#also into the idea that steven is entirely self taught? like when would he have time to go to college.
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does anyone have a pic of oscar isaac in a sweater vest its for science
#i'm just thinking about adjunct professor steven grant and i'm kind of into it#also into the idea that steven is entirely self taught? like when would he have time to go to college.#how would he have the resources to go to college? and i just like the idea of steven muttering french verb conjugations to himself#in his little london flat. by himself. with his little fish. in that huge tank of his.#hhhhhhhh okay as long as i'm talking about my steven feelings#the fact that uh. steven was created to protect marc from trauma as a child and marc spent his adulthood protecting steven from trauma#adslkj i dont feel coherent enough to say this clearly. i disagree with SO MUCH fandom characterization of both steven and marc tho#child abuse ment //#moon knight ///#actually no i have to talk about this. steven was created as a layer of protection for marc right? as a place that he could escape to#so maybe he's awkward with women and cant get to his shitty customer service job on time but he came into being because he#made life easier for marc.#and steven is SMART and CAPABLE and HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR#there is so much fic and meta and whatnot where he's this bumbling idiot and i guess i can get where that comes from? a little?#but how could he have survived this long on the back burner of marc's brain if he was anything like fandom's portrayal of him?#i posit that steven is much better suited to handle like. paying bills and checking out in the grocery store than marc is.#not that marc CANT do those things but they probably freak him out more than steven's mundane low level anxiety#anyway. thats my too sense.#steven grant#mmkay#mcu
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“This is because poor white people have been systematically conditioned to support white supremacy at the direct expense of their own economic and social interests; it’s terrible, but that’s how it functions.” Do you think the rich white overlords have also been conditioned to support the system?
“while disdaining the government as tyrannical the rest of the time, unless it’s Trump’s actively tyrannical lot, but hey, we don’t have time to unpack all that)” Can you unpack some of that? I don’t understand. Thanks. Love your political posts.
Sure!
(If anyone’s wondering, this is carrying on from/in reference to this ask from yesterday on how to dismantle arguments about “I’m white and my life has been hard therefore racism isn’t real.”)
The third part of the white supremacist equation in America, aside from racism and capitalism, is religion, especially fundamentalist and evangelical Christianity. We didn’t get to that in the last ask, but it’s an equally important factor in the social and cultural landscape of this particular demographic -- especially because the GOP has essentially become its political manifestation, and religious conservatism has become tied so deeply to a set of hot-button social issues (immigration, the gays, abortion, etc). As a lot of social scientists and lay observers have noted, religious belief in America remains staggeringly high relative to the rest of the industrialized Western world. Ever since the rise of religious conservatives as a mobilised political force in the 1980s, we have had to deal with their influence and the GOP’s willingness to function as an eager and uncritical vehicle for their social agenda. Fundamentalist/evangelical Christianity in America has also served as a powerful tool of promoting white supremacy. In fundamentalist religions, it’s a sin to question anything you’re told and you have to trust that a “higher authority” has your best interests at heart. This lends itself easily to personality cults: think the charismatic mega-preachers and other high-profile figures that exist in mainstream and fringe American evangelicalism alike, as well as the cult of Trump that now exists around the Orange Fuhrer.
Some books on this:
The Sin of White Supremacy: Christianity, Racism, and Religious Diversity in America, by Jeannine Hill Fletcher
White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones (you can also read a Washington Post interview with him here, and his piece in The Atlantic here.)
The Cult of Trump by Steven Hassan
When you intertwine the moral imperatives of fundamentalist religion (if you don’t believe the right things, you’ll go to hell), with the centuries-old American system of prizing whiteness at the expense of everything else, with the belief that your rich white overlords are more “your people” than your differently-colored working-class peers, you get an incredibly powerful and coercive system of mental conditioning that works on multiple levels, constantly reinforces itself, and is very difficult to break away from. And frankly, it’s difficult to tell if the most high-profile mouthpieces of these views actually believe it (maybe to some degree) or if they just use it to obtain a comfortable life at the expense of vulnerable people. Honestly, I’m not sure if it matters whether or not the overlords believe everything they themselves teach (and I’m pretty certain that they don’t). They know that it ends up as a good deal for them, and so it’s in their interests to maintain the system as vigorously as possible.
