#see also: jesse and (ESPECIALLY) jane

[sapphirerubydragon]

I stumbled across a song called "take me home" by Jess Glynne that is so Gwen centric that if there was a scenario where she was to sing something to anyone at her most valuable (specifically Miles and his family), it would be this song! It has so many references (the falling, the haunting, the freaking gun scene!) that I can't NOT think of Gwen the first chance I heard it

I love Jess Glynne! But never heard this song before. Another song for my play list! This idea of home and homelessness is such an anchoring motif in ATSV. Especially when we contrast Miles's own firm home foundation which then influences such a strong sense of self. Miles's background is enriched on so many levels, although he is Spiderman, he has two invested parents, a stable school and home life, a surplus of relatives in the form of an extended family, a wealth of cultural heritage both borinquen and African American, the early and resonant influences of his uncle and a loyal connection to the melting pot heart of Brooklyn. On the other hand, Gwen's idea of home is so volatile and chaotic such that she has to run away from it.

I feel like she ran away from home mentally before she actually left George when Miguel and Jess intervene. The spider society and Hobie's place become temporary homes but Miles is the only person who feels like home to her. I actually have an exposition on this in my fic in an earlier chapter. Thanks for asking this question I'm going to link it to some concepts in a later chapter. If things go well with my landslide of exam marking I should have another chapter up before the end of the year.

Anyways, yes to your observation on this song's Gwencentricity. Home isn't just a place like a house is. She seeks belonging and can't find it with the Mary Janes but she finds it with Miles and her own band. And I believe, eventually with her dad and Miles's parents.

Her rapid spiral and descent contrast so starkly with the put together façade she presents in ITSV. Her fractured, imperfect self is something that brings her shame but I think she's learning that with honesty and acceptance - they are features that will bring her strength.

Thing is, Miles needs to leave home to spread his wings and grow. And Gwen needs to come home to ground herself and grow. They're both the same in terms of their numerous parallels but they're also the same in terms of their symbiotic relationship, deliberately reflected in features like their symbolic colour coding - Gwen's white ghost like suit and Miles's black wraite like suit, emblematic of yin yang if you will. One brings to the other what is needed and receives from the other what is needed. Miles grows as an individual by learning when to separate from the group think and Gwen grows with the group by learning how to collaborate instead of operating as an isolated variable. Still, both know the merits of teamwork and family (Miles) and trusting yourself and your gut (Gwen). They both learn from each other and teach each other. My favourite aspect of the connection is that these overlapping connections aren't black and white and absolute but very fluid and layered. Their discovery and valuing of home won't just happen on an internal and interpersonal level between themselves but also what they'll give communally and I'm sure we'll see the fruit of all this in BTSV.

P. S. I saw your note about meaning vulnerable and not valuable! 💜

[devilsmenu]

Here I'm doing a starter/plotting call for my muses for the mini event, currently capping at 5 per muse, also if you want a specific plotting hit me on Discord and we can discuss some plots!

Muses that probably won't be attending: Ally Liddell, Astoria Greengrass, Abby Sciuto, Alison Blaire, Buttercup Utonium, Francis Barton, Harriet Hook, Heiya Akane, Irene Adler, Jamie, Kono Kalakaua, Li Lonnie, Lorna Dane, Noah Foster, Peni Parker, Jeon Pildo, Romeo Montague, Sally, Satana Hellstrom, Kim Sun and Tony Wyzek.

Chad Charming | Aware | Date with Blossom Utonium (1/5) Blossom

Chad decided to be there with Blossom and have fun with her. Open to small chat and drinking buddies.

Outfit for the gala.

Chris Hartley | Aware | Blind date with Annie James (2/5) - Emily Davis, Jess, Annie

He would be the type to walk the museums just to see the dinos and the technology exhibition. Would love to dance, chat with friends or new friends and having fun in general.

Outfit for the gala.

Choi Junwoong | Aware | Blind date with Clara Oswald (2/5) - Clara Oswald, Sakura

He'll probably be strolling around the museum, taking some walk and drink and eating.

Outfit for the gala.

Daken | Aware | Blind date with Minako Aiko (4/5) - Logan, King, Adrien, Dawn

He'll be at the bar, not wanting to be too much social and maybe walking around the museum.

Outfit for the gala.

Felicia Hardy | Aware | Blind date with Jem Carstairs (4/5) - Peter Parker, Tadashi, Alani, Kagome

Probably would be drinking, eating and taking a look at the jewelry exhibition to see what fits her oops.

Outfit for the gala.

Jihyo Kim | Aware | Blind date with Scarlett Thomas (3/5) - Cho Chang, Robin Buckley, Wei Wuxian

Jihyo loves a good party so she'll be doing everything at once lol. Just having fun in general.

Outfit for the gala.

Lee Hongjo | Unaware | Blind date with Andrew Deluca (1/5) Ellie

Hongjo will definitely have fun, walking around the museum, dancing, drinking, eating, trying to make new friends.

Outfit for the gala.

Rafael Lightwood-Bane | Aware | Blind date with Adeline Witherdale (2/5) - Max Lightwood Bane, Victoria

Rafe is there to get some booze, free food and maybe dancing. He'll also take a look at the exhibitions.

Outfit for the gala.

Romeo Montague | Aware | Date with Juliet Capulet (1/5) Jester

Romeo would probably wander around Smithsonian because he loves everything related to history, he's a big fan of museums and want to have a nice ball with the love of his life. Open to a conversation, bar talk and dancing.

Outfit for the gala.

Sally Ragdoll | Aware | Date with Jack Skeleton (2/5) Parker, Jane

Sally would probably be tired, especially because she had a lotof work doing the dresses for the ball but she can't say no to Jack. She'll be on her own, probably just drinking, eating and resting outside or wandering around.

Outfit for the gala.

Urumi Akamaki | Aware | Blind date with Princess Aurora (1/5) Xiao Chiye

Urumi don't mind the exhibitions though so she would probably be filming some content at the event and also enjoying some booze and making small talk.

Outfit for the gala.

[narabea06]

Tell me your Nina headcanons silly person

Or tell my HC on anyone you want to!^^

You. YOU. I like you. /p

Nina the Killer Headcanons

TW: Abuse, Manipulation, Death, Toxic Relationships, Meltdowns/Breakdowns, Murder, Implied Ableism

Nina is polyamorous, biromantic asexual, transfem nonbinary, and goes by they/she/it/neon.

She is currently in a polyamorous relationship with Jane and Mary and loves both of them with all her heart.

She had severe mommy issues, but had a great relationship with her brother and dad. Her dad died while in the military in a plane accident when she was 12.

She was in a friend group with Jeff, Jane, Jesse, Mary, Liu, Clockwork, Lyra, and Toby pre-incident. Now she's still close friends with Jane, Jesse, Mary, and Liu, and now that she's reunited with Toby, they are attached at the hip. Jeff and her are currently at odds with each other, and she hasn’t reunited with Clockwork or Lyra yet.

Jeff was able to manipulate her so easily because at the time, she was already at her limit with her mother, as well as accidentally isolating herself due to so many of her friends going missing/dying (namely Clockwork, Toby, and Lyra). Nina is still upset at Jeff, but wrongly blames herself for getting manipulated.

She was a band kid, and was in the wind ensemble. She also did color guard for a few years.

She is an absolute scene kid.

Her, Toby, and BEN are very close friends and hang out a lot, and see each other practically as siblings. She hates to admit it, but BEN severely reminds her of Chris. BEN knows and tries to ignore it. Still hurts though, especially since BEN is scared the only reason Nina hangs out with him is because she misses her brother.

Nina grew up in a Mexican household and fluently spoke both Spanish and English. She ended up teaching Jane and Jeff some Spanish as well, and is currently trying to teach Toby.

Their mother was named Michelle, and her dad was named Tomas.

