#like obviously not all 80s movie were goofy or anything. but there was still more heart there.

[cleocatrablossy]

I miss the goofy sincerity of 80s movies.

[elli3luvs]

GOOD GIRL READER X DEALER! ELLIE

a/n: thank you guys for the attention the first part got! seeing your reblogs and comments make me super happy haha tomorrow i will be working on all of the requests i've gotten :)))) hope you guys enjoy this part as well

cw: the slightest smidge of smut ever lol

ellie wasn't too sure how you managed to encapture her like this

studying was like a negative priority in her life, yet here she was at the library on a saturday, watching you scribble notes in your journal

since the time at the party, the two of you have been basically inseparable

she accompanied you when you wanted to go to the mall to get a pretzel

and you followed her around when she roamed around campus

she had a physics final in a couple of weeks but she didn't really care about that right now

seeing your concentrated look was far more important

she was looking at you when a guy came up behind her, tapping her shoulder

you look up from your journal at the sudden intrusion

"you selling right now?" ellie grimaced at this

"nah," she picks up a pen that she hadn't even realized was near her, "not right now." she looks down at her notebook hoping the guy got the hint

you smile at her as she looks up at you through her eyebrows

you don't know if it's because of your demeanor but since you have been hanging out ellie doesn't sell to people around you

she always rolled her eyes when the person would leave too

spouting a "fucking people, man" or "can't they see i'm with you?"

you guys were taking it slow until you decided you had enough of it

the two of you were sitting on her shitty little couch that was half broken from god knows what watching some sort of sci-fi movie from the 80s

she would laugh at the visual effects

you laughed at how nerdy she was to actually get enjoyment out of this

your heart was so full anytime you hung out with her

all you wanted to do was flaunt her around campus

that's when you decided to full send it

"do you want to be my girlfriend?"

ellie was laughing before you said that but her smile dropped almost instantly

you shifted your eyes around the room nervously awaiting her answer

it was like she malfunctioned for a split second

she looked at you with a look you couldn't quite place, "really?" she whispered

you nodded, "yeah."

"oh, thank god." she relaxed into the couch, hand grabbing your lower thigh and squeezing

she wanted to ask you that weeks ago but didn't know how you would've felt

she was actually the perfect girlfriend

you could always expect her standing outside your class to fetch you, even when it was an 8 am

she may have been wearing sweatpants and a hoodie with her hair literally sticking every which way

but she was still there

she would knock on your door randomly

when you opened it she would be leaning against the doorframe with a goofy smile, "wanna makeout in my car?"

there would be times you would show up to her room unannounced and it would be hazy with smoke

she would clamber around like you were her parents catching her, "fuck, babe. sorry!" her bong would be shifted to the side as she sprayed whatever was next to her to try and get rid of the smell

you didn't have to heart to tell her it rarely did anything

there were times you would be cuddling and someone would pound at the door

she would groan, getting up with an apologetic glance

she would grab the wooden box under her bed, taking it to the door to have a hushed conversation with whoever was on the other side

she would always come back with the money in hand and a smile gracing her face

"want mcdonalds?"

the first time you guys ever had sex she was so gentle

you noticed her hands shaking a little bit as she caressed you

obviously, you didn't say anything, but it was the cutest thing ever to you

she whispered the sweetest words to you as she continued to touch you so gently

"you are the best thing that could've happened to me," she kissed at your neck, "thank you for going to that one party."

it made your heart swell

there was one time she was knuckles deep in you, making you moan and writhe around under her

when a loud knock came at the door

she continued her ministrations, not caring until it got louder and louder

"els! you got anything?" the voice yelled from the other side

she continued fingering you, yelling a gruff, "no! fuck off!"

"you should," you let out a moan as her fingers circled your clit, "sell to him. it's important."

she scoffs, "no one is as important as you, pretty girl."

ellie was so good to you

she always put your happiness and comfort above anyone or anything else

you were so undeniably happy with her

[stevesaxetogrind]

Truly those calling it “bad writing” that Robin and Vickie share similarities doesn’t make sense. She’s not been given enough time to be more than just a love interest, but we do have some info about her:

1. Molly Ringwald inspo, giving us shorthand about being kind of a quirky gal. Hat! Visually, she’s similar to Robin, but that’s not a bad thing because literally similar interests draw people together. She is also skirts vs Robin’s trousers. Femme/Soft Butch! You’re telling me Vickie would wear a tie? Lies.

2. Likes goofy jokes, namely Steve’s joke about Muppet Tammy. Which, Robin doesn’t laugh at Steve’s jokes that much- she dismisses them, but it means Vickie has a bit of a jocular sense of humour.

3. Vickie also likes Steve’s brand of movies, not Robin’s- which is pretty fucking funny. Again, this is not making Vickie similar to Robin, but to things shared with Robin’s Platonic Soulmate. Like, bro movies? Stupid lil jokes? I predict Steve and Vickie having a dad joke competition next season & torturing Robin with how corny they are. People like to talk about the similarities to Robin, but not the similarities to Steve! That’s kind of clever drawing Vickie closer to one of Robin’s favourite people, at least superficially.

4. Talks a lot when one on one, but Vickie wasn’t nervous/flustered in the band scene, so we can infer in more crowded spaces she acts differently/subdued - as like she was in the War Zone. This is unlike Robin who does actually ramble in group scenes, like freaking out over the thing in El’s leg, the rabies bit, or generally a lot of Season 4 where she looses her “cool girl” archetype from Season 3 in favour of chaos. Vickie seems more like she would quietly panic, as opposed to Eddie, Argyle, and Steve who all loudly go WHAT THE FUCK. Which is going to be interesting to see as the whole town is now thrown into an open gate downtown Hawkins probably releasing demogorgons every other hour like it’s Pacific Rim up in this bitch.

5. Meaningful look with Robin in the War Zone- not “oh hi band friend!” A scared/caught/dismayed look that she was there. So there is a connection, and she broke up with her boyfriend after that connection. Anything more is speculation, but the way she wasn’t looking at Robin when she gave the “he doesn’t like Fast Times” reason lets the audience draw points and maybe she felt trapped? Like it was just an excuse to pursue a different interest? Obviously because music is playing indicating a romantic relationship. We don’t have much to compare Robin with on this one, but around Keith she still had more confidence and bullshittery trying to convince him to hire Steve when Keith assumed they were a thing.

6. Vickie also doesn’t seem jealous. Robin is jealous. She was livid at Steve for being the object of Tammy’s affections, but Vickie hasn’t seemed to even look twice at Steve- even as Robin looked over at him while she and Vickie had her last scene.

For such a short amount of time in the season, I think that we have a good foundation for similarities and differences to Robin. Also, once again, it’s not a crime to avoid “opposites attract” tropes. Having similarities is good! Like, the amount of couples I know that are essentially the same archetype of queer person is not even close to zero. Especially when it comes to older queer couples who got together in the 80s/90s, they kind of morph into being one granola bar of a human being. Kind of similar with straight people when they genuinely like one another.

I hope they flesh Vickie out, but like, we’ve gotten a similar amount of screen time for Mr Clarke but no one is mad he is “one dimensional” when he is just, some exposition science guy. He’s a stock and standard teacher, has a girlfriend, and kind of goes along with explaining shit without questioning why a lot. But folks love Mr Clarke. Is it because Mr Clarke isn’t getting in the way of your ship?

I never thought I would see the day there were some true blue f/f ship wars, but bruh, Robin’s love life isn’t an A Plot so give the writers some slack. They’re human, not the devil. None of you were gleeks and it shows so fucking much. None of you lived through “angry lesbians on the internet don’t want me dating you”.

Personally I’m looking forward to Robin and Vickie getting together and maybe hopefully kicking monster butt together- or at least, Robin getting a nice little badass moment defending her gal.

[alicia-18]

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART IV REVIEW

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Before anyone says anything, I know. I have skipped another movie. But before you call upon Jason himself to turn me into a shish kebab, let me explain.

I am based in England and watch this franchise on Paramount Plus. For some reason which I can only assume is to annoy the fandom, both movies 1 and 3 aren’t on the platform but 2,4,5,6,7, and 8 are. I’m just as baffled as you but as we are broke bitches out here, I can’t afford to rent it currently. I am actually going to borrow the first movie from my sister-in-law’s girlfriend soon so I will post my review of that too!

But with that out of the way, let’s get into my thoughts and opinions on part 4.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie! I think I might have even enjoyed it more then the second, though I expected as much as I know the fandom view this one and maybe number 7 (?) in high regards. The characters conversations, although still super corny, we’re a lot more realistic sounding then in part 2. Like the way Ted and Jimbo (I’m assuming his name is Jim but all I have in my head is Ted shouting Jimbo) were talking about girls does feel very reminiscent of typical teenage boys, just obviously very 80s.

And the kills were also a lot more interesting typically. You can tell by this movie that they had more of an idea on how to use Jason and his strength, even if at times he still seemed quite goofy. Just seeing the way he killed Doug by squeezing his face until blood poured and then throwing him through the shower glass for the girl to see was so entertaining, as well as the seen with Jimmy getting the corkscrew through the hand. I even appreciated when Trish sliced through Jason’s hand slightly.

This movie also seems to lean slightly more into the goofiness it has. Like when Rob is being killed and he keeps shouting “he’s killing me!” just had me cackling in bed at the unseriousness at it all. The movie had the ability to create suspense whilst still being laughable - in a great way. I’ve stated before I truly do appreciate the cheesiness of older horror and this movie is the epitome of that.

It isn’t a perfect movie though. I find Trish to be a much weaker final girl in comparison to Ginny. Like how she just watched Rob get murdered, went to run away and then went back like she would have been able to stop death? It made such little sense. She also felt pretty useless overall. Because realistically, Tommy is the star of this show. All she does is find a body and scream “he’s here!” When it’s bloody obvious he is by how the front door has been hacked down. She also left Tommy with little choice but to kill Jason himself when he is literally a small child! He has to try fixing the car, he has to stay by himself at the house whilst there’s a masked killer. All that she did successfully was hit Jason when he grabbed Tommy and then distracting him long enough for Tommy to shave his head.

The way they killed off Mrs Jarvis was also jarring because it’s completely offscreen and you don’t actually get any definitive answer to if she is dead. They could have atleast had her body show up in the third act or something similar to that but no. This goes back to my grievance with the second movie surrounding the ambiguity of Paul. I hate not receiving an actual answer and just makes me think they didn’t know what to do with either of their characters so they’ve left it open ended.

All in all, despite my few negatives, I did genuinely really enjoy this movie! I think it has a lot more rewatch-ability then the second too. I’m hoping the fifth part has a couple answers regarding Mrs Jarvis and I hope Tommy does come back because the ending where he looks straight at the camera is chilling!

I also wrote this a couple of days after watching due to my children being crotch goblins and not giving me a second to myself so this isn’t as in depth as the Part 2 review. I’ll try adding more when I review Part 5!

RANKING SO FAR

1) Part IV : The Final Chapter

2) Part II

[mace-from-outerspace]

So last night I woke up at like 4 am because neuropathy decided to be the monster of the week and went back to bed only to have a batshit dream.

In said dream, my partner and I are hanging out in bed together in what looks like my old apartment building when I lived in Milwaukee (my partner has never lived there, we live thousands of miles away in goddamn California). We say goodnight and go to bed.

We wake up some time later in this dimly lit room with decor I can only describe as those kitschy floral patterns from the 80s or 90s that your grandma definitely still has on hand and decided to theme her whole house to. We look at each other because we're like "what the fuck kind of 90s mindfuck movie did we just end up in). The room's big, bigger than our in-dream apartment and our real life apartment, but it's just a big fuck off room that's mostly empty aside from some wooden cabinets and a nook that leads into the bathroom. It's definitely some kind of hotel room.

