#who knows maybe this time (the fourth time I try) I will succeed. i love that first book sm

[eerna]

the MLJ kick drove me to dig even deeper into teenage nostalgia and I decided to go rewatch Still Star-Crossed, and the FIRST THING I SEE when I google it is that it's a SHONDALAND PRODUCTION. WHO KNEW

[erinwantstowrite]

ERIN i cannot believe you are a fan of twisted wonderland too, you have feed me once again with your beautiful art thank you so much 🛐🛐

But who are your favorite tw characters?? And how do you think other batfam members would do in yuu's situation?

i love Twisted Wonderland!! in a sense that I ignore the Mickey Mouse plotline because what even is going on there LMFAO

It's so hard to choose a fav cause they're all so stinky and I adore the idiots so much,,, but my rankings are: Ace and Deuce for 1st place, Grim for second, Ruggie for third, Epel and Kalim for fourth, and Malleus for fifth. And this is if I HAVE to choose. the rest of them are so silly that I can not be contained. I need to torment Azul and shake him around <3

Tim would thrive the MOST in Twisted Wonderland, but we know how I feel about that by now. As for the others... I'm assuming we're going with them but when they were the same age as the first years in Twisted Wonderland (cause it's a school). In all of these scenarios, Crowley does not stand a chance. Also they all steal Grim.

Bruce isn't Batman yet when he's that young, but he's certainly just as crazy as he'll be in his twenties-fourties, maybe even MORE so because he doesn't have the experience of training yet. After figuring out that this isn't a hallucination or weird altered state that he's in (coma, spell, etc), he'd be an unbending force that gives them all a run for their money. He's incredibly smart and I doubt he'd be willing to put up with any bullshit that gets pulled. He would manage to get himself home and refuse to make any friends... but he would probably grow soft for Grim, Ace, and Deuce. Grim because Yuu takes care of Grim, and we all know how Bruce is about adoption. Same for Ace and Deuce, they're so stupid that Bruce would end up worrying about them 24/7. His paranoia about keeping them safe would prevent Azul getting a contract with them, etc etc.

Dick when he was Robin? He's terrorizing Crowley the entire time, with a smile on his face. He's so strong willed that anytime Crowley tries to put him into a situation where Crowley gets to fake being nice and magnanimous without actually helping, Dick calls him out and forces him into actually doing something, lest everyone see how he really is. (They know already but Crowley would try to save face.) He'd make friends with everyone- he'd tame Grim pretty fast and probably see it as an exercise to teach him how to be more patient. Honestly, Grim's temperament would remind Dick of himself when he was just starting off as Robin. It'd be like having a little brother and when Dick isn't stuck angsting about some shit Bruce pulled when being emotionally stunted, he's a good big brother. He'd make friends, but he wouldn't tell them anything about himself, keeping it close to his chest. Secret identities, and all that. Dick would also get himself home very fast, not willing to make B wait long. Plus he really missed Alfred.

He would try to steal Grim though. He would probably succeed, actually. All he'd have to do is tell Grim about the world he's from and how he knows magic users far beyond the level of the teachers at this school who could use a new student, and Grim would likely accept.

For Jason, when he was Robin, he was the sunshine kid. This would be after he's mellowed out with Bruce, when he's started to accept his life with B and Alfred, and started to grow into his own as Robin. They would all mistake his willingness to help as weakness, but Jason can be just as stubborn and clever as any other Robin. It's in their blood. He wouldn't be willing to let them talk down to him- he's used to people looking down on him because of where he comes from. The big fancy schools at home think he's trash from the bad parts of Gotham, and here isn't really any different. They think he can't get by without magic? Boy, will Jason sure show them. He's Robin.

I have a feeling that this, combined with Jason's love of school, would mean that Jason gets a little sidetracked with learning about this world, magic, and history, etc. He and Grim butt heads a lot, but Jason would get protective over him. Jason took care of the kids younger than him before, and his Robin is known for the comfort and kindness he shows.

He, too, would not make B wait a long time for him to come back. He's not as much of a detective as Batman or Nightwing, but he's clever enough to get himself home because of what he's learned. He would also steal Grim. In this scenario, it'd been a long time since anyone had cared about Grim the way Jason does about him. He'd come even without the speech about magic in Jason's world.

Tim... is the only Robin who'd make Batman wait. Not even out of a sense of being an ass about it, Tim would just thrive in Twisted Wonderland. He'd play up a role of being a "damsel in distress" or being silly and carefree and clumsy, etc etc. All the while Tim has been picking apart this mystery in front of him and he's got it all figured out. He's having a blast. It's Batman that comes to get him, and Tim probably wasn't expecting that, but, hey! Batman came to get him!

Damian. Holy shit is he a force to be reckoned with. He gets under everyone's skins, he doesn't bother hiding in plain sight, he demands to be treated the way he deserves. He's the son of Talia al Ghul and Bruce fucking Wayne. You try to put him in Ramshackle and he'll gut you with his sword for the disrespect. I think it'd be funny if Damian was like "this distasteful chandelier was only worth a billion of your currency?" and ADeuce try to kill him. Eventually they get along in the most hilarious way, but they're constantly fighting. Damian takes charge of their group, naturally, but he finds himself on equal footing with ADeuce at some point because they're from Twisted Wonderland and help him fill in the gaps of his knowledge. He's also studious (the PhD thing) and Deuce would ask for his help. Ace would get roped into it.

The only one that he gets along with? Grim. Because he's a cat with fire powers. Damian would think he's so fucking cool, he basically has a fuzzy little dragon. That can fit in his bed and cuddle with him and can talk. Come on. What 14 year old like Damian wouldn't think that's the sickest shit ever? He'd demand only the best for Grim, but would also easily start shaping him up to be a better mage. No, not better- the best. Damian would understand Grim's desire to find his legacy.

And, like, here's the thing. Even with all of that... Damian is a very empathetic kid. If he's about freshman year-aged, he'd be, what, 14? I think? That's after he started letting himself be more empathetic. After he lost his dad for a year and learned to be Robin because of Dick. Literally no one would expect Damian to be understanding or listen to the prefects' insecurities or hurt, nor willing to talk to them about it. But he does. He also hands their asses to them when they fight, but while that's happening, Damian is talking to them.

He steals Grim whether he wants to or not. But Grim does want to go with him.

This got WAYYY longer than I expected it to but this got me to thinking and we know I love to yap. I'd add Stephanie, Duke, Cass, Babs, etc, but I don't want this to get too long.

[randomciabatta724]

Some Polites headcanons because they're good for the soul.

Note: these are a mix of details from the musical I wanted to expand on, stuff I've read from other posts, and things I randomly came up with.

He was in the frontlines (or at least near them) during the Trojan war. Not because he wanted to fight, he just thought "if I have to join the battle, I'll at least shield those behind me". I took this from Survive, because he had to be pretty close to Polyphemus to be the first one hit by the club.

Self sacrificial. Very self sacrificial. Would die for the crew, especially for Odysseus and Eurylochus.

Loves dates. Either on their own or with honey. I don't know why, he just gives me the vibe.

Had night terrors both during and after the war. Either nightmares about the people he killed (let's face it, you don't come out of a 10 year war without getting blood on your hands) or his friends dying in battle. Never explicitly told anyone, but he would stay with his friends a little longer the morning after. Also picked a lot more night watch turns as a result, just to get his mind off of things.

Bruises/gets injured extremely easily, and doesn't notice/care. Especially if someone else is hurt too. "Are you alright?" asks Polites to another soldier while coughing up blood.

Also very durable, somehow. That's why Polyphemus had to hit him twice/j.

Myopic king. The glasses are a gift from Athena, because she was like "I think you're a soft-hearted fool, but I'll be damned if you embarrass my Warrior of the Mind because you can't see beyond the bridge of your nose".

The type of person to keep eating horrible/possibly poisoned food just to not offend the person who prepared it. Odysseus had to smack the lotus out of his hand because he would have still taken a bite to not make the lotus eaters upset (he brought some with him anyway, that's where Odysseus got the lotuses to put in the wine).

Many have already said this, he's the therapist friend before therapy was invented.

Gives the best hugs.

Taller than Odysseus but shorter than Eurylochus (Odysseus reaches Polites' chest, Polites reaches Eurylochus' nose).

Apologises when he bumps into furniture. It's a reflex, he doesn't notice he does it. It's a remnant of his pre-glasses days, when he couldn't distinguish a person from a vase.

The ancient Greek equivalent of a Godfather to Telemachus.

Extremely trusting, sometimes a little too much (fun fact: in the Odyssey he's like the first one to enter Circe's palace).

Very forgiving. He gives second, third, even fourth chances like it's nothing, no matter how badly someone hurts him. You have to be pretty forgiving to still think about greeting the world with open arms after being clubbed to death. (Note: this does not apply to his friends getting hurt).

When he takes off his bandana, his curls reach his shoulders and cover his left eye, and it gives him a whole different vibe. He still radiates warmth, but it's not the same. Kinda like the sun at noon and the sun at dusk. The second is still warm and welcoming, but dimmer, softer, maybe a little darker. People have mistaken him for someone else because of this.