She and Clockwork dated in highschool. They had a very healthy relationship but they broke up from Natalie being too scared of commitment and the idea of their relationship being long term. They broke up on good terms, though Nina still had some feelings on her end after the break up.

They are stubborn as hell, and hate accepting help from others, even if it's for something small. This is due to growing up being told to figure out everything on her own and being unconsciously taught to never ask or accept help because she was considered "useless" if she couldn't figure out how to take care of herself.

She listens to a lot of different artists, but one of her favorites is Melanie Martinez. Her favorite song is EVIL. Nina also listens to Penelope Scott, Insane Clown Posse, and 6arelyhuman religiously.

They have generalized anxiety despite being an extrovert, as well as consistent panic attacks caused by stress. She is also prone to sensory meltdowns that Mary often needs to calm her down from.

She was a true crime listener growing up, and would often hyperfixate on it a lot. Nowadays though, she can’t get herself to listen to it anymore due to her sometimes running into her name on there and immediately having to shut it off.

Clockwork and her never reunited, so as far as Nina knows she’s dead.

Her comfort food is either a blue raspberry gas station slushie or sour gummy worms.

Her dad and her shared a birthday, and when she was young, he would often take them out to a cheap gas station and buy them a bunch of snacks and candy, and they would drive around town together until midnight.

She trolls people on the internet sometimes, and loves messing with random people and sometimes will get BEN to hack social media accounts of people she hates.

They have AuDHD. Michelle, her mother, couldn't afford to keep her in therapy for any longer a couple months after her dad’s death, so she never got properly diagnosed. This lead to many teachers in Nina's life not having a lot of faith in her and not trusting her when it came to her symptoms.

Ngl, these are just the tip of the iceberg of my Nina hcs, but I only had so much space bc Tumblr wouldn't let me post the full list for some reason-

Part 2!!

[scoonsalicious]

Here we are ladies, gents, and the non-binaries. The long-awaited Chapter 27 which you've blessed us in FULL today. 8 parts??? what have I done to deserve this? And I've got so many thoughts I Literally had to stare at my screen to collect myself because where do I even start????? Well, first off, I can start with the fact that that was amazing and you're incredible, and thank you for this. I've got so many things to say but I'm literally short-circuiting so AAAH. okay. I'm doing it by roughly by parts so I don't miss a thing. And since you've given us 8 parts, expect this to be the longest essay yet (I'm not even kidding please I apologize this got away from me)

First off, the slow build-up was killing meeee. But then again, I do love seeing them having normal conversations (I mean, a dick in the garbage disposal isn't exactly normal but I digress because that part made me laugh) and seeing Bucky be so protective of her because he has a point. Jesse is out for blood and leaving Pocket alone would be a terrible idea (I mean, well, we obviously see this later). I love their banter too! The teasing and the joking and Bucky's smug lil "nothing I haven't seen before" like okay, pipe down. I love Pocket's stubbornness, arguing with Bucky that she can handle herself (which she can obvs) but I couldn't help but giggle when she *pouts* "I have a gun" *pouts* when Bucky told her that even Nat couldn't handle Jane in hand to hand ESPECIALLY when the unhinged snake is set out for the kill and a super soldier at that.

Now, the footage of Jacky in the Hydra base. That was….a lot. It honestly was so disturbing and scary. It's absolutely insane the way Hydra manufactured her obsession with Bucky. But it's also genius in the sickest way. Because THAT is how you make sure you get a mission done. A teenage crush turned obsession? I mean, have you seen one direction fans back in the day? They were unhinged and could hack anything and that's without training (I was a fan too and I saw it all happen online LMAO). Now we have someone who is a teenage girl with an obsession, who's fucked in the head with all that Hydra manipulation, has super soldier powers, a highly trained assassin and has been made to believe that she can get everything she wants? Who’s stopping that? She makes serial killers look sane. She's been set out to him before anyone even knew she existed. Honestly, that whole thing just had me sitting staring at the wall for a few seconds before I could continue because it's insaneeee. It's so scary, just thinking about someone like her existing in the real world. But that part where she was about to jerk off to Bucky's picture has me laughing and feeling distraught at the same time. But that hint of Bucky being uncomfortable about it followed by Pocket's comment about already sleeping with her, at first I thought he just felt guilty about it but after reading all the parts? A foreshadowing that he's never been comfortable in the first place? I see what you're doing. But god, massacring a whole Hydra base and just the image of her Carrie-style but with a proud grin. Chills. Get her away from me please I'm scared.

(on a side note, Pocket thirsting over Jesus Barnes in Wakanda please BIG MOOD. That really reallyyyyy short clip of him in Infinity War throwing that sack with one hand has me falling in line like, yes sarge, me next please. ANYWAY back to the story)

I'm glad they cleared up that whispering in the conference room when the whole below the paygrade comment. Because people keeping forgetting that were just in Pocket's POV and with that comes some unreliable narrating sometimes because we obviously won't get the full scope of what happened because we're only seeing her thoughts and her perception on the situation. Which is why I always think it's important to think on a broader scale outside what's shown on the text. But god, THAT much money? I'm still heartbroken for Chloe though because she didn't deserve that. But sigh, we just discussed not letting Pocket leave the safe house for her safety and then suddenly we're leaving her alone? Barnes? Really? Have you read any fanfics in your life? Anyway.

That whole commentary about the whole trafficking situation was so spot on. I have nothing else to add to that because you pretty much said it all. It's both sad and so enraging. BUT AH NO. YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO LEAVE POCKET SERIOUSLY. But she genuinely did think Dimitri was the least evil of them all so sigh. I already knew where this was going and I already had a hunch who this "Hydra" boss is waiting at the club. But lol the gasp I let out when I read her name. *insert that 'why am I gasping, I already knew that meme' here* Even just that hint of Jordan being so quick and strong since she's a super soldier, it really sets the tone how Pocket really can't get out of this through physical strength. And now the face off begins.

But damn. I honestly didn't think she'd get even crazier yet here we are. I even felt my skin crawl just knowing the amount of time Jerms spied on Bucky, Pocket, and them both together. She's literally been watching their every move even in the confines of their bedroom. And that gives her so much upper hand because all the fights, insecurities, weaknesses, all their trauma and past, what makes them tick as a couple, what breaks them down, she knows it ALL and she's obviously going to use that to her advantage. Well, she did and she did it well. Imagine playing a cheese game with someone who already knows all your moves. How can you win against that? Every time she says she "loves" him I have the urge to throw up. Like girl you don't. You’re obsessed with him. There's a huge difference. And God that she show here obsession and delusion and that really is the best play Pocket could make. Shattering that deranged fairytale she has in her head of Bucky ever wanting her.

That part, where Juno admitting to feeding Bucky all the things she'd been feeding him, especially the degradation parts. When you're so desperate to try and save a relationship, you really do become willing to try anything and take any advice even if it's not the best ones. And like I said many parts ago, she's smart so the way she manipulated Bucky (who's already so insecure and broken and such an easy mind to manipulate) was so calculated that it was always going to be a success.

Which brings me to the infamous video which was without consent, might I add. The way Jayla made it seem in her text when she recounted it Bucky was so far from what actually happened. She really was selling it as if they'd fuck like no tomorrow and Bucky turned into this feral sex god or something. But that's her delusions playing it up, making it seem like it was the best sex ever when in reality, that couldn't have been farther from the truth. That wasn't fucking, hell I don't even know what you call that. I mean, I could be pushing it here so please do correct me if I'm wrong, but that was SA in a way. An unenthusiastic yes is still a no and you could clearly see that Bucky wasn't into it, tried to stop it even. And with men, there's a different dynamic when it comes to SA because of patriarchal standards and toxic masculinity and this misconception that they always want sex etc. And it truly was pathetic on Josef's part claiming that they fucked because, dude, what was that? But it also left a bad taste in my mouth for Bucky. Because what I saw in my head was just him laying there while she took what she wanted, I guess. And yeah, he didn't push her off and there was a part of him that was so hurt and angry thinking that Pocket betrayed him that he wanted to get revenge but even then, he didn't seem that excited on the fact. I mean, the snake had to bring up the articles and Steve over and over and over again because that's the only way she could keep Bucky angry and hurt enough to not protest and just, let things happen. And she was feeding him lies and hitting exactly where it would sting with that purple push up bra because how could she have known that right? In Bucky's head, that was confirmation that she was telling the truth because he didn't know that Jenny had access to footages. She played her game well and she stabbed him exactly on where the stitches are so that was a lost cause on Bucky's part.

