#where’s that Elmo in the fire meme when you need it

[jasper-pagan-witch]

You asked me a ton so I'll ask YOU a ton (then get into answering the ones you sent me)

Now I don't remember what I asked before and locating things is hell on Tumblr so hopefully there's no repeats and if there is... ah well have fun!

PCP section: Are there any entities you're currently interested in? What entity do you work with where you had to fill in the most blanks due to lack of canon information?

PCW section: What's your favorite PCW spell? If your PCW series has magic in it, how do you incorporate the in-universe magic to your practice? BONUS QUESTION: How's it going with the MTG-40 Servants system lately?

GENERAL section: Do you have a specialty in any specific series/fandom? What discourse from the fandom do you absolutely despise?

Have a good day Jasper!

Ask Game: Pop Culture Paganism/Witchcraft

*insert Elmo fire meme* Yessss lots of questions!

Are there any entities you're currently interested in?

Two on the pop culture front, actually! The Arcanist from Flight Rising, and getting back into Lord Helix worship from Pokemon (or, more specifically, Twitch Plays Pokemon Red). But right now, I'm taking things easy and easing myself into a more manageable worship/work/whatever schedule with my existing entities.

What entity do you work with where you had to fill in the most blanks due to lack of canon information?

Would it be cheating to say Cernunnos? I'd argue that most of what's come about from him is fanfiction from the Gundestrup Cauldron. Even the idea of Cernunnos being a man with an 8 pack is fanfiction, he's a goofy-looking twink (I say this affectionately) on the cauldron.

What's your favorite PCW spell?

Duress, hands down. Very simple and straightforward Magic The Gathering spell. I didn't make it, but it's one of my go-tos.

If your PCW series has magic in it, how do you incorporate the in-universe magic to your practice?

*cracks knuckles*

The Elder Scrolls: I've actually designed Dragon Shouts and spells based off of in-game spells! It's very fun, though my notes get a little scattered...and most of my focus is on translating in-game ingredients into our world.

Pokemon: Actually not one of my primary draws anymore, but still around. Usually associate a Pokemon type with the spell working or I tap Witchy the Charmander for assistance.

Magic: The Gathering: This is my big one, especially when it comes to incorporating in-series magic. I create spells and energyforms based off of the cards, I draw energy for spells based on their Color alignments, I even use the in-story approach of drawing on places to power spells sometimes! There's a lot going on with this one.

Cardcaptor Sakura: I actually need to. Finish watching this. I own a deck of Clow cards and find the entire system fascinating, but I haven't actually incorporated it into my practice at all...

BONUS QUESTION: How's it going with the MTG-40 Servants system lately?

Quintorius "The Dancer" Kand and I are on a mutual understanding and I'll be posting more about it on @jasper-and-the-forty-servants at the end of February, when it's time for me to give public thanks for his work.

Other than that, Falco "The Protector" Spara and Dina "The Healer" nolastname are continuing to be the MVPs for me.

Do you have a specialty in any specific series/fandom?

I think Tumblr has associated me entirely with energyforms and come to me as "that servitor/thoughtform guy", which is fair, because I make a lot of energyforms in different shapes. It was one of the first things I learned when my biological father (you know, the one that got me possessed) started teaching me magic, so for me, it's kind of a beginner step, even though most people treat it as "advanced knowledge".

What discourse from the fandom do you absolutely despise?

Shipping discourse, regardless of fandom. I don't care who's shipped with who, I don't know what proship/antiship is and I don't care, I don't even care if people don't like the ships I throw together for the lolz. I'm an adult with a part-time job trying to survive in Trump America 2 for the next four years.

Thanks for sending all of these in, Khajiit! It was fun to talk about my practice.

~Jasper

[winterchimez]

describe your moots as tbz members <33

hiya anon 👋🏻 im so sorry it took me the longest time to reply to your ask cs me needed to do some ✨thinking✨ on this shdjd but here it goes!

@stealanity as sangyeon

our mother our unnie!!! matty just takes care of all of us so well (i mean the entire deoboyznet might just be her kids by now) and she’s super sweet always making sure we’re doing great & safe & healthy 🥹

@flwoie & @hanniluvi as jacob

no cs these two have literally been nothing but the sweetest ever to me ever since we became moots 🥹 you both have been with me from the very beginning of my writing journey and i def wouldn’t be where im at now without you guys 😭 im always so so grateful to you both truly ��💕

@wuahae as younghoon

idk abt yall but cat just screams hoonie vibes to me. despite being really sweet she’s also so so cute and pretty irl!!! and we all know hoonie is the sweetest and one of the darn good looking guys ever 😩

@daisyvisions as hyunjae

ahhh my fav sangyeon stan!!! daisy is just so outgoing and friendly like hyunjae is, and ofc ✨ahem✨ as wild as hyunjae can be 🤪 she’s always sending me some sangyeon ✨GOOD FOOD✨ (with some hyunjae at the side cs we both sangmil girlies 😩) thanks for always feeding my delusions ig 🤧🫶🏻

@juyeonszn as juyeon

fawn is literally just the sweetest and nicest ever!!! and her writing?? OMG. PURE TALENT JUST LIKE JUYO HIMSELF 😤 yall should def check out her works if you haven’t PERIODT ✨ and i look forward to having more convos with you 😉💕

@sungbeam as kevin/changmin

ah there’s my fiery elmo twin!!! 🔥 i mean there’s literally NOTHING this girl can’t do, from making such high quality banners to dropping i dare say THE BEST fics you’ll ever find here we love a talented queen ✨ and also she’s always spitting some random facts and memes and that’s exactly like kevin on weverse/bubble lmao

putting in a sprinkle of changmin just cs. changmin spits fire and she does that to me all the time 😔

@heemingyu as chanhee

sana is just as savage as chanhee is LMAO ive became a joke for her to the point she practically LIVES for my reaction whenever she sends me ✨ahem✨ daddy sangyeon content 😔 (but she can be as sweet and caring as chanhee does so some bonus points ig :p)

@invuwrld as changmin

mona has unfortunately became besties with sana in terms of sending me daddy sangyeon content bcs lemme tell you they’re literally partners-in-crime when it comes to b*llying moi 😔 (i mean the large amount of sangyeon in her album is for me so 😔😔) hence they’re literally just kyunew. i said what i said 😤 (but at the end of the day i go back to loving and protecting mona cs im a very responsible unnie 🤧)

@cupidjyu & @zzoguri as haknyeon

hakkie is the sweetest little bean & literally my comfort person ever & that’s exactly yumi & moni!! yumi is just the sweetest and cutest lil 妹妹 and there’s nothing i wanna do then to give her cuddles and protect her at all cost 💖 and ofc moni. bless your kindest soul ever cs you’re always just so so nice to me :(((( and ofc i bawled my eyes out reading moni’s changmin fic cs i was going through things at that time and i literally spammed moni’s dms telling how much it has helped me loads 🥹 so yes im eternally grateful for that & thank you for listening to my story too 🤧 (which btw yall should check out the fic if you haven’t!!!)

@justalildumpling as sunwoo

my emotional support buddy j!!! 💪 yknow how sunwoo’s the type where you’d just feel so comfortable starting a convo with even tho you’ve just met? j is literally that and im so so glad we hit off so well!! tbh ive seen you on my dash a lot & im more than thrilled when we became moots 😭 and cs we’re both delusional so we can become besties and get our phd from the delulu boy himself 😔 (i’ll forever remember our lipstick convo lmao 💄)

@i520cm as eric

ah the maknae of all maknaes. lmao ipah is just as outgoing as eric is, and she literally pops into the gc and drops some random ass topic which makes everyone laugh their asses off most of the time 🤣 and umm… ipah does overshare sometimes but its good we love that energy and poor kiddo is always being bullied LMAO its ok your kakak’s got your back always 😭😭😭🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[aajjks]

Ready for shit to hit the fan? *elmo in hell meme*

Tc!Jungkook Queen!! Do not go anyway where near the King! It was him who set the bomb off! His sword was found right next to the pipe, which was cut! Yunho, you need to take her away immediately, he tried to kill her! Now that she has a concussion he’s trying to take her away from you become he knows she’ll realize what he did and leave! Leave and tell everybody his plans on taking over the world! If he takes her he’ll finish her off!!! Please get her away from here as soon as now! The king has always been incapable of love but all of a sudden he’s in love with some random woman? No! I always knew his little act of “falling in love” was a lie! He is incapable of that emotion. Always has been, always will be!

“What is even this bullshit? You dare to accuse me. Her husband of triggering the fire and putting her life in danger when her life is the reason for mine? This is it. I won’t listen to this anymore. You dare to call yn a random woman?! YOU WILL DIE.”

[doodles-with-noodles]

I ramble about AU and yer can’t stop me

Here it is. The AU i’ve been drawing so much art for. I’ll probably nickname it “free fall AU” because it seems fancy and I can’t come up with anything better, also because I just remembered myself of both Hiccups horribly cool flying styles (they free fall alot).  Okay, this AU:

• It’s basically like you have the movie and book mixed together. Really. Same universe.

• Book Hiccup actually comes from the side of the dragon hunters cause. I remembered the entire conflict with slavery of humans and dragons and thought that fits

• He actually just stayed in his tribe because he kept accidentally killing off dragons (he was, as a matter of fact that one problematic child that LOVED dragons but wasn’t as dumb to say this to adults who desperately try to kill them)

• This sadly also means that the relationship between him and his father was alot more shit shit I’m so sorry

• He not only got banished because of the Slavemark but also because he managed to free the biggest dragon ever caught ( Furious and now the dragonhunters are pissed).

• The dragonhunters are like, the entire Archipelago so that’s all the people except Fishlegs and a bit of Camicazi (the other part of her is pissed, too).

• We have two Berks we have many characters double 

• That’s cause the two tribes where the Hiccups came from where once, a long long time ago one, then it split up because one part wanted to join the dragonhunters in the archipelago and the other are just like nah we’re fine. Many kids are nowadays still named back then popular names, so that’s why we have two Hiccups. Tradition is long-lasting.

• In one of the movies series they once talk about a lost language of the dragons, so that’s what the little guy speaks!  • About the black star, it was something I hadn’t thought trough when I drew his armor (oopsie) because it doesn’t fit in my timeline I have now… the Hiccups meet after book ten and before movie two I guess. That would require Snotlout to die earlier (which I DON’T want to do) or to remove it.    • The Hiccups meet eachother while raiding a hunter ship because Book Hiccup is a little gremlin warcriminal and does the shit he always wanted to do. That’s why the Elmo meme exists. He frees dragons and manages (again you little shit)  to destroy the ships because his scaly ass friends set it on fire.

• Movie Hiccup comes back to Berk like “What do you have there” “A smoothie” and behind him lingering is this fucked up child staring at them

• Stoick is probably like Whose child is this we’re not keeping him

• they end up keeping him because of inside info of their biggest enemy and also out of pity

• Actually they just legit adopt him 

• basically it’s the stuff I needed to see and I was “I’ll do it myself”

• Book Hiccup is at first extremely wary of “other Stoick” because he looks a bit like his own father and the name??? Uh, oh. • He is Google translator for the Movie Gang and the dragons 

• Even if the Hiccups aren’t brothers by blood, they’re brothers just out of spite

• I think that because their similarities they feel very comfortable around eachother and Book Hiccup trusted him very quickly because he also was very nice to him 

My finger hurts, hope you like my stupid ideas

God I’d already kill the entire Archipelago for them also platonic dynamics have me sobbing on the floor

[longtimenospooning-luci]

Azalea's, Camelia's and Rhododendron's Chapter Three

Summary: Life always seemed to throw bullshit your way. A bullshit childhood, a bullshit family with the exception of your older brother, a bullshit bodyguard team because of aforementioned older brother… To say you were tired of it would be an understatement. You just wanted to bask in your self-made richness as a bestselling author, all by yourself being the key point, and pretend you're not doing it to avoid your trauma. But now you have to deal with seven incredibly hot, stubborn and frustrating men forcibly barging into your life against both of your wishes and ruining your peaceful silence. So, if they were going to be hardheads, you'll be one right back.

