#he turned on jean jacket by USING it like him and gordy were used

[w0lfwren]

JUST CRIED OVER THE GORDY AND JUPE FIST BUMP!!!!!

[i-sveikata]

Okay so I’ve been legit thinking of Nope nonstop since I saw it last night and I’ve only just realised the difference between Jupe and OJ and their understanding of animals and how this translates to Jean Jacket

So I was thinking about that scene when Jupe is preparing for the show and he’s sort of leaning against the desk and not moving. At the time I saw it I just assumed he was unwillingly revisiting the traumatic moments of his experience on the Gordy Show but now I’m thinking there might have been more to it.

From the first time we ever see OJ he’s wearing a cap which works sort of well at shielding his eyes especially when he’s ducking his head which is something he seems to do often (and is probably what unwittingly saved his life those first six months!!!). And we hear him talk about not looking the animals in the eye which eventually culminates to his understanding of JJ and how it ties in with its territorial nature and how it views eye contact as a challenge or a sign of aggression. And when we see that horrible moment of Gordy set off by the balloon and behaving like the wild animal he is on set we as the viewer can see that Jupe doesn’t look away once, that in that moment he stays perfectly still hidden beneath that table and watches it all unfold so when Gordy approaches and seems to calm down and reach out to him, he takes that as a sign of having done the right thing in that moment. Which I think is what that scene in the office before the show is alluding to. Jupe believes that the answer to encountering dangerous and volatile animals even extraterrestrial ones is to be as non threatening as possible as a way to connect to them. Jupe, not understanding the table cloth that separated his and Gordy’s eyes from one another is what protected him in that moment, and not the fact that he stayed where he was and didn’t move. We see the poor young actress moving on the floor before Gordy attacks her again, as well as the actor father coming down the stairs and attempting to run away. Putting all that together, Jupe thinks the key here is his stillness. Which is what I think he’s practising before the show, reaching that sense of calm before he faces JJ. But the problem with that is Jupe never fully comprehended that being a passive viewer to spectacle is just as dangerous as creating it and using wild animals to profit from it. Because of Gordy he never learned to look away, to break out of the cycle of witnessing spectacle and being made into a spectacle after Gordy’s attack so when JJ arrives and comes to eat, Jupe looks up perfectly still and watches as he’s sucked up and devoured. This movie had such great commentary on the horror of spectacle, the danger of people being first and foremost viewers, even of the most appalling moments and at the expense and exploitation of human and non human lives. I just thought it was really interesting that some people have said Jupe had no idea what he was doing but I would say he absolutely did and that was his hubris, that he truly believed he could bond with JJ like he supposedly did Gordy. His misinterpretation of the traumatic event with Gordy is what actually misled him into believing stillness was the key to being a viewer of JJ/The Viewer. So instead of turning from the spectacle he and his audience were literally consumed by it instead.

[southerndragontamer]

Pokémon AU

Chase Brody

Rillaboom (can Gigantamax), Boltund, Goodra, Ursaring, Polteageist, Banette (has Banettite)

-His starter was Grookey, the little drummer monkey heard Chase absently drumming a rhythm while he was waiting for the bus to get to Hammerlocke and just hopped out of his Pokeball the professor had and over to him and picked him. Grookey nearly bit the Professor when she tried to take him from Chase because he wanted to stay. And they’ve been together ever since.

-Chase travels because it makes him happy to be exploring, to be training with his team. Grookey finding him was the start of Chase getting out of a funk he’d been in for some time and back to being on the right track. He’s a good fighter, not as skilled as someone who goes at it crazy hardcore every day as he’s in it for the fun mostly, not trying to really be the toughest Trainer like some are.

-Is actually thinking of becoming a Breeder after he gets all his badges, as he doesn’t really want to fight the league. Currently Chase is training for fighting Melony or Gordie depending on who has switched in to be the Leader.

-Would lose to little kids that ask him for battle in a heartbeat if he could, but Chase takes it easy on them and gives advice and tips he picked up. And comforts anyone that’s upset after.

-Team order is Rillaboom, Boltund, Goodra, Ursaring, Banette, Polteageist

-Has befriended Jirachi and Nihilego

-Do not under any circumstances upset or hurt a little kid around him, you thought Anti was bad, uh uh, you haven’t seen an angry Chase and no one wants to get their behind handed to them by a protective father.

-Chase takes things at a easy pace, looking around Galar and exploring at his and his ‘Mon’s leisure and taking in the little things most pass by in the rush to get the next badge. He takes a lot of photographs, videos and collects postcards of everywhere he visits.