Super heavy sleeper. One time when they were younger, Odysseus and Eurylochus decided to try and wake him up by making the most noise possible. They did not succeed.

His first kiss was Eurylochus while Odysseus was away in Sparta to court Penelope.

One time, someone tried to rob him. The guy was like "Give me your money!" and Polites was like "Oh dear, look at you, of course I'll give you my money, you look like you really need it. Also, why don't you come to my house so I can give you some food and clean clothes?". The thief was so ashamed of himself he ran away.

He befriended Charon in the Underworld.

You know the plague that Apollo sent during the Iliad? He may or may not have gotten it, I haven't decided yet.

Considering that in epic the sirens have the ability to shapeshift into loved ones, there was definitely a siren Polites somewhere during Suffering/Different Beast.

He's generally a very calm person, the only thing that really gets him angry is when his friends get hurt. And when he's angry, he's not someone to mess with. He can and will kick ass. And the thing that rubs salt in the wound is that if you get beat up by Polites, it's almost certainly your fault, because Polites isn't the kind of person that goes around randomly beating people up. And very few people wish to carry the title "The person who got beat up by Polites".

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

The last headcanon is something I've also based a scenario on. Basically, after Odysseus kills the suitors, they go to the Underworld. Most of them are still shaken up by the whole thing, which is understandable, getting shot by an enemy you can't see while unarmed in the dark is not fun, but not Antinous. Antinous is pissed. And so he rallies up the other suitors, he gives a whole speech where he basically says they can get revenge on Odysseus once he joins them there and also reveals all the shit they did while he was gone. And Polites is like, talking to Eurylochus or something, when he overhears. And so he goes to give Antinous the beating of his life because you do **not** disrespect his best friend and his family like that. And the suitors+Eurylochus are watching from a corner, with the suitors getting even more scared.

That's it. Nothing more :)

I know Eurylochus is married to Ctimene but I SHIP HIM AND POLITES SO BAD AAAAAAAAHHHHHH

[canonizzyhours]

imagine it's 1982 and you really love star wars.

you go looking for other fans to talk about star wars with. you meet someone. "my favorite character is boba fett," they say. "cool! i love boba fett, he's such a great bad guy," you reply. the person you're talking to suddenly becomes deadly serious. "what? he's not a bad guy," they respond. "how could you even think that? what's wrong with you?"

you laugh nervously, thinking this is some kind of jokey deliberate-reading-against-the-text gag, but it becomes clear your new friend is absolutely deadly serious about this. unsure what to do, you try to redirect the conversation to subjects other than boba fett. you try talking about the first movie. but it turns out this person has an entire bonkers reinterpretation of the first movie where it's all about showing how luke and han and leia will be ultimately unable to succeed on their own, thus foreshadowing the eventual arrival of boba fett as fourth co-protagonist. you try pointing out that if there's a fourth protagonist surely it would be lando, and ignoring him seems kind of maybe a tiny bit racist? this goes over even worse.

you start to avoid this person. you seek out other fan spaces. but people who are like this about boba fett keep showing up. you feel increasingly insane every time you talk to them, hearing yourself saying obvious things like "well, uh, that's certainly one interpretation, but i feel like if darth vader has to caution you not to disintegrate people that might be a sign you're a villain?" and having them laugh in your face like this is absurd and offensive. you gradually realize that while most star wars fans aren't like this, everyone normal has learned to politely avoid talking about boba fett and other subjects that trigger the boba fett guys, because nobody wants to deal with them. you learn to only talk about star wars in closed communities that don't have any boba fett stans.

the saddest part of this is that over time it makes it very, very hard for you to enjoy boba fett, a character you used to really genuinely like.

the first trailer for return of the jedi drops. the boba fett guys go nuts, insisting that this proves their ultimate vindication is at hand, despite the fact that actually he's barely in the trailer. "uh, guys, i don't know about that," you say cautiously, kind of alarmed at how they're setting themselves up for disappointment. "i think boba fett might be a really cool character but not actually a super important one, and maybe he's just going to die in a sarlaac pit halfway through the movie and the rest will be about luke defeating darth vader." the boba fett guys respond by screenshotting your posts (social media exists in this version of 1982 for purposes of this analogy. work with me here) to publicly make fun of you. how could anyone possibly be dumb enough to think this, they say.

return of the jedi comes out. boba fett dies in the sarlaac pit. the boba fett stan community goes even more nuts than usual and schisms into a faction who are insisting that this is all part of a plan to resurrect boba fett like jesus in episode 7 and a faction who insist that george lucas has personally betrayed them. some of the latter faction manage to take control of the fan campaign to get more movies made despite the fact that they've explicitly said they don't actually want any more movies.

this is what my experience of ofmd fandom has been like.

#271.

[blysse-and-blunder]

in lieu of a reading week

11pm, tuesday, feb 20, 2024

hello beloveds. just wrote two increasingly passionate paragraphs about what social media and my use of it over the years has done to benefit my life, and got so genuinely moved that i had to come talk to you about it.

reading really wild mix of reading material of late. surprisingly high amount of YA, because people keep recommending me things and i keep going 'sure, let's try it!' so i'll use that as an organizing principle and save discussing some of the others for a future post. in order of completion:

firekeeper's daughter, angeline boulley, read by isabella lablanc. finished in a rush, very engaged in the last three-four hours. i was never prepared for the next thing this plot threw at me, though in retrospect saw how it all made sense. i didn't know a thing about it going in, which i think actually enriched the experience a lot, but for a novel set in michigan's UP and sugar island, it resonated with a lot of things i associate with ontario after living here for five+ years. the hockey, the ojibwe /anishinaabe names and cultural connections, the murdered and missing indigenous women. but it also mixes in elements reminiscent of, like, braiding sweetgrass (and tangentially mexican gothic) and various fan fiction tropes i recognized in their shape if not their execution. highly recommend the audiobook-- they cast the audiobook's narrator very carefully, and she does a superb job juggling the mix of scientific jargon, teen narrator unreliable/dramatic narrator (loving), and Anishinaabemowin.

castle in the clouds, kerstin gier, translated by romy fursland. maybe 33% through. it's giving grand budapest hotel and somehow also the princess diaries? it's also reminding me somehow of, like, the kind of novel i wanted to write as a second or third grader, which means eva ibbotson, and a particular flavor of plucky, intelligent heroine. i was hooked by the first page+ but have yet to see a ton more of the same high action and suspense, and have let this one slip a little further onto the back burner. it's cute escapism at the moment, though that may change.

fourth wing, by rebecca yarros, read by rebecca soler (and apparently also teddy hamilton, although i haven't gotten to him yet?) about 25% through. trying desperately to give us a gritty, hardcore, new and dangerous and fun take on dragons and their human riders, while also trying to be idk divergent? the hunger games? there's a love triangle, the protagonist has naturally ombre hair, the premise of the novel is brutal training where young adults are all dying in improbable droves due to how cutthroat and brutal it is. a testament to the narrator that i am, despite myself, having a great time. there are a few too many supporting characters who want our main girl straight up dead for me to really find the threats believable, but i'm intrigued by the prospect of alternate versions of this world's history than what she has learned and a potential for discovering how their kingdom has? manipulated them? could be asking too much.

fairest, gail carson levine. finished in a long saturday morning spent reading in bed. i was such an intense and dedicated fan of the original ella enchanted novel that i couldn't read most of levine's other books (exceptions for her short stories made grudgingly) because they weren't sequels and weren't the same and wouldn't be as good. in fairness, reading this now as a much-older-than-the-intended audience, perhaps i was too harsh-- but i think little-me was right to be a little suspicious. it's a snow white retelling, and again i think largely successful in building a more detailed plot in which the elements of the retold fairy tale are embedded, but where the focus in ella was on language and obedience and free will, here we're trying to articulate things about beauty and body image, and it's harder to say that it really succeeds? i like that we gave the Wicked Queen more nuance, positive and negative qualities, moments of sympathy, a name and a precarious political position. i was not nearly as charmed by the romance (fine, fine, it's not ella and char but it couldn't be, it's fine). i still love the use of unfamiliar / fairy-tale languages and how levine puts them on the page in such fun spellings. probably aimed at the youngest audience, of the four titles here, but treats its reader as almost more intelligent than fourth wing, possibly? YA from ~twenty years ago was a different world.

listening graded like twenty quizzes today with just a mess of random panic at the disco bumping in my headphones. it's a hell of a feeling, etc. i'm halfway through this particular round of grading, and they're doing so well, so it's mainly a quick check to make sure they got the basics right and i can jam while doing so.

watching spent a very pleasant ~2 hours yesterday watching as much as we could of the film amadeus with @hematiterings, @pep-squad-lizzie, and @dimir-charmer. love a film that isn't afraid to lean into all its sensory indulgences, and to be a little heavy-handed with its symbolism (the chocolate is about repression!) and to, just generally, spend money on costumes, locations, hiring lots of extras, and so many wigs. there's a live event performance of this film with orchestra + choir being advertised all over our subway right now, so it does very much feel like we're being followed by this guy:

...but what's sticking in my head right now is the costumes.

playing 41+ hours into hollow knight. i have opened half of my stag stations! i have the dream nail, surprisingly early i think! i have saved bretta! i have somehow missed the mantis lords, i think, but have made it to the city, the resting grounds, and have now been throwing myself fruitlessly against the crystal guardian and a soul warrior in alternation. i am...not good at combat. current plan is to grind to get quick focus, and i'm close! also, @spoonierbard stepped in and gave me a much needed morale boost by winning me the final mask shard necessary to get increased lives, which has helped tremendously, and the grubs rewarded me with the grub song charm which has helped tremendously.

making many potential projects, none executed (or even really attempted). soon, hopefully. fallow section for now. does music count? music counts, right? i joined a second choir! enticed by the chance to perform mozart's requiem in full with an orchestra, and finally fulfill the broken promise of 2020. that's my hobby right now. oh i also just cleaned out a ton of storage in my phone + icloud, which felt generative in its own way. besides backing things up better than i have in a while.

working on submitted the travel money application i've been thinking and dithering about since...this time last year? no real expectation of getting it, but it did actually help me consider some next steps in the diss, so that's nice. now prepping to take my class on two fun on-campus field trips next week, one to the manuscript library and one to the medieval collection in our little hidden art museum! i need to write some notes up for the TAs and docents to use, and finish organizing my list of desired manuscripts, like, yesterday. midterm grades posted today, a little late but hopefully not too bad, still well before the drop date. the aforementioned quizzes (i have like 28 more to grade, but they're reasonably painless). plus i was going to work on my fucking dissertation this week, and prep to teach the next few lectures in advance so i'm not scrambling monday nights, plus send a bunch of emails, design a CFP poster, put in some RAship hours so i can speak intelligently in my meeting tomorrow, and....prep for the guest lecture i'm giving on the 28th! it's a reskin of the conference paper i gave this summer, freshly edited, but i need to expand the intro bits to include a useful overview, since these students aren't a conference of celticists.

weirdly at peace with how my work-life balance is balancing right now, though. it's the extra sleep and the increased sunshine, and the little cat who is being so so whiny right now. i must conclude these lines and feed Herself.

[sillyname30]

Darren Criss returns to Broadway alongside newcomer Helen J Shen in the futurist new musical Maybe Happy Ending, and PEOPLE has a first look at the pair in action.

The two actors — he an Emmy winner for his role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, and she/they making her Broadway debut in the production — lead the four-person show that takes place on the outskirts of Seoul in 2060 and follows two humanoid-looking Helperbot robots near the end of their warranty who make a powerful new connection with one another after they're abandoned after their owners and traded in for newer models.

On paper, it's an offbeat concept for a story, but a romantic one that surprisingly shows the humanity in the small things that make any life worth living.

The internationally acclaimed duo of Will Aronson and Hue Park created the magical musical, penning its music (Aronson), lyrics (Park) and book (both Aronson and Park). Their work is also a technical marvel to watch, thanks to a stunning visual design developed by Tony Award nominee Dane Laffrey.

Direction comes from Tony Award winner and visionary artist Michael Arden (Parade, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Once on this Island), who is one of the industry's biggest talents and most sought-after directors.

In fact, it was Arden that drove Criss to the show, the actor told PEOPLE last month at his theatre-themed music festival ElseFest.

"He's been a longtime friend, and if you stick around long enough, you see your friends do cool things and you wonder, 'Oh, I hope one day I get to work with them.' And then that day finally came and he called me and here we are now," Criss said. "and I'm truly beside myself with gratitude and excitement. And I know that's a cliché thing for artists to say when they're promoting something, but I don't know any other way to express that. There's something special here and I can't believe I get to be a part of it."

Criss isn't just a part of it; he's also in a role he's never been in before: a veteran of the boards, leading Shen through her first show. The Glee breakout was made his debut on Broadway in 2012 as a replacement in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and has since starred in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015) and American Buffalo (2022).

"This is now my fourth Broadway show — which I can't believe I'm saying that, this is crazy. But Father Time is undefeated in the ring and he continues to throw his punches, so I am now in the senior position here. And that is one of the new experiences for me," he says.

"The great thing about youth is that it's always going to be there to remind you what is exciting about the next thing," Criss continues. "So it's a joy for me to be able to be present for Helen and the other members of our company as they make their ascents. It's a big moment; it can power cities, that excitement and that raw energy, and it's an exciting and invigorating thing to be around. So on top of the show being something that we genuinely love and are excited to be a part of it, it's this sort of unbelievably delightful cocktail that I'm just going to guzzle every day until it's time to go."

Preview performances for Maybe Happy Ending began on Oct. 16 at the Belasco Theatre in New York City. An opening date is officially scheduled for Nov. 12.

A Korean-language version was first performed at the DaeMyung Culture Factory in Seoul South Korea in 2016. That production subsequently won six Korean Musical Awards including best musical. It's been revived in Korea multiple times since, and has also been performed in Japan and China.

Arden directed the English-language, American premiere of the show at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia in 2020. It won the 2017 Richard Rodgers Production Award.

In addition to Criss and Shen, Maybe Happy Ending stars Dez Duron (NBC’s The Voice) and Marcus Choi (Wicked, Flower Drum Song).

Rounding out the production as understudies are Steven Huynh (Blue Bloods), Hannah Kevitt (Back to the Future: The Musical), Daniel May (Flower Drum Song) and Christopher James Tamayo (Les Miserables).

[krikeymate]

Okay so this is kinda gonna be long and a bit of a ramble, so apologies in advance.

One thing I never understood was the idea that Amber truly cared about Tara, in scream 5 we know that the plan is for her to attack Tara which would then lead to Sam going back to Woodsboro so that Ritchie can have his ending.

However my confusion stems from how much Amber hurts Tara, she stabs her several times and breaks her leg (brutally might I add, like yikes!) Plus when Tara gets stabbed through the hand that knife is aiming straight for her chest in what could've been a killing blow ( I say 'could've' because we've seen Chad get absolutely carved up but still survive somehow so y'know movie logic).

If she really cared about Tara the attack didn't necessarily have to go that far, just enough for Tara to report the fact that there's a new Ghostface killer on the loose, leading to Wes calling Sam and so on so forth. Plus Amber had no problem trying to kill her her other childhood friends of which she did succeed (RIP Liv, Chad may have forgotten you but I didn't lol) so who knows.

The idea that maybe Amber was spiting Sam could make sense in a way, her being the one to 'care' about Tara because Sam left but to me that seems more controlling/possessive than caring. Especially if you take into account how quickly Sam & Tara reconnect after everything that must've added to her anger at Sam.

I wonder what your take on this is?

Hopefully this makes some semblance of sense and I apologise if it doesn't. ♤

Agreed! I find it very hard to believe Amber cared about Tara... or anyone else, at all. I think her motives for everything she does are incredibly self-serving. It's why when I write her I try to stick to the characterisation that her interest in Tara is only so far as having an adoring fan, so to speak. I think she likes being the center of Tara's world, that she's hers like a pet is yours.

Sam is a threat because Tara loves her more than Amber, which is obviously something she can't abide by. So it's fair to say that Amber has animosity for Sam, and we do see some of that in the movie, however it outright tells us Amber's motive - to make a good movie. Tara was just collateral damage for that. Amber will get the Jill treatment for surviving a Ghostface attack anyway.

A lot of people think that it was intended for Tara to survive her initial attack, I disagree. It was incredibly brutal, she was stabbed seven times and had her leg broken. You can bring up that she survived four rounds with Amber, I would bring up that Amber and Richie's plans went off the rails the moment Tara didn't die, and they were then struggling to get it back on track. The plans for Tara changed once they got her and Sam to the house, and that's why Amber ties her up instead of outright killing her. The fourth round, she throws this invalid over the couch and storms off because she's angry and trying to regain control of the situation. She believes she's knocked Tara out, and... I'm pretty sure she did. Tara's hardly a threat at that point, Amber even overpowered her pretty quickly once she got over the shock of being clotheslined by a crutch.

But of course, on fandom side, I've a lot of love for Amber, she was a beautiful unhinged woman. And shipping is just part of the fun and can make it angsty and who doesn't want their resident terrible person character to see some sort of redemption? Part of it I think is that Amber was a sadly underdeveloped character (weren't they all lol), but she was a really interesting one, so people want to see more of her, and that involves fleshing her out and giving her more interesting motives.

