#the actors feel like they *are* the characters

[lacependragon]

The first three things he does as Superman in this trailer:

Ask for help while vulnerable and be grateful for it.

Protect a child from a deadly disaster in a very gentle and soft way.

Fly.

Superman is fucking BACK baby.

David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent

Superman (2025) dir. James Gunn

[thankskenpenders]

Thoughts on Sonic 3!

On December 10th, 2018, I was on the last day of a trip to Milwaukee. The night before, I'd attended the wedding of one of my best friends, Jake, who I've known since high school. Even though half of us were sick the whole trip, it was a great time. Derek had asked the wedding DJ to play "One Week" as the first request of the night, and proceeded to lip sync the entire song on the dance floor. On that cold winter morning in a hotel room hundreds of miles from home, Derek and I groggily checked Twitter on our phones and saw the shocking news: Paramount had teased the design for Sonic from their upcoming live action film. Even in silhouette, the shape of his face and the realistic curvature of his limbs made him look like a grotesque little homunculus. This movie was going to suck.

Six years later, I've now seen the third entry in what's become a hugely successful Sonic film franchise. It features Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog in a fairly faithful adaptation of his story from Sonic Adventure 2. At the time of writing, it currently sits at a whopping 86% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, vying for the title of the best-reviewed theatrically released video game movie of all time. Critics are saying nice things about the emotional journey of Shadow the Hedgehog. Never in a million years did I think I'd see this day.

I, too, have now seen this movie, and... yeah, it's pretty good.

I'm gonna get deep into spoilers here, so I'll just say up front that I liked the movie. It feels like just about the best possible execution of this version of Sonic. But that's also damning it with faint praise, depending on who you ask.

If you're a fan of the games who didn't like the second movie, you probably won't get much out of this one, either, unless you just really love Shadow so much that nothing else in the movie matters to you. It doesn't reinvent the wheel for this film series. It's still got a heaping helping of broad comedy, cheap pop culture references, bad one-liners, and characterization that diverges greatly from the source material. This is not high art, nor is it a direct adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2. If you're the kind of person who hates this portrayal of Sonic and Eggman, or a lore nerd who'll hate that they let Shadow do Chaos Control without an Emerald, then just don't bother with this.

On the other hand, if you did enjoy the last movie, then you'll probably have a fun time here, too. Shadow is very cool. The action is the best it's ever been. There's a bit more focus on characters from the games, and less on human characters invented for the movies—with the exception of Agent Stone, who's in this a lot because everyone likes him. There's a lot of SA2 fanservice. They even play "Live and Learn." It's a fun time! Be sure to stick around through the end credits.

And now, to dig deeper, let's get into the spoilers! I'm gonna jump around a lot and talk about different aspects of the movie, spoiling everything along the way.

Shadow and his reams of lore

Here's the main thing you came for: Shadow is great in this! They really did him justice. Keanu Reeves is extremely solid in the role. He can be a bit flat as an actor sometimes, but I think he did well here. He can be tough and menacing, but he can also be earnest and emotionally vulnerable. Good casting call. Excited at the prospect of seeing more of him in the future.

Really, as a Sonic Lore Nerd I'm most interested in discussing the changes they made to Shadow's backstory. I'm sure there will be many fans upset with the changes, but for the sake of streamlining a complicated backstory that was subject to a bunch of retcons and multiple layers of amnesia and fitting it into a 110-minute movie, I think they generally made smart choices.

For one, Gerald didn't create Shadow using Black Arms DNA, because Gerald didn't create Shadow at all! Instead, Shadow arrived on Earth inside a meteor, and Gerald was merely the prominent GUN scientist who studied him after he was captured. (That meteor does have very strong Black Arms vibes, though, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of them exploring that stuff in the future.) This simplifies things a lot and allows Shadow to be a direct foil for Sonic, kind of a version of our hero who was treated as a lab rat and lost the only human he considered family instead of finding happiness like Sonic has. Then later Shadow hurts Tom and Sonic wants revenge, and it mirrors Shadow's feelings about Maria, and after they fight they can empathize with each other over this, Shadow sees the error of his ways and helps save the world, yada yada yada. You get it. People predicted 95% of this movie's plot from the trailers, but it's effective.

Likewise, all of the stuff about creating Shadow as the ultimate life form who's immune to all disease to cure Maria's illness is completely cut out. Shadow's still called the ultimate life form, but he's treated as more of an energy source than a genetic research project here, playing off of the stuff about Eggman wanting to harness Sonic's natural Chaos Energy in the movies. The original intent behind the ultimate life form project was always hard to explain in the games and doesn't even come up that much, so I don't blame them for cutting it.

Because Gerald isn't doing genetic experiments and creating artificial life, the Biolizard also doesn't exist. It does, however, appear in an old monster movie Shadow and Maria watch in a montage, with Shadow later commenting that he worries he's a monster like the one he saw in the movie. That's a clever way to include it, I think.

The ARK sort of exists. There was no space colony back in the '70s, all of the events of Shadow's flashbacks just took place at a secret GUN base on Earth. Fair enough for a version of the story ostensibly set in the real world. The big space laser in the third act of the film is obviously supposed to evoke the ARK, but it's referred to as simply the Eclipse Cannon. It's still not a full-blown space colony, just a weapon of mass destruction Gerald designed for GUN in exchange for his release (while also secretly planning to use it to blow up the planet in an act of revenge). I am, however, pleased to report that the Eclipse Cannon still has a giant Eggman face on it.

And as for Maria: I like her in this! She's obviously not going to get a ton of screentime, and she's always going to be a very straightforward character, but she's more playful and lively here. She teases Shadow for being grumpy and plays with him a lot. She feels less like this perfect embodiment of everything good and pure in the world and more like an actual kid. She's still not a complex character, but it works.

And the most important question: do they show a child getting shot and killed by the military? The answer is almost. In the flashback, GUN soldiers chase Maria, Shadow, and Gerald and ready their guns, but the young Commander Walters (who's in his 20s rather than being a kid) grabs them and tries to stop them from firing on a child. In the chaos, a soldier fires, missing Maria but hitting a generator that then blows up and kills Maria. So, y'know, close enough I suppose.

So, yes, many of the details change here, but they captured the gist of Shadow's story from SA2. The emotional core is there. I will say, though, I almost feel like Shadow isn't in this movie as much as I thought he'd be? I think he's used effectively in all of his scenes, and they make room for his backstory, and BOY does he get to kick ass in his fights, but for much of the middle part of the movie he's overshadowed by Ivo and Gerald. Though this might be a compromise to leave more screentime for...

Tails and Knuckles

I'm relieved to report that Tails and Knuckles both get a good amount of cool stuff to do in this! They don't feel like an afterthought.

I was worried that Tails in particular would completely fall by the wayside, since even his debut movie didn't entirely know what to do with him. But he's good here. He pretty much just feels like the Tails from the games at this point, especially since they dropped that fawning admiration he had for Sonic with that running gag of him going "Only Sonic the Hedgehog could do that!" He often chimes in as the one who wants Team Sonic to stick together when Sonic and Knuckles bicker. He particularly gets to shine in the Mission Impossible-inspired heist sequence at the GUN headquarters in London that serves as the climax of the second act, which feels like it was tailor made to let him shine as the tech guy of the team. He also gets several opportunities to swoop in and catch someone for a save in an action scene. He's good in this!

Knuckles is... fine. He's definitely fallen into the role of the comic relief dumb bruiser since joining the good guys, but he's at least a little better than he was in his own streaming show. The jokes lean more into him just being really brash about his strength and skill, rather than him being this archaic warrior who doesn't understand anything about the modern world. He also gets a few more serious bits in the back third of the movie where he gets to shine a little more, so overall it evens out to him being fine. They could've done way worse.

As for the relevance of the Knuckles show: Knuckles is now said to be the guardian of the Master Emerald, like in the games, though with no Angel Island this amounts to him hiding it somewhere for safekeeping. It's eventually revealed that he just gave it to Wade, who gets exactly one scene (sorry, Wade-heads) for a joke about him using the Master Emerald as a hockey puck. So, the miniseries explained why Knuckles has a connection with Wade. That's it! Also I think Knuckles might use the Flames of Disaster a bit in fights, but they never called the technique out by name, so I never really thought about it. So, yeah, the six-episode streaming miniseries about Wade bowling has zero meaningful relevance to the Shadow movie. Who could have seen this coming?

Miscellaneous humans

For that matter, the human supporting cast is MASSIVELY downplayed in this one. Tom and Maddie are there for two key sequences (the beginning of the movie and the GUN HQ heist), but otherwise they disappear for long stretches of the movie. They don't go to Japan in act I, nor do they go to space in act III, and there's no subplot for them during those periods, either. There's nothing like the wedding subplot in Sonic 2 where they'd constantly cut back to Hawaii for comic relief with the humans and only reveal why this was relevant to the plot near the end. (There's also no random dance battle in Siberia.) If a human character is here, it's because they have something to contribute to the plot right away. Most people will probably consider this an improvement, and I'd certainly say it makes for a much tighter script, though I have to remind everyone that I thought the wedding being a GUN sting operation was such a funny twist that I'm a defender of the Hawaii subplot.

On the subject of Tom, something funny I've noticed is that they've just completely downplayed the fact that Tom and Wade are cops. Tom being a cop never comes up once. Wade being a cop only gets referenced via the fact that he's practicing hockey on the roof of the police station in his one scene, but he's not in uniform or anything. They clearly got the memo that we don't want Sonic to hang out with cops.

Here's something else funny: Rachel and Randall got character posters, but they're actually not in the movie! Not technically, anyway. During the heist sequence at GUN HQ, Tom and Maddie use some gadgets Tails invented to holographically disguise themselves as those other characters. But the real Rachel and Randall never show up in the flesh. It's a very odd way to shoehorn the actors into the movie. (Jojo is also absent. They did not give her Amy's role of being the girl who reminds Shadow of Maria. Instead they just let Sonic have the big heart to heart with Shadow that makes him switch sides.)

You know who IS in this movie? Krysten Ritter. Not as the voice of Rouge, as the fandom once hoped, but as a director for GUN. She gets like three scenes and she feels completely checked out the whole time. Can't say I blame her! She's not really a character, just a plot necessity. Commander Walters dies in Japan but gives Sonic one of two keycards needed to activate the Eclipse Cannon, and then Ritter's character assumes Sonic stole it and labels him a bad guy. So that's why they have to break into GUN HQ in the second act instead of just talking things out with them. Still, I am at least relieved that Sonic doesn't work with GUN for most of the movie.

I gotta be honest: when Walters pulled a credit card-shaped object out of his pocket, I thought he was about to give Sonic another Olive Garden gift card as his final act before dying. Part of me wishes that happened.

The supporting human character in this who really gets to shine is Agent Stone, which I'm sure most fans will agree was the correct choice. There's a LOT of Agent Stone in this. He's good. I don't have much to say about him, but he's fun as usual.

But, of course, the ones who steal the show are Jim Carrey, and his costar Jim Carrey.

The Robotniks

I've gone back and forth on whether or not I can actually see movie Robotnik as Robotnik. I think with this third and final entry in the Jim Carrey Robotnik Trilogy, I've landed on... yeah, that's just Jim Carrey playing a Jim Carrey character. He's absolutely having fun with the role, and I enjoyed watching him, but I think a lot of that comes down to the fact that I'm a millennial who grew up watching Jim Carrey movies. If you didn't like him before, this movie will probably be nails on a chalkboard to you, because now there are two of him.

