#something could be the coolest thing ever to someone who is invested and into it but extremely stupid to someone who isn't

[denizenhardwick]

I think the reason why TFC is so "love it or hate it" right off the bat is that it takes its concept seriously and doesn't try to ease the audience into it, so if you aren't willing to suspend your disbelief and buy into that concept from page one, you're going to think it's incredibly stupid. It throws a lot of information at you immediately and expects you to suspend your disbelief and roll with it. Because above all else these books are entirely unapologetic about what they are, that's one of the series's greatest strengths, and throwing you into them like this weeds out people who probably wouldn't have a good time anyway.

[7grandmel]

Rip of the week: 17/06/2024

The Legend of Cage: Staff Roll

Season 6 Featured on: The Legend of Cage: Beneath the Mask Official Soundtrack

Ripped by Grambam36, Ashley, minindo, MJ, smileyshirt

Requested by crickqt! (Discord)

Y'know, I thought long and hard about what rip to return to the blog with, a month away from it all. At first I felt like doing something grand and triumphant, something truly important to the channel's legacy like a Season premiere or finale, something in the spirit of A love letter to this wonderful community and my amazing friends or File Select Fusion Collab. But then I started going down the opposite path, maybe to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Snowball Park - Super Mario 3D World post and by extension the one-year anniversary of this whole blog, I ought to feature something just as irony-filled, a subversion of all your expectations, a big meme-fest all around. That was appealing in some way, but both of these ideas felt like two opposite-end extremes of SiIvaGunner's whole, neither felt like the right way to truly embody what I love about the channel enough to be befitting for the blog's "revival." And it was then that I realized that the most explosive way I could return with was with something I'm truly passionate about, something I've had bubbling internally as something I've wanted to cover ever since the beginning, but never found the right opportunity to truly get into. A feature months in the making, is at last here.

That's right - it's time to finally talk about The Legend of Cage, and The Legend of Cage: Staff Roll.

A lot of what makes SiIvaGunner such a rewarding channel to follow is how well it remembers... just about every one of its thousands upon thousands of loose threads, ones woven since all the way back in 2016. It's as if every rip posted on the channel is bound to end up receiving some sort of tribute years down the line a la Violet Snow Memories, or alternatively rips lead to in-jokes perpetuated by individual rippers that then end up catching on as background gags alongside the channel's typical operations like with guess what​?​?​?​?​?​?​?​?. And due to its nature of allowing just about anything from anyone to be uploaded, Season 1 was when this was at its absolute peak - so many of the channel's ongoing running gags began all the way back during its first year due purely to the whims of individual rippers. The joke with The Legend of Cage stems from an in-joke with content creator Criken, wherein one thing led to another and after three years of development we'd end up receiving a texture pack wherein all faces in the game were replaced with variations of Nicholas Cage. The year was just the same as SiIvaGunner Season 1 - 2016 - and just a few weeks after the texture pack released, the joke breached the Vinesauce barrier through a stream by Vinny - and barely a week after that, the SiIvaGunner member kyokuP struck gold with Cage Town, First Day. It was hardly amidst Season 1's most popular videos - after all, it required knowledge of like three seperate rabbitholes of in-jokes and investment into Vinny Vinesauce's most recent streams at the time, but it was a bit that wound up sticking - as Season 1 progressed, more and more Majora's Mask videos wound up releasing, almost all of which continued the bit that kyokuP started.

Like a lot of these less-prominently-pushed Season 1 bits, it wound up falling to the wayside as the channel moved on with a more narrowed focus during Season 2. But, as is always the case, the SiIvaGunner team never forgets, there's always SOMEONE on there who's attached to the silliest of things - and one legend by the name of GramBam36 took it upon himself at the start of Season 3 to bring back The Legend of Cage-posting in full force. From Season 3 onward, due in huge part to the enthusiasm expressed by one of the channel's coolest rippers (seriously, this is now my 7th post on a Grambam36 rip, SUNGORE and this are only scratching the surface), one of the channel's most bizarre jokes was back on its feet - two years later, the original Criken bit, the Vinesauce stream that inspired it, had all been mostly forgotten, yet the show kept going on. Rip by rip, slowly, the soundtrack to The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask grew closer and closer to completion, each of its many tracks given a Cage-ification due purely to the commitment to the bit. And, again, to reiterate: No special attention was being drawn to these rips whatsoever. Like with Collision Chaos Good Future JP [CD Beta Mix] and so many other nuggets in SiIvaGunner's back catalogue, this was purely a passion project underway as the channel's gears kept turning at standard speed. That was, at least, until the final stretch of Season 6, and the SiIvaGunner All-Star Nuclear Winter Festival.

The Nuclear Winter Festival (aka "DoomFes") is a whole other can of worms to get into that's far too large for the scope of this post, but the most important throughline to it (and the Season as a whole) was a sense of...bittersweet finality, for lack of a better word. We all knew deep down that the channel itself wasn't ending, but every part of DoomFes felt specifically focused on tying up loose ends, giving us closure to threads left dangling for all too long. The Metal Gear SGFR album, Paper Jams, the SiIvaGunner AI storyline a whole, all things that felt like coming full circle at long last - and, amidst it all, was a silly little event focused on a 6-year old channel in-joke finally reaching its climax. With The Legend of Cage: Beneath the Mask Official Soundtrack, and with The Legend of Cage: Staff Roll, it was finally time to finish off what was started all those years ago. The joke of putting Nicholas Cage textures into Majora's Mask had taken three years to realize - and after double that time, the SiIvaGunner team was at last able to match the texture pack's visuals with something just as quality in a full-soundtrack remix album, with The Legend of Cage: Staff Roll sitting as the proud crescendo to it all.

It's easy to forget all of this borderline-sappy lore when actually experiencing the rip in question - It is, for all intents and purposes, the culmination of six years worth of Cagey goodness. Led by Grambam36 alongside incredible rippers like minindo of Beautiful Dreamer fame, we're at last given a The Legend of Cage rip with full-on YTPMV visuals, in turn helping depict the rip as a journey throughout the entirety of Majora's Mask, as its medley-like nature of Majora's Mask Staff Roll theme allows it to revisit some of the all-time classic Cageposts very seamlessly. It feels celebratory, of course, due to the very tone of the Staff Roll theme in general, but also due to all the aforementioned context of where Cage-posting was on SiIvaGunner during Season 6 - this event, the one effectively marking its death, was the first time this dumb running gag had really been given special attention by the channel, yet that was part of what made it all so special. I wasn't an "avid" listener of these per se as someone who hasn't played Majora's Mask myself, but I knew of their existence, it always made me happy to keep seeing them crop up - and The Legend of Cage: Staff Roll was the most perfect sendoff these rips could've ever hoped to get.

There's so much to dig into with the rip's quality itself that I don't know where to begin. The rip's opening is front-loaded with such well-done adaptions of iconic Cage sounds, the "Can-can-I get my prescription, PLEASE!!" interlude has stuck with my head ever since I first heard the rip and it only continues from there with Cage sounds being used for just about every part of the original song, the lead, the percussion, the accents, everything. Particularly in this opening section, it slots into my absolute favorite flavor of YTPMV a la The Streamer, where vocal bits from the sources used are audible to a degree where you could reasonably sing along to the song being used. It's all just as much of a delight to hear here, going through the classics of "NOT THE BEES", "A-B-C-D-E-F-K", "Prickly Pear" - yet the rip, as a collab ought to do, escalates into really fun alternate takes on Cageposting, with different visuals, different samples used in different ways, yet all still celebrating the meme's weird yet ever-present legacy on the channel.

Even a year and a half removed from The Legend of Cage's official first and last tribute on SiIvaGunner, I'm still not quite sure where it sits with the fans. The Legend of Cage: Staff Roll, as the most perfect distillation of everything the project ever aimed to be with fantastic visuals to boot, only barely cracked ten thousand views - the original Cagepost that started it all in Season 1 still just below fifty thousand. It was, contrary to the sounds used within the rips themselves, never the loudest meme, nor a very intrusive one, yet it was part of a running gag that was just so fun to see still go on years after its intended legacy passed, with SiIvaGunner's band of YTPMVs teaming up to finish the fight that a bored Season 1 contributed started. Even though it was far from the most popular gag, Grambam36 remembered and absolutely ran with it: and that, to me, is the kind of energy you can only truly get here on SiIvaGunner.

(( And, of course, the kind of energy you'll find with many of its lunatic fans, like myself ;] ))

[kidovna]

Hi! I’ve been following you and your art for a few years now, probably since right before the simonverse era. I wanted to say that it has been the coolest thing watching your art grow over these years. You’re the artist who I originally looked at and thought… it is so cool that this artist is able to think of something and execute it, you were honestly my introduction to the depth of fanart. I had always done art, mostly traditional portraits but when I found you I became enthralled in the idea of digital art and its potential. In 2021 I was lucky enough to save up and invest in an iPad and I’ve been drawing on it ever since. Your work inspires me everyday. I’ve seen the intricacies and details, nuance, passion and love you put into whoever and whatever you draw and its contagious. No one has ever motivated or inspired me to keep drawing the way you have. I’m not afraid to try new things, and adapt stylistically because I’ve watched you do it for years. I’m not afraid to post what and who I want and to be geeky and giddy about it. I’m highly neurodivergent but you’re always so kind and open to talk to-I think even if you’re tired of the rambles. The amount I’ve grown as an artist is I mean this so genuinely-thanks to you. Please remember you deserve the best and to focus on yourself and what you love. Don’t be afraid to post what or who you want, or to try new things even if social media says otherwise. You’re one person but you’re genuinely changing a lot of hearts. Take breaks and don’t feel bad. You’re so loved. I cant convey how grateful I am and I’m sure so many other people are to have had the opportunity to grow with you and work with you and fall in love with your work over and over again.

Love a mutual who is way too shy to say this directly to you🩶

i woke up today overwhelmed and anxious as i have been for the past few days and opened tumblr to this message. i may or may not have teared up a little.

thank you so, so much for taking the time to send me this message. having known that i could make an impact like this has truly left me speechless. thank you also for all the support and love

i totally get the shy part (i’ve sent my fair share of anonymous asks excited about someone’s work) but if someday you’d like to share your art with me, my DMs are open! i hope you have the loveliest week ever and that your journey as an artist brings you many many pleasant surprises <3

[glasskey]

Tuello & Serena

I’ve noticed something recently, Mark Tuello has suddenly become the coolest kid on the block. Fair play, since the beginning of S4 Tuello has basically been the Nick Blaine of Canada, the similarities are undeniable. He’s fine AF and he’s proving himself to be an invaluable asset in the battle against Gilead.

Ever since Serena went on her first jaunt to Canada and ran into Mark Tuello the rumour mill has been burning up. Some have even gone so far as to say that Serena’s baby was Mark’s. No people, this is not Days of Our Lives, there are no surprise twist baby reveals to be had here. You may recall that there were similar mutterings that June’s baby was actually Fred’s and not Nicks, again no, just N0 (but we’ll get to that another day).

There’s no doubt Mark Tuello has a thing for Serena, even the dear departed Fred could see that. Whenever he’s around her his voice softens and cracks just a little, Tuello looks at Serena like she’s a caged beautiful monster that just needs some love and care to unmonsterfy her. A part of Tuello still sees a Serena from a time long gone who is passionate and strong but remains untwisted by the regime she helped build.

In Season 5 the gloss started to come off significantly, particularly after their trip to Gilead. He’d done everything humanly possible to protect her only to be constantly rebuffed. Returning to Gilead Serena seemed to be obsessed with having someone “put a ring on it” and that’s where it all went sideways. Mark reasoned with her, pleaded with her but nevertheless came up empty handed. What’s a sensitive new age boy to do but fly home on his private jet in yet another beautiful suit?

I’m a bit baffled by those who wish to see these two paired, I’m not denying that there’s tension between Mark and Serena, but it’s the same kind of tension you get just before a snake eats a mouse. Lawrence assured Serena she’d appreciate hockey given that it was both “elegant and brutal”, say what you will about Lawrence but his observations of others are frighteningly accurate. Wishing her upon Mark is like wishing your best friend gets sucked into a toxic relationship with an opportunistic egomaniac.

