#i wasn't there in the 90s (i didn't watch until like. the year the dvd boxset was released and didn't fandom until maybe the late 00s)

[forcebookish]

this episode has the highest highs and the LOWEST LOWS

[firthbetterorfirthworse]

Colin Firth (Part 2 - THE DATA)

You can read my intro here.

When I ran the data, Colin Firth had 90 acting credits on IMDB (in 40 years! The man's been busy!)

I wanted to set some parameters, so I excluded anything where the overall project was under an hour of runtime.

(DVD bonus content, short films, one off TV episodes. You'll notice Crown Court is over an hour, but as a one off TV episode, I excluded it as well. PS it was his first onscreen appearance, as a baby face cop)

I also excluded anything where he has <5 minutes of screentime.

(The record might be the 1987 Secret Garden, where he's got about 90 seconds. Honestly forgot I was watching a Colin Firth film until he showed up right before the credits)

I also excluded this

because dear god, no thank you I didn't want to watch that shit (I'm only partially kidding. I'd watched literally everything else so I watched this one too, it wasn't that bad)

This left us with a very respectable 76 films that I tracked data for!

SMOKING

The highest percentage of what I tracked was whether he smoked.

(sidenote, check out that 10 year period where he had TWENTY FOUR PROJECTS)

I assume this is common for anyone who made films in the 80s or 90s, when smoking onscreen was more prevalent. Out of curiosity I broke it up by when the film was set, because he does a lot of period pieces, and found that yes! Things do taper off as the public perception of smoking changed.

(I was very broad with what I considered a "period piece", mostly because I didn't start making this powerpoint until 10pm the night before I presented, because that's who I am as a person) The numbers didn't show for actual movies, but in the 2000s there were only 2 movies where he smoked, out of the 19 that he filmed. Probably because it shifted to instead of everyone or cool kids, only villains and bad guys smoke.

INFIDELITY

I also tracked infidelity, separating out whether his partner was unfaithful to him, or whether he was the one to be unfaithful or help a committed person be unfaithful.

These percentages are of all his movies. He gets cheated on 15.8% of the time, poor guy.

GRIEF

Did you know that in a quarter of his projects, he explores grief?

I determined that there were two main types of grief - the death of an intimate (mostly a partner, occasionally a family member), and wartime PTSD.

But that's not what you're here for. I know you. You wanna see how often he got

WET

THIRTY PERCENT. That is almost every third project!

I separated it out where the water goes on him (rain, shower, fountain, fire hose) or where he goes in the water (ocean, pond, lake, bath). A Single Man is special, because there's a scene where he's in the rain, and a scene where he's in the ocean (and in the credits, he's floating nude underwater, just saying).

That seems like a lot! I don't have any comparison data (yet, waiting for my brain to embark on another unhinged project) but that seems like more than other people.

I have one more point to share with y'all

[des2dream]

Ranking MLP Generations!💗🦄🌈

For over 40 years, we have been exposed to colorful horses. Colorful horses who can talk....and sing....and dance....and fire mega rainbow lasers at their enemies! Colorful horses who also made their way into our collections. My Little Pony was introduced in 1982 following after the original My Pretty Pony toy that dropped in 1981 which was meant to sell toys for the young female demographic.

The rest became history! MLP grew to become a popular toy during the 80s which spawned a movie in 1986 and a TV show that came out three months later. As the years went by, MLP went through multiple changes gaining new fans for new generations. I've decided to go over each generation and rank them based on my opinions, thoughts, and overall feelings of satisfaction I have toward them. I don't necessarily hate any of the generations that will be placed lower on this list, I just don't feel as attached to them nor do I feel like having an interest in them. I also won't discuss much of the toys, but I will discuss heavily on the TV shows based on them since I've seen more of the shows than I collected the toys. We'll start with the worst, then save the best for last. Let's go, everypony!

8. My Little Pony Generation 2

The fact that I didn't even know this existed until years later doesn't help its case. The toy sales were so low that there wasn't even a cartoon to go with it. Only a video game. This generation released in 1997 before it ceased distribution in 1999 due to lackluster sales. However, it did find some success in Europe. I don't have much to say about this since I hadn't known about it. I originally thought My Little Pony Tales was Generation 2! One positive I can give is that I love the designs as they give off slightly more realistic horse-like features and it's a cool look. I didn't have any toys nor saw anything on TV with there being no series. I'm sorry, G2! Unfortunately, you hit the bottom of the barrel.

7. My Little Pony Generation 3.5

Now, this spot is interesting! The third generation of MLP dominated the 2000s with newer colorful ponies like Pinkie Pie and Minty. On top of that, multiple specials began selling in DVDs that also aired on TV. By late 2009, Hasbro decided to revamp the series twice (sort of). They gathered a group of ponies who were well known in G3 (Pinkie Pie, Starsong, Rainbow Dash, Cheerilee, Toola Roola, Sweetie Belle, & Scootaloo) and gave them a redesign as well as likely aging them down for younger audiences. There was a 45-minute holiday special titled, Twinkle Wish Adventure as well as a couple mini episodes and new toys that spawned from this revamp.

It eventually led to the second revamp titled, Newborn Cuties where the characters aged down to babies....you had to see it to believe it. I actually owned a G3.5 Pinkie Pie, a Newborn Cuties Pinkie, and a baby singing Starsong back in the day. These redesigns couldn't do it for me after being mesmerized by G3. I remember being upset that even Ponyville got a redesign and it looked so bland compared to how the town looked early on. Newborn Cuties also looks extremely off with their pony heads and baby bodies. This generation is mostly hated by the fandom and I can see why. At least, it had more to offer than Generation 2. It was a nice distraction for young girls. It's now best to be left alone by an older me. If any of you like seeing fillies and baby ponies, this is the generation for you.

6. My Little Pony Generation 1.5/ My Little Pony Tales

Let's go back to the year, 1992! You're sitting in your room and you're watching, Disney Channel. You're watching your favorite shows like, Goof Troop, The Little Mermaid, or Raw Toonage and you come across this colorful horse show. After Generation 1's series came to a close in 1987, we are now hit with a new series for pony fans in the 90s. This is the generation I previously thought was Generation 2. That is in fact not the case! We follow a group of pony friends as they spend their days in Ponyland going to school, hanging out for milkshakes, having sleepovers, and feuding with the resident boys. Our main ponies are Starlight, Sweetheart, Melody, Bright Eyes, Patch, Clover, and Bon Bon whom we follow in their daily lives. I find this show to be.....innocent, but weird (and not in a good way). It's passable for a Saturday morning cartoon and it does have funny moments, but something was off.

Generation 1 left quite the impression on young audiences during the 80s. Ponies that not only sung and danced, but ponies that went through continuous magical adventures involving dragons, princesses, witches, evil kings, and all sorts of mythical creatures. My Little Pony Tales has talking and singing ponies, but there was an odd lack of magic with the show emphasizing more on Slice-of-Life. Not that I have any issues with that genre! It just feels odd seeing these magical horses not doing any magic and living in a modernized world. The characters also have annoying moments which is likely because the writers wanted to portray preteen behavior (since the ponies are preteens in this show), but it also falls into some cheesy 90s writing. Like I said, it is passable so I believe there's an audience for this one. It can make nice riffing material too!

5. My Little Pony Generation 4.5/ Pony Life

Here are the table scraps of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic....except, these table scraps were pretty okay. This show came onto streaming services and YouTube from November 7, 2020 until May 22, 2021. This was supposed to be a successor, spin-off, and reboot to FIM. The previous show had already ended, so I was chill with seeing the characters again in a different style. This generation was.....bonkers, to say the least! It was already kind of a struggle seeing fans adjust to the new chibi art style, but it was also a struggle keeping up with the show's new format. Pony Life was incredibly energetic as each episode was around 5 minutes (10 since they're in two-parts). There was also some crazy new quirks to the cast with Applejack breaking The Fourth Wall, Fluttershy shrinking and massively growing at will, and everyone casually drinking potions left and right. For me, it was hard to keep up with the fast pace of the show. However, I did appreciate the cast of The Mane Six reprising their roles for this show.

Season 2 introduced viewers to Lightning Flash Chill (the tiger), Sugar Snap (the peacock), and Echo (the bat). Meet The Wild Siders! They're unicorn-hybrid creatures who work at a healthy food restaurant called, Salad Bowl Junction in their home realm. I honestly enjoyed them! They give off similar vibes to The Care Bear Cousins which is fascinating because the 80s actually did a spin-off toyline with a similar premise by having other pretty animals. There have also been episodes where characters from the previous series make an appearance such as Spike, Trixie Lulamoon, and Discord. I enjoyed this more than My Little Pony Tales and the characters are still likable, but it still has issues. I'm still put off by the constant energy in almost every minute. I don't feel attached to this show, but I do see myself watching it once in a while because the episodes aren't that long and I've grown used to the art style by now with how cute everyone looks. Also, it's nice seeing The Mane Six again!

4. My Little Pony Generation 5

The year is 2021, it has been a couple years since Generation 4 ended, and this had some major horseshoes to fill! September 22 of that year presented us with a debut film on Netflix titled, A New Generation featuring stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Sofia Carson. It was actually pretty good! I instantly loved the characters, the animation, the story, and all the songs! It was a great introduction to G5. Personally, I enjoyed it much better than the early concept which was going be having The Mane Six meet each other all over again in a new Equestria. Twilight would've been an Earth Pony, Pinkie would've been a Pegasus, Fluttershy would've been a Unicorn, and Applejack was on the verge of likely getting replaced with a new character. Instead, Generation 5 is supposed to take place DECADES after the events of G4 with ponies and other creatures becoming separated from fear and prejudice. While it was shocking since G4 ended with bringing creatures together, it does make sense for history to repeat itself. The Mane Six have now become what you call, "An Old Pony's Tale" and The Magic of Friendship has been abandoned....until one pony stood up. A pony named, Sunny Starscout!

We follow her along with her friends Izzy Moonbow, Princess Zipp Storm, Princess Pipp Petals, and Sheriff Hitch Trailblazer on their mission to restore magic in Equestria and bring everyone together. After the film, we got a series on Netflix titled, Make Your Mark as well as a series of shorts on YouTube named, Tell Your Tale (I wish it was actually Tail) that took place after the events of the movie. I have mixed feelings on both series. On one hand, I enjoy the art styles, I love the songs still, and I like the characters that were introduced like Misty Brightdawn and Sparky the Dragon. On the other hand, the episodes can be messy. We get pieces of information on how magic faded from Equestria, but it still doesn't feel like we're getting the whole picture. The IDW Comics have been giving a little more than the series. I also have many questions on G5's villain, Opaline who is an ALICORN! How did she become an alicorn or was she born one?! G5 wants to be its own thing, but it also clashes with trying to be a sequel to G4. It's a mess, but it's a beautiful mess! I do want to see more.