And God, I have all my reports saved in one doc and I really did hit it already did I. About me saying how Bucky probably let Russia happen as a way to punish himself too. And that Jayla truly did play into Bucky's insecurities with those articles because what fight does he have against America's Golden Boy? When he already believes Pocket deserves someone better and that someone took form into the person he's insecure about the most? How can you not spiral? I know I'm repeating myself but we truly can't just ignore what Bucky went through with Hydra in all of this. He's got such a fragile mind and self esteem that it's already easy to break him down if you truly think about it. Now, imagine having someone who knows EVERYTHING that made you crumble and has all the ammo and information to be able to say just the right words for you to trust them? And, well, speaking from experience, you really can't know you're being manipulated until you're out of it. I didn't realize how bad my experience was until I retold it to a friend. So I don't Bucky had an ounce of awareness as to what Joanna was doing to his mental state. It was the sickest most calculated thing what she did that I think even the most secure person could feel that security crumble even for a little. Now you have someone who's already fragile and insecure in the first place? He honestly stood no chance.

Obviously, it doesn't take away the fact that Pocket was still hurt and she has every single right to be. But I think she was more hurt that Bucky wasn't secure in their relationship and her love for him rather than the act itself. Because the way it happened really was kind funny and God I cringed at the way Jocelyn took so so long to even get him going and not even get him going at all because Bucky had to think of Pocket to get hard. And he truly only got himself going by imagining it was Pocket. I mean, he had his eyes closed!!! Beyond me how Juan was able to keep going since Bucky was practically screaming someone else's name so fucking obvious and loud and I have no doubt she heard it since she's a super soldier but she's a different level of delusional so I'm not even surprised. Taking what she could get probably.

I can't WAIT to see feral protective Bucky on the next part. And as much as I want to see all the action, I kinda want him to see him be so calm with his confrontation with Jude. Because you know what would truly break that snake? Bucky telling her over and over and over how he could never love someone like her in all the languages and all the phrases he could. Is it evil of me to want him to break her down on a mental level rather than physical? Because to me, that would be a much more worth it revenge with all the emotional and mental abuse she's done on Pocket and Bucky. Because yeah, Pocket saying those things already hit a nerve. Now imagine it coming from Bucky's mouth? The man she claims she "loves"? Either way, I have no doubt you're going to feed us well so I'm going to be happy not matter what happens. I CAN'T WAIT.

— Jnon 🤍

\y Beautiful Jnon,he 'dick-in-the-garbage disposal' line will live rent-free in Bucky's head for the rest of his life, lol. I like to imagine that it's a visual that got Pocket through a lot of tough times. I loved writing their banter (tbh, I love writing banter in general, lol). I just adore seeing them in a little bit of domestic fluff. And .Bucky has definitely seen it all before, lol. Literally nothing Pocket's got going on hasn't been exposed to his... intense scrutiny, lol. When it came to leaving Pocket alone, the safehouse was probably the safest place for Bucky to do it. I mean, Carthage knew about the Wiggle Room, but she didn't know where the safehouse was.

I'm pleased (which is weird to say) that the Hydra footage was disturbing-- it was 100% meant to be. Like, back in the '90s (the glorious '90s, which I miss with every fiber of my being), I was a HUGE Hanson fan. Like, so rabid I look back on it with embarrassment, lol. And I was thinking-- there's no one with greater obsessive focus than a teenage girl with a celebrity crush, you know? And it just kind of made sense to me that Hydra would harness that to ensure the greatest success to assure they get their asset back. And Jade's not a teenager, but she grew up in isolation, without peers her own age, so I see her as emotionally stunted. In a weird way, she has that in common with Pocket. They were both prevented from growing up in the natural order of things so they could serve the agenda of men. They're like two different sides of the same coin. And Bucky was so uncomfortable at the idea of seeing Jade get off to photos of him, because she did, essentially sexually assault him-- he was never comfortable having sex with her, and the idea that she was using his photo for sexual gratification long before he ever knew she existed makes him feel even more violated.

Let us discus Jesus Barnes. Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have had impure thoughts of a man, repeatedly, lol. But for real, if you're not familiar, please check out Rock Me, Sexy Jesus from Hamlet 2, which is literally THE ONLY thing I can think about when I see this:

Like, turn my water in whine, please. (I'm not even sure how that works as some kind of filthy entendre, but I'mma leave it 'cause I like how it sounds, lol)

I almost didn't include the bit about Bucky telling Pocket what he actually said to Jade during the mission briefing, but I realized I didn't want her thinking he divulged her secrets. He did some shit, but he didn't do that.

Bucky has not read any fanfics in his life, unfortunately, but this just gave me a hilarious idea for a oneshot where Pocket tries to get him riled up by reading a smutty Bucky Barnes fanfic to him, so thank you for that, lol.

Sad part is, Pocket trusted Dimitri. And I think he trusted her, too, which was why he was so betrayed when he found out she wasn't who she said she was. I did need Bucky to leave Pocket alone, but in his defense, the safehouse was the safest place he could have left her. I mean, Jade knew about the Wiggle Room, knew that she would be working there, but she didn't know where the safehouse location was. So, it seemed liked the safest place at the time, and it would have been if Dimitri hadn't shown up for her. Everyone wanted Pocket to kick Jade's ass, and I wanted it, too, but Jade's always been too strong and fast. All Pocket could use to beat her is her wits.

Having her spy on Bucky and Pocket was actually a late addition to the narrative, and I'm so glad I included it, because it really cements how messed up she is. And it gave her so much ammo to use against them. They really did not stand a chance with her having all that access. (Also, I know you meant "chess game," but you wrote "cheese game" and I am in so in love with that, I'm going to pretend you did it on purpose, lol). I also wanted to show that Jade wasn't just crazy, but she was smart, too, and resourceful, which is what makes her so much more dangerous.

And you're not wrong-- the Russia incident bordered on sexual assault. I don't think he would ever see it like that, being a man from the '40s, but it was. An unenthusiastic yes is just as bad as a no. She pushed and manipulated him so badly, he really had no chance. And once she brought up that purple push up bra? It was over. Without knowing she'd been spying, how could he not believe her?

I'm dying to hear your thoughts about Chapter 28! I can't wait! Love you!

[englishstrawbie]

NCIS Hawai'i 3x09 & 3x10

I'm trying to judge these episodes as a season finale, instead of a series finale, since that's how they were written. Putting aside my grievances about Sam Hanna being around all season, as a two-parter, I enjoyed it.

It had action, it had intrigue, it had humour and it had heart. All the things that make this show so good.

They had Jane taking centre stage. Yes, Sam was still around but it felt like she was leading this mission. We got her confronting the Russian mob and using her CIA skills to interogate Cruz. We got Lucy/Jesse/Kai banter. We got Ernie being a genius. We got Lucy kicking ass. We got Kate having a contact in the Serbian secret police. We got so much Commander Chase and I especially loved that. I really liked her relationship with Sam when she was trying to keep him alive. Also "oh good, you're awake".

