#no I don't have him looking like timmie in either story

[box5intern]

As someone who maintains that Luciana thought Erik was going to look like Timothée Chalamet, who treasures Luciana and has two AUs where she prospers in the works, as someone who BELIEVES in the potential they had, upon seeing this image I--

[thewitchblue]

"Y/N can you maybe, I don't know, not turn into Bruce's dead mother in the middle of an argument?"

Alfred asked with a raised eyebrow. Bruce's mother shrugged, but amusement and mischief shimmered in her eyes. Bruce was speechless.

His mother changed back to her original form: you. You're a shape-shifter, and abuse the shit out of your abilities, mostly for the good of the people. Not today. You smirked at Alfred before turning into him.

"Master Bruce, perhaps you need some time to destress. I can call Y/N to assist."

Bruce still looked haunted. Of course, he knew when he started dating his partner that they were a shape-shifter, but he never expected to see them transform into his dead mother in the middle of an argument over an empty milk carton. Then again, you rarely argued with him.

The children behind him were wheezing with laughter, some crying, and most of them struggling to breathe. The real Alfred clears his throat, but even he is struggling to hold his laughter in. Who can blame them? The scene is so unhinged and outlandish.

You never hid your shapeshifting. They know, the public knows, the press knows. It was no secret. If a reporter leaves you fuming mad, you simply turn into their family members and stare at them with blazing eyes. Your baleful gaze seemed to terrify Gotham as a whole. Your kids applauded every time they see you come their way. It takes the pressure off them when you turn into an actual bear and roar in the face of some poor civilian.

Bruce has seen you transform into just about everything your mind could possibly imagine. Ranging from becoming a second Batman and chasing down confused criminals to a pine tree to fight Ivy in a "plant war," as they call it.

Alfred held an amused glint in his eye as he looked into his own eyes. The real Alfred said,

"Master Bruce, I believe you have a troublemaker on your hands. I will take my leave so Batman can handle them."

Bruce seemed to come to his senses again and he was not happy. He grumbled and pulled you into his arms.

"Never do that again. I wasn't even the one who emptied the carton. Jason did."

Jason scoffed and raised to his defence,

"You know I would never, you Bat Bitch. If it fucked you over, it would be a different story."

Bruce rolled his eyes. He should have known Jason would defend himself. The rest are more likely to take the fall than Jason.

"Maybe it was Dick or Tim. I only caught a glimpse."

You laugh and hit his arm,

"That's bullshit and you know it. Jason is built like a brick house, Bruce. There is zero chance you'd confuse him with Dick and certainly not our little Timmy."

Bruce sighed. He can't pin it on Damian or any of the girls, either. They are too tiny. Dick adds fuel to the fire by saying,

"Hey, I'm a brick house."

You scoff. With raised eyebrows, you look him up and down.

"Dick, you are the twink of the family."

The children watched with amusement as Dick tries to defend himself.

"Twinks are scrawny! I'm muscular."

You snort. He's muscular, but he's not Jason. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Bruce trying to sneak away. Abruptly, you turn to face Bruce. He paused, mid-step with a guilty look. You turn into his dad this time and say with a deep voice,

"Don't try to run away. Come to papa."

Bruce narrows his eyes. He thought he'd be safe from this after marrying you, but evidently, that is not the case. Nobody is safe from the menace that you are. He says,

"You're lucky I love you."

You melt back into your original skin with a grin. With a wink, you reply,

"And you're lucky that I love you. As well as our children who are trying to escape."

Everyone scatters from that point on. Your appearance angrily alternates between various dead family members. Nobody owned up to drinking all the milk, but they all knew it was Bruce.

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #10

Some speculation and feelings now that I've slept after a binge up to "Trial or Hair-or" and took a break, before I start anything else.

I'm not sure when I can next watch episodes, so please don't reply with spoilers.

Background Characters

I was really worried about Whispers Fred. I only read a small glimpse of the story bible / concept art page a year+ ago- I was pretty sure I remembered Winn and Whispers Fred, though I would not have been able to recite their names.

After recognizing them, I was expecting them to be glued to Hazel's hip. I thought I'd find Whispers Fred and his ASMR shtick really annoying, but he's actually totally fine and doesn't bother me at all.

I'm relieved, because "Writers trying to be cool and they think kids want ASMR, and also I'm pretty sure a kid trying to look this stuff up could easily go down an online route they probably shouldn't be going down at their age" has been my mental vision for the direction this show is going for the past, like, 15 months and I thought I'd have issues with him.

I really like him now because you can tell Hazel's classmates all have their own depth and running gags, which is a great improvement on most of Timmy's classmates.

I can definitely look back and name the shticks for Chester, A.J., Trixie, Chloe, Kevin, Elmer, Sanjay, and Francis. We knew them- You could write a 'fic with them in it and no one would question the lack of other characters, because that's a great cast.

-> But yeah, we didn't really know much about personalities or what they do, and many of those characters I listed faded away in later seasons. I like how we're starting off strong. It makes it feel very planned. We know Whispers Fred has a podcast, even. Impressive.

Throwing this out here because it's still hilarious, but there are at least two kids in Timmy's class who are confirmed godkids - He sees them at Cupid's party - but they were both mysteriously absent when Doombringer came in as a sub to start fairy hunting and it cracks me up.

And that was all the depth we got to them, because it was never played up (and let's be real, they were thrown into Cupid's party from the character stockpile folder).

I like how Hazel is befriending people in her class. Some of them aren't fully fleshed out yet, but they don't need to be. We're getting enough that if I wanted to write a 'fic, I could way more easily play with the personalities of Hazel's classmates than Timmy's, and I love that.

[cnt'd below cut - Very long post, including things I wouldn't truly call negativity, but my vibe is discussing the things I like and the things that aren't working for me personally.

This post leans into things that aren't working since previous posts have been about what is working. Heads up for discussions of child abuse and nostalgic comparisons to the OG show. Proceed at own discretion

Reminder, I'm only up to "Trial or Hair-or" at time of posting this]

Would I Be Watching This If It Wasn't Claiming to be FOP?

The show is very enjoyable; let's start with that. I like Hazel. I like Cosmo and Wanda. I like the set-ups and the kids.

I like watching the show, but... It doesn't feel like FOP, in the sense that I'm not seeing the things that draw me to the original show (Like... the child abuse? Or Crocker? Or the risk of losing your fairies? Or Timmy's struggle to keep his secrets from Vicky, his parents, and his friends?)

Hazel's made a vague mention that she has to keep fairies a secret, but we have no proof Cosmo and Wanda would leave her. No memory wipes either.

Maybe it's just me, but FOP without child abuse is... a WILD concept to me. lol. Dev seems to have issues and I suspect he's being set up for a future plot that delves into them, but it's still funny that our main character is, like... chillin'. No self-hatred? No dissociative issues or anxiety attacks? No sneaking around? Are you sure you're in the right show?

Okay, I guess Dev is bullying her, but he's not been nearly as bad as Francis, who caused physical harm. Heck, Tootie caused Timmy more stress than Dev's causing Hazel. Trixie literally treated Timmy worse than Dev is treating Hazel- she was launching him across the room when he spoke to her.

I'm liking the show, and I see potential in this world where I could set a 'fic... but what would that 'fic even be about? This place is fluffy; Hazel's not struggling much and there's not a lot of meat here for me to dig into.

I'm not seeing stakes, and I'm kinda "hm" about it.

And I'm kinda worried I'm watching a watered-down show that's been made more palpable to an audience looking for found family fluff. Which is fine! ... It's just that I'm here for Fairly OddParents vibes. Where's my child abuse?

I'm nostalgic. I miss my boy who kept a scrapbook with pictures of him in therapy. I miss the jokes that the court once got involved and appointed the family a child psychologist. I miss how he broke down in front of Trixie, wailing that he'll always love her no matter what his therapist says. He had a lot going on that we never saw onscreen, only the implications, and I love him <3

This was the boy who literally froze time for 50 years and told no one; he was messed up and they were not afraid to paint him that way.

I'm the target audience for "people who like seeing tiny details from the OG show brought back," but I'm not the target audience for fluff or sweet and innocent characters, so if that's what we get, I don't think I'll get giddy about it.

And I'll be 100% okay with that because I enjoy watching the show anyway even if it's different, and I'm just super grateful we've got something nice for the series after so many years of a difficult slide.

I write my 'fics and I've made worldbuilding posts for 8 and a half years, but I rarely main-tag anything, and I have unique blog tags for each character so they're harder for people to stumble on, because I was trying to lie low and avoid fandom negativity I kept seeing when I ventured into the tags. So... as much as I'm nostalgic and as much as I have my fingers crossed for the things I want to see, I'm super grateful this show is very enjoyable and seems to be bringing a wave of positivity and new viewers into the fandom.

Let's be clear- I'm REALLY enjoying watching this show, but I'm waiting to see if it adds stuff that fits my interests, that's what this post is.

Threats to Cosmo and Wanda's safety?

I want to start by saying I appreciate how Crocker isn't Hazel's teacher and her dad is not obsessively trying to catch her fairies. Danny's parents trying to catch ghosts worked perfectly fine in his show, but I'm glad this one is a different direction. It's nice to mix things up and not fall into a previous formula.

It's hilarious that her dad is like, seriously doing his paranormal job and it doesn't even affect Hazel, Cosmo, or Wanda yet (where I've watched up to). That's hilarious.

I'm hoping that it's going to come back, because I haven't seen a strong sense that it will. Hazel's dad has speculated there's a ghost in his house a little, but he's not investigated at all and we've not seen any tension regarding this. I hope we're setting up a big plot with confrontation, but there's not enough there yet to make me believe we are, so I hesitate to trust the pay-off is there.

Unclear how Cosmo and Wanda meet Hazel in the morning. Do they stroll over? I assume not- Her parents would think that's weird. They're not in animal form because they're neighbors, so are they poofing over? Do they wake her up like they used to wake Timmy?

Thus far, we've not seen signs that Cosmo and Wanda could be in danger. Jorgen's made an attempt to take them away, which was their fault for claiming a godkid they had no right to take tbh. I don't mind taking a break from Crocker's obsessions, but I do miss the tension he brought us. I miss the danger. I miss the angst implications- This show is pretty fluffy so far, and I can appreciate it, but that's not "FOP vibes" for me.

Jorgen implied Cosmo would get hurt when he fell off a tower, but otherwise we've not seen signs that Fairies can be hurt or killed. And I don't know if that's even a thing that carried over in this universe, so I have to treat it as 0 risk of death.

It would be 100% reasonable for Hazel's dad to shake C and W's hands and ask to interview them, which is fine - It's a new vibe than Crocker, Doombringer, and Leadly and we could probably use that - but I think I'd be disappointed if that was the payoff for emotional investment of implied danger.

C and W haven't expressed any fear in Hazel's dad since Episode 1. I really liked Episode 1 - a lot of thought went into it - but the rest of the episodes seem like they're using Episode 1 as a diving board, but not circling back to what we established there. Which is actually super frustrating right now.

You hooked me! ... So, where's the stuff you hooked me with?

We're no longer getting C and W fumbling around the human world, we're no longer getting miserable Hazel, we haven't had any awkward neighbor interactions between C and W and the parents, and we're no longer getting the threats to C and W's safety. I feel a little cheated and I hope we see more threats later.

Please give me an awkward dinner party with the neighbors. Give me one of the parents coming over to borrow sugar and C and W have to poof away from Hazel and rush back home to maintain their facade.

Give me neighbors wanting to come to a party at C and W's and they have to protect everyone from accidentally wandering into Fairy World or using dangerous Fairy equipment. Give me C and W getting put in charge of a neighborhood event they don't know anything about. Give me Hazel's parents asking if C and W can babysit and they're so paranoid that they call constantly to check in while C and W try to act like everything is normal and they're not running around doing magical things.

I feel like we've given personality to the schoolkids, which is fine... but I'd love to see personality for the neighbors. To me, living in the same building as fairies who don't know how to be human is a fantastic plot set-up, and they're doing nothing with it.

In other words, I'm glad Hazel is delved-into as a character, but I feel like we've not seen anything about what's going on with Cosmo and Wanda.

-> Hazel's in her school arc right now, but maybe we'll have a summer break arc?

