#i want a live action barbie movie that makes me HAPPY

[sensitivegoblin]

Stupid vent

[destinationtrekk]

i think i want to see wesker watch the barbie movies. i just feel like… i just need that i think. something something, ted nivison’s barbie madness. i think william birkin and albert wesker would lose their shit over the barbie franchise.

wesker 🤝 12 dancing princesses

goes along with the thing that like….they didn’t watch movies. or listen to much music, or really do anything growing up under Spencer except be brainwashed and study and… that’s about it

so when he comes home and you’re having self care time and Barbie swan lake is playing he’s like??? What.

you’re a little embarrassed cause like Awh man it’s a kids movie but the music is good!! So he sits down with you anyway and yeah okay he’ll have some wine too and suddenly you’re halfway through the princess and the pauper and he’s HOOKED

genuinely cannot explain why he likes it. They’re just simple stories with happy endings and really funny bad guys and it makes his inner child really warm and fuzzy and happy

so yeah when Barbie live action comes out in theatres you don’t even have to ask. He already bought tickets and yes we have to wear matching pink shirts darling what do you take me for

you created a monster

[dem-obscure-imagines]

New Year's Eve Kisses 2023

Note: Well, here we are again, my four year drabble streak. I’m really excited about the group this year! As a heads-up, I have not seen any of the One Piece Anime, just the live action, so I’ll be using that information for Zoro. Also, I am writing quite a few of these characters for the first time, so let me know how I did hahaha. Also, I believe reader is gender neutral in all of these <3

Fandoms: One Piece (Live Action), The Barbie Movie, DCEU, X-Men, Ghosts US

Total Word Count: 4.5k

Warnings: Some violence, lots of smooches, mentions of death bc ghosts lol

Roronoa Zoro

Word Count: 1.1k

Luffy had insisted the crew dock the ship in the nearest port for the night. Your small, noble, six-man crew. You were the newest member, still learning your place and doing your best to earn your keep. Not that that mattered to the captain. Luffy believed in every person he met. He was perhaps the most hopeful, optimistic person you’d ever come across in your life. It was endearing.

You were a writer, a researcher, an inventor by some meanings of the word. You didn’t have a lot of fighting skills, but you made up for it with your knowledge and trading skills. The other pirates you came across were always low on fruit, but due to your skills in botany, the ship now had a garden with several fruit trees, herb shrubs, and some vegetable plants. You filtered water for drinking and for watering them, and therefore, you always had fresh food to eat, and plenty of surplus to trade with other crews.

You’d earned them a small fortune in other words.

At the moment, you were hunched over your desk, screwing a piece into place for a weapon you were making for Usopp, an automatic rock launcher. You hoped it would be a nice alternative to his slingshot.

Someone cleared their throat and you whipped around, pulling your goggles onto your head to find Zoro standing there, a hand resting on his belt, where his three swords were nestled. “We’re headed ashore. Captain’s orders.”

“Oh! Okay.” You took off your work gloves and hung your goggles on their hook, moving carefully in rhythm with the boat rocking. Sea legs were still something you were working on, but you liked to think you were getting better at it. “Any reason in particular?”

“The new year.”

“Right, right. Guess I forgot how long I was cooped up in here. I’ll uh…” you glanced down at your attire, your overalls covered in dirt and oil. Probably not acceptable attire for a New Year’s Eve bash. “I’ll get changed.”

“Great.” Zoro nodded and left and you stared at the empty doorway. Of all your crewmates, he was the one you hadn’t gotten a read on. He was fiercely loyal, but pretty quiet most of the time. He did have a bit of snark in him, though. He often found himself at odds with Sanji, which you found endlessly amusing.

You flipped through your closet and found something a little nicer, a gift from Kaya, Usopp’s best friend. The crew visited her every so often, and you’d gifted her a kaleidoscope. In return, she’d given you several gifts, the outfit you were wearing currently included.

Satisfied, you turned and walked up onto the deck, where the others stood, dressed in their finest. When you looked off the deck, you were anchored, sure enough, at the Baratie. Sanji looked happy to be there.

“Wow! You look great, (Y/N)!” Luffy complimented, smiling warmly.

“Thanks! So do you.” You replied, looking at the others. You caught the way Zoro’s eyes lingered on you as you passed, following the others off of the ship and out to the bar of the restaurant, which was absolutely bustling with visitors from all over the East Blue.

“What do you want to drink?” Zoro asked, closer to you than you’d realized.

“Champagne is on the house, tonight.” Sanji piped up with a wink.

“I’m down for some champagne.” You said with a nod.

“I’ll be right back.” Zoro turned, flagging the nearest waiter and coming back with two flutes of champagne.

You took a long first sip of the sweet, sparkling drink. “Thanks, Zoro.”

“Of course.” He replied. It was surprising. You were pretty sure these were the most words you’d ever exchanged with him, but…it was a welcome change.

One glass of champagne snowballed into two or three, and before you knew it, you were dancing to the music the band was playing, bobbing along to the beat beside Usopp and Nami. In the corner of the room, Zoro was nursing a glass of something stronger than champagne. When the song ended, you walked over to him.

He met your eyes, but didn’t shoo you away. Instead, he moved over so you could lean against the wall beside him. “You look like you’re having fun.”

“I am having fun.” You grinned, cheeks flushed, breaths shortened. “Are you?”

“I’m having fun watching you have fun.”

“What, you don’t dance?”

“Not usually.” He grinned, sipping his beer. “I’m glad you’re here. I’m…glad we stopped on Butterfly Island that day.”

“You mean it?”

Zoro nodded. “I know we don’t talk a lot, but…I’d like to change that next year.”

“I’m your resolution?”

He chuckled. “Something like that.”

“Well, I’d like that, too.” You smiled.

A few hours and another glass of champagne later, the countdown to midnight had begun, and you found yourself dangerously close to a pirate from another ship, who was looking at you like a meal.

“Ahoy there, haven’t seen you around, before.” He eyed you up and down with his one good eye, the other covered with a patch.

“Haven’t been paying enough attention to the bulletin boards, then.” You commented, trying to sneak past. “If you’ll excuse me—”

He grabbed your arm. “Ye don’t happen to have someone you’re looking for, do ye? I’d hate for you to spend midnight alone…”

“I’m fine, thank you.” You tugged your arm away, or tried to, but his grip tightened.

You heard the sound of metal and looked up to find Zoro, sword unsheathed, eyes the darkest you’d ever seen them.

“Let go of them or lose your hand. Up to you.” Zoro growled.

The pirate let go of you and scurried away, murmuring something about Zoro’s green hair.

You exhaled a sigh and took a step closer to him, the tension rolling out of your shoulders. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me for the bare minimum. That guy was a creep.” He said, eyes lingering on the vile man’s figure as he retreated to the far corner of the room.

As the countdown narrowed, Zoro took a step closer, eyes fluttering shut as he looked at you. And there he froze, waiting for you to do something. And so when midnight hit, you did, carefully reaching for his jaw and pulling him closer.

Fireworks hit as he kissed you, lips confident and sure. When you pulled apart, the energy between you swirled, his nose lingering against yours, eyes searching yours for some hint that this was real, that it wasn’t just a fleeting moment.

So, to be sure, he leaned in and kissed you again.

Barbara “Barbie” Handler

Word Count: 0.5k

To say that Barbie was nervous was the understatement of the century. She hadn’t been nervous when she set out for the human world. She had the encouragement of her fellow Barbies then. But walking into the New Year’s Eve party she was currently attending with Gloria and her husband, she was so nervous. She found herself adjusting her hair, constantly checking her dress.

If there was anything she had learned in her time living in California, it was that being a human woman was harder than it looked.

“It’ll be fun, Barbie. I promise.” Gloria said, eyes warm, truthfilled. She knew her friend was right. It would be fun.

They got out of the car and walked into the large house together. The music was loud, there were refreshments and drinks on nearly every surface, and all over the walls, there were silver and gold decorations.

She wandered in further, taking a glass of champagne from Gloria and sipping it cautiously. It was sweet, bubbling, with a sharp edge of something she didn’t recognize. Alcohol, probably, she deduced. Barbie sampled a few of the treats and then her eyes fell on a pretty stranger in the corner of the room, all alone.

