#they could make the most mediocre man think he runs the world

[shallanspren]

t.aylor sw.ift and bey.once should be feared more bc they both can put out such great music about the most mediocre men imaginable.

[sashaisready]

This Must Be The Place: Chapter 5 - I feel numb

Biker!Bucky x Femme Reader

Back at your beloved late grandmother's home to pack up her house, you have a run-in with the town's biker gang 'The Howling Commandos' and find yourself entangled with the metal armed President.

Series Masterlist

Warnings: Bucky is a dick in this one. Angst! Jealousy! Idiots who don't communicate!! But I’m loving Steve...He’s moving in a different direction than planned but I’m enjoying it.

Surprise chapter drop! This came outta nowhere lol. Thanks again for all your reblogs and comments, I truly can’t emphasise enough how much they mean to me.

You had whiplash after the kiss with Bucky in the office. It all happened so fast, so fast you didn’t even really think about it. Not that you needed to, your body thought and spoke for you. Every feeling you had for him was poured into that kiss. Every stolen glance, every secret second of pining. Kissing him felt like the most natural thing in the world. As if you were meant to be doing this. A tiny part of you had almost hoped that if you ever did manage to kiss him, that it would be bad…or worse - uneventful. Then maybe the mediocrity would snap you out of your infatuation and allow you to move forward, finally stop you crushing on a man who you knew would be no good for you.

Alas, no. It had only stoked the embers, the fire for him burning brighter than ever before.

That night you had driven home, Clint riding alongside you on his bike until you were safely behind the front door. That was sweet. You had insisted you were fine and apologised to him for the waste of gas, but he was nonplussed. A loyal soldier doing his duty.

You had laid awake in Granny’s old bed that night, wondering what exactly had led Bucky to make a move. Yes, there had been a bit of flirtation between you both, but you’d got the impression he was like that with women generally – especially if his interactions with Amber and co were anything to go by. You’d met many flirts in your time, and you knew better than to pin hopes and feelings on a bit of banter. Some flirts treated it like a sport, getting girls to fall for them with a few sweet words and well-timed winks just to see if they could. Others just did it to pass the time, enjoying the buzz of the exchanges but never really intending it to go further. You didn’t know which category Bucky fell into, but you were smart enough to keep your wits about you. Or at least try to...

He seemed genuinely shaken up by the incident with the customer, angry that he hadn’t been there to save the day and keep his employees out of harm’s way. Was he worried about you? Or was it a bit of a macho display to save face in front of the MC? Someone had caused trouble on his turf, after all. You didn’t know. Why had he even hired you? Did he like you, or were you just a bit of fun that he knew had an expiration date when you sold the house? Did he feel the same way you did, or just think you were a good time girl who would serve him beer and maybe let him into your pants for a few quickies after hours? You didn’t know. But a glimmer of optimism was blooming.

And just how far would the kiss have gone if Sam hadn’t interrupted? You definitely didn’t know that. All you knew was the dizzying feeling you’d felt when he’d kissed you…and just how down bad you were.

Ugh.

To your disappointment, and possibly helping to confirm where Bucky stood, you didn’t hear from him over the next few days. Only a cursory text from Steve to confirm your next shift. You weren’t sure what you expected, but making out with your boss in the back office wasn’t a regular work activity for you – you at least thought he’d text or something. But maybe that’s where you were going wrong. Maybe that was a typical Sunday night at the bar for him.

You pulled up into the parking lot of The Snake Pit on Wednesday evening to begin your shift. As you wandered in, various members of the MC greeted you and asked about your injuries. You smiled and amiably chatted back, reassuring them all was fine. Nat gave you a wave over by the jukebox before berating Sam about his song choice. Just another regular shift. If anyone knew about your little tryst with Bucky, nobody gave anything away to suggest it.

As you got to the bar, Steve was leaning across it and meticulously inspecting a CCTV camera he must’ve unscrewed from the ceiling. You said hi to Tom who was already working, his tongue sticking out of his mouth as he acknowledged you while very carefully cutting up some lemons.

“Still playing up, huh?” you asked Steve as you started putting clean glasses away.  

“Yep,” he replied without looking up. “I thought the connection was loose, but I can’t see any problems with it – so I think it’s something with the individual cameras”.

A couple of the cameras had been on the blink for a week or so, leaving surveillance blindspots in the bar. Bucky was very blasé about it all, but Steve was clearly nervous.

“Want me to call the repair guy?” you asked as you worked around him.

Steve grimaced. “Not yet…I’m just gonna have a play around and see if I can figure it out”.

You poured him a beer as he pulled a screwdriver from his pocket and began opening up the camera’s case.

“Thanks,” he mumbled as you placed the glass in front of him. He hadn’t looked up at you the whole time you’d been there. It would’ve bothered you when you first started here, but you knew now that was just how he was.

“How’s the arm?” he asked suddenly, his eyes still locked on the task in front of him.

“All good, thanks. Bandage was off the next day”.

“Good. And the head?”

“Also good. Just had a bit of a fetching goose egg on my head for a few days”.

“Eh, a look you pulled off, I’m sure”.

You smiled. Steve may have been a man of few words, but he did listen. He did care.

“And don’t worry about that guy. He wouldn’t dream of coming back here. Trust me”.

“Thanks, Steve”.

“Mmm. Y‘welcome” he muttered.

He went quiet again, and you knew that meant the conversation was finished for now so you continued working.

You were just re-stocking the bottle fridges when you realised you hadn’t seen Bucky around yet. You did a quick scan of the room when the front door suddenly flew open.

You couldn’t help the wave of nausea that rushed through as you watched Bucky sweep into the bar, Amber glued to his side as she giggled hysterically at whatever he’d just said. He’d never been that funny, you thought.

Some of the MC members called out to him and he hollered back. Amber was clinging to him, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He dashed by the bar and his eyes caught yours as he walked. He seemed to give you a double take as he stopped.

“You’re working tonight?” he asked, pointing at you accusingly. “I thought you were in tomorrow”.

“Well, hello to you too,” you mumbled back, a little grouchier than planned. But you couldn’t deny that you were expecting a warmer reception.

“I scheduled her,” Steve replied gruffly. “You know those guys from the manufacturing plant are in here Wednesday nights after their shift. We need all hands on deck”.

As if on cue, Tom stumbled behind you and nearly dropped the liquor bottles he was holding.

“Yeah. Guess you’re right,” Bucky replied unconvincingly.

“Buuuucky,” wailed Amber as she tugged on his kutte. “C’moooon…”

Bucky huffed. “Alright…”

He looked at you for a split second, but then they moved over to the other side of the bar. You finally exhaled. You felt stupid. What did you expect? He was going to sweep you up and continue kissing you in front of everyone? You hadn’t even heard from him. God, you thought you’d grown out of this type of thing. Your embarrassment curdled into anger.

As you seethed silently, Steve spoke up again. Well, it was more like a growl than anything as you couldn’t make out what he said.

“Sorry, what did you say?” you asked.

“I said,” and his blue eyes flickered to finally look at you, “Don’t believe everything you see”.

You frowned. “Cryptic…”

“You heard me”.

You watched as he turned and pointedly looked over at Bucky and Amber. Bucky was chatting away to Nat as Amber held onto his metal arm with a vice grip, holding court with the other girls. She was showing Bucky off like a prize.

You felt your face flush. Did…he know? Did Bucky tell him about what happened between the two of you? And what was he inferring about Bucky and Amber?

You went to question him further, but he slipped off the bar stool without another word, zipping off across the room to reattach the CCTV camera.

*

The shift was a particularly painful one. You had to stand and watch as Amber was all over Bucky like a bad rash. He wasn’t necessarily reciprocating her attention – moving through the group drinking, chatting, but equally he wasn’t shaking her off, either. He seemed perfectly happy to have an Amber-shaped appendage, occasionally giving her breadcrumbs in the form of a smile or a wink which she happily devoured. He hadn’t acknowledged you since his admission of surprise that you were here.

Ugh.

Fortunately for you, Steve’s prediction about the plant guys keeping things busy was entirely correct. You and Tom would have bursts of activity as the group all seemed to go in for another round at once, then moments of quiet as they guzzled their drinks back at the tables. You were grateful for the distraction.

The hours clicked by towards the end of the night, and you were tired. Tired of being on your feet all evening. Tired of picking up the slack for Tom. Tired of keeping up with the plant guys who seemed to have bottomless pits inside them that no amount of beer could fill. Tired of how embarrassed you felt by Bucky’s rejection. Tired, tired. Your tank was empty.

The bar had emptied out with only a few stragglers left alongside the MC, so you started cleaning up and closing. You were just stacking some dirty glasses when the high-pitched giggle cut through the air.

You and Tom both turned to see Amber sitting rather unashamedly in Bucky’s lap, giggling as she ran her finger across his chin. He looked back at her with amusement, grinning like a fool.

You squeezed the glass you were holding so tightly that it was a miracle it didn’t break. All the feelings you’d been suppressing suddenly bubbled up, your stomach a nauseating soup of fatigue and hurt. And some rage thrown in for good measure.

“Oh man, she’s so hot…” Tom practically drooled.

That didn’t help.

“I’m just gonna change the Bud barrel,” you muttered in reply, your voice monotonous.

You slipped out through the door behind the bar and quickly rushed down the stairs to the quiet basement where the barrels and stock were kept. Grateful for the privacy, you threw your hands flat against the concrete wall and bent your head towards the floor, exhaling. It took you a moment, but you managed to compose yourself. God, you were stupid.

You unhooked the old barrel and got to work replacing it with the new one, relieved to be doing something with your hands. You berated yourself for getting to this point. A brief make-out session with your boss was hardly a binding contract. It didn’t mean anything. Nothing. Bucky probably got up to more mayhem before 10am most weekdays with his little harem of women. You were just another skirt to him. Jesus. How silly you’d been. You realised maybe you’d let yourself to be caught up in this crush to distract yourself from your Granny and the house. And it was a welcome distraction. But here you were, hiding in the basement at your job and feeling like a high schooler whose crush had invited someone else to prom.

Enough.

You inhaled and finished the task, standing back up and wiping your hands on your jeans.

You straightened up your back and shook your limbs out as you climbed back up the stairs. Time to do what you did best. After all, the only way is through.

[armpirate]

Anti-romantic || JJk | Ch. 39

Pairings: Boxer!Jungkook x fem!reader || Enemies to lovers, neighbors

Genre: smut, angst, fluff, curse, illegal boxing, violence

Warnings: fuckboy!Jungkook x reader, smut, dirty talk, curse, mention of tarot and fate

Summary: Jungkook had always been carefree when it came to love. He always believed he was worth sharing himself with everyone, and thought it was selfish of him to ever think of keeping himself exclusive to just one person.

And maybe that was exactly what got him into the big problem he was in.

A curse that kept him away from love didn't seem an issue for him. The fact that his ex-girlfriend thought he'd be affected by the idea of the girls he slept with running away from him after sex was ridiculous. She actually did him a favor, and took a burden away from him.

At least that was what he thought at first.

He had never found himself thinking of the possibility of repeating with neither of his hook ups, because they disappeared before he was able to even think about it. But when he makes the mistake of sleeping with the sexy neighbor that lives in front of him, he finds himself hoping to get the chance for a second round every time their paths cross.

