#jess goes to america

[mycatismyfriend]

Just some of the Angel inspired places I got to visit today in Los Angeles (26.08.2024) 1/2

[agaypanic]

Hey could you write Benny with a popular cheerleader reader? Not the cult type tho

Benny Weir With A Cheerleader Girlfriend Headcanons

Masterlist

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A/N: here’s some headcanons to tide yall over while im gone lol also idk how things are in canada so im pulling experience from my high school in america lol

***

Your cheerleading friends honestly have no idea why you’re with Benny

They think you could do better; everyone wants to either date you or be you

But you don’t care at all

Benny may be considered a “loser” by some people, but he’s a hot loser

“You’re staring again.” One of your friends muttered, just loud enough for you to hear, while you and the rest of the squad shook your pom-poms. All of the students were filing into the gym for a pep rally, and your boyfriend immediately caught your eye.

“I’m allowed to stare.” You responded with a giant grin, discreetly waving at Benny when he spotted you. He waved back before getting his friends to follow him to the first few rows of bleachers, trying to get a spot as close to you as possible.

“How did you even meet him?” The girl next to you asked. “I mean, there’s no way you guys run in the same circles.”

“He was a friend of a friend.” You answered. You were really good friends with Sarah, mainly because she was dating Jesse Black. But the two of you remained friends after he had left school, and she had introduced you to her new friend group. Most cheerleaders labeled them the geek squad, but you didn’t care. If anything, they were very refreshing to be around. “Now he’s my boyfriend. Simple as that.”

“He looks like he’s never felt a woman’s touch.” Your first friend giggled. You looked up at the bleachers to see Benny and your friends sitting in front of you in one of the higher rows. Your boyfriend stared at you intently with a goofy grin while everyone else talked amongst themselves.

“I like my men like that.” You said. The gym was almost filled, so the conversation would have to wrap up soon. “And trust me, he’s definitely felt a woman’s touch by now.” Although he couldn’t hear what you were talking about, you winked at Benny, making him blush.

Benny goes to every event that you have to be at

Even if it’s an away game or competition

He loves cheering for you and supporting you

He never pays attention to the game or anyone else on your cheer squad

“Benny, you don’t have to come.” You said for probably the hundredth time as you put on your uniform. Benny lay sprawled out on your bed, watching you straighten out your top. “It’s an hour-long ride both ways, and you don’t even care about football.”

“That may be true, but I still gotta cheer for my girl.” He reached for your skirt, lightly tugging on it until you were standing at the edge of your bed in front of him. Benny sat up, letting you stand between his legs while his hands gripped the backs of your thighs.

“I thought it was my job to do the cheering.” You jested, pushing back some hair from his face. “But still, you’ll be getting home late.”

“I don’t mind.” Benny persisted. “Was thinking that I’d go on the rooter bus, and then when we get back, we could get some dinner or something.”

You smiled at the idea. Food definitely sounded good. You’d eat before leaving, but you didn’t want to risk making a mess of your uniform or being late to the bus.

“How did I get so lucky?” You sighed, leaning down to kiss Benny. Even when you went to straighten up, he tried chasing your lips for another peck.

“I’m the lucky one,” Benny corrected you. A hand left your body so he could look at his watch, and he then quickly patted your thighs. “We better get going; we can’t miss the buses.” In a panic, you jumped away from him and grabbed your bag. While speeding down the stairs, Benny replaced the bag in your hold with his hand, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

When the two of you got to the high school, he speed-walked you to the bus that the football team and cheerleaders were supposed to ride to the game on. Benny made sure to give you a kiss before handing you your duffel bag.

“See you in an hour, babe.”

“Can’t wait.”

Gets really jealous when other people look at you in a certain way

He knows you’re popular and desirable, but it still gets on his nerves a bit

Especially if it’s a jock that wants you

Since he started dating you, homecoming week felt like torture for Benny. The dress-up days were fun, and he enjoyed the dance and hanging out with you and his friends.

But the day of the homecoming game absolutely sucked.

For some reason, it was tradition that on the day of the homecoming football game, the cheerleaders would get assigned a football player and wear their jersey for the day, plus the game itself. Benny usually didn’t care so much. At the end of the day, you were solely interested in him. Plus, it was just a piece of clothing.

But this year, the jersey you were wearing belonged to a guy who didn’t seem to care that you even had a boyfriend.

“How does it fit?” The football player asked as you situated the shirt you were wearing. Benny glared at him from down the hall. The guy’s name was Josh, or Jake, or something similar. Benny didn’t really care enough to know.

“Fine, Jason.” You answered before opening your locker. Jason leaned against the wall, looking at you like you were a piece of meat. Benny suddenly wished he was a football player, just so he could see “Weir” displayed on your back instead of “Graham.”

“Maybe after we win the game, we can hang out or something,” Jason suggested, and Benny wanted to throw up at the thought. “You look really good in my clothes; I kinda wanna show you off.”

You shut your locker, giving Jason a bored expression.

“Yeah, well, I look better in my boyfriend’s clothes.” You looked past Jason to see Benny, who was eyeing the both of you. You smiled and started walking to him. “Speaking of, I see him so… bye!”

The second you were within reach, Benny had a protective, almost possessive, hold on you. He kept glaring at Jason, who scoffed at the two of you and walked away. You finally took his attention away from the boy by planting your hands on his cheeks and kissing him.

“What are you so worked up about?” You asked, but you already knew the answer. You pulled Benny down the hall so you could go to class.

“Nothing.” He answered, which the both of you knew was a lie. He muttered something you couldn’t hear, and there was a sudden yelp behind you. You looked back to see Jason spinning in circles, trying to look at something behind him. Looking closer, you notice that a tail had sprouted out from his backside.

“Benny!” You meant to say it in a reprimanding way, but let out a giggle as you turned back around.

“What?” Benny asked, smiling slightly. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Sure you didn’t.”

“Hey, do the cheerleaders do this jersey thing for other sports or just football?” Benny asked curiously.

“Just football, I think. Why?” Benny shrugged innocently.

“Just wondering. Was thinking of maybe joining the hockey team or something.”

“Oh, I’d wear a jersey with your name on it any day, baby.”

[agent-bash]

if you had to write Hailey’s exit with everything already in canon that happened to Upstead up until the beginning of the finale, how would you have written her & Jay’s resolution, with the go ahead that you had Jesse willing & available? Would you?

I would have had Matson force Hailey make a phone call too. She would have called Jay because it was safest, he’s in South America, he might be outside the wire. He might just not answer, he’d gotten good at that.

She makes the call, gets his voice mail (because of course 🙄), and tells him she’s mad at him, she’s tried not be, tried to be fine, move on, but she can’t. She’s mad at him, mad at him for leaving, for ignoring her, for signing the papers, for not fighting for them. She’s mad at him because she still loves him. She’s mad at herself for that too. She hates that she wishes he was there. But she does. She probably always will. So she guesses she’s just going to live her life mad.

The rest of the Hailey/Voight/Matson stuff continues like it did. She still gets shot, still goes to the hospital (still saves Voight), only this time we see her wake up. Maybe it's not the first time, maybe it is, it doesn't matter, because it's not the doctor that's there, it's Jay.

Then a throw back. 'You came,' 'You asked me to.'

Boom! Done. Fade to black on Hailey (and Jay), Gwen can have that as her precious open ended ending, and then idk they could have focused on Voight and the ADA for the last 5ish minutes or thrown the Burzeks a bone or something.

[l0ve0utl0ud]

2019 was a big year for Angelico Entertainment. Alongside debuting their biggest female act yet, VENUS, just a year prior, they also struck gold with their first ever in-house boy group: LoveOutLoud, abbreviated to L.O.L for branding purposes. Starting off as a ten-member lineup, L.O.L became an almost instant KPOP darling, still being girl group stans token boy group to stan.

Despite their bright and youthful branding, the inner workings of L.O.L are quite dark as their mistreatment goes back to their pre-debut days. It's rare for there to be an L.O.L comeback without a member sick or injured, as their promotional schedules are grueling and stacked. The members, despite being well into their careers at this point, haven't had a break in nearly four years.

