#i love the universe built and characters and and and

[hotvintagepoll]

Vintage movie recommendations for getting through these dark times? 🙏 Looking specifically for anything joyous, especially if it's queer/progressive for its time. Thanks!!

ooh ok! that's a big ask, because queer/progressive doesn't always show in the ways we expect in older movies. still, joyous i can do, and as poly as I can I'll try for:

the talk of the town (you knew i would say this). jean arthur, cary grant, ronald colman are all tangled up in all sorts of ways, legally but also including in each other's pajamas. it's free on youtube and tubi last time i checked!

singin' in the rain (you also knew i would say this). cosmo brown, weird little third wheeling queerplatonic ideal that you are. gene kelly, debbie reynolds, and donald o'connor have fire chemistry and all three of their characters love the other ones so truly and with such joy they break all of hollywood with the power of song. (it is gorgeous and sublime that the story is built so only these three ever actually engage with the musical format—the format that is, in universe, the way of the future—structurally equating music and musicals with love. no one else gets a song or a villain number or a little ditty that's not a literal musical number. only these three break the story and heal it at the same time.)

the adventures of robin hood—i swear to god will scarlett is good for nothing else besides being robin's hot little friend. will alone makes this movie queer for me. also, watching a movie about a socialist uprising against a cruel and unjust government sure feels apt! for no particular reason! (this one is also on tubi.)

the philadelphia story—jimmy katharine and cary are absolutely a threesome in this movie and it's a crime they didn't just make more of this movie, again and again, forever. is there a plot? they're all by a swimming pool, it's hot, there's champagne. what else do you need for a film. oh yeah there's some discussion of autonomy and women's rights and wealth and class and marriage, some of which i disagree with, but i think mostly it's katharine hepburn in an evening gown and jimmy stewart in a white terry cloth robe and cary grant standing there not minding in the least. (content warning: there is one instance of a racial slur [not directed at anyone but still there], and one shove. also on tubi.)

the lady vanishes—i love this movie, so much, couldn't tell you why (i can: michael redgrave is here being hot). there are two bit characters who read as queer coded (they are also obsessed with cricket and are mocked for being english by the narrative, which is nice), and there's a weird plucky joy in michael redgrave's performance that feels like a departure from your usual Solid Very Serious Male Heroic Main Character. this movie does trend mildly xenophobic in a very England-in-the-30s type of way—there are shady "foreign" characters and other batshit stereotypes—but nothing I think that would cause direct offense. (let me know if I'm wrong on this though and I'll tag accordingly). this one is free anywhere and can be watched on youtube.

the wizard of oz—i know you've probably seen this before but it's worth seeing again. yes you're allowed to cry at the end i always do

[sherewrytes]

𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕟 ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕤, ℝ𝕪𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕊𝕦𝕜𝕦𝕟𝕒

↳ Sukuna x f! black reader

Summary: After the death of his grandfather, Sukuna Ryomen is left to shoulder the weight of his family, caring for his younger brothers, Yuuji and Choso. As he withdraws into grief, his relationship with Y/N, his girlfriend of a year, begins to crumble. When Y/N discovers the truth about his grandfather’s passing during a heated argument, it leads to a painful breakup. Now, both are navigating life apart, but Sukuna’s heart aches for Y/N. Determined to win her back, he must confront his pain and find a way to break through the walls he’s built. Can he rekindle their love, or is it too late?

contents: heavy angst, modern au, 18+, smut, dark romance, drug use, talks of depression and similar topics. (a lil )

fic warnings. ooc, profanity, mental health issues, toxic relationships, cheating, explicit smut, serious drug use, mentions of depression + more to be updated as story progresses.

Please read with proper discretion. this is a work of fiction. all characters are written to portray roles that are necessary to the plot and are in no way a reflection of their canon counterparts.

Prologue

The house felt like a stranger’s home, filled with mourners who spoke in hushed voices as if afraid of disturbing the thick silence. Sukuna leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to ignore the wave of people who kept approaching him with sympathy, with empty condolences. They looked at him like he was someone to be pitied, or worse, something fragile. He’d never been either of those things—not until now.

His hands itched for a cigarette, something to bring the haze back, to blunt the sharp edge of grief and guilt cutting into him. But he stayed put, his gaze fixed on the floor as he reminded himself he couldn’t just slip out for a smoke, not here. Not now. His grandfather had all but raised him, yet this crowd wasn’t even here for him—they were here for Jin.

