#there's many instances of him having fun during the performance

[isagrimorie]

Explanation of Agatha's Siphon/Absorption powers

Joanna Robinson: We’ve so enjoyed trying to parse, to your point, when Agatha is telling the truth and when she’s lying and when we get to see her put on her performance and when the mask slips and only we the camera get to see what’s going on in her face and all of that that’s been really, really fun to parse. A question we have at the end of this finale is, we really believe her when she said to Billy that she couldn’t control what happened with Alice and then we see her have some measure of control over it when it comes to Billy. Can you track the truth in any of that? To, again, use a Mallory word: the ‘progress’ inside of her when it comes to controlling that power. Jac Schaeffer: Yeah, I do think there is there is progress to her power and I sort of see it on sort of an instinctual level. You know, it’s not something that we’d like put on page or even pitch to Marvel. It’s sort of my impression of it. I think that she– there’s something kind of animalistic about her power to me. It’s very tied to appetite. I see her as a woman who can’t get full, and I think when she takes Alice, she’s so hungry at that time. And it’s such a surprise! You know, normally, she cons witches. They blast her, she takes it (power). But she (Agatha) gets blasted out of nowhere and it feels so good and she’s powerful! This is the source of her power so I do believe her, and in our discussions, that was the thing, is when she says to Billy: ‘I couldn’t control it.’ She means it. I also see that as a moment of vulnerability and it’s tragic to me that Billy doesn’t believe her. You know, that’s one of those… sort of Disconnect but I think she is able to turn it off with Billy. Just to get in the weeds about MCU power: He (Billy) has chaos magic, so she gets fuller with him. She gets so much from him and it’s a bottomless well. So, you know, I think, at that moment, she can stop and I think she does stop because it’s him but I think she’s gotten enough where she can be in her full look, and her full glory and feel like herself.

Agatha's Powers During the Kiss

Jac Schaeffer: I also would extend that to the moment of the kiss of death, which I– there are many things I love about it was an idea very early that I was obsessed with, and I’m so glad that we were able to get it on screen with these performers. But to me, I also really loved that in every other instance, she has to be blasted in order to take power and this is the first time that she’s taking power and it’s from a kiss, and to me, that’s very fertile. Because I think a kiss with Rio at this point in their relationship is tender and sexy, and sort of ravenous but also toxic and violent and a death blow. It’s all those things all at once, but it is different, we’ve never seen Agatha take power in that way and I would point that I wouldn’t really call it ‘progress’ as much as I would call it kind of an evolution.

——

Agatha’s kind of like a vampire but for magical powers and life forces instead of blood. And, Jac seems to imply that Agatha has some sort of hunger for magic.

It really is a kind of addiction metaphor.

[bettsfic]

one of the things that really stuck with me about The Bikeriders is that it's all about performative toxic masculinity, but there's no womanizer character. not a single guy who picks up women for the fun of it. there's also no casual, unquestioned infidelity, which is a staple of dudebro narratives. like obviously the badass leader guy is going to have a woman on the side, and both his wife and myriad girlfriends will just be set pieces for him with no characterization whatsoever.

on my first watch i just assumed Johnny has a wife at home and a girlfriend in the club, but then i realized the woman hanging all over him during the picnics is his wife (Betty), as evidenced by this pic from VANDALS, the photobook of the shooting of the film.

sorry for the poor quality. this is a picture of a picture.

the implication here is that Betty is supportive of the club (if not Johnny himself, as we see near the end), at least more so than Kathy, who only dresses in bikerider attire for [spoilers redacted].

it's possible in the present timeline of the film that both of their daughters have grown up and moved out. we see Johnny watching The Wild One on television, a film released in 1953, and two girls run behind him, maybe around 10 years old. the timeline of the story begins in 1963, and the last we see of Johnny's home life is 1971. by all means, their daughters might be in their 20s. in some ways, The Bikeriders is a story of middle-aged boredom.

in multiple instances, we see physical affection between married couples. Benny and Kathy, Johnny and Betty, and Brucie and Gail are all depicted at least once snuggled up beside each other. in many films, if a man is both married and faithful, we see him be at the very least physically neglectful, never touching his wife in a loving way. conversely, we never see men receiving real affection, either, unless it's been earned through the intense action of the film. and even then, it's often something he takes, not something he's given.

i was also surprised by Benny and Kathy's relationship, which i assumed would go south asap, given the intensity of it. and although there's plenty of tension between them, none of it is of the "i fell out of love with you, i regret marrying you" variety of angst. they fall in love and stay in love. and they have problems, but losing interest in each other is not one of them.

i find it very funny that Benny remains covered in dirt even when it makes no sense to be.

to me these are all markers of a story that's about toxic masculinity rather than operating from within toxic masculinity. when we're in a toxically masculine story, we're meant to buy into the fantasy of that masculinity. the protagonist is an ideal, a man who fucks around with any woman he looks at and wins fights and becomes a hero. in The Bikeriders, though, we see from the outside that Johnny is trying to craft that impossible fantasy for himself. he's performing the man he wishes he could be and it's making him miserable. and he tries to put that burden on Benny, who refuses it. Benny is his fantasy. conversely, Johnny is Benny's. they have the other on a pedestal of a male ideal that's impossible to achieve.

in this era of American history, we see increasingly intense narratives of heroism. by the 70s, the sons of WWII veterans had grown up. many men of that time looked up to their fathers as war heroes, fighting on the right side of one of the worst wars in the history of humanity, and winning. but those men were then given the Vietnam War, which arguably had no right side, no front, and no land lost or gained. most importantly, it had no clear beginning or ending*. no closure, no resolution. even outside of war, in industry the task of making something became narrower as merchant trades veered toward assembly line production rather than craftsmanship. Benny refuses to step up in part because he belongs to a generation of men who see no real fruits of their labor. conversely, Johnny is witnessing the slow degradation of honor that comes as a result of losing the concepts of resolution and completion.

*the Fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War, but by then Nixon had pulled out all US troops.

i keep reading these shallow reviews of The Bikeriders, and they're positive but they don't seem to really get it. like The Holdovers, i think so much of the nuance and meaning comes from the historical context of the action of the film, which can't really be elaborated on (you can only do so much in two hours), and so it's depicted in these broad strokes of cultural knowledge, much of which is either that the Vietnam War is simply a thing that happened, or information that is flat-out wrong. i mean, there were like 18 possible sides to this war and you can't read a single fact about it without having to analyze or consider the side it's writing from. even wikipedia is full of subtle rhetoric that indicates sympathy toward one side over the other.

people ask me a lot, "why are you researching the Vietnam War?" and the answer is that it's everywhere. its failure is woven into the fabric of American identity. it changed the very definition of masculinity, and being as we are in a patriarchal hegemony, that new definition has in turn affected everybody else. whenever i talk to any American around my age about the Vietnam War, they've got a story about it. either their father/grandfather was there or he wasn't. if he was there, that's a story. if he wasn't, that's a story too.

many of us in our 30s and 40s and 50s are gaining the expertise and audience to begin telling these stories, in an attempt to answer the question of what even happened back then, and why were our parents so cruel, and why is everyone so miserable now? and we find ourselves on impossible pedestals handed down to us from a generation defined by failure and loss.

[ateez-himari]

HEATED COACHELLA STAGE

After many attendees holding their breath for the next bold move MinAri might enact, it seems as though their shyness finally dissipated.

April 20, 2024 (6:48PM)

While weekend two unfortunately marked the last performance held by ATEEZ on a Coachella stage as of this year, the group left an ever lasting impression with powerful choreography paired with breath taking visuals and raw vocals. Through the numerous clips circulating online there is a specific instance that has been sending social media platforms into a reposting frenzy, one involving a rather passionate display by main rapper, Mingi, and lead vocalist, Himari.

While viewers were expecting something such as this to happen due to the intimate moment shared between the two during their first performance, it seems as though none were truly ready to witness it with their own eyes on stage. The interlude to their song 'Arriba' left gasps echoing in the crowd as Mingi pulled the maknae in for a true lover's kiss, an arm tightly draped across her waist whilst the other motioned for attendees to make some noise. In contrast to the beginning of the group's career where the two saw their reputation nearly torn to pieces following dating rumors, which were later disproved as nothing more than a scheme to have the vocalist removed, the crowd showed their support through loud cheers and vibrant excitement.

Their own bandmates could be seen encouraging them as some used water bottles to simulate rain, every artist on that stage including backup dancers visibly enjoying the relaxed atmosphere that had been created. Following the performance several members had gone live for a few minutes, one of them being Seonghwa who briefly mentioned a comment refering to the heated kiss as the vocalist could be seen giggling in the background prior to him playfully scolding her.

'That...we definitely expected it since he had talked about it during rehearsal, but I thought it was going to be like the first day. It flustered me too but seeing everyone having fun made me happy.'

Despite these heated stage interactions no official label has been placed on their relationship due to no statements coming out regarding the situation, leading some to believe that it was no more than a rehearsed act to rile up fans or that whatever is happening between them is simply a more intimate level of friendship. There is a possibility that this moment stemmed from the artists' immersion in the performance as well as the heat of the moment, as the youngest is after all a member of the 'Demon Line' and both are known to have rather intense stage personas.

'Seeing people say that they're still 'just friends' is so funny to me 😭Like do you guys not see everything they've been doing for a year now ? I get the people saying they could be 'friend with benefits' but come on...' - X user

It seems as though neither artist not the company intends to lift the mystery surrounding their relation to one another as of yet, leaving netizens to create countless speculations without the certainty of a confirmation. One thing that everyone can be sure of however is that this group knows how to set a stage on fire no matter who the people watching might be, living up to their newly earned nickname of 'Pirate Kings of Sahara'.

Share This Post

[skzpixie]

Pixie and her relationships with the guys

I.E, what makes her relationships with the men memorable

Taglist: @mynameisnotlaura, @palindrome969

Chanxie (Chan x Kai) - Mother and Father duo 

Popularity: 9/10 

Labeled as the mother and father of the group, the two are extremely close. When the two of them are paired up together, they take on caretaking roles. She makes sure Chan is eating and drinking properly, going as far as to hiding his laptop when he gets too workaholic. This led to many fights in their early years, but now when he starts overworking himself, all she needs to do is give him a look and he then takes a break. 

He introduced her to production pre-debut days. She is the only one in the group to be one of the producers that is not a part of 3racha 

He helped her discover her love of cooking, particularly Australian foods. 

