#truly a glorious day on the internet

[legandairy-horror]

Does anyone else feel a strange sort of dread waiting for new deltarune chapters?

It sounds crazy right? I admit it's a weird feeling for sure, and I'm not even 100% sure if dread is the right way to describe it. But as more info is revealed and the next chapter inevitably gets closer and closer to releasing I can't help but feel a strange sort of, melancholy? Longing? The only way I can describe it is "when you know the goodbye is coming". The strange somber feeling when you know you’re going to have to leave stuff behind, but aren't quite ready for it yet.

warning: words. Homestuck

In 3 months Chapter 1 will be 6 years old, and in 2 months Chapter 2 will be 3 years old. Deltarune is ostensibly in Early Access but this release schedule puts new chapters closer in time scale to whole sequals if anything, which they most assuredly are not trying to be. This has created a strange situation in the fanbase that I don't think I've ever truly seen anywhere else. One where, In the time between chapters It feels like everyone has had their own chance to decide what Deltarune is to them. To create their own version of this story, to write their own themes that they want to see explored, to imagine their own events and plot twists they want to see play out.

@lynxgriffin Paper Trail Comic Being an Alternate Story following off of chapter 1

@lilybug-02 The Chara Timeline Being one of many interpretations on the popular Asriel & Chara roommates headcannon.

@huecycles Andromeda Chapters being their interpretation on the full game

The innumerable Deltarune Theorists and analysts like HalfBreadChaos, Andrew Cunningham, Stuffed Alpaca, etc. etc.

@vyletbunni Deltatraveler being a whole ass fangame based around a chapter 2 meme that it has long since outlived

And that's kinda the thing isn't it? Once more deltarune comes out, a ton of these projects will just become outdated, it's an inevitability. So what will happen to them? will they become forgotten? maybe, maybe not, it's impossible to tell. but either way it feels kinda sad to think about yknow? that one day all the time and effort spent and all the memories made might one day just cease to exist.

There's a lot more I could say on this topic if given the chance but to keep this tumblr post from morphing into a 2 hour long video essay in text form let me leave off with this.

In the age of the internet and social media there will always be a fan of something. Nothing truly dies quite like it used to anymore, regardless of whatever influencers want you to believe. But that doesn't mean things stop changing, that there wasn't a past that has since been left behind. I'm a Homestuck fan. more specifically I'm a Late Homestuck fan, one who came in after the comic had already ended and it's peak in popularity was long behind it. The fandom's still around all these years later. But it'd be foolish to admit that, 8 years after the comics controversial end, the inescapable trend of new fans replacing old fans has left the fandom wholly disconnected from the monolith that it once was. the only remnants of which lie in decades old discourse and fanfiction. Like old relics of a long forgotten city, waiting to be excavated under a fine layer of dirt.

Before I close out here I just want to make it clear: I'm not saying that we should be trying to return to some nebulous "glorious past" that never really existed. I'm not trying to deride Toby Fox for not working in the sweatshop hard enough to produce more content™, or whatever you wanna try and spin-doctor this post into. It's just a thought that creeps into my head every now that I wanted to share, see if anyone feels the same, yknow?

Besides it's not all doom and gloom. For those of you OG Homestucks who read till the end. You remember Heinoustuck? Guidestuck? Nightfall? Fucking Ke$haStuck? yeah those are still going by the way! after years of inactivity they've now started back up again. some under new authors and some by the same author but still!

You could say a lot about that but to me at least, it makes me feels hopeful in a way. That, even if not everything will survive. we'll at least have some mementos to remember what came before.

[moonlightcycle571]

Jumping on the Captain Marvel is a Predatory Animal and Familiar AU Bandwagon

All the Marvels have one animal they mostly resemble, naturally being linked with with their familiars.

Mary has Hoppy the Giant Hare, so it’s not her fault when she gets the extreme urge to punch someone, repeatedly in quick succession.

Freddy, for the longest time didn’t have one, but then found a magical creature in the rock, which is basically a an air jellyfish. He has never felt more connected. Like the Jellyfish, he refuses to go near the ground and shocks anyone too close.

Billy has his Bengal Tiger Tawky Tawny. No one thought much of it, Tawny is a perfectly civilised Tiger after all. If anything, it brought on an influx of cat jokes.

And maybe some cat traits slip into Captain Marvel. There’s compilations on YouTube of Captain’s ‘Cat Behaviour’ where he essentially just lied in the sun, knocks Sivannas things off shelves while maintaining eye contact, swatting Mr Mind repeatedly and so on.

An odd thing to notice is that his eyes are never truly one colour. Most of the time they are blue, sometimes with gold specks in them. But rarely, if you are unlucky enough, they will become more golden than blue.

Black Adam knows better than to fight when Caps eyes are golden and slit.

The other times these eyes makes an appearance is during invasions (everyone is too busy and thus miss Caps feral face), when Superman got exposed to Red Kryptonite (the fight was too fast for anyone to see clearly) and when Cap is in one of those hunting moods, when it’s just him and his prey (no one will believe them).

The day Cap found out Clark got exposed to Red Kryptonite, he will say it was a tough battle, and despised inflicting pain to one he considered a friend and close colleague. Inwardly? Cap LOVED every second of it. He could have blast him with magic lighting and called it a day. But where was the fun in that? He could use magic against all his villains, but just prefers not too. The Hunt was glorious. From the tracking him down, to move him to an unpopulated area (herding him), to the chase, the fight, to incapacitating him (having him squirm in his grasp). Had the JL not come in to get the Kryptonite out of Superman, he might have even taken a small chunk of flesh.

No one understands the extent of Caps predatory instincts. How could they? He’s Captain Marvel, family friendly hero extraordinaire. The closest people have seen is when he gets in serious mode, and even then, if it’s not directed at them, they tend to not be scared. (The amount of edits he got when he got serious, bordering predatory animal in hunt, nearly broke the internet.)

So no one saw anything coming when the JL did a team training exercise similar to hide and seek (and restrain) in a jungle of all places.

Can’t blame a guy for having fun.

[formosusiniquis]

for @thefreakandthehair and inspired by this. Everyone enjoy some bee keeper!Eddie saving the day so Steve can play some baseball

Eddie picked up beekeeping the way he picked up most things in his life: accidentally and by virtue of following a crumb of serotonin straight down the rabbit hole of obsession. It isn't what he expected to do for a living, and at this point he does have to admit that when it accounted for 91% of his taxable income last year it is what he does for a living, but he likes that he gets to work outside and set his own hours. He likes that the regular customers he has who buy his honey are nice, and likes getting to advise people about things like flavor profiles and what they taste best with, it was the thing he liked best about his position at the dispensary that was now more of a side gig. And then there's his contract with city animal control that gets him called out to parts of the city he didn't even know existed to relocate hives a lot more often than he thought would happen.

It's a good life, and he likes that he's made it himself.

But it's the kind of life that gets him calls from people late at night when trying to finish binging Fallout before the internet can spoil it for him. He has a rule to always answer when Chrissy calls though, he isn't going to miss helping her if it's an emergency.

“I need a favor,” she says before he's even finished answering.

“Anything for you,” he agrees.

“You might regret saying that.”

Chrissy Cunningham turned a full ride scholarship for cheerleading into a business and marketing degree and she turned that into a fancy job with the White Sox that he didn’t fully understand but totally supported. He wore the free cap she gave him, and was endlessly glad that as a white guy he didn’t get gatekept the way girls like Chrissy did, since he couldn’t name a single player on the team.

And it was that endless support that had him in his full gear at the White Sox stadium with his smoker and bee vac.

Chrissy meets him at the front with a harried expression and a warm hug, “I’d say I owe you one but if everything goes right we’ll be totally square before the first inning.”

“What does that mean?” he asks, repeating it louder when all she gives him is an enigmatic smile. 

The only answer he truly gets is being shoved into a little green cart that she drives with a frightening speed. She drives them through the stadium through a route he has no hope of remembering on his own until they reach an opening that leads straight out to the field. Eddie always had a dream, as a kid, of being a rockstar, driving out onto the diamond to a sudden and uproarious cheer is the closest he thinks he’s ever come to truly experiencing what it would be like to be famous on stage.

