#rewatched War several times after i made this post and

[snailwitdamail2]

calling it now. the new apes trilogy is gonna have an ape/human kiss like the og movie did.

[a-force-dyad-in-space]

So I've been rewatching the Twilight movies and certain scenes from them recently, and there's something that caught my eye while going through the post-battle scene in Eclipse.

We have Jane and the others show up, being like "blah blah blah, you guys did pretty well against all these newborns, how curious, blah blah" before Jane notices that one of the newborns is still alive, pointing out Bree.

Now, here's where it gets interesting for me. Because Jasper immediately moves and stands next to her protectively.

And yeah, sure, he's the newborn expert, he's in charge of all-things newborn vampires, so in that sense alone it makes sense for him to associate himself with her in that way, but I think it's a lot more than that; namely something that is always mentioned in passing in the movies, but never really pointed out as something significant (unlike Edward's telepathy and Alice's precognition, which are always mentioned first in terms of desirable acquisitions of power). I of course speak of his pathokinesis.

Bree is scared. At this point she has realized that she's a vampire and what that means for her life, but she has no idea if she will come out of this stand-off alive, so naturally, she is nervous.

And thanks to his pathokinesis, of course Jasper can feel that. So I think he's standing with her, almost protectively, not just because he's in charge of her, but because he can feel her fear and tries to comfort her with his presence (she with her vampire sight can of course see that his skin is decked out in scars, so that intimidating display alone probably tells her him being on her side is a good thing).

And then we come to Jane starting to torture Bree, and me having another observation.

When she falls to the ground and is screaming in agony, we can assume that Jasper can feel that, too (not the pain itself, but the mental anguish connected to it). And look how startled he seems when he sees her fall and looks from Bree to Jane.

This moment here makes me think that this is probably the first time he's ever seen Jane's power in person. Of course he knew about her, knew what her powers are. Alice probably filled him in in detail about the events in Volterra from New Moon, and I assume Carlisle has shared many stories over the years, too.

But hearing about something and actually seeing it first-hand are two very different things.

For someone like him, who can feel what other people are feeling, from their happiest moments to their most devastating mental pain, watching Jane not only use her powers, but relish in their effect without a second thought since she can't feel the pain she's causing, must be absolutely nauseating, for lack of a better word.

Jasper's experienced several lifetimes of anguish by proximity and is trying his best to make others feel better, while Jane deals blow after blow with her powers without any consequence. It must feel wrong and unfair to him.

Anyway, back to the point.

This is the face of a man who has fully realized what the antagonistic force is capable of, and he'll be sure to be prepared, next time they cross paths.

And lastly, something sad.

He turns his back on Bree, probably because he can't deal with watching her die on top of feeling her fear and pain. Neither he nor the other Cullens can stop Bree's death from happening without declaring war on the Volturi in the process (because I'm certain that's how Jane and the others would see their push-back).

So all he can do is turn away, and maybe make an effort to lessen her pain (it doesn't look like he did, but I think it would make sense if he used his powers to make death less frightening for Bree).

Anyway, rest in peace, Bree, you would have made a wonderful addition to the Cullen family. ♥

[motionlessonigiri]

Hi Sabezra community.

Am I an English speaker? No. That's why I apologize in advance for the crimes against the English language that I'm going to commit next. But I still hope you can understand me. I'm not even sure anyone will see this.

It's been a while since I came here to find people who love the same things as me. Like a refuge from the outside world. I planned to post something only when I had something interesting to share with you all, like a video edit or fanart. Things so we could have fun together.  The current circumstances didn't allow me to do anything for now, so I was just following things as a spectator.

Seeing all this ship war going on, made me feel like I wanted to get away from all social media, so I wouldn't see these things anymore.  I also felt scared to express my love for this ship too. I'm scared to post this now.

Even my mother noticed that something was bothering me.  She asked me several times what I had.  I didn't want to tell her, because she's also a Star Wars fan and I don't want her to know everything that's going on. I want her to continue watching our favorite shows without thinking about negative things.

I want to get the hell away from it all, but for once, I would like to post this to all the Sabezra shippers who are receiving free hate. I think you guys need some love after suffering so much hate and I need to get out how I'm feeling. Because that's all I can do for now.

This whole time, I saw your fanart, I saw your video edits and I read many of the beautiful fanfics you wrote (I confess that I haven't read them all yet, it's due to lack of time, but I loved everything I read).

I see everyone putting so much love into what they do. And I can't ask you to continue, because I myself don't know if I'll ever be able to post anything in the future. But to be honest, I don't want you to stop.  Am I being cowardly and selfish? Perhaps, but it's the truth.

But I'm here to remind you that not all Sabezra shippers are so active on social media, but we exist.

I've been a Star Wars fan for a few years and only watched Rebels during the pandemic. I started shipping Sabezra since then.

I was so happy that the Ahsoka series exists. And now I couldn't even watch Ahsoka or Rebels (I tend to rewatch the things I like many times). Because every time I try to watch it I'm reminded of this whole ship war that's going on.

So I decided to talk to a friend. He is also a Star Wars fan (and a fan of Rebels, which I recommended to him), but he doesn't follow things that happen on social media. We always talk about Star Wars, but we never talked about ships.  But today I asked him what he thought of Ezra and Sabine.

He is my childhood friend and we practically grew up together, so I thought: "If he sees Sabine and Ezra as just friends/siblings, just like he and I are, maybe I'm seeing too much in the interactions between Sabine and Ezra and and I should just stop shipping them." 

But to my surprise he also ships Sabezra. He said that you can see in the exchange of looks between them that there is something (In fact, my friend and I never look at each other the same way Sabine and Ezra look at each other). And he thinks Sabine is in love with Ezra.

The same case happens with my mother, who also loves Rebels and watches everything from SW since when she was young, but without following all the discussions that happen on the internet.  When we watched Ahsoka, she said she thought Sabine liked Ezra since Rebels.  She said this without me saying anything about shipping them.  And when I asked her if she thought it was wrong to ship them, she said no and said she thinks they will be together someday.  (I know, this may never happen, but hearing this from my mom warmed my little heart)

Even a friend of mine who isn't a fan, just watches casually, asked me if Sabine had a crush on Ezra.

Talking to these people from outside made me feel better, because this may not have been the intention of Dave and the others, but you can see that, based on common sense, no one can blame us for shipping them, it seems natural to many people. And not all Sabezra Shippers can be seen expressing this around.

I have nothing against anyone who ships wolfwren.  But I won't lie and say I wasn't sad that the cast supported it so openly, while we are accepting crumbs. I confess that at first I felt betrayed. I haven't shipped Sabezra for as long as many of you, but I feel like I have. But thinking clearly, I understand them. Besides thinking that they can to ship whatever they want, just like us, I see it as a way for them to show support for the LGBT community. It is to be expected that they will do this. And it's okay.

Needless to say, I'm just posting this to express what I was feeling, I have no intention of hurting anyone.  I am completely against any type of hate.

I don't regret watching Ahsoka, nor do I regret that the series existed.  But I'm sorry to have seen so much fighting and hatred for something that was made to make us all happy. I wish I had followed everything in ignorance, as well as my friend and my mother. I think I'll start seeing things that way from now on.

I had a lot more to say, but I still don't know how to express them in words and this was turning into a mile long post.  My first post and this was huge.  I'm sorry for this. I needed to get these things out because I want to sleep and focus on the more important things I have to do.

And I want to be able to enjoy watching Ahsoka and Rebels again without feeling sick out remembering all the discussion surrounding it.

For now, I want you to know that I've been loving all the Sabezra content you've been posting. What I want to say is that I'm here and that I will continue to ship Sabezra until the end. Even if you don't see me interacting here.

Maybe later I'll regret posting this. 

Maybe I'll delete it right away. 

Maybe I'll never come around here again. 

I don't know.

Too late. But everything is fine. 

At least now you know I'm here.

I love you all.

[lets-try-some-writing]

Hello! After reading the various mentions of Elita in several of your posts, I noticed you sadly didn't like her and her portrayals outside of G1 (I agree in that it feels like she gets done SO dirty almost everywhere :(... granted I haven't seen TFOne so trying to avoid too many spoilers lol). I have to ask though, what about War for Cybertron? I know next to nothing about it, but I do know that Elita makes an appearance. I may recall you saying you haven't seen it before, but I'd still be interested to hear your thoughts about how it handled her, and whether or not it delivered some much-needed justice!

I hope you are having a good day/evening/night, whatever you're doing :) all the best!

I would LOVE to talk about Elita until the end of time, but honestly I didn't watch enough War for Cybertron to get a solid read on her. It's also hard to decide how I feel about her considering the state of the situation in the show (I am assuming we are talking about the netflix series btw, not the game). Her attitude was kinda crappy, but unlike TFO where things were still pretty hopeful and Elita was mean regardless, I actually get why Elita is the way she is in WFC.

I don't remember liking her all that much, but to be fair, I didn't like that show much to begin with. I adored the grim vibes, but the characters bothered me to a certain extent. Elita, Bumblebee, and pretty much everyone came off as unnecessarily mean when Optimus was quite literally Doing His Best. But again, the war was at its worst point during the show so I can't exactly blame them.