We check out the cabinets because of course, check the cabinets in the silly goofy grandma room. There's just going to be towels and shit like a normal hotel room. Nothing weird about that.

In every single one of these cabinets is like 50+ clay sculptures very obviously made by different artists of differing skill levels. Some are painted, some aren't, hell I don't think some of them were even kiln fired or anything they were still malleable. There's a whole cabinet just dedicated to dragons, another dedicated to some other creature that I can't think of off the top of my head. Partner and I are like, "What in the actual fuck?"

After this surprise artshow lingering in our mystery room cabinets we go outside to see what the fuck is up.

I just see the big bold HILTON logo slammed right into some glass in front of our door. There's a big fuck off hotel lobby not far from our room that has a massive shopping center with a decent amount of people scouring its goods.

You want to know the the goods were?

Lingerie.

Heaps and heaps of lingerie of all types, all materials, I swear that every possible lingerie was in the middle of this fucking lobby/shopping center. The further we went, we found more shit you'd definitely find at your local sex shop, but imagine the sex shop was Apple Store white and sterile. Partner and I are just having a giggle because we have the humor of fifth graders as we're just looking at the lingerie, at the sex toys, but we're also confused laughing because I suspect most people don't go to bed and wake up in a Sex Hotel.

We wake up again in dream in our normal room. We chat and find out we had the same dream, so we're like "lol ok that's weird but it's only a dream" and decide to watch some TV.

Outside of the dreamscape we've been watching a lot of Star Trek, especially a lot of The Next Generation, so of course dreamscape us are partaking in our daily dose of TGN.

You want to take a fucking guess where the away team ends up in the dreamscape episode?

It's the Sex Hotel. The-- the fucking SEX HOTEL!

And I can only recall one member of the away team being in the hotel in this dreamscape episode:

Riker, the biggest slut on the USS Enterprise.

Of course he's thrown into Sex Hotel, of course he's the goddamn one uncovering shit, being regarded by staff and guests as the Main Slut™. He just keeps getting thrown in situations, even more than my partner and I witnessed.

In the end, the Sex Hotel episode ended in an orgy, a feature my partner and I didn't unlock in our experience. That was why it was sex themed in the first place -- the Big Orgy, sponsored by Hilton.

And then I woke up for real. My partner said to post this because idk what else to do with this information other than take their suggestion and make it everybody else's problem.

[teatimecrumpetsandsugar]

“What if I told you you’re pretty?”

Minor profanity warning! <3

No request this time, guys- I honestly just had the urge to write a Klance story. That’s it. That’s all that happened. I headcanon Keith getting incredibly clumsy when he’s flirted with, and being really, really, depressingly easy to fluster.

/                                                                                                            \

“Why wouldn’t you date me?” Lance whined, chin resting on Keith’s thigh. Keith scowled, pushing his face away, “I dunno! I just wouldn’t. They asked who on the team I’d be the least likely to go on a casual date with, and I answered. Drop it!”

Lance puffed his cheeks out in a pout, glaring at Keith, “So you’d date Coran before you’d date me? How is that fair?”

Keith rolled his eyes exasperatedly, throwing his head back against the couch in frustration, “We played the game three weeks ago- will you just drop it already? Why are you so butthurt about it?”

Lance visibly recoiled at that, nose wrinkling, “I’m not butthurt about it, Keith. You just really wounded my ego.”

Keith’s lip curled in disgust, and he gave Lance a deadpan look, “Good. That thing could use some shrinking.”

Lance thought for a moment, considering his next words carefully enough that Keith almost thought he was going to drop it.

Almost.

The next words to come out of the taller boy’s mouth were... not what Keith thought they’d be. He didn’t know what he was imagining Lance would say, but it certainly wasn’t what he said.

He should’ve known it was going to be bad when the cheshire grin curled Lance’s lips slowly upwards, eyebrows raising challengingly, “I suppose I’ll just have to woo you then.”

Keith spluttered out a noise of surprise, blood rushing up to his face so suddenly he had to turn away, praying to god that Lance didn’t notice. His hopes were dashed when Lance laughed, cooing out a vaguely haunting, “AWWW YOUR EARS ARE RED!”

Keith took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair and willing away the flush in his cheeks before turning back to glare at the still-laughing blue paladin, “What do you mean you’re gonna woo me? Did we die and end up in 80′s movie hell?”

Lance threw his head back, laughter persisting even as he tried desperately to calm it, “You’ll- You’ll see!”

Keith didn’t like the sound of that.

/ /                                                                                                        \ \

“Good morning, sweetcheeks!” Keith jumped when Lance’s voice rang out across the dining hall, looking up in bewilderment to find the taller boy’s eyes locked on him, “You obviously got your beauty rest.”

He winked at the end of the statement, and Keith swears he’s never been more embarrassed to be alive then when he blushed in response to that, having to hide his face in his hands.

The rest of the team looked on in confusion and slight horror at the exchange, looking between the two rivals in bafflement.

Honestly, truly, Keith wished he could say that’s where it ended. He really did. But it just didn’t end.

/ /                                                                                                        \ \

“Even fresh out of battle, you’re still absolutely ethereal.” Keith stumbled over his feet at the suddenness of the remark, spluttering out something vaguely similar to “Shut up!” and turning a bright red as Lance snickered, “Don’t fall for me so soon, gorgeous!”

He swore it was just a coincidence when he hit the ground seconds later in front of the entire team- Lance McClain, of all people, was not making his knees weak. Not even close.

/ /                                                                                                        \ \

“What’s cookin’, good-lookin’?” Keith barely had time to react as his hand slipped from where it was braced on the kitchen counter, gravity suddenly yanking him towards the floor- until Lance caught his waist, steadying him on his feet, “Wooing you is going to be too easy if you keep falling all over yourself like this.”

Keith snickered, turning to look at Lance, “No one says wooing anymore, Lance! It’s weird-”

He cut himself off when he was face-to-face with the taller of the two, hesitating when he noticed how close their faces were. The counter was right behind him- there was no way for him to move back if he wanted to, and he was sure his face was turning redder the longer Lance stood there.

He laughed uncomfortably, going to turn back around so, at the very least, Lance wouldn’t see the horrible flush creeping up his neck, but the blue paladin just giggled lowly, tightening his grip, “Look, you’re all red!”

Keith spluttered out another soft, flustered noise, finally turning himself around and burying his face into his hands. Lance put a hand on either side of the counter, crowding him up against it- but, Keith noticed, he wasn’t laughing anymore.

Lance paused, hesitating, before asking almost vulnerably, “What if I told you you’re pretty?” Keith felt his ears go hot, hands still pressed tightly to his face, “You’ve been doing that in different fonts all week.”

There was a stretched out silence- it went on to the point that, if Lance’s hands hadn’t been on either side of him, he’d have thought the other boy left.

“And you’ve been running all week,” Lance murmured, words coated in thick emotion. The air between them shifted- suddenly, it didn’t seem so goofy as it did before. Keith let out a shuttering exhale, slowly lowering his hands from his face. They settled between Lance’s own, chin tucking towards his chest as he made a soft sound of embarrassment.

“Tell me again,” Keith breathed, voice embarrassingly high-pitched, “I won’t run this time.”

Lance’s fingers twitched, and Keith’s own slipped through them thoughtlessly. Lance gasped softly, hands trembling, “Keith... you may just be the prettiest person I’ve ever seen. You’re strong and incredible and beautiful- you’re the best, most amazing person I’ve ever met. Inside and out.”

Keith’s breath stuttered, heart pounding against his ribs, and Lance fell forward against him, lips pressed to the crown of his head idly, “Say something. Say anything.”

Heat crawled up Keith’s throat, so much blood rushing to his face that it was almost dizzying, but he found himself turning around before he could think better of it. His hands settled on either side of Lance’s jaw, Lance’s finding his waist so fast you’d think they were magnetized.

He dragged the taller boy’s face close, noses brushing together with a tilt of his head, their lips brushing together just barely.

He waited- waited for Lance to admit he’d been joking around again, waited for him to pull away, waited for some type of rejection- but Lance stepped closer, eyes fluttering shut, and asked, “Are you going to kiss me, gorgeous?”

Keith exhaled shakily, letting his shoulders relax and his eyes flutter shut, “Yes,” And he leaned forward, pressing his lips against Lance’s in a soft, uncertain kiss. Lance smiled into it, a soft, fluttering laugh bubbling out against Keith’s lips, and Keith pulled away, laughing gently before he kissed Lance again.

Soon, their laughter fades to quiet giggles against each other’s lips, a warm, fuzzy feeling settling in Keith’s chest.

“I think... I think I might be sufficiently wooed, Lance.”

[fly-pow-bye]

DuckTales 2017 - The Absolute Best!

After doing the least best this series has done, it's time for a much, much harder list to put together: the absolute best episodes of DuckTales 2017. I am not going to lie: this was hard to put together. Anyone could guess that based on how I once planned to have this list alongside the worst list and that did not happen. I can also see myself forgetting about other really good episodes of this show. However, after days of pondering, I believe I have a good list here.

Same rules as the last list.

It has to be an episode of DuckTales 2017. No shorts, even if the shorts combined can make up a full episode.

With this list, I have to say something bad about each of these episodes. Not necessarily the worst part of the episode, but a bad part nonetheless. These are going to be more nitpicky, but it is only fair to prove the constant that there is no such thing as a perfect piece of media and it is a decent challenge for me.

This is my opinion and my opinion alone. There are episodes I didn't like as much that a lot of people did. The last list should be a huge hint at that.

Alright, let's begin.

10. Jaw$!

I mentioned this episode in my Least Best as the better example of the show establishing the relationship between Lena and Magica De Spell. It establishes Magica De Spell better than either of the episodes that featured her before this one. One was a tease put in the very last minute of the episode to show how Lena is going to be far more important than the "cool new goth girl", and the other was the Terra-Firmians episode that used her as a way to improve what would otherwise be a not-so-good filler episode. This one is a far better example, and it's not just because a money-shark is a lot more interesting and threatening than a bunch of cutesy rock creatures.

It also has a B-plot about Scrooge's Board of Directors scheduling an interview to improve his PR, and hilarity ensues when Scrooge has to defend his zillionaire antics when a shark made of his own fortune is causing havoc throughout the town. Glomgold also makes an appearance during this, which only makes it better. Along with some neat Jaws references along the way, this is not an episode to miss.

Bad thing: They really did not want to mention the obvious plot hole of the kids being able to go into the money bin. This was long before F.O.W.L. began their plans against Scrooge or even the 87 cent problem, but still, one would think this would be one of the most highly secure places at Killmotor Hill considering all of his enemies. Considering I didn't particularly love the Impossibin episode, as much as I love the idea of it, it might be for the best.

9. The First Adventure!

Going from an arc from season 1 to an arc from season 3, though some may argue the F.O.W.L. arc has been happening since season 1. Anyway, this is an episode that brings back the younger Donald and younger Della that was first seen in "Last Christmas!" in their first adventure with their Uncle Scrooge. It's very interesting to see the similarities between their first adventure with Scrooge and the first adventure with Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

Even though this does give good development to the arc, arguably even bigger characters in this episode are Bradford Buzzard and Black Heron, as this episode details the origins of the Fiendish Organization of World Larceny. Their antics throughout this episode are very entertaining, with the plot toying with the dynamic of the more chaotic evil Heron and the more lawful evil Buzzard. With all it all ties together, I had to put the First Adventure on this list.

Bad thing: The sense of time in this episode is odd. We get a title card showing that it's the 60's in the opening scene, and yet there is very little suggestion of any passing of time between the opening scene and the scenes that I assumed took place in the 80's.