The notorious Angelico CEO, Son Jinhwa, would say there's no time for breaks. Their momentum is still building; if they take a break, they'll be forgotten.

The boys took those words to heart, publicly denouncing the need for breaks between releases and saying they enjoy promoting as much as they do.

Well, almost all of them did.

By the end of 2021, they dropped to seven members, with three of the members leaving on what seemed like a bimonthly basis. First started with Siho leaving in March, citing creative differences and mistreatment but he would not leave Angelico. Instead, he would stay and produce under the label until his contract ran up. Fans speculate the final nail in the coffin for Siho was when other L.O.L member Jesse was given the spot as producer despite Siho being promised the role. Once Siho's contract with Angelico was up, he would become a producer and music video director.

Next to leave was Yadam in August, citing physical exhaustion and contractual disagreements as his reasons. Yadam was a beloved and well-known member of the group for his vocals and visuals, originally holding the spot as the official visual. He would go on to sue Angelico Entertainment for mistreatment, claiming that they did not allow him proper vocal rest, permanently damaging his vocal cords. Though the case made it far, the two parties settled out of court. He would go on to debut as a soloist and actor in 2023 after a much-needed break.

The last member to officially leave L.O.L would be Asher in December of that same year, claiming mental health struggles as his reason for leaving. Asher was one of the more popular members internationally for his bright and out-there personality, which seemed to dim as the years went on. He would return to America the same year and become a thriving social media influencer and actor in the States, having a following of 1.7 million on YouTube, 7.1 million on TikTok, and 5.2 million on Instagram.

Currently, Akio, the seventh member, is on a hiatus because of an ankle injury he obtained in 2023. He has not been an active member with the group for nearly a year now, leaving many fans to worry he will be the next one to drop from the lineup.

The group sits pretty and happy on top of the boy group brand rankings, being some of the most recognizable and beloved faces in the KPOP industry at the moment, but are they really as bright and happy as they seem?

JANG DOJIN "JESSE" –– 98 LINER ; LEADER, PRODUCER, VOCALIST.

GRAYSON LEE –– 02 LINER ; LEAD RAPPER, DANCER, FACE OF THE GROUP, MAKNAE.

EZRA COSTA –– 01 LINER ; MAIN VOCALIST, LEAD RAPPER.

LONDON MATSUDA –– 00 LINER ; MAIN DANCER, MAIN RAPPER.

SON TAEI –– 98 LINER ; LEAD DANCER, LEAD VOCALIST, MAKNAE.

KIM JIYUL –– 00 LINER ; VISUAL, MAIN VOCALIST, MAIN RAPPER.

NAKI AKIO –– 01 LINER ; CURRENTLY ON HIATUS FOR ANKLE INJURY. MAIN DANCER AND RAPPER.

TSAI JUNJIE "ASHER" –– 00 LINER ; LEFT THE GROUP IN DECEMBER OF 2023 DUE TO "MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES" FORMERLY MAIN RAPPER AND VOCALIST.

KIM YADAM –– 98 LINER ; LEFT THE GROUP IN AUGUST OF 2020 DUE TO "PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION AND CONTRACTUAL DISGREEMENTS" FORMERLY MAIN VOCALIST, VISUAL, AND RAPPER.

CHOI SIHO –– 99 LINER ; LEFT THE GROUP IN MARCH OF 2020 DUE TO "CREATIVE DIFFERENCES AND MISTREATMENT" FORMERLY CO-LEADER, RAPPER, AND VOCALIST.

[for-a-longlongtime]

Important TF2 question (to me)...is the Standard Heating Oil hat still a thing for Frankie? Did he leave it in South America? Does he still wear hats? His hair is still long, right? RIGHT?!

These are the questions I'm fixated on should a sequel happen.

Jess! Do you know that you're the first person who submitted an Ask to me here on Tumblr? I'm so excited about it, makes me feel like I'm finally one of the cool kids 😅

His hair is definitely still long. He's probably tried some shorter cuts over time, but going to the barbershop is one of those things he often just doesn't get to - so the extra curls and length are often there because he's long overdue for a cut. That's also why the hat (or at least A hat) is still around a lot, because if he's headed out to work or to meet somebody it's just easier to throw on a hat than bother with hair products.

Every now and then he'll have a moment of hair envy though when watching Santiago. Their hairtypes are very different, but you know that Pope is a lot more vain - pretty boy will pop into a salon every 3 weeks to get his hair cut, facial hair trimmed, the works. Always looking very put together. It's not like Frankie couldn't afford that or doesn't have the time - he just forgets, or feels like it's a hassle to go that often.

Also, don't underestimate him. He knows what the sight of those curls do to people. He's not cocky about it, but he knows. Most of his bed partners through the years will have made at least a few remarks about it, always with praise. If you'd ask him about it, he probably wouldn't say it out loud but his hair at this length, just like in the photo? It's the perfect length to grab ahold of his curls when he goes down on you.

When he's eating you out, that's all he's focused on and he doesn't need any further encouragement. But he loves it how your grip on his hair will tighten when his tongue pushes right there right there, harder Frankie, please, fuckkk. Inevitably you'll be so far gone that your tugs on his hair won't be as gentle as they started out, but that's exactly where his sweet spot is. When your fingers have slid deep into his hair, clutching his curls, and you just pull at him so hard that it makes his head jerk back and eyes close for a moment... It's the only thing that'll interrupt his tongue on you, but that's okay - because the way his hot breath stutters against you in that moment is so good. So you do it again, feel how it makes shivers run down his spine. Having his hair pulled like that just shoots straight to his dick, and now he has to really work on not letting that distract him as you're whimpering under him. So who needs haircuts every three weeks when he can have all of this - the tugging and oh so good flashes of pain that turn him on -, just by keeping his hair long?

The Standard Heating Oil hat, though. That one is special because it fits him just right, even after all these years, like a perfectly worn in sweater, and somehow it will never accidentally fall off unlike other caps. Not even after that helicopter crash in the Andes, you know? Fucking magic. He stole it from Pope years ago when he'd crashed on his couch after a night out and just never gave it back. There's no long or even overly sentimental reason he would offer for why this one is his favorite - it just is. Plus it'll make Pope grin at him every so often as he'll call Frankie a pendejo and ask when the fuck he is getting his hat back, which will never happen, because they both know that that hat became Frankie's the moment he put it on.

What the fuck, how did I just word vomit 600 words on Frankie's hair and hat before it's even 10 am? I must've blacked out there for a bit. Thank you for the ask, @rhoorl! <3

Pssst @legendary-pink-dot, Bush Pilot Hair alert.

[barcodeboyz]

My top 10 favorite South Park episodes, no one asked but here we go

10. With Apologies to Jesse Jackson

This is a controversial episode to put here because of how offensive it is, and truthfully, I didn't care too much for the A plot. But the B-plot makes up for it. Watching Cartman and a Midget fight to Get Down with the Sickness is so hilariously absurd.

9. You're Getting Old/Ass Burgers

This is the second/third episode I remember watching before I got into the show. I included them both in one spot because Ass Burgers is a continuation of You're Getting Old, but each have their own separate charm. I definitely shed a tear when Stan moved out to Fleetwood Mac's Landslide and split my sides laughing as Kyle yelled at Cartman for sticking the burgers up his ass. I also heavily relate to Stan's meltdown in class in Ass Burgers, because that's real emotion. An amazing storyline overall.

8. Make Love, Not Warcraft

I mentioned that the previous two episodes were some of my first episodes, but not THE first episode. That title goes to this episode. When I was born, my brother was 15, and as I grew up, I often watched him play World of Warcraft. So this episode is very nostalgic to me, not just because him and I watched it but because as someone who plays WOW nowadays (very inconsistently), it's so nostalgic to see how much has changed.

7. The Losing Edge

This is just a classic episode. The boys don't want to participate in baseball and try to get out of it by losing, but the other teams have the same idea. I think we all know who the real star of the episode is: Randy. I thought this was America!

