#my younger self would've been all over this movie

[multicolour-ink]

Thoughts on The Super Mario Bros Movie

Spoilers ahead

- - -

Positives

- The fact that Bowser's entire plan to get the Power Star was just so he could use it as a proposal gift to Peach is hilarious 🤣

- Jumpman!

Syrprised no one has mentioned this yet. No seriously this cameo made me smile so hard 😄 And yes it is Charles Martinet, and yes he is playing "Jumpman" in the background!

I just thought it was very sweet and YES while he doesn't look like game Mario, it was the best way they could've done it in, my opinion.

- The family was charming!

Honestly when I heard they had a whole family I got very worried that they would be taking up so much screen time.

It's like the issue I have with the humans in the Sonic movie's so far - they are not terrible, but I find it hard to care about them when they are not the main characters, and they go and high jack the movie.

But surprisingly, they aren't in it for too long! They are only at the beginning and end, and serve their purpose. In short, I am ok with them 👍🏻

- Bowser is perfect!

They got Bowser so right - honestly was a bit worried that he was just going to be a love struck clown throughout the whole thing...but when he gets mad or something doesn't go his way - he's terrifying! They really captured the fury of what a monster he is, both Jack Black and the animators 👏🏻

- OK now I know the other reason why they hired Jack Black! Bowser being a secret rocking music dude is not what I was expecting, and I love it 🤣👌🏻

- The fight scenes

DAMN! They did not hold back on these! The way the characters hit each other, the number of times Mario should've been dead with how hard he got smacked around. Dang it's brutal! And I love it!

Gotta mention the epic DK/Cat Mario, Rainbow Road 🌈, and Bowser/Luigi/Mario fights!!! So good 💗

- The Bros reunion

Need to mention it here, even though I already knew about it and gushed about it so many times there is literally nothing else I can say! It's a beautiful moment and even though it's quick I'm so glad they took the time to make that a moment ❤💚

- THE BROS FIGHTING TOGETHER

Kudos to the movie for never forgetting the true heart of the movie - the Bros' relationship. Luigi coming in to defend Mario, the Bros taking each other's hand, them running to the star together, Bowser being absolutely pummelled by them! It's so good!!! 💗💗💗 I could watch that all day!

- This movie actually made me like Donkey Kong but not Seth Rogan

- I like what they did with the Kong's being a whole kingdom and like a big family 💗

- DIDDY KONG GOT A LINE

- Toad is a funky dude. Please give him more in the sequel!

- I like the fact the end credits was so open. Yes I am aware some are upset that Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, and even Rosalina did not appear. But I think that it's a good thing. It shows that Nintendo and Universal did not want to hype up too much, just in case of the possibility of a sequel never happening (you can't really tell with Hollywood sometimes...) and it just means they got time to work on it.

This is the issue I had with Tails being introduced at the end of the Sonic Movie. They hyped him up so much, only for the writers to have to try and write in a sloppy reason in Sonic Movie 2 for why he is there.

It's clear this movie was a MARIO movie. Not hyping up too much for a cinematic universe or trying to get to the sequel - and I appreciate that immensely.

- The fact that Foreman Spike and Peach (two characters who have been in the same franchise but have never interacted due to the time and console releases their intro games took place in) suddenly sharing the same space in a movie??? That is surreal to me.

Negatives

Technically these aren't so much negatives - just nit picks and little annoyances I found that they could've done better - and also talk about some complaints other people have mentioned.

- The pacing

Yes everyone has talked about this - and they aren't wrong about it...but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! Yes some scenes did seem to be on fast forward, just so the writers could get to the parts they really wanted to do...but when you also look at it from the perspective of urgency that the Mushroom Kingdom is under, some of it does make sense.

But still, the movie does tend to move at too fast a pace sometimes. But it is a fun rush. I can't really find a middle ground with it...

- Slow mo

No seriously did Zach Snyder take over at some point? There were too many pointless slow mo scenes for my liking.

- The pop songs

Not as bad as I thought they were going to be - but I still can't stand pop songs on Mario and I especially hate 80s songs!

In fact, what bothered me the most was the weird opera song they kept playing during their scuffle with the dog. Not only is it obnoxious, but it's playing so loud over the sounds and voices that you can't process anything effectively. It's weird and should've just been left out of the scene.

- Cranky's voice

Literally the only voice in the movie I felt did not fit the character at all. He should've sounded more old and grumpy.

- The fact it went by so fast!!! It was such a rush it went so quick. I wanted to stay in the MK forever 😭

- Luigi being absent

Honestly, yes we needed more of the Bros, but it was inevitable that Luigi wasn't going to have more screen time. Yes it is sad a prison breakout did not happen, but with all the footage they revealed up until release, it became more clear to me thst this wasn't going to happen. There just wasn't going to be time. I'm not upset about it, but we definitely need more in the sequel.

[victorbutnotreally]

Life Over Death - OT8 x Male Reader

Genre: angst with happy ending

warnings: suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, mentions of death, minor character death, mentions of neglectful parents, suicide of a past friend, mentions of self harm

A/N: I read Sunbeam by @james-is-here and I had an uncontrollable urge to write angst. Also, if you haven't read Sunbeam, I highly recommend it (make sure to have tissues tho). This fic is pretty angsty, and mentions some really heavy topics (which are in the warnings), so if you're uncomfortable with any of it, I'll see you in the next fic.

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Mn finds himself on the edge of a bridge. The water sparkled with the city lights of Seoul. The wind in his hair made him look beautiful, despite the tears rolling down his cheeks. He let out a ragged breath, his sobs quiet from years of crying to himself and trying not to be heard.

He's always wanted to die young, not finding any appeal in living until he was old and grey. He wouldn't find anyone to spend it with anyway. He's been spending more time with the members lately, not wanting them to regret anything once he's gone. It made him see the beauty of life, but he convinced himself of this a long time ago. He tried not to think of how devastated the members would be.

He thought back to the time where his best friend texted him at 2am when they were both fifteen.

I love you so much. but I can't take it anymore. You're the best thing in my life, my favourite person, but I guess I'm too selfish to stay. I'll miss you.

He remembers rushing to his friend's house, his heart beating out of his chest, running fast to stop him, only to find him dead on the ground outside, having jumped from the roof.. He remembers knocking on that door to tell his friend's parents that their son was dead. He remembers how broken he was, his friend's little sister offering him a cupcake that he made.

But surely his members wouldn't be that affected. Right? He tried telling himself, but he knew it wasn't true. He knew how the members looked at him.

He's always been selfless, but he had the urge to be selfish right now. To not care about anyone else and just jump. What was pulling him back? He didn't know.

He couldn't do this…he shouldn't hurt the members like this. His parents have never cared, and all he had was his best friend. After he died, Mn didn't have a motivation to live. No one would've noticed if he was gone. That was until he joined Stray Kids.

He almost regrets being in Stray Kids. Sure, they gave him a reason to live, but that's exactly why he regretted them now.

He checked the time on his phone.

11:00 pm Saturday

Movie night. He thought of how long it would take for the news of his death to reach his members if he jumped now. The scars on his wrists were fading, and he made no attempt to darken them. Why hurt himself if he was going to die anyway?

Suddenly, his phone rang. It was Jeongin.

He smiled softly, seeing the maknae's contact name lighting up his screen, just like how that smile could light up his world.

"Innie, what's up?"

Mn tried to sound like he wasn't sobbing. He had a cold, he could probably blame his shaky voice on that.

"Hyung, are you going to be late? It's movie night."

Mn could almost hear the pout in the younger's voice, and he could hear Changbin's loud laugh in the background. His heart felt warm, and before he could even stop himself, he spoke.

"I'm on my way."

He was surprised at his own words. That wasn't the plan. But he wanted Jeongin to keep pouting without a care in the world, he never wanted Changbin's laugh to get any less louder.

"I'm near a convenience store, you want something?"

He must've been on speaker, as the person who spoke up was Jisung.

"Banana milk!"

Hyunjin's voice followed.

"Pocky!!"

Mn chuckled, crossing the road to get to the convenience store.

"Alright. I'll be back in a few."

I'll be back in a few. He didn't say that when he left the house. He was determined to end it all. But it's the little things, isn't it? Your friend's laugh, or simply getting a snack for them.

He realized the call hasn't ended yet when Chan's voice was heard.

"Mnie, you want barbecue or pepperoni?"

Mn's smile widened, and more tears rolled down his cheeks. Happy tears. He was stupid, thinking they wouldn't be too sad if he died.

"You know I'm a slut for barbecue."

He could hear Chan's little laugh at that statement. The laugh that could make the stars shine brighter.

"Mhm. Just wanted to make sure."

Mn didn't end the call as he entered the convenience store, knowing he'd go home with more than just banana milk and pocky.

It felt weird though, he was so sure he wouldn't return. But he was glad he would be going home. He was glad he chose to go home.

[mxhirus]

Valentine's Day Headcanons

In honor of Valentine's Day, here are some headcanons! Of course, the setting is modern AU, ft. ships my friends like (i might do a second edition if you guys send asks for some pairings hehehe >w<)

MikaYuu

Mika ended up asking Yuu out to a fancy dinner, which he thought was just a friend thing because who wouldn't think it's a friend thing? (LITERALLY NOBODY YUU)

Yuu really sucks at social cues which is evident, and Mika sucks at expressing feelings

Mika has to straight up tell Yuu that he was asking him out, not like a friend.

Once Yuu realizes that it is a date, he gets all giddy and excited, kind of how Mahiru would if she were in his place with Guren. (He was raised by GureMahi with honorary uncle Shinya.)