8. Quack Pack!

It would be too easy to just put in episodes that are important to any of the various story arcs that went throughout this series, so here's an episode that could be taken out of the series without harming anything. However, it is still a very memorable episode of the show, where the cast of characters have to be in this weird sitcom. There's also a mystery element, as there is a culprit to why these characters are in this sitcom world.

I really like the whole meta element, with the characters picking apart all not only the clichés in sitcoms, but sitcom production as well. I also really appreciated the "special guest", another sitcom staple, being a character from a different Disney Afternoon show with some great references to it. Quack Pack turns out to be the antithesis of the show it was named after; it's not dated, it's really funny, and it realistically portrays how freaked out these characters would be if they saw those weird hairless apes.

Bad thing: I wish they did more with the concept of this world being made up by someone who was locked away from the world since 1990. Maybe not references to the era of Disney that gave us "Gotta Be Gettin' Goofy", but more jokes about how the 90's were different from now. They kind of ignore this, as if they only mentioned 1990 because of the DuckTales movie they were referencing.

7. Last Christmas!

Wait, a Christmas episode in a Top 10? I have my reasons for including this one. It's not just because the idea is pretty great, as it uses the very tale that inspired Scrooge's entire character in the first place. Obviously, we already had one of the best cartoon renditions of A Christmas Carol, and this episode does not try to recreate that. Instead, we get a different tale, mostly featuring Scrooge and Jiminy Cricket, er, the ghost of Christmas Past, going back to the past to experience a good Christmas party. If only we can do the same, like Dewey accidentally does in the episode.

This was also the first time we also got to see a young version of Donald, who, in this episode, is voiced by none other than the late, great Russi Taylor. It was almost like having one of the siblings from the old show interact with one of the new ones. This is also the first time we got to see and hear her outside of a painting, and it's heartbreaking and yet understandable when we get to the scene where Dewey has to say goodbye. It's a good scene, and they weren't afraid to even throw in a joke that does not ruin the moment.

Bad thing: No, episode, this is the Scrooge they were looking for. Were they trying to make it seem like Scrooge was always a hero and not a miser who would deserve getting three ghosts to visit him with that line? I don’t buy it.

6. The Ballad of Duke Baloney!

Got to pay some respect to Scrooge's arch-rival with an episode that really shows off his character, which is a bit ironic as this is an episode about him getting amnesia and getting a brand new, at least to us, persona named Duke Baloney. Amnesia episodes tend to be a dime-a-dozen, and anyone could predict this new persona is not going to last, but the way this episode develops is actually much more interesting. This is the episode for Glomgold character development, with dream sequences, flashbacks, and a great scene in the ending that takes place in a storm that he may or may not have made up in his head. I may not have given a lot of his episodes high-rated reviews, but this is easily not only one of his best appearances, but one of the best episodes of DuckTales 2017.

Bad thing: The dream sequence really subtly implies that Duke Baloney is about to become Glomgold again. How? By having him outright say "this gold, it's GLOOMING onto me!" ...okay, I'll admit, that was a stretch for a bad thing, but with a dream sequence with subtleties, that took me out of it.

5. The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!

I called this episode "the best episode of the series so far" when I reviewed it, a pretty late episode in a season with lots of good episodes, I would say that's a good sign that this one was going to be a shoo-in for at least the Top 10. What I love most about this episode is that it gives a little more humanity to the legendary Scrooge McDuck. Sure, this was shown a bit in "Woo-oo!" and "Mount Never-Rest!", but I felt this episodes was one of the best examples of that. Throughout this episode, he sees himself as this legendary figure, as everyone sees him, and he ends up failing to live up to those impossible standards by crashing in a plane in a way where they may not survive.

Much like Quack Pack, there's no traditional villain like Glomgold or Magica. Eventually, this leads to Scrooge finally bringing up his biggest failure: his loss of the Spear of Selene and a certain relative that was piloting it, and it is one of the biggest emotional moments of the series, both in and out of universe. It's one of the most important episodes in the series, and it is also one of the best.

Bad thing: The Last Crash of the Sunchaser is a neat title, but it doesn't really fit the episode. The Sunchaser will certainly crash again. At most, maybe it could be referring to Scrooge crashing down to the lowest point he gets to in the series, but that's not the Sunchaser's fault.

4. Moonvasion!

My big hot take: the season 2 finale, the best of the season finales in my opinion, is not the best episode of the series. However, it is very close. It's actually kind of funny; I had plenty of criticism against the build-up to his finale, especially the Louie Inc. plot that led to an episode that was just kind of lackluster to me, and of all the, some alien commander from the Moon who thinks the Earth revolved around his "planet" wasn't exactly as threatening as an all powerful witch or the scheming businessman who knew Scrooge's every move. Okay, when I put it like that, the alien does sound more threatening, but trust me, even Bradford had his moments.

The biggest thing about this episode is the sheer scale of it. It really did feel like every major player in the series had a part in this, from Scrooge and the nephews, to Dijon and Amunet, to the new Darkwing Duck, to Donald and Della, to even the Greek pantheon! Oh, and Glomgold, too, in what may be his finest moment in the series! It really does feel like a finale for the series, and I say this even if I felt The Last Adventure was a great one as well.

Bad thing: In hindsight, this would have been a good time for the Terries and Fermies to come back. They're in the earth! That episode wasn't bad because of them.

3. Let's Get Dangerous!

I'll tell you a secret: I did not watch Darkwing Duck as a kid. It was just DuckTales '87, and even then, I did not remember a lot of episodes of that. This show was made for people who did not grow up with DuckTales '87, because they were not even alive. Though there are parts of this episode that can be appreciated by those who were familiar with the heroes of the Disney Afternoon, I will still say this episode works very well as its own superhero movie. That is what it is, really!

This special is the true continuation of another episode, though we saw this defictionalized-within-the-fiction Darkwing Duck in the Moonvasion, and it may as well be a pilot for a Darkwing Duck reboot that spins off from this show, with its villains, its origin stories, its sidekicks, and its memorable catchphrases. It all works very well. Who knows where the new Darkwing Duck reboot will go, though I would at least imagine that they would eventually get to certain Darkwing-related plot threads that never got resolved.

Bad thing: Outside of using a few cliche moments to extend the episode that end rather predictably, in the attempt to make Darkwing Duck as cool as he wants to be, the regular cast essentially become jobbers in their own show.

2. What Ever Happened To Della Duck?!

It's the question everyone wanted to know ever since Dewey said the last line in the first episode: what ever happened to Della Duck? This is one of the more artsy episodes of the show, focusing on one duck on what she assumes is a barren moon until she finds a monster that seems to do nothing but impede on her quest to get someone to save her. It does heavily expand from there, to the point where we get to see some more new characters, one who I thought was going to be way more important than the other. I decided to call that guy "General Not Penumbra", and that name could still be fitting as an insult.

This episode would be made or broken by how good Della is, and this is a very good episode for her first voiced debut as an adult. We did get to see her in the IDW comics, but this episode is where her character is developed. Throughout the episode, she has elements of her kids and especially her brother Donald. While there are future episodes that develop her further as a mother who wants to make up for all of those years she missed, one of the biggest defining moments is right in this episode, where she sings a version of the Capcom game's famous moon theme. An amazing episode all around.

Bad thing: Do I have to? Uh, flares do not work on the Moon? No, seriously, I can't think of anything worse than that.

Honorable mentions from each season:

The Shadow War! - An excellent way to end Season 1 that would only be topped by the Moonvasion.

Nightmare on Killmotor Hill! - A dream episode that really works with the concept, especially how Lena is the one involved with it.

Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice! - This is an action packed episode where Launchpad really shines.

And now, #1:

1. The Duck Knight Returns!

Yes, I decided to put the prequel episode to Let's Get Dangerous as higher than the big Darkwing Duck episode, and part of this may be a little bias on my part. While it was not the very original intention of it, Fly Pow Bye started as a project to review a reboot, so of course an episode about Darkwing Duck, a fictional show within the fiction, getting a dark and gritty reboot would be right up my alley. We have Launchpad, a Darkwing Duck superfan, reacting to how they're going to ruin Darkwing Duck. We got the conflict between what the big studio execs wanted Darkwing Duck to be and Dewey's version of it. Finally, we have the conflict between Jim Starling, an obvious reference to original Darkwing Duck voice actor Jim Cummings who is even voiced by him, and his replacement, who appears to be some guy named Drake Mallard.

A lot of these plots converge in very interesting ways, with plenty of twists. Drake Mallard, the guy Launchpad was trying to replace with the original, turns out to be very worthy of the role by also being a superfan! Dewey's version has dancers, just like that Batdance music video! Okay, maybe that last one isn't that great, but it does not overstay its welcome. And, of course, Jim Starling ends up causing a huge cliffhanger that, despite the show being over, we will still be hanging from. We can only wonder what was going to come next, but I do not have to wonder what the best episode of DuckTales 2017 is.

Bad thing: I can't really think of a bad thing for this episode, but I can say that it is odd that there's no real transition from "TV character" to "real hero". It does help that it's not the TV actor that ends up becoming Darkwing, but "fanboy of TV character turning into a real hero" is just as much of a leap, even with an incompetent hero like Darkwing. I would also consider the show never following up on this episode's cliffhanger a bad thing, but that's not this episode's fault.

How does the whole show stack up?

It is an excellent modern take on the Disney Ducks. Opinions may vary on how this will compare with the original, since it is very much a modern take, with a different style of humor than the one from the original or the one in the original comics. Anyone who loves shows like Gravity Falls will be right at home here. Any fan of the original comics or the original cartoon may balk at some of the creative decisions made with the characters, but I would say it pays some good respect to them.

Oh, and before anyone asks, no, I am not going to give a rating for the whole series. I've already imposed a 10 image limit on myself, and since I grade on a relative scale, the average is always, in theory, going to be in the middle. It's a good show, that's what you're going to get from me.

And that's it for DuckTales 2017. Hurrah for Disney and Clan McDuck. Bye.

← The Least Best! 🦆 n/a →

[frienderbender]

(Metalrat) I’m required to ask about Pickles or Magnus for the character breakdown game. XD Hope work goes well today! :)

i can do both! :] and thank you, work was ok today. better than last week anyway.

ill put it under a cut since its two characters and it will get a little long haha

PICKLES

How I feel about this character: i love pickles sm i think hes such an essential character not just in terms of being the drummer but really with his personality. i love how the others confide in him and i just love how hes arguably the most emotionally intelligent comparatively. just a cool dude. if i had to pick one member to hang out with, it would be him

All the people I ship romantically with this character: as ive said, im really casual about shipping in general and will probably enjoy just about whatever with him, but i do like pickles and nathan, and if i had to pick a favorite charles/band member ship, it would probably be him and pickles? maybe? that said, i feel like my fave pickles relationship is still him and magnus?? but preklok, obviously. i dont think they would ever fully reconcile or get back together, and i really enjoy the dynamic of them as exes. that said...i do still find myself feeling a little warm when i think about them being sweet and madly in love before everything went down.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: LOVE pickles and tokis friendship. wonderful. fantastic. perfect. i think toki took to pickles really early on and often went to him for advice or comfort. good stuff.

