#that you value a fuckin fantasy book??

[fernfriend5000]

I straight up can't handle seeing untagged posts about the bri'ish terf queen anymore! y'all gotta get that shit outta my face!! It's 2024, her last book on that dumbass series came out like 15 years ago, it's time to move on! Get better media! It's not even good and you stupid bastards couldn't drop it even w so many trans* lives *still* on the line. Fuck her and fuck you if you still consume that shit

[aethelwyneleigh27]

hiii I adore your writing sm mwaaah💋💋💋love this kinda soft n fluffy fics they make me feel safe:'( would you write some domestic fluff with simon plsss FUCKIN LOVE this man💗😭 maybe something where they just got engaged idk whatever you wanna write... have a nice day🤍🌸

Proposal Headcanons And Scenarios With Simon "Ghost" Riley

Do y'all wanna guess who's render I used again? @ave661 probably already hates me for the amount of times I've tagged her the shitty content I write. I hope I did the request justice, they didn't exactly specify what type but I opted for something other than fics because I am horrid in writing those 😭

This is so freaking short, I'm so sorry. I have so many backed up requests, I don't even know where to begin.

❥ Pre-engagement!Simon who spent fucking months looking for the perfect ring, listen he is NOT giving you a ring that he bought impulsively.

❥ Pre-engagement!Simon who gained unsolicited advice from Soap who happened to be the first one to find out Simon had a partner in the first place.

"Aye L.T, if you want a shot of them agreeing to marry you-"

"And what would you know about being romantic?"

Yeah Simon asked Gaz instead. That still didn't change the fact that both Soap and Gaz, along with Price were there before the proposal, giving Simon a pats on the shoulder while the Lieutenant tried to catch his breath.

❥ Pre-engagement!Simon who asked Price for advice so many times, you do not believe how many times he had practiced kneeling on his not-so-strong knees.

❥ Speaking of knees, Simon had to let out some light encouragement:

"Lovie, will you marry me..?" You heard Simon asked while you had your back turned. You faced him, he was on his knees, the ring in the box enveloped in velvet, the stone glistening under the light of the moon.

it felt like the air was taken out of your lungs. Hands on your mouth, you looked at him wide eyed.

"Lovie.. please answer" He mutters, voice clearly a bit of pain and discomfort.

"O-oh shit, sorry Si" You apologized before saying yes. You helped him up with the hand before he pulled you into a tight hug, arms snug around your waist, head buried in your neck while slipping the ring on your finger before you pushed him and cupped his face into a kiss.

❥ After engagement!Simon who's fucking over the moon, why? Because you're finally his, like officially, from the words of your guys' future daughter "No take-backsies". Thinking about how his internal thoughts are just "Fuck, fuck, shit this is actually happening"

❥ After engagement!Simon who has non-stop called you Mrs. Riley in front of everyone even though you weren't married yet, you didn't have the heart to correct him. Soap tried but uhh, that earned him a unexpectedly painful punch on the arm from you.

❥ Didn't take long for you and Simon to start the planning, of course he let you take over for most of it, shared guest list of his brother's family and his family in TF141. Wanna take a guess on who was best man?

❥ Price was the one who stood for his father on Simon's side of the altar, if you asked, Price definitely would've walked you down the isle.

Hot take on engagement rings, I HATE basic and NFL engagement rings with a burning passion. If you're gonna give me something as sentimental as that, something that's gonna symbolize the moment I said yes because I love you so much that I was willing to be bound to you for eternity then I want something vintage or something that looks like it came out of a fantasy book. Something you think that a fantasy princess would wear, I heard they're even cheaper than basic ass engagement rings.

Cost ≠ Taste and Value.

[jbt7493]

the isekai thing where,

Hey this post is too long and i'm not fuckin editing down my stream of consciousness tumblr post because it's dumb anyway.

, because of weird inscrutable genre stuff, the protagonist often can't just be The Strongest Person In The World or like recruit all the strongest people into their party or learn magic or something, or use modern medicine to save lives or whatever, they need to also like. Be a business owner. and they can't just like- like, they always Invent Soap (Note: Soap existed already) or whatever, and to be fair, inventing the bessemer process is often a pretty good one.

but no they also need to be like, importing japanese cultural products (sometimes korean! when it's a korean one. duh.) to the fantasy world, which are universally beloved because obviously japanese cultural products are great and applicable everywhere. like, every medieval noble wants to wear a yukata. and like, they can never just have one business either, they have to do like 20 things and each member of their cast has their own subsidiary business (which lets you get rid of some of the cast members because theyre successfully doing their own thing, i guess). but like okay yknow. one of the ones they *always* want to do, because food is such a big thing for culture, is open a restaurant. and it's like, guys, the economics on this are insane.

(First off, this was prompted by the summer 'when a book is set in year A and written in year B and the author refers to X dollars, do they mean X dollars in year A or are they automatically translating to the equivalent year B monetary value' which presumably is talking about real life stuff)

but like dude, when these fuckin isekai protagonists open a fast food restaurant and they bill it as 'the genius idea is that we'll sell to the lower class and get a bigger market' like. first off, they had restaurants or similar equivalents back then. like, thats part of what the tavern was for. and the wealthy people could afford to just have chefs on retainer. but secondly, those peasants are not paying extra for your insanely expensive spices on your Japanese Ramen or Korean Fried Chicken In Medieval Europe. like the protagonist always has to find how some rare plant or monster part tastes exactly like the right ingredient they were missing and they're like, oh FINALLY i can eat some of the cuisine i've been missing. and then they open a restaurant.

and it's like no go back a second this shit was rare as hell you can't sell that to poor people. like dude that medieval milk soup (btw. Whats up with that. Max Miller made a video on one that was like, essentially the milk from your bowl of cereal where it was full of cinnamon and sugar. but he mentioned that there were actually savory milk soups with meat and vegetables in it, and he just isnt doing one of those. And that's like, obviously the more interesting one, and is the one you see in some of those isekai that makes you go What The Fuck Is That? Like for real what was in that. Whats up with the milk soup) was cheap as fuck. like the cows just make the milk. and like bread is bread. like the food isnt gonna be total dog shit, it's still fresh food, they have some herbs and spices just not *all* of the ones we have, the maillaird reaction still works the same. you got eggs, mushrooms, butter or animal fat. missing some veggies because you havent made contact with south america (although. i mean it's fantasy you can make it up. but they never make the thing they use to make the pseudo-japanese/korean food a super common ingredient because then it would already be in use and the protagonist wouldnt be like craving for a taste of home and then inventing a new cuisine and being super smart and innovative)

Anyway thats that but the other thing is it's insane when a story forgets to do the copper-silver-gold thing and peasants are spending like 20 gold pieces on some Fantasy Meat Skewers or w/e. like you find a treasure chest full of golden ingots and you're like holy shit we're rich but each ingot is only like a hundred sandwiches. (although admittedly i feel like copper still had to be like. pretty expensive back then right? like silver for sure, it seems insane for 10 copper coins to be worth a silver coin, but it also feels insane that you would buy a beer for multiple pieces of like metal that was taken out of the earth and refined from ore and melted into a coin. I guess they didnt have wiring so the value was probably lower)

the main thing though is why the hell are all the isekai protagonists opening like 7 small businesses. thats weird man. they should just be stabbing dragons or whatever why are they like opening a massage parlor. anyone can do that. the comparative advantage is horrible

[gffa]

Hi Lumi! I really appreciate your blog, your thoughts, and your overall attitude towards the fandom. I love your discussion today about the Jedi and using positive emotions; I really agree with your take on it. I had a thought about it and hope it's okay if I share XD

I'm reading Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover right now (side note: oh my god it's amazing. It's deepened my appreciation for Mace Windu so much and god Stover's writing is so good) and there's a quote in there that I think sums up pretty well the idea behind why Jedi wouldn't be able to use positive emotions.

At one point in the book, Mace says that the reason the Jedi have to start training so young is to replace the natural 'instincts' of fear, anger, selfishness and the like with the Jedi instinct to lean into service, serenity, selflessness, and compassion. That makes total sense to me, and seems like a good explanation for why the Jedi can't really use emotion in the Force, even if it's positive emotion. It'd probably be something that's still taking you away from the absolute serenity and selflessness needed to fulfill your duty as a Jedi; it'd probably even pull you back towards selfishness, in a sense, even if you're acting from joy or something like that, since you're using your own emotion rather than connecting to absolute selflessness.

From a different perspective, I've noticed that a lot of the Jedi philosophy/values of engagement have a lot in common with certain martial arts forms. From that perspective, the Jedi's philosophy seem a bit modeled off of martial arts that emphasize redirection rather than attack (meaning, redirecting your opponent's energy with the goal of protecting yourself while still preserving your enemy's life, rather than learning attacks with the goal of victory/domination over an opponent). In those martial arts forms, the goal is to harmonize with the energy around you, which you can't do unless you've achieved a state of...I'm not really sure the word for it, relaxation isn't quite it, but basically you have to kind of empty yourself of emotion and connect yourself to a wider principle of value for life, so that you can be ready to accept and react to whatever's thrown at you, uninhibited and undistracted by extraneous or self-serving emotion. The Jedi's philosophy seems a bit reminiscent of that, in my opinion, hence why it probably also wouldn't work for them to use their positive emotions in the Force-- it would prevent them from getting into that state where they can be selfless protectors and compassionate even with enemies. (I actually have a lot of thoughts about the similarities between the Jedi and the philosophy of certain martial arts forms; I feel like if people knew about it it would help them understand the Jedi more and be less critical lol)

Anyway, those were my thoughts! I love your blog and your discussions and I'm really looking forward to seeing the thesis-length posts you're working on :)