Personal preference vs realistic standards I suppose. With that stated, WFC Elita was fine. Not my personal cup of tea, but I don't remember anything that made me mad enough to go on a rant about it (Unlike TFO Elita). In conclusion, she was an acceptable Elita. No real complaints, but it has been a few years so maybe I should rewatch the show again.

[thenotebookwizard]

She-Ra | Defiance (Thoughts and Rambles I: Convergence)

(Am I going to use roman numerals for every ramble about this fic? Probably not, but at least for the first few.)

A lot of the ideas and concepts for the fic are born from fanon - but a lot of fanon and my fic also come from this episode.

Somehow, it wasn't until after I started posting the fic that I realized who the writer was.

J. Michael Straczynski (JMS). He's done a lot. Comics. TV. Movies. Streaming. Books. He's the executor (inheritor?) of Harlan Ellison's estate.

He's the creator of Babylon 5.

If you want to talk about stories and media with significant effects on me as a human, you cannot avoid talking about Babylon 5. Star Trek and Star Wars came first, sure, but without Babylon 5, I don't think I would appreciate either of those as much or as a deeply as I do.

Babylon 5 came out when I was in middle school. I didn't get to see as much of it during its initial run as I wanted to. Only later, when a friend videotaped it and loaned me those tapes, did I get to really dig into it. I loved it. It was everything I wanted in a story and then some.

Learning to appreciate Babylon 5 made me dig deeper into other media. Into other stories - and shaped how I look at narrative. How I examine characters and the potential of characters. JMS created something with Babylon 5 that defied the genre of sci fi, causing me to figure out what space opera and science fantasy are.

I own Babylon 5 in several formats, and I rewatch it at least once a year.

Finding out JMS wrote the episode of the original She-Ra that helped create and define so much of the old canon that created the fanon that gives us magicats and all of the lore we have built up around Catra - because the new show didn't have the time or space to give us much.

- it was a revelation. It was the convergence of the old fandoms that shaped me and the new fandom that inspired me.

I have no idea how much JMS really created in terms of that lore or those one-off characters, but I can assume a few things based on what (little) I know about show-writing back then. He would have either been given the basics of the script and then told to flesh it out, or he just handed someone a script, and they said 'cool. Here's some lunch money. We'll get someone to draw this.'

Either way, he wrote the dialogue. He wrote the characters. He wrote the way the lore was presented. He had a hand in it.

That has meaning, in that JMS was writing and creating things that have affected me far, far longer than I knew and he has been showing me how to tell stories just as long.

[stvlti]

linger like a sandwalk - a playlist for Dune Part Two

I'm back 💃 after 2 years of not posting new playlists for my fandoms 💃 this new Dune movie is living in my head rent free 😮‍💨 of course I had to make fanmix for this one to try and consolidate my thoughts.

Tracks ⏏️

Bloodline -- Gabriels  //  No Church in the Wild -- Jay-Z & Kanye West  //  Mary Magdalene -- FKA Twigs  //  Pink Matter  -- Frank Ocean  //  Smother -- Daughter  //  Say You'll Go -- Janelle Monáe  //  A Time of Quiet Between Storms (Dune Part Two OST) -- Hans Zimmer  //  Your Blood -- Nothing But Thieves  //  The River -- Kero Kero Bonito  //  Bad Religion -- Frank Ocean  //  Telekinesis -- Travis Scott ft. SZA & Future  //  Transform -- Daniel Caesar ft. Charlotte Day Wilson

Meta ⏏️

An explanation of the song choices & related thoughts on the film *

(*) I still have not read the book *lies down* As soon as life slows down I swear I will. The 2 Denis Villeneuve films combined already make for a rich narrative and storyworld however, and this playlist is very much based on that.

▶️ Bloodline -- Gabriels

It's the bloodline This thing came before you Bloodline

I wanted to open this playlist on something that gets right at (one of) the core themes of Villeneuve's Dune, and to me that is the idea of bloodlines, legacies and self-fulfilling prophecies.

Birth rights can be stole Truth is you were always alone Tears in your hands Seems you lost before you began Your ancestors' blood fed the soil and the sand

I think a point that many filmgoers miss - and is also a point I missed on my first viewing of Part Two - is that the Lisan Al Gaib prophecy and Paul's claim to it is wholly manufactured. Upon rewatch, several lines in the 2 films jumped out to me: 'On Arrakis, a path has been laid' (Mother Mohiam in Part One), and first Paul (during his first meal in Sietch Tabr) and then Lady Jessica's declaration that they must persuade the non-believers that he is the Lisan Al Gaib so as to ensure their continued survival among the Fremen. Irulan's later commentary, 'these are our religious patterns', cemented this fact for me. We are reminded that The Bene Gesserit has sent missionaries to the Fremen over decades and centuries, creating the religious circumstances for Paul to consolidate power among the natives. He has as much a claim to the title of the Mahdi / Lisan Al Gaib as any other outerworlder from the Houses of the Imperium - that is to say, he isn't really the Chosen One. 'Birth rights can be stole', and this is a birth right he stole.

Yet, he does undoubtedly hail from his mother's Bene Gesserit lineage and, through consuming the Water of Life, inherit the ancestral memories of both his masculine and feminine forebearers from both the royal bloodlines and the Fremen lineage of Reverend Mothers. (We see this during the montage after he takes the WoL, falling through a super cut of the faces of the Fremen Reverend Mothers who came before him before eventually finding a vision of Alia on the sand dunes.) His 'ancestors' blood fed the soil and the sand' on which he now stands as the (false) prophet that will lead his Fremen tribe to ruin...

It's the bloodline Don't let it destroy you Bloodline

... and in ascending to the title of the Mahdi, he will undoubtedly lose everything that made him Paul the individual in the first place. Greater prophecies, plans and conspiracies will eclipse his humanity. This is the real bloodline that drives him to war and genocide. 'Don't let it destroy you' - but maybe it's already too late.

▶️ No Church in the Wild -- Jay-Z & Kanye West

I mean, come on, this song choice is just too obvious isn't it?

Human beings in a mob What's a mob to a king? What's a king to a God? What's a God to a non-believer who don't believe in anything? Will he make it out alive? Alright, alright No church in the wild

'Mob' = the Fremen and their Fedaykin guerilla troops. 'King' = Rabban, and later Feyd-Rautha, and the Harkonnen regime. 'God' = Paul as Mahdi and Muad'dib, the desert terrorist. 'Non-believer' = Chani and her brethren among the Northern skeptics.

But the sonical landscape of this song also played a huge part in my inclusion of the song on this list. I'm a lover of words before all else, but something about Dune made me want to curate a sonically coherent playlist that accompanies the story in lyrics as much as it does in sound. The grueling, forward momentum of this song's iconic beat lends itself to the raids the Fedaykin warriors launched against the Harkonnen-controlled spice fields.

▶️ Mary Magdalene -- FKA Twigs

In my head I call this the quintessential Bene Gesserit song. Listen, and read the lyrics:

A woman's work A woman's prerogative

The song makes it clear from the very first lines that it's about the woman's birthright and sovereignty. Most of the Bene Gesserit ladies we see in this film have roots in the royal bloodlines themselves. In that, they have a claim to a particular prerogative. Yet they also actively govern the domain of procreation, descendancy, succession, and survival of royal bloodlines. That is the nature of 'a woman's work' in this storyworld.

A woman's touch, a sacred geometry I know where you start, where you end How to please, how to curse Yes, I learnt you needed me Yes, I'm here to open you Yes, I know that your heart is blue (So cold)

FKA Twigs' darkly seductive vocals paired with this particular verse really evokes that entire Lady Fenring/Feyd-Rautha sequence.

I fear before the fire True as Mary Magdalene Creature of desire Come just a little bit closer to me Step just a little bit closer to me

The seduction continues here, but there's power inherent in the 'creature of desire' Mary Magdalene represents. Her story and her iconography bears a heavy resemblance to the Bene Gesserit sisters and their relationships with the men of the Imperium and its court.

I can lift you higher I do it like Mary Magdalene I want you to say it Come just a little bit closer 'til we collide

A woman's hands So dark and provocative A nurturing breath that could stroke Your divine confidence

I really fuck with the Mary Magdalene allegory in this song, and the chorus nails the mythos and authority she commands in modern reimaginings of her figure in relation to Jesus' mythos. Yet there's something softer in the latter half of the chorus - the devotion she shows to her partner is on equal footing, less of manipulation and more of the muse she can be for him to realise his full potential. With the arrival of the second verse we truly see how important she is to a man's dominion. 'A nurturing breath that could stroke [His] divine confidence': that is the power of Lady's Jessica's love for and devotion to Leto Atreides.