She walked over, armed with a smile. “Hi, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year!” You replied, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear. “I’m (Y/N).”

“Barbara.” She introduced, offering a polite hand that you shook with a smile. “I’m new around here, so Gloria brought me.”

“Oh, Gloria! I used to babysit her daughter before I went off to college. And now she’s all grown up.”

“Do you babysit often?”

You laughed. “Oh, no, it’s been a while. I work at a law firm now.”

“That is so incredible! Do you like it there?”

“It’s great, yeah.” You nodded. “What do you do?”

“I’m between jobs, right now.” Barbie shrugged. “But I think I might go back to school, try to figure things out.”

“That’s great, Barbara, I hope that goes well for you.” You smiled.

She paused, hesitating before saying, “You can call be Barbie, if you’d like.”

“Alright, Barbie.” You grinned. “You know, I loved Barbies as a kid.”

“You did? Which ones?” She asked, smiling brighter than the sun.

The two of you settled onto a couch together, side by side, talking and talking and talking until midnight. And when the ball dropped, the rest of the party guests paired up, partaking in the yearly tradition of the New Year’s Eve Kiss.

“Woah, what are they doing?” Barbie asked, looking around.

“Oh, it’s a New Year’s Eve kiss. People believe kissing someone at midnight will bring them good luck in the new year.”

“Oh!” Barbie nodded. She looked at you for a moment, blue eyes wide before asking, politely, “Can I kiss you?”

You smiled and nodded. “Absolutely.”

You knew you had just met her, but you could tell then and there that there was something special about Barbie. And when her soft, pink lips finally met yours, it was nothing short of magic.

Jaime Reyes

Word Count: 0.7k

You straightened out your clothes, tugging the wrinkles out of the fabric. You did a once-over in your phone camera, making sure everything looked just right. Someone whistled, drawing your attention. Jaime. Of course. Your flirtatious teammate and fellow Justice League member. You and him had a will-they-won’t-they going on that had started the first day you joined the team. He was determined to win you over and you were determined to not let him in.

But hey, it was New Year’s Eve. Anything can happen on New Year’s Eve. Maybe that was the reason Bruce had insisted the entire team attend his yearly charity gala. He’d even sent you the clothes and everything.

“What, Reyes?”

“Nothing. You…clean up nice.”

“Thanks. So do you.”

It was true. He was dressed up in a crisp black suit, the royal blue tie hanging from his neck, untied. He offered the ends to you. “Do you mind?”

“Come here.” You motioned him closer, taking the ends of the tie and carefully twisting it into the proper shape, gently tightening the knot.

His eyes fell on you, soft and warm, the end of his lip quirked up into a smile. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Literally don’t. I don’t think Arthur would let you hear the end of it if he knew you didn’t know how to tie a tie.”

“Who says I don’t?” He winked, turning on his heel and exiting the room, to leave you with your thoughts and flushed cheeks.

***

At the party, you stood beside Victor at the edge of the room. He had a projector going, projecting a human form onto his body. It was pretty convincing, you had to admit, so long as no one touched him and felt the metal, that was. Arthur was already about twelve drinks deep, tearing up the dance floor. Diana was mingling, looking graceful and beautiful, as always.

Clark was there, talking to the guests as well, no doubt getting the inside scoop for his next article. Bruce floated around, entertaining and playing up the billionaire façade. Well, the money part wasn’t a façade. The attitude was, however.

And then there was you, sipping from a glass of champagne, surrendering to the fuzzy feeling at the edge of your mind.

“Incoming, ten o’clock.” Victor murmured, patting your shoulder and promptly bailing.

Great. Figured.

Jaime strolled up, looking as confident as ever. He offered his arm, tilting his head towards the dancefloor. You rolled your eyes, downing the rest of your champagne before taking his hand and letting him whisk you into the crowd of dancing guests.

It was familiar, in a way. It felt right, despite the way you protested. Maybe you were just afraid of getting hurt. But you knew the way he looked at you, the way he protected you in fights and went out of his way to make you happy when you were feeling down…he was the real deal. He always had been.

Now it was up to you to let him in.

Jaime spun you around, pulling you close to him. Your hand rested on his chest and you could feel the way his heart was absolutely hammering in his chest.

“Do I make you nervous?” You whispered, relishing in the way his eyes flashed when you did.

“Of course you do, looking like that, looking at me with those eyes.”

“What eyes?” You asked innocently, batting your eyelashes at him.

He chuckled. “You know what I’m talking about.”

“Uh-huh, sure.”

“Do you think…after the holidays, maybe you’d want to…go see a movie together or something?” He asked, waiting in anticipation.

“Yeah, I’d really like that, Jaime. I never thought you’d ask.”

“I never thought you’d say yes.” He admitted.

“Well, I’m just full of surprises, aren’t I?”

He grinned. “Seems like it.”

The party came to a crescendo as the clock neared midnight, and you didn’t leave Jaime’s side, arm looped through his. He kept looking down at you like he expected it to be a vision, a trick of the mind from one of Bruce’s many adversaries. But it was real. You were real. You were into him, and, it had taken you long enough to realize it, but…maybe, just maybe, you two could make it work.

Time would tell, but you had more pressing matters at hand. Namely, Jaime pressing his lips to yours as midnight struck and both of your lives changed for the better.

Hank McCoy

Word Count: 1.1k

There was nothing quite like a mission the day before New Year’s Eve. You were suited up, leg bouncing as the jet neared your target, the facility where you were pretty sure they had taken Hank. “They” being the US government, of course. Figured. You didn’t know the details, but you were sure it had something to do with his true form.

Most of them saw Hank as some monster. A Beast. But he wasn’t, not to you. He was perfect to you, whether he saw that or not, blue or otherwise.

“You alright there, Professor (L/N)?” Peter asked, watching as orange light danced around your fingertips.

“I will be once he’s safe.”

“He’ll be fine.” Jean insisted, pressing a pair of fingers to her temples. She was, as Charles insisted, your brightest student. And you hoped she was right this time, like she had been every other time. “I’m picking him up. That building down there.” Jean pointed at a large, metal warehouse that looked empty. Looked being the keyword.

Moira landed the jet and Peter rushed out first, running straight to the doors and unlocking them with a flurry of fingers. The rest of you followed, and as soon as he got the doors open, you sprinted inside, power radiating around your fingers as you looked around. There were several scientists in lab coats and goggles, tables and tables with mutants strapped to them, and on the wall, several of them held in place with cuffs.

You could spot Hank’s blue fur a mile away. There were two scientists near him, discussing a plan between them.

“He’s a monster, just do what you have to do.” One scientist said, making your blood boil while the other prepared a syringe.

You made a beeline straight to him, using your power to lift the scientist about to prod him with a needle, tossing her against the nearest wall with a loud clang. You faced the other one, fire in your eyes. “He’s not the monster. You are.”

A blast of power shot from the palm of your hand, sending the second scientist after the other one.

“(Y/N)…” Hank murmured, eyelids heavy. “You came. I…I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Of course I did.” You whispered, walking closer and using your power to unlock the cuffs holding his ankles and wrists. It sickened you to see him strung up like that, like some dangerous animal.

As soon as he was free, he slumped into your arms, barely able to keep himself upright. You supported his weight, pulling his arm around you and using your free arm to blast anyone who got too close. You watched as one by one, Peter freed the rest of the room. Jean fought off some scientists as you helped Hank to the exit and onto the jet.

You all but collapsed into the seat next to his, dozens of newly rescued mutants murmuring amongst themselves as Peter sped inside, raising his goggles up onto the top of his head.

He ran a quick head count. “That’s everyone, Moira.”

“Alright, hang on everyone.” Moira warned as she pulled the thrusters, sending the jet into motion back towards the Academy.

Hank tiredly reached a clawed hand for yours, fur thick and blue and soft. You took his hand gladly, meeting his exhausted eyes.

“Are you okay?” You asked softly, worried. You had no idea what he’d been through in the few days they’d had him there.

“I am now.” He nodded and rested his head against your shoulder, his eyes drifting shut.