Here's my thought on that. Bluey does a really good job of balancing what's going on with the kids and what's going on with the adults. Yes, the show focuses more on the kids, but it's always clear what the adults are doing, like Bandit trying to talk to his friends while Bluey complains about him taking too long, and Bandit feeling sad when his friends leave so he can take care of Bluey.

Early in the series, we see the kids playing in the park ("Shadowlands") while Chilli and her friends talk about TV shows they like in the background. There's a constant sense in that series that Bandit and Chilli have interactions with other people- Heck, we even get an episode of Bandit struggling to make a new friend (and struggling with Bingo getting in the way of that).

I'm not getting that here. C and W do have personality, but do they have friends? Or coworkers? Or stakes? I didn't see a lot of depth to their brief interaction with Jorgen, nor does Cookie seem to be someone they know in any way.

For this show to win me over, I need them to interact with their neighbors and environment in a way they're not currently doing. Right now, they're just giving Hazel magic... but I'm starting to think they could be sexy magic lamps. I don't remember struggling with these feelings in the OG show, although back then I binged like 4 seasons before making any posts.

- It is not to their favor that they can easily spend an episode in object form and just chill. We used to have Crocker trying to sniff them out even in object form, and I kind of miss that. And yeah, they're retired, but I hope we get to see more character depth and relationship involvement in the future. - In the early season, we had background conversations like Wanda trying to lure Cosmo to the doctor, Wanda explaining to Cosmo that their "special alone time" wasn't meeting her needs and she wants more snuggles, or Cosmo being a pushover when Wanda's dad came around, or Cosmo sneaking his mom into their guest room, or Wanda blatantly telling Cosmo that she still thinks Juandissimo is intriguing. I miss the up and down of that dynamic. It's nice to see them fluffy, but... they're kind of flat. I liked the mail scene and how Wanda hugged Cosmo after he rescued Hazel in Episode 1, but again... it feels like most of their characterization happened in Episode 1. I have my fingers crossed we'll get some of that in the future, like Cosmo and Wanda cheering each other on when they learn things about the human world, or Cosmo sacrificing himself to save her from the Pixie takeover, or showing that when he stands up for his family, he's extremely powerful. tl;dr - I hope we get Cosmo standing up for Wanda. I'm glad they love each other, but I'm not seeing a lot to interest me in their ship. I'm more interested in Hazel's parents, tbh. They've got stuff going on in their "breadwinner therapist vs. paranormal investigator" vibe. And they play with Hazel and hold hands in the background. They're cute, and I want more of that for C and W. - Actually, Timmy used to get called out by his classmates for being "That weird kid who talks to inanimate objects." There don't seem to be any risks for Hazel yet. - If you were to ask me what the biggest threats are to this godparent relationship, I'd say it's either Cosmo and Wanda overstepping past Jorgen and upsetting him, or Hazel's dad finding out. But I'm not sure we're going to push those plots further, which saddens me. Holding out hope, though. - That is actually hilarious I don't see Dev as a threat to her right now, since that was Remy's whole thing. Good for him? Like, he's mildly annoying her in the background, but he's not a true danger at this time. - Jasmine has implied she's sus about Hazel, but it's been brushed off twice without her investigating. I don't think we're delving into it more, which is a shame. I want Jasmine to be weirded out.

Episode 1? Absolutely not lamps- Cosmo and Wanda were involved, they had depth, and there was tension. And the other episodes are fun, but their personalities have taken a backseat.

You can tell there was a ton of thought put into how Cosmo and Wanda interact with the human world in Episode 1. That seems to have gone away now, and they're even in reboots of their old outfits instead of their human disguises, so... it's nostalgic, but I kind of wanted to see how they'd changed over time. If you're going to give them new outfits, why not use them?

If C and W were, presumably, aging while on their time travel vacation that lasted 10k years and they look the same, what on earth was Jorgen doing that makes him look so aged after just a handful of years? I'm unclear where we are in the timeline.

We've had some nice Cosmo-Wanda-Hazel moments (like the seahorse and princess game where they were playing together), but I'm thinking the "Cosmo and Wanda nitpicking at each other" problem has been solved by taking away their conversations with each other- they're really just here to talk to Hazel.

That's fine, I guess. I just want to see more of them interacting with each other. Because I miss them.

It reminds me of when I critiqued Sparky vs. Chloe, because I felt Chloe fit really well in the dynamic while Sparky was interacting with Timmy, but not really Cosmo or Wanda. Chloe was a great balance of changing the entire dynamic (so was Poof).

I feel like this will probably change in the future when we're not pushing the "Gotta show Hazel is a well-rounded character and focus on her above everyone" direction, but since I'm liveblogging, I need to cite where I am and what I'm looking forward to.

I'm not seeing enough fairy biology going on. I like what Cosmo gave us regarding stretchy skin, but... what is life like for these people? Do they have to avoid touching humans?

Do Cosmo and Wanda pay rent? Do they pay taxes? Do they know their neighbors? Do they see other kids and get nostalgic for their past godkids? (I have to assume yes, since they took in Hazel).

-> I like the implication in "A Dinosaur in Dimmsdale" that Cosmo and Wanda have been around long enough to be familiar with the special event held at that time. I'd like more of that, but also deeper. And maybe that's asking a little much since the show is for kids and of course it's focusing on the kid... Idk, maybe I'm reading into this too much.

I like how Cosmo has twice struggled to hide his crown. That's a step in the right direction, but unfortunately I can't remember if his second time was also in the first episode.

That first episode was beautiful- everything I wanted. But the others don't meet the expectations and story hooks that lured me in.

I think what I'm trying to say is that my vision of Cosmo and Wanda in New Wish relies heavily on what I got from the OG series. I don't think I've seen much in New Wish to give them enough personality to stand their own.

I'd really like to see Juandissimo or Mama Cosma shake things up. I think by this point in the OG series(?), we'd seen them split in "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Apartnership." We knew Wanda wanted to be an author, we knew Wanda had friends in town, we knew Cosmo was a mama's boy, and we knew they were goofballs who were rarely apart and would totally crash into things when they were looking at the other.

We also knew Cosmo and Wanda had issues with being mistreated ("A Wish Too Far"). They were also goofballs who struggled to pass as human ("Transparents") and joke around ("Tiny Timmy"), and they'd make their own assumptions even if they weren't what Timmy expected (Stealing an alien prince in "Spaced Out" instead of making their own monster). Cosmo even pretended he was about to explode in "Same Game" to joke with Wanda, so she didn't believe him when he was actually close to exploding.

AGAIN... I am not far into New Wish. On one hand, it's great that Hazel's not mistreating Cosmo and Wanda, so we don't need an episode like "A Wish Too Far." I think we'll be getting more depth later in the series, but I'm liveblogging my thoughts so we can see if my opinions change.

-> I don't feel like we've learned enough about Da Rules. They were a big deal in the OG series and I'm very unclear on what Hazel does or doesn't know. I'm unclear which of the Big Rules are still in play. In the OG Season 1, Cosmo and Wanda had to grant wishes when Timmy talked in his sleep. I'd like a bit more of those rules showing up here.

-> Unclear to me if Cosmo and Wanda stay in Hazel's room at night.

I just still think they're a little "sexy lamp" for me and I want this to change. As annoying as they were (affectionate), I'd love to see Mama Cosma, Big Daddy, Blonda, Schnozmo, or Juandissimo mix things up. Because Cosmo and Wanda both have drastically different reactions to each of those people.

Maybe that's what's missing for me, because I've been writing 'fics where they ARE interacting with these people, so I'm used to seeing them have to juggle other people? In which case, that's unfair for me to judge, lol.

Blonda only had 2 episodes I think, and one of them was a cameo where she wasn't interacting with Wanda. It'd be super interesting to see her return and play a role as large as Mama Cosma's or something. I miss her too.

I am REALLY looking forward to seeing more of how Antony plays into Hazel's life. It's incredibly obvious that she cares for him (even sleeping in a bunk bed and wearing his hand-me-down shirts), so that's fantastic.

tl;dr - Cosmo and Wanda are just kind of there (imo). I'm pretty sure the episodes after the first would be basically the same if Hazel had no fairies, but was a witch who could use magic on herself.

I'm not seeing anything that makes me say "Yes, this definitely needed to be a show about godparents and not just any show about kids with magic." Give me a reason why we couldn't have a show about Hazel being a witch, having spy gadgets or tech, or having a genie. I want Fairy World! I want misery!!

Fairy World and Jorgen

I'm putting my faith in the idea that we'll return to Fairy World. I can't imagine that we wouldn't, but I have to say, our first glimpse of it didn't look too magical or dramatic.

I like how the OG series sets Timmy up as believing Fairy World is glittery and magical, so Cosmo and Wanda must goof off all day. In reality, Fairy World is big on rules and discipline. I think we take Jorgen for granted as a character since he's been around for 20+ years. It's easy to forget how funny it is that we have a big, buff, military-attitude fairy bossing people around a glittery magical world. That's hilarious!

Think of how "Old Black Magic" gives us a street made of playing cards or how "Odd Squad" gives us purple grass and cars without wheels. Some of their streets float and twist around each other. Their world should look "exciting and unfathomable to the human mind." We haven't seen the Rainbow Bridge either, really.

I have no drive to revisit Fairy World after "Department of Magical Violations," which was the 2nd episode. It didn't look magical or fun. You can tell Jorgen still has his characterization (Being strict but also liking to party), but... he wasn't contrasted against the magic of fluffy Fairy World. Without the contrast, he's just a guy.

I hope we see him again and he gets another chance to show his depth, because even though I went in knowing full-well who he is, I felt like we weren't given enough. I don't even remember seeing his giant staff.

-> He debuted in short episodes in the OG series, so it's not an issue of not being double length. I just think he wasn't utilized as well in such little time.

Give me the guy who used to turn Cosmo into a monkey during drills. Give me the guy who uses a jet pack because he cut his wings off. You don't even get to see his back in his debut, so it's totally possible new viewers might think he still has wings 😔

-> That might seem like a silly thing to be disappointed in, but after the effort that went into showing us details like Hazel's house number or how Cosmo and Wanda crawl across the floor, I feel like Jorgen didn't get the same fully in-depth treatment. He should be someone we're totally hyped to see, but he's... there.

-> Even in Season 0, we were introduced to Jorgen in a way that subverted expectations: the big, scary fairy who was such a contrast with the idea of a friendly godparent was intimidating his godkid (making him wish to live)... AND he's dating the Tooth Fairy. I just haven't had expectations subverted yet in this show and it makes me kind of sad, because that's Jorgen's biggest "selling point." He's funny in contrasting environments.

Maybe he just needs the right person to bounce off, like Binky.

I will say, I think there's nothing wrong with Jorgen not playing all his goofy cards in front of a stranger. He has a job to do and he's good at his job. But I miss him. I miss the doofus who cried for weeks when the Tooth Fairy broke up with him because she didn't like how he tried to forcibly remove Timmy's buck teeth for a wedding present.

I miss the guy who cried when he lost his job, and tried so hard at the other jobs Timmy set up for him, but he was bad at them because all he knew was to set expectations so he kept spoiling movies while selling tickets... and putting people in the hospital with his muscles.

I miss the guy who found out he was standing "in the same room as his cousin," looked at Cosmo, and then went full steam ahead into "Please let it be my invisible cousin Leonard!"

I miss the guy who used to throw pixies at his dartboard or chase them out of their own building because "He's the only one allowed to cause pain to fairies." I miss the guy who put grenades and barbed wire on pizza and gave it to a child. I miss the guy who works in his nana's cafe and covers his niece's shifts at the pet store. I wonder if he still does game nights with Mama Cosma.

I miss the guy whose idea of a good house pet disguise was a rhino in a fishbowl. I miss Jorgen. I love him, and I really hope we get to see more of his funky, goofy side, because he's such a great character.

I've only seen one episode with him, so I'm probably judging too harshly. I just think he has one of the strongest characterizations that's easy to work with because he's hilarious against a glittery Fairy World backdrop, so I miss him and I don't think the DMV was the best showcase episode for him. I'm nostalgic :(

The abuse & trauma?

