#that shits creepy and uncool

[stargiirl27]

saying this again cause I keep seeing fics but if you find tex watson (the man who murdered and participated in the murders of sharon tate, her unborn son paul polanski, jay sebring, abigail foldger, wojciech frykowski, and mr. and mrs. labianca) attractive or want to fuck him and fictional depictions of him I'm going to need you to get off tumblr and go seek therapy or some sort of psychiatric help

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Hobie Brown, Emotional Preparation, and the Art of Great Dialogue

Nearly all of Hobie's dialogue is written with his goal - protecting and preparing Miles for Miguel's abuse - in mind, even if it may not be obvious at first watch.

Here's an unhinged breakdown where I over-analyze literally every one of Hobie’s lines and explain how every sentence was written to contribute directly to Miles’ radicalization.

Hollywood. Pay your writers. (:

___________________________________________________

Hobie has around 10 minutes screentime total, but for the sake of introductions and this analysis, let's start at the end of the battle, and the beginning of the quantum hole.

Starting with his first line in the scene:

"I don't follow orders. Neither does he."

All morals considered, Hobie doesn't seem like the type to speak for someone who can speak for themselves - he's a punk after all. But here, he speaks for Miles. This line serves to tell Miles 'I don't respect them, why should you?', but funnily enough, it can also be a point to Jess, as if to say 'Miles isn't interested.' - even if he is.

"Bit much, innit?"

While, Hobie and Mile's next interaction is their exchange in the elevator, the scene leads to Mile's introduction to the Society. Miles gawks at the lobby, obviously impressed. Gwen affirms this awe, telling him 'this is just the lobby.' However, Hobie feels the need to chime in. His next dialogue 'Bit much, innit?' is a subtle nudge to Miles that the society is not a place to be in awe off. It's a spectacle, one that's a bit overdone. Knowing Miles now sees Hobie as cool, Hobie makes it known - he sees the Society as uncool.

"Gwendy, How much have you told him? About his place in all this? Maybe not enough."

'So what happened about that small elite strike-team?' - 'Most of these are part time.' This is by far one of Hobie's more interesting lines, and I wrote about it here. But in short, this is Hobie's soft but direct confrontation of Gwen. After Gwen lies to Miles in front of him, Hobie immediately asks how much Gwen has revealed to him. And when she tries to play it off, he openly says 'Maybe that's not enough.' He's not angry with Gwen, but he is disappointed, which in turn motivates him to have his discussion with Miles.

"Super humane, and not creepy."

One of my favorites, because it's hard to catch and to the point. After talking about Hobie and Gwen's mission history, they're taken to Margo and the control room. As Miles marvels at Margo and the Go-Home-Machine, and Gwen says she voted against it. However, Hobie says blatantly: 'Holy shit, Miles isn't this inhumane and weird???', validating that the Society is willing to do inhumane, hurtful stuff to those it deems 'misplaced'.

Next comes Hobie's confrontation with Miles.

Because Hobie knows this is his last movements with Miles before he meets Miguel, and this is where if final push of emotional support kicks in, before he goes quiet in front of Miguel.

And because this conversation is so well layered, I think it's best to go line by line. ______________________________

H: "Bet this doesn't even do anything." M: "Maybe it did before you ripped it out of a wall!"

Hobie has now confirmed that he'll be making an exit soon. And he begins his finally sweep of parts he needs for his watch, stocking up his pockets. He's not stealing to steal. He knows he's leaving and this is his last chance to get what he needs before he's out the door.

"Propaganda, bro! It's to distract you from the truth!"

HOLY SHIT I missed this one. Notice how in this shot, Gwen is not visible at all. Hobie notices they're out of hershot of her for the first time. And his first line is - 'Propaganda.' Their watches can take them anywhere. When Gwen needed to, she was taken to exactly where she needed in Mumbattan. But when they're heading towards HQ, Jessica makes them walk through the lobby. They could have been sent directly to Miguel's station, but instead she makes them do the whole tour, which serves as a flex of muscle. In order, Miles was shown the massive number of members in the Society, then their prisoners, then the go-home-machine. Only THEN can they see Miguel. All of which was intent to intimidate Miles on purpose. Hobie tells him directly: 'Everything you just saw was propaganda.'

M: And what's that?

"I ain't got a Scooby Doo, mate. Cause that's what they want."

One of the most iconic and notable of his quotes. Cockney aside, this line ties back in with his discussion with Gwen just a couple minutes before. They've done their tour and walk. Both Jess and Gwen have been given a chance to prime or explain to Miles anything, and both have chosen not to. So Hobie simply tells him, 'They want you in the dark. And they're sending you into a fight.'

The next line is:

H: Why do you want to be part of this lot? M: To get a watch. H: Make your own watch.

Miles sucks his teeth at Hobie.

Because of this - Hobie begins to change methods. Which I cannot stress is incredibly perceptive of him.

Miles is exasperated with him. So instead of dissuasion and making the society out to be uncool, he tries to turn Miles' attention towards his family.

"Bet you got a nice setup, huh? Nice parents?"

This line is a very well done one, with two things of notice. First, I find it interesting that the screenplay phrases this line as a question, not a sentence. Hobie is asking. He's taking a shot in the dark here. And this is backed up by his delivery; Hobie hesitates while saying this. The only line in which he does so. He may not know about Miles' mom and dad, because Gwen hadn't met them when she met Hobie. But still, Hobie asks, hoping the reminder of Miles' parents will dissuade him from continuing.

M: They're fine. H: [After this line, Hobie turns black and white momentarily. Potentially a nod to the fact that this conversation is the only 'black and white' one Miles has had so far.] M: But we got into a fight. They just want what's best for me, so...

[Hobie frowns. The scene and dialogue REALLY starts to pick-up from here.]

"That's a bloody shame. Because you're not ready for everyone else."

As the scene progresses Hobie goes from behind Miles, to beside him like an ally. Then, when Gwen finally comes back into frame, Hobie crosses in front of him. When Miles mentions his parents wanting what's best for him, Hobie warns that everyone else does not want what's best for him. At the same time, visually Gwen has her back to Miles, and Hobie puts himself between Miles and Gwen, trying to block his path. The scene is set up to show that in Hobie's eyes, Gwen is turning her back on Miles. She does not have his best interest in mind. Hobie is telling Miles 'They're using propaganda on you, they're keeping you in the dark, and they do not have your best interest at mind. You're not ready for this." And he physically tries to block Miles from continuing, one last time.

Miles goes through Hobie, and now within earshot of Gwen again, this is Hobie's final chance and push to get as much information into Miles as he can - without freaking Miles out. Above all else, he needs Miles to be prepared, confident, and willing to fight back.

His voice becomes more serious, and he starts speaking more straight-forward and a lot less cryptically.

"Listen to me, bruv. The whole point of being Spider-man is your independence. Being your own boss, you don't need all this!"

I think Hobie saying this reveals a lot about his character, especially understanding the context where he's from. While many Spider-men would agree that being Spider-man is about responsibility and power - to Hobie, it is about independence, and freedom. Hobie is a freedom fighter, and one of the only Spider-men besides Noir that knows how to fight systemic threats as well as physical ones. To him, being Spiderman is about being able to free yourself and others. It's about independence and freedom, and he's trying to nail that in Miles' head one last time.

M: Then why are you here?

"Looking out for my drummer, is all."

As the scene is coming to a close, the writers chose this time to reveal some of Hobie's motivations, starting with the independence comment, and now this. Despite knowing about Gwen's deception towards Miles, he is still looking out for her - and Miles. This is the writers' and Hobie's last push to solidify himself as an ally to Miles and the viewer.

M: I want to be in a band. I want to see my friends, and I need a watch to do that. G: Guys, come on.

"Alright, Squashed. Just don't enlist until you know about who you're fighting."

I genuinely had to sit and ask myself why the writers would choose to leave Hobie's collective effort - a LOT of effort - with this line. And honestly, I think it's a perfect segway. Hobie chooses his words very clearly; He doesn't say 'what', he says 'who'. The next scene leads into Miguel's intro, and up until this point, Miles doesn't know who he is. He only knows about the Society, but never who is at the top. We know about Miguel, but all Miles knows is his name. That's why Hobie says 'who you're fighting'. Because the Society isn't really a Society, and this isn't really between Miles and the Society at all. It's a dictatorship - and the person he's enlisting to fight is Miguel. The perfect introduction and warning to the person he's about to meet. He's telling Miles, 'Don't rush into it. Wait until you meet Miguel first'. And when Miles does meet Miguel, he finally sees that this isn't the place he thought it was, just like Hobie said. ALSO EVEN MORE INTERESTINGLY - THIS is one of the lines that is changed between the two versions of spiderverse (there are two theatrical versions on release.) In the alternative he says 'Don't enlist unless you know what war you're fighting.' And I think that the fact the writers chose to publish two different versions of this line goes to show how powerful they knew this line would be in Miles' characterization. There is so much Hobie has left to say to him, but only one line - and so we get two versions. How fun!

