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redleavesinthewind · 1 year ago

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elliot's 2023 fic wrap up

2022 version

alright friends it is once again time for me to review the (many) fics i read in the previous year and try to write a more or less concise rec list of my absolute faves (i wish i didn't have to chose but heh i'm not gonna subject anyone to 332 fics in 1 post - also wait only 332 fics? that's like. over 100 less than last year, what the fuck. anyway)

okay now first the part that interests no one but me (yes you may skip this) and that's the numbers part! i'm not making a whole elaborate spreadsheet to then not throw around cool numbers. anyway.

i've read around 4,932k words in 332 fics across 18 fandoms. that is much less than last year, and yeah, i've been generally less productive in 2023 but we don't have to talk about it. at least i have more variety of fandoms this time (let's ignore that it's only 2 more and also that from fandom 13 on there's only 1 fic per fandom)

i started out the year strong with 847k words across 72 fic in february (followed by 753k across 42 fics in january, and 621k words across 63 fics in march). it goes downhill for the rest of the year. eh it wasn't my year so what! 2024 is gonna be more filled with fic reading again!!!

my top 3 fandoms are so entirely unsurprising to me i am almost disappointed in myself. when did i become so predictable. top fandom is young royals with 166 fics! congratulations young royals, you are a very persistent hyperfixation, you didn't peter out after 2 months like i expected. Spot number 2 is taken by avatar the last airbender with 41 fics! giant leap there, but it's also funny because i fell into an atla rabbit hole late 2023 (as i do every few years) and it still got up to 41 fics despite uni not allowing me to read last semester (uni is evil). Same as last year, spn takes third place with 38 fics. speaking of persistent hyperfixations.......... *big sigh*

and that is it the boring part is over let's go to the fun section LET'S REC SOME FIIIIIICCCCSSSSSSS (under the cut)

JANUARY

bet you you'll ... (noraverse) (series) by @gh0sthugs | young royals, wilmon | teen&up | 52k words

a kid fic!! and such a sweet one too! i'm kinda weak for kid fics ngl, and nora is so sweet and wonderful, and the relationship that slowly forms between wille and simon is beautiful and comfortable. this whole series is just such a good time

spreadsheet notes: ah to fall in love with the dilf next door who also happens to be the ex crown prince of the country

A Royal Intervention by AnxiousAnaconda | young royals, wilmon | teen&up | 18k words

erik is being such a dumbass in this one. like, he means well, but he's kinda messing up and pissing people off (understandably). it's nice to get a view on erik that's not portraying him as this perfect guy though, and the fic is actually so much fun to read. and hey, the prime minister of luxembourg gets mentioned, which i was kinda waiting for in yr fic ngl

spreadsheet notes: big sigh... erik you fucking idiot. stop listening to august. also shoutout to xavier bettel apparently (edit: this aged poorly, fuck xavier bettel)

and each slow dusk by @if-fortunate | young royals, wilmon | mature | 49k words

okay. ooookay how do i even begin with this one. ohhh boy. okay. so. world war three. wille gets stuck in bjärstad with simon, many many things happen, it's about finding hope in a horrible situation and trying to live life despite everything falling apart around you. it's incredibly well written and something about it just has me in awe

spreadsheet notes: i don't know what it says about me that this is without a shadow of a doubt the best fic i have ever read in my life

Put Me Back Together and Take My Heart by @notalotgoingonatthisinstant | young royals, wilmon | mature | 50k words

i once again don't know what to say, this one is sooo good. simon is suffering and both wille and i hate it, but... but wille is there for him and ugh, they just... they just can't be apart. a story of reconciliation and healing from both physical and invisible wounds, and of making the right decisions for yourself

spreadsheet notes: ugh. UGH. my guys. MY GUYS. yeah let's go blackmail the queen

Department Six by @thisdiscontentedwinter | teen wolf | gen | 4k words

a fun short one about stiles and danny working for the fbi and being delightfully weird and mysterious

spreadsheet notes: HILARIOUS i'm in love with outsider pov always

FEBRUARY

There Are No Wolves in California by @thisdiscontentedwinter | teen wolf, sterek | gen | 5k words

you know, sometimes you see a fic you know is going to hurt you, and you've never clicked on anything faster. this is definitely one of those fics

spreadsheet notes: let's be wolves today yeah well derek what if i just break down and cry instead

you got my body, i got your body by @prince-simon | young royals, wilmon | explicit | 9k words

this one's technically part of a bigger series (which, definitely read that one too), but i'm highlighting this one cause... damn... this made me feel things... like, gender things... which is really weird cause wille's gender in this is very much different from mine BUT STILL

spreadsheet notes: how almost 9k of pwp gave me so many gender feelings i will never understand

Changing Channels: Queer Premiere by @emeraldcas, @fellshish | spn, deancas | gen | 27k words

this might actually be one of the funniest fics i've ever read. dean and cas are so stupid (affectionately) and all the crossovers are delightful (bonus that i knew all the other shows). everyone go read this it's gonna be the best time

spreadsheet notes: mel and fells have genuinely outdone themselves this is the most hilarious shit i've ever read

Catalyst by @stretchoutfics | young royals | teen&up | 3k words

a backstory for boris! this fic is within a series of other side character ficlets, but this one has a soft spot in my heart

spreadsheet notes: AAAAHHHH HE KNEW ABOUT THE RECKLESS DRIVING BUT DIDN'T BRING IT UP but also... him being a gay man trying to help the queer crown prince navigate his sexuality that's kinda nice actually, like boris understands at least a bit

The most beautiful boy by lovelysarcastic | young royals, wilmon | teen&up | 88k words

there's something incredibly grounding about this fic. the way it develops, the way wille rationalises his thought processes, the way the relationship between wille and simon develops... this fic just kinda sucked me in and spit me out again feeling... content and calm and... it's just... this fic is so beautiful

spreadsheet notes: dude i love this so much??? they're both so stupid??? i love them???

MARCH

All's Fair in Love and Hunting by @badjoices | spn, deancas | mature | 20k words

they're playing gay chicken but also are being incredibly competitive and stupid about it, and i'm just sorry about the shit sam has to witness. so many shenanigans in this fic

spreadsheet notes: they are both so stupid omg

["mi cotufita" started sharing their screen] by @omar-rudeberg | young royals, wilmon | explicit | 60k

so... this is a follow up to one of my favourite fics and it is a delight. very horny but also very sweet? and also for some reason there's porn. fun times! oh, and this fic made me cry. it really has the range

spreadsheet notes: how are they so horny it's so funnyyyyyy, but also if i were wille i could never look linda in the eyes again

A Light To Guide You In The Dark (Warmed By The Fire's Glow) by 80shairmetal | stranger things, harringrove | teen&up | 19k words

this is just... people taking care of each other out of the kindness of their hearts. finding comfort in strangers who become family. growing and helping each other. there's such a beauty to this one

spreadsheet notes: this is just..... comfort

did you see the love in my eyes, oh were you gazing through this disguise? by @tooindecisivetopickaurl | young royals, wilmon | mature | 67k words

fake dating my beloved. they're so in love with each other but they're pretending not to be while pretending... to be? i'm obsessed with them. but they're so respectful with each other and cautious of boundaries and they really are best friends who also happen to be obliviously in love

spreadsheet notes: love a good fake dating au they're so stupid i love them

flash like a setting sun by @playedwright | 911, buddie | explicit | 22k words

because you only realise you're in love with your best friend when you're scared you're losing him. that's the fic. and it's beautiful

spreadsheet notes: oh this is sooooo beautifully written and ugh just <333

Other people's secrets by @sflow-er | young royals, walty & wilmon | mature | 239k words

yooooo hello? so first off this is an outsider pov on wilmon which i am always obsessed with anyways but the focus isn't just on them, this is henry's story. it's a beautiful story about how friendships form and warp and change, how feelings manifest in different ways, how decisions and actions have consequences. it's an incredibly mature take on post-s1, and it's probably my favourite of the year. also ace representation!!!!

spreadsheet notes: ace henry my beloved <33 also love seeing wilmon from an outside perspective! such a good, well thought out fic with lots of healthy comminication <33

APRIL

if i stare too long by @brawlite & @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger | stranger things, harringroveson | explicit | 191k words

i haven't seen st s4 (and probably won't watch it) but that definitely won't stop me from reading harringroveson fic. i mean, who wouldn't look at those three and immediately want to see them together. the way their dynamic is written in this fic is peak, i don't even know what more to say. i also very much trust these authors with billy, and again i wasn't disappointed. there's just something in his head that's intriguing.