I really like how the OG show plays with abuse. Yes, Timmy is an abused kid. We know this. It's made very, very clear without it being too scary for a little kid. The OG show is full of things that appeal to me as a kid (slapstick humor) and as an adult (Watching what Timmy's going through and the clever ways the show plays with the abuse angle without being too scary).

- I'm not seeing why Hazel is miserable? Which is okay, because as I said in a previous post, Cosmo and Wanda came out of retirement and befriended her of their own choice (defying instruction), so they're in a gray area with the usual gameplay rules. - I'm just unable to detect if the "godparents lose their fairies when they're no longer classified as miserable" rule is still a thing in this universe. Or "Hazel will lose her fairies when she grows up or reveals them." It's okay if those rules are gone- I'd just like to know so I can adjust my perception of what the stakes are. - Hazel avoided revealing magic to Jasmine in "Fearless," but it wasn't explicitly stated if she was told the rules or if she's just trying not to scare Jasmine with magic.

I'm a little confused that the writers for this show seem to have toned down the abuse and trauma, yet upped some present-day horror. Like, I legit would not suggest a friend watch "Fearless" or "28 Puddings Later" without a warning.

- Those were some VERY scary spiders for a kids' cartoon, especially compared with the goofy spiders from the OG canon. We had onscreen trypophobia (I think? - Not sure if there were enough holes in the cheese, but there were holes) and I used to have a friend who would've struggled with that part of the episode. And I get that swiss cheese is going to have holes- I'm just a little surprised we didn't go the route of making Jasmine a relatable character for someone with trypophobia and instead she faced all her fears as if they were nothing...? Or is that relatable- I'm not sure. I mean, it's a cartoon, so... idk what I expected. I know I wouldn't love being forced into a bloody environment, and a friend violating that after I told them no would possibly be a deal-breaker (and has been, actually, since I've had ex-friends ever since I was a kid stop caring about my boundaries and try to show me blood and/or purposely try to upset me with blood when they lost interest in me as a friend). But also, Jasmine is 10 and if she wants to try facing her fears, she can. I don't have issues with that. - "28 Puddings Later" had red lighting on the bodies and faces in a way that was a little much for my hemophobia, and I think I'm not going to be watching that episode again unless I do some prep. I was trying not to look for most of it.

It's... weird? Usually the Hartman shows go fine for me, although "T.U.F.F. Puppy" has like 2 episodes that jump my hemophobia, but they were... not drawn-out like this. Those were legitimately spooky things to watch (Saying this as an adult who wasn't genuinely scared, but was analyzing the execution and comparing it to other cartoons I watch). I think that's a great thing that sets the tone of the show... but that's not the tone I really want?

It's totally fine for New Wish to be its own thing, but it's not the FOP that drew me in years ago.

- I want more psychology- and trauma-themed underlying jokes, like Cosmo panicking when Timmy's parents babysat Poof because "Those two have no idea how to raise a child!" followed by panning over to Timmy. - I want more bits like Timmy standing up to Imaginary Gary and saying "When I was 8, I learned what a real monster was like" and introducing Gary to Vicky. I want to be asking "Kid, are you okay? Hey, what was that??" and gushing over implications. -> I've seen the tiniest taste with Dev so far, but not enough to catch my interest this early on. I'm hoping that goes somewhere, but if I'm struggling to see the depth in Cosmo and Wanda, I don't have the highest hopes. Like, childhood trauma was a huge thing in the old show (I would argue it's the main theme), and every time those glimpses of Timmy's genuine struggles came up, I lost my mind. I'm not seeing that with Hazel. I like this show for the magic, sure, but I really liked this show for the underlying trauma themes that made you want to explore character backstories with a 'fic. And I'm sure there are plenty of people who want to explore Hazel's relationship with her brother with a 'fic, and Dev seems to have stuff going on, but Hazel doesn't do for me what Timmy and Chloe did. I discussed Timmy above, so let's talk about Chloe. Chloe had serious mental health struggles. She had multiple dissociative spirals. She committed fraud. She broke into Timmy's house to steal from his dad's toy collection because she was jealous. She lied to authority figures for literally no reason except to make herself look better (Not even to cover up magic- She just straight-up lied). When she was upset, she would pull all-nighters and plot revenge (And that was like, her 3rd episode). She lived in denial even when things went wrong. She also wouldn't stand up for herself sometimes, so Catman pushed her around. She also stole from Kevin Crocker while he was passed out (lol), went on power trips, bribed people (including Crocker) to like her, sold out her friends for extra credit, backstabbed Timmy by turning him into a monster who couldn't speak so he couldn't unwish the wish, and it was very clear why she needed godparents. This child mostly raised herself on Fair Bears cartoons for 50 years of the frozen timestream. She has parents who are rarely home, and when they are, they completely violate her boundaries. Timmy literally has to stand up to them for her at one point because she's spiraling into her second dissociative episode since her parents came back to Dimmsdale- she was strugglin'. Chloe's canon is that without Cosmo and Wanda, she would've led a gang (giving us one of my favorite lines in the series, "I can't believe you found 6 kids with eyepatches"). She couldn't handle watching kids for 1 day without screaming at them, calling them "monster children with evil in their hearts," and making them so miserable, all 3 kids got assigned godparents. At the end of the series, she nails Crocker's bed to the ceiling. She's... a lot. On some level, I enjoy that Hazel is not suffering abuse right now. Hazel is very likable, but I feel like the show is going for a different vibe than what I'm looking for in an FOP show. I miss the trauma undertones. That's why I like this show and why it's deeper for me than many cartoons. This is a show that's been a massive part of my life for 8.5 years, so... I miss those hooks that draw me in. I hope we get something like that for Hazel (or Dev?), but I'm not seeing anything that would draw me into this show if it weren't advertised as a continuation of a show I already really liked. It reads like a show I would put down and walk away from. Well, things did draw me in, but... I don't see them being carried through.

And going back to "Fearless" and "28 Puddings Later," I get it, about the spook factor. It IS pudding. I get the joke we're making here, with how funny it is to think of it as a zombie apocalypse. I'm totally onboard- It's not them, it's me. You just can't make my brain settle down, because it sees what it sees and I have to deal with that.

This feels like FOP without all the things I like about FOP.

I'm just... Where's the kids' show I liked to fawn over because it was fluffy and slapstick on the surface, but secretly playing with trauma underneath? I enjoy the ride New Wish is taking me on, but I think I'm only watching this show because of its FOP connection. If this were some non-reboot (just a brand new Nick show about a kid with some kind of magic), it would be kind of "meh" to me so far. I don't think new viewers or kids would be bothered at all, but I miss the OG.

New Wish kind of gives me Star vs. The Forces of Evil vibes. I enjoyed that show's first season, so I don't say that as a bad thing- I just mean "Star had her own wand and didn't need godparents." Except Star got to explore the responsibility and danger of having a wand and Hazel's not giving me that either.

I like how we've gotten callbacks to the OG series. I get excited by the references and I'm very grateful we finally have a reboot that's taking the show seriously and with love. I hope we can lay it to rest when New Wish is over so it ends with a pleasant memory for people.

I like it, but it's not one of those hidden gems I've stumbled on in the past that I've gotten hooked on (Ex: I randomly stumbled across the Carmen Sandiego 2019 reboot, All Hail King Julien, and Kick Buttowski, and every single one of those blew me out of the water as a hidden gem I fell in love with). But... I feel like I'm watching New Wish more to avoid the risk of someone spoiling it for me (and because I want to see allusions to past episodes) than because I'm truly captivated by it, which is a shame.

I love it as a reboot, but I don't think I'd watch it as some standalone show that just dropped. And that's probably fine, because it's not trying to be a standalone- it's trying to be a nostalgic reboot with a fresher take, and that's totally okay.

- But consider... Send the toddlers back to Lightning Walrus Hell while Foop begs to be spared and frantically tries to claw his way out of the vortex after Poof's been vaporized, then rewrite time so they never existed. THOSE were stakes, and THAT was the messed-up stuff I love. lol. - (Do not actually do this- new things are good and if Poof and Foop had to relieve their own childhood trauma regarding the Hocus Poconos, I would die. Also, that was the Season 8 finale and New Wish is only in its first season with chill episodes, so it would be wild to expect that much drama straight out of the gates. Also, it takes time to establish things before we can have that kind of drama. I'm willing to be patient.)

I will say, I do think we're matching some early-series vibes. We had episodes in the early days where Timmy bonded with his friends, and I really like that Hazel's taking her time to meet new friends (something we didn't get to see with him until Mark Chang's Season 2, 3, and 4 appearances). I think that's going 100% fine. I like what I like, but I'm getting increasingly anxious about the things I miss.

I do feel nostalgic for Remy. I miss Juandissimo and Mama Cosma and Vicky and Mark. Nothing wrong with not pushing them in if Cosmo and Wanda have moved past that life drama, but I still want someone or something to cause tension. Shake things up.

-> They don't have to appear personally, but I miss The Vibes.

I will say, I love that Hazel hasn't had a love plot yet. We have no clingy fans like Tootie (or that newspaper girl from "Fairly Odder"), and Hazel's not in love with someone who hates her. I won't be mad if we get a romance plot, but I hope it's something fresh (and not one person pining after the other despite being told that person's not into them, which I find uncomfortable especially in a kids' show if said show plays it as cute or "kids will be kids" without going into how frustrating it is to be the person who wants to set boundaries).

-> Please let me live vicariously through a main character who's not dealing with "Just give them a chance!! :) They really like you! They may seem creepy, but they're probably nice!" vibes.

It's also really nice that no one's immediately attracted to the new kid when she's only been here a few weeks or months. It's nice that she's building friendships. If a relationship blossoms over time, that's fine, but I'm glad no one is currently in love with her and pining for dates (as in, straight out of the gates).

-> I genuinely cannot figure out who they're setting Dev up to be, so if he's a future love interest, I hope he does some serious work on himself. He's got issues and he's mean, and Hazel also seems to think he's mean, so based on my current understanding of his character vibes, it'd be weird if she conveniently forgot how mean he is and developed a crush on him. I need to see more facets of him.

But it's very funny that he follows people and tries to make bigger and better things. That's exactly what a bratty 10-year-old Dimmadome would do. And honestly... I think I can see him developing a crush on her over time. Like... I genuinely do think that would make sense for his character based on what little I know about him right now.

I think Dev is super jealous of how Hazel just arrived and is gathering friends- which I really like, because we're seeing how it takes Hazel some time to make each new friend, and Dev has the same amount of time and opportunity, and is choosing to be a jerk.

It really showcases this idea that Hazel is making an effort to learn to be nice (and even needs to learn not to try changing people to be what her brother was to her). She's working hard on herself and she's trying to make friends. She didn't show up and have people fawn over her immediately. She's here, she's nice, and she's working to understand friendship and boundaries.

And Dev, who is used to things coming easy to him or just buying what he wants, HATES that.

I think jealousy is fueling Dev right now, but Hazel IS a nice person. I can totally envision him growing more fond of her someday and letting down walls. I can tell he's important to the writers, but I'm wary he's being set up as a future love interest and I don't currently know anything about him that would justify Hazel being attracted to him because all I've seen so far is him being grumpy and her glaring at him.

-> Also, I'm getting the feeling that Dev doesn't have a healthy understanding of relationships, family life, or boundaries, and I would be afraid for Hazel.

I think I forgot to say it, but everyone's phones had a D logo implying they're a Dimmadome product, which I like.

I feel like Dev needs some healthy relationship modeling from Cosmo and Wanda (or Hazel's parents). I'll be curious to see if we go in that direction.

Where are we in the timeline?

I love that this is a show about Hazel. I'm really enjoying this- I think I'm glad we're not getting a "children of the main cast" cliche (and we didn't get a total reboot where we redo Timmy's childhood and pretend the OG series didn't happen). This is very funny for me.

Since Dale was older than Timmy, I'm getting the vibe that we're a few years before Tommy and Tammy get their godparents. So... are they gonna show up, or is Timmy gonna be single with no kids if he ever appears, which I'm betting he will eventually. Or do I have my timeline wrong?

"Channel Chasers" future is canon in my Cloudlands AU, and this is generally the accepted future for the series. Keep in mind that's the angle I'm talking from here.

