#there were like 15 people including me and my friend in the theater

[sheshallfromtimetotime]

I went to see the 25th anniversary rerelease of The Phantom Menace in theaters 'cause I'm a nerd. It was fun! I maintain my unpopular position that The Phantom Menace is my favorite of the prequels.

[putschki1969]

2024/02/19 Blog post by Wakana ふむふむの日2024を振り返ろう♪〜映画と衣装と肩の骨〜

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ ❗Do NOT SHARE on other sites❗ ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

Looking Back At February 6 2024 ♪〜Movie, Dresses And Shoulder Bones〜

The other day, I went to see the movie "Golden Kamuy" with a friend 😊I received a special git at the cinema! A panel drawn by the original creator＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／ I was so happy because I didn't expect to get something like this! 😍 The girl I went with is a big fan of the original work, actually, she is such a hardcore fan that she and her husband have even gone on a proper pilgrimage to Abashiri which is a place from the manga. I also enjoyed the manga so I decided to go and watch the film with her! The visuals were so powerful and the music was so wonderful that (despite the fairly fantasy-like setting) I felt a strange sense of reality that made me cry many times... It was the first time I watched a movie at the cinema since ``The Boy and the Heron'', I had a lot of fun! 😆 (By the way, the girl who went with me was the same friend who went with me when I watched “The Boy and the Heron” for the second time♪) Being at the movie theater for the first time in a long while got me really excited, initially, I only wanted to get some oolong tea at the snack bar but then, I ended up with all of this😂 How did this happen? When I looked at the menu, I got really excited 🤣I got a large popcorn and a hot dog *laughs*

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

I couldn't finish the giant popcorn and had to take it home *laughs* I quietly stuffed my mouth with the hot dog before the film had even begun🤤 Even though I had told myself that it would be better to wait until the film was over to avoid getting tired...🥺 Such a fickle nature🥺(Thankfully the movie was so interesting that I didn't feel sleepy at any point)

Now, I would like to talk a little about my “Wakana 5th Anniversary “Prologue” ~Premium Online Live~” which was held on February 6th! Here I am together with Saku-chan who joined me on the piano 😊We also made sure to take a picture where we look a bit cool📸 With this premium online live I celebrated a milestone, the 5th anniversary of my solo debut. I wanted to start my celebrations together with everyone from my fan club! For some reason, those five years actually feel like a longer time... or rather, it feels like a lot more years have passed already. I included the entire “journey” from my solo debut up until now in the setlist!

M-01 Yureru Haru M-02 Tsubasa MC M-03 Ai no Hana M-04 Aki no Sakura (Acoustic ver.) MC M-05 Orange MC M-06 Haru wo Matsu (Kalafina) M-07 Shirushi MC M-08 Kinmokusei M-09 Flag MC M-10 magic moment MC M-11 Sono Saki e

There are songs from my 1st album "Wakana", my 2nd album "magic moment", my EP "Aki no Sakura" and my 3rd album "Sono Saki e"! I ended up cramming in as much as possible since I wanted to create a setlist that would allow me to look back on the past 5 years.😊 During my MCs I tried to express my feelings from each period, hopefully I was able to share some fresh thoughts with you.

I once again realized that the "chat" may be the best part of an online live performances! At live performances with an actual on-site audience it's not really possible to have a real conversation, but online, everyone can talk about all sorts of things. Of course, even if there are no words exchanged between us, I know that people are watching and supporting me but I always feel very relieved when people say a lot of things in the chat (*´- `) It's honestly so reassuring to know that everyone is watching and listening (^-^)

Despite all of that, my surprise lyric mishaps keep happening, whether it's been 5 years or 15 years, I will never get rid of those...😂Why? ? 😂 I could really feel everyone's surprise and kindness from the chat messages, it was a special sense of gratitude that I probably couldn't experience at a live performances with an on-site audience. Thank you again to everyone who watched and supported me! ! My 5th Anniversary celebrations have only just begun. At my upcoming band live on May 12th, I would like to have the time to reflect even more on the past five years ! Details will be posted soon! Please be patient a little while longer~･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+

Lastly, I would like to post some pictures of my dress from February 6th 😆This is the same dress I wore on the cover of my 1st album "Wakana"♪ I also wore it during the encore for my ``VOICE'' tour, at that time, it was altered a bit so it would work better for a live performance 😍 I had my hair down, which is quite unusual for me ♡ The makeup artist also added some sparkling hairpins 😍

I always wonder why my shoulder bones are so prominent...🤣 I think it's a skeletal issue because I am pretty sure not everyone's shoulder looks like that, right? 😂 I don't have any particular pain or problems in this area but I always feel like there's just a lot of bone sticking out. I envy people with smoother shoulders🥺

Anyway, I'm glad I was able to fit into a dress from 5 years ago ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+ For some reason, that got me super excited! 😂😂 Easy peasy🤗 Yay!

So, that’s it for today! Until next time~ ☆( *'▽'*)/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

『Wakana 5th Anniversary Live』 Details Revealed

To commemorate the 5th Anniversary of Wakana’s solo debut, a special band live will be held for the first time in 3 years! Once again, Wakana will be joined by Satoshi Takebe to deliver a unique live performance together with other musicians. Please look forward to it!

Title: “Wakana 5th Anniversary Live (tentative)” Date: May 12, 2024 ◆1st Stage◆ Open 14:45 / Start 15:30 ◆2nd Stage◆ Open 18:15 / Start 19:00 Venue: I’M A SHOW (capacity: 398 seats) Starring: Wakana, Satoshi Takebe (Music Director/Piano), etc. 【Ticket price】 All seats reserved 8,500円 ※An additional 600円 drink fee will be charged at the venue

Advanced Ticket Lottery for BL Members

[Ticket Sales Service] SKIYAKI TICKET ※To apply, you will need to register your SC ID at "Botanical Land" and your SKIYAKI ID on the SKIYAKI TICKET site/app. Pre-registration is possible, so it is recommended to do this before the application period starts. Please note: The registration procedure includes a verfication via text message which apparently does not work for some overseas phone numbers. ※On the day of the event, present the screen displaying the QR code issued to the SKIYAKI TICKET app (no prints or screenshots permitted); Please note: To display the electronic ticket, a separate app is required

Quantity limit: Up to 2 tickets per person Payment method: Credit card/convenience store payment Ticketing method: Download the dedicated app to issue a QR code ticket Application period: February 21 to February 27 Announcement of Results: March 1~ Payment deadline: March 8

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 15: PAINFUL RE:BAKE - Episode 29: Re:Formative Experience

Taichi: “I’m baaack! Nii-chan, Luciano, I brought my friend!”

Juza: “Friend?”

Azami: “Hello.”

Taichi: “This is Angelo! We work at the factory together!”

Banri: “Angelo?”

Juza: “... Hey.”

Banri: “What’s your last name?”

Azami: “Hm? It’s Montare.”

Banri: “... We’re takin’ that job.”

Juza: “You serious?”

Banri: “We ain’t gonna leave Benjamin’s friend like this, are we?”

Taichi: “Something wrong?”

Juza: “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Izumi: Let’s stop here. We’ll continue at 1 after a lunch break.

Taichi: Playin’ Picaresque after so long is so fun~!

Sakyo: Right. It’s kinda like meeting old comrades again.

Omi: I get what you mean.

Juza: Feels like I’m back at MANKAI Company. In lots of ways.

Azami: This is our starting point, after all.

Banri: Looks like we had no reason to worry ‘bout burning out.

Izumi: Right. Everyone’s having fun. Also, ticket sales are going well.

Izumi: Just like with Spring and Summer, Masumi-kun has been helping with promotions.

Izumi: Since there’s been a lot of articles about Taichi-kun and Azami-kun online, he asked the sites involved to include a link to the streaming ticket distributor…

Izumi: Sakyo-san’s guest performance as a voice actor, and Banri-kun and Juza-kun’s performance with Hyakka were also promoted a lot.

Izumi: We’ve had more sales thanks to those promotions.

Sakyo: Usui’s promotional skills have been gradually improvin'.

Izumi: He’s grown to be quite reliable, hasn’t he?

Izumi: (All that’s left is for the performance to be succesful…)

Banri: Everyone’s expectations are higher ‘cause of that, so we gotta give it our all.

Juza: You don’t hafta tell us twice.

Taichi: Now that we’ve broken out of our shells, there’s nothing that could stand in our way!

Omi: Right. We’ll be fine.

Azami: We’ll crush it.

Izumi: (As far as I can tell from the practice sessions we’ve been having, everyone’s got so much more fire in them than they used to.)

Izumi: (They respect each other’s growth, and that’s why their feelings of not wanting to lose to one another are so palpable.)

Banri: By the way, Omi, did ya start re-studying action scenes from the ground up in preparation for the second workshop?

Omi: The first workshop made me realize just how important the basics are, and I can’t say I know them well enough to teach them to anyone just yet.

Azami: The second workshop’s next week, yeah?

Omi: Yeah. Keiku’s coming again too.

Sakyo: Didn’t think he’d start workin’ as a live-in part-timer in Gentiana just like that.

Omi: Zen-san also contacted his parents.

Juza: What a caring guy.

Sakyo: Lots of first gen are like that.

Taichi: Is he gonna join the show’s cast too?

