#i love leigh and his bad movies

[pretty-boydyke]

ive watched so much slop recently just for,, this guy

films ranked

[lesb0]

I'm always trying to stay on the cutting edge of every permutation of our constantly evolving visual culture but the elusiveness of every new form makes it difficult for me, even as one of the youngest possible millennials. in fashion, my freshman students are all wearing 2000s or "y2k" fashion: baggy grungy or baby phat hiphop, with an elevated touch of modesty, good color theory, and a stark awareness of bodily proportion. in memes, legendary 00s icon, lisa frank. its embarrassing to follow influencers with over 10 mil, now, as if it breaks the parasocial connection.

someone asked yesterday if tiktok is now the premier vehicle of visual culture. I open tiktok. on one side, a zoomed in interview with the mother of a shooting victim. but the other side is a compilation of slime videos, a woman cutting soap, life hacks, and chinese "smart" product placements. you can hear and see both. this bizarre genre, I can only recognize as content. on social media, content is technically anything you can doomscroll, the action of spending over 2 hours on a social media feed, a for you page, a timeline, a dashboard to tumblr addicts.

I'm watching cable TV with a girl I'm seeing. the ads are remarkably only geared towards boomers and older gen x. but, so is the 'content', bad action movies made for cable and reruns of 80s/90s TV shows, but the exact same show marathoned in hours long successions.

to be an effective art historian, I have to take things from this ever-shifting visual culture and translate it into the equally fickle and amorphous art world... so what does 'content' look like for museum shows? my first 100+ object loan show was in part by a colleague, a younger curator at BAMPFA. a massive exhibition of all female nonbinary artists, from the 60s PoMo feminists to the self obsessed identity displayers of today. I absolutely LOVED it. I had no problem enthusiastically flitting from object to object, frontwards and in reverse twice, to spend special time with all my favorites. a fave professor stopped me. I hadn't even recognized him in the excitement. he looked bewildered, but laughed about how giddy I was. he didn't write any criticism on the show. my boss at the time, our museum director, told me she thought it was "such a big mess". my favorite lesbian professor clutched onto her wife with an anxious look. my lesbian artist friend had panic attack and put his headphones on in a dark corner. on the other hand, the younger undergrad girls from berkeley looked elated and delighted, flitting around and oohing and aahing at my same pace. I learned one of them was an engineering student named erin who needed a feminist pickup from the disouragement in her male dominated field.

so how has the 'content' show, or the art world reception to them, changed in the past 4 years? well for one, it seems like major flagship institutions are dropping the mononym altogether. as the french impressionists take over the east coast, none of shows feature one painter as a sole focus, but curators use juxtapositions to keep people interested. in MoMAs, monoynym shows are reserved for major retrospectives or figuratively and literally, monolith artists like simone leigh. the older art historians are hesitant to adapt to these changes. one of my favorite shows this summer, over 300 very different collection pieces packed onto the floor and across the hall, wasn't enjoyed by any of the critics I know. My dates all hated it. except one, a hot ADHD butch who had a tiktok doomscrolling addiction.

what does this mean for the future of how shows are displayed.... how do museums let go of the traditional princely standard: 3.5 inch hangings with a 25 degree downwards tilt? is it better or worse to compromise museums into messy 17th century curiosity cabinets?

[superblysubpar]

We'll Call It Love masterlist | It Had To Be You masterlist

the song: Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) by Train // It Had To Be You playlist

warnings: this story is a part of the series We’ll Call It Love, and much of it would be spoiled if you read this first. It’s linked above, and I hope you love it! | series warnings pertain

2.8k words

A/N: After finishing this chapter, I highly recommend reading the one shot "You're Still The One" linked here, before reading the last story in the It Had To Be You collection | Also, as always, thank you to @rebelfell for her Halloween Party blurb about Eddie in this universe - you can read the story here which is hinted at in part of the story below

“This was a bad idea.” 

He drags his feet, shaking his head behind the girl dressed as Morticia Addams. 

“Oh my god, I did not listen to you talk about grand gestures and this movie for an hour while you changed in and out of the costume six times, Steve.”

“But-”

Leigh spins, resulting in Steve almost smacking right into her. She crosses her arms and huffs, “Did you or did you not say that if you show up in this costume maybe she would see how sorry you are, see how you really feel, see-”

“I know! But I really don’t think it was a good idea any more. She threw a beer in my face last time. Plus, I…I made my choice.” Steve goes to run a hand through his hair, remembering he has this stupid costume on and rests his hands on top of it instead. He kicks at the brick wall, avoiding Leigh’s perceptive gaze.

“Right. So then get inside. Tell her you’re a pirate. I don’t care. But I did not get dressed up for you to stand outside this bar all night and wallow.”

Leigh slaps at his chest, two quick pats and then spins him and pushes him into the crowded and dimly lit bar. 

“Drinks?” Leigh leans in, shouting over the throbbing bass playing, squinting in the purple neon light and strobes hitting her face. 

Steve nods and follows, glancing around, pretending he’s not looking for one person in particular. He needs to apologize, he needs to tell you what’s going on, he just needs…you. But when he finally spots a red dress, he’s suddenly finding it a little hard to breathe because you did come as Buttercup, and you’re more beautiful than ever. 

It feels a little like the first time he saw you at Argyle’s all those months ago. There’s a spotlight hitting you, and there’s suddenly a reprieve in the thrumming music and it feels a little like Steve is walking through jello to get to you. And when you engulf Robin in a hug, and your face is pinched in pain over her shoulder, every part of his body aches. 

When you separate, and face the bar, he watches the looks of bewilderment cross each of your faces, and he blurts out the first thing he can think of when Leigh elbows him in the ribs. 

“Well, there isn’t much money in revenge.”

Smooth, idiot. 

Steve doesn’t hear Robin at first, or watch Leigh. All he sees is the anger and hurt flash across your face at the sight of him. There isn’t an ounce of you that cares he’s in this costume for the reason he is. 

You hate him, and it’s too late to change that. 

“...if you want to ditch Dingus here…”

Steve’s too hot in this damn costume and he glares at Robin, because he can’t be mad at her for complimenting Leigh, but the way your face twitches when she does means it’s clearly not helping and he can’t say so…so…

“Seriously Robin? Are you being serious right now? Where’s Nancy?”

When Leigh asks you where your dress is from and you look like you want to answer but then spin to the bar and blurt out the name of the most expensive drink, Steve wants to throw up. It was all a  big mistake. 

“Robin, where is Nancy? And Eddie? I wanna wish him luck before they go on!” Leigh loops her arm through Robin’s tugging her away from the bar. It’s not lost on Steve when she looks over her shoulder and Leigh points to you, mouthing ‘Talk to her’ with a frown and glare. He rolls his eyes and waves her away. 

Standing next to you, in this costume, not talking, hurts more than he thought possible. It’s like words sit on the tip of his tongue, ready, needing to come out, but he’s too afraid to say them. And what happens if he does say them? Will you suddenly be a fan of relationships? Will you suddenly be able to tell him everything about yourself? Will this suddenly work?

Maybe, if he pays for your drinks, it’ll be the open doorway he needs. Start the conversation.

But you ruin that plan as you push crumpled bills over the bar quickly when he pulls out his card, and he sighs. 

“You’re not seriously wearing that.”

Steve’s not even sure you realize you said it. It comes out soft, timid, like you haven’t spoken in hours and aren’t sure you remember how to. Which makes sense, because he feels the same way, like not talking to you for the last few weeks has made him incapable of doing so all together. 

He watches your pulse on your throat like some crazy obsessive vampire-like guy, he memorizes the twitch in your jaw, the inhale and exhale making your chest rise and fall. He traces each dip and curve of your face, hardened and closed off when you finally look at him. Steve swallows, searching the entirety of your face for some sort of hint that you get what he’s trying to do. That you get why he’s in this costume. A sign. A nudge. A promise that if he keeps trying, it won’t happen right away, but you’ll try too. 

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” 

“Are you fucking kidding me Steve? After everything, after what you said at the game, you’re really gonna stick to not admitting what this is?”

You gesture to his whole body and something inside of him starts to bubble, sick of you not admitting it either. How you know why he’s in this costume. You have to know. And instead of facing your own feelings about it, you’re blaming him. 

“I’m just a pirate. I don’t know what your problem is.”

Steve stares at you and you glare at him and he wonders if it’ll ever be okay again. Will you ever give him a chance to talk and will he be brave enough to spit it out if you do and will you ever be willing to do so yourself. 

It’s this horrible, painful, awkward, long moment of him not admitting and you not admitting that you’re definitely wearing a couples costume embodying truest love - that you both know he’s not just a pirate - when a random asshat claps Steve on the shoulder and says “Oh nice! As you wish, dudes!”

As you flip Steve off, he decides to be the bigger person, to apologize, to try to explain why he’s in this costume even if it puts his heart out there for you to step on. But you’re already retreating through the crowd before he can, weaving in and out of it and towards the exit. 

Steve watches you blatantly ignore Eddie and that bubbling irritation inside of him starts to grow at the thought of Eddie coming to your rescue again. At the thought of you turning to him for comfort. 

“Dude, where are you-”

“I need to talk to her. Just…don’t let Robin see.” Steve pushes at Eddie, vaguely taking in the costume involving fur and glasses and the letterman jacket he can’t even begin to piece together, before he’s following you outside. 

The air is cool against his skin, forgetting how good it felt to not be inside that bar in only a few minutes. There’s a bouncer smoking, a few people down the block, and Steve pulls at the suffocating mask and hat when he spots you walking away. He reaches out for your shoulder, calling your name. 

“Don’t touch me, Steve.” 

When you yank your shoulder from his touch, the tone of your voice, something inside of him shatters. 

How can he be the reason you sound like that? How can he be the reason your face looks like that?

