#it doesn��t mean the video can’t happen

[ancientwastedlores]

Homelander Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

I’m a Loki girl through and through, but a recent The Boys rewatch kinda got me obsessed with Homelander, so I thought I’d write a quick little angst fic based on the Somebody Else x My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” mashup (which I have been playing non-stop by the way. My boyfriend has accepted this new way of life.)

Huge thanks to @blindmagdalena for encouraging me to write this! 

I haven’t written fiction in a while, so I hope this is good! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homelander Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

Oh, here we go again. 

You put on a plastic smile while he holds your wrist in a death grip behind your back. 

The cameras flash incessantly, almost making your eyes water - whether that’s from the ache throbbing in your arms or the flashes, you can’t tell anymore. 

"Homelander! Are you going to cameo in A-Train’s multiverse movie!?"

"Homelander, is there a universe where you are A-Train!?" 

Homelander laughs, flashing his sharp pearly whites. He exudes charisma as he raises his hands to stop the line of questions. 

"I guess you’ll just have to catch the movie next week, boys!" 

He pulls you closer to him. "For now, the missus and I have to make it Vought for the premiere!" 

With a flourish, he flips his cape like the showman he is and then holds you as he launches, leaving the reporters in the dust. 

You feel your tears trail behind you as he whisks you to the penthouse. Normally, New York looks bejeweled from this incredible height. Tiny dots of lights up and down the massive steel and glass buildings. At this height, life is erased. Humans are erased. It’s tall shapes and big shadows, like an unfinished rendering of a video game. 

You’ve always loved flying, but you suspect you’re in for a hard time once your feet touch the marble floors in the penthouse.

------------------------------------------------------------- 

Homelander stayed silent for hours after getting home. You decided to bake him some banana bread - his favorite - and whip up a good old-fashioned chocolate milkshake. The scent of it usually makes him forget whatever he was angry about, but it doesn"t seem to be working right now. 

He paces the room, his rich red cape trailing behind him in the most dramatic way. Homelander has his theatric tendencies, and you have learned to indulge them. 

Even when the cost is high. 

"What’s wrong?" you ask despite your better judgment. 

"What could possibly be wrong? You’re the Jackie Kennedy to my John Kennedy. What could be wrong about that?" he snaps. 

"John…" 

"Why you?" he asks. "Why you and not me?" 

"Me BECAUSE of you, John; they wouldn’t care about me if I weren’t dating you!" 

He heaves, his eyes red without the aid of a laser. His chest rises and falls as his brain scrambles for a response. He is angry; no, he wants to be angry. He just wants something to rage about. 

He isn’t actually angry that the reporters swarmed the two of you and bombarded you with a hundred questions before paying attention to him. After all, the questions were about him. What’s he like as a boyfriend? What’s the cutest thing he’s done for you? Have you ever worn the cape? Would you ever be in a movie with him? 

No, there"s something else. You’ve given up trying to dig deep and find meaning in his outbursts because, more often than not, you get it wrong. Some obscure random thing might have happened 5 minutes or 5 years ago and he seethes about it before calming down. 

This is life now. 

"Are you actually mad at me?" you ask. "I won’t leave this penthouse if you don’t want me to." 

He laughs - a sarcastic, painful one. You’re all too used to this. 

Homelander looks you up and down as if scanning you. Assessing you. As if asking himself what you mean for his approval points and how you look on his arm. 

You are by no means perfect, but Homelander loved that about you. He never lied that you were the hottest one he’d been with or even the most intelligent. But he loved that you loved him. He loved that you forgave his outbursts and allowed him space to throw a tantrum or brood silently. 

He loved that you were patient with him, which is more than anybody had ever been with him. But he often tested that, too. 

"You know what, I think I'll do this premiere alone. I wouldn’t want you to feel out of place in such a big crowd." 

That stings. You’ve never been a showman or particularly extroverted, but you wanted to try. For him. And you thought you were getting pretty good at it, too. 

But you nod. There’s no use in arguing. 

Clearly, though, he isn’t done. "I mean, I know you hate putting yourself out there, and you end up a nervous wreck after these events. I don’t want to spend the night taking care of you." 

"Sure. I understand." 

Somehow, your neutral, bland response does not anger him. For some funny reason, it relieves him that he doesn't have to fight with you to get what he wants. 

He turns on his heel and exits the house without another word. 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

You exit the shower and spot the dress you were going to wear for the premiere. In typical Homelander fashion, he wanted you to match his colors rather than A-Train's colors. This was A-Train's night, but he'd be damned if you wore anyone else's aesthetic on your body. 

It’s a red-white-and-blue dress with a dramatic, asymmetrical neckline and fitted bodice with sparkling red and blue sequins transitioning into a voluminous, flowing skirt. Homelander picked it and got it tailored just for you. He knew the parts you were insecure about and made the designer alter the dress to ensure you felt your best. The poofy ball gown style skirt hid your ass, which you didn’t like the shape of. The neckline softened your broad shoulders, which you always felt made you look too masculine. But Homelander made sure the neckline didn’t hide your neck and collarbones, which you loved. 

You touch the rich satin fabric, your heart aching. You were so excited to show this dress off, hanging on to his arm as he flashed his charming, boyish smile. You consider wearing it, even if it's just to clean the kitchen, but decide against it. It would hurt too much. 

You put on a clean pair of sweats and potter to the kitchen. Pouring yourself a glass of wine, you decide to just watch the live broadcast of the premiere and make do with that. 

Three hours pass - you’re asleep on the couch at this point with the TV still running. The premiere ended, and now the channel is playing clips of all mentions of the multiverse in all the past movies. You’d watch if you weren"t so emotionally exhausted. 

A click of the front door wakes you, and through blurry eyesight, you see a smudge of red-and-blue enter. You prop yourself up and rub your eyes sleepily. 

"Hey." 

He sounds like he’s in a jolly mood. 

"Hey," you say back. "How was the premiere?"

"I missed you…" he says, voice dripping with sincerity. 

"I missed you too…" you bring your arms up as if inviting him to cuddle. 

You know he had a miserable time without you. He fucks things up for himself and comes back like a baby in need of consolation. 

Sure enough, he makes his way to the couch, where you’ve created a little nest of fluffy pillows and blankets, and practically falls onto you. You wrap your arms around him as tightly as you can while he buries his nose in your neck. 

"So. Is the movie every bit as terrible as you thought?" you ask, knowing he’s in the mood to shit-talk A-Train. 

"Worse," his voice comes muffled. "Terrible. Horrible. Garbage." 

You laugh and push him lightly so you can have an audible conversation. "Tell me about it." 

"It baffles me the bullshit Vought comes up with. So pointless and bland and unnecessary. And A-Train was eating it right up. Lapping up every last bit of praise like a fucking dog."

"A-Train looked lost in the spotlight. He cannot handle it like you do," you say. "Nobody does." 

A giddy smile crosses Homelander’s face. You pinch his cheeks lightly and then run your fingers through his perfect blonde hair. "Do you want to watch something half-decent and doze off on the couch?" you ask. 

"No… I want you to put that dress on so I can fly us to dinner."

You look at him, your heart twisting painfully in your chest. His boyish grin is disarming, softening your resolve just like it always does. You want to say no. You want to tell him you’re too tired, that the emotional whiplash of his moods has wrung you out like an old sponge. 

But you know that’s not what he wants to hear.

You force a smile instead. "Sure.”

You stand, your legs unsteady, as you head to the bedroom to slip on the dress. It feels heavier now than when you first tried it on. Maybe you’re tired. Maybe it’s just your mind playing tricks. 

You catch your reflection in the mirror. The dress is stunning—perfect, even. He had it made for you, tailored to his vision of you. But when you look at yourself, you see the hollow shell of the person you used to be. You see someone who bends and folds and breaks under the weight of his love.

You hear him calling from the living room, impatient. "You ready yet? You’re gonna knock 'em dead."

You close your eyes, gripping the edge of the dresser until your knuckles turn white. No, you cannot leave him. He needs you, and he doesn"t mean to be mean. He’s trying to make up for it, isn’t he? Stop being such a sensitive, emotional baby. Get the fuck out there and let him show you how sorry he is.

You enter the living room, the satin catching the light and making you look almost ethereal. Homelander is stunned by his own creation. 

"Gorgeous. Fucking perfect." 

You smile and do a little twirl, feeling like the most beautiful girl in the world. 

He rises from the couch, his cape draped dramatically over one shoulder, and strides toward you like a man who owns the world because he does. "You’re my queen. The only one who can keep up with me."

Yes, but do you want to? Or do you want to slow down a bit? Savor the small moments and not spend your life waiting for the next attack? 

You can do nothing but kiss him. He pulls you close by the waist and almost devours you in his frenzy. Waves of emotions crash over you, voices urging you to both switch off your brain and get far away from the broken man. 

How much more of this can you take? He will make it his mission to find out.

He pulls away and flashes his pearly whites. "Ready to lift off?" 

"Abso-fucking-lutely" you smile back. 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

The restaurant is one of the most exclusive in New York—floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlook the city, tables spaced far apart to ensure privacy, and a waitstaff so attentive it’s almost suffocating. Homelander loves it here. Not because of the food, though it’s excellent, but because everyone here knows who he is. They don’t gawk or ask for autographs, but you can feel their reverence in every stolen glance, every hushed whisper. He thrives on it.

You sit across from him, the candlelight bouncing off the sequins of your dress. He's been in an unusually good mood since you arrived, and for a moment, you let yourself believe tonight might actually be different. He's been complimenting you all night, his eyes lingering on yours in a way that makes you feel like you're the only person in the world.

“See?” he says, leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied grin. “I knew this dress was the one. Look at them.” He gestures subtly to the other diners, some of whom are clearly trying not to stare. “They’re jealous. You’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”

You smile faintly, murmuring a soft “thank you” as you sip your wine. It’s moments like this that make staying feel worth it. But then, as always, the warmth starts to curdle.

The turning point is subtle. It always is. He starts picking at his food, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. You can tell something’s shifted. You don’t know what triggered it this time—maybe it was the waiter who smiled a little too warmly at you or the couple at the next table who didn"t acknowledge him quickly enough.

“Do you think they’re staring at me or you?” he asks suddenly, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.

You blink, taken aback. “What?”

“I mean, they’re obviously looking at me,” he continues, his voice low and dangerous. “But you’re the one soaking it up, aren"t you? Sitting there like some fucking… princess.”

The words hit like a slap. “John, what are you talking about?”

He leans forward, his eyes narrowing. “You love this, don’t you? The attention. The glamour. The fucking dress. You think it’s all for you.”

“Of course, I don’t,” you say quietly, trying to keep your voice steady. “I came here because you wanted to. I’m here for you.”

“For me,” he repeats mockingly, his lips curling into a sneer. “That’s rich. You think I don’t see the way you look at them? Like you’re just waiting for someone better to come along. Someone who doesn"t scare you.”

“That"s not true,” you whisper, but your voice sounds hollow even to your own ears. You glance around nervously, hoping no one is listening. Of course, they are. Even if they can’t hear the words, they can feel the tension radiating off him like a live wire.

Somewhere, you blame yourself for enabling this behavior. Your timidness… your eagerness to please… your avoidance of conflict… it feeds him. If it were Starlight or Stormfront or anybody else, they would stand up to him and draw a boundary. And that’s what he needs - not a timid, sniveling fool who would bend over backward to play into his fantasies. 

He laughs bitterly, almost as if he agrees with your thoughts, and leans back in his chair. “You know what"s funny? You’re so scared of me, but you’re the real monster here. You just sit there, pretending to be this sweet, innocent thing, and you judge me for every little fucking thing I do or say.”

“I don’t judge you,” you protest weakly, your hands trembling in your lap. “I—”

“Save it,” he snaps, his voice rising just enough to make heads turn. “You’re just like everyone else. You love me when I’m the hero, but the second I let my guard down, you look at me like I’m some kind of freak.”

“John, please,” you beg, your voice barely above a whisper. “Can we not do this here?”

“Why not?” he says, his smile cold and cruel. “You embarrassed me at the premiere, didn’t you? Couldn’t even be bothered to show up. Do you know how pathetic that made me look?”

“I was just respecting what you asked of me. And I thought you said you missed me,” you say softly, tears stinging your eyes. 

“Yeah, well,” he says, waving a hand dismissively. “What do I know, right?.”

The rest of the dinner passes in a blur. He doesn"t apologize. He doesn"t even look at you. You pick at your food, your appetite long gone, and force yourself to smile when the waiter comes by to clear the plates. You feel like you’re suffocating, the weight of his words pressing down on your chest like a boulder.

When the bill comes, he doesn"t even glance at it. He tosses his card onto the table and leans back in his chair, looking more like a king about to call for an execution. 

“Ready to go?” he asks casually, as if nothing happened.

You nod, your face carefully blank. “Of course.”

------------------------------------------------------------- 

He flies you back to the penthouse in silence. The city lights blur beneath you, but you barely notice. Your mind is racing, your heart pounding. You know what you have to do. You’ve known for a while now, but tonight was the final straw.

When you land, he kisses your cheek and tells you he’s going to shower. “Don’t wait up,” he says with a wink, and then he disappears down the hall.

You wait until you hear the water running before you move. You slip out of the dress and back into your sweats, your hands trembling as you pack a small bag with just the essentials. You don’t know where you’re going yet—maybe a hotel, maybe a friend"s place—but you know you can’t stay here.

As you zip up the bag, you glance around the penthouse one last time. It feels empty, like a stage set after the actors have gone home. You think of all the times you convinced yourself this was enough. That he was enough. That you could fix him if you just loved him hard enough. And he would love once you fixed whatever was wrong with you. 

But you can’t. You know that now. He needs someone stronger. 

Braver. 

You leave the dress draped over the back of the couch, a silent goodbye. Then you slip out the door, the sound of the water still echoing in the distance.

