#he had a tye at the beginning of the show

[phdbabygirlism]

So since we were robbed in the show. I give you a modern version of Diego Garcia.

[landoscaring]

my thoughts on monza '24

let me preface this post with a big fucking heave of a sigh

[siiiiiigh]

i gotta admit that i was nervous for this one. the tension has been building up, the pace has gotten stronger, and the media have had a field day commenting on mclaren's strategy. it's been stressful.

on the one hand i gotta say as a mclaren purist that yeah, this blows, but also the fact that this is what we're worrying over? two wdc-potential drivers in our team??? the pace being too good??? like. yeah. give me this over the DNFs and the shit car.

but then.

ugh.

i support lando and oscar equally. always. until the day their contract's up. that being said:

McLaren need to make up their minds

Oscar didn't do anything wrong today

Lando wasn't going to win the race even if he'd kept P1 from the beginning because the tye strat was off anyway

the media NEED TO STOP THE NARRATIVE AROUND OSCAR HELPING LANDO SCORE A WDC BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT LANDO WANTS. do you think he wants to win a wdc because his teammate, who he knows is competitive enough, rolled over and let him through? fuck no, that's not the lando we know

i completely understand the frustration some fans have, but it's misdirected. IF mclaren stepped the fuck up and gave clear orders to both their drivers, this wouldn't be such a shit show

i don't fully agree that team orders are the way to go, but also, i would appreciate if they just made up their minds about it already? time's running out

some fans' takes about this whole thing are just...bad

insert taylor swift quote about "you wouldn't have survived in the asylum they raised me" or whatever because hah, this is nothing, you guys. a few people would've fainted with the way things happened with lewis and nico, mark and seb, prost and senna... and countless more. this sport is RUTHLESS. and CUTTHROAT. it's not tiktok edits with taylor swift songs in the background. oscar did what he knew he could do under the orders given to them both (papaya rules)

in a way i think this needed to happen -and has been building up for a while- for a few reasons, a) for mclaren to wake the fuck up and make up their minds already, b) for fans to realize that oscar is not lando's lapdog and he fully intends to fight for race wins, and c) that just because we like to imagine they're bffs or boyfriends in our fan spaces it doesn't mean they got to be okay with each other all the time. let them be upset. let them be angry. it is what it is.

it was a great race. probably one of the best we've seen all season. as a retired ferrari fan (but really, everyone is a ferrari fan in this sport) i thoroughly enjoyed watching charles win today. he deserved it on grit alone. and their strategy worked, which is something that mclaren needs to learn from.

i will continue to support these two idiots in their highs and lows. neither of them are perfect, and there's so much room for improvement. they're young. allow them some grace when you comment about how this or that should've happened. lando is wdc material, yes, but he wants and needs to earn it.

that's all, folks

[charlesf1leclerc]

Summary: Christmas morning and surprises in the Leclerc family. 

Warnings : suggestive content but no smut 

A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY. Hope you all have a wonderful day with your family or whoever’s you are celebrating with. I wish you all the happiness and hope that this fic serves as a little gift from me to you. Xx

It was all quite to begin with. But that would never last long especially on Christmas morning. You and Charles were close to each other in bed Charles had his arm around your waist. You were both sound asleep. Until..

The sound of footsteps came from down the hallway then your door opened and the there was the shaking and the sound of voices.

“ wake up , he came he came” 

Your groaned and rolled back in your pillow you knew Christmas was exciting and you weren’t annoyed at your babies but sometimes you liked your sleep. 

Charles arm slipped from around your waist as he rolled over to look at the three kids standing on his side of the bed.

“ who came? “ he asked obviously teasing them.

“ SANTA papa “ Sicily screeched 

“ presents!” Remy yelled

“ ok ok shall we go downstairs and see what he brought” Charles said moving to get up

“Yes!” All the kids ran downstairs.

“ Darling “ Charles shook you and you rolled over to face him as you obviously hadn’t gone back to sleep.

“Come on let’s go downstairs I’ll make you some coffee” he laughed

You groaned but got up out of bed as you wanted to spend this morning with your children. He then wrapped his arms around and gave you a kiss on the head as you both went downstairs. 

By the time you had all gotten downstairs and you and Charles were settled on the couch your three children were ripping into their piles of presents. With many different new toys coming out from the wrapping paper. With the occasion shrieks of joy and the show and tell to you and Charles. As well as the numerous demands of “open it papa” only for the toy to be unboxed then left behind to unwrap more presents.

“ Santa really spoiled you guys this year” you smiled as you watched Remy play with his new dinosaur toy on the ground, Indy inspecting her new roller skates , and Sicily with some slime that was in her stocking. 

“ what about you mama and papa what did Santa bring you” Sicily asked.

“ Santa dosent come to adults “ Indy said in a obvious way

“ that’s right but it’s ok because mama and papa got each other presents “ Charles smiled.

You had been nervous about one of Charles presents for the late couple of days as you had been feeling off for awhile so you decided to take a test, a pregnancy test. It came back positive. Of course nothing was planned but you were sure Charles would be just as happy and supportive as all the other times.

“ merry Christmas my love” Charles handed you a pile of gifts and leant over to kiss you on the lips

“ ewww “ Indy and Sicily groaned , as Charles replied by sticking his tongue out at them. 

The first gift was a refill of the perfume you wear every day and could never get enough of. The next gift was a beautiful silver bracket with a love heart and engraved in the heart was a I, S , R and C. And then the final box made him smirk and you were immediately suspicious of what was in there. When you opened it you immediately put the items back in the box closing the lid and giving Charles a death glare.

“ in-front of the kids Charles” 

“ something special for you and me “ he smirked proud of the silk set within the box

“You are such a teenage horny boy”

“ ok my turn” you sang as you passed him his pile of gifts

You were getting more excited at sharing the news with him. 

He opened the two first gifts revealing some clothes as he was in need of some more suitable day wear they wasn’t carry blue and white tye dye jeans, next was new AirPods and a new travel set of mini suitcases for race weekend. Then he finally came to the final box, the box which contained the next chapter of your lives. He slowly opened it and revealed the stick from under the tissue paper.

“ what’s this mon amour” you just continued to stare at him. 

He picked it up examining it closer. Then his eyes grew wide

“No” he looked at you

You just nodded your head smiling  

“ your pregnant!” 

“ yeah”

“Cherie” he smiled leaning over to kiss your lips and hug you. Then leaning to put his hand on your stomach.

“ this is amazing , the best Christmas gift”

“Surprising this is your fault for not being able to keep your hands off me” you laughed as his hand was still on your stomach

“ you’re just irresistible Cherie” he kissed you again.

“ 4 kids we are really outnumbered now”

“ we’ll be okay” and you believed him you would be ok

“ what did you get papa” Sicily asked as now the two youngest kids were standing in-front of him

“ well mama is pregnant there’s gonna be another baby” he smiled

“ yay! A new girl” Sicily shriek alerted the youngest who didn’t quite understand the idea of a new baby

“ well we don’t know if it’s a girl baby” you laughed 

“ well I know it is “ she smiled going back to her toys

Charles looked at Remy picking  him up , placing him on his lap then snuggling further into you basking in the fact that it was Christmas and the fact a new baby was on the way. It was all ok though for now you would bask in the comfort of your family of 5 before next year the family would grow and Christmas will become even more special.

[siremasterlawrence]

Green With Envy

Star city is a gritty paradigm of off the chart evil doers including bit not limited to me the big hunch a nerd who has a criminal empire ready to set foot in to this city and take a hold over it.

Unfortunately, that dastardly addicted good guy is always intervening with that brooding face and emerald costume that resembles Robin of all things it’s embarrassing to see it on display.

Tonight is the night the world will see me at my glory if we can avoid the goody two shoes archer who’s quiver aims far to fast accurately for my taste maybe I should teach him a lesson or two.

Tye trap is set all he had do is take the bait and I bet he will. Across town Oliver Queens is bombarded with news blast on his cell Phone news alerts and says good bye to Felicity.

His expression quickly returns to that old grumpy curmudgeon face as he suit up for battle and races to the scene when I await him high above in the main office the stage is set.

Oliver motorcycle races in parking in the l middle of the room he hops off failing to notice the facility gate drop hitting the floor and he jumps hoping he can find away out of here soon.

The room fades in to darkness leaving all to his imagination a single candle is lit with a line finger blowing it out his teeth white as ever can be seen.

The man takes a seat to Oliver discontent and disbelief at the sheer ridiculousness of it all and follows suit flipping his hair back the pressure is on.

“What are you doing in my city? Why are you here?”

“Questions and Questions “

“Is this a joke to you ?”

“No! Sorry you are”

“What a awful costume ”

“Am I supposed throw up in submission?”

“Asshole”

“Relax…relax”

“Let me show you”

“You see this is the map of your city “

“So?”

“You are going to help me conquer”

“As if”

“You resistance while admirable”

“Is futile?”