Omi: I think he’s been taking some lessons as a performer when he’s not busy with school or helping out at the store.

Omi: I think it’s because he saw the play, but he said he wants to learn from Banri and Juza.

Banri: Sure hope he won’t start kickin’ with no warning again.

Omi: You don’t have to worry about that. It seems he’s become seriously interested in theater thanks to you two.

-

Omi: We’ll be starting the Second Action Workshop anytime now, so please gather here.

Keiku: …

Towa: Ah, you were here last time too! Do you remember me?

Keiku: Nop.

Towa: I’m Towa! With the To from peach, and the wa from peace!

Keiku: …

Towa: I asked you last time too, but are you an actor?

Keiku: … I was just interested in people that fight it out on stage.

Towa: Ahaha, you mean like sword fights? I’m a fan of MANKAI Company! I like everyone, but Masumi-kun’s my biggest fav!

Towa: I saw the Spring Troupe’s performance live a while ago and got SO moved that I wanted to try acting myself and made my own troupe!

Towa: I haven’t been on stage yet, so I’m not actually an actor, more like an aspiring actor. But that’s why I look up to the Autumn Troupe’s sword fighting so much–

Keiku: Yapper, LOL.

Towa: …

Towa: Haaaave we met before? Not during the first workshop, but before that…

Towa: This doesn’t feel like our first meeting.

Keiku: (... He’s gotta be.)

Towa: Do you know me?

Keiku: Nop.

-

Omi: That concludes our second action workshop. Thank you for attending.

Keiku: …

Banri: You’ve got a knack for this, dude. You’re comin’ to see our performance, yeah?

Keiku: Heard you’ll be fightin’ again, so.

Banri: It ain’t a fight… is what I’d like to say. But I guess you could call it a fight where no one gets hurt.

Banri: I’ll give you a formative experience, and you will come and watch.

Keiku: … A formative experience?

-

Banri: Ohhh, these are kinda nostalgic, but also cooler than last time.

Sakyo: These are costumes Rurikawa could only make because of who he is today.

Taichi: A-chan’s makeup also plays a huge part!

Azami: Duh.

Juza: I’ll surpass my past self with this costume and makeup.

Omi: You all seem pretty fired up.

Sakyo: You got any words for us, Boss?

Banri: … Each of us overcame our own pain and became greater actors than we used to be.

Banri: The day I handed y’all the script, I was a little worried about whether we’d be able to create something that surpasses our impulses and formative experiences from back then.

Banri: But I’m sure now. We can definitely surpass our past selves.

Banri: We’ll recreate even our formative experiences, and turn them into formative experiences for everyone watchin’. That’s the kind of opening day performance we gotta put on.

Banri: —— Autumn Troupe, huddle!

Banri: We’re definitely surpassin’ who we used to be back then!

Juza: Yeah!

Taichi: Yeeaaah!

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

[flowercrown-bard]

Thank you @restless-witch for tagging me ^^

Questions for 15 friends

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?: Not as far as I know (i like to believe I'm named after a character feom "Pippi Longstockings" but i know I'm not) If, for some reason, i don't want to tell someone my given name I tend to use names of characters I played in a ttrpg or in a play (my favourite name is Valentine from Twelth Night) if that counts?

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: Monday, from 8pm until 10:30pm, with some breaks (i had a bit of an exhausting week with a lot of bottled up emotions and rehearsing for a play in which sickness, death and loneliness are prominent topics is both cathartic and very hard sometimes)

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?: Nope

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?: i used to play handball (hated it), vaulting (loved it), track and field athletics (hated it), hip hop dancing (it was fun i guess but i also felt incredibly awkward), Judo (loved it), Jiu Jitsu (loved it). Now I dance (for the theatre but I'll still count it) and go running sometimes and very rarely I do some sword fighting with a friend (i feel like I'm missing something but i dont remember anything else)

DO YOU USE SARCASM?: Yeah, but only with certain people. I am very bad at telling if someone else is just being sarcastic or is genuinely insulting me, so i often worry that my sarcasm comes across as such. I often follow it up with "just a joke" or something

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?: Probably hairstyle and clothes? Visual things by which i can try to remember them

WHAT’S YOUR EYE COLOUR?: Brown

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?: Depends on my mood

ANY TALENTS?: One time I got out of bed and failed so hard that i broke a foot. Make of that what you will

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?: Germany

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?:

Theater (including singing, dancing, acting, building the stage set, crafting the props)

cooking (i love doing it, i just don't do it very often)

playing the guitar

ttrpg

going on long walks/hiking -running -creative writing -indulging in the hubris of thinking i can teach myself a new skill without doing any research (aka. Whittling, embroidery, crocheting, making my own dnd dice) I feel like I'm missing something but oh well

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?: Sadly no. But I'll give an honourable mention to the dog I'm taking on walks whenever i got time

HOW TALL ARE YOU?: 168cm probably. I haven't measured my height in ages

FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?: Theater and literature. Honourable mention to maths, not because i liked o4 understood the subject but because my teacher was the absolute best

DREAM JOB?: Kindergarten teacher (and maybe publishing a book one day)

Tagging: @dhwty-writes @parttime-creative @sinilumi @combatbootsfemme @lycanbucky @lokibus @a-kind-of-merry-war @witcher-and-his-bard and everyone else who sees this and wants to do this <3

[fandom-trash-xl]

EPISODE 1: CONSPIRACY

Hello, hello! Welcome back to weekly Dragon Ball commentary- feels good to say that, these posts were my roots on this website.

I would like to thank a friend for sharing their Crunchyroll and to apologize in advance to my roommate who has already caught me mid-ramblings- sorry, bestie, this is going to last several more Fridays.

Anyway, onto our very first episode of Dragon Ball Daima!

Firstly, an amazing "welcome back to Dragon Ball" recap. Since the Power Pole is due to make its comeback, I'm not surprised that they didn't forget to include a reference to the series roots in OG Dragon Ball- and the fade to them growing up AAAAHHH MY HEART

"Saiyans are known for appearing youthful for longer"- OH YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW

And speaking of recapping, we're introduced to the silly little demon clown guy, Gomah, and Shin's out-of-nowhere brother, Degesu, as they do an abridged Mystery Science Theater of the Buu Arc. Apparently, all powerful Demon Not-Kais still rely on pen and paper to take notes.

With no one left to oppose him after the disposal of the Majins and Dabura, Gomah's the king of the Demon Realm. And turns out Shin also has an out-of-nowhere sister too, Dr. Arinsu. Wonder why she has the God of Destruction gold collar? Might be relevant, might just be jewelry.

It's looking like I may have to finally dip my toes in the Xenoverse lore... we're getting suspiciously close to Towa territory.

However, Goku and his friends pose a threat to Gomah's power- because of course they do, it's Goku and friends- so we need a way to nerf them in the way that's not an evil wish. So, let's turn them into kids! GT BUT ON PURPOSE!

The Demon Realm has their own Dragon Balls created by a senile Namekian they picked up off the street, but they're guarded by these figures called the Tagamis- safe bet that they'll be fighting the Tagamis later.

We have a confirmed timeline placement! It's not long after the Buu Saga and Trunks is turning nine. Gohan is conveniently off studying... why the exclusion? We don't know yet.

And now for the two casual lore drop points that I proceeded to ramble about because my roommate had just walked in:

Saiyans get growth spurts at 15

I guess this was a casual excusing of Goten and Trunks still being short in Super and it sort of lines up with Goku in original DB. He grew slightly, but I guess he was a late bloomer because he was still rather petite at the King Piccolo fight where (not counting Minus) he was 16.

But, Gohan! He had a decent amount of height at 11 in the Cell Saga. Perhaps he got a little more of the Ox King genetics than Goten did.

Goku then proceeds to slander Vegeta's height and- "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

THE SECOND POTARA RETCON

Yep, it happened again. We went from "Potara fusion is permanent, we don't know what happened with Vegito" to "Potara fusion is permanent for Supreme Kais, but if it's two mortals, it's a hour" to, now, "it was Buu's stomach acid the whole time!"

So, instead of using the Dragon Balls to separate like in Super, Kibito Kai just had Buu eat them and spit them out.

I guess this helps confirm that Daima's running on its own track and won't lead into Super. Does this mean we have three separate canons now? I'm okay with this. At least this means my fanfics are safe.

Also, looking a bit pale there, Kibito.

Back to the plot:

Seems that all of the Namekians were originally from the Demon Realm! The Demon Gang can tell because of the pointy ears- I'm getting Owl House flashbacks.

Then what does that mean for Mr. Popo?

The old Namekian magnetizes all the Dragon Balls to the lookout- because of course he can- then reactivates them from their stone state- because of course he can.

Shenron's not dealing with any monkey's paws today and he's not going to guess like Ultimate Shenron did in GT- you're going to want to input all the settings you want for your turn people into kids wish. The adult gang are all first graders and the kids are now babies.

THE WISH HITS RIGHT AT THE END OF THE EPISODE

We'll have to deal with the fallout of this next episode. Hope someone fills Gohan in.

---

Feel free to send asks- I'll screenshot them if there's spoilers so I can put the question under a Keep Reading break if need be- or have a discussion in the replies.

Otherwise, stay tuned for more of my ramblings next Friday!

[braveclementine]

January 13, 2015; 5:15 P.M.