With the scene now over, we see a change in Hobie's demeanor, and I love the writers' choice to have the shot linger on Hobie.

We see him give Miles a look that isn't exactly full of confidence, but from this point forward, Hobie chooses to hang back, no longer having any motivation to instigate. He knows his work here is done, and now all he can really do is wait for Miguel to reveal his true colors, and hope that he got through enough to Miles that he will react, and fight back.

And closing out the scene - I noticed that when Peter B. arrives Hobie pointedly says

"Oh boy, Humbling Reality Spider-man has arrived."

All I'll say about this is Hobie has to be Jamaican cause that was so mfing rude shgjfkghjgjkdfjk

Hobie has about three lines between this point and then end of his screentime - Two of which were his lines to Mayday, and his comment during the canon events.

But there is one shot of him before it all happens. And after this shot the movie begins staging Hobie in specific a very different way than anyone else.

The moment begins with Miles' line 'My Dad is about to be captain.'

The camera pans to each character. Gwen, Peter, and Jess all avert their eyes. Miguel looks at Miles. And Hobie is the only one who looks at all of them. Instead of looking down, he looks to the others, in anticipation of whats going to happen. It's also important to note that this was probably news to Hobie. He probably didn't know Miles' dad was a cop - or at the very least going to be captain. So the understanding of just how much trouble Miles is in kinda multiplies in this moment.

Then, this happens

From this point forward, every time Hobie is portrayed, he is shown as separate from the other characters, always being divided from the group - with Miles as the divider. Even as the camera moves, Hobie visually remains - quite literally - as the only person in Miles' corner. And as the scene goes on, he moves farther and farther into that corner.

Until finally the scene comes to a climax, and Hobie gets two shots to himself - delivering his final lines.

"Here we go." - "Hobie, You're not helping." - "Good."

GUYS IM GONNA CRY OKAY IM GONNA CRY

This is Hobie seeing his work pay off. This is him knowing that he got through to Miles and that it was worth it. He's proud of him.

Hobie knew what he came to do, and he used literally every line he said to Miles to the FULLEST extent. He doesn't give a fuck if he's not helping the Society. He's helping Miles. And now he knows his work is done.

Being a punk is not about being a hero, it's about empowering those who feel powerless. HE UNDERSTOOD THE MOTHERFUCKING ASSIGNMENT.

IN SHORT - HOLLYWOOD PAY YOUR FUCKING WRITERS I SWEAR TO GOD.

if you read this far let me know :) thanks bye

[writers-potion]

International Slang, Slang, Slang!

I'm sharing this list of slang in different languages (English, British English, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Malaysian, Russian, Hindi) to use for dialogue:

English Slang

LOL = laugh out loud

OMG = oh my god

Noob = newbie

LMAO = laught my ass off

SFW = Safe work work

HMB = hit me back

XOXO = hugs and kisses

Txt = text

msg = message

cuz = because

kinda = kind of

outta = out of

'bout = about

C'mon = come on

'em = them

lil = little

lotsa = lots of

nope/nah = no

wanna = want to

dunno = don't know

lemme = let me

TBH = to be honest

gotcha = have got you

jack around = waste time

jillion = an immense number

nuke = destroy, delete

bushed = extremely tired

fab = fabulous

chicken = coward

grabbers = hands

grub = food

vanilla = plain

peanuts = very little money

British English Slang

skive = lazy or avoid doing something

knackered = tired

nicked = stolen

bugger = jerk

zed = equivalent to zzzzzz

nosh = food

dog's bollocks = awesome

bog roll = toliet paper

nutter = crazy person

punter = customer/prostitute's client

fiver = 5 euros

toff = upper class person

taking the piss = screwing around

pissed = drunk

wonky = not right

gutted = devastated

Tosser = idiot

Cock-up = screw up

Bloody = damn

Wanker = idiot

Fancy = like

Lost the plot = gone crazy

Kip = sleep or nap

Bee's knees = awesome

Dodgy = suspicious

Wicked = cool!

Know your onions = knowledgeable

Chuffed = proud

Bespoke = custom made

Give you a bell = call you

Hoover = vacuum

Tad = little bit

French Slang

Spanish Slang

Tu (me) fair chier) = (literally: you make me

shit) You are pissing me off

Ca me saoule = I'm sick of this

J'en ai ras le cul = I'm sick of this

Fringues = clothes

Grailler = to buy/steal/take/eat

Crever = to die

Crevant = exhausting

Gerber = to throw up

Defonce = stoned

Glander = to procrastinate/to do nothing/to

lay around

Va craver = go die

J'ai la dalle = I'm hungry

Avoir la flemme = not wanting to do

something

Japanese Slang

Tio = dude or guy

Guay = cool/great

Currar = to work

Fome = boring

Value = okay or sure

Colega = buddy or friend

Pasta = moneu

Majo = nice or friendly

Flipar = to be shocked

Bocachancla = gossip

Raro - weird

Papear = to eat

Resaca = hangover

Plomazo = boring

Loco = crazy

Chafa = Lame

Baka (ばか) = Stupid or idiot.

Bucchake (ぶっちゃけ) = To be honest or frank.

Chiruru (チルる) = To chill or relax.

Chō (超) = Very.

Dame (だめ) = No good or not allowed.

Dasai (ダサい) = Uncool or out of style.

Disuru (ディスる) = To disrespect or talk down about someone.

Egui (えぐい) = Awesome or incredible.

Gachi (ガチ) = Serious or real.

Ganba (がんば) = A short version of “ganbatte,” meaning “do your best” or “good luck.”

Guguru (ググる) = To Google something.

Gyaru (ギャル) = A fashion-conscious young lady with tanned skin and long nails.

Honto (ほんと ) = Really or for real.

Ii kanji (いい感じ) = To have a good vibe or feeling about something.

JK = High school girl.

Kimoi (キモい) = Creepy or gross.

Kira kira (キラキラ) = Sparkling, cute, or beautiful.

Kireru (キレる) = To snap or lose your temper.

Maji (マジ) = Seriously or really.

Moteru (モテる) = To be popular or attractive.

Mukatsuku (むかつく) = To be irritated.

Nampa (ナンパ) = To chat or pick someone up.

Sugoi (すごい) = Amazing or incredible.

Uzai (うざい) = Another word for annoying.

Wakannai (わかんない) = I don’t know.

Yabai (ヤバい) = Anything from “awesome” to “oh no.”

Russian Slang

Долбоеб (dolboyob_) = Fool, Idiot

Иди на хуй (idi na hui) = F*ck yourself

Сволочь (svo lach’) = Trash, Scum, Jerk

Жопа (zho pa) = Brat (typically used towards children)

Гавно (gav no) = Sh!t (used more when speaking to yourself rather than to insult someone)

лох (loh) = Stupid, Idiot, Sucker

Гандон (gan don) = Condom (Whilst calling someone a condom in English is just not a thing, it’s quite common in Russia. Used to refer to someone weak or just plain irritating)

Чушь собачья (chush’ sobach’ya) = Bullsh!tter

Malaysian Slang

Трахни тебя (trakhni tebya) = F*ck You

Ти дегхенераат (ti degheneraat) = You’re a degenerate

Отыебис от меныа! (otyebis ot menya!) = Move your ass / Get the f*ck away

чертовски дно (chertovski dno) = F*cking bottom (would be used when referring to hitting rock bottom.)

Bo jio = use when referring to friend who didn't invite them to a gathering (e.g. 'why you bo jio?)

Ýum cha = hang out over drinks or food at local coffee shops

belanja = I got you covered

Potong Stim = killjoy

Boss = waiters refer to their cusomters as boss, and customers call out for waiters using the same term!

Tapau/Bungkus = take-away

Ang Moh/Mat Salleh = "Western foreigners"

Kantoi = being cuaght red handed

Paiseh = shy or embarrased

Walao Eh! = brother

Macha = good friends (equivalent to "fam" in English)

Alamak! = shock, surprise, or frustration (punctuate with 'face palm' for dramatic effect)

Lah = This one really has no meaning, used to add "emphasis" and "flavor" to sentences. It is rather addictive...

Kawan baik = best friend

Jom = let's (inviting someone to do something together)

Best gila = crazy good, crazy fine (like "amazing!" in English)

Kantoi = busted

Fuyoh = WOW or OMG

Cincai = whatever

Italian Slang

Ma Dai = come on, imagine, stop it (express surprise, amazement)

Chi Se Ne Frega? = Who cares?

Scialla = stay calm

In Bocca Al Lupo = Good luck

Come Il Cacio Sui Maccheroni = like sheep's milk for the macaroni

Come Te La Passi = How is it going?