A woman's war Unoccupied history True nature won't search to destroy If it doesn't make sense

Of course, it would be remiss of me not to point out that certain parts of the Bene Gesserit's characterisation functions as a manifestation and perpetuation of Frank Herbert's very of-its-time misogynistic, gender essentialist ideas of a woman's station and the (only) avenue through which she derives her power in the material world - her womb. (Miss me with that radical feminist bs.) But we also see, in the film, Princess Irulan's character: a female historian whom the film suggests would have been happier free from the trappings of the Bene Gesserit programme and her Imperial lineage. 'A woman's war; unoccupied history': Mary Magdalene is a prime example of how for most of history, women are often anonymous (as that Virginia Woolf saying goes), their histories are often erased and deemed as unimportant; Irulan's inner thoughts and history are also cast aside and given no voice in the Dune narrative, but in an ironic twist, she dedicates her life to documenting the history of others.

▶️  Pink Matter -- Frank Ocean

What do you think my brain is made for? Is it just a container for the mind? This great, grey matter Sensei replied, "What is your woman? Is she just a container for the child?" That soft, pink matter

This song provides more of a male - or at least, androgynous - perspective on the question of the Bene Gesserit breeding programme ('Is she just a container for the child?' / 'My God, she's giving me pleasure'). But it gets right at the core of the question of whether the women in this universe, and the avenue through which they gain power, is truly confined to being 'just a container for the child'. I also really liked the direct parallels Frank Ocean's lyrics draw between the womb (pink matter) and the mind (grey matter), as the other main source of power Jessica drives from is through her mind and the prescience becoming the Reverend Mother has afforded her.

▶️ Smother -- Daughter

In my head I call this Lady Jessica's song.

I want all that is not mine I want him, but we're not right In the darkness, I will meet my creators And they will all agree that I'm a suffocator

I think it's more intimate than either of the 2 songs that come before this one, and centres Jessica squarely in her role as a mother before her place as a Bene Gesserit sister. She knows she will meet her creators - the generations of mothers and Bene Gesserit sisters who came before her - and she knows they will disapprove of the path she has manipulated to suit her ends, first for Duke Leto (in bearing him a son) and then for her son's survival (in spreading propaganda of him as the Lisan Al Gaib among the Fremen tribes). Now I know that the films sort of reduce her to a one-dimensional villain in Part Two, but I've heard that she is a lot less gungho about their little homegrown personality cult of Paul as the Lisan Al Gaib / Mahdi in the book. In fact, his accelerated transformation into a religious figurehead and his willingness to exploit the Fremen for that, at the cost of his own humanity, seems to be an unintended outcome that she regrets. She has unwittingly become a 'suffocator', in that regard - a mother killing her own child's humanity in his metaphorical cradle as soon as she exposed him to tales of the prophecy.

Oh love I'm sorry if I smothered you I sometimes wish I'd stayed inside My mother

▶️  Say You'll Go -- Janelle Monáe

Say you'll go to Nirvana Will you leave Samsara? Or in the words of Dhammapada, "Who will lead? Who will follow?" Our love will sail in this ark The world could end outside our window Let's find forever And write our name in fire on each others' hearts

Something about Janelle's crooning vocals against the symphonic strings and melodies just makes this a timeless love song. I love including it in for my ships 🥺 and I think it rather fits PaulChani, the star-crossed lovers that they are. 'Let's find forever' is my 'I will love you as long as I breathe'.

But of course, the question of whether Paul will go south looms over their heads like the Sword of Damocles. 'Will you leave Samsara? ... Who will lead? Who will follow?'

▶️  A Time of Quiet Between Storms (Dune Part Two OST)

Among the Dune OST, this song holds a higher and special place in my heart because of the way it celebrates their first on-screen kiss, but is also used as a reprise of sorts at the end of the film as Chani walks out on Paul. It's a bittersweet track. And it's lived in my mind rent free much the same way that last shot of Chani, with her quivering lips and angry eyes, has.

This brings me to the name of the playlist: the PaulChani tragedy, and just, the film as a whole, has definitely lingered in my mind. It has dragged against my thoughts gently, but persistently like the rhythm of a sandwalk.

I also chose to place it in the middle of playlist to sever it into 2 parts, much the same way the film is severed into 2 parts: before Paul undergoes the Water of Life ritual, when he is still an idealistic boy who actively rejects the title of the Mahdi for fear of the wartorn future he's foreseen, and afterwards, when he claims the mantle of the Mahdi.

▶️  Your Blood -- Nothing But Thieves

You know it's your blood that I bleed Tell me that there's some way that I'll get through the night I carry your moral disease I don't wanna be something I'm not to stay alive

You guys don't know how long I've wanted to put this song on a fanmix!! I've called this Joey Wilson/Jericho's song from the moment I heard it 😂 but I think the same themes can be found in Paul's story too, specifically his first scene right after recovering from the Water of Life ritual. 'We're Harkonnens.' And his realisation that that's how they'll survive: by becoming Harkonnens. It's the Baron's blood that he bleeds, and conflicted as he is about that, eventually he'll come to realise that he has to 'be something I'm not to stay alive'.

▶️  The River -- Kero Kero Bonito

Holy mother Receive our hearts in your arms And let our souls pass The day the rain returns again

These 4 lines are repeated throughout the song, almost like a prayer. It reminds me of the way Stilgar holds onto those same 4 words, 'As it was written', throughout the film as an affirmation of his religious convictions - the belief that the true Mahdi will bring paradise one day and with it, the rain.

When Earth is submerging And heaven is open The river will carry all of us to Where we belong ... Then a torrent crashes down Releasing the jungle swelling in the ground And as was foretold our time is out

▶️  Bad Religion -- Frank Ocean

If it brings me to my knees It's a bad religion This unrequited love To me, it's nothing but a one-man cult And cyanide in my styrofoam cup I can never make him love me Never make him love me

This song places us in Chani's pov. To her, Paul's meteoric rise of notoriety among the Fremen is 'nohting but a one-man cult'. She loved him as he was - an outsider who stayed humble and learnt her ways, and earned a place among her Fedaykin brethren. But as a power-tripping outerworlder claiming to be the Mahdi - she doesn't recognise him, and she 'can never make him love [her]' again, not as the man he has become.

▶️  Telekinesis -- Travis Scott ft. SZA & Future

I could've took the pain and I could've went out sad Streets stepped in and raised me, but I ain't have my daddy

So I'm gonna be honest: this is actually the track that started this entire project for me 🙈 But you see it, right? Travis Scott as Paul's voice, and SZA as Chani's...

I can see the future, it's lookin' like we level through the sky I can't wait to live in glory in eternal lastin' life

The fact that 'I can see the future' is the refrain of this song. In its original context I'm almost certain that Travis meant it less literally, and more in the realm of being able to guess the trajectory of his career as he continues to top the charts as a hip hop superstar. But it lends well to the context of Paul's religious myth-making as well. 'Eternal lasting life' and all that.

How can I sleep when you're out catchin' bodies? I still wanna be with you, trust me, I know that's insane ... We both ain't shit and it's workin' for me Workin' for me, yeah I can see the future, I can see the future

The thing that breaks my heart about the ending of the film is that you can see Chani still loves Paul, but not who he has become. I also like that the song flips the refrain around and has SZA sing it too. Except when she says, 'I can see the future', she says it self-deprecatingly. It's a future of more heartbreak and betrayal (by way of mutual infidelity) and ruin.

▶️  Transform -- Daniel Caesar ft. Charlotte Day Wilson

If a leopard never changes its spots How can I change what I've got? Transform, transform, transform, transform We don't punish the tiger for catching its prey So how am I the one to blame? If it's in my nature Transform, transform, transform, transform

One thing rewatching these films has made me realise is that Paul's 'sudden flip' to becoming a coloniser exploiting the Fremen's religion for his own gains in Imperial politics after drinking the Water of Life is actually less of a plot twist and more of an inevitability that has been advertised since Part One. Towards the end of the first film, he says to Liet Kynes that he intends to marry one of the Emperor's daughters and make a play for the throne. In Part Two, during his first meal at Sietch Tabr, he says to his mother that he must convince the non-believers that he is the Lisan Al Gaib. He may not have intended to bear the mantle of the Mahdi, perhaps he was foolishly, idealistically looking for a different path towards revenge and the throne, but he has never been above playing the game and utilising court politics to secure his 'victory', so to speak. He was born of royal blood and forged in those politics. It's in his nature.

It's never over until life ends Lay down beside me, do it again

These 2 lines reminds me again of that promise Paul and Chani exchanged: 'I will love you as long as I breathe'. (And if I remember correctly, Chani said something to the effect of 'I will be here for you as long as you stay who you are' as well.) I didn't want to end this playlist on a downer ending, hence this song choice.

If you've made it this far into my meta-commentary, thank you! Hope you've enjoyed this playlist ♡

[sebaztianlovesgeek]

Who do you think will die in future chapters of Black Butler?

I know I've already made a similar post theorising over how Black Butler will end but I'm very interested in Black Butler fan theories at the moment.

I'm gonna be explaining who I think will die in the future and why, some may have more detailed explanations than others since sometimes I just have hunches a character will die and sometimes I have better reasons to think so and I may also go into how I think they will die.