When Serena finds herself standing over Freds dead body, terrified and backed into a corner. She cries to Tuello “Are you going to protect me?”. Its a real plea for his personal sanctuary. Like Blaine, Tuello wants more for the woman he cares for than Gilead’s gender oppression. When she asks for his personal protection he doesn’t try and “save” her, he offers her help but still demands that she stand on her own two feet and take responsibility.

Time after time Tuello tries to encourage Serena to embrace a life with free agency only to see her resist, she believes in the righteousness of those shackles. He’s bewildered by this to say the least and given his emotional investment he does put a fair bit of effort into trying to lure her over from the “Dark Side”

Speaking from strictly a storyline / character construct perspective: true love is one of the highest rewards in any storyline, and the idea of Tuello and Serena “falling in love” without her achieving proper redemption would be the same as Tuello giving her a free pass for all the horrible shit she’s done.

Sometimes the act of being in love can redeem a character, but Serenas crimes are so horrific that she’d be asked to sacrifice it as penance anyway, leaving Tuello miserable. Call me crazy but I’m thinking maybe, just MAYBE there might be better dating options in the WHOLE of Canada for Tuello, than just Serena.

Glasskey

[algolagniaa]

awake at 3 am and have moved on from thinking about my relationship to thinking about an old friendship

it was with a straight woman and she was a very confident and capable person who knew a lot about a lot and lived by her own rules and answered to no one but herself. and that’s how I’ve always wanted to be, and I think it is how I appear to people but really I am not like that at all. really I am very insecure and quite disgustingly submissive it’s just disguised by the fact that I’m extremely smart and extremely weird and don’t do much to hide either. but my friend was also smart and weird (not nearly as weird as I am admittedly) and she was a force of nature and I admired and envied her so for it. and our friendship always had a weird dynamic because of that. and I wanted to be her equal but I could tell she never really saw me as one. it came through in little comments she made, or how if I agreed with her on something she’d assume I got that opinion from her even though I had reached it on my own. like I learned from her bc as I said she was very knowledgeable but I listen to and learn from everyone, that doesn’t mean I let them think for me. but that’s beside the point I just still have some resentment about that I guess. but one time she said something about how she always gets along so well with lesbians but doesn’t know why and I was like it’s because you’re so capable and self reliant and don’t take any shit and lesbians appreciate those qualities. and she seemed almost??? offended by that???? and said some shit about how she prefers other people to do things for her and ACTUALLY the reason lesbians like her is because she doesn’t want to have sex with us which made no sense to me personally bc a lot of straight women don’t want to have sex with me and I’m definitely not friends with all of them

and I am lying in bed thinking about our friendship bc 8th house synastry will do that to you (every time I have extreme trouble letting go of someone we ALWAYS have 8th house synastry. I have INTENSE 8th house AND 12th house synastry with Oscar too. (side note I don’t usually spend much time looking at Jess’ chart for Reasons but I just checked and my Venus is in her 12th house 👀 a soulmate placement if ever I saw one)) and I just had this realization that she was jealous of me for the exact opposite reason I was jealous of her. bc she had so much of herself invested in this like divine feminine/divine masculine gender roles persona. she actually WANTS to be this bendy receptive reflective person who gets led around. she had this whole ideal of being this soft princessy submissive person who gets wooed and claimed but also has a strong inner core and is sovereign in herself and i just am all that without ever once trying to be (wait maybe this is what i was talking about in that one other weird 4am post i made and forgot about). astrologically speaking she is a very VERY solar person whereas in my chart the moon is stronger. and everything about me that I view as a weakness I have to compensate for is something she wants for herself but doesn’t embody as naturally as I do. she made comments alluding to this too, many of which I didn’t notice at the time bc I thought she was the coolest and obviously SHE had no reason to be insecure so I took her comments as proof there was something wrong with me/proof she was the coolest and had things figured out

and there are 2 things I can take away from this:

1) the signs were there and in retrospect obvious that she felt this way but I never noticed until this moment. it’s not the first time I’ve realized in retrospect that other people are jealous of me either. it is baffling to me but it may be possible that I have many things within me that are special and I should not deny that or try to bend myself into a different shape. even if I think my idea for a shape is better

and 2) straight people are truly wild. there are benefits to being the way that I am for sure. but being this way as a straight woman??? I could never

[articskele]

I love how I get so invested and enthusiastic about the smallest, silliest, most seemingly insignificant things.

I could see a tribute to a fandom I was never part of and feel a stirring in my soul, like I'm walking dusty halls that haven't seen the sun in over a decade.

I've always loved art and fandom and the internet. There's a little kid in my heart that wants nothing more than to be part of something, to be in a community and make stories.

The kid who tried to set up a class-wide Pokemon roleplay campaign in 5th grade, only for it to fall apart on the first day.

The kid who checked and read and re-checked and re-read a long dead Kirby GSA askblog because I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

The adult getting hyped over an old virtual pet game, frozen yogurt flavors in a dating sim, a scrapped song for a movie, reading the lore for someone's oc. I could go on.

I just- I love people! I love what people create! There's so much heart and care and detail put into this stuff. It's all so full of life!

[90363462]

5 Reasons Why Every Married Couple Needs A Sex Jar

Here's one of the funnest ways to save up a little cash. Guaranteed.

Shellie R. Warren

Oct. 15, 2018 06:48PM EST

This is one of those things I really wish I could take the credit for, but I can't. One day, while doing some research for a wedding article, I saw a "sex jar" on Pinterest. 

I read the fine print and the gist is this—every time a couple has sex, they agree to put some money into a big jar (or vase, jug or piggybank). It can be a quarter or $10, but something must go in there. Then, after six months to a year, the couple empties out the jar and uses the money to do something romantic. (Dope, right?)

Ever since I got hip to the sex jar concept, it's something that I incorporate into my marriage life coaching sessions. Now that I've got a few years of recommending sex jars under my belt, I've discovered a few other bonafide reasons for couples to invest in one. 

It's A Great "Sex Gauge".

Every couple is unique. This means that each one's sex life is going to be different. But if you're wondering how much sex is considered to be "healthy", there are plenty of articles that say if you're having sex once a week, you're actually doing pretty good.

So, what's the sign that you need a lil' more nookie in your life? I'll put it to you this way—20 million Americans are only having sex 10 times a year. Technically, that's what a "sexless marriage" is.

Since sex is great for your health (sperm included; I'm just sayin') and it's also one of the absolute best ways to bond with your partner, it's a good idea to not deprive yourself. A sex jar can help you to (literally) see if you are—or aren't.

It's One Of The Coolest Ways To Save Money.

I recently read that the average household has about $134,000 worth of debt (I also read 74 percent of engaged couples will take on debt in order to get married). Sometimes that's because couples don't have emergency funds or savings accounts that are strictly for vacations and second honeymoons.

If you and yours haven't gotten away in a while because funds are tight, peep this: Americans toss as much as—count it—$62 million in loose change every year. Every. Single. Year. By putting some of yours into your sex jar, not only is it a great way to tell how much sex you are having, it's also a fun way to hold onto your coins and save a little cash in the process too.

It Reminds Couples To Make Sex A (Top) Priority.

If you're someone who has a to-do list, tell me something. Is sex on it? If what you're about to say is you don't want to schedule sex because that doesn't seem very sexy, I hear you. I'll say two things about that, though.

img.buzzfeed.com

One, I promise you that scheduling it is better than not having it at all. And two, putting sex on your schedule can make the activity something that you look forward to during the week. Again, I am a marriage life coach but you don't have to take my word for it. There's a great read on this very topic here.

Just think. If you have a big ole sex jar in your bedroom and you walk past it every day, it's going to at least remind you to think of sex. And, the more we tend to think of something, the greater chance it has of becoming a priority (and for all of the reasons I've already shared, sex should always be a priority!).

It Reminds Couples To Make Romance A Top Priority Too

Question. How much romance is in your marriage? If that's too complex of a question, how about this one? When's the last time you and yours went on an actual date?(Picking up takeout or watching a movie on the couch does not qualify!)

media.giphy.com

If you know that romance is lacking but you haven't been able to make it happen because funds are tight, this is just one more reason to get yourself a sex jar. Just think—if you have sex three times a week and you each put $5 in the jar for every time that you do, you'll have $30 a week/$120 a month to spend on going on a real date. (This sex jar thing is just getting better and better isn't it?)

It's An Awesome Gift To Give To Your Other Married Friends

As long as you have friends, there are going to be occasions when you'll need to get them a present. A sex jar is the kind of gift that keeps on giving! 

All you've got to do is go to a local arts and crafts store, get a big jar and (if you want) decorate it. Then attach a note that explains what it's for—maybe something along the lines of "Here's a piggy bank for all of the times you and yours are intimate. All you've got to do is put some money in it and watch the cash stack up!"

I'm telling you, out of all of the books I've read and tips I've given to married couples, this one right here is in the Top Five and continues to be a winner. 

Reward yourself—and your spouse—with a sex jar. You definitely won't regret it!

Related Stories:

What I've Learned About My Vagina Since Getting Married - Read More

Is Scheduled Sex Really Better Than No Sex At All? - Read More

I Saved My Virginity For My Husband And Ended Up With Bad Sex - Read More

We Gave Up Sex After Having Our First Child - Read More

Featured image by Shutterstock

How Sex Changes After Marriage - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›

10 Sex Resolutions To Make This Year - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›

What GROWN Women Consider Great Sex To Be - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›

Grown Woman Keys To Great Sex - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›

Americans Are Having Less Sex. Here's How To Avoid Being A Statistic. - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty ›

13 Things To Put On Your Ultimate Sex Bucket List ›

Married Sex - Marriage Advice ›

Sex/textual Conflicts in The Bell Jar: Sylvia Plath's Doubling Negatives ›

The Sex Challenge ›

Sent from my iPhone

[juhaksworld]

The Boyz reactions to dating someone outgoing/talkative

disclaimer lol: i’m really introverted so writing a character who is outgoing was a new experience haha. i hope this makes sense though <3

requested by: @jonghos-left-airpod <3

Sangyeon:

would be so invested in everything you said and did. like you’d be at a party and you’d be very emphatically talking with your friends, being the life of the party, and he’d just watch from a distance: in loveeee. you look so happy and everyone listening to you talking were smiling and happy because of you. you have a very kind and welcoming personality which just draws people towards you. sangyeon be standing beside you like “mhm, yup, this is my baby.” he would just love it when he overheard people talking about how fun you were.  occasionally some stuck up spoiled person who felt intimidated by you would start talking bad about you and sangyeon would just be like “????? excuse me??? what???? have you actually ever spent time with her??? she’s literally the kindest person there is!!!!”

Jacob:

opposites attract right?? well you and jacob certainly did! you met at a party and you noticed he was pretty quiet. you felt instantly attracted to him bc he was so sweet and cute! you really wanted to get to know him but you were afraid of intimidating him. but like girllllll he was so smitten with you!!!! you just filled the room with a pleasant and sweet aura like,, everyone was attracted to you bc you’re so talkative and nice! after you started dating he just like: heart eyes everytime you were with people, bc being with people brought out the best in you. he preferred staying home with just you, but he knew you like spending time with lots of people, so he respected that, and often tagged along with you bc, goodness when you were with people you were just so happy and cute and fun!!! 

Younghoon:

he would be like “what to do with this girl??” he sometimes feels a little jealous of all the attention you get. you never try to get a lot of attention on purpose, it just comes naturally bc you’re so outgoing and fun to be around. sometimes he’ll be watching from afar and then he’ll see some guy eyeing you up and so hoonie rushes over and puts his arm around your shoulder. he really tries not to be too overprotective, but gosh you’re so cute when you’re talking excitedly-- he can’t help but be a little afraid someone’s gonna try and steal you away ;-; sometimes when you’re talking with ppl, specifically his mother you’ll tease him a little bit and he’ll get all shy and blush and be like “stopppp” but he secretly loves it when you talk about him to others. he loves it even more when you’re like in a group of friends and they’re like “ come spend time with us more!! you’re always the life of the party!” and you’re just like “nope! I gotta bf who needs me more than y’all” and hoonie just gets super embarrassed but super pleased that you chose him over others.

