#jess crafting dead

[aceyillustrations]

I FORGOT I HAD A TUMBLR OOPS- New aphmau fanart for the new year, but it's "Jess" from the Crafting Dead !! I got inspired from a screenshot taken by @/aarmauer over on twt :>

[phyx-m]

Beneath The Silk | True form Sukuna x Reader

🔗 Masterlist

Chapter 2: Rip And Tear

Content warning: misogyny, angst, brief description of dead bodies, violence

🔗 Songs for this chapter:

Them - Jesse Draxler, VOWWS Follow - Android Lust

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3

It should have been your sister. She was the lovely one—kind and sweet, able to charm anyone with a pretty smile and a few words. Why did it have to be you? Was this your punishment for what you did to your mother? If so, you would gladly accept your fate. But you only wish you didn’t have to deal with a bastard like Ryomen Suku—

“Oi, brat! Time to wake up!”

Slap!

Your eyes crash open, and a dull sting radiates from the side of your face where you were struck.

Blinking rapidly, you find Sukuna's face alarmingly close to yours, noses almost touching. Warm breath brushes your cheeks, carrying the faintest scent of blood. His large, glowing orbs hover so near that their strange pattern becomes clear—concentric rings nested perfectly within one another, rippling outward like waves from a single drop in a still pond.

You blink again.

Memories of what happened before you fainted rush back.

His ravenous eyes eating their way into you.

You panic.

Heart hammering against your chest, you frantically scoot backward, kimono floundering around your legs, you kick up a storm of dirt and moss under your heels in a desperate attempt to distance yourself. The rough ground scrapes against your gloved hands and calves, but the fear propels you to keep moving, to get away from him.

Sukuna huffs and straightens to his full height. He circles his tongue behind closed lips, clicking it derisively. Then he crosses his upper arms over his chest, and the lower ones fold in, hands on hips. His face is one of indifference as he watches your panic unfold. His eyes, however, betray a hint of satisfaction, enjoying the spectacle before him.

As you shuffle away, you can't help but feel he's silently crafting new insults in his twisted mind, ready to hurl them at you in your vulnerable state.

Mutt. Bitch. Pathetic. Ugly.

Eyes lowering, you see your breasts are still exposed, and nipples peaked and throbbing from his advances. Your hands fly up to cover yourself. That familiar feeling of shame is all-consuming.

Upon closer inspection, you notice that your kimono is completely ruined. Though you shouldn’t care, you still need to arrive at the shrine, and you are a mess. The fabric is stained with sweat, dirt, and possibly saliva from his palm mouth. Additionally, the front panels of your garment are ripped open from where he descended upon you.

Images of Sukuna flood your mind: his chest pressed to your back, looming over you, warm breath, hands touching damp skin, hands dipping lower…

Your eyes snap up to meet his.

"What did you do to me?" you ask, striving to keep your voice steady so as not to provoke him. You are beginning to realize he is as unpredictable as the weather. Speaking of which, since regaining consciousness, you've noticed large charcoal-coloured clouds have drifted in and have finally relieved the sun’s oppressive heat.

Sukuna scoffs at your question.

"What did I do? I merely touched your virgin tits, and then you took a tumble. Pathetic, really," he remarks, raising his eyebrow to emphasize the word 'pathetic.'

A tumble.

Of course, he lacked the decency to support you when you fainted. You vividly remember the sensation of weightlessness as he let you fall.

You want to confront him about his disregard for your boundaries, but considering he's a monster, you doubt he would have any morality to respect them.

"You didn’t—" you swallow saliva, "you didn’t do anything else, did you?" you ask nervously.

His eyes flare. 

“Didn’t what? Fuck you?" he responds with a note of delight in his voice, knowing it will unsettle you.

You nod slightly, your dishevelled hair falling past your shoulder to obscure your face.

"Trust me, you would know if I had," he sneers. You don't trust him. "Besides, you can rest assured I don’t plan on fucking you. I don’t fuck weak women. I prefer those who don’t pass out from the faintest of touches."

You hate him.

You’re not weak. You’re just... complicated. And in the moments before you turn him into a massive pile of flesh and bone, he will come to realize the mistake he's made.

Both of you lock eyes.

Looking up at him from the forest floor, you wonder how many have seen this as their final view right before he rips them apart.

How does he do it? Does he solely use teeth, or does he prefer to use his four hands? You've heard the rumours of his abilities and are grateful you've not experienced them firsthand.

In the distance, you hear a low rumble reverberating through the air, signaling an approaching storm fueled by the day's heat.

Sukuna's gaze shifts skyward, and a sudden cool breeze tousles his pink hair and blood-stained hakama. He seems at ease here, as if he belongs in this forest, like a creature in its natural habitat—feral. And that's precisely why your father wants him eradicated. Sukuna is too untamed.

He looks back down at you.

"Come," he orders, stepping forward and clamping a hand around your arm, causing you to jump. "It's time to attend our wedding before you further bore me and I decide to kill you," he adds sharply, yanking you upright.

You instinctively clutch the torn fabric to your chest, covering yourself. His gaze falls on your hands, and a sadistic grin appears, canines poking out. He takes pleasure in what he has done to you.

Sukuna gestures for you to move ahead, pointing south with his lower hands.

"After you, my ugly virgin bride," he belittles. A smirk overshadows his face and then disappears.

God, you desperately want to push back against his cruel words, but you restrain yourself. Instead, you avert your gaze, eyes narrowing in anger, mouth thinning.

As you brush past him, his aura briefly curls lazily around your neck before dissipating as quickly as it came.

* * * * *

More damn walking. 

It feels like you've been out here for an eternity, though it’s probably only been a bit over an hour.

You now lead the way, with Sukuna following closely behind. The atmosphere between you two is silent, broken only by the sound of his footsteps and his occasional grunts when you stray off course. You let your kimono drag on the ground, gathering leaves and dirt, as you no longer care to keep it clean. Periodically, you feel a tingle directed at your nape, aware that he is staring at you.

The arches of your feet are starting to ache, but not as much as your tender breasts, the only reminder of what he did to you.

At this very moment, you long for your mother’s presence. You crave comfort, knowing your father won’t offer any. In fact, the asshole that he is, you believe he would laugh at you for the incident.

There’s another deep rumble in the distance as the storm draws closer. The wind begins to pick up, carrying with it the scent of rain. You welcome its arrival, craving something to witness its fury while you keep your emotions tightly bottled up—locked, secure, perhaps waiting to split open one day.

After walking for some time, you see a large structure peeking out of the treetops in the distance—the shrine. 

Relief washes over you, knowing your sister is there.

Drawing closer to the tree line, you spot a wooden box partially concealed among the forest's undergrowth. It’s weathered and marked by time and nature. Curiosity pulls you closer, and as you pass, you peer inside. You find moth-eaten textiles that, in their prime, might have been of high quality. Seeing these tattered remnants makes you uneasy, but you ignore the feeling and keep walking.

Your eyes begin to notice a series of other objects scattered throughout the area. Broken ceramics, pottery, bags that might contain grain, and tiny silk pouches lie strewn across the forest floor, mixed with discarded, rusted relics.

They are offerings. Contributions. Something to appease the abomination at your back.

