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wilwheaton · 9 months

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When you watch The Curse, you are watching two children who were abused and exploited daily during production. No adults protected us.

This was originally published on my blog in August, 2022.

I had a wonderful time at Steel City Comicon this weekend. It was my first time at this particular con, so I didn’t know there was such a huge contingent of horror fans, creators, and vendors who attend.

I love horror, and I was pretty psyched to be in the same place as John Carpenter and Tom Savini, across the street from the Dawn of the Dead mall. Pittsburgh feels like one of the places horror was invented, at least to me.

A number of these horror fans came to see me, and asked me to sign posters and other things from a movie my parents forced me to do when I was 13, called The Curse. I had to tell each of these people that I would not sign anything associated with that movie, because I was abused and exploited during production. The time I spent on that film remains the most traumatizing time of my life, and though I am a 50 year-old man, just typing this now makes my hands shake with remembered fear of a 13 year-old boy who nobody protected, and the absolute fury the 50 year-old man feels toward the people who hurt him.

I told this story in Still Just A Geek, and I’ve talked about it in some podcasts I did on the promo tour, but I’ve never put it out in public like this, in its entirety.

I suspect someone at the publisher would prefer I tease this and hope it drives book sales from people who want to read all of it, but I honestly don’t want to have another weekend like this one where everything is awesome, except the few times people who have no idea (and why should they) put that fucking poster in front of me, and all the fear, abandonment, and trauma come flooding back as I tell them that I won’t sign it, and why.

To their credit, each person was as horrified as they should have been, told me they had no idea (if they didn’t read my book why would they), and quickly put the poster away. They were all understanding. I am grateful for that.

But I really don’t need to tell this story over and over again, so here it is, with a child abuse and exploitation content warning, so I can just tell people to Google it.

After Stand by Me, everything changed. The attention from entertainment journalists, casting directors, and especially teen magazines came pouring in. The movie was a generational hit, beloved by critics and audiences alike, and every single one of us could pick anything to do next.

River’s parents and his agent got him Mosquito Coast, with Harrison Ford, as his next movie. I also auditioned for the role, but I knew even then that River was going to book the job. He was perfect, and I’d have to wait a little bit for my opportunity to come along.

I went on a lot of theatrical auditions after Stand by Me. I had tons of meetings with directors and the heads of casting at every major studio. It was all a very big deal, and I felt like we were all looking for something really special and amazing as my follow-up to Stand by Me.

At some point, a couple of producers contacted my agent with an offer to play one of the leads in an adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out of Space.” The script was titled The Farm. (It would, of course, be changed when the film was released).

I read it. I did not like it. It was a shitty horror movie, and I saw that right away. It was the sort of thing you rented on Friday when the new release you wanted was already out of the store.

My mother, already an incredibly manipulative person, used every tool at her disposal to change my mind. My father threatened me, mocked me, told me “It’s your decision” when it clearly wasn’t. It was all so weird; I didn’t understand why they cared so much.

I told my parents I didn’t like it and didn’t want to do it. I clearly recall thinking it was a piece of shit that would hurt my career.

It wasn’t the first thing that had come our way that I wanted to pass on, and every other time, it hadn’t been a very big deal.

Sidebar: I was cast in Twilight Zone: The Movie, in 1983. The film tells four stories, and I was cast as the kid who can wish people into cartoonland. It was a GREAT role, in a movie I still love. (Note that Twilight Zone had four directors. One of them got three people killed. The segment I was cast in was not that one. I mention this because too many people zero in on this to deflect from what this whole thing is actually about.)

But I was CONVINCED by my parochial school teacher that if I worked on The Twilight Zone, which she had determined was satanic, I would go to hell. (This woman and her bullshit played a big role in my conversion to atheism at a young age, but when she told me that, I was all-in on the supernatural story they taught us in religion class.) I was so scared, more scared than I’d ever been to that point in my life, I cried and wailed and begged my parents to not make me do the movie. And I never told them why, because I was afraid my dad would laugh at me for being weak and afraid. My agent tried to talk me into it, and I wouldn’t budge. It’s the only thing I deeply and truly regret passing on, and I really hate I made that choice for such a stupid reason.

Okay. Back to The Curse.

This time, when I told them how much I hated it, they wouldn’t listen to me. My mother, already an incredibly manipulative person, used every tool at her disposal to change my mind. My father threatened me, mocked me, told me “It’s your decision” when it clearly wasn’t. It was all so weird; I didn’t understand why they cared so much.

That is, until they made me take a meeting with the producers of the movie, in their giant conference room on the top floor of a tall building in Hollywood. All I remember about this place was that it was huge; the table was way too big for the five of us who spread around it, and there were floor-to-ceiling windows on three of the walls, but the room was still dark. There was a weird optical illusion in the center of the table, this thing they sold in the Sharper Image catalog, made from two reflective dishes with a hole in the top of one. You placed an object in the bottom of the bottom dish, and it made it look like that object was floating above the whole thing. They had a plastic spider in it. What a strange detail for me to remember, but it’s as clear in my memory as if I were sitting in that room right now.

One man, who I presumed was the executive producer, was European or Middle Eastern (I didn’t know the difference then, he was just Not Like People I Knew), and I was instantly afraid of him. He was intimidating, and seemed like a person who got what he wanted.

So we sat there, my father who didn’t give a shit about me, my mother who was cosplaying as someone with experience, and me, thirteen years old, awkward as fuck, and scared to death.

I don’t remember what they said to me in their pitch or anything other than how uncomfortable and anxious I was to even be in that room. I tried so hard to be grown up and mature, but I — and my parents — was way out of my depth. I’d done one big movie and that was it. We didn’t have my agent with us, who had lots of experience and would have known what questions to ask.

No, in place of my experienced agent, my mother had decided she was going to be my manager, and she tackled the responsibility with an enthusiasm that was only matched by her absolute incompetence and inability to go toe-to-toe with producers the way my agent did. She was outwitted, out-thought, and outmaneuvered at every turn.

“You don’t have a choice,” my father commanded. “You are doing this movie.”

So we sat there, my father who didn’t give a shit about me, my mother who was cosplaying as someone with experience, and me, thirteen years old, awkward as fuck, and scared to death.

At some point, this man, who is represented in my memory by big Jim Jones sunglasses under dark hair above an open collar, said, “We are offering you a hundred thousand dollars and round-trip travel for your whole family. We will cast your sister, Amy, to play your sister in the movie.”

It all made sense, now. I was only thirteen, but I knew my parents were pushing me so hard because this company was offering me — them, really — more money than I’d ever imagined I’d earn in my life, much less a single job.

I knew that the right thing to do, the smart thing to do, was to say no. There would be other opportunities, and it was stupid to cash myself out of feature films for what I thought was, in the grand scheme of things, not very much money.

It’s incredible to me that I knew all of this. It’s incredible to me that I could see all these things, plainly and clearly, and my parents couldn’t (or, more likely, chose not to).

So after this man made his offer, all the adults in the room ganged up on me, selling me HARD on this movie.

My mother said, “Don’t you want your sister to have the same opportunities you’ve had? Wouldn’t it be fun and exciting to go to Rome? Think of all the history!”

The experience was awful. It was the worst experience I have ever had on a set in my life, by every single metric. The movie is awful, and it is the embarrassment I knew it would be.

I don’t think about this very often, because it’s super upsetting to me. Right now, I’m so angry at my parents for subjecting me and my sister to this entire experience. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

In that moment, I felt bullied and trapped. All these adults were talking to me at the same time, and I just wanted it to stop. I just wanted to go home and get out of this room. I just wanted to go be a kid, so I did what I’d learned to do to survive: I gave in and did what my parents wanted.

The experience was awful. It was the worst experience I have ever had on a set in my life, by every single metric. The movie is awful, and it is the embarrassment I knew it would be.

But here’s the thing: when you watch The Curse, you are watching two children, me and my sister, who were abused on a daily basis. The production did not follow a single labor law. They worked us for twelve hours a day, on multiple film units (while I work on First unit, second unit sets up and waits for me. When I should get a break to rest, they send me to Second unit, then to Third unit, then back to First unit. I was 13.) without any breaks, five days a week. I was exhausted the entire time. I was inappropriately touched by two different adults during production. I knew it was wrong, but I was so scared and ashamed, and I felt so unsupported, I didn’t tell anyone. I knew my dad wouldn’t believe me, and my mother would blame me. Anything to keep the production happy, that’s what she did. That was more important to her than the health and safety of her children. The director was coked out of his mind most of the time, incompetent, and so busy fucking or trying to fuck one of the women in the cast, he was worse than useless. He was a fading actor who was cosplaying as a director, as in over his head as my mother. My sister and I were never safe. Instead of harmless atmospheric SFX smoke, they set hay on fire in barrels and blew actual smoke onto the set. They took buckets of talc, broken wood, bits of wallpaper and plaster, and threw it into my face during a scene inside the collapsing house. My sister is in a scene where she goes to get eggs from some chickens, and they attack her. So they hired Lucio Fulci, the Italian horror master, to direct her sequence. His idea, which everyone was totally on board with, was to throw chickens at my sister. Live chickens, live roosters, live birds. Just throw them at a nine-year-old girl. Oh, and then tie them to her arms and legs so they’ll peck her. All of this happened under my mother’s observation, and with her full participation.

Everything I need to know about who my parents are is wrapped up in that experience: the total lack of concern for my safety and happiness, treating me like an asset instead of a son, lying to me, manipulating me, and using me to get things they wanted, and then gaslighting me about it.

If just ONE of the things I can remember happened to someone I loved, I would have grabbed my kids, gone to the airport, and flown home. Fuck those abusive assholes in the production. Let the lawyers sort it all out. Nobody hurts my children and gets away with it.

My mom says she “had some talks” with the producers. She claims that, once, she wouldn’t let us leave the hotel. (God, what a fucking dump that place was. It was just slightly better than a hostel.) I have no memory of that, but honestly the entire experience was so traumatic, I’ve blocked most of it out.

The movie was the commercial and critical failure I knew it would be. My parents spent the money. I don’t know what they spent it on. I got to keep fifteen cents of every dollar, so . . . yay?

My sister and I hardly ever talk about this. I suspect it was as upsetting and traumatic for her as it was for me. I told her I was writing about it, and asked her if she remembered anything. She told me she’d been lied to her whole life about this movie. Our mother let her believe she had been cast on the strength of her audition. “I was excited to work with you,” she said. She reminded me about some stuff I’d blocked out, including a scene where my character’s older brother (played by an actor named Malcolm Danare, who was kind and gentle, and made both of us feel safer when he was around) shoves my character into a pile of cow shit. When it came time to shoot the scene, the mud they’d put together to be the cow shit looked an awful lot like cow shit. When Malcolm pushed me into it, we all found out it was real cow shit. I was FURIOUS. The director had lied to me and had allowed me to have my entire body shoved into an actual pile of actual cow shit. I don’t remember what I said, but I remember he treated me the exact same way my father did whenever I got upset: he laughed at me, told me I was being too sensitive, reminded me that he was the director and he wanted to get a “real” performance out of me, and concluded, “If it bothers you so much, we’ll get you a hepatitis shot,” before he walked away.

My sister also recalled that, after she survived the scene with the chickens, it was the producers’ idea to give her one as a pet.