3. My Little Pony Generation 1

Welcome to the generation that started it all! Say "thank you" to this generation for being the franchise's starting point please! Also, let's give a BIG "thank you" to My Pretty Pony for making this all possible! Before we got a full series, we got two TV specials titled, Rescue at Midnight Castle then Escape from Catrina in 1984 until we got a full-length film in 1986 many know as, My Little Pony: The Movie featuring the voices of recognizable names like Danny DeVito and Madeline Kahn. I've always found this generation to be fun to watch while having some 80's cheesy moments. There was a mixture of magic, action, adventure, and pure pony fluff that kept me sitting through multiple episodes. G1 had messy dialogue, some messy hand-drawn animation, and sometimes messy plot, but it was always charming and to the point. There were times where the pacing was very fast, but not as energetically exhausting as G4.5. This show brought a lot to the table with mystical adventures and characters. This generation gave us unicorns, pegasi, twinkle-eyed ponies, sea ponies, Spike the Dragon, witches, and dear sweet Megan Williams.

After Generation 1, there was no longer a use for any human characters in MLP (unless if we count G4's Equestria Girls) and while it is a little sad, it does make G1 a little more unique. While Megan is the bearer of The Rainbow of Light, she's always there for her pony friends whenever they're in trouble and will always be down to have fun in Ponyland. She even includes her younger siblings, Danny and Molly into the mix. Aside from having human characters, there's also a fair share of creatures like dragons, penguins, and giant crabs. We also have other familiar names in this generation like Applejack and Twilight. This show even introduced memorable villains like Tirac, The Smooze, and Grogar. I feel like we owe a lot to this generation even if it's not everyone's favorite. I wouldn't be making this list if not for this show leaving such a huge impact and leading into future generations to come. If you're feeling nostalgic, I think you'll have a good time checking this out.

2. My Little Pony Generation 3

I know some of you are shocked....trust me, I know! Let me explain!....I can't help but love G3! I grew up with G3! I enjoyed it so much when I was little and I can't help but still like it today! Is it perfect? No! Is it messy? Yes! Did I have fun? Very much, thank you! In the year of 2003, we were presented with a lineup of new and improved MLP toys different from the previous gens and a Direct-to-Video special titled, A Charming Birthday which introduces our new ponies. As each year passed by, we got new specials and new ponies like Star Catcher, Princess Rarity of Unicornia, Wysteria, and so much more! This generation also includes Spike from G1! One thing I loved about G3 was watching all the specials and movies that came out. I'd always watch A Very Minty Christmas every time December rolled around! I thought Sky Wishes and Star Catcher's friendship was so cute to watch during Dancing In The Clouds and I absolutely adore Star Catcher's design. When Spike was reintroduced debuting in The Princess Promenade, I thought it was interesting that he was more knowledgeable and cultured rather than the sweet and innocent personality he had in G1. We were also introduced to fairy-like ponies called, Breezies. While G3 had little to no antagonists, less magical creatures than G1, and a slice-of-life feel like G1.5, there was still plenty of magical adventures to be had.

I absolutely loved the aesthetic G3 was giving to its audience at the time as I couldn't get enough of the color scheme! I've never seen so many shades pink, purple, blue, and even hints of light green since watching Barbie movies! Their hometown, Ponyville looked so beautiful with the purple/pink castle standing front and center. Even other places like Unicornia, Butterfly Island, Breezie Blossom, and Rainbow Wishes Amusement Park are fun to look at. I didn't find the characters annoying and I loved watching their adventures while learning lessons. However, this generation was given a handful of hate like G3.5 mainly because pony fans though it "doesn't reach the same standards as G4" and it made me a little sad. G3 wasn't meant to be groundbreaking or anything. It was just meant to sell toys while using movies and specials to showcase the ponies making new friends, solving problems, and having fun. The same thing can be said about all the generations, really. I get why people don't enjoy it, but I don't think it's warranted of all the hate that it gets. The stories can be too simple and the executions might not be the best, but they're charming. Okay, everypony! We're reaching the end here! Let's see what my favorite generation of My Little Pony is!

1. My Little Pony Generation 4/ Friendship Is Magic

There was no competition. There was no doubt. If anyone asked me what my favorite generation is, I would say G4 in an instant. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic really changed the game for the franchise as a whole! Lauren Faust (animator, writer, director, producer, creator of DC Superhero Girls, and married to Craig McCracken) got this show going in 2010 and it was a MASSIVE success! Toy sales were through the roof, comics were made, music albums were made, merchandise was highly recommended, and the show practically dominated the whole decade as it lasted for nine (technically ten) seasons from 2010 til 2019. Everyone fell in love with Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy. We just call them, The Mane Six! This was actually a technical reboot to G3 with such familiar names in this gen. There's also familiar names from G1 that are present like Twilight, Applejack, Spike, Grogar, and Tirac (except he's renamed Tirek). I couldn't get enough of this show! I remember watching the first episode when it aired for the two-part series premier instantly wanting more when the first episode ended with, "To Be Continued...." and I was hooked! Each season gave us memorable characters, fantastic locations, exciting lore, amazing songs, and everyone's character growth throughout the series. This generation sparked a fun spinoff called, Equestria Girls where Twilight travels into a different universe where everyone is a human and Megan Williams from G1 even makes a cameo. There was even a full-length movie in 2017 featuring stars like Emily Blunt, Zoe Saldana, Sia, and Taye Diggs. This series also led the way for Pony Life to be made into G4.5 and Generation 5 as its sequel series.

Of course, I can't keep going on about Generation 4 without mentioning The Brony Fandom! With Friendship Is Magic being such a successful show, it didn't only reach younger audiences. It also reached adults too....mainly targeted towards men hence where the term, bronies came from. For a whole decade this fandom has made so many fantastic projects inspired by the series. Music videos, fan songs, remixes, audio dramas, fanart, fanfics, animations, OCs, AUs, and so much more! You had to see it to believe it! I know just as many Brony songs as I do official G4 songs! This generation and its fandom changed my life! I don't know which season is my favorite because there's so many good episodes. Not every episode is perfect and maybe there are some who are put-off by the art style, but it's a really good time. Who would have thought that a show about magical animated ponies would make THAT much of an impact?! I highly recommend that you give G4 a watch if you're interested because you'll definitely have something to write home about.

Conclusion

Welp, that's my list! Thank you for sitting down and reading my thoughts. My Little Pony has been a successful franchise for up to 40 years (and still continuing)! I'll always love these colorful ponies no matter how messy each generation can be. MLP played a big part in my childhood so it was nice to look back on every generation as an adult. I'm looking forward to see what the future holds for newer generations and I hope any of you pony fans have a generation that holds a special place in your heart.🐎❤🦄💕

Images (in terms of artwork) by: KacperKrysiak, Lea Dabssi, Justasuta, Tony Fleecs, ASKometa

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

A Very Long, Personal [but positive] Ramble about Neurodivgerency and Character Hyperfixation

[u can ignore this if you want this is just an ADHD ramble - this is a kinda 'mask off' talk about ADHD, autism and my personal history with it all. I also talk about the upsides and downsides - and the importance of Hobie to me personally - I just wanna normalize this stuff lol]

a.k.a The story of how I sent from obsessing over him to HIM in 10 years (what a glowup on my part ik)

(I know a lot of peeps on here can feel self-conscious about being neurodivergent and character connection or whatever you wanna call it and so do I! So I wanted to write it out or just ramble for my own sake)

I don't know if it's obvious or not, but I LOVE HOBIE BROWN. I'm going to be completely candid - I think about him maybe 85 percent of the day if not more, and that's in no way an exaggeration.

No matter what I'm doing, there's a least one tab open in my brain thinking about him. It may not be the focus, but it's there.

That's just how I operate. And I've been this way for a LONG time. In fact, Hobie isn't my first 'total focus' character in Marvel.

I gain VERY deep hyperfixations on Marvel Characters, many lasting years. And there's nothing wrong with that - in fact it's rad!

!!!! ATTENTION: This is a whimsical care-free zone. For Happy Funny Folk !!!!!!!!!

Loki - My introduction to hyperfixation with characters

I don't know if this is surprising or you'd be like 'yeah u seem like the type' but I use to LOVE Loki. For YEARS.

I'm AuDHD and when I was 13/14, a freshman in HS, he was my hyperfixation. Eerything I do for Hobie, I did for Loki. I even had a Loki blog for like 3/4 years.

This was back in 2012-2013, when Avengers had just came out, and the MCU wasn't - well, the MCU yet.

But even back then, the Loki fandom was HUGE. I have no idea who was also on Tumblr back then but it was gigantic. Because movies weren't coming out every 3 months, it went on for yearrrrsssss. Art, edits, fics, everything.

I was soooo into, I loved Loki. Like Hobie, I probably thought about Loki maybe 85-90% of the day.

And sure I was doing a lot of other stuff but in the back of my head there was always the oc x canon storyline running in my head, or replaying scenes from memory and analyzing, or wondering and speculating about his character.

I mask very minimally or not at all - so everyone in my school knew me for it. And at the time I didn't know I was neurodivergent, but that didn't stop me - I was genuinely proud of it.

I wore Loki shirts to school and brought the Avengers DVD the day it dropped (this was back before streaming in ye' old 2013). I knew the Avengers movie back to front.

I saw Thor: The Dark World the day it released and SOBBED openly in the theater when he 'died'. (I remember my mom leaning over and whispering 'Do you wanna leave?' cause I seemed that upset lol)

And everyday I use to wear a necklace like this -

(credit IJSY on Etsy)

But in black, until one day I had it in my pocket and I sat on it in class and broke it in two. And people around me deadass were like 'daammnn I know that shit hurt in ur soul' cause I LOVED Loki and people knew it. And I didn't care if they did.

And I was like that for years. Overtime the Loki fandom fizzled out, especially around Phase 2 when things like GOTG first came out.

But I had a Loki fixation like maybe up until the show came out. And even then I've seen the whole thing (I ain't even like it that much 4.5/10) and I'm gonna watch the second one (I'm a fool)

But any way like to this day I still remember the first time I saw Loki and how it made me feel and I can like picture it in my head and I consider it a pretty influencial albeit mundane moment in my life.

And it was a very specific feeling but it was like as soon as I saw Loki's first scene in Avengers, I was plugged into the screen.