You wonder why so many of them lay out here instead of inside the shrine. Perhaps whoever brought them was too frightened to confront what lay within. You could understand that.

As your eyes continue scanning the forest floor, you finally spot what you dreaded seeing.

Broken white shapes tangled in the brush—skeletal remains of both humans and livestock scattered across the ground. Sun-bleached bones jut from beneath weathered, dry skin that clings like parchment. Skulls, still holding wisps of hair, catch the wind, making them dance.

Although the husks are few, they hint that something had consumed most of the remains. But you knew, god, you knew what ate them.

A lump of sick tries to push its way from your stomach to your throat, but you force yourself to swallow it.

Tentatively, you peek over your shoulder. Sukuna is following behind you with a sense of urgency.

His round muscular shoulders rock back and forth—bunching up, then releasing, bunching up, releasing, bunching, releasing.

Their rapid oscillation accentuates the speed of his gait. Each rhythmic swing of his muscles makes you restless.

His eyes climb down to meet yours. They seem to carry a silent, almost shuddering warning, urging you to turn your head and quicken your pace, which you do.

Eventually, you arrive at the forest's edge, with one foot stepping out from the trees. A firm hand suddenly grabs your shoulder, halting you. You resist the urge to swat it away.

Sukuna circles around to face you, his four eyes glaring down.

"A few matters to address before you enter your new home," he says, sounding both sarcastic and threatening all at once. "Firstly, understand this arrangement solely exists for my amusement. I get pleasure from witnessing your father’s torment as I take his precious daughter from him."

If only Sukuna knew how little your father cared for you.

“So, that’s why you agreed to this?” you ask.

You want to confirm what your father suggested: Sukuna relishes holding power over him. You know, there is a long-standing animosity between the two. Over the last few years, Sukuna has been encroaching on your clan’s territory, leading to a series of skirmishes to reclaim what was lost, most of which have been useless.

Sukuna stares blankly, digging his thumb into your shoulder, and continues, ignoring the question.

“As my wife in name only, I expect your obedience at all times. Lastly”—he pauses, drawing closer, the oppressive weight of his presence seeming to suffocate the air around you—“understand that you are my property. Should you ever run away, I will hunt you down and tear you apart. Understood?”

Your blood cools.

What if you fail to kill him and end up trapped here, unable to leave? And if you do manage to escape, you now have his warning to contend with.

That familiar prickling in your fingers returns.

You take a moment to steady yourself, ensuring your face remains neutral even as your heart beats violently.

Slowly, you nod.

Satisfied with your compliance, he releases his death grip and walks away.

“Is that what happened to the woman on the road? Did she run away?” you ask, unsure where the sudden bravery came from.

He stops.

With his back turned, he shifts slightly, casting a sidelong glance. You briefly glimpse his lower eye, wrinkling as it slowly sweeps over you. There's a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

His cloying aura rolls towards you, filling your head, it's heavy, gnawing at your nerves.

“Careful,” he warns. “I have little patience for nosy creatures.”

Inwardly, you laugh as he calls you a ‘creature.’ The irony isn’t lost on you—if anyone deserves that title, it’s him.

With nothing else said, he turns and strides out of the final row of trees, making his way toward the shrine. His lack of response shows that he doesn’t want you meddling in his affairs. That’s fine. You have secrets of your own. 

Dumbass.

You ruffle your face to mock him behind his back. His big, stupid, giant back.

Without turning, Sukuna tips one of his lower hands into a crook and gestures for you to follow. You hurry to catch up.

Approaching the shrine, you see that it’s massive, reflecting the presence of its master. It’s constructed from strong, thick timber, beams and pillars carved from wood. They contrast against the dark, weathered stone of the foundation. Around it lies a strange desolation—no foliage grows near it, as if the forest itself has recoiled. And here you are, walking into its embrace. 

Great.

As you climb the stone steps, you see your sister standing outside the entrance with a white-haired monk. At the sight of her, you feel your body relax. A subtle comfort fills you.

“Yuna,” you murmur her name, the sound escaping your lips as a shaky breath. But the relief is quickly overshadowed by everything that has happened—your hellish journey through the forest with Sukuna.

Your eyes swell as if a dam is being slowly filled. You rush past Sukuna, who mutters wordlessly under his breath.

Barreling up the steps, you hold your torn kimono to your chest. Your sister can see your distress and instantly rushes to meet you, pulling you close. Tears begin to fall, finally ruining the last traces of your makeup.

She rubs your back soothingly as you cling to her, knowing every moment with her will soon be gone. Tonight, she, your father, and your clan will depart, leaving you alone to face a task you are starting to believe is impossible.

Your sobs become uncontrollable now.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here," she whispers, placing a gentle hand against your cheek. "No more tears, sister.”

Her words and actions, like your mother’s, relieve your aches and pains. Your tears dry slowly, and you sniffle once before leaning back to look at her. Her smile is the sweetest thing you have seen in a while, making you want to cry all over again.

Heavy steps echo behind you, and you tense, seeing as a shadow falls over you both.

Looking up, you see Sukuna observing your sister with an unreadable expression. Your sister's fingers hook into you as she returns his look with a challenging stare.

He scoffs at the display, then cuts his eyes to the white-haired monk.

“Uraume,” he grunts and gestures to you, “get this lot cleaned up.” 

“Of course, Master Sukuna,” they say, with little emotion, bowing as they address him.

With one last disapproving look, Sukuna steps through the massive doors and disappears.

Uraume moves toward you and your sister, who are huddled together.

“This way,” they gesture toward the doors.

Thunder echoes again, and a drop of rain hits the top of your head. The storm is here.

You use one hand to hold up your torn kimono and the other to grip your sister’s wrist, determined not to let her go.

With all the courage you can muster, you step inside.

The shrine’s corridors are wide and deep, dimly lit by flickering lanterns hanging from the walls. Your shadow trails faintly behind you as you walk, and your feet meet the polished wooden flooring, which echoes softly with each step.

The air is thick with the scent of aged wood, mingled with rot and an iron-like tang that you try to avoid inhaling.

“Where’s Father?” you whisper to your sister as you follow Uraume.

“When we arrived, he was ushered away with the clan members. I assume they’re off being entertained,” she replies with a smile meant to reassure you.

You nod your head. You need to speak with him privately.

After a series of winding twists and turns, you arrive at what you can only assume is the back of the shrine. You've lost track of the path you took. 

Uraume leads you into a private bathing room where a large basin of misting water awaits. To your relief, they allow your sister to stay with you.

Two of the shrine’s attendants enter and remove your torn kimono, carefully taking away the remnants of Sukuna’s touches. You glance down at your silk gloves, now stained with dirt, and tug them off. Keeping your hands clenched into fists, you brace yourself as the women prepare to scrub you down.

You settle into the water as the cleaning begins with fervor. Your ruined makeup is wiped away, and your hair is washed and combed. No one speaks to you, and that’s just fine. After the day you've had, you're too exhausted to engage in conversation. Besides, the warm water soothes you, making you feel like you could fall asleep right there.

A rustle of fabric pulls your attention. Blinking heavily, you spot your sister seated across the room, her lips pursing in disapproval as she watches her handiwork unravel.