For the first time in what feels like forever, you don’t look back.

------------------------------------------------------------- 

It happens on the fourth night. 

You"re staying at a hotel under an alias, the type of place he wouldn"t normally stoop to visiting. You"ve been trying to keep your head down, trying to breathe for the first time in what feels like years. But deep down, you knew it wouldn"t last.

When the knock comes at the door—sharp, insistent—you freeze. Your heart hammers in your chest. You don’t have to check; you already know it’s him. You’ve been bracing for this moment since the night you left. And honestly, he took longer than you expected. 

Still, when you open the door and see him standing there, you’re not prepared. He looks almost unhinged, his hair slightly mussed, his eyes blazing with something between fury and heartbreak. His red cape is gone, but the suit clings to him like a second skin. 

“I found you,” he says, his voice soft, almost tender, but there’s a dangerous edge underneath it. “Of course I did.”

You step back instinctively, your hands gripping the edge of the door. “How did you—”

“Don’t.” He pushes the door open with ease, stepping inside like he owns the place. “Don’t ask me stupid questions. You really thought you could hide from me? Me?” He laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Come on, sweetheart. Give me more credit than that.”

“John…” you start, but he cuts you off, pacing the room like a caged animal.

“You left,” he says, his voice rising. “You just walked out. No note, no call, nothing. Do you know what that did to me? Do you have any idea?”

Your chest tightens. “I needed to.”

“Bullshit.” He spins to face you, his expression twisting with anger. “You didn"t need to do anything. You chose this. You chose to hurt me. After I rescued you from a pitiful existence and made something of you. Little Y/N wanted to be a writer but had no time. I rescued you from your shabby little apartment and gave you everything. Time. Money. Luxury. And this is what I get.” 

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” you say quietly, but your words only seem to inflame him further.

“No?” He stalks closer, his voice dripping with venom. “Then what do you call this? Running off in the middle of the night like a fucking coward? Hiding in some fucking run-down rat-shit hotel like you’re afraid of me?”

“I AM afraid of you,” you admit, the words tumbling out before you can stop them. His face freezes, a flicker of something almost like pain crossing his features before the anger returns.

“You’re afraid of me?” he repeats, his tone incredulous. “I’ve protected you. I’ve given you everything. Everything you asked and didn’t ask for. You sound so fucking ungrateful. I loved you.” 

The words hit like a slap. You take a step back, shaking your head. “That's not love, John. That's control.”

“Don’t,” he snarls, his voice trembling with fury. “Don’t you fucking psychoanalyze me right now. I loved you. I still love you. And you—” he can’t stop his maniacal laughter. He wags his finger at you. “You!” 

Tears well in your eyes, but you refuse to let them fall. “I just think this isn’t meant to be.”

“Oh, you’re a fortune teller now?”

“John…” 

“Such a fucking saint, aren't you, saving us all from unhappiness. Or…” he smiles. A dangerous smile. “There’s someone else!”

The question knocks the breath out of you. “What?”

“You heard me,” he says, his voice low and deadly. “There’s someone else, isn’t there? Is that why you left? Did you find someone who makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Someone who doesn"t scare you?”

“No,” you say, your voice breaking. “There’s no one else.”

“Then why?” he demands, his voice rising again. “Why did you leave me? Why did you—”

“Because it’s not love!” you scream. The first real, raw emotion you allow yourself to feel in forever. 

Homelander almost looks proud of you for it. 

“You keep being cruel to me. You keep saying horrible things, and I get it; I'm not intelligent or gorgeous or fucking V'd up like your other girlfriends, but GOD. Why are you with me if you hate me so much?” 

For the first time, you see Homelander shocked. “What? I don’t… I don’t hate you; what the fuck are you talking about?” 

You laugh in resignation and wipe your tears with the neck of your sweater. “Homelander, I’m not the one for you. I’m done.”

“You’re done? YOU are leaving ME?” 

He stares at you, his chest heaving, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. For a moment, neither of you speak. The silence is deafening. He’s confused that you think he hates you and cannot fathom why you would believe that. He gave you everything. In what universe is that hate? 

“I gave you everything,” he says, more to convince himself now, his voice raw. “I’m the best thing that ever happened to you.”

“I’m sorry,” you say again. Part of you wants to desperately say you want to be back together when things are better. When you are stronger, and he is kinder. You want to believe that once you fix you, he will miss you. He will return and be so much nicer. Softer. 

But you know that time may never come. 

Just at this moment, Homelander wishes his powers had allowed him to read minds, too. Your face inscrutable, he has nothing to latch on to. He looks at you like you’ve just plunged a knife into his chest. For a moment, you think he might lash out, that he might destroy the entire block in a fit of rage. 

But instead, he takes a step back, his expression crumbling.

“You’ll regret this,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’ll miss me. You’ll see.”

You nod, tears streaming down your face. “Maybe I will.”

He stands there for a moment longer, his fists clenching and unclenching, his jaw tight. Then, without another word, he turns and leaves, the door slamming shut behind him.

You collapse onto the bed, your entire body shaking. The weight of the confrontation crashes over you. Hot tears finally gush out as you clutch your pillow and sob quietly, knowing Homelander can still hear you. 

This isn’t over. Not yet. He will forever stalk the edges of your life, watching. Waiting for you to need him. 

You know Homelander well enough to know he doesn't let go of his toys without a fight.

------------------------------------------------------------- 

[alarrytale]

I am amazed how H going clubbin´ make people believe he was there to hook up with someone or that he´s no longer with Louis. Is that because of the years of gaslighting that H is the womanizer or those people never were in a long term relationship to know that if you go clubbin´ it doesn´t have anything to do with your relationship status so it doesn´t mean you´re single or/and definitely not that you´re there to hook up with someone. Also I kind of don´t believe those report videos from the club that are coming now since it´s been confirmed that H is/was in Berlin, like people suddenly come up with stories. Why they didn´t come up with it right after it happend? It´s for the cloud no matter how funny or cute they sound imo.

Hi, anon!

It's his image, it's gaslighting and it's people's preconcieved notions about what you can and can't do while being in a relationship, and it's a pinch of projecting. Some of it is also the "anyone but Louis" gang having a blast.

People are simple. They want attention and clout. In order to get attention, people exaggerate, embellish and simply make up lies. I think it's very likely that H was there, but beyond that i don't believe a single story coming out of that club. It's all getting very ridiculous and unbelievable now, and it's invalidating those stories who might be true.

Pics or it didn’t happen, i say again and again. If you can’t back up your story with proof, you also shouldn't be upset if people don't believe you.

[thegamingcatmom]

Lady D is gonna be in the Rose DLC and here is why - WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Okay so, I can´t be the only one to have noticed this. Or maybe yall already been there and done that and are like “duh”.

Either way, as I was watching the gameplay trailer for the Shadows of Rose dlc (which looks absolutely DOPE btw, October can´t come fast enough) there was one detail I immediately picked up on and was like “is this...can it be...HAVE MY (and yours I´m sure) PRAYERS BEEN ANSWERED?!?”.

What do I mean? Why take a look at this:

Take a look at the lower right corner. Something´s about to come up from god knows where (somewhere in the megamycete´s consciousness I´m sure) to make a grab for Rose, it seems. While that is slighty concerning it didn´t seem like a huge deal to me at first (cause we all know it´s gonna end well...I hope). Just your usual mold monster, we´ve all been there, done that. No biggies.

But then things got clearer...

And clearer...

And clearer...

AND CLEARER:

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE???

Excuse my poor art job but that is CLEARLY a woman´s hand and not only that: said hand has got looong fingernails (again, my art job doesn´t do this justice) and holy, doesn´t that hand seem pretty fucking big to ya? I mean, look at how huge it is compared to Rose´s shoe. Some of you might say it´s the angle that´s making proportions look like this and it might be true to some extend. But watch the video again because it´s gonna become so much clearer seeing it in motion (and without my ugly doodle).

My theory on this is that our Lady is wanting some revenge for what Ethan did to her and her daughters. Because this is happening in the megamycete´s consciousness for sure and we all know by now that our dear Lords (and probably Ethan) are spending the rest of their (undead?) days there. Not sure how it all works yet.

Another thing I can imagine (and hope for) is the Lords might actually be looking for help? They knew from the very beginning how insanely powerful Rose is, always has been. Heisenberg even stated she was strong enough to take on Miranda - AS A BABY. And Miranda stated once that where Eveline was able to communicate with the mold and control it, Rose would basically be the mold...ruler? Able to control everyone connected to the megamycete and control the mold itself or something. As I´ve said, still not completely sure how it works.

So what if the Duke is truly the bad guy in this (cause he do seem like it) because we saw the way he´s been seemingly in control of these 3 mold monsters, which, it can't be a coincidence. It seems the daughters are gonna be back, albeit a bit...differently. But I digress...my point is that the Duke seems in control of things now and maybe that´s been the plan from the very beginning? Someone else on tumblr pointed out already that Duke pretty much had all the info he needed to decimate the Lords and MM. He just needed an idiot to carry out the plan (sorry Ethan).

So, what if Rose was somehow able to bring back anyone who died and ended up joining the megamycete´s records? We saw her holding a flask with what looked suspiciously like “New Vessel” written on it. She and the flask started to glow and that´s where the scene ends pretty much. Is it possible we´re gonna get an awesome showdown between Rose and the Duke - the true evil? The Lords, revived by Rose, joining in to save the day and get their freedom at last? (I want it so badly, PLS FREE MY BABIES)

Also, who is writing to Rose in the castle? Is it her father? One of the Lords? Hell, even Miranda?? (My bet is on Ethan because that someone clearly cares about Rose and wants her outta there ASAP...unless it´s a trap.)

And what about Mother Miranda? Are rumors true of her potentially being Rose´s biological mother? Because the similarities are...there. Could that (evil?) doubleganger of Rose maybe be an alternate version who actually ended up being Miranda´s daughter? Because we know the megamycete´s consciousness is a world where reality is twisted and warped beyond recognition. A “what if” scenario so to speak. But also, what about Mia? What happened to her? Did Rose lose control and kill her by accident? Is that why she wants her powers gone so badly?

Speaking of powers, is ANYONE gonna encourage Rose to NOT follow through with it? Because she IS the mold basically, so what happens without the power to control it? Is she even a real person without it (cause it´s gotta be like 90% mold, 10% water with her)? SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Oh and another thing I found noteworthy and also pretty dope is the name of the dlc. Considering the whole “Village of Shadows” thing, (the book and all that). There´s gotta be a connection, I KNOW there is, but my brain´s too tired to dwell on it any further after this analysis....for now.

And wow I´ve digressed hardcore considering all I wanted was to show a (the) lady´s hand. Whoopsie. Oh well, when inspiration hits you gotta roll with it.

What do you think we´re gonna see? What do you want to see?

(I know what I wanna see...)

[poundstonaira]

Asta x Pregnant Reader - Worries

Word Count: 1700+

The usual, cold, wet, white snow fell on the tip of my nose right when I looked up at the dead, dark sky which did nothing but made endless amounts of frozen ice fall onto the ground and my coat that covered the rest of my clothes along with my impregnated body. It was ruthlessly freezing cold, my body felt like it wanted to break down every time I moved a step in the thick snow. I kept my hands in my pockets because I knew the moment I’d let my hands be exposed to this weather, they'd only be numb and useless when I needed to make a call.

I know my fiancée is either still playing Ghost of Tsushima, Resident Evil 3 remake, or Apex Legends with his step-brother to which he is probably raging at because he is not that good at first person shooter games. He’s better off still playing fortnite at his big age which is really sad to say. I still love him though, I just wish he would spend more time with me, especially when I’m sad. That would be really nice.

Ever since I started this accidental pregnancy, Asta has been very distant towards me, it’s like he’s scared of me, or that he’s nervous to talk to me. Everytime he would see my bloated, round stomach, he would freeze as if he was nervous or just stare at it in fear. I mean, it’s been 3 months since I’ve started developing but, shouldn’t he be used to it already? He told me not to end the pregnancy because he was ready and will do whatever it takes to the best father he could but if that's the case, why does he act all hostile every time he’s seen my stomach? Not once has he ever rubbed it, kissed, it or even spoken to it. Does it really take that much time to process that your fiancé is pregnant with your child? I’ve been thinking for a couple of days that it’s even cut into my diet and mental health, making me more confused and needy of this situation. It’s like I can’t even tell if I’m overeating or it’s my hormones making me over think like this.

_Wait. What was I outside in this freezing cold weather for again? Oh, that’s right. I was supposed to buy some snacks that Asta and I wanted. At least the corner store is right in front of me. I was in such a deep state of thought I wasn’t even looking up. Silly me. _

…

5 bags of Hot cheetos, 4 packs of sugar cookies, 20 bars of kinder chocolates, 6 packs of Cadbury chocolates, 2 jars of Nutella, 120 Freddo Chocolates, 6 packs of Battenberg cakes, and even more snacks that I’m carrying in this big ass bag.

When I left the store, I was brutally greeted with the familiar feeling of the cold gust of wind along with the snow hitting my face, causing me to cough a bit. The distance between the store and our home wasn’t a short one but, it definitely wasn’t a long one, it would usually take me about 10 minutes to get home but with this snow it would probably take double the amount. Not that I mind or anything, it’s not like Asta’s waiting for my return or that he cares. And it definitely doesn't seem like he cares that this pregnant fiancé is out in a blizzard buying snacks for him and herself. The only thing my ash-blonde husband probably cares about is his game he’s playing or whatever he’s fixated on.

As I began carrying my body through this dangerous winter weather, I heard my phone ringing through my bluetooth headphones, I let out a heavy sigh, letting me see my breath come out as cold fog. I quickly picked my phone out of my pocket and saw who was calling me.

To my surprise, it was Asta. Along with 50 messages and 4 miss calls. At this, I hastily picked up my phone and answered him.