spreadsheet notes: this whole fic is such a vibe it makes me feel of hot summer chillin

MAY

Rewrite the Stars (series) by @in-amor-veritas | young royals, wilmon | mature | 137k words

definitely one of the highlights of the year, simon's whole life in new york... those scenes, they just show such a wonderful life simon has built for himself, and his relationship with wille doesn't change it, but he manages to fit in (after, you know, fun rom-com drama shenanigans). also. this is a kid fic. kid fics are my weak spot. rasmus is my new favourite little guy. also shoutout to luis best side character ever

spreadsheet notes: YELLING i love this fic sooo much it is everything

Where The Wind Will Carry Me by @1-life-to-give | young royals, wilmon | teen&up | 49k words

AND THEY WERE ACTORS PLAYING LOVE INTERESTS. do i have to say more? the tension guys the TENSION. also erik's side-plot i'm in love

spreadsheet notes: hopping up and down like a hyperactive chihuahua EN I LOVE THIS

Your love is my turning page (the t4t wilmon as girldads au) (series) by @willesworld | young royals, wilmon | teen&up | 17k words

i know i know another kid fic BUT!!!! t4t wilmon. makes it automatically superior. i'm not even kidding, add trans characters and i will like your fic (that i probably already like a lot) aroun 300000000 times more. but also this series comes for your feelings. it hits

spreadsheet notes: i am weak for t4t wilmon AND them having a biological child there's something so beautiful about it like that could be meeee ; siiimon i need to hug him and i need to hug wille they're gonna get out of this i prommy ; recovery and one step forwards a hundred steps back, but they made it there in the end ; they were so happy :((((

JUNE

A trace of dew by nuncflore | elden ring, this is too complicated | gen | 13k words

very elden ring-esque writing style, wonderful representation of whatever the hell is going on in the lore. hehehehehhe fucked up family ehhehehehe DIVORCE. my friends are so talented :))

spreadsheet notes: CAP I AM EATING YOU

Hanging from the Ceiling by @spicymiilk | spiderverse | teen&up | 6k words

for like. a week after i saw the new spiderverse movie i made miles 42 my entire life. that also meant reading this fic. and damn did this fic hit. i am still thinking about it

spreadsheet notes: i need more miles 42 content he is my favourite guy ever

The Darkest Little Paradise by @yourdemiurge | young royals, wilmon | explicit | 79k words

*holding you at gunpoint* read this fic. read it now, in this moment. you are not gonna regret it. believe me when i say you NEED this fic, you really do. doesn't even matter if you've seen yr or not. you're gonna thank me later

spreadsheet notes: THIS IS INSANE I CAN'T BREATHE MADY WHAT THE FUUUUUCK

JULY

Protected (series) by bastuba | young royals, wilmon | explicit | 69k words

hey do you ever read a fic and you just feel. so incredibly grounded because something about the characters feels grounded? like, they aren't grounded, but they still give off that vibe? idk how to explain this properly but that's this fic. also wille and simon cook together (i haven't read all parts of the series yet btw)

spreadsheet notes: incredibly grounded very mature how is wille like this ; i'd be like wille, always complaining about the heat ; they're soooooo. idiots. getting tattoos for each other ; i too would come out on a podcast about food ; SAFE SEX

AUGUST

The Season of Rebirth by @notalotgoingonatthisinstant | young royals, wilmon | mature | 30k words

part of a series, but i'm picking out this one specifically because it's soooo sweet!!! the title fits the fic so well, like yes it is the season of rebirth, but simon and wille's relationship is also rehashed in a very cool way, this fic is like one giant easter egg, i love it so much!

spreadsheet notes: wille taking the season of rebirth to recreate their early relationship, i am obsessed with him he's such a dumbass romantic

The Upgrade by @groenendaelfic | young royals, wilmon | explicit | 13k words

it's about the moment simon realises who wille is. that's why this fic is here. i mean of course also because it is very good, but mainly because of that moment

spreadsheet notes: the moment simon realised who wille is i am wheezing

Right Where You Left Me by @armandgender | spn, deancas | explicit | 94k words

if you're wondering why this fic is on my 2023 list instead of the 2022 list.... well that's because it took me almost a year to read the last chapter, and in terms of how my spreadsheet works, that makes it a fic i read in 2023. anyway. if you haven't read this fic yet, what are you even still doing here. click on that link right now. you want complex emotional situations? intricacies of ill-advised marriages? you wanna pick through abusive behaviour and encourage infidelity? well you're at the right place! also this has one of my favourite jack characterisations ever. it also made me go on multiple rants

spreadsheet notes: I FINALLY FINISHED IT AAAAHHHH I LOVE THIS FIC THE CABIN THE CATS JACK!!!!!

Alejito y Marimar (series) by th0ughts | red, white, and royal blue | teen&up | 18k words

OBSESSED WITH THIS DYNAMIC YOOOOOO. seriously the friendship between alex and martha is an expansion of the rwrb universe that is much needed, trust me

spreadsheet notes: the friendship i didn't know i needed in my life <333 ; they're just chillin!!!

SEPTEMBER

Change of Address (series) by hearmerory | avatar: the last airbender, zukka | mature | 134k words

okay. oooookay. strap in for this one, it is a lot. emotionally. like yes zuko is autistic, yes yes yeeees, i agree, also azula is treated like an actual person with actual mental issues, she deserves to be treated with care and this author definitely does that! this is the kind of series that makes me want to disappear in it, but it's also the kind of story i need breaks from, because it is so heavy (definitely check the tags for this one). zuko's relationship with sokka is written so thoughtfully and iroh is characterised incredibly and the author even included ursa in a way that didn't undermine everything that happened in the series before she appeared again. i can only recommend this one!

spreadsheet notes (there's lots of parts to the series, so this one is long): hhhh if i were ms jamieson i would have snapped after two days probably ; be nice katara!!!!! he's nervous ; i need to murder ozai ; and i need to murder zhao as well ; iroooohhhhh he should have just. taken the kids with him that first time he noticed something off ; yeah i think there was a reason why iroh never took zuko to the movies ; ozai needs to suffer ; i need to destroy ozai. violently and painfully ; iroh is the best uncle ever, zuko deserves all his kindness ; azula...... you don't have to fight for affection, it's not a competition..... they love you ; iroh should have taken her with him the first time around, she was like. 10, he could have just picked her up or sth ; ..... hakoda you idiot ; IROH BACKSTORY IROH BACKSTORY ; sokka and the plan that changed his life <3333 ; they are so soft with each other ; they all deserve all the therapy and support and yes sokka obviously you have adhd get with the program ; URSA??????? also i am living for sokka and azula's dynamic they are everything ; i don't. i don't understand her. i don't fucking understand her how could she not want her own children. how can she talk about them like that. like she knows them she doesn't know them she LEFT

Every night my teeth are falling out by @sulkybender | avatar: the last airbender, zukka | mature | 9k words

i was in need of some good zuko angst and oooohhh boy was i lucky to find this author. PEAK zuko angst. this fic in particular is very dear to me because it explores how mental illnesses would be handled in a world where there's practically no resources to help. i think we need that more

spreadsheet notes: yes well. how DO you deal with a schizophrenic fire lord in a fantasy world? (you stay with him and support him that is how)

OCTOBER

for years or for hours by @ghostinthelibrarywrites | the witcher, geralt/eskel/jaskier | explicit | 52k words

listennn i love myself some good polyamory fics, and this is the first fic i read for this ship and now i am OBSESSED with them. but this fic in particular.... the concept alone, like. what do you do when you thought the man you love was dead for 800 years, and then when he comes back you have another man you love. the answer is simple. polyamory. the two men you love also love each other. perfect coincidence.

spreadsheet notes: YO the concepts of witchers in modern times alone is sooo cool but adding in everything else? hello yes?