My unpopular opinion about this character: uhhhhhhh i dunno. i cant say ive really seen anything so often that rubs me the wrong way when it comes to like, characterization or whatever. ive definitely read some fics here or there where i was kinda iffy on some stuff, but in general i cant say theres anything big that comes to mind. i feel like people seem to be generally on the same page with him, which is interesting

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: i really wish we got to see pickles during his snb days! like actually during the height of their popularity yknow?? i wanna see the band perform back in the 80s and all that. also i really would like to see more family stuff, but that goes for everyone tbh...maybe see him when he ran away and all that. ALSO. ALSO. i NEED to see him interact with his nephew its important.

pickles just has so much to him and i just wanna explore it all!! hes such a fantastic character

--

MAGNUS

How I feel about this character: i love you grandpa. nah but fr though i think magnus has so much potential, i think hes fascinating

All the people I ship romantically with this character: like i said, him and pickles. man. just super interesting. i think him and mma is really funny too but like in a one-sided "so what are you doing after this ;)" way that ends with mma just impaling him yknow. purely for comedic purposes lmao

My non-romantic OTP for this character: man i wouldve done anything to see him and toki actually hang out. on my ever growing list of episode ideas ive written, at the top is an episode of him and toki hanging out at mordhaus and the rest of the members just trying to avoid him lol

My unpopular opinion about this character: uhhh idk i think hes both a goofy villain and also deserving of more analysis? if that makes sense? i think being both is possible; i know a lot of my faves from other things fit into that exact box. i also think there was a time when the original dethklok really did love each other. i think magnus really did care about them. he wouldnt still have that photo if he didnt, right?

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: more screen time...please.....and my absolute dream episode would be a whole episode about them before they were famous, so magnus would be there too. give it to me now‼️‼️

i just really enjoy magnus and he has one of my favorite character designs. just deserved more to him i think! i feel like all the stuff was there to do more but we didnt get that and its a shame! maybe he will reappear in the new movie, but im not getting my hopes up haha

[innately-pretentious]

Hello love!! Could I get a male HP ( any era ) stranger things and sherlock ship? I’m 19 years old and a hufflepuff. I’m 5’1” with short reddish dirty blonde hair. I’m curvy and very pale, I have been doing musical theatre for nearly nine years and dance for eleven years. I’m quite a nerd, i keep to myself but once you get to know me I’m really bubbly and weird and sometimes wild. I enjoy making others laugh. I have pretty bad anxiety so I tend to be nervous and paranoid. I put others needs before mine. Thank you so much my dear! Lots of love! Oh! Also I’d I already sent you one of these I’m so sorry I honestly can’t remember

I ship you with Remus Lupin!

The two of you would make such an adorable couple! One of the first things he noticed about you is your kind nature. Remus is not someone who cares majorly about physical appearances, preferring to get to know a person before he likes them. Being from Hufflepuff, kindness and loyalty is almost second nature for you, and he noticed. Looking out for the younger years and fellow peers around Hogwarts and helping classmates during classes was something the definitely gained his attention. It was only when the two of you were paired up in class together when you started really talking. Getting to know each other, he thought it was now or never. He shyly asked if you wanted to join him on his next trip to Hogsmeade, just the two of you. You of course accepted. 

As your relationship progresses, he starts to see your more bubbly side. You are initially shyer when it comes to meeting new people, which he can definitely relate to. The first few dates consisted of the two of you blushing and him fiddling with the sleeves of his sweater. However, as time went on, he started to see the real you. Hanging out more and more you realise you share the same sense of humour, letting your weird side out. He remembers the first time you made him really laugh. The two of you, sitting by the lake, talking complete nonsense as the sun began to set. Both of you giggling with tears in your eyes after something you just said, and when he regained his composure he couldn’t help but look at you in awe. Only the marauders have done that to him, he smiles at the memory. 

Speaking of the rest of the marauders, they love the effect you have on Remus. Whenever he comes back to the Gryffindor common room he is beaming, excitedly spilling to them what the two of you had gotten up to. James and Sirius teasing him as he rambles on. He was at first hesitant to introduce you to the rest of his friends, knowing how you do have a few walls put up before you get to know someone, he didn’t want you to be uncomfortable. He honestly didn’t have anything to worry about though! After inviting you to the Gryffindor table to eat, you all get along like a house on fire. James, Peter and Sirius telling you embarrassing stories about Remus whilst he buries his head in his hands, the three of you laughing. He is surprised at how quickly they welcomed you into the group, making you feel as welcome as possible within the first few hours of you all meeting. You better believe the boys want to sneak into your common room and get up to some kind of mischief, much to Remus’ dismay. He often has to remind them all that you are his girlfriend, they can’t always tag along and that sometimes you need time alone!

Nights in the Gryffindor common room can go both ways. When it is just the two of you the night is more calm. You draped over him with your head on his chest as he absentmindedly combs his hands through your short hair. Both discussing various things that happened during the day, him listening intently and not interrupting, offering input or funny remarks when they are warranted. But when the rest of the boys are there? You bet you’re in for a night of not stop banter. Talking over one another, trying to get a word in edgeways, plus the boys trying to quiz you on your relationship. You don’t mind for the most part, but if it gets too personal, Remus is always there to tell them to back off. 

The song I associate with the two of you would be ‘Young Love’ by Mystery Jets and Laura Marling.

I ship you with Jonathan Byers!

Both of you would be so good together! 

He loves nothing more than driving absentmindedly with you, his hand resting on your thigh, soft music playing through his stereo. You often catch him glancing over at you, loving the way your short hair falls around your face as the wind from the open window blows it. You glance back at him with a small smile, telling him to focus on the road instead of you. He is usually very particular about what music he plays in his car, usually sticking to rock anthems of the 70s and 80s, but he has a soft spot for you. He allows you to put a few soundtracks to your favourite musicals on, smiling when you get excited about a particular favourite of yours. He definitely made a joint mixtape for the two of you to go on long car journey with. The perfect mix of classic rock and musical theatre to accompany you on your journey. 

The two of you are both slightly introverted, you prefer to enjoy each others company rather than going to a huge house party or bar. He loves nothing more than spending quiet nights in, just the two of you. Discussing what movie you are going to watch and curling up on the sofa together is his idea of heaven. Feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest with his arm wrapped around you, feeling safe and secure in the others presence. This is often how Joyce finds you when she comes home from work, turning the TV off as the credits are rolling down the screen, grinning as she knows her son has found someone who compliments him so well. After these events, the Byers quite literally welcomed you to the family. Inviting you to various holidays such as Christmas and New Years Eve, insisting that it is no trouble at all. She loves the way you interact with her son. Even if Jonathan is slightly embarrassed by him mum’s hands on approach, he is grateful that you feel so at ease in him home and around his family. 

If you have a spare day together, you often find yourselves in the local record shop. Loving the way his face lights up as he finds the latest album from his favourite band, excitedly turning it over and reading the track list. His family doesn’t have a bunch of money, therefore he often has to wait a few weeks before he can afford to splurge on a record he really likes. But if you have the spare cash, your kind nature often wins over, quietly buying it without him noticing. When you get back to the house you leave it somewhere in his room with a note for him to discover later. He always says that you should save your money for yourself, he can wait a few weeks until he has the right amount of money to buy it for himself. You always remind him that it is no problem, it’s your money and you wanted to do this. Whenever he puts the record on he is reminded of you, cheeks blushing as he smiles at the thought of you. 

He often finds you dancing in the kitchen in the morning, before he has woken up. You have taken dance for a considerable amount of time, therefore you are a natural. Softly dancing around the kitchen, making breakfast and coffee for the two of you. He leans on the door frame, completely enthralled by your simple moves, coming up behind you and snaking his arms around your waist. Resting his head in the crook of your neck and muttering a good morning. You can feel he is still slightly groggy from recently waking up, you can’t help but chuckle and lean into his sleepy embrace.

The song I associate with the two of you would be ‘Ivy & Gold’ by Bombay Bicycle Club.

I ship you with Sherlock Holmes!

This match would honestly be so good! You meet him whilst working on a case, after a brief meeting you find yourself running into him more and more. He is honestly surprised that you are more observant than most of the other people around him. You find yourself being dragged along on various cases, you find him looking at you expectantly, valuing your input on the confusing aspects. You were nervous at first, I mean, it was Sherlock Holmes you were working with. Your responses would only sound juvenile to him, you thought. But as you begin to work closer with him, he is glad to see you start speaking up more, offering your more down to earth explanations. He doesn’t mention it at the time, but he keeps your inputs in the back of his mind, deciding you are more useful around than not. 

There is definitely a height different between the two of you, Sherlock finds this especially amusing. When he is a rare goofy mood he will tower over you. Smirking to himself as you have to crane your neck to see him, chuckling at his antics. He can’t help but smile at you, its at one of these moments that he begins to fall for you. 

As time progresses you both begin to open up to one another. he will often call you late at night, rambling about his recent findings on a case, obviously restless. You honestly don’t mind and find it rather amusing, grateful that you are someone he thinks of getting in touch with. He only realises that it might be slightly inappropriate when he mentions it in a passing conversation to John. And, after being promptly scolded by him, telling him it is generally impolite to call someone at 3am, he offers you a rarely heard apology. Sometimes you still miss those phone calls. 

He always knows when you are feeling too overwhelmed or paranoid in certain situations, in fact he sometimes recognises the symptoms faster than you. Even if he is in the middle of cracking it, he often calls you a cab to take you home if you are stressed. Opening the door for you and putting you inside, giving you a quick kiss on the cheek, telling you to wait for him until he gets home, promising he will be back before dinner. 

You two rarely argue, but when you do, it’s generally about your safety. At first he never minded you coming on the more mundane cases, but as soon as he started getting more national attention, the cases become more challenging and even dangerous. Your will to put others first is both a blessing and a curse, he admires you for it greatly, but not when it comes to him. He can easily see you putting yourself in harms way in order protect him or even John, the thought itself scares him. He often gets very heated in the moment, demanding you to go home, leave him. It’s only because he is scared for you. When you are alone he will allow you to comfort him, telling him that you’re ok, you will always be safe and here for him. 

The song I associate with the two of you would be ‘1901′ by Phoenix!

[faerune]

💘 + leon and cassie 🔫 now

also asked by @ottobooty!

where they first met and how hot local racoon city survivors in YOUR area want to fuck! no for real, cassie had holed up in a diner with a group of other survivors and prior to leon getting to the police station he helps cassie fix/find parts to load up an old delivery truck in the back alley to get them all to safety. when leon leaves cassie promises to come back and make sure he + claire have a ride out of town and she does appear in that last shot in her shitty little happy dairy truck like hey you guys look like you need a ride.

how long their ‘flirting’ phase was before feelings got involved cassie has always been kinda of a flirt just offhandedly and i feel like leon is kinda of the same way just he’s cheesy and awkward about it when he’s a little younger. they flirt during the couple months they’re all trying to get their bearings after racoon city and then don’t really stay in touch much until the gov drags them both in separately. 

after that more flirting, some undercover missions and zombies and leon finally asks her to dinner. cassie teases ‘don’t expect me to put out on the first date just because you saved my ass today’ pft.

who fell for who first cassie will never ever admit it but it was her. like hard. she fell for leon like she was carrying a drink carrier full of hot coffee across a busy intersection in new york, tripped off the curb in front of hundreds of people and slammed her knee into the pavement.

where their first date was and what it was like dinner and a movie! cassie loves film but also is not a snob and adores laughably bad movies so they went and saw a goofy ass B action movie and then went to a late dinner at a diner that they always eat at after work.

who asks who out and how ( with a sign? spelled out on a cake? just a simple ‘will you go out with me’? ) leon just pretty simply says let me take you to dinner and cassie teases ‘oh are you asking me on a date kennedy?’ and he just shrugs and goes ‘yeah. i am’ cassie admittedly gets like flustered for half a second and she’s like. okay cool fine.

who proposes first cassie. she’s been so weird and avoidant about getting married so leon has always let her bring it up. when they get back together a few months later they’re laying in bed together and cassie is like can you propose to me now? and leon is like well do you wanna be surprised or do you want the ring now? and cassie just smiles and plops her head on his chest and is like ‘surprise is okay’.