“Asta I-”

“Where are you?” My green-eyed fianceé asked me with a serious tone which was different from his normal, cherry voice. I started to sweat, getting a bad vibe from his tone of voice.

“I’m sorry I-I was just at the store p-picking up some things… Uh… I’m on my way home right now-”

“What was taking you so long!?” I heard him shout, making me jump a bit because of his tone of voice.

I suddenly froze at his question with my eyes widened and my gut having a bad feeling. I didn’t know what to do or say, I just froze in my spot, letting the snow and winds hit me like I was nothing. I didn’t have an answer on why I was out for so long. Hell. I didn’t even check what time it was when I left the house. The reason why I went outside in the first place was to take a walk and to buy some snacks no matter how bad the weather was. I was so much in deep thought to know how Asta felt, I only thought about what he was doing and whether he cared or not.

“I-I just wanted to go on a long walk and buy a few t-things, I didn’t-”

“It’s dangerous out there! It’s even more dangerous that you’re pregnant and you are going out in such dangerous weather... Do you even know how long it has been?”

“No… Asta, listen-”

“It’s almost been 2 hours! I was waiting for you to come back, I was so nervous… Seriously! I thought you were kidnapped or something. I was in the living room the whole time, waiting for you, I was going to meet you to come pick you up but, I didn’t know where to go because I didn’t know where you were…”

“Asta…” Was all I could say. I was seriously at a loss of words, I was in such a negative and grumpy mindset that I didn’t even know that he cared. My fianceé is such a bouncy, and weird individual that I didn’t even know he would care that I even put my pregnant body through such weather, since there are intense risks to that. This whole time I thought Asta only cared about playing video games and only helping when he needed to. Guess I was wrong.

I felt my body shake as a tear slipped out of my right eye.

“I-I’m sorry, Asta. I’ll be home right away.”

… As soon as I opened the front door to our home, I was quickly embraced with strong, muscular arms around my body, making my drop the bag of snacks I had recently bought.

“You scared me… do you know how dangerous it is for you to go out in that weather all alone WHILE you’re pregnant? Anything could’ve happened to you. Anything…You really had me worried and I didn’t know where to look, that’s why I didn’t come outside, I was scared I wouldn’t see you...” Asta muttered into my neck, still holding me tight.

There was really nothing else for me to say at that moment. I could hug him back, making contact between my wet coat and him.

“I’m sorry Asta, I won’t put myself through such dangerous weather again. I-” I was then interrupted by him pulling me into a long kiss before he pulled away to rub my head.

“That’s enough. Go take a relaxing bath and sleep. You could catch a cold.” Was his response for cutting me off.

“Then what am I going to do with all these snacks I bought?” I asked him which made his eyes pay attention to the extra large bag full of snacks, his eyes then glimmered and he started to drool with the thought of devouring all of them.

“Yummy…”

I smiled at his usual antics.

…

After I took a bath in steaming hot water, the both of us were now cuddled up on the couch, watching endless amounts of animes that we queued up on Netflix while consuming our snacks. When we have these moments, I most of the time forget that my weirdo of a fianceé put something inside of me. I remember staying focused on the moments where we were just escaping the ruthless blizzards that are outside of our homes, trying to cause chaos. None of that bothered me anyway, I just remember the feeling of Asta holding me tight and his head croaked into my neck, picking up my scent and occasionally leaving a few love bites there. Although he doesn’t show it, I can tell he’s excited for the birth of our child as well. He may not kiss, touch, or talk to my stomach but I know every time he embraces me, it’s a sign that he loves me and that he’s ready.

“Are the snacks good?” I asked him, giving him a small smile as I watched him chew on the chocolates.

“Of course they are!” He replied in a cheerful manner, making me give him a small smile to which he quickly blushed at. I honestly adore how he gets all flustered at the small smiles give him.

After he finished the snacks in his mouth, I felt Asta’s hands snake around my round, bloated stomach, before he slowly rubbed it. I jumped a bit but I then realized that this is what I wanted, what I wanted for a while now.

“But do you know what's even better?” He whispered in my ear, making me shiver in excitement a bit.

“Yes?” I quietly replied.

“My own child growing in_ your _stomach. The possibilities of their genes and what they could be, whether it could look like you or me… the more I think about it the more excited I get. Even though I didn’t mean for this to happen, I am more than happy to do what it takes to care of our children.” Asta finished, kissing my neck.

I felt that same tear slip out of my right eye again because of his warm, trusting words. I didn’t feel nervous about anything anymore. Because I already know that I’ll be fine.

This pregnancy should be nothing to worry about.

“Thank you, Asta.”

[lonesomedreamereccentriclover]

This past decade(s) there have been few great horror movies. Lost in uninspired sequels/prequels and few original storytelling and mostly based on cheap jump scares instead of truly scary moments told in actual pictures, the modern horror movie seems to struggle with delievering horrifying sequenses and being, yeah well, truly scary.

Sure, there have been some great exceptions, like “The Witch”, “The Babadook”, Ari Aster’s first two full feature films “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” - but all in all they are just a few bad (as in really good) seeds midst all rotten fruits.

During the 2014 edition of Cannes Film Festival in France a director named David Robert Mitchell broke out with his truly original and horrifying “It Follows” and it was immediately praised for its original take on STD’s and stunning visuals even if shot on relatively low budget.

The film starts out in the suburbs on a calm evening, only a mother is out packing out her car of groceries, when suddenly a young lady is storming out in panic. The mom on the other side of the street packing out her car asks if everything is alright, and the young lady answeres “yes” but we can clearly see that’s a lie. But we really don’t have a clue what is going on. Not yet anyway.

The girl is running back to her house, now with her father worried sick, but only to get her (fathers) car keyes. She drives off and it now seems that she is being hunted by someone. Or something.

Ending up on a beach,  a place for the youth to relax and enjoy one another (in one form or another), the young lady seems to feel safe - for the moment. But by the arrival of the morning she’s no longer alive. As so often in horror movies the first character(s) we meet is not the protagonist nor the heroine, but an establishment of how great of a threat someone - or by the state of the properly tufted young lady rather SOMETHING (more than a human)!

Shortly thereafter we meet another young lady. She, Jay, is much clearly “in focus” as we got to spend time with her in her room dressing up for a date. Just as her, the audience believes the date is something special - and as they meet up outside a cinema (that is showing Charade with Audrey Hepburn) it really seems so. They play a game, that first seems very sweet and innocent. They pick a person around them who they would like to switch lifes with. The guy starts, and as they bought tickets and have entered the lobby and without Jay guessing right about who he (her date, that she by the time think is “Hugh”) has choosen he reveals that he would like to change place with a little kid. They joke around that he can then poop himself anytime he wants, but when he later gets killed by the entity it has taken the form of his mother - that probably took advantage of him sexualy when he was younger - and just wants a normal family to be taken care of. But now I’m getting ahead of myself. Lets wind back!

In the movie theater, waiting for the film to start, Jay now take her turn in the game and chooses someone she would switch with. She does so pretty quickly and when he tries to guess who she have choosen he takes a wild guess at a girl in yellow dress. Which confuses her just as much as the audience - since such a girl is nowhere to be seen in the saloon. That freaks him out, but not for the obiously reason we might first think. They rush out of the saloon and he excuses himself with the need for air - and maybe some coffee.

If we “look” at the the girl only “Hugh” can see we are only given very little information. She cannot be seen by others than “Hugh” and 2). she wears a yellow dress. It sounds cheerful, pretty and warm, but in color analysis yellow also have negative associations. According to this site yellow also stands for cowardice, sensationalism and mental illness. Does that means that he is “seeing her” only in his mental state? It could appear so, but shortly after they have sex he then drugs her. Which is confusing, because he doesn¨t have to drug her to have sex with her - which the situationen otherwise suggest - and that the director really “playfully” uses to create confusion and uncertainty.

When she wakes up again she is constrained to a wheelchair. The situation is just as bad for her as for the viewer. Has he taken her there to kill her? It could appear so but soon he calms her down with the assurance that he hasn’t taken her there to harm her. But why? A person is walking towards them and he explains that now that he has “passed it on” by having sex (hence the interpretation that the film is about STD’s) and that she under no circumstances let those persons walking towards her touch her. Which might be confusing and scary for Jay, but the viewer now get the connection to the girl in the beginning. That is dramaturgically called an catalyst (or: plantation), where a person or happening is introduced but only to give the story bigger meaning later on.

Jay is dropped of outside her house, and then “Hugh” dissapears. Which could be seen as a comment on modern “dating” where a guy (or girl in some cases) dumps the “victim” right after having sex. We live in a society where we throw away stuff way to easily and that seems to have been taken on even socially.

From the porch, Jay friends and one sister Kelly, sees everything and rushes to her to make sure everything is alright. But it isn’t (obviously). So they call the cops. But as the sex was consensual and he didn’t really hurt her, and his identity seems scetchy they can’t really do anything. But he will play a part and has not yet been played out in the story. We just don’t know how yet.

The next day, when Jay is in school, she is approached by an old lady. She don’t recognize her, but was told to watch out for shady people walking slowly towards her - even if “It” is taking the form of a stranger or a more familiar person to get close to its victim. And if we now presses paus and goes back a bit to “Hugh” and his lady in yellow dress. WIth this new information we understand that she was “it” trying to get close to him. And with the older information about yellow being  a “color of cowardness” we can now “read” that the “it” also can take the form of the fear and guilt of the victim. He feeling bad for taking advantage of her, simply put to get laid but in the context of the story to “pass it on” and no longer being the first target in line. We also learn that it’s only the first (latest) person in line to be haunted by “it”. Which only cements Jay’s role as the protagnoist - who ALWAYS should grow and evolve through the story (wheter it might be an childrens story, a book in general, a video game or in this case a movie) towards the morality of the story.

So, what might the morality of the story be then? Maybe the answere is in the way “It” approaches its victims - by assuming familiar characters thats also seems to hold some personal trauma to them. By running away from the fear and hide away and hopes the problem just dissapears, people die. Maybe it’s traying to say to us: don’t walk away from your fears, or trauma, but try to meet them and work against them so you by time can move on from them without taking to much psychological harm in the long run.

One of her friends is Paul (played by Kier Gilchrist that some years later would get a wider brakethrough in the Netflix-show Atypical where he plays a young man with Asperger syndrome) who seems to have a more than friendly history with Jay (played by Maika Monroe) which is made clear throughout the storyline as he tries to “get in her pants” but with his logic only to be “heroic” by letting her “pass It on to him” and thereby getting her out of the haircross of “It”.

But Paul is not her first choice. Maybe she doesn’t like him back, but probably beacuse she doesn’t want to put her friend in danger. The “lucky one” is instead a neigbhour with a car and a tough appearance. He helps her get to places and after an accident he sleeps with her - with the same motive as Paul, or at least he says so. Appearently, he doesn’t really believes in her “crazy theories” (since he doesn’t have all the information the other characters, and we as viewers, have) but just wanted to have sex. Which is going to punish him. But why? Because of the souless sex? Or because he doesn’t take the problem, the fear, seriously and tries to really solve it but instead live on with his life as nothing have happened? Probably both! Lying to get what you want is not very nice.

As she can see to the neighbour’s house across the street from her own window, she can see when a stranger (everyone who “has it” can see them walk around, but not anyone else) aproaches his house and throws a stone through the kitchen window - that also happened to her the evening after she “got it” - so now David (who both directed and wrote the film) plays with something that is called repetition - simply because something is happening more than once to improve the dramaturgelly effect, and the second time around escalate evertything - in this case by making “It” visible, and something Jay now can take action against. The first time, when it happened to herself, she only heard the noice of a window getting crashed (or, it was Paul sleeping on her cauch who heard it and then alarms her). This is very effective since Jay sees the intrusion as it happens and she now have a moral obligation (as the protagonist also always should be a moral compass for the viewer and always act “right” to not alienate the viewer to much) to help him. Which she’s really tries to do. But as “It” takes the form of his mother, probably by confronting him in form of someone familiar but also with a boob hanging out so maybe tries to comfort him by breastfeeding, who now is banging on his door - and as he opens she jumps him and his storyline is now literally over.

An interesting detail that is established early on in the story is that one of Jay’s friends - Yara (played by Olivia Luccardi) - is reading The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky on her “e-reader” and as she later on is hurt badly and put in hospital she use the text to “use it” on her friends and their situation. Especially Jay is reflected by it:

As she understands that she can no longer run from “It” but have to confront it (her fears, that seems to be related to giving birth as she sees “It” as a burned out woman who’s water just broke... and later as a very scary child that almost looks more like something of a monster in a video game) and no longer just run away frorm “It”. So they go to a swimming pool to set a trap for “It” and it finally seems that the gang has the upper hand in all this. A well telled story “always” make us feel like its all hopeless but then let a ray of light shine through!

As they are going, “It” now appears on the rooftopp in form of a naked man. As Jay drives out of the garage and out on the road, she gasps as she sees the man on the roof. Because he is naked? Maybe partly, but mostly because “It” probably have taken the form of her father - who have never been seen in the film, so he’s probably “out of the picture”, maybe because he was molesting her as a child and have been kicked out - or maybe, even better, put in prison for it.

As they set the traps around the pool they still feel they have the upper hand in the situation. But as Jay puts on her bathing suit and goes into the pool, some beautiful shots of her under water (and the reflection of her body on the surface) suggest that she no longer have a personal face and have lost herself to “It”. This goes hand in hand with the paragraph from The Idiot that Yara later reads to Jay in the hospital. The struggle and personal questioning gives her... if you all excuse my choice of words... depth.