The bill was expensive as hell but Mika's privileged rich self was able to pay because of his Krul budget

Yuu was planning on giving Mika tomochoco (lit. friend chocolate), and got embarrassed that he hadn't planned anything else

Didn't matter anyways because Mika wanted Yuu and nothing more, though he did enjoy the chocolates

Yuu dragged Mika along to many different stalls in the heart of the town they live in to try different foods, Yuu quite likes eating

Spent the rest of the day at an arcade, playing video games (Yuu likes Street Fighter, Mika likes Tekken)

GureMahi

Now that they're adults, they're able to do whatever they want. They've been married for a few years. Guren is quite shy, and simply wakes Mahiru up with a nice breakfast which he heavily struggled to cook. Mahiru enjoyed it, she likes anything Guren gives her

Guren spent the entirety of the night before planning their day together, Mahiru had obviously planned something extravagant to spoil Guren with, aware of how embarrassed he gets over being spoiled

They went out to the mall, Guren was equipped with his credit card, ready to enter debt (Mahiru has quite the fancy taste)

They bought matching sweaters because they're cheesy and corny like that

Then they go and have lunch at a local shop, and they share a bowl of curry because they are, yet again, extremely corny. Plus, it's cold.

Mahiru, noticing Guren's particular favor towards the curry, buys the whole menu, wanting to see Guren's reaction wholely

He got quite flustered

After their day has nearly ended, Mahiru blindfolds Guren and takes him on a long drive, entertaining him with some background music and conversation. She drives him to the place where they first met, and Guren, being Guren, rolls his eyes to the sky but ends up blushing like he would've when he was younger. Guren is quite overwhelmed with the amount of nostalgia, and peppers Mahiru's face in kisses, which are happily returned. They spend their day sitting in the field they played together in.

GureShin

This time, Shinya would do the planning. He's a pretty simple guy, a small act of kindness could impress and make him quite happy. Guren is a light sleeper, he has to sneak around him to get stuff done. Guren is awoken with Guren Squad outside as a mariachi, playing romance songs very terribly. Despite this, Guren appreciates the effort

Within the time Guren is distracted by the mariachi (Guren has a short attention span, and can be easily distracted depending on the topic), Shinya prepares a bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots.

Guren really likes the color, it reminds him of Shinya's eyes.

Once Guren is given the bouquet, he grows to be quite flustered and rolls his eyes and says he doesn't want them. When Shinya moves to take them back, in order to challenge Guren, he quickly takes them and puts them in a vase.

"I thought you didn't want them?" "They're mine."

Shinya had initially planned to spend the day at home, watching movies.

As aforementioned, he is quite the simple man. However, in turn, Guren tells him that he has ordered cake for them to share, so they must go to the bakery.

They pick up the cake, and Shinya, being the nosy mf he is opens the box. The cake inside says "Happy Valentine's Day, Shinya." and in smaller text under, "I love you" is written. This instantly has Shinya smitten, as he squeals extremely loudly to piss off Guren he likes teasing him.

"AWW YOU SHOULDN'T HAAAAVEEE. GUREEENNN!!! Someone catch me, I'm going to D-I-E!" "Oh my fucking God."

They ate the cake together and watched their favorite movies, cuddled on the couch and fell asleep.

ShinMahi

Valentine's Day is the competition of who can be more extra than the other, for Shinya & Mahiru. In this point in time, they would've been married for many years because of the arrangement. Mahiru wakes up first luckily, meaning she had more time to get everything done. However, Shinya wouldn't lose so easily.

Mahiru quite literally dragged a massive teddy bear into the living room and plopped it down onto Shinya's favorite spot on the couch, littering the couch with cards and flowers.

Shinya, on the other hand, anticipated Mahiru's awakening and very very quietly prepared baking supplies, as Mahiru thoroughly enjoyed baking with him. He also just so happened to have bought her yet ANOTHER car (Hiiragi flex).

Mahiru bought Shinya a shiny silver watch, because it compliments the color of his hair nicely, and she likes seeing her very handsome husband.

Shinya ends up walking into the living room, to see what Mahiru was up to. He sees the massive teddy bear. He is a simple man. Looks soft, hug. So, he dragged Mahiru to the teddy bear and hugged her, along with the teddy bear.

Mahiru grew quite flustered, but is responsive to his attention. She likes it a lot.

After a good cuddle session, Shinya drags Mahiru to the kitchen. She sees the supplies and gets excited. they quickly get to work on baking a batch of red velvet brownies. Mahiru and Shinya had both initially bonded over their particular favor towards sweets.

They end up very good, and they forget about their competition altogether because they made out and did some interesting stuff for the rest of the day. (That is up to your interpretation heheh)

[doubledyke]

gonna stick these two together since they're both for eddy

1. my first impression of him: as a kid i'm sure i thought he was a real jerk. but like i did for edd i'll go based off of my impression when i was first in the fandom years back. i remember feeling some type of way about eddy, especially in the later seasons. i was way more annoyed and troubled by the unnecessarily asshole-ish stuff he did. now i just find it all hilarious and feel sorry for him. these days i'm an eddy apologist through and through. there's not a negative trait in him that i can't come up with an excuse for and/or find the humor in. oh i also remember liking him mostly bc he was cute with edd and i love edd. but over time....

2. when i truly started to like him: my opinion of him became more nuanced until it turned into what it is now which is that of a full blown stan. when i became jaded by the dedicated edd fandom it probably allowed room for eddy to infect my already vulnerable brain.

4. how many people i ship him with: really only edd. any time i think of him with someone else it's basically as a joke/for the novelty. i genuinely can't think of someone else i'd seriously ship him with.

6. my least favorite ship with him: i can't say there are any that i think about enough to dislike. i'm pretty unwavering in my opinion that he's like a 5.5 on the kinsey scale, so putting him in straight ships doesn't do much for me, other than maybe provide an opportunity to explore another aspect of his character.

7. a quote from him that i remember: "my brother was a whiz at chewin' ice cubes." no idea what that's supposed to mean but it's absurdly funny.

8.my favorite outfit of his: my favorite is the yellow hoodie but of course i have to include others

9. my least favorite outfit of his: these greasy suit jackets and ties are hilariously awful. this must be how his dad dresses.

10. describe the character in one sentence: it's so obvious but "a little childhood trauma builds character."

11. the first thing i think about when i think of eddy: slurs. and this image

12. sexuality hc: gaaaaaaaaaaaay

18. what do i think he was like as a (younger) kid: i think little eddy was very curious and even more sponge-like than most kids. gullible, as anyone is at that age. very sensitive and sincere until he was programmed into seeing those things as flaws and weaknesses by the toxically masculine figures in his life.

25. when did he act the most out of character: i always think about the xmas special. it makes me wonder what would've happened if he hadn't immediately been tempted by santa's giant sack.

26. when do i think he was being most himself: i guess at the conclusion of bps?? if i recall, it was you @gettingfrilly who said he feels the most out of character AND most himself at the end of bps and i agree. eddy's not the apologizing type so it's more meaningful when he says he's sorry and comes off as uncanny. the fact that he knew the other shoe was gonna drop at some point is so sad lol. letting down the facade obviously reveals his true self and simultaneously seems ooc cuz his character is largely a front.

28. the most unnecessary thing he ever did: lbr most of the shit he did in the show was unnecessary. it's hard to pick the worst of all, but i'll go with the swamp prank. i know it's in his blood, but damn dog. edd was already on the brink of collapse by that point, so pretending to die a horrific death for the second time in one already awful day wasn't his brightest idea. but eddy is nihilistic as hell, especially during the final stretch of the series and into the movie so it comes as no real surprise.

[neechees]

you don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to but do you have any tips for learning Cree? also, have you ever run into the problem of learning Cree but your community speaking a different dialect of Cree then what you learned?

Just to get this out of the way so I dont have annoying moniyaws in my notes, Linguists go away & DNI.

You probably know that there's sub dialects even within sub dialects, & might change depending on location or community. My dad's Métis/Cree side of the family speaks Northern Cree (a subdialect of Plains Cree y dialect), vs. My mom's Cree side uses one that's more Southern, so conversations on either side of my family could be different, but I grew up more with my mom's Cree. One of the things I ran into a bit is that the previous dictionary I had used was a more Saskatchewan based dialect of plains Cree, but I'm from Alberta. So sometimes when I would try to use a Cree word, people at home wouldn't always understand me. But since starting school for it we've been using a dictionary that fits our local area. However, we have a saying about Cree, & that's "for every word in Cree, there are 4 different ways to say it". It shouldn't be TOO big of a problem, so don't beat yourself over it, dialectic differences happen even between fluent speakers. Just know that it's something you might run into. Try find dictionaries that use the same dialect as you & are close to your area.

I think this is one of the most important things, but focus on learning the Cree letters & their proper pronunciations first, this'll help you for getting words right. If you know the proper sound each individual letter makes, you'll know how to sound out things a little better in Cree, even if you don't know right off the bat. Also know that the macrons (the little "hats" or symbols you see over the vowels) changes the sound, & can change the entire meaning of the word, so pronounciation is important. For example, Sakahikan means "nail" or "spike". Sâkahikan means "lake". That "â" made all the difference, & they are pronounced a little differently, even if they are spelled virtually the same except for that a with the little hat. Remember the little hats.

Somewhat connected to the above, but if you want to learn syllabics thats cool too, but I don't think it's super necessary. But if you do choose to, learn them while you're studying the sounds.

If you look in the dictionary, you might see words labeled by letters like "VAI" or "VTA-2" or "VTI". Those are verb types, & the label is telling you what kind of verb it is. This is important for when you're going to conjugate that verb into a sentence, and tells you the context of that verb. There are a few verb types in Cree: the V stands for "Verb", a T means "transitive", I means "intransitive" and/or "inanimate", & the A stands for "animate". Usually the sequence goes (Verb)(whether it is transitive or not)(whether it's animate or inanimate). Don't fret over this too much & don't be daunted, you're just a beginner, but if you see those abbreviations, that's what they are. For now if you're just working on expanding your vocabulary a little more and not so much on the grammar, spelling rules, or conjugation, you can focus on that a little later. But I'll put a further explanation under the cut if you wanna know more on how it works & what it means.

Listen to Cree. Find Cree songs, shows, movies, books, anything you can get your hands on. Get Cree dictionaries & grammar books. Also try to find other people who speak Cree, fluent and not fluent, to practice with. You need to hear other people speak in order to get better. I'm gunna make a Cree spotify Playlist for this, so stay tuned.

And keep trying! You got this. More info under the readmore for the verb types. Everything I've given as advice is what I would've told my younger self or that I wish I knew before, so I hope this helps.