You may have heard of “prosperity gospel” evangelists, who claim to their poor followers that if they give them, the evangelists, all their money as a demonstration of faith, God will automatically reward them/provide for their economic needs, and it’s a sign of too little faith if you don’t believe this, therefore you will stay poor. You may have also heard of the recent sex scandal involving Jerry Falwell Jr., son of the famous Jerry Falwell and current president (though he was forced to resign) of the ultra-fundamentalist Liberty University in Virginia. This, of course, goes up there with all the other hard-right politicians who preached family values and Moral Purity and then turned out to be hypocrites who were failing to live up to these ideas in private. American evangelicalism is a deeply weird and self-reinforcing universe that provides adherents with everything they need to live in a parallel version of reality and feel holier-than-thou about not interacting with “infidels,” and yes, a huge part of that, especially white Protestant evangelicalism, involves preaching the gospel of white supremacy, implicitly or explicitly.
So at the end of this, we have a system which orchestrates and indeed insists upon complete obedience to the overlords (be they economic, racial, or religious) by the underclass at every turn. As I noted above, the rich white overlords themselves know that they benefit immensely from this setup, so the question of whether or not they actually believe it is less important. As also noted, they sure don’t make any attempt to live up to it in private, or at least trust that they won’t be found out if they don’t. That’s because (at least in my opinion) they know perfectly well that it sucks. They don’t want to be poor either, but it’s useful for them if there are poor people. Fundamentalism is also deeply predicated on suffering: it’s holy to suffer, poverty is a virtue, you shouldn’t worry about this world so much as what you will get after you die, thinking about material things is Sinful, God will magically provide everything that you need, so on and so forth. So even if they’re voting against their own self-interests, white working class religious people have been assured that is a virtue anyway and they should keep doing it. Only heathens like socialism.
That also makes it harder to get any dialogue of social justice going in (white) churches. Black churches have obviously been at the forefront of social justice struggles in America for their entire history, but that’s because white and black American Christianity are often very different. There are overlaps in places, but the black church was founded in the slave tradition, rather than the slaveholder tradition, as the establishment church in the 19th century was often a zealous supporter of slavery for the “moral good” of the slaves -- hey, they might be in terrible bondage, but at least they had the chance to be saved by becoming Christians! White Americans tend to go to church to be reassured that what they’re doing is good and doesn’t need to change, or if it does need to be changed, it’s to outlaw abortion or gay marriage or whatever social issue is the order of the day. It’s founded on repression rather than liberation. This isn’t true of every church everywhere, of course, but the overall trend is one toward social and religious hyper-conservatism.
This ties into the “civic faith” of America, i.e. the sphere of cultural Christianity that everyone participates in whether they’re actively religious or not, and which has also been the subject of political studies as to how it has been twisted into an organ of feel-good jingoistic American nationalism with very little reference to what Jesus Christ is recorded as having actually taught. The point again is that this entire belief system prizes absolute obedience and adherence to a (white and male) Supreme Leader, which is really easy for a fascist to exploit with populist rhetoric draped in the shabbiest veneer of religious language. The enthusiastic evangelical support for Trump, and the way the religious right has bent over backward from trying to impeach Bill Clinton for a blowjob in the Oval Office to defending serial rapist Trump is... both enlightening and terribly depressing. (Not to say that Clinton isn’t gross, because he is, but that’s beside the point; the GOP went on a frothing-mouth moral crusade over his behavior and it’s absolute crickets over Trump.)