this is a love story by @achillestiel | supernatural, deancas | mature | 3k words

listen, i've never seen fleabag, but that's not the point. this is intriguing and funny, that's the point

spreadsheet notes: fucked up families and you want to fuck the priest hell yeah

The road not taken looks real good now by @stretchoutfics | young royals, wilmon | explicit | 90k words

it's not even the wilmon part i love about this fic (i very much enjoy it of course don't get me wrong) but wille and his kids. like, i don't want to spoil anything but like. wille's interactions with his kids are so important in this fic, and they're written so well. like, emilia is my favourite character in this, i kinda wish there was more with the kids honestly. this fic is definitely a highlight of the year, and to get back to wilmon, i do love how they're portrayed in this fic, how their dynamic plays out, and specifically how certain decisions do not depend on simon

spreadsheet notes: no but. the care put into this story. i can't--

NOVEMBER

Averno (series) by @sulkybender | avatar: the last airbender, zukka | mature | 12k words

a fascinating take on a fire lord zuko that was never part of the gaang

spreadsheet notes: HE JUST DESERVES KINDNESS but also he's a little fucked up WELL NO WONDER GIVE HIM KINDNESS ; i mean.... what makes a monster really ; well then let's get him out of his cell shall we (also hiiiii suki hello <3333)

Half Awake in Our Fake Empire by @hmslusitania | 9-1-1, buddie | teen&up | 34k words

another kid fic!!! but in a different fandom this time!!! seriously, giving buck a child fills so many of my life's needs it's ridiculous

spreadsheet notes: THEY'RE A FAMILY (thank you for giving that man a child)

a soldier (who carries a mighty sword) by @ghostinthelibrarywrites | the witcher, geralt/eskel/jaskier | explicit | 92k words

everything about this fic is wonderful!! the world(kaer morhen!!)building, the developing dynamic between geralt, jask, and eskel, ciri and yenn, the conflict, jask as a teacher!!!! aaahhhhh!

spreadsheet notes: they're my new favourite guyssss this whole fic is so cool, what they've done with kaer morhen <3333

Will We Last the Night by CSHfic & VSfic | avatar: the last airbender, zukka | teen&up | 143k words

this fic asks what if sokka had been stuck with zuko since the end of s1 and delivers a delightful answer. this is the adventures of zuko and sokka (and sometimes iroh) travelling through the earth kingdom. shenanigans ensue

spreadsheet notes: i am obsessed with this i'm just. i know it was only shortly but their life in ba sing se. obsessed

DECEMBER

Grudge Match by @catcas22 | elden ring | gen | 17k words

i'm not entirely sure how to explain this. it sure is an elden ring fic

spreadsheet notes: i don't even know what to say. this is ridiculous and brilliant and stupid and genius all at the same time. hell yeah suburban demigods

Lonely Digging by @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger | stranger things, harringrove | teen&up | 3k words

this is hilarious. go read it to unlock intense life-threatening flirting

spreadsheet notes: best way to flirt billy's doing everything right

***

(quick note: i’ve tried to find everyone’s tumblr handle, but i’m aware that not all the authors have tumblr/have it on their ao3, however if i somehow missed someone, i can go back and rectify that!)

if you’ve made it all the way down here i am giving you a kiss <3

#pigeon coos #fic reading shenanigans #fic rec #ALL THE LOVE TO FIC WRITERS YOU GUYS ARE DOING AMAZING!!!!

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baby-alien11 · 1 year ago

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Anniversary (Y/N Ulrich Universe)

taglist: @volturi-girl-imagines @dessxoxsworld @camiesully @ethanlandryluver @nowitsmissing @aliciacat20 @gabbylovesreading @nikfigueiredo

Late august, 2022

After nearly two months of filming, the production of Scream VI ended and to celebrate, a wrap party was organized on the terrace of the building were everyone had been living, which had a similar vibe to all the mini parties, game nights and dinners that were held there, but this would be the last time everyone will be in the same place until the premiere in march

During the time in Montreal, you spend it with your dad, the cast, and most important, Jack (and his mom)

Since the moment both of you talked for the first time in the welcome party and then the first date, both of you became inseparable feeling an instant conection since those first moments, and now with end of filming you were going to miss seeing him everyday, yes, the calls and text exist but it wouldn't be the same

That night was being a blast until the moment with all the food, drinks, dancing, karaoke and everyone in nice outfits (your choice for that night was a pastel pink tank top, a black tennis skirt, platform ankle black boots and your southside serpents jacket and your hair in a half up ponytail with a pink ribbon)

"Hey, can we talk in a more private place?", Jack asked you with his hand on your back while the karaoke continued

"Yeah, sure", you nodded

Leaving the empty glasses that once had virgin coktails on a table near them, Jack guided both of you, with his hand still on your back, to a little private part of the terrace, which was a small corner that was more or less covered by some plants and flowers

"So, what do you want to talk about?", you asked with an eager smile

"I like you", those three words that just came out of his mouth were enoough to make your breath get stuck in your throat, "Since the first time we talked to our first date to this day, I've been developing feelings towards you, and I know it's only two months and a half since we met, but I feel a strong conection between us and you know -"

"Jack", you interrupted him mid speach at what he looked at you like a deer in headlights, "Oel ngati kameie", you said refering to that phrase of Avatar that you learned the meaning and how to pronounce it when both of you watched the movie in his room after you told him that you hadn't seen it, "I like you too, I've been feeling this since our first days together, but I didn't say anything because I didn't know if you felt the same, but I'm glad we feel the same"

"Yeah, me too", Jack nodded followed by small laughter between both of you, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"I would love to", you smiled

Asking for permission to kiss you which was granted, Jack took your cheeks with his hands to bring close your faces while you put your hands on his waist due to the height difference, finally connecting their lips in a kiss that lasted a few seconds, until both of you listened the start of a song that made you separate but still keep your faces close to each other

"They really put 'Lover' right now?", you laughed

"I kinda tell Mason what I was planning", Jack explained, "So it must be him who put the song"

Still laughing, both of you shared another kiss before joining hands to go back to the others

Late august, 2023

Now, a year later, you were currently in the floor of your room preparing the box that was going to serve as the package for the gifts you bought two weeks prior, while Tatum played with one of her toys in your lap

After seeing a tik tok about a girl doing a box that the moment you remove the top it will open revealing a bunch of photos and sweet messages, you decided to try to do it, so now you were surrounded by the box, printed photos of both of you and things that connected you, scissors, glue, markers, paper and your laptop open in Pinterest while your playlist was sounding in a medium volume

"Tornado, everything good?", Skeet asked entering your room with a glass of orange juice, "Need some help?"

"I'm good at the moment, thank you dad", you said taking the glass to drink it, "What do you think about the box?"

"It looks nice", Skeet responded sitting on the floor next to you paying attention to the screen, "Are you searching photos of both of you on Pinterest? Why?"

"Because, for every photo I had of Jack and I on my phone there are twenty on Pinterest, some that I didn't know they existed, and also I'm putting some fanarts"

"People are doing fanarts of both of you? That's great"

"I know, my favorite is one of us in our looks of the Scream premiere but with ghostface masks, I'll send it to you later"

"At least it isn't a blanket with Jack's face on it", Skeet joked refering to the gift a fan gave you during the Fan Expo in Denver

"That was creative", you laughed taking a glance of the blanket that was laying on your bed, "And still want to know the reaction of the page when that girl ordered it"

"You should do the same"

"I don't have enough time for that, and I'm saving that for his birthday"

"What did you get him again?"

"A little chain with my initial and a stuffed baby cow, because he sent me a tik tok about them saying they were so cute, and the box of course"

"Even if all my relationships with your mom, Amelia, Rose, Lucy and other girlfriends didn't work, I'm happy that you and your siblings are in happy and healthy relationships with amazing people"

"Dad, you are going to make me cry and the tears are going to fall on the pictures, and I'd have to print them again", you joked making him laugh, "But thank you, I really apreciate it"

"It's what I'm here for", Skeet simplified getting up from the ground with the help of your vanity chair, "I'm going to buy some things, do you need something?"

"I'm running out of pads and tampons, you remember the brand and type I use?"

"I got it on my note app"

"Okay, thanks dad, and can you buy me a pumpkin spice latte with little ice and a pup cup for Tatum, please?"

"I'll see what I can do"

"Thank you", you exclaimed while he was already out of your room, "You're the best!"

