pietro. Friday counts." Now Wanda was the one to chuckle and you and Pietro the ones to groan. "Start," Nat shouted and all off you started. After two minutes Pietro wasn't visible anymore, you were already two and a half rounds in and Wanda just finished the first half of her first round, already looking exhausted. You finished your 25 rounds in seven minutes as the first, which was mostly because Pietro tried to cheat and Natasha gave him 50 extra rounds. He finished a few minutes after you and Natasha allowed Wanda to stop earlier because the young woman was already breathing heavily, while you and Piet didn't even break a sweat. When the young Sokovians breath calmed down, you once again stood in a line with Nat in front of you. "Now we're going to do some sparing. Powers are allowed, but nothing that could have serious long-term consequence." she stepped back and motioned at the boxing ring in the middle of the room, "Wanda against Y/N. First one on the floor loses." The both of you made your way in the ring and stood opposite each other with smiles on your lips. "Good luck," you winked at Wanda. "I'm going to need it. I've got a feeling that you won't go easy on me today," she chuckled with a hint of worry in her voice. "You're right," you said and immediately teleported behind her kicking in her knee-pits (not with your super-strength). She almost fell but used her powers to lift herself off of the ground and turned around in the process. What she didn't expect was that you already expected that and threw a punch directed at her face. Wanda lifted her hands trying to shield her face and the second your skin touched hers the red energy from her body wandered over to you. Everything around you blurred out and you could only remotely hear a gasp and your name being called. Panic and fear filled your head and you felt like you burned from the inside. The only thought that swam around in your head was that you wanted to be somewhere else. As far away as possible. And it seemed like your body fulfilled your wish because a second later the fear and panic was gone. You must have teleported yourself away. It took you a second to realize what was happening. You were falling. Fast. A look down told you that you were falling straight down onto the ground, but it seemed like you were still pretty far away. What only meant that you'd get faster, until you reach the fastest falling point and, considering your approximate height, would most likely start burning, because of the friction. And if that wouldn't happen you would definitely splash on the ground, hopefully not killing someone in the process. Maybe you would even survive those things. You hadn't tested the limits of your healing powers yet and you didn't plan on doing so now. You felt your body getting hotter and you could basically hear your life-count tick. You'd only had one idea. Use your teleportation. You closed your eyes and concentrated, but because you didn't know how high you were, you could only guess. A second later you reopened your eyes to be greeted by the ground being much closer. But still too far away for a human to survive, but before you could do something, you felt your body hitting the floor. You groaned in pain, while you lifted yourself off of the ground. A look at yourself told you that you had barely any wounds, but left quite a crater around you. "Shit," you mumbled and picked yourself off of the ground. Your whole outfit and most of the rest of your body was full of dust and earth. Your gaze wandered around the area around you. You've never seen this place. A few meters away stood a huge building that looked pretty old and you were thankful that you landed in the park behind it. Or was it the garden? You didn't know. With a huge leap, you jumped out off the hole and took your stark-phone out of your pocket. Since crashes weren't unusual in your 'job', Tony and Shuri together modified the normal stark-phone with Vibranium to make it basically indestructible. You turned it on and tried to call Nat to tell the others you were okay; only to hear a record of FRIDAY saying: "I'm sorry, but it seems like you have no connection. Please try again later." Confusion filled your eyes. No connection on a stark-phone? That was like saying: No water in a swimming pool. Weird... You put the phone back into your pocket and started to walk towards the old house- If someone lived in there they would've most likely heard the crash- and the nearer you came to it, the clearer you could hear different male voices discuss anything. You tried to find out where the voices came from and guessed that the people speaking came around the house. Your Avengers instinct took over and you teleported yourself on top of a huge tree that stood beside the path that leads around the house. "I bet it's one of the supers and they need our help with something," spoke a male voice. "As if. Clark and the others know how to use a phone," said another voice that sounded slightly younger. "TT. Could we hurry up a bit? If we continue to be so slow, whoever crashed in the backyard, will be gone," yet another voice said, but this person was definitely a child or a young teenager. "Calm down Demon-spawn." Wait...Demon-spawn? Somewhere in your mind, a little bell ringed, but you couldn't remember what your mind tried to tell you. The four people who talked finally came around the corner and all four looked similar (and kind of familiar). They all had black hair (except for one of the two older ones, who had a white streak in his hair) and were buff...well, as buff as they could be for their age. Two of them looked like they were in their (really) early twenties, one looked around 15/16 and the last one looked like 12. If you had to guess, you'd say they were brothers. Maybe they could tell you where you were. You jumped down from the three, superhero-landing for the win, and cleared your throat. The boys turned around immediately. "Hey...