I think it's important to understand two things when it comes to the topic of Jedi and the Force: 1. This is a fantasy/space opera setting that is primarily driven by the narrative's desire to have themes. George Lucas fuckin' loves a strong theme in his work, his movies are designed to deliver specific messages through those themes, so whatever clunky dialogue or less than perfect directing are there, they're still meant to serve the themes. The Jedi are not real people, they are not meant to be fully three-dimensional. They're there to deliver a theme, particularly as a foil to Anakin Skywalker's character. 2. One of those themes is that selflessness in the Force leads to everlasting joy.      “Where joy, by giving to other people you can’t think about yourself, and therefore there’s no pain. But the pleasure factor of greed and of selfishness is a short-lived experience, therefore you’re constantly trying to replenish it, but of course the more you replenish it, the harder it is to, so you have to keep upping the ante. You’re actually afraid of the pain of not having the joy.      “So that is ultimately the core of the whole dark side/light side of the Force. And everything flows from that. [.....]      “Only way to overcome the dark side is through discipline. The dark side is pleasure, biological and temporary and easy to achieve. The light side is joy, everlasting and difficult to achieve. A great challenge. Must overcome laziness, give up quick pleasures, and overcome fear which leads to hate.” –George Lucas, The Clone Wars writers’ meeting   The Jedi do not see themselves as infallible on this, they’re people, they make mistakes, they’re susceptible to the dark side (see: The Clone Wars, “Voices” as an example: “Master Yoda, you are older and wiser than any living Jedi, but this does not mean you are beyond the corruption of the dark side.” “Agree, I do.” --Mace and Yoda), but the point I’m rolling my way towards is that the bigger theme of Star Wars is that selflessness leads to everlasting joy.  We can get caught up in smaller details of the worldbuilding and characterization, but ultimately those details have to serve the theme of selflessness = joy in the Force. You’re allowed to love people, protect them with your lightsaber, to care about them, but you can’t love someone so much that you want to possess them.  You have to have a grip on your feelings, because any feelings left to run wild will blind you, you will be at their mercy, rather than in the driver’s seat of your own reactions. Jedi are allowed to love.  Jedi are allowed to be mad.  Jedi are allowed the entire range of emotion and we see them do it, it would be the most boring series of movies in the world if half your characters never had so much as a single facial expression or slant of tone to their voice!  You can’t tell me that Obi-Wan wasn’t upset about Qui-Gon’s death.  You can’t tell me Yoda wasn’t in pain over the deaths of the younglings.  You can’t tell me Mace wasn’t angry at Dooku on Geonosis.  You can’t tell me Obi-Wan wasn’t angry at Anakin nearly deserting him on Geonosis.  But the point is that those feelings do not control them, those feelings will not be their first instinct when they touch the Force.  And that’s important because the Force is inextricable from your emotions, and if you’re pouring emotion into the Force, how are you going to hear what the Force is trying to tell you? I do think there’s a strong theme of martial arts in there--there’s a reason why they’re so tied to, for example, kendo forms--if often idealized (again, themes >>>> realism when it comes to Star Wars)--and I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on it!

[waterhorseyblues-ao3]

WHB’s Ever-Growing List of Comic Recommendations

I am SICK and TIRED of people saying they’re not into comics!!! You could be!!! You just read a Captain America comic one time and realised it kinda sucked!!!! It probably did!!!!!! There’s other comics!!!!!!!!!

In fact I am intentionally NOT going to include DC or Marvel in this list because there’s so fuckin many of them dude. That’s gonna be a different list entirely.

Anyway I’m gonna break this up into segments as best I can and hope I remember all the amazing works I’ve read over the years. This is also only a light sprinkling of things I’ve read that I think are good starting points. If you ejoyed something and want more like it, or are more interested in one type of comic than another, I’ll happily give you more options.

If you’d like any info about how/where to read these comics just DM me and I’ll happily answer any questions.

Western Industry-Published Comics:

Tank Girl - I fucking love Tank Girl. I have a HUGE collection of Tank Girl comics. 1, 2 and 3 have NOT aged well, but Tank Girl was very much a symbol of counter-culture and was used as an icon for protests against Section 28 and the Thatcher regime. Crass, violent, scruffy and extremely punk. The upside is, you can pick just ONE TG title and read only that. She’s been passed around a few different publication companies and been handled by a variety of writers, so the themes and values of the comics are quite broad. My personal favourite is Visions of Booga.

The Ballad of Halo Jones (cancelled) - oh my GODD this COMIC. A 2000 AD genstone. The tragedy of Halo Jones is that the comics got cancelled due to a dispute with her creators and the company. Alan Moore at his absolute finest, creating the most elaborate sci-fi world with really great characters. Every day I morn that only 3 of 9 volumes were ever made.

Saga (ongoing) - o, um, you’re NOT reading Saga? cringe... Jokes aside, Saga published by Image Comics is fantastic. This immense space fantasy follows an inter-species family escaping the war that separates their people. The art is great, the characters are wonderful, the world building is fantastic, it’s so, so immersive. Sex, drugs, and violence abound. An epic space-opera for adult readers. Dude, c’mon, just read it smh

The Pride - This started small and indie but was picked up by Dark Horse. Joe Glass’ response to the lack of representation in Marvel and DC comics. A superhero series where all the characters are out-and-proud queer and fight against queerphobia and oppression, with very blunt explorations of hate crime, AIDS, and inter-community issues. Loveable characters and great art.

Scott Pilgrim VS The World - YEAH I’LL DO IT, I’LL REC SCOTT PILGRIM. I genuinely loved these comics as a teenager, they felt so cool and funny and fresh and dynamic. They were everything I wanted my life to be. Ultimate geeky dorky comic.

Jem and the Holograms - you remember that cartoon? well the comics go hard. VERY cool rock sci-fi, great new takes on the characters, queer as hell, very fun. definitely aimed at bringing more Jem content to fans who have grown up and want something a little more intense.

Persepolis - I’ve only just started reading this. It’s a memoir of the cultural shift in Iran and it’s very real and down-to-earth. Incidentally this is a Banned Book, so obviously that is why I recommend you read it. Incidentally quite a few comics about politics and identity have been banned around the world, so I suggest finding a list of them and reading through all of them as soon as you can.

World of Warcraft: Deathknight - not gonna dress this one up. it’s the manga about Koltira and Thassarian. I legit think the WoW lore comics and books are good. I want these two to kiss.

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Japanese Manga:

Death Note - oh my god. dude. just read it. or watch it. i don’t care. this is a cultural ICON. this blew my MIND. the character tensions and dynamics, the long-term planning and payoff, the plot twists, the characters, it’s amazing.

Full Metal Alchemist - this should go without saying. i don’t think either anime really successfully adapted the manga. a very in-depth war-time fantasy with brilliant characters, so many plotlines and complex socio-political issues, a huge cast of different types of characters. It has the RANGE.

Uzumaki - I generally recommend Junji Itou’s work anyway, and tend to prefer his shorter stuff, but this particular horror series is so iconic and has some incredible artwork and imagery that just stays with you forever. Personally not a huge fan of the ending but it is very his style.

Shaman King - this aged both very badly and very well, somehow. the mix of traditional shaman practices from around the world, as well as the use of mythology and folk tales to pad out this urban fantasy, is very engaging and interesting. The characters are all from very different walks of life and it’s so easy to get attached to them. the anime adaptions didn’t quite capture the sheer intensity of this story and while it very much is a shonen, it has so much else going for it that really makes it such a unique gem of a series.

Black Butler (ongoing) - oh my god PLEASE read Black Butler. don’t bother with the anime. ignore that. you THINK this is gonna be a fanservicey series about fancy boys and demons but it’s NOT. it’s about TRAUMA and CORRUPTION and SECRET SOCETIES and PLOTS and it is getting better and better and better with each chapter. the artwork is gorgeous and the characters went from archetypes to really complex and fleshed out with individual backstories and I love them all dearly. this series has made me cry.

Saint Young Men (ongoing) - Jesus and Buddha are roommates in modern-day Japan. It’s a very fun and easy slice-of-life that takes a teasing but respectful angle on the two faiths and is just so wholesome. Was a big meme a few years ago.

The Way of the House Husband (ongoing) - you’ve seen this manga about. an ex-Yakuza becomes a house-husband to a working wife who loves magical girl anime. Slice-of-life with some of the most intense artwork and hilarious dynamics.

Skull Faced Book Seller Honda-San - a non-fiction account of a bookseller and the various customers they encounter. Very funny and truthful and easy to read.

The Two Of Them Are Pretty Much Like This (ongoing) - Slice-of-life lesbian romance with an age gap. The two must carefully balance their professional and private life, and navigate where they can and can’t be open about their relationship.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō  /  Quiet Country Café - scifi future post-environmental-apocalypse slice-of-life about an android who runs a café and the various people she meets and the strange world around her. Perfect for fans of Ghibli films.

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Independent Comics

Emily Is Burning - Honestly I rec most of Steph Seed’s work, her limited use of dialogue and impressionistic-style artwork lends itself so well to the weird horror stories she creates

NPC Tea (ongoing) - urban fantasy story about D&D type characters who run a tea shop, but must also deal with a dangerous power that threatens to destroy everything.

The Miracles - from the same creator as The Pride, this is another superhero story that focuses more on alternate universes, coming of ages, secrets and deception.

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WebToons and Web Comics:

Homestuck - fuck you. yeah im recommending Homestuck. it’s GOOD okay? it’s innovative and complex and deep and hilarious and weird and imaginative and it’s everything. there’s a BUNCH of lets-reads online to make it easier for you and loads of dubs and helpful guides to navigate it. It’s fucking good okay. shut up.

Ava’s Demon (ongoing) - gorgeous art, really cool space fantasy, loveable chaacters, animated sequences, I could go on. It’s a slow, slow update because of the sheer quality of the artwork that goes into it.

Lackadaisy (ongoing) - another absolute banger of artwork and detail. set in probation era about an underground bar, the goofy and eccentric characters get in violent fights, tangle with the law, and get up to be questionable and extremely illegal hijinks to keep their bar going as the business starts to wane. Updates are on hold while the creators work on an ACTUAL ANIMATED MOVIE for it.

Heartstopper (ongoing)- YEAH IM GAY. WHAT OF IT. I LOVE this gushy, mushy, sweet little comic about theseschool boys in love!!! This is a webcomic but has been officially published into paper books. The show is lovely and captures it well but the series is much further on than the show is. I genuinely hope it’s making life of queer teens easier!!! Because god damn it was bad when I was growing up!!!!

Mage and the Demon Queen (ongoing) - beautiful WebToon set in an RPG style fantasy world where a young mage falls in love with the enemy of her people, Demon Queen Velverosa. Adventure romance with a lot more happening than it first lets on.

Carciphona - Very elaborate and stunning fantasy series about magic, war, uprisings and mysterious backstories. Engaging character dynamics and intrigue throughout. The spin-off slice-of-life romance series Amongst Us is also worth a read.

Ruby Quest - you are not ready for this. Using the characters of Animal Crossing and an incredibly simplistic artstyle, this sci-fi horror used reader-input choices to navigate the world and storyline. A mix of rpg-style reading, animated panels and single-panel storytelling create immense amounts of tension and clever use of detail in the right places adds to the horror element. It’s spiritual successor, Nan Quest, is also very recommended.