He hams it up of course. Waves his arms to try to get them to cheer louder as Chrissy stears them toward the lifter that he’s going to have to go up to get to the swarm. And they do, the cheers becoming an enthusiastic roar, a sound so loud he thinks he could climb them up to the bees without the lifter. 

“Focus will you, you’re on national television right now.” Chrissy says, with a subtle elbow to his side.

“Yeah but how many people are watching a delayed baseball game?”

Never one to just take his smartass comments, he’s sure that Chrissy says something super witty and sarcastic back. Only Eddie made the mistake of turning his head and catching sight of the most glorious ass in the snuggest pair of pinstriped white baseball pants and lost the ability to hear. A second elbow in his side reminds his brain full of metaphorical bees that he’s on television and he doesn’t have his veil on, he isn’t about to get caught drooling on television.

The fattest ass in the stadium turns around and Eddie thinks he’s been stung. He has to be going into anaphylaxis with the way he suddenly can’t catch his breath. The guy in front of him, with a hand on his hip and his eyes trained unwaveringly on Eddie is tongue-swellingly hot. And he just keeps getting closer as Chrissy doesn’t stop driving forward.

“Steve, you’re not supposed to get this close, you're our starting pitcher you can’t get stung.” Chrissy chides.

“I just wanted to make sure that he wasn’t going to kill the bees.” The guy, Steve, says.

“He’s not.”

“I’m not,” Eddie says, shaking his head as fast as he can, like that will make things more convincing for the hot baseball guy. But he’s got an eyebrow raised giving Eddie an up and down like he still doesn’t believe him.

“Look,” he pulls out his equipment so Steve can see. “I’ll smoke them with this, that’ll make them calm so they don’t freak out when I vacuum them up with this.”

“And running them through a vacuum isn’t going to kill them?”

“It’s a gentle suck,” he says, immediately filled with a burning mortification. “It’s just enough to move them into the tank where I can relocate them.”

Hot baseball Steve has his big brown eyes open even wider, there’s a twitch at his mouth like he’s about to say something else and Eddie actually can’t have that. “Chris can we get me strapped into this thing, we want to get this big ballgame going right?”

Steve takes a couple steps back, hands raised up in a placating gesture. Whether it’s for him or for Chrissy because he didn’t listen, Eddie’s too busy putting a neon yellow safety buckle on to think about it.

He takes his time, this is basically free marketing so he’s not about to rush through or do a half-assed job. But in just a few minutes he has a vac full of bees and the game is ready to be played. The lifter gently lowers Eddie back to the ground with another round of cheers. He unclips from the safety harness and takes a shallow bow for the crowd.

Then Steve is jogging over, Eddie stands up straighter than he ever has in his life. Nervous for what is about to happen.

“You saved the game, man!” Steve has the nicest smile that Eddie has ever seen, wide and toothy. He is but a man and thus falls a little bit in love immediately.

“It was nothing, really, just part of the job, y’know.”

“Well, here’s something you probably haven’t done on the job. You have to throw the first pitch.”

“No, no, I absolutely will not be doing that.”

It’s the wrong thing to say, a mischief lights up in Steve’s eyes. He jerks his chin up at Chrissy who says something Eddie is too far away to hear into a walkie talkie. He thinks he has a guess though when the loudspeaker begins to drawl, “Laaadies and Gentlemen, our game is about to begin. Tonight’s first pitch will be thrown by our bee rescuer, Eddie Munson!”

The crowd begins to scream again, but the sound is almost like the hive's steady drone when Steve leans close enough to whisper, “It’s just ceremonial, all you’ve got to do is throw it. I’ll even play catcher for you.” And Eddie’s helpless to do anything but nod.

There’s actually a lot that has to happen before they’re ready for him to throw his sad attempt at a pitch. But that gives him the time to settle his equipment out of the way and scream at Chrissy. Still it’s sooner than he’d like before she’s shuffling him over to a big mound of dirt in the center of everything. She pushes his hat and veil back and it feels a little proud father of the bride right until she pats him on the top of his head and whispers, “Don’t fuck it up, nerd.”

His palms are sweaty, they feel too slick to get a good grip on the small, white ball. He thinks he might throw up, only across from him Steve is there. A glove on one hand he sends Eddie an encouraging little finger wave with the other. 

He can do this. 

He takes a deep breath and throws.

It’s awful. Too high and a little off center, but Steve snags it in that large, ungloved palm and the crowd cheers again like he’s done something fantastic. He’s starting to think they’re just happy to be here.

He starts to walk off the field, toward Chrissy where he knows he’s safe. But he can’t help noticing that Steve is jogging his way too; the ball that Eddie just threw in one hand, a sharpie in the other, his glove tucked tight under his arm. “Eddie, hey, you gotta take this with you, dude.”

Steve lobs it at him in a soft underhand, and Eddie still fumbles the catch, “Thanks, man, but really, I don’t-” the rest of his response dies in his mouth when he realizes just what Steve has scribbled across the ball.

“Give me a call if you’re interested,” Steve says, walking backward toward the mound Eddie just left, “I can show you my gentle suck.” He laughs at his own shitty pickup line, which is somehow more attractive than his whole hot jock thing.

Eddie thinks he must be blushing up to his hairline by the time he makes it back to Chrissy and his things. She looks too smug for it to be any other way. “Told you we’d be even before the end of the night.”

“Chris, if this goes well I might owe you a favor. Now we gotta go, I’ve got bees to relocate.”

[wildlife4life]

Seven (+) Sentence Sunday

Tagged by super amazing @exhuastedpigeon @cal-daisies-and-briars @hippolotamus @disasterbuckdiaz @glorious-spoon @wikiangela @daffi-990 @tizniz @devirnis @watchyourbuck @hoodie-buck @loserdiaz @spotsandsocks and @diazsdimples. Thank you all so much!

Alright, so I know haven't been as active since dropping the first chapter of NFL Buck. I've just been sort of down because that same day, the Super Bowl Champs had their parade and rally, and just after it ended there was a mass shooting. My younger sister was there with some friends and they got away unharmed, but when she didn't answer my message for a long 30 minutes, I truly thought the worst. I've just been so sad and angry for Kansas City, for the US really and I just couldn't get into the spirit of writing. I'm not getting into the politics of it all today and my sister is coming for a visit soon, so I'm feeling marginally better. KC Strong.

First chapter of NFL Buck has been dropped, but everything else I've posted for this fic can be found here. Here is a snippet from the Eddie Begin's arc of NFL Buck.

Hurricane Harvey was relentless for almost four days, bullying southern Texas with unforgiving wind and an exurbanite amount of rain. Houston fire department and so many others worked day and night to help those who had not evacuated.  It was absolute chaos, and it blew through Eddie’s entire life. The storms had wreaked havoc on the cell towers, which meant service was spotty to none and radios became the main source of communication for rescuers. By some miracle, though, the internet connection at the firehouse held strong. It was slow and glitched out here and there, reminding Eddie too much of his time in Afghanistan. He watched his infant son grow up through a screen, with his very upset wife barely holding on and his parents hovering nearby, souring the video calls even further. Christopher was no longer a whimpering baby in his mother’s lap but looking at his saddened son on a glitching iPad screen with a tense Maddie sitting beside him, was too familiar.  Add in the argument he had with Buck just before, and the threat of danger just outside the firehouse, Eddie was back to being a scared 19-year-old in war riddled country. “Dad, grandma said we’re not going to visit Buck anymore. That he’s too busy. And Maddie tried to call him, but he didn’t answer and…” The eight-year old’s voice trails off, his lips trembling. Eddie bites his inner cheek hard. This was on him. He gave into his mother’s worries and demands about traveling through Texas during the hurricane.  Helena was too stubborn and being his mother, she knew every damn button to push, and Eddie was tired of fighting.  So, he reluctantly agreed to cancel the visit and his mother grinned a little too sharply before stating, “I’m sure Maddie will enjoy having her brother to herself.” Another ploy to take Christopher and Eddie fucking fell for it. Then his mother took it a step further by graciously telling Buck and Maddie herself, that Christopher would no longer be joining them in Dallas and to enjoy their time together for as long as they need it. Eddie knew his mother didn’t approve of his relationship with Buck, more so than his previous one with Shannon. The only reason she kept her mouth shut was the potential back lash of upsetting Christopher. But she already succeeded in having a hand in driving away Shannon and she probably believed she could do the same with Evan.

