#yes there’s some oddballs in here I love all equally and they all get a chance

[evilhasnever]

here’s some fluffy xiyao drabble prompts! i hope one of them strikes your fancy ☺️

xichen meeting rusong or something to do with a sleepy rusong)

something to do with spice tolerance or a gift of unliked food (not alcohol)

one of them has never done X—the other one is surprised, and seeks to remedy this immediately

one of them finds out about an unusual/uncharacteristic hobby the other one has

modern AU: xichen loves being festive for ANY holiday, and wants to do something ayao thinks is just so, so cringe

modern AU: xiyao goes swing dancing (look up aerials for some inspiration 👀)

modern AU: xiyao goes to daiso/the dollar store

I zeroed in on swing dancing immediately 👀 (but I might come back for the other prompts later!)

Modern AU - Connection

“I’ve been thinking we should pick up a new hobby. Something we can do together.”

Jin Guangyao smiles and rubs his husband’s nape with a light hand, eyes still glued to his laptop. “We do yoga, play tabletop and play duets sometimes. Don’t we have plenty of activities we do together, ge?” 

“But they aren’t traditional couples activities,” Xichen insists, his ears pinkening, “for couples.” Ah, so that’s what it is. Married life has made Lan Xichen more inclined to show off, much to Jin Guangyao’s delight. 

“I will gladly review my husband’s proposal, please submit it by noon tomorrow,” Jin Guangyao replies in a pretend-formal tone, knowing he will say yes no matter what oddball activity Lan Xichen chooses. 

If he is to be honest with himself, he’d expected Lan Xichen to choose something sweet, creative, and slow paced. Pottery class would have been his number one guess. 

Instead, he is sweating his balls off on a dance floor, wearing what his husband enthusiastically deemed “compulsory swing dancing attire”. They got rid of the vests about ten minutes in, but the long pants are a little stuffy nonetheless.

They’re not the only gay couple in dance class, but they are probably the only first timers. His husband only smiles brilliantly and recommends he just have fun, but Jin Guangyao has already sized up the athleticism and general coordination of the other guys, and is fairly certain they can show them up from the get go. None of them has ballet training nor Lan Xichen’s preternatural comfort in his body that makes him good at just about any sport. They’ll grind them to dust by the end of the session.

Jin Guangyao is no show-off, but he enjoys being very damn good at things. Visibly, demonstrably good at things. And though he gave up ballet as a teen, years of dutiful yoga stretches were not for nothing. He’d kept up with it for the sex, to be honest, but he suspects that flexibility will be equally convenient when he has to flip a leg over Lan Xichen’s shoulder to fold himself into a scarf. As soon as they’re done with steps and stomps, anyway. 

The teacher lavishes praise on them - “Incredible connection!” - and Jin Guangyao lets himself preen a little. “We’ve been together for a while,” he says, making Lan Xichen flush and glow with pride. “We’re a well oiled machine.” 

The first challenging exercise comes in the form of aerials. They’re not quite ballet lifts, but close enough in his estimation. It’s all about landing right. 

Now, Jin Guangyao has always preferred to have his feet firmly on the ground. He’s not afraid of heights, but he likes to know where he stands at any given time. So when he and Lan Xichen run through basic throws, he is skeptical at first that he will enjoy this - though he is willing, because Lan Xichen’s absolutely glowing joy whenever he throws him in the air is palpable. 

Obviously, Jin Guangyao watched countless videos of aerials for beginners last night. He did not care for the frog jumps the teacher is intent on making them do, but the idea of wrapping his legs around Lan Xichen’s neck is an appealing one.

Lan Xichen, both sturdy and fluid, his anchor and the rubber band that propels him back and forth, moves with him with ease. It feels good to stick to him. It feels hot. 

While they take their third break of the evening, Jin Guangyao carefully adjusts his yoga pants and chugs water, but the sight of his husband absolutely sweat-sodden and positively flooded with endorphins does not help in dousing his flames. 

“Gege,” Jin Guangyao says, crooking his finger to pull Lan Xichen aside while some couples return to the dance floor, and others amble towards the exit. “I think we can call ourselves satisfied for today, don’t you?”

Lan Xichen, damn his stamina, has the gall to look surprised and a little put out, lips pursing in a conflicted manner. “Of course, A-Yao. We have been practicing for a while. Were you not enjoying yourself?” 

“That’s not it,” Jin Guangyao assures him, draping his towel around Lan Xichen’s neck to pull him down and encase him in a warm, private dark space where their noses touch. “My knees do need a bit of a breather, but I think we can continue practicing our connection at home.” Horizontally, ideally.

Lan Xichen’s eyes widen in rapturous enthusiasm and he nods, leading him to the changing rooms with a gentlemanly hand on the small of his back. Jin Guangyao makes sure to say goodbye to the teacher while he exits with maximum dignity. They’ll be back to effortlessly upstage those uncoordinated newbies next week.

(The Scarf is the first move in this video - probably not a first day kind of exercise, but they’ll get there in no time.)

[babsvibes]

What are your five favorite Logan moments? 😚

Come on man. Do you know how hard this was for me?? I had to narrow it down to favorite character defining moments that aren’t just favorite Logan lines, aren’t favorite Louise-focused interactions, and aren’t favorite babygirl!Logan moments. You’d think with that criteria I’d be down to only five, but you’d be wrong.

Five favorite Logan moments + a couple bonuses

As for why these make the list (or at least one of several lists):

Tumblr keeps duplicating my points ahhh

I got a little wordy sorry sorry

It’s not that common for a character’s motivations to be so clearly spelled out, but you can see everything Logan cares about right here. Logan wants to create a relaxed environment, wants his friends to be comfortable, and doesn’t want people impeding on that space. It also showcases that he’s an oddball. Like the language he uses is so specific and detaches himself as the leader and one responsible for the space around him. It’s also emotionally aware (like we’ll see again later). Every single one of Logan’s actions can be explained by these couple of lines, so they’re incredibly important.

It’s not that common for a character’s motivations to be so clearly spelled out, but you can see everything Logan cares about right here. Logan wants to create a relaxed environment, wants his friends to be comfortable, and doesn’t want people impeding on that space. It also showcases that he’s an oddball. Like the language he uses is so specific and detaches himself as the leader and one responsible for the space around him. It’s also emotionally aware (like we’ll see again later). Every single one of Logan’s actions can be explained by these couple of lines, so they’re incredibly important.

The entire montage of Louise following Logan around and him just letting her is so gold, and it kicks off with this character defining moment. He’s not going to give up, and he’s going to make up some bullshit about his psat scores to solidify that. He just likes the ears. He doesn’t mess them up or let his friends hold them, and he doesn’t go out of his way to bother Louise more when he’s “winning.” He’s just a competitive, stupid teenager.

Look… he so obviously thinks of himself as a ladies man while he’s posturing in this tiny, tiny moment where he’s talking to Shanaya, and I think that’s hilarious.

He’s annoying and gross while he works in the restaurant, that’s a given. But the moments he has with Gene, Tina, and even Linda for a split second all show that he’s really not there to cause problems to people who aren’t causing him problems. Gene’s excited to hang out with another boy, and Logan indulges him with high fives. Tina asks Logan a bunch of embarrassing questions, and he just tells her it’s top secret guy stuff. It’s cute in a “oh, you little shit” way.

Okay I caved and included two Louise and Logan interactions, but come ooonnnnn. He’s such a little wimp that Louise, the girl he keeps getting in fights with, is now the safest option for him to hide behind despite her being, by his own admission, “the worst and smallest choice” for a human shield. He’s so DUMB. Next, he doesn’t take her down with him. When it’s clear he’s about to be pummeled, he pushes Louise away. Lastly and most importantly, we learn he calls his dick and balls his unmentionables. All equally important things.

Again, this is an example of him being very aware of what’s going on internally. AND we find out he’s seeing a doctor. I mean, not a very good one, but he’s going. I like the little bit of him having to reassure everyone listening that he’s “totally normal” because… he’s not. He’s got some issues. Yes, I think babygirl!Logan moments are hilarious, but this bit where he is an actual antagonist and has these depths given to him give me a lot to work with in fic. Usually the depth is mommy issues, but you know. Depth lol.

In one gif, we see that Logan 1) can analyze themes of love and acceptance in cheesy movies 2) is incapable of shutting up 3) flinches and is easily taken down by Louise even WITH a warning.

In conclusion, I love him your honor.

[firaknight]

So this is basically PMD x Kirby

(Here’s a key: pink is the name of the character, green is the Pokemon they chose, blue means male, pink means female, purple is the description of design changes)

So, before I explain who gets who, Adeleine sets up a few rules/guidelines for everyone.

1: The couch. Adeleine and Ribbon live in a cottage on the outskirts of town and therefore have a small house. When everyone’s there, she has a set seating system: tall people (DDD, herself, Daroach, etc) have to sit on the couch or in the general back. Short people (basically everyone else) sit in front of the couch and around the floor (she gives them pillows and floor seats of course)

2: No repeats! It’s to help her remember and also to not cause confusion or arguments. Nobody gets to have the same Pokemon as someone else (the only exception being if they plan to evolve them into a branching evolution, like Gardevoir and Gallade in the Ralts line)

3: Personalize! Everyone gets to add design changes to theirs (cut ear, different patterns, accessories, etc) to make them their own! They also assign genders to theirs and if they can’t decide, dice are rolled. Odds for male, evens for female (they can choose not to, but the vast majority were like “yeah whatever let’s just give them a gender”).

Ok onto the actual Pokemon

Adeleine: Chikorita, female, wears a scarf (part of the in-game story) and has a multicolored head leaf! Also had a small crystal hanging from her neck!

She saw the design and called them a “tiny dinosaur with a big leaf” and immediately decided on them. She loves them to death and thinks they’re the cutest Pokemon on the planet.

Ribbon: Fennekin, female, wears a scarf (part of the in-game story), has fur that is more pink than red, and wears a huge red bow! Also has a small crystal hanging from her neck!

Couldn’t choose the same Pokemon as Adeleine and thought Fennekin looked beautiful (she was even more excited when she saw the final evolution). She also has a type matchup with Adeleine and absolutely takes bullets for her to keep her from dying.

Kirby: Eevee, female, white fur is tinted pink, has blue eyes instead of brown, and wears bunch of colorful accessories like bows, bracelets/anklets, and collars!

Couldn’t decide on the gender and the dice rolled female! He doesn’t care and loves his Eevee!!! He likes how soft they look and how they have different evolution!! It’s like his copy abilities!!! He’s stuck trying to figure out what to evolve them into tho.

Dedede: Piplup, male, wears a big robe and hat, body is a slightly darker and more vibrant blue, and is a little chubbier!

He convinced Adeleine to take on a more difficult dungeon request for this (she got a big dinner at the royal table and got to stay the night in one of the royal rooms out of it though so it was worth it) and after a near 2 hour run and almost 3 game overs, she got it. Dedede only wanted it because it’s the only penguin Pokemon in the series and he wanted a big penguin like himself!!!

Meta Knight: Ralts (Gallade), male, wears a mask like his own, has more jagged blades, and wears a cape!

Only picked them because they saw Gallade and said “yeah that’s gonna be me” and didn’t wait for an answer. He likes their arm blades and the fact that they have a mega evolution (even BIGGER blades!!!!!!! A big tattered cape!!!!!! Badass looks!!!!! What’s not to like!!!!)

Bandee: Karrablast, male, wears a blue bandana, body is orange instead of blue, stomach is cream instead of orange, and has a tiny spear (this is later removed when they evolve)!!!

They saw Escavalier and got super excited!! Double spear arms!!! Armored and tough looking!!! They like how tough they look and 100% chose them for that reason only (although the Pokemon kinda grew on them over time). Not ultra tough right now but they’re getting there!

Marx: Sableye, male, gems are basically mirrors, wears a jester cap like his own, and has only 2 claws instead of 3!!

He likes how fucking creepy they look and how their mega evolution has teeth. It’s a very specific detail they will absolutely drill into why they like them so much. They also like how powerful they can be if used correctly!

Gooey: Goomy, female, body is shades of blue instead of purple, has a tongue that noticeably sticks out!!

He originally wanted Ditto but then they saw Goomy and felt a certain kind of love for them. He also couldn’t decide and the dice rolled female! He likes how the name is similar to his own and how they’re goopy like him!!! They’re also super squishy and he is too!!!!!!

Rick: Dedenne, male, tail is shorter, body is similar in color to him, has beans!!!!!!

He likes how they’re kinda hamster-esc!! They have electricity too which is hella cool. They look kinda soft to him and he was mildly upset over them not having paw beans and demanded that Dedenne be given justice by having them drawn in (Adeleine totally agrees to this). He likes to think they’re mega soft like himself!!!

Kine: Magikarp, male, slightly flatter, blue instead of orange, larger fins!!

He couldn’t choose a Pokemon and eventually just settled on Magikarp because he thought they’d be ok. Didn’t realize they evolve into such a big Pokemon until they saw what it looked like in one of the dungeons. The keep bragging about how powerful they’re gonna be when they finally evolve, but nobody is taking him seriously because he can only use 1 move as of now and hasn’t reached a point where he can evolve yet.

Coo: Hoothoot, male, body is purple instead of brown, has spiked feathers on his head, has a softer and fluffier appearance!!!!!

It’s an owl. He wanted to be an owl. He reeeeaaallly wants to evolve because Noctowl looks way cooler but he’s fine with what he’s got for now!!! He has a speed based build because he can fly very fast :)

Dark Meta Knight: Noibat, female, monochromatic colors with some red mixed in, mask with a scar, tattered wing membrane!!!

Purposefully decided on having a femal because he thinks it kicks ass a little more (also he loves his adopted daughter and decided that would be badass too). Built like a fucking assault tank but with speed. He absolutely leads the charge when he’s playing and takes every fucking hit possible if it’s aimed at his daughter. Gloats about his badass evolution and how fucking sick it looks despite having not evolved yet.

Daroach: Sneasel, male, wears a cloak and hat like his own, has yellow and longer claws!!!!

He didn’t like any of the existing rats and said “lemme get a thief pokemon” and settled on Sneasel. They have a team called the Squeak Squad and it’s comprised of his Sneasel and the squeaks own copies of the game! They play together in their free time and Daroach had Adeleine grab him a Sneasel so he could play on her copy too.

Magolor: Inkay, male, wears a blue cloak like his own, has yellow eyes!!! (The cloak doesn’t really fit until Inkay evolves)

Physically couldn’t choose and then someone showed him Inkay and he said “oh! I fucking hate them.” It was only until they showed him Malamar that he said “oh they look like they’d backstab someone. Perfect.” He likes how fucking ominous they look and how they would 100% be a supervillain given the chance. His Inkay is a good guy tho don’t worry.

Taranza: Joltik, male, has tiny fangs and little horns that grow out when they evolve, wears a cape, has little gloves on their hands!!!

He wanted Flabebe because of the flowers but was told someone already took that one and decided he’d take a spider Pokemon! Almost settled on Ariados but then saw Galvantula and got super excited. He likes their fuzzy look and thinks they are a lovely Pokemon!!

Susie: Gothita, female, eyes are gradient blue with no pupils, has pink accents on the head, more modern appearance!!

She couldn’t find any pretty ones with tech on them but liked Gothita! She thinks they look ok and Adeleine was nice enough to invite her over for PMD game day so she joined in. Her Gothita is surprisingly beastly and is a heavy hitter! However she also gets her ass kicked really fast because Gothita isn’t built for up close heavy hitting.

Zan Partizanne: Shinx, female, wears the same clothes as her, has more yellow on her!!

