#second half was kinda too pixar
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Saw Wild Robot last night and was compelled to paint some Canadian Geese! These are literally ✨everywhere✨ in my city (Ottawa), and tbh never thought I'd want to paint them, but here we are!
#canada goose#canadian goose#geese#bird art#bird#wild life#nature#my art#digital art#this movie was incredible#especially the first half#second half was kinda too pixar
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so what did you think of the oscars? as someone who has seen it, i don't think anora deserved half of those awards and i'm sad the seeds of the sacred fig and nosferatu got nothing
… You think i have the energy to stay up all night watching the Oscars?? Girl i'd forgotten it was even that week-end 💀 My tradition with the Oscars is to sleep soundly and read about the results online while eating breakfast. Then, i look up the dresses to check if Lupita Nyong'o is still the only person in Hollywood with a good, normal-brained stylist (yes she is).
Unfortunately i could tell Seeds of the Sacred Fig would not get anything the minute I'm Still Here started picking up steam. (And good for them, tbf, it's a great film with a remarkable female role/performance. It just kinda breaks my heart for SSF's team :( I think the slightly too long editing killed the film unfortunately.) At least the evil that shall not be named is defeated. And hey, Flow got best animation! Make that two evils (the second is Disney/Pixar sequels).
#replies#djuvlipen#i'm being a little mean to inside out 2#it is good. just not *1.7 BILLION* good#if i made the rules disney would not win another animation award for the next ten years as punishment for Frozen
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Good Stuff: Pixar’s Soul
SPOILERS AHEAD
Reviewing animation is a passion of mine; you probably know that if you’ve followed me long enough. I enjoy doing it for everything new that comes as much as the good stuff of yore. I can’t tell you why I got into it long as I have or if I should consider a full time gig of it, all I know it’s that it’s as much my passion as many other things in my life. That really is a piece to a personal puzzle I’ve developed as I watched Soul, this film from a studio that I admittedly wasn’t sure if it could get its groove back after it felt like they were stumbling a bit. The SparkShorts are good, but Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4, and Onward especially didn’t resonate with me. Didn’t tell me Pixar stood out as much as they in the “Golden Era”. This one did, and let me say it kinda cut deep.
Off the bat, as I understand that the trailers were quite a turn-off, I came to know before watching this that they weren’t trying to reveal everything. Honestly, the trailers were purposefully misleading as the most of what we got from the “Inside Out Knock-Off Blue Blob” world was a little over the first twenty minutes and the very, very end for the climax, less than you’d believe. It is the point I wasn’t too invested in with how simple it all felt; it’s basically if Microsoft or Google developed your birthright. It luckily doesn’t blow smoke up the ass with the way it runs things, takes more shots at ethical philosophy than any religion I could think of, but there’s good reason why we’re not in this world for very long. The Soul world did it’s purpose, but a little too well because it really wasn’t interesting outside the bond between Joe and 22 and a few laughs. Like I said though, we aren’t in it too long before we jump back to Earth with something I should’ve expected with this film but was still blown aback. I’m talking BODY SWAPPED ADVENTURE, Baby! [[SPOILERS AHEAD]]
Far Enjoyable than Your Name, don’t at me
A good chunk of the film has 22 in Joe’s body, Joe in a therapeutic cat’s body, and I’m surprised at how much engaging it was. It helps that 22 is never by any means a nuisance and they actually pull off the mechanics behind the trope well where it doesn’t feel like 22 in Joe’s body is annoyingly all over the place once she gets used to it. Weird that all of New York didn’t seem to give a shit about a middle-aged man stumbling in nothing but a medic robe, but never crossed that line for me to say, “Okay, this shit is stupid.” But what really makes this, basically the majority of Soul work, is Joe (or 22) interacting with the city.
If there’s one great takaway for this, it’s indeed the musicality for the New York life. The barbershop, the subway, the jazz club, the tailor suite run by Joe’s mother, the living streets really make this city feel like a character in its own right. I say this film makes every person we meet count for something. The devil’s truly in the details; every location has a story to tell as well as remind viewers, myself especially, of people and places so close to life. The story paces along nicely too as we get to the “main event” before getting to the moment that made me cry the second time. I cried a total of four times, mostly in the latter half of the film because that was where things were certainly coming together. That was where, I doubt intentionally, the film hit me in the heart more than I could’ve imagined with the simple thought:
I was Joe and 22, and I still am from time to time
Sappy consideration, I know, but to get a little philosophical & personal for a bit. This film is generally about the direction of your life. Joe had a direction set in stone for himself to play the hottest jazz gig despite professedly doing/trying nothing else big with his life, living actively average you’d say. 22, the number which can mean “coming and going” since it’s a palindrome, has no direction despite being capable of understanding everything. As of now, I may only be in my early twenties, but I’ve felt like I’ve been both these characters at the same time, like a eternally spinning coin. I can feel directionless, having no clue to who I really want to be, but I know there is passion in me somewhere that I myself haven’t figured out yet but push forward with every major choice I make. I have both felt like I’ve done nothing and can’t do anything in life despite making it this far. But if there’s anything this film showed me, it’s that it’s alright.
If there’s anything that I can say describes Pete Doctor’s direction with this and Inside Out, it’s that he makes the most basic and simple human truths feel necessary, welcoming, and especially otherworldly. With Inside Out saying “it’s good to be more emotive”, Soul tells me “it’s good to enjoy the simple things in life.” Not to say you should live average and accept it, nor is every big moment you have will/should impact you the same way or the way you wanted, but appreciate those moments where things just go your way for a change. Where you can just look at the world, take a deep breath, and just feel comfortable with yourself to live another day. This isn’t a particularly surprising message, but it works because it fulfills everything it built up. Who else but Joe on that day, finally getting what he wanted after so long, can feel empty from it as opposed to the moments where he got to enjoy those enjoyably average moments he didn’t think he’d get along the way? And who else but him could show 22 that living doesn’t mean having a purpose or having that purpose in your mind 24/7.
You can just... live as everything does.
This film isn’t as honest as Inside Out, especially with the whole concept of the Great Before, but it still offers that pragmatic advice in a way that definitely sticks. It can feel like this film came out at a bad time with the given circumstances of our reality, but it’s as much a simple pat on the back to tell you it’s okay. I figure the execution won’t be for everyone, the film isn’t perfect plotwise, but to me it’s definitely a golden, just as mature light for modern Pixar. A considerable classic that I hope is given well with time as much as a chance with all audiences.
4 Out of 5. A Soulful Sensation of a Film
#Soul#pixar soul#soul movie#pixar#disney#animation#cartoons#movies#analysis#reviews#long post#Good Stuff
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𝚁𝚎𝚍𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 (𝙼)
+ 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺: 𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘰𝘬’𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵?
+𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵: 7𝘬
+ 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘰𝘬/𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳
+ 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘹, 𝘷𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘬, 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘰𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴
𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 @gracieinworldofhope 𝗱(^_^𝗼)
On AO3
~
You and Hoseok have been roommates for.. for...
"Hoseok, how long have we been living together?" You look up at a sweaty Hoseok from your spot on the couch.
"I don't know, uh, maybe a year and a half?" Hoseok puts on a thinking face despite the fact that he was doing stretches in the middle of the living room. You nod.
You and Hoseok have been roommates for a year and a half.
Your parents were pretty against you living with a guy you weren't planning on dating or marrying, but you didn't really care. You needed someone to split rent with and Hoseok was your only longterm, financially trustable friend you had.
Recently, you'd gotten a well-paying job and you didn't need Hoseok as a roommate anymore, but you weren't gonna tell him that. By him staying as your roommate, you're able to save up some extra money and even-
Yeah, no. That's not why you wanted to keep Hoseok as your roommate.
To be completely honest, you've kind of grown attached to the friendly company and it feels so good being able to come home to someone.
And he smells so good.
You'd never admit that last part though.
Hoseok works as a dance choreographer. He's not famous or anything but he's fairly well known. So he's always stretching or dancing or practicing in the middle of the living room. When you first moved in, you really couldn't stand being in the same room as him when he practiced because he'd be all sweaty and wet and he smelled weird.
You really changed from back then.
You're not really sure what chemical imbalance in your brain was suddenly making you think Jung Hoseok was attractive. Well, he was attractive, always has been, but never in a way other than in a best friend sort of way.
"Hobi, don't- don't hug me after you exercise." His chest is so hard. his hands are so veiny. He smells so fucking good. Why does he smell so good?
"You're a lot different from when we first moved in together. You use to push me away, now you just get all flustered and cute." Hoseok's voice is breathless in your ear as he holds you in an awfully intimate back hug, your feet raising from the floor. You whine, struggling in his grasp.
"Put me down, Hoseokkk!" Don't put me down. Push me against the couch. Fuck me. Break me.
"As you wish." Hoseok laughs as he tosses you (not so gently) back onto the couch. "I'm gonna take a quick shower. Can you warm up the takeout in the fridge so we can eat?"
You give him a sound of approval and watch as he speeds down the hall and into the shared bathroom.
Hoseok had taken you out last night since you'd gotten a promotion. He bought you Chinese food then took you to a karaoke place that you've never heard of. Apparently renting private karaoke rooms was expensive, but he did it anyway. Thinking back on it, you two must've gotten some weird looks because why else do two people go out and do karaoke... alone. You try not to dwell on that too much and shove the beef low mien into the microwave.
You jump up to sit on the kitchen counter, watching the container spin around in the microwave. As the time ticks down from three minutes, you find yourself thinking about your roommate. You use to chastise yourself for daydreaming about Hoseok, especially if it was in any way... sexual, but these days you find yourself giving in to the thoughts. The thoughts about Hoseok in the shower. The thoughts about his hands gliding over his lean body as water poured over him.
You bite your lip and cross your legs. You were delving into an area of your mind that you didn't dare touch unless it was the late hours of the night. Regardless, you can't help wondering if Hoseok has ever touched himself while he was in the shower. You can't help wondering what he'd look like touching himself in the shower.
After living with him for so long, it would be a lie to say you haven't seen everything. To be honest, if you had to make a list of all the times you two have been exposed to each other, it would be abnormally long. There was that one time in college when you, him, and some mutual friends went skinny dipping. That was actually the first time you two met and the circumstances were a bit weird.
Then there was that time after he had just moved in, you walked in on him peeing. You couldn't help getting a quick look before fleeing the bathroom with a meek 'sorry'. And there was that time you thought you were home alone so you walked around in a big shirt, nothing underneath. Hoseok walked out of his room and got an eyeful.
So you didn't have to imagine what Hoseok's dick looked like.
You already knew full well.
You squeeze your thighs together in an attempt to relieve some of the tension and let out a quiet sigh. Then you make the mistake of imagining Hoseok coming all over his hands and the shower walls. The way his thighs would tremble slightly and the way his face would twist in pleasure. You like to think the face Hoseok makes when he comes is the same face he makes while dancing. Focused, lips between his teeth, chin tilted up, and hair stuck to his forehead. You almost find yourself snaking a hand between your legs when a door slamming and a loud voice snaps you out of your thoughts.
"Aishhhh, what are you doing? The microwave stopped how long ago and you're just sitting here staring at nothing." Hoseok gives you a raised eyebrow expression, humoring you slightly. "Kinda reminds me of Jungkookie, to be honest."
You uncross your legs and let out a cough that only seems awkward to you as Hoseok opens the microwave and takes out the container of food.
"Let's watch a movie and eat."
^^
Tonight is Friday so its Hoseok's turn to pick the movie.
He picked Wall-E.
Again.
He's made you watch it with him so many times that you think you have the script partially memorized. After bitching about it several times and seeing as he had no intention of changing the movie, you figured you might as well enjoy it the best you can.
"Aren't you cold? You're not under the blanket." The lights were all off except for the faint red LEDs you and him spent hours putting up a few weeks ago. The TV hummed with the familiar Pixar intro theme and the various snacks on the coffee table before you seemed to set the mood perfectly.
"I'm not cold, actually. I feel quite warm." You offer him a slow blink and a smile before turning your attention back to the TV. You were never one to refuse Hoseok's cuddles but you were feeling a little pent up and having him wrapped around you, his scent everywhere, especially after a shower, didn't seem like a bright idea.
"But I'm cold." You can hear the pout in his voice and you roll your eyes. Tempting, but no.
"If you're not in my arms within the next five seconds, I'll have no choice but to use force." Mock authority radiated from his voice and even if it wasn't real, the dominance in his tone made you want to scurry over to his lap and obey. Extremely tempting, but no.
"Five."
"You're not seriously counting right now."
"Four."
"Oh my fucking god, you're kidding me."
"Three."
"Hoseok, you're not my dad. You can't just-"
"Two. If you don't get over here I might have to get the belt." You almost choke at that. His attempt at a joke had somehow managed to make your whole body heat up.
"I- okay, stop, you- I'll cuddle with you, just... relax." That 'relax' was more directed at you than at him. A dimple-full smile graces his face as he opens his arms and pats the spot on his thighs. Very inviting of him.
"Ooh, goo goo! Look at the little baby all warm in daddy's arms!" Hoseok wraps his arms around your waist and pulls your back flush against his chest. If your thoughts weren't dangerous before, they were dangerous now.
"Don't say things like that, weirdo. Pay attention to the movie." Hoseok gives a disgruntled 'okay, okay' before relaxing with you on his lap.
At first, you're a bit hyperaware of the situation. You're sitting in Hoseok's lap and if you press your hips down just right...
No. You stop yourself there.
Hoseok smelled amazing, too. He usually smelled sweet, like artificially flavored candy. But you especially loved how he smelt after a shower because of his natural scent mixed with the rough yet refined fragrance of his body wash. Mm, you could breathe him in all day.
The movie continues fine from there. You respond how you usually do, laughing at the funny parts and whining at the sad parts. Around halfway through, though, you notice Hoseok is kind of shifting under you. You ignored it at first thinking he was trying to get comfy but the shifting has gone on for so long now that you think your ass bones are making him uncomfortable.
"Should I get up? I bet you can barely feel your legs right now." You lean your head back on his shoulder, tossing some caramelized popcorn into your mouth.
"H-huh?" His eyes go a bit wide like you'd caught him doing something he shouldn't. You make a confused face back.
"You keep shifting. If you're uncomfortable we can go back to how we normally cuddle?" Hoseok looks like he honestly contemplates it before opening his legs wider so you were sitting between his legs and keeping his arms wrapped around you.
"No, uh... no. I like having you like this. I mean, It's good. You're not making me uncomfortable." The exact opposite. You laugh then shift your focus back to the movie.
"If you're so sure."
When you wake up, the room is noticeably brighter and you're laying across the whole couch, a thin blanket covering your body. You rub the sleep and the crust out of your eyes before grabbing your phone off the coffee table.
It was 12 pm.
You toss your phone onto the floor and let out an annoyed groan. Not only did you miss your whole entire morning but your neck was a bit sore from sleeping on the couch. Hoseok had obviously meant well by putting a blanket over you while you slept but he couldn't at least carry you to your room? Well, you figure you shouldn't complain, it was a nice gesture.
You start to clean up the living room, tossing the empty cans and bags of chips in the trash before picking up the blanket that you left jumbled up on the couch.
"Hm. This isn't mine." You comment to no one but yourself as you play with the colorful throw in your hands. The only other person who lived here was Hoseok so it must be his.
You look down the hall at Hoseok's room. His door is open which usually meant he was either feeling very inviting or he was at work. Looking at the time, it was probably the latter. He won't be back till around six depending how long dance practice runs. You had the whole apartment to yourself today.
You peak through the open door just to make sure you were right and sure enough, you were. Hoseok's bed was empty, made neatly and tucked in the corner of his room. His window was open, a slight breeze wafting in and blowing his sheer curtains almost dramatically as you walked inside.
You plop yourself down on his bed, his blanket still in your arms. You'd only been in Hoseok's room a total of maybe nine times over the past year or so and most if not all of those times, Hoseok was there, too.
As you're sitting on his bed, you find yourself bringing his blanket up to your nose. You swear you don't do it on purpose, it was almost like an instinct. You inhale slightly, just to get a quick sniff and fuck. Yeah. That's definitely Hoseok's blanket.
You inhale deeper, this time letting out a quiet moan as you exhale. There were a few hints of yourself but that was understandable. You'd been sleeping in it for who knows how long. But besides that, you could clearly smell Hoseok's ambrosial scent.
As you lay back on his bed, you wonder why you're so easily affected by how he smells. It's a little weird to you but you can't help the way your body reacts when you breathe him in.
"Hoseok..." What are those things called..? Pheromones! Maybe Hoseok just has some crazy pheromones that are making you lose your head. That seems to be the most reasonable conclusion you can think of as you snake your hand down your belly and past the waistband of your shorts.
Were you seriously going to touch yourself in your roommate's room while smelling his blanket?
To be completely honest your mind was so clouded you genuinely couldn't see any problem with that.
You graze two of your fingers over your clit, a ripple of pleasure and relief washing over your body as you practically smothered yourself with the blanket. You've been pent up so long. When was the last time you touched yourself?
It doesn't take much to get you going. All you have to think about is Hoseok and you're already soaking. Hoseok after practice, Hoseok working out, Hoseok's face when he dances, Hoseok, Hoseok, Hoseok. You have a slight feeling saying his name any more than you already have might make him appear.
"Y/n? I'm back."
Wait, what..?
You pull your hands out of your shorts almost immediately, wiping the slick on your fingers on the blanket before throwing it back on the bed. You stand up just in time to see a familiar figure lean against the door frame.
"What are you doing in my room?" Hoseok crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow. There wasn't a hint of knowing in his voice and you relax a bit at that.
"Nothing, er... I was returning your blanket." You point to the jumbled fabric on the bed before making your way to the door. If you didn't leave now he was going to catch on.
As you're about to squeeze past him and make your escape, his arm blocks your path. He was taking up the whole doorway now. Great.
"Are you feeling okay? You're kinda sweaty. Do you have a fever?" Hoseok's hand moves to your forehead and you scramble to push the hand away. "You feel warm, too. Should I make you porridge?"
"I'm fine. I'm just- the apartment is just kinda hot." You chastise yourself for the awkward laugh you let out and it's obvious that Hoseok doesn't buy it. Regardless, he moves his arm so you can walk out of the room.
"Hey, wait..." You barely make it down the hall before Hoseok is grabbing your wrist and stopping you in your tracks. Just as you were about to celebrate your small victory of not getting caught, too.
"I need help packing away the groceries."
^^
"So you were out buying groceries?"
"Yeah..? What did you think I was doing?" Hoseok pulls out a gallon of milk and a few cartons of juice from a shopping bag before placing them on the kitchen counter.
"I thought you were at practice. I didn't think... you'd be back so soon." You look down slightly, avoiding eye contact as you take the produce from the counter and organize them inside the fridge. You could clearly feel Hoseok's eyes on you but you didn't dare look.
"Pfft, is that why you were so shocked when I found you in my room? You weren't really returning that blanket were you?" He said it in a joking manner but you're shocked that he caught on so quickly. You say nothing in response.
Just as you're about to put a carton of eggs into the fridge, Hoseok closes the door and spins you around, effectively pushing you back against the fridge door. The eggs you were holding slip out of your hands but that's the least of your worries. At the moment, Hoseok had you pushed against the fridge, his arms caging you in like you were in an anime. Seriously?
"You know, while I was taking Japanese in college, I learned that pushing someone against a wall like this is called 'kabedon'. I've always wanted to try it." He's so fucking close. Way too fucking close. His lips were mere inches away from yours and if he took one step closer, his hips would connect with yours.
"All of a sudden? I- you- why-" The words you wanted to say fizzle out of your head as you watch Hoseok's eyes drop to your lips as you stutter. He was definitely doing this shit on purpose. He loved seeing you flustered.
"What were you really doing in my room?" A smirk graces his lips when he sees you tilt your head down. In the most platonic way ever, he relished in the feeling of watching you submit to him.
"You- what- what are you thinking!" It was barely a question. Your mind flashes with images of what Hoseok could do to you in this position and you feel your body getting hotter (if that was even possible). You're pretty sure if you let this go on any longer you'd start panting in need. The room is deadly silent before you speak up again.
"The eggs..." You say meekly and Hoseok tilts his head to the side, confused until he looks down at the yellow liquid spilling from the half-opened carton at your feet.
"Oh, shit. Oops..." Sheepishly, Hoseok steps back but you don't move from your spot against the fridge. You felt frozen for a few seconds as you tried to regain the train of thought that Hoseok effortlessly managed to derail. "Ahh, those eggs were expensive, too. It was a 24 pack..."
"Maybe you should've considered that before pushing me against the fridge." You roll your eyes and step over the mess, leaving it for Hoseok to clean up. He simply groans in response and you can't help feeling grateful. Those eggs really just saved your life.
Over the next few days, you find yourself daydreaming about Hoseok a lot. Okay, this was usually normal but you were doing it a lot more often.
And in a lot more inappropriate places.
Just this morning you caught yourself daydreaming about Hoseok while you were at work. You were reviewing some files for corporate when you thought back to the smell of Hoseok's blanket. The scent that was so distinctly him. You imagined what it would be like to tuck your face into his neck while he fucked into you. You're not completely sure when your imagination got so vivid but you could picture everything perfectly behind your eyelids. The slide of his dick inside you, his quiet grunts and moans. He's a dancer, too so you knew his stamina would be out of this world.
That leads you to this evening. You got home from work around six or seven and usually, Hoseok is back by then. He'd usually be sitting on the couch watching some foreign movie or he'd be dancing in the center of the living room. A surge of worry washes through you when you walk inside the apartment and its pitch black.
You flick the lights on and toss your keys and bag onto the kitchen counter before calling his name out into the abyss. No response.
As you walk absentmindedly through the apartment, it finally hits you that you're home alone.
Alone.
By yourself.
Hoseok is gone.
You throw your jacket onto your bed before looking down the hall at Hoseok's room. His door was open. He really was gone.
Almost as if your body had a mind of its own, you find yourself walking towards his room. His door was only a few strides away from yours and you had no chance to rethink what you were about to do.
"He won't mind if I..." You throw open his closet and you're a bit surprised to see how untidy it is compared to his room. Last time you checked, Hoseok really prided himself on being the neat one. On the floor, you find a couple of clothes that had fallen off their hangers. There sits a grey hoodie with little holes in it. You recognize this hoodie. You haven't seen Hoseok wear it in weeks.
Perfect.
He wouldn't mind if you 'borrowed' this hoodie for a bit, would he? You'll give it right back when you're done with it, you promise.
^^
"Dance with me."
"No, Hoseok. I'm busy."
"You're not even doing anything. You're scrolling through TikTok."
"Yeah, important business."
"Can you turn off your phone? Please? Dance with me!"
"Hoseok, you know I can't-" Before you can get the words out, Hoseok is grabbing your arm and dragging you off the couch. Your phone slips out your hands and onto the floor. "Hoseok, don't you dare!"