Pairing: Bts x reader, featuring older brother Bang Chan and a dickhead ex to be revealed later on.

Chapter Warnings: Dickhead Do-Yun talking about the deal, cursing, brief mention of throwing up, implication of abuse, now all of the boys are guilty babies who don't know how to apologize.

Taglist Form

Word Count: 2.5k

Ya'll know that one Elmo meme where he's just standing there in a pit of fire with his arms out and the :] face?

Yea that was your mind right now with Do-Yun's ugly mug right in front of you.

Y/N who? She gone. Exe has stopped working. Windows File error with the deep 'DUN' to go with it and the infinite pop-ups. Brain has said 'peace out homie!' The ice-cream has vacated the waffle cone to disappointingly go splat on the sidewalk if you get my drift.

Surprisingly, it's Taehyung who first notices something is wrong. You've frozen up mid step like you did the morning of the incident, but what really piques his interest is that Namjoon reacts like that too.

There's an honestly fugly looking creep standing in their way to the valet curb and the two of you are staring the clown down like he's the Boogie Man. If only Taehyung knew he wasn't that far off in that assessment. Since he stopped to observe the odd behavior, Jimin stopped too, and that caused a domino effect. The six of them watching the weird three way showdown, no one moving or breaking the silence until Creepy McCreep decides to do just that.

"Y/N darling, how are you? It's been so long…" They find the way you jump and recoil into yourself at his voice extremely odd. But what shocks them is Namjoon moving in front of you, shielding your figure behind his back.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut and go about your business." Namjoon grits out the words, his hands in fists at his sides. The boys have been with each other for a long time, it's hard to make Namjoon angry, and yet here he is looking ready to bash this dudes face in. They are completely perplexed by the situation, but if their leader is angry over the presence of a stranger related to a client, then they know the situation is serious.

"Oh, what's this? Y/N, love have you replaced me? Surely you haven't stooped so low while I've been away?" the Cheshire grin on his face gives off bad vibes in waves, they notice the way he eyes Namjoon like the dirt on his shoes, and they don't like it. He's practically feeling you up with his gaze and not a second more of hesitation is taken as they move into action, using their bodies to wall you into their formation and out of sight. They see the way you're shrinking further, and they really don't like it, your spitfire IDGAF confident attitude has disappeared completely. The change unsettles them and as much as the other morning was a shitshow they'd rather have that version of you than this one.

Namjoon turns his head slightly to the side, murmuring calm assurances to you, and then quickly locks eyes with the boys. It's the look he always gives them when they need to take extreme measures to ensure a threat doesn't get near a client, and they mentally steel themselves.

Coincidentally, or maybe even unfortunately, Jungkook and Yoongi's positions are to flank the sides of their clients. Which means they have to walk angled inwardly at you and keep a hand on your arm or back. When Jungkook places a hand on your bicep he drops it as if you burned him, your whole body had flinched at his touch. Yoongi takes note of this and they quickly share a glance, he holds out his hand for you to see and slowly moves it to the middle of your back. When you don't flinch, Jungkook does the same and replaces his hand lightly on your arm.

During this whole ordeal the douche in front of them has been talking shit, trying to get your attention. Getting increasingly frustrated when he notices you aren't paying attention anymore and neither is Namjoon. The leader had been watching the boys adjust in order to move, waiting for their nods, tuning the prick out completely in favor of watching your mental state. That all stops when the next words come tumbling out of the assholes mouth, and Namjoon isn't the only one who looks like he wants to commit murder.

"Did daddy dearest fetch a good price for you with this one? I can't imagine got paid nearly as much as I would have given. Or did mommy do it in his stead since you threw your tantrum and got him thrown in jail before our wedding?" You snapped your head up in anger at the mention of your parents, your eyes swirling with hatred for the man before you.

Jungkook being the hothead he is tried to step away from you to go give the bastard a nice right hook, he certainly didn't like you but hearing the implication that this sicko tried to buy you makes him see red. Jin has to grab the neck of his shirt to stop him, much like the rest of them he'd love to let the youngest wreak havoc but they have a professional reputation to uphold. However, this was the perfect opportunity for you to slip out of the human wall while they were focused on him, snatching the retractable metal baton strapped to Jungkook's belt in the process and flicking your wrist to extend the bar.

Your gait is powerful as you stalk toward the man, decked out in thousands of dollars worth of luxury brands that make you look like a goddamn Amazon Queen. Yoongi thinks to himself that he would actually pay good money to watch you beat the shit out of the guy, but he really doesn't want to get fired from the company for letting a client use one of their weapons to hurt someone. He resigns to let Namjoon stop you though, having half a mind to hope he does and the other half hoping he doesn't.

However, Hoseok is the one who ends up stopping you as you raise your arm to strike the now cowering man. You whip your head with a fire in your glare at the culprit of your halted movements, standing tall next to you with a hand wrapped around your wrist. He says nothing as he levels your stare and it strangely calms your ire, as if you know Hoseok won't let him off even if he did stop you. The hand gripping your wrist moves up to grab the baton and you let him take it from your grip, his other arm comes around in front of you to guide you behind him as he shifts his stance to face the coward in front of you.

"Like my leader said, I suggest you shut your mouth and scurry along like the rat you are. If I hear so much as another word out of your mouth I won't hesitate to lay your ass out right here on this sidewalk. Do I make myself clear?"

It's incredibly satisfying watching the fear flush through Do-Yun's face at Hoseok's words, and you think for now you'll take this as a stepping stone to retribution. Your bodyguard steps away from your ex without bothering to wait for a response and places a hand on your wrist again, pulling you along to the car with the rest of the boys in tow. The ride home is just as silent as the ride into town, but strangely no one feels awkward or the lingering feelings of hatred from the other day.

You rupture the silence when Yoongi pulls the SUV into the pristine garage of your home.

"Namjoon, I'm going to assume from your behavior earlier that you figured it out, and I really don't have the energy to deal with my brother's overprotectiveness right now. Could you call him sometime today and ask him to contact our lawyer? And don't let him storm over here please I might actually go insane if he does." Your voice is calm and even as you speak and everyone has their attention focused on you, not bothering to make a move to get out of the car yet.

The look he gives you is full of something Jin would describe as guilt and maybe even despair, simply nodding his head and moving to open the door. Namjoon knows something serious about you and he obviously failed to let the others in on the secret, and as they all make their way into the manor they decide they'll get it out of him whether he likes it or not.

They all stay silent in the mansion foyer until the soft click of your bedroom door closing can be heard. Jungkook pipes up first, a bite to his tone. "You wanna tell us what the fuck just happened, hyung?" Jin would normally scold him for speaking like that to his elders but at this point he can't deny it isn't warranted. He almost expects Namjoon to fight them on this and refuse to say anything, but he simply lets out a sigh and asks them to follow him. They spread out in the spacious guest room that has been claimed by their leader, watching him as he gathers some files out of a desk drawer and walks over to sit at the chaise; putting the manila folders down on the surface of the coffee table in front of him.

"It's not much and it's not definite but it wasn't that hard to connect the dots after witnessing her behavior that morning." Jimin gets up as the man speaks, taking a file and opening it as he returns to his spot, flipping through the printed article headlines one by one as a feeling of horror trickles through him as each piece falls into place.

He looks up to lock eyes with Jungkook and then Yoongi, swallowing down the bile in his throat, addressing the leader without moving his gaze from his two brothers. "How long have you known?" The shake in his voice sets the others on edge, so Taehyung takes the folder out of Jimin's hands to look at the information in question. "I started looking into it that night, It took me the whole night to put all of the pieces together. I had to dig into news archives to figure out how it started." The sharp inhale Taehyung takes as he listens to Namjoon's response while looking at the papers makes Jimin think he's figured it out too.

By this point Jungkook being the person he is, has grown tired of the cryptic words and the pale faced expressions of shock from his hyungs. He gets up and snatches one of the folders for himself, ignoring the protests of the others that he shouldn't open it and look. Standing by the table he turns each page with more aggression than the last, his eyes flitting across the words in a frenzy, until eventually he lets the papers drop out of his hands. A crawling vine of guilt has grown its way up his body and wraps itself around his throat, his hands shake at the breathless feeling it gives him and the constriction of his chest aches in ways he's never felt before.

In his turmoil the rest of the boys with the exception of Yoongi have passed along the file Jimin grabbed and look at the last one out with apprehension and pity. The man in question gets up from his spot at the end of Namjoon's bed and picks up the stapled stack of papers Jungkook dropped. He reads through them without any emotions on his face and steady hands, only cracking his exterior when he looks up to Namjoon. "That was him, wasn't it?" The lifelessness in his voice sends a chill through the others. The leader responds to his hyung with a soft 'yes' and Yoongi feels like his knees are going to give out.

With a nod of his head he turns on his heel and makes his way out of Namjoon's room, each step he takes in the hallway towards his room the grip of his hand on the papers intensifies. Upon closing the door he casts the papers to the floor and nearly runs to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before his body wretches the acid in his chest out into the bowl. The guilt settles in his chest like a cement chain around his heart and he doesn't know how he's going to face you again now that he knows what he does.

Downstairs Jungkook is in a similar state and he doesn't know what to do with himself. He's regarded you with the same attitude he developed in your brothers office since he was told you were going to be their client. Never in his career has he come across a client like you, much less a heiress like you that didn't fit the mold he knew so well. Thinking he could speak to you that way in order to get the contract nullified was now his biggest regret, he expected you to react like any other pompous rich kid would at the first signs of disrespect from someone under them.

Amidst the internal turmoil in the house and the hushed whispers of the remaining members in Namjoon's bedroom as he speaks to your brother on the phone, you slip out of your room and into the office. You keep one of your favorite books on the second floor shelves, preferring to have easy access to it in order to climb into the circular window nook. Its outfitted with a memory foam cushion that rises a quarter of the way up the sides, set onto the wall like a normal cushion would be stapled into a chair or indoor bench. Your favorite fluffy blanket sits in one of the carved out cubbies in the upper part of the circle, you climb in and grab it after finding the book, laying back against the large square pillow and propping your feet up against the crescent shaped wall.

You open the book to your favorite page, letting the words in the poem wash over your feelings, settling your mind into the clarity you crave. You let yourself get lost in the stanzas, knowing come tomorrow you'll have to face the men in your home who undoubtedly now know one of your darkest secrets. Closing your eyes for a second, the visage of your fathers face warped in hatred and disgust flashes in your mind. Jolting up, you despise the fear that slithers its way into your chest, squeezing the air out of your lungs. Life really won't let you have a goddamn break will it?

I wish I could cry as easy as the sky. The tears don’t come as easily now. They’re stuck inside my soul.

It’s empty and I am afraid Do you feel the emptiness? I guess it’s my own fear from within. I should be brave and battle that fear but it’s a war that’s gone on for so damned long. I’m tired.

The children are growing and the tears in my eyes are flowing. Missing the growth of them is like missing the seasons change, missing the roses that bloom in spring and missing snowflakes falling in winter. How many more years do I have to miss? The years won’t stop for me or for them and why should they? They will continue to blossom and bloom and my life will continue to stand still like a silent pond.