-He’s the type to save as much as he can in case he needs things later, is very hoard minded as he doesn’t know when it might come in handy. So, this guy is the kind of Trainer to have a ton of Nuggets burning a hole in his pocket for when he’s in need of cash to buy supplies.

-Totally dotes on his ‘Mon, very openly affectionate with them and gives them treats after a battle. Which considering the energy they just burn actually balances out so Nurse Joy doesn’t give him any trouble.

-Has very good aim when he plays games like laser tag or frisbee with other trainers while their teams relax and play when he hangs out with them. Comes in handy for throwing Pokéballs accurately, he can even make curve balls hit. And he’s been trying out different tricks with a toy ball to see if he can copy it with a Pokéball if he can.

-His style is laid back, casual kind of clothing. Hoodies, t shirts and jackets, jeans, shirts, boots and gloves and his snapback cap. He isn’t ever seen without his cap, it was a gift from some people special to him and he thinks it’s his good luck charm.

-The nicknames for his Pokémon are: Rillaboom is Silver, Bolthund is Lucky, Ursaring is Lunar, Goodra is Daisy, Banette is Stitch and Polteageist is Lipton

-He encountered Lucky just after getting Silver who he named that due to him being attracted to the shiny coins as the two walked to get started looking around and bringing them to Chase. Lucky got his name because he was running as fast as he could from a dog catcher and just in time Chaae stopped him and asked what was going on. Lucky was wild and had wandered into town and caused a bit of ruckus by digging up flower beds. So, Chase asked how much the damage was, didn’t bat an eye as he got his wallet out and paid the man to give to the owners of the gardens and turned to Lucky, who’s tail was just wagging like mad and asked if he wanted to come with, the response of being jumped on and licked sent Chase laughing.

-How he met Daisy happened during the long trip through the Wild Area to get to Motostoke. Chase was taking his time to get used to being around so many Pokémon and enjoying the sights. He’d just ran from a too powerful Onyx that had been accidentally nicked by Silver’s Razor Leaf that they were training with, and tripped into a small field of flowers. And there curled up asleep was Daisy, she even had a flower between her antenna. Chase instantly took a picture of her and when the sound of the shutter woke her asked if she wanted to join.

-Meeting Lunar and Stitch was interesting as it happened at the same time. They aren’t native to Galar though with so many Trainers coming in from different regions it’s natural they’re finding more wild or released Mon from other Regions, as well as moves, that weren’t there before as they acclimate to the Wild Areas easily. But, Chase was actually talking with a Trainer he’d just beaten that was recently from Hoenn after going through Johto. They had an Egg but they didn’t really want to switch their team out and just abandoning it wasn’t something they were comfortable with either so as Chase had plenty of room still, he offered to take it.

-And at the same time they handed it over, the Trainer asked if he wouldn’t mind taking on another Mon. And they explained a Ghost Type was following them, their unofficial seventh member at the moment. They didn’t want to just let it run wild when it wouldn’t be a good idea. Chase wasn’t one to turn down an opportunity to help and agreed and a little Shuppet appeared out of thin air and gave Chaae the most hopeful look. All Stitch had wanted was a friend, and now he had more than he knew what to do with!

-Chase took good care of the Egg that turned out to be a Teddiursa who he named Lunar for the crescent moon marking, and he adored caring for the baby Pokémon. All of his team turned into doting siblings honestly and it was very sweet to watch. There was a lot of baby and family pictures taken during this time. Lunar adores his family and will do everything to keep them safe and happy.

-This time was when Chase decided he wanted to try to become a Breeder, taking care of Lunar and his Egg was something he adored doing and he wanted to do that more, and make sure the babies got to good Trainers who would love them as much as he loved his Pokémon.

-Lipton was a cute encoder. Chase was on his way to Ballonlea through Glimwood Tangle and had gotten turned around a lot since the forest was so dark for the most part. He decided to take a bit of a break before he tried again, at least the experience was good for the team. He got out his hackysack and started to play with it lightly and didn’t notice for a bit that a little curious Sinistea was creeping closer. When Chase accidentally threw the hackysack too far, it was caught and then tossed back. Chase laughed a little and the two started a game to see if they could always catch or throw it perfectly.

-Chaae then mentioned needing to get to town as he was reminded he had somewhere to be when he looked at his watch and Lipton led him down the right path, but didn’t want to leave and basically caught himself.