He holds his hands up in surrender, deciding he’ll just leave tonight. It was too soon. 

“Look, I just want to make sure you’re okay. You can-”

When you interrupt him, when you tell him he’s not your boyfriend, the irritation he’s been keeping shoved down begins to grow from its small simmer. And when you can’t help but get closer to him despite the words coming out of your mouth, despite telling him he’s not your friend, he knows he’s about to say things he can’t take back.

“You’d like that right?” That’s it, case closed. Y/N calls the shots and decides everything…” 

Maybe he doesn’t want to take it back. Maybe he needs to say this. To make it clear he’s not the one fucking this up. You are. 

“...You’re a spoiled brat who’s mad because you’ve lost a toy.”

If he acts like it doesn’t hurt, maybe it won’t. 

Your scoff and eye roll punctuate your words, “Me? The spoiled brat? Excuse me, Mr. 50th floor and Daddy’s Credit Card. Take a look in the fucking mirror, Steve!”

What the fuck do you actually have to be mad at him for? It’s not like you love him. It’s not like you care about him. It’s not like this was anything more than sex to you, right.

Right?

When he shouts, when he pleads for you to tell him what you have to be upset with him for, and your chin quivers and your eyes get glassy, he thinks you might admit it. He thinks maybe you’ll say it and he’ll say sorry and you’ll tell each other right here, right now, everything you’ve been holding back. 

And then you shove him. 

And you tell him he’s a hypocrite.

And a liar. 

An asshole. 

Bullshit.

Each word accompanied by a shove to his chest he doesn’t even try to defend himself against. He doesn’t even try to argue. Because are you wrong?

And when you tell him to lose your number, and he searches one last time for any sign of you feeling the opposite of what you just shouted at each other, he says the only thing he can think to say at that moment. 

The only thing to convey how sorry he is. 

The only thing to possibly tell you how he feels despite you breaking his heart right now. 

“As you wish.”

“This was such a bad idea,” you groan, tying a ribbon around a little mesh bag for the fifth time in less minutes. 

You sit in your living room on the carpet. The lights are off save one lamp glowing behind the couch, shining on Inigo passed out in his dog bed just under the blue glow of the TV screen.  Piles organized by category for the little favors to be left on plates for guests take over the entirety of the room and Steve stands in the dining room.

He swipes his wrist over his forehead, staring at his suit hanging from the overhead light fixture. Steam from the iron in his hand swirling around him as he grimaces at the stubborn wrinkles in the fabric. 

“I told you not to volunteer for that. Should have made Eddie do it. He hasn’t done a thing.”

It’s the hottest night of the Summer so far, and he stands there in only his boxers and a plain white shirt, barefoot, you in a sports bra and boyshorts, both surfaces of your skin glistening with sweat despite the AC running overtime. 

The way you both are wearing next to nothing would normally have you finishing the job, tangled limbs and messy kisses, cooling off in the shower together. 

Normally, a wedding of your best friends would have someone grow closer to the person they’re dating and living with. Surrounded by all this planning, all this public devotion, all this love, should make a person imagine themselves in the same situation. 

You’re not normal. 

You hum, starting to go around to the piles, collecting hershey kisses and disposable cameras, chapsticks and pencils as you respond, “Eddie isn’t the maid of honor or the best man.”

If you were to look up, you’d see Steve watching you closely, see the way his brows knit together when you roll your eyes at the customized tic tacs. 

“Jesus,” you mutter under your breath, “This is exactly what’s wrong with weddings. I can’t believe Robin and Nancy are into all this.”

Steve sets the iron down, the newest but certainly not the first comment against weddings rubbing him the wrong way.

Again.

“Into telling everyone how much they love each other?”

You snort, shaking your head as you tie another bag closed and toss it in a bucket to bring to the venue tomorrow.

“I don’t think you need chocolate and lip balm and sunglasses and beer cozies to tell people how you feel.” 

“Sure,” Steve runs a hand through his hair and you look up, finding him leaning against the kitchen island, arms crossing over his chest as he keeps going, “Maybe they don’t need all  of that but-”

“I don’t think they need any of it, Steve,” you clarify before he can get too going about the beauty and meaning behind the day you’re all about to have tomorrow. 

Again.

“There’s nothing wrong with them wanting to tell everyone in any way possible they can, that they love each other.”

You sigh. “I don’t get why they need to tell people in the first place, Steve.”

Aside from a laugh track on the TV, it’s silent and you keep your eyes on your fingers tying green ribbon around pale pink bags. 

Steve finally breaks first, his voice soft when he asks, “What do you mean you don’t get why they need to tell people?”

Shrugging, you avoid his gaze you can feel on the side of your cheek as you start on another bag. “I mean, I don’t get why they need to tell people.”

“Like the entire wedding? You don’t get why they’re having a wedding?”

Your shoulders rise and fall in a shrug again. 

Steve’s heart hammers in his chest while yours pounds in your ears as his voice tries to remain even, but you hear it crack as it rises in volume. 

“You don’t think they should be getting married? You don’t think they should have a wedding?”

“No, I didn’t say that. I just don’t get why weddings exist. Does anything really change? Suddenly you have a legal piece of paper? Cool? After, what? Thousands of dollars. Stress. Bad food. Shitty music. I mean, we’ve watched Robin and Nancy fight over stupid shit like cake flavors the past year. How is that good for anything?”

Steve steps closer to you, his hand running through his hair making it stick up all over the place as his cheeks flush pink. 

“But they love each other and they want to tell everyone that-”

“Why do they have to tell everyone? Shouldn’t everyone already know? And why do they have to spend all this money and throw this big party? That’s all I’m saying.”

You stand again, going to grab the bucket of favors to bring it to the car so you don’t have to in the morning but Steve is shaking his head, volume and his thoughts ramping up.

“They want to throw this party because they love each other so much they just wanna scream it any way they can. Because they want it to be legal. Because they want to have fun with all the people they love and celebrate something so beautiful and unique and strong like their love. I don’t understand how you don’t understand that.”

You stand in front of him, holding the bucket, and maybe it’s the weight of the favors or the way his voice is getting louder and the apartment is getting hotter or the way his eyes seem to have you under a microscope that you snap back a little mean, that you get a little loud yourself.

“Because I don’t understand it, Steve, like I said! I don’t think you need to-”

“It’s not a need. They want to-”

“Fine! Want then! I don’t understand what possesses a person to want a wedding!”

Steve steps closer to you, his brows pinched and his hands running wild through his hair as he yells, “A fucking marriage! A partnership! A way to tell the world ‘hey this is my person, I love them’!”

“I don’t see why you need a wedding for any of that to be true!” You shout right back. 

You stand there facing each other, with ragged breaths that move your chests up and down almost in sync. 

Steve’s swallow is loud, his inhale louder. Time seems to stretch on forever as he stares at you, as his eyes soften into something you can’t quite describe, as flashes of the words he just said and what you said back swirl around you, almost tangible. 

You stand there, in a sea of pink and green, of things that are emblazoned with Robin and Nancy’s names and the words love and forever staring you down as Steve’s voice comes out sharp, cracked, vulnerable, loud. 

“You wanna marry me, right?”

[bbgnyx]

Hi babe it's me leigh ✌ Saw your song requests like 10 secs ago so 👀👀

song name: in the stars by benson boone

song lyric: and now you're in the stars and six-feet's never felt so far

pairing: minho x female reader

disc: the reader dies and minho is just devastated and he cries for the first time in front of everyone and stays ☹️ (I'm bad at descriptions save me-)

Anyway thx for reading!!!

a/n: omg babe this song has been running in my head recently so this request was like you read my mind 😭✋. This was so sad to write honestly, hope it matches what you had in mind!

my taglist is open btw, just message me if you wanna be part of it!!

And now you're in the stars and six-feet's never felt so far~

genre: angst

warnings: very sad, church and god are mentioned, mentions of blood and death, indirect mention of cancer, mention of a funeral. lmk if I miss anything

Sunday mornings used to hold so much joy for Minho. It was the one day he could spend with you, and it filled his heart with happiness. The two of you would go on adorable picnics, visit malls, and sometimes even attend church together. He couldn't help but think how beautiful you looked with your hair up and that radiant smile on your face. Minho was a softie, but only when it came to you.

He remembers the times when he would get jealous of you because Soonie Doongie and Dori seemed to love you more than him. He cherishes the memories of cuddling up in bed with you, watching movies together. Every little thing about you, he adored. You were his angel. But now, Sunday mornings are no longer his favorite. Not after everything that has happened.

When he was with you, Sunday mornings held a different meaning. Now that you're gone, Minho knows that nothing will ever be the same again. If he doesn't have concerts or practice, he simply sleeps in, avoiding going out because it only brings back painful memories. He has even lost his faith in God, burying it alongside you, deep beneath the earth.

Minho has lost count of how many times he has stood there, screaming at God, questioning why the love of his life was taken away from him. Why did God seem to hate him so much, leaving him to suffer like this? He is constantly lost in his thoughts, not knowing what else to do but cry himself to sleep, knowing that you will never be there to comfort him again.

Minho still remembers the day you were admitted into the hospital, they said you were okay, they said you only had to go through a small surgery. All of it were lies. That day, Minho’s band had won an award, but he couldn’t even relish the happiness as he soon got a call from your mother.

“She’s in a critical stage, she has lost a lot of blood, the doctors don’t know if they can save her”, your mom said sobbing through the phone. At that moment, it took Minho his everything not to leave the award show immediately and fly back home to you. He had been crying all day and all night, worried about you. He should be there with you, he thought.

On Sunday, he took the award and flew back to you as soon as possible. Only to be informed that you’re gone, you’re not with him anymore. You had passed away.

Minho remembers the day of your funeral. The weight of your absence crushed him, burying his heart alongside you, six feet under the ground. “It’s okay Minho, she loves you with all her life,” your mother said, trying to console him. He felt weak and helpless then.