äh...sorry about the crater in your garden...that's kinda my fault. Could you boys tell me where I landed?" you asked with a nice smile on your lips. The boys changed their stances and you recognized them as fighting stances. "Guys, believe me, you don't wanna fight me. I got here by accident and I don't plan on staying long. I'd just like to know where I am, so that I know how long the way back home is," you said, but also shifted your feet into a more fighting-like position. "Who are you?" asked the guy with the white streak while he narrowed his eyes. "I'm Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N. And you?" you answered, trying to stay positive. Now a look of confusion made its way onto the faces of the boys. "You...You don't know us?" the 15-year-old asked with one eyebrow raised. "Ähm. No. Sorry. As I said, I'm not from here." You shrugged your shoulders and tilted your head to the side, "Should I?" "We're the sons of Bruce Wayne. Everyone in Gotham knows who we are," said the youngest one and you couldn't help but start to laugh. Completely out of breath you laughed: "The...The sons...Of B-Bruce Wayne," before you started to laugh again. You looked at them, still giggling, before you turned serious and asked: "No, seriously. Who are you guys?" All of them looked at you like you were crazy and the youngest repeated: "The. Sons. Of. Bruce. Wayne." Your eyes wandered over their faces, searching for a hint of sarcasm, but they found nothing. "You...You're serious?" you asked, while the bell in your head ringed louder and louder. The old house, The 'Supers', Clark, Demon-Spawn, The sons of Bruce Wayne...could it be? Before someone could answer your question, you pointed to the one with the streak. "Jason?" He nodded and your finger wandered to the next grown up. "Dick?" He did it like Jason and nodded. The next person was Tim and the kid was Damian. When you found that out, you buried your hands in your hair. "Oh Shit, Oh Shit, Oh Shit. That's not possible. I can't be here. That shouldn't happen. That can't happen," you rambled and started to pace in front of the Waynes, who all looked at you like you were crazy. You stopped and opened your arms in a sweeping gesture. "I can't be talking with three freaking ex- and the current Robin," you whined, but immediately slapped your hand in front of your mouth. If the comics were right than the Batfam was really sensitive when it came to their secret identities. You were right, then a second later Jason rushed over to you with a raised fist, ready to fight. "Really?" you mumbled and dodges his punch, grabbing his arm and sweeping his feet away with your right foot. When he laid groaning on the floor, you turned to his brothers. "You know, fighting me is-" you started, but got interrupted by the other three who now came at you. Tim came from the left and Dick from the right, while Damien came from the front. You rolled your eyes and teleported yourself away, which ended in the three off them running into each other and landing groaning on top of Jason. "-Useless," you finished your sentence, leaning against the tree you sat in earlier. Damian was the first one to stand again and without hesitation, he came at you. "I know you got trained by the league of assassins and everything, but you're not the only one who had some bad-ass-trainers," you said, which made him stop for a second. You shrugged. "Ever heard of the Avengers? Are we the comic characters here?" Now Damian stopped completely and Dick, Tim and Jason stood also up beside him. "You mean the superhero-group with the rich guy, the Monster and the spider-dude?" Tim asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "First off; Yes. Second: Bruce isn't a monster, the spider-dude is called spider-man and it's not like your father isn't also a rich superhero dude. The only difference is that Tony doesn't hide his identity and that he's way more fun to work with." "So...you're saying that you're an Avenger, and with that, a comic character," asked Dick again. "Yep. You maybe know me under my superhero-pseudonym: Glitch. I'm the girl that tried to help people and got caught in a laboratory-accident which ended in me having powers..well-" you scratched your chin, "-now that I think about it there are at least twenty heroes in both of our universes that have that kind of story...Flash, Bruce also somehow..." You stopped yourself and shrugged. "But back to the topic. I was training with Wan- well you most likely know her as scarlet which, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Quicksilver. Things escalated a little bit and I kind of teleported myself here," you tilted your head again and mumbled: "I never knew that I could teleport between Universes." You turned to the boys again and saw the confusion in their faces, which soon turned into a smirk on Tim's lips. "You're Glitch. I love your comics. There was such a hype when you revealed that you're Pan," he squealed and you scratched the back of your neck. "I only told that my closest friends..." "Yeah, but it was in the comic and with that everyone who reads it knows it." "Great," you mumbled and rubbed your temples. "Why are you telling us all that?" interrupted Jason before Tim was able to freak out again. You smirked and shrugged. "I'm a fan of your stories and I made sure to know kind of everything about you and your universe, so I guess it's only fair if I'm honest with you." "So...are you able to teleport yourself back to your universe?" Damian asked a little bit grumpy, not caring for your statement. "I don't know...but I can try." You took a deep breath and closed your eyes concentrating on your home. You reopened your eyes and looked around and saw the boys still looking at you. "Nope. Maybe Universal-jumps need more energy...I'll try again later-" your eyes widened in hope, "-Can you introduce me to the justice league?"