Y/n hated him the second he set foot inside the building by the way he started making her life a miserable mess for no reason. Sleeping with him was a big mistake she wasn't thinking of repeating. At least not until he came up with the excuse that she rejected him for a curse. Not only she thought he was annoying, but she was also convinced he was crazy. 

There was no way she could take him seriously.

Aprox. time of reading: 12 minutes

Previous || Next

MASTERLIST

Jungkook stood on one side of the huge abandoned complex, the roar of the underground crowd thundering around him as fighters warmed up near the ring. He clenched his fists, the weight of the situation sinking in as he stared at the concrete floor. He had come there with a plan -to infiltrate that fight for Y/n, to give her the breakthrough she needed for her article and the investigation into her brother's death. But now, as Elijah approached, everything seemed to slip out of control.

—I'm glad you finally came back to your senses —Elijah smirked, stopping just a few feet away—. As you might've seen, this type of fight will be a bit different to the ones you're used to —his gaze flicked toward the ring, where a fighter landed a vicious kick to his opponent's ribs, sending him crashing into the metal fence—. No boxing rules here, Jungkook. They've brought in the real killers tonight. MMA guys, trained to break bones, not just bruise faces. And, to be fair, the future of this.

—This isn't what we talked about —he quickly glanced back at the suited man in front of him—. They'll eat me alive in the first round.

—You've been playing with fire for so long, yet you draw the line at MMA fighters? —his eyes narrowed.

He thought that, maybe, he could play around long enough to catch Alessandro coming up and call the cops just in time, but Elijah made sure to erase that simple thought from his mind.

—You have one choice, Jungkook —his head tilted to the side—. Either you get that ass in that ring or your girlfriend will be paying all the consequences of testing Rossi's patience.

His surprised expression didn't need to stay there for long enough for Elijah to mock him for it.

—You should've known better than anyone that it isn't a good idea to go around asking for information, especially when it's one that can damage us —he let out some air out of his lungs—. And you better keep it up for, at least, two or three fights. You're the new thing here.

Jungkook's stomach tightened. He'd boxed his entire life, but mixed martial arts? That was a different world entirely. The fact that he was also expected to do more than one just fight had him looking back at the improvised ring with horror.

Those fighters were the most mediocre in their field, yet Jungkook knew he didn't stand a chance against them -strikes landing with sickening thuds and grappling that turned the opponents into ragdolls. He couldn't out-jab or out-dance his way around those men.

—I'll go through four fights if you want —Jungkook muttered, though his voice lacked its usual confidence—. But leave Y/n out of this —Elijah's smirk only widened, clearly enjoying his discomfort.

—We won't touch a single hair in her head —Elijah's eyes glinted with a fake promise—. I'm sure she'll back off once she sees what they'll do to your pretty face.

Jungkook's heart pounded -not from fear for himself, but from the thought of failing Y/n. He knew he didn't owe that fight to anyone but her. After everything, he couldn't just walk away. He had come here to make up for it, to be the one to give her the lead she had been chasing for so long. He needed to clean all the karma he had pending to be able to be with her, that was what the curse was about, that was what was expected from him.

He took a deep breath, his mind racing with memories of Y/n -her determination, her stubbornness, the fire in her eyes when she talked about finding justice. If she could risk everything for the truth, there was no way he could back out now.

—You won't ever get near her —Jungkook said, locking eyes with him—. If something happens to Y/n, I'll be the one to finish you all.

—Sure —Elijah shrugged and turned on his heel.

Inside the ring, the brutal exchange between fighters continued, the crowd feeding off every punch, every broken bone. Jungkook could feel the gravity of what was about to happen. His body tensed, but his mind sharpened. If there was one thing he had learned over the years, it was how to survive. That might not be his kind of fight, but he wasn't walking away because the rules had changed.

He took a step toward the ring, his thoughts drifting to Y/n. He had to do it -for her, for the truth, for the mess he had helped create. Even if it meant stepping into a fight he had no hope of winning.

The bell rang. Jungkook pulled on the bandages tighter around his hands, set his jaw, and climbed into the cage.

There was no turning back now.

Y/n's heart pounded in her chest as she parked the car in the shadow of the enormous, run-down complex. The rumble of engines and distant shouts spilled out into the night. Elia had overheard there was a big fight planned for that night, one where she could finally catch Alessandro Rossi in the act and nail down the final pieces of the puzzle about her brother's death. And Alan confirmed her suspicions with some of his insiders.

Beside her, Elia shifted nervously in the passenger seat.

—You don't have to come —Y/n assured her, knowing how difficult it could be for her to go back to a place like that.

Elia looked unsure when asked, her pupils shaking as she glanced toward the entrance, where guards stood like statues, watching every move.

—I want to —Elia replied, determination hardening her voice.

Y/n couldn't back down while being so close, and Elia wasn't going to let her do it alone. It was their chance, the moment they'd been waiting for. It didn't matter how dangerous it was -they needed answers, and they needed Noah's dead to be honored.

They slipped through the throng of people milling around the entrance, their heads down, avoiding eye contact as they made their way inside. The roar of the crowd hit them instantly, the overwhelming energy of the fight nearly taking Y/n's breath away. The place was a maze of bodies, the air thick with sweat, smoke, and tension. In the middle of it all, the cage loomed like a gladiator's arena.

Y/n pulled out her phone, feeling a sense of deja vu as she tried to hide it with her sleeve, snapping pictures of the crowd and the men surrounding the ring. The hosts -men in suits too clean for a place this grimy- watched from the sidelines, their faces lit up by the flashing lights of the ring. Her heart raced as she spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

Alessandro Rossi.

He was there, watching with a satisfied smirk as the fighters tore each other apart. And he wasn't alone. The police chief was there, cheering for one of the fighters, she could even spot some familiar faces related to the Town Hall of the city of Chicago.

—Scum —Elia whispered, eyes aimed at the same group of people Y/n was looking at.

She nodded and continued taking photos, moving closer to the ring without attracting attention. She focused her camera on the faces of the VIP crowd watching in awe how those people were risking their lives for their entertainment, capturing as much evidence as she could. Just a few more shots, and she would have enough to expose them all.

When she looked at the ring, she couldn't help but flinch at the way a kick flew to the tall man with black hair, forcing him to fall back to the ground, where he had been ever since she stepped inside the place and paid attention to the fight.

But then, something caught her eye. She went deaf as she tried to deny in her head what was evident in front of her. As much as Elia had tried to get her out of there, Y/n got away from her grip to walk among the people that kept pushing her back.

Her eyes locked onto a familiar tattoo, half-covered in blood. The romanic cross on the inside of his forearm was covered with the blood he had tried to clean up from his face. And when she was close enough, their eyes met.

Jungkook.

Her pulse stopped. He was in the ring -his face bruised, his chest heaving with labored breaths, his body barely able to stand as another opponent circled him. His arms hung low, blood dripping from a cut above his eye. She couldn't believe it. She didn't expect he'd ever be there.

—Jungkook? —she whispered, her voice barely audible over the chaos.

But it was definitely audible for him, who managed to lift his head only to look at a horrorized Y/n.

When he started the first fight, he didn't expect it to be as bad. He thought he'd be able to dodge the kicks, to move faster than the fighter in front of him, but it was as if he was predictable, as if his movements were able to be seen seconds before he made them. But he still insisted on going for the next fight after recovering for a few minutes after being knocked out. Getting strength from somewhere he didn't know, ignoring the pain on his torso and his face to go back for another fight.

After two fights, he was dealing with the third one, barely able to walk, barely able to go on. He couldn't even open his eyes, but he still managed to look at Y/n as soon as he heard her voice, just to confirm it wasn't a sound made up by his head.

—Y/n, we gotta go —Elia whispered, trying to break the connection their eyes built, holding tight on her arm.

Y/n's heart shattered as she watched Jungkook stagger back, struggling to stay upright after a brutal punch to the ribs. How had he ended up here? How had she not known this was what he was doing?

Her phone slipped from her fingers as she stared in horror, her mind racing. She had to do something, but she was frozen in place, her feet glued to the floor as her heart hammered in her chest. All the anger, all the frustration she had felt toward him over the past few days vanished, replaced by pure fear for him.

She kept shaking her head, trying to stop him from getting up, but his body moved automatically, before he was forced back on the floor after another kick landed on his face. Jungkook fell to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth. He tried to stand, but his body betrayed him.

Before Y/n's instincts could kick in, Elia pulled from her jacket to finally get her to move away from the ring, dragging her among the crowd with heavy steps. She followed her, she allowed her to take control of her body, she allowed Elia to do what she was sure Noah would've done in her place.

They were almost there, almost by the door, almost finishing that countercurrent path, but Y/n stopped again. She handed her the phone, and who was her brother's girlfriend noticed something in her eyes that she knew she'd regret.

—All the proofs are in my phone —Y/n let her know—. If they get you here, they'll make sure they disappear. And I'm sure the cops will delete all the evidence if they ever get it —her voice was shaky—. Drive far enough and call 911.

Elia couldn't stop her when Y/n ran back in the same direction everyone was walking in, heading back inside.

Before she could think, she was moving toward the ring, her mind a swirl of panic and desperation.

—Stop the fight! —she screamed, her voice drowned out by the deafening roar of the crowd.

Jungkook's eyes flickered toward her -just for a second- but it was enough. Their eyes met, and the pain in his expression was unmistakable.

—Please, stop —the panic was clear in her voice.

Jungkook stumbled back, barely able to keep his legs under him. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, each inhale sharp and painful. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, mixing with the sweat that poured down his face. His eyes were swollen shut, only slivers of dark lashes visible under the bruising that consumed his face. He couldn't see, couldn't hear over the roar of the crowd, and his body screamed in protest with every movement.

Another hit. His head snapped to the side, and his knees buckled, but somehow he stayed on his feet.

In the chaos, Y/n was hysterical, her voice hoarse from shouting as she pushed through the crowd, shoving past the onlookers that stood between her and the cage. She screamed, but her words were drowned out by the thunderous cheers of the crowd, who were too absorbed in the violence to care.

She reached the edge of the cage, her hands gripping the cold metal as she looked up at the men in charge, the ones standing smugly in their places as they watched Jungkook get beaten to a pulp. She pleaded with them, her voice cracking.

—Please! He can't go on! Call it off.

But they only glanced down at her with mocking smirks. One of them looked directly at her, a cruel smirk playing at the edges of his lips.

—Don't worry, sweetheart —Elijah said, his voice dripping with mockery—. It'll be over soon. But he signed up for this. Ain't no stopping it now —his eyes moved to Jungkook—. Deal with the consequences if you dare to give up.

Y/n's blood boiled. Her desperation turned into helpless fury as she turned back to the cage, pounding her fists against the metal. She was so close to hit him, but his hand was faster, gripping on her forearm tight as he remained her still in front of him.

—Please —she begged—. He'll die there.

—Well, seems like you're familiar with that.

Inside the cage, Jungkook swayed on his feet, his body unable to take much more. He tried to lift his arms, but they felt like lead. The world spun around him, a hazy blur of lights and noise. Every nerve in his body screamed for relief, for it to end, but he knew he couldn't give up. Not yet. Not while Y/n was there, her life was at risk more than ever.