-How he met Jirachi that was a fun one. Jirachi is known to sleep for years at a time, but since Jirachi is a Psychic Type, it’s not unheard of for its mind to reach out to others during its rest. And that’s exactly what happened with Chase, they met in his dreams and Jirachi played with him a lot. The first thing that happened when they met physically was Chase getting knocked off his feet in a ecstatic hug by the wish granting Legendary.

-Nihilego is actually his unofficial seventh team member. He’s not even really sure how they, or she as despite not being genderendd doesn’t seem to mind being referred to with feminine pronouns but it depends on mood for this, met him as Chase just... woke up one morning to find Nihilego over his bed. He assumes from research it’s due to an Ultra Wormhole opening up sometime during the night. While at first wary of being attacked, Nihilego didn’t try to attach to Chase or any of the team. Instead, they just... followed Chase around almost like the child they resemble.

-Chase named them Galaxy because of the Star like pattern they have. And Galaxy stays invisible a lot of the time around other humans, causing mischief sometimes but all in all, they just behave more like a child than an alien Pokémon most of the time. Though that’s not to say they stay like that all the time, sometimes when angered or when she thinks Chase or her family is threatened Galaxy will lash out to protect them. Galaxy sleeps curled up with Chase and the others on the team in a big cuddle pile.

Author’s note

Finally! The next installment is done! XD I’m sorry it took so long to get this out, and that it turned out so long, but I had to figure out the right team and then the rest wrote itself almost. And again, just feel free to ask for more information on anything in the AU if you’re curious! I promise I don’t bite.

[terribly-much]

My sister noted the character Antlers Holst shares a last name with the composer Gustav Holst, who wrote the orchestral suite: ‘The Planets’. As she put it: “He belonged to the sky.”

I do really love the change of Jean Jacket near the end to a billowy state. I’m pretty sure it’s like when animals either puff out their feathers or turn sideways to look bigger. Which means that it was feeling threatened and aggressive. And then the part where it showed the green square that looked like streamers? Or were they yellow?

Anyway, I’m pretty sure that was a threat display. (Technically, both actions are. But the second display is more in the vein of a hissing cat or rattlesnake rattle.) I really love the moment because it IS the moment where they really do have a kind of ‘agreement’. OJ is looking it right in it’s eye and instead of just sucking him up, it’s puffing itself up and saying: “Look out! I’m dangerous!”

And yes, it is still slowly approaching, but the whole puffing up/threat display is it showing caution with him like he does with it.

I know you went over part of this but I really love the details.

Also, When it came to light that Jupe was feeding Jean Jacket horses, I couldn’t help but think of bears. I have heard so many stories of people feeding bears because they ‘would never hurt me!’ and think their special because it comes to them for food. (Other people have noted that Jupe probably thought he had a special connection like he did with Gordy the chimp, even though he was probably spared due to the tablecloth and attention to the upturned shoe making him not make direct eye contact.)

I do think part of the main theme is about treating animals with respect. It ties into the the theme of spectacle. How we treat it and how it, and the pursuit of it, can (in this case literally) consume us. Jean Jacket’s mouth is also it’s eye. The aliens Jupe thinks he’s been encountering are called ‘viewers’ by him. Much like us in the audience consuming the movie by watching it.

And the nightmarish scene inside Jean Jacket felt like the movie going ‘You wanted spectical, here it is!’

Anyway, I’m very sleepy but wanted to add onto you observations because keep thinking about this movie, so hopefully this is cohesive.

NOPE Directed, Written and Produced by Jordan Peele

Here are some imagery / themes I think were important in NOPE. Which I really enjoyed, because everything Jordan Peele touches is pure gold. Like his other movies, it's more about what he's trying to say compared to what's actually happening.

Man Vs Beast

This is one of the main imagery / parallels I noticed in the movie.

The show young Steven Yeun was in Vs The chimpanzee that went rogue

The MC's family Vs horses

The MC Vs The Alien

Man Vs Man

I think the main message was that respecting animals / beasts / things you don't understand is the best way to approach them.

Examples:

Steven Yeun and the Chimpanzee

The cast kept trying to run away from the chimpanzee and beg the chimpanzee for mercy didn't work. What almost did was Steven Yeun trying to reach out to the Chimpanzee (vice versa) - which could also mean 'reach' an understanding / form a connection.