Trescare – Have a flirt

Camomillarsi – Calm down

Sbalconato – Be out of your mind

Incicognarsi – Get pregnant

Citofonarsi – Call someone by surname

Tirare tardi – To be late

Inciucio – Intrigue, a cheat, a mess

Un carnaio – Many people together in the same place

Abbioccarsi – falling asleep unexpectedly

Bordello – Problematic, confusing, and chaotic situation

Fottìo – Something that has happened or occurs in large quantities

Svalvolare – Loss of control

Rosicare – To be envious of something

Scazzato – A state of mind of malaise

Che pizza – a boring or bad thing

Sbroccare o sclerare – Getting angry and making a scene

Raga – Guys

Tranqui – abbreviation of the word “calm,” it means to stay calm

Che Figata – Cool

Meno male! – Luckily or thank goodness

Che schifo – How disgusting

Vivere alla giornata – Live in the moment

Pisolino – An Italian slang word that means “afternoon nap”

Hindi Slang

Yaar = Friend, used at the end of sentences for casual social interactions (including shopkeepers/autorickshaw drivers)

Achcha = good/okay/really?

Thik Hain = okay (+ head nod)

Arre = hey (with a higher tone = surprise, lower tone = exasperation)

Bas = that's it

Chakkar = dizziness

Funda = fundamentals

Ghanta = Yeah right

Jugaad = hack

Bakwaas = nonsense

Chalega = That will do

[allwormdiet]

@yugonostalgia2019 Heehee your lb is really fun to read! This is extra funny to me bc on my first Worm read I HATED coil almost as much as you, but when i reread it he grew on me like very slimy mold haha. Fun things to notice: Leviathan seemed to be targeting Coil's base & the Travelers - perhaps the reason for coming to BB entirely? Second - remember how arc 7 Taylor goes on a paranoid rant about how conflict & shit always seems to go down at lunchtime? Notice how Coil asks Dinah about problems before lunchtime & drops his realities then? Not a coincidence :)))

Oh also want to self-indulgently talk about Coil's biggest personality trait/flaw: Hypocrisy. You noticed during the interlude & his speeches that he seems pretty self aware - he knows he's a bad person who enjoys torturing people, wanting power for his own sake right? But he has a self-assuredness too, that he views himself as a good employer, one who provides for his underlings & makes them want to work for him. A very stratch-your/mine-back mentality. Except… what happens when there's someone too valuable a subordinate & too dangerous independent? And if there's nothing Coil can offer them? What can he provide a middle schooler with decent parents to make her want to work for him?? Nothing. So, the mask comes off, the good employer self-image vanishes, & all that's left is power-hungry cruelty……

There's so many things about Coil that make me despise him, not least of which is the way he's an absolute goddamn creep about Dinah, but even if I didn't know that about him I think the foundation of the character, the thing that sends me into a gnashing fury, it's that he's uncool.

Coil is a goddamn criminal mastermind, a supervillain whose organization is held by everyone in the know to be one of the Top Three big dogs in Brockton Bay's underworld, and he doesn't even seem to have his mercenaries committing that many crimes out in the open. I actually don't even know why he's on the books as a supervillain, what crimes he's got on his head that put him in the same caliber as Lung and Kaiser and standing head and shoulders above the Merchants, or whether it's just the resources at his beck and call. He's ambitious, scheming, ruthless, with an air of sophistication. He's got a power that, while limited in certain ways, can be monstrously effective with careful planning.

...But then we get a good look at him and it turns out that all his grand ambitions are for petty greed, cruelty, and an obsession with control, an obsession he can't even blame on being a parahuman because his power is store-bought. His sophistication is a facade, he's incautious the moment it doesn't involve a threat of direct harm to himself. He has no guiding principles, he has no patience or loyalty or humility or anything that could be considered a redeeming feature.

Also, man has no taste and no passion. His costume is weird and he doesn't even bother coming up with a name for his organization, there's no aesthetic flair within a single inch of his soldiers' uniforms or in his underground lair. He's like if a box of bran flake cereal could defraud the stock market and was creepy about middle schoolers.

Like it feels almost even more insulting to me because I love the shit out of criminal mastermind types, I love the plotter in the shadows who pulls the strings and crushes their enemies without even being exposed, I have like multiple OCs who pull that kind of shit and one of them is even a supervillain. It's like catnip for me.

So I guess if we want to extend the simile, Coil is like if I went in for catnip and caught a mouthful of bleach, and also the bleach locked a child in its basement.

(Disclaimer: my stance on Coil in no way reflects how I feel about people who actually like him. If you get a kick out of this guy, that's fine, I don't get it but that's not for me to get, I just want to bite down on him as hard as I can and shake until his bones snap)

[feet-addict]

Goodbye, Feet Tumblr

Our time together has been short, but I’ve decided to love myself.

About my last two text posts: I’ve given it some serious thought and consideration and I’m going to log out of this account for awhile, maybe forever (or at least try).

I feel like this is just going too far and I actually hate the way I feel about sniffing my friends’ shoes without their permission just to help me cum quicker. I did it three times today. After the flip flop thing earlier, I found someone’s stinky Birkenstocks by the back door and I came like two times.

Sure, they’ll never find out and what they don’t know can’t hurt them. That just sounds like being down too bad to me. I don’t like looking at a friend I really care about and feeling ashamed about having these thoughts about them without their knowing. Honestly, it’s just wrong, and even if it wasn’t, it’s creepy, or at best, uncool.

I know quitting an addiction is harder than just saying it. I think after work and after getting rid of all the porn and stuff on my phone, I’m gonna just suck it up and make a call to a therapist. Maybe a male therapist specializing in men’s issues.

Let’s be serious here, most of us are men struggling with severe psychosexual issues. I think it’s been hard for me to accept that.

You’re probably here because you liked one of my (few) captions. I don’t know how I feel about keeping those up. I don’t want to make you all worse, but I want people who are going through what I’m going through to see this.

You can get better. It’s a matter of fact. I can too. We ought to focus on that, because let’s be honest, some of these women are destroying our self esteem on purpose — and that’s just the dommes. Shit, other men are self-destructively helping crush our self-esteem and their own, me included. My destructive erotic humiliation captions probably brought you to this post to begin with. So that’s not to say all women are like that, please don’t get sucked into that alpha male bullshit once you escape the feet porn addict underworld.

The cruel things said about us aren’t true — or at least aren’t permanent. They don’t define us.

All I know is, this is a form of self-harm and I need to let it go at all costs. It will be better for me and my loved ones if I do.

Goodbye, Feet Tumblr. 🫡

[theultimatekamehamehavoc]

Back from playing some Chapter 2 of THH and my gooooosh. I'm trying so hard to take Byakuya seriously and I have at some moments. At the same time though, it's so haaaard! He's so dweeby looking and I know the narrative is trying to make me be intrigued and like "OOooOOO look at this mysterious guy being all mysterious and sinister." But, I just can't! At least not now. Feel I might feel something else once I actually get to the trial (even though I know exactly what's going to happen). For now though, he's just too stupid looking for me to be intimidated in any way. It doesn't help that any messed up stuff he's said so far isn't like, bad?? Sure, making Chihiro cry isn't exactly something one should be proud of him for. How dare he make Chihiro cry! Shame on him! At the same time though, it's more of just like "We be in a killing game" and "Friendship isn't magic, gang". In some ways, he does have a point despite how awful it sounds too. Additionally, sometimes I feel he could just be a lot meaner and he's oddly tame despite this being the doomsday chapter for any Byakuya fan. Maybe it's because with all the fan works I've seen where he's honestly way worse than in canon, anything he says that might've been remotely extreme just feels null to me. Also, again, most stuff is more or less just him affirming the situation their in, how much he's not planning on being buddy-buddy with everyone, and how he sees himself as superior. It also doesn't help with how dramatic the music is (which I am so down for ngl. I'd head bang if I could) which is signaling how "super awful" he's being. Though it just seems a bit too much when he's not being horrendously despicable. And, don't get me wrong! I'm not happy with him! Just shaking my head as he drags Makoto along while being all annoying whenever I click something that isn't the thing he wants me to look at. Like, don't yap at me when I'm looking around in the library that YOU dragged me to, Mister! Half of the extension cord is CLEARLY missing!! And, damn. He just seems like some whiny petulant brat bossing Makoto around honestly. So goofily though cus I know what happens in the chapter and I know what he knows and the way he's pulling Makoto along like he's so proud of his handiwork. He's such a nerd. Such a dweeb. Like, that scene when the group are worried about where the hell he is when he was just chilling in the library. For one, man sounded so damn calm talking to Makoto. Not even a hint of being pissed or anything at the beginning. Just kinda matter-of-fact with a slight bit of sass. But also, once he really started being shitty like, it just felt so DUMB! Like how everyone around him was like "Damn. He's smiling so creepy" but, for one, how am I do judge something I'm not allowed to see? Not like they gave him a CG of that said sinister smile. Also, every time I attempt to visualize it it just gets worse. Cus I KNOW he can be cool to me and kinda bad ass and even a bit sinister too! I know he's capable of it! But it's just not clicking with this dialogue for me. Every attempt my brain makes to think of him with a sinister smile just makes me laugh from how dumb and uncool he looks even though he probably thinks he's hot shit while being all pompous like that. Another thing I want to mention, and I have no way to segue into this, but when Byakuya said he was "having fun" with the killing game DAMN IT! It so goofy of him to say he's having fun while his sprite screams constipated energy. And, to top it all off, he's not going to get any better in the sense of "Byakuya being so cool and calculating" once Chapter 2 ends. And, in a way, I like that. If only Mondo and Aoi were allowed by the narrative to beat him up more. Such a shame u_u

[shiroandblack]

[TW: abuse, suicide, incest, matricide, pyrophobia, underage sex, Freudian mother-son relationships, mental illness, SA]

PART II OF MY VAMPIRE FICTION PHASE: DIABOLIK LOVERS

I seperated it because this guy *slaps like Apollo slapped Patroclus* deserves their own post. Also, despite the dark romance/felony of it all the soundtrack absolutely slaps especially 'Gin no Bara'.