So to go back to the verb types, for example Vii means "inanimate intransitive" , and an example would be general observations about the weather, like yôtin ("it is windy"). There is nothing animate involved, and there is no second actor to the verb, it's just a fact. A VTI (transitive inanimate) example would be nipēhtēn, "I hear it": it's transitive because of the "it" (a second actor", there is something else involved), and it's also inanimate because the "it" would indicate it is something inanimate or not alive/living (as far as the hearer knows). If instead it was "I hear you" (aka, something living, thus making it animate & a VTA, a transitive animate verb), it would then become kipêhtâtin. A last example is VAI, animate intransitive, would be something like nimīcison ("I eat"). It's animate because the "I", the speaker, is a person who is alive saying it, but it's intransitive because there is nothing else involved, it's just the speaker generally declaring "I eat" (but not specifying anything that they are eating). Here is a really helpful, simple video about what transitive and intransitive verbs are, it helped me understand more about how they work. A lot of Cree dictionaries might also have an index at the beginning describing these verbs as well that you can look through, and Cree grammar books will go more in depth with them & how to use them when you're ready.

[homeofthemany]

jack versus kai

& versus his past!

part 1, part 2, part 3

first part of my breakdown of 1x19, "kickin' it in china", that was supposed to be in my last post. i'd recommend reading it for context because i drift out of canon territory in some heavier ways that might not make sense here if you haven't already looked at it. (:

up until this point in the series, jack has been a pretty cool, confident, & unshakable kid, but we also haven't learned anything about him. we know he was trained by his grandfather [who's a karate master], but that's about it. he's incredibly skilled in martial arts & clearly very talented, but he's a very normal & down to earth guy. then we meet kai, and things sort of start to fall apart.

TW for light discussion of ptsd & trauma. super light, super nonspecific.

where is jack, mentally? who is kai?

jack gets to go to china to fight in a tournament that he's, in his words, been dreaming of ever since he started training. woohoo! this is good! i'm sure he feels very accomplished & reassured of his skill level after being accepted to compete in the championship! maybe he can actually get over what happened with that random kid named kai he mentioned! jack is seeing a future for himself in martial arts again and is training in a new, healthy environment with people he likes. what's more important to him is that they seem to like him back!

the first thing we learn about kai is that he's the only opponent jack has lost to, and it was so devastating to him [likely physically and emotionally] that he gives up on karate until he moves to seaford. he seems uncomfortable talking about the subject and clearly doesn't want to elaborate, which i think can show "can show", since this is a kids show & they can't go too into detail that he's still somewhat insecure about his skill even though he rationally knows that he's the best in their dojo.

while we're making assumptions based off of writing choices, i think it's interesting that he confides in rudy & kim, intentionally keeping this from the other three; jack goes out of his way to talk to them outside. i like to think that he knows that they look up to him so he didn't want to talk about it in front of them, but logically this is just the writers keeping the a-plot separate from the b-plot lol. everybody, especially jerry, should've been involved, but i get that it's a kids show & they need to balance out the heavy stuff with the silly stuff.

the next thing we learn about this mysterious kai opponent comes from the man himself! this match jack is talking about apparently happened two years ago ["i thought i beat the karate out of you two years ago."], so not at all close to the start of the series. this is something that deeply affected jack, enough to have made him give up on something that really matters to him. if we assume that kickin' it follows the standard full season = full year formula, then kai would've beaten jack probably about a year before the start of the show, maybe a little over that, since 1x19 would be happening by the end of that season year.

i could make a whole separate post about jack's [c-]ptsd via his grandfather [long-term] & the fight with kai [one main standalone traumatic event], but the gist is that i cannot see a reality where that fight doesn't absolutely wreck him in more ways than one. jack was beaten so badly that he dropped karate, something he was probably training in since he could walk, for an entire year. that poor kid absolutely develops ptsd.

he also had no intentions of returning to it until he met jerry, milton, eddie, & rudy. even still, he almost chooses to walk out on them until he realizes that they're just as passionate about karate as he probably was as a younger kid. jack insists that he's not a karate guy and is a self-proclaimed skater boy, but it's clear that he still loves it and loves the culture [& action movies teehee] surrounding it.

next part (:

[raspberrysmoon]

wahhh @rtcshipweeks day three - favorite noel ship !! noel/corey

ugh the skrunklys i love these two :( mild cursing cw?

corey ross, self-proclaimed cool guy, had never had a bigger breakdown in his life, and he had it in public. astrid and trishna had to practically carry him away from the rollercoaster, and they barely succeeded.

corey had another one when he saw the love of his life laying in a hospital bed a week later. he fell asleep there that night, and woke up to a nurse grabbing him, and telling him that he needed to leave because there was an emergency.

noel gruber, aspiring poet, sexual provocateur and novelist, could only think of one person when he woke up last a few weeks after the accident. corey.

he brushed off the choir and was curt with his mother when she visited. all he could think about was corey.

would he ever visit? had he ever visited? did he assume that noel wouldn't wake up and left? where was he now? school, maybe? had people tried to antagonize him since noel was gone?

he didn't show up that day. or the next.

but on friday, the door opened, and it wasn't a nurse. pennys younger brother was first, ezra. he had papers in his hands and an expression of vague displeasure.

after him was trishna, probably coming to see ricky. she had a tablet in her hands.

astrid and hank came in together, as they usually did, but astrid was holding someones hand and hank was talking quietly with a sad expression.

they had corey.

noel felt like he'd been hit by a bus. he couldn't even bring himself to speak, he just stared at the three of them through the semi-clear curtains saving him from the pure embarrassment of being seen immediately.

mischa quietly paused the movie they were watching. he sat up, dislodging noel from his spot curled up against the older boy's side. noel jumped, hitting his (still bandaged) elbow on the edge of bed.

he cursed, grabbing it. "ow- what the hell, mischa? give a guy a warning."

"no-"

"yes, corey. i told you, its worth another visit." hank cut him off, his voice floated towards noel from the doorway, and he felt his stomach flip.

"you're lying to me. i know you are." coreys voice broke, "i was here monday, i saw him- i talked to his nurse for god sake. don't lie to me, hank."

"corey?" noel nearly smacked himself when his voice barely reached above a whisper. he would've, too, if corey didn't throw himself across the room and over to where noels bed was.

he looked terrible, though noel couldn't imagine himself looking much better. his face was blotchy, his hair was messy and probably tangled to high hell, the bags under his eyes looked fake, and his legs trembled under his weight.

"noel, oh my god."

and suddenly noel couldn't breathe. the one person he wanted was there, finally there, and was right next to him. holding him.

all he could do was sob.

[piyesis-art]

Out of context drabble for my SB x FNAF movie au: time traveling ball pit

When his eyes drift off to nothingness, what he finds is nothing compared to what he expected to happen during a regular nights rest.

There, he sees himself in a small room decorated with posters that are familiar to him, along with being filled to the brim with wires, computers and mechanical tools. The person that is supposed to be him, looks younger than how he usually looks, possibly ten instead of twelve.

Gregory looks around the room, everything felt familiar yet he couldn't remember a single thing about it. It was just a sense that he was comfortable here. That he was safe.

Was this a memory? Was this how his room looked liked?

He goes over to a nereby shelf and picks up a figurine. It was a bear with a neon blue bolt on its chest and it was a black top hat . Seeing the hat reminded him of the animatronics at the pizzeria so he smiles then places it back on the shelf, but as he sets it down, a poster catches his eye. It was the fingerine performing on a stage but the words "Freddy Fazbear" was written in a retro-style font.

Freddy Fazbear. Huh. That's strange.

It was the same name as the one at Mike's job but the two were completely different in style and appearance. Was this a knock off? Or a rebrand? He never saw it before.

Now filled with questions, he takes a closer look at all the posters around, some had other animatronics in them but they showed no resemblance to the ones at the abandoned restaurant except for names.

What was this?

Then suddenly, his sleeping self began to toss and turn in the bed. Every few seconds, they flinch or lay on their side as if they were having a nightmare. Judging by the way his eyebrows were furrowed, it probably was.

He lifts his hand to try and wake him up but before he can even do it, the person in front of him suddenly sits up. They're breathing heavily and their eyes dart around the room as if they're making sure there are no monsters in sight.

Seeing a younger version of you, looking distressed like this was unsettling, and when they suddenly start to tear up, it became uncomfortable.

In his opinion, crying was a waste of time. He knows he's stronger mentally because if he wasn't, he would've been crying a river since he had no memories of who he is, but so far he's been pretty well composed and he planned to keep it that way.

Crying was something weak, and despite having no memories, he knew that it was something that wasn't supposed to be shown.

Yet, here was younger him hugging his knees and crying. Whatever he dreamed must've been pretty bad to get this type of reaction.

The kid wipes his eyes and runs to the door. He hears him call out a name, possibly their parent but he doesn't catch it.

He starts to run after him but upon taking the first step, suddenly all that was Infront of him was replaced with the empty pale ceiling. He reflexively covers his hands from the sunlight before he sits up.

----

Au where Gregory falls into a ball pit and ends up in the pizzeria from the movie, and to make things worse he has no memory of who he is and how he got there. This leads him to investigating the pizzeria to find a way back home and to get all his memories back.

Send me an ask if you want to learn more about it!

[mermaidsirennikita]

What are your thoughts on Titanic? Especially as a romance? Do you think Rose and Jack would’ve had a HEA if he’d survived (I suppose romance convention dictates yes)?

I saw it again this weekend in the theater and was reminded how much I love it. It’s such an impressive spectacle and Leo and Kate really do have iconic chemistry and give great performances.

`

Oh, I adore Titanic. I think it's James Cameron's masterpiece (no I am not willing to hear arguments for anything. else.) and the type of movie I wish was made more these days. I've seen it in theaters during one of its previous re-releases. I somewhat purposefully indoctrinated my younger sibling into loving it by playing it all the time when I was watching them in their infancy (one of their first "sentences" was "I'm flying, Jack", a crowning achievement for 13 year old me). The special effects hold up; the script stands up pretty fucking well; the performances are great; it's the kind of un-self-conscious, wholehearted, bombastic movie that isn't made much today. I am, it must be said, a maximalist personality.