- The Noonday Demon, Andrew Solomon

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Taglist: @emu007 @childfmoonn @candied-lavender @silscintilla @sporadicfuryface @definetlythinkimanalien @btsizlyfe @yoongiigolden @chim-possible @its-g-nm-stuff @ayoo-bangtan @janiva @devilsbooksworld @backinblack1967 @missseoulite @miraxflor @memerswrites

[team-heavenly]

A Comprehensive List of Potential Chapter Titles Provided by Me

Thought up at 11 PM. For funsies. This list will be much safer in terms of thematic material (refer to this post and this post). Rated T for swearing, references to (mild) drugs, alcohol.

Are the vast majority of these memes and references? Yes, yes they are. (Bonus points if you can identify where they come from!) But it’s less about creativity than comedic value. So... take this as you will.

There is no official total btw, I’m just listing as many as I can!

Y yo a ti

Do not pass GO, do not collect $200

I won't hesitate, Bitch

IT LOOKS LIKE YOU FUCKERS HAVE COME TO A STANDSTILL AT FOGBOUND LAKE

i Amn just....... a little creachure

None pizza with left beef

lol Get stickbugged

Is this Loss?

Goddammit where's Lucky Luciano?

It's the Great Pumpkin!

Snoopy and the Red Baron

Luke, I am your father

Make it so

Flim-flam shabam

What is love?

Baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more

HEY NOW, HEEEEY NOW

How can a river catch on fire 12 goddamn times?

*Pink panther theme*

Let's-a go!

LET'S GO LESBIANS LET'S GO!

Let's GO GAMERS!

Why are you like this

Honey You Got A Big Storm Coming

I'm THE KING OF THE WORLD!!

you and what army?

Let's see how far we've come

Have some choccy milk

No, this is Patrick

Carmen Sandiego?

NOOOO MY COOKIE!

To die. To sleep, no more.

What an absolute mad-lad

Looks like you're going to the Shadow Realm, Jimbo

MY EYES!!

mY LEG! MY LEGGGG!

*Roblox death sound*

*Lego Star Wars Death sound*

*Wilhelm Scream*

Some-

-BODY ONCE TOLD ME-

You wanna be sleeping with the fishes, kid?

The U.S.S. Enterprise

Never mind that

And to your left you can see me, ruining everything

If you forgot, then it wasn't important

Calvin and Hobbes

Elmo and friends

Marty! Marty, we have to go back!

I challenge you to a duel!

Pokemon! Gotta catch em all!

It's you and meeee. I know it's my destiny!

Team Rocket is blasting off againnnn!

Ha! You better have burn heal!

I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!

The Top Percentage of Rattata

Take the breadsticks and run

November 5: Destiel Election edition

The 21st Night of September

bRING OUT THE CRABS!

It's over Grovyle, I have the high ground!

69? Nice

Let's have a champion time! *gets pummeled to death*

Falling from cloud 9

The River Styx

Nooo, don't steal the Time Gears, you're so sexy aha

mrow? Mrrrp?

Corphish, those pincers are HUGE

Yeah can I get uhhhh-

White Mocha latte frapiatto espresso triple shot

Good tea. Nice house.

It's Pon Farr night at the Vulcan Nightclub

YOUNG MAN. THERE'S NO NEED TO FEEL DOWN

Back at it again at the Krispy Kreme

Look at this photograph

Cuz Everytime We Touch, I get this feeling

*Cinemasins ding*

I was there, Gandalf...

Do Not Cite the Deep Magic to me Witch

WELCOME TO MOE’SSSS!

Hey this isn't a leaf stone

Are you high?

What in tarnation-

Been up since 2 am

When in Rome...

Do you know what you've just done?

Where's Waldo?

Allergic to sunlight

The imposter......

The Great Glacier

Sky Tower

The Voidlands

Once upon a dream

Holy shit that's so many deer-

LOCUUUUSTS!!

It started to rain!

You! What year is it

*Lightsaber noise*

*Darth Vader breathing noises*

The Riker Maneuver

Now close your eyes...

For my next trick, I'll need a volunteer

What's 8 ÷ 4 + (7 - 2)?

Country roaaaads

Take me home, to the place I belong

WEST VIRGINIAAAAA!

Welcome to the 74th annual Hunger Games!

My name is Jared, 19

YOU LOSE! GOOD DAY, SIR!

Miracle whip

Alcremie

Pecan soup

Operation Yellow

"Do you remember?" "REMEMBER WHAT?!"

I hope you die. I hope we both die.

Hand in unlovable hand

Annnnd there she goes

Now go see a Star War

Cat no banana

Leg-bouncer

42

Are you fucking possessed?!

Japan is a small island nation with limited natural resources

Crazy frog

Episode IV: A New Hope

hsSSSSSS-

Dat you?

Surf's up, dude!

NFTs crashed lol

Shhhh! Quiet! We're in a library

I Will Never Again Be Human (And That's Okay)

Hi my name is Hero and I'm an alcoholic

Pull the lever, Kronk!

WRONG LEVERRR!

Oh, yeah. It's all coming together.

The Macy's Day parade

*Calls Dusknoir babygirl*

Dig it in there, Mr. Spock-

There's coffee in that nebula

ACAB

Save the bees, plant more trees

Pokerus? Haven't heard of her

The Secret to End All Secrets

Fucking hell, dude

IT'S FUCKEN WIMDY!!

Tell me what you want, what you really really want

Level 7

World 5-8

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

Arson

I have a Bad Feeling about this

Trust no one, not even yourself

And I'm all out of gum

Shall we dance?

Can't have shit in Apple Woods

Gengar hates u

Dorothy, Sophia, Blanche, and Rose

Let me call an Uber

Warp core breach in 3 minutes

‘Tis but a scratch!

A scratch? Your arm’s off!

The government owes me money

Crying and screaming and throwing up

Comrades!

Take a shot every time someone says "the planet's paralysis"

The Three Sacred Treasures

Lake Bikal

In Soviet Russia-

Capitalism

Communism

Adele's "Hello"

Spyro: Year of the Dragon

Another soulless Marvel film

I Have No Memory (of this place)

The Return of the King

Road work ahead? Uh yeah, I sure hope so

Four Score and Seven Years ago

Y E E T

Sacrificing your rival to the rain gods

Bede is a lil' bitch

BITES YOU BITES YOU BITES YOU-

you're an idiot <3

Bitch u thought

no <3

Top Ten Greatest Hits

Just keep swimming

HERE'SSSSS BRUCYYYY

Are we.... You know.....

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

AGH!

XXXXXX

y = mx + b

Pangea

The sacred texts!!

smh

Under the sea

The GAY CAR!!

Father, I Crave Violence

*coughs*

WATCHOO!

Gesundheit

Pass me the aux

Guzma and the real Team Skull

*dies*

Facing God and Walking Backwards into Hell

Sitting on a throne of lies

Aren't you a wiseguy!

The Future Trio is GAAAAAY!!

Drop the Mic!

Wherefore art thou Dusknoir?

TFW Decoy Orb gets reflected onto you

Blorbo from my shows

Dugtrio's a terrible dad

Developing PTSD

You know! For kids!

This is so sad, Chatot play Despacito

Unown J

Bro I just Live Here

CITIZENS ARREST! CITIZENS ARREST!

Throwing Gravelerocks in glass houses

It is..... Green

Wonder Gummis galore!

For every Roselia, there is an Iron Thorn

Ingo?!

Garlic. Butter, even.

Space. The Final Frontier.

IT BURNSSSS

Not in front of the Klingons

*points at Dusknoir* GAY

Qwerty

uwu

Apocalypse Now

Lemon-lime soda

The Dimensional Scream Strikes Again

It's Drifloon Friday!

Apricorn Balls

War is War and Hell is Hell

Out of Touch Thursday

Jesse. Jesse we have to-

Mecha Tyranitar

You Get Framed in a Witch Hunt

The Gang Goes to Therapy

Freudian slip

Occam's razor

Murphy's Law

Do Androids dream of electric Mareep?

Sleep deprivation

Well... Wynaut?

The Deplorable Word

Turkish Delight

I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me

Ah Shit, Here We Go Again

Into the Woods (2015)

Zero Isle West, 72F

The wildest Crossover AU

Lemonade IS NOT SPRITE, DAMMIT!

ROYGBIV

ERROR 404

Volo Breaks the Dimensions (because he can)

Q

Remember to take your meds

Hydrate or diedrate

Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U

Leroy Jenkinsssss

Fuck this, I'm outta here

We don't get paid enough for this

SHOOP DA WHOOP!!

Fuck it, Nyan Cat in 2020

I’MMA FIRING MY LAZOR!

Au revoir!

Spinda's cafe gets robbed

Boop! Got your nose!

Time Gears? In my possession?

Fire types rule, water types drool

Let's take ibuprofen together

Gouger

This is Not a Place of Honor

Arceus yeets you into Hisui

These Ginsengs don’t do shit

I AM THE SAND GUARDIAN, GUARDIAN OF THE SAND

Texas

Florida man

Jake, from State Farm

Never Eat Soggy Waffles

Can we be honest?

Oops! I did it again

Kilograms of glitter

Lil Nas X

Getting Friendzoned

LIPSTICK IN MY VALENTINO WHITE BAG?!

7-11

And there is no Queen of England

Make sure to like and subscribe!

The Down with Cis bus

*ploink*

It’s puce

Am I alive or barely breathing?

Just so you know...

Primal Dialga tramples you to death

*Minecraft villager noise*

The Llevan Polka

Futurama

I’d have two nickels

Salt n’ Vinegar

*distant screaming*

Everybody dance now!

E = Mc^2

Spooky scary skellingtons

But y tho?

Fist bump!

The Hindenberg

Did you know? A Wailord is less dense than air!

I am a Gummy Bear

...To be continued...

Go Imagine those Dragons

Don’t forget to floss!

Just take the L, dude

Trans your gender

Uhhhhh...

Shoving your sins under the rug

Going to Purgatory

Lemme think about it- NO

The One With the Whales

Fallout: New Vegas

Annnnd that’s all, folks.

[theparanormalperiodical]

Everything You Never Knew About The Nazi UFO Conspiracy Theory (it’s a wild ride)

Oil.

You could tell the story of the modern world through oil.

The thick, sticky liquid is the dark glue clobbering the West together. Nations go to war, governments plot and plunder, and innocent people get caught up in the crossfire. All for oil.

But the oil I’m talking about didn’t start a war. It instead leads us to a little known historical tale. A tale that in turn brings us to the front step of a conspiracy theory.

Our story starts in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.

It’s currently -46 degrees celsius. We are surrounded by soft, white stretches of snow and sharp, mountain-esque peaks breaching the ice.

But some would have you believe there is much more to the land lying just beyond the North Pole. According to some theorists, beneath the frost-bitten ground lies an entire hidden society. And amongst the people gathering in this underground bunker sits technological advances quite literally out of this world.

In 1938, an expedition from Nazi Germany was sent out to take control of Queen Maud Land (known then as New Swabia) in order to supply whale oil for the upcoming war in Western Europe.

Theorists, however, claimed that after the war, the remaining Nazis in Europe fled to New Swabia and may have even kept and developed their advancements in aircraft technology. Yes, it is here they keep and dispatch their UFO technology, helped only by a superhuman race or aliens!

Strap in, kids. It’s time to talk about the messy, mysterious and my-god-this-is-weird-shit Nazi UFOs.

2010 was a pretty tame year by the decade’s standards.

But in late November, a meme was born. A meme that probably relaunched a conspiracy that once thrived in a postwar world: it claimed aliens paid a visit to the guys at the top during Nazi Germany’s heyday and offered up advice for advanced aircraft technology.

Ancient Aliens (season 2 episode 5) gave us innocent viewers the lowdown on the UFOs spotted during and after the war that were supposedly related to Hitler’s regime.