When he starts getting homesick, she overnight ships ingredients to make homemade pizza or sashimi 

He makes sure she’s in bed at a reasonable time 

She is a shoulder to cry on for him and vice versa 

Minai (Minho x Kai) - Mother and daughter 

Popularity: 8/10 

When Chan is the father, kind to Kai, Minho is the tough love. Sure, he makes sure she’s okay first if she gets hurt, but when he knows she’s okay, he roasts the hell out of her. The two have an... interesting relationship. The two could be having skin ship one second, and then wrestling the next.  

Ex. “Have you eaten yet? Did you get hurt?” “Yes, Min. No, Min.” “You’re going to be” proceeds to chase her around the kitchen, going for her sides to tickle her. 

Teases her about her height (How’s the breeze down there?) 

She was the first one to eat lunch with him at the company 

She comforted him when he got eliminated. (“So what if you got eliminated? You have a friend in me now. I refuse to leave you behind; you are my family now”) 

Gets genuinely upset when he self-deprecates. He had to stop in front of her when she started crying 

Cooking duo 

Binxie (Changbin x Kai) - The lovebirds 

Popularity: 9.5/10 

The loudest two in the group become the quietest when the two are paired together. I mean it. Changbin can go from yelling in one second but when Kai is touching him? Sedated. They are each other's rocks, and they are never not touching each other when together. And they are always together. 

Started calling her princess during the survival show 

Always gropes his ass or tits (It's not in a sexual way, it genuinely gives her comfort) 

Each other’s biggest cheerleaders 

They always give each other praise and compliments 

Whenever she starts crying on camera (Because let's face it, she’s very emotional), he cups her face and wipes the tears away himself. There is a five-minute compilation of him doing this on YouTube of just 2023 alone 

Gym duo (They always go together. It's scary to see how much she gained muscle when she went with him) 

Jinx (Hyunjin x Kai) - Sibling duo 

Popularity: 6/10 

The two are extremely close due to their dramatic flair. It seems like she is more dramatic than Hyunjin in some instances. She is like his big sister even though he’s older. They physically fight (Playfully, it’s all-in good fun), and she says he in her sleep paralysis demon at times. 

Was the first person she came out to 

She is helping him learn Mandarin 

Gave each other black eyes once. The makeup artists had a field day with that one 

Once, she hurt her ankle on stage by twisting it early in the performance. Hyunjin put her on his back and proceeded to finish the concert with her on his back. 

Hanai (Jisung x Kai) - The loud introverts 

Popularity: 6/10 

What happens when you put Kai and Han in the same room? Opposite to Changbin and Kai. Loudest mfs EVER. They were forced to sit in different cars because they would scream like mfing seagulls. I mean it. 

Helps Han with his anxiety 

He helps her practice her rap 

She fuels his americano addiction 

Yonxie (Felix x Kai) - Baking duo 

Popularity: 4/10 

Kai and Felix together can only bring chaos. The two have been in a prank war for roughly five years. She always compliments him, to follow up with a slew of dance battles. She and him do so many tik tok challenges together, that her public tik tok is filled with dances from the two. 

Tease each other on each other's accents 

Cuddles everywhere 

He is teaching her self-defense 

She helped him come up with his brownie recipe 

He is the testing dummy for all new baking creations. 

Seungmai (Seungmin x Kai) - Puppy duo 

Popularity: 7/10 

Savages. They roast the hell out of each other. She tries to compliment him, and you know what he does? Call her a pervert. She proceeds to manhandle him, due to her being very strong, despite her small stature.  

Laughs at him at every chance she gets 

While Seungmin is the more hyperactive puppy, she is the sleepy kind 

Has a collection of images on his phone of her asleep in places she isn’t supposed to be in 

Jeongai (Jeongin x Kai) - Platonic soulmates 

Popularity: 8/10 

Since the two are the Maknaes of the group, they are extremely close. They are attached to the hip. If Kai isn’t with Changbin, she’s with I.N. He is the person to realize her love for singing more than dance.  

The two always are seen asleep together. Where I.N goes, she goes 

Was the first person to know of her mental problems 

Extremely protective over her, more so than the other members 

The only person he allows excessive amounts of skin ship from 

They both go drinking together 

[baby-zakarii]

Regressor Freminet with Cg Lyney Hcs!

Requested by @azuresky-agere

- Freminet is a teeny, tiny babyre regressor, so he requires a lot of care. Fortunately, Lyney doesn't have a problem with helping him while he's small! He mostly does things like feeding, bathing and changing Freminet since the latter can't do them by himself. He's a baby after all...

- Lyney tries his best to hide Freminet's regression from Father in fear of getting his brother in trouble. In reality - Arlecchino doesn't care what the children do in their free time as long as it doesn't affect their performance during missions. Still, Lyney prefers to keep the baby in their house to avoid detection.

- There aren't many activities you can do with such a young regressor, but that's not a problem since Freminet is interested in only one thing anyways - bathtime. He loves splashing in the water and "diving", catching his toy fish in the tub! When it's time to get out, it's the only instance when he may throw a tantrum.

- Lynette doesn't really help with baby Freminet, but she sure does spoil him by always getting him new mechanical toys or tasty sweets (which make his tummy hurt and then Lyney has to deal with a fussy newborn). She's like that one fun aunt who's the worst influence as well!

[jayceshammer]

The subtext in Jayvik

Note: I want to preface with a warning; English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes. This is basically a compilation of different analyzes (nothin new btw) I’ve read so far about Jayvik’s relationship that explain why so many people ship them. It’s purely made for fun. I have no idea of what I’m doing and I just needed to get this out of my system. That’s it!

Season 1

Episode 2

Summary

Viktor and Jayce’s relationship begins when Viktor confiscates Jayce’s research and has him arrested for endangering the citizens of Piltover. Initially, they don’t interact much, as Viktor leaves the matters to the council. Their dynamic begins to shift during the council meeting, where Viktor shows interest in Jayce’s dream after hearing him mention magic.

 Shortly afterward, Viktor decides to pay him a visit, intrigued by what he said at the trial. In this encounter, Viktor saves Jauce from taking his own life. Although it’s not inherently romantic, it’s a pretty dramatic way of introducing two characters, and it establishes a strong foundation for the future of their relationship as it evolves.

 When Viktor offers to support his research, Jayce seems reluctant to trust him initially. He remarks:

“That makes you the only one” [who believed him] 

Jayce still feels defeated, as though he has no chance of making his dreams come true: “No one believed me”. In response, Viktor sympathizes with him, opening up to reveal he himself, as a zaunite, has struggled with no one believing in him and being underestimated in the past. He states that he got to where he is by believing in himself, despite the systematic oppression that he had to endure. 

“When you’re going to change the world, don’t ask for permission”

 It’s worth mentioning that, from Viktor’s perspective, he’s jeopardizing his entire career to endorse a man he barely knows. It stands out to me as one of the most selfless acts he performs in the entirety of the series, and it is for Jayce. It also goes to show that Viktor supported Jayce during his lowest point, when not even his family believed in him. 

The scenes

 A two shot framing: used to capture emotional reactions between subjects, particularly in scenes involving  romance, tension or action. 

After Viktor and Jayce are introduced to each other and Viktor saves Jayce, we get a brief conversation between them. The scene itself makes use of a two shot framing that emphasizes their emotional connection and the underlying tension during their interaction: 

We can observe the intimate lighting, which is soft and dark, with minimalistic or blurred background. This is a common stylistic way of directing romantic scenes to evoke closeness and vulnerability. Viktor's theme is introduced through the music for the first time, his personal motif.

We get this look, which speaks by itself:

They used an over-the-shoulder shot, which can be used to suggest a romantic undertone, especially when they framing is closer to the subject’s faces. This visual arrangement is employed at other times during the series. For example, in Mel and Jayce's interactions, which are undoubtedly seen as romantic.

By that point, we had also gotten a two shot framing of them as well:

Another instance of romantic subtext in this act is when Viktor hands Jayce his bracelet. The gesture carries emotional weight because he's quite literally giving Jayce the most important thing in his life, which represents his hopes and dreams (maybe even his will to live). Jayce continues to carry it at all times (he doesn’t even take it off during the sex scene with Mel).

 Afterwards, we hear this line of dialogue from Jayce: “I don't even know your name”. Although I haven’t been able to pinpoint a specific trope, I do believe the line itself creates a certain tension between the characters in the scene. Jayce has just been saved by Viktor, a more mysterious character, in a dramatic rescue. The line shows his growing interest and curiosity towards Viktor. Here’s an example of it being used in Cinderella: 

“I don’t even know your name, how will I find you?”

Probably the most well-known parallel between Mel and Viktor occurs in this episode:

 I feel like there's not a lot to add here. Both are making the same facial expression while looking at Jayce, framed by similar lighting and with tender music playing in the background. Anyways.

 Another thought someone pointed out is the fact that Viktor always seems to be the closest subject to the light:

This could be interpreted in a number of ways. At a basic level, it just means that Viktor is symbolically associated with light when seen from Jayce's perspective. 

Honorable mentions:

This look directed at Viktor.

Episode 3

Summary

Viktor and Jayce discover a way to “crank” the Hexcore. However, in order to convince the council, they need solid proof that it works. Viktor, with Heimerdinger’s keys, manages to convince Jayce to infiltrate Heimerdinger's lab to conduct the experiment.

“Our Hextech dream”

This marks a turning point in their relationship because it’s the establishment of their partnership, bound together by their ambitions. Jayce begins to recognize the risks Viktor is willing to take, which is why I believe prompts him to take the first step towards a union. 

While attempting to sneak in, they are caught by Mel, who was also drawn to their research during the council’s meeting. She gives them one night to prove that Hextech works, and after figuring it out, they get Mel’s “blessing”.

The scenes

In the scene where they try sneaking in and are caught by Mel, we learn an important piece of information: Jayce and Viktor are risking exile for their research.

Viktor’s excuse at being caught with another man in a dark corridor at night is rather peculiar.

“Wait a minute, this isn't my room.” 

Obviously, he's implying he was bringing Jayce into his room, which I'd argue isn't very platonic. This can be considered as a joke, but it does serve us when analyzing how Viktor views their relationship. 

We can also begin to see a certain level of antagonism between Viktor and Mel. For some reason, they were neve able to get along during the whole series, and we can trace this tension from their first interaction. 

“You’re the professor’s assistant” 

Note: this is in no way an attack to Mel btw, and not a means to hate on her character. I say this just in case anyone thinks I’m implying she’s getting in the way of Jayvik or something like that.

With no ill intention, these are the first words (that we know of) she ever tells Viktor, which directly contrast what Viktor tells Jayce in the past episode:

“Do you think it was my life ambition to be an assistant?” 

Upon hearing Mel, Jayce responds as such:

“No, he’s my new partner”.