“Correct”

“Then I’ll go down fighting “

“Ugh! Geez”

“Fine let’s play a game a big one”

Oliver spits at me flinching when I punch him hard then pick up my remote clicking it the cover flips up revealing Barry Allan Aka The Flash asleep and locked in a meta human dampener.

“Barry? Barry?”

“He can’t hear you “

“Bastard! What did you do?”

“I merely beat him at his own game”

“What do you want?”

“I want your surrender just like his.”

“Fuck you !”

“Its easy really”

“Don’t you want to join your friend “

“Barry has already lost “

“He can’t be saved “

“Oh really ?”

“Initiate mind wipe and reprogramming “

“Bart begins “

“Bart?”

“Acronym for Breaking…Arresting…Reserved Transformation.”

“Anyway genius! Catch this “

“It’s bomb! Stop please”

“Too late “

“Don’t you worry take a deep breath”

“Nnnoooo…no”

“All you had to do was here my pitch”

“But not “

“Instead…here are”

“How do you feel?”

“Empty and open”

“Get lost”

“Aaaaahhhhhh”

“Fuck”

“Who am I?”

“Your name is Oliver Queen”

“You are a playboy Billionaire “

“You are also The Green Arrow”

“My Vigilante “

“You are a criminal Master mine under me”

“Stop struggling let your mind adjust “

“The memories shuffled and replaced”

“Hey bro”

“Green Arrow at your service “

The end

[chickensoup-4-mysoul]

herculean (drrr x f!reader) - chapter 19

Chapter 19 - Smooth Sailing

synopsis: izaya has a few results from his research to share with you.

word count: 2,571

warnings: discussions of violence/murder

"i felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd i felt he'd found my letters and read each one out loud i prayed that he would finish, but he just kept right on,, killing me softly - roberta flack

“Do you have a sister? Two sisters, to be exact.”

Displeasure was an expression that you had yet to see overtake the man’s face--but in that moment, it settled into Izaya’s features pretty easily. His eyebrow twitches, the corner of his mouth pulling into a grimace. He tries to fix his face, but he only succeeds in sporting a thin-lipped smile, eyes still betraying his irritation.

“I suppose you’ve met them. Well, judging by your appearance today, I’ll presume they didn’t pester you to death?”  You guess it was normal for any man to be annoyed by his younger sisters. The immediate response to the mere mention of them was a little jarring, however. “No, not too badly. They’re a bit much, but that sort of energy could be expected of girls their age,” you try to laugh it off.

“Yes, well, it’s not just their energy. They try so hard to be unique, don’t you think? Taking on personalities directly contrasting each other...it’s such a childish schtick.” 

Your eyebrow furrows in deep concern. “They are children,” you refute. The eccentricities of the twins’ behavior suddenly became more troubling to you. What had happened to them to warrant such behaviors? Did Izaya have a hand in it? Perhaps there wasn’t the greatest relationship between the siblings, afterall. The man notices your unease but does nothing to alleviate it. His signature smile returns to his face as he regards you nonchalantly.

“Well, you didn’t come here to get a background check on my life, did you?” Your heart anxiously leaps into your throat in embarrassment. What were you doing, asking the man about his personal life?

“Right. I was wondering if this ordeal would finish soon. I hate to say it, but I’m getting a little impatient.” That was partially a lie. Had it been any other business consultation, you’d be content to wait for as long as was necessary. What really ignited the flames beneath your feet was the man you were engaging in business with.

Over time, you found your own feelings of distaste growing towards the man. You hadn’t forgotten about Anri’s warning--in fact, it sat very potently in the forewinds of your thoughts. He had brought harm to people, no doubt, and you wanted to scurry out of his wake before he could bring harm to you. He’s not visibly offended by your statement, nodding with an understanding that you can’t help but think is presentational.

“Well, I think you’ll be happy to know that I have made progress.”

Your ears perk at the revelation. You eye him hopefully, ignoring how obviously amused he is by your excitement. He reaches across the table between you two, fingers caressing a closed laptop that you hadn’t noticed until now. Pulling it into his lap, he opens it and begins typing away. Your eyes practically bore a hole into the little symbol on the case, prying with anticipation. The sounds of typing and clicking echoed through the room for what felt like forever. Each sound seemed to grow more and more deafening. 

The more time that went on, the more you realized how unprepared you were. What was he going to show you? What could he show you? What exactly were you hoping to see? Would you like what you saw?

Finally, Izaya’s gaze returns to you, he places the laptop on the table in front of you before turning the screen to face you. The rapid pace of your heartbeat reaches its peak as you take the first look...before slowing immediately.

“It’s just...a photo of me,” you muse quietly. You sound underwhelmed, but truly, you were astonished.

It’s a professional photo, taken from the shoulders up. The wall behind you was a weird tye-dye of different shades of blue. You resided at the center, the close-lipped smile failing to match your eyes. It was decent photo, although you cringed at your scraggly haircut and bland choice of a black t-shirt, as well as the scars and blemishes littered across your face. Besides that though, it was an oddly normal picture. 

Your gaze flickered up to Izaya, who simply returned your gaze with an indifferent smile. “Dissappointed?” He prodded, his tone similar to a Kindergarten teacher soothing an aggravated child. You don’t answer immediately, looking back at the laptop screen.

It was your typical school yearbook photo, one of a girl who hadn’t quite learned how to settle into her developing self yet--possibly sophomore or even freshman year of high school. She had your skin color, your face shape, your eyes, and your nose--she was you--but it felt as though you were looking at someone you had never met before. In spite of the excessive lighting, none of that light made its way into her gaze. She seemed so unhappy.

“Not at all,” you finally answer. “I look….” Terrible

“Well, no one is exactly pleased with how they looked in the past if that makes you feel any better.” He stretches his arms behind his head and leans backwards on the couch, smiling as easily as ever. “There is more, though, if you scroll.”

Your fingers move quickly over the touchpad, anticipating whatever else he had to show you. You come across a scanned document--an old one, at that. Even through the screen, the wear and tear of the paper itself is apparent. You, however, weren’t too hung up on that--not when the writing was much more interesting.

“Congrats, (Y/N)! 7th Grade High Honor Roll at Weaver Rollins Middle School You’re doing great!”

The gaudy certificate was decorated with bright stars and rainbows, obviously designed for a kid but refashioned for a middle schooler. Your focus flickers to Izaya, who looks very pleased with himself.

“Looks like you were quite the student,” he muses. A laugh bubbles up from your chest as you stare back at the certificate. It was so foolish looking, and yet...it brought you joy. 

As much as you hated to admit it, Izaya’s words to you at the end of your first meeting had stuck with you.

“...perhaps you simply lived such a boring, ordinary life that there's not much to find!"

You were no extraordinary person, you’d admit that—but the thought of leaving no trace behind in your 19 years on this earth? It terrified you. Sure, there wasn’t going to be a picture of you accepting a Nobel Peace Prize, or a 100-page autobiography selling in bookstores, but there had to be something.

Yes, there were unflattering school photos and childish gift certificates. Stupid, trivial reminders of those mundane moments of your life. A drop appears on the table beneath and you realize that you’re crying.

“This is...amazing. Thank you,” you snivel, attempting in vain to mask your tears.

“My word, who would have thought this was all it took to get you so emotional? And I haven’t even brought out the big guns, yet!” You snap up to look at him.

“Big guns?”

“Unfortunately, even after all the waiting, I haven’t finished the job quite yet. A couple of days ago, I contacted the Board of Adoptions and Foster Care in your birth county. They said it may take a few days, but they’re on a search for your adoption papers as we speak. They may even be able to find a birth certificate, and by extension—the identities of your biological parents.”

You can only gape at him, astonished. Your biological parents? In that moment, it’s easy to forget where you were—who you were talking to. All you knew was that you were sitting in front of a man who was doing things for you that you never thought would be possible. You can practically picture a halo of light glowing around him, exposing you to the gates of heaven.

“I’m...shocked. Th-that would be amazing!” Your face blossoms into an expression of utmost joy. It was a glee unlike any you had experienced before. The man only leaned further back, visibly pleased by your reaction. “Well, it’s the least I could do after holding you up for so long. I do apologize for that. Hopefully, this combined with the compensation will be enough. How are you enjoying that, by the way? I’d love to hear your thoughts.”

It takes a moment for you to remember what he’s referring to. 

“The case, you mean? Yeah, it was...certainly something..” It’s mood whiplash, having to think about a murder case after such a pleasing revelation.

“Certainly stimulates your brain, doesn’t it? A writer for a struggling mystery column enlisted my help to provide new insights. Honestly, when I first read about it, I couldn’t begin to deduce a possible culprit. I was so hung up on the grisliness of it all! Especially that brutal stabbing!”