With this fic, there are a lot of canon events with twists. The usual timeline does not exists. But I hope you all enjoyed!

Tagging (no pressure): @bekkachaos @theotherbuckley @lover-of-mine @buddierights @try-set-me-on-fire @jesuisici33 @jeeyuns @aroeddiediaz @giddyupbuck @rainbow-nerdss @thewolvesof1998 @eddiescowboy @eddiebabygirldiaz @spaceprincessem @athenagranted @evanbegins @elvensorceress @malewifediaz @911onabc @911-on-abc @ladydorian05 @bigfootsmom @thekristen999 @spagheddiediaz @rogerzsteven @honestlydarkprincess @doublecheekeddiaz @buck-coded @prosperdemeter2 @lemonzestywrites @gayedmundodiaz @transboybuckley @nmcggg

[ingravinoveritas]

David Tennant stroking another man’s hair, flirting with Alex Brooker, singing about a vibrator, wearing that wig and dancing and swinging his hips like that and finally, MICHAEL SHEEN MENTION. Bragging about being above Michael in the Dilf list like a little brat like WOW he’s about to get his ass spanked tonight

I am honestly so living for David bringing out his bratty bottom side, which I feel like is a side we don't get to see nearly often enough...

(Also, for those who haven't seen the full video of David's appearance on TLL, you can watch it on Youtube here.)

I know the moment in the gif above is supposed to be him as Gwyneth Paltrow, but all I was getting was campy, bisexual British Kurt Cobain, right down to the jumper (which oddly does look like something Kurt would've worn in the grunge era). And we can't remotely overlook the fact that David was wearing rainbow/pride gear from head to toe tonight, from the rainbow buttons on his shirt (you can see them under the jumper) to the Tardis trans pride flag pin all the way down to his rainbow socks...

And then, of course, there was the Michael mention. At this point, it honestly feels like whatever is happening between them is a big open secret (at the very least, I have a strong feeling the host Adam knows, and probably also Josh Widdicome), because it is impossible anymore to have one on as a guest without bringing up the other. In this case, it almost felt like the DILF of the Year competition was another excuse to mention Michael, and then to see David fully preening over outranking him was just...beyond glorious.

As to the aforementioned spanking, I fully concur with you. There's something in particular about this show, knowing that it was filmed live, and it's almost as if David behaved as bratty as he did because he knew a certain Welshman would be watching (giving very similar vibes to when David was on the Late Late Show in 2021). I can already so clearly picture the exchange between them after this (hopefully immediately after, since Michael is still in London and David could readily have gone to see him once the taping ended)...

"I'm more DILFy--DILFy, is that a word? Hmm--than you, Michael. According to the Internet people, that is." "Mmh. Yes, the all-wise, all-knowing Internet people." "You don't agree?" "Brat." "Ah, but you love me." "Don't think I could stop if I wanted to." "So you don't mind that the Internet thinks I'm more of a DILF than you?" "I think I'm the one who gets to fuck you, so the Internet can get bloody stuffed." "Funny, I was rather hoping I'd get stuffed right about now." "Cheeky slag. Turn around and take your trousers off." "You're so easy, Michael." "Shut up, Dai."

So yes, David's appearance on The Last Leg tonight was certainly quite something. I truly love seeing that part of him come alive, the part that he once spoke of in an interview where he talked about being a little boy and putting a towel on his head to entertain his classmates. I think deep inside, David has never stopped being that little boy, and there is something so special about seeing that part of him getting to be free.

Definitely hoping as well that we might get to see/hear Michael's reaction to all of this, but he still seems a bit quiet on Twitter these days (and if he's busy spending long nights with David, one can hardly blame him). I suppose we'll just have to see what happens...

[insanityclause]

Tom Hiddleston Says Revisiting Loki Was ‘An Honor,’ Thanks Co-Stars for ‘Chemistry and Inspiration’

Ahead of accepting Variety’s Virtuoso Award at the Miami Film Festival, Hiddleston reflects on previous roles and impactful creative collaboration.

By Jenelle Riley

Tom Hiddleston knows “Miami.” That is, all the words to the Will Smith song titled after the famous city — a video of him reciting the lyrics once broke the Internet (not an unusual occurrence for the actor.) That was in 2012 when he was doing press for “The Avengers,” the movie that would change his life and career. It was also the same tour that last brought him to the city — but that was a whirlwind two days of press. “I do recall promoting ‘Avengers’ in Spanish and the city had a great, unique energy,” he says. “I’m really excited to be back as an explorer.”

The British actor will be returning on April 9 to the Miami Film Festival to accept Variety’s Virtuoso Award for his career achievements and will participate in a Q&A at the Adrienne Arsht Center – Knight Concert Hall. Tickets are available here.

And while Miami is known for its food and culture, the actor has one thing on his mind. “What will the weather be like?” he queries of the town’s famously balmy temperatures. “Because I’m coming from the wettest February on record in London’s history.”

Hiddleston admits it’s somewhat ironic to be receiving the Virtuoso Award there, because “when somebody says ‘virtuoso,’ I think of a dazzling soloist in an orchestra, and I feel about as far from that image as it’s possible to imagine.”

He continues: “I am the opposite of a soloist, actually. I always feel like I’m at my strongest in a team. What we do is a collective creative act and the joy of it is in the shared imagination.”

This might explain why his resume is filled with standout ensemble pieces in every genre. Hiddleston’s worked on stage — he earned a Tony nomination for his 2019 Broadway debut in “Betrayal” — the SAG Award-nominated ensemble of “Midnight in Paris,” up through his most current turn as the God of Mischief in Season 2 of the Disney+ series “Loki.”

The second season’s finale, “Glorious Purpose,” remains the highest-rated episode ever in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and brought a conclusion to an epic character arc that has spanned 14 years of Hiddleston’s life. The actor, who also served as producer on both seasons, says it would have been impossible without his “deep bench” of castmates, which includes Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino and Season 2 addition Ke Huy Quan, Oscar-winner for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

“I don’t know who said it, but there’s the phrase: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,’” he notes. “And it’s never been truer than for this show.”

Community and collaboration are perhaps his favorite aspects of the work. “I truly find the most interesting work I have discovered happens between people. You show up and ready and prepared, but you take that preparation onto the dance floor and see what there is between you. If I’ve done anything of value, it’s because of that chemistry and inspiration I receive from another actor.”

Hiddleston says that team spirit extends to his next project, “The Life of Chuck,” a big-screen adaptation of the Stephen King novella that also stars Karen Gillan, Mark Hamill and Chewitel Ejiofor. “I’m a lifelong tennis fan and I feel like being on set is like playing tennis,” Hiddleston notes. “It’s all about who you’re playing opposite and the energy back and forth between you. And I have some great partners on ‘The Life of Chuck.'”

As for continuing Loki’s story in a third season, it’s a question Hiddleston is asked pretty much every day — several times. “I truthfully don’t know,” he says. “I am so proud of where we landed in Season 2. To go from this lost, broken soul in Asgaard, and be given a second chance and learn so much about life that he actually gives himself to protect other people, has been such an honor.” For tickets to the conversation and Variety Virtuoso Award Presentation to Tom Hiddleston, visit here.