Another blow landed -a sharp jab to his ribs that sent him crashing to the floor.

Y/n let out a strangled cry.

—Jungkook! —she managed to get rid of Elijah's grip, her hands clenched around the bars, her nails digging into the cold metal— Jungkook, please, don't stand up. Please.

The hopelessness hit her like a wave, and Y/n's legs wobbled. She couldn't get through to them. The crowd was a mindless mass, cheering for blood, oblivious to the life that was draining from the man in front of them.

And then, as if the world shifted in a single moment, there was a sudden commotion at the back of the complex. Shouts, followed by the unmistakable blare of sirens. The doors burst open, and police officers swarmed in, yelling commands and waving their guns as they rushed to break up the fight.

The room descended into chaos, yet her attention remained focused on one person.

The crowd scattered like ants, running in every direction to escape the raid. Even the fighter who was inside with Jungkook, getting his door opened by -probably- his trainer. She didn't care about the people that were getting arrested, who was or wasn't handcuffed, her eyes were locked on Jungkook, who was lying motionless on the floor of the ring, blood pooling beneath him.

She pushed past the metallic door, scrambling up to the edge of the cage as she opened it. She fell to her knees next to him, her hands trembling as she gently touched his bruised face.

—Jungkook, please, say something —she tried to run her hand through his hair to move his bangs back.

He stayed still, his chest moving weakly as he breathed, before he was moved to an ambulance by the paramedics. She wasn't going to let him fight alone, she wasn't going to leave his side, holding his hand tight through the drive.

—You're going to get well —she assured him—. I promise you will get well —she repeated—. I love you, please, stay with me.

He groaned, his swollen eyes barely fluttering open at the sound of her voice, at the meaning of her words. She sobbed in relief, brushing his hair back again from his sweaty forehead, while he still tried to speak.

Her fingers made a relaxing movement on his scalp, helping him accept the fact that he wouldn't be able to say out loud everything that was going through his head ever since she found out the truth about him.

Taglist: @jk97bam @ttanniett

[kaibutsushidousha]

What are some of the frequent character traits associated with Fujimaru throughout the story? If you could make a coherent character out of it, how would he turn out to be?

Fujimaru isn't a particularly complicated character, so I don't think any of the adaptations really fail to make them them. I'd say their most meaningful character traits are:

Fujimaru is not confident. No matter how far the journey goes, Fujimaru never loses that awareness that they aren't saving the world because they're the chosen one, they're saving the world because they're the last guy left. See how the Garden of Lost Will reveals that one of their deepest fear is being replaced by the "objectively superior" Kadoc, a mage wholly defined by being mediocre.

Fujimaru doesn't hold grudges. I know this is mainly a consequence of the gacha game format, but FGO builds itself very heavily on the message that today's enemy is tomorrow's ally, so Fujimaru's successes very often come as a consequence of welcoming any new teammate regardless of their past actions, either in life or in previous summons.

Fujimaru will unfailingly pretend to be okay, as a matter of stubborn pride. Getting shot? No big deal. Witnessing death multiple times, often being responsible for it? Sucks but they can tough it out. Getting poisoned? We should be worrying about Goredolf instead. The Lostbelt moral conundrums? Surely we'll find a satisfying solution if we continue running blindly. Death? Look, the bonfire man gave them candy! That's the main point where Arthuria Caster relates to Fujimaru. None of the actual horrors is worse than making someone worry. The cracks on Fujimaru only show when seen in the mirror that is Castoria or through their fixation on Olga Marie, the symbol of the first time things weren't okay.

But this part is asking for too much. I'm not reviewing the entirety of FGO combing for Fujimaru monologues. Rereading the nightmare sections and the Garden of Lost Will should give you all the writing material you might need.

[uptoolateart]

Hey, hey, hey - time for a Gabriel analysis!

So. After we learned that Gabriel Agreste wasn't his original name, my mind jumped to Andre Bourgeois, who also once had a different name. In keeping with the themes of the show, we are seeing that secret identities don't always come with masks and comic book names.

We had a hint of Gabriel's secret past in Psycomedian, when Harry visited and alluded to his Gabi days. How, oh how could the Gabriel Agreste we all know have ever been friends with someone like Harry Clown? This is only possible if he was once a different sort of person.

We had further clues in Gabriel's vision of the past, in the time burrow in Evolution - and in Emilie's video messages left for Nathalie, and the photographs of Gabriel, Emilie and Nathalie on some expedition, seen in Passion - and in Amelie's accusation that Gabriel has changed, in Emotion.

Adrien is also aware his father has changed with time, demonstrated when he tells Gabriel that Emilie once said they came from different backgrounds.

The photos shown in Revelation finally gave concrete evidence that Gabriel used to have an adventurous spirit and he used to smile. He was fun...but something changed...and I don't think it was just Emilie's death that caused the personality shift. Based on casual comments Adrien has made throughout the series, his father has been strange for years.

Gabriel tells Adrien that he and Kagami are 'of the same design' - and we know he means this literally. But taking it as a metaphor...for two seasons I've wondered what Emilie's parents were like. We can infer that she comes from a wealthy, 'important' family. Maybe Gabriel struggled to fit in and win the approval of his in-laws. Maybe he never felt good enough. When he tells Adrien things like, 'You're clinging to Marinette because her mediocrity lets you shine more,' perhaps someone once talked like that about him. With that kind of background, it would be unsurprising that he decided to try to forge a new identity.

And let's remember that Gabriel is a designer. His whole empire is founded on inventing personae. Even beyond the sentimonster aspect, he tells Marinette that he designed the image the world holds of his son. Everything is his invention. That speech in Pretension proved just how deep his God complex runs - he fully believes he has made the world in his image. Even the episode title - Pretension - smacks of the image he is presenting to the world in lieu of truth.

At this point, what we're seeing is a 'new money' stereotype - a self-made man who now spurns those who remind him of where he came from. It's one of the most shameful things about him. No matter how much fame and money you get...you can't forget your roots, people. Maybe that's easy for me to say because I'm not rich or famous. But I just can't imagine turning my back on my own origin story. It's what makes you who you are. Gabriel clearly didn't want to be that person anymore...and that's sad.

What's also fascinating is that, if we zoom in on those pictures Nathalie took in Revelation, we see that once upon a time, Gabriel - Gabi Grassette - was a punk. Let's take a moment to appreciate the spiked hair, makeup, leather jacket, ripped jeans, and dog collar - not to mention that smirk. And far from being ashamed of his work with Harry Clown as a human frites (who, by the way, reminds me so much of Mr Banana), he was smiling about it. Man, he loved it. Contrast that with Gabriel in Party Crasher - 'JOY.... What's going on in my HOUSE!?'

If it were at all possible for the old Gabi to meet Cat Noir, I can imagine him loving Cat's costume. On that note, I can't help but compare that dog collar with Cat's bell. I've said before that I see the bell as a symbol of Cat being domesticated and under control. Gabi probably saw his dog collar more as a rebellion, but maybe it too is a symbol of how he once felt controlled by someone.

The thing is...the punk movement was all about anti-establishment anti-authoritarianism. Today, Gabriel is the establishment he once rebelled against. It makes me think of John Lydon of the Sex Pistols turning Conservative and advertising butter. Musicians like Donovan - not a punk, but in a similar category, as a 1960s hippie - are rare for maintaining that same spirit all through their lives.

Gabriel is a 'sell-out'. He gave up that spirit and became someone unrecognisable. Those photos demonstrate that Emilie isn't the only body buried in a 'basement' in the Agreste mansion. There is a different person buried under the cold veneer that is Gabriel - a person Nathalie probably misses. I expect that's why she's stuck with him all this time, despite her better instincts. Something tells me Gabi would've made a better father.

The irony is that Adrien's moments of rebellion are probably one of the few things he has in common with his father, if we look far enough back in Gabriel's past. That, and their temper - and randomly breaking into eccentric dance and song. Gabi might have appreciated Adrien more for standing true to his principles. Maybe Adrien sometimes reminds Gabriel of himself and he can't stand it - can't stand thinking of what he's lost along the way.

I believe Gabriel exists in a perpetual state of regret. Part of him probably misses Gabi, too. After all, Gabi got Emilie. What has Gabriel got? Wealth, sure, but Emilie's dead, Adrien all but hates him, Nathalie's wasting away, and Gabriel himself has only weeks to live.

If you think about it, Gabriel's whole quest has been about getting a do-over. He wants a second chance with Emilie - a second chance for Nathalie - a second chance at his own life. He then tells Adrien that his greatest wish is to try to reconnect with him...because he knows he doesn't have much time left with his son. Even then, though, his selfishness prevails. (Psst, Gabi...you can't make up for years of terrible parenting with banana pancakes.)

Thinking of the snake miraculous, the second chance lets you know what's going to happen, enabling you to make better decisions the next time around. In other words: it's about learning from your mistakes. Gabriel never learns, and it is his refusal to accept destiny and his own human fallibility that is causing his disintegration.

The more Gabriel necrotises, the more we can see this as his 'sins' catching up with him. He doesn't seem to grasp that all the blackness devouring him is, in a way, the blackness of his own heart. Even if he erases the whole world, he can't erase his deeds. If he managed to get his Wish and bring Emilie back, she would be horrified. She'd wonder where her Gabi went.

Gabriel is proof that 'evolution' isn't always positive. He reinvented himself once, and now, because it didn't go the way he wanted, he's trying to reinvent things again. Tomoe also hints at a belief that the solution to her problems is to make the world anew - to get a second chance. Felix tries this, too, when he creates the red moon to wipe out all people except his select group.

But Felix does learn - Ladybug helps him see that even if you erase all the people causing you so much grief...you still have to deal with that pain. What Gabriel fails to see is that - like Cat Blanc on the roof, all alone without his lady - destroying your witnesses won't remove the witness in your own heart.

Even if Gabriel wiped everyone else's memory of his crimes, he would still know what he'd done. And when you cross those kinds of lines, you can never go back to who you once were.

Please no post-Revelation spoilers in the comments :)

[reikunrei]

It's Always the Dad

Yes, we have another installment of comparing Stranger Things and Doctor Who! Today we'll be going through:

Season 1, Episode 8: Father's Day

The general premise of this episode is Rose and the Doctor going back in time to the day her dad, Pete, was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Initially, she just wanted to be there for him during his passing, since he died alone with no one around. However, in a split-second decision, Rose runs out and pushes him out of the way, thus saving him. This causes a "wound" in time, as the Doctor puts it, which summons creatures called Reapers that start killing and "consuming" everything in the vicinity. It even makes the Tardis unusable, leaving them stranded with no way out and no clear method to fix things.

Immediately getting hit with the name Peter is soooo... even getting an Alan in there?? Anyway.

We open on a flashback of Rose as a young child talking to her mother, Jackie, about Pete. Jackie mentions that how, when he died, "I only wish there'd been someone there for him." Now Rose, in the present day, talks to the Doctor about how she wishes she could be that someone, and asks if he could take her to him. He agrees, but when the moment comes, Rose freezes up and Pete dies before she can go comfort him.