Okay, let’s unpack that for a quick second: you’ve been traumatized by these birds, so we’re going to give you one as a pet. That you’ll somehow keep in your hotel, and then will somehow get back to America. It will shock you to learn that neither of those things happened.

She remembered, as I do, the huge fight I had with my parents in our kitchen, where I told them I hated the script and I hated the movie. I didn’t want to do it, and I hated that they were making me do it.

“You don’t have a choice,” my father commanded. “You are doing this movie.”

“This is the only film you are being offered,” my mother lied to me. She made me feel like, if I didn’t do this movie, I would never do another movie again in my life. I had to do this movie. As my father bellowed, I had no choice.

Both of my parents denied this argument ever happened. Can I tell you how reassuring it is to know that my sister, who was also there, remembers it the same way I do?

The makeup department decided they would literally cut my little sister’s face with a scalpel, in three places, and put bandages over them.

But one thing she told me, the thing I did not know, the thing that makes me so angry I want to break things, actually managed to make the entire experience even worse than I remembered it.

There’s a scene after her chicken incident where I check up on her in her bedroom. She’s got cuts and bruises, and I guess we talk about it. I don’t remember and I can’t watch the movie because I’m terrified it will give me a PTSD flashback (I’ve had one of those and I recommend avoiding it). Here’s the thing about that scene: she has some cuts on her face, and those cuts are real. They are not makeup.

I’m going to repeat that. My nine-year-old little sister had actual cuts on her face that were placed there by an adult, on purpose.

The makeup department decided they would literally cut my little sister’s face with a scalpel, in three places, and put bandages over them. My sister told me our mother wasn’t in the makeup room when this happened — honestly, it seemed like our mother was strangely and conveniently absent when most of the really terrible things happened to us on the set — and when my sister told her what they’d done, she “lost her shit” at the production. She was pissed, I guess, which is appropriate and surprising. I wonder what would have to have happened for her to put us on a plane and get us home to safety? I mean, her son being abused daily didn’t do it, and her daughter being CUT IN THE FACE ON PURPOSE didn’t do it.

I just . . . I can’t. I can’t understand or comprehend allowing your own children to be physically and emotionally abused. They were literally selling my sister and me to these people, like we were some kind of commodity.

This was a tough conversation. My sister’s experience with our parents is very different from mine. My sister and I love each other. We’re close. I know it’s hard for her to hear that her brother, who she loves, was so abused by her parents, who she also loves. I was really grateful she made the time to talk to me about it, and grateful the experience wasn’t as horrible for her as it was for me.

As we were finishing our call, Amy also remembered one man, a young Italian named Luka, who was our driver for the movie. I haven’t thought about him in thirty years, but I can see his face now. He was kind, he was friendly, he taught us how to kick a soccer ball, and in the middle of an abusive, torturous experience, he stood out as a kind and gentle man. I mention him because she remembered him, which made me remember him, and goddammit I want at least one small part of this thing to not be awful.

The Curse remains one of the most consequential times the adults in my life failed to protect me. I’m 50. I still have nightmares.

Ultimately, as I predicted and feared, this piece of shit movie cashed me out of respectable films forever. I got offers for movies, but they were always mindless comedies or exploitative horror films. They were never the serious dramas I wanted to work in after Stand by Me. The industry looked at me and River, wondering if one or both of us would become a breakout star. They quickly saw that River was doing real acting work, and I was in this piece of shit. For River, Stand by Me was a beginning. For me, it would turn out to be pretty much everything, at least as far as film goes.

There are thousands of reasons film careers do and don’t take off. Maybe mine wouldn’t have taken off anyway. Clearly, it’s not where my life ended up, and I’m super okay with that now. But when all of this happened, it hurt and haunted me.

The Curse remains one of the most consequential times the adults in my life failed to protect me. I’m 50. I still have nightmares. Everything I need to know about who my parents are is wrapped up in that experience: the total lack of concern for my safety and happiness, treating me like an asset instead of a son, lying to me, manipulating me, and using me to get things they wanted, and then gaslighting me about it.

This annotation is the last thing I wrote before I turned this manuscript in, because opening these wounds is hard and painful. I put it off as long as I could, and I feel like I’m still holding back, because just this small glimpse of the experience has taken me a week to write. I can’t imagine trying to go back and unpack the whole thing. (Note that is not in the book: I’ve made an EMDR appointment to work on this because the nightmares have come back after the weekend).

Fuck The Curse, and fuck every single person who exploited and hurt two beautiful children to make it. You all participated in child abuse, and you all knew better. Shame on all of you. I hope this follows you to the end of your life. I hope that living with what you did to innocent children has been as hard for you as it has been for me, because you deserve no less.

#tw abuse #tw child abuse #tw exploitation #child actor #still just a geek #lucio fulci #trauma survivor #speaking up for the child who was silenced by his abusers

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moodriingz · 4 months

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Met you at the right time | A. Fantilli

Summary | Adam attends reader's concert and fans notice

Pairing | Adam Fantilli x reader

Warning | Gracie Abrams faceclaim!

Author's Note | I cannot thank you all enough for the love on "Into Your Room!" I hope you all had an amazing holiday! I'm currently spending time with family so idk when I'll be able to post next! I also liked the smau format. Please send requests! Enjoy!

Masterlist

y/nupdates

liked by adamfantilli, user1, user 2 and others

y/nupdates y/n looked so happy at her show last night in Columbus! she wouldn't look away from the vip area!

view all 50 comments

user1 i was there! she was so smiley during Feels Like!

user2 some people on twitter were saying that some of the hockey team was there last night. was there any confirmation?

↳ user1 oh my gosh yes! i thought i saw Adam Fantilli there and maybe some others too

↳ user2 WAIT ADAM JUST LIKED THIS POST?!

yourusername

liked by adamfantilli, yourbestfriend, luca.fantilli and others

yourusername cbus you give me butterflies 🦋🩵

view all 505 comments

user3 was it because of us or a certain someone in the crowd?

↳ user1 i was looking for these kinds of comments lol

luca.fantilli in case my brother doesn't say it, you're welcome

↳ user2 what does this meannnnnnnn

yourbff I love being your groupie!!

↳ yourusername you're more than that! you're my stagehand!

↳ yourbff yeah ok.

adamfantilli you're always welcome back

kentjohnson.13 my man is blushingggg

↳ user4 this is about adam right?

user4 oh my gosh i want her and adam to get together so baddd

adamfantilli

liked by yourusername, g.brindley4, yourbestfriend and others

adamfantilli always tying her shoes

view 220 comments

g.brindley4 did i miss a chapter?

↳ adamfantilli yeah sorry bud

user5 instinct tells me that those are y/n's shoes in the second slide

↳ user6 or maybe you're crazy

yourusername she's very lucky!

↳ adamfantilli she needs to invest in velcro shoes

↳ user1 OH MY GOD IT'S HAPPENING

yourusername

liked by adamfantilli, yourbestfriend, kentjohnson.13 and others

yourusername days off

view 467 comments

user1 what movie did you see?

↳ yourusername the new hunger games movie! so good!

kentjohnson.13 keep him in line!

adamfantilli i would hate to be on the receiving end of that glare

↳yourusername 🙄

y/nupdates

liked by user1, user 3, user 6

y/nupdates y/n and adam at a party recently!

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user1 i'm super happy for her but the second picture looks personal

↳ user 3 yeah I was going to say we should respect their privacy

user6 so cute but you should take these down

yourusername

liked by adamfantilli, bluejacketsnhl, yourbestfriend and others

yourusername hard launch? hard launch. 🦋👑🩵

tagged: adamfantilli

view 783 comments

yourbestfriend i thought you got that crown for me?

↳ yourusername i'm sorry adam asked to try it on. you're still my queen i promise

↳ adamfantilli i feel like i'm intruding on something

adamfantilli met you at the right time

↳ user1 stop not him quoting her songssss

↳ yourusername you're so cute

kentjohnson.13 blegh (you guys are very cute)

↳ adamfantilli aw that wasn't too hard was it?

adamfantilli

liked by yourusername, nhl, bluejacketsnhl and others

adamfantilli nhl awards

tagged: yourusername

view 337 comments

yourusername so proud of you! 🦋🩵

↳ adamfantilli loved having you by my side 🩵

bluejacketsnhl our #1 rookie!

user6 stop they're so cute I can't take it

g.brindley4 dripped out

yourusername

liked by adamfantilli, yourbestfriend, nhl and others

yourusername rookie of the year 🩵

tagged: adamfantilli

view 465 comments

adamfantilli you mean more than a trophy

↳ yourusername oh you sap

↳ kentjohnson.13 SAP

↳ g.brindley4 SAP

↳ luca.fantilli SAP

user1 i can't get over that i was at the same concert as adam and now they're dating

nhl congrats mr. y/n y/l/n 🦋🩵

↳ adamfantilli ouch

↳ yourusername don't take it personally babe

#adam fantilli x reader #adam fantilli imagine #adam fantilli #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #social media au #nhl x reader #hockey x reader #adam fantilli blurb

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oncomingnight · 9 months

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Yandere! Actress ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

I wanted to thank each and every one of you for 700 supporters, we've grown an immense amount. I hope you all enjoy this piece and never hesitate in requesting and talking to me in my ask box.

Vivienne was an incredibly well renowned french actress, the main genre of film she'd appear in was horror. It was to the point where she earned the nickname, "scream queen". If Vivienne Beaufort was seen in the cast of a movie, everyone knew it was going to be absolutely amazing.

Nothing could get in the way of Vivienne expressing her devotion towards you, in her point of view, you strictly deserved the very best. Do you enjoy painting? Well, then she'd renovate an entire room inside of her Mediterranean home that's reserved for you and your craft. She'll even rent out an entire restaurant for a date night. Vivienne will order for custom clothing pieces to be made for you with add-ons she knows you'll enjoy.

Her past relationships were nothing to be flaunted as she was never fully appreciated by her partners, this shows in the way she needs constant physical reassurance from you. She'll lay her head on your tummy, give you sloppy and gluttonous kisses, reaching for your hand to hold and following you everywhere around the house.

She never gets tired of yelling out, "honey, I'm home!" when she arrives back from work.

The greatest motivation in her life is you. Vivienne takes on dozens of acting jobs so she's able to make you feel secure, she doesn't want you to worry about the absolutely anything. Just let her take care of you, okay? There's nothing in the world that could make her happier.

Every morning, you'd find her dressed in a silk slip dress with her hair being secured into a bun by a claw clip as she works on breakfast for the two of you. You would offer to help her with preparing the food but she'd always adamantly reject your attempts. "No, honey, please just sit nice and pretty for me at the table, okay?" she says as she smiles, the slight gap in between her teeth making a beautiful appearance. In just a few hours, she'd set the table with a wonderful assortment of meals served with porcelain plates.

Whenever she could, Vivienne would take you to visit the city in which she was born in. The two of you would visit street markets, eating something light at several cafes, wandering about in art museums and eating traditional cuisine in restaurants she'd frequent as a teenager.

As any normal person would, she gets incredibly enraged when someone attempts to take you from her. The funny thing is, she doesn't love like the average person and she's aware of that. Vivienne will track the culprit down and strike when they're most vulnerable, permanently injuring the person and spewing dozens of threats towards them to where they would rather die than speak against her. If she's unsure of whether or not someone is an actual threat to your relationship, she'll simply intimidate the person till they back away. Sometimes, they try and tell you about how she's mistreated them but you can't bring yourself to believe the stories they're telling.