As the final confrontation takes place nothing goes according to plan. All their planning and preparations is wasted in a blink of an eye. But as everyone who tackles with their personal problems in life realises that you can never plan your life to full - because so much other stuff is going to happen that you possibly can’t take into calculation, but rather have to be adaptive and improvise to overcome all obstacles - our group doesn’t give up but reorganizes and finally overcomes all problems. Together. Hiding all alone and trying to solve her problems all by herself wouldn’t help much but rather end in her death.

As Jay and Paul “find each other” (see: the gif where their hands toches) earlier on, they “finally have sex” but since it’s just for helping her, and he probably feels that she doesn’t really want, he doesn’t feel like it was so great that he hoped it would be. But as he stood by her all the time, and had more romantic intentions with her all along, they end up together. At least in a way. And as they walk down a road in the end, and we see a person walking behind them, we are suggested that they never fully killed “It” and that it’s still after them. Which probably both is a play with the expectations that horror movies ends with an “open road” to an sequel - but also tells us that even if we start to tackle our problems, trauma, with for exemple therapy, our ghosts will never really leave us alone. But that it’s getting easier by time, especially with someone on your side. Linou have studied film production for a year in Stockholm, and are now studying screenwriting in a program of three years (180hp) in Dalarna. This is what he came up with after re-watching the film and read “Hansel and Gretel” with his class and the teacher breaking down all terms for us.

[karazor--el]

The Beat

INTERVIEW: Nicole Maines on bringing trans issues to SUPERGIRL

Cori McCreery Cori McCreery

.

On March 15, 2020, an episode of Supergirl titled “Reality Bytes” aired on The CW, focused on the harrowing topic of violence against trans women. Actress Nicole Maines, a trans woman who portrays Nia Nal (aka Dreamer) on the series, led the way in the episode with an emotional and raw performance and with contributions in the writer’s room. On March 31st’s Trans Day of Visibility, The Beat got to sit down with Maines to discuss bringing trans issues to primetime television.

The Beat: Happy Trans Day of Visibility.

Nicole Maines: Happy Trans Day of Visibility to you too! Thank you very much.

The Beat: As one of the most prominent trans voices out there today, what does today mean to you?

Nicole Maines: Well it kinda feels like a double-edged sword for me. I feel like, on the one hand, it’s a victory lap for all of us because we’ve made so much progress. You know, we have reached all these milestones but then at the same time you know we have to take a moment and recognize, why our visibility is so radical and you have to remember everyone else who we’ve lost along the way and you have to keep in mind all the new legislation that’s being introduced amidst all this so there’s a lot of emotions, but I think it should first and foremost, be a happy day for us to celebrate that we can even be visible.

The Beat: Yeah. As someone who also has a history of activism in the trans community, I feel that very close to my heart. I’m from South Dakota, which has made news in recent years for all of the really vile anti-trans legislation that they have tried to pass. And I feel a little guilty because it all started coming out after I won a court case in South Dakota.

Maines: Well first of all, congratulations. Second of all, you know, I think we shouldn’t feel guilty about that because it’s kind of like, you know, how a “hit dog will holler,” that old saying? It’s kind of like that. I feel like that’s kind of the final thrashing for that kind of bigotry and way of thinking, they feel they feel threatened, which, you know, they should.

The Beat: So I know we’re all cooped up right now. Do you have any plans to celebrate today online at all with friends?

Maines: Yeah! So I did my social media posts and I did a really, I thought, cool video of like me transitioning from me when I was younger and I was still rocking a bowl cut to now as Dreamer to kind of show, you know, it gets better and look how again just looking how far we’ve come. And then also, I took a moment to kind of give a shout out to, there’s a lot of us who can’t post selfies for trans day of visibility, because you know we’re living at home with parents who aren’t supportive or we’re not in a safe school environment, we’d be facing harassment online from peers. So, I wanted to take a moment, also and kind of recognize, hey, y’all are just as much a part of this community and even if you can’t participate in Trans Day of Visibility, you’re still valid.

The Beat: Speaking of being stuck at home, what are you doing to pass all of your free time now?

Maines: Well, I finally broke down and I got Disney Plus. So lots of that. I binged the Mandalorian and now I’m doing an entire rewatch of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I’m starting at season one, then I’m going to go right into the new season that just got released so I’m really excited about that. Lots of Disney movies. I tried to teach myself how to sew. Turns out that’s not in my skill set. And then lots of video games. Just yesterday I ate Ritz crackers, in the dark.

The Beat: I too ate Ritz crackers in the dark yesterday, so solidarity. What video games are you playing right now?

Maines: Right now my main one has been Warframe on Xbox. I have some friends who’ve been playing, so I’ve been playing that and then also League of Legends Teamfight Tactics because of course, they released a new mobile version, so I can sit in the dark, eat Ritz crackers and play that on my phone, so that’s great.

The Beat: All right, so let’s get to the matter at hand. You’re on your second season of playing Nia Nal on Supergirl. How has this season been different from your first?

Maines: This season feels a lot more of Dreamer, as she’s become her own force, I think. I mean, for the most part, season four was really kind of showing us who Nia Nal was and kind of showing us her growth and her transformation into Dreamer. And so season five has been more, you know, we’ve had Dreamer, from the season premiere, and so now we’ve kind of gotten to see Dreamer’s struggle as opposed to Nia’s struggle, I think. And we’ve gotten to see her come even more into her powers. And then, of course, also struggle with her relationship with Brainiac so it’s been, I think, it’s been a lot heavier of a season for Nia than season four, I think. Season four was kind of like her really coming into her own. and then season five has just been her getting like hit after hit after hit.

The Beat: Yeah, although it wasn’t all roses in season four either. You had the really impactful episode of the show, “Blood Memory”, that talked about the rejection of trans people by their family, which is an issue that affects so many of us. How involved were you in the planning of that episode? I know you were heavily involved in “Reality Bytes,” but how heavily were you involved in that one?

Maines: Yeah. I was still really involved. A little less so than in “Reality Bytes”, because of course “Reality Bytes” was kind of all about transness, whereas “Blood Memory” it was just a blip, it was much more about her relationship with her powers and with her family rather than about her transness. But as far as that conversation between Maive and Nia went, I sat in my trailer with the writer and with Jessica and we just talked kind of about what language should Maeve be using, what feels appropriate to say, and feels like it is accurate how that conversation would go but also not so overindulgent in transphobic verbiage that it would become triggering you know what I mean?

The Beat: Yeah.

Maines: Yeah, so we didn’t want to like lean too heavily into it but we also didn’t want to like, totally pull the punches, because that’s not really, you know, how those conversations go. So, when we eventually settled on just having Maeve say what, to her, made the most sense, which was “How did Nia get these powers if she’s not even a real woman?”

The Beat: Yeah, it was so important, and likewise this year’s “Reality Bytes” got to tackle violence against trans people and especially violence against trans women of color. How did it feel knowing that you’d be so involved in something so monumentally groundbreaking on network television?

Maines: It was really exciting, and also a little nerve-wracking. I have to give credit to our director Armen (Kevorkian) for his Saint-like patience with me. Looking back now, I’m like, oh my gosh, I was so overbearing. But I felt so protective of this episode. Just because they’d given me so much involvement in the writing of it and I knew how important this episode was to me, and how important it would be to everybody else watching it, so I wanted to have my hands in everything. I wanted to know what was going on, what we were doing. And I didn’t need to do that, they knew what they were doing and they were so fantastic. And so incredible and everyone on set just got it and they just knew what we were doing and they knew how important this episode was. And everyone was so excited and so proud to be part of it.

So getting to be involved in the writing process was really great. And then finally seeing it on television was so so rewarding because of course part of the conversation we’ve had leading up to that was that so much ends up on the cutting room floor. “What do we absolutely need to keep?” And seeing that a lot of it was actually kept. Because talking about it is one thing, and then going on and turning on the television and seeing them talk about the trans mortality rate. Giving accurate, statistics, having Yvette talk about her situation as a trans woman of color, addressing that very often trans violence is swept under the rug by law enforcement. Seeing all that talked about was so affirming.

The Beat: Yeah, it absolutely was, and you talked about how you worked hard to keep triggering language, out of “Blood Memory” and that’s something that I felt happened in “Reality Bytes” too, like it would have been perfectly in character for the villain of the episode use the T slur, but the fact that that didn’t come out of his mouth felt so important to me because that is such a triggering word.

Maines: I feel like using those kinds of slurs might have been a crutch, because that’s not what we were trying to do we didn’t want to have this character just throwing out hurtful words just for the sake of it, and realistically, that’s probably what he would have done, but we kind of wanted to show more of what his thought process was. And we wanted to see more, you know where this dude is. What is his motivation in trying to take down a superhero? And so we really want to use that screen time to more highlight this idea of “gay panic”. It’s just so much easier to just have someone come up, tell a slur, and then have a superhero beat him up. I think it’s much more important and impactful to show why that kind of thinking is dangerous. And to highlight those arguments that are being made, because a lot of people really didn’t believe that trans violence was an issue and they didn’t understand why people would attack trans people.

The Beat: So you talked about the statistics that you brought up in the episode, and a big point of debate online after the episode was the choice of having William being more knowledgeable about these issues than Kara, what drove that decision?

Maines: I saw those too. And I saw people talking, “Kara doesn’t need that explained to her, she doesn’t need that.” And I think it was good that William was the one to say and show her because one: he was a reporter, he was reporting that so it would make sense that he kind of had those statistics and he had those numbers, because he would have looked them up. And a lot of people thought that, because Kara was Nia’s friend, that she would have researched trans stuff and she would have… And I think no, you could go up to my best friend in the world, we’ve been inseparable since high school. If you asked him what the trans mortality rate is off the top of his head he wouldn’t know! Cis people, regardless of how supportive they are, I can ask my mother in the other room right now, she wouldn’t know. Because it’s not something that’s talked about, it’s not something that a lot of people think about and really if you’re not in the trenches, doing this kind of work. I think most trans people are unaware of exactly what the mortality rate is at any given time.

And so I think, for Kara, it was important to show that you can be very very supportive and not have all the answers and you can still learn. It was never a question of whether or not Kara was supportive of Nia. We’ve known that from the beginning and we really saw that in “Blood Memory”. We know how important Kara is to Nia and we know how important Nia is to Kara. But that doesn’t mean that Kara has magically become a trans activist and that she has all of this information that she would just know off the top of her head, because why would she? Why is it something she would have looked up? She just wanted Nia to know that she was supportive and that she had somebody. And that’s where that support was coming from it wasn’t coming from a place of “let me look up all these statistics and let’s go lobby together” that’s not what it was about.

The Beat: How did it feel to act out the anger and powerlessness that so many of us feel in the face of this violence. It was so cathartic watching you take action against the bigot. I can only imagine how it felt to portray it.

Maines: Part of it was, of course, exciting, because we’ve never really gotten to see Nia or Dreamer angry. You’ve never really got to see her vengeful. So that was exciting just from a character point of view. And then, acting it out. I really really wanted to show just how deep-rooted a lot of this frustration and anger is. And so, I don’t know if it read, I don’t know if it really played, but while we were actually fighting, we adjusted the choreography of the fight a little bit. Because Dreamer, of course, has been trained by Brainiac and by Supergirl and she knows, and she’s technical, she knows what to do with her hands and with her body when she fights. I wanted to kind of strip that away and I kind of wanted to give it this schoolyard fight feel where she’s not really throwing right hook, left hook, jab, jab, and it’s more just like she’s just going to slug him, like one punch just thrown after the other and really kind of physically show all of that frustration. And then when Supergirl arrives she kind of has this moment where she looks, and she kind of recognizes “What am I really doing?” Because she got so caught up in it that she just completely lost track of her situation. But it was really, it was really exciting to get to show that side of Nia. And it was really I mean cathartic for me to kind of, as he was, you know, listing off all his talking points, to just say like, “Oh yeah your fragile ego was shattered wasn’t it?” That felt really good and I was like “Yes, Nia, read him! Drag him!”.

The Beat: So I’ve got one last question. And that’s about the future of the show. Melissa recently announced her pregnancy and I’m so happy for her. Any idea if we’re going to see more of Dreamer to kind of fill that role to give her more time off?

Maines: I really have no idea what the plan is moving into it, because we kind of had a little bit of a plan. And then it was just kind of, you know, everything was thrown up in the air with the virus. Now we’re kind of unsure what’s gonna happen and when. I mean, I’m on call. Whenever they call me, beep me, I’ll be there. I don’t really know what is in store for season six, I just, I know kind of what we’re going to be doing but I’m not sure of any of the details.

Supergirl is currently on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New episodes will return on April 26 starring Melissa Benoist, Nicole Maines, and the rest of the team.

Comicsbeat.

[gal-liveblogs]

A parting gift from an old flame, it was given to one of my splinters in a distant timeline before ending up in my posession via lots of complicated shit that I don't wanna get into.

O.K. So someone gave some version of Dirk Hussie painting of a quarterback fighting a horse. I have an intense desire to know who.

"Dear Dirk, In memory of our precious time together. When you look at it, think of me, and be reminded that while we breathe, we Hope." -B.O

Oh fuck me, it was Obama. Jesus Christ, I can’t.

O.K., I had been wondering what this stuff in the corner was, but didn’t comment as I couldn’t think of how to describe them. Now, though, we have a bigger picture and that’s a cherub paint set and an old troll horn headband. Probably Calliope’s stuff.

This set of paints and the charred remains of my HORNED HEADBAND are the only surviving relics of the first and last WORLDWIDE INTERSPECIES ROLEPLAYING SESSION we ever attempted on Earth C.

Oh. Not Calliope’s. They are, in fact, Dirk’s. The Interspecies Roleplaying Session was probably orchestrated by Calliope, though.

Calliope got it into their head that dressing up in cosplay would be a fun community activity.

Right on the money!

In other news Dirk’s trollsona has a unicorn horn. So it’s not that the headband was tilted and the other horn was hidden behind the paint set like I thought. Also Dave’s trollsona has dick horns. I am not surprised. Weird how Dirk, Dave, and Rose didn’t bother to give themselves black hair. Rose gave herself yellow scleras, but couldn’t commit to the black hair it seems.