Warnings: None, Readers under 18 can read this book.

Copyright: My OCs are Coach Yonce, Emma, Ila, Tempus, and Itty Bitty. I own these characters. I do not condone any copying of this.

I was on my knees, my arms locked behind me. Emma had been killed and I knew it was only a matter of time that they killed Itty and I.

I knew Ila hadn't killed herself, because she had been in the cell next to me. I barely slept in this room- it was to cold to sleep. I had heard muffled shouts and the sounds of struggling. I knew she really had been hung, under pretenses of suicide, but I knew it was false.

It was all false, just like the other facility. They were still trying to kill us.

I wondered if they'd leave me the last one alive just so that they could say the main character had survived. I had overheard some of them talking about the movie almost being finished and put together.

I wondered if there would be any theaters that would play it.

I wondered if I'd be alive to see it.

But now, Itty and I were forced on our knees in the shower room. Our bodies positioned perfectly over the drains.

"Kill her first." The doctor- Rum- ordered, passing one of the guns to the guard. He put the gun to Itty's head.

"STOP!" I shouted. I already had one of my best friends die. I didn't need Itty to be killed too. "STOP! ITTY!"

One of the guards kicked me in the stomach and the wind was knocked out of me as I curled into myself, wheezing.

Suddenly, the door burst open behind me. I collapsed to the floor as I heard gunshots. I heard a grunt of pain, but the doctors fell around me.

"Y/N."

I rolled over onto my back to see Sebastian leaning over me. There was a handgun in his right hand, his left hand holding a bloody spot on his side.

"Sebastian! Are you alright?" I asked, sitting up, looking around quickly. Itty was fine, getting to her feet shakily, hugging her arms around her body.

"Yes, but we need to go." Sebastian said firmly. "Your parents are outside along with the FBI, Mr. Trump, Downey, and Evans."

I nodded, feeling relieved. "C'mon Itty."

Itty and I headed out of the room, following Sebastian who didn't lower his gun until we were outside.

"Y/N!" My mom shrieked, pulling me into a tight hug. Over her shoulder I could see Itty's parents running down the slope, breaking through the FBI ring to envelope Itty into a tight, tear-filled hug.

"Hi mom." I whispered weakly.

I hugged my dad next and then took a good look at my surroundings.

Sebastian was being attended to by a handful of medics while Christina Bobb- Mr. Trump's lawyer- stood watch over everything they did.

Downey and Trump were working together, talking to several FBI agents as they rounded up what looked like the guards of the ward.

I just hoped the FBI weren't as corrupt as the police force.

Chris Evans looked completely out of place. I assumed he was simply there for Sebastian.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked, looking at my parents.

"We are now that you're with us." My dad said, hugging me again.

I had only seen my dad cry twice. Once when someone he'd been close to at Church had passed away. And a second time when his brother had passed away.

Oh and I guess a third time when he'd come and seen me in the hospital.

The FBI started to push people into their large black vans, while another half started to infiltrate the rest of the building. They came out with several more people, including Doctor Rum who- though shot and in critical condition- was still alive.

I squeezed my parents hands and carefully made my way over to where Sebastian was sitting alone.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly.

"Yes, don't worry about me." Sebastian said, picking up my hand and kissing the back of it. "What about you? Did they hurt you? Physically? Mentally? Did any of the male doctors break your personal bubble?"

"Just some bruises." I whispered. "But no, none of them tried to rape me or even touch me. I'm okay Sebastian."

"Good." He whispered. "I mean, I know you're not really okay, but I'm glad you're safe."

I smiled, sitting down next to him. "So I see Downey and Trump are becoming great friends."

"Well they have a common goal." Sebastian laughed. "But their huge egos clash with each other."

I giggled, resting my head on Sebastian's shoulder. "So, meet any interesting girls during therapy?'

"Well, my therapist seems a little crazy. Her name is Virginia. You might like her actually. But nope. The only woman I have my eyes set on is you." Sebastian said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder to pull me closer.

"Where'd you learn to shoot like that?" I asked curiously. "I thought Hollywood stars were adverse to weapons. You know, ban the second amendment and all of that."

"Well, usually." Sebastian said. "And I was one of those people. Kind've stupid now, look what good use it came in. I think I'm going to keep it too. Make sure I can protect you for as long as you stay with me. But yeah, I kind've practiced in a shooting range in Arizona."

"Well a man with a gun is a very sexy thing." I teased, kissing his cheek. "Thank you for protecting me."

"I'll always be here for you." Sebastian murmured. "I promise."

We were quiet for a moment and then Sebastian asked, "Will your dad shoot me if I ask for his permission to marry you?"

"Um, maybe." I laughed.

"Oh well, I'll just make sure to put on some bullet proof vests then." Sebastian said.

"Don't you want to get to know me first?" I teased.

Sebastian stared at me with those blue eyes that I found irresistible. "I know everything I need to know to know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And everything else that I don't know yet, I can learn over the years of us being married."

"Hmm." I teased. "So even if I'm a Republican?"

"Even then." Sebastian smirked, leaning in and I closed my eyes as we kissed.

"Alright love birds." Downey's care free voice interrupted us. "Break it up. I don't need to see that."

I rolled my eyes as I pulled back from Sebastian.

Downey pointed at me, "Are you sure you want this old man anyways? Evans is free too you know."

"Chris is a year older than me." Sebastian rolled his eyes. "If I'm old, he's ancient."

I giggled. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Oh well." Downey sighed. "Welcome to the Marvel family."

"Not yet." Sebastian said in a fake serious voice. "First I gotta make sure not to get shot by her father."

"Oh true." Downey said thoughtfully. "I'd shoot anyone who asked for my daughters' hand in marriage."

I smiled. "What are you guys going to do?"

"Well, Donald over here is thinking about running for Presidency. He wants me to run as Vice President. Maybe I can add politician to my resume." Downey said with a grin.

"Really?" Sebastian asked, sounding surprised.

"Nope. Well, not about joining. I have a movie contract that'll prevent me from running with him." Downey said with a shrug. "Oh well, maybe the second term."

My parents came over then. They seemed much calmer now. My father was even smiling as Evans and Trump spoke to them.

My father glared at Sebastian though, when his eyes landed on him. I just smiled, lacing my fingers through Sebastian's.

"So." My dad said, moving between the two of us, threatening to sit on our arms still we snatched our hands back to our bodies. He looked between the two of us, crossing his arms over his chest. "Was there something you two would like to tell me?"

"Well, I was going to wait. . ." Sebastian muttered. "But I would like your permission to marry your daughter."

"I'm sure you would like that." Dad said.

I smiled a little. I knew dad liked him much more than he was letting on.

Sebastian looked nervous and said, "Er- may I marry your daughter?"

"When you sound less uncertain." my father deadpanned.

"Should I demand it?" Sebastian pretended to whisper over to me.

I giggled. "Dad, lighten up."

Dad did lighten up, pulling me into a hug, kissing the top of my head, "Are you sure this is what you want?" My dad asked me quietly. "He is substantially older than you. At least ten years. That's a mighty gap, especially when you guys get older with health problems."

"Yes dad, I'm sure." I whispered.

"You have my permission." My father said to Sebastian. "But if you hurt her once you'll be spitting bullets out of your asshole."

"Yes sir." Sebastian said, looking alarmed.

My dad kissed the top of my head once more before leaving the two of us alone so that he could go back over to my mother, pulling her into a side hug.

"He didn't shoot me." Sebastian said happily.

I giggled. "What a relief."

I quieted down a little and asked, "Is Emma. . ."

"Sorry doll." Sebastian said quietly. "Trump and Bobb really did almost get her out. They were supposed to get her the same day she died."

I nodded. "Thank you for trying at least. I'll make sure to thank Mr. Trump later."

It was another couple of hours before we could actually leave. My parents were going to take me back home and Sebastian was to return to California with Downey.

"I'm gonna be back next week." Sebastian said, pulling me into a hug. "With a proper ring and all of that. I love you."

I smiled. "I love you too."

"C'mon Pumpkin." My dad said, and I pulled away from Sebastian slowly to join my parents side. My parents had me sit between them in the car so that they could ruffle my hair affectionately or hold my hand. My mother burst into happy tears again.

I was finally on my way home.

⬅️➡️

[pizzacatdelight]

My Birthday

Yay, today’s my birthday! I turned 28 years old! And avoided the dreaded “27 Club” where some of the biggest musicians from the 60s’ and 70s’ died when they were 27 years old! (They mainly died due to massive drinking, doing drugs, etc.…)

My 27th year on this planet was not a good one. Early this year, I quit my toxic part-time job at a well-known pizza restaurant that I won’t name. I got scammed into paying for my own equipment for a new job I thought it was a job, but wasn’t. So, I lost over $2,000 because of it and I have to freeze my credit scores to keep the scammers from opening any new credit cards under my name! Then there’s the fact I can’t even find a job that would even hire me due to both my disability and my limited skill list! I even got rejected from getting Disability (or SSI); two months later because of the fact I even had a job!

At home, my youngest niece graduated from high school in June and instead of going to University, she’s working a full-time job at Sally’s Beauty in order to save up money to buy her own car since the car her mom gave her last year and it‘s too expensive to go University right now. My only nephew started 11th grade last month, which means once he graduates in 2025, mom’s planning to sell the family house. She told me and my older sister this back in March/April where after she sold the house; she’s planning to (probably) move to Oregon to get away from the politics of conservative Texas and to retire. Of course, we’re going to move with her as she’s planning to buy land and build a condo house where my sister and I can live on one side of the condo.