[earlgreytea68]

Maybe you've already answered this, but do you have a list of songs from FOB you consider the most related to Pete and Patrick? Songs potentially referring to either one of them and their relationship (like miss missing you)

Hmmm, I don't think I've already answered this, and this requires a little bit of thought, and it's been a long day at work, so if I miss some, I'll come back and add, and also I might come back and give more detail, but these are the ones that come to mind:

--Saturday: The infamous "me and Pete" song. And also the video is, like, Pete and Patrick turn out to be the same person??? Hahaha it's a lot lol they started it off with a bang, these two

--"It's Not a Side Effect of the Cocaine, I Think It Must Be Love": I've been meaning to write about this song for a while because I have a hard time understand who this song is about if it's not about Patrick lololol "Why can you read me like no one else? I hide behind these words but I'm coming out" "We'll make them so jealous, we'll make them hate us" Also, there is a whole world of interpretation to be done around the use of the word "out" in this song

--7 Minutes in Heaven: I've always thought that it's possible this song is also written to Patrick. "The only thing worse than not knowing is you thinking that I don't know," is the line that really resonates for me, given the subject matter of this song and the pressure Pete had put himself under around the band. But also like, "trying to forget everything that isn't you," like, again, given what Pete was going through, I think it's an argument that he could have been trying to forget everything but that he needed to succeed for Patrick, just focus on Patrick, be stuck fixated on one star while the world is crashing down.

--The (After) Life of the Party: To me this song is the most perfect social butterfly/favorite trope song of all time, and to me also social butterfly/favorite is the most on-target trope for the Pete and Patrick relationship.

--Miss Missing You: As you already noted. The hot whiskey eyes line will never die.

I....AB/AP has A LOT going on in it:

--The Kids Aren't Alright: is just...a lot. "And in the end, I'd do it all again, I think you're my best friend" is...a lot.

--Favorite Record: This song borrows heavily from Pete's "to you" poem which seems to be a poem to Patrick and I've written a lot about it here.

--Twin Skeleton's: I...have too many thoughts about this song and the twin skeletons on the BND covers.

--Fourth of July: Honestly my favorite song to read shippy, because "I'm sorry every song's about you" is just my favorite line ever hahaha

--Bishop's Knife Trick: the fact that this song has a lyric that reads "spiritual revolt from the waist down" just...

[septembersghost]

thinking about the quote from the end of Elvis, "

I’ll tell you what killed him. It was love. His love for all of you.

That voice rang out, and he sang with all his life."

and the reblogged ask about Taylor, and I know people don't want to hear this because we loved interacting with her and miss her, but I'm glad she has distance, im glad she's not killing herself for that love anymore.

i've touched on this a bit in comments with my friend @joons, who wrote really lovely meta about this here, and i'm going to quote her: "elvis, as a man, had such a generous spirit that no one—not his wife or manager or friends or fans—could stop him from digging deep and giving, even when it cost him everything. when his body was failing, his friends would ask him to postpone tours, to rest, to heal. and all he would do is gently smile and say, “it’ll be all right. don’t worry about it.” we may think the colonel is treating love lightly by bringing it up as a factor in elvis’ death, but this pivot in focus actually brings us the closest we ever get to knowing who elvis really was (something elvis himself promised he would reveal to his audience early in the film). his generosity is why he was so loved, and the colonel suggests it was his fatal flaw, that he cared so much about sharing his wealth, his talents, and himself with others that he did not care how much it hurt him. or rather, he did care, but he did not know how to stop sharing whatever he could to make other people happy, instead of attending to his own happiness. he gave people his trust and continued giving it long after they had stopped deserving it. and maybe wishing it had been different would be to wish elvis weren’t elvis."

the movie by default made me think about taylor quite a bit, despite the many clear differences, there are unavoidable similarities when it comes to the types of artists they are, who bare so much of themselves and are constantly giving and shimmering and trying and working to connect to their audiences. it's something taylor has addressed several times now, the rippling whisper of that anxiety and the clear slashed wound of it has been appearing in her work for years, and has crystallized further in her most recent music. i mentioned to chelsea how elvis made me think of dear reader (if it feels like a trap, you're already in one is so "suspicious minds" in the way it was utilized in the film, and never take advice from someone who's falling apart/so i wander through these nights, i prefer hiding in plain sight/my fourth drink in my hand/these desperate prayers of a cursed man/spilling out to you for free/but darling, darling, please/you wouldn't take my word for it if you knew who was talking viscerally made me think of him the first time i heard it after seeing the film). her fears about others seeing right through her, drunk as we watch her shattered edges glisten, that she doesn't do enough, that it's exhausting to root for her, that she desperately has tried her best and wanted to be loved (and make it seem effortless), that she shines so bright but that in itself is a kind of curse, that her desire to succeed is also an irredeemable quality, "your kindness is fake. your pain is manipulative,"...will you still want me when i'm nothing new?...it's splashed like a bloodstain all over her music and is such a sad, distressing facet of what she's gone through, but i also think there's an inherent quality in this that certain artists have - this wellspring of humanity, this boundless love that has nowhere else to go and springs forth from the music, the act of creating art, the euphoric feeling of performing, the intensity of love they feel from fans that, we have to acknowledge, can never be fully balanced or reciprocal because of the necessary and natural boundaries between us. i think taylor gave so much of herself when she was younger that it was corrosive to her person. she was struggling in such a way personally and still striving without end to be respected and embraced, and she gave a lot of that unfailingly to fans, maybe because she felt she had to as an extension of gratitude, maybe because she didn't feel loved and safe elsewhere, and also because she does feel a real sense of love in that way. but i think it was very hard on her too, and untenable. you can never reach everyone. you can never make everyone happy. you can never help everyone who needs help. you can never give all the love you wish you could give. it's a beautiful and admirable and even spiritual thing to share, but when does the line need to be drawn when you have to attend to your own needs and humanity first before collapsing under the weight of it?

all this said, i too am glad she's got a much healthier balance now, is very steadily loved in her daily life by a partner who gives her a sense of stability and quiet, and that she doesn't feel the need to give so much of herself away, outside of all the vulnerability within her art. it doesn't mean she doesn't care for us, i believe she means it whenever she thanks us, whenever she says she owes her career to us or she creates things for fun with us in mind (the easter eggs in the bejeweled video, as a recent example. she took a song about her feeling hurt and unappreciated, sadness became my whole sky, and wanting to sparkle again, and reinterpreted it visually to include her fans as a positive aspect), but i also think she's learned what she doesn't have to sacrifice.

there's an unerring empathy in the tragedy of elvis not knowing when to stop, how sincere that love he had was, how that itself was a type of defiance. "he loved and he gave, and he couldn’t do otherwise no matter how much people tried to stop him. and that simple truth is one last great gift." i do believe this endures and is a connective gift.

still, there's a strength in learning how to stopper that outpouring of oneself, one's heart and soul and love, too, and i do find that i'm thankful she's learned that, even when we miss her engaging as much, knowing she has a better sense of peace takes precedence. that love doesn't have to be fatal anymore. she's learned how to let it have its respite instead.

[mieczyhale]

honestly the second someone bitches about how much they hated dp&w i'm OUT. that's an instant block for me. nothing tells me you hate fun and fanservice more. you will not find two people more passionate about their characters, who want to give the fans something fun and entertaining, who know that the mcu has fucking sucked for ages and understand a big part of why that is

"it was lazy!!1" it was fun

"it didn't make sense!!1" a. yes it did and b. it was fun

"it was too cliche!!1" it was fun

"they told things they should've shown instead!!1" a. yeah a lot of media does that, at least dp&w didn't do it for literally everything and also b. it was fun

i have trouble sitting through long movies. it has to be something REALLY entertaining for me to manage it and i sat through this movie in theaters THREE (3) separate times with no issue

if you want some perfect thought-provoking movie the mcu isn't where you're gonna find it, first of all, and second of all if you want something unique, some never done shit, that isn't possible. everything has been done. it's just what you make of it now.

was their plot or their approach "cliche" or whatever?? to you apparently. that doesnt make it bad.

the plot made sense

if you think it didn't that's a you problem

my only issues related to any "plot" are y'all's regarding the vanessa plot line

"but the vanessa-" breakup was bs?? nah. i think it worked. and actually trying to force them together near the end was the real bs. they didn't even actually get back together but they clearly wanted it to look like a possibility as a "no homo" end to that plot for the movie.

"wade thought about vanessa in the time ripper scene-" and i'd think about the people i loved who were no longer around too in his position, if they had been important to me. doesn't mean it has to be or stay romantic.

"you're just saying that bc or your ship" no, actually, but even if i was who the fuck cares

sometimes entertainment... is about entertaining

something things are made out of love and joy and they aren't perfect or some pretentious cinema piece and that's great. preferable actually

sometimes you see two friends put out a crossover passion project that the whole world gets hype for and it succeeds SO insanely it beat (bad word choice) jesus and it's an important moment in cinema history and wow we all got to be a part of it and i've enjoyed every moment and maybe there are some things that matter about a movie more than whatever the fuck your bullshit issues are

oh and btw-

"but the jokes were-" i literally couldn't care less about which way you want to end that sentence when i know it's not gonna be a positive. if you're the kind of person who has issues with the jokes or fourth wall shit in a DEADPOOL movie there's no way you aren't an annoying shit

fuckity bye

[enditwithbutter]

Not trying to add my two cents but sometimes liking something just out of sheer enjoyment is also still good. Even when it seems like we need to be heavily critical.

I feel the same about the fourth kung fu panda. It is still my favorite series of movies of all time. Nothing can make me happier than sitting down and watching all of them in one sitting. And everyone can agree that the third movie really started to suck. Like, they took where they succeeded in the second and shit on it.