They can't be talking about the woman that cries until her eyes turn puffy as she watches romance movies, the woman that still sleeps with the teddy bear her father gifted her on her fifth birthday, the woman that points towards elderly couples walking down the street and whispers into your ear, "that's going to be us in 50 years." An angel such as herself would never say such things to anybody.

You're the best thing that has ever happened to her and she's never going to let you go, but it's not as if you'll ever WANT to leave.

Vivienne only ever calls you the loveliest of names such as, "sweetheart", "mon bébé", and "ma princesse". She rarely calls you by your real name but when she does, she says, "My sweet y/n."

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dragon-business · 7 months

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Y0 antagonists ratings/opinions

Mister(s) Shakedown(s) + Amon

Didn't get to Amon in Y0, because we didn't finish these quests. One of the few that we didn't do in full, actually. Didn't seem as fun at the moment. Amon gets a pass, because he gets more screen time in later games.

Evilness: 4/10 robbing people is bad, I heard Forgetability: 7/10 hard to forget, when Amons are in each game Iconic level: friend of a mutual tells me they’re cool/10 memes Free slot: ????too hard to get through to the good parts

2. Helicopter-car chases

These sequences was pure torture. My hands were cramped even when I wasn't holding the controller. Every minute lasted an hour. The fucking bazookas? Infuriating. Worst survival horror game.

Evilness: 9/10 fuck this shit, let me out of the car Forgetability: 1/10 still feel the cramps .__, Iconic level: 0.5/10 “look, just like in the movies, right?” Free slot: 1,5/10 on enjoyment scale

3. Cult leader from the substory

Pretty funny scam artist, all the later games character development got him on the list. We love us a lil fucked up reoccurring character.

Evilness: 8/10 doing terrible things to vulnerable people Forgetability: 4/10 forgot about him each time until the next appearance Iconic level: 4/10 will never forget that dance Free slot: retirement home for one million years for the grandpa

4. Dojima captain guy 1

????????

Evilness: 7/10 he’s a yakuza, after all, he’s done some bad stuff, probably Forgetability: 10/10 who? Iconic level: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Free slot: forgot he existed

5. Dojima captain guy 2

Purple suit guy with the boxing/dancing ring in the basement was pretty fab. He gets extra points for the drip. Otherwise idk what he- wait he saved Majima that one time? Huh. You keep learning things.

Evilness: 7/10 normal yakuza guy doing yakuza things Forgetability: 9/10 I know he was there, I guess Iconic level: 3/10 purple suit points Free slot: purple suit, that’s all I remember

6. Kuze

First fight with him was pretty tough. And then he just kept coming back, again and again. With desperate determination. And Kiryu got stronger and stronger between each encounter. And Kuze stayed on the same level, just looking more and more beat up. And that's amazing storytelling through game mechanics, but also really iconic, ngl.

I mean, man rode a dang motorbike in the sewers. He got the motorbike in the sewers, positioned it in the right spot to start the chase (did he get help for that?), and then rode it down there, through the nasty Kamurocho pipes, hunting down an annoying twunk like a medieval baron chasing a boar. All this while already beat up by said twunk. And he gets beaten again. Rolling in that sweet sewage water in his bandages.

Evilness: 6/10 he’s out there vibing to his own tunes Forgetability: 1/10 he Will Not Let You Forget about him, even if you’d want to Iconic level: 8/10 meme icon Free slot: he seemed like real threat at the start, but by the chase in the sewers he was our pal, our failmate bro, all the respect to his dedication o7; 4/10 on actual fights and smartness

7. Kashiwagi

He's on the list for what he did to Nishiki. Just sent the brother of his son to kill, uhh, his son. Just like that. Like, I get that he had his reasons, he really thought he was doing good, he thought he's saving Kiryu from suffering. Because of course it is all about Kiryu and what he supposedly (probably) (maybe) needs.

Evilness: 7/10 good intentions on the way down Forgetability: 0.5/50 look at him slurping cold noodles in his first scene, he’s stealing the show Iconic level: 7.5/10, again, look at the man eating noodles like a dad Free slot: 2/10 top tier dad, bless.

8. Sagawa

He's such a masterfully done abuser. Partially because he acts so nice. But there's always an unnerving feeling underneath it.

He only resorts to violence when everything's gone to shit. But it always feels like he's capable of it at any moment. It's like a rock constantly looming over, waiting to drop.

Evilness: 8.5/10 on the creep scale, very good for the story Forgetability: 2/10 he’s in your walls, he owns your walls, your balls, and your paycheck Iconic level: 6/10 smartly dressed Free slot: 1/10 as a person, would deck him on sight; thank g-d Majima's away from him now

9. Shimano

Smart, playing the long game, but really, in Y0 he seemed smarter than he is.

Long distance threat to Majima's safety, the threat he has trouble seeing as one. And that's the real kicker, that's the horror of it all – Majima striving to get back in the family, back under Shimano's thumb in his self-destructive last mission quest. Majima deciding to come back/stay even after the Hole, after y0, Majima getting so close to freedom but not being able to grasp it, and rationalising staying near Shimano for years, rebelling, but never separating in full.

And Shimano perfectly understands the power he has over Majima, and is always ready to use it. To break him at a moment's notice, if it will be useful for his plans. And this is way more uncomfortable and terrifying than Sagawa's brand of underlying threat.

Evilness: 12/10 made us start the “save Majima” movement Forgetability: 0/100 burned into my brain in the worst way possible Iconic level: 3/7 fashion sense is kinda bland, but he does have a presence Free slot: again, would deck on sight, but still – amazing character writing, very cool points for Majima’s story

10. Oda

Big oof moment, amaright?..

Such a fascinating character. He's not stereotypical, and has a compelling, layered personality, which is amazing for a gay man in the big hit game. But also. Ooof. Such a big oooof.

But, surprisingly in this day and age, it's not being gay that made him a piece of trash awful man who died. He was all that on his own, it was just his shit finally catching up to him in the end. And the love for Tachibana was actually his saving grace in life, a point of growth as a person (albeit small). So not denying him that, no. Even one-sided, it made him more human.

Idk if writers did all that on purpose, but these points felt very distinct in the story.

It's fascinating how Oda's character is a (terrible) person first, and he just happens to be gay. But also, him being gay is ultimately important. We played y0 before all the gay shows took over the screens, and this storyline hit us like a train. Can tell you a lot about the state of queer media at the time.

– Me, after we've met Oda: hehe, he totally has it for the boss The plot:

– Me, after seeing them interact on screen: hehe, Tachibana is making him suffer :3c Me, when plot: .___.

Evilness: 9.5/10 the 0.5 is from his love for Tachibana Forgetability: -100/10 I lay awake at night thinking about this bitch Iconic level: 1000/5 look at him, man’s shining Free slot: Bidoof

11. Nishitani

Hated him at the start, because he's a creepy cat, because of the noises, and also because of that one slide on the ground with the knife wiggle, you know the one. Unironically love him now, because the world out there is full of far worse people, and he sure did his attempt at surviving it.

(He totally crawled away at the end, no body no finale, I stan by this)

Evilness: 7/10 he's pretty fucked up, ngl, bringing corpses to Majima like a stray cat Forgetability: -10/10 lives rent free in everyone's head Iconic level: 9/10 man's been on the screen the least but made an impression of a lifetime (on all of us, and on Majima) Free slot: yet another normal cat that everyone think is a "mad dog"; honorary Knife Guy

12. Dojima

Organized a wholeass hunt for Kiryu, got Makoto shot, planned a big power grab, put it all on the table… and lost it all. To Sera.

Respecting him for the effort, he didn't let us rest once. Not respecting what his drinking (and other life choices) made him into later, but even before that I struggle to see what Yayoi saw in him. Apart from maybe her being a young girl from a yakuza family that arranged a political marriage for her when she wasn't even 20 yet. And there is a story here that can be very interesting, like, did you know that (according to rggo) at this exact time Sera was a student that was often arrested on protests? In this essay I will-

Evilness: solid 8/10 he do be scheming Forgetability: 1/10 dragon of who, you say? (Kiryu is very much the dragon of Daigo by this point, but yeah) Iconic level: 5/10 dressed good and has big presence, but derails down the line to a total (not hot) mess, so no respect Free slot: you know, right? Daigo is totally Seras' so- *gets gutted by Yayoi*

13. Knife guy

When Kiryu went through his (and ours) first Long Building™️ to get to the (first) fight with Kuze, we encountered Him. The guy with the knife.

It was already tough going through room after room of generic enemies when Kiryu wasn't that strong yet, and we weren't that skilled with the controls. And the Knife Guy was the first recurring enemy, a small mini-boss with a stabby knife that would bleed us dry and leave us savescumming. And he kept coming back. Again, and again, and again, and-

Before Kuze. Before Majima Everywhere. Before everything. There was an unkillable lil freak with a knife that just wouldn't quit until you literally threw him out of the 2nd floor window.

And I think it's beautiful.

Evilness: 5/10 man’s just doing his yakuza job, and doing it well Forgettability: -10000000000/10 who could ever forget this man the- *checks notes on the hand* Tomoda Iconic level: ∞-1/10 there is a knife guy shape forever imprinted in our hearts but there is still free room left, because Free slot: in this world only Majima surpasses him, because Majima is, of course, The Ultimate Knife Guy

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thorarms · 7 days

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Thor is banished, stripped of his powers, and forced to live in Midgard for many years. What kind of life do you think Thor would built on Earth?

Aaaaaa this is such a fun question!!

Short answer is im not so sure lol

Longer more rambling answer full of personal headcanons under the cut :)

I mean, i presume this is after loki visits thor on earth and lies to him about frigga forbidding him from returning. Im also working under the assumption that thor doesnt actually hear from anyone from his old life again, because adding them in doesnt really feel in the spirit of the question imo.

Short term we know from canon that he feels directionless and initially focuses his energy on helping jane with her research. Thors a smart guy, and could probably help jane fill in some of the blanks in her research before she has observational evidence of like, asgard existing.

I think initally he would crash with jane, and would look into getting his own place, probably in new mexico because he's started making connections there.

Personally i headcanon that thors lightning powers manifest as a sixth sense, in that he would be able to sense electricity around him (kind of like how some sharks do with ampullae of lorenzini). So i reckon that losing that specific sense would initally be really hard to adjust to, but he would adjust.

*note. This is about where i searched "what is there to do in new mexico" because all i know about the place are it's in a thor movie and the roswell thing happened there also i kinda wanna go hiking and stargazing in new mexico now*

Honestly i think that, early on at least, thor would spend a lot of free time stargazing, partly from homesickness and partly bc apparently new mexicos an amazing place to do that. I think he would spend most nights looking up at the stars wondering if his loved ones are looking down at him.

He would probably initally make ends meet doing some sort of manual labour, maybe something with horses. He might not have asgardian strength anymore but hes still a pretty big guy. He could probably still tame a wild horse if he really wanted to (i dont know how strong you have to be to do that).

In terms of like, long term life goals, im not entirely sure. Thors entire life up to this point was about assuming the throne, and now he has to not only let the past 1000 years ago, he has to build an entire new life from the ground up. I think what would be especially challenging is the lack of time (assuming he's been turned mortal and only has like 50-60 years left). I think that realisation would force him to look inwards and figure out what he really wants in life.