Hyunjae:

oh lordy. the craziness. the fun y’all would have. when you guys show up to a party, or literally anywhere at all, everyone KNOWS you’re gonna make it a good time. you’re both super friendly and funny and….loud hahaha. sometimes when you’re in public you’ll both be so friendly to everyone that ppl will be like “ are they dating or are they siblings cuz it looks like they’re flirting with everyone???” but you aren’t haha and you both know that so you never have misunderstandings and stuff (you do flirt with each other all the time though ;-; )  sometimes your personalities will clash and you’ll get in a heated argument, but it doesn’t last long. you’ll both sulk for a little while and then be like “ hey,, wanna go get some ice cream “ and ofc you will and then you’ll quietly hold hands and eat your ice cream and feel better and apologize and everything and then go back to being super talkative with each other <3

Juyeon:

is. in. awe. of you. not bc he doesn’t know what it’s like to have lots of ppl like you, or bc he’s shy, but bc he just loooooves your vibes so much. like--- you��ll be talking and he’ll walk up and you’ll just throw him into the convo and make it seem like he was part of the conversation from the beginning and he loves that. you’re so outgoing and welcoming to ppl around you, he never feels left out. and he loves seeing you reach out to other ppl too. he’ll lowkey see some person like all alone and by themselves and he’ll be like “ heyyy! I wanna introduce you to someone really awesome!” and then he’ll walk up to you and like give you this look and you’ll be like “oh my goodness!!!! heyyyyy!!! hru?????” and the person will instantly feel special and juyeon will just stand back and be like “ wow. I have an awesome gf!” and then he’ll just listen while you talk and get the new person involved. juyeon’s pretty quiet, so he likes to stand around you when you’re at parties bc he can rely on you to talk with everyone haha 

Kevin:

the first time kev met you he’d be like “I love this person, they make me feel so comfortable talking with them!!!” and you’d be like “ I love this guy, he’s so interesting to talk to!!” and you’d start dating right away. kev is pretty talkative once he’s comfortable. y’all would have the best conversations. at parties or whenever you’re with large crowds of people he’ll stand beside you the ENTIRE time. not bc he feels he needs to claim you and keep other guys away, and not bc he’s scared to talk with people himself, but simply bc he loves listening to you talk. like you can turn the most boringgggg conversation into something interesting just bc you have so much experience with people and you love talking. one thing he absolutely loves about you so much is that even though he sometimes has a hard time staying involved in a conversation with strangers for very long, you don’t, and like--- you never let him feel left out when talking with ppl. you always remember who you love spending time with most and keep him involved.

Chanhee:

he would lowkey be like “ what is wrong with her” the first time he met you hahahaha but then he’d grow used to your personality and be totally charmed by you. like i can totally imagine chanhee being with you one day and watch as you have the most random conversation with some stranger you just met and then he’ll be like “ shoot-- i have a crush on this girl” after you start dating he’d just be like “ i’m literally dating the coolest person, like she can talk with anyone and make them feel so special” and all of his friends are like “ yeah you tell us that everyday” and he’d love taking you everywhere with him bc you just make him feel so much more at ease wherever you go. when he’s having a bad day he looooves spending time with you the most bc he knows you’ll 100% make him feel better with your bright personality! and you guys are like so cute together bc he’s pretty tall so whenever he’s feeling pretty shy or whatever you like stand on your tiptoes to whisper in his ear that he looks so pretty that day and make him smile and feel a little more confident and then you’d like hold onto his arm the whole time you were talking to other ppl bc you didn’t want him to feel like you forgot about him at all.

Changmin:

he’d be like “ ok, this is her personality, cool” like he’d love that you were outgoing but it wouldn’t surprise him at all or anything. he knows you love being with ppl so he always takes you with him whenever he goes to parties or gatherings of any sort and then just smiles as you immediately blend in with everyone and make friends. some dude would come up to changmin who’s standing near you watching you with heart eyes and listening to you talk and the guy’d be like “ who’s that?? she’s cute!” and changmin would be like “ she’s my baby...I..I...meant gf. she’s my gf. “ and the guy’d be like “ok simp” and changmin would be like “me??? a simp???” and then he’d realize he was a simp for you, bc like, even though he’s outgoing too, no one does it like you and he’s just obsessed with the way you brighten any day and any place with your sunshiny personality and smile! and he’d be like “ gosh she really won me over” and then he’d go stand beside you and hold your waist and join in the conversation if he could and just be so happy to be spending time with you while you’re having so much fun!

Haknyeon:

this baby. he’d get pouty when he saw you spending more time with others than with him so he’d like some up to you and tug on your arm and be like “ hey remember me” and you’d be like “no??? who are you again? “ to tease him and then he’d laugh bc he knew ofc you remembered him,,, you just thought he’d be perfectly alright without you bc he likes being with people too! but then you kinda felt bad for leaving him alone so long so you’d stop conversing with everyone and turn your full attention on him--- which is just what he wanted haha. he loves knowing he gets all your attention to himself. you’d tease him a lot though-- like someone would ask you if they could ask you a question rq and you’d be like “ oh im sorry,, i gotta ask my bf if he can spare me for a moment” and hak would be like “ stopppppp” and you’d both laugh. he’s outgoing too, but not as talkative as you are, so he’d just bask in your bright aura constantly surrounding you and whenever you said something funny he’d laugh his iconic laugh and that’d make you laugh and then you’d both forget about everyone else and just laugh together. when you guys were together talking with ppl you were like the power couple. you’re funny and smart and super friendly so everyone just gravitates towards y’all

Sunwoo:

this boy would be SO whipped for you,, like he would just stand beside you and smile down on you the whole time you were talking with others. he just loves seeing you enjoy yourself so much! lowkey jealous anytime you start talking to some guy for too long tho, like you’ll will be walking hand in hand home from somewhere and you’ll see a guy walking his puppy and you’ll be like “ahhhhhhhhhhhhh oh my goodness so cute!!!!” and you’ll start talking to the guy about what breed, and how old, and where he adopted the puppy, and the guy will tell you several cute stories about the puppy and you will become like best friends (obv the guy isn’t hitting on you tho cuz sunwoo be standing there behind you like -_- ) but you get along so well with everyone and sometimes you just get so caught up in the conversation you’re having with whoever it happens to be and sunwoo never wants to just push his way into things, so he just stands there like “ what do I do?” and then as soon as you turn back to him with your eyes sparkling bc you love talking with ppl so much he’s like “ oh shoot, i love her.” and so he doesn’t mind so much anymore.

Eric:

you guys would be sooooooo cute!!!! you would talk over each other sometimes when y’all were really excited, but you would somehow understand each other anyways hahaha. ppl sometimes joke about how talkative you both are and say things like “how are y’all even dating???” which you hate bc you love eric more than anything and eric feels the same way so y’all are just like “tsk,, you’re just jealous that i’m dating someone so awesome” and walk away. but seriously, somehow your relationship just works out! like when eric’s super excited about something but you’re already talking about something, he holds back until you’re done with your story and vice versa. when you guys are out in public together you just laugh and talk like normal bc you know others love hearing ppl be happy together and sometimes it leads to meeting new people and making new friends! like one time-- you and eric were on a picnic and were just laughing and laughing about something and a little old lady was just absolutely in love with you both and so you invited her to join you and she did and she told you stories about back when she was young and you all three just had the sweetest time together. things like that always happen for you and eric bc you have such friendly personalities ppl love being with you.

[bluetomorrows]

Going Through My Movies Part 8: An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)

Heavy, heavy trigger warning here. This post will contain extensive discussions of suicide and depression.

This might be the most difficult movie I've ever watched. In a way it is a suicide note. And this is coming from someone who's been there, that's what it feels like.

The philosophy of the world of AESS is that the world is static. Things are terrible, and they will be terrible forever. You cannot change it, and you cannot run from it. It is the same all over the world. Trying to find a better life down a different path is a futile endeavor, that will just lead to disappointment and more heartbreak. The best thing you can do is not run away, just accept that your sadness cannot be escaped, and don't waste your energy trying something else.

The best thing you can be in this world, is an elephant sitting still.

Let me be clear. This is a really good movie. It is shot beautifully, it is acted well, the direction is superb, and the script is a goddamn masterclass. It is probably one of the best directorial debuts I've ever seen. I think Hu Bo could have gone down as one of the best directors of all time if he hadn't cut his potential off.

I'm surprised that the conclusion a man about to kill himself came to was that you should sit still. I half expected the elephant to die at the end.

I think that's the problem with reviewing this film. It is fucking fantastic, but I don't know if I can condone it. "Everything is terrible and nothing will change, you should just fucking kill yourself". I don't feel comfortable giving that 5 stars.

But at the same time, this is still a fucking amazing piece of cinema. It's practically all long shots. It doesn't want to cut and bring attention to the fact that it's a movie. It wants to feel as real as possible. And oh god the story here. Absolute genius. There are essentially 4 main characters, all with their own semi-related stories. And the way each story weaves through the general world and atmosphere and through the other stories is amazing. When they all come together at the end it does feel like a payoff to 3 hours of setup, but it also just feels like the totally natural direction each story would take.

Each character is so complex and you learn to care about them so much. Even characters you would expect to be one-dimensional aren't. There's a character here who is the head of a local gang. He believes in his heart that every single person on earth sucks. They're all bad. So he doesn't really care about much. He causes a suicide, he's an asshole to one of the characters because she won't have sex with him, and he hunts down another character because he accidentally hurt his brother.

AND HE'S LIKE THE COOLEST GUY.

Like you know he isn't a good person, but god you are so fucking invested in what he does next. This is partly because of the stellar performance of Yu Zhang, and also just cause he's written so well that you manage to make that character incredibly interesting and a little sympathetic.

This is a great movie. I could talk for hours about how practically every character is perfect and how it's an incredibly dense and genius piece of storytelling. But should an artistic cinematic suicide note be held up like this? As someone who has been close to death multiple times, I cannot feel right condoning the message of this movie. I don't want to believe it. It's unhealthy to believe it.

If you want to see something perfectly replicate the empty feeling of being actively suicidal, then check out An Elephant Sitting Still.

If that is something you want.

Goddamn, this thing destroyed me. Cool soundtrack though.

I made a mistake in my Jodorowsky's Dune post when I said the Blu-Ray after Jodorowsky's Dune was All Monsters Attack, it is actually FLCL: The Complete Series. I have not started this one, but I think it's only like 5 or 6 episodes so I should be fine. Hope this is a much lighter watch

[sillysunshinesstuff]

The Absolute Fuckery that was 15x20

Ok there were a lot of reasons why the final was bad. Like so many fucking reasons. Even without the queerbaiting,this is some of the worst writing I’ve ever seen and here’s a few reasons why: 

Destiel

Yes. Big main reason here. They should not have included a confession and have one of the main plots of season 15 be Castiel’s and Dean’s relationship if they didn’t intend to follow through in any way. It shouldn’t have been introduced because the story became disjointed and thematically unsatisfying due to not being addressed in the final in any sort of way. Also, queerbaiting in 2020? Just to get your views up for the last few episodes because they knew Supernatural had become a shit show of bad ratings? Calculated and cruel toward the LGBTQIA+ community who has supported their careers for years. 

Saileen

The absolute least they could have done was see this plot point through but they did not. We do not know if Eileen lives and even if they release information that she did, it’s still bullshit because we don’t get to see any part of her story. She has been reduced to a two dimensional character with no agency or purpose. Another woman just meant to prop up the male lead. Bullshit. 

The Empty

What the fuck was the point of everything about this plot line if it would just be trashed half way through? Why did Cas make that deal with Ruby? Why did she beg to get out? Why did the Empty accuse Jack of making it loud? I really thought they were going somewhere with this one but they chickened out. There was so much potential for this; the angels and demons being awakened, balance being restored in heaven and hell, a big final show down between them and God. There were so many things just dropped when it came to this and that is why season 15 is absolutely frustrating because it feels like we just wasted our time with useless world building that didn’t amount to anything. 

Kevin

I truly did think they’d address this in some sort of way, but the last time we saw Kevin, he was cursed to wander the earth until he became insane because his soul couldn’t ascend to heaven. I was really excited about this because I thought it meant there was going to be some restructuring of the Supernatural universe. The plot would be how the universe Chuck created wasn’t perfect and it had flaws and it was up to Team Free Will to fix some of these gaping holes. They made a point of calling it unfair. It was a wrong that should have been righted in some sort of way in the final. 