But you know what? Who gives a fuck. I still get to go, "oooo pretty animation! It's my favorite smart, fat panda!"

And I get to see him succeed as a hero and main character.

I'm still gonna be critical but also still think about where they succeeded and how much I still love these funky little guys. I love that panda and his silly little rendition of ancient martial arts technique.

Maybe when I get home during the holidays, I'll make some kung fu panda fanart. I'm feeling a little inspired, tbh.

Just something I reflected on

The last 2–3 posts I've made have been extremely discouraging and upsetting, and I just wanted to reflect on why I'm so negative suddenly.

Below the cut:

Initially, when I watched the trailer for Kung Fu Panda 4, I was super excited. Sure, I saw Zhen and instantly felt off about her, but the rest was too good to be brought down by her. Though, as I went on Tumblr, I got onto the KFP4 tag to check out some fan art for the Chameleon, but was met with a barrage of negativity. I'm not blaming anyone, but it does affect opinions when there's genuinely good points.

This phenomenon has happened frequently, as I usually wish to see fan art and am met with critique that I end up reading (which is still entirely on me), which in turn makes me wonder if I really should like the media I consume.

The reflection I did today did aid me in coming to a proper conclusion about my stance:

I'll like what I damn please, even if it's literal shit. The jokes can be awful, the story can make little sense, the cinematography can be abysmal. I don't care. I watched through the entirety of The Untamed, for goodness’s sake. Yeah, maybe DreamWorks should do better, and yeah, perhaps it's stupid that they made some new character to take up screen time when we could've had the Furious Five. Yes, DreamWorks, do better, treat the furious five better, make a compelling movie twice in a row challenge impossible.

If I end up loving it based on the few good things in it? Then so be it! I like Hotel Transylvania 3. NO ONE likes Hotel Transylvania 3. But I do. So, people may be critics, but I'm genuinely tired of being a critic and I'm going to be a silly guy and go "ohh. animation prettyy omggg tai lung hiii tai lung wydd <33" even if the story isnt living up to the past movies. I watch movies, shows and consume books and media to feel, not to nitpick and be all professional. I watch stuff to have a good time. So if KFP4 sucks, I hope for it to be bad as an enjoyable time and not a waste of time.

[tarotwithdanise]

Your future children with them.

꒰⠀from left to right ; intuitively choose the pile your mind, heart and soul desire for. if you are having trouble choosing the right pile for you, here’s some tips you can do ; (1) take a deep breath (2) close your eyes (3) ask guidance from your guides (4) finally open your eyes and you can choose the right pile for you by the guidance you ask from your guides. if you are still having trouble by choosing the right pile for you let me know because i am willing to help and guide you.

Pile one

I see you making a big family with them. 3-6 kids, but mostly for most of you is SIX. The kids will be seen grow with so much love and from a family with a great amount of stable money. I see you and FS are working hard to provide this kind of life for all of your children. Let's dig deeper into their energies. The first child is the one who succeeds in life the most; this child can be strict, protective and serious among their siblings. They will mostly help their siblings with finances and schools. The second one is a type of person who loves their family so much, especially their parents. I mean, they all love you, but this child's love is greater than their siblings love. The third one is the one that get often jealous with others but they'll be cheerful and polite but sometimes they can be more rebellious among your children and someone whose frequently goes out with their friends all the time. They feel very detached. People gonna find them physically attractive. It just makes me sad that their feelings are so down when they are at home because they don't feel loved by their own family, they feel they're the black sheep. They will mostly find their luck communicating and socializing with people. The fourth one, is the type of a kid who is very talkative. This is soOo random but there are many rumors happening here for this child. First, they are type of person who has these questions in their mind and asks them often is looking for answers. This child may pursue or planning to be psychiatrist or a psychologist or in general in the field of medical, if they really wanted to, if they pursues they will succeed. Oh, I think the younger ones among your children could be twins; those two were gonna be the luckiest. But I don't see them being so spoiled enough; they grow up to be modest people who can be influenced by their older siblings. Maybe with a little bit of pressure? They think that their family expects a lot from them to succeed in life especially their older siblings.

An advice for you, love all your children equally and equity. Always try to understand them like how you quarrent wanted your own parents to understand you in every situation you wanted to explain to them.

extra messages 🌱

medical field, financial success, happiness, white, green, levi, arkangel (might be one of their names), anxiety, imperfect, supportive parents, love, success to their career, stethoscope, wealth, luck, gadgets, books, pretty smiles, orange, medium length hair, earth signs ( capricorn, virgo, taurus ) air signs ( gemini, libra, aquarius ) fire signs ( sagittarius, leo, aries ), little girl, butterfly, black cat, family, sink, anger issues, dots, birds, calendar, guest, S, P, 3 , 8, 9, 5 & 8.

Pile two

So in the second pile, i'm only getting one, a masculine energy child. You guys might have a child in your younger years, like not more than twenty-five i guess? which is what I'm getting outta here. You can possibly end up with someone in your circle, or you can meet through your social interactions and communities. This child will be like a good friend to you. When you have this child, you may find hard to find a job. But don't worry, even though it's hard for you, this child will cheer you up with their dosage of serotonin. Ahh, I'm hearing here that if you won't get accepted on any job you applied for, you would like to have a business. And telling you now that whatever business is this, it's going to be popular to people. You may have a problem with your partner in your early years of having relationship with them due to lack of trust but will solve it afterwards maybe because of cheating issues or doubtful feelings. Since you are young and naive, you may get fooled by this person who has light hair so be careful guys when it comes meeting someone's new, it can cause a scam i think. You can be a single parent and might meet someone else new or this child may grew up with a presence of one of their parents. This child, even though they don't have parental guidance all the time, they still somewhat happy and proud to have you in their life. You might be an achiever in school or this child may. Otherwise, they're proud of you because no matter how busy you are with what you're doing, you are making sure to atleast have a great amount of time to take care of them. Many struggles and obstacles may come, but you will overcoming all of them. Overall, your relationship with this child is parental-friendship.

An advice for you, be careful when it comes choosing a partner, don't be too naive and don't get your feelings take over your head. Make it balance, remember you have choices when it comes making a partner but your children cannot have that ability to choice.

extra messages 🌱

achiever, earth signs (capricorn, virgo, taurus) , care, single parent, financially unstable, heartache, cheating, small unit, success in business, happy child, light hair, party, twins, school, big chandelier, near at the sea, bright, gossiping neighbor hood, I, S, X, lazy, black, green, love, hello, clean, neat, piercings, jackets, olive skin, bald, long hair, woman, blue eyes, water signs (cancer, scorpio , pisces) 10, 111, 101, 555, 7, winter, moles, dimple, october and february.

Pile 3

I'm guessing you'll have between two and five children. Mostly, I'm getting two energies here. They can be all female, or you guys will have more feminine children than masculine ones. I see the older one here is lucky when it comes to social interactions, this person will find their luck to people yet will be outgoing and flirtatious. The second and younger one here will be kind and loving. The older one will have this trait of being people-pleasers and somewhat rebellious among your children, this one is more likely to have a large circle of friends because they thrive on friendship; this will be known as the toughest to pin down ". While the younger one will be fun-loving, this one is likely to have these eyeglasses because they enjoy studying and reading books too much, so maybe in an early age they may wear one. This child like competition, LOL. They are also likely to develop their own ways of winning attention. They are both likely to experience anxiety and depression, but they can overcome that. Of you notice changes on their actions and habits don't hesitate to reach out and check them out if they were okay. You will teach these children to understand that you need to work hard to achieve something and also appreciate small wins for their own improvement. These two will treat each other not only as siblings as well being as best buddies and support each other. Hmmm, what else? Let me see here, the feminine energy here is totally stronger than the masculine. They're also helpful people; maybe one of these children of yours will be working as a singer, model, or actress or actor. In school, both of them will be popular.

An advice for you, be cautious when it comes having a super care or clingy relationship for your children because sometimes they may hurt your feelings. It's okay to be gentle but let your kids know that you are their parents ALWAYS. Sometimes too much care makes a child think you are holding them on their neck.

extra messages 🌱

J, T G, U ,W ,P , hospital, small, hazel eyes color, light color of hair, cooking, kisses, love, city , helping supportive, phoebe, concert, funny, old, living room, fight, feminine, pink, red, girls giggling, 6, 9, 3, 5 , september, ballet, shoes, tiktok, depress, vase, perfectionist, popular, beautiful, long wavy hair, moles, glasses, angel by leona lewis, long nails, beautiful hands, amelia, wayne, elijah, jordan, idiot, lock, bestfriend, blessings & sadness.