"You don't have to know how to dance to dance. Just feel the music!" Hoseok spins you around so your facing him. His hands are on your waist as the song playing through the speaker changes. You didn't recognize this song but for some reason it made you feel a little nostalgic. It was a rap song with a slow tempo.
"Literally everyone who knows how to dance says that. Fine, but I'm warning you. I'm a toe stepper." You had a little bit more fight left in you but Hoseok's hands were so warm on your waist and he was pulling you in so close. Your defenses were quickly weakening.
"That's okay. I'll show you. Put your arms here." He puts your arms on his shoulders.
"Move your body like this." His hands move to your hips. With feather-light touches, he guides you to the music.
"It feels awkward." You mumble mostly to yourself. Hoseok pulls you even closer as if to say 'it's okay. It's not awkward to me'.
"If you're embarrassed you can put your head on my shoulder. Here, so you don't have to look up at me." You do as he says and admittedly, you do feel a little less disconcerted.
With the music playing loudly throughout the apartment and Hoseok guiding his hips against yours, you feel like you're dancing with a stranger at the club (even though you've never been to a club).
Oddly enough, it feels really comfortable. Hoseok's holding you and helping you stay in time with the music. Somewhere between the third and fourth song, you find yourself getting a little too comfortable, though. With your nose tucked into Hoseok's neck, you can smell his sinewy scent perfectly. You let out a quiet sigh after inhaling deeply.
Mm, fuck. So good. Why does he smell so good? And he's practically grinding against you, too. You really didn't know how long you could last like this.
You wondered if Hoseok ever danced with other people like this, pulling them in by their waist and pressing his hips against theirs. The way he moved was absolutely sinful and the way he guided your hips, deliberate and slow, was so delicious. Not to mention everytime he pulled you in you could feel something heavy rub against your thigh.
Maybe... maybe it was just his phone.
"Heh, are you okay?" His voice is low in your ear, lower than normal.
"Mmm, huh?" you moan into his neck, forgetting for a moment that the man that has you wrapped around his finger is your friend, your roommate of almost two years.
"You're- you're breathing really hard. Are you okay?" Hoseok's voice is breathy but you miss it over the sound of the music.
"M'fine." You were thoroughly drugged out on his smell, his hips, your mind completely darkened with thoughts of him.
"Ah, y/n. Let's- let's take a break." Hoseok breathes as he pulls you away. The panting and moaning into his neck... yeah, no. If he let this go on any longer, he wouldn't be able to control himself anymore. He was currently sporting a semi and grinding against you was not going to help his situation.
"Yeah... uh, yeah. Let's do that. It's hot." You were burning up inside but without Hoseok's body pressed against yours you felt a lot cooler.
"I'm going to shower." Hoseok says, leaving no room for an awkward silence. That doesn't change the fact that you can't meet his eyes. "Thanks for dancing with me. Let's do it again sometime."
You give him a nod and watch as he walks into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. You're kind of just left standing in the living room now. You guess now would be the best time to go to bed. Yes, you needed to sleep before the embarrassment of what just happened settles in.
As you're walking down the hallway to your room, you just about pass Hoseok's room before stopping and backtracking.
You peak into the room, examining the area. His bed was unmade and the lamp on his desk was on. His laptop was also open but the screen was black. To be completely honest though, you were more interested in the little pile of clothes on his bed. You hold your breath for a second just to hear whether or not the shower was still going. Lucky for you, Hoseok seemed to be taking his time in there.
"This is payback for making me dance with you." You mumble to yourself before picking up a random article of clothing from the crumpled up pile. You don't realize till you uncrumple the item that it's a nightshirt.
The pile on his bed was a pajama set.
If you take the shirt with you, he'll definitely notice somethings missing. You think about putting it back and forgetting you were ever here, but thoughts about Hoseoks hands on your body, the way he smelled when he put your head on his shoulder...
You bring the pajama shirt up to your nose. His scent was strong and you swear your legs almost give out.
There was no more time to think. You heard the water shut off and it didn't take you more than a second to dash out of his room. If anything he'll just think he misplaced his shirt.
Honestly, tonight you would need this shirt more than he would ever know.
^^
Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months.
Hoseok gets out of bed that morning and stretches a bit before opening his drawer. He didn't have work today but Joon had been texting him constantly trying to get him to go to the studio with him. He figured he can't keep putting it off and a Saturday morning was best spent mixing and mastering. He also heard one of his close friends from college, Yoongi, was going to be there. He was relieved to hear Namjoon still kept up with him, it just gave him another reason to meet them at the studio.
Hoseok looks through his shirt drawer. He wanted to wear his nice black button-up which he'd probably tuck into some ripped up skinny jeans, but that required him to be able to find his black button-up.
Now that he thinks about it, his shirt draw seemed to have a lot less shirts than it did a month ago. At first, he thought he was just misplacing things, which wasn't common for him but he wasn't necessarily perfect. Now that he had a significantly smaller selection of clothes, he felt like he was going crazy.
He lets out a disgruntled sigh before throwing on an old green sweatshirt he found in his closet and stepping out of his room.
Looking to his right, he noticed that your door was still closed. It was almost 11 and you should probably be up by now. He wonders if he should ask if you knew what was going on with his clothes. Maybe your clothes were going missing, too. As he walks towards your room, his phone vibrates in his pocket. It's Namjoon, probably asking if he was on his way.
He gives your door one last look before answering the call and turning the opposite direction to leave the apartment.
Ok, this was seriously starting to get out of hand.
Hoseok had just gotten home from dance practice. He was assigned to a newer idol group and teaching them their first choreography was a little more strenuous and demanding than he'd expected. None-the-less, he still pushed through it and managed to make a good bit of progress. Unfortunately, it left him exhausted, sweaty, and noisome. As soon as he got home, instead of greeting you like he usually did, he threw all his clothes on the ground and got in the shower.
A nice warm shower is exactly what he needed. He'd even say he felt energized after.
As he wrapped a towel around his waist, he noticed something missing from his pile of dirty clothes on the floor. He bent over to sift through the pile, identifying right away what was missing.
His pastel blue Supreme hoodie.
Hoseok wasn't one to get particularly angry, not unless it was warranted. But he could feel himself getting increasingly more frustrated the longer he looked at his dirty clothes. He most definitely was not crazy and his clothes, especially shirts and hoodies, were definitely going missing. This wasn't all in his head.
In nothing but his towel, he swings the bathroom door open and leaves with the full intent to talk to you. He's not completely sure what he wants to say to you. He doesn't want to accuse you of stealing his clothes because that seems a bit presumptuous, but there's no other logical reasoning. Unless someone's been breaking into the apartment and stealing shirts, heh.
He doesn't bother knocking on your door. No matter what you were doing right now, his problem was more important. There was a burglar afoot.
When Hoseok turns the knob and inches your door open, the first thing he notices is that your room is kinda dark despite it being early afternoon. Your curtains were drawn and the fairy lights on your walls were the only source of brightness in the room. The second thing he notices is... you're shifting a lot in your bed and if he looks a little closer-
"Hnng, Hoseok..." It's only after a moan of his name leaves your mouth that he notices the fabric you're holding to your face with one hand.
It's his pastel blue supreme hoodie.
Ok, maybe he was insane.
"Fuck, Hoseok, fuck. Fuck me, aaha..." Hoseok watches you tilt your head back against your pillows. He watches your eyes roll back as you moved your arm faster under your covers. He watches as you breathe in his favorite hoodie like your life depends on it.
And he likes it.
Somehow, he can't stop himself from watching. There's something about seeing his usually innocent roommate writhe in pleasure. There's something about hearing his name fall from your lips in wanton moans, and fuck, he's so hard. He can feel the blood rushing to his dick as he watches you from the doorway. 'Pervert, pervert, pervert' is all he can say in his head as he lets an unconscious hand palm himself through the towel around his waist.
"So this is where all my clothes have been going?"
At the sound of Hoseok's voice, you freeze up completely. There's no way he's actually-
"Shit... Ho-Hoseok-" The apartment falls completely silent as you make eye contact with the man at your door. Suddenly the buzzing of your vibrator seems far too loud in your ears. "I didn't- I'm not... how much did you see?"
You're stunned and extremely mortified to the point where you don't notice that Hoseok is wet and he's wearing nothing but a towel. You don't even notice the way he subtly walks into your room, slowly like he's stalking prey.
"Enough. I saw enough." He's standing right by your bed, arms crossed. Your body burns with embarrassment as you pull your sheets up higher to cover your body. "Answer me, is this what you've been doing with my clothes?"
You simply blink in response. Did he really want you to answer that?
A beat of silence passes by and he reaches for the blanket covering your body before hesitating.
"Uh, can I?" Another wave of silence rolls by, you blink up at him in surprise before nodding quickly.
"Yeah- uh, yeah, just-"
"Fuck." Hoseok breathes out when he pulls the cover down and sees a cute little vibrator situated inside you. The sight alone makes his cock twitch with interest.
"I want to touch you so bad, can I touch you, y/n?" You can see the desperation mixed with uncertainty in his eyes, almost as if he knew he was saying something he wasn't supposed to.
"Please." As soon as the word leaves your mouth, Hoseok is climbing onto your bed and straddling your waist, his fluffy white towel sliding off in the process. You close your eyes tight, clenching around the vibrator inside you and suppressing a moan as Hoseoks movements jostled the toy. You were already so close to coming.
"So pretty... look at me." Hoseok tilts your chin up and your eyes flutter open. Hoseok thinks you're absolutely beautiful like this. Lips parted and your breathing heavy. Not to mention how disheveled your hair is and the fucked out expression on your face. Suddenly, he has the urge to paint that pretty face of yours with his come.
"What were you thinking about... smelling my clothes and fucking yourself like that?" You don't even get the chance to respond before Hoseoks slender fingers are wrapping around the vibrating toy and moving it back and forth inside you, slow and vexing.
"Hoseok, I can't- gonna... shit!" You were already so close when Hoseok walked in on you, you couldn't help coming hard around the toy, fingers curling into the bedsheets as he kept fucking you through your orgasm.
"Fuck, look at you. Ah, I really can't hold back." You've never seen Hoseok's eyes clouded with more lust than when he pulls the soaked toy out of you, a puddle of your juices oozing out of you and gathering on the bed. His cock visibly throbs at the sight.
"Y/n, let me fuck you. Please, I think I might die." Post orgasmic pleasure was still thrumming through your body and you yourself weren't sure if you could take anymore. But the longer you looked down at his leaking hardness, the more you wanted it inside you, the more you needed it inside you.
"Do it. Mmm, put it in." A shiver travels up your body when you feel the tip of his cock press against your folds.
This was dangerous. Despite living with Hoseok for all these years, you didn't know his sexual history and neither of you had a condom on you. Him coming inside sounded so good right now but that wasn't an option.
Hoseok was just as thick as you remembered and it was evident in the way he struggled to fit the tip of his cock inside you. If you weren't so wet, he definitely wouldn't be going in as easy.
"Hoseok, ah, fuck, it hurts-" You didn't know how to describe this feeling. It hurt so good. Out of all the guys you've ever slept with you've never felt anyone so big and thick and fuck, your vibrator was so tiny compared to him. That along with the sensitivity thrumming through your core had you reeling.
He finally bottoms out and your legs instinctively wrap around his waist as if to tell him you loved the way he filled you up. Your nails drag lightly over his back as you part your lips to catch your breath. You're not the only one that needs a minute to breathe, though. Hoseok's breath was coming out in ragged pants against your neck as he adjusted to the warm tightness of your insides.
"God, I've imagined doing this so many times. Why didn't we do this sooner?" Hoseok tilts his head up, finally meeting your eyes and why does this feel awfully intimate? You nod in response, biting your lip to suppress the moan crawling out of your throat as he slowly starts to move his hips.
"Fuck, mmhnn, Hoseok..." You let your head fall back against the pillows as he steadily picks up pace, his cock brushing against that spot inside you that has you seeing stars.
"You take me so good, shit! Almost... mmh, almost like your pussy was made for me." You never expected Hoseok to be much of a dirty talker but you were definitely not against it. If he kept this up you'd be coming for the second time tonight.
All of a sudden, his thrusts start to slow down. You were already so close, was he seriously about to stop? You flash a confused expression his way and there's a dark glint in his eyes as he changes positions so he's sitting up, bringing you into his lap with him.
Oh.
Oh.
"Cmon, baby, ride me like this." Hoseok says through gritted teeth. His hands slide down your spine and rest on your backside before grabbing a handful. You can't help bucking your hips forward in response. "I wanna see what you look like bouncing on me."
There's a look of complete hunger in his eyes, something so dark compared to the usual warmness of his irises. You let your eyes flicker down to his lips, red and swollen from being bitten too hard. He must've noticed because he lets out a mix between a scoff and a chuckle before letting his hand wrap around the back of your neck and pulling you in for a kiss.
all the anxiety flowing through your veins seems to disappear as his mouth works expertly against yours. You part you lips to let out a moan and he uses the opportunity coax you with his tongue. He was literally taking you apart from the inside out and you fucking loved it.
"Y/n." His voice comes out rough and mean against your lips and you gasp when the hand on your ass is forcing you to grind your hips against his. "Are you going to move or do I have to do that, too?"
"Yeah..." Your lips ghosted against his as you started moving on top of him. The first time you lower your hips down, your legs almost give out. He was filling you up and pressing against your walls beautifully. You could feel him in your throat.
"I know you can go faster. Should I help you?" Hoseok practically growls as his hands drift up to your waist, his thumbs kneading the skin there as he moves your body up and down as if you weigh nothing. With Hoseok helping you, you're moving way faster and there's way less strain on your legs.
"Fuck, you look perfect like this. I wish I could come inside you, fill you up and watch it spill out. Then you'd really be mine, hm?" You let out loud moan, unsure whether it was Hoseok's words or the way he was pounding into you that caused it.
"So close... I'm so-" You tuck your face into Hoseok's shoulder as you feel another moan rip through you. Maybe that wasn't your smartest idea because as soon as you tuck your face into his shoulder, his natural musk mixed with his sweet-smelling body wash fills your senses, and that's exactly what pushes you over the edge.
You clench around Hoseok as your orgasm hits you hard for the second time tonight. Mumbled curses of your name spill from his lips and his thrusts become uneven. In the heat of the moment, you bite down on his shoulder to stifle a cry and his nails dig into the skin at your waist, a low groan falling from his lip as he pulls your hips down hard against his. He repeats that motion two, three more times before he's pumping you full of his come.
Oops.
Hoseok lets you rest your head against his shoulder as you both catch your breath before his eyes shoot open and he curses.
"What? What's wrong?" You tilt your head up to meet is worry riddled eyes. His worry was making you worry.
"Fuck, y/n, I came inside you." Hoseok facepalms before letting out a groan. "I'm so sorry, you just felt so good and you were so tight around me. It felt like you were trying to milk my cock out of everything it's got."
"You don't seem very sorry, you're still inside me." You giggle as Hoseok curses again and pulls out of you. As soon as he's out you feel terribly empty and you kind of wish he'd put his dick back inside.
When your back finally hits the bed, you roll over to open your bedside table. You didn't have any condoms but you did have some emergency plan b. You didn't think you'd have to use it but here you are.
"You just have plan b hanging around in your nightstand? But no condoms?" Hoseok raises an eyebrow, a hint of a smile on his face.
"I ran out a while ago and it's not like I've been having sex recently, so I never found the need to buy more. It's your fault for pouncing on me like a dog in heat." You roll your eyes as you open the packet and take a pill.
"Weren't you the one that stole my clothes because my smell turns you on? Talk about a dog in heat..." Hoseok laughs and you give him a slap on the chest.
"Touche..."
★━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━★
[© seokiie]
[I do not allow any translating, editing, reposting, or use of any my work!!]
#bts#jung hoseok#hoseok smut#this took longer than i want to admit#bts smut#bts imagines#min yoongi#kpop smut#bts scenarios#bts fanfic#bts reactions#kpop imagines#kim namjoon#network bangtan#rude#jhope#jhope smut#thehouseofbangtan#jhope x reader#jhopenet#bangtan boys#hoseok x you#armynet#bts ff#bts ot7#hoseok fluff#hoseok details#hoseok imagine#hoseok fanfic#jhope fanfic
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Okay first of all sorry if I'm sending this twice but I think my tumblr isn't working
Second of all (that phrase exists?) I know I'm being here too much but I just find out you make match-ups and I was wondering if I could request one...
If you're okay with it then that's my oc's info
Her name is Serena, she's 17 and loves pink. She has a short curly pink hair and her outfits look like this

She's half Brazilian half Chinese, but he looks more like her mother (that is brazilian) she moved to NY with her mother after she divorced from Serena's father. Serena is kinda shy mainly because she didn't had the chance to actually learn how to speak English properly so she's 24/7 apologizing for her English, like "hello sorry for bad English"
She can looks kinda distant when you first met her, but she's just nervous that you'll make fun of her, so she stays quiet until she's 100% sure she can trust you
Serena acts a little like those girls from teen movies from the 2000's like Regina George (from Mean Girls) but it's not like she's a bad person, she's just really into those teen movies so she tries to be more like the cool girls, if you're friends with her she'll stars talking about Hanna Montana or iCarly and will recommend series like Pretty Little Liars or make you watch High School Musical. If she really likes you she'll ask you if you want to watch Pixar movies with her. Her favorites include Rio, Toy Story and Luca
She's reluctant to share her likes because she doesn't want to be seen as a joke or a "child" so she can starts pretending she likes the same things that the person she's talking to
Like "oh do you like Teen Wolf? Me too!" (She hates Teen Wolf) so she needs people to reassure her that she's not pathetic. If she doesn't like someone, she can't treat anyone badly so she just fake a smile and act like popular teen girls pretending they liked your hair but in her mind she thinks you look like shit, but she would never say things like that loudly. But if he hates someone (which is rare) she'll either just ignore the person or starts being passive aggressive, but when the person goes away Serena feels bad for her behavior and considers apologizing to them
Serena is easily a crybaby, it's too easy making her cry, everything can make serena cry, movies, books, series, a tv commercial, the way someone acts with her or the way someone talks to her. She's trying to be less dramatic but if someone acts differently with her she'll starts wondering if she did or said something wrong, and that makes her cry
She's also super kind and funny and tries her best to make everyone around her feel happy and loved, sometimes she'll bake cookies for her friends or simply compliments the little things about them, like their smile or the way they laugh. Serena is an artist, she loves drawing and knitting stuff, sometimes she can knits hats or plushies for her or her friends, she can't see a white wall without painting it all, so she's always expressing her feelings with art, when she's sad or happy she'll stars drawing or knitting
I already said it, but her favorite color is pink, her entire room is pink! Almost all her clothes are pink and it's easy to give Serena a gift, if it's pink she'll love it. Actually she loves every gift she receives. She always forgets people's birthdays (and her own) so she asks about their birthdays all the time so she doesn't forget.
She plays the piano and guitar, but she's really shy about it, but if she likes someone very much she'll play a song for them. She has 20k followers on tiktok and instagram so she's always with her cellphone in hands, try taking it from her and she'll be mad at you. She's kinda of a cellphone and coca cola addicted so it's hard seeing her without her phone and a coke can in hands
Sometimes she feels sad because she misses her old home and her family she left behind, so when she's sad she won't feel like talking to people, because when she's feeling down she'll act rude with others
She loves sharing her childhood memories with his significant other, she'll show them a pic of her when she was a child and tell stories that happened to her, obviously she's super happy when them shows to be interested in her and her country
She'll try to teach her significant other things in portugese and she thinks it's adorable when they try to repeat what she says
Has depression but will never let someone find out, but there's days she's more depressed and doesn't feel like acting happy, in these days she just wants a hug and someone saying everything will be fine
Fun facts: she has a frog named Julio Cesar and a cat named Galadriel. She can't say "world" without sounding like "word" and she's embarrassed about in. She's obsessed with Harry Styles and always listens to his songs while saying "isn't he cute?"
Again sorry if I'm sending this twice (it's tumblr's fault)
Sure thing😊💕
I pair her with... Michelangelo🧡
Mikey was probably the first to notice her
He called dibs on her
When he introduced himself he tried to approach her as if she was a deer
He had tried being his extroverted self around her but noticed how quiet she was
However eventually he got her to come out her shell (haha)
The both of them became inseparable
Mikey wanted to make her feel like she wasnt being judged or made fun of
Because thats the way he feels and treats everyone
The Golden Rule, you know, treat everyone the way you want to be treated?
All of your interests and hobbies are the same, if not mostly, so he'll be uo for doing everything with her
Art, Pixar/Disney movies, music, he loves it all
But loves her the most💖💖💖💖💖💖
Mikey will do anything to make her happy
Even if it means giving her some time alone
Hes so affectionate
He will hold her, hug her, give her snuggles and kisses
He's such a sweetheart, a cinnamon roll
If he could, he'd give her the whole world
Nothing but love coming from this turtle boi
"My angel, I love you to the moon and back"🐢🧡💕👩
#tmnt#teenage mutant ninja turtles#tmnt bayverse#bayverse#tmnt 2016#tmnt 2014#tmnt 2003#tmnt 2007#tmnt 2012#tmnt 2018#rottmnt#rise of the teeneage mutant ninja turtles#rise of the tmnt#mikey#michelangelo#ask#request#matchup#match up
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I feel like despite being a sea monster ercole doesn’t have the heart to injure a small baby so instead he would just scare her off most of the time in hopes of her leaving him be and very rarely uses his harpoon to actually harm her and just to scare her enough away he has done this when she tried going on the surface with her parents to see Luca and she was too scared to go out of the water because of him to the point where he wouldn’t even meet her and make them late to pick him up at all
Wow, Ercole is a dick alright to scare a baby enough that she refuses to leave the water, or point a harpoon at it. Yeah, thankfully he would stop at throwing it because it's still just a baby. Also because the film is technically Disney, but with how far Pixar went with Ercole, I think they'd let him! I mean Ercole kinda reminded me of Gaston in the second half of the film
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March 7, 2021: Onward (2020) (Part Two)
Do I like this movie so far? I do. I do like this movie. But...
Hasn’t beat Finding Nemo yet, just saying. And I do like this movie, really. It’s enjoyable! And I want to see more of this world (also, the pixie bikers are GREAT), BUT...it’s not Nemo quality yet. To be honest, for me, it’s currently on the level of A Bug’s Life.
That said, A Bug’s Life is one of my guilty Pixar pleasures, and I saw that movie in theaters. Yeah, I’m old as shit. But putting Onward on the level is a compliment, I guarantee. Anyway, I’m only halfway through, so let’s go back into it! Part One is right here!
Recap (2/2)
So, the boys are pulled over by the cops, and Dad walks out of the trunk right in front of them, weird upper body disguise in tow. And the boys...decide to disguise themselves as Colt (the cop from earlier, and their mom’s boyfriend), in front of Specter (Lena Waithe) and Gore (Ali Wong), a cyclops and faun cop respectively.