6. Trapped in the Closet

Subtlety is completely ignored in this episode. As Stan is praised as the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard, his comments about Tom Cruise send him literally into the closet. I think my favorite bit in the episode is R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet verses, specifically when he pulls out a gun in Stan's room and everyone in the hallway runs away.

5. Major Boobage

This episode is... beautiful. The animation is impressive, and the story is hilarious as well. Kenny and Gerald cheesing and then getting into a fight, Cartman reliving the Holocaust with the cats, and the funny ass press conference given just solidify this episode as legendary.

4. Le Petit Tourette

This episode introduced my favorite one-off character, Thomas. But even more than that, it gave us a great story and a chance for us to see Cartman's plan blow up in his face. While it ultimately never came to fruition due to Kyle's actions, it's satisfying to know that he definitely revealed a deep secret or two in exchange for almost slandering minority groups on national TV.

3. Follow That Egg

I have vague memories of watching this episode as a kid, but I don't consider it as one of my firsts because I could only really recall them running through the crowd trying to save their grade. But it's a fantastic episode. Ms. Garrison's attempts to stop gay marriage from being legalized, to Stan's comical bitterness towards Kyle and Wendy, it all comes together and compliments each other well.

2. D-Yikes!

I didn't expect to get so personal on a South Park top 10 list, but it's the honest truth. South Park became a major comfort for me after my assault. And this was the first episode I watched that made me burst out laughing since the attack; Ms. Garrison screaming "scissor me timbers!" has got to be one of the funniest lines in the show's history. And overall, it's just a fun episode to watch.

1. Guitar Queero

This is an underrated masterpiece of an episode that more people should watch. The plot of the episode feels so fluid, and everything about it makes sense to me. The rise to stardom, falling to drugs (well, video games about drugs), losing it all and returning to give it one final shot just encompasses what South Park can really do when given the right tools. Maybe I'm biased because Season 11 is my favorite season, but something about this episode just really scratches my brain.

Anyways, that's my list! Thanks all for reading.

[hannahssimblr]

“Clóda,” one stone. 

“Clóda,” another. 

“Fuck sake,” I murmur to myself, then throw a third, bigger one, which smacks off her window so loudly that I’m briefly paralysed with fear that it has broken the glass. Thankfully it hasn’t. She comes out onto the balcony.

“There you are,” she says quietly, peering down at me in her garden as I drop my handful of stones and wipe the dirt on my thighs. 

“Yeah, here I am. This is a bit Shakespearean isn’t it?” 

“Huh?”

“Like, you know, 'but soft, what light through yonder window breaks…. Defy thy father, refuse thy name', et cetera,” I pause before clarifying, “Romeo and Juliet, no?”

“Oh, I did The Merchant of Venice for my Junior Cert.”

“I thought you’d have still gotten the reference.”

She leans over the balcony to point to a precarious looking trellis against the wall, “If you climb up that thing you’ll be able to reach me.”

“Right,” I say, and press my foot against the flimsy timber to test my weight, “You know I’m like, nearly thirteen stone?” 

“You can try.”

“And if I break it?”

“Hmm, try not to,” she suggests. 

“Right,” I brace myself by slotting my fingers into a gap between some brick facade on the side of the house and I haul myself onto the trellis, and it groans but doesn’t give. “I’m good, I think I’m good.”

From there it’s not so bad. I nimbly move up the wall, grab hold of the sun room gutters and grab a hold of the balcony railings, where I find myself thrilled in the way a child is, having climbed somewhere he is not supposed to climb, the king of the castle overlooking his vast land, though I can’t really see much in the dark countryside, save a few car headlights in the distance, the lighthouse flashing over the bay. 

“Um, here,” Clóda hisses, and I realise I have briefly forgotten my objective, but the rest is easy, I just swing myself over the railing and I’m up. 

“Nice that you’ve a balcony,” I comment, “I don't know many other people who have one of these.”

“We built this house a few years ago, and for some reason I wanted a balcony in my room, I don’t know, I was like, ten, and it was a stupid idea because it’s mostly too cold out here to even make use of.” 

“Useful now though, huh?” 

She tucks her hair behind her ears and bats her eyelashes at me, “yeah I suppose it is.”

She pushes the door open and we creep into her room where the only light is from the glow of the television screen in the corner. It’s clean, very clean with no clutter or clothes lying around, which always freaks me out for reasons that I cannot explain. The idea that a person would have the interest or discipline to keep their bedroom clean is odd. If a person's bedroom is a mirror to the inside of their mind, then the lack of chaos in hers is foreign and unrelatable. 

While she switches on a pink fringed bedside light I throw myself down on the neatly tucked duvet just so that I can mess it up a little bit, to mark my territory like some kind of wild dog let loose in a palace. I peer at her CD collection and mess that up too by pulling one out and showing it to her, “Jesse McCartney, huh? You a fan?”

She goes pink and grabs it out of my hand, “Yeah I used to be, I dunno, not so much anymore, I don’t know why I still have that.”

I grab another, “Who are the Jonas Brothers?” 

“Oh, they’re-”

“That guy in the middle has a pretty wild haircut, would you fancy me with that?”

“No,” she giggles and takes that CD off me too, then slots them carefully back where they were, “I have some silly stuff, I probably shouldn’t have it all out.”

“Nah, well, look, you have some great stuff here, how ‘bout this? Black Holes and Revelations? I love this album, you know I saw Muse live last year.”

The mattress sinks as she sits next to me, “Really? Was it when they came to Ireland?”

“Nah it was in the states.”

Her eyes flash with intrigue, “like, America?”

“Mm, yeah.”

“That’s so cool.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah, that you just, like, go to America and stuff. I don’t know anybody who’s gone to America yet, and I want to go so badly.”

I shrug, “well you should, then.”

“How often do you go?”

“Not often, I was there last year and then before that…” I try to remember, “I think I was maybe twelve. It takes a long time to get to where I’m going, you know, from here you can only get to New York and then you have to get a connecting flight and all of that,” thinking about the ordeal of it exhausts me, but Clóda is leaning forward in fascination, as hearing the words ‘New York’ come out of my mouth has sent a thrill through her. 

“What do you go for?”

“Just to visit family and stuff.”

“You’ve family there?”

“Of course, did you not know that my dad is American?”

She frowns, “Well you sound a little bit American but I thought… I don’t know, really, I thought you were putting it on or something.”

“What, like, for attention?”

“I don’t know,” she shakes her head, impatient, “where do you go?”

“Well… I’ve some family in California and some in New Mexico, which is like, a state in the southwest, kinda wedged between Texas and California, if you can imagine that on a map,” I leave out poor Arizona just to make it easier on her, because nobody here knows what the hell a New Mexico, (‘no, no not Mexico, New Mexico’) is so it’s best to keep it concise. 

Clóda is nodding vigorously, “California, like, LA.”

“Kind of. Like, my dad comes from a place called San Bernardino, which is-” I take her wrist and trace a line on the soft skin of her inner arm, “-to the east of LA, say, an hour or two away, depending on the traffic, yeah? And then his family, like his aunts and uncles and their parents, who we used to visit sometimes, they’re living in a place way up north,” I run a gentle trail all the way up to the sleeve of her t-shirt, “to the very tip top of the Sacramento valley in this rugged, gold rush town…” I lift my eyes to her and she’s staring at my hand, following the motion of my finger as I skim the tip of it over her shoulder and across the taut skin of her collarbone. I prepare myself to say more sexy things about the Sacramento river and the rolling hills and the central valley and whatever else I usually bang on about whenever someone asks, but she looks into my eyes and says: “Is there an Abercrombie where you go?”

“Huh?”

“Abercrombie and Fitch.”

I frown, “Yeah?”

“Oh, wow.” She pushes me onto my back and lays on top of me, gazing down at me with fervid glitter in her eyes, “If you go back to America this year, could you buy me something from there?”

I search in her eyes for some sign that she’s joking and determine that she isn’t. She really wants me to do that. “Yep, sure,” I say.