***

The next day, you were in the kitchen around noon, making yourself a London Fog. You hopped up onto the counter, sipping on it and scanning over the news. Hank wandered in, not long after, looking uncharacteristically blue. Usually, he always took his “medication” as he called it, the chemical he made to keep him, well, not blue.

It was a welcome change, though. You liked him like this. You liked him, period, no matter what he looked like.

“Hey.” You grinned, setting down the news.

“Morning.” He murmured, voice deeper than usual. He glanced at the clock. “Afternoon, I guess.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m still so wiped out.”

“I bet.” You pouted, tilting your head. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay, I guess. Decided not to take my meds for a while, try to flush out everything they gave me out of my system.”

“Smart.” You nodded. “You going to Charles’ party tonight.”

“Maybe. I’m not sure.” Hank chuckled sheepishly. “I’m not sure I have any suits that fit when I’m…like this.”

“Mmm.” You nodded. “Well, if you don’t want to go, we could just watch a movie or something. I can smuggle us food.”

“I appreciate it.” He grinned a fanged grin. “Hey, um…thanks. For yesterday. I owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Hank. I’m sure at some point you’ll be rescuing me from the government.”

He shook his head, eyes sincere. “I wouldn’t let them touch you.”

Your heart raced as he took a few steps closer, a blue hand settling beside your leg on the counter, the other raising to graze the edge of your cheek. He stared into your eyes like they were star-filled skies and he was searching for constellations.

You reached forward, pulling him into a hug that he quickly reciprocated, holding you close. “I-I was so scared, Hank. I’m so glad you’re alright.”

“I’m alright. I’m right here.” His paw stroking your hair gently. “Let’s…watch a movie tonight. You can pick. I’ll order a pizza and bring the drinks.”

You nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck, thriving in his warmth. He was so warm like this. You loved it even more than you remembered. “Sounds good to me.”

***

It was around ten that Hank knocked on the door of your room. You opened the door and let him in, a stack of VHS tapes sitting on the coffee table. He saw them and chuckled. “I thought I said you could pick.”

“Yeah, well, I’m indecisive so would you like Back to the Future or Rudolph’s Shiny New Year?”

“I think I’ll have to go with Rudolph, personally. Seems festive.”

“That’s what I thought, too.” You nodded, popping in the tape and settling down on the couch just as he did, a bottle of wine and two empty glasses set on the coffee table alongside a box of pizza.

You curled your legs against his, resting your head on his shoulder as he rested his head on yours, exhaling a long sigh. You were so relieved that he was okay, that he was with you.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” He whispered, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Funny, I was going to say the same about you.” You murmured, leaning further into his hold.

The two of you watched the movie together, wrapped in each others’ arms. And when midnight hit, it only made sense that the only person you were kissing was him.

Sasappis

Word Count: 1.0k

Sasappis remembered the first words you had said to them like you’d said them yesterday. You were Sam’s niece, the black sheep of the family due to your more spiritual path. Well, that was, until Sam started seeing literal spirits. You had the same gift. Of course, yours wasn’t due to a freak accident, but rather, something you were born with, an extra sense that made most people look at you like you were crazy.

That first day in the mansion, you’d gotten your bag to your room, started unpacking, and then slowly turned to face the corner he was lingering in and said, “So are you just gonna stand there and stare at me or…?”

His eyes had widened, staring at you even more intensely. He was caught off guard. You weren’t a ghost, you couldn’t be. Jay could see you, after all, but still, you were making eye contact with him, waiting for a response.

“Hello?”

“You can see me?”

“Obviously. Did Sam tell you guys nothing about me? You guys are the reason I’m here, after all.” You chuckled.

“We are?”

“Yeah, my aunt starts seeing ghosts her husband can’t…she needed some confirmation that she wasn’t losing her marbles. I’m the confirmation. Besides, I needed somewhere quiet to come write my novel.”

Oh that piqued his interest. “You’re a writer?”

“Yeah, I guess our sixth sense isn’t the only thing Sam and I have in common. She’s more of a journalist, though. I write fiction.”

He walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, beyond ready to learn more. “What genre?”

And you had gotten along perfectly ever since. The other ghosts in the house enjoyed having you around, too. It was nice having yet another human that could see them. You introduced them to all kinds of shows, helped with their tasks and physical limitations, and, most importantly, made quite a bit of frozen pizza when Jay and Sam went out for date night.

When the holidays rolled around, Sasappis expected you to leave, but he was relieved that you stuck around. He couldn’t imagine celebrating without you there. And when New Year’s Eve rolled around, all he could think about was how much he wanted to kiss you. But he couldn’t. Obviously. That was what he got for falling in love with someone who was still alive.

“Sasappis!” You called into the house, and he came running towards your room, Trevor just behind him. “I said Sasappis, not Trevor.”

Trevor cursed and then shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”

“What’s going on? Everything alright? You need help with another spider?”

You chuckled and shook your head. “No, it’s not that. You remember how I said I didn’t have time to get Christmas presents this year?”

“Yeah, and we all understood because you’re really busy and have your own things to do?”

“Yeah, of course, thank you. Well, I kind of lied. I got a present, but…it’s just for you and it’s kind of experimental…”

His eyebrows knit together, watching you. “What are you talking about?”

“So…” You watched the time on your watch, waiting for exactly nine thirty. As soon as it hit, you reached out your hand for him, a small thing clutched in your hand. It took him a second, but he reached out for it, holding open his hand, but expecting whatever it was to fall right through his hand, as everything did.

But when you let go of it, it landed in his hand, a small necklace, a metal locket on a silver chain. He stared at it for a long time before making eye contact with you.

“What is it?”

“It’s a visitation charm. In theory, it allows a spirit to visit the world of the living for three hours. And I didn’t think it would work…until now.”

“You mean…” He stared at you, waiting for you to say it.

“Put it on.” You encouraged, and he lifted the chain over his head, letting it settle against his clothes. You held out your hand and he put his in yours, skin on skin, warm on warm.

“Woah…” He murmured, feeling the skin of your palm.

“HOLY SHIT DID (Y/N) DIE?” Trevor shouted from the doorway, sending Sam running down the hall to see what was going on, Jay right behind her.

“Who are you?” Jay asked, locking eyes with Sasappis. “Wait, Sass? Is that you? Oh my god!”

“You can see him?” Sam asked. “What did you do?”

“I can explain, but he’s got three hours before it’ll wear off.” You told her.

Sasappis slipped his hand into yours, intertwining your fingers. Now that he could touch you finally, he never wanted to stop.

***

Midnight approached. The ghosts were all excitedly asking when you would have more charms available while Sasappis was enjoying a slice of pepperoni pizza, followed by every modern beverage he could get his hands on in such short notice.

When the countdown came to an end, Sass didn’t hesitate to kiss you, lips soft and sweet, if not a little inexperienced. You didn’t care. You looped an arm around his neck, holding him close as you kissed him back. It was an odd experience, tickling the Veil in such a way, but you didn’t care. You didn’t care that he had been dead for five centuries. You didn’t care that this second life was temporary. For that moment, he was yours and nothing else mattered.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that.” Sasappis whispered, forehead resting against yours.

“I don’t know, I’ve been working on that for like a month just so we could do this, so…” You shrugged. “It’s reciprocated.”

His gaze softened. “Do you think this will ever happen again, or…or is this the last time this will work?”

“I’m not sure, but…I’ll make you another one and we can go from there.”

He nodded. “That’s a good plan. But whether or not we’re on the same plane of existence…I really like you (Y/N). I’m glad you came here and…I hope you’ll stay a while.”

You kissed him again, a hand framing his cheek. “Believe me, Sass, I don’t have plans to leave anytime soon.”