All these pent-up emotions let loose at his most recent concert. You had always told him to show his emotions to others, not to close his heart away. So he cried, he cried like he had lost everything and he did. He lost you, and you were his everything, you were the earth and he was the moon and now he didn’t have anything to revolve around. On that stage, he crumbled, his fellow members offering solace, while fans shed tears alongside him, showering him with words of comfort.

It felt as though he had loved you for an eternity, but he realized that the time he spent with you was merely a fraction of his lifetime, while you had loved him throughout your entire existence. This realization shattered him to his core. How was it fair? You had promised to always be by his side, to never leave him alone. And you kept that promise, remaining faithful even in death. But what about him? He wasn't there when you underwent surgery, he wasn’t there through your suffering and he wasn't even there when you took your final breath.

He felt stupid not to realise that you were suffering. He hated that you hid your condition from him. He always wondered why you asked him what he would do if you weren’t there. He always replied, “I’ll protect you so nothing ever happens to you, my love”. But now he couldn’t protect you and that broke him, and it would break him till he took his last breath and he would be lying if he said he didn’t wish that day came soon so he could see you again. But all he knows now is that he loved you, loves you and will continue loving you.

[justagirlwholikesadam]

Thank You

Johnny x FEM! Reader

Summary: Johnny finds himself in the comfort of your home after saving you.

A/n: I haven't read or seen a fanfic on him, maybe because his character is honestly a lot but I wanted to write something from the movie, Naked (1993) Mike Leigh. Enjoy-L

Warning: Johnny being Johnny, mention of rape and abuse, reader almost being SA, Johnny talks to himself, Johnny has a crush, act of stealing.

Word Count: 4K

The night was freezing more than usual and Johnny’s slim cheeks were red from the cold. His only source of warmth was the cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. He was leaning against a building trying to hide away from the harsh cold winds while watching the citizens of London walking up and down the streets.

His blue eyes pierced at whoever walked past him, they all looked happy, they all looked like they had somewhere to be unlike him. His hands shook from the cold and he placed them under his armpits trying to warm them up. It was futile, his whole body shook from the frigid air.

Shutting his eyes, he started to think about his next plan. Visiting his ex, Louise was a failure. It was pointless even after he hooked up with her roommate, Sophie. The dark haired girl, Sophie, excited him for a while. She had a pretty face and he slept with her but she caught feelings for him. That was a no go for him after Louise, he thinks being in love is pointless after she left him for a new job but he knew deep down she left him because of his ways. Cheating on her constantly and treating her badly. He realized perhaps it wasn't love. The tons of books he read that had love in it, was not the same he had for Louise. He was lonely that's why he had Louise around, he had her for the nights when he couldn't sleep and he needed something warm.

Johnny sighs to himself as he remembers Sophie following him, following his every move, telling him that she loves him and understands him. He slept with her one more time and hit her head against the arm of the couch multiple times making her understand he wasn't a good guy. A part of him, like it though. Being bigger than her but his attraction towards her turned into disgust. She didn't have any standards. Still following him around like a puppy after what he just did to her.

His stomach growled and he can’t recall when was the last time he ate. The girl from the diner was kind to him, she reminded him of a mouse. A depressed mouse, she looked so sad when he mentioned it to her. She went crazy, forcing him to leave her house after she had invited him in. He cursed at her nasty words and he felt bad for a moment, just a brief second. So now, he was out in the freezing cold and his stomach was aching for something.

His eyes shot open when he heard laughter, it was a nice sound. He can’t recollect when was the last time he actually laughed, a genuine laugh. One of those laughs that made your stomach hurt and left you out of breath.

“That’s what I told him.” You told your friend on the phone, crossing the street. Your body shivered when a gust of wind blew. In the corner of your eye you see a tall man with shaggy hair. He looked sickly and his dark clothes were blending in the night.

You nodded, a hello at him when you caught his eyes, you kept walking, telling your friend to repeat what she just said.

Johnny looks at you as you keep walking. You had seen him, Johnny is so used to being in the background, invisible to the human eyes. You had seen him and greeted him like a human with decency.

He’s been standing by the building for hours and no one had even caught his eyes. Johnny looked at them, but they would just simply ignore them and continue on. Johnny is an observer, he’s always been since he was a child. So when a man passed him, he looked at him and it didn't take Johnny long to see the man was holding a knife. He spotted it and he saw a glimmer of the steel of the knife shine under the street lamps.

He saw you stopped by the corner, waiting for the light to turn red so you could pass. You got off the phone. Tugging your bag close to your body, you stuffed your hands inside the pockets of your coat for warmth. Johnny followed the man, throwing the bud of the cigarette on the sidewalk.

Johnny’s quick on his feet, he hears the man breathing heavily. Million thoughts rushed through Johnny's head. The man was thinking of robbing you, perhaps the man was going to kill you or worse. In Johnny's eyes, you were a pretty thing and by the way that the man was following you. That man was going to do the worst thing to you. Unaware of the man coming up behind you. You started to walk across the street when the light turned.

You hear a shout and you look over your shoulder to see a man in a black puffer jacket and a beanie. His dark eyes were wide and his mouth was parted open as he stared at you. He licked his lips as he looked up and down at you. You saw the man standing by the building running behind him and wrapping his arms around the man with the knife as he shouted once more.

You gasped when you saw the knife and without a single thought you swung your purse at the man holding the knife. Johnny released the man when he saw you were about to swing.

You swung your purse at the man’s face. The man with the knife came tumbling down like a sack of potatoes on the sidewalk.

Johnny heard you shout as you swung your bag over the man’s head.

“Motherfucker! You son of a bitch!” Johnny took a step back as you kept swinging. He kicked the knife to the road before the man would wake up and grab it.

"Thank you." You told him before sliding your bag up on your shoulders. Johnny doesn't know what to say. He doesn't recall being thanked before.

The man groaned before falling unconscious on the ground. You look up at Johnny.

"Jesus, love. What you got in that bag?" Johnny asked you as you stepped back from the man on the ground.

Johnny watched as you open your bag and pulled out a glass Tupperware with a hydro flask.

"Should we call the cops? Or the ambulance?" You asked Johnny and shakes his head.

"That asshole wanted to rob you. Probably rape you and you want to call an ambulance for him?" He asked you.

"You're right. Fuck him." Johnny nodded like that response better. That piece of shit didn't deserves your kindness. You were about to walk away when you remember he was waiting by the building.

"Were you waiting for someone over there?" You asked him and he shook his head at you.

You felt bad, leaving him in the cold. He did help you, without his shout. You surely would have been dead. He was nice enough to run and wrap his arms around him to stop him.

“Do you have a place to stay?” You asked as you shivered when another gust of wind blew.

Johnny shook his head once more. “Come on then.”

Johnny doesn’t think he heard you right. His brows knitted in confusion when you turn to start walking and look over your shoulder at him.

“Come on. I’m freezing my tits off.” You said. You hear him behind you.

“I swear if you try anything. I’ll hit you so hard with my bag.” Johnny keeps looking at you. He’s walking next to you and he can see your face up close. You are absolutely beautiful, he thinks to himself. It was a short walk and he followed you into a building. Opening the glass door, you hold it out for him. Walking inside he notices there's another door.

“Excuse me.” He hears you say softly and he feels you brush against him when you take out your keys from your bag. Johnny stares down at you and you unlock the door. Opening the door, you shoot him a smile and he can’t help but smile back. It wasn’t one of those fake smiles that he always received from other people. Your smile was genuine.

“I'm just down the hall.” You tell him as you shut the door after he walks in. The inside of the building was dingy and he notices there’s a staircase to the right side of the hall. He follows you down the hall and notices the welcome mat in front of your apartment. The white paint on the door was chipping and the number of the door was hanging upside down.

Johnny doesn’t say anything. He was just grateful that he found a place to stay for the night. Somewhere warm, he didn’t want to sleep another night in the park, especially in the cold. He rubs his hands tighter for warmth as you open the door.

“Come in.” You tell him and he enters first. The lights turned on and your apartment was the complete opposite of outside the hallway. The hallway was dark and grimy, while the inside of your apartment was colorful. He steps into the room and notices a light brown couch in the middle of the room. There’s a small tv in front of it. He notices the large bookshelf next to a window.

“I’ll get started on dinner. You must be hungry.” You say walking past him, dropping your bag on the coffee table.

Removing your coat, Johnny takes note of your clothes. You wore black leggings with an oversized sweater. You turned to hang your coat and his eyes looked down to see your ass.

“You okay?” You turn to him when you realize he hasn’t spoken.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m -.” Johnny repeats your name and looks down to see your hand is out for him to shake.

“I’m Johnny.” He says shaking your hand. You jumped when you felt how cold his hands were.

“You poor thing.” You say rubbing your hands with his to warm them up. Johnny doesn’t think he ever felt someone so warm like you. He doesn’t know why he becomes so insecure with you being so close to him.

“I’ll make you some tea or do you want coffee to warm you up?” You’re still holding his hand and you look up at him.

His eyes were so magnetic, it drew you in. The lovely shade of blue you have ever seen. He was so tall next to you and you looked down at his lips. They were chapped and he smelled like cigarettes and the cold air.

“Tea would be alright.” Johnny tells you and you pull him by the hand into the kitchen. The kitchen was small. You signal him to sit down on the dining table that only fits two. It was against the wall near the fridge.

“Can I smoke here?” He asked you as you started to turn on the stove.

“Yea.” You answered him while opening a cabinet above the stove. Johnny watched you take out an ashtray and placed it in front of him with a small smile. You move so effortlessly around the kitchen it almost looks like you were dancing. You put on the kettle after filling it up with water.

“Have you lived here all your life?” He asks you while you grab a few things from the fridge.

