makitogawa

[joshuamj]

also i watch The Wild Robot the other day and oh my god 11/10, absolutely beautiful in every sense of the word, would cry again 👍

[derekscorner]

Reloaded Rambling: Persona 3

Broken Fulfillment

I finished Persona 3 Reloaded last night and ever since I've been torn between rambling about it and sobbing because the ending never fails to wound me.

I'm not exaggerating for narrative emphasis nor am I joking, I cried. I am a grown man and I cried just as much last night as I did when I beat Persona 3 Fes in the late 2000s to early 2010s.

I can not express in words to you just how much the ending hurts me nor can I express how much I love it. That's why I am broken but find fulfillment...which is as on point with the death theme as anything else.

I even delayed finishing the game because I could feel the emotions and tears welling up as soon as the final month started. I even took a moment to note how ironic it was that the color palette literally grows gray throughout the month.

As 'The Fall' draws near and apathy syndrome grows the very world itself begins to white out yet I feel the story the strongest as it does.

Every interaction with Aigis is emotional pain because I knew what was coming. As she grew as a person, understood love, and found a reason in life I knew that she was about to have that ripped from her.

It wasn't just her either. P3 already had a lot of little moments in the final month as the cast finds their resolve and as you finish what social links you've started, everyone is finding a resolution, they're preparing for a battle they believe they may not win.

In fact, Reload improved on this more with it's link episodes. Everyone playing in the park, Ken's silly combat and coffee practice, the movies with Koromaru, Akihiko and Yukari, everything.

Several of these mini stories wrap up toward the end and it's only when you know about P3's ending that you realize why.

Constant Improvement

I'd even argue that Persona 3 is one of the few stories to properly be remade in recent years. They only added small things to make the story better, updated gameplay, and just overall refined the package.

That's the kind of treatment a remake should be given rather than the laziness you see in movies today or the bait & switch SE pulled with FF7.

And it was only upon typing this that I realized that P3 has had this treatment from the start. P3 Fes only ever expanded the original hit game. Even though many fans didn't like 'The Answer' they at least loved everything added to the Journey.

P3 was then made a classic for a third time with P3 Portable. The PSP limited some things but it is loved for it's female MC and the story changes.

Persona 3 has always been given a positive treatment each time it's tackled and it's so rare.

That cycles back into Reload. We fans had to beg and complain for years but they tackled the remake with every bit of love that you could've hoped for.

The only things they did to earn ere was not including 'The Answer' or the FeMC and as of the time I type this 'The Answer' will at least be added as DLC.

I don't intend to downplay the feelings of those who strongly desired the FeMC either, I am playing through P3P so I get it, I just want to point out that having so few complaints about a remake is so rare.

I went on this whole side tangent to emphasize how impressed I was with the things added. The episodes, a few scenes, it made the feelings that P3Fes gives me just as potent years later.

I'm an indifferent man, I rarely feel emotion let alone genuinely show it, but for years one thing that always broke me was P3's story. To see it remade so well meant a lot to me.

Memento Mori

When I first played P3 I was actually looking for P4. A friend on a KH forum had suggested it as a fan but I couldn't find it on sale. P4 was at the height of its popularity so I couldn't find it at all.

Instead, I found P3 and bought it. My friend was a bit annoyed and said P4 was better but I played it anyway and by God it broke me.

At that time I had a depression problem. I have had one since 8th grade at that point in my life so P3's theme of death resonated with my core.

I had no spoilers for this story then, I thought we were defying fate like any other RPG and looking back I should've expected something. People died often in P3, even main cast, and the story put time into seeing the cast process that.

The single dungeon of the game is Tartarus but no, nothing clipped for me till that final scene.

That final scene caused a whirlwind of emotion to hit me because I could sense something was wrong and your MC only gets weaker as Aigis affirms her feelings and goal in life and the music doesn't stop.

Just when the other SEES remember and rush to find you they arrive only to find you gone. That.Fucking.Broke.Me.

The credits then has the audacity to play an upbeat song as the credits roll. That was it, you died and the entire game clicked in my brain.

The entire game just hits me all at once. The MC's persona is Orpheus, you literally climb through Tartarus towards Nyx, death itself, and you do not come out of it unscathed.

The characters each dealt with death and found a reason to keep living while Aigis found humanity, in those tears I understood that the games message.

Death is not avoidable, even for your MC. His miracle came at a cost, his ultimate persona is the Messiah for a reason but that's not what truly important.

It's the journey to that ending. The MC helped everyone he had a bond with find a reason to live, the games story is a positive one not a sad one.

I felt my brain rewire that day, aside from truly depressing events in my life, I have never truly been depressed again. Not permanently.

Even if I live a life like a hermit I'll never just give up on everything because this story broke me and rewired how I see things.

More importantly for this post, my initial breakdown of emotion always resurfaces when I play P3. I find myself attached to Aigis in particular due to her specific journey and her role in 'The Answer'.

So when I say this remake only added to the positive I meant it. (you probably thought I forgot about that and went on a seperate tangent didn't you~)

Every little scene new or expanded they put in this game makes it stronger. I did not want January to end but I was already a few days in and the game was breaking me.

Koromaru's new linked stories, Shinji, and Aigis in particular were wonderfully done. Everything just ties together in a way that I can't explain to you in a singular post.

These things I've stated not only apply to added content but old as well. A complaint you'll see at times is how some Persona social links seem to contradict the casts main story progression or how some are weaker than others.

Persona 3, any version of Persona 3, does not have that issue. Whether you personally like them all my vary but they are all remarkably consistent with the Death theme, the theme of finding new direction or meaning in life, or they're harmless at worst.

A key part of the reason why is because the Fool & Judgement Social Links are tied to main story progression. The whole reason linked episodes were added was because the main SEES cast have character growth alongside those two arcana as the story progresses.

In P3Fes or P3Portable you could have friend/romance with some SEES based on MC chosen but their actual growth as a character is tied to the story. They grow with you.

And what you do learn on those friend/romance links doesn't contradict with that main story progression. You won't have a situation like in P5 where Ryugi feels like two different people between his personal social link and the main story.

No game is flawless mind you, all I mean to say is that P3 meshes better with it's links and main story. All those lives you help along the way just hit harder during the finale for it.

You can feel like it meant something.

I can't wait for 'The Answer'

I have no decent transition here nor am I sure I conveyed my feelings/meaning as well as I had hoped above. So before these P3 images and OST make me cry again I'll talk about 'The Answer'.

If nothing else, I do hope I have explained how important the main story is to me and I hope that it makes sense to you that I do not consider P3 complete without this story addition.

It had issues in P3Fes, there is no way around that, but given how well they handled this remake I hope they can give 'The Answer' that same love.

Because it's very important to Aigis as a character as well as to the overall themes of life & death. If you have not seen the scenes of The Answer or played P3Fes yourself you may want to skip from here on out btw.

You still there? Good because I need anyone reading to understand that 'The Answer' is key. It's key because it's about grief.

Many of the main cast had to deal with loss and grief in the main story so people find their relapse odd here but you have to remember that no one death is the same. You do not just become okay with important people dying.

You can always fall back on your sadness and that's what happens here. Aigis literally loses the will to live and becomes more machine like, Yukari quite frankly becomes bitchy, and the overall crew is somber.

They thought they had won, your MC lived till graduation. They had their best and worst times with him and he died for reasons that they do not understand.

'The Answer' is quite literally that answer. They learn why he died, Aigis finds her own answer to life, and I wish I could elaborate more but I'm torn between telling you and just hoping you play it.

It's an epilogue and one that I feel P3 needs to have to feel right. It makes your MC's sacrifice feel more worth while to know the cast will use his memory to live better rather than fall back into grief.

It does my soul better to know that Aigis won't give up on life.

I'm spent

There's more I could've said but I'm quite frankly to emotional to add more. I struggled to even be coherent with this and I'm not sure I was.

I consider this the best Persona game yet and I'll always love 3 more than the others. I simply didn't feel attached to the scooby doo gang from P4 and I'm too old to care about the teen rebellion in P5...plus their mascot characters literally agitate me.

I hope you play this game or already have and I hope you're willing to give 'The Answer' a shot. Bye now~

[scarletmaster143]

Okay here we go

The Barbie Movie 2023: a transcendental experience

I would like to preface this by admitting that I cried essentially throughout the entire movie. I was crying in the first twenty minutes when Barbie entered the Real World and found that it was the complete opposite of BarbieLand. Several other people have made this comparison but the scene where Barbie gets catcalled and harassed on the street, where she feels too conscious about everything (the tea scene with Ruth especially) is so vital because that is how every young girl I have met has felt when they begin puberty. Ken, of course exemplifies the masculine perception, the confidence and esteem that comes with realising that "Men rule the world". The way he is not a bad character but the draw of power is so strong even for someone as "accessory" as a Ken doll and so he goes along with the patriarchal system. Barbie feeling utterly lost after learning that she has not been in fact empowering women as she had thought, rather she was a "fascist". My take is that the criticism against Barbie is valid in that there is little diversity among the dolls and yes there are certain things that can be improved upon. However it is parallel-y true that Barbie can be ANYTHING. Especially in a world where success and happiness have come to be defined by such limited criteria Barbie rightly points out that most girls are ordinary, they are not scientists or presidents or nobel prize winners, however that does not mean they are unworthy of consideration, of respect and of care.

