#i tried to find a better picture but this one has emperor's new groove so i gotta

[qualitysigns]

Doncaster, England, UK

2001

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Is It Really That Bad?

Disney and Dreamworks have been locked in combat since day one, and honestly, can you blame them? The Katzenberg/Eisner feud is pretty legendary, with both men taking potshots at each other in films, and the drama behind stuff like A Bug’s Life and Antz has been done to death. The thing is, in the early years of Dreamworks, it was pretty clear that no matter how hard they tried, Disney was the one who was taking the Ws when it came to the cinemas. Stuff like Sinbad and The Road to El Dorado were flopping pretty hard, and while The Prince of Egypt was a success, the failure of the former two ended Dreamoworks’s hopes of ever competing with Disney in the 2D animated market. What’s a studio to do in a situation like that? Well, someBODY ONCE TOLD ME...

Shrek didn’t just solidify Dreamworks as a contender, that movie changed the course of animation in the 2000s all on its own. With its snarky humor, pop culture references, awesome pop soundtrack as opposed to musical numbers, and celebrity cast, Shrek codified many trends for animation going forward—for better and for worse. But whatever impact the film had pales in comparison to one simple, unignorable fact: This movie came out on top over Disney. It won the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Picture, and considering how long Disney was in that game that must have really fucking stung. While Disney spent the early 2000s floundering and releasing flops that would only become cult classics later, Dreamworks was riding that green wave Shrek produced all the way to the bank. What’s a studio to do in a situation like that? Well, someBODY ONCE…

Oh no.

Chicken Little was Disney’s blatant attempt at making their own Shrek (with blackjack! And hookers!), but to say that things didn’t pan out well for Disney there is a vast understatement. Michael Eisner made sure to meddle as much as possible, turning a more straightforward adaptation of the fairy tale into a snarky, self-deprecating comedy about baseball and aliens, which certainly is a choice. This choice had some dire consequences; while not a bomb by any means, the film ruined the already-struggling career of The Emperor’s New Groove director Mark Dindal, producer Randy Fullmer left Disney with Dindal and went into making guitars, and ultimately Eisner himself became a victim of the film as well, with it being the final blow to his tenure at Disney after a decade of failed investments. Eisner ended up passing the torch to Bob Iger, who turned out to be a better leader than Eisner who never did or said anything quite as stupid!

Audience reaction to the movie has always been pretty mixed, to say the least. Reviewers on YouTube such as Schafrillas, Doug Walker, and Mr. Enter have used the film as their punching bag at various points, with the latter in particular helping shape the image of Buck Cluck as Disney’s most vile father figure. Audiences these days aren’t particularly receptive to it either, with most people considering it Disney’s absolute worst film, though there are nostalgic viewers with a soft spot for it. I first watched the film myself a few years back, and I was thoroughly disgusted and unimpressed by what I saw; for the longest time, I had it higher than Doogal on my list of the worst films ever. Fucking Doogal! Can a film really be that bad?!

Well, I decided to give it a second chance and find out if maybe my perception was just colored by all the negative reviews. Is Chicken Little really that bad, or is this just a so-so Shrek ripoff that people overreacted to?

THE GOOD

Most of the characters in this movie are actually decent, even if they’re a little cringe. Chicken Little himself is a likable dork, which only makes all the suffering and setbacks he goes through that much harder to watch; I think they made him too likable, y’know? His friend group is pretty solid as well, with Abby being an okay love interest, Runt being a nice guy (or maybe I should say Nice Guy considering what he does with a bimbofied Foxy Loxy at the end), and Fish Out of Water being a cute “lol so random XD” character. They aren’t the best thing ever, but they’re all pretty decent. I can see why Zach Braff likes voicing the title character so much, and it is cool he got to be in the best Kingdom Hearts game, so that’s something!

Though of, course none of them hold a candle to the absolute Chad that is Morkubine Porcupine, a character so fucking cool that he refuses to give this movie the dignity of more than three single words out of his mouth. If he had more dialogue, the whole movie might collapse under the sheer power of his voice. He’s like Black Bolt, except a porcupine, and in a marginally better piece of Disney media.

There’s a great sequence at the end of the movie that has a Pee-wee’s Big Adventure-esque film within the film about Chicken Little’s exploits… except he’s a ridiculously buff rooster voiced by Adam West in a film that looks like an insane version of Star Fox from the brief clips we see of it. Runt is in there as a hardcore, ugly warthog and Abby is an overly-sexualized space bimbo, but I’m not even particularly bothered by the fact they gave the girl chicken breasts because Adam West’s chicken breasts are so much more massive. 

The entire scene, as brief as it is, is delightful thanks to West being West, and it honestly makes you wish that the whole movie was just a ridiculous space battle adventure… And everyone’s wish was granted when they released a pretty good video game based on this silly concept!

Of course, as is typical of any Disney movie, the best part is without a doubt the villain: Buck Cluck, Chicken Little’s own father.

 In his youth, he was a strapping sports star, and because of this he feels a deep sense of shame at his son’s wild antics and is completely unable to relate to him. He constantly puts him down in front of others to try and salvage his own reputation, throwing him under the bus at every opportunity and refusing to support him. And even after Chicken Little pushes himself to the limit and becomes a baseball star all so he can earn even the slightest smidgen of his father’s respect, Buck is quick to cast him aside once more all so that he can try and keep the dignity among the townsfolk he mooched off of his son’s victory. Buck Cluck is the proto-Mother Gothel, a distant and absent parent for the ages, and one of the most despicable foes the studio has ever produced. Hell, I might even go as far as to say he’s one of the greatest villains of all ti-

Wait, hold on. I’m being informed that Buck… isn’t intentionally a villain? He’s supposed to be… sympathetic…?

THE BAD

I’VE COME TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT! BUCK “THE CUCK” CLUCK’S A BITCH-ASS MOTHERFUCKER!

Ok, ok, let’s be serious for a second. I’m gonna get a bit controversial here, but Buck Cluck isn’t nearly as evil as people make him out to be.

Let me explain: While the film’s narrative completely and utterly fails to make his redemption feel earned at all, it’s not like he was ever really intentionally or even physically abusive like Frollo, Gothel, or Lady Tremaine were. Buck Cluck has a very real problem a parent can have, in that he has a hard time relating to his son while being a single parent that is likely still dealing with the loss of his wife. The issue is the movie doesn’t bother trying to flesh him or his feelings out and tries its damndest to make him look like a good guy all while he emotionally neglects his child.

All this being said, his vocal performance from The Princess Diaries director Garry Marshall is actually pretty great, he gets a few good jokes here and there, and it’s actually really endearingly goofy when he overcompensates with loving his son in the third act. While I’m never going to stop treating the character like he’s Chicken Hitler, I want it to be clear that my jabs at him are very much in the same vein as someone like Huey Emmerich. The difference, of course, is that Huey is an intentional case of making a character you love to hate, while Buck is accidental. And that’s why this segment is here, in “The Bad” part of the review: The movie failed this man so bad that he is put alongside characters like Shou Tucker, Ragyo Kiryuin, and Fire Lord Ozai in animated parent rankings. How do you fuck up that badly? Mainly by deleting the scenes where he actually gets development or characterization beyond being a lousy parent, that’s how!

These writing issues don’t just affect Buck, though; literally the entire movie is as messy as that Kentucky fried bastard’s characterization. The main issue is with the story itself. Now, when you have a movie called Chicken Little, you kind of expect an adaptation of the fable of the same name. And since this is Disney, you wouldn’t be stupid to assume that’s what they’d do, considering adapting fables, myths, and fairy tales is basically their bread and butter. But that is decidedly not what they did here; instead, they decided to make Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius by way of Shrek, because movies like that were popular at the time, and what we’re left with is a film populated by mean-spirited jerkasses who do nothing but dump on our likable main character as he takes part in a story to win the love of his dad via baseball that suddenly, out of completely nowhere, turns into an alien invasion movie about halfway through. Absolutely none of these elements work well together, and the film comes off felling like it was stitched together from unrelated scripts and turned into an unholy Frankenstein of bad ideas.

Not helping helping the disjointed story are the desperate attempts to seem cool. I like Morkubine Porcupine, he’s one of the better gags in the film, but he is so plainly a desperate attempt at creating an ensemble darkhorse that it hurts (the fact it actually worked in spite of this is nothing short of miraculous). The humor is very much aping Shrek, with lots of snarky humor and mean-spirited characters which ends up not working because it’s too cruel, and even ignoring that the pop culture references (a staple of Dreamworks at the time) just all come out of nowhere. Why is the fish reenacting King Kong? Why are these animals watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, and why is Indy still a human? Why did Disney think referencing the lemming suicide myth was a good idea when they literally perpetuated that myth by driving lemmings off a cliff for a movie?

Then there’s the animation. It is so blatantly obvious that this is Disney’s first time making a fully computer animated movie without Pixar’s help. A lot of characters look really unpolished, and even worse is that a lot of the characters are extremely overanimated. If you wanna see what I mean, watch Abby at the end of the dodgeball scene when she’s talking to Chicken Little. She just never fucking stops moving! Once you notice it, it becomes really distracting.

But by far the worst thing this movie does is the constant needle drops. This movie would make The Super Mario Bros. Movie blush with its overuse of licensed music, and it sure feels like Suicide Squad took notes from this because they cram so many tracks in here it’s not even funny. Sometimes they even just have thew characters sing them because… who fucking knows. Barenaked Ladies gets a pretty fat W with their song “One Little Slip” playing over our introduction to Chicken Little, but after that we either get the most obvious songs possible for any given seen (“It’s the End of the World as We Know It” plays over the alien invasion at the end, because of course it does) to “what the actual fuck is this doing here in the movie” (“Wannabe” by the Spice Girls is sung by Runt and Abby during a karaoke session, proving that canceling the Spice World review was not enough to save me from this band).