In the end, we have this entire subset of people who have argued that they need their guns and their paramilitary organizations to defend against a theoretical “tyrannical” (read: non-white, non-Christian) body politic or American government. That’s why we had constant claims that Obama was going to throw people into concentration camps or send federal agents to arrest people off the streets or turn America into a military dictatorship; these proud AR-15-waving nutcases were happy to inform us that they would rise up and prevent that from happening. Of course, Obama didn’t actually do any of that, but you know who did? Trump. And his supporters, of course, didn’t make any attempt to stop it from happening. Instead they actively went out to help it happen more. (Side note: a little racist shitstain literally named RITTENHOUSE being the face of armed and murderous white supremacy in the Kenosha protests is like... ridiculously on the nose, PAGING GARCIA FLYNN.)
So when I say they’re protesting “government tyranny,” we’ve already gotten a good look at what they imagine tyranny to be: i.e. anything except the actual tyranny we’re already enduring, because it’s coming from their orange messiah and it is the culmination of everything that their religious, political, social, and cultural values have taught them. They mean “tyranny” of anything that is not their extreme right-wing, white-supremacist, religious-fundamentalist fascist version of things, which means respect or tolerance or room for anyone who isn’t exactly like them, which they can’t abide. Totalitarianism never can.
Anyway, I hope that was helpful. Thanks for the question!
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— ♔ In the past, people were born royal and for GREER CATRÌONA STUART the TWENTY FOUR-year-old PRINCESS of SCOTLAND, that is a tradition SHE intend/s to keep. To others, SHE looks an awful lot like KATIE STEVENS and has/have been painted as DAMAGED GOODS but behind closed doors, SHE is/are ANXIOUS AND VAIN but also GENEROUS AND DEVOTED. It has also been said they are BETROTHED to ANY FITTING MALE FC. (gracie/26/est/she/her)
Welcome Princess Greer Stuart, we hope you enjoy your stay and represent your country of Scotland well! The fc of Katie Stevens and the country of Scotland are now taken! Please check out the checklist and send in your account within twenty-four hours.
What is your character’s gender?: cis gender female
Are you filling a wanted connection? If so, which one?: Duncan Stuart’s youngest sister
Please provide three headcanons about your character:
Headcanon One - Greer idolizes her older brother, and followed him to St. Andrews University where she almost obtained a degree in Classical Studies. She loved school, and excelled at it - her obsessive nature serving her well in the study of dead languages. After being rescued from the kidnapping, Greer wanted to go back to school but ultimately couldn’t handle it. She has continued studying on her own.
Headcanon Two - Greer was part of the group of royals who was kidnapped and is haunted by this trauma. It has brought out the worst in her, a mean streak unexpected from the youngest Scottish royal. They were rescued, naturally, and the rebels all executed - and everyone seemed to think that was it. No one wanted to help her deal with the trauma and the expectations of being gracious and perfect. Grief and pain should be beautiful, a performance for the people and the world. We are stronger than you, the monarchy urges, we will not be brought down by setbacks. But the world isn’t there when the nightmares strike, when the walls become to oppressive and memory grips a tight fist around her lungs so that she has to run from whatever room until she can see the sky and feel the air. Greer internalizes her trauma, builds up that hard glossy armor.
Headcanon Three - Greer has an obsessive nature. She gets deeply invested in whatever her particular fancy is that day. She’s taught herself latin this way, spent an entire summer in her thirteenth year following the Minister of War around the castle with incessant questions about tactics. Her family dismisses these obsessions as her whims, but Greer is careful to store this information away in case she needs it.