Other Hyperfixations - Charles Xavier, Peter Parker

All of my hyperfixations are on men in marvel and they have always been. There's been others I've cycled through, usually based on the newest movie. I even went through a LENGTHY and very in depth K-pop era (don't get me started).

Charles Xavier was a favorite of mine (from X-Men First Class), and I LOVE MCU Peter Parker. I still do. But none hit like Loki did.

There was never THAT feeling, like the fantastical electric feeling.

And I had never felt that feeling again UNTIL I SAW HOBIE (i wanna cry)

My fixation with HOBIE BROWN HOBIE BROWN HOBIE BROWN (sorry I can't say his name only one time im too excited)

In the theatre my jaw genuinely dropped like I'm pretty sure I said 'OH NAH' to myself when i first saw him

Cause he was the prettiest character I've ever seen and I mean that

I didn't recognize what that feeling was until just now like YES, it's the same feeling. And I can't even describe it.

It's like every other character is normal but as soon as you lay eyes on this character for the first time it's like suddenly they're under your skin and curled up in your heart and you can FEEL them and the weight of them PHYSICALLY like not body wise but like astral personhood wise (do I sound unhinged)

And Hobie was just so pretty.

First of all - I didn't know he was black fgsbtgtuiuigs id never heard of spiderpunk

The wicks were what caught me off guard first. I know what wicks are, I've seen them before. But never animated.

And although Miles and Gwen and Pavi all look realistic - Hobie looked real to me. The high cheekbones and broad lips, the raised brow ridge and wide set eyes - he looked different from them, not just in art style but like - I DONT KNOW.

But that's how it is, you know what I mean. There was just something in my brain that was like 'he has meaning to me'. Like 'Idk who this man is, but whatever story he's writing, I'm reading it'.

That's what hyperfixation feels like.

And Hobie in specific held and holds so much more weight for me IN ADDITION.

I started falling out of my Loki phase around Thor: Ragnorok in 2017 - which is to say I was varying degrees of 'obsessed' with Loki for about 5 years.

Around that time, maybe starting in 2015, police brutality in NYC picked up. Me and my friends started getting more radicalized, going to protests, and identifying as communists, anarchists, or both.

One of my favorite things at the time was The Black Panther Party handbook I'd found at a second hand-book store. And for a while the Black Panther Party was a special interest of mine.

It made me really interested in the 70's, the civil rights movement, and the rise of punk that happened at the same time. Around this time, I made my first 'battle jacket' with a patch that said "Black Lives Matter, Bitch." and begged my parents for a pair of doc martens.

I didn't have Hobie back then, but I have him now. And he still resonates.

There was very much a time where I was that homeless, punk teen, angry at police, who wanted to be taken in by my favorite heros.

My admiration for Hobie comes from like - everything he is. Everything he stands for and represents. I don't need Hobie like I would've as a teen. But I know deep down the healing he could bring other people as a comfort character.

Or even in terms of a good political example, or great rep for alt black people. All of it.

That can't really be said for Loki. Or Charles Xavier (even if X-men is a race allegory), or even Peter Parker.

I grew up in NYC all my life, and I LOVE Spider-man, but I never felt Connected to Peter Parker as if we lived in the same city. I never felt something in common with Peter even if he was broke too.

Hobie's just different, y'know.

The Downsides

It's easy to feel really embarrassed by all this - and even now I'm feeling shy even describing how it feels.

Cringe culture gets in your head before you know it. I'm CONSTANTLY telling myself 'no, Hobie would understand that you're neurodivergent and this is you expressing yourself he wouldn't think youre cringe youre not cringe okay' As if my comfort character Hobie Brown thinking I'm cringe is like jksjfkjf the worst thing ever - i can't, i can't with myself.

I genuinely want to hug Hobie more than I want to huge most celebrities or influential real-life people.

I genuinely think hugging him would be more healing to my being than hugging the Pope or the Dhali Lama or something. I admire him and care about him but he's NOT REAL. It's PARASOCIAL And like duh, I know that - i'm grown as fuck.

Sometimes it can genuinely get you down that you care about this character-person and you can't be with them

It's like you miss them. But they're not real and you don't know them. And I know that sounds tragic or bizarre. But it's kinda just weird. It feels weird not in a sad way, but in a 'why brain?? why is this possible in my brain?? huh???' way.

Like...I know it's parasocial, but like it's not like a fan and a youtuber. He's not real, I'm not giving him money or hurting anyone. I know there's nothing to be ashamed of, but it's just WEIRD.

Like... I know my cat isn't a person and mentally I don't see them as a person and can't like analyze them like a full formed person even if I wanted to. But with Hobie - someone who is not a person - my brain can???? Like I've never met him but like... I can imagine a full conversation with him beginning to end in his place of residence I've also never seen before??????? SO WEIRD.

Also theres that thing of him running in the back of my head 85% of the time.

Even if I'm talking or cooking or something, I'm still daydreaming about him - I have ADHD. And during those times if i'm interrupted and someone give me a THIRD thing to do (besides thing 1 and thinking about Hobie) I get irritated. Because now I have less brain room for Hobie stuff.

The Upsides

Now reading all of this you might be like 'sib this sounds like nothing but a problem r u okay' but I PROMISE ITS REAL FUN SOMETIMES

And it's nothing to feel ashamed of!

Now the last part was just a list of downsides, but the upsides are more things I can do because of my hyperfixation on Hobie that makes me happy

Like I said, I daydream a LOT. Like a LOT.

Mainly with OCs You can probably tell how much I like OCs, and how much OCs - even others', mean to me. And usually, my OCs are the ones who I see the in-media universe through. I don't have to think about making an OC much, for me personally they come fully formed. Because of this, while I'm watching movies I begin to have involuntary daydreams of where I can add in an OC, or what they'd be doing. I typically only do this for Marvel though. Hardly DC or any other media other than maybe Batman. For Loki, it was a character named Asdisira Heimdaldottir who I shipped with him. And for Hobie it's Diane Pastors (Disco-Spider).

And although I am in completely control of what these daydreams are, they are vividly realistic, and can come on at different times.

For me, it's while listening to music mostly. But anything can trigger it - from a good text post, to hearing a phrase. And these daydreams are extremely vivid. Most times, you can visibly see when I'm doing it. My eyes will glaze over or start moving as if I'm trying to remember something. Sometimes I may say 'random' phrases. I say lines from the scene I'm in outloud. (Like saying 'How could you!' in an offended tone to myself, if that's what the character in the daydream is saying). I also make facial expressions. I can do it on purpose, like hitting play on a movie and resuming where I left off. Usually, when I do this, I close my eyes. I much prefer to sit and do it without multitasking, but I often do it while doing something else.

These daydreams connect, and arcs/storylines can go on for months/years.

Usually these stories go on for months in IRL time, and span the whole history of the character. For Loki, I probably has Asdisira for 4 years at most. Which is still a LONG time. These arcs can take different pathways, and I may imagine a scene multiple times - in different ways, but usuall the timeline of the oc x canon stays overall the same. Sadly, I almost never write these down. I would pull my hair out and theres not enough time in the world for me to write Diane and Hobie's full narrative down in detail that does it justice. I wanna make a bullet list of their narrative but i dont wanna clog dashes

I can genuinely use them as a comfort character.

I don't need this much now, and nowhere as much as I needed it in high school, but having the ability to daydream vividly at will about a character you feel safe and happy with - it's dope. Sometimes it really helps. There were a lot of times I imagined Loki comforting me or showing me kindness or helping me calm down. And sometimes you can do it just for fun. Like, as a treat. Whenever. I'm imagining Diane and Hobie at a fish n' chip shop right now. It's drizzling outside and it smells like oil and Hobie douses his chips in wayyy to much vinegar. It's like I'm there. Like...I just do that. thats rad as hell. (and I don't know how to describe it if you can't do it but hopefully others know how it is but it's VIVID, like wayyyy more than any dream.)

Literally a walking fact book about them.

I'm smug AS FUCK. I use to love when dudes in high school challenged me about the MCU cause I wore a shirt. Like, oh buddy. Oh pal. Just you fucking wait. I know this character better than you know your own mother - try me hoe. I love reading characters like a book and rewatching scenes, breaking down motives, watching their movements, looking for patterns and drawing connections to real world history, cultures, or psychology. I LOVE watching behavior and personality in the movies, and making conclusions about where they'd come from, reasonably, for the character, and how it affects them outside the scope of the film.

And most of all - It's Free Joy we're almost at the end I promise

This is long as all hell and unlike my other posts there really isn't a neat little character study but uhhh I wanna end with this I guess -

The best part of it, is it's free joy. Literally.

My brain can do something a lot of others can't. I can feel a kind a comfort and understanding with a character, I can entertain myself and come up with amazing stories that have mean to me.

I can make wonderful worlds and all that without lifting a finger, and hangout with my favorite characters just by going

(literally how i be sitting there - professor x headass)

I hoping the fucking multiverse with my mind.

But there's nothing cringe about that. And there's nothing cringe about drawing Hobie for hours on end, by himself or with an oc. There's nothing cringe about thinking about them a lot, or wanting to buy or make a lot of merch.

We aren't hurting anyone. It's not like a celebrity or a youtuber. Nothing we're doing is taboo or anything we're literally just being happy. And squealing about a character we deeply love

Like..Golly if more mfers in this world were squealing like us once a week maybe they'd be happier, you know what I mean. People be walking around mad as hell at the world...like why don't you look at this picture of Hobie and calm down? That's what makes me calm down.

__________________________________________________

Anyway uh this is LONG and not connected much to ATSV but if you read down this low THANK YOU so deeply it means a lot. If you relate to this at all I'd love to hear.

And if you think I'm unhinged. Absolutely. But that has nothing to do with this and ain't nothing wrong about it, in the words of megan the stallion... 'ah'.

I leave you with this pic of Hobie goodbye :)

im using my magic autism powers to hold his hand :) now im giving him a hug im having fun

[deadlyflan]

for the meme: #3!

3.) What was your first impression of [TMNT iteration]?

[1987 cartoon] I was 7. There were flying Cadillacs and lasers and Raphael was sassy. I was hooked.

[1990s movies] I was 10. I already worshiped Jim Henson. When I saw my favorites winking and crying and smiling and kicking ass, I was in love forever.

[Archie's Comics] I was 14. On a roadtrip, I found a copy of TMNT Adventures #33. They were traveling through Nepal. There was a four-armed Tiger God Mutant named Katmandu. Raphael had a *girlfriend.* Michelangelo was silly about yaks. I needed more comics. ASAP.