You wince at his semantics, not exactly keen to discuss stabbing at this time of day. “Surely, it wasn’t too brutal, as weird as that sounds...not brutal enough to get blood all over the crime scene.” You can feel your skin crawl as you grow increasingly squeamish. The statement serves more as reassurance for yourself than for him.

“Hmmm, but perhaps the killer was able to book it after stabbing his last victim—that would be an easy avoidance for the mess.”

“It wasn’t his last victim though.” You had just managed to fall into the rhythm of normal conversation. After Izaya’s eyebrows shoot up, however, you fall back into your initial sheepishness. Why were you arguing with an informant? Obviously, he’d know better than you. “Sorry—I just mean…he, er, strangled the last girl without getting blood on her, right? So the stabbing couldn’t have been that bloody.”

You hope that you can dig yourself out of the hole you had fallen into, but Izaya’s silence only solidifies the idea that you’ve offended him. Your eyes awkwardly scan the room for purchase. When they land on Namie, they find that she’s eyeing you now, too. Jeez, had you screwed up? You hear Izaya murmur, barely making out the word “interesting”. When he notices your attention on him, he seems to snap out of whatever mode he’s in.

“My apologies, I was lamenting how interesting of an insight that was. I can’t help but notice that you’ve assigned pronouns to the killer. Any chance you have an idea who it was?”

His interest in your opinion soothes your nerves, at least a little bit. The anxious tension in your body begins to dissipate. “Oh, well, I had it in my mind that it was the Baseball Card Killer. There was the most evidence against him, especially with the trophy he took.”

“Ah, I see, you believe he took the kitchen knife that was missing from the scene?”

“No, he took Leanne’s hair. There were clumps of hair missing, right? That long, blonde hair--he probably fixated on it or something. It would certainly fit his MO.”

After going so long with the case, bouncing theories off of someone else felt like a release. Izaya’s interest in your opinions fills you with a sense of pride. That pride only intensifies when he starts writing things down. Had you provided him with a new discovery? He examines his notes with a look of almost feigned contemplation, scratching his chin for added effect. It was a bit much, honestly. You hadn’t said anything that profound. Finally, he rests the notepad on his thigh, leaning forward and resting his chin in his hand. "What a smart cookie you are! Nice to know there's a brain in that pretty head of yours."

You can practically feel every drop of sizzling blood that rushes to your face. He throws the comment out there like it's nothing; Like it didn't just come out of nowhere, but the way he says it--smiling at you, eyes scanning your face so diligently...it makes you dizzy. Stop, (Y/N). He's an informant. A shady, smarmy, sly, good-looking informant. Gulping down your embarrassment, you laugh it off.

“By the way, do you happen to work from different phones? I got a text from an unknown number recently.” You scramble to change the subject and, as a result, bring up something you had almost forgotten to ask about. It wasn't just a mere attempt at dodging his words, curiosity regarding the text’s contents had plagued your thoughts for a better part of the morning. Izaya eyes you shrewdly.

“While I do admit that my line of work requires me to use different devices, I can’t say that I’ve contacted you from more than one number. If you don’t mind me asking, what did it say?”

That’s odd. You figured that it had to have something to do with him. What with all of his recent research, it would have made sense for him to find a picture of your father. “It didn’t say much, just that they were certain that I was the one they were trying to reach. They just sent a picture of this group of men in lab coats, and my father was in it—that, and this weird document titled “The Herculean Project”. I could’ve sworn that it was you.”

Your focus deviated from him for a moment as you search through your phone, intending to find said materials. When your gaze switches back to him, however, you find that his eyes aren’t even on you. No, they’re directed at something behind you. There’s a sheer animosity in them that sets your blood on edge. Taking a quick glance, all you see is Namie, eyes trained on her computer screen, unbothered as ever. What was he looking at?

“Oh, silly me!” Izaya’s voice pulls your attention back to him. The animosity has vanished, replaced by lofty nonchalance. “I did have Namie message you. Forgive me, it’s been quite a busy week so I had her take care of some business for me.”

And you forgot…? Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His switch in behavior was odd. You couldn’t help but feel as though there was something you weren’t catching on to. “Okay...well, would you mind explaining a bit more? I couldn’t quite make out everything in the document.”

“Ah yes, the Herculean Project. I figured you’d like to know a bit more about your father’s work. His division is pretty underground, so I couldn’t find much—but I was able to dig something up. Simply put, it was a project designed by Brigall, himself; A sort of research plan regarding the flaws and advantages of humanity. Biological dispositions, and the like…”

He goes on for quite a bit, and as guilty as you feel, you can’t help but zone out. You had to admit, the whole science thing wasn’t your forte. You’re sure that Father’s work was brilliant, but you wouldn’t mind if the details of his profession remained unbeknownst to you.

“...does that make sense?”

He knows you’re not listening, if his wolfish grin is any indication. You nod dumbly, forcing a smile to feign understanding. 

It hadn’t occurred to you how much time went by with all of the idle chatter. You left Izaya’s apartment after yet another visit—but this time, there wasn’t nearly as much dread in your senses as the previous times. In fact, there was even a slight pep in your step. It was all going perfectly. You were going to get everything you need from him very soon, and then you’d be done for good. 

Everything was going according to plan.

[codebreaker-0]

I beginning to realise I am mildly uninformed about this entire thing even though I’ve been consistently following for like 3 months, I’ve just seen the re-occurring character thing and I’ve seen/heard of like 4 of them before

Time to go to the Archive and read every single post

This might take a while

[ the archives terribly behind cause I havent had time lmao so if there's specific people you don't know I can tell you bout em 👌👌

a lot of people won't know prince because he never shows up, he's an anon that signs off with - 👑 usually only on tye and Phoenixes blogs lmao ]

[kafkaoftherubbles]

白银发的超人类（然后与《致不灭的你》挂钩）// Silver-White Haired Human Alien (Plus a tangent to two TYE characters) 

I got recommended a really interesting video this morning! It's about 18 minutes and 30 seconds long:

I recommend watching it just to add to the view count (and leave a comment as a sign of engagement to the discussion!), but for the purpose of my musing, I did jot down some notes.  

Generally, white hair symbolizes: 

purity 

wisdom, which can easily be related to 

divinity, which then easily relates to 

power, in both senses of the word. "Strength, including the supernatural kind", and "rulership".

What white hair symbolizes, as a whole, is exceptionalism. 

These characters are human and relatable, and yet they are also alien and "abnormal" in other important ways. There are broadly two kinds of exceptionalism: 

Group exceptionalism - where it's an entire tribe, race, species etc. that possesses white hair 

Individual exceptionalism - well... whatever it says on the can. 

The kind of character tropes that may be represented by this hair color are: 

divine right and rulership - basically, some sort of prince or princess and rulers. Related to the idea that a being that is divine and above is more "fit to rule."

powerful mentors 

prodigies 

a character bearing a heavy burden or sometimes, sickness; but they are also stoic and strongly soldiering through 

hybrid - a character that straddles between two powers, factions, tribes, races, or even concepts (nature v. science), etc.  

an enigma - a character meant to represent mysteries  

Fushi's white-hairedness fits a lot of these ideas so much that many of their granular qualities can be predicted through this framework completely.

But there is a twist. That default "white-haired young boy" look that fits them to a tee... was not their form to begin with. 

It belonged to an ordinary boy, who was only exceptional by elimination—when you're "the last person" of an entire community, you're exceptional just because you have no competitors. In many ways, there was nothing exceptional, wise, divine, or powerful about the Nameless Boy. There was nothing alien about him, either. He was so nondescript that he wasn't even named in the story. His fucking wolf had a name. He himself would have died a nobody if he never met the immortal. 

----

Show of hands. How many To Your Eternity readers/anime watchers started out thinking the Nameless white-haired human was the main character we will follow throughout the story? I know I did. I fully expected it. And then he fucking died. And then the alien ball-rock-moss-wolf took his form.  

I find it interesting that the Nameless Boy's form fit so many of these classic white-haired tropes and ideas, yet he himself was pretty damn close to a nobody (perhaps more fittingly would be Virginia Woolf's term: he's "Mrs. Brown."). Again, he was so mortal that he succumbed to sickness, despair, and death, having lost out against an indifferent universe. It was only after Fushi took his form that all of these "expectations" of the white-haired character are played straight: 

Fushi's purity was touched on in the story by the Guardians. Their specific narrative was that they guard against anyone or anything attempting to poison his purity.  

Fushi's wisdom is cumulative and slow, and I'm sure both readers and in-story characters will doubt if they could be considered wise. Nonetheless, even if they hadn't yet reached that threshold, Fushi is undeniably actively learning about life and grappling with all its thorns. Surely one can recognize this, itself, is already a process leading to wisdom.  

Lastly, Fushi's divinity and power are pretty much self-evident, considering what they are. 