Ivo's arc here leans very heavily into the fact that he grew up as an orphan and never knew his family, a thing offhandedly mentioned in the first movie that's never been a thing for any other version of the character. Here, he learns that he has a living grandfather who's also a mad scientist, and it feels like a hole in his heart has been filled. It certainly makes sense for a place to take this version of the character, and it fits with the movie's themes of finding and losing family, but the cartoonish, childlike affection Ivo feels towards Gerald and all the scenes of them frolicking and dancing together have basically nothing to do with the characters from the games. He's a fun villain for this movie, but he's overwhelmingly used as comic relief this time rather than as a serious threat. He doesn't particularly feel like Sega's Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the arch nemesis of Sonic the Hedgehog who'd take over the world with an army of robots and a fleet of airships in the span of a day if Sonic wasn't around to stop him. He's a guy who lives in a big crab robot and has some drones. He has more in common with Carrey's depictions of the Grinch or the Riddler or Count Olaf than Dr. Eggman. Though he does, at least, finally get his outfit from the games by the end of the movie. So that's something. And also he's in a fat suit now. They only make jokes at the expense of his weight a little. Hooray...?

Gerald, meanwhile, is... largely the same character as movie Eggman, but older, so they can make jokes about him having saggy flesh and smelling funny and needing dentures. (Also, his voice kind of sounds like Homer Simpson sometimes?) To his credit, Carrey absolutely nails the handful of more serious scenes Gerald gets, whether it's Maria's death or his sinister turn when he reveals that he actually wants to destroy the Earth. But then it's right back to goofs about there being two of the same guy. Even the final battle features a lot of slapstick shenanigans with the two Robotniks fighting each other. I was able to enjoy the absurdity of it all, but if the humor doesn't land for you the dual Jim Carrey schtick is a hell of a lot of the movie. I wouldn't be surprised if there was more Gerald than Shadow in the movie, when you go and tally up their screentime. I was able to enjoy the sheer absurdity of it, but your mileage will vary.

I will, however, say that the split screen stuff they do with the two Carreys is EXTREMELY impressive, from a filmmaking perspective. They were absolutely flexing with their ability to pull the effect off. They don't rely on cheap tricks like cutting a lot, or having shot/reverse shot scenes where you're looking at the back of a body double's head. Instead they have a lot of long takes where the two Robotniks are talking to each other, you can see both of their faces, and they'll even hug and touch each other a lot, and the whole time the conversation maintains a natural pace like it really is two actors playing off of each other. It's really well done. It's an incredibly silly idea, but boy did they commit to it.

Sonic

I've hardly said anything about Sonic himself in all of this. It's his movie, isn't it! Well... I don't know, he's fine.

I feel like movie Sonic is a known quantity at this point, and either you like this take on the character or you don't. There was some speculation early on that this was supposed to be a younger Sonic who would grow into being the character we know from the games and comics, the one who's still got lots of quips but is also kind of aloof and cool, a free spirit who goes where the wind takes him, a figure the other characters look up to. And... no, that didn't happen. Once again he gets more serious as the stakes are raised, and he's totally badass when he goes Super, but the rest of the time he's still a little goober with tons of generic one-liners who learns schmaltzy lessons about the importance of family. He's still constantly going to undercut the tension of most scenes by cracking a pop culture reference that will make the average American parent go "haha I've heard of that." I don't think they're ever gonna change that. I think this just what the writers think Sonic is like.

And, again, for what it is, it's fine. He's a little annoying. You already know how you feel about movie Sonic. This third entry won't change that. But they do, at least, have him say "Talk about low budget flights, no food or movies... I'm outta here!" before jumping out of a helicopter. As my thoughts on the climax will show, I am not immune to fanservice.

The climax

God, the climax is SOOOOO fucking good. It's fantastic. Easily the best action these movies have ever done.

Rather than saving Super Shadow for the team-up with Sonic at the end, they have both of them go Super to fight each other first, and they just go full DBZ with it, fighting across the entire planet. It absolutely rules. I think this is the new coolest fight the two of them have had in anything ever. And then they have to stop the Eclipse Cannon together, and sure, there's no Biolizard. But Gerald DOES release a swarm of GUN Hunter robots, and the ensuing space battle turns into some Gundam shit. It's good! It's so good!!! The movie's flaws kind of melt away for me here when I'm watching Super Shadow take out an army of robots with Chaos Spears on the big screen. What a timeline we're living in.

And yes, they play "Live and Learn." They had to. They knew the assignment. They actually play a slight remix, but it's still got the original vocals, so it's perfectly recognizable. Actually, the tune of the song is used as a leitmotif for Shadow throughout the movie, first introduced via an acoustic guitar version played by Maria, and I really love that. I've been begging these movies to use more music from the games the whole time, and I'm glad they finally did so here. (They also use the traditional level clear jingle early in the film, and Eggman's theme from SA2 is very briefly used as a ringtone.)

... Anyway, uh, meanwhile Eggman, Tails, and Knuckles straight up just kill Gerald to save the world? They unceremoniously knock him into an energy field at the end of their slapstick fight aboard the Eclipse Cannon and he disintegrates like he hit a bugzapper. It's over in an instant. It's not graphic or anything, but it's, like... I didn't expect them to show it, or for it to be such a casual murder! Eggman has one quip about it and then immediately moves on.

Shortly after this, Eggman and Shadow sacrifice themselves to stop the Eclipse Cannon. Shadow's sacrifice doesn't stick, obviously (he's revealed to be alive by the end of the second stinger—pretend to be shocked), but Eggman's probably dead dead. I seriously doubt Jim Carrey's gonna come out of retirement for these movies again. His final moments before the big explosion are also SO dragged out and belabored. He has a dramatic final line like ten times in a row. It really just feels like the series saying goodbye to Carrey. And, again, it feels like a fitting enough end for this Eggman's arc, but it's an odd adaptation of the character from the games.

And so, that's what we're left with. This is far from Sonic Adventure 2: The Movie. It's not that, though there are many, many references made to that game in particular. It's a sequel to the film Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that has a similar tone and style, but Shadow and Gerald are in it, and Shadow gets some really cool fights, and there's a liiiiiittle more focus on stuff from the games than last time, and the script's a little tighter. If that sounds fun to you, you will have fun with this. I know I did. If it doesn't, you're probably better off waiting for them to inevitably do an animated reboot whenever this live action series runs out of steam.

It hasn't quite run out of steam yet, though...

The post-credits scenes, and the future

One of the big questions going into this was: what's next? How do they top a Shadow movie with heavy Sonic Adventure 2 overtones, in terms of hype for the fans? How do you fill Eggman's shoes after Carrey retires, for real this time? There are still more fan favorite rival characters to get through, but how many movies in a row can they introduce a furry foe for Sonic who inevitably turns good and helps him stop a larger threat by the end? And when the hell are we gonna see the girls?

Well, we now have our answer, and it's one I'm cautiously excited for: a whole army of Metal Sonics, and Amy!

Yes, Amy! Finally!! It's an absolute crime that we've gone three whole movies and a streaming miniseries without including the female lead of the series. I've complained about this ad nauseum (and also the fact that they cut Rouge from the story). But at least now they're finally doing something about it.

But now the question is, how will they characterize Amy? Sega's struggled with her for years, and there's a million different directions you can take her. Her one scene here has her smashing a bunch of Metal Sonics and wearing a cloak for the sake of a dramatic reveal, which gives her the vibes of a mysterious, badass action girl. This is, of course, completely different from how Sonic and Amy met in the games. What will her personality be like? She doesn't speak here, so who will they get to play her? Where did she come from? Will she even have a crush on Sonic? All of these have yet to be determined. So, like, I'm hyped to finally see Amy, a character who should've been in the movies from the start, but they could so easily end up playing it safe with an incredibly boring girlboss version of Amy who's no fun at all. We'll have to wait and see.

(My prediction: they're going to try to cast either Zendaya or Ariana as Amy.)

Metal Sonic, likewise, is very exciting, and he looks perfect. He looks just like the design from the games. But the question is: what will they do with this army of Metals? Will they be lead by one main Metal Sonic, perhaps Neo Metal Sonic, who gets to be a proper bad guy? Will they take some cues from Sonic CD, Heroes, and the OVA, or do something completely original? Where did they come from? Were they activated as a failsafe after Eggman died? Did they and Amy come from some sort of bad future, riffing on Sonic CD's time travel? Will they explore the fact that Metal wants to be the one and only Sonic? Or will they just be an army of disposable robot grunts for Sonic and friends to mow down like it's a Dynasty Warriors game, while some other villain takes center stage?

It could go so many different ways, and some prospects are more exciting than others. I mean, the Knuckles show had endless possibilities for what it could do with him, and none of the options on my bingo card were "Pachacamac's ghost tells him to help Wade win a bowling tournament." And while I'm a sicko who thinks it's funny that the Knuckles show is what it is, forgive me for keeping my hype about Amy and Metal Sonic in check here until we learn more.

Regardless of what they do, it'll still be hard to top the hype of Shadow, and it'll be hard to fill Jim Carrey's shoes for general audiences. So despite this clear statement of intent, I have no idea what the future of this film franchise holds. But regardless of what they do, I can say one thing for certain: the kids in my theater were hyped as hell for it. They popped off over Metal Sonic, and they were screaming their heads off with excitement over Amy. I heard a teenage girl on the opposite end of my row of seats say "finally!" over Amy's reveal, verbalizing my exact thoughts. She also said that this movie was "peak," though it diverged from the games, and she hoped they'd do a movie with Silver and Blaze someday.

The kids are gonna be okay.

[moghedien]

Kinda crazy to think about Ariana Grande fulfilling her childhood dream of playing blorbo from her shows and getting praise for her portrayal even from her detractors and using her platform to push Gelphie constantly. Me, I had no opinion about her casting before and now I would be honored to die alongside her in the lesbian Glinda/Gelphie trenches

girl I was one of the detractors

maybe not really as much as some people were. my honest thoughts of her were neutral with negative leanings, and my only positive thought on the matter was "well at least she comes from theater"

like I didn't think she specifically was going to ruin the movie, but I just kinda had no hope for the movie being decent whatsoever and she didn't help the matter in my mind. like I told everyone who asked me that the movie was gonna be bad and I've never been so happy to eat my own words and be very very wrong

and like it isn't just her spreading lesbian glinda propaganda that thrills me but just any time she talks about glinda its just so clear how much she understands and cares about this character and it feels so so so nice to have like the actor herself not just getting how seriously people take that but taking that so seriously herself

anyway I got recommended this video on youtube this morning

[itsgivingmami]

Heyy I was wondering if you could maybe write Rhea Ripley having a famous girlfriend?

Like they would talk about each other in interviews and such…

Love!! Hope you enjoy! Thanks for the request💛

The Public Eye- Rhea Ripley

Rheas leg bounces impatiently behind the conference table, the lights in the room feel altogether too bright and if she has to answer another dumb question from someone who doesn’t even watch the content they produce she might launch over the table at them.