if they keep / kept their relationship secret or let everyone know right away due to their jobs and them being afraid of having each other just be another thing people hold over their heads to keep them working there, they keep it really quiet at the beginning. everyone on their team kinda knows but they aren’t announcing it everywhere.

where the proposal happens and how ( kiss cam at a baseball game? on a hillside surrounded by ducks? at a disney park? ) leon takes her out to dinner and then they take a walk in the park! they sit on a little bench all lit up by the winter christmas lights and he gets down on one knee :’)

if they adopt any pets together absolutely! i just have not figured out what kind yet! probably a cat because cassie has cat person energy.

who’s more dominant it kinda flip flops. cassie is more dominant in terms of talking to people, making decisions but in terms of progressing the relationship that’s definitely leon. in terms of some more ahem other times cassie’s a brat and leon just wants to give her whatever she wants.

where their first kiss was and what it was like they’ve kissed on undercover missions before but i’m not sure if it really “counts”. their first kiss as just leon and cassie was when leon dropped her off at her place after their date and cassie pulled him down for a kiss. after they finished leon was smiling all dopey and still kind of leaning down to her and she just smirked at him and wished him a good night.

if they have any matching couples stuff ( mugs? sweaters? pillowcases? ) sdgjksdg i can see them at the most having like a set of cute matching mugs but that’s about it. cassie would die before wearing matching sweaters with him no matter how much she loves him.

how into pda they are they hand hold/give each other pecks/leon throws his arm around her shoulders while they walk but they’re not too obnoxious about it! cassie likes it but if he tries to do anything else she gets flustered. admittedly, leon kinda loves when she does so he’s always whispering sweet stuff in her ears while she tries to elbow him in the stomach sdklgsdg.

who holds the umbrella when it rains leon!! he’s taller so it just makes sense.

where their usual ‘date spot’ is the diner where they just always got dinner cause it was near the facility where they worked together for so long! they both have never been to DC so they just went to the nearest place after their first day and they were like so this is OUR diner.

who’s more protective leon. cassie is very annoyed by it pft. especially when she pops up during the civil war. ya know. in the middle of an actual warzone with possible biological weapons. cassie: :) im here to cause problems on purpose. leon: why in the FUCK is my ex here armed with a thousand dollar camera and a tiny pistol.

how long it is before they sleep together they almost sleep together the day before their second date, making out on leon’s desk but they get interrupted and they’re like okay we gotta chill. leon arrives to pick her up for their date and cassie yanks him into her bedroom. needless to say they miss their movie.

if they argue about anything they bicker playfully but also cassie accuses leon of not treating her like an adult who can make her own decisions because he’s so fucking overprotective. leon accuses cassie of being careless with her life. they have i guess..not arguments but debates over morals?

who leaves more marks ( lipstick, hickeys, scratchmarks etc. ) leon leaves hickeys like he’s a teenager but he’s usually good about keeping them in places that can’t be seen. cassie wears red lipstick a lot so leon has to pay extra attention if they sneak away at work to make sure he doesn’t have it smeared all over his lips. she likes to kiss his cheek and leave a big mark too.

who steals whose clothes and how often cassie: not your hoodies babe, our hoodies.

how they cuddle ( spooning? facing each other? ) they are spooners through and through. cassie needs to be held and leon is happy to do it. 

what their favourite nonsexual activity is watching movies together! leon is happy that cassie wants to share all her favorites with him and they have movie nights.

how long they stay mad at each other leon normally just needs a second to cool down normally but cassie holds a grudge for a day or maybe two then she’s ready to talk. but uh...in terms of big betrayals leon gives off the im not angry im disappointed and betrayed and you hurt me energy loud and clear and takes a long time to forgive and settle. it’s the worst cassie has ever felt.

what their usual coffee / tea orders are cassie gets a tall black coffee (iced or hot depending on the season) and leon likes lattes with whipped cream and carmel.

if they ever have any children together yes absolutely! i haven’t decided on names or anything yet but they definitely have two little boys just because that tweet that’s about that dad and two lil boys getting out of the car and the dad goes “who can go hug mom the fastest?!” is THEM.

if they have any special pet names for each other pretty normal ones! baby, babe are the most common. cassie likes to say honey and dear sarcastically because she thinks those make her sound like she’s a 50s housewife but secretly kinda likes calling him honey.

if they ever split up and / or get back together hah UH yeah. cassie leaks information about completed STRATCOM ops and leon eventually finds out and they have a huge fight. leon leaves the next morning and they end their relationship. he doesn’t turn her in because he still loves her and knows she did it with goodness in her heart but he’s just so conflicted. he just basically says turn in your resignation and leaves. they do eventually get back together! they break up early 2004, see each other in 2006 when cassie reaches out to him for his contacts to help her father who gets sick and then in 2011 they’re present in the civil war in the east and they get together after reconnecting through that.

what their first christmas / hanukkah / etc as a couple was like they meet each other’s parents for the first time! they invite them over for dinner along with cassie’s sisters and nieces and nephews. it’s VERY chaotic but it goes really well. leon’s mom loves cassie. uhh cassie’s dad scares the shit out of leon just because he’s a Jokester and lives for freaking leon out because he’s so obviously very nervous lmao.

what their names are in each other’s phones leon’s phone has cassie as “cassidy 🖤”. cassie has him in her phone just as “baby”. bonus she has his name in her phone the few days after they decide to have a kid as “sperm donor”. leon goes “cassie” in his disappointed voice and she rolls her eyes and finally changes it.

if they have any ‘couple traditions’ ( buying a new mug for their collection every year? baking every friday evening? ) at the moment just their friday movie nights and whenever they go out of country on a mission they buy a magnet for their fridge!

who falls asleep first and who wakes up first leon usually falls asleep first and wakes up first. cassie usually stays up late on her laptop researching and writing.

who’s the big spoon / little spoon leon is big spoon 80% of the time but he likes to be jetpacked too!

who hogs the bathroom leon after he gets back from a really gross ass mission takes hours but cassie usually hogs it day to day.

who kills the spiders / takes them outside cassie flips out and leon gets a cup and a piece of paper, puts the little guy outside. there have been multiple occasions where it sounded like cassie was in legit danger and leon came skidding into the bathroom only to find cassie standing on the toilet.

[nerianasims]

Billboard #1s 1983

Under the cut.

Toto -- "Africa" -- February 5, 1983

This song becoming massively popular recently sort of mystifies me. But maybe it shouldn't; the music is very pretty, and we've been short on popular music that goes for "pretty" for a long time. The lyrics... I really don't know. The best explanation I've seen was someone joking on Tumblr that maybe the narrator's a werewolf. I'm sure that wasn't the intent, but it's what I'm going with. It is a good song, entirely because of the music.

Patti Austin and James Ingram -- "Baby, Come to Me" -- February 19, 1983

I'm not sure I've ever heard this song before. It's a romantic duet. It's not annoying or anything, it's fine, but now that I've heard it I think I'm probably about to forget it again immediately.

Michael Jackson -- "Billie Jean" -- March 5, 1983

This song, I've heard. A whole hell of a lot. Like everyone else, we had the Thriller album (or tape, rather.) Actually I had it -- for some reason, Thriller was seen as some kind of child's first pop album. Every kid I knew had it. (And since seeing Leaving Neverland, that has been very creepy to me.) As for me, I'd put it on and dance, especially to this song. I pretty much understood what the song was about, and even got the "His eyes looked like mine" line. I didn't have an opinion on whether or not the kid was his son. It didn't matter; it was entirely about the music. Which is truly great.

Dexys Midnight Runners -- "Come On Eileen" -- April 23, 1983

Until the last couple years, I didn't entirely know what this song was about, because I couldn't understand Kevin Rowland's weird singing outside the chorus. I got that he wanted Eileen, and that this was about the combination of arrogance and horniness of youth. I did not know about all the references to the previous generation's pop culture, with an obvious inference that they felt the same way at one time. Also about Margaret Thatcher's intentional destruction of her own country's society. You don't have to think about any of that to enjoy the song if you don't want to, though. It's a fun dance song as well as being complex lyrically.

Michael Jackson -- "Beat It" -- April 30, 1983

This is the Michael Jackson song I remember being played on the radio by far the most when I was a child. It's basically the main background song of a couple years of my childhood. It's a hard-driving song about how you should run away from a physical fight rather than die. "It doesn't matter/ Who's wrong or right." Yes. It's rock, and it's dance, and it's... probably really great? I don't know, some things are too formative.

David Bowie -- "Let's Dance" -- May 21, 1983

"Put on your red shoes and dance the blues" makes no sense. But this is David Bowie; he knew that. It's part of the point. While this song is perfectly feasable to dance to, it's not really a dance song. It's achingly romantic and not the tiniest bit soppy, with music that's both accessible and fascinating. And my god Bowie could sing. I love it so much.

Irene Cara -- "Flashdance... What A Feeling" -- May 28, 1983

I didn't see Flashdance until college, when my roommates decided we would watch a bunch of cheesy 80s movies because it seemed a brilliant thing to do. It was, actually. Some of them even turned out to be good. Not Flashdance. Flashdance is memorably stupid, at least -- it doesn't hold back. It's extremely entertaining because it's deeply unintentionally hilarious. This song, though, I've heard a lot since it came out. The song is much better than the movie. It's got a wide-eyed optimism that's appealing, and the music is fun.

The Police -- "Every Breath You Take" -- July 9, 1983

I remember people periodically insisting that many, many women don't understand this song and think it's just romantic. I have never met any of these women. I have a feeling it was only a few, and that got blown up into some kind of crisis, as things do. Especially when people can imagine angelic airheaded women being dumb and somehow inviting abuse from those scary scary men. That's a favorite hobby for many. Anyway. It's a really good song that gets into the mindset of a really bad man -- or of a man who's currently imagining being really bad but is going to wake up, deal with his hangover, and get on with life. It's not a comfortable song, and that is good. Also Sting's hot.

Eurythmics -- "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" -- September 3, 1983

Usually repetitive songs drive me nuts. This song is incredibly repetitive lyrically. I love the lyrics, though. And musically, it changes up just enough to keep my interest. It's almost hypnotic. Apparently, Annie Lennox can do whatever she likes with me. Speaking of "some of them want to be abused"...

Michael Sembello -- "Maniac" --  September 10, 1983

The original demo of this song was about a serial killer, and it sounds like it, with the Psycho-like musical parts. It's not a dance song at all. Michael Sembello worked with Stevie Wonder during his best years, but he's no Stevie Wonder. He has that 70s light rock white guy voice, and it doesn't fit this song. If he'd handed this to another singer, it would have been better. Though still goofy, because it's music about a serial killer wedded to a story about a dancer. Many of the lines don't seem to have been changed either: "On the ice-blue line of insanity/ Is a place most never see." And  okay, that's a good line; I wouldn't want to leave it out either.

Also my aunt is a professional dancer (mostly choreographer now), so I've seen quite a bit into the professional dance world, and it is seriously unhealthy. It seems to be getting better, at least in modern dance, but the reason my aunt didn't go farther as a ballerina and switched to modern dance is that she could not get skinny enough for the fashion in ballet, no matter what she did. We're a muscular family with solid bones, and she couldn't get rid of that. She's got an eating disorder still though. Professional dance is harsh and terrible, and probably kills more women than serial killers do.

That's what I think of when I hear this song.

Billy Joel -- "Tell Her About It" -- September 24, 1983

Billy Joel's best songs didn't make it to #1, but that's almost always the way. This bouncy throwback of a song is still fun. With most excellent advice: "Tell her about it/ Tell her everything you feel/ Give her every reason/ To accept that you're for real." (It occurs to me that my husband is the first guy I dated who did that actually while we were dating, as opposed to waiting until after we broke up. Most of the guys I dated did not take in "I will not get back together with you if we break up." Not my fault; I told them about it.) Anyway, this isn't as good as "Big Shot," or "You May Be Right," or "My Life," or a whole lot of other Billy Joel songs I like a lot better, but it's pretty good.