In a meta sense, the Nameless Boy was Fushi's most fitting form just because the former possesses literary connotations and tropes the latter genuinely possesses. Fushi fits the literal "Human Alien" concept, in that:

the human is descriptive; the alien, the subject. This is an alien that nonetheless takes on human qualities, and does so gradually.

(I wonder if Oima planned her main character right down to these mind-boggling details).

They are an exceptional being, spawned from an exceptional (albeit formless) species, becoming an exceptional individual. They are to be a sort of divine shepherd of the Earth; a hybrid of lives and concepts; an enigma to the very world they are to care for. They might even be a mentor, albeit an accidental one, to the Nokkers in terms of interacting with physical beings. They're saddled with the burden of immortality and the Beholder's plans for them so much that they hunched their shoulders frequently. 

-----

And yet NONE of these apply to the original owner of that form in the slightest.  

This flows into interesting hypotheses.

If everything was created by the Beholder (barring natural reproduction, I guess, because does he really look like someone who would care which sperm and ovum combine every time unprotected sex occurred? Not just humans have sex, you know), could the Nameless Boy had been created by him for Fushi?  

If the Nameless Boy was not created specifically for the Beholder's experiment, could he have dropped Fushi in an area close to where the Nameless Boy would be one day so that the first human—and beginning of the orb's humanity—Fushi acquired are from this form that fit its traits perfectly, especially meta-wise?  

Could any of this come to the fore in the final arc of this story?  

And! Though the Nameless Boy was dead since the first chapter... In a meta sense, could the shadow of this story be about the "Nameless Boy" gaining all the qualities his "form" traditionally signifies? (Note: The "white hair exceptionalism" trope is not exclusive to Western literature. It is also found in other cultures, like Chinese.) This would also play into, DING DING DING, the Buddhist philosophical idea of the skandha ("aggregates") informing a being's qualities; given that TYE has already shown quite a surprising amount of Buddhist thoughts, I wouldn't put this as too wild.

Again, will this play into the finale of the story? 

----

Let me close this essay with a poetry left on Bilibili, on the first episode of TYE, by 弼马温侯 (translation by me): 

“请你…永远记住我…”  你的陪伴与愿望，赐予了我初成灵智的点点火光；  我以此身铭记你的模样，前往那茫茫的彼方；  此后路上的欢乐与向往、迷茫与彷徨，皆是为了奔赴心中的那所乐园——那个你曾向我诉说的梦想。 

"Please... remember me forever..."  Your companionship and your wish—they granted me my first sparks of sapience;  With this body I remember your form before advancing into the unknown.  All my joy and hopes, all the confusion and loss... I will gain them all because I am heading to that paradise—  The very one you once told me, the one from your dream." 

Thank you for reading my ramble.  

[botherkupo]

I actually had started writing them (the tiny Azula fic, which is the sequel to Zuko’s Tiny Dilemma and has Azula get cursed and then saved/“adopted” by Hakoda and the water tribe warriors. She goes through her own journey of learning and redemption before ultimately joining Zuko and the others to fight Ozai

Sadly, I gave up after two chapters because i knew I no longer had the energy to write such a long multi chapter

The other one I’d write is the Ladrien enemies one, which was aged up AU where Chat Noir never becomes her partner/exists because Adrien tells his dad about the miraculous first when Plagg shows up.

Adrien still tries to go to school, but he only attends for a short time before getting pulled out. Years down the track, Marinette becomes convinced that he is Hawkmoth since her classmates were always being targeted, but it’s too hard to get him since he’s such a famous celebrity. She decides to get closer to him as ladybug and ends up on a reality tv show with him where they have to be partners (and maybe fake dating. I actually can’t remember now)

Meanwhile, Gabriel is tired of losing all the time to Ladybug and decides to finally enlist Adrien to his cause. Adrien reluctantly becomes Chat Noir and goes to Ladybug to say they are meant to be partners — all he is meant to do is get closer to her and help her so he can take the earrings when her guard is down. But Marinette doesn’t really trust him and is also angry he took so long (Fu told her at tye very beginning the cat miraculous holder is out there and meant to be her partner)

Anyway, it was going to be very chaotic and funny with so many identity shenanigans and tropes, but I just can’t write long fics anyway 😭😭

(Also I’m trying to work on original fiction)

But yeah. People are welcome to take these ideas and do something with them. I want to read them but can’t write them 😭

What's the fic you would write if you had the energy for it? Ambitious, complex, novel-length—the fanfic you'd make if you could.

[ulkaralakbarova]

JR is a fatherless boy growing up in the glow of a bar where the bartender, his Uncle Charlie, is the sharpest and most colorful of an assortment of quirky and demonstrative father figures. As the boy’s determined mother struggles to provide her son with opportunities denied to her — and leave the dilapidated home of her outrageous if begrudgingly supportive father — JR begins to gamely, if not always gracefully, pursue his romantic and professional dreams, with one foot persistently placed in Uncle Charlie’s bar. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Charlie Maguire: Ben Affleck JR Maguire: Tye Sheridan Young JR Maguire: Daniel Ranieri Dorothy Maguire: Lily Rabe Grandpa Maguire: Christopher Lloyd The Voice, JR’s father: Max Martini Wesley: Rhenzy Feliz Sidney: Briana Middleton Chief: Max Casella Grandma Maguire: Sondra James Bobo: Michael Braun Joey D: Matthew Delamater Jimmy: Ivan Leung Aunt Ruth: Danielle Ranieri Kathy: Kate Avallone Sidney’s Dad: Mark Boyett Sidney’s Mom: Quincy Tyler Bernstine Professor Van Dyke: Ezra Knight School Psychologist: David Carl Pat: Shannon Collis Kathy’s Daughter: Keira Jo Lassor Mrs. Williams: Jennifer C. Johnson NYT Editor: Michael Steven Costello NYT Personnel Woman: Kate Middleton NYT Copyboy: Jackson Damon NYT Copygirl: Caroline Bergwall Officer James: Daniel Washington Chief’s Wife: Jenny Eagan Other Customer: Steve Gagliastro Aunt Ruth’s Kid #1: Annabella Valle Aunt Ruth’s Kid #2: Clara Kelly Aunt Ruth’s Kid #3: Meara Mahoney Gross Future JR Maguire (voice only): Ron Livingston Kid in Classroom (uncredited): Jack Baumrind Dickens Bar Regular (uncredited): Julia Bechler Yale Student (uncredited): Keith R Beck Dickens Bar Patron (uncredited): Alissa Bourne Film Crew: Producer: George Clooney Producer: Grant Heslov Producer: Ted Hope Original Music Composer: Dara Taylor Music Supervisor: Linda Cohen Screenplay: William Monahan Book: J.R. Moehringer Editor: Tanya Swerling Director of Photography: Martin Ruhe Production Design: Kalina Ivanov Art Direction: Bryan Felty Set Decoration: Melissa M. Levander Makeup Department Head: Trish Seeney Visual Effects Supervisor: Matt Kasmir Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Todd Beckett Supervising Sound Editor: Nancy Nugent Supervising Sound Editor: Julian Slater Sound Designer: Jon Title Costume Supervisor: Dana Pacheco Executive Producer: Barbara A. Hall Costume Design: Jenny Eagan Casting: Rachel Tenner Movie Reviews: r96sk: So very plain. To be honest: I found ‘The Tender Bar’ to be a bore. I felt like I had seen this film before, such is the predictable and monotonous nature of the story. It almost felt like a (poorer) rerun of 2020’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy‘. I will say, though, that Ben Affleck gives a very good performance in this, to the point that I actually would’ve liked to have seen a story revolving around him and his character – as opposed to who this 2021 flick is about. Aside from Affleck, I didn’t care for any of the other performances and therefore any of the other characters. It’s not even a bad film, it’s just so, so boring – for me, anyway. CinemaSerf: It’s not often I find myself writing this, but Ben Affleck is comfortably the best thing about this otherwise rather lacklustre adaptation of JR Moehringer’s autobiographical coming of age tale. It depicts the story of his childhood – through the eyes of the engaging young Daniel Ranieri – before he heads to Yale in the guise of Tye Sheridan. The first half hour, maybe, is quite entertaining. This young lad living with his mother (his selfish father is estranged from them, living the mobile life of a late night radio talk show host) in the home of his mildly eccentric grandfather (Christopher Lloyd) and their home is a lively, buzzing environment in which the youngster thrives. Chief amongst the residents is his charismatic, worldly-wise uncle “Charlie” (Affleck) who runs a local bar populated with a decent, working-class clientele who take to the young man and encourage his obvious academic talents. That half hour peters out, ...

[criticalbennifer]

Ben Affleck is Done Worrying About What Other People Think

As he earns strong reviews for ‘The Tender Bar,’ Ben Affleck reflects on his career ups (he loved ‘The Last Duel’) and downs (‘Justice League’ was ‘the worst experience’).