Assuming CC is canon, it's confirmed Timmy has his kids really young (20 years after he buries the time capsule at age 10, his kids dig it up and they seem to be close to his age, so somewhere between, like... 7 and 10), so Timmy would've been 20 to 23.

It's not unreasonable for Dale to have his kids at a much older age, so I will totally accept Hazel being either older or younger than Tammy and Tommy; it doesn't matter to me (although if they're retconned out of existence by having Timmy show up as a childless man combined with clearer timeframe confirmation, I'll be surprised).

I also want to be clear upfront that my canon for Timmy's future in Cloudlands AU is that he has his kids with Molly ("Wishing Well"). They later split, leaving him open to marry either Trixie or Timmy (but it's ambiguous in my 'fics so the reader can decide). That way, I get to enjoy Molly, Tommy and Tammy get to be in a rough patch when Cosmo and Wanda show up, Timmy's struggling emotionally but he's not a terrible dad long-term, and fans of Trixie or Tootie can have the endgame because I don't mind. tl;dr - Timmy has been shipped with Tootie in some other spin-off media, like the "Fairly Odd Summer" trilogy. I don't treat that trilogy as canon in my 'fics, but we know from "Channel Chasers" that it's implied Timmy has Tommy with a black-haired person or Tommy's adopted, and the latter seems unlikely since both kids look so much like him. So if New Wish has Timmy show up and heavily implies he's with either Trixie or Tootie, that's totally fine within Cloudlands AU canon. But he does flirt with Molly in my 'fics and they are so cute and making her Kevin's step-sister was one of the best ideas I've ever had because it makes family vacations fantastic, so get wrecked <3

But I feel like they're really baiting us with Timmy stuff (Showing several adults that look like Timmy, but confirming behind the scenes "That's not Timmy," putting him on posters, using him as a school mascot, etc.) It's very in-character for this universe since even in the OG series, Timmy's likeness was sometimes used by other characters, but... I'm a little nervous.

Cosmo and Wanda didn't seem to look back on their time with Timmy as fondly as I would've expected. I'm glad we're getting a fun cartoon with a new person, but I hope we're not going a "nudge, nudge, Timmy was a horrible person and fans are dumb for looking at him fondly or wanting him around" angle.

-> That kid was 10, working through childhood trauma, and struggled a lot in life. That's literally the point, and expecting him to be as well-adjusted as Hazel would be asking a lot of him- Their backstories and home lives are very, very different.

I'm getting the sense that we're making allusions to the old show (even obscure ones that surprised me, like a Flappy Bob cameo, super specific Fairy interior design details, or "Terrible Twosome" throwback). The writers have done a good job of picking out the parts they liked and using them as their canon, but I get the feeling we're not going to have references to Sparky, Chloe, Roy, or Viv.

Which is fine, because I understand they were late in the series and a lot of people didn't receive them well (Me included). I just hope they're not treated like they're dumb or something to be erased from history, y'know?

I have absolutely no issues with them not showing up. I do expect a Timmy cameo someday, but it would not bother me at all if we didn't see Chloe. But like, I don't want them written out of the canon IF we specifically look back at the canon. If for some reason we recapped every godkid Timmy had interacted with and we were mysteriously missing Chloe, I'd give you a really weird look, slkfdj.

-> If our canon is that Roy and Viv didn't happen, I'm fine with that because it's a spin-off. But Chloe was mainline canon and this show has already made clear it's grabbing canon from across the whole series (including seasons as late as 9) and not just focusing on the early seasons, so... I'll just have some questions if we write her out of existence, lol.

New personalities? Anti-Fairies?

Where I'm at in my binge, there have been no Anti-Fairies. I'm expecting them to show up because it seems likely we'd get a Friday the 13th episode. I feel like the Anti-Fairies have regularly been the most popular characters of the series in the fandom and they played a big role in later seasons, so I'm sure that writers who have done so much research that they've found details I consider obscure to the average viewer are gonna give us Anti-Fairies. I can't imagine they wouldn't.

And I'm NERVOUS, lol.

So, one thing that I've always thought is that Anti-Fairies were planned to be one-off characters. After their Season 2 debut, they don't appear until Season 5. My personal thought is that Anti-Wanda got slapped with a "cheap and easy" personality without a lot of thought behind it; compare her recolored design with Anti-Cosmo's fully detailed fleshed-out design. I'm super curious to see if she'll get rebooted to be a better parallel of Wanda.

I've played her in my 'fics as being grubby to parallel Wanda's mob upbringing. I still write her with what from the outside may seem like lower intelligence, though in my 'fics I specifically have her being raised in an Anti-Fairy zoo enclosure until her young adulthood, and grew up fluent in her people's native language. It's not that she's stupid, really... She just grew up with limited contact with the outside world, so converting her thoughts for a bustling society is a struggle. I try not to make her a statement of intelligence, though she can be self-deprecating when she compares herself to others.

Like, I can literally see this going either way. I would be totally in favor of giving Anti-Wanda a reboot, because I love her very dearly and tbh I kind of prefer her over Anti-Cosmo... but I will always support taking a second look at the "idiot Southerner with a drawl" stereotype. If she gets freshened up so she's not played as so dumb, or still dumb but less Southern, I'd be fine with that. It's... not a great trope.

Nerd alert incoming - Yes, it's mostly me rambling about how much I love the Pixies & Gary and Betty because I want my feelings written down before any chance of them showing up.

-> Once upon a time, I would not have dreamed my faves might show up, but now that we've gotten a Flappy Bob cameo, I have to prepare for anything.

Okay... so. It's Anti-Cosmo whose potential reboot personality concerns me most, and for purely selfish reasons 😂. In my personal opinion, fanon Anti-Cosmo is surprisingly different from canon Anti-Cosmo. I'm pretty sure they're going to reboot him as a sexy evil villain, because that's what the majority of people think he is. Even though he's a total dork and rebooting him as a suave, confident smooth-talker feels incorrect to me.

Riddle's unpopular opinion: The personality I've seen many people portray Anti-Cosmo with in fan content feels closer to the personality the Head Pixie has than it feels to Anti-Cosmo. If H.P. were younger with the exact same personality he has in the OG show, people would give him the "sexy bad boy" treatment they give Anti-Cosmo. They just don't because he's old </3

Yes, H.P. is ALSO a goofball. He likes cosplay, breakdancing, and he's often either at a rave or bemoaning that he's not at a rave. He only has a few episodes and his love for raves and clubbing comes up in at least 3 of them. But he's the one doing the classic "evil villain" stuff like signing contracts, pulling puppet strings, torturing people with shock collars, and finding loopholes.

H.P. sets up long-term plans. He's calculating, meticulous, and he's one of the sassiest and most confident characters in the entire series. Happy Peppy Gary and Betty literally have a direct phone line to Sanderson, presumably under H.P.'s influence since he's the boss.

Like, that is explicitly canon and it's my favorite background detail in the show. The Pixies thought ahead and gave them a phone. Gary and Betty were in on the plan and knew about magic. At bare minimum they knew they were working for people called Pixies.

Sidebar: Even in their episodes before the Musical, it's implied Gary and Betty know more about magic than the average human. They had laser-eyed unicorn mobiles that formed cages. They somehow got from Florida (implied by Gary's use of the word "gator" and confirmed by this episode's script) to California (Dimmsdale's confirmed state) before end of workday, implying they returned through non-human means. -> Also in their debut episode, they literally went to outer space with Mark, were chill about it, and offered him snacks; idk what to tell you. They're my everything. H.P. seems to have meticulously set up a lot of things and it's so funny to me. -> Also this is very non-canon in the finalized series, but in the OG script of the Musical, it's implied Gary and Betty took the Pixies hostage, and also they seem to be friends with Imaginary Gary. They're heavily implied to sing his villain song with him (where he blatantly reveals he's Imaginary Gary), and it's HILARIOUS. Can you even imagine? He was their boss in that version of the script. I can't deal. That's so funny; he's like 5. Was he even paying them or did they just think he was fun? I just need all the lovely new followers I've gained since I started posting about New Wish to understand how not normal I am about the Learnatorium crew. If you've ever wondered why I write about them so much... I just think they're neat! <3 -> Btw for anyone wondering, you can find some early-season scripts on Fred Seigbert's Scribd. It's painfully difficult to navigate, so I suggest Scribd's search bar instead of his profile. For easier reading, I keep screenshots of the things I find most interesting on my blog, tagged #original script. I figure if you've read this far, you might be into quirky FOP lore, so run... be free. I think I've read them all, so all the funny moments are on my blog. There are some lovely gems in there... There's a deleted scene from "Totally Spaced Out" where Gary and Betty tried to ditch their jobs and flee to Mexico, a deleted scene of Mark and Vicky lovingly holding hands in the nursing home while he's in squid form, and a deleted scene from "Oddlympics" of Jorgen, Anti-Cosmo, and H.P. dressing up as cowboys and in dresses. Juandissimo has early lore about his fear of Cosmo. There's a storyboard for "Anti-Poof" in there somewhere.

Anyway, the point is, I enjoy H.P. a lot. Listen, I've been a huge fan of this guy for 8 years; I love him to death. He's very sassy. He purposely messes with Jorgen's head and Jorgen loses his temper over it. He jumps through hoops to do things right, he wields loopholes to do things wrong, and he tortures people because, in his own words, "It's hilarious."

-> In my mind, HE is the manipulative schemer that Anti-Cosmo often gets remembered as. Where's my sexy bad boy H.P. fanart? Surely it was someone's job to show me that /jk

And there is nothing wrong with portraying A.C. as a sexy bad boy. They can both be sexy bad boys. I'm explaining how I read him in my incredibly specific take, but others might not read him this way. A.C. does a good job of pretending to be a sexy bad boy, but I personally enjoy when he's also portrayed as a dork and I want to talk about that because it's my post.

So, honestly... I think Anti-Cosmo is scared of Jorgen. He never challenges people directly, instead using disguises or hiding behind social events like the "Oddlympics." He lets H.P. take charge in his own castle. He can barely discipline his own son (and when he does, Foop ignores him). A.C. throws temper tantrums on the ground, kicking and shrieking and breaking stuff when things don't go his way. And I LOVE him for it.

But he's not a suave bad boy in my mind, lol. I mean, he tries, and sometimes he pulls it off, but he's definitely not sweet or charming. He's a tantrum-throwing baby who yells at his wife <3 and only holds her hand during "When Nerds Collide" if you pause in time to catch it.

You know how I said Jorgen is a twist on expectations? Anti-Cosmo's whole thing is that people think he's cool and smart, but it's a façade. In his debut episode, Timmy outsmarted him very easily. It doesn't surprise me at all that Anti-Cosmo took a step back in later seasons and Foop became our main Anti-Fairy. Because it's totally in-character for Foop to go looking for trouble, and it's totally in-character for A.C. to... not do that.

A.C. is an introvert who needs a reason to leave the house. Foop likes running around, causing trouble. It's great. You can see so much of Anti-Wanda in Foop and it's funny to me.

I like how A.C. sometimes wanders off and forgets what he's doing. I mean, that's how Timmy defeated him in "When Nerds Collide"- His friends coaxed him into meandering off on his own. He charges headfirst into things despite consequences. He throws things, including his wand. He runs away from confrontation. He jumps on tables. He makes paper airplanes. His wife mocks him for having dorky X-ray goggles he bought from the back of a comic book. He's a goofball.

Again, they are both goofballs- A.C. and H.P. Every villain is a goofball: Norm spends his time out of his lamp eating ice cream and getting his dry cleaning handled, H.P. likes to party, A.C. can't sit still, Sanderson prioritizes music above villainy, Crocker is more silly than spooky, Foop is a baby who needs naps and playtime, and Kevin ping-pongs between self-deprecation and giddy overconfidence.

Anti-Cosmo does come across as a bad boy sometimes. I'll be very surprised if we don't see Anti-Cosmo's return since he's a popular character and I think people are into his British bad boy vibe, but like...

Since it's my speculation post, I just really need to say that if they change his personality so he's now super charming and sassy with no signs of the temper, dorkiness, or cowardice that's always lurked in him, I'll be sad... because I like my tantrum-throwing baby who shakes his wife up and down when he's stressed. And this man was not the sharpest tack when it came to sass, sdfklj.