There’s another instance where Jayce shows his trust to Viktor in this episode. When it is time to crank the Hexcore, Jayce gets scared at the machine’s rattling. In his moment of worry, Viktor tells him this:

“Trust me”

During the series this is a pattern we see: Viktor is usually the one who pushes Jayce to his highest potential, offering reassurance whenever Jayce is afraid of taking risks.

We also get this moment between them. Someone pointed out that, by the way Jayce and Viktor are positioned in the scene, they are being highlighted, visually, as opposites. 

At this point, Mel and Jayce are also being set up romantically, with Jayce’s lingering looks and body language hinting at his feelings.

Episode 4

Summary

In this episode, we fast forward to the preparations for the Day of Progress. This year, Jayce is given the chance to deliver the speech, replacing Heimerdinger. For this purpose, Viktor and Jayce specifically prepare a presentation of their inventions, showing it to the Councillor so that he approves. They find a way to fortify the Hextech crystals, so that it is absolutely safe to the public. These include “portable devices”, like gauntlets for miners and the hexclaw (which foreshadow Jayce and Viktor's weapons in season 2). Despite showing his appreciation for their projects, Heimerdinger insists they wait at least a decade before actually handing it to the public, since “putting that kind of power into everyone’s hands is dangerous”.

Viktor is the most affected by this decision, shown by his reaction. Jayce is convinced by Heimerdinger's caution. 

Later on, when the Day of Progress actually arrives, Viktor decides not to show his face to the public. Jayce arrives later, and although he has his speech prepared, he decides not to showcase their inventions, which disappoints both Viktor and Mel. It is a critical point, especially in his relationship with Viktor, as it highlights a difference in their approach towards science: while Viktor’s scientific approach is decisive and risk-taking, Jayce prioritizes safety and patience.

After the incident with Hextech, Jayce recommends suspending Hextech operations until the situation is resolved (without telling Viktor nor Mel). To solve this, Mel proposes a “radical solution”: for Jayce to become a councillor and protect the Hexgates with his knowledge. This deepens the rift in Jayce and Viktor’s relationship, as it creates a power imbalance between them that wasn’t there before.

The scenes

This is a visually charged episode. In regards to Viktor, we can see his clear reactions of disappointment and almost desperation towards Heimerdinger’s decision. It’s clear to see why, given his health issues and his zaunite background. For him, Hextech is not just about scientific achievement but also a potential means of survival and, in the future, the possibility of improving his life and others. That’s why he views delays as a perpetuation of systemic injustice.

In the episode, we also witness the aggravation of his disease:

When Jayce arrives late, it prompts Viktor to ask him where he was.

“They were asking if I could do the address”

There’s an unspoken tension between the two of them. We know Viktor is not exactly an extroverted person, and in this situation  he is being faced with the prospect of giving the speech in front of a room full of Piltover's elite.

“You should come up with me. We’re partners.”

This is another factor that impacts their relationship. Jayce is quite naive, because he doesn’t fully comprehend Viktor’s struggles with class and the societal barriers he faces.

When Jayce proposes him to come to the stage with him and Viktor rejects the idea, we can see these shots:

In the scene, Viktor remains visible until Jayce covers him completely, which could symbolize how he’s leaving him behind. There’s an awkward pause in conversation while Viktor asks him if he has his speech prepared, as Jayce responds with casual indifference, his body language suggesting that he’s not as emotionally invested in the moment as Viktor is. 

Parts 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

[pain-in-the-butler]

Season Four review

Last night I finally had time to finish the new anime, and here are my thoughts, because I had at least one or two of those while I watched. I saw the whole thing with my bud @warmmilk-n-honey, whose presence helped to make the whole thing bearable:

I've seen some other people mentioning the lack of animation and the fact that most of the angles were copied straight from the manga, and yeah it's very evident lol... At one point while I was watching there was a thunderstorm, and I just had to marvel at the fact that there was far more movement outside my window than there was on the computer screen -

The episodes felt like they went by really fast and yet nothing really happened during them. It did make it clear that this is probably not an easy arc to adapt to an eleven-episode run, but then it just makes you question the small amount of cut content. Easter episode? When did they decide to get rid of you? Why? It's the Nina curse I swear to god -

Even when action was happening, sometimes it was painfully obvious they were padding for time. I nearly lost my mind during the Midnight Tea Party when Undertaker just ate an entire cupcake in between dialogue. Like, sir, please. You are on television -

The CGI moments were sometimes pretty state-of-the-art but other times really badly executed. Though warmmilk-n-honey did note that the terrible-looking horses are tradition, so thank god for them -

I felt the lack of budget most during the scene where Ciel has to run up to Sebastian and pretend to be excited that Seb elected him to be on the cricket team. He says something like "oh damn people are around, guess I'll have to milk the performance" but there's like two boys in the background and they're not even looking his way?? Guys... -

Some of the background music was fun and I will likely listen to it again on my own time. The opening really won me over too. While I still don't know what was up with the titan, at least the imagery was interesting, and we only ended up skipping it when we were in a hurry because it was fun to watch -

The voice actors did a good job, as far as I could tell. Funimation has definitely made some odd casting choices in terms of accents, but I really felt like the new members of the Japanese cast were giving it their all especially, and it was admittedly pretty fun to have so many familiar voices back in the roles in both languages -

I've always found this arc, especially the second half, to be a weak one, and overall I just thought the execution here worsened it. Goofy faces were made less goofy, flavor text was cut, and Funimation was actually out here changing some lines of dialogue for who knows what reason? Weird vibes -

The last episode was the most fun one by far. Cloverworks finally figured out how to do silly chibis, and they increased the Phantomfam antics in order to pad for time again, but in this instance it actually worked. The teaser at the end was slow-paced too but it was also for a legitimately good reason, so yay. The ambiance in the forest was spooky and quiet. It made me actually excited to see what comes next despite how rough this season was

I can't really say I was too disappointed though because I definitely expected not to be satisfied, you know me, I'm a stinker. I'm still glad the anime exists: the fandom was really out here starving and finally we've been given some juice. But overall I'm gonna give it a 4/10, which I think is actually very generous of me because I don't have a lot of nice things to say. Oh well. Green Witch, here we come

[angstics]

i’ve been mulling over this since the reveal because i’m sooo entranced by it: gerard's new haircut. like we hadn’t seen him have it so short in like a decade? and even tho i don’t quite understand all that’s going on there cut-wise 😭, i feel there’s something kinda gnc abt it… but then again maybe it’s just cause it’s gerard lol but since we know he gives a lot of emphasis to presentation as a performer, i’d just love to know what the thought process was and seeing as we can’t go right to the source i figured the next best option was you 🙏 basically what i’m asking is: what do u make of it? i’d love to see some thinkpieces on it bc i really do think it’s not just a random thing. sorry for the long ass ask <3

that gifset i just reblogged reminded me i never replied to this. iiiiiii think it's just a personal choice. even back in mcr 1.0 days, i think the band (the concepts and stories) was just an excuse to do what they really wanted to do (play around, dye their hair, cut it weird). i assumed the thought process was, "i have a show, lets cut the hair, lets cut it fun."

i also think it could be practical. during swarm tour, his hair visibly got in the way when it got wet and slapped him in the face (he'd push it or gel it back, wear it in a ponytail in one instance if im remembering right, hold his hair w a towel, wore that scarf the whole night at riotfest). gerard cut his hair a few times during the tour, most visibly b4 the la shows and b4 the 2023 shows (which was a couple inches off how short it was during wwwy!)

could be a character thing, it obviously has been related to that in the past lol. if it is, could be something about military short cuts, or even callback to the same significant cut in 06. could be to be more somber, to be a shock. and it was, the same way it was a shock in 06! but many times it also was not about the story ie the whole 02-05 period, the 10 thousand haircuts he had 07-09.

also could be she wanted to go butch after her femme era #butch

[thousand-winters]

Do you headcanon Hunter as having any issues with food/ eating from the EC?? I’ve been projecting myself way to hard lol

It's likely he definitely has some issues with that, because frankly... his whole life there was SO bad.

Mostly I figure Belos didn't really withhold food from him or anything like that, not directly anyway, because Hunter was supposed to be an scout and then his Golden Guard, if he just doesn't give him food, Hunter is going to end up passing out and being unable to do his training and his missions. Which, you know, it's not like it was vital for Belos, but he did keep the appearances of Hunter being important to him to some degree.

Now, I say not directly because while I imagine Hunter had his meals in the mess hall or whatever the Emperor's Coven has for that, just like everyone else, he ended up not getting as many meals as he could have because he felt too committed to his duties. It's clear he didn't sleep properly already, and if he had too many responsibilities, he probably cut corners when it came to eating as well, very "oh, I think I'll be fine if I just have one meal today, this work is more important".

Also, there was the guilt factor, with Belos constantly reminding him he took him in and gave him everything he has, so every time he failed a mission or simply didn't perform to the level that was expected of him, while I personally don't think Belos would straight up go "you're not eating today" or anything like that, Belos would very much make him feel like a waste of resources. He took him in, he gave him a place, a room, food, clothes, and Hunter can't even do what's asked of him? Ultimately the guilt would have made Hunter simply decide that he has NOT earned the right to go get some food because he has obviously disappointed his uncle. I feel like it fits Belos' methods of manipulation in which ultimately he made Hunter feel like he deserved everything bad that happened to him and at some level he didn't have to punish him himself for it to work.

The one instance he could be a little bit more carefree with that, I feel, is his missions. Because Eclipse Lake also showed that those were like privileges to him, and being withdrawn from them was horrible to him, which makes sense with the extra context in Thanks to them that it was the only times he was even allowed outside of the castle. I'm basing this solely on that one box of crackers in Separate Tides, sue me, but I think he would feel that he's worthy enough during those, because the emperor has entrusted him with them, to not have to feel like he hasn't earned food.

The problem would be that anything he got that wasn't assigned rations would have to come from his own pocket, and he probably had an assigned budget for each mission, so I don't think he could constantly afford snacks and fun things anyway, so even if it was the one moment he let himself have a little treat, it wouldn't happen often.

Once he's living with Darius and Eber, this is absolutely going to come up. Maybe not right away because he also would have gotten a positive and healthy example from his friends at the Human Realm, but I could see him getting a bad grade at school or something like that and then just... deciding he can't go eat because he failed and he can't just go and waste resources when he can't even do that, right?

... So the short answer for if I think he has food/eating issues is yes.