This theory clusters alongside other Ancient Aliens theories - that extraterrestrials have popped down now and then to help construct vast civilisations like Ancient Egypt.

Is it true?

Is it bugger.

But the theories and the evidence put forward frame a unique time in history.

What are Nazi UFOs?

The title of this theory is far from imaginative. The theory claims the Nazis were successful in advancing aircrafts and spacecrafts during WW2. But there is also talk of postwar survival of this technology, whether concealed at the North Pole or hiding in plain sight at NASA.

We know that the Nazis made vast strides in engineering and weaponry. In fact, the ‘evidence’ route forward by theorists relies heavily on accounts from high-up figures in the Axis countries.

Take the Repulsine: this was a specialised engine built during the war. How far was the stretch from this feat of engineering to alien-tech? Is it possible that an advanced race of extraterrestrials stopped by with a few tips and tricks?

Apparently so, as put forward by the claims of the Haunebu flying saucer and the occult-inspired Die Glocke (the existence of both of these aircrafts is, of course, highly disputed).

Nazi UFO believers should get some credit, however - they at least did some research. They got their facts right on three crucial pieces of evidence, before losing control of the wheel and skidding off the track completely.

Firstly, yes, we know they claimed New Swabia in 1938 for the purpose of obtaining whale oil and potentially for imperial pursuits, as well.

And yeah, they researched advanced propulsion tech. They even created a prototype of a circular-winged aircraft that looks preeeeetty similar to your run-of-the-mill UFO.

They even get right that there were flurries of UFO sightings during the war by allied forces.

But as soon as 1950, outlandish claims emerged, mere years after Germany surrendered and the Allies claimed victory. But we need to start at the beginning.

The year is 1944.

The end of the war is just on the horizon. The Allies have liberated Western Europe from Nazi grip. But a new, surprising threat is in the soldiers line of sight, too.

It was a cold, November evening. Lt. Fred Ringwald was in a night fighter piloted by a fellow Lieutenant. As they soared above the Rhine valley, the two american soldiers spotted something in the hills of Strasbourg.

8 fiery, orange lights were staring back at them.

They were sure, as any fighter pilot in that situation, that this was enemy aircraft. And yet nothing showed up on the radar. As soon as they turned the plane to prepare to fight, the orange lights had disappeared.

Many would attribute such sightings to combat fatigue, St. Elmo’s Fire (weather phenomena during a storm where glowing plasma appears near masts) or the fact that pilots would have seen many aircrafts clogging across Europe's skies.

But soon, the sightings began to spread. And fast.

In December, a pilot saw “5 or 6 flashing red and green lights in ’T’ shape.” in the skies near Breisach, Germany. They followed him but quickly vanished.

Days later, two orange glowing lights were spotted by two more flight crews.

They rose from the earth to 10,000 feet before tailing the fighters for approx. 2 minutes. They then stopped following the allied planes and disappeared.

“They appear to be under perfect control at all times”

Keith Chester

These sightings would become so common, they’d be given a nickname:

Foo fighters.

Scientists would go on to investigate them, later decoding them as advanced German aircrafts and weaponry. As they were only spotted by allied forces, it was likely they were advancements such as the V-1 or V-2 rocket.

But after the war, UFO sightings continued to apparently connect the dots:

Project Sign, an official US UFO investigation team, linked the designs of the German Horten brothers to UFO reports. The head of the follow up investigation confirmed some of their findings:

“When WWII ended, the Germans had several radical types of aircraft and guided missiles under development. The majority were in the most preliminary stages, but they were the only known craft that could even approach the performance of objects reported by UFO observers.”

Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, 1959

It was only after the war that accounts from former officials of the Axis regimes appeared to support these claims.

The first newspaper report forging a connection between UFOs and the crushed Nazi regime was written by a former Italian Minister of National Economy under Mussolini’s regime:

"types of flying discs were designed and studied in Germany and Italy as early as 1942"

But this doesn’t suggest aliens airdropped a PDF of flying saucer designs. We know that flying saucer aircrafts can and have been created.

A similar account from a Czeh scientist spurred on another key element of this conspiracy theory.

Die Glocke.

December 9th 1965.

All is peaceful in the small town of Kecksberg, Pennsylvania. That’s about to change.

Six American citizens in Detroit, Michigan, Windsor and Ontario witnessed a fireball score across the sky. NASA later claimed that this was a meteorite or a Soviet satellite crashing back to Earth.

UFOlogists weren’t so sure.

Many claim they saw a large object the size of a VW Beetle spotted with strange symbols, like hieroglyphics, being carried out by a truck from the area cordoned off at the crash site.

UFOlogists believe they recovered The Bell, an occult-alien-hybrid spacecraft.

Apparently, such claims bear a similarity to the designs of an aircraft laid out in a Wehrmacht document about a vertical take-off craft. And then Rudolph Schirever, the man claiming he designed it during the war, gave a statement the same month something crashed to the earth.

He told Der Spiegel that he designed a craft powered by rotating turbine blades. He developed it until April 1945 at BMW in Prague before fleeing to the Czeh Republic, as it is now known. 3 years later, he claimed the designs were stolen.

He thinks Czeh agents nicked his ideas for a foreign power.

Could it have been for an underground society of failed Nazi war criminals stowed away in underground base in Antartica?

(That was a mouthful.)

Many have attached their own take to Die Glocke.

Some believe it was anti-gravitational, others claim it was a time-machine. Some claim a Nazi colonel handed it over to the US military to buy his freedom, and a few even allege that the US forces forced Nazi scientists to build Die Glocke and advance it’s anti-gravity technology.

This stuff is pretty out there.

Quite literally.

But the last bit does fit actual history: US forces did bring over Nazi scientists to advance their space technology.

Postwar Theories

When historians began to reflect on the war decades after it ended, new ideas banking on UFOs followed suit.

In the 1960s, one of these most infamous theories was put forward in the controversial book The Morning of the Magicians.

It made numerous claims about the mysterious and fictional Vril Society which was based on a novel about superhuman-angel-alien beings that lived inside the Earth. In 1935, a German engineer fled to the US spouting claims that the Nazis did indeed have a society dedicated to finding the Vril.

The Morning of the Magicians claimed the Vril Society was a precursor to the Nazi party amongst other ideas. They supposedly created flying disc prototypes and had a secret base on the moon.

Oh, and about that Antarctica underground base?

It’s so the Nazis can vanish into the Earth and meet that advanced race living down there.

Jumping onto this New Swabia bandwagon was Ernst Zündel.

This Holocaust denier (*stares into camera*) wrote many books throughout the 70s claiming flying saucers were secret weapons released from this base. He even claimed he would attempt to locate the base and reveal the Earth was crammed full of aliens this entire time!

In 2002, he let slip that it was a big ruse to bring in more cash for his publishing company.

At the end of the decade, Migeul Serrano gave it a go. He was a Nazi sympathiser and believed that Hitler was the avatar (a deity on earth) of a Hindu god. Apparently he was hanging out with the hyperborean gods (Greek gods that are stowed away at the North Pole) underground until he was ready to release UFOs and bring in the Fourth Reich.

The last, infamous proponent of this theory had physical, real-life consequences.

A year after Serrano made his claims, Richard Chase professed that Nazi UFOs had forced him to commit numerous brutal and bloody crimes under threat to his own life.

Chase is one of the most infamous serial killers in history, earning the title the Vampire of Sacramento due to his reputation for murder, rape, cannibalism and necrophilia. These claims can be traced back to his schizophrenia which prompted him to believe prison officials were poisoning his food as directed by Nazi UFOs.

***

I think sometimes it’s easier for us to frame the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime within the context of something the horror genre would spit out. We’d much rather spin tales of occult rituals and far-out entities than admit actual humans did what they did.

It’s no surprise that following the war, a surge in movies detailing alien invasion emerged. It fit the fears of impending doom from a foreign, fascist government, a reality for many nations during WW2.

What do you think is the craziest claim?

If you liked this blogpost, make sure you like and reblog it. And while you’re down there, hit follow to read something spooky every weekend!

[royalrpg]

80′s movies meme:

bill and ted’s excellent adventure: are you more of an optimist or pessimist?

back to the future: which decade in the last century would you most have liked to live in?

the breakfast club: which high school stereotype do you fit into best?

ferris bueller’s day off: what’s your guilty pleasure?

footloose: who did you last dance with?

the goonies: what was the last thing to make you laugh?

the outsiders: why is your best friend your best friend?

the lost boys: would you rather be immortal or objectively beautiful to everyone?

labyrinth: what’s the relationship with your siblings like?

the karate kid: when did you last have to work really hard to achieve something you’re proud of?

stand by me: why did you last go on a road trip?

pretty in pink: what’s your signature ‘look’?

drugstore cowboy: which historical figure most spikes your interest?

ghostbusters: where were you when you watched your favourite movie for the first time?

sixteen candles: at which age do you consider a person to be mature?

dirty dancing: where were you when you first heard your favourite song?

better off dead: why did you last laugh so hard it reduced you to tears?

heathers: did you apologise the last time you were unreasonably mean?

parenthood: is there anyone you’re not biologically related to that you consider ‘family’?

permanent record: where were you the last time you told someone you loved them?

st. elmo’s fire: what’s one piece advice you would give to someone two years younger than yourself?

dangerous liaisons: which language would you most like to learn?

rumble fish: who do you look to for guidance in times of need?

e.t.: what’s one ‘weird’ feature that you love about yourself?

young guns: what’s one style that you love on others, but would never try yourself?

oxford blues: why did you last pretend to be something you’re not?

dead poet’s society: the last time you made a decision that everyone around you told you not to make, how did it work out?

[brightmaiden]

neverlandskyrider asked: "80's movie asks! I ask ALL OF THEM! Muahahahaha! If you so choose to answer them, of course! But specifically: Drugstore Cowboy, St. Elmo's Fire, Dangerous Liaisons, Rumble Fish, and Young Guns."

Ooooh, of course I want to answer all of them! ::rubs hands together in glee:: But I'll start with those specific ones and tuck the rest behind a cut, so as to spare anyone who would prefer to avoid an entire meme's worth of answers....

drugstore cowboy: which historical figure most spikes your interest?

For a very long time now, it's been Alfred the Great---the way he ruled, and how me made the decisions he did, intrigues me---but I've recently taken an interest in Joanna of Castile (Juana la Loca). The truth of her marriage and her mental health are difficult for historians to determine, and I would very much like to meet her and find out the truth of them for myself.

st. elmo's fire: what's one piece of advice you would give to someone two years younger than yourself?

That would probably depend a lot on what they need to hear, which is different for everyone. The closest I can get to general advice would probably be: keep finding your way. Keep seeking it out, following the road, fighting for where you want to be and who you want to become.

dangerous liaisons: which language would you most like to learn?

Korean! Mostly so I can watch all the K-dramas I want, but also because it's a different sort of language from any I've tried learning in the past.

rumble fish: who do you look to for guidance in times of need?

My family and best friends, whichever of them possesses the most expertise in the area I need guidance.

young guns: what's one style that you love on others but would never try yourself?

Those 50s-era housewife-style dresses. As a young-looking, occasionally naive blonde, if I were to wear dresses like those, no one would ever take me seriously.

And now for the rest of them:

bill and ted's excellent adventure: are you more of an optimist or pessimist?

Indefatigable optimist. I do a good impression of a realist when necessary, but I think my brain would just throw out static if I genuinely attempted pessimism.

back to the future: which decade in the last century would you most have liked to live in?

Probably the 1910s. I wouldn't enjoy the politics...or the war...or the plague, but I have a slight fascination for the time period, regardless. The fashion is definitely part of it, but it's also so different from the rest of the century---a kind of dividing line between what I think of as old-timey life and modern life---that I'd like to know what it feels like to live in that world.

the breakfast club: which high school stereotype do you fit into best?