To me, thor at his core is a good man. He likes helping people. He needs that sense of purpose. I think he would end up building quite a charitable life for himself. Maybe he moves, maybe he stays in new mexico, truly i have no idea. But i think at the core of his life is the need to do honest, meaningful work that benefits people.

I hope you find this an interesting answer! It feels like such a ramble of ideas (truly my brain is not working today i cant organise my ideas for shit rn). This was really fun to think about i spent a lot of time in work thinking about this, tysm for asking this!! :)

#ask #obviously loki doesn't really feature in this bc the whole idea is thor never sees his family again #but personally id headcanon that loki absolutely keeps tabs on thor and his new life #and very occasionally interfers in a way thor cant notice

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l-carlyle · 1 year

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Lockwood & Co. feature on the January 2023 Issue of the SFX Magazine

I'll put the text under the break if anyone can't access the photos :-)

"JOE CORNISH IS HAUNTED. NOT BY ANY BONE chilling apparition or plate-flinging poltergeist but by a time. A vanished age, of strange torments and diabolical dread.

“This is a world of draughty houses and windows that don’t quite close properly and creaky floorboards and clicking pipes,” he tells SFX, smiling over a Zoom connection. “The world I remember from my childhood, before double-glazing and insulation!”

Welcome to the phantom-infested Britain of Lockwood & Co. It’s a little like the 1970s, only even weirder. Adapted from the popular series of books by Jonathan Stroud, this new Netflix offering pits swashbuckling teens against the unquiet dead in a London spilling over with paranormal activity. Even the local A-Z, you strongly suspect, drips with ectoplasm.

ANATOMY OF A GHOST “I love supernatural stories,” says Cornish, who serves as lead writer and director on the eight-part series, “and it’s unusual to find a story where the science of ghosts has been so thoughtfully defined. There’s a broad set of rules for ghosts that most stories adhere to, but there’s not really an almost Darwinesque analysis of different types of ghosts, different species, different behaviours, a taxonomy.

“The idea that they can kill you by touching you completely changes the dynamic of a ghost story, brings it into the action-adventure realm. So you get everything great about a ghost story but these other genre elements really take it into a new place. “On top of that you’ve got terrific worldbuilding. This takes place 50 years into a ghost epidemic, and the world has really changed because of it. Different economics and different social structures have emerged. Because young people are more sensitive to the supernatural, which is a classic trope in ghost stories, it’s extrapolated into this world where young people are employed by massive adult-run agencies to detect and fight ghosts. “So it’s a pretty amazing bit of thinking, based on a very attractive set of genre ideas that have been around for ages but have never really been reinvented in such a clever way.”

It’s a more analogue world, where technological progress stuttered. And that’s a premise that appeals to Cornish, who made his name with the hand-tooled, micro-budget joys of The Adam And Joe Show – a pioneering ’90s celebration of geek culture, knocked together from toys, love and cardboard – before promotion to the big screen as director of Attack The Block in 2011.

“The world changed tack when the problem started, because everything that would be regarded as pseudo-science became real science,” he explains. “So the world stopped at the time of Amstrad word processors! “It became a more industrial world, because iron and salt and water can repel ghosts, so suddenly these almost Victorian industries are revived. Also, in a weird parallel way, old things are suddenly scary. Anything with an ancient history is potentially lethal, because it might be the source of a ghost.

“For me it felt like the early ’80s, when I was a teenager, because that was kind of pre-digital. It was a world that still had analogue media and you could buy records and fanzines. There was a world of printed youth culture that existed in a social way, that wasn’t on telephones and computers. You communicated in a much more person-to-person way back then. So that was pleasing for me as well – the series has this kind of retro-contemporary feel to it that’s half modern and half 50 years ago.” The spectral aesthetic in Lockwood & Co also takes inspiration from the past. “We started by looking at Victorian spirit photography. Because photography is pre-digital, it’s chemical, the ghosts feel very different, like a real physical presence. They feel as if they exist in the world of natural physics – we can’t really get away with hiding them.

“In other movies or TV shows you might glimpse a ghost as a jump scare and then it’s gone. Our ghosts are really present, and our characters fight with them, so we had to come up with a design that you could really train the camera on, and involve in an action sequence, and would be able to leap around and dive and swoop and bolt into a corner.

“They’re all made out of smoke, they’re all made out of something ethereal. There are lots of different types in the series, lots of colours and densities and shapes. We tried to get away from super-digital ghosts and make them feel like they could really exist in a science experiment.”

Lockwood & Co looses its phantoms in some genuinely creepy abodes. What’s the secret of bringing a legitimately goosefleshing haunted house to the screen?

“We worked really hard on lighting, and light levels, making sure stuff was legible enough but that you’re also slightly peering into the shadows. I think sound is hugely important, and also silence. A lot of modern media is frightened of silence and when nothing happens that’s often the most interesting moment. We tried not to do too many jump scares. We do one or two, but we try and create an atmosphere of creeping fear rather than give people heart attacks.”

Stroud’s five-novel Lockwood series launched with The Screaming Staircase in 2013 (the TV version adapts this tale but also goes beyond it, Cornish reveals). Its young ghostbusters are Lucy Carlyle, gifted with psychic powers, and Anthony Lockwood, the dashing and enigmatic founder of the only agency to operate without adult supervision. The show captures the dashing spirit of the books, quippy heroes slicing at wraiths with rapiers, but plays things commendably straight.

“It’s a very sincere endeavour,” acknowledges Cornish. “We believe in the characters and we believe in the world. Stuff like this only works if you really commit to it and decide that it’s real. I don’t love shows where the characters are winking at the camera, or there are meta jokes. I want the world to be completely absorbing and credible.

“One of the most important and compelling things for people who love these books is the relationship between Lockwood and Lucy. It’s a relationship that has an enormous fandom – there’s an amazing amount of fan art out there. It’s a sort of unrequited will-they-won’t they relationship. This is a world where young people shoulder an incredibly grave burden, at a time in their life when they shouldn’t be thinking about death, or mortality, all the things that older people have to think about, and yet here they are, armed with weapons, having to fight things that could kill them.

“But then another brilliant thing about the novels is that if you get too depressed you get more vulnerable, so the ghosts can get you if you feel too bleak. So they have to cheer each other up and make quips and jokes, for safety purposes. We just approached the whole thing as if it was completely real.”

Given the rabid fandom, getting the casting of the leads right was crucial. Bridgerton’s Ruby Stokes ultimately won the role of Lucy. “She’s the centre of the story,” Cornish tells SFX. “She’s vulnerable, damaged, kind of abused and exploited as a child, comes from a broken home, has lost her father, yet has incredible gumption and ambition and a very strong sense of self-preservation. “She has this gift that she really doesn’t want, and she packs her bags, runs away from home and sets out to London with no qualifications, nowhere to stay the night. Her powers are an expression of her emotional sensitivity. In the book it’s like teenage emotions are being made into a supernatural power.

“So we just had to find an incredible young actor who felt like she could do it, and who you believed had that inner emotional life. Before I did this I always wondered how castings worked, whether there was some super complicated methodology. But a person just walks into the room and you go, ‘Do I believe that she’s Lucy?’ Ruby was actually one of the first people we saw, and we all just went, ‘Oh, there she is! There’s Lucy Carlyle!’”

Newcomer Cameron Chapman bagged the title role. “Lockwood was much harder, actually,” shares Cornish. “We saw hundreds and hundreds of actors, and Cameron came in pretty late in the day, at the eleventh hour. And that’s equally hard, because he’s got to be sort of handsome and cool and yet really vulnerable and haunted. He’s got to have swagger and braggadocio but also be a bit of a bullshit artist. He’s like a sort of teen entrepreneur. In the ’80s everybody wanted to be a teen entrepreneur, and he’s that made flesh. But he’s also wounded and secretive and has sort of a death wish.

“Cameron had all that. Weirdly, he looks very like the illustrations on the book covers, and he wears that long coat really well. He does the charisma, he does the vulnerability, he’s a bit of a dick – not in real life, in terms of acting! – and then he can be very romantic and swoony. It’s a heck of a part for a young actor.

Out of the three main actors [Ali Hadji-Heshmati plays George, Lockwood’s second-in-command] he’s the guy who really hadn’t been on camera before, but he does an exceptional job.” But while fan approval is vital, even more key is winning the heart and mind of the man who dreamed up Lucy, Lockwood and their spook-riddled world in the first place.

“Jonathan has been very involved from the start,” says Cornish. “I formed a relationship with him in order to get him to give us the rights to the book, and then we’ve let him read every draft of the scripts. He’s come to visit the set, he’s sat down with the actors. He’s really into it and he’s been extraordinarily supportive, but sensibly he said to us, ‘Look, you go and do your thing. I understand this is a different beast, between the page and the screen.’

“But I hope, and I trust, that he has been surprised by how much we’ve just stuck to what he’s done. Because it’s really, really good. He’s provided pretty incredible material.”

Lockwood & Co is on Netflix from 27 January.

#lockwood and co #l&co. netflix #ruby stokes #cameron chapman #ali hadji-heshmati #lucy carlyle #anthony lockwood #george karim

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sadiewayne · 4 months

Text

i want to preface this with a few things

dick grayson is my favourite character. i am not here to slander him or talk bad about those who like him

fanon is what got me into dc. i have grown since and now have a substantial comic collection (at least for the few months i've been collecting). i still enjoy fanon but i am a canon person

with all of that said...

a pointless rant about dick grayson in fanon

sources listed at the bottom

this discourse surrounding dc, the batfam in particular, has really been irking my lately. i don't know why, it just has. i see so much around these characters and the way fans interact with each other here on hellsite and on tiktok (i avoid twitter like middle-aged cis white british dads avoid talking about their feelings) and i just wanna scream about it

the erasure of dick grayson's character

dick grayson isn't a himbo

this is particularly common in fanfictions given that the barrier of entry is non-existent but the idea that dick is a silly, ditzy, idiot that can't cook is arguably the complete opposite of his character

i have a feeling this idea stems from the nature of dick as nightwing, the cracking jokes whilst fighting, the appearance of not taking things seriously (when he in fact does, just not as outwardly as the likes of batman). this in and of itself is ridiculous given that a similar character, peter parker aka spider-man, also crack jokes and honestly is very similar to dick in the way he is as a hero, and yet, for the most part, is still taken seriously and isn't diminished to the same level that dick is

which could come down to public knowledge of the character

let's be honest, the majority of the public could tell you who peter parker is, have probably seen at least one live action iteration of the character, if not all 3 iconic versions (maguire, garfield, holland) most (and please forgive me for using generations) millenials and gen z can define their teen years based on which spider-man was coming out. which they went to the cinema to see. all live-action appearances are:

the amazing spider-man ('77-'79) played by nicholas hammond

spider-man (also japanese spider-man) ('78-'79) played by Shinji Tōdō

spider-man (1, 2, 3)('02, '04, '07) played by tobey maguire

the amazing spider-man (1, 2)('12, '14) played by andrew garfield

spider-man (homecoming, far from home, no way home)('17, '19, '21) played by tom holland

given that dick has just as many live action appearances, stretching back to before spider-man had even debuted in the comics:

the batman serial ('43) played by douglas croft

the batman and robin serial ('49) played by jonny duncan

batman ('66-'68) played by burt ward

batman forever ('95) and Batman & Robin ('97) played by chris o'donnell

titans ('18-'23) played by brenton thwaites

EDIT: in my excitement i never included the first comic appearances of either character. dick debuted on the 6th march 1940 in detective comics #38, peter debuted on 5th june 1962 in amazing fantasy #15