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

Alright guys, here comes my hottest take ever: Chicken Little… isn’t that bad.

Now, don’t get me wrong! This movie is still not really good at all. It’s disjointed, mean-spirited, confused, and stuffed to the brim with the tropes and trappings of every bad animated movie of the 2000s. But all of that is also what helps make this so genuinely fascinating! When Dreamworks did stuff like this, it was whatever, that studio is a rising contender in the animation game… but this is Disney! This is THE animation studio, the biggest around, and they’re making every single mistake possible because they want to try and beat Dreamworks at their own game, and they are failing at it! It’s honestly so funny that they tried to make their own version of Shrek without any sort of understanding of what made Shrek work.

But even beyond that, even though this movie is bad, it’s not really worse than Shark Tale is, and that is a premier so bad it’s good film. Really, this movie is the opposite of that film in many ways. Where that film had a world that was too overly nice and propped up the shittiest main character animated at the time, this movie has an insanely cruel world where the sweet, charming, heavily traumatized child is incessantly beaten down and belittled to the point you half expect him to try and dive headfirst into a deep fryer; where that film had a single generic plot that was at least remarkably consistent, this film has two separate plots that don’t go together at all and just end up making both halves of the film feel stupid and pointless; and where in that film Oscar is desperately seeking love from his peers due to his sheer selfishness, Chicken Little just wants the love and respect of his father. Pile on that the mountain of similarities, from the overuse of lame pop culture references for the sake of pop culture references gags to the bland love interests, and you have the Awesomely Bad Animation Double Feature of your dreams.

So yeah, I think the rating it has is about what it deserves. This is easily one of Disney’s weakest entries for sure, but it’s not without its moments and it has some amusing jokes, charming characters, and Adam West as a buff space chicken. If you go in with lowered expectations, you might be amused, but honestly I get why this film is so absolutely despised. It really isn’t great at all, and is firmly in the “so bad it’s good” category. You can’t really expect much more from a movie that presents a character whose biggest crime was just being an asshole getting their personality overwritten with a girly-girl one that the comic relief fat guy insists is perfect as a hilarious joke and then leads into a dance party ending where the whole cast sings Elton John.

...Or you could expect more if it weren’t for that son of a bitch Buck Cluck. Fuck that guy.

[littlemissagrafina]

Comfortember Day 20. Movie Night

Wrong Leavers and Pizza Boxes

@comfortember

I had the opportunity to use a really fun roleplay that I did with my best friend for this one! Thank you my darling @iambambistark for letting me use our work! I love you 3000🥺💛🌻

Read On AO3

Peter practically bounced into the common room of the compound, looking for his mentor. The older man had  promised that today would finally be their movie night and Peter was going to make him stick to it whether Tony wanted to or not.

Peter couldn’t help the smirk at his thoughts as he finally found Mr Stark, his body practically vibrating in excitement.

“Mr Stark! Are you ready for movie night?!”

Tony watched in amusement as Peter basically vibrated in place from his excitement. I wish I knew where he got the energy from because Thor knows I need some of it, Tony thought.

"Hey kid!" He smiled at Peter as he got up from his place on the couch to give him a hello hug. "I'm definitely ready. Are we doing Disney tonight again?" He asked with a soft smile.

Peter beamed when Tonh didn’t say that he couldn’t do movie night, yet again. He has way too many meetings, I veto meetings. Peter thought to himself.

“Of course! Would it really be movie night if we didn’t watch Disney! I want something funny though, too many Disney movies are sad.” There’s nothing better than laughing with Mr. Stark at a Disney movie.

Tony felt a laugh bubbling up in his chest. This kid always seemed to be able to make him smile and laugh. "Of course! How could I make the mistake of insinuating a movie night without Disney. It would be criminal!" Tony smirked at the teen.

The billionaire was glad that he had the chance to joke with him like this. He'd been swamped with meetings and conferences that couldn't be put off as much as he wanted to. It had led to a few lab days being cut short and cancelled movie nights, which Tony made sure to complain about to Pepper and Rhodey.

"Do you want to order take out or just grab some snacks from the kitchen?"

“Hmm, well, if we only do one movie then snacks are good, but if we do multiple movies then I think take out would be good. How many movies will we doooo?” Peter drew out the last word. He hoped Tony would say that they could watch multiple movies, but he was just thankful Tony was available to spend time with him at all.

"What are May's shifts like this weekend?" Tony asked Peter, a plan already being thought out in his head. "Because if she is busy at the hospital and fine with you staying the weekend again then we can binge a few movies and get take out." Tony tried to keep the eagerness at spending more time with Peter from his expression. He knew it probably didn't matter at this point but he still had a slight reputation to uphold.

Can't let the world know that Iron Man goes soft because of a spider kid who is literally a puppy in human form. Oh who am I kidding. It's too late I might as well roll with it at this point.

Peter somehow smiled even bigger upon seeing her smile, “Mays gonna be out, she’s been picking up a lot of extra shifts lately.” He said, his smile drooping a bit. No I can’t make this sad I can’t ruin our night being sad , Peter changed subjects, “I can text her real quick to double check I can spend the night! I’m sure I can though,” The smile came back to his face. He pulled out his phone, and asked May if he could stay the night, surprisingly she responded pretty quickly.

She must be on break. She already expected my question though, and allowed me to stay, but warned me not to make Mr. Stark lose even more sleep than normal. Looking back up at his mentor, Peter was pretty much bouncing again in excitement. “She said I could stay! If you still want me, I mean, like if you still want me to spend the night. Anyway, what are we gonna get for take out?”

Tony huffed out a laugh at the rapid action and conversation shifts that Peter was prone to. The man could tell that Peter had been a little sad about May being more busy with work but trying to hide it. Tony pulled the teen into another hug and rested his chin on his head.

"I'm sorry she's been working more shifts, kid." He muttered knowing he would hear it clearly because of his enhanced hearing.

Tony shifted away gently and smiled at Peter before dropping the subject. "Since we had Thai last week, what about pizza or Chinese?" He asked as he turned back towards the couch, making a slight detour to grab the big blanket they liked to use for movie nights before dropping down to sit on the couch. "You can choose whatever." He continued as he shifted into the corner slightly so Peter could squeeze in snuggly next to him the way they both knew he liked to.

Though part of Peter was disappointed when Tony pulled away from the hug, the comfort still meant the world to him. It still amazes Peter sometimes how Tony can always tell his emotions even when he tried to hide them.

The teen followed the older man to the couch like a puppy, “Pizza sounds good. Is that okay with you?” He asked, sitting down, snuggling into Tony. At this point Peter knew Tony didn't actually mind his craving for physical affection.

Peter moved the blanket so it covered them both nice and cozily. God what did I do to deserve such an amazing dad- I mean mentor. An amazing mentor. He could feel the blush start to rise to his cheeks before he could stop it. Dammit, he didn’t even say it out loud! Peter hid the blush by snuggling into Mr Stark more.

"Pizza is perfect, kid." Tony grinned at him when he snuggled into his side and shifted a hand to run it through his curls. How he always has such soft hair I'll never know.  

"What movie do you wanna watch? You said a happier one right? What about Brave, Moana, Tangled, Emperor's New Groove?" Tony was slightly surprised that he could actually list the movies. It seemed that he would always remember something as long as it related to Peter Parker

“Mm” Peter hummed in comfort as Tony held him close, running his fingers through his hair. How a guy who always works with his hands can be so gentle and comfortable beats me but I will always relish in it .

Peter smiled when he heard how many movies Tony knew. A few months ago the man wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between Moana and Brave and now he actually knew different movies. It made Peter feel warm inside. “Why don’t we start with Emperors New Groove, it’s the funniest I think. Then after that you pick.”

I wish it could be like this all the time, if May and I could move here and be with Mr Stark and Miss Potts and all the avengers, I would be the happiest person in the world. But no use wishing for things that’ll never happen, I need to just relish in this moment. This happiness.  

“What kinda pizza do you want?” Peter asked, trying to move away from his thoughts.

"Good choice." Tony smiled. Emperor's New Groove was one of his favourites.

He gently combed his fingers through when they snagged on a knot in Peter's hair as he contemplated on what pizza he wanted. "I think I want plain cheese pizza. Maybe get a pepperoni for later on so Pep can grab something when she gets home. What do you want?" Tony asked the teen back.

Unknowingly, he echoed Peter's own thoughts from moments before. Je wished that it could be like this all the time, just them together and doing what they enjoy. That Peter and May lived with him and Pepper.

He could picture evenings like this, waiting for Pepper and May to get back from work and them joining in on their movie nights would be amazing. Rhodey, Happy and the rest of the team joining from time to time too.

Peter winced when Tony tried to get a particularly stubborn knot out of his curls, but Tony gently rubbed over the sensitive part, making it all better.

“Pepperoni for Pepper,” The teen giggled, "Pep for Pep.”

Tony laughed at the name pun. "Yeah, it's her favourite pizza type. I find it hilarious."

It would be so nice if Pepper could join us too, she’s like my second mom, well second to Aunt May who pretty much is my mom.

“Cheese sounds good to me. But we might not be able to share with my metabolism.” Peter felt bad to hinder the man, not wanting to waste his money. "But it’s okay! I’m happy to share if you wanna.”

I can’t be a bother to him, I should be grateful enough he’s letting me spend the night.

Tony frowned  slightly at Peter's comment about sharing the pizza. Luckily Peter didn't see it because of the position of his head. "Don't worry about it at all, Roo." Tony reassured him. "I asked FRIDAY to always add to your orders so that you have enough to fill you and have leftovers."