[nicsalazar]

Splash of serendipity || Nicole & Oliver

TIMING: Recent LOCATION: The Apple Gathering. PARTIES: @oliver--fox & @nicsalazar SUMMARY: Nicole encounters an old friend, Oliver, at the apple gathering. They haven't seen each other in a long time. WARNINGS: None

In the decade Nicole had lived in Wicked's Rest she had attended The Apple Gathering once or twice before. Verdict was still out on whether she’d enjoyed any of those instances. Regardless of how overwhelming it was being surrounded by so many people, she took pride in subjecting herself to the experience. When she was younger, she did it intending to test the jaguar’s response to her anxiety. Years older now, and with a recent stint stuck in an animal's body, the intention was to acquaint herself with her human side once more. It was why she kept taking opportunities like the bonfire to push against the pervasive instinct to isolate. 

Needless to say, she wasn’t having a great time. Nor a bad one, particularly. Nicole was simply used to looking at the glass half empty, reminding her that being back home would’ve been a more suitable way of spending the evening. Why didn’t she bring Nacho? Next time was a must. She kept on strolling down the farm, distantly observing the activities townspeople were engaging in. Loud laughs and shrieks reached her ears, guiding her attention toward the large basins set up for the classic apple bobbing activities.  

Amidst the crowd, she spotted a face she recognized, looking equally as curious about the contest taking place. Nicole approached with caution, waiting for better visual confirmation that she had the right person before speaking. She wanted to spare herself some embarrassment, ears heating up at the mere idea of mistakenly greeting a stranger. “Oliver?” she called out, her voice rising so it wouldn’t be drowned by the cheers and claps next to them. She hadn’t seen him in quite some time, though it wasn’t a surprise. She had vanished off the face of the earth for a good four years, trapped in the body of the jaguar. Only recently she began encountering those who were part of her life before that. 

She pressed her lips into a thin line, offering her best attempt at a smile and a curt nod. So much time had passed, she wondered if Oliver would even remember her at all. But the glint of recognition in his gaze eased some of her nerves. “Been a while. It’s— nice to see you.”

—

Oliver always liked coming to the fairs, he had always enjoyed going to random festivals in places that he went to. There was a certain amount of joy that permeated the air around them; and even though Oliver couldn’t feast on emotions like other fae, it was still a nice environment to be in. It was one of those events that he could go alone to, or come with others. He didn’t feel as if he was forced to be at it for a certain amount of hours before he could flee, rather it was something that he could come and go as he pleased. It helped that it happened during the fall. Summer festivals always made him get sweaty and being surrounded by a bunch of other people tended to just make him feel warmer and definitely impacted the amount of patience that he had for lines. In the winter, he often found himself not wanting to spend too much time at outside festivals; maybe checking some of them out quickly as he speed-walked through the cold. Which was unfortunate due to the beauty that winter held. 

Part of the fun at festivals was watching the random games that the organizers had concocted. Apple bobbing was a traditional game, one that Oliver had to have seen at least a thousand times, one that he had participated in at least a hundred times. There was something about having the pressure to perform a weird game with lots of people watching you. It was interesting though, that it seemed like the people participating today were having a harder time grabbing the apples then he was used to seeing. Maybe they just had really bad coordination, or the pressure of everyone watching was causing people to mess up. Regardless, it was a fun activity and Oliver cheered and clapped along with everyone else. 

He glanced up at the sound of his name, eyes widening when he saw the person in front of him. “Nicole?” It had to have been what, 4 years? Oliver had met her when he first came to town. Making friends with the park rangers was always a good move since it made him more likely to get any insider scoop of anything weird happening with the plants. However, after about a year, Nicole had seemingly fallen away from the typical rotation of rangers. He had thought that she had moved away, or maybe just changed jobs to something where they never ran into each other. “It has been! It’s great to see you too, how are you doing?” Oliver asked, running a hand through his hair. “I thought you had like left town or something, what have you been up to?”

—

Her smile was shy —a barely there curve on her lips undetectable to the naked eye— but warmth spread in her chest upon finding Oliver. Nicole was never the type of person who surrounded herself with many friends. There weren’t many people she felt comfortable enough giving that title to, not even before the jaguar found its home in the zoo and refused to give Nicole her body back. Standing now, in front of a familiar face from her past, she felt her own concerns confirmed: It was likely that she wasn’t a good friend. Why didn’t she look for Oliver? After those months spent settling back into society— she could’ve— should’ve done it. Oliver didn’t look like he harbored any resentment, however. His eyes were gentle despite his surprise, in turn, Nicole’s guilt turned into shame. “Yeah,” her cheeks burned, confirming her name. Given the time that had passed, it came as a relief that she was somehow memorable enough for Oliver to recall. 

“Hey,” she said with a slow nod, unsure whether to stand or sit. Having exchanged greetings meant the easiest part of any conversation was over. The part she could’ve rehearsed dozens of times in her head before approaching. Now it was up to her to keep the exchange going. She wrung her fingers, shrugging at his question. “I’m doing— Uh. It’s… it’s alright.” At some point, she would have to come out and explain exactly how she was doing, but doing so in the middle of an apple festival would be far too complicated. She glanced at the competition taking place in front of them, as a form of distraction. Her brows furrowed when she noticed the competitors struggling to pick up the apples. Didn’t look like the typical difficulties of the game, however. Odd. Her attention returned to Oliver briefly, and his comment warmed up her cheeks once more. “No—that’s, I didn’t leave…” she assured him quickly, rubbing her jaw while she scrambled to find a suitable explanation. Leaving would be, of course, the most logical answer for her sudden disappearance. But she wasn’t fast enough to come up with a place, or a reason, or anything that would sell the lie. More importantly, Nicole didn’t want to lie. Not to a friend. The truth was impossible to get out, though. Somehow the compromise was something worse. “It was uh— went on a retreat, sort of. Nature. Couldn’t reach out, cause— Technology wasn’t… recommended, y’know? It was so sudden. Should’ve— reached out sooner, though,” she pressed her lips into an apologetic smile. 

She wasn’t sure what possessed her to say what she said, but Nicole had offered similar answers in the past. She was out, in nature. Wasn’t complete bullshit, when she considered what the jaguar got up to in four years. Certainly didn’t have a bed or walls to call a house. Reeling after speaking more words than she was used to in a day, Nicole somehow had more to say. She could only attribute it to the nerves. “I’m uh, back at the park now, though. Should—You should stop by any time, we can go on a hike,” she would be looking forward to it, should he agree. He always had a special kind of sensibility for the vegetation. One she didn’t come across often. It made sense he’d dedicated his life to it. “And you? Doesn’t look like you changed a day,” her memory was nothing extraordinary, but it was impossible not to notice how similar he looked. If Nicole wasn’t aware of the time the jaguar spent in the zoo, she would’ve thought she was transported four years into the past.     

Slowly trudging through the bout of nerves, Nicole looked back at the strange bobbing contest, studying the competition with more intent. Why did the apples glide like that? Were they coated in something special? “They’re doing it wrong, aren’t they?”   

—-

Oliver's lips curved down ever so slightly, not quite a frown; but he could tell that Nicole seemed nervous about talking about how she was. She seemed different than the person he had met previously, less sure of herself for whatever reason. “Oh! That’s super cool. I love a good nature retreat.” It was unfortunate that they tended to either be semi-cult related or religiously focused; things that Oliver wasn’t interested in getting involved in. Plus, the people who went to them tended to be more concerned with getting high or having long, weepy conversations. It was why Oliver started joining more nature-focused groups rather than retreats. “Was it around here? Or did you get to go somewhere fun?” Oliver asked, grinning as he did. Oliver waved off her concerns about reaching out. “No worries, I’m awful with technology to begin with. Plus, life just busy sometimes. Did you switch jobs when you came back from the retreat?” A retreat surely wouldn’t last 4 years, right? 

His eyes lit up when she said that she was back at the park. “Oh! Amazing. We absolutely need to go on a hike at some point” Oliver nodded before cringing. “I don’t know if he even works there anymore, but there was a ranger named Adam? The redhead.  He..uh…didn’t have the most favorable feelings towards me after we got into a bit of a…break-up…” It had been more of a fling than a relationship, only lasting a few months, but it had become clear that the two of them were not a good match. “I think I was actually banned from the guard's shack at one point.” Oliver couldn’t help but laugh. He wasn’t sure how legitimate Adam’s threats had been, but he also hadn’t gone back since to see. He had his ways of sneaking onto the grounds that didn’t require him to go bother a ranger.  “So! Just a heads up that you may get some angry glares from him if he spots you hiking with me. 

Oliver shrugged at her question “What can I say, I’ve got good genes.” He joked. Oliver had found that deflection was one of the better pathways when it came to questions about his age. “Plus, it helps that I haven’t quite hit the old age of 30 yet, I’m sure once that happens, I’ll shrivel up as god intended” Oliver winked before laughing.  “I’m good though! I don’t remember where I had been in the process the last time I saw you, but I was able to open a plant shop downtown. It’s called Everlasting Garden, and it’s been doing pretty well!” He followed her gaze to the apples, eyebrows crinkling as he noted the continued difficulty that people seemed to be having. Usually, after the first couple minutes of getting used to the spotlight, people’s nerves would dissipate and they would be able to get the apples. But the apples looked almost like…they were moving away from the people on their own rather than because the waves were forcing them away. “Hm…I’m not sure. It definitely looks like something is off though.”

—

Nicole’s smile grew slightly, tension easing from her shoulders when Oliver accepted the explanation for her absence. She didn’t expect him to follow it up with another question, however. One that demanded she bullshitted some more. Fuck. Fuck. She rubbed along her jaw, “it was— uh, couple of hours north, yeah. Beautiful— beautiful landscape. The kind you don’t think exists in America anymore,” adding details was supposed to make it a better lie, no? At least that’s what she’d heard before. Leave little to no detail to be questioned. Oliver seemed to harbor no negative feelings about the lack of communication her disappearance caused. She appreciated that more than she could say it. “I get that. Awful with technology too,” and on the topic of being busy, she was certain nothing beat being a full-time attraction at the Zoo. She let out a tense breath as they circled back to the retreat discussion. “Ah… N—Not exactly, no, didn’t switch—” fuck. What other lies could she come up with? “Spent the 4 years there. Considered moving there too. Just uh— being off the grid is nice, y’know? Life’s too overwhelming these days.” It wasn’t a lie. Everything was too fast, too loud, too crowded. Nature retreat bullshit aside, she always dreamed of finding that sort of peace in the world. 

Her eyebrows knitted when Oliver brought up a fellow park ranger. “Adam?” Nicole racked her brain to put a face to that name. If she had a last name it would have been easier. A redhead named Adam? Ah— “Think he relocated— Everglades, last I heard. Shouldn’t be a problem,” though she was curious about Oliver knowing other rangers, and what the story there was. “That ban won’t hold up, you should be fine. What, uh—did you do in the shack?” she wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but the question was out of her mouth regardless. 