Please provide two or more connection ideas for your character:
Connection One - Hostage Buddy - one of the other royals who was kidnapped along with Greer, they became particularly close in response to the trauma and have almost a codependent relationship. This can go many ways depending on who/what it is! Maybe this person is a really good influence on Greer and is trying to help her cope with things in a healthy way! Maybe its a toxic kinda thing, where they just enable each others worst habits and vices! Anyway we want a complicated relationship born of hardship and trauma pretty please
Connection Two - Betrothed - this match was made after she was rescued in an attempt by her parents to prove to the world/media that all was well. (Tiktok vc: fuck u my child is completely fine) I would like to think even though Greer resented the lack of choice and is distinctly Not fine, she begrudgingly likes/enjoys (Narrator: Could it be the first stirrings of love?) her future partner. He would know more about her and her trauma/darkness than most, but tries to understand, and helps her keep up the mask of propriety. Maybe this person is trying to make her a better person, or maybe they encourage it - at the very least they call her on her shit
Connection Three - Tutor/trainer - Greer has an obsessive nature (see above) and would seek out anyone who knows something unique or with a rare specialty and pester them until they agree to teach her about it. This person could be an actual tutor or not. She’d specifically seek out someone to teach her self defense, especially now that she’s away from her comfort zone. But really anything interesting she’d obsess over for a bit until she got bored or found a new interest.
Please answer the following questions IC:
What is one thing you are proud of/love about your country?
“Hmm?” The princess looked up, startled by the sudden question then frowned slightly. “We are resilient, stubborn. Despite everything we’ve kept our spirit & identity,” she sounded almost wishful instead of proud. “And the land, it’s hard to explain, really, but it feels like a part of us, a living thing with a personality to match the wildness of the landscape.”
What is the most important thing in your suitcase?
“My grandfather’s watch,” Greer answered promptly, right hand moving almost unconsciously to trace the heavy gold face & supple leather around her wrist. “It was a wedding present from my grandmother, and has their names engraved on the back of it, she gave it to me when he died,” the princess smiled sadly, “I was always his favorite, I think.”
Who and/or what will you miss most from home?
“I miss feeling comfortable and safe,” she bit down on her bottom lip for a moment, letting her fear show through the armor for a second. “And all of the family pets, my brother has dogs and so does my father, it’s strange to be in a place without animal companions, it feels colder almost.”
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No Fun
Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader
Summary: Sometimes Steve Rogers can be a real buzzkill.
Requested by @just-add-butter
Word Count: 1,377 - One Shot
Warning: Swearing. And a very bad, forbidden word.
He liked her like this the most. You would never know she was a hero, that she could crush a man’s skull if thought hard enough, or that she could take out an entire city.
Now, in her boyfriend jeans and band t-shirt, she just looked like herself. Her powers could go, but she’d still look how she did right now.
“Sam and I are headed out?” Steve was broken out of his daze by Bucky slapping his back roughly.
He blinked. “Really?”
“Yeah, the rest of the team left like an hour ago,” Bucky shrugged.
“You coming with us or what?” Sam asked.
“Come on, Sam. You know he’s staying wherever she is,” Bucky teased as he nodded in Y/N’s direction.
Sam scoffed. “Man, when you gonna stop playing this game and just say something?”
“Stevie is allergic to women, Sam. Not even the serum could cure it.” Bucky joked as he threw an arm over his best friend’s shoulder.
Steve blushed. The teasing was of staple of his friendship with the two men. It was never going away, so he didn’t bother to fight it. Steve just took it.
“We’ll see you back at the compound, punk,” Bucky said goodbye and dragged Sam with him.
“Where’d everyone go?” Y/N came back from the pool table and sat down at the hightop table with Steve.
“All went home. Guess it’s just you and me.”
He waited for her face to drop, or for her to sigh and decide they’d better go home too. But her face lit up a bit, even if she tried to hide it from him. The idea of having him all to herself seemed to please her.
Y/N clapped her hands together excitedly. “OK! Let’s get another round!”
Steve smirked and nodded. “It’s on me. I’ll grab it after I hit the restroom.”
Y/N opened her mouth to argue, but knew it was pointless. Steve rarely ever let her pay for anything when they hung out. Even if they were with their team, Steve was always buying her drinks.
“Hey, do you have any cash?” She asked him before he disappeared to the bathroom.
Steve nodded.
“Can I borrow some for the jukebox? Those douchebags put this shitty music on and I can’t take it any longer.”
He chuckled and grabbed his wallet, handing her $10.