Before Peter could speak, Tony carried on. "And you don't have to worry about it being an inconvenience either since I did the same for Steve and Bucky because they have similar enhanced metabolisms to you."

Tony had a sudden idea. A stroke of genius on his part if he did say so himself. "We should make our own pizza sometime again. Maybe don't tell Pepper though. She still has me banned from the kitchen." Tony smirked. "Buuuut she didn't ban me from the communal one!"

He always manages to make me smile when he calls me Roo, always reminds me of Winnie the Pooh with his friends Kanga and Roo. How does he always know what I’m thinking? He knew I felt like an inconvenience even without me saying it, and they call Wanda the mind reader.  

“That would be SO fun to make our own pizza! But I can’t promise I can keep us from being banned from the communal kitchen,” Peter laughed. How could one even be banned from one's own kitchen? The thought made him giggle harder.

Tony laughed as well when he saw the amused curiosity on Peter's face. "I may or may not have accidentally blown up the toaster while I was making Pepper an omelette. And no I don't know how because I wasn't even making toast!" He explained knowing that the kid was curious about it.

"But, in my defence, I hadn't slept for a few days so the file not found error was bouncing around in my brain a lot. It was a disaster at the time but now it's just plain funny."

Yeah yeah, Tony thought to himself, I was a walking disaster but it has gotten a lot better since I've been trying to be a good role model and influence for the spider baby. Take that, toaster.

Peter couldn't stifle his laughter at the ridiculous story, he wanted to ask how Tony could manage to do that but knew that he was prone to even more ridiculous disasters himself.

“It’s definitely funny,” He laughed. “For tonight we should probably stick to ordering out though,” He kept giggling. How does he always manage to make me so happy?  

"That would definitely be for the best, kid." Tony smirked "No messed up appliances or kitchens tonight." This kid was amazing. How he always amuses me and makes me smile is something I'll never know. I just know I like it. Pep and Rhodey can laugh all they want but I'm so here for this super dad/mentor thing I have going.

“When are we gonna order?” Said kid asked.

"We can order now if you want? If you get hungry later we can just heat up some of the extras."

He knows me too well, it still surprises me sometimes that he’s so accepting of my stupidly ridiculous metabolism. I never told him I don’t eat enough at home, the amount of food I need is just too much money to ask May to buy, yet somehow he just knows to make sure I always have more than enough food. He really is better than I could ever ask for...

“Sounds good! Wanna start the movie now or once the pizza gets here?” Realising just how many questions he seemed to be asking, Peter cringed inwardly. I hope he doesn’t get annoyed by my endless questions.

"I'm about ready to eat anyway so I'm sure you are more than ready for some cheesy goodness considering that metabolism of yours." Tony answered him. "Now, what pizza do you want?"

“I’ll eat anything, get whatever,” Peter smiled. Even though he ate before he came over, his stomach was already getting that hollow feeling.

I just need to eat something, I don’t care what. Is this annoying? Me needing so much? I ask so much of him, I text way too much, always want to come over, and practically invited myself over for a sleepover. What if he gets sick of me? Should I ask?

Tony was about to ask if the plain cheese with a few other flavours for the others would be okay when he practically felt Peter's mood shift.

“Mr Stark,” Peter began but changed his mind. It would be stupid to ask, if he wasn’t thinking about me being a nuisance before then I’ll just put the thought in his head and neither of us need that .

"Yeah kid?"

“Nevermind.” Peter mumbled, shifting to bury his head in the man's shoulder. Why am I so stupid?

Tony nudged him, trying to encourage Peter to talk but the life just shrugged his it away and burrowed into the man's shoulder and side.

"You okay?" Tony asked in concern, bringing a hand back up to his head and smoothed some stray curls away. Tony lifted his chin so I could look at him properly. "You can ask and say whatever you want, kiddo."

If I let myself, I could just break open. I could just spill out every bit of emotion I’ve been suppressing my whole life. But I can’t, I shouldn’t, it’s crazy to think he’s sick of me, right? He wouldn’t have invited me to spend the night if he was sick of me, and he wouldn’t be holding me like this if he couldn’t stand me. Peter thought.

Peter pulled away from Tony's hand on his chin. Pressing his face back into his shoulder, he mumbled, “S nothing.” It was a feeble attempt and even Peter knew that it wouldn't suffice. “Just dumb thoughts.” He finished.

I get a lot of dumb thoughts for someone Mr Stark says is so smart.

Tony seeing that Peter was at war with himself for saying anything. Sadly, he knew what it felt to second guess yourself like that all too well. He hated that Peter had to feel it too.

Tony let Peter press his face back against him, knowing it was so much easier than the vulnerability that eye contact brought.

"It might be nothing or something you think dumb, but wouldn't it be nice to say it anyway? What's going on up here, Bambino?" He murmured gently to his kid, tracing a finger over his temple.

Despite feeling that his mind was being all dumb, the silly and sweet nickname still gave Peter the slightest smile. Though I know he has a point and I trust he knows what he’s talking about, it’s not so easy just to be honest and open. Maybe if I just say part of it then it would satisfy him, but not maybe me too vulnerable .

“Do you ever get sick of me?” Peter whispered. Since he was still cuddling close to him, Peter wasn’t sure if Tony could even hear him, but he didn’t dare repeat the stupid question. Why do I always have to ruin the mood? I picked a funny movie so we could be happy and I ruined it before we even had a chance to start.

When Peter asked him if he ever got sick of him, Tony felt like his whole body froze. Like he was a tv in the middle of a show that had been unplugged suddenly. "Oh, Tesoro. No! I don't get sick of you." Tony decided to let himself be fully open with his kid. It was hard but he made it easier, brought out a trust in Tony that he didn't know he had. "I couldn't get sick of you if I tried. I always miss you when you aren't around and talking my ear off about Star Wars and Ned, or a puppy you saw on patrol, or the latest food that May attempted only to burn."

He pressed a kiss on the top of his head. "Everything is too quiet when you aren't around. The silence used to be normal but now it bores me and makes me lonely sometimes. I always look forward to the time we spend together and the messages we send to each other. I don't get sick of you, I get the opposite. Unsick? I dunno what the word would be but that's what I'm trying to say here." Tony finished. He wrapped both of arms around Peter and pulled him close. They both always needed these easy hugs from each other

While Tony spoke, Peter found himself blinking back the tears from his eyes. God, he hoped everything he was saying was true.

Peter wrapped his arms around his neck, holding as close as he could to his dad. He didn’t try to correct himself to mentor instead of dad. “‘M unsick of you too.” Peter said into his chest as he hugged him.

Tony couldn't stop the sudden burst of laughter when Peter said he was unsick of hom too. The laugh may have slightly stuck his throat from the rush of affection but that was neither here nor there.

"I love you, bud. So so much. You're my spidey kid." Tony mumbled, resting his cheek on his head, never letting him slip from his place in his arms. Peter hugs are the best

Peter thought his cheeks would catch on fire from how red they were when he said it. “I love you too Da- Mr Stark.” Hopefully he missed that little slip up, I don’t need any more vulnerability today. Peter thought.

Trying to distract him, Peter joked, “And I’m not a kid, I’m a spider man! ” He insisted with a nervous smile.

Tony smiled also at his slip up but didn't comment on it. He could see that Peter was at his limit, especially after he used a joke to deflect. "Nah, you're a spider baby. Ask anyone, May, Pepper, Rhodey. Heck, even FRIDAY."

Just don't ask Karen, Tony thought to himself. That AI was endearingly loyal to Peter.

"Since FRI ordered for us, the pizzas should be here soon. Do you want to start the movie now or wait for it to arrive?"

Peter stayed cuddled up with him, soaking in the comfort. “If ‘m a spider baby then you’re an old iron man.” Even though he knew it was a lame come back, Peter was suddenly too tired to care. Opening up had exhausted him and he couldn't be bothered to think anymore. “Can we start the movie now?” He asked, wanting to focus on something more light hearted, “That okay?”

Tony gasped in faux shock. "How could you betray me like this!?" He dramatically put a hand over his forehead. "I am not old! I am the very picture and essence of youth! I am appalled that you would ever suggest otherwise!" He exaggerated as he poked Peter in the side.

"But, moving on from your treachery, we can start the movie. Do you want a pillow or anything or are you comfortable where you are?" Tony arched a brow at him in amusement at how cuddled Peter was into his side.

Peter smiled at Tony's antics. The fact that he wants to get Peter to laugh makes him smile even bigger. I could never deserve someone so wonderful and kind and caring and loving as him as my mentor.  

“Mm” Peter thought, but just the idea of moving from his comfort made his chest tighten uncomfortably, “No you’re comfyyyy” He drew out the word, stating right where he was. Though he did shift a bit so he could see the tv better.

"Well I'm so glad I make such a good pillow then." Tony chuckled and fixed the blanket that had fallen slightly when Peter shifted. "I can add personal pillow to my various monikers now. Genius, billionaire, philanthropist, and personal pillow. Oh, and irondad as Rhodey so affectionately dubbed me." He smiled softly down at Peter and rested his cheek on his fluffy curls.

Peter giggled at that, “if you're my iron dad, then am I your spider-son?”

“Cuz then I know what to put on the Father’s Day card this year,” Peter hoped Tony could feel his smirk even if he couldn’t see it as he faced the tv.

"It works. We can coin it. It'll drive Rhodey insane that he can't use it to annoy us." Tony smirked back.

"FRI, play Emperor's New Groove please?" The only response was the lights being dimmed and the beginning of the movie playing on the tv screen.

Once the movie started Peter asked, “oh! Who’s your favorite character?”

"Kronk. He's a lovable oaf and kinda reminds me of Thor. And you, piccolo ragno?" 