I wish they'd explored Jane's feelings when she learned that Cruz wasn't innocent. She had a lot of empathy for Cruz, whereas Swift was suspicious of her - and it turned out she couldn't be trusted. We usually see Jane's empathy as a strength and her trust in Cruz ended up being disastrous.

That said, I can't say I had a lot of feelings when the Elite team died.

Did anyone notice that when Ernie listed the people who had brought him caffeine, Kate wasn't on the list? I liked that little detail.

I know there was some frustration that, with the few Kacy moments we got, we saw Lucy snapping at Kate, but I appreciated that scene for what it was. Lucy was worried and frustrated, and she took it out on someone she trusts to understand - and Kate did understand. Lucy was also quick to apologise.

I loved the Kate/Lucy torture scene. Kate was so proud of herself, lol. Of course I wish we'd had more from the two of them but then we've all been saying that all season. I've missed their physical affection, their flirting, their domesticity. (Have we even seen their apartment this season?)

There were a few plot holes along the way. The FBI wouldn't have been alerted when Tala Flores changed her name to Analisa Cruz? Lucy didn't recognise the CLA agent dressed as security?

And I'm ignoring the cliffhanger at the end, because my brain can't comprehend what Maggie Shaw has to do with all of this. For me, the show ended at Sam's party, the Ohana celebrating the win together. I'm really glad we got that scene.

I will miss this show a lot. I will miss it for all its potential and the character development we still haven't got to see. I'd love for the petition and all the noise to make a difference and give us another season. I won't get my hopes up, but I will keep all my fingers and toes crossed for a miracle.🤞🏻

[magicalstripedhorse]

Literally had a dream last night that made me all warm and fuzzy.

Lucy, Kai, Ernie and Jesse were sitting in someone's dining room, dressed like they just came from a little celebration of another case closed.

Somewhere the conversation turns to Kate and how badass she was in the field, and Lucy just starts lovingly rambling about how it's true but how she's also so so sweet. And the team jokes and asks about all of it, especially the two of them. She gets this really soft look on her face, and she shyly smiles down at the table and starts to talk about how much she loves Kate and how happy she's been, and she doesn't notice when Kate and Jane quietly walk in, having heard the others talking.

The look on Kate's face was pure wonder and love, and when Lucy looks up to see Ernie smiling at something behind her, she turns around and sees Kate, she's a little shocked for half a second before she and Kate just... gravitate towards each other.

One of the best dreams I've had in a while

[victarin]

@chaireem @ineedtoschleepnow

Grabbing You Two.

heads up for Breaking bad spoilers obv but Ok so there’s a couple things that relate Jesse to jesus christ . one of the more obvious things is the theme of self-sacrifice ; from the start of the series we see jesse being used to sacrifice things of his own under walt’s orders (parking the RV at his house & the hole burned into the floor). later on this escalates to losing Jane, Andrea, Brock, etc and eventually his freedom and ultimately his identity (El Camino). its kinda interesting bc his sacrifices develop from being directly under walt’s demands to being betrayed by walt , especially when the sacrifices become more high-stakes & more associated w his development into a better person

his position as a drug dealer & the people he associates with bc of that actually connects to the way christ often was seen in the company of thieves (yeah) and prostitutes (a pretty direct example being Wendy). and then there’s that whole thing with christ and his disciples - (im getting a LOT of this info from How to Read Literature like a Professor by foster) - christ-like figures are usually associated w a group of people that follow them around, a lot like Jesse’s friends (Badger, Skinny Pete, and for a little while Combo) that help distribute the meth & continue to help him up to El Camino where they help him escape

there’s smaller things too, like jesse being good with kids (this is a repeated theme in the show, i always thought it was interesting how much this was emphasized & how much sadder it makes his character but that’s another topic). in rehab jesse mentions liking woodworking in high school - jesus was a carpenter! and two more specific points mentioned in How to Read Lit: being in agony & humble mode of transportation. these im less sure abt but you could definitely still connect them to jesse. like his whole thing is being in agony at the end of the show & at several points during it (not entirely physical, but still). humble mode of transport is DEFINITELY more subtle; remember that cool bouncing car he had at the start of the show? and how he had to swap it out for the boring, subtle one? i would count that

there’s possibly maybe other things but my memory is Not That Great

ALSO (better call saul spoilers under the cut)

chair. sharing one of my favorite gus scenes w you

OH OH AND THIS ONE

ok that’s it thank you for reading if you read all that 👍👍👍 im normal

[hellomystraightlacedfriend]

I watched Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse today and these are my unfiltered thoughts:

- God it's beautiful

- also the soundtrack just worked so fuckng well

- I love love LOVE how Gwen's universe is animated. All those soft pastels oh my god. I was caught off guard - it was just stunning 😭😭😭

- love that they had Gwen in the band and the beginning with the drums accompanying her narration - and the drums followed Gwen throughout the movie!!!!

- hope the bandmates show up in the next movie. They seemed cool. I am assuming the girls talking to Gwen were Em Jay and Glory

- liked the glimpses we got of Gwen's and her Peter’s friendship

- liked the scene with Gwen and her dad 'can you stop being a cop for a moment'

- as a whole I really loved Gwen in this

- I love Rio!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, so much ❤❤❤ I was 100 percent full on crying in the scenes between her and Miles - yes, I do cry easily but still, emotional stuff. (I might also have a crush on Rio shhhhh)

- the Spot in the convenience store was a fun scene

- I didn’t really care for the mix of live action and animated. I can see it being fun for some people but it did kind of take me out of the movie. Preference thing.

- Miguel is an interesting antagonist. He's destroyed a world, and he lives with that guilt. I don’t blame him for being hostile to Miles - although Miles didn't get bitten by that spider on purpose so it seems kinda unfair. They probably shouldn't have told Miles about his father’s upcoming death tbh

- Pavitr Prabhakar is an absolute delight!!!! And I'm glad that he and Hobie are besties!!!

- I really liked Jess Drew's design. Very distinctive. That said, in my opinion, she was kind of a flat character - especially since she was so prominently advertised. I think the problem is that Jessica Drew's main themes in the comics are not guilt, loss, and responsibility. Well, at least not in the 616 universe, which is the one where we saw her get pregnant.

- Which brings me to...I didn't really like the whole idea of every Spider person having the exact same Canon where someone else's death is what made them a hero. I don’t think that's really true for Jessica Drew or Cindy Moon or Matt/ie Franklin or Anya Corazon, so this also kind of just fell flat to me. Which is a shame because it's part of the movie's framework, but I was just completely unconvinced

- I also still think it was unnecessary to give Jess a husband - especially since he's never seen and plays no role in this movie whatsoever.

- I loved Mayday Parker!!!!!!!! She is the cutest thing!!!!! Squirmy, happy, active baby!!!!!! Awwwwwwwwww 💕💕💕

- was a little sad that there wasn't more Mary Jane Watson, but this movie is bursting with characters so not surprising

- Miles being sent to the wrong universe and his uncle still being alive there 😮😮😮

- Miles' counterpart is a villain!!!! SCREAMING!!! OH MY GOD!!! That was so much fucking fun!

- am excited about the upcoming sequel and this movie (despite my criticisms) is definitely a fave!!!!

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Wait, wait! Walter might survive a few more days as a vampire. He’s obviously a newborn whose sire left him ( which is also against the law) , so they’ll have to drag him all the way back to Aro to get the memory of that guy’s face. Plus, at this point the humans still assume the deaths are from a drug war, so Walter might squeak by a vote. Maybe. The guy is taking precautions not to go on uncontrolled massacres with his hazmat suit.

If Walter was a vampire.

Finding Walter's Creator

The thing is, that's what Demetri's for.

Presumably, Demetri's part of the hit squad, and in meeting Walter he'll know how to track every person Walter's ever met. One of them, probably the one running around like a lunatic eating cancer patients, is a vampire.

I don't think Aro's necessary in this one.