His brother had been his shadow, his accomplice, his anchor, the one who joined him in almost every reckless, stupid decision he’d ever made. If Sukuna dragged him into drinking or sneaking out, Jin never complained, just laughed and told him not to get them killed. And somehow, Jin was the one who’d ended up gone, lost in a freak accident on the one night Sukuna had stayed behind.

That was the worst of it, the feeling that ate away at him in the silence. He’d been the reckless one—the tattoos, the parties, the habits that marked him as the screw-up. And Jin had been the one who’d taken a fall. The one night Sukuna decided to play it safe, Jin had left without him and hadn’t come back.

Sukuna clenched his jaw, tuning out the murmurs and wandering glances as people shared anecdotes about Jin. They didn’t know him. Not like he had.

Then, a voice caught his ear. “... made people feel like they belonged,” the speaker was saying. Sukuna turned his head, almost annoyed, expecting another recycled memory from someone who hardly knew Jin at all. But then he saw her.

She was standing by the window, just out of reach of the crowd, listening to one of Jin’s friends with an expression that wasn’t pity, but something softer. Reflective. The dim light softened her features, giving her an almost ethereal look, like she was a piece of calm carved out of the chaos around her.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Sukuna felt himself drawn to her. Maybe it was the lack of judgment in her expression, the way she seemed out of place, too. He found himself moving toward her, the noise of the crowd fading as he approached. When he stopped beside her, she looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly in recognition.

“You must be Sukuna,” she said, her voice gentle, without a hint of pity. “I’m Y/N. I was friends with Jin… from university.”

“Yeah,” Sukuna replied, his voice rough. He didn’t know what else to say, so he just nodded, trying to keep his expression guarded.

There was a pause, and he braced himself for the usual sympathy, the same rehearsed words he’d heard all night. But Y/N didn’t say anything. She just looked at him with a quiet understanding, as though she could see past the walls he’d put up.

“He… talked about you sometimes,” she said after a moment. “Said you were… the real troublemaker between the two of you. I never believed him, honestly.”

A bitter smile tugged at his lips. “He wasn’t lying. Jin… he was the cautious one. Always reined me in before I got too far over the edge.” He paused, then added, his voice barely a whisper, “Until he didn’t.”

Y/N’s gaze softened, her eyes flickering with something like recognition. “It wasn’t your fault,” she said quietly, as if sensing the guilt he carried, the weight that no one else had acknowledged.

Sukuna felt something inside him crack, just a little. He hadn’t realized how much he needed someone to say those words, even if he wasn’t sure he believed them. He swallowed hard, glancing away as he tried to gather himself. “Yeah, well… I’ve heard that, but it doesn’t change anything, does it?”

“No,” she replied, her voice gentle yet steady. “But it doesn’t have to define everything either.”

They stood in silence for a moment, and Sukuna found himself strangely comforted by her presence. She wasn’t trying to fix him, wasn’t trying to smooth over the rough edges of his grief. She was just there, a quiet presence that understood, and that was enough.

Y/N offered him a small, sad smile. “I don’t know if this helps at all, but Jin… he never judged you for being who you are. He liked you because of it, actually. Said it made things interesting.”

Sukuna gave a small, bitter laugh. “Sounds like him.”

For the first time that night, he felt a flicker of warmth cut through the cold emptiness. Her words gave him a glimpse of the Jin he’d known—the brother who had always seen him for what he was, without the disappointment or disapproval that others had.

As the night wore on, he found himself lingering by her side, grateful for her quiet companionship. They didn’t speak much, but she stayed with him, a silent anchor in the storm raging within him. And when she finally said her goodbyes, slipping her number into his hand with a reassuring squeeze, Sukuna held onto it like a lifeline.

It was only when she was gone that he realized the weight on his chest felt just a little lighter.

The night pressed on, each minute stretching longer than the last, but the crowd finally thinned, leaving only a few stragglers murmuring by the doorway. Sukuna moved mechanically, guiding Yuuji and Choso through the last of the conversations, nodding where he had to, until the house was empty.

As he closed the door and leaned against it, Sukuna felt the silence crash over him—a tidal wave of emptiness in the space Jin used to fill. He glanced over to the couch, where Yuuji had finally fallen asleep, his fists curled into the fabric like he was hanging on for dear life. Choso sat in a nearby chair, his head back, eyes closed, his face still showing traces of disbelief. Sukuna knew that feeling all too well.

The apartment felt hollow, like a body without a heartbeat. He looked around, half-expecting Jin to come strolling out of his room, laughing off the somber atmosphere and snapping Sukuna out of this nightmare. But the room stayed quiet, with only the occasional sound of Yuuji’s slow, steady breathing.

