#then i can gush over my longtime favorites

[aajjks]

mommy issues!JK

“okay class!” you begin.

“today we are going to work on addition and subtraction usinggg…GUMMY BEARS!!” all your students jump in excitement when you mention gummy bears. anything involving candy is there favorite so you’re sure they’re going to love the activity you have planned.

you want to refresh their mind on adding and subtracting before you flood them with basic multiplication but you aren’t too worried. slow and steady wins the race, remember?

as you’re taking attendance, you take a passing glance at the gift bag jungkook gave to you then at his son, seol. “easy, y/n” you whisper to yourself “wait til lunch” and after your little self-talk, you continue taking attendance before instructing all thirteen of your students to meet on the ABC carpet to begin circle time, which is thirty minutes to get your students’s wiggles out and to review basic ABCs, 123s, and everything easy peasy.

“good morning, mr. jeon!” says a coworker of jungkook’s.

“good morning, mr. jeon”

“morning, sir”

“WHAT’S UP KOOKIE!” says a longtime friend of jungkook’s, cha eunwoo. “sorry, i meant, mister manager” eunwoo jokes by putting air quotations around the ‘mister manager’ part. it’s unbelievable, even to this day it’s hard for jungkook to grasp the reality of being a manager of a major bank company. if his father could see him now..

“you look like you’re in a good mood. is it because of ms. y/n?” eunwoo smirks.

~🫧

Jungkook blushes furiously, his friend knows everything, his daughter is in the same class after all, actually Jungkook is really thankful to eunwoo’s wife because she was the one to introduce him to this school where he got to meet you.

“Y-Yeah… she was looking so hot today…” jungkook says as he closes his eyes, the files in his hands as he remembers your clothes. They fit you so perfectly.. especially your top.

Oh goodness he’s a pervert but he can’t help it- you are his fantasy. “I am actually excited cus I have a meeting with her- she asked me herself!!!” He gushes before going into his office cabin.

Eunwoo gives him a smirk, he knows you. You’re Jungkooks neighbour, and his wife’s friend. But he doesn’t know much about you though

You’re connected- that’s all he knows. Jungkook closes the door behind him goes to sit on his chair, his large air conditioning cabin is so comfy, he’s worked so hard for this…

All because of his son, he’s earned this, and now that he’s finally getting stronger, he will earn you soon, complete his family for once and all.

He throws his coat on the sofa, as he sits down, putting the files on the table, but soon the intercom beeps, cutting his thoughts off.

“Mr Manager, the boss would like to talk with you regarding the company, please report to the CEO’s office soon.” The computer voice comes to a halt and Jungkook is confused

He just got here. Sighing, he fixes his tie as he leaves his cabin to meet with the CEO. The man is old, nice, surprisingly.

Whatever it is, it can’t ruin his mood.

As Jungkook makes his way to the upper floor, using the elevator, he checks his watch- can this day get over already? He wants to be with you.

Soon, he’s in the presence of his boss, Jungkook bows, “hello Manager Jeon.. sit please.” Jungkook nods, sitting right infront of the man with the grey coat.

“Sir? Is everything alright?” He asks because he’s rarely called to his office, so he’s confused. “Ah well I have something to tell you, first and then you’ll announce it to the rest of the workers.” Mr Gang folds his arms

Jungkook looks at him, “I’ve sold the company.” And his confusion only increases. What does he mean- “to the Jangs.”

It’s safe to say that jungkook has no clue about whatever Mr Gang is talking about. “Ahh to the Jang enterprises.”

Jungkook feels goosebumps arise on his skin when he hears that, “they bought all the shares.. and their daughter shall be taking over my position soon.”

What- why? No.

Jungkook looks at him with frustration, “s-sir what do you mean? Do you mean Jang Nara will be taking over as the boss?!”

Fuck that bitch.

A bitch he knows all too well.

And the boss nods.

Jungkook groans, “u-umm okay… is that all Sir? I… don’t understand the rush but… I’ll let the employees know..” he gets up as the CEO allows him to.

He wants to get away immediately so he can be there for the meeting on time.

[hotpinkhoshi]

Can you rec some GOT7 fic writers? or just accounts in general?

i have sooo many messages in my inbox like this, so i do plan on making an organized post BUT for now let me shout out some of my favorites 🥰

@listlessmaenads my favorite jb writer, no contest. also a lovely human being 🥺

@prettywordsyouleft not exclusively a got7 writer, she does write for MANY groups. her recent jb series ‘reconciliation’ is just...muah 💋👩‍🍳

@softseunies writes really great shorter drabbles for most if not all members! and a new jackson series that i am v v excited about!

@ahgaseda lots of content to go through, i’m really enjoying their current jinyoung series! v angsty and steamy.

@mintjoonlep also doesn’t exclusively write for got7 but their jackson content is just....phew. also i can’t remember the title but there’s a jb blind date one shot on there that is hot af so look out for that one

@jinyoungmoans just posted a yugyeom angst one shot that i really loved, also has some sexy jinyoung content that of course i am a big fan of. also a lovely human 🥺💕

[eviesaurusrex]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛ | ᴄ. ᴇᴠᴀɴꜱ

GIFs by the amazing @henricavyll

Dad!Chris Evans x Wife!Reader (DiCaprio!Reader)

summary: It’s the Lightyear world premiere in L.A.—and everyone is asking where Chris’ wife, YN, and their kids are.

word count: 3.5k

warnings: fluff, more fluff, mentions of complicated pregnancy, really short mention of traumatic child labor and death of both mother and child, double the fluff, not really proofread because I’m tired

author’s note: I don’t know where this came from. But I also don’t care because it’s my first Chris piece, and I’m excited. And for age’s sake: Leo is 15-20 years older than he actually is because I kinda forgot that he is only 47 after I already finished this one xD

“I’m standing here with actor Chris Evans on this beautiful sunny afternoon. How are you, Chris?” One of the many interviewer asked, and the man grinned shortly to the camera before focusing back on the woman in front of him, holding a microphone right under his nose. She was nervous; he could see that, so he didn’t say anything about it. He understood her on a different level. “Hi, Susan. We really had luck with the weather, didn’t we? And I’m great, thanks. I mean, how could I not be great?” He grinned again and pushed his sunglasses up. “I probably would feel the same when I voiced my longtime favorite character! How did your kids react? You have two, right?”

At the mention of his two sunbeams back home, the father couldn’t help but smile softly. It may have taken a long while to find the perfect woman and the love of his life and an even longer while to create these two joys in his life, but Chris thanked the universe every single day for the honor of having them in his life.

“I have two wonderful and beautiful children, yes, and number three is on their way. My eldest, Ophelia, was over the moon when I left my study a few months back after I had just wrapped up the call with my manager and Disney and were allowed to talk about it. She, of course, eavesdropped because she just loves to do it when it contains me and my study. And she had picked up on some parts of the conversation and had bounced up and down and asked me nonstop if it’s true and I’m playing Buzz. It’s her favorite Toy Story character, so I had a bit of pressure while doing the actual work.” He showed his thumb and pointer moving very closely together and chuckled. “Who am I kiddin’, I had a lot of pressure,” he laughed, and Susan laughed with him. “I only can imagine how it is with such a harsh critique living under the same roof. How did your second child react?” Chris grinned again, and it was visible for everyone to see in this world how much he adored his two children. “My son Aiden was much more chilled. Well, it’s not science because he only objects if someone dares to steal his share of ice cream—or cuddle time with his mom. He had only shrugged after Ophelia had screamed through the living room that I was voicing Buzz, but he was kinda excited after we watched it for the first time and heard my voice. Y’know, to see your own kids become happy and have those big round eyes just like you at your first Disney movie and the birth of your first movie heroes? It’s something entirely else. And to witness this moment while they watched Lightyear? Mindblowing, really.”

His chest was swelled with pride, and everyone around gushed over the epitome of proud fatherhood Chris was in this very moment. And he didn’t mind because he could boast all day long about his kids—and wife. Speaking of which…

“This is probably the sweetest story I’ve ever heard. Thank you for sharing this very intimate insight of your family life with us, Chris,” the interviewer thanked him with a genuine smile, but Chris only waved it off. They might keep their kids out of the spotlight to grant them the childhood he had been gifted by his parents, but they never stopped talking about them when people asked. “Is it okay if I ask about your wife and why she isn’t here today? She usually is at all your premieres and vice versa. I barely can remember a time without her at your side or you at hers, to be quite honest. You two really found one another.” Chris nodded in absolute agreement. “We really did. It was unexpected and kinda bumpy—quite literally.”

The husband remembered their first encounter at one of the Oscar Afterparties vividly where the stunning woman had bumped into him—and had driven the heel of her painful stilettos into his shoe. Ever since the actor saw these shoes with other eyes. He returned back to reality. “But we pushed through the obstacles, and I am the lucky bastard she had agreed to marry. Lucky me.” He chuckled under his breath and shook his head. YN would hit him as soon as she saw this interview, and maybe she sat in front of the tv at this very moment and watched him gushing over their family. “But back to your question, Susan. YN is currently at home, maybe watching this interview and throwing a pillow to the tv because she is heavily pregnant and can’t get up without help anymore.” Chris grinned straight into the camera. “I’m sorry, love!” He almost shouted after the exposure of her struggling state he almost loved the most about her being pregnant.

He just was a sucker for his wife when she called for him to help her with the easiest of tasks and boss him around as if there was no tomorrow. But he was a happily obliging husband because, after all, her state had been his fault. Something he would always be proud of.

“She wanted to come with me, but the doctor had put her on bed rest for the time being after we experienced a tiny scare of our little one two weeks back.” The same icy cold feeling ran his back up and down, just the same he had felt during the few hours of panic and anxiety in the depths of night when their unborn child tried to greet them earlier than agreed. And gladly, as stubborn his wife could be, she kept her word and watched out for herself and the little bub instead of ignoring every warning and trying to go head first through every wall possible. His father-in-law was a great help on days like this when Chris couldn’t be at home to watch out for his love and his tiny love. “I am sorry to hear that. But now, everything is back on track and in order?” The actor nodded, relieved. “So far, yes. But it still means I have to attend these without her calming presence, and let me tell’ya: it’s freaking scary.” And then, he laughed and shook his head. “I’ve never expected to be so lost without her. I almost forgot to lace my shoes because my head was all over the place,” he let out and still couldn’t believe how his life had changed within only a few years.

“Don’t worry, Chris, I feel the same. My life without my girlfriend? God, send some help,” Susan laughed with him, and Chris smiled thankfully. “So, I suppose you will head straight back home after the screening?” And the Evans was more than relieved to nod this question yes. “Totally. I love everyone involved in this movie, and I’m beyond grateful. However, my priorities are heading home, being greeted by Dodge and maybe the kids if they’re still awake, thanking Leo for keeping an eye on these two—more like three, Dodger included—troublemakers and his daughter, and then finally greeting my wife. We probably will watch a Disney movie, eventually waking the kids with the sounds, and everything will morph into a huge Disney sleepover on the couch. And yes, that’s the description of my personal favorite night.” He had always been a more at-home type of guy after passing a certain age, but now, it was all he could ever want.

“That sounds like a night in just like mine, minus the children. Thank you again for talking to me, Chris, and congratulations on the brilliant movie and your family. I’m definitely not the only one when I’m saying that you deserve every single bit of it,” Susan closed the interview, and Chris waved a last time to the people standing behind her before heading back to the red carpet to get the final shots for the press.

;

Chris was glad that they had settled back to L.A. for the making of Lightyear to avoid stressful last-minute flights from one side of the country to the other. He could be there if something happened at home, almost within a matter of thirty minutes tops, and Leo wasn’t busy as he usually was to help him with keeping an eye on everyone. And now, he was glad because it meant he could hold his wife in his arms after only a twenty-minute drive instead of an almost six-hour flight. He could even grab her favorite ice cream flavor on the way home.

Leaving the car and wishing Daniel, his driver for today, a good night, Chris slowly followed the pathway, flanked with blooming bushes and flowers exploding in every color there was, up to the four steps leading to the porch and door. Their L.A. house reminded him of home back in Boston, and he couldn’t wait for them to move back and relish in the family time they would have after baby number three was born.

Smiling at the sounds of an excited Dodger waiting for him, Chris took two steps at a time and opened the door to get in. His fur companion wiggled with his tail at the sight of his human, and the Evans crouched down to greet him with a loving scratch behind his ears. “How is my best boy?” He asked and chuckled as Dodger impatiently nudged his hand to follow him. He wanted to, but tiny, excited voices let him stop in his tracks.

“Daddy! Daddy!”

“Daddy’s home!”

Two tiny humans rounded the corner into the hallway at full speed, and the father could only let the bag with ice cream and snacks drop to the floor before he was attacked by the hugs of his five-year-old girl and an almost four-year-old boy. “What a greeting!” He laughed as he lifted both children in his arms and tickled squealing noises out of them. Ophelia grinned brightly—the grin almost too big for her pretty little face— while Aiden preferred to snuggle onto his father’s shoulder. It was late for him, and Chris was actually surprised at how long he had pushed through.

“Did you bring the biiiig Buzz? I saw him on TV! I want him! He is so cool and sooo big! And Sox??? They had a statue of him too! Did you see it, Daddy?? Can we go there tomorrow?? Please??”

Chris chuckled at the tsunami of questions he already had anticipated, but another voice slid into the conversation. “Lia, darling. Give your dad some time to arrive and at least to take off his shoes,” Leo quipped with a small grin on his face and stepped to his son-in-law to take the kids off him. “But, Poooops!” Ophelia pouted heavily, and even Aiden seemed not happy about the interruption of stories. “No but’s, darling. Come on; you said you wanted to bake a cake for your dad and the work is only halfway done. Plus, your mom said something about craving a banana smoothie. Who wants a banana smoothie?”

And suddenly, the world was back in order, and both kids screamed “Yes!” throughout the entire house.

Chris followed them after taking off his shoes and retrieving the paper bag again. He took one spoon from the kitchen on his way to the living room and already saw the head of his wife peeking up between thick couch pillows. The husband left the bag with snacks at the opening of the kitchen, only taking the ice cream bucket with him. He crouched behind the back of the couch and let his arm appear from behind in front of the woman he loved—ice cream presented like an offering to the gods.