By:  Josh Rottenberg

Jan 7, 2022

Ben Affleck will turn 50 this year. “Eight months and 14 days,” he said on a December afternoon in Los Angeles, letting out a dry laugh. “But who’s counting?“

It’s not surprising that a movie star would approach such a milestone with a certain degree of self-reflection, if not dread. But after a tumultuous decade in his career and his personal life — marked by great highs, including his 2013 best picture win for “Argo,” which he directed, and deep lows, including his divorce from actress Jennifer Garner, with whom he has three children, and his public struggles with alcoholism — Affleck says he is at peace these days.

“The common thread I’ve found from the people I know who’ve turned 50 who are the happiest is that they’ve stopped worrying so much about what other people think,” he said. “I think that’s the gift of that age. When you hit 30, you think, ‘Now I’ve figured it out,’ then you hit 40 and you’re like, ‘I had no idea.’ Now, when I think about being in my 20s, I wonder, ‘How was my brain distinguishable from a gorilla’s at that age?’”

Feeling wrung out after his run as Batman in 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and 2017’s “Justice League,” Affleck has focused in the last few years on less splashy and more character-driven roles, delivering some of his strongest acting work in years. In early 2020, he had a well-received turn as an alcoholic high school basketball coach in the drama “The Way Back,” which opened shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic forced theaters to close down. He earned positive reviews last fall for his against-type performance as a pompous, lascivious count in Ridley Scott’s period drama “The Last Duel,” even as the film — which he co-wrote with Matt Damon and Nicole Holofcener — underperformed at the box office, seemingly a victim of older demographics’ reluctance to return to theaters.

Now, Affleck is co-starring in George Clooney’s drama “The Tender Bar” as a bookish, working-class bartender who becomes a father figure to his nephew, played by Tye Sheridan. Though “The Tender Bar,” which is based on the 2005 memoir by former Times staff writer J.R. Moehringer, has drawn mixed reviews, critics have praised Affleck’s understated performance, for which he has earned a Golden Globe supporting actor nod. Currently in theaters, the film begins streaming on Amazon Prime Video today.

To play the role of Uncle Charlie, Affleck drew not only on his difficult relationship with his father, an aspiring playwright who drank too much and worked for a time as a bartender while Affleck was growing up, but also on his own wellspring of life experience. “There’s something to getting older — those feelings are more accessible to me,” he said. “I know what resentment or regret or ambivalence or nostalgia feel like. I just didn’t know what they felt like at 24.”

Despite his staying power in Hollywood, Affleck still makes for a big target after so many years in the public eye — and his penchant for spilling his guts in interviews can get him trouble.

Last month, after this interview was conducted, he received backlash for comments he made on Howard Stern‘s radio show about his marriage to Garner in which he said he had felt “trapped” and suggested that was “part of why I started drinking.” Days later, Affleck — who is currently dating one-time fiancée Jennifer Lopez again — said his comments had been misconstrued.

As the ever restless Affleck strives for a kind of stability that has long seemed elusive, The Times spoke with him about his career peaks and valleys, his public image and how he is navigating an industry in flux.

You said recently that it’s only in the last few years that you’ve felt comfortable as an actor. What shifted?

My whole career, I’ve loved acting. But I kind of got to a place where I realized I needed to really define and stick to what my standards were for what I wanted to do and not be drawn into what everyone else thinks. I think it’s a paradox that the more you focus on actually trying to do what you think is interesting and what you want to do — rather than what other people say — the better your work is and the more relaxed you get.

I mean, “The Last Duel” came out and every article was like, “It made no money.” And I really loved the movie, and I liked what I did in it. I was disappointed more people didn’t see it, but I can’t chase what’s going to be cool. I’m happy with it. I’m not preoccupied with notions of success or failure about money or commercial success, because those things really corrupt your choices. Then what happens is the movies are less interesting and you’re less good.

In 2016, I interviewed you three times — for “Batman v Superman”, “The Accountant”, and “Live by Night”— and I got the sense that you were under a lot of pressure. Shortly after that, you dropped out of directing and staring in “The Batman” and sought treatment for your drinking. Was that when your priorities changed?

Directing “Batman” is a good example. I looked at it and thought, “I’m not going to be happy doing this. The person who does this should love it.” You’re supposed to always want these things, and I probably would have loved doing it at 32 or something. But it was the point where I started to realize it’s not worth it. It’s just a wonderful benefit of reorienting and recalibrating your priorities that once it started being more about the experience, I felt more at ease.

It was really “Justice League” that was the nadir for me. That was a bad experience because of a confluence of things: my own life, my divorce, being away too much, the competing agendas and then [director] Zack [Snyder]’s personal tragedy [Snyder’s daughter Autumn died by suicide in 2017] and the reshooting. It just was the worst experience. It was awful. It was everything that I didn’t like about this. That became the moment where I said, “I’m not doing this anymore.” It’s not even about, like, “Justice League” was so bad. Because it could have been anything.

All celebrities go through ups and downs, but there’s a perception that your highs and lows have been more extreme than most. Does it feel that way to you?

I agree. I’m a little wary of saying so, because I think, “Is this going to smack of being self-pitying?” I have definitely had big ups and downs. I don’t know that it’s any more difficult than the average person. It’s just there is something about me — definitely when I was younger in particular — where people felt like collectively they were allowed to say bad things about me: like, “We all kind of don’t like this person, right?”

I think when I was young, people saw me as somebody who had too much or was successful too easily or looked like some kind of cavalier, insincere, callow frat guy. That was nothing like how I felt. I felt like this sort of insecure, anxious, overly verbal kid from Boston who had tried to break into this business and was dealing with his own stuff. But there is an interesting thing about how we come off versus who we are.

I had a therapist once who gave me really good advice. This was 2003 or 2004 and I was really struggling. People were just writing vicious, awful, hateful stuff about me all the time and it really started to affect me. The therapist said, “What I find about criticism is that if you can look at it honestly and take in what resonates with you, then the rest of it you can let go.” And that was a process that got me into directing and gave me the confidence to start doing that.

I got to a place where [the public perception] was so different from who I am that I just stopped reading and stopped caring. But then, as my kids got older and started seeing the internet themselves, that’s the difficult part. Even the “Sad Affleck” meme — that was funny to me. I mean, there’s nobody who hasn’t felt that way at a junket. But then my kids see it and I think, “Oh, are they going to think their dad is fundamentally sad or they have to worry about me?” That’s really tough.

From the outside, it seems like when you’ve had difficulties in your personal life, people have often rallied around your rebound. Does it feel that way to you?

That’s common to all storytelling: The whole architecture of the three-act narrative is you start off a story with somebody, throw rocks at them for two acts until it seems like they can’t possibly make it, and then have them succeed. And there are times my life has at least externally looked like that.

There is something about people going, “Wow, this person really seems like they’re going through a lot of suffering. I feel for them.” But I don’t want to live that way to have you like me.

I’m really happy now, and I feel great. I’m not perfect. I don’t do everything right. But I wake up and feel good about the choices I made the day before, and if I don’t, I address it right away. I’ve got to hope and believe that people will still like the movies I make if I’m not in the midst of something they think of as agonizing.

We’re in this moment when it seems like all the rules that governed the movie business have gone out the window and no one knows what the new rules will be. Is that scary or exciting?

It’s terrifying and liberating, because it’s the Wild West, and nobody really knows what how this is going to work out. It’s a big adjustment. Everybody I talk to in this business is having versions of the same conversation, which is, “Where are people going to watch movies? What kind of movies can be released in theaters? Is this COVID? Is this viewing trends?” I don’t know what the answers are. But there are opportunities.

Entertainment has changed and evolved, historically. Getting kids to watch a whole movie — most of them are watching stuff on YouTube. I feel like I’m 1,000 years old, because I say things to my kids like, “What does this YouTuber do? Like, is it a comedian?” They look at me like, “Are you a moron? They’re a person. They talk.” And some of these people are making a fortune. There’s enormous value.

Getting to experience Jennifer Lopez’s life now and seeing the degree to which a massive social media presence — how that’s valued, how that’s perceived by the people who are willing to invest a bunch of money in what you’re doing — is really striking. I’m not sure the option to have 300 million followers was ever available to me, but that ship has probably sailed now. [laughs]

Social media is really good for selling stuff so you can free yourself from having to always rely on being the flavor of the week. By the way, I’d be thrilled. My thing is, I wish I could sell alcohol. I’ve just got to figure out, what’s my angle? “I don’t drink but if I did….” Every time I joke about that, alcoholics laugh. Other people are horrified, like, “You can’t say that.”

For someone like you who came up in a world in which acting on the big screen and becoming a movie star was the ultimate goal, how do you navigate this new normal?

I’m convinced that there’s a segment of the audience now that is done with movie theaters. It’s just too much of a hassle: You have to pay for parking, pay for this and that. I went out and saw “Licorice Pizza,” and it was amazing. But I hate to say I’m part of that generation — I like to be asleep by 9:30. You know, I probably sound like those people who were like, “Movies were never the same after they introduced sound.” People are resistant to change. We form our identities in certain periods of time and associate that with a lot of stuff that isn’t necessarily connected to them.