She asks if she can try again, but the Doctor warns her that they have to be very careful this time. He says it's dangerous having two sets of them there at the same time, though he doesn't elaborate further than that, instead simply warning her that, while she doesn't "have to do anything [she] [doesn't] want to," this is the last chance they'll have, as they won't be able to come back a third time without it getting risky.

However, overcome with the sudden understanding that she could save her dad, Rose runs out before Pete's been hit by the car, exposing herself to the past versions of Rose and the Doctor, and shoves him out of the way as the car peels off around the corner. The past Rose and Doctor disappear and Rose introduces herself to Pete, who notes how it's a "coincidence," seeing as she shares a name with his baby daughter.

Blurting out that she knows of the wedding Pete was on his way to, she goes with the Doctor and Pete back to his apartment to finish getting ready. We then get an overhead shot, shrouded in red, of the city from the eyes of an unseen creature.

Obviously, what Rose did was bad. Really bad. But we have yet to see the full damage, and first get this exchange between her and the Doctor at Pete's apartment.

Rose protests, saying that now her dad is alive, that what she did was a good thing, but the Doctor counters with the fact that his entire race of people is dead and "Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?" Rose further argues, saying that it's not like she "changed history" in a meaningful way.

Obviously this jumps out in conjunction with Vecna's "he was an ordinary, mediocre man" comment about Brenner. The idea of Pete being important because he's ordinary will come up again later in this episode, and it's something I've spoken of before in some of my prior DW posts.

This concept is present in Stranger Things, and, notably, for the most part, it is presented as a very good thing. It's often highlighted that our protagonists are underdogs and outcasts, specifically people who, while on the fringes, are still very ordinary. They're messy, they're imperfect, and characters like El, who are extraordinary, have a desire to become ordinary, or at the very least to just fit in and live as normal a life they can lead. Characters like El and Henry and the other lab kids are put on pedestals for their abilities, but we're shown time and again that it's really not all it's cracked up to be, especially if they want to be able to exist out in the world and be loved for who they are, not for what they can offer.

This does then, however, quite neatly lead me back around to Brenner. Our protagonists are shown to be ordinary, but so are our antagonists. Everyone in Stranger Things is just someone, and that means everyone. No one character is any more "special" than another, and that's a core facet of the entire show. And again, I mean everyone. Even the bad guys. Even Vecna. They are all ordinary.

Thus, our "good guys" and our "bad guys" are put in the same camp. They're equated to one another. Therefore, one can't simply be cast aside, because doing so entirely undermines the other and strips the story of one of its load-bearing columns.

When it comes to Brenner, as I spoke about in this post analyzing another episode, this idea leads me to believe that we're meant to deeply humanize Brenner. Brenner is said to be seeking out greatness in others in order to uplift himself, in order to make himself extraordinary, and while Vecna makes his "...ordinary, mediocre..." statement as a means to knock Brenner out at the knees, I believe it's also meant as a way to ground him in with all the other characters in the show. If our "big bad," the guy who created the Child Torture Basement, is "ordinary," then what does that make the rest of us? Certainly not worse than him, but not better either.

Moving back to the DW episode, the spat between the Doctor and Rose continues, and we get this gem of a back-and-forth that (combined with the last screenshot in the previous collage) reads very much like the byler rain fight scene and thus also the brennry argument in TFS (which you can see side-by-side comparisons of here from @henrysglock).

Even with the pseudo-"you'll come crawling back" line? Please.

So, the Doctor storms off, leaving Rose with Pete, who tries to comfort her about her "boyfriend" walking out on her.

Tell me I don't need to get into detail with this. Even the stuff with the loony bin? Come on, now... Even the little comment about the Bermuda Triangle, which is something @aemiron-main has cooking up in a post somewhere/has spoken about it personally with me in the past... wrow.

Then we cut to the church where the aforementioned wedding is taking place, where multiple people comment that so many guests are "missing." In a prior scene, we got more of those red overhead shots followed by people in the city being snatched up by our unseen danger. The groom's father jokes with the groom about how it's not too late for him to back out.

Of course we combine time being weird with it getting cold and a “turn back the clock” line… sure.

While driving to the wedding, Pete asks Rose how she knows Jackie, and Rose says that Jackie, when talking about Pete, says she "picked the most wonderful man in the world." Pete scoffs at this, saying, "Must be a different Jackie, then. She'd never say that." This is something Rose finds odd, but I'll talk about it more in-depth and my thoughts on it later.

They're interrupted by the radio suddenly changing channels, which begins playing a rap song that Rose recognizes as having not been released yet in 1987. She pulls out her cell phone to check her messages and presumably call the Doctor, but all she gets is a repeated voice saying, "Watson, come here. I need you." Then, the car that almost ran Pete over earlier appears in the rear view mirror before disappearing.

Pete and Rose pull up at the chapel, and, again, the car appears out of nowhere and nearly runs into them.

Then Jackie comes over and immediately begins a row with Pete while Rose just gawks. The following screenshots are a collection rather than the shot-for-shot, line-by-line progression because... boy she has words.

Jackie has always been fiery and hot-headed, so this isn't exactly out of character for her, but Rose is shocked by the fact that they're fighting so terribly when all Jackie ever told her growing up was that Pete was wonderful and they were happy. Briefly after this, Rose does see them sort of "make up" and have a firm but more civil conversation about Jackie being upset about their instability and Pete promising things will get better, but even after that, she's still very short with him and insults him repeatedly.

While, obviously, it's not the same situation, it made me think of what 001 partially monologues about in 4.07, wherein he complains that while his family put on this happy, perfect image, it was all a veneer to hide how dysfunctional they really were. In DW, Jackie, after his death, spoke highly of Pete, possibly so Rose wouldn't think poorly of him (though, knowing Jackie, I'd say it was also partially to soothe herself lol). When Rose was at their apartment, she saw all of his awards and accolades on display while, in the modern day, they're all boxed up and tucked away. Rose commented on all of Pete's entrepreneurial goods scattered around the house, and though Jackie spoke exasperatedly of it all, it's framed very much as a fond exasperation. Meanwhile, in this chapel scene, it's clear that Jackie vehemently hates it.

I still need to do some exploring through more episodes of DW, but I have a little hunch that aspects of Rose's character and arcs may have been at least partial inspiration for the Creels and Henry specifically, so seeing this family dysfunction crop up had my radar beeping a little faster.

We then get a brief scene of several children at a nearby playground being snatched up one at a time by our red-tinted villains, and one boy races around to the church shouting about monsters "going to eat us!" and one of the other wedding guests asks, "What sort of monsters, sweetheart? Is it aliens?" and several of the adults laugh. Okay.

At this point, we've also been made aware that the Tardis is out of service. The Doctor, after having left Rose at the apartment, finds that the Tardis is empty, just looking like a normal police call box on the inside. He races back to where Rose is (he goes crawling back!), finding her at the church and yelling for her to get inside as we get a first look at our monsters.

They're giant bat-like creatures, of course, because what else would they be, that swoop down and consume several guests (including the pastor) on the outer steps of the church while everyone else races inside to safety.

Rose, babygirl, quit saying Henry words.

The Doctor is also given the groom's father's cell phone, which is also receiving that "Watson, come here. I need you" interference. The Doctor excitedly says that that's "the very first phone call" from Alexander Graham Bell. I'm sure you picked up on it when I mentioned it before, but evidently with this "wound" in time, we're getting a "bleeding" effect where time is sort of overlapping. The area is now unstable because of the way Rose interfered, so we're getting snippets from long before and after 1987.

This makes me think of all the stuff with anachronisms in ST, which has been spoken about heavily by Em and others, specifically in posts like this one irt TFS. This "bleeding" phenomenon is even present on-screen, specifically with the newspapers that Nancy and Robin read at the library, given that they see a newspaper with the name Edward Creel in it, yet they come to only verbally mention Henry. While we're not sure why this is happening in ST yet, as it's used here in DW, it's meant to be a hint toward an overlap/collapse in time and space. Therefore, who's to say it's not something similar, or at least some hint at general instability, in ST?

I also want to briefly highlight the religious undertones we get within this episode, due to the fact that the majority of it takes place inside the church. We already had that one shot I posted earlier of the groom and his father talking, in which we get a prolonged moment on the stained glass window depicting the crucifixion of Jesus followed by the comment of it being "cold." Here, now with everyone hiding inside, we get this shot of the shadow of one of the Reapers through the same window.

This happens several times through the episode across all the windows of the church, but this one is especially pointed and instantly makes me think of all of the TFS promo that heavily favored religious imagery, as well as the recent ST5 leaks showing that a church will definitely be involved, even with UD vines covering it (Creel exorcism, anyone?). To bring it even closer to the MF, these shots of the Reapers remind me of the MF looking through the gate as El closes it in ST2.

We even get a moment later where the Doctor stands behind the pulpit in order to explain their plan to get the Tardis back. That paired with Brenner's Time Lord imagery, and even Mr. Newby in TFS originally being listed as Father Newby, sure had me raising my eyebrows.

Pete and the Doctor have a brief moment while they're going around making sure all the windows and doors are locked, wherein the Doctor spots the disappearing-reappearing car that almost hit Pete going around the corner. Pete catches a glimpse, but when he asks the Doctor what it was, the Doctor says it was nothing to worry about and moves on.

Then we get one of my favorite moments.

This had me jumping for joy because of the Fringe of it all. Spoilers ahead, but, in Fringe, after Peter Bishop was wiped from the universe, he was returned only for the universe around him to not shift to accommodate his presence again. While he still had all of his past memories, even ones that he shared with Walter and Olivia, nobody else had any of those shared memories. He wasn't inserted back into their world retroactively, he was just placed in the present as-is. In the original universe, Olivia and Peter were in a romantic relationship, but that ceased to exist when he was wiped, yet she begins acting like they're in a relationship and being affectionate. When Peter asks why she's doing that, she says she doesn't really know why, just that she knows she loves him even if she has none of the memories to go with it.

Earlier in this DW episode, in the screenshots I posted above shortly after the Doctor leaves, Pete admits he feels he knows Rose from somewhere. Deep down, he knows he's her dad, but he just had to see it.

Given that Fringe is a huge inspiration for ST, I was so pleased to see this concept crop up here too. It reminds me a lot of what we see in the NINA arc in ST4, wherein El is dropped in front of 001 and seems to almost instantly trust him with her life. She doesn't remember what happened, but she seems to know that she loves him and he loves her, which feels further aided by her lashing out at him when he appears "off" to her. Hell, even her still trying to break through to Vecna points to the idea that she knows she loves the man (allegedly) in there, and perhaps even knows more about the truth of the situation than she remembers/than what Brenner has led her to believe. She's being presented with the worst possible image of this person, but part of her still hesitates in condemning him.

Now let's return again to our lovely idea of ordinary being best. The Doctor is approached by the bride and groom of the wedding, and the bride asks if he'll save them.

While these people are deemed "ordinary" and they think themselves "unimportant," the Doctor protests. They have their own individual, unique lives and experiences, ones that he, by virtue of who and what he is, will never get to experience. This is a big reason why the Doctor, across the entire history of the DW series, always comes back to Earth. He's fascinated by humans, which is something I've spoken about before. It's very reminiscent of Gandalf being smitten by Hobbits in LotR.