Benny

This really isn’t just about Benny, it is about the concept of purgatory. A running theme in the show is that good people don’t deserve what happened to them. We see a lot of “good” monsters throughout the show. Characters who helped, sacrificed, and died for the brothers. At the end, they are sent to monster hell or purgatory. There was an episode this season where Sam and Dean killed a teenage boy who had been turned into a vampire. The teenage boy accepted his death because he knew it was for the best. He was afraid of hurting more people and he accepted that it was unfair. They made sure to emphasize how unjust the rules of this universe were and the emotional toll these universal rules took on the boys. Benny’s demise was spoken about briefly and we see Dean very hurt about his death. But the audience is left with the feeling that this is wrong. That the way the Supernatural universe is structured is wrong. Good people get turned into monsters, die, go to purgatory, and then die the ultimate death there. Is this what’s in store for all the “good monster” characters in the show? Garth? His family? They’re werewolves who fight their monster instincts, do they they still deserve purgatory? Did that teenage boy? A gaping hole that I thought the show was going to address in some way. Maybe offer redemption to those in purgatory or have Jack completely wipe away the concept of monsters in the universe. After all, it was just Chuck’s shitty writing, why couldn’t they wipe it clean and just leave people? “Cure” people of the monster and officially give the boys a way out of hunting? No monsters means no hunting. They’d be truly free. I thought this was direction they were going based off the certain episodes and characters discussed. But nope.

Jack

They reduced Jack’s character to plot food and that’s it. His ending was sloppy because it didn’t take into account any of the growth he’s had over the last three seasons. We predicted his ending from season 12 and that’s bad writing. Just. Awful writing. This character had dreams, motivations, relationships, but that all quite literally dissipated. He was used as a magic button that solved all their problems. 15x19 truly showed the lack of thought put into his character. He should not have been a main character if he didn’t have more influence on the plot than simply being a cop-out for having to write a well thought out solution. He was literally just there to snap his fingers and fix all their problems. 

Dean

Oh yeah, Dean’s ending was a big fuck you to any character growth this character has had over the last 15 seasons. There is a line in his final 15 minute goodbye monologue where he says they always knew it would end this way. Which, exactly. We always thought it would end this way because it’s so goddamn predictable. It’s shitty writing because it doesn’t try to subvert this. It quite literally says that any growth Dean has had meant nothing because it didn’t change his end. Dean Winchester was always meant to die a young, bloody death. Everything he’s done, everything he’s bled and sacrificed for meant nothing. His prediction came true. It makes the audience wonder why they stuck around for this long ass journey if they knew the ending all along. It isn’t about what this character deserves. We have always known that the hero deserves happiness, but the ending should say something about why the story matters. Why did we see Dean struggle all his life about accepting himself? Loving himself? Seeing himself as someone who deserves to live? It was yet another theme and plot point throughout season 15. It’s what Castiel proclaimed to him in his confession and it is what Dean finally acknowledged by telling Chuck that’s not who he was. Dean Winchester is not a cold blooded killer. Dean Winchester deserved to live. It was beautiful character growth. A wonderful end to him. But they said fuck that when his last words were that he always knew it would end this way. That he always knew he wasn’t meant to live a long life. The writers wanted tears and they got them. I was crying, not because it was a beautiful satisfying death or ending, but because they tore apart 15 years of development for my beloved character. Dean Winchester has shown consistently that he wanted more than hunting, he wanted more than the life he got stuck with. But they didn’t follow through. They just decided to make an emotional ending because that was the coolest broest bro masculine thing to do. 

Castiel

Literally everything. Literally fucking everything. Another character that was reduced to plot food. Castiel, the angel who rebelled against heaven and fell for the man he raised from perdition, was not deemed important enough to be in the final. This was the biggest fuck you of all. His story had become so complicated over the last few seasons and his purpose was kinda everywhere but they finally focused it when they had his happiness be Dean. When he said he found his faith when he found a family. When he became a father to someone who would one day save the universe. Castiel lived for the love he learned he was capable of. His ending just made no sense. I guess we’re supposed to assume Jack saved his from the empty but he wasn’t shown. He was not shown greeting Dean, the man he died for over and over again, his happiness. He was not shown being reunited with Jack, his faith. He was not shown enjoying the life he fell from grace for. He was a book with half its pages ripped out. Castiel didn’t get an ending. He got erased. 

Sam

That fucking wig. 

This is just some of my rambling thoughts I wanted to share will all of you. I have been a fan of this show for so many years. I invested so much time and love into something I’m going to look back on with bitter disappointment. Some of shittiest writing I have ever seen. Thanks for reading and add some more reasons. I know a missed a shit ton. 

[sorry-i-ship-drarry]

Hi, i really like your drabbles!

Will you please write something where Harry and Draco are flatmates and friends and one day they were hanging out watching a movie and laughing and having fun and out of the blue Harry says Can i kiss you and then they kiss and Harry gets emotional because he is overwhelmed and draco falls for him more. ❤

Thank you 😊

40. Just keep swimming

I will be combining this request with next of my prompt - Patting others back. Hope you like this and thank you so much | after a bad day at work, as a friend, Harry tries to cheer Draco up by a movie night | fluff | domestic |

Fan art taken down because of confidentiality.

Credits - @upthehillart

" Draco is that you ?" Harry called out as he turned off the stove, walking out to see who walked into the flat.

" yeah " he sighs.

" ooh, that sounds terrible. Bad day at work huh ?" Harry asked as he took off the apron and threw it in the kitchen

" the most terrible day ever. It was all a mess, this new potioneer just fucked up each and every single of the potion claiming he was disturbed because of some family problem and I couldn't even yell at him because of that, then midway the potion making for st. Mungo's, my assistant fainted, basically spilling all of the potion we had been brewing for a week and above all my boss yelled at me for something I didn't even do and i- just can't . I'm done with the day " Draco looked he could almost cry.

" oh dear. That's bad " Harry sympathetically said as he walked upto Draco and gave him a friendly hug.

" i know the perfect remedy to fix your day " Harry suggested

" please, anything " Draco sighed taking off his coat and hanging it next to the door.

" go take a shower then, you stink of something really awful, like rotten pumpkin juice-"

" must be one of the potions " Draco rolled his eyes

" okay nevermind. Go. Take a shower. Food is done and I'll take care of the rest, yeah ?" Harry asked as he walked behind Draco and pushed him forward to walk to the bathroom.

" you're a great friend Harry " Draco sighed.

" I know I am. Now go " Harry patted Draco's back almost reaching the bathroom.

" whenever you're done " and with that Harry walked back into the kitchen, sighing to himself. This was again a lost chance.

" great friend " Harry scoffed to himself, disappointed. Shaking his head, he set his priorities to fixing his flatmate / best friend's mood right.

Done everything perfectly right, Harry chose the movie to watch, set the lightings to low, pizza on table, red wine for the mood and fluffy Blankets and of course pillows.

And woof.

" how could I forget you, snuffles " Harry scratched the dogs neck playfully " you're the perfect mood twister, now aren't you, aren't you "

" he definitely is " Draco walked in still looking tired..

" Jesus, even Voldemort would look better than you right now, not to mention without a nose "

" ha ha ha, very funny potter " Draco rolled his eyes and plopped onto the couch. Snuffles joining him on the sofa.

" I can't believe this dog. I gave him a name, I was the one who bought him, I take him to the vets, for walks, and even buy his favourite food and yet he loves you more than me " Harry whined as he plopped next to Draco watching him kiss the top of dogs head.

" well harry I am sort of irresistible" Draco smirked

" sod off malfoy " Harry rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the amusing joke.

" so what are we watching ?" He finally asked as snuffles got more comfortable into his lap.

" finding Nemo" Harry replied

" perfect " Draco relaxed further into the couch and harry turned on the movie.

" you don't wanna talk about it though ?" Harry asked

" This is much better. I'd rather not boil my blood by reciting again how shit my day was. Thanks for this by the way, you always know what to do " Draco gave Harry a smile , crossing his legs over the sofa, sitting more comfortably.

Passing the pizza, the wine, not to forget the spaghetti Harry made, Draco was full and was more comfortably invested into the movie, while harry was more invested in peaking glances at Draco watching the movie.

" can I lay on your lap ?" Draco suddenly asked.

With his heart beating a little louder and suddenly very much awareness of tongue in his mouth and the socks in his feets, he whispered a " yes "

And Draco got comfortable in Harry's lap, snuffles falling asleep through the movie over Draco's torso.

" i love this turtles dude part, They're much more cooler than anyone we know and the way they just say dude, gosh, coolest thing ever "

" aren't they ?" Harry chuckled as he lightly untangled Draco's soft hair with his calloused fingers

"okay tell me, if I had to one character from this movie who would I be ?" Draco asked suddenly looking up at from his lap.

" hm, that's a tricky one " Harry pouted thinking about the answer for a minute or two " i think you're the Nigel, the pelican "

" hey " Draco swatted Harry on his chest laughing " I don't have a big mouth "

" are you sure ? Have you seen yourself when you eat the brownies your mom sends " Harry laughed softly

Draco gasped " they're really good, okay. You don't underestimate them. You should try them by the way "

" well my dearest darling friend, I'd try if you'd leave me some, big mouth Nigel " Harry laughed but was immediately attacked by a pillow at his face.

" you're mean. I just had a terrible day " despite that fact, he couldn't resist laughing with Harry.

"oh sod off. You're not going to get my pity " Harry scoffed, still grinning at Draco, adjusting his spectacles.

" you're really an asshole " Draco rolled his eyes, glimpsing at the motioning movie.

" and yet you keep me around. You're the one who have Stockholm syndrome " Harry covered his face, and as anticipated he was smacked by a pillow in the face "ouch -"

" what, did I hit you too hard ?" Draco rose a few inches immediately

Harry's expression changed from being fake injured to snickering.

" I can't believe you -"

" always works " Harry laughed

" you- I can't believe you use that trick " Draco rolled off his eyes collapsing back into his lap

" and yet you fall for it everytime " Harry chuckled

" you know what, one of these days you're actually going to be hurt and I won't give a damn about you" Draco fake sneered at him

" oh is that so ?" Harry cooed in a baby voice, softly pinching Draco's cheek

" Harry- don't- "

" aww, you're angry " Harry continued in the baby voice

" don't- I said stop. Stop with the voice, it's annoying " draco desperately tried to swat Harry's hands away from his face, but he couldn't possibly entirely deny that he didn't like it.

" aww, Little pelican is angry " Harry pouted

" hey- I'm not little- you idiot " Draco smacked Harry with a pillow again, repeatedly almost sitting up in that process and getting through Harry defenseless ways of trying to protect himself from it, and breaking into a fit of laughter.

" okay- okay stop " Harry cackled

" say I'm not a pellican -"

" but you're the one who asked "

" well you could've said I'm a Nemo or Marlin. He's cute"

" oh yeah, you probably are, little and desperately trying to prove yourself "

" okay- that - was -rude " Draco smacked him at every word until Harry grabbed hold of the pillow and threw it across the room, immediately tickling Draco.

"Merlins fuck- gah- stop- agh " and he took the fall to the ground gracefully, taking Harry down with him.

Harry looked at Draco only for a brief from top before they both started laughing to death. The movie only served as a mere background noise to their laughs and their bodies almost pressed against each other.

" you had to take me down with you " Harry calmed down only a little staring down at Draco

" I never take the fall alone Harry, you knew that about me when you first became friends with me " Draco grinned. Harry shook his head at the slight truth in the absurdity. He looked down at Draco, laying there defenseless with the sweetest grin over his face, his fringes casually very perfectly sprawled over his forehead, his eyes shining with the dim light and the happiness that had Found a way into him. It was impossible to look at draco underneath him and not feel lovestruck.

" you know what, you're definitely a dory " Draco chuckled

" oh I am now " Harry widened his eyes in fun surprise

" oh yes, completely imbecile "

" not to forget you've forgotten almost everyone of my boyfriend's name everytime we meet. You would call them anything but their na-"

" Can I kiss you ?" The words were out before he could've rolled his tounge to stop.