Vantas had some very uncharitable things to say about the idea, and for once in his life I think he was right.

I mean, it’s like when white people dress as Native Americans for Halloween. I can understand his anger. Though even if he didn’t have a good reason Karkat would have still been angry, I’m sure.

Plants are basically the ideal friends. They don't constantly question your decisions, or try and undermine your authority, or suggest that perhaps you should try talking about your feelings every once in a while.

I think Dirk’s issue with Homestuck getting too feelings-y was that he doesn’t like talking about his own feelings.

Wait. Does Terezi have some form of narrative control? She made it clear in one of the Epilogues that she was aware of Dirk’s narration. I’m going to assume that while Terezi herself can’t narrate, she can submit commands.

DIRK: I see you've found the command terminal.

Oh. So she can submit commands not through her own power, but because there’s one of those exile command terminals things on this ship. O.K. They have everything else on this ship, might as well have one of those too.

TEREZI: 1T S33MS TO M3 L1K3 L3TT1NG M3 BOSS YOU 4ROUND FOR 4 F3W M1NUT3S 1S TH3 L34ST YOU COULD DO TO M4K3 UP FOR WH4T PROB4BLY 4MOUNTS TO TH3 MOST BOR1NG 1NT3RG4L4CT1C VOY4G3 1N TH3 H1STORY OF SP4C3 TR4V3L

I don’t know, I think Jade’s voyage after Davesprite and John blew up might be a good contender for that title. Then again Jade had practice not having anyone with a degree of intelligence around to talk to. Then again she still had the internet on her island and could talk to her friends, unlike on the Prospit ship.

TEREZI: 4ND CONS1D3R1NG TH4T ON3 OF MY TWO PR1OR 3XP3R13NC3S 1NVOLV3D SCOUR1NG TH3 FR4CTUR3D, D1S1NT3GR4TING CORPS3 OF P4R4DOX SP4C3 FOR... WH4T F3LT L1K3 4N 3T3RN1TY,

Oh yeah, I guess that would also be a contender too.

DIRK: What, Heart and Mind?

TEREZI: M1ND 4ND H34RT, Y3S

I have a feeling Terezi purposefully switched them around to make her aspect first and to just be a tiny annoyance to Dirk.

Dirk, how dare you use Complacency of the Learned to even out a chair! Does Rose know you’re using her book like that?

> L1B3R4T3 L4LOND14N L1BR4RY

Thank you, Terezi.

TEREZI: DO3S ROS3 KNOW YOUV3 B33N US1NG ON3 OF H3R NOV3LS TO PROP UP TH4T DISGUST1NGLY T4CKY CH41R?

Terezi and I are one.

DIRK: (I captchalogue the book into my MSPA MODUS. Forget HASH MAPS, PICTIONARY, or any of that shit. This thing is where it's at.)

What the FUCK does MSPA Modus entail???

TEREZI: 4W WH4T TH3 H3LL

TEREZI: TH3 CH41R W4S SUPPOS3D TO F4LL OV3R

DIRK: I'm not sure I understand. Why would it? The four legs are all touching the floor.

TEREZI: ...

DIRK: Try not to think about it too hard.

Ha!

TEREZI: FOR SOM3ON3 WHO CL41MS TO KNOW 4 LOT 4BOUT JOK3S YOU SUR3 H4V3 CONT1NU3D TO S4Y B4S1C4LLY NOTH1NG FUNNY 3V3R

Oooh, burn! When I get around to doing my fourth read of Homestuck I’ll have to tally any instances of Dirk telling a funny joke just to see if this holds up.

For a second there I was really confused over what fractal nonsense was happening here, but then I remembered Dirk is controlling the narrative. That includes the pictures, not just the text.

DIRK: Not many really understand that when pleasure is taken seriously enough, it can easily mimic the appearance of business, just as when irony is practiced with enough passion, it becomes indistinguishable from sincerity.

So Dirk’s idea of loosening up and having fun, whether for the irony or sincerity of it, is drawing himself in romantic situations with Jake. Yeah, that pans out.

(Seriously, why is Jake such a heartthrob? John is described as dorky looking and he and Jake are practically carbon copies.)

TEREZI: DO YOU... W4NT TO T4LK 4BOUT 1T...?

DIRK: Absolutely the fuck not.

Terezi, did you seriously expect him to answer with anything else?

This feels like a meme image.

TEREZI: TH4TS TH3 ON3 TH1NG 1 4LW4YS FOUND D1FF1CULT 4BOUT M4K1NG COM1CS W1TH D4V3

TEREZI: YOU H4V3 TO DR4W 333333V3RYTH1NG >:[

God, hard agree. This is why I could never have a comic. As much as I’d like to I just get burnt out with all that tedious drawing.

DIRK: Exactly. But sometimes, visuals are just a more effective way of doing things.

DIRK: So finding the right combination of words and pictures to communicate an idea efficiently is where the artistry lies.

DIRK: And sometimes that means dispensing with one or the other entirely when appropriate.

See, this is why the Homestuck style comic is so interesting. I don’t think other comics combined panels and text like Homestuck did, and now there are so many copies of the style out there!

Woah, I feel like I just got whiplash with the disappearance of the panels!

For the sake of precedent, I'm saying that we can cloak the visuals entirely and continue with narration alone, replacing the panel with a block of text like this, which we can call a “prattle” from now on.

Right, so when we go into a more book-like format it’s a prattle. Got it. Good name, since it’s just Dirk droning on to himself.

So then Dirk narrates Terezi using the command terminal to get him to do a slew of bizarre actions. He says it’s to show how much can be done in a short amount of time (a single block of text as opposed to 50 panels), but I have a feeling the real reason is so that we, the readers, don’t actually get to see him doing any of this stuff. He doesn;t get an audience to such an embarrassing display and he gets to rub our faces in it.

She has me undertake the most intense workout routine paradox space has ever seen, all while whistling the entire discography of the Swedish pop group ABBA, which she's taken a liking to recently for some god forsaken reason.

Terezi likes ABBA? That’s amazing. I need a video of Terezi singing and dancing along with Dancing Queen now.

(... And which coincidentally was a favorite cultural weapon of Her Imperious Condescension back on Earth, centuries ago. Mamma Mia in particular was repurposed as a sugar-coated propagandist piece, calling for worldwide submission to the Batterwitch's dictatorship. "My my, how can I resist ya," as the old saying goes.)

HOLY SHIT. Now I just had a headcanon that all trolls love ABBA.

DIRK: I told you I could have fun.

TEREZI: Y34H YOU SUR3 SHOW3ED M3 1 GU3SS

Dirk, are you saying Terezi purposefully trying to torture you was actually fun? ... Are you secretly a masochist? Do you... Do you like being bossed around and forced to do ridiculous stunts? I am learning so many things about Dirk I never expected.

TEREZI: WH4TS TH1S TH1NG OV3R 1N TH3 CORN3R

TEREZI: UND3RN34TH TH1S B1G SH33T TH1NG

DIRK: Don't look in there.

TEREZI: OH SHHHH 1M ONLY T4K1NG 4 P33K

DIRK: Terezi.

DIRK: Listen to me.

TEREZI: 1M JUST L1FT1NG UP TH3 COV3R 4 L1TTL3 W4YS!!!!

DIRK: Terezi please stop talking right now.

TEREZI: D1RK HOLY SH1T

TEREZI: W

Well that sounds sinister. With Dirk I would think ti was a robot of some kind, but given his new hobby of collecting things from various timelines and his skill in building it could literally be anything.

At first I was confused at the three panels that follow, showing Dirk’s room in disarray, but then I rememebered that Dirk did a whole bunch of shit we didn’t get to see because we were in Book Time.

ROSEBOT: So, I guess today is finally the day everything's been heading towards.

I honestly thought she was going to say “today is finally the day we fuck everything up”. Not sure if the actual line counts as a callback or not now.

ROSEBOT: Instead, it feels like the very notion of fortune is simply out of the question as a means of describing the potential outcome.

ROSEBOT: As though in this moment, luck isn't either strictly real or not real, or somewhere inbetween, but absent of meaning completely.

ROSEBOT: Luck took one look at our itinerary from here on out and said you'll just have to go on without me.

So it’s Schrödinger's Luck of Who Gives a Shit? Been reading so much Dirk I tried to channel my inner Strider there. Moving on I feel like this is a very bad situation for Rose to be in. Her Aspect is luck, so what does it mean for her when she’s in a position like this?

ROSEBOT: You aren't going to believe this, but it turns out that the deranged horny ramblings of a spurned anime-obsessive have essentially no therapeutic properties whatsoever.

Rose is a gift.

I wish I could copy and paste Dirk’s whole spiel about the ocean, both literal and metaphorical, but since it’s Dirk it’s just way too long. Suffice to say I thought it was some lovely writing and really got the the meat of who Dirk is as a character. His loneliness, his fear, his eventual peace, what it means to be an ascended Prince of Heart. Good stuff.

DIRK: What's that noise I'm hearing.

DIRK: It sounds a little bit like a cat being caught in a ventilation fan. A sort of...

DIRK: Inhuman screeching, combined with the grinding of metal.

DIRK: Are we even going to make it to the ground?

ROSEBOT: Oh, no,

ROSEBOT: The ship's fine as far as I can tell.

ROSEBOT: That's just Terezi laughing.

Terezi is also a gift.

Then we end with a rather pretty image of the ship coming in for a crash landing on an Earth-like planet. I would share it, but it’s a tall panel and this post is long enough as it is. Very curious what this planet is. I would guess it might be a Earth, but the landmasses don’t look like any on Earth. Could be artistic license,  but I feel like we have too many Earths as it is. Let’s get some new planets up in here!

[xxx-cat-xxx]

Blue skies fade to grey

                                                                                                                              Anonymous asked:                                                       

If you're still taking prompts how about Peter sick at decathlon practice with Ned and MJ. Your fics are always a delight!            

Thank you for that prompt! I added some Irondaddying at the end because I´m not yet at the stage where I would write a Peter fic without Tony showing up, but I hope you like it anyways! Emeto and fever ahead.

“Because Columbus didn´t discover America,” MJ says pointedly.

“Of course he did! That´s like, primary school stuff,” Ned replies, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

“You can´t just discover a place in which millions of people are already living,” MJ points out, “Just because most of them were slaughtered by the settlers doesn´t mean they didn´t exist. That´s white arrogance at its peak.”

Peter sighs. The two of them have been arguing about that question since Mr. Harrington had sent them into a break from their weekly Decathlon practice.

“God, MJ...it´s just a silly question.” But even Ned doesn´t know how to counter her anymore. He turns to Peter.

“Dude, say something. You´re awefully quiet today.”

Peter really doesn´t feel up to human interaction. He´d woken up with a sour throat and a heaviness in his limbs that have by now turned into what he is pretty sure is a fever well into the triple digits.

The only reason he didn´t leave school early was that going to the nurse and having her call aunt May had seemed more strenuous than simply dozing in his chair at the back of the classroom, which is what he has been doing during the larger part of the day.

Now, however, he regrets his decision. He feels dead tired, his head is throbbing in rhythm with his heartbeat, and on top of all his stomach is starting to feel funy. He swallows, which hurts.

“She´s right, Ned.” he says tiredly.

“That´s all you´re gonna contribute?”

“He's sick, dude.” MJ interrupts.

“Huh?” Ned seems honestly surprised.

“Come on, it's really obvious, isn't it? He must've caught that bug that knocked out half the school last week.“

Peter just glares at her. The way MJ often simply knows things noone else does reminds him of Black Widow, which reminds him of Iron Man, which reminds him of the fact that their last mission together had been more than two weeks ago...

As if on clue, his phone beeps with a text from Tony. Peter squints at the screen, the bright light searing his eyes. Lab afternoon today. I´m in the area, will pick you up from school.

If he wasn´t feeling so miserable, he would laugh at Tony´s unquestioned assumption that Peter doesn´t have anything better to do in the middle of a school week. But then again, both him and Tony know very well that Peter would shift absolutely everything for a few hours of tinkering in the lab.

"You want a biscuit?” Ned offers, pushing a juicy chocolate cookie into his direction.

Peter just shakes his head. His stomach clenches at the mention of food. He takes a tentative sip of water, but realizes that it was the wrong decision when the droplets clunk together to form a heavy stone in the pit of his stomach. He could swear he can feel it moving around.

“Wow, you are turning green.” Ned observes with far too much enthusiasm.

Why does this always have to happen when he's sick? Since he was a kid, Peter could never just have a cold like normal people, but would instead get feverish and nauseous every time he caught something.

He swallows again, but it´s more like a gulp this time.

“You´re gonna barf?” MJ glances at him with something like scientific interest, while Ned looks outright disgusted now. Great friends he has.

There´s an ugly taste in his mouth which alone is enough to make him sick. Peter can feel saliva pooling under his tongue. Without answering he bolts upright and makes a break for the toilet, but he is hardly out on the corridor when his mouth fills with vomit. He presses a sleeved hand across his face when the first gag forces bile through his lips.

Peter pushes the door of the common bathroom open with his shoulder and barely makes it over the toilet before a gush of liquidy vomit explodes from his mouth. He has no time to breath before the next heave comes up. It contains large chunks of something he ate last night, and the sight of it is enough to make him retch again.

He hangs his head over the bowl and gasps for air when his stomach contracts once more, pushing hot  and bitter bile up his throat. He coughs and spits a few times until he's sure he's empty, but even then he can't bring himself to move.

The ongoing pain in his stomach adds to the pounding of his feverish head. Peter feels dirty. His jacket sleeve is soiled and reeking of sick, and he´s got stains of vomit on his T-shirt as well.