I've already spoken about how our main characters in ST are deemed "outcasts" and "freaks," and while those monikers feel inherently at odds with the "ordinary" label I slapped on them earlier, the whole point of our main cast is that they're representative of “the everyman,” and they’re meant to be generally sympathetic to everyone in the audience. We're even shown the "ordinary" characters being anything but that (specifically thinking of Karen and how Nancy talks about her in ST1 compared to their conversation in ST3; and Jason being the "perfect boy" before he snaps and loses his head entirely; and, of course, the Creel family seeming picture-perfect before revealing in TFS that Virginia really was Like That with Henry). Point is, there's the "ordinary" we're told, and then the true "ordinary" we're shown.

The "ordinary", or "normal" as it's often dubbed in ST, we're told about it always a facade of some kind, and in fact almost everyone in ST is un-ordinary beneath the surface or due to varying circumstances. In short, this is an extremely long-winded way of, again, saying that there isn't really any "ordinary vs freaks," because everyone is on the same playing field.

So for just one second I want to be That Bitch and talk about how this made me think of the comparisons between Henry and Will, and the common fanon idea of bringing Will "up" to "Henry"'s "level" of supposed greatness by giving him world-altering powers. While I don't doubt that Will has some kind of ability that will aid them, especially given that he can still sense the Shadow when he's back in proximity of it, I find it quite a stretch to believe that he'll be given powers akin or adjacent to what El or Henry have.

While El often falls back on her powers to help/defend herself and others, we also see her crave a "normal" life and claim she "doesn't belong" because she's different (read: has/had powers and lived a wholly different life from her peers because of it). It's something that's heavily emphasized with Henry in TFS as well, with him claiming he's not "normal" and that something is wrong with him because of his affliction with the Shadow and his newfound powers he has yet to understand or control. His entire life has been turned upside down (ha ha), and flashes of medical reports in the play outline that he was a "normal" boy before his flaying in the (alleged) Nevada cave. Overall, the powers are framed as something undesirable that makes life harder than it already is for them.

Obviously everyone knows that Will's homosexuality and El's powers are meant to sort of parallel each other in this sense. And thus, I can kind of see the argument that, if he had powers of his own, this could be a way to tie it together. If he had powers of some kind, they could be another literal representation of his queerness or otherness that needs to be "accepted." However, I find that, to put it bluntly, completely pointless. Him being gay already represents him being gay. It feels demeaning to his arc to give him a proxy to accept himself through rather than just accepting himself... for himself.

Besides, we already have El grappling with the powers aspect on her own in her "am I the monster or the superhero?" struggle. She already has that whole idea covered, so why does Will need to take it from her? Why does he have to accept it first before she does?

Rather, as I've been discussing, I believe it's because Will is "ordinary" (read: doesn't have powers) that he'll be of greater help toward fixing things. He, along with El, very closely parallel Henry's life experiences, with El paralleling his time in the lab and Will paralleling his time outside of it/prior to it (which is something James has spoken of in the past, though I cannot find a post about it !!). However, it's less about them being the same and more about highlighting how they're different.

- Will's family stuck by his side and tried to help him while Henry's tossed him to the dogs. - Will had his life saved and the Shadow removed while Henry was left to fester with it for months, at the very least. - Will had a group of friends willing to give him the benefit of the doubt/help him when he was flayed while Henry never had someone listen to his side of the story, instead choosing to believe he really did everything of his own volition.

Therefore, it feels extremely logical to me to assume that Will would be left without profound powers like the ones Henry gained (which, for the record, we still don't know how he got). They're not meant to match each other beat for beat, but, as people, they're meant to highlight a disparity within society and what circumstances can do to a person. They share experiences, but they don't share outcomes.

I can't say all of this with complete confidence, obviously, as the Duffers haven't given us all the answers yet, but i feel very confident in my agreement with James, as I stated before, that El is meant to closely parallel Henry as a lab-kid and someone with powers, while Will is meant to closely parallel Henry pre-flaying and who he is without powers.

In short: having nothing "special" going on (aka not being a Time Lord or having psychic abilities) is not a detraction and, in fact, just being who you are is what makes someone exceptionally important.

Back to the episode!

The Doctor, in a moment of reprieve while he's trying to think of how to get everyone out of there, is tasked with keeping an eye on baby!Rose. Adult!Rose approaches, but the Doctor physically prevents her from touching her infant self. Doing so would cause a paradox, since they're the same person, and any further disturbance in time might make the Reapers strong enough to break into the church.

At this point, the Doctor is still miffed at Rose for having unintentionally caused all of this, and we get a fun moment where she snaps at him that she's "not stupid" and he responds with "could've fooled me." Hey, Russell T. Davies called, he wants his ST2 El and Hopper arguments back.

Ultimately, Rose apologizes, because she does feel guilty for causing this, and then the Doctor holds her face and hugs her... in the same way Pete just did not long ago but hey we don't need to unpack her love interest acting like her dad right now that's fine-

At this point, Pete still doesn't know he's supposed to have died, so he asks Rose if he and Jackie are still together in the future and if he's a good dad. Rose spins a tale that he read her a bedtime story every night and they all went out for a picnic every Saturday; that he was always someone she could really rely on. All Pete responds with is "That's not me."

I discussed this earlier, but while this does remind me of the whole "facade" thing we have going on in ST, it reminds me too of the idea of alternate selves and different timelines. Which, in the case of DW, I swear is not a stretch because later in season 2, Rose and the Doctor go to a parallel universe where they meet the Pete from that world, who didn't die, and ultimately becomes a great father figure to Rose.

Eventually, Pete figures out that he's meant to be dead. He sees the disappearing-reappearing car going in its loop around the corner, recognizing it as the one that almost ran him over, and on top of the weird way Rose has been acting with his questions and the cryptic way the Doctor keeps talking about how "the thing [Rose] changed will stay changed" (wow, cool TFS word), he finally puts the pieces together.

At this point, Jackie finally overhears Pete call himself Rose's dad, which they'd since been keeping a secret, and we get... uh

Sorry, this one really just made me laugh. Don't mention the lab child breeding program, it's fine.

She even balks at him calling her Rose, asking if he "calls them all Rose," because she assumes Rose is an affair partner and is disgusted that he'd give his own daughter a "second-hand name" from his mistress. I can't even get into this, I just have to move on.

Pete, in his attempt to get her to understand that they're the same Rose, makes to hand baby!Rose to adult!Rose. Too late for Rose or the Doctor to stop it, they touch, and the paradox gives one of the Reapers enough strength to make its way into the church. The Doctor puts himself between the Reaper and the rest of the people, saying that he's "the oldest thing in here" and thus just what the Reaper would want most. It consumes him and disappears, and Rose cries that he's dead and the whole world is over because of her.

Pete, however, realizes what he's meant to do. He tells Rose that he's going to sacrifice himself and complete what was meant to be completed. He even convinces Jackie that Rose is their daughter, and the three of them have an incredibly somber moment.

My leaking tear ducts aside, the "extra hours" reminded me of some weird language that comes up in TFS, specifically something Brenner says to Henry about his "missing hours." Pete gets extra hours outside of "real hours," hours that were never meant to happen, like how Henry may have “lost hours” without actually losing time, if that makes sense. It even makes me think about NINA and how 001 very well be sentient in there, at least to some degree, and therefore would he feel like interacting with El in there was like getting "extra hours" with his daughter?

James has also spoken to me about how time moves strangely in TFS, and not even in the sense that "it's a play and that's just sort of how the transitions within that medium work." Specifically, he's pointed out how the days and scenes bleed into each other in ways like Henry's skipping around hours (which, coincidentally, is similar to a phenomenon that occurs in another DW episode I've spoken about). A really obvious example is Henry in the attic scene in which "he" kills Prancer, wherein it should be at night/before bed. However, when he comes out of it, Virginia is knocking on the attic door telling him it's 9:45 and they need to go to church. Henry even squeaks "in the morning!?", just as shocked as we are to learn an entire night has passed in such a brief sequence of events.

Also I don't have any real commentary on the rest of it other than I would Die if we get a similar exchange between Victor and Henry, or Henry and El, or something. Pretty please. Something something you have to be your dad, but for good. Something something doing everything they can to save their children.

With no other feasible plan, Pete leaves the church and rushes to the street corner, where he steps out in front of the car and allows himself to be hit. This time, Rose does go to him, and holds his hand as he passes. As soon as he dies, the Reapers vanish, time stops going wonky, and everyone who'd been consumed is returned, Doctor included.

Now, we get another flashback like the start of the episode, with Jackie talking to kid Rose, but this time the story of Pete has slightly changed. Jackie says that the guy who hit him was just a kid, it wasn't his fault, because Pete just stepped out into the road. Jackie even mentions a "girl" who stayed with Pete until he died, and then she just... was gone, and they never found out who she was.

Oh yeah btw peep that date lol lmao.

This I thought was really interesting. Sometimes the trope of “history has to say the same” can become boring and predictable when there’s no way around a specific outcome. However, when it’s done well, it’s done well. I don’t think this is one of the best ever examples of this, but I did find it very intriguing that, while the same outcome occurred (Pete was killed), the situation surrounding it has been slightly recontextualized.

Where Jackie once lied (strong word, but you get the point) that Pete was the most wonderful man in the world, now he really was the most wonderful man in the world because he decided to correct the error that was made and save the world by sacrificing himself. It should be noted that, iirc, no one remembers what actually happened because Pete essentially just reset the timeline to where it’s supposed to be.

It’s something I could very easily see occurring, at least in a symbolic sense, in ST, especially what with the truth of Henry’s situation being so murky. Even if it’s without an attempt to “change” things, simply the act of looking at what happened through a different lens can make everything click into place.

Now I just want to wrap this up with some final odds and ends of what various parts of this episode reminded me of irt ST that I haven’t touched on yet.

At the start of the episode, we learn that Rose’s motive for visiting her dad on the day of his death is so she can simply be someone who’s there for him when he passes; she doesn’t want him to be alone. The concept of loneliness is not unfamiliar to ST, and it’s especially on the nose with Henry and Patty in TFS, and comes up fairly frequently with characters like Will, Mike, and El on-screen. We see it in scripts for ST4 with Brenner, and we get it in ST1 with Joyce berating Jonathan for doing things alone. It all comes back to community and support. Being with someone to curb their loneliness can make all the difference, especially when it’s genuine. Especially especially when someone is going through something scary and otherworldly.

And that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Being there for each other, even in our worst moments?

This isn’t a form of compassion that’s exclusive to “the good guys” either. As I said above, the plague of loneliness even affects Brenner, and even a character like Vecna, who’s been trapped alone in the UD for years, probably just needs a good shoulder to lean on for once.

Henry, as per TFS, didn’t really have anyone. We’re told about a boy (or two) in Nevada who very likely was close to him, but he’s otherwise very reclusive from his family (at least post-flaying). When he meets Patty, he latches on the moment he finds her compatible and, despite her mistreatment of him, he doesn’t let go. He’s finally not alone anymore, and even if it resulted in disaster, he wanted it to work. There were just too many outside forces at play convoluting things. All he needed was someone to be there for him with genuine intentions, and I believe that’s something he will receive, come ST5.