“So Rhea,” she takes a deep breath and looks to where a man in a poorly fitted button down has a hand up, “how are you going to celebrate your win tonight?” She pretends to contemplate but she has a plan and is getting more and more antsy to get there.

“I have a date,” she boasts and the room erupts as people question her who it is and where shes going. She grins cheekily as she stands from the folding chair and makes her way behind the curtain. Her belt thrown over her shoulder she walks down the halls smugly, pausing for a moment as her phone buzzes in the waist band of her gear.

Babygirl: is it really a date if we’re just going to watch horror movies on the couch?

~

She racks her weights and turns back to her phone, hearts and text filling the screen as her fans watch her live workout. Compliments about her tattoos, questions about the dogs and plain old thirst commentary. She smiles at the depravity of her fans and answers a couple questions.

“What did I do this weekend?” She repeats and hums, “I took my girl to set Saturday morning, cleaned the house and then picked her up, we both had the day off Sunday,”

Her chat starts scrolling faster as her viewers start discussing you. Talking about your last movie or how cute the two of you are together.

“She’s your favourite actor?” Rhea chuckles and quickly double checks around her as if she weren’t home alone, she leans in close to the camera to whisper, “mine too,”

~

The flashes are blinding as you smile looking at them before turning to look at Rhea. Head to toe in a three piece black suit you regret picking out, she’s far too tempting in it. She’s got a firm arm around your waist but you suspect it’s more for her own comfort than yours. She had been on red carpets before but not nearly as many as you and being the lead in the film you were currently at the premiere for you hadn’t had half a second to breathe.

“You’re sure you want to come?” You ask her as you toss a couple dresses onto the bed next to her. It’s not that you don’t want her too, in-fact, you’d love nothing more than an opportunity to show her off but even you got overwhelmed by them sometimes. She reaches for your waist and pulls you between her legs as she stares up at you, your concerned expression makes her grin at you.

“Mhm,” she hums and you run a hand over her hair, “I wanna support my baby,” she tells you honestly and you lean down to kiss her. The emotion rushes over you in waves, feeling incredibly lucky to have the woman in front of you.

~

“Congratulations on the success of your new film,” the interviewer says to you and you smile at her. “It really is a beautiful piece of work,”

“Thank you that’s so kind,” you adjust in your chair, gently pulling your skirt down a little further.

“Of course,” she smiles again and looks down to her notes, “you can tell you put a lot of emotion and really felt your character that must’ve been difficult,”

“It can be,” you confess, some days it was harder to break character and return from that dark place, “but I have a really great support system,” you explain and the interviewer listens attentively, a nice reprieve from the shallow ones.

“You have a partner right?” She questions and you feel your heart flutter, a feeling that had never really stopped despite being together months now.

“Rhea,” you fill in for her, “she’s incredible and she understands the whole fame side of things, I’m so lucky to call her mine,”

~

“Got somewhere to be?” Damian’s question makes Rhea look away from the wall clock and he tries to stretch out his quads.

“No I just want to make sure I’m available, just in case,” she explains and Damian’s furrows his brows in confusion.

“Available for wh-“ the loud ringer of Rheas phone cuts him off and she sprints towards the corner of the practice ring. She accepts your FaceTime and she’s greeted by your teary eyes and your hand over your mouth.

“Hi love,” she greets, ready to tell Damian she needs to go until your hand falls and she sees the smile gracing your lips.

“Four nominations,” you mutter to her still in disbelief, you had hung up on your agent moments ago once she told you the news to call Rhea.

“Four,” Rhea repeats and you nod before she squats down and throws her hand over her mouth, you giggle realising she’s picking up on your habits. “FOUR OSCAR NOMINATIONS!”

You giggle at her and sigh happily, allowing some of the stress you’d been holding waiting for that call to leave you as you fall back on the couch. Rhea watches you in pure admiration, proud of you beyond explanation and relieved to see your skills be valued how they should. Some partners might see it as a threat, to date someone so famous but to her it only adds a layer of connection between you too.

Damian wanders away to chat with someone as he hears you and Rhea, the latter completely forgetting about his existence. He can’t complain, not when his best friend has clearly found the love of her life.

a/n: quick shout out to @possessedmagpie for the help brainstorming, go check out their book!

[larkspur777]

Absolutely.  I think that input from actors is so important.  I feel like they often end up understanding the characters more than the writers themselves.  Like, it’s so awesome that Maya Hawke and Natalia Dyer ship Robin and Nancy.  Same for Maleficent and Diaval’s actors.  And I love how Jenna Ortega seems to be very in tune with Wednesday Addams, and doesn’t plan to have romance for her character in S2.

don't mind me i'm thinking about how Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Tom "Iceman" Kazansky are both CANONICALLY QUEER.

That's right folks, you read that correctly. I present to you the evidence:

Regarding Iceman, we all knew he was gay, because Val Kilmer himself literally confirmed it in an interview for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (he talked about his role as a gay character in the film and said that it wasn't his first; he admitted top gun was his first gay role.)

And for Maverick, the canon evidence was in the original Top Gun itself - in a scene that SO many people overlook. At the o-club scene, Goose tells Maverick when they're making a bet that Maverick "must have carnal knowledge, of a woman this time."

That line right there implies that Maverick has hit on people before that AREN'T women-- because if Maverick was completely straight, why would Goose need to specify that Maverick needs to hit on a woman this time?

The amount of queerness in this film AMAZES ME. And it's not subtle, quiet things only certain people can catch. ITS OUT THERE. So, with Mav and Ice being canonically queer, it's safe to assume Icemav actually had feelings for each other, from all of the very homoerotic scenes they had in the first movie and hell, even TGM.

Tldr: Iceman and Maverick are both canonically lgbt+ and Icemav is literally canon. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.

[itslikesearcingforsomething]

elephant in the room

now if we’re being serious, what is about to happen with stranger things is incredibly important for queer people all around the world in our reality today. i’m not comparing it to legal actions but representation is extremely significant and sometimes even more than reforms, because being queer legally doesn’t equal being socially acceptable. with that, i’d like to make my point clear, stranger things has the opportunity to make a real impact on current state of society.

i don’t say anything about actors here, because it’s not what my blog is about, but i would betray my own beliefs and appear hypocritical if i won’t mention one issue, actor that plays the most important character in this context being a zionist, that makes a lot of people hard to relate and feel for will byers, wich is valid. we’re people and we feel conflicted about most things in life, especially when it comes to politics, everything is political. i know that majority of our byler fandom supports this actor, i don’t. i won’t discuss this, but read the rest, it’s not my main point.

with that being said, stranger things just ended filming. no matter what we think, writers already did the thing. honest to heart, i’m really anxious. i’m stressed out thinking how did they handle everything? how did they make a choice, what kind of? ten years of hard work and millions of viewers, the stakes are high. i feel like stranger things in s5 will do a lot of tip toeing around, slowly getting GA warmer and warmer for the big “plot” wich is byler endgame. they have a lot of work and pressure, it leaves me wondering how good they did. they have to make will byers very likeable, so everyone can empathise with him, root for him. they have to make mike’s subtle internal conflict (for byler audience it’s clear) really well written and direct at the same time. they have to make mileven break up right, without damaging characters of eleven, will and mike. it’s hard, it’s scary. i don’t think any show this big did something like that. the power that we have now in our lack of knowledge of what will be in season five is huge. let’s cherish this calm before the storm.

[miwiheroes]

Mike Wheeler and his Promise

"It means something that you can't break. Ever."

A huge part of Mike Wheeler's hidden character arc is set up in season 1, episode 2 with this scene right here. It's pretty much the motivation behind many of his actions towards El and Will, can be a partial explanation for his internalised homophobia and explains why he seems like to have a saviour complex.

Narratively, promises are made to be broken. When writers decide to make a promise 'important' and emphasise that this promise cannot be broken, ever, it will always come back to bite that character in the ass. Promises are either made to be broken in stories like these, or they are made to make a character feel trapped. Promises are rarely ever used in a romantic fashion unless the character cannot keep their promise or they feel like they are forced to.

What makes it really seem like Mike and El are a doomed couple to me is that the writers chose Mike to say: Ever.

No word is misplaced in writing a script. There is no such thing as an unintentional line in Stranger Things tbh, and this word in particular means two things:

Mike will always keep his promises throughout time.

Mike will keep his promises no matter if circumstances change, no matter if his feelings change.

There is no reason for this line to be in there other than to foreshadow the fact that Mike will eventually have to eat the words from his naive 12-year-old self. He will eventually regret promising something, but he'll feel like he can't go back. Ever.

The domino effect Promise begins:

*Smiling* "And we can go to the Snow Ball."

*Smiling* "Promise?"

*No longer smiling* "Promise."

This promise was made in order to foreshadow that it doesn't come true right? Because that is often what happens to promises narratively, and of course, it can't come to be because they get separated and Mike thinks she's died.

But.... the promise does come true.

So instead, this promise was made, narratively, to trap Mike. While this seems harsh of course, this young Mike has no idea that what he has just promised to himself is not only to go to the Snow Ball with El (which was a promise made to comfort her here, to make her feel like she will survive). He doesn't necessarily seem happy about making this promise. He seems more... indifferent. Knowing that this is something he just has to do.

Yeah, because this is definitely the actors' expressions and lighting and scenery you want for a first kiss, right?

So not only has Mike promised to go to the Snow Ball with her, he has also promised to save her, he has promised to be with her. And he can't break this promise, ever.

Even when his feelings change:

The writers separated Mike and El and put Mike with Will in season 2 for a reason. They used it to build up a good development of Mike and Will's dynamic of course, but it was also to change Mike's feelings.

It eventually becomes apparent to the viewer that Mike has resigned himself to not finding El. In season 2 episode 2, the last time we see Mike on the walkie, he walks away. Music swells and El looks onwards. Instead of looking happy, she seems disappointed that her bond with Mike is not as strong as she thought.

Mike, after his talk with Will in the same room, has begun to give up.

And over time, he figures out that maybe... maybe finding and choosing to Will's friend is the best thing he's ever done instead. Once he figures this out, he cries, he's not loud, he's not angry. But it's at least the thing to bring Will's message forward.

Then El comes back, and Mike feels like a liar.

I've never really figured out why Mike shouts 'LIAR!' many times towards Hopper when he's clearly projecting as he starts to cry. Until now. It's the guilt that he didn't keep his promise. The promise he had made back when El had almost died, back when El had clearly thought promises could never be broken. EVER. Even when feelings change.

Of course he'd felt pissed at Hopper. Hopper was the one to keep El safe, not Mike, which is not the thing he had promised.

When El returns, Mike says:

"I never stopped looking for you."

Woops, Michael, that's a bald-faced lie, and you know it. But he also knows what a promise is, something that can't ever be broken.

Mike is now committed into this relationship. He's ready to keep El as his girlfriend for many reasons, but the next commitments he makes (i.e. saying 'I love you') are not intentional.

In season 3:

Saying 'I love her' happens on accident, she's never meant to hear. The next time he's asked about it, he fumbles and wants to deny ever saying it. But when El says it back, he realises... oh shit. I really am in this now. I can't escape, even though I know my feelings are different.

In the famous words of Hopper. "I don't want things to change." "[I want] to go back to how [we] were."