Draco looked at him in complete shock which didn't help Harry currently at all. His eyebrows shot up through his fringes in extreme shock of the sudden question. The bowl of chips next to his hands crashed onto the ground and suddenly the shark from finding Nemo seemed much smaller..

" you- you want-"

" never mind. It was just a stupid question. It was- a - just pure curiousity. It doesn't matter. We sho- should just finish the movie and lets just pretend I never asked -"

" yes-"

" this- wait what ?"

" I said yes, I'd like that " Draco's lips curled into a little smile.

Shocked but with a good surprise Harry returned the smile and with consent leaned down to kiss draco softly over the lips. They could hear the soft noises from the TV but harry was clearly more focused on Draco's hands going up his back and the softness of lips pressed against his, the tenderness in the kiss and the lopsided smile Draco had held. Draco was no stranger to that as well, he too was focused on Harry's hands going under his shirt, not in a furious way but a soft gesture to find more intimacy and for someone who looked they would kiss roughly, Harry worked his lips like it was a master plan he had always been working on if ever given the opportunity to enunciate. They were lost for seconds, minutes, hours maybe but it felt like forever to share that brisk intimate kiss. Neither of them had even realised they were out of breath until they had started heaving and only the other one noticed and stopped kissing at once.

Harry smiled down at Draco, until the sudden realisation hit him that they were still on the ground.

" wanna get back on the sofa or is floor too comfortable for you my majesty "

" you'll never change, will you ?" Draco shook his head as he took Harry's hand and got back up on the sofa and landing in his lap once again but this time his eyes were Only focused on Harry. Who strangely enough was looking blankly at the TV with-

" Harry, are you crying ?" Draco rose up a little bit

" uh, no. The movie-"

" we just kissed and you care about the movie-"

" no, it's not like that-"

" seems like it-"

" oh calm down you idiot. I just- I got a wee bit emotional" Harry sighed

" why ?"

" because I finally kissed you. Do you even realize how much courage it took to even ask you that. I'm overwhelmed that you Returned-"

" your feelings ? Harry, I cannot express you enough how much I like you. All the past relationships- I understand not a good point here but listen- they never worked because they're not you. I've always liked you Harry, well pretty much always "

" really ?"

" of course. I'd been pining on you for ages. It's good to know you finally feel the same "

" I- I've been pining for long too. I mean I may have never told you but-"

" you stalked me in 6th year all year long and desperately tried to cross paths with me every chance you got in 8th year. Yeah, I bet even snuffles knows about that "

" oh "

Draco smiled softly, cupping harry's face " hey, I like you and you're worth it. You were always worth the wait, even if you still want to wait. My feelings would probably never change for you Harry. It's pretty darn hard to run away from you " Draco shrugged

" well-"

" I like you harry, I do " Draco reassured again knowing Harry was feeling overwhelmed and insecure.

" I like you too Draco " Harry finally gave Draco a smile before leaning down to kiss him again, with a small smile curving at the corner of his lips.

And when they broke off, Harry and Draco once again became invested into the movie, the difference being, they both couldn't wait for more tomorrow's to come and Draco couldn't help but fall deeper for Harry.

But then maybe, Harry was his dory If Draco was a marlin or even if he was Nemo, Harry would make sure to go above and beyond just for him and that was enough to keep Draco swimming in his love for him.

Requests open

Day - 39- cuddle me in | Day 41- quidditch field victories

[anxious2dsimp]

oooooh heLLO i really enjoyed your denki fic, very cute, 10000/10. since requests are open, could i get kirishima and kaminari with an s/o that Really Likes anime? headcanons or a drabbe, or whatever else you feel comfortable with :DDD

😭 Omg hi! Thank you so much, I appreciate it a ton :) You’re my first ever request & I go really excited about the idea, hope you like it! I decided to do it in Headcanon format bc there’s so much I wanna add omg I hope it isn’t too long...

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡*✧･ﾟ:˚۰˚☽˚｡･:

Kirishima and Kaminari with an S/O that loves anime

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡*✧･ﾟ:˚۰˚☽˚｡･:

Pairings: Kirishima x Reader, Kaminari x Reader

Reader: Gender Neutral!

Format: Headcanons​

Warnings: None! Some light cursing courtesy of Bakugou :)

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡*✧･ﾟ:˚۰˚☽˚｡･:

Kirishima Eijirou:

I don’t think Kirishima watches anime regularly, or if he would even know any shows at all.

Let’s face it, he probably just watches workout YouTubers and regular action-packed movies.

HOWEVER, he loves knowing more about you, so he’ll be interested when you bring it up to him!

You probably first talked about it during a random conversation where he asked what you were currently watching.

So you just told him the plot of whichever anime you were watching atm, and he liked it so he asked for the name.

You told him it was an anime, and he was like: “so a cartoon?” sigh

*cut to you explaining how anime is more than just cartoons & how it’s a whole thing with genres and everything*

Tbh, Kiri probably wasn’t that sold on the idea...

but seeing how you lit up talking about it he wants to know more just to see you all excited and hyped

I love him sm😭

He’d probably not watch any shows by himself but watch whichever you decide to watch together to spend time with you and see your reactions <3

He’s probably paying more attention to you than the show, but he does get invested in the story since all the characters are so “manly”

Sometimes you’ll just be cuddling and you’ll rant to him about what happened in the latest episode of whatever show you’re watching on your own since he knows he won’t watch it.

And so you’ll just tell him all about the plot and the characters, and the unexpected twist and your theories...

He’ll just be attentively listening to your shenanigans thinking; “god I love them so much”

If he ever sees you crying over a show, you best believe he’ll bring you tissues and a snack, he doesn’t judge!

One time you were just sobbing on the dorm’s common room couch, still getting over your favorite character’s death in the episode you had watched the night before.

Bakugou was just like ?? and since Kirishima was getting a drink from the fridge apparently not even remotely concerned he asked:

“Shitty hair, shouldn’t you like check on your s/o or something so they shut up?”

“They’re fine, just getting over a character dying in their show. I snuggled them up in the blanket, so I’m getting them something to drink & they’ll be fine in a few hours.”

Bakugou rolls his eyes SO HARD, but Kirishima doesn’t even notice bc he’s on his way to cuddle you.

If you ever want to do something anime-related like go to a convention or go buy manga or merch he’d gladly come along.

Expect him to get you the coolest little anime-related gifts for your birthday or Christmas (along with whatever he had already planned to get you) since he knows how obsessed you are.

Overall, just a really supportive bf <3

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡*✧･ﾟ:˚۰˚☽˚｡･:

Kaminari Denki:

Unlike Kiri, Kaminari LOVES anime! Idk why, but he gives off massive weeb vibes to me (in the best sense)

The thing is, you had NO IDEA of this because at first he hid it from everyone.

He initially had merch in his room but Bakugou & Mina teased him about it so he hid it whenever the bakusquad would hang in his dorm :’(

He did it too when you two started dating, bc he wanted to seem cool in your eyes & not like a dork...

Oh boy how wrong he was

You didn’t hide your anime obsession but never brought the topic up bc you didn’t think anyone else in the class liked it

So you can imagine your surprise when you found out

You two were hanging out in his room, and while he was setting up a movie on his laptop you got up to grab snacks where you saw him usually take food out of.

The second you open the drawer and Denki’s brain registers it he just screams “NOOO!” at the top of his lungs.

You literally jumped so high, it really caught you off-guard lmao

So now you’re just standing there, confused asf, because all there was in there was a figurine from one of your favorite animes and snacks.

As you take it out and examine it, turning around to face your bf he’s just panicking

He’s just staring at you like a deer caught in headlights and thinking:

Omg they’re onto me, will they even know what that is? what do I say when they ask? Will they believe me if I say it's someone else’s? They’ll think I play with toys or something please let the earth swallow me, someone help!

“This figurine is sick, where’d you get it? I’ve wanted one from that show for so long!”

Kaminari just blinks at you.

Did he hear that correctly? By the look on your face, it looked that way. He thought there was no way you could possibly become even more perfect in his eyes, but you just did.

Needless to say, you two ditched the movie and spent the afternoon talking about anime.

Since then you started going to conventions together, even cosplaying for fun a couple of times (just imagine him cosplaying Zenitsu from Demon slayer & you Nezuko or Tanjiro 🥺)

You’d watch SO MANY SHOWS TOGETHER OMG, and once anime season starts you’d get together once a week to binge all the new episodes.

Also gets you cute gifts and you do the same for him (considering he doesn’t hide his anime stuff anymore).

Honestly, he doesn’t even care who teases him bc you think it’s cool and that’s all he needs to know :’)

Loves making anime references or jokes just to get you to laugh while everyone else just looks at you two like tf???

Speaking of, brace yourself because he will absolutely use anime-related pickup lines on you lol

You get to exchange mangas and wear his merch hoodies from shows you also love.

Overall just couple goals, I ship it so much

[prose-for-hire]

The Magic of Tupperware

Pairing: Spike x fem!demon!reader

Request: I'd love to see the Scooby gang's reaction to Spike's gf. He hypes her up to be this strong badass who could kill anyone but when she finally meets the gang everyone's confused cuz she's polite & sweet & cute. On patrol with everyone, Spike is super protective of her which leads to him being kidnapped & then GF shows the gang how badass she is as she hunts down and destroys the ghouls who took Spike (maybe some fluffy care for wounded Spike that clashes with her badassery?)

Requested by: Anon

Warnings: Reader is kinda violent. Violence/fighting. Blood mention.

A/N: It’s the longest I’ve written on here, I always get carried away on a back story.

I took liberties with the demon the reader is (Fae is a catch-all I think I just needed something that wasn’t human and wasn’t vampire lol). Use your imagination if you want to be something else !!

You and spike had met in a demon bar. You appeared human, pointed ears was a myth at least in your lineage, and so he wasn’t really sure what you were doing there. You were descendent from fae. You didn’t have wings or anything to that effect, but a spell had been cast on your eighteenth birthday that meant you had strength, reliant on earthly forces for your power. You hadn’t aged much since then, your skin aged much slower than human. You would live a long life, appearing youthful for centuries at least.

He asked you why you were there – you even smelled human. You explained, hit it off, and you have been together for a while now. You had surprised him and confessed your love for him first, leaving him in awe that you were as invested in the relationship as him. Spike hadn’t introduced you to the Scoobies despite being together for a year, although he told you a lot about them. It didn’t stop him bragging about you at any given opportunity to them either.

Spike now lived with you in your little one-bedroom flat, the crypt had been nice and all but you were becoming inseparable and you wanted to share a cosy place together. You had shipped some necro-tempered glass from the manufacturer in LA and had it installed on the sly so that he could be comfortable. This glass meaning he could be in direct sunlight through the windows.

You were kind. Sweet-tempered for the most part. Your strength was often used for good, but perhaps in a more abstract sense than the Scoobies may agree with. You would do anything for him because you loved him so much and you knew without doubt he felt the same for you. However, especially when it came to him, you had a protective streak and it could get ugly.

One of the many times Spike had gushed about you, had left the Scoobies unsure. One, about the actual legitimacy of this ‘significant other’ they have never even seen after a whole year and two that he actually appeared to gush about you. Like, non-stop. Nobody could shut him up.

Spike had been, once again, punched in the face for his suggestion to a problem that launched him into a rant that turned into talking about you, “She’s gonna sort the lot of you right out. One look and you’ll be trapped in her eyes. She’ll kill you. She’ll bloody torture you and laugh while you writhe on the floor like-” Spike cut himself off, you had told him not to brag about you this way. You liked a little mystery and also, you didn’t enjoy bragging the way he did. You knew the slayer wouldn’t like you if he told them of the ways you had killed various demons that threatened either you or Spike.

There was a new threat in town. A vampire cult. Their goal was to turn people and then ‘elevate’ them as a higher being by torturing them until they sign away their un-life to the cause. They were very powerful and bonded by the violence that would break even the strongest will. It was a massive problem, Buffy and the others had been overwhelmed the last time they had faced the group and had barely got away unscathed. This was why they were going back with reinforcements. Buffy had explained that they really should meet you and also, they needed the numbers. It was hard to tell how big the threat from the group truly was from a vague prophetic dream and a half-translated text.

That evening, you and Spike entered Giles’ home and Spike made a show of introducing you to the others.