[fbfh]

girl dad!steve x reader hcs

wc: 900

pairing: dad!steve x mom!reader (no pronouns used)

warnings: mentions of pregnancy, steve has six little nuggets, steve is a good dad, steve is raising his daughters right, lots and lots of glittery girly hyperfemininity

a/n: I'm thinking and planning and plotting and scheming!!! good things to come!!!! also happy almost new year (as of the time I'm writing this lol)

tags: @yesv01 @hopefullhearts @littlewinter1917 @thatawkwardlittlefangirl  @Sad-brunnettee @ilikemypolarbear @lubsana @cowboylikekelsey @paris-loves-dustin @girlfriendwhoseawitch @the-snake-pit @hxgemxscles @demirunner @cosmiq-cloud @if-only-i-was-fictional @brinaslittlefreak @almostjollypizza  @mystic-writings  @babiesimagines @Fictionalcomforts  @lizziebitch33 @urmum-xoxo @legramilis @mrscarolscaramoucheplease

Steve Harrington is 100% without a doubt  a girl dad

He knew 

Even before any of your girls were born

That they would all have two things

His perfect hair and winning personality

Unfortunately he knows there’s also a pretty good chance they might have some of that mean girl streak he retired in high school

He’s fully aware of that going into this

And he doesn’t want his kids to make the same mistakes he did

So he really prioritizes teaching them from a young age to be compassionate and think about how their words and actions could affect other people

To look out for the kids that are shy or lonely or don’t have anyone to play with

He teaches them to use their powers for good, like aunt El

But before we get into any more of that

When Steve realized all six of your kids were going to be girls???

He was so over the moon

He initially was hoping for three girls and three boys

You had two girls back to back at first

Then for your third pregnancy, you found out you were having twins

Both girls 

After your fifth girl he realized you could go 6 for 6 all girls

The idea made him way more excited than he expected to be

In the second trimester of your sixth pregnancy, the doctor looked at the ultrasound closely before turning to you and steve with a smile

“It’s a girl!” 

Steve was so happy 

He couldn’t stop hugging you and crying 

Kissing your forehead, thanking you for giving him such beautiful children, such a beautiful family 

When you were pregnant with the twins, he really started stocking up on girl stuff for them

He realized he’s going to jump from two daughters to four

And if Steve Harrington is anything, he’s a provider

He gets your oldest two to help him pick out stuff for them and their new sisters

Barbies, baby dolls, nail polish, hair accessories, dress up costumes, my little ponies, polly pocket sets, and much more

All picked out by them 

Soon find their way into your living room and nursery 

Not to mention the books and movies about princesses, fairies, fashion, friendship, and every other hyperfeminine childhood dream

And all the classics about sisterhood too

Vhs tapes of pride and prejudice, little women, sense and sensibility, fiddler on the roof

Even my neighbor totoro 

Are all quick to become favorites at your house 

A few years later when all six of your girls are here

Steve has become a master at being a girl dad

He can braid hair like a champion and he’s never met a tea party he didn’t like 

And every time one of your girls brings home a new friend, quietly telling steve that they were playing by themselves and she didn’t want them to feel lonely 

He knows he’s done his job well

Don’t get me wrong, there have been times where someone’s copped an attitude and been grounded from lip gloss or butterfly clips for a few days to keep that in check 

But for the most part they remember and follow every word of their dad’s advice

As mentioned in another post, sleepovers are a huge deal 

Once a week you’ll rent a couple movies for your girls so they can watch and play barbies while you and Steve plan and coordinate schedules for the upcoming week 

There’s usually some birthday party or sleepover 

And there’s definitely more than a few play dates to coordinate too

Plus ballet classes, gymnastics, girl scouts

Not to mention the horse riding lessons your twins have been begging you for

You both sit down with some coffee or tea and get everything planned out

It takes some effort to coordinate pick ups and drop offs and homework assignments 

But it means his girls are happy, so he really loves to do it

The only flaw in Steve’s parenting 

The one thing you’ve been warning him not to do too much 

Is spoil them

But your stevie really is a provider at heart

When his girls beg him for something with puppy eyes 

Especially if they all ask together to wear him down

He doesn’t stand a chance

Besides, he really really loves spoiling them

He loves seeing his girls happy 

Every time he caves, it’s always followed with a “alright, now let’s pick something out for your mom” 

Because holy shit he loves spoiling you too

He loves you so much

He loves everything about you

And he especially loves the beautiful family you gave him 

Every day his daughters remind him more and more of you

And he really couldn’t be prouder

He’s looking forward to when the years full of makeup and dates and prom dress shopping 

And everything before and after that 

He’s so proud of who they are and who they’re going to become

He’s so proud to be their dad

And to get to parent them alongside you

There’s not one day that goes by without glitter and lisa frank stickers and lip gloss and hair clips

And there’s not a day that goes by without laughter and smiles and hugs a

And Steve telling all of you how much he loves you

[uzumaki-rebellion]

The World-building of Wakanda: Black Panther and Afrofuturism

I've been revisiting the Wakanda Syllabus that an educator associate of mine Dr. Walter Greason put together when the first Black Panther movie came out, and also reviewing old discussions about the significance of that era as a cultural moment and movement at the same time.

The fact that I still write Black Panther fanfics is a testement to the love I have for that fandom and its importance to Afrofuturism and Black Diaspora Futurism. I'm always happy when I see other Black writers out here still churning out plots and series fics because it is a digital archive for how we perceive a fictional future where as Killmonger once annouced "We're on top."

These works are important and specifically center the Black experience. And we don't have to fit our characters inside of white story spaces where we are usually the sidekick or fetish characters. I had an interesting talk with a friend of a friend and she wanted to argue that Black characters in the MCU who were not in the Black Panther/Wakanda Forever films should be included in the discussions of Afrofuturism, and I said they didn't belong in it fully because those characters are not centering Black people's futures. They center the non-Black white leads and their American/American adjacent interests (I'm talking about War Machine, Nick Fury, Sam Wilson, Valkyrie etc). It was a good back and forth because I am always questioning how Black people can build Black solidarity/communities by always working in white spaces in the service of white global agendas.

Writing Killmonger's journey (and his parents) for over six years (Lawd six years!!!!) with numerous books has taught me a lot about my role in preserving our fandom legacy as Black fanfiction writers and as readers. Afrofuturism has allowed me to explore not only Black Liberation, but Black Queerness, ATR's (African Traditional Religions), Black Matriarchy and Black Patriarchy. I've written about things I love and participate in, and also got to play pretend like I'm a kid again playing with my Barbie dolls and action figures. Black sex. Black music. Black art. Black philosophy. Blackety Black and unapologetic.

All this to say that I hope others out there like me keep writing and reading and reblogging these free little digital seeds we are planting that will truly blossom in the future when others discover our work. I know many Black writers lament that we don't get the same traction or BNF notoriety that white writers do. However, there is joy and divine calling when one simply sits and writes a Black Panther tale to give to other Black people for free all over the world. It still boggles my mind that there are people who have read my stories for years and they live on the other side of the world. People I will probably never meet, but they read and sometimes leave sweet comments that feed me to keep going.

Keep writing y'all. Keep reading and sharing and creating. You are making Afrofuturism fanfiction that is a time capsule for Black folks who aren't even here yet. Academics are secretly reading your stuff and using it to formulate academic studies on a fictional world ! Your Black Panther creations are beautiful no matter where you live on the planet!

Pat yourself on the back and keep worldbuilding and reading.

Here is a link if you want to check out some Wakanda Syllabus stuff that has been collected for the public to use.

[agentnico]

Top 10 BEST Movies of 2023

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all partied hard and are now surviving a dreadful hangover by sitting with your family or friends and enjoying a well deserved marathon of Lord of the Rings. 2023 - what a year! In the movie biz alone there were those little minor events known as the strikes of the actors and writers. Just when we thought COVID was over and stopped affecting releases, these strikes were like “errr no, actually..!”. To be fair, the way the streaming services were underpaying their actors and the studios enforcing AI so much into the media, it was good that these artists stood up for themselves and showed it to the man so to speak! Anyway, we’re not here to talk Hollywood politics, but to celebrate all the quality filmmaking that was exhibited this past year. I’d say in all honesty this year felt weaker compared to 2022. To be fair last year gave us Everything Everywhere All at Once, Top Gun: Maverick and of course the legendary RRR, so the bar was high for 2023. That being said, I still enjoyed some solid films, so let’s rank my Top 10 favourite movies of 2023, but first some honourable mentions…

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Evil Dead Rise - one heck of a gore fest, and the best opening title card of the year hands down!