Which I don’t get, because you literally have a half of a dude right there. Just tell the people in a world where magic is in the history books that you’re trying to help your dead dad with magic. Like...is it not that simple? Because I feel like it totally is.
But in reality, this is a plot device to get Ian to admit to Barley that he thinks he’s a screwup. See, they disguise themselves as Colt (goddamn TERRIBLE idea, by the way), and the disguise is broken by lying, with Ian at the head and doing the talking. ALSO A TERRIBLE IDEA, BOYS.
Said conversation (which includes the cyclops confirming she’s a lesbian in a barely inclusive move that the media jumped ALL OVER Pixar for at the time) eventually turns into the faun calling Barley a screwup, and Ian attempting to defend him, only for the dissolution of the disguise to confirm that he actually thinks Barley’s a screwup. Cool. Probably was a better way to do that narratively, but...sure?
Things are tense in the car, as Ian tries to defend his actions to an understandably upset Barley. Although, to be fair...Barley doesn’t seem to not not be a screw-up. Which is probably a little unfair of me, because he hasn’t actively screwed up...much. I mean, the pixie biker fight was entirely his fault, but none of the other stuff has been him.
And that’s what Barley points out when he angrily pulls over and gets out of the car. When Ian disagrees, Barley challenges Ian to agree to go on the journey to the Gem via the previously mentioned Path of Peril, a more dangerous pathway. As they argue, they’re interrupted by their dad’s legs, which dance with them and allow them to open up to each other a bit. They agree on Barley’s idea to take the path.
Meanwhile, Laurel and Corey are off to save the brothers from the curse, which manifests as goon as they grab the gem. To do so, they need to get Corey’s sword from a pawn shop, run by Grecklin (Tracey Ullman), a goblin who owns the shop. After she upscales the price of the sword once learning of its rarity, Corey just knocks her the fuck out with a scorpion sting! Nice. They take the sword, while Laurel gets a call from Colt.
Colt’s also looking for the boys, who make their way on the Path of Peril. They encounter a ravine, and the only way across is to cast an invisible bridge that relies on trust. You know, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade style. Despite a mishap involving a lack of rope, Ian makes it across, and let’s down a bridge to allow Barley and their dad across as well. Oh, and Colt, too.
Colt arrives, and tries to get the boys home, completely ignoring their quest and planning on bringing them in. Ian pretends to go along with it, but instead gets in Guinevere and guns it down the path. They reach a dead end, now being pursued by multiple cops, and have seemingly no way out. But Barley...Barley sees a way out.
GUINEVERE NOOOOOO!!! You were a valiant steed. The van’s destroyed, the cops are blocked, and the boys make their way down the path, fraught with danger...and feral unicorns! Whish is something that I will one day incorporate into a game, I SWEAR it.
They find their way to a cave, and need to get down a river to get there. They do so by riding a giant cheese puff that Ian makes. Nice. And delicious. While on the S.S. Cheezy Poof, Barley reveals another of the few memories he has of his father: his death bed. Whoof. They land the Poof, and go down a booby-trapped pathway where they meet up with a gelatinous cube. Neat. Also very bad.
But they get out of that, out of a water trap, and finally reach the end of their quest, which leads to...the school. Ah. Fuck.
Well, this leads to the inevitable Act 3 blow-up from Ian to Barley, blaming him for his idea to go down the Path of Peril, and officially calling him a screw-up. Barley’s not given up as of yet, but Ian is done, and he storms off. Barley, desperate, goes back to an old stone well nearby, which was being torn down at the beginning of the film. He climbs on top, causing the construction workers to call the cops.
Ian, looking over a cliff with his dad’s legs, looks at a list of thing he had wanted to do with his father. But as he reads through it, he realizes that he’d actually already done all of those things...with his brother.
youtube
The real father was the brother we made along the way.
That made me laugh harder than I should have, but...that is weird, right? Like, his real dad has been his brother all along? And yeah, I get that it’s more of an “appreciate your family” message thing going on, but...I’m not crazy to be seeing the problematic nature of the execution of that message, right? RIGHT?
Well...father-brotherly-love aside, Ian realizes this just as Barley realizes that he’s had the key to their problems in his hands. Literally, he has a stone key, and he uses it to open up the well, revealing the Phoenix Stone inside of it. But when he takes it out, well...it’s curse time.
The curse manifests itself by going into the school and grabbing equipment paid for by taxes, and uses it and the stone infrastructure of the school to become...
...a goofy-ass-yet-somehow-kinda-imposing stone dragon. As the brothers flee the mascot-faced stone dragon, who should show up but Laurel riding Corey, which solidifies her status as best movie mom. They go to take care of the curse, while the boys go to fully revive their father before the sun sets.
Laurel and Corey go up against this thing, but crash into the ground. Laurel, being the BEST GODDAMN CHARACTER IN THE MOVIE, uses Jazzercise moves to take out the dragon...temporarily. It’s not quite enough, but she got real goddamn close. Barley decides to give up his chance to say goodbye to his Dad, but Ian takes his place instead, noting that he never had a dad, but he had his brother. He goes to slay the dragon, and succeeds with magic and the help of his mom.
It’s cool. But, uh...Ian misses the opportunity to meet his father, after all of that. Barley, however, gets that opportunity...which we only see from afar. And it’s poignant, and sweet, and...oddly a little anticlimactic. It’s uh...I dunno, guys, I’m not sure.
Wilden disappears after a hug with Barley, and Barley goes to tell his brother what his father said, which was that he was very proud of the young men that Ian and Barley grew up to be. He also gave him something else to give Ian.
Sweet.
The epilogue reveals that everybody’s had their lives changed a bit. Corey’s still the manager of the tavern, but approaches it with a few and fun vigor (I really like Corey, by the way; she’s my second favorite). She goes out with new friend and fierce warrior Laurel on some night for some good old fashioned adventuring. Fuck YES.
Colt, taking on a comment from Barley earlier in the film, has stared running on his horse legs, rather than using his police car, and is also getting along better with Ian and Barley. Barley is...to be honest, still exactly the same, which feels...a little wasted, not gonna lie. And Ian is now far more self-confident, and is learning an adeptness for magic, which the entire world is now beginning to rediscover. And Ian and Barley, their relationship stronger than ever, sets out of the adventure called life in a new Guinevere.
And that’s Onward! And...I mean...it didn’t beat Finding Nemo. Didn’t suck either, but...you know what, we’ll get to it in the Review. See you there!
#onward#pixar#pixar animation studios#dan scanlon#tom holland#ian lightfoot#chris pratt#barley lightfoot#ian and barley#kyle bornheimer#julia Louis-Dreyfus#mel rodrigquez#octavia spencer#fantasy march#user365#365 movie challenge#365 movies 365 days#365 Days 365 Movies#365 movies a year
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Core Character Ranking - No Straight Roads
At this point with the game having been out for well over four and a half months, I figure that with having a small piece of fiction under my belt, and with the fandom having cooled down from the initial release but still hot enough for content to steadily be coming out from the fanbase, now is a good time for me to share my thoughts on No Straight Roads - rather, what I call the Core Characters of No Straight Roads.
I call them this because they are the collective protagonist main characters and antagonistic bosses - not filling up one bucket or another quite satisfactory. I might even make this into a series if anyone cares enough to hear my thoughts on other pieces of fiction. If you’re interested, continue below the line.
Oh, also, spoilers for No Straight Roads if you still care about that.
Disclaimer before continuing onwards - I’ve never actually played No Straight Roads! I’m not exactly a person with enough wealth to throw at my own interests and hobbies, but I feel I’ve absorbed enough through culture osmosis, 100% walkthroughs of the game, and other people’s interpretations of the game to be able to make my own informed opinions on the characters.
Also, this isn’t a “bosses” ranking list - this is a character ranking list. Meaning that individuals are going to be ranked rather than the whole. For example, Sayu will be divided into the four members behind Sayu (hereafter refered to as “Team Sayu”) as well as Sayu herself. This also means I won’t fully go on the gameplay mechanics as I don’t have enough experience with it to make a fully informed decision. I will talk about what I’ve seen though.
With that in mind, we’ll be starting as all of these lists usually do, from the bottom ranking to the top: ________________________________________________________________ 20. Eve
Now, this may come as a shock, but I absolutely despise divas. Eve was entertaining enough, but through her videos she was only relatable and likable to me before she and Zuke broke up. Mostly because I could relate with her self-loathing and her found happiness.
Still... setting someone’s hair on fire? And then being confused as to why that happened? Then completely blaming the victim and using that mistake as fuel to shut out any other potential kindred relationship for the future? I’ve seen people who do that; it’s pathetic at best and annoying to see at worst. Thankfully, due to Zuke, she does eventually come around.
Her music and boss fight are interesting enough I suppose. I like how the perspective changes and I adore when you have to switch over to Mayday and it becomes a fully chaotic mess of limbs, doubt, hatred, and rage. I live for that chaotic aesthetic.
Otherwise, she’s just... the weakest character to me in No Straight Roads.
Maybe she’ll Eve-ntually earn my respect in supplementary materials. ________________________________________________________________ 19. Sofa
The first member of Team Sayu I’m mentioning and he’s this low on the list. Ouch. Not to say that I hate him, the hate started and ended with Eve - he, along with the others don’t really have much of a personality canonically that I can see to judge him on. But in terms of his design, I’ve never been much of a fan of “overweight and silly” outside of Doctor Eggman/
Do not take this the wrong way. I am in NO way fatshaming ANYONE.
I just have never liked that design in fictional characters. See Hifumi Yamada from “Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc” for more on what I mean
Still, he’s a core member of Team Sayu and from the fanfiction I’ve read he’s one of the better characters to write with. Maybe if we got a spinoff or other related materials, he’d go up a few numbers in rank, but as it stands, he’s the weakest of the group.
Sofa-r so good, let’s move on before these puns go too far. ________________________________________________________________ 18. Mayday Yeah. I’m not a huge fan of Mayday herself. Hotheaded protagonists are fine here and there, but she’s so hot-headed I’m surprised that she didn’t have the fire aesthetic as well. I guess with it all being taken by Tatiana, they could only give her a warm color scheme so it wasn’t redundant.
Her gameplay seems fine, if a bit basic. The heavy hitter is also a hothead, who could guess. I kinda like how someone as scrawny and small as her also has the biggest heart and temper. Also the gags that come from her relating to the other bosses are hysterical and make for good protagonist material. Still, outside of her interaction with DK West, Zuke, and Team Sayu, as well as the very end of the game, there’s a lack of enough “heroic” traits that makes Mayday fall flat from just shy of ranking higher.
I don’t have a clever pun, joke, or one-liner for Mayday, so let’s go to the next person in my list. ________________________________________________________________ 17. DJ Subatomic Supernova I have never really liked disco or dance music at the best of times, but I love space. So what happens when you mix something I feel lukewarm to, something I absolutely adore, and combine it with a trait about a person I absolutely also despise?
You get space helmet man who likes fresh ice cream and goes on for minutes about how great he is and how everyone else around him are plebeians - not knowing how pretentious the stage name “Subatomic Supernova” is.
If I had made this list when I had first seen No Straight Roads, he’d be only just ahead of Eve just because I dislike her so much more than I hate egotism of DJ Subatomic Supernova. But he’s now gone higher on the list since he’s grown on me thanks to the fandom and me realizing the game is parodying the stereotypes and the industry of music. Also, Zuke’s drum solo is AMAZING with the EDM version of DJ SS’s theme. He’s even gone so far as to become half of my second favorite paring in the NSR fandom!
Shine on, you funky space man. ________________________________________________________________
16. DK West Ewah! Older of the two brothers by age, younger of the two by maturity. I absolutely love this goofball. His shadow powers are absolutely amazing to watch and while I normally don’t like rap outside of Eminem (and even then only select tracks), he grew on me a lot. He’s so unique and the culture he’s based on from what I understand was researched with a lot of respect and care.
I’ve heard (and seen) that the third fight ramps up the difficulty way too much, but considering that Mayday is attempting to repair a broken household, it makes sense it’d be such a heavy undertaking from a gameplay and story point.
Also DK West Encounter 1 is a smash hit, telling us everything we really need to know between DK West and Zuke while being an absolutely great song that reminds me of Epic Rap Battles of History for anyone that remembers that.
He overshadows his previous competition by a large margin, and I can’t wait to see more of him if that’s possible. ________________________________________________________________ 15. Yinu’s Mom As the real mastermind behind Yinu’s position in NSR, it suddenly makes so much sense as to why a literal child is in such a strict EDM hierarchy like NSR. What keeps her from going above and beyond this ranking isn’t anything more than just the pressure she puts on Yinu to perform. During the fight, and what I can only presume also happens outside of concerts in the universe of No Straight Roads, it seems like she entirely forgets the reason Yinu keeps playing the piano in the first place.
However, I am a huge sucker for family dynamics, and her stopping her assault due to the memories that Yinu was able to drag out of her through the broken piano by playing Heart of the Prodigy is enough to almost enough for me to reach the level of emotional catharsis as the ending of Pixar’s “Inside Out” did for me. And the way she shielded Yinu when they were falling, the gasp of fear that she might not survive the fall - just pure, amazing storytelling through “show, don’t tell”.
I will say, the more morbid part of me that enjoys things like Danganronpa, Your Turn To Die, and Nonary Games, had the thought of “if it weren’t for the fact that Mayday and Zuke also fell from that height and survived (and that this game is meant for younger audiences), Yinu would have became an orphan.”
Mother of the Year award goes to Yinu’s mom for being the most realistic, sympathetic, non-dead mom in fiction. ________________________________________________________________ 14. Yinu I love classical music, but I don’t really like children. Yinu is an exception to my general dislike of children. The promotion that was released before the game was a little eye-rolling, but it was also funny. Fortunately, in the game, Yinu is so much more mature and interesting than the promotional material lead us to believe. The way the piano plays plays in the base version of VS Yinu conveys just how talented she is at nine years old. It’s a shame that it slowly gets covered up by the EDM version as the battle goes on.
But her reasoning for playing the piano, through the photos you get from Yinu’s backstory is all the more reason to respect this literal child. She turned the loss of her music teacher and father into a shining passion for music. The piano being the very memento of her deceased dad - looking at the photos and then realizing what you did in shattering her piano creates a fantastic retroactive look at just how destructive Bunkbed Junction’s revolution really is to people.
We’re not even half-way down the list, and yet we already have great characters like this, so let’s keep looking. ________________________________________________________________ 13. Dodo There’s been a huge gap since the last Team Sayu member. So what makes Dodo so great compared to Sofa? Well, the deep voice that comes from the scrawny, blue man is funny to me. It caught me off-guard the first time I heard it and had me giggling for hours afterwards after I paused the video to regain my composure.
That, and mocap work is hard work. On top of that, though he’s mostly not the face everyone remembers when fans think of Sayu, it takes a lot of talent and self-confidence to dance like a cutesy mermaid despite being a male, at least in my opinion. So I see him as having high confidence, but also being like Zuke in the “chill and mostly quiet” department.
There’s not much else for me to say, since most of Team Sayu doesn’t have blatantly obvious character traits. So let’s move on. ________________________________________________________________ 12. Sayu Sayu herself is... well, not real. It’s like trying to judge any number of the Vocaloid/UTAU voice banks. Sure you can place any number of personalities and messages into it, but in reality she’s just been built as a “cutsie, wootsie, pink mermaid” idol.
Still, the personality that Team Sayu gives her is fantastic. Her fight is annoying, and lackluster even to watch, but her song is amazing in all of its forms, even if for me the vaporwave version is the least effective of all of them - and Analog Aquatics is the BEST lead-up song to it, even ahead of Heart of the Prodigy.
Hatsune Miku? Who’s that? I only see Sayu as the best Vocaloid. ________________________________________________________________ 11. Remi Technically the creator of Sayu in the first place and her designer, Remi seems to be the “all according to plan” type. To think that his passion for art would lead to a career such as NSR, and a close-knit friend group like Team Sayu. It’s something that I’m sure that every artist has had as their goal at one point or another.
I highly respect anyone with the ability to put their artwork out in public, both in real life and as a character. Even so, there are characters I like even beyond Remi, and once again, we don’t have much to go off of for him outside of the very few times we see him in Sayu’s battle.
Almost all of Team Sayu has been covered at this point - heck, even Sayu herself has already been covered. So where’s Tila you ask? Well, we’ll get to that, but not for a while. ________________________________________________________________ 10. Tatiana “Kul Fyra” Qwartz From the very moment we first hear her voice, we can tell she’s all business and order. When we watch all of NSR reject the rock music outright and listen to Tatiana’s speech afterwards? How she seems to disregard her artists own safety and prioritizing undermining Bunkbed Junction’s efforts just because she can’t bear to remember her old bandmates? Wonderfully selfish for a heartbroken character.
Also, for those who hate her time-oriented powers and how weakly linked they are to Tatiana herself? Consider this: She’s almost 50 years old by the time Bunkbed Junction starts their revolution. She’s lived long enough to be anyone in the cast’s mom - probably even old enough to be Team Sayu and Yinu’s grandma. She has only seen a progressive march of time erode at everything she ever loved and cared about.
The blazing passion within her is brought back to her through Bunkbed Junction’s actions, but through a reversal of time and a reflection of her memories. Bunkbed Junction literally shatters the world view that she constructed for herself to ignore the regret and pain that had been slowly eating her up inside without her ever even having fully realized it in the first phase. By the time Tatiana reverts back to using her Kul Fyra form, she’s trying so hard to list any number of reasons to ignore her past and focus on what little time she actually has left to work on the future.
This was a bit of a longer explanation and reasoning, but for a character as amazing and symbolically complex as Tatiana, she absolutely deserves it. And as you’ll see for the next character, this is only a fraction of my love for the characters of No Straight Roads. ________________________________________________________________9. Neon J And here we start with my absolutely favorite characters, the ones I not only enjoy reading and writing about, but that in canon I can wholeheartedly accept them for who they are, flaws and all.
My grandpa was in the navy, and to make a long story short there were some complicated things that happened that required me to live with both him and my grandma when I was really little. So already there’s something that I can latch onto and adore. Even with how cringy Neon J is at the end with him attempting to try to give an epic war hero speech, my grandpa can be the same way sometimes, and that’s okay. They kind of act similarly outside of that as well.
His design is so sleek and smooth, and sometimes I forget that he’s actually a cyborg, unlike his sons boyband creations. Normally I hate the military, war, and what it all represents at a cynical level, but when it’s portrayed in a way like No Straight Roads did for Neon J and 1010, it reminds me of the people who actually join to serve their country and the people in it, despite how few in their countries actually deserve their respect.
And yeah, I can already hear the “blah blah fiction is poorly portraying law enforcement/the military because ect ect”. I disagree. Think of it this way: Neon J is a fun example of what a leader in a military unit is. Not only that, he’s extremely loyal and willing to do what it takes to get the job done - including having a program inside 1010 that makes them explode when they fail to generate the requisite fan praise that’s likely required to keep 1010 merchandise flying off of the shelves and thus prove to the other NSR artists that even robot boybands can be used to help Vinyl City; AND use said robot boyband as weapons to fight off any threats - internal or external.
Also think about what he had to go through to become a cyborg. That means he likely had to replace everything that’s on the surface - imagine what he needed to replace underneath all of that metal. How much of his original body is left? How badly did the war he was involved in hurt him? How many comrades did he lose to try to recreate that feel in a boyband? Aren’t the implications of that so much more grand than the surface level “radar head man is bad representation of military people because he’s silly and ineffective at his job”. Furthermore, tell me of a person in the real world who lost so much of their body they literally had to become a cyborg that has a literal radar for a head.
On top of all of that he’s the second half of my second favorite pairing. Not that is has any major bearing on how great Neon J already is. Is it silly that Neon J tries to give a huge speech at the end when we know Bunkbed Junction is just trying to get to Tatiana? Yes. But it’s fun.
I salute the No Straight Roads team for creating such an amazing character . ________________________________________________________________8. Blue 1010 Robot | Purl-Hew Ah yes, now we start getting to what’s taking up most of the top 10 slots. Kind of funny that not all of the 1010 members are going into the top 5 slots with how much I ranted and raved about Neon J. But I have characters I like way more than most of the 1010 band members.
And yes, I’ll bring this up now since we’re actually talking about 1010, that will apply to all the members of 1010 so I don’t have to repeat myself: I already know that they’re meant to parody boy bands, pop bands, and how similar all of them are and ect ect ect. That doesn’t stop me from going “hee hoo pretty boys” at fictional characters. And, yes, I know they don’t canonically have names, but I’m going with what’s been accepted across the fandom. Also all of their body types are the same: I like them alot. They’re tall, in monochrome (hah, chrome), and the way they bob to the beat in their battle is fantastic and shows they are powered by music as much as any machine is in the universe of No Straight Roads.
Starting off with my least favorite of them, Purl-Hew just reminds me of Garnet from “Steven Universe”, which is not a bad thing. It’s just that outside of what we learn of Garnet, she’s a character I often forget exists. I think it’s honestly the shades and the blue, more square-like hair that makes me draw the comparison. Purl-Hew strikes me as the “cool” one. The one that recites his poetry in coffee shops and is the sensitive boy with a cold exterior. You know the kind of person I’m talking about.
Other than that, I like the 1010 branding on the side of his head. I normally don’t like hairstyles like that, but somehow with how it flows and how non-obnoxious it is, I actually find myself liking the hairstyle. Also coupled with the fact that I see him as the second eldest of all five of them, who likely cemented an identity for himself before the others, makes me like his entirety even more.
A cool dude deserves a cool transition, but since this isn’t a video, a line break will have to do. ________________________________________________________________7. Red 1010 Robot | Zimelu Zimelu is one of the ones that strikes me as the one that’s borderline trying to break free from the rest of the band and become his own artist. The mowhawk, the color red, even to what he’s likely supposed to represent in-universe. Many see him as having anger issues, and considering what 1010 is about coupled with, again the hair style and his color, yeah I can see why.
But I also see him having a somewhat tsundere side. Not overtly fully tusndere as “I-It’s not like I like you or anything!” but more of a “Hey, I got you [insert favorite food] to eat. Don’t read too much into it.” while looking off to the side to avoid seeing your reaction just because he’s not sure if he can handle the thought of him possibly being wrong and then seeing you be disappointed kind of tsundere.
I don’t see a lot of peices of work exploring this concept, and I’d love to see more of it - or heck, even other personality traits that could be lying under the rebellious design of him.
I see him as the middle child of the group, which could also add to the rebellious personality and anger issues. Not sure if anyone agrees with me on this though. ________________________________________________________________6. Yellow 1010 Robot | Haym Okay, so this is a bit weird. Haym is my second least favorite in terms of design, but third favorite because he’s supposed to be the sunny, shy, and sweet one. I see him as the second youngest of all of the 1010 members. Old enough to have experience and understand his purpose, but young enough to retain that childhood-like innocence and sweetness.