When Peter decides that he will simply stay on the bathroom floor until the next morning unless someone beams him home directly, he suddenly hears a commotion from outside. He can make out Tony's voice.

Peter knows he needs to get to him before Ned or MJ say anything embarrassing. Like telling about the videos he shows to Ned, for example, or recounting the slightly exaggerated stories of fighting side by side with Iron Man.

Peter is already out of the door before the vertigo catches up with him and his vision turns black for a couple of seconds.

“Whoa, kid!” Tony catches him at his shoulder when he sways heavily.

“You know you could've just texted that you're sick, right?“

“I´m - I´m sorry, Mr. Stark,” Peter says sheepishly. He suddenly feels very stupid.

“Your friends were helpful enough to tell me what´s going on. After asking for an autograph, that is.”

Peter feels his cheeks turn red. That is precisely what he´d wanted to avoid. There´s an awkward silence for a moment which is interrupted by MJ elbowing Ned in the ribs.

“You can close your mouth now,” she comments.

Ned, who had been staring at Tony with the same mixture of fascination and disbelief that Peter is sure he displayed that first day the older man showed up at his appartment, blushes deeper than Peter would have ever thought possible.

“OhmygodItalkedtoironman,” he squeaks, a little belatedly.

Peter knows he should probably say something to make the situation less awkward, but he doesn´t really have the strength to come up with ideas right now. The cold wall in his back is sending shivers up and down his spine, and his legs are growing a little weak beneath him.

“I think I´m just gonna sit down,” he murmurs, while letting himself slide onto the all-but-clean school floor.

“I sure as hell think you´re gonna go home now.” Tony states, a hint of irritation in his voice. “I don´t even know why you´re at school in the first place with a fever like that.”

Only the thought of the long bus ride is enough to make Peter tired. He doesn´t even want to get up, let alone walk the near infinity till the station.

“In a little bit,” he says, avoiding Tony´s eyes.

“You could just ask me, you know?” the older man sighs. “God, kiddo, you´re a handfull.”

He pulls Peter up and motions at Ned, who´s still standing frozen on the same spot.

“Hey, fanboy, make yourself useful and get his backpack. I´m dropping him home. And no, you can´t ride with me. Interns only,” he adds before Ned has even opened his mouth. Despite feeling ill, this makes Peter chuckle a bit.

“Thanks, dude,” he mumbles when Ned hands him the rucksack. “See you tomorrow.”

“Take a day off, Peter.” MJ says, and although her tone is cool, Peter is almost sure he sees a bit of concern flashing in her eyes.

He tries not to lean too much on Tony while they walk the short distance to the parking lot. There's a heavy bruise on the older man´s jaw that hadn´t been there the last time they met, and Peter longs to ask about it, but he's not sure whether he would be able to follow a lenghty story right now.

“You´re off from the internship until you are cleared from any danger of contaminating my lab.” Tony says in a serious tone, but with a wink of his eye.

“Of course, Mr. Stark.” Peter answers. He hesitates, then: “Thank you, for, like, dropping me.”

“No worries. But next time you´re sick, just stay at home.” Tony replies. “It´s not worth the trouble if you pass out in a public place. Trust me, I´m speaking from experience.”

He opens the door of his car and ushers Peter inside. Maybe he´s imagining it, but Peter thinks that Tony´s hand stays on his shoulder a little bit longer than necessary. 

“And just to make it clear, if you puke in my car, I´m never letting you ride with me again.”

[fly-pow-bye]

DuckTales 2017 - The Shorts!

Finally, I decided to talk about these.

PPG 2016 isn't the only reboot to have net-exclusive shorts, as Disney's YouTube channel had several DuckTales shorts across its first season.

Welcome to Duckberg!

A few months before the premiere of DuckTales 2017, Disney released these shorts to introduce everyone to the citizens of Duckberg. Namely, it focuses on the inhabits of the McDuck Manor. Most of these are just one joke premises, which is fitting because they aren't even a minute long.

For example, here's one where Webby is sneaking around in a dark place, aiming for some sort of ancient artifact with her various gadgets. This was online before the very first episode, so this is actually our first look at the new Webby. No longer is she just the "little girl" of the group; she seems to be a spy in training with her night vision goggles, her glowstick, and her grappling hook!

This ancient artifact turns out to be a cookie jar, and the only cookie left is one of the common yuck cookies: oatmeal raisin. Hey, I'd eat it. Dewey shows up specifically to tell Webby that he's eating the last chocolate chip. That's kind of mean.

Then this happens. Yeah, that doesn't look like anger, it looks more like demonic possession. There's a similar short with the new Mrs. Beakley, where she easily takes care of a ghost that the boys were struggling with. It makes sense, as these characters have huge changes from the classic DuckTales. They might as well show them off.

There's a Huey short, featuring a character that looks a lot like the Tenderfeet. Thankfully, he doesn't talk or do any "devil in plain sight" gags, he's just here to show off that Huey is the one that reads that Junior Woodchuck Guidebook the most. Definitely his best performance, but that isn't saying a lot.

There's no real Dewey-focused short beyond his appearance in the Webby short. There is kind of a Louie short, involving a "time machine" that, oddly enough, works exactly like the time machine in that one episode of the other reboot. Thankfully, this reboot only made it a minute long short, and it works okay.

The biggest highlight is this short with Launchpad McQuack, and it's completely fitting of his character. I don't even want to talk about it; it would ruin the magic of watching the actual short.

There's also one for Donald Duck's years-not-shown birthday, which oddly wasn't included in the compilation. This is a shame, because it's a decent joke. Again, it's just the one, and it's not as good as the Launchpad one. Then again, very few things are.

The next series of shorts is a lot more interesting, as they all fit together into one short, released in minute-long chunks throughout a month. Fittingly enough, it happens to be called...

The World’s Longest Deathtrap!

The episode begins with Webby landing in the titular deathtrap, with Dewey. I guess they felt sorry that he didn't get a short of his own, since we get a lot more Dewey here.

Unfortunately, due to Dewey not being too bright, he presses a button that causes the deathtrap to activate, causing the walls to very slowly close in on them. Webby theorizes that this deathtrap has aged very poorly over the centuries it existed.

When I saw these pop up on YouTube, I was thinking this was just a joke video with nothing really happening. This couldn't be further from the truth. One part is pretty much entirely "Launchpad doesn't know how to rescue people from a hole", and it's absolutely hilarious.

Eventually, everyone except for Scrooge, who is absent entirely from these series of shorts, ends up in the deathtrap. They keep unintentionally activating even more traps, before Huey drops in and tries to use his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook to help out. In a way, it worked. How? Watch to find out.

I would not be surprised if this short started out as either a scene in an episode or a whole episode in itself, but they either felt it was too throwaway, or that they ran out of ideas. It's a good watch.

Dewey Dew-Night!

Aw, yeah. The talk show introduced in Day of the Only Child gets its first big expansion here. The main plot is that Dewey wants his talk show to become popular on the internet, so he tries his best to get the best guests, the best sketches, and the best Dewey he can muster to get those sweet sweet thumbs ups. It's just as funny as it was in Day of the Only Child, though I do wish those cardboard cutouts returned.

The first short focuses on Webby. It's sort of funny in that everything is just awkward, as if he's making this all up as he goes along. Fitting!

They're still trying to make Manny the Headless Horse a thing. Maybe there's some people who really like him, but I found him more of an "eh" character. Dewey doesn't seem to like him either; his original guest was supposed to be Scrooge McDuck. Unfortunately, he decided Dewey Dew-Night was well below him, much to Dewey's derision. Whether it was unfortunate for Dewey or Scrooge is pretty obvious.

He even tries to do segments, like "Will It Crash?", an parody of "Will It Blend?" Dewey apparently never realized that ship has sailed almost a decade ago, even if Launchpad is the highlight of all of these shorts. That is an accomplishment, actually, this series and the deathtrap one could work as B-plots.

Unfortunately, none of this seems to get him the audience he so desperately craves. He even keeps pointing towards his likes and dislikes, which eventually skews slightly towards the latter. He seems to blame his audience for this, but he understands. He decides to try to go on a unicycle and jump over a cat. A real cat, by the way; I can’t help but notice when they use non-anthropomorphic animals.

Unfortunately, any attempt to actually finish this stunt was ruined because the rest of the boys were tired. There is a hidden joke here, where Dewey thinks that because it's a late night talk show, it's supposed to be filmed at night, too. If only he knew.

Oh, and there's this really good running gag with Glomgold throughout this entire series of shorts.

Dewey: Apologies to Flintheart Glomgold, who had to be bumped.

Glomgold: (off-screen) WHAT?!

I like how it is implied that Glomgold successfully infiltrated the McDuck Mansion, but just can't wait to be on this completely legitimate talk show. Best of all, it has an actual payoff. All in all, a great way to use the format.

There are a few other shorts, but there's not much to say about them. There's Webby Reacts, a series where Webby Vanderquack does an in-character reaction to various Disney Channel programs. It did remind me of the very short lived revival of Beavis and Butt-Head, where they had segments where they talked over MTV's other programming.

The other is DuckFAILS, which is just the nephews, the honorary niece, and Launchpad failing to do things in glorious stop motion. I guess Scrooge McDuck had a "no failing" clause. I can't insult the amount of time it would take to make these, and this seems like something that would be fun to see between shows.

I'm sad that they didn't do anything like this to tide us over during this current hiatus...but I guess that's what I'm doing, at least.

← What Ever Happened To Della Duck?! 🦆 Treasure of the Found Lamp! →

[skammovistarplus]

Culture and Translation - SKAM+ Clip 4

This is the culture and translation post for the “Eva’s phone” bonus clip. Before I get down to the actual content, I want to answer a question I’ve gotten about this clip. Do Spaniards send videos and audios with that much tea and dirt, like it’s nbd? No, we usually save that stuff for face to face interaction lol. But then the clip wouldn’t be as fun, would it? 

21 APRIL

Jamón (“cured ham”): Inés doesn´t specify the ham she’s added to the nachos is cured ham, but that’s the standard ham for Spaniards. It’s one of the most typical meats in Spain, and not easily available outside of the European Union. Cured ham is both delicious and a crime to put it in nachos. As an aside, Mexican and Spanish cuisine have little to do with each other.

Aceptado por cocina fusión (“We’ll take fusion cuisine for $200”): We don’t have Jeopardy in Spain, and Eva’s joke is a reference to a very old Scattergories commercial that somehow made its way to Spanish vernacular and hasn’t gone off style despite the fact the commercial is older than probably 95% of Skam fandom.  This is the commercial in English and in Spanish. As you can see, the joke is that Eva and Alicia will accept Inés’ concoction as legitimate, even though the connection is shaky, at best.

Drama! (“Drama!”): Alba Planas (who plays Eva) is so very obviously (and adorably) channeling Herman Tømmeraas’ delivery of the same line. Yes, she’s an og fan.

24 APRIL

Fiestas 2 de mayo (“2 may holiday”): the 2nd of May is a public, and also the biggest, holiday in the Madrid autonomous community. It commemorates the uprising of the people of Madrid against French Napoleonic forces. 

Viene Lucas tb / A veces creo que la novia es él (“Lucas is coming 2 / Sometimes I think he’s the gf”): No comments on the translation, I just want to note that Lucas third-wheeling was something Inés noted herself.

27 APRIL

Ya me jodería (“Call me out”): Okay, so my translation was based my hearing Eva saying, “Ya me has jodido.” I have since gotten ahold of the official Movistar+ subs in Spanish and, according to them, she says, “Ya me jodería.” Now I’d translate it as, “Sucks for you.” You in this case would be Jorge, and Eva says that because Inés is most likely faking a flu to get out of hanging out with him.

La enanita (“the shorty”): Jorge calls Eva both “la enanita” and “la enana” throughout this clip. They both mean “shorty,” but “enanita” is even more affectionate than “enana.”

EVA’S IG STORIES

I just want to mention that Lucas has watched all of the stories Eva watches in this section. Also, instagram no longer makes the viewer list available after 24 hours of having posted it.

I translated “sustos” as “scary movies” when they were talking about scary movies, specifically, and as “jumpscares” in the poll Eva posts. The actual translation for “scary movies” is “películas de miedo,” but Jorge, Inés and Eva call them “sustos.” “Susto” is the sudden, physical reaction to something scary, i.e. the jumpscare.

Early in episode 2, Eva posts stories to her instagram about having a scary movie night with Jorge, so this early bonding/flirting actually became a couple activity for them.

19 MAY

¿Qué pasa, Meri? (“What’s up, Mary?”): I translated it literally, but I think that’s just a meme. I have found no instance of it through googling, but I just have a feeling that Lucas is being a meme. Or maybe they do have a friend named Mary! I doubt it though, lol.

¿Puedo servirla ya? (“can we get back to drinking?”): Lucas actually asks whether, after greeting people for Eva’s social media, he may be allowed to resume “serving” the drink. As in, he’s been playing mixologist (he’s REFINED, you know) and he wants to serve the resulting drink to their other friends. There’s a bit of sarcasm involved, like there’s a recurring joke in the clip that Lucas thinks Eva is recording everything all the time, and also, that it’s not really like people are dying for Lucas to be available and serving them all drinks (they can do that themselves), he just wants to get back to drinking. I couldn’t think of a good way to pack this joke into a single line, so I rephrased it.

Dos pavos a que se atraganta (“two bucks say he chokes”): “Pavo” literally means turkey, but this is a fun bit of American movies having an effect on everyday speech. When “buck” (as in dollar) would show up on an American movie, it would get dubbed as “pavo” in Spanish. And then people started calling euro “pavos” as well.

26 MAY

Eva is trying to get the boys to do the Dele Alli’s finger glasses trick. That trick originated in June and became mainstream in August. So lol, the timing is a bit off, but they tried. 