She really liked how Shinx looks. Tiny electric kitty puppy thing! She wanted to name it after some kind of thunder deity but wasn’t able to (she probably had a name for it tho). Speedy little powerhouse who looks adorable. Continues to tell Adeleine that she’s only doing this to repay her debt (and also for insulting her hairline) but is really just enjoying herself.

Flamberge: Fletchling, female, wears the hat and ribbon-like shawl, has spiked feathers that stick up a lot like her hair, more vibrant red!!!

She fucking loves this little bird. Like. A lot. Something about them is just so awesome to her. Maybe it’s because it evolves into a giant fire falcon but who knows! She just loves them and cherishes them with all her heart. BEGGED Adeleine to recruit them and managed to convince her (she had to offer up making her a cool sword to get it. Adeleine accepted the deal almost immediately because cool ass sword).

Francisca: Vanillite, female, wears the hat and shawl, has more vibrant blue, ice cream part is the same color as her hair!!!

You know exactly why she chose this one. Ice cream baby!!!!!!!! She thinks they’re lovely and wants a plush of them super bad (they don’t make them yet but merch happens eventually!). She jokes that they have an ice cream stash they live in.

Pitch: Pidgey, male, green in color!

He got to join in after the other animal friends told him! He’s good friends with Adeleine (all the animal friends are) and she let him pick a Pokemon! He doesn’t play as much because he has to use his little feet’s but he does his best!

Nago: Glameow, female, body is orange and the ears are brown! Eyes remain closed instead of open to reflect his design!

He wanted it to be a girl just because. He says it’s because it resembles his girlfriend a teensy bit (just in coat color really) and he loves her a lot. Little bastard cat causes trouble on adventures and purposefully runs off to look for the stairs by himself without any incentive from Adeleine.

Chuchu: Frillish, female, wears a small red ribbon and has a more vibrant pink body!!

Couldn’t choose originally but settled on Frillish because it’s the closest thing to her. Nicknamed it frilly and likes to cause problems. She’s got a pretty decent move set and knows how to kick ass with it tho so she makes up for her trouble with that.

Queen Ripple: Flabébé, female, wears glasses and has black ear frill things, wears her crown, and wears her dress!!! Flower is white!

She gets to play too!!!!! Adeleine offered to let her have a Pokemon and she plays though wireless connection! On a very rare occasion, she makes a trip out to Popstar for a week or so and gets to play during then! She has a lot of fun and adores the design for Flabébé so damn much (plus it’s fairy type and that makes her very happy)!!!

[ordinaryschmuck]

Top 20 BEST Animated Series of the 2010s-4th Place

To anyone who plans on making a reboot of their favorite show in the future, you might want to take notes on this next pick. Because if you ask me, this next series that I'm going to talk about is the best example of how to do a reboot properly.

#4-Ducktales (2017-2021)

The Plot: Scrooge McDuck is the richest duck in the world, who made it big by also being one of the greatest adventurers of all time...ten years ago. Sadly, after an unfortunate accident with the family, Scrooge is forced to live the life of a normal businessman-er-duck. Up until Donald Duck asks Scrooge to watch over his nephews: Huey, Dewey, and Louie. What starts off as a single day of babysitting soon turns into a life of adventure as Scrooge gets back into the adventuring spirit to show his new family what the world really has to offer.

Now I want to make one thing clear: As of the moment of me writing this review, I have seen a total of zero episodes of the original Ducktales. That being said, despite my limited knowledge of the series, I still think it’s fair of me to point out how this is hands down the best reboot as of late (and I’ll explain more as to why that is later). And besides, from what I’ve heard from fans who have watched the original, Ducktales (2017) is a pretty faithful adaptation of the beloved franchise. The reason is that I believe this show remembers the two most important rules of making a reboot.

The first rule of a reboot is to try something new while still being faithful to the source material. Doing something like that is simple as a writer just needs to keep what the fans love and change what they hated. And trust me when I say that the writers of Ducktales (2017) knows how to do just that. For the most part, the show is about a family going on crazy globe-trotting adventures while still learning that family is the best adventure of all, much like the original. As for the characters, most of them keep their fun personalities. Scrooge is still a stingy miser with the heart for adventure, Launchpad is still the lovable idiot who can’t fly a plane, and Donald Duck still remains the one who gets stuck with all the bad luck. Then some characters have their personalities/roles revamped into something that improves upon the original. The best example is Fenton, who is still the wannabe superhero but is now a scientist in this show, wherein the old one was just Scrooge’s accountant. This way, both the hero and the man-DUCK-who’s behind the mask are equally capable of saving the day. There’s also Mrs. Beakley, who was originally a nanny that nagged Scrooge’s ear off for putting the kids in danger. In the reboot, she’s treated more as the anchor of reality to the more oddball characters, who also used to be a kick-butt super spy in her younger years. It is still the same role, but a different interpretation.

Now, some characters receive grand changes to their original personalities. But from what I’ve heard, those changes are made for the better. And there are no characters that need it more than the children. More specifically, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. This show does something that I’m eternally grateful for, and that’s giving each of these three their own distinct personalities and quirks. For years I couldn’t for the life of me tell the triplets apart. They had the same design, the same voice, the same personality, and the only difference people had to go off of are their different colors (which really didn’t do much to help). Here, they have different designs, voices, and now defining character traits for each of them. Huey is the smart and responsible boy scout, Dewey is the annoying attention seeker, and Louie is the best character in the entire show, and I WILL FREAKING FIGHT YOU ON THAT! And let us not forget the most appreciated change: Webby. From what I’ve heard, fans hated the original Webby, as she was nothing more than just the stereotypical girl of the group. Here, she’s given an actual personality and a fun one to boot. Webby is the ecstatic thrill-seeking adventurer who is skilled in combat training (thanks to her grandma) and is (of course) a socially awkward girl who wants to make friends. Like I said, this show took the idea that the fans hated and changed it into something that they’ll love. Which makes sense why the writers mastered this because they themselves are real fans of the show.

It is clear how much the writers are fans of the Ducktales franchise as they filled Ducktales (2017) with many references. And not just references to the original series but also references to the classic comics by Carl Barks and even the NES video game from the 1980s (seriously, this show will make you feel things about the “Moon Theme” you wouldn’t think was possible!). Even the show’s animation seems to be a homage to both the cartoon and comics. Not only do the characters and backgrounds have a more comic book style to them, but the characters also work on a mix of realistic and cartoony logic. And let me just say, it is refreshing to see characters in a Disney show have cartoon logic to them since Wander Over Yonder got canceled. And it’s not just Ducktales that the series reference, but even classic Disney movies (of course) and other shows in the Disney Afternoon lineup. And when it comes to these references, it’s more than just a subtle wink to the fans. The writers actually go out of their way to write a story around these beloved characters, so people who don’t get the joke won’t be one-hundred percent lost. For instance, without giving anything away, the writers found a brilliant way to reintroduce Darkwing Duck in this universe that feels right for this famous character. And if you ask me personally, these are the best ways to handle references for a reboot. Make them work within the story, even if you don’t fully get the joke.

This brings me to the second most important rule of a reboot: Make a quality product even though it is based on something else. Let us pretend that the original never existed. Would Ducktales (2017) still be as good as it is now? Personally, as a person who has never seen the original, I think it is.

This is another show that mixes slice of life episodes with adventure ones, similar to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. And just like Friendship is Magic, both are equally interesting because the characters themselves make them so. No matter what situation the Duck Family are in, the audience will care about it because the characters care about it. In fact, I think Ducktales (2017) handles the mix of slice of life and adventure much better than Friendship is Magic. In MLP: FiM, the adventure-based episodes force the characters to stick to their simple personality traits to move the story forward, and character-based ones help them grow. In Ducktales (2017), because the characters regularly go on adventures, they grow as characters no matter the situation. For example, my favorite episode is “The Great Dime Chase” where the main plot is Louie finding Scrooge’s #1 dime after accidentally spending it. While in that same episode, Dewey and Webby try to solve a mystery around the boys’ mom. We get a great lesson about the importance of hard work and a fascinating plot of an overarching mystery within the season, all taking place within the same episode. Both are interesting, neither feels as though it overshadows the other, and the characters develop along the way.

Another thing this show mixes well is comedy and drama. A lot of shows recently tried way too hard to find that perfect mix. Ducktales (2017) is one of the few examples that nails it. The comedy is hilarious, the drama is endearing, and neither feels like it’s prioritized over the other. The show starts off with this mix as well, where others that I’ve talked about seem to start off as purely comedic only to take themselves more seriously later on. That isn’t entirely a bad thing, but I feel as though Ducktales (2017) is the best way to go about the method. That way, fans won’t be complaining about how much “better” the show used to be in its first batch of episodes, much like Star V.S. the Forces of Evil.

Unfortunately, while I recommend this show, it’s not without its fair share of issues. Or rather, issue, as there really is only one problem I have with it. And that problem can be summed up with one name: Dewey Duck. For the most part, I dislike Dewy. Because he’s nothing more than a Ben Schwarts character. No disrespect to Ben Schwarts himself, but lately, it feels as though he only plays the one character from time to time: The egotistical attention seeker slowly and surely learning to be a better person who realizes that not everything is about him. That’s the character he plays in both Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), and it’s the character he plays here. And the thing about these characters is that they’re not as lovable as Ben Schwarts thinks they sound. In fact (and, again, I mean no disrespect to the actor. I’m sure he’s a lovely person in real life), every single one of these characters comes off as kind of annoying rather than as the lovable rapscallions I’m sure they’re meant to be. However, there is one thing worth mentioning about Dewey. While he’s portrayed as annoying when used for comedy, Dewey is surprisingly a compelling character when used for drama. The thing is, he’s rarely used for dramatic moments and is meant as a source of comedy. Hence why I said I disliked him for the most part.

Other than that, there aren’t really that many problems with the show. Well, there are, but they’re mostly nitpicks that the series more than makes up for. Is it weird that the kids are voiced by adults? Yes, but the actors do a great job at being sincere and have great comedic timing than any kid could have. Are there changes to characters that fans might not enjoy? Probably, but I have yet to have seen anyone that has annoyed me as much as Dewey has. Are the villains just evil for the sake of being evil? Yes, but that’s not really a big deal. In fact, a villain doesn’t need a heartbreaking backstory as to why they’ve become so evil. They just need to have a great personality that’s fun to watch, which every villain in the show has (aside from season two’s antagonist who’s basically a Disney surprise villain. And I hate them with a fiery passion). Does it feel as though the show suffers from “too many characters” syndrome? It sometimes does, but each character has such a fun and unique personality that I find it hard to forget most of them.

So really, Ducktales (2017) is the best reboot in recent memory. This is crazy, seeing as how lately it feels as though Disney doesn’t even know how to properly reboot their own movies to save their lives. This is why I feel as though people should take notes on what Ducktales (2017) does if they ever feel like rebooting something they loved as a kid. Because this is more than just a retelling of the same story that people know by heart. This is a fantastic show with even better characters, stories, and tone. Whether you’ve been a fan since the beginning, or a part of the new generation of viewers, odds are you’ll be screaming Whoo-Ooo with every episode.

(Also, a word of warning to those who haven’t watched the show yet: Beware the theme song. Trust me when I say it’ll be stuck in your head until the day you die)

[jokertrap-ran]

[Drama CD]  Ikemen Vampire: Temptation in the Dark, Side: Leonardo da Vinci

Company: Cybird CV: Tsuda Kenjiro ( 津田 健次郎 )

*Commissioned by @shrimpalompa​, Thank you! *Spoiler free: Translations under cut

Commissions are OPEN!!

Track 2:

Yes, yes. Good morning. Your fringe’s  sticking up, little one. Yeah, wait, don’t try to hide your face with the covers. No, don’t try to hide, no running; and stop trying to wiggle your way out either. Come on now, look back over here. Don’t worry, you’re cute no matter what happens, always. How strange. Your hair’s so mussed up, but yet you’re still adorable in my eyes. You haven’t casted some sort of strange spell on me, have you?

Ow, ow, ow! Stop hitting me with all your might. It’s only a joke, sorry. I’m only simply stating a fact when I say that you’re cute and...well, I suppose that’s also proof of how I’ve completely fallen for you.

I’m unfair, you say? That, I already know. I’m way more mature than you, not to mention older by a couple thousand years. 

Hm? What’s the matter?

Have you finally decided to get out of bed? Wait a minute. Stay here for a little while longer. For at least 3 minutes more? You smell something sweet? Hm, I suppose that’s the remnants of the cigarettes. Your hair smells equally delectable all the time as well. This might be weird coming from me, considering how we’re technically using the same shampoo and all...But I guess it’s easier to the scent of the woman I love more acutely than anything else? You’re the only one with such a sweet-smelling scent. Always.

Haa...I’ve got to let you go soon. It’s a brilliant thing to be watching you up and about, but I’ve still got to let go eventually. Hm? Oh. There’s a night banquet going on today, remember? Don’t fret, I remember it. Awfully so, in fact. There’s no way I’d ever forget about the day you’ve been looking forward to all so badly. I’ll come get you at night but we’ll both have to continuously give our best at our respective works till then. See you then. It’ll be farewell for the time being, little one. Do your best today as well. Heh, that’s it.

Track 3:

Little one? Come on in. Good work today. I’m here to escort you just as I promised.

No...You’re just so enthralling that I think I fell head over heels for you yet again. Can I get a closer look at you? Hmm, yup. You’re beautiful. I always think that you’re cute, but seeing you like this...I can’t think of anything else to describe you other than simply mesmerising. I’m stumped. I just went off and did something that would trouble you.

Heh. I see that you feel the same way as well, partner in crime. Look, you’ve turned all red. So you are troubled indeed. We’ll both be late if we proceed further though. Well, it’s better to postpone the enjoyment till later when I can take all the time I want. Let’s foray into the streets at night then.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━ ༻ ♡ ༺ ━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Still, it’s rather lively considering the place it;s situated in. Haha! You’re really expressive, huh. Everything shows on your face; about how fun it is here that you just can’t help yourself. I’m glad you’re here. 

Oh, the song’s changing. Is it time for the dance now? Hm, may I have your hand then? Hey, hey...What are you snickering to yourself about? I’m well aware that this type of princely-attitude doesn’t fit me at all. And honestly, I’m no good with places that are as dazzling as this is either. And adding insult to injury is that I’m absolutely no good at dancing either. In fact, it’s one of the things that I’m absolutely useless at.

Really, do you have to be laughing so much at my expense? Through, what I think about any of this doesn’t matter in the end. I’m saying that I don’t care how lame I look doing all these, little one. If it makes you laugh tonight, I don’t mind it. I don’t mind doing anything. So, here. Take my hand?

Alright. Come on here then.

Heh. It’s better now compared to the first time I’ve ever danced with you, right? Hey. I actually really love the smile you have on your face when you’re having fun and enjoying yourself. All of your expressions are cute to me, but I think your smiling face’s the best out of of them all.

If it’s for your smile...I’m willing to do anything so long as it puts that smile on your face. From now on and forever. So laugh for my sake? Yeah, that’s a nice smile you have on. It really is. Now, how about we dance all night till you actually start to hate it? 

Track 4:

It’s really peaceful and calm out here. Hm? What’s wrong for your face to be so flushed? People are staring at us both? Are you bothered by it? Did we do something weird to garner their eyes on us? You...You don’t really think that we were creating such a disruption that they’d do that, do you? Hah, I knew it. I suppose I understand that feeling as well, weird part of you it might be, but I share the same sentiments as well. Listen here, little one. They aren’t staring at us because we did something odd. They’re all enthralled by your beauty, by your smile. Their eyes stray to you even if they didn’t have such intentions because you are all too dazzling upon the dance floor. I’m not lying and it isn’t a joke either. I’m just stating the facts and I suppose you’re the only one who isn't aware of it. Well, I can’t say I hate that air-headedness of yours. That just made the fact that you’re mine even clearer now. Idiot girl, don’t make me spell every word out for you and everyone out there. Even I, for as long as I have lived. Am unable to get rid of this nagging feeling called jealousy. What do you know of man? Besides, we only get worse whenever something happens to the one we love. In other words, let me steal you away.