I am unsure what is the broad internet verdict on Barbie but I do believe that the movie encapsulates a very specific feminist experience where it's not that men are at fault for everything, Ken does ultimately admit, along with the directors of Mattel, that he does not want to be in power all the time. However, Gerwig refuses to dictate how men should behave, they will have to go to the Real World themselves and figure it out. Barbie however gets to learn that just saying "I don't want anything to change" does not stop things from changing. As someone who uses the exact same phrase several times, it hit me hard when, despite her best efforts, things kept changing. The loss of control and increasing uncertainty that adulthood brings is enough to make anyone into a Depression Barbie (complete with BBC Pride and Prejudice) but Gerwig also says that just because things are changing does not mean that we are simply helpless. We have people around us, mothers and grandmothers and daughters and Weird Barbies, who are there to support us. America Ferrara's rant about how women can never be perfect or likeable is a cinematic masterpiece- it reflects the constant discourse around what it means to be a modern woman and ultimately puts forward that women can be "anything", they don't need to be only perfect- if nothing they do is perfect then there is no need to desire perfection, they can remain as they are. Sasha was a surprisingly heartwarming character, I was fully expecting her to be annoying. All the Kens were hilarious, of course, the little Sex Education cast reunion was adorable. The style of the movie may not suit everyone's taste, it is loud, over the top and camp as fuck, everything is a reference, the fourth wall is essentially non-existent. But at its core the Barbie Movie is a lesson in growing up- it is a tale of someone who has to find herself and accept herself before becoming a human. Interestingly, Barbie reflects adolescence quite literally (I was half expecting Gerwig to put in a menstruating reference, but it makes sense that she didn't, considering the no-vagina thing) and the last scene where she asks to see her gynecologist is not only symbolic of her becoming a human but also of her becoming a woman. She is a doll in the beginning like pre-adolescent girls are often called but then she goes through terrible things where she is not fully doll, but not fully human, and lastly when she has become human, shedding her doll part. Adolescent girls are rarely allowed to be anything other than perfect "dolls" even when they are having the most terrible period of their lives and Barbie's constant desire to make things return to as they were shows how she also wants to remain a doll, but once she accepts that things need to change she starts shedding her doll nature and starts becoming human. This is still a sad process but now Barbie knows (thanks to Ruth) that no matter what she will be okay as a human.

In conclusion Barbie is not a movie that is of the feminist genre, at least not to me, rather it is a coming of age story for some of the most iconic characters in pop culture.

[sendpseuds]

15 questions

Thank you to @sky-kenobye @yourfavoritefridge and @ladylucksrogue for the tag!

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not really? I’m sorta named after a liqueur….

2. When was the last time you cried?

Literally, like, a few hours ago.

3. Do you have kids?

Nope, and very unlikely to do so.

4. What sports do you play/ have you played?

I swam throughout high school while doing the school musicals at the same time. I also played lacrosse for several years and played water polo for a bit in college which is always gets a great reaction.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Hahahahaha

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

I don’t want to just say “vibe” because that doesn't feel quite right, but it’s really difficult to explain…

I feel like, when I meet someone, I can tell pretty quickly if we’re going to get along, but I think it’s less about assessing their overall aura [or whatever], and more that I can almost immediately tell who someone else wants me to be. What they want out of the interaction. It’s like I can feel their expectation of me before anyone has even opened their mouth.

This is 100% a trauma response, I am totally aware of that, but it can still be a really useful tool for someone like me who, often comes off as being a little too much.

7. What's your eye colour?

Green

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Both

9. Any talents?

I’ve gotten pretty good at twirling a lightsaber!

10. Where were you born?

Western New York

11. What are your hobbies?

Oh boy. Obviously, writing and drawing, but I also love to cook, enjoy watching sports [so excited for baseball to be back], I dig camping and hiking [nothing extreme], absolutely adore the water, and can often be found making mushrooms out of clay.

12. Do you have any pets?

Yes! An adorably evil cat named Ricky [whose real name is Maverick, but I’m way more likely to call him Richard] and a very sweet pup named Pepper [who will be your best friend whether you want her to or not]

13. How tall are you?

5’5’’

14. Favourite subject in school?

Uh. Art? I don’t know. High School was not my favorite time.

15. Dream job?

No, thank you.

I don’t know. I’ve been struggling with the concept of work for a really long time.

I really hate the feeling of being commodified. Whenever I show someone a piece of art, or tell them I write, there’s inevitably a moment where they say something to the effect of “You could totally sell that,” and to me, it always sounds like they’re saying “Sell your soul. It’s worth less than the money you’d get back.”

Artist. Designer. Writer. I am already all of these things, I don’t need someone else’s money for that to be true.

x

[prettyboykatsuki]

i cried several times throughout the movie but it's literally so worth it. our boys made it to the big screen. u Have to see it

AHHHH. i'lll see if i can book tickets... all the listings r so far away from me

[thtdamfangirl4]

I feel the same way you did about the movie. I was eating up the promo, I lost sleep last night because I was so excited, and I was happy while watching it (I cried several times) but by the time the credits started to roll i just started seeing all of it's flaws and I just got so sad. I've been a fan of this book for the last 2 years. This book is so important to me in so many ways and I'm so sad that the movie didn't make me feel the same way the book did. I think it was because they advertised it to be heavily inspired by the book when it really wasn't. I know I'll rewatch it a few more times but it just feels bland and empty and I'm lowkey angry bc i do see Taylor and Nick as Alex and Henry and I ADORED Zahra but I could honestly go so far to say that I hate it and I'm angry that I feel that way. I don't want to be the person that goes "the book is better 🤓👆" because i know that people outside the book fandom are going to eat it up but it is and i feel betrayed bc they kept saying it was for us but it just doesn't feel like it (sorry for this long ass message literally no one else in my life cares about this story bsbsjsgsj)

Don’t apologize because I DO CARE about this story more than anything else and I agree! Personally, I was stop and start throughout the movie, I’d love a scene because it captured Alex and Henry, and then I’d hate the next because it bore no resemblance to something I loved. The moments when it was good, it was GOOD, but to me that almost just highlights the flaws because you know they were capable of executing this story well and there were moments when the script and direction just flat out chose to do otherwise.

Like, they did the texts and phone calls so well and then ignored the emails almost entirely??? Your format was RIGHT THERE.

They allowed Alex and Henry and Ellen and Zahra to embody their characters, but Nora, Pez, and Bea had no smidgen of their personalities? No fault to the actors, but where were the characters I fell in love with? Nora is a human supercomputer and she’s queer and proud. Pez is flashy and absurd and Henry’s best friend and I think I heard him speak MAXIMUM two lines??? Bea was the perfect princess younger sister and I HATED IT.

Thinking on it, I cry at least like 8 times each time I reread (which has been countless times), and while I found myself in tears last night watching the movie, it was rarely for any of the reasons I might have thought. I think this first watch served as an immunization of sorts, and hopefully the next time I watch it I can immerse myself into it more fully rather than feeling like my watch is taken up by Noticing.

Anyway; i agree with you completely and I’m glad you’re getting to share your feelings. This story was and IS so so SO important to me, and I’m sad that it isn’t shown on the screen. There’s too much gone. And I don’t get WHY. I don’t get how anyone could look at that book and think they could do it justice in 2 hours. I don’t get why you take source material you love enough to adapt it and then pick out only certain parts like you’re a picky eater at a buffet.

I especially don’t get why you would treat so much of this story with care and love and discard the rest. The entire team of people who worked on this film had it in them, and just were only given the freedom to give it their all for a fraction of the total story.

Now this is long, too, sorry.

I hope we both grow into enjoying it as a separate entity, but until then, I think it’s okay to feel our feelings in a respectful manner.

[lion-buddy]

I must ask: what's your favorite Precure series (or Precure character), and why?

ah! you see the thing is, I’ve only ever finished star twinkle hehe. but i have seen a few episodes of tropical rouge and the 2020 miracle leap movie too! im also planning to watch the new all stars F movie when i can!! [hopefully soon ahh]. So yeah I don’t have much to say about any other season

but!! I have a lot to say abt star twinkle! like a lot. I watched star twinkle because I saw Yuni's wiki page, got interested, and proceeded to stay up till 4am watching it all. So yeah! I really enjoyed it, I don’t even know where to start

yuni is my favorite character if it wasnt obvious lol, she is literally like. the perfect character from personality to design. shes an antagonist aligned shapeshifting phantom thief catgirl with a blue/yellow/rainbow color scheme who struggles with self perception and relationships in general and gets found-familied by the narrative [whether she likes it or not]. [[this sentence is meant to all be said in one continuous breath]] TLDR she could not be any more perfect, she scores a 10/10 for character of all time. i could say a lot abt yuni!! but ill hold myself back for now since i feel that could be a whole essay of its own. hikaru is also a character that's growing on me a lot. im not sure how to put it into words, but! shes really really interesting to me, which surprised me since i dont typically lean towards her character type. maybe i can find the words to talk abt her one day, bc i see way too much slander directed at her, she does not deserve all that

ok but star twinkle itself! i adore its themes of friendship, forgiveness, and learning what it means to grow up and grow apart. typical for a show of its demographic. what really got me was how it expanded on all of that, it introduced the concept of figuring out your place in the world, and learning how to continue living happily even if the people you care about most aren't here with you. it kinda hit really close to home for me. its so obvious how much the whole cast cares for each other, and i could see them building up to a finale where they would all have to say goodbye to each other forever. i wasnt sure if theyd actually commit all the way but!! they sure did!!!! watching them get separated at the end like that really hurt!!! like a lot!!!!!! im such a baby when it comes to cast separations but. man. star twinkle did it really well.