As a romance--Titanic, needles to say, isn't a genre romance due to the unhappy ending for Jack and Rose (sort of) but it is an excellent romantic drama. To me, it does an amazing job with getting you invested in a love story between two people who didn't know each other that long but just... clicked. Part of this is due to the script, but I think that basically any successful movie, but especially romantic movies, are successful because of a combination of a good script and good casting. With romance and erotic movies especially, I think that a movie can have a subpar script but make it work as a fun, enjoyable experience if the chemistry is there. Titanic has a good, if unabashedly sentimental script--it's taken over the top by very strong performances from Leo (who.... listen.... morally he is...... going off the deep end and that's all I'll say on that, but he remains one of the most talented actors of his generation) and Kate (who I also find morally kinda bankrupt, but obviously is a great actress--and this was pre "I will do anything for an Oscar" era Kate).

They also had... incredible chemistry. Do people even test for chemistry before casting leads today? Very few people today, I think, even understand what good chemistry is. I keep seeing those Set It Up people (who I like separately as actors, for the record) upheld as peak chemistry. Jesus. Even people who I would say have good chemistry today... often don't have the type of chemistry Leo and Kate have in Titanic and for that matter in Revolutionary Road. You feel the affection, you feel the fondness, you feel a carnality that nevertheless doesn't betray the innocence of the characters (I'm a "Jack was a virgin" truther, and Rose was not but I doubt she'd slept with more than one other person). I'm not ashamed to say that though I have seen this movie more times than I can count--put a few drinks in me and I'll cry at the end. Again. Because you just get so invested in the romance. And of course, also because the movie has like. Popsicle babies. I mean, Titanic was a true tragedy for all involved, and I actually think the movie portrays that pretty well.

But I mean... Yeah, I think those two would've had to get to know each other better, but they would've had an HEA had he lived. I think they clicked very well personalitywise. They loved each other. They had the determination to make it work. The trauma bond alone would've been intense, lol. I also am of the mind that she dies in the end and the final scene is the afterlife, and like.... I'm not saying she didn't love the father of her children... But did she love him AS MUCH? I don't know. Sorry to that man.

But yeah, I agree with you. Sometimes watching it makes me feel sad in a different way, because I feel like the time for movies like that... Truly epic movies where everything looks so tangible and there isn't a ridiculous IP attached and the story is intense and emotionally authentic and makes you feel bad (in a good way) sometimes... It's probably not over forever, but it definitely ain't happening at the moment and I don't see it coming back super soon.

Also, movies where the leads smashing faces actually sell me on their characters wanting to smash faces. Look at this deleted scene (which, yes it was deleted, but I firmly believe that was less because of the intensity and more because Jack was.... not supposed to be that good at kissing, hashtag Jack was a virgin, hashtag this is my door debate). Jesus. When was the last time we saw kissing like that in a movie that wasn't explicitly meant to be erotic~? People didn't give a shit about their teenagers watching Rose strip naked in the movie theater. (Fun fact: pretty sure Titanic is the first movie I saw with nudity? I was six, my parents were watching it at home, my dad was like "Maybe we shouldn't let her see this part" and my mom went "They're just breasts, she'll have the one day" and by God she was correct.)

[sadculturee]

AINUN'S FILM REVIEW

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES

Ratings: 9.7/10

It was an emotionally conflicting experience watching President Snow's character development and eventual rise to power when they have freaking Tom Blyth playing the protagonist. I am going to need a few nights to render my thoughts and resolve my moral dilemma 🙂 ✌️. All throughout the film, I cannot help but imagine the Tumblr uproar if this were to be released in 2010-2014. I just know Tumblr girlies (me included) would be completely insufferable, simping over yet another problematic fictional man. 

Full disclaimer though, I haven't yet read the book (I will), so my whole review is going to be based on my first time experiencing his story and the film only. Minor Spoiler Alert!

Right off the bat, very surprising (but obviously expected) this film absolutely nailed it. Once again, a Hunger Games movie outmatched previous releases and broke the bad-sequel curse. It would've been a solid 10/10 from me if it didn't push me into a spiral of moral dilemma over Snow's actions and how GORGEOUS he looked when he was younger (/joke) (/but not really) (damn you, Tom Blyth).

Truly, Francis Lawrence did his magic once more, the whole deliverance of the story was a cinematic blessing. The fight scenes and the tension built up before and after the games had me on my feet, gripping the edge of my seat, terrified yet enthralled by what was about to happen. Having read and watched the trilogy, I have a slight notion of how the ending would be. Whatever happens, Snow will survive and rise as the most powerful victor in all of Panem. And to know that, whilst watching the games and his exile story played out, honestly terrifies me. 

Having the story laser-focused (and very well written) on the main villain had me occasionally losing myself in his emotions and perspective, I lost grip on the reality of the abuse and oppression The Capitol inflicted on all 12 districts and their people, with The Hunger Games as the peak reminder of their terrors, showing the people who're actually in power. I found myself empathizing with Snow's character during some of his vulnerable moments. For a moment I imagined if only people were nicer, if his circumstances were a little bit more ideal, Snow would have grown up to be a better person (which obviously was a terribly false assumption as this man is honestly devil reincarnated). 

ALSO, as a self-proclaimed musical addict, I simply cannot write this review without giving my highest praise to Rachel Zegler, Dave Cobb and James Newton Howard for perfecting the film with their music. Every time Zegler starts singing, I get goosebumps all over. Her verses and emotions took hold of my entire body and moved me to feel whatever emotions the creators wanted me to feel. Midway, I felt like Zegler's decision to pursue acting instead of singing should make hit singers grateful because she would sweep them away so quickly with that voice and talent 🥹.

The film perfectly mirrors how fights against oppression are often harshly labelled as unjust terrors or savage rebellions, deserving of brutal punishments by the ruling governments. Regardless of how these "rebellions" were simply a desperate attempt for the oppressed to survive another day. When the stakes are too high, beyond their control, and the prospect of a better future is bleak, they would have nothing more to lose. Fighting would be the only option they have. It would be either fight or die. A literal, real-life hunger game where the whole world is your arena. And considering current global events, the release of this film feels extremely fitting. Which raises one big question: "If you can stand with the rebels fighting for justice, against immoral and inhumane rulings in movies and books, why won't you stand for them in real life?"

The movie ended with Snow finally getting a spot in The Capitol, a near guarantee of a successful future, with his grandmother and Tigris by his side congratulating him. Not going to spoil the ending for anyone who hasn't watched the film, but I'm just gonna say that in that scene I so wish I could hear both Tigris and Snow's inner thoughts and emotions. 

In conclusion, I regret not watching this movie sooner and totally recommend all dystopian fiction fans to watch in the theaters! 

[disaster-by-chance]

I finally saw Everything Everywhere All at Once with my family

And it was as beautiful, moving, inspiring, and amazing as people have made it out to be, and so much more.

What a wonderful movie.

After it was over and I went to say good night to my mom, I hugged her and we cried for a good ten or fifteen minutes. Well, more like she cried and I full-on sobbed, but same thing. Anyways, it was the most cathartic thing I've ever felt in my entire life.

My relationship with my mom hasn't always been the best, but recently it's been better than it's ever been. We barely acknowledged that growth though, at least not verbally. I would tell her in birthday cards and mothers day cards how grateful I was that our relationship was healing but that was it.

Today she told me she was so proud of me. Today she told me she sees me. Today she told me I'm safe. Today she told me she's so grateful for how far we've come.

How a younger me would've loved to hear those words. I cried because I love my mom. I sobbed because I mourned the kid I was, who never knew the things I know now.

Before, if you gave me the choice to go back in time to see my old self, I would've done so solely to have killed that self. Now? Now I would go back and hug that broken, scared, confused kid who wasn't all the things they thought they were.

Maybe it's stupid for it to have been a movie to heal things I've been ignoring, maybe some people will think I'm too sensitive or dumb to have changed my thinking because of a movie. But I could care less. I'm better now because of this movie. I'm finally starting to really heal because of this movie.

After all, cinema is art.

Art changes you.

As for me, I'll never look at hotdogs the same way again.

[jacscorner]

A long time ago, in the far off year of 2012, I was pretty excited for Bodacious Space Pirates. I saw two episodes and dropped the show like a sack of hammers. I was expecting sexy girls being pirates in space. In reality, it's a lot more like a moe blob: cute girls with not a lot of fanservice, nor a lot of pirate action. And as I've watched more episodes, I don't blame my younger self for not giving the show a chance.

It's got an odd balancing act of tone; it presents piracy as a dangerous lifestyle, but a lot of the danger feels artificial. Marika Kato, our pirate captain, has to learn fast the piracy business and learn how to fight, but piracy is less like Pirates of the Caribbean or One Piece and more like a stage show at Disney. Most of the show's fighting is brief and feels toothless. Peril never feels perilous, cause even when things are supposedly actually dangerous, the show has conditioned me to see things as just a show, a front, a shiny spectacle.

And yet, I've watched 19 out of 26 episodes and have plans to watch the movie.

I still don't blame my younger self for not giving this show a chance. I'm only watching it now out of a morbid curiosity that I didn't have back then. This show doesn't exactly fit into most of the shows I do watch and love. But Bodacious Space Pirates is really fun.

Plus, I love the worldbuilding.

I think that's what mostly keeps me watching. I love how it breaks down how piracy and space travel works. It's very engaging. I can listen to the characters technobabble for hours-and I guess I have, lol-and not get tired of it. That's what keeps me watching. I'm sure past me would've loved it if I gave episode 3 a chance, then maybe I would've been hooked enough to keep watching. Cause a Sci-Fi anime that explains the tech and keeps itself engaging without over-explaining it and losing me in all the noise is kinda hard to find.

I'm really late to this, but I'm happy I've finally grown to love this show.

[rhinestonerainbow]

If you’re still up for it, maybe younger Hannibal and Murdoc watching whatever Sebastian left on the tv (ie. Something definitely not appropriate for a young child) // or Murdoc stealing some of Hannibal’s old clothes :]

I want to do both of these. And this is my blog. So I will. Thank you for asking! :D

•Hannibal and Murdoc being able to watch TV was a very, very rare occasion. Usually, because the couch in front of it was blocked by their drunken father watching whatever was running right now, and they were better off without crossing his ways when he was drinking.