I think he’s content about his place in 1010. It’s not that he would slack off or anything, but he’d be the most comfortable with his identity out of all five of them, even years down the line. Where Purl-Hew has to upkeep his identity, Haym is fine just being who he is and happy that the crowd accepts him for who he is.
Also him saying “even your lips, which form that raaaaadiant smile~” made me smile like an idiot and my heart flutter when I first saw him - and don’t even get me started on his pose when he was saying that. So that probably has at least some bearing on his placement in this list. ________________________________________________________________5. Green 1010 Robot | Eloni Haym was weird for me to admit I still don’t fully like his design, but Eloni’s design is actually worse for me. I still don’t like the fact he looks like you could hang him on a Christmas tree or a keychain and not be out of place there. But as I learned more - especially the part where in-universe he’s the least-liked because he’s the prankster type, my heart melted for the guy.
While I myself am not a prankster or a fan of prankster types, sympathetic characters that are generally unliked in-universe for something minor or not their fault is something that will always get me to love a character. There’s also a lot of great fanfiction out there for Eloni, playing with the idea of jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, and the resulting love and support that inevitably follows from a strong supporting family.
Also, I see him as the youngest, and likely the one who thought it’d be a good idea to give everyone reindeer heads for the Christmas event instead of whatever was originally planned. The fans probably loved it anyways, even better than what was originally planned, but never knew it was Eloni’s messing around that gave them the toy-soldier-with-reindeer-heads 1010.
Second best 1010 boy deserves to be in the top 5 for all of this and more. ________________________________________________________________4. Tila Tila? You mean the one girl who only goes “pyun” a few times? The only one of Team Sayu that has any voice lines that are more than sobs, grunts, tremoring fear, and sounds of triumph?
Yes. That character. You want to know why?
First, lets start with her design. She wears an oversized hoodie and glasses - already two things I can relate to. The color contrast is just perfect between her hair, skin, and hoodie. Her design alone to me screams “high-functioning introvert”.
Her one line? Going “pyun” a few times? Absolutely adorable. I wanted to hear her say more lines, and the delivery of them being so uncertain filtered through a microphone to not come out that way as Sayu? She is definitely the shy one of the four of them. Also let’s not forget she’s Sayu’s voice actress in universe. Meaning that VS Sayu is something that Tila is singing.
Also, in the background material for Sayu, she’s the one that apologizes for using Remi’s art for one of her songs, and starts the collaboration with all four members of Team Sayu. It’s her story we follow. Not any of the other four members, though Remi does actually say something.
Though we don’t get much else of her, which prevents her from taking a spot in my top 3 picks, if we got just a little bit more from her, I’d definitely bump her to 3rd, maybe even let her take 1st. As it stands, compared to the rest of Team Sayu and Sayu herself, top 5 is nothing to sneeze at. ________________________________________________________________3. Kliff “No one like’s Kliff! He’s evil and bad!”
I mostly disagree with that statement, politely of course. Does no one like him? Seems that way in the fandom, but I like him. Is he evil? Yes, most certainly. Is he “bad”? Well, what’s the context of bad in this case? A bad plot-twist? A bad character? A bad guide? Not really. Well, except for the last part, possibly, but even then he’s still serviceable.
I mean take into context that Tatiana is Kul Fyra. On a first viewing, after having fought so many people after first meeting Kliff, most people would have forgotten that he, like Mayday, also likes Kul Fyra and was even there for her concerts. People who have insane memory would remember it, but for the rest of us, it probably came as a shock that Kliff would send a satellite into the NSR tower.
But he’s a fan that put Kul Fyra on a pillar, just like Mayday. He’d hoped that rock artists would get her back into rock music, to reignite the fire in her, so that he could enjoy her music again. He even says that he’s still her fan. He questions Tatiana “did my loyalty mean nothing to you?”.
And while yes, she didn’t technically owe him anything, the way that Tatiana shoots Kliff down so coldly after all of his attempts and his waiting - after she shut herself away from any potential future differing opinions and banning rock so she couldn’t remember the heartache - he snaps.
I’m not saying that Kliff was right, or that his reaction was fully justified. But imagine him saying he’ll be the strategic planner of NSR - after all, it was thanks to him that Mayday and Zuke got as far as they did. They knew what was coming ahead of time due to his advice. Mayday and Zuke would just be figureheads. It would be entirely realistic, and not make Kliff entirely evil.
Still, with all the hypotheticals out of the way, having an entirely selfish twist villain like Kliff was amazing. When you go through the entire story knowing how it will end on a second playthrough, suddenly his motives and what he says makes so much more sense.
I want to see (or maybe someday I’ll write) a redemption arc for Kliff. He’s not so fargone that I’d write him off as another villain for the sake of evil, but it would take actual work and effort. It’s something I look forwards to seeing in the far future.
Though he is also fun to see as an antagonist in all of these stories I read about him. ________________________________________________________________2. Zuke On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rank Zuke an 11. From his design, to his animations, to his background, his voice, his lines - everything is an 11/10 for me.
Starting with design again, normally I’d dislike the major contrast such a saturated green against a saturated blue. But there’s other bits in Zuke’s design - his red eyes, the fact that his clothing is a good neutral base to draw away from the chaos of colors of his head - only to lead back into what looks like ultra-comfortable blue-and-green flannel with dark blue flats? It all screams the perfect chill dude to hang out with.
His personality matches too. He’s laid-back, wise, rational, humble, and kind. Almost the perfect man in every way. Though he has his limits, especially when it comes to DK West, and he’s not always the most intelligent at times. Sometimes he takes a minute to put two-and-two together, especially when he’s under pressure and nervous.
And his drumsticks being used as a walking cane when he’s not battling, admitting that it’s NSR property - recognizing that NSR itself is not bad, it just needs change. He doesn’t generally talk smack unless, again, it’s DK West. He probably says less than Mayday does out of the two, but I wasn’t counting. I was just thankful that he was talking at all, attempting to be the voice of reason in situations, telling Eve he was wrong for leaving so suddenly (even though he’s not at fault for his hair being set on fire), reconciling with DK West after Mayday gets them to talk about their feelings to each other - he experiences the most growth over the longest period of time.
In fact, it feels like we’re witnessing Zuke’s entire story through the eyes of Mayday. Sure, Mayday has a stake in the conflict, and a small bit of growth, but none nearly so much as the jolly green giant between them. Heck, he’s so good that he made DJ Subatomic Supernova’s music actually sound good.
If this wasn’t enough, he’s also one half of my favorite pairing. Where’s the other half? Where he belongs of course. ________________________________________________________________1. White 1010 Robot | Rin Look guys, my favorite character of No Straight Roads is finally here. Let me be the ideal fan and give him my utmost attention.
ATTENTION!
Hoo boy have I been waiting to talk about Rin! His design is the one that I love the most despite how simple and obviously pandering it is. I mean come on, he’s got the kind of hairstyle that just screams “typical emo/scene/goth/pop leader” without the sweeping bit of hair in front of the eye like Haym’s or other emo/scene/goth hair styles. He has no unique colors to himself (white and black are technically not colors). Heck, as a robot meant to parody pop/boybands, he technically should be the most bland and uninteresting part of 1010.
But that’s where you’d be wrong. Rin is the one who leads the flirting attempt against Mayday. Rin is the one who is focused on the most of all the 1010 members when the cutscenes play. Rin is the one who’s talking the most in the promotional video for 1010 and No Straight Roads. Even though Zimelu takes up most of the spot in the in-game photo op, Rin is the second most noticable. In the “wefies” the 1010 members make in the promotional video, Rin is front and center.
Rin is the poster child. Meaning he has the most mounting on him of all the members of 1010. And this can manifest in any number of interesting character traits. I’ve already written an (as of posting this review) three chapter fanfic on Rin and his dynamic with not only the other half of my favorite pairing, but also his dynamic with Neon J, and how both Zuke and Neon J view Rin - through what I perceive how Rin actually feels and acts when he’s not on stage.
I could probably do an entire 20 minute review on why Rin is the single-best character of No Straight Roads, both in and out of canon, but I don’t have the tools for it. And as a side note, the guitar solo that Mayday can play over the song is the single-best of all the guitar solos, the second being the one against Yinu - and that deep passion for 1010 is reflected well in the guitar solo.
Zuke may be an 11/10, but Rin is a perfect 10/10 - and I wouldn’t have it any other way . ________________________________________________________________Afterwords Finally, after an entire 4 hours of writing, I’d like to hear your thoughts on all of this, if you’ve made it this far.
What did you agree and disagree with? Feel free to comment if you want.
As for me, I think I’ll continue to browse the work of the fandom, keep an ear out for any future updates or sequels, and rock on with the amazing soundtrack of No Straight Roads jamming loudly in my ears.
Rock on fellow No Straight Roads fans! Or whatever genre you prefer to listen to.
#Core Character Ranking#character ranking#NSR#no straight roads#long post#nsr zuke#nsr mayday#nsr djss#nsr dj ss#nsr dj subatomic supernova#dj subatomic supernova#djss#dj ss#nsr sayu#sayu#nsr dodo#dodo#nsr remi#remi#nsr sofa#sofa#nsr tila#tila#nsr yinu#yinu#nsr mother#yinu's mom#nsr neon j#neon j#nsr 1010
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Putting Chicken Little in Mid instead of Shit is my hot take- a Disney animated tier list
Was talking about this shit with some mates and I had my laptop about with a blank page so why the FUCK not. It’s my blog, I make the fucking rules.
For the purpose of this tier list, Pixar does not exist. It’s fake news. Buzz Lightyear fucking who?
(see now I’ve gone after both dreamworks *and* Disney, you cant complain I’m biased)
First of all: the tier of things I haven’t seen and have no intention to do so. The absolutely fucking not tier.
A bunch of the old ones that no-one remembers are on here. Considering nobody talks about them, and they’re fucking Disney, how good could they possibly be? In addition to that, we have Frozen, something I considered watching at the time, and then it got huge, and I just got sick to death of fucking seeing it everywhere. It’s a universality poison, an oversaturation complex, and I absolutely have no interest in seeing us build a snowman. Can people please let this movie go already? (I think I’m very funny). Also, Dinosaur looks fucking awful (y’all know Land Before Time already existed right), and the trailers for Ralph Breaks the Internet did too. Which is a real shame, because the first one slaps. Wait that’s spoilers FUCK
Anyway next is the ones I haven’t seen but could possibly be convinced to.
The classics I haven’t seen live here. But it’s one of those things where like, am I gonna go out of my way for this? Am I deadass gonna go sit my ass down and watch fucking Sleeping Beauty as a 22+ year old bloke? Not unless someone drags me into it. I could be more easily convinced for like, Aristocats or Great Mouse Detective, because cute animals good, but you don’t have the same easy in for Aladdin or Princess and the Frog. Also, Tangled and Moana are there because like, I really cannot be bothered watching those, not my kinda jam, but if I put them in the fuck no category certain friends of mine would be quite upset.
Next is Shit Tier! Shit Tier has one member.
Home on the Range was. A movie. A lot of the time when you talk about the really bad movies, what gets brought up is a bad film (or other property) that’s just the sheer absence of good. And that is what I have to say to describe Home on the Range. A deathknell for Disney’s 2D animated division, and honestly American 2D animation as a whole. I don’t know how the fuck Princess and the Frog got made after this, because this movie was just genuinely devoid of anything memorable or entertaining. Man, it’s just cows.
The Bad tier has a lot more of the “absence of good” style- like, Cinderella isn’t atrocious, but what does it actually have going for it? I genuinely don’t remember. I only have vague memories of the Black Cauldron, but I believe the general consensus is that its Not Good. Pocahontas and Tarzan are messy and not in the fun way, and the Jungle Book is something I found exceptionally annoying as a kid. Probably because my brother likes it, nothing he likes is ever good (love you bro).
Mid tier is mostly just shit I don’t really care about one way or the other. Like, Beauty and the Beast is fiiiiiiine. I gueeesss. I don’t particularly care for Lion King either way, and please attempt to name a single thing that happened in Bambi after the mum got shot. One thing. I suppose I should attempt to explain my having Chicken Little here, even though everyone understands it’s a bad movie. And yeah, it is, but this is my Nostalgia Pick. I’m allowed one of those. I really loved that movie as a kid, And I don’t know why, I have no justification for this. It’s not that bad, surely. I refuse to watch it again to find out.
Also The Rescuers is pretty ok? I think? I remember very little about it. But The Rescuers Down Under has a motherfucking Goanna as the villain’s pet and she’s gorgeous. Movie aint great apart from that but the goanna gets it a whole bunch of bonus points.
Finally, some good fucking film.
Okay, let’s run this one down the list. Big Hero 6 was pretty good? I watched most of it on the plane, but I never finished is and I sure haven’t been assed to fix that yet. Wreck-it-Ralph was honestly really good, and the retro game shit was a direct target square at my face. Not top tier, but extremely solid. Hercules was a beautiful disaster, and Robin Hood was a disastrous beauty (and too many folks’ furry awakening for me to be comfortable with it (says the Pokemon fan))
Hunchback is genuinely quite good, athought you really need to skip past the gargoyle bits to get the best out of it. Zootopia gets a lot of credit, goes on top tier for a lot folks, but not for me- controversial opinion, but the second half was too heavyhanded for my taste. Like, I get that you had to hammer in that metaphor for the kids, but it really did it too hard for me. Also, they really made the villain a sheep, huh. Rude.
Alice in Wonderland is a beautiful creative classic with a healthy dollop of creepy, and I have too much nostalgia for Winnie the Pooh to put it any lower than this. Fox and the Hound and Mulan are the good shit, and I don’t have much more of a comment than that.
Finally, the top tier! Good movies allowed only.
You may notice that all these movies come from that era in the 90s where they actually let the creative minds behind the 2D animation team at Disney make the things they want to? And they cranked out the best 4 movies in the entire list. Like, goddamn. Treasure Planet is a fun as fuck adventure movie that’s criminally underrated and looks gorgeous, and Atlantis is just a more refined version of such (but I’m not quite as nostalgic for that one, sorry, also the second one exists). Emperor’s New Groove is just, such an incredible comedy flick, holy shit, they really did the nonstandard plot framing and fourth wall humour in this one, and they did it well. And Lilo and Stitch is, again, a perfect movie. I never know what to say about those. It’s so much less interesting to talk about things that don’t have flaws compared to something that does. It’s a perf fuckin film, fam.
And uhh, that’s the lot of them. Okay, that’s all the time I’ve got. I’ve got to get back to watching Shrek the Third on my friend’s TV.
(it’s not especially good)
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Ruin My Life - Part 8
RML masterlist
(fratboy!Jimin - smutty smut !!! A N G ST & a lil bit of fluff ig)
Summary - y/n goes on another night out and runs into a familiar face... not one we expect either. Jimin is a dick, y/n gets her own back, Joon has a crisis and Tae... well ion wanna spoil anything👀
Word Count - 11.5k+
Warnings - oh god here goes um explicit sex, penetrative sex, ‘sir’, explicit dirty talk, sub!reader and dom!male (I don’t wanna give anything away lol), spanking, oral sex (male and female receiving), degradation, edging, multiple orgasms, pussy slapping, fingering, it is FILTH lol, with discussion of alcohol too
a/n: y’all I know it’s been a while but I hope this was worth the wait lmao um unedited as usual but I really hope y’all like it, lmk what you think and hmu if you wanna be on the taglist x
silverlightqueen masterlist
taglist💕: @keylowmonie @jennafromhome @btrombley13 @parkjammys @chubschimmine @flowingwiththewater @magicalpjm @sakurauchiha2018 @kyrie1707 @simonemothjensen @beach-bitch-bitch-beach @p-yoon
‘You ready yet, y/n?’ Chen calls from the living room, as I pull on my heels. ‘Yeah, just one second!’ I call back, tucking my phone into the pocket of my jeans, and tottering down the hall to the living room where Mija, Chen and Jackson. ‘It’s already 10.30. I’m always waiting on you, bitch. Why ain’t you ever waiting on me?’ Mija demands, and I laugh. ‘It just wouldn’t work the other way around,’ I reply, and she rolls her eyes. ‘You look good, though, I guess,’ she says, and I grin, doing a little twirl. I’m dressed in a pair of light-wash blue jeans, tighter than tight, with a sheer black bodysuit and a pretty black bralet beneath, lacy and all, black heels on my feet, a thick, black lace choker around my neck. ‘Damn, Chen, I might have to steal your date tonight,’ Jackson jokes, Mija slapping his arm gently. ‘Kidding, babe, kidding,’ he says, Mija rolling her eyes. ‘She looks better than me, anyway, so I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ I say, admiring Mija in the little black dress she has on, a pair of my black heels (because god knows I have endless pairs) on her feet. ‘And y/n’s not my date, Jackson, she’s got the wrong sexual reproductive organs,’ Chen says, making all three of us laugh as he takes my phone and lip-gloss from me, putting them into his jeans pocket instead because I don’t like carrying stuff around in mine. ‘I mean, if I was straight, I’d totally go for you, y/n, you’re hot as fuck, but, sadly, I am as gay as you are hot so…’ he trails off, and I shake my head at him with laughter, proud of how far he’s come in speaking about in his sexuality.
We’ve become a little group of four these past couple weeks; Mija, Jackson, Chen and I. Both boys are from KPN (which means that Mija and Jackson were getting it on in the frat house whilst I was crying on Chen), and it’s useful having them as friends, as they help us avoid the rest of their frat (and god knows I need to, Eunwoo furious at me leaving him with blue balls). Mija and Jackson aren’t exclusive, but they’re kinda dating, I guess. Since that night, we’ve been out to different bars and clubs with them, and each night has ended in them two fucking in Mija’s room whilst Chen and I watch various Disney films in my room. We’re nearly all the way through the Pixar films. I’m happy for Mija, having noticed how much Jackson makes her smile and laugh, but I can’t help but think about her and Tae together. I did really want them to work, but as long as she’s happy with Jackson, I’m happy too. I’m also really happy for Chen too; he came out to his brothers last week and they were nothing but supportive, not a single one of them cracking the ‘don’t fall in love with me, bro’ joke. It’s gotten around to the rest of the university too, but he hasn’t let the gossiping and rumours affect him at all, secure and happy within himself.
‘Right, let’s go,’ Chen says, all of us trooping out of the door and down to where the Uber is parked in front of our building. We all pile in, Jackson sat up front with the driver whilst Chen is forced to sit between Mija and I who sing along to the music obnoxiously loud, documenting the entire journey for our Snapchat private stories (we love wannabe vloggers). When we arrive, Chen and Jackson flash their VIP cards at the bouncer, who lets us in instantly with a smile, having seen us several times over the past few weeks, ignoring the protests and complaints from everyone waiting in the queue. We head over to our usual booth in the corner, always kept empty, and I don’t bother keeping an eye out for KPN, knowing that they’ve all gone out to another bar across town. However, what I don’t expect to see is the ASP boys dancing in a huddle in the middle of the dance floor. Jungkook spots me and subtly nods at me, a small smile on his face, obviously not wanting his hyung, who dances opposite him, to notice. I give a small wave back before ducking behind Chen, sliding into the booth hastily. ‘ASP?’ Mija asks, scanning the dance floor, and I nod just as she spots them, a dirty look appearing on her face. ‘Whatever, it’s fine, let’s just ignore them. They don’t matter anyway,’ I say, Mija nodding in agreement. ‘Well, he doesn’t matter; the rest of them do,’ Jackson says, earning eye-rolls from Mija and myself. ‘Shut up, Jackson,’ Chen says half-heartedly as he waves over a waiter who takes one look at us and nods, already knowing our drinks orders; a Mai Tai for me, a gin and tonic for Chen, a Jack and coke for Jackson, and a vodka and coke for Mija.
‘Right, what kind of night is it tonight, y/n? A looking-to-be-dicked-down night or a night-out-with-the-squad night?’ Jackson asks, rubbing his hands together. ‘Hmm, I’m not sure yet. If you guys can find me some good dick, then the former. If not, then the latter,’ I say. ‘So we’re second choice?’ Mija asks indignantly, and we all laugh. ‘What about that boy over there, by the bar? Tall, skinny, blond hair,’ Chen suggests, all of us looking over. ‘Hmm, too tall. I’d look like a midget next to him,’ I say, all of us searching the bar again. ‘What about him? The one in the booth, muscles, blonde hair. He doesn’t look too tall,’ Jackson suggests, and I shake my head. ‘He’s too muscly. I don’t like that many muscles,’ I say, and Jackson rolls his eyes. ‘That one? At the door?’ Chen says, and I shake my head again. ‘I like a toned guy. You know I’m not into dad-bod,’ I say, Chen shaking his head. ‘That one?’ Jackson says, motioning to a guy who dances near our booth. ‘Um, yeah, he seems alright. Cute, I guess,’ I say, and this time Chen shakes his head. ‘More my type than yours. He’s definitely gay,’ he says, Jackson sighing in annoyance. ‘That one over there?’ Chen suggests. ‘I’m more into light hair than dark,’ I say. ‘That one?’ Jackson asks. ‘Na, he looks too… serious. I like a guy with duality,’ I say, and Jackson lets out an annoyed noise. ‘You’re too fussy! How are we supposed to find you someone?’ he exclaims. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I guess I just have a refined taste,’ I say, and Chen and Jackson shake their heads, Mija silent. ‘Well, I guess none of these lot are gonna live up to your standards then,’ Chen says, and I shake my head definitively. ‘So that means it’s a night-out-with-the-squad night! We need shots!’ Mija exclaims, all of us cheering in agreement. ‘We’ll go get them,’ Chen says, grabbing Jackson’s arm and pulling him out of the booth.
‘Babe, you’re not gonna find a carbon copy of Jimin,’ Mija says the second they’re out of earshot. ‘What?’ I exclaim, taken aback. ‘You want a light-haired, toned-but-not-muscly, taller-than-you-but-not-too-tall guy with duality? You basically explained Jimin, babe, and as much as I know you’re still into him, you’re just not gonna find a guy like that,’ Mija says, and I sigh, resting my face on my hand. ‘I know, I know. I can’t help it. No one even compares to him,’ I breathe out, and Mija gives me a sad smile. ‘You’ll find the right one, y/n, and it’s just not him. Give it some time. But in the meantime, it’s not like you can’t sleep with a remotely attractive guy, even if you don’t fall in love with him at first sight. It’s been a while since you got dicked down, babe,’ she says, and I nod in agreement. ‘When the boys get back, we’ll do some shots, get super drunk, and then you can go dance and get yourself a man,’ Mija says, and I nod with a grin, liking the sound of her plan. The boys appear then, holding twelve shots between them, and we do three each before downing the drinks we already have, ordering more. Less than half an hour later, the four of us are sufficiently drunk, and so Jackson and I manage to convince Chen and Mija to get up and dance relatively easily.