For my hobbies, on the other hand, they’re doing great! I beat over 15 games this year, which include “Pokémon: Emerald”, “Hypnospace Outlaw”, “Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Cindered Shadows DLC” and “The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog”. “BAD END THEATER” became the first Steam game where I 100% all the achievement. I preordered “Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” a few days before it came out in May and played it on release day. I remembered staying up all night going around Hyrule, completing the Shrines and not being dicks to the Koroks who only wanted to be reunited with their friends. I’m looking forward to the release of the remaster of “Super Mario RPG”, which comes out in less than two months! I saw four LPs of the game in the past and played it myself for the WiiU. I can’t wait for it to come!

My webcomic is going along. I just finished Chapter 9 and I’m currently taking a small break from it to focus on making this site. I changed how I publish my comics, where I used to release 6-7 pages at a time. But now, I have changed it to 2 pages per week, which means I’ll get more views compared to what I did before. I’m planning to post the links to my webcomic here; I’ll have to find the motivation to do so.

I also made a Tumblr account in June after Reddit decided that they're going to start pricing the 3rd party apps that use its’ code (Apollo, you will be missed). While things are great on Tumblr, I have to get used that most of everyone there is very left-leaning compared to Reddit, where everyone is either in the center or right-leaning, depending on the subject. Yes, I know there are left-leaning people and subreddits there, but it’s the right-leaning groups that are the ones who make the headlines. At least the fandom on Tumblr is way nicer compared to Reddit, where you get attacked for saying or doing something that the fandom subreddit doesn’t like. It’s the reason why I was too scared to either post or comment on Reddit.

Then early this month, I made a NeoCities website and learned how to code again after 11 years. It’s not easy and sometimes it’s even frustrating when you want to do something cool to your page and the code won’t work! At least coding is a skill I can use when I try to look up jobs since it’s one of the most important skills that businesses need. And I also started to blog to write about my thoughts as well. I’ve been doing it on Tumblr for a while, so now I have two sites to pour it all out.

As for what I will be doing for my birthday, it’s not going to be much as I tend not to ask for a lot. I know mom normally gives me a $50 Amazon gift card so I can buy something nice for myself. And I already have plans to make brownies for desserts since we have so much flour and a huge box of brownie mix is in the cabinet.

So yeah, my 27th birthday wasn’t that great, but it could’ve been worse. I hope my 28th year will be a little better and things will improve.

[violet-chan14]

AITA for wanting to end a three year friendship because my friend is a pick-me?

I (14 female) have been best friends with a girl we’ll call Ashley (15 female) since junior high. We were in a lot of classes together and started hanging out through a mutual friend.

looking back now I can see the signs that she was a pick-me but I guess I was turning a blind eye to her red flags.

Ashley started dating a guy in our grade I’ll call Liam when we started 7th grade. They broke up right before summer break of that year started. The two of them were a pretty clingy couple. Somehow she always tried to steer the conversation towards her and Liam’s latest make out session (thinking I wanted to hear about her gross escapades), or making it seem like someone (sometimes one of our closest friends) was trying to steal Liam. On one occasion she even insinuated that I had a thing for him. I laughed it off at the time thinking that it was all just a joke, but now I see it as another of her many red flags.

After they broke up she told me and some other friends that Liam was cheating on her. And to help her get revenge we scribbled ‘Liam is a cheating piece of sh*t’ and passed it to other girls in our grade. I thought it was the right thing to do thinking that it was his penance for cheating on Ashley.

During 8th grade and the first half of Freshman year, Ashley played the field with numerous boys. She and guy would be together for a month or so then she’d have someone new. She did it so often that I didn’t even bother learning their names at a certain point.

But when we started high school was when I started seeing the signs.

A lot of our friends from junior high stopped talking to her when we started high school. So I was her only friend from our little group that stayed with her.

For most of our friendship I felt like her foil. She was always bright and cheerful, if she was the sun other people saw me as the moon. Actually I thought of myself as Pluto. So insignificant that it isn’t even a planet. People from class would always come up to talk to her and I could hear them talk about me behind my back. One kid even wondered if I could even speak, thinking I was mute. I did talk, they just didn’t care to listen. We were in a musical theater class together this year. I was quiet because everyone was so tight knit, I didn’t know how to talk to them. I felt like I was just an outsider. Ashley got close to everyone in the class. It was like she knew them for years, she tried to include me but I could feel like they didn’t want me there.

Liam was there too. He and Ashley have a weird relationship. They patched things up before we started high school and were ��friends’. I say it like that because they always fight. And sometimes it felt like Liam was her dad, trying to talk her out of relationships with guys that he knew were trouble.

We became friends too and I apologized for the poster incident. It was from there that I opened my eyes.

Liam told me his side of the story. He was never happy with Ashley, he felt like he was trapped. When he finally broke things off she didn’t take it well. She told the group that he cheated on her and I stupidly believed her. He confessed that he was an a$$ when they were together and he’s making an effort to change.

Once I knew the truth it was like the illusion shattered. I could see that her personality was toxic. She went into these relationships with guys and just thought that she could get the physical side of it. She was like the ultimate playgirl.

I could see that she just wanted attention. Not just from boys. Her energetic and sweet personality was a lie. She was like that to gain your trust. Once you’re fully brainwashed you’ll believe everything she says. But for boys, she’d always act like she was a mix of tomboy and fem fatal all in one package. She’d wear sports bras and cami tops to school that showed a lot of her ‘assets’ and would complain about being cold just so she could wear a guys hoodie. She thought it was cute but it’s really cringe. One time I even saw her do the bend and snap from legally blonde. And the guy she did it for was really uncomfortable. Not just because he thought it was weird, but also because he was GAY. And it’s a secret, it’s pretty obvious.

I remembered some of her old boyfriends before and after they were together. They were actually decent people before, and turned sour once they ended it with her. I actually felt sorry for them.

The last straw came about a week ago. She was always flirty with the boys in our theater class. But she was extra pick-me with this guy a year older than us I’ll call Asa. Asa was literally the ideal theater guy. He could sing, act, dance, and he had this funny personality that made you happier just by talking to him. Ashley was in this ‘friends with benefits’ relationship with this guy Sam. She’d always skip class to hangout with him and hookup. But last week she told me that she and Asa were together. To my knowledge she never ended things with Sam. So I asked her about it. She just told me that she was going to hang onto him for a bit longer and it was fine as long as no one found out. Let’s just say I was angry. I yelled at her, telling her that she was just cheating on Asa. She was just going to turn him into a complete a$$. But she just called me crazy and started talking to other girls, leaving me in the dust.

I had to tell someone about it, so I told my friend Emma who used to be friends with Ashley. She told me that she was always like this, that was why everyone ditched her. I just never saw the signs.

When I got home I blocked her on all of my accounts. I didn’t want a person like that in my life.

A few days later she came up to me and started asking about why I blocked her. I didn’t even answer her. Because I knew what was going to happen. She’d just try to make it seem like nothing was wrong, that I was just being dramatic.

People that are close to her are kind of avoiding me. I think she might try to lie to people in class, like she did with Liam. But I already told some people about what she was really like. And they believe me and agree that what she’s doing is wrong.

AITA?

[lascapigliata]

am now well over halfway through my oscars challenge based on my own secret formula (aka guesstimating) so here is my ongoing microreviews post, for those curious

for some reason when i started writing i did this in order of # of nominees. don’t ask ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

oppenheimer: way too long. even cillian murphy, who was great, cannot sustain 3 hours of biopic. i felt his character development was unearned and rushed. the acting was good all around (though it was so man heavy that i sort of forgot emily blunt was there, surprising that she got that nomination when may december is RIGHT there) and it was gorgeously shot but it just needed a solid edit both in writing and runtime. one of those movies that made me feel stupid bc everyone else liked it. to the tune of 13 noms :/ (i have been told by many that you need to see it in a theater. well then don't release it for home viewing i guess, sorry!) (edit - having watched maestro rustin and napoleon 👎 three mid to bad biopics - this has warmed in my memory)

poor things: mixed feelings. overhyped doesn’t cover it. beautiful to look at. great acting from everyone including emma stone and mark ruffalo who is having simply the time of his life. it’s very funny which i wasn’t expecting! but it felt all a little too affected, a little too Intentionally Weird. idk i really wanted to love it but it was just sort of like okay! watched that! ✅

killers of the flower moon: enjoyed it a lot. i thought lily gladstone was amaaaaazing - their role had potential to just be like melodrama and one-note but they brought so much depth to it. leonardo was fine but of the white people deniro was the standout. too long of course. i alternately remember it as better or worse than it felt in the moment, but even though i wasn't in a theater it was still a good time

barbie: my brother loved this and i thought it was okay. the first half in barbieland and her first fish out of water scenes in the real world were a ton of fun, and it sort of got boring-er from there. visually very clever and fun. but the politics were hollow. relationship between america ferrera’s character and her daughter was unconvincing. the last scene pissed me off so much bc it was just totally unnecessary- should have (spoiler) ended with her putting her heels down and the audience can infer the rest be saved 5 minutes of runtime. (you’ll be shocked to hear i thought this was too long)

maestro: awful. manages to flatten felicia bernstein and somehow doesn’t replace that missing character with anything of substance. neglects to focus on what made bernstein actually interesting by putting basic stock biopic oscar bait scenes together and forgetting about his actual life and accomplishments. i went in knowing i wouldn’t like it but hoping there’d be redeeming qualities and found nearly none. even the best scene - his conducting the mahler resurrection symphony - pales in comparison to just finding the real video of bernstein conducting which is available for free on youtube.