“No, I’ve been here for three years.” Johnny listens to you while smoking as you tell him where you are originally from.

“Did you hate it over there so much? That you had to come over here?” Johnny asked and was surprised when you weren’t shocked by his question. Not many people will tell their business to a complete stranger. You were open and you didn't seem to mind his questions.

“No, I like my hometown. I came over here for work.” You told them while beginning to cut up some vegetables.

The depressed mouse that worked in the dinner had given him a bath as well. Part of him didn’t want to take it because of what happened with the depressed mouse. He opened his mouth and she got mad and threw him out.

“A shower then?” You told him after you noticed the unsure look on his face.

“Just to warm you up. You don’t want to get sick.”

“Are you always this nice? What are you hiding? Are you making up for something you lack?” Johnny said and was waiting for a nasty reply, but it never came.

You just shrugged your shoulders at him. “ I just want you to feel comfortable in my home. After all, if you hadn't shouted I would've been dead in the middle of the street by now. I would’ve been robbed or raped.”

“If you don’t feel comfortable here. You can leave.” You tell him.

“Or stay here where it’s warm and take a shower while I finish with dinner.” Johnny looks over his shoulder as you walk to the living room.

You were right, the hot water helped him. He was leaning against the tile wall staring at it as the water washed over him. You were so kind that you turned on the water and left him a towel by the sink. He dragged his duffel bag inside the bathroom. He thinks that this will never happen again. Taking a shower two times a day. He felt like a rich man.

His stomach growls when the smell of your cooking hits him. Finishing with the shower, he dries off and gets dressed. Curiosity gets the best of him and he opens the medicine cabinet above the sink. Toothbrush, toothpaste, razors and creams are lined up on the tiny shelves. He takes the bottle of pain killer and takes one. Putting it back, he turns off the light when he walks out. Dropping his bag by the hallway, he looks at the door at the end. It must be your room.

“Johnny.” You call out for him. He walks into the kitchen and the table is set.

“You look 27 now.” You said and he smiles as he sits down. You bring him a knife and a fork over and you see him dressed with baggy pants and a light gray tee. His damp hair is brushed back and slender shoulders are at ease.

Johnny wants to moan loudly because of how delicious the food is. He looks across from you to see you cutting your chicken. The comfortable silence is back again. He doesn’t really like silence, he gets too much into his head and begins to overthink. He starts to wonder why he doesn’t when he’s with you but he wants to talk to you.

“Do you know the butterfly effect?” Johnny asked and you looked up from your plate.

You nod. “Yeah, crazy stuff.”

“Do you believe in it?” He asks and he’s surprised when you nod.

“Have you heard of the Mandela effect?” Johnny for the first time of his life, shakes his head because he doesn’t know. Johnny knows that he is educated because of all the books he has read. There’s a smile on your face and his stomach tenses up by how pretty you look and he licks his bottom lip when you begin to tell him.

“It’s like a false memory that occurs when many different people incorrectly remember the same thing. Let's say there’s an old movie and an actor says something but other people remember it differently. A word can be spelled this but there are other people who remember the word being spelled completely differently.”

“Are you serious?” You nod at him.

“I have the newspaper here. I’ll show you the article when we are done eating.” You told him excitedly.

“So I was thinking. You probably got into a fight with your girlfriend and she threw you out. Am I right?” You asked him.

Johnny remains quiet for a minute and you refill his cup with more water.

“If I say yes, what would you do?” He asked you curiously.

“Well, I’ll have to get my bag for that. I’m pretty sure if she finds out you are here with me. She’ll fight me. I'll have to be prepared. I have never been in a fight with anyone.”

“Put the Tupperware back in the cabinet, love. No one is looking for me.” Johnny said, making you chuckle as both of you kept eating.

“You have a boyfriend? Husband?” You shake your head.

“So you are lacking something?” You frown at him.

“Why do you think I’m lacking something?” You ask Johnny.

“You’re beautiful and you have no one. Do you have a third nipple or something? Something that scares all the dude.” Johnny hears you laugh and he gets quiet.

“A third nipple?” You repeat him.

“To answer your question no. I don’t have a third nipple. I’m single because I haven’t found the right person yet.” You answered him truthfully.

“What’s the right person for you?” Johnny takes a sip of his water.

“Someone you feel comfortable with after being irritated with everyone. Someone you can come home too after a shitty day and they make it all better.”

“I bet there is a line of men waiting for you.” Johnny noticed the look on your face.

“There is but they are just dogs. They want to get their dick wet and I tell them to hire a hooker.” You tell him.

“Would you hire a hooker?” Johnny asked you and you wonder why he’s asking all these questions. He’s so different from the men you met. He’s asking you all of these random questions. It felt like he was trying to make you feel uncomfortable.

“If I was a millionaire, sure why not.” You answered him, and he looked satisfied.

“Why?” You shrugged your shoulders at his question. “Hookers gotta pay bills too, right.”

Johnny nods, he continues eating. You shake your head slowly as you look at him. Johnny was different and you would’ve never talked to a man like you were talking to Johnny. You didn’t care though, you probably wouldn’t see him tomorrow.

Johnny is reading the newspaper on the couch as you showered. He read the article and he was enthralled by it. He looked at the books you had, his fingers glided across the binds of it. He hears you come out of the bathroom and he tiptoes to the hallway. He sees you wearing a towel around your wet and naked bare body. You’re walking to the bedroom and he goes back to see the books.

He came around a small desk and saw a picture. It was the same boy he saw in the picture on the fridge. The little boy was wearing overalls and had a toothless smile. He was sitting on your lap, and you were looking at the camera with your own smile. Johnny’s chest tightens at the side of the picture.

His mind wanders deep and he imagines what if that was you with his kid. He’s never thought of kids before. Never really wanted them. He doesn’t know why he’s thinking of it but the picture of you holding this kid looks so cordial to him.

“That’s my nephew and godson.” Johnny looks over his shoulder. You’re standing in the living room, barefooted with shorts and a flannel shirt. The towel is over your shoulders and you walk towards him.

“He’s cute.” Johnny said as you walked towards him and pulled out an album from the desk drawer. You give it to him. Johnny takes it and walks to the couch.

He can smell the body wash from your body and he places the album in his lap to cover his semi hard on. You sit next to Johnny on the couch and he opens the album. You pointed out family members here and there as Johnny looked through the pictures. Johnny stops at a picture of you. Without a thought, he brings his hands up and traces the outline of your face.

“It was my last day at home. This was before I came here.” You mumbled and looked over at Johnny. He meets your gaze and for a moment. No words were said, just two people staring at each other. You found him attractive and your senses came to you. You look away to take a look at the clock hanging by the wall. You pushed yourself up from the couch. Johnny stares at you as you walk past him and open the door of the small closet near the bathroom. You walk back to him with blankets and a pillow.

“Here you go.” You said and Johnny places the album on the coffee table.

“I can stay for the night.” He told you in a surprised tone.

“Well of course, that is if you like to stay over tonight.” Johnny nods.

“I wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing you’re out in this cold.” You commented as you fluffed the pillow and handed it out to him.

“The tv remote is over there. Feel free to use the tv or read any books. If you’re still hungry or thirsty, help yourself in the kitchen.”

Johnny graciously grabbed the blanket from the couch you laid out. It’s the softest thing he has ever touched.

“Goodnight.” You tell him and start to walk back to your room.

“Wait!” You turn around at Johnny’s voice.

“It’s a bit early, isn’t it?” He said looking at the clock. You raise a brow at him, 11:00pm is early for him.

“We can watch a film.” Johnny said, pointing his finger at the television.

You got the feeling that he didn’t want to be alone. You knew that feeling all too well sometimes you wanted to be near someone and feel their presence. You thought about what your friends would say if you tell him about tonight obviously they will yell at you for being a complete idiot and inviting a homeless stranger to your home.

“You better not hog the blanket.” You tell him, he smiles as you walk back to the living room and sit on the couch.

Johnny wakes up by the smell of food. He yawns as he pushes himself up from the couch. He feels good, he feels well rested. He remembers watching 10 minutes of the film before shutting his eyes. The last thing he heard was your soft voice saying goodnight.

“Morning.” He looks over at the kitchen to see you frying an egg. Johnny sits up and cracks his shoulders. Pushing himself up, he walks into the kitchen.

“Sit down.” You tell him, setting him a plate on the table. He obeys and starts digging in.

“I’ll have to work soon. You have a place to go?” You asked to sit down to eat your breakfast.

Johnny's slim cheeks are puffed out with all the food he stuffed in his mouth and nods. You don’t believe it because he grabs another toast quickly from the table, shoving it in his mouth. Almost like saying he won't know when will be the last time he gets to eat like this.

Johnny got dressed after breakfast and waited for you to come out of your bedroom. He’s waiting by the door as you grab your lunch from the fridge. You don’t even notice the picture of you holding your nephew missing.

Johnny follows you out of the apartment and out of the building.

“Walk with me to my job?” You asked him and he nodded. Johnny asks what you do and he listens as you tell him.

Johnny has his duffle bag behind him as he crosses the street with you. Stopping by a large building, he looks up at it and whistles at it.

“Have fun wasting away at work.” Johnny's remarks made you roll your eyes.

“Well, a girl gotta eat, Johnny. Have to waste away for a bit.” You tell him and his eyes shine at your response.

“Bye.” You tell him and Johnny doesn’t want to say bye. He wonders if he will ever see you again. He turns around to start walking to nowhere.

“Johnny!” He hears you shouting his name and he looks over.

“Pick me up at 6:00pm. We can have dinner again if you want.” You tell him and Johnny nods. He tells you he’ll be here to pick you up.

He watches as you walk into the building and he turns around with a little pep in his step. He walks to a park and sits on a bench. Opening his duffel bag, he takes out a raggedy book, some of the pages are ripped out of the bind. He keeps it together with a rubber band. He takes it off to read it, he opens the first page and sees the picture of you with your nephew. His eyes stared at your pretty face and a warm feeling filled his chest.