“Thank you!” She beamed before practically skipping to the jukebox.
Steve saw a group of men checking her out as she giddily shoved the cash into the jukebox and immediately started flipping through songs.
He knew she could take care of herself, but he hurriedly went to the bathroom. Nothing was a stronger man-repellent than a giant, blue eyed, super-soldier sticking to a woman’s side like glue.
When Steve emerged from the bathroom, Y/N was still happily selecting music. Steve sighed in relief and went to the bar to get their drinks. The bartender was busy and he waited patiently for her to get to him.
That’s when he heard voices yelling and the shattering of a glass.
Steve closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, praying that Y/N was not responsible for the ruckus.
But when he looked over, he saw Y/N facing the shady group of men. She had put herself between them and a group three girls.
“She said she wasn’t interested, so fuck off!” Y/N growled to the men.
“We were just trying to have some fun,” one of them responded while laughing at Y/N’s defensiveness.
“Well, groping a woman without her consent isn’t fun! But you all seem too fucking stupid to understand basic verbal and nonverbal cues. It also seems like no one taught you that no means no.”
Steve slowly made his way to the fight.
He glanced at the group of girls that Y/N was apparently defending. He noticed that two of them were crowding toward one who looked a little shaken.
“Ma’am, are you alright?” He asked her gently.
Her eyes widened, obviously recognizing him. “Yeah, they’re just another group of assholes. I’m fine. She-She just shoved him away from me.”
Steve smirked at her shock. “Yeah, she tends to be protective like that.”
“Listen, you don’t have to be such a fucking cunt!”
Steve’s head whipped up just in time to see Y/N land a punch to the guy that said those awful words.
Her punch was so strong that she knocked the guy unconscious. But that didn’t stop his friends from lunging at her.
Y/N reached for a half empty beer bottle and hit it on the edge of a nearby table, cracking it in half and turning it in a weapon.
“Please, make my fucking night,” Y/N said to the guys with the most sinful smirk.
They eyed each other, suddenly aware that this woman might be insane.
“Not so tough now, are we? So…you’re fine with feeling up women, but you draw the line at fighting them?” Y/N accused.
“Alright. That’s it,” Steve called out.
Y/N turned around at the sound of his voice, lowering the beer bottle slightly.
She barely had time to process what was happening before Steve picked her up and throw her body over his shoulder like it was lighter than a bag of flower.
“Steve, let me down! I need to beat the shit out of these assholes!”
“And give Pepper another PR nightmare? Absolutely not.”
However, the bar was breaking into a round of applause at the feisty woman. The bouncer had finally inserted himself into the situation and escorted the men out of the bar, using the other exit than the one Steve was headed towards.
Steve didn’t put Y/N down until they were next to his car.
She sighed and playfully glared at him. “Why must you ruin my fun, Steven? I wasn’t even going to use my powers…planned on beating the shit out of them the old school way."
Steve unlocked the doors and they both got in. “They deserved it. There’s no doubt about that. But we don’t need your face splattered all over the news for getting into bar fights, Y/N. You’re an Avenger, not a ruffian.”
“Aye aye, Captain,” Y/N saluted mockingly.
But she wasn’t actually upset with him. He could tell by her smiling as she looked out the window.
“Is that why you stayed out with me? So you could babysit me?” She asked quietly.
“What?” Steve blurted out.
“Well, you can’t exactly get drunk. So, it’s not like you needed the drinks.”
The car went silent. Steve’s grip got tighter on the steering wheel.
“I stayed because…Well, I like spending time with you,” he admitted gently.
Y/N whipped her head around to look at him, expecting to find something in his face that would prove he was lying. But ended up just being entranced by his bright blue eyes.
“Even more when I get you all to myself,” Steve admitted even more quietly.
Y/N was speechless.
Which only made Steve more anxious and felt the need to stop the car from getting filled in awkward silence.
“So, no. I didn’t stay to babysit you. Dragging you out of there wasn’t for my benefit, that I can promise you. I enjoy watching you put men in their place. It’s one of the things I…like about you.”