(In the Marvel Universe, shortly after you disappeared)

"What have I done?" Wanda sobbed with her face in her hands while Pietro patted her back, also with tears pricking in his eyes. Both of them and almost all of the other Avengers were gathered in the main lab, while Bruce and Tony tried to locate you with the help of multiple satellites. After they had finally managed to defeat Thanos and bring back all the victims of the snap, becoming stronger as a team while doing so, all of them were kind of reliant on you. You were the one who kicked their ass when they started doubting themselves, and you were the one who held them when they cried or panicked about the whole freaking situation, never letting your shell burst in the process. You somehow became the heart of the Avengers. That was why everyone was on edge when Nat told them what had happened. They all worried about you since you normally teleported back in a matter of minutes, but now you've been gone for almost half an hour, and no one had an idea where you could be. "Anything on the Satellites?" asked Carol who was practically buzzing with energy. "No. Nothing, not even a trace. It looks like she isn't even on earth," Tony sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Do you mean, she's on another planet?" asked Thor who was practically buzzing with energy. "I am saying, that I have no fucking clue where she is!" exclaimed Tony loudly, making most people in the room flinch. It wasn't usual for Tony to freak out like this, he was always calm and tried to make everything funny, but all of them knew how worried he was about you. After he had lost Peter, even though he came back, his mind played games with him, making him worry about losing one of his un-official kids again. "We'll find her, we need to," Carol said, laying her hand on Tony's shoulder to reassure him. "I'll go and ask some of my intergalactic contacts if they know something." She said, before nodding at the rest of the Team and jumping out of the window, flying towards the sky. "I'll see if I can find some spells to search her," Stephen announced and disappeared through one of his portals. One after one they all made their way to either find you or to save people, since they all know, that you wouldn't want them to neglect the people who needed them until only Tony was left in his lab, looking at a picture of you on his holo-desk. "Where are you?" he mumbled to himself, his glance wandering to the window, where the sun was slowly dawning. He had no idea of the adventure that was coming towards him and his family.

[helloamhere]

3/3/3

Thank you @hazzabeeforlou I always feel special when you tag me in things :) 

3 lines 

I don’t really have a fic WIP right now. Maybe I will share a few lines from my original fiction WIP???? Aaaaaah terrifying but here goes: 

***

The ledge is twenty inches keeping him from a hefty fall. This is an old plant, repurposed from a design that was already decades old even when it was built, and like all repurposed things it has been forced into an expanding lie that suits the ambitions of the future. The maintenance ledges that run along the high walls of the third floor are no longer in safety code, but removing them isn’t worth the expense as long as inspectors believe that no one is actually using them. To maximize this believability, they have removed every single safety harness.

***

3 questions

1. Do you write smut in your fics, and if so, has it helped you process your sexuality/insecurities in any way?

yasssss I do, but I go in and out of cycles of this. I used to feel pretty disinhibited about it but I think being just a tad more (I mean, I’m still a pretty small blog with not all that many followers and that’s cool, everybody be cool) known has brought some trepidation. But yes, when I do, it’s really helped me think about sexuality. I definitely write very directly about feelings I’ve had or feelings I’ve seen in partners, although I think in a fictionalized enough way. I reallllllly like sex that shows character work, and thinking about fantasies like being cared for, and honestly fic is a nice escape for me for that and helps me put some of those fantasies out there. I think in a funny way it’s made me confront how bad I personally am about communicating about sex. I’m a pretty complicated person with some bad things in my past, and I’ve been pretty actively punished for communicating with or being in touch with my sexuality, NOT LEAST because I spent my entire childhood and teenagerhood and even college in the closet (yep). So writing queer characters experiencing tenderness is pretty deep for me. 

2. Any fic pairings/characters you’re DYING to write but haven’t yet for whatever reason?

OhhhhHHHH ummmmm I love finnpoerey as an OT3, I love the trio from the Man from UNCLE in much the same vein, I also recently got into Roswell: New Mexico and like, Malex is life, that shit IS fanfic on the screen and I dearly need to someday have the time to write some, wow, sad bisexual aliens in the American Southwest, I mean did the screenwriters read my dreams?!?! Anyway, I also really like universes as much as characters -- I want to write things set in fantasy kinda universes, maybe; I don’t think I’ll ever do that in original fiction but I could get into it for fic. 