10 JUNE

IPA / Hipo (“IPA” “Hiccup”): IPA means exactly the same in Spanish, and Hipo (“hiccup”) sounds almost exactly the same. It’s simple wordplay, which Jorge and Lucas find amusing most likely because they’re getting high lol.

Jorge has yet to turn 16 in this scene. So Jorge is a 15-year old DJ doing sessions for… who? Was this a house party? Or are we supposed to believe that 15-year old Jorge is getting paid to DJ parties, ones where presumably alcohol is being sold? Hahaha.

16 JUNE

No paráis de preguntarme que… que qué me pasa (“you won’t stop asking what’s up with me”): Eva uses the plural form. So, even though this video is for Jorge only, it’s Jorge and Lucas who have been asking what’s up with Eva.

Eva sent (and presumably shot) the video at 3:52 am.

EVA’S AUDIO

Me callé porque sabía que era una putada (“I kept quiet because I knew it was a dick move”): “Putada” comes from “puta” (whore), and it’s something that it’s either just happens or is intentionally done, that fucks people over. Rain on your wedding day is an unintentional “putada,” Eva kissing her best friend’s boyfriend is an intentional “putada.” I translated it as “dick move” in this context, because the “putada” in question is something Eva would consciously choose to do.

Bueno, una putada para todos (“Right, it fuckings sucks for all of us”): the fallout that would result from Eva telling Jorge that she likes him, would have effects on Eva herself, too. Since you can’t exactly pull a dick move on yourself, I went for “fucking sucks” in this instance.

30 JUNE

You’d have to pause the video to get this, so here’s the sequence of events on Putada Day:

3:45: Jorge and Eva agree to wait to tell Inés.

15:42: Inés confides in Eva that she thinks Jorge is cheating on her.

16:13: Eva tells Jorge that Inés “se huele algo” (translated as “she smells a fish,” which is pretty much the literal translation) and says they have to tell her. They agree to meet at Eva’s to come up with a strategy.

23:20: Inés texts Eva a picture of Eva and Jorge kissing, presumably in front of Eva’s house, and demands a satisfaction.

2 JULY

Alicia sends Eva at 15:08 the video from the night before, the famous night in which Inés smoked and drank a lot, and passed out.

[vertigoambrosia]

i should be writing a cover letter but back to the roots is vastly more interesting

god the music this time is awful

the graphic design is kinda tacky too, which is out of character

even that weird beach themed fan appreciation night design looked good, it was just a weird aesthetic for that event

aww is alan all by himself?

lmao shout out to the girl who screamed “ILJA” when bobby appeared on screen

i wish they had spread these matches out more

but let’s see if bobby can sell ‘trying to overcome insecurity’ because that’s the key emotional story here

that spot on vinny was weird - like, ok?

‘disney conessuer shigehero irie’ omg

his favorite movie is beauty and the beast

he and melanie need to hang out

jfc that stomp

tbh i don’t know how i think this should end

i don’t know if i feel like there’s been much progression in such short time that bobby would be able to figure out irie

but i’m nopt sure what happens next if he loses

the bite rope break spot is both really cool and pretty gross

HE’S BITING TO NOT GET SUPLEXED OH SHIT

that’s the good shit

that isn’t even a pounce he just shoves bobby away

ok.

idk perhaps i’m just super unengaged with bobby

though lbr i’ve been a lil ambivalent on his character for like a year

vinny being the calm brother is weird

ugh this fuckboy

that lil strut reminded me of that video where the dude has a bbc interview over skype and his kids walk in

the daughter fuckin struts in the door in the exact same way it’s hilarious

YEAHHH AVALANCHE FUCK HIM UP

have we  gotten any updates on julian?  i know wxw is basically like ‘listen he’ll be back when he walks into the ring’ about injuries but has he said anything?

stop clapping for jurn

wow crowd you quieted down real quick ya jerks

no offense to you guys who were there

oh god crowd do NOT do the “2...sweeeet’

ok there we go some avalanche chants

this is a nice back and forth - just when someone begins to get momentum the other one counters

wait WHAT

are you serious

what the fuck i was into that too

jurn’s heel promos hurt my feelings

i think i’m still not over how the dragan storyline ended so i take it personally

um can’t we just let them fight

thei rematch better be like hardcore or last man standing or something brutal

maybe a lil less blood than the starr match

well also the thing about jurn is that he never gets rattled really, so he’s just smug 24/7

also i’m really mad aboth the dragan storyline

hah i was about to wonder why the fuck this promo wasn’t subtitled but then realized it’s for the live shows. which are in germany

lmao francis’ fucking outfit

his aesthetic is so specific but i can’t describe how

veit seems like a sweet boy

sweet meat boy

sweet hamburger

is this officially his ringkampf tryout?

oh man i hope jay fk come to new york i don’t even care if the crowd doesn;t get that they’re heels

hahahaha i love it when they get in it with the crowd

i hope they show what’s on that sign that kid was holding in jay’s face

awwww francis ripped it now i’ll never know :(

i almost wanna make some signs for carat, though i guess doing it when they come here would be easier

well this match is just good ass fun

francis did leave a pretty nice maark on walter though!

veit not used to fighting unscrupulous boys

wait what did alan just say? is jay fk’s finisher called “Old Maryland”?

veit hasn’t had a lot to do in this match but i can’t complain about this match basically being ‘walter murders jay fk’

LMAO GET WREKT FRANCIS

aw veit

i love how much tas hates raising the hands of annoying people

walter how could you be mean to my precious hamburger

tim mentioning starr’s injury in front of his face is still hilarious

also i’m sure i said it before but veit’s suspender are so cute

uh oh i love both of these boys

i love how tim’s being just a tiny bit of a dick about the shoulder

oh tim’s wearing germany socks today

oh interesting they’re kayfabing it that andy put david out of commission

david honey you have two arms

i know it’s not your dominant one but it’s there

STOP THROWING LARIATS WITH YOUR BAD ARM

that was an odd move

jfc

DAVID

oh sorry wait i forgot if you have a finisher using your arm it matters which one

hmm kind of abrupt but ok

tim’s not happy

i think we’re getting hints of ringkampf turning

so this is loser leaves oberhausen and not the promotion, which makes things ??

still annoyed about that broken rules ‘match’

i guess getting kicked out of oberhausen is a big deal though cause like half of the major events are there

though it would hurt more for someone in the mens division cause they’d be locked out of carat and wttl

it still doesn’t hold the same importance that the bobby/mack hamburg match did

whch, unless i’m mistaken, is still in effect - mack appeared in hamburg but wasn’t in a match

dammit mella whyd you have to go with the slap

i love melanie’s lipstick

i feel like there wasn’t really a good reason for melanie to lose if this was the direction they were going in

uh oh somebody bleeding

ahh looks like melanie busted her nose

lil worried about toni after the dive though

tfw they tell you to get up and then they break your chair

um alan toni vs wesna was the second femme fatales

huh you don’t usually see pins quite that gay in womens wrestling but there you go

though i am quite straight so there are probably more than i pick up on

alan’s pulling out these names for melanie’s moves that i don’t think i’ve heard of before now where is it coming from

so i guess toni’s going to be champ for a thousand years?

that sounds like more of a complaint than i mean it to be, but lbr melanie getting banned was the less interesting outcome

aw kelly

wait the kafigschlacht isn’t the main event?

HERESY

this is gonna be a real long video package if we’re going all the way through rise lore

man that finish to colen/bones was great

UGH TARKAN

the look on tarkan and mack’s faces when marius puts the tag titles on the line is priceless

i have no idea why i am pressed that this match isn’t the main but i am

OH SNAP THE BOIS GOING FULL PURGE CLUB

i mean, i should have known since you guys mentioned it

but still

CRAZY BOI IN THE CAGE

aww bb he has to psyche himself up to get in there

tarkan is holding a chair he’s probably trying to make lucky think of last year on purpose

he look like he def did not want to be first in though

someone drew the short straw

surprised they didn’t make marius go in first since he was talking shit

is alan implying tarkan fucking kept the chair from the accidental chair shot

TARKAN YOU GARBAGE FUCKING ANIMAL

ohhh ok so the tag titles and the shotgun titles are separate - i thought it was gonna be that if nice rise won all 3 would ge tthe titles

but i guess this makes more sense

hahaha the

HI PETE

GOD FUCKING DAMN

um no lana pete has to go very slowly and sexily

bats, like sledgehammers, are not great weapons in wrestling but it’s still hot with pete

pete did get a nice swing against the chair though, you usually never see someoine actually swing a bat

HAHAHAHAHA TARKAN TAPPING OUT

YOU GOT LIKE 15 MORE MINUES IN THIS MATCH BITCH

wait what weapon will marius and ivan bring

ok now that’s the kind of brutality i was looking for

not that i don’t like ‘beat up on tarkan time’ but this has been slower than i would like

which is honestly probablyt what i say about everything tough

‘we know the next entrant will be ivan kiev’ ummm we shouldn’t! it used to be random!

*ivan voice* doors are for nerds

NICE

nice shot too - i think i remember a blooper where katja couldn’t get that shot last year

the stip that the titles depend on who gets pinned aslo probably slows down things a little

haha marius’ lil run

please give ivan more things to climb on and jump off of

YES LUCKY

GOOD BOY

that was a good match but honestly not a great kafigschlacht

yaaaaay

(i spoiled myslef for this match - i knew pete and ivan woiuld be tag champs)

reiner helpfullu poinying to who pete can pick has his partner

awwww lucky

awww boys :3

rest in piss tarkan

ivan is so affection with lucky it’s beautiful

pete too but not quite as much as ivan

a sterner parent

HAHAHA BYE TARKAN

i’m a lil surprised tarkan and mack didn’t turn on marius for getting them in this situation though

oh i forgot this shitbutt was here

stop posturing you are a ref

i know the line in this fucking song is ‘maybe i’m a misfit’, but it sure sounds like ‘maybe i’m a mexican’

oh my god andy get in the ring i am so sick of this shitty song

thank u ilja

truly the people’s champion

nope sorry i refuse to call this the kafigschlacht i don;t care if technically that’s what the word means

HEY see the last match should have had a table! or some thumbtacks

ok i’ll stop nitpicking

sirs why re you on the stage get in the cage

crowd why are so many of you chanting for andy

not the children, they are always doing that for some reason

it’s too bad the bell doesn’t make a ding sound when ilja hit andy’s head on it

ok nick heim doing the ref ‘oh nooo’ reactions is pretty funny

it’s almost like he’s less dislikeable when he’s not comfortably smug...

*nick heim voice* umm how am i supposed to ref a cage match if i don’t get in the cage???

oh god was his collar popped from the beginning or was it an accident? because wow of course he would

ilja bb no

is the cage a little short for escape as a stipulation or is andy just tall

it’s just that people keep having to like, pauseafter they get on the top rope cause it’s not time to win yet

i appreciate that the camera ops stick the camera through holes in the cage - i only just realized

lol are they just gonna hang out up there

this is silly

lets meet in the middle and stand on the ropes and fight

‘soviet-o suplex from ilja dragonov’ alan no please

i wish alan would stop complimenting nick heim but i have to admit so far he is doing ok as a ref

real talk i think i’m in an especially slow brained mood because i am just not feeling this, or many other things. like, a lot of me is just kinda waiting for this to end and picking apart every single spot in the meantime.

ok back to engaging for a second to say LOL ANDY

oh ilja jfc

no can we not fight forever

i don’t know why, but it’s bothering me that we haven’t had any blood tonight

i’m not really a blood person (and ilja sometimes bleeds Too Much), but it seems out of character for wxw, i guess?

are you serious is the story literally going to be ‘nick heim fucks up the finish because he’s not a real ref’ please no

ilja flipping the bird right before getting booted in the face is such a mood

honestly i feel like a dick cause like, idk, i have no real reason to be so....apathetic? it’s like, ‘this isn’t thrilling me so it’s not good at all!’

i don’t know it’s probably my stupid brain. in factm this time it almost definitely is because i’ve felt dull all day.

what is ‘i am the table’ in russian

i almost feel bad for andy damn

THERE WE GO

what is marius doing here

ALSO ILJA JUST LEAVE YOU COULD WIN JUST BY LEAVING

how was marius preventing ilja from leaving

UGH

UGH

we all knew the fuck finish was coming but i’m still mad

ok that wasn’t the finish thank god

ILJA NO IF YOU OPEN THE THUMBTACKS YOU WILL GET HIT BY THEM

nick get in the fucking ring

OH SHIT

ilja broke the rule!

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME

WHY

WHY

what does this accomplish

yeah now i’m legitimately pissed off

this doesn’t make any fucking sense

i know heim is apparently a buddy of rico but like...is he fucking tas or something? blackmailing him? cause this was clearly just all because nick heim wanted to play in pro wrestling

[peachychip85000]

*cries at how long this is going to be* @punk-rock-pixie

1. Name? Surname?

Iris Ortensia

Giselle ???

Timothy ???

2. Any family?

Iris has a mother and 3 older sisters

Giselle has no known family members

Timothy has both parents, a (slightly) older twin sister, and a younger sister and brother. His younger brother, Aaron, is @balancedpluto‘s apprentice, Aaron (who is romancing Asra)

3. Any familiar?

Iris: A pale purple kittyh with light blue points, and a pink crescent shape on her forehead. Her name is Iridescence.

Giselle: A glittery, white chameleon named Crystal.

Timothy: A sugar glider named SweetPea.

4. Asra, Nadia or Julian?

Iris: Julian

Giselle: ASra

Timothy: Nadia

5. Best strength in magic?

Iris: Potion brewing

Giselle: Uses her magic to heal plants and talk to animals.

Timothy: Trying to become a cryomancer, or someone who manipulates ice with magic.

6. Favorite color?

Iris: Lavender

Giselle: Light Green

Timothy: Periwinkle

7. Favorite number?

???????