Throughout summer, before the Mindflayer, his relationship with El was easy, it was fine. He could deal with this because he can still go to movie theatres with Will and his friends and El can't go out in public. His relationship isn't real, and the fights they have are just 'silly, stupid fights'.

But then she says she loves him too and now what? He realises this is real, he can't go back on what he's said again. Because no matter what, a promise can't be broken.

Now:

He has to reject childish things and pretend to be 'normal' (but only around El).

He has to keep away from Will, who has the potential to break his promise to El forever.

He still can't say 'I love you' because of this great big commitment, this potential for change, and El clocks him, despite his best efforts to keep up the same relationship he was trying to have in season 3.

When he no longer has the threat of this great big PROMISE looming over him, when he feels that El has no broken up with him through that note signed 'From, El', he now suddenly has the ability to act close to Will. When he's confident that El's safe and that they just need to get back to Hawkins, he's able to express how he really feels.

He can finally, finally work with Will without feeling guilty.

That is, until El's in danger again. Until Argyle reminds him of the ramifications of his girlfriend being missing, reminding him of the promise that he's always made.

That's when this intimacy with Will suddenly feels taboo again:

The next time he needs to make a commitment towards her, it's through pressure. The bottom line is, Mike likes being a hero, he wants to be a saviour, but he was never ready for it to feel like this.

When Will reminds him that he's the heart of the Party in Surfer Boy Pizza, he believes that it could never be Will that needs him, but that Will's telling him that it really is El that still needs him. And that she always will.

So he holds her hand, exactly like he did back in season one, and makes his Promise again, this time, knowing that he's trapping himself.

Now, instead of a naive kid, he's a teenager, he's changed, despite not wanting to. He's resigning himself to a life without truly being able to express his feelings. He's not just some kid going to the Snow Ball with a girl that he cares about, he's promising to love her, knowing he's trapped himself in this promise again.

After all, he's already promised to save her, and if he thinks saying 'I love you' will save her, he's gotta do it no matter his true feelings right?

In season 5, someone, someone needs to tell this poor boy that he does not need to keep his promise. El needs to tell him about her growth, what she has learned from her time at the lab---that is, that she does not need Mike to love her, which she seems to have understood. She has already accepted that her lover won't arrive at the train station.

And Mike should realise that saying 'I love you' did not in fact save El. It was the reminder to fight, that Max is in trouble, that there are more important things, bigger than their relationship, that allowed her to escape the vines.

So when Mike hears that he no needs to keep up this promise, that he no longer has to hate himself for being a 'liar' to someone he cares so much about, that he can open himself up to happiness and understanding again, he'll probably feel pretty complete.

What do you think?

[felassan]

Some more DA:TV and related snippets from Sylvia Feketekuty, Part 3. rest of post under a cut due to length and spoilers. [Post One, Post Two]

Ran out of characters or something in post 2. :)

User: "I LOVE the line "a raw, strangling fear, struck somewhere deep past the heart". It's beautiful and it resonates with me since I myself struggle with anxiety. Now for the questions! 1) Can you talk more about the banter between Emmrich and Harding after we start romancing him? What is her motivation behind it? Is she critical of their relationship or is she worried about Emmrich? 2) I love the argument Rook and Emmrich have before Tearstone Island, it gives nice depth to their relationship. But what did Emmrich think he would accomplish with that conversation? Did he want to break up with Rook because he thought it would be easier for him if something happened to Rook? 3) Not a question but I love Hezenkoss. Such a dedicated hater lol. -- Sylvia Feketekuty: "That was one of the first lines where I started to feel I had a handle on his voice in the first draft, so that means a lot to hear. (And thank you for noting the team effort, I got a lot of great feeback from the other writers and the editors on Emmrich. He wouldn't be as good without them.) On to questions: 1) My personal take: I think Harding is worried because she's very perceptively noticed how hard Emmrich's fallen for Rook, and that he's a man of large emotions. (And because they become pretty good friends over the course of the game.) 2) I think Emmrich let his anxieties run away with him, afraid that this romance wasn't, couldn't possibly be the One True Love he so wanted, and that's how his fear expressed itself. (Did he WANT to break up? No, but he was bracing himself in case Rook did think it was only a fling and so on and so forth, they should get it out in the open, and so on.) 3) Thank you! I loved writing her. She will always be a hater until her (un)dying day."" [source, two, three, four, five, six] -- John Epler: "someday we'll get the Hezenkoss/Anaris reluctant team-up the world deserves" [source] -- Sylvia: "Somehow, in the realm of pure imagination, they're already trying to strangle each other." [source] -- User: "Very important question- would Anaris finger gun? (Finger crossbow?)" -- John: "as a man defined primarily by his tremendous insecurities Anaris also takes himself incredibly seriously and unconsciously mirrors Elgar'nan, an elf he both loathes and desperately wishes he were so the real question is, would Elgar'nan finger gun?" [source]

User: "On my 1st run I thought some choices felt like the 'bad' ones and avoided them - Lich Emmerich, Harding's Anger, Qunari Taash etc. But on my 2nd run I was so pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't the case! None of the companion choices feel right or wrong, just different, and that's fantastic." / Sylvia: "Thanks! We tried to make either choice compelling, to have something for different players either way. So I'm so glad to hear that." [source]

User, on Manfred winning a character award: "Congrats Manfred we knew you had it in you!" / Sylvia: "He did it! My little skeleton pal did it! (Especial thanks to the animators and voice actor, Matt Mercer, because like 90% of his personality lives in those gangly limbs and his hissing)" [source]

User: "I just wanted to say that Emmerich and Josephine are so interesting and well-written" / Sylvia: "I feel very lucky I got to bring them into DA, with teams that went for them 100%." [source]

User: "I enjoyed Emmrich's addendum to the codex about Templars in Nevarra: are they primarily there as backup if something goes profoundly wrong? Would they ever get someone who just wants to help down in the Necropolis, pretty please? (also <3 Vorgoth, they're great)" / Sylvia: ""are they primarily there as backup if something goes profoundly wrong?" That was my own take. You don't NOT want Templars, in case some ritual gets disrupted in an utterly disastrous fashion. But other times...the Mortalitasi flex their clout. "Would they ever get someone who just wants to help down in the Necropolis, pretty please?" Some Watchers might not be immune to flattery. I think a few templars could be all right under some circumstances, but that they'd be assigned a mage. (A bit of a reverse of the southern mage-templar pairs.) "(also <3 Vorgoth, they're great)" Thank you! I was so pumped when I saw the final art for them, everything I'd dreamed. (And their voice actor, Brent Mukai, was amazing.)" [source, two, three]

User: "I wanted to ask you what you think nevarran wedding attire might look like? or if you’ve considered it? asking for science." / Sylvia: "Geeze, that's a good question. I imagine the couple would exchange some custom-made grave gold pieces to mark the occasion, given how important it is in Nevarra. But other than that, you should let your imagination run wild." [source]

User: "Is seeing Josephine as Asexual or part of the Ace Spectrum a valid interpretation of her character?" / Sylvia: "Totally, if that's how you want to see the character and relationship. (My policy is generally that if it's not directly contradicted in the game, you can take that kind of thing as a valid read of the character.)" [source]

Sylvia: "I'll say this (spoiler free): there's a scene in "Walking the Graves" where I felt Emmrich's voice finally click for me on the first draft, so that one's special to me." [source]

User: "I remembered some questions I had about Emmrich.. Can he play any instruments? I always invision him playing a pipe organ or maybe violin! If not, are there any he would like to learn? 😊 Also, I was curious, can he ice skate? out on that frozen Nevarran lake in winter" / Sylvia: "Those are interesting questions. Because they're something I never considered or wrote, there's no real canon there yet. I see Emmrich as more an appreciator of music than a musician, but can't rule it out. As for ice-skating, I'm not even sure we've shown that in Thedas. I think Emmrich would enjoy it though. UPDATE: a friend reminded me about this tidbit from World of Thedas 2: "Ice skating – during the winter in Nevarra, people often skate on the frozen over Minanter river." So it's canon now. Emmrich ice-skates. He instantly manifests a scarf when doing so. (I fall on my sword for forgetting this.)" [source, two, three]

User: "about Josephine: what would her ideal/dream wedding be? I was tickled when I read about that in her letter to her Inquisitor I just have to know" / Sylvia: "what a delightful question in turn! I think she'd want a big, flower-filled, no-holds barred wedding at her family's estate. All her relatives, friends she made in the Inquisition, the Inquisitor's relatives (if they have any/keep in touch.) She'd begin planning 16 months in advance." [source]

Sylvia: "Aw thank you! (On behalf of me, and the rest of the team, so many people worked so hard on our eccentric necromancer man.)" [source]

Sylvia: "The Mourn Watch and Emmrich are a bit eccentric, but I really wanted their reverence for the dead (and the living) to feel genuine." [source]

User: "As someone who himself gets awful pangs about the thought of death and nothingness, it was really refreshing to see a character have those same thoughts as me, especially as he also happens to be a Necromancer who is around death daily." / Sylvia: "You're welcome, and thanks for the kind words. It's a familiar thing for me too, so I really wanted to talk about it. I suspect it's far more common than we might think." [source]

User: "My HOF was a spirit healer, very kind & very curious, & for years I've considered how that special connection to spirits might lend itself to an interest in Thedan necromancy & puzzling out where spirits & souls begin & end. Emmrich, Manfred/Curiosity and the wisps gave me so much to think about!" / Sylvia: "Thank you so much! And that's interesting about your HOF. They may've found some kindred spirits if they ever ventured further north." [source]

User: "No questions other than thank you and the team for Emmrich and Nevarra / The Mourn Watch. Seeing death treated with such kindness, empathy and as beautiful renewal rather than grim end is so refreshing and personal to me, it was a great experience to have!" / Sylvia: "That's one of the things I really wanted to express in Emmrich's arc, so I'm so glad you felt that way." [source]

User: "I feel that my Rook would want to learn more about the Mourn Watch after saving the world." / Sylvia: "Emmrich and the Watchers would love that. Emmrich probably has like, five lectures he could rattle off without preparation for your Rook already, haha." [source]

User: "do you have any favorite tidbits about Audric or Myrna that you can share?" / Sylvia: "As for tidbits, hrm. I did post something on what Audric's up to these days. Nothing surprising, but he's doing well! And I never wrote it in-game, so it lives in the hazy world of "only canon in my head": while Emmrich doesn't come from nobility, Myrna does-the Van Markham branch. She had the finest education, even before the Watchers. She doesn't play it up much, though. Her real passion's her work. And the theater. (I did a small bit about her love of theater here [link or see Post Two]. I think she's a regular attendee.)" [source, two, three]

Sylvia: "I also really wanted to explore more of the Necropolis ever since I first read about it. I'm very lucky the team and I finally got to show everyone the crypts..." [source]

User: "he stories, the worldbuilding, the characters, the locations, I loved it all so much I played my MW Rook twice" / Sylvia: "Nice. The Mourn Watch appreciates your studious interest in the hallowed art of necromancy." [source]

Sylvia: "thank you on behalf of the whole team, as you've surmised there were a lot of people bringing him to life. (Especial props to Nick Borraine, his VA, who's wonderful in the role.)" [source]

Sylvia: "It always makes me happy when people mention the short stories, and glad you enjoyed meeting (and perhaps romancing...) Emmrich." [source]