Now, he might be interested in hearing about this guy as what the fuck is up with the hazmat suit. But I don't think he'd be interested enough to cart Walt all the way to Italy.

It's possible, but I just don't see them wasting time on it when there are other fish to fry.

Would Walter's Control Save Him?

The thing about the Volturi is that they do pretty much as advertised: not much worse from what we see but not much better either. We see one execution in canon, the Volturi cleaning up the newborn mess.

The Cullens vouch for Bree, they'll take her in and see that she now respects the law. She hadn't known the law previously when she engaged in a newborn army that ate so many people so noticeably. Bree was a victim in every way that counted.

Jane murdered her without hesitation.

Walter having a flighty creator and being relatively controlled will not save him. Especially as, despite that control, Walter's going around with an astronomical death count in the same area.

In the words of Jesse: Walter shits where he eats.

I think both Caius and Aro are going to vote no on that one as the man clearly still lives by his human agenda and will keep killing as many as possible so as to run a successful meth lab.

(Not to mention, of course, Aro gets to see the inside of Walter's head/what Marcus sees of Walter and go "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE")

[kylejsugarman]

In your opinion, Are there any underrated Jesse Pinkman sexy moments?

I think some scenes that are criminally overlooked are of course showing the cartel how it’s done and calling them out for their dirty equipment all while being scared going to be stuck in Mexico.

AND in end of Rabid Dog when he calls Walt on the pay phone and then gets in Hank’s car looking so proud of his new plan to hit Walt where it really hurts.

ooh it definitely sounds like his rare moments of confidence and pride are sexy and they definitely are because theyre the rare moments we actually see him kind of happy 😭 im definitely very soft for him being happy but especially when hes like. trying to act like he has swag and is cool when in fact he is numbingly wet and pathetic. those season 1 moments where hes still trying to play up his epic white boy persona and be all grungy and disaffected are so hot because i know there is nothing beneath that bravado and hes actually just a little guy. him trying to flirt with the cashier at the gas station. him trying to flirt with jane when they first meet. like he does succeed because hes super cute and absolutely Knows it, but there's still this like underlying smallness that makes him not super intimidating and more like i could easily mount him. also his hands 🥺

[manicpixiedgoblin]

Nervous Young Inhumans

Masterpost

Chapter Fifteen.

The shifts were long for the next two days - everyone was on call, makeshift beds were being put up, the entire hospital was packed.

In the lobby and ER entrances families crowded, people begging to know if their loved ones had been brought in, if they were alive.

Making it worse, the TV kept blaring the news about the crash. And at one point, between the second day and the third, Ellie understood who it was.

During the twenty-eight days Jesse spent in rehab she drove out there almost every day. But she rarely let him know, or go inside.

When she had he was despondent, dissociated. He took her hand and then barely spoke, was mostly incoherent, guilty and ashamed.

She’d been dodging Jimmy or Saul while this happened, busy with work and being concerned. They saw each other maybe twice.

The last day, she pulled up to pick up Jesse. She saw Walt’s car in front of hers so she got out and went inside.

Jesse was carrying his large bag and for the first time she saw him in his own clothes. He’d lost weight. He’d shaved.

Ellie walked up to him and tried taking his bag.

“I got it,” he gave a weak smile. “Where we going?”

“Well, while we figure your housing situation out, you can stay at my place.”

“Thanks. Thank you, El.”

She gave a small smile. Both of them hadn’t been able to really talk since this mess. When she’d visited it was all labored, awkward. She couldn’t draw the line between his grief and his guilt and wondered how much Jane had really meant to him and then felt ashamed for feeling animosity or jealousy towards a dead woman.

They walked outside and Walter waved them over to his car.

“Mr. White?” Jesse said, barely above a breath.

“I’ll wait for you in the car, yeah?” she took his bag and walked over to her parked car while Jesse talked to Walt in his.

**A/N: this is to imply the conversation Jesse and Walt have in the show at Walter’s place at night is had outside rehab in Walt’s car and at night he’s with Ellie**

While they talked, she rang Saul.

“I’m going crazy, let me see you or I’ll kill myself,” he picked up. She laughed.

“I’m calling to let you know that Jesse’s staying with me until we find him somewhere to settle down. He got out of rehab today.”

Silence. After a beat, “uh, on the couch, right?”

Ellie laughed again. “Yes, dumbass.”

“Gotta make sure, y’know. So how long? Why doesn’t he stay there and you stay with me, then?”

“Because he’d wonder where I am. Also don’t call if I don’t call you, I don’t want him to know. Especially not now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved her away, “but anyways, this living situation, it can’t last. I need to see you, you have now idea, my dick is so-“

“Goodbye, Jimmy,” she hung up with a fake annoyed roll of her eyes and a small smile on her face.

Afterwards, she stared out the window at Walt’s car until Jesse walked towards her.

***

That night, she made them a pasta and ordered them both pizza. The mix of takeout and homemade suited them. Jesse looked healthy, physically, but his eyes betrayed him.

She put on Lord of the Rings and sat next to him, on the couch, where she’d made him a bed.

They ate in silence, watching the TV.

When Smeagol came on screen, Ellie turned to him.

“Precious?” she made her Gollum voice like she used to.

He let out a small laugh, pizza on his face.

“Precious, is the pasta good?” she continued, pulling her legs onto the couch in a convoluted crouch.

“Stop,” he laughed.

“Precious, we wants to know if pasta’s good!”

Jesse laughed and then grabbed the back of her head and pulled her to him. His lips met hers and she tensed. He kissed her while she remained unmoving, not kissing him back or pulling away. When he realized he stopped.

“I, uh,” he cleared his throat, “sorry. I’m sorry, El.”

“No, no,” she sat back down normally, “it’s okay.”

He sighed and put his elbows on his knees.

“Jesse, it’s okay.”

“I -“ he turned to her, “Ellie, I cared about her. But mostly I feel guilty because of all the people that got hurt. Including her. And I still-“

“You don’t have to say it, Jess.”

They stared at each other. She bit her lips.

“I know,” she said. “Me too.”

Neither one of them said anything.

“But I’m not sure that’s what’s best for us-“

“I know.”

They looked away, back to the screen. After a few seconds she took the remote and rewinded to the point where they’d stopped paying attention. They watched the rest of the movie and then slept separately.

***

The next day she went to work, came home and they watched the second Lord of the Rings with a salad and the leftover pasta. They talked a little more, and nothing else happened.

Saul had texted her all day, asking if he had to buy a house for Jesse to see her.

On the third day, after a night shift, she got home and Jess told her Saul had called and he had an idea about how he could move back to his old place. Ellie stopped herself from showing anything and went with him to see Jimmy.

He was on a phone call when they walked into his office.

“Yeah, I’ll call you,” he hung up on them and turned to Jesse, “Return of the Prodigal! Welcome back to the land of the living, how you feeling?”

“I’m good.”

“And you?” he inconspiciously turned to El.

“Good,” she said.

“Looking good as ever,” he wriggled his eyebrows, making Jess furrow his.

“Unencumbered young man with, uh, stacks of cash,” Saul turned to Jess, “world’s your oyster, am I right? What are you doing living off her! You could have your own place! Alone! All that space, Jesus.”

He handed Jesse a bag where Ellie assumed his money was.

“Hey, I’m jealous,” Saul said, “hand to God,” he gave a look to El, “I’m jealous,” and then while Jesse opened the bag he looked at him again, “speaking of, uh, cash, you know what’s giving me heartburn lately? Your former partner. This guy, he works like a bastard, right? Builds a business single-handed. Finally the big money shows up and what does he do? He walks out. Talent like that and he flushes it down the crapper.”

Jesse took the bag and sat on the couch. Ellie walked over and leaned against Saul’s desk.