I also want to touch on Rose having to “try again” at the start of the episode. I don’t have too much to say about this, but it did make me think of James’s theories irt Henward possibly having turned back the clock in order to save himself. Something about going into it with neutral-to-good intentions, only for something to go wrong and bring it all crashing down. Not that we know for certain if that’s what’s going on with Henry, but there’s something in the continuous tragedy of his life and the earnest attempt at making things better, only for it to go much, much worse, and having to return to the un-ideal square one.

It doesn’t even have to just be about Henry doing it to himself. Someone else might be sticking themselves in, toying with timelines, in an attempt to help Henry, only for other, unknown forces to muck it all up. But now we’re getting a bit into James’s territory, so you can just chew on that concept a bit. The last thing I’ll say on it is I did find Rose seeking out her dad reminiscent of TFS Brenner seeking out answers to his father’s experience in Dimension X, but alas, I’m running out of steam.

Exploring this DW episode wasn’t much anything new, but I found it very satisfying to see even more concepts confirmed and expanded upon that I’ve spoken about in my other posts, as well as touching on ideas that my friends have talked about before. Overall, I’ve reached the conclusion that I need to explore more of Rose’s episodes and see what’s up lol. There's even more within this episode I could pull on further, but a lot of it is just pointing at the words that are said and going "that's the words!!! the words from the show!!!" so. Sort of an "iykyk" situation atp. But! Lots to chew on, and likely more to come in the future!

[vergess]

so whats it like to have dune rule your life in the most bizarre of ways (also is the book actually good i've been contemplating reading it)

I can never escape the oppressive cycle I was set upon by my parents, and what is that if not the nature of House Atreides

Fuck no, it's a terrible fucking book, I get that it was the 1960s so we all had to settle for mediocre white scifi because that's the nature of the market when mediocre white men run the publishing industry and no alternatives yet exist for distribution. But holy mother of fuck, I feel like we could have done better than fucking Dune, Frank.

Now, to be fair and balanced, I actually hate these fucking books for personal reasons unrelated to my name; they were a specific source of racist torments when I was in school. This is technically not the fault of the books.

But oh my fucking god, even the people who love the books and swear up and down that just because the white boy comes and saves all of the oppressed brown people with the magical blue eyes, it's totes not a White Saviour Narrative, you guys. It's a deconstruction, you guys!!!!!

Yeah, buddy, and Madoka Magica isn't a Magical Girl anime either, right?

And literally, I don't even disagree with the points that article is making, I just disagree with the unhinged conclusion that this makes it "not a white saviour narrative."

Buddy, it very much is a white saviour narrative. It's the story of a Great Man(tm) who just so happens, totally coincidentally, to be fucking white and western.

The argument, btw, is that the Fremen (the brown people he saves) are actually taking advantage of him, because he just so happens to match up well enough with a mythological figure (that white people mystically inserted into their hostory via colonialism, btw) that they can use politically to "free themselves."

BUDDY HE'S STILL WHITELY SAVIOURING THEM EVEN WHEN YOU TRY TO SAY THE WILY BROWN PEOPLE TRICKED HIM INTO IT, IF ANYTHING THIS WORSENS THE SCENARIO

Anyway, it's like. Fine. It's a fine book if you're into that. If you're the kind of person who can read Starship Troopers and come away with the same feeling you got watching the film adaptation, then you're in a good position to do the legwork necessary to read Dune "effectively."

Otherwise, you're going to be suckered in by a well done but also well worn White Saviour story.

I will say, the middle eastern and Arab (mostly Arab let's be clear) elements of the world building are leagues better reaearched and deployed than in a lot of modern sci fi; it has that going for it. Frank Herbert undeniably put a lot of care and effort into creating those features and making them undeniably, inarguably central to the culture of the story. He put in the effort to make his Fremen as non-racist a depiction as possible, and he succeeded well given how many MENA people read Dune and immediately fixated on it.

But it's literally just "what if the oil wars the west keeps committing in the middle east were ended because a white man was genetically engineered to be the perfect the middle eastern messiah and he caused such a ballistic religious fervour in the unhinged brown folks that they became an unstoppable war force."

Like that's what Dune is about, okay? We can all still love it and enjoy it and read it and watch it and and and

But that's literally what the story is about.

[unflded]

    • ° .   *   ࿐  blasting  SEX  ON  FIRE  by  KINGS  OF  LEON  through  their  airpods  is   𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐅𝐀𝐍   𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐘  .  oh  ,  you  don’t  know  them ? they’re  the  twenty6   year  old  MUSICIAN  who  just  went  viral  for the headline :  TROUBLED  SONGSTER  CAUGHT  SULKING  BEHIND  THE  SCENES  WITH  ON-AND-OFF  EX  AT  THEIR  GO  -  TO  DINNER  SPOT  —  WHEN  WILL  THEY  LEARN  HE  CAN’T  BE  TRUSTED  ?   .  yup  ,  the  one  that  drives  a  FERRARI  348  TS  .  i  hear  they’re  pretty  VISIONARY  ,  but  others  have  claimed  that  they’re  quite  MOROSE  .  that  makes  sense  ,  considering  they’re  often  labeled  as  the  black  hole   .

* 𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 .

full name: stefan healey. nickname(s): stef, steffy, stefano. age: twenty6. gender: cis man. sexuality: tbd. zodiac: gemini. occupation: musician— guitarist + singer/songwriter. career claim: role model <3

* 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 .

he   grew   up   in   rural   appalachia,   a   west   virginia   town   with   a   single   school   for   the   entire   small   sleepy   grove   of   300.   father   a   logger,   mother   a   tailor,   the   youngest   of   4   in   a   family   torn   apart   by   tumultuous   unpredictability.   their   town   didn’t   get   internet   until   stefan   was   about   9,   before   which   he   would   read   every   book   available   in   the   town’s   run   -   down   library.   once   they   got   their   first   touch   of   the   outside   world,   the   boy,   born   into   poverty   yet   knowing   there   is   more   available,   became   obsessed   with   the   potential   he   knew   he   possessed   that   would   guide   him   out   of   the   mountain   range   and   into   the   light. stefan   became   obsessed   with   music,   teaching   himself   to   play   guitar   and   getting   his   hands   on   any   old   records   he   could   in   order   to   practice.   his   dad’s   old   guitar,   gone   untouched   for   years   as   he   now   preferred   to   wind   down   by   drinking   himself   blind,   became   stefan’s   best   friend—   and   the   internet,   to   which   he’d   post   videos   of   himself   playing   any   and   everything,   became   his   biggest   fan.   he   shunned   the   real   world,   obsessing   over   posting   daily,   knowing   mastery   of   the   thing   he   loves   most   would   be   his   best   ticket   out   of   a   life   where   he’d   be   relegated   to   chopping   trees   or   mining   for   the   rest   of   his   life. he’s   discovered   online   and   sent   an   email   by   a   talent   scout   for   a   boarding   school   in   new   york   for   the   arts   and   he   doesn’t   think   twice   before   stealing   his   brother’s   bike   to   make   the   miles-long   trek   out   to   the   nearest   bus   station,   guitar   case   on   his   back   and   stolen   cash   in   his   pocket.   his   audition   changes   his   life,   and   by   the   age   of   14,   it’s   the   last   his   west   virginia   town   sees   of   him.    new   york   is   not   kind,   but   stefan   is   relentless   in   his   pursuit   of   greatness,   and   spends   sleepless   nights   obsessing   over   becoming   the   best.   of   his   class,   of   his   grade,   of   his   craft   altogether.   he   gets   signed   to   a   to   go   touring   as   a   guitarist   for   major   pop   stars   by   the   age   of   17,   and   by   his   19th   birthday,   he   has   taken   to   singing   to   release   his   first   album   as   a   solo   artist.   his   success   takes   off   overnight,   offering   with   it   an   escape   for   the   backwoods   boy   to   leave   behind   the   life   that   nearly   trapped   him   in   mediocrity.

* 𝐢 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.

 stefan,   brooding,   sulking,   yet   sharp   -   eyed   and   singular   in   his   focus,   has   an   incurable   case   of   being   insatiable   at   heart,   that   taints   everything   he   does.   through   everything,   a   shadow   is   cast   as   he   wonders   to   himself   if   he   can   do   more,   if   he   can   get   more   out   of   it,   if   he   can   push   further.   alive   once   and   believing   this   is   his   only   lifetime   to   do   so,   he   ruins   more   than   he   starts   through   his   fear   of   missing   out.   though   he   carries   himself   with   a   cat   -   like   air   of   non   -   chalance,   there’s   a   visible   shadow   he   casts   wherever   he   touches,   someone   who   can’t   ever   get   enough   of   the   life   he   lives   and   makes   it   very   clear   that   he   would   sooner   let   things   implode   than   tie   himself   to   something   half   -   tried.   blunt,   cantankerous,   yet   never   willing   to   commit   to   a   full   fight,   stefan   picks   at   holes   in   armor   and   logic   until   he’s   unraveled   the   whole   thing.   he’s   self   -   aware   and   painfully   straightforward   about   what   awaits   anyone   who   seeks   entering   his   circle,   perhaps   somewhat   refreshingly   negative   in   a   world   of   insincerity   that   surrounds   the   glitz   and   glam.

* 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

former bandmates: on-and-off exes: people he records guitar for: muses for his music: close friends: 1-3 inner circle: friends from music school in NYC:

[consumeronionbulletin]

Marry My Husband (2024)

This show is not perfect, and it is certainly not Perfect Marriage Revenge, but it does have its charms.

What Worked

Like that other show about a time traveling wife who was betrayed by her family and goes back in time to get her revenge, this show was good because of its villains. Song Ha-yoon who plays the evil best friend Jung Soo-min was the most fun to watch of the baddies. She was believably bad while pretending to be nice, and watching her spiral out of control over the course of the series was a treat.

The show also made the most of its side characters, giving them interesting plots and bringing in a solid cast. I especially loved watching young actor Choi Gyu-ri bring this delightful manic energy to Yoo Hui-yeon (the younger sister / bestie). I could have used more scenes with her, and hopefully she'll break into a lead role in a future series.

What DIdn't Work

Though it had a solid final two episodes, the show sagged a bit in the last third. They brought in an evil-ex fiance character that just wasn't interesting to watch.

Also, there were a few moments where the show went from "Over the Top" to "Completely Unbelievable". Like the end of episode 13 (aka the "slowest truck of doom ever") and the end of episode 14 (aka "WTF Ji-won, don't just stand there, Kick him in the nuts, FFS!").

The Performances

Park Min-Young as ("Time Traveling Wife") Kang Ji-won. I've been kind of disappointed in PMY's choices lately, so it was nice to see her in a somewhat better role. There were moments when I felt pathos, or enjoyed the romance, but not that many. Mostly, it was the moments in the show where she got to be angry—and even a little ruthless—that I remember. Which is part of the appeal for any good revenge show.

Na In-woo as ("Future CEO") Yoo Ji-hyuk. I think he was a little wooden in this, but alot of that was the writing. The show was really focused on the FL and on her relationships, and it didn't have much space for him. I didn't really mind that, but it did make those few moments where he got to cut loose a little (like the ice cream scene) more memorable.