also also its ost is really really good??! this is aside from the intro and outro themes, im focusing on the instrumental backing tracks that play throughout the episodes. i was surprised to find them on youtube, and found myself blown away by how emotional they were. its got such a strong central motif that plays throughout the tracks, and obliterates you at the end when it shows back up to deliver an extremely emotional farewell song. i have cried several time listening to it, i dont think any ost has ever done that to me [aside from a few select songs from various medias. and undertale lol]. but yeah. listen to the star twinkle ost if you havent it will make you feel things.

i could also add that the movie kills me every time. watch the star twinkle movie if ur at all interested in anything ive said. its a good starting point if u want to see some action and get the vibe of the characters

on the topic of movies, final little note! im really interested in the new all stars F movie and prim, or cure supreme. literally know nothing about them but!! im staring so hard, they look exactly like my type of character. also the songs that have released are really really good ahhh scratching at the walls i hope it releases somewhere soon so i can see them in action. hopefully itll get me interested in checking out other seasons as well :]

[skynapple]

Is Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Worth it? My Two Cents

Since @incorrectpizza was asking, I'm throwing this together cause I've had some words to say about it for a long time.

First off, the project went through multiple layers of Disney Imagineers wanting to create something new and different that allowed them to worldbuild their own new planet without directly drawing on any of the canon movies/shows/books/games. They were also drawing upon shared experiences in middle eastern bazaars. (Source: Documentary about building it that you can watch on Disney+). It was created by Star Wars geeks, for people who may or may not be Star Wars fans. The "may not be" is sort of important here.

Second, I'll say, the first time I walked in I cried with joy. I've been several, several times ever since. As the magic has worn down I've been able to identify a few things. I'll list the good and the bad here.

A. World Environment:

The cons: Because it was built for people who may not be Star Wars fans (aka Disneyland/Disneyworld visitors who are just meandering around the park) it's built to give people a sense that they are somewhere else, and able to identify a few key elements, without necessarily requiring that you know anything about Star Wars at all. They didn't want to give anyone the sense that you couldn't walk in without watching more than 1 movie. This becomes a devastating downfall because other than the literal actual Millennium Falcon or a speeder here, and a first order banner there, there's really no identifying elements. The place is identified as "Black Spire Outpost" which exists only, and ONLY, within the Disney Parks and is not shown within any media. This gives longtime fans nothing to connect to, and nothing much to identify. There's very little to tell that you're supposed to be in a Star Wars environment. My personal opinion is it would have been better had they taken the Universal Studios route and built an environment directly from the Harry Potter movies, giving fans the feeling that they are walking the same streets and seeing the same sights as their favorite characters. It's been a huge success for them and I think that magic is what Galaxy's Edge is missing. I digress.

The Pros: All that said, it's insanely beautiful especially at night. There's so much detail in how they weathered everything and there is Aurebesh literally everywhere, to the point that very little is actually in English. Which is very cool if you're a geek like me that knows how to read it. There are little (and I mean little) nods and easter eggs for fans throughout, but I feel like if I wasn't such a big fan I wouldn't be able to identify them. It's definitely nice to walk through and even though my Mom isn't a fan, she still admires it a lot.

B. Music and sounds:

The cons: They don't play any soundtrack music. Nothing that's been in the media. It's meant to immerse you in the "environment" so it's mostly animal noises and stuff that's supposed to sound alien.

The pros: There's a cool "sound/song" that plays when you enter, like a musical swell, that's signaling that you're entering a new area. I still think that part is cool and it did make me emotional the first time I walked through that "sound."

C. Characters

The cons: There just aren't a lot of characters walking around. There's no aliens. No droids. I've heard they've improved a little bit, and have been adding here and there. But for someplace that's supposed to be so foreign, there's just not enough cast members walking around.

The pros: The cast members and characters that you do see, if you're lucky, are good and you can have fun with them. They have good behaviors, their costumes are great, and are well trained. Being able to see Mando with baby Grogu who is cooing and greeting visitors? Come on, it's so cute. Stormtroopers from the First Order messed with my mom once. It was great. You encounter First Order "employees" a lot on the Rise of the Resistance ride and I always giggle at how they never break character. They're so mean and serious and it's so great to me.

D. The Rides

The cons: There's only two. Honestly not much complain about other than there's not much else to do outside of just these two. There's the Millennium Falcon and the Rise of the Resistance ride. The con about Millennium Falcon is they load the ride in parties of 6, and each person will have a "task" to make the ship fly. If you don't have a party of 6, you're completely at the mercy of the strangers doing their job. The flight is very realistic. If someone in your party misses their queue, it will affect the flight and you will crash. You're allowed a certain amount of damage before your flight crashes to the ground dramatically and your ride ends. The longer you can stay in the air, the longer your experience will be, and the smoother your flight will be. My only gripe about Rise of the Resistance is that the line is so long.

The pros: Insanely cool. The Millennium Falcon is really is a gem in that they've built sooooo so much detail into it. It's so cool. Lots of fun photo spots. You feel like you're really actually in the real thing!! Despite what I said about flying with strangers, when everyone is into it and you're working well together, you'll have a good time. And Rise of the Resistance is the peak of Disney's high tech capabilities across their global projects. It's amazing, I can't say enough about it. Just the feeling, the immersion, it wasn't open when Galaxy's Edge first opened and it's honestly what it was seriously lacking in that "immersive" and "emotional" aspect. I can ride this stuff again and again. I never get tired of it. And honestly, again, my mom is NOT into Star Wars or scifi and Rise of the Resistance is her favorite, she has to ride it every time we're in the park. Sidenote: I still think the best time to ride is at night! It just looks so beautiful at night.

E. The Food:

The Cons: There's not a whole lot of variety, but this is scarcely a huge con considering the variety of foods you can find throughout the rest of the park. Also if your diet is sensitive, or you have allergies, you may have some difficulty. There's also not a whole lot of seating, and this is a big con for the rest of Galaxy's Edge. I complained about it in a survey I received and coincidentally noticed them putting in some new seating, so they are gradually working on it, but for my family of 6 sometimes we struggle. Also, the blue milk is overrated. I prefer the green milk. Both are made with coconut milk, which isn't my favorite, so that's a favorite for some, but a sad dislike for me. Also it's overpriced for a small cup size. So just know that.

The Pros: Docking Bay 7 is one of my favorite places to eat in the park. And the Cantina I have not been to yet because it requires reservations that you literally have to book in the morning just to eat at dinner. I've heard nothing but good things about it though. To me, all the food in Galaxy's Edge is tasty. Also if you're buying a soda like a Coca-Cola or Sprite from a beverage stand, they serve them in the coolest little collector cups and are the same price as they are in the rest of the park, so if you're in a soda mood, buy them there instead of elsewhere in Disneyland.

F. The Activities:

The Cons: So expensive! If you're planning to build a droid or a custom lightsaber, keep in mind that they may be reservation-required experiences and they are $200 each. Please check online before you go. The other con is that there's not much else to do.

The Pros: They put so much thought into these experiences. I built a custom lightsaber and it was 100% worth it. I cried, and as I looked around the room at the climax of the experience, I won't spoil it but everyone else in the room was crying too!! That's how beautiful and thoughtful it was. You can bring 1 friend with you for free as long as they aren't participating, although they can help you. This applies to building a droid as well.

G. The Shopping:

The cons: It was intended to be "bazaar-like" but it doesn't really come off that way. Little, if any, is actually Star Wars branded. Again, they wanted you to feel like you were actually visiting somewhere far away, so the merch is mostly just Black Spire Outpost branded and there isn't much "Star Wars" merch. (If you do want Star Wars merch, I'm not sure for DisneyWorld but at least for Disneyland, the shop attached to Star Tours has tons of exclusive Star Wars merch that makes up for it.)

The pros: Exclusive merch that's mostly good quality. They have differing shops based on category, and it's spread out so it's not too overwhelming. This also eliminates long line. I've returned las Galaxy's Edge just for a specific BD-1 desk topper at the droid-themed shop, and then ran to the lightsaber parts shop, and I was able to get in and out of both stores very quickly.

The Final Rating: 6/10

Overall, for a Star Wars fan, it's a wonderful experience. Yes I have my gripes, but I still return each time. I can't say the cons outweigh the pros. I think major improvements would improve overall impression and foot traffic. That said. I think it's something every Star Wars fan should experience at least once!

Here's some photos for extra measure

[fortheturnstiles]

11, 18, 19 for tha movie asks😁

11. Has a film ever made you cry? -- YES. ALL THE TIME. and not always because a movie is particularly sad or during a poignant emotional beat, sometimes there are moments where all the elements of sound and picture and feeling come together in a way that's so perfect or just overwhelming in some way it'll make me cry. last time this happened was watching Altered States (1980) in a movie theater, i had never seen it on the big screen before and there were several moments (particularly toward the end) where i was just!!!! AAAAH!!! and i cried a bit . yeah.