american fiction: great. in theaters so no concept of length but it didn’t drag too much. jeffrey wright did an AMAZING job - so funny and also so grounded. made me cry early on too which i was Not expecting lol. definitely some 😬 moments for me as a white woman but i think that’s healthy for us once in a while. as a side note it was oddly preceded by 15 min of horror movie trailers which was bizarre

anatomy of a fall: LOOVED IT. broadchurch vibes. watched it with a friend who’s a lawyer so we kept pausing to theorize bc it is a great movie for that and she also provided commentary on the courtroom techniques of the lawyers lol. was also thinking about it hours and hours later. such a good film. even understood some of the french lol. big warning for pet illness though - the dog survives but it was not fun

the holdovers: nothing revolutionary but such a sweet little movie. not a huge amount to say about it - watched it on a plane and that was kind of the perfect vibe. i did think that da’vine joy randolph did a fantastic job. a good time. idk that it’s Best Picture worthy but who even knows what that award means

the zone of interest: technically impressive on every level (yes, including sound, which it should win) but i didn’t love it. i guess it’s just that i feel like “look! the mundanity of evil!” was not enough to carry this - it is SO mundane and SO jarring that halfway through i kept just being like “yeah yeah i get it” which itself is ironically kind of normalization but not the way the film intended. but i do think this is more a personal preference issue than actual issues with the movie.

napoleon: quite bad. boring, unfocused. couldn’t decide if it was about the marriage or his ambition and yet didn’t give josephine a character nor made thrilling battle sequences. unfortunately all i will remember is how they randomly used pride and prejudice’s soundtrack out of the blue (indicative of its equally unfocused score), and how joaquin phoenix had an american accent while everyone around him didn’t. also… too long!

the creator: pretty good! not a particularly innovative story but honestly it’s nice to see a good movie done right. hans zimmer rare W these days. john david washington still isn’t the greatest actor but it’s no big when ken watanabe is right there. the vfx are indeed very good. it even tackled western imperialism ok i thought though i obviously welcome discussion here!

past lives: beautiful touching etc. not an easy watch but i loved it. sort of found a great melancholy middle ground that didn’t feel maudlin but certainly wasn’t very happy. unbelievably that greta lee received no nomination for her phenomenal work (or teo yoo or john magaro for that matter). great length too - a perfect 1h45. just well done all around

society of the snow: great little disaster movie if slightly uneven. gorgeously shot for one thing. the tension is well done though i think it ended too… tidily. the fundamental problem i have tho is that if i was in their situation i’d have no qualms about eating people but that’s not the movie’s fault. the music reminded me of giacchino so i couldn’t help but make lost comparisons but that's also not the movie's fault lol. (edit: the music is literally BY giacchino and i thought i'd looked it up. it's a good score! he knows what he's doing!)

may december: LOVED IT!!! fantastic length, fantastic acting. as the great harry styles said it’s nice to see a movie that’s a real movie. i can’t wait to watch this again, i thought the writing was fantastic and it’ll gain a lot on rewatch too. would have loved more focus on the relationship with the kids, but that’s just because i personally found it fascinating. annoying it was only nommed for best screenplay when the acting was so good - yes especially charles melton!!

rustin: not as good as i wanted it to be. all the acting is fantastic especially (unsurprising) colman domingo, but i agree with reviews that said it avoided some of his more radical politics and that the love triangle was not super well executed, and i personally thought the end felt super rushed. it was just too biopic-y. but there was a lot to recommend it anyway just on acting alone though honestly

the color purple: enjoyed it a lot! never saw the original movie but it def smoothed away some stuff from the book in a way that doesn’t surprise me at all but was still too bad. there were clearly songs cut from the show bc there was a huge chunk in the middle with no singing lol. the acting was universally good but i cannot lie danielle brooks stole the show every second she was on screen. the music itself was great too and i think the director really dug into the musicalness of it which is so necessary in something like this. (end credits were particularly good!)

across the spiderverse: what is there to say about this that hasn’t been said. the first movie was much tighter in terms of plot / writing. the politics of this one were sort of a mess. but the animation was so spectacular that it sort of sanded over the flaws i saw in it in my memory and i'd be happy if it won

the boy and the heron: a lovely movie. miyazaki hasn’t lost it. i’d love for this to win best animated as i suspect it will. beautiful visually, very like pan’s labyrinth vibe plot wise. hard to say a lot here bc it was just very good, very solid. + miyazaki simply loves an old wrinkly lady and you know what i think that’s great. deserved a nom for score over fuckin indiana jones for sure

robot dreams: i wanted to adore this but instead i just liked it. it was beautiful and sweet and a nice love letter to new york and everything but i hated the ending lol. it’s a huge swing though with no dialogue and only one real song and you gotta give them points for that! plus it is genuinely sweet and everything. i just was pissed at the literal last scene lol

elemental: better than i expected it to be but still basically eh. some of the technical work is SO impressive - like the non-anthropomorphic water - that it actually highlights how Animated the characters are. but i don’t regret watching. highly recommend doing so stoned if that’s your jam because the animation really is the cool part - pixar’s stories have rly become very templated and boring

nimona: iirc a fun movie, but nothing like jaw dropping. can't evaluate it objectively though bc it wasn't the book and the book was better, unsurprisingly. i watched it a long time ago, it didn't leave a huge impression; i remember it was a cute adaptation. mainly i don't think nimona surpassed suzume (and pixar was always going to get that nomination no matter what), so mostly i'm bitter that suzume wasn't nominated sorry

dial of destiny: fell asleep the first time i watched it, got distracted the second time. it was... fine? the deaging was AWFUL, i'm glad it did not get a makeup or vfx nom, it literally just looked like a videogame and it still SOUNDED like 70yo harrison ford. the score was fine but the same thing john williams has been doing for this franchise since 1981. just like… an unnecessary movie idk

[ashleypureheart22]

My gosh! The screening of Billie Eilish: Live at the O2’s extended cut was crazy!

Like Break the Silence. this screening began with music videos. But they showed them in lieu of previews unlike the screening of Break the Silence I went to. The audience sang along with the first one for Happier Than Ever. The second music video was for NDA. I had never heard of these songs before the movie, so I was confused when the audience sang to them. Then, it was followed by an ad for Support + Feed, which was laughed at by the audience. During the introduction video, someone said “Be quiet! We’re gonna be kicked out, bitch!”

Billie’s outfit was cute, especially with the short pigtails! It’s something I could pull off with my short hair if I wanted to (I was gonna go for a hairstyle similar to Goldi from Puss in Boots, but my hair needs to grow out more before that could be possible. It shows that with short hair, you still can look adorable! She pulled it out halfway through, but still looked cool.

The audience was cheering throughout and singing at certain parts in the songs. I tried my best with the songs I did know (My Strange Addiction, Therefore I Am, Bury a Friend, and Bad Guy). The coolest audience participation part was when Billie told everyone to pull out and shake out the negativity! It shows how much she cares about mental health, along with a quiet moment where she told everyone to close their eyes and relax.

During one song where Billie asked the audience to jump and get low during parts of it, many people in the audience actually did (including me, but for like 2 minutes since I was losing my breath), and in the front, there was a mosh pit! Craziest part of the night for sure! I also participated during a segment where she told everyone to wave their phones with the flashlight on, and clapped at the songs people clapped during, including Everything I Wanted.

I also liked the point before the guitar bit where Billie and Finneas played Your Power where Billie said Finneas was like a best friend to her. I was reminded of my relationship with my identical twin sister. I too see her as a best friend.

I also loved the Getting Older part, where videos of Billie as a child played. That was a cute touch to the song. It also helped reinforces how Billie cares for her family, especially if you didn’t see The World’s a Little Blurry.

The mosh pit in my auditorium also returned during the songs Lost Cause, All the Good Girls Go to Hell, Bad Guy, and Happier Than Ever. I did not stand up and join the former two mosh pits, because I kinda banged my leg on the seat the first time I got up. When I attempted to join the Bad Guy one, some guy tried to talk to me. I believe it was one of my friends from social media who was in the Love Live fandom or some random guy who just noticed my Amphibia school uniform shirt.

However, some people recorded parts of the concert! I know this is commonplace at real concerts, as you can see it in the movie, but this is a movie theater, not a real concert! You can get in serious trouble for doing that. Hell, my work theater’s first ad before every movie is an ad saying filming the movie is illegal!

Another part I didn’t like? The strobe lights at the beginning. There should have at least been a warning either on the ticketing page or at the start of the film. They weren’t that bad as the concert went on, but I am sensitive to extreme strobe lights.

This did make me want Love Live! concerts back in theaters, since the audiences there were equally chaotic (well, except the one that was shown nationwide, as only like 15 people turned up to the local screening). Nowadays, you pay $60 to watch a livestream you have to wake up early to watch. I wish someone brought those back in theaters here.