[cielettosa]

you levi stans always believing that levi is still the most popular aot character. bro was surpassed by season 4 eren and now levi is just completely irrelevant. levi isn’t even iconic any longer. the anime just made him a cold badass and took everything that made him special in the manga away. everyone just thinks he is fan service and is annoyed when he appears in anything now (official arts, bad boy). aot may fade away but the one people will remember is eren and it shows. he is the one with constant interactions, likes, and google searches. honestly pretty sure mikasa tops levi in popularity by now too. levi has fallen from his high perch and turned into an irrelevant worthless loser to the masses. it’s honestly what you levi stans deserve for hating on eren all those years before the time skip.

anyways proof below along with the anime corner poll at the end of the year. https://x.com/justmeight/status/1791195643815637415?s=46&t=opIHY9xYZlEjLmRQ4bbogA

Hey angry warrior,

This is a popularity poll from japan

Listen, hiding behind anonymity like a cockroach under a fridge doesn't exactly make your opinion on Levi sound profound. Maybe if you crawled out from under your rock and signed your name, your critique might hold some weight.

Here you are, complaining about a character you supposedly think is irrelevant, yet you're obsessed enough to write a hate-mail manifesto.

If you think Levi's just a "cold badass" stereotype, then you clearly haven't been paying attention. Maybe actually delve into some character analysis before you try to school others.

scarletskiesinthepaths and cosmicjoke has some good analysis. And I have written some too, and I am linking them too.

people whines about "fan service" with "Bad Boy" yet spout nonsense about Levi's popularity fading. Pick a lane, genius!

Levi fan art annoying people? Honey, the only thing getting annoyed is probably the internet struggling to render all the glorious Levi content.

Levi is Eren's mentor. Let that sink in. The guy you claim is "irrelevant" literally shaped the protagonist you idolize. And guess what? Mentors often fade into thebackground as their students grow. It doesn't diminish their importance, it's simply the natural order of things.

You are overlooking the fact that Levi is the character who is frequently written about in fanfictions within the Attack on Titan fandom.

Levi may have lost some shine in your eyes, but to claim Mikasa dethroned him? Now that's some Grade A delusion. News flash: Popularity contests aren't won by saltyinternet rants.

Popularity contests change faster than your bedsheets, but characters like Levi endure. Most people don't spend their days fuming about fictional characters. Maybe take a shower, touch some grass, and realize the world doesn't revolve around your internet vendettas.broaden your horizons. Look beyond internet hype and explore what truly makes a character compelling. Maybe then you'll understand why Levi remains a fan favorite, his legacy secure long after the fleeting popularity of season 4 fades like a bad spray tan. Until then, keep your uninformed opinions to yourself, and perhaps consider a rewatch of AoT with a more discerning eye.

You clutch that "Levi-is-washed-up" theory like a participation trophy, but the evidence is about as reliable as a toddler's drawing of a spaceship. Let's dissect this "proof" of yours, shall we? Someone tweeted a college of characters they think are iconic? Wow, groundbreaking. Next, you'll be citing crayon scribbles on a bathroom stall as gospel.

You have the right to dislike Levi, but whining about popularity polls is the height of internet fandom tears.

Real criticism goes beyond "your husbando didn't win!"

So ditch the temper tantrum and try constructing an actual argument. Levi might not be your cup of tea, but resorting to popularity contests is just pure embarrassing

Broaden your horizons. Look beyond the surface hype and delve into what makes a character truly captivating. Until you have that epiphany, keep your ill-informed opinions to yourself, and maybe give Attack on Titan another go, this time with an actual brain in tow.

Analysis by me:

Levi Ackerman: Why he is Humanity's Strongest Soldier

Levi and Kenny

How Levi utilizes his intellect in fighting and decision making and his leadership in final battle

Levi Ackerman (an overall analysis? My first one so it's not good)

Entire discourse:

Gojo is better than Levi:

https://www.tumblr.com/cinyemina/743823703078518784/gojo-vs-levi-whs-better-i-think-gojo?source=share

Gojo is better than Levi because he is more popular:

https://www.tumblr.com/cinyemina/744103319358865408/well-gojo-beat-levi-in-the-anime-corner-popularity?source=share

People lacks individuality and follows hype:

https://www.tumblr.com/cinyemina/748344782599913472/its-sad-that-people-are-so-insecure-that-they?source=share (no discourse here)

Levi is not a well written character because he is "not popular":

https://www.tumblr.com/cinyemina/748700520518172672/popularity-does-matter-and-helps-measure-a?source=share

[ktlsyrtis]

I've finally slept off enough of the jet lag to piece together some semi-coherent thoughts about last weekend.

First and foremost, it was so wonderful to get to see and talk to so many internet pals in person. Sharing this whirlwind experience with @seahorsepencils, @batnbreakfast, @starfleetwitch, @akaanonymouth, @iordio, @elphiessolsikke, and @ariverandasong is something I'm going to treasure always

(the rest is under the cut because this got long 😅)

Octopolis:

I have never been in a theater as small as the Hampstead. It is literally no bigger than my living room, with only two rows of seats around three sides. So when I tell you that Jemma was RIGHT THERE you can get a sense of what I mean lol.

Truly the wildest part was the moment of this person who you've seen on screen so many times suddenly being a real human person in front of you. Like I think my brain broke for the first few minutes of the show 😅. From that point forward it was just sitting back and taking in how engaging, funny and gorgeous she is in person. There were a few lines and moments in that show which will live rent free in my head forever. Especially what a huge dork of a dancer she is ���

Afterwards the group of us waited in the cafe to say hello. When she came upstairs she excused herself for a bit because her brother and his family were there to see the show that night, which was very sweet, and then she came over to talk to us on her way out.

I know it sounds trite, but she really is just the sweetest, loveliest person. She took the time to talk to everyone and was so kind and engaged. I was able to give her the scarf I made for her. When she found out I knit it she was like "Really? Why would you do that for me??" 😂

The highlight of the evening came courteous of @seahorsepencils, who had seen the show the night before and told Jemma that a group of Berena fans was coming the next day.

Some actors might've been like 'oh god' and run for the back door. Others might make a big show about dressing up for their public. Not Jemma, oh no.

Meeting her was so overwhelming that I didn't notice at first. But while she was talking to someone else it suddenly clicked that she was wearing Bernie's pink coat! (I think I almost ripped @starfleetwitch's arm off when I realized lol) Slowly, the rest of what she was wearing sunk in:

Pink coat? Check. Black skinny jeans? Check. Sweater over a button down? Check. Chelsea boots? Check.

That's right friends. Jemma Redgrave, glorious dork that she is, FUCKING COSPLAYED BERNIE WOLFE FOR US!!!!!!

Honestly my biggest regret of the whole trip was that in the whirlwind of everything we didn't take a picture with her. Fortunately some other fan was there that night and got some photographic proof:

(yes, she is holding the scarf I made; no, I will not be able to be normal about it lol) (also when we told her we were going to Catherine's show the next day she said to "give her my love" 😍)

Great Expectations:

Another day, another incredible UK theater. The Royal Exchange is a gorgeous venue; much larger than Hampstead, but still very intimate. We were able to get seats in the front row banquettes for the matinee, which was an amazing experience.

Catherine on stage is...the only thing I can think of is a force of nature. Her sheer presence made it seem like she was a foot taller than the rest of the cast and she owned the stage every time she was on it. On top of that, she somehow she managed to make racist, decrepit Miss Havisham really hot??? Which is a contradiction my brain still hasn't been able to fully reconcile lol

Because of all the work that goes into her makeup she understandably didn't stage door after the matinee. Fortunately some of us also had plans to go to the evening show.

This time around my seat turned out to be on the aisle where she made all of her entrances and exits, which meant she was literally inches away from me every. single. time. (shoutout again to @starfleetwitch who was sitting directly across the aisle and therefore on the receiving end of many a gay-panicked stare on my part 😅)

It was a rainy day in Manchester and the official stage door is outside with no overhang, so we took a chance and hung around in the cafe/bar area after the show. We figured that Catherine going to the bar was as likely as the sun rising in the east lol

Fortunately the chance paid off - she came out to the cafe to have drinks with a couple of her costars and was kind enough to come talk to us (after asking if we could talk in the bar so she could get a glass of wine of course 😂)

I have to tell you friends, I have very little recollection of what I said from this point forward lol. Truly talking to her was like having some kind of out of body experience. There were a couple of specific moments that are burned in my memory

I gave her the shawl I made for her, and she immediately flung it around her neck and wore it for the rest of the night *cue internal screaming and flailing*

When we told her we'd seen both shows that day, her response was "Oh god why?? It's bad enough having to be in it twice"

I don't know if she like bathes in the blood of children or something, but her skin is FLAWLESS. Literally she looks 10 years younger in person with no makeup on, its insane. Also her eyes are just as sparkly as you think they are, and when she makes eye contact it is A LOT

She asked if we all wanted to take a picture and proceeded to put her arm around me ☠️☠️☠️

She spent a good amount of time talking to us and was just as lovely, funny, and ridiculous as I could've hoped lol. In particular she mentioned how happy it makes her that Berena has taken on such a life beyond Holby and that we've all made such wonderful friends because of it.