(i am not talking about animated appearances as for both peter and dick they are much less known to the general public than live action)

i'd say i was surprised to see the same number of appearances, but by comparing when the show/movie came out, you can see a clear difference

every live action spider-man project listed has occurred within the past 50 years, with the movies being in relatively consistent from 2002 onwards. dick grayson is more sporadic, 2 appearances in the 40s, again in the 60s, again in the 90s, and finally in the late 10s. no wonder he's less well known when you have to go back to the 90s for a movie version and even then it isn't really dick grayson (in terms of characterisation)

most people can tell you there's batman and robin, and maybe just maybe they can tell you robin is dick grayson, but that's about it. mention nightwing and they blank. and don't even try to tell someone that there's been more that one robin, it won't end well

i can hear people yelling "but dick is a sidekick and peter isn't"

yes, that is true, but dick hasn't been a sidekick since the early 80s, after he'd been around for over 4 decades. that's a pretty old sidekick. but yes, this does hold some merit but given that dick is a lot older it's interesting. and with the most recent live action appearance being titans, a show that spends the first 2 seasons exploring dick's journey from sidekick to standalone hero, it does pose some questions

that was a long tangent to basically say that an equivalent character in personality isn't erased so much in fanfiction because they have more recent and bigger exposure (probably)

also, random, but in my research i came across this list of best teen heroes and look

fig 1. image showing spider-man and dick grayson in positions 1 and 2 relatively in a fan voted list of best teen heroes, spider-man having 3446 votes and dick grayson having 3191 votes

anyway, back to the rant

a wayne family adventures (WFA) tangent

i see people blaming WFA for this but i really don't think that is the case. he may not be the same as his comic counterpart but he is not out of character. everything he does is still very much him. examples include:

comforting duke after ana broke up with him (ep. 10)

helping damian make a friend (ep. 24)

being torn between his brothers (ep. 27-28)

teasing bruce after zatanna made him superman (ep. 54)

teasing helena into swapping weapons (ep. 63) i just like this one

organising everyone back to the manor when he realised alfred was left on his own during thanksgiving (ep. 68)

picking the rainbow suit for bruce (ep. 77)

talking to a little girl who just lost her parents (ep. 80-81)

annoying wally (ep. 84) birdflash time

helping duke with the kidnapping threat (ep. 99) also like this one

competing with jason over lian and roy (ep. 108)

making tim do all the work in his apartment (ep. 111) + haley

comforting and helping damian when he doubts himself (ep. 113) arguably my favourite episode

ok that was most of them BUT seriously WFA is not the problem here

there's no "fix" for this, i just wanted to tell people to stop blaming WFA for everything wrong with new comic fans; you can enjoy WFA and enjoy the comics, the aren't mutually exclusive

WFA doesn't erase him, they just choose what to show in the limited time you get with him. the only thing i remember being "wrong" is that dick can't cook (ep. 17 - top chef)

and yeah, WFA does play into the golden retriever vibes fanon dick has... in one episode, specifically the haley episode (ep. 111) see below. if it takes 111 episodes to fall on a fanon trope, i think that is fine. if you want to include ep. 17, that's 2 episodes out of 116! that's pretty good going. even the comics have more ooc moments (see the current nightwing run)

fig. 2 screenshot from wayne family adventures showing dick grayson smiling and saying "thank you" whilst a tail wags in the background

fanfiction

unsurprisingly, fanfiction is probably to blame but don't think i'm blaming authors (i kinda am but stick with me here)

i don't think writing a comic canon charatcer should be required, but i do think writers should disclose when they haven't read the comics. from experience, i get not annoyed, but have a "ugh" moment when i read a fic and the character is ooc, but if the author has stated in the notes that they haven't read a comic and the character is probably ooc, i am still going to read the fic

ooc or not, if a fic has a decent plot, at least 6th grade (UK year 7) level writing, and not "want to punch them in the face" characters, i'll enjoy it. throw in a popular trope and it'll be a favourite

and if you tell people "hey, this is probably ooc from the comic canon" they can't get mad or blame authors... just saying

i mean the whole reason this is "the problem" is that people get mad over ooc in fan works. like i'm sorry, have you read gotham war?!?!? the current nightwing run?!?!? lots of ooc in the comics themselves

tl;dr

fanfiction is the root of all evil

no, but seriously, dick's, mis-characterisation is a product of his prevalence in media, the material people have, and a lack of disclaiming ooc in fanfics. the last point could be a solution, but honestly expecting fanfic authors to do that is ridiculous

this rant was for nothing, hope you enjoyed wasting your time

i did tell you it was pointless

(i should've called this section a conclusion bc the word count is 1559 and that is insane. it's literally longer than the essay i have due in next week that i'm only half way through)

(also, this was supposed to be the first part of a longer post about how dick is over-sexualised but at that word count i'm splitting it up)

sources

list of live action dick grayson

list of live action spider-man actors

used for dates of spider-man films in the correct order

wayne family adventures

#dick grayson #nightwing #robin #dc robin #richard grayson #dc comics #dc #comics #batman #batman: wayne family adventures #wayne family adventures #i don't know what else to tag this with #i don't want to spam other batfam characters #oh yeah #batfam #batfamily #those two will do #sadies dick grayson #that one is just so i can have it show up on my specific dick grayson posts page

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melis-writes · 2 months

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Please, spill some tea on Al’s relationships. 😭 Someone on quora has said Diane is painting herself as the victim while we don’t know his perspective, that she is the one who never had a long term and stable relationship while her exes went on to have their own families. And I’m like… dude… Al Pacino has kids but he sure hasn’t had a stable relationship with anyone, lol.

AH HELL NO, NO BULLSHIT ABOUT DIANE LIKE THAT >:( Also incredibly mean and more than likely untrue lmao like we need to automatically take Al's side on what happened in their relationship? 👀 I mean really, it was a private relationship between two adults that started like ~50 years ago, so based on what's publicly out there, I know that...

Diane said on the Ellen show she had quite a few relationships that lasted "about 5 years". She also said no man she ever dated proposed to her, which is why she didn't end up married. I actually ended up finding out that Warren Beatty did in fact propose to Diane but she said no. I found on this article a reason why, which is Diane wanting to focus on her career, but I can't find the original source I read it on which didn't state a reason--just simply that Diane didn't want to marry him. I read that this happened during the filming of a movie they had together and as a result, Warren made Diane rehearse a scene (or something) again and again on purpose to take his frustration out on her. Again, don't know if this is true or not, just what I read!

Also, to assume that someone hasn't had stable relationships because they never married or have children is such utter bullshit.

Y'all wanna talk about unstable relationships? Let's talk about Al Pacino real quick. 😂

Al's first mentioned gf was Jill Clayburgh, an actress and I believe they got together around 1967. The broke up a short while after TFG released. Al talked about wanting to marry her and have kids in the future but what did he do? He told her he was in love with another woman and left her just like that.

We know how on and off Al was with Diane and how that one ended. What I still can't find any info on or make sense of is them breaking up in 1990, but no mentions of breakups in 1988 or 1989, but Al having a child in 1989 with someone else? Sheesh.

There was an interview Al and Marthe Keller did together around the Bobby Deerfield days. Marthe was almost describing what kind of wedding/wedding gown she would want to wear. She was saying no pressure on marriage/kids, and the interview described Al as being quiet, awkward and not saying anything. Marthe was head over heels, swooning a whole paragraph about how amazing Al was and he said nothing. All he did was smile awkwardly. They broke up later down the line of course, and Marthe I believe kept one of his mugs he drank out of.

I'd recommend reading "A Life on the Wire" for all the Al relationship tea, let me tell you that. Personally from what I've read in it, "unstable" doesn't even begin to cover it lmfao. Cut Diane some slack, y'all. 😭

#al pacino #diane keaton

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hotvintagepoll · 24 days

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Propaganda

Ava Gardner (The Killers, The Barefoot Contessa)— She's so goddamn hot. Her and Frank Sinatra could've sandwiched me and I would've thanked them for the privilege

Jean Seberg (Breathless, Saint Joan)— Some of us watched À bout de souffle as a lil French undergrad and had the trajectory of our lives changed by Jean Seberg. She IS French new wave!! She is the moment!! She sadly had to work with a lot of shitty directors in her career but even so, she has this magnetic energy whenever she’s on screen. In her personal life, she was also very supportive of civil rights causes, and was even targeted/harassed by the FBI for financially supporting the Black Panther Party.

This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Ava Gardner:

Ava Gardner is one of my favorite actresses of all time. Although a lot of her roles in movies are about her being beautiful and nothing else, there are some films where her acting truly shines.

Gifset: https://www.tumblr.com/pelopides/721438308726603776/ava-gardner-as-pandora-reynolds-pandora-and-the

Gifset 2: https://www.tumblr.com/portraitoflestatonfire/731899355804598272/if-the-loustat-reunion-doesnt-look-like-this-then

HER FACE. LOOK AT IT. Also was a life long supporter of civil rights and a member of the NAACP, had lots of fun love affairs with other stars, bullfighters, married several times but was also happy in between to just have lovers and was unapologetically herself.

I literally gasp every time I see her.

Between 1942 and 1964, Ava Gardner was credited in no less 50 films, and is still considered by some to be the most beautiful actresses that ever graced the silver screen. Despite life-long insecurities regarding her talent as an actress, she weathered public scandal, industry hostility, and outright condemnation by the Catholic Church with fearless grace. She would later in life talk candidly about the reality and pain of living through two (studio approved!!) abortions during her short marriage to Frank Sinatra, and while the two of them could not make their relationship work, they remained in each other’s lives for nearly 30 years. She would forever describe herself as a small-town girl who just got lucky, but always felt like a beautiful outsider.

Really genuinely one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever seen. An autodidact. Had amazing chemistry with Gregory Peck to the point where I do think about watching On The Beach again sometimes because they're so good together even though that movie did destroy me. Was a great femme fatale in many movies.

Jean Seberg:

anyone who plays Joan of Arc is kind of hot by default tbh

she's gorgeous, she's cool, she has the original blond pixie cut

She donated a lot of her money to civil rights organizations such as the NAACP and the black panther party as well as Native American school groups, as a result of this the fbi ran a smear campaign against her and a surveillance campaign which is thought to have led to her suicide tragically.

idk if this is propaganda but the COINTELPRO and the FBI are widely blamed for her death. If the FBI was after her for supporting the Black Panther Party you know she was good

#jean seberg #ava gardner #hotvintagepoll #fuck that old woman #ladies 2

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themousefromfantasyland · 6 months

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Journey Across the Disneyverse: Final Day

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, I'm rewatching some of my favorite films from the studio.

Today, I'm cheating. These aren't WDAS, but use so many tropes and cliches from classics of the studio, that they are a perfect way to celebrate the anniversary of the studio and of the whole company.

1 - Enchanted (2007)

I love, love this film.

I love how the animated sequences emulate perfectly the Disney movies from the 30's/40's, and 50's. I could watch a entire movie sorely in this style.