Geek. Definitely. Even after all these years.

ferris bueller's day off: what's your guilty pleasure?

I don't really do guilty pleasures. One of the benefits of being the aforementioned geek is that I don't apologize for the things I enjoy. Sometimes it's difficult to explain to people why, exactly, I love fanfiction or romance novels or cheesy Hallmark movies, but I don't really care if they understand or appreciate what I do about those things. I love what I love, no guilt, no shame, no irony. (Though sometimes I will laugh at myself for just how much I love those things.)

footloose: who did you last dance with?

My new little niece, Ophelia. She's almost 6 months old and dancing makes her smile...or fall asleep. Win-win.

the goonies: what was the last thing to make you laugh?

A snippet of "The Ballad of Dunny Roll" as shared on an episode of the podcast 99% Invisible, Wipe Out. (If you, too, want to know about the history of toilet paper and the nature of the shortage, I highly recommend giving this episode a listen.)

the outsiders: why is your best friend your best friend?

I have three best friends, and while they are very different people, each one of them makes me better somehow...and allows me to make them better. They value honesty, especially with themselves, just as I do, and are driven, as I am, by a need to keep growing, keep becoming the people they want to be. I can talk about anything with them, and I know the effort I put into maintaining our friendship long-distance will always be met with the same effort on their end. There are other things I love about them, but these are the bedrock of our friendship.

the lost boys: would you rather be immortal or objectively beautiful to everyone?

I'm not sure I'd really, truly enjoy being objectively beautiful, but I'd still prefer that to immortality. To quote Queen, completely out of context, "Who waaants to liiiive foreveeeer?"

labyrinth: what's the relationship with your siblings like?

Wonderful. There is so much love and support and wisdom and laughter among us that I don't know what I would do without it. We each have our own way of being, our own expertise, our own foibles and strengths, and we definitely misstep with each other from time to time, but we are always there for one another.

the karate kid: when did you last have to work really hard to achieve something you're proud of?

I completed a motorcycle safety course last fall, and while I'm fairly indifferent about the actual motorcycle license I'm now approved to get, I'm incredibly proud of how I stuck with it. 12 hours wrangling a machine doesn't sound like that much work, but I have rarely, if ever, encountered a task that played so effectively to my weaknesses. I thought in a situation like that, I'd probably quit...or, at least, find myself so bogged down with embarrassment, frustration, and dread of failure that I wouldn't be able to continue. Instead, I found myself shaking off the negative thoughts, finding my focus, and trying again. And again. And again. I didn't know I had that in me, that I could wield my will in quite that way.

stand by me: why did you last go on a road trip?

Last Thanksgiving my brother, his friend, and I went on an overland camping trip in northern Arizona. We traveled forest and fire roads between Cherry and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and got to see some really gorgeous scenery.

pretty in pink: what's your signature 'look'?

Bright colors, classic lines with touches of whimsy, form-fitting, no layers, generally casual. Flats. Scarves. Earrings and bracelets, when I bother. Make-up, if I wear it, involves thick lines of non-black eyeliner, colored mascara, and/or bright lipstick.

ghostbusters: where were you when you watched your favourite movie for the first time?

I think I was in the basement of the house I grew up in, watching it with my family on video. I remember thinking it was really weird the first time I watched it---so much so that when I saw it again, I was startled by how charming I found it. (This would be Strictly Ballroom, which is pretty weird at times. Objectively speaking.)

sixteen candles: at which age do you consider a person to be mature?

I generally consider a person to be mature when they're capable of behaving in mature ways. That is, taking responsibility for their actions, owning their mistakes, behaving with consideration for the people around them. So, y'know, some people are never mature. If we're talking about legal definitions of maturity...that's tricky. I think people generally start that journey as they enter into the adult world, but the prefrontal cortex---the part of the brain vital for decision-making---isn't fully developed until around 25. So while 18 and 21 are understandable cut-off ages for "adulthood," brains at those ages are still growing up.

dirty dancing: where were you when you first heard your favourite song?

I have no idea. I grew up with my family listening to every single Dan Fogelberg album we owned, and I didn't even really start paying attention to music until I was in high school. So it is entirely possible that I first heard "Stars" when I was an infant.

better off dead: why did you last laugh so hard it reduced you to tears?

I don't remember! I have a vivid memory of sitting in my mother's living room with my siblings and laughing so hard my eyes welled up, but I don't remember what we were talking about or what was so funny.

heathers: did you apologise the last time you were unreasonably mean?

I'm not sure if "mean" is the right description for this, but I sniped at my brother for something I decided he needed to work on...and realized later that not only was this an unjust accusation, it was also a misrepresentation of what was really bothering me. The next time I saw him, I apologized for thinking ill of him, explained what had really been troubling me, and he cut me off mid-apology with a hug. Positive reinforcement, that. :D

parenthood: is there anyone you're not biologically related to that you consider 'family'?

Hahaha, yes. As you well know, Casie, sister-mine. But I generally consider anyone I love deeply to be family, even if they don't think of themselves that way. "Family" is the gold standard of devotion for me, so I drag everyone I can into that category.

permanent record: where were you the last time you told someone you loved them?

In my bedroom on the phone with you, Casie. I honestly love how commonplace it's become to say those words to the people in my life. We say good-bye, we say I love you. That's just how it is.

e.t.: what's one 'weird' feature that you love about yourself?

What my brother refers to as my "rich inner life." It's become a bit of a joke now, especially since every time I talk about how boring my life is, he'll rejoin with, "But you have such a rich inner life!" but I genuinely love this in myself. I don't live a vivid, exciting outer life, and I think I come across as boring to a lot of people, but my mind is such an interesting place, filled with ideas and possibilities and curiosity and warmth. If I'm weird for living mostly in my head, it's a weirdness I cherish.

oxford blues: why did you last pretend to be something you're not?

I'm an Fi-dom enneagram 4w5: I don't pretend to be something I'm not. Ever. I think the closest I come is lying to unrelenting men about having a boyfriend waiting for me. And maybe, if you squint, role-playing characters for dialogue-writing purposes. I've learned some Slytherin-ish discretion over the years, but beyond that, what you see is what you get.

dead poet's society: the last time you made a decision that everyone around you told you not to make, how did it work out?

Really well. When I first considered becoming a librarian, my family---especially my dad---didn't think I'd enjoy it. I tried to get into what they thought I would enjoy, hated it, ended up as a librarian anyway, and learned that as much as I value others' opinions of who I am and what I can do, my own instincts in those matters are just as important.

[monkey-network]

Everything Wrong With: Into The Spiderverse [Done Right]

Cinema Sins dropped the fucking ball with that take, so I decided to do it better in honor of this movie releasing on Netflix. All sins will end with a (+), all sin removals will end with a (-). 3, 2, 1, PENGU!

Logos aside, got to sin for that single tone in the music getting uncomfortably louder to me during them. (+)

Nice try, jokes on narration is still narration (+)

Bonus petty sin for not casting Tobey (+)

I love ya, movie, but you just had to crack wise at the best thing to come out of Spiderman 3 (+)

Petty sin for ringing me flashbacks of my childhood. Sure it wasn’t a spidey popsicle, but it hurt just the same (+)

Wow Spidey, way to downplay the other heroes in New York (+)

Sin for making me think Post Malone is a good musician. Good meaning producing more than 1 good song. (+)

Sin off for giving me that pure melanin that is Miles’ family. (-) 

Assuming this is all the same morning, how long did it take Miles to get ready? Jefferson was only in a tee at the house yet was conveniently able to catch Miles on the street, fully suited, in the car. (+)

There are police in this movie. (+)

Jameson can’t be around for this one. smh (+)

I’m with Miles. Dad was being pretty petty right there. (+)

Petty sin for making me look at calculus, and I know that’s calc. (+)

Miles shouldn’t be needing all them books. I’m not even there and this school already feels like torture. (+)

Sin off for that smooth Einstein quote (-)

Come on, Miles, you tried too hard to fail. (+)

Seriously, NO student should be having that many books regardless of the schedule. This private school is worse than college. (+)

Okay, three sins off for playing Biggie Smalls (-)(-)(-)

Tho I gotta sin back for censorsing the vocals.(+)

Miles doesn’t at all feel the spider crawl up his body. Even I could feel a bug on my sleeves. (+)

Yet again, radioactive spider bite doesn’t immediately kill ‘em. (+)

A sin not to the movie, but to Marvel for essentially undercutting Miles’ roomie to make way for Homecoming essentially taking that for themselves. I haven’t forgotten. (+)

Sin off for Miles and (G)wanda’s adorkable moment (-)

Says his plan is terrible and throws him over thinking that’ll work (+)

Snitches (+)

Officer says open up and forgets his key to his own office? (+)

Middle schooler is still gunning after taking a steel beam to the gut (+)

What happen to the Green Goblin? He is never mentioned again after this. (+)

“You don’t have a choice“ cliche (+)

Okay, sin off for the flash drive joke (-)

Miles has a phone capable of recording that in good quality (+)

Goblin thinks that’s a good idea that won’t kill him (+)

They killed the Green Goblin. (+)

“No pressure.” (+)

Prowler has special eyewear yet couldn’t recognize Miles? (+)

Bonus sin for the cape (+)

Poor choice of music for a serious scene (+)

Stan lee cameo. Obligated sin off. (-)

Miles survives that fall (+)

Miles takes off layers in the middle of a snowy night and is not cold in the slightest. Not even a shiver in his voice. (+)

This isn’t the last time (+)

I fear what a Spidey themed restaurant is (+)

Beter gets 11 slams across the city, a tombstone to the face, face across high moving pavement, countless more face slams, and doesn’t suffer a full on concussion. I get Spider-Man’s strong but he’s not regenerative nor indestructible. (+)

“Don’t watch the mouth, watch the hands.“ The implications (+)

Beter would be better than Jeremy at CinemaSins (+)

Dude, you got sauce on the lens. (+)

Preferential, but the blurriness of the less focused backgrounds honestly hurts my eyes sometimes, like someone rubbed vaseline on everything but the focused. (+)

Two sins off for playing St. Elmo’s Fire (-)(-)

Beter being barefoot in the snow makes me wanna scream (+)

Tell that to Spiderman E-751263 with his web cape (+)

Ah, the frame that sparked the most basic meme ever (+)

Hobo peter is better Peter, Miles (+)

Two sins for the horrible sight of a desktop (+)(+)

The cellular decay and the glitching doesn’t play all that much in the stakes. The Spidermun don’t get weaker because of it nor affects their combat until the very end. It all makes sense nonetheless, but it feels like an afterthought watching again. (+)

Doc Ock? Still hot. Seven Sins off! (-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Doc’s arms are no match for yoga balls (+)

Gwen’s arrival is pretty convenient (+)

Scientists don’t immediately notice/react to the Spidermun barging in (+)

Shout out to the female scientist that wanted no part of it all and just wanted her drink (-)

Bagel! (-)

Microscopic scientists can’t apparently aim for shit (+)

Sin off for the hard rock (-)

Gwen was able to keep all that hair in her mask without a net (+)

Stop saying one last time. There’s gonna be sequels. (+)

“I don’t do friends“ cliche (+)

The Comic Con joke? Peak comedy. (-)

Another sin off for Miles and (G)wen adorkable moment (-)

Wait, wasn’t it snowing outside the other night? It all melted that quick? (+)

Beter gets sticky shit on the doorbell. (+)

Three sins off for Aunt May (-)(-)(-)

How come no other hero is around? Daredevil and the Defenders? Strange? Reed? Nobody else noticed that explosion and is reacting accordingly? (+)

I don’t wanna know where them wet hands have truly been. (+)

Nicholas Cage... (-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

The B team don’t get better screentime other than a couple moments each. Benefits the story but it’s still a tad underwhelming in hindsight. (+)

Also, would’ve preferred Peni having a less kawaii design. (+)

You mean Noir had a gun? And doesn’t have it? (+)

“Punch Nazis“ (-)

Also, I’m getting Kung Fu Panda vibes now (-)

Way to put on the pressure (+)

What is this music? (+)

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN (+)

Cars continue to move even when driver should realize something’s happening to their car (+)

RIP Motorcycle (+)

Cool Sp//dr scene (-)

Also Peni wears heelys (-)

Has anybody gotten any sleep? I’m not sinning this one but it feels like nobody’s had the chance to rest since it’s been a couple days.