(warning: spoilers for a lot of the story)

1. Elizabeth Midford

There are 2 main reasons I think Lizzy will die, 1 is that I just have a hunch, Lizzy is a sweet girl but we've seen that no matter how sweet you are in the Black Butler universe there is a huge chance you will die (cough cough Agni).

And also there is a bit of foreshadowing in episode 6 (I think) of Book Of Circus. During one of fake Ciel's monologue flashbacks it shows him sitting on top of a throne with dead bodies of familiar characters beneath him. Most of the characters are characters who had already died before then such as Madame Red and Vincent, but when rewatching that scene I realised Lizzy was there as well. Could that be foreshadowing Lizzy will die in the future?

Maybe the next time she sees the fake Ciel he'll try to kill her as revenge for basically pretending to be the real Ciel, therefore Sebastian will have to come in and protect him, maybe even killing Lizzy or the least severely injuring her (and after that Undertaker could turn her into a bizarre doll or something)

2. Soma

This is definitely more of a hunch than evidence. Soma hasn't been in the manga in almost 100 chapters and we haven't seen him since 2017, the last time we saw him he was grieving over Agni's death.

I'm pretty sure he'll come back since it's not really like Yana Toboso to write off a character and never bring them back unless they canonically died or something, we've seen characters not appear for a while and then return (like majority of the grim reapers, Fred Abberline, sometimes even the servants like Meyrin, Finny and Bard if the current arc doesn't focus on them much and more on other characters like Ciel and Sebastian)

If he does come back I have a feeling he may die, I'm not really sure how though, like maybe he'll mistake Real Ciel for Fake Ciel and will be like "wait a moment why isn't Ciel wearing his eyepatch?" Or something like that and real Ciel will assassinate him to avoid suspicion.

Speaking of Real and Fake Ciel, I wonder how Soma would react if he found out all about that. I mean him and Fake Ciel are basically best friends, would he feel betrayed? Or if Fake Ciel explained why he did it would he forgive him?

3. John Brown, Charles Phipps and Grey

Sorry for including 3 characters in one, it's because these 3 are a trio and I feel like they'll all die for the same reasons.

So, if you haven't noticed or haven't watched the non canon parts of the black butler S1 anime, there are a lot of hints to what happens in the future of the manga despite most of the anime being released prior to those events.

Examples: an animal based servant (in the anime it was Pluto, a dog man and in the manga/canon parts it was Snake, who looks like a snake and can talk to snakes), the servants backstories (while some changes were made in the anime, all of the backstories were mostly the same, Meyrin was an assassin, Finny was an experiment and Bard was a soldier in a brutal war) and Undertaker being revealed to be a grim reaper

Due to all of this I have a theory that John, Phipps and Grey are all angels. Why? Well in the anime Queen Victoria had a servant dressed in white named Ash who was later revealed to be an angel and was the main villain of season 1.

What does Ash have in common with John, Phipps and Grey? They all wear white and they all work for the Queen, they also started out as characters you probably think weren't as important to the story but then later became antagonists.

It also gives Charles Grey more of a reason to stab Sebastian in the murder mystery arc, maybe the whole time he knew Sebastian was a demon? And maybe that's why he wasn't so suspicious when he found Sebastian was alive on the Campania.

I've also sensed that both Grey and Phipps had a bit of a grudge towards Ciel and Sebastian. At first I thought it was because of what happened in the circus arc (which is why the whole murder mystery arc happened), but even after Ciel proved himself they both continued to be a bit iffy around them... Again could this be because they know Sebastian is a demon?

Ash died at the end of season 1 after his evil plot to purify the world by setting London on fire (yeah I don't know why either season 1 had a lot of plot holes) since John, Grey and Phipps are all possible alternative versions of Ash I'm about 90% sure they'll also be killed by Sebastian.

4. Queen Victoria

Sort of the same reason behind why I think John, Phipps and Grey will die, except for this one I have less evidence.

Unlike in the anime, there hasn't been very much foreshadowing that Queen Victoria has made a contract with her 3 angelic servants or even knows they may be angels. However near the end of season 1 in the anime, Ash kills her because she became impure since she didn't want to be cleansed after the part of her body that was Albert began to rot.

I'm not sure if that'll be the reason for her death in the manga since unlike the anime her grief over Albert is usually played for comedic affect (like when John Brown used a doll of Albert to cheer Victoria up) but maybe there will be another reason. If she doesn't know her servants are angels but later finds out, they may kill her. Or maybe she'll just be killed by Ciel and Sebastian for some reason.

5. Real Ciel

I think the majority of us theorize he will die, he's a bizarre doll after all and almost every bizarre doll in the story has been killed, also he's sort of one of the main antagonists now after he exposed Fake Ciel for pretending to be him after death.

Again I'm not sure how he'll die exactly, but I'm about 90% sure he will die

[tmisherewrites]

Let's round out the rest of Crassus' men

I've shared them all in one post here. Having these actors in mind was the critical difference which helped me write Crassus' chapters because boy oh boy was I struggling.

Without further ado, here are Trebonius Moss, and Cassius and Marcus Luna:

The Baby

Trebonius Moss. The only other high born Capitol member of Crassus' squad. He's the youngest of the six and isn't totally convinced of Crassus' view of the world... yet.

He's the oldest living sibling with three younger sisters, one of whom becomes a classmate of Coriolanus', mentoring the female tribute from District 5.

He's a bit naive, but with Teller's help he's improving everyday.

I cast Kodi Smit-McPhee, unfortunately best known for that one "he's white" meme from Elvis, but what made me think of him for the role of Moss was his performance in The Power of the Dog. From an unassuming, slightly odd boy, to a man capable of expert deception and murder. He is from the Capitol after all.

Big brother extraordinaire

The most obvious of the names, Cassius Luna is named after actor Diego Luna and his character Cassian Andor from the Star Wars universe.

Andor was one of my absolute favourite shows of the last 5 years and I've rewatched it several times and it greatly influenced how I wrote this fic.

Diego Luna also appears to share a lot of similar political values to me, many of which are on display in Andor and in his actions, particularly joining the Zapatista protests in his teenage years.

Cassius has one goal: keep his brother alive. He's taught him everything he knows about how to survive and they've only stuck around because that's their best option until the weather clears. While not a great shot like Teller, Cassius is very adept at laying traps to catch small game, which helped keep the men alive when deer were harder to come by.

Also, excuse the blurry pic, I thought it was clearer than that.

Marcus has got your back

Marcus Luna is the younger of the two brothers and while he's still learning from Cassius, he's by no means dead weight, being incredibly capable in his own right. Marcus will forage and find every single edible plant in a several mile radius, having encyclopaedic knowledge of everything that can feed, hurt, or heal his compatriots.

I cast David Castañeda because I just think he should be in more stuff. Like most, I first saw him in The Umbrella Academy as Diego Hargreeves, but it was his performance in an indie called Standing Up Falling Down where I saw just how talented he is, not to mention endlessly charming. And like David, I could absolutely see Marcus sneak off in a corner to write a little poem to himself just for fun.

I also wanted to make sure to include a reference to the Lunas speaking Spanish to each other considering it is both Luna and Castañeda's first language. And while Suzanne Collins doesn't allude to languages other than English in canon, I know that languages don't disappear that easily and that there would be a class component to who speaks languages other than English in Panem.

This rounds out Crassus' men. Let me know what you think of my choices if you've read the fic. Did they match up with who you had in mind? If you haven't read the fic yet, I introduce all these characters in Chapter 2 of They Will Come For You In the Night, would love it if you would check it out 💚

[jugheadvarchoni]

Alright! Riverdale season 2 rewatch is DONE!

Here are some of my thoughts:

This whole season is sooooo teen campy horror and I’m obsessed. I prefer this season over S1 for sure.

TONI FCKING TOPAZ. MY BEST GIRLYYYY. 🥹

The Black Hood is actually such a good villain idc

LOOK. I love FP, but he DID clean up the Blossom’s crime scene, he WAS involved. Whether he was blackmailed or not, he did it. So Betty blackmailing Cheryl by threatening to release the video of Jason’s murder is… very fucked up.

Speaking of Betty… she lowkey annoys me several times throughout this season. She’s such a bad friend 😂

I may be in the minority, but I LOVE all the Serpent drama stuff

Jughead is my extra-brooding broody emo boy this season. Complete with a dramatic ass Bughead breakup lol.

The scene where Fred imagines Archie’s graduation day and says “I didn’t think I’d live to see this day” actually made me cry because Luke Perry passed away before S4 so Fred really didn’t get to see the day…

CHONI CHONI CHONI. Their first meeting, the “you’re sensational” scene at Pop’s, Toni leading the charge to save her, Cheryl (and Jughead) saving Toni from the Ghoulies. Choni’s FIRST KISS. Ughhhh I love my babies so much. 🥰

I was wrong in my S1 post, Alice Cooper is still fcking insufferable this season.

Archie starting a team of teen vigilantes to hunt a serial killer lmfao

Nick St. Clair deserved JAIL. God.

The fact that Kevin has known about the Sisters of Quiet Mercy being an illegal conversion camp for some time and has never done or said anything before, while hooking up with boys from there and being the SON of the sheriff is… concerning.