Now I just think, “What do I have to do to be in L.A. so I can raise my kids before they all go off to college?” You know, I’d stand out there with the sign waving at people to come into the electronics store — happily — because that’s the most important thing to me by far. You think I’m a sellout or a chump? I don’t care. I’ve got to live with myself, my life and my choices and how that makes me feel. And I’m just glad I figured that out.

This interview has been condensed and edited.

[yjwhatif]

TARGETS #6 SPOILERS…

BREAKING DOWN THE FUNERAL SHOT…

In case you can’t read my horrible writing…

We may have been denied seeing everyone in wedding attire but we did get to see everyone in their funeral attire which is pretty cool - there’s always something fun about seeing everyone in different clothes from usual... Even if it is for the unfortunate event of a funeral.

THE RUNAWAYS ARE HERE! You know the first thing I noticed about this shot was that Ed was in it… who scrubs up very nicely I might add… though he and Asami clearly had their growth spurts between the end of s2 and Wallys funeral because they were the smallies of the group and are now towering over previous tallie Tye! It genuinely makes me so happy that they’re all here - they really didn’t need to be given they hadn’t been associated with the heroes very long or know Wally beyond being kid flash, but the fact that they did go to the funeral is so compassionate and respectful - I love it!

Are Dinah's eyes on Bart? If they are, that's a really cool detail that I am obsessed with... Though, I don't know if they actually are, both her and Ollie seem to be looking more in the direction of Red tornado or something off panel... Which is more of an odd choice that I can't quite interpret... That being said, Dinah looking at Bart shows a need to check on him and acknowledge he may not be alright, out of everyone who she knows will definitely be struggling - Artemis, Dick, the other OGs, the rest of wally's family - and yet her focus is on the new kid from the future who would probably down play how affected he is by wally's loss... She's clearly tuned in on more than he'd want anyone to see... There's no hiding from Black Canary!

My boy Bart needs a hug right now! He looks so sad and isolated from everyone despite being surrounded by so many people - his chair is pulled away from iris's, disconnecting him from the other flashfam, there's probably guilt/imposter syndrome at being included with all wally's close family when he's only been around for a few months - obviously he does deserve to be there but I feel like he’d much prefer to be at the back and out of the way that front row. He’s looking at nothing/the ground - lost in his own thoughts/memories of past losses, his posture is hunched as he tries to make himself as small as possible - probably not wanting to be noticed or acknowledged in any way… basically he needs a hug! Also it is always wrong seeing Bart separated from Ed and Jaime - boy needs his besties!

Like when Artemis was “killed”, Conner’s natural response is to be angry before tearful, which I actually quite like - grief shows itself in different ways and it’s just as valid a response… it’s also interesting to see how M’gann is focusing on Conner, aware of how hurt he will be but not trying to physically connect/comfort him as they are still broken up at this point and maybe doesn’t want to overstep.

Perdita can’t even look at the tomb stone, possibly trying to hold back her tears.

Artemis, Dick and Kaldur’s reactions are all heartbreaking - Artemis is clearly trying to hold it together but is on the brink of completely breaking down while her mum, Barbara and Brucely crowd around her. Dick is full on sobbing - which is something we’ve never seen him do and shows just how affected he was by Wallys loss - his closest friend and confidant was gone. Then there’s Kaldur, who isn’t actually showing much visible reaction - which is very Kaldur - holding in whatever emotions he may definitely be feeling because he doesn’t want to access that side of himself… it’s interesting that dick and Kaldur seem to have opposite overall grief responses - dick broke down immediately then proceeded to disconnect from dealing with his feelings over s3, while Kaldur avoided dealing with his built up negative feelings from the beginning and has only just put his effort into working through his grief.

I like the idea that Garth is looking at Kaldur (though it may actually be that he’s looking at Artemis or Dick - a lot of the eye lines are difficult to properly pinpoint) If it is Kaldur he’s looking at, then that shows hes thinking about him and checking in on him - they were good friends once - and while they may not be as close anymore, Garth’s focus on him illustrates that he still cares and understands that Kaldur probably isn’t okay.

There is so much emotion coming from Dick/Artemis/Mrs. West that it’s attracting the attentions of Denny, Karen and Roy… maybe even Red Tornado and Jaime as well. I love seeing who people are looking at!

ORIN ISN’T WEARING SHOES!!

It genuinely threw me for at least 10 seconds as to which batkid was between Bruce and Cassie… and then I remembered when this was set and that it’s obviously Tim (🤦‍♀️)… though he does look remarkably similar to s1 Dick Grayson.

La’gaan is looking very suave in that outfit… though also very upset which is really heartbreaking!

Poor uncle Dudley - could everyone not just shuffle over a little bit so he could be fully in the shot?

It’s cool to finally see Freddy for the first time, who, as pointed out by someone on Twitter, is actually sat on plastic man as a chair - which is ridiculously brilliant - I did think it was an odd colour scheme for the chair to have compared to everyone else’s!

Love Alfred keeping a watchful eye on everyone at the back.

I did not expect this to be what Hawkman looks like under the mask!

Let’s talk Dr. Fate… Mr. ‘Doesn’t-Care-About-Anyone-Else’ being at Wally’s funeral is so powerful and one of my favourite things about this shot - this is a choice Nabu is making which shows respect for someone he had a brief connection with previously… also, he’s not fully visible so it could be no one else actually knows he’s there which plays into their assumption that he doesn’t care about anyone - but him being there shows there is some level of care/compassion. I really do find Nabu to be such a fascinating character in this show!

And those are my current thoughts on this shot - I think it’s absolutely brilliant and I’m so glad we go to see it! RIP Wally.

LB

[cobrakaisb]

baby, meet my parents

summary: thomas is making his nhl debut; you’re making your debut as his girlfriend

warnings: mentions of a teen pregnancy  

word count: 1.25k 

part five of the team baby series! read part one, part two, part three and part four 

“are you sure it’s okay if we come to dinner with your family? i can just meet you at the rink,” you asked for the third time. currently, you were in minnesota, where thomas would be making his nhl debut. the blonde rolled his eyes, giving you an annoyed look. “how many times do i have to tell you, you’re my girlfriend, thus a part of my family, so yes, i want you and charlotte to come to dinner tonight,” thomas said. you swallowed, nodding your head. “right. right, i just…” you trailed off. thomas sighed, walking to stand next to you. 

“relax babe, everything is going to be fine,” he said, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead. “they’re going to love you,” he continued, reading your mind. “i just worry,” you replied, turning to look at charlotte, who was sitting on the bed, eyes transfixed on the red muppet on the screen. “there’s nothing to worry about, they’ll love you, both of you,” thomas said, hands rubbing up and down your arms in a soothing motion. 

part of you knew that thomas’s parents weren’t going to ostracize you. you and thomas had been friends long before you started dating, and before you were pregnant with charlotte. you were fairly certain that they knew about your circumstances as a mother. it was one thing for thomas to have a teen mom as a friend, but it was a completely different thing for him to be dating one. you wanted to believe that his parents wouldn’t judge you, but it was hard to block out the negative thoughts, especially since most people always had something negative to say.  

“once you’re done getting ready we can leave,” thomas said, pulling you out of your thoughts. he was still standing in front of you, messy hair and all. he looked really good in his all black suit, and you begin to wonder if your black dress was too matchy-matchy. “yeah let me just put on some gloss,” you answered, leaving his firm grip to access the mirror. he kissed you cheek, mumbling something about getting charlotte organized while you finished up. when you exited the bathroom, you were met with thomas holding charlotte in his arms, diaper bag thrown over his shoulder as he made faces at her.  

you smiled softly at the sight, snapping a quick picture. “ready?” you asked, slipping your phone in the small purse you were bringing with you. “you look stunning, as always,” thomas complimented, walking up to you. “thank you,” you said shyly. “you look very handsome too,” you answered, fixing his slightly crooked tye, which was charlotte’s doing no doubt. he smiled, one full of confidence and cockiness, “thanks babe.” “alright let’s go. we can’t be late,” you replied, taking your daughter into your arms, who let out a slight whine of displeasure as you did so. 

the restaurant wasn’t too crowded when the three of you arrived. thomas spoke to the hostess, who led him to a secluded table in the back. his parents were already seated at the table. seeing them in person caused all of your subsided nerves to resurface. 