•However, today, their father had actually managed to carry his drunken self up the stairs and into his bedroom, probably because he had another woman over he wanted to spend the night with. Since it was Friday, Hannibal decided to take the occasion to watch TV and drag Murdoc with him. Not that the seven year old would've really been able to object, that was.

•"Okay let's see, maybe he left some cool movie on!" Hannibals twelve year old self had cheered before turning his head to the TV. It was, indeed, a movie. Just not exactly one that someone their age should've been watching in the first place, nor be exposed to.

•"Hanni?" Murdoc quietly asked as he pulled on his brothers shirt 'Is what the woman is doing there the same thing dad is doing with the woman upstairs?" The small boy had asked, almost too innocently giving the contents that they were witnessing right now.

•"I... would assume so" Hannibal said, his eyes being practically glued to the screen. Of course they were, he was beginning to hit puberty, such things peaked his interest. But he also knew that his brother was too young for such things, and so he quickly looked into switching the channel. They ended up watching some cheap horror movie, which wasn't much more appropriate either. "Do you think that monster is coming to get me?" Murdoc asked as he sat down on the floor, eyes glued to the screen now too "Nah, those are just cheap effects. You're a baby if that scares you" Hannibal had answered. Followed by a bitter "The only real monster in this house is our father"

•They both fell asleep on the floor together, nobody of them bothering to turn off the TV either. When their father returned to the living room in the morning, he rudely woke them up, complaining about how this was his TV, how they were supposed to keep their hands off of what was his, and how the living room was forbidden for them anyway. They had their rooms, they didn't have to annoy him here too. It ended with a slap for both of them, but that had been worth it.

//

•Murdoc looked up to his brother. Of course he did. Hannibal was stronger, was older, was talented, everything he did was cool, from the music he listened to, the way he cut his hair, to his clothing style.

•The 11 year old wanted nothing more than to copy what his brother was wearing, but hell, he could consider himself lucky if he had something to wear at all. The clothing he owned was either too small, patched up beyond recognition, or too big. And just thinking about asking his father for new clothing made a shiver run down Murdocs spine, and not a pleasant one. "If you want new stuff, you're gonna have to steal it. That old bloke will never give you money, over his dead corpse" the words of his older brother went through Murdocs head again and he got an idea.

•Quickly and quietly as could be, he left his room and walked over to his brothers, opening the door and sneaking in. Luckily, his brother was out with some friends, so Murdoc had no trouble getting in and opening the closet.

•Woah. His brother had a, from the looks of it real leather jacket? No way! That alone was enough to amaze the young boy, but he knew it would be too big and heavy for him. Let's see, what else could he find. Some jeans, bandanas, all not quite what he was looking for.

•And then he spotted it. A pile of clothing that was, as a small note explained, 'for the bin'. So his brother wouldn't need it anymore, correct? Greedy hands dug into the pile, searching for something he could wear.

•When Hannibal came home later that day, he noticed someone had been in his room. The closet door wasn't fully closed, and someone had scattered through his pile of old clothing. He already suspected who that someone was, and when he saw his brother sit across him during, what they called dinner, his suspicion was confirmed. "Is that my Ramones shirt you're wearing?" "Your old Ramones shirt. It was for the bin, correct? So you surely don't mind me wearing it." "You can't just steal my clothes, you are supposed to ask me little toad!" "But if I'd ask you, the answer would be no" "Very correct! Because it doesn't suit you! You don't even listen to them!" "You told me, if I wanted to have nice clothing, I should steal it. That's what I did." "But not from me!"

•In the end, Murdoc had kept the shirt and continued to steal shirts from his brother every once in a while even when he got a black eye from it. It was worth it. 2-D has once said, that he sometimes still spots an old Ramones shirt in Murdocs closet that he has no idea where it comes from.

[asterjennifer]

Why have you

Fandom: Mystic Messenger

Pairing: SE Saeran x Reader

Category: Angst

Warnings: Cheating

Word count: 4733

Author's Note: I was inspired by Charlie Puth's song "How long" and looked up reasons as to why people end up cheating. Often it's not about the act or because of the partner. It comes down to commitment issues, self-esteem problems etc. It's very interesting!

Summary: You're waiting at home after finding out the truth.

Who would've thought you two end up in that position of desperation and regret.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's considerate of Jumin to ask his driver to escort Saeran back home by the use of the CEO's car late in the evening. After long conversations about the next step for the RFA as a group instead of the organization itself, the younger Choi felt obligated to attend at least one meeting and smooth some of these unresolved tensions hanging between all the different members. Sadly, Saeyoung wasn't able to join as he'd been busy with a project out of town.

And since you're having no issues with anyone regarding the RFA, you decided to stay home, or rather Saeyoung and his place, to relax a bit. Saeran stared out of the car window, the radio only a background noise inside his rattling brain. What were you doing? Watching movies, perhaps? There's a possibility of you sitting on the table and work on own stuff, you'd love to start being productive once the stars shone bright. A bad habit, you laughed back then, even though it's the truth. Saeran woke up often enough to you still being busy, doing whatever you're fond of completing at the moment.

His chest tightened by the memories, that one night shortly after you both started to admit more openly what you're feeling for each other, to this day Saeran remembered it vividly. You'd been sitting on the chair, half asleep albeit determinant to finish the rest work of yours. He had placed a blanket over your shoulders, brought you your favorite drink afterwards. You smiled sweetly despite the dark circles underneath your eyes, which took away some carefree attitude. »Don't worry about me.«

You'd giggled as you met his concern back then, these big eyes filled with the starlight shining outside the window. »I won't neglect myself! I mean, how could I? You're always taking care me of me.« It was supposed to be a light joke, however, Saeran's cheeks flamed up by the memories that occurred when you pointed out the obvious. Yes, it was true, he kept a close eye on your health since a while. And at some point, you confessed how that made your heart skip a beat. Saeran's mouth got flooded by acid tasting guilt, his heart pounding by fear for some time now.

»We arrived, Mr. Saeran.« The redhead lifted his head, meeting the gaze of driver Kim in the rearview mirror. Being torn from his thoughts abrupt, Saeran nodded awkward before grabbing his jacket. »Yeah, thank you. Please give Jumin my appreciation again.« The driver nodded, waiting for the younger man to leave the car. After he's standing alone in front of the door, Saeran searched for the right pair of keys a moment too long. The mocking voices sneering whenever he recalled what he'd done got him on the edge all the time, it's not pleasant anymore. On the other hand, it never had been.

Saeran let the door fall into the lock, the sound accordingly loud and announcing his presence. As silence came back greeting him, a disgusting shudder rushed through his body. »I'm back.« He said, hanging up the jacket when stuffing the keys back into the pocket. Again, no answer. No big deal, he assured himself although he only believed half of the words he repeated like a mantra, you're probably asleep already. »Hello, Saeran.« Never mind. His minty glowing eyes looked for your shape coming out of the bedroom. You wore the nightgown he's more than familiar with, it's your favorite, after all.

You had it on whenever you're watching movies together or you came to his room in the middle of the night for some conversation to distract his tortured mind after he woke up from another, horrible nightmare. It looked very cute on you, a tad too big but that made it appear even more lovely. »Sorry I'm late, Jumin wanted to show me some novels he recommended before leaving.« Saeran shook his head when thinking how Mr. Han insisted of presenting his amount of books, all because Saeran enjoyed reading equally.

Didn't imply he wanted to stay for another hour, but there he was. You crossed your arms, there's a look on your face not speaking any language. Saeran frowned slightly, that's odd for you, normally he's able to read you easily. Your eyes held contact with something strict and it immediately had his heart slip into his pants, even more so as the silence dominated the air. Unsure what to do, Saeran lifted an eyebrow in confusion. »Is something wrong?« Not the steadiest voice he'd ever used when asking the question, but he couldn't help the fear nagging on his soul. His intuition spoke dark words, his instincts told him to leave as soon as possible.

You then pulled your lips into a thin line, stare never tearing away from his. »Can't you tell me instead?« The answer's quick, a counter question as if you'd expected him to wonder about something being wrong. Saeran hesitantly let go of the jacket, the pressure blocked his mind, bad premonition filling out the blank spaces inside his head. There's no way, he thought firmly. You couldn't know. Saeran cleared his throat considering it's getting harder to breathe by the second. »Are you mad I'm late again? If so, I'm sorry. I told Jumin you're waiting but he was insisting hard.«

He grabbed into the pocket of his jeans, checking in case you left a message and he missed it. You didn't move from the spot, like you're a statue standing in a museum. It's truly unsettling. »True, you're late again. This time I believe you were with Jumin. But can you tell me about the other times?« Saeran's red, chaotic hair fell over his eyes as he flinched in the current position. Oh shit. Didn't he tell you excuses? How come you wanted him to repeat them? He peeked down at the phone screen while the adrenaline pumped through his veins in the worse way. »Why are you asking that now?«

Again, the answer came immediately. »And why are you avoiding the question?« Suspecting the nightmare's becoming reality, Saeran dared to seek your face and the uncomfortable hard stare with which you focused on him intensely. Sweat ran down his neck, he couldn't avoid forever, he's aware. Before he's capable to think through his options, you dug your nails into the nightgown and created many wrinkles due to the strength you used. »I know you lied to me, Saeran. Do you think it's a good idea continuing when I already know..?« The stable tone drifted into unevenness that brought Saeran panic.

You're standing too far and yet, in the same moment, you're way too close. It's beyond repair if you'd really knew, could you know? How? He's clueless. »Are you not going to defend yourself or do you want to tell me you cheated for fun?« Fuck. Fuck you knew. You watched the horror creep over his features, the pale skin losing the bit of color and he seemed to be more of a ghost than a living human. Your heart rose into your throat, the hot tears at the corners of your eyes increasing drastically the longer he kept his mouth shut.