Once they have finished their cleaning, you notice that they don’t apply any new makeup or fuss with your hair; you are left as natural as can be. They quickly dress you in a plain robe, and Uraume hurries you both off into another room before departing.

This new room will apparently be your personal living quarters. It’s spacious, with a well-kept futon spread out and a low table situated under a small, grilled window. You note the window size and know you won’t be able to squeeze through it if you want to escape. In the corner, a chair with a cushioned seat sits low to the ground.

You let out a deep sigh.

It doesn’t appear as a prison, though it feels like one.

You spot your small travelling trunk beside the futon, carried here by one of your clan’s attendants. Opening it, you take out a fresh pair of white silk gloves and slip them on.

The colour choice is deliberate, as you've noticed the kimono waiting for you on the futon.

You move toward the garment and lift it.

Its white base flows like the colour of bone—bone white. Like the fucking burial site you witnessed on the way here. You can only assume that your dear fiancé selected it for you. The front panels are lined in dark blue trim, creating a striking contrast. Next to the kimono is a matching obi.

Shrugging off your robe, your sister begins to help you dress.

As the kimono settles over you, it feels almost like a cage locking around you.

“Do you want to talk about what happened in the forest?” your sister says quietly as she maneuvers around you.

You tense up. You want to keep your emotions in check and not upset her.

“No,” you whisper firmly.

She remains silent and begins to wrap the obi around your midsection.

“Yuna, could you find Father and bring him here for me, please?” you ask quietly.

Your sister looks up from where she’s tucking and tying the obi into place. She finishes, then steps back.

“Of course,” she murmurs before leaving.

You pace the length of the room, mind running through different scenarios. Your fingers twist and knot together as though trying to find relief in their own frantic dance. 

After several moments, the door slides open, and your father and Onishi enter and close it, leaving your sister nowhere to be seen.

You can already smell the sake on both of them, and that look of displeasure on your father’s face makes your hackles rise. Pursed lip, furrowed brow, squared shoulders.

“I see you're still useless,” he says, voice flat, almost slurring.

Your eyebrows crease.

“I tried. He had his back to me, and I made an attempt, but he sensed me. He’s inhuman. I’m not sure how to get this done, Father,” you whisper before pausing, “he didn’t take kindly to that, and then he assaulted m—”

Crack!

The violent slap echoes through the room.

It hurts.

Your vision darkens, and your head snaps to the side. A high-pitched yelp escapes you as tears sting your eyes. You can already feel a bruise forming on your cheek.

“Do you think I care what he did to you?” His eyebrows rise as if in a question, but you know better than to answer. “You’re a woman. You’re supposed to let him use you. Let him touch you. I don’t care. I don’t even care if he devours you piece by piece. Just get it fucking done,” he spits out.

Your bottom lip trembles at his words. Onishi leans against the closed door, laughing with a nasally chuckle.

Your father grabs one of your wrists and pulls it towards him.

“It wasn’t hard for you to touch your pregnant mother with these.” He gestures to your gloved hands, and your stomach sinks. “I don’t care how long it takes. Do the same to him.”

You blink several times, still reeling from the slap.

“How is there not another way? Why am I the answer?” you ask, voice trembling.

Your father yanks you closer, raising his hand to hit you again. You shut your eyes, cowering in resignation. You are too exhausted to resist, allowing your body to crumple under his grip.

Knock, knock, knock.

Your father pauses, turning his head toward the closed door.

“The ceremony is set to begin,” Uraume’s calm voice cuts through from the other side. 

They might not realize it, but they have just saved you.

“We will be there in a moment,” your father responds coolly, then turns back to you. “Get it done, or I will persuade you in other ways,” he hisses in your face, drops your wrist, and leaves the room.

Onishi approaches and looks down at you, his eyes cold. He runs his thumb across his lower lip.

“You know, once you take down the beast, I’m sure your father will allow me to take you,” he says, reaching out to pinch your bruised cheek. You flinch at the touch. “That is, if you've not completely ruined yourself by then.”

He gives you one last cruel smile before departing the room, leaving you alone.

You hate him. You hate both of them. You hate all of them.

Thunder rumbles outside, shaking the shrine as the rain begins to pour. The floodgates have opened.

Your sister peeks her head into the room.

“Sister, it’s time to go,” she says with a smile, extending her hand. You take it, and carefully turn your face away so she can’t see the bruise on your cheek.

In silence, you both walk down the dimly lit corridor toward the ceremony.

Your hand instinctively moves to your face, and you compare this slap to the one inflicted by Sukuna. A surge of resentment rises as you realize that your father’s blow was far more brutal.

🔗 Chapter 3

[in-flvx]

It's sooo interesting how much focus the show puts on hanks ptsd and anxiety, and directly mirrors it with Jesse. Who. Like. On a daily basis, witnesses and lives through, very similar and worse stuff.

Hank, until he himself kills tuco in s2, has a cruel and even joyful attitude towards crime scenes. He laughs about them, shares them with his family. Always as a way to hold up his masculinity. But then he kills tuco, and then has to deal with the ptsd of that. He has panic attacks, thinks he's being attacked in his home when his poorly sealed craft beer bottles explode, and just barely survives the tortuga explosion bc the sight of a dead man's head on a turtle gives him another anxiety attack, which in turn exposes him to even more death and his colleagues losing limbs. He tries to keep up his toxic masculinity facade after that, and clings to it, but we do see his change starting there. I'm not well versed on the later seasons, I just know that the time he is bed bound give him some more time to both let out all his horribleness, and to become better at his job. He shows us a pretty realistic reaction to all the horrible situations he's being thrust into. All while having a pretty stable home life and loving family.

Jesse meanwhile. Jesus that boy needs so many hugs.

He kills a man and dissolves him in acid in the very first episodes. He keeps getting beat up, bad enough that he has to be treated at the hospital. He has an already fractured relationship to his parents, which is why he stays at his aunts place, whom he took care of before her death from cancer. Which is likely why he accepts to work with Walter. To help him. And he keeps being confronted with excessive violence and death, while his situation keeps getting worse, so he finds himself bound to Walter. He has literally no security net. All his friendships are conditional, and based on drugs. It's a vicious circle. No one to process his feelings with, so he turns to the drugs. To forget, to numb. Etc. Everywhere he turns there is more rejection, conditional relationships, and so much violence.

And just. That one moment in s2. After hank thinks he's being attacked in his own home, and nearly shoots marie, directly followed by Walter arriving at Jesse's home with the gun, to 'take care' of the junkies who stole from them... which is again followed by way more and more horrible violence. With the kid Jesse keeps trying to protect and parent while he's there... it just hit a very very soft spot in me. Someone please take care of Jesse. Someone cook him a meal and tug him into bed. Give him 6000h of therapy and a stable home. Give him 2,5 friends (or more) who just like him and want to hang out with him.

[whataboutsimple]

//Posts MasterList//

I have no idea how people do these things, so I'm about to create a complete messe. Posted: 13.10.24

MC:SM

//Complex AU by whataboutsimple//

Tools System

Full Names for Old Order OF The Stone

Crafting system

New and Old Order age

Command blocks information <- important for the plot.

Random details

Romantics relationships list

Even more details

Currency system

Old Order details

Too much details..

Arcs

You've called that a night you win.