[Next Mutation] I was 17. And a complete live-action turtle-snob. Henson would never have allowed these costumes out of whatever basement spawned them. And the scripts! Ugh! Where was the cinema-grade fight choreography? The award-winning narratives? The atmospheric lighting and the *drama* of the City at Night?!

[Mirage Comics] I was 20. They beat Leo to a bloody pulp and threw him through the window--AT CHRISTMAS!! I started writing fanfic.

[2003 cartoon] I was 23. I was in love. The voice cast! The character design! The fidelity to the Mirage Space Arc! Oh God, to be alive at time like this!

[2007 movie] I was 27. I was vibrating. I bought a screen grab of early production art off of eBay. I couldn't wait for the advertisements to premiere to see my boys again. The artwork wasn't even close to the final designs. The resolution was blurry. I was still thrilled.

[IDW Comics] I was 31. I was bummed that Dark Horse Comics lost the bid to publish the TMNT comics to IDW. Dark Horse had a much stronger editorial department with consistently incredible writing. IDW was famous for spending their money on flashy cover artists and skimping on the interior art. I crossed my fingers and hoped I was wrong. [2012 cartoon] I was 32. Overworked, underpaid, and without cable or streaming. I missed the first season, but got a DVD from a friend. I was intrigued by the turtles, but repulsed by the human models. The CGI felt cold and cheap. I wouldn't return to give the show a proper watch until 2020.

[Bayverse movies] I was 34. I hated Micheal Bay's needlessly cluttered character designs for Transformers. I despised his "blurred action" fight sequences. I hated his simplistic dialogue. When I heard he was the director for the TMNT, my heart lit a cigarette and took a sip of gin. They were going to butcher my boys.

[Rise] I was 38. I saw the flat character designs. The boys were angular. Stagnant. The kind of thing that would end up low-rent animated. Splinter looked like a yellow-peril style stereotype. I gave up before I even heard the commercials.

[Mutant Mayhem Movie] I was 43. I had adored The Mitchels Vs The Machines and that same team was working on the new movie! The leaked first art made my heart warm with 90s vibes: Archie's characters, gawky turtles, attention to atmosphere, all kinds of vibrancy! Very excited!

[MM Tales of] I was 44. I didn't have the right streaming services to watch it. After the high of the film, the animation style looked cheap. No line weights. No rendering. Simplified versions of the "hand drawn" shapes of characters' faces somehow stopped feeling organic and looked more like bad drawings. I knew I was comparing it unfairly to the film. I told myself to hush. I had been 10,000% wrong about 2012 and about Rise. I was being a snob again and I knew it. .

.

.

Over the years, I've been so wrong about so many of my misgivings. Even Next Mutation had a ton of heart. I have been so spoiled by so many Turtle options. Between all the shows and the movies and the comics--AND THE FAN FIC AND THE FAN ART AND THE ROLEPLAYING AND AND AND... I shouldn't turn my nose up at anything anymore. I'm just gonna look like an idiot again when it turns out to be incredible. Just like every other time. Except for A Very Turtle Christmas. That shit is nightmare fuel.

[fatefulfaerie]

It was years ago that you said this, buuuuut...can I ask you to continue on why Dreamworks is better than Disney?

Sure!

I have no memory of what I said before but it basically comes down to the matter of adaptation.

They both definitely have their values. Walt Disney and the company he created turned dark, unapproachable fairytales of caution into lighthearted narratives with hope and wonder. There is a lot of value in that and Walt Disney himself had a childlike perspective that, in tow with his team's inventive newness in creating animated sequences, really turned the tide for storytelling through cinema. No child was too old to feel like they could take part in it.

To me, the 1990s and early 2000s were a time of Disney creating and perpetuating the fairytale conventions that Dreamworks in its foundation seemed to actively try to dismantle. Again, both have their value, but at a certain point Disney became a studio that was churning out existing fairytales and Dreamworks flourished as a studio that took a different approach.

Yes, the Prince of Egypt was based on the Bible and How To Train Your Dragon was based on a series of books by Cressida Cowell but they made it their own in a refreshing way. There's also original concepts like Megamind and Kung Fu Panda that are just absolutely fantastic stories.

I can't speak for Dreamworks now since I stopped watching their movies after my dad left the company but specifically in their first 20 years, you had this company that wasn't afraid to go out of the box, make fun of the box, or even absolutely demolish the box. Sequels like Kung Fu Panda 2 and How To Train Your Dragon 2 are deep and soulful. They bring out a conflict in the existing protagonist that has to do with their past, which Disney didn't do justice until Frozen 2 (so good!)

I think Disney not only created this box for themselves but after their boom in the 90s they just became this money making machine. It was no longer about art-making. What fairytale can we do next? Here's this direct-to-dvd sequel. And now with the live-action. Do you see Dreamworks doing that? Not yet at least. They respect the the original animators and storytellers.

I'm not against adaptation. I get it. The old version is problematic? Fine okay. But if you're making it just to make it, what are you even doing? There's a huge difference between making a live-action version of a movie that's basically the same thing and creating something like Once Upon A Time (tv show, 2011, technically ABC so Disney but not really in their control as far as storytelling) where there are twists to the fairytales and something that is unexpected or has shifted. Something is added or detracted in an interesting way.

So yeah I guess when I say Dreamworks is better I'm referring to the fact that they have more quantity as far as substantive work that isn't an adaptation, and that even the work that is has something very human and special and unapologetically adult. A lot of animated movies these days treat kids like babies, and I was grown up treated by Dreamworks like an adult.

Of course there are exceptions to this and I hate when people generalize. Tarzan, for one, is something very different to the box and Madagascar 3 is pretty ridiculous. It's just in general, I really value Dreamworks setting out and honestly saying "okay so Disney is making money this way, but fuck that, we're gonna do it this way". We're gonna animate one of the darkest stories in the Bible, showing slavery and death and abuse without romanticizing it and add a tragic brotherly bond that was never meant to be. We're gonna have a protagonist in a fairytale that's a belching ogre who doesn't know he's in a fairytale and show a version of love that is the least superficial it's ever been in a fairytale (I think Shrek is also based on something now that I think of it but still). We're gonna make a cushy, cuddly panda this kung fu hero with a heart of gold who doesn't really question that a goose is his dad because found family. We're gonna create a protagonist with a lot of flaws according to his Viking island, but compassion when it counts, when he faces a dragon tied up and fearing for his life and, seeing himself, chooses mercy. We're gonna create a movie that makes fun of the archetypes of heroes and villains but turns out to accidentally be one of the best movies of all time (I'm not biased towards Megamind). You get the idea. I say Dreamworks is better because I can respect them. I can't say the same for Disney anymore. If Dreamworks starts doing live-action, this will change.

I hope that answers your question. Thank you so much for asking and sorry about the chaos!

Disney movies that are must-sees:

Cinderella (1950), Sleeping Beauty (1959), Mulan (1998), Tarzan (1999), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Tangled (2010), Frozen (2013), Frozen 2 (2019)

Dreamworks movies that are must-sees:

The Prince of Egypt (1998), The Road to El Dorado (2000), Shrek (2001), Kung Fu Panda (2008), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Shrek Forever After (2010), Megamind (2010), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), Puss In Boots (2011), How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014), Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

I don't know what the heck was happening on Flower Street in 2010 and 2011 but something about that year was REALLY GOOD. Yes let's make five movies in a row that a random character effects animator's daughter will absolutely love.

[shadesofawe]

Here's how I kept stumbling over Neil Gaiman until it brought me to the madness that is this fandom:

It all starts with Terry Pratchett. I read and enjoyed a number of discworld books as a teenager in the late 90s. Fast forward to March 2015 when I read about Sir Terry's death. I decided to honor him by reading another of his books and checked what was available on my kindle (that I had just gotten for christmas). The first novel that I didn't already know was Good Omens. I was sceptical because it was co-written by (my thoughts then:) "Neil Gaiman? Who's that random guy? Never heard of him..." but I gave it a try. I laughed. I laughed harder. It made me think. Then laugh again. We had a good time, me and the book.

I was a parent to two smallish kids. I started a new job. I broke up with the spouse. I didn't get to read much anymore. But a few years on, I read an article mentioning Coraline (the movie) in a parenting magazine. My kids were the right age and we watched it. It was the right kind of scary. I didn't connect it with Neil Gaiman at the time.

I still didn't have much time to read and slowly started getting into podcasts and audiobooks. I listened to Neverwhere while cleaning house and loved it. I decided to remember the author's name. (I did not remember it being the second name on the Good Omens title page.)

On a flea market I bought a copy of The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide. I knew and loved Douglas Adams from my teenage years but hadn’t read him in English. I read the foreword and found it to be written by - Neil Gaiman.

In early 2019, a friend convinced me to buy tickets for an Amanda Palmer concert later that year. (She wasn't even familiar with her music but loved her for The Art of Asking.) In preparation, I started not only listening to her music, but reading all kinds of stuff about and from her on social media. Apparently she was married to apparently famous author Neil Gaiman. Hey, I knew that guy! My friend, with a degree in American literature, said "Oh yeah, he wrote American Gods." I read American Gods. I loved it. I listened to Anansi Boys. I loved it. (This needs to be said: The concert was gut wrenchingly fabulous. I cried. I cheered. I fell in love with Amanda Palmer.)

Mind you, despite Neil Gaiman already on my radar, in autumn 2019 I had managed to not know about Good Omens (the show). I was randomly looking for something to watch on Amazon Prime to distract me from, you know, „the horrors“. (Somehow I hadn't used it much for streaming before.) There was a show that looked bright and colourful and quirky. And wasn't that the Doctor Who guy? I casually started watching and the story seemed familiar... wait, I read that book! By Terry Pratchett and - oh shit, that's the same Neil Gaiman!

There was no casual watching. I binge watched. I rewatched. I made my kids watch. I made my mother watch two episodes when she came for a visit and then gifted her the DVD for Christmas. She loves it, she loves season 2 even more.

Anyway. It was only with the show that I really started 1) connecting the dots ("the one who wrote Coraline") and 2) digging into it, looking for more stuff. (Not only Neil's though. You all know the drill.) I have been obsessed before, but I haven't been in a fandom before. I like it. The Brainrot is still going strong.

What's the point of all this? The point is: Dolphins. Tha‘ s ma point. It’s  great to discover new stuff to like (books, music, movies, but also skills, crafts, arts,…). It’s awesome to discover stuff you might have liked much earlier in your life but somehow missed out on. It’s so much fun to obsess over something to the point it leads you to discover entirely different, new things. The point is: Share your excitement, be excited around people you like. At ~40y I found myself bonding more with my Mother over Good Omens. My kid became an avid Discworld reader. In return, I got introduced to Percy Jackson. Spread the joy, be excited together.