»I know you not just met up with friends of your flower club. You lied to my face and stayed out because you spend nights with other people..« You trailed off, nails digging deeper and deeper until it's painful as they're scratching on the skin. Now he's the one frozen in place, staring back with wide eyes as if you'd been catching him doing illegal activities. Then again, haven't you? You tried to ignore the ripping sound going through your chest. »Why did you do that...« With your voice shifting into a painful whisper, you watched the man you loved with all your heart shake his head mechanically.

»(N), I–..« Your patience threatened to snap as you took a step into the living room, keeping your arms tight around your body. You needed comfort in that moment, no matter from who, even if it's coming from self-pity. »You what?! Why did you go behind my back like this..? You're the one who wanted to wait!« Saeran snapped his mouth shut once these emotions plaguing your heart reached within your grumble, unable to understand. The shock paired with betrayal and neglect after finding out almost knocked you over, it's really no fun to find dirty laundry and strange smell on the clothes of the person you hold feelings for.

»You said you want to do this right– That we take it slow.. I believed that, Saeran.. I...« There's so much burning on your tongue, things you'd never say out loud. Insults, weak spots with which you could tear him apart. Instead you hugged yourself tighter, standing in the middle of the living room, the most lost you've ever been. »I thought you need time.. It wasn't my decision! For me, we could've gone faster but y-you said you need time getting used to this.. I-I gave you that. So why..?« You demanded answers, all you're seeing is a face across the room filled with too many emotions until it's unreadable.

That awe coming over his eyes almost broke the dam. Your hair fell over your shoulders as you tensed up from head to toe. »Say something!« It's not yelling, you'd never do that to the younger Choi. He jumped regardless; it's the first time he heared you feeling powerless. »Did you change your mind? Is that it??« You needed enlightenment, the tension not only suffocated his chest. His features twisted painfully by the assumption you put into the room. One of these endless possibilities that had you dying with fears.

»I-I told you, we.. if you ever change your mind– It's okay! I would– I'd respect t-that..! Were you still scared of telling me?« You broke the eye contact, your vision wandering around the room that gave the illusion of closing in. You've been sitting on the edge of the bed for the entire day, breaking your head over what you'd done wrong. Now they all spilled over at once, it made you cry the tears that intended to run ever since you realized what's happening without your knowledge. »I don't get it... You– You wanted to take it slow and said you're not ready for intimacy but..«

You lifted an arm in unbelief, shoulders tense enough to shake from the impact it had on your soul. »But at the same time, you literally have sex with strangers?! That's the most intimate you can get!« You closed your eyes, the heat overtaking your body's close to become unbearable. It's overwhelming, it showed by the way your voice wavered. »Tell me!« You yelped, trying to stand straight despite the pain leaving your legs to tremble. The redhead didn't move an inch, immovable at the door like a deer caught in the headlights. »I...« He gave it another try.

»I'm sorry.. I..« You held back a sob; a bitter taste spread on your tongue when squeezing the bridge of your nose. »I don't want an apology, Saeran!« You accidentally hissed out. »I want justification! I need an explanation why the fuck you would do this to me–« This headache's going to knock you ever any second. Your breath hitched pathetically when thinking about the nights you laid awake, worried why he's gone for that many hours. Scared someone hired by his father found him instead, or that these friends he met online might have been out for profit, holding bad intentions.

Instead he spend the nights God knows where with strangers he didn't even know, at least that's what it seemed to be the case. Saeran's face lowered, his entire head fell down to avoid your heartbroken expression. He should've known you'd come to find out one way or another, past lessons taught him often enough that every lie will see daylight one day. »Explain Saeran, please! I'm... I'm this c-close to a breakdown!« He believed that without doubt, it's obvious by how worked up you were.

Everything you threw at his head had been right. He did tell you he hoped to take things slower with you, that he wanted to get it right. Wanted to not ruin another good part of his life, he lost so many over these long years. You did promise that whenever he'd change his mind about your relationship, he shouldn't be scared to confess. You'd accept whatever path he would take, regardless if you're his friend or something more. As always, you put his wellbeing over your own happiness. Saeran gritted his teeth until his jaw's painful, one hand making a fist and shaking visibly.

For a moment you thought he's going to lash out, however, none of such outburst occurred. Saeran stared down at the floor, head pulled away as far as possible even though his neck became stiff from the position. »You're right.. I cheated on you.« Although it's leaving his stomach twisting in revulsion, he nodded. You blinked shocked as the frustration grew heavy on your shoulders. Taken aback, you took a step away from him. »I know–! I don't need you to tell me! I need you to say why.. Why did you do it, Saeran!?«

You placed your hand against your chest, right above your heart that's currently tearing into pieces. The tears made it difficult to speak words fluently, this was all a bad dream. How you wished for that to be the case. Sadly, the hurt's too real to deny. »I refuse to believe– I can't believe you had no r-reason... Just tell me, I want to understand!« There you go again, Saeran's shame scratched his bones wound. The reqest was treasuring hidden consideration for the thousands time. Was it so hard for you to get angry and actually give him what he deserved?

He should've known you'd end up wanting to comprehend and show compassion despite the horrible thing he did to you. The procedure is always the same. He would hurt you deeply, you might cry or leave to collect your thoughts and come back with your arms wide open. But these scars stayed, no matter how petty you talked about them. This still wasn't enough? Even now? Saeran found himself bathing in self-hatred, this fire well known since he never completely escaped from it. He couldn't take it anymore, especially when you're crying right in front of him. »Can't you just scream at me!?«

Your eyes widened; you didn't expect the anger that bubbled underneath his skin to reach the surface. Saeran's tears pricked at the corners of the eyes, they're shingling bright due to the lamp, for a second you forgot who's the victim of infidelity. »Why aren't you yelling at me?? You should hit me and kick me out!« His panic reached you deep inside, Saeran used all willpower to not punch the wall next to him. He's so full of fury towards himself, you could see it perfectly. And it left you confused even further.

»How much do I have to fucking hurt you until you realize how damn disgusting I am and you finally leave me?« Saeran felt the shadow of alienation chase over his face, shame and embarrassment forbid him to take in air anymore. It's not helping as you titled your head in nothing but pure confusion. »What are you taking about!? What do you mean by finally leaving you?« Your cheeks were flushed with red color, a sight that caused his tears to spill over next. Why were you so pretty all the time? You're beatuiful whenever he found courage to look at you. It's not fair.

Saeran couldn't believe you didn't get the meaning yet, but he's forced to share the reasons either way. »Can't you just tell me to fuck off and find someone who actually treats you the way you deserve!?« No, he thought defeated. You're a good person. You wouldn't be able to understand without explanation as you're too sweet to even consider such darkness. Saeran pulled away, accidentally hitting the door with his back. The change in temperature alarming if he wouldn't have important priorities.

He lifted his hands, trying to both avoid and share things that poisoned his head since days. Even though he had no right. »Why are you still here with me..? This.. I never get what I want– Why should you be an exception??« It made click in the back of your head, then. »Saeran, are you serious?« Seemed to be the case as he turned his body away, somehow, he felt exposed otherwise. These voices taunted him, urging his next words like needles through his skin. »I cheated on you, yes. I lied into your face! Is that still not enough to make you wake up and realize your own worth–?«

The ranting caught in his lunges, watching you relax your shoulders more. Your own worth? So that's the reason, close to your presumption. A new wave of fears washed over you. »I... How can you say this..? Do you not love me anymore?« That must've hit a nerve, given Saeran's tears stopped running. »Wha.. What?« The whisper's almost nonsexist. You're scared of the outcome; however, the ignorance's simply killing you. Therefore you asked again, slower this time. »Do you have no feeling for me anymore, Saeran..« He closed his eyes quickly, that revealed more than the following words. »That doesn't matter! J-Just get rid of me already!«

You grabbed another fistful of your nightgown. »It matters.. Tell me, please.« You didn't deserve this mess, less so that you're in need of pleading to him. How should he pour out his heart? After what he'd done once again? This time, though. It's much worse than anything he'd ever decided on doing intentionally in order to keep you at distance. Saeran ignored the pulse deafening his ears as he copied your movements and put his arms around his body. Trying to hide away underneath the red strands of hair. Wanting to vanish. »Of course.. I.. I have feelings for you.« He choked out by force.

»I need you to reject me– I can't do it myself!« For a moment, the nothingness around the room's more draining than the fight. You felt yourself becoming weak in the heart, coming to find out exactly what was going on. Hearing him admit his feelings after going out at night's quite difficult to accept. You needed more answers. »And why can't you do it yourself..? Do you want to break up after all?« Saeran hid the grimace behind his hand, pressing his nails into his forehead in the hopes he'd start bleeding.

His broken voice's pitiful enough, but knowing he's crying despite him being the monster had him loathe himself so much harder than ever before. »No, I don't.. How could I..? You're so perfect.« He laughed bitterly; the sarcasm caused the weight in his stomach to start rising up. »I.. No matter what I do you just– you forgive me. Even though you shouldn't be with me. You shouldn't. You deserve better.« He started dull, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Saeran felt his heart contract by the imagination alone, how much longer would you want to put up with this bullshit?

Isn't there a limit for you? A reasonable voice telling you to finally stop wasting your precious time on someone like him? The redhead needed the routine of rejection back, there's no chance in hell he could keep someone so bright forever. Not by how dirty he was. »Well, is that enough explanation!? Can you now tell me you break up with me?? I.. I Just–« Not sure how else to end off, Saeran thought that, presumably, you'd cut this nonsense once and for all. You, on the other hand, found the small details you've been seeking for these long minutes of back and forth.

You ruled out the possibility for some reason, although it's the most plausible. You should've known what's circling through his head, you're aware of his inner self-hatred for many months. These constant doubts, now a problem for the both of you to work through. »Why did you lie about the intimacy..?« Saeran sighed heavily, all the disgraceful secrets coming out on one single occasion. He tried to keep that from happening, but when did something ever went his way. You noticed his fingertips turning white after pressing them into his upper arms.