Past Lives - a simple yet brutally honest love story.

The Boy and the Heron - Wanna hear Robert Pattinson sound like not Robert Pattinson?!

Guy Richie’s The Covenant - The least Guy Ritchie film Guy Ritchie directed.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - Wes Anderson and Roald Dahl are a match made in heaven.

Barbie - I’m Just Ken…need I say more??

Wonka - Timmy makes for a good Willy.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - A solid Marvel entry - a rarity these days.

Tetris - Gosh those tetrominos really get ya!

Right, with that, let’s get into the actual fun stuff - The Top 10 Best Movies of 2023!…

10) MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING - PART ONE - Tom Cruise - what a guy! I mean yes he’s a Scientologist, has a constant death wish by breaking his ankles on film sets and also guilty of jumping on Oprah’s sofa like a monkey, but my my is he a charmer! You guys know the drill with these Mission Impossible movies - Tom Cruise throws his body around like a potato fearing not for his life nor broken limbs, but you have to respect the man for wanting to give the audience their tickets’ worth of entertainment, and Dead Reckoning not disappoint! There’s never a dull moment, the action is constantly inventive and exciting, and honestly with how consistent the quality of these films are, I say keep ‘em coming, Cruise-man!

9) DREAM SCENARIO - Anyone who knows me knows how much I love me some Nicolas Cage! The guy’s an acting legend, and he’s had it rough a decade ago when he got stuck paying off hi tax money and starring in crappy B-movies, but recently he’s been on a hot streak of great original content, and Dream Scenario adds to that. I love this idea of a random dude suddenly appearing in people’s dreams for absolutely no reason. It’s so rare to have a new original conception in a film in our day and age, and the execution here is great. As a bonus, the movie features possibly the best fart joke in the history of the cinema.

8) FALLEN LEAVES - This features the deadest karaoke ever - the Finns sure know how to party!! Also bonus points for featuring an out-of-left-field reference to Jim Jarmusch’s zombie flick The Dead Don’t Die, which by no means is a great film, but the fact that the director of Fallen Leaves knows about such obscure pieces of cinema only reiterates the fact that he gets cinema. Which in this case is a straightforward romantic love story, but one that I instantly connected with. Reminded me of Compartment No. 6.

7) OPPENHEIMER - On one had this is probably the most “well-made” movie of 2023 cinematically speaking. Christopher Nolan does not hold back in using his typical non-linear way of storytelling, with the film weaving narratives and different time periods seamlessly as it explores the profound depths of a man who’s actions altered the world’s trajectory forever, for better or worse. It’s an incredible historical piece of cinema, and the movie gets extra points for the whole ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon, but the reason this film is not higher on the list is due to the fact that I believe it is overrated. Cause every single person raved about how bloody amazing this thing was, I became tired of the positivity. Yeah, I know, I’m being a Scrooge but what you gonna do about it?? Oppenheimer is stuck at No. 5!

6) ROBOT DREAMS - I’m sorry to go vulgar on this occasion, but my-my was I shipping this dog and it’s robot to absolutely fudge each others brains out!! Yet the movie happens to do the funny thing of being the biggest cockblock ever….. and that’s the best thing it could have done. Simplistic cartoon-network style animation made beautiful by an earnest story, accompanied by the delightful sounds of Earth, Wind & Fire.

5) KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - When a movie forces you to stay in the cinema for over 3 hours, it better be one epic film, as your man here was straining his bladder to health threatening levels. However this is a Martin Scorsese picture, as such this is event cinema! And this one may be up there with one of his best. Killers of the Flower Moon is a major saga of greed, murder, corruption and despair, told through the eyes of a filmmaker who somehow is still managing to mature more as a director even though he’s already over 80 years of age.

4) THE HOLDOVERS - The Holdovers is very much a vibes movie. It has that old-timey retro feel to it from how it is shot to make it look like it’s from the 70s (reminiscent of John Hughes films and Dead Poets Society). You also have the constant snow falling and the Christmas music just really delivers that cozy winter feel. It’s a wholesome Christmas movie through and through. Paul Giamatti gives a career-best performance and the writing is absolutely stellar, as such The Holdovers is destined to become a holiday classic.

3) BEAU IS AFRAID - A 3-hour long anxiety attack that A24 spent $30 million to produce. For a movie studio to spill out such a massive amount of cash on a completely original IP that is divisively out-there and wild is such a unique thing to happen in Hollywood in this day and age, that like the film or not this act needs to be applauded. It just so happens that Beau Is Afraid is batshit bonkers and truly an act of madness, yet one that I will forever cherish. I bet David Lynch had the biggest hard-on when he watched this movie - you betcha!

2) PERFECT DAYS - Essentially plays out like a live-action remake of WALL-E from the director of Paris, Texas. Honestly this is such a sweet and delightful film about a toilet cleaner doing his thang, and somehow inspired me to want to clean toilets myself. A beautiful piece of independent cinema that appreciates the little things, and truly embraces the ideology of stopping to smell the roses.

1) SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is, put simply, brilliant! It’s everything that made Into the Spider-Verse great dialled up to 1000%, and the result is honestly fantastic. Look, I watch a lot of movies. And yeah, movies are great and I love them deeply. But in watching so many films I have in a way lost that magic of being in awe every time I go to the cinema. Cliches and repetitiveness in films stick out like sore thumbs. However with Across the Spider-Verse I felt like a kid again, purely stunned in amazement at every single frame, engaged with the characters and story-line, not knowing where it will go next. Like I cannot reiterate how much fun I had watching this movie! The animation is phenomenal, the narrative so rich, a pulse-throbbing music score (I even have Pemberton’s score on vinyl now just cause I love it so much!) superb character development and so many fun and unexpected twists and turns. Across the Spider-Verse is THE movie of 2023 for me and I believe this is the first time ever an animation took a top spot on my list. Here’s hoping Part 3 of the Spider-Verse saga will play out like The Return of the King!

There you have it - my favourite films of 2023. Naturally I don’t expect my list to be the same as yours, so don’t go throwing a tantrum if I missed out a movie you loved. Or do throw a tantrum, see if I care. But also don’t, cause like we’re all friends here, right? Right??!

[cafffine]

god the barbie movie i knooooowww like i do not understand what the people who rave about it are seeing. like even structurally it's not good!! the writing was so heavy handed and obvious with what it Wanted To Say i felt like it was treating me like a child being taught to share for the first time; the daughter was basically nothing after getting her "lol look how cringe and inflammatory high school sjw girls are, calling everything fascist" line and then "look "she's sooooo much nicer when she learns to Accept Femininity and get rid of her gross baggy black clothes"; the executives bit was so weird and just like abruptly dealt with and ended without really any action by the characters; america ferrera's monologue was just made me go "yeah, and..." like misogyny isn't fixed by just telling women they're being oppressed and then they can use their Feminine Wiles to Trick Men and fix it

it felt like something that wanted to be campy and lovably cheesy and self aware but it was so shallow it did not have nearly enough substance behind it to say anything that makes the cheesiness bearable

You’re so right about all of this. The longer I think about it the more angry I am about the way the ‘real world’ men were written. Like ok fine! The Kens are just goofy and dumb because they’re not ‘real men’ they’re just concepts they’re just Kens, but why are the real life men who live and enforce the patriarchy ALSO goofy and harmless??? Why did they get to stay in charge at the end? Why did they have to ‘approve’ the concept of a ‘normal barbie’ and why did their approval only rest on the idea that a normal barbie would make money? Why did they never face any repercussions? What are the consequences of their oppression?? Oh haha don’t worry. They just want to tickle each other don’t worry about it.

Women are still products by the end of this, the men at the top get a happy ending where they give up nothing and continue to profit off women, Ken is finally willing to end his reign of patriarchy once Barbie preforms emotional labor for him, race is hardly even touched on except to be like ‘haha lol see we called her white savior barbie because she’s a white savior’! Ok! And??? The woman who created Barbie is a ghost!! She’s a ghost who sits in a kitchen!!!!

I’m ranting sorry 😭 but genuinely this movie let me down on so many fronts, I’m grateful to hear that there’s people who share my insanity.