Y/N quirked an eyebrow. “There’s more than one thing?”
Steve let out a breathy laugh and shook his head. How did they get here? “There’s hundreds.”
Then he looked at her. There was a new softness and adoration in his eyes that she had never seen before. Or maybe she had seen it but didn’t realize that it was all for you.
“I’m just… I’m trying to find the courage to tell you all of them.”
She gave him a sympathetic look, finally realizing what was really happening, what Steve was feeling – or rather, what he had obviously been feeling for quite some time.
“Don’t worry. I’m a patient woman, Steve.”
“Are you sure? You weren’t very patient with those guys back there…” he tried to joke.
“You’re right. Maybe I’m not patient. But for you…I’d wait.”
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Still not feeling my usual writer self. But I thought I’d take a crack at this little one-shot that was requested a few days ago. 🤷🏼♀️
#steve rogers drabble#steve rogers one shot#steve rogers fluff#steve rogers x reader#steve rogers x fem!reader#steve rogers reader insert#marvel reader insert#marvel one shot
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What I thought about Adventure Time: Distant Lands-”BMO”
Salutations random people of the internet who probably won't read this. I am an Ordinary Shmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons. And today, I'm going to do one-fourth of what I do best by reviewing "BMO": The first hour-long special of Adventure Time: Distant Lands. Seeing how it's been a week since the special premiered, and that most fans saw it by now, I thought I'd share my thoughts on BMO. Keep in mind, if you haven't seen the special yet, you're final warning against spoilers stops here. Because I'll be spoiling the heck out of this special, by listings everything I like, and don't like. Things like characters, plot elements, and little touches that I thought were worth mentioning. Without further ado, let's start this review off by listing-
WHAT I LIKED
The Animation Quality: You know how Steven Universe: The Movie had animation quality that was ten percent better than the original series? That's basically what the animation in “BMO” is like. It's not the smoothest I've ever seen, and probably not the best Adventure Time has ever looked, but it's still pretty good. There's definitely more attention to detail, shading, and lighting to help make “BMO” look more cinematic than the series. There is one issue I have with the animation, though. But I'll get into that with the dislikes. For now, it's safe to say that the animation is still pretty darn good.
BMO (The Character, not the special): What can I say about this little rascal that hasn't been said already? BMO is still his adorable little self, and more so. There are times when his naivety can be kind of annoying, at least to me, but I'm sure BMO fans will love how he's presented in the special. Especially given the fact that this is the most active BMO has been in the entire series. Throughout most of Adventure Time, BMO has primarily been a source for comedy as well as a tool for characters to use. Even in episodes when BMO does save the day, it's either by accident or by him not understanding the situation. In "BMO," the little robot purposefully solves many problems, and fully understands the situation. The special still manages to keep his naivety by having BMO just not completely understanding how serious the problem is. Weirdly the writers found a perfect way to make BMO a more active role while not giving him a different personality. And personally speaking, the writers executed that idea well.
Y-5: This special may be about BMO, but Y-5 is the real star here. Y-5's personality, design, and overall arc as a character was so much fun and downright adorable to see. It was so surprising because I did not expect to like any new character introduced in Distant Lands. I just assumed that any newcomer would divert attention from the main character that the special would focus on. And while Y-5 does do that, I'm ok with it for three reasons. First, BMO is not a good character to work on his own. He actually needs characters that fully know what's going on for the plot to progress. Second, while Y-5 can hijack the story, sometimes, there are still segments that make it clear that "BMO" is about BMO. Third, Y-5 is already an incredible character, so I'm not going to waste time complaining about her inclusion. She plays the perfect straight man to BMO's antics, and it was so endearing to see her grow as a more confident character. So much so, that I actually consider Y-5 as one of my personal favorite characters. Not just in the special, but in the series overall. Also, I’m sure that there’s some symbolism behind her wanting to be called Y-5, but I’m not touching it. Mostly because I have no idea what I’m talking about in that regard.