MC knowing from his experience from raising horses is to treat them with respect

At the end, the Alien follows the MC as he makes eye contact with the Alien. Yet the Monster doesn't try to eat him, but slowly encroaches towards him, almost like they reached a middle ground of staring at each other

Interesting theories / inferences / things I need help decoding

Something funny I noticed is that Steven Yeun's character gets revenge from his childhood trauma because when he was younger, balloons set off the Chimpanzee (also a 'beast'), and the destruction of the Alien (the main beast) was brought about with a gigantic balloon version of himself. :)

It was so interesting how Steven Yeun knew about the Alien but was so business minded he just fed it horses. It almost reminds me of the show casting the Chimpanzee and trying to tame it down for business.

Until the end the MC's sister tried to capitalise on the Alien, which is like slay get that Oprah slot but also adds to the theme of people trying to capitalise on anything (news stations, the guy from TMZ, the MCs)

I would really love to hear any other themes / theories / inferences you got from the movie. I love hidden parallels / themes so send them my way! Also let me know what you think about my theories :)

[wrebeccawrites]

The Missing Six Months

Here’s a quick one-shot about Grizz and Sam getting closer during the six months when we don’t see them:

Sam’s afternoon was going perfectly fine until someone whapped the back of his head with a CPR manual. He turned his body around in the old floral print Lay-Z Boy he currently occupied to flip off his assailant. 

“Come to the hospital with me,” Grizz signed as he spoke, dropping the manual onto the floor. Over the past few weeks, he had picked up enough ASL to impress Sam. The two of them dedicated a few hours a day after work to sit in the living room and go over phrases. Most of the time they ended up traveling way off course talking about their favorite movies and acting them out. Both of the boys were deeply disappointed that they would never see the newest Avengers film. However, Sam was convinced Grizz’s rendition of the plot was better than anything the Russo Brothers could produce. Watching him improvise entire fight sequences while attempting to sign the dialogue made for a glorious mess. Any phrase he didn’t know, he tried to spell out. 

Now he looked very eager to get out of the house. Both of his hands were stuffed into his front pockets as he rocked on the balls of his feet. It made the little bun on top of his head bounce. 

Sam smiled, “Why are you going to the hospital?”

Grizz held his hand out, pulling him up, as he replied, “It’s an adventure.”

Sam rolled his eyes as got off the chair.  It would take them at least 30 minutes to walk to there. Allie had taken the car that morning. But he did need some fresh air and it looked like Grizz needed to blow of some steam. They made their way to the hall closet and Grizz grabbed both of their coats. He shrugged on his own then held out Sam’s.

“I can put my own coat on, dumb ass,” Sam told him as his stuffed both his arms into it. Grizz let go of the jacket and patted him on the back, “Don’t shit on my kind gestures. Let’s go!” 

 As they walked into the fresh fall day, Sam pulled out his phone and texted Becca going on some errands, be home soon. Need anything while I’m out? She texted back, Thank God you’re out of the house, I can finally masturbate. Which made him chuckle at his phone. 

Grizz bumped his arm, “What are you laughing at?” 

“Becca is happy I’m out of the house,” he looked at Grizz’s questioning eyes and continued, “She can finally masturbate.” 

“Oh, um, that’s kind of private, right?” 

“Everyone has needs. And you have to admit it’s been pretty difficult to,” then Sam signed flicking the bean and continued, “While everyone is living together.” 

Grizz scrunched up his nose and agreed. Sharing a room with Gordie and Eric had been fine, at first. They spent most of their time out of the room, really only using it for sleep. Grizz missed his bed. He used to keep his favorite books tucked under the pillows so he could read before he fell asleep. Now, he has to roll out his back every morning from sleeping on the floor with no space to stretch out. His books remained on the living room shelves where he could pull them out at the end of the day and read them to anyone who would listen. And by anyone, he meant Sam. Sam was always there, cuddled under a blanket, listening to whichever play or novel he chose for the night. Occasionally Bean would join. Allie pretended to hate it, but she came every night with a mug of tea for everyone. 

It became a really wholesome nighttime ritual. He thought about a few nights previously, when he was reading August Strindberg’s Miss Julie. At first, the girls protested the blatant misogyny. Then Grizz started reading the scene when Jean is whispering his secret desire to Julie. Everyone quieted down as he said those lines, leaning in and growing hot. Grizz got lost in it. He knew how to deliver like Jean’s words were the only thing keeping him breathing. When he was done with the scene and Jean successfully brings Julie into his bed, he paused and looked around. Allie was looking down at her socked feet, blushing. Gordie had his eyebrow raised at him while Bean smushed her lips together. And Sam looked him right in the eye, lips slightly parted, waiting for him to go on. 