He remembers the first words that came out of your mouth.

Thank you.

[laxibbeb]

Don’t worry, it’s truly been a week for us all. And not to flood you with asks, I just happened to have this ready at the same time as your snippet:)

I’m a fan of those Greek mythology retellings (although I haven’t finished Song of Achilles because I know how it ends and I’m scared of getting hurt). And I don’t know if you’ve ever read Gods of Jade and Shadow, but it was interesting.

Ninth House is fun, it has that mystery vibe to it while still being dark urban fantasy. Which is a genre that I don’t typically enjoy?

Also I enjoyed Too Good to be True. It was interesting trying to figure out each character’s motives throughout the book.

Have you read Priory of the Orange Tree? I loved it, but I ran into the same problem as you. I had a massive book hangover and haven’t been able to get into the second one yet 😂

I…am hesitant to tell you one of the things I’m pretentious about. I think it might give me away. I can tell you it has to do with one of my hobbies, though! For the other, I can be a bit of a snob about wine. I love a good Sauvignon Blanc. Truly immaculate. (But YES! Let’s be pretentious bitches together. That’s truly the dream. It’s also what Mor x Nesta could have been but anyway) haha maybe I’ll indulge both of us and write that someday 😊

Ooh the weaver? I see the appeal! It’s hard to pick one for ACOTAR because most of the characters are already hot. Andras, maybe? Dying for the sake of the plot? What a guy. Although I guess he’s not special in that regard, if you think about it.

I’m so sorry I just started talking😂

For non ACOTAR? I’m going to be honest I didn’t think about this either, so I’m doing the same as you. Uh, this is definitely a popular one, but that one fish from finding Nemo. Gill, I think his name is.

I can verify I am not one of the two people in the fandom who can understand that reference. Unsure if that narrows anything down for you (so I’m going to narrow it down even further and tell you I’m American)

I feel like these asks keep getting longer and longer. I don’t know what that says about us.

Anyways!

Do you have any favorite fics? They could be for any ship, honestly. I also enjoy Nessian and sometimes Feysand, and am open to other ones too.

Do you play any instruments? (I don’t think I asked this already?)

santa ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 i hope you flood me with asks, i love them

oH MY GOD i do that too, where i leave a book when i know it'll get bad 🫢 i'm scared to proceed with other books form "The Poppy War" for an example, because i have a vague idea of what will happen and i just. i just can't i've not read "Ninth House", i wanted to but not gonna lie, i'm scared i won't like it.. leigh bardugo hasn't ever done it for me before

i wanted to give something new of hers a try, though! so maybe?

"Too good to be true" is actually going on my tbr now, especially since i promised myself i'd read more thrillers (and haven't but shhh)

i HAVE read priory, (i have like, 80 pages left, but i'm GETTING TO IT so let's say i read it for a moment) it was so good! but yeah, the second one is gong to have to wait

(i would absolutely read an 800 page long, day to day account of tané's life, though)

---

OKAY, a wine snob??? that's so classy and sophisticated of you, santa (might i say - hot) i'll wait for your other pretentious thing, that's ok see! you see the mor x nesta potential for what it really is... divine and so, so sexy if you ever decide to write mor x nesta i'll owe you my firstborn, actually

---

OH MY GOD, THE ANDRAS SHADE (i wish the most important man in the acotar series had a single speaking line, not gonna lie)

okay, here's the thing - i've watched nemo one time and, stupid me i thought that was it, so i deleted all the memories i had of this movie. little did i know people would be referencing it for the rest of time i googled gill the fish from finding nemo and you know what? i GET IT. it's his slutty fin swoop

---

you know what, if you said that you recognized what i was talking about, only then would i have IMMEDIATELY known who you are

i now have 3 pieces of information that could possibly help me in figuring out your identity, and let me tell you, it doesn't narrow it down that much 🤣 so you're in the clear

---

I BRING FORTH MY FAVOURITE FANFICTION:

i cannot have a favourite fics list without mentioning @separatist-apologist, as she's the reason why i'm even in this fandom to begin with, so even though we all know this already -> take your pick and it's my favourite ever

what lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why by @foundress0fnothing THIS ONE IS SO MUCH FUN, and it has bi lucien; what more could you want

Springtide by @clarafae i've been really enjoying this one and i'm not done with it yet but it belongs here, ok i did not think i could like high lady of spring!elain but turns out i just needed a good fic

also, i've started A Blaze in the Dark by the famous @the-lonelybarricade and i can already tell you it belongs here as well

lately i've been reading a lot of azris, actually!

Just Enough Light to Cast Shadows by @jules-writes-stories (if you're reading this because ot the tag, jules please know i haven't forgotten about you, I'LL COME BACK) anyway, i love this one and i've been having so much fun reading it

i'm due a reread of Kerosene by @chunkypossum which is my absolute favourite and changed my life, actually

AND there are so many more but i need to finish replying to you before i turn 80 years old, unfortunately

---

i do not play an instrument :(( i used to really want to play the violin when i was a kid but when i asked my mom if i could attend music school she got war flashbacks and said she wouldn't put me through that (she also said i have no predispositions for doing music, which wow, thanks mom (she was right) 😋) so no instruments for baby laxi but i like to sing in my car when i'm driving 🤣

---

we're writing love letters to one another from across the sea and as the time passes they get progressively longer we just need to embrace it

it got to the point when i'm putting dividers whenever i change the topic to make it easier to read 🤣

as always, santa tell me your answers too, please!! and have a

[agentperezbian]

Anyway, what are some examples of Adam's kindness in the film? /gen

Unfortunately, because pretty much every scene of Adam outside of the bathroom (besides his kidnapping) didn't make it to the final cut of the film, I'm mainly going off of the original Saw script as well as deleted scenes from Saw 3 for my assessment of his character. Which means you can dismiss everything I say if you want, because only what makes it into the movie would be considered canon.

That being said, I like to consider the outline of Adam's character we see in the script as well as the scenes written and filmed for later movies to be indicative of Leigh's vision for the character, and not something to be tossed out just because they ended up on the cutting room floor.

The scene where Adam, who states how far he is willing to go to get money for food, gives his last bit of milk to a stray cat is a big one for me. He states that he likes how "non-judgmental" the cat is. Which I think alludes to Adam being harshly judged by those around him and maybe even avoided by others due to the way he's perceived. We learn that Adam used to want to be a vet in the script, and these two factors together seem to indicate a large love for animals and a desire to help and care for them. Adam in the script definitely shows nurturing traits.

We have the cut scene from Saw 3, a flashback of Adam and Amanda running into each other in their apartment building. Adam compliments Amanda's hair and tries to get her to open up a little. He's awkward but polite, and seems to feel bad about potentially making Amanda uncomfortable. He seems to flounder a bit but doesn't get upset even when Amanda barely says a word. He's handing out flyers for Scott's band, spending his free time giving them free promotion despite the fact that from what we learn, Scott doesn't seem to value Adam's friendship much. This, to me, is more evidence of Adam going out of his way to help others, with seemingly no reward for doing so.

Adam, to me, displays a very self-sacrificial personality. He seems to not really value himself very much. John calls him apathetic and it's very much true, but he isn't apathetic to others. He's apathetic to himself. Even when he tells Lawrence "facts" about him they all relate to things other people have done to him. I think he very much sees himself as a passive observer in his own life, which is why it's so easy for him to hide behind a camera. When he kills Zep, it's to stop him from killing Lawrence. Despite the fact that Lawrence had just shot him. Really, it would be more beneficial to let Lawrence die and continue to play dead - it would be safer, and allow Adam to attempt to escape. But he saves Lawrence anyway. In the original script John calls Adam a pawn, and i think even without him outright stating it this theme is still very much present in the film. The pawn is never meant to achieve greatness. The pawn will never be able to satisfy its own wants. The pawn can only elevate others.

[almostfoxglove]

Hi Freya! I was wondering if you have any book recs or authors that have influenced your writing?

hi friend!! omg :,) I'm so sorry in advance for the yapping that's about to go down because I could talk about this for... days. weeks. years. millenniums. thank you so much for this ?? omg <3

some writers & books I love

📚 - literary fiction 🌟 - speculative 👻 - spook/horror 💕 - romance 😭 - heart go ouch ✏️ - memoir ☠️ - might contain dark / triggering content

I-will-die-with-these-in-my-hands

our wives under the sea by julia armfield 📚🌟👻😭

betty by tiffany mcdaniel 📚😭☠️

why did I ever by mary robison 📚😭

truth & beauty by ann patchett ✏️😭 (but really anything by her)

warm bodies by isaac marion (I will not be taking questions at this time, yes the movie was bad but the man cooked okay) 👻💕

writers I'd take a bullet for even an ounce of their talent (in no particular order)

lauren groff

joan didion

mona awad

carmen maria machado

julia armfield

sophie mackintosh

daisy johnson

ocean vuong

james baldwin

shirley jackson

roxane gay

karen russell

bel hooks

special mentions/recs

greenwood by michael christie 📚

the days of abandonment by elena ferrante 📚😭

next year for sure by zoey leigh peterson 📚💕

the book of form and emptiness by ruth ozeki 📚🌟😭

seven days in june by tia williams💕😭

the only good indians by stephan graham jones 📚👻

never let me go by kazuo ishiguro 📚🌟😭

motherthing by ainslie hogarth 👻

manhunt by gretchen felker-martin 👻☠️

whoever you are, honey by olivia gatwood 📚🌟

how it works out by myriam lacroix 📚🌟

it lasts forever and then it's over by anne de marcken 📚🌟

through the woods by emily carroll 👻

in the dream house by carmen maria machado ✏️😭☠️

there are no doubt are 100 that I am missing in this moment but these are what immediately comes to mind!! as a yapper and ex-bookshop employee I could do this all day long :,) if you ever read anything on here (or have already) I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS, even if you hate(d) them - I just like chatting about boooooooks <3 ILY PAL

[littlesapphicraccoonguy]

I just made my dad watch Saw with me(he’s seen it before) and I was trying my hardest to not lose my mind everytime Adam came on the screen, but it still happened a couple of times. And I’d like to share how our conversation after watching the movie went

Dad: Shit, that’s fucked up

Me: I know right?! My boy Adam did NOT deserve that. He played the game right, it’s not his fault he didn’t immediately notice the key when he had woken up in the bathtub

Dad: yeah, I feel bad for him

Me: He’s so cute too! I mean did you see him?! God I love him so so much, if he was real and he was my age I honest to god would consider asking him out even though I’m a lesbian(my dad’s an ally 🏳️‍🌈)

Dad: Um, yeah but he’s more like my age

Me: I mean he’s 25 according to the original script

Dad: I mean the guy who plays him, like currently

Me: Leigh Whannell?! Oh I STILL think he’s hot, he’s amazing, I love him, I’ve seen a lot of the movies he’s in and I watch them purely because he’s in them, remember when I was really into Pedro Pascal and Aaron Paul? Well I’m like that with him except it’s ten times more intense

Dad[giving me the most judgmental sideye I have ever received]:…Jesus Christ, obsessed much?