And then the gang literally does nothing after either

CHONI

VARCHIE. Her being right by his side after Fred was shot, Archie beating the shit out of Nick for hurting her. Their “I LOVE YOU’S”, which was hard for Veronica and caused some tension, but they worked through and came out stronger for it! Dealing with Hiram’s shit lol.

Cheryl Blossom deserved a stint on CW’s Arrow!

Having the Serpent/Ghoulie war off screen was not it… like… that was such a huge point and we saw none of it

Hiram Lodge was a GREAT villain, but at the risk of sounding like a broken record, he was just sooo overused.

Veronica girlbossing & getting ownership of Pop’s because she knows how much it means to people. My girl :’)

FP retiring, making Jughead king, and then Jughead’s first act being inducting Cheryl into the Serpents? Beautiful symmetry that mirrors his own start with the Serpents at the end of S1.

Oh, did I mention CHONI?

The cliffhanger being Archie arrested right after winning the student body election… like goddamn.

I love this fcking season, and idc what anyone else says! It’s better than S1! 💋

[walkawaytall]

Fannish Year Review - 2023

snagged from @diplomaticprincess

1. your main fandom of the year: Star Wars -- after like three years of feeling way-too-sensitive about the series, I decided to take that whole Marie Kondo approach to fandom: keep what brings you joy and throw the rest into an active volcano (or...something like that. It's been a minute since I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, but I'm sure that's an accurate synopsis that Marie would be totally fine with on her book's dust jacket). And then I started writing fanfiction, which has been fun.

Though...though...I did revisit The Hunger Games this year and made my bestie into an HG fan, so that series has certainly played a part.

2. have u watched a film this year: I've only been to theaters twice this year -- once for the Return of the Jedi 40th anniversary rerelease, once to see Barbie. I don't think I've watched many new things this year, to be honest. Mainly rewatches.

3. your favorite book this year: Oof, my reading list is embarrassingly short this year. Probably Nine Liars by @maureenjohnsonbooks. It's the 5th book in a YA mystery series and love that entire dang series so much.

4. your favorite album or song this year:

Album: Stick Season by Noah Kahan

Song: Probably "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish, but I'm honestly not certain

5. your favorite tv shows this year: I think I rewatched Severance twice this year, so...Haaaa...

6. your favorite tumblr community this year: Han/Leia, but I also follow some Little Women accounts that I've quite enjoyed.

7. your best new fandom discovery of the year: I did start watching Ted Lasso, but kind of forgot about it, though the show is delightful. I feel like I've been very hyperfocused on Star Wars stuff this year tbh.

8. your biggest fandom disappointment of the year: You know what, I rarely hate on specific ships publicly, but having one of my posts in which I was spitballing a headcanon involving Tarkin and Leia having an absurd rivalry while she was like 16-19 years old that was similar in tone to Jack Donaghy and Kaylie Hooper from 30 Rock (a relationship that is entirely not sexual on account of Kaylie being fifteen when she first pops up on the show) reblogged multiple times with Leia/Tarkin shipping tags might just have been the most disappointing fandom-related thing to happen to me personally this year. I don't even know if this is the type of answer the question was looking for, but uh...it was definitely the most disappointing.

9. your tv/movie boyfriend and/or girlfriend of the year: I'm...not entirely sure how to answer this tbh.

10. your biggest squee moment of the year: I've received a lot of really nice comments on my stories this year, but there have been a handful left where I really felt...seen? if that makes sense. Like, the commenters wrote something where I felt like someone fully understood what I was trying to do, which doesn't always happen, and those have definitely been exciting moments for me.

Self-service tagging today!

[pythonmelon]

2024 New-to-Me Media

In 2022 I started keeping track of all the new books/movies/games/etc that I got to experience, so I decided to post the 2024 list! Including basic thoughts on them-

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells- I highly recommend this series of novels and novellas, they're fun, emotionally resonant sci-fi with some extremely cool premises for setpieces and action

True stories (1986)- Honestly I half-watched this one at a friend's house but it was very funny and charming, the Talking Heads are there

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri- I need to read more poetry and older writing in general, it gives so much to how I see modern media and people of the past. The narration was a bit dry on my audiobook but that is not the fault of the text.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle- Charming for what it is, I can see why its held up as a kid's story for as long as it has but it is also so very of its time.

The summer war (2009)- I expected this to bit more action/cartoon than it was going in but I found a really good family story in there. It's an excellent watch

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams- Its everything it's touted as, clever and witty and dry, but I think reading it for the first time as an adult in 2024 really takes away from the punch. It's had so much influence on things after it that it almost feels superannuated

Dracula by Bram Stoker- This is technically my second go at Dracula, but the first one I was 12 and got bored with it. There is so much more to this book than any adaptation has given justice. I would die for Mina and Johnathan. Dracula is so funny

The Boy and the Heron (2024)- Another gorgeous and meaningful work from Studio Ghibli, and the first I have ever gotten to see in theatres. The pacing and storytelling feels a little disjointed at times, but it deserves a rewatch

Terrified (2018)- This horror film has an incredibly strong opening and first half, but unfortunately I think it falters in the climax. Definitely recommend though.

Just King Things (Ranged Touch network podcast)- An incredible, funny, academic analysis of all of Stephen King's books in publishing order. I have learned a lot and gotten so much cool context (and other reading reccomendations!) from it.

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon- An excellent little memoir on being nonbinary, worth a read on someone's experience

The Tommyknockers by Stephen King- This book is wild. It's like three books and way too long, but its an amazing look at King himself at the time in a metacontextual way. It's peak Weird King with a lot of his great emotional punches. There's a flying murderous coke machine.

Christine (1983)- It makes cars so sexy. It kind of lets all the main characters down. The gas station scene RULES.

Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King- King's throw at a shorter pure fantasy aimed at a (younger?) Audience. I get a lot out of it but it is another wild one.

The Shining by Stephen King- Stunning how long it took me to read this incredible staple work of King's. It manages to be so thoughtful and strange and haunting. The final act suuuucks but. Man it hits.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster- While charming and packed with puns, this would 100% be better in the movie or illustrated book version than the audiobook form I read it in

Fairy Tale by Stephen King- Hey this one fucks severely. One of my favorite King books now. Modern dark fantasy adventure that would fit right in as a Labyrinth-esque movie with a lot of grit and cynicism and thought on People. I loved it.

Revival by Stephen King- I think this suffers from a similar issue a lot of his books do with endings, but its so good through it. I enjoyed this one a lot, it loves rock and personal faults in a really great way.

Paradox Space Volume 1- I remember reading this comic when it was actually coming out. For Homestuck content- it is ok!

Homestuck made this world from the Ranged Touch network- A full, complete reread and discussion of homestuck but the method is great- it focuses on not just discussion from an experienced reader and a totally new one, but cultural and fandom contextualization of Hussie and all their works from the very beginning. Its so interesting.

The Dark Tower by Stephen King- I actually started this one in 2021 and then chickened out because I was so anxious about ending this bizarre trek through King's widest and most personal work. It's weird. It has punch. I cannot say it doesn't fit. It is worth the read.

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree- A charming and incredibly well written little fantasy slice of life, its a little dry for me but very sweet.

Electric Dreams (1984)- You can tell this was directed by someone who makes music videos. It is so fascinated with early computers. I wish there was a little more to it, especially Edgar, but it sticks with me.

Graveyard Shift (1990)- The ultimate pro-union movie. There's so many rats. The acting is weird. The credits song is WILD. I love it.

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett- You'll see this put me on a Discworld bender that carried me through the end of the year. I had only read one Discworld book before this (Mort, many years ago) and it ate me alive. If you have a gender and like monsters, this is THE book.

Watership down by Richard Adams- Another excellent and interesting read. It actually had the same reader as The Divine Comedy and it did not benefit from it, it was so dry, but again it is not the fault of the book and I highly recommend it.

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett- I can feel this influencing my writing already. I love Tiffany. It has so much emotional resonance. It is endlessly charming.

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree- everything I said about the first one goes for this. It has different strengths and faults, but is still well written and relaxing.

Fever Dreams by Dev Solovey- A brand new novella with some INCREDIBLE horror and some bafflingly punchy and well-timed jokes, all about nightmares and trans victory and surviving despite it all. Cannot recommend enough.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie- Another that did not benefit from the reader not giving enough of a performance to the characters, it is a lovely little mystery that is a classic for a reason. I love when a lot of characters are smug and charming and strange.

Shark Side of the Moon (2022)- This movie is stupid and bad. It KNOWS its stupid and bad. It has shark titties in it. 10/10

Death Note (2017)- I have not read or seen the original Death Note. This one is ALSO stupid and bad. They really want to soften Light and the casting/Americanization is weird. Why is the girlfriend the villain

The Book of Bill by Alex Hirsch- Hirsch knows where his audience is. This one is so funny and visually interesting and strong, especially for Gravity Falls fans who were there at the start.