When the day arrived, you woke up thanks to your phone ringing by a videocall from Jack which you answered still a little asleep, but still the call lasted for at least an hour until both of you had to go to prepare everything for the afternoon

And even so, he still did not tell you where you would go

"Wear something pretty", was the only thing he said

So, thanks to that only information and thanks to a shopping spree you made that same week, you got a blue with small flowers sundress to wear no matter the place he took you, straightened your hair adding a pearl headband, did your make up, added accessories and prepared your bag with your things, and the only thing left was the choice of shoes

"Dad, what shoes do I wear, the pink heeled sandals or the white nike sneakers?", you asked standing in the stairs with both shoes in hands while Tatum went down to climb onto the kitchen island, "I don't know where is he taking me, so I'm kind in a crisis right now"

"First, you look nice, second, both will look good but if you are going to walk a lot, the sneakers, if it's going to be somewhere relaxed were you are going to be sitting, the heeled ones", Skeet responded giving Tatum some fruit, "Which bag are you going to take?"

"The white Lady Dior, the one they sent me on my birthday"

"That one matches with everything"

"Dad, you're not helping", you cried going back to your room

"You cannot scape now", Skeet said looking at the orange cat, "It's too late for that"

Twenty minutes later, the door was knocked at what Skeet went to answer, seeing Jack with a bouquet of flowers on the other side smiling

"Hi", Jack greeted

"Hey kid", Skeet returned the greeting letting him enter the house, "You look good"

"Thanks, I'm going to take her to Pacific Park to recreate our first date, so I wanted to wear something comfortable", Jack said aproaching Tatum to scratch her between her ears

With that new information, Skeet aproached the start of the stairs

"Tornado, use the sneakers!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, trust me", was the last thing Skeet said before returning to the kitchen area, "She's coming in a minute, do you want something, water?"

"Sure, thanks", Jack nodded

"So, an amusement park, just like La Ronde back in Montreal?", Skeet asked

"Yeah, that was our first date and was special so I thought that going again to an amusement park was the right thing"

"Except for the part that there won't be adults this time", Skeet joked causing Jack to laugh, "You know I'm not a strict dad, but I want her here at midnight, and if you feel tired to drive to your house you can stay here to sleep, understood?"

"Totally", Jack nodded

"I'm ready!", you anounced getting down from the stairs with a white jean jacket, your purse and the box gift in your arms, "Sorry for the delay, I had a small fashion emergency"

"Don't worry, it's okay", Jack smiled looking at your whole look, "You look amazing"

"Thanks, you look handsome as well", you smiled looking at him

"These are for you", Jack said handing you the bouquet of flowers

"They're gorgeous, thank you", you responded taking them in your hands

"Kids, before you go I want to take some photos", Skeet interrupted the moment taking his phone out, "Don't worry about the flowers, I'll put them in water"

Leaving your things on the kitchen counter, both of you stand in the living room, the window ot the backyard and in the backyard for some photos, before going to the date

"So, where are we going?", you asked once the car started

"Somewhere", was Jack's only response before starting the way towards Pacific Park

When the amusment park started to be on sight, you turned to look at Jack with a big smile on your face, while he had the same expression occuping an empty parking space

"An amusment park?", you asked still smiling

"Yeah, do you like it?"

"I love it!"

Leaving the gift boxes in the trunk to open them later, both of you walked inside the park noticing it was a quiet night with not many people in there

"Where do you want to go first?", Jack asked

"Maybe the rollercoaster", you suggested, "I mean, so we can eat peacefully after that"

"That's a great idea", Jack agreeded, "We don't need to throw up again"

"No we don't", you laughed

Hand in hand, both of you walked to the rollercoaster to stand in line and wait until it was your turn to ride the game, taking advantage of the wait line to take some pictures and videos

After being in the ride and concluding it wasn't as intense as the same in Montreal, the route along other rides and games continued, in which he won a stuffed turtle that he gave to you, and later when you won a boba tea plushie that you gave to him

Taking a small break to eat, both of you decided to get two types of pizza to share and two sodas

"This has been fun", you commented taking a sip of your cherry soda

"And we don't have to worry about throwing up", Jack joked, "I was so embarrased after that"

"I was worse", you laughed, "The first thing we did after the ride ended was run to the closest trash can and throw up, not even different one, it was the same"

"Our parents stood there for a few seconds before helping us, and then after we finished they left us sitting on a bench to get some water, and we started to laugh"

"The next morning we didn't left our rooms because we felt sick", you finished, "I can't believe it's been already a year"

"Time flies", Jack nodded, "Remember when we kept the relationship private?"

"Three and a half months, it was fun because everyone was keeping the secret with us"

"And when we went public everyone was more relaxed"

Interrupting the moment, your phone started to sound at what you pulled it out noticing it it was Scott wanting to do a videocall

"Should I answer?", you asked Jack, "We're on our anniversay date"

"It might be important", Jack shrugged

Sighing, you anwered the call focusing both of you faces, seeing Scott face a few seconds later

"Hey mom and dad", Scott greeted, "Happy anniversary"

"Hey, my child", you greeted, "And thank you"

"What's up?", Jack spoke, "Everything good?"

"Yeah, sorry for interrupting your date but I needed to tell you this", Scott said, "I know it's still august and that, but I'm going to be in town for the Halloween weekend and I decided to throw a party"

"Sounds cool", Jack smiled

"I already told the others, and I'm assigning themes per person, couple or group, yours is Scream"

"This was intentional, right?", you joked

"Of course it was", Scott laughed, "And I don't want to see you repeating your looks of this last movie, you're an influencer/VFX make up artist and you're an actor, I need to see creativity!"

"We'll do our best", you promised, "Wait a second, did you call me an influencer?"

"Honey, you've been one since the day you hit ten thousand followers on instagram", Scott justified, "Now you have more than two million there and a million on tik tok, you are one"

"Can I bring some friends?", Jack asked

"Of course, the more the merrier", Scott exclaimed, "But I need their names for the list"

"Willa and Romeo"

"So, you're following Heidi Klum party style?", you joked

"I don't want people I don't know or like in my house, K and B for example", Scott explained, "But after you ended them on the late prom they won't dare to be in the same space as you, by the way, I'm going to assign Willa and Romeo Barbie as a theme"

"Okay, we'll let them know", you nodded

After saying goodbye and ending the call, both of you finished eating and continued with some relaxed attractions, until it was half an hour to the closure time that both of you decided to go to a more comfortable place to open the gifts which was a small picnic table next to some food stands in the Santa Monica pier

"Here's your gift", Jack smiled sliding a big soft yellow box towards you

"And here's yours", you also smiled sliding the big blue box you spend almost a week making towards him, "Want to start?"

"Sure", Jack nodded

Standing from the table to lift the top, the box openned from the four sides revealing the baby cow with the medium jewerly box and al the pictures and words on the interior

"This is incredible", Jack exclaimed examining the box causing your smile to increase, "I love it, the baby cow plushie is so cute"

"The tik tok you sent me of baby cows and how cute they were were the reason I bought it", you explained, "The box was also an idea I saw on there and I thought it was so creative that I had to do it"

"It's so beautiful, thank you so much gorgeous"

Taking the jewerly box in this hands, Jack openned it to see a delicate gold chain with your initial in a small size so it will be comfortable to wear

Without saying a word, Jack was quick to walk to you and take your cheeks to kiss you, at what you responded placing your hands on his neck

"I love this so much, and I love you", Jack said the moment the kiss ended, "Can you help me put it on?"

Nodding, you stand up from your seat, while he sat in your side of the bench, to retire the collar from the box and put it around his neck securing the clasp

"There it is", you said, "How does it feel?"

"It's perfect", Jack responded, "It's your turn now to open it"

Still smiling, you sat by his side to open your gift box, revealing an himalayan salt lamp, a jellycat of a bashful sloth and a jewerly box

"It's the salt lamp that I saw once on instagram", you exclaimed taking it out to examine it, "It's beautiful"

"I know you'll love it", Jack smiled, "And also a jellycat of one of your favorite animals"

"You're killing me of love", you exclaimed making him laugh

Taking the jewerly box, you openned it to reveal a gold chain with his initial

"No way we thought the same for the gifts", you joked sitting on the bench again

"You almost all the time are singing 'Call It What You Want' and that part of the song was the one that made me gift you the collar", Jack explained, "After I saw your gift I realised that we are completely connected because we thought the same to give each other"

"I love it", you smiled, "Can you help me to put it?"