Emerald of power you hold

The curse of four

The cold fire

//Artworks by whataboutsimple//

Gabriel and Magnus's fight gacha full art Magnus&Gabriel

Forced Hero AU full art Gabriel

Annoyed Gabriel sketch Gabriel

I was a hero once full art Magnus

Cookie killer sketch Jesse

Cookei dress full art

Gabriel in a cookie dress gacha full art Gabriel

Potion of beauty doodle Lukas

Tired nerd doodle Radar

Kawai boom doodle Magnus

New Warrior full art Petra

Angry Admin doodle Romeo

Puppy dog family doodle M!Jesse F!Jesse Gabriel

Forced Hero AU sketch Gabriel

Adminsona full art Simple

Good boy doodle Gabriel

Chipped Warrioir full art Gabriel

//Incorrect quotes//

Gabriel, Magnus, Ellegaard

Gabriel, Magnus

Modern AU

Old Order

Old Order of ex-lovers

Pizza

Order of Dummies

Block people

Russian Ivor

Puppy Gabriel

Not puppy Gabriel

Old Order.. again

//Oneshots and rarepairs//

Delivery guy, huh? Magnus X M!Reader

Nightmares Gabriel

Nightmares Magnus

A fan Gabriel

Will you marry me? Soren X Gabriel

Groundhog day p.1 Gabriel

Like.. Magnus X Ellegaard

Not enough for you Gabriel X Ivor

A bit of stress relief Radar X F!Jesse

Morning routine with them Adien X F!Jesse X Petra

The key to relaxation Petra X Nell

That's a new feeling Maya X Cassie Rose

The world could wait Radar X M!Jesse

More obvious hints, please Lukas X M!Jesse X Petra

Jesse X Nell

//Headcanons//

Old Order — always an incident, always unexpected.

Axel headcanons

Respawn system

Age in MCSM

Gabriel and Petra times

Puppy eyes Gabriel

BoomTown

Order's pets

Tattoos

Feathers for Soren

Inventory

Languages of Old Order

Gabriel is bad at jokes

//Alternate univreses//

AU creators, where y'all?

The phone AU

Three AUs

Lost Warrior AU by G Anon

Ore Siblings AU by G Anon

Coffee shop&flower shop AU

Olivia the "Hero"

Lairs are dead

Psychological horror

//Gabriel's taste in menl//

Gabriel X Hadrian X Romeo

Gabriel X Hadrian X Romeo p.2

Fred X Gabriel

Gabriel X Hadrian X Romeo p.3

Fred X Gabriel p.2

Fred X Gabriel p.3

Gabriel X Hadrian X Romeo p.4

Fred X Gabriel p.4

Gabriel X Hadrian X Romeo p5.

Gabriel X Hadrian X Romeo p.6

Gabriel X Hadrian X Romeo p.7

[laferrassie]

Having Mr Driscoll thoughts.

He was lost for a long time. It was a short time to you, but for someone who just spent 6 months in a cell it was a wonderfully long time to be lost, walking along streets and reading post notices, sitting in diners and drinking coffee, closing his eyes and getting to open them somewhere where there's a door. Todd gave him black coffee in the compound. He drinks his with milk.

When he was driving the 40 miles from Ed's drop-off to Haines, he didn't think about the future. Only the past. But now he's met with the knowledge of time marching relentlessly forward. Time doesn't wait for Jesse Pinkman. As far as the world is concerned he's already dead.

Trailer parks are anonymous places. He cooks on the gas stove, eats silently out under the stars. Listens to families - kids - playing at dusk. He coughs a lot - side effects from cooking without protection, smashed bones never healed properly. The scars on his face don't bother people as much as he thought they would. Sometimes people smile at him. He keeps conversations short. Maybe there's a girl. He hopes she can't feel his eyes burning into her head as she walks back to hers. Don't get close.

Where did you move from? Idaho. Mr Driscoll has a high school diploma too. Late one night he submits an online application to a community college. He gets in. Not Business, not Sports Science, but for Childhood Education.

For a while he doesn't know if he's Jesse Pinkman or Mr Driscoll. He wonders if Jesse has to live inside Mr Driscoll, if he needs to be snuffed out entirely, if that would be for the best. Five years on, when does [____] stop being an alias? What about when all the people who love him call him the latter? He can't remember the last time he heard his name spoken in a loving tone.

It's 2023. After finishing the course, he became a kindergarten teacher. His health is... fine. He developed a twitch for a while a few years ago, but that went away. The pain never leaves him. He's never been happier. The kids and their parents love him, one of them especially, and he married her. He does crafts with them. Draws superheroes with them. Lets them spin on the chairs if they want, but patches them up when they fall. On his next birthday, Jesse will be 40. He is just starting to go gray.

[im-out-of-it]

after london is shut down basically and everyone groups up in teams, why is it just the couples together???????

I love thomastair and I want them to have unlimited moments together but can you see Alastair and Ari teaming up? Ari asking Alastair how Thomas is handling losing Kit and Alastair addresses the concerns and then asks how Anna is????? also both of them have much in common. they are POC, Alastair is gay while Ari is a lesbian, they were tied to Charles at some point, have toxic fathers, Alastair lost his, and let’s be real, ari’s is just dead to her lmao I just feel like they would bond so well!!!! TRAUMA BONDING FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!

and we don’t really get many scenes with Thomas and Anna. I want to see them interact and consul each other during their times of grief. even just as cousins!!!! I can’t recall any time where we see just Thomas and Anna bond

Jesse and Ari or/and Grace and Ari are also an interesting matchup. and I have zero hate when it comes to couples bonding but everything is done in such a hurry in the end that it feels that nothing was accomplished. so much energy and time is wasted on the worst tropes that when you have the aftermath of everything that’s happened, you’re out of time for the most part

I think that is something that is one of the worst feelings of this series is that it could’ve been really good. I love period pieces and especially when lgbt+ couples are featured but I especially hate when it’s the same tropes being overused and everything is hurried because of it. I say this all the time but this series had the potential to be really good!!!! and you’d think of writing the same shit for twenty years that I don’t know, maybe you’d take a writing class or try to improve your craft?

but I also would love more moments of the couples bonding. Ari and Anna are vastly undeveloped, many things are left out with alastair and Thomas. Matthews arc goes downhill once James gets the girl, and so many other things. just so many opportunities thrown out in my opinion

[emometalhead]

I finally finished Better Call Saul, and I need a place to house my overall thoughts.

• I hate Chuck. If Charles McGill has no haters, then I am dead.

• There are some characters in the BCS/BB universe who were in situations they didn't deserve. Chuck isn't one of them. He was horrible to Saul. He lived to spite him and keep him down. His last words to his BROTHER were "you never mattered all that much to me". Like WTF man!?!? Chuck deserved everything he got and worse. I don't feel bad in the slightest.

• Francesca quite literally got Saul in the divorce, and I kind of feel bad. She was so enthusiastic and sweet when she first started working at Wexler-McGill, and by the time she's solely Saul's employee her attitude has completely flipped. All of that being said, she's an icon.

• It was so nice seeing Mike on-screen again. He was one of my favorite characters in Breaking Bad, and his death feels the worst to me out of the main characters. It was interesting to learn a bit more about his background and to see him interact more with his family. I also enjoyed seeing his dynamic with Gus develop.