18. What film do you think has the coolest poster? -- yayy repeat question means i get to share more cool posters 🤓

as you can probably tell i love posters that are kinda busy / visually dense and have some interesting thing with text going on. i love a good typeface. that phantom of the paradise one i hope to have framed in my home one day

19. What part of filmmaking do you find most interesting (ie. sound design, costuming, set design, etc)? -- hard to answer cuz there are literally so. many. forms of craftsmanship that go into filmmaking but my mind first went to art direction + production design! it's the thing my eye is drawn to first, i love looking at sets and the details of the environments throughout a movie. sometimes it's in the way where i'm like oh that's a really big or complicated set that's really impressive and i wonder how they put everything together, or on the level of thinking about how a particular environment informs the characters in it and vice versa.

because i can't help myself i'll also mention special effects & makeup, i love horror movies and body horror in particular so i would be remiss to not mention it. i ❤️ flesh and gore and mutation and mutilation and unknown goopy substances. guys like rick baker and dick smith and screaming mad george and greg nicotero are my heroes for real. so many possibilities for imaginative manipulation of the flesh in cinema that's why it's one of my favorite artforms honestly

movie questions ask game

[kaleschmidt]

DSAF Assorted HCs (Part 2)

yeah. uh. get fucking jumpscared. previous part here

once again expect some TKPverse stuff here ok? nice

Jack

This is important okay you need to fucking listen to me. that is a short, fat, hairy man. I don't care that he's corpsy he is hairy as hell.

he has. so many issues. there's probably more but my current hcs for him are npd, bipolar, n adhdtism

his nervous stim is backflipping (thx quentin)

He chose his own middle name and it starts with an F. that's all i'm saying

It has a biting/chewing stim and will chew on anything it can get its hands on. Dave can get bited as a treat. otherwise shirt

Jack can sew!! They did it often when they were taking care of Dee and picked it up from their mom.

^ Jack made Dee's scarf btw. also after dee's death, jack stopped sewing

Jack DID pick sewing back up again (kinda) when he realized he kinda has to sew their body parts back up

He fucking HATES being called "Jackie". no exceptions

From DSAF 1-2, he wears a wig. Pre-DSAF 3, he starts growing it out, though. cuts/shaves it into a fucked up mullet for DSAF 3 though.

..... the mullet is made out of mold. Sorry. He's insane and so am I

As it worked on the machine for the Flipside, whenever it got KFC, it always broke any wishbones in the bucket, hoping it would help contribute to the machine working- that all his efforts would be worth something. TKPverse, he still does this

Dave

This is obviously i LITERALLY MADE A WHOLE FUCKING POST ABOUT IT but Dave has bpd. He also has adhdtism n probs a few other things

Dave really doesn't like when people are behind her and rather people walk in front of her instead. ESPECIALLY when walking through doorways

actually likes licorice. in my heart.

Dave has faint tastebuds after the whole "eating an ashtray" thing. Kebabs are his comfort food though

Capable of falling asleep with his eyes open. This has made Jack shit a few times

Dave steals Jack's clothes sometimes. they're big on him

Peter

major sin i'm sorry. peter is a big disney fan. i don't have a favorite movie for him yet

more of a silly hc n not anything solid but when he dressed up as The Rat, I like to imagine Peter did a very horrible mickey impression. we love you peter

When Naomi's (his daughter) sixth birthday passed, Peter was so relieved that she survived that he cried to Caroline about it, after Naomi was tucked into bed

This is like. a hc i debatably switch between having and not, but Peter's middle name is Guy. for normal reason.s

Caroline

She and Jack actually got along well! They like to tease each other a lot

VERY skilled in wrestling

Caroline had several brothers she used to live with (she was the oldest sibling), so she can relate to Peter abt older sibling troubles

SHIT at fucking cooking. peter was the one who cooked. she did her best though

Japanese-American i can't accept her being fully white i'm sorry.

Matt

Further elaborating on the timeline stuff he has going on: Matt more or less has a hivemind throughout timelines that shares memories throughout. hope that helps

^ JACK DOES NOT FUCKING KNOW THIS AND MATT IS NOT LETTING HIM KNOW THAT.

I can't believe i never said this but Matt is mixed. filipino + white specifically. GO WASIAN BOY GO. he's not exactly as connected w his filipino heritage though

he actually likes madonna as an artist but he'd rather die than admit that. you're not getting that out of him.

Davesport

On the few occassions the two take a shower, Jack + Dave shower together. helps a lot. they make a fucking mess sometimes though

Sometimes they sleep together naked. fuck you. ok? sniff. let me have this

i'd put this in their respective sections, but jack + dave have specific sleeping styles. Jack likes to sleep all sprawled out, and Dave does that sometimes too! But mostly she's all cozied up to Jack. likes to feel smaller sometimes

Dave likes to knock his head against Jack sometimes ok? ok.

Relationships

now that i have gotten him i can finally confirm. oscar + matt bffs 4ever

Matt likes Jack, in the sense that he's interesting to it, with most timelines revolving around him. Would never want to get involved with his business though. It's too hot for that shit

Peter + Dave frenemies ftw... they will begrudgingly get along. they're more similar than they think

so like i know that i said jack + harry had a fling in the last post but i grew and changed as a person. that's a lesbian phone. I do think that Jack trusted Harry the most out of the other phoneys, though

I think Jack saw a bit of itself in Roger. never admitting though.

off-topic but has jack fucking hit on every phone employee of his. i haven't seen jake's shit but has he. Jack.

Dave actually has a ... somewhat nice acquaintanceship w Steven! i kinda need them to bond a little more ok?

[yabai-erasure]

2022 kpop wrap up

bro this year did not let up for a second

quick thank yous

wjsn chocome super yuppers thank you for making camp kpop again

fromis_9 dm was the first choreography i learned this year thanks for letting me be a sexy queen for a bit

taeyeon INVU music video was so aesthetically in sync with endwalker that it blew my tiny weed addled brain

pixy villain goth bitches rise up

twice celebrate yeah i cried when they renewed ok

dance class staples

viviz bop bop i didnt watch queendom2

ive love dive you already know

aespa illusion sluuuurp

b side spotlight

rocket punch in my world

red velvet bamboleo

purple kiss singles were ass but their bsides were gold

twice basics fuuuuck yeah dude

itzy racer vocal fry queens

wjsn done dont disband dont disband dont disband

fav post-izone project

i cant even tell you how much joy i get out of seeing most of the izone girlies thriving. yena, yuri, chaeyeon, and eunbi all made fantastic solo songs, wonyoung, yujin, chaewon, and sakura are tearing it up in ive and le sserafim respectively, and I even got peeks of nako and hitomi throughout the year. like, my tiny heart cant take it.

i loved eunbi in izone, i loved her when i watched produce 48 this year, and as a soloist in 2022 she absolutely impressed me. her icy voice and house instrumentals are just what i need and i thoroughly loved glitch and underwater

fav songs i changed my mind about

okay O.O literally had me by the throat until the let me be your super heroooo and then i lost interest. I think I had hit superhero mental saturation from existing on the internet for the last five years and hearing the word superhero was somehow the last straw & i was just like fuck this song. I was wrong dude. several months later, my bedtime edibles would hit and I'd be typing O.O into the youtube search bar multiple nights a week.

also

billlie gingaminga yo

I reluctantly got into boy groups this year

I got into kpop back in 2013 because the goth bar near me had a monthly kpop night. the bartenders were mean as fuck but made unbelievably strong drinks, and they would project the music videos onto a huge screen and my roommate and I would get sloshed and try to twerk to HyunA. It was a simple and beautiful time. but. the DJ who ran the event was such an unabashed EXO stan and we would spend half of the night drunkenly talking shit about her not playing enough girl group songs.

it makes zero sense for me to still have this chip on my shoulder, especially in a year where pretty much everyone agrees that girl groups dominated the industry, but I've been admittedly ignoring boy groups for the majority of my time as a kpop fan and it just started to feel unfair.

drag me for this but Blessed-Cursed got its claws into my brain. I was sick of not knowing what naega byeonhae meant. I liked doing the silly anime pose choreo during Thunderous. I'm like, vaguely aware of who the members of Seventeen are. wow. truly in my growth era. dont ask me about nct tho

who i'm watching for 2023

Fifty Fifty had a no-skip debut mini. higher is fantastic dizzying bubblegum pop, log in is?? cyber girl crush?? lovin me is smooth af, this mini is just so polished for a debut

CSR ohhh myyyy goddd are they filling such a sorely needed niche in kpop right now. I couldn't get into pop? pop the fuzzy effect sounded vaguely horror movie to me, but loveticon is wonderful I can't wait to see what they do next.

period

basically nothing i can say about these tracks, if you listen to them you feel the impact

le sserafim antifragile

ive after like

newjeans ditto

i hope 2023 is better for yall

kep1er good luck truly

itzy blink twice if you need help burying jyps body

loona unionize

closing thoughts

I got to see Twice play in new york and that was sick. thats all

[osamustar]

i saw your reqs were open, so can i request michael with an underweight gf? (if your comfortable w it obviously!) i dont see many hcs like this tbh :(

either smut and/or fluff is fine! btw i love your headcanons your literally so good at writing them??

My first request! Ahh, so exciting. Thank you so much, I try to make him act like he does in the movies to the best of my ability. This will purely be fluff, my first one at that. Thank you for the amazing request! I’m a thick woman myself, so I tried my best with what I know.

Michael with an Underweight Girlfriend

NO TRIGGER WARNINGS CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK

You were extremely small and fragile.