“Ah, that’d be amazing. You know the way they have those bags too? The ones with the black and white pictures of the guys' bodies on them? Well there was a girl in my class who…”

And I zone out and I stop listening to her as she talks about laminating the bags and carrying school books in them, and I wonder if she will even notice the glazed over look in my eyes as I let my eyes unfocus and stare into the middle distance between her and her pastel pink walls and ask myself some serious questions. 

Do I like her?

She’s pretty though.

Sure, she’s pretty but is she fun? 

She likes Muse.

She’s not even very nice though, is she? She’s said a few weird things in the past.

Yeah but I’ve had sex with her now.

I can’t really stop talking to her or anything, can I? That’d mean I’m a dickhead. 

But would I rather be a dickhead or be miserable?

Maybe both outcomes will make me miserable. Maybe I’m just pre-programmed to be a miserable person. Or am I just cursed?

I zone back in for a moment, “...and then Mr. Brennan confiscated all of them, and there was this whole thing where the parents council…” What is happening? 

“Uh huh,” I say, “Uh huh… uh huh, what? That’s crazy,” God she is really pretty though, the kind of pretty that’s hard to find, and it’s not like there’s anyone else around, is there? It’d be awkward to stop seeing each other now with two whole weeks left of the summer. 

Beginning // Prev // Next

[vintagerpg]

Other Magic II (2020) goes where all great RPG lines wind up eventually: a monster book. Subtitled Monsters of the Americas, it is a collection of unusual creatures from a variety of American folk traditions, all accompanied by Jesse Ephraim’s minimal yet evocative woodcut art.

Some might be familiar to well-read aficionados of monsters from oral traditions. The Raven Mockers, for instance, which I know from their appearance in Manly Wade Wellman’s Silver John novel The Old Gods Waken. Over all though, I suspect Other Magic II will be the first time readers encounter most of these creatures, like the headless mule (gouts of fire shoot from the neck of this monster, which is actually a woman cursed to take the form) or the Lagahoo (a man whose head is a coffin topped with three burning candles, who rather reminds me of Pyramid Head, actually).

Most of these monsters are interesting for a couple of mechanical reasons. For starters, they aren’t really good for D&D style combat encounters. Rather, their reasons for being almost all beg for whole, dedicated scenarios (I can easily see these used in spooky games like Vaesen or Call of Cthulhu). This is partly because of another interesting feature: most of the monsters can’t be killed in conventional ways, if at all. The majority of them can only be driven away temporarily. For some, the only strategy is avoidance. Like the magic of the first volume, this implies different modes of play for readers to investigate on their own, which I am more than happy to oblige!

[hugheses]

3-23-17: 15 year old Jack Hughes is interviewed by Sherry Bassin and Jesse Pollock, starting at 48 minutes

Transcript below cut (includes an earlier snippet with Mike Traikos)

JP: Mike, there's another young player in Toronto that you've had the opportunity to study, and he goes by the name of Jack Hughes. I was wondering if you could give some input on him as a player and what to expect from him in the future. 

SB: Michael wrote an article on him. 

MT: Yeah, it's funny. We're talking about young guys, and here's the next wave of the future. Jack Hughes is still two..? years away from getting drafted in the NHL. I think he's 20, I want to say, I think he's 2019 or 2020 draft eligible. So we're talking about real young. But it's funny, when I was coming up with who might be the next Team North America four years later, I had Jack Hughes on the list, and that's how special of a talent this kid is. He's small. He's basically a Johnny Gaudreau or Mitch Marner. But, man, oh, man, he has skill. Skates very much like Connor does, really nifty kind of like Mitch and Johnny in terms of doesn't get hit a whole lot and just puts up just gobs and gobs of points so, he's a name that I think a lot of people are going to be familiar with and you know what, I think what we're seeing now with Connor I remember talking with Jack about this, was his style of play is really kind of catching on at the younger levels like, you watch Connor and nothing is in half speed it seems like he's got the puck and he's just trying to go go go and it's very rare that you see a player who's able to stick handle and carry the puck with the kind of speed and the amount of pace that Connor plays with. And yet all the young guys are now playing that way. So it's having a real trickle-down effect. And I think if you think the league is fast now, just wait until these young guys come into the league, like we mentioned Jack Hughes. And there's so many others that are kind of watching Connor McDavid play, and they're saying, okay, basically that's the kind of style I want to play. I want to have the puck, and I want to play with pace, and I want to just keep pushing it, pushing it, pushing it. And I kind of shudder to think what the league is going to look like in five years when all these speed-throughs are in the game, and they're just whipping around the ice a million miles an hour. 

SB: Oh, like if you can't skate in a few years from now, you're going to get windburn. You're going to need Nuxema to put on your neck because they go by you. But the real thing about Jack Hughes is, just like we said about Matthews being a special person, like a top character guy, just like we said about Sheifele and McDavid, like, exudes character. It comes out his fingernails. This guy's a high-character kid. I know the environment. I knew his mother before his father met her and stuff and know what they're all about. But I've often said all the time, you know what I mean? When you put character and ability together, you get a superstar like Matthews and McDavid and these guys. 

JP: Sid. 

SB: And that's in the- Sid. 

MT: And just for a little background for anyone who doesn't know, Jack Hughes, obviously his father, was a longtime player development coach at the Leafs. And say what you will about how he developed players, but this guy definitely knows the approach to take with his sons and his eldest son, Quinn, is in the National Development Program. I believe he's committed to Michigan University. 

SB: Yeah, and he's a heck of a player, like a phenomenal player. 

MT: Should be a top 10 pick, no question, in 2018. So, yeah, get used to seeing there, hearing about the Hughes kids. 

SB: And the younger brother. The younger brother, Luke, is, oh, yeah. These guys, he can go around you, the younger brother, Luke, but he'll go over top you, too. And first of all, their mother was a phenomenal athlete, okay, and high-character people. And so the brother that's with the national development program, he's the best defenseman on that team by far and I think, I think he's he's a candidate to be the best player on that team so you know these guys have come up in an environment like you said I tried to hire his dad as a coach one time and uh, because he is a very good teacher and stuff like that so as you pointed out that uh it's going to be coming in the future. This isn't the end of the great players. 

MT: There's an interesting thing about the brother too, Sherry, I'm sorry to cut you off, but Quinn is not a tall fellow by any stretch of the imagination. He might be the Johnny Gaudreau of defensemen where we see Quinn kind of break through in the NHL as a small, skilled defenseman. And I don't think we've really seen that yet. We've seen maybe a couple players here and there, like maybe Ryan Ellis, guys of that nature, but not to the skill level that Quinn Hughes has. So it will be interesting to see where he gets chosen in the NHL and what his path looks like because he could actually end up becoming maybe the first really high-end skilled, really small defenseman. And if he's able to have success in the NHL, I think that opens a lot of doors for a lot of smaller skilled players that maybe are afraid to play defense because it's always thought of as you have to have a bit of size to play the position. 

SB: Well, when I see Ellis playing, who I have a lot of respect for, I remember when he played for the Windsor Spitfires, Quinn Hughes is highly, highly skilled, very unselfish, great vision, just like we're talking about Jack. Okay. So, I mean, it's in the family. It's in the DNA and good upbringing. So we shouldn't be worried about these 10 young guns you're talking about because pretty soon you'll be writing about the next 10 young guns. 

————

JP: …Hearing him talk about the Hughes kids just excited me. I don't know about you but it just really made me think, how do you develop talent like this? How do you have three kids who could go on to become potential top 10 NHL draft picks? It's incredible. And our next guest, Sherry, Jack Hughes, is going to be able to tell us a bit about that. 

SB: Great young kid too. Great young kid. 

JP: Alright, we are now pleased to welcome Jack Hughes to the show. Jack, thanks for coming in. 

SB: Jack. 

JH: Hey, Sherry. 

SB: How are you doing, Jack? First of all, I wanted to tell you that we're really excited. Thank you for coming on here. I love interviewing highly talented young people that have high character, and I've known you since you were knee high to a grasshopper. 

JH: Haha.