As he made his way toward his bedroom, he unfolded the small slip of paper in his hand. Y/N’s handwriting was neat, almost elegant, the letters curling smoothly across the page. Her phone number stared back at him, a stark reminder of the quiet moments they’d shared in the chaos of the night.

He didn’t know why, but he felt drawn to her in a way he hadn’t felt with anyone before. She was different from the usual people in his life—she hadn’t tried to mask his grief or tell him how to feel. She’d just been there, and somehow, that had made the impossible weight of loss a bit more bearable.

Sukuna sank onto the edge of his bed, staring down at the paper. It was late, too late to be calling anyone, especially someone he’d just met. But the silence pressed in on him, thick and unyielding, making it hard to breathe. Before he could think too much about it, he pulled out his phone and typed in her number, hesitating only a moment before hitting the call button.

The phone rang once, twice. He almost hung up, cursing himself for the impulsive decision. But then, on the third ring, her voice came through, warm and soft, like she’d been expecting his call.

“Hello?” she answered, a hint of sleepiness in her tone.

“It’s… it’s Sukuna,” he said, his voice rough, barely above a whisper. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but hearing her voice eased some of the tension in his chest.

“Sukuna,” she replied, and he could hear the surprise in her voice, though she covered it quickly. “Is everything… okay?”

He wanted to say yes, to brush it off as some momentary lapse in judgment, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he found himself sinking further into the quiet of her voice, the way she spoke his name like she understood without needing an explanation.

“Yeah. I just… I didn’t feel like being alone, I guess.” He hated how weak it sounded, hated the way his voice cracked, but she didn’t say anything to make it worse.

“I get it,” she said simply. “It’s okay to feel that way.”

The silence on the line wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, it felt almost comforting. They stayed like that for a few moments, neither of them speaking, but both feeling the quiet connection that had sparked between them.

Finally, she broke the silence, her voice soft. “I know it’s late, but… if you ever need to talk, or even just sit in silence with someone… I’m here.”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. People had offered condolences, apologies, support, but this was different. She wasn’t offering to fix him, just to be there, to share in the silence if that’s what he needed.

“Thanks,” he managed, feeling a strange warmth spread through his chest. “I… I appreciate it.”

They talked for a few more minutes, the conversation drifting between quiet pauses and brief exchanges, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Sukuna felt a sliver of peace. By the time he hung up, the emptiness didn’t feel so crushing, and the dark room felt a little less lonely.

That night, he fell asleep with her number clutched in his hand, her voice lingering in his mind, a quiet promise that he wasn’t alone.

Next

[sundogsandrainbows]

Hi, I'm sorry to write to you out of the blue, but Of Elves and Humans was the first DA longfic that got me hooked back in 2011 when I, as a dumb teen, happened to pick up DAO. Ever since then, the DA universe has been a constant fixation of mine and my admiration for you as a writer as well as someone who isn’t afraid to call out the franchise's flaws has never wavered. Now that Bioware decided to take a massive shit on everything pre-DAV and their oldest fans specifically, I'm really devastated and feel like a fool for having been so invested in DA and its lore for those past 13 years. It’s incredibly encouraging, however, to see you keep on keeping on. "So since they spat in my face like this I ignore this atrocity of a game even exists" is where I hope to be at soon, too. Thank you.

(First of all apologies for the late reply, I put it in my drafts when i was too tired to complete it, and then my adhd brain forgot it existed due to being distracted by new shinies 😂☠)

But aww omg i cannot believe i was the gateway drug into dragon age, or rather the old version of my story on FFN was. I am so very honored <3 And nonnie, I feel you. I am invested in DA as a series since DA:O's release in 2009, like I bought it on a whim for XBox because I liked Mass Effect 1 sm. So that is 15 yrs of my life i spent loving and discussing a thing while still being critical of the thing, but now i feel so very protective of the world, lore and its characters that "New Bioware" has decided to take a massive dump of shit on, and not only the games but the old fans I feel are treated with disdain too and do not matter to them any longer.

Long, subjective rant about current bioware aka the shambling corpse of its former self and talent incoming. Spoilers for Veilguard bc i don't give a fuck to avoid them :D You (general you, not you in particular dearest nonny <3) should use your time better than to play this shit anyhow 😂

It feels like calculated malice of new Bioware to apply the scorched earth tactics to offscreen destroy everything that old fans and fans of the other games in general held dear, and was supposed to suck out the enjoyment of DAO, DA2 and DAI. Like it is obvious they plan to create a sequel on DA's scorched bones, but jfc, you can do so story-wise without spitting everyone loving what old bioware has built in the face after dropkicking them. But to me that is part of the problem, since if i remember correctly and i wish i could find the bit... they praised Veilguard as "The best Dragon Age game ever", with the most interesting companions and best most improved combat system, comparing it to the other three games in a near smug fashion. There is marketing and there is putting the other games down to prop up your most favorite and only child mattering and they were definitely doing the latter. And don't get me started on the whole "Who is Zevran" debacle or we are gonna here all day.