Dr. Sleep by Stephen King- A fitting and really cool sequel to The Shining. Its definitely a sort of... softer King? But it has such surprisingly sweet takes about life and death to it and the horror is just as King as ever (good and bad but definitely sticks with you). Another I really enjoyed and recommend

Prince of Darkness (1987)- Man, I like John Carpenter and the concept SHOULD be amazing but this one misses. It spends so much time justifying its own premise that it does not do any good character work. Its also grossly misuses an Alice Cooper cameo AND song. What the hell man

Renfield (2023)- So glad I gave this one a try. Fucking wild. Nic Cage is doing amazing as Dracula. It vibes.

Shocker (1989)- This movie is too long and a little confused but it is so fucking weird. It pulls off being baffling and sometimes funny. I enjoyed it?

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett- This one is ALSO excellent. It is clever, compelling, one of my favorite Discworld books so far and definitely my favorite book about the logistics of the postal service

Great God Grove by Limbo Lane games- What a stunning, funny, charming followup to Smile For Me. More on trauma, self value, inherent queerness and the value of communication. Its also just cute. Check it out.

Evil Bong (2006)- Baffling. Terrible. Had a blast.

Thud! By Terry Pratchett- The mystery is the most compelling part of this and like all Pratchett books so far it has a lot to say. Not my favorite, but I am not putting down Discworld yet at all

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett- While not quite as strong as The Wee Free Men, it is a worthy and thoughtful followup with a lot of feeling and interesting ideas.

Making Money by Terry Pratchett- Again a worthy followup that is not quite as strong as the previous book. I like what it is doing with the characters, but I still do not understand the banking system.

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)- Lot of boobs. I think it misses out on some opportunities but hey, what can you do. Boobs

[longlistshort]

Chris Marker’s 1983 poetic travelogue Sans Soleil brings something new with every rewatch. The film consists of footage, some stock and some of Marker’s own work, taken around the world, with a focus primarily on Japan and Guinea-Bissau. Along with these images, a narrator (Alexandra Stewart in the English version) reads from the letters she received from the fictitious cameraman. Within these letters are his thoughts on memory, history, culture, and life itself.

On this viewing it was his mention of Sei Shonagon, a lady in waiting to Princess Sadako in Japan at the beginning of the 11th century, and her lists, that stood out for me.

He says:

“Do we ever know where history is really made? Rulers ruled and used complicated strategies to fight one another. Real power was in the hands of a family of hereditary regents; the emperor’s court had become nothing more than a place of intrigues and intellectual games. But by learning to draw a sort of melancholy comfort from the contemplation of the tiniest things this small group of idlers left a mark on Japanese sensibility much deeper than the mediocre thundering of the politicians. Shonagon had a passion for lists: the list of ‘elegant things,’ ‘distressing things,’ or even of ‘things not worth doing.’ One day she got the idea of drawing up a list of ‘things that quicken the heart.’ Not a bad criterion I realize when I’m filming…”

Finding things, however small, that “quicken the heart” is a lovely criterion for life in general and this film is certainly on the list.

After watching Sans Soleil, and researching Marker, I watched one of his earlier works, the science fiction featurette  La Jetée. Constructed using still images, it contains only one brief shot made with a movie camera.

Using voice over narration, the short film takes place after World War III and tells the story of a prisoner in a post-apocalyptic Paris forces to time travel to the past and future in the hopes of saving the present. The man has a vivid memory from his childhood before the war of a woman he had seen at the airport, just before witnessing a man’s death. Through his time travel he is able to meet and develop a relationship with her as an adult. Time and memory, themes also present in Sans Soleil, were subjects Marker retained an interest in exploring in many of his films throughout the years.

La Jetée would go on to influence many artists, musicians, and filmmakers over the years. One of the most famous examples is Terry Gilliam’s movie 12 Monkeys which uses several of the film’s concepts of time travel.

Criterion Collection has released both movies together along with Marker’s six minute film Junktopia, and other extras. For more information on his filmography, Catherine Lupton has written a very informative essay on their website.

[benefits1986]

<expecto>_<patronum>

Healing the inner child means going into the woods not to be stuck, but to revisit the lessons of all the adventures and misadventures.

One reason why I don't buy any Harry Potter Lego set is because it's perpetually added to my cart and I'm waiting for a legit price drop. I'm not keen on buying it online, too. There's a certain kind of kick whenever I pass by a Lego store even when I abhor yellow. And the prices are not joking, too. After 38 years, here I am finishing off my first ever intricate piece which is the Expecto Patronum set.

My brother egged me that since I'm innately bored and severely impatient, chances are, I'd end up asking his panganay, a Gen Alpha Lego fan to build it for me. Hinamon tayo. I spent my Saturday building up this set. I have errands in between. To capture the mood, I also rewatched The Prisoner of Azkaban. I told myself that it was about time for another encore.

Of course, I knew the scenes, but this time around, the subtext hits differently. Here's my tiny list of reminders which I must say is totes JIT.

1 The pain of losing someone you love will never end. But, choosing not to shut down any form of intimate connections will make that unfathomable and eternal pain worthless.

LUH. Boogsh. Ang aga-aga mo na naman, dhzai. I'll explain this once the right time comes. For now, I'm leaving it here as is, where is.

2 Dementors are depression blows. Their kiss signifies the spiral that leads to the most ego-shattering and heart-crushing meltdowns.

I've been putting off this thought for a long time, however, we're growing up and biking our way through this short life.

3 Patronus is the tiny spark that you have no matter how fucked up things get. That tiny spark is enough to let your light shine at its dullest and brightest, too. Choose your own adventure na lang talaga.

When Harry waited for James to save him during a near-encounter featuring the almost lifeless Sirius Black, Hermione told him it's impossible for James to do so. Harry felt so defeated because it meant his Mirror of Erised wish was but a fallacy, after all. Harry grumpily held up his wand and produced a really crazy-ass Patronus charm... a first, and an epic one, by the way.

Rewatching this yesterday made my tummy knot. OA na naman kasi malimit talaga nonchalant na ako when watching Harry Potter movies. Panget ng SFX pati CGI. Pati lifting from the books. LELS.

This is where I say that even when JK Rowling is obviously very ugh in terms of being anti-trans people among other cancel-worthy pakawala niya consistently, you separate the art from the artist.

The way she does subtext is just so magical and mundane. Grabehan. Iba talaga 'pag ang kwento mo ay hugot na hugot sa mga graphic lived experience like pagbasa ng mga letters from those na trapped sa conflicts na bloody, noh? Iba e. From the pusali, the pusakals, and the putang inang why naman kasi may ganito sa earth levels, however, it's a reminder to just do it, all for the greater good. Always. EMS. Kahit mahirap saka nakakatamad. LUH.

4 We are good and bad sentient beings. We're all guilty and not guilty, however, what matters most is choosing the things that take us closer to what defines us and what doesn't.

The scene where Voldemort tried to get into Harry hit so differently yesterday. It's very graphic in an untog sa marmol na pader or as toilet bowl vibe level. I said this so many times, but let me reshare: We are the choices we choose. In the same manner, we don't realize that we are also the choices we did not choose. Parang mas maganda lapag niyang statement na 'yan today. Or baka nga, super aga pa at maganda ang PL natin rn.

5 Bullying and being the bully is a legit combo for a fucked up adult life. It's pretty much like high school all day, every day.

As a batang 90s, for me, bullying and being the bully are part of the grind. Ganun talaga noon even for Gen X and Gen Z. Siguro for boomers, mga about war and post-war 'yung trauma.

The thing is that these triggers also fire you up and knock you out. Baka ako lang 'yan a. My rule of thumb remains the same: Bully ka ba or ikaw nambu-bully? Subukan mong 'wag magsimula lalo na't 'pag kaya mo namang palampasin. Also, 'pag sinimulan ka, siguruhin mong tatapusin mo at dudurugin mo ng pinong-pino. LOL.

I'll keep it here na lang muna because I'm dealing with a trigger na tinatawid natin na kinda recent. Hahahahahaha. Itatawid natin 'to ng pinong-pino with a baseball bat. Abangan! Hirap to choose peace pero we're trying our best to get there, kaso, wala e. Trigger is real na real. So far, the bright side is winning kahit g na g na g talaga ang dark side lalo kapag may any window ng shit na naganap. So, disengage na muna para less chances of pulling the trigger.

Lesson: 'Wag na 'wag ka na talagang magpalampas ng mga ungas kahit joke lang. ;-) Para ma-easyhan mo lang ang pinong-pinong pagtatapos na mala-baseball bat ang hagupit. And I, thank you.

6 Will you may turn back time, the truth is that you can never freeze time and the memories that come with it.

Syempre, feel na feel ko na Harry-Dumbledore kami ng nanay ko at tito kong mga Taurus. Eto na naman po. Sumisibat. However, I'm at the point of no return. WAW. Sana etong time na 'to e sa ngalan na ng pakak 14 going 40, ano po. Again, 'di ko sure if I'll reach 40, but, sige. Sa ngalan ng Europa at mga Harry Potter sets on the way to Diagon Alley and Platform 9 3/4, subukan natin.