After we let her go to talk to her cast mates, I somehow poured myself into a seat in the bar and someone got me a much needed gin as we all tried to unpack what had just happened. At some point she came back into the bar and went out of her way to come over and talk to us again (she basically appeared right next to me, and when I tell you the sheer relief that it was in the 30 seconds I wasn't spouting my usual girl crush bullshit about her 😅)

...

The rest of the trip was sub-optimal, bordering on karmic retribution lol. The tire on our rental car blew out on the M1 on our way back to London, and what should have been a 4 hour drive came out closer to 9, when all was said and done. At that point there was only time to eat, sleep, and catch the plane home

I may not have had as much time to see everyone and to spend in London as I had hoped, but I have zero regrets about the trip. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and I'm so, so glad I went

And the most important life lesson:

[iloveaustinelvisandmannymore]

So this is love.

You didn't think too positively about the Elvis movie with how the world and the Internet painted your grandfather in a bad light. Your mother, siblings, and grandmother had to drag you with them. You couldn't lie the first look of the Memphis set, left you awe.

But you quickly rid yourself of the feeling. You wouldn't be won over because of one glorious set.

After a tour of the sets you finally met the man and woman who were gonna play your grandmother. You met Olivia DeJonge first, she was serious but sweet, and you knew she'd made Priscilla proud then you met him, Austin Butler the man you came to for in love with. It wasn't truly hard too.

He was humble, sweet and an honest to good man.

Your family continued to go to the sets, one by one the stopping coming so much but you came every day and each day you fell more and more.

You thought being friends would be enough but seeing him kiss Olivia, the heartache hurt more than you thought.

You could barely look him in the eyes later.

Part 2 coming soon

[moltengoldveins]

hi molten!

could you tell me something you think is cool?

Uuuuuuuuhhhhhhh……… the hollow ache of lost magic and wonder that plagues every single classic and epic fantasy story ever written, starting with Jirt himself and continuing through to the modern day in stories like Arcane, Harry Potter, and the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Down to their bones, all of these are stories about loss. ‘We have lost the magic,’ LaGuin says, quietly, a whisper behind every Earthsea book. ‘Once, in the old days, there was something great and beautiful, shining and perfect, but we have lost it now. Only the sand remains, spread out around Ozymandias’s feet, and the few remaining fragments of dragon’s speech writ large on his pedestal. The elves are fading into the west. The time of Narnia is at an end. Magic is a lost thing. We are without wonder, now.” 

It aches, doesn’t it? It aches like an open wound. “Wizard society was once great and beautiful,” says Harry Potter, “But now the Muggles and their satellites see everything, and our world is so small.” “The gods were powerful, once.” says Percy Jackson. “The sea was endless, and the world was flat, and adventure was something to be grasped in the palm of your hand,” says the Pirates of the Caribbean, “but now the East India Company has come with books and cheques and quotas, and the magic has been driven off the edge of the maps.” 

At first, I thought maybe it was the War. It’s hard to find wonder and magic in the world, hard to believe that the modern day is in any way as glorious as the ancient times, when you are crouched in a trench with a thousand other starving boys, or cleaning an abandoned concentration camp. Perhaps it was the age of information as a whole, the sudden clean edges on every map as ‘Here there be Monsters’ was crossed out and replaced with ‘Here there be Haiti, and then on a little bit to Nicaragua.” Perhaps the Internet killed our wonder so stone cold dead we cannot bring it back, not when any new exciting discovery can go from jungle, to satellite, to Instagram Reel in the same amount of time it takes me to cook dinner. 

But then I started really looking, really thinking about these stories. I see the Bible in everything, I see Christ in every fairy tale, obviously, but what about Revelation?

Revelation is a controversial book. I never read it as being post-millennial, I.e. supporting the belief that things will get worse and worse over time as Christians become more and more persecuted until one day Christ returns in glory. That never made sense to me. When someone grows up, the challenges they face grow larger. God allows struggle in accordance with how much you can handle, or how much you could handle if you put your trust in Him. It made perfect sense to me, at least, that Revelation is the story of a Church grown stronger and brighter and kinder, and the Church’s enemies grew alongside it, fighting ever more viciously against the work of the Lord.

But the mentality of a post-mil is still incredibly common. the idea that the world is corrupt, and our efforts cannot truly ever make headway against that corruption. That nothing will ever bring back the glory of the Good Old Days, not even Christ, that the only way to fix things is to wipe the slate and start over. And that mentality frightens me. I don’t know what I believe about our ability to conquer sin and death in this world but I DO know we are obligated to try, and the mentality of “well, we can try out best to make the modern age tolerable, but it will never compare to the wonder and magic of Ye Olde Times.” Is…. Really gross.

So, I started writing. I guess I’ve been wrestling with this my entire life, because looking back, it’s everywhere in every story I’ve ever written. But recently, an irl friend and I have started making a comic with the plan to release it online, and I’ve been the one writing it. And this is the biggest thing I’ve been working towards, this idea of the New Jerusalem, not in any weird Zionist let’s-make-a-new-city-where-the-old-one-is way, but……. I dunno. I dunno how to explain it.

What would it feel like, to see the Elves return to middle earth? To see the two trees replanted, their light shining out to men and dwarves and hobbits all alike? What story would it take? What would it say about the world, about us, about how our choices matter, and how we can bring light and wonder and magic back into the world. It would take an immense amount of hope, I think, to write a reunion between the ents and the Entwives. It would take the steadfast, heartfelt belief that such reunions are possible in our world, too. It wouldnt be a Christ allegory, not in the way we tend to think about it: it would be a Revelation allegory. A second coming. That’s what I want to write about, that hope, that certain knowledge that we CAN have it back. We can wake the Ents. We can have dragons, again.

…… yeah anyways I’ve been thinking about that and I think it’s cool 👍 :|

[topguncortez]

I thought that this detox/hiatus/whatever the fuck would last longer, but I'm a glutton for punishment and can't stay away from this hellsite no matter how hard I try. might be my abandonment issues. . . anyway, conversation for my therapist

thank you all for the nice asks, messages, reblogs, comments. I read them all, I promise you that! I know that the good out ways the bad, and I should've just been the bigger more mature person and not post that anon, but it just struck something with me.

I know that I can sometimes come across as a bitch or blunt, I know that believe me. I can be cold and heartless. It's a trauma response, but not an excuse. I have been working on myself for years with the help of medication, several types of therapies, support groups, you name it, I've probably tried it. I am a work in progress. If I have ever offended you, or pissed you off, or said something that hurt you, I truly, truly apologize. From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry.

The internet is a truly glorious and hideous place. I have met some many people that I would give up my whole savings account to meet. . . and I have met some that I would love to build a Time Machine and avoid.

I love that the TG fandom has made me friends, literally, all around the world. I love that TG has gotten me back into writing. I love it, I really do. . .But things need to change.

The vile, nasty hate that not have I been subjected to, but so have many others on here, needs to stop. It's truly alarming the things that you are saying to other human beings. It is not normal, it is not right, and I truly hope that you seek out professional help. If you are praying for nasty, vile, awful things to happen to another human, you need to be seeking professional help.