“You’re right. There are definitely moments when I wish I had my own room,” Grizz told him. They looked at each other before Sam huffed in agreement. It drove Grizz a little crazy when he did that. Like he could read his thoughts somehow. They spent the rest of the walk chit chatting about the weather growing colder and how hard the various job postings were. When they arrived at the hospital, Grizz was shocked to find the doors unlocked. 

“What, did you think they would have maximum security to keep sick people out?” Sam poked fun at him. 

“No, no. But there’s, like, super expensive equipment in here. And drugs and stuff,” he said this earnestly, which only made Sam laugh harder. They went inside. Grizz went straight to the counter and started sifting through lists. He skimmed every page, trying to find what he was looking for. Sam stood nearby, clueless to the boy’s quest. After a couple minutes, he became utterly bored. 

“What is the point of this adventure, Grizz?” Sam asked. Grizz loved when Sam said his name. It took him a moment to refocus on the task at hand. 

“I am trying to figure out where they keep the CPR dummies,” he answered. 

“You could have told me that. Let me help you look,” Sam came behind the counter. The two of them barely fit. As they looked, their hands would stumble over each other. Sam let their arms press together, after a while. Grizz didn’t pull away. Together, they found a hospital map and guessed, “training bay” was their best bet. The hospital was a little creepy. It still smelled like a sterile and sickly place without any humanity to soften the edges. They flicked on lights as they walked down the mint green halls. Their florescent glow made the boys skin look grey and unhealthy. Their boots stuck to the ground enough to create a sticky suction noise with every step. Neither of them said anything until they got to the training bay. 

They looked in horror at the room full of humanoid dummies. At least ten were scattered about the room, hooked up to IVs or resting next to scalpels. Before Grizz could take another step, Sam grabbed his arm and asked, “Is it just me, or are we about to get murdered by evil doctor right now?”  

“I’m definitely getting that vibe,” Grizz said, “I’m afraid I’ll get possessed if I touch one of these things.”

His gaze trailed over every body and asked, “What’s the sign for ‘heebie jeebies.’” 

Their chuckles broke the tension. 

“Why do you need one?” Sam asked. Grizz knit his eyebrows together and rubbed the back of his neck before he answered. 

“I’m trying to learn CPR.” 

“Really? I’m surprised you don’t know how to do it. I thought you were some type of boy scout,” Sam signed as he spoke. Grizz didn’t smile at his joke. 

“I don’t know how to do it.  I know I present as this big survivalist guy but I really don’t know everything. I know a lot, but not everything. It was people assuming that from me that got Emily killed. I didn’t know how to do CPR or get venom out of a snake bite or anything else that would have fucking helped.  If I did, she would have been fine,” he had tears in his eyes by the time he was done talking. Sam didn’t know what to say. He never realized how much pressure Grizz was putting on himself to keep their society safe. He could feel the guilt radiating off of him like a poison. He reached and grabbed his upper arms and tilted his head to look him in the eyes. 

“Hey, what happened to Emily was not your fault. You can’t carry that around with you, it’s not your burden.”

Grizz wiped his eyes and signed, “I know. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be better prepared for next time.” 

Sam nodded and pulled Grizz into a hug. For a few seconds, they stood in each other’s embrace. Sam’s head laid on his chest. He could hear his breath ease as his need to cry passed. Even though Grizz was a few inches taller than him, he felt like his was holding something very small and fragile. He took a deep breath and released him. 

“You know, I could teach you CPR, I got recertified every year so I could charge more when I babysit,” Sam said, breaking the tender moment. 

“Yeah right. If I tried those chest compressions on you, I’d break your sternum,” he took a couple steps back from Sam. 

“So you think you’re strong enough to break me?” 

“I think we both are,” Grizz said as he walked backward toward the dummies. Sam didn’t know what to say. Grizz turned away from him and paroozed his options. He picked up the one sitting lopsided on a chair, “I think this is our guy.” 

Sam nodded, “Yeah he looks like a good victim to save.” 

Grizz heaved the dummy onto his shoulder and fireman carried him out of the room. 

“Let’s get the fuck out of this creepy hospital,” he said. 

The boys left and started walking back home. They got halfway there before Allie pulled up next to them. She rolled down the window. 

“What the fuck are you guys doing?” 

Sam and Grizz exchanged looks before Grizz said, “We are just out here trying to make some new friends, you know?” 

“Just get in, I’ll give you a ride home,” she said. Grizz heard the car doors unlock and he piled in the backseat after Sam, tossing the dummy into the truck. 

The dummy was christened Ralph and embraced by their household.