SB: So I'm excited because I really believe in my heart, I'm not trying to be patronizing. You're the best player available in this whole province or whatever available for the OHL draft. I don't want to demean whoever got player of the year. He must be a heck of a player because I know how good you are, and I know what kind of person you are. So I want to thank you for coming on. 

JH: Yeah, thanks for having me. 

SB: No, no kidding here. So now listen, I'm going to tell something and then I've got to hear from you. Because good players and scoring. Stevie Sullivan came to, played 18 years in the NHL. I've got to tell you this quick story. And he was a free agent, and he wasn't very big. He could skate like you can skate, and he played 18 years. And we had four scrimmages in training camp, and he got 19 points in our training camp at Sault Ste. Marie. So right away, I said to my assistant manager, get him up there and we give him a full scholarship for education and stuff like that. And he was sitting between his parents and I said to him, how many points do you have in these scrimmages? He says, I don't know. I said, you're a liar. Called him a liar right to his face. And he looked at me and the parents had never met me He said I've never known a guy that got a lot of points That didn't know how many points I said how many points you got. He said around 18. I said you're damn right you got 19. Now how many points you got this year?

JH: I think I had around 170.

SB: 170. In how many games?

JH: 75, 80…

SB: 75, 80. How's your math, Minion? How is your math here? 

JP: My math isn't good, but I know that that's pretty impressive. 

SB: That's more than impressive. Now tell me something. First of all, I know your family really well. I know the upbringing. I know what it's all about. And, you know, I think your brother, Quinn, who I know very well too, and I think he's the best, for sure, the best defenseman on the U.S. team, if not the best player. I know your brother, Luke, who I think is going to be one of the best. He might even be better than you two guys when it comes to it. Now tell me about all this. When you're as talented as you are, the high character that you have, the environment that you were brought up in, tell me about this when everybody's saying you're going to be the first pick and you're the best player. How do you deal with it day to day and people talking to you? 

JH: I mean, really, I'm just trying to enjoy it. I mean, it only happens once, right? I only go through the OHL draft once. I'm just trying to enjoy it with my friends, my family. Just taking it lightly, I’m never- I’m not the cock- I'm not being cocky or anything, like shooting my mouth off. Really just like, just trying to have fun with it I guess. And not taking any pressure.

SB: Well good for you. First of all you're never going to be cocky with it. You're humble, and you've stayed at my house and everything, and I know what you are. And I think one of the biggest reasons you're a star and going to be a superstar is because of your character and because of your upbringing. So I'm not surprised, but you've got to be thinking about it, and good that you're having fun because that's what life's about. I used to tell my players all the time, winning is fun. Let's go have some fun. 

JP: Jack, your dad, Jim, was the director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And I just want to hear from you what role that helped in developing you and your brothers as hockey players and the type of training and the programs that he puts you in as kids because it's quite incredible to see. We mentioned earlier on the show that three brothers could all potentially be top 10 NHL picks one day. It's incredible to think about, and it's no coincidence. 

JH: Yeah, for sure. I mean, like, the mental things he would tell us tell us like, the things he would be telling the 19, 20 year old Maple Leafs prospects he'd be telling the same things to us when we were 10, 11, 12, 13, like just he made us think like a pro I guess and just the way we train we did so methodically like everything we did, hard work. He and my mother taught me so much. Everything I know is from them. The things they did with us, shooting in the basement, taking us to outdoor hockey. They've done so much for us, both mentally and physically. They've made us better people and better players. 

SB: Well, first of all, your mother was a heck of an athlete. Let's not forget that. And I knew your grandparents very well, and your grandmother is still alive, and your grandfather died prematurely from cancer, which just makes me, it hurts just when I talk about it. But I can tell you this, that that kind of an an environment- I tried to hire your dad as a coach one time

JH: Haha

SB: He told me to suck eggs there and so forth and so forth but anyway he did, so I know the family and stuff and tell us about this, when you're so committed like you are, because I always believe motivation is how bad you believe in something times how bad you want to attain it. I know how bad you believe in it. I know how you live it. I know how bad you want to attain it. So what is your typical week during hockey season? How often are you on the ice? 

JH: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think we practice with practice with the Marlies, we practice three times a week, um some weeks we played once a week some weeks we played four times a week and then like as much as I can I try to get in the gym try to get stronger maybe once or twice a week and maybe do a little bit of extra skills with like groups called like, prep um pro edge power [he means Power Edge Pro] like I think that's McDavid's group. I mean we practice four times a week then spend two games so we're probably on the ice six out of seven days a week and then O mean just the fun aspects of it like when it comes to winter time, I mean me and my friends are always going to the outdoor rink and just playing four hours of shinny whenever we can. I mean, we just, I think we just live it. I mean, I love it. It's not work to me. It's all fun, right? So, I mean, I can never get enough of it. 

SB: Yeah, I mean, the thing about it is you love it by conduct, going to outdoor rinks. I mean, I grew up on outdoor rinks, and I'm a little bit – I'm a couple years older than you. But the thing is this, is that that's just an example, and you couldn't get enough of it. Like you say, you'd be there four hours, and if the ice was still there, you'd have stayed longer. 

JH: Mhm.

SB; That's your feeling for it, and that's why you're this good, and I'm excited to be able to tell people about it.

JP:  Jack you mentioned earlier that your parents really helped you develop into a good hockey player but also a good person and that's something that Sherry emphasizes just as much as anything really the importance of that and uh I think that's really great that you mentioned that. I want to ask you something in regards to the OHL. I know that you applied for exceptional status and ultimately it was denied. So I was wondering if you can talk about that experience and how maybe that will help you going forward or if it sparked anything in you.

JH: Yeah, for sure. I mean, that was such a great experience going through that process like all the interviews meeting people I did. I mean, it just made me mature so much faster I think, and I mean it was just great for me to grow up that fast I think, I know like, it wasn't really publicized or anything like that, but behind the scenes it was really good for me. Um, I think it was a blessing that I didn't get it because I mean it helped me like, it allowed myself to stay at home another year and have one more year of minor midget where I could really excel. So I think, I think that process was really good for me, like meeting the people I did, and just hearing things about the league. And I learned a lot of new things about myself as well, I think. 

SB: Well, Jack, there's no question. I mean, you've seen it. I've known it for years. I mean, what people, when they watch you, never mind your just ability, never mind his skill, Minion. He's a phenomenal team player, phenomenal team player, got great vision. If if you're open you're going to get the puck and and it's sometimes it's frustrating because when you're that- got that much ability that he does, he never shows any negativity on the ice you know, which I really respect in this guy and sometimes when you're that skilled and you give the puck and you're not getting it back, you know what I mean? He never showed any negative emotion. And so this guy's destined for big things, like big, big things. And listen, I can't thank you enough. I mean, you just, you know, just by listening to you, we know the character. We know the environment you're a product of. You know that I love your parents and love your family. But besides that, it's because of the people you are, never mind the fact that you happen to be a good hockey player. So all I know is that big things are destined for you, and I really want to thank you a lot for coming on. 

JH: Yeah, thank you, Sherry. 

SB: Good to talk to you. Keep punching. 

JP: Thanks, Jack. Good luck. 

JH: Thank you, yeah. 

JP: What a mature, young individual, Sherry. 

SB: It's hard to believe that he's only 15 going on 16, isn't it? I have said over and over with you and all the time we've got to visit since you were a little guy, okay, all the time, that the average 16 year old to 19 year old that plays in the OHL or plays in the- is a way more mature than the average 16 year old that you run to in the street because of all the decisions all the things that he had to do I mean think about what he talked about his commitment: four hours on an outdoor rink playing with his buddies. And it wasn't work. It was fun. Going to the gym regularly. Think about being the right kind of person in the environment that he's a product of. His mom and dad, I mean, who I know very, very well. You know, with the direction. And it's frustrating when you're that talented, when you're playing with players that they know they're trying their best, but when you're above their ability, so to speak, and that's not meant with disrespect to the players because they're not all born equal as hockey players, don't all have the same commitment, and you're playing with them and you don't get the puck back or you do certain things and not let it bother you because inside it's got to bother you because you think if I just got this i'm watching a game one time where he goes in tick-tack-toe how's your mama on the defenseman goes right by the guy makes a phenomenal shot scores a goal called back as a guy three zones away got a penalty and so all those 170 some points he talked about weren't one of the points and so, but he never showed that frustration, never showed frustration. Because he didn't get player of the year, whatever it is. And I'm sure this kid is a heck of a player. I'm not trying to demean anyone. But inside, when you got that competitive spirit, and especially- the guy that got it, he's a super superstar then. Because this guy's a superstar. And it was even hard for me to accept because I knew him so well but I don't want to demean the other guy I didn't see him enough and-

JP: And it's a humbling experience, one day he's going to look back at it and maybe he'll say this was the best thing that happened to me as a teenager.