All of your clothes were baggy to hide your small figure, making you appear bigger.

When Michael first saw you he felt pity. You were like glass. A single touch and you’d shatter.

He saw how insecure you were, how you hid yourself from the world. Arms wrapped around your body, ashamed.

He felt the need to kill you, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He understood you.

All you wanted to do was hide in your large clothes. Michael hid behind a mask.

People shunned you for who you were. Michael was hated and misunderstood by the entire town.

He could read every single emotion and thought in your eyes as you cowered beneath him. Fear mostly, but he could see desire. You wanted him to kill you.

He lowered his knife, letting it clatter against the ground. He kneeled down to your level, his head tilting to the side as he lifted your chin. You sniffled, looking right into his eyes. You were shaking, lip quivering.

“Just kill me… No one will notice. Y-You can get away with it…”

Michael didn’t kill you that night. No matter how hard you cried out wishing that he did. He dragged you out of that hell hole of a house, and took you in as his own.

He killed everyone that had ever said anything to hurt you. Including your parents. Who were they to constantly shun you? They were no family, that’s for sure.

Michael developed feelings for you. Something he didn’t think he was capable of. Something about you was special. Perhaps it was the mutual understanding of each other that you two held?

Michael asked you out through a small piece of paper, that had awful chicken scratch writing.

“Be girlfriend?” It read.

Well how could you say no to that?

Throughout the relationship Michael learned many things.

For one, watch how much force he uses when handling you.

If he were any normal man, it would be no issue.

You were so light, Michael almost threw you several times trying to pick you up. You would always laugh it off, but sometimes it made you sad.

Michael helped you realize that it was out of your control. It was not your fault that he was so unnaturally strong. And it wasn’t your fault that you were your size. It was something he could get used to. Something he wanted to get used to. For you.

He learned to be a gentle giant.

When he first saw you without baggy clothes he was surprised. You were so beautiful. He just couldn’t take his eyes off of you.

This boosted your ego.

You started wearing tighter clothes around him. He was quite thankful, being able to stare at your beauty all day.

Michael could read your mind. He would immediately know when you were sad. He would come running to the rescue.

He couldn’t have his beloved feeling down. It was against his rules.

Whatever you needed, you got it.

Michael would help you eat.

Three meals a day, no less.

Don’t refuse to eat. He’ll force it down your throat one way or another.

He wasn’t the most amazing cook, but he managed.

You enjoyed it nonetheless.

You got cold easily.

Solution? Michael was a literal human heater.

He would bury you guys underneath all of the blankets on the bed, and hold you close to him.

Don’t expect much more, his brain is already hard at work trying it’s best to show affection.

You got sick easily.

Michael would keep his hands clean at all times to keep this from happening. He would never go near you after a night out. He made sure to shower first.

Yes, he started showering for you.

Michael would try his hardest to take care of you while maintaining his distance. Poor baby’s hustling.

Hope you like canned chicken noodle soup, because that’s all you’re gonna get.

When you and Michael got more serious, you discussed having children with him.

He thought this was a great idea. A child? With you? You would make the best mother, he thought.

This was quickly shut down after you talked to your doctor.

You came home, broken. Michael had no clue what was going on. Why were you so hurt? What news could you possibly bear that led to this.

You couldn’t have children. At least not at your weight. It was too far of a risk for the baby.

Adoption was an option, until you realized Michael was a literal serial killer. He had to hide. He couldn’t just show up with you to the center and pretend to be a worthy guardian. He couldn’t even speak for fuck’s sake.

Michael ended up getting you a cat to help with your depression.

And then another.

And another…

You had three furry babies now. Three furry babies that helped you forget the sadness you held from being incapable of having a baby.

If anything, they were the same as having a child. They cry when they’re hungry, you clean their piss and shit, and you have to play with them.

Well, pretty close.

Michael was jealous of the babies. You had so much love and attention for them. He tried long and hard to lose the jealousy, but it never left.

You took notice to this, and started making sure he had enough of you before tending to the felines.

He never had enough of you. He was addicted.

He loved you.

[redladydeath]

Phases/Special interests/Hyperfixations I’ve had throughout my life, the ages I had them at, and the most autistic things I did because of them

Scooby Doo (2-6) Came up with a song about the Mystery Gang

Harry Potter (5-8) Hand-wrote/drew fan fiction before I knew what that was, jumped up and down screaming with joy when Voldemort died, listened to recordings of my dad reading them+the audiobooks countless times, cried when I saw a parody and put up signs around my house saying no one was allowed to ever watch it

Kids Next Door (10-12) Discovered FFN, made a million self-insert OCs and submitted them to “send me your OCs and I’ll put them in my story!” fics

Adventure Time (11-13) Started making music videos in my head with the characters whenever I would listen to a song, cried when Fionna and Cake were revealed to be Ice King’s fan fiction characters, decided it was set in the 4000′s and literally made a year-by-year timeline starting in the 2000′s

Vocaloid (11-15) Didn’t listen to any other music for a very long time

Musicals (12-19) Saw the Les Mis movie 8-10 times in theaters with my mom

Evillious Chronicles (11-20) Stalked rp blogs before I had a Tumblr and idolized the roleplayers, bought and scanned every piece of media I could find

Black Butler (13-17) Went to Japan four separate times to see the musicals even though I was terrified of flying

Venom (18-19) Watched the first movie about seven times, read two 1000 page omnibuses in one night

Six the Musical (18-21) Have seen the show six times with various casts, became a moderator of the wikia, made a point of compiling every photo the cast posted on said wikia for several years, got into trading and collected 200+ Six audios, can list every cast member off the top of my head with zero prompting

English royal history (19-21) Bought 50 books and audiobooks on the topic, teared up when I couldn’t leave flowers at Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard’s graves, made Six-ified versions of every pre-20th century monarch and consort

Spider-Man (21-ongoing) Finally started writing fan fiction after 10 years of intense fear of writing, have like 60+ story ideas for one ship

[hacked-wtsdz]

Rating Star Wars ships from least to most favourite:

9. Obitine

I never cared much for Satine, though I still like their moments. They seem like such a soft ship, and Satine is also one of Obi-Wan’s weak spots, he was ready to leave the order for her, which is impressive for a man that is so dedicated to it. They are a bit like Anidala, but Satine and Obi-Wan aren’t as reckless and chaotic as Anakin and Padme.

8. Skyjade

Ok, I have to admit that I’ve never actually read anything about them, but just the concept itself looks incredibly cool to me. Cause it’s a really long enemies to lovers in Star Wars (I’m not a huge fan of the trope but in this situation — Jedi vs Sith….) Also in my mind Mara Jade is the Star Wars version of Black Widow, just cooler, and it makes this concept (pure, light Luke and mysterious Mara) beautiful.

7. Maulsoka

I don’t like any Ahsoka ships (Rexsoka, Luxsoka, Anisoka😖) but Maulsoka has potential imo. They are both cool, incredibly well-developed characters that used to have an exact definition (Jedi and Sith), but then walked away from it because of a betrayal. They mirror each other in some way. Also the way Maul says “Lady Tano”, and their fight, and the way they went from enemies to neutrals, it’s all fantastic. The more I think about it, the more I like it.

6. Rebelcaptain

I am deeply in love with everything about Rogue One but I’m more into the platonic relationships in it than the romantic ones. Rebelcaptain is still very beautiful and very sad. I like that it’s not exactly canonical cause it never actually happened, but everybody still knows that it is. In the end they hug instead of kissing (because they have stronger connections than simple romance) Did the director want movie theatres to be flooded or what

5. Hanqi’ra

Gosh, Solo was amazing! And Qi’ra is terribly underrated, I wish Disney made a show about her too. I loved her character and her relationship with a more hopeful, optimistic Han than the one we see in the ot. Yes, she leaves him in the end, and takes a part of him with himself, but a part of her stays with Han forever too. It’s a passionate, hopeless love story that I wish we knew more about. Emilia was amazing as Qi’ra, and her chemistry with Alden is freaking awesome.

4. Kanera

Oook. Time for my favourite ships. I LOVE KANERA. They don’t actually have any romantic scenes until the last season, but throughout the whole show it’s obvious that there is something between them. Also, they are space parents, so... I adore Rebels, especially the found family part. Kanan and Hera became an amazing support for each other, they learned how to trust through each other, and they heal each others’ war wounds, as well as the entire crew’s. I almost cried at the end of Rebels because Kanan’s death scene is one of the most heartbreaking ones in the entire Star Wars. Fuck, everything about this ship is perfect.

3. Vaderdala

This ship makes me so excited and sad at the same time. I love all Vader relationships, and I especially love him and Padme together because that has sooo much potential. Enemies to lovers? Possible. Lost love? Possible. Vader fucking killing everybody who ever laid even a finger on her? Absolutely fucking possible. Padme killing Vader in the end a-la Kill Bill? Possible. Vader’s redemption? possible. And every headcanon is just pure gold.

2. Scoundress

I’ve never met anyone who wouldn’t love HanxLeia. Leia not being able to admit her crush on him, their chemistry, Han’s charm…I don’t even want to write anything here. And I don’t need to, let’s be honest.

1. Anidala

These two omg. Their love story is literally the definition of tragedy. Just like with scoundress, they deserve several giant ass essays on their relationship but I don’t wanna write anything here. Let’s just agree that this is the best Star Wars love story and go home everyone.

P.S.