“I love kronk too,” The teen said in approval. Not stopping the smile at Tony's nickname for him. The world would end if he ever ran out of nicknames for me.  

Only a few minutes into the film, Friday announced that the pizza was here. When Peter I felt Tony shift to get up to get it, he started whining not caring how childish he sounded. “Noo stayyyyy.” He grabbed onto his shirt so that his ‘pillow’ wouldn’t leave.

"Nooo, sustenance." Tony whined back as he chuckled. How Peter simultaneously brings out my dad side as well as my childish side I'll never know.

Tony didn't bother letting Peter go as he got up from the couch. He just hefted him over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes and walked to the elevator to grab the pizza.

It still surprised Peter at times that Tony could carry him around like he was just a little kid. I mean I can’t weigh that little right? Maybe it has something to do with my powers.

Inside the elevator there was a compartment that had been added so that the various take out delivery people placed the food in so that they didn't have to deal with the stammering and gawking. It got old after the first six times that it resulted in cold food.

Tony dropped Peter gently to the ground and gave him some of the pizza boxes to carry. Eight pizzas were a little difficult to carry alone.

Peter easily took the pizzas, relishing in the delicious smell as they brought the boxes back over to the couch and placed them on the coffee table in front of it. No use bringing it to the kitchen when they both know they'll just be eating on the couch anyway.

The teen put them down, checking the labels for Tony's pizza before handing him the box. He sat down next to him, once again putting the large blanket over their laps. “Is there a specific one for me or any?” Peter asked, not remembering if he had asked for a specific  order or not.

"Nah there isn't really. Although I did get you at least one or two that are plain cheese because I know you like that. Otherwise I just had FRIDAY order the kinds we both like so grab whatever." Tony answered as opened his box and passed Peter a napkin when he grabbed one for himself.

“Okie dokie,” Peter grabbed a box at random, opening it up to discover pineapple pizza, “yum,”He smiled and leaned back into the couch, not sure whether it would be weird to cuddle so close to Tony again after being so openly clingy.

Tony pouted dramatically when he saw the pineapple. "I forgot that you and Rhodey have the ability to eat fruit on pizza. It's not right. I can feel  disturbance in the force." He bumped Peter with his shoulder and shifted so that they were sitting close, knees bumping as well as their elbows occasionally when they took a bite from their pizzas.

Peter smiled when he shifted closer. Somehow he just knows I want to be close even without me having to say it. It still astounds me sometimes how close we’ve gotten. He really is like a dad to me... my iron dad. That thought made him smile more as he went onto the next piece of pizza.

After a few moments of silence Tony saw Peter smirk at him, taking a dramatically large bite of the (in his opinion) delicious pizza. “It’s criminal that you don’t like pineapple pizza, it’s clearly the best.”

"What's criminal is that you think pineapple pizza is the best. I shall never accept it. It's a felony." Tony gestured at him with the slice in his hand. He wiped the grease from his fingers with a napkin before nudging the kid. "I'm gonna grab something to drink, do you want anything? There's coke, juice, milk, lemonade, and probably a few other things."

“Mm," Peter thought over the options, "Can I have juice por favor? Do you have orange juice?” He asked, watching Tony throw the part of the blanket that was on him onto Peter's, suffocating him in warmth. I could follow him, so we can keep talking. No no that’s weird, I should stay here.

"Yup sure do. One coke for me and orange for you coming up." Tony darted into the kitchen hoping his hurry to get back to the couch wasn't too obvious. He grabbed their drinks, and darted back, plopping down heavily next to Peter, careful not to spill anything, and passed him his juice.

Tony wriggled around to get comfortable before grabbing the last slice of his pizza. He finished it and wiped his hands again before relaxing back into the couch, coke in hand.

Peter mumbled a thank you with a smile when he was handed the glass. He had to refrain from chugging down the whole glass of orange juice. It wasn't like he would get sick from drinking too quickly but he didn't want to make Tony have to get up again.

He easily went through one entire pizza but stopped himself from grabbing a second pizza, he didn't want to be rude and eat too much of the food.

Tony finished his coke and put the glass on the coffee table. AsIhe did, he noticed Peter's half full glass and empty pizza box. "Have more pizza if you want, kid. I know that one isn't nearly enough for your metabolism." The man grinned reassuringly. "And you can have as much juice as you want as well." He leant forward and grabbed another random pizza and passed Peter the box in hope that he would take the invitation and eat and drink his full.

Peter, after only a moment of hesitation, happily took the pizza box and practically inhaled the first slice. God this pizza is so good.  

Between pieces of pizza he laughed at the movie. “This movie is so underrated,” Peter said offhandedly as he finished the second box of pizza. Before grabbing a third, he looked over at his mentor for approval before being greedy.

"Agreed. The 'wrong lever' part is brilliant and I hate it but the cat Yzma turns into is adorable." Tony said in agreement. He turned his head when he felt Peter's eyes on him.

The kid was holding another pizza and his head was tilted in question. He looked like a puppy. "Go ahead, bud. Eat as much as you want." Tony reassured him again as he got up to grab the juice box from the fridge for when Peter's glass finished.

Peter nodded in thanks when Tony let him continue eating even though he himself was far done with his own dinner. Once Tony settled back in, Peter commented, “They really should make a roller coaster for the wrong lever part, would be so great,” He chuckled at his own statement and Tony laughed too.

"They should make it look like it's going up, only to suddenly have Yzma's voice saying 'Pull the lever, Kronk. Wrong lever!' as the ride suddenly drops out of nowhere." The man snickered at the idea and turned back to watching the movie as Peter continued eating. He would occasionally poke Peter at a funny part or they would laugh at something but they mostly sat in content silence.

Peter giggled when Tony continued onto his dumb idea, “Aw that’s the kinda thing you’d see on tumblr,” He snickered and picked up the last slice in his box. By the time he actually felt full he had eaten almost all the pizza that Tony had bought. But thankfully he didn’t seem to mind.  

As the movie continued Peter began leaning more and more onto Tony until they were cuddling like before again. Like a dad and his son.

Days like these were Peter's favorite, when they can just be together and have deeper conversations and but also talk lightheartedly about funny movies.

Tony felt him get heavier on his side as the movie went along. He was probably getting sleepy from the food which Tony was happy that Peter had eaten and seemed to enjoy the pizzas. He liked that he could do small things like that for him.

Feeling the kid shift slightly again, Tony shifted as well to lay with his head on the arm of the couch and let Peter snuggle back into his side. He absent-mindedly started running his fingers through his curls again as they watched the movie.

Full from the food and relaxing more from the hand in his hair had Peter finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open. Every time he blinked his eyes stayed closed longer and longer until they just didn’t open again. Peter didn't let himself fall asleep right away, though. Maybe if I just rest my eyes for a few minutes then I can focus back on the movie after.  

Before long he couldn’t focus on the movie anymore, only thinking of the gentle fingers combing through his hair, and how peaceful and comfortable he was. The call of sleep was strong however. He felt like he could sleep forever like this if he let himself.

When Tony noticed that Peter was falling asleep, he started humming slightly, knowing the vibrations soothed him because of his senses. He was more than happy that he would fall asleep, the kid needed the rest.

With the soft glow from the tv and Peter's rhythmic breaths slowing to a gentle snore, Tony soon found himself falling asleep too. Just before he let himself drift off, he tightened his arms around Peter and pressed a kiss to his head.

He let himself all asleep, content to lay there with his Piccolo Ragno.

[the-mandalorian-clone-lover]

Ok y’all, I have gathered enough nerve or something and here it is :D

This is kind of the description and then I’ll put the reference photos and the first part under the read more thingy.

Roman is a mob boss and is played by Ewan McGregor (he’s 100% a hopeless romantic and wants someone to cherish, when he finds that person he will literally do anything to keep them, not afraid of much), Erica (She wants to be loved despite her Asexuality, she is afraid it’s impossible, and she isn’t willing to do much to make it happen because she’s convinced it’s impossible) is his girlfriend. Butcher is basically Kronk from the Emperor’s new groove (because he’s enormous and adorable and I love him).

Second part here

Ok so top is Butcher, he’s probably 6′5 in my mind or more? Probably has tattoos, I’ll leave that up to your imagination. Second is Roman (who is Ewan obvs but this is about the age I picture him). Third is Erica, I picture her between 26&28 and Roman 30 or 32, so there is an age gap but it isn’t more than 4-6 years. She’s 5′11 and Roman is 5′10, that’s a surprise tool that will help us later, and yeah I think that’s about it.  Story below :)

Oh– Warnings?: Talking about coming out, Erica yells a sentence or two but she’s frustrated, silly self-indulgence? Excessive tooth-rotting fluff

*************************

(The song he sings is Your Song from Moulin Rouge)

Roman’s been deep in thought in the back of the car the entire ride and Butch has finally had enough.

“Somethin’ going on boss?”

Roman sighs, “Erica texted that she wanted to talk to me instead of doing dinner tonight.” He pauses before evidently deciding to give Butch the whole story, looking at his feet as he does so. “I asked her at dinner two days ago if she wanted to be official and now, I’m wondering if it was too soon. Did I scare her off?” Roman’s eyes come back to Butch’s as he asks and for a moment he’s at a loss, thankfully Roman continues before he has to answer. “I know I tend to..” his eyes go to the window, eyes searching it as if it holds the right words “..do things a little old fashioned. Commit to each other, take care of each other, do people, not do that anymore?” He asks the question desperately and Butch ponders a moment before responding.

“Maybe not out there, but if anyone would want a little old fashioned, I think it’d be Ms. Erica.” They’ve been dating a month or so now, strictly dinner and walking in the park type dates, she had come to the pent house once, but only so Roman could give her a one month anniversary present; a necklace (it had been simple but elegant, Butch had helped pick it out).