I totally suspect New Wish will reboot him as a total sexy, suave villain because honestly, that's probably the way he's remembered. Which is okay, but if he does return, I will miss my silly comics-loving geek who can't stand up to a newborn, writes notes with brightly colored pens he changes every sentence, and jumps on tables during fancy dinners. He's so goofy. I hate him (/affectionate).

-> And if we bring back Anti-Fairies, but throw the Pixies aside because "Eh, they're boring," it will be a crying shame. I will accept it, but you will find me standing with a confused look on my face as I swing my hands to gesture between Anti-Cosmo and H.P.

-> There's nothing wrong with bringing back A.C. and not H.P.! The Anti-Fairies are beloved and stick in people's memories well, I'm sure. But also, H.P. is my favorite in the whole series. He's incredibly sassy, manipulative, meticulous, and hilarious.

Where else can I find an old man who drops the line "The only thing you'll be eating is my dust!" before jumping on a scooter and blasting off with a shout of "Later, dude!" Or the old man who gets distracted because he'd rather be at a rave. Or elbows Timmy in the side with a smug smile and asks if his pizza tasted better than "Jorgen's slice of pure rabbit droppings."

This is the man who danced and sang "Go me, go me, it's my birthday." It's heavily implied the main reason he's a villain is because he's too obsessive compulsive to watch the world fall apart around him. That's hilarious. He literally took over the world and the first thing he did was go home and get drunk. He's a fantastic character and I should say it.

-> I'm not gonna be mad if we get an Anti-Cosmo reboot and kick the Pixies into the sun. I'll just be /pensive emoji about it. Also, I rambled about this mainly because I've gained a surprising amount of new followers recently, and if you're new here... I just think you deserve a warning about what you're getting into with my blog. I love him so much.

In conclusion... IF we get the Pixies and H.P.'s been reduced to a dull and boring stereotype who lost his snark and love for parties, I'll be devastated and I'd rather have them not show up :')

... Also if H.P. is dead and Sanderson is now in charge because it's "the future," my head will be in my hands. If that happens, you can unfollow me right then because it's all I'll talk about /lh. I want my super sassy bossman, please and thank you.

I would miss the old H.P., but I would also be grateful for any Pixie scraps I'm given because they're my favorites. I cannot believe we got a Flappy Bob cameo in New Wish. Definitely not on my bingo board.

Well... There we go! My thoughts so far. I'm looking forward to seeing where the show goes, and I hope we get to see more of the things I want. These are very early thoughts!

Again, please don't spoil anything since I'm only up to "Trial or Hair-or," and please no grumpiness in my replies or inbox.

These are personal liveblog opinions from a long-time fan who's been avoiding spoilers since New Wish was hinted over a year ago. My opinions may change later if the show goes a new direction. I AM enjoying the show, but I also wanted to share what I like about the OG and what I'd like to see in New Wish's future.

Thanks!

[impyssadobsessions]

Random DPxDC Writing Excerpts

Here are some accidental scenes for fics that are not in the works and just concepts. : I That i wish not to work on right now but they came all the same. I GOT STORIES TO FINISH WHY BRAIN?! Anyways here they are. First one Is Danny being Jason's half-brother:

Jason dragged a chair over to the bed. He plopped down into the seat with a loud sigh, yanking off his helmet. He lay it on the bedside table as he ran his fingers through his hair. Steeling himself, he finally looked at Danny who was sleeping soundly in bed. His heart felt heavy. He clenched his fist trying to keep his anger down, but it stung. It stung a lot. Not only did they share a mother, they shared a similar fate. One Jason didn't wish on anyone, especially his little half-brother. He sniffed, cursing internally. He could have stopped this, if he knew- “Ya know, he looks pretty happy in the pictures before .. well.. recent ones.” Tim hummed as he awkwardly rubbed his arm. Jason glared at him, making Tim jump. “I mean- I know pictures are deceiving but.. I ..” Tim rubbed the back of his neck. “What Timmy saying is that, even if you knew he was out there.. I don't think you could have saved him. From all the reports, and some digging... They were a pretty happy family and honestly, not far off in the danger zone as we are.” Dick chimed in after patting Tim on the shoulder, making the teen jump again. Jason snorted, turning away from them. His insides burned. “Either way, it doesn't matter. Just like you, he's here now.” Dick whispered as he bent down next to Jason. “And he doesn't have to do this alone.” Jason sighed. He leaned forward on his knees. His eyes going back to the sleeping boy's form. His vitals were low, but his organs weren't failing. This was just his natural state. “He has you now, Little Wing. That's what's important.” Dick nudged Jason's shoulder. “What help I've been. I almost got him killed... Again!” “Actually, Babs was able to look into the video files. It wasn't Tailia. Nor the League of Assassins.” Tim spoke up again, pointing to the tablet in his hand. “Or the Joker, Or the-” “Get to the point copyright!” “Sheesh, alright alright. Here, look at this.” Tim tapped the tablet before handing it over to Jason to let him see. Jason furrowed his brows, “Men in white suits?” “Apparently, they're from the ghost investigation ward. A government funded agency. But look even closer.” His eyes widened as he stared where Tim was pointing. “Court of Owls.” “Yep. It looks like they're teaming up with the court to hunt down Phantom, in exchange for something called ectoplasm. It seems Tailia was only using Danny to lure them out.” “Or perhaps she wanted some for herself.” Dick added.

Second one is Danny crash landing on Kent's farm.

Danny felt like he was hit by a brick wall ten times over. He fought against his heavy eyelids as he felt warm light of the sun cast over him. He groaned and grunted as he forced himself awake. He took in a sharp breath, hissing from the light. He pushed himself up, rubbing the crust from his eyes. Man, he must have really conked out. He didn't remember even going to bed last night- Danny's eyes widened once they adjusted to the light. This wasn't his bed. There was a brown plaid blanket tossed over him and the bed was made of iron. He clenched the sheets that felt of old linen. His breaths quickened. “Well, now. I figured you be out for a bit longer. Glad to see ya awake, son.” Danny's eyes snapped to the figure in the door way. It was of an older man, wearing a button up shirt, jeans, and boots. “Take some deep breaths. You're safe here.” Then man held his hands up in front of him, as a sign he meant no harm. Danny tried to control his breathing, his hands still clenching tightly at the blankets. All his instincts were screaming to run... but where to? Where did he even? How did he even? He jerked his attention away from his thoughts when he felt rough hands gently lay on his. Danny jumped backwards out of the bed, falling into the floor. He scrambled up, hissing in pain. “Whoa whoa, take it easy son. I didn't mean to scare ya. You just looked like you were spiraling, is all. Look, I'll back up. Just focus on me, yeah?” The man backed up towards the wall, hands back up in front of him. Danny blinked as he caught his breath. He held an arm over his torso, his eyes staying on the man. He took a swallow of air, before finally nodding to the man. The panic having simmered down, as he realized if he wanted to hurt him, he could have. Danny flinched as a shot of pain went up his shoulder. “Come on back to bed, son. You need to rest those injuries.” “But, my family- my home..” Danny furrowed his brows as flashes of vague memories. Green lights, sounds of a struggle, and a huge machine winding up power. “They're... in danger... was in... I have to.” “You're not going to do anyone any good injured like that.” “But-” “Do you even know where you are? How to get back?” the man asked. Danny fell silent. He didn't. He wasn't even sure what happened. “Look, I don't blame ya for wanting to rush back into things,” The man sighed, “However, I know as a parent, I would hate if my son came back to die trying to save me.” Danny that line made him think of an orange hair girl who nagged about his safety. His sister.. Jazz. Sounded like something she would yell at him for. “I hear crashing from downstairs, is the boy alright-Oh Good Mornin' dear.” An older woman popped up into the doorway, wearing an apron. Danny furrowed his brows, before slightly raising his hand in a light wave. He glanced between the two. “Yer not scaring him, are you Jon?” The woman teased. “Not on purpose.” The man scratched the back of his head.

[timperi-fan]

Hello!

Just want to say I’m absolutely loving ILITAYH so far, it’s so cute!!

For the spoiler question, I was wondering if that broken mirror outside Timmy’s house has any significance later in the story? (My brain is going crazy with theories)

Thank you for your amazing work and for pioneering this ship, I never thought about it until I saw your page and then read the story. Now I can’t STOP thinking about it.

@far-from-fran :

Hi, hi! 👋🏾

Thank you! Thank you, thank you so much! >////<

*Squee* Thank you so much for asking! Ok, so the mirror is a hint that Irep is stalking Peri, and has been for a while. I picked a broken mirror, because, well, I wanted Peri to check his appearance, but I thought it would be boring for him to just poof up a compact mirror. So, I figured, why not do a bit of foreshadowing? UwU Peri was in an alley anyway, it wouldn't be weird for there to be a mirror that someone threw out. People throw out old junk all the time. So, I thought it would be cool if Irep poofed in a broken mirror for Peri to look at himself with. Because:

1. Irep is sending bad luck Peri's way. To be clear, the date was going to go bad either way. Irep didn't do anything to effect it. That was all Peri's doing. :)

2. Irep wants to play into Peri's image/identity problems, by giving Peri a distorted image of himself.

3. Irep just wants to taunt Peri, not that Peri knows that. (Yet. 😉) Irep is (going to be) placing little clues around Peri fuck with him. An, "I know what you've been doing." type thing. Basically, Irep wants to drive Peri at least a little crazy. And, to be very, very smug about.

@msnihilist :

I'm actually the one who added the detail of the mirror being "ornate," inspired by the gothic architecture of Anti Fairy World.

When I started ch.7, I paralleled the broken mirror scene by having Peri look at his reflection in a nearby window.

ch.6:

ch.7:

I think the "bad luck" thing is fairly obvious, lmao. Irep is in the fic's character tags and the main antagonist for season one, so I don't think it's a secret that he's going to show up at some point.

I like the symbolism of Peri seeing his broken/unclear reflection when he thinks everything is fine, and then when he sees his reflection clearly, he can see that he's actually a mess. He's seeing his situation in full now and it's not looking good, haha.

Fun fact, Fran is actually the one who had the idea for this fic / the ship. I became a co-author over time, but she definitely had the idea! She talked about it during one of my Twitch streams and I immediately loved it, it's what got us talking more and more often, and now we're besties!!

Fran is the TimPeri founder 🥺 So based of her, honestly.

I do get credit for posting the first Timmy/Peri fic to AO3, though.

Thank you for the ask!!

[destinyc1020]

Its funny that anon mentioned daniel day lewis b/c this man barely promoted his projects, didnt really do the hollywood thing and he really let his work/acting do all the talking and arguably considered one of greatest actors of all time and was on top of hollywood with directors desperate to work with him, the same could be said of denzel washington not really into the hollywood thing obviously he was invited to parties but his talent did almost all the talking or jaoquin phoenix or emma stone or angela bassett etc the list goes on.. Being aggressive is one thing for some actors and may be the best route for them. but also like sometimes just working and you'll get them opportunities. Like going to events and whatnot is not the only way to thrive. Austin literally his route to fame was working with other actors and networking through them to get elvis and then through tom hanks got masters of the air just working alone is gpod enough. Again yoi dont need to got timmy or JE etc nothing wrong with that but you got acknowledge there are other ways of succeeding than just chasing every role.

Also why does anyone want one person to dominate the industry thats boring, I rather see multiple people succeeding at the same time and allowing newcomers to come and allowing them a platform to succeed. Stop obsessing over comparing tom to other actors everyones path is different. If he wants to place emphasis on breaks so be itz if hes in only for big paydays so be it, if he chooses to leave acting so be it, if he wants do theatre so be it, its his career the only perosn you need impress is yourself.

YESSSS!!!!

Its funny that anon mentioned daniel day lewis b/c this man barely promoted his projects, didnt really do the hollywood thing and he really let his work/acting do all the talking and arguably considered one of greatest actors of all time and was on top of hollywood with directors desperate to work with him, the same could be said of denzel washington not really into the hollywood thing obviously he was invited to parties but his talent did almost all the talking or jaoquin phoenix or emma stone or angela bassett etc the list goes on..

Exactly! Your WORK will eventually speak for itself. You don't need to be at every Hollywood party, or function in order to get recognized or get film roles.