Sylvia, on Vorgoth: "I'm afraid I deliberately left our cloak-shrouded Watcher a mystery. But I'll say this: I'm sure they'd show your Rook in that picture their art collection, an honor Vorgoth bestows only on those they like or trust." [source]

User: "does the watch have any rules in regards to courtship/marriage between fellow watchers? An does Emmrich lecture at the Necropolis or at the College of Magi in Cumberland?" / Sylvia: "1) I actually got into that a little here [link or see Post Two]. Short story, it's not forbidden for mages within Circles to court or marry, so no particular rules there I think. 2) That is a very good question. Full disclosure, I am answering on the fly with what I think makes most sense. I can see Emmrich doing a bit of both in his younger days. But as he grew older, more specialized in his field, and had more MW responsibilities, he probably worked more out of the Necropolis. (And prefers it anyhow.) By the time DAV starts, it's probably been years since he was in Cumberland." [source, two, three]

User: "Thank you for your moving portrayal of thanatophobia. While most people have some fear of death, it was amazing to see the thanatophobic panic attacks etc portrayed so accurately." / Sylvia: "Thanks - they're not an unfamiliar phenomenon to me, I wanted Emmrich to try to get across that helplessness and wretched terror. (I suspect more people are affected by them than we commonly talk about.)" [source]

User: "whoever decided “DA liches are immortal protectors and not always evil?” Chef’s kiss. It’s all I’ve ever wanted!" / Sylvia: "Thanks again! It was in Emmrich's first draft. The other writers and editors gave me good feeback on lichdom and the philosophy behind it especially" [source]

User: "I wonder, did you prefer writing for either lich Emmrich or mortal? I would imagine it's a bit different." / Sylvia: "I wouldn't say I had a favorite, but it was fun to try to figure out what approach to take in scenes that had split lich/mortal lines. I didn't want Emmrich to be unrecognizable as a lich, but I did want him to occasionally be a little different, slowly absorbing what he'd become. We see him at the start of this new stage of his existence, so I think even by the end of Veilguard he's still just at the very start of adjusting to, and exploring, what he is now. I liked giving him that wonder!" [source, two]

Sylvia: "The Memorial Gardens were the heart of the Necropolis to me, the level artists and level designer and our audio team worked so much magic there. (And the lighting team! First time I saw it properly lit I think I clapped.)" [source]

User: "Also wanted to know if you wrote Josephine’s letter to Inquisitor if romanced?" / Sylvia: "I did write that letter, thanks! It was a joy to return to Josephine, even in a codex sent to her dearest Inquisitor." [source]

Sylvia on where Emmrich sleeps: "As to his sleeping arrangements, I gave a tantalizing (non) answer here [[link] or see [Post Two]]. (Though I think he'd prefer a proper bed, whatever form it takes. Emmrich's too old to be sleeping on cots like a student anymore.)" [source]

Sylvia: "So glad the team and I got to crack open the ancient doors of the Grand Necopolis, I've been curious about it too ever since reading about it eons ago. (And very glad you're liking MW Rook, I really wanted things to feel different when chatting with Emmrich as a Watcher yourself!)" [source]

User: "I enjoyed Johanna IMMENSELY and she is most definitely my favourite villain of all time now, so thank you for her as well!" / Sylvia: "She was a treat to write. (And Hezenkoss would 100% applaud you on your fine judgement and obvious taste.)" [source]

Sylvia on Emmrich's fear: "I'm not unfamiliar with that fear either, and it means a great deal to hear getting to know Emmrich helped you out even a little. (And happy to hear you dug Manfred!)" [source]

Sylvia: "I'm especially glad you liked the battle theme. Our music director instantly got the tone of Emmrich's arc, he and the audio team spun off so many great tracks from that core theme." [source]

User on Emmrich: "He's a brilliant character and everyone involved in his creation should be very proud!" / Sylvia: "There were a lot of people working on him, I was lucky so many people got onboard right away with our professor of necromancy. And I loved writing him chatting with Bellara, the mentor/student relationship was fun to hash out with her writer." [source]

User: "(1/2) Hello Sylvia! Like everyone else, I love Emmrich, but I also wanted to say thank you for your work in DAI. Josie was my first romance in DA and I love her a lot. My question had to do with her codex entry in Veilguard for a romanced Inquisitor: (2/2) Her letter in Veilguard implies she hasn't married yet, 10 years later. Josie is so image-conscious in how she conducts herself, so I was surprised she would put off marriage for that long as the first born noble of her house. Curious what the idea behind it was if you can share." / Sylvia: "Thank you! I'm honored to hear Josepine was your first DA romance. Re: marriage, you're right, that is a big time gap. I basically didn't want to surprise returning players with a marriage that had already happened to their Inquisitor offscreen. I'm sure Josephine has kept busy with world affairs, and so has the Inquisitor, which isn't a bad reason it's taken so long. But I thought it'd be more engaging for players to imagine the proposal, how they'd react, what the wedding would be like, as something good happening to them in the future." [source, two]

User: "I wanted to ask about banter I saw online; why does Taash say Emmrich smells like potash? Isn't that a bad smell, like rotten eggs? He doesn't strike me as a smelly person outside of being around the dead. Maybe Trick would know too" / Trick Weekes: "IIRC, I based it on residual scents that would come from chemicals -- can't remember whether it was what you'd get from working with embalming liquids or something used to style hair. That said, Taash comments on scents non-adaari can't detect, so it's not like he smells bad to normal people." [source] / Sylvia: "Chiming in late, but what Trick said. Taash has an incredible sense of smell, but they're detecting the tiny residuals. (Which is why poor Taash can smell that burial Emmrich helped with, even though he scrubbed down thoroughly afterwards. Gotta keep hygienic!)" [source]

User: "I wish more games had Romances like this, he was just simply perfect. [Emmrich] believably cares for Rook." / Sylvia: "I'm glad that part felt heartfelt, it was one of the cores of his romance for me." [source]

User: "What inspired you to want to go into writing for games? Or just writing in general?" / Sylvia: "I've played games since I was about 5 years old and that's what really did it. I fell in love at once with these cool, weird little worlds you could visit as someone else. As for writing in general, it feels goofy (or ominous) to call it a Calling, but it's just something I've always enjoyed doing. It's also probably what I'm best at, which means I'm unfathomably lucky I ended up at BioWare. I don't think I would've been happy until I was doing game writing somewhere, somehow!" [source, two]

User: "I have two questions about his and Johanna's childhood. 1. How and when did he and her(johanna) meet? 2. What was the story between him and her back then? Sorry if it's too long a question. Thank you! Oh I'm so sorry, how could I forget another important question😭😓 3. How tall do you think he is👀 He's almost as tall as Taash!" / Sylvia: "I have not forgotten the other two questions, I'll get to them later (it's just getting late here) but this one's a little easier. I THINK he's about 6 foot 2 inches without his boots, so about 6 foot 3 with them on. (A character artist would have to confirm or deny if I'm remembering right.)" [source]

Sylvia on her time at BioWare: "So I gt a 5 year award statue that looked like a glass disc, and then we swapped over the to the BioWare Character award statues so I got Wrex as my 10th one. (I think I remember people who'd been around earlier than me with those clocks on their desks!)" [source]

[cat-mermaid]

even better?

he was voiced by this guy:

i love how ranken bass specials used to make the characters look like the people voicing them

...which is funny because in modern times i get annoyed when animators seem to be forced by the studios to make characters look like the celebrities voicing them (see all of wreck it ralph) because of the belief this will bring in more viewers

but with these older stop motion specials it doesn't feel the same? Like a lot of modern movies will get celebrities to do voices (like in kung fu panda) even if voice acting isn't their strong suit and yes you can be a great actor on screen but not have a very strong vocal performance I will die on that hill my friends

See, right from the very start of this special, I'm already conflicted.

By the '80s TV promos for it I've seen, I was expecting a mediocre, aimless Rudolph sequel…

…but… this is, like, the coolest dude ever?

Seriously, this version of father time rules. The affable demeanor? The clock henchmen? The scythe?!

The set design is absolutely spectacular, even before you consider the scale it was built at. Just look at it.

His throne has occasional cuckoos.

Occasional. Throne. Cuckoos.

Do I need to go on? I don't know what to expect anymore.

[royalydamned]

I want to formally thank the Sonic team for actually not making Stobotnik and its shippers the butt of a joke? Like you see this treatment of fans especially shippers so much like haha these silly little queers drawing and writing porn of these two characters it's so funny haha. You poor delusional bastards.

And before anyone goes, uhm ☝️ but they called them friends. They didn't make them lovers. Ok maybe, but not even Tom and Maddie act too romantic, so it's not I expected any tongue action or anything.

But what I mean is, instead of mocking their relationship and making someone call Stone Robotnik's boyfriend to laugh at it we got an actually meaningful and emotional scene about them and their own little subplot. I feel more validated than by the hatecrime of a love confession Destiel was.

Like the bar is so low I am grateful not being made fun of by the creators and/or actors and instead doing anything to deny it they went "you know what? Sure why not" and I am kissing your feet giving you my firstborn I hope you continue succeeding.

[afinestoutlove]

TL;DR Joe Locke is a really good actor

I accidentally came across a couple people saying Joe Locke isn't a good actor and like... what tf were you all watching?? Cos it wasn't what I was watching, he's so fucking good!! (I can only talk about Heartstopper here cos I haven't seen much of him in other things, but given these posts were related to Heartstopper...) I think this is firstly straight up (ha!) homophobia, with a side helping of shitty masculine beauty standards. I think it also comes down to the story Joe Locke is acting being something people are super uncomfortable seeing, and his success at telling it makes them uncomfortable in a way they don't want to deal with.

Homophobia first. These are almost always people who like Nick/Kit Connor, and that's not a coincidence. Nick/Kit fits very neatly into normative masculinity (although you know I have things to say about that around Nick's character), so people who haven't done the work to recognise their homophobia don't feel so weird about him. (He IS a great actor, but not "better" than Joe, or any of the other actors in the show. He just has a different story to tell that some people find easier to digest.) But Charlie/Joe Locke reads as more "stereotypically" gay, and no matter what BS reasons people come up with for not liking him, it almost always comes down to "he makes me uncomfortable because GAY".

Masculine beauty standards are so related to homophobia, because what we construct as an attractive man is so linked to heteronormative masculinity - tall, muscular, strong etc (let's not forget white, although that's less relevant to this discussion). Charlie/Joe not only falls outside these standards, but he's shown in the story as still being desirable. I love that about this story, because people who fall outside the very narrow beauty standards in Hollywood are still desirable to a lot of people - including people like Nick who meet those beauty standards. We see this happen in public couples all the time, tons of people suggesting that the partner who is further from conventional beauty standards is somehow a bad person, or is "tricking" the more conventionally attractive one. (See all the years of people trying to suggest Hugh Jackman is secretly gay because they thought his wife wasn't pretty enough and therefore must be a beard, it's so fucking gross.)