»I didn't.. I meant it when I said I want.. time. Make it right.« How ironic, the demons awaking from their slumber huffed arrogant. Making him feel smaller than he already did. »I was scared! I wanted you to be happy. I wanted to be more than the godforsaken asshole that I am–« They whispered into his brain, mingling the truth and these same old insults. Saeran found courage to gaze back into your face, it hurt more seeing your eyes red due to exhaustion. »Forget it. Forget it all! Just tell me you finally have enough! Just.. can't you hate me!?«

That's what he could handle, despite the fact it'd break him down to the core. He didn't matter, anyways. All that mattered was your happiness, which you should find soon now that he went beyond repair. There's no way to save this, he worked on breaking this relationship apart before you're struck with even greater regret. It's enough that you had the miserable fate of meeting him, this was the last time you're hurting. Hopefully. You let go of your clothes, one fist holding the other. It resembled a young student somehow. Just as innocent as one, it's literal torture.

»You cheated because you're still not enough? Is that what you think?« Damn. The icy pinch in his sides let all oxygen escape, Saeran rarely wished so violently he's gone from the earth. »Does it really matter why I did it? I have done it. Now get rid of me.« Maybe that's what would've been the reasonable decision. However, how could you truly kick him to the curve? It's the same kind of self-loathing that made him scream at his brother. Or suffer panic attacks late at night. Your heart's torn, yet the damage's not the same since you're enlightened, even if it's achieved by something as ignominious as impatience.

When watching these birth ocean eyes drown in agony, the thin line of lips that held back crying noises. His body's barely keeping it together, there was true regret written over his every inch. How could you ever hate him? »I forgive you.« Three words, simple to understand. They managed that Saeran's heart stopped beating. »I'm hurt like hell, though. Don't expect this to be worked through in near future. I will need time to recover from this.« No, his inner panic crept back into his system. No, that's not what he should've been told.

You shouldn't say these things, not with what he'd done. Saeran reached his limits, a new wave of tears rolling down his cheeks. »Why do you say that...? Why..« The precise facial expression caught him on the wrong foot. You let your stare trace over the room once again, this time there's more space to breathe. »Because I love you, you idiot. And..« The blush went a shade darker. »I get it, okay? It's fucked up. I'm not defending your actions.« The certification shot out right away, the shame still glued to Saeran's back as you lifted your index finger to scold at his behavior.

At least it appeared that way. You loosened up a bit. »But I understand your fears. I know you well, you wouldn't do this without a reason.« It's your turn to sigh heavily, a slight hint of relief liberating your soul. »And I also know how your self-esteem issues influence your decisions.« It's true, you both couldn't deny the moments where it shone through. You licked your lips, they're drier than a desert. »I forgive you under one condition..« Saeran refused to meet your gaze anymore, you waited until he's overwhelmed by the quiet and looked back at you.

His eyes still wet, his lips swollen after biting down inconvenient sounds. God. It's a pain to watch this pretty face ruined due to sadness. You then placed one hand against your waist, you needed some stability to not flop onto the floor. »Don't ever.. never ever do this to us again. Ever..« You said in all seriousness. »You can talk to others about it, you can avoid me if you're suffocated. Heck, you can throw shit around if it's necessary. Just don't ever cheat on me again.« Feeling unworthy of even a sparkle of forgiveness, Saeran had nothing left other than a weak nod. Why did you still not realize?

Why are you so kind to him. »I don't deserve you.. I never will.« You swallowed the lump blocking your windpipe. Saeran rubbed his arm, the blood flaming over his face by all the shameful emotions punishing his disgusting deeds. »It's not about deserving, Saeran.« His heart swelled up without warning as you found back to your lovely self. Voice soft albeit broken at the edges. He'd done lots of damage with this, after all. It's natural that you're tired. »Everyone deserves love. And I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Especially when having justified reasons.«

Another prove, you're truly an angel. And he really didn't have any right to ruin that beautiful light of yours. »God.. You have to stop obsessing over the idea that you're unworthy and disgusting. You're neither to me. And you won't get rid of me, either.« Your disappointment's one of his last concerns. Thinking back to the nights he'd been out, he couldn't repress the vomit that rose up whenever he came back home. Or even in the moments itself, Saeran suddenly wondered how he thought that's going to fix the problem.

You rubbed your index finger against your thumb, knowing exactly that he's sinking into thoughts by the distant look on his face. »Saeran.« His head snapped up obediently. It made you hum for a second. The noise brought the butterflies inside his belly to flutter so shamelessly. »Can I h–..« He stopped himself, unwanted detachment actually seemed like a good lesson. That's no request he could put into the room, he figured. Could he ever again? There's doubt following that thought. You're aware regardless, it's not the first time he cut off these words once the stormed passed by.

»Yes, you can hug me.« No room for arguments, you opened your arms. Saeran hesitated a long moment. Would you really want someone who hurt you that deeply ever touch you again? But as you wiggled your fingers, a signal for him to hurry up, his mind came to a hold. After a few silent albeit heavy steps, Saeran pulled you carefully into an embrace. How much he missed your sent was abnormal. You put your arms around him, it's the kind of consent he looked out for before placing one hand to your head while the other came around in order to hold you by the back.

Like this, you sighed out the rest pressure, it's less hurtful. »I'm sorry...« His low mumbling tickled your ear, the warm feeling on your shoulder becoming wet as he's hiding the tears in there. »I can't tell you how sorry I am... I'm sorry, (N). I'm sorry for all of this.« Tricked by own feelings, you noticed yourself tearing up as well. You hushed him softly, rubbing his back to calm the two of you. »I accept your apology.. I forgive you. Now stop saying sorry.« Saeran sniffed by that, a sound that brought a smile to your lips.

»Okay. I swear I won't ever... I never do this again. I love you. I really, really love you.. I'm so sorry.« You pulled him closer, closing the remaining distance. Saeran's heart slowly found peace again, similar to your own. Both drained albeit much lighter. If you dared to think, stronger even. Saeran must've felt what you empathized when squeezing his shape. He returned the gesture, a moment where you both breathed evenly. A smile shared without the other knowing, yet it's audible in your voice. »I trust you, then. I love you too.«

[luckyspot]

Terry's heritage does not weaken him as a character and instead both strengthens him and adds to the Batman lore.

Alright, so...anyone who follows me (I know there's only like, ten of you but I love you all the same!) has probably seen that I have been on a bit of a Batman Beyond high as of late.

And I know almost none of you care about my writing, but I do have some ideas in the works.

But, in getting back into the swing of the show that may have actually introduced me to Batman as a cartoon hero in the first place, I am reminded of a very controversial decision regarding our dear beloved Terry and his heritage.

*SPOILERS, but let's be real; if you didn't know by now, you probably weren't interested in the first place.* 

(This is gonna be a long one folks)

Terry is a result of gene manipulation done to his father by an organization that wanted to make sure another Batman would be able to take Bruce's place. Due to a lot of science that not only divides the fandom as to exactly what Terry is but also probably doesn't work the way the show claims; Bruce is, on a biological level, the father of Terry and his younger brother.

(Please don't go into the notes claiming "he's a clone" or “he's a copy", at the end of the day there really is no correct term for this)

So, if memory serves and the various posts and comments on the various youtube videos I find are to be taken as a sign of the public's opinion, people didn't like that revelation.

Before anyone gets upset, this isn't me belittling anyone over how they felt about this. I know that many people stated that they felt it ruined a sense of kinship with Terry, saying that it seemed you had to be associated with the great Bruce Wayne to be Batman and that you couldn't be normal. I get that, I really do and that was a downside of that revelation.

But, to everyone that says it weakens Terry as a character, I have to respectfully disagree.

"Terry's just some pawn." "He was supposed to be himself." "Nothing he does matters."

Guys...did we watch the same episode? Am I the only one who processed the last 10 minutes?

The whole argument against it is actually pretty funny, because everyone is getting angry and asking the same questions Terry did.

During the episode, when Terry confromts Amanda Waller, she tells him that up to a certain point, everything was engineered to specifics. He was watched, he was monitored, him and his family.

He was watched for the time that his life could be destroyed in the name of making a new Batman.

What to unpack first here!? There is literally so much said within that statement! Where to even start?

Well first let's focus on the surface:

Terry was intended to be a pawn, a pawn of a bunch of self-righteous manipulators who were willing to traumatize him "for the greater good."

This kind of thing is in no way new, but it shows so much. For one thing, even if Bruce grows older, the world and the people in it have not changed. People will still hurt others, who have done nothing to them. People will do anything if they think they can get away with it.

A single decision, while made for the sake of the city, destroyed a family. Yes, nobody died that night Terry and his parents left the movies. But what had been done still affected a family.

Terry's parents are divorced, most likely because Dad, seeing how his supposed children did not look like him, doubted his wife's faithfulness. Said divorce had an effect on Terry, who became a delinquent latchkey kid with a record. Had they been left alone, could Terry have had a healthier upbringing?

If Terry's parents had died that night, whose to say he would have become Batman?

Considering the city Gotham had become by then, it's more likely that Terry would've become a criminal. And even if he had decided to become a hero, what was he supposed to do? He doesn't have Bruce's wealth, opportunities or even assistance. He would've been just as likely to get himself killed trying to help people.

Granted, there's the possibility he would've been taken and forcefully trained, which leads to result that I'll touch on in a minute. But one must still acknowledge that everyone processes trauma differently, Terry could've felt determination or he could've felt rage or fear. Either way, what he would've become is anyone's guess.

All that stated, we must talk about Batman as a symbol. The Dark Knight, who prowls the streets of a cursed and forsaken city. Standing in the defense of the good people unfortunate enough to be trapped there.

Think about what Batman stands for.

Despite what some modern writers want to push on you (you know who they are...) BATMAN IS NOT A SYMBOL OF VENGENCE.

Bruce swore Justice on the name of his parents, not revenge. He does not want to get back at the criminal element, he wants to defend from it. He wants to make sure nobody else feels the pain, fear and anger that has plagued his life.

As Amanda stated when she realized she couldn't follow the plan, doing what they were going to to Terry would have spat in the face of what Bruce stood for.

They would have trampled his morals, in an attempt to immortalize him.

And as if that wasn't enough, turning Terry into a new Batman could have had a very sinister result. He would've been Batman sure, but he would be a Batman who fought for justice based on what others said it was. He would've been an attack dog, setting only on who was deemed a big enough threat.