Roman’s eyes make their way back to him, “What do you mean?”

Butch pauses, tilting his head and looking down before answering “She’s got an old soul, and she’s not the kind of woman you could get away with not treating her right.”

Roman had nodded his assent before opening his mouth but the stop of the car cuts him off.

Butch waits till they’re both out of the car before speaking again. “Do you want me to follow you up?”

It’s a matter of protocol, some days Butch sweeps the penthouse before Roman goes in, just to be sure, but at this moment Roman is pretty sure there could be snakes in his house and it wouldn’t be worse than the thought of Erica leaving him. Its early to be so attached, he knows this, but she’s so lovely and wonderful and one-of-a-kind that he hates to see her go so soon, when there’s so much he hasn’t gotten to say to her. He braces himself inwardly though, putting on a brave face for Butch.

“No, I’ll be alright, I’ll let you know if we decide to go for dinner after all.” He tries to smile but knows Butch sees right through it. Butch pulls him in by the shoulders for a hug before holding him at arms-length.

“Don’t go getting all mopey before she’s even talked to ya, maybe she’s already made dinner and that’s why.”

“It’s much too early for that, I hope she doesn’t think she has to—”

Butch is turning him and shoving him towards the door.

“Go on lover boy, face your music and don’t be a wimp!”

Roman drags himself up the stairs, feeling like a glutton for punishment at this moment, straightening himself up before opening the door. He almost regrets forgetting to knock before remembering this is his house and choosing instead to call out.

“Erica? Darling? I’m a little early, didn’t want to startle you.”

She appears in the entryway that leads to the living room, looking a little nervous herself.

“I-“ She takes a deep breath, eyes never leaving him “Thank you for having them let me in, what I wanted to talk to you about is a more personal matter.”

Well. That certainly didn’t sound like a precursor to a break-up.

“Of course” Roman responds, trying to sound as at-ease as possible. “Can I get you anything?” His eyes sweep her figure and upon realizing she’s abandoned her shoes he begins to toe off his own, leaving them next to hers in the doorway.

She’s shaking her head when he looks up. “No, thank you, I brought some cookies I made, they’re in here.” With that she turns back to the sitting room and begins to walk away. He hurries after her but tries to allow her space still. He takes the moment to look at her. She’d looked ill at ease in the foyer, a large OD green sweatshirt (that had probably seen better days) that said ‘Property of Middle Earth’ in worn white letters nearly swallowing her, hair down and falling in her face, she’d pushed it behind her ears twice as they walked. She’s wearing the black jeans she says are her favorites, everything seems to point to her dressing for comfort. She pushes the sweatshirt sleeves up to her elbows before sweeping the container off the coffee table and holding it out to him.

“I remember you said you liked macadamia nut, it’s my first time making them though.”

He nods, taking the box, also taking care to brush his fingers against hers as well as he can without raising suspicion. He takes off the lid, taking a deep breath before looking up to her in awe, “These smell amazing!” He smiles before looking down again, grabbing one to hold it out to her. “Share?”

She smiles thinly, shaking her head again, (Roman doesn’t think he’s ever seen her shake her head this much) before answering “No, I’m alright. Not very hungry anyway.”

Erica knows its not a convincing answer but what can she say? She’s been dreading this conversation ever since she started having feelings for Roman and when he had asked her to think about being officially together, she’d known she couldn’t put it off any longer. She looks at the floor again, remembering that she’s wearing her favorite sweatshirt and that if anyone from Middle Earth were here they’d be encouraging her (maybe not Sauron but he wasn’t really the encouraging type) and probably giving her an awkward thumbs up from behind Roman’s couch. She smiles at the comforting thought and looks back up at him. No matter what his response was, she’d handle it. She’d come this far. She sits down (albeit a little rigidly) on the couch behind her, and Roman follows her lead, sitting in the chair diagonal from the coffee table.

She takes another deep breath, this is it. “I’m just going to come right out and say it—”

“Do you want to break up?”

Roman’s on the edge of his chair, gripping the container and looking at her with, fear? Dread? She isn’t sure but it isn’t a positive emotion that’s etched into his face. He’s not the only one.

“No,” she says it carefully, deliberately, before continuing past what she knows is the point of no return. “But you might”.

It feels like a bomb went off. Roman actually leans back in the chair before blinking rapidly, attempting to process. “Did–“ he supposes ‘cheating’ might be too strong a word if they’re actually not even together but he isn’t sure what else they would split over.

“It isn’t something I did. It’s something I am.” Erica is resisting the urge to cry now, it doesn’t matter how many times she talks about it, it doesn’t seem to get easier when you care what the other person responds with. She’s looking at the floor when she hears shuffling and feels the couch dip next to her. She looks over to find Roman seated on the far end, reaching slowly to hover a hand above her shoulder.

“Whatever it is, we’ll work through it. It’s not as if anything is irreconcilable.” He pauses and Erica really is bracing now, nearly wanting to get up and run from the room in preparation for the inevitable.

“Unless you’re actually an orc. Or you like eating hummus. I have to draw the line somewhere.”

He says it as if it were obvious and she smiles, shaking her head before breathing out shakily. “It’s, well, its neither of those things.” She says, finally looking him in the eye, reaching up to guide his hand down to her shoulder. If nothing else, she’ll enjoy these last few minutes of comfort he offers before it’s all over.

“I’m asexual.”

Its out. And while it does take a weight off her chest, she isn’t sure it’s gone for good.

Roman blinks, tilting his head, “Tell me what that means?”

It’s a request. Not a demand, he didn’t fill the air with his assumptions, he just asked. That’s a new one.

“Well, it um,” Erica takes another deep breath, reaching out to grab his other hand in both of hers and fastening her eyes to them before spitting out the rest in a rush, “It means I don’t experience sexual attraction.”

He’d already started stroking the fingers he could reach when she took his hand hostage and he doesn’t stop when she finishes. She doesn’t move though, she’s waiting for it to sink in. Either he’ll tell her to get out, tell her that that isn’t a thing, or that he can fix her. She’s already got a plan for all three.

“Ok.” He says it as if she’d just told him it was cloudy outside. “How do you want me to respond?”

She brings her eyes back to his slowly, mouth agape. She can’t even be bothered to close it either, somehow, he’s managed to say the one thing she never expected.

“How do I want you to respond?”

“Well, I know that I don’t know exactly what you need or want to hear, so I’m asking.” He says it all so gently, as if he were trying to comfort her, as if he could sense how hard it was to say this, could he? “I want to support you” he says with conviction, “Sometimes you might have to tell me how.”

His gentle tone never fades, if anything it only sounds more genuine as he continues, moving his hand to hover next to her cheek. She leans into it, sniffing softly and closing her eyes against the tears. It’s hardly the time to cry now. Gathering herself she opens her eyes.

“You need to understand sex is something I might not ever be able to give you.” As sweet as he is, she won’t let him commit to something if he doesn’t even understand what it means. “I’ve, had,–“ now her eyes are back in her lap, withdrawing her hands from his, “experiences, but, I didn’t like them. And since I don’t have the desire anyway, it’s possible I’ll be like this forever.” She’s painting it bleakly but what else is there to say? She’s never been supported by any partner or friend and she isn’t sure she’d even know how to handle it if she was. Part of her does want to break up with Roman now, end it all before he can, give herself control of the situation before it gets any more uncomfortable.

“Why do you say it as if you were broken?”

Shock. That’s what she’s feeling, bringing her eyes up to look at Roman as if he’d grown two heads. Opening and closing her mouth twice before finally blurting out

“Isn’t that what you think?” She’s standing now, words falling out of her mouth in a rush of fear and anger, “Isn’t that what everyone thinks?! Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say? That I can’t be anything other than a robot if I don’t want” she gestures fiercely “that!? As if I wasn’t a whole person without it?” Roman is standing now but she can’t stop “As if there was no way two people could be together without doing it??” Her voice has somehow been getting louder all through her rant and everything’s getting blurry as the tears start “As if I were making the whole thing up?” He’s closer now, and she stumbles back, yelling a final, “AS IF I WASN’T A REAL PERSON BECAUSE OF IT??” before she collapses into his arms. She’s sobbing in earnest now, gripping onto him as tightly as she can. This has never happened. Every other time she’s always handled the rejection, the teasing, the downright harassment before calmly leaving and never coming back but, somehow, it’s Roman being kind to her that finally causes her to break. All the frustration, hurt and confusion finally pouring out in her tears. He’s just stroking her back with one hand, the other cradling her head against his shoulder. Between the sobs she can hear his voice, but he doesn’t seem to be saying much other than ‘its alright’ and telling her to let it out, saying that he’s here and he’s not leaving. It helps.

When the sobs subside to hiccups she wraps her arms a little tighter around him and takes a breath before sniffing.

“Can I have a tissue?” She says it as softly as she can, she doesn’t really want him to leave but she’s starting to worry for whoever does the wash. He seems to pick up on her reluctance to separate, instead taking the arm from her back to reach behind and down for the box on the coffee table. He fumbles in the awkward position for a moment, causing them both to huff in good humor before standing straight and holding it up by her face. She takes it.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said all those things to you.”

She mumbles it without ever moving, choosing to reach over his shoulder to wipe her face, if he’s willing to keep holding her, she isn’t going to make him stop.

He goes back to petting her hair softly, answering in the same tone, careful to keep his voice low. “Don’t apologize. If someone said those horrible things to me, I’d be upset too.”

She sighs quietly. He must not understand still.

“But everyone thinks they’re true. That’s the problem.” She says it matter-of-factly, her arms loosening a bit to rest on his shoulder blades before he suddenly grips her tighter.