And to that anon, I really, really hope that you are having a better day/night/whatever than you were when you decided to come into my inbox and be mean. You don't know my story, and I don't know yours. So maybe, you were having a bad day, and needed to lash out at someone. I have bad days too, I know the feeling. But what you said was not okay, and I hope you know that. I hope that you know deep, down in your heart that what you said was wrong and gross, and you are getting help and having a better day.

as for me coming back and writing again. . . I really don't know. Like I said, I got abandonment issues so I can't say "no I'm done" or "yes I'm back". I have been wanting to step away for a bit and just slow down on my writing. I feel like everything I have put out lately has been total shit, so I'm gonna take this time to just write and not worry about posting. I am almost done with this semester from hell, and I can taste the summer air. Maybe once I'm done with school, I'll throw a party and get back into the swing of things.

I really would love this summer to be like last summer. Where the dash was full of us thirsting over lil fictional pilots flying lil planes. I hate seeing drama. I hate seeing hate. I hate seeing writers and creators beg and plead for reblogs and interactions. I hate it and I hope things change heading into the summer.

alright, enough, rambling.

long story short, I'll be around, lurking in the shadows like I usually am.

I love you all,

-Grace:)

[malleablemusic]

unfortunately, my boyfriend unironically listens to weezer, and has caught wind about this blog. after a month of trying, he has successfully convinced me to use this album for this week's blog. let the record state that i have heard island in the sun before, as aquamarine is one of my favorite movies in the entire world (for anyone wondering, he will now be watching that fantastic piece of cinematic history with me in exchange for this post). anyways, here's my review of weezer's self titled album:

don't let go: 3/5 stars

i love when a man sings "ill be down on my knees" for some reason its just so vulnerable

loving the simp energy he is giving, whole song is just begging so far

this is transforming me into a 14 year old boy with a spiky haircut, learning guitar in my room, suddenly i want to play basketball in my driveway

his voice is very classic, especially for the music genre, but doesn't feel unique enough for me

photograph: 2.9/5 stars

i always love clapping in songs, especially in an intro

such a fun beat, i could dance around my room to this

i think he just liked getting to repeat "re-erect it" over and over

hash pipe: 4.6/5 stars

oh okay raaaangeee!!!! is this a completely different singer

feels like such a different vibe than the first two

what happens when that 14yr old spiky haired kid gets older and gains access to marijuana lmao

i didn't know weezer could be angsty this is great

"you've got your problems / i've got my eyes wide / you've got your big g's / i've got my hash pipe" he's truly speaking words of wisdom

island in the sun: 5/5 stars

it is very hard for me to separate this song from the film that means so very much to me (aquamarine) so i simply will not be

the pure joy and light and love this song exudes its insane

i am instantly transported to a beach, in a bikini and big shirt, hair damp and sun-bleached, off a margarita and dancing in the sunset

i am obsessed with the guitar solo and need to learn how to play just for this

the way he sings "we'll never feel bad anymoreeee" !! IM HEALED

crab: .1/5 stars

okay continuing with the beach theme

brb googling what it means to crab?

according to the internet they're just complaining about the women. ok way to let me down after one of my favorite songs ever

is this just a man upset a woman won't sleep with him

"crab at the booty / 'taint gonna do no good" shutttt uppp ! just shut up (:

this is really gonna lower the album's average huge L for them

knockdown dragout: 2.5/5 stars

lyrics are kind of giving nothing, repetitive

i do enjoy the guitar, they always eat with that, but this is kind of boring

smile: 2.8/5 stars

i like his little belting when he sings "'cause i don't wanna break"

the guitar solos in this album !! even the short ones, so good

follows the common theme i see of wanting a girl to give him a chance...

simple pages: 2.8/5 stars

yup okay another song asking a girl to give him a chance - truly, i get it, and this is a valid form of art you go sir, i just do not see myself listening to this kinda music

i do enjoy pining every once in a while do not get me wrong

another bangin guitar solo

feels like i don't have much to say about this..

glorious day: 3/5 stars

angsty nerdy boy decides its time to finally make a move and ask a girl out

i like these kinds of weezer songs more, the "grittier" sound

giving angry high school band in a battle of the bands competition

o girlfriend: 2/5 stars

i think what i don't like about them is while their sound is good and i enjoy it, the lyrics are truly so generic and not special

i think I said this in an earlier post, and i am not trying to be disparaging, but an AI chatbot could've easily written this in 30 seconds- i just don't believe he's actually hurt and grieving a love, i want to feel the artists genuine pain, this does not sound like a man torn apart

sadly, i was very underwhelmed by this album. to my partner's credit, this is not his favorite of their work, so maybe i will give the rest of their music a try eventually, but for now that was very mid (aside from the perfection that is island in the sun) and i'd give the album 2.7/5 stars.

[cyberpunkonline]

The Best Halloween-Themed Games on PC Today: Spooky Digital Delights for #CyberSamhain

Alright, PC gamers, it’s time to dim the lights, crank up your gaming rig, and dive into the creepiest, most terrifying games this side of a hard drive for #CyberSamhain. Sure, we’ve left the days of 8-bit ghosts and ghouls behind, but PC horror has stepped up its game in a big way—seriously, the jump scares now are next-level. Whether you’re into psychological horror, grotesque monsters, or just wanna creep through haunted mansions with nothing but a flashlight, there’s something here to make your Halloween one to remember.

So, grab your headset and your snack of choice (maybe skip the heart-attack-inducing energy drink for these), and get ready to scream at your monitor. Let’s check out the best spooky-themed PC games you should be playing right now.

1. Phasmophobia (2020) If ghost-hunting reality shows and your fear of things going bump in the night had a terrifying lovechild, Phasmophobia would be it. This multiplayer co-op game has you and your friends investigating haunted locations, trying to figure out what kind of spirit is messing with you. Sounds fun, right? Well, until you’re the one standing alone in a dark hallway, watching your breath fog up while a ghost whispers in your ear. This game is straight-up nightmare fuel, and the scariest part? It’s unpredictable. One second you’re laughing with your mates, the next, you’re screaming as the lights flicker and something moves behind you.

Resource: Rock Paper Shotgun has a killer (pun intended) guide on Phasmophobia—check it out for pro ghost-hunting tips and tricks.

2. Resident Evil Village (2021) No Halloween gaming list is complete without a Resident Evil title, and Resident Evil Village is one of the best ways to freak yourself out in glorious HD. You play as Ethan Winters (again), wandering through a remote village filled with creepy castles, werewolf-like monsters, and the internet’s favorite tall vampire lady. The atmosphere in this game is off the charts, from the snow-covered ruins to the eerie castle halls. And trust me, the scares? Yeah, they’re there. Whether you’re fending off a swarm of creatures or just trying to survive the creepy-as-hell doll house section, Village knows how to keep your heart racing.

Resource: Head over to IGN’s review of Resident Evil Village for an in-depth look at why it’s perfect for a Halloween scare-fest.

3. Little Nightmares II (2021) If you’re into creepy visuals and dark fairy-tale vibes, Little Nightmares II is an absolute must-play. This puzzle-platformer has you controlling a tiny, raincoat-wearing character in a nightmarish world where everything wants to kill you. The unsettling atmosphere is paired with grotesque enemies that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. It’s not gory—it’s just unnerving in that “things are very wrong here” way. If Tim Burton made a video game, this would be it. The art style is gorgeous, the sound design is chilling, and the puzzles will keep you glued to the screen until you escape this horrific world (if you can).

Resource: GameSpot has a fantastic piece on Little Nightmares II, explaining why it’s the perfect creepy game to play alone with the lights off.

4. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (2021) Love interactive horror movies where your decisions actually matter? Then the Dark Pictures Anthology is calling your name, and House of Ashes is the latest chapter in this spine-tingling series. Set during the Iraq war, a group of soldiers stumbles upon an ancient underground temple, and guess what? It’s not empty. You’ll guide them through this terrifying labyrinth while making decisions that can lead to either their survival or some truly horrifying deaths. This one is all about atmosphere, tension, and those sweet, sweet jump scares. Plus, it’s a game best played with friends, thanks to the online multiplayer mode that’ll have you arguing about who just got everyone killed.