Finally the whole "character makes me uncomfortable" thing. Charlie Spring's story is super important and it makes people feel things that, if they haven't done their own work, are going to be super uncomfortable. Again, this is tied to homophobia, because Charlie's story challenges masculine norms about what counts as strength, what men "should" be like, etc. He has an ED, he has anxiety, he requires and seeks help, he forms affectionate and strong relationships and needs them to be healthy, etc. These are things men "aren't supposed to do" (and Nick only gets away with it bEcAuSe He'S hOt, that's it, that's the whole reason). People read Charlie as manipulative or selfish or whatever because he's not acting the way they think men "should" act. It's not based in Charlie's character - he is none of those things. But they want to read it that way because to actually recognise what makes them uncomfortable about Charlie would require them to unpack their own homophobia and bullshit masculinity standards.

Anyway, the short version is: I think people need to stop confusing "character that makes me feel uncomfortable feelings" or "person who is unconventionally attractive" with "can't act" cos y'all are very confused.

[redroomreflections]

Hotel California | Track 12: Industry Baby

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: Natasha Romanoff, frontwoman of the punk rock band Velvet Rebellion, falls hard for a woman she believes is too good for her. Their intense relationship unfolds in the chaotic world of rock 'n' roll, where they struggle to balance fame, personal demons, and their undeniable passion for each other.

W/c: 4.9k

Chapter 12/15

Masterlist | General Masterlist

Note: another week

18+ Minors DNI (mature)

Themes: love, fame, sex, drugs

To say that Natasha was a partier would be a lie—a misjudgment of character. She could be sociable when the occasion demanded it, enjoyed good music and appreciated a decent drink. But industry parties? They were never her thing. She felt entirely out of place without the rest of the band there. The music was a little too loud, the conversations a little too shallow, and the people far more stiff than the whiskey in her cup.

No matter how familiar it had become, fame was still a funny concept to Natasha. It was fleeting, yet always looming in her foreview. She only wanted to make good music with her friends when she started. Now, her face was plastered on billboards, their songs dominated the charts, and she’d become someone people recognized in coffee shops and airports.

But none of that compared to you.

Being new to fame was one thing; being born into it was another beast entirely. Natasha had worked for every ounce of recognition, climbing to the top through sheer talent and determination. You, on the other hand, had grown up in this world. Spotlights didn’t faze you—they cradled you. Fame wasn’t just familiar; it was second nature.

Hollywood was a place that prided itself on being private and exclusive. If you were someone, then you knew people; if you didn't know someone, you weren't anyone at all, making it easier for her to stand at the bar and sip from her glass. Natasha sipped her whiskey, watching you from across the room. You stood in the center, effortlessly commanding attention, laughter bubbling around you like champagne. You weren’t just in your element—you were the element. She could see it now, just how polished you were. The ease with which you charmed people, how naturally the conversation flowed, and how the crowd gravitated toward you like moths to a flame.

And that’s when he approached her.

“Romanoff, right?” The man’s voice was smooth, confident—too confident.

Natasha turned to face him, her green eyes flicking over his sharp suit and easy smirk. “Depends who’s asking.”

“Matt,” he said, extending a hand. “Big fan of Velvet Rebellion. Love what you’re doing.”

She shook his hand, her expression neutral. “Appreciate it.”

“I’ll admit,” Matt said, leaning against the bar, “I didn’t peg you as the industry-party type.”

“You’re right,” Natasha replied, her tone dry.

He chuckled, clearly unfazed. “Fair enough. But I take it you’re here for her?” He gestured toward you, his smirk widening as he spoke.

Natasha followed his gaze, landing on you mid-laugh as you brushed the arm of some Hollywood actor she vaguely recognized.

“Yeah,” she said.

Matt’s grin grew. “She’s something else, isn’t she? Always had a way of working a room. Knows exactly how to keep people hooked.”

“She’s great,” Natasha said evenly, though her grip on her glass tightened.

“She’s more than great,” Matt continued, swirling the drink in his hand. “We used to run in the same circles back in the day. You know, just industry kids doing... industry things.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow, her expression unchanging. “That so?”

“Oh, nothing serious,” Matt said with a casual shrug, though the glint in his eye suggested otherwise. “Just... fun times. She’s always had that magic. It makes you feel like you’re the only one who matters.”

Her stomach turned, her mind racing through the implications of his words. She breathed deeply and exhaled through her nose, reminding herself to keep it together. She wouldn't bite. He was an asshole who was bored with his time.

"Matt, is it?" Natasha tilted her head. "I recognize you from something. Maybe some 90s sitcom."

He grinned as if being impressed with himself and not her for guessing. Natasha knew his type. Narcissistic and self-centered. He was playing into her hand.

"Have you worked on anything in this decade?" she feigned interest.

"No-no, not really," He cleared his throat. "I got married and had kids."

Natasha hummed. "That's too bad. Your career seems a bit stagnant. What are you, forty? It's never too late to get a good comeback gig."

"Uh, yeah," Matt coughed, his smile fading slightly.

“I mean it,” Natasha pressed, her expression perfectly neutral. “I could look into some opportunities for you if you’d like.”

“No, no, that’s quite alright,” Matt said quickly, his tone more subdued.

“Suit yourself.” Natasha lifted her glass in a mock toast before turning on her heel. “Excuse me.”

She made her way across the room with purpose, her eyes finding you immediately. The tension in her shoulders eased as she reached you, sliding a hand gently onto your back. She waited patiently for you to finish your conversation, her presence steady and reassuring.

When you turned and saw her, your face lit up. “Hey, there you are,” you said warmly, slipping an arm around her waist.

“Hey,” Natasha replied, her voice soft.

“I want you to meet some people,” you said, motioning toward the small group of women nearby. “Some of my good friends. Stacy Goldman, Kira Ryan, and Ashley Williams. We’ve known each other since forever.”

Natasha smiled politely, nodding at each of them in turn. “Nice to meet you all.”

“It’s about time, isn’t it?” Kira teased, nudging your shoulder. “We’ve been dying to meet her.”

“Yeah,” Stacy chimed in with a grin. “We were starting to think this was for PR.”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “We’ve just been busy. You know how it is."

"So, Natasha, great album you have. Your single is fire," Ashley complimented. "Do you write on your own?"

"Well, I usually have Wanda to help," Natasha answered. " It's more of a cowriting situation."

The group nodded approvingly, and the conversation flowed easily for a moment. Then, Kira leaned forward, her tone light but purposeful.

“So, we’ve been planning this couple’s retreat thing,” she began, glancing at Stacy and Ashley, who nodded eagerly. “It’s upstate, really private—yoga, wine tastings, all that good stuff. We usually do it every year. Y/n can tell you—it’s amazing. You two should come.”

Natasha blinked, caught slightly off guard. “Oh, that sounds... interesting. Tell me more about it?”

“No, I think we’re good,” you interjected smoothly, your tone polite but firm. “It’s sweet of you to offer, but I don’t think we’ll have time. Things are pretty packed with Natasha’s schedule right now.”

“But I could make time,” Natasha said, glancing at you with a small smile.

“We’ll think about it,” you replied, patting Natasha’s back gently before steering the conversation toward another topic. Natasha opened her mouth to say more but closed it quickly, sensing this wasn’t the moment.

Before the conversation could linger, the group’s attention was pulled away as someone across the room gave an exaggerated cheer. Heads turned to see a familiar actor making a grand, attention-grabbing entrance, his laughter echoing above the music.

“Oh my God, is that Chris?” Stacy whispered, already moving toward the growing circle of admirers.

“I’m not missing this,” Kira said with a grin, grabbing Ashley’s arm as they followed Stacy.

As your friends drifted toward the excitement, you returned with Natasha, offering her an apologetic smile.

Natasha watched the trio weave through the crowd, then turned to you, her curiosity evident. “You shot that down pretty quickly. What’s the story there?”

“It’s just not our scene,” you said casually, but your tone didn’t quite match the ease of your words.

“Your scene, maybe,” Natasha countered softly, her green eyes searching yours. “It sounded like something you’ve done before.”

You hesitated, your polished exterior faltering for just a moment. "With Sam."

"Oh," Natasha nodded. "So does that mean you don't want to do it with me?"

"No, no, that's not it," You shook your head. "It's stupid, really."

"Nothing you could say is stupid," Natasha reassured. "Tell me what's up."

You sighed, glancing over to where your friends stood chatting with Chris. "It's a group of us that have all been friends since high school or before. It just wouldn't feel right."

Natasha hummed in response. "You hang out with the band all the time?"

"Yes, but that's different," You answered.

"Different how? Sounds like you don't want your friends to know me," Natasha shrugged.

"I can't tell you the last time they met any of my dates," You replied. "It's just weird, is all."

"Okay," Natasha nodded as she sipped from her cup.

"Please don't be angry," You grabbed her hand.

"I'm not," Natasha replied.

You searched her expression. She's being truthful.

"Are you enjoying the party otherwise?" You asked.

"Oh, definitely," Natasha nodded. "It's a real rager."

"We can leave early," You offered.

"No, I have to be the last one here," Natasha chuckled.

"Alright," You sighed.

"Let's just enjoy the night, and we'll talk later," Natasha said.

"Okay," You nodded, letting her lead you through the rest of the party.

The evening wore on, and the conversations stretched further into the night. The music grew louder, the drinks poured faster, and the air grew thicker with energy.

*******

The ride home was quiet, the hum of the car’s engine filling the silence between you. Natasha’s hands gripped the steering wheel; her knuckles pale under the faint glow of the streetlights. You glanced at her once or twice, but her expression was unreadable, her gaze fixed firmly on the road ahead.

When she finally pulled up to your driveway, she cut the engine. Natasha stepped out first, circling the car to open your door. You murmured a soft “thanks” as you stepped out, her hand briefly brushing your arm as she guided you toward the entrance.

"You're angry," You spoke as you dropped your house keys into the key dish. Bear greeted you with a soft whine, and you walked to the back door to let him out.

"No," Natasha said. "I'm just thinking."

"Okay, but about what?" You asked.

"Nothing." She waved you off.

"It's something, and I want to know," You pressed. "Something at that party ticked you off."

"Fine," Natasha sighed. "I want to know why it's so hard for you to introduce me to your friends. You won't even give me a chance."

"What? I've introduced you," You furrowed your brows. "We've hung out with Monica."

"Yeah, and that was fine," Natasha scoffed. "But I don't understand what's so different about this."

"Nothing is," You snapped, your tone sharpening with impatience.

"Well, it's not nothing, is it?" Natasha’s voice rose, frustration clear in her words. Your tone indicated something more. "You've been distant ever since I asked about it."

"I just want a moment," You pinched the bridge of your nose, trying to calm the storm inside your chest. "Do you think I’m shutting you out of my life or something?"

"I didn’t say that," Natasha retorted, her jaw clenching as she fought to keep her composure.

"Okay, then what?" you asked, arms crossed tightly in defense. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to be honest with me," Natasha pressed, her voice softer now but still laced with tension. "I’m trying to understand what’s going on here."

"Nothing's going on," you said, exasperated, your hands falling to your sides. "It’s just a retreat, Nat. It doesn’t mean anything."

"You keep saying that, but I don’t think it is," Natasha argued. "You don't trust me."

"I trust you with everything," You fired back. "I think this is a stupid thing to argue over, really. I'm going to bed. Are you coming?"

Natasha stood in place.

"Fine, let Bear in when you're done pouting," You sighed.

Bear's claws clicked against the patio floor as he raced toward the back door. Natasha's expression softened at the sound of his paws, and she moved to let him inside. As the dog trotted into the foyer, Natasha shut the door behind him and followed him down the hall.