Your ears have turned red. This one here too. No, it’s redder, actually. Haha, your reactions really do stir me up. Turn over here. I’d love to tell you that you can expect more to come but it’ll be bad if we continued anything out here. And I don’t wish to let others witness this cute face of yours. Allow me to continue once we get back to the manor, yes?

Track 5:

Now then...Hey, hey, what’s up with that face you’re pulling? You’re not aware of it? Then let me tell you exactly what kind of expression you’re showing. It’s one that tells me that you want to do things. Much, much more. Am I mistaken? Whoa- It’s kind of stifling when you hug me that tightly, you know… Heh. You’re so cute even when you’re like this. Sometimes I worry what I’m to do in the future if this is how cute you’re going to be all the time. But I suppose it’s not a problem at all so long as I keep holding onto you like this. Right?

Heh. Your neck’s gonna fall off if you keep nodding so vigorously. Besides, I can’t do this either. Looking at your pale white neck...I can’t help but to feel things that I shouldn’t really be feeling.

It makes me want to bite into that neck of yours. It makes me want to bite into it and steal everything from your very existence. However, I can’t do that. I won’t make you into a vampire like I am. You already know that without me telling you? You’re really the oddball, aren’t you? You’re probably the only one who’d stick around with someone as troublesome as me and remain smiling, happy to be by my side. Have I given up on you? No...I fell for you again. You’ve turned red again, how cute. Thanks to that, I think I don’t want to let go of you anymore. Actually, I never intended to do so to begin with. Hey, little one? How about we spend the night together today?

Track 6:

What? You’re awake? Hmm? Ahh, I’ve been awake. I lost my sleepiness while watching you sleep. Is the cigarette smoke reaching your side? That’s good then. What was I thinking about, you ask?

I was just reminiscing about the time when I first met you. My first impression of you was that you were adorable. But, I never thought that something like this, something like us right now would ever happen back then. I’m a timeless vampire and you’re just a human, remember? We’re two existences as different as heaven and earth and I honestly never thought that love between the two would even be possible. Because I knew that eventually your time would run out and that you’d never be able to live up to where I am. Fleeting. I thought that it was bad, that it was the worst thing one could do, for an immoral to be stealing the time of someone who had a limited time in this world. That’s precisely why I tried not to fall for you, but...Strange, isn’t it? You eventually still managed to sneak your way into my heart and I didn’t want to let go of you anymore. It’s the same even now. Little one, I can’t imagine a future without you any more. A life without you would only be boring, sad and lonely. So...please continue being a part of my life from now on. And beside me...I’d like for you to stay beside me while you still live.

Hey now, why are you crying? Heh. You’re so good at getting me to extinguish my cigarettes that even I’m appalled. There you go. Here, I’ll give you a hug, so calm down. You know, I actually love you much more than you’re aware of. What? It’s not unnecessary at all now, is it? Okay, alright, you’re really...just cry your heart out. It’s still a long time till the night breaks so I’ll just hold you till the time comes.

Track 7:

Both of us and this relationship we’re in. One between a Vampire, eternal, and a human. Living together side by side, this sadness and loneliness that I feel...It might not be the same if we were both humans, for our times would be the same. This love of ours would definitely not be one befitting of her. It wasn’t what she deserved...Or so I thought. And that’s why I tried to stay my hand; I tried to stay away. Your love wasn’t fated to be one that ended in tears. I wished that you’d have one, one that made you happy. Short, fleeting, just as you are. I remember telling you that once, but you insisted. You still insisted that it was a wall between us that you didn’t care about. And before I realised, we were both on the same path. One that we shared, walking in tandem. I was caught off-guard, but it seems like I’ve fallen head-first into this love that defies all logic. 

With our differences, there’s no saying that we’ll have a future together for all of eternity. I don’t even know if this love of ours will be forgiven. But I do love how pure it is. Something that I wish will continue and stay on. That’s why I swore to myself, I made a vow, somewhere in my heart. It was something that she didn’t know of. I swore that I’d love her and only her, for however fleeting her life was to be in this realm. If...Even if the time comes where she’d disappear and fade away in front of my eyes, I’ll grab onto the shadow she left behind. I’ll take this love, relish in it...and live out the rest of my eternity. Innocent, yet forbidden. This love of ours that defies even what the gods have decreed. I’m the only one who can protect this. However, I’ve only one wish. Gods are fickle things. They seem to have a penchant for recalling those pretty and pure back up under their wing. That’s something I’d rather not happen. This little one...I wish for her to let her live a little longer. I can always tell her this anytime, sometime in the future. Even if she cries, I’ll hold onto this love and think of it as my fate. I’ll accept this fate of mine.

I won’t be happy if she’s gone. This happiness cannot be attained one-sidedly. And while waiting for that fateful time to come, I’ll live alongside you. Minute by minute, lovingly.

[soaptunes]

my top 75 quarantine records: 75-66

wahoo! we actually begin this list with a controversial lowball rank, i think. bandcamp links as always where applicable!

#75. doom - born like this (2009) the masked mc's first appearance on this list comes with what i regard as his weakest solo album, actually his final one as well. this is a much darker effort than most of his other records, his verses spinning more genuinely twisted and gross yarns than his usual cartoonish villainy. it is also worth mentioning that there is an entire song on this that's dedicated to being homophobic, specifically towards, uh, batman? there's enough great wordplay and slinky beats on this thing to satisfy, though, and i did enjoy it. worth a listen just for the tracks where doom decides to kick it into his top form.

#74. the lemon twigs - do hollywood (2016) half beatles worship, half pure cabaret silliness, the lemon twigs for me are an extremely hit or miss band. i think they miss slightly more than they hit on this record, as they have a tendency to cover a lack of strong songwriter with extended noodling instrumental passages. THAT SAID, when they hit, they hit hard enough to make you forget they ever missed - the formula does work, provided they actually stick to it and don't lose the plot.

#73. car seat headrest - how to leave town (2014) similarly to doom, car seat headrest was an artist that i decided to check out the back catalogue of, and found it extremely rewarding!!! how to leave town was one of the lower-impact ones for me, just because of how dense and long-winded some of the songwriting can be. that's not necessarily a detractor for a lot of people, but it's hard for it to sustain my attention for that long. that said (becoming my catchphrase), it has so many amazing moments of pure catharsis that the project is still super compelling as a full listen. as individual tracks though, if you're not in for an hour, they tend to lose me.

#72. third eye blind - s/t (1997) i think there are a lot of people on this earth who would have my head for ranking this above how to leave town, but i really did enjoy this just a little bit more. it's not perfect, again, not every song hits, but when it does hit it is muscular, catchy as hell, and a good precursor of where the better side of scraggly pop-punk like PUP and knuckle puck would go in the next few decades. the guitar tones on this thing are way better than they have any right to be, too, what a satisfying flavor of crunch.

#71. molchat doma - etazhi (2018) if you liked the genuine viral hit "sudno" enough to check out the full album, you'll probably like the rest of it too. molchat doma's coldwave sound is down to a formula here, as listening to the full record repeatedly can get... well, repetitive, but each individual song IS worth it on its own. this is a really good album for playlistification, the hooks hit and the songs totally work, it's just a lot of the time they all fall into a similar niche. this is a problem that i think they fix on their much better followup, monument - which is unfortunately ineligible for this list 'cuz i listened to it right when it came out - but etazhi is more than good enough to represent the dark and gloomy fun i had with molchat doma this year.

#70. ministry - psalm 69: the way to succeed & the way to suck eggs (1991) the 90s industrial scene was a scene that i knew absolutely nothing about, and had very little motivation to get into, since i was born just a tick late to experience it and it seemed kind of like a "you had to be there" thing. it took halfway-befriending a bizarre older coworker who lived and breathed industrial music to get me to actually check some stuff out, and i'm happy to report, you don't have to have been there to get it. if you have a tolerance or love for punishing, breakneck beats, crunched-to-shit guitars, and devilishly soothsaying lyrical content, ministry is probably up your alley. definitely something to lose your mind in the pit to.

#69. hotel mira - divorce (2016) this one caught me totally off guard. soundwise they're nothing special, a pretty standard hard-rock leaning alternative group (who recently changed their name away from the turbo-cringe jpnsgrls), but their melodic sense is some of the sharpest and catchiest ive heard in this style in a long time. damn near every song on this is sticky as hell, and they cover a huge range of emotional ground, from barn-burning romantic odes, to stoner anthems, to this one, which uses a circus as a metaphor for performing in your daily life when you're suffering from depression. shoutout especially to the charisma of the singer, who doesn't have the most amazing voice in the world but makes up for it with dynamism, character, and passion to spare.

#68. the drums - abysmal thoughts (2017) jonny pierce has a remarkable gift for making teeth-rottingly sugary songs that conceal layers of eerie darkness underneath them. whether it's the oddly sinister videos, the emotional strings, the cyclical song structures, the unsettling phrasing and acidic bite on some of the lyrics... there's a lot of strange touches all over this jangly, surfy, catchy as fuck record, and it makes for a breakup album that keeps you on your toes the entire run. it's only this low because of a few unmemorable songs, but this is definitely my favorite drums album.

#67. panic! at the disco - vices and virtues (2011) there may be later panic albums that attained more commercial success by hewing more to the pop side than the oddball side, and there may be earlier panic albums that lost themselves a bit by hewing to the oddball side and getting caught in fanciful concepts that didn't give their sharp hooks enough room to breathe. for my money, though, this may just be the finest of them all, one where brendon's pure pop and vocal acrobatics share equal room with his sole remaining bandmate's punk inclinations and their shared love of theatrics, and neither buries the other. super underrated album in Serious Critical Circles.

#66. hayden thorpe - diviner (2019) look. i will be honest with you. do i miss wild beasts? yes, absolutely, they were one of my favorite bands for a long, long time, and this hayden thorpe solo album can't quite replace the absence of the full group. buuuuut..... was a huge part of why wild beasts appealed to me over other similar bands thorpe's striking and distinctive falsetto? yes. am i glad i can still scratch that itch with new stuff? holy shit, yes. this album is quiet, reflective, and emotionally open, and hayden's voice is as rich ever. i'm fine with this outcome as long as i can still hear him.

tune in next time for 65 thru 56!

[redeemed-wren]

Watching the Clone Wars Movie to heal my soul after Shattered.

The opening music and narration nearly made me tear up this show means so much to me

Ahsoka is TINY. She's a BABY. She grows up SO MUCH.

It's kinda cool how at the beginning the clones were all wearing white, but by the end of the war they have colour and personality on their armour

Rex laughing at Ahsoka being like 'you're stuck with me, skyguy' makes me EMOTIONAL for many reasons

She's trying so hard to be grown up and ugh in the latest episode she admits that she was too young to be out there and UGH.

"They make... quite a pair, don't they sir? Do you think they have a chance?" watching this was supposed to make me FEEL BETTER not get emotions about comments that can have two meanings.

Ahsoka's so eager to learn! What a bean!

"Good. You take direction well" after Ahsoka literally just questioned his orders twice.

Obi Wan's 'surrender' is iconic

I love how R2's just chilling on the battle field

"You're reckless, little one. You never would have made it as Obi Wan's Padawan... but you might make it as mine." hi I'm sobbing this line wreaks me every time

Rex calling Ahsoka 'kid' hurts me and makes me emotional and hhhh after the last episode he WATCHED HER GROW UP

"I admit Ahsoka is a little rough around the edges. But with a bit of training and patience, she might amount to something." SHE DOES SHE DOES SHE AMOUNTS TO SO, SO MUCH

"You want me to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son?" ooooh Anakin is angry

"Ready he is to teach an apprentice. To let go of his pupil a greater challenge it will be" oooh Yoda is so right he never fully let's go of her until it's too late huh? *glances at the blue lightsabers*

Oh yeah the bounty hunter heads that shooketh me as a child

Jawas are some of my favourite star wars races they're great.

"This isn't practice, Ahsoka" haha yeah throw a 14 year old into an active war zone that's a great idea!!

(Iiiii hate her outfiiit)

Droid humour is the best I miss it. "Get back here, Sargent!" iconic. Droid humour shaped who I am today

The music is good, but it isn't star wars, which I think it something they definitely changed as they went on through the show.

Love how, given his history, Anakin is really against dealing with the Hutts

The animation has really come a long way in the last 12 years huh?

She's so tiiiiny and she's trying so hard to be grown uuuup what a bean.

Rex has always and always will be a badass and man, I forgot Rex full on got mind controlled huh?

"Skywalker is in trouble. You know the drill" Obi Wan sounds so resigned. Ah. Yes. Anakin is in trouble. Again. Why am. I not surprised?

Hey Oddball's in this episode! I love how he's mentioned a number of times, cos he's at Umbara as well. He must be one of the oldest clones then, if he's in this early and lasts until rots. He seems pretty shiny as well, given how he panics.

I miss the Twilight, it's a bit of an ugly ship but it was cool.

Anakin having to leave his men behind and Rex being like 'the mission always comes first' hurts me

Dang Obi Wan stop being such a flirt I forgot how much he does this

Okay but unless they find an identical ship that's equally garbage, how did the Twilight survive? Cos that thing is a mess and the Jawas would have gutted it within hours. Also it's in the middle of the desert.

Padme's outfit when she goes to visit Zero is great, I should cosplay it.

"the desert is merciless. It takes everything from you" oof. It took his mother. You know that's what he's thinking

I am struck this viewing by how young Anakin is. He's like 20. That's my brother's age. That's my age. He's just a kid, really.

What even happened to Jabba's son where's he at in the originals?

Anakin and Padme stop eye flirting in front of everyone.

Love that final shot of everyone just posing in a line that's so natural huh? Honestly tho the animation has improved so much.

Gah, even though it's kinda bad in both plot and animation, this movie has a special place in my heart, especially the first part. Sometimes I wish I could go back to being 12, quoting the droids, playing stories with my brother and our lego figures. I miss life being that simple.

Now, instead of worrying about missing hutt children, we're worrying about close friends turning on each other because they're being mind controlled.

I really have grown up with Star Wars The Clone Wars huh?

I think it's time for a rewatch. Maybe I'll go in chronological order this time. And maybe I'll stop before season four, before it gets too dark.

[deerlyloved]

where the villains are the heroes

under cut: my bnha oc moxie, a ‘villain’

Moxie Stevens was as normal as you could get, you know, if you ignored his first name. Pretty average, brown hair he dyed an array of colors, brown eyes, pretty average looking dude, pretty average personality, intelligence, all of it.

Hallucinogen was another story.

Sure, Moxie had his funky traits; He loved cola flavored candy despite everyone else’s hatred for it, he came to Japan when he was 14 with his family even though he didn’t speak a lick of Japanese, he definitely dressed in a more alternative style… But nothing really compared to Hallucinogen, and nothing ever would. How do you compare yourself to a villain who just can’t be beat, who dresses like an anime villain, acts like one too, who’s quirk was so hard to snap out of that he almost beat Endeavor in a cage-fight until the police got there?

The answer was simple, you just couldn’t. Despite his claim to fame, Hallucinogen wasn’t a wanted villain, he was barely even known-- He had moments here and there, but it seemed like he kept his head down, didn’t really do much villainy outside of seemingly random bursts of action.