Bottom line is new/current devs and writer do not give a shit about and very possibly have never played any other game than Inquisition, and you cannot tell me otherwise. And since a lot of devs/writer have left since the start of this project that would become this abysmal game, I also have the impression that there is a lot of underlying resentment toward what these former colleagues have created and so they piss on it in order to make it fully theirs now. Like dogs marking their territory, and well that did not work out, imo. At all.

Ever since they announced respecting our past choices by ignoring them (????) it was clear to me that I would not play Veilguard but just watch a playthrough and all spoilers and then move on. And everything i saw before release was shocking... like i was flabbergasted at how baaaad the dialogue was, which as a writer myself is super important to me in my story. There was no subtext, characters just blurt out everything they think and feel, like a lifeless doll you squeeze and words tumbling out and just as natural. It is stilted, awkward and 80% of it exists for info dump or info dumb rather as they keep repeating the same shit they just told you a few seconds ago as if you as the player are braindead. Here is a good example of what i mean.

Jfc, who edited this crap? There is so much superfluous dialogue that adds nothing to a scene but annoyance for the player and says nothing at all. Just pure senseless yapping in the most cringy way. Why was no one there to trim this nonsense as you should as a writer/editor? Hell, they really disregarded every simple and basic writing rule (everything is told never SHOWN for example especially in dialogue) which really made me question their competence in what they were doing and thus the quality of the upcoming game but i still held out hope for it to not be that bad.

Well shit, it was even worse. In all regards. Especially the writing that cringed this writer into a new dimension with its incoherent incompetence. Jfc. they got paid for that? I'm convinced the majority of fandom writer can do much better, even unpaid. Hell my cat just by walking over the keyboard can manage a better draft and script...💀

But I digress. That is a rant for another time. Point is, nonny, despite my defiant words, I struggled too for days after i got to know the full extent of Bioware's spiteful fuckery to even look at anything da related, in my case my Alistair/Mahariel longfic. I was really down for a few days, ngl. Then again, there is nothing better than spite fueling my creativity to prove "i can write better" soooo in the end and with the help of the much better first version of DA4 in the artbook, I was able to exorcise the demons and feverdream-mindfuck of mediocrity sold to me as a turd with gold-glitter that is this game.

I have successfully now rejected its existence, filled the void with the version that should have been from the artbook and vowed to give no fucks what bioware is doing or saying and infinitely more fucks when writing my own version of thedas and the version of DA4 that should be. REWRITES BBY hell yeah. So OEAH:R is just the beginning of a verse-wise rewrite. But if you need a pick me up, nonny, you are very much welcome to take a trip down memory lane to Dragon 9:30 and see how much this iteration of the story differs from my first one back in the days. Because in this house of mine, we grow and learn as writers, unlike bioware where writer ego reigns surpreme (oh boy and does it ever show in VG) aka eating their own turds and tell themselves it is the finest chocolate 💀

There is still a lot of good about DA out there, but we have to accept it does not come from Bioware any longer. Instead it came, comes and will come from the fans and creators of art and texts and words defying their bullshit with their love and respect for the world, its lore and characters. Also very unlike Bioware.

As we should <3

[finisnihil]

One of the reasons Everything Everywhere All At Once made multiverses work is that they understood the idea that multiverses are kinda intrinsically connected to nihilism as a concept. In a multiverse, it's either nothing matters or everything matters. The best multiverses i've seen have broached the idea with this in mind. In Everything Everywhere All At Once, the predominanting mindset of the movie is that, even in the joke universes, everything matters. Evelyn doesn't beat the characters she's fighting by extending kindness to them in only one universe, she does it in all of them. The universe we end in at the end of the movie doesn't matter because they all matter just as much as the one Evelyn started in.

I don't know enough about the Into the Spiderverse movies to commentate on that but the Honkai games can also be a good example. The whole reason why Otto doing the thing he did worked at all was because all the possibilities matter, even the one he sacrifices himself to make. If the ones with Kallen's death matter, so must the one with her survival. Acheron as a character is an Emanator of the Aeon of Nihility and it's hammered in that everything she does do has a purpose. We know what she did for Tiernan mattered because it helped save Penacony. Self-Annihilators exist to resist IX and part of doing that is rejecting the idea nothing matters because embracing it leads to you being devoured. She is aware of the concept of multiple worlds and versions of a person and acknowledges that, while she is not the same Raiden Mei HI3 players know and love, she is still a Raiden Mei and and if HI3's Raiden Mei matters, so does she.