“M’lady, I brought gifts,” Chris laughed softly at her gasp and grabby hands, kissing her cheek tenderly. “Fine sir, do you possess the ability of mind reading? We should consider burning you at the stake.” YN had turned her head and grinned up to him as he rounded the couch and plopped down next to her. She was dressed in one of his Red Sox shirts—usually, it would be way too big for her, but now with the ever-growing baby bump, it fitted perfectly—, yoga pants and fluffy socks under which she probably hid the pestering compression socks the doctor had prescribed for the next weeks. “Please, I beg you, don’t burn me! Who would tend to your needs, m’lady?” YN’s eyes wandered to Dodger, who had taken over his place at her side once more. Ever the protective fur baby, Chris thought with a smile. “I could train Dodge to go to the store. Remember this video with the dog and his little basket on the market? Where he bought fruits for his owner? It could be Dodger after a bit of persuasion.” The woman grinned brightly, the same grin Ophelia owned, and with one hand on his neck, she pulled his face closer to hers. Chris obliged and leaned down to press their lips together in a loving kiss, which still let butterflies erupt in his stomach.

“Hey,” Chris whispered, lips still touching, and YN sighed. “Hey,” she returned just as quiet as he and nudged his nose with hers. “Everything alright?” She could see the worry in his blue eyes, darkening them a bit, so she took his hand and put it on the right side of her still-growing bump, even though she was almost through with it. But each pregnancy held its own surprises, as she had experienced. “Of course,” she smiled at his joyful, boyish grin as he felt one of the many kicks of their third bundle of joy. Number three may be an accident because, after Aiden’s birth, they had agreed on waiting a couple more years to grant them the attention they both deserved, but everything would be okay. And she couldn’t imagine a life without bub three.

Chris bent his head down to the spot where he suspected his baby’s head and pressed a kiss on top of his… YN’s shirt. “Hey, love. Here is your daddy speaking. I hope you didn’t give your mom a hard time today, and I damn sure hope you will continue to be a good girl in a few hours when she tries to sleep—unlike the last three nights. ‘Thought we had a deal.” YN chuckled while her fingers carded through Chris’ fluffy hair but groaned at a particularly hard kick. “Love,” they both warned in unison before YN settled back into the cushions and continued to caress her husband’s hair and scalp. “A girl, huh?” She softly smiled at the man who had swept her off her feet so suddenly, she still wondered how she didn’t brake her neck in the wake of his adorable flirting endeavors she oh so happily had returned. Chris leaned his cheek against her bump, wanting to be as close as possible to his baby and wife, and her knuckles tenderly stroked over his bearded cheek. He had a boyish smile tucking at his lips. “S’just a feelin’,” he mumbled, Boston accent very prominent—just as always when he felt contentment and happiness, mostly when he was at home with his family. YN grinned down at him while slowly rubbing the spot where the tiny bub had kicked again. “You can admit that you want another girl. Nobody would be surprised, y’know? The whole internet sees you as a girl-dad,” YN winked, and Chris’ rumbling laugh almost shook her body as well. “Do they, yeah?” She nodded and tipped the tip of his nose with the pad of her finger. “Yes, they do, and we both know that you know this as well. Don’t try to fool lil’ ol’ me, Mr. Evans. I’m aware of your stalking tendencies when it comes to your fans and this family.”

Chris grinned sheepishly before sitting up and pressing another kiss to her lips. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Mrs. Evans,” he whispered before commotion erupted in the kitchen and tiny feet came rushing over. “Mommy! Mommy, look! I made banana shake!” Aiden proudly presented the filled glass, and both parents were sure there would be a dripping trail of shake from the kitchen to the couch. But her father already followed with a kitchen towel in hand. “We made the banana shake,” Ophelia stressed and gave her mom the reusable straw she had carried while Aiden gave her the glass. The mother almost teared up and blinked rapidly to hide the tears. “You two are too good to me,” she sniffled before taking the first sip and hummed in utter approval. “Perfection. Maybe you should think about opening a shake shop.” Ophelia giggled while Aiden squeezed himself between Dodger and his mother. With another human, Dodger wouldn’t have any of that, but with his family, he only made space and put his head in his tiny human’s lap to get the cuddles he loved.

Meanwhile, Ophelia climbed into the spot between her mom and dad and cuddled into Chris’ side, grabbing the ice cream out of her mother’s hands and starting to steal a few spoons full of sugary delight. He had thought about getting up to change into something more comfortable, but he decided that this was much better. He could outlive a few hours without his sweatpants. Leo returned after bringing the kitchen towel into the laundry room and bent down to press a kiss to the top of his youngest daughter’s head. “I would head over if you don’t need anything else, darling,” he said, and YN looked up to him with all the love she held for this man. “Of course. Thanks again for coming over and handling everything.” She really had lucked out in the family department, even before finding Chris and creating her own perfect family with the perfect man that was her husband. The DiCaprio smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. “That’s nothing to thank me for.” And with that, he kissed his grandkids goodbye before patting his son-in-law’s shoulder. “There is a cake in the oven, but the timer is set.” Chris nodded, and after peeling a grumpy Ophelia off his side, he stood up and brought Leo to the door.

There, the older man turned again. “Before I go… I wanted to thank you, Chris, for making her so happy. You know what happened to her mother, and though it was a long time ago, it had always cast a shadow over her.” Chris knew what Leo was referring to; YN had told him about the traumatic labor her mother went through, only that she died and the baby with her. It had taken its toll on Leo, too, and the whole family had needed years to recover from it. It still amazed Chris how she had handled every pregnancy and every birth, although she knew what could go wrong. “But with you, she finally is… I can’t even describe it. Not to mention that you took her fear. So… Thank you.” Both men hugged each other closely, patted their backs reaffirmingly. “It’s an honor to love her and have her in my life because you raised one of the best women on earth. You deserve every thank I could offer you,” Chris mumbled before they let go of one another. Leonardo waved it off, but in reality, it was the proudest achievement in his life. YN and her sister were his pride and joy, just as Ophelia, Aiden, and the little one were Chris’ pride and joy. “Have a good night, Chris, and give me a call if it’s happening, yeah?” Chris nodded without hesitation. “Yeah, of course.“

Returning into the living room in his favorite sweatpants and Red Sox shirt—one of the few he actually was allowed to wear and which wasn’t claimed by his darling wife—Chris sat back next to Ophelia and out his arm on the back of the couch to softly caress YN’s neck and shoulder. “The kids decided that we’re watching Wall-E,” she let him know while his eldest already held onto the remote and scrolled through Disney+. “Daddy?” He hummed in question at Aiden’s voice. “Lia and I want see biiiiig Sox,” he told the family, and YN softly shrugged at Chris’ questioning look in her direction. “If they’re still there, why not? You two have to take a lot of pictures for me, ‘kay?” Aiden nodded with a serious expression. “Otay!” YN carded through her son’s mop of blonde hair—Chris’ genes definitely outrun hers—and changed another look with her husband, both obviously thinking the same. “You know, after your brother or sister is born, maybe we could check out Disney World and if they already have a Buzz and Sox there.” Both parents knew what mentioning Disney World would do to their kids, but they didn’t mind the explosion of tiny voices. Instead, Chris settled back right next to his wife, hand again on her bump, while they watched their children playing in the living room—Dodger was Sox, Ophelia played Izzy, and Aiden was Buzz himself.”

YN laughed softly and leaned her head onto Chris’ shoulder. “We really have a Disney obsessed family.” Chris grinned in total contentment and kissed her head. “We have, and I don’t want it any other way.”

;

I don’t know where all these words came from, but I kinda couldn’t stop writing. Even though it’s kinda shitty, I hope y’all enjoyed it! As usual: Comments, reblogs, and likes are much appreciated <3

[marshmallowgoop]

Hey Goop! Do you remember that one scene from episode 118 (I think that was it?) When Ran and Conan first meet Kazuha in that restaurant? It was pretty funny with how she expected Kudo to be a girl who was interested in Heiji or how Harley has "talked a lot about"! But something else crossed my mind, in what way did Heiji talk about Kudo to make her think that? Must've been either a full blown rant, or a positive gushing session, or it could've been a little bit of both. Probably both. But who knows?

Just a thought.

Yeah! I think 118 might be my favorite episode (that I've seen so far).

Kazuha: Heiji's always talking about you [Kudo].

And while I'd love to know exactly what Heiji said to Kazuha about Shinichi, I think he was definitely gushing. Clearly a lot. He's really not shy about sharing his affection and admiration for the guy, which I can't help but find endlessly endearing. I particularly can't get over how, in his second appearance (Episodes 57-58), Heiji shows up to a Sherlock Holmes fan tour, despite not even being a fan, and blatantly states, out loud, utterly shamelessly, that his entire interest in being there is because he wants to see Shinichi:

Ran: You're a Holmes fan too?!

Heiji: Of course not! The reason I applied for this tour was 'cuz I thought I might find Kudo.

It strikes me as kind of refreshing, for this series. Characters in DetCo can be incredibly tsundere-like about the warm feelings they hold for other characters, but when it comes to Heiji's love for Shinichi, he's remarkably open. I don't think he ever hides his enthusiasm when they meet up, he's noticeably upset when they seemingly can't solve a case together (Episode 325), he sends Shinichi an "OK" composed entirely out of heart emojis when agreeing to put his life on the line for him (Episode 345), and though it is (probably) non-canon, the third film, The Last Wizard of the Century, also has Kazuha again reiterating that Heiji cannot shut up about this guy, noting that he was super hyped up about seeing Kudo:

Kazuha: You kept saying all morning that Kudo's coming, Kudo's coming.

And it's just really sweet to me. As amusing as I can find the tsundere moments, there's a lot to appreciate in Heiji's sincerity and unabashed fondness, too. It's nice to see men openly care for each other—to be proud of caring for each other! And that's undoubtedly Heiji, especially with how he grins and blushes and declares himself Shinichi's best friend (Episode 277 and 521, for a couple examples that I know of).

As far as I'm aware, I think it's really only Heiji's third appearance (Episodes 77-78) that he seems notably embarrassed about admitting how much he likes being with Shinichi to Shinichi's face; he treats it like a joke when he says that the real reason he wanted Kogoro and company there with him was because he "just wanted to see [Kudo]," when, c'mon, boy. You don't even like Sherlock Holmes but went on a Sherlock Holmes fan tour purely for the chance to see Shinichi. There's at least some truth in "just wanting to see" the guy.

(Which, as an aside, I am pretty miffed at FUNimation's English dub for changing the line from this...

Heiji: It's not like that! I just wanted to see ya [Kudo]!

(to this...

Heiji: All right, I admit it. It's Rachel, Kudo. I had to see her. I'm in love with her.

(I'll defend the dub a lot, it's genuinely my preferred way to watch the show (with subtitles translating the Japanese script), but I think the problems here speak for themselves.)

But, yeah! I probably went way too far (as per usual), but I adore how, aside from that one moment, Heiji doesn't make much of an effort to cover up how much Shinichi means to him (as far as I know). It's absolutely adorable to me that Heiji's early meetings with Shinichi affected him so strongly that he ranted and raved about them to his longtime childhood friend and crush.

[malfoys-demigod]

Professor Crane - Tim Drake x Reader

Summary: A jealous Tim feels like you’ve been spending more time devoting yourself to the new psychology teacher as he’s been hearing that students have been gushing over him.

A/N: Let’s be real, Jonathan Crane in the Dark Knight movie franchise was hot, especially in the first movie.

Another year at Gotham Academy, another year of sleepless nights doing patrols, causing Tim Drake to lose energy and time for his academics. Great. It was only last year when school was something he was looking forward to as he actually befriended somebody at school. And that person was you.

He can easily recall the moment you both shared your first interactions with each other. The both of you had Chemistry class together and with having a sleepless night the night before, neither of you knew that there was going to be a paired up experiment. As the class divided to their pairs, you and Tim were the only ones left partnerless. Tim made the first move and asked if you were comfortable doing the experiment together, and you said yes as your dreams of being with Tim Drake, the boy you found handsome, were accomplished. From there on, you two became best of friends, not knowing that the two of you developed deep feelings for each other.

This school year, the both of you managed to choose the same classes, hoping you’d be together all day everyday. And it came true. You shared notes, fell asleep together, did each others homeworks, and so on. Tim felt like your friendship was going stronger each day spent together. That was until the original Psychology teacher suddenly resigned, bringing in a new, younger, and good looking teacher, causing all the girls (including you) swoon as he made his first appearance.

The new teacher gracefully entered the classroom, placing his brief case on the table, and removing his glasses to face the class. “Hello, everyone. I’m Professor Jonathan Crane and I will be continuing your Psychology class throughout the year.” he smiled, now turning to the board to write his name. As he turned away, all the girls silently pretended to faint and started claiming him. Tim was surprised to notice you, staring at him with big heart eyes. You glanced at your best friend who was sitting beside you, “It’s getting hot in here, isn’t it?” you said blushing and removing your school jacket. Tim rolled his eyes, upset that his chances of asking you out lowered.

--

As weeks, and eventually months passed by, Tim seriously noticed how less you’ve been hanging out with him. In every other class, sure, you’d still exchange jokes and laughs, but when it was Crane’s class, a single word wouldn’t come out of your mouth, only when you wanted to recite every time you had the chance, trying to gain acknowledgement from your professor. Heck, even after school your daily visits to coffee shops with Tim started stopping as you told him you’d swing by Crane’s classroom to join a bunch of girls to be tutored by him, even if Tim could single handedly do that and you both were A+ students.

There was that one night you two finally shared together. It was late, like at around 10pm, Tim, being extremely exhausted, just finished patrolling the night and decided to change and stop by his favorite coffee shop, only to find you there. “Y/N.” he tiredly exhaled from his breath and walked over to your booth. “Is that school work?” he raised his eyebrows, looking at your tired figure as you were typing on your laptop.

“Yeah, just some extra credit for Psychology.”

“I don’t see the point in all of this.” he said, sitting across you. “You and I are in the top of his class, yet you have the urge to visit him after school hours. I barely get to see you now! Please don’t tell me you’re turning into one of those girls who have been falling all over his looks! They annoy me.” 

You, being caught red handedly frowned at the fact that you’ve been giving your time and attention to your professor more than him. “I am SO not like them!” you scolded Tim, gathering your things, “In fact, he told me that he’s giving me the honor to test his psychology project this week after class. I believe you’re just jealous that I became number one in his class.” you stood up, leaving an upset Tim by the booth. You knew he was right, that you’ve been all over Crane, and that you realized how much coffee dates and hangouts at the Manor you’ve missed. You realized how you’ve been leaving your longtime crush in the dark all along. You were going to try your best to make it up to him. You were going to promise that this project Crane had for you were to be the last attention you’d give him. 

And it was. 

--

You were spending your afternoon after class at Professor Crane’s classroom while Tim was spending another lonely after class at the Manor. His brothers obviously were aware of how sad he was. They missed the sight of Tim being happy at home while you were there to make him smile. They also missed you being a constant source of happiness as they all lived a gruesome life. 