So basically priest's daughter gets trapped as a blood bank to 6 vampire brothers who are the sons of the vampire king who is fantastically creepy and yet never around except when he's pretending to be the school doctor, but you just know he's fucking shit up. Damn it, Karlheinz.

So these 6 guys, they all have issues. MASSIVE, MAJOR ISSUES. I mean, if you think Madara from Naruto has issues? These guys absolutely win.

Let's start in order of whoever I can remember most.

1. Shū

Ah yes, Shū the eldest brother. I will say that if I had to choose who I'm stuck in an elevator with out of any of these people, I would probably pick Shū. Shū is basically the eldest child and he is the son of Beatrix, Karlheinz's second wife. Did I mention that vampire king daddy had three wives at the same time? No, well it's gonna be pretty relevant later. So Beatrix was the typical high expectation mom, she constantly told Shū that he was the heir and told him to behave appropriately. Think Alicent and Aegon from House of the Dragon, but Beatrix was much more severe with Shū who for all intents and purposes, was just a kid who wanted to play around with other kids, instead of banging servants. Anyways, due to Trauma™ involving his best friend dying in a fire (started by his younger brother, but we'll get to that) he's pretty apathetic towards everything and everyone. But when he does care, he will indeed pull you out of a burning building despite his immense pyrophobia. I don't know how, but out of all of them I'd say Shū is the most well adjusted individual but then again, the bar is in hell. Also, fun fact, this guy once got a part-time job as a cashier which I find absolutely hilarious.

2. Reiji

He shares a mother with Shū, Beatrix. Basically while Beatrix was busy trying to get Shū to do whatever the hell an heir is supposed to do, Reiji was pretty much ignored. However, in the game Beatrix catches Reiji studying and was like "good job" genuinely complimenting him, but then Reiji was like "you're bothering me". So I don't know man. The anime made him more sadistic and psycho in terms of personality which I don't think was really needed cause he's plenty psycho already. He seems to be the most well adjusted, but keyword being seems. So because he was ignored by his mom, he pretty much tried to get Shū's attention but like most older siblings, Shū thought hanging out with his younger brother was uncool and so what does Reiji does? This vampire youngling sets a whole ass human village on fire, coincidentally Edgar is in that village. Reiji thought "great, now that Edgar is out of the way Shū will acknowledge me!" but no. Instead Shū just becomes apathetic and a shell of a person. To those of you who've read/watched Twilight, this feels very Aro and Marcus but unlike Aro who is genuinely worried that Marcus might off himself, Reiji just feels bitter and angry that now his elder brother is ignoring him even more. But that's not the cake, oh no, the cake is that Reiji killed his mother. I mean technically he hired a vampire hunter to do it (said vampire hunter being Yui's adoptive dad. You know, the priest who threw her to the wolves. Literally), but as she was killed because Cordelia (one of Karlheinz's wives) was making her so miserable with life Beatrix died with a smile and she was also proud because Reiji killed her because to vampires, part of being considered an adult is committing homicide. And this pisses off Reiji so much, cause he wanted his mom to beg him to spare her life out of some twisted desire of revenge and when that didn't end up happening. Well, Reiji is motherless and bitter now. The anime really did him dirty, because in the anime they made him super duper serious and just very stiff and constantly degrading Yui for just breathing basically. Whereas in the game, he's a lot more chill than he seems and while he casually insults Yui, he casually insults everyone and I have to say his insults are good. Also in the game, he actually smiles so much more but it's a very condescending and bitter smile it's the smile of someone laughing at the world for how screwed up it is. I will say that he does casually poison Yui several times to test out his poisons, but he always gives her the antidote when she starts exhibiting symptoms.

3. Ayato

Ayato is basically Gojo if Gojo had no human conscience. He acts childish because his mother Cordelia was basically the same way Beatrix was to Shū. Cordelia, however, tried to drown him because pookie couldn't like solve a math equation or some shit. The bar is in hell, but Cordelia is by far the most horrible out of the three mothers. Anyways, he's pretty much a man-child with a propensity for being an ass. He sleeps in an iron maiden (with spikes removed) because despite beds being a thing in their mansion, dude just likes it and he does try to shove Yui into an iron maiden (without the spikes removed) but Yui was not having it. I wouldn't want to be stuck in an elevator with this dude cause he would eat me and make me suffer while he's at it.

4. Laito

Unlucky number four and I have to say out of all the brothers, he is my least favourite. The reason? Well it's simple, he commits SA just by breathing. Also, he's the one to nickname Yui 'Bitch-chan'. Listen, I get that he was sexually abused by his mother and Cordelia did her absolute best to instill sex = love even if that sex is non consensual. But honestly? I don't get the point of his character. What was the point of Rejet making a character like him? Because he is just plain sexually abusive. If it was to show how the abused can become the abuser, there are much more nuanced ways to do it than have Laito SA Yui every five seconds or something. Also, if we're talking about "the abused becomes the abuser" all these characters are already stunning examples please save Yui.

5. Kanato

To anyone into HOTD, think Larys Strong but with a teddy bear and his childlike. Kanato seems the easiest to bear with cause of his childlike attitude. That is until his temper completely flips and the next thing you know, he's threatening to murder you and would actually go through it. Kanato had a very fucked up childhood of his mother making him sing her songs while she's out here banging her brother-in-law because Kanato singing apparently gets her into the mood. Kanato likes to collect dead corpses and stuff them like animals which is why there's an entire hall filled with all the sacrificial brides before Yui. He says he can't wait to add Yui to the collection.

6. Subaru

Now Subaru, Subaru is sadistic as all his brothers are and ill-tempered. This man be punching walls and tables and breaking everything. But he doesn't really raise a hand to Yui at all. I'd say other than his shitty temper and blatant sadism, he is moderately bearable. Why? Well he's got self-worth issues you see. His mother was seduced by her older cousin (his father) and when Krysta realised that Karlheinz didn't love her, she went crazy because he basically convinced her to commit incest which is apparently a no no in the vampire world. Krysta thought of Subaru as an abomination and treated him like crap, but she then would oscillate between thinking him an abomination and her a sinner and feeling guilty for hurting him. Subaru looked after his mother instead of the other way around.

Anyways, this is my long overdue rant of fucked up vampire anime.

[tamelee]

Okay, I personally ship SNS and think that it is THE best written relationship in Naruto, even if one doesn’t want to view them as strictly romantic. I even think there’s fairly strong evidence for Naruto and Sasuke being purposely written as… non-hetero, is what I’ll go with.

However, there is one part in the manga/anime which possibly conflicts with this idea, and was hoping you could offer an explanation (I’m reallly liking your posts btw).

In the arc where Naruto is with Sakura, Yamato, and Sai, there’s a part where they stop at an inn and hots springs/bath place. Sakura goes to the women’s section by herself, while Naruto goes to the men’s bath section with Yamato and Sai (and Naruto also seems embarrassed and oddly flustered? Which is weird because I thought that bathing among other men isn’t weird in Japanese culture, but maybe Naruto he just doesn’t feel comfortable around them?) and at some point Naruto decides to peep on Sakura before being strongly discouraged by Yamato.

My question is, what’s up with Naruto apparently being attracted/still having a crush on Sakura? How does this fit into a SNS reading of the manga?

(Btw I also find that moment weird because (A) Naruto’s “crush” is basically nonexistent immediately before and after this scene, and (B) I thought Naruto didn’t approve of peeping because he always called Jiraiya out on it?)

Anyway, thank you for your time

Hi @rosencrantznewblue ! ♡ thankyou for your ask (ﾉ´ з `)ノ

"Sakura goes to the women’s section by herself, while Naruto goes to the men’s bath section with Yamato and Sai (and Naruto also seems embarrassed and oddly flustered? Which is weird because I thought that bathing among other men isn’t weird in Japanese culture, but maybe Naruto he just doesn’t feel comfortable around them?)"

Exactly. So you kind of answered your own question there. It's weird isn't it? Why would Naruto be so awkward bathing with Sai and Yamato? Well, at the time these two aren't his favorite people, sure. But this is a pattern with Naruto.

Let's examine the scene first.

He hugs his knees, barricading himself almost hiding underwater. This, while Yamato expresses that "guys being together naked makes them feel like companions!" Naruto who kept blushing throughout the scene, very much doesn't feel that way.

In fact, Sai decided to comment on his..