[haeresys-realm]

New (de)generation

This is just... Absolutely abnormal. This is why I even don't want to open the comments and reply to these absolutely sick jackal-children who gathered in flock to shit on the conceptions that are going against their schizophrenic fantasies. This is what I got when I said that I don't think it's normal perception when some absolutely dominant manly person and clever scientist is depicted in maid dress or getting dominated by his fuckin' subordinates as the Second elite god-like Harbinger. And this is what I got...

Maybe that was so-called irony too. Hopefully not.

Because there are still normal people who think an adequate way.

Now sharing a different and unpopular yet adequarte opinion is meaning a danger to become a Twitter meme in the eyes of the crowd of immature pieces of shit who don't care what are they doing and to whom are they are talking . I'm a married millennial, so I... came from another era, if you want to put it like that. I take everything deep and serious, because know a good thing when seeing it is far more interesting, and yes I know how to value an intellectual job and respect what the authors showed us as it was, I know how to see and play canonical characters and develop their plots, because in our times it was much different than now. No twitter pages and chats, just role-playing forums where you have to show all you know about your character and plot, and then you wrote a big posts as if it was some book writing in co-authorship with others. And yes maybe as a dominative scholar it's easy for me to see all these obvious facts and not so obvious hints, but they could just say an ill shit that the one who says 'the Doctor is an absolutely stately and dominative person to depict him in such anti-canonic idiotic cringe manner' is just ehem...I don't want to repeat this crap. Read if yourself, please, on screenshots. Maybe these children just didn't get enough DOMINATED by their parents to say so. I don't see any other explanation. But I'm really disappointed in community. Everyone could draw whatever he or she wants but if you show it for everyone be ready to face misunderstanding, ESPECIALLY when your "art" is anti-canon ill-kinked fantasy. And if it is so insulting for you, just don't show it for everyone everywhere? But they think that humiliating the character they PRETEND to know and PRETEND to like is ABSOLUTELY NORMAL. And moreover, they think trying to humiliate by shitty crowd the person that is so much more old, intelligenced and experienced than them is ok. Yes I feel sick about it.

I will add smth in the second post because of the symbols' limitation.

[normal-thoughts-official]

Fandom racism anon here and yeah absolutely (I didn't realise I had anon on lol)

Because while LOTR has problems within its themes (ie the orcs can be seen as to be coded as people of colour, especially since they ride elephants) the explicit message of the book is evil bad

Because the only people who work for sauron are evil. There are no morally grey people, they aren't misguided or tricked they just are evil and want to take over the world

And yeah I totally agree that this is more of a literal take on like empirical war (is that the word) and that makes total sense considering Tolkiens history

Whereas I would say that the allegories in shaowhunters is way more based on racial conflict within a country itself especially slavery, I can't remember if this is show Canon but is it that they have the warlock tropheys? I remember that in the books magnus talks about shadowhunters hanging warlock marks on their walls? (sorry to bring the books up)

Idk it's very hollow to me, unlike with LOTR though it's a different allegory it's totally irritating to show many of these supremecists as morally misled. LOTR says bad guys are bad guys, shadowhunters says well yeah they did follow a guy which thinks that downworlders are subhuman and should be eradicated but they just made a mistake

I want to compare this to tfatws which while it isn't really fantasy I just feel like it shows how the priorities of the writer can impact the message of the show so powerfully (I know u aren't up to date so I'm gonna be pretty vague)

There's a scene in tfatws where the new white perfect captain America does something bad and doesn't pay for the consequences - done to comment on white privelege and how America condones white supremacy and how Sam is in comparison to that

Mayrse and Robert revealed to be part of the circle! And paid no consequences Shock horror my parents were the bad guys (even rho they were either implicitly or explicitly extremely racist the entire time) also I haven't finished the seires but do the lightwoods ever try to get their parents to face the consequences?)

Only one actual really critiques the situation and the reality behind it whereas the other one is just to centre the white characters once again and present them in a further sympathetic light

AND ANOTHER THING! I was mostly talking about show Canon here and I'm sorry to bring up the books but I literally can't believe I hadn't picked up in this before.

So like downworlders = people of colour, Simon is a vampire so is coded as a person of colour. However in the books in the last one he stops being a vampire and becomes a shadowhunters instead, coincidentally that's also when he starts dating Izzy HOW IS THIS ABLE TO HAPPEN!!????

I mean I know cassandra clare is lazy right? The original seires is by far the worst of all her writings but come ON!!!!! By the allegory has he become the white man!????? These books made no fuckin sense when I read them at 15 and they make no sense now I'm digressing anyways

I don't know man I wrote this ask because I was trying to find some fantasy book recommendations on booktube and SO MANY of them were about slavery or general ly extrême préjudice with à White protagonist to save this 'poor souls'.

Also I was watching guardians of the galexy the other day and realised nearly every movie set in space is just bigger stakes imperialism - planets instead of countries. Literally star wars, star trek, guardians of the galexy 2, avengers infinity war - all are facing genocidal imperialistic villains without actually paying much, if any attention to those effected

Just writing this ask made me exhausted I'm so tired of lazy writing and exploiting other people's struggle. I'm white and I'm trying to be more critical about the movies, shows and books I watch and read but let me know if I said something off here❤️❤️ you gotta get up to date with tfatws man, Sambucky nation is THRIVING!!!!

i'm not sure i agree that the whole "the evil people are evil" thing is a good thing, because i feel like more often than not making the bad characters just like... unidimensionally evil just means that the reader will be like "lol i could NEVER be that guy" and when it comes to racism that is a dangerous road to take because white people already believe that racism is something that Only The Most Evil People, Ergo, Not Me, Can Do, which makes discussions of stuff like subconscious racial bias and active antiracist work become more difficult because people don't believe they CAN be racist unless they're like, Lord Voldemort

which is not to say that racism should be treated as morally ambiguous, just that the workings of racism should be represented as something that is not done only by the Most Hardcore And Evil, but rather as a part of a system of oppression that affects the way everyone sees the world and interacts with it and lives in it

yes the warlock trophies are mentioned in the show, albeit very quickly (there is a circle member who tells magnus that his cat eyes will make "a nice addition to his collection" and then it's never mentioned again because this is sh and we love using racism for shock value but then not actually treating it as a serious plot point or something that affects oppressed ppl). and you are absolutely right, shadowhunters (and hp, and most fantasy books) has genocide as its core conflict and treats it, like you said, in a very hollow way, treating racism as both not a big deal and not something that is part of a system of oppression, but really the actions of a few Very Bad People. it's almost impressive how they manage to do both at the same time tbh

i think you hit the nail right on the head with this comment, actually. for most of these works, racism is SHOCK VALUE. it's just like "lol isn't it bad that this bad guy wants to kill a gazillion people just because they are muggles? now that is fucked up" but it's not actually an issue. in fact, when this guy is defeated, the whole problem is over! racism is not something that is embedded into that world, it's not a systemic issue, it's not even actually part of what drives the plot. the things that led to this person not only existing but rising to power and gathering enough followers to be a real threat to the whole world are never mentioned. it's like racists are born out of thin air, which is dangerously close to implying that racism is just a natural part of life, tbh

anyway my point is, it is never supposed to be questioned, it is never part of a deeper plot or story, its implications are barely addressed except for a few fleeting comments them and there; so, it's not a critique, it's shock value, even though it is frequently disguised as a critique (which is always empty and shallow anyway. like what is the REAL critique in works like hp or sh/tsc other than "genocide is bad"? wow such a groundbreaking take evelyn)

about simon and the book thing: i actually knew about this and the weird thing about this is that, like... simon is jewish, and he's implied to be ashkenazi (calls his grandma bubbe which is yiddish, which is a language spoken by the ashkenazi ppl), and it seems like cc is always toeing the line between him being accepted by shadowhunters and then not accepted by them, which sounds a lot like antisemitic tropes and history of swinging between (ashkenazi) jewish ppl being seen as the model minority myth and thus used as an example by white christians, and being hated and persecuted. i'm not super qualified to talk about this since i'm not jewish and i'm still learning about/unlearning antisemitism and its tropes, and i don't really have a fully formed thought on that, tbh; it just reminds me of the whole "model minority" swinging, where one second simon is part of the majority, the other he's not, but always he is supposed to give up a part of himself and his identity in other to be "assimilated" by shadowhunter culture. this article (link) covers a book on jewish people and assimilationism into USan culture, this article (link) covers british jews' relationship with being considered an ethnic group, and this article (link) talks a bit about the model minority myth from the perspective of an asian jewish woman

it just really calls to my attention that cc chose to make her ashkenazi jewish character start off as a downworlder and then become a shadowhunter. i don't think she made that decision as a conscious nod to this history, because it would require being informed on antisemitism lol but it's incredible how you can always see bigoted stereotypes shining through her narrative choices completely by accident. it just really shows how ingrained it is in our collective minds and culture

and anyway, making a character go from the oppressed group to just suddenly become the oppressor is just. wtf. not how oppression works, but most of all, really disrespectful, especially because she clearly treats it as an "upgrade"/"glowup" that earns him the Love Of His Life

also, out of curiosity, are you french? it seems like your autocorrect changed a few words and i'm pretty sure extrême and préjudice are the french versions of these words, and since u said ur white, that's where my money would be lol

[local-butch]

hello friend!!! for the soft asks! 13, 1, 25, 10! hope your quarantine goes by quick and easy for you!! <3

what’s up my good (pocket) pal!! thank you for the kind wishes!! jet lagging with a 12-hour difference threw me into another dimension lol

10. what’s something you’re excited for?

answered here but here’s some more:

after graduating college last year i’m now at a point in life where everything ahead of me is unknown, but i’m ready to embrace whatever life has in store. as you know english isn’t my first language, i’m insecure about my ability to articulate my thoughts in writing and i wanna get better at it; reading tlou fanfics single-handedly got me to read outside schoolwork again, so i’m excited to actually finish reading the queer books i bought in quarantine lol, and to read more in general! in the long term, finding love again and building a life with someone, y’know, the usual lesbian domestic life fantasy :^)

13. what’s your comfort food?

oh man, so many. as an east asian, i consider food a big part of my cultural identity. i have plenty of happy memories attached to dinner tables. taking the time to cook for someone is a love language. to name a few: dim sum, braised chicken wings, cantonese steamed fish, unadon, zongzi, and stir-fried chicken (non-americanized lol). i live for a good boba! caffeine makes me jittery and insomniac but i’d risk it for boba. (do it for her🧋)

25. what’s the best personal gift someone could give you (playlist, homemade card, etc)?

i appreciate and treasure anything my friends gift me. i love getting utilitarian gifts such as video games or mugs but also stuff i can attach sentimental value to like vinyls or handmade stuff.