There were so many delulu solulu times na gusto ko ng Time-Turner 'yung birthday wish ko. HAHAHAHA. Kasi feeling ko talaga, I can save my mom and my tito. 'Yung kaya ko pang itawid na mga senior citizens slaying life sila levels. Pero, mhie. Iyak-tawa ang ending. Kasi nga, their health conditions are slaying the trolls in the dungeons.

Matigas ulo ko e. Legit din. So, habang walang bakas most of my birthdays when they expired o kaya naman may malalang BTS mga pa-birthday surprises sa akin, gets ko na. Okay? Okay na! Hahahahaha. Tanggap ko na kahit ayoko pa rin 100% na: Time wasted beautifully is not wasted time.

Mom is time-rich. Tito is cash-rich. Both of them super OA na nonchalant ang takada. Passive-aggressive levels: Out of this cosmos. OCD: Wagas pero 'di halata unless may task na nilapag.

O 'di ba? Both ended their stories before they reached their 60s. Mga Taurus talaga cancer ng universe ko. LOL. And while I'm gonna be dealing with this twin loss na colossal damage talaga sa human nature ng noona n'yo, andito na tayo sa point na sige na nga. Sige na. Tama na pag-replay ng scenes to punish myself na ano pa bang dapat at hindi ko dapat ginawa? Finally? Sana! We're taking it one day at a time na ngayong H2 onwards. EMS.

Syempre, andun pa rin ako sa "almost is never (ever) enough" in Venti, pero, medyo may character arc development na tayo salamat sa pag-focus sa mga bagay na out of focus the past 12 years like: You can only do so much, so tumigil ka na diyan sa mga what if mo ng nakaraan, mhie. Malaki na bat wings and apron belly mo for those shit na poetic pero horrific. Lekat ka. Pak.

I can go on and on but, let's practice restraint. EME. Akala mo naman napaka legit ng mga lessons e 95% completion pa lang ang Expecto Patronum kasi nga, bobo tayo sa mga left and right and perspective. Eto 'yung time na gusto ko call a friend 'yung tagaggawa ko ng drafting plates ages ago na walang kapalit maliban sa kasungitan ko. HAHAHAHAHA. Pero big girl na tayo kaya isang leg na lang kulang and we're officially off to our next Lego build, baby.

[hollow-keys]

For the Doctor Who Asks: 2.0 game- All of the questions! (Or all of the ones that you feel like answering.)

Okay, alright!

1. Why do you love Doctor Who so much?

I'm a big fan of sci-fi in general honestly and always have been, especially if it has a lot of media to pick and choose from and lore to sink my teeth into. Doctor Who is specifically very interesting as a time travel show with a rotating cast and media in several different formats which lends itself to perpetual change and creativity and you can revisit prior eras without derailing the current one.

2. Which Doctor would you most want to travel with?

Two or Three. It's no secret that I love Two, Jamie and Zoe so it is ofc a dream to hang out with my faves. Three is kind and considerate of his companions but he's also the realest when people cross him so I think he'd be nice without being Too Nice yk. I made a joke post about this, but he wouldn't beg the Master to regenerate after tormenting his friends and the entire planet for a year (looking at you, Ten).

3. Which Doctor and Companions would be your perfect Tardis team?

My fave canon team is Two, Jamie and Zoe (Though Five, Tegan and Turlough is also great) but a non canon team? Uhhh. Two, Jamie and Tegan could be fun because she's a strong personality like Zoe but also a layperson like Jamie. I've already said Jamie and Leela in another post (sensing a pattern but he is my guy), Bill could be great on pretty much any team as a true everyperson because she truly is just Normal. Like, the other TARDIS team members are arguing and she just says something that seems obvious in retrospect but nobody else thought of. She can just cut through bullshit frfr.

4. Would you rather hang out with Jamie Mccrimmon or Sarah Jane Smith?

Jamie. Sorry Sarah Jane but he's my guy.

5. Classic Who or New Who?

Classic. NuWho takes itself so seriously sometimes like it's trying too hard to be Mature™ and distance itself from the "silly show for nerds" reputation the Classic series got. I appreciate the budget and the added emphasis on emotional arcs but watching the Doctor go through the same character arc again and again and make a speech about how much murder they've done and how ~morally ambiguous~ they are at least once per season is tiring. This is why later One era, Two, Three and Early Four is peak Doctor Who to me. They're just a bit of a tetchy guy travelling the universe and helping people.

6. Would you rather be a Dalek or a Cyberman?

Would I rather be shot or shot? Hmm. If I choose Cybermen can I be one of the good ones like Bill?

7. What's your favourite story from each Doctor 1-15

Okay, That's tough so I'll give a maximum of 3 per Doctor.

One: Planet of the Giants, The Celestial Toymaker and The War Machines

Two: The Evil of the Daleks, The Mind Robber and The War Games

Three: The Mind of Evil, Day of the Daleks and The Three Doctors

Four: The Arc in Space, The Sun Makers, and State of Decay

Five: Castrovalva, Earthshock and Frontios.

Currently on Six's era and not familiar with Seven or Eight.

I don't remember most of NuWho well enough to comment rn (planning on a rewatch once I'm done with Classic) but for Tenteen (who shouldn't be a separate Doctor to Ten but whatever) it's obviously Wild Blue Yonder and 15 only has two stories which are both kinda mid.

8. Do you think any creatures have been overused? If so, which ones?

Yes. Daleks, Cybermen and to a lesser extent, the Master. The Daleks are a one trick pony, and their one trick can be done better by other villains. The Cybermen are interesting but aren't always utilised effectively/are overused. The Master is more versatile as a three dimensional character and a Time Lord who can regenerate and therefore, change personality but is still sometimes overrelied on where re/introducing other three dimensional villains would have more variety.

9. Who is your favourite Doctor Who writer?

Umm, I don't really have favourite writers? I have stories I enjoy but I don't really have a specific writer where I'm like "This guy gets it!"

10. What is your favourite piece of music from Doctor Who?

And if I say the theme tune is that a cop out? It's just so good.

11-15. Are about Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures and I've never watched Torchwood and can't remember enough about SJA.

Thanks for asking!

[haus-mom]

YEAH they used to use a lot of slang that feels surreal to see in an anime, but they go over it so well that it's as if it was part of the original script

shortly after reblogging i remembered they also changed dekapan's named, but they just named him gallumbos which is slang for underpants so.

WHEN IT COMES TO SHIN-CHAN THEY WENT OFF THE SHITS THOUGH. THEY MADE SEVERAL WHOLE ASS ALBUMS OF THE VOICE ACTORS SINGING REGGAETON AND OTHER POPULAR SPANISH (referring to the language this time) SONGS. THERE'S OFFICIAL AUDIO OF SHIN-CHAN SINGING GASOLINA AND IT'S REAL. (even though it's not his usual voice actor but it's still so surreal)

p good timing because i've been rewatching the shin-chan movies and posting my reactions on discord so i have a few good quotes

(everything under the read more is fully in spanish sorry other mutuals reading this </3)

(esto no es una traducción pero pues. ya sabes jfebher)

ESTE NECESITA UN POCO DE CONTEXTO. CREO en las pelis antiguas solían colocar a okamas, y en esta, que es la primera, supongo que no tenían mucha base y no sabían cómo traducirlo, así que simplemente le llamaron gay y siguieron con su vida. reblog si eres el gay más cruel y despiadado que existe (le saqué clip pero no lo encuentro </3)

(en japonés es "reino bootybooty capital boooty")

(más tarde en esta película shin-chan menciona a una presentadora de noticias que le gusta. en japonés. en español habla de una modelo/actriz de la vida real que no recuerdo cómo se llamaba. luego en la película sale la presentadora, pero dejaron a la actriz porque querían ser relevantes. they truly commit to the bit)

(aquí es que se presentó diciendo que "bambalabamba" es su palabra favorita)

al villano de esta película, unkokusai, le cambiaron el nombre a karakaka, por cierto

en japonés decían "sugoi na, sugoi desune", así que cartas molonas mola que te molaré es apto. esto... ¿cuando salió esta película? recuerdo haberla visto con más o menos la edad de shin-chan lmao

la película de las bolas perdidas (?) la vi con mi hermano irl, así que no tengo pantallazos, pero incluso hoy en día se hablan leyendas sobre las mariconchis ("cataplines" es slang para testículos por cierto)

este personaje está todo el rato soltando chistes estúpidos y son tan estúpidos que cuando vi la película me reí en voz alta y todo jbgherbr (no sé si por ahí también, pero aquí "besugo" puede significar estúpido, aparte del pescado fjerhbgjer)

esto no sé si es cosa del doblaje o en el original también era así. la película va sobre balnearios, el por qué star wars es un misterio que solo los traductores conocen

esto no es del doblaje, pero lo añado porque quedé muy confusa jhebrghr

también cambiaron "c-o-sun" por heroman, que es más genérico, pero supongo que funciona porque no sé a qué referencia exactamente c-o-sun

dentro de lo que cabe tampoco he visto tantas en este rewatch (HAY COMO. 30. SOCORRO) (quería ir a ver la de la academia tenkasu porque salió aquí en cines pero me daba corte ir sola (y aun más pedirselo a alguien) así que no fui 😭creo que cuando la vea me va a gustar mucho porque kazama es mi bebé niño lindo, pero es... la 28 creo, así que aun me queda XD)

en cuando a keroro gunsou, es una serie sobre unas ranitas extraterrestres que quieren dominar la tierra pero como son incompetentes (y vagos. y tienen amigos en la tierra) pues... no lo hacen