“Not everyone.”

It’s a small thing, and it shouldn’t mean anything to her, but it does. It means the whole world.

They stand there holding each other for heaven only knows how long, Erica not wanting to leave the comforting embrace that Roman is offering, and Roman content to hold her as long as she needs.

More time passes before she hears him humming, well she feels it first but then she hears the soft notes next to her ear and feels him shifting back and forth slowly. Swaying them both. Then he’s singing to her. Quietly, barely above a whisper but his voice is like honey.

“My gift is my song, and this one’s for you” he nuzzles his cheek on the side of her head before going on, still whispering gently to her and swaying softly “and you can tell everybody, this is your song. It may be quite simple but, now that it’s done. I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words,” he gets a little louder then, more confident, “How wonderful life is, now you’re in the world.”

“Elton John?” She asks, voice still a little wobbly, only slightly teasing.

“No, well, yes, but I was thinking of Moulin Rouge.”

She frowns, slowing their swaying slightly, “I thought Elton John wrote that?”

She hears a small ‘ah’ followed by “Moulin Rouge is a film, have you not seen it?”

She shakes her head against his, muttering a ‘huh uh’

“Hmm, well, then let me finish serenading you and then we can watch it, how does that sound?”

She pulls away then, wanting to look him in the face even if she doesn’t necessarily want him to see hers. “You want to stay? With me?”

He nods, brushing his thumbs across where they’ve come to rest on her waist. “I’ll admit I don’t understand it all yet but I can learn. And if you promise to never start liking hummus then we seem to have an agreement.” He finishes with a smile and somehow Erica finds herself smiling with him. Somehow, she has hope again.

“I think I can promise that.” She says, taking another shaky breath in before muttering ‘eskimo kiss’ and leaning forward to brush her nose against his, he bumps their foreheads together and then they’re both giggling. He hasn’t ever kissed her lips yet but it’s moments like this that make her certain he’ll wait till she starts it.

****************************

[bearsinpotatosacks]

Newsies Ship Headcanons

I’ve decided to try and do at least one headcanon for all of my ships in Newsies- I know I’m doing a lot of Newsies stuff but my mind’s on a roll with this fandom! Yet again check out @crystallizedtwilight as some of these are inspired by her’s and also her account has helped me a lot.

~~

JackCrutchie-

•Jack is surprisingly excellent at ballroom dancing, he especially loves teaching the other Newsies how to dance

•Crutchie often dances with Jack despite his bad leg, he stands on top his (Jack’s) feet as he leads

• They can’t do many of the quicker styles like the Quickstep but they become excellent at the waltz and are starting to get good at the viennese waltz

• They tried to do some quicker styles but this ended with Jack carrying a hovering Crutchie around the room

Sprace-

• After the Strike, Race still sneaks out to see Spot despite everyone knowing about their relationship

• He sneaks out after everyone has gone to sleep and “blending into the wall” whilst singing his theme song like Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove

• What he doesn’t know is that Jack ALWAYS hears him come back in early in the morning

• This all leads up to one morning when Race comes in and Jack turns on the lamp next to him, revealing him to be sitting in an armchair with his arms crossed- it ends up going like this

Jack (like the angry mother hen he is): Where’ve ya been Racetrack?

Race: Nowhere...

Jack (more impatient): You’ve been gone a long time for bein’ nowhere...

Race: Alright, alright, I was in the Brooklyn Penthouse with Spot

Jack (shuffling in his seat): I’d expect you to lie to me Racetrack Higgins but how could you lie to THEM?!

*Newsies suddenly appear from the darkness lighting their faces with candles*

Race: Wha? Where did they come from?

Race: *collapses from his spot on the wall*

•This teaches Race to not sneak out in later life

Redfinch-

• Cause of Albert’s red hair and the fact that it’s the 19th Century, I like to think that maybe Albert’s parents are Irish Immigrants (cause you know the Irish Potato Famine)

• So his parents brought over some customs such as Catholicism (but he isn’t devoted because it’s not cool), traditional dancing (his family only did this when drunk on special occasions), being told myths and legends etc

• But most importantly his parents bring over Gaelic Football and Normal Football (Soccer) which he is taught by his older brothers, this is especially popular amongst Newsies as a means to relax

• Finch is spectacular at scoring goals (by means of kicking or throwing a ball over the net scoring 3 points or over the crossbar to score 1 point) because of his name- he got his nickname for a reason peoples

• Crutchie acts as referee and they actually buy him a whistle (which he soon abuses his power over having one)

• One day they’re playing (it says there are 15 to a team) with Albert and Finch on a team and Finch scores the winning goal with about a minute left

• Elmer counts up the score inside and Albert gets so happy that he throws his cap in the air and aggressively kisses Finch while lifting him in the air

• This gets a fair few whistles from the crowd watching them and they promptly disappear into the dorm rooms for an hour

Belmerttons-

• Maybe Elmer’s selling spot is Grand Central Station cause it’s a busy spot for people who want something to read on the train or if some people wanna catch up on the news when they arrive

• But because Elmer has a large family, he doesn’t really stay there often- he usually stays at the lodging house or at Buttons’ place in his cupboard room

• However, since Elmer is the youngest of a large family he may feel like he shouldn’t bother the other Newsies with his problems

• This leads to him finding a coping method which, for him, is being a stowaway on Trains in the Station

• For an entire week he isn’t seen at Buttons’ place or at the lodging house, giving the excuse that he’s staying with his family

• But gradually he stops selling his unsold papes and just stops faking where he’s going and stays at Grand Central Station

• This leads Buttons to investigate one morning by going to Elmer’s selling spot only to find him being dragged out by his ear by a guard

• Buttons catches him saying, “And if I catch you on one of these trains again, you better have a ticket or I’ll get you arrested!” And he throws him down the stairs

• Elmer stands up and dusts himself off before noticing him and walking with Buttons

• They stay in silence for a while before Buttons asks what happened, Elmer explains that whenever he’s feeling down he picks a trains and rides it all night, usually without a ticket (he hides in the luggage and goes from carriage to carriage)

• He looks exhausted and hungry from not having a decent kip (sleep) or meal for almost a week

• After selling for the day (7-4/5), Buttons drags Elmer to his place (because he swapped selling spots with another Newsie) where he gives him a hot meal, a wonderful night’s sleep and a non-Newsie family who cares

• It really brings them together as a couple knowing that they get truly worried for each other

Blush-

• I headcanon that they have most Sundays off due to a lot of people being religious (heavily Christian in America at least at that time) and here in Britain literally nothing was open on a Sunday even if you were an Atheist

• So on Sundays Mush and Kid Blink go for a picnic, sometimes at Central Park, other times at the Docks

• They always manage to go even if they’ve had the worst, busiest week, they’ve never missed a Sunday since they got together

• Even though it’s illegal to be gay, both of them see it as a date and try to make it a decent break from the intense week they have

• If they’re available, they make sure to get some strawberries and try to catch them in each other’s mouths

BillDarcy-

• Despite they’re positive, pastel suits, they’re both massive fans of Gothic Fiction books

• Usually they’re are well illustrated and they’re also printed well, and of course the stories are dark and dramatic too

• From Frankenstein to The Picture of Dorian Gray, they’ve read them all and their bookcase is kept with total precision

• It all started when Bill found a copy of Frankenstein on his Dad’s desk, he read it within a week to his parents’ dismay

• That copy now sits front and centre on their spotless bookcase

And Davey for good measure-

• One day when Les and him are selling a stray dog shows up, Davey tries to make it go away but after a while (and plenty of Les’ puppy eyes) he decides to take it to the penthouse after he’s finished selling

• For his Tikkun Olam (repair the world cause he’s Jewish) he feeds up the dog since it was skin and bones, gives it a good wash in the Tub and, with the Newsies help, he gives it a name- Cowboy

• They decided this after it managed to grab the handkerchief that Jack keeps hidden on his at all times

• He becomes a kind of therapy dog for the Newsies and seems to know when one of them is feeling off because he hangs around them all day

• Whoever he hangs around somehow sells more papes that day I wonder why

I think that’s all for now, hope you had fun for now!

[eenefangirlanalysis]

Eddy hears Ed yell out. He immediately panics and worries about Ed’s safety.

Are they still playing around or does Eddy really think that Ed is in danger? We know that Eddy is very protective over his friends.

Meanwhile Edd has been working on this rocket. And it’s the prototype! So, was he planning to make a second one with three seats?

Edd’s inventing skills are really impressive. I think Edd’s parents disprove of Edd’s talent for inventing. Ed and Eddy encourage it. His dodge ball machine caused many to get injured and Edd was expelled from school. 

It may also be the reason behind how cold his parents are to him. Which is unacceptable by the way. No matter what, a parent, and the opposite way around, need to forgive their child. 

Eddy alerts Edd that Ed is in trouble. For the second time Eddy violently shakes Edd. Is this something that Bro did to Eddy? I can’t remember any other moments of Eddy shaking his friends... 

Oh, there was Luck of an Ed where they were trying to find Eddy’s magazines. And in that episodes the magazines once belonged to Bro. Eddy was even mirroring a few mannerism from his brother within that episode!

Eddy immediately breaks character from their game to ask if the rocket is ready yet.

As Edd goes into a lecture Eddy walks right passed Edd, words falling on deaf ears. 

“EDDY!”

Some day I will count how many times Edd yells Eddy’s name.

Eddy complains that Edd only put one seat in. Edd once again tries to explain to his friend that this is a prototype. Once its properly tested he will build another rocket from scratch presumably with three seats. 

“Yeah, whatever! Let’s go, Double D!”

Trying to explain once again to Eddy, Edd is only interrupted for the umpteenth time.