Moxie was just as equally unknown. No one paid attention to him, he could strip naked and set himself on fire and people still wouldn’t notice him. Not that that was particularly a bad thing, of course, Moxie found it was easier to navigate under the radar, just him and his snack sitting on the park bench, waiting for something cool to happen.

He had a pretty average life, too. Two parents, one other sibling, the perfect nuclear family, they lived in a little three bedroom, two bath house, Moxie had a pet cat… His family was happy, had normal jobs, did normal things. He was definitely the oddball of the family.

His dad could alter memories on a small scale, changing the color of something in one’s mind, but his mom had something akin to telekinesis, she could make people stop moving, or draw things to her if she tensed her hands. His sister could hypnotize people and suggest things to them all by fanning out her hands.

And Moxie, well, Moxie could do a lot.

His eyes wandered towards a man walking in the park, loudly talking on his phone. Just as he was about to pass in front of the boy, he snarled out a string of curses, and Moxie rolled his eyes, taking a drink from his can of soda as he curled his hand into a fist. The sound of the cell phone hitting the ground a few seconds later certainly brought him some joy.

That’s how it went. The only unaverage thing about Moxie was his quirk, he flexed, and people around him saw something terrifying of his choosing. He opted for spiders this time, it always worked, and watched as the man turned and ran down the path he came from. His fault for ruining Moxie’s quiet time.

Sure, you could say Moxie was evil, plenty had, but how evil was it to just wanted a little quiet, or for people to do their jobs? The boy had meddled with some less than ideal things in the past, mostly just helping to clean up after a big name, sneaking certain items back and forth on the street, but things really kicked into gear with one Hero-Killer Stain made his debut. His message got spread all across the internet, and Moxie found himself spurred into action.

Heroes were important. Heroes needed a place. Heroes were a hazard. Heroes were corrupt. These were all statements that co-existed in Moxie’s head-- He appreciated the work heroes did, even idolized a few of them, but any questioning of them was seen as a threat, akin to villainy, so Moxie had to make up a whole new persona just to navigate without a crowd of hero-simps coming for him.

He was walking now, the dropped phone in hand as he scrolled aimlessly through the browsing history, over various apps, even played a few of the games as he walked before he casually tossed the phone on some grass. Moxie’s own phone rang now, the default tune playing as he fished his old smartphone from his pocket and answered it. “Moxie.” He said simply, waiting for a reply.

“Moxie! I have a request!”

“Jeez, pal, I was supposed to have a day off,” Moxie replied jokingly, absentmindedly fiddling with his wallet chain as he walked, “But alright, just because it’s you.”

“Please get Magne a pint of ice cream.”

Moxie didn’t pause his walking, but he went quiet for a few seconds, mulling over the request in his head before he sighed, “You’re both drunk at her place, aren’t you?”

“Yes! No.”

“Yeah, I’ll get the lady something nice, don’t worry.” Moxie replied, “Be over in a few minutes.”

He heard Magne in the background, cooing her thanks to him, and he just replied with hums of affirmation before he hung up. Moxie was always called to help Magne out, and he didn’t expect anything less-- He helped her escape after all. Sweet girl, living her best life now that she was nice and safe, enough money to start her journey in life, her girlfriend was more than pleased with Moxie’s help too. Always thanked him when he showed up with a new gift.

He couldn’t complain, they were fun to hang out with, and he was always happy to help another good-hearted-villain.

Moxie scrolled through store listings on his phone, trying to find a nearby store, but his head snapped up with the shattering of glass as he looked across the street, watching some poor schmuck with a mutation quirk book it down the street, obviously battered a bit as he was chased by someone in a hero suit. He was going to ignore it, at first, because robberies weren’t his business, but then he noticed the formula clutched in the mutants hands and..

Moxie flexed, it was subtle but he did, eyes digging into the hero giving chase and following them down as they fell to the ground, completely sure that the concrete below had given way to an endless void. Others paused to stare, and Moxie tried to feign innocence and confusion as the hero shouted for help. Once he was certain the thief was gone, he relaxed, turning towards the store and walking in.

Moxie was a normal guy, you know? He bought ice cream for friends, he tried to do the right thing, and he always helped people in need. Who could blame him for that?

[nautiscarader]

Smutember 2020 day 1 - Dirty talk (show), Zalissa (Melizack)

Smutember 2020 day 1 - Dirty talk (show), 

Zalissa (Melizack) (Milo Murphy’s Law), E, 1.8k

(Ao3) 

If you liked my story, here’s a Ko-fi link if you’d be so kind ❤️.    

Prompt suggested by @vickyships

=================

- Nervous, mister Underwood? Is it your first time live on air?

Melissa's voice brought Zack from his short moment of thoughtfulness.

- Me? - Zack returned a cocky smile Melissa blessed him with - Are you kidding? We've been through tougher times. And why did you call me that? - Journalistic integrity. Gotta stay professional, since, you know, we are a thing. - Uh, babe, the entire school knows we are a thing, so- - I know, but let's pretend. - she cut him off - Ssh, we're going live.

Melissa gave him a quick wink and slid the headphones on, just as Lydia, sitting behind glass in the director's room opposite them was giving them signals. She silently counted from five to one, and when the red "On Air" lamp above them turned on, her confident, alluring voice filled the recording room.

- And now, Danville, welcome to another episode of "Chased into the spotlight", a programme where your humble host, Melissa Chase, interviews your favourite local celebrities, idols, oddballs, or whomever is available.

She spoke the intro on a single breath, giving her boyfriend a subtle wink at the end of her opening line.

- Today's guest has moved into our town only a couple of years ago, but he has already made a name for himself, though I will most certainly try to uncover a bit of his past. How are you doing, Zack? - I am fine, Melissa, and thanks for inviting me. - Oh, it is my pleasure for having you.

Her smirk widened just a bit as she spoke those words, prompting a sudden twitch from her interlocutor sitting opposite her. As if nothing has happened, Melissa casually looked at her list of questions and continued.

- Zack, most people know you for being cool, laid-back guy and a loyal friend, but only some of us have heard about your passions and talents. Would you care to tell us about them? - Well, I guess it started when I was a young kid, I liked dressing up for Halloween and that kinda led me to getting interested in theatre and dancing, and I guess singing. - Interesting... - Melissa toyed with her pen, and took one end of it into her mouth, gently grazing it with her teeth - Were you interesting in role-playing? Wearing costumes? Assuming different characters, to enact some of your... fantasies?

Melissa might have wondered about it before, but there was no mistake now - in the lights of the recording studio, she could easily see droplets of sweat on Zack's forehead forming as her words left her mouth, still forming an alluring connection with the pen.

- Uh, well, you-you can say tha-that... - And you have played roles, singing in your boy band, "Lumberzacks". - Melissa interrupted him - Oh, uh, yes. - ... which was of course called "Lumbermaxes", before the lead singer, Max, left, leaving you in charge. Tell me, how does it feel to be chosen as the dominant alpha male of your group? - Wha-what do you mea-AA!

Zack yelped and put hands over his mouth when he felt something smooth sliding up his leg, right up to his crotch. Neither the listeners, nor Lydia could see what Melissa was doing with her feet underneath the table, but neither the pop-filter, nor the equipment could hide his ecstatic voice.

- Impressive vocal range - Melissa commented without missing a beat - Why don't we listen to a clip of your song, long enough to let our viewers experience your talent, and short enough to avoid our channel being taken down by copyright bots?

She nodded towards Lydia, and the familiar tune of a lumberjack-themed song started seeping from the speakers, giving the two a short moment to breathe, though Zack evidently needed it more.

- Mel! - he spoke in half-whisper - What the what was that?

His girlfriend graced him with another smirk, as her foot slid from her shoe and started climbing up his leg again. She looked at the equalised of his microphone and watched as the waves of his breathing osculate with each inch she was travelling up. Their eyes met, and as she travelled up, Melissa wondered if she made the right choice. Though he was nervous, her boyfriend didn't let her know she has won, until her toes found the familiar thickness hidden in the left leg of his jeans. She moved her toes back and forth around his head, until in the corner of her eye Melissa noticed Lydia signalling the end of the clip.

At once, Melissa retracted her foot from between his legs, seeing longing in his eyes and fixed her position in the chair.

- And that was "Forest Fire of My Heart", which I understand you also co-wrote? - Uh, yes - Zack grunted - Usually Max was the head writer, but this is the one song where I proved that I am skilled not only in using my mouth, but also my fingers...

Zack leaned forward, eager to see Melissa's eye widen as hers, but instead, Melissa let out a short and quiet snort.

- Be-because I had to ty-type the song on-on my PC... - Of course.

Melissa restrained herself from bursting into laughter.

- Tell me, in the song, you sing about "Burning wood" and "Fire consuming your body".

She once again half-closed her eyes, and lowered her voice into a seductive, alluring range, accentuating the innuendos.

- Were you describing- - Love.

Zack answered at once.

- I was writing about love, warming one's soul, heart and mind, love that if left unspent can burn bridges and forests. I was thinking, seeing into the future, perhaps, about a flame with a flaming red hair that I will meet one day and make her cheeks burn with the same fire...

It was time for Melissa to stare at her sly-looking lover with a dumbfounded, empty expression on her face, while the room and the airwaves were filled with nothing but silence for a solid twenty seconds.

- Uhm, this-this is all the time we have for today, Lu-Lumberzacks are about to have a- uh, reunion charity concert on Saturday, and you can buy the-the tickets on our website, though I should warn you, the first row is already sold out because I will buy all of them.

She waved quickly at Lydia to end the recording early, and soon as the red light above them and the one behind the glass were turned off, Melissa regained some confidence in her voice.

- How much time do we have till next classes? - Fifteen minutes. - Perfect. - And keep the headphones on, you look sexy in it - Zack spoke just as Melissa was about to take it off.

The sound-proof walls contained Melissa's shriek that escaped her mouth when Zack grabbed her waist and lifted her up just so he can slam her against the table. Anticipating his move, she spread her legs, and the second he slid between them, they closed behind his back in a tight lock, and a quick kick to his ass made him press his crotch against her wet sex.

While his lips found hers, her hands at once dashed between their heated bodies, to the same length she was massaging through his jeans, and after a few seconds of fumbling, he slid into her delicate palm. She wished they had time for delicate foreplay, but the heat burning between her legs told her she needs a far, far quicker fix for that.

She ended their ravenous kiss just so she could hear his voice cracking when his cock's head pushed aside the strip of her soaked panties and parted her puffy lips, followed by a savoured, blissful moment of tranquillity. But metaphorical tables were turned pretty quickly on her, when Zack used those few seconds to gather strength and sank inside her in one, smooth move which made Melissa's body arch as her senses were overwhelmed by her lover's filling her up.

- You... you would like this to be live, on air, wouldn't you...?

Melissa taunted him, eager to see his eyes widen at her salacious proposal.

- I want to proclaim my love to you to the who-whole school... - he grunted leaning against her for a kiss - And the nation. Even world. - And space, don't forget that. We know they got your songs out there...

Picking up speed, the two lovers moved in unison, racing both together and against each other, with the words of Zack's song still in their heads. Melissa didn't know whether it was poor air conditioning, or maybe their bodies grinding against each other have made the wooden table catch fire, but with each second she felt her core superheating.

- Me-Melissa... - Zack groaned, feeling the same overwhelming need in his loins - Where- - Inside - she answered at once in a broken voice - i want your seed to extinguish the fire inside me...

Those were the last words Melissa could speak with a clear mind. Melissa's final moan rivalled his grunts, and the sound-proof room trapped them around the two, just as their mouths joined again, rocking their shared climax that made the table slam against the wall with each thrust of Zack's hips and each portion of his cum that flooded her womb.

After another minute or so, the aggressive noise died down, just as the first wave of blissful afterglow began engulfing the two young adults. Zack gave Melissa a charming smile, leaned against her, and Melissa automatically closed her eyes, waiting for her lover's lips... But after a while of waiting she realised something must have gone wrong.

When she looked at him again, she saw a terrified look in his eyes, fixated at some point behind her, and when she tilted her head back, she noticed a single figure in the director's room that was lit once again.

Even with the image of her friend upside-down, Melissa could spot Lydia's burning cheeks and equally frightened look on her face, as the poor soul didn't know how to react to finding her friends in flagranti. Slowly, she decided to back away, though she never took her eyes (nor her phone) away from Zack and Melissa's half-naked, tangled bodies, until the director's room was empty once more.

- Well, I think we should count our blessings. - Zack huffed - If it was Milo, we would be live and everyone would hear us. - Are you saying everyone won't hear about it? - Melissa raised her eyebrow, and cupped his face to give him a kiss. - Get ready for an extra amount of awkward interviews for the next few days. Also, I am going to take the headset home, if you like me wearing it. - Yeah, shame it doesn't go with anything, so you'll have to be naked.

Zack laughed when Melissa gave him a light punch just as the two began to cover up their mess.  

[freddiesaysalright]

Blessed Part 3

The Peace Like a River Sequel

Summary: Gwilym and Y/N are married. Violet is six years old. Baby number two is on the way. There are still some shadows that plague Y/N in her marriage to Gwil, and Violet is suddenly resentful of her parents. The Lee family tries to stick together.

Word Count: 2.4k

Tag List: @psychosupernatural​, @someone-get-a-medic​, @bensrhapsody​, @deakyclicks, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession​, @minigranger​, @simmisblog​, @assembledherethevolunteers​, @lookuptotheskiesandsee​, @readinghorn​, @riddikuluslypotter​, @doingalrightt​, @misslolasworld​, @lemurian-starship​, @ravenedges-lies, @painkiller80​, @imgonnabeyourslave​, @crazyweirdocalledfriday​, @ixchel-9275​, @sincerelygmg, @lv7867​, @unicorn-princess-1999​, @delilahmay39​, @chlobo6​, @dragon-out-of-water​, @radio-hoo-ha​, @agentmalfoy24601​, @thigh-your-mother-down​, @im-an-adult-ish​, @anotherhystericalqueen​ If you want to be added, let me know!

A/N: Fluff, fluffity, fluff fluff fluff

Haven’t read Peace Like a River? Start here!

Part 1  Part 2

Part 3 here we go!!!

Gwilym swallowed nervously outside Violet’s door. You looked into his face and gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

“It’s gonna be fine,” you whispered.

“I hope so,” he breathed back.

You took the knob and turned it, opening the door slowly. You found Violet sitting on her bed, reading a favorite book of hers. Gwilym had given it to her as a Christmas present, and she had read it so many times now the spine was falling apart. It was something they bonded over since after you moved, Gwilym was the one who read to Violet before bed. It instilled such a love of literature in her already, and you were very proud of her reading abilities for her age.

“Hi, Violet,” you said, surprised at the calm in your voice.

When Gwilym showed you such understanding, you felt it was easier to extend the same to your daughter. He was right, after all. Something must be wrong for Violet to lash out the way she did.

“Are you still mad at me?” she asked in a small voice.

You and Gwilym took seats on her bed beside her. You gathered her up in your arms.

“I’m sorry I yelled,” you said. “I was scared and upset, but that doesn’t make it right.”

“I forgive you, Mommy,” she returned.

You kissed the top of her head.

“Sweetheart,” Gwilym said. “Will you please tell us what’s been on your mind? We want to support you and get to the bottom of this. Help you work it out.”

Violet detached herself from you and sat back, pulling her knees into her chest. She rested her chin on them, looking pensive.

“I don’t wanna make you guys feel bad,” she said.

You and Gwilym exchanged a surprised look.

“Have we done something wrong?” you asked.

“No,” she sighed. “But...I dunno…”

“Talk to us, lovie,” Gwilym urged.

“Everything’s different now,” she said. “With Sybil.”

“What do you mean?” you wondered.

“Well, the way everybody talks about her...I hear what the doctors say,” she went on. “Dad’s not my dad.”