Tim was just in the couch with his brothers, drinking another mug of coffee until Bruce popped into the living room with a very serious look. “There was an accident at Gotham Academy. Someone’s getting away, let’s go.” Tim dropped his mug, assuming that you were still there at school. “Y/N’s still there.” Bruce nodded, “You get her while the rest of us find the culprit.”

--

Tim uncaringly took took Jason’s motorcycle and sped to school, praying that you were safe. 

As he arrived campus, he hopped off the bike and dashed directly to Crane’s office to find you in the corner of the floor, hugging your knees and crying. He enveloped you in a hug, trying to calm you down, “You’re going to be alright, Y/N, you’re going to be alright. Do you think you can tell me what happened?” he said, brushing a strand of hair to the side. 

“P-professor C-crane.” you choked. 

“What about him?”

“H-he... asked i-if he I w-wanted to see his... m-mask.” you took another deep breath, “T-then g-gas came out and h-he turned into m-my worst f-fears. It was h-horrible, Tim.”

“You’re alright now. I’m here Y/N and I’m never leaving you ever again.”

“I’m s-sorry Tim, for everything. I r-realized how much of a horrible friend I w-was to you. I forgot h-how much I loved you.” you said, hugging him tighter. Tim gave a caring smile at the last line and kissed you on the forehead, “I’m never losing sight of the love of my life ever again, you hear me?” he asked, looking at you nod in response. “I love you.” 

[clovis-enthusiast]

Lotsa Clovis headcanons that you can pry from my cold dead hands

Keep in mind that these are just MY HEADCANONS! None of this is canon unless specifically stated! Feel free to agree or disagree. I juts rlly love my boy and his cabin and will gush about them for hours if given the chance.

Since there is a lot, I’ll put them under the cut so as not to clutter ur feed with my rambling! So uh click ‘keep reading’ to see me babble about my all time favorite character! Hope u enjoy if u read em and always feel free to send me a message about ur own headcanons! (I’m always thinking of more, so this post might be updated every once in awhile!)

He is very French. He was born in France and lived there for a short while before he and his mother (the reason I say mother instead of parent is because it was hinted at in canon that he has a mother. my go to name for her is Camille) moved to the US due to monster related problems. (He has a French last name. Something like Valois is my go to.)

French is his first language but because he moved to the US when he was quite young, he is very fluent in English. He often switches between the two languages when he’s EXTRA sleepy without noticing leading to a lot of confusion (and you can bet that he DEFINITELY swears in French because not many people at camp can understand him when he does. Those who do have a newfound respect and fear for him.)

He was initially a longtime member of the Hermes cabin even though pretty much everyone could guess who his godly parent was.

Was DEFINITELY a part of Luke’s army at one point due to the fact that he looked up to Luke as the older demigod had always treated him like a little brother, AND his godly brother Morpheus was also on Kronos’s side of the war. However, Clovis did not stay with them for long once things began to get bad and returned to Camp Half Blood with time. (Morpheus and Clovis now have a strained relationship.)

Best friends with Lou Ellen Blackstone of the Hecate cabin. They were both temporarily on Luke’s side of the war and were held with suspicion and distrust when they returned to camp, so they tended to stick by each other while the other campers warmed back up to them. Because of this, they are now very close and are always goofing around (much to the annoyance of the other head counselors aside from the Stolls, of course.)

Definitely had a thing for Nico di Angelo in the past. As the two boys are both the sons of underworld gods, Clovis had already felt a certain tug towards him. When he heard Nico’s story from the camp’s rumor mill (thank Lacy and Mitchell for that one) he became utterly infatuated. Over time, his curiosity turned more into a little crush which then became a BIG crush, but as neither Clovis nor Nico are really all that great with normal human interaction, the son of Hypnos’s flirting techniques sort of went unnoticed. That’s why Nico seems to be the only one being pulled into Clovis’s dreams at any given time despite Clovis being a ‘very strong dreamer.’ The truth is that Clovis has full control over who enters HIS dreamscapes. He tries desperately to impress Nico and help him out wherever he can, but when Nico eventually chooses Will to be his boyfriend, Clovis, though a bit sad that his first crush in a long time didn’t share the feelings, is VERY supportive. He loves to tease Nico about how hopelessly head-over-heels the broody teenager is over his sunshiney boyfriend. And if the two were ever to break up for whatever reason in the future? Well, Clovis is definitely still up for a shot.

Clovis and Nico are still VERY close. Clovis is one of the only people that Nico feels comfortable enough to be himself around and often confides in him whenever his negative thinking gets the best of him. Clovis also plays a big part in Nico regaining the memories of his past when he’s ready which he will forever be thankful for. The two obviously spend a lot of time together in dreams and greet one another in a warm fashion whenever they come across each other by chance at camp. This confuses literally everyone because literally no one has ever seen them interact before?? How are they friends?? 

Has HISTORY with Drew. No one is really sure what kind of history (it seems as if there was a little bit of memory erasure throughout the camp on the situation... hm...) but most people speculate that the two shared a romantic relation at one point in time. Turns out, they were NOT compatible, and the whole thing went up in flames. Drew still holds a huge grudge against Clovis who acts as though he could honestly care less. He still treats her politely though there have definitely been some not-so-subtle nasty looks cast across the campfire towards her direction before.

Also very close with Lacy and Mitchell from the Aphrodite cabin. Lacy feels terrible about Drew’s trash-talking and rumor-spreading and eventually works up the courage to say hi. They became fast friends, and Lacy definitely has a bit of a puppy-dog crush on him, but she is much too young for Clovis. He sees her as a little sister and allows her to put makeup on him, do his hair, and even tries on dresses and such just to make her smile. Mitchell, on the other hand, became friends with Clovis out of spite in all honesty and ended up liking the sleepy blond a lot more than he thought he would. He might have a teeeeeny tiiiiiny crush on him. Don’t tell Lacy.

Close with Pollux of the Dionysus cabin. Pollux sees a lot of Castor when he looks at Clovis which is a huge comfort to him. The two counselors have a lot of deep talks late at night, and Clovis always makes sure that Pollux is sleeping well without being haunted by nightmares. Dionysus would never admit it, but he is very thankful that someone cares that much about his only son.

Good friends with Rachel Elizabeth Dare surprisingly! He helps her out often, and the two like to sit and chat about mythology, artwork, and prophecies in the big house and at the campfire.

Has allies and friends in high places. Due to his powerful dreaming, he’s been to quite a few strange places and met quite a few strange people... or you could call them the gods, I guess. He knows a lot of the gods and goddesses from all kinds of mythologies (though obviously more of the Greek ones than anything) and they seem to like him well enough for some reason. (Probably because he’s one of the only demigods who doesn’t want to strangle them and doesn’t mind listening to them complain about petty godly things.) He often has little chats with them where he keeps them updated with the going ons of Camp Half Blood and they keep him updated about... godly drama. He kinda lives for it tbh. It’s part of the reason why he’s so informed about the gods.(Annabeth is maybe just the tiniest bit jealous.)

He’s a year round camper because it would be much too dangerous for him to go back to living with his mother. He stays in contact with her via dreams, letters, and Iris messages though!

MUCH more powerful than he lets on. He just doesn’t like conflict. 

One of his most frightening abilities is the ability to summon terrible creatures from people’s nightmares and use them to fight. He doesn’t like to do this as it can be very traumatizing for the people he uses it against, AND it’s not always a guarantee that the nightmare creatures will obey him.

His other more battle-ready powers are the ability to put an entire battle field into a deep slumber and memory alteration/erasure. He can use his memory alteration/erasure on monsters of weaker defenses AND demigods (though he feels much more comfortable using it on monsters.) He uses these powers to alter how monsters/enemies perceive demigods. Because of this, there are quite a few friendly hellhounds and scythian dracanae wandering about the camp. All of his powers are VERY draining and take a lot of concentration in order to work as intended. He will often sleep for days after a battle because of this.

He is also capable of fighting whilst asleep. In fact, his senses are heightened, and he tends to perform better this way. He also heals much faster while he is asleep. 

It is speculated that he will either grow wings from his head or his back, but it will not happen until he grows older. It’s a rare trait that few Hypnos kids (and Thanatos kids) develop, but due to Clovis’s power level, everyone is pretty much waiting for it to happen.

He can change his appearance at will in his dreams, but his aura is still the same, so he can still be identified pretty easily by people who know him personally. (As a side note, his eyes pretty much change color on their own to reflect the mood of the dreamscape he’s currently in. Gold, emerald, and violet are the most common colors. His true eye color is blue.)

Doesn’t really care about gender all that much. He has absolutely no problem with people referring to him using any pronouns (she/he/they) and is quite comfortable with himself in general. Many demigods who are questioning their gender comes to talk to him about it, and he’s always open to hearing them out and giving them advice.

VERY bisexual. Likes girls, guys, literally anyone who can keep him awake and interested for more than five seconds.

The unofficial official camp therapist.The role used to belong to Will Solace, but the truth is that the son of Apollo is much more comfortable dealing with physical ailments and problems he can fix medically than he is with dealing with feelings and mental ailments. Clovis is a very good listener despite the popular belief that he’s too busy nodding off to actually hold a conversation with properly and has a very calming aura that helps people feel safe enough to be vulnerable with him.

The go to babysitter of camp. Due to his Hypnos kid vibes, he is able to keep even the most rambunctious demigod and satyr children under control. His nap times are legendary. 

VERY big on respecting people’s privacy and boundaries. He tries his best not to enter any dreams uninvited, and he never talks about what goes on in people’s dreams ever. He also NEVER looks into people’s memories without their permission. He makes sure his siblings follow these guidelines strictly.

He literally lets anyone come into the Hypnos cabin at any time to get a good rest. The cabin has an open door policy.

New campers are often allowed to stay with the Hypnos cabin if they’d rather not face the chaos of the Hermes cabin.

Contrary to popular belief, his cabin is actually NOT the messiest cabin. The Hermes cabin wins that one though they’re followed closely by the Ares and Hephaestus cabins.

He and his siblings are some of the closest in the camp. They meet up and hang out in each other’s dreamscapes and have family nights. Clovis is the oldest AND is a head counselor, so he is very protective and responsible when it comes to his siblings.

Gives AMAZING massages. Leo and the entirety of the Hephaestus and Ares cabins are regular customers. Fight me. 

Actually a very good strategist when it comes to battles and such given that he’s awake enough to actually communicate his ideas. If you get them on your Capture the Team game, you’re already doing good. Annabeth and the Athena cabin love the competition, and they’re nearly unstoppable when they work together with him.

Clovis suffers from TERRIBLE narcolepsy, even for a son of Hypnos. It’s gotten him into a lot of bad and dangerous situations such as falling asleep mid battle, mid conversation, and even in the bath once when he was little. He has developed a fear of heights and water due to his condition.

Holds a lot of frustrations towards himself. Frustrated that he ever turned against the camp that offered him a home, frustrated that he couldn’t help Jason restore his memories, frustrated that couldn’t help more in the war against Gaea, just... frustrated. He tries to sleep off these negative moods because he doesn’t like to bring people down.

Absolutely not opposed to cuddling with people who are okay with it (he always asks first!) It’s a surefire way to get a good night’s rest since you’re so close to him, plus he’s very soft and warm!

Has a good singing voice, but just isn’t confident enough with it. He pushes through his insecurities to sing lullabies to those who really need them though. His lullabies are unmatched. 

Adores cats with all of his heart due to their lazy and relaxed nature, but he knows that he could never be able to care for one well enough. 

ALWAYS wears pajamas. Like all the time. Chiron has given up on enforcing the dress code. He also made sure to have custom made camp bracelets instead of necklaces to be sure that none of the Hypnos kids are choked/strangled by them if they happen to fall asleep in a bad place or position.

Lives in the past. Old movies, old music, old slang, you name it. I mean, he practically sleeps for the majority of his life, so it’s not all that surprising that he’s a bit behind the times. He thinks the modern age moves much too fast for him to keep up with.

The demigods of camp take turns making sure Clovis and his siblings are taking care of themselves. Walking them to the showers and dining pavilion, making sure they get a little sunlight each day, and the bare minimum of training.

He is the best boy.That is the only FACT that I do not accept criticism on. Thank you.

[dipulb3]

Analysis: White guilt, apologies and why Hollywood is a cauldron of race issues at the moment

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/analysis-white-guilt-apologies-and-why-hollywood-is-a-cauldron-of-race-issues-at-the-moment/

Analysis: White guilt, apologies and why Hollywood is a cauldron of race issues at the moment

Despite complaints about “cancel culture” and racist insistence that people who talk about these important issues are “playing the race card,” Hollywood can’t seem to get away from conversations about race and diversity.

And while hopefully those discussions can lead to progress, lately they have led to controversy for some.

Osbourne said she didn’t necessarily agree with Morgan’s comments, but defended his right to make them. She herself was accused of being less than respectful when she berated Underwood for appearing to get emotional and insisted that if anyone should be crying over the conversation, it should be Osbourne herself.

Her perceived “victimhood” not only didn’t go over well, but the incident led to both an apology from Osbourne and an investigation by CBS into happenings on the set of “The Talk.”

Chris Harrison: “The Bachelor” franchise and its issues with race have long been discussed.

From its lack of diversity to last year’s outrage over “Bachelorette” star Hannah Brown using a racial epithet while jamming to a song, it’s safe to say the reality show has generated some headlines on matters of race.

But things came to a head this season after the casting of the first Black “Bachelor,” Matt James.

Longtime franchise host Chris Harrison has had to step aside from his duties after controversial comments he made during an interview with Rachel Lindsay, the first Black “Bachelorette,” who has been working for the TV show “Extra.”

During the chat, Harrison appeared to defend contestant Rachael Kirkconnell for being photographed at an antebellum plantation-themed fraternity formal event in 2018.

Harrison apologized, and James ended up giving Kirkconnell the final rose but then broke up with her over the controversy.

Billie Eilish: This instance was not so much an apology aired but rather yet another time a White artist has felt compelled to acknowledge a Black artist when an institution — in this case, the Grammys — did not.

Last Sunday, Eilish took home the final award of the evening, the prestigious record of the year, and used her acceptance speech to explain why rapper Megan Thee Stallion, one of her fellow nominees, really deserved it.

“You are so beautiful, you are so talented,” Eilish said. “I root for you always. You deserve it, honestly.”

If the moment felt familiar, it was because we had seen it happen before.

Adele tearfully gushed about Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” album deserving to win album of the year in 2017, instead of her album “25.”