[fatal-plastic-kiss]

I was tagged by @starrybluez​ to answer these questions. Thank you, Dina! 💙

1.  What are you currently reading? :  Gulf Coast Girl by Charles Williams

2.  What’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this past year? :  I haven’t been to a movie theater since 2014.

3.  What do you usually wear? :  If I’m at home I’m wearing my pajamas or sweatpants. When I get dressed up, I wear dresses, skirts, and suit jackets. I usually wear black tights instead of pantyhose cause I don’t like wasting and they never last. After one use, they’re ruined. Ripping at the bottom of my foot.

4.  How tall are you? :  5 feet 7 and 1/2 inches without shoes.

5.  What’s your star sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or historical event? :  I am a Libra. I’m blessed to share my birthday (September 24th) with many gifted people in history. Phil Hartman, Linda McCartney, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jim Henson, etc. Some historical events on September 24th include - In 1657, the first autopsy and coroner’s verdict is recorded. 1789, the United States Post Office Department is established. 1930, the play ‘Private Lives’ premieres in London. 1952, Colonel Sanders opens the first Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurant. 1957, the song Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley is released. 1964, ‘The Munsters’ premieres on television. 1977, ‘The Love Boat’ premieres on television.

6.  Do you go by your name or a nickname? :  I go by many names and I’m never opposed to any nickname that someone thinks of for me. I love my name Elizabeth because it’s perfect for my old soul. My parents have called me ‘Miss Beth’ since I was a baby. I chose ‘Libby’ for others to call me, because it’s not as common. I’ve liked it since I first heard it used in the movie ‘What A Girl Wants’ when I was a kid. My boss calls me ‘Squirrely’ , ‘Bootsy’ and ‘Little One’.

7.  Did you grow up to be what you wanted to be as a child? :  Sadly no. I’ve tried before, but I’m not brave enough.

8.  What’s something you’re good at vs. something you’re bad at? :  I have an excellent memory and I pray to never lose it. I’m not good at being overly busy. I get overwhelmed if there’s too much going on within a few days. I like to know plans ahead of time. Last minute changes make me nervous.

9. Dog or Cats? :  I squeal about every animal! They all deserve love.

10.   If you draw/write, or create in any way, what's your favourite picture/favourite line/favourite etc. from something you created this past year? :  I did a children’s face painting job over the summer, and these were some of the illustrations I drew for the designs.

11.  What's something you would like to create content for?:  I would enjoy creating collage artwork for vinyl covers and greeting cards.

12.  What’s something you’re currently obsessed with? :  Reading historical romance novels.

13.  What’s a hidden talent of yours? :  I’ve always used my singing voice, but I’ve rarely ever sang in front of other people. I’m not comfortable with people being awestruck over me. I’m completely flattered of course, but it feels awkward when it’s about my voice because it’s such an intimate part of me.

14.  Are you religious? :  I’m very spiritual, but not religious.

15.  Are you in a relationship? :  I’m smitten for a British gentleman. My cat Filipp is also a committed relationship. I worship him. He is my king. 👑🐈

16.  What’s something you wish to have at this moment? :  Every day I wish that my mom could remain timelessly alive - looking and being exactly as she is now. I know that her soul will live forever, but I wish her body could to. It will destroy me when I can’t feel her hugs anymore. She is my best friend and the most sacred love that I’ll ever have.

I tag :  @rhavewellyarnbag​ , @calliopekenobi​ , @raylangivens-hat​ , @silveryladystar​ , @thetombofalfalfa​  Just if you’d like to :) 

[magicinaframe-part2]

My First Love In The Summer Of 1969

A couple of times previously, here, at Tumblr, while focusing on one or more movies, I have mentioned a gap or divide involving characters from successive generations. Members of the two generations often don't get along with each other -- in day-to-day situations, whether in public, or in private.

I mentioned this in my discussion of the Hollywood movie CHANGES and in my discussion of the produced-in-Great Britain movie SOME PEOPLE. A gap or divide between generations was also evident to me in the Italian language movie BEFORE THE REVOLUTION. In that movie, it was part of the characters from the younger generation's thinking and behavior. In my discussion of that movie, I focused on the alienation of one of the main characters named Fabrizio.

These movies were all from the 1960's. CHANGES debuted in New York City on February 11, 1969, and subsequently played in theaters throughout this country. SOME PEOPLE debuted in London on July 17, 1962, and subsequently played in theaters throughout the United Kingdom. BEFRE THE REVOLUTION debuted in Milan on October 2, 1964, and gradually played in theaters throughout Italy (dates and placed courtesy of the Internet Movie Database).

To this group of three movies, I should add BEAT GIRL which I also wrote about. This is another movie from the United Kingdom that played in theaters, starting in December, 1959.

All four of these movies present characters who don't accept many of the values and beliefs of the older, previous generation, sometimes even showing their resentment towards older characters.

People who love studying history -- including yours truly -- learn pretty quickly that the divide or gap between the generations has been constant in the history of mankind, going back to the start of organized societies, centuries upon centuries before the time of Jesus Christ. As an example, check out the epic poem Gilgamesh.

What interests me about this subject is that in some countries, some people will actually try to bridge the gap. I don't recall anyone, here in the U.S. publicly trying to do so in the 1960's; i.e., turn a negative situation into a positive one. The fact that I can't cite a name suggests to me a serious flaw in this society. Too many people in this society think that the gap can't be bridged, perhaps?

But in other countries, the sense I get is that the gap between the generations was viewed as important and something that should be worked on to change, from a negative into a positive aspect of that society.

This is obvious to me when I think about a movie that debuted in Sweden in 1970 called EN KARLEKS HISTORIA and which is now known around the world as A SWEDISH LOVE STORY.

In my not-so-humble opinion, this is a movie that should be better known. A television channel should be putting the movie on their schedule every couple of years.

In a balanced manner, A SWEDISH LOVE STORY presents teenager and adult characters in and outside a city that Swedish movie goers knew to be the capitol, Stockholm. The script focuses on two families from Stockholm who are initially brought together on a beautiful, sunlit summer's day in a park.

There's 15-year old Par (pronounced 'pear' -- like the fruit I enjoy eating), from one family, and not-quite 14-year old Annika from another family who, by chance, have both come to the park for relaxed, family get-togethers. The park has a convenient food and drink concession stand and the two teenagers surreptiously check each other out while on line.

Par's family has come to show support for a grandfather who has been recuperating from an operation at a rest home that's located near the park. Annika's aunt, Eva, who looks to be around 25 years old, also has been at the same rest home and this day happens to be her birthday.

Later during the same day, Par's group of friends rendezvous on their mopeds and ride over to an address where they think Annika lives. What luck! Annika does live at that address. There's nothing about these scenes that makes the situation contrived, forced, or unbelievable: Par has described Annika to his mates and, probably, one of them, on his own, recognizes her and thinks he knows where her family lives. All of that sight and sound information takes place off screen, and the fact that there's nothing forced or contrived and unbelievable about this says a great deal about the movie's script and direction.

The script and the movie's direction were by the same person, Roy Andersson, who, many years later, wrote and directed SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR.

The relationship that develops between Par and Annika becomes a major strand in the way that the plot plays out and eventually combines with a second major strand -- that of all of the other supporting adult characters.

Every relationship presented in this 119-minute movie -- whether it's parent and child, teenager and teenager, family member and family member, or employer and employee -- moves the plot along to a conclusion that most viewers will not guess in advance.

As a convenient label, A SWEDISH LOVE STORY can be remembered as a movie about relationships.

The adult characters come across as well-meaning and not particularly concerned about what is going on with their children, because they are satisfied by their society's parenting traditions that they became accustomed to, in their growing up. For their part, the teenager characters are just beginning to pay attention to what's happening in the society and in the rest of the world, so, while they don't agree with some of the decisions that their parents make, they don't feel that their personal freedom has been limited. Thus, the gap between the generations is small, compared with the generations in the U.S., for instance.

Late in A SWEDISH LOVE STORY, the movie shows Annika's father, John, as emotionally quite fragile and in need of therapy, when he arrives at a party thrown by Par's family at their summer vacation home that's right near a lake. At the time when the movie played in theaters in Sweden, no doubt much criticism was expressed about that character.

Significantly, Par and Annika do not witness John's behavior, whereas the viewer does.

A parent character, if questioned by a journalist or psychologist about the teenagers in their homeland, would probably say that the problems between the two generations were minimal, nothing to be concerned about, and could be dealt with in the family.

Every article that I have read about Roy Andersson's movie career states that EN KARLEKS HISTORIA (which translates into English as 'A LOVE STORY') did big business in Sweden.

As a movie viewed on a big movie theater screen, it's one that movie lovers will remember with great fondness, because of the relationships that viewers construct with the characters on screen.

This is another example of a movie that should be thoroughly researched.

If anything that I've said has interested you who are reading my words, track down a copy of the movie on DVD with English subtitles or watch it at You Tube, also with English subtitles.

-- Drew Simels

[hopelessromanticstrawberry]

unboxing sexual trauma part 2–

So I haven’t spoken abt the indirect sexual abuse like, having old men leer at me, being cat called every time I walked to school when I was 8 years old. it was constant, I started to wear boys clothes and didn’t want to be a girl anymore even though I loved pink and cute things and I loved being girly.