• Speaking of Gus, pretty much all of his actions in BCS seem on par with his character in BB. He took down Lalo in a pretty bad*** way, and that was awesome. I'm sad they only let him be gay for a fleeting moment though beyond other characters making fun of him for it.

• Nacho 😭. From the second Nacho first walked onto the screen, I knew there was only one way his story could end. His death still made me sad! Even though I anticipated it, the manner in which he died was really unexpected and more abrupt than I would've thought. He's a character whose consequences were the clear result of his own actions, but I still feel a bit bad.

• Like Nacho kind of had the Walt thing going on (he was good at his job, and he liked it), but I can't help but think if he wasn't being used+threatened by both sides that he genuinely would've gotten himself out. It's clear how much he cared about his dad, and I do truly feel that he wanted to make his dad proud (even after losing his trust/respect after joining the cartel).

• Manuel Varga, man 😭. Bruh. He hurt me. I feel so awful for him. He knew his son was never going to make it out of the cartel. He knew. No one should ever have to brace themselves like that. My brain did not enjoy thinking about Mike, who was still very emotional about the loss of his own son, having to go tell another dad about his son's death. That was some well written and emotionally painful television.

• Lalo was an interesting character! He was intense and insane, but not entirely unhinged like Tuco. It was interesting to see how his rivalry with Gus fueled Gus' passion for his craft. His death scene was a good one. Damn about him being buried under the lab though! I was NOT expecting that at all. It's very crazy to know that Gus had Walt and Jesse cooking above his former rival's body.

• I know I've said a few things were unexpected already, but I really was not prepared to lowkey feel bad for Howard Hamlin by the end of the show. He was a jerk. He was not a good person. I still don't think he deserved to be buried with his murderer under a meth lab.

• It was awful that Howard would send Kim out of her office into doc review when he was mad at her. That is immature and unprofessional to a high degree. Kim was justified in feeling angry towards him. Saul was also justified in feeling angry about Howard blindly following Chuck's rule. I do believe that if it wasn't for Chuck, Howard would've hired Saul (sorry, Jimmy) as a lawyer for HHM once he passed the bar. I thought Saul's Howard copy billboard thing was funny, and to be completely honest I don't even mind that he threw the bowling balls on his car. The character assassination with the fabricated drug addiction went too far though, especially considering it lead to his death. Howard was a jerk, but he didn't deserve the ending he received.

• Kim Wexler kept surprising me. At the beginning of the show, I tried to predict where all of the non-Breaking Bad characters would end up. I could not have possibly predicted any of the decisions Kim would make. I love a girl boss, but she sabotaged her own career several times in order to execute revenge plots. I was honestly excited to just she her be a successful lawyer at the beginning, but alas that is not the type of show this is.

• Kim's "I was having too much fun" speech broke my heart. It was pretty easy to see how Kim and Saul's relationship was a "we can make each other worse" situation. I really had expected their relationship to end sooner though, and getting married was absolutely the wrong decision. It was crazy seeing how Saul just fully shifted into Saul Goodman mode after Kim left him.

• Last but not least, the man himself. I enjoyed Saul's character in BB. He's annoying and extravagant, but he's fun. He added a little whimsy to the show. I enjoyed that we got to see the "Kevin Costner" moment that he mentioned in BB. I appreciated getting more of his background and seeing how he interacted with non-criminal people for a time. Bob Odenkirk is a good actor, and I'm a little sad that I'm done seeing Saul on my screen. (Even if I made fun of all of his ridiculous suits and ties.)

• Overall, I really liked the show! I had heard good things, and I was looking forward to watching it after my recent rewatch of Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul did not disappoint! It was entertaining. It had a good blend of drama, action, and comedy. I'm sure I'll end up rewatching it down the line.

[woodsborostabathon]

aka the user formerly known as ambersrequel (rip). ceci / 23 / she/her / lesbian / boricua but i get a lil yeehaw with it. i'm not quite as strict with my dni criteria as i am with my headcanons! basically just don't follow me if you're: an anti, under 18, or have a habit of bashing any of the media i'm into. i'm proship and don't play about my faves, so please don't get me started.

speaking of my faves, this is kinda-sorta an about, kinda-sorta a masterlist of them!

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒.

lolita. vc andrews' dollanganger & casteel family sagas. my best friend's exorcism. stephen king's work (mainly carrie & misery). the kingdom of little wounds. the miseducation of cameron post. the mortal instruments. twilight. the virgin suicides. richard siken's work. junji ito's work (mainly tomie, dissolving classroom, & uzumaki). dark water. toradora. blood on the tracks.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐒 (𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐑).

scream franchise (esp. films 4-6). saw franchise. the ring. final destination franchise. nightmare on elm street (1984. dream warriors. & 2010). dark water (both vers.). the exorcist. tragedy girls. marrowbone. get out. us. barbarian. abigail. ready or not. candyman (both vers.). mama. orphan. fatal attraction. it (1990). house of wax. the witch. silent night deadly night. village of the damned (1995). bloody birthday. the bad seed (1956). the craft. forget me not. my bloody valentine (2009). sleepaway camp. jennifer's body. silent hill. hereditary. white: curse of the melody. cinderella (2006). sinister (1 & 2). carrie (1976 & 2013). sorority row. ouija: origin of evil. lisa frankenstein . . . full list on my letterboxd bc otherwise, i'd keep going forever.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐒 (𝐍𝐎𝐍-𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐑).

lolita (both vers.). the virgin suicides. flowers in the attic (both vers.). but i'm a cheerleader. welcome to the dollhouse. bottoms. the addams family (1991 & values). the hunger games. twilight saga. suicide squad (2016 & 2021). thirteen. heavenly creatures. heathers. gone girl. the room.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝐓𝐕 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐒.

euphoria. you. interview with the vampire. house of the dragon. yellowjackets. supernatural. the summer i turned pretty. law & order: special victims unit. cruel summer. american horror story. that 70's show. criminal minds. ginny & georgia. shadowhunters. death note. mirai nikki. black mirror. love, victor. big love. deadly women.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒.

the sims (mainly 2 & 4). crusader kings iii. phasmophobia. dead by daylight. roblox. content warning. fire emblem (awakening & fates).

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂.

xana. ice nine kills. lana del rey. ethel cain. glass animals. flower face. marina. pom pom squad. chappell roan. melanie martinez. the technicolors. idkhow. ayesha e. waterparks. hey violet. mother mother. taylor swift. sza. panic! at the disco. my chemical romance. the weeknd. olivia rodrigo. young miko.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒.

amber freeman. charlie walker. the kirsch siblings. sidney prescott. dewey riley. kirby reed. tara carpenter. chad meeks-martin. liv mckenzie. vince schneider. anika kayoko. amanda young. john kramer. carrie white. nancy thompson. quentin smith. jesse braun. louis & claudia de point du lac. lestat de lioncourt. shauna shipman. jackie taylor. dahlia williams. chris & regan macneil. samara morgan. angela baker. alessa gillespie. wendy christensen. esther coleman. mara chaffee. rhoda penmark. joe goldberg. love quinn. delilah & ellie alves. yuno gasai. misa amane. debbie brody. jennifer check. needy lesnicki. billy chapman. pearl. tomie kawakami. grace le domas. nan (ahs). alicent hightower. rhaenyra targaryen. helaena targaryen. jace velaryon. dolores haze. nate jacobs. maddy perez. cassie & lexi howard. fezco. gomez & morticia addams. wednesday addams. olivia benson. jeanette turner. jackie burkhart. steven hyde. the dollanganger siblings. heaven & tom casteel. isabelle & alec lightwood. magnus bane. simon lewis. carlisle & alice cullen. rosalie hale. cecilia lisbon. dawn wiener. cameron post. abby rivers. gretchen lang. harley quinn.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 & 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒.

ocs. writing. the flds. some other cults + religious fundamentalism. psychology. video editing. video essays. book collecting (specifically 1st edition vca). lovecore + 'coquette' aesthetics. dogs. being silly & perhaps even goofy.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝐌𝐘 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒.

slashersimmer (simblr), slashersweethearts (horror fandom ocs).