1. what song makes you feel better?

after an emotionally draining breakup with my gf of four years last year, for a long time i felt lost and wounded, i’m at a much better place now largely thanks to music, currently they are:

devotion- beach house, it feels like a warm embrace, or a love letter. especially ‘home again’, she closes the album with ‘constant home of my devotion/must be you/ the door to open/ home again/ be here/ be with me/ will i swim/ out on/ your ocean’, i tear up a lil every time i hear this part, it embodies how i feel about love. i enjoy my own company but a part of me longs for belonging and a place/person to call home. i want this song playing on my wedding, if i have one

me in 20 years- moses sumney, ‘is it laced within my DNA/ to be braced in endless january?/ have i become the cavity i feared?/ ask me in twenty years’ moses gets it. there’s beauty in holding onto life :)

enough- ivy sole, “I just wanna be enough/ To be deserving of your love/ If I wait until you’re ready/ I can be the one if you let me” yep yep feeling this one in my bones rn. this album is 100% Butchness!! i vibe with ‘dream girl’ and ‘lost without you” too

move a mountain- chromatics, ‘i think i’ll stay awhile now that the winter’s come/ it’s been a long time since you’ve been gone/ i tried to move a mountain/ im waiting for it to fall/ i’m staring out the window/ waiting for you to call/ you won’t’ it’s what finally letting go looks like, except i’m no longer waiting for the call

qp- ichiko aoba brings me peace, “chilly in sound but warm in the human emotion” as a youtuber put it in their review of the album. my faves are song #2, 8 and 9.

collect- pretty boy aaron, ‘i miss how things used to be between us/ how ‘bout you come over and you can pick me up/ we can listen to all our/ our favorite songs/ we can pretend nothing ever went wrong’, big ouch

nothing lasts- bedroom. mentally I’m here! someone said to “reframe breakups as ‘complete relationships’ rather than ‘failed relationships’”, which is a good advice for me.

jenny (i wanna ruin our friendship)- studio killers, ‘i wanna ruin our friendship/ we should be lovers instead’ Iconic, such a fuckin mood, especially for my younger self

mi amor, bold- lou val, no thoughts only vibes

海浪 (‘waves’),夜间独白 (‘nighttime monologue’), 浴室 (‘bathroom’)- deca joins, i love the lyrics but tumblr won’t let me link the websites for english lyrics; and something’s inevitably lost in translation :(

thanks for reading all of this, hope you enjoy these tunes!! love u friend!! :)

[littlebabycrybtch]

bro..... im sooo tired of ppl being whiny freaks about ppl liking fictional shit ‘~too much~’. like bitches are literally fully convinced if you prefer acting out certain ideas in fiction but not irl, thats not your normal preferential boundaries but rather your brain is a mental illness BOMB and you need to be fucking hospitalized for being imaginative and having autonomy. like yall if its not taboo or smth shut uuuuhp man you’re not ‘concerned for their health’ or w/e you’re fully just tryna get away with being a nihilistic asshole who lacks sympathetic reasoning skills. listen to me. fiction is valuable. the thoughts we have on it are important. the personal lack of value you happen to put on a media is next to worthless. its not a fuckin waste of time dude, creators are people, who live in the real world, they experience it and have ideas through it and about it, they form and tweak their ideas while still definitely existing in the real world, and then put that back into the world with a new angle and new perspective, to share with other people definitely encountering it in , you guessed it , the real world. thats not disconnected. its not nothing. these things do not magically appear from fairytale land, they are created. stories mean smth, people tell them for a reason, its ok to feel smth for any story, why would we even tell them if not with the intention to impact others emotionally somehow i mean??? fiction does not Just affect reality, it is valuable to real life society, it is a functioning thriving part OF reality. 

humans have told stories since the dawn of our existence. it is literally all but an inherent species trait for us to imagine things, its tied to each and every one of us, and to reject ‘fantasy’ as smth worthless to human life is frankly just fuckin wrong and weird of you. bitch we are Supposed to get outside the box, the fandom ppl you cringe your pants over arent thinking abt fake shit too much, you guys very often just arent exercising abstract thought and imagination enough, which actually hurts your ability to engage with it critically in all the ways its meant to be. if you dont see the value in fiction its because you put in no effort to form the analysis skills. in other words, you idiots dont get the hype bc you’re too stupid to get how you're supposed to compare a book to the real world it came from. ‘uu but cmon not everythings valuable what about [tumblr designated cringe media]-’ 1. ok! somehow you havent come to this conclusion yourself yet but thats not real, whatever ppl get to enjoy is not all abt you, your bias means less than dirt to others outside of hivemind social medias, you can keep it to yourself, ppl shouldnt care about it bc it means nothing outside of ur own space, its literally funny to me that you’re so elitist you want me to cater my interests to you, Your Standard Of Quality Isnt Universal, 2. ranking the values of fiction is the waste of time here, if you compare mlp to pride and prejudice ill dissect your teeth, different emotional impacts from tragic to funny to Just A Vibe are all able to be assessed as ‘valuable to somebody else so leave well enough alone’ if you dont have 2010+ funnyman brainrot disease that makes you incapable of reflecting on anything you can find a way to joke abt first.

i mean seriously like. whenever randos start engaging with medias you ppl dont like or in ways you dont get, the strawmans yall make up to get to be cringe culture vultures abt such benign shit, and almost Always at the expense of neurodivergent people with a deeply rooted undertone of extreme ableism might i add..... its just so selfish. u have a brain ok, you’re manipulative but we both know you dont Actually think ppl automatically default to being a waifu obsessed incel rotting away at their basement computer, stagnating their social skills and straying further and further from reality with each passing day, a poor disturbed wretch that you just HAVE to save from themselves, all bc they say they. prefer fictional porn or w/e to having sex irl. buddy thats not a big deal, theyre normal, just different from you. theyre fine, you’re just uncomfortable. as a functioning adult you’re gonna have to try and recognize that sometimes that feelings gonna be 100% on you, and you cant always just lie abt the validity of it to make ppl feel obligated into agreeing with you. this is gonna be one fragment of their personhood and your self obsessed brain imploding over how unrelatable that is doesnt fucking matter, grow up bitch like. how detached do you have to be to think thats so unstable or morally wrong.... its just a completely inconsequential preferential decision that only affects them and isnt a wrong choice at all cuz nobody has to get their dick wet if they dont wanna for any reason ever and thats gotta be that tbh.... and it kills me cuz they still inherently experience the real world and are capable of thinking abt it critically,,, even tho they... masturbate to drawings or w/e the fuck ppl think is unhealthy ???? like? imagination is just fun we dont need to moderate it anymore than we moderate other fun activities i mean lol ksdjfsd this is the DEFINITION of ‘just vibing’ no one FUCKING cares and it deosnt fucking matter the way you desperately try to make ppl think it does just so u get to be loud abt ur shortcomings as a decent understanding person. 

‘uuuuuu im sorry but thats unhealthy :///’ you sound like a goddamn maniac dude stories are not unhealthy having feelings abt them is not unhealthy thinking some anime bitch that was DRAWN TO BE HOT , IS HOT, is not UNHEALTHY and you clowns arent convincing anybody you ‘care’ abt that concept anyways !! im losign my mind here skdlsdfsd medias are literally DESIGNED TO DO THIS TO PEOPLE... WE’RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL THINGS FOR IT.... IT IS WHAT MAKES THE ART WE’VE TAKEN PART IN FOR CENTURIES, “ART”.... ITS JUST... HAVING IDEAS AND EXPERIENCING IMAGINATION..... whats wildly unhealthy actually is yalls toxic obsession with ‘harsh truth’ and validating your stupid ass cwinge feewings to the point where everything that gives your underdeveloped selfish ass hives has to be a matter of health and morals and whats ‘best’ for everyone. u dont know that shit!!!! ur a petty brat and im not ur mommy ok i wont baby you so u dont feel like the shitty whiny person you are, you need to grow and do better and think outside urself already, dont put the responsibility of making u feel right for judging somebodies benign hobbies on me. i wont bc its wrong and unnecessary. you’re not a savior no ones falling for that lmao you’re just a bitch girl xoxo get over it shit truly does not matter. let them write nsfw self insert fics instead of banging !! 

to make it real do yall really not Get that basic consent kinda doesnt just mean ‘no when im not in the mood at the time’ but it means ‘no if i just dont fuckin feel like having sex ever for literally any reason at all bc i choose what i do’ and pressuring them, even with what your warped brain translates as the best of intentions, is inherently disgusting? especially with the ‘i know how to help you’ attitude like......... ohhh die soonly ew lmao! lay off this nasty shit already please it doesnt matter! stop trying to make it matter!! its not hurting you or them you stupid tumblr phd ass!! and like again yeah some media shits just truly gross but tbr now its like even That kind of shit, the Real social issues caused by Actually problematic media that ppl should discuss Genuinely without ulterior motives, is being used more and more rampantly as just a stepping stone to get to the needless mockery of other harmless things in the media they want an excuse to bag on.......... like a bitch cant just be grown and talk about problems at face value without getting a bully jab in. smhhhhh you all fuckin suck please just stop talking already. so anyways yeah being attracted to fictional characters instead of real people or w/e IS funny, funny how many boyfriends they have when u have none xoxo theyre having fun and you can die sad abt it they get to die 5 times in an angsty fantasy fic and be brought back with mouth to mouth by fuckin kakashi every time and then they go get lunch irl while ur updating tinder bitch ... different fucking strokes ig !

[zmediaoutlet]

I find it fascinating how SPN is p much a red-blooded, American male kinda TV show, made by/starring mostly white straight macho men, and yet it's critical of Christianity/religion to the point that the main villain is God himself. What do you think of this?

I think that’s an interesting point! Although–well, there’s a lot to say on this, and some people would probably spend a whole cultural studies book to talk about it, but here’s my answer given a bad night’s sleep and a cup of tea and spending about ten minutes–

First, on SPN. It is pretty much a red-blooded/American/male kinda show, made by etc etc, but it’s not just that. They picked these pretty boys to star in it and they film it often in a very female-gaze way, and it’s focused on horror/sci-fi/fantasy elements which aren’t exactly American Pie and Football–it’s a nerdy category of show, and nerds have always been at least half ladies. The sensibility of the show is masculine in a lot of ways, especially in early days, and Sam and Dean are very male-oriented (and I live for that! the pranks, the nut-taps!), but they also talk about their feelings and cry and are Sensitive, and so on. The show doesn’t feel like a Dude Show to me, necessarily. (Way too much soap-opera-esque drama about Sam and Dean’s relationship, for one thing. Men I know who’ve stopped watching it in exasperation: “Whatever happened to the cool monster hunts!” So there’s that.)