3. Do you ever write moral themes in your fics, or do you thematize your fics intentionally in any way?

My fics are highly thematic I think, and I think they’re deeply concerned with the ethics of being a good person in a complicated world??? WEll, SOME of them at least. A theme I really like to come back to is people trying to be good to each other even if they aren’t necessarily easy people to be around. I can’t sympathize very much with really brutal and not-kind characters, mostly I think because I’ve worked really hard in my life to make things better for other people and not worse, and I like to think about characters who also do that work even when (especially when!) they’re flawed. I think part of writing queer characters always carries a weight of saying that love in a world full of the oppression as our world is, is more important than those false beliefs. I don’t address that directly but I think it’s pretty implicit underneath everything that I write. Sometimes just writing something very very tender and sweet in a queer romance feels like enough.  ***

[c-sand]

Tbh I'm a big jonerys fan and know if there was a romance between the characters GRRM would write it well, however, the way it happened and how it is happening on the show is p cringy and even I, a shipper, sometimes can't look at their interactions. The show just generally has pretty awful writing after the first few seasons :l

My feelings on got’s writing really goes with the wind. I know some people really despised season six, but it’s honestly one of my favorite seasons. There are definitely bumps in the road and the pace got sped up, but I don’t think we were at jet-packs yet, so I was fine on that end. But, there is also some god awful writing. Season seven, I think, was in general a mess. I don’t think the whole thing was, it’s just that the bad in it was SO. BAD. that it kind of becomes a brown spot on the rest of the apple. It makes the whole thing suffer. Beyond The Wall was one of the worst things I’ve ever watched on television. I even thought the walking and talking was weak, to be honest. 

It’s not really a secret that I do not like Jon and Dany’s relationship. [And by “do not like” I mostly mean “despise”]. But, I feel your pain in the sense that it really reallllllly sucks to watch something you ship be……….bad. I do think there’s something positive in being able to look at things you ship and how they’re going and be like, “…..This is a mess.” For instance, I ship Karen and Frank 4evs. I have an entire network blog dedicated to it. But, the last bit we ever are gonna get of them has left me so so annoyed, because it’s so cringy and awful to watch Frank once again push her life aside – it’s infuriating. And then there’s got – I ship Jon and Sansa and every time he cuts her off or begs for affirmation that’s she’s already given a million times I’m like, maybe you should give her some trust, you idiot. 

For Jon and Dany, I think the cringe is coming from multiple factors. The writing of their scenes, in general. The dialogue. It’s not good. It’s super cheesy. Kind of uncomfy. If it’s actually supposed to be truly romantic, than I have no clue what they’re doing in that writer’s room. The content of their dialogue. Her openness with him contrasted with the fact that he tells her absolutely nothing about himself. If they’re really supposed to be connecting, why don’t they actually have him connect with her in return? Maybe kiss her with his eyes closed or something.

I guess we’ll have a better idea of how much better GRRM will write it once we see how the show plays out, because as I said, I do not like them. I love Emilia. I love Kit. I think they’re both good actors. Neither one the strongest on the show [*coooooooooughs that’s alfie*] but good. I truly believe Emilia’s doing a good job at showing us Dany’s in love – I said that yesterday, I think. I watch her interacting with Jon and I believe that she’s head over heels for him. But, I just do not get that in return from Kit – who I believe can play this emotion. Who I’ve seen play this emotion on this same show. So, until proven otherwise I have to just think that this is a long con from Jon, which is a lame thing to say to you, because you do ship them. But, because nothing they’re giving me feels authentic otherwise. That it feels this way, because it’s supposed to feel this way. That George would write it just as unbalanced and awkward and off brand Aladdin, as what we’re getting, because we’re getting what he wants. That Dany’s all in and Jon’s thinking about the taxes he forgot to file or something. 

If it’s not true……………………..I still don’t think I’ll accept that, because I find the HTTYD fanfic I’m watching to be quite painful. But, if it isn’t true and this really is supposed to be a great true love [I….just…can’t…with…that, but if it is], than I truly do hope for you that GRRM writes it so much better than what they’re putting on screen. That you and the rest of the readers who want them together have crafted two characters in your minds who actually have some kind of romantic chemistry, because it’s reading and imagination and people get to do that – instead of the complete non-chemistry ‘romance’ between Dany and the emotionless cardboard cutout she’s making out with, that we’re unfortunately suffering through on this show. And that you actually get to enjoy this ship you ship, instead of watching with a grimace, because it’s playing out so lame.