[bread-squid-uwu]

What's the crafting dead?

A really REALLY old minecraft roleplay series created by sgcbarbierian, a bunch of other mc youtubers were in it as well, like aphmau, redvacktor, yourpalross, etcetera.

It's exactly what it sounds like, youtubers roleplaying an apocalypse in minecraft, but it's not technically a typical zombie apocalypse because the zombies were created through human experiments done by..... some scientist villain

also there's a cannibal guy

It's absolutely nothing like mys/mcd, everyone in it plays just themselves as a character, like Red the cannibal cult leader, or like Mithzan Max that one weird guy who's immune to the zombies and just wants to play uno with someone, Jess even plays as JESS and not some version of Aphmau.

Uhh more rambling in the tags idk

[kitkatt0430]

For the AU headcanon game, AU in which Savitar is someone other than Barry? 👀

So I do remember various theories about Savitar's identity and one of them was Eddie. Which... I did not like that theory, so I'm not gonna go that way.

If it was someone the team knew already, then Eobard is the obvious candidate. In the comics, he's made himself look like Barry a few different ways and so there could be a convoluted plot going on that way, but... they've had enough Eobard Thawne as the bad guy on the show, I wanna speculate on someone new.

So the comics Savitar - New Earth version - was a Cold War pilot whose real identity was never discovered. While at top speed in his fighter plane, he was struck by lightning and survived the crash in hostile territory. This could be updated to him being an air force test pilot for an experimental craft using Dominator tech - foreshadowing the Dominator attack xover event later that season - that gets struck by lightning mid test. The test is classed a failure and the craft is unrecoverable - the man who becomes Savitar is assumed dead but of course he isn't.

Savitar therefor isn't obsessed with killing Iris - his existence doesn't depend on her. Instead perhaps Iris' investigation into Savitar's origins puts her in danger as he doesn't want anyone to know who he used to be - maybe he doesn't even remember and having his identity revealed would detract from the story he's selling the cult he's been creating.

Perhaps Alchemy as a stage one/first half of season boss with Savitar being hinted at until he's revealed at the mid season finale. Savitar could still be the man behind Alchemy, with Julian being unaware that he's been brainwashed to take on the persona of Alchemy under specific triggers. To de brainwash Julian, they bring in Hartley who - in this timeline - used a hypnotic flute in addition to his gloves. Julian thus has to come to terms both with what he did under the brainwashing and with the fact that he is a meta... that it was his rejection and self-hatred over being a meta that gave Savitar the in he needed to control Julian in the first place.

Part of the season's focus is on Barry having to accept that he has no idea how much the changes to the timeline are his fault and how much is stuff that was already gonna happen and he just... didn't know things were leading that way behind the scenes.

Revealing Frost's real origins in this season. Caitlin, panicking, goes to her mom for help and things with Carla eventually unravel to the reveal of Icicle. Frost has to choose between teaming up with Icicle or siding with Caitlin's friends... and chooses Icicle. Only to quickly realize she's in over her head and she turns to Caitlin for advice. The two of them form a truce to defeat Icicle and rejoin Team Flash by surprise!!! during the final Savitar vs Flash fight at the end of the season, which would also include Jesse and Wally as well as Savitar's cult.

Savitar would definitely try to recruit Icicle and Frost into his cult, but I don't see them having any of it. Icicle has his own god complex of a sort going on and Killer Frost just doesn't like him or trust him after Caitlin's experiences with Zoom and the Reverse Flash. If you've met one evil Speedster, you've met them all.

One of the things I did like about show!Savitar was that he was a fallen hero - I'm a Tales game series fan, i love fallen heroes as villains, that's basically the main villain of every Tales game and I eat it up every time. So I think part of the investigation into Savitar would be the reveal that he was a highly decorated hero and he saved a lot of lives. That's why he was tapped for the project. But after being essentially left for dead and his amnesia, Savitar grew to feel he was owed the accolades and devotion and it all warped into the god complex he has now. Forcing him to face his past isn't exactly a tomato in the mirror moment but he's torn between horror over who he's become and his desire for security and safety through the power he's accumulated.

[tcda]

i didn't even bring up how jess came back and told shelby she wanted to meet her and has heard of how great she is. yuri crumbs? in my crafting dead?

[steampunkwillow]

TCD in DND

Unfortunately, I am rewatching SGC Barbarian's "The Crafting Dead" series and am cursed with thoughts that I must share with the universe. These are my take on what my favorite characters from this show would be class wise in dnd. These are very increasingly about vibes and not fighting styles in the show. Nick: Champion fighter with the sharpshooter feat. This one I feel requires no explanation. He uses mele more than other characters and deals finishing blows more than any other character. Also, after being shot by ghetto in the later seasons he heals remarkably fast for what happened. Ghetto: Ancestral guardian barbarian with a few levels in Oath of vengeance paladin. Oath of vengeance is mainly because of Jordan, he's constantly seeking vengeance in a way that isn't normally seen in barbarians and it fits the character. The Ancestral guardian barbarian is one, because unlike some of the other core characters Ghetto has had points where he's kinda flown off the handle and lost himself to rage (understandably imo), and two! Ancestral guardians take on a more defensive role in parties and i think that fits his personality very well. Shark: Unfortunately, a hunter ranger. LISTEN I LOVE HIM I SWEAR but he's not nearly sneaky enough to be a rouge and not up front enough to be a fighter. He does a great job at firing from a distance and is honestly kinda underrated in regards to combat. This one is more vibes based than the other two but still fitting I think. AK: Oath breaker Paladin. Due to his military past and his kind of non association with his past but expertise and knowledge with weaponry combined with his murky past makes for a convincing oath breaker. Possibly with some levels in just straight up fighter or monk but a heavy base in Paladin. Jess: Wild magic sorcerer. Jess wasn't in combat really enough for me to get a good grasp on this so this is purely just opinion based in her personality and quotes. Lucky, a bit trigger happy, chaotic. I think it fits fairly well.

Barney: College of Valor bard and ranger multiclass. Barney is pretty charismatic and colorful as far as characters go for this series. He's really upbeat in a way that tends to cheer up other characters and a lot of his best ideas/moments involve him in that role. College of Valor also adds some martial abilities to bards so I think that it fits. The ranger multi is mainly due to the crossbow, i'm not going to lie.