Lee Yi-kyung as ("The terrible ex-") Park Min-hwan. This guy was great at playing a mediocre man completely out of his depth. He was like one of those clown punching bags that just pop right up after you hit them. And it was fun watching him get beaten down and come right back up for more.

Song Ha-yoon as ("The evil bestie") Jung Soo-min. I liked watching her slowly get more evil and more crazy as the show went on. The actor did a great job making her contemptible, while pretending to be kind and thoughtful.

Lee Ji-kwang as ("The chef") Baek Eun-ho. Probably the most sympathetic character in the show. He just wants to run his restaurant and feed all his friends and get a cute girlfriend and all of these crazy people keep coming in and messing with things. Would have liked to see more of him, and his loveline, but what we got was nice.

Choi Gyu-ri as ("The Best Sister in the World") Yoo Hui-yeon. This actor had golden retriever energy and it was so much fun watching her in the middle of this craziness. I want to see an entire show with her just running around living her best life. We needed more of Hui-yeon and chef's story than we got, for sure.

Gong Min-jeung as ("Sad boss") Assistant Manager Yang. I've seen this actor a few times and I always enjoy her, though they rarely give her a good loveline. She got a pretty decent one here, despite all the other crazy stuff that happened, so that was nice. Again, could have used a few more scenes with her and Lee Seok-joon.

Ha Do-kwon as ("The Salaryman") Lawyer Lee Seok-joon. He did a good job bringing some gravity to this crazy show. Was able to be funny too (in a Butler Jeeves kind of way). Not enough time spent on him and Manager Yang's story, but what we got was good.

BoA as ("The Evil Ex-") Oh Yu-ra. This character felt more like a plot device than anything. There were a few moments where she could have felt menacing or crazy, but I don't think the actor was quite up to it. They needed to cast a real Mean Girl, but they didn't have enough story for that kind of character.

Ha Do-kwon as ("Bad Manager") Lee Seok-joon. They brought in a really good character actor and this guy made the most of the part. He felt like someone I could have met in real life, and I despised him. Which means the actor did a great job.

Everyone Else. The high school bully girls were fun to watch. Yang's husband did an okay job being despicable. The judo teammates were funny. Even the grandfather had a couple of good moments. Show did a good job taking care of its minor characters.

TL; DR:

If you liked Perfect Marriage Revenge, you'll probably like this too (and vice-versa). It's different enough that you don't feel like you're watching the same show twice. It's also not quite as good as that other show, which means people likely judged it a little harder than they otherwise might have done.

[greensaplinggrace]

🔥 Darklina?

I don't really get the argument that alina should have stuck around. yeah, baghra could be lying and alina has no reason to trust her, and I will criticize all day long the deus ex way this happens when alina could be operating at a much more complex and engaging level of agency - as well as how the writing overall about the reveal could have been better tailored to the intended themes and messages. but in general, the argument that alina should have stayed to hear him out is unfair.

alina just discovered someone else with shadow powers. she has had everything she believed upended, and she is about to further her intimate relationship with a man that someone of status claims to have nefarious plans for her. I think the method of reveal is ridiculously stupid, but that's just my criticism for the writing of baghra overall and the cheap ways bardugo employs narrative devices. alina running makes sense, and even if it didn't logically follow, that doesn't negate an emotional and illogical reaction to stress, fear, and shock.

why should alina stay and risk her safety? leaving is also a foolish idea, considering the outside world is unkind to grisha and she's naive about the persecution of her people and the sociological climate, but alina has no awareness of this. all she knows is that she trusted someone, and that trust has been broken (in a method that is devised by a woman who she should be able to rely on completely).

what would happen if alina stayed? what if she confronts him, and he decides she knows too much? what if she questions him, and he at first tries to reason with her, but realizes their morals are so misaligned that he must betray her regardless? what if he tries to work with her, and decides later down the line that she compromises the greater good of his people?

I think the darkling is right about most things, and to be honest the moral tone of sab is sickening when considering both grisha persecution and alina's regressive arc, as well as the writing of the female characters in general and the overarching puritanical plot structure, but I don't think alina was necessarily wrong to run. there were cons to her running, sure, and maybe she could have stayed to talk to the darkling. but in the end, is that a risk worth taking? she decided it wasn't, and I agree with her.

and alina is a selfish character. the reason the darkling decides to follow through with his plan in the first place is probably because she asks him to when they first meet. because she would rather live a selfish, safe life than a grand and heroic one. she would rather remain in a place she knows than try to experience real change. alina is a character comfortable in her mediocrity while longing for more, but terrified of actually leaving the only piece of her identity behind - because she struggles so much with defining and knowing herself.

what she experienced at the little palace was the real change that she'd been longing for, and she started to find a real identity within all of that which went beyond the scraps she clung to throughout her life. then she actually began to want to help more people - to stretch truly beyond herself and sacrifice for others. but realizing that all of that sudden change which you love but that society has taught you is bad (and of which you are wholly unprepared for) - realizing all of that is tied to something that could hurt you? it's an understandable reaction. alina was rocketing into space after being held back for so long, and she thought she saw a planet in the distance. is it any wonder she swerved to avoid crashing?

send me a 🔥 for an unpopular opinion (x)

[lowonthewilltolivemeter]

So guys, I’ve seen a few awesome concepts or fanfics with the crossover of rottmnt x Star Wars and gotta say….

why does most everyone think they’ll make even mediocrely good jedi??? Jedi are all about selflessness and letting go of connections and all. Do we really think any of the turtles are good at that?!

Hell, do we think Splinter would be good at that?! He’d become a sith so fast, and not even in an evil way at first at least (like one guy whose name rhymes with manakin?). Also gotta say the man’s a whore, you think he’d be celebrate because grandpa told him so?

although I do like the force sensitivity being like the other version of mystic powers, I still think Don and Leo would simply never manage it that well.

So I’m thinking -and I’m not being original here- mandalorians! Like, splinter would be raised by the Watch (and run as is him m.o) be something whatever idk, and when he gets Draxumed (maybe he’s some crazed sith that decides to use him for his potential in using the force or something) he retires and lives on some remote planet.

he raises the boys with mandalorian teachings though not very disciplined ones (like he did their ninja training).

I think it’d be fun to see their dynamics after they decide to be bounty hunters! Leo would most definitely take his helmet off the most, can’t deprive the world from his beautiful face and all, but he’d keep it on in dangerous situations or when feeling nervous. Mikey would take it off second most, he likes socializing and smiling brightly at people so he’d take it off second most.

Raph would take third place because he doesn’t strictly only take it off in their home or only with family but also when he’s tired or after a fight or something, he even likes making faces at babies and all, but he thinks they should keep them on most of the time because he wants them to not be recognized and to keep a low profile (needless to say that ship has sailed ages ago for them even if they never took the helmets off.

Donnie though, I think he’d never take it off unless it was only them and he was certain no one else could see, he’s bad at keeping a poker face and just doesn’t want strangers to see his face, they’re not close enough to show that kinda trust.

Splinter would’ve been mostly like Leo in his younger days but more like Boba felt in his rat days (and yes I love Boba).

anyway these are just thoughts I had, like a place to throw the idea so it doesn’t get lost until I feel up to writing it. If anyone wants to take the prompt go ahead (but please send me ur stuff I’m begging, I need this).

And if you have any recs for fics or comics with something like this then please mention them so I can go devour some good food and thank you.

[oof-i-did-it-agaaiiin]

One of my pet peeves in film is when a movie is good but it could’ve been great.

Spirited (2022) was an honesty brilliant concept and almost flawless execution, with some missed opportunities and one glaring fault. I wanna go over what I loved about it and what I would’ve changed.

This will contain spoilers.

First of all, I love that it’s a musical, and furthermore how much it embraces the fact that it’s a musical. I mean the choreography is incredible, and the music is catchy and doesn’t shy away from its musical theatre-ness at all. In fact, I could see this translating into a stage adaption really easily. 

Secondly, I love the concept. Seeing the inner workings of the afterlife in this universe is fun, and adding the layer that the Ghosts of Christmas were once alive adds intrigue, and on top of that adding the element that the Ghost of Christmas Present is Ebeneezer Scrooge himself is brilliant. It gives new meaning to Jacob Marley running the operation, and seeing them working side-by-side adds some complexity to the relationship.

Speaking of I ADORE Patrick Page as Jacob Marley. He is the perfect fit for the role, both in his haunting form and out of it. I wish he had gotten more screen time in his chains and they hadn’t kept interrupting his song because you know he was cast for that deep, haunting voice of his and I wish we’d heard it more. 

I think the secondary cast was very good. Past and Yet-To-Come were funny and Octavia Spencer was charming and lovely as Kimberly, it’s wonderful to see her in the role of the love interest. Clint’s family tugged at the heartstrings perfectly, and Ryan Reynolds played a very entertaining douchebag but secretly lovable softie.

I think the themes of this movie were a natural continuation of the themes from the original book and, while not always consistent with the canon of the original book, felt faithful in its message.

Here’s my main contrivance though. The one main thing I’d change if I were able to.

Will Ferrell was wrong for his role. For one thing, I personally don’t think Will Ferrell is very funny. On top of that he’s just not a good singer. Like, at all. I mean everyone in this movie was at least a little auto tune, even the professional singers, but even all the auto tune in the world can’t stop Will Ferrell from sounding mediocre at best. Fine for musical cameo, but not for a leading role. Additionally, he’s not a very good Christmas Present, or Scrooge.

I mean, it makes sense for Ebeneezer Scrooge as we see him at the end of the book to become the Ghost of Christmas Present. He’s awfully jolly after waking up. But at no point in this film is Will Ferrell playing “jolly.” Present should be big and boisterous and loud and the kind of person where you can’t help but smile when you see them. 

Someone like Patrick Page.

That may sound out of left field but hear me out.

I know I already said he was perfect for Marley, and he is, but I think he would’ve suited the role of Present/Scrooge so much better than Will Ferrell does. Patrick Page has played Scrooge many times before so he has good experience with the character. While Page is known more for his cold, cruel characters he, plays warm, soft, and joyful well too. And this very movie is proof of that fact. I mean…

Look at that smile.

And perhaps most importantly, Patrick Page is fully capable of carrying a musical as its leading man. You know why? Cause he can fucking sing! Boy can he sing. And while the deep, gravely tone he’s known for may not be your first thought when you think Ghost of Christmas Present, it would work well for Ebenezer Scrooge, that’s for sure.

I know this movie is a comedy and Will Ferrell is a comedic actor, but honestly, I think this movie would work well if Present played a bit of a straight man to contrast with Clint’s constant jabs, with his joking being a way of him deflecting. That’s not to say Present can’t be funny, but I think Present being depicted as warmer, kinder, less witty and more of a guiding hand to Clint would make him a character you care more about and want to see succeed.

[thevindicativevordan]

After this year superhero movies box office performance (except Spider-Verse and Guardians), do you think there's still a future for the genre? We know, that Spider-Man, Batman, Avengers and maybe X-Men will be fine, but what about everybody else?

Billion dollar question there. At this point I think we can all agree that the Golden Age of Superhero Films, where any C-Lister could potentially make bank, is over now. Going forward only the big names are going to bring in the returns the execs want. Only question is who are the big names now? MCU's brand is in the toilet as evidenced by the Marvels cratering now that there's no Endgame hype to boost the numbers. Spider-Man and Batman will be fine, those two are the most popular heroes in the world.