It makes Naruto shout really loudly mentioning, well "penises". He went from being awkward to pretty much hysterical. Naruto overreacts despite Sai overstepping boundaries.

This makes all the ladies laugh.

This is important because he already looked nervous. And now he embarrassed himself in front of his new teammates. -'Totally uncool what would they think of this behavior?'- It is realistic. Well.. this is clever writing because Naruto's story and how he comes to deal with his own feelings and understanding them is a huge part of it. How does he deal with this awkward situation?

Of course when he hears the woman laugh he gets an idea and grins. He's seen Jiraiya do it too many times after all. Peeking at the woman's bath. It is complete deflection. Naturally, Yamato stands up when he figures out what Naruto is about to do.

"My question is, what’s up with Naruto apparently being attracted/still having a crush on Sakura?"

He doesn't. It has nothing to do with Sakura. I think, if I remember correctly, the Anime did make this scene about Sakura but that wasn't the point. Kishimoto is such a damn genius who depicts Naruto's struggle brilliantly in subtle and obvious ways. There is another one-shot where the exact same pattern with Naruto in the Onsen appears. It isn't Canon but made by Kishimoto anyway.

Naruto lies when Sakura and Sai see him brain-rotting over Sasuke. Instead he says he was planning a date with Sakura.

When Kakashi tells Naruto he likes him Naruto yet again overreacts. He tells him to "not say weird shit like that you friggin idiot!" and "your creepy ass threw me off!" even though very obviously Kakashi didn't mean it like that. And Naruto's reaction was completely uncalled for.

And during the Bell Test(? if I remember), Kakashi said he liked Naruto as well. This isn't the first time at least. Yet when Naruto is older and struggling he gets awkward and flustered about it. When Sai pulls an arm around Naruto he gets mad. On the other hand.. When others insult Sakura by calling her ugly or a bitch (Konohamaru) he doesn't care. Naruto didn't see any difference in her appearance after the time-skip she "looked fine!" and "didn't change at all!" even though Sasuke looks " カッコイイ" (cool, attractive, good looking) and again in Gaiden (handsome). Even Haku was cuter than Sakura. He has no problem calling his mother beautiful either.

.. okay there are too many moments. The point is, just take Naruto's confession under the bridge, his thoughts during VotE1 and confessions VotE2 and his patterns make sense. Peeking at the women after that awkward situation is part of it. (As is lying.) Kishimoto slow-burned his way through Naruto realizing that his feelings for Sasuke weren't normal and tried to hide it with the help of Sakura, because it is convenient. And I think it is so clever- Imma stop now.

[calciumdeficientt]

okay it might seem weird but- if you know Zoe Taylor from the "bully" game, could you make headcanons with her and my of Fakin Hallen? Please and thanks if you do :D

TOTALLY! So excited to do anything regarding Zoe I looove Zoe and I love your oc!

ZOE TAYLOR AND FAKIN HALLEN HCS

Zoe knows when people are cool, she doesn’t hang out with uncool people, not for a need to maintain any particular image or reputation but more to keep herself entertained, the average person is such a bore. She has a gravitational pull for emos, punks and other such delinquents. Fakin is most clearly a promising young emo.

She likes to so their hair, be it liberty spikes, a bats nest or any other such hairstyle that she just doesnt have the hair for. Fakin’s long hair provides her with ample canvas to get creative. Consider it a bonding activity between them, done in relative silence on account of Fakin’s reserved nature. Zoe appreciates the quiet, the residents of Blue Skies aren’t exactly the quietest people, so its nice to sit quietly together while Zoe makes masterpieces on their head.

Often finds themselves in deep shit with the faculty for their poor attitude. They’re not the sunniest person on earth,but they are awfully quiet, so if they misbehave its treated a lot more harshly than the more bubbly, happy go lucky students. It’s discriminatory, sure but its the way Bullworth works. On outdated principle. Zoe respects the very much for their attitude, its the mark of a true emo that Fakin is deep in the pits of despair every single day.

Not many students have head them speak, in fact when Zoe was still an attendee of bullworth, shed probably only hears them speak about two, maybe three times. Even then the utterances were curt and to the point. They don’t mince words, they say exactly what they mean in the least words possible. Rumours fly that they’re a creepy mute freak but that isn’t true. They just have a tight shell you’ve got to pry open to get to the beautiful pearl of a person they are and ill be damned if Zoe hasn’t cracked that shell yet.

[choices-binglebonkus]

Ranking of "obligatory best friend for the MC" characters (like Bree from HFTH, Jenny from TNA, Malorie from Surrender, Faith from KOD, and any others I missed. From best (or least terrible) to worst. Go.

Sorry this took so long, I finally got around to making the list (which is actually going to be worst to best sorry anon).

So before we actually get into the list, there are a couple of (loose) criteria I had for determining who would be included in the list. One, no love interest best friends are allowed, so no Zoey, Jaime, Lily, etc. Two, it had to be CLEAR that the character in question was the MC's best friend. For instance, the OPH MC doesn't have a clearly defined best friend, so I avoided including any of the roommates on the list, same with Zeph from TE because it's not totally clear who the MC's best friend is.

22. Jenny (The Nanny Affair). I hate Jenny. I hate her I hate her I hate her. She is my enemy. She's boring, uncool, unfunny, and serves no real purpose in the story. She's useless. And worse, the MC enables Jenny and Aditya's affair. Boo. Boooooooooo.

21. Malorie (Surrender). Malorie isn't as awful as Jenny, but my god, she has no filter. And that's coming from an autistic person. Malorie spews the creepiest, grossest, out of pocket shit, AT HER WORKPLACE NONETHELESS. The writers try to play it off as funny but it's not. It's really creepy. If I were her coworker I would feel incredibly uncomfortable around her every day.

20. Bree (Home For the Holidays). Undoubtedly the most forgettable "best friend" on this list. I'm going to bet no one remembers her because she did nothing and was a Nothing Character.

19. Mandy (Untameable). Boring, bland, does nothing of note in the story except fall for our misogynistic brother. Blech.

18. Eddie (Rising Tides). Another Nothing Character, but helps the MC in a small way. He's a reused asset.

17. Nigel (A Very Scandalous Proposal). Another Nothing Character, but helps the MC in a slightly bigger way. He's also a reused asset.

16. Nadia (Perfect Match). Definitely my most controversial ranking on this list. Nadia always got on my nerves and I never cared about her as a character. She just...consistently annoyed me.

15. Chazz (Red Carpet Diaries). Chazz also annoyed the hell out of me, but slightly less than Nadia. I found nothing about him compelling.

14. Layla (Wolf Bride). She didn't serve a purpose in the story, and wasn't terribly interesting. She is the very definition of the Obligatory Best Friend because there was no one else in the pack who would've befriended the MC. Also, I'm severely tokophobic and every time she appeared in the story I got really lightheaded and sometimes had to put the app down for a few minutes.

13. Riya (Ride or Die: A Bad Boy Romance). Riya didn't do much in the story either, and the most interesting part of her character was her relationship troubles with Darius, which really wasn't interesting at all.

12. Faith (Kiss of Death). I am tentatively ranking Faith at number 12 because I haven't played much of KOD (non-VIP) but she's not terrible from what I've seen so far.

11. Faye (The Princess Swap). A lot of people strongly disliked Faye, but I honestly didn't mind her. She's kind of ditzy and absent-minded, but she's not actively harmful, nor is she bland on the same level as most of the others on the list. However, she's far from perfect.

10. Amy (With Every Heartbeat). Amy isn't a terrible character. She helps the MC and Dakota and wishes them the best even though Dakota is her ex. She's not super present in the story, though, but I liked her well enough.

9. Aveline (The Princess Swap). Aveline is honestly so goated for keeping the MC and her sister's secret throughout the story. She's kind and very loyal and is someone I'd love as a real friend. Unfortunately, she isn't really her own person and doesn't have a lot background-wise.

8. Maggie (Ms. Match). Props to Maggie for being one of three characters in Ms. Match I actually liked. She was a competent assistant and was really sweet without falling all over the MC.

7. Poppy (Hero). Poppy Patel is the only valid Poppy in Choices. She's got a killer sense of style, is funny, sweet, and is immensely loyal to your character. I hated the unnecessary drama between her and Dax, but I really liked seeing them actually get together because they just work.

6. Vivian (The Phantom Agent). Vivian and Rowan were the only two characters in TPA I could actually stomach. Vivian is smart as hell, brave as hell (she helps GAIA even though she was initially terrified), and let's be honest. She was the REAL hero. Vivian probably has back problems now because she CARRIED that team.

5. Briar (Desire & Decorum). Briar is kind of chaotic and I love that. Her best friend moves away to a noble estate and she's immediately like "sounds fly as hell, I'm down" and becomes her lady's maid. Honestly though, that's also kind of my biggest complaint about her. Her life is so MC-centric. I mean, she even names her baby after the MC. Nonetheless, she's otherwise really likable to have around and serves as the MC's closest confidant throughout the series.