SB: Yeah what you just said when you asked that question about exceptional player. 

[entropic-saudade]

For @wellofdean (we interacted on your post on my main, but I had most of this in my drafts on this account).

Re: My disjointed, hastily verbalized thoughts on The American Dream as queered (and unqueered?) by Supernatural

The thing about Supernatural is that the thing that keeps the boys from being unable to reach The American Dream (a house, a successful job, a nuclear family) is that compared to the systemic issues (and the fact that it’s all a dangling carrot of a construct anyway) that keep most people from reaching it, what prevents them is the fact that monsters exist—at least, this is a premise as outlined by Pilot. These are two white, handsome, (debatably) cis, (arguably not) heterosexual men, and it should be something that should come as easy to them as others presume it should (See: Wishful Thinking). But a demon burned Mom on the ceiling, and then Jess, so that world is not for them.

But then the show does some interesting things.

They align supernatural beings with corporations (Hell and Crowley, Zachariah and Heaven), in S7 they use Leviathan as the literal embodiment of Thomas Hobbes’ defense of capitalism Leviathan, the all-intrinsic, insidious, corporate greed of corporate America. Even a lot of minor monsters who don’t get half-season or whole-season face times face the same underlying issues that hunters and other Americans (and people in general) face: they just want to survive. They want to keep food on the table. It’s eat or be eaten. Often, especially in later seasons (most notably in S15), we see glimpses of monsters living in dumps for houses just living relatively normal lives before the boys come in and kill them. To the monster, society at large and the hunter is what keeps them from their Dream of family and home and stability.

Monsters like Garth, Benny, etc, have to either be reformed or cooperative with humans, or else they face death. (I want to write on Benny and Garth later bc they’re SO fucking interesting, even among the monster archetypes).

Then, consider the fact that, yeah, monsters exist, but they’re just a decoy/byproduct of the fact that there IS an overarching systemic force that keeps them from ever exerting true free will, (note Hobbes’ social contract says we sacrifice a little bit of will in exchange for safety, that’s the condition of society; the safety here being so long as the boys follow Chuck’s stories they’ll forever be reincarnated into the rat race; if they want real free will they’ll no longer be safe from permanent death): God.

So the show in Pilot establishes that the American Dream apple pie life isn’t for them. Sam wants it, but he feels like a freak no matter where he goes. Dean claims he doesn’t want it, but you brush past his layers and you see how deeply he just wants a family and home (which John says he wants for him too, despite being the major force keeping him from it. Of course even without John, the other forces above kick in, because the system keeping them from it is God—John as an absent god figure represents that from the get go). They talk about the “apple pie life” with fluctuating tones of want and disdain throughout the show depending on their circumstances, but any time they get close to tasting it (Sam’s time at Stanford, Dean’s djinn dream in What Is and What Should Never Be, Dean’s time with Lisa, Sam’s time with Amelia—notably those examples stop after the boys get the Bunker, which I have more meta about I’ll RB & tag later, because it’s the closest thing to a home the show allows them to have), it gets poisoned by their past and snatched away by their path to the future.

Which makes the themes of “family don’t end (or begin) in blood” so important. (Though… consider also that most of their found family dies or isn’t shown by the end).

The way they get their American dream— a home (the bunker), a job (hunting, legacies, a hacked credit card), a family (all their found family, including Jack and Cas) is unconventional. In Lebanon, when John “I want this to be over, I want Sam to go to school, I want Dean to have a home” Winchester tells Dean he wanted him to have a home and family, Dean fully accepts and verbalizes that this is the best the life is going to give them. And that’s beautiful, and they’ll do anything to protect that. They make their little found families repeatedly: Ash, who burns down with the Road House; Jo and Cas and Ellen and Bobby, their family photo burned after Jo and Ellen die in AHBL. Every version of family they get is torn apart but they don’t stop, to the point that God literally has to take away everyone- and they still don’t stop fighting.

There’s smaller ‘jokes’ throughout— Dean never getting pie (never getting the apple pie life), Mary’s pie being storebought instead of homemade as representative of the fact that her home life wasn’t “real”— it was borrowed time. Even the pie in finale, is horridly, literally, delivered as a pie in the face. A joke. The apple pie life Sam got in the end isn’t necessarily even because he wants it anymore (Sam tells Dean such throughout, though he’s a little harder to read), but because Dean wanted it for him. The life Dean got in the end was in death.

Going back to Kripke and The Hero’s Journey as presented in his era of S1-5, the ending really subverted the ideas from Pilot. Dean got the apple pie life (and suffered), Sam did the furthest thing possible from normal and TOOK BACK POSSESSION FROM LUCIFER TO JUMP INTO A CAGE HE KNEW HE’D BE LOCKED IN FOREVER to save the world.

Then you get Gamble doing some interesting things with Leviathan/monster as Capitalist force, literally bringing the Campbell in Joseph Campbell back with Mary’s extended family— notably, Sam only fits in among them at the time because he Wasn’t Sam, and Dean feels like an outsider both in Lisa’s home (on the surface he keeps it together, but the life holds on), and among them even when he is hunting. They make fun of him for the traces of the American Dream apple pie life (golf clubs, magazines… even things he can’t control, like the ‘delicate features’ he gets from his mother, who waged a normal life so badly she made a deal with a demon while he inhabited her father’s body—the force that kept her from a normal life. More later on Mary and how she’s revealed to not be able to stop hunting regardless). The Campbells get killed off, and we get Mary in the form of Eve, Mother of All, who likewise is trying to protect her children. Is soulless Sam’s return in Exile on Mainstreet a “call to adventure”, presented as more of the inevitable same from Pilot— one so close that it’s Dean’s fear, that Azazel is back and will continue the cycle with Lisa and Ben? Ultimately, it’s not Azazel, but other demons and the existence of monsters, those pre-existing systemic family forces that keep Dean from his supposed idealized version of a normal life.

Carver’s era does some interesting things with Amelia (whose flashback scenes are so brightly lit they bring to mind the false cheery lighting of Dean’s djinn dream in What Is and What Should Never Be, of the false light lighting in It’s a Terrible Life— to the point that some have theorized the whole thing was a cope hallucination by Sam), with Benny (who I have meta written about elsewhere I need to post on here— but Benny is one of the most self aware, narratively echoed characters who aligns himself with every member of Team Free Will in just a few episodes. The notable/relevant thing here is that like Sam, Benny the blood drinker is a freak among freaks, feeling like he doesn’t fit in anywhere, has no home, and when he tries to find it (Andrea Kormos, Elizabeth in Carencro), he can’t get it either), with even the angels being thrown from the only home they’ve ever known, with Cain and Death and Rowena and God as a broken family with Lucifer and Amara and Chuck-as-God.