How was he followed? Didn’t notice a tracker or anything to hint this. Oh wait, the suit.... Goddamn it. (+)

Peni was just standing there for a bit. Get in the robot! (+)

Tombstone gets thrown out only to instantly come back in (+)

Barely anybody in the neighborhood is outside to see the action. Everyone there can’t be that smart. (+)

A bit tasteless, but it’s a bit kinda embarrassing that Prowler was outsmarted by a kid in a Spiderman halloween costume. (+)

Kingpin got out that car faster than a child support dodger (+)

Sins off for Aaron’s final words (-)(-)

You honestly think he’d be okay? (+)

This music (+)

Admittedly, tying him up in this pretty trashed room is not a good look (+)

Beter already named the lightning strike after only seeing it once (+)

“You got the spark“ cliche (+)

Sin off for the pun anyways. (-)

“Leap of Faith“ scene (-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Okay, now:

The re purposed quotes overplay the quiet suspense of the scene (+)

Assuming this takes place on the same night, I refuse to believe that suit was able to dry so quickly after all that paint (+)

And that Miles is able to just put on the mask without worrying about the paint fumes (+)

Miles puts on a couple layers over the suit only to take ‘em off later on. (+)

Why’d they take the bus? (+)

Only good joke from Spider-Ham and he didn’t even set it up (+)

Beter loss his beer gut overnight it seems (+)

Also that scene with MJ was pretty flat. Funny, but flat. (+)

“Last second gotcha from the villains“ cliche (+)

Convenient timing (+)

So Doc’s just okay with destroying her machine like that? (+)

Best line from Porker (-)

Welp, Doc Ock is certainly gone. Seriously, we never see her again. It’s tragic. (+)

Smashing isn’t gonna help, Fisk. Phrasing (+)

Miles is somehow able to figure out everyone’s dimensions (+)

Last sin off for Miles and Gwen adorkable moment (-)

You’d think Miles would try to reason with Kingpin so they don’t possibly die? (+)

Fisk is unnaturally agile enough to catch a flying train (+)

Well that plot thread was done in an instant (+)

Kingpin just stands there. Doesn’t finish him off when he genuinely has the chance. (+)

Jefferson survives the explosion unscathed. (+)

“One Last Time“ (+)

Miles just lets his roomie know his identity without question (+)

Drones are the true villains (+)

Couple Sins off for banging credits themes (-)(-)

Also a few for the great credits sequence (-)(-)(-)

Saw some t-posing (+)

Great quote from Stan Lee (-)

Seven sins off for great animation overall (-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

A good End Credits scene (-)

“One Last Time“ (+)

SINS TOTAL: 102 - 79 = 23

Statement: Puberty is a cruel mistress.

[the-epigram]

HONESTY HOUR!

Sunday is our honesty hour day but instead of questions, today we’ll be doing the following meme from ask-bait:

⚡ 80s movie asks

bill and ted’s excellent adventure: are you more of an optimist or pessimist?

back to the future: which decade in the last century would you most have liked to live in?

the breakfast club: which high school stereotype do you fit into best?

ferris bueller’s day off: what’s your guilty pleasure?

footloose: who did you last dance with?

the goonies: what was the last thing to make you laugh?

the outsiders: why is your best friend your best friend?

the lost boys: would you rather be immortal or objectively beautiful to everyone?

labyrinth: what’s the relationship with your siblings like?

the karate kid: when did you last have to work really hard to achieve something you’re proud of?

stand by me: why did you last go on a road trip?

pretty in pink: what’s your signature ‘look’?

drugstore cowboy: which historical figure most spikes your interest?

ghostbusters: where were you when you watched your favourite movie for the first time?

sixteen candles: at which age do you consider a person to be mature?

dirty dancing: where were you when you first heard your favourite song?

better off dead: why did you last laugh so hard it reduced you to tears?

heathers: did you apologise the last time you were unreasonably mean?

parenthood: is there anyone you’re not biologically related to that you consider ‘family’?

permanent record: where were you the last time you told someone you loved them?

st. elmo’s fire: what’s one piece advice you would give to someone two years younger than yourself?

dangerous liaisons: which language would you most like to learn?

rumble fish: who do you look to for guidance in times of need?

e.t.: what’s one ‘weird’ feature that you love about yourself?

young guns: what’s one style that you love on others, but would never try yourself?

oxford blues: why did you last pretend to be something you’re not?

dead poet’s society: the last time you made a decision that everyone around you told you not to make, how did it work out?

Please reblog this so the other members know you want to participate. Have fun!

[nintendobiitch]

ALL THE 80’S MOVIE ASKS DO EM ALL

OMG BABE TSYM

And @adora-milaje thank you for asking toooo my bud I’ll just put all the answers here :)

Bill and ted’s excellent adventure: Are you more of an optimist or pessimist?

More of an optimist I think! Like, I’m not wholly irrational, I don’t completely inflate my expectations, but I also can’t help looking forward to stuff or just hoping that it goes well. I find the idea of constantly expecting the worst just super depressing. Like yeah you’re technically “never disappointed” but you also don’t get the excitement of anticipation? I dunno.

Back to the future: Which decade in the last century would you most have liked to live in?

I mean tbh as far as basic civil rights go the 20th Century was largely a catastrophe but purely for fashion/film/music purposes I would rock the 1980s.

The breakfast club: Which high school stereotype do you fit into best?

UMMM I have no idea tbh. Like, nerd but a nerd who’s bad at maths? Idk.

Ferris bueller’s day off: What’s your guilty pleasure?

There’s this one coffee shop that I practically live in, like well enough that I know the owner now, and it’s not exactly a “guilty” pleasure but I’ve definitely spent far more money there than I should have haha

Footloose: Who did you last dance with?

When I went clubbing with a bunch of friends to celebrate the end of exams! So my future housemate Becky and a bunch of my other close friends :)

The goonies: What was the last thing to make you laugh?

Just 20 minutes ago I was laughing at my friend James while we played Portal 2 co-op. He died. He died so much.

The outsiders: Why is your best friend your best friend?

OH MAN this is so hard cause like, there are multiple people I’d consider my best friends. My friend Lizzie I’ve known since I was two, she’s so easy to talk to, she cheers me up no matter what, I just feel completely comfortable in her company. My friend Nat I met this year at uni and we have so many similar interests, she’s one of the coolest, funniest people I’ve ever met and we just clicked super quickly. My friend Lucia has been with me through so much difficult shit, she cares so much for me and it’s so lovely. My friend Cosi I can go without seeing for a year and then feel like no time has passed when we next speak.

The lost boys: Would you rather be immortal or objectively beautiful to everyone?

Objectively beautiful??? I’m vain as hell and I think immortality is more of a curse than a blessing tbh

Labyrinth: What’s the relationship with your siblings like?

Great! I love my little brother so much. He’s a dumbass but he’s my dumbass, and really surprisingly respectful for a 14 year old boy. He’s my person to yell about nintendo stuff to, it’s awesome.

The karate kid: When did you last have to work really hard to achieve something you’re proud of?

One of the things I’m most proud of recently is getting my Camp America placement! I had to do three interviews and fill out a huge application, and it’s for a job that is literally a dream come true for me, so I’m super happy I got it! Only two weeks until I head out to New Hampshire now!!

Stand by me: Why did you last go on a road trip?

I really haven’t been on that many road trips tbh. You can drive the length of England in like less than a day. I guess technically the last thing was when I drove back up to uni after the Easter holidays haha

Pretty in pink: What’s your signature ‘look’?

I Do Not Have One hahaha. I swap between styles pretty much constantly. I have an insane number of button up shirts so I’m either high-key flannel lesbian or quite feminine skirt/dress type clothes, totally depends on my mood. I guess the most “signature” thing I own is my dungarees? I wear them a looooot.

Drugstore cowboy: Which historical figure most spikes your interest?

Bruh I’m a history student this is a dangerous question hahaha. Big fan of ALL the Russian tsars, especially Catherine the Great, and Nicholas I. Also love a bit of Otto von Bismarck. Charles II was a mad lad and I love him for it. James I was gay as shit and I respect that. And who doesn’t love Louis XIV? The Viking leader Guthrum was pretty snazzy too y’know I respect him. I really could keep going hahaha.

Ghostbusters: Where were you when you watched your favourite movie for the first time?

Bold of you to assume I have just one favourite movie lol. The one that comes to mind though is when I first watched Inception at my friend Lizzie’s house! Fuckin love that movie so much.

Sixteen candles: At which age do you consider a person to be mature?

Totally depends on the person, and also what you mean by mature. Like anywhere from sort of 15-18 you can start talking to someone like an adult, people start forming more personal/informed opinions about the world, making decisions about their future, but they’re also still children in so many ways. I was dumb as shit at 15 but I also really wasn’t a baby anymore either. It’s a weird age period.

Dirty dancing: Where were you when you first heard your favourite song?

OOOH again, favourite song SINGULAR? One of the songs I treasure the most (Disloyal Order/FOB) I was in the kitchen doing my art coursework, this huge intricate batik thing, and it was the first time I listened to folie a deux and I totally lost focus on my art, I just sat there drinking in this song, every word felt so perfect, ugh I love it

Better off dead: Why did you last laugh so hard it reduced you to tears?

SO I was drunk off my ass, a group of us had gone for cocktails, and my friend Nat showed me that meme of pitbull stretched really big that’s just captured “mr wide” and I lost my SHIT, literally laughed for ten straight minutes, tears streaming down my face, it was the purest joy I’ve ever felt haha

Heathers: Did you apologise the last time you were unreasonably mean?

Yes? I think so. Hard to pinpoint the last time I was mean to someone for no reason, but I tend to feel guilty very quickly and I already say sorry every third word so...

Parenthood: Is there anyone you’re not biologically related to that you consider ‘family’?

I’ve name dropped her a lot already but my friend Lizzie is basically my sister haha. My friend Freya has been calling herself my sister for six years and she pretty much is by now too.

Permanent record: Where were you the last time you told someone you loved them?

I was in right here in bed, texting my girlfriend Maya haha. I guess the last time I said it to someone’s face was last Saturday before she left to go back home, and that was outside her block.

St. Elmo’s fire: What’s one piece advice you would give to someone two years younger than yourself?

A) You are not a grown-up yet, please go easy on yourself you still have so so much growing to do! B) You don’t have to know your passion yet, you don’t have to figure out your whole life at sixteen. There are a lot of things you don’t have control over right now and that’s frustrating and shitty but believe me it gets so much better. Hang in there.

Dangerous liaisons: Which language would you most like to learn?

French or Greek! French because I studied for-fucking-ever but I never got close to fluent (admittedly because I’m impatient as hell haha) and Greek because it’s the language my dad speaks and I wish he’d taught me when I was younger!

Rumble fish: Who do you look to for guidance in times of need?