Whoever managed to read that far: If you like, please share an unexpected joy your Good Omens or Neil Gaiman obsession has led you to. I know, there are many examples. Just pick one. I´ll start: without following Neil Gaiman on tumblr, I wouldn´t have bought a ticket for the Magnetic Fields, and I would never have discovered the music of Darren Hanlon (who was support act).

[rookie-critic]

Rookie-Critic's Top 25 Films of 2022: #6: The Quiet Girl (dir. Colm Bairéad)

Here's another case to be made for my crazed weeks-long binge to watch everything nominated at the Oscars this year. I would have never heard of this film if it hadn't been nominated for (and, in my opinion, should have won) Best International Feature. The story of a little girl, Cáit, who is shy, reserved, quiet, and timid by nature. This causes her family to view her as a burden, as a thing to be worked around instead of interacted with. So much so, that they pawn her off on a foster family when summer hits so they can go about their lives without worrying about her. From the instant the film starts, my heart bled for Cáit. While I wasn't as severely timid as she is in the film, and I had a family that was very supportive of me, I was intensely shy and had a hard time interacting with others as a kid. I can't even imagine living life like that under a roof that doesn't feel safe, where you not only feel like you're holding everyone back, but are basically being told and treated as such. To feel like you are unworthy of love because of something you haven't been given the tools to change as a 9-year-old is debilitating in a major way, and The Quiet Girl seeks to show the power of how much even a little caring and love can do. The film moves itself along slowly, taking its time in building its characters, showing their growth gradually, and at a pace that is so believable, it took me until right at the film's end to notice what the whole thing had been building up to. The last two words of the film, delivered with the emotional depth of a thousand oceans by newcomer Catherine Clinch (who plays Cáit), shattered any possible wall I had around my heart and had me in a puddle of my own tears as the credits rolled. With those last two words, everything clicked into place, and I understood what everything I had been watching for the last 90 minutes had been for. To put yourself in Cáit's shoes for that final moment, you realize that new life had been breathed into a concept that she probably didn't know could be any more than what she already knew. This film is about care, about growth, and about the power of what a truly loving home can do for a child that feels like they don't belong.

Currently available to rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.). Sadly, no Blu-ray/DVD has been announced for a North American release yet. I hope that changes soon.

You can read my original wrap-up review of The Quiet Girl here.

[thestobingirlie]

So much fic seems to miss how different things were in the 80s compared to now (also seem to forget how long ago stranger things is set... like season 1 is set 40 years ago this year.)

One thing I notice it a lot in is the talking about video/ the setting with Steve and Robin working at family video and just how home media worked.

First part of it, you can always tell when someone only grew up with dvd/ bluray/ video on demand. Because VHS did not have home menus, scene selection, or an additional features menu. You put the tape in and the only options were play, pause, fast forward or rewind. And when people write DVD instead of VHS for what family video offer. Like that format did not come out until the mid 90's and didn't overtake VHS until the early-mid 2000's, which lead to the monstrosities that were the combo DVD/VHS player. (I even saw one fic where Steve and Robin had to rewind returned DVD's. That is just not how it works.)

A lot of the time I think people don't understand is how new accessible home video/ home media was. Like when Steve and Robin start at family video, VHS was less than a decade old. Home video that was accessible and available to the masses only really came about with Betamax in 75 and VHS in 76. And because of that it was expensive, which is why rental stores were such a big thing. In the mid 80's a normal single-tape VHS could easily cost $80-$90, which is the equivalent of over $200. When Back To The Future was released on VHS in 86 it cost $80. So when its written that someone (often Eddie) has rented the same movie a few times, and they have Steve or Robin say that it would be cheaper to buy a copy, it just doesn't make sense.

Then its the time between theatrical release and home release. It could easily be a year between theatrical release and VHS release (Using BTTF again, theatrical release date was July 3rd 1985, VHS release was May 22nd 1986. So nearly 11 months.) And film companies didn't just release their entire back catalogue onto VHS right away. They looked at what was in demand. (Disney didn't finish releasing their "classics" onto VHS until well into the 90's). The one I see people getting wrong the most in fic is The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Now I could see Robin and Eddie loving Rocky Horror, but they probably weren't all that aware of it. It was released in 75, but it wasn't available on VHS until 87 in the UK, and 1990 in the US, and it wasn't broadcast on TV until 93. Yes, there were midnight screenings in a lot of cities, but it was rated R, and they just might not have heard of it. (Sorry, but Rocky Horror is my other hyperfixation/ special interest and I could talk about it for hours on end). But, yeah, unless they'd managed to get hold of a bootleg copy, they probably hadn't seen it.

Sorry for the long ask, but this is just something that bugs me a little, because it would take just a few seconds to google it to find out if what they've written actually makes sense with the time it's set.

i read a fic that mentioned they were all watching a dvd and i literally stopped reading the fic. it just totally took me out of it.

obviously if you’re younger you won’t know as much about vhs, but it’s not that hard to find out (also, someone had to rewind dvds??? come on man, never having actually seen a vhs, sure. but have these people never watched a dvd??)

$80? that’s so expensive! i had no idea! i do love how you know so much about this tho lmao

people focus on the rocky horror picture show too much. i think it’s the only queer media they know from around the 80s, and while it’s fun, i really don’t think robin/steve/eddie would’ve known much about it, and if they did watch it, would probably be post st canon.

don’t worry about long asks! small things like that bug me too lol, especially because they’re so small it would take two seconds to look it up! but i guess if you’ve never really experienced 80s shit, you don’t even know you have to look stuff up.

[gollancz]

Why I'm Not Allowed On Twitter Unsupervised Any More: A Photo Essay

Key Notes:

Since this was posted I discovered that the books had briefly been available in the UK under the name Peter Beagle rather than Peter S. Beagle in the mid-90s, which is why they didn't show up on the British Library search

The article by Tor.com @torbooks: Peter S. Beagle Has Finally Regained the Rights to His Body of Work

If you want our gorgeous limited edition, I believe there are still a handful left (except for the US and Canada, sorry lads), and you can get it here. I'm not kidding when I say I got a little teary-eyed when these showed up.

[Image Description: A tweet thread from the Gollancz twitter dated 20th July 2022, which goes as follows -

Tweet 1: You may have seen that we're printing a Brand New Edition of The Last Unicorn. We're very excited! I was asked to tweet about it. I wasn't asked to do it quite like this, but I also wasn't asked NOT to do it like this, and I have the twitter login so whose fault is that? (Thread emoji, and gif from the film Scream reading 'The Call is coming from inside the house!')

Tweet 2: Imagine, if you will, you are a small child in the UK during the late 80s/early 90s. You might look a bit like this, or you might have had parents who didn't choose suffering (ask my mum about The Saga of the Hat) (an image of a small girl approximately 3 years old wearing a blue dress and a big white hat)

Tweet 3: Imagine you have a cool older cousin, one who, as you get age, introduces you to fantasy films like Ladyhawk and The Princess Bride and has a post the whole family knows as 'the vampire and the naked lady'. She's extremely responsible for the way you turn out as an adult.

Tweet 4: One year, for your birthday, this cousin buys you a video. It's the first video that is yours, not to share. It has a bright yellow cover. The butterfly scares you. But you watch it on a loop. You don't realise how special it is, but it's a seed that burrows into your brain. (An image of a VHS of The Last Unicorn)

Tweet 5: A decade or so later, in your teens, you rediscover it. None of your friends have heard of it, despite also being fantasy-inclined. That's odd, you think. Is this an outlandishly weird title? Then you get older and you realise: no, it isn't. (Principal Skinner meme reading 'Am I out of touch? No, it's the people who don't know about The Last Unicorn who are wrong')

Tweet 6: Time and tech march on, you get a DVD of the film. You realise it's got Christopher Lee in it! And Angela Lansbury! Your mum tries to get you to listen to songs by America other than the soundtrack, but the only one that really sticks is the other one they did about a horse. (Gif of Walter White from Breaking Bad singing along to Horse With No Name)

Tweet 7: You realise that the film is based on a book. Like The Princess Bride, which you've also read (after spending longer than you're proud of trying to find an unabridged edition). 'Neat,' you think, 'I'll have to read that!'

Tweet 8: And then you can't find it. Because, as mentioned previously, you're in the UK. The Last Unicorn was published for the first time in 1968. But, if you look at the British Library's National Bibliography (super neat resource btw), that was, uh, about it. (screenshot of the search results from the National Bibliography showing four editions of The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, one from Gollancz in 2022, one from IDW in 2019, one from Tachyon Publications in 2018, and one from Bodley Head in 1968)

Tweet 9: The Tachyon edition is the unfinished first draft of the story. The IDW edition is a gorgeous graphic novel. But in terms of the novel? I don't know how many reprints it had (if anyone knows, I'd love to find out), but there's a good chance it went out of print in the 70s.

Tweet 10: The film, however, was released in 1982. Although it didn't make it to the UK until 1986. Conservative estimates could put that between 10 and 15 years since the book was last available in the UK. This gives you a generation in the UK who only know the story through the film! (A screenshot of the IMDB page showing the different release dates for The Last Unicorn around the world)

Tweet 11: The screenplay was written by Peter S. Beagle, and made by the legendary animation directors Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass. That's right, the guys behind Thundercats and 2 out of the 3 films based on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Tweet 12: The Book has been in print in the USA (and possibly all of North America) constantly since its publication, so it seems baffling that people in the UK haven't heard of it. As the internet became more prominent, however, it became easier to just... import a copy of the book.

Tweet 13: But! This also isn't quite as simple as you think. You see, until last year the rights to The Last Unicorn were tied up in legal limbo. And the US edition of the book contained changes that Peter wasn't happy with. (Link to the Tor.com article about the rights)

Tweet 14: Back to you, the 80s/90s kid, who is now an adult, happy that unicorns are A Thing again and you're living your best life. You're very easy to buy presents for. Your partner despairs of unicorns. You get a job working in books about magic and space. (unicorn emoji and photograph of a collection of unicorn memorabilia, including three different versions of The Last Unicorn)

Tweet 15: You mention that one day you would like to publish The Last Unicorn. That if you did, you would like to do a really beautiful edition of it. And you would like it to be purple. Because since the film is what you know, you associate it with purple.

Tweet 16: And, after taking a very circuitous route, here we are! This is the original text, that was first published in 1968. Reading it after you have only seen the film is the strangest experience - like being introduced to a very dear friend that you have never met before.