Nodding, Jack took the neckale from your hands while you pullep up your hair so it would be easy to put it

After he finished putting it, both of you shared a kiss before sitting there and contemplate the view with your head on his shoulder and his on top of yours with your hands intervined

"Jack, oel ngati kameie"

"Oel ngati kameie, Y/N"

jackchampion, helloimpresleycash, addisonraee, and 119, 024 more

one year together which has been the best of my life, thank you for being by my side in everything, i love you

yn.ulrich I want to wear his initial

On a chain 'round my neck, chain 'round my neck

Not because he owns me

But 'cause he really knows me

tagged jackchampion

jackchampion love you gorgeous

› yn.ulrich love you babe

user753 STOP! THEY'RE SO CUTE!

skeetulrich kids, i'm happy that you found each other

user784 wait a minute, they've been together for a year??

› user038 yeah, they said they got together since the wrap party of scream vi

misstrinitybliss love you guys

user1389 did someone notice that she used a lyric from reputation and pressley liked the post??

› user22 and she has a snake tattoo, and her favorite era is reputation 👀

yn.ulrich, masonthegooding, camimendes and 129, 405 more

i can't believe it's already been a year since we've been together (one year and two months and a half since we met), i guess it's true when they said that time flies when you're in love

jackchampion Look in my eyes, they will tell you the truth

The girl in my story has always been you

I'd go down with the Titanic, it's true, for you, lover

tagged yn.ulrich

yn.ulrich i love you so so much

› jackchampion i love you more

madelame i'm about to cry, this is so cute

user120 he did a reference to a james cameron movie in the description??

› user893 no, that's a lyric of lover remix

skeetulrich i'm happy that you are part of our family, kid

masonthegooding you know, your anniversary would be perfect if I was there to put music

noahtwitch favorite couple

user109 i'm so happy that they survived the pandemic of couples breaking

#baby alien creations #y/n ulrich universe #jack champion #scream #jack champion scream #jack champion x reader #jack champion imagine #jack champion x you #jack champion fanfic #jack champion fluff #skeet ulrich #scream franchise #ethan landry x fem!reader

88 notes · View notes

kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 2 years ago

Text

SUPERHERO CHOOSINESS

It’s strongly being suggested that the superhero movie bubble is bursting…

There’s the more mixed critical reception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s remarkably stuffed but hasty Phase Four, and then there’s the equally fast Phases Five and Six… whose ending feature AVENGERS: SECRET WARS is still set to open in the summer of 2026… Meaning that this Multiverse Saga only will last five years, compared to the eleven year span from IRON MAN to SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME… Like, wow!

And not only are there a lot of movies, but there were plenty of shows. So many from 2021-2022 alone: WANDAVISION, THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER, LOKI Season One, WHAT IF…? Season One, HAWKEYE, MOON KNIGHT, MS. MARVEL, and SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW. In addition to those, you had the “Special Presentation” featurettes WEREWOLF BY NIGHT and the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL.

For me, it was starting to become homework to keep up with what was going on. And this is coming from someone who has seen all but two Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in a theater. The two that I missed were THE INCREDIBLE HULK, and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER.

Then of course you have the DC movie-verse, which is being hard-reset in a few years under the new leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran. Prior to that, it was an always-changing mess of visions and intentions. Faithfuls kept up with the series, some left afterwards because of these changes, general audiences seemed to stick around for most of the movies. It’s a clustercuss of its own, and further discussing that will likely get me into hot waters… But what happened with The Rock and his apparent strong-arming of the DC movie-verse with his BLACK ADAM project and plans really shows just what kind of directionless mess the whole thing was for ten years…

So we’re now left with a few movies that were locked and ready to go before the Gunn/Safran take-over, the first of which, SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS… Opened with roughly $30m. A pretty blah take, and well below the $53m take the first SHAZAM! took in back in 2019. It’s been said before, but the whole “these won’t matter in the long run” attitude has probably deflated attendance… But many other things do as well… People being choosier with movies, ticket and concession prices being absurdly high… A statistic in 2014 stated that the average American family hits the flicks four times a year. I believe it. I’ve been working at a movie theater since August of 2015, and I see what I charge my customers… Both movies and for snacks… Yeah, I do not wonder why… Especially in the pandemic era, that people are choosier with movies. I feel we see the same thing with animated movies as well. Those are also usually four-quadrant family titles... And then around the corner, them being on streaming. Be it Disney+ for an MCU movie, or HBO Max for a DCU movie.

A month earlier, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA opened pretty great with $106m. That was way above ANT-MAN AND THE WASP’s mid-70s opening weekend haul, and an overall fine opening for an MCU movie... but the legs? Abysmal so far. It looks to barely score a 2x multiplier, which is pretty bad… It might be the first MCU movie to completely miss that. I don't even know if I'll make time for it, myself. (I've missed a lot of movies in theaters lately because of other lifestuff going on at the moment.)

What does this all tell me?

Is it truly superhero movie fatigue? Are audiences catching on to the perceived problems of these big budget shared universe movies?

Here’s what I think is happening…

Choosiness...

I, in true form, am going to relate this to animated movies… And I mean “animated movies”, because let’s face it… There’s lots of animation in your average MCU or DCU movie. QUANTUMANIA, from the looks of it, is an animated movie with some real people in it. Much like GRAVITY, AVATAR and its sequel, Jon Favreau’s THE JUNGLE BOOK, LIFE OF PI, etc. etc.

Once upon a time... $100m at the domestic box office was a magic number for an animated feature film. And I mean a $100m gross on the film's first ever theatrical release, not $100m via the original release and added theatrical re-issue totals (like classic pre-Renaissance Disney films, like SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS and 101 DALMATIANS)...

Only Disney scored $100m domestic totals for their animated movies. Hybrid WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, released through Disney's Touchstone banner, broke the barrier first and grossed $156m in the summer of 1988. Then, an all-animated movie broke the barrier nearly four years later in early 1992... That was Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, which got to its high total through strong word-of-mouth and legs throughout the holiday and post-holiday season. It was slow to start in November 1991, because back then... Theater-to-video release windows were longer. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was released in American movie theaters in November 1991, and the videocassette and LaserDisc release wouldn't be until... October 1992!

So, an unreachable number for everyone else. Don Bluth, former Disney animator and hot competitor, seemingly peaked with AN AMERICAN TAIL and THE LAND BEFORE TIME, both of which collected in the upper-40s at the domestic box office. His last box office hurrah, the 20th Century Fox-released ANASTASIA (now owned by Disney), grossed $57m by the end of its run in early 1998. Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes hybrid movie SPACE JAM came very close with $90m, two years prior. BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD DO AMERICA put up a decent fight, with over $60m in 1996/97. That was a record high for a TV-to-movie animated adaptation back then, beating out A GOOFY MOVIE, JETSON: THE MOVIE, DUCKTALES - THE MOVIE: TREASURE OF THE LOST LAMP, and plenty of others.

In fact, Disney *themselves* missed $100m on occasion. HERCULES, made up at Feature Animation, the mainline studio, just missed it with a $99m domestic gross in 1997/98. The Disney MovieToons GOOF TROOP movie, A GOOFY MOVIE, made less than $40m stateside. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS made an impressive $50m back in the day, and became a massive cult classic through video and TV. Hybrid JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, which was also a Henry Selick-Tim Burton Skellington Productions joint, missed $30m.

Then there was a little movie called TOY STORY... The first-ever all-digital animated feature film.

By the end of its theatrical run in early 1996, TOY STORY grossed $191m domestically... No doubt helped by being a Disney release and being the first of its kind, and a genuinely really good movie that audiences loved. So in a way, the only movies to make $100m domestically *before* TOY STORY were Disney Feature Animation movies (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN, THE LION KING, and POCAHONTAS), and a hybrid movie made by Amblin and Richard Williams Animation but released by Disney...

So Disney still had $100m under lock and key, and TOY STORY was their first non-Feature Animation endeavor since ROGER RABBIT to get it...

Believe it or not, the first-ever animated movie that was a NOT a Disney release, to score $100m domestically... Was... THE RUGRATS MOVIE. No doubt getting there off of the show's sheer popularity at the time. Despite first airing on Nickelodeon in 1991, some seven years earlier, RUGRATS seemed to be at the peak of its popularity in the late 1990s, after the show was renewed for more seasons following highly successful re-runs and the few specials that Nick and studio Klasky-Csupo did after the show's early seasons. I was there. I was 6 when THE RUGRATS MOVIE came out, and I felt the hype. Everybody I knew back then watched and liked the show, I watched it frequently with my sister back in the day. RUGRATS was one of those cartoons that everyone knew and everyone watched. Almost as ubiquitous as THE SIMPSONS, I'd argue. Paramount released THE RUGRATS MOVIE, and it broke that barrier, in addition to being the highest grossing TV-to-movie adaptation animated movie... By a country kilometer.