Three years before, White rapper Macklemore apologized to rapper Kendrick Lamar for winning rap album of the year instead of the Black artist.

Race and identity politics can be complicated, but what’s not hard to understand is that these incidents happen because disparities and a far-from-level playing field absolutely exist in this world and in Hollywood.

Until that changes, someone is going to end up feeling sorry for it, or at the very least need to acknowledge it publicly.

For your weekend

Three things to watch:

‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

Calling all superhero geeks.

The time is now to finally see how the Justice League film fared in the hands of Zack Snyder, thanks to the release of this extended director’s cut. Joss Whedon had stepped in to complete the 2017 film after Snyder left the project due to personal tragedy.

“The result of this fresh take, strictly from a creative and filmmaking standpoint, is fascinating: How did two different directors — Whedon, who birthed the ‘Avengers’ franchise on screen; and Snyder, who tackled adapting the famously unadaptable ‘Watchmen’ — approach the same material?” is how my Appradab colleague Brian Lowry described the project.

The movie premieres Thursday on HBO Max (which is owned by Appradab’s parent company).

‘Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal’

Ripped from the headlines, as they say, this film uses re-enactments to tell the story of the college admissions scandal that landed several wealthy parents — including celebs Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman — in legal trouble.

The story dominated the news for months, and now you can relive it all by heading over to Netflix, where it’s currently streaming.

‘Minari’

Now that the Oscar nominations are out, you may want to check out some of the nominees.

“Minari” is up for six categories, including best picture. The drama draws on director Lee Issac Chung’s childhood to tell the tale of a Korean American family trying to survive in rural Arkansas in the 1980s.

The film is currently available to stream on several services including Apple TV and Amazon Prime.

Two things to listen to:

Justin Bieber recently told Billboard there is a message behind his new music.

“I just want to be somebody who can say, ‘Look, I did some things that I’m not too proud of, but I took a look in the mirror and decided to make some changes, and you can too,” he told the publication. “There was a time where I really did have my identity wrapped up in my career, but I really do have an overflow of feeling like my purpose is to use my music to inspire.”

His sixth studio album, “Justice,” drops Friday and is Bieber’s second album release in 13 months. (“Changes” came out on Valentine’s Day 2020.)

With marriage to model Hailey Bieber and more private time — thanks to quarantining and no cellphone to limit who can get a hold of him — the now 27-year-old former teen idol appears to be at a new stage in his life and career.

Last year, Lana Del Rey announced she would be delaying her new album, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club,” for a few months.

Now, we get to see if it was worth the wait.

The studio album from the singer is the much-anticipated follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2019 collection, “Norman F**king Rockwell,” and expectations are high that she will continue to deliver her special brand of artistry when it drops Friday.

One thing to talk about:

It’s not breaking news that award shows and their voters appear to be out of step with the general public.

But this year’s best supporting actor category for the Oscars is even more confounding.

That’s because the two stars of “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya, are both nominated in the category.

Which begs the question: “Which one is the actual star of the film if neither scored a best actor nod?”

I reached out to the Academy about this and a rep declined to comment. So we’ll just have to be content with the fact that the two won’t have to compete with the late Chadwick Boseman, a best actor nominee who is favored by many for what is believed to be his final on-screen performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

Something to sip on

Looking for something to watch? We asked some of our friends around Appradab what they binge-watch to decompress.

Fredricka Whitfield, Appradab Newsroom anchor

Not at all uplifting, nor did they help me decompress, yet I indulged in “Killing Eve,” “The Undoing” and some “Lovecraft Country.”

Michael Smerconish, Smerconish anchor

“Call My Agent!” Who’d have thought I’d get hooked on a French TV show with subtitles — but I love it.

Kate Bolduan, At This Hour anchor

How can I limit it to just one?! Now, a year into Covid, here are some of the favorites that have gotten me through — “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Succession,” “Billions,” “The Spy,” “Kids Baking Championship (seasons 1-9),” “The Men Who Built America” and “The Mandalorian.”

[dccomicsnews]

Blu-ray Review: Superman: Man of Tomorrow

Directed by: Chris Palmer

Written by: Tim Sheridan

Starring: Darren Criss, Zachary Quinto, Ryan Hurst, Alexandra Daddario, Ika Amandi, Brett Dalton, Eugene Byrd

Reviewed by: Eric Joseph

SUMMARY

Our first DC Universe animated movie post-Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is that of Superman: Man of Tomorrow, a coming of age story chronicling the adventures of an emerging Big Blue. Whether this is a standalone tale, the start of a series of Superman flicks, or the beginning of a new shared universe after what we’ll call “Flashpoint II” remains to be seen, but we’ll just enjoy it for what it is: a good superhero movie.

Make no mistake, there have been no shortage of Superman origin stories since the turn of the millennium. In comics alone, we’ve had Birthright, Secret Origin, Grant Morrison’s Action Comics run, Earth One, American Alien and Year One. On the live action side of things there have been Smallville and Man of Steel, but the animation realm has been left untouched since Superman: The Animated Series brought us “The Last Son of Krypton,” so this bad boy gets a pass in that regard.

For the most part, Man of Tomorrow is an original story. Though it takes some inspiration from American Alien and the Earth One books, it’s not a retread by any stretch. Really, any longtime fan of the timeless icon will be surprised by what goes down. Plus, Lobo and Martian Manhunter are thrown in for good measure, so we can’t complain about that.

POSITIVES

The immediate thing to gush over here is that of the visual aspect. I love the art style presented. Truth be told, I’m going to check out any Superman film regardless, but the look of this picture is what immediately had me sold. The colors are vibrant, and I guess I just dig seeing those bold lines around the characters, a la Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Archer. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want every DC animated movie going forward to look the same way, but I definitely want more of it.

Fortunately, the narrative is engaging as well. Like I said before, we’re following Kal-El as he begins his journey in Metropolis. In fact, he’s ignorant of his Kryptonian heritage at first; he knows he’s an alien but that’s the extent of his knowledge. Fortunately for him, he soon befriends Martian Manhunter, who fills out the mentor role.

The leading man, Darren Criss, does quite well filling the shoes of his predecessors. He brings a certain presence to a Clark Kent whom I’d assume is in his early twenties. Therefore, don’t condemn him for not sounding like Tim Daly, George Newbern or Jerry O’Connell. His Superman is just as believable and valid, not to mention optimistic.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If anything, it’s the twists and turns that’ll keep you on your toes. Yes, that sort of hyperbole is often spewed, although it really applies in this case. There are certain events that transpire involving the likes of Lex Luthor, Lobo, Martian Manhunter and even the chief antagonist of the piece, Parasite, that are sure to make you cock an eyebrow. I won’t spoil anything specifically, but you should brace yourself for some strange alliances when desperate times call for desperate measures.

To my delight, there are also some satisfying bonus features for consumption. “Lobo – Natural Force of Chaos” and “Martian Manhunter – Lost and Found” profile two of the supporting players, while two episodes of Superman: The Animated Series – “The Main Man – Parts I & II” – spotlight the former. And let me tell you, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of Batman: Soul of the Dragon before I watched the first look featurette included, but now it most definitely has my attention and I’m looking forward to it.

NEGATIVES

Despite this not being a perfect film, I don’t have too many gripes. I guess if I had to single out something specifically, I’d have to say I wanted more of Zachary Quinto’s Lex Luthor. In my opinion, his voice and cadence have been the most perfect vocal fit for the character since Clancy Brown lent his pipes. There have been various fine voice actors in between for sure, but Quinto just has that “certain something” when it comes time to slip into the role. Hopefully he comes back one day.

And although this isn’t necessarily a grievance of my own, I can picture some fans complaining about “yet another Superman origin story.” But like I said earlier, animation gets a free pass in that respect, so let’s hope they move on to other stages in Clark’s life for a while. However, if I see yet another comic book going this route…

VERDICT

While Superman: Man of Tomorrow hasn’t dethroned either Superman: Doomsday or Superman Unbound for the title of being my favorite animated film headlined by the Boy Scout, it’s still an achievement nonetheless. Should it prove successful enough, I imagine WB will order a sequel. Money talks, so pick up a copy if you agree with what’s been said in my review.

Blu-ray Review: Superman: Man Of Tomorrow Blu-ray Review: Superman: Man of Tomorrow Directed by: Chris Palmer Written by: Tim Sheridan Starring: Darren Criss, Zachary Quinto, Ryan Hurst, Alexandra Daddario, Ika Amandi, Brett Dalton, Eugene Byrd…

[atc74]

Our Love is Infinite

Square(s) Filled: “Two heads are better than one.” / Tattoos 

Warnings: Fluff, established poly relationship, dp, frottage, mentions of pregnancy

Summary: The show has wrapped and for the stars of Supenatural, one chapter is closing, but another is beginning. 

Pairing: Jared x Reader x Jensen

Word Count: 3589

Written for: @as-the-saying-goes-bingo and BTZ Bingo

Beta’d by: @amanda-teaches, thank you for all your love!

A/N: Here is the next chapter! This originally started as most definitely not a request from @supernatural-jackles, who told me she would love to see me write a J2 x Reader. It has exceeded my expectations and I hope yours too!

A/N2: Italics indicate flashback

To New Beginnings - catch up now!

Like Jared or Jensen’s scent? Buy it here from @scentsfromthebunker!

As a reminder, this is a work of fiction and should be regarded as such. No harm is intended toward the actor(s) or their families

Fifteen years. One hundred thirty-five months. Five hundred forty weeks. Three hundred thirty-seven episodes. Fourteen thousand one hundred fifty-four minutes. Two hundred thirty-six hours. That was Jared and Jensen’s life broken down since the start of Supernatural. Now it was the end. For Y/N, it wasn’t quite as long, but it was still the end of a chapter, well, a very long series, for her as well. 

But for Y/N, Jared, and Jensen, a new series was just beginning. Tonight was the wrap party. The final wrap party. The three of you had lounged around the house all day. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good. It just was. The final episode had been filmed almost eight weeks ago and, now, they had to say goodbye to the cast and crew, their family, all over again. Y/N refused to see it as the end, but as a new beginning, and she tried to lift Jared and Jensen’s spirits as well. 

“You boys better be ready to go in thirty!” Y/N called from the master suite, where she had been getting ready for the past hour. She had kicked both of them out to the guest rooms to shower and get dressed. She wanted her dress, her final look, to be a surprise to her lovers. 

Y/N had taken her time, making sure her make-up was just right, using some of the techniques she had picked up from the show’s artists. She had ordered her dress weeks ago, and it was perfect. She stepped into the dress gingerly so as not to snag her heels in the delicate tulle. Y/N pulled the dress over her hips, slipping her arms through the straps and over her shoulders, letting the flowing skirt fall into place at her feet. 

Y/N grabbed her clutch, checking the contents, and walked out of the master suite and down the long hallway. She made her way down the stairs, spotting both Jared and Jensen at the foot of the staircase. Both of them looked so damn handsome in their tuxes, she gasped. It wasn’t the first time she had seen them dressed formally, but it took her breath away every time, and she counted her lucky stars that she was so blessed because they were hers. 

“Our queen has arrived,” Jensen bowed as she reached the bottom step. 

“You look stunning, babe,” Jared whispered. 

“That dress...man,” Jensen let out a low whistle. “You’re exquisite.” 

“Thank you both. Help me with my bracelet?” Y/N smiled at them, holding up the jewelry. 

Jensen lifted the custom made piece from her hand and slipped it around her wrist, fastening it quickly. He placed a gentle kiss to the underside of her wrist before stepping back and extending his elbow. “Ready?” 

“As I’ll ever be,” she agreed and slipped her hand through his arm. 

Jared followed, locking the door behind them as they made their way to the waiting car. Comfortably settled in the backseat, he turned to her, kissing her softly. “We’re the luckiest guys in the world.” 

“I second that,” Jensen nodded, kissing her as well. 

The ride to the party was mostly silent as Clif veered through the city. They had already discussed conversation topics all of them wished to avoid about their relationship. The cast and crew, and families, knew, but none of them were ready to announce it to the world, let alone the fans. They could be fickle and, with the finale episode airing the following week, they had all agreed to let the shock wear off before giving them more fuel. 

Clif pulled up in front of the venue, Jensen exiting the car and walking over to the other side just as Jared stepped out. They both held their hands out for Y/N to take as she slid down from the black leather seats. As the three main stars of the show, it wouldn’t be questioned, three of them, walking into the party hand in hand, posing for pictures for the fans, then answering questions on the red carpet. 

Just inside the doors, Samantha Highfill stopped the trio. “Jared, Jensen! Hi, Y/N!” She hugged them excitedly. Sam was a favorite and the preferred journalist amongst the cast and crew. She had become a trusted source over the years and Jensen had mentioned giving her the interview when they were ready to go public. 

“Sam, hey!” Y/N greeted the journalist. 

“It’s been a long time,” Samantha commented. 

“Not long enough!” Jensen joked, not missing the pretend scowl on the reporter’s face. “I kid! I kid!” 

“Can I get a sit down with the three of you this week before the final episode? I want your take on it for my new article Friday morning.” Samantha looked to each of them as they shared looks with each other. 

“I’ll call Monday and we’ll set something up,” Y/N finally spoke, putting all of them at ease. 

“Sounds good,” she agreed. The interviews were quick as they walked the red carpet, flashes going off every few feet as the photographers snapped pictures of everyone attending the soiree. 

Jared and Jensen headed to the bar for refreshments when Y/N was ambushed by Kim and Briana, gushing over her blush and gold dress. She spotted her men at the bar just as they walked toward her with two whiskeys and what appeared to be a margarita. Jensen handed it over to her and she took her first sip, sighing audibly at the refreshment, and licking some salt from the rim. 

“Oh margarita!” Briana yelped, trying to steal Y/N’s drink. 

“Bri, no!” she shouted at her longtime friend. “Sorry, I’ve got a cold and don’t want you bringing the crud home to your little girl.” 

“Aww that’s sweet of you to think of her,” Briana commented. “Kim. Bar.” 

Jared, Jensen, and Y/N watched their friends walk away. “Whoa, that was close.” 

“Can’t have anyone drinking my girl’s drink now, can we?” Jensen slinked his arm around her, leading them away from the bar. 

The party was a great success. There was so much love throughout the room. Everyone in attendance had shared stories from the past fifteen years, some of which Y/N had never heard before. After a couple hours, speeches were given by Bob Singer, Andrew Dabb, Jeremy Carver and Eric Kripke. Jensen, Jared, and Misha had all had their turn as well. As Y/N took the microphone from Jensen, he kissed her lightly on the cheek, whispering something in her ear to which she only nodded. 