Oh. You looked at Gwilym again, and you saw the color drain from his face. The time had come where Violet could comprehend that Gwilym was not her father. She was too young to understand the way babies were made, but she was old enough to register that one man made her, and another made her sister. 

“It makes me feel different,” she continued. “Like I’m the oddball. So when Robbie started teasing me about my accent, it made me feel like that even more.”

She sniffled as more tears welled up in her eyes. She looked directly at you.

“Mommy, did you even want me?” she whimpered. “Like you wanted Sybil?”

Your heart shattered inside your chest. You felt your own emotion threatening to make you have a complete meltdown at that question, but you held it together. You took your daughter in your arms again.

“Oh, baby,” you said, stroking her hair. “Of course I wanted you. You were...well, you were certainly a surprise, but when I knew I was going to have you, I didn’t want anything more. In fact, you made me the strongest I’ve ever been in my life. I wouldn’t trade you for the world.”

She released a little sob and clung to your shirt.

“My real dad...he wasn’t a good person, was he?” she asked, looking up at you.

You truly ached for her. Her tear stained face and red, puffy eyes showed how deeply this had affected her, and the torment she’d been through over it.

You shook your head.

“No, he wasn’t,” you told her. You gently wiped away her tears with your thumbs. “But he gave me you. And for that, I will always be grateful. My perfect little girl.”

Gwilym watched you in amazement. You weren’t lying to Violet, but you weren’t sugar coating anything either. The balance you maintained in this difficult conversation was truly impressive. It took some courage to look your child in the face and tell them a harsh reality like this. He fell in love with you all over again in this moment.

Violet nodded and then turned and looked at Gwilym.

“I feel like I forced you to -”

“Oh, Violet, don’t,” he said gently. “C’mere.”

He sat further back, against her pillows, and she crawled into his lap.

“Y/N, could you give us a moment alone?” he requested.

You nodded, pushing yourself to your feet, and walking to the door. You told them you loved them and then departed, heading downstairs. You felt some relief after talking to Violet, and understanding her at last. It was a good idea for her to talk with Gwilym alone. They needed to clarify their own relationship.

Gwilym pulled Violet into a warm hug. He held her a moment and let her cry into his chest. This was such a heavy weight for a child, and he wanted her to know she didn’t carry it alone. He would always support her, no matter where she came from or where she went. He put every ounce of his love for her into the embrace, and he just hoped she felt it.

“That’s it, love,” he soothed. “You have yourself a good cry.”

She hiccuped and burrowed further into him.

“You’ve been through a lot today,” he went on. “And you’ve had so much going on inside. Let it out.”

He rubbed her back until her breathing evened out again and she relaxed against him. 

“You have never forced me to be your dad,” he said. “Yes, you called me Daddy and it stuck, but I wanted to be that for you long before you said the word.”

“Really?” she wondered.

He nodded. “Really. I love you very much. I may not have made you in your mum’s belly, but you are my daughter. I have the papers to prove it.”

She giggled. He smiled and pulled her away to look in her eyes.

“You are my daughter,” he repeated. “Mine and your mum’s. Blood doesn’t make a family, darling. Love does. And we’ve got plenty to go around.”

Her face scrunched as she considered the meaning.

“I think I understand,” she replied. “Like how Uncle Ben, Uncle Joe, and Uncle Rami aren’t your brothers, but they’re still my uncles.”

“Exactly!” he said excitedly. “They aren’t my brothers by blood. But I love them enough to be my brothers.”

Her face began to fall again. “But Sybil...she’s gonna look like you.”

“She might,” he agreed. “But things like appearance don’t matter. The things I hope you inherit from me are not my lips or my eyes. I hope you inherit love from me. That comes from the inside. You and Sybil are both my daughters, and I will love you equally for the rest of my life. And beyond.” 

“Promise?”

“I promise,” he assured her. “That day you called me your dad for the first time…” He paused, taking a shaky breath. “You made me happier than I ever thought possible,” he choked out.

Her brow furrowed as she looked at him.

“Daddy, are you crying?” she asked.

He chucked and blinked the tears back. One got out and rolled down his cheek. “Yes, love. Sorry. I just love you so much and I never, ever want you to doubt it.”

It was her turn to wipe his face.

“I believe you,” she said. “I won’t doubt again. I promise.”

He grinned and held her close again.

“Very good, my girl,” he said. 

An understanding formed between them now. Violet felt closer to Gwilym than ever. As she inhaled the smell of his cologne from his shirt, she recognized it from when she was even littler. A vision of a hotel room swam before her, and the memory wasn’t totally clear, but she felt her mother and father there. This father. The one she chose.

When dinner was ready, you went back upstairs to check on Gwilym and Violet. You found them cuddled together on her bed, fast asleep. You watched them for a moment, becoming softer than butter, and as you gazed on their peaceful faces, you saw a similarity. It was impossible, but for a moment, you almost believed Violet had Gwilym’s profile. Or maybe it was his hair? Anyway, she looked like him.

***

The following day, you began researching marriage counselors for you and Gwilym. You ended up switching to family counselors so Violet could come if she wanted to talk any more about what she was going through. She said she was fine for now, even if she was still grounded. You still weren’t sure what being grounded meant for six-year-old, but you were content with her just staying in her room for now.

You booked an appointment with a counselor for the following week. Gwilym offered to go with you, but you said for the first one, you should go on your own. That way you could explore your feelings without worrying about who you might hurt with what you found there. You were nervous, but still felt that it was a good idea. You had never really processed everything with Henry, and you wanted to learn how to cope with it without saying or doing things that  would negatively impact your new marriage.

During your first session, Gwilym decided to take Violet out for ice cream. She had handled her grounding well, and he thought she deserved a treat. Plus, he was eager to spend as much one on one time with her as possible before the baby came. That way, she would be further reassured of his dedication to being in her life. Especially since she may begin to feel neglected when the baby required more attention.

“How was school this week?” he asked when they sat down on a bench together.

Violet put a large spoonful of ice cream in her mouth and mulled it over.

“It was okay, I guess,” she said. “I don’t think I missed too much while I was out. I apologized to Robbie, and he forgave me. Then he said he was sorry for making fun of my accent.”

“I’m glad you made up with him,” he said. “I’m proud of you for saying you’re sorry. That’s not always easy.”

“Really? I feel like Mommy says it to you a lot.”

Gwilym paused, mid-bite into his ice cream. Now that he thought about it, you did have a tendency to over-apologize. He realized it was another habit you’d formed to ease tension. Whether by joking or apologizing, you had to alleviate it.

“With Mum it’s different,” he said. “For most people, saying sorry is difficult. People don’t like to admit when they’re wrong.”

“Well, we learn in school that it’s important,” she said. “If you hurt someone, that’s what you say. And to say it like you mean it.”

“Very good,” he praised. “I’m glad you’re taking your lessons to heart.”

“How are you doing, Daddy?” she asked.

He chuckled and reached over to muss her hair. 

“I’m doing just fine,” he said. “It’s sweet of you to ask.”

She beamed at him.

“Are you sure? You can tell me if you’re worried about Sybil.”

His brow furrowed. “Why should I worry about her?”

“Maybe not her, but you!” she returned. “You’re gonna have a whole other kid! Are you scared?”

Gwilym laughed. “Ah, I see. Well, I’m a little scared. But I’m mostly excited. Besides, I have your mum with me. I’m not as scared when we work together.”

She swallowed another spoonful of ice cream and looked thoughtfully out across the street.

“Mommy was alone when she had me, right?” she asked.

“She was, unfortunately,” he said. 

“Do you think she was scared?” she wondered.

“Probably,” he answered. “But not for too long.”

She perked up. 

“Then she got you!”

“She sure did!” he agreed. “Now, we’re a team.”

“The best team,” she affirmed. “Am I on the team too?”

He kissed her head with a smile.

“Of course you are, darling,” he said. “There’s lots you’ll need to teach your sister.”

A beat passed and they both took a few bites.

“Daddy, where do babies come from?” she asked suddenly.

Gwilym choked on the bite he was taking. He took a few moments to cough, and Violet - fretting slightly - patted him gently on the back. Her little hand didn’t really do much for him, but he thanked her anyway. He cleared his throat.

“Sorry, love, you caught me off guard there,” he said. 

“Do they come from somewhere weird?” she pressed, cocking her head to the side as she looked up at him.

“Sort of,” he answered. “You’ll learn more about it when you’re older.”

She pursed her lips and then relaxed them. She shrugged.

“Okie doke,” she said simply.

Gwilym inwardly thanked the heavens above that she let it go. That was not conversation he wanted to have with Violet without you around.

They stayed out another hour or so before heading home. Gwilym was relieved to see you were back, and eager to hear how it went. Violet went tearing into the house, and Gwilym came behind her, closing the door softly.

“Mommy, we’re home!” she cried, throwing her arms around you as much as she could. Really, she hugged your baby bump.

“Hi, sweetie!” you returned. “Did you have fun with Daddy today?”

“We got ice cream!” she told you.

“Well, I hope you still have room for dinner,” you said, eyeing Gwilym as he approached.

“Of course, we got small cups,” he assured you. “Now, give me a kiss.”

You giggled and gave him a swift peck on the lips.

“Mommy, can I watch She-Ra while you make dinner?” she requested.

“Sure thing,” you said. “Go ahead, baby.”

She clapped her hands and started toward the living room, but she came to a sudden halt. Turning on her heel, she hurled herself at Gwilym and wrapped her arms around his legs.

“Thanks for the ice cream, Daddy!” she said. 

She smiled widely at him.

“You’re very welcome, lovie,” he replied.

With that, she disappeared into the living room and switched on the television.

“So,” Gwilym said, looking at you. “How’d it go today?”

“Really well,” you told him. “I sort of got through my history with Henry and she mostly listened. I told her about us too. Even the letters, but she said it was romantic.” You laughed a little. “I felt a lot of relief afterward. Would you come with me next week? I think it could be really good for us to go together.”

“Of course,” he said, pulling you into a hug. “Anything for you, love.”

[tnp-10leftau]

allegiances - po3

yes i made this immediately after the last one, don’t judge me. this has all of the cats who’re born at the end of tnp/in between arcs, and some other stuff!

THUNDERCLAN

graystripe

family: willowpelt (mother, deceased), whitestorm (father, deceased), sorreltail (sister), darkstripe (half-brother, deceased), rainwhisker (brother, deceased), sootfur (brother, deceased), feathertail (daughter, deceased), stormfur (son, deceased), blossomkit (daughter), briarkit (daughter (mtf)), bumblekit (son)

mates: silverstream (riverclan, deceased), millie (former kittypet, expecting his kits, qpp)

rank: leader

ashfur

family: brindleface (mother, deceased), redtail (father, deceased), runningwind (father, deceased), whitestorm (sire, deceased), ferncloud (sister, deceased), tulipkit (brother, deceased), elderkit (brother, deceased), sandstorm (sister, deceased), cloudtail (foster brother, deceased)

mate: none

rank: deputy

cinderpelt

family: frostfur (mother, deceased), lionheart (father, deceased), brightheart (sister, deceased), brackenfur (brother, deceased), thornclaw (brother, deceased)

mate: none

rank: medicine cat

sorreltail

family: willowpelt (mother, deceased), whitestorm (father, deceased), rainwhisker (brother, deceased), sootfur (brother, deceased), graystripe (brother), darkstripe (half-brother, deceased), rainkit (jayfeather) (son, not born), hawkkit (lionblaze) (son, not born), hollykit (hollyleaf) (daughter, not born)

mate: mothwing, had a former crush on brackenfur

rank: queen

now expecting kits, thunderclan’s eagerly anticipating her bundles of joy.

daisy

family: creampuff (mother, status unknown), sterling (father, status unknown), floss (sister), hazelkit (hazeltail) (daughter), berrykit (berrynose) (son), mousekit (mousewhisker) (son), dovekit (dovewing) (foster daughter), ivykit (ivypool) (foster daughter)

mate: smoky (barncat, former)

rank: queen (and nursery helper)

born to two kittypets, daisy was taken from her parents soon after birth, nearly separated from her sister floss, until they were adopted by kind nofurs and allowed to roam around the barn, where daisy met smoky, who she mated with. in fear of her kits getting taken away, she fled and heard rumors of the clans, joining thunderclan once found by sorreltail. with help from queens of all the clans, she managed to raise her kits to apprentice age.

hazelkit

family: daisy (mother), smoky (father), berrykit (brother), mousekit (brother)

mate: none

rank: kit (six moons, soon to be apprenticed)

hazelkit was born to daisy and smoky in the horseplace before being taken away due to her mother’s fear of losing her kits. a sweet and quiet she-kit, hazelkit anticipates her apprenticeship, hoping she’ll be apprenticed to sorreltail... though she knows that won’t happen with sorreltail expecting kits.

berrykit

family: daisy (mother), smoky (father), berrykit (brother), mousekit (brother)

mate: none

rank: kit (six moons old, soon to be apprenticed)

born to daisy and smoky at the horseplace before being taken to thunderclan, berrykist is the opposite of his sister. stubborn and loud, a bit of a jerk, but underneath that, he does care for his family and clan. and he does have an interest in medicine.

mousekit

family: daisy (mother), smoky (father), berrykit (brother), hazelkit (sister)

mate: none

rank: kit (six moons, soon to be apprenticed)

born at the horseplace and soon taken to thunderclan, mousekit is a little unsure about himself. however, he’s sympathetic and supportive, and quite playful and loyal. despite this, he’s scornful and stubborn, much like his brother. he eagerly anticipates being a warrior, even if his mentor’s in another clan!

millie

family: blossom (mother, status unknown), pine (father, status unknown), briarkit (briarlight) (daughter (mtf)), blossomkit (blossomfall) (daughter), bumblekit (bumblestripe) (son)

mate: graystripe (thunderclan, qpp)

rank: queen

the first while of millie’s life was spent peacefully as a kittypet. until one day, the twolegs next-door arrived with a strange tom, a former wild cat who they named stripes, but who claimed to have been named graystripe. an oddball, he was, but millie found herself intrigued. graystripe was determined to find his clan, so they set off, becoming queer-platonic partners on the way. they met up with two shadowclan cats - russetfur and runningnose - in ravenpaw and barley’s barn, and made their way home with them. due to expecting graystripe’s kits, millie was unable to have extensive warrior training, but she’s good as is, and loves her kits.

briarkit

family: millie (mother), graystripe (father), blossomkit (sister), bumblekit (brother)

mate: none (has a crush on dovekit)

rank: kit (five moons old)

for the first couple moons of briarkit’s life, she was raised as a tom, and hated it. the clan accepted her as trans mtf when she voiced this, and she was happy that she belonged. her mother started giving her extra attention, but briarkit insisted that millie pay more attention to blossomkit. her mother reluctantly agreed, and briarkit can’t help but feel... off.

blossomkit

family: millie (mother), graystripe (father), briarkit (sister), bumblekit (brother)

mate: none

rank: kit (five moons old)

blossomkit always cared for her siblings, but when her mother started giving briarkit extra attention, she was upset. sure, millie did start giving attention evenly to them, but the attention she gave blossomkit still felt... off. but it doesn’t matter; she’ll be the best warrior she can! she’s sure of it!

bumblekit

family: millie (mother), graystripe (father), briarkit (sister), blossomkit (sister)

mate: none

rank: kit (five moons old)

himbo. himbostripe. polite and caring despite not being the smartest, bumblekit was always cared for by his father, possibly due to his (apparent) resemblance to silverstream, graystripe’s first mate. he never felt the same strange vibes vibe check from their mother’s equal attention as his sisters, but he supposes it doesn’t matter.

dovekit

family: unknown parents, daisy (foster mother), ivykit (sister)

mate: none (likes briarkit)

rank: kit (three moons old)

found abandoned in twolegplace alongside her sister ivykit, dovekit is halfway to her apprenticeship and is excited to be an apprentice. overall calm and collected, she’s quite a sweet she-kit, though she can be a little annoying at times, and is quite sensitive. and her eyes always seem to change color (/j, here she has central heterochromia which gives her golden pupils, and total heterochromia(?) which gives her green and blue eyes).

ivykit

family: unknown parents, daisy (foster mother), dovekit (sister)

mate: none

rank: kit (three moons old)

abandoned by her birth parents and halfway to her apprenticeship, ivykit is headstrong, brash and determined, getting jealous easily. she wants to be the best warrior her clan has ever seen... but there’s a strange aura around her. she also has heterochromia, but the sides are the reverse of dovekit’s.