4. Dionne (Foreign Affairs). Dionne is really sweet, kind of goofy at times, smart, and generous. IIRC it's stated that she volunteers at an animal orphanage. It's too bad FA was such a flop because I really liked Dionne (AND MURPHY!!!)

3. Alma (Mother of the Year). Alma is really kind but also flips a switch and becomes kind of a hard ass in like an instant. It's hilarious and I love it, and I love her. Alma truly was the backbone of MOTY and she helped the MC so many times.

2. Zack (The Freshman). Zack is the only one of the MC's friends who deserved the title of best friend, which is a title he thankfully actually got otherwise he wouldn't be on this list. He was always there for her even when the others were absorbed in their own drama and though he wasn't perfect, he was definitely the least problematic of the bunch.

1. Diego (Endless Summer). Who else could I put at number 1 other than Diego? No one, that's who. Diego was so gentle and kind and even though he'd had a rough time making friends, had a homophobic family, and later on in the series gets stuck with the Vaanti for six months, he never let his bad experiences make him a bitter person. He was friendly to absolutely everyone in the group and there was no drama to be spoken of with him. Diego was such a loyal best friend to not just the MC, but to everyone around him. And his catalyst idol reflects that: he was Canis, and the Endless even refers to him as "my loyal Diego" as they're remembering all their friends just moments away from death. Diego truly is one best friend to rule them all.

[zeeph-containment-zone]

It’s absolutely bizarre to me how the internet is currently stuck in a cycle of “ New Thing gets popular -> undesirable information about the creator gets surfaced because people expect the person making things to be a pinnacle of purity -> so called ‘super fans’ immediately drop the interest because the creator isn’t morally pure and the new thing becomes uncool + in some cases people who still enjoy the new thing will get harassed for liking it -> New Thing gets wildly popular…”

Like it really feels like people care more about the people behind creative things than they do the things themselves and I think if we start being able to enjoy things without associating every aspect of it with their creators again, a lot of people will be much happier and fandom spaces will become much more tolerable and nontoxic. It’s also just creepy how people need to know everything about a creator’s personal life before liking what they make??? Like you’re not their friend, you don’t NEED to know them personally to like their things.

Not to be an old man, but back in my day you could openly say “yeah, this guy’s a piece of shit but his art/show/movie/game/music/video is phenomenal and has had an impact on my life ” without getting mobbed by a hundred angry teenagers online insisting you’re basically just as bad as the shitty person who made the thing you like.

[animefem]

hey non-lesbians, fun fact you may very well be fetishizing lesbianism without meaning to and it's hurting both you AND lesbians

you don't need to be all "omg sorry i'm not a badass lesbean like you sorry i keep dating boring men and have boring hetero relationships i wish i could be a cool dyke but men are so hot and i can't help it omg sorry i'm into men uwu" LESBIANS DON'T WANT THAT FROM YOU it actually makes us uncomfortable as hell it's WEIRD even if it's just in your head or personal posts it's literally you fetishizing lesbianism as some magical oasis you wish you were in and as something that inherently makes us better. this helps no one, it makes you feel bad and more insecure and it makes us feel weird and fetishized in the sapphic community for something we can't change. it feels creepy.

like yes, lesbian voices need to be heard more than they are rn but WE'RE JUST PEOPLE!!! we're as boring as any of you, we do boring shit most days. our days aren't just man-hating memes and making out with girls, though i wish that was true lmao. us being born 100% physically and emotionally unable to be attracted to men is just our brain being wired that way, it's just one thing about us that we didn't choose about ourselves and that society hates and we're trying our best to cope with it and find confidence in it. that's literally it. it doesn't mean we have it easier or have a more fun or whatever!!

me finding self-confidence in only being into women is just like you finding confidence in being into men & women (nonbinary people are included in both ofc). my attraction is like a straight guy being only into women, homophobic society just hates it for no good reason! love is love! you dating men or being into men doesn't make you "uncool" or whatever, that's dumb! you don't need to daydream about my life i promise. my life is average

and btw dating women is just as complex and difficult as any hetero relationship!!! and lack of attraction to men doesn't even shield us from men being shitty, if anything it attracts them in an uniquely shitty way so it wouldn't help you. just embrace your unique bi/pan culture!! be glad you don't face lesbophobia (or not all aspects of it) and be a good ally to lesbians. we dykes don't face biphobia and ALSO need to be good allies to other sapphics. i truly love my bisexy friends but y'all need to stop being weirdos and focus on embracing your true selves, stop fetishizing lesbianism it doesn't help you at all and it creeps us out!! pls call out lesbian fetishism in your communities!!! ty <3

[bubblesandgutz]

Hey Brian! Massive fan of Botch, Russian Circles and Sumac!

I was just curious to find out what are some of your favourite books?

Hope to see Russian Circles and Sumac over the pond again in Scotland!

Cheers!

Oh hey! Thanks!

I love Scotland. My genealogy-obsessed aunt insists our family is descended from Robert the Bruce. Who knows if that's true, but got Bruce as my middle name.

Favorite books? Oh man, this is gonna make me look so uncool.

For pure entertainment, I'd have to go with Stephen King's The Stand. I've read it four or five times over the course of my life. It's just a great epic good-vs-evil story, with some good social commentary sprinkled throughout.

As a teenager who discovered the joys of "classics" in the '90s, I have a soft spot for a lot of the 20th century writers that folks on Twitter love to dunk on these days. But fuck it... Kerouac's Duluoz Legend series made me realize that sometimes the way you write about something can be more interesting than what you're actually writing about.

And yeah, Hemingway was definitely saddled with some unfortunate prejudices, but The Sun Also Rises struck upon a very specific kind of melancholy that I haven't found anywhere else. I was talking about it with a couple of friends and there seemed to be a clear division between people who loved the book and people who were unimpressed: all the people who loved it were folks in touring bands. I think there's just something about that experience of parting ways with someone after being in close companionship in unfamiliar territories for a brief period of time that Hemingway captured perfectly.

As long as we're talking about melancholy and classic authors that folks love to hate on: J.D. Salinger's Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters completely floored me. You can skip the Seymour novella that comes bundled with it. But holy shit, I don't understand why Catcher in the Rye gets all the attention when Raise High is right there next to it on the book shelf.

And fuck it. I loved Infinite Jest and I think about passages from the book all the time. I am a walking stereotype of a Gen X male. Sorry.

More recently? I love Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I love Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle series (granted, part six was a bit of a slog). I love Jorge Luis Borges' Collected Fictions. Patti Smith's Just Kids and M Train. Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Every once in a blue moon I'll decide to tackle something "difficult" and the experience is always rewarding: Tolstoy's War & Peace (not actually difficult, just long), James Joyce's Ulysses (get a reader's guide and treat it like a puzzle), Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow (the cashier who sold it to me gave the best advice: at some point you'll have no idea what is goin on... just accept that you're lost and enjoy the ride). While these books are a struggle, they definitely imprint something on the brain. They stay with you.

In the last couple of years, I've really gotten into Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's work, particularly Half of a Yellow Sun, though Americanah and Notes on Grief also bowled me over too. Finally got around to reading Roberto Bolaño's The Savage Detectives and loved it... currently have 2666 in the queue. And I've really been enjoying the stuff put out by a small publisher from the UK called Broodcomb Press that all seems to be in a creepy rustic folk-horror tradition, and I suspect that it's really just one writer working under a series of aliases.

So there ya have it. Kinda basic; nothing crazy. But the classics are classics for a reason, I guess.

[wench-and-jezebel]

My Bloody Valentine (3D) Reaction:

Jezebel (@typicalopposite) reacts [with occasional asides by Wench (@scripted-downfall)]

[Preemptive warning for gore, btw… I'm sure that's shocking]

Bloody gears, so scurry

DEAN

Jump scare

How.  Did she.  Not notice that sooner.  [Define the that for the viewers please, dear]  That the guy legit just wasn’t in his bed

WELL SHIT. DERSSS BEEN A MURDERRRRR.  [THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL MY DEAR]

WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE GORE?!  [Ma’am.]  Kiddingggg

Sweet lord. Blech

The acting tho ☠️☠️☠️☠️ [I've told you this; Jackles is, like, the only good actor in this (slight exaggeration but not much)]  🤣🤣🤣 Fair

Deannn  [His name's Tom btw aksldjf]

Whooooa, Tom's voice… That caught me off guard  [I KNOW RIGHT] Isss so soft  [asfdkja;dslfkj This is true]

[Creepy mineshaft that just collapsed: OBVIOUSLY the best place for a party]  Right?!

Oooooh jumpscare??

☠️

[Damn, I really should've warned you about the gore, huh?] Literally

But also.  Wot.  WAS THAT.  You can tell this was a 3D movie  ☠️☠️☠️

How’d he miss them

[“Jason” Wrong horror movie, bud]  ☠️☠️☠️

Buddy.  Don’t you see the bodies???