Pile 4

Right off the bat, last pile. You will have at least three children. Someone here wanted or was planning to have this number of kids. So maybe you and your spouse might do family planning first. First, I'm getting someone here who's having asthma or a case of hard breathing because of chest gripping. I don't know; it's either one of them or you. The first child will be a boy or have this masculine energy within them; this is the type of older sibling who guides their other younger siblings. I'm getting a scenario here where two children are arguing, and this will be the one who restrains them and stands between them. Lol, so cute. They might also like the color red. The middle one will be the funniest one among all of them and may get into trouble when imma talk about relationships and marriage. This kid will be taller and more likely to become a petite in appearance, and I'm getting the impression that they don't care about on their school and grades. This child is a fond of the center of attention and attraction and do not care what other people think about them, such a very silly kid. Also, they like to tease people, haha. Most of people felt irritated to see this kid and percieve this child as not ashamed of what they are doing. The younger one will be a curious and confused type of sibling, but respectful too. They might have anger issues too. I see them as someone has a mole on their hands, but I don't know where.

An advice for you, when there is fight between ur children be in between and not be a bias. Knowing their both pov will be a big help to solve the conflict.

extra messages 🌱

blooming, japan, weak, inesecure, accecories, makeup, shiny hair, light to dark hair, taller, player, famous in school, red, naive, king, nurturing, heart, field trip, bus, sleep, black, under a tree, farm, picnic, someone who live near of sea, garden, flowers, laughing, tarot, happy family, cinema, inhaler, D, Z , Y, P, V, I , mischievous kisses, Ava, Liam, Naoki, 13, 6, 1007, Libra & Scorpio.

© tarotwithdanise ── all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, alter, or repost my work with or without my explicit permission.

[nasa]

NASA Spotlight: Astronaut Mike Hopkins

Michael S. Hopkins was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 2009. The Missouri native is currently the Crew-1 mission commander for NASA’s next SpaceX launch to the International Space Station on Nov. 14, 2020. Hopkin’s Crew-1 mission will mark the first-ever crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts on board, and it secures the U.S.’s ability to launch humans into space from American soil once again.  Previously, Hopkins was member of the Expedition 37/38 crew and has logged 166 days in space. During his stay aboard the station, he conducted two spacewalks totaling 12 hours and 58 minutes to change out a degraded pump module. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering. 

He took some time from being a NASA astronaut to answer questions about his life and career! Enjoy:

What do you hope people think about when you launch?

I hope people are thinking about the fact that we’re starting a new era in human spaceflight. We’re re-opening human launch capability to U.S. soil again, but it’s not just that. We’re opening low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station with commercial companies. It’s a lot different than what we’ve done in the past. I hope people realize this isn’t just another launch – this is something a lot bigger. Hopefully it’s setting the stage, one of those first steps to getting us to the Moon and on to Mars.

You served in the U.S. Air Force as a flight test engineer. What does that entail?

First off, just like being an astronaut, it involves a lot of training when you first get started. I went to the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and spent a year in training and just learning how to be a flight test engineer. It was one of the most challenging years I’ve ever had, but also one of the more rewarding years. What it means afterwards is, you are basically testing new vehicles or new systems that are going on aircraft. You are testing them before they get handed over to the operational fleet and squadrons. You want to make sure that these capabilities are safe, and that they meet requirements. As a flight test engineer, I would help design the test. I would then get the opportunity to go and fly and execute the test and collect the data, then do the analysis, then write the final reports and give those conclusions on whether this particular vehicle or system was ready to go.

What is one piece of life advice you wish somebody had told you when you were younger? 

A common theme for me is to just have patience. Enjoy the ride along the way. I think I tend to be pretty high intensity on things and looking back, I think things happen when they’re supposed to happen, and sometimes that doesn’t necessarily agree with when you think it should happen. So for me, someone saying, “Just be patient Mike, it’s all going to happen when it’s supposed to,” would be really good advice.

Is there a particular science experiment you enjoyed working on the most while aboard the space station?

There’s a lot of experiments I had the opportunity to participate in, but the ones in particular I liked were ones where I got to interact directly with the folks that designed the experiment. One thing I enjoyed was a fluid experiment called Capillary Flow Experiment, or CFE. I got to work directly with the principal investigators on the ground as I executed that experiment. What made it nice was getting to hear their excitement as you were letting them know what was happening in real time and getting to hear their voices as they got excited about the results. It’s just a lot of fun.

Space is a risky business. Why do it?

I think most of us when we think about whatever it is we do, we don’t think of it in those terms. Space is risky, yes, but there’s a lot of other risky jobs out there. Whether it’s in the military, farming, jobs that involve heavy machinery or dangerous equipment… there’s all kinds of jobs that entail risk. Why do it? You do it because it appeals to you. You do it because it’s what gets you excited. It just feels right. We all have to go through a point in our lives where we figure out what we want to do and what we want to be. Sometimes we have to make decisions based on factors that maybe wouldn’t lead you down that choice if you had everything that you wanted, but in this particular case for me, it’s exactly where I want to be. From a risk standpoint, I don’t think of it in those terms.

Can you describe your crew mate Soichi Noguchi in one sentence?

There are many facets to Soichi Noguchi. I’m thinking about the movie Shrek. He has many layers! He’s very talented. He’s very well-thought. He’s very funny. He’s very caring. He’s very sensitive to other people’s needs and desires. He’s a dedicated family man. I could go on and on and on… so maybe like an onion – full of layers!

Star Trek or Star Wars?

I love them both. But can I say Firefly? There’s a TV series out there called Firefly. It lasted one season – kind of a space cowboy-type show. They did have a movie, Serenity, that was made as well. But anyway, I love both Star Wars and Star Trek. We’ve really enjoyed The Mandalorian. I mean who doesn’t love Baby Yoda right? It’s all fun.

How many times did you apply to be an astronaut? Did you learn anything on your last attempt? 

I tried four times over the course of 13 years. My first three attempts, I didn’t even have references checked or interviews or anything. Remember what we talked about earlier, about patience? For my fourth attempt, the fact is, it happened when it was supposed to happen. I didn’t realize it at the time. I would have loved to have been picked on my first attempt like anybody would think, but at the same time, because I didn’t get picked right away, my family had some amazing experiences throughout my Air Force career. That includes living in Canada, living overseas in Italy, and having an opportunity to work at the Pentagon. All of those helped shape me and grow my experience in ways that I think helped me be a better astronaut.

Can you share your favorite photo or video that you took in space?

One of my favorite pictures was a picture inside the station at night when all of the lights were out. You can see the glow of all of the little LEDs and computers and things that stay on even when you turn off the overhead lights. You see this glow on station. It’s really one of my favorite times because the picture doesn’t capture it all. I wish you could hear it as well. I like to think of the station in some sense as being alive. It’s at that time of night when everybody else is in their crew quarters in bed and the lights are out that you feel it. You feel the rhythm, you feel the heartbeat of the station, you see it in the glow of those lights – that heartbeat is what’s keeping you alive while you’re up there. That picture goes a small way of trying to capture that, but I think it’s a special time from up there.

What personal items did you decide to pack for launch and why? 

My wedding bands. I’m also taking up pilot wings for my son. He wants to be a pilot so if he succeeds with that, I’ll be able to give him his pilot wings. Last time, I took one of the Purple Hearts of a very close friend. He was a Marine in World War II who earned it after his service in the Pacific.

Thank you for your time, Mike, and good luck on your historic mission! Get to know a bit more about Mike and his Crew-1 crew mates Victor Glover, Soichi Noguchi, and Shannon Walker in the video above.

Watch LIVE launch coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 14 HERE. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com 

[uwusenpaiuwu]

Sleepovers At The Baji Household feat. A Fed-Up Chifuyu

Summary: Chifuyu just wants to sleep, man, but Baji wants to be a jealous crackhead at 2 AM.

Pairing: Sano Manjiro | Mikey x Male Reader

Note(s): I had a little free time and wrote this. So, please enjoy! ALSO, to the anon that sent me a request a few days ago, I saw it and have it filed on my to-do list!!! I will definitely get to it as soon as I get a break in my schedule :)

"Chifuyu, ya wanna see some real discrimination?"

No. No, Chifuyu does not want to see what Baji means by 'real discrimination.'

Does he tell him that, though?

Yes, actually, because it's 2 in the fucking morning and, as much as he respects the other boy, he wouldn't put it past himself to smother him with a pillow after having his dream of cuddling with a sea of puppies suddenly destroyed.

Unfortunately for his sanity, Baji either doesn't hear him or, more likely than not, doesn't give a fuck, because he's already flopping onto his belly and whipping out his phone to do God knows what.

The dial tone that sounds from the speaker a few seconds later makes Chifuyu cringe, especially since it's only ever been a calm silence fit for a good night's sleep prior to Baji bulldozing through it with his absurd question. (At the very least, he's thankful that the latter has half a mind to keep the brightness on the lowest setting, otherwise, Chifuyu would have had to fight.)

On the far end of the row of carefully-laid futons, you shift in your sleep, eyebrows furrowing together at the noise. Rotating onto your side, you unconsciously reach for Baji, and just when he thinks you're being cute and trying to cuddle him, you smack him in the head.

Baji doesn't flinch, instead, takes his pillow and shoves it in your grasp to keep your unconscious self occupied, so that he can focus on getting through to the person who reuses to pick up (understandably so).

Releasing a frustrated groan after being redirected to voice mail for the fifth time, he dials the number again, muttering an impatient, "Pick up already."