However, it is a VERY VERY American-centric, traditional values show, and that is interesting w/r/t your point about religion. Sam and Dean’s values are consciously shown to be Good and Just, but they also support a (liberal-inflected, empathetic) status quo. The show orients things a certain way. Family first. Mamas and daddies are good, kind people who you always forgive in the end, no matter what. Don’t be Weird (whatever weird means). Have you noticed that, for all their (and fandom’s) talk about how Sam and Dean are such Crazy Outsiders, they’re actually… really super fuckin normal, most of the time? This isn’t wacky Hannibal on nighttime NBC, and it’s not crazy Legion on FX, and it’s not Oz on HBO, though it contains elements of all of them and could easily take on any of those tones, considering the content. But it’s not, and doesn’t, and won’t–because this is Supernatural on the CW, and the tone is safe. (Oh, though it’s exciting when it pushes against that! Think of when Kelly Kline finally gets her shit together and tries to kill herself rather than give birth to the antichrist! –except, wait. She didn’t think of getting an abortion, because Good Characters Don’t Get Abortions. She wasn’t actually allowed to die, because Mommies Have Babies. And then, look, her baby was a sweet boy, so it was all the right decision after all!! Doesn’t that work out nicely.)

So, on religion. The thing about it is: the show doesn’t actually criticize religion, even as it plays with those themes. Sam used to pray every day. (Does he still? I wonder.) Dean claims he’s an atheist, but he’s actually an anti-theist–he believes in God et al, he just doesn’t like the idea, and of course now he knows he was right all along. We meet roughly equal numbers of righteous religious characters and nasty ones, which is reasonable. The nice lady who Cas spoke to, who prayed because she Knew it was right–she wasn’t presented as a fool, but just as a faithful person. The priest Amara killed. Then, sure, there are the wackjob fundies that were Magda’s family, but they were clearly wackjob fundies in homespun who weren’t Normal, and so it was okay that they were bad because of course they were. The usual cardigan-wearing bland mom we encounter on a case is probably nicely protestant, and the show takes no issue with that.

Part of how they can get away with making Actual God the bad guy is that he’s not Actual God at all, is he. He’s Chuck. He’s human. Sure, he’s got magic woo-woo powers and if you kill him the sun goes out, or whatever, but in a very basic way he’s just a regular bad guy, in sneakers with a beard and a guitar, with a petty asshole way of looking at the world. He’s normal, and this goes back to how this CW show is a very, very, very normal show. If they’d made Chuck actually seem mystical, at any point–if they’d really connected him to a larger frightening celestial sense of power, with the tone of awe and danger and mouse-in-front-of-a-snake terror that making Actual God your bad guy would have required–then sure, I’d say that maybe the show was criticizing religion and making it at fault. But they didn’t do that, at all. Instead, Chuck (and Amara) just come off as “the same kind of cockroach”, per Dean’s line back in s5. Nothing more than characters in a show. Nothing dangerous being said. Nothing for a Christian Mommies group to start a petition about. Just some dumb guy with a cat blog. No big deal. So, in the end, not actually critical of Christianity or religion at all. Nothing to worry about.

[thearchangelwrites]

Happy WBW from writingamongthecoloredroses! Is gardening a popular hobby in your world? What flowers are popular?

Oh! Okay so - on the world of Ambipacia, where both the series of Knights and Novellas and the standalone, Wild Bones, are set. For the entire world, gardening is a popular activity as, if one wants vegetables that are fresh and not dried, growing them yourself is the way to go about it. Who does the gardening and what they grow depends though. 

So, this really depends on country! The main setting of Knights and Novellas, for example, is Vanurgard, and for Vanurgardians, gardening is very much a woman’s task. It’s a part of caring for the home that really goes to a woman’s hands. Growing flowers is moderately popular for women of higher social standing, and of these, lavender is most popular. 

In the country immediately to the northwest of Vanurgard, Irdessa, gardening is a gender neutral task. Everything is a gender neutral task in Irdessa. The Irdess grow flowers for rituals and for cooking, because a great bit of their seasoning is done with flowers. Irdess teas are usually mint flower or something like that, because teas are specifically used for healing rituals or celebrations. 

In the southwest country to Vanurgard, Stovinale, gardening is a man’s task. To garden, a person must work with the Earth Mother and the Sky Wife, which men have an easier task of doing. The valley gods prefer brothers, and the mountain goddesses prefer sisters, so sometimes it depends on location when it comes to who does the gardening. Stovins are most likely to grow roses to make rose teas. 

East of Vanurgard, we have the country of Eiling. Eiling’s population is mostly deaf or partially deaf, which mostly means that they advanced technologically faster than other countries in the world out of need. Their language is primarily gesture-based with very little verbal elements, though most Eils speak Northern Orthodox, the language most common to the northern region. Because of their advancements, though, most gardening is done by shopkeepers. Think a world something akin to The Legend of Korra, which blends the traditional elements of ATLA with steampunk. That’s quite how Eiling is. 

The country to the south of Vanurgard, Sudenheim, has a complicated relationship with gardening. Because of their borders on water, Sudens mostly depend on the seas to foster their life. Gardening, when done, is mostly a hobby. Farmers have fields, if that’s the job that they choose, but hobbyist gardeners are mostly viewed as strange, like their taking heed from other countries and cultures like a fuckin nerd. For vibes, check Viking civilization, but less, uh... going viking. 

Far south even of Sudenheim, Wild Bones is set in Nizaro, a country with very traditional values, more traditional even that Vanurgard’s. Gardening is a home caring task, but one that men do because women cannot get their hands dirtied and still expect to be married, can they? Growing flowers is only acceptable if one plans to give them to a future wife, current wife, or daughter. Even giving them to a sister is seen as strange, and certainly not a friend. 

Thank you for coming to my overwhelmingly long TedTalk. 

Tag list

because this is some Shit:  @wildswrites, @jostenwrites, @dearjjuliet, @fantasy-shadows, @the-writing-rat, @thrillsandmarshmallows, @thepeninthestone, @eastwrites​, @sunnybunnywrites​

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[letterboxd]

Quarantine Rentals.

Ten indie films you can rent right now, as recommended by Letterboxd members.

Sure, Scoob!. Yes, Extraction. The Wrong Missy, okay. On the other hand, there are plenty of interesting indie films available for VOD and virtual screenings right now that haven’t necessarily had the benefit of studio backing, big stars, film festivals, red carpets or other ‘normal-circumstances’ coverage to build word-of-mouth.

So, because these are abnormal circumstances, we sent our West Coast editor Dominic Corry on a hunt through your recent reviews to find ten under-seen but enthusiastically received indies that you can rent today.

Thanks to our partnership with JustWatch, you can find availability details on each film’s Letterboxd page—and Dominic has also helpfully provided further links to make it that much easier to support these indie films.

Powerbomb Directed by R. Zachary Shildwachter and B.J. Colangelo

Starring Matt Capiccioni (better known Matt Cross, or M-Dogg 20, or Son of Havoc) as an up-and-coming wrestling star, and Wes Allen as the obsessive fan who kidnaps him, Powerbomb is “The King of Comedy set in the indie wrestling scene, which is a cool fucking concept if nothing else,” according to Dustin Baker. “Luckily, there’s some witty writing and good performances to back up that concept to create something that’s surprisingly a lot of fun.”

Don’t worry if you know nothing about wrestling, writes Justin Nordell: “As someone who has zero reference point for wrestling, this film not only made it accessible but enthralling!”

A guide to where you can watch Powerbomb can be found on the film’s website.

Arkansas Directed by Clark Duke

Quietly ubiquitous comedic actor Clark Duke (Kick-Ass, Hot Tub Time Machine) directed and co-wrote this neo-noir in which he stars alongside such high-profile talent as Vince Vaughn, John Malkovich and Liam Hemsworth. Everyone agrees that the film wears its influences on its sleeve. Chainsaw Massacre “loved nearly every minute of this deliberately paced descendant of Tarantino and the Coen brothers. [But] comparing it to those […] filmmakers does it a disservice though, because, while you can feel their influence, first-time director Clark Duke does have his own distinct style”.

While noting that it marks another interesting performance in Vaughn’s recent emergence as a worthy cinematic lowlife, Tummis would also “like to point out that Liam Hemsworth was great in this”.

Arkansas is available via various digital outlets, as indicated on its official website.

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael Directed by Rob Garver

Before the Letterboxd era, film criticism was a much more exclusive realm, and no one critic loomed larger in that realm than The New Yorker’s Pauline Kael—so iconic that true cineastes of her time referred to her simply by her first name. So it behooves you, good Letterboxd member, to familiarize yourself with this master of the form via this new documentary.

In a review that feels like it could apply to any number of Letterboxd members, kmarus says “From what I’ve encountered of her criticism, Kael and I disagree on a lot of things, but one thing that is readily apparent to anyone who reads her writing is that she genuinely cares about movies”.

Letterboxd’s London correspondent (and professional critic) Ella Kemp felt personally validated watching the film. “It’s magic, she’s magic, this is why we needed her and why we always need movies, and why I want to keep talking about them. It’s nice if you read me, if you like me or if you agree with me—but even if you don’t, I know I’ll be sticking around for a while anyway. I’m nowhere near done yet.”

You can rent the film here.

Slay The Dragon Directed by Barak Goodman and Chris Durrance

The insidious and nebulous practice of gerrymandering is the focus of this acclaimed documentary. As member Andrew Chrzanowski ominously intones, the film is “never more timely than right here and right now” and “demands you to watch, so you may witness in a comprehensive and detailed way the metastasis of the most malignant cancer on our democracy: gerrymandered districts and redrawn borders by Republicans, especially after the 2010 elections”.

Guyatthemovies says the film “does a phenomenal job of taking a topic that may seem confusing for most who are not familiar and breaking it down to simplistic terms, explaining the impact of gerrymandering [through] well-known examples” and that “this is a must-watch for anyone concerned about the state of politics today”.

You can support your favorite theater by renting the film here.

Judy & Punch Directed by Mirrah Foulkes

Mia Wasikovska and Damon Herriman, two of the more interesting Australian actors working in film today, and each possessed of a fantastically cinematic face, star in this one-of-a-kind film as a couple operating a marionette show in a town about to bubble over with tension. Like the classic puppet characters that title the film, they come to blows.