We meld into the group of dancers in the middle of the room, Mija and Jackson grinding against each other as Chen and I dance modestly (in comparison, anyway) together. Every few minutes, I’ll feel hands on me, and I turn to see what it is the person looks like. Every time, I’m not too keen on what I see, and so shoot Chen a look, who then steps in claiming to be my boyfriend, scaring all the boys away. Chen is very intimidating, I’ll say that; tall, handsome and serious-looking, I wouldn’t mess with him if someone paid me for it. And then, one of the times, I’m surprised when I turn to see a girl. ‘Hey, sweetie,’ she says, body pressed up against me. We’re the same height, with the same body shape, probably able to pass for sisters if we had to. I turn to face her, her hands still on my waist, and smile at her. ‘I’m sorry but I’m straight,’ I say, and she sighs. ‘I’m sure I saw you earlier, sat in that booth, and you looked like you were into girls,’ she says, and I let out a laugh, the two of us still dancing together. It’s weird; I don’t feel at all uncomfortable or intimidated by her, just going to show that girls know how to accept it when they’re told no. ‘You’re probably getting me confused with my friend,’ I say, motioning over to Mija, ‘she’s bi.’ ‘Oh, yeah, it’s her,’ the girl says, before she spots Jackson. ‘Boyfriend?’ she asks, and I shake my head. ‘They’re not exclusive. If you’re into boys too, I’d go for it if I were you. I doubt they’d say no to a third… party,’ I say, and she laughs. ‘I might just do that. Thanks, girl,’ she says, giving me a quick hug before sidling over to Mija and Jackson who instantly let her move in between them, all three dancing together.
I laugh to myself, and before I can even say anything to Chen, Taehyung appears before me. ‘y/n! Babe!’ he exclaims, pulling me into a friendly hug. ‘Hey, Tae!’ I reply, my words probably muffled in his (solid) chest, my makeup most definitely transferring onto his top (thank god it’s black). ‘Can I just say that you with that girl nearly made me hard,’ he says with a mischievous grin. ‘Urgh, Tae, what the fuck?’ I exclaim, trying to hold back a laugh at his complete honesty. ‘Sorry. But come get a drink with me, it’s been a while,’ he offers, and I think it over. What have I got to lose? As much as he can be an idiot, he’s a good guy at heart, and he and Mija don’t have any hard feelings as far as I’m aware, so I don’t see why it’d cause any problems. And it’d definitely make Jimin jealous too. I check over my shoulder to see where Chen is, and he’s dancing with the guy Jackson pointed out earlier, the gay one, and I mentally cheer him on. ‘Yeah, sure,’ I say, letting Taehyung wrap a large hand around my wrist and lead me through the group of dancers up to the bar. He obviously doesn’t have a VIP card, but he manages to get through the crowd to the bar quickly, flirting his way through, shooting people smirks and winks. When we reach the bar, he orders us both a rum and coke along with a shot each, both of us downing the shots as soon as we get them. Honestly, if I continue hanging out with all these frat boys, my liver is going to be fucked before I’m thirty. We head over to the booth where I was sat earlier, still empty, and sit opposite one another. Tae’s eyes wander easily, shamelessly trawling all over me, repeatedly pausing on my chest before continuing. I don’t bother pulling him up on it, knowing there’s no real intention behind his actions. He’d never betray Jimin like that; we might not be a thing anymore, but you don’t sleep with your friend’s ex… or kind-of-ex either. It’s literally like a law… right?
‘You’re looking good, y/n. Really good,’ he says, and I smile, loving a bit of praise here and there. ‘Thanks, Tae. You don’t look too bad yourself,’ I reply with a grin, and he laughs, his adorable boxy smile appearing on his unfairly handsome face. He’s dressed in a black shirt that strains against his broad shoulders and chest, and plain black slim-fit jeans that accentuate his ass perfectly, a pair of black and gold Gucci dress shoes on his feet. ‘Don’t lie to yourself, you know I look better than ‘not too bad’, babe,’ he says confidently, and I roll my eyes. ‘You don’t need me inflating your head any more than it already is,’ I say, and he chuckles, leaning forward. ‘So you agree?’ he asks with a glint in his eyes. ‘You’re infuriating,’ I say, and he leans back, grinning. This is how our conversation for the next hour continues, going back and forth. Just when I think I’ve steered the conversation away from flirting, he throws a curveball and almost gives me whiplash from a flirty comment. And, horrifyingly, I feel myself starting to enjoy it. And then it all gets ruined.
‘Hey, Tae,’ Jimin says, both of us jumping at the sound of his voice. He stands at the side of the booth, hands in pockets, veins in his arms corded tight, and his voice sounds tense and strained. ‘Oh, hey, hyung,’ Tae says, completely at ease as he leans back in the booth and smiles easily up at the other boy. ‘Have you checked your phone? Kook’s been texting you,’ Jimin says, not even sparing a glance at me. I don’t mind, though; if we made eye contact, I’d most definitely shoot him a death stare. ‘Na, I haven’t. I’ve been distracted,’ Tae says with a grin at me, and I grin back before taking a sip from my drink. ‘Well, he was asking if you wanted to get in the Uber with us,’ Jimin says, ignoring Tae’s comment entirely. ‘Who’s us?’ ‘All of us. Me, Kook, Jin hyung, Yoongi hyung and Namjoon hyung,’ Jimin says impatiently, and I wonder why Hobi isn’t here. ‘How will we all fit?’ ‘For fuck’s sake, Tae, do you wanna come or not? We’ll get a seven-seater,’ Jimin says in a tone that indicates it’s obvious, and I can’t help but agree. Tae’s being purposely difficult to piss him off, and I’m not quite sure why. ‘Na, I’ll hang around a bit longer, and make my own way back. You guys go ahead,’ Tae says, and Jimin hesitates. ‘You sure?’ he asks, and Tae nods with a definitive, ‘I’m sure,’ and so Jimin goes to join his hyungs and Kook who stand waiting a little while away, all of them waving when they spot me looking. I wave back with a wide smile, genuinely happy to see them all after such a long time, and when I turn back to Tae, he’s on his phone.
‘D’you wanna get out of here yet, y/n? Or hang around a while?’ he asks, and I raise an eyebrow. ‘Where would we go?’ I ask, and he chuckles. ‘y/n, don’t be cryptic, you know what I’m asking you,’ he says, and I can’t lie, I’m tempted. ‘But…’ I trail off, not wanting to say it. ‘Jimin?’ he asks, and I nod. ‘I don’t think it’s an issue. As much as you probably don’t want to talk about it, he said no to you. You two weren’t exclusive or committed to each other, and he turned down the opportunity to turn the relationship you had into something more. That was his choice. Now this is yours,’ he says seriously, and I really don’t know what to say. Because this isn’t just me deciding whether or not to go home with Tae, it’s me choosing to move on from Jimin or not. If I do this, I am admitting to myself that it is well and truly over with him, and I don’t know if I’m ready to do that yet. Tae instantly notices my hesitation, and sits back, looking at me thoughtfully. ‘You’re still not over him, are you?’ he asks, and I nod, knowing there’s no point in lying. ‘Well, this might not change your mind, but my room is right next to his, remember?’ he says with an impish grin, and I laugh before remembering something.
‘Mija,’ I say, and his face hardens. ‘What about her?’ he asks. ‘You two were kinda… you know?’ I say, and he lets out a false laugh. ‘She wasn’t… she wasn’t interested. And it was only like two days. And, I told you, didn’t I, that we didn’t sleep together that night? So there’s not like there’s really any history. But, I’m not going to lie to you, because you’ve told me the truth, I guess I kinda have had feelings for her for a little bit, but it’s obvious she’s not interested,’ he says, motioning over to Mija who dances with both Jackson and the other girl, the three of them in their own little world. ‘So this could be beneficial for me too. It’ll help us both get over each other’s best friends, and you can make Jimin jealous,’ he says with a grin, and I can’t help but laugh. ‘Okay, get an Uber,’ I say. ‘I already have,’ he smirks, and I swat at him, Tae laughing maniacally as he ducks from my hand. ‘Go tell your friends that you’re leaving, I don’t want them worrying about you and then murdering me when they find out I took you,’ he says, both of us getting up from the booth.
I head through the crowd of dancers and when I reach Mija, I tug on her arm gently, a smile breaking across her face when she sees me. ‘Tae’s just asked me to go home with him,’ I say, and her eyes widen. ‘Tae?’ she demands, and I nod. ‘If you don’t want me to, I won’t, but-’ ‘No, no, go for it! Go get that big, big dick, babe! Just text me and stuff, keep me updated,’ she says, and I feel my heart going out to Tae after hearing how she really doesn’t have any feelings for him at all. ‘You sure?’ I ask, and she nods. ‘Go get your shit wrecked!’ she says, pushing me gently towards the door, and I laugh as she re-joins Jackson and the other girl who sends me a wink and mouths, ‘have fun with your cute ass man’. I hold back a laugh at how similar she and Mija are and turn to find Chen. It doesn’t take long, easy to spot the two tall and handsome men dancing together and I push through the crowd. ‘Hey, y/n! This is Taeyong,’ he says, and I smile at drop-dead gorgeous man, who shoots me a smile in return, making my heart flutter with how handsome he is. And then, because I’m stupid, I say, ‘We both got Taes!’ Taeyong laughs and Chen quirks up a questioning eyebrow. ‘You’re going home with Taehyung?’ he asks, and I nod. ‘You sure that’s a good idea?’ he asks, and I shrug. ‘Life’s too short to worry about things like that,’ I say, Taeyong laughing again, and I decide I like him. If you laugh at my jokes, you’re guaranteed to be in my good books. ‘Okay, then. Keep me updated, and stay safe,’ Chen says, pulling me into a quick hug. I head towards the exit of the bar where Taehyung waits for me patiently, smiling when he spots me a few feet in front of him. ‘Uber’s here already, let’s go,’ he says, putting an arm around me and tucking a hand into my back pocket, hand curving to fit the curve of my ass. We head out, people still queueing outside to get in, and Tae opens the door of the Uber for me. I get a flashback to that night with Eunwoo, sat in the back of an Uber with another handsome man.
When we arrive back at the frat, Tae leads me up to the front door, holding it open for me. He clasps my hand and pulls me up the stairs, the two of us giggling the entire way up because of how tipsy we are, but the light atmosphere between us disappears as soon as his bedroom door shuts. I’ve never been in Tae’s room before, surprised to see that it’s quite clean and very lavish, the wardrobe open to reveal designer labels after designer labels. ‘Something else interesting you, y/n?’ he asks, now sat atop his silk bedsheets, leaning back on his hands and watching me amusedly. The youthful, light-hearted boy in him has disappeared now, leaving behind a formidable and intimidating man. I shake my head, and he chuckles. ‘I asked you a question, darling,’ he says as I put my phone down on his bedside table, beside his own phone. ‘No, Tae,’ I reply, and he stands up, holding out a hand which I place mine in. ‘It’s sir to you now, babe,’ he says, pulling me up against him, and pressing his lips gently to mine. The kiss coupled with the fact that he’s just told me to call him sir already has my pants dampening embarrassingly, and I let out a gentle whine into his mouth. ‘I would’ve said to call me daddy, but I don’t want Jimin barging in here all angry, ruining the mood,’ he grins, pressing his lips to mine again, our mouths moving in sync. He tastes delicious, like alcohol and something else, something unique that I can’t quite put my finger on, and my senses are flooded with the smell of him, his expensive Gucci perfume and something distinctly Tae, the deep and attractive smell I’ve smelt before.
He breaks away from me then, arms still around my waist, and asks, ‘I’ve heard Jimin talking about you and him like twice, but I don’t want to just assume, so I wanted to ask what your limits are.’ My heart melts at how sweet he is, but then I realise; I don’t know what to say. I’ve never had to explain it because Eunwoo was pretty vanilla anyway, and Jimin just always seemed to know. ‘Um, I’m open to most stuff, just nothing too extreme or painful. I don’t mind degradation, or light bondage, or, um, edging and denial,’ I say, hesitating with each word. ‘Anything else?’ he asks, and I think for a moment. ‘You just do your thing, and I’ll let you know if it’s too far. I’ll just say a safe word,’ I suggest, and he nods. ‘What word?’ he asks. ‘Um… how about… pickle?’ I say, thinking back to that dreadful night I threw up on top of a pickle, and he nods with an amused grin. ‘Namjoon hyung told me about that. Gross,’ he says, and I laugh. ‘Pickle it is, then. Now… I think you’re wearing too many clothes,’ he says, voice lowering, before he presses his lips back to mine again. He walks me back to the bed and gently pushes me, causing me to land amongst his silk sheets. I kick off my heels as his fingers come to the buttons of my jeans, eyes locking with mine for another confirmation that I’m okay with this. I nod with a smile, and he makes quick work of the buttons and the zip, pulling the tight jeans down my legs and throwing them across the room. He flicks open the clasp to my bodysuit lazily, fingers grazing my core, and my breath catches in my throat. A grin spreads across his handsome face as I sit up and he pulls the bodysuit over my head, throwing that to where my jeans sit too.
‘Fuck, you’re so fucking gorgeous, y/n,’ he mutters, eyes drinking in my body clad in just my pants, lacy bralet and choker. ‘You’re not so bad yourself,’ I whisper, and he laughs, coming down to briefly press his lips to mine. ‘God, you’re such an annoying bitch sometimes,’ he says jokingly, and I roll my eyes. ‘No, I’m not kidding. Always turning me down, like you don’t find me as attractive as I find you,’ he says, hands skimming over my sides before he stands at the edge of the bed, undoing his belt and pulling his jeans down just past the bulge in his boxers. ‘I’ve been dying to just shut you up,’ he says, pulling his boxers down so his hard (and huge) length springs up against his stomach. I take a deep breath at the sight, before my eyes flit up to his, an arrogant smirk on his face. ‘I’ve been dying to have you choking on my cock so you can’t lie about how you don’t fucking want me when I know you do,’ he says, his words coaxing a whimper from me. ‘Come on, babe,’ he says, pumping his length with a grin, ‘show me why Jimin’s had blue balls since you cut him off.’
I sit up, taking him into my hand and pumping him gently before I gently lick the tip, swirling the tip of my tongue around him a few times. He grabs my hair, pulling my head back so I our eyes meet, and his eyebrows are raised. ‘I didn’t tell you to tease me, babe. Don’t push your luck,’ he says, and I nod, before taking him as deep into my throat as I can. He lets out a low groan as I work up and down his length, bobbing up and down and taking more and more of him in each time. His hands wander up and down my shoulders and neck with a possessive grip, letting out low groans and grunts every now and then. I haven’t even managed to take him all the way in when he pulls out of my mouth, and I look up at him in confusion, wiping at my chin as he tucks himself back in and rebuckles his belt. ‘You’re good, babe – great, in fact – but I’ve changed my mind. I wanna make you feel good,’ he says, pushing me back against the bed. I crawl further up until I’m near the headboard, Tae climbing over me. ‘I wanna make you shout my name so loud he can’t even sleep next door,’ he whispers in my ear. I press my lips to his skin, pressing gentle kisses along his jaw and neck as his hand strays down to between my legs. He pushes my thighs apart, his hand disappearing into my pants and cupping my core, having me breathing raggedly against his skin. He swipes his fingers along my dripping wet slit, and I let out a whine, hearing him chuckle lowly. I bite and suck on the skin of his neck and collarbones as his fingers lightly dance around my folds, sending gentle waves of pleasure through me. ‘You want it, babe?’ he asks, and I hum against his skin as I leave marks, hoping he’ll get the message. ‘That wasn’t an answer,’ he growls, fingers stilling in my pants. ‘Yes,’ I breathe out, and his free hand comes to my throat, pressing gently. ‘Yes, what?’ he asks, dark lusting eyes locked with mine. ‘Yes, sir,’ I whisper, and he grins.
‘Tell me what you want, babe,’ he says, moving off me. ‘Your fingers, sir, please,’ I breathe out, earning a kiss from him. ‘Hands and knees,’ he says, and I swiftly turn over, hands and knees pressing into the soft silk. ‘Such a pretty ass, huh?’ he says, big hands caressing my ass. ‘I wonder how it looks all nice and bruised up. Shall we find out, babe?’ he asks, his hands pausing, waiting for an answer. ‘Yes, sir,’ I reply dutifully, and he chuckles lowly. ‘Belt marks or hand marks? Has Park ever used his belt on you?’ he asks, the smirk audible in his voice. ‘No, sir, never,’ I reply. ‘Do you wanna try it babe, or just hands?’ he asks softly, and I smile at his checking in with me first. ‘Hands, please, sir,’ I say, and he breathes out a laugh. ‘Okay. Just hands,’ he says, before his hand comes down and lands on my ass, the slap resounding around the room loudly. He lands a few more slaps, earning gasps and whimpers from me, and each of them gets harder and louder. ‘Mmm, all nice and red, just for me,’ he whispers, pressing kisses up my spine, and my knees become weak at the feeling.
He pulls my pants down to my knees, the cold air hitting my core instantly, and I shiver at the feeling. ‘God, you’re dripping, babe. Is this from sucking my dick, or being spanked?’ he asks, hands running over my ass and down my thighs, completely missing the area I need him most. ‘Both, sir,’ I reply, and he chuckles. ‘I always knew you were a slut deep down,’ he says lowly, sending a shiver through me. Without warning, he plunges two fingers into me, a moan of his name falling from my lips at the burning stretch. He lands a harsh spank on my ass, with a deep ‘it’s sir to you.’ He slowly pumps his fingers in and out of my core, gentle whines and moans falling from my mouth. ‘Good, babe? Does that feel good?’ he asks. ‘Yes, sir, god, yes,’ I reply breathlessly, arms shaking with the force of holding myself up. After a minute or so of mind-numbing pleasure, one of my arms gives way, nearly having me face-plant the silk pillow covers. ‘Oh, are poor baby’s arms getting tired?’ he asks teasingly, turning me over onto my back. ‘I can’t complain, I get to see this pretty face now,’ he says, and I smile shyly. He spreads my legs again, and settles between them, his position reminding me almost of a kid laid out on their stomach, watching the TV.
‘Such a pretty little pussy, sweetheart,’ he says, almost teasingly, as he eyes my glistening core. ‘I wanna taste you, babe, can I?’ he asks, voice deep, and I moan at his words. ‘Please,’ I breathe out, and he chuckles under his breath. ‘You’re such a pain in the ass. Please what?’ he demands, sounding exasperated. ‘Please, sir, your mouth,’ I whimper, and he laughs again, his breath warm against my core. ‘Louder. I want him to hear you,’ he whispers, and I laugh internally at his pettiness. ‘Please, sir, I need your mouth, please,’ I beg louder, and he lets out a satisfactory chuckle. ‘Better,’ he says before licking a bold stripe up my core. I let out a loud moan as he begins to lick at my slit like he hasn’t eaten in months. ‘You taste fucking amazing,’ he says between licks, loud whimpers and moans falling from my lips. I wind my fingers into wavy, soft brown locks, pulling him closer between my legs, and he slides my thighs up over his shoulders, giving him better access. ‘Sir, fuck, feels so good,’ I moan, and he laughs against my core. ‘Rub it in a bit more,’ he prompts, and I’m more than happy to oblige. ‘Sir, please! I…feels so good,’ I cry out, not holding back as he practically devours me. I try my best to stay still but I begin to squirm in his sheets, and he loses his patience. ‘y/n, stop fucking moving before I make you cum until you’re sobbing,’ he threatens and I stop myself from moving. ‘Actually… maybe I’ll do just that,’ he says with a devilish grin, going back to his ministrations, twice the speed and force. Broken moans, whimpers and whines fall from my mouth every few seconds as he brings me closer and closer to my climax, and when he adds two fingers alongside his mouth, I hit my orgasm with a loud moan, back arching up off the bed.
Once I’ve come down, I meet his eyes, the sight of his chin and mouth covered in my release making me wet once more. ‘You okay?’ he asks, standing up at the foot of the bed, and I nod, eyes flitting down the bulge in his jeans. ‘I’ve just made you cum, and you’re already eyeing my dick like a deprived little cockslut. Was that not enough for you?’ he asks, and I shake my head, biting my lip gently. ‘Fuck, come here,’ he says, and I crawl down the bed. ‘Help me out,’ he says, kicking his shoes and socks off, and I unbutton his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders and leaving his chest bare. His muscles are defined, not as much as Jimin’s, but still noticeable. His shoulders are broader, and strong, and his waist is small, an enticing v-line visible above the waist of his jeans. I unbutton his jeans and push them down his legs, the boy kicking them away. He unclasps my bra and I pull my pants off, leaving both of us completely naked. He picks me up and sweeps all the papers and stationery off his desk, putting me down onto the polished wood. He reaches into one of the drawers as I press kisses to and pull on the skin of his collarbones and neck, leaving marks in my wake. He pulls out a condom, slipping it on hastily, and I wrap my legs around his waist.
‘Ready?’ he asks, and I nod, resting my hands on his biceps as he slowly pushes into me. We both let out moans at the feeling, and he gives me a little while to adjust. ‘Can I move?’ he asks. ‘Yes, sir, please,’ I reply, and he grins, beginning to slowly rock his hips back and forth, pulling nearly all of the way out before sliding all the way back in. ‘God, you’re so tight. He can’t have been fucking you that well,’ he says, voice deep and husky, and I want to point out that that’s not how the female body works, but I can’t get the words out, waves of pleasure washing over me. ‘Faster, sir, please,’ I whine, and he smirks, increasing his pace slightly. And that’s when I hear it. The desk starts to hit the wall, quietly at first, but Tae continues getting faster and the banging noise gets louder and louder as he does so. On the other side of the wall is Jimin, and the thought makes me moan out loud. ‘You like making him jealous, babe?’ Tae asks, and I whimper into his shoulder as his thrusts get faster and faster. ‘Moan for me, babe, get him mad,’ Tae prompts. ‘Sir, feels- oh! Feels so good, fuck!’ I moan, throwing my head back as his fingers begin rubbing at my clit, his other hand gripping my waist so hard I’m sure I’ll wake up with bruises in the morning. ‘Such a good little slut for me, aren’t you, y/n? Letting me fuck you next door to your ex,’ he growls against my ear, and I whimper at his words, already nearing my high. ‘I can feel you clenching, y/n, you gonna cum for me, baby?’ he says, the pet name making me clench even harder, and he moans out. ‘Sir, fuck, I’m gonna…’ I trail off, so close to my climax. And then he pulls out.