“This is y/n” spike said, pride in his voice evident, his eyes never leaving yours as he introduced you to the scoobies. He was besotted with you. Nobody else mattered in the room when you were in it. You were perfect, the sweetest person he had ever met rolled up into the tough exterior of someone who could handle themselves at a rate that could match him.

“What a lovely home you have!” You say sweetly, the sincerity acutely evident to the room, “It’s so nice to finally put faces to the names” you went around and greeted everyone individually as if they were Spike’s friends, a pleasant little smile that read as almost shy to the others.

Buffy squinted at you, on guard, but she was still pleasant. Willow and Tara offered you a smile, telling you they liked your outfit. Xander and Anya were both speechless, which should be a day memorialised for years to come. Neither of them were speechless often. You weren’t what they had expected. They had thought you would at least have scales or something. But you were innocent-looking and incredibly polite as you greeted them. Dawn squealed, instantly thinking you were the coolest. Spike had told her so many stories and she had tried twice to follow him to where you lived without luck.

“Oh, uh, well yes. Welcome” Giles sputtered; you were exactly nothing like he had pictured. Xander, Buffy and Willow just stared in shock. You spoke for a while, friendly small-talk with the group that was genuine. You really did want to hear about them, meeting new people was always interesting to you. You were a perfect sweetheart, by all accounts, and nobody could understand how you and Spike had even happened. You opened your mouth to tell them something before someone spoke over you.

“You are not like how Spike described. I don’t believe you could have fought five vampires and a fyarl demon by yourself” the woman, Anya, said bluntly finally finding her voice.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. I think” You offer with a pleasant smile, trying to figure out how to phrase what you wanted to say, “He’s said a lot about you all, he, uh- he uh- barely stops talking about you” You finish awkwardly, still smiling at the group. Spike hadn’t told you anything particularly good about any of them, so you couldn’t say you had heard good things. You didn’t tend to lie.

“Love!” He warned, trying to get you to be quiet but you giggled softly and he melted. He pulled you into his side, wrapping his arm around you and making sure he was in contact with you.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to tell them you’re usually threatening to kill them” you whispered in his ear, punctuating your words with a soft kiss next to his ear, making him smile. He loved that you cared so much that you’d protect him from them threatening him if they found out about that.

“Um, so, patrol then?” Xander asked, not able to stop staring at you much to Anya’s annoyance, leaving Buffy to take control. You would all descend on the graveyard in question together before splitting off into smaller groups to find the threat.

As you all walked towards one of Sunnydale’s many graveyards, you felt a few questioning glances on you and then on the tub you were holding. It was as if they were expecting you to turn on them at any moment. You slowly started to open the lid, their eyes widening in case they needed to fight.

“Oh! I brought snacks! Can’t patrol without cookies” You smiled, offering the younger group some homemade cookies, you had wanted to make a good impression. Spike rolled his eyes at your nature but took one for himself. They were his favourite kind and you had baked them with this in mind. Everyone delved into the tub you brought along with you, grinning wide, except Giles and Buffy. They were a little more wary of you.

Everyone was told to split up. Spike looked at you, silently threatening Buffy to try and split you both up. You and he took the west and the others squabbled among themselves for who would be with who. You left them to it. You walked for a little while, giggling and talking softly as you both were simultaneously hyper-aware of movement around you. Spike heard something and went behind an old mausoleum to check as you walked a little ahead slowly, so that he could catch up.

You were tough. A fighter. One with the elements. One thing that you never quite mastered, however, was the element of surprise. Instead, they had surprised you. Meaning you were caught without so much as a defensive stance at the ready.

“Get off!” You shouted as you were ambushed by several more. It had surprised you, usually you could handle it.

“Mm, this one’s for turning” one spoke as they kept your hands behind your back. One stroked your cheek, liking the fight you displayed. Spike ran up to them, having heard the struggle.

“You don’t lay a bloody finger on her, mate!” Spike shouted, anger lacing his voice, his temper would never cool with the vamps threatening you. Leering. Talking of siring you. Offering something so intimate. It was worse than propositioning sex.

He didn’t wait for the others, who were making their way towards the fight, he just took them on. They dropped you, but everything went slow motion. As you turned around, ready to fight alongside your love, they disappeared as if out of thin air with Spike.

You screamed bloody murder. Looking around, realising they had used some kind of transportation magic. You could feel it. Stupid cults and their powers. They were stronger because there was so many of them. You kicked the dirt where they had been only moments before in anger before turning to the rest of the group who had managed to get themselves over to where you were about two minutes too late. You couldn’t help snapping. Insulting Buffy, the supposed Slayer, for her horrible plan.

“Splitting up never works! You left him to be taken!” You stated, exasperated you had gone along with it just to be polite, “I’ll have to do it myself – here, hold my Tupperware” You start to get mad towards the real target, throwing the object towards Xander who catches it, eyes wide at your change in demeanour. How dare they take your Spike?!

You close your eyes, contacting the elements. Your fae ancestors working with you. You needed to find him and fast. You didn’t like the sound of being signed over to them yourself, much less your soulmate. You started to stalk off, trusting you were being pulled in the right direction. Knowing your ancestors approved of Spike, knew that you needed to be with him. You could tell the group was following you as you turned your pace into a run. You needed to get to him. Fast.

When you arrived at an abandoned warehouse, after a while of almost non-stop running to the outskirts of the town, you sensed there were seven. Seven horrible, evil beings holding your Spike hostage. This wouldn’t do. Couldn’t do. You needed him. You knew he would be fighting well himself, against whatever hold they had on him, but you needed to get in there. Giles tried to get you all to hang back, regroup. But you ignored him. There was a time and a place for pleasantries. You were probably older than him anyway in reality.

Instead, you charged in. A head start on everyone and you were faster than most. They had been torturing him for not breaking and joining them. They had started to threaten him with you, saying they would do worse to you. You saw Spike tied up, horrible angry wounds marked his body. His chest was bare, face bloody and not from a meal. It was his blood. This enraged you. Blood boiling thick and gelatinous in your veins. They had to pay. At a speed faster than the evil group could get their bearings, you were running at them fists raised.

You took the first three out with ease, working on pure rage. The next was more of a struggle as they rounded on you. Spike struggled against his restraints so he could join you in the fight, but he was weakened from the pain they had inflicted. You were tackled by one, restrained your arms above your head. You spat in the vamps face, kneeing him in the groin which loosened his hold on you enough to move from under him and dust him.

By the time you had recovered and were spinning into a brutal kick towards the fifth, the Scoobies had all made it into the warehouse behind you. Ready to fight. But you didn’t give them chance. You were working on pure rage. You took two long knives from your waistband, concealed in a way that not even Buffy had spotted as you cut the rest down mercilessly. Decapitating the final two and leaving them to turn to dust.

The scoobies stared in shock. Each mouth open wide in a mix of awe and horror. Half expecting you to turn on them. But you had no need to hurt them, for the most part they tolerated Spike. The day they didn’t and they started hurting him, was the day they should be scared (Spike had never told you the way Buffy had a tendency to beat him up for this very reason. You were strong, but taking on a Slayer would worry him too much – she tended to bounce back even after death).

You dusted your hands off, a satisfied little smile that Spike found adorable before your face drained, you needed to check on Spike. Tend to him. You rushed towards him, he had managed to escape the restraints while you distracted the group by, well, killing them. He had slid down the wall, sitting against it for support – the wounds still seeping blood and he appeared to be a little dazed. You were worried, his face had started to swell.

“Oh, sweetheart… look at you” tears started to well in your eyes at the state he was in. You wanted him well again. You leaned in, a small kiss pressed to his cut lips. The brief kiss telling him how proud you were to him for protecting you, how grateful you were to him and how much you loved him. Would always love him. You were a team and he was so glad you were there with him. Had come straight to get him. He wasn’t sure how long he would have lasted otherwise. He was just glad they had taken him instead of you. He would give himself time and again just so it had been him half-tortured rather than you.

Everyone appeared to have whiplash from your emotions running through so quickly. You had switched from sweet and caring to tough and scary before being back at caring again.

“Tupperware!” You shouted over to the boy who awkwardly fumbled with the tub and threw it back to you. You close your eyes, imagining what you needed to be in there before opening it and magically, it appeared just as you dreamt it. A first aid kit and a little herbal remedy for him to drink. It was items you had transported from your house into the tub. Your strengths were many.

You doted on him. Your touch so light, soothing. You never wanted to cause him pain. You cleaned him up, held him as much as you could without hurting him. The scoobies were at a loss. You were like two opposites, soft and gooey but with hard edges.

You took him back to your shared home, doting on him until he was well enough again. You snuggled up to him, caring for him and occasionally keeping the Scoobies happy (and away from Spike) by helping them instead of him out patrolling, putting his un-life at risk.

You didn’t want him in any danger, knowing that he would always protect you in the way you protected him.

[hopeymchope]

Godzilla Singular Point

I came into Singular Point with some trepidation because Godzilla’s history in anime is both very recent and extremely bad. The three anime movies released between 2017 and 2019 are easily the worst work of famed writer Gen Urobuchi and honestly contain more bullshit than I can even get into here. Those movies and this series were both Godzilla anime properties commissioned by Netflix, which didn’t get my hopes up very much. Thankfully, Singular Point is a very different beast from the anime trilogy. One could argue it’s very different from most Godzilla media, actually — at least from my perspective. And I’m still a pretty entry-level fan of Toho’s Big G, all things considered.

Let me just warn you right up front: This smartphone-based virtual assistant is basically the breakout star of the series. 

When you think “Godzilla,” you probably don’t think “incredibly dense sci-fi concepts,” but with the big G’s first-ever anime series, the writers clearly set out to change that perception. Before the first kaiju even appears, the lead characters are plucked from obscurity and dropped into a mystery that involves fourth-dimensional time travel, physical objects that look different from all sides, theoretical math concepts, self-propagating A.I., and a whole lot more. And it’s NEVER made clear how all of it connects to the rampaging kaiju! Although we spend a lot of time investigating a red dust or sand that is very obviously tied to the monsters in SOME way, no one ever makes a connection that explains the relationship. Maybe we’re supposed to wait for a later season to connect the threads... but let’s get into the idea of “another season” later.

I like to think of myself as someone who typically enjoys hard sci-fi, but even with the characters spending loads of time trying to explain the high concepts driving the story, I was never able to fully wrap my head around what was going on in the mystery at the center of GSP. I rewound and rewatched a few explanations, but I still walked away feeling lost. I eventually settled on some vague, loose understandings of most of the ideas mentioned, but those understandings were subject to being ripped apart in subsequent scenes when I was shown or told something completely at odds with what I thought I knew. I can’t say I was ever bored with the thick, dense scientific concepts on offer — trying to find purchase with these far-out ideas kept me glued to the screen — but damn, I sure wish I was able to comprehend them.

What do we want?! DENSE SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION AND DEBATE! When do we want it?! AFTER THOROUGH RESEARCH, TESTING, AND PEER REVIEW!

Another weird thing about this show is that the lead characters remain in separate locations and on separate tracks for the entire duration. We have Yun — a mechanical engineer and programmer who has an amazing grasp on physics and human behavior. And we have Mei — a grad student who is deeply invested in theoretical science, UMAs, cryptids and other far-flung concepts. Both of them are basically geniuses in their fields, and even though they take opposing views of just how flexible reality is, their shared ability to think “outside the box” becomes the crucial component in solving the mystery at the core of the series. Because they don’t even know one another (despite being separated by like, ONE degree), they only ever interact via text messages and behind screen names, which feels pretty damn weird. At least  I immediately liked both of them, with Yun being the standout to me because of how his lowkey reactions to crazy shit generates a lot of humor.

This soundtrack cover LIES; you will never see these characters in a room together like this. 

Alas, we don’t get to know the characters a whole lot beyond what we learned of them in the first two episodes. It’s not long before they’re trapped in a series of complicated exposition dumps, endlessly attempting to explain the high concepts of the show to other characters as well as my dumb ass in the audience. The fact that I liked them in the first couple of episodes carried me through more than half of the show, but I was always hoping to see them share more of themselves or just display more emotion. Anime as a medium excels at emotional storytelling. But despite the major, world-altering events the characters are constantly warning us about, none of them seem to have many emotions about said events. 