The Comedy: There's not much to say here. The jokes are all worth a good chuckle but were never funnier than anything in the series as a whole. Except for that hard-cut to the elf looking angry as he drifts off into space. That was pretty hilarious.
The Drift: I love everything about the Drift. From its design to the background characters, and even the backgrounds themselves. Everything about the Drift just screams hard work and dedication from the cast and crew. It's almost as if everyone involved knew this would be the last time they would work on Adventure Time, so they just poured their hearts and souls into it. And given the fact that they worked so hard on the first special, makes me even more excited for the other three.
Martin returns...sort of: Let's be clear: It is understood by everyone that Mr. M is Martin Mertens. He has the same voice actor, the same mannerisms, and even the same body type. However, what I like isn't the fact that Martin returns. What I love is the fact that "BMO" never reveals that it's Martin. I'm sure some fans might be upset about not getting an official reveal, but I personally don't think it matters. Mostly because it doesn't matter to BMO. BMO doesn't know who Martin is, and has very little connection to the scumbag. So making a big reveal that Mr. M is Martin would just be unnecessary. Overall, I'm ok with the fact that the writers had Martin return to be nothing more than a glorified easter egg. Because honestly, it's what he deserved.
Hugo’s backstory: Again, there's nothing much to say here. It's yet another twist reveal about how a character who seems nice turns out to be quite the twat. There are two things worth mention, though. One, Hugo's personality stays the same. Look back at all Disney twist villains who become vastly different characters before and after the big twist. Compared to Hugo, he seems like a twist villain done right. Once you figured out that Mr. M is Martin, it should be pretty clear that Hugo's not a saint to be partnered up with the guy. Plus, when it's revealed Hugo really is, he still keeps up this charming persona that he uses around people...up until he ditches them like a twit. Another thing worth mentioning is the animation used for the flashback. Dedicated fans might remember that it was the same style used for "Water Park Prank," which might be the worst episode of the series. So it's nice to see the art style used for something good rather than something...not as good.
The solution to “save” the Drift: Most people use the special as an allegory for climate change. Which is why I put "save" in air-quotes because the citizens didn't really save anything. Similar to how we all play our part to save our planet. What the citizens do, though, is come up with solutions that might work as long as they have hope. And I. Freaking. LOVE that! The lesson that "BMO" is trying to teach is incredibly important, both to children and especially to adults. It's so easy to assume that the best solution is to abandon once it gets too hard and take the easy way out. Same as how some people believe it's better to just abandon this planet we call home, rather than put in the work to save it. And to those people: Let me ask you a question. Do you really think that you'll shoot off into space with the people planning to colonize another planet? Or do you think that those people are going to be like Hugo, who will only take along close friends and the rich? Personally, I think it's more likely going to be the latter. Which is why I adore the lesson being taught in "BMO." It might be hard to save the planet at this point, but it's still worth doing. And I can hope everyone else will come to agree with that conclusion.
WHAT I DISLIKED
Olive: I feel bad for saying I don't like Olive because the truth is that I'm more indifferent to them. To me, Olive feels less like a character and more like a plot device. This is because Olive has little to no personality, and all they do nothing but be something that furthers the plot. Although, I do like how Olive can stretch, as well as how they are overprotective over BMO. Other than that, there's not much to work off of.
Inconsistency with Character Designs: This was the problem I had with the animation. At times, characters are pretty inconsistent with how they're drawn. Some scenes, Y-5's eyes are large and cute, and other times they're normal-sized. There also times when BMO's height and width can be pretty inconsistent with what scene he's in. Now to be fair, this is nothing new to Adventure Time. It's a problem that the show has had for quite some time, and fans have come to accept it. However, just because you accept a problem doesn't make it any less of a problem. If anything, it makes it worse because the showrunners still refuse to fix it.
KS-2: Is it weird that the best character in "BMO" is the daughter of the worst character? Because to