“Double D, FIRE THE ROCKET!”

Edd finally complies. For safety he sticks, or shoves, this bowl on Eddy’s head.

Even Eddy is shocked by how rough Edd just was. 

Season 1 was where Edd and Eddy were still getting to know one another. Although the series is about the Eds friendship, Edd and Eddy make a stronger bond. They have their fights, but no matter what they’re friends. 

Edd prepares the rocket as it rises up into the air.

With little enthusiasm or worry Edd counts off and then pulls the lever.

That just made me think of this exchange from The Emperors New Groove

Ezma: Pull the lever, Krunk! [Krunk pulls lever and Ezma falls down a hole in the floor] WRONG LEVER!

Imagine that as an eene crossover! What they had that line in this scene! Okay, I have a great idea where it should be and I’ll point it out in a bit. 

The rocket blasts off into the sky.

“YEEEEE-HAAAAAAAW!!!”

This is really great animation by the way! You have to go watch this sequence. Many fans like this scene from Dawn of the Eds. It’s a little like the famous car chase in Big Picture Show. So much changes in that ten year span on the show. It really is remarkable. 

Unfortunately the rocket shatters due to the immense speed.

Eddy makes his... I want to call it his disgusted noise, or he’s amused. He may also be saying ‘uh-oh’ too.

Eddy really is at risk here! He’s high up in the air.

This is also one of the first instances where, if Edd didn’t have that parachute connected to Eddy’s seat (which fails, by the way) Eddy may have been seriously injured. He never does get injured but just by the way of Eddy’s reaction you can’t always get away with cartoon physics saving the day.

And Eddy is aware of that due to his dark history with Bro.

Also, Eddy’s tongue was yellow instead of green in season 1. 

Here’s something else I never noticed. Eddy’s toes protrude from his shoes. I wonder if they’re old. Or hand me downs from Bro?!

A very unfazed Edd believes he’d better test the parachute.

“Welp, at least that worked.”

And Edd throws the remote control to the ground!!

That is VERY out of character. In later scenes Edd is such a feverish worrywart. He is at Eddy’s aid in matter of seconds.

My absolute favorite scene where Edd runs to Eddy’s aid is in Big Picture Show. The instant Ed pulls him out of the ground, both Ed and Edd run right passed an unconscious Bro to Eddy who has by lying on the ground for some time. That says so much about the Eds friendship and how far it has come. 

Edd still didn’t understand the values of friendship in this scene. He does have more realization in season 2-3, but it’s not until the movie where viewers learn how much Ed and Eddy mean to Edd. He would actually dig through a pit of mud to try and rescue them. 

Edd has the biggest character development out of any of the Eds. I know Eddy reveals a secret at the end of Big Picture Show, but in all honestly if we ever have a series after the film that’s where viewers will see his character development.

What I love about the world of fanfiction is that it gives fans a chance to test out what his true inner character may be. 

Why is there a button that releases the parachute from the chair?

Eddy falls in the rest of the way to the ground. 

You know, Eddy realizes that Edd put him in danger. Eddy has always had trust issues. One of EddEddy’s major subplots is finding trust in one another. Since they have not known one another for long now Eddy doesn’t fully trust Edd.

Edd is so oblivious in season 1!

That’s a pretty rough landing. I’m glad nobody ended up getting hurt.

Eddy gives Edd a well deserved lecture regarding the rocket’s safety.

Again, Edd yells out that it’s a prototype. Edd still should have taken better safety precautions though.

Just then Paul Revere, um, I mean Ed, comes running into the scene calling out that the robots are coming!

And viewers are given this screenshot!

Actual live robots! The Eds were right!

Ed, Edd n Eddy was filled with the best expressions!

[dramallamadingdang]

Now that I’ve dumped stuff in the queue, time for...

REPLIES! :D

For @kayleigh-83, @jellybeanery, @clericalrodent, @acquiresimoleons, @dunne-ias. @sim-boo, @didilysims, @twofingerswhiskey, @penig, @nanashi-sims, @eulaliasims, @zoragraves, @taylors-simblr, annnnnnd @nerianasims...

kayleigh-83 replied to your photo “Steven’s grave got struck by lightning, so he popped out for a daytime...”

What the frick, I have catching up to do! I didn't know Steven died. :(

He did. Came home with a cold one day, went to work the next, and died on the sidewalk when he came home. So sad. Ah, RealSickness... Usually, I like it to hit later, when I’ve got a larger population that’s actually in need of culling. I’m just glad it didn’t kill the whole household, like it sometimes does, because otherwise there’d only be Sharon and Gwen’s daughter Amelia to spawn the third born-in-game generation...

kayleigh-83 replied to your photoset “Up-Front Confession: I am knowingly breaking the creator’s terms of...”

I'm absolutely DYING over their grinning faces in the last picture HAHAHAH

It’s a thing of beauty, isn’t it? :D Although I don’t know why Cyd’s grinning, since he’s got Julien’s face impaling his abdomen. That just can’t be comfortable...

jellybeanery replied to your post “jellybeanery: @dramallamadingdang Do you still have the high-res...”

CuriousB's desert terrain works for me, so I don't think it's the chipset.

Hmmm...Well, I had a look at the uploaded file, and it appears to be the right one. :\ I have no idea what’s going on. Give me a day or two and I’ll make a new file and maybe also make a high-res one, and then you can see if one or the other will work...

clericalrodent replied to your post “Civilization V”

Thought I'd ask - would you like some tips that aren't in the in-game tutorial? Nothing absolutely necessary, but might make your life a bit easier.

Sure! I still haven’t installed the game, but I probably will this weekend since we have no plans and it’s too darn hot around here to do much of anything outside. Maybe send me an ask or whatever with tips?

acquiresimoleons replied to your photoset “Up-Front Confession: I am knowingly breaking the creator’s terms of...”

Omg. This is awesome, thank you, my sci fi hood is gonna get a swingers club now ����

Well, it’s certainly a perfect object for that! :) There’ll be other stuff you’ll probably be interested in for such a club, too. I just need the time to make it...

dunne-ias replied to your photoset “Up-Front Confession: I am knowingly breaking the creator’s terms of...”

I both want this and also would be scared about what would happen if I put this on a commercial lot in my story hood. I have the original, but honestly I think I only used it once, in a Bacc household full of romance sims because I had a rule against TV and well, what else would they do on their days off?

HAH! Sex is better than TV by a mile, so... :) Anyway, the advertising on the thing is set so that if you use this on a community lot Sims don’t get overly obsessed with it so long as there are other fun things of equally-strong advertising around. That’s how I wanted it to be because it’s basically going to be an avenue for Sims to meet people in this wacko neighborhood, but I do want them to do other things when they’re on the lot where this will be, too. 

But yeah, I suppose it has the potential to screw up stories. But it also might give you ideas, too. If you keep the characters for whom you have planned storylines away, others in the population might do interesting things to spark some ideas.

sim-boo replied to your photoset “Will took his boatload of scholarships and headed off to join boring...”

Lol personally id consider it a blessing to not be related to goopy gilscarbo ;)

Heathen! Nah, I kid. I know he’s an acquired taste. You have to like Romance Sims, and a lot of players seem to not like Romance Sims. You also have to like Sims who aren’t conventionally beautiful. I like Romance Sims (They’re my faves, actually), and I like “ugly” but not deformed-looking Sims. So he’s totally win-win for me! :) I do change his outfit, though, because that pixel-man has very questionable fashion sense. :)

I also like Ben Long a lot, but he’s a Knowledge Sim and I find them rather boring in general, so when I play him, I have to do terrible things to him to make him interesting. :)

didilysims replied to your post “Civilization V”

Never tried it myself, though from what little I've seen, it looks like something I could get interested in. All friends who have played it said Civ IV was better though. :P

I still haven’t installed it because there’s stuff for TS2 that I want to get done, and I know I’ll get distracted. But I’m really looking forward to trying it out. And as for the version...Well, Civ V is what was there at the shop. :) And for $5, even if I ultimately don’t like it it’s not like I’m really out much.

didilysims replied to your photo “I just noticed that the binoculars that Sims use to birdwatch have red...”

They always looked like nebulae to me. I figured they were really powerful lenses.

SO POWERFUL THEY REFLECT THE LIGHT OF THE ORION NEBULA!! Yeah, that should be the advertising slogan on those puppies. :)

twofingerswhiskey replied to your post “jellybeanery: @dramallamadingdang Do you still have the high-res...”

could be they have graphics chipsets that are defaulting to the maxis terrain due to inability to store it effectively in the graphics memory?

Apparently not in Jellybeanery’s case. :\ I’m still at a loss. If you’ve got any ideas about what else it might be, I’m all ears. Or eyes, as the case may be. :)

penig replied to your photo “I just noticed that the binoculars that Sims use to birdwatch have red...”

I think it's the light glaring off the lenses.

The light from the red district? :) No, you’re probably right, but...Geez, what color is the sun supposed to be in SimWorld? :)

nanashi-sims replied to your post “@bunsblr asked for a tutorial about how to do this a while back and I...”

Wow this is fabulous! So many objects that need to be recloned, but so worth it!

Yeah, there’s a lot of Maxis stuff that’s used outdoors that ought to be neighborhood-visible but isn’t. Especially when it comes to outdoor-type seating. And I don’t think the telescopes are neighborhood-visible, either, now that I think about it. Once you get used to doing it, though, it goes quickly.

eulaliasims replied to your photo “Steven came home from work the next day and….Oh, dear. Well. That’s...”