You were already seated on your vanity when she entered the bedroom. Bear settled at the foot of the bed, his head resting on his paws.

"I don't want to argue," Natasha began.

"Then let's not," You agreed. You were taking your time wiping the makeup from your face.

"There's a lot we don't know about each other," Natasha tried a different angle.

"You're right," You looked back at her. "But this is something I don't feel like getting into."

"Why not?" Natasha asked.

"Because it doesn't matter," You repeated, turning away again. "I know that's not the answer you want, but it's the truth."

"Okay," Natasha said quietly. She watched as you finished removing your makeup, her gaze thoughtful. She wanted to push, but the hurt in your voice stopped her. You moved across the room to climb into her lap.

"I'm sorry," Natasha wrapped her arms around your waist.

"Me too," You placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Are we okay?" Natasha asked.

"Always." You kissed her lips.

"I'm gonna get changed," Natasha stood with you.

"Okay," You smiled as she pecked your lips once more.

"Don't forget, we're going shopping tomorrow," You reminded her.

"Yeah," Natasha nodded.

As Natasha went to the bathroom, her mind replayed the conversation. The shower hissed to life as she stepped inside, the warm water hitting her skin, but it didn’t provide the release she hoped for. The steam filled the air, blurring the edges of her thoughts.

She had overreacted. The realization hit her like a cold splash, and she stood there for a long moment, letting the water flow over her, her mind drifting back to the beginning. Why had she reacted so strongly?

This was her first real disagreement with you about something trivial. She's met your parents. You introduced her every chance you got. You've told the world you're in love with her. Her defensiveness was instinctive, a knee-jerk reaction to the hurt she feared.

Natasha shut off the shower and wrapped a towel around her body, her mind clearer than before.

You were seated in bed, flipping through your phone when she returned. Bear was curled at the foot of the bed. Natasha padded over and slipped into the sheets beside you, her gaze softening as you smiled.

"Can I get a kiss?" Natasha asked.

"Of course," You sighed. Her lips were warm and gentle, and you hummed as she pulled away.

"I'm sorry for arguing with you," Natasha apologized.

"Thank you," You replied. "And I'm sorry for not giving you a straight answer."

"So there is something?"

"It's complicated, Nat," You said. "Lots of NDAs involved. Hollywood stuff. The retreat just isn't our scene."

"Ah," Natasha nodded.

"But it's not because I don't trust you," You explained. "If it were just me, I'd tell you anything."

"Okay," Natasha said softly. "I get that. You're just trying to protect your friends, too. And it's not always a bad thing."

"Thank you," You breathed, leaning into her. "If you want to meet all my friends, Isabella's birthday party is coming. Everyone will be there. You can invite the band."

"I'd like that," Natasha replied, kissing your forehead.

"I'd like to meet the people you care about, too," You suggested.

"Yeah, sure," Natasha nodded. "They'd probably be happy to meet you."

"Your mom and sister?"

"Especially them," Natasha said.

"We could plan a trip," You grinned. "You could show me where you grew up. Your childhood home."

"It's a little far," Natasha said. "Maybe after the tour is over."

"We'll figure it out," You reassured. "Let's sleep now."

"Goodnight," Natasha pecked your lips once more before settling beside you.

**********

The days following your argument were a blur. Between your packed schedules, Natasha's constant commitments, and your work, you barely had time to breathe, let alone sit down and spend time together. Photoshoots, video shoots, press conferences, and fan signings seemed like the whirlwind never stopped. It was overwhelming, but you found comfort in knowing Natasha would be there, even if only for brief moments.

That’s why you decided to go when you got the invite for another mall fan signing. It wasn’t just about being there for Natasha; it was also a way to spend time together in a low-key environment. She could handle the fan interactions, and you could catch up, even if it were just a few minutes in between.

You walked through the mall, maneuvering through the fans eagerly waiting to meet Natasha and the rest of the band. Sharon was already there, chatting with a few of the other band's friends, and she waved you over when she spotted you.

"Hey, glad you made it!" Sharon grinned, giving you a quick hug. "How’s everything going?"

"Not too bad," you shrugged. "Just a lot of stuff."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Sharon laughed, shaking her head. "But I'm sure it'll slow down once the album drops next week."

"I hope so," you said, looking at the crowd. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," Sharon said, gesturing to the line of fans. "They sign things. Answer a few questions. Fans eat it up, and then we go home."

"Sounds simple enough," You shrugged. "Who's idea was it to do an old-school fan signing?"

"That would be me," Mitch sidled up beside the two of you. She had a smug expression as she watched Bucky sign a teenage girl's autograph book.

"Mitch, you've outdone yourself," You complimented. "I was just telling Sharon how great this is."

"Thanks, hon," Mitch replied, her expression softening as she smiled at you. "I am good at what I do."

"Don't let it get to your head," Sharon joked.

"Oh honey, it's already there," She chuckled.

You enjoyed the fan singing and seeing Natasha interact with the rest of the crew until there was one particular woman. She was dressed in a low-cut top and jeans. It was a simple outfit. You could hear part of the conversation. She was a complete groupie and obsessed with Natasha.

"I love your last album," She said. "I'm Katrina. I want you to sign my breasts if that's alright?"

"That's not what these signings are about," Natasha chuckled nervously.

"I'm sure you've heard it before," Katrina continued. "You're so gorgeous and talented."

"Thank you," Natasha said.

"No, thank you," She gushed, leaning over the table. "You've inspired me."

"That's nice," Natasha grinned.

"I've brought my own Sharpie and everything," Katrina offered. "I know you have a steady hand. You won't slip."

"How about I sign something that won't get me sued," Natasha declined politely. She reached for one of the stock photos of the album cover.

"That's a good one, too," Katrina smiled.

You watched from the corner, secretly elated with how Natasha handled the situation. You were about to walk over when the girl turned the photo, noting a string of hearts on her photo. Natasha waved the girl off and greeted the next person. Surely enough, Katrina flirted with everyone in the band.

Typical groupie behavior. 

**************

Another industry party. What a time to be alive. This time, it was for the band. Velvet Rebellion's new album Rebel's Anthem was set to release in precisely two days. The band's single Obvious had peaked at number two. The anticipation for a tour announcement was in the air.

The venue was a warehouse converted into a bar. The party was invited only to friends and family except for a few lucky influencers. As Tony hogged the mic, Natasha stood on the makeshift stage, ready to give a speech. He had pre-gamed before the party. His arm hung loosely around Wanda's shoulder as the woman glared at his heavy-handedness.

"No, seriously, no one works harder than these two," Tony slurred. "Natasha, we'd be nothing without you. I don't think many people understand how hard you work behind the scenes. You're our rock, man. We can't have a band without a rock."

"Get off the mic, Tony," Steve said, gently pulling his friend away.

"Oh, hi, everyone," Bucky said, taking the mic. "This is the part where I make a speech. Thank you for coming to our little gathering. I know our sophomore album is going to knock your socks off. And it's all thanks to Natasha."

"I had a few ideas," Natasha said jokingly.

"You have more than a few," Steve chimed in.

"You're a brilliant lyricist," Wanda added.

"Alright, alright," Natasha chuckled, taking the mic.

"Everyone give it up for Natasha Romanoff!" Tony cheered.

Natasha waved politely as the room erupted in applause.

"Well, this is unexpected," Natasha said, glancing at her speech. "We'll do some of the usual stuff and then have a few drinks. The first round is on us."

The crowd cheered.

"Our second album has been coming along," Natasha continued. "And I want to thank the fans for sticking with us through this journey. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into this album. Many people won't understand the direction we're going. But we have no regrets. We're happy. So, to all of you who support us, thank you."

You glanced at the people gathered around the stage, whispering excitedly. You rolled your eyes as one girl leaned against the edge of the stage, flashing her cleavage toward Natasha.

"Are you guys going to play a song?" A guy asked, his voice loud and demanding. "Live?"

"Maybe," Natasha shrugged. "If we're feeling up to it. For now, have fun and party hard."

The crowd clapped as the music picked up again, and the people slowly drifted back to the center of the room. Natasha hopped off the stage and made her way toward you.

"That was a great speech," You complimented.

"I was a little nervous," Natasha admitted.

"Well, it didn't show," You reassured, taking her hand. "I love you. You look great."

"Thanks," Natasha said. "It's probably this expensive ass jacket you bought me."

"It was nothing,"

"$7,500 being nothing to you will always amaze me," Natasha grinned.

"I wanted to spoil you," You shrugged.

"How sweet," She kissed your cheek. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," You smiled as she walked away.

Natasha was in her element. This was her space. She had her band here. She was surrounded by people who enjoyed her music. She moved around the room, talking and laughing with the guests. Her eyes sparkled as she listened to the conversations. The band chatted and posed for pictures, their excitement contagious. Eventually, Natasha pulled you over to her to be in the pictures.

"I have an amazing girlfriend," Natasha grinned, wrapping her arms around your waist.

"You sure do," You chuckled. "I don't have to be in your pictures. This is for you."

"Please," Natasha pouted. "For me?"

"Okay, but just one," You agreed.

"Thank you," She smiled. "Now, get closer."

You stood against Natasha, her arms tight around your waist, and smiled. The camera flashed.

"You smell good," Natasha whispered into your ear.

"Don't distract me," You teased.

"Can't help it," Natasha kissed your cheek.

The flashes were nonstop.

"Alright, alright," You stepped away, holding your hand up. "Enough. I need a drink."

"Me too," Natasha agreed.

"Let's see how much of this free booze you can drink," You challenged.

"Is that a dare?" Natasha smirked.

"Only if you're brave enough," You challenged.

"Oh, it's on," She grinned.

The two of you approached the bar, ordering the first round. Natasha was determined, and it didn't take long for her to outdrink the rest of the band. Even Bucky, who could hold his liquor well, eventually conceded defeat. This prompted endless dancing to one of their more upbeat songs, The Afterparty Anthem. You danced with Natasha, laughing and cheering her on.

"This is the best night," She shouted over the music.

"It is," You replied. "I'm glad you're having fun."

"You know what would make it better," Natasha smirked. She leaned closer to your ear. "Meet me in the bathroom."

For a moment, your dancing faltered. But the music kept playing. The crowd was thick. You were already having a great time. So why not?

"Fine," You relented.

"Great," Natasha pecked your lips before walking off.

"Hey, where are you going?" Steve asked.

"To freshen up," Natasha called out, disappearing through the crowd.

You followed a few minutes later, casually strolling toward the bathroom.

Natasha was leaning against the counter when you entered.

"What's up?" You asked.

"We're alone," She answered.

"So, what do you have planned?"

"A little bit of this," Natasha cupped your face, her lips touching yours passionately. She pushed you against the door, keeping you right where she wanted. You hummed, your hands falling to her waist.

"We can't do this here," You protested.

"Why not?" Natasha smirked. "We're in the bathroom."

"Nat," You whined as her lips traced along your jaw. "There's too many people here. Someone could walk in."

"That's why you lock the door," She reached behind your head for the lock. "Problem solved."

"I'm not doing this," You insisted.

"Really?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, her hands sliding beneath your dress. "You sure?"

"Positive," You replied.

"Seems like you really want it," Her fingers inched closer to your thigh.