SHADOWCLAN

russetfur

family: cinnamon (mother, status unknown), hal (father, deceased), boulder (fraternal brother, deceased), raggedstar (half-brother, deceased), scorchwind (half-brother, deceased)

mate: none

rank: leader

apprentice: toadpaw

runningnose

family: lizardstripe (mother, deceased), mudclaw (father, deceased), tangleburr (sister, deceased), deerfoot (brother, deceased), brokenstar (foster brother, deceased)

mate: nightstar (shadowclan, qpp)

rank: medicine cat

toadpaw

family: tallpoppy (mother, deceased), dawnflower (foster mother, riverclan), undisclosed father, applekit (sister, deceased), marshkit (brother, deceased)

mate: none

rank: apprentice

now apprenticed to russetfur, toadpaw is even more determined to make his family up in starclan proud!

WINDCLAN

ashfoot

family: wrenflight (mother, deceased), stagleap (father, deceased), morningflower (sister, deceased), onewhisker (brother, deceased), crowfeather (son, deceased), eaglekit (son, deceased), downkit (son, deceased), hillkit (daughter, deceased)

mate: deadfoot (windclan, deceased)

rank: leader

barkface

family: brackenwing (mother, deceased), redclaw (father, deceased), shrewclaw (brother, deceased), thistlepaw (adopted daughter)

mate: none, had a crush on tallstar

rank: medicine cat

thistleshade

family: whitetail (mother, deceased), onewhisker (father, deceased), weaselpaw (brother, deceased), barkface (adopted father)

mate: none

now having a warrior name, thistleshade is eager to do her clan well.

RIVERCLAN

mothwing

family: sasha (mother, status unknown), tigerstar (father, deceased), tadpole (brother, deceased), hawkfrost (brother, deceased), brambleclaw (half-brother, deceased), tawnypelt (half-sister, deceased)

mate: sorreltail, formerly was dating leafpaw of thunderclan

rank: medicine cat and leader

dawnflower

family: mosspelt (mother, deceased), frogleap (father, deceased), willowkit (half-sister, deceased), minnowkit (daughter, deceased), tumblekit (daughter, deceased), pebblekit (son, deceased), toadkit (took care of him)

mate: swallowtail (riverclan, deceased), unknown mate (the father of her kits)

rank: queen (nursery helper)

loudbelly

family: ottersplash (mother, deceased), timberfur (father, deceased), sedgecreek (sister, deceased), reedtail (brother, deceased)

mate: none

rank: elder

despite feeling guilty for retiring to the elders’ den, loudbelly knows that he couldn’t serve his clan as a warrior for much longer. this is for the best.

[dearlazerbunny]

Lie to Me (Ch. 8 of ?)

Pairings: Loki x Reader

Genre/Ratings: M eventually (aiming for a slow burn here); warnings for kidnapping and subsequent anxiety/PTSD (will be marked before every chapter)

Words: 1500

Summary: If you had to guess what the captured, traitor, trickster god Loki Laufeyson wanted or needed at this moment, a babysitter would be far, far down on the list. (Set after the events of Avengers 1.)

SHOUTOUT TO @molmcb and @jessiejunebug for doing the lord’s work

Requested Tags: @deraniel @iamverity @yasnooshka24 @wegingerangelica @themusingsofmany @dark-night-sky-99 @tarynkauai @stuffandstuff-stuff and the total sweetie @angelicshinigami

“You’ve been speaking with Thor.”

You don’t glance up from the rough sketch of Mjolnir you’re outlining in your notebook. The runes are a bit tricky to replicate precisely. “Um, yeah. How’d you know?”

He gestures to your drawing. “He let you ‘test your worthiness,’ yes?”

You giggle. “Yeah. Nothing happened, obviously.”

The noise of disapproval that he hums catches you off guard. “I’m disappointed, Witling. I would have thought you were more intelligent than to fall for his ploys. I suppose I was wrong.”

That makes you set your pencil down. The Trickster sounds even grumpier than usual. “His ‘ploys’? What, is he gonna lift my fingerprints off the handle to frame me for a crime I didn’t commit?”

The god, while still angry, now looks thoroughly mystified. “What on Asgard is the nonsense tumbling out of your mouth?”

“I- nothing, never mind. Why do you care if I talk to Thor? He’s sweet, and it’s nice to talk to someone and not feel like they’ll bite off my head for breathing in the wrong direction.”

You give him a pointed look, but it flies right over his head. “No, by all means, let the oaf wrap you around his little finger. Because of course, the true Prince of Asgard, mighty god of thunder, would be a much better companion than the snide, corrupt Loki.” There’s so much bitterness in his voice you could drown in it- and something makes you feel he already has.

“Whoa, hey, that’s- a lot of antagonism there. Are you okay?”

He lets his head rest back against the wall behind him in obviously reluctant defeat. “Even on Midgard, that brute is still the chosen one. I should have known the universe would not know impartiality, no matter the realm.”

“Mmm, yeah, life tends to play favorites a lot, and that favorite is rarely you.” You glance up. “I mean, not you, you in particular. Us, I guess?”

“Us. Do not lie to me, mortal; you know nothing of my life.”

“Well, no, I don’t know what it’s like growing up as a magical demigod prince, you’ve got me there. But I do have an older brother. I know how it feels to grow up in the shade of his shadow.” You glance down at your paper, tapping the butt of your pencil thoughtfully on the table. Oh. “That explains a lot, actually,” you murmur.

“Oh, please, by all means, psychoanalyze me into submission. I look forward to hearing your drivel; it is  excellent to amuse myself with when sleep is elusive.”

Glaring at him, you throw your pencil across the room in a vague approximation of his location. It bounces off the glass barrier and clatters to the floor, but for once, the Trickster looks shocked and speechless. “Christ, aren’t you supposed to be a prince? How about acting like it for once?”

“You would lecture me about being royalty? You said yourself you have no basis for aristocracy!”

“I don’t, but I sure as hell know they act a lot better than you!” Now you’re both staring at the other, unwilling to be the one to look away first. “Look, I get it. You’re angry, and tired, and sad, but that doesn’t give you the right to lash out whenever you want. Stop bleeding on the people who didn’t hurt you.”

“And who might that be?” Once his tone might have frightened you. Yesterday it would have made you annoyed. Today it just makes you… pensive. Because now you have some puzzle pieces that are starting to fit together, and the picture it shows isn’t all that pretty.

“Me. Everyone else at SHIELD. The entire human race you just tried to enslave,” you add. “Thor.”

With a growl, the Trickster’s gaze traps you in your seat with an intensity you haven’t seen before. “Thor Odinson-” he practically spits his name like a curse- “has always been the favorite. The chosen one. Father’s heir, the people’s love, the golden child. Next to him I might as well be as inconsequential as the sand beneath his feet,” he hisses.

“Because Odin made you feel that way, not Thor! Your father is the one who played favorites, Trickster. He’s the one who made Thor his golden child, and gave him a magical hammer, and groomed him to be the heir. Your father may see you as lesser, but by all accounts Thor values you as his equal.” You pause, thinking back to your conversation. “He said he admires you.”

“Lies.”

“You’re the god of lies; I’d hope you’d be able to distinguish when I’m lying to you.” When he doesn’t respond, you get up, walk over to him, and tap on the cell wall. “Hey. You’re literally in a fishbowl, you can’t just avoid me. Am I lying to you?”

His green eyes search your face, thinking, even though he already knows the answer. “No.”

“No. I’m not. He specifically told me that he doesn’t understand your bookish habits-” you smile a little at that- “but he’s proud of your intelligence all the same.”

“Of course. How could he? That blundering idiot can barely string together two coherent sentences.” You can tell he’s aiming for derision in his voice, but his words aren’t nearly as harsh as they were a minute ago.

“Look, from what I’ve read, Asgard is a warrior’s culture, yes? They value strength, and brawn, and muscles, and how hard you can swing a sword. You’re… not that. Sure, I have no doubt you’re a great fighter, but it’s because you think your way through a battle, not go in there guns blazing and overpower your enemy.” You stop and glance at him, wondering if you’ve gone too far, but he’s actually looking at you with some interest. “It’s like asking a fish to climb a tree. You’re completely out of your element; the scales were tipped against you from the start.”

For a long moment, he doesn’t speak, and you think he’s going to throw your words right back in your face. But to your surprise, the god starts laughing. No, it’s not as hearty as Thor’s, and there’s an underlying bitter sweetness to the sound, but it’s a true, honest laugh. Probably the first one you’ve heard from him. “You say the strangest things, Witling.”

Smiling, you scrunch your nose up at him. “Yeah, yeah, I’m an oddball, I get it. But I’m also right.”

His eyes are slightly out of focus, as though he’s seeing his life through a new lens. “Perhaps.”

“When you start with the short straw time and time again; when you’re punished for doing things differently even though different is in your DNA… you’re going to get frustrated. And you’re going to get resentful. And eventually, there’s going to be an explosion.” Your expression is resigned as you look at him. “It’s not fair. And I’m sorry that’s what you had to deal with for a thousand years.”

His eyes are more thoughtful than you’ve ever seen them. “I cannot remember a time when someone apologized to me sincerely.”

“Thor probably tried, but he didn’t know how. Words are your thing, not his.”

“Indeed.” He nods to himself, seemingly settling an argument only he can hear. “May I ask you a question, Witling?”

“What? I mean-” you shake off your surprise- “Sure, Loki. Of course you can.”

Something in his expression brightens just a hint, though you’re not sure why. “Do you not prefer Thor to me?”

“Is that what you’re worried about, Trickster? Losing your annoying sidekick?”

Loki rolls his eyes. “You are not my sidekick. At best you are an unfortunate reoccurring side-bit.”

You snort. “Look, I like Thor a lot. He’s friendly, though he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, and very… loud,” you say. “Kinda like a golden retriever. Lots of energy, bounding all over the place, leaping before they look. But I like that I can have a good conversation with you. You think, and you’ve got a sharp tongue, and you’re a bit of an enigma. If Thor is a golden retriever, you’re a witch’s familiar.” You give him a shrug and a smile. “And I’ve always been a cat person, anyways.”

“Color me relieved.”

“You’re the one who asked! Can’t have my favorite god getting jealous now can we?”

“Jealousy over someone implies they are something you covet. You are an annoyance. Thor can gladly take you.”

“In that case, I guess I’ll just go find him.” You gather your stuff, taking your sweet time putting it all away in your bag and watching Loki struggle to find a way to keep you from going. Because he doesn’t want you to go. Not really.

“Witling.”

You look over your shoulder. “Yeeeeeeeees?”

His gaze is very conveniently anywhere but on you. “I will… see you tomorrow?”

There’s a little smile on your face as you respond. “Yeah, Loki. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

A/N: I’d say from here on out things take a turn from fluff to more purposeful conversations :)

[brandi-the-fine-girl]

76th Golden Globe Awards Predictions

Let’s be real here.  The Golden Globes are the biggest joke of Hollywood (right after the Emmy’s that is).  Remember when they nominated The Tourist in the Comedy/Musical category?  Or when they gave the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress to Jennifer Lawrence instead of Lupita Nyong’o?  Or when Get Out was nominated in Comedy/Musical (even though, yes, it was a dark comedy at times)?

So it comes as no surprise that this year’s list of nominees follows the same path.  The Golden Globes are the biggest wild card of all award shows and the Hollywood Foreign Press loves to throw curveballs.  With that said, here are my predictions for the 76th Golden Globe Awards.

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Will win:  A Star Is Born

Should win:  A Star Is Born

Dark Horse:  Black Panther

Look, I loved Black Panther.  And the fact that it has gained this much momentum during award season is a victory for Marvel Studios.  But I’m expecting a sweep for A Star Is Born.  Now, that doesn’t mean ASIB will maintain this momentum for the rest of award season.  The HFPA likes to play favorites and I’m sure ASIB will be this year’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (which won four Golden Globes last year).  But a win for Black Panther would be huge and make it a bigger contender for the Oscars.

Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical

Will win:  Green Book

Should win:  Crazy Rich Asians

Dark Horse:  Mary Poppins Returns

The Comedy/Musical category is always the oddball category (see above about The Tourist and Get Out).  And it’s typically the category where anyone can win.  I’m going to go with Green Book since it won the People’s Choice at TIFF this year but with a diverse voting roster (it is the Hollywood FOREIGN Press after all), I wouldn’t count out Crazy Rich Asians.

Best Director

Will win: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Should win:  Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Dark Horse:  Adam McKay, Vice

For me, I believe this is the only category A Star Is Born will not win.  Cuaron’s beautifully stunning and heartbreaking semi-autobiographical film was featured on Obama’s list of films he saw in 2018.  Bradley Cooper’s first directorial feature is a stunning accomplishment but it doesn’t match Cuaron’s ability to paint the anguish and loss in Roma.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Will win: Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born

Should win:  Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

Dark Horse:  John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman

With a possible loss in the Directing category, Bradley will most like scoop up the Actor in a Drama award.  Sure, his character was doomed from the start and it makes for a great challenge for an actor like Bradley.  But Rami’s complete transformation into Freddie Mercury has me convinced he should win.  Don’t count out John David Washington in BlacKkKlansman though.  He’s new to the scene as an actor (he is Denzel Washington’s son) but his performance is definitely one to look out for.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Will win:  Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born

Should win:  Glenn Close, The Wife

Dark Horse:  Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Once again, I’m predicting a sweep for A Star Is Born but I don’t think Lady Gaga will snag two Oscars come Oscar night (that is, if she is nominated for songwriting and Best Actress).  Glenn Close is well overdue for some awards love and it seems like her time might come.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical

Will win:  Christian Bale, Vice

Should win:  Christian Bale, Vice

Dark Horse:  Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns

It’s hard for me to choose anyone else when Christian Bale is in a category.  This is the man that got rail thin for his roles in The Machinist and The Fighter (the latter of which he did win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars) and bulked up for Batman Begins (gaining 100 pounds) almost six months after filming The Machinist.  His transformation into the notorious Dick Cheney seems like typical awards bait to me.  But let’s not count out the lovable Lin-Manuel Miranda.  The man works hard on stage and screen.  I’d love to see a win for him

Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical

Will win:  Olivia Colman, The Favourite

Should win:  Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians

Dark Horse:  Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns

The category is such a wild card for me.  I’m sure by the end of 2019, everyone will know who Olivia Colman is.  From the little bit I’ve seen of The Favourite, she’s amazing.  However, I do think Constance Wu is more deserving of the accolades.  This category could really go to anyone and with the lovable Emily Blunt also nominated, it could possibly go to the legendary Mary Poppins herself.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Will win:  Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Should win:  Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy

Dark Horse:  Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman

Look, before you rip me to shreds, here me out.  I have loved Mahershala Ali since he was on House of Cards and he was painfully robbed in 2017 when the HFPA gave Best Supporting Actor to Aaron Taylor-Johnson instead of Mahershala.  It feels like Mahershala deserves the accolades as a “sorry we gave it to someone else and then you ended up winning the Oscar anyways.”  However, I just watched Beautiful Boy last night and Timothée kills it.  I’m not some crazy fangirl.  I just know a good performance when I see one.  Let’s not count out Adam Driver, though, who knocks it out of the park in BlacKkKlansman.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Will win: Amy Adams, Vice

Should win:  Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Dark Horse:  Claire Foy, First Man

Since Amy Adams most likely won’t win for Best Actress in Mini Series (more on that later), I’m hoping this is where she gets her due.  The woman is long overdue for the awards love (a lot like Glenn Close).  She’s basically the female Leonardo DiCaprio, if you must.  The fact that Regina King did not nab a SAG Award nomination for If Beale Street Could Talk is a little ominous (side note: the acting branch is the largest branch of the Academy and a lack of SAG nomination is very telling).  I like to hope that she can pick up a Globe as recognition for her stunning work.  To me, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone split the vote so my Dark Horse goes to Claire Foy.  I wouldn’t be surprised if HFPA voters’ obsession with her throws us a curveball in this category.