It's all or nothing. If nothing matters, there's no reason to get invested. If everything matters, everything is something worth love and attention. A multiverse narrative cannot survive on the idea your actions don't matter when the whole idea of a multiverse is built on the premise that your actions have the power to split existence to accommodate their impact.

[alasy]

this book literally made me *blush*. i. blushed. my cheeks flushed. i looked at the mirror and my face was red. because of a romantic confession. i...... i'm beyond gone.

[puppyeared]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[milquetoad]

of the many injustices put forth toward the show by fans i think the most overall damaging and telling of a complete lack of critical viewership is the idea that sam riegel builds his characters with nothing more than the bit in mind. like you are only telling on yourself if you think characters like scanlan shorthalt and veth brennato are one-dimensional and depthless

[saym0-0]

cant stop thinking about rabbit sneaking away and immersing herself in drag culture before she could transition,,, been thinking abt it all day this headcanon means so much 2 me

[wormy-worm]

ok u know what maybe if the world isn't ready for sunrazer post that means that the world IS ready for Amoveous siblings post. This is Milo and Enho and theyre my DARLINGS and i love them SO MUCH. i have. SOOOOOOOO many thoughts abt them but after the previous post massacre i do not really feel like typing all of that xoxo love <3

[doctorweebmd]

unfortunately bungo stray dogs is the epitome of a show/story that would be so good if it was good

[roguestorm]

Reasons there’s no romance in Midnight Suns

Age things are weird — Who is the MC the right age to romance? Teenagers like Robbie and Nico, or adults like Blade and Steve? Surely the MC can’t be the right age to romance every character, as they feel like they’re in very different age brackets.

Gender things are weird — Apart from the MC’s gay moms, the only gay character in the game is Nico. So there would be no male gay options for romance unless they wanted to like make Captain America or Doctor Strange romanceable as a guy, and obviously they’re not gonna do that. But then having a game with no gay romance options is a bad look.

What do they do with characters with canonical love interests? Like are they really gonna allow the MC to pair up with Spider-Man when everyone knows he belongs with Mary Jane?

It’s just not the vibe. I mean, can you imagine the devs having to sit down and write like a romantic candlelight dinner date for Steve Rogers x MC for this card-based RPG? It’s just not the vibe!

Reasons there should be romance in Midnight Suns

Can you imagine the devs having to sit down and write like a romantic candlelight dinner date for Steve Rogers x MC for this card-based RPG? And like, can you imagine if they had to do that for both female and male MCs? They must capitulate to the bisexual Captain America agenda now!

[no1ryomafan]

Once again debating about the side mega man blog but regardless if I do make it or not, when I have the time I might make a whole long in depth post talking about the male ZX protags cause man while I have no idea how the tumblr fandom is I’m remembering some dumb takes with them so I think they deserve a proper breakdown to show “no they have character you fucking dumbasses”

[this-user-has-been-erased]

I feel like I'm the only person who doesn't like Ganondorf's design in TotK, especially his "Demon King" form. In my opinion he's not supposed to be 'sexy', he's supposed to be menacing. At least in TP his cool design kind of made up for his lack of character, as well as the fact that he's the same Ganondorf from OoT. In TotK he has no character and no actual motivation that isn't the most generic anime villain bs. Also, what was the deal with Calamity Ganon??? Where did the Sheikah tech actually go? Why did they get rid of the Sheikah Slate and the Shrine of Resurrection?

And, WHY are we relying so much on Zonai technology, after the Calamity destroyed the kingdom USING ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY??

[goldwingd]

  🎧                                  ━━━━━━━━━                         𝑛𝑜  º    001    .

❛      i      guess      i      just      didn't      want      to      come      on      too      strong      .      you      don't      have      to      hold      back      for      me      —      i'm      a      big      girl      .      i      can      take      it      .

vienne      rossi      &      malcolm      dunn      ,      directed      by      @silksdream      .

[starbberryblue]

collection of my absolute favorite tags from this incredible post:

Candace and doofenshmirtz would be tumblr mutuals i think

[careol]

part of me feels bad for trying to write emily out of these scenarios with hotch but also i'm like, in the uni where carol is a canon member of this team, it would be her offering to drive him and pick him up, staying with him, honestly just anything.