"You're insufferable," You sighed, giving in to her.

"And you love it," She smiled, lifting your dress.

"Shut up," You muttered, kissing her hard. Her fingers slipped under your thong, sliding over your already slick folds. She was quick to tease you, her fingers tracing over your slit.

"God, you're so wet," Natasha groaned, her lips trailing along your neck.

"Stop teasing," You whined.

"Say please," She commanded.

"Fuck you,"

"Be a good girl," Natasha purred. "Just say please, and I'll give you what you want."

"Did you wash your hands?"

"You think so little of me," Natasha laughed. "I'm offended."

"Just checking," You sighed.

"Well, as a matter of fact," Natasha slid her fingers down to your entrance, sinking them deep inside. You gasped, your body responding instantly.

"How's that feel?" Natasha asked.

"Feels good," You replied, your arms winding around her shoulders.

"Want another?" She curled her fingers.

"Yes," You moaned.

"You have to say please," Natasha reminded.

"Please," You whimpered.

"Good girl," Natasha praised, her fingers finding a steady rhythm. She captured your lips in a heated kiss, swallowing your moans. Her pace was fast and steady, and your knees grew weak as her fingers pumped into you.

You reached down to grab one of her hands, bringing it to your breast. She palmed you roughly, causing another moan to fall from your lips.

"You gonna cum?" Natasha breathed.

"Yeah," You gasped, arching against her.

"Then do it," Natasha said.

"I can't," You whined.

"You can, and you will," Natasha commanded.

"Faster," You pleaded.

"No," She smirked. "You cum when I say so."

"Nat," You whined the pressure building, threatening to burst.

"Come on, baby," She cooed, lips pressing against your ear. "I know you want to. Cum for me."

You came hard, gasping and shaking as the orgasm ripped through your body. Natasha's fingers didn't stop, working you through every wave of pleasure until the sensation was too much. Your head fell against the door with a thud.

"That's my girl," Natasha purred, kissing you tenderly.

"Fuck," You panted. In the distance, you could hear knocking. You were way too engrossed in Natasha's lips and the pumping she began to do with her fingers inside of you. You were too far gone to realize someone was banging on the door. "Nat, people need to use the bathroom."

"Then they have to wait," She said as she thrust harder into you.

"They're gonna think there's someone fucking in here," You gasped.

"Wouldn't that be scandalous?" Natasha chuckled. She moved to suck your bottom lip into her mouth. She pulled the top of your dress down to expose your breasts. Her thumb skated over your nipple.

"Please, don't do that," You whimpered.

"You sure?" She curled her fingers.

"Yes,"

"You're so beautiful," She complimented, placing another kiss on your lips. "I wanted to play with your pussy all day."

"Not here," You said.

"Why not? Let them hear how much you want it," Natasha kissed you again, swallowing another one of your moans. Her pace increased, her fingers working faster inside of you. "They're gonna know just by the sounds you're making."

"I'm so close," You whimpered.

"Cum for me, baby," She cooed.

You came with a muffled moan, burying your face into the crook of her neck.

"You did such a good job," Natasha praised. It's then you hear the sound of a mic. Someone was making an announcement.

"Velvet Rebellion will be going on tour this summer," Tony's voice echoed through the speakers. " Rebel Tour tickets go on sale next Friday."

"We gotta go," You said.

"We're not done here," Natasha replied, kissing you again.

"We can finish later," You said.

"I don't wanna," Natasha pouted.

"Too bad," You shrugged.

"At least let me fix your dress," She tugged the top of the dress up.

"Thank you," You sighed. "I just fucked a rockstar in a bathroom."

"Was it on your bucket list?" She teased.

"You're a dick," You rolled your eyes.

"But you still love me," Natasha said.

"Indeed I do," You said. It was time to face the music. 

----> next part

[wellofdean]

So, I read the response above which is so interesting, and I want to keep thinking about it, and then after that had these interesting tags in my feed from @bloodyentrails...

#i think that sam being compassionate towards certain people is kinda normal we tend to relate on a personal level#and him being queer-coded etc doesn't mean you have to care about him#just that that is a thing?#idk what kind of discourse i'm wandering into a lot of the time but relating to characters#and understanding they have been written in a certain way isn't the same thing#which is to say that i would love it if the writing had tackled that inconsistency#but i find that the show on the whole is inconsistent#and i think it's hard to maintain consistency over so many years with so many people working on it#i do think both of them are *trying* to be good people and they sometimes fail and also what constitutes a good person is kinda open#anyway#bear in mind i'm still only halfway through so#maybe i'll change my mind on all this#spn

It's a point worth considering that in the world of the show, Sam's sympathy for monsters seems principled and some how defies gravity, but that in the real world it wouldn't translate to anything real; that's likely true, and an interesting point. Having said that, I think Sam is pretty clearly not particularly"real world" compassionate, and I don't need monsters to make the argument that Sam is not the compassionate one because he shows a general lack of empathy towards PEOPLE, including but by no means limited to Dean, throughout the show. And, ok, he sometimes argues for a compassionate response to monsters and Dean doesn't always respond favourably, but that's because Sam fears he is one, and he needs to believe monsters are not all bad, which is not borne out of compassion, it's a rationalization that serves his psychological needs.

Basically, I think Sam is all surface. Sam is the urbane one, the smart one, the compassionate one, the one who talks nice to people, the broadly queer-coded one, the feminist, etc., but with Sam, all that is skin deep. He APPEARS as such! He's good at pretending, but he's nearly as savage as John is, Dean is much more sensitive to other people's needs, Dean is every bit as clever as he is, and intuitive to boot, Sam can ACT compassionate, but in fact he isn't really very empathetic to anyone, and he is able to just move on from all the things Dean just can't, Sam's not in fact queer, but Dean is queered to his fucking bones, and Sam's the one whose unconsciously replicated misogyny allows him to think any woman that would be into Dean is obviously a whore, and to keep his girlfriend in the dark about the truth of his life, while Dean is just talking a big game of cartoon misogyny TO SAM while treating the women he interacts with pretty fucking respectfully, actually.

Honestly, it's the same as the way Sam is supposedly the 'main character'. He's introduced as the one we should care about and identify with, but within, like, two episodes, he's really just a foil for Dean. Sam has BIG PLOTS, but it's Dean's feelings, reactions and relationships we really care about.

And, the fact is, Sam was pretty well-realized in the earlier eps. JarPad was giving it some effort, and he was charming then with his boyishness -- the way he seemed like he hadn't fully lived into his physical real estate -- but the thing is, he never could really hold a candle to Dean who was just magnetic. All the interesting character development was given to Dean and Jensen killed it by always making it seem like Dean had so much going on under the surface, and like, to the extent I care about Sam, it's because Dean loves him.

I kind of wonder what happened. Was Dean always meant to be the dark horse hero? Or was Dean just...played by a better, more compelling actor, and they started writing for him instead? There are so many much more interesting things they could have done with Sam, and they just...DIDN'T.

I dunno, I suppose it could just be me, but I feel like the way Sam just SEEMS, Dean IS.

maybe this is me being a dumb overly literal autist stemlord who simply does not understand literary theory or some shit equivalent but why should i care about someone being coded as [X] when i can just. care about someone who is [X]. why should i care more about the conventionally attractive white woman with a job and mortgage because she's metaphorically othered due to being a supernatural creature when i could care about the actually othered addicts that she used as a source of food. help me out here.

[sludgekludge]

what are some of your most minor pet peeves with hellaverse?

this is a funny question. i like it

whining about silly things under the cut

the white on imps sometimes being scars and sometimes not throws me off because i can never tell what's meant to be subtle indications of a characters history (especially fun for bg designs imo) and whats like. a spot

i honestly think the main 3 in helluva have pretty good design synergy with each other and it makes me hate loona's design because she throws off every group shot

niffty being designed so similarly to the morningstars (stark white skin with red cheek spots) bugs me more than it should

it wasn't so bad in his first appearance iirc but ever since then asmodeus consistently gets drawn with a really tiny head and i can't not notice it

i struggle to really articulate why and this is probably dumb and snobbish of me but the form everyone gets where they get bigger and scarier being called 'full demon' just feels oddly juvenile to me. what does that even mean. full demon. are they like, half demon at their basic self? make up a cool word instead. it sounds like something i'd have written into my cool death reaper umbreon oc at age 9. i hate it. i dont even know why. it just sounds so dumb to me. like peak 'a child wrote this lore'. watch out guys im going full human (permanently injuring a muscle in my body because i stretched slightly funny while over the age of 25)

this feels mean to say but cherri's voice actor doesn't do a very good australian accent at all and it's incredibly distracting if you're even remotely familiar with how it should sound. similarly maybe it's just auditory processing issues on my end but i can't even tell what accent valentino is meant to have

his design is otherwise fine comparatively but i hate the eyes on pentious' tail. breaking up his shape and like. you slither on those. floor in your eye. at least 10 floor hairs in your eyes. i dont care if theyre just markings i hate them

remember when viv said vaggie's name wasn't vagina and then canonised her name as vagina (the only lesbian main character across both shows btw) and also instead of changing her name for real after she restarted her life from scratch she just changed the pronunciation instead of just the whole fucking name, so like clearly it bothered her just not enough to change it fully like she for some reason wanted to keep in part the name 'vagina' given to her by a misogynist man she hates-

i'm irrationally irritated that emily and sera's underwhelming. 'full angel' forms i guess turn up for a split second, it felt so weird and useless to reveal them now for nothing

in fact why is every angel we meet personally in heaven in s1 a normal humanoid even though there's a diverse variety of designs in the background. imo adam is the only one who has an excuse to just be some guy. furthermore where are st peters fucking ears. why were ears deliberately ommitted on his design and no one elses. he has no fucking ears viv

saint peter

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

It's a bit quiet through end of year with only two shows airing this week and a couple weeks of waiting until new ones begin in January. These are both streaming on Gaga.

Our Youth

I haven't been particularly keen on the way this arc of Hirukawa's downfall is playing out, and this week unfortunately did not make me feel any better about it. I don't like that they've shifted away from the source material to make this into an extended noble idiocy arc, complete with weakly motivated self-destructive choices and lots of melodrama. Last week's events with Hirukawa taking the fall for his "friend" blunted the impact of his father's death this week; I would have been more moved if he had been starting to turn things around before something out of his control got in the way. As it is, they've lost me a bit emotionally and I'm just eager to get to whatever is going to cause their break so we can get back to the present and hopefully get a satisfying reunion arc. Hirukawa is one of my favorite characters of the year and I want his story to end well.

Love in the Air Koi

Gaga has this episode listed as the finale, and we did wrap up the main narrative today, but there are still two more episodes listed. I hope that means we're getting a couple specials, because I really loved this version of LITA. They managed to tell this story in half the time from the original, with some events resequenced to flow better, and it worked. They delivered all the important story and relationship beats and did both couples justice. I also liked the way they chose to converge the two conflict arcs at the end and tweaked them subtly; it felt like we got to end with both couples in a solid place having come through challenges. I was particularly moved in this episode by the culmination of the Fuma/Kai storyline; the actors did incredible work in these final scenes. Looking forward to seeing more of them!

[secriden]

Star in My Mind (2022)

Hidden Agenda (2023) // The Heart Killers (2024)