[thefloatingstone]

After looking into the writers predicament and how it all led to the strike it made me realize that perhaps one of the reasons for the decline in quality media is becuase writers have been given less and less incentives to create good content, do you have any thoughts?

I don't think it would be exactly incentive. I would think in a certain amount of cases it would be down more to demotivation. Generally, writers for film and TV and such genuinely WANT to make a good story and, much like fanfic writers and fanartists, will do their best for very little thanks simply because it's what they DO. But not ever show or movie is going to be a passion project, in fact most of them won't. And if you're working for Disney especially, who owns 38% of all film (not counting TV and other media) so you most likely WILL end up wroking for Disney, you are going to have a TON of studio meddling on every level of writing.

As I mentioned in the other post, Mr Rick And Morty (sorry I don't know his name and I'm too lazy to check) wrote the story for the Dr Strange and the Multiverse of madness at LEAST twice when the movie's FIRST story and script was scrapped by a previous writer. The first script he wrote was heavily rewritten and changed and reworked by the studio. and then the studio just THREW OUT that script and he had write a brand NEW script 2 weeks before shooting started using all the props, sets, outfits and CG segments they had already made. And the thing is this is now STANDARD PRACTICE in working on a big budget Disney film.

Part of the reason the Barbie movie is written as well as it is, is because Mattel were almost completely hands off with the film's writing. (the only changes I heard about was them censoring one Barbie saying the word "Motherfucker" which they censored in the film by putting a Mattel sticker over her mouth) and various other things like the removal of a narration in one scene and one or two jokes were cut. You know! NORMAL screenwriting practices!

But Disney is so paranoid and controlling with literally everything they put out it is a death sentence for any kind of creativity. Even ignoring the fact that they hire brand new writers who they can control and push around easier, I imagine even if you were NOT a new writer just happy for a big break, it must be extremely demotivating to try and write a good story when you know Disney is just gonna shred it to ribbons.

This is absolutely not the ONLY reason of course. Velma's writing is so godawful because people who had only worked in live action cable comedy thought they could do the exact same thing for an animated show and it would work without knowing anything about the medium they were working in because they were arrogant, lacked restraint, and had gotten where they were thanks to being friends with the right people. HGS is so badly written because Raye Rodriquez had shopped around his story idea to EVERYONE and got rejected by all of them until Crunchyroll needed fodder to justify opening up its own studio to create "originals". Many times modern cartoons are badly written because the actual people writing the show are animators who haven't had any formal training or education in creative writing.

There are a thousand and one reasons for WHY something ends up badly written. But as for why we have gotten SO MUCH that is badly written recently I would chalk up to studio execs and the business side of Hollywood choking the creativity out of the writing process in an attempt to maximize profits in the short term.

That's an EXTREME simplification but that would be my opinion. Hell the only reason AI writing is even a conversation regarding film and TV is because it's the kind of thing these studio execs are SALIVATING over the thought of. A writer they have 100% control over that they don't have to pay and don't have to deal with all that "creative vision" or "artistic expression" bullshit which they don't like because it represents risk to sure fire income.

because most Studio Execs are businessmen who have no concept of creativity whatsoever, have no idea what being creative even means, and yet they think because they know how to make money in a corporate sense, they know how to monetise creativity to maximum efficiency.

It's like a fisherman getting rid of all the fish in the sea because they're getting in the way of him monetising the ocean.

Anyway this ask is a mess because this is a complex issue I am trying to express a simplified opinion on. But I hope you get what I mean.

[truly-hopeless]

The Barbie Bug Bit Me HARD And I Can't Decide What to Write

So as I mentioned near the end of this post, I want to start writing for Barbie (well, I say "start," but I have one up already, albeit a short one inspired by a song from a musical that I'm not super fond of and may rewrite) to break the monotony of only either writing Death Note or my novel. I watched and loved several of the princess/fairy tale Barbie movies as a kid and still think fondly of them today; finding out that some of the movies share voice actors with Death Note (a brainrot that has lasted for four years now) was a neat bonus and has helped renew my interest in Barbie, as did the live action movie that came out this summer. So I have a lot of ideas for stories I'd like to tell using the characters, some recent while a couple others have been marinating for a couple of years now. But with the new limit I'm putting in place to make sure stories will actually get finished, I can only pick ONE of these ideas to write for now and I can't decide what I want to write. So I'm going to tell you, who is reading this, a little about the stories without giving too much away about the plots and then ask you to pick which one you'd most like to read out of the choices.

Threads and Seams: Retelling of the Princess and the Pauper, but in a Rashamon-stylr and with things diverging heavily from canon as early as chapter one when Preminger's attempt to expose Erika as an imposter and blame her and Julian for Anneliese's disappearance backfires HORRIBLY. Will also be a little dark.

Untitled Changeling!Erika AU: Another Princess and the Pauper retelling, except Erika is a fairy who starts to learn more about herself and grow into her powers as she impersonates Anneliese. A lighter fic than the previous idea, but there is a small amount of body-horror planned and some other fairies introduced as supporting characters can be tricky.

From Violet to Fly Trap: A young woman wakes up as Princess Luciana from the novel "The Island Princess," which diverges heavily from the Barbie Roberts movie she enjoyed as a child and ends on a sad note since the author died before she could finish it. With her knowledge of what will happen, Luciana is determined to make sure Ro gets the happy ending she deserves...even if she has to outvillain her mother in order to do it. I've been reading a lot of webcomics where someone is reborn into a novel that ends badly and/or as a character that will suffer A LOT and, upon realizing this, does what they can to avoid this fate and ends up changing the entire story. And since I also have an evil part of me that wants to write bad endings to light-hearted things and make myself and others cry, I thought, "Why not combine the two? Create an angsty mess for the protagonist to clean up?"

Barbie In Danganronpa: Pretty self-explanatory, Barbie and her friends are trapped in a school and are told that the only way to get out is for someone to get away with murder. This is one that I've been thinking of for several years now, jotting down character notes, going back and forth on who should live or die, and I have the prologue and two out of the "six" chapters (if you've ever played Danganronpa, you'll know that there are two parts to each chapter, and the fanfics I've seen also have each game chapter last for several story chapters) outlined. This will utilize characters from My Scene to fill out the cast and I also have several ideas for alternate endings. May or may not try to incorporate visual elements, if I can either learn to do it myself or commission someone to do it.

Missing Scenes: My Scene Existential Horror AU. My idea is that it starts out light, showing literal missing scenes about things we know likely happened off-screen (stuff that could act as stand-alone one-shots), but then gets dark once the real world changes to the work (dolls being replaced or discontinued, personalities being rewritten, even changing styles) start to impact the fictional characters, particularly Barbie's replacement Kennedy. May make this a script and try to see about making this an analog horror, but considering my struggles with Death Note: Legacy that might not happen.

Survival Guide For The Vegetarian Vampire (title may change): My Scene Romantic Horror Comedy AU. River has hit rock bottom. He's struggling to find work as a musician, his girlfriend has dumped him, and he can no longer go outside during the daytime without his skin breaking out into horrible boils and he can't feel full no matter how many veggies he eats. Thankfully, his roommate and long-time friend Chelsea is there to help him out, but will she continue to stick around when they both find out just how much he needs her? Crack idea I had at work that grew legs along with a not-crack ship attached (the diary entries said that long before River and Barbie got together, Chelsea had a crush on River before he let her down gently and she realized they were better as friends; I feel it'd be ironic if the tables were turned in adulthood, but Chelsea is 1. not ready for a new relationship [I'm not fond of positively portraying adultery/infidelity, so she and Hudson will have been apart for a few years, though I haven't figured out the specifics such as if it's because of a break up or death] and 2. unsure if River actually likes her now or is just on rebound or only interested in her blood or both).

So which of these should I focus on first?

[sunnyrealist]

What fandoms other than Hogwarts Legacy and Harry Potter are you part of?

I’m just curious to see if there is any or even a lot of overlap. Comment and share other books, movies, shows, plays, games, ships, etc. that you enjoy! I might eventually make a poll about this, but I want to see what gets commented the most before I do.