“It’s like Michelangelo won’t paint,” Saul went on with a chuckle. Jesse started bringing his money out of the bag and stacking it.

“Look, I know you’re out of it and all,” Saul said, “but you, you wouldn’t talk to him, would you? Help him pull his head out of his ass?.”

Jesse gave him a glare.

“All right, all right, scratch that. Yeah he won’t listen to anyone, heh.”

“Saul,” Ellie cut him off, making him turn to her. When he saw her leaning against the desk he licked his lips and gave her and up and down. Jesse was still stacking the money so she smirked and shook her head.

“You want a job?” Jesse asked.

“A job?” Saul turned back to him, “who’s got a job for me?”

“I do.”

***

“You have no idea how invested I am in this particular job,” Saul called her later. “Waiting on his parents now. I’ll call you back.”

He hung up. She cracked a smile, even though she was a little concerned.

That was at the hospital.

That night, she sat next to Jess for their last roommate meal.

“You know,” she said to Jess, “there’s no rush for you to move out.”

“Uh, yeah, there is.”

“Jesse, we’ve been through a lot. And we’re still here for each other.”

“No - we’ve been through a lot and you’re still here for me. And I can’t pay you back and it feels like shit.”

“Woah, pay me back for what?”

“For being good to me, for being-“ he shrugged.

“Jesse, I don’t think you realize how much you’ve done for me as well.”

He sighed.

“Why do you keep me around,” he said. He stated it, didn’t pose it as a question.

***

Diane called her to let her know she should most definitely stay away from their son and that he’d even involved a lawyer in extorting the house out of them.

Ellie thought of the irony of having slept with both the men Diane mentioned.

While Jesse went to move in to his new place, Ellie drove to a furniture store and bought the things she knew he wouldn’t for himself.

She bought him new sheets and towels, some kitchenware, and in the end also got some picture frames.

She let herself in, he hadn’t locked it.

“Jesse?” she called. Nothing.

In the living room wall, she hung the frames with pictures she’d had - mostly shitty ones of the two of them, some of landscapes of the places they’ve been. She also hung the painting she’d recently finished of his hand.

The rest of the stuff she put in its place. It was still pretty sparse but she knew everything else he’d get for himself.

She just didn’t trust him to think of the basic things - that wasn’t his strength.

She sat on the front steps and lit a cigarette to wait for him to come back.

***

They didn’t fight over what she’d bought him and he even agreed to let her come along furniture shopping. But she could see how lost he was, unmotivated, with no clue what to do next.

She showed up at his house and let herself in and he was sitting on the ground waiting for her.

“So, couch first,” she said.

He pointed at the stack of sleeping bags next to him. She tilted her head.

A few seconds later came a knock on the door.

Jesse sighed and started to get up but Ellie stopped him and went to open it herself.

Saul was on the other side, in a purple shirt and colorful tie. He looked surprised to see her, though she should be the surprised one. These crossing interactions should be kept to a minimum, in her mind.

“Hi?” she said.

“Ah! So he’s getting a proper housewarming! I’m glad I came,” he let himself in, checking Ellie out as he took a step.

She was wearing scrubs, since she’d just finished yet another night shift at work.

“I’m thinking of that whole let’s-play-doctor thing but I’ll keep it to myself,” he said with a suggestive face.

She rolled her eyes and slammed the door behind him.

“Jesse!” he said, “glad to see you.”

Jesse just raised his eyebrows at him, not getting off the floor.

“Brought you this, uh,” he showed him a potted cactus, “housewarming gift.”

He held it out and Ellie ended up taking it and setting it on the windowsill with an annoyed look. The only living room decoration was on top of the fireplace, where she’d hung the pictures and the painting.

At that moment it seemed to click to Jimmy that they were way closer than he thought they were.

He cleared his throat before speaking again.

“Interesting decor,” he looked around, “subtle. The whole minimalist thing never blew my hair back, but, hey…”

Ellie thought to herself I know but said nothing.

“So,” Saul went on, Jesse still staring at him from the ground, “how are you doing? Staying clean?”

Ellie looked at the ground, didn’t see Jesse look at her and then back at Saul, give him an annoyed nod for a yes.

“Good,” she only heard Saul say.

She looked back up at them.

“I was kind of worried that you were back to old habits, since I didn’t hear from you,” Saul said, “you do realize how stupid it is to ignore your councel’s phone calls? What if I was trying to warn you that the DEA was gonna kick down your door, heh, what then?”

“Spare me the sermon, and get to why you’re here,” Jesse let out a tired breath.

Ellie was half sitted on the windowsill, watching the exchange.

“Fair enough,” Saul looked at her before continuing towards Jesse, “remember the other day when I brought up the idea of you getting back in touch with your, uh, partner? Well, I kind of wanted to refloat that boat-“

Jesse raised his eyebrows.

“I’m not suggesting that you yourself get back to cooking, I mean, you being in rehab and all,” Saul spoke as much with his hands as he did his mouth. How much he signed to speak amazed El. He continued, “I mean I only want you to convince the master chef to do his thing. So, uh, what do you say?”

Ellie picked at a loose thread in her sweater. She didn’t want to see Jesse’s face now.

“Sure, man, whatever,” Jesse replied.

“Oh, huh, okay. Whatever what, I mean… you gonna call him?”

“I’ll handle it,” Jesse sighed, stood up and walked back to the door to open it. When he passed Ellie his hand stopped for a moment to touch her lap. Everyone in the room tensed at it.

“Now bounce, will ya?” Jesse pointed to the way out.

Saul gave a look to Ellie while she tried to keep her face as blank as she could.

“Final thought, yeah?” Saul said, still staring at her. Jesse raised his eyebrows and snapped his fingers and Saul looked at him again. “I mean, look at this place. You’re house-poor. You got no bankroll. If you get the maestro cooking, I’ll make it worth your while.”

“‘kay, we’ll take care of the minimalist thing,” Ellie interrupted. “And Jesse will handle Walt.”

Saul stared at each of them by turns. He ended up furrowing his brow and muttering something under his breath while looking at the ground.

“Well. Call him,” he ended his pitch with his usual Saulsmanship and walked out.

Jesse shut the door behind him. Ellie put a hand on his back. He turned to her and took her in his arms, hugging her around the shoulders. She wrapped her own arms around his torso and for a few minutes they stayed like that.

When a little while later she finally left, she had two texts from Saul.

The first saying: Call me.

The second: Or just come over tonight.

[samprestonbigbadabruce]

Thoughts on first viewing of ‘Paris, Texas’

Previous to this, I’d only seen one film from Wim Wenders, which was a 2014 film called The Salt of the Earth, which followed photographer Sebastiao Salgado. I know this because I went on Letterboxd to check, but whilst I am sure it’s full of beautiful imagery (I mean, it’s about a photographer who takes photos of landscapes, territories, and plant life), it left little impact on me. A case of “looks pretty, but not much substance”.

When watching films, I am one of those that can appreciate great cinematography, beautiful images, etc, but I have little patience when it comes to style over substance. I need to have something with dimension to make the scene worthwhile. If it’s just a camera watching some water running or a field of grass for three minutes just because, I’m probably not going to enjoy the film. Let me discuss three examples to give you evidence:

I love The Assassination of Jesse James by Andrew Dominik, despite being a slow burner of a movie with lots of scenes dedicated to the surroundings or having a gorgeous image like a silhouette of Jesse James walking in the dark to rob a train. The reason I love it is because the scenes such as Jesse’s silhouette helps build up the legend and mythical nature of the outlaw, making him a deity, before the gradual deterioration of that legend in the eyes of Robert Ford.