THE RUGRATS MOVIE came out in November 1998, just one month before DreamWorks rolled out THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, the second animated movie to cross $100m domestically... Two months prior... ANTZ came out, and grossed an impressive $90m. Pixar's sophomore feature A BUG'S LIFE opened, infamously, amidst this four-movie fall shakedown, and won the race with $163m.

So two not-Disneys made $100m domestically, and two not-Disney Feature Animation movies made $100m domestically... This was a turning point in theatrical feature animation, and it would come to benefit - for a brief while - all CGI animated movies.

We'll focus on those now...

1999 saw the release of Pixar's TOY STORY 2, which broke $245m. That was above every Disney animated movie *except* THE LION KING. Wow!

In 2000, Disney released their hybrid live-action/CG feature DINOSAUR, which has been counted as a Walt Disney Animation Studios canon movie since 2008... While that movie didn't make enough money to justify a sequel or to keep the collaboration studio behind it (The Secret Lab) alive, it still broke $100m domestically.

2001... DreamWorks' SHREK and Pixar's MONSTERS, INC. break past $250m domestically. Paramount/Nickelodeon's pilot movie JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS takes in a respectable $80m. 2002... Newcomer Blue Sky's ICE AGE makes over $175m domestically. By this point in time, several hand-drawn animated movies... From all the studios: Disney, DreamWorks, 20th Century Fox, Columbia, etc. Largely losing money theatrically, with few exceptions in between. Many of them are missing the titan $100m threshold. For context, only Disney Feature's LILO & STITCH broke that barrier in mid-2002. CGI movies seemed foolproof. Guaranteed blockbusters...

2003 brought Pixar's FINDING NEMO, which became the highest grossing animated movie of all-time, unseating THE LION KING... Then SHREK 2 came out the year after, made that record look like nothing, becoming the first animated movie to break **$400m** domestically. In addition to SHREK 2, 2004 saw the release of DreamWorks' other CG hit SHARK TALE ($160m+), Pixar's THE INCREDIBLES ($260m+), and Warner Bros.' motion-capture pic THE POLAR EXPRESS ($160m+). In 2005, DreamWorks' MADAGASCAR came super-close to $200m, Blue Sky's ROBOTS cleared $120m...

So, unstoppable, right?

The one exception seemed to be the 2001 release FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN, a mocap feature based on the game series of the same name. That one puttered out at $32m domestically, and fell well below its hefty budget with all the worldwide take factored in... But this seemed like an anomaly more so than anything. You also had a few super-limited releases of foreign CG films, like KAENA: THE PROPHECY, which was a French film.

2005 was when it all seemed to be up... VALIANT, a British animated movie distributed stateside by Disney, performed quite badly... Despite it being a CGI movie and touting "producer of SHREK" cred. Disney Feature's first all-CG feature, CHICKEN LITTLE, managed to make more than $100m domestically, but its worldwide total didn't measure up to the budget. HOODWINKED!, an independent venture that only cost $8m to make, was released by The Weinstein Co. at the end of 2005. It made less than $60m domestically.

Then... 2006 happened...

The features that crossed $200m domestically: Pixar's CARS, and only CARS. ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN and Warner Bros.' HAPPT FEET came very close. ICE AGE 2 won the race worldwide.

The features that crossed $100m domestically: DreamWorks' OVER THE HEDGE.

Everything else... Missed $100m. Some movies got by on being lower budget, like Sony Animation's debut picture OPEN SEASON, and the Nickelodeon TV show launcher BARNYARD. But some of the big flops included DreamWorks/Aardman's FLUSHED AWAY, the Disney-released Canadian feature THE WILD, and Warner Bros.' THE ANT BULLY. CGI and celebrity casts and talky scripts couldn't save them. Then you had movies that just did abysmally, like Fox's EVERYONE'S HERO, and DOOGAL: the Weinsteinized version of THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT.

For a little while, computer animated movies were a novelty for audiences. No one had seen anything like TOY STORY when it first came out in Thanksgiving 1995. Like, this wasn't an episode of REBOOT or a glossy production company ident... This was over 70 minutes of fully animated 3D characters in convincing 3D environments, that stayed watchable the whole time, and on top of that... It was really well-written! Lots of people tend to make remarks about TOY STORY's more, dated, visual qualities... But it remains a classic because of the passion that went into it. And despite some of the aspects that didn't age well, it still *looks* appealing and watchable. Woody and Buzz and the rest of the gang have pretty much kept the same designs over the sequels and shorts/specials, only the human characters have seen slight design changes that matched the much-better rendering over time. (It's already a big difference with Andy and his mum from TOY STORY 1 to 2.)

But enough about that. My point is, audiences ate CGI up circa 1995-2005. Big time. It was the future, it was the **way** to make animated movies. Even with CG incorporated into them, hand-drawn movies failed to keep up. Whether the movies did actually appeal to audiences (TARZAN, LILO & STITCH) or not (TITAN A.E., TREASURE PLANET)... It just wasn't enough. $171m from TARZAN just didn't compare to, say, SHREK's $267m haul. When even your best isn't enough...

Capitalism, ya know?

But soon, audiences began choosing what computer-animated family movies they'd go to see, not seeing all of them each and every calendar year. In 2007, for every RATATOUILLE, there was a HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER. Even a good film like SURF'S UP that year had trouble. Release that movie in 2002, it would've made **bank**... In 2007, it had a hard time appealing to audiences. Let's apply this to 2008 as well. WALL-E and KUNG FU PANDA do great, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX - a book adaptation - makes $50m and fails to double its budget. So every year, there are the family-friendly CGI movies that do pretty great! And then the ones that lose money.

And eventually, it caught to everybody. Even the heavies.

Pixar saw their first money-loser in 2015 with THE GOOD DINOSAUR, breaking an astounding 15-film hit streak.

Disney Feature Animation's CHICKEN LITTLE did so-so, MEET THE ROBINSONS two years later outright lost money. BOLT did so-so as well. They wouldn't have a genuine CGI flop until STRANGE WORLD, because we gotta mulligan RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON and ENCANTO. Ya know, COVID and release strategies and such.

DreamWorks suffered badly in the mid-2010s, with money-losers like RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, TURBO, and MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN... It was to the point where it seemed like the lights would go out.

Blue Sky's final film, SPIES IN DISGUISE, lost money. After a streak of successes (the ICE AGE sequels) and respectable hits (FERDINAND). That likely played a big part in its shuttering, after Disney had bought 21st Century Fox's film and TV assets.

Sony Pictures Animation had some financial losses, too. The aforementioned SURF'S UP was one such flop, and there was also their Aardman collaboration ARTHUR CHRISTMAS.

So much, like a good hand-drawn animated movie, a competently-made CG film wasn't gonna cut it every single time... Even from a big studio. That's why many of those studios got smart with budgets... Especially Sony Animation and DreamWorks.

Now... Superhero movies...

Superhero movies have been around for a while. Serials, yes, all the way back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Max Fleischer's SUPERMAN cartoons from 1941-42, every modern superhero movie owes it to those in particular. Long-form superhero movies, I believe, really got their start with the 1978 SUPERMAN movie... But you'd get a big superhero movie every once in a while, or a comic book action hero movie if you will. In the 1980s, you had SUPERMAN II - starting off the decade, and then Tim Burton's BATMAN ending the decade with a blockbuster gross. A big phenomenon. What else was in-between? Well, there was Lucasfilm's infamous adaptation of Marvel's HOWARD THE DUCK that tanked hard. You did see a brief boom in this kind of movie in the 1990s because of BATMAN '89, but plenty of those movies actually went belly-up. DC adaptation STEEL did poorly, movies like THE PHANTOM didn't make much of a mark, but you did have the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES movie doing quite well, ditto BATMAN RETURNS and BATMAN FOREVER. BATMAN & ROBIN's not-so-great performance in 1997 put the Caped Crusader's theatrical future in limbo. SUPERMAN puttered out back in 1987 with a badly-received fourth movie. So, this was a bit of a false start, if you will? Batman, Ninja Turtles, maybe something else that did okay-ish at best... That was about it, circa 1999.

Then along came BLADE in 1998, which would be the first Marvel movie to do pretty well. HOWARD THE DUCK bombed back in 1986, and the 1989 PUNISHER and 1990 CAPAIN AMERICA went straight to video in the states.