Something about Oliver’s joke about aging gave her confidence a small boost. “The old age of 30?” she replied wryly, a lopsided grin etched on her face. “You’re right, it’s downhill from there. I shriveled up,” she played along, for once it was much easier to take things with humor rather than ponder on what growing old meant for her. Of those years she’d lost to the jaguar. Of every experience the beast took from her. Oliver was speaking about his current life, his plant shop and Nicole refused to be dragged by the threads of her past. She forced a bigger smile, less genuine for a moment, before she felt herself return to the conversation. “Sounds familiar. You must’ve mentioned wanting to do that, yeah. Happy you made it happen,” she nodded, knowing the amount of time she spent downtown was fairly limited, but making a mental note to search for Everlasting Garden the next time she found herself around the neighborhood. “Haven’t kept up my garden since— the retreat, maybe… I’ll uh— give that another try, could use any advice.” She would like that, something to keep her hands and mind busy. 

Her nerves had certainly subsided compared to when she entered the gathering. Nicole had underestimated what having a familiar face with her could do. She kept her gaze on the contest, shaking her head. The apples glided away before they even came into contact with people. Making Nicole question whether they were being pulled by something invisible. “Gonna give it a try?” After all, he was the more adventurous of the two.   

—

Oliver nodded as she explained what she had been up to. “Neat! Sounds like an amazing experience.” He always loved seeing sights like that, ones that seemed almost fake; like they didn’t fit into what nature was supposed to look like. Seeing a breath taking view was easy to pass off as not important until you actually saw one and then it was something you held onto with a fierce grip; determined to not let it go.  He understood why nature needed to be torn down to create space for human activities; people needed places to survive after all. It didn’t mean that it wasn’t a tough pill to swallow when he watched perfectly healthy trees get torn down for concrete pillars. “Totally makes sense, doesn’t sound like it would be easy to tear yourself away from. What ended up bringing you back here?” Was he just being nosy? Maybe; but he was also just curious in general. 

“Yes! Getting off the grid can be wonderful sometimes.” Just existing in nature? Not being concerned about missing a phone call or ignoring friends? It was always a nice break. In between new lives; Oliver tended to do at least a month-long camping trip. He told himself that it was to spend time with trees, do research, those types of things; but it was also just a nice excuse to ditch humanity for a bit. It reminded him, that he hadn’t done so in awhile. Maybe, when things seemed…less chaotic around here, he would do just that. Leave one of his assistant managers in charge for a month. If the store burns down, well, he can aways open a new one or something. 

When she mentioned that Adam had moved to the Everglades, he hummed quietly. “Makes sense, I think he had family down there.” He had always talked about how glad he was to have left though, it made him wonder why he had gone back. Oliver decided not to spend too much time on that thought; it wasn’t any of his business, not anymore. At her insinuation, he felt his face heat up. “Whatever you are thinking, it wasn’t that.” Oliver laughed, waving a hand away. “In our last fight, he had just said that you guys all had a thing where you could ban exactly one person from the shack with no questions asked. I have no idea if that’s true, but I didn’t want to test it to find out.” He shrugged. That hadn’t stopped him from wondering if he had a mug shot on the wall somewhere, or if his name was just on a list; or if it had just been an empty threat from Adam. 

“Well duh, haven’t you heard, at any moment after you turn 30, you become an ‘old person’” Oliver giggled as he did the air quotes. “I’m just joking, you actually look great” He said, before his grin widening at her request for assistance with plants. “Absolutely! I’d love to help anyway I can. We have a pretty wide range of things available, so like even if you just want a bouquet of flowers or something; we have that too.” He explained. “But if you give me an idea of what you are interested in doing, I’m sure I can come up with a list of possibilities.” Oliver tilted his head to the side a bit as he looked over at the crowd. “Mm, maybe? I don’t know if I would be any better than any of the other people trying though. You?”

—

Too late to go back now. Nicole couldn’t bring up how she had been stuck as a jaguar for all those years. Or what landed her in the zoo in the first place. Too many people walked around them to even want to dive into that complicated part of her past. The lie would have to keep snowballing until she felt comfortable to clarify. Some day. The idea of maintaining the charade for longer than a day made her stomach sink. She hated being the architect of her own misery, but that remained consistently true. Letting the bursts of laughter and cries coming from the contestants distract her for a second, she focused on the young man who resurfaced with his mouth empty, water splashing around him. Oliver wanted to know what brought her back, and Nicole wondered the same thing. What or who broke the jaguar from its confinement? She shrugged, “It was time, I suppose. Wanted to be around people again,” and though her uncomfortable demeanor often contradicted the claim, she wasn’t lying. She needed human connection, even if her body rejected it at any given time.

“Yes. That’s— yeah.” At least Oliver agreed that being off the grid had some positive effects, and she wasn’t pressed to reaffirm her stance or add more to the lie. Would’ve ended up backfiring at some point, surely. And though every question Oliver asked sent a wave of discomfort through her, she couldn’t help but feel touched that someone cared enough to ask. After all those years she’d been gone. 

She appreciated the more shallow turn the conversation took, thinking back to her ranger times with fondness. “Think he did, yeah. He never liked the weather here either,” she commented. She supposed, with the continuous instances of life-threatening danger that presented in town, Nicole wouldn’t mind relocating at some point. Somewhere warmer. Where she could enjoy the landscapes in peace, not worrying about supernatural beasts coming for her head at every turn. When Oliver blushed at her own insinuation, her ears burned too. How else was she supposed to take his words then? “Ah. Y— I don’t… wasn’t thinking anything,” she shook her head, breathing out a laugh when he waved his hand. “He was bullshitting you, don’t worry, you can go whenever” Sure, sometimes visitors had to be restricted from particular areas, but those bans were always earned. She doubted Oliver would ever do anything that went against the park’s best interest.

“Do feel like an old person, I guess,” her body might not outwardly reflect it, but—she wasn’t sure she related to many of the things young people did. For example, all that time they spent on their phones doing who knows what. “Back pain, y’know?” she deadpanned instead, a wry smile on her face. The source of her pain had never been discovered, but she needed no fucking doctor to know it was less of a physical wound and more… of a spiritual one. The jaguar’s tails had been torn, and they both had to endure the pain. She nodded politely as Oliver offered his help with anything she could need to restart her garden, “I’ll uh, have to check what I still have to give you an idea. You got the same number? Could text you tonight…” Nicole preferred keeping most of her contacts in a notebook, the old way, after losing her phone too many times to unexpected jaguar shifts. She didn’t care to hear about how shit like that could be kept in an email or other places. Better that information stayed safe at home. 

Her eyes drifted to the apple bobbing once more, in time to watch a furious old guy walk away shouting about how rigged the competition was. Nicole wasn’t sure that was the problem. New faces surrounded the basins, all with similar eager faces to prove themselves. Every time, the apple spun away from them. “Don’t know,” she shrugged, lifting an eyebrow at the crowd gathered. “Not much of a— embarrassing myself in public kind of person,” though she wasn’t sure that ever stopped her from feeling embarrassed in public. “But uh— guess if you try, I’ll try it too.”  Her gaze narrowed, a sudden shift in her eyes revealing the strange mist surrounding the floating apples. What the fuck was that about? “Huh,” a second later, she didn’t see anything more than a regular human would. Had she imagined that? “Or maybe it’s a waste of time?”

—

Oliver hummed in understanding. He understood that all too well. He knew there were other Leshy’s who were content to simply live in the forests, not to involve themselves with humanity if they didn’t have to; but that had never been Oliver. While time away could be nice, there was something that Oliver enjoyed about being around mortals and interacting with other species who were living in the same situation as him. “I gotcha, sometimes it can be nice to speak to an actual person every once in a while.” He smiled softly. “But! I’m glad you’re back; excited to see you around.” That was something that he was still getting used to. It used to be that Oliver was always the one leaving, but now he had been the one who had stayed and was the one still here when people returned. 

Oliver couldn’t help but laugh at her equally flustered appearance. “Sorry! I guess I could have described that better.” He shook his head, giggles still coming out before he took a deep breath “That’s good to know though.” Now he felt a little bad for sneaking around the trail entrances the last year or so; but it had also been kinda of exciting, thinking that he was breaking a stupid rule like that. It wasn’t as if he had been hurting anyone, so it was all in good fun.  He made a mental note to actually sign into the book the next time he went out there. 

“Ah, yes, those darn aches and pains that come with aging.” He sighed. While he didn’t experience the ones that a normal person would; the aches and pains that he dealt with concerning his trees were almost worse he thought. “Of course! Obviously, there’s no rush.” Oliver stated before nodding. “Yep! I have the same number.” Cellphones were definitely an invention that Oliver was glad had come around. It was so much simpler then when he had to rely on a house phone, or letters before that. While he sometimes missed the more dated technology; and rarely did anything more with his phone than call and text; it was nice to have it on him when he needed it. 

Oliver's lips formed a line as he got a better look at what was going on. Something certainly seemed off about the whole situation. This was a carnival game, one that should, theoretically, be something that had more winners than losers with how simple of a concept is was. However, Oliver wasn’t even sure he had seen anyone win it the entire time he had been standing here. Whatever forces were at play, Oliver wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with it today. “Ah, you know, I think I’ll pass on this one. I don’t know how hygienic dunking my face in water that other people have been biting into is something I want to do today” He joked

—

Nicole nodded in quiet contemplation, uncertain if nice would’ve been the word she chose to describe any sort of conversation with a human being. More often than not, socialization felt like torture. Or a puzzle that she couldn’t work out, no matter how simple the edges were. She had believed, after her first stint as a jaguar, that she was getting a hang of it. Letting people in, finding ways to reach out even if they were imperfect. No one had demanded perfection from her, it was her own mind creating obstacles. Her friends only wanted her to be present. But the zoo happened. And it set back her progress, dashed the small amount of confidence she had built at the time. No, talking to people wasn’t nice. What she reaped if she kept trying, however, was always something much sweeter. “I look forward to seeing you again, too” that sentiment she agreed with. She was thankful for how understanding Oliver had been about her sudden disappearance. She promised not to let him down again. Perceived disappointment or otherwise.  

At least they were both equally flustered over the fumbling of words. Nicole rubbed her jaw, eyes cast to the ground as she breathed out one final laugh. Hopefully, it would help them move past it. “It’s fine. You’re— Honest misunderstanding,” she had a tendency to misinterpret things, processing them at a slower pace than most. Sometimes it caused moments of embarrassment but— at least her friend was laughing. It counted for something. Perhaps it was an instance that would result in those… inside jokes. She looked forward to having one someday.