“I don’t know exactly what to say that hasn’t already been said. The past five years have been beyond amazing. I have met so many wonderful people, people I consider my friends. My family. I’ve met the two most amazing men I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing,” she paused as Jensen returned to the stage with Jared in tow. They flanked her on either side as she continued. 

“My life changed for the better the day I auditioned, and I wouldn’t change a single thing. Thank you, all of you, for each and every one of you has had an impact on my life, even if you don’t realize it,” she sniffed, the emotions beginning to take hold. “Thank you for an amazing ride.” 

“You did great, darlin’,” Jensen drawled against her ear, hugging her once more. 

“You’re so strong, babe,” Jared whispered on her other side, both of them fighting back tears of their own. They made their way off stage, but Y/N excused herself to the ladies room. Her men nodded and headed back to the bar for another round. 

“Aye, you look ravishing, Y/N! That dress is spectacular,” Ruth chirped as she entered the restroom. 

“Oh, thank you, Ruthie. I just love it!” Y/N gushed, running her slender fingers along the roses adorning the skirt. 

“I’d never look good in something that feminine, but you, girlie, you can pull that off!” Kim exclaimed, stepping out of a stall.

“Y’all are so sweet,” Y/N blushed under the extra attention. 

“You look diff’rent, Y/N,” Ruth commented, eyeing her quizzically. 

“W-what are you talking about Ruth?” Y/N stammered, her face heating up. 

“Can’t quite put my wee finger on it…” Ruth trailed off. 

Kim dried her hands and looked suspiciously around the restroom, even checking under the stalls. “Are you..you know...knocked up?”

“What? Whatever gave you that idea?” Y/N squeaked in surprise. 

“You are! I knew it!” Kim threw her hands up in victory. “With the vomiting on set and your elegantly high-waisted three dimensional dress…” 

“Seriously, you can’t tell anyone. We haven’t even told our parents yet!” Y/N pleaded, looking from Kim to Ruth and back again. “Please.”

“Hey, your secrets are safe with me. All of ‘em,” Kim assured her, giving Y/N a tight hug before walking out of the restroom with Ruth. Y/N was speechless as she conducted her business and rejoined Jensen and Jared. 

“Um, Kim and Ruth know,” Y/N blurted out the minute she reached the table, slightly out of breath. 

“What? How? Why?” Jensen threw the questions rapid fire. 

“I don’t know! I didn’t say anything!” Y/N protested. “Kim said she heard me vomiting on set. And, does this dress not hide the bump like I thought it did? Do I look pregnant?” 

“You look amazing, baby,” Jared acknowledged. 

“That is not what I asked you, Padalecki! I said, Do. I. Look. Pregnant?” Y/N glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest. 

“Well, I- I’m just- crap. I love you,” Jared stuttered. “Your boobs are a bit fuller, but the dress hides the bump perfectly. You look beautiful.” 

“Stupid pregnancy boobs,” Y/N slumped forward in her chair, pouting. 

“Hey, darlin’, look at me please,” Jensen lifted her chin with one finger. “Kim’s got our backs, okay? When we’re ready, she’d have them then, too. And no, you do not look like you are sixteen weeks along. You are a goddess in and out of that dress and, when we get home, we are going to worship you like you deserve.” 

Y/N’s body flushed from the inside under the intensity of his gaze and the implications of his words. “Take me home.” 

They quickly said their goodnights, using Y/N’s ‘cold’ as an early out, which normally would have been a faux pas at their own party, but mostly people wished her well. Clif was ready when they exited the venue and steered for home. 

“I can’t stop thinking about that night,” Jared murmured, one large hand snaking a path up her leg. 

“Me neither,” Jensen breathed heavily in her ear, one hand caressing the barely there baby bump she so painstakingly disguised with the dress she had chosen. 

“It’s all I can think about. I’m so horny all the time and I keep replaying it in my head,” Y/N admitted, sandwiched between them in the backseat. 

~

Y/N returned from the set later than the boys for once and was exhausted as she dropped her things by the front door. The house smelled amazing and she wanted nothing more than a hot shower and a meal, then to sleep for a week. She forgot how strenuous fight scenes were, and her muscles ached everywhere. “Honeys, I’m home!” she called, following her nose through the house to see Jared and Jensen in matching ‘Kiss The Cook’ aprons she had gotten them for Christmas. 

“Don’t you do look like you’re up to something,” she smirked, kissing each of them thoroughly. 

“Well, we know you had a long day. Your bath is ready, then come down for dinner,” Jared instructed, shooing her from the kitchen. 

After a hot, relaxing soak in the bubble tub, as Jared called it, she dressed in her favorite yoga pants and one of Jensen’s flannels and made her way back down to the kitchen. Expecting a home cooked meal, you can imagine the look of surprise on her face when she found the table not covered in dishes, but plastic wrap. “Um, what’s going on?” 

“We have a surprise for you,” Jensen said. 

“How many times do I have to tell you guys, I do not like surprises,” she scolded, turning to both of her boyfriends. 

Jared held his hands up and smiled. “We know. But we did okay with the last one, so we think you’ll be on board with this one, too.”

“We decided late last summer that we were in this for the long haul, right? Well, we can’t exactly get married as a show of our love to the world, ‘cause I’m pretty sure that is illegal, like everywhere. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have something that bonds us together for life, right?” Jensen explained as he urged her to take a seat at the table. 

“Hi, Y/N,” another voice rang out. 

“Jason!” Y/N exclaimed, jumping up from her seat to hug their friend. “What are you doing here? Wait...is this what I think it is?”

“Yeah, probably. See the boys said they wanted to do this thing and asked me if I would be open to doing it here, so here I am,” Jason shrugged. Jason was a good friend of Clif’s and had inked more people on the Supernatural set than he could count. 

“Are we getting tattoos?” Y/N asked excitedly, looking to Jared and Jensen.

“Yes, babe. We’re getting tattoos, but only if you want to do this,” Jared said. 

“Go on, man. Give it to her,” Jensen rubbed his hands together.

Jared pulled out a small box from behind his back and passed it to Y/N. “We got you a little something for our anniversary. I know we said no gifts, but Jen and I couldn’t say no when we saw it and, well, you’ll see why.” 

Y/N opened the box slowly to reveal a sterling silver necklace and bracelet set with three infinity symbols linked together. Her hand flew to her mouth as tears filled her eyes. “Guys, this is- I’m- Wow. This is beautiful and powerful and I love it so much.” 

“You are beautiful and powerful and we love you so much,” Jared echoed her words. 

“Can I show her now?” Jason piped up from the table. Three heads nodded in unison as he pulled out the transfer paper carefully from his folder and placed it on the table. “It’s brilliant,” Y/N murmured as she inspected the drawing. 

“You said it already, but this represents all of us. It’s beauty, power and love,” Jensen explained. “You ready?” 

“Yes!” Y/N took her turn first and, within forty-five minutes, Jason had inked all three of them on the inside of their left wrists, bonding them together. After wrapping them and giving final care instructions, Jared ushered Jason out the door. He returned to the kitchen to find Jensen and Y/N with their arms wrapped tightly around each other, and he joined them. 

“Our love is infinite,” Jared whispered. 

“Take me to bed and show me,” she mewled. 

Jared’s house had soon become where they all called home, and she led her lovers to the master suite they shared. They wasted no time shedding their clothing and climbing into the oversized bed. Y/N reached out her hands, wrapping her slender digits around their lengths, stroking them to hardness.

“Can I have both of you?” she asked. 

“Whatever you want,” Jensen moaned. 

“Whatever you need,” Jared panted. 

“Together, I want you both. Let’s try tonight.”

The promise of finally starting a family was all the motivation they needed. Jensen made himself comfortable between her legs, hanging off the end of the bed, licking wide stripes up her slit. He plunged two fingers inside her pussy, prepping her for what was to come. Hurting her was the last thing they wanted to do and Jensen took his time, adding a third finger, massaging her g-spot and sucking on her clit, bringing her to her first orgasm of the night. She panted heavily as he worked her through her high. 

Jared retrieved the lube from the side table and slicked himself up before getting comfortable on the bed next to her and pulling her on top of him. He slid home easily, aided by the lube and her own wetness. “God you feel so good babe.” He grabbed her hips and pulled her down for a searing kiss. 

“Jen,” she whined, grinding down on Jared’s dick. 

“I’m right here, darling. Come one more time for us, darlin’. Come on Jared’s cock and I’ll be right here, waiting,” he drawled, stroking himself as he watched her ride. 

“Fuck!” Jared reached down, rubbing her already swollen clit, pulling another climax from her. She bore down, her walls closing in on him. “I’m not gonna last if you do that again, babe.” 

“Sorry, it just feels so good,” she mumbled, her face buried in Jared’s neck. 

“It’s about to get better, just hold on,” Jensen declared, stepping between Jared’s legs. He watched as Y/N relaxed around Jared. Jensen slipped a lubed finger alongside Jared’s length, continuing to open her up even further. Her moans and Jared’s groans filled the room when Jensen added a second finger. He growled deep in his chest. 

His own cock was lubed, and he withdrew his fingers from her hole, both Y/N and Jared letting out a deep breath. “I’m coming in. Just keep breathing.” Jensen eased the head of his dick to her opening, pushing in along Jared’s length slowly. It only took about a minute, but it seemed like an eternity before they were both fully seated inside of her. 

“Oh my fucking god!” she cried out between them. “Somebody please fucking move!” 

Jared pulled back, his hips pushing into the mattress, before thrusting back in. Both men groaned at the friction as Jensen pulled out and drove back in. Y/N had a steel grip on Jensen’s hand on her hip and Jared’s shoulder, her nails digging in as she held on. The men established a rhythm and accelerated their thrusting. 

The screams from Y/N mixed with Jared’s grunting and Jensen’s growls. The view he had of both his and Jared’s cock stretching her open propelled him to his finish faster than he wished, but the pressure, the friction, it was all too much. 

“I need to come,” Jensen blurted out as he thrust his hips against her ass. 

“Me too,” Jared panted. 

“I’m almost th-here a-again,” Y/N faltered. 

Both men could feel her walls clenching down around them as they slid in and out. With a flutter, her body seized between them, her cries echoing off the neutral walls. “Fuck! Jen! Jare! Oh Christ!” 

“Uh!” Jensen grunted and Jared followed closely behind with a primal growl, as they simultaneously emptied themselves inside her waiting womb. Jensen lowered himself over Y/N’s back, pressing soft, open mouthed kisses to her sweat slicked skin, while Jared buried his face in her hair, breathing her in deeply. 

Y/N whimpered slightly, shifting her weight. “Jen.”

“Sorry,” he groaned, leaning back and feeling his softening cock slide from her pussy, leaking with his and Jared’s combined spendings. He slipped his arms around her waist, lifting her off Jared. He carried her to the head of the bed and laid her down gently. 

When Jensen turned, he found Jared there with a warm washcloth. He took the cloth and gingerly cleaned between Y/N’s legs, allowing her to roll over to the middle of the bed. Jensen cleaned himself up as well, before discarding the soiled cloth. He and Jared slipped under the covers with her, holding her close between them. 

“Thank you,” she murmured, snuggling closer to both of them. 

“I love you. Thank you for letting us love you like that,” Jared whispered. 

“We’d do anything for you, darlin’,” Jensen affirmed. “I love you.” 

“I love you both, too. Do you think it worked?” she asked, looking up at both of them with hopeful eyes. 

“Only time will tell. Now let’s get some rest,” Jared reasoned. 

~

“It really did work,” she giggled, a hand over her mouth. 

“Two heads are better than one,” Jared quipped. “Hmph!”

“Dude!” Jensen scolded him with a not-so-subtle back hand to the chest. 

“Well, I just call ‘em like I see ‘em,” Jared argued. 

“Have some tact. This is the love of our life you’re talking about,” Jensen reminded him. 

“Jen, he’s not wrong. We may have had sex dozens of times that weekend, but I still think that was the one that drove it home,” Y/N defended Jared. 

“People are going to think we’re nuts, not wanting to know which of us is the father,” Jensen commented. 

“It doesn’t matter. This baby will serve as definitive proof of nature versus nurture. Neither of you will love this child more just because it shares your DNA,” she argued. 

“You’re absolutely right, babe. Our love is infinite. For each other and little Tex,” Jared agreed, placing his hand on her bump. 

~

Over breakfast the next morning, the three of them made an important phone call.

“Hi Sam! It’s Y/N.” 

“And Jared!” 

“Hi Sam, it’s Jensen.” 

“Hey guys! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Samantha inquired, her heart beating out of her chest.

“How do you feel about exclusives?” 

The Whole Enchilada: @iwantthedean @dolphincliffs @mrswhozeewhatsis @meganwinchester1999 @cherrycokegirls1 @closetspngirl  @roxyspearing @flamencodiva @blacktithe7 @sis-tafics @just-another-busyfangirl @evansrogerskitten @amanda-teaches @hannahindie @wotinspntarnation @winchesterprincessbride @winecatsandpizza @kickingitwithkirk  @wi-deangirl77 @hobby27 @mogaruke @gh0stgurl @alleiradayne @idreamofplaid @seenashwrite @crashdevlin @thoughtslikeaminefield @emoryhemsworth

Jensen’s Jamboree: @jerkbitchidjitassbutt @dean-winchesters-bacon @maddiepants  @adoptdontshoppets @mtngirlforever @supernatural-jackles

Jared’s Menagerie: @mtngirlforever​ @supernatural-jackles

Additional BTZ Crew tags: @katymacsupernatural @chelsea072498 @pinknerdpanda​ @bees0are0awesome​ 

[mamas-culdesac]

Where Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Stand on Marriage and Her Return to 'The Voice'

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/where-gwen-stefani-and-blake-shelton-stand-on-marriage-and-her-return-to-the-voice/ar-BB15CEby?ocid=anaheim-ntp-feeds

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have a lot of exciting together time to look forward to, but that doesn't mean we can expect to see them heading down the aisle anytime soon. The pair are preparing to return to their roles as coaches on The Voice next season.

"Gwen is over the moon she's back on The Voice! While she loved her downtime in the country with Blake and the kids, she is really looking forward to getting back to work," a source tells ET. "As much as Gwen loves her family life at home, she needs that outlet. She is a hard worker and so motivated. She says it's in her blood. Her love of music has always been the driving force in her career."

The 50-year-old "Hollaback Girl" singer is getting a team of hair, makeup and wardrobe people together to prepare for her return to the NBC music competition show.

The source adds that Stefani is "gearing up to start again at what she refers to as one of her favorite jobs ever. She considers the cast and crew like her second family and missed them so much while they weren't filming."