The film is the feature-directing debut of Aussie actor and filmmaker Mirrah Foulkes, and Letterboxd member CJ Johnson says she “announces herself as a feature auteur of serious talent and limitless potential with […] a film whose great artfulness is only outdone by its sheer, breath-taking originality”.

Jess V.K. warns us to “go into this film with no expectations, because whatever you were expecting is not what you will see”.

Rent the film here.

On A Magical Night Directed by Christophe Honoré

This French comedy (of sorts) presents a fresh perspective on a very French activity: infidelity. It begins with a woman, Maria (Chiara Mastroianni, daughter of Italian-French acting royalty Marcello Mastroanni and Catherine Deneuve) deciding to leave her husband, and taking up residence across the street where she can observe him.

As Allison M. explains, “like a modernized version of A Christmas Carol, spirits living and dead come to haunt Maria to help her make a decision about whether or not she should return to her husband. It is complete with a phantom baby, reference to a past threesome, and kissing cousins”.

The film caused Gmacauley to ruminate: “Have you ever thought to yourself that when you get old you’d like to travel to the past and sleep with your significant other while they’re young again? Well now I have.”

Watch it here; and also seek out Nicolas Bedos’ marital fantasy romp, La Belle Époque.

The Assistant Directed by Kitty Green

This austere take on the #MeToo era stars Ozark breakout Julia Garner as a bottom-rung assistant to a never-seen, New York-based film producer clearly modeled on Harvey Weinstein. Through one long workday, we are witness to the manipulative practices that enable such a figure, without ever landing on a single incident that she can cite as tangible proof of his behavior, which helps detail the impossibility of her—and countless others’—situation.

While the film’s understated style has thrown some viewers off, that’s entirely the point according to Ryne Walley, who says it “aims true with unwavering confidence. The calculated pace and concise nature of The Assistant hides very little, echoing the countless cases of abuse and depravity that’ve been disclosed… an agonizingly taut feat of filmmaking… Your heart sinks with each passing hour”.

“So quietly powerful, this is a female film through and through. Gut wrenching in the simplest way,” writes Letterboxd member Katie.

Ella Kemp interviewed Green about The Assistant for Letterboxd. The film’s official website lists various VOD options.

Capital in the Twenty-First Century Directed by Justin Pemberton

French economist Thomas Piketty’s 2013 book about income equality forms the basis of this documentary, which takes on a new pertinence in the coronavirus era.

“It’s a sobering trip,” says Joey Jepson. “As if Covid-19 wasn’t enough to send you into a deep depression, Capital in the Twenty-First Century presents a thesis that seems to indicate that if we don’t course correct, we will see a further divide and evaporation of the middle-class.”

Michael agrees: “Very clearly and lucidly explains why we’re fucked if we don’t start regulating capital.” Eep.

Rent the film here.

Spaceship Earth Directed by Matt Wolf

The 1991 biosphere experiment—in which a group of people sealed themselves off from the world (hey!) to investigate human self-sustainability—is the subject of this documentary, which, like Capital in the Twenty-First Century, also hits a little different in the current moment.

Kellyabailey is on board: “I’m fuckin inspired, man. I wanna see what I’m capable of and finally start that commune I’ve been dreaming up.”

Smooz was impressed with how the film didn’t make fun of its subjects: “It’s rare for a documentarian […] dealing with kooks to produce a movie with any sort of empathy. This movie takes the kooks involved in one of the kookiest, most ridiculed projects in recent decades and honestly shows their successes, visionary moments, shortcomings, and failures while resisting the urge to dunk on them and give them swirlies.”

Letterboxd editor-in-chief Gemma Gracewood spoke to Wolf about his film—and what movies he’d choose to take with into a biosphere—in this interview. Rent the movie here.

Aren’t You Happy Directed by Susanne Heinrich

Those in the mood for something different might do well to check out this aesthetically bold German film—think Wes Anderson meets The Love Witch meets the movie Robert De Niro takes Cybill Shepherd to see on their ‘date’ in Taxi Driver—following a young woman named Mädchen (Marie Rathscheck) through various strange encounters.

Arvid Schmiedehausen says it “might be the most artistic film I have ever watched. It is highly ambitious in its attempts to deconstruct society and western values through fourteen episodes, with each being a persiflage on one unique aspect of it”. [We had to look up “persiflage” too.]

Ian A. Chapman writes that “not in anyway adhering to convention, Aren’t You Happy melancholically meanders through rendezvous allowing time for delicious dialogue. Visually pleasing, the colour choices neatly frame the scenes and set the tones allowing for a shorthand into the vibe”.

Rent the movie here.

Related content

Our list of art house films screening online now.

[commandercoriandersalamander]

deservingporcupine said:                                                                                                                            Nooooooo what’s your favorite book?                             

OH BOY IS IT TIME TO TALK ABOUT ARCHIVIST WASP AGAIN YES IT IS

(you’ve unleashed a demon here my friend)

Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace is probably one of my top five favorite books ever, maybe even top three (and the top three isn’t ranked it’s just Really Good Books). It is constantly slept on. No one has read it. No one has even heard of it! Even though every element is fantastic and likens to a very popular series (in a “oh, you liked that bit? try this book!” way not in a derivative way). It is my life’s work to get people to read this book.

 I should put in a Read More because I am going to talk A LOT about it. But- if you like The Abhorsen Trilogy, His Dark Materials, the Hunger Games, Never Let Me Go, Station Eleven, Graceling, any mythology ever, ghosts, supersoldiers, post-apocalypse religion, or the struggle of to what extent you can define yourself versus others define you and the trauma of being both a monster and a savior, you’ll love this book.

-the premise. it’s post-apocalyptic fantasy which is a niche I absolutely love. basically, the world ended generations ago, and no one really knows why or how. but humanity lives in little isolated town-states around the edge of this giant irradiated wasteland. and since the end of the world, ghosts exist.

-after the collapse (and I’m going to talk a lot about the collapse BUT it’s worth noting that the story of the end of the world isn’t a major-major part, like the book is concerned both with looking back and looking forwards, but the story is much more intimate and focused on Wasp and her world rather than The World At Large) this new constellation-based religion popped up. it’s completely unique and AMAZING and integrates so well into the world that you forget you’re still learning about it.

-Wasp was raised by the Catchkeep (what we call Ursa Major) priest. he’s this skeevy old man who raises young girls and every year they fight to the death for the honor of being the Archivist. Wasp is the current Archivist! which is absolutely terrible for her, but the only way out is to die, and the only way to survive is to kill the upstarts.

-the Archivist’s job is to protect the town from ghosts. ghosts can get really angry and mean! and then, to record the ghosts, and watch them and categorize them, in hopes that one of them will reveal how the world ended

-(lemme talk about ghosts for a hot sec. ghosts in this world are basically repeating memories- they’re not really “people”. when you die, your ghost might return, to constantly play out its last moments, but you aren’t aware of the world, you’re not really sentient. ghosts who died violently can become violent, hence the Archivist’s banishing rituals. there has never been a ghost that can talk, so no one has been able to ask the ghosts how the world ended. the theme of repetition, identity, and relation to the world that is inherent in the concept of ghosts is SUPER CENTRAL to the plot and woven so well in.)

-Wasp’s job is really sucky, because she’s incredibly valued by the people of Sweetwater, but she’s also feared and hated. she is kept apart from them, and is basically only ever allowed to interact with the Catchkeep Priest, but she survives on the offerings the people leave outside her door being they are grateful to her for keeping the ghosts away and also terrified of her for being so close to them. this theme- valued monster, monster created and maintained by a society, is central to the book, and I know you’re like “okay, yeah, that’s a theme of a lot of books do, whatever” but the nuance and depth here is incredible.

-Wasp, naturally, wants to escape the Catchkeep Priest, but again, irradiated wasteland, everyone is afraid of her, she has nowhere to go. Wasp is very explicitly a trauma and abuse victim/survivor, and she has guts and bravery without overlooking that or pretending that one cancels out the other.

-Wasp’s entire life is turned upside down when she finds a ghost that can TALK. like, recognize its surroundings, recognize her, and talk to her. like I said, that’s NEVER HAPPENED. completely unprecedented.

-the ghost (who doesn’t have a name) explains that in his old life, he was a soldier. and that he had a comrade, Kit Foster, who died as well, and that he’s trying to find her ghost, so that they can survive the underworld together. he wants Wasp’s help. in return, he will get her away from the Catchkeep Priest.

-lemme talk about the ghost because he is a completely tragic figure in such a compelling way. ghosts get weaker and weaker the longer they’re dead, and he’s been dead a long time. he doesn’t remember most of his life. he doesn’t remember his own name. he remembers that he is a monster, in a way that directly parallels Wasp, because they’re both created soldiers people are afraid of but also need, but while Wasp has the chance to go forwards and grow, he’s dead, he can’t. ghosts are incredibly stagnant.

-he wants to find Kit because he’s forgetting who he is. he hopes that if he finds her, they can remind each other of who they are. when the underworld decays them, they can pull back and remember each other. remember the theme I said about defining yourself versus others defining you, and how it plays into the idea of an important monster? yeah here it is again!

-let me say really explicitly though: I know what you’re thinking. Wasp and the ghost are going to hook up. Mild spoiler but worth knowing: THEY DO NOT. yeah you heard me. Kit and the ghost aren’t romantic either. this is a book about trusting other people enough to know and define you when you can’t and IT DOESN”T HAVE ROMANCE. platonic, important, deep and trusting relationships, boyos! I care so much about this.

-so the trip through the underworld. the underworld is such an amazing setting here. the closest thing I’ve read is His Dark Materials underworld, full of ghosts and emptiness. it’s an expanse of old flotsam of memories and it’s always trying to destroy you. Wasp and the ghost have to wade through this place, trying to figure out what does and doesn’t belong to them.

-Wasp, as the Archivist and wielding a special ghost sword, is able to enter the memories of the ghost. specifically, the memories that he has forgotten. doing this is killing her, but she’s already in the underworld, so... the book switches between Wasp and the ghost’s journey through Hades and flashbacks to the ghost’s childhood with Kit Foster, as medical experiments and supersoldiers in a world-ending war. you start to realize that the ghost thinks he betrayed Kit, but can’t remember how.

-look, it’s just incredibly. the themes are woven into everything, the parallels between Wasp and the ghost are superb, the symbolism is constant without being heavy-handed. you’re reading a really engaging story, not an essay about identity with some story trappings, it doesn’t get preachy, it’s just really well done. Wasp and the ghosts are both realistic, flawed, hurting characters trying to imagine some kind of ending for themselves. this book sneaks up on you with how painful (in the good book way!) it is to read. and then the ending! I’m not gonna say anything! I won’t! But the ending!