Bonnie Tyler -- "Total Eclipse of the Heart" -- October 1, 1983

Melodrama, I love it. This song is so Great -- big, fantastical, unembarrassed, and awesome in both meanings of the term. Bonnie Tyler knows her strengths and has no hesitation about using that huge voice, and yet she doesn't oversing, either. The lyrics? Hell if I know. To me, it sounds like that part of a relationship where you're losing yourself and can't think about anything but the other person, and especially about having sex with the other person. But whatever else it is, it's poetry. And big thunder crashes. Which is a lot like falling in love. It's not necessarily happy. It just is.

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton -- "Islands In the Stream" -- October 29, 1983

Going from "Total Eclipse of the Heart" to this song induces emotional whiplash. The opening goes "Baby, when I met you/ There was peace unknown." That's the exact opposite of "Total Eclipse of the Heart." What is the same as "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is that the lyrics make no actual sense -- but of course they don't, this thing was written by the Bee Gees. Nonsensical lyrics can be poetic, but the Bee Gees didn't do poetry, at least not good poetry. Oh well, it's probably their most tolerable song. It's a sweet and light song, and I'm sure the narrators will be very happy together. They sound exceedingly "emotionally healthy." But as art, I prefer the "Total Eclipse of the Heart" take. Also I think this song might have been better with just Dolly Parton. Kenny Rogers was good, but he couldn't match Dolly.

Lionel Richie -- "All Night Long" -- November 12, 1983

Lionel Richie puts on a fake Jamaican accent for this thing. Also he makes up pseudo-African chants. I'm not going to go all "j'accuse!", at least not of problematicicity. No, I am accusing him instead of being annoying. Also dull. This is a party song, but an extremely boring one. Also Richie kind of tries to do an "ow" thing, obviously inspired by Michael Jackson, but of course it doesn't work. It's still not terrible. Unlike all the gloop Richie made, I can listen to the whole thing. The drums --  or drum machine, rather -- have a neat beat, and there are some good horns and other musical touches.

Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson -- "Say Say Say" -- December 10, 1983

Well this is weird. I can't remember ever having heard this song before. The song is about begging someone not to "play games with my affection." And it sounds like the two men are singing to each other, regardless of the lyric about getting through to a "girl." It's not bad -- Michael Jackson gives Paul McCartney the musical edge that he'd lost as soon as he left the Beatles. Strong beat, harmonica and all. But I'm not going to seek it out, either. I think the beat's too repetitive. Also it feels too busy.

BEST OF 1983 -- "Let's Dance" by David Bowie, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler, and "Sweet Dreams" by The Eurythmics. Great year for the pop charts. WORST OF 1983 -- There aren't any that I think are truly terrible this year, so I guess I'll go with "Baby, Come to Me," because as predicted, I have already forgotten it.

[locktobre]

Ooh, your Princess Power soft reboot has me intrigued! Could you possibly expand on it more? Like how Kara and Corrine lose their powers, get new ones, and how Wes becomes a villain? I myself don't him because he LITERALLY revealed Kara's identity for views and that's. fricked up.- That PCS Anon

Sure, I can do that. I debated how deep to go into it, bc my Princess Power headcanons (like everything else) depend so heavily on a million other things, but hopefully this ended up semi-coherent. It also ends up fairly dark, as my Princess Power/Spy Squad backstory are some of the darkest headcanons I have. So fair warning for that. I’m not solid on some of this (I always say, it’s not canon until I actually put it in a fic), but as of now, here’s how it’s gonna go down:

Kara, Corinne & their powers

Kara and Corinne lose their powers for two reasons: 1) It makes sense to me that they would, and 2) It gets rid of the pet powers, too, which I need to happen bc I just think it’s beyond ridiculous that they got them in the first place. (Not Bruce’s, but I might get rid of him another way. We’ll see.) The Baron, whom I’ve named Charles, drank a potion, which I can buy as producing a permanent change. But the girls got their powers from a mutated butterfly, and somehow... it’s supposed to be equivalent? I don’t think so! So I have their powers start to fade some time after the movie, as their powers are actually tied to the butterfly’s life force, and it’s dying. Butterflies don’t live for very long on average (less than a year), and also having the butterfly die keeps anyone else from getting powers that way, since that was already a whole fiasco. (It’s a magical butterfly, but it’s given out powers 4 times, so that’s sapped it more than anything.)

Kara and Corinne have opposite reactions to this: Kara is horrified, and wants to find some way to get her powers back, but Corinne is sort of relieved, since without powers, they can go back to being normal. I think the high of being a superhero would wear off pretty quickly for Corinne, especially since she’s not competing with Kara anymore.

Kara, in her desperation, goes to see Charles and see how he got his powers, bc she will do anything to keep hers, at this point. The novelization says that Kara connects the butterfly to Charles, but as I pointed out in my post about it, she has absolutely no reason to do that, bc it makes no sense whatsoever. So since she doesn’t know where the magic butterfly came from, she goes to the guy she knows also got powers out of nowhere. I’m not sure what he would tell her, but even if he doesn’t say anything, she could still search his lab and maybe have Madison and Makayla reverse-engineer the potion (which I think would go badly, as they’re engineers, not chemists). Whatever the case, she ends up drinking that potion, and that combined with the last of the butterfly magic, produces... a mutation. I go back and forth on whether I want that mutation to be permanent, or if she can shift between butterfly and human forms, but that’s how she ends up. I’m thinking there may be some sort of chrysalis stage she goes through, bc I need her to be sidelined for Corinne’s power reset, but like I said, I’m still working on this.

Corinne is in some kind of lab accident (possibly in Madison and Makayla’s lab, or maybe in Windemere’s I3 branch), and ends up with her new powers. However, she takes this opportunity to say that her powers actually wore off for good, and essentially retires, which she feels comfortable with bc there are two other heroes running around with Kara now. She’s technically the strongest of all of them, so she’ll step in if they really need her, but she leaves the day-to-day stuff to them. She might stay in hero support with Violet, or she might just go back to her life for the most part.

Wes’ descent into villainy

This one has gone through a few different stages, and I honestly don’t know where I’m going to land with him. I’ll most likely give him a redemption arc at some point, but I’m gonna put him through the wringer first bc he is a weasel who outed Kara for no reason and I’m spiteful like that. And I’ve said before that I don’t think Kara was as unaffected by that as the movie would have us believe.

Anyway, with all that, I think his motivation stems from a combination of rejection from Kara, and goading from others. The rejection from Kara is not romantic, bc I’ve always thought of him as too old for her--he tries to pass himself off as a serious journalist in the movie, which wouldn’t work if he was a teenager, would it? So I think he’s like, 20--but like, she doesn’t want to be his friend anymore. She’d be cordial but not all buddy-buddy like she was before, and he’d be able to feel the difference.

So, there’s that, putting a wedge between them, and at that point, he’s got ppl whispering in his ear and enabling him, for their own purposes. Originally, this was going to be Charles, but I think Charles is just a smidge too goofy. He seems interested in power, but also like he would have no idea what to do with it if he had it. Like, you want to be king... why, exactly? What are you gonna do once you have the throne? He’s not exactly stupid (altho, I mean, I’d call having Bruce around stupid), but not like, cunning enough to manipulate someone in that way.

We’re gonna take a detour for a second to talk about Charles’ family and some backstory, since that will make this make more sense (I think). Bear with me.

Basil was the Baron before Charles, and also the head of Windemere’s branch of I3 (WI3). He had a good public face, but behind the scenes, he was a real shady bastard. WI3 is almost entirely corrupt due to his influence. He’s the reason Charles ended up as a villain. The reason Philip and Anne didn’t is that they got away from his influence.

Philip went to work in the USA in the late 80s, at LA’s branch of I3 (obviously, as per Spy Squad). Anne was also in LA in the 90s, having her secret relationship with Finn, and while Philip was aware of what she doing, he didn’t rat her out, in part bc he had his own relationship that resulted in a child. (Patricia wasn’t given up for adoption like Sloane was, but she was raised primarily by her mother, as per Marguerite’s wishes, which worked out pretty well for Philip’s situation. They were a way more casual relationship than Finn and Anne.) Anne eventually did return to Windemere, but her charity work and Camp Royalty actually kept her away for the most part. So Philip and Anne had long periods away from their father and his tyranny. They did try to get Charles away too, but Basil had a much tighter hold on him (as the eldest son and heir), and also Charles actually ended believing in Basil’s vision for their future, which Philip and Anne never did. (I’ll point out now that I do feel bad for Charles, and he may get a redemption arc at some point, too.)

Anyway, so Basil does a lot of shady shit. He has Wendy Marvin (mother of Lazslo, Madison, and Makayla) killed in 2006; she was an engineer at WI3 and didn’t like how they wanted to use her research, as she joined to help ppl, not hurt them. And soon after that she died in a fire in her lab. Two years later, her husband Lysander, dies in a similar “accident”; he was actually Kara’s doctor, and trying to determine the cause her mysterious illness.

While Basil did know that Lysander suspected foul play, he did not know that Lysander had actually approached Eleanor about it, wondering if she had seen Basil doing anything suspicious. (Everything the man did was suspicious, but she knows what he means.) After Lysander’s death, Eleanor puts the pieces together and realizes that yeah, Basil was doing something to Kara (most likely slowly poisoning her, as that’s what Lysander had thought). Kara’s about 9 years old at the time--not that it would be any better if she was older, but she’s really just an innocent little kid. (Incidentally, this mysterious illness is why Kara’s parents are so overprotective of her. They never find out what was causing it, or figure out how she got better.)

At this point, Eleanor decides she’s had enough, she’s watched her husband corrupt their son and drive their other two children away and she’s not been able to do anything about it (who would believe her? He’s a perfect gentleman, in public), so she decides to end it. She kills Basil, and then her self. (She would have happily gone to jail for putting the world out of his misery, but she knows that with his contacts at WI3, she’s on borrowed time as soon as he’s dead. And she wants to go out on her own terms.)

This actually lines up with where I put the events of Spy Squad, in 2008. Philip was already about to transfer to WI3, as per Basil’s wishes, to be his #2. But then, with his father dead, Philip actually ends up in charge of WI3, and his #2 is his father’s former right-hand man, Creighton Weaver. (Basil was going to try to get Philip back under his thumb, before his death. He had mostly tolerated him being in LA bc he didn’t need him in Windemere, but once that was no longer true, time to come home, son.) Weaver’s every bit the bastard that Basil was, and Philip can tell, but he has no proof. So Philip is in WI3, with nobody he can trust except Patricia and Lazslo, who ended up transferring with him. (Lazslo so he can be there for his sisters, Patricia bc she wants to be there for Lazslo. And also her dad, kind of.) He basically starts collecting any evidence he can on anybody at WI3, but doesn’t make a move, bc technically nobody is getting hurt (none of the shady research is being applied), and he wants to flush everyone out in one go, if he can.

Fast forward to the summer of 2015, and the events of Princess Power happen. WI3 is contacted to try to make sure that Charles can’t escape his cell, so they end up being one of the few who actually know what happened to him, due to the actual events leading up to the volcano’s eruption being pretty well covered up. Now, Weaver’s known for 7 years that Philip is trying to take him and his cohorts down, but he’s played dumb bc it’s been convenient. However, with Charles going full supervillain, Weaver decides it’s time to jump ship, so he and a bunch of the other most corrupt agents at WI3 basically leave to go be Charles’ henchmen. I’ve tried to come up with a more poetic name for their organization, but so far I only have Dunbar Loyalists--their ultimate goal, of course, being to put Charles on the throne of Windemere, by any means necessary.