Sky: Barbarian. berserker barbarian if you really want to get specific. While Ghetto has done reckless things in rage before, it's never as often or as reckless as sky's tended to be.

Ross: Circle of spores druid and Death cleric. Mainly because of the zombies you can make with it. it fits his unhinged-ness.

Red: Great old one Warlock. Crazy. He's crazy.

Uni and Major Grey: Both are Order Paladins. Mainly due to continued military association/duties.

Cory: Oathbreaker. FOR VERY DIFFERENT REASONS THAN AK. While ak feels more in the oathbreaker path for breaking away from the military, cory is an oatbreaker because heee's a traitor.

These are just my opinions, I just really like this show and wanted to finally write stuff about them. :D Thank you for reading!

[ender-niffler]

Slowly have been falling back into my mcsm hyperfixation, though it’s kinda on brand with me and Minecraft stuff

So!

Here are my headcanon designs for Jesse and Lukas! Jesse has the odd purple stuff on him cause of- Y’know, coming in close contact with the wither storm?

I like the idea that survivors from inside of the witherstorm have permanent side effects/looks on em, Jesse is no acceptation to this! His biggest change where his eyes changing colors, going from his usual bright green to the dark purple!

(They might also have the ability to slightly glow at night? Like the Endermen and Witherstorm are depicted in game to have?)

As for Lukas I wanted him to have the look of someone who’s been around the block (ha) a few times, like he’s actually done some adventuring?

He has bags around his legs and such to carry supplies for books or to carry around food/water, cause that’s- Y’know important! (And Jesse may forget to eat every now and then, because he got too busy with work)

Uhmmm I have more mcsm stuff I’ve made/am cooking up? I also have more Steve legends stuff I’m making, and stuff for The crafting dead

All the fun stuff! :D

[galadrigal-gravity-falls]

Introduction

A new fanfic in honor of my ocs and Gravity Falls! I decided to post it on Tumblr instead of A03 since the fandoms are mixed. I made some changes to the characters story line. I hope it will bring you entertainment.

Please like this account for more updates!

Lenore is a smart girl. For her age, she is clever. She likes the supernatural like vampires and ghosts. 

Her twin brother on the other hand, Oliver, is the opposite of Lenore. Oliver gets excited easily. His gullible. And is super creative. He likes to draw and make crafts. His new hobby is scrapbooking. He carries a camera around that he got for Christmas last year.

They both live in a town in Southern California with their parents. Well just their mom. Their dad recently passed away. Their mom’s name is Jess Galadigal. 

After the service, Lenore went into her bedroom and lay face down in bed. She begins to cry. She was close to her dad. He and Oliver are alike personality wise. There was a knock on the door. 

“Go away.”

She can hear the door open. “Lenore?” Oliver walks up to her. “Hey.”

She peeks between the pillow and her arm. “Hey.” 

“Can I join you?” 

“Yeah.” 

Oliver sit on the ground next to the bed. He rest the back of his head on the bed mattress. “You like ghosts? Do you think dad is a ghost?”

She sat up. “Ghosts are not real! Dad is dead! Gone! And we will never see him again!” She snaps.

“But-“

“Go away!” She throws a pillow at Oliver’s head. 

“Ow.” He looks up and watches his twin sister cover herself with a blanket. He let out a sad sigh and got up. He walk to the door and close it behind him gently. 

Jess watch from afar of Lenore and Oliver’s interaction. She let out a gentle sad sigh. She walk over to the couch. She ick the family picture book and sat down. She quietly flips through it. 

Pictures of family moments the four of them share together. She smile a little at the family photos. She turn the page and there was a picture of her and her brother in their younger days. Her brother holding baby Oliver while Jess was hold baby Lenore. A tear rolls down her face and landed on her brother’s face. 

She stares at her brother’s picture for a while. She closes the book and takes out her phone. She hesitated but presses a number on her screen. She puts the phone to her ear, hearing it ring three times before answered. 

“What?!”

“Nice to hear you too.”

“Jess?” There was a pause. “It’s been a while. You haven’t spoken to me since…the incident.”

“I know. And this is your chance to repay me.” She sighs. “My husband passed on.”

“Oh…really? Sorry.”

“Yeah. Well. The kids are going through a lot. They need to get out and make new friends and be in nature for the summer. Maybe reconnect with you and the family?”

“So you want me to watch them?”

“Not just watch them. Let them have a great summer. They’ve been through a lot. At least keep their mind off their dad.”

There was a pause. “Alright. I’ll take the kids.”

“Thanks brother. I will buy their bus ticket and they can be in Oregon in two days.”

“Alright. Are you going to be ok sis?”

Jess nod slightly. “I’ll be fine. I’ll let you know if something comes up.”

“Thanks. I’ll talk to you soon.” 

She hums and hangs up.

[roydeezed]

You Know How The Story Goes: Killers of the Flower Moon

That's what this film says. From the first frames and scenes, "You know how the story goes." And, "You must know this story." Because it starts with telling you how the Osage were the richest people per capita. And yet, take a look outside of the theater. Do you see a world that represents that wealth? So, from the beginning, you know how that story goes.

And even more so if you know about the Tulsa Massacre. The black and white clips, the time, the presentation. Everything screams of pending death.

And then the start of the film as the Osage mourn the loss of their culture and people. Right before oil erupts from the ground as if a miracle. Oil from long dead and extinct beings. In one of the most beautiful scenes put to the screen, the Osage dance as the oil splatters across their faces and chests as the music swells. It's a happy moment but it's mired in death on all sides. Because you know how the story goes.

And then the story starts and it never lets up. My brother said that the movie felt like it was directed by someone way younger than Scorsese. I don't know if I fully agree with that but it did have an intensity that I've seen rarely matched and a righteous fury that few can equal. Whereas some films of Scorsese's can be dinged for flagging behind at points, this never has a calm moment. Everything is scored with a undercurrent of dread. Because you know what's coming. Because...

You know.

But other than the pace; the blocking, the cinematography and the tableaus he's able to craft are stunning. From the beautiful moments of the Osage in nature to the dirt and grime and hustle of the Hale-Made town, representing everything he is. And the moments where Ernest gets coerced by either side. Jesse Plemons Bureau Agent stands as a tall and benevolent mountain as opposed to Brendan Fraser and his pack of wolves baying for blood as Ernest crumbles.

And then the intelligence of the characters. That's what this movie lives and dies by. Because as soon as we see them, we know the most important thing about our characters. Hale is intelligent but manipulative. You can see it all over his face. De Niro's eyes narrow and his mouth curls as he breaks apart Di Caprio's Ernest and figures him out from the inside. Ernests simple and confused face betrays the cowardly and opportunistic buffoon he is. A willing one. His face a bundle of wrinkles as it struggles to process the things that are being asked of him. And then Lily Gladstone's Molly. She comes into a film with Scorsese veterans, goes pound for pound with them and steals the show. Because without her it wouldn't have worked. It would've been a story of two con men who had almost gotten away with it. And not one of oppression. It would've been the most distasteful elements of Wolf and Goodfellas. But Lily Gladstone arrives on to the scene and we see the same intelligence Hale had but it's calm, not sniffing for weakness. She figures out Ernest in seconds and it's all on her face. The bemused smile at his transparency and his harmlessness. Her desire to trust someone in a world that has it out for her. And then to the constant looks straight to the camera. A silent plea for help that never comes until Ernest is captured.