There are so many ships, I just picked my favourites and then picked favourites out of those

[solalunar-eclipse]

Sonic Boom - S3E1

Episode title: Friendship 101

Word count: about 3000 words

Author’s Note: I’m trying a rather new format for this fic, since it’s based on a TV show with various songs and camera angles. If you have any comments about whether it works well or not, please let me know!

(Also, the theme song choice is all thanks to khinesthetic, who used it here and inspired me to put it in this fic.)

Next

[cue Mr. Blue Sky by ELO (0:00-3:45)]

[The show opens on a zoomed-out view of Hedgehog Village from above. Stone walls separate the village from the wilderness outside. There are large spaces at several points throughout the structure for entry and exit. A large patch of grass with benches scattered about sits at one end of the village, and a marketplace made up of wood-and-cloth stalls runs along one of the walls. Houses are grouped in seemingly random clusters throughout the town, and the (in)famous Meh Burger stand sits all on its own, with picnic tables spread across its wooden flooring. As the music progresses, the camera begins to zoom in on the village- then on one of the streets in particular- and rotates down to eye level to face…]

Sonic the Hedgehog walked through the streets of Hedgehog Village with a bounce in his step, occasionally dancing to the music playing through his earbuds. As he wandered throughout the town, he passed the usual people running their stores, arguing over botched orders at Meh Burger, and, at one point, Aqua the Rabbit absolutely freaking out over the loss of a single follower on Angstagram (the latest social media network for moody teens).

He did a 360-degree spin before winking and pointing finger guns at Amy Rose when he spotted her haggling with the local grocery store owner. She paused briefly to wave at him with a smile. “Hi, Sonic!” she called, completely ignoring the irritated fennec in the process.

Then, the music froze and changed to something extremely ominous as she turned around to face the shopkeeper once more. A dangerous gleam appeared in her eyes as she pulled out her signature hammer. “Now then, about those prices you’ve been setting lately…”

The song cut back in as the view switched back to Sonic, who was now moving away from the scene at a slightly faster pace.

Really, though, he was more than happy to see his other friends not long after. Knuckles and Sticks were currently busy rummaging through the town’s garbage together, excitedly chatting about the latest piece of interesting junk they’d found, while Tails was fixing someone’s broken rain gutter (and attempting to ‘improve’ it in the process, which meant that it could now measure the amount and intensity of rainfall in a storm- a very useful, though unfortunately unwanted improvement).

Surprisingly enough, as he continued on his way through Hedgehog Village, he managed to get people from a few different places to wave back at him when he said hello. Although perhaps it wasn’t quite so surprising when one considered that this was one of the most cliched opening sequences that could possibly happen in any movie or TV show. Ever.

And of course, the only logical outcome of this scene led to everyone beginning to stop their usual activities and gather in one of the few open spaces in the town, clearly prepared to break into a fantastic musical dance number straight out of Broadway. Incredibly, this was one of the few moments in which everyone in the village seemed to be able to get along…

...until Eggman’s latest giant robot slammed feet-first into the ground, sending everyone off-kilter and scrambling for cover. Shrieks of panic rose in place of the music as the villagers fled the scene to hide in their houses. The dramatic entrance didn’t just ruin the mood, it absolutely crushed it with the sheer force of its impact.

And that was, obviously, when the show really began.

[cue In Your Face by Shockwave Sound (0:00-1:04)] 

[Each of the five members of Team Sonic appears on a black screen with their name spelled out in their signature colors (blue, yellow, red, pink, and green) and does a couple of cool fighting moves, followed by snippets of scenes featuring them from previous episodes of the show for about eight seconds each. All five of them then appear together in their usual fighting stances, emphasizing their status as a team.

The Eggman logo then appears in an ominous, glowing red, backlighting the doctor himself and all his creations- before the lights flick on to reveal him alone in his evil lair with a green screen behind him, at which point he shrieks and covers the camera with a hand. Then, neon blue electronic lines begin to appear across the screen and the camera spirals to follow them, selecting one particular line to trace. Not long after, said line ends at a circle which, with a flash, turns into the words ‘Sonic Boom’. Beneath the title, it says ‘Ancient Secrets’ in neon blue.]

[Then the music ends, at which point the episode title- “Friendship 101”- appears for a few seconds in the same color before the show itself returns.]

Sonic scrambled to his feet and zipped over to Tails, pulling him up from where he’d fallen after the robot’s overdramatic arrival. Amy managed to do the same with both Knuckles and Sticks simultaneously, which let Sonic stare for a moment, startled, and then promptly resolve to remember not to get on her bad side anytime soon.

Soon enough, the team had scrambled into their usual positions, ready to fight. Amy and Sticks kicked the battle off by handling the various smaller robots that threatened to get too close to their team, never faltering (and in fact seeming a bit gleeful in the badger’s case) despite the sheer number of enemies. Knuckles, meanwhile, launched Sonic bodily into the air for Tails to catch, before picking up a boulder about the size of a house and lobbing it directly at the robot’s chest.

“Hey! Easy with the boulders- QuakeBot took a lot of effort to make, you know!” Eggman shrieked from above, hovering in the relative safety of his Eggmobile. 

(Relative, in this case, was of course in comparison to mixing absurdly volatile chemicals in a lab, bothering Shadow at any and/or all hours of the day, or being on Tails’s bad side when the fox had a glue gun. The doctor still remembered that situation all too well, and currently ranked it as far more terrifying than merely being punted into the stratosphere by kids under half his height and about a third his age.)

Sonic paused to stare at Eggman from where he was currently dangling in the air. A smirk began to spread slowly across his face. “…what did you just call it?”

“You heard me the first time!” the doctor roared, now incredibly embarrassed. “I named it that since it makes the ground shake when it moves, like an earthquake??”

General laughter came from the heroes assembled on the ground and in the sky.

“Argh! Nobody appreciates my genius around here! Now, QuakeBot, stop standing around and start attacking!”

“I suggested TerraBot, since it still has to do with earth and is a play on the word ‘terror’, but nobody ever listens to my ideas, now do they?” Orbot muttered irritably to himself, tucked inside the Eggmobile.

“I listen to all your ideas!” Cubot offered encouragingly.

Orbot’s mouth shifted into a small smile. “Thanks, Cubot.”

Meanwhile, Sonic had been pulled into a spin by Tails, who whirled the hedgehog around before letting him shoot downwards toward the robot in a spin dash- only for him to get caught and sent flying into the nearest house.

He shook off the surprise quickly (and apparently sustained absolutely zero damage despite having literally crashed through a house, because superpowered teenagers), darting back over to the group. “Well, uh, guess it’s time for Plan B then!”

Crickets chirped in the ensuing silence. Even the robot had stopped moving to hear what he had to say.

“And the plan is…?” Amy prompted.

Sonic folded his arms with a huff. “I dunno, I thought you guys would have one!?”

The pink hedgehog rolled her eyes at that. 

Tails piped up. “I have an idea! Sonic, you’re going to need to be curled up for this, okay?”

The hero promptly did just that, before emitting a muffled “mmhmm?” from inside his layers of quills.

“Alright then, Amy, I need you to hit Sonic with your hammer right at the side of this house.”

Sonic’s blood ran cold. “Whoa whoa whoa, wait a second can we maybe rethink thiaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

He ricocheted all over the palace like a pinball, slamming into several key points of the robot thanks to Tails’s rapid calculations. However, the robot was sadly unaffected by his screaming at a pitch that came dangerously close to shattering glass.

The robot was easily disabled and the attack overall quickly repelled after that. Thankfully, it took Sonic only a moment to recover from his impromptu stint as an out-of-control projectile and get back to fighting with the others…complete with a “Let’s do that AGAIN!” moment, which was met with a resounding no from both Amy and Tails. 

Their ears were both still rather sore from last time, after all.

After Eggman was punted all the way back to his island by a well-placed kick from Sticks, though, the crew was about to head over to Meh Burger for a post-battle meal when they discovered that they had an entirely different problem to take care of. The villagers, who were beginning to come out of hiding after the attack, were furious upon seeing the damage dealt to their homes and stores.

“How could you let this happen?” one shouted.

Before long, the villagers found themselves a more specific target when the owner of the house that Sonic had smashed into pointed her finger directly in his face. “This mess is awful!” she cried. “And it’s all his fault!”

Within seconds, a mob of people had descended upon the overtaxed teen.

“I’ve never known a hero so irresponsible.” one fumed.

“How dare you!” the fennec from earlier roared.

The elderly wolf of the village shook her cane at him. “Shame on you!”

Sonic could feel himself beginning to tense up as the villagers turned their ire on him. Whether or not he’d admit it to anyone, he needed two main things in order to be his usual heroic, cheerful self: open space and positive reinforcement. Right now, he was getting exactly the opposite of both of those.

And he was not feeling good about it.

He looked briefly over to his friends for help, but Sticks had already vanished, Knuckles and Tails looked more nervous than anything, and Amy was already walking towards him with that look in her eye…

“Sonic, next time you do need to work on making sure the robot doesn’t catch you, you know-”

A streak of blue shot out of the village, leaving nothing but a scorched trail of grass and the snap of a sonic boom behind.

Sonic didn’t slow down until he reached the mountains- which technically wasn’t very far from the town at all, so he ran quite a bit more after that until he ended up in the middle of the jungle. Then, he sat down with his back to a tree and his arms around his knees, feeling very unheroic and overall pretty lame.