[sarasa-cat]

phdfan replied to your post: “Me: desperately wants to type up things of interest to post on tumblr...”:

Your experience of executive malfunction in response to work-related anxiety is soooo much what I have experienced throughout my life. I hope that this is situational, and that the situation is fixable in the short term. I know very much what it is like, and it is not pleasant.

Hmmmmm. :(

Had it not been for all of my experiences in my prior career plus knowing how I function when not physically where I am right now (e.g., when not even on this $#&@ continent), right now I’d either mistake/misdiagnose myself for potentially having an attention deficit problem coupled with a short-term to long term memory malfunction or having some creep-me-out form of really realllllllly reallllllly early-onset dementia. 

Although the simple act of purchasing a plane ticket, stuffing my passports in my pocket, and suffering an epic slingshot at 40,000 ft in the air in a metal tube (in the correct direction, of course ^_^) rapidly resolves the problem. Brain normal.

Which just ends up making me think of that terrible, tired old joke about a patient going to their doctor and saying “when I bend my arm like this (demonstrates) it hurts” and the doctor says, “well, stop doing that!”

I often feel like the current 9-5 situation I am in is akin to a horrible mirror-distorto-fun-house mess of the worst kind of “high school” bullshit perpetrated by adults and ... I just ... yeah.

Also, there is such a weird permissions-seeking, rule following strangeness in the atmosphere coupled with all sorts of horrid wishy-washy zero-definition words mixed with unnecessary rigidity and the whole resultant thing is absolutely crazy making and innovation killing, to be quite honest.

I literally feel like I am watching my IQ drop being in this mess (and someone I know, also previously from the same prior institution as me feels the EXACT SAME WAY). 

It is just .... really .... I just fucking cannot understand the (lack of) reasoning that goes on within the heads of the people I am dealing with. 

MY BRAIN LITERALLY HURTS.

Coherent logic does not exist. 

Listening to what other people are saying does not exist.

It is just brain melting. 

And then add in the weird freaking high schooler style interactions that are just so fucking strange. My cannot-o-meter is pegged in the red.  -_____-

After trying every normal, mature, professional response to shape things in a manner I find reasonable, my choice these days is to literally act like a dick. 

I guess I forgot what it is like to be in a bucket of crabs where the crabs keep pulling you down such that the Correct(tm) Crabs can stand on your head.

And, really, this kind of situation is depressing as fuck because I have absolutely no desire to ACT LIKE A DICK just to get my own work done but every normal sane choice I have tried just does not work at all so ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ... fuck it, I guess?

...

My only source of sanity comes from the fact that I can clearly remember all of the high achieving success I had PRIOR to this hellhouse -- and it was high achieving success *without* me stooping to dickery, despite the constant low-level sexism flu dickery that consistently ran a mildly elevated temperature. 

[ellaintrigue]

JUST LISTEN

Here's another reoccurring theme: people that say they are studying psychology or are planning to become a therapist and incorporating it into online conversations with strangers. I've actually read that from a medicine standpoint that this is unethical.

This was a reallllllly long conversation so I didn't bother with all the screenshots but basically this man said he was in school to become a therapist. Every time I would simply talk about my life because we were getting to know each other, he would interject and give me advice. I mentioned I was rebuilding my life after some hard times over the years including my mom now passing and he gave me a long lecture on how life would get better and grief goes away and to just be positive.

First off, I'm not talking in a sad way, I'm literally just saying where I'm at in life. I don't want sympathy, let alone advice. I brush it off but for literally everything I say he just gives me advice. So finally I tell him where it's pictured, that men have tried to override me my entire life and I just want to be able to talk without interjections. That's where he gets defensive and tries to accuse me of sexism.

I never mentioned being abused, just not being heard, which is a theme. A lot of men just brush off women or don't want to listen. Like when I go to get my car fixed and my dad has to pick me up from the shop, the guys in the shop turn to him to ask what's wrong with the car, not me the owner. I don't resent that, it's just how it goes. And when I talk about my life, I GOT THIS, IT'S HANDLED, but many men get offended I don't want their advice. We are the same age, why would I need your advice? My women friends don't offer unsolicited advice? If I want advice I will ask for it. If I have a serious problem then I will go to a professional.

Men need to stop using the "not all men" reasoning: https://www.bustle.com/.../171595-6-reasons-not-all-men...

Because if this guy is studying to be a therapist, then what is he going to say when he gets a child patient that was abused by their stepdad or something? Is he going to scream, "NOT ALL STEPFATHERS ARE LIKE THAT?"

Not everything is an attack and if you want people to respect you, hear them out. It's not all about you.