And then you get Dabb’s era, bringing Mary Winchester/Campbell back, the chance to unfridge a woman and tearing all expectations about who she is down, never acknowledging her family was also resurrected at one point, the boys living as “Campbells” in Lebanon (which I loved, but the “I have a home and I have a family” gets kind of thrown away by the end), Dean’s “I have a home,” The Heroes Journey even being lampshaded in S15 with the episode with Garth (more thoughts on Garth and how that episode shows the only real American Dream on the show, and he got to keep it, doubly queered by the fact that they’re monsters who are also hunters). Dabb’s finale brought the Heroes Journey story circle back, quite literally in the sense that time is a flat circle and Sam and Dean are returned to their Pilot expectations— right down to their clothing choices in Heaven. (I know some people find that beautiful, and there is a nice symmetry to certain elements, and I understand the need to end the story that way, BUT it’s the broader story and structure and narrative and message that upsets and baffles me— it undoes Kripke’s whole “rip up the ending” bit, the subverted Hero’s Journey from S5, and combined with everything else in the show (not going to touch Heaven rn but I have Thoughts about that too), it sends the message that what meaning you create in life doesn’t matter (the found family (who we don’t see in the finale and barely gets acknowledged. SAM’s new family barely gets acknowledged, his son is a xerox of Dean and his wife is a blur in the background who doesn’t have any family photos in the home), the queered way in which they create the American dream doesn’t matter)— true happiness comes in death.)

Something something “the one thing I want is something I know I can’t have.” Cas’ confession is not only a confession to Dean but a show thesis. To me.

[mycatismyfriend]

Just some more of the Angel inspired places I got to visit in Los Angeles (29.08.2024) 2/2

[pinkpinkmermayyy]

I present yet ANOTHER atsv au:

the bird companion au

in which at the age of 10, every person is given a bird companion that signifies their purpose, character, and destiny by the Canon itself in a large ceremony.

Miles Morales was given the companion of a cockatiel, Gwen Stacy was given the companion of a swan, Pavitr Prabhakar was given the companion of a bluebird, and Hobie Brown was given the companion of a cockatoo.

Miguel O’Hara was given the companion of an African Grey Parrot, Jessica Drew was given the companion of a bald eagle, and Peter B. Parker was given the companion of a pigeon (hear me out here).

All of these symbolize their character and even their role in the multiverse. Cockatiels (Miles’s bird) symbolize the important of socialization and creating bonds with others, as well as holding your loved ones dear to your heart. Swans (Gwen’s bird) symbolizes grace and beauty. The swan is also seen in the famous ballet Swan Lake and it deals with the character of Odette being cursed, which is similar to Gwen Stacy and her curse of dying in every other universe.

Bluebirds (Pavitr’s bird) represent joy, happiness, and harmony, which is similar to how in the face of disaster and dangerous threats, Pavitr is still able to shine through with unwavering optimism that doesn’t feel faked in the slightest. Cockatoos (Hobie’s bird) don’t have one definite symbolism, but they are known for their seed dispersal to help regenerate the forest, and are often seen as “pests” to most farms. This can reflect on how Hobie gives to the community while screwing over the authority that wants to keep all resources to themselves.

African Grey Parrots (Miguel’s bird) are regarded as one of the smartest birds in the world, being the smartest parrot in the world as well. This, along with them symbolizing royalty through its tail feathers, emphasizes on the isolation Miguel goes through with his unique knowledge on the multiverse and the consequences of meddling with the Canon, as well as the grief and guilt that comes with knowing what will happen in the future.

Bald eagles (Jess’s bird) are seen as symbols of bravery and strength, which Jess perfectly represents. She works in one of the most elite and strict societies with prestige and a sense of professionalism that no one can deny is present. Yes, while this bird is also seen as specifically a symbol for the United States of America, this is what they symbolize on a broader level.

Now you may think I did Peter dirty by giving him a freaking PIGEON but the symbolism behind this particular bird fits his character arc a lot. Pigeons are seen as symbols of peace, love, and tranquility (calmness). His arc of learning to being love (MJ) back into his life again and a sense of peace with his new family emulates this bird perfectly. Also, I just see him with a pigeon especially with his attire, okay?

Here’s one more snippet for my OC Mariano O’Hara from the Mariano O’Hara au hehe

—-

Mariano O’Hara, if he were in this au as well, would be given the companion of a mockingbird. Mockingbirds, especially in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, are symbols of innocence. To kill a mockingbird then, is to destroy innocence. Mariano, while he does have some of the qualities of getting a cockatiel, bluebird, and even a pigeon, he gets a mockingbird because his innocence of the world highlights everything else in his personality. His abundant kindness and love for the world is a direct result of being kept away from it by Miguel, who is extremely adamant on making sure he doesn’t face the horrors of society that are unfortunately present. They parallel each other in a way: Miguel’s bird represents the burden of having the most knowledge and intelligence out of anyone and Mariano’s bird shows both the ups and downs of being completely innocent, by being both ignorant of everything bad, but also vulnerable to those evil forces.

—-

So you can tell I have a lil obsession hehe

lemme know what you guys think and add your own thoughts to this!!!

taglist: @adorefavv @chessbox @daydreaming-en-pointe @darksidescorner @hoe-bie @hobiebrownismygod @i-put-the-wit-in-dimwit @ace-and-sleepdeprived @jasontoddssuper @skullghoulz @sp1derw1re @spiderxpawz @thecrowandtherose @the-cat-and-the-birdie

[darkmaga-retard]

Introducing the top ten stories they chose not to tell you this week.

The Vigilant Fox

Sep 22, 2024

#10 - Vaccine Horror: 23-year-old suffers devastating injury after being given three vaccines at once.

Within ten minutes of her injections, Alexis Lorenze went temporarily blind, began vomiting, and then things went horribly downhill from there.

Before Nurse Angela intervened, UC Irvine staff mocked Alexis's injuries, laughed at her, and subjected her to extreme delays when she requested help while suffering from unbearable pain.

After Alexis's horrific vaccine injury went viral, she was transferred to the ICU, likely due to the mounting public pressure on the hospital. And the doctor who mandated these shots on Alexis has since disappeared from the picture.

Thankfully, Alexis is slowly getting better and has regained vision in both eyes, but still suffers from setbacks and a great deal of pain.

Alexis says as soon as she starts getting “a little bit of strength back,” she’s going to join forces with the vaccine-injured community to take down the criminal medical system that injured her.

Watch our exclusive interview with Alexis and her nurse advocate, Angela. Alexis needs your prayers, and she needs people to share her story so others don’t suffer the same fate.

You can support Alexis by contributing to her fundraiser here to help her get the proper medical care she desperately needs.

SUPPORT ALEXIS: givebutter.com/savealexis

#9 - Jesse Watters raises serious questions about Trump’s latest would-be assassin.

#8 - Diddy placed on suicide watch, mental state unclear as he awaits trial.

#7 - Wall Street Journal reporter uncovers disturbing discovery in Springfield, Ohio.

#6 - Ex-NYC Covid Czar admits to hosting secret, drug-fueled sex parties during lockdown.

#5 - The Babylon Bee utterly embarrasses Gavin Newsom’s ban on AI parody videos.

#4 - ABC News whistleblower claims Kamala Harris’s campaign colluded with the network to rig the debate in her favor.

#3 - American patriot goes viral after demolishing FBI agents, leaving them humiliated and ashamed.

#2 - Ex-Border control chief says Biden regime ordered him to cover up increase in suspected terrorists flooding over the border.

#1 - Tucker Carlson fires off huge warning to America.

BONUS #1 - MSM Journalists Inadvertently Reveal Shocking Truth About Global Warming

BONUS #2 - The Silver Bullet to Losing Weight

BONUS #3 - Chris Cuomo Delivers Surprising Apology to President Trump

BONUS #4 - FDA Issues Bone-Chilling Monkeypox Vaccine Warning

BONUS #5 - How to Get Ivermectin, Z-Pak, and More

[dweemeister]

You must face the age of not believing Doubting everything you ever knew Until at last you start believing There's something wonderful in you

Dame Angela Lansbury, who died at her home today in Los Angeles at the age of 96, is perhaps best known today as Jessica Fletcher in the acclaimed TV series Murder, She Wrote and in the Broadway stage plays and musicals in significant parts that Hollywood never gave her. But well before that, the Irish-British transplant to America (she and her family left Britain at the height of Nazi Germany’s bombing campaign of her home nation) made her career as mostly a character actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She may not have been a major star billed at the top of marquees and movie posters during her time while contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), but she would come to be a recognizable figure to audiences of multiple generations – whether she might be playing a tough saloon owner with a belter of a singing voice, a schoolteacher just making ends meet, Elvis’ mother (despite a nine-year age difference), princesses and queens, the amoral and scheming wife of a political candidate, an emotionally manipulative mother, or a teapot matriarch.