Chifuyu feels sorry for the poor soul on the other end. He would've blocked someone following the first call, because again, it's-

The blond has to squint his eyes up at the digital clock on Baji's nightstand, which confirms that it's already 2:22 A.M, further solidifying the fact that he shouldn't be awake right now. And this also applies to the ever persistent first division captain, who insists on bothering who Chifuyu soon discovers is Mikey from the contact ID that flashes across the screen.

Why Baji is so keen on bothering him is a question he doesn't have the mental capacity to ponder over. The most energy he'll expend is to listen in when the call miraculously connects.

"What...?" comes a muffled voice from the receiver, tone laced in an irked grogginess birthed from a slumber rudely interrupted.

There's an absurdly loud, almost angry, roar of Mikey's name, one that has Chifuyu curling in on himself in a futile attempt to escape a sound that should be illegal at this hour.

But you know what else should be illegal?

The fucking whiplash Chifuyu gets when Baji's deep voice takes an abrupt 180°, switching from its normal gruffness to a squeaky, ear-piercing shrill as he screams, "I love you, love you, love you! Do you love me, too, Mikey-kyun~♡?!"

The room is dead silent.

Not a word. Not a murmur. Not a breath.

Just pure, unadulterated silence as both Chifuyu and Mikey process the words that hang in the air, permeating it with a goosebumps-inducing eeriness from having heard such a...a girly, overtly cutesy screech from Baji.

Then-

"What the fuck? He hung on me!"

Chifuyu opens his mouth, thinks better of reacting to the cursed scene he had the misfortune of bearing witness to, and promptly closes it.

Other people may have sleep paralysis demons.

But Chifuyu?

Chifuyu has Baji.

With both hands partially raised in prayer, he begs for the shenanigans to be over and done with.

They are not.

While his eyes remain closed in a last ditch effort to convince himself that it's all a bad dream, he hears a lot of grumbling happening on your side of the room, courtesy of Baji, who's scrambling around in search of...something. One quick peek reveals him fiddling with a phone - yours, to be exact, as evidenced by the distinctive phone charm of your favorite anime character hanging from it.

"(Y/n), wake up for a second," he hears him whisper. It takes a bit of prompting, until he's able to successfully rouse you enough from sleep to elicit any kind of response, which is, essentially, nothing short of an incoherent, slurred mess. Although, Chifuyu is pretty damn certain he heard you call Baji a 'dickhead' for the trouble.

Unperturbed, he continues shaking your limp form, coaxing you into wakefulness with, "Repeat what I tell you, and I'll let you go back to asleep. Deal?"

You squint your eyes at him, only able to make out a vague outline of his visage in the lightless room. "Promise?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die," he automatically responds with the same phrase he's become accustomed to saying whenever you two made a promise, something done purely out of habit, formed when the two of you were just kids and he wanted to get you to do something absolutely ridiculous either for him or with him. And just 'cause he knows you're more susceptible to complying if he does it, he also interlocks his pinky with yours.

"...Fine."

The approval is his cue to proceed, and it's as he's putting the phone on speaker that he turns back to a regretfully wide awake Chifuyu, mouthing a wordless, 'Watch.'

The phone rings, loud and clear, precisely once and only once.

"(Y/n), what's wrong?" It's important to note that even though Mikey still sounds tired as hell, his tone is much lighter, much happier really, than when it was Baji, which is an offense in itself to the said teen that's off to the side, attentively listening to the conversation unfold.

Then, it strikes Chifuyu, what Baji is trying to do, and fuck does it give him an instant headache.

Meanwhile, your mouth morphs into the dopiest of smiles with the pleasant surprise of hearing your boyfriend's voice, chest instantly overtaken by a warm fuzziness that never fails to make an appearance whenever he's involved. Sappy, you know, but it's true!

A light but firm nudge to your shoulder reminds you of your mission. It's too bad that, teetering along the edge of sleep as you are, the words Baji whispers are barely repeated correctly.

The initial phrase from before, the one Baji greeted Mikey with, is shortened to a simple, "You wuv I...?"

But, without missing a beat, you receive Mikey's confident reply of, "Mhm... I wuv you a lot."

There's a sleepy giggle then - a fucking giggle - before your voices drop to sweet whispers that the third and fourth wheels can't fully comprehend from where they are.

"Where the fuck was my 'I wuv you,' huh?!" Baji whisper-shouts, considerate of your conversation even when ranting and raving. "Shit, I would've taken a simple 'I love you,' too! I've known that bastard way longer than (Y/n), and this is what I get?!"

Okay. Toman's president answers his boyfriend's late night calls faster than he does anyone else's and openly expresses his love for him. So what? Chifuyu wouldn't exactly call it 'discrimination,' per se. 'Favoritism,' maybe if you wanna stretch it, but using as strong a word as discrimination, especially taking into account you two are dating; it's normal? Nah.

"You wanna say 'bye' to them? Mm. Baji and Chifuyu." A pause. "Fuyu, Mikey says 'bye.'"

"Bye, Mikey-kun."

The other person in the room waits, and waits, and waits, and when it's clear that there is no intention to address his presence whatsoever, Baji turns to Chifuyu with an almost scandalized expression, making wild gesticulations with his hands, clearly distressed. "See?!"

Blank blue eyes stare back at him, unblinking. Honestly, it's a common occurrence - Baji spiraling in a nonsensical rage - so it's easy for Chifuyu to block out the muted, jealousy-driven temper tantrum as he takes his pillow in both hands, raises it as high as he can, and-

Sigh.

-lets it flop right back onto his face.

He can't suffocate Baji. Shouldn't. Wouldn't. Couldn't. After all, they're best buds, meaning he has an obligation to put up with shit like this once in a while. (Plus, he'd probably get his ass kicked before he succeeds anyway. Totally not worth the beating.)

"Did you hear? Mikey said he wuvs me," he hears you drawl dreamily as soon as you hang up, sounding very close to clocking back out for the night.

"Yeah, yeah. Cute shit. Happy for ya, dude," Baji huffs. Thankfully, he sounds like he's in a similar state to yours, if the yawn that follows his sarcastic comment is anything to go by.

"...He soooo ignored you."

That warrants a punishing punch to the arm, dulled only slightly by the combination of the thick quilt you're swaddled in and the raven-haired boy's fatigue.

"I'll fucking throw you out right now, (Y/n). Don't test me."

"You won't."

"I will."

"Won't."

"Will."

The conversation gradually dies down shortly after, the exhaustion that took its sweet time getting to both of you having reached its peak with the help of the childish bickering. It takes 10 minutes, maybe 15, before two sets of light snores fill the room.

Finally.

Let it be known that there is a lesson to be learned from tonight's events. Really, there is. Y'know, something along the lines of 'Don't agree to a sleepover with Baji, if you plan on actually sleeping,' or whatever.