Then, X-MEN came out in 2000, that did even better.

Then, SPIDER-MAN came out in 2002, made a **gargantuan** amount of money...

After the release of X-MEN and SPIDER-MAN, both Marvel adaptations, you saw **some** action going on. More Marvel movies came along. HULK, an ambitious film from Ang Lee, opened big in summer 2003 but had trouble staying afloat. FANTASTIC FOUR did okay in 2005 despite poor reception. GHOST RIDER did okay in 2007. SPIDER-MAN 2 and SPIDER-MAN 3 made biiiig money, and there was also a FANTASTIC FOUR sequel that also did okay. The next Batman-inspired DC movie, CATWOMAN, came about in 2004 and bombed quite badly. The year after CATWOMAN came BATMAN BEGINS, Christopher Nolan's then-bold new take on the Caped Crusader *and* the superhero movie in general. It did pretty well, a sleeper hit that relied on strong word-of-mouth. Then in 2006, a year later, you had an attempt to reboot SUPERMAN with SUPERMAN RETURNS. While it made money, it wasn't enough to cover its then-titanic budget, so it seemed like a non-starter. The other DC adaptation released amidst this was CONSTANTINE, whch did pretty well (and is finally getting a sequel after all these years). Funnily enough, amidst these Marvel and DC movies, you had Pixar's THE INCREDIBLES... A then *rare* animated superhero movie, and it did great business. There was also HELLBOY, too. Non-Marvels and non-DCs had their time to do pretty okay, too. So, superheroes had a healthier time in the early-to-mid 2000s...

But where it really all took off was in 2008...

IRON MAN started the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a BANG! in May of that year, and BATMAN BEGINS sequel THE DARK KNIGHT - no doubt accelerated by the tragic passing of Heath Ledger, who gave his iconic performance as The Joker - was **massive**. It was the first movie since TITANIC to clear $500m at the domestic box office, and make the then-magic $1b worldwide... Only TITANIC, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST made that amount of money... Nowadays, it seems like there's one billion-dollar smash every year, excepting 2020 of course... Back in 2008, though? Magic number. Very few movies did **that** well...

And from there... Lots of hits. The MCU had barely a stumble, and their highest highs at the box office went very high. They had no trouble getting audiences to come out in big numbers for... Checks notes... Movies based on THOR, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, and ANT-MAN. Warner Bros. had tried very hard to keep a consistently successful DC movie-verse going, but despite the valleys (JUSTICE LEAGUE, BIRDS OF PREY), they too saw some big peaks: WONDER WOMAN and AQUAMAN. BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE and SUICIDE SQUAD made a lot of money, too, despite not meeting particular expectations. Animated superheroes brought home bacon, too! BIG HERO 6, INCREDIBLES 2, SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, need I say more? Sony's own Spider-Man villain movies VENOM and its sequel did very well, too! Almost everybody was winning the superhero sweepstakes post-2008, with very few actual losers in-between.

But now... Well, with so many of them around, and both cinematic universes from the heavies... Again, Marvel and DC. Known commodities... We don't see any movie-verse for, say, Image Comics, no do we? Well, again, money is tight, theater visits are costly, and the movies aren't always delivering satisfying experiences when other endeavors are next door...

Last year, we saw TOP GUN: MAVERICK, a legacy sequel to a 1986 blockbuster that isn't a superhero movie in any way, mop the floor - domestically and even worldwide - with both Marvel and DC's most anticipated movies. AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER was in second place domestically, top dog worldwide. We're starting to see other movies have a say again, and smaller movies are having their fun again, too. ELVIS and NOPE did very well, as did BULLET TRAIN and THE LOST CITY. Bread-n-butter movies that used to fill up the yearly box office charts quite nicely. We see that nowadays in the form of things like WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, THE BLACK PHONE, THE WOMAN KING, TICKET TO PARADISE, BARBARIAN, SMILE, VIOLENT NIGHT, A MAN CALLED OTTO, M3GAN, CREED III, etc.

So... With QUANTUMANIA and SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS past us... Here's what I think... Much like in 2006, where some computer animated family movies did great and others not-so-much... That'll happen with this year's crop of superhero movies.

I think the guaranteed hits are GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 and SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE. The former? Well, those two movies functioned well as a standalone story not connected to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like you had some things here and there, like an Infinity Stone or the presence of Thanos, but they're both self-contained, VOL 2 even more-so. They're genuinely good space adventure movies that audiences actually quite dig, the characters are so likeable, and the movies have director James Gunn's authorship all over them. That's a night and day difference from many of the other MCUs... SPIDER-VERSE... Need I say more? The original is beloved, it was a passion project for everyone involved. It was not just a great Marvel or great superhero movie, it was a great movie, period. Rian Johnson himself described it as "The Velvet Underground of superhero movies." That is *high praise*.

Those are both poised, I feel, to make beaucoup bucks.

Everything else? Well... The DC movies coming out this year are much like FURY OF THE GODS. They don't really matter, because the hard reset is coming up with SUPERMAN: LEGACY two years from now. I suppose THE FLASH could do well because of Michael Keaton **and** Ben Affleck's Batman returning, in a sort of NO WAY HOME-esque manner. I don't think much of the general public is in tune with star Ezra Miller's controversies and wrongdoing, so I think this one's appeal hinges on whether fans/audiences see it as pointless or not. I think the novelty of both Batmen being back, alongside some other DC faces (such as Michael Shannon's go at General Zod from MAN OF STEEL), could help it a bit. BLUE BEETLE? I couldn't tell ya, it'll probably come and go. AQUAMAN made over a billion back in 2018/19, and is the highest-earning DC film ever... But will fans and audiences be back for, again, a movie that seems pointless in the long run? Also at the end of the year comes the MCU film THE MARVELS, the sequel to CAPTAIN MARVEL and also a follow-up to the MS. MARVEL TV series... Plus you have Monica Rambeau in it as well, who - as an adult - was a major character in WANDAVISION. That all could help it, but I'm starting to think it falls quite short of CAPTAIN MARVEL's impressive take in 2019. CAPTAIN MARVEL had the benefit of opening right before AVENGERS: ENDGAME, the penultimate episode to the big climactic event... THE MARVELS is just, well, the sequel... With two other faces. I think it'll do pretty well, but not excellently. Disney and Marvel Studios were smart to delay the film from July to November after the CEO-switcheroo with Bob Iger this past autumn. I can only hope they delay all of the other movies, too. Like, two a year is fine, guys. AVENGERS: THE KANG DYNASTY and AVENGERS: SECRET WARS can wait. They don't need to come out in 2-3 years from now, in addition to like 10 other movies and 10-20 other Disney+ shows...

And next year, I think, will show as well where this is all going... Like, I don't see the likes of CAPTAIN AMERICA 4, THUNDERBOLTS, DEADPOOL 3, and BLADE hogging up the top slots anymore. I forgot to point out that these movies seem a lot more frontloaded. Big fans and those who were always going to be there *will* be there on opening weekend, but it collapses after that, as OTHER audiences save their money for other things that they'd rather see... Maybe the JOKER sequel, not really a superhero movie but still based on a DC villain that's tied to one of their most well-known superheroes, could repeat the massive surprise success of the original. Maybe not. BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE should do pretty great... I think other biggies are what's gonna surprise this year and next year, and take the Top 3 slots... A new INDIANA JONES movie, a MARIO movie, a two-part MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE epic, AVATAR 3, maybe even something like GLADIATOR 2. 2025 is when the DC hard-reset comes, so it'll be interesting to see how SUPERMAN: LEGACY does, in addition to whatever Marvel movies end up coming out that year. KANG DYNASTY or no KANG DYNASTY...

If anything, the budgeting should be smarter from here on out. Then these movies can come and go, make adequate amounts of money, give *other* kinds of movies the Top 3-5 for once, and then the wheels will spin. Something new will come along and spam up the top slots, even. Maybe we're in for an area of legacy-quels following TOP GUN 2's massive success. I really do think INDY 5 has the chance to somewhat repeat that, and GLADIATOR 2 even. How long till, say, another sequel to a beloved '80s or '90s movie drops? And then too many of those happen and they get tiresome?

All a cycle in Hollywood...

But yeah, I do see the parallels between superhero movies now and CG animated family movies circa 2006...