As for the relationship status of her longtime romance with fellow judge Shelton, Stefani isn't rushing anything.

"People keep asking her about when she and Blake might tie the knot, but she is in no hurry. Right now, with everything happening in the world, she has definitely put any wedding plans on the back burner," the source reveals. "Gwen and Blake trust and love each other and have truly built a wonderful family together, so right now she feels like she doesn't need to rock the boat."

Back in June 2019, Shelton spoke with ET about how he and Stefani would reveal a potential engagement.

"I promise you, we won't break the news in any of the grocery store trash magazines," he shared at the time. "When it happens, you'll hear about it."

Of his longtime love, Shelton also gushed, "She's never not been supportive or a cheerleader, just the most encouraging person I've ever had in my life, on any level. It's unbelievable how supportive she is.

[louistomlinsoncouk]

After tragedy, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson is finally in a ‘good place in life’ — and ready to rock

While most boy bands only spawn one major solo superstar — think Justin Timberlake from *NSYNC, or Ricky Martin from Menudo — the men of One Direction have bucked those odds. Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne have all found success, in genres ranging from R&B and EDM to folk-pop and retro rock, since 1D went on indefinite hiatus in 2016. But one member, Louis Tomlinson, has kept a relatively lower profile. “I've tried to!” he laughs softly, speaking to Yahoo Entertainment about his much-anticipated new solo music.

“I had a couple of things in my personal life which made momentum a little bit more difficult, naturally,” says Tomlinson, now age 27. He is referring to the loss of his mother, Johannah Deakin (who died from leukemia at age 43, the same year of 1D’s split), followed by the fatal overdose of his 18-year-old sister, Félicité, earlier this year. Only one week before Félicité’s death, Tomlinson had released the single “Two of Us,” a heartbreaking ballad dedicated to his mother. He once described this “darkest s***” period in his life as his “rock bottom” during an interview with The Guardian. But as he readies his debut solo album, out in January 31 next year with a world tour to follow, Tomlinson says he’s no longer writing from a place of mourning. While the album, WALLS, will contain “light and shade,” fans can mostly expect anthemic rockers with “plenty of guitars,” like the ‘90s-style Britpop banger “Kill My Mind” and the just-released buoyant terrace-chant “We Made It.”

“I touched on [grief] with ‘Two of Us,’ but I definitely kind of told that story with that,” Tomlinson explains. “I felt like I needed to get that off my chest creatively in my songwriting because around that time, it was hard for anything to feel more important, obviously, than that. ‘Two of Us’ is an important song for me, but I understand how heavy it is — emotionally, for me to sing, and for some people to listen to. … I don't think for a while I'll be going near anything else too heavy emotionally; I'm not really that way inclined. I want to make songs that make people feel good, you know what I mean? I'm conscious of trying to make happier songs, definitely. What I've learned about the writing process is you can't write a happy song if you don't feel happy. And I feel like I'm in a good place in my life, and naturally with that comes happier songs. So I think it all depends on what headspace you're in, really, at the time.”

Tomlinson is clearly in a rock ‘n’ roll headspace at the moment. To tease the release of “Kill My Mind” last month, the proud Northerner made a Spotify playlist of his influences that included Oasis (“probably forever my favorite band”), the La’s, James, the Verve, Arctic Monkeys, the Smiths, “Tomorrow Never Knows” by the Beatles, and newer artists like Sam Fender, the Courteneers, and Catfish & the Bottlemen — and “Kill My Mind” and “We Made It” wouldn’t sound at all out of place on a playlist alongside those Britrock luminaries.

Tomlinson is well aware that going in a rock direction is a risk, though he believes “music definitely works in cycles” and rock ‘n’ roll will “definitely be back.” In terms of speculating why the type of music he heard on mainstream radio as a kid — like Oasis and Amy Winehouse — has fallen out of favor commercially, he speculates, “Well, we're in a in a very, very PC era, and some of those bands were a little bit reckless, a little bit crazy.” Regardless, it’s possible that Tomlinson could educate the “super-f***ing-dedicated” One Direction fans about ‘90s/early-2000s indie the same way Styles’s debut album was a gateway to ‘70s glam and classic rock, or Horan’s was an introduction to more mature singer-songwriter sounds.

“That's why it's important for me to make those playlists, because I do often get messages from my fans saying they hadn't heard of this band or this artist before,” he says. “And I think that's really important. That's really cool. That helps them get to know me even better. … Harry, I think in terms of the music he's making, I think that's incredible and I'm sure the fans have then gone to look at other bands that have influenced him on his album. And I actually saw it firsthand when I went to watch Niall live — it must have been like maybe over a year ago now. There were some really great musical moments in that show, and I was thinking about the contrast of that show with a One Direction show. I was watching the girls at the front just absorbing this musical moment, and I thought that was really cool, really interesting. I think that is important, for all of us.”

Tomlinson knows “there is definitely a bit of music snobbery” when it comes to a former boy band star doing rock ‘n’ roll — he once joked to the BBC that Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys would be mortified would be mortified to be cited as one of Tomlinson’s core influences — but he says, “I think you've just got to kind of earn your stripes as an artist, and be honest and be real — and whoever likes you, great. Whoever doesn't, well, it is what it is, I suppose.”

Tomlinson has been pleased by the initial response to his new sound. “I was feeling really, really f***ing proud about ‘Kill My Mind’ and the reaction on that. It makes me feel really good to do something that is true to my influences and get a good reaction. Some people were a little bit shocked, but that's exciting, you know what I mean? That's the way it should be with music.” Still, he doesn’t seem too concerned if his music doesn’t reach the commercial level of One Direction in their post-X Factor heyday.

“In terms of kind of chasing radio, I feel like I've done a lot of that. To be honest, out of all the songs I've got on the [forthcoming solo] album, ‘We Made It’ probably is the best equipped melodically for radio, so we'll see how that goes. But I'm not as precious as I used to be about all that,” he says. “To be fair, I fell out of love with music a little bit, and I actually kind of come back ‘round to finding bands that I used to love, and finding new bands. And I had a bit of an epiphany with music and with my music. I thought, instead of making music for other people, I should start making music for myself and what I really love. So it feels really refreshing to be able to do that.”

Tomlinson’s album will feature production from both longtime 1D collaborator Julian Bunetta and Ben’s Brother frontman Jamie Hartman, who has worked with Lewis Capaldi, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Rachel Yamagata, James Bay, Andy Grammer, Joss Stone, and Parachute). “Jamie is just an amazing producer, and I think he really understood me musically,” Tomlinson gushes. As for what to expect from the record, he says, “I'm always trying to be as honest and as relatable as possible, and sonically, I always want it to feel as live and as authentic as possible. It's been a long time in the making now, but I'm really happy with it as a body of work.

“I'd been used to releasing an album a year with [One Direction], and I didn't realize until I got into it just how much of a perfectionist I was going to be about my first album, and what it says about me and what it represents. I've been maybe at times too much of a perfectionist, and it's taken a little bit longer than it should have. But I'm kind of all right with that, because I'm really, really proud of where it is now. I never want the feeling of releasing an album and feeling like there's two or three fillers on there. I'm really happy with every track on the album now. So I think it was hopefully worth the wait.”

[aion-rsa]

How Batman: Soul of the Dragon Pays Homage to 70s Kung Fu and Bruce Lee

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Batman: Soul of the Dragon sets Gotham’s caped crusader in a vintage martial arts homage. Directed by Sam Liu, who also directed the animated movie version of one of the greatest Batman graphic novels ever published, Batman: The Killing Joke, this is the 42nd project in the ongoing DC Universe Movies series.

However, Soul of the Dragon is an original tale, not based on a precedent comic. Like the eye popping anime-style film Batman Ninja, this is a completely stand-alone story. Batman: Soul of the Dragon is yet another chapter in the many creation tales for Batman. It tells of his martial indoctrination and joining him on this adventure are three of the best martial artists within the DC multiverse: Lady Shiva (Kelly Hu), Ben Turner a.k.a. Bronze Tiger (Michael Jai White), and Richard Dragon (Mark Dacascos). 

“It’s a 70s martial arts action-adventure drama with a great sense of humor,” says Dacascos. Like so many Hollywood martial arts stories, Batman: Soul of the Dragon is told in two time periods: the present-day problem and in flashbacks to the original martial arts lessons that offer solutions. It’s a storytelling motif that can be traced back to the pioneering David Carradine’s Kung Fu TV show and Bruce Lee’s iconic Enter the Dragon. 

In many ways, Batman: Soul of the Dragon is a tribute to Enter the Dragon, when the Kung Fu and blaxploitation genres were at their height. Richard Dragon is an homage to Bruce Lee’s character ‘Lee’ in Enter the Dragon (just like in so many Jackie Chan films, the name of Lee’s character was the same as his real name). In some scenes, he dons a similar black catsuit as Lee wore when infiltrating Han’s subterranean lair but stops short from yelling ‘Wataaah!’ when fighting. 

Enter the Dragon was a game changer for martial arts movies, but it was also in the wake of the popularity of spy films of those days, specifically James Bond. Enter the Dragon is also a spy film, and it came out at a pivotal time for the Bond franchise, the same year that Roger Moore took over 007 in Live and Let Die. The spy film genre was immensely popular during the Cold War of the ‘60s, but by the ‘70s, it was looking to reinvent itself to remain popular. Enter the Dragon had the potential to launch a spy franchise for Bruce Lee, but his untimely and shocking death cut that short. Tragically, he died just prior to the release of the film. In some ways, Richard Dragon makes us ponder what a sequel to Enter the Dragon might have been like.

With his groovy afro and jive talking banter, Ben Turner steals a page from the character of Williams (Jim Kelly) from Enter the Dragon too. Batman is faintly akin to Roper (John Saxon), a token white guy amidst a diverse cast. Even the funky soundtrack by Joachim Horsley echoes the music of Enter the Dragon’s composer Lalo Shiffrin. 

“In the 70s I was very impressionable,” reflects Dacascos. “The music brings you right back to that time. I love it. I love Enter the Dragon.” 

It’s ironic that Batman would honor Bruce Lee in this way. For many, the Batman TV show of the mid-60s was their first exposure to the Little Dragon. Lee’s earliest Hollywood role was Kato, the chauffeur of The Green Hornet, which became a spin-off series of Batman, running for a single season on NBC in 1966-67.

Who is Richard Dragon?

Batman: Soul of the Dragon is a complete reimagining of Richard Dragon. In the original comic storyline, Dragon was Richard Drakunovski, a Caucasian character. He first appeared in the novel, Dragon’s Fists: Kung-Fu Master Richard Dragon by Jim Dennis, which was published the year after Enter the Dragon premiered (Jim Dennis was a pseudonym, the combination of the two authors’ names Dennis O’Neil and Jim Berry). The character was later adapted to comics by DC. 

In the original DC version, Dragon was a classmate of Ben Turner, both of whom trained under O-Sensei (played by the venerable James Hong in Batman: Soul of the Dragon). Lady Shiva was also part of this Kung Fu lineage. O-Sensei’s goddaughter Carolyn Woosan was Lady Shiva’s sister. After Woosan was killed, Lady Shiva was tricked into thinking Dragon was at fault and hunted him to take revenge. Eventually, the trick was foiled so Shiva and Dragon became allies, united against a common foe. 

In the comics, the world of Batman doesn’t cross with Dragon’s until much later. Dragon goes on to become a trainer of many DC heroes, notably the first Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. In another story, he helps Batman rehabilitate after sustaining injuries from Bane. 

In a later alternate narrative arc, Dragon’s title is usurped by his villainous student, Richard Diaz Jr. This is akin to the Richard Dragon depicted in CW’s Arrow and portrayed by Kirk Acevedo. Bronze Tiger also appears in the Arrowverse portrayed by Michael Jai White, so Batman: Soul of the Dragon marks his reprisal of the role in the animated DC universe (As a side note, David Giuntoli voices Batman for Batman: Soul of the Dragon; Guintoli is married to Elizabeth Tulloch, who plays Lois Lane in the Arrowverse, including the forthcoming Superman and Lois).

However, neither Drakunovski nor Diaz figure into this latest incarnation of Richard Dragon in Batman: Soul of the Dragon. Here, he’s more like a Bruce Lee clone, only cooler. Dacascos didn’t follow the comics or the Arrowverse depiction. 

“Yeah, I did not know that at all,” he confesses. “The script was so good that everything I felt that I needed to portray him was already on the page….All of my information for the character I found in the brilliant script that Jeremy Adams wrote and the information that was given to me by our producers and our director Sam Liu.”

Nevertheless, Dragon was a dream role for Dacascos. As a longtime fan of Batman, his favorite live action portrayal was Michael Keaton. 

“I love his interpretation,” he says with a laugh. “There’s a sense of humor that he has and he stands out.” 

As soon as his manager and agents sent him the script, he was hooked. 

“I saw the description of DC Comics, Batman, Richard Dragon. And then I just jumped right into the script and after just a couple of pages, I knew I loved it. And the more I read, the more passionate I was about it. Before I even finished the script, I’d already emailed my representatives back and said, ‘Yes, please, please, please. I want to do this.’” Dacascos was tickled to be cast as his Kung Fu brother. “I’ve been privileged to play a character that is friends with Batman,” gushes Dacascos. 

Beyond being a bat-buddy, what really appealed to Dacascos was Dragon’s strong moral compass. 

“He’s not ignorant to the fact that evil is there, always has been, is, and will be,” explains Dacascos. “But with his training and his apparent good heart, he is able to maintain that battle with the negative, with the evil and take it on, maintaining his open heart and his sense of humor. I think his sense of humor is a part of his armor. He’s able to deflect with whimsy of the situation. He is a very loyal student, he is a very loyal friend, and I think his force – what drives him – is his love.”

From Stunt Work to Voice Work

By casting Dacascos, White, and Hu, Batman: Soul of the Dragon goes that extra step by placing genuine martial artists into animated roles. Throughout his teen years, Dacascos was a genuine martial arts champion. 

“The thing is,” says Dacascos humbly, “my parents are both martial arts teachers.” 

That’s an understatement. His father is Grandmaster Al Dacascos, a pioneering master in America who founded his own style of Wun Hop Kuen Do. His stepmother is Malia Bernal, a noted champion and coach of many other champions like Karen Shepherd. “My brother and I were basically forced into our first martial arts tournament at age six.” 

Dacascos began his acting career in martial arts films, several of which were groundbreaking. His earliest lead role was in Only the Strong which was the first film to showcase the Brazilian martial art Capoeira. Brotherhood of the Wolf was a unique French period horror Kung Fu mash up that completely broke the mold for the martial arts genre. Having such an extensive background in the martial arts informed Dacascos on how to approach the fight scenes. 