She stepped onto a movie soundstage for the first time at seventeen years of age, while making Gaslight (1944) for MGM. Because she was still technically a minor, she had to be accompanied by a social worker while working on set. Despite this, director George Cukor and her co-stars (including Ingrid Bergman) treated her as equals, all of them recognizing right away her professionality and acting ability. Perhaps producers and studio executives might not have done the same, saddling her so often with character roles, but Lansbury – by all accounts – extended that same kindness Cukor and Bergman afforded to her to so many others over the decades, leaving a legacy that goes beyond whatever personal disappointments she may have had over the more considerable roles she never got to play.

Her distinction as Hollywood royalty came later in life, as our connections of Hollywood’s Golden Age are almost all gone.

Nine of the films Angela Lansbury appeared in follow (left-right, descending):

Gaslight (1944) – directed by George Cukor; also starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, and Dame May Whitty

The Harvey Girls (1946) – directed by George Sidney; also starring Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Ray Bolger, Preston Foster, Virginia O’Brien, Kenny Baker, Marjorie Main, Chill Wills, Selena Royle, and Cyd Charisse

The Three Musketeers (1949) – directed by George Sidney; also starring Lana Turner, Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Van Heflin, Frank Morgan, and Vincent Price

The Court Jester (1955) – directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama; also starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, and Cecil Parker

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) – directed by John Frankenheimer; also starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, and Janet Leigh

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) – directed by Robert Stevenson and Ward Kimball; also starring David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall, Sam Jaffe, John Ericson, Cindy O’Callaghan, Ian Weighill, and Roy Snart

Death on the Nile (1978) – directed by John Guillermin; also starring Peter Ustinov, Jane Birkin, Lois Chiles, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Jon Finch, Olivia Hussey, I.S. Johar, George Kennedy, Simon MacCorkindale, David Niven, Maggie Smith, and Jack Warden

Beauty and the Beast (1991) – directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise; also starring Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, and Bradley Pierce

Mary Poppins Returns (2018) – directed by Rob Marshall; also starring Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, Joel Dawson, Julie Walters, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, David Warner, and Dick Van Dyke

[another-identityofmine]

•Perfect American Family•

Summary: The Colonel tries to host a family friendly interview, wanting to capture the Presleys as the “Perfect American Family.” It becomes utter chaos, from boyish ugly shorts, to a broken little piggy toe.

Major notes: Reader and Elvis have made a family of 3. Children of the dear couple are Aaron Jesse, Rosemary, and Jackson (pronounced “jag-sin” tho) Aaron is 15, Rosemary is 13, and Jackson’s 11

Warnings: the colonel, ugly clothes, stereotypical American family through the colonel’s eyes, yelling, throwing things, running amok, and injury to a baby toe.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“What’s wrong with our image now?” Y/N raised her brows and look up at the colonel, back at Elvis.

“Oh nothing, nothing, nothing! It’s absolutely extravagant! But I just want America to see how extravagant your family is. Mr Presley?” Colonel puffed his words out in a quick, puff of smoke, then turning to Elvis for a little help.

Elvis nods and glances over at Y/N, “Yeah hun, we just sit on down, talk a little, and show how wonderful You, the babes, and I are. It’s all there is.” He smiles a warm reassuring one and walks over to the colonel, squeezing his shoulder.

“Exactly, all that America needs to know is that you are a perfect, normal, human family.” The colonel nods, waving his fat hand about, that wedges a thick cigarette between.

Elvis laughs and nods over to him, putting up his hands reassuringly, “trust me, we are a perfectly normal family. What else would we be.” He snickers and looks over at me, and I just shrug and hum, “mhm.”

“Oh, and they’ll be coming over here.” Th e colonel perks up over his shoulder. I raise a brow and clear my throat. “Oh? A-and what should we wear?” I ask in genuine curiosity and confusion.

The colonel nods and pats Elvis’ shoulder, “my boy, tell your woman there is nothing to hover over about. I have that all planned out. Just be ready for tomorrow. I’ll take care of everything.” With that, the colonel disappears into thin air just as the vampire he is.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Before you know it, you are all propped onto the living room couch with sour faces that cannot be mistaken. Youre standing behind the couch with Elvis, with Aaron and Rosemary sitting on top of. Everyone all seems pissed, waiting and steaming. You’re wearing a tacky pink skirt that goes to your ankles, and a white apron tied tightly behind, with your hair pinned up, also being assigned to hold a spatula. Aaron huffs in his red jersey and game uniform, holding a foot ball in his arms with his hair slicked back too neatly for his own damn liking, looking like some know-it-all-jock. Rosemary, seems pretty flattered, wearing a blue dress with white gloves and her hair in her shoulders, curled neatly. Let’s not forget Mr. Presley behind you, huffing and puffing with the ridiculous outfit chosen out. He stands besides you wearing a black suit, his hair tucked tightly and neatly under a dressy hat. But then again, where’s Jackson?

Finally the camera people walk in, along with the colonel. While the interviewers seat themselves and prop up their equipment, Colonel walks over with a huge and impressed smile, holding his arms out. “My, my, I couldn’t even recognize any of you. ‘Specially Aaron.” Colonel grins, and Aaron frowns up.

“Colonel, My damn family and I don’t wear this on a daily basis. What are you tryna put us up for? A-a damn doll set or sumthin? It looks like I’m going to a funeral while my family looks like they’re dolls to a toy set!” Elvis huffs out, and you and the kids know definitely to set back.

“Elvis, calm down. I am only trying to promote the “Presleys” as America’s idol family is all” The colonel speaks out in a rush. Elvis snaps back and shakes his head, “we look like crackies off the damn streets!-“ The colonel immediately claps his hands and ignores Elvis’ complaints, finding a new subject to escape to. “Uh, Where’s your boy Jackson? The camera’s are to roll, and if I recall correctly, I remember you had two sons.” The colonel tries to laugh off, but closes his lips and looks to the camera people.

“Aaron, grab your brother please. It is not time for any nonsense.” You whisper down to your eldest son who immediately gets up and runs upstairs to grab him. While that, the interview starts. A couple hello’s and small basic questions pass, Elvis answering with a frustrated and embarrassed tone but keeping piloted.

Then you hear the rumbling and tumbling, Elvis pays no mind, just wanting to get this over with while Rosemary and you look to the stairs. Jackson running around, shrieking while Aaron tries to catch up.

“Mama! Daddy! Look at these shorts! I am not wearing this!” Jackson screams about, Aaron rolls his eyes and seats back with us. While Rosemary and I shake our heads and whisper yell, “Jackson, sit your behind down!”

“No! Look at this!” Jackson makes a mess anywhere he goes, then running in front of the cameras. Elvis takes action and yells, “Jackson sit your ass down!” Elvis and Jackson then go about, taking turns complaining about their clothes and screaming at eachother. The cameras only watch with smirks and snickers, while Rosemary rushes to yours side and tries to smile and save the day.

“How about let’s make some all American-pie?” She smiles a crooked-smile, and I nod along. Then Jackson steps on a reporter’s baby toe, gasps and screams only adding to the chaos and noise. The colonel only watches with wide eyes and fleets the scene, his cane wobbly in hand.

You groan and hug Rosemary to your side, watching Elvis tug at his suit and scold at Jackson, while Aaron stomps and throws a near tantrum like a little boy.

This will be a huge mess to clean

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Author’s note: Imma be honest, this was rushed…and I’m not proud. It looked way better in my head (like most of my works do) oh goodness. But I just wanted to get this blurb out. I’m trying to clean my drafts before Christmas 💀

[thegreatlibraryfangirl]

I still don't have discord so let's go back to the old days of tumblr theorising: what subject do we think Jess would study at university? (major or specialise or however the fuck america works, I don't care). And why? Does Callum insist he goes to do Business or Finance or something? Do we think Jess could actually manage English Literature, or would he hate how it affected his enjoyment of books? Chemistry? Something physical?

All opinions welcome, including for other characters.