Me: Yes.

Dad: I think we should put you back in therapy

[willtasker]

NYCC 2024: A (Redacted) Review

I had planned out NYCC months ago, back when they announced Hayley Atwell in the spring. Everything else in 2024 had the volume turned down after that announcement. And with time, they also announced some of the cast of Starship Troopers and then Rachael Leigh Cook.

I'm happy to say that everyone was wonderful, glowing even. Some maybe a little more than others but over all, this was by far the best year I had at a convention in terms of people just being... nice.

So foremost is that I overbooked myself. Five cast members from Starship Troopers was at the same table and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let that slip by. I had to go Thursday, as Dina Meyer ((see above)) was only there for one day only. She was an absolute sweetheart, despite trying to duck out to make her plane on time. I almost walked away before they called me back because I forgot to take this photo with her. "Give me some sass" is what I heard in my ear over the deafening crowd and ... well, its not my worst photo but certainly not my favorite either. But she has these huge, chonky glasses I wish she'd kept on for the photos.

Michael Ironside was incredible. I've been a fan of his for decades and despite having a voice like a gravel quarry and that constant sneer painted over his face, he was very funny and very warm. He noticeably perked up when I mentioned his performance in "Crime & Punishment In Suburbia" and how Roger Ebert said it was the best work of his career. He nodded in approval, "I'm glad someone saw that. The director is a a good friend of mine."

Casper Van Dien was ... actually exactly what I suspected. He was standing in front of his table, talking to everyone, pitching the new SST Extermination game. He's high energy, happy to see you, quick with a joke.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a lot of time with either Seth Gilliam or Denise Richards. Seth was on his way out but seemed to be overly kind with everyone there? Does that make sense? Denise was rushing to get out because she had some sort of socialite appointment elsewhere in NYC but she was trying so hard to be accommodating and patient with people. I think she was aware of what her legacy is with men of a certain age. I purposely didn't take too long at her table - it was 7 pm and everyone was tired - and I think she appreciated the fact I didn't make a bad pass at her or stop the line for 5 minutes to show her art I had done in the hopes she'd follow my Instagram (witnessed both of these things happen in real time).

Now on to the main event:

I didn't know what to expect from Hayley. I'd never met anyone who had interacted with her, so I was a little pensive at first. I had brought two photos for her to sign - the one above I had blown up to an egregious size - but it was the other one that rang her bell.

The person running the cashbox passed my photos down and said "Hayley we have some very nice photos from this gentle..."

"This is from Howard's End!" Her eyes popped, a mix of genuine surprise and appreciation behind them.

We talked a little bit about her Margaret Schlegel versus the 1992 movie. She asked me a couple of small questions before we really hit it off on something I wouldn't expect: I told her how I found a lot of American television too "active" and how much comfort I found in rewatching not only Howard's End but just UK television in general. She sized me up quietly before agreeing, telling me she watches the same handful of shows over and over to unwind, as a comfort.

She signed the Howard's End photo first (not pictured here, I've determined it is a little too personal), then the above photo before going back to the first photo with "May I add a quote to this?"

I was left with words in my mouth for a second. I managed to say "Please!" once my brain rebooted and she said "I loved this character so much. And this quote." After we said our goodbyes - she's so effusive, high energy - I quietly found a corner of the convention hall to see she'd written "Only Connect" under her name and I sighed like an old dog sleeping on a cold kitchen floor.

I later had a photo op with her. I look pretty stiff and not my best but I've taken worse photos. She was extremely gentle with everyone in line, I think getting a sense that most everyone was having the same "Holy shit, thats Hayley Atwell" realization.

Finally, and certainly not the least of all...

Rachael Leigh Cook came out an hour late, wearing a cream colored sweater and necklace. Laugh as you must, gentle reader, but I'm absolutely going to my therapist this week to ask why a stranger like herself is so completely nice to everyone (but especially: why is she nice to me). She's the type who touches people on the hand or arm as they talk - she hugged the couple in front of me when they mentioned their engagement - and she has this natural ... I honestly don't know what to call it - grace? vibe? spirit? ... that makes the cold hearth of my soul blaze like a Christmas fireplace. I don't mean to suggest theres any sort of connection, simply that she gives off a vibe of generosity and familiarity that I've only ever felt with old girlfriends.

I thanked her for her performance in Stateside, which made her eyebrows go up like a Tex Avery cartoon, and complimented her on getting her character's diagnosis so wonderfully right. She listened to me, stopped writing, listened some more, would write some more. I'd hate to think I somehow overwhelmed her - I am often told I don't "play my cards" despite my being afraid I'm overplaying them - but she was sincere and gentle, her voice this almost ASMR tone. We took a selfie (THAT photo looks awful, I need to learn to not only pose in photos but not to cock my head away from the other person) and later a photo op (Which looks better! But like the one with Hayley, I look rigid compared to her practiced grace) where she invited me into her hooked arm with a "Hey you, wow, sharp dresser!" and straightened the front of my shirt with a pinch.

And finally! Mystery solved?

This is an update for @justrachaelleighcook - this photo was taken at Cannes! She'd not seen Anna in some time and the press (or whoever was behind the camera) asked for a photo together! "I've never seen this photo but I remember taking it because Bookies was running out of competition". So that dates this photo as 2002? (She'd also not heard Anna had been unwell of late and regarded what little I said with a bit of a furrowed brow.)

Needless to say I wish I had more time to talk to her but I'm forever aware theres a line of people behind me hoping for some time as well.

It was an exhausting two days at NYCC. I probably spent 15 hours there and of that, more than 13 hours was standing in lines. Overall, it was one of the - if not THE - smoothest and more effortless visits to a convention I've ever had. If any of them come back around, I'd love to meet them again. <3

[gaylittlerichie]

FINISHED READING CHRISTINE HERE IS MY REVIEW!!!!! 🚘❤️

pros:

* the kills in this were FANTASTIQUE. the final showdown especially and i am notorious for always tuning out during a final showdown. i loooove how relentless christine is and how she keeps regenerating it’s so much fun to read

* the way arnie and christine r high key In Love with each other is so good and camp. obsessed w the way he sweet talks her when he’s fixing her up or starting the engine

* love love love dennis and arnie’s love for each other. i find relationships where they set out to Protect one another (exhibit a the losers club) so endearing and dennis’ loyalty to the very end is SWEET. did indeed shed a tear over the ant farm passage

* further to that i will say this is the gayest king novel ive read yet lol

* arnie is such a tragic character. the repetition of the idea that he’s just a loser and just Needed something to survive (which just so happened to be christine) is fucking heartbreaking. loved his slow descent

* so many good eerie details w the car….the smell of rot, the way she always flips back to the oldies channel, the way her handles feel like warm skin. although i have some issues with the roland d lebay of it all i did also find the image of Decomposing Zombie Driving Car really fun

* i love the time that was given to the issues in the cunningham house and how christinegate bled out to effect all of them. like amongst all the crazy corky car murder i really enjoyed just watching regina and michael struggling to cope w their perfect son deciding he’s not going to college. king is so good at that (thinking of herb and vera in the dead zone my beloved)

* the metaphor i kind of got from it all was to do w childhood best friends growing apart and losing each other and as u can probably guess. broke me

* I LOVED BUDDY REPPERTON…

cons:

* starting this book in dennis pov really put me off. i don’t love 1st person generally but this was also just so….especially dude-y. listening to dennis rant on about how girls’ll never understand the pain of whacking ur balls and the Epic Highs And Lows Of Navigating The High School Hierarchy was just like. straight up annoying

* listen. i have read a lot of early king now i am not trying to retrospectively cancel a 1980s book and know that this comes w the territory. however. the misogyny in this one was almost too much to an uncomfortable degree. again going back to how this is a very DudeCore novel in parts

* she’s only a small part but the way elaine guilder was written was so insanely groanworthy. every single FREAKING line about this freshly 15yo girl is about her Just Budding Breasts and how hyper aware of them her big brother is

* similar issues w leigh. her character truly does not go beyond love interest beautiful girl to me. in general these are all definitely some of king’s weaker characters but leigh especially

* i mentioned it above but i didn’t really like how christine is kind of her own entity but the ghost(?) of lebay is also what’s animating her??? some of the Lore around him was very fun and creepy but i would’ve preferred christine to just be the big bad

TLDR:

in general this took a while to grow on me but grow on me it sure the fuck did. like this book is like my beautiful daughter that i kind of hate a little bit. it’s kidnapping and torturing me but i’ve got an intense case of stockholm syndrome and have fallen in love. super fucking excited to watch the movie

[poffyfluffnugg3t]

While listening to Revenge party and cautionary tale, I kept imaging

Aoi asahina as Janis and Mondo Owada as Damian.