However, as I said before, Charles is... not exactly the valiant leader they were looking for. He’s not the man his father was, that’s for sure, so Weaver’s the one actually calling the shots, bc he knows Charles isn’t up to it. And Charles is pretty fine with that, as long as they’re helping him. Makes things easier. (Incidentally, I think this will end up being the set-up to Charles’ redemption arc. Bc teaming up with them, and especially Weaver, is going to get him in way over his head, and I think he might decide at some point it’s not worth it. Especially if Philip and Anne ever end up in danger, bc I think they still do care for each other, even with everything that happened.)

So, to bring this all the way back around to Wes, since Charles isn’t really the type to be manipulative... Weaver certainly is. So I think he’s going to be the one to do it. He can push Wes’ buttons, tell him that no, Kara isn’t right to be mad at you for outing her. You were just doing what you had to do, for yourself, and that’s good. She thinks she’s so great just bc she has powers, you should get back at her, you should show her that you can be special, too. And I just happen to have the technology to make that happen. (Remember, the Loyalists are made up of at least some shady engineers.) So he gives Wes some kind of experimental super suit and sets him loose in the city to wreak havoc against Kara and her crew, mostly to keep everyone’s eyes on that while he does other stuff. Weaver is basically a puppet master for crime in Windemere lol.

And that’s about as much as have so far, which feels like a lot and also a little. I’m not sure how the whole thing will end, who will be redeemed, who might end up dying... Not sure. It could go a lot of different ways, but that’s for future me to decide. I hope that was at least somewhat interesting, even if it was also... very dark. I didn’t try to make it that way, but when dealing with superheroes and spies, it just kind of happens.

[davidmann95]

Kingdom Hearts 3, two years on? Also general state of the franchise?

I maintain my position that for all its flaws it’s actually one of the better entries: gameplay’s great, the Disney worlds have more meat on the bone than any other game but the first, it touches on subtler emotional notes than a lot of the previous ones, and the final stretch is incredible. I believe it even conceivably could have surpassed II with relatively minimal restructuring if not for one insurmountable problem: Dream Drop Distance existing.

That is a game that I promise you only exists because Square Enix told Nomura he had to do something else if he was gonna take that long before kicking off III, and so all the subplots that were supposed to buoy it until the endgame were instead shoved into the final world of this. Riku’s (for now) final catharsis, Sora learning the basics of everyone he’s connected to, the unveiling of the master plan: all necessary for the finale to function coherently unto itself, all relegated elsewhere.

I’ve been mulling it over for awhile and there’s basically a cottage fandom industry around it at this point anyway, so here for your amusement and edification, my take on ‘how I would have fixed Kingdom Hearts III (a game I liked)’:

1. The opening tutorial segment is Sora and Riku taking their Mark of Mastery exam by journeying into the Realm of Darkness to save Aqua. They fight Dark Aqua and succeed in getting her home, but Sora loses the mandatory chunk of his powers in the process of purifying her with the Power of Waking so we can keep that in play; Riku gets the Mark and feels insecure about it (Sora is acknowledged for his efforts but with all the strength he’s lost giving it to him would only be a token, so the player doesn’t feel actively cheated even if the disappointment’s there), and the Destiny trio get a scene together before going their separate ways because it’s wild they didn’t get a scene together.

2. Aqua is back but pretty messed up from her experience, so she goes to recuperate in the timeless realm Kairi and Axel are training in. These interactions give Kairi some more time, and having the other two around makes it easy to recap the basics of 358/2 Days and Birth By Sleep for players who just want to go I/II/III.

3. Since Aqua can’t do it right now (and maybe the intervening decade saw it hidden more thoroughly thanks to the Organization), Sora, Donald, and Goofy are charged with tracking down Castle Oblivion to free Ven. He’s still gotta save everybody and remaster the Power of Waking he used to free Aqua, so 80% of the game plays out the same, there’s just a more concrete goal to his journey.

4. Riku goes through his DDD character arc in the background, culminating in the midpoint of the game where in the equivalent to the 1000 Heartless Battle as a dividing point in II, here we get the first big run-in with Young Xehanort  and the outline of the 13-nort gameplan.

5. Arendelle is swapped out with the Fantasia world because the former was the worst world in III and the Fantasia world obviously should have been realized on the PS4.

6. Kairi still dies because it’s a logical thematic climax (EVERYONE dies and has to be brought back, she’s last and most dramatic because she matters to Sora most) that propels everything afterwards forward, but before that she fights with Sora and Riku against the 3 Xehanorts instead of Mickey because Mickey has no emotional connection to anything that’s happening and this would bring the trilogy full-circle with the three of them working together, and this way she could die doing something heroic.

7. The Guardians of Light vs. the Xehanort Armor squad is part of the finale proper instead of a DLC segment.

Relatively minimal overhaul, I’m obviously not of the opinion that the mark was entirely missed; just snapping the basic pieces together a little more smoothly and putting a pinch of extra attention where it feels needed.

(Credit for this excellent mockup art, though my own heart will always belong to this barebones, strangely evocative take from way back in 2008.)

As for the future, my many theories aside, it’s hard to say. III was the best-selling of the franchise thus far, but who knows whether that means Nomura gets way less or way more control going forward. Even the role of the Disney worlds going forward relative to the metafictional war with Quadratum and the ongoing Master of Masters mystery depends on both Disney’s demands and the core messages of the next games, given the warring core aesthetics of the franchise are now actually part of the plot and theme going forward through Yozora. So are we getting GTA: Kingdom Hearts with Sora in an open-world Quadratum? A Riku and/or Kairi story? A spinoff about what Mickey was up to during I and II? Literally just Verum Rex? Some seem more likely than others but nothing feels off the table, though I do hope they adapt some of the latter parts of that mobile game into a movie like they did the early stuff so I can just watch that. But in any case IV proper is poised to recenter the sense of mysterious wonder and longing of separation that’s driven so much of the series, so in any case I think whatever comes next is still basically going to work in core ways that recent entries have missed for a lot of people.

(My own IV desire is that I want the main campaign divided between Kairi doing regular Kingdom Hearts stuff and Sora spending his half of the game exploring the gigantic and increasingly bizarre city, with Riku sections of him sorta bopping between the two worlds out of phase Flash-in-Crisis style, leading into a Destiny trio game for V. I think that’s the best way of selling the necessary contrasts of the new setup while having a lot of the game adhere to the formula.)

[milstrim]

Rise from the Ashes; Just to See You Again

Chapter 2: It’s a Girl!

Mary Fitzpatrick stared at him in disbelief, her brown eyes wide, looking as though everything she had ever known had been a lie. The woman glanced between him, Pepper, and the papers in front of them.

"You want it? You actually want the baby? Thi-this, I--really?!?" A smile was tugging at her lips, as if she was afraid to actually believe him. Her brown eyes were hopeful, before they turned a little doubtful, "This isn't some impulse decision, or a dare or something is it? Because you'll have to be there for it and--"

"--I-yes! I really want it, and that's a promise. I've put a lot of thought into it, Mary, this wasn't just some spur of the moment decision," he gave her a long stare, making sure she knew he was being sincere, "I'm in it for the long haul. This is my kid, and I'm willing to do right by them."

She was smiling in earnest now, her eyes brighter than before, before she seemingly reigned herself in and turned to look at the papers, which he passed over to her.

"In there is another NDA," Pepper started, listing what the woman would be signing, "A contract saying you are waving away your parental rights, that Tony has full legal control over decisions for the baby once it is born..." and on it on it went, making Tony even more glad she was there. Legal stuff always gave him a headache, but it was particularly bad when it involved his baby, he found, "...and of course we'll have to call in our lawyers, each of you needs a legal representative to go over these before anything is signed."

"Does that mean they'll get signed today or not?" Tony asked, turning to Pepper, who shook her head.

"Our lawyers are on standby, but I don't know about Ms. Fitzpatrick..." she trailed off, looking at the woman in question with a hint of doubt. Mary shook her head in response.

"I live in New York. I only flew out here to have a meeting with you and I honestly didn't think anything would get this far," she answered, "Should I call him or...?"

"I suppose," Pepper answered, "unless you want to go find a different lawyer."

"What's his name?" he asked, "I'll pay for his ticket and everything, I want him down here as soon as possible."

And he meant it. The man, Brian Torres, was in California and had arrived at his hotel room by 9:37, exactly 7 hours later. But until then, they had time to fill.

"Perfect," Pepper said, taking up the papers and putting them in a folder, "He'll be here tonight and we can go over everything tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" Tony exclaimed, impatient. Pepper shot him a look, exasperated.

"Yes, tomorrow," she turned to address Mary, "Feel free to let him know all expenses are covered. Hotel, plane tickets, transportation, everything."

"Of course," the woman responded, her smile light, "I'll let him know,"

She stood up to leave, and Pepper followed suit, grabbing Mary's coat and bag for her. But Tony couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had planned on making a huge decision today, and he had basically done nothing. Tony stood up to show Mary to the lobby, and possibly even her car, but the urge to do something more was too strong to resist.

"How about you come by my house,"

Mary and Pepper both stopped, Mary looking surprised and a little confused while Pepper's face was masked with cool indifference.

"You can see where the kid'll grow up and we can throw around ideas. We could move you in temporarily while you're pregnant, so you can stay close by and all."

She tilted her head at that, thoughtful.

"That's not a bad idea, though I'll have to wait until I'm on maternity leave."

"Alright, then," he said, going to hold the door open for her, "I'm driving."

They managed to get to the parking lot, into his car, and completely off the property without Obadiah noticing them. Then again, Tony had told Pepper to keep him busy, and she was nothing if not perfect at her job.

Tony turned on the radio to some random 80's channel, keeping the volume low so they could talk easily. Mary made no move to talk though, and they were halfway to the mansion when he couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Have you thought of any names or is that going to just be a 'me' decision, cause' I've already been looking at some. Of course I don't know the baby's gender, but I was thinking about James or Jamie, though I don't know if James is too basic or not."

He rambled on, trying to hide how nervous all of it really made him feel. He felt mostly successful, which was probably due to his years of practice in front of the press. Mary smiled, apparently amused.

"It's a girl, if you were wondering," she told him, answering the question he hadn't asked aloud.

Tony's heart leaped in joy and he couldn't contain the goofy grin that spread over his face. A girl, a girl! He was going to have a girl. It made the situation feel even more real and Mary had to let him know that the light had turned green.

He didn't stop smiling the whole way back, throwing names back and forth, though he still wasn't satisfied with any of them. He might want to look at some old family names to see if any of them caught his eye.

"This way, Ms. Fitzpatrick," he directed Mary when he parked the car. She followed him inside, taking in the size and the view of the mansion with a pleased smile. She looked worried, however, when she saw the bar, her lips pursed.

"I'm getting rid of it. Going clean and getting rid of all the alcohol in the house."

"Good. And, um, the cliff seems rather dangerous,"

His heart jumped at that, caught between speeding up and stopping all together. His house overlooked a cliff, a fucking cliff.

"I'll get it fenced, and she shouldn't ever be by herself long enough to somehow fall off a cliff," he assured, making a mental note to ask Jarvis to have some people come over to build a fence, "Here, I'll show you to where you'll be staying."

Her room was down the next hallway over from his. Like his room, it had a nice view of the ocean and high tech lined the windows and walls, telling the temperature, news, blocking out lights and creating visuals of whatever she pleased. The tech was nice (obviously), but the room itself was a little plain, after all, it was only a guest room. Mary sat down on the bed, taking in the ginormous room.

"It's nice, Mr. Stark."

"Please, call me Tony."

"Then it's very nice, Tony. Where will the kid's room be?"