One of my favourite scenes of all time is ‘The Lighting of the Beacons’ in The Return of the King. I remember the first time I saw it in cinema, I was holding my breath as the camera covers these fields, these mountain tops, etc, he gorgeous scenery of New Zealand on display. However, these shots matter because it also follows the lightning of beacons between Gondor and Rohan, Pippin having lighted the first beacon to call for aid and we follow this journey to Rohan, seeing the answering of the call. It’s a moment that has the context of Gandalf trusting Pippin, who rises to the occasion, and the question of whether Rohan will come to Gondor’s aid after King Theoden earlier hinted they wouldn’t. That doesn’t even consider the wondrous music from Howard Shore, a God among composers.

And yet, I can’t stand The Tree of Life. I am not a fan of Malick, one because I feel he’s inconsiderate of the actors he brings in, using them for multiple scenes then cutting them without communicating to them, leading to the moment where Adrien Brody went to the premiere of The Thin Red Line having been made out he was the leading role, only to be cut down to 90 seconds. But more than that, I find The Tree of Life more concerned with looking pretty than focusing on a fascinating story of Sean Penn as an adult struggling with the tempestuous relationship he had with his father Brad Pitt. You have these scenes focusing on Penn, Pitt and Chastain that should be emotionally hard hitting, with Pitt especially impressive, but Malick is too busy following a blade of grass. It says something when the most beautiful scene, the creation of the universe and life on our planet, could be cut out completely and you wouldn’t miss it. Malick is too busy chronically masturbating the visual screen and hoping you’ll ask him what it means. It means a waste of my fucking time.

So after all that, imagine my surprise when I thought this film was great. Harry Dean Stanton has always been an underappreciated actor to some degrees, as he could be guaranteed to add a bit of class to a movie. If I remember correctly, Roger Ebert used to say that no movie that features Stanton can be truly bad (which means Ebert would be a fan of The Avengers, you heard it here first). And yet, this is one of the few films that has Stanton as the main actor.

In fact, Stanton also has the similarly talented Dean Stockwell in support. The first half of the film has Stanton almost completely mute, more akin to a mystery box with Stockwell the protagonist, before transitioning to Stanton as the lead in the second half when he begins to look for Jane, and it’s wonderful to see both actors entrusted to carry their half of the movie.

The inclusion of Wenders’ photography and cinematography is actually vital in this movie as it helps sell the feeling of seclusion in the desert, giving Stanton’s Travis an otherworldly mystery to his character.

Hunter Carson is only 8-9 years old during this movie, and he could have been an uncomfortable albatross as the main focus for the characters. Instead, Carson as Hunter is excellent, a realistic depiction of a confused 8 year old whose gradual change of body language towards Travis is subtle but impactful. He is probably the silent MVP of the movie.

The third act where Stanton as Travis and Nastassja Kinski as Jane is engrossing. It’s mostly a monologue where Travis opens up and admits his mistakes to an unaware Jane, but the decision to have the two separated by both glass and sight is inspired. It evokes the chasm between the two due to their previous actions, but also allows both to bare themselves in ways they otherwise may not. Stanton can see Kinski but not touch her, and yet turns away from her due to his shame, whereas Kinski cannot see but can hear Stanton and stares at her own reflection throughout. I find this decision fascinating, as Stanton staring away also enforces his decision that he must leave her behind, while Kinski staring at herself allows her to face her history and previous actions.

The reveal that Travis was once so jealous and nearly cruel is a shocking reveal but is wonderfully reminiscent of the underlying possible depths to the world the characters inhabit. The desert was beautiful, but a terrifying location that swallowed Travis for four years. The marriage between Stockwell and his wife as parents for Hunter is heartwarming but built upon a self-deluding lie as Hunter is not really their child. And the supposed gentle nature of Travis and flaky abandonment by Jane is actually a damaged relationship that required Jane to escape Travis and leave Hunter with her brother-in-law instead.

This is almost perfectly embodied in the title itself, as you hear the word Paris and instantly think of France, when Stanton is actually focused on Paris in Texas, where he was supposedly conceived. It takes the obvious and unpacks it to reveal a more humane, personal aspect.

I forgot to mention that the soundtrack was amazing.

Overall, this movie has been stuck in my mind ever since I watched it, specifically that end scene, and that’s what Paris, Texas does, it burrows within without letting go. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did, but that third act is probably worth a star or two singlehandedly. The first 90 minutes can sometimes feel a little bit slow or even drag slightly, but that ending makes the journey worthwhile, bit like every road trip itself.

[zayadriancas]

I’m stealing your idea:

Male Characters: Craig Manning, Mike Dallas, Sav Bhandari, Joey Jeremiah, Toby Isaacs

Female Characters: Paige Michalchuk, Anya MacPherson, Zoe Rivas, Jane Vaughn, Terri MacGregor

Regular Ships: Palex, Jazel, Camaya, Laad, Savvy J

Irrelevant Ships: Marco/Tim, Paige/Jesse, Holly J/Blue, Adam/Missy, Craig/Yvette

Crackships: Bianca/Sav, Emma/JT, Manny/Jimmy, Fiona/Anya, Grace/Maya

LOL thank you! ❤️❤️

Male characters:

Mike Dallas

Craig Manning

Sav Bhandari

Joey Jeremiah

Toby Isaacs

Female characters: (this one was really hard lol)

Paige Michalchuk

Zoe Rivas

Anya MacPherson

Jane Vaughn

Terri MacGregor

Regular Ships:

Savvy J

Laad

Jazel

Palex (I don’t even fully ship them just have grown to like/accept them more over rewatches, but I still think Alex deserved better and that they were ultimately incompatible. However I have more fun watching them these days over Camaya)

Camaya(I still have a soft spot for them and they were adorable, but compared to when I first watched season 12 I just don’t care as much)

Irrelevant ships:

Marco/Tim(they could have been good under different circumstances)

Paige/Jesse(I guess? The lasted like 2 episodes and mostly just existed to cause drama for Ellie/Paige but I think despite their irrelevancy and lack of long term compatibility they were better than Jesse/Ellie)

Adam/Missy (mostly just cause I liked the storyline that came from it)

Holly J/Blue (Mostly cause of season 9 and his controlling behavior but even in season 8 it was clear Holly J wasn’t that into it and there was nothing interesting about them)

Craig/Yvette (Yet another girl that would never be Craig’s first choice and deserved a million times better)

Crackships:

Bianca/Sav (I actually think they have potential in the concert episode especially

Fiona/Anya

Manny/Jimmy. (I never thought much about it but he probably would have been better for her than especially Craig but also probably the other guys she was involved with not including Jay.)

Emma/JT (mostly tied equally to Manny/Jimmy but he was already tied to her closest friends so unless they introduced Emma/JT before or instead of either of those two ships it’d have been awkward)

Grace/Maya (while I do think Grace liking Maya would have made infinitely more sense than Grace liking Zig, I still can’t see it at least from Maya’s side, but I adore their friendship )

[arc-angel-o]

I love all my Rabbit ocs but I've been having a lot of fun especially with my next gen ones lately. Carlo's kid(s), Rabbit's, and Toad's canon daughter. They could be FRIENDS

Most Rabbit characters I can't see being parents and I don't want them to be so this group's enough for now

Well there's also Lena, Dispatch's daughter. I came up with her first but I see her as more separate from these guys since I usually imagine her as closer to my age, 18 - 21, give or take. Daniela, Toad's daughter, her age varies very heavily between fics, anywhere between a toddler and a teenager.

Rabbit and Natalie, I'm the least confident in if they'd want kids. I see them in the same way I do when thinking about Jesse and Jane from Breaking Bad. Where I admit it's a bit ig optimistic, but I think they could be good parents after recovery and I also I do what I want. I know lots of asexuals don't want kids, so Rabbit probably won't either, but I'm aroace and I still really want kids (what my last rabbit fic was about), so this is what I'm doing with Rabbit in my fics unless canon says otherwise.