Her lips curled into a coy smile, feeling slightly more confident after the shared laugh. She wasn’t used to witty conversations, not ones she’d participated willfully in, but she felt the words come more freely in Oliver’s presence. “Yeah. You’ll— see. You’ll understand better when you get older,” she feigned offense, but her smile grew after. Luckily for both of them, Oliver kept his phone number, meaning Nicole must’ve had his contact back home, in the phonebook she kept on her nightstand. She tried to keep her enthusiasm moderate. “Alright. I’ll, uh— keep in touch, then. For the garden help. Thinking… less flowers more… shit I can grow to eat. Trips downtown sometimes can get annoying,” She didn’t always trust the shit they had at the farmer’s market, either. She remembered those pumpkins who bullied her and Vic too well. 

Oliver wasn’t in the mood for the apple competition, and Nicole was more than fine to sit this one out too. She grimaced at his joke, glancing back at the water. That would’ve been far more entertaining as a child. Now… not so much. His words managed to kill her curiosity as well, no longer interested in staying around until the humans figured out the apples were tampered with. “Not going to disagree there. Besides—” she caught herself from bringing up the mist she’d seen through the eyes of the jaguar. “Might be better stuff to do,” she mumbled, at the same time a woman face-planted into the water, turning the basins and spilling water everywhere. That was it. The small crowd and the contestants shrieked and cried out in joy. “Why don’t we check what else they have around? First time I’ve come to the festival in years— Wanna see if anything’s changed.” Not much, she assumed. When it came to their love for fall Wicked Rest’s folks seemed to stick to their traditions. 

—

He rolled his eyes at her comment about knowing about things once he was older. It reminded him of his mother telling him those same words when he was a child. Even as old as he was now, Oliver knew that some things would just stay out of reach for him. Possibly forever. Oliver hummed quietly, going through a mental Rolodex of what he currently had in the shop that she may like. “Gotcha! I can definitely give you some seeds for different fruits and veggies.” With winter quickly approaching, there wouldn’t be as many ‘fun’ things that could be grown but there was still plenty that she could plant. Plus, Oliver had a feeling that Nicole wouldn’t mind getting a quick lesson on gardening tips and tricks the next time she came in. Now wasn’t the time though. 

At her question about what else they had at the festival, Oliver’s eyes lit up. If there was one thing that he enjoyed, it was info-dumping about things that didn’t hold that much importance. Especially when he had an actual reason to know the information. “There are a few things that have changed! Not much, you know, the normal stuff is still here and all. There’s a tarot thing, a corn maze-” Oliver pauses, turning the idea of talking about his weird experience in that maze over in his mind a few times before pushing it away. No reason to bring up something like that right now. “I don’t know if this was before or after you left, but you know Mr &Mrs’ Jack’o Lanterns? Well, now it’s just Mr’s. It was a whole thing…” Oliver’s voice quieted as they entered the crowd. Those that stayed around the watering hole continued to go after apples that seemed intent on skirting any danger that may approach it. 

[theburningsunset]

so me and my partner have been rewatching That 70s Show together. i have many, many thoughts.

ok so in season 1 of That 70s show, Eric and his "man-crush" Buddy, whom he goes on multiple *platonic* dates with, turns out to be gay and kisses him, mistakenly thinking him to be gay. On at least one instance in the show's run, to my memory, Eric is put in a dress by his friends while asleep. A lot of the strife between him and his father Red stem from his lack of proficiency and interest in sports and other typical masculine behavior, as well as the overtly "effeminate" hobbies and behaviors he displays.

in season 7, the gang discovers that Eric has secretly been into roller disco. Kitty accepts it without question (Kitty is so well-intentioned-but-deeply-problematic-ally-coded) and promises to keep his secret. Eventually, she spills it, without meaning to, to Fez (the not-gay man who's effeminate behavior is only ever played for laughs, and is so straight that he's incredibly perverted and misogynistic, def not overcompensating). When Fez, Donna, and Kelso spy on Eric leaving, it really looks like a total transformation. His outfit is colorful and fun, with short-shorts, suspenders, and rainbow knee and elbow pads. Everyone follows him to the disco to watch him perform. His stage name is literally Rainbow btw. In that scene, he looks more genuinely happy and enjoying himself than at any other point in the series. When I heard the stage name, I knew this had to be an intentional decision. The entire episode felt like a very specific metaphor, with Eric at one point testing the waters with his friends to see if they'd accept his love of roller disco, only for Hyde to say that what he was saying made him want to beat him up. Before that scene, Kitty tries to convince Eric to come out tell his friends about his hobby. Eric replies that he can't, because enough about him already gets him relentlessly targeted and made fun of.

this show aired from 1998-2006, it featuring an onscreen M/M kiss on primetime was pretty groundbreaking, and while neither of the only two instances of gay men appearing included any instances of homophobia from other characters (amazing btw, keep Not having homophobia in shows pls), this was still the Y2K era, and the idea of a main character being gay was difficult to get greenlit. Even Fenton, Fez's recurring arch-nemesis in later seasons who is very stereotypically gay, constantly making innuendos and implications about being gay and cross-dressing, was still never canonically made gay. The show was also riddled with queer/transphobia via jokes and plot points, though usually covert. However, Kelso and Fez are shown (especially in later seasons) to have a very gay-coded relationship (sometimes all but saying it, paralleling their experiences with that of a heterosexual couple both as a plot point and a joke). Kelso also has a lot of queer flags come up all by himself, the biggest of which being an episode where his girlfriend Jackie puts makeup on him, lends him a dress, and dances with him in her bedroom (the joke at the end of this plot point being a shot of her father coming in, seeing this, and immediately rushing to choke Kelso, which as a trans woman was...fun to watch 😬). Kelso affirms multiple times, explicitly, that he very much enjoys the makeup and clothes Jackie put him in. During a different episode, he informs the gang that his girl name would be Michelle, said with insistence, like he had spent time thinking about it. Nonetheless, his queer-coding is also relegated to jokes.

But at some point, all of this pile-up of queer themes, metaphors, coding, and bits start to seem like more than just the low-hanging fruit of veiled homophobia for laughs. It makes me genuinely consider if the writers had queer characters that were confined to the cishet mold by the industry and took every opportunity they had to let it show through. Entirely possible that I'm overthinking this, but also, it would be far, far from the first time queer characters have been in the closet from even their own stories. It's not as much the case nowadays, but that used to be the norm, one heavily enforced. There's a reason Ellen, Will & Grace, and Glee were revolutionary at their times. They had pushed the envelope, given a spotlight to a minority very strongly and violently restricted from public view. Even with the progress each decade has seen for queer rights and representation, having openly queer main characters continues to be difficult and obstructed (sometimes explicitly, as seen with Inside Out 2). The places we can be visible are expanding, but areas where our invisibility or feigned nonexistence is compulsory fight tooth and nail to maintain their slice of the status quo pie.

Was That 70s Show just another casualty? idk, what am i, a historian? go ask jeeves or smthn

edited for clarity but also while im in this post again, i also wanna point out that while the show was overtly very fine with gay people, the narrative time and time again reinforces through the characters' prejudices that anything outside of their norm is not okay, including behaviors strongly associated with queerness. This note does discourage the argument for intentional queerness as one must assume that the writers' own biases are shining through (I suppose there vould be debate that it was chosen to be accurate for the characters and time but that requires a level of self-awareness that I don't personally think the show was capable of)

[skittlewaffle]

Different Flavors of Daycare Attendants (WIP maybe ??)

PLEASE NOTE that I do not read fics a lot and certainly don’t know everything. These are just general headcanons about the Daycare Attendant placed into categories! Personally my view is a mix of a good handful of every category

But yes this was all made for fun because I have brainrot. I’ll keep adding to this post or make a part two if this is something people enjoy, and I’m happy to accept any help! I know there are plenty more headcanons that I don’t have under categories yet.

… Some sections were rushed because I just wanted to post this before Ruin comes out and the Biblically Accurate section gets muddled.. haha. JUST,, enjoy !!!

Canon

Sun

Unhinged

Potentially partially virused, though it’s generally assumed not

Theatrical antics

Probably overdramatic on purpose / playing his theater role but in a child care setting

LIGHTS ON!!

Overbearing, offputting, and loud

Stickler for rules and cleanliness

Keeps daycare clean and organized, but not himself or his room

Might not be restricted to daycare out of frame, but implications are present that he may be lonely

It’s unclear if he and Moon have a connection in their headspace, but it is sometimes assumed they don’t

Probably unaware of Moon’s virused state

Moon

Silly gremlin

Fully virused

Theatrical antics amplified; evil stage persona is more literal

Naptime protocol amplified; what feels to him like putting people to sleep is actually killing people

Childcare and entertainment programming still seems functional

Creepy

Loves to stalk, dance, and play pretend

Shares Sun’s obsession with rules and cleanup

Strong enough to knock out a Glamrock

Seems quite lightweight

Sounds like he has a built-in, broken music box ??

* HEADCANON: Has a different mode meant to reflect the gentler character he appears to be in the Moondrop candy advertisements, instead of his theater villain role

Anxious boys

Sun

Restricted to daycare, refuses to take even a single step out

Doesn’t know what he’s doing

Scares or hurts the kids on accident, proceeds to freak out over it

Weak to compliments and praise; he just wants to do a good job

Needs affirmation, stat

Will 100% fall in love with anyone who is consistently nice to him

Acts like a kicked puppy when spoken to sternly, lectured, or yelled at

Lets people walk all over him

Constant fidgeting

Stutters a lot

Stressed OUT

Constantly at his breaking point; help him

Moon

Self-conscious about his naturally creepy looks and mannerisms

Bad first impressions

Often keeps a distance, watching from afar

Uses few words

Wishes to be liked

A kid likes him? His child now.

Sad to see them go :(

Rather graceful, slow movements that give him eerie vibes

Tends to word things in ways that sound like red flags (like offering candy in a shady area), but doesn’t quite realize it

False reputation amongst patrons

Many complaints from parents for his bad vibes

Heavily misjudged; really means no harm

Wet napkin

Likes to dance on his wire; keeps him busy when he can’t socialize

Will perform many tricks for people who do become his friend

Never forgets anyone who is kind to him in even one instance

Confident boys / high experience DCA

Sun

Practically built for childcare; knows what to do in pretty much every situation

Loved by all the children

Social towards everyone, no matter how stubborn or closed off they may be

Manages to put a smile on all faces

Really not afraid of drawing attention or being embarrassing if it means making a child happy

Always knows just what to say

Very helpful to new employees

Might step outside the Daycare from time to time

Reads faces very well, in adults and children

Capable of disobeying protocols for more serious reasons

MUCH more observant than you think

Roasts Karens lol

Moon

Is both the Naptime Attendant and a nighttime security bot

Many children want to cuddle with him during nap time

Has a ton of patience

Especially loves getting to hold babies

Very protective of the little ones

The most feared security in the entire Pizzaplex

Takes his job as security bot very seriously; loves his job as a childcare worker

High Tech

DCA has many upgrades

Still very versatile and could be upgraded more

AI advanced enough to be considered eligible for human rights

Movements, speech, and feelings are very realistic, almost not robotic at all

Can experience human senses (smell, touch, etc.)