The blue hedgehog frowned at the dirt. Honestly, some days it really did feel like nobody seemed to like him. The only person who ever even suggested he was important on a regular basis was Tails, and Sonic didn’t blame him at all for not jumping into the middle of that crowd. Tails was only thirteen to his seventeen and a half years old- not exactly an age when he should be expected to go toe-to-toe with a crowd of angry adults.

Still, though. When being a hero got him all risk (no matter how low) and no reward...it was difficult for him to keep hold of that core feeling of “I can make the world a better place to live in!”, which, despite all his other claims, was truly at the center of what had motivated him to start fighting against Eggman so long ago…

[The scene morphs in a manner which shows the lighting shifting so that the sun is overhead. A sound effect of birds chirping plays over the scene change. This implies that it’s been several hours since he first fled the village.]

Sonic was still lost in thought when the snap of a twig in the bushes made him jump to his feet in surprise. The surrounding vegetation rustled ominously for a moment...only to reveal the four members of his team in front of him. He watched them all cautiously, his expression tense. More than anything, he looked ready to run at a moment’s notice- something which only served to make his friends(?) seem a little more distressed. “Uh…hey, guys?” he began tentatively.

“Sonic, I…” Amy began forcefully, before stopping herself. At first, it looked like she was about to scold him again, but then suddenly her face fell. “Listen, Sonic, we’ve all been talking a lot about what happened back at the village…and there’s something I want to say.” She gave a slightly tired sigh. 

“I know we usually like to make jokes and witty commentary, but...sometimes, the world’s just a difficult place to be in.” she said. “...so we really do need to talk about serious stuff occasionally, even though I know it’s tough for you to even mention how you’re feeling. Unless, you know, it’s ‘great!’ or ‘cool!’ or something like that.”

Sonic cringed at the mere idea, looking more and more like he thought running away was the preferable option here.

“So what I wanted to say was that in a world where there are too many people trying to beat you down...what I was trying to do was tell you how to be more tolerant, because I thought that would help. I figured you can’t change how other people are going to be, just yourself, so I hoped that might make things better.

“But...I’m not actually a licensed therapist- yet, anyway. So I might have been wrong on how I went about that. Maybe...instead of telling you off for not being able to stop all those people...in the future I’ll pull out my hammer and tell them to knock it off already. Does that sound better to you?” she asked.

The blue hedgehog froze. “Ames…I...” he croaked, trying his best not to think about why exactly it felt like his throat was so tight all of a sudden.

Sticks folded her arms. “I like that plan! Those people are way too crazy sometimes…and you guys know I have a verrrrry high tolerance for crazy.”

“We can make the villagers quit bugging you together, just like how we fight Eggman!” Knuckles added encouragingly. “It’s always better that way, isn’t it?”

There was still one person who hadn’t spoken yet, though.

Suddenly, Tails crashed full-force into Sonic, squeezing him in a hug that for once he didn’t pretend to hate. “You know I’ve always, always, always got your back, right, Sonic? No matter what?” he asked, looking up at his older brother. “Even if I don’t always know how to do it right.”

The blue hedgehog simply nodded, not trusting his voice to help him maintain his ‘cool guy’ status.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel up to talking about it now, though.” the fox added understandingly, stepping back but still leaving a hand on his arm. 

“But!” Knuckles added. “We won’t tell anyone if you ever decide you do need to get some stress off your chest every once in a while!” He smacked his own chest with a fist for emphasis.

“Nobody needs to know.” Sticks growled, the camera suddenly showing a dramatic angle of her face as the lighting dropped noticeably.

“Uh…that’s kinda dark.” Sonic said, holding up a finger with a bit of a confused frown, which let the lighting and camera angle zip back to normal.

“Anyway!” The pink hedgehog clapped her hands together, turning to face the group as a whole. “What do you guys think about heading over to my house and watching some movies? I’ll even…” She sighed, her whole body slumping. “…make some messy, simple, unprofessional chili dogs. In my state-of-the art kitchen. I know Sonic probably could use a pick-me-up right now, after all.”

“Thanks, Ames! You’re the best!” the hedgehog in question said cheerfully, the promise of good food and great companionship boosting his mood significantly.

Then, his posture shifted once again into something a little more vulnerable. “And thanks to all you guys. For, y’know, everything.”

“Of course!” Amy chirped.

Tails smiled at him. “No problem, Sonic.”

Sticks folded her arms. “That’s what a team’s for, ain’t it?”

“Of course it is!” Knuckles said, in that rather confusing manner where nobody was actually sure if he understood anything about what had just happened.

The echidna actually walked over to Sonic after that particular declaration, though, placing a hand on his shoulder as his face became uncharacteristically serious for a second. “Really, Sonic, we can all help you out, alright? Nobody gets to yell at our leader without getting yelled at back!” he declared, punching a fist into his other hand.

The hedgehog blinked twice before looking up at his friend. “You…just called me the leader?”

“Well, duh! That’s why everyone calls it Team Sonic, right?” Knuckles asked with a smile, letting an awkward (but genuine) grin spread across Sonic’s face.

Within seconds, the hero found himself squeezed in a big hug from all sides by his friends- and then actually lifted off the floor through a joint effort from Knuckles and Amy. 

“Guys- come on! I can’t even move here!” he cried out, his legs flailing so quickly they made a vibrating noise in the air. “Guyyyyssss….” he whined, though nobody seemed to care much about his halfhearted complaints (judging by the happy expressions on their faces).

Then, the episode began to end, as evidenced by an iris out transition. The slowly shrinking circle paused for a moment on Sonic’s current expression, highlighting it against the otherwise black screen. He now sported a sheepish, if slightly pleased smile, complete with a faint pink blush on his face from all the positive attention. 

Clearly Sonic liked being, well, liked far more than he let on.

Then, the circle snapped closed with a pop, and the credits began to roll.

[Voice Actors: 

Roger Craig Smith

Colleen Villard

Travis Willingham

Cindy Robinson

Nika Futterman

Mike Pollock

Kirk Thornton

Wally Wingert

Bill Freiberger

Original creation by:

Evan Baily

Donna Friedman Meir 

Sandrine Nguyen

Bill Freiberger

Takashi Iizuka

Writer/editor:

Solalunar “Sol” Eclipse

Thank you for watching reading.]

[ladyartemesia]

Fic recs for taehyung? I love your stuff btw I’ve read them all uwu

As a beacon of extra-ness in an already extra world, I am entirely incapable of just recommending fics like a normal blog. No. I’ve got to wax on like a bloomin connoisseur. I have compiled some (but not all) of my favorite works in several different categories and sorted them accordingly. This crazy list is so long I had to add a “keep reading”... but I simply couldn’t bear to leave any of these off the list. They are all so good!

Fics have been divided into 8 categories. Some are under the cut. 

 ▨ FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS and FRIENDS TO LOVERS ▨  ▨ ARRANGED MARRIAGE ▨ ▨ FANTASY ▨ ▨ ANGST WITH A HAPPY ENDING ▨ ▨ HYBRID and ABO (alpha/omega) ▨ ▨ MULTIPLE PARTNERS ▨ ▨ NEIGHBORS AND ROOMMATES ▨ ▨ TABOO THEMES and DARK FIC (Sex Work/Power Imbalance/Very Unsafe Sex) ▨ ▨

▨ FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS and FRIENDS TO LOVERS ▨

Insomnia by @hobiwonder

This is one of those fics I read and literally could not stop thinking about. It is wildly hot and honestly hilarious. Poor reader cannot sleep and the beautiful bro she’s tutoring offers a rather unconventional solution.

(Ego) Hoe Chronicles: KTH by @suga-kookiemonster

Listen. If you find a niche fan blog devoted entirely to Ego Tae... I’m not gonna say it’s mine. But it’s probably mine. I once told suga-kookiemonster that I would literally read a story about Ego Tae going grocery shopping on a Wednesday night and I stand by that. In this lurid romp, the reader falls into the clutches of everyone’s favorite bohemian sex lord and he rails her into another dimension.

Falling, Falling, Gone by @johobi

Pining (mutual or otherwise) is not really my thing, but I would straight up read Jo’s laundry list if she posted it. As usual I was blown away by how everything she does seems somehow better than any other version of it. This reader is really unique as well, and her relationship with the wildly popular soccer star Tae comes to a sexy and hilarious head at a sort of bachelor auction. With sharp dialogue, delightful subtext, and fantastic side characters, you really shouldn’t miss it. It’s pretty much perfect.

A Friendly Favor by @baeseoul

This is the classic “teach me some sex for another woman” trope and it is done so well. Sweet best friend Tae is looking to benefit from your experience, but his is not the only world about to be thouroughly rocked.

Officer Kim and the Criminal Crush by @ddaengyoonmin

This is one of the best twists on childhood friends to lovers I have ever seen. Tae grows up to become a cop and reader grows up to be a societal menace. I won’t spoil it, but it’s the perfect blend of nostalgia, tenderness, and smut. This fic technically doesn’t have a name so I had to give it one to link it. It’s part of an AMAZING series Zoe did that I also highly recommend.

Out of the Blue by @jimlingss

This is one of those stories that blooms throughout the narrative until you are left with this gorgeous flower at the end. I loved the journey of these two characters. It was real and it perfectly captures the experience of finding your soulmate in the person you least expect.