‘Tae,’ I whine, and he lands a slap to my core, not too hard, but hard enough that it catches me off-guard, making me let out a little whimper. ‘Don’t complain,’ he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me up from the desk. He leans down and presses his lips to mine, catching my mouth in a sloppy kiss as he pulls me away from the desk and towards the wall, pushing me up against it. ‘Jump,’ he says against my lips, and I do so, wrapping my legs around his waist once more, and he holds my body in place between his and the wall. Without warning, he pushes in and doesn’t start slowly, going at an almost painfully fast pace. My head falls back against the wall, making a noise, and I realise that Jimin will be able to hear that I’m being fucked against the wall because of how thin these walls are. ‘God, you’re fucking gushing,’ he says, the tops of his thighs practically soaked with my arousal. ‘All for you, sir,’ I moan out as he fucks into me, strained chuckles falling from his lips at that. ‘How would Park react to seeing you like this? Getting fucked by his best friend against the wall, moaning like a little bitch for me. Getting your pretty little pussy fucking pounded. He’d be a bit angry, I think. And hard,’ he breathes out, his words punctuated by moans from me, the image of Jimin’s angry face clear in my head.
‘Are you imagining I’m him, y/n? Imagining I’m your daddy?’ he asks, and I don’t answer, not wanting to admit that Jimin’s face has been in my mind since I walked into his bedroom. ‘I’m gonna take that as a yes. But it’s me, y/n, I’m the one making you feel this good. Look at me. Look at me while I fuck you,’ he says, grabbing my chin and turning my face so our eyes meet. His jaw is clenched, sweat dripping from his forehead, lips swollen and eyes dark and dilated. He moves one of my legs, so it’s bent between our bodies, and it allows him to thrust in even deeper, hitting the spot that makes me shout. ‘Fuck, sir, feels so good!’ I cry out, my eyes beginning to water as he fucks me relentlessly, filling me up completely as I tangle my fingers into his hair, gripping tightly. ‘Harder,’ I barely manage to breathe out and he laughs, doing as I wish, grunting from the effort. ‘Such a dirty fucking girl. Little bitch wants her pussy torn in half, huh? God, you’re so hot, y/n, so hot and fucking filthy. Hearing you and Jimin that night, fuck, I was so hard. I wanted to do what he was doing to you, wanted to make you scream like that,’ he admits, balls slapping against my ass as he thrusts into me ridiculously hard, knowing he’ll leave me sore tomorrow.
One of his hands rests at my neck, fingers pressing gently against my skin as his other hand begins to rub at my clit, bringing me ever closer to my climax. He begins to suck on my nipples sloppily, and I rest my head against the wall at all the different sensations. ‘You gonna cum, baby?’ he asks, and I nod. ‘Moan my name,’ he whispers in my ear, before pinching at my clit gently. It pushes me over the edge, and I reach my high with a scream of his name, Tae continuing to fuck me through my orgasm as I clench around him in a tight grip. ‘Fuck, fuck, I’m gonna cum,’ he groans, pulling out of me. ‘Can I cum in your mouth?’ he asks, furiously pumping his cock, and I nod, getting to my knees shakily. I rip the condom off his cock and put my mouth around it, revelling in the deep moan that falls from his lips. His eyes are locked on me as I suck him off harshly, bobbing my head as quickly as I can and taking him as deep as possible, and when I start playing with his balls, it’s game over. I feel his dick twitch as he throws back his head and moans out, ‘fuck, y/n, you’re so good. Shit!’ He pushes my head down onto his cock as he reaches his high, hot thick spurts of his cum hitting the back of my throat as my lips stay around the base of his cock, and he gently rocks his hips back and forth until he’s finished. He slowly pulls out, breathing deeply, and looks down at me with a smirk. ‘Show me, baby,’ he says, and I open my mouth. He groans at the sight of me before saying, loudly enough for Jimin to hear, ‘swallow it, baby. Every last drop.’ I do so, opening my mouth again to show him, and grins, pleased.
He helps me get up from the floor, pressing another gentle kiss to my lips. ‘I need to go for a wee,’ I say after a few seconds, heading into his en suite, quickly weeing, washing my hands, cleaning my makeup off and splashing myself with water, and when I come back out, he’s dressed in just a pair of loose checked pyjama bottoms, torso and feet bare, and hair a fluffy mess. ‘Here,’ he says, holding out a t-shirt of his. ‘I don’t have any underwear for you, though, unless you wanna wear boxers? Sorry,’ he says, and I smile. ‘It’s alright. Scientifically, it’s better if you go bare at night anyway,’ I say, and he raises an eyebrow. ‘That scientist deffo just made up fake research to get his wife to go bare in bed,’ he says, and I burst out laughing as I pull his t-shirt on, the material soft against my skin. He climbs into bed and I climb in beside him, the boy instantly pulling me into his arms. I reach for my phone, knowing Tae’s watching as send Mija a text to say I’m safe and going to sleep, before locking it and putting it back. ‘Goodnight, babe,’ he says, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. ‘Goodnight, Tae,’ I reply, falling asleep quicker than ever before.
I wake up to find myself wrapped up in his arms, head tucked beneath his chin, cosy and warm beneath his soft silk sheets (did I mention they’re silk? Sorry, but I’ve never slept in silk sheets before and I already know what my next online order is gonna be). Almost as though he feels me stirring, he wakes up too, pulling me closer to his chest as he yawns. ‘Morning, babe,’ he says sleepily, and I can feel the vibrations of his words against my back. ‘Morning, Tae,’ I reply, turning in his arms to face him, and he shoots me an adorable boxy smile. ‘Sleep well?’ he asks, and I nod, snuggling into his warm and cuddly body. ‘Up for round 2?’ he asks, smirking, and I sigh. ‘And that is my cue to get up and shower,’ I say, beginning to move out of the bed, but he pulls me back in, whining like a baby. ‘No, y/n, cuddle me. We’ll watch a film or something, and then you can shower,’ he says, and I’m tempted. So I agree.
I cuddle back into him and he chuckles under his breath, reaching for his laptop. We both sit up against the headboard, Tae pulling me between his legs so he can cuddle me whilst I find something for us to watch on Netflix, finally settling for The Duff. It’s not Tae’s type of film, but he doesn’t complain, content on playing with my hair and listening to me laugh in all the right places. It flies by, and it feels so comfortable to sit here with him, that I almost forget that it’s Tae. And not Jimin. ‘What are you thinking about?’ Tae asks, knocking me out of my thoughts. ‘Pardon?’ I ask, caught off guard. ‘The film ended a few minutes ago, and you haven’t turned off the next one so I’m assuming you were daydreaming,’ he says, and I laugh, feeling embarrassed. ‘Oh, no, I, um, yeah, I was daydreaming. I zoned out,’ I say, Tae chuckling. ‘Okay, y/n. Oh, before I forget, do you wanna be my date for this fancy end-of-year party that we’re doing? I know it sounds dumb, but it was Joon’s idea,’ he says, and I stifle a laugh. ‘I’ve already had two offers, but I’ll, um, I‘ll let you know,’ I say, and he snorts. ‘Who asked you already?’ he asks. ‘Namjoon and Jungkook,’ I say, and he laughs. ‘Well, whatever. You don’t have to say yes to me, as long as you say yes to one of us. It’d be nice to have you there,’ he says, and I smile. ‘Thanks, Tae,’ I say. ‘Do you wanna go have your shower now? I’ll get you some clean clothes of mine out for afterwards,’ he says, and I turn to face him, kissing him gently on the cheek. ‘Thank you, you’re the best,’ I say, heading into his en suite. I strip off Tae’s t-shirt, put my hair up in a bun so as to not get it wet, and climb into the shower, turning on the water. I realise a couple seconds later that the shower gel isn’t in the shower, but on a shelf on the other side of his en suite. With a sigh, I climb out of the shower, leaving the water running, and then I hear Tae’s bedroom door slam.
‘What the fuck, Taehyung?’ I hear a familiar voice say angrily, and my blood runs cold. ‘What?’ Tae asks nonchalantly, and I supress a laugh. ‘What do you mean, what? You know exactly what I’m talking about, you fucking bastard. How could you sleep with her?’ Jimin demands, and Tae laughs. ‘Is she your ex?’ Tae asks, and Jimin’s silent. ‘Is she your ex, Jimin?’ Tae repeats, and Jimin sighs. ‘No, but you know it’s different with us,’ Jimin says, and Tae laughs. ‘If you don’t consider her your ex, if you don’t even have the decency to claim her as your ex, then I don’t see the issue. She’s just someone you used to have sex with, and you have no right to be angry about me having sex with her. End of,’ Taehyung says, and Jimin huffs. ‘No, Tae, it’s not end of. You know it’s different with me and y/n,’ Jimin repeats, and Taehyung laughs. ‘No, Jimin, I don’t know that, because you don’t tell me. You haven’t told me what’s different about the two of you. You won’t tell anyone, so how are we supposed to respect something we don’t know? As far as I see it, she liked you and you didn’t like her back, so you rejected her. That’s it. So why would you be angry about us sleeping together? If you had feelings for her, I’d understand, but you didn’t, because you would be dating her if you did. So explain it to me,’ Taehyung says, the other boy silent.
‘Just… I just wanna know one thing,’ Jimin says quietly, making me strain to hear him. ‘I can’t guarantee I’ll give you an answer,’ Taehyung replies, and I have so much respect for him in that moment. ‘Does she… does she still wear my ring? On her left hand, ring finger, is my ring still there?’ he asks, and Taehyung lets out a gentle pitying laugh, sounding sorry for Jimin. ‘I don’t know, Jimin, I didn’t pay attention to the jewellery she was wearing,’ Taehyung says as I look down at my left hand, pulling his ring off my finger. I turn the water off, both of them falling silent, and feign obliviousness. ‘Tae!’ I call. ‘Yeah, babe?’ he calls back, and I stifle a laugh at hearing a loud thumping noise, knowing Jimin’s definitely just whacked Tae. ‘Can you pass me my phone? I need to text Mija about something,’ I say, opening the door very slightly and sticking my left hand out, making sure Jimin can clearly see that his ring is not on my finger. He presses my phone into my hand, and I reply with a thanks before shutting the door. After a few seconds, I put my phone down and put the shower back on. ‘There’s your answer. She doesn’t wear your ring. Now is that it, or do you want me to ask her to give it back to you?’ Taehyung says. ‘Whatever,’ Jimin says, sounding tired, and then I hear the door open and close, signalling his departure. I carefully get back into the shower, the water running down over my face, and burst into tears, sobbing as though my heart would break.

‘y/n, there are people at the door for you!’ Mija calls, and I jump up from my bed, walking past Mija in the corridor. ‘Who?’ I ask. ‘Go find out,’ she replies over her shoulder. I roll my eyes as I step into the living room, seeing Namjoon, Yoongi and Jungkook stood at the door. ‘Um… hey?’ I say, heading towards them. ‘Hey, y/n. I asked Mija if you were busy, and she said no, so I thought it’d be nice if we came and did that Netflix binge watch night we planned,’ Namjoon says, and I grin at the heartfelt gesture. And then I spot a laptop under Namjoon’s arm. ‘What’s that for?’ I ask, and he looks down at it, looking back up at me with an almost sheepish expression. ‘Oh, I just brought it with me,’ he lies, Yoongi and Jungkook both looking as though they’re trying not to laugh, various bags and packets of junk food in their arms. ‘Don’t lie, Kim, what’s your ulterior motive?’ I demand, narrowing my eyes at him. ‘I… y/n, I need your help,’ he says desperately, stepping past me into our apartment. I exchange an amused look with the other two boys, and Yoongi rolls his eyes as Jungkook shakes his head. ‘With what?’ I ask, letting the other two in.
‘This party. I bit off more than I can chew. The venue need a deposit in the next two days because someone else wants to book it for that night, but the boys aren’t paying for their tickets; if they did, we’d be able to cover the entire cost, deposit and the actual payment. We’re only charging £15 a ticket but they’re all just being cheap. The uni’s contributing £200 to the venue but we’re not getting that for another two weeks, and that doesn’t even cover the deposit. Everyone’s bugging me about the theme, and I didn’t even think about having a theme in the first place. The boys are all telling me to scrap the whole date thing, but then it’ll get crashed and we won’t get our deposit back and we’ll have to pay for the repairs at the venue. My DJ cancelled because he’s in court, so now I’ve gotta find a new, cheap DJ. The venue need an exact number for catering because they won’t cater for us if it’s too late notice, but I don’t have an exact number yet because no one will confirm. And that’s just the start of it,’ he says, and I blink, trying to digest what he’s just said. Right,’ I sigh, ‘get that laptop loaded up, you two get Netflix on, and let me sort out this mess.’
I set myself up on the middle of the sofa, my laptop on my lap, Namjoon’s on his and Mija’s on hers (she decided to join us), Yoongi and Jungkook sprawled out across the floor, eating and watching Scream Queens. ‘Right, first, we need to get this deposit. How much is it? And how much is the actual venue?’ I ask, and he winces. ‘It’s £300 for the deposit, and £500 for the venue itself,’ he says, and I take a deep breath. ‘Okay. Us five, the other four, that’s 9 of us. If we each put £15 towards it, that leaves us with £165 to make. So we have to get enough people to pay that, or we resort to some sort of fundraising,’ I say, and Namjoon sighs. ‘There are 40 of us. Minus us seven boys, if we can get them all to pay their tickets, then we’ll cover it easy; we’ll make the full 800 for the deposit and the venue, and the uni funding can go towards a DJ and decorations,’ he says, getting his phone out. ‘Will they each pay that though?’ I ask, and he shrugs. ‘I’ll put it on the group chat, and see what we get back. I’ll pay for whatever we don’t get,’ he says, and Mija puts a hand out to stop him. ‘No. Let y/n send a voice note,’ she says, all four of us looking at her confusedly. ‘If y/n and Namjoon asked you for £15, which one of them would you be more likely to give it to?’ Mija asks. ‘y/n,’ Yoongi replies instantly, Jungkook hesitating but then nodding in agreement after a few seconds. ‘Wow, thanks. I’m so honoured you guys care about me,’ Namjoon says sarcastically, none of us paying attention to him. ‘If you say that you’re helping Namjoon with party planning because… I don’t know. Think of a sexy reason for it,’ she says, and I laugh. ‘What do you mean, sexy reason?’ I say. ‘You don’t need a sexy reason, the frat is pretty much whipped for you anyway, y/n,’ Yoongi says, and I frown. ‘I don’t even know the others,’ I say, and he laughs. ‘Some of the first years were asking us why you haven’t been around recently. Trust me, the whole frat loves you. Except maybe Jimin hyung,’ Jungkook says, before his eyes widen, realising what he just said. ‘Sorry, noona, I didn’t mean it to come out like that,’ he says, and I wave him off, willing myself not to cry. ‘It’s fine, it’s fine. Just pass me your phone, Joon, let me send a voice note,’ I say, and he gets his phone out, getting up the ASP group chat and handing it to me.
I press down the button and begin talking; ‘Hey guys, it’s y/n here. Namjoon would have sent this voice note but he’s losing his voice so I’m not letting him speak. He’s over at mine and we’re just party planning and stuff, and the venue needs a deposit in the next two days. If we all pay for our tickets now, we’ll cover the deposit and the venue costs, and the uni funding comes through in two weeks so we can spend that on a DJ and decorations. It’d be really helpful if you and your dates can pay the £15 each for a ticket, otherwise this party won’t go ahead, and it’ll be a real shame if we can’t celebrate Namjoon’s last year as head of the frat. We’re gonna set up a new bank account or PayPal or something, and send the details in so you can transfer all the money into that one. Thanks, guys.’ I look up at the others after recording it. ‘How was that? Was it okay? Shall I send it?’ I say, and Namjoon nods. ‘It was perfect. Send it now, I’ll set up the PayPal,’ he says, beginning to tap away on his laptop. I send it, and await a response. Jungkook and Yoongi both reply saying they’ll pay the £30 for their tickets for themselves and their dates, to prompt the others to do so too. Tae replies next, saying he will too, followed shortly by Hoseok and Jin. Some of the other frat members start to reply as well, and I send the PayPal details in. We watch as the funds get bigger and bigger, and when we reach the deposit, we all (except for Yoongi) start jumping up and down in a circle, screaming in joy.
‘This probably isn’t the best time to ask, y/n, but I still don’t have a date to this thing, you interested in coming?’ Yoongi asks as we take our seats again. ‘Um, I’ve already been asked. By Namjoon. And Jungkook. And Taehyung,’ I say, all three boys raising their eyebrows. ‘Taehyung? Did he ask you in the club… or after the club?’ Namjoon asks interestedly, all three of them looking amused and interested. ‘Um, in the club,’ I lie, slightly embarrassedly. ‘Those clothes look familiar,’ Yoongi says, and I kick myself for not taking off Taehyung’s sweater earlier. ‘Anyway, I’ve been meaning to ask. Why don’t you ask Sana instead of me, Joon? I heard something was going on with you two,’ I ask, Namjoon instantly beginning to blush. ‘What? Who said that? Because it’s completely false. Anyway, we’ve got things to do,’ Namjoon stutters, and I stifle a laugh, Yoongi and Jungkook looking as though this is the first they’ve heard about Sana. Feeling for Namjoon, I change the subject, asking if anyone wants something to drink.
When I’ve come back with everyone’s drinks, I move on to my next task. I dial Chen’s number and wait ‘til he picks up. ‘Hey, y/n,’ he says. ‘Hey, bitch!’ I reply, and he laughs. ‘What’s up? You good? How was last night?’ he asks, and I try not to laugh. ‘I think I should be asking you that. But anyway, we’ll fill each other in another time, I’ve got an emergency,’ I say. ‘What’s happened? Shall I come ‘round? Are you and Mija okay? Shall I get Jackson?’ he asks, panicking. ‘Chen, no! We’re fine. Maybe emergency wasn’t the best word to use. But can you come ‘round actually? We could do with your help,’ I say. ‘What am I getting myself into?’ he asks, sighing. ‘Party planning!’ I exclaim. ‘I’m down. Ask Mija if she wants me to bring Jackson,’ he says, and I do so. ‘No, he’ll just wanna go have sex,’ she says, and I stifle a laugh at the boys’ faces, surprised at hearing of Mija and Jackson because no one knows that they’re kinda dating. ‘She said no, he’ll just want to have sex. Bring yourself and food, bitch,’ I say. ‘How about pizza? Or Chinese?’ he asks. ‘Oh, my God, how can I choose? Surprise me, you know what I like,’ I say. ‘Alright, I’ll be there in like half an hour,’ he says, the line cutting off after that.
‘Right, Chen’s coming. He’ll help us sort the DJ. What else do we need to do?’ I ask Namjoon. ‘A theme,’ he says, and I exchange a look with Mija. ‘Are you doing suits and evening dresses and shit?’ she asks Namjoon, who nods. ‘Masquerade,’ Mija and I say at the exact same time. ‘Masquerade?’ Joon asks. ‘Classy, sexy, mysterious and fun all in one,’ Mija says. ‘What kind of decorations would we have though?’ Namjoon asks, sounding sceptical. ‘We could just do a colour theme. Something classy like… rose gold and white! We could get a flower wall, a balloon arch, centrepieces. We could do a sweet bar, a chocolate fountain, a photobooth, a-’ ‘y/n! We only have £200 to spend on all this stuff. There’s no way we can afford all that. Stop getting so carried away,’ he says, and I grin. ‘Is that a challenge, Joon? Because I will make it my life’s mission to get all of those things. I’ll get them or I’ll die trying,’ I say, Namjoon raising an eyebrow. ‘That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?’ Yoongi asks. ‘No, I like the energy, noona! I’ll help,’ Jungkook says, mouth full of chocolates. ‘You’re all gonna help. We’re gonna make this party the best ever. What are the others doing right now? Jin, Hoseok and Taehyung?’ I ask, purposely leaving Jimin out, and none of them point it out. ‘Nothing, I don’t think. Why?’ Namjoon asks. ‘Get them here now,’ I say, exchanging an excited glance with Mija, ‘we’re about to throw a party-planning party. Mija, call Chen and ask him to get enough food for nine.’

‘What the fuck?’ Tae asks as he steps into our apartment. Jin and Chen are sat at our tiny dining table, both of them on the phone getting quotes from various decorations companies for balloons, centrepieces and flower walls. Namjoon is sprawled out on the floor, on the phone to the venue and discussing different menus. Yoongi’s sat in the armchair, Mija sat on the arm of it and leaning on him as they both look at Namjoon’s laptop, trying to write up a seating plan so we can order or make place holders/keepsakes, having planned for each table to have a different designed item. Jungkook is beside me on the sofa, phoning up the frat members one by one to confirm their attendance, ask who their date is or urging them to find one, and getting those of them that haven’t sent the money for the tickets to do so. I’m making various spreadsheets and charts, writing up the different menus Namjoon repeats out loud to me, the quotes that Chen and Jin are getting, the dates that the boys have, the ones that have paid and the ones that haven’t as Jungkook lets me know after each phone call, contributing to Mija and Yoongi’s seating plan by letting them know who doesn’t like who. ‘Yeah, it’s a bit hectic,’ I say as he shuts the door behind him. I turn back to my laptop and type up the numbers that Chen reads out to me, and a few seconds later, I feel Tae’s hands on my shoulders.
He didn’t tell me anything about his conversation with Jimin after I came out of the shower, just acting as though nothing had happened, the whole time I got changed and when he drove me back to mine and Mija’s accommodation too. Mija eyes us, an amused grin on her face; I told her about what I’d overheard, and she said that she appreciates Tae speaking to Jimin the way he did. I’d also told her about the details of mine and Tae’s night together, trying to spot any signs of jealousy, but there was nothing; she truly has no feelings for Taehyung. Which is totally fine, of course, because she doesn’t need a man, and she’s happy with Jackson anyway. ‘Hoseok hyung couldn’t make it, but what can I do to help?’ he asks, leaning down and burying his head into my neck, some of the others watching us interestedly. ‘Um, Chen knows a guy who does DJing, but can you set up a playlist for him to use please?’ I ask, and he nods. ‘Of course,’ he replies, sitting down on the other side of me and getting his laptop out of his bag.
Slowly but surely, we manage to tick things off one by one. Chen strikes gold and finds a decoration company that’s about to shut down and are selling all of their stock at a fraction of the original prices, and so he makes arrangements with the owners for us to go and pick up what we need in two weeks’ time, on a Sunday. The shop is a two hour drive away, but we decide it’s better to go there than spend five times the money at a closer shop. In total, the decorations we’re looking for come to £50, and I could kiss Chen for finding such a fantastic shop. Jungkook gets all of the boys to confirm and pay for their tickets, and all of them promise to find their dates asap. We collectively decide on the least posh menu and Namjoon promises the venue that he’ll get back to them on how many of each dish they’ll need to prepare. Yoongi and Mija sort out a sufficient seating plan, putting the seven boys and their dates on the same table, meaning if I go, I’ll be sat on a table with Jimin and his date, mostly Jeongyeon, a thought that makes me feel sick to my stomach. We all contribute to the playlist, Tae noting down the songs that we all shout out every couple minutes or so.