Tweet 17: Peter's screenplay kept the voice of the story so well, you can hear the characters when you read the book. But now there's so much more depth, softness and warmth to it. The butterfly doesn't seem so scary any more. And, it's beautiful. And it's purple. (Image of a hardback edition of The Last Unicorn, with a black base, purple background, and a linocut image of the unicorn in her wood. On the black cover underneath is a foiled unicorn with the moon and butterfly, the page edges are sprayed purple, and the endpapers are black with silver butterflies)

Tweet 18: Anyway, I've taken you on a three day trip that could have been done in a single tweet, but that's what happens when you let me drive. This edition is the limited exclusive one only available through the Gollancz Emporium and you can preorder here: (link to Gollancz Emporium)

Tweet 19: But there is also a standard edition available through all booksellers! You'll be getting the author's preferred text, with an introduction from Patrick Rothfuss. There's also a brand new audiobook and it will be available in eBook for the first time ever.

Tweet 20: It's like going from famine to feast, and I wasn't able to talk about this for months so now I am able to talk about it, I'm going to make the social media team cry. UNICORNS. SPECIAL EDITION. PURPLE. The End.

Tweet 21: Additional behind the scenes bonus detail - I did take this cover to the art meaning while wearing a unicorn onesie.

Tweet 22: The comms team wrestling me away from the twitter account: (gif of Ross from Friends shouting 'Stop typing! Stop typing!')

End ID]

[deathmetalangel]

Hii! I’m literally carving smuts in these days, and I just finished Wednesday!!

I was thinking about a bsf to lovers, where reader and tyler have to hide from his dad because the reader is an outcast and they have to hide and sexual tension, or maybe the reader goes to the cafe during tyler’s night shift!!

Btw, have a good day xx

-anon 🍃

DO I MAKE YOU NERVOUS? (TYLER GALPIN X GN!READER)

warnings: sexual tension, age gaps (they're a ghost so), oral (m!receiving), unprotected sex, no implied afab or amab genitals for reader, creampie, l word, tyler almost transforming, mentions of death

tyler galpin has many secrets, his biggest isn’t the monster in his closet, it’s how stupid his closest ghost friend makes him

two requests in once since two people asked for tyler galpin smut teehee

A normie and an outcast? Who would've thought the two could even be friends. Especially between a lifeless ghost and and the son of the town Sheriff who was wary of the Nevermore students. Y/n was easily Nevermore's longest resident, but throughout their years at the academy they had never enjoyed their time quite like they did now.

That was thanks to Tyler Galpin. The 'human' boy had somehow charmed the young spirit. For a soul forced to damnation the current life they lived was surprisingly enjoyable. Even now, when they had to hide in Tyler's room whenever his dad barged in to speak with him about some random chore or another trivial topic.

Y/n waits until the coast is clear to appearate again. "Sorry about him, my dads just been on edge. With everything happening in town and all you know." Tyler apologizes for the constant intrusions.

"It's nothing really. I think of it as a way of practicing my spectral abilities more. So, thanks for the practice." Y/n smiles at the awkward boy. Of course they already knew his secrets, not that he was aware though. "So what movie were you going to show me?"

"Oh! Yeah, lemme grab it." Tyler rushes to his closet to find the dvd. Who still uses dvds? "I wanted you to watch American Psycho since you haven't seen it, which is still weird to me but whatever." Y/n watches him start up the movie while they float towards his bed and take a seat.

Tyler smiles and sits down next to y/n. While their eyes were fixated on the movie he kept glancing back at them, he was so desperate for their approval. Would they like the movie? Or think it was dumb? Think he was dumb? What if they hated him? His body tenses up when their hand lands next to his thigh.

It wasn't the temperature of their skin, it was how close they were to touching him. He glances back again, his eyes studying every feature on their face. It was almost impossible for him not too. Y/n seemed to notice the attention on them when they look back and see Tyler staring 'inconspicuously'. "You seen the movie too many times?"

Tyler's face turns red from being caught. "Uh, no I actually really like the movie. I just wanted to see if you were enjoying it." His lie was apparent, but y/n really didn't mind.

"Yeah I am. It's pretty good, although Im pretty impartial to 90s movies since, you know, that's when I died. The Craft was a good one." They smile at how nervous Tyler was getting. So, they slyly move their hand on top of his thigh. "What, you don't like that movie?"

He clears this throat awkwardly. "No no. I like that movie, a lot actually. It's really good."

"Are you just not feeling movies? We can do something else if you want, just say the word." He was freaking out at the implication. Were they just being a tease, or was y/n really implying something else.

Y/n smiles and slowly presses their body towards Tyler, like they were waiting for an answer. "We can do whatever you want to do, I have my xbox or-" His breath hitches when both of their hands are placed on his upper thighs. "Just pick," He mumbles trying and hoping that his blood doesn't all rush to his eager dick.

"That's all you want to do? Or I can suck your-" Tyler quickly covers their mouth when he hears loud footsteps coming upstairs. His heart was practically beating out of his chest until they faded away meaning his dad went back downstairs. "Oh yeah, I gotta be as quiet as a mouse." It was obvious y/n enjoyed teasing him.

Especially when they glanced down at the hard on that was prominently shown through his jeans. "What's the magic word Ty?"

"Please." He whispers partially out of breath from the tension he was experiencing. Y/n smiles while they promptly undo his belt and loosen his jeans. His dick was straining in his boxers, a sight to behold.

His breath catches in his throat when their hand begins to make contact with his aching cock. "You're quite a big boy aren't you?" He can't even respond when their chilled fingers rub against his tip that was exuding precum. "Ty, do I make you nervous?" He looks down at the ghost whose face was positioned right next to his dick.

"Very much so."

They just giggle. "Good." Y/n licks a stripe up against his shaft making him throw his head back. Their hand was fixed at the base of his dick while they gently kissed his tip. "I wanna know how you taste," He can feel himself being eveloped by their mouth. Tyler bites back the breathy moans that want to leave his lips. Their other hand gently grabs ahold of his balls making him almost audibly moan.

It was getting hard for him to hold back. Especially when he felt his dick start to reach into their throat. "Fuck..." He bites his tongue to no avail. Y/n let’s him go and smiles at his mewling beneath them.

“Shhh. We gotta be quiet. Besides, we haven’t even got to the best part.” His eyes widened when they pushed him back onto his mattress. “Plus, I wouldn’t be the one getting caught with my dick out.” They giggle before dropping their bottoms and sliding their legs out of their underwear.

Climbing up on the bed y/n was basically straddling Tyler. They slip two finger into their mouth before rubbing them around and into their opening. “You ready?” They could see just how eager he was. It was funny, Tyler was acting like a freshman that hadn’t even got their dick touched.

Y/n moves slow when they line themselves up, their heart almost beating in sync with his. Tyler grabs at his sheets when he feels his dick start to enter them. Curses string from his mouth while he tries to keep quiet. When he feels himself bottom out. “You feel so fucking good.”

“So I’ve been told.” Y/n begins to rock their hips steadily, while Tyler is desperate to pick up the pace. He bucks upwards when he feels their walls clench around him. They had his dick in a vice grip and he couldn’t he happier.

Y/n lays flat on Tyler’s chest burying their head into the crook of his neck. Their breath fans his face while they continue to move sensually. It was almost like something snapped in Tyler, y/n had expected it, but not this soon.

He can feel his resolve slipping when he grabs onto y/n’s hips. A quick yelp leaves them at the sudden touch. Tyler starts to rock their hips more, each thrust of his concerningly hardening cock sending their mind into overdrive. “Fuck Tyler, don’t stop. Please.” They grabbed onto his shoulders, nails digging into his flesh.

Y/n was seeing stars with the way Tyler was thrusting. Both of their bodies were on fire and the upcoming highs. And they can’t help but gasp feeling the growing claws start to scrape across their semi-translucent skin. They had never felt more alive. Well, they did before they died but yeah.

Tyler doesn’t quit, he keeps on bucking his hips and bringing their hips down to match his unrelenting pace. Desperate to reach his peak and bring them with him. Y/n wanted to scream at the pleasure that was building. Like a damn about to bust, they bite down on their lip trying to contain their excitement. “Tyler I’m gonna cum, please faster, faster.”

Like a good little Hyde his pace seemed almost superhuman now. Tyler fought back his near transformation when the tension in his body snapped. He slammed their hips down again causing the euphoria to take over like a tsunami.

Y/n covers their mouth while they cum around his throbbing dick. They squeeze him for all he’s worth before y/n completely goes limp in his arms. “Fuck,” They mumble almost incoherently at the orgasm. Tyler pants when he pulls out, cum spilling from their aching hole. They shiver at the loss.

Tyler rolls over and lays y/n down gently, any hint of his previous self washed away with his euphoric state. “Shit, I should’ve been more gentle. Just lay down. I’ll take care of you.” Y/n yawns softly before nodding. Curling into his warmth while he took care of the rest.

The most warmth they’d felt in a while, and it was about to be the best sleep in a while as well. Their post nut haze can’t even get them to here the words that leave his mouth next. “I think I love you.”

[bl4cklabyrinth]

Documentary Film -Zenshin- Pamphlet Translation: Q&As

Disclaimer: Please do not retranslate my work into other languages, as my translation may not be accurate. I am no Japanese or English native.

Originally posted on my Twitter.

Photo by Suzuki Kohei

We collected questions for the members from fans on Twitter from 2016.12.30 to 2017.1.13. We handpicked some questions from the bunch and answered them!

Which song hypes you up the most live?

Teru&Kid'z: Monochrome Effector!

Kid'z: I have so much fun playing it that I burst out laughing.

Nob: Probably Black Rail. Because it's the first song I have a bass solo in.

Hiro: Love Letter or Monochrome Effector. Love Letter is a ballad that isn't too heavy, it's just right. There's a J-pop feel to it that gently touches the hearts of the Japanese.

The line "Nothing is impossible, so you're not going to give up, right?" from Black Rail has helped me several times. Do you have a favorite lyric or a line you're emotionally attached to from a MFS song?

Hiro: I don't remember which song I used it in first, but I've come to like using the phrase "fall apart", and I've used it a couple of times after that in other songs.

Kid'z: I was just working on Tomorrowland and The Puzzle when I joined the band. They left a mark on me.

Teru: I love the line "I must say it, even though it won't reach you" from Still.

Nob: It's Saishuukai STORY for me. It's the first song that Hiro worked on the backbone of, and I think it was a turning point for him. It made an impact on me and made me feel that he was out there to win.

When did you decide to play music seriously?