#box office #superheroes #marvel #dc #comic book movies #animation #animated movies #opinions

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skellys-projects · 10 months ago

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Starting a thing! Gonna post the statements I write for my tma dnd! Here's the first one I'mposting here, a statement from my take on Breekan and Hope:

(Under cut)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Statement of Vincent regarding their service for the shipping company Breekan and Co International. Original statement given 12th March 2015.

Recording made 17th August 2022. Recording by Maddison Verinoz, Head Archivist at the Renn Association, Sydney.

I suppose I should start at the beginning. Seems only natural. My name is Vincent, and I am a member of a collective entity under the same name. There are many of us, not even we know how many. We serve I Do Not Know You, and work under Breekan and Hope. As you are aware, our bosses are located in London. However, the Australian Sector of their corporation, Breekan and Co, is run by me and my fellows.

The first delivery I remember making was back in... 2001 I think. I was tasked with delivering a small box of jewellery to a house on the edge of Sydney. Don't remember which one. The jewellery was as far as I am aware, completely mundane. However, the box it came in was engraved with a complex, spiralling pattern which leads me to believe it was aligned with the Twisting Deceit. As I went, I made sure to relay our usual messages to the person recieving the items. You must have seen them before. Plain white with no details, just black writing depicting a vague and hopefully scary message about the package arriving. I dropped off the package, and sure enough the recipient was stood there peeking anxiously through their blinds, terrified of what was to come. I knocked gently on the door, and a young woman opened it. I looked at her, gave no expression and simply said "package for miss Farleigh?". She nodded cautiously and took the box from me, as required. I brought out my clipboard, as the package needed signed off. Don't know why it did, not my place to know. I look at her straight and say "sign please". I hand her a pen and she signs the paper. That's that done, now to depart. "Have a pleasant day", I say, before turning around and walking off. I hear her door slowly creak shut. I don't know what happened to her, not my place to know.

My next delivery was a lot larger. It was around... 2019 I'd say. It was me and three others of my kind, tasked with taking a large box to this creepy old warehouse in the middle of the outback. As we were putting the box in the van, one of the others told me they had seen what was inside. According to them, it was chunks of a large table, with an intricate, winding pattern. I didn't think much of this. We loaded it into the van and got inside ourselves. It was three of us in the front, and the other inside the back to look after the shipment. It was a hot day, and a long drive. Not needing to drink is really helpful, you know? Especially on days like that. As we drove through the outback towards our destination, the hot sun was casting scorching rays down onto the ground, so hot I was forced to curse the Desolation.

We soon arrived at the warehouse. It was a large metal structure, and yet somehow nobody knew of its existance. I've heard stories of that place. Said to be a hotspot for entity interaction, so someone eventually decided to build the warehouse on the site. They manufacture artifacts I believe. Me and the others walked out of the van, taking the package with us. We knocked steadily on the door. At first, silence. Then, we were greeted by a tall lady with long, spider-like limbs. She called herself The Manager, and led us inside. We were brought to a large room, where there were several avatars of each entity, sat there infusing the power of terror into seemingly mundane objects. It was rattling, even for us. I thought I could even hear the items screaming in terror.

Next, The Manager led us to a room with a large incinerator in the floor. We were told to chuck the package inside, so we did. Me and two others went back to the van while the fourth made sure the paperwork was all signed off. Once that was complete, we made our way back to the headquarters.

I think that's all I have to tell you, Archivist. I do apologise for the lack of detail, but the Eye isn't getting a full meal out of us yet.

Statement ends

Archivist's notes:

While, yes, this statement was lacking in detail, it does give a slight insight into how the creatures known as Vincent operate. They seem to have less of a personality than their "bosses" Breekan and Hope.

#skellywriting #I'm proud of this one #but I doubt it'll last tbh

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attic-club-sandwich · 2 years ago

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I posted 1,084 times in 2022

That's 1,036 more posts than 2021!

110 posts created (10%)

974 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@pridecomethbeforethefall

@eternallydaydreaming2015

@delphi-dreamin

@teenytinyrayofsunshine

@belphieslilcow

I tagged 1,064 of my posts in 2022

Only 2% of my posts had no tags

#obey me - 660 posts

#obey me mammon - 145 posts

#obey me lucifer - 97 posts

#bleach - 89 posts

#obey me belphegor - 89 posts

#obey me leviathan - 74 posts

#obey me beelzebub - 58 posts

#spy x family - 56 posts

#obey me satan - 55 posts

#code geass - 52 posts

Longest Tag: 71 characters

#this gives me butterflies i can't even imagine how miya was feeling lol

My Top Posts in 2022:

using my VIP privilege to provide you with DiaLuci in a convertible.

121 notes - Posted July 17, 2022

Belphie has Lucifer blocked 💀💀

130 notes - Posted June 29, 2022

I'll Protect ya, Little Human

Obey Me! Commission by @moinstarr ⭐ Recently I commissioned amazingly talented Moin to draw my MC Shae with Mammon! Please go check out their blog, their art is so beautiful! 💜 This was my very first commission piece i've ever requested and I'm so so impressed. My idea was that Shae has a little run in with an out of control demon and Mammon comes to save the day. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT MOIN’S PERMISSION.

156 notes - Posted August 16, 2022

After some thoughts, I'm deciding to post this again....but with very detailed notes about the reader!

Summary: A short drabble about MC getting their period for the first time since regaining their human form in the Devildom.

Mammon x AFAB! MC

CW: MC has a vagina and menstruates. Period content and blood mentions.

ONLY HUMAN

Being stuck as a sheep in the Devildom was hard, but you were beginning to think that being a human in the Devildom was even harder. Since you regained your human form, your body had started to go back to its normal functions, which included your first monthly cycle since being human in the Devildom.

Your sleep was interrupted all night long due to the dull ache of cramps in your lower abdomen…unfortunately you knew that ache well. Your period had started in the middle of the night, and you had completely forgotten to get any sort of products for it. Not that you even knew how to go about asking any of the demon brothers. You reach over to your bedside table to check your phone. Squinting, you could make out that it read 3 a.m. Of course. You sigh, kicking the covers off of yourself and head to the bathroom. As you sit on the toilet contemplating your next move, your phone buzzes. Who would be up at this hour? You thought as you reached for your phone once again. You had a text message from him.

Mammon

“Yo, MC! I can’t sleep. Are you up?”

Your heart begins to beat faster at the thought of the white haired demon texting you this late at night.

“Yes. But I won’t be much fun…I'm not feeling the greatest.”

“What?! Why didn’t you say something sooner?! I’ll be right there!”

You can’t help but giggle as you picture him hopping out of bed and tripping over his own feet as he struggles to put on the closest nearby article of clothing. Because he has nothing on when he sleeps, you thought. You felt your cheeks heating up as you shook your head, this is no time to be fantasizing about the Avatar of Greed.

You quickly stumble out of the bathroom and pull on a pair of shorts as you hear a knock at your door. “MC, I’m comin’ in, okay?” You turned around to meet Mammon’s gaze as he looked you up and down. “W-Wait. Why do you smell like blood? What the hell happened?!” You sighed as you sat down on your bed, Mammon taking the spot next to you. “I’m okay Mams. I uh, just got my period is all…” It seems to take him a few moments to process what you said. “Your period…? Oh wait, I think I remember reading about that somewhere…in one of Satan’s books about humans.” You nodded. “Yeah, my fragile human body is making me feel a bit sick right now.” Mammon hummed as he gently placed his hand on your forehead. “Well you’re feelin’ a little warm, and it’s my job to take care of the fragile human! So tell me what you need and I'll get it for ya!” You giggled at his enthusiasm. “Well for one, I need some supplies…I never got anything while I was a sheep.” Mammon nods and jumps up, I’ll go get ya some right away. Need anything else?” You leaned against Mammon’s side as you thought for a moment. “Painkillers, for sure. And snacks.” The second born nodded and stood up. “Sure, you relax and I’ll be right back!” He was about to leave your bedroom when he hesitated. “Wait a minute, let me tuck ya in so I know you’ll stay put!” Your eyes widened in surprise as Mammon made his way back towards your bed. “Go on, lay down!” You giggled and slid back under your covers. Mammon pulled the blankets up around you and gently tucked the sides around your body. “Good. Now stay where you are and I’ll be back with everything you need. I’m gonna hack into Levi’s Akuzon account. That way it gets delivered here ASAP!”

235 notes - Posted August 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See the full post

1,016 notes - Posted September 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

Hehe this is cute! I can’t believe that Manga post blew up though omg

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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