Resource: Check out Polygon’s breakdown of the entire Dark Pictures Anthology series to get all the background you need before diving into House of Ashes.

5. Dead by Daylight (2016) If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Dead by Daylight. It’s the ultimate multiplayer horror game where you either play as one of four survivors or as the killer who’s trying to hunt them down. With a variety of different killers to choose from (including classics like Ghostface, Michael Myers, and more), every match feels like a terrifying game of cat and mouse. And survivors? Yeah, you’re going to be running, hiding, and screaming as you try to repair generators and escape the map before the killer finds you. It’s an adrenaline rush, pure and simple. Also, the devs keep adding new content, so it’s never boring.

Resource: PC Gamer has an excellent guide on how to survive in Dead by Daylight—trust me, you’ll need it.

6. Visage (2020) Looking for a psychological horror game that’ll mess with your mind? Visage is the kind of game that you play with the lights on and a backup pair of underwear nearby. Set in an old, creepy house, you’ll be exploring rooms filled with paranormal activity, strange noises, and freaky occurrences that will leave you questioning what’s real and what isn’t. The atmosphere is thick with tension, and the pacing is perfect for slowly building up to those terrifying moments. If you loved the P.T. demo (RIP Silent Hills), then Visage will scratch that same haunted house itch.

Resource: For a detailed breakdown of why Visage will make you sleep with the lights on, head over to TechRaptor’s review of the game.

7. Amnesia: Rebirth (2020) Amnesia: Rebirth takes everything you loved (or feared) about the original Amnesia and cranks it up. Set in the Algerian desert, you play as Tasi Trianon, trying to survive the horrors lurking in a forgotten underground temple while slowly unraveling your past. Expect plenty of dark, claustrophobic spaces, disturbing creatures, and puzzles that’ll leave you with sweaty palms. This game is a slow burn, but the payoff is worth it, especially if you like your horror with a healthy dose of “oh my god, what was that sound?”

Resource: Eurogamer has a great piece on why Amnesia: Rebirth is the perfect mix of psychological horror and puzzle-solving fun.

Final Thoughts So, there you have it, ghouls and gamers—the best Halloween-themed PC games to spook up your #CyberSamhain celebrations. Whether you’re hunting ghosts with your mates, battling vampires, or creeping through haunted houses all by your lonesome, these games are guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Just remember to keep your speakers turned up and your lights down low—after all, it’s not really Halloween unless you’re terrified.

Now, get out there, boot up your PC, and let’s make this #CyberSamhain one to remember! Just don’t blame me when you scream so loud the neighbors think you're being haunted.

[scottsummersevents]

For the Sexy Days of Summers Event happening right now we've invited Scott Summers (Cyclops) fans to take part in spreading more love for him out there on the internet by creating fanfiction, fanart, fan works, etc. to celebrate our favorite X-Men leader and the possibility of what if. For the duration of this challenge so far we've received some really incredible submissions with super rare pairings that are new to us. For the month of September we'd like to share some of those and also share some various fandom creations along the way in terms of content. Some might be an old favorite pairing while others might be something in terms of shipping you've never considered before.

Scott and Jean's romance has been one of the biggest ones in the X-Men universe and today's feature shines the spotlight under the cut on some of the works for Scott and Jean on AO3 that have people holding on to these two together.

Stay tuned for more duo spotlights coming soon!

Ours by justgabby (Rated T) Scott Summers thought he had buried his past in 1960. Turns out, when you throw time travel into the mix, certain ghosts aren't always dead.

You're part of us by StormXPadme (Rated E) After Jean has surprisingly returned and is being healed from the Dark Phoenix demon, this leads to Logan, Scott and her finally being able to engage in the kind of relationship they all want.

Even at the End of the World, You'd Still Choose Them, Right? by moonboy_writes At the end of the world, Jean, Logan, and Scott share one final moment together.

Maybe This Time by Duck_Life (Rated T) Jean attends the Hellfire Gala (again and again and again and again and again).

Where desire becomes love by StormXPadme (Rated E) After yet another restart following the events of Hellfire Gala 2023, Jean finds comfort with her husbands in a night of passion.

Three Rooms, One Bed by snake_swarm (Rated G) Scott finds Logan and Jean asleep and sees Logan having a nightmare so he tries to wake him up.

Play Time by Allaren (Rated E) Set during the Phoenix Saga. How do Scott and Jean navigate intimacy while Jean is sharing her brain with a cosmic force of pure, unending power who happens to sense that Scott might have an unexplored fetish or two? It's simple really: Jean lets the Phoenix out to play and Scott gets access to the glorious, untapped potential that is getting dommed by the literal incarnation of life and passion itself.

Playing with Fire by Allaren (Rated E) Jean and Scott are on a mission at a fancy hotel, and when they finally have some downtime the Phoenix decides it's time to play. Shameless smut 🤷♀️

Comic: Dissolution by boo_cool_robot (Rated T) It’s the X-Men’s first Christmas after the death of Jean Grey. Taking place after the events of the Phoenix Saga and the Dark Phoenix Saga.

Moonlanding by shroomyystar (Rated T) Bright red, flaring in his vision.

Children Yet Unborn by Makoclb (Rated T) Scott and Jean reflect on becoming parents.

The Magic Around Us by Nadja_Lee (Rated T) As a child Scott believes in fairies but is still surprised the day his own Guardian Fairy appears before him to help and guide him and show him that magic truly does exist…if you believe.

The Firebird by Nadja_Lee (Rated T) Scott thinks about Jean and a dream he once had.

Any many more can be found at AO3 here!

[toldbytendo]

"here lie the ashes: releasing the ideal of black love and embracing reality"

In this post, I'm going to be talking about love. I don't know why, because I've got ten thousand other things to be focusing on in my life, but the lover girl in me is dying inside and I need to talk about it.

I know I'm not alone when I say that dating, relationships, talking stages are one of the worst things about navigating romantic relationships in this life, like one of the *worst* things ever, with it's infamous talking stage that seems in essence to be a contest of 'who can act like they don't care the most', or social media's standard of what constitutes the 'bare minimum' that for whatever reason we all need to abide by, I could go on, but the point is, it sucks.

It's insane to me that we have all these ways of connecting socially and digitally and yet genuine connections feel so much harder to come by. We've all become so incapable of having deep, meaningful conversations, romance appears dead, and it's all so very very frustrating. But, that's actually not what I'm here to talk about.

Today, I'm in mourning, *cue drama*, if I had one, I'd be wearing a Morticia Adams coded dress, maybe a veil for some drama and holding a bouquet of dead roses (not black roses - *dead* roses), yes - it's that deep. I'm mourning the loss of an ideal, a notion, a fairytale if you so wish. As is the nature on this blog, this sacred little corner of the internet of mine, this article represents an outpour of clogged, internal suffering, and stifled emotion from not being able to burst into tears in my family home anywhere but silently under my blanket in my tiny room, where no-one can hear me cry (I'm feeling very dramatic right now) and I've decided to share this rather painful revelation with anyone who might be reading, (I applaud anyone for being able to get this far, hats off to you.) I thought about adding a little PSA that this obviously doesn't apply to all Black men but I'm tired of feeling like I need to do that, I think that goes without saying and if you don't think it does then this isn't the place for you.

I am mourning the notion of 'Black love'. Yes, I know, it sounds insane. I'm not even sure I'm saying what I'm trying to say correctly anymore but who cares. I'm mourning Black love. I feel like I've always been taught to hold onto the ideal of Black love - that nineties kind of romance that shows like 'My Wife and Kids' and Martin + Gina' tried to sell us, where people that understood each other in a way that only someone who looks just like you truly can, that sees beauty in your skin because it's the same love they have for their own, that celebrate Blackness in all it's difficult but equally glorious forms with you.