“As a martial artist, all I have to do is just think about it and I’m feeling it again,” he says. “So that part felt like going back home. When we were doing the action sequences, I just gave myself space to move around and then take the direction from Sam Liu and went for it…It’s all in your head and in your heart, and of course in your breath.”

Dacascos loved how the fight scenes in Batman: Soul of the Dragon came out, so much so that he’s contemplating bringing it to live action in his own way. 

“I thought what would be really fun for me to do is actually in real life physicalize the forms, that form that Richard Dragon does,” he says. “So I’m going to maybe make it a little challenge for myself and learn those moves in real life…I would love to be Richard Dragon in real life. He’s really cool.”

In many ways, Batman: Soul of the Dragon feels more like a creation story for Richard Dragon than a typical Batman story. Batman is almost a secondary character. With Marvel making such strides in diversity with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings anticipated for summer 2021, DC needs to up its inclusion game. Could this be a stepping stone for Richard Dragon to become his own franchise? 

“I hope so,” confesses Dacascos. “I hope that Batman: Soul of the Dragon continues and we do a sequel or series.” 

While he is hopeful that there’s a future for Dragon, it’s the spirit of Batman: Soul of the Dragon that he finds most motivating. Like the title says, it’s got a lot of soul. “The thing is, it’s so much more than that because of the lessons that the students learn in the martial arts sequences taught by the wonderful James Hong who plays O-Sensei. The lines that Jeremy Adams wrote are so profound, and like any great teachers, they transcend the martial arts. It’s so much more philosophical and deeper. So, the story has the martial arts action, but it has heart, and it’s sexy, and it still has a great sense of humor.”

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Batman: Soul of the Dragon is a direct-to-video film produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers Animation premiering on digital platforms on January 12, 2021. 

The post How Batman: Soul of the Dragon Pays Homage to 70s Kung Fu and Bruce Lee appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3nzf5HJ

[noramoya]

CHRIS LACY, In The Violet Reality. AUGUST 29th 2020.

“Yes, you read that right. There’s a difference between “greatest” and “best.” Merriam-Webster defines “greatest” as “remarkable in magnitude, degree, or effectiveness.” They also define “best” as “one’s maximum effort.”

With that said, it makes perfect sense to say Thriller is Michael Jackson’s “greatest” for changing the way we hear and see music. Smooth Criminal is his “best” because we see the King of Pop at the peak of his powers. Some of you agree with me. Others might think I’ve got one brain cell running laps in my head. (If you’re in that second group, hear me out.)

PASSING THE TORCH:

“Michael grew up a huge fan of Old Hollywood movies and Broadway theater. During his Grammy Legend speech in 1993, he said, “I remember [when Janet and I] were little, I used to ask her to be Ginger Rogers while I was Fred Astaire.”

After moonwalking into history books on Motown 25, Jackson got a phone call the next day, from his childhood hero. (“Oh, come on,” was his first reaction.) “You’re a hell of a mover. Man, you really put them on their asses last night,” Astaire told the future King of Pop. “It was the greatest compliment I had ever received in my life,” Jackson gushed, “and the only one I had ever wanted to believe.”

Shortly before Astaire passed away from pneumonia in June 1987, he said, “I didn’t want to leave this world before meeting my successor. Thank you, Michael.” It was as if Smooth Criminal was the short film he was born to make”.

A MASTER AT WORK:

“As a song, “Smooth Criminal” is an epic crime drama that steals a page from Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. An unknown man breaks into a woman’s apartment. We don’t know why he’s there or if she will live to tell about it. On paper, that might sound like Michael’s character is a peeping Tom. But what does that make us, the audience? We’re listening to him — watching them!

He attacks each verse with a gruff rasp, spitting out words like shrapnel, and his soaring falsetto weeps over the chaos below. (“Annie, are you OK? / Will you tell us that you’re OK? / There’s a sign in the window / That he struck you — a crescendo, Annie!”) One of the fascinating parts of Michael’s work was the way he turned his torture into music that made the whole world dance. With ghostly keyboard swells and spidery basslines, “Smooth Criminal” sweeps you into its clutches before pouring its dark charms on the dance floor and casually tossing a lit match. On a filmmaking level, Smooth Criminal is a nine-minute highlight reel from the first frame to the last. I mean, what’s not to love?

•MJ flicks a coin across Club ‘30s into a neon–lit jukebox. •He showcases a dance style, inspired by ‘The Band Wagon’ (1953) and Looney Tunes animation. •MJ shoots a thug with a revolver through a brick wall near the staircase ! •His supersonic spin on the bar room table before the window shatters... •MJ makes jaws drop around the globe with an anti-gravity gangster lean ! •He unloads a Tommy gun on Mr. Big’s troops who are hot on his heels.

We’re watching a master at work. Yet all we wanna do is line him up against Thriller and make sure he loses. Why can’t people realize that you can enjoy one without tearing down the other ?! While MJ was a fierce competitor, he knew how stacked the deck was. “You can always say, ‘Aw, forget Thriller,’” he wrote in his 1988 book, Moonwalk. “But no one ever will.”

EMBRACE DEBATE:

You’re still not convinced, huh? OK then, let’s do this ! “Without Thriller, there’s no Smooth Criminal”. If that’s the case, then there’s no Thriller without Billie Jean, Beat It, or anything else he did before that. Are we celebrating which came first, or which did it the best? “People are still playing ‘Thriller’ every Halloween because of Mike.”

As a song, I agree it’s a must-hear every October. Here’s the thing, though: Some forget that Quincy Jones asked Rod Temperton to write “Thriller.” Some of Michael’s critics believed Jones and his “killer Q posse” of collaborators were the driving force behind ‘Off the Wall’ and ‘Thriller’. Please don’t get me wrong: They deserve endless praise for taking our favorite hits to the next level. At the same time, Michael was more than a “song-and-dance man.” “Smooth Criminal” proves that his pen game could spark head-bobbing and hip-shaking motions of approval. “All that moaning and groaning in the middle of Smooth Criminal is weird”... I felt the same way until I realized he and the Club 30’s patrons are mourning for Annie. Music and dance were Michael’s release from emotional prisons. Take ‘Black or White’s “Panther Dance”, for example. He took a bold chance with his Art, grieving with victims of racism and prejudice. But the reality of being black was too much for TV, so he made a “shortened version” of the film. “Yeah, well, Thriller made it into the Library of Congress. That’s how influential it was.” True, and Smooth Criminal is the centerpiece of his 1988 feature film, Moonwalker, and a Sega video game of the same name. But the influence doesn’t end there. “Michael always said, and not just to me, that Smooth Criminal was his favorite piece,” longtime choreographer Vincent Paterson shared in a 2013 interview with Clash. “To me, Michael saying it’s his favorite piece is kind of evidenced by so many things that originated in Smooth Criminal, you know: the band around the arm, that kind of hat, the white coat. He took on that persona of the Smooth Criminal character and carried it on for almost the rest of his life.”

FINAL THOUGHTS:

“Life has taught me there’s no such thing as war between the humble and the humble. Civil debates aim to progress ideas and not rush to conclude that one side is right, and the other is wrong... If you love blockbuster pop, you can and should love them both. At the same time, Art should always be examined, re-examined, and challenged.

•Thriller is the greatest piece of musical theater ever made for a pop song. Bar none.

•Smooth Criminal is the ultimate Michael Jackson spectacle. It’s one of the many reasons why the King of Pop will never lose his crown.”

[happymetalgirl]

Cattle Decapitation - Death Atlas

No vocalist this decade has been more innovative for extreme metal as Travis Ryan has with his diversity of snarls, growls, and screams stretching into uncharted melodic territory on the past few Cattle Decapitation albums, and no other band has been more vital and consistently creative for deathgrind as Cattle Decapitation has been for a long time now. The band have always taken a particularly uncomfortably gnarly and confrontational approach to the dicey topics of human mistreatment of animals in the food industry and the many despicable facets of species exceptionalism that humankind has operated under since the advent of mass industrialization, and their gratuitously grotesque and brutal musical and lyrical approach to such disgusting topics honestly couldn’t be more fitting for each other. I just recently picked up a physical copy of the band’s third LP, Humanure, and, looking at the lyrics, holy shit do they fit all too disgustingly well with the now-iconic cover art.

As the band’s sound has become grander since then, more stylistically unique, more polished, yet no less brutal than the goregrind on which they built their foundations, Cattle Decapitation have shifted their lyrical focus to the grander scope of self-driven environmental catastrophe and the worst case scenario of human extinction as a result of humankind’s own ecological carelessness. The band took a tremendous leap forward from the already tight and deathly goregrind of The Harvest Floor on 2012’s Monolith of Inhumanity, with Travis Ryan’s expansion of his harsh melodic range being a huge factor in that growth. But the rest of the band grew tighter and more capable of dishing out extremely intricate and technical agression at frightening speeds, and both Monolith of Inhumanity and the band’s 2015 follow-up, The Anthropocene Extinction, showed just how unbelievably versatile Cattle Decapitation could be with this style of music. I don’t want to get too hung up on reminiscing on the quality of old work with more of that quality packed into the band’s longest album to date to discuss at hand, but I don’t want to simply brush over and understate how immense the band’s past two albums have been for them and for extreme metal in general.

With Monolith of Inhumanity, Cattle Decapitation put on an absolutely baffling exhibition of a wide array of compositional protocols and instrumental and vocal techniques that broadened not only their horizons, but the horizons of deathgrind as a genre, of melody without compromising on brutality, especially on the vocal front. The band took their sickening brand of goregrind to its classically brutal extreme on the increasingly slow churn of “Forced Gender Reassignment” and the nasty grinding of “Projectile Ovulation”, but the band really pushed the boundaries of melodic terror on the vocal front on songs like “A Living, Breathing Piece of Defecating Meat”, “Your Disposal”, and “Kingdom of Tyrants”. The song with which the band really shattered the genre’s ceiling on melody was the strangely, astonishingly beautiful “Lifestalker”, on which Travis Ryan harnesses his filthy blackened snarl into a melody so emotive it’s hard to believe a band so focused on powerfully merciless brutality penned it. The album was a huge progression for Cattle Decapitation and for deathgrind, undoubtedly my favorite of the genre.

The band sought to refine their frenzied and newly dynamic grind on The Anthropocene Extinction with generally longer and more grandiose compositions like the monumental “Manufactured Extinct” and the gloriously grinding “Plagueborne” and “Pacific Grim”, while staying true to their gory roots all throughout and making sure to deliver more directly deadly blackened grinders like “The Prophets of Loss” and “Mutual Assured Destruction”. And the band did indeed give their already impressive and elevated sound an even more magnificent and grandious edge that generally isn’t associated with Cattle Decapitation or grindcore. As its title suggests, The Anthropocene Extinction marked an increase in the band’s urgency about the consequences of humanity’s careless abuse of resources and destruction of crucial ecosystems through industrial overconsumption. The band on their most recent past album sounded at least panicked and eager to call for whatever possible to mitigate the disastrous effects of humankind’s mistakes. Four years later, however, Cattle Decapitation are far less optimistic about the outcome of mankind’s abuse of its planetary home and certainly not any more sympathetic towards our species’ continued heedlessness in the face of scientific consensus on the forthcoming destruction and collapse of civilization as we know it.

As grim and forthrightly convicting as Cattle Decapitation have been in the past about how much needs to change to avoid disaster, the band sound more pessimistic than ever on Death Atlas, forecasting more than forewarning of the impending deathly consequences of our species’ prolonged malignant negligence. They play with a distinguishable air of numbness to sorrow as though the long foreseen end has already begun and that humanity is too late. Travis Ryan dips into melodic harshness more on this album than he did on even Monolith of Inhumanity, offering up eulogy after merciless eulogy for a dying species and a slowly (but not so slowly) burning world.

Indeed, Travis Ryan meditates harshly on the inevitability of the universe’s snuffing out of life grown out of control on the blackened melodic doomsday prophetics of  “The Geocide” on which he ominously sings “The universe it always find a way to purge / the sustainably inappropriate numbers that once surged”, and he is even more hopeless on the following track, “Be Still Our Bleeding Hearts”, which he opens with the line, “Every new life is a tragedy in waiting” and on which he breaks out another nastily sung/snarled melodic chorus of apocalyptic embrace over blackened deathgrind that reaches for the upper echelons of the band’s widely encompassing sound. Ryan had stated before the album’s release in a promotional interview that he wasn’t going to focus so much on overpopulation as much on this album being that he has said his piece thoroughly on albums past and that the valid ecological problem is being misdirected by modern eugenicists, yet here he calls (probably in defeated exaggeration) for mass human death, stating “Every new death is a step toward preservation”. He once again concludes in dismal defeat that “Human life is simply not sustainable”.

Ryan continues on his frustrated raging over humanity’s exponentiating population on the following song, “Vulturous”, on which it becomes clearer that he is not taking the warped, racist approach to this topic and is rather eulogizing the willful and self-inflicted destruction of so-called advanced cultures by their short-sighted capitalist urges, as evidenced by the lines “A horrible ghastly proclamation / That profits dominate what’s right” and the painfully and intentionally ironic “Living for ourselves / Anything at any time / as of tomorrow we will die”. Clearly these lines are not pinning the blame for catastrophic climate change on the usual, lower-consuming scapegoats of fascist eugenics, but rather the capitalism that exploits them and those doing the scapegoating and those who keep it in place because they have something to gain from it. Musically, the track is one of the more demonically sinister cuts on the album, with Ryan giving a particularly eerie, menacing, death-summoning vocal performance.

Indeed, while I am talking a lot about Travis Ryan’s lyrical contributions and one-of-a-kind vocal performances, I would hate to overlook the solid and vibrant instrumental foundation the rest of the band continue to provide him and Cattle Decapitation. Longtime drummer David McGraw’s jaw-droppingly lightning-injected performances continue to shine as one of the band’s major instrumental attractions as he absolutely punishes his kit at ungodly speeds with awe-inspiring technicality. Similarly fast-paced and technical strong-work continues to flow like a gushing torrent of hail from storied lead guitarist Josh Elmore and newly arrived rhythm guitar supporter Belisario Dimuzio, who together drive the album’s (and the band’s) likely under-appreciated emotional dynamic through their interplay between colossal eruptions of infernal guitar distortion and ashen atmospheric dissonance with cleaner tones when the time is right. And new bassist Olivier Pinard provides the essential foundational accents to meticulously track and support the maddeningly technical rhythms above him in the mix, and even surging up to the forefront of the mix when the rest of the band is at a lower instance of acceleration to provide his own moments of spotlighted technical brilliance as well. Together the band have continued to hone the already highly perfected form of epic deathgrind that they and no one else can channel.