The actual direct abuse, alright.

So I had that first bad relationship that ended my freshman year, dated an 18 year old next when I was 15. He was some nerdy music theater guy, stubborn, and prone to insulting — think stereotypical Boston family, like he moved to my city later on in life. We’d play videogames together, but honestly without choir and theater we had virtually nothing in common. But I liked feeling like someone loved me, and he was mean to everyone but me which made me feel special. He also was short, unintimidating, and funny. He wasn’t attractive to me, but I figured I wanted a nice guy who cares about looks didn’t Marge Simpson love Homer? yeah. The damage psychologically was already done. Things ended bc we had no chemistry and I still held out for 3 months of dating, he also saw my severe self harm scars and cried. We broke up shortly after I told him I had some trauma around sex and wanted to take things slow. He told me his last girlfriend cheated on him too. We probably were better off friends anyways, when we kissed it felt like I was kissing a family member on the cheek. Like zero sparks.

I don’t know why I included that ^^^ but im sharing a lifetime of my bullshit right now so bear with me

The next guy I dated was pretty quickly, he’d been an outlier on my big friend group since middle school. I was such a sucker for shojo like anime tropes. He had pined after me for years, given me gifts and always praised me. I thought he looked like a troll. He ended up working out and clearing his acne a little, he grew a little taller (still only like 5’6 but im 5’1) he started dressing a little nicer and being less whiny. He liked anime, I liked anime, he said he liked gaming (but usually I was the one hijacking his Skyrim account and gaming all night bc he didn’t actually game), we both did choir and he conveniently was always around to help. Finally my junior year I was 16, this was the age id always told myself I wanted to lose my v card. I didn’t want to wait too long bc then it would be an even bigger deal, my friends were losing theirs, I didn’t want to be like the weird one. I also started smoking weed and drinking a little bit, starting to go to parties and join social circles more legitimately. I also was more attractive, most everyone forgot the “shitty lay” and “she’s pregnant” rumors from freshman year. People weren’t so mean to me and the popular boys were starting to ask me out, I genuinely thought they were joking I was so defensive and id be a mean bitch. It felt good to be cruel to the people who were cruel to me. Lowkey it’s embarrassing but I gave tsundere vibes and I was proud of it, I felt cool for being one of the only kids smoking weed and id come to school late and stoned every day. One of the people who smoked me up for the first time was abusive ex 2, id originally planned to do all this stuff with a hotter friend but he went to a different school and we couldn’t coordinate. Ugly abusive ex 2 was my chemistry tutor so i had a handful of late FaceTimes and study halls with him. Then abusive ex 2 started to take me on dates, smoke me out, he spent like $50-100 every week taking me out and doing things with me, it was textbook lovebombing but to me I just thought he was trying to impress me after wanting me for so long.

Smugly, I brought up that id wanted to try sex with a friend just to get it out of the way. He was a virgin, I liked that, and he had an objectively bigger dick than I would’ve expected. Still never got much experience to know where it fell on a scale but yeah. I wanted no strings attached. I was the first to give a blowjob, it was kinda weird but not terrible. He came in like 30 seconds. But when it was his turn to go down on me bc he obviously wanted more, he made a stank face when he saw my pussy (an outie) and commented that I didn’t shave (just trimmed) before I could react he jams a finger in roughly, and tries to finger blast me like they do in porn while grossly licking everywhere but the clit. He didn’t like to eat pussy and told me every time after if I asked… I bled and it lasted maybe 3 or 5 minutes before he asked if I came. I said “I don’t know” and shakily got dressed. He reassured me we would learn to have better sex, I felt gross and regretted my choice. But then he doubled down on the gifts, on letting me crash at his house (my home life was chaotic to say the least), always getting me takeout or Starbucks or whatever I asked for every day, he gave me a big chunk of weed in a heart shaped jar and never told me no. My friends started to comment and how romantic it was and how I should give him a chance, he’s a nice guy. We had mid tier oral sex and smoked weed every day after school, I told him I didn’t want to have penetrative sex for a while and he was actually ok with it. When I was drunk on prom night we ended up having penetrative sex, it hurt and sucked and lasted about 1 minute. I felt dirty and weird after. I drunkenly took my makeup off and wondered if everyone enjoyed sex bc I didn’t think I did. I can’t tell you when it turned volatile exactly but he was porn brained, once we started having sex sex he told me about his kinks and we would try them, unsafely with no safe word, no foreplay, no after cuddles. I felt like a sex toy, and by this point id moved in full time because my parents didn’t want me at home. I don’t think I had a real orgasm the entire time, maybe a few times when I didn’t look at his face and fantasized about other men/women. Then he started to like slap me without warning in sex, or choke me incorrectly while my face turned purple. It was like violent things were the only things he could get off too. I felt like I was complacent but curious, I’d explore being “kinky”, is this what that was? We had such frequent aggressive sex, i had such low esteem just to feel desired made me tolerate a lot more than I should’ve. He started calling me a bitch and then the disrespect trickled into our real life as soon as I moved in. He knew I was more or less powerless and I didn’t have the esteem to leave. He would nit pick everything about me, and on top of that he was gross! I would tell him to stop being such a pig and a slob but he just told everyone I was a nag. Him and his alcoholic mom would gang up on me when he and I argued. I remember wanting to leave and every time I did the love bombing would continue, I wanted to be loved so badly… he would have sex with me when I was too fucked up to say yes, he would get off to me crying or gagging or choking, he liked to hit me. He liked anal sex. He liked calling me a bitch and being extremely rough. This was like… my only sex experiences so far. Then the rumors are that im kinky, im daddy issues, im slutty … it didn’t feel good and i felt trapped. I thought i had no other place to turn.

While a lot of those things could be considered sexual coercion rape (like anytime he was horny he expected sex and would threaten to kick me out if I didn’t) the times he actually raped me were terrible.

One time when we had argued at his house and i broke up with him he overpowered me in a physical fight ripped my clothes off and started fucking me, I went numb. Dissociated so hard I stayed the night just staring at the wall. He locked me in his room and wouldn’t let me leave many times, he told everyone I was crazy and left me with very few friends

He asked for anal and I said ok let’s try, he wasn’t gentle and he didn’t stop when I said no or slow down. He just kept fucking me roughly, it was like he got off to me hurting, similarly the first time we did anal the same thing happened except he used tingling lube that made it burn all the worse. My asshole tore and bled every time.

Made me blow him for 40+ minutes until my knees bled from the rough floor

He was having sex with me and I wanted to stop, he choked me until I was losing consciousness and slapped me until my ears were ringing not even hitting my face but the side of my ear. He said it was hot when I cried.

I had taken xanax and fallen asleep in bed, I had taken very strong triple pressed Xanax and it might have been the first time I did it. Although I’ve done xans since and even after a year long break wasn’t this fucked up. Idk if it was laced but anyways. I was out and couldn’t wake up. He started fucking me while I was drugged, I said no no no and tried to push him weakly. It felt like knives in my vagina, I was wet with blood bc I was dry when he started jamming it in. I kept blacking in and out I said no stop no. He came in me. I woke up in a puddle of cum and blood. My shirt was torn my panties missing. I couldn’t believe if it was real I felt like throwing up, dry heaved and nothing came out bc I didn’t eat for days. It hurt to pee, I had to strain. I still have to focus to pee now. Blood was on the tissue paper after. I immediately took a Xanax I couldn’t handle processing what happened, I didn’t have another place to stay for the next 2 weeks. I didn’t want to ask for help. I don’t remember much of that week I was doing so many drugs to numb the pain, he fucked me other times but I didn’t feel it or react. I wasn’t in my own body. I wasn’t even me anymore I was so damaged by the experience. Paralyzed. I ended up dumping him at a coffee shop during winter break, he violently raped me maybe two weeks prior. I’d spent time with my friends and out of state family mentally preparing to dump him. He said it was cool bc he wanted to fuck other girls anyways. I felt dirty and used up. I’d just let this ugly troll man abuse me for years, we were together for 2 years.

A week later I dropped out of school, partied every night, moved into a trap house, started dating my current bf I’ve been with for 6 years now.

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 15: PAINFUL RE:BAKE - Episode 21: Sugarless Boy

Keiku: ?

Keiku: I’m kinda busy, as you can see. Long story.

Vulgar young man A: Hel…

Vulgar young man B: P-Please… stop…

Omi: I can’t overlook such a one-sided fight.

Keiku: …

Vulgar young man A:  –gh.

[Running]

Keiku: Ah, they ran away.

Keiku: Wanna fight in their stead, Onii-san? TYSM in advance.

Omi: I’m not looking for a fight. There’s just something I want to ask you.

Omi: You’re the one who’s been going around calling himself “Nachi of Wolf”, aren’t you? Why do such a thing?

Keiku: This was his turf a while back, wasn’t it? I saw it on the internet, so I made it my username.

Omi: … I’m the former boss of “Wolf”.

Omi: Nachi was my best friend. He’s gone now. Don’t use his name so lightly.

Keiku: Huh–

Keiku: … Damn. He’s dead?

Keiku: … Using a dead guy’s name should be fine, tho? Might just be a coincidence anyways.

Omi: There are people who will be sad and hurt to see their loved ones’ names be used so lightly. Myself included.