My mum! I’ve always been able to go to her for help and advice which has been really great, although certainly more recently there’ve been times I’ve rather asked my close friends for comfort too.

E.T.: What’s one ‘weird’ feature that you love about yourself?

Nothing particularly quirky or different about me. My eyes are different colours which I’ve always thought was pretty cool!

Young guns: What’s one style that you love on others, but would never try yourself?

Literally EVERYTHING my girlfriend wears oh my god she is a fashion queen and I’m so shook every time I see her. She fucking rocks fishnet tights and idk if I’m feeling that look for myself but she looks AMAZING.

Oxford blues: Why did you last pretend to be something you’re not?

I guess the last time I was really pretending to be someone was before I came out to my parents. It never felt like a big deal until I came to uni and actually had the chance to express myself and feel comfortable doing it, then it felt like I was constantly lying to them.

Dead poet’s society: The last time you made a decision that everyone around you told you not to make, how did it work out?

Surprisingly, I’ve not done anything stupid enough recently for people to all tell me it’s a bad idea? Huh.

[hollenka99]

Oooh boy... yeah, may have been super sleep deprived at 6am this morning when I (for some godforsaken reason) decided to put down my thought process. Just so I know what the hell I'm on about when I look back on this in future (to laugh or cringe is the question), I'm going to translate it.

[After spending the entire night following my-brothers-corrupted as it updated and finally taking the chance to properly interact, my body finally had enough some time after 3:30am. I have now woken to find it is gone 5]

Braincell 1: Okay, looks like we fell asleep but it's still early enough in the morning to get a few more hours of actual sleep. Plus, you're still half-asleep as it is so that makes it easier to drift back.

Braincell 2: Fair enough but let me check my-brothers-corrupted for a second because that ask I sent was answered.

B1: We really should return to sleep though.

[I have now seen MBC's latest post where Bee says she's leaving it there for the night due to confliction in asks]

B2: Oh no, Bee's feeling down. We should quickly send an ask to reassure her it's okay.

B1: [Bee replies and calls me dork, telling me to sleep] See, even Bee says you should sleep!

[It is around this point that I remember it is Wednesday aka the day our kitchen gets inspected. I happened to have used a bunch of stuff last night while making dinner. I left it over night to dry but it still needs to be put away. We're meant to leave as little obstruction by 9am Wednesday (before cleaning staff come) as possible. I'm aware that if I fall asleep now, it's very likely I will wake up after the kitchen has been visited]

B2: All our washing up will be dry by now. We need to put it away.

B1: ...we should still sleep first.

[Gabby is one of the staff in charge of ensuring my block is clean, especially the kitchens. She's been leaving notes after weekly inspections. My hallmates and I have been getting smiley faces on ours, something we're proud of. It's my stuff that may risk us not getting one this week]

B2: Gabby may not give us a smiley face next to her name this week. I really would like to not disappoint the others by not getting one. It's our stuff putting us at risk.

B1: How about we set an alarm to make sure we wake up in time? Although... I don't know if there's enough time to benefit from that.

B2: Let's stay up then.

B1: Alright, whatever. But we are only waiting until 6am. At 6 we are putting our things away then immediately returning to sleep.

B2: Whelp, time to scroll around on Tumblr!

B1: WTF, stop liking Bee's posts. She'll know you're still awake and be disappointed you didn't listen to her.

[I now realise that after hours of staying up, I am starting to become peckish. I still have a little bit of a frittata left from dinner. The fork was in the kitchen, leaving only the knife. No, it would not occur to me that I could use my bloody hand to pick it up until about 11am]

B2: ...You know, I think I'm hungry.

B1: Why don't you eat the frittata over there with the knife? 'We have the technology' and all that.

B2: What?! No, of course not! I don't want to stab the frittata. [May have actually meant Rattata because I would definitely make a frittata-rattata joke in that state. Plus, I was really messing up the spelling of frittata and forgetting to include f as it was by that point anyway]

B2: Well, it's 6:30 now. We should go to the kitchen now. And basically wake everyone up in the process with the doors. [All the doors in my hall are fire doors, meaning they are loud as fuck when being closed, regardless of how careful you try to be]

B1: Yeah and then we're going to sleep straight after, remember? Like you said, it's after 6 now.

B2, as if it's Elmo in that gif of him with his hands up, surrounded by fire: Let's chuck the dishes in my respective cupboard.

B1, as if it's the dad from the argument meme: But what if we just fell asleep, huh?

B2, as if it's the son in the argument meme: But we have to get the smiley face from Gabby! I'm not mean enough to ruin it for everyone else because I had a large dinner last night then got sleep deprived.

[By the way, if you're wondering why I called him 'storage guy', it's because for the longest time, I was convinced the meme came from Storage Wars. I checked this afternoon and it's actually from a show called American Chopper. The more you know...]

Anyway, by this point it was almost 7am. I did in fact go to sleep right after. I woke up just before 10am so I've been functioning on 3 or 4 hours' worth of sleep today. Still managed to function fairly normally throughout the day. That said, I'm starting to get pretty tired now. So I'm probably going to head to bed soon.

But yeah, a sleep deprived Holly is just... o o f.

Brain 1: You fell asleep go back

Brain 2: K but gotta check corruption

Brain 1: sleep tho

Brian 1: bee's got too much be nice bee

Brain 1: bee said sleep too

Brain 2: but the dinner is dry now gotta hide the stuff

Brain 1: sleep 1st

Brain 2: tabby will be sad

Brain 2: want a smily face

Brian 1: set alarm? No to soon

Brain 2: stay up for plates

Brain 1: ok but sleep at 6

Brain 2: will tumble then

Brain 1: stop liking bee she will be sad

Brain 2: ...hungry

Brian 1: we have t's technology eat rotate with kife

Rain 2: no don't wanna stab ratata

Brain 2: It's 6:30 now gotta wake up everything

Brain 1: after 6 so sleep

Suddenly Elmo hell: MUST YEET THE DISHES

Poinry storage guy: SLEEP WITHOUT

Other pointy: GOTTA GET SMILLY FOR EVERYONE TOO MEAN NOT TO

[rumblrbumblrgumblr]

Odds?

video game ask meme

1: Do you try to stay away from walkthroughs?

For single player games, yeah. MMOs I absolutely need them though. I have like a million tabs open for stuff in WoW/RS constantly when I play them.

3: Best game you've ever played?

That’s a tough one. I’d go between Kingdom Hearts 2, Undertale and Super Smash Bros Melee.

5: A popular series/game you just can't get into no matter how much you try?

The new Fire Emblem games. I’m definitely interested in the character interactions and storylines but I’m just not into strategy games as a whole.

7: A game you'll never forget?

Undertale, deadass. I can remember every single moment of my first playthrough perfectly.

9: A game you turn your volume off every time you play it?

RuneScape, WoW when doing dungeons/questing and Melee when I’m just practicing tech. Also most handheld games.

11: Hardest game you've played?

I Wanna Be The Boshy. FUCK that game.

13: A game you were the most excited for when it wasn't released yet?

Animal Crossing: New Leaf got me really excited, as with every single one of the 3DS Pokemon games.

15: Which two games do you think would make an awesome crossover?

Okay, so it’s just one character but......Sora in Smash Bros. Holy fucking shit. It’s been my dream for years. If he was announced I would actually cry.

17: What game do you never tell people you play?

Uhhhhhhh

I revisit Roblox from time to time purely for nostalgia reasons.

19: Which game do you think deserves a revival?

I’d really love to see the gameplay style of Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 return. In my personal opinion Sonic controls perfectly in those games, all they’d need to do is fix the camera and a few glitches from SA1 and honestly I think it’d be my most favorite game in the series, even above the Genesis quadrilogy.

21: How old were you when you first played a video game?

Pretty sure I was four, with my first game being the Elmo games on Nintendo 64, then Super Mario 64 soon after. Related.

23: Biggest disappointment you've had in gaming?

That’s a really tough one. Starbound burnt me out hard when it first came out and the devs vanished for a long-ass time. I feel like there’s one more in the back of my mind that I legitimately despair over but I just can’t quite put my finger on it for some reason.

25: Be honest; have you ever used cheats (like ActionReplay or Gameshark)?

Yep. Used to hack a few games in Roblox back in the day and me and my friends used to make hacked Pokemon in Black/White solely for battling with each other though.

27: Has there ever been a moment that has made you cry?

Mother 3, Chapter 6. The entire thing. Fuck, dude.

Walking through the abandoned house and learning Asriel’s backstory in Undertale is a very close contender though.

29: Which is more important, gameplay or story?

I’m extremely torn on this one, because two of my top favorite games that I mentioned earlier, Undertale and Smash Bros Melee, will last forever to me, but Undertale will last forever because of how unforgettable the story is and Melee will last because of how purely fun it is to play with other people and following the evolving competitive scene, even though it doesn’t really have a story at all.

Personally I want to say that, if a game can do one thing and excel at it, then let it no matter what that one thing is.

However if this was a situation where I absolutely have to pick one or the other, I’d have to do gameplay as it is the one thing games have over others.

This was fun.

[50shadesofbrain]

What makes a meme go viral?

A bit of a warning before reading: This post starts talking about Twilight roughly halfway through, and doesn’t really stop.  I offer neither excuse nor apology.

           Hello, internet, and welcome to another exciting installment of 50 Shades of Brain.  I’m your host, Tim Carroll.  Today, I’m delving into the exciting/horrifying world of internet memes.  

What are memes?

         The word “meme” was first invented by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book “The Selfish Gene.” A meme is an idea, behavior, or belief that spreads from person to person like a thought contagion.  In the same way that a person can develop biological traits (hair color or skin color) by expressing the right genes, a person can develop mental traits (political beliefs and religions) by expressing memes.  Just as the study of genes is known as genetics, the study of memes is known as memetics. (Meme rhymes with team, and memetics loosely rhymes with phonetics.)

         Memetics and Psychology are closely related sciences.  But while Psychology often asks “How do people find ideas?” Memetics asks “How do ideas find people?” [This quote  - along with many of the ideas expressed in this blog post - is taken from the book Thought Contagion.]  

         I’m a big fan of the term “Thought Contagion” to describe memes, as it likens memes to viruses.  Memes, like viruses, require people to spread, and, also like viruses, often don’t need the people involved to be willing participants in the spreading. That’s why memes are often described as “self-spreading ideas.”

         Now keep in mind, an idea doesn’t have to be true in order for it to be a meme. A great example of a probably-untrue self-spreading idea is the story of Saint Elmo’s Fire.  In case you’ve never heard of it, Saint Elmo’s Fire is a meteorological phenomenon in which glowing plasma surrounds tall, pointed objects during thunderstorms (or any situation where there’s a lot of electrical potential energy in the sky.)

This means that during intense thunderstorms at sea, the mastheads of old sailing ships would begin to glow. You can see a video of it here.   Rather than seeing this as terrifying, sailors who saw these lights claimed that it was a sign that Saint Elmo, the patron saint of sailors, was there with them to ensure that they would make it through the storm.  

Now, is that explanation true?  Probably not. What makes the idea “a glowing mast in a storm is a good omen” memetic is that it’s a thought that’s nearly impossible to disprove. Think about it: the sailors who saw St. Elmo’s Fire and made it back to shore could tell everyone the story of Saint Elmo guiding them through an impossible and terrifying storm.  Those who saw Saint Elmo’s fire and didn’t make it back to shore… well they couldn’t tell their tale to the contrary, could they?  As such, with plenty of sailors to confirm the legend, and none to speak out against it, the legend – or should I say meme - spread.  

This meme also had two other things going for it that helped it spread.  The first is that it benefitted from some “pre-existing infrastructure.” Saint Elmo was a figure in an already-established and incredibly popular belief system, in this case, Christianity. [Christianity, as well as every other religion, is also a good example of a meme.]