I will say this though, a lot of the actors you mentioned (i.e. Denzel, Daniel Day, etc) WERE at Hollywood functions earlier in their careers. Just look online and do some Google search and photos. They attended the Oscars, the Golden Globes, etc.... Like, many of them (especially Denzel) were pretty regular at these functions, especially when they were in their prime.

They're older now, and they can AFFORD to not have to go to every single function or awards show. Some of these men are in their 60s and beyond. Of course they're not gonna be doing what some of the younger folks are doing lol. Some just wanna be in their bed ROTFL. 😅🤣

Either way, IF you are a GOOD actor, your WORK WILL speak for itself, and you WILL be getting people wanting to work with you. PERIOD. End of story. Now, whether you choose to accept these roles that come your way are another story. Not every actor wants to do everything. Not every actor wants to be another Leo DiCaprio or Daniel Day Lewis.

To me, Tom seems like he just wants to LIVE a normal life first and foremost, and then act on the side lol. 😅 And yes, maybe his whole focus and purpose changed when he met and fell in love w/the love of his life... 🥰 He's not a single man. He's found the LOVE of his life....so he might want to slow down some and focus on other things.

Also why does anyone want one person to dominate the industry thats boring, I rather see multiple people succeeding at the same time and allowing newcomers to come and allowing them a platform to succeed. Stop obsessing over comparing tom to other actors everyones path is different. If he wants to place emphasis on breaks so be itz if hes in only for big paydays so be it, if he chooses to leave acting so be it, if he wants do theatre so be it, its his career the only perosn you need impress is yourself.

YES Anon! All of this! I wish I could laminate and frame this whole entire last paragraph of yours lol. 😅

[alittlefrenchtree]

I’M GOING TO SPOIL STUFF.

I’m also going to tag as best as I can but we never know if Tumblr is going to fuck things up and better safe than sorry so. In this post there are going to be:

Screenshots from the first dune part 2 trailer

Informations you get from the book, either in the first part or the second part.

Maybe informations from the Messiah book? Not sure.

If you’re not sure, better not read and quickly scroll. But if you don’t care and would like to see my endless rambling about the trailer, and if you haven’t read the book and would like a bit more detailed context about the Dune universe, sit down with me for a minute 💜 

I'll never never never be tired of watching the desert shot by Denis. This is so smooth, so calming, so satisfying. My soul is happy 😌

This is the first shot of the trailer that made me go ohmygod. I'm not sure what's going on exactly in this scene but I find these few seconds SO POWERFUL for some reason. I'd wish Herbert would have done more with Lady Jessica in the whole story (even if her not being really present gives more room to other very interesting characters) but I can't wait to see Lady Jessica in this part 2. The glimpses we see in this trailer are exciting (to say the least).

When the talk was all about Florence vs Anya, I thought Anya was closer to what I had physically in mind for a character like Irulan. Seeing the trailer now, I think Florence's smartness, attitude and personality might be a very good thing for Irulan. Good move, Denis, good move.

I love this shot and I love it even more because it could look like something form The Messiah. Or even the Children. Incredible. I love that Timmy's account used it for promotion.

AH. That's where all the problem start. And the spoilers. I'm not sure what will be said in the movie so, maybe I'm not spoiling much but, still. Anyway.

If you don't know, this is Feyd-Reutha. He's the Harkonnen Baron's nephew and his heir. While Paul is the Baron's grand son. In the Bene Gesserit's plans, Paul was supposed to be a girl and marry Feyd. Their kid was supposed to be the Bene Gesserit's Kwisatz Haderach. As you must now from the first movie, all of this was fucked up because Lady Jessica gave Duke Leto the boy he wanted. In the book, Feyd is supposed to look a lot like Paul, to be a charismatic figure like him and everything. I'm not sure choosing to make Austin look like what they decided all the Harkonnens should look really serve this idea? I get that it's a good idea for cinema and a movie targeting the largest audience possible that Harkonnens all look similar so everybody can quickly understand the different sides, families and who's good and who's bad. (Truth is, everybody is bad in Dune. Except the mouse. The mouse can stay.) But, I also think that nothing looks more powerful and dangerous than a bad guy looking like a good guy (in narration standards). If I remember correctly, Feyd can be read as a bit of a mirror for Paul's character and I would have like to see a bit of this physically? I don't know. I want to be convinced because I am not really right now.

I love sci-fi and fantasy universes exactly for these aesthetics. Mysterious items. It fascinates me probably because I would have no idea about how to write these kind of things myself.

I clearly remember the moment I've read how Paul's skin was supposed to look like after 3 years living in the Arrakis' desert. And I remember thinking how the hell they're going to make this happened how Timmy's skin of all people. Like the guy would probably managed to burn in Glasgow so, I was doubtful. I still am since he still looks silky smooth for most of the trailer but i like the way his skin looks here. That being said, they seem to have made some kind of arrangement with the timeline of the story. I'll have more thoughts about it after seeing the movie.

It might be just me but this piece of scene didn't sound very clear to me, even with memories of the book. Like, we don't know what looks like a normal worm ride so, are we supposed to understand what's going on and what's fancy? Plus what Paul's doing doesn't look fancy at all, it looks more like he's struggling sooo? It's not smooth, but not fancy either, so idk. Unless they're is a meaning of fancy that I don't know of, i'm a bit confused by this part. But this,

this is genius. Perfect midway between admiration and fear. Exactly what is needed to look at Muad'Dib.

I wonder why some parts are in black and white. Seems a bit easy for a vision and wasn't used in the first movie so it would be odd but i have no other theory.

I'm a bit upset because if it's the scene I think it is, it was very different in my head. Maybe I don't remember correctly, but for me, in this scene Paul is talking to a couple of hundreds people top and is very close to them and for me it suits the Muad'Dib effect better? It's kind of hard to explain, especially in English, but for me, Muad'Dib doesn't really scream directly to thousands of people who can't barely see him to send them to war. I see him as a figure who will talk to the couple of hundreds people he's with and be so close to them you can see his reflection in their eyes. He's a legend in the sense of a belief. It's the idea of him, his words spreading from person to people and from people to person that make Muad'Dib who he is. I guess it would have been less impressive for a film like Dune but I was impatient to see this scene, a sort of prophetic version of his speech in the King, and now I'm not sure. I hope they did good but and that he's delivering his speech in a other scenery and then going there rather than having to shoot such a powerful moment in front of nothing and with no other possibility than to yell everything.

After thought was to wonder if Timmy learned to radiate such confidence (especially in the scene of the second screenshot) for Paul or if Paul taught him to feel confident. Life as an actor must be so so weird.

Long story short, I know the movie is going to be fantastic but I have just a few interrogations about how certain things look. And last but not least, the work that the music does for this movie is PHENOMENAL, even if it's nothing that we haven't read before. Hans is a genius, I'd offer him my first child without a second thought. (i don't have kids. I don't want kids, so it's a way of saying, chill out.)

[the-haunted-office]

After she had calmed herself somewhat from her emotional outburst earlier, Patricia walked up to Thursday, a somber look on her face.

"I-I am sorry about my rude reaction earlier, I just walked away without even saying a word... Its just that... dealing with death is still hard for me, and Stanley was very dear to me..." She thought about their dinner date and their various interactions with each other over the time and furrowed her brows.... Those memories would be the only thing left now for her when it came to Stanley...

"Is there a way I could visit him? Has he already a grave site? I want to give him something that has been meant for him... I would hate for it to just lie around in my room like that..." She clutches her by now finished cross stitch with Stanleys name on it...

(for Thursday)

Thursday is just a bit stressed with everything going on, but she's taking it all in stride. There's a lot of work to be done, not the least of which is trying to figure out why exactly Stanley J. isn't respawning, and Patricia walking away from her earlier to grieve is just one part of it. Her feelings aren't hurt, not at all. She's been in Patricia's shoes before, several times, and knows that sometimes you just need to be left alone when it comes to these kinds of things.

"Hey, it's all right, no offense was taken. Trust me, I get where you're coming from," Thursday says, gently putting a hand on her shoulder to let her know she does understand and that she's not alone.

The grave site, though... That's another story. There is a grave site... but buried within it are not Stanley's remains, but the piano's. Having recognized that there might be some folks who'd want a place marker of some sort to visit to pay their respects to Stanley (which was Timmy's idea), Thursday and Cyrus went ahead and dug open a grave for such a thing. But they couldn't put Stanley's body into it because they needed to preserve his body in a freezer - what if the act of burying the body somehow meant that he couldn't be brought back? So, they did the next best thing and buried the piano that killed him in his place. It was a nice piano, after all, and it deserved a proper burial too.

...Patricia doesn't need to know any of that, though.

Thursday says, "Yes, of course you can come visit his grave site. In fact, we don't have an actual headstone or anything for him yet - would you like to design it for him? I'm sure it'd be lovely. But don't feel pressured either, I just thought maybe you'd like to."

If Patricia will go with Thursday, she'll take her to the burial site just outside of the office, sort of off to the side around the corner from the flower garden Timmy has been maintaining. The flowers are dead now because of the season, but in spring and summer they'll be within sight of the grave. She waits by quietly while Patricia does what she needs to do.

@drchandras-sanctuary-for-ais

[andguesswhat]

Diary of a mall Santa Claus

I hate my brain...it doesn't stop 😅

25

Christmas Day

*

It has long been a tradition in the Chalamet house that after opening presents they all gather on the sofa in their pajamas, Timmy and Pauline in their teddy bear pajamas, and read or tell each other little Christmas stories.

Armie has no pajamas with him and certainly no teddy bear pajamas, but Timmy is happy to help out, although Timmy’s pajamas only reach his calves, the arms stick out half and around the chest it is quite tight. Timmy seems to love it anyway the way he looks at him.

They all sit on the sofa then, snuggled up together and Armie couldn't be happier.

It's like the family he always wanted and he feels like he's 12 years old again.

He also gives away a story; he has the rough outline in his head, the rest he just makes up as he goes along.

When Pauline and the parents leave for the kitchen to prepare lunch, leaving Timmy and Armie alone on the sofa because Timmy is only in charge of dessert, Timmy puts his head in Armie's lap, and Armie is happy to bury his hands in Timmy's hair and play with his curls.

He could just be sitting here now forever, lost in thought, but Timmy is chatting him up. Sure, it's nice to hear Timmy tell him what a great storyteller he is. But all the time Timmy is jerking around in his lap in such a way that he has to intervene.

"Timmy!"

"What?" Timmy looks at him startled because his voice must have been a little too rough.

Softly and a bit desperate Armie continues, "Could you please stop jerking around in my lap like that? I really don't know how I'm going to get up when lunch is ready."

Timmy frowns, looks at his crotch, gives it a dirty grin, then him.

And no, Armie doesn't think this is funny. Not at all.

But unfortunately Timmy doesn't seem to see it that way.

Instead, he puts his hand on Armie's crotch and whispers to him. "I could help you, you know. We could sneak into my room, you know?"

Whether Armie is really bold enough to take him up on that offer, in Timmy's parents' flat, I don't know.

But I'm pretty sure they have a wonderful Christmas either way 😉

[ginaporterr]

do you have any thoughts about what ricky and gina's future might look like post season 4 (the rest of the year, and then also through to the end of gina's senior year?) season 4 was so good and i love them and love where they left off, but i still wish we got more 😭

same, i don't wanna get my hopes up for a movie / spin-off but there's SO much potential for stories that are left to be told 😭

based on what tim said, i think the spring musical would've been the greatest showman with ricky & gina as anne & philip!! mourning the loss of rewrite the stars (rina's version) atm 😔 skdfjksd and with ricky's whole 'destiny as the next timothee hal chalamet' thing, i wouldn't be shocked if he was offered the role of romeo and took it, especially if it means he gets to spend more time with gina! i did think it was a big possibility that quinn was kind of forced into offering the role to him bc of how the lyf moment at the press conference would be viewed by outside parties, but when i rewatched 408, there was something that made me change my mind about that that i can't remember rn so. i'm not as solid on that anymore JSKJDS but um. yeah ricky & gina would be spending A LOT of time together between musical rehearsals and study dates, given gina's tutoring ricky and all + if ricky has a role in the movie in some capacity, there's that as well

despite his 'destiny as the next timmy chalamet', i do think ricky ultimately doesn't want to be in the spotlight and is fine leaving all that to gina, so i think after he graduates, he would settle more into a songwriting career and he would pursue music in college. he'll obviously be staying in slc for gina's senior year, but i could see him working towards transferring to a college in either la / nyc as soon as he can bc i fully expect gina to make that move. i wanna say gina would go to julliard but based on all of the mentions of hollywood this season and the emphasis on her being a movie star, i feel like she might be headed to la instead? but yeah, despite ricky & gina not going to the same school anymore for gina's senior year, we've seen how they both actively make efforts to spend time together, so, although there would be an inherent dent in that time together, i think they would have dates (study and romantic) galore skdjfks plus i could see ricky helping gina rehearse for whatever musicals miss jenn puts on for her senior year!! and also just throw in all of the headcanons that everyone has that we didn't get to see, i.e. ricky teaching gina how to play guitar & skate, gina teaching ricky how to knit, them baking together, falling down youtube rabbit holes, etc, etc :)

[flabebabe]

I see you just finished reading Pet Semetary! I've been getting really into reading Stephen King lately and was thinking of adding it to my list, so what are some of your thoughts on it? How does it compare and contrast to some of his other works, to you? Thanks and have a great day!