-the sequel (which is the book I lost, RIP) does the Really Great Sequel Thing where it continues the themes and struggles without invalidating the progress the characters made in the last book. it also confirms what was hinted at in the first book, which is that Wasp is a woman of color, and so that’s neat. she’s also a realistic example of someone with PTSD and chronic pain. plus: still no romance, still incredibly important and complete platonic relationships. and you learn more about other towns and the gods!

-I will say, on first reading, the writing style took me a sec to adjust to. Wasp’s POV (it’s third person, but completely centered on her viewpoint) has the blind spots and anger that you’d expect from first person, and it can be weird to adjust. it’s also very jerkily written, which sounds like an insult, but it’s not, it absolutely works with Wasp’s voice and the setting, but it takes a few chapters to click with your brain.

-have I dressed up like the Archivist for Halloween? oh you fuckin bet I have.

[ansu-gurleht]

like other people have said this but (aside from the whole meridia situation) the worst part is the homogenization of the religion lore.

like one of the best parts of the series is how unique the races and cultures are from one another. even when they have the same figures, they tell different stories about them. even when they tell the same stories about them, they tell them differently. 

sure, the altmer worship pretty basic fantasy gods in a pretty basic fantasy way. they’re high elves, and kind of a touchstone for the contrasts in the lore. the imperials and bretons function similarly, both reflecting real european cultures, and the imperials in particular utilize religion as a tool of at best unification across the empire, and at worst as a way to oppress native populations and suppress their native cultures.

then there’s the bosmer, who are somewhat similar to the altmer, but way different. like, the green pact alone makes them highly unique. they can’t eat plants, and in the past this fostered cannibalistic practices. they’re wood elves, and you can draw good comparisons between them and other fantasy wood elves, such as their living in trees and fondness for archery. but GOD if the green pact and their literally-physically-moving capital tree city don’t make them right-off way more interesting, i don’t know what will.

then there’s the next race of mer, the chimer, who are DRASTICALLY different from the rest. they worship “demons” and value strife and political underhandedness. their evolution, the dunmer, worship living gods, who are all fairly unique to each other: there’s the most seemingly mundane, almalexia, who might appear at first as just a maternalistic queen (”mother morrowind,” after all), but has within her war and strife; sotha sil, who creates robots and shit and lives in a technologically advanced city in another realm; and vivec, who i hope i don’t have to explain as a pretty fucking unique god.

then there’s the chimer’s contemporaries, the dwemer, who are initially described as “dwarves” and “deep folk” to confuse you, but are actually a highly technologically advanced steampunk people who worship no gods, but instead value reason and logic and science above all else, and even go so far as to try to make themselves gods by tampering with the still-beating heart of a creator god.

then there’s the nords, who if you only played skyrim might seem just like normal vikings or some shit. but skyrim really fucked with the cultural and religious lore of the nords a lot. their chief god is a dragon god of destruction, who they worship to placate into not ending the world yet, and who once enslaved them all with his dragon army. the next most important god is literally dead and in heaven, but sometimes he gets brought back in different shapes to help the nord people. some of the other nord gods vaguely resemble other “normal” gods, seeming to have counterparts in other religions, but that’s bc those religions built their gods piecemeal, using the nordic gods as part of the ingredients.

then there’s the redguards, who are actually more like the more “tame” religions than you’d think. they have unique gods, for sure, and different names for shared ones, but ultimately they’re not too dissimilar from from, say, the religion of the altmer, save for name and aesthetic.

then there’s the orcs, who worship a “savage demon” god of war, or sometimes the same god as a “noble knight” god of war. their entire culture is founded on their oppression as “ugly” and “animals,” as well as their resistance to that oppression.

then there’s the fuckin khajiit who take a lot of the altmeri and bosmeri concepts and gods and completely flip them on their heads in very unique ways, mostly centered on their “cats” themes. there’s so much interesting about it, way more originality in approach than i have space to elaborate. i highly recommend reading “words of clan mother ahnissi”, which is really the fundamental text on khajiit religion.

then there’s the argonians who only worship one god of the other cultures, (the literal fucking void) and also the deific trees that give them life. this requires no further explanation as to why they’re pretty fucking unique.

there’s just so much diversity in culture in this series and it’s gradually being destroyed and homogenized into pretty run-of-the-mill boring fantasy tropes. these datamined khajiit books are another in recurring theme of homogenization. like, this might as well be a book on chimeri religion rephrased (in some parts, poorly) to include some “khajiit” flavor. it’s extremely disappointing, even though i suppose i shouldn’t be surprised. it started in oblivion, got a LOT worse in skyrim, and has been downhill since

[returnn-of-the-mac]

The companions (+ Maxson) talk to Sole about an annoying or boring subject and Sole screams Shut Up! 🤐

This one was a lot of fun! Sorry it took so long to complete! If I were a companion in this request, I think I would annoy Sole by fangirling over MCR. Other than that, I’m totally 100% Codsworth (tag yoself when you’re done reading). I also had to change some name brands to made-up pseudonyms to avoid copyright issues. I normally like to write a silent Sole, but this request kinda required a talking Sole. Anyway, please enjoy!😄 (also the movie nickname rq one should be out either tonight or tomorrow!)

FO4 Companions (+Maxson) React: Companions Rambling & Sole Telling Them to Shut Up

Sole’s eye twitched as their companion rambled on for the third day in a row about the same topic. As much as they adored their companion and admired their enthusiasm about the subject, they couldn’t take it anymore. A fed-up Sole stopped dead in their tracks, turned around, and snapped:

Strong:

“Shut up! I‘m done listening to you explain the best way to gut and cook rotting narwhal flesh,” Sole fumed, “I don’t care if you drench it in tato paste or barbecue blood. I’m never going to eat it, Strong. Never!”

Strong frowned, “No be mean human! Or no find milk! Be nice!”

“Strong, I’m sorry. I’m not eating a parasite-infested narwhal corpse.”

“Come on! Rotting horn whale taste like giant fish stick!”

Deacon:

”Shut up! I don’t want to hear about the benefits of changing the HQ password to DEACON IS COOL anymore,” Sole hissed, “Besides, there is a huge hole in your plan. You can’t even spell that with the letters available!”

“Woah there, calm down pal. I didn’t think of that,” Deacon mumbled. He quickly lit up, “But there’s nothing a little permanent marker can’t fix!”

“You think Desdemona isn’t going to notice black marker squiggles all over the door?”

Deacon scoffed, “Um, I’m not stupid. That’s why I’m going to use a brown marker, pal.”

Curie:

“Shut up! I can’t listen to you talk about spinal contusions and brain injuries anymore. It’s making me squeamish.”

Curie immediately stopped talking and her face fell.

“Curie, I’m sorry, I—“

“I’m sorry, [Madame/Monsieur],” the synth began, her eyes welling with tears, “I hope I didn’t upset you. I just find that topic fascinating.”

Gage:

“Shut up! I don’t care about all the pranks you’ve played on Mason. I don’t blame him for being pissed off.”

“Damn. Anyone teach ya manners, boss?” Gage scowled, “Anyway, what? Ya ain’t gonna appreciate the fact that I egged the furry bastard while he was ramblin some mumbo-jumbo-bullshit to his pack of loonies?”

Sole shook their head.

“Or that I lit a bag of Molerat shit on fire right on top of his pompous-ass throne?”

Sole shook their head again.

“Well, boss. You ain’t got no sense of humor, then.”

Piper:

“Shut up! I’m sick and tired about hearing about how Sturges is a synth,” Sole shouted, “I can get behind McDonough being a synth, but there is no way that Sturges is one.”

“But Blue, he has all the signs. He—“

“And so what? What do you want me to do? Even if he hypothetically is a synth, I’m not turning my back on him. I’m still friends with Danse and I’m not dead yet. Curie’s a synth and she’s a sweetheart. X6? Nick?”

Piper‘s face dropped for a moment, before glaring at Sole and turning her back.

Sole sighed, “Piper, I—“

“Don’t talk to me right now.,” The reporter hissed.

Longfellow:

“Shut up! I don’t care about the eight basic knots.”

Longfellow shook his head in disappointment, “I understand you’re sick of this old man bugging you about tying knots, but it is useful information. You never know when you could find yourself in a situation where you need to tie a good ol reef knot, or clove hitch!”

Longfellow pulled a small rope from out of his pocket and Sole sighed.

“Shall we attempt a figure-eight knot today?”

MacCready:

“Shut up! Stop talking about Santa Claus. I know you read about him in an old book we found but—“

MacCready stubbornly crossed his arms, “Oh yeah? I think you’re just being a snob. Some of us haven’t been lucky enough experienced this, [name]. How can you not obsess over a fat guy who spies on people to see if they’re good, breaks into homes, and leaves presents?That’s so cool!” He paused, “I…probably would’ve gotten coal though.”

Sole’s eyebrows furrowed, “Mac—“

“It’s a darn shame he had to die when the bomb dropped. He could’ve brought so much joy to the Commonwealth.”

“—he’s not real.”

MacCready’s jaw dropped, “But the books, the posters, the pictures…there’s so much evidence.”

“Marketing.”

MacCready shook his head in disappointment, “Pre-war Capitalist propaganda…”

Ada:

“Shut up! I already told you I don’t know what a Sara is. How am I supposed to understand what you’re talking about when you tell me you were a Sara prototype?”

“[Sir/Ma’am], like I said before: Sara was a virtual assistant software that was going to be implemented in all future Vault Tec electronic devices. It had a speech recognition engine that could assist users. My biggest flaw was that I could not translate into other languages. I was scraped and remained inactive in a dumpster for years before Jackson reprogrammed me.”

“I still can’t wrap my head around that technological advancement. It doesn’t seem real.”

“Yes, it was highly advanced. That is why it did not make its debut before the bombs dropped.”

Hancock:

“Shut up! I’m done listening to your crazy Daddy-O trip stories. If you hate the chem so much, why don’t you stop taking it?”

Hancock laughed, “Well, [brother/sister], my Daddy-O rides are a lot more fun to talk about than my Jet or Mentat highs,” he thought for a moment, “I mean, besides the time I solved the theory of Quantum Physics on a Mentat high— that was fuckin wild— but other than that it’s more entertaining to talk about the time I shoved an entire summer squash up my ass while on the Big D.”