Andalasia is the perfect Disney kingdom. It's so charming, vibrant and colorful. I would give everything to jump right there and marry a prince. Let's say, I always envied Idina Menzel's character in this.

Giselle is the perfect protagonist and perfect Disney princess. She combines the best characteristics of princesses of every age. She is optimistic, cheerful, kind, spunky, curious. I love how even when she sees the worst parts of the real world, she is still amazed and full of wonderlust.

The shot of Queen Narissa as a dragon, on top of the skyscraper during the stormy night, stayed with me for years. It's the coolest shot of any fairy tale movie.

2 - Disenchanted (2022)

Not as great as the first one, and feels more like a made for tv movie, but it's still a great sequel and very enjoyable movie.

I love how in the first movie, it was the fairy tale characters going into the real world, but this one is all about the real world slowly transforming into a fairy tale world.

The setting of Monrolasia is so perfectly Disney that you get sad when the wish is undone and the world goes back to normal.

The sequence of the kitchen appliances dancing and singing is exactly how I imagine the world of Disney cartoons would look like in the present day.

Amy Addams playing a villainous Giselle is the best part, and already enough justification for this movie to be made. Maya Rudolph as Malvina Monroe also steals the show. If you're still in doubt if this movie is this worthy watching, their interaction during Badder is absolutely that you need.

youtube

@ariel-seagull-wings @thealmightyemprex @tamisdava2 @thelittlehansy @natache @the-blue-fairie @princesssarisa @mask131 @the-gentile-folklorist

#disney #journey through the disneyverse #disney 100 #Youtube

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djservo · 4 months

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cutting it soo close to the wire oopsie but i'm here!! 2023 is out, 2024 is in. also in: your december reading update? did you hit 50 books read? what are your 2024 reading goals, anything that suprised you about your 2023 reading other than falling in love with Dennis Cooper?

I read 12 books last month man it was a blur!!

ok there's just too many for me to indulge in any rambling so I'm gonna try and keep things short n sweet

Nana Vol. 1-3 by Ai Yazawa - I was never really into manga growing up but this is like exactly the type of story and style I wanna wrap myself up in always!! so much fun!! the rumors are true, I love a roommate story!!! I read each one in a single sitting so I wanna pace myself thru the rest of the series so that I don't spoil + finish it all at once </3

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury - honestly not as fantastical as I was expecting for some reason but it reminded me of Coraline which was fun! I could see Neil Gaiman getting inspo from this (edit: literally just looked it up and yes Gaiman indeed cites him as a direct influence yup yup)

Out of Time by Samira Azzam - something almost Steinbeck-like in these vignettes of everyday life in a very culturally-specific way that I really enjoy. really insightful introduction that mentioned how although most her stories didn't explicitly mention Palestine, they still were recognizable as a Palestinian existence + therefore shaped a sort of Palestinian consciousness for readers that were often blocked from accessing their own culture in academic settings

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison - I can't believe it took me this long to read something by Toni Morrison / that I never read her in any English classes?? like she seems so foundational to the grand scheme of American literature.... ridiculous! so phenomenal and gripping and darker than I expected. not just an engrossing story but also a really intentional and haunting use of language that really sinks you into that world/shifting perspectives

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat - this is like the only Palestinian book my local library has (shameful!) so I checked it out on a whim and was so surprised at what an amazing memoir this is!!! touching and vibrant and left me so eager to read her follow-up memoir based around her teenage years. I feel like this is a great introduction to Palestinian literature in general bc while it does (obviously) tie in the history and reality of occupation, the amount of love & detail given to the everyday things - merely going to school or playing with her brothers - was so enlightening and relatable

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris - the first/main story, SantaLand Diaries, is still one of my favorites - I love stories about odd jobs + boy does Sedaris have so many tales to tell about those!! reread this in one sitting before I sent it off to a friend who seems to find herself in a new odd job each year so I figured she'd resonate

Gaza in Crisis and On Palestine by Noam Chomsky & Ilan Pappé, edited by Frank Barat - 2 separate books but I'll talk about them together since they're companion pieces. surprisingly accessible, probably due to the format of essays mixed with interviews. On Palestine echoed a lot of the sentiments of Gaza in Crisis so I'd recommend On Palestine for a sort of "updated" version (and in my opinion, more thorough). a good stepping stone for some of the meatier/more history-dense books on my TBR

Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel - yknow the thing about recipe bloggers who will intersperse their super personal life story into the recipe? this is like a whole book of that it's kinda iconic... honestly a little juvenile and ridiculous at times but I had a fun + have made hot chocolate every single day since reading this which literally wasn't even one of the recipes included/the title itself comes from like 1 short part towards the end but still... Ms. Esquivel's impact... the movie adaptation was really well done too, captured the magical realism surprisingly well without making things look hokey + Man I just love food in film!!!

Good Sense & the Faithless by Michelle T. Clinton - beautiful sexy thoughtful angry hopeful healing.... I really love her and I'm glad I ended the year with this!!

YES I surpassed by goal which honestly did surprise me bc if you recall I sliced my 50 down to 36 a few months ago because 50 didn't seem feasible at the time, but I guess the lesson is to never underestimate winter reading!! still I'm playing it safe and declaring 40 as my 2024 goal... for now.... a few weeks ago I made a little reading syllabus for the year where each month is a different theme (except for january + august to give myself some time to get the wiggles/impulsive reads out ya know) and I mostly sourced from books I already own or books in my TBR so I'm really excited to have more structure to my reads + actually get through some of the books in my ever-growing TBR!! shameful and embarrassing that it's nearly at 1k books like GOD just READ them, woman!!! I think I'm also surprised at how many graphic novel collections I read (3!) which maybe shouldn't be that surprising bc I always have a good time with graphic novels but I think these particular reads opened the door to a buncha different authors and artists and literary circles which ofc I'm always grateful for! yay reading!!

#asks #cheesehair #reads

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timingmatters · 1 year

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My villain origin story is that there’s legitimate issues with the teen wolf’s movie’s writing (apart from a race issue by the movie revolving around Japanese lore and no Japanese character) yet everyone shuts it down by saying “you are just a stiles fanboy shut up” (which btw i think someone purposely misgendered me???? But idc) or “the writing of the show was never top tier anyways” bc like

1) idc for dylan that much tbh???? Of course i wanted stiles but the movie could have been fine without him. He is however still a core character. They fucked up all his dynamics and it felt more like a punishment to his character for dylan not coming back rather than good writing. Because why did scott, his brother, the MAIN relationship of this show, never even addressed him????? Why are we expected to believe he let lydia go even tho she still loves him?????? How does he not know derek and his child when his dad still lives there, he just never visits his dad????? Thats fucking ridiculous ???? They could have just said lydia told him to focus on work and not come back in order to avoid getting his possessed again and not relive his biggest trauma. And that would have been good enough??? And have eli know him because is such bs that stiles doesn’t visit his father???? And have scott simply saying “i just talked to stiles on the phone. Told him we were good. Didn’t want to worry him” like BARE MIN THEY DIDNT NEED DYLAN THERE. But fucking up ALL his dynamics and relationships when he is a core character in order also kinda fucks up all the other characters and is BS???

2) the og show was never top tier writing, but if the potential was always at a 50% then the movie has to have that or more. Not less. And it gave less. It was a mess so obviously ppl will have critics of it regardless of Dylan’s character being there or not.

3) character wise no one benefitted from this movie except scott and allison, and not even because scott WHO IS THE MAIN CHARACTER barely touched on any other dynamic that wasn’t allison. Which is ridiculous.

4) whole thing is on Japanese lore on a character that ON THE SHOW comes from a concentration camp and created by kira’s mom, yet kira is never mentioned, and there’s absolutely no Japanese character or kitsune being relevant to the story. Which is bs??? Like Liam’s gf is there for 2 seconds and not relevant whatsoever.

5) which brings me to, liam and mason??? Why are they there??? Both of them and liam’s gf are literally so irrelevant???? They are just there to say they brought them back????????? Which is a shame bc so much could have been done???????

6) malia is literally stuck in life and that wasn’t even a plot????? She wears the exact same outfits from high school and in a relationship with a grown man who has known her since she was a minor and he wasn’t (side eye) and her character never goes through any sort of arc to realize she wants more???????????? Her character was already done dirty in s6 and this even more????? Girl came to the world in s3 after being stuck as an animal and never grew out of HS and thats!??? Never addressed??????

7) derek’s arc was shit??? All he did pass down his family trauma (seeing them burn) to his son. And why is eli’s happy ending that he got adopted by scott and allison??? WHERE IS HIS MOTHER??? HIS AUNT CORA????? Allison just came back to the world she should barely get in a relationship when mentally she doesn’t know life outside of HER JUNIOR YEAR OF HS. LET ALONE BE MOTHER TO A HIGH SCHOOLER????!!!?????

I could literally keep going????? It feels like character wise this movie was a set back and a fuck up of all characters and all dynamics rather than something to push the story forward. So yes. It was AWFUL writing. Regardless if Dylan was there or not. They could have done amazing without dylan still but they didn’t. They focused more only of the allison x scott ship and punishing dylan by fucking up his character.

All that said the acting (of most) is still really good!! So it makes sense some people enjoyed it. There’s angst, fave nostalgic characters coming back, and good chemistry/acting between them. But for people (like me) that wanted something for the characters it wasn’t good. Its stupid to try shutting down valid criticism by saying “you are just a dylan fanboy” because that also implies ignoring the whole issue with kira and racism too.

Reminds me of a post i saw here saying “the teen wolf fandom kinda deserved better but they have also always been super racist so maybe they don’t” the day the movie came out and shdjjdjd sad bc i want better but is kinda true😭 y’all either completely ignoring the real life issue with arden and the show taking japan culture while simultaneously fucking up their asian characters to benefit the white ones, or completely ignore the real issues with writing and say “fuck scott” to put stiles in a pedestal when in reality lil brown scott is as essential to the franchise as stiles. BOTH are the core of the show. And you can keep the core without the actor by at least addressing him, not trying to push him out like the movie intended. Aaaah i have so much shit to say and complain about but whatever. Shit is not canon to me either ways. Just gonna hope for better for wolf pack bc it looks promising. Altho kinda hesitating about wanting to give jeff davis my coins tbh.

#teen wolf #teen wolf movie #scott mccall #stiles stilinski #lydia martin #stydia #sciles

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neurodivergent-fox-demon · 14 days

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Stackson Week Day 3

The Bleeding Hearts Club

Rating: mature

Other tags: trans lydia, Derek Hale/ Lydia Martin, Isaac Lahey/Scott Mccall/Allson Argent , Peter Hale/Chris Argent, Minor Character Death

triggers: fighting, drug use

Please let me know if I need to add any more tags.

Archive of Our Own

Chapter 3: Crime and Punishment

Stiles sighed as he rang Isaac’s door bell. Derek answered the door and he smiled. “Hey, big guy. It’s been a while.”

“It’s been like three days since you ruined Chris’s salad, trying to derail the entire dinner.” Derek sighed, rolling his eyes. “What do you want, Stiles? Isaac is out with Allison and Scott.”

Stiles checked his watch and sighed. “Oh shit. I guess I’m a little early. I told him that I was going to come over after my date.”