‘Right, and we’re done,’ I sigh, falling back against the sofa after a few hours of solid work. ‘What have we got left to do?’ Jin asks. ‘We’ve gotta find a company that sells or rents out chocolate fountains for cheap, either hire a sweet bar or do one ourselves, depending on which one is cheaper, pick up the decorations, write up some kind of online invitation with the date, time, venue, theme everything, and send it out to the boys and their dates with plenty of notice so they can get their outfits. I think that’s it,’ I list off, Namjoon making notes on his phone. ‘y/n, you’re a godsend. Thank you so much for your help, I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you,’ Namjoon says, and I grin at him. ‘I gotchu, Joonie. Now, can you guys leave because I got an early lecture to go to in the morning?’ I say, the others laughing as they all begin rising up from their seats. I watch with interest as Jin and Chen exchange social medias, and Tae and Mija laugh about something together. The boys all bid me goodbye one by one, Jin and Tae hanging back. ‘y/n, I don’t have a date to this thing yet, are you planning on coming? Because I want you to be my date?’ Jin says, and I take a moment, looking up at the ceiling. ‘She’s already had four offers, buddy, you’re too late. Namjoon, JK, Tae and Yoongi all beat you to it,’ Mija says, and Jin’s mouth falls open. ‘Seriously? Fuck, I don’t know who I’m supposed to take,’ Jin sighs, and I laugh. ‘I’ll keep your offer in mind, Jin, thank you for asking,’ I say, and he nods. ‘It’s alright, y/n, just make sure you say yes to one of us,’ he says, and I nod, waving as he leaves, Tae still hanging around.
‘You okay, Tae?’ I ask, and he nods. ‘I, um… there’s something I need to tell you, y/n,’ he says, making me panic. ‘Um, okay,’ I say, not sure what else to say, and Mija disappears into the kitchen, obviously not wanting to intrude. ‘I don’t know much about what happened between you and Jimin, but what I do know is that you have a right to be aware on what’s going on in his life at the moment. So I thought I should tell you that Jeongyeon came over earlier, a little while after I dropped you off back here. I don’t know if he called her over hoping you’d see her, like as revenge, or because they’re together or something, but I thought you should know,’ Taehyung says, slowly and hesitantly, and I don’t feel shock or hurt. I’m just numb. ‘Thank you for telling me, Tae,’ I say. ‘Are you not, um… surprised?’ he asks, and I shake my head with a sad smile. ‘He slept with her Tae. That’s why I cut him off. He slept with her that night he took me out and that party happened out of nowhere. Whilst I was tidying and throwing up, he was upstairs in his room with her, knowing full well I could’ve walked in at any second. So, no, Tae, I’m not surprised,’ I say, and Tae’s mouth falls open. ‘Does… does he know you know?’ he asks, and I nod. ‘I found out the next morning. I slept in Joon’s room for the night, and saw her coming out of his room in his clothes when I was hiding in the bathroom. When I confronted him on the football pitch, he confessed, and I told him I already knew,’ I say, and Tae sits down beside me, taking my hands into his. ‘y/n, I’m so sorry. He’s scum,’ Tae says, and I don’t have the energy to partake in the Jimin slander. ‘Just promise me you won’t tell him you know. And please try to act normal with him. I don’t want to ruin anything,’ I say, and he shakes his head. ‘Of course, of course. I won’t breathe a word, and I’ll try my best not to throttle him next time I see him. I should head back actually, but I’ll see you later, y/n. I’ll text you soon, and we’ll go for coffee or something,’ Tae says, and I nod. We bid each other goodbye, and he leaves, Mija walking in seconds later. ‘God, I really hate Jimin sometimes,’ she says, sitting down beside me and pulling me into her arms, and I sigh, resting my head on her shoulder. ‘So do I, Mija,’ I reply tiredly, ‘so do I.’
#bts#bts series#bts fanfic#BTS jimin#jimin#park jimin#bts park jimin#park jimin smut#park jimin au#park jimin fanfic#bts fanfiction#bts fluff#bts angst#BTS au#bts smut#bts imagines#ficswithluv#smutcentralnet
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Review of Wonder Woman 1984
So, being an open-minded person as such, I look often at dramas, movies, etc which are both slammed a lot and are popular. By doing this, it’s my own look at what is resonating or not and why. I often also look at cult media for the same reason. This is why I went into WW1984. I wanted to explore why people were hating on it. Also the complaints about the lack of social justice awareness as well.
So since the plot (if you can call it one) is summarized pretty well with people are in love with the 1980′s and want to make a huge pastiche of it while not understanding anything about sexism, racism, and feels like queerbaiting. The main premise is not bad. It’s been done well in other media, from Aladdin in Arabian Nights to Neverending Story: The idea of wishes. But the world building around it is hamfisted and because of the large mistakes, it drags. I’m looking mainly at the writing issues. So, I know several worldwide plotting, but quickly realized this was kinda, sorta supposed to be a five-act plot. The ingredients to make a five-act work are a character that wants/needs something who runs into a conflict because of their want/need and then runs into complications because of the want/need. This is the basic breakdown for queries for books too. The problem is that they spread the want/needs across three characters which loosely bind together around no emotional core except a really cheap one, and get feminism totally incorrect. Both of the female protags biggest want/need is established to be men after some epic queerbaiting. I felt the queerbaiting. I was going, I hope Wonder Woman is bi/pan. PLS and then it didn’t happen and they established the want/need as men. URRGHHH. This fails the Mako Mori test. Because it’s around and revolves around men, the agency of the characters is cut down. This is not why people watch Wonder Woman. They want a female who is kicking butt, taking out all the stops and does not require a man to do it. I felt a lot of the movie could have been replacing the female characters with sexy lamps. Though they take action, it does not change the thrust of the plot one bit. Their decisions don’t seem to do much to the structure of the plot.
Then they spent almost the entire movie on men because the want/need on the men was much, much more laid out, and you have no conflict without some sort of want/need. The problem with this was, the conflict didn’t materialize that much, because they forgot the emotional core. They shortchanged the main “villain” by not taking time showing the times he bonded and loved his son. There is no moment where you feel like he spent a lot of time investing in his son before his downfall. (Plus this plot point was not deftly done.) And the only obstruction to him is Wonder Woman not kicking butt, without a clear want/need to oppose him. It should emotionally ring. Thus following this plotline, by the bottom of the Second act, the action scenes feel like one has investment in them. But the plotting didn’t take into account the emotional core at all. (I guess they didn’t watch enough Pixar film??)
So by the time of the action sequences I was falling asleep. No, I mean really not invested that much that I was falling asleep. With no investment in the characters want/need or what they were doing wrong with their want/need, I got bored.
Social issues: Feminism/Sexism: They did what is called explicit sexism by having a woman being harassed and only harassed when she is “sexy” or “looks weak” And I hate to break it to you, but women get harassed regardless of what women look like.
THEN they failed the Mako Mori test. The Sexy Lamp test by half. And it felt like the first bit with the explicit sexism was trying to say, but we know feminism, while failing to understand the systemic issues of sexism, like they perpetrated.
Also the whole, woman feels pretty and white woman treats black man well felt too off mark. Racism: The idea that West Asian peoples are only about the oil and war, etc I started to cry inside. There was no time to dedicate to other subject matters, so it felt like a cheap ploy and short hand. Much like the black homeless guy was used the same way.
And I’m upset about what felt like queerbaiting and the idea that people can move on from relationships. I mean I treasure female friendships, but they also abandoned that very quickly as well.
Conclusion
Overall, 2020 was a mess, but Wonder Woman 1984 also reflects that gigantic mess. The screenwriters need to up themselves on social issues and think more about the emotional core. It felt like a bunch of plot points were being ticked off, without taking the time to think through how the audience should feel and manipulating them into feeling that. Overall, I think the largest problem with WW84 was that they lacked the EQ to make it work. Five act is supposed to make you feel excited, heightened, and enhance those emotions. But they didn’t understand that and skipped it.
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Name Ten Films That Have, For Whatever Reason, Stuck With You
@millennialfangirl tagged me, and this was harder than I thought and I might have gone over the ten. Also, tumblr is being tumblr and not cooperating with gifs, so only the first film has one. Here they are, in chronological order:
Casablanca, 1942
Look, Casablanca is the best film ever made. Is it my favorite? No, but it’s the best, much better than Citizen Kane, which is often heralded as the pinnacle of cinema but is about a rich old white guy who loves his sled.
Here’s looking at you, kid. Of all the Gin joints. Round up the usual suspects! I’m shocked - shocked!- to find that gambling is going on in here (Your winnings, sir.). This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. As Time Goes By. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman and a supporting cast to die for. Renault throwing away the bottle of Vichy water.
I could go on, but here’s why Casablanca has stuck with me: It’s one of my Dad’s favorite movies, too. When I think of Casablanca, I think of him. One Christmas (I can’t remember if I was in high school or college), the old timey theater in town played Casablanca. I got us tickets as his Christmas present. It is one of my favorite movie-going experiences (more on that below).
Star Wars, 1977
When I was little, we used to go to my maternal grandparents’ house every Tuesday, and I would watch Star Wars. I was probably waaaaay too young - there’s audio of me playing out Star Wars with my My Little Ponies and I was like, three. On my college essay, I wrote about how Return of the Jedi was my first movie (true story, I was six months old and slept through the whole thing, because apparently taking your sleeping infant to the movies is something parents did in the ‘80s).
Star Wars is where I learned about the Hero’s Journey. About princesses and rebellions and wizards and flying spaceships. I devoured the Timothy Zahn books and Young Jedi Knights series. And yes, I’m a little down on it all after Episode IX - but I still love it. It has impacted me in so many ways. I know my life would be the poorer for not having seen it.
Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981
If Princess Leia was the first damsel I saw who get herself out of distress, Marian Ravenwood was the one who solidified the idea that women were perfectly capable of getting into and out of trouble themselves, thank you very much. Then there’s Harrison Ford in being Peak Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones - Intelligent, clever, brave-bordering-on-reckless. Who wouldn’t want to go on far-flung adventures to find hidden treasure, and maybe punch some Nazis while you’re at it?
The Goonies, 1985
Speaking of far-flung adventures, how about going on one in your hometown? Booby-traps, pirates, Italian gangsters, Sloth, hidden treasure - it’s every kid’s playtime fantasy come magically to life. I still want to go down those tunnel slides and shoot out into a hidden lagoon. They just don’t make movies like this any more - fun, family movies that don’t dumb down the action or characterization for kids, that’s a ride for both kids and parents alike. This was the first movie I showed my kids during quarantine.
The Princess Bride, 1987
Inconceivable. The Six Fingered Man. Death cannot stop truly love. Only mostly dead. Have fun storming the castle! Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. ROUSes.
This is a perfect movie. It is. It is lightning in a bottle and it should never, ever be remade (those were just rumors, right?). This is romance and humor and suspense and two of the best swordfights in cinematic history (fight me on this. No, really, fight me. I took fencing in college because of this movie), all wrapped up in the sweetest Happily Ever After. I love it so much.
Jurassic Park, 1993
I’ve told this story before, but here it is again. In the summer of 1993, I was 10 and my sisters were 8 and just turned 6, and we convinced our parents that we were for sure old enough to see Jurassic Park - a book my mother had read and thus knew what level of horror to expect. It did not go well. I ended up burying my head in my dad’s chest; my youngest sister was in my mom’s lap; and my middle sister, with no where left to go, ended up under the seat in front of her.
Now, it’s the movie we quote (Hold on to your butts). When my youngest had jello recently, I told him to hold it up and look scared, then texted the picture around. We all knew immediately what I meant. The DVDs are given as gifts and then immediately stolen. My youngest sister can recite the entire movie. I can’t wait to scare my sons with it.
The Shawshank Redemption, 1994
I don’t remember this movie when it came out; I remember it was this movie I hadn’t really heard of at the Oscars, where it won none. Not until I was much older did I realize what a travesty that was. I first watched this on a pep band bus trip in college - not the time or place to truly appreciate it. Months later, I rented it (remember renting movies?) and fell in love with it.
This is a beautiful movie about friendship and hope and finding light in the darkness. It’s always on TV, and I will always stop and watch at least a few minutes of it. The ending - the last half hour, really - is pure cinematic poetry, but noting beats Red’s monologue as he travels to find Andy on that Mexican beach.
That Thing You Do!, 1996
This movie is Capital-D-Delightful. Just thinking about it makes me smile. This is the movie that tipped me from Tom Hanks Fan to I Love Tom Hanks and Need Him to Be My Best Friend. He WROTE and DIRECTED this gem of a movie. The talent. The song is legitimately catchy, the characters are Wonder-ful (see what I did there?), and it’s all in Day-Glo ‘60s color. I love this movie and make no apologies.
Toy Story 2, 1999
Speaking of Tom Hanks, this is my favorite Toy Story. Look, the first is a technological marvel, but Woody is an ass throughout most of the film. The fourth is it’s own thing, and the third is really, really good and I ugly sob at the end, but it’s also got a lot going on there. But the second - oh the second is beautiful in its simplicity. In addition to all of Andy’s toys, we get Jesse and Bullseye and even Stinky Pete. It’s an ode to friendship and love and the realization that life, for toys and people, eventually ends, and we have to appreciate every moment we have now. It is my favorite Toy Story.
Finding Nemo, 2003
I don’t know if it’s my favorite Pixar film, though. It depends on the day, but most of the time that distinction goes to Finding Nemo. I first saw it when I was twenty, a decade before my first kid was born, but it has greatly influenced how I parent. The conversation between Dory and Marlin in the whale, the idea that keeping anything from happening to your kid cuts both ways, the leap of faith, the mantra of “just keep swimming,” the notion that your kids don’t just want, but need to have independence - it’s all there, in Pixar’s stunning ocean animation. I get choked up just thinking about it. “Now go have an adventure!”
Honorable Mentions:
Forrest Gump, 1994
I loved this movie. I love Tom Hanks in this movie. I would watch it in snippets during college, while I ate dinner or lunch or just needed a quick study break. But it’s been years since I last saw it, and I wonder if it still holds up. It’s a Boomer movie made when the Boomers were - basically, just a little older than we old Millennials are now. It’s American history in the last half of the twentieth century, but the big events - Vietnam, Civil Rights, even AIDS - are filtered through the lens of a straight white man who kinda wanders into history but doesn’t really get why the moments are historic. I feel like it’s a film I appreciated at a certain time, but wouldn’t love as much now.
Avengers: Endgame, 2019
There just hasn’t been enough time for this movie to make the list. Ask about it again in ten years. Although, to be honest, I haven’t seen the whole thing since I saw it in theaters, and I fear it won’t live up. It was the best movie-going experience I’ve ever had. The crowd was so into it, and the last battle had everyone, me included, screaming at the screen. Part of what makes Endgame so special to me is that, among the three big franchises that ended last year (Avengers, Star Wars, Game of Thrones), this one actually stuck the landing. And yes, I could argue that Steve Rogers’ end doesn’t actual make any sense and deprives Peggy Carter of her agency - but in the emotional moment of the film, it worked. That portal scene is the culmination of twenty-plus films, and I still can’t believe it works as well as it does.
Thanks again for this! I second tagging @lerayon for this. I feel like I’m kinda cold-calling mutuals from our Arrow days, so no pressure. But I’d love to hear what @machawicket @dust2dust34 @dettiot @theshipsfirstmate have on their lists.
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Top 10 Disney Couples
Last year for Valentines, I did a post on some of my favorite all-time ships. I wanted to do something like that again this year, so I decided to do Disney specifically. I’m only gonna count the main animated features (with one exception), so no Pixar but maybe I’ll give that its own list next year. Also, because I put this ship on my list last year, I’m going to exclude Rapunzel/Eugene (they’d be Number 2 otherwise) so that I can talk about some other pairings that I love. And trust me, when it comes to Disney, I got plenty.
Okay, here we go~
#10. Milo Thatch/Kida (Atlantis the Lost Empire)
Atlantis is one of the most underrated Disney films ever, and same with this pair. Okay so I guess technically they didn’t get together since there wasn’t a kiss or anything... but come on! While their intentions were all in the second half of the movie, it was just so... sweet to me. Milo had it rough through the whole movie with so many people belittling him. Even though he made friends with the crew and doing so got them to do the right thing, they were still pretty harsh on the poor guy in the start. He had been mocked due to his dreams, but never gave up even when his inexperience and dorkiness got in the way.
Kida though? She seemed endeared by him. Just like Milo had a curiosity in finding Atlantis and learning of their culture, Kida was interested in Milo and the world he came from. She might be the very first person aside form Mr. Whitmore who acted kindly to Milo right off the bat and asked him to help her save her people and culture. Milo didn’t go for the money, he went because it was his grandfather’s dream, and in turn his dream. They were so cute and fun together as they learned about each other's worlds, and of course, Milo did everything he possibly could to save Kida after she and the crystal bonded, as well as the entire city. Even at the risk of his own life. And just that hug between them at the end and Milo choosing to stay in Atlantis. Just... beautiful. This pair might be subtle, but it's just so sweet and respectful to each other and I just love them.
#9. Duchess and Thomas O’Malley (The Aristocats)
I think this was one of the first movies I ever saw in my life. My mom said I used to watch it all the time as a kid anyways. Heck, pretty sure this movie is why I love cats so much.
Anyways, this pair is cute. Duchess is a classy lady, while Thomas is a swinger. But they just have this natural chemistry the minute that they met. They don’t judge each other from their different walks of life or anything. You can tell that Duchess was charmed the second Thomas first came on. But what sells is, while thrown off for a moment, when Thomas realizes Duchess has kittens? He pretty much goes into dad mode instantly and tries to keep them happy/protect them. I mean he didn't have to help Marie when she fell out of the milk truck at that point, but he did it because it was the right thing to do. He wasn't one of those assholes who got thrown off cause the girl had kids. Heck, that seemed to bring them closer together.
But yeah, it’s just nice and charming to me. There’s nothing real deep about it, but IDK. There’s just something endearing about it to me. Maybe t’s due to Eva Gabor’s performance as Duchess, which also kinda helps with a pairing later on. But I just find them charming and Thomas showed to be a good guy and a good father figure. Sometimes you don’t need a lot of depth for a pair, you just gotta make the sense of romance come off. Disney has always been good at that, and this pair demonstrates that.
#8. Cinderella/Prince Charming (Cinderella)
So to be fair this one has little to no development. Which is kind fo a thing with some of the early Disney films n it’s things like this that Frozen pointed out... even though it kinda fell into the same cliche, but ah well. But you know what? As I said, Disney is usually pretty damn good at making you like a pair, even if it’s out of focus. This one is a prime example. We don’t see much of the Prince, but at the same time there is so much there.
Throughout the movie, we saw Cinderella belittled and abused by her stepfamily. She’s treated like a slave and gets her dreams literally torn apart right in front of her eyes. But she tries to remain kind and hopeful, and the Fairy Godmother rewards her for it. She gets the one night at the Bal. She didn’t go intending to find love, he went because for one time in her life since her parents died, she could have one night of happiness. That was all she wanted. Then Charming saw her. It was him who got struck with love at first sight It was him who walked out on th other girls and approached her. A prince noticed this girl who felt that she was a lowly servant, and danced with her. FOr Cinderella, that had to be so touching and amazing that can we blame her for being so in love after? After someone finally, finally gave her some long overdue affection.
Yeah in RL this can be dangerous. But it isn’t RL. It’s a fairy tale. Cindy earned her happy ending. And if we needed genuine proof about the Prince, A Twist in Time showed that he was indeed a good, heroic person. He didn’t judge Anastasia off her looks. When he found out the truth, he went to find Cinderella and remembered his love for her. He never cared that Cindy was a servant or anything. He loved her when he saw her, and clearly loved her for who she was. Cindy found someone who would give her the love that was so cruelly denied form her and she got out of her abusive family through it. Is it perfect? No, and I can give the remake points for doing a better job at developing the romance. But even so, it’s just s beautiful pair I loved since like... three years old. As such IDC what anyone says, I will always love them.
#7. Belle/Beast aka Adam (Beauty and the Beast)
It might be a surprise to some, but... I’m not a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. I just feel like Belle, compared to Ariel and some of the later princesses is a little too boring. I still love her though. She’s bookish and kind and is seen as weird by her town, but she pursues what she enjoys anyways. She refuses Gaston’s advances as, while she had expressed wanting love, she didn’t want it with a brute like him. She wanted to choose herself. Then The Beast happens.
People tot his day still like to throw the Stockholm Syndrome card around, but it is idiotic. Belle never caved to Beast when he acted like a brute. But he did see that he wasn't a bad person when he saved her from the wolves, ad she chose to tend to him because she’s a good person. Yes, Beast needs her to break the curse, but Belle doesn’t just cave in either. Beast has to change himself to earn Belles's affection, and over time he does. He learns to be kinder and sure it’s a work in progress, but he does try and he does become better. It goes form needing Belle out of necessity, to genuinely falling in love with her because of her kindness towards him. Belle made Beast a better person, and once she saw the person he truly was, she fell in love with him.
But even then, despite those feelings, Belle decides to leave because her father needed her. Beast, instead of trying to force her to stay, allows her to go. That’s how much he loved her at that point. He loved her enough to let her go, even though that meant he’d be doomed. But it’s through that act, that selflessness, that allows the curse to eventually break. Because of Belle, Beast broke away form being a monster and spared Gaston. Because Belle saw the good in Beast, she stood up to Gaston and went back to save the man she loved. Because of that love, the curse was broken, and Beast became Adam once more. Belle saved Adam. Even if I’m not a huge fan of that film, it’s such a beautiful demonstration of the power of love and they truly deserved each other. A tale as old as time, indeed.
#6. Miss Bianca/Bernard (The Rescuers)
THIS IS THE MOST UNDERRATED DISNEY SHIP EVER.
I love these two so much. Again, its a rather understated pair, but it just works. Bernard is the nervous janitor of the Rescue Aid Society, but he clearly believes int heir cause as shown when he sings the anthem outside. Bianca is the Sweedish representative who has many admirers, but her heart is set on her job. She takes a liking to Bernard because she sees that compared to pretty much everyone else, he believes in rescuing those in trouble with the same passion as she does. He also shows how much he cares for her by being worried about her going to save Penny. Not because she’s a girl, but because he wants her to be safe. That clearly touched her and is why she picked him to be her co-agent.
They both work well together, Binca encouraging Bernard and being the charmer, more relaxed one. Bernard is frequently nervous, but he has a clear knack for the job and does it well. By the time they are on the way to Devil’s Bayou, it’s clear that they’ve acknowledged their feelings for one another. Ther’s no major arc or anything, it’s just two individuals feeling mutually attracted and feeling comfortable with their feelings. They work very well together and manage to rescue Penny, and later Doby in the sequel. The sequel retains the same charm, and the end where Bernard finally proposes makes me smile big every single time.
It’s just a lovely pairing that works so well and it is soooo underrated. It needs more love.