"It'll be across from mine. It hasn't been set up yet though, so there isn't much to see," he told her, shrugging.

"I'll take your word for it," she smiled, getting up. Immediately she gasped and doubled over, clutching her belly, Tony rushing to her side in an instant.

"What? What is it? Are you okay?"

"She kicked!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hands and placing them on her stomach. Tony let her, shocked into a stunned silence. After a moment he looked up at her in confusion, not feeling anything, "That was the first time she kicked!"

"I guess she tired herself out," Tony chuckled, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets, feeling awkward, and a little disappointed he didn't get to feel it. Mary seemed to realize his discomfort, and moved the conversation forward.

"What else were you thinking for names? Or godparents?"

"I've already got a godfather in mind, and I was going to look over some old family records for names."

"Have you got them with you?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"

And that's how the two ended up, hours later, sitting on the floor combing through old books and photos of Tony's family history. They ordered takeout (and some pistachio ice cream for Mary, who was having cravings) and played a movie while they came up with baby names, Jarvis keeping track of their favorites. They looked at cribs and toys and more baby stuff than Tony had seen in his entire life. It wasn't until Pepper came in to ask him for a signature for some company thing did they realized how late it was, just past nine. Which, okay, wasn't actually late, but he hadn't expected for her to be over for so long. They'd been at his house since 3:45.

Tony offered for her to stay the night, but Mary insisted she'd rather go to the hotel, so he drove her back.

By the time he laid down in bed he was still too excited to go to bed, despite the fact that he'd worked in the lab for four hours after Mary left, and he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. So he had Jarvis download some parenting-guide books. They weren't anything super complex, just a lot of reading on basic baby needs and how to interact with them.

He shot his AI a dirty look, sure that Jarvis had picked some really simple books to dumb things down for him, but didn't say anything. It was a good start, really. Tony didn't know anything about kids, but he was about to learn. The man smiled again. It was a goofy grin that crinkled his eyes and seemed to lighten his entire being.

"It's a girl, J," he grinned aloud, even though the AI already knew that. Which he was sure to tell Tony, his tone full of sass. Tony fell asleep with that thought repeating, making promises to himself and his kid to be the best dad he could be. I promise:

I'll be there for her. She'll always be loved, and she'll know. I'll tell her everyday. I'll never hurt her, and I'll keep her safe from harm. I'll accept her, I'll love her.

God, he couldn't wait to meet his kid.

Previous Part  ///  Next Part

[riotatthemovies]

Riot talks with Chris LaMartina

Chris LaMartina is most known for the Vhs freak and Halloween geeks dream flick WNUF Halloween Special.  He is truly a super fan of low budget American backyard horror movies as can easily be seen in all his projects via style and humor. Such films as Call Girl of Cthulhu and his imdb unlisted shot on video slasher he mad as a kid Amerikill. Chris took some time out of editing and crafting new projects and answering questions on the now online conventions to talk to us.

1. Sov horror is REreleasing some of your older works. Amerikill and Dead Teenagers. Now I have seen and own Amerikill and the slasher of that movie is basically killing kids many of which are less than teenagers. So tell me what Dead Taanagers is about, more than just the same thing but killing older kids?

Chris:  "Dead Teenagers" was first, VERY DIY, attempt at making a feature. At 18, I knew I didn't have the attention span or stamina to make a full fledged feature so I tried my hand at an anthology. "Dead Teenagers" is basically a micro-budget ($300 actually) version of "Creepshow"... so goofy little cheap segments about vampires, werewolves, and things that go bump in the night with bare bones resources that would make the Pope weep. 

Riot: 2. What's your all time favorite no budget possibly Shot on video horror movie and what makes it stand out to you?

Chris: I love the JR Bookwalter stuff and I kinda adore "Polymorph" the most. Outside of that, I really think "Redneck Zombies" is fun start-to-finish plus Perciles Lewnes is the NICEST dude. Eric Stanze's "Savage Harvest" was probably one of the ones that inspired me most to start getting serious about making stuff on my own.

RIOT:3. You are arguably most noted for the WNUF Halloween special. Obviously a love note to 70s and 80s American local television from the drugstore era of halloween as I like to call it, (The time when all your Halloween supplies could be bought just from your local drugstore, taffy candy and Ben cooper costumes) but I've always been curious how much the British tv special GhostWatch inspired you if at all? I love double billing both movies back to back before Halloween. 

Chris: . Dude. I get this a BUNCH and I didn't see Ghostwatch til years after WNUF was released and people KEPT comparing us to it. But... to be honest, I watched about 20 minutes before I got bored. It's not a bad movie, it's just not what I was expecting. Very serious, and as you can tell by WNUF, that's not really my bag. I can see why people compare us, though... but to be honest, there's a LOT of horror movies/novels/comics about a reporter doing a report from inside a haunted house. One of the genius stories for WNUF was hearing an old Baltimore story about how an oldies station did a live radio show/seance from the Edgar Allen Poe house and picked up some strange recordings. 

Riot: I totally get it , I just grew up in England when GhostWatch aired first unknowing of the gimmick, so imagining that experience though. Also once the gimmick is done yeah it is kinda dry so I agree, if you cant scare em completely, make em smile 4. Before the world went all topsy turvy this year you were crowdfunding for a sequel. How did that go and where does the project stand? Sov Horror is promoting a project where they are asking filmmakers to send in fake commercials for their film, I smell a mini cross over connection that is begging to happen there.

Chris: So, because of Covid, we lost about 15 days at the most CRUCIAL time of production... all the days with extras and big set-pieces were basically thrown out the window. We've still been doing a bunch of post on footage we have shot and are managing to do some "social distancing" shoots where I set-up lights, mic, and actors arrive in costume, hit their marks, and say their dialogue. It's weird, man... but it's how we have to do it. It's definitely not how imagined making this movie, but such is life. As for SOV Horror connection, nah. I love Tony and what he's doing is really cool... but I'm way too busy with WNUF, work, and other creative projects to toss anything their way right now. Riot :5. Keeping busy is key right now. How's the pandemic world treating you in general, if it caused you to stall on projects and life in general slow down. Luckily I find for no budget backyard film makers it's been seeing some real inspiration and online sales lately so I hope something good is coming for you. Anything to report on "What Happens Next will Scare you?"

Chris: The best part of the pandemic for me is finishing "What Happens Next Will Scare You" which will be totally COMPLETE by end of August (literally just doing the title sequence now). It took forever, but finally the guy who was doing all our screen composites had no excuse not to finish when he was trapped inside his house for months. ;p So yeah... that'll be available somehow in the next few months.

Riot: Thats great news

6.Whats your favorite things about low budget filmmaking and what are the things that get under your skin so much that makes you doubt yourself sometimes? I'm sure any of the self produced folks can relate.

Chris:  I love how accessible it is (cameras and software are CHEAP now). I also love how much imagination you can inject into a project with the right levels of ambition and enthusiasm. When you're too afraid to fail, that's the best. As I got older and made more movies, you have the pressure of expectations... which actually ruins a lot of the fun, but I'm still trying to best to make cool, weird shit that *I* would love and hope there's legions of creeps like me that will welcome these bizarre pieces of storytelling into their homes. As for what gets under my skin... hmmm... I've always distrusted folks who care more about gear and budgets than story. That's way bogus. Furthermore, I think fan culture has gotten a little toxic over the best decade and tape trading has gotten stupid expensive / unfunny. But fuck those dudes. They won't stop me from having a good time and making weird shit. ;p Riot: I love my cheesy vhs tapes but you are so right the tape trader community takes things way too seriously , I just cant anymore myself. 

Thanks for joining us for 6 silly questions with Riot (that's me) and may this Halloween be epic and future projects be awesome.

Chris:  Thank YOU, dude! It was great talking with ya and hit me up anytime. xoxo

Behind the Scenes of Call Girl of Cthulhu

[girlwiththegreenhat]

I actually have had no interest in Transformers up until now (I only knew about the old cartoon robots and overly humans faces don’t appeal to me) but I had no idea there was a more recent cartoon until you reblogged videos and art and such! I wanted to ask, is the series narratively engaging? Like does it have good arcs and character builds and themes and what not? Also, I think there was a 3D a 3D animation series, right? Between 2d and 3D, which would you recommend to watch first?

There have actually been a lot of recent cartoons, when one ends another one follows in roughly a year. Based on the ones I post about though, the two you’re probably referring to are Transformers Animated… (2007 ~ 2009, newer in regards to the original 80s cartoon but hardly the most recent Transformers series. also my favorite lol)

... and Transformers Prime. (2010 ~ 2013, the series after TFA and the only real 3D animation TF series I actively reblog.)

Transformers Animated has a good narrative and absolutely amazing characters tbh. The three-part episode it starts with really grabs your attention so you don’t even have to wait for it to get good, but it’s not afraid to be silly either - season three does get more serious but it doesn’t majorly affect the overall tone of the series, its def still goofy. I recommend TFA as anyone’s intro to the franchise, it’s a great look at what Transformers is really meant to be? It can be serious, but at the same time its a story about giant alien robots coming to earth that turn into cars. Silliness comes with the territory. Also the world building and development that went into TFA is... absolutely crazy. The folks that made it obviously have a looooot of love for the franchise. Overall: TFA is underrated, hella well-written, you end up loving most of/all of the characters, and the only downsides are the occasional kinda-annoying human villains and the fact that Hasbro cancelled it so finishing season 3 gives you a sad empty feeling inside and the feeling to avenge it. (You can legally stream it for free on Tubi btw! and if you like it make sure to tell hasbro that, we’re trying to get the fourth season we deserve and the writers said if we push hard enough hasbro might give lol.)

Transformers Prime is... not bad, honestly. It used to be my favorite for a while but it lost some of its luster with age, it’s not a bad show IMO but the characters can be a lil flat sometimes (mainly the autobots, the decepticons in this show are actually more entertaining most of the time lmfao) and some of the plots can get repetitive. I’d still recommend it if you’re really into Transformers but it’s a darker take on the franchise, even written for a young teen audience rather than kids. If you prefer the silliness of TFA though you might not like it, and the 3D animation is kinda limiting so there aren’t as many characters as there are in TFA.

.... gonna tangent back to TFA real quick but that’s another thing that’s great about it, because it’s done with 2D animation it fits in a looooooooot of characters. you end up falling in love with characters that only show up for a couple of episodes, and all of them have such unique crazy personalities i guarantee you’ll have at least a couple favorites by the time the series is over.

anyway there are quite a few other series, some 2D, some 3D, some a mix of both, and of course the movies as well (the only liveaction TF movies worth watching are the recent ‘bumblebee’ movie), and I do reblog a bit from series I don’t watch much or at all, so if you had another series in mind that i missed i apologize xD Transformers Cyberverse is the current series, TLDR ehhh its not bad. the episodes are short and its also silly so if you like TFA check out the first few episodes on youtube and see if it’s your kinda thing.

Also, the original 1980s cartoon can definitely look weird in a lot of ways but surprisingly it has quite a few genuinely good episodes. If you enjoy TFA i recommend watching some of the fan favorite episodes because there are some solid ones. the series had a lot of writers and none of them were allowed to talk to each other so the writing quality varies, some of the episodes are Typical 1980s Cartoon Nonsense(tm) and some of them are Genuinely Good Especially For A 1980s Cartoon Hot D a m n.

tldr - transformers animated is great, i absolutely recommend you watch it first ESPECIALLY if you've never really watched anything transformers before. transformers prime is... okay. darker themes but some of the characters aren't as strong and some of the plots are bleh. watch it second if it appeals to you but based on your ask it might not. G1 (original old cartoon) has some Genuinely Good Episodes that still hold up which i recommend you to seek out should you enjoy TFA, they're worth looking past the animation errors and personal taste in character design.