And since I've already seen the Hamilton And Danganronpa crossover By @stressed-depressed-andobsessed

An the fact I've believed from the beginning that Mondo is a musical fan(who has hyper fixated on The Six and The lightning thief)

I might as well speak my casting thoughts so I can stop imaging danganronpa characters in musicals.

Kaede Akamatsu as Cady Heron:

She originally just wanted to be a part of the instrumental/choir but she decided to just tryout for a role. Now when she got the role of Cady, she just sat there. And by just sat there I mean she just said "Oh...cool!" Then silence followed. But everyone in her class was loud with excitement (And by everyone I mean Kaito and Gonta) But Kaede just stayed quiet for the most part

Junko Enoshima as Regina George:

This bitch automatically auditioned for Regina. Like there was zero hesitation (Then again she usually auditioned for the bad guy cause she's extra). But when she was asked why she wanted this role she straight out said: " oh I auditioned for this role because I like to be in the spotlight and control people!" She also tried to bribe the casters but they didn't accept but gave her the role anyway.

Mondo Owada as Damian Leigh:

Now Mondo didn't want to audition. He is doesn't like the Mean Girls musical or movie because he thinks that 99% of the characters are crazy. But Hina convinced him he should auditioned.

So he did. He was hoping for a background character. he got Damian. He wasn't made that he got a main character he was just angry by the fact he had to be in the spotlight of a musical he doesn't like. He excepted it at the end though.

Aoi Asahina as Janis Ian:

Hina wanted this role. Like from the beginning.and She specifically wanted Mondo to be Damian. No on else. Just Mondo.

Gretchen Wieners: Kiyotaka Ishimaru

He originally auditioned for the role of Aaron Samuels before being cast as Gretchen. At first he was angry with this role then he started relating to Gretchen.

Karen Smith: Ibuki Mioda

Ibuki was just there to have fun she honestly didn't care if she got a role or not. But she did and she loves it. loved the comedic potential of Karen's character and wanted to bring her vibrant energy to the role. Initially auditioned for the role of Janis tho.

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu as Kevin Gnapoor

Fuyuhiko aimed for Aaron, thinking he would be able to get that part just because. However, his unexpected humor made him a standout for Kevin. His audition was filled with surprising humor and charisma, fitting Kevin’s entire character. He was slightly displeased with this. And unlike everyone else he still is

Byakuya Togami as Mr. Duvall

an obvious choice for Mr. Duvall. He auditioned for the part, and he was the only one who did so he got that role.

Kyoko Kirigiri as Ms. Norbury

Kyoko initially aimed for Regina, intrigued by the character’s complexity.(that was the only reason she auditioned for any role) However, her Personality made her more suitable for Ms. Norbury, a mentor and voice of reason. Her audition highlighted her ability to guide and support others, fitting perfectly with Ms. Norbury's role.

Kaito Momota as Aaron Samuels

Kaito tried to get his whole class to audition but only Kaede was willing to audition. When he got Aaron's he was really excited. And I mean extremely like the same type of excitement you see when a dog has the zoomies. He originally wasn't planning on auditioning for a major role but he just decided meh! Why not.

And that concludes this thing I've had in my head for three days now. And I know it's not leaving.

[eightglass]

do you have any book recommendations? nonfiction or fiction. i'd love to hear what you've enjoyed reading!

!!

Books!!! I love them!!!

Uhh

I'm always a big fan of science fiction! (loong so. under the cut)

I mean. There's always Star Wars, if you're into it. Best of those would be the three Thrawn trilogies (yes three trilogies) by Timothy Zahn. The old one (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command) is literally sequels to the original movies, and they were canon (and awesome) before Disney did their shit. They are very good.

Adrian Tchaikovsky is a fantastic author! His Shards of Earth trilogy and Children of Time trilogy are some of the best scifi I've read! Completely different vibes though, but both are really good!

Uhh... If you want existential dread forever, read The Three-Body Problem trilogy. If you've ever heard of the Dark Forest solution to the Fermi paradox, these books are where it came from. (Or popularised/named it? idk.) They're also pretty good.

Everything by Becky Chambers. Wayfarers tetralogy, Monk and Robot duology, To Be Taught If Fortunate, all really good vibes. LGBTR (Little Gay Books To Read)

the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown.

The Locked Tomb trilogy by Tamsyn Muir! Wow! These are really good. Lesbian necromancers in space, and it makes sense. The narrators don't tell you anything either, because in book 1 the narrator doesn't know jack shit, in book 2 the 'narrator' gave herself a lobotomy, and the narrator in book 3 is six months old.

the MaddAddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood. Post-apocalyptic, but the pre-apocalypse was also a capitalism hellscape, so you don't feel too bad.

the Lilith's Brood trilogy by Octavia Butler is some of the BEST aliens scifi I've read holy shit. Seriously, read this.

The Book of Koli trilogy by M. R. Carey! 300 years after an environmental/war apocalypse. Written language has been forgotten, the bioengineered trees have further evolved to walk around and hunt humans (among other things), and the leaders of the remaining groups of humans have whatever top-of-the-line, self-repairing, and self-refilling infantry weapons from the war to use on each other.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (two books out, dunno if there'll be a third). Ever wondered about a poetry-based interstellar empire? And what if it were gay?

The Andy Weir books. The Martian, Artemis, Project Hail Mary, those are good.

If you're more into YA scifi, then the Lunar Chronicles tetralogy and Renegades trilogy by Marissa Meyer are both fantastic, and the Aurora Rising and Illuminae Files trilogies by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (collabs) are amazing!

Fantasy is also good! But I don't find myself reading very much of it.

First off: Discworld. I read 25 of 41 over the summer, and they are GOOD. https://www.discworldemporium.com/reading-order/

All of the Greishaverse stuff by Leigh Bardugo is pretty good, but the Six of Crows duology is really amazing.

The Cruel Prince trilogy by Holly Black! If you like fae stuff, but also urban fantasy and romance. Good books!

A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy by V. E. Schwab, those are good! There's also a sequel series coming out atm.

OMG how can I forget the N. K. Jemisin books?? The Broken Earth trilogy is FANTASTIC. What if the Earth hated everyone and there were geology witches that are actually pretty awesome but everyone hates them? The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms trilogy is also really good. What if the gods were actually omnipotent, but sort of hated each other? And the Great Cities duology! What if New York City was a person (six people)?

As for less scifi-fantasy, I've read and really enjoyed:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, a retelling of David Copperfield, this time with the main character living/growing up in rural Appalachia during the opioid epidemic. Really, really good.

All of the Alice Oseman books of course.

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel

Webcomics! These were really fun and they're still ongoing! My favs are:

Questionable Content (yes, you can start at 2104). Just a bunch of young adults in Massachusetts doing random shit with varying degrees of gayness, eventually the singularity happens and there are robots (they're gay too)

Dumbing of Age Really, really good college story. Fundie girl goes to college and learns about how the world actually works, varying amounts of gayness, horrible very bad parents, and three dramatic character deaths by the end of the first semester.

Gunnerkrigg Court weird scifi fantasy stuff going on all the time, big mysteries, omnipotent trickster god. The art style improves a LOT.

Web serials (if you want to be consumed by a piece of literature that's easily over a dozen normal books in length)

Worm. 1.6 million words. This consumed me from July to September. Good god. Some of the very best superheroes and superpowers, like, ever, beautiful fight scenes, and conflict escalation that does. not. stop. The poor characters never get a break between crises and catastrophes. But by Scion it is one of the best things I've ever read. Don't look up anything about it, the spoilers are insane. And there's a sequel that's even longer.

Uh.. I've started Katalepsis

[capsarcastica]

Joker: Folie a Deux Review

A movie that seems more interesting trying to figure out why everything was done the way it was than anything the movie presents. There are many interesting ideas that would be excellent on their own. But all together makes this a confusing mishmash themes and styles.

The best parts of the movie are the returning elements from the first film. Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for the first film and, while not quite as impressive, still does an amazing job. He is once again utterly fascinating to watch. Zazie Beetz's brief appearance is an excellent counter-point to her portrayal in the first one, which was largely a fantasy. She recontextualizes moments from the first and reinforces how unreliable a narrator Arthur is. I wish the movie did more of this to make Arthur and the audience doubt what really has happened. Though it's Leigh Gill who steals the movie with a single scene. Gary Puddles' testimony is equal parts awkwardly funny and heartbreaking. It's that one scene that shows what the movie could have been to really equal the first.

The movie looks as good as the first. Gotham is shown as being dark and dirty, a shame that so little of the movie is set in the city at large. Arkham feels impressive, though it's pretty much the same feeling every other prison and asylum movie has. The musical sequences lovingly recreate the look and feel of classic musicals like Singin' in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Sony & Cher. It's a pretty sharp contrast between the real scenes and the fantasy musicals.

The story touches on several ideas that would be better developed on their own. I like the idea of seeing the trial and aftermath of the previous film's climax, something not really done since the finale of Star Trek IV. Given how sympathetic the first film made Arthur, it would have been interesting to see him turn the tables and make others actually see his side. Instead, the trial scenes largely rehash the first film and continually make clear that Arthur is entirely at fault. It ends up pretty dull.

Lady Gaga is pretty good as Harley Quinn, a contrast to the already crazed Margot Robbie version. It's not all that different from her role in A Star Is Born but it works within the world of this Joker. A movie actually featuring Harley's decent into Joker's madness would be great, there is a psychological term for women who fall in love with dangerous psychos like Ted Bundy and Charles Manson. But this story comes and goes, sometimes letting the audience forget she even exists.