Avengers... without the big names I think you might be surprised at how badly the team performs. An Avengers team led by SamCap and the Phase 4/5 crew is going to tank at the box office, the general audience doesn't care about those guys. X-Men meanwhile couldn't even get over the billion dollar mark at the height of Marvel mania and with good reviews. An all time great Wolverine movie in Logan only did as good as Man of Steel. X-Men has historically been the top dogs in the comics, but maybe that won't be the case for the films. Similar to Superman, that franchise has struggled in recent years, and the people pining their hopes on the mutants to "save" the MCU might be setting themselves up for disappointment.

As for DC outside of Batman, that all depends on Legacy. If Superman flops, Gunn's DCU is toast and no one else is getting another shot any time soon. Maybe in 5-10 years they'll try Wonder Woman and Aquaman again since those two were the surprise successes. Flash was one of the biggest bombs ever, he's on the bench for a while. GL is still waiting for another chance on the big screen. Gunn needs to hit a home run and keep hitting home runs to rebuild the DC brand because Marvel seems set to continue dumping out mediocre content in the short term which will only heighten any superhero fatigue that already exists. The budgets need to be set appropriately, so that a superhero movie can make Black Adam money and not be considered a bomb. I do not think we will see any Captain Marvel/Black Panther's any time soon where a previously unknown B/C-Lister somehow makes over a billion dollars. From here on out it's slim pickings.

[bylertruther]

i hae the idea that will used his connection to vecna to manipulate the lights and all that in the ud. because it makes sense... but it borders on the 'will has to sacrifice himself bc of his connection to vecna because the characters are unable to break it off' territory, especially given the fact that they never were able to break it since s1. :DDD ?? like i dislike the idea for many reasons and bc of its implications, it's not gonna end well.

hm, that's definitely one way it could turn out!

i'm partial to the idea that the connection was never broken both for plot purposes and because vecna realized he had to change tactics to reach his end goal. he couldn't go for will directly (s1, s2) and use him to open the door (s2), so he sought el's power in season three (the bite) to then be able to do it himself in season four (four curses = four gates).

he talks a lot about wanting to rebuild the world into something new from its broken pieces, and then... we end on the big plot drop that will is still cursed and knows vecna's current status? he's the first that realized something was changing? has to be for a reason, no? especially since will himself tells us that vecna lays dormant until he needs you. he's not possessed, but that rod is still there—waiting, watching, same as he is. and same with him being vecna's perfect character foil. but that's just my interpretation and theorizing!

i had this analysis i was working on but later abandoned regarding the three day timeline before will's assumed to be dead and what could've happened to him in the UD.

at will's funeral, joyce has a flashback where will tells us that sometimes outsmarting the bad guy isn't enough and you need to fight back (fireball). at that point, will's gone from being able to hide at his house to really being on the run and being hunted for real for real without mercy. before that, we saw that the demogorgon mainly went for joyce whenever will revealed too much; but after that, they went after will, too.

given that we were shown how the kids channeled and harnessed their power with the ring light + the way that will was able to manipulate the lights in the same way in a scene that directly parallels that, i can see why people might think that his powers are an extension of vecna's, and i do think that vecna could've been teaching him, but i really don't think that they come from vecna at all.

vecna could've picked anyone when he first came through the gate, but he went for will. mike's house isn't anywhere near the lab. vecna was observing and stalking will specifically BEFORE he'd ever even left. he's in the house while they're still in the basement playing. it's when will is alone that he finally strikes and makes his presence known to him.

given vecna's motives, i don't think that he'd pick a regular human without any use to him. he chose eleven in the lab, because he saw himself in her—specifically, he saw untapped potential.

joyce first introduces us to will by saying, "look, he's not like you, hopper. he's not like me. he's not like... most." and yeah, she's talking about him being gay and gender nonconforming, but... didn't victor say the same thing about henry? and didn't henry end up manifesting his powers, because he's a sensitive kid and emotions fuel power / are the energy they draw strength from?

wouldn't it make sense then that the mind explorer had found someone just like him, just like eleven, too, and saw a new way to achieve his goals / "achieve his potential"? and doesn't that tie in with him explaining brenner's motives to eleven with the whole, "when papa finally realized he could not control me, he tried to recreate me"? and how henry is doomed to repeat the cycles he was once desperate to break? and that whole "he was just a man. an ordinary, mediocre man. that is why he sought greatness in others." which is pretty much what that entire big bad plot drop ended up being? that the big bad is actually just a power-hungry man?

but again.... those are just my thoughts! :D

[alphaman99]

Steven Cox

A friend of mine coined this term. It is really smart (as is my friend). The term is a ‘70% man’.

I will explain. He runs a company which is a world leader in its field. He said ‘you can’t find perfect people to work for you. What you want is a 70% man. You want to find someone exceptional in some way. Let him or her fill that role, really really well and make sure you never give him a task outside his 70%.’

He might never be a 100% person. But that’s fine. Just don’t count on him for more than that. These are good people, but incomplete.

We, on the right, don’t get this. We are always tossing up 70%ers, thinking they are 100% people. And then attacking them when they fail.

Example: Jordan Peterson. He is exceptional at what he does well. That is, talk to intelligent but badly misguided young people. The best. At everything else, he is mediocre. When he goess off the rez on some point he is as wise as the guy down the block. In his area he is doing a profoundly good job though. Could he be an effective PM? No. He has nowhere near the competence or strength to be that.

Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh. All really good at reaching a specific audience.

Are they Saints? NO. But are they 70% people. Yes. They are really good, but that incomplete 30% means DON’T PUT THEM IN CHARGE. It also means they are great allies. (Most people are 50%ers. When you get a 70% hang on to that person.)

The Left doesn’t have this problem because currently there are no Left 70% people. They don’t need them because the Left all recite the exact same things. Every issue, no matter how complex, is reduced to a slogan. ‘Love is Love’ right? That covers it! But the left has a bigger problem in that those who slogan perfectly rise to the top. So they loooove Justin, or Joe. And because they were never vetted in any meaningful way the left is dismayed at how terrible they are put into the positions they rise to. One terrible disappointment after another.

The left can’t step out of line though, even a tiny bit. A ‘woman is a woman if she says she is’, is sacrosanct. When high school girls get seriously hurt playing sports against males, they can’t face up to their mistake. Because the collective has spoken.

The right though takes good people and can’t accept them as flawed and yet still good. And tosses one good person after another under the bus.

The worst part is the Left sees this and ruthlessly exploits it. They know how to kneecap someone and goad the Right into ganging up on their stalwarts.

We have to stop doing this.

[feral-radfem]

If you see lesbians, or any radfem bc its not juat lesbian suggesting this, telling you " males are the biggest dangers to women in the world and inviting one into your home and into your intimate space puts you an increase Danger that you can avoid to maximize your safety" and you hear "don't have sex or if he abuses you it's your fault" you're just being defensive because we are suggesting you do something you don't want to do. It's not a cute look.

Much like all other forms of separatism, this is completely voluntary. I don't know why y'all always act like someone's literally forcing you to do this when really what it seems you're worried about is it not being counted against you as a "bad feminist point". Trying to find 10 different "ism"s it can be but really it's that you don't want your political reputation to be changed for shit you don't want to do. This is just cringy, No matter how much respect I have for you lol.

It's not like any of us are putting a gun to any of y'all's head and telling you you cannot date men we're just telling you that completely possible to be happy and not be in a relationship with a man, you may even be happier. Which is a pretty basic feminist thought process. That women are whole without a romantic partner.

If you can't even handle the, honestly basic radfem suggestion that you avoid putting the biggest threat to your life in your home and see it as everyone telling you to suppress your sexuality that is stupid. You can still read your heterosexual romance books, have your little fantasy romance movies that don't reflect reality, jack off to Jensin Ackles if you want to, and scream from the rooftops how hot you think all men are we're just asking for you to ask yourself if the risk of bringing them home is worth the probability of their violence. For most of you, why would it be because from what y'all say the sex is usually mediocre or bad and they make poor life partners who don't contribute to the home or kids. But even that being said you can still sleep with them.

Because once again, even though we have to say this every fucking time, no one is forcing you to live by any of the radical feminist Praxis we preach. You can simply fucking leave at any point. You can choose to just ignore those parts. But instead you're going to sit here and whine about heterophobia like it's a legitimate threat to your well-being and happiness. Like anyone actually has the power to make you give up on men and be celibate on tumblr.com. Spoiler alert: no one does and no one cares about you personally that much to try. You're just mad that people suggested something to you that you don't like and don't want to seem like a "bad feminist" or judged over it. Your ego is bruised, not your precious heterosexual sexuality.

This is just stupid and I was going to ignore it but once again separatism has been brought up and we're now encroaching into borderline homophobic ranges. What we're saying minimize your risk because your partner is a threat to you, now some of you are telling us that that is the complete same thing as being attacked by homophobic strangers for having a partner. These things are fundamentally different.

The motivation is different and the amount of risk you're exposed to is different. I could be completely in the closet in public and still have a same-sex partner and it doesn't increase my risk of violence. My partner isn't the risk. Also it's completely inaccurate to pretend that we can escape homophobia by not dating people, even though that's not what anyone was telling you about misogyny, it's gross. No one is saying not dating men will completely get rid of male violence in your life we are all talking about minimizing risk and how inviting them in your home prevents you from having a safe place to run to. I can stay in my home to avoid most homophobes outside of it. I couldn't do that if I invited them to live with me. Despite that tho, I have been single for years and still have experienced homophobia that threaten my job and safety because I don't need another person to be recognized as gay. Because the threat comes from outside forces perceiving me as a homosexual the threat doesn't go away or become legitimately mitigated by not having a partner. You are just being homophobic when you're making this comparison because it's not a comparison that is genuinely equal and explanatory, it seems like you're lashing out and trying to hurt lesbians for daring to make the suggestion to you in the first place. It's a false equivalency.

However, if there was one specific group of women putting lesbians in the ground at an alarming rate like men are doing to het women, I would suggest that lesbians stay away from that demographic of women too. Male violence however isn't unbeknownst to us, it's only when y'all feel defensive and personally criticize the act like heterophobia is real and that we're criticizing you as a het woman rather than men for their male violence, simply because we suggest you try your best to mitigate the harm they can do to you. We suggest y'all separate yourself from men for your own safety because we care about you, while also staying away from men ourselves. Because we understand that men lie about who they are and they're good intentions until they feel like they can trap you and then they abuse you, whether as your friend or your romantic partner. That this is a pattern that we have researched and studied and as feminists should be able to recognize without you acting like we are saying that y'all deserve to be abused. Because that's not what we are saying.

We are just giving you the tools and the encouragement for you to feel like you can go against the patriarchical teachings that you have to have a man to live a fulfilling life. Which I feel I must remind you is one of the most basic feminist actions you can do. Just simply encouraging other women to go against patriarchal teachings and help provide them the tools and support to do so. Like that is one of our main goals as radical feminist, because it builds female solidarity and feminist consciousness. So, if that's insulting to you then you're a big fucking baby and I doubt emotionally prepared for actual political activism. This was embarrassing for y'all. Or at least it should have been.