The second factor that helped this meme spread was that it was generally a comforting thing to believe in.  During a terrifying storm, a captain probably felt a lot better shouting “Saint Elmo is with us!” to his crew than “We are all so screwed…”

         Saint Elmo’s fire is just one example of a meme. I mentioned religion above, but faith in science is also a meme. If you feel the urge to share this blog post with your friends, then the ideas inside are also memetic.

         I could go on for hours listing examples of memes (any cultural/social norm for instance) but we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.  But before we move on, I should also mention anti-memes – ideas that terminate themselves.  A great example of an anti-meme is the idea “melee weapons are more useful than guns during warfare.”  This idea died a rapid death in America right around the time of the Civil War. Care to take a guess as to why?  

         So that’s what the word meme used to mean….

         But what does meme mean now…

         The science of memetics has hit something of a stalling point in recent years. There are several reasons for this, but a rather salient one is the fact that the word meme has taken on a somewhat different definition.

Today, the word “meme” most commonly refers to pieces of media – be they images, gifs, or blocks of text, that are passed around the internet usually as a joke or to make a political point. Probably the most famous of these is Pepe the Frog.  These are often thought to have started with the internet but it’s not too difficult to find historical examples.  During the 40’s it was popular for WWII GI’s to scrawl the words “Kilroy was here” on walls and structures.  In the 60’s and 70’s it was popular to wear buttons or make graffiti that said “Frodo Lives.”  Or if you wanted to get really old fashioned, people have been drawing a square that reads “SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS“ since around the birth of Christ.  (That last example looks much cooler when it’s arranged into a five by five square, rather than written out.)  

Two thousand years is a long time for a five word message to hang around, wouldn’t you say?  What makes those five words have more staying power than all the other Roman graffiti out there?  

I guess I’m asking what makes certain memes have so much staying power. Or, in other words…

What makes a meme go viral?

         Every year we post an estimated 1.8 billion images to the internet.  (Just to give you an idea of how big a number that is, if you dedicated a single second to looking at every one of those pictures, you’d finish sometime in 2075.)  

         With such a massive number of pictures, it’s likely you could only view a tiny fraction of them, and share an even tinier fraction.  And the fraction you see is almost entirely composed of pictures that others decided to share themselves.  

What makes that fraction special?  Why have over a hundred million people looked at this dress, but not this one? Why is this frog so damn popular, but this one isn’t?

         Today on Fifty Shades of Brain, I’m going to endeavor to answer these questions. It turns out there’s not one answer as to what makes a meme more sharable than another.  However, I’ve found that almost all memes have one or more of the following things in commons.  The first of which is:

1.   Pre-Existing Infrastructure

         Up above, we talked about pre-existing infrastructure being important in the spreading of the legend of St. Elmo’s Fire.  Turns out having a “fan base” helps your meme immensely.   In fact, as this Daily Dot article about the ‘wistful Javert’ meme explains, most memes become famous as derivatives of other memes.  

         If you have a favorite meme – and who doesn’t – you can track its evolution on the surprisingly comprehensive website Know Your Meme, where you can see not just how that meme started, but all of the ways that that meme has crossed over into other memes.  

         But why would we prefer derivatives?  Shouldn’t we like originals just as much, if not more?

         Not exactly. The answer lies in something called the Mere Exposure Effect. The Mere Exposure effect is a logical fallacy that causes us to like things more that we’ve seen before.  It applies to pretty much everything.  We’ll even think that Chinese characters mean nicer things if we’ve seen them before.  

          In fact, things become funnier the more you’re exposed to them.  The more people are exposed to a newspaper comic, the funnier people think it is.   [I have a hypothesis that this repeated exposure effect is why comics like Dagwood and the Family Circus have stuck around for so many years.]  

         Now sometimes memes can be a reference so obscure, that it’s almost impossible to know what the original topic being referenced was without the aforementioned Know Your Meme website. In fact sometimes the joy of spreading an obscure meme is…

2.   The ability to be part of a cool secret club.

         When we look at some of the ancient memes above we find that a lot of them have a component that is difficult to read to outsiders. For example, the phrase “Frodo lives” doesn’t mean much to people who don’t know about Lord of the Rings. And “SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS” doesn’t mean much if you don’t speak Latin.

         So why all the secrecy? Don’t we like it when people understand what we’re talking about? Isn’t that the whole point of communication?

         As a rule, humans don’t like keeping secrets.  A 2013 study in the journal of adolescence found that keeping secrets was toxic to your health. Their exact words were “secrecy was associated with increased delinquency, physical complaints, depressive mood, loneliness, and with lower quality relationships.” Yikes.  

         However, humans do love feeling superior to an outgroup.  It’s even been argued that it’s crucial to our self-esteem to believe our ingroup is better than our outgroups.  

         What better way to feel superior to others than to possess relevant information that they don’t have? And what better way to make the information you have relevant than by plastering it everywhere you can?  

         This love of having special information (or, at the very least, appearing to have it) would explain the internet’s love of increasingly obscure memes. Intentionally incomprehensible memes have become so common that some have likened memes to Contemporary Dadaism. (For those out of the loop, according to Wikipedia, original recipe Dadaism “consisted of artists who rejected the logic, reason, and aestheticism of modern capitalist society, instead expressing nonsense, irrationality, and anti-bourgeois protest in their works.”  

         So we like memes that build on infrastructure and memes that make us look like part of a knowledgeable ingroup.  What else do we like in our memes?  

3.   They make an argument without making an argument.  

         Here on 50 Shades of Brain, I try not to get political.  I tend to leave that to other edgier blogs.  That said, this argument is best done with political example

         It’s not too hard to find a Facebook page that’s willing to share political messages in the form of pictures.  But out of a very strong desire to stay out of current politics, why don’t we hop on a time machine to the year 2009 and look at this picture. In case you didn’t click on it, it’s a photo of Obama’s Inauguration that says, “One Million people attended Obama’s Inauguration and only fourteen missed work.”  It doesn’t take much googling to find that both of those numbers are demonstrably untrue.  A quick check on Wikipedia will tell you that roughly 1.8 million people attended the inauguration, including thousands of currently-employed security personnel]

         Still the implication of this message is clear:  “The people who voted for Obama didn’t have jobs and voted for him because he’d help them stay that way.”      

         But here’s the fun part about posting that picture to your Facebook page, you didn’t actually say that thing about Obama’s supporters.  You implied it.  So when your crazy/sane liberal Uncle Jeff comes to your wall and says that plenty of people who attended Obama’s inauguration had jobs or that it’s totally normal for people without jobs to vote against the party in power, you can tell him that it’s only a joke.

         Isn’t it great?   You get to be snarky and sarcastic with none of the consequences or commitment.  

         And we do love not being committed to an argument.  People may like arguing online, but they hate being locked into things they can’t get out of.  A study by Dan Ariely shows that we like keeping our options open.  We’ll even throw away potential profits to keep options that we know are bad for us open, just because we can’t bear to be hemmed in.   Even if we are completely aware that those options are worse for us than the path we’re on now.  

         Now, disliking Obama in 2008 wasn’t exactly a rare opinion.  Roughly 47.1% of the country agreed with you on it. But just in case you’re confronted by that persnickety 52.9%, you can claim it’s just a joke and get out of the argument.  This also helps if you’re not as well versed in politics as your aforementioned uncle since we hate losing arguments.

         But if we didn’t like engaging in arguments then why even post this stuff? Well that brings us to the final thing that makes for a good meme.

4.   Memes that allow us to declare our allegiance.

         To understand this next bit, it might help to learn a little about signaling.  In both Psychology and Biology, we have a term called “Signaling.” Basically, anytime we have an aspect of ourselves that we want to show off, we need to find a way to “signal” it to the world.  In the (non-human) animal world, a peacock “signals” how sexy and well fed it is by showing off a nice coat of feathers. In the human world, a man might show off how much money he has by buying an expensive sports car.    

         One of the most important things in signal theory is understanding that every signal has a cost.  Basically, the more time and effort you put into broadcasting a signal, the more others will assume you care about what you are signaling.  For instance, if you donate $200 to breast cancer research, one would think you’re way more dedicated to ending breast cancer than if you just tweeted about it.  Granted, what is considered a high-cost signal for you is probably not what would be considered a high cost signal for Bill Gates or Elon Musk.

         Now, memes are pretty clearly low cost signals, but sometimes quantity can matter more than quality.  

         Signaling dovetails nicely with the innate human desire to belong to a group. A lot of popular memes allow you to declare your allegiance to something.  

         For instance, we talked about this dress  earlier. The entire controversy around that dress was based around picking a side.  Did you see it as black and blue or white and gold? Either way you get to belong to a new ingroup. An ingroup you get to be in with celebrities.  

         If you want to get more elaborate you can declare a side within declaring a side. Do you remember Team Edward vs. Team Jacob? [If you don’t, it’s a reference to the Twilight novels where the main character’s two love interests were the sexy brooding vampire Edward and the sexy brooding werewolf Jacob.  Now that I told you, you can feel like you’re part of the in-the-know ingroup. You’re welcome.]  You could declare your team on t-shirts, coffee mugs, posters, and of course, with internet posts.  Now this is a double declaration of your team, not only can you show off that you’re a Twilight fan (a Twihard, if you prefer) but also you can share your allegiance within the Twilight Fandom.

         But hey, isn’t shouting Team Jacob also a way of building upon something that’s already part of “pre-existing” infrastructure?  Isn���t it also a way of being understandable to your ingroup (Twihards) and not your outgroup?  Weren’t those things we talked about earlier in the post?

         Yeah, maybe instead of taking a look at these four things separately, we should be talking about them all together.  

Bringing it all together

         So if you’ve been counting, we’ve narrowed it down to four things. We like memes that are the following.

1.     Build upon some “pre-existing infrastructure”

2.     Be understandable to your ingroup but not your outgroup.  

3.     Make an argument that you can walk away from.  

4.     Show off your allegiance.

         Now, it’s not too hard to see that these four objectives do dovetail nicely with each other.  The ideal meme would signal to your ingroup that you’re a member (possibly with a humorous reference), but leave your outgroup with no information.  This meme would also present an argument you can easily dismiss as ‘just a joke.’

         If we wanted to keep going with our Twilight example (and honestly, why would we want to stop talking about Twilight for any reason?)  When you shout, “Team Jacob,” you are 1. Referencing the well-known love story Twilight. 2.  Showing off knowledge that is potentially-unknown to your outgroup. 3.  Making an argument that you can walk away from (after all, isn’t the other side ridiculous for starting an argument about a book?)  4.  Showing off your allegiance to the chiseled werewolf known as Jacob.

         Almost every meme we’ve mentioned in this article falls into one or more of these four categories.  The Obama election meme above is a very clear way of signaling your allegiance and making an argument you can walk away from.  Saint Elmo’s Fire allows you to build off of the pre-existing infrastructure of the Catholic Church and also show your allegiance to that same Catholic Church.  

         Now there may be a few other factors that help memes spread, and we’ll talk about them and a few other things in this blog post’s appendix, which you should expect to see on this blog in the next month. (Unless I decide I want to do the next post first)

Until then that’s all for this blog post.  Be sure to share the ideas in it with literally everyone you can.  

Further Reading

If you’re interested in the subject of memetics, I highly recommend the book Thought Contagion by Aaron Lynch.  I’ve cited it several times above, but I suggest you buy the book if you’re at all interested in the subject.

Another fun thing to look at might be the (fictional) story of SCP-55. We touched on anti-memes (ideas that lead to their own ending) only briefly.  SCP-55 is an entity that is an anti-meme so potent, no one can quite remember that it exists.