Best Screenplay

Will win:  Adam McKay, Vice

Should win:  Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Dark Horse:  Bryan Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Green Book

This is usually a difficult category considering the Oscars split the Screenplay category into Adapted and Original.  The HFPA likes to play it safe by awarding previous winners and nominees so I’m going with Adam McKay who won the Oscar for The Big Short.  Alfonso Cuaron is equally deserving if Best Director doesn’t go his way.  But come Oscar time, I’m expecting a win for Green Book.

Best Original Score

Will win:  Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs

Should win:  Ludwig Goransson, Black Panther

Dark Horse:  Marco Beltrami, A Quiet Place

Alexandre Desplat won last year for The Shape of Water (a well-deserved win if I do say so myself) but I feel Ludwig Goransson may have a chance here.

Best Original Song

Will win:  “Shallow”

Should win:  “Shallow” or “All The Stars”

Dark Horse:  “Girl in the Movies”

Probably the easiest category of the evening.  You can’t turn on any radio station without hearing “Shallow.”  And rightfully so.  The dynamic between Bradley and Gaga is mesmerizing and Gaga’s high note is the most memorable part of it.  However, I wouldn’t mind some recognition to “All The Stars.”  Personally, I feel like “Pray For Me” is the better song but let’s give some love to Kendrick and SZA if we can.

Best Animated Feature Film

Will win: The Incredibles 2

Should win:  The Incredibles 2

Dark Horse:  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

I mean, no contest, this one goes to The Incredibles 2.  Very rarely does Pixar lose an award (exceptions go to Cars 2 and Monsters University) but if it does, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse might take it.

Best Foreign Language Film

Will win:  Roma

Should win:  Roma

Dark Horse:  Girl

Again, no contest, Roma.  But Girl could take it since it won the Caméra d’Or and the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018.  Unfortunately, the film did not make the short list for the Best Foreign Language Film category for this year’s Oscars so maybe it may get its due here.

Best Television Series - Drama

Will win:  The Americans

Should win:  The Americans

Dark Horse:  Pose

After six seasons, The Americans ended on a high note.  It felt painfully under-appreciated at the Emmys this year, so maybe this is where it will get its due.  However, don’t overlook Pose since everything Ryan Murphy touches turns to awards gold.

Best Television Series - Comedy/Musical

Will win:  Barry

Should win:  Barry

Dark Horse:  Kidding

After winning big at the Emmys, I’m predicting some major love for Barry.  The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is last year’s winner which may hinder Barry’s chances but the HFPA does tend to choose different winners every year.

Best Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Will win:  Matthew Rhys, The Americans

Should win:  Matthew Rhys, The Americans

Dark Horse:  Richard Madden, Bodyguard

After scooping up an Emmy, Matthew Rhys will probably continue his awards sweep with a Golden Globe.  Billy Porter may give him a run for his money in Pose (he was also wonderful in American Horror Story: Apocalypse).  If we want a shocker, the HFPA could go with Richard Madden in Bodyguard.  Good looks aside, Madden portrays a former British Army sergeant with PTSD fantastically.  It is unclear if Bodyguard has been greenlit for a second season but a Globes win might cement that status.

Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama

Will win: Sandra Oh, Killing Eve

Should win:  Keri Russell, The Americans

Dark Horse:  Julia Roberts, Homecoming

One half of our emcees for the evening, expect Sandra Oh to pick up a Globe as well.  Keri Russell was horribly robbed at the Emmys so she is more deserving for her final season of The Americans.  America’s Sweetheart Julia Roberts is a threat to these two with the inaugural season of her Amazon Prime series Homecoming.  Here’s where you can possibly expect a big shocker but I’m still sticking with Ms. Christina Yang herself.

Best Actor in a Television Series - Comedy/Musical

Will win:  Bill Hader, Barry

Should win:  Bill Hader, Barry

Dark Horse:  Jim Carrey, Kidding

I’ve always had a soft spot for Bill Hader since he was on Saturday Night Live.  Starring as a former Marine-turned hitman-turned aspiring actor is the most Bill Hader thing that Bill Hader could possibly do.  Jim Carrey has been placing himself more in the comedy/drama (aka “dramedy”) category as of recent years so don’t count him out in this race.

Best Actress in a Television Series - Comedy/Musical

Will win:  Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Should win:  Alison Brie, GLOW

Dark Horse:  Kristen Bell, The Good Place

Rachel Brosnahan could possibly be a repeat winner here.  Season two of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is getting just as great reviews as season one did (if not as great, then better).  Personally, I feel Alison Brie deserves it but Candice Bergen may come through with the win as well.  However, this Kristen Bell’s first-ever Golden Globe nomination so she could very well take it.

Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film

Will win:  Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Should win:  Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Dark Horse:  Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal

We’ve come a long way since A Very Potter Musical, haven’t we?  Darren Criss’s portrayal as Versace’s murderer Andrew Cunanan is one of the best performances I’ve seen in recent years.  The creepy smile underneath his hand as he sees the news that Versace has been killed makes him a lock for this category.

Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film

Will win:  Laura Dern, The Tale

Should win:  Amy Adams, Sharp Objects

Dark Horse:  Regina King, Seven Seconds

Like I said above, I’m hoping Amy Adams will get her due in the Best Supporting Actress category because it seems like she won’t get it here.  Laura Dern is a favorite of the HFPA so she most likely will win.  Amy Adams is the more deserving here but if things don’t work out for Best Supporting Actress, I’m hoping the HFPA does a flip-flop gives it to her here.  Regina King won the Emmy for Seven Seconds but she seems like a long shot here.

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film

Will win:  Henry Winkler, Barry

Should win:  Edgar Ramirez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Dark Horse:  Kieran Culkin, Succession

It’s always been odd to me that the Golden Globes don’t split their supporting television categories.  Sure, it makes for great competition but it’s also incredibly unfair.  I’m going with Henry Winkler in Barry (who was well overdue for that Emmy) but Edgar Ramirez definitely should be the winner in my eyes.  Kieran Culkin (the only nominee for HBO’s Succession) could pull a surprise win here.

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film

Will win:�� Penélope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Should win: Penélope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story OR Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects OR Thandie Newton, Westworld

Dark Horse:  Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale

This is, quite possibly, the most competitive category of the entire award show.  And, yet again, another reason why it’s absurd that the Golden Globes don’t split their supporting television categories.  Alex Borstein and Thandie Newton both have the upper hand in this category since they both won Emmys in the supporting actress categories in comedy and drama, respectively. But their recent Emmy wins could cancel them out, making way for either Penélope Cruz or Patricia Clarkson to nab the award.  I’m going with Penélope though since she was robbed of the Emmy.  I am hoping for an Emmy win for Patricia Clarkson come September.

Best Miniseries or Television Film

Will win:  The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Should win:  The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Dark Horse:  A Very English Scandal

Riveting from start to finish with stunning performances from the cast, Versace is a lock.  In any other year, I’d give it to Sharp Objects but the show also lagged a bit.  If I hadn’t read the book, I might have been bored.  The series was more of a performance piece for the actors instead of being a masterpiece as a whole.  Versace has it all.  And, of course, it’s another Ryan Murphy masterpiece.  

Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh host the 76th Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 6 at 8 pm EST/5:00 pm PST.

[thesinglesjukebox]

BILLIE EILISH - BAD GUY

[6.93]

The Jukebox has thoughts on Billie Eilish? Well, duh.

Andy Hutchins: Nothing clicked for me with Billie Eilish until "Bad Guy." I understood the appeal intellectually, because it has sometimes been my wheelhouse: "Prodigy-cast makes off-kilter pop music from a perspective with more than a little precociousness and possibly a feminine spin that serves to disrupt rather than reify" is my jam for months at a time, sometimes. But some combination of prodigy and precociousness sometimes striking me as preciousness -- something that I've occasionally found issue with in the work of Sky Ferreira and Solange and Lorde and Cher Lloyd and fka twigs and Haim and Kacey Musgraves and Lana Del Rey and so many women who have occupied this same treacherous lane where deviating from delivering what is expected from a young woman making pop music can offend the sensibilities (or engage the biases) of even someone who has strained to stave off the stupidity of dismissing music made by young women and largely intended for young women -- and what I read as a deliberately dark and standoffish aesthetic put me off of Eilish, whose stuff just didn't compel me. Everything clicks for me with Billie Eilish now that I've heard "Bad Guy," which I reckon is pathetic on my part, because so much of the DNA of "Bad Guy" is in other work she's done that the things that differentiate it as The Hit and The Breakthrough come down to tempo and a kooky synth run in the hook that every third YouTube commenter thinks is stolen from Plants vs. Zombies. But "Bad Guy" is also an unassailable pop song and has come along at a time when bulletproof ones are not occupying the charts -- the closest competition in the current top 40 by my sight is, like, a Katy Perry song whose verses let down its magnificent hook, a bunch of drowsy-to-dire Khalid and Halsey tunes, a C- effort from Taylor Swift, and a microwaved Lizzo track that I've known of for a while and don't consider her best stuff -- and so it stands out even more from the pop metagame than the larger Eilish oeuvre does from a host of less realized tunes. And I'm a sucker for an unassailable pop song, especially one with a vocal initially delivered so low that it demands attention to the dial in the car but that is by turns brightly funny ("...duh!") and world-weary and campy to the hilt (the titular phrase being stretched to a titanium crocodile's rasp), a relentless bass line that sounds like a monster's heartbeat echoing in a cave, and lyrics that constitute a semi-sincere embrace of some Lolita tropes and a more powerful sarcastic destruction of them while somehow also being fully ready for Instagram captions and Twitter display names and ... well, no one's on Tumblr anymore. But that's hardly Billie's fault, and I'm not docking points for only barely failing to raise the dead with a virtuosic song that makes me this glad to be alive. [10]

Alfred Soto: There's a reason this song has become the breakout hit besides its insidious keyboard hook: Billie Eilish sings not mumbles the gender bending hook. Otherwise a ditty that the top 40 could use more of; its quietness is a tonic. [8]

Joshua Copperman: Sounds great, looks great (if possibly plagarized), memes great. The deadpan anti-sexuality of "might-seduce-your-dad type" is "Guys My Age" done right. The delivery of "my soul, so cynical" like even that is too earnest of a statement. The only weak part is the ending switch-up. But you knew all that already. Duh. Besides the cries of "industry plant!" there's also the ongoing sense that Eilish is a music writers' idea of what a 17-year-old Tumblr-born pop star would sound like. And sure, she's a young music writers' dream; I have a byline at Billboard because of her. But also, it's genuinely smart music that is mostly set to age well, even if it's hard to tell if it m a t t e r s. Who knows what 17-year-olds of any predilection towards seducing dads are actually listening to; I'm 21 and finding that out is only getting more difficult, if maybe not more necessary. If teens still control popular culture, if anyone does, who knows if this really does reflect them, or if its bottomless angst is mocked like Limp Bizkit? Is "Bad Guy" just "Heathens" for the late-2010s? Does this really represent the next generation? And which next generation; the shit-talking saviors, or the ones just like their parents and the radicalized alt-right kids? There's no easy answer to any of these, no "duh" to shrug them off. But there is Eilish and co. applying the daily grind of apocalyptic dread to smaller-scale topics. Processing death on "Bury a Friend," processing one's own body image on "idontwannabeyouanymore," processing changing gender roles here. Finding your place in 2019 is a lot for anyone. No one is getting it right. What Eilish does instead is turn that uncertainty to playfulness, confidently existing within the mess instead of trying to find her spot. [8]

Leah Isobel: I was on Tumblr in 2011, so "might seduce your dad type" doesn't feel as provocative as she might intend. (Also, Halsey did the exact same thing.) Besides, pop is a space for fantasy and role-playing, and she's not the first 16-year old bad girl to make adults freak out a little. What gets me is that the song itself is a brilliant production piece in search of an equally compelling melody; the biggest hooks here are an audible eye-roll and a Tim Burton rip. I love the idea of Billie as a goth-teen-pop star, and the choice to swerve into a spooky outro instead of a more traditional structure is genuinely a lot of fun, but this all feels like so much posturing -- normal for a teenager, but not that compelling to listen to on its own. [6]

Katherine St Asaph: If Billie Eilish is the Gen Z Fiona Apple, which I've heard from about three separate people even before the Discourse started, then "Bad Guy" is her "Criminal," down to it being creep flypaper. Everyone quotes that one dad line a bit too eagerly, like they're subconsciously thinking that if they have the pithiest take they just might get to be the dad. (It isn't even the most suggestive line.) There's a strong case for the dad being the bad guy, if only because he's, well, the guy. But "Bad Guy" lives in the world of teenage politics, where the guys just are and the girls get their badness thrust upon them, and their choices are to shrink away or play along. Duh. ("Bad Guy" : "duh" :: "Your Love Is My Drug" : "I like your beard.") But all this is pretty serious analysis for a fundamentally trolly song: half-mumbling the melody to a beat I'm pretty sure I made in a high school to go with a video project; rhyming bad/mad/sad/dad like a Mavis Beacon keyboarding tutorial (or whatever the kids have now; maybe they're just born typing); crooning an exceedingly Lana Del Rey-ish "I'm only good at being bad" then immediately cutting that crap for a bassy, fuck-off breakdown; filling only about 60% of the song with, like, song. [6]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Not the most impressive or cohesive Billie Eilish song, but it is the one most likely to remind you of how fun her music can be (that she included the Invisalign skit in the video helps). The coda is fine, but the best reversal is found elsewhere: the nonchalant cries of duh followed by a cartoonish synth melody, underlining just how playful the song's darker elements are. [6]

Josh Langhoff: Eilish sometimes sounds like the Cardigans if they only did Black Sabbath covers, "evil" squeezed between an extra set of scare quotes, and sometimes she's Nellie McKay on downers, ennui shaped like wit but without the laughs. Sometimes she's good and sometimes she sings ballads. And somehow that combination produced "Bad Guy," the elusive Somehow Perfect Pop Song That Sounds Like Nothing Else On The Radio. I can't say I love it, but all her murmuring and posturing makes Top 40 radio seem, after too many years, like a playground of endless possibility. What'd we do to deserve this and "Old Town Road"? [8]

Jessica Doyle: Yes. Some are red, and some are blue. Some are old, and some are new. Some are sad, and some are glad, and some are very, very bad. Why are they sad and glad and bad? I do not know. Go ask why that menacing bass and Eilish's whisper didn't deserve better lyrics. [4]