Further complicating matters is how, when major events finally occur in this show, they are often kept off-screen. One character shockingly dies, but the portrayal of that death is so piss-poor that I didn’t even realize it’d happened until someone mentioned their death in the next episode. After that vague death, I was particularly sensitive to anything that looked like it might possibly be lethal. Yet a later event that is played up as a tragic, fatal occurrence ends up... fine, somehow? It’s not clear how the character survives, because — even after one of our heroes is left screaming their name in despair as they seemingly die — nobody ever talks about or explains how he’s just fine a couple of scenes later. And near the end of the series, there’s a major transformation that occurs for one of the characters, and we never see it happen nor do we understand HOW it happened. It’s just that suddenly, this character is extremely different due to off-screen reasons that are only vaguely verbalized.

I guess these two really bonded at some point for some reason? And what you are seeing here is literally the height of emotion shown in the entire show.

Even though the overarching story of the series so far pretty clearly wraps up in episode 13, we then get a post-credits tease for a potential second season. So the question becomes: Would I watch that?

Well... Godzilla Singular Point is a series with a lot of issues that kept me at arms’ length from it — tons of extremely confusing dialogue, highly frustrating choices in direction that lead to baffling storytelling, characters who are mostly exposition-dumping — and yet there’s still some foundational work here that I appreciated a lot. When the action occurs, it’s pretty cool/fun. And when urban destruction occurs, it can be awe-inspiring. The human characters, though little-explored, have likable and interesting foundations to them that could be expanded upon. And I didn’t even mention the soundtrack, which features a variety of musical styles combined with the classic Ifukube theme music and an OP that is an absolute banger. (I have a weakness when it comes to music; a good soundtrack can carry me through even the blandest series sometimes.) Even the core idea of centering a Godzilla series around hard science and mathematical concepts is a compelling one, I think! I just hated the execution of it; they went waaaaay too far on poorly explaining incredibly complex, mind-bending concepts for my pea brain to handle it. They spend so much time trying to explain things, yet somehow they never succeeded for me. 

Ultimately, I’d probably give the show another chance. But if I do give another season a chance, it’ll be on probation. I wouldn’t watch the entire season unless I could see within four episodes that they’d definitely improved things.

Would I recommend that anyone watch the series as it currently stands? I mean... not really? I guess if you really dig complex math, hard theoretical science, and/or Toho’s stable of monsters, then maaaaaaaaaaybe give it a shot. But otherwise? Naaaahh. It’s not good enough at anything to make it stand out from the anime crowd. I didn’t hate it like I hated the Godzilla anime films, but Singular Point is still something that both casual viewers and most fans can comfortably ignore for the time being. It’s not a complete disaster, and it’s not without its highlights... but it’s definitely disappointing in my opinion.

OKAYOKAYOKAY, so let’s talk about the kaiju for a bit! 

Below will be SPOILERS revealing all of the kaiju that appear in Godzilla Singular Point and giving my feelings on them. 

Godzilla — It’s interesting to see a version of Godzilla that borrows some ideas from Shin Godzilla. Shin G has been incredibly unique until now, but this Godzilla manages to fold some of Shin’s distinctive aspects in with the more classic/typical versions to build a fun new depiction. Be forewarned that Godzilla doesn’t show up until the series is halfway over, and he doesn’t get a ton of screen time, either. He’s used quite sparingly and kept in hazy settings, often framed from the neck-up when they show him. It’s a little frustrating that they felt the need to shroud him so much, but I respect the fact that whenever Godzilla is shown, the destruction he causes is on a scale far beyond anything that the rest of the kaiju ever do. He is pure devastation. 

Rodan — He’s easily the biological kaiju with the most screen time in Singular Point. Rodan is first introduced as one gigantic pterosaur, but if you’ve seen ANY trailers for this show then you already know that his depiction transitions into an asston of smaller pterosaurs, all of whom are also called “Rodan.” (Apparently the word Rodan is both singular and plural, like the word “buffalo.”) Although he looks kind of cool at first, pretty soon Rodan showing up isn’t special or threatening anymore. Rodan appearances go from “a big goddamn deal” to “some bland background noise” before the series is even 1/3 finished. The design might be a little too far removed from the original for my own taste, but even if I didn’t think that, I wouldn’t be able to care for this Rodan simply because he’s rendered so unimportant and unimpressive.

If you go out in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise... 

Anguirus — Now check this guy out! Anguirus gets one of the coolest fights in the show and also demonstrates some powers that are well beyond anything we’ve seen him do before. Because he sticks to unpopulated areas, we never see him do much damage to Japan, but he is definitely holding all the attention when he’s on-screen. He’s a highlight for me — a total badass who is very unique in his abilities. And the stated origin for his name is goddamn adorable.

Manda — Yup, Manda is in this series... but I don’t have much to say for him. It seems like the creators of the anime didn’t have much to say about him either. His role amounts to little more than a repeated cameo, and in most of those cameos you only ever see his tail. When we finally see his full body, it’s done so briefly and kept at a distance, leaving me with no real impression. I had to look up his design online and... yup, that sure looks like Manda. Final score: MEEEEHH.

Kumonga — I definitely did not see this appearance coming! Kumonga is much smaller here than you may be used to, but she gets to star in the most suspenseful sequence in the series and easily earns the most exciting cliffhanger moment at the end of an episode. I was utterly glued to the show during her screen time, which comes with a lot of icky twists. Good ones! I honestly like Kumonga here more than I ever have previously.

NEW PHONE WHO DIS

Salunga — Uh, who? This is the one monster that isn’t based on a classic Toho kaiju but instead is a brand-new creation. I suppose that everybody who touches the Toho Kaiju franchise wants to make their own mark on it in some regard. But a big part of the fun of this series for me personally was the anticipation of seeing new interpretations and designs of classic Toho monsters. And so, given that he kind of resembles both Baragon and Gabara, I never stopped wishing they’d just used one of those guys as the basis and namesake. Taken on his own, however? He’s... pretty neat. Not unique or exciting, but solidly above par.  He resembles a cross between a lizard/dinosaur and an ape, plus his head has some nifty coloration. 

Our Jaguar!

Jet Jaguar — I guess Jet Jaguar isn’t exactly a kaiju in the traditional sense because he’s a Giant Robot. However, if you want to consider him one, then I wager he probably gets even more screen time than Rodan! We meet him almost immediately when the series begins. Initially an odd pilot-driven robot that was constructed at the whim of a quirky old factory-owner with too much disposable income, Jet Jaguar grows and changes over the course of the show, ultimately undergoing a transition in episode 7 that makes him pretty damn impossible to dislike. In fact, I utterly adored him by then. This is definitely the best Jet Jaguar I’ve ever seen. His design is recognizably similar to the original yet utterly distinct, too. Like many of the other kaiju here, he’s not nearly as big as he was when he was first introduced to the movies, but his size is ideal for battling the smaller-scale monsters that we spend most of the series on.

[vhs-ghost]

My third (and final) fanfic for the Headless fanfic contest! What were the Sleepy Hollow residents like in high school? Well, Matilda will tell you! I really hope to write more about them in high school! I wrote SO many notes on it lol and i have a LOT more ideas!

The Washington Irving High School Yearbook

Ichabod knocked on the old door briefly before letting himself in. “Hello?” he said to the dimly lit witch’s shop. Katrina Van Tassel had insisted that Ichabod see Matilda, the town witch, for a tarot reading. Ichabod was a very skeptical man, but he was also a very smitten man, and he couldn’t say no to Katrina. He didn’t believe in magic, or the supernatural, or anything like that. He was a man of science. He was very smart when it came his studies, but he was a bit clueless otherwise. For example, he set himself on fire while cooking. Multiple times.

“I’ll be out there in a minute!” Matilda’s annoyed voice called from farther back in the store.

Okay!” Ichabod called back. He decided to poke around the shop while he waited. There were many odds and ends lying about. He wondered how much of it was for aesthetic and ambiance, and how much she actually used. There was a large horoscope tapestry on the wall, and tables and shelves were covered with crystals, tarot card boxes, books, candles, incense, and other witchy stuff like that. It also smelled quite good, like lavender and woodsmoke. He started to walk around, and his bodyweight made the floorboards squeak. He picked up a crystal point, that was much heavier than it looked, and promptly put it back down. He picked up an astrology book and began to thumb through it, not really taking note of it’s contents. As he glanced over the pages, another book poking out of the pile caught his eye; the Washington Irving High School Yearbook, year 2008. He tried to carefully pull it out from the stack, but the pile of books fell to the floor anyway. Matilda hurried in.

“Ugh, what are you doing??” she whined, looking at the pile of books now on the floor.

“I- I’m sorry. I, um-“ he stammered, and then looked at the yearbook in his hand. “I was trying to grab this,” he said, lifting the book sheepishly.

“What did you wanna look at that for?” she asked him, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Well I just happened to see it in this pile, and now I’m curious about how you all were in high school,” he said, hoping to not make her any more angry. “Was this your senior year?”

Matilda softened, but only a bit. “Yep. Here, I’ll show all the people you’ve met. It’s always fun to see what someone looked and acted like in high school. More to make fun of them for.” She opened the yearbook. The spine cracked after not being opened for many years.  

She first pointed to a picture of a pretty girl with red hair. “Let’s start at the beginning. Here’s Ramona when she was Ramona Birch. So before she was Mrs. Eugene Trousers and before she was running definitely not a cult with him. The two of them were the pride and joy of the drama club, imagine that,” she said sarcastically. “They were talented, though,” she added.

She moved on. “Now here’s the most important one.” She pointed to a younger picture of herself, looking even more goth and spooky than she did now. She had mall goth vibes. “Look, it’s ME! Wasn’t I adorable?” She did not wait for Ichabod to answer, and pointed to another picture.

“Oh look, it’s Brom,” she said with a roll of her eyes. He basically looked the same. “His first name is Abraham, but he’s gone by Brom even since he was a kid. It definitely sounds cooler, and Brom always wants to be the coolest guy in the room.” She paused. “He used to be a real jerk back in the day, until Kat flipped her lid on him, yelling at him in the hallway, asking him what his problem was. It was SUPER funny, watching him go all pale and stammer, but it worked, and he’s been less of a jerk, but kind of still a jerk, ever since. But hey, character development; we love to see.” Ichabod nodded, taking this information into consideration.

She flipped ahead a bit. “Hm, Diedrich. He’s been making annoying songs about our personalities since he could talk. In high school, he was the kind of dude who’d bring his guitar to class, to every party, everywhere. I mean, he still does that now, but in high school, it was even more douchey.”

She pointed to another picture, of a girl with bold style and pink streaks in her hair. “Lucretia moved here a couple of months in to senior year to live with her aunt, who owned Storms Inn. She was kind of mysterious in school. Still is, in my opinion, like she has something to hide. Anyway, she got most of the WI High senior experience, but she missed the Battle of the Bands auditions when we did that, so she had to be a judge.”

“You had a Battle of the Bands??” Ichabod asked with surprise.

“Yep. Winner even got a record deal, too. But that’s a story for another day. Anyway, Lucretia fit in well with Sleepy Hollow, and has immersed herself in the town ever since. Moving on to-” Matilda turned the page and pointed at a picture of a girl with bags under her eyes, forcing a smile, “your uptight boss!”

Ichabod looked uneasy. He didn’t want to gossip about his boss.

“Eh, she was uptight then, and shes uptight now,” Matilda said. “Douffe was also hella burnt out back then. See those eyebags?” Ichabod nodded. “She also used to drink coffee like water. She always stretched herself too thin. I guess she learned though?”

She continued to scan the page. “There’s Brad, or as you might know him, Officer Meinhof.” She rolled her eyes. “He was super gossipy, and always getting us outcast kids in trouble. Kinda nice, kinda not.”

She turned the page. “Ah, the package deal!” she said, pointing at three pictures in a row; Tripp Stevens, Calvin Stone, and Blair Sullivan. “The Babes have always been inseparable. They even tried to all be in the same photo, but no one was having that. They’ve always been fun. Having class with them was always an experience,” she said with a bit of a laugh.

She ran her finger across the page, pointing at Eugene Trousers. “Look, it’s Mr. Not a Cult Leader! He was annoying, and his mom was the drama teacher. Despite his obnoxious theater kid attitude, drama club was actually pretty fun.”