Derek snorted. “You went on a date?” He opened the door wide enough for the kid to enter the house. “Come on. He should be home any moment.”

“Yeah, I went to a movie with Jackson.” Stiles stepped into the hall and began making his way to the living room. It was alright, I guess.”

Derek raised a brow as he followed the younger man. “Jackson? The nerd you tripped at the party and then got into a fist fight with?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Now, that is a trip.”

Stiles scowled at him. “Don’t start with me. It was just a movie. We saw Camille Claudel and talked for a little while. It was nice, I guess.”

Derek sighed, sitting on the couch. “That’s cool. I got the impression that you hated the guy.” Derek smiled at him. “It’s good you had a nice time. I’m sorry that I haven’t been there for you the last couple years.”

“It’s alright. I haven’t exactly let you. I think I felt like if you all saw me upset, you’d try to fix me. I did not want to be fixed.” He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Derek before lighting his own.

Derek took a cigarette and stole Stiles’s to light it. “You’re still an asshole but that is our job, Stiles.” he chuckled and wrapped his arm around his friend’s shoulder. His phone went off and he pulled it out to check his messages. “Looks like Isaac is going to stay at Scott’s tonight.”

Stiles groaned, throwing his head back. “I really don’t want to think about the crazy three way sex they are probably having.” He chuckled, staring at Derek. “Want to get high? I have some great pot in the jeep.”

Derek laughed. “Yeah, sure. It’s been a while since we just hung out.” He took a drag from his cigarette and sighed. “As long as it’s just a joint or two. I’m not doing anything else stronger. I hate that you do that other shit.

Stiles groaned. “It numbs the pain a little bit, Derek. I do not want to talk about it.” He got up and ran to the jeep to get the bag of joints. He returned and sat next to Derek and handed him the bag.

“You have like 50 joints in here, Stiles. Who sells you this crap?” Derek sighed as he lit one and handed it to Stiles. “You have got to learn the meaning of moderation.” He chuckled, shaking his head.

“You won’t get a word out of me. I tell you, I lose my supply, and he gives me an amazing discount.” Stiles took a drag, slumping on the couch. “Let’s forget about it.”

Derek nodded. “So… Jackson?”

Stiles groaned. “Or we could talk about Levi.” He smirked at his friend.

Derek glared at him. “No. Jackson.” He growled, taking his own drag.

Stiles sighed, rolling his eyes. “What is there to know? We had coffee, went to a movie, kissed, and I said goodnight.”

Derek hummed, nodding. “Oh, you kissed him. Are you going to see him again?”

“It really depends on what you mean by seeing him. I’m not sure. He is my tutor and i;m supposed to meet him before forensics tomorrow.” He licked his lips and sighed. “I am not sure if we’ll go on another date. I’m not exactly sure I’m good enough to date a rich kid.” Stiles chuckled. “Tonight’s date kind of cleaned me out. I’ve kind of got $5 left.”

Derek raised a brow at him. “Well for one, you could stop buying all the drugs and that would help.” He laughed softly. “You’d be a great guy, if you gave yourself a chance. You were always the best of us. Why did you let yourself change?”

Stiles cursed. “You know exactly why, Derek.” He stood, pacing the room. “I do not deserve to be happy. I don’t deserve to forget what I did to Erica, but maybe I can make the pain go away for a few moments a day.”

Derek stood and placed his hands on Stiles’s shoulders. “I am sick of watching this pity party. I stuck around long enough for Levi. He loves you and I stayed quiet because he did not want to hurt you, but you need to realize that you are the only one who blames yourself. It was a bloody accident, Stiles. It’s not like you bloody pushed Erica off that cliff.”

Stiles ripped himself away from him. “I took her up there Derek.” He growled and stepped closer to him. “We would not… none of us would have been up there if I had not insisted on it.” Logicly he knew that he should not blame himself, but he was having trouble internalizing the concept. “Derek, you just don’t get it. She was your sister. Why don’t you hate me?”

Derek groaned, running a hand over his face. “Because accidents happen. Maybe I blamed you for like five minutes, but I was angry.” He stared at him sadly. I don’t need to lose another brother, and that is what will happen if you continue down this path.”

Stiles nodded and wiped away his tears. “I’m going to lose you anyway because you are not going to let Levi go to Brown without you.” He shook his head. “I love you man, but I cannot handle this right now.” He pulled him into a hug. “I’ll call you.” He did not wait for Derek to answer before running out the door and driving away.

Derek sighed as he ran after him and watched him leave. He picked up the phone and called his father. “Sheriff?”

Noah smiled. “Hey, Derek. How can I help you?”

Derek chewed his lip. “Stiles was just here, but he left really upset. I’m not sure what he is going to do, but I wanted to give you a heads up.”

The sheriff sighed, pinching his nose. “Erica?”

“Yeah, and I think he is starting to realize that we are all leaving. I’m really worried he is going to do something stupid.”

Noah let out a long breath. “I’ll send out a deputy to see if he can find his jeep, but all I can do is wait. Thank you for calling, Derek. I thought he would have gone straight home after his date.”

Derek nodded. “Yeah, he came over to talk to Isaac, but Isaac was with Scott. It’s a bloody mess.”

Noah chuckled. “Alright. I’ll call you if I hear from him.”

“Thank you, Sheriff.” Derek sighed, hanging up the phone.

📚

Stiles banged on the door, crying. Peter opened and stared at him. “Hey, kid. What is going on?” He opened the door and grabbed his arm, dragging him to his office. “It is almost midnight, and you’re going to wake the neighbors.”

Stiles fumbled after him and wiped his eyes. “I need a pick me up, Peter.” He looked around the house and made an umph sound as he was thrown into a chair in the office. “Do you have some angel dust or some molly?” He hiccuped, wiping his eyes.

Peter leaned against his desk watching him. Stiles had pulled him from bed and he was in nothing but his boxers. “First, tell me what happened.”

“I went on a date.” Stiles glared at him. “I’m kind of broke, so I’ll have to pay you next week.”

Peter raised a brow at him. “Dates don’t usually end in tears like this. Was it really that terrible?” He walked around the desk and began looking through the drawers. “It’s on me, this time, but you have to help me grade essays tomorrow.”

Stiles shook his head. “No, the date was fantastic, but I went to Isaac's to tell him about it. He was off with Scott, so I had to talk to Derek…”

“Stop right there. I’ve got the picture.” He tossed him a bag with 5 pills. “So a date. This is a first for you.”

Stiles shrugged. “Well, Jackson and I-“

Peter coughed, choking on air. “Wait, you and Jackson? That kid you got into a fight with, in my driveway, just this weekend?”

Stiles shrugged, placing one of the pills in his mouth. “Yeah, We decided to go see a movie. I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve already decided I won’t be seeing him again.” He sighed and bit his lip. “Though, that was a really great kiss.”

Peter nodded, raising an eyebrow at him. “Kid, you are crazy. You are punching a guy one night and kissing him the next. Are you going to fuck him tomorrow?”

Stiles glared at him. “What do you take me for? So, I’ve had a few sexual partners, but I actually don’t want to hurt Jackson like that.” He leaned his head back, letting the drug take effect. “Can I just sleep here?”

Peter patted his shoulder. “Sure kid. I’ll make the couch up for you.”

Stiles sighed, yawning. “What did you give me?”

“Stop taking things from me without asking, It’s called lunesta. It’s a sleeping pill.” Peter sighed, helping him to the office couch. He knew the kid was hurting, but all he needed was some sleep.

Stiles whimpered, laying on the couch. “You’re so fucking evil, Peter.” He sighed as he began drifting to sleep.

“Yeah, I know, kid. See you in class tomorrow.” He turned off the lights and watched Stiles for a moment before going back to bed.

📚

Jackson sighed, sitting across from Levi at the café. “Good morning.” He sipped his latte and smiled sadly.

Levi looked up from his homework and frowned. “What is wrong? You have never looked less put together.” He pushed his laptop to the side so he could give the other man his full attention.

Jackson groaned. “Have you heard from Stiles?” He chewed on his lip. “We went out a week ago, but he has been skipping our tutoring sessions all week and… Did I do something wrong?”

Levi chewed his lip and reached over for his hand. “Did you try calling him?”

Jackson shook his head. “He did not give me his number. I don’t want to seem to be desperate anyway. If he doesn’t want to talk to me, that’s fine, but I just wish he would let me know that.”

Levi shook his head. “Peter said that he has been having some trouble. I’m sure he is just… I’m not really sure what to say here, Jackson. Stiles is great at pushing people away. Give him time. You really like him, huh?”

Jackson nodded, looking at the table. “I thought our date had gone very well, and now he is completely avoiding me. Maybe I came on too strong.”

Levi smiled at him. “Well, I have yet to hear about this date. Tell me about it.”

Jackson tried to smile but it was a little hard. “Well, he took me to this little theater and we watched a French movie. Afterwards we went back to my dorm and he kissed me… twice.” He blushed and sipped his coffee.

Levi smiled softly. “Stiles hates foreign films. He has to like you if he sat through that.” He gripped his hand. “How were the kisses?”

“I felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest.” Jackson chuckled softly. “I thought he really liked them too, but I guess he decided differently.

Levi nodded. “Give him time. How about I talk to him for you?”

Jackson shook his head. “You don’t have to do that. I just wish he would come back to our tutoring sessions. I don’t want him to fail just because of a bad date.”

Levi shrugged. “I don’t know. He hasn’t even been showing up to class. If we can't get him to go back, he won’t pass with or without your help.”

Jackson looked up at him, shocked. “He’s skipping classes too?” He shook his head, pulling at his hair. “What is he thinking? Is he alright? Dammit.”

Levi cringed and let out a long breath. “Honestly, we really don’t know where he is. He fell asleep on Peter’s couch Monday night and when Peter got up Tuesday, he was gone.”

Jackson growled at him. “And why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

Levi shrugged. “I was kind of hoping I would not have to. He has been texting his father and me. So we know he is alright, but he is refusing to tell us where he is. Peter suspects that he is on a bender.”

Jackson shook his head. “He could get himself hurt.”

Levi chewed his lip, trying not to cry. “He’s been gone all week and I’m so worried, but We don’t want to push, or he might not come back. I don’t know what else to do. He turns 18 tomorrow and it is not like we can force him to come back.”

Jackson nodded. “Give me his number. Maybe I can talk to him. Hopefully, he will answer. I did give him my number.”

Levi nodded and grabbed a napkin. She wrote down Stiles’s number. “If you find him, please call me. Tell him that we are all worried about him.”

Jackson nodded, running his fingers through his hair. “I’m ahead in my classes. I can take a couple days off to look for him.” Jackson took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to bring my whining to you. I really had no idea, and I was feeling sorry for myself.”

Levi shook his head. “No, I should have told you Stiles was missing.”

Jackson nodded. “Has the sheriff tried tracking his phone?”

“Kind of. Stiles kind of keeps his phone off a lot of the time. We’re not exactly sure when the best time would be to try to track it.”

Jackson groaned. “How the hell am I supposed to call him?”

Levi shrugged. “You’re guess is as good as mine. Just try. I’ll keep trying as well, hopefully one of us will get through.”

Jackson nodded, getting up from the table. Stiles Stilinski was going to be the death of him.

📚

“‘Ello.” Jackson let out a relieved sigh, hearing Stiles’s voice on the other side of the line. He had been calling and searching for the other man for five days now and everyone was becoming more and more desperate.