And this acting all culminates in the final scenes set in the Killing of the Flower Moon, minutes before Scorsese rips us out and makes us realize how removed and sensationalized it all was. How much we just watched was entertainment for us. He constantly indicts us in these crimes. We are complicit. Not just from the looks to the camera Molly give but from the brutality that rivals that of Casino, he makes a sharp contrast to the spectacle. Where we see the aftermath of Anna's death as a spectacle, with the whole town watching as the twin doctors desecrate her body, we also see the cold brutality of her death. It was just another night for the two murderers. It's a spectacle for the audience, but real for those involved. In another scene, we see oil drillers, killers time and time again, watch, drenched in the life of long dead creatures, as John Ramsey courts Roan. It's a spectacle and then it's real when Ramsey shoots Roan in the back of his head as he drinks in the red Buick.

But to get back to that ending before the ending. The actors give a masterclass as De Niro Monologues insidiously behind bars, to Di Caprio's interrogation on the stand, to Lily Gladstone's resolve as she talks to Ernest. And to that question of truth where Ernest can't accept that last little bit, and Molly's decision when she walks away.

De Niro's Hale said that people would forget about this. That no one would care. And he was right in a way. In a way we did. But trials were held. People went to jail. And almost a century later books were written and movies were made. So we remember. We remember. But we can't change anything. The people look at you through the lens and ask you, a hundred years in the future, and all we can do is stare back helpless. All we can do is bemoan the times. It was a different era. A different type of people. Nothing we could have done to help. Because these things get swept under the rug. We can only watch as these things happen and are turned into stories. And as much as the film and Scorsese accuse the villains of the film, we too are accused. We, as the audience are Ernest. The complicit coward. We get the pleading looks from Molly, the manipulative glares of Hale, all the while looking down on John Ramsey as Ernest pushes him around. Scorsese once again turns the camera back on us. And if that wasn't obvious enough, he brings us to a radio show years later where it's played up with hammy voice acting and sound effects to a "cue for applause" crowd. He looks at us and says that the story repeats. While Tulsa was a blaze of hate and anger, Osage country is a small fire building and spreading. A plunge of a knife to a death by a thousand tiny cuts. But death nonetheless.

But these are in the past right? Not like they've happened since or now? They're stories. Things to be told and things to be passed on. Killers of the Flower Moon looks at us as the dread settles in and the bile rises up and asks, "Aren't you tired of being complicit? Of not being able to help? Aren't you tired of knowing how the story goes?"

[weekend-whip]

I wanna know what hobbies the folks in the royalty au have. Fun facts. What do these bitches do without internet.

Well most of them do the same things they do normally, just with different context.

With the Western Kingdom being all the about the arts, entertainment, and expression, Cole's hobbies include dancing, listening to music, painting, and drawing—he'd normally be pretty chill and just vibing, if his father wasn't so gung-ho about getting him hitched. And being depressed about that on top of having limited time anymore anyway has deterred Cole from doing things for himself (which is something Jesse seeks to rectify). Also enjoys sleeping, but like, that's not a hobby, Cole.

Always constantly busy with his job(s), Jay doesn't have a lot of free time either, but he's still able to pursue a lot of his craftier hobbies, like poetry writing, cooking, and he doesn't invent so much as "improve" upon things that may or may not need to be fixed. Let's just say he's a guy ahead of his time...and is something of an adrenaline junkie when allowed to be.

Instead of being a journalist/papergirl/extreme cyclist, Antonia likes horseback riding! She also does still like to write stories, which helps occupied some dead time while guarding the boring garden gate, but they're less based on facts/rumors and more on just general goings-on around the castle.......so, Jesse and the Spring Festival are a fantastic source of inspiration for her. Also tries to learn to paint after getting closer with Cole (and inadvertently gives Jay the idea for a mystical object called a 'camera').

Can't remember if I've mentioned this in-story yet (all I know is that Cole doesn't know yet lol), but Jesse's actually a citizen of the Central Kingdom—the real (or, initial) reason he went West was in the hopes of making it big as a magic entertainer. So whenever he's not tending to the gardens or swooning over Cole, he's practicing his magic tricks (another reason why Antonia takes to him—he's really good at beating out boredom). He also likes to sing, but, he's gotta be in a really good mood for that. Also, not technically a dedicated hobby, but he does enjoy baking, even if he doesn't like to admit it (he just needs to right motivation...like a very hungry prince).

In the Southern Kingdom, they're all about agriculture and trade, so while I wouldn't call it a "hobby", Kai and Nya are both extremely skilled in farming, negotiations, and economics (Nya moreso with the farming and Kai moreso with the business). But for fun, Nya likes to spend time on the beaches watching (read: talking to) sea life or collecting shells, while Kai likes to travel if/when he can, as he likes to experience more than just his kingdom. Both of them also have a knack for crafting weapons—Kai by forging and Nya...more as crazy DIY projects, also maybe a bit ahead of her time. Nya also likes horseback riding and Kai likes jogging.

In the Northern Kingdom, they have a strong foundation in battle maneuvers and tactical strategy, so a younger Zane found himself doing a lot of studying while being trained with several weapons. He now has a fondness for archery and darts (but with throwing stars), and can easily pass the time with a nice informative book. He also enjoys bird watching like Aurora, and venturing through the forest until he gets lost, but otherwise is actually quite lonely.

...until Samurai X shows up. They're originally from Central as well, but their father and Zane's parents are acquaintances, so one thing led to another with them becoming Zane's retainer. They enjoy playing things like chess and other board games with Zane, and sparring with him, but for the duration of most the story they don't really have a lot of personal stake in much of anything.

The Eastern Kingdom is the home of most of the world's history (along with Central), so being well-read is already par for the course. What isn't common is the dabbling of magic, which is where Harumi's passions lie, especially after discovering Jesse has magic of a similar source. She reads up on ancient artifacts, studies spells, keeps a pet spider, and teaches herself to throw knives, but otherwise, she's a dreadfully bored person, and that's why she has little hesitation in butting herself into other people's problems. That's entertainment.

Lloyd, despite his well-behaved behavior to avoid trouble, has a nasty habit of pulling pranks around the otherwise structured Central Kingdom and eventually the Spring Festival (activities which are very much enabled by his retainers, and ofc praised by his father). He does this because he's good at it and hates to let a well-honed skill go to waste, and it's also something of a cry for attention. He also becomes interested in the cultures of the other Kingdoms, including but not limited to the art/stories of the west, the weapon aspects of the north and south, and the history of the east, like his mother. He also enjoys paragliding (which is something that Jay got him hooked on).

You may think visiting the Archipelago is like arriving on some tropical vacation, but the only one being entertained is its current ruler. He puts on tournaments just for sport of it, and will banish anyone for doing anything he doesn't agree with...so, Skylor doesn't have a lot of room to do very much, but on the flipside, it also means she's down for anything/everything when given a chance, as just about everything is new to her (which is what draws her to Kai and the other royals to begin with). Though one thing she is a bit guilty about enjoying is her younger self partaking in those tournaments herself—primarily due to the rush from the fact that she's never lost (and especially not to Chad).