“here they are,” mrs.bordeleau said, as the three of you approached the table. “did you think we weren’t going to show up?” thomas asked in a teasing voice. his mother scoffed, standing up to give him a hug. the two conversed a bit before thomas greeted his dad in a similar manner. “mom, dad, this is my girlfriend y/n, and her daughter, charlotte rose,” thomas introduced, his arm coming to wrap around your waist. “hi mr. and mrs.bordeleau, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” you said politely. “it’s nice to meet you too y/n,” mr.bordeleau said, smiling at you. mrs.bordeleau on the other hand had yet to say anything. “well let’s sit,” thomas said, pulling your chair out for you. “thank you,” you whispered, as he placed a kiss on your temple before taking the seat next to you.   

for the most part, dinner went by smoothly. you talked with thomas’s parents, who didn’t seem to have a problem with you. they were polite and asked you all the typical questions associated with meeting for the first time, but the dinner was still awkward. around half way through the meal, charlotte started to get fussy. 

“what’s wrong char? you hungry?” you asked, and charlotte gently shook her head no. “she probably needs the tooth ring,” thomas said. “i know,” you answered, rummaging through the diaper bag for the purple teething ring that she liked so much. “oh is she teething?” thomas’s mother asked. “yeah. she just started a couple of weeks ago, but we’re still waiting for her first one to come in,” you answered, handing charlotte the purple ring. her eyes lit up when she saw the toy, immediately putting it in her mouth to chew. 

thomas’s mother focused on charlotte as she watched your daughter chew on the purple ring. you watched anxiously, worried that she was going to say something about how her son shouldn’t be dealing with all this extra baggage, your baggage. the question that came out of your mouth, however, left you flabbergasted. 

“do you want me to hold her for you?” she asked you. you sat silently for a minute, in fact the whole table was quiet as they waited for your answer. “you can if you want to, but you don’t have to,” you answered nervously. “i want to,” she said, holding her arms out for charlotte. you nodded, passing charlotte to her from across the table. you watched with bated breath as charlotte eyes thomas’s mother. sitting anxiously on the edge of your seat, you relaxed when charlotte giggled as mrs.bordeleau tickled her tummy. 

for the rest of the night, charlotte and mrs.bordeleau were attached to each other. both of them had huge smiles on their faces, causing the tension in your shoulders to dissipate. “you know she’s gonna want to see charlotte all the time now, right?” thomas whispered. “what?” you asked, barely registering what he said as you focused on your daughter interacting with his parents. “my mother, she’s obsessed. charlotte has them both wrapped around her finger already,” he whispered. “yeah. you must take after them,” you teased, and thomas rolled his eyes, his arm coming to rest around your shoulders. 

the night came to an end. all of you leaving the restaurant to now head to the arena to watch thomas play. thomas’s mother was still holding onto charlotte, talking softly to her as if your daughter could reply. “okay well we need to go. i’ll see you after the game, but y/n will sit with you guys in the stands,” thomas announced, subtly signaling for his mother to hand charlotte back over to you. 

“okay yeah. hold charlotte while i give y/n my number,” she said, handing your baby to thomas and turning her attention to you. “if you need anything, anything at all, you call me. whether it’s advice, or you have questions, or you just need someone to talk to, i’m here. plus i expect you to send us lots and lots of pictures,” mrs.bordeleau said, handing you a small piece of paper with her number written on it. you nodded, taking the paper from her hands. “thank you so much mrs.bordeleau i really appreciate it,” you replied. “please, call me chantal,” she said, pulling you into a tight hug.

[honeystwiggypeach]

My papa talks about you a lot!

This is the first time I’ve written for Sugawara so like most of the other characters I wrote for I’m actually unsure how to go about writing their personality.(it is most likely inaccurate.)

Dad! Sugawara Koshi x fem reader

Basically you’re a teacher at the same pre-school that Suga teaches at.(one day I will make a character just pin after the other oblivious to the other who is also in love with them because I think I try to do it every time and it just turns out bad.)

Look, it’s honestly not even that bad of a morning…is what Suga tells himself as he frantically calls almost everyone he knows is off in his call log after his babysitter for his daughter canceled last minute because her friends invited her to the mall. Now Suga doesn’t blame the girl, but like come on he hired her because he was busy with work so of course he’s a little nervous.

His daughter, Aiko, had calmed down the previously chaotic man quite a bit when he realized he couldn’t do all the things he used to with a baby, but now as she edges near her fourth birthday his spunk has returned some as he gets further and further away from the schedules he previously needed when Aiko was a baby.

“Ok honey.” He sighs setting his daughters cereal bowl in the sink and quickly washing it.

“Grandma’s sick, your babysitter has the flu and not many other people are up for watching you.” He mumbles after hanging up with his work. “And I don’t have any vacation days apparently, so you’ll have to come with me” he explains looking up to see his daughter peeking above the counter with I brushed hair as her hair antenna bobbles due to the draft the air conditioner created.

Sugawara for the life of him can not do hair, not even a simple ponytail. He wants to scream when he has to fix his daughters hair, it takes him around an thirty minutes normally to remember how he did her hair last time and another thirty to actually get her wavy hair into the ponytail without half of it falling out.

He looks at his watch panicking when he sees that if he doesn’t leave now they’ll be late. “Grab the hair brush baby and meet me at the door I’ll have your coat!” He shouts rushing to the door as his daughter runs to the bathroom before meeting him at the door to put on her coat.

They lock up the house and begin walking to Sugas work around two blocks away while he tries to pull her hair back and he can say that he is certainly glad that normally they aren’t moving when they style her hair.

He’s gotten her hair into the ponytail formation as they round the corner to the school building and just as he’s sliding the holder off his wrist Aiko steps onto the stairs and her hair falls out and he wants to sob.

Yeah needless to say he’s got the ponytail in the corner of his mouth using a hot pink hair brush when he walks into the building.

“God-” he stops himself noticing a kid standing next to your leg as you pat their head, when Aikos hair once again falls out.

You glance over and watch him struggle by the door way a few more times before walking over to him.

“Would you like some help?” You ask in your sweet voice that Suga just adores.

He turns towards you with the slightestpinm blush from being caught unable to do something as simple as hair. He wanted to impress you not show you that he couldn’t care for his kid’s hair!

“Do you mind?” He asks looking at you when her hair falls back again.

“Not at all” you smile taking the brush and hair tye from him before gently and smoothly tying back Aiko’s hair, and then to top it off pulling out her bangs with your finger nail by dragging your nail along the triangle part and tugging gentle.

You turn her to face you and brush her bangs before ��bopping her nose softly causing her to giggle as you hand the hair brush back to Suga while he stands their in awe.

“What’s your name?” You ask gently.

“Aiko.” She mumbles gripping at Sugas coat as she smiles at you.

“Well I’m Miss (y/n)” you mumble smiling at her before looking back to Suga.

You watch Aiko tug on her dads jacket and whisper in his ear and he nods.

“Pretty” she compliments quietly as the bell rings and Suga rushes off.

The end of the school day comes quicker then usual with today being a half day, and both You and Suga stand on the steps waiting for the last few kids to be picked up while Aiko clings to her dad.

“What are you doing after this?” He asks

“Oh, I’m probably going to have lunch what about you?” You ask looking towards your watch.

“Have lunch with Aiko.” He says gently squeezing her hand.

“Can you have lunch with us too?” Aiko asks looking up at you with shiny eyes filled with adoration.

“Sure, but only if your dad would like!” You sag smiling at the small girl as her eyes crinkle up almost swallowing her little mole right under her eye that matched her fathers.

Suga glances down to Aiko to see her staring back with the cutest puppy eyes, if he wasn’t going to say yes before he will now. “Sure where do you guys want to eat?” He asks watching as the last kid runs to their parents car.

“Where ever is fine” you mumble right as Aiko starts to squeal “cat cafe!”

“Cat cafe it is.” You giggle softly and Suga wonders if this is love.

After awhile of sitting in the cafe Aiko’s got a dessert in front of her as she sits on her calfs trying her hardest not to wiggle right off the seat.

“What’s your favorite animal?” You ask expecting her to say a cat or something as you look at her.

“My papa talks about you a lot.” Aiko says looking up before shoveling her cake into her mouth.

“It’s not like that” Suga tries to excuse but seeing your hurt expression he’s quickly trying to take it back. “I mean it is like that but-” he’s cut off by your soft giggle and soft I’m sorry while you try to catch your breath and he’s got a huge blush on his face as he realizes he probably doesn’t just have a crush on you…

“It’s alright I like you too.” You smile at him softly and Aiko’s off after she finishes her job as she skips around the room looking under the tables for a cat.