8. Sexuality?

they’re all bi/pan

9. Weird hobby?

nothing weird lol

10. Favorite season?

Iris: Autumn

Giselle: Spring

Timothy: Winter

11. Favorite weather?

Iris: Rain

Giselle: Bright and sunny

Timothy: Cold/Snowy

12. Favorite place in Vesuvia?

Iris: Portia’s cottage. Pepi is there.

Giselle: The forest, when its not haunted by dead count goat ghost

Timothy: The palace, because Nadia’s there

13. How do their laught sounds like?

Iris snorts

Giselle giggles

Timothy asgdfjsdhfkj

14. How do they look like when they cry?

ghibli tears

15. What do they like to wear?

Iris: Loose corsets and flowy skirts

Giselle: Flowy dresses

Timothy: Comfortable things, but if its any shade of blue, its in his wardrobe.

16. What are their fears?

Iris: Something happening to Julian. Also spiders.

Giselle: Lucio

Timothy: Being alone

17. What do they like to do Friday night?

They all like to spend time with loved ones, getting food, and playing games.

18. Do they use makeup?

Yes

19. Favorite food?

Iris: Cheesy fettuccine alfredo with chicken

Giselle: Victoria sandwich

Timothy:Pizza

20. Favorite drink?

Iris: Strawberry lemonade

Giselle: Green tea

Timothy: Peppermint hot cocoa

21. Zodiac sign?

Iris: Libra

Giselle: Aries

Timothy: Sagittarius

22. Day of birth?

Iris: October 15th

Giselle: April 3rd

Timothy: December 12th

23. Favorite movie?

Iris: Barbie Island Princess/Rapunzel/Princess and the Pauper and Tangel, because she relates to Rapunzel a LOT.

Giselle: Ferngully and Don Bluth’s Thumbelina

Timothy: Star Wars, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Cats Don’t Dance

24. Favorite music genre?

Iris: Everything, but especially Pop and 80s music.

Giselle: New Age (Enya/Celtice Woman/etc...) 

Timothy: As a music enthusiast he loves everything, but Big Points if it sounds electronic and/or 80s.

They all love musical and movie soundtracks.

25. Favorite song?

Iris: Moonlight by Ariana Grande

Giselle: May it be by Enya

Timothy: He can’t choose a SONG but his favourite video game soundtracks are Undertale, Mega Man 2, and Kingdom Hearts.

26. Favorite tv show?

Iris: Parks and Rec, Chopped, other baking shows.

Giselle: Cosmos, Round Planet

Timothy: Mystery Science Theater 3000, Twilight Zone, and Stranger Things

27. What is their style?

Is this for, a Modern AU? If so then...

Iris: Hyper feminine and geeky

Giselle: Feminine and hippie/hipster. Lots of dresses and floral print.

Timothy: Cozy. He likes hoodies though.

28. Any mental health issues?

Iris’s MH started to decline when her father passed away. Her mother was never the most nurturing, especially towards Iris, who is the youngest of 4. She developed a lot of self worth issues, anxiety, and depression due to her mother’s verbal and emotional abuse.

Giselle has anxiety, but if she has any other issues she’s very good at hising them

Timothy has a lot of body image issues, as he’s considered short (5′5) and is also very lanky.

29. Any health issues in general?

Timothy is anemic and underweight.

30. Are they human?

yeah dude

31. Favorite book?

Iris: Ella Enchanted

Giselle: Harry Potter

Timothy: King Killer Chronicles

They all love Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit as well

32. Favorite book genre?

If you couldn’t guess they all love fantasy, but Timothy also loves sci-fi as well.

33. Favorite time of the day?

Iris: Dusk/Twilight

Giselle: Mid Day

Timothy: Night time

34. If they weren’t magician, who would they be?

Iris: Pastry chef

Giselle: Zoo Keeper or someone that help at animal sanctuaries.

Timothy: Musician/Composer.

35. Do they believe in ghosts?

Yes

36. Do they believe in aliens?

Iris wants to believe they’re real

Giselle doesn’’t, but she likes the idea of them

Timothy does, yes.

37. Do they like sport?

Neither of them “Sport” except for Iris, who does ballet.

38. How do they look like?

39. What is their biggest motivation to solve the Lucio’s killer mystery?

Iris: Wants to clear Julian’s name

Giselle: She was asked to, and became more curious as the case progressed.

Timothy: It’s important to Nadia, so it’s important to him.

40. What do they think of Lucio so far?

>:O

>:O

>:O

41. What do they think of Nadia so far?

They all love and respect her. Timothy thinks she’s a goddess and has Heart Eyes.

42. What do they think of Asra so far?

Iris: Close and trusted friend

Giselle: *blushy face*

Timothy: Very good friend. Considers him like a brother, considering his brother is going out with him.

43. What do they think of Julian so far?

Iris: im love my dumb husband

Giselle: He’s funny!

Timothy: hello??? if i was straight before I am Not Now.

44. What do they think of Portia so far?

Iris: Future sister in law and best friends

Giselle: She’s a sweetpea and I love her

Timothy: She’s cute and important to NAdia. Wants to get to know her better.

45. What do they think of Muriel so far?

BIG BOI

46. Do they like animals?

YES

47. Are they allergic to anything?

Timothy is allergic to grass and shellfish

48. Do they have any talents (except magic)?

Iris: Cooks, bakes, dances, and as been known to sing well.

Giselle: Jewelry making and making flower crowns

Timothy: Plays numerous instruments and can sing.

49. Do they get drunken easily?

They are all lightweights!!! Giselle doesn’t like alcohol, and Iris and Timothy are picky about their drinks. They like sweet drinks.

50. What is their personality type?

Its hard to answer this question because none of them fall under a certain archetype.

51. What is their worst negative quality?

Iris: Crybaby and hyper sensitive.

Giselle: Extremely naive.

Timothy: Empathetic and generous to a fault

52. What is their best positive quality?

I think for all of them its their willingness to help and caring nature.

53. What is their position to fall asleep?

Curl like a kitten

54. The most uncomfortable moment they ever experienced?

Iris: Telling her mother she was moving to Vesuvia.

Giselle:

Timothy: Finding out his brother and Asra were banging, to which Aaron responds with “well why are you banging the Countess?” Fair point.

55. Their happiest memory?

Spoiler the most recent update: Iris: Finding Julian alive and well.

Giselle: Finding her familiar, Crystal. They’ve been inseparable ever since. 

Timothy: Nadia having feelings for him as well. He’s not confident in himslef, and having someone like Nadia even look at him makes him smile.

56. Do they blush?

Yes

57. Are they clumsy?

YES

58. Do they like jokes?

everyone likes jokes

59. How do they flirt?

Iris: Compliments Julian until he’s a blushy mess

Giselle: Makes flower crowns, or bracelets for Asra

Timothy: Nervously makes jokes. Nadia see’s he’s trying tho and finds it charming.

60. Favorite fruit?

Iris: Strawberries

Giselle: Apples

Timothy, through tears: What do you mean blue raspberries aren’t a real fruit???

Note: I had to redo this bc my laptop shut off on me right as I finished it the first time!! ; 0;

[haunting-kind-of-high]

The One Who Corrupted Thomas Sanders (Part 2)

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Warnings: There’s a tiny swear. Also mention of freezing, and some pain. I think that’s it.

Tag list: @musicphanpie-b, @imin-loveanon, @ordinary-chaos, @sandersandthesides, @ajumbleofwords, @demonickittykat, @zadi-jyne, @serenefreakgeek, @fandons-mangoes, @leesacrakon, @gayfagg, @tree4life25, @loverofpizzaandallthingssweet, @ilovemygaydad, @kittyboof8, @alwaysmy-lilith, @cinquefoilelove

Read on AO3 here

When Logan got to his room, he ran to his bookshelves and pulled out all the books that could possibly be relevant. There had to be a logical explanation for their… situation. Someone from the dreamscape did not appear in the mindscape without a good reason. And if Roman was correct, and Seth wasn’t a hiker, that would mean that something was going on. Something big. Someone from the dreamscape could not appear without a good reason. Roman was the only connection between the dream world and theirs. If Seth appeared here without hiking… that couldn’t possibly be good.

Logan searched through all his books. He searched for anything that could explain the presence of the unknown man, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not find anything. There was nothing about inhabitants of the dreamscape invading the real mindscape. To find out what was going on, Logan would have to find out more about the man he was dealing with. And to do that, he had to talk to Patton or Roman.

After hours of leafing through his books, Logan left his room. Roman was busy helping Thomas with one of his videos, so the logical side summoned Patton, hoping he could help him with this problem.

“What’s up Logan?” Patton asked as he popped up in the common room. “You sounded impatient. Anything wrong?”

Logan didn’t answer immediately. He studied the side in front of him. Something was wrong. Something was off. His skin was paler than it usually was and it even seemed like the blue of his shirt had gotten darker.

“Well?” the moral side questioned impatiently. “Do you care to explain why you called me here, or am I allowed to go already?”

“I was going to explain it, Patton,” Logan said, frowning at the other’s uncharacteristic behaviour. ‘So just… calm down. I wanted to ask you what you knew about Seth. Anything that could be important? Something is going on with him and I need to find out what.’

“Well,” Patton said slowly, “I haven’t really talked to him a lot. When Thomas woke up last night, I… I went to the common rooms to see if any of you guys were there. I wanted to ask you if you knew why Thomas was awake already, and instead of one of you guys, I saw Seth. I didn’t recognize him, so I asked him who he was. He introduced himself and then I shook his hand, and… I felt this excruciating pain in my head. It was unbearable. But then, it seemed to fade again and that’s where you came in.”

“Wait a minute,” Logan hurried, his mind quickly connecting the few dots, “you say you shook his hand?”

“That’s what I said,” Patton replied coldly, “I don’t know w-”

“Roman shook his hand before he disappeared,” the logical side interrupted. “What did his hand feel like? Any specific feeling you got? Except for the pain?”

“Yes, it… it was cold,” Patton answered hesitantly, his voice much kinder than just seconds before. “It was almost like touching a hand made out of ice.”

“Well, that can’t be good,” Logan muttered to himself, “summon Virgil and Roman, I need to find one book that might be useful. We have to talk about this guy. Something isn’t right about him.”

“But isn’t Roman-”

“Yes, he’s busy with Thomas,” Logan interjected, “but this is urgent. That video can wait. This can’t.”

Before Patton could react, Logan had left for his own room. The side sighed and did as he was told while he waited for Logan to return.

When the logical trait came back to the common room, he was relieved to see the three sides waiting for him. As soon as he entered, Roman got up from the couch and paced towards him.

“What is this, Logan?” he asked annoyed as he stopped in front of the other side. “I was working on a video with Thomas! This better be important.”

“It is,” Logan promised, moving past Roman towards the couch. “Just sit down and listen, okay?” Roman turned around and sat down next to Virgil, shooting Logan an irritated glance. Logan ignored this and quickly explained what he was trying to do, what he had asked Patton and what the other side had responded.

“I know it’s not a lot,” Logan concluded, “but it’s enough for me to know that this is bad. We need to stay away from that guy. Especially until I know more about why he’s here. We don’t know what he could do.”

“Did you call us here just to say that, Do-little?” Roman asked, moving to get up again. Before Logan could stop him to explain the rest of his plan, he was interrupted by another man appearing in the common room. Logan noticed Patton flinched away ever so slightly as the male started talking:

“Are we having a meeting? Why wasn’t I invited?” Seth smiled as he stood in front of the four sides, his hands in his pockets.

‘Seth,“ Logan greeted, slowly shoving his book underneath on of the pillows. “We’re having a meeting about Thomas. I didn’t know you’d have anything to say about that.”

“Well, I’m here now, might as well join right?”

“I don’t think you-”

“He does have a point, though, doesn’t he?” Patton asked. “He is here in the mindscape. Doesn-t that mean he’s… one of us now?”

“He’s not a side,” Logan answered. He did not trust Seth at all and he didn’t want the man there. “He doesn’t represent any of Thomas’ traits. I doubt he even knows who Thomas is.” With those final words, Logan turned to the man in front of him, silently awaiting his response. Seth quickly realised what the side was asking of him.

“I-uh… he’s your… your host, isn’t he?” He stumbled over his words, seemingly caught off guard by this sudden question. He shifted his weight to his left leg as he nervously awaited the sides’ response.

“He’s not wrong,” Patton murmured, looking at the sides next to him.

“But he is not correct either,” Logan responded. He studied Seth for one short moment before he quickly reached for his book again and turned to the other sides. It was obvious that he could not continue his research here. Not with Seth around.

“You remember what I told you. I need to go, I’ve got other things to do.” He prepared himself to sink out and go to his room, but before he could do that, he saw Seth lunging towards him.

“Logan, wait!” he shouted.

Logan quickly jumped aside, trying to avoid the man’s hand as he yelled: “Don’t touch me!”

But it was too late. Logan was just too late and Seth’s cold fingers brushed against his shoulder. Immediately, the logical side felt a pain in his head that no words could describe. Vaguely, he could hear the voices of the other sides, calling out to him and asking him what had happened. He could not see anything. The pain seemed to cloud even his vision. It was as if he was under water. The others’ voices were muffled and distorted. He could not respond to them until the pain subsided.

That was when Logan found himself laying on the floor, with the faces of Roman and Virgil looming above him.

“Jesus, Logan,” Virgil breathed as he helped the logical side sit up again, 'what was that?“

"I don’t know,” Logan admitted, trying to get up. He looked around, to make sure neither Patton nor Seth could hear him. Both men were sat on the couch, watching from a safe distance. That was odd, Logan noted. Normally, Patton would have been the first to run towards him to make sure he was alright. What was going on with him?

Logan cleared his throat and softly continued: “I think this happened to Patton. And it’s to do with Seth’s touch. Stay away from him and keep an eye on Patton. Something is happening to him. I need to continue my research.”

And before any of the others could react, he was gone.