Backed by particularly vicious grinding instrumentation, Travis Ryan continues to count down to calamity on “One Day Closer to the End of the World”, at first seemingly welcoming with open arms “the end of all life of this fucking planet” in a storm of hardcore-influenced guitar work, but clearly lamenting, as the song progresses, mankind’s seeming “Lust for dying” and the terrible, suffering-filled end it has set up for itself, as he closes the thundering instrumental chaos by characterizing humanity as “Out of breath, out of time - a species out of its mind”. This bend toward self-destruction is further examined throughout the more direct, technical blackened death metal of “Absolute Destitute”, which is mostly spare of the previous tracks’ melodic niceties and summed up nicely and poetically by the lines “A life in love with despair / in a world beyond repair / A global consensus that the powers that be are against us”, and Ryan essentially calls time on humanity’s soured reign over planet Earth on the fittingly apocalyptic-sounding melodic vocal and guitar dissonance and rhythmic crashing of “Time’s Cruel Curtain”, whose tragically cathartic and enigmatically beautiful sonic hideousness as a result of is truly a tough thing to describe, probably best likened to a fire-scarred martyr desperately sacrificing themselves one last time to no avail.

Travis Ryan shifts his mournful tone to a more critical one on the ruthlessly rapid-fire “Finish Them” as he concludes that “Now we see that the true evil has a face / Now we know the devil is the human race” as David McGraw’s dynamic playing shines at the track’s particularly fast pace, and Ryan subsequently imparts, furthermore, a stern warning to the opulent elites that those whose world they’ve ruined will be coming for their hides on the similarly high-octane percussive hurricane and roller coaster riff-fest of “With All Disrespect”.

Ryan does return to his more usual classically colorful beckoning of death on the surprisingly infectiously hook-laced, old-school (for the band), and darkly comedic “Bring Back the Plague”, which is an exaggerated call at wits end for exactly what the title implies, but musically one of the band’s most unique songs and a certain standout on an album filled with impressive tracks.

The band also includes a few shorter interludes to break up the relentless deathgrind, “The Great Dying”, “The Great Dying II”, and “The Unerasable Past”, which are strung with excerpts detailing the sequences of events that have led to humanity’s current predicament, including “55 Languages of Planet Earth” from NASA’s Voyager Space Probe on the intro track, “Anthropogenic: End Transmission”.

On the titular closing track, Travis Ryan offers his last sorrowless dirge for humanity as he screams “We deserve everything that’s coming” across the epic nine-minute firestorm of crunchy guitar riffage, furiously firing double-bass, and biblically monolithic death howls that wrap the album up in cinematically grand fashion without sacrificing any of the brutality of the band’s grind. And while the song’s second half isn’t quite the dizzying crush the first half is, the gradual fade out into an operatic lamentation for a biosphere’s graceless end is a fitting one for the image of the Earth humanity’s last days careening away into the void of space in abject meaninglessness to the rest of the universe and whatever may fill humankind’s empty place at square one of rebuilding a new civilization.

Given how greatly I still admire Monolith of Inhumanity and the Anthropocene Extinction obviously my expectations for death Atlas were pretty high. Yet Cattle decapitation still managed to surprise and around me with melodicism greater than even that which characterized Monolith of Inhumanity, incredibly surprisingly infectious hooks, and gripping, terrifyingly bleak prophetic lyricism amid consistently thrilling instrumental performances that continue to prove what a tremendous force to be reckoned with and what an important band Cattle Decapitation is and has been. While Cattle Decapitation are far from the only band addressing the huge, overbearing impending doom of environmental Armageddon, and while the novelty of the melodicism of the band’s terrifying assault and nauseating goring has worn off since Monolith of Inhumanity, Cattle Decapitation has expanded it to further elevate the grandiosity they cultivated on The Anthropocene Extinction to produce a swan song for the planet unlike any other. Truly, there are few bands more important today for metal than Cattle Decapitation is, and there is no situation more dire than humanity’s arrogant and self-assured loitering on the brink of civilizational downfall. And while a deathgrind album probably isn’t the kind of art piece that will pull humankind back from the edge, the uncompromisingly ugly and truly hellish portrayal of the world’s collapse on it makes Death Atlas the album the world needs and humanity deserves for its compounded failures. And I also suppose it’s quite fitting that the band releases this album on America’s frustratingly ironically times national holiday of celebrating capitalist consumerism after a day of supposed giving thanks whose tradition is warped to hide its ugly genocidal historical origin. Undoubtedly one of the most crucial albums of its time, one of the year’s, one of the decade’s, and Cattle Decapitation’s best.

And I count the days ‘til we expire for always/10

[smokeybrand]

Zodiac Age

It’s no secret that i am a massive fan of the Final Fantasy series. Essays abut that franchise riddle this blog. My adoration for their world building and storytelling is profound, even is they kind of devolve into a Star Wars-esque retelling at time. Square sure does love that Hero Journey literary trope. Things like that don’t bug me because there are little unique changes to that specific plot, little dashes of creativity that take the form of setting, characters, or overall plot. It might follow the trope in the sense of character development, but the story told to get there is wholly it’s own. And let me tell you, some of these stories are the best that’s ever been told.

Final Fantasy VII is my favorite of the entire series. Great characters, vivid world, and a plot simple enough to follow but embellished to near mythic levels. Final Fantasy IX is another favorite, though, that one is more a fairy tale than anything. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a goddamn masterpiece and epic in it’s own right, but that story is more than at home with those old Grimm tales we were told as kids. It’s mad endearing that way. Final Fantasy Tactics, spin-off title, is probably the best story, overall, told under the FF banner and it’s not even a main title. The War of Lions is a tale of political intrigue, familial bonds, and devastating betrayal sprinkled with magic and demons and summons and dragons. It’s f*cking incredible and can give Game  of Thrones a run for it’s money. I imagine, in time, i’ll revisit these stories and gush about why i love them so but that’s not what this essay is about. No, this essay is about the second best narrative in the entire FF franchise; A narrative that has been written off because people couldn’t get passed the gameplay. This essay is about my fourth favorite Final Fantasy title, Final Fantasy XII

The strongest part of this game is easily the story. It starts with a wedding. A beautiful affair between two nations to solidify a peaceful relation and treaty of prosperity but that bliss would not last. War, a bloody coupe, the death of a prince, and the betrayal of a king. All of this happens in the intro to the game. As you play, you take the perspective of a common street rat. You follow along with his misadventures, exploring the oasis city of Rabanastre withing the annexed kingdom of Dalmasca. During his various excursions, Vaan finds himself entwined with the charismatic sky pirate and main character, Balthier, as well as his longtime Viera companion, Fran. After a heist gone wrong, the group find themselves thrown into the same lot as the presumed dead princess of Dlamasca, Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, and the man framed for murdering her father, Basch Fon Ronsenburg. The party is eventually completed by the final addition of Vaan’s childhood friend, Penelo. What starts as a tale of rebellion and unrest, evolves into something so much more. The dismantling of the current world system, the shattering of chains binding man to malevolent gods, wresting control of human destiny back into human hands, and a destiny laid forth by a visionary painted as a tyrant.

Final Fantasy XII is a grand epic that feels very intimate, very small. You’re never far from the characters or their plight. Indeed, it’s their development and relationships that drive this story. Political intrigue and human destiny aside, the interactions between these individuals are absolutely wonderful. Vaan is a chump but, having played this game several times and looking back on this story with the eyes of an adult who appreciates great storytelling, his blank personality is necessary. He’s the vehicle the audience uses to immerse themselves in this world. He’s our allegory so ll that bland that colors him is simple place holder. an is who we make him. On the other end of that spectrum, you have the “villain” Vayne Carudas Solidor. Vayne is easily one of the best written characters in the entire franchise. His characterization and development can give Delita from Tactics and Ardyn Izunia from XV. Holy sh*t, Ardyn is magnificent. I can write an entire essay on him, alone, but that’s one for later. Maybe. XII is one of the best written of all the FF titles but Vayne, specifically, is written on an entirely different level. There’s never a time when you do not understand his motivation. There is never a time where you do not agree with his logic. There is never a time when you condemn his deeds. They are all necessary for the ultimate goal of human prosperity. Vayne is the antagonist of this story because of circumstance and he understands that better than anyone. He even prepared for that eventuality with his brother, Larsa. Even in defeat, he still wins; A victory for all that cost him everything. F*cking brilliant writing, man. Brilliant.

The world of Final Fantasy XII is absolutely gorgeous. It takes place in Ivalice, the only recurring setting in the FF franchise. It’s a staple, like Chocobos or Moogles. Vagrant Story and the Tactics games all take place here, to varying capacities. I love how meaty the lore and systems are for this universe. The Judge system permeates almost every title taking place here and they are to be heeded. Ranging from consequences of battle to outright characters in the narrative, these judges often have ornate armors and insane strength. Gabranth, the main Judge of XII, serves a rather dubious role throughout this tale. He and his contemporary, Cidolfus Demen Bunansa, the Cid of this game and father of Blathier, work together with Vayne to further his ambitions. Chasing their wake leads our team all over Ivalcie, visiting Ordalia, Valdenia, Kerwon, and Purvma. We follow Fran home to the Salikawood and hunt some powerful monsters in the rolling dunes of the Giza Plains. This world is gorgeously realized with loving passion and gentle renders. It really is a feast for the eyes.

Now, the reason everyone passes on this particular title lies in the fact that the gameplay doesn’t feel like an FF title. In that regard, the discourse is correct. XII does not play like a traditional Final Fantasy title. It skews closer to their MMO titles rather than their offline fair. It can be difficult to learn but is it really so different than what you’re used to? Is it really so alien? XII does a pretty decent job teaching you how to manage your party. Admittedly, yo can’t directly control what everyone does at every second but all titles in this franchise are kind of like this. I can see how that aspect can be disorientating wit the pseudo-action RPG aesthetic. That’s why there are Gambits. These things are little predetermined commands that allow you to program your party while you handle the heavy lifting on wither offense, defense, or support. It’s kind of like the system they use in FFXIII but, you know, good. You still play XII. You still have the ability to control your characters, in a limited capacity. Sure, i would have liked to have more direct command over my party but this workaround is fine once you get used to it. Besides, i think they fixed this in the international Zodiac version or whatever. I haven’t played that one yet but what we have in the vanilla game, the License Board, Tecnicks, Magicks, Quickenings, and Espers, all add a variety that gives you copious amounts of strategy. Building a character strong enough to trust to the Gambit system has it’s own reward.

Final Fantasy XII is an outstanding title that deserves so much more respect than anyone gives it. Your requisite hitters like IX and VII are rightfully mentioned in a much greater capacity but lesser titles like X and VIII have no business holding their position in the fandom zeitgeist in lieu of XII. This game has one of the most epic stories, a brisk plot rarely marred down by melodrama, one of the greatest villains in the entire franchise, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. The world is lush, full of life and vibrancy, hiding a sinister undertone that grips your attention until the very end. If you can manage the learning curve of the battle system, if you give it a chance, you’ll be rewarded with one of the all-time great games in the Final Fantasy pantheon.

[courtingstars]

AHHHHH I GOT THE FANBOOK

First, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who was so kind regarding my life update post... I really appreciate your support and your patience with me. <3 Last week was another rough one. (I guess that’s just how my life is, at the moment. //laughs) But around the middle of the week, I found THIS in my mailbox and NOTHING ELSE MATTERED ANYMORE BECAUSE LOOK AT IT:

LOOK EVEN THE MAILING ENVELOPE IS RAINBOWWW IT MADE ME SO HAPPY IT’S TOO PERFECT I CAN’TTTT

I didn’t open it right away, because I wanted to ooh and ahh over it as much as it deserved. Which I was finally able to do a few days ago, and OMGGG IT’S BEAUTIFUL:

(Pictured with the Last Game GoM keychains I always keep on my table, haha)

I LOVE IT SO MUCH. ❤️💛💚💙💜 I love the cover, I love the extras, and just a quick flip-through of the book gave me SO MANY FEELINGS about these precious rainbow basketball kids. 💕🌈

It was so awesome to see all the fellow KnB fans who contributed, many of whom have created tons of fanworks that I’ve enjoyed over the years... Artists like @linipik and my Rainbow Squad friends @whitecometofakagi, @memedoritos, and @optimistic-negative-thing. (THOSE PHOTOS WERE TOO CUTE.) Plus, the first fic in the book is a Seirin story by @szczepter, and as if that weren’t awesome enough there’s also a Kiyoshi fic about Seirin by @tetsucchin?! When I saw that, I was immediately like YES, THIS BOOK IS FOR ME, I AM 100% HERE FOR THIS BOOK. (Because you all know how much of a Seirin nerd I am, haha. XD)

I’m still slowly going through all the entries and savoring them… There’s so much love for the GoM in here and a Rakuzan fic by @umisabaku I can’t wait to read, and IT’S JUST SO GOOD, IT’S ALL SO GOOD. (And there’s so much more awesome work that I know I’m forgetting to mention... But I just had to put together some kind of gushing post as soon as I could?? XD I’ll try to reblog any of the entries I can find here on Tumblr, because THEY’RE ALL AMAZING AND EVERYONE SHOULD SEE/READ THEM.)

Also, I just wanted to say thank you so, so much to the mods, who did so much hard work to put this gorgeous fanbook together! I’m honored to have been part of such an amazing project. I got super emotional reading the forward, which welcomed both new and longtime fans back to the fandom. I really hope the KnB fandom sticks around. I know I’ll still be here, writing about these goofy basketball kids, for anyone out there who still wants to read about them. ❤️

(I do have a few more KnB projects in the works right now, besides the series I’m still updating… Hopefully I’ll be talking more about them soon! I’ve been working on a Seirin multi-chapter fic, a big future fic, some Rakuzan stuff, and a KnB meta project that I’ve been wanting to do for a REALLY long time.)

So in summary, THE FANBOOK IS SUPER AWESOME AND INCREDIBLY RAINBOW AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Thank you again to everyone who helped make it! Receiving it made a tough week so much better. And I’m so grateful I was able to contribute to such a beautiful anniversary book about one of my all-time favorite shows/stories. 💕🌈

Also, I’ll be posting my story from the fanbook online very soon! Along with a meta post about some of the canon stuff about the Generation of Miracles that inspired it because of course I’m going to do that, come on. XD And @whitecometofakagi and I are planning to post a version of our collab fic about Nijimura and Akashi in the future as well. 🖤❤️