For the longest time, this has been my dream. I've imagined my ideal relationship with a gorgeous dark-skinned man, sharing our culture, raising a beautiful Black daughter who would grow up seeing herself reflected in her parents' love and adoration. But lately, I've found myself wanting to let go of this notion-and it's not because I've decided that Black men are bad people universally, or that they deserve anything bad. It's simply because I cannot find it in myself to hold onto a dream based off nothing. When I was younger, I could dream like that because there was no experience to support it, just a little girl who loved Disney and wanted a man with the same colour skin as her to make her feel like a princess for the rest of her life, but I'm ready to let that go, because the twenty-three year old woman writing this article does have experiences, and she can't keep pretending that they haven't completely altered her desire and hope that Black love will always prevail.

I've been processing this feeling for quite a few days now, potentially even weeks and I've decided that I'm in mourning, I'm grieving, I'm laying this beautiful ideal of what I thought my idea of love should look like, to rest. The reality is that dating Black men has been filled with its own set of trials and tribulations, I've encountered men who aren't emotionally available, who don't value commitment, or who carry their own traumas so close to the surface that they haven't begun to heal and project that in their encounters with women. The experience of dating Black men has been to say, disheartening. I've held onto this ideal so tightly and so close to my heart, that the hurt is magnified. The experiences I've gone through have shattered the perception that I first entered the world of dating with, perhaps that was my first mistake, having any sort of expectation, nonetheless ones that were founded on nineties romantic comedies but how was a little girl with a love for television and romance to know what awaited her on the other side.

Letting go of the dream of Black love feels like letting go of a piece of myself. It's hard to accept the possibility that my ideal relationship may not look like what I imagined. It's hard to think about my future daughter and what lessons she'll learn about love and relationships from me, and how I may not be able to pass onto her the same beautiful notion that I once believed Black love to be. Growing up, movies and television provided such a beautiful comfort in this world with Black love, it was portrayed as this amazing, unbreakable bond, it felt like such a given, after all, as the daughter of a Black man and woman, and niece, granddaughter and cousin of so many others, what reason did I have to believe that Black love could be anything other than...easy, something I could rely on. But now, as I reflect on my experiences, it's difficult to ignore that most of the disrespect, pain and rejection I've endured in this world has come from Black men. It's even harder to hold onto this beautiful ideal when I'm constantly surrounded by so much on social media showing Black men not respecting, protecting or advocating for Black woman in the way I was shown in movies and television when I was younger. Seeing this reality day in and day out chips away at the hope and optimism that I once had for Black love.

Admitting this is painful, writing this is painful, I really do feel like I'm mourning a part of my identity, even now, I can feel a slither of hope, a refusal to accept my own words as I write them, as my mind begins to bring every beautiful Black couple I can name from the internet to the forefront of my mind, an ideal I'd cherished for so long, even manifested in my stories, in pinterest boards, in my social media following. I struggle with feelings of self-worth, questioning whether I'm asking for too much or if my standards are too high. But I know I deserve a love that is respectful, protective, peaceful and unwavering.

The rampant internalised self-hatred within Black communities, especially amongst Black men adds fuel to the fire in my heart. This self-hate stemming from societal perceptions, feels manifested in the experiences myself and other Black women have had with Black men. In my own experience, I've found that this inability to love themselves and their skin colour translates into how I've been treated emotionally. I once knew a Black guy that told me he dates both Black women and White women. He admitted that White women didn't have to be a ten out of then-they could be mid or basic looking, they had that permission. However, if he dated Black women, they had to be perfect, ten out of ten, all the time, looking good, body set good, just everything. This comparison highlights a painful reality: Black women have to work twice as hard to be considered beautiful to some Black men and that's just an insane concept to me that I'm so *so* done being told to accept.

Why is this such a common theme with Black men? It often feels like we're being punished for being Black women. This societal conditioning that places White/Eurocentric beauty on a pedestal seeps deep into our communities, affecting how Black men perceive and value Black women. It's disheartening and exhausting to always feel like we have to be the best of the best to be valued.

Thoughts of my future daughter add another layer to this conflict. How much harder will it be to explain racism, discrimination and prejudice to my her when she may not even have a foundation of Black love in her own home? It's a tough and conflicting thought, one that raises so many questions in my head of how interracial families actually navigate these conversations. I've always wanted my daughter to see and experience the beauty of Black love in the same way that I had growing up, but more than that, I want her to understand her worth and not settle for less than what she deserves, even if it means stepping outside the boundaries of what I once thought was essential.

Maybe letting go is necessary, maybe it's time to broaden my horizons and be open to love in whatever form it comes. it's a tough pill to swallow but perhaps it's the only way to find genuine, fulfilling love in this complicated dating landscape.

This isn’t some article begging Black men to love Black women as they are. This is about us, Black women, living boldly and beautifully, being comfortable with who we are. This isn’t about forcing an agenda or trying to 'bring back' Black love. If anything, it’s the opposite. This is me laying to rest an ideal that I’ve long since held onto but desperately need to let go of.

Black women, myself included, are beautiful and perfect just as we are. Letting go of the notion of Black love is me letting go of the idea of struggle love. I can't continue to exhaust myself for an ideal of love that lacks evidence or support.

I want Black men who love non-Black women to do so wholeheartedly, and for those who already do, to continue doing so. This isn’t about holding onto something that isn’t working. It’s about recognizing our worth, our beauty, and letting go of the struggle. It’s about moving forward, finding genuine love, and being open to whatever form it takes.

Let’s continue to live our truths, embrace our worth, and find love that respects and cherishes us for who we are.

RIP Black love—you will be missed, but I’m moving on. To all my sisters out there, let's keep living our truths, embracing our worth, and finding love that truly respects and cherishes us for who we are.

Date of Death - 25/06/2024

#blackwomen#blacklove#blackgirlmagic#genzdating#blackwomanhood#datingstruggles#relationshipgoals#selfworth#loveandrelationships#blackcommunity#blackexcellence#sisterhood#loveyourself#blackempowerment#interracialdating#selflove#blackvoices#healingjourney#datingingenz#realtalk#blackmen#blackmasculinity#blackbrotherhood#blackidentity#blackmanhood#dating#modernlove#relationshipadvice#datingadvice#singleslife#datinglife#romance#love#relationshipproblems#datingculture

[pagesofangels]

Thoughts on the Closing (From a Fan Who Missed Out)

I'm trying not to let the FOMO overtake me, but it really does suck to be as young as I am right now.

I see all the Phantom veterans on my dash who are over a decade older than me, been fans longer than me by extension, afford to go to the last performances. While I, a wee bab, had no chance in hell of ever affording it. Hell, I wouldn't be able to afford Broadway tickets and a trip to NYC under normal circumstances...and that's part of the reason it sucks. 'Cause now the 'glorious original' is gone forever and I never saw it (I know there's a revival coming, but we all know it's gonna be London's smaller production).

Sending so much love to everyone who got to experience that magic, it makes my heart happy that you were there! I just...really wish I could have been with you. I wish I could have stories of seeing the show 20 times in the grand Majestic.

But I never will. I'm grateful for the two tours I have seen in my life, and I can't wait until it tours again. But hearing everyone's memories of the show, of seeing the Big Names up on stage, I feel like I've only seen cheap imitations.

I keep thinking back to ALW's recent interview where he says he's not sure if a production as ambitious as Phantom will ever happen again. And I wonder if he's right.

Phantom was created in a different culture. The economy was better than it's been in a while. The internet wasn't a thing and therefore more people overall were more interested in theater. If someone were to try and create a huge expensive stage production today (I mean STUPID expensive, like Phantom is), it would never get off the ground. Hell, it probably wouldn't even be green-lit.

That makes me sad...that when the day comes that Phantom truly is not profitable anymore, there won't be anything of its prowess to replace it. The art of live theater may not be what it once was, because people's interests move on to other things. Money is spent elsewhere. That's what I see happening to the book world, but that's a topic for another post.

I think what I'm trying to express though writing all of this, is that a part of the reason I'm sad this production is closing is because it might be the end of truly spectacular stage shows. The revival will be smaller, with less elaborate special effects and less of a live orchestra......all because it's cheaper. All because you can get away with doing less impressive things.

I'm upset because this almost confirms my lingering fear that the arts are slowly starting to decline in quality, all for the sake of money...

...and I never got to see it at its peak, because I simply was born too late.