Alas, Chifuyu's consciousness fades before he realizes what it is.

~~~

"Mikey, be honest. Who do you love more? Me or-?"

"(Y/n)."

"But-"

(Y/n)."

"I-"

"(Y/n)."

Baji is only momentarily discouraged, sharp eyes glaring at the blond that lays his head on your lap after hi-fiving you. He didn't want to do this, but he's left with no choice.

"(Y/n) or Babu?"

From the way Mikey stiffens up, refusing to look at either him or you in the eyes, Baji knows he has him right where he wants him, has him torn between a cute face or a sweet ride.

"Oi! Don't pretend to be asleep! Answer the damn question! OI!"

(After hours of serious contemplation - even though you told him it doesn't particularly matter - it's revealed that, of course, Mikey loves you more. Babu just happens to trail behind as a very close second.)

[kindestegg]

Deltarune Theory: Ralsei is a guide for the script

It feels crazy that Deltarune Chapter 2 has only been out for like, what, two weeks? As of the time I’m writing this, and yet, there has already been so much secret hunting and speculation over this. Not even the full game, and people already go crazy over it. Naturally, I am part of this craze. In fact I was one of the people that played it as soon as it dropped.

And, I thought it was only me, but, at least for a little while, Ralsei’s behavior struck me as… odd. Not outwardly malicious, but just… odd. Particularly the first bit of the game, it was just so… happy and convenient? And Ralsei was at the center of it all, orchestrating it, making sure everything happened accordingly.

Eventually, that initial feeling of distrust went away, but… not quite. And it seems a lot of people began to feel the same way, pointing out bits about Ralsei that are just… out of place. Things that didn’t seem to stand out in the first chapter, are now popping out about him.

Questions include:

How does he know about what’s outside the Dark World, about the school?

How does he know about the game mechanics and call them out by names?

Why is he so interested in keeping the balance between only Kris acting and him and Susie doing magic?

Why does he seem so eager to dismiss what happened with Spamton NEO?

Why doesn’t he turn into stone or even get weak at any point during the time he spends in Cyber World?

Are the parts of his name and design connecting to the Dreemurr’s intentional, and if so, what does that mean for his relation to Kris?

How and why does he take player control away to look at what Susie is doing? Why must he wait until Kris is willing to do it? What does he tell them when he succeeds in this?

Now, I don’t intend to pose here “a supreme theory to rule them all”, I’m just a guy having fun and I’ve seen people voice particularly similar ideas to this one I’ve had, so I want to at least try to answer these questions through a relatively simple idea that would, almost entirely, immediately answer ALMOST all the doubts.

First, let’s start with some steps to build up this idea. For one, we know for a fact that Ralsei holds knowledge over game mechanics and may even break the fourth wall at times.

But we also know that Ralsei’s design resembles a lot of characters from Undertale we know and were fond of. For one, he can be likened to Toriel in the sense that he is the one to give you the first tutorial of the game and his clothes resemble her original outfit as well. Another connection, much more common, that people have made is that he is like Asriel, no doubt due to his name being an anagram, but also due to the fact he is also a cute young goat.

I would like to do a complete turn around here though, and say I do not think any of this points to Ralsei being related to Kris in the familial sense, for more than one reason, but my main one being that I don’t think Toby would be as frankly disgusting as to imply such a thing when there is so so much teasing in the direction of Ralsei possibly having a crush on Kris. I mean… really, Toby?

You know, I’m not too sure this would be the smartest idea, Mr. Fox, but alright.

However, I do think all these hints in his design and name have a purpose. And it has to do with how us, the fandom, see these two characters. For one, they are very beloved characters, and Toriel is one that we associate with her tutorials and guidance, whereas Asriel is one that people have yearned to see more in action. They are back, in a sense, but not present in our adventures so far.

What I’m getting at is that Ralsei is specifically designed to be the darling of the fandom. He is made to be loved, to be trusted, to cause feelings in us that make us want to protect him and accept his advice. This, in a way, also affects the in-universe characters who see him, as Susie put it: “as a big portable teddy bear”, whose job is “giving hugs”.

And I don’t just mean this in a character design way, like “oh wow Toby was so smart to make a perfectly marketable boy!” No. I think Ralsei exists as a meta element, his form being a direct manifestation of what we want to see.

He looks like that because he wants us to see him and lower our guard and expect his guidance. Remember how his form was shadowy and vague throughout all of chapter 1 until the very end of it and how he poofs into nothing but a pile of clothes in both chapters so far, no matter what form he’s in? What if he’s a shapeshifter? What if Ralsei isn’t even his real name? That certainly would explain why he says he doesn’t know what being Ralsei-like is like.

Ralsei? Ralsei? Oh God he’s gone.

Now, do I think he’s lowering our guard in the sense of leaving us vulnerable for an attack? Not exactly. I think it's so we learn to accept him…

Accept that he is a GUIDE for the game’s script. His entire existence hinges on guiding the main characters, specially Kris, throughout the story, and making sure the whole story, all seven chapters, play out exactly as planned.

You see, Ralsei isn’t evil. His goal is pretty simple, actually: guide us, the player, throughout the game, making us feel as safe and happy and secure. In that sense, of course he pushes so hard towards the pacifist route. After all, that’s the one that’s closer to a completionist route, as the sparing + recruiting mechanic adds more characters to your town, and therefore more content. He wants you to see all this content and get the most enjoyment out of it. His code urges him to bring you the best experience possible.

This would also answer why he does that thing with taking our control away from Kris and to watch Susie’s shenanigans. Because it’s satisfying to us. Notice how stressed out and pushy he gets in the alternate route when Susie comes out of Noelle’s room without being able to let us see what happened. He knows he messed up, something went wrong. He was supposed to let us see, so that we wouldn’t be bored, because God forbid the players be bored.

Just imagine this going through his head.

He also seems to genuinely care about Kris and Susie, and with good reason, as he knows these are the protagonists, and he is supposed to care for their well being too and ensure they reach their goal. I do think, however, there is a good amount of being genuine in his care, as he has no reason to react so boldly sometimes to either of them, showing outrage or affection in pretty telling ways. He isn’t heartless despite carrying out this job.

However it is also worth noting, for all his care, he cannot do the one thing that Kris would desire the most: free them from our grasp. And that is his ultimate failure towards them, and may end up creating conflict later on in the game.

From, here, there are two possible pathways:

Ralsei does not know about the dilemma Kris is going through, and believes Kris is entirely oblivious and passive towards being in a video game. He may even end up being the final boss to fight, as he desperately tries to keep everything on rails while Kris very much does not care for any of that.

Ralsei is entirely aware of what’s going on with Kris, after all, everything in a game’s design is planned, even the cutscenes, therefore even Kris’ struggles. Ralsei knows of the fate that lies ahead, that Kris will eventually be free, how it all ends. But to get there… is still a road ahead.

I think Ralsei’s affection towards Kris will definitely be explored in the later chapters. Not just because of the teasing we’ve been getting, but, if Ralsei really is a guide of the game’s code and script, what would that mean for him to get so attached towards the character the player is controlling?

Ralsei will have to make a choice. He will either recognize Kris is suffering and cannot wait any longer, or be faced with possibly having to fight them himself. This is why those two pathways matter as well. If he doesn’t know, his choice will come later and it will be an unpleasant surprise for him to find out the game universe is breaking apart around him with the self awareness of certain characters. If he does know, however, his choice is NOW, and waiting for the inevitable will be torture.

Just how long until he breaks? Or will he keep the facade until the very last chapter?

Like I said, I don’t intend this theory to be the biggest, most revealing and coherent theory. But… It could add a very interesting layer to Ralsei’s character, as well as answer many questions posed beforehand. He knows the school layout and game controls because he is part of the code. He can get to the other Dark World’s easily and remain unharmed because the game demands him to be. He looks like this so that we love him. He wants to give us the most fulfilling Castle Town so that we will love the game. He doesn’t protest even when Kris does things like try to give him the thorn ring, because to him, everything will be okay anyway. Everything he is, is for us. He isn’t evil or malicious per se, he just opposes Kris’ biggest need.

But he may have gotten himself attached. And that may be a clue to sparing him if he does become a final boss.

But! Tell me what you thought of this theory! Do you think it’s way too weird and farfetched, or do you think it’s possible that it could happen? Or maybe you agree with some stuff but not with other stuff? Go ahead and tell me!

[aurorasilverthorne]

Bailey School Kids Headcanons and Theories:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1: Madame Hauntly was the wife of the farmer Edwardo in the story that she tells Ben, Jane and Annie in "Vampire Trouble". This also means she is the mother of his six children and that Vlad, who tried to steal the farmer's land and wife, was probably Vlad the Impaler.

2. Mrs. Jeepers fell in love with a human, but he died, and she keeps all his favorite books in that box in the basement of the old Clancy Estate to have something that reminds her of him. I believe her husband knew that she was a vampiress and that's why he gave her the bat bracelet as a way to reassure her that her secret was safe with him. I think that is what Mrs. Jeepers meant in "Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots" when she told Eddie and the others that she feels like her husband is still with her at times despite his death.

3. Madame Hauntly and her children are capable of walking around in daylight because a) she's a very old vampiress which means she's super powerful and b) her children are half human, so the sun doesn't have as much of an effect on them, though Mrs. Jeepers still uses her brooch to increase her own power and it also serves as added protection from the sun.

4. Mr. Drake is Mrs. Jeepers' and Boris' brother and the dad of Kilmer's cousin in "Vampire Baby".

5. Grandpa Vamps is Mrs. Jeepers' uncle or grandfather in the story "Mrs. Jeepers' Creepy Christmas". She called him in to get Eddie interested in reading as the boy was being stubborn and kept refusing to cooperate with her.

6. Most of the adults the children think are monsters are normal humans trying to live their lives. However, Mrs. Jeepers and her Hauntly relatives are in fact vampires and monsters, but don't pose a threat to the people of Bailey City as they are kind and caring towards their neighbors and have not harmed anyone since their arrival as far as we know. The other legit monsters include leprechauns as it was implied in "Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball" that Mrs. Jeepers' was in fact the vampiress teacher who stole the brooch from the leprechaun king.

7. Mrs. Jeepers can't have children of her own maybe because of a health issue, but she loves children, so she became a school teacher to be around them, and to nurture and satisfy her own maternal instinct. She wants all of her students to succeed and to be safe which is why she's so strict with them and won't give Eddie attention when he acts up in class or during field trips. She refuses to reward his negative behavior which is why she reprimands him with extra work or chores when he misbehaves.

8. Eddie knows Mrs. Jeepers is a vampire because she showed her fangs when she dragged him into the hall to talk about his bad behavior in the first book "Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots". That's why he won't tell his friends what happened. She likely warned him to be quiet and to quit misbehaving, but he realized in time that she wouldn't actually hurt him, so he kept acting up despite the fact that she was an actual vampire and he still feared her to some extent. Eddie knew she wouldn't harm anyone so he pushed his luck and she had to keep him in line until he moved up into fourth grade.

9. Mrs. Jeepers and her family continued to protect and watch over all her students well into their adult years. She and the Hauntlys stayed in Bailey City a) until residents began to notice they weren't aging and they had to move to another place to start again or b) her ex-students realized what they were, but chose to keep their secret so they could remain in Bailey City teaching and befriending the future generations of their families.