“You were in drama club?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was that or suspension. We did Beauty and the Beast. It was pretty cool. I’ll dig out the poster to show you next time.” Ichabod nodded, actually very invested. 

She turned the page, and her eyes lit up. “Ooooo look, Ichabod! It’s Kat Van Tassel!”

Ichabod blushed at her name. Matilda proudly laughed at his nervousness. She continued, “She was super popular, but also very rebellious and opinionated too. I think that’s why everyone likes her; she hella down to earth.” She paused, “Also I’m not being sarcastic. She’s just a really cool person. We’re still friends kind of, but she and I used to be a lot closer,” she said, sighing wistfully. Ichabod looked at her pensively. She snapped back from her nostalgia, looking back at the book. “Anyway..”

She pointed to two pictures. “Here’s the Van Winkles, Rip and Judy. They could not have been more different from each other,” she said with a laugh. “Rip was super smart without trying, but also a super slacker. He was always falling asleep in class and coming in late. Amazing choreographer though. And Judy was super studious and ambitious. She also changed her last name to Gardenier a couple years back. I don’t blame her. Van Winkle is uh, quite the last name. Anyway, they were cool. Rip and I were always good friends, and Judy was nice enough.”

She scanned the page. Her eyes landed on a picture, and her cheeks turned the slightest tinge of pink. She talked fast, “And here’s Tom. He was an outcast like me. He liked to set stuff on fire. Some things never change. He was cool. He is cool. Um-” Ichabod noticed her change in demeanor, but didn’t say anything. She’d just get mad at him if tried to bring attention to it. She pointed to one more picture, not lingering on Tom much longer, even though she wanted to.

“Aaaaand, here’s Verla.” She looked exactly the same as she did now. “I don’t know what her deal is, and it bothers me. I think she’s a haunted doll. Or 500 years old. Either way, she’s weird.” She paused. “Here, I’ll show you some more pictures from stuff.”

Matilda flipped to later in the book, pointing at candids and group shots. “Here’s some pics of drama club.” Ichabod was enthralled. “And here’s a pic from Battle of The Bands-“

RING. An alarm on Matilda’s phone rang as she pointed to the page. She looked down at the phone. “I’ll have to continue with the history lesson later, my dude. I’ve got a tarot card reading appointment to do now,” Matilda said, standing up. Ichabod tried to protest, but she stopped him, “Sorry, I can’t cancel… again. I need the money. But look,” she pointed out the shop window across the street. “Looks like Kat just left the post office. If you go now, I’m sure you can catch up with her.”

Ichabod turned, and did in fact see her. “Well, thank you for all of that,” he said. “I definitely want to hear more about your high school days later.”

“You will,” she told him.

“Bye Matilda,” he said, reaching for the door. He paused. “That was actually pretty fun, hearing about your high school days. Again, thanks.” She nodded back to him, and he rushed from the store, catching up with Katrina. Matilda continued to straighten up the shop, waiting for her next customer, and wondering what kind of high school stories she’d tell Ichabod in the future.

[randomidiocyncrazies]

i know you like them both so yunichika and oda/aoki for the ship ask

thank you for giving me a chance to gush about these kids!!! they’re precious.... this got pretty long so imma put it under a cut

YuniChika, the main boys of 2.43:

• when or if I started shipping it:

tbh i didn’t really ship them when i read the first book... they’re the kind of pairing that i can see people shipping and i think it’s cute, but i’m not super invested in them as a romantic pairing. I think i was more sold about them as a ship in the second book, but i can’t quite remember if there was a specific moment that made me change my mind, or if it was a gradual process

• my thoughts:

i think the anime definitely played up the tension between them (allll the blushes lol), but i’m glad people are enjoying the YuniChika content XD they’re pretty cute!

also, i think they balance each other well and spur each other to become better��Yuni and Chika are both self-centered(?) in very different ways: Yuni lacks drive because he mostly wanted to please people so they’ll like him, while Chika has the opposite problem in that he acts like he doesn’t care what people think of him. 

but now Yuni is able to take a stand for his interest in volleyball and for Chika, and while Chika doesn’t really soften and still has a problem with not realizing how harsh he could be, he’s more willing to communicate his thoughts.

• what makes me happy about them:

boys reuniting! relearning how to have a relationship with one another! learning from past mistakes and trying to be better people together! HELL YEAH

• what makes me sad about them:

boys, please use your words to communicate with each other...

also, from Yuni’s perspective, it’s kinda sad when someone you used to know really well comes back into your life, but they’ve changed so much that they are essentially a different person... but of course they have a new opportunity to become closer now 😉 so i’m not that sad about it

• things done in art/fic that annoys me:

... there are fanworks for them????????? 

(on a more serious note, erasing their flaws to make them more likable... please don’t make Chika ‘secretly nice’ or whatever, the kid is blunt as hell, and not realizing how his words affect others is his biggest flaw. on the other hand, Yuni can still be a little spineless at times, and sometimes his priorities are. questionable.)

• things I look for in art/fic:

hm, i’d like a future fic about them as professional players! i think their inclination is to stick together (they’re a package deal!) but it’d be super interesting to read something where they’re on rival teams years down the line

EDIT: haha Chika actually transferred to Keisei High School after their first Spring Tournament, so he and Yuni have faced each other as rivals since then (2.43 next 4years). they’re go to the same university and are on the same team now though!

• who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other:

uh i don’t really have specific people for this, but Chika would probably have to be with someone who understands his love of volleyball (like Oda, but if Oda wasn’t their team captain and thus too much of a dad friend to qualify as a romantic interest), and someone who can inspire Yuni would be good for him

also, i know who i’d NOT be comfy about: the first book (and anime i guess) had this weird tension between Itoko and Yuni, COUSINS who BASICALLY GREW UP TOGETHER. i think(?) their weird whatever was mostly dropped in the 2nd book and wasn’t really made explicit, but like. what the hell. (i have no idea what happens beyond the 2nd book.)

• my happily ever after for them:

the YuniChika in college arc is being serialized rn, so in a way that’s already fulfilled? (i have NO idea what’s going on tho) 

in general i just hope they can play volleyball together until one or both decide not to, for whatever reason, and that they stay in each other’s lives and support each other even after they’ve retired from competitive volleyball. i think with Yuni’s personality he could be a good coach after getting more experience, and Chika... he’s really valuable as a strategist, but I think he’d always be a little brusque, so he’s respected but hard to bond with if he does take on coaching?

• what is their favorite non-sexual activity?

bold of you to assume Chika even cares about sex

anyway, they don’t go to movies for a romantic date night, they go watch volleyball matches. sometimes this backfires when Chika gets too frustrated at bad plays tho

and of course i will never pass up an opportunity to talk about Oda/Aoki, the main guys of my heart (my OTP for this series tbh):

• when or if I started shipping it:

they pinged on my radar when they were bickering in Ibara’s chapter, but i wasn’t super duper invested... and then I got to The Dog’s Perspective and the Giraffe’s Perspective (specifically The Kick™) and oh god i’ve never fallen so fast

• my thoughts: 

GOD WOW Aoki really loves Oda... even though objectively Oda’s height prevents him from being a super ace, he is the coolest, strongest super ace to Aoki. i think it’s beautiful that someone can see you as your best self even when you’re feeling shitty about yourself. Aoki knows that objectively Oda faces a lot of obstacles, and wants to support him as best as he can—not out of pity (pity would’ve burned out long ago), but because he really respects Oda’s passion and drive.

also, these two have unaddressed issues that they should talk about! Oda, i know you feel inferior but you are so much better than you think you are. please accept that Aoki really does respect you, and that you are worthy of it (or like, you don’t have to be ‘’’worthy’’’’ or ‘’’’’’deserving’’’’’’’’’’ of it, because it is Aoki’s choice to support you and play volleyball with you!!! it’s not something you gotta earn, it’s something freely and happily given to you)

(ahhhhhh i die when i think of them)

• what makes me happy about them: 

gosh i love their dynamic SO MUCH! Oda is exactly my type of character (passionate, determined, knowing that he can never be the best at what he’s passionate about due to factors he cannot control, trying to be kind and gracious but struggling with feelings of inferiority and jealousy, thinks of himself as a selfish person, a supporting character...) and Aoki’s devotion is really touching. 

again: even when you feel like crap about yourself, there’s someone out there who thinks you’re the best thing that happened to them.

there’s also the fact that Oda thinks the world of Aoki as well (to the point of feeling inferior, which is like... c’mon Oda :/ you are better than you think you are!) he trusts Aoki a lot, despite knowing his willingness to engage in, uh, underhanded methods

• what makes me sad about them: 

it’s their last year together, and they’d be approaching a new phase of their lives in different places... although Aoki offered to lower his rankings so they’d go to the same university, realistically they’ll go to different colleges, and most likely end up in different prefectures. (like, not only do i think it’s a Terrible Idea to give up your dream school so that you could stay with someone else, there is no way Oda would accept the offer without being crushed by guilt. something like that would actually ruin their relationship, which i think Aoki knows as well.)

there’s also a lot left unsaid between them at this point and i just want them to lay everything out between them and move forward together

• things done in art/fic that annoys me: 

the fact that there’s NONE >:[ what does a gal have to do to get some content for them???????

• things I look for in art/fic: 

at this point anything is fine.... it’s a desert out there and i’m dying

more specifically i’m Extremely Down for a get together fic; i personally only see them getting together after high school, at least several months (or even longer) studying in different prefectures and no longer able to see each other every day. (i mean... absence makes the heart grow fonder right?)

i’d also love to see Oda using Aoki’s first name, considering Aoki calls him “Shin” and all. Oda managing to surprise/fluster Aoki would be nice too.

EDIT: they’re both in the Kansai region (2.43 next 4years prologue). Oda’s revealed to be studying in Osaka, and assuming Aoki got into KyoDai, they should be around 2 hours away from each other by train? so visiting each other over short breaks would be cute! also, apparently Oda took a gap year before going to Osaka (2.43 next 4years Ch 1.2), so something set during that time would also be awesome :V

• who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: 

hm... if i had to imagine people well-suited to them, i’d say Aoki’s type is people who are straightforwardly passionate about their interests (Oda hooked him with his unbridled love of volleyball way back in their first year of high school after all), and I think Oda probably needs someone who is willing to indulge him a little (like Chika he can be pretty dang determined about what he wants, though without the single-minded intensity at the expense of everything else)

... this is just a roundabout way of saying i think they’re ideal for each other, especially if they resolve the problem of hiding things from the other

• my happily ever after for them: 

they get careers/hobbies they enjoy, and get a place together as boyfriends/husbands. no i will not hear any criticism of this idea

i can see Aoki working in the private sector (this guy is fine with ‘joking’ about blackmail after all!) after getting his law degree. this is super self-indulgent, but given his penchant of rooting for passionate but objectively disadvantaged entities, i think it’d be pretty awesome if he works for a smaller company that truly believes in their work, instead of working at a big firm pulling in big bucks.

while I’m not sure what Oda is canonically studying, I can see him going into sports education or sports therapy—i think he’d be really good at nurturing the talents of other athletes, and he’s good at rallying the team (Aoki pretty much says he’s the heart of the team in the epilogue of the first book, though Aoki’s kiiinda biased lol). i think it’d be really cute if Oda coaches a grade school team!

neither plays volleyball competitively after high school, but sometimes they watch matches for fun (esp if their ex-teammates are playing). Oda also makes Aoki come to his students’ matches if he doesn’t have work

EDIT: apparently Oda continues competing as a wing spiker in college, playing in Kaisai’s 2nd Collegiate Division (2.43 next 4years Ch 1.2)—Aoki probably watches his matches, even when he’s busy (and Oda probably chides him for neglecting his work, but they both know Aoki can manage his workload).

• what is their favorite non-sexual activity?

hm... idk, i think they’re the kind of couple who are cool with just chilling with each other doing their own work. like, Oda planning strategies for the kids he’s coaching while Aoki reads next to him, occasionally glancing over to make comments, stuff like that

also since Oda says they mostly talked about volleyball during high school, I can kinda see them finding something new they both enjoy after they get together? Maybe shounen manga, for something fun