Hi!! Well first you should know that this is my first Stephen King novel! I was destined to read his books someday. Everyone in my immediate family loves his work.

My thoughts on the book...It's been so, so, long since I last read a book. The last book I read was The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (and the rest of that series). I can't say that the writing itself really stood out to me. But I can't really say what I think would make it better. I really liked the book because the storyline was extremely intriguing. To say it hooked me is a huge understatement. It has it all. A forbidden secret place, dead things, a flesh and blood monster...I have a deep fascination with dead things (But not people. I don't like gore either). I love looking at carcasses and trying to guess what animal it was. I have a tiny collection of animal skulls (a wolf, a raccoon, and a bobcat) too!

I had a very beloved pet (Giovanni the cat) die suddenly just over a year ago. Of course I wondered if I would put him in the pet semitary, knowing that he wouldn't be the same as he was before. The book made me think a bit deeper about grief. I'm very blessed and I haven't had anyone close to me die yet (besides Giovanni, of course). At first I thought it was unrealistic that Louis would want to resurrect his son, having seen for himself that Church wasn't quite right and hearing the story of Timmy Baterman. It became clearer as the story progressed that there was a supernatural influence on his actions but I think he might have done it anyway without that influence. I might have done it with Giovanni and this was his two year old son.

I also love monsters. And I HATE being baited into thinking there's a live, flesh and blood, monster but then there isn't one. The Village was enjoyable but I was mad that that sick looking creature was just a damned costume. BOOOO. Sorry if I was rambling!! Those are some of my thoughts on Pet Sematary. Thanks for asking!!

[maroonghoul]

Terror Time 2023: Day 20 Thru 24

V/H/S 94 It's been a long time since I visited this franchise and I know I'm still two entries behind. I'll get to them, but in the meantime, I want to talk about how much I like this one.

Holy Hell the wraparounds have always been the weakest part of these movies (sans maybe Viral since I skipped that one) and this is no exception. I don't think i get it. So the female members of a SWAT team are part of a videodrome like cult and tonight they're sacrificing their squad? I mean, OK.

Storm Drain this cliche about reporters going into the lair of the killer is now starting to wear thin for me. Even if sewers weren't creepy (and these ones very much are before the cultists show up), why would you be this willing to wade through literal shit for a story?

That being said, the Ratma effect is awesome. I may not understand how acid puke equals god, but I'm willing to overlook that because these ARE cultists and they may be more we didn't see. The final scene makes all those flaws worth it. It's an all-timer.

The Empty Wake This story easily has the best build up. Funeral parlors are great settings already, but add onto that a storm, loneliness, boredom, and then add sudden paranoia about the body not being dead; whoo boy! And even if that doesn't work for you, the zombie is great. The whole last bit of this plays like one of those stealth horror games in the best way. As a bonus, the zombie doesn't play fair.

The Subject Certainly the most balls-to-the-wall modern update of Frankenstein you'll ever see. It's also probably the best action movie adaptation of it. Also appreciate that as monstrous this version of the mad doctor certainly is, it remembers also he was never the only monster from that setup. I'm starting to feel like we're over the police being the designated heroes in horror films. Good.

Terror Of course when right-wing redneck extremists gain access to a vampire, all they care about is how to use it to blow up or set something on fire. Kinda also like you don't get that it IS a vampire until about halfway through. Good on him for taking revenger, but the best part is they were so stupid about it, they didn't even get the chance to carry out their actual plan. And I though being seduced by them was the dumbest thing you could do.

The Craft: Legacy I chose to watch this one over the original because I heard this one was less anti-women with power. Turns out, I might've been better off with that one.

the characterizations of the other three was so weak, you might as well combine them into one character instead. I don't even know anything about their home lives. The reveal of the main character's mother I guess is big to fans of the original, but it doesn't seem to really add anything here.

As for Timmy, yes he was a jerk, but I'm not sure he deserved getting, as far as the coven knows, brainwashed. Did they even know what spell they casted on him? A Woke spell? How does that even work? Though given his coming out of the closet moment later, I could think they actually casted a bravery spell on him by mistake. And thanks to it, he finally gains the spine to throw the BS he's been taught and regurgitating all his life by the patriarchy out the window. You can certainly see potential in a subplot in how men are benefitted by feminism too, especially bi men. But instead, they cut it short by getting him killed by an asleep David Duchovny. I get the point of his villain, but it's the kind of character that needs either a down to earth approach or a campy performance, and this has neither. I gotta find better pro-witch movies.

Dark City (1998) When I felt like rewatching Body Snatchers, I knew I had to rewatch this one too. It may not be an actual horror movie, but it's visuals take inspirations from some of the earliest ones. An example being the Strangers looking like a race of nosferatu without the teeth. Though honestly, whether I knew what was going on or not, I would still kill to live in a city like this. Granted, I would appreciate there being a beach to escape to plus actual sunlight. The choice is part of the point, regardless which one I choose.

Getting back to my first sentence; In a spiritual sense, this is Invasion of the Body Snatchers in reverse. In fact, I feel that describes a lot of movies released in the late 90s. Pleasantville, Equilibrium, American Beauty, and of course, The Matrix. A world where a few pod people stop and think; "Wait, what's the point of all this? There does need to be more to life." A bit overly optimistic, especially when considering what world event comes later...and the monstrous acts we as a society did in reaction to it. Does changing the world matter if not a lot of people care enough to wake up?

Evil Dead Trap I watched this and the following movie in one day. It's amazing I never lost my lunch. Now I know what inspired Gabriel from Malignant. I don't know how they got away with making this movie back then, but I'm glad they did.

Terrifier 2 As long as you can really stomach the most brutal, bloody, and cruel kills imagined by mankind, this is a good addition to your yearly Halloween watch traditions. As long as you have the time, of course. And I didn't even like the first movie that much.

The Haunted Palace (1963) Remember last year, I said I wasn't going to watch any more Vincent Price movies? Turns out I lied, including to myself. I'm hitting the Poe films of his I haven't seen yet, starting with this one. Yes, it's not really Poe instead of Lovecraft but whatever. The titular palace certainly lives up to the title, and there are a shocking amount of faithful Lovecraft trademarks here (my favorite is the Necronomicon actually have "Necronomicon" printed on it's binding). But overall, I didn't care for it that much. I guess it's a pet peeve when I feel characters are slow to realize someone being possessed or bodyswapped. Also, kind of weird the revenge subplot just stopped halfway through. Everyone knew this was the most fun part of the movie so well, they made two better Vincent Price movies that were all about revenge after this.

The worst part is the ending. Where the servants go? I thought they were fighting Charles? Did they escape or dead? Also, if Curwen is back in control, shouldn't the revenge subplot continue? This ended too soon.

The Blob (1988) This was a mean movie the first time I watched it and it's still feels mean now. I don't know how they got away with making this in the late 80s though I can see why it bombed. I even appreciate the twist where it was a US weapon gone wrong more then I did before (Though did they have to make the human villain one of the only two black people in this movie?) This movie takes the then passable "teenage rebellion" of the original and ups the ante by saying "F the police! F the government! and F date rapists too while we're at it!"

This is the best the blob has ever looked and ever will look. (Especially in today's Hollywood). Mad respect to any movie that takes a silly and taken-for-granted monster and finds a way to show why it scared people in the first place. I'm sad there wasn't a sequel, but at the same time, I'm not sure I need one. There's been plenty of religious horror made since anyway.

[newluddite]

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

I have been going down yet another rabbit hole. Those are things that seem simple and easy, but just get more and more complex and interesting / confusing as you go deeper. At the bottom you realize everything before was wrong.

It started simply enough. I hate bad coffee. Starbucks is just about the worst. It is over roasted, almost burnt, but it is an American brand and Americans love that style. For many years I would make my morning cup with my Italian Espresso machine grinding the beans right then before pulling a shot. Either a straight double shot of E or an Americano. Always black no sugar. If you cannot enjoy coffee black no sugar either it is crap or you have no taste.

If you know what tamping and crema are, and like, it you are a member of the club.

That machine replaced a series of cheap coffee makers and espresso machines that wore out or broke and endlessly needed replacing. This one was expensive but is now 25ish years old and can be repaired and has been a couple times. Long term value. So I started out fairly serious.

My seriousness led me to tease one of the guys at the office who would come every morning with his Tim Horton's double double. Timmy's is the big Canadian doughnut and coffee chain. The double double is a large coffee with two sugars and two creams. It is awful coffee with stuff added to make it less awful. When he got married a few of us chipped in and bought him a high end Breville espresso machine. He now only gets Timmy's if he is on a rush to daycare with the baby. To his credit it's black. Also he lost a bit of weight cutting out the sugar.

Recently this same guy comes to the office with 100 pounds of green coffee beans. There is a story there, but this is only the trigger to my rabbit hole. He asks me if I know anything about roasting coffee. It would be a shame to put all this stuff in the dumpster, which is where is was going otherwise. I hate waste. How hard can it be?

It turns out you can roast coffee many ways. Cowboys did it in cast iron frying pans. Today you can use industrial hot air guns, or barbecues, or popcorn poppers, your oven (don't try that plz) or even home roasting machines that run from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

I have a hot air gun at home. We also have one in our shop. I took a wire sieve and a Stainless bowl and the gun and roasted a few batches. It was not bad considering. It was very messy and smokey. Do not do this in your house. This shitty chaff stuff blows everywhere. The smoke is not bad smelling, but it gets in your hair and any surface. There is such a thing as too much coffee smell.

The first guy started roasting beans in a bowl in the shop with the big company heat gun. Another guy uses a wire sieve over an open bbq side burner. We liked what we were getting from our clumsy attempts. Not knowing at all what were were doing we thought the coffee was fine. We had a lot of coffee to go through.

I start looking for a roasting machine the heat gun was awkward. There are funny little baskets you can put on a bbq rotisserie, but you need a powerful infrared burner. There are really involved drum machines and even computer controls. A roasting machine seemed reasonable to me at the right price. $400 bucks later I had one and it came with 5 lbs of sample green beans.

I used it to roast a few batches out of our huge stash learning as I went. And I cruised the web and YouTube for hints and ideas and direction. Christ what a maze. There are a lot of people who have ideas and experience, but are hopeless at communicating it. There are others who seem to know what they are doing, but always leave out exactly what you want to learn.

It is far more complex than light or dark or French roast. I learned and experienced what first crack and second crack are. Development time is the time between those points and is a black art. I have learned if you have a fine premium coffee if you have gone all the way to second crack it is ruined. It is a cliff you need to get close to but do not go over. If you have low grade beans fine go there and soak them in fancy flavours to get anything out of it.

There all sorts of terms like City Roast, City plus, light, dark, French. They all actually mean different things to different people and fundamentally mean nothing.

It is an art. I sorta like that idea, but hell it aint easy to do right.

I had done maybe 15 batches of coffee from the big stash with my little machine. I was getting the hang of it. The coffee was not bad. I looked at the sample beans that came with the thing. They all had "cupping notes". That is coffee speak for tasting and evaluating factors. Terms included Chocolate, red fruit, sweet and fresh, oh dear. I had learned enough to know that these would be ruined if I did them like i did my first dozen roasts.