That's not Batman. Justice doesn't discriminate, Justice doesn't cherry pick.

All this was happening behind the scenes, and Terry didn't find out about it for some 20 years.

Terry confronts Amanda, she reveals the project and Terry is left questioning everything he has known. He questions his will, his choices, his fate; he confronts a dying Bruce and lashes out.

He wonders just how many decisions have actually been his. Had everything been orchestrated to come to this? Is he just a copy, meant to emulate a relic of days long gone?

He realizes...No. 

Terry understands that in spite of everything, he is his own person. Which is the reason Bruce, who knew the whole time, kept his silence. Terry is his own man who will make his own choices.

He is not Bruce and by extension, neither is Batman.

Terry decides he will not live as Bruce did. He will not push everyone away, he will not resign himself to a life unhappiness, he will not die alone.

Terry is going to live a happy life and just to prove it, the episode ends with Terry preparing to ask Dana to marry him.

That's a weak character?

A character who resolves to be different than his predecessor? Who stands firm in his desire to live a happy life, in the name of no one but himself?

The whole episode, without meaning to, gave meat and flesh to both Terry and Bruce's character. We see what Bruce did for the city and how it's been decided that a person like him must always protect Gotham. But instead, we have someone else who has chosen to be nothing like Bruce; and still defend the city just as well.

Some heroes are born, some are made; but they will almost always come from where you least expect. A billionaire playboy, a rebellious teenager; both can be heroes.

All of this aside, and we still haven't gotten to my favorite theme about this. (I can hear you groaning, we're almost done, promise)

When one takes into account various themes from various comics and occasionally movies and shows, a picture is formed. Amadeus Arkham, founder of Arkham Asylum, being stricken with visions of a giant, demon bat that haunted himself and his mother. Legends and myths detailing the exploits of a warrior baring the symbol of a bat.

It all sets up the idea of fate and destiny. That Bruce was always meant to be Batman, that everything was ordained by...something. (I’m not personally religious, but the concept appeals to me)

The understanding that the Wayne fortune comes from their assistance in Gotham’s founding; that the Waynes have a responsibility to the city.

Those obligations, that destiny, all of it runs in Bruce's blood and that very blood flows in Terry's veins.

Terry shouldn't have gotten the suit, his father shouldn't have died, he should've lead a normal life.

But fate didn't work that way.

Due to circumstances nobody planned for, a new Bat protects Gotham in the future.

One that laughs, taunts and lives a happy life; but is no less a hero.

*Again, this isn't intended to belittle anyone who disliked that concept. In retrospect, the whole reason they probably did it is people kept pointing out Terry shouldn’t look the way he does. Which, considering they did that so he would look similar to Bruce, is a pretty humorous start to this decision.*

[pizzaboat]

After a particular bad storm, Luz and king decide to have a movie night..

It should be fun, but Luz just hopes the two adults joining them don't kill each other in the next 2 hours...

"No way, I'd rather clean Hooty than watch some goofy kids movie"

"But Edaaa!" The teen whined, "There's nothing else to watch, and the storm nocked out all the power!"

Sure the power was out. Courtesy of the terrible weather. The magical grid through out the building had been temporarily shut off for hooty's safety, and so most things in the house had stopped working. But that wasn't a good enough reason for Eda to sacrifice napping time.

Eda watched as the human brought the box containing some human *VHS tape* titled "The Lion king" up to display. 

"Come on Its a classic," Luz pleaded, " and you agreed, after some persuasion-"

- Manipulation." 

"-that you'd do something with me and King," Luz pointed, "And you said I could pick. I pick movie night."

"Hey, I say alot of things. Doesn't make 'em true." Eda said with a shrug, "And don't even try to give me any puppy dog eyes kid, I'm immune now."

Luz pouted, and Eda watched as an idea formed on the girls face. Never a good sign..

"Well," Luz said, "You think your tough, but it'd be a shame if anyone in town found out you secretly like hugs!"

"You wouldn't dare," Eda gasped, "They'd never believe you!"

"Oh really? Try me." Luz challenged.

Damn it. Blackmail. She really was her kid. Eda knew teaching her would come back to bite her in the ass.

"Fine," She sighed, "But if anyone starts singing, I'm out."

"That might be a problem.. since it's a musical,"

Titan damn it.

***

And that's how thirty minutes later everyone was gathered in the living room as Luz stuffed human candies into some contraption and King dragged an assortment of snacks to the sofa, throwing them on the coffee table.

Even Lilith had been dragged out of her cave for the night.

"I didn't know you were interested in this stuff," King said to her sister as she settled in the furthest side of the couch, away from everyone else.

"Of course I'm not," She told him, "This is the only room in the house with sufficient enough lighting to read my book."

"If you say so," He muttered.

Eda plopped down onto the couch, opposite to her;

"Yeah, Lily's a nerd," She yawned, pulling a blanket over her self and settling in, "She doesn't do fun. So don't expect her to thrive in social situations."

"I'm not a nerd!" The other woman glared, " I'm trying to research a cure. For our curses."

"Save it," Eda snorted, "I'm fine the way I am, no thanks to you."

"I split the curse, what more do you want?"

"for you to take some damn accountability." 

"How can I do that if you don't let me!?"

"I don't care, figure it out!"

"OK!" Luz cut in with fake enthusiasm, "The movies starting! Who's excited!?"

Eda snapped her gaze to the teen. The two adults had missed the worried looks both Luz and King had been giving them as things had escalated.

Eda felt a wave of guilt, as Luz wormed her way into her side, deviding the two sisters in the hopes of preventing some all out fist fight, she guessed. Eda wrapped an arm around the girl hugging her back as the movie started and music played.

"Hey king, pass some snacks up," Luz whispered.

 

"Get your own, peasant," He whispered back.

***

Lilith had tried her best to focuse on words of the book infront of her in the flickering candle light, but her gaze always wandered back to the small box set on the coffee table infront of them.

The demon had been scolded multiple times by the other two, as he always managed to sit himself directly infront of the screen every five minutes, completely engrossed in its contents.

Lilith didn't do musicals. She hated them. Always had.

Edalyns loud complaints and groans of annoyance when the characters had broke into song, were more obnoxious than the movie its self.

That was new.. wasn't Edalyn big into musicals back when they both were in school?

The human had sung along to every word, boasting that she knew the lyrics to all the "Disney songs," What ever the hell a Disney was, Lilith didn't know. And she didn't want to find out.

Lilith had also noticed the wary glances the human sent her every now and then, as if she thought Lilith would pounce on them all. Lilith couldn't blame them for that one, so she did her best to keep her gaze anywhere else but the rest of the room, and focused back in on her book.

***

King could sympathise with the young creatures desire to become king and rule over all those bellow him. The young lion was the most relatable main character he'd ever seen. Much better than those characters from Luz's books. 

Someone hungry for status much like himself. Though King was already a king. Feared by all.

He clapped when Simba scratched the hyenas face. These animals names were weird he decided though. Lions. Hyenas. Elephants. The movie had even featured those freaks, the giraffes.

He understood the feeling of helplessness when both Simba and his companions had been trapped In the elephants grave yard, only to be saved by Simba's father Mufasa.

He gasped when he discovered Scar's plan to usurp his brother. Maybe Luz had chosen a good movie after all...

***

The human whiped tears from her eyes, then continued to blubber. King wailed clutching his stuffed animal. Even Edalyn seemed somewhat moved, though she didn't show it much.

The father had died apparently. Betrayed by his brother. Lured into a trap by his trusted sibling. His son used against him as bait.

OK maybe that one hit close to home. Hadn't she lured her sister to a witches duel using their apprentice against them? Seeing the broken form of the betrayed, forced images of what could have happened into Lilith's mind, and she suppressed a shudder.

Edalyn petrified. Luz skewered.

It hit her just how close she had come to getting both her sister and her sister's apprentice killed.

Damn it. She'd lost her page.

***

These guys had the right idea, "Hakuna matata", no worries. If society decides your not worth it, why not atleast relax and try to have a good time with your friends. Screw it. Y'know?

Maybe that's what she would've thought even a month ago. But she wasn't so sure that was such a great message to send kids. Abandon responsibly. She knew predictably that the movie would correct this. She was proved right of course.

***

Luz's excitement bubbled towards the end. She'd seen the movie a thousand times when she was younger. But big confrontations were always exhilarating to watch.

Though less fun when your the one confronting things in real life, that's where the beauty of fiction comes in; She was in the mood to enjoy some nice old fashioned living through fictional characters. No danger. Just movies and her family. And Lilith. She wasn't sure why Lilith was In the owl house. Not because of the storm. Just in general.

Luz would have figured Lilith would have found somewhere to stay by now. But it might be difficult for her, what with the Emperors Coven declaring her a wanted criminal, while the rest of them had been pardoned. A selfish part of Luz wished she'd just leave anyway. Her skin always crawled when the woman was around. 

Luz felt bad about this. But it didn't stop her from occasionally thinking it.

She caught a glimpse of the woman In question, when Scar had been left to be killed by the hyenas. Lilith look paler than what seemed possible with her already ivory complexion. Her gaze fixed on the old mini TV. Was she rooting for Scar or something?

Luz wouldn't be surprised.

***

The villian had recieved what he deserved. To be vanquished by his enimies. 

Lilith felt sick thinking of the similarities between her and the character.

Jealousy. Ambition. Cunning. The will to do what ever it takes. 

She knew they were different. But she couldn't help but wonder what could've happend if she were more like this "Scar" character. 

Titan. She thought this was just a kid's movie.

***

The movie finished. Eda had fallen asleep towards the end only to be gently shaken awake by Luz after. The movie hadn't been bad. She'd even enjoyed it, Eda wouldn't admit that to anyone though. Not in a million years.

Luz said goodnight with a tight, crushing hug, then carried King to bed. The little guy must have conked out at some point into the film. 

Movie night accomplished and no one had even died. A win if ever there was one.

They would clean up in the morning but for now sleep, she made her way to leave as well but was stopped by her sister.

"Edalyn, I think we should talk.."