Runnnnn buddy

☠️☠️☠️ Well damn

Damn x2

Oh shit.  ☠️☠️☠️☠️ blech

[And prepare yourself for some uncoolness btw]  Uncoolness?  [“Dean”'s friends]  Oh.  Oh shit.  They just.  Left him.  Though, I mean, at least his girlfriend tried.  [Yes, but she's 1/3]  True.  2/3 suck.  [asdkfjha;kdfsj Yeah]

Poor buddy [Abandoned with a serial killer]

Bad-buddy, the mask breathing is a giveaway

Freckles

Blood freckles

Bruh HARRY IS A BEAST [*to the dulcet sounds of Bachman-Turner Overdrive* You ain't seen nothing yet]

And at that moment he snapped [...]  What?  [Nothing.]

The lip trembleee thoooo 💕💕💕 *dissolves*

– – – 

And here we paused because someone closed Safari.  Not that I’m naming names, but it was Jezebel.  Because obviously, if anyone were gonna close the film preemptively, it’d be she.  (With all affection, my dear :) )

– – – 

Wait, is that douche?  From earlier?  [Yes]  Le gasp

Wait?  Wait  WAIT  That hoe!!!  3/3  [I told you… uncoolness.]  She ain’t loyal

I don’t even feel bad the guy’s gonna kill ‘em all  [That’s what I’m SAYING]

[And btw... wait for itttt]  GOOD!  Thassss what she gets  [tbf, you're right: there’s a poeticness to the fact that she’s being cheated on after abandoning Tom and moving on with the other dude]

I knew it.  Haha.  Ya screwed up buddy. She pregnant.

Bowleggedness at its finest  [alskdjf]  Even if that was the most pointless scene  [LAKSJDF;LKASJFD]  Imma squat and stare at spooky mine where all my trauma came from  [Max-coded] ☠️

[This whole town pisses me off, btw]

Buddy can’t get a good dad. Including his irl one.  [Wait till you see Devour…. Where his dad sucks AND is played by his irl dad]

[Pupper]

👀👀👀👀 Welp.  [They're very.  Enthusiastic.]  Tiddies ☠️☠️☠️☠️ [It does get... more]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️  I just…. It’s not like that.  It’s nothing like that.  ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

[I forgot how PTSD buddy is] 💕💕💕💕💕*sigh*

[That.  Does not qualify as romantic btw]

Oh shit

OH SHIT

BITCH?!  Why did you not shut the door?!!?  CLEARLY SHES HAS NEVER SEEN A HORROR MOVIE

Come on, ma’am, you never hide under the bed [Hmmmmm, I wonder where she could beeeee]

Well damn poor lady.  [Yup :(]

DAMN

THIS MOVIES FUCKING WILD 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣  [I KNOW]

Hi 💕 *dissolves* [His smile is so cute tho]  Oh my goooosh dawwww

Ok I’m not AS mad that she moved on.  But still.  [It still bothers me for a thing I can't say yet; talk about it at the end]  Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wait.  Oh wait!  Is the kid his?  [I don't think so]  Oh  [It's been ten years… Kid's not ten, I don't think]  I thought that was the thing you couldn’t say  [Nope.  You’ll see :)]

Yeah you shot him, but he did kinda just you know… WALK AWAY

OH SHIT, old man.  [Did I mention this whole town pisses me off?]  

“I didn’t kill those people.”  Why tf are they blaming him?  [Technically.  Because the mine explosion is explained as being because he didn't do something he should've.]  Ooooh  [But AGAIN.  Accidental explosion vs intentional homicide.  Which is the bigger deal?]  Ye. Not the same.  Like.  TF?!  And like…. If buddy wanted to be doing the murders… he would have done it anyway.  [AND Even if he initially started "to save air" (unclear), he then killed all the poor nurses and doctors and college kids.  So that's not just.  “necessity”]

Why you watching their "activities", sir?  That’s not a murder.  That’s.  Intercourse.  Buddy.

BUDDY YOURE CHEATING ON HER!!!  YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE JEALOUS ABOUT HER STILL LIKING TOM.

[Buddy, you already regretted the last ten years of your life.  Also, ma'am annoys me here btw.  "How dare you need time and space away from the town that blamed you for blowing up a mine after the serial killer who almost killed you got shot in front of you after your friends abandoned you?!?!?"]

Buddy you’re always losing your way.  It’s a character trait at this point.

Nahhhhh mines scuuuurrr me [Even without serial killers in them]

Ouch migraine

Okay, nope, that’s it.  The way they look at each other.  That was just tooooo much of a looking in the mirror moment.  If Tom’s not the bad guy, I’ma riot.

The fecking squelch

[You realize how claustrophobic Tom must be tho?]  Right!?!

Bruh.  He was locked in the cage.  I still think he did it (so how tf did he do that) but come on

“Cause you’re pretty and I love you” [Basically]

BRUH AXEL YOU ARE CHEATING ON HERRRRRR.  [I KNOW.  He’s so possessive and for why.  He legit gives 0 shits]

I AM SO READY FOR HIM TO DIE.  if he doesn’t I’m gonna be very angry

[This has gone well btw]

“Come on, wife I don’t care about but pretty boy can’t care about either”

Gahhhhhh I hate that douche is the cop.  Ewwwww  [!!!]

“Why would you want to sell the mine?” *2 seconds later*  “Why would you want to stay?”

Ohh he struck a nerve [This poor dude has gotten punched, like, three times] ☠️☠️☠️

[I love his coat-hoodie combo thing alkasjfd]

“Or you”  Poor ol buddy's like… why you say that to me

Yellow fever vibes [Yes]

[Did I mention that buddy is so claustrophobic and so PTSD that it's painful]  I knowwwww

Why you look so shocked; you didn’t even close it

Ahhhhhh Blech

Why can’t douche just like die  [alksdjf Maybe he will!]

Oh shit “We found Ben”

[I swear, they're all just like: Hmm, something went wrong. Blame Tom!]

Bruh this chick

Wait WOT.  Ma'am, Axel was only there for you ‘cause you left Tom behind!??

[They have also never seen a horror movie]

Oh don’t hold your belly ma’am; you’re what, three days?

Beaten down with a Turkey leg

Oh shit Sarah die?  [I say nothing]

“Yes, let me leave you alone”

All he’s thinking is “thanks Harry”

Oooop- She knowwws  [I know she's saying Axel, but it sounded like asshole]

OH SHIT NOT THE KIDDDD

ME AS A COP!  “Do I gotta go in?”

Welp cop You’re about to be retired from life too, ok?

Oh shiiiiiit

X2

Ooooof

Good thing I’m not squeami— oh. Wait  [I GAVE THE GORE WARNING]

[Ooh, the salt in the wound tho.  "She left with that nice Tom Hanniger"]

Theeeeee CGI

[Ma'am, Axel almost slammed you into a desk; how is him being violent impossible?]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️

They didn’t handle this storyline well.  I hate that the guy who got the short end of the stick the whole movie is the bad guy  [FINALLY SOMEONE GETS IT.  Also… That end just got shorter btw]  ☹️☹️  [The screams thoooo]

Ewww Axel’s vengeance face

She gon kill axel and then it’s not him

☠️☠️☠️ Poetic

Bitch.  Why.  The mines.  Of all places.  To hide.  From a psycho miner dude.

Poor Sarah

Oooop- Buddy messed up

Poor buddy lost it

Like…. [While you type, lemme just say how much I hate how Axel's immediate response is "I knew it"]  What pisses me offf is axel doesn’t even care about any of it.  Just that he was right.  [SBC, but I wish it weren’t]  Like this isn’t about justice for the dead people. It’s ohhhhh I don’t like you and you ended up being the bad guy.  This is what I mean with they handled it bad.  [Definitely agree.  We’ll talk more at endpoint reaction.]

[That went well]  That went boom

Bruh.  He just doesn’t die

Ew; no one cares about yall’s love.  [HE WAS CHEATING ON HER A DAY AGO]

🙂 He lives

That look

– – –

Endpoint Reaction:

Jezebel: Instead of Axel being the jealous whatever-he-was, he should have been Tom’s best friend. They leave ‘cause they think the guy’s killed him. And then get together because he disappears. Even if the cheating still happens, it takes away that the “bad guy gets the girl and the good guy’s the bad guy” taste.  That alone would have made it a little easier to watch and made it to where you could be happy they get away.  

Wench: Agreed

Jezebel: Because the way it’s handled almost feels like this whole movie victim-blamed Tom into insanity and thus turned him into the thing he tried to get them to see he wasn’t.  Also the whole “he was in an asylum” thing seemed so “we gotta explain why he’s got this split personality” so they threw it in, when they could have I dunno showed it in a two minute clip

Wench: Yeah

Jezebel: But the gore was 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 hard to watch but made it scary enough in that sense.  And there was a full on nekked woman running around.  It wasn’t horrible! But yeah. It’s up there with Friday the 13th on killers I side with

Wench: So, you know I have a fondness for this film.  But it's very much a "I know it's not good and watch anyway" kind of fondness, mixed with the tastes that leads people to watch, for example... revenge stories.  I recognize that Tom's the "bad guy" of the film, and I also recognize that some of the people he killed weren't people who deserved it.  But I also can't stop myself from rooting for him, and that --- the fact that he makes it to the end, for example --- is a large part of the fondness.  It's like Law Abiding Citizen, where the "bad guy" is nonetheless the one you root for.