Had I tried to learn on the samples I would have ruined them or wasted them perhaps to give up. Good thing we still had 95lbs of the stash to go through.

One of the samples was a Brazilian artisanal from a mountain plantation. Chocolate, and sweet and Acerola fruit were listed on the bag. Of the five sample pounds this one was the least interesting I thought. The New Guinea and the Ethiopian were the ones I had the most hope for. So I put a half pound (8oz) in the machine all warmed up and ran it. I had sheets of notes from my previous roasts. Times and temperatures and such, you have to take notes and log everything. Like I said not simple.

I got it to first crack at 6 minutes then two minutes farther and went into cool down. Near second crack the beans actually start to combust so you have to actively cool them or they keep going. If you are into this rabbit hole you know what I am talking about.

You have to leave freshly roasted beans in a sealed container at least overnight sometimes longer before you brew. They continue to vent gas from being roasted. Carbon Dioxide and Monoxide and such. They need to rest. When you grind them and brew, the water actually foams up with the last traces of this gas being released.

Next day I brewed a cup.

Holy shit!

Rich coffee smell with strong chocolate notes. Yes sweet with no sugar at all. There were fruits there. I do not know what an Acerola is but I tasted fruit and it was a red fruit. I did it right! Damn I may have to buy more of this one, the least interesting one.

Freshly roasted is better, far better. Apparently coffee can go off within a month of roasting. Nothing in a store is that fresh. Now I cant buy coffee from a store anymore. Not only do you have to grind the beans fresh to get the best flavor you have to roast them the week before.

[agentthirsty]

So with my week off I ended up just watching shit and I would like to share my thoughts on it all. Spoilers below the cut.

Ghostbusters (2016) - I thought it was funny, sue me

Season 4 of The Circle - Such a guilty pleasure of mine. Cringey as always. If I had watched the day it aired, and I was a betting person, I would've won money because I picked Sam in the first episode to win and she did it!

A Quiet Place - It wouldn't be such a quiet place if I was there with John Krasinski if you know what I mean. Loved it though, very suspenseful. I can be quiet but I snore when I sleep so I'd be a liability. Plus, if you have to sneeze you have to close your nose and that makes your ears pop and I fucking hate that so I'd rather just die.

A Quiet Place Part II - I think I like it better than the first? More suspenseful, more dangerous. Cillian Murphy looked the best he's every looked in my opinion. That country, blue-collar, bearded look was DOING IT yes sir

Moonfall - Bad movie. Acting and dialogue was very poor. Story and pacing was too weird. They praised Elon Musk at least two different times. I don't think anyone had a single ounce of passion for what they were doing. I enjoyed the peril though. Halle Berry was Halle Berry; love her. Patrick Wilson looked good. The song in the credits SLAPS. Other than that don't watch it adfasdfa

Everything Everywhere All at Once - Late to the party but I finally understand why it's so beloved and winning accolades and shit. A really imaginative, fun movie with so many different genres coming together to tell a grounded and complicated mother/daughter relationship. Loved it. I wish I could forget it so I could watch it for the first time again.

Bird Box - I love Sandra Bullock, okay? Even when she's calling her kids Boy and Girl. Very much in the same vein as A Quiet Place. Lots of similarities (apocalyptic; beings that wipe out humanity; pregnant leading ladies; raising children in such peril; man that sacrifices himself in the end to save his family; traveling the outside world to find safety in community [Part II]), but instead of having to be quiet, you can't look. And if I was there with Trevante Rhodes there would be more than two kids running around yes GOD

Fantastic Fungi - Documentary on, you guessed it, Fungi. Made me want to take shrooms. Brie Larson was there??? (in voice)

Dune - I thought it was good. Right up my alley. Hey Oscar Issac 😘 Why the name Paul, though? Such a boring, present Earth name. And why Timmy Champagne? I mean he didn't do a bad job, but I don't think he exactly stood out either. I've never understood the infatuation people have for him, but to each their own. Rooting for Paul regardless though. Someone gotta get revenge for Oscar Issac. P.S. Duncan Idaho is one of the worst names of any character in all the pieces of media that I have consumed. Do not talk to me about it

All of Abbott Elementary (so far) - I've been wanting to watch this show because I love mockumentary comedies and I've really needed one to fill in for Parks & Rec. It's hilarious. Ava and Mr. Johnson make me HOLLER oh my god. When Jacob first showed up I was like "look at this gay" and then several episodes later it was confirmed and I looked up like I was looking into a camera like "See?" Vindication. Anyways, new show added to my list

[destinyc1020]

Honestly for me, sadly, it's the fandoms that have ruined other actors for me. Orrr more specifically, an actor (TC I'm sorry!). I was on twitter once a while back and pointed out the hypocrisy that his fans had when they needlessly dragged Tom in an extremely catty way that also made fun of his dyslexia. Two of those stans took issue with me pointing out this problem and continued to harass me, making new accounts to impersonate other people and to talk to me again. It was so disturbing, and these people were incredibly obsessed with TC to the point where it was just worrisome. I seriously concerned that they would try to hack into my account because of how harshly they spammed me with threats. It was just a big bummer of an experience because it was legitimate harassment (I reported it and at least two of their spare accounts were suspended, at least), but it put a huge, huge dampener on any kind of interest I had in seeing his projects or supporting his work.

And having kind of surveyed the twitter situation from afar for the past few years, I think the majority of the utterly rude hate for Tom does come from a bigger percentage of Tim's fans. With Tom, the toxic ones to Tim on twitter I can count on with one hand. But with Tim, the amount of his fans who truly detest Tom on an unreasonable level are really up there and it seems normalized among a pretty good amount of them (strictly speaking this is on twitter, I think the situation on tumblr is much different thankfully!). And the sad thing is that if I didn't have that experience with the harassment, I wouldn't have any strong feelings about TC one way or another, maybe I would have even come to like him. Now I can't look at him without thinking about the online harassment I received that honestly messed with my mental health for a bit. Stans that behave really inappropriately like that NEED to realize that even though they want to 'defend' their fave, what they are actually doing in some cases is turning others OFF to their work! Thankfully I have not been bothered since their accounts were suspended, and I certainly spend MUCH more time on tumblr than twitter these days which is so much more positive for my headspace, but I really urge fans of all actors to BE KIND most of all.

Thank you for the space to rant Destiny, and for your blog! It really shifted my fandom experience to find this corner of the internet, things are so much more balanced and reasonable on tumblr compared to twitter, it feels very healthy and fun to follow things here. I think the word count on tumblr makes a big difference, here it's more about deep thoughts than just quick one liners!

Wowww..... 🤯

First of all Anon, can I just say??? I am SO sorry to read what you went through with re: to Timmy's fans. I'll just say right from the outset that online bullying and threats are NEVER okay. 😤

Idk why some fandoms feel like they have to be so unhinged like this. 🥴 If it's getting to the point where you feel the need to have to bully someone or make threats towards them online, then hun....you need to either STOP stanning whoever you're stanning, or take some LOOONG breaks away from social media, because I promise you, it is NEVER that deep. 🤨

I don't even think Timmy (or any of these actors for that matter) would feel happy that some of their fans are attacking people like that online on their behalf. 😔

Thank you for sharing your story Anon... I am SO glad that you're now doing so much better now that you've left Twitter and stay mostly on Tumblr now. 🥰

In regards to your feelings about Timmy....I'll say that you're definitely not alone. I know some other fellow fans of Tom have felt completely turned OFF from Timmy simply (and largely in part) due to his FANDOM. I know not all Timmy fans are like this (of course not), but based on what I've been hearing from others, it seems that for some reason, there's a large segment of his fandom who IS like this towards Tom or Tom fans. 😔 Honestly? I think a lot of it goes back to the fact that they both auditioned for Spiderman. Maybe some of Timmy's fans feel threatened by the fact that Tom got the role over Timmy?? Idk.... 🤷🏾‍♀️

Against my BETTER judgement, I took a little gander at Twitter sometime after Ep 8 aired, and I just did a search on Tom's name in tweets, and BOY was THAT a mistake.... 😒🙄🤦🏾‍♀️ I totally understand what fans mean by Tom gets way more hate on Twitter than most actors in his age range. I even did a search on Timmy's name just for comparison.

Granted, I don't think Timmy is in the same fame/popularity bracket as Tom, but it was just interesting to see the stark contrast. While most tweets were about sightings, thirst tweets, pics, fan encounters, filming news, upcoming projects, and other random postings for Timmy, with Tom ,it seemed like a lot of the tweets were jokes/memes at his expense, film bros hating on him, random jokes regarding Tom and Zendaya, and just overall IMMATURITY honestly.🙄

It was very heartbreaking to see. 😭

I think the hate on Tom is actually very multi-faceted, and that's what makes it somewhat unique. I mean, ALL actors/celebrities get hate at some point or another...that's just an unfortunate part of the business. 🥴😔 But I think with Tom, the hate on him comes from SO many different angles, and I think that's why fans seem to feel it more.

There's the hate coming from:

Twitter Film Bros

People who hate on Tom simply because of jealousy and the fact that he's so popular and successful

Tomdaya Antis who don't like Tom and Zendaya together

Zendaya Stans who DON'T like Z with Tom

People in the GP who just don't like him for whatever reason 🙄

Spider-Man fans who ONLY like Tobey

Spider-Man fans who ONLY like Andrew

Spider-Man fans who ONLY like Tobey OR Andrew

Timmy Chalamet Stans who hate on Tom with a vengeance for some reason 🙄

Members of the gp who think he's too "ugly", "too short", too "WHATEVER....

People who just don't like Marvel films PERIOD lol

Immature fans/meme-generators who just use Tom's name for likes and clicks in order to be "funny" or go "viral" on Twitter 🙄

Have I missed anyone?? 😅🤣

Anyway.... I think THIS is why the hate is so prevelant...It seems to be coming from ALL angles, and I honestly don't know if any other actor (in our generation at least) has ever had to deal with this level of hate before....at least, not on a social media level. 😔 I'm pretty sure this is probably one reason why he got rid of social media.

So yea, it's very sad.... 😭 Why do you think I stay away from Twitter MOST of the time?? It's because, it's VERY negative, and I don't need that energy disturbing my spirit and positive vibes. 😌

I know I sound like a broken record, but I still urge fans to PLEASE stop going on Twitter..... Ignore that nonsense. People are immature on that app, and they run jokes into the GROUND.

We can't control what people say or do unfortunately, but if you DO see something that seems to really just cross the line on that app, definitely report it!

Anyway, sorry for this long dissertation Anon...If you made it this far, I hope you are now in a better place. 🥰

The last thing I will say is, please don't allow immature Timmy fans/or other fandoms to ruin you of enjoying an actor's work. You have to separate the actor from his fans. It might even be a good idea to just watch the work and ignore the fandom(s). 🤷🏾‍♀️

[otrtbs]

Sorry if anyone has asked already but what is the statue called that Sirius stole that reminded him of regulus? Btw I love art heist,baby!

so

so

so

funny story about this statue actually

this statue is something that i witnessed with my own two eyes. i was taking a tour of my university museum's storage basement where they kept all the extra artwork not on display with my class and i was WAYYYY behind everyone else because i kept wandering through all the shelves and stacks and everything and basically i could hear the group but i couldn't see them.

as i was looking through the stacks of objects the museum had in their collection, there was a little bust sitting on the shelf that deadass looked liked timothee chalamet (it was the hair more than anything but i digress) there i was,,, standing there,, no witnesses, the thing could fit in my pocket,,, i could take it,,, and i didn't. but i've never wanted to take something so bad in mY. LIFE.

because it was in museum storage, there was no title, no artist, no date on it, nothing except a small tag with the catalogue number on it which was '68'. (that number would lead to a place where the information about the statue was stored either in the museum database or physical record but i didn't have access to either of them)

when i asked the woman giving us a tour about the statue (i practically dragged her back to the timmy statue) all she said was that it was a bust of a young boy with windswept hair. i searched the internet for hours trying to find it, but to no avail. so ,,,, honesty i don't even know if that's the actual name or what. which sucks because i fell in love with it, and i think about it all the time.

tldr; the statue is real, it does look like timmy/reg, but that's all i know about it :(((((