[yogodyolive]

I solved Poppy Playtime Chapter 2

Here's a MatPat worthy theory:What if Mommy Longlegs is Eliot Ludwigs deceased wife, as Poppy (or another experiment is his dead daughter/child? In the very first tape, it talks about how Eliot Ludwig was divorced, but a family at heart (note the family picture you see showing, Mommy, a Male Parent, and a child.) . It then proceeds to talk about how he suffered from a tragic family loss, but even despite that, kept on making toys, even becoming more persistent. I think that Mommy Longlegs maybe Eliot Ludwig's wife, who he may have murdered after the divorce. I feel like one of the main monsters is his child, most likely being Poppy, hence her being locked up, so no one/ nothing could ever hurt her again. Mommy may have been part of the reason of her death, causing Poppy to hate her, and Ludwig to turn her into a toy. Or turning Mommy to a toy, cause he doesn't want to let his wife go. This explains his obsession with turning the children into toys. I also think that Huggy, Kissy, Mommy, and a few more are special, because they are not murdered kids, they are adults. Explains why they were content with children, but were murderous, visceous, and violent to their adult superiors. I also have a nother idea that the 'prototype', aka experiment 1006, may also be a candidate for Ludwig's dead child. He was the original test, hence their being a high security system for him. This may explain why he is taking the parts of other toys, and killing the factories occupants. He is trying to make himself human, once more. And, i bet that the highest security system was no other than 1007, aka, the original ganster; Huggy Wuggy. In chapter 1 of the game, Ludwig tells us of the tripwires, and cameras/ motion sensors, that border-patrol the place, instantly alerting the police (that may be a feature in a future chapter, who knows). He then goes on to say how that is just one of their more tame aspects of the security system. Well, i think that is where Huggy Wuggy comes in. He is sent to protect the place, needing to be obedient, observant, and intelligent. Which is why in the beginning of the game, he gives you a key. It has been so long since anyone has come to the factory, he is unsure if you are a worker. He gives you a key, thinking you are employee, but once upon seeeing you wander around lost, and enterizing unauthorized areas that are forbidden, realizes that you are an intruder. Therefore, he attacks you just as he is instructed. This may also tye into why Kissy Missy didn't attack you. She was in an unused (probably abandoned) part of the facility, so since she had no instructions, she was able to move on her own accord, doing as she pleases. I came up with this theory, so if you decided to use it, at least credit credit my facebook, please; where i will be posting more theories: Yogod Afton Clickbait.

[mylonelydreaming]

Some more!:

Mentioned in OP's tags, but the whole Puppet Zelda sequence (which you can watch here). Also, in Japanese and French, she says "Isn't it nostalgic? The place of memories for Link and me" instead of "Does it awaken memories? Memories of our time here".

In the Japanese version of the game, the quest "For Our Princess!" is called "My Sweet Princess", written in English/katakana rather than Japanese. The only person who could really be expressing this "My Sweet Princess" sentiment is Link himself. I'm guessing he found "Zelda's order" amusing.

Tenne at Akkala Stables implies that Dream Homes are something you are supposed to share with a partner (in Japanese she directly says marriage) and that before she buys one herself, she needs to work out the special someone part of the equation. She tells Link that she hopes he finds an amazing partner who smells good and likes dogs, and in one of botw's dlc memories, Zelda was shown to be fond of dogs. The Dream Home itself does appear to mildly imply Link will share it with Zelda, as there are two towels, two spoons, two cups, and two bowls already set out in the house assets, and a study unit "for time alone". There is also a vase filled with forget-me-nots, and this asset of a vase filled with forget-me-nots isn't found anywhere else but Link's house. These are the same flowers that surround Blue Nightshades and Silent Princesses at Rutile Lake (more on that in a moment) and Link and Zelda themselves in the ending. Among other things, forget-me-nots represent "True Love".

Silent Princesses and Blue Nightshades spawn in pairs on a hill at Rutile Lake. I believe this is a pun on "blue knight" as Link is a knight who wears blue, and they spawn in pairs as a zelink metaphor.

There is an npc at Riverside Stable, Tye, who goes on a tangent about needing to find the Master Sword specifically to protect his wife, Sorelia. These same two characters, Tye and Sorelia, were looking for a Silent Princess in botw to wish their love on.

There is a Zora couple that you have to help reunite after they have been separated. The wife talks about how her husband is stoic and he struggles to show his emotions, while the husband, worried about his wife, talks about how his wife has always been the type to act decisively and never needed any help in that area, but is prone to fits of excitement. The characters and their quest are a clear parallel to zelink and main plot of totk.

I've put together screenshots of all of this lovey-dovey npc dialogue from either the game itself or a text dump here.

Rauru, at the beginning of the game, says "That girl... (counting on you to) take care of her..." in Japanese, rather than "I've done all I can for her, now it is up to you".

When you speak to Purah wearing the Champion's Leathers, she says: "By the way, is that the tunic the princess made? I'm glad to see it made it's way back to you. It suits you" and when wearing the well-worn hairband: "By the way, isn't that the hair band the princess had? It's a classic look for you". This also implies she knew about the Champion's leathers, and has seen Zelda wearing Link's hair band before.

Another thing about the hair band, this is it's flavor text: "Wearing it in your hair makes you sentimental about times past".

Something else to point out about the Champion's leathers, is the location it was hidden. Directly behind the thrones. Where the King and Queen are supposed to sit. Interesting.

Light Dragon parts heal Link with a golden light that envelops him.

Riju in her diary consistently refers to Link and Zelda as a pair, and prays to Urbosa to watch over them and keep them safe. Urbosa was a zelink shipper as we all know.

Zelda's horse is already attached to Link. This implies Link has spent a lot of time with Zelda's horse in the past.

Oaki's secret bed has a heart made of vines above it, Silent Princesses surrounding it, and is hylian-sized. Which is a bit... strange...

Where the frog memory in botw takes place, there is now two statues that, according to an npc in botw, represent a married couple.

On the soundtrack listing, one of the titles is named "Zelda's feelings in my hands" in Japanese (I believe this is the track that plays over the memory of Zelda floating when you obtain the Master Sword, due to it's placement among the other tracks).

“Last Catch” is also apparently actually called "あの手へ" or “To That Hand”.

Also, this is external, but the Japanese website promoting the next Master Works book says the following:

"To all the brave heroes who have received Princess Zelda's feelings, the official setting materials collection for "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is now available!"

why can't Nintendo say things like this in English

Little TOTK!Zelink details for all you fic writers and general BOTW/TOTK Zelink enjoyers:

After being attacked by KEESE, Zelda worries and checks that Link's not harmed

Zelda disguises herself to visit Lurelin Village and visits Lover's pond every evening at the same time. It's so meaningful for her, that she paints it

Link's old tie in Zelda's secret studio (why is it there?)

The Royal guard's beret behind the changing screen in Zelda's old room (why is it THERE? No boring answers allowed)

The Hateno house has the table set for two

All the parallels between Rauru+Sonia and Link+Zelda

Hands, hands, hands

The Light Dragon scales are described as "oddly familiar" (🌚)

Zelda makes Link a new tunic, and for the first upgrade you need some Light Dragon's scales to upgrade it (doesn't it remind you of a certain Zora tradition?) + Silent Princesses (Zelda's favourite flowers)

_______

There's also the fact that they're always together; he's now her chosen protector, instead of appointed knight; their trust in each other, and how in tune they're with each other... But those are spoken about more often, I believe

[tapping-away]

To Your Eternity x Danny Phantom

-Danny is visiting Clockwork one day with Sam and Tucker when the Watchers suddenly arrive

-They announce they are reclaiming their right as the watchers of the universe and have taken control of creatures named Nokkers to help them right the world

-They seemingly destroy Clockwork and forcibly shove Danny and his friends back through the portal they came in and destroy it and all other portals he uses

-Danny goes to the portal but finds it broken and is trying to find a way to fix it when suddenly the Nokkers arrive in the city

-They start similarly to how they do in TYE but evolve much quicker from just wood, to stone, to being capable of controlling the dead and now the living

-Elsewhere, Clockwork wakes up in a forest far away from any civilization; he is back in a form he hasn’t taken since he recreated the Earth

-Back in the past he had been fighting the Nokkers for millennia, but was beginning to lose against them, everyone was dying around him yet again

-He embraced his power and ascended to a position similar to that of the Beholder but even stronger

-He rewrote history and created the Earth as it is today, eradicating the Nokkers and sealing them away in the ghost zone and making the Watchers to keep an eye out for them

-Over many centuries the Watchers became corrupted and began remembering things wrong, thinking they were the creators of Clockwork not the other way around

-Clockwork never bothered to correct them since it meant less for him to do and let him live in as much peace and solitude as he could ever get, never growing too close to humans again

-(until one Danny Phantom showed up)

-Also in this AU, Vlad and Danny have made their peace (thanks to Clockwork making them) and currently have a master/student relationship, Danny’s parents are maybe still unaware of his status as a ghost?

-Clockwork, now the white haired nameless boy once again, and reverted back to a form from before he ascended to the Beholders position and with his powers sealed beyond a certain limit, shifts the clothes on his body to more modern ones and searches the Earth with his powers, finding out where he is and that the Nokkers have returned

-He knows they are looking for him and that the Watchers really don’t have any control over them, so decides to go to where Danny is to work together to stop the Nokkers and put the Watchers back in their place

-He shifts to a bird form and makes his way to the nearest ally to him, Vlad