Jezebel: LAW ABIDING CITIZEN OOOOOH I LOVE THAT ONEEEE

Wench: Yesss

Also Wench: But it also pisses me off because of a number of things (some of which you covered).  If the town as a whole --- his alleged friends, family, partners, etc --- had bothered to check in with him instead of villainizing him, the entire movie (or, at least, all but the first ten minutes) might not have happened.  He didn't leave out of the blue, and it's stupid that they act like he did.  He left because, in close proximity: a) the entire town turned against him for a mistake --- a costly mistake, sure, but nonetheless, an accident --- that they apparently ranked as on-par with the serial-killing miner who slaughtered a whole hospital and a college party of some kind, b) said miner tried to kill him, c) his friends left him behind for said miner to kill him, and then d) said miner got shot in front of him at extremely close quarters.  Buddy didn't leave for the fun of it; buddy was confined to a mental institution because he had some combination of a mental breakdown and/or a dissociative identity split.  To the point that he's still chugging meds in the movie and showing signs of both PTSD and a related panic disorder of some kind (at least to my amateur eyes)

Jezebel: Right!!?! Any of those alone would cause a person to snap!

Wench: Axel isn't a good guy, and he's not even a flawed hero.  He's an outright asshole.  He acts completely out of jealousy, marries a woman simply because he'd been envious of her and Tom's previous relationship but now Tom wasn't in his way, cheats on her despite them having a son together, and is controlling and possessive to a dangerous level at all times.

Jezebel: 100% agree with it all!

Wench: Actually, I just realized a thing.  If you take this story.  And put it in slightly different terms.  You get:

There's a group of friends.  This group includes Friend 1, who is in a relationship with Friend 2, and Friend 3.  Friend 3 is jealous of the relationship between Friend 1 and 2.

Through some combination of Friend 3's actions and an external entity, Friend 1 is removed from the equation.

Friend 3 uses this as an opportunity to fulfill the jealousy and start a relationship with Friend 2

Friend 1, meanwhile, gets incarcerated somewhere for a great many years, with better or worse periods of sanity/lucidity, before getting out and going back to hometown

Friend 2 and Friend 3's relationship has soured, since the jealousy didn't last past the initial pursuit success

Friend 1 slowly but surely takes revenge against various people in hometown

And that’s the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Jezebel: Ooh!  I gotta say, I was so lost at first.

Wench: The point is: The Count is the protagonist of the story, and, while he’s not a pure “good guy,” he’s definitely the best of the initial characters (e.g. pre-Chateau D’If).  So, yeah, the terms change a bit with the many murders of this film, as well as the fact that not everyone harmed by Tom was problematic, but, in terms solely of character archetypes, plotlines, etc… Tom is “the good guy” of the story.  And he got, as you put it, the short end of the stick for the entire plot.  He deserved to not have it happen again, instead of having the blame of the entire town actually portrayed as “deserved.”

Jezebel: Side-tracking a bit because: Another thing is it, would have been better to have the killer actually be Axel or one of the older men, or even the girl.  Or the other cop.  It being Tom just 😮‍💨😮‍💨 it but a bad taste in my mouth (I think I already said this lol but it did).  But also it being Tom would have had a poeticness about it under different circumstances, if he wasn’t already painted as h the villain.  Like, maybe axel thought it was him but the rest of the town was like “tommy?! Our boy!? Nooooo way”  Then it being him would have been like “TOMMY?! NO WAY!! MY BOY!”

Wench: Yeah, that’s fair… When I first watched the film, I knew they were going to make Tom the bad guy ahead of time, but I still wanted him to be right that it was Axel instead.  Anything else to add?

Jezebel: Nope!  Just that it was a’ight!  And Ackles was *chef’s kiss* as always

[bisluthq]

To thrive in the industry, you need to have a thick skin and be able to tolerate some unusual behavior without complaining. I don't think Chappell will be able to handle it. While it's important to set boundaries with overly enthusiastic fans, in cases like the red carpet you need to learn to ignore it and not react.

especially since it was NOT directed at her? Like I say lol idk where you guys live but I’ve heard some pretty crazy shit in public transport and if randos are yelling I… don’t like decide to enter the group chat? If someone had yelled something directly nasty to her or even hard to misconstrue as not about her then I get saying something but like if people are noisily arguing in a noisy place it seems a little weird to get involved.

still strongly feel that most of the people bashing her are like… mean and rude and nasty for no reason but I guess that’s also the nature of the internet. Also do feel like this was kind of weird behavior and I’m still not into her REPEATEDLY cancelling her shows for more exposure opportunities. I totally get her calling out invasive fans though, that’s fair lol like idk people in public aren’t commodities right so don’t be creepy and weird. If it seems like it’d be appropriate to say hi, fine but also accept that they might not be in the mood?

idk I was talking about this to my friend in a kind of different context (not Chappell’s thing) and she said she thinks about it as like bothering any professional off duty. If you’re in the hospital, you have a right to demand the doctors and nurses like… treat you. If you’re in a school, you have a right to demand the teachers teach and provide feedback and shit to you/your kids. If you’re in a restaurant, you have a right to demand the kitchen staff cook for you and the wait staff serve you tbh. You still needn’t be a cunt in any of those places but also you 100% have a right to demand that they do their jobs.

Flipside, if you see your doctor (or even someone you know is a doctor) out at the grocery store and start hassling them to look at your weird toe thing or you see your child’s teacher in a public place and hassle them for feedback (or try fob your kids off on them lol - hasn’t happened to me personally with my students because I teach big kids but I was in a group of teachers at like a sunset concert once and this mum of one of the Year One kids my friend taught asked if she could leave the kids with her while her and her husband go get merch and snacks and my friend said yes but I was fucking annoyed right and if I’d been her I’d have said hell fucking no lady, I’m not at work, but also that’s why I don’t teach Year One) that’s imo SUPER uncool. Even if you’re friends with the people right like my doctor friend is okay with me asking a medical question if I legit can’t go to the doctor for whatever reason or to find out if I should but she has had to draw the boundary of me continuing to hassle her with questions like “is this the right medication/what are the alternatives/is this the way this should be clearing up” etc. Also I know chefs often get asked to cook for friends lol.

And like… it’s awesome if you want to do that and it’s kind and it’s sweet. I actually do always hang out with kids (not the very little ones because I don’t like those but closer to the age I teach) at social functions where they’re bored without even being asked and like find shit for them to do. But that’s my choice then, right? Like I’m offering to continue doing my job in my time off.

So as a fan (and actually as members of the media too) you have a right to demand artists do their jobs at concerts, meet and greets, signings, and yes at events they choose to attend. Because that’s their job, not a fun hobby anymore.

Chappell’s correct in that she needn’t be a pop star when she’s not working and if she wants to be she can but she REALLY doesn’t have to be. However, to me Chappell seems a little unclear on what’s her off time (that she’s 100000% entitled to and can regulate fully in terms of boundaries) and what’s her workie turkey time, where she has to 1) show up 2) do her job 3) suck up the kinda bullshit bits lol same as all of us 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[nerdskii]

One time after a spur of the moment date after a chance meeting with a cute muscular charming guy at an anime convention, I thought he was nice enough to meet again so we exchange info. He lived in a city I am very familiar with three hours away. So we coordinate over a few days but it starts getting weird the day before we are due to meet.

He adds all my friends he saw me with and my sibling on Facebook and “interviews” some of them about me. When I go to tell him how absolutely unacceptable that is he just goes into how he has a surprise but can’t wait and will just show me now. Without addressing how uncool what he did was. So I say, “Sure show me your surprise”, thinking he’ll get back to the subject at hand.

Lol he didn’t

He was into mpreg , which is fine, but what isn’t is that he took the liberty of being pregnant with my child and sent me a photo gallery of him in each trimester. To get me “ready” for “our life together”. But he is not done he’s from a rich family and work CSI in a major police department in a big city so he informs me that I will be taken care of but I need to do something.

What? I am sure you are asking more would I need to do aside from impregnate a stranger over the internet with my ovaries?

Gain 150lbs (68kg)

He’s a feeder too. He said he was into big tummies and would buy me anything I want if I’d get fat for him. We are not on date number two!

I’ve been silent this whole time waiting to talk about Facebook but he’s just on a roll. Then as if a human needs more than two extreme fetishes the icing on the cake arrives and it is not chocolate. He says he feels so close to me he can tell me anything . . .

He’s into scat. He hoped some day when I got comfortable with the idea he could lay a plastic tarp down and I could just go on him. Immediately following up with, “You don’t have to be scared I don’t want to do it to you. You can leave after or just watch me if you want. My last girlfriend didn’t believe I wouldn’t shit on her.” He’s asked another living breathing human woman to shit on him while not being in a fetish space!!!

BIG NOPE

I blocked him immediately. There was no way this person would understand why adding people was creepy because it turns out he was 100% creep.

Oh this is going to be good