Hiro: I started thinking about it and acting on it on my first year in high school, but it wasn't until my third year that it started to take shape.

Teru: I thought about it seriously probably on my third year in high school. When I was deciding on what course to take after graduation.

Nob: While at my job. When I was still working as a painter, I was coating a wall when I suddenly thought, ".....What the hell am I doing?" After that, I immediately said, "I quit." I met Sho-kun about three days later.

Kid'z: I started playing the drums when I was 3, but I think I thought about doing it for a living when I was in middle school or high school... But when I visited my parents' house the other day, I saw that I had written "I'll go to Tokyo and become a drummer" in my grade school yearbook. It came true, I thought (laughs).

A question for Hiro. Since Hiro was at the core of making the album ANTITHESE, what do you look for in terms of guitar, bass, and drums respectively?

Hiro: "Overwhelming personality". For each part, how will you rearrange the songs I made with only the basic chord progression and melody? How well do you think it will synchronize with my image? Those are what I'm looking for.

When you toured around the 47 prefectures last year, was there a place where you thought, "I want to live here~"? Also, is there another country you would want to live in?

Teru&Kid'z: Okinawa!!

Kid'z: Actually, I flew there about a week before the show. I've always loved that place, so I had a great time.

Teru: If we're talking about a country to live in, Japan is nice.

Kid'z: I think so too. To tell you the truth, I'm quite the clean freak (laughs), so if it's not as clean as Japan then it's probably not for me.

Nob: Fukuoka, Sapporo. The food is delicious! And Osaka. Its liveliness is amazing. I'm really dull (laughs) and I spend my time quietly during my off days, but when I'm not doing that I want to be in a place that's still bustling with people until midnight. Foreign countries are scary.

Hiro: I think Osaka and Fukuoka are good too. If we're talking about another country, America.

What do you always do before a show?

Hiro: Doing a simulation on the day of the show is a must.

Kid'z: Stretching, mental preparation in a place with no people. 

Teru: During the 47-Prefecture Tour, Hiro would slap me on the back before every show. It somehow gives me motivation.

Nob: I walk around the area all the time. Like what a track and field athlete does before the real deal. I do it on instinct to boost my spirits.

What do you think is the coolest thing about each member?

Teru: Hiro's voice, Nob's moustache, Kid'z' nose.

Kid'z: When Hiro sings, when Nob plays the bass, when Teru plays the guitar (laughs). Everyone's at their coolest when they're performing.

Nob: Hiro's face. Kid'z when he's playing the drums, and maybe how he looks like when he's driving. As for Teru... He would casually say a few striking words from time to time. Whenever that happens, I think "This guy's really solid".

Hiro: (thinks) Nothing really... Seriously nothing (laughs).

If you had a time machine, which would you rather visit, the past or the future? Also, what would you do there?

Teru: Future. I wanna see what I'll be doing 30 years from now.

Kid'z: Exactly the same as Teru. I want to ask my future self what it's like.

Nob: It's the past for me. I want to restart my life all over again, or to try living a different life.

Hiro: I'd choose the past too. It'd be nice to go back to the 90s, for instance, when music was selling like hotcakes, and see how well my own music would fare in that era.

A question for Teru. During the 47-Prefecture Tour, where do you think you had your best MC?

Teru: Well, Niigata left an impression on me. If I remember correctly, Kid'z was talking about things that didn't make sense during the MC, and I got seriously angry. That was funny, but it was in no way my best MC.

Please tell us your aspirations for this year!

Teru: I decide to take on a new challenge every year. Anything would be fine, even something small.

Kid'z: To do my best without overdoing things, probably. Because I pushed myself too hard last year (laughs).

Nob: I want to get rid of some neck fat, chisel my abs and train my body. And I want to be featured on a musical instrument magazine like Bass Magazine.

Hiro: To take things slow but get things done. I want to add more intensity to my current pace this year.

What's one song that changed your life?

Teru: For me, it's Ozzy Osbourne's I Want To Change The World. I heard the song while my dad was watching Ozzy's DVD and thought, "How cool, I want to start playing the guitar!"

Nob: Sigur Rós' GIósóli. The video also made an impact on me.

Kid'z: One by B'z. I've always loved B'z, but that song and its lyrics just hit me differently.

Hiro: I don't know if it changed my life, but I felt like my values have changed since I listened to TK from Ling tosite Sigure's music. It made me see things from his point of view, made me ponder on the meaning of the lyrics and interpret them myself, and had me yearning for approval and self-confidence. It was at that moment when I realized that there are ways of making this kind of music, and that I had another option in life.

[gone-forever-bye]

My Top Ten Manga:

To go with my top ten anime list.

10. Otaku no Musume-san

Here we have a manga that is about a girl who's always wanted to meet her father and discovers that he is a shameless otaku. Hijinks and adorable father/daughter affection ensues. There's weird character, cute characters, and a final act that is pretty messed up but this is a manga that I think is good from start to finish. It's a good read. It pulls at the heartstrings while making you laugh and it can even serve as a do/do not guide for all you otaku parents out there. XD

Favorite character: Kannau Yukimura

9. Air Gear

This beautiful and heavily detailed stylish manga is about a world where skate-like contraptions known as Air Treks are used as a way to fly, get places, and build your own gang to own the skies. The art is gorgeous, the characters all mesh into a kind of gray area although there are some typical good guy/bad guys thrown in, and the series manages to evoke true feeling from the reader with how raw it can get. I highly reccomend. Favorite Character: Ringo Noyamano

8. InuYasha

The manga that cemented my love for all things anime Inuyasha is the compelling fantasy tale of a half-demon and a young junior high girl. I can't express into words what an impact this manga made on me. The designs of the assortment of demons that are based on Japanese folklore and mythology, the tragic backstories so many of the main characters possess, the out of this world fight scenes, all the way to the incredible chemistry between Inuyasha and Kagome. It's hard to put down once you've started reading. The manga outshines the anime because it doesn't quite feel like it loses its pacing as the anime kept getting dotted with filler. It's interesting, dark in some places but never without a ray of light, and artwork that suits the story well. Favorite Character: Rin

7. Gunsmith Cats

An oldie but goodie. We've got guns, muscle cars, and hot chicks, all in above average detail. Don't waste time with the anime, the manga is where this story of bounty hunter/police officer Rally Vincent and her partner Minnie-May really shines with explosive fun. Mature and loaded with everything from kidnapping to drugs to high speed car chases I have to say that I make it a point of rereading this series often. I've yet to find another that I enjoy as much as this one for this particular genre. Favorite Character: Rally Vincent.

6. Buso Renkin

I'm a big fan of manga that doesn't force a simple storyline to be stretched over fifty volumes. Ten volumes was the perfect size for the story of Katsuki Mutou as he is accidently thrown into the world of alchemy and humunculous. This is a complete manga by the creator of Rurouni Kenshin that I think really emphasizes Watsuki's strength as a shounen manga author who can take so many shounen tropes and make them work almost effortlessly. It didn't need to be ground breaking because it wasn't trying to be. It's an honestly good manga from start to finish with one of the most memorable anti-hero's I've ever read. Favorite Character: Papillon

5. My Little Monster

I'm not the biggest shoujo manga fan like I used to be but I will say that My Little Monster is a great way to change the formula. None of the characters acted the way I expected. They are all weird and extreme in the most interesting of ways while still capturing the uncertainty and naivete that teens suffer from. It's really difficult to dislike any of the characters. They're all so likeable although Natsume will probably make you grind your teeth because that girl is insane. A must read for any shoujo manga fan. Favorite Character: Sohei Sasahara.

4. Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden

I like shoujo manga that doesn't just focus on romance. Genbu Kaiden is the prequel to Fushigi Yugi and I have to say it's better in every way. It's a lot more balanced, mixing the romance into a beautiful but sad story, unforgettable characters, action scenes that really emphasis the importance of the plot, while all being accomplished with the ridiculously gorgeous Yu Watase art style. Another must read for any shoujo fan. Favorite Character: Takiko Okuda

3. Rurouni Kenshin

There was no way this manga wasn't going to make the list. Unlike the anime this manga is outstanding from start to finish. For me this is the ultimate in sword fighting. The visuals are exactly what you want from samurai dueling and there's never a dull moment. The cast is one of the best in my opinion and I love that the narrative never bores me even when they're just explaining fighting styles or attacks. Watsuki's distinct shounen style is a favorite of mine. The evolution of Himura Kenshin is the plot and its worth every panel. Read the final arc of you can. It's amazing.. Favorite Character: Kamiya Kaoru

2. Chrono Crusade

I will make a rant about this manga later because I will fight for this series until the day I die. Do no watch the anime. Even though I bought each dvd and have watched them over twenty times at least, the anime does the manga NO justice. Eight volumes, all inspiring story telling. Chrono Crusade starts in such a way that you think it may be a lighthearted story of a gun-toting 'nun' and her demon sidekick but it quickly evolves into so much more. Rosette and Chrono are a duo the you will root for from page one as they fight demons, friends, and everything else that stands in their way to fix the damage that was done so many years ago. Another series that accomplishes a complete story in ten volumes or less which keeps the plot from being unnecessarily stretched. It evokes so much feeling, making you relate to the characters in such a way while still powering through the story because this is a tale about time. By the end you'll find yourself a little less able to take your time for granted as you cry for these characters that have an ending that you can take as either good or bad. I always put this one at the top of my must read list and it holds a very special place in my otaku heart. I'm disappointed that such an intense manga did not get a proper anime adaption though I do understand why. Favorite Character: Chrono

1. Detective Conan

Anyone who knows me should have expected this. Lol. Detective Conan for me is the ultimate manga. The award winning mystery series is an ongoing manga that never fails to impress. It's familiar while evolving with us so it has a loyal fanbase made up of twenty year veteran fans to new ones every day and the number just keeps growing. High school detective Kudo Shinichi is the pride of Tokyo Japan before he stumbles across a mysterious transaction involving a pair of men clothed in black. He's discovered and force fed a drug that instead of killing him, reverts his body to that of a seven year old. He retains his adult mind and begins hiding his identity while going by the name Edogawa Conan and solving mysteries through his childhood friend's father's detective agency. The story takes off from there. The series is vast, featuring over 1000 chapters, over 20 movies, over 50 seasons, dozens of OVA's and specials including live action, and being featured in multiple ways throughout Japan. It even has its own museum in Gosho Aoyama's hometown. While not for everyone, especially those thrown off by the sheer amount of content, Detective Conan is a series that is loved by all ages all over the world and has been here since the early 90's for a reason. It has become my reason for living and it will never leave my #1 spot. Favorite Character: Kudo Shinichi (for life!)