NO VOY A MENTIR y creo que esto lo he mencionado varias veces, pero yo descubrí qué era el ser gay por esta serie, fue un arco de personaje súper intenso (?)

en fin, que los doblaron los mismos que doblaron shin-chan, y la serie es igualmente bastante absurda, así que aquí le fue bastante bien

no recuerdo clips en específico porque hace mucho que no veo la serie (aunque está gratis online de forma legal) y si te gusta ososan te tiene que gustar esta. de hecho tengo por este blog un fanart que reblogeé de las ranitas de keroro con osomatsu (keroro/verde), choromatsu (giroro/rojo) y karamatsu (dororo/azul). y luego yo llegué a la conclusión de que tamama/marino, la ranita CANÓNICAMENTE GAY que hizo que me diese cuenta de que la gente homosexual existe, es literalmente todomatsu

aquí está el opening, que no sé por qué antes teníamos la manía de cambiar la letra de los openings de anime para que tratasen sobre la serie, tú mira lo que le hicimos al opening del primer digimon XD aunque el opening original era bastante absurdo, hablaba de incidentes de la vida diaria, como que te llueva justo el día que se te olvidó el paraguas. aquí está el ending, el cual es una obra maestra, por cierto

y los simpsons es de esas cosas que hay tantos ejemplos que no sabes por dónde empezar, pero el más icónico es el "a que te tiro", que no está en ningún doblaje, pusieron la cancioncilla más que nada porque les apetecía XD

Y o u @haus-mom

You can't just come into my tags, announce that Spain renamed Hatabo "Hatabo Metenabo" and Totoko "Totoko Metoko" and leave like that? Get back here and spill the whole tea. What the heck did they do with Shin-chan.

[a-random-whovian7]

*LONG POST WARNING*

What your favourite New Who Companion says about you (absolutely no offence meant towards anyone, this is just for fun):

Rose: Either the most vanilla person alive, or an RTD era purist. Has spent years fighting for the honor of the RTD era. Ships Ten and Rose to the degree that they shudder at the thought of the Doctor having a relationship with someone else. Is constantly at war with Amy stans. Part of the reason for the RTD enjoyer vs Moffat fan civil war. Usually nice in real life, and quite nostalgic for the Tennant era, so usually OK to be friends with. Unless they say Mickey was treated fairly, at which point, you should run.

Mickey: One of the most kind-hearted, empathetic people, who saw how Mickey was mistreated by Rose in S2 and immediately just wanted to check if he was OK. Is able to hold decent relations with Rose stans due to Mickey's character development after the relationship, and has a surprisingly strong alliance with Rory fans. Was gutted when they heard about Noel Clarke's horrible behaviour and actions.

Adam: Let's be real, we all forgot this guy existed and for good reason.

Captain Jack: Every night, they lie in bed, haunted by the ghost of Torchwood. Loved seeing Jack again in S12, but felt disappointed after his lack of presence in Revolution of the Daleks. Has modelled several aspects of their personality on the Captain, and has the dating life (or lack thereof) to prove it. Cried at the deaths of Ianto and John Barrowman's career.

Martha: Basically Rose fans, except with slightly more indie music taste. Either that, or a person who knows how integral Martha is to 10's character arc. Has attempted to defend the "Space Jesus" scene a couple of times, and cried with happiness when Harbo Wholmes said that it worked in his review. Has a bit of a patchy relationship with Rose stans due to the Doctor's rebound arc, gets along better with Donna stans due to the fact that S4 acknowledged that 10 mistreated Martha. Generally has good taste and is nice to be around, just don't mention how undeveloped her relationship with Tom was.

Donna: Either a child of the late 90s/early 2000s who had the joy of watching New Who at it's peak in 2008, a person who really appreciates great character writing and an excellent series, or someone who just wanted a break from the companion having a romantic subplot. Often gets into heated arguments with Amy stans by (correctly) saying that Series 4 was better than Series 5. Uses Donna's funny dialogue and quips to hide the fact they are still recovering from one of the cruellest companion exits in the show. Generally nice, but very defensive of The Doctor's Daughter.

Wilf: I love these guys. Knows that a) Wilf is the single best character in the entirety of New Who and b) he counts as a companion. Has the best possible taste, and is an absolute joy to be around as a result of it. An emotional wreck after every single rewatch of The End of Time, especially now that the legendary Bernard Cribbins has left us. Has excellent relations with Donna stans, and was similarly overjoyed when they heard about the 60th. Refuses to admit that The End of Time would have possibly worked better as a 90 minute special.

Amy: Definitely has followed the eons-old teaching of "gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss" at some point. Refuses to admit A Good Man Goes to War was mid and that Amy really badly mistreated our sweet prince Rory in a large chunk of S5. Is really happy that Karen Gillan made it big in Hollywood. Friendly unless you say you prefer Rose to Amy. Could not be comforted after that cameo in Time of the Doctor.

Rory: Their favourite episode is usually The Girl Who Waited. Loyal, friendly, introverted and lovable, they of course identify with Rory's slightly long-suffering but accepting and funny character. Understandably annoyed at how Amy mistreated Rory in S5, but happy that S6 & 7A fixed that marriage. Thanks to Rory waiting for 2000 years, their bar for any personal relationship has been set insanely high. Celebrated when the BBC actually allowed Arthur Darvill to style his hair in S7A. Had to check Rory was definitely dead at the end of Angels Take Manhattan due to Moffat killing him whenever more tension was needed in a story.

River Song: Divided into two groups. Those who like River Song's more nuanced appearances in Silence in the Library, A Good Man Goes to War and The Husbands of River Song are awesome. Those who prefer the episodes that Moffat wrote with one hand, less so. Was overjpyed to see the Moffat Era reappraisal of 2020, only to be slightly disappointed when people said S6 was his weakest series. Wierdly enough, gets along nicely with all other companion stans. Has definitely said "Hello sweetie" to their partner/partners/friends/pets. If they prefer 12 and River to 11 and River, pass them the aux on a long journey (trust me on this one).

Clara: From my personal experience, there is a 60% chance that they are a closeted bisexual. Doesn't get why Clara was so overhated, especially in S9. Is wierdly OK with admitting that Victorian Clara was slightly more interesting to begin with, but knows that the character worked so well in 12's era. If they ship 11 and Clara, keep an eye on them. They haven't fully earned your trust yet.

Bill: Heterosexuality was never an option. Gets along well with Clara stans, as they both know how much the 12th Doctor's era s l a p p e d. Had their emotions mangled during the S10 finale, but fortunately came out intact thanks to that puddle and a happy-ish ending. Loved that Bill called 12 out on his bullshit and asked all the trivial questions we were all thinking. Singlehandedly drove the Moffat Era reappraisal over quarantine. Has the best fashion sense out of all the stans.

Nardole: A terrifying enigma. Looked at all the companions with complex stories, interesting arcs and major development, but instead went with the comic relief. Yes, Nardole is funny and a great support character, but... er... how? They can be nice. They can also be fans of Little Britain, which is a red flag. It's a roll of the dice.

Graham: Bradley Walsh was the highlight of the slightly undervalued S11, and they know it. Definitely has the vibe of being 10+ years older than they actually are in terms of attitude, but in the best way. Has definitely owned a pair of cords in their life. Goes into Doctor Who just looking for a fun hour of entertainment rather than lore. Great to hang out with. They always bring snacks.

Ryan: Tries to ignore the fact that Ryan has the most fucking insulting depiction of dyspraxia in any form of media (sorry, I have dyspraxia, and the way it was treated in S11 & 12 just really rubbed me the wrong way), but is also helpful and really in favour of spreading awareness. We're cool for now.

Yaz: One of the nicest, most well-intentioned people you will ever meet, always defending the underdog, supporting others and just being sweeter than a tea with six sugars, but also a master of illusion. Has read so many fan fictions, seen so much fan art and shipped Thasmin so much that they have tricked themselves into thinking Yaz is a three-dimensional, well-written character whose story was not completely made up on the go by Chibnall. Little more than a defeated husk after Power of the Doctor, being rewarded for all those years of fanfics, shipping and defending the era with a couple of longing stares and some hastily written "will they/won't they" scenes before 13 unceremoniously booted Yaz out of the TARDIS. Thinks Demons of the Punjab is the best 13 episode when it is really The Haunting of Villa Diodati.

Dan: Is more of a fan of John Bishop and his charisma than they are a fan of Dan, or is a terminally online person who thinks quoting "Evil Dan" videos makes them the funniest human alive (it really doesn't).

Want more of this for some reason? Try your Favourite Doctor or Favourite Master