Tobi Tella: Billie Eilish's artistic direction and style of music makes it seem almost impossible for her to make a legitimate banger, but this fits in perfectly with the rest of her album tone-wise and also completely slaps. The simplicity of the production, literally created in a bedroom just adds to the perfect low-key vibe. The lyrics do make Billie sound a little like a teenager who will cringe reading them in 10 years, but as an 18 year old, sometimes doing stupid stuff you know is destructive and immature is FUN, and this completely captures that feeling. [8]

Will Adams: I love love love the idea of this shifty, close mic'd oddball dancepop song being as big of a mainstream hit as it is, even if it's one of the more slight offerings from the album. Extra point for the coda, where Billie drops the coy and reminds you how quick she is to put her foot on your neck. [7]

Pedro João Santos: The coda lamentably inverts the light heart of "Bad Guy": the colourful, whispered titillation conjugated with what's left unsaid, a sort of puerile pleasure dutifully translated by the Theremin-esque synths; not the heady, overlong consummation that it unfolds onto by the end. I must say I'm exhilarated that someone knew how to ape "Las de La Intuición" nearly 15 years on, although startled by the fact that it was Billie Eilish the one to do it. [7]

Scott Mildenhall: Done well, it's enjoyable to hear a musician having such fun, but especially so when one unexpected element of a song comes in to underline just how much fun they're having. In this case, it's the gloopy searchlight noise, playing out like the theme tune to a 1970s cop show set in space, in a way that cannot be anything but gleefully goofy. Such bold and playful invention is something pop music would suffer without. Extra points for the consideration to leave a gap before the outro so that radio stations can cut it out. [8]

Iris Xie: I still think this song should've been cut off at the 2:14 mark, because it said everything it needed to say. [5]

Katie Gill: That purposefully obnoxious "duh" sums up what Eilish wants to say more than the rest of the song combined (and is currently in the running for my favorite 2 seconds of 2019 pop music). This image of her as the bad guy isn't serious. It's bratty and playful, more her creating something she can have fun with instead of taking herself seriously. Unfortunately, that something interesting here is buried in a three minute piece that somehow manages to be three completely different songs which never actually coheres to a single whole. [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[juryokv-blog]

five times kissed / kanata and wataru

*     five times kissed     /     @crystliz

i.

meeting a god is quite the occasion,   even if it’s a false one such as this   !   he wholly believes his godhood,   does he   ?   the boy seems to think of wataru   &   rei as some sort of higher beings too.   how amusing   !   then,   wataru will play along,   for who is he to break this reality.     ❛     your talents lie in wish granting   ?   see,   i’m a master of magic.   would you like to see a trick   ?     ❜     it’s almost too much fun,   entertaining someone whose beliefs in the impossibles of this world is unmoving.   he holds kanata’s gaze in his own,   the look of childlike wonder in eyes only all the more encouraging   &   wataru smiles wide.     

❛     of course there’s nothing more enchanting than the mystery held in the sea,   but i could show you all the land has to offer.   fufuhahaha.   ♪   would you like a tulip   ?   daffodil   ?   some lilies   ?     ❜     that is this hibiki wataru’s specialty   !   pulling flower after flower out of thin air for this god’s viewing pleasure.     ❛     oya   ?   but none of these are befitting of a god.   then   -   a rose   ?     ❜     the last lingers in hand rather than discarded in kanata’s general direction with the rest,   eye contact unwavering as wataru brings rose to lips.   no theatrics are spared in his first impressions,   a kiss planted upon rose before arm extends back towards this other oddball   &   flower presses at his lips too.     ❛     this is my gift to you,   ‘kami’-kun.   ~   ♪    ❜     

ii.

there’s five of them now.   four other individuals who stood on equal ground to wataru   &   while the name they’ve been given   &   the force that brought them together may be suspicious in itself   . .   he couldn’t say he isn’t thankful for these oddballs he’s come to cherish.   wataru would never tell the others,   cease there be any discontent,   but   . .    he may cherish one above the rest.   the way kanata speaks of himself,   so mighty   &   holy,   this magician has to stop   &   listen.   who has held his interest like this before   ?    not many people come to mind,   if any.

❛     ‘kami’-kun,   i must tell you.     ❜     how rude of him to interrupt,   though wataru never thought of himself to be such a well mannered person in the first place   &   the way the latter always looks back at him like he’s about to preach the good word causes something to tug at heart strings.   besides,   this has to be said   !     ❛     you know   . .   i am no god.   neither is rei.   we are mere mortals.   well   . . !   rei i am not so sure about.   fufuhaha   -   ah   . .   no,   you needn’t grant any wish of mine.     ❜     he declines the offer before it has a chance to come,   knowing kanata would demand a wish from him.   even if he believed kanata to have the power to grant any desire,   there isn’t anything more he wants than what he has here.

❛     though even as a mortal,   i still am powerful,   aren’t i   ?     ❜     wataru’s teasing mostly now.   hand reaches across table for kanata’s own,   playing with digits   &   examining flesh before bringing him closer.   he is mortal too,   even if he   &   so many others believe otherwise.   he must have some desires of his own.   wataru presses a short kiss to the back of kanata’s hand as a show of faith.     ❛     then allow me to grant the wish of a god some day.     ❜

iii.

things had been changing since the unfortunate fall of valkyrie to fine.   somehow over night they seemed to be deemed monsters   &   despise from classmates whom once loved them only grew with each day.   it’s becoming clear of the intentions of those scheming behind the scenes,   yet they only walk deeper into the traps laid out before them.   kanata seems so unbothered,   curiously.   convinced godhood would save him from being burned at the stake   &   his growing number of rabid believers almost make it seem impossible to touch him.   dread   &   worry has begun to setting in wataru’s stomach over it all.   to kill a god is a inconceivable task,   but kanata is human   &   . .   he wishes he’d see that.

❛     your worshipers are quite dedicated.   it’s difficult to see you these days,   ‘kami’-kun   !     ❜     yet he’s managed because this hibiki wataru is a master of trickery   &   deceit   !   up in his hot air balloon no one could find them.   at least,   that’s what he’d like to believe,   but these religious types sure can be   . .   persistent.   even if it’s only for a little while,   it has to be good to get kanata away from them.   wataru’s stood in the other’s space,   an arm placed casually around him   &   his excuse for that would be how much colder it is this high up in the sky.   but really   . .   he’s felt rather protective of this false god as of late.   he wants to keep him selfishly close.   with a short glance at the boy beside him   &   no thought given,   wataru presses lips to his cheek.     ❛     kanata   . .   though you are a god,   i do hope you’ll rely on me if ever you’re in trouble.     ❜

iv.

he isn’t sure how to feel.   another oddball has fallen,   kanata of all people.   yet   . .   somehow it’s for the better.   thanks to a boy with a hero’s heart kanata’s renounced godhood   &   become human like the rest of them                                no matter the metaphors used to to liken them to monsters.   yes,   he’s been cut down,   but kanata smiles so much brighter now that it’s almost blinding   &   wataru can’t look away.   the way he radiates when speaking of this boy   &   the unit he’s joined   . .    wataru is happy something good could come from something so terrible.   he’s also a bit jealous,   but that’s nothing he’d ever voice aloud.

❛     fufuhaha   -   you seem to be having much more fun as a hero than you ever did a god   !     ❜     he isn’t one to let petty jealousy get the best of him,   kanata’s happiness   &   well being is of far more import   &   he really is thankful to that morisawa for achieving something he wasn’t sure he himself could do.     ❛     i think this role suits you much better   &   with that outfit   -   you really do look like a proper hero   !     ❜     hands toy with the edges of kanata’s unit jacket,  inspect the sleek new uniform.   personally,   the power ranger look is not his style,   but   . .   the other boy pulls it off well.   especially when sporting such a genuine smile along with it.   ah,   wataru can’t help himself,   leaning forth   &   pressing a soft kiss to kanata’s forehead.   the gesture not as meaningless as he hopes it comes off.

v.

today is the day this hibiki wataru will die.   there’s no need for tears,   this is the fate he’s accepted   &   he would be reborn anew after his fall like a phoenix from the ashes.   this is his role,   after all                              the villain who must be slain by the main character.   wataru will play his part,   not because there’s no stopping it,   but because he understands why it must happen   !   . .   that’s not to say his heart doesn’t break for the other casualties of this war.   shu,   kanata,   rei,   &   their adorable boy they’ve given everything to protect.   be it unfortunate so many had to be cut down to pave the path for a better future of this school,   yet there’s no rewinding the hands of time   &   the most wataru can do now is prepare the performance of a lifetime for his upcoming execution   !

while he invited his dear oddballs to come see him off to death,   (   regardless of any disagreements for actions being taken,   it’s only right that they be together on this last day.   )   he hadn’t anticipated any desperate acts to change fate until right before he’d step onto stage,   as most dramatic scripts went.     ❛     you’re a bit early for my performance,   kanata   &   a little late to catch my rehearsal.   i’d give you a preview,   but my secret weapon already left   !      ❜     hokuto has gone to finish final preparations for their portion of the live,   thankfully.   wataru involved him only to ensure a valuable lesson is learned by his beloved junior,   but there’s no need for him to be here for this.   the air is tense   &   it’s almost suffocating,   wataru’s heart growing tight for reasons he couldn’t place despite his attempts at light jests.

❛     . .   have you any words about what i’m going to do,   then perhaps it’s better left unsaid.   i understand natsume’s inability to see why i must,   he’s still a child,   but if it comes from you   . .   then i might   . .     ❜      ah,   how uncharacteristic of him to think such a thing   !   he cannot let his mind be swayed by the heart,   by the look in kanata’s eyes   &   the guilt building in chest over a wish he still couldn’t grant.   it had to be kanata here before him now,   didn’t it   ?   for who else could challenge the decisions of a martyr than the person with a hand around his heart   ?   wataru can’t help but think there’s too many things left unsaid between them for this to be his final day,   yet it’s too late   &   he’d be cruel to speak them now.   somehow harmless flirting   &   words with hidden meanings turn to real feeling   &   he couldn’t pinpoint when it happened,   only that he’d realized not soon enough.   they’re engulfed in war   &   nothing could flourish in such an environment,   it’s better left like this.

but there kanata goes,   saying things as he pleases as he always does without the consideration of consequences   &   wataru thinks how unfair life is to hear those three words on a day like this.   he’s stunned silent,   considering options.   there’s a part of him that wants so badly to say it back,   the part where his heart resides,   but then the mind has to remind him how such things shouldn’t be said so recklessly.   he can’t.   yet feelings   &   longing can’t be suppressed entirely either  ��&   what makes a person more careless than raw emotion   ?   so caution is thrown to the wind,   wataru forgets ideals   &   repercussions momentarily to reach for kanata,   hands at his face coaxing him closer until lips meet for an overdue kiss.

there’s not enough room for regret with all he’s baring on his shoulders,   forehead resting against kanata’s when he draws back,   &   he can’t think about how this will affect them later either.   the pressing matters now are the live about to start   &   the sacrifice he’ll make   &   hopefully kanata   . .   as well as the others could understand.     ❛     . .   please watch me   &   don’t take your eyes off me.     ❜

[amymation101]

Animation Review: Hilda

Hello internet!!! T’is I, humble idiot ready to spread her half-formed opinions about an industry and medium that she knows little to nothing about except that she likes it. So my first target...er...I mean subject is Hilda, a perfectly delightful new show available on Netflix. Well, now that I’ve given away that I think it’s delightful, I shall now attempt to go into more detail on why I think you should watch Hilda. Just a note, I’m going to try to keep this as spoiler-free as I can because I feel that you should watch this show for yourself. Now, onto the word vomit.

Characters: One strength of Hilda is it’s fun and diverse cast of characters. Hilda herself makes for a compelling main character. Her curiosity and fearlessness drives the story forward in what is otherwise a very laid back tale. And her mother (Johanna) may be one of my new favorite parents in animation. Not only are mothers shockingly (and sadly) rare in children’s animation but the relationship that Hilda and her mother have is a refreshingly healthy one. They both clearly love each other and try to understand each other’s point of view even when they don’t see eye to eye. Hilda’s friends Frida and David make for a nice contrast. Timid but loyal David and perfectionist and overachieving Frida appear to be stock characters at first, but as the show goes on they both gain more depth. I found David in particular to be surprisingly endearing even though Frida arguably has the most character development of the two. The side-characters are all equally colorful and intriguing. They all feel as though there is more to them than they let on, with the librarian being a particular standout. Perfect for a show that’s main message is not to judge first appearances. As for the non-human characters….hoo boy. I LOVE them. Words cannot begin to describe the Woodman in all his oddball ways and bizarre personality. He is both endearing and off-putting at the same time, and it is AMAZING. Seriously, look up some clips with the Woodman. He is probably one of the funniest characters in the show and I wish he appeared in every scene. And dear, sweet, bureaucratic Alfur. He easily ranks among my favorite characters of all time. Everytime he is on screen he just brings the biggest smile to my face. All of the non-human characters are as intriguing as the human ones, not to mention beautifully designed. Seriously, I could go on and on about the characters but I think I should turn to another aspect of the show for now.

Story: Since I am trying to avoid spoilers I won’t be giving a summary of the story as much as an impression of the story and what I think of it. The main story has Hilda moving from the forest to the city of Trolberg, making new friends and finding new creatures. Maybe even solving a mystery or two. Although I’ve seen this show compared often to Gravity Falls (and I get why, I truly do) I find that it reminds me less of that show and more of Over the Garden Wall. Let me see if I can explain what I mean. From the very beginning, Gravity Falls moves with a driving intensity. Just listen to the opening theme song and you’ll get a sense of what I mean. While Gravity Falls includes plenty of side vignettes and standalone stories, solving the mystery of the journals and the author is always the main focus and the show pursues this with frenetic energy. Meanwhile, Over the Garden Wall moves at a much more relaxed pace. Yes, there is a story and a mystery here, but the show is presented as almost all side-story with the main “plot” as it were only making itself know at the end. TLDR: Gravity Falls is mostly plot with some side stories and Over the Garden Wall is mostly side stories with some plot. This “mostly side stories with some plot” feel is exactly what watching Hilda is like. It is extremely relaxed (and thus relaxing to watch, throwing this on at the end of a stressful day is a real treat) and while there is a plot and a mystery, it doesn’t really make itself apparent until the end of the show. But like both Gravity Falls and Over the Garden Wall, the real heart of the show is the world in which it takes place and the characters and creatures that we meet along the way. Additionally there are a few surprises in Hilda that don’t have to do with the mystery. Some story lines that I thought would have cliche endings wound up going in a more mature and thoughtful place than I originally expected. Just because this show is aimed for younger audiences doesn’t mean that it is pulling its punches. Some of the characters have a bit of a falling out, and while I expected the characters to get back together (gotta maintain that status quo after all) the show makes sure to demonstrate growth from these characters and the reunion did not take place where I expected it to. It really made sure to show that actions have consequences that can’t always be wrapped up after the end of 20 or so minutes. A bold and refreshing stance for a series that up to that point had been mostly stand alone adventures. I won’t say more for fear of spoiling, and I have probably said too much already, but Hilda approaches story and plot from a mature and thoughtful place that is rare to see even in adult media.

Animation and Character Design: It goes without saying that the character designs in Hilda are a treat to the eye. Colorful, but muted. There are no neon colors here, which is fine as it once again lends to the relaxed atmosphere. The magical creature designs are particularly well done. They are cute and inventive, and even the more off-putting ones still have an air of softness to them. The human characters are well defined as well with each having a distinctive look and color palette. The animation is very fluid and playful and it’s clear that special attention was paid to the character animation. I don’t really have much more to say except that it is beautifully animated and if any of this word vomit made you interested in seeing the show for yourself, you absolutely should. Hilda can be found on Netflix and pairs nicely with a hot cup of tea and a blanket to snuggle under.