As I have said before I gauge a series on its ability to draw me in, keep me attached, and talent for making me come back.

[lordrei]

Ok I tried simplifying it down cause I didn't even mention my cousins or anything

Ok

Alright so mini context so that you know how I'm so close with everyone when they're a country away.

Up until about 5 years ago I'd live with my extended family every summer in Mexico. And 80% of my childhood memories are there. For the most part you'll hear about my dads side cause i stayed there most of the summer with the 2-3week exception where I'd stay at my mom's side.

Alright now for the stories

Dad's side-

Grandma:

1. My grandma doesn't have a thumb in one of her hands. I honestly still don't know how she lost it but she'd never tell me the same story. I always thought it was cool though, cause she still knew how to sew perfectly and taught me (even though I forgot by now).

2. So for more context my uncle's (grandma's brother and my aunt) neighbour us and they have like this weird little bottom floor balcony facing the street, kinda hard to explain. But basically it was around the end of summer and me and my bestie had a mini farewell picnic (i was around 8-9) at night and we hosted it there. My family usually sits outside the house and talk amongst each other while sitting in those white plastic chairs all the way until midnight. Well this one time this one very visibly drunk guy, maybe in his 50s starts walking down the street while we're having our picnic and we didn't really care. Until he stopped a few yrs in front of us and rambled to us that we were going to hell, to get closer to him an my and my bestie couldn't really leave. Ofc then my grandma, so badass and cool came out with a broom and started chasing him around and smacked him it several times until he quickly excited himself far away from us. We finished enjoying our little crackers with ham and shared some with grandma.

3. Me and my grandma had our very set schedule and these don't count as stories but just things I liked doing with her on a weekly basis

A. We got churros with orange juice on Sundays before we went to church the juice was always served in bags with a pretty straw and I never had to ask for her to bring me there

B. On Tuesday she gave me chore money and she'd take me to the market open that morning and we'd go to this stand that sold doll clothes, which was an obsession of mine. It was always 2 doll dresses and one pair of shoes.

C. We'd go on a bus each Thursday morning to go downtown and we always made a stop at a carnicería and she'd let me get two tacos of my choice. It was always montalayo or lengua.

Tia Linda:

My tia and my little cousin used to live with us until i was around 11(?) so i remember her in a different way. I see her like a second mom in some ways <3

1. When I was younger my mom always did these really tight ponytails before I'd be sent off to school. Which was why I enjoyed the few times a month my mom would have no time to do my hair so my aunt did my hair instead. Her ponytails were noticably looser, and didn't use an unhealthy amount of spray. So I enjoyed when she'd do it a bit more but I'll never tell my mom that.

2. One time we kinda got into a car crash while going back from a trip to my tia Adriana's house. It wasn't bad, but i was sitting in the back with no seatbelt so I hit my nose on the back window. My tia Linda didn't really know what to do to check if it was broken or such so she drew some little doodles on a piece of tape and stuck it on as a "temporary bandaid" i still have it somewhere in one of my notebooks.

Tia Alma:

She lives with my grandma and is probably my favorite family member. Ilhsm <3

1.  She showed us all the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield spiderman movies on DVDs in the old 90s box tv in my dad's old room I also watched Hachi for the first time with her and we both cried together. Good times.

2. She didn't know how to drive, last time I visited for the summer my tia Linda started encouraging her to drive her white pickup. We were in the middle of some dirt road and then my aunt agreed to it under pressure. She sucked. Terribly. I was a bunny ride but I enjoyed every second of it  while my tia Linda was chastising her and how "she'd leave her in the middle of the road to walk if she damaged her truck"

3. She trained birds to sing. Not a profession or anything, my grandma just owns a lot of birds and my aunt would whistle around them every morning then give them fruit.

4. She got a pitbull and named her Paloma (popcorn in English) the dog mostly stayed in the backyard but she'd let her run around the house to chase my siblings into hiding. Paloma was incredibly friendly but also strong and my siblings hate dogs lol.

5. Because of her he semi owned stray cats and fed them whenever they roamed around the house. One of them Licho, was has ended up living like 2 decades. Strays are kinda seen as casual annoyances here because there's a lot but my aunt secretly loved him and the others a lot.

Tio Carlos:

He takes us to Mexico every time we go. Fun fact is that he has vitiligo.

1. Honestly I'm not as close to him as the rest of the my parent's siblings but that's only cause he works in Japan. He brings souvenirs to us all the time and he gives me his spare change. He was just cool but idk how to explain it.

Abuelito: unfortunately he passed away this year but he was really cool. He acted grumpy but he taught us little chants, songs and stuff

1. One of first memories involved trying to give him some candy after that I'd gotten from posadas (it's like a religious holiday taken place over December) and he said he didn't want any sweets. Then my grandma joked it was cause he was old and salty so he couldn't have sweets. In retalliation, he snatched my bag and telling her she was just projecting and quickly closed and locked the door of his room. Never got it back but I felt honored tbh.

2. He taught me how to make paper boats. We made some together and then placed them on an irrigation canal and let them float away. I forgot how to make them for years but one day i tried making them and it was like muscle memory

Others:

Ok so i wanted to make more detailed ones but my phone is still broken so typing has been a bit annoying. So I'll just go over the rest on my dad's side more quickly

*Tia Pilar: grandma's sister, strong af, made the best food, and gave me 60% of my gold earings.

*Tio Nestor: grandma's bro, lives next door. he called my siblings food nicknames. Not the cute stuff like "sweet pea" or "pumpkin", he'd always call my sibling (insert name) Dr pepper. My sister Concha (it's that one really popular pan dulce that you might have seen) and my brothers (insert name) French fires, or papaya

* Tia Gabi and Tia Lupe: I named my dolls after them lol. I only remember one thing about them that stands out and it's the fact that they were always besides eachother. Every picture they're in they're always besides eachother, every time I'd see them they were walking around together. I thought they were twins but apparently they're not.

*Carmen and her family: I already talked about our picnic. We were basically family. My mom apparently helped raise her older sister and i know most of her family. She had one closet that was literally stuffed with dolls, but mostly tiny pots.

She and I used to play like no one else. We used those toys to do everything,

1. We built a doll car out of these shouboxes and stuck what I'm pretty sure was a fake mp3 of Hannah Montana merch to work as the "car radio". Lots of fun

2. Another time her family took me to pick garanbullos out in the cerros. They're basically like cactus berries and i ended up filling the bucket with them.

3. We made a "mini pizza" out of dry breadcrumbs, chamoy, chocolate powder, and a few other things. It was a mess. It was something that should have never been made, we still ate it.

4. I had my first and only sleepover there.

Mom's side-

Mama Rebecca: she was possibly the biggest sweetheart. She makes the best chocolate milk and she'd usually work at the restaurant at the corner she is the sweet grandma stereotype except she's barely in her 60s

1. She gave me this one very specific book about fairy tales with problably the most memorable art style (i think i found it it might be maria pascual) . She read it to us whenever she wasn't out and about

2. She owned a duck shaped tree that her and my grandpa would trim

3. She bought me a straw hat with a sunflower on it and it's problably still in their closet since i forgot it there

Papa Jose: sweet fucking man iflhsm.

1.One time when i was 7 I drew a map of their house and and papa Jose came in and took a look at it and asked if I took one of his maps (he works in construction and stuff), I said that o drew it and he started talking about how talented I was. I don't think I've ever enjoyed so much praise, but I was def happy cause my mom always talked about him being such a talented artist.

2. he taught me how to dye water with these fluffy reddish flowers that grow in the fields out nearby and we made pinkish dye with it when I was 6

3. He told me he'd build a treehouse for me and my sibling on a tree they had in the yard while we were back home for school. Unfortunately, when we came back, there was a Strom that knocked that tree over. It still had the latter's so i was still happy he'd even out the effort to actually do it.

Tía Ceci: Mom's youngest sister only 6 years older than me so I kinda saw her as a cousin and i imagined that's what having and older sister felt like

1. She  showed one of those paranormal activity movies. We watched it in this small old laptop in her room and she lied and told us it was actually real. Us being tiny dumb shits, actually believed it and cried, but mostly my sibling. She definitely got a laugh out of that.

2. She used to have a boyfriend and would sneak out, telling us not to tell on her in exchange for tamarind candy. She owned this giant ass teddy bear her boyfriend gave her and we definitely stole it from her more than once.

3. She took me to her friend's house to pick tuna (another cactus fruit) off of her place. The tuna we picked had red stuff in it, Wich was just fruit, but she told us it was plant blood.

4. We set up tents out of umbrellas and blankets in her room. She told us about the two times she got stung by scorpions and how she almost died (they're pretty common there)

Tia Mariana: Maybe it was because it was further back then, but my tia Mariana was the embodiment of nthe 2010's in fashion. I didn't see her as often because she went off to college at the time. I idolized her alot cause she was in my opinion the smartest individual I knew.

1. A lot of times she just took me on walks to get icecream or look at empty houses. My mom's side lives in a much smaller town, no more than just over 600 ppl. So walks there were always nice.

2. She taught me how to draw several animals,  she bought me some cheap crayons which i lived and cherished till their end.

Tia Marisa: i didn't see her often either because she was off at work most of the day but I loved her too.

1. She owns the restaurant in the corner of the street and severe Gorditas around, I was always wierded out because it was rare for me to see anyone out who lived there but there were always a dozen people in there.

2. She gave me her guitar because she got a new one anyways. She taught me how to play the cucaracha.

I took care of her kid, who'd convince me to build dinosaurs with him out of rustyish screws and scraps of plastic.

3. We used to randomly talk about nothing in particular while sitting on the floor of the porch. I don't remember any conversations but one where she told me her mom, tia Mariana and her got into a fight when they were kids and my mom threw a rock at her. Typical stuff.

Tio Paco: my mom doesn't have have brothers, just this cousin who i only saw once but he toook me to ride one of his horses once so he deserves a spot.

people with big extended families that are all super close do u know how lucky you are. like this isn't a shame post to make u feel bad this is genuinely a soft reminder bc i know how easy it is to take something for granted when it's such a normalised part of your life, so this is me saying you're lucky. you're so so lucky. people who live near or with grandparents and adore them. people who laugh with their aunts and uncles. people whose first friends were their cousins and first memories are of them getting up to mischief. people whose families meet up for huge meals and parties that are loud and annoying and messy but fun and full of love and people you know really well even if it is your grandma's second husband's daughter. entire communities built around one last name. you're so fucking lucky, make sure to appreciate them <3