Keiku: … That so?

Omi: Why are you doing this?

Keiku: Communication.

Omi: What?

Keiku: Ain’t this what we call diversity in communication? I mean, saying somethin’ hurts is easy to understand… yeah?

Keiku: My understanding of my own emotions and others’ is sorta vague.

Keiku: It’s all a fog in my head, and I don’t get much about myself or others.

Keiku: But, y’know, when I hit and get hit, I feel the pain, and my mind becomes clear. That’s easy to understand.

Keiku: That’s why, you can hit me too, Onii-san. I’ll hit back tho.

Omi: I don’t do this kind of communication anymore.

Omi: … It’s true that the Wolves resorted to violence in the past.

Omi: But it was never to hurt someone else. It was always only to protect ourselves.

Keiku: ‘s that sophistry?

Omi: Well, I can’t say it’s always the right thing to do. But I do know that doing things that only hurt others is pointless.

Omi: You should find a different method of communication. There has to be something other than violence.

Keiku: For example?

Omi: Getting to know each other, for example.

Keiku: Huuh, let’s get ta know each other, then…

Keiku: This mark on my face’s been here since I was born…

Keiku: Like I said before, I’ve never been in tune with either mine or other people’s emotions. Even my parents were creeped out ‘cause they couldn’t tell what I was thinkin’.

Keiku: And ‘cause they were such perfectionists, this mark made me defective in their eyes, and they couldn’t even look me in the eye.

Keiku: They got drunk once ‘n told me I look like a half-baked cake. Apparently some part of me’s sorta undercooked.

Keiku: I didn’t really get what those people were thinking, but…

Keiku: I did get that my family’s not the perfect shit you see in manga and anime.

Keiku: But it ain’t like I was abused or neglected. They sent me to a regular ol’ high school, and gave me more pocket money than most people get.

Keiku: They’d buy me anythin’ if I said I wanted it.

Keiku: That’s why, I can’t tell what they’re thinking. I don’t really know what I think of them, either.

Keiku: Not just them, but everyone around me. That’s why I want my communication to be easy to understand, at least.

Keiku: I’d say that’s pretty much the only thing that gives me a reason to live.

Keiku: Are ya gonna take it away from me, Onii-san? This lil' something that gives me a reason to live.

Omi: … It may make you feel better for a moment, but nothing comes out of violence. Nothing is born out of it.

Omi: If you don’t find a different reason or way to live, you’ll keep this emptiness with you forever.

Keiku: Can ya guarantee I’ll find it?

Keiku: Maybe that worked out for you, Onii-san. But it sounds too much like survival bias to me.

Omi: ——

Omi: (I discovered theater under the pretense that I did that for Nachi. And I ended up finding a reason to live and a place to belong.)

Omi: (But all that happened because I got lucky. I can’t guarantee the same will happen if this boy takes up acting.)

Omi: (But still, maybe I should show him what gave me a place to belong and a new meaning in life–)

Keiku: …

Omi: ?

Keiku: … Siiike, I’m just fuckin’ with ya.

[Keiku hits Omi]

Omi: –gh

Keiku: C’mon–

[Omi blocks Keiku’s attack]

Omi: Stop!

Keiku: You can block that? That’s a former boss for ya.

[Keiku grabs Omi]

Omi: —Ugh.

Keiku: In the end, I’ve got no idea what the difference is between the violence you guys were doin’ and what I’m doin’, y’know.

Keiku: Ain’t this what we call meddling hypocrisy? Nothing ya say resonates with me, I don’t understand.

Keiku: This is my failure of a life, IG? Gotta take the L sometimes, or something.

Keiku: There’s no way I’ll ever understand ya, so don’t come near me again.

[Keiku pushes Omi away]

Omi: ——

Omi: (Failure... of a life?)

Keiku: TY for the fight.

Omi: Wait– what’s your name?

Keiku: Keiku Karashina. What a half-baked name. Bet it tastes bad. (1)

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

NOTES:

(1) keiku here is making a joke based on how parts of his name sound like food, namely karashi and cake

[hoagmaster]

Cody's Indiana Jones revisit

I wound up marathoning all five Indiana Jones movies this past week in the lead-up to the new one, which included four of them in the past two days. They're touting this fifth one as the last, which is probably at least the third time we've heard that statement but we'll see if that holds. (The middling box office numbers of the new one certainly won't help its cause for continuing.)

A marathon to the new one is actually what I did before the fourth movie because at the time I knew -of- the series but not much beyond what was often referenced in pop culture. I think my thoughts have stayed largely consistent with each picture since my first viewings, but have some longer thoughts.

(Maybe mildish spoilers follow?)

Raiders of the Lost Ark - If I was tasked with showing someone the "best" Indiana Jones movie, as in what best represents what people might know the series for, I'd point to this one. It's fleet, exciting, and always engaging from start to finish. Plus, I daresay Harrison Ford in this movie might be the dreamiest a guy has ever looked on camera.

Temple of Doom - This is a contentious and likely problematic picture, for good reason. Older movies' depictions of Indigenous cultures may not always be the most sensitive and this is where it's probably at its worst with this series. You've got characters who are probably less integral to the plot than the first movie and the tone can get pretty uneven at parts. But despite all that, or maybe because of some of it, this one actually sticks with me the most. I remember all the zaniness more than some of the other movies. It has my favorite action sequence in the whole series with the mine cart chase. It has my favorite piece of music besides the main theme ("Slave Children's Crusade"). I can agree with many of the criticisms but happily stick with it as my favorite entry.

The Last Crusade - Maybe the one I've cooled on the most because a lot of it wounds of feeling familiar to bits of the first movie. But it's not really a problem when it's done well, which is the case here. Most of the family actually sat down for this rewatch and we were all into it, which was neat. All told, a good time.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Oh boy, now is where the wheels fall off. The worst thing to ever happen to this franchise. Depends on who you ask, I suppose. I've always kind of enjoyed this one for what it does, which held true on this rewatch. I can see the issues and agree with them like the second movie. But while my enthusiasm never reaches the levels for that movie I can still watch and have a good enough time. And on a more personal note, I just don't think I can bring myself to dislike it because of what happened to me afterward. See, I was a young Cody who used to read and write fanfiction a lot more frequently on an old site back in the day. It was right after I watched this movie for the first time and came across a story written by someone who purportedly was spurred to write their piece after seeing this one as well. I left them some kind words and they soon returned to the favor. One thing led to another, and I can say they've been one of my most cherished friends for 15 years. They know who they are, so if nothing else I can always thank this movie for that.

Dial of Destiny - And now we get to this new one, which as stated previously is reportedly the last one. Without going into too much detail as it is still in theaters and just opened, I got to say it felt like they just played the hits a bit too often. The opening sequence feels like something right from the first couple movies and the ending sequence gets suitably over-the-top for the series, but the middle is a whole lot of wandering around. We get plenty of callbacks, some that made me smirk (they mention specific events from a certain movie for one) and some that made me tilt my head (eeh, the way they resolve someone from a previous movie). What we end up with is the most "fine" movie in the series. But considering how entertaining and engaging most of these movies can be a lot of the time, simply being "fine" feels like a noted step down. For something that is reported as being the end, it feels like a weak note to go out on. Even though I'm fine with the fourth movie, I can agree with calls it should have ended with the third one. (But then maybe I would have never met that friend and we'd have a paradox or something...)

Then after some thought, I can give my series ranking:

Temple of Doom

Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Last Crusade

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Dial of Destiny

But really, I'd say they're all worth a watch. Plenty of good times to be had with them and I'm glad I decided to give this series a shot.

Now to figure out what to watch next!

[lifeiszestyy]

*12/15/2022 dream

*man this one sucked 😂 i was dreaming that i slid into someone’s dms and he responded positively to me and asked to meet up. so we met at a mall to go on a date and had a very great time just hanging out and walking around. at one point we ran into his friends at the food court and they were very kind to me

*and then somehow i ended up in an audience of people watching critical role live (probably bc i missed yesterday’s stream irl due to my bad sleep schedule). i don’t know how i ended up there, but in the middle of the show, a white woman walked up to the table and started making threats. what was weird was that she had no visible weapon but my gut instinct was that she had a hidden gun on her. anyway, she started making demands which everyone followed with the hopes that security or someone would come to our rescue

*she wanted to force everyone to be directed like some kind of theater play. she pointed me and someone else out to play two important male roles, and in a panic, i was like “do i look like a boy to you?” bc i didn’t want someone hostile to perceive me, like i was hoping to just blend into the background. but i ended up with a group of men in another room and all of us realized she couldn’t see us in this room and there was a stairwell nearby. one of the men was like “we can’t leave the women!” but someone else was like “we can’t do anything so we have to come back later” and most of them started running for the stairs including me. i wanted to find my date who was still waiting in the food court, and i was worried if the people there would be okay, but i was so fucking scared for my life that i ran out of the mall and kept running. i literally attempted to run all the way home, but i had to stop to catch my breath near a school and people were staring

*but my sister woke me up when she came home (my door is right next to the garage so that door is really loud bc no one opens or closes it quietly), and i was upset but also tired so i went back to sleep and didn’t have anymore nightmares

*it upset me because it reminded me of a dream i had in december in like 2008 that was a school shooting where someone i loved sacrificed his life for me and it wrecked me emotionally