Steven! No! D:

I KNOW! I was bummed. Frankly, I could stand to lose Arcadia, but I was hoping Steven would spawn some more, if nothing else. I need more population that “counts,” and he had that convenient Family aspiration... 

sim-boo replied to your photoset “Arcadia and Aaron, as the only two non-infant people in the household...”

usually they cry for sims they have memories of. like if the dead sim taught them to walk/talk, i've seen before that they cry sometimes even if theres no blood relation.

I’ve never seen that happen in my game. In this case, I know Steven taught Will to talk, at least. But, no mourning from him. Now I’m wondering if I’ve got a mod that’s interfering. Hmmm.....

didilysims replied to your post “Aww you almost had the Aristocats in your game <3”

A lot of Disney is overrated. Emperor's New Groove? Seriously underrated. But I got The Aristocats for my birthday as a kid and watched it probably 100 times at least, so it's near and dear to my heart.

I really don’t know why I never saw The Aristocats. I mean, I was a kid when it was made and all, but I only ever saw the older Disney movies from the 40s or so. (Fantasia is another favorite.) I saw the later Disney movies from the 90s and 2000s because I had kids then, so we saw them in the theater, and I got them when they came out on video, and they watched them ad nauseum. (And The Lion King is one of Ethan’s favorite movies; it resonates with him because he lost his dad at an age when he really needed one. So, we watch that one a lot and I bristle because of all the hyena maligning.) But I don’t think I’ve seen any Disney movie from the 70s in its entirety,

Now as for Emperor’s New Groove: I will argue (and HAVE argued) that it’s the best buddy movie ever made. Kronk and Eartha Kitt’s scenery-chewing (She did it SO well, always did) is just bonus. 

zoragraves replied to your post “So, um....”

Now I want to know what those objects are, at the very least :D

Ohhhhh, you probably really don’t. *laugh*

taylors-simblr replied to your post “@bunsblr asked for a tutorial about how to do this a while back and I...”

Thank you so much for this, I might give it a go tonight! I surrounded my campsite with nengi's bigger bourgainvillas and it's been driving me crazy that they are invisible from any other lot ^__^

Good luck with it! I thought those bougainvilleas were already neighborhood-visible, though...Or maybe I made them so. I don’t remember... Anyway, let me know if you have any trouble!

nerianasims replied to your post “re. StarTrek Multi-PT: I'm pretty sure I remember someone creating the...”

What is this Enterprise show you mention? I am sure it does not exist.

I dunno, I heard a rumor about it. Something about a prequel sort of thing, only done way after the other shows were produced. Seems like kind of a dumb idea... 

(Seriously, I really wanted to like Enterprise. I really, really like Scott Bakula. Quantum Leap is one of my favorite shows. And while I enjoyed a few of the episodes, the writers just didn’t seem to know what to do with any of the characters, especially the poor helmsman dude, which is sad because he was a very pretty black man. I mean, I don’t even remember his name... And of course they had to sex up the female Vulcan. *sigh* They get points for destroying Florida, though. No, I’m kidding. Well, sort of...)

[ouraidengray4]

How Dumb TV Can Ease Your Panic Attacks

Anxiety is one of those silent monsters I deal with on an almost daily basis, and most people I interact with have no idea. I know I’m not alone: Many people who have anxiety mask themselves externally, while internally freaking out.

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For me, panic attacks can happen for any reason. I may see something while scrolling through Facebook that, for some reason or another, sets off my anxiety. Or if I accidentally drink too much caffeine at work, that can makes me jittery and anxious, which can lead to one too.

Most of the time, though, panic attacks happen when I’m by myself, doing absolutely nothing. I can be just kicking back, vegging out, and my anxiety decides to flare up into a freak out. I would love to say that when my anxiety starts peaking, I meditate, practice yoga, read, or exercise—all things that I love to do, and try to do often on my good days.

However, I’m simply not that person. As much as I’ve tried to take deep, healing breaths while in the middle of a panic attack, this unfortunately forces me to focus more on my breathing, which I then fixate on and find issue with. When I could probably benefit most from mindfulness exercises or meditation, delving that deeply into my already panicked thoughts tends to only further my anxiety.

What I really need are distractions, a way to turn off my brain before it becomes too overheated and leaves me in a state where I’m burned-out and numb. I need comfort, but packaged and delivered in a way that requires little assembly and processing. And I’m not the only one.

"A panic attack is an extreme fear response," says clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly, Ph.D. "When the mind is soothed with distractions, the body has the opportunity to calm down. Rather than moving into a full panic response, the calmed mind signals the body to relax."

Maybe you’re the same way. Here are some meds-free (but Nicole-tested and expert-approved) ways to calm yourself during a panic attack. I’m not saying that meds are bad, but sometimes you don’t have access to them, or you may not want to take them for any number of reasons.

Watching dumb television can actually, really help.

Richard Shuster, Psy.D, M.S.W., and host of The Daily Helping Podcast says, "When we watch television, we’re generally watching things that bring us pleasure or are interesting to us. When we engage in activities which bring us pleasure and promote enjoyment, there are numerous psychological and physiological benefits including stress reduction. Watching fun and lighthearted programs such as comedies are a good example of this."

Of course, there are downsides to watching television to cope with anxiety. Watching a scary movie or intense drama could have the opposite effect and spiral you into a panic attack. Watching TV at night or falling asleep while viewing can also have adverse effects on your sleep cycle, which Shuster says "can result in increased emotional distress, including anxiety."

Personally, the type of television I absorb best while panicking are sitcoms, cartoons, Disney films, and other mindless content that require little effort to digest or process. It helps to watch something that can help shut down a racing mind. Plus, laughing is a great way to ease out of an anxiety attack.

Back in 2010, I had the worst anxiety I had ever had. I wasn’t in a good place mentally, and it all came to a head when I spent three days unable to leave my bed. Even getting up to use the restroom made my hands shake and sent me into a series of debilitating panic attacks. During that time, I watched The Emperor’s New Groove all day long. Eventually, I was able to relax and find relief in something so familiar when I otherwise felt so lost.

When I’m home by myself and anxious, watching a comfort film or series can do wonders. Typically, that means a show or movie where I can quote practically all of the lines. "Familiar is good, especially when dealing with anxiety," says Kevin Gilliland, Psy.D., executive director of Innovation360, and author of Struggle Well Live Well. "There's also a distraction technique that involves imagery: Think of your favorite relaxing place—a beach in Hawaii or the mountains of Colorado." Basically, pleasant images can have a calming effect, which is why familiar TV series and movies have been doing the trick for me for so many years.

"Depending upon an individual’s triggers, specific movies can be very calming," Manly says. "For example, someone who is experiencing anxiety as a result of a recent breakup may be triggered by a romantic movie. However, that same person may find an action moving soothing and distracting because the person’s ‘emotional wounds’ may not be triggered."

A 2016 study also demonstrated that watching television has the potential to reduce stress, a response particularly noted in women. Of the women who were polled, those watching television had lower levels of cortisol, which indicates lower stress levels.

What about phone games and social media?

When it’s not possible to watch a movie—say, if you're in line at the grocery store—there are quite a few phone games that may help ease anxiety. A study conducted at Texas A&M indicated that those who played violent video games were able to deal with stress better, became less depressed, and were able to avoid hostility during stressful periods.

However, if violent video games aren't your jam (they sure aren't mine), distracting yourself with a calming video game can still be helpful for folks with anxiety. My favorite is Neko Atsume, a low-pressure game in which you feed cats, buy them toys, and take photos of them playing. That’s it. That’s all there is to it, but it's able to offer me the distraction I need.

And that makes sense, according to Shuster, who says that "computer games such as puzzles and other non-violent games may provide a source of relaxation for those with anxiety."

I’m not the only one who uses the game for this reason, either. When browsing the Neko Atsume subreddit, I found many other players who used the game to deal with anxiety and said that they felt their anxiety diminish once they started playing regularly. It offers a sense of purpose—you're logging achievements—but it isn’t so demanding that it might contribute to burnout.

Social media can also appease anxiety in a similar way: It can help you feel less alone through online support groups and can provide much-needed "support and positivity," according to Shuster. (You get out of social media what you put into it, though—you’re not likely to find peace by Facebook stalking your ex).

Cute animals can make life so much better.

It’s no secret that fuzzy friends help alleviate stress and anxiety. Aside from hanging out with them in real life (shout out to my perfect cat, Ava) looking at photos and videos of little cuties really helps.

"There is a good body of research that suggests animals can have an overwhelmingly positive impact on one’s mental health," Shuster says. "Even if we’re just looking at the picture of a dog or a cat, it tends to evoke a positive emotional response because of the meaning that we assign to pets in general."

And while there are many terrible aspects to Reddit, it's also full of gems. One is r/Aww, where you can find adorable photos of animals, and it’s perfect, especially for the late-night panic that settles in just in time for bed. Yes, I’m the type of person who almost misses their alarm for work by draining the phone battery after falling asleep looking at a GIF of a puppy falling over.

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The Dodo is another great resource for adorable animal news and videos. Some of their videos are little over-the-top, and the music tends to make me roll my eyes, but watching cute animals befriend one another is always a win in my book.

"Pets are a wonderful source of unconditional love," Manly says. "Even looking at pictures of animals can bring about states of calm, especially if an individual has had prior experiences of a supportive, calming connection with animals."

Service animals are being used to treat mental illnesses more and more these days (particularly in airports), and in that same way, simply looking at cute animals can help ease an anxious mind and offer a grounding warmth.

These resources definitely aren’t cure-alls, and I’m not certain they’ll always be the most reliable, depending on the severity of the anxiety. But so far, the most tried-and-true way to subdue my rising anxiety is to distract myself.

Nicole Ortiz is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn who has been published with HelloGiggles, xoJane, and Thought Catalog. Her work can be viewed on her site or you can watch her talk to herself on Twitter @neco_ornot.

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