“Stiles! It’s Jackson. Please don’t hang up on me.” Jackson cried into the phone. “Where are you?”

Stiles groaned and sat up. He looked around the room, letting out a long sigh. “I’m not really sure.” He rubbed his eyes and stood up. It looked like he was in a hotel room but he wasn’t sure where he had gotten the money to pay for one. “I just… Why do you sound so upset?”

“You’ve been missing for 10 days, Stiles. Everyone is going nuts.” Jackson bit his lip. “I just want to know that you’re okay.”

Stiles looked out the window and groaned. “Looks like I’m in London. I’m fine, if not a little hung over.” He ran his hand through his hair and cringed at how much he smelled. “Let me shower and I’ll head back to Beacon Hills.”

Jackson nodded. “Levi and I will meet you at your father’s.”

Stiles cursed. He was not prepared to listen to his father yell at him for disappearing, as he did. “Yeah, I’ll see you later.” He grumbled and closed his eyes, trying to collect himself. “Hey, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, Stiles. I’m just glad that you are okay. We’ve all been going around the bend with worry for you.” Jackson smiled. “See you in a few hours.”

“Yes, No more of this partying, I guess.” Stiles sighed and hung up the phone. He stared around the room for a moment before going to shower. He could not believe that he had been gone for 10 days. His father was going to be so pissed at him.

📚

Noah sighed, pacing his living room. “What did he say?”

Jackson chewed on his lip, twisting his hands in his lap. “That he was in London, and that he was going to shower before heading back to Beacon Hills. I don’t think he even remembers what he’s been doing for the last 10 days.”

Noah, placed a hand on his shoulder. “At least you were able to get through to him. I’m glad that he is coming home.”

Levi frowned up at the sheriff. “What are we going to do when he gets here? He can’t keep on going on benders like this, or he is going to end up dead.” He had been crying for the last few days and he did not think he had any tears left. “I just want to kill himself, if he gets any worse.”

Jackson looked over at him. “Well, we can’t be too harsh on him, or he’ll run off again.” He pushed his glasses back up his nose and fixed his hat. “I’m not sure what we should do.”

Noah watched them both smirking. “Must I remind you both that I am the father, in this situation? I’ll be taking his car keys and sending him to bed. Anyone willing to pick him up for school tomorrow?”

Jackson smiled, blushing softly. “I’ll pick him up, sir. Sorry for my presumption.” He turned his head hearing a vehicle coming up the driveway. “I think he is here.”

Noah nodded and opened the door, running out to meet Stiles. Jackson and Levi got up to follow him and saw the Sheriff pulling Stiles out of the jeep and into a hug. Jackson just leaned against the door frame waiting. Stiles looked safe if not a little worse for wear. Jackson looked over at Levi and sighed. “I should get going. This is a time for family.”

Levi shook his head and sighed. “You found him, Jackson. You are family now.” He wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Deal with it.”

Jackson chuckled. “I just don’t want to intrude.”

“You told Stiles you would be here.” Levi smiled, raising a brow. He tilted his head. “Come on.” He walked over to Stiles and pulled him into a hug.

Jackson followed and smiled at him. “Hey, Stiles. I’m glad to see that you are right.”

Stiles looked at him and grimaced. “Hey, I’m sorry that I got you mixed up in this.” He chewed his lip and shook his head. “Thanks for calling me.”

Jackson nodded, smiling softly. “Anytime. You know… you can call me anytime if you need to talk.”

Stiles chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “That would be nice…uh are you still okay meeting so we can study?”

Jackson nodded, letting out a small laugh. “Yeah, of course. I better see you after school tomorrow. You have a lot of catching up to do if you are going to graduate.” He gulped. “I’ll talk to Father about excusing your absences.”

Stiles smiled and hugged him. “Thanks man.” He stepped back, looking between everyone. “Can I go up to bed now?”

Noah scowled at him. “We will talk more later. I am happy you are safe and have returned, but you have no idea how much trouble you are in.”

Stiles nodded and grabbed his backpack. “I’ll see you guys around.” He made his way into the house and stumbled his way up the stairs. He was exhausted and felt like he was never going to wake up again. He collapsed into bed and immediately drifted to sleep.

📚

Stiles glared up at Mr. Harris, shaking his head. “Why do I have to be here? You are just a chemistry professor.” He understood being pulled into the headmaster’s office earlier, but he hated dealing with Mr. Harris. The man had had it out for him since the moment he stepped into this school. At the moment, the man was yelling at him and calling him every negative name under the sun. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to speak to a student like that.

”If it were up to me, you would be expelled, Mr. Stilinski. As it is, the headmaster has found it in him to give you a final notice. You have an entire week to make up, and he thinks the best way to do that is to give you tests over the material that you missed.” Harris growled at him and slammed 5 test booklets on his desk. “You have 2 hours, then the headmaster wants to see you again.”

Stiles nodded and opened the first booklet. He really wished the headmaster had chosen any other teacher to proctor these tests.

📚

Stiles stood in front of the headmaster, with his head down. He knew that he had really screwed up, but this was getting ridiculous. He was not even allowed to attend classes until the test result came back. “I understand sir. I had not meant to be gone for so long but it was beyond my control.”

The man nodded. “I’m not going to lecture you anymore on the subject, Stiles. You are on thin ice and you are more than capable of understanding the situation. If Jackson had not come to your aid, you would have been expelled.” He let out a breath. “I’ll make sure your tests are graded tonight, so that you may return to class tomorrow.”

Stiles nodded, running a hand through his hair. “Yes, sir.”

Robert nodded. “I want to see you in uniform everyday. You have been stripped of all privileges. You will go to class or be in the library when on campus.” He walked around the desk and stood in front of the student. “I have talked to your father, and You may not drive to campus. You can get a ride from him, Levi, or Jackson. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.” Stiles growled at him. He could not believe this. He was an adult and they were treating like a child.

The man held up his hand. “I do not want the attitude, Stiles. No one will hear about this little incident, and I won’t even put it on record.” He placed a hand on Stiles’s shoulder. “Jackson assures me that you have such promise. I trust him, and I hope by the end of your education here, I hope that I will see whatever it is that he sees in you.”

Stiles gulped, stepping back. “Can I go now?”

The older man nodded. “Go put those cigarettes in your jeep and head to the library to meet with Jackson.”

Stiles sighed as he left the office.

📚

Jackson looked up from his laptop as a book was dropped on the table in front of him. He grinned. “You’re looking better.” He closed his laptop, staring at Stiles. “How was your first day back?”

Stiles shrugged as he slipped into a chair. “I’m still a little tired. Harris called me into his office to yell at me and to give me like 5 tests to make up for all the work I missed. I’m sure I passed them all. I also got called into your father’s office, for more yelling.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m tempted to just drop out at this point.”

Jackson reached over to grip his hand but Stiles pulled his hand away. He just nodded and sighed. “I’m sorry that your day has been so terrible. Is there anything I can do to help? I don’t want you to drop out”

“It’s fine, Jackson.” Stiles smiled at him. “We have like a month and a half. I can make it, but your dad has given me detention every lunch hour until graduation.” He looked down at the table. “And my dad has grounded me until further notice.”

Jackson nodded, leaning back in his chair. He could see how upset Stiles was and he hated it. “Let’s get out of here.” He started putting his computer away. “We really can’t get anything done until we get the results of those tests back.”

Stiles looked up at him. “Are you sure? You did hear that I’m grounded.”

“You’re 18 now, right?” Jackson smirked. “We’ll hang out in my room, if you’d like.”

Stiles frowned, playing with the cover of his book. “Do you have those Dr. Peppers?”

Jackson chuckled and nodded. “Come on, Stiles.” He got up and offered him his hand. “I’ve got a flat screen and we could watch a movie.”

Stiles smiled, taking his hand. “Do you have Star Wars?”

Jackson smirked, grabbing his backpack. “You’re a Star Wars fan?”

Stiles nodded, following him through the halls. “Yeah, I’m a big fan of Han Solo.” He ran his thumb over the back of his hand as they headed toward the dorms. “Look, I’m sorry I disappeared after our date. It had nothing to do with you. I was just dealing with some crap.”

“It’s fine, Stiles. You don’t have to keep apologizing.” He blushed, trying not to think too much about how it felt to be holding Stiles’s hand. “Please don’t do it again, Stiles. It’s so self destructive and you have so many people who care about you.”

Stiles nodded. He stopped at the dorm entrance and looked into his eyes. “I’m going to try to be better. It kind of scared me when I realized that I had been out for ten days, babe.”

Jackson blushed. “I like when you call me babe.” He bit his lip, and reached up to push Stiles’s hair from his eyes.

Stiles found himself leaning into the touch and sighed. “Maybe I should go. Can we…”

Jackson shook his head. “No, please don’t go. I keep screwing this up.”

Stiles chuckled. “It is definitely not you screwing this up. I just - I’m not good at this, Jackson. I’ve been pushing people away for so long, and now everyone is just pushing themselves back into my life.”

Jackson nodded as he squeezed his hand and began walking toward his room. “Then let them in, as much as or as little as you need right now.”

“But now there is you, Jackson. I’ve treated you horribly and you want me to call you babe.” Stiles shook his head. “I’m utter shit, Jackson.”

Jackson opened his door and pulled Stiles into the room. He sat him on the bed, looking into him. “You’re not shit, Stiles.” He cupped his chin, looking into his eyes. “You’ve made some bad choices, but I’ve seen how people care about you, and I’ve seen how sweet you can be.” He licked his lips and kissed him softly. “Sorry.”

Stiles chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ve known me a total of what? Five days?” He twisted his hands and smirked. “Don’t apologize for kissing me. It’s nice.” He kissed the corner of his mouth. “I want us to know each other better, babe.”

Jackson blushed, placing his hand on his shoulder, rubbing his neck with his thumb. “That sounds like a great idea. My father won’t exactly be happy, but fuck that.” He chuckled and pulled Stiles into a slow soft kiss.

Stiles groaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around the other boy. He pulled back after only a moment and sighed. “Are you sure that you really want to get involved with me? I’m nothing but trouble.”

Jackson laughed softly. “No you’re not. You only think that you are. So, where does that leave us,”

Stiles smirked, toying with Jackson’s hair. “Do we really have to put a label on it? We’ll see where this goes.”

Jackson sighed, thinking for a moment. “Well, we really can’t go on a proper date until you are no longer grounded, but we can study here, and make out if you want. We can watch movies here. My room is a safe space, Stiles. I just don’t want you using drugs or smoking while you are here.”

Stiles frowned. “Everyone is obsessed with getting me to stop smoking.”

Jackson shook his head. “I’m not asking you to quit. I just don’t want to smell it in my room.” He scrunched up his nose. “It kind of stinks.” He laughed.

Stiles laughed, laying on the bed. “Alright, I get it. No, smoking, and no drugs while I’m here. I think I can agree to that.”

Jackson grinned, patting his knees. “Good. I’m pretty sure I promised you Star Wars.”

Stiles grinned and sat up. “Yes you did.” He giggled, giving him a quick kiss. “Bring on the rebel alliance.”

To be continued…

#stacksonweek2024 #stacksonweek #jackson whittemore #stiles stilinski #tw: self destructive behavior #tw: drug use #stackson

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