The biggest problem with the movie is Joker himself. The first film embodied the phrase "A child not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth." Arthur started out a pathetic nobody who just wanted people to be happy, and ended up inciting a mass riot as he embraced the Joker identity. This movie tries to do the same thing again. It's not Hangover 2 bad. But it starts off with Arthur once again being a pathetic nobody, just a famous one, and tries to build him back up to being Joker. A better movie would have explored how this disturbed individual would've reacted to suddenly being a beloved for his sins. The other problem with Arthur is that he has no agency. Only at one point does he actively try to do anything, instead mostly following around what others tell him to do. Harley, his lawyer, the judge, and his fans are all the ones who make the decisions that move the story. He also only truly becomes Joker in one scene, plus the fantasy musicals. Putting on the Foghorn Leghorn accent to question Puddles is, again, absolutely brilliant and should've been the basis for everything else.

There's also no release, no sense of satisfaction. The two dance scenes from the first symbolized great moments for Arthur. The bathroom when he broke away from society's restrictions, and the stairs when he finally took control of his life. There was meaning to them cause they were steps towards being Joker. This movie has guards beating Arthur, lawyers dissing him, and the media making lousy movies about him. But never is there any emotional payoff to these things. It works in an arthouse kind of way, but it's disappointing for the producers to seemingly hate their own character so much.

While the musical sequences look nice, they are the most annoying feature largely because there's so many of them. The music choices are fine, though nothing as memorable as the first film. Gaga is never given a chance to show off her talents. And there's just too many musical sequences. Towards the end I could hear the rest of the audience grown as another musical started. I get that they're supposed to represent meaningful moments between Arthur and Harley, but dial it back a bit.

Then there's the ending. An ending that will be talked about for years to come, and not for good reasons. A movie lives or dies on its ending, and this one seems to almost be an attack on fans who actually enjoyed the first by seeming to suggest both movies don't matter. There's rumors that Todd Phillips didn't want to make another. That's fine, but he didn't have to make what could be the worst possible ending in the superhero genre.

There are moments of brilliance, hinting at what a good sequel could have been. But ultimately it ends up as a needless epilogue to a movie they apparently did not understand themselves.

[welcometotheocverse]

Cute Character Questions + Kit, please?

☾ cute character questions ☽

the basics:

name: Christopher -Kit- Orion Gilmore age: 15 at the begining of the show zodiac sign: Virgo one good trait: Amicable one bad trait: Overprotective

habits:

one bad habit: leaves his clothes on the bathroom floor one good habit: makes sure the door is locked before leaving home one habit they can’t break: shoving his shoes under the bed instead of putting them away. And then he never finds his shoes. one they’ve broken: messing up his hair when he's thinking or nervous. what they’re afraid of: dissapointing or letting down people he loves. Rory needing him and him being unable to help her. Being seen the by his loved ones the same way his grandparents see him.

family:

their parents names: Christopher Hayden, Lorelai Victoria Gilmore their siblings names: Lorelai Leigh -Rory- Gilmore favorite childhood memory: His eight birthday party until the cops came. favorite childhood toy: an Alf plush he got from the same discount bin Rory got Coronel Clucker. embarrassing story: when he was 12 he tried to date a girl because he thought its what he "was supposed to do" and it went so so akward and bad-date they never talked again. favorite family member: Rory and Lorelai are tied. a story about that family member: Lorelai agreed to do the books for the ice rink for free so Kit could have more skating time/skating lessons during the time they still lived in the shed/before she became manager of the inn. Rory learned to read before Kit and would read to him ( and when they were kids. She sometimes would also read to him his assignments when he had a hard time and was stressing not keeping Cs/Bs to stay on sports teams.

what they prefer:

coffee or tea? Coffee showering in the day or night? Night specially after working at Gypsy's garage. taking baths or taking showers? showers usually but baths after a rough practice or a hard day. tv or movies? tv writing or reading? neither really but he likes taking Rory book browsing and looking at the comic books and albums. and sometimes Rory tells him about the books she reads. platonic or romantic love? both. iced tea or lemonade? iced tea ice cream or smoothies? ice cream cupcakes or cake? cake. Specifically ice cream cake. beach or mountains? Beach.

favorites:

song: Earn Enough For Us and The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead _XTC band: XTC and QUEEN outfit: tbd i dont think too much about outifts tbh. place: Gypsy's Garage or the ice rink, honestly the Gilmore house. memory: A tie between Luke coming to his first little league game and setting up his room for the first time after they moved from the shed in the inn to the house. person: tie between Rory Lindsey and later Tristan. movie: Casablanca ( lorelai watched it with him when he was sick) and The Sandlot. show: He-Man as a kid, Seinfield and Dawson's Creek as a teenager ( tho he hates Dawson lmao) Buffy The Vampire Slayer

[darby-draws]

@marscats37 But also I’m curious to know more about dominos grandma 👀

Wahoo!!! Yeah I like her a lot (really should design her). Here's a stream of consciousness on her! Hope you enjoy!

She's a pretty powerful witch and has been studying for decades. Her specialty is summoning minor demons as familiars, she literally has several running around her property like if pets were a little more helpful around the house. Mostly has some outside patrolling for anything weird or dangerous on her property, as guard dogs and a warning system. If you saw them, they'd appear shadowy, you'd probably squint and say, must be a stray cat, or a raccoon. Scampered off too fast to be sure... She had a son, but they became estranged when he started getting into darker magic and becoming violent and angry all the time. She knows he joined a cult of similar magic users, and last she heard they were trying to bind demons to children. (Taboo!! BAD! Demon binding is supposed to be about trust between the two parties, you can't force a kid into that! Augh!) But the group is hard to find, there's not much she can do to stop them all by herself, and she lost contact with her son for years.

She does eventually hear that her son has succeeded putting a demon in a child, his very own son, Dominique. (You can read up on that here!) Surprise, you're a grandmother now, and I'm so so sorry about what your son has done to get to this point. Unfortunately he's already been doing this for years, and she only gets to Domino after her son is dead. But boy, Domino really needed saving from that place and she's so glad to have found and rescued him from the situation! Her grandson is a bit shy and jumpy at the start, but immediately attaches to her as she treats him with love and kindness. (cries!)

She speaks mostly in French to Dominique, and is quite skilled at baking pastries and sweets to satisfy his sweet-tooth. :3 Absolutely ready to spoil him to the core, and hopefully can get his bound demon to trust her soon enough! They love watching movies together, and Grandma reveals she used to ride around the countryside on a little Vespa. This gets Domino interested in bikes and things, they soon go shopping for a bike of his very own and he picks out a cool helmet! :)

Unfortunately as they settle into their little neighborhood, its obvious that Dominique doesn't cope very well and doesn't fit in with other kids, either. He just wants to be a normal kid okay? *sad wet pathetic eyes* Grandma puts the demon to sleep with a powerful spell and represses memories of it. They even considered removing it completely, but that would be very complicated, as Dom and his demon are very intertwined in the soul. It's best to wait to see if that's a feasible option when Doms older. Once the demon is settled, they move once again, this time to a big, more private plot of land. ((this is where he meets Leigh and tries to be a Normal Teen Guy, with a friend! he's decently successful at this..! he has his quirks though, wearing his bike helmet often even when hes not riding, he's shy, don't look at him.. and maybe being a bit of a crybaby.))

Repressing the demon does give side effects, Domino often gets headaches or feels ill especially when going through stress or big emotional states.

The demon sleep spell isn't permanent, but can be redone or reinforced to keep it going strong and lessening the symptoms temporarily. When they do this, Grandma simply tells Domino that she's giving him herbal medicine and spells to make him feel better from the frequent headaches, not specifically telling him what she's doing so she doesn't trigger memories related to the demon.

Of course, the demon can also potentially break the spell and awaken before you're ready, so it may be best to avoid triggering it with big emotionally charged situations.

Luckily, Domino does fine keeping the demon at bay for several years. He moves away as an adult and is out living his life for a while. Yippee!

But that doesn't last forever...! Grandma knows his demon awoke one night when Dom calls home, very distraught. He killed a man but won't go into details further than that. But for some reason, he seems more comforted with his demon around him now, it will protect him, so maybe he'll try out having it with him all the time. No need to sleep-spell it again, and especially don't want to risk removing it completely!

After being repressed for so long, the demon wants Dominique all to himself and is fueled by jealousy. It hates having people look at His Dominique, and has somehow cursed it's host and makes anyone who looks at him for too long nauseous and dizzy and generally feeling bad. Well, whatever curse the demon is throwing out there, is the new reason Domino is always wearing his biker helmet as an adult. Grandma is immune to this curse though. She's built different! Demons have a good rapport with her, and she's just so used to their shenanigans! Also, I mean, she loves her little Dominique so so sooooo much! A curse only a Grandma could love! 🥰

She has photos of Domino all over her house, some of which are without his helmet!! (Literally anyone who comes to visit who sees the photos gets ill effects. dizzy, blurry vision, maybe even nosebleeds.)

Grandma met Parker and Quinn when she was trying to get an ancient tome of summoning demons delivered to her house. (she couldn't trust fedex for such a powerful book! she found these Genuine Qualified Discreet Package Deliverers.) She can ... definitely sense that they used the book, something is up with Quinn for sure.

She invites them in to her home, has a demon familiar boil up some water for tea, and chats with them! Parker wanders the halls a bit and looks at some photos... Grandma: "That's my grandson isn't he so handsome! 😊" Parker, migraine quickly growing: "huh what yeagh, sure." Grandma: 🥰🥰🥰

Anyway, Grandma didn't fully get the chance to figure out what was happening to Quinn, so once those two leave, she calls Domino and asks him to follow them. Just a little quest to check up on them, maybe make some friends! Thanks Grandma!