#5. Tiana/Prince Naveen (The Princess and the Frog)
I love this pair so much. It’s a classic ‘came from two different worlds’ story. You have the hard-working and ambitious Tiana and the lazy, spoiled Prince Naveen. Tiana is a good person, but she tends to put work over everything else and never lets herself relax. Naveen is a fun and intelligent man, but he’s spoiled and doesn’t know how to do anything, which caused his parents to cut him off. Due to this, Naveen got himself cured and he ended up passing it onto Tiana.
It is through each other that they find what is missing. Naveen has someone who actually pushes him to work and to realize his own flaws. How he doesn’t know how to act in the real world, even though he shows that he has plenty of skills if he tried. Having someone like Tiana who didn’t fall for his charm and pushed him to actually do things got him to better himself, and it clearly drew him to her. With Tiana, Naveen helped her see that there is more to life than working hard. It’s okay to take a step back and to find things like love. Her dream will always be there, but love will only come around every so often. It helps Tiana ease up and believe in things like wishing stars again, and it paid off for her.
Even at the end, when it looks like they’ll never become human, they accept it. Naveen almost gives up his freedom to marry Charlotte not to turn human again but to let Tiana fulfill her dream. Tiana realizes that she loves Naveen and even if it means losing what she wanted, she’ll still have what she needs, just like her father did. But it works out as once they get married, Tiana is now a princess and their kiss breaks the spell. Tiana got her dream. Naveen did everything he could to make that dream happen, including work with his own bare hands. They got the thing they both wanted and needed, and it’s just beautiful. Neither one are perfect, but their love is genuine, and I adore them and their journey,
#4. Hercules/Meg (Hercules)
I just realises that 5-2 are all from Musher and Clements directed films. Huh. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though. Those two are so good at making likable couples. Even if they only have to much time to develop them, they make them good and their live believable and I love them. Hercules and Meg are no exception.
Unlike other heroines, Meg is a little older and less innocent. Herc is the more innocent one this time around. Herc is a good-hearted guy trying to figure out who he is and wants to be a hero to reunite with his God family. He saves Meg where despite some clumsiness, he pulls it off. Meg is clearly amused and Herc is lovestruck by her beaut. But of course, Meg is with Hades due to selling her soul to save her lover... who left her for another woman. Meg is cynical and hurt, and considering she pretty much gave up her soul for a man who left her without so much as a thank you, it’s hard to blame her.
Even though Hades makes her get close to Herc to find his weakness, Meg ends up falling for him due to his kindness and genuine heroic heart. She’s in denial of it because of what she experienced, but he wins her over. So much so that even if it means eternal servitude, she refuses to help Hades anymore. Unfortunately, it only gives Hades what he needs to break Herc, and it hurts them both. But despite clearly being heartbroken by the deception and being powerless, Herc trie to save everyone anyways. THen Meg sacrifices herself to save him and restore his power, making Herc realize she did really love him. Herc grew to love Meg because she was smart, funny, and she made him feel less alone. Seeing that she was willing to die for him, despite all that happened, really showed how strong that love truly was. Meg again sacrificed herself to save who she loved, and Hercules proved he was a hero by going to the Underworld himself to save Meg. He was willing to sell his own soul to let Meg leave, and this act got him his full Godhood restored.
But the best part? At the end despite finally being deemed a True Hero and being back at Mount Olympus, what does Hercules do? He gives it up. For Meg. He finally found the place he came form... but it wasn’t where he belonged. He belonged on Earth. The place that raised him. The place he found Meg. His parents are stunned, but clearly happy for him and grant his wish. They finally get to kiss, and it feels so earned. Hercules found someone who loves him for him and can fill the void. Meg found some genuinely kind who would never leave or hurt her. That's the best way to describe this pair, genuine.
#3. Ariel/Eric (The Little Mermaid)
In many ways, this pairing set up the basis for many pairings to come.
Ariel is a mermaid who wants to be human. Eric is an adventurous prince wanting to enjoy life. One fateful night, Ariel stumbled upon his ship and it was love at first sight. Not just on her end either. When she saved him, Eric got one glimpse at her, but could only remember her voice. He wanted to find this mysterious girl again (a fact many critics seem to ignore) and thus the stage is set. After Triton destroys her grotto, Ariel takes Ursula’s deal and becomes human, and gets her chance to woo Eric.
These two are just adorable. People still get on Ariel for her choice here, and yeah she fell in love super fast. But she already wanted to be human, and I think some of her feelings were more infatuation than real love at first. But once humans, we see that Eric is a genuinely nice guy. Even though he thinks Ariel isn’t the girl since she can’t talk, what doe she do? He takes her to the palace anyways because clearly, she needs help and shelter, and he’s willing to give her that. I think that’s what gets Ariel to truly love him, seeing that he’s a good person and kind of her ideal vision of what humans are like. Then Ariel, despite being mute, is just so charming and weet that Eric ends up feeling attracted to her. So much sot hat once Grimm points it out to him, he gives up on his curiosity over the girl who saved him and is about to turn his affections towards Ariel. Sure Ursula messed that up, but it showed that no, he didn’t fall for Ariel because it turned out she was that girl. He fell in love with Ariel because of who Ariel was. Just as she fell for him because of who he was.
I truly did not care that their romance was rushed. It was genuinely charming and sweet. They were both good people, and seeing two good people happy is perfectly fine. Especially at the end where once she found out what Ursula was doing, Ariel went after them even though she couldn’t swim in her human form. Eric, despite being human, went to save Ariel from Ursula, and she, in turn, saved him from getting blasted. Then Eric finished Ursula once and for all, nearly getting killed int he process but this proves himself worthy to Triton. He grants Ariel legs, and the two can finally be together. The critics and ‘feminists’ can say what they want, they are adorable and just good for each other and as I said, are the template for so many couples afterwards. I love them, dang it!
#2. Aladdin/Princess Jasmine (Aladdin)
IDK what it is about these two! They’re just so... perfect! IDK how to explain why, but I’m gonna try.
Like I said, Musker and Clements are just really good at making likable pairs. Aladdin is a street rat striving for more. Jasmine is a princess who wants freedom. When they meet, its true love. It doesn't even feel like Aladdin fell for her cause she was pretty, it truly feels like he saw his soulmate for the first time. Then the two find a common link in feeling trapped in their lives. They both want more. Want to create something better for themselves. And they find that they may just be able to get that through each other. But then Aladidn is arrested and Jafar lies that he was executed, breaking Jasmine and essentially ensuring that she wasn’t going to leave again.
Then Prince Ali shows up. Jasmine is angered because he appears pompous and because her everyone si trying to make decisions about her without her consent. She isn’t a prize to be won. Ali, of course, is Aladdin, and once Jasmine tells him off, he realizes how the persona he’s putting on is wrong. He acts more like himself, showing that he likes Jasmine not because of her looks or money, but because she’s a fun, strong-willed person. Once she sees this and suspects he’s Aladdin, she goes with him on the magic carpet. A Whole New World is one of the most romantic scenes in any movie period. You will never be able to convince me otherwise. It ends with Jasmine realizing Ali’s identity, and while he still lies, Aladdin acts like himself and Jasmine falls for the person he truly is.
But of course, Aladdin is still lying. So he still needs to prove himself worthy after. Which he does by defeating Jafar despite having only his street rat skills to aid him. But he accomplishes it masterfully. He realizes that he can't live a lie or force Genie into servitude just to fulfill his won want. He frees Genie, but he didn't need his magic by then. he more than proved himself to the Sultan, who lets Jasmine choose who she wants. I think he’d have done this long before if not for Jafar’s hypnosis, and the smile of Jasmine’s face is just beautiful. She chooses Aladdin, and it is indeed a whole new world for both of them. It’s just so genuine and pure and I love them.
So... back at the top, I said there was one exception to the ‘strictly form Disney animated features’ rule. Why? Because I just could not leave this one off. It would feel wrong because it is one of, if not the, most perfect and longest-lasting couples in all fo entertainment. Who am I talking about?
#1. Mickey and Minnie Mouse
As the old saying goes: it all started with a mouse.
Mickey and Minnie is so freakin pure it makes me feel the warm fuzzies if I so much as see a photo of them. Really, anything they are in together makes me feel that way. For over ninety years, these two have graced pretty much every media form ever and have been together in some fashion throughout it. They have the same birthday and last name for crying out loud! This was destiny!
Both Mickey and Minnie are sweet and endearing. Mickey is the face of Disney and while I know some find him bland and one-note, there’s always just been this charm to him. I love how much of a sweetie he is, and he does have his mischevious streak. Minnie over the years has become more sassy and stern, letting her not just be Mickey’s girlfriend. But no matter what changes the two have been through, their utter love for each other has never faded away. You can put them in anything in any setting, and they will be head over heel for each other.
I mean even their longest-lasting voice actors, Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor, got married due to these roles. Mickey ad Minie got married in real life. It really showed too. You could just tell that Mickey and Minnie, Wayne and Russi, were just so in love and it made you love them. It’s something that’s gonna be hard due to Wayne and Russi’s passings, but true love is eternal. That love will always exit through Mickey and Minnie. Even when Bret Iwan and Chris Diamantopolis took over Mickey, you still feel the love between Mickey and Minnie and I’m sure that whoever takes over Minnie will also keep that intact. That love is immortalized, and I will continue to love every second of it.
Mickey Mouse is the one who started it all, but Mickey and Minnie are the ones who started Disney’s pure love stories. I think that’s something that Disney has always been good at. Sure the romances can be rushed and happen at first sight. Even they’ve made fun of themselves for it But they’re just so good at it. As they say, don’t fix what ain’t broke. Maybe give it a fresh coat of paint, but don’t fix what doesn't need it. I look forward to seeing future Disney pairs, and I will cherish them all, both old and new Happy Valentines Day everyone~
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MONTHLY MEDIA: July 2019
I’ve really stepped up my comics reading having fully embraced my local libraries. You can just borrow them whenever you want! Also saw lots of movies and watched a lot of the Bachelorette. It’s been a good summer.
……….FILM……….

Midsommer (2019) Oh wow. I’m not one for scary movies but this never felt like a scary movie. Sure it was definitely “horror” in the sense that so much of it is horrific, but it never relied on the typical “scary movie” tactics. For this, I am grateful.
Paddington 2 (2017) The perfect counterpoint and emotional reset after our matinee screening of Midsommer. This video does a better job of explaining why I love these movies, but if you haven’t got the time then know that the Paddington movies are a masterclass in efficient storytelling, visual comedy, and good natured entertainment for all ages. It’s not quite the same as Pixar sneaking in jokes that only adults will get, it’s more that it tells a universal story with familiar characters that land at any age. Just beautiful.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Okay so I get that illustrating a tie-in book for this movie means I likely can’t be objective, but I really dug the film. Solid themes that carried through to most of the characters and their arcs, as well as some of the most comic-book accurate visuals I could have hoped for. And I really dig the Parker/MJ dynamic here. Ugh it’s just all so good.

Alien (1979) I don’t need to tell you how well this holds up. Still as subversive and terrifying as it was 40 years ago. Still not sure what the alien was doing in the escape pod before Ripley shows up.
The Dead Don’t Die (2019) This was a weird one. Meta zombie movies already exist. Zombies as social commentary already exist. Zombie comedies already exist. I suppose I was just hoping for something...new? It was all of these things, but it didn’t seem to push any individual element into unexplored territory. The cast seemed like they were having a good time, but I don’t think it quite translated to the screen. I’d recommend Shaun of the Dead, Fido, or Zombieland instead.
……….TELEVISION……….

Instant Hotel (Episode 2.01 to 2.06) A 6-episode season of Australian reality tv judging Airbnbs? A cast that includes an 80 year old trying to look 20 and perfect couple who find each other hilarious? Sign me up. It’s available on (Canadian) Netflix but if you can find it, check it out.
Stranger Things (Episode 3.01 to 3.08) Without spoiling too much, I’ll say that this season was on par with the first, and felt better than the second. It’s not as moody and contained, but it really embraces what I take to be the spirit of 80s media. I feel like the early eps were setting up more of a zombie/body-snatchers plot but I don’t think the series likes to stray too far from the core of that first season. Super fun, wildly silly, and once I embraced the lighter tone it really delivered.
Queer Eye (Episode 4.01 to 4.08) This season really seemed to focus on philanthropic and independent businesses and I’m here for it. There was a Wayfair product placement towards the end which...felt out of place given the politics of the show, but dang if this series isn’t a light in the darkness!
Neon Genesis Evangelion (Episode 1.01 to 1.03) What a mood. It’s a slow burn but I’m really digging that the world feels established and that we’ve come into something well after all the big revelations happened. Now that the crazy has settled, we get to spend more time seeing how the crazy affects the day-to-day. Or what the day-to-day looks like in a new, wild world. Digging it.
The Bachelorette (Episode 15.08 to 15.13) Just wild. Watching that rollercoaster with Luke P was excellent television and terrible dating but that finale was *chef’s kiss* perfect.
……….READING……….

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (Page 230 of 406) Fun so far! There’s far less of the angel/demon relationship than I expected, but that’s only because I’m going off of what the Amazon show has been promoting. I need to do more research into how they shared the writing because the humour and meandering chapters really feel like Pratchett. I’m keen to see where it all goes!
Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt (Abandoned) I read half the novel before deciding this one wasn’t for me and it’s not because it wasn’t well-written or an engaging story. I found this on a list of good reads for those who like Wonderland and Alice’s adventures, but I’d say the links between the two were...thin...at best. When you’re expecting fanciful worlds and exaggerated characters, but get far more human (and all too real) trauma then it’s a jarring experience. I read a synopsis of the last 100ish pages that I missed and admit that I think I would’ve been satisfied with the conclusion, but it’s a bummer that the first 60% of the book felt like a holding pattern to get to the good stuff.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 5 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) Still one of my favourite fantasy comics. The characters are nuanced and are continuing to get developed, as is the setting and supporting cast! Every so often it’ll break format, but I appreciate that the gimmick (including a monster-based recipe in each chapter) isn’t getting in the way of good storytelling. I love everything about this and you should be reading it.

Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1 & 2 by Dan Slott, Ryan Stegman, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Humbero Ramos, and so many more (Complete) I wasn’t sure about this before picking it up but it’s a fascinating study of Spider-Man. It feels like an answer to all those that focus on plot holes and logic. Doc Ock has taken over Spider-Man’s body and he, as the epitome of troll, is just going through and “fixing” what Peter Parker gets wrong. It’s an interesting study in learning more about someone with opposing views. It even keeps Parker’s spirit around to dramatically and comedically respond to his life being taken over by a villain. It’s good! Not the first Spider-Book you should pick up, but worth reading if you want a spider-change.

Saga of the Swamp Thing Vol. 1 by Alan Moore, John Totleben, & Steve Bissette (Complete) After hearing good things about the TV series based on this character (still haven’t watched it) I figured I’d check this out. Knowing very little about the character going in, I loved every second of it! It’s a little bit horror, a little bit classic superheroics, and just a touch philosophical. Can’t recommend this enough.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It's True by Ryan North, Erica Henderson,�� (Complete) I can’t (and won’t) stop praising this book. It’s fun, creative, and funny! Pitting Squirrel Girl against an evil Squirrel just makes sense and is a fun break from the classic Marvel villains. Hopefully we get back to more of the classics, as that’s what I enjoyed most about volume 1, but it’s good to see that the book doesn’t shy away from variety.

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff (Complete) Such a great adventure comic! Set in the early 1800s, it’s like a Female Indiana Jones adventure with all the swashbuckling and plundering that you’d want out of a treasure hunter. Mature in its handling of a number of topics, but done in a light tone and without heavy violence. I think it was sorted as a young adult graphic novel in my library, and that feels fitting. Stellar art and charming characters.
The Undertaking of Lily Chen by Danica Novgorodoff (Complete) Very character driven and an interesting foundation for the story (set in northern China when tradition demanded men be married even after they’ve died). There are really inspiring moments with the watercolour artwork and while it didn’t always resonate with me, it really served the story.
……….GAMING……….

Maze of the Blue Medusa (Satyr Press) We very nearly had our first character death! Almost multiple! But they’re playing with level 9ish characters and with quick wits it’s proving difficult to defeat them. They’re still kinda wandering around this maze, but I think it’ll all start to come together soon!
And that’s it! As always, feel free to send me anything you recommend to see, read, hear, play, and so on.
Happy Wednesday!
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Some thoughts about the Star Wars Prequels now that I’ve seen all three for the first time since they came out. Ngl, I’m probably not saying anything new that people who look into these films much more in depth, and bigger Star Wars fans haven’t already said. But I just needed a space to say what I think to get it out of my system.
These are not good films.
They’re not even bad films that are still enjoyable to watch.
I can see where there are kernels of good ideas buried within this mess. Political corruption, star-crossed love, descent to the dark path, magical wizardry, space battles... while a lot of the tropes are tired and true, the basic outline Lucas set out isn’t that bad. It’s just that the execution fails on just about every level.��
I feel like all the everything boils down to -- failing to make a connection to these characters, thus an emotional bond is never created and the stakes never feel real. And it’s like the films are actively doing all they can not to let you feel emotional connections to these characters. Oh, George.
The political strife makes no sense. No, I get it - the Chancellor is the Emperor and pulling strings. But... I feel like everything happens just to service the plot? Why is this senate so easily swayed by the delegation of Naboo? What is the resistance actually resisting against? What is it about the Chancellor that people like so much? There’s just not enough background info to really fill in the pieces -- so the entire backdrop of this conflict just doesn’t work.
Yes - the dialogue is bad. Who talks like any of these people?
Yes - the CGI is out of control. There’s nothing tangible to hang onto - the CGI is often so clean it feels sterile. Having real elements gives our senses something familiar to hold onto, which is why a little CGI goes a long way. This is why puppet Yoda of the original films has a greater presence than this CGI Yoda -- our brains may know he’s a puppet, but we also know the actors are actually interacting with him.
The action is too much going on and not enough substance. It’s a lot of lights and a lot of lightsabers, but without emotional connection to the characters, and without any real fear of the characters being in trouble, the whole thing kinda fell flat. (And I began to fall asleep during it.)
Anakin Skywalker is a terrible main character. And let’s take out the questionable acting choices (for which I actually blame Lucas for). At what point are we supposed to have actual sympathy for him? When is he ever a “good” character? There’s never any real conflict within the character. He’s so obnoxious and over the top, you know he’s going to go dark side, and therefor really hard to take seriously.
The love story is horrible. At no point did I ever understand why Padme would be into this dude -- especially since she’s clearly uncomfortable with him for a long time, and the fact that he straight up admits to killing an entire village. Dude is a stalker and a psychopath. And nothing about how Natalie Portman plays her convinces me she’s a woman in love -- and it’s like Portman is actively fighting against her instincts to say the lines she has to say.
Because of all of the above, the bigger moments of the films fall flat. For example, the one that sticks out the most - The Jedi are killed off? This should be horrific and wrenching and it’s... not? Nothing about the actual filmmaking aspect of this sequence added to the emotion of that sequence.
A lot of this feels like -- there’s a darker, more adult story in these ideas but they wanted to make sure it was kid friendly, hence a lot of it not working. (And fwiw - Pixar handles darker themes and still maintains a kid friendly demeanor. It is possible.)
The force did not need to be explained. And there didn’t need to be a prophecy or an immaculate conception for Anakin’s story arc to work.
Even the score feels tired through most of it -- I don’t think this is John Williams at his best.
There’s some serious racism baked into some of the ‘aliens’. Eesh.
Jar Jar Binks isn’t that bad - and I don’t blame the actor at all for a questionable character design.
Liam Neeson gives an underrated performance. There’s a lot of subtly there -- especially against everything that’s mind-numbing in the first film.
I love Ewan McGregor, and Obi Wan is perhaps the best part of these films. You can tell, though, he’s kind of over it half way through the second film.
There are three times when the connection to the original trilogy really worked for me -- A) When Obi Wan says Anakin will be the death of him, B) The scene with Padme and Anakin in Tatooine, where the shadow looks like Darth Vader, C) The last ten minutes of the third film.
There’s a reason that good artists ask for feedback or constructive criticism on their art. Other people will see the flaws, and help you fix mistakes. There was no one telling George ‘no’ on these, and it shows. Sometimes the best thing you can do is check the ego at the door and learn to let other viewpoints through.
Well, it’ll be a while before I see these again.
#movie reviews#if you enjoy these films -- that's great! I'm glad you were able to get something out of it#I really could not#and now i'm gonna watch rogue one and solo before the original trilogy#but after xmas#star wars review
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More thoughts on the "Where does Onward exist" theory
So this is a small continuation of this post I made earlier
Some snippets came up that I thought about adding.
First, I got a response saying the theory was good, but had a few holes. Then, pointed to another theory that was good, but had a few holes, being this theory
youtube
Simply put, the theory that Onward exists on another planet in the Pixar timeline, and the influence of technology was inspired by the discovery of an Axiom ship from Wall-E landing on the planet long ago and becoming the Raven's Point in the mountain range near New Mushroomton. Now that kinda works, cause I can see after so many years the debris of the ship being swallowed up by mountains, and when the olden times of the world discover it they confuse it for a dungeon full of awe inspiring wonders instead of a crashed ship full of broken technology.
But, I'm not that much of a fan of this theory. One being, it just seems, for the lack of a better word, too easy to consider that. I dunno, instead of trying to put Onward on a separate planet or a separate timeline, you just blame a crashed ship, something about it doesn't sound that right, or not right enough. Second, the ship theory itself. Wall-E takes place way into the future, but the crash has to take place way in Onward's past, like way before their olden times. Now, granted, it could still work, our earth could be far advanced than Onward's earth at the time. But much, much time would take place between the crash and the olden times to make the pieces fit right. So basically, after the timeline of earth in the Pixar theory ends, maybe way after it ends, Onward begins. It works, but it also means there's technically two timelines, and Onward's is separated in its own timeline. It just seems muddy and easy to try that. So, yeah, while it works and has it's own holes, and I do like it's connection to Wall-E, I personally am not a fan of this theory.
And let's end this on a cure little nugget. In my previous post I bring up Inside Out, cause of course I did, by stating the thought that, if on our actual earth, Onward may exist in the California area of the United States, which means they're located near the area Inside Out took place. Well my mind went to "what if Riley existed in the Onward universe, what mystical creature would she be?" My mind immediately went to faun, specifically she'd be half human/half deer. I just see her being a deer faun, with thin spindly deer legs, pointy deer ears, cute little deer tail, and maybe a few white spots that young deer have on their fur. And her emotions, the same except also deer faun. Her parents Bill and Jill are also deer, with Bill having the addition of antlers because he's a boy deer. Another idea of how her parents could look is based on the theory that Riley could be adopted, so maybe her mom is a similar species of deer to Riley, while her dad is an elk or something. But yeah, long story short, I shoved Riley from Inside Out into the Onward realm. I don't know what could come of it, but now the Lightfoot family can run into the faun version of the Andersens if they wanted to. (Lightfoots? Lightfeet? Whatever)
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