Sin Pijama by @brilliantlybasicb

This fic is a switch culture fic. It is wild wicked hot and this Tae is unreal. I love the way he lets the reader think she is in control just long enough. It is a wild romp with an adorable sequel and honestly you should read it.

Girls Like You by @jjiminah

I was in jjiminah’s asks IMMEDIATELY about this fic because I had FEELINGS. The reader begins wordlessly teasing and tempting Tae on their morning bus ride every day until he is literally losing his mind. Everything that follows is fire. Jjiminah has hinted she will wrote more for these two and I NEED IT.

Sighs and Sonnets by @btsaudge

This fic is beautiful. Like it’s basically art. This is a bad boy who is bad for you. But he has the soul of a poet and the stroke game of a renaissance master. Bittersweet and seductive, this fic is a full experience.

The Text by @taetaesbaebaepsae

Tae is your friend with benefits but it looks like feeling may have been caught by one or more parties. When you attempt to soothe your aching heart with another pretty boy, Tae decides to stake his claim. This was very sexy. The whole fic was sexy.

▨ ARRANGED MARRIAGE ▨

Monster by @neonlights92

Monster and all of its companion series about each of the boys is one of those fics that I reread constantly and also just think about constantly. This is one of the best mafia AUs out there and it’s characters are vivid and unforgettable. Tae’s stubborn resistance to his lovely new wife in contrast with her quiet, clever strength really brings this story to life. A word of warning. The masterlist links are a bit messed up. To read part two you must click on part three. And to read part three must click on part four. The link to part four is at the bottom of part three (or you can just search it on her site. It is definitely all there though).

Dichotomy by @kpopfanfictrash

There is a reason the incomparable Shanna is on this list three times. She is truly incomparable. This is childhood friends-to enemies-to spouses and it is wonderful. I adore this Tae. He is sharp and vulnerable and occasionally heavy handed, but truly a gem. This fic also features one of the best angry sex scenes I’ve ever run my eyeballs across.

▨ FANTASY ▨

Chism by @kpopfanfictrash

The world-building in this story is genuinely awe inspiring. You could write series upon series within this vivid universe. The god of Winter is missing and Summer’s heat burns unchecked for many years. The reader is a warrior with a unique ability tasked with guarding a very interesting prisoner. This story is so good. I mean it is really bloomin incredible. It’s hard to say what I liked best about it, because it was stellar across the board.

Obsidian by @kpopfanfictrash

In the pantheon of delicious Tae incarnations, Obsidian Taehyung is essentially unrivaled as a grey witch who moonlights as a sexy rock star. His extremely erotic clash with a white witch detective plays out as the two of them track down a sinister killer (with the help of some truly memorable side characters).

Out of this World by @ddaengyoonmin

This one is really unique. Tae is a merman scientist on the water planet of Neptune and when the reader and her misguided crew crash into his sea, he takes it upon himself to improve inter-species relations. This fic features excellent world building alongside several twists and surprises. Clever scientist Tae is downright irresistible.

▨ ANGST WITH A HAPPY ENDING ▨

Picking Flowers by @jamaisjoons

So this story is a journey - truly a beautiful one and it’s a gorgeous addition to the hanahaki genre. There is real pain and I cried real tears, but gosh it was so sexy and so worth it. I was surprised by how truly immersed I ended up in this piece. I lost track of everything else. The end is insanely satisfying, but the journey is really what makes this fic unmissable.

Until Yesterday by @jimlingss

This fic destroyed me slowly then slowly put me together again piece by piece. When I say I went through it - I WENT THROUGH IT. The story is loosely based on the movie “The Vow” and it is just fantastic. Beautiful and tender till the last word.

The Foolish Muse by @bibbykins

This is the story of someone who is deeply in love, but knows they deserve better. It is a sexy and evocative work with allusions to mythology that fit seamlessly into the narrative. I think my favorite part is Tae discovering how much the reader meant to him and what choices ultimately lead them to a really delicious conclusion.

Back to You by @ladyartemesia

The last time I did a fic rec list, it got like 700 notes. Ya girl is not makin the same mistake again. I spent hours on this list. My work is comin along for the ride. Kim Taehyung is the love of your life, until one day he disappears without a trace.

Vacancy by @ppersonna

This one is the only idol AU on the list and I normally don’t read those, but Lindy’s work is too good to miss in any setting. I am thrilled I took a look because what I found was a glimpse into a beautiful relationship that weathers and eventually overcomes the challenges of loving in the limelight. There is a LOT of emotional depth and symbolism which really elevates everything about this lovely story. The reader’s internal struggles in the face of her lover’s fame are extremely well done.

▨ HYBRID and ABO ▨ (alpha/omega)

Eye of the Tiger by @opaljm

I am beyond hype about this story which is (very) loosely inspired by Zootopia and features a cocky tiger Taehyung and a fiesty prey hybrid he needs to fake date in order to keep panther Jimin from murdering him. (Tiger Tae got a tad too frisky around Jimin’s mate and now things are dangerously awkward.) This story is already so freakin good. I cannot wait for the rest.

Silver and Blue by @taetaewonderland

What happens when you get on the wrong side of the right werewolf? Very sexy - very crazy times. Chronologically this is the first of the Silver and Blue series which follows barely civilized were-Tae through his courtship and eventually his relationship with the spunky reader. Holla to all my impreg kink homies. This is the fic for you.

Heat Run by @ladyartemesia

As I said before, the last time I did a fic rec list, it got like 700 notes. Ya girl is not makin the same mistake twice. I spent hours on this list. My work is comin along for the ride. Alpha lawyer V is a man of many secrets, but his well ordered reality spirals wildly out of control when he crosses paths with a fiery omega set on saving the world from his wicked ways.

Beautiful Stranger by @interludemoonchild

This was a wild ride from start to finish. Taehyung is a tiger hybrid shifter who escapes from the circus to be close to a veterinary student he bonded with. There is a lot of interesting twists and surprises in this one. I was definitely screaming at the end.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell by @jingabitch

A very young wolf hybrid Taehyung adopts you as his pet human when you are just a kid. After Tae leaves to serve in the military he returns to an adult version of his sweet little princess and chaos ensues. Mind the tags for this one folks. It’s excellent, but there are very triggering themes throughout.

▨ MULTIPLE PARTNERS ▨

Level of Restraint by @lemonjoonah

This is not strictly a Tae fic in that he is only one of three major players in this twisted masterpiece. Lemon is the undisputed queen of the surprise twist and this one is truly brilliant. People dropped this fic in the discord calling it the best fan fiction they had ever read and I am not here to argue with them at all. Fair warning, every word - every inch of this fic is sexy and it’s delicious brand of titillation is wrapped around your psyche good and tight by the end.

Four by @luxekook

The quadruplets next door are fueling your very lurid fantasies. It turns out they have some fantasies of their own... You will need water if you read this fic. This is the original patented Kim Taehyung Horny Hive Mind 4D Experience™

▨ NEIGHBORS AND ROOMMATES ▨

The Heat Wave Series by @curly-bangtan

The original story (chapter 1) in this series is definitely famous, but I don’t know how many people have read all 9 chapters and if you haven’t, you are really missing the incredible journey of two very horny idiots stumbling recklessly towards real and amazing love. Everything is set off when the air conditioner breaks and a pair of wild roommates shed their inhibitions along with their clothes.

Flicker by @chimoona

So this fic started out with adorable neighbor dynamics and ended with erotic rope tying. Baby I was ABOUT IT. This was so bloomin hot and also like sweet and tender. Really a sexy and sentimental treasure.

Not Your Typical Flower Shop Story by @jungtaeyoongles

This story goes from “aww” to “WHAT THE-” real quick. Fast paced plot and twist after twist turn the whole flower shop au upside down and then inside out. I can’t say more because spoilers but like - WOW.

▨ TABOO THEMES and DARK FIC ▨ (Sex Work/Power Imbalance/Very Unsafe Sex)

Extracurricular by @ppersonna

One of my favorite professor-student AUs. The reader writes her gorgeous professor a borderline erotic analysis of several major works of art and he feels compelled to discuss it with her privately. Lindy really outdid herself on this one. It is scorchin. Professor Tae is actually really sweet and somehow that just makes the whole thing hotter.

Akrasia by @nitaescence

This is insanely hot. Emphasis on the insane because it’s basically a super erotic romp where you have sex with a man you don’t know (Taehyung) on a crowded public bus. I literally felt my blood pressure going up the longer I read. Whew.

The Client by @jungkookiebus

This one hit me right in the feels. Taehyung is a sweet and lonely man who has a standing Wednesday appointment with an upscale sex worker. As the story progresses, feelings become involved on both sides. When I say I am checking her page thrice daily for part three... This is so engrossing. And this Tae. I just want to hold him.

Daffodil Dreams by @sombreboy

Tread carefully ladies and gents. This story is excellent, but it is easily the darkest fic on the list and, if you choose to read it, please read the trigger warnings carefully. The reader is a psychologist called in to analyze a very dangerous criminal. As their sessions progress, however, several boundaries are crossed.

Obey by @jjkfire

Taehyung is the most feared and ruthless member of the local mafia and you are the world’s most inept escort. You needed a job, but had no real interest in sex work and you’ve managed to fly under the radar as a glorified waitress until Kim Taehyung himself walks into your agency and decides that you’re the only girl he wants. Oh my gosh I loved this story so much. It was downright amazing and there is a surprise at the end that makes everything even sweeter.