Like I don't feel comfortable giving Juliet and Shawn kids cause they've decided in Psych canon that's not what they want, so if something similar happened in Rabbit I'd feel the same way, especially since he's asexual. But for now, I'm running with this as long as I can.

[little-whats-her-name]

So I showed my church Youth Group Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, and before you say that's super problematic, we play Cards Against Humanity all the time and Josh made an AI draw Jesus having an epic pizza battle so it's fine. Everyone had their head in their hands saying "What is going on?" at some point. Watching Listen To Jesus Jimmy in a church is really something.

(on Ralph's laughter at the very beginning)

Sofi: My guy is high as a kite.

Josh: You don't just say “good evening” then drink a glass of water.

Sofi: I would. Keep ‘em hanging.

Jesse: I mean, ideally you'd drink a glass of water then say “good evening”.

Sofi: My school should do this for their musical.

Sofi (about Jimmy): He looks like he's made out of plastic.

Jesse: Welcome to musical theatre, Sof.

Sofi: Why does [Mary] look 16 and [Jimmy] looks like he's thirty?

Emma: To be fair, I think they're both probably thirty.

Emma: Did he just pour hot chocolate from a teapot?

Sofi: It's like Grease but better!

(on Jack putting the gun he just fired in his top pocket)

Jesse: Wh- No! You just burned a hole in your jacket.

Josh: And possibly also your skin.

Jesse: He just charred his nipple off!

“Damn stairs.”

Emma: Oh yes, that was definitely the stairs’ fault.

(on the way Mae moans when Jack hits her)

Emma: She enjoyed that too much.

Sofi: Especially the full 360 then falls.

Josh: ... Is this meant to be funny?

Me: Yeah, it's a spoof of a 1930s black and white film, you're not evil people.

(during the intro music for The Stuff)

Sofi: I think she's going to burst into song.

Jesse (sarcastically): Really? What gave you that idea?

Emma: Was it the pose?

Jesse: So, to summarise, my boyfriend abuses me but he buys me lingerie and drugs so it's fine.

Sofi (super whiny): It's fine!

Jesse: A woman just screamed “my boyfriend gets stoned and rapes me” out a window and no-one outside reacted.

Sofi: One guy reacted - he dropped the milk.

Jesse: And then they just went back to doing what they were doing.

(as The Lecturer's film finishes)

Josh: That was it! That was the whole movie!

Sofi: *gasps* It's the Floop guy!

Jesse: He's been in many, many other things.

Sofi: It's the Floop guy ☺️

(on the dance break in Down At The Old Five And Dime)

Sofi: Yes! Mood lighting!

Emma: Why is [Miss Poppy] in a dress now?

Sofi: Because it's sexy now.

(as it cuts to people having sex in the reefer den)

Sofi: How did we get here?!

“Why don't you and J-J-Jimmy get better acquainted?”

Josh: P-p-pedophilia.

(on the intro music for The Orgy)

Josh: We are now in India!

Me: Oh, he did paint it like a cow! There was a cut scene where Jimmy took the turtle at the start of the film home and painted it like a cow. And now you can see he's turned the shell into a bong.

Josh: Hah, tortle bong.

Josh: Does [Mary] realise that she's the only person in the church?

Emma: Where are her parents?

Sofi: This is peak acting.

Sofi: [Jimmy] looks like Marty McFly crossed with Ferris Bueller.

Josh: Is [Joan of Arc] gonna do a striptease?

Jesse: This film needs a drinking game.

Me: This is what I thought of when I saw that the cross on the stage lights up.

Sofi: Satan doing a spit-take made that scene.

Emma: Why's [Sally] always falling over?

Sofi: Because weed.

Sofi: How did (Mary Jane/Mary Lane) win an Emmy and Kristen Bell didn't?

Sofi: Stop singing to your cigarette!

“I believe in you Jimmy Harper! Even if you do have pudgy fingers.”

Sofi: Oh! Roasted!

Sofi: [Mary's] so cute!

Sofi: Is Mary gonna die? *Mary dies* Whoo!

Sofi: We should do this film for Year 12 English Lit.

Me: One of the Year 11 classes at my school did Jo Jo Rabbit, so this isn't far off. There's probably more you could talk about in this.

Josh: They just gonna leave [Mary] there?

Emma: Wait, why isn't [Jack] stoned?

Sofi: Drugs don't affect men. Just teenagers. And wives.

Me: I don't think Mae's married. She does have a ring but it's on her right hand.

(during the prison scene)

Jesse: Don't drop the soap!

*prisoner drops the soap for Jimmy*

Whole table: NO!

“I'm… fine. Perfectly in control.”

Sofi: Me too, bestie. Me too.

(as Ralph is skewered)

Sofi: Now, if he'd fallen the other way he could've done Olaf’s “I've been impaled”.

(on Mae's screaming)

Sofi: Calm down.

Me: She just saw three people be MURDERED!

Sofi: Still.

(during The Stuff Reprise)

Sofi: Ayyy! Queen!

Josh: Hit him with the pointy end!

Sofi: No, she's dragging this out. This is for every time he hit her.

(as Mae applies lipstick while drenched in blood)

Josh: Flawless!

Sofi: Beautiful!

Final Thoughts

Sofi: That was phenomenal.

Josh: I don't really like musicals but that was pretty good. I liked the Jesus scene.

Jesse: That had the second best drop the soap scene.

Jesse (to Sofi): Can you imagine explaining the film we just watched to our mother?

Sofi: We learned about fear-mongering in the media and that the end will justify the means so it's fine.

Emma: We definitely didn't see any racial profiling. We definitely didn't see a black family run back into their house as a mob approached them.

Sofi: They just decided that wasn't something they really wanted to be a part of.

[becomingpart2]

i think you’re right about jimmy stans being almost on the same level as the “Walt just did it for the family” stans. like he’s genuinely so horrible in breaking bad and in the flash forward scenes of better call Saul. idk i feel like people only see him as season one jimmy where he’s still trying to be a decent guy and take care of his brother who is so mean to him. it’s just really weird because i don’t understand how you can separate his character from the stuff he does in breaking bad like??? not to mention he does tons of terrible shit in better call saul too. it’s really weird how this 40+ man gets treated like a helpless kid i genuinely feel like some people see him the same as they see Jesse it’s so weird idk.

Yes exactly. And that's makes me so mad! I mean, sure, jimmysaul might not be as terrible as Walt, but does that put him in the same level of skyler and Jesse? Absolutely not. He's not a victim on bb (and neither is he on bcs, his relationship with chuck is only part of his story), he's the enabler. People get caught up on his motivations and early bcs characterization and use that to justify his actions (you know, like those stans). His motivations are never made deeper than getting money on bb, and even if they were, doing bad things because you feel bad about yourself and doing bad things bc you get off on power are hardly any different when it comes to the consequences, people are still getting hurt.

I guess one of the things that piss me off the most about this reading of Saul is this underlying essencialist belief that there are inherently good people and bad people. That no matter what some people do, deep down, they're good so it's ok. Saul is deep down a good person that was dragged down by the system, by his brother, by society, etc. The people he screwed over don't matter bc the person he hurt the most was himself!

I'm not saying environment can't influence in how people act but they still gotta be held accountable for the choices they made, especially when they make them out of their own volition.

I also think there's some level of hierarchical character bias (I learnt so much from candy lol) because the people walt hurts are beloved characters like Gus, Jesse, Mike, and even Jane and Skyler in some circles. But the people Jimmysaul hurts with his schemes are mostly unknown characters. But we do see a lot of other important characters hurting him instead like lalo, chuck, howard, so it's easier to read him as more of a victim.

Saul represents the cooporate evil in breaking bad. The kind of evil that sees terrible things happening and doesn't give two shits because they're getting theirs. The kind that will help more terrible things happen if they get more out of it. The kind who has no allegiance towards anything besides themselves, and that's just as much part of his character as the early seasons of bcs.