Softer casing to simulate a more human feel

Can blush and cry tears, but not bleed (unless it’s oil in their machinery)

Feels pain and temperature, and is ticklish

Can get overstimulated and feel disgust at certain textures

Has certain mannerisms that could classify them under certain diagnosable human conditions or mental disorders (which they technically aren’t; the diagnoses are worded for us humans to better understand and relate to)

Cannot get sick and doesn’t need to eat or breathe, but can pretend to

Has eyelids, lips, tongue, and movable facial features to emote better

Acts sleepy or drunk when low on battery, and genuinely feels like that

Has a simulated heartbeat and breathing

Waterproof

Multipurpose

Perfectly capable of obtaining a PHD

Seems to have built-in tools for almost anything, mostly for human health and first aid purposes

Might need some recovery time after P&S visits, similar to pain after human surgery (tight screws, rearranged wires, etc)

More capable of fighting viruses and defending themself and others

Low Tech

Basically a stereotypical cartoon robot

Still sentient and can learn, but still operates mostly on programming

Still have the basic qualities of Sun and Moon’s original personalities (cheery and loud; calm and quiet)

States what they’re doing out loud (processing, downloading, initiating protocol, etc.)

States warnings and errors out loud (low battery, update failed, null object reference, ERROR!!)

Static smile

Uses prerecorded lines often; new lines sometimes sound broken like AI or TTS

Might not understand certain topics

Might mishear you

Sometimes treats other everyday machinery like they are alive, mostly holding grudges, fearing them, or being jealous of them

Cares much more about the feelings of others than their own

Less capable of fighting viruses or preventing other unwanted actions towards them

Whores

Aimed towards the more mature side of the fandom

Bastards / smug / absolute sluts (affectionate or derogatory, whatever you feel lol)

Wear suits, ties, suspenders… fancy stuff

Shirts are often only partially buttoned, ties loose or just draping over

Also may wear feminine clothing, depending on the type of storyline

Can drink and smoke somehow

More laid back and flirtatious

Occasionally / casually threatening

Might have cool hats

Sometimes have guns / some kind of weapon

AWOOGA

Often involves suggestive implications

Call you nicknames you probably love but your Y/N often hates

Plot involving high stakes and serious danger

Simp material

We are attracted to any red flag they may have /hj

Animalistic

Sun

Dog

A big dog who thinks he’s a lap dog

Probably fell in love with you immediately

Separation anxiety / abandonment issues

Loyal; will always wait for you no matter what

Whines if you’re gone for too long :(

Misses you sooo much

Begs a lot

Head tilts

Extremely attentive, affectionate and excitable

Might tackle you

Loves playfighting

Always weak to praise and cuddles

Is a good boy, the best boy

Full of energy; loves to play

Rays fold backwards / retract when guilty, angry, or defensive

More apologetic than really necessary

Would probably be very sorry if you called him bad, even if he did nothing wrong

Easily excited / distracted at particular things or favorite items

Highly possessive of favorite items

Hides his favorite items in random corners of your house

Gets the zoomies (and may or may not accidentally break something from jumping over / running into furniture and stuff)

Very aware of people

Likes to sunbathe

Got muddy and needs a bath .. again

Has stim toys, many of them squeaky

Doesn’t sit on the couch right

Wants to protect you

Loves the outdoors and going for walkies

Always sleeps on your bed / somewhere in the same room

Wakes you with a complete ONSLAUGHT of smooches

Moon

Cat

First meeting was likely him hunting and pouncing at you

Still likes to stalk and prowl for fun / as a game

Likes to rest in elevated places, including the top of your fridge

Loafs

Hisses

Interested in silly / shiny little trinkets

Gremlin; knocks your stuff down on purpose and runs away

Has claws, could be retractable

Eyes dilate / shrink

Might flinch when touched, but still leans into it if he wants the attention

Slinks away from touch when distracted by something else

Likes to fall asleep on you; you can’t move (he is aware of this)

Likes laser pointers and dangly thingies

Enjoys sneaking up on you

Purrs (or has some robotic equivalent of purring, like whirring or broken music box)

Gets 3AM zoomies

Elegant s t r e t c h

Changes from bipedal to quadrupedal when he feels like it

Likes the window

Hates water, but likes to keep clean and tidy

Movements are fluid; he is liquid

Tries to fit into small spaces, twists his animatronic body to do so

Has favorite hiding places

Territorial

Hunts pests in your home if he’s bored.. might even bring them to you

Stares at you. Slow blinks. Affection.

Head bonks while sitting next to you

Lazy / sleepy bitch disease

Prefers to stay inside, but likes to explore occasionally and go for nighttime walkies

Always curls up beside you at night

You wake up to him kneading at you or rubbing his face on you

* DCA may have tails and / or beans

Brothers

Mostly tends to be a separate bodies view

Inseparable either way

Chaotic duo

Quite the opposite in a way they still have a close bond

Lots of playfighting

Sometimes actual fighting

Care a lot for each other, but have a sort of friendly rivalry

Never one without the other

Not afraid of speaking their mind plainly, to their benefit or detriment

Great teamwork on their better days

Immature pouting / silent treatment on their worse days

Do most everything together

Often competitive

Disagreements are most often more comedic than serious

Their fights are childish and silly; you can’t help but laugh

Sometimes complains about who the “big brother” is

Get into the silliest shenanigans; it’s trouble, but endearing all the same as they love having a story of adventure to tell

Know each other better than anyone else can

Look very closely after each other, especially when someone else gets close

Favorite colors are what the other wears most often / is themed after (Sun: blue; Moon: yellow)

Applies to their eye colors, especially if chosen by them for upgrades

While both are very different, both also exhibit certain behaviors that directly parallel / mirror the other

Lovers

(NOT brothers at the same time. Fuck off)

The most wholesome shit you’ve ever seen

Fluff, comfort, cuddles, words of affirmation… the dream

Tons of celestial nicknames, phrases, and metaphors

Very poetic; immerses you in calm, dreamlike scenery, like a storybook

Emotional support partners

Each often doesn’t take care of themself until the other notices and helps them

The cutest little dates (tea parties, art sessions, and sleepovers are common)

Still prone to angst, but has a happy ending

I hope

AUGHH

That is all for now; I hope you enjoyed!! If we have a continuation of this, I have category ideas, such as a Cartoonish DCA, a DCA with very very many features, Sun and Moon as enemies, or any other types of DCA you have in mind! Thanks for reading :D

[the-white-soul]

We've got some good thoughts already, aside from Sans. The only thing he's eager about is quitting. You can't blame him with how hard this all is, but we have to win this case despite that!

Let's see... During the war, we couldn't even manage to take one life while countless monsters died. They were also allowed to make these murders since it's a given of war, but all this means is monsters haven't manage to kill anyone until Asgore's seven souls. Humans are much more bloodthirsty, and most monsters could hardly even hurt humans if they tried. At the point when souls were taken, we were forced to do so just to live free from a barrier which was put in place for no real reason in the first place. Monsters were innocent for the longest time and beaten down on by humans for that one instance with the curious child who absorbed the soul of their already dead friend. The kid didn't even try to harm anyone with it, like Alphys said.

I'd like to say I should go as a witness as well since I also know asgore well and grew up in politics so I know how things work, but then again I didn't perform well last speech and I might ruin this again in addition to sparking some negative reactions just by showing me face.

Speaking of, d'you think people are going to try to take me for murder? Or would the police not care since that human was obviously an idiot? At least I hope it was obvious.

(Kara) "Honestly, I have no idea. How hasn't he been arrested? I'm happy about it but confused." (John) "While you are probably a criminal, you are a criminal of war, so…" (Dess) "It doesn't matter. We have great security." (Kara) "People spraypainted your house." (Dess) "They were protecting you. They are everywhere." (Kara) "Spies cost money." (Dess) "You want to know how we can afford everything? There's one monster who's so popular even some humans give him plenty of money." (Mettaton) "It's me, darlings! You can see why, can't you? I'm so glamorous it connects the world because everyone agrees I'm hot." (Kara) "Whatever pays. Now, one last question." (Dess) "What is it?" (Kara) "What will we do with the Anons?" (Dess) "I was about to ask the same thing."

(Kara) "How many problems can we handle? I feel like I'm about to explode. You can change your voice, as well. Great, now you could all be psychos. 'Hey Kara, did you have enough stress today? No? Well, let's make it so you want to pull out your hair and punch yourself so hard you'll be unconscious. Won't that be great?'Looks around and sees the monsters hiding behind a chair. Sorry, something slipped out. Now, how did you get here? Cause when one person gets in…"

(Kara) "Wait, Chara did this again?" (Dess) "Um, Kara? I don't mean to alarm you too much, but we're not hiding because of you." Kara turns around and sees Chara pop out. (Chara) "Howdy!" (Kara) "Oh shit!" (Chara) "Don't worry, I'm not here because of blood lust. Well, not now. Tee hee. I'm here because I thought a flower would've been my mailman, but he seems too afraid. Don't worry. I'll tell them. Winks. You see, I think you should take this more seriously." (Kara) "Why?" (Chara) "Oh, let's just say monsters will be free one way or another, whether it's by death or love. Most likely both. I guess you've met some of the anons. I thought about giving you a little fun because we all know how boring court dramas can be." (Dess) "Don't you want monsters having less discrimination? How does bringing more hate solve anything?" (Chara) "Well, if you can't handle a simple creature like an anon, you should give up! I promise you I'll make it quick." No one spoke. The wind could've gone 1 MPH, and everyone would've heard it. (Chara) "Okay! If you want a ridiculous trial, then who am I to judge? Good luck! Try not to die to the anons!"

[adamwatchesmovies]

Oppenheimer (2023)

Visually striking, magnificently performed and expertly written, Oppenheimer is the kind of movie that doesn’t really contain any twists but makes you feel like you need to see it more than once. This is a movie that sticks with you.