I’ll go first! 🙋‍♀️

Star Wars - I used to be obsessed before The Rise of Skywalker. After a long period of depression resulting from that particular film, I don’t engage much anymore. But I love supporting all the Reylo fanfics getting published! You’d be amazed by the amount of popular romance novels that are secretly Reylo. Ships: Reylo, Han x Leia, Jyn Erso x Cassian Andor.

The Hunger Games - I cannot wait for TBOSAS. Ship: Katniss x Peeta.

Pride and Prejudice - Yes, it’s me, Depression Barbie! I love this story in all its forms. 😂 Ships: Elizabeth x Mr. Darcy, Jane x Mr. Bingley.

Sailor Moon - My childhood gateway into anime! Ships: Usagi x Mamoru, Usagi x Seiya, Haruka x Michiru

Phantom of the Opera - I saw this on Broadway when I was 15, and let’s just say it made a quite lasting impression. Ship: Christine x Raoul

Studio Ghibli films - I crossed off a bucket list item this past summer and saw Joe Hisaishi in concert. It was an AMAZING experience. Ships: Ashitaka x San, Chihiro x Haku

Disney/Pixar - favorites are Beauty and the Beast, Up, and Coco. I have been to Disney World many times but stopped bc I don’t like how much the company is nickle and diming guests. The value just isn’t there anymore. My husband I were actually supposed to go to Tokyo Disney in April 2020. Needless to say, that, uh, didn’t work out. 😑

I’m sure there are some I am forgetting!

And these are some things I really enjoy as well but wouldn’t say I am obsessed with…

Video games: Persona 5, Animal Crossing, Horizon: Zero Dawn

Anime: My Hero Academia, Spy x Family, Erased, Haikyuu!!, Your Lie in April, My Happy Marriage, Cardcaptor Sakura

Books/Scripts: Little Women, Dracula, Romeo and Juliet, Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, and a LOT more

Movies: Bridget Jones’s Diary, You’ve Got Mail, Titanic, live action Beauty and the Beast, Sleepless in Seattle, 13 Going on 30, Bridesmaids, War Horse

Shows: Outlander, Downton Abbey, Abbott Elementary, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Never Have I Ever

I look forward to hearing what else everyone is into!!!

[pwusy]

im about to dm an Ever After High campaign and i just want to talk about the lore surrounding each of my player's characters so I will do it here

[ignore this thread if you are one of my players, or i will cry]

[eng isn't my first language, so i apologize if my words arent making sense]

post 1 of ?

1. Oriana Swan - Future Odette

Oriana Swan is the daughter of Odette from Swan Lake and the half-sister of Duchess Swan, the next Odile.

The fairy tale I used as a base was Barbie's Swan Lake, since my player was more comfortable with following the events of the movie rather than the original story, which was perfectly fine by me! With the only exception: in the end, when Odette defeats Rothbart, he dies, no matter the circumstances.

When it was her mother's turn to continue the story of Swan Lake, she and Rothbart made one of the biggest mistakes ever seen in the Fairy Tale universe. They fell in love. Going against the status quo and putting in risk the future of their story.

That's when the Fairy Queen (Movie character, she's the cousin of Rothbart, and the reason he went rogue. Rothbart wanted to become the next Fairy King), decided to take matter on her own hands, by also being persuaded by a mysterious and powerful creature who named themselves as the "Writer". They convinced the Fairy Queen that the only way to save their story was if she made the same actions as the past Rothbart's, cursing Rothbart and making him turn into a crow. She used Prince Siegfried and disguised him Rothbart and made Odette declare her love for the wrong man.

And as Rothbart watched Odette waltz with the wrong man, kiss him, and tell him she loved him, without having any power to stop her. Rothbart’s heart broke, and once again, love defeated the evil sorcerer because he would rather die than live without the woman he loves. A part of Odette died that day, too. Her joy and happiness left her soul as she realized what she had done, what the Fairy Queen did, and that she could never have her happily ever after no more.

And nine months after, two girls were born. One of them was born with the love and care of the Prince maiden, and the other one came out of a falling petal of a moonflower, hidden away in an attic where's only light source was the moonlight. The daughter of Prince Siegfried: Oriana Swan, and the daughter of Rothbart: Duchess Swan.

Oriana grew up as a very loved princess by her dad's kingdom and received all of the things she needed it and more. The remains of Odette’s love were given to each of her girls, and so Odette became so overly proactive of both of them. She didn't want them to step a foot on the Enchanted Forest, the fairies where monsters and that the Fairy Queen was the evilest of them all.

Duchess understood this and kept her distance, dedicating herself to practicing her ballet with her mom, since dancing was the only thing that made Odette slightly smile. But Oriana couldn't be any more difficult. Oriana loved the forest, and even though she knew what the Fairy Queen did to her mom, Oriana couldn't avoid being fascinated by forestial magic. She tried to her distance with the fairies, but she couldn't avoid them forever.

And so one day, she met this fairy boy about her same age. Rowan Fae, the next Rothbart in line. Chaos ENSURES.

[darkcrowprincess]

Top ten male characters I can't stand(fan favorite or otherwise I can't stand them)

Ron Weasley(hate him! Horrible friend to Harry and Hermione deserves way better)

2. Edward Cullen

3. The beast from the cartoon beauty and the beast movie(love him in the live action)

4. Flint Ryder from tangled. Can't stand him(his death though does always makes me cry)

5. Kristoff from Frozen he's so cringey and annoying to me.

6. Nick Dunne from Gone Girl(I can't stand that man. But I think that's the point of the book and the movie. He's just gives off so much I want to punch you in the face vibes)

7. Kylo Ren(never seen the movies I just hate him on principle for killing off Han Solo like that and not letting Han have a happy ending. Those movies in genral insult me)

8. John Willoughby(hate the asshole, but I think that's the point of sense and sensibilities)

9. Hardin Scott from After series(just the whole concept of his existence and because his name is so stupid) plus Tessa should have so pick Trevor from the second movie.

10. Ken from the Barbie movie(that movie in general ruined him! And I get that that's the point of the movie. But still i hate his character. The live action Barbie is honestly not my favorite in genral.)

[shadowmaat]

Thoughts on Barbie

Finally got to see the Barbie movie and I have some thoughts. Spoilers behind the cut.

It was a good movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The casting was superb, the dialogue was great and I loved the dance routine with the Kens.

I appreciate that at the end of the "war" the Kens all joined together because their similarities are more important than their differences.

I am... ambivalent to disappointed in the ending. Barbie choosing to become a "real girl" was... not what I was hoping for. I understand the message of wanting to be the dreamer and not the dream, but it skewed weird for me. I think I'd have been happier if she'd continued to stay in Barbie Land and tried to work out for herself who she was and what she wanted if she's not Stereotypical Barbie. With all the stuff about "And Ken," I think it'd be interesting to have an "And Barbie." Not in a demeaning way, but more as, like, that idea for "Ordinary Barbie" where she doesn't have to be a specific thing in order to be happy.

Having her leave for the Real World makes it seem like Barbie Land isn't good enough, but that world serves its own important purpose. And given all of the recent upheaval I think she could have proven important to bridging the gap between What Was and What's Becoming.

Ken's story was understandable. His reaction was likewise understandable, even if it was the wrong way to go about things. I do, however, wish that there could have been more of a middle ground. Alan would have been perfect for that (and what an unexpected delight he was).

Alan, as the one who's just sort of "there" and has never really "fit in," would have been great as the voice of reason. Why does it have to be all men in charge or all women in charge? Why can't there be equality and balance?

And that, I think, is another problem I had with the story. Everything pretty much goes back to the way it was before: with the women in charge of everything, but now some Kens are begrudgingly allowed some low-level positions. The Patriarchy is bad, yes, but this version of the Matriarchy isn't much different except for the set dressings.

Yes, I do understand that Ken's role is as an accessory, but I also don't think it could hurt to show the Kens having their own careers and own houses. We never did get an answer about where the Kens live. Do they even have houses of their own or do they just sleep wherever their "job" is?

There has been a lot said about toxic masculinity and traditionally that means boys aren't allowed to play with dolls (only "action figures"). But what if the Kens were allowed to have an array of jobs that aren't considered "manly" by modern standards? Hairdresser Ken. Nurse Ken. Preschool Teacher Ken. Physical Therapist. Secretary. Librarian. Let them find ways to lead fulfilling lives beyond waiting for a Barbie to notice them.