Cait:

“Shut up! I wish we’d never found that copy of 40 Shades of Silver. Please stop talking about it.”

“Darlin, I never read. But I could not for the life of me put down that book,” Cait sighed, “It was so…wonderfully smutty.”

Sole grimaced.

“That lass really knows how to have a good time. Sounds like a fantasy of mine, gettin hot n dirty n aggressive like that.”

“Stop…”

“Why? Ain’t it a pleasure to talk about?”

Codsworth:

“Shut up! I don’t understand your obsession with Mr. Tidy Magic Erasers. You’ve been talking about them now for. Three. Days.”

Codsworth beamed, “Well, [sir/mum], you know what they say: there’s no tidy like Mr. Tidy!”

Sole rolled their eyes.

“Besides, have you seen how well those suckers eliminate stuck-on grease and grime from dishes,” Codsworth began, “Oh wait, you haven’t. That’s right. You don’t wash your own dishes.”

Preston:

“Shut up! I’m sick and tired of hearing about all the settlements that need our help. Maybe they‘d have a better chance of defending themselves if we didn’t coddle them.”

Preston crossed his arms, “How could you say that, General? I thought you truly embraced the values of the Minutemen.”

“I do Preston, but I think we just need to take a break.”

“Justice never rests. These settlements need us, General. I understand it’s exhausting, but we need to protect these innocent people from the dangers of the Commonwealth.”

Nick:

“Shut up! Please, no more dad jokes. I’m begging you, Nick,” Sole plead, “I’m…I’m annoyed.”

The detective chuckled, “Hi annoyed, I’m Nick Valentine. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Stop!”

“I’m not moving!”

Sole grunted in defeat at the detective wore a smug smirk, pleased by the outcome of his jokes.

Maxson:

“Shut up! I’m tired of hearing about the technological prowess of the Prydwen. It’s not that great. It’s just a blimp.”

“Show some respect,” Maxson growled, “And you think the Prydwen is just a blimp? How dare you deride the work of the prestigious mechanics who designed the Prydwen. It is my pride and joy. It is the most advanced vehicle in the Commonwealth.”

“Maybe you should get those prestigious mechanics to work on your Vertibird death traps.”

Maxson frowned, “Vertibird design overhauls are in the agenda. We just have more important projects to tackle before then…such as the redesign of my quarters,” Sole shook their head as Maxson pulled out a color card, “I’m thinking a Deep Ruby Maroon would feel more homey than the current Grumpy Grunt Grey I currently have. But I also like Apple Cider Brown. What do you think?”

Danse:

“Shut up! Can we please just talk about something other than the Fancy Lad Snack cakes?” Sole pled.

“First of all, don’t talk to me like that, soldier. That’s blatant disrespect and I will not tolerate it,” Danse barked.

“Sorry…”

“Second, that Courser friend of yours is out of his damn mind. How can any sane individual honestly believe that strawberry Fancy Lads are superior to vanilla ones?”

“Each to their own?”

“That only pertains to subjective topics. This argument— if we can even call it that— is a solid fact and therefore cannot be disputed.”

X6-88:

“Shut up! What is with synths and Fancy Lad snack cakes? You’ve been raving about them for three days.”

“Hey, now. I suggest you calm down,” X6 warned, “A lot of people— such as your Brotherhood friend— like the vanilla cakes, [sir/ma’am], but the real delicacy are the strawberry cakes with chocolate icing.”

“Does it really matter who likes what flavor?”

“Yes. This is an urgent matter. We should not have to dispute this to be completely honest. It is a fact that strawberry Fancy Lads are superior to vanilla ones.”

[k-renne]

Ok, so going off your Clyde imagine....let's say he does get the courage to Finally engage in conversation. And then a few weeks later he has just enough courage to ask her out...fast forward a few dates (bc let's face it Clyde is a gentleman and isn't going to take her to bed on the first date) and his fantasy comes true ....how hit is that going to be????

That’s also how I would see Clyde dating, maybe one night he’s feeling confident enough to talk to you and something starts slowly from there. It’s hard for me to seriously see him bedding someone on the first date (I’ve written some stuff where it’s fast but we’re not counting that). I think he’s the type of man who really values getting to know a person, and he just needs it to be comfortable enough to be intimate with another person. This is how I see things going with him.

You decided to drop by and surprise Clyde on his night off, you hoped he wouldn’t mind. You ended up getting out of your shift early and decided to stop by his place instead of going straight home, if anything to just say a quick hello. The door was open so you let yourself in, calling out to Clyde as you wandered through his trailer. Jimmy just grins when he sees you, knowing his little brother is in for a real treat. 

“Hey, you here to see my brother?”

“Yes I am, is he around?” 

“In fact he is, just reading a book in his room or somethin’. I don’t really know what he gets up to when he spends so much time in is room, and I don’t like to ask.” Jimmy shakes his head. 

“Oh you don’t think he’d mind if I said hello then, we weren’t planning on seeing each other today I just got off work early and I thought it’d be nice.”

Jimmy just smiles again, happy knowing someone pretty is wanting to see his brother like you are. Clyde had a thing for you for a long time too, and now something was finally happening between the two of you. “Oh I don’t think he’d mind at all, you don’t even have to knock. His door is just at the end of the hall, I’m gonna go out for a few hours I got some errands to run. Give y’all some privacy.” 

“Jimmy you don’t have to do that we’ll be just fine,” You flush, thinking of being alone with Clyde in his home. 

Jimmy just laughed and shook his head, got up to leave anyways. “Have fun, don’t make a mess and use protection!” 

Once he closed the door behind him you headed on towards Clyde’s room, about to knock but hesitating once you remembered what Jimmy said. You opened the door to see Clyde, pants undone down his thighs and his shirt slightly exposing his belly, his hand jerking his cock as he moaned your name. So lost in his pleasure he continued, and you couldn’t tear your eyes from his flushed dick. Just the sheer size of it alone had your mouth watering, it was just so big and thick. 

The fan in his room had muted his moans, and your entrance. Clyde’s eyes were shut tight as he imagined you, a fantasy of fucking you over the bar counter. “Ah yes that’s right sweetheart, fuck ya have such a perfect pussy mmm-fuck I want it so bad.” 

“Clyde…” You couldn’t help but gasp at his words, suddenly calling attention to your presence.

His eyes snapped open, panic filling them in realization. He scrambled to cover himself, face growing hot with shame. “Ah shit-no! M’so sorry ya shouldn’t have to see that, fuck sweetheart how long have ya been standin’ there?” Clyde held a pillow over his lap, still very aware of his dick twitching for attention, to see you standing there. 

“Um long enough-but it’s okay I don’t mind,” You say quickly. 

Clyde’s eyes almost bug out of his head, “You don’t mind? Don’t think I’m some sorta pervert?”

“No, I should’ve knocked. But, I mean it’s only natural…I do it too,” You admit, trying to make him feel less embarrassed. 

Clyde licked his lips, the thought of you touching yourself like that was something hot that his mind very much enjoyed thinking about. “You do it too?” He asked, his voice lowering. 

“Oh now don’t make me talk about it,” You squirm, embarrassed. You’d kissed Clyde, but the two of you haven’t gotten much further than that. 

Clyde brought his hand up to scratch the back of his neck, “Well-do ya like it?” His eyes searched your face for validation. 

“L-like what?”

“Ya know…” He looked down at his lap. He wanted to know what you thought of him, now that you saw it. 

Your face felt hotter than ever as you nodded, biting your lip. Excitement jumped in Clyde’s chest, and suddenly he became eager for a lot more with his arousal jutting against the soft fabric of the pillow. “Would ya like to see it again, I know it ain’t the prettiest thing in the world sweetheart but I don’t think it’s gonna get any less hard with ya here.” 

Your lips parted in surprise for a moment, “Okay,” you said softly. Clyde patted the space next to him on the bed and you sat next to him. 

“Oh c’mere,” He looked down at you, softly kissing your lips as you inched closer. He hummed as he kissed you, pulling back with a loving expression. You couldn’t help but steal another kiss from him, cupping his sweet face in your hands, you noticed the pillow lifting out of the corner of your eye. You pulled away to look at him, nodding again. 

Clyde gently placed the pillow to the side, his cock jumping back up to attention. It looked even bigger up close and you couldn’t help but stare. Clyde was gazing at you, reading your reaction to him. The way you were staring at him with such fascination, he could feel more precum dribble from the head of his cock. 

“Here,” Clyde took your hand in his, guiding it to wrap around his length, his breath getting shaky as your finger tips grazed over him. “I can show ya, if you’d like darlin’.” He looks at you, eyes hopeful. 

“Please.” You nodded. 

Clyde grinned, this was already better than any of his fantasies. “Just hold your hand like this, don’t be afraid to be a little rough sweetheart.” He spoke softly to you, having you slowly work your hand up and down his length. You concentrated as you tightened your grip around him, letting out a breath as his cock pulsed in your hand. Something about holding him like this, as he coached you with sweet words-it made you start to feel wet. 

As Clyde guided you back up to the pace he was stroking at, he took his hand away and slid it around your waist. “Just-keep going like that sweetheart. Fuck you’re doing so good with me, ya gotta let me know if ya don’t like a mess. Keep goin’ like that and I’ll cum all over your hand.” Clyde said with his voice tight. 

“Y-you can cum on me,” You replied. 

Clyde just let out a groan, tilting his head to place a kiss on your neck. “So good,” He spoke against your skin, his hot breath fanning your collar. 

You let your hand do the work as you gave Clyde a kiss, his tongue desperately seeking your mouth. You smiled at him when you parted, and he just had a look on his face that let you know that he was completely gone. Both of you watched as you twisted your wrist up and down his cock, barely able to get your whole hand around him. 

Clyde started to babble on the closer he got, “Mmm sweetheart you’re workin’ me so good, only reason I been like this is cause of you. Ya make my dick so fuckin’ hard, s’not even polite.”  

You laid a quick kiss over his beard, Clyde panting now. “Ahh-sweetheart-mmm,” He moaned as hot jets of cum spilled over your fist, some shooting so far it landed on your cheeks. 

You brought your cum covered hand to your face, tongue darting out to get a taste of him. Clyde just moaned all over again. “Darlin’ fuck I made a real big mess of you know-look at you-ah it’s on your face!” Clyde’s eyes widened, getting himself all worked up all over again. “Y-you look so pretty right now-can’t even describe it.” He shook his head. 

He cupped your dirtied cheek in his hand, leaning in to nuzzle you. “You better believe I got something to give to you in return sweetheart, don’t even think otherwise.”