In 1954, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) attends a private hearing before a Personnel Security Board to dispute his clearances. As the man who helmed the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer feels personally responsible for the use of nuclear weapons. He seeks to limit their use and the development of future, more devastating weapons. As part of the hearing, Oppenheimer’s past is examined. Everything from his time studying experimental physics in Cambridge to his working relationships with famed physicists, his supposed communist ties and his many extra-marital affairs are laid bare.

The first thing to discuss is the picture’s running time. Oppenheimer clocks in at about 3 hours if you include the credits. That’s a lot but only in the sense that you probably shouldn't start watching it at 10:30 pm. In practice, it doesn’t feel long; not at all. In fact, the extended running time is one of the reasons why this film is so successful. There are A LOT of people to keep track of. We meet Albert Einstein, Niel Bohr and other physicists you haven’t heard of. More relevant to Oppenheimer's personal life is his second wife, “Kitty” (Emily Blunt), the woman he has an affair with, Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), his brother, Frank (Dylan Arnold), the director of the Manhattan Project, Gn. Leslie Groves (Matt Damon), and the man who recruits him, Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.). If this movie was cramming everything in 90 minutes, you’d struggle to remember who’s who, what are they doing and why.

Having that extra bit of time to process everything is a blessing. Those extra minutes also allow director Christopher Nolan (who co-wrote the screenplay with Emma Thomas and Charles Roven) to show us what makes Oppenheimer tick. There’s an immensity to the picture. We understand the destruction these weapons are capable of and the responsibility that accompanies them because we saw how big a project it was, how long it took and how worried the people were during their development. The secrecy, the uncertainty, how it consumed the lives of those involved. We understand the magnitude of what Oppenheimer and his team unleashed when no one else seems to.

One of my favorite things about biographical films is that they teach you about people. Specifically, they teach you to love some and hate others. Well, maybe that says more about me than about the movies. During Oppenheimer, you’ll develop a love-hate relationship with many people. On the one hand, Oppenheimer is so mature in his handling of the nuclear equation. In other aspects of his life, he’s so irresponsible he threatens to doom us all. Why can’t he stop cheating on his wife? Why can’t he understand that associating himself with communists puts him and his work at risk, regardless of how little he actually believes in the political system’s merit? The one you’ll develop the strongest feelings for is undoubtedly Lewis Strauss, but he’s in the movie a lot. You might excuse him as a… complicated person.

Pairing the pink-infused Barbie with Oppenheimer, preferably as a "Barbenheimer" double-feature (two 5-star movies in my book) is fun and begs an important question: which do you watch first? I saw both, back to back. The funny thing is that in some ways, they're not as different as they'd seem. Both, for instance, contain surreal fantasy sequences that allow us to peer into the protagonist's mind and ask big questions about where their titular characters belong in our world, how they affect(ed) it and what we, as audiences, can learn from that. The main difference is that Barbie is often funny and uplifting, while Oppenheimer is somber and heavy. That might make you lean towards the doll movie second, as a way to leave the theater feeling good, but honestly, you can't go wrong with the reverse order either. While Oppenheimer can feel overwhelming, teetering towards the depressing, it's also so well made, so powerfully acted and so grandiose of an experience that ultimately, it makes you feel good to have witnessed it. See them both. See them more than once - just don't start your marathon at 10:30 pm. (August 11, 2023)

[ryanhamiltonwalsh]

BILLY RUANE

The long awaited premiere of The Road to Ruane documentary is this weekend in Boston. Who was Billy Ruane? He was Boston's modern-rock-scene lunatic godfather, a trust-fund kid who decided to blow it all on his friends and artists, a ceaseless promoter of bands he loved, and a pure injection of uncut chaos in anyone's life that happened to cross paths with his.

We were one of the last bands Billy championed. He tracked us down, on tour, to a bar patio in Knoxville, TN. The club we were playing that night brought the cordless phone out to me and I was certain someone back home must be dead. Instead I heard this on the other end: "This is Billy Ruane. I need Hallelujah The Hills to play my birthday party at the Middle East." When I asked why he had tracked us down to a club in TN to ask *tonight* he said, "It couldn't wait. I love you guys. Just say yes."

I felt like I had just met Hunter S. Thompson's New England cousin. We did say yes and the lead up to the show featured all manner of wild, rambling emails sent to the entire lineup, alternating between excitement and admonishing us for not promoting it harder. The following day, an apology email: "i guess that night i went loopy."

Billy's whole rock-scene origin story began with a birthday party he threw himself at the Middle East, and this one would be his last. It was a wild, fun, emotionally charged night. The video here is from our performance, complete with one of several mid-set announcements from Billy. I enjoyed his unpredictable presence and was so honored he added us to the list of bands he thought were worth a damn in Boston.

After that night, he used to call me at work sometimes (no idea how he got the number) and talk for, like, an hour at a time. The calls were very different than the dancing, kissing, shouting Billy you saw at a show. The thoughts were still wild, but it was delivered in a calm, understated manner, like an AM talk show host or something. I would never initiate the end of the call. If he wanted to tell me more, I always let him keep going. If he couldn't attend one of our shows—sometimes it was for really weird reasons, like he heard rumors that someone he had a beef with would be in attendance—he would send a videographer so he could enjoy the show later at home.

Looking back at my inbox, I see we were emailing weeks before his death about doing another show he was putting together. He had a theme in mind: bands with strings in them.

The last time I saw him in person, he picked up a round of drinks at a Drug Rug show at the Museum of Fine Arts. His Billy-isms seemed especially so willfully in defiance of the accepted rules of society when placed in the context of a fancy art museum. I remember marveling that he knew my name, loved our band.

Hills performed at his memorial concert where, to everyone's absolute shock, his sister tossed some of his ashes onto the audience from the stage. Some people were visibly covered with Billy. One more sloppy kiss. I remember asking people next to me if that had actually just happened. I don't even remember performing that night, but I'll always remember Chris Brokaw's astounding electric guitar feedback tribute to his friend. I can still remember how centered I felt witnessing it.

For many, many years after, his ashes resided at the Middle East Upstairs. A few years ago, I realized that the photo to the left of his urn was him on stage with Hallelujah The Hills; that's me visible right behind him in plaid. All because I got a phone call in Knoxville one night. What a world.

The documentary, I have no doubt, will solidify his legend for music fans far outside of Boston. It can't lose. Just capture 1/10th of the stories, ya know? For instance, Billy once booked the Del Fuegos at Walpole Prison. Apparently, during the set, Billy started dancing in the aisle between the prisoners. Soon they all chanted, “David Bowie! David Bowie!” at him.

These are the kinds of beautiful, surreal tableaux we just don't get if everyone one of us colors within the lines. I'm so grateful Billy didn't even know there was a coloring book in front of him.

[mybeingthere]

Tim Maguire, born 1958 in Chertsey, UK, painter of huge cinematic flowers.

Maguire was raised in Melbourne and Sydney, moved to France in 1992, then Britain in 2002, and still calls Australia home.

Born in Surrey of Australian parents who were teaching in Britain, Maguire came to Melbourne as a baby. Influenced by his mother, who encouraged her children to play instruments and mix powder paints, Maguire's primary interest at Huntingtower School, Glen Waverley, was music.

But believing he wouldn't be good enough to be a solo performer, he spent years after graduating bumming around on the dole, "rebelling against my rigid family background, where the notion that God was all things good and that anything bad was regarded as a misconception".

"Like many youthful experiences, these issues have long since been resolved," he says.

The artist who paints for a living, plays sax in a band that recently supported Joe Cocker, adores golf and has a French farmhouse in the Loire Valley.

It was an accidental decision, when he was 21, to go to art school: "A friend was enrolling at East Sydney Technical College and I thought it might be fun."

During post-graduate studies he lost faith in the modernist values he'd initially embraced "because I had come to identify them with the religious values I'd rejected", and stopped using paint altogether.

Continue https://www.theage.com.au/.../tim-maguire-20051105-ge16a5...

"Tim Maguire’s signature flower paintings are no more about flowers than those of such earlier painters of the motif as Georgia O’Keeffe and Andy Warhol. It is a means to an end, as Maguire’s own remark makes clear: ‘If the flower paintings mean anything, it’s to do with the way they are made’.

Both the motif and the making process were developed during the late 1980s from Maguire’s series of landscape and abstract representations, together with his experience of working with the technical printing process of lithographic colour wash separation which led him to using pure glazes in his paintings, rather than opaque colour.

Maguire’s still-life flower paintings began in 1989 with his return to Australia and the birth of his son, after he had spent most of the later 1980s travelling and exhibiting in Europe and the United States. Birth, of course, reminds of its opposite, and an awareness of the fragility of life came early to Maguire, after a train accident that changed the presumed course of his life.3 The historical flower and still-life genre paintings of the seventeenth-century Dutch Golden Age promoted the mutability of existence through loaded imagery that served a larger symbolic and allegorical purpose. Such symbols of transience as flowers and fruit reminded the original Protestant viewers – in the then good times of Dutch affluence – of how the clock ticks, beauty fades and decay lurks.

The genre’s precise ordering of motifs and their careful spillage also provides a persuasive pictorial tension between order and disorder, the natural and the artificial, through an experience of abundant visuality. And it was this voluptuous visual presence of the historical flower pieces which drew in Maguire, who kept distant from their original symbolic meaning through his concentration on the painting process and its materiality.

By the time Maguire was back in Australia in 1989, he had come to realise that a painting’s formal qualities had to elucidate the meaning of the work, but also be analogous to it, and this became the content of his practice.5 For a short period he maintained contact with the Vanitas theme of the historical still-life genre by alluding to its favoured references in exhibition and painting titles, for instance Et in Arcadia Ego and Ex Niholo, Viva Breve (exhibitions of 1987 and 1990), Vita Fugax 1991 and Lapsus Memoriae 1989.

But by 1992, the flower paintings had become untitled and numbered, reducing any possible interpretation of personality in his paintings, which the historical still-lifes have in abundance. Nonetheless, Maguire’s early 1990s flower paintings have been described as ‘portraits’ of flowers and this painting of 1993 fits the description.6 This auspicious year Maguire won the Moët & Chandon Fellowship, which allowed him, with his family, to work that year in Champagne region of France. Bathed in a tawny, ‘uncanny’ light, overblown blossoms spill out of the picture plane and dissolve into the viewer’s space, insistently florid and improbably fecund. Critical commentary on Maguire’s paintings of this and previous periods, such as Tank 1986, Lux in Tenebris 1990 and Canal 1988-1992, includes some evocative reflections on a ‘light which is equally dark’, remarking on the way this light ‘disrupts space and focus, the pull it exerts on us, wanting us to be immersed in its phantasmic mutability’.