Not very "girl power" of me, I know, and I can already imagine the arguments about it. I'm just putting in my two plastic coins about it.

[giffingthingsss]

Had a three-day weekend and saw all the movies. Well, three of them. 

Mission Impossible: Would be an A+ if not for a couple things. 

Indiana Jones: I can’t really think of anything that annoyed me about it, but I watched it after MI. A few similar set pieces and MI being a better experience overall make it good but not the best thing I saw. Not really fair, but hey. 

Barbie: It had its moments. The trailer was better. 

Elaboration with spoilers:

Mission Impossible was nearly impossible to beat. However, the Russians speaking English with Russian accents and too much exposition make it not perfect. Subtitle the opening scene and trim down the poetic audience hand-holding and you’ve got the perfect summer action movie experience.

Dial of Destiny was a nice ending for Indy, imho. And I thought Ford did a very good job with it. 

It could be annoying that it always has to be Nazis, but it was okay. And as plot convenient as it is that they wound up in the same era they had been talking about all movie long, it worked for me. 

Indy able to actually witness the history he loves. The tragedy of him feeling he has nothing tying him to the present. Me actually rooting for him to stay back there so he could have some morsel of happiness, only to thankfully have my mind changed by the ending. I just thought it was bittersweet and lovely. 

Barbie. Alas, I caved to tumblr hype and funny trailers. It was a mixed bag. I chuckled a few times. I think I would have liked it better if I watched it in my living room. 

I just have to ask: do people really think this deeply about dolls? Is that a thing? That’s really weird. Then again I never had a barbie. Maybe she’s what messes people up, idk. I had a water baby. It was squishy. I liked the squishy. 

My favorite part was the ending between Barbie and the woman who created her. I’ve always said that the people who sell beauty are just average-looking schlubs trying to put their kids through college. 

You’re supposed to look at a model on a magazine cover and go, ‘oooh. pretty. I will buy it and take it home so i can longer look at the pretty.’ Not ‘I’m not as pretty as that product. I hate myself now.’ 

Yeah, 90% of people aren’t that pretty. Including the people selling you the pretty. They just bait the hook with pretty so you’ll buy it. It pays for the rest of us ugly schlubs who write the articles, who photograph, who sort mail in the mail room. The pretty is a product; it’s a mcdonald’s cheeseburger, not the basis for your self-esteem. At least it shouldn’t be. For every gorgeous actor there are fifty overweight balding dudes holding lights on their face so they can pay their mortgage. 

I also like to look at the pretty. I like complication too. I like a story. I like an interesting face. More than one type of bait works on me. 

I did like the few lovely moments of Barbie connecting with real people, of embracing the beautiful mess of real life. Thought Margot did a great job. 

In conclusion: 

If you want to watch a bittersweet send off to a beloved character, watch Dial of Destiny. If you want to be entertained, watch Dead Reckoning. If you want to sort through a complicated mess of social and political talking points and write tumblr screeds about them, watch Barbie. 

[jack-bytez-genuine-corner]

Watched Barbie.

* It wears it's brand of corporate backed feminism on it's sleeve while deconstructing what that means

* It's really empowering for all, with it's main plot being killer for young girls and women, and it's B plot being wonderful for queer and men.

* I really liked the fact that the movie straight up points out how contradictory standards for women are. You have to be powerful but you also have to respectful to the disrespectful, you have to have a career but also be available for everyone at all times, you have to be a mom but your kids can't be you whole life, etc etc. You can't just be a person, you have to be perfect and exemplary, you have to be highly skilled but also not show up men, and I really love that so much of the film is just telling the audience to be themselves because these standards aren't just flawed, they're impossible and unhealthy for you and for others. This movie isn't hiding it's stance against the ridiculously unfair social structures in Western society, specifically more aimed at places like the US, EU, UK. I can't state how happy I am with how the movie handled these topics.

* Lots of small jabs at corporations and corporate structure alongside the idea that men can empower women when they hold all the power in a corporate setting. Like you're saying the right thing but your position is lacking authenticity because you lack the lived experiences of a woman. It doesn't say men can't be allies, but it really does try to highlight how true empowerment comes from authenticity and diversity, not assumptions and old school thought processes.

* Really shocked at how succint they handled the idea of patriarchy and it's many harms against women and just women existing, alongside the less talked about harm towards men in the B plot. I know I'm speaking from a position of privilege but it felt good to see a movie cover a thing that actively made me depressed in my teens, especially since it might help a young guy who goes to the movie for his little sister might help internalize that you're not evil for just being a man and that the social standard for what a "Man" is, is just as much of a prison as it is a way to move up in the world with it being more important to just be "You" than to just be the social standard of "Manliness."

* it has some of the best action choreography I've seen in years

* very funny movie and I laughed loudly in the theater

* lots of casting of conventionally unattractive actors, especially in terms of women. I really enjoyed all the old women, all the POC, I loved every second of how much screen real estate spent on making sure people feel included and front and center: If a scene is happening, they don't shove people in the back for "Perfect" women or "Perfect" Kens all up front, it's a shared space. I really, really, really want more normal people just in movies.

* Gay Ken makes an appearance alongside Barbie's pregnant friend and that weird puberty friend

* Existential dread surrounding existence, for kids! It's really well done, jokes aside

* I love how good the movie looked and sounded

* this is really dumb given that I'm a cis man but I felt really seen given how much I struggle with masculinity and being gay. This movies B plot with Ken would have been inspiring to a young me in terms of not trying to be the "Man" but just be "Lycan Bytez."

* I don't think I've seen a movie do so good at highlighting the plight of women so well in it's A plot.

* I really liked how focused and good the messages in the A, B and C plot was.

* I want to buy a depression Barbie now, thanks for the marketing on it.

10/10 I might have cried quite a bit. I didn't think a Barbie movie would be able to talk so well about the human experience in my life and the lives of loved ones.

[ultramaga]

One of the things they really failed to understand in the live remake is SNOW WHITE IS NOT THE MOST INTERESTING CHARACTER. The animals are, the dwarves are. Those are the parts you remember. Snow is sweet, and a joy to listen to, but it is the dwarves you care about, and the dwarves who are ultimately the heroes. And Disney got rid of them because they are politically incorrect.

They had so much personality.

They were fun, and creative.

And I can tell you, their names were in an awful lot of trivia quizzes! 

As a child, I loved this book. The dwarves were perfect for me as a young boy. They were simple, but not boring. I wonder if that is why they are being eliminated from the Disney franchise? Because they appealed to boys?  They were hard workers, they were successful, they were brave but hardly fearless ... They found the gigantic Snow to be terrifying at first. And she became not just their house cleaner, but a mother figure to them, just as Wendy did in Peter Pan - something else that was removed from that live action remake. Women can no longer be mothers, and men cannot be admired. Ken, in the recent Barbie movie, cannot even be loved. He is an unperson, existing merely at the whim of the Barbie, and he can be poofed out of existence when it pleases her. And that’s what has happened to these Dwarves. It does not please Disney to see successful & happy men. Especially not ones that we see benefitting from a woman’s touch. The symbiotic relationship between the sexes must be broken. The female protagonist invariably does not need a man, and lately, doesn’t even want a man. The male can pine for the female, but he is useless and worthless, and could be merely an obstacle to female greatness. The stories now are only about Female Power. She years only for more and more and more ... POWER.... Disney, and the rest of the Leftist studios, have taken stories about heroes and love, and made them soulless reflections of their own wicked lusts. And when I hear Hollywood is on strike, and will make no more movies, all I can think of is that it is like terrorists threatening not to kill your family. Please, please stay firm. Strike until every demand is met, and strike some more, and keep on striking until the last of you useless communists has turned to dust, and is blown away in the breeze. Nobody will miss you. Movies and tv and plays and musicals do not need you, and will go on without you. Hollywood was great, once. 

But it is time for something new.

our followers’ top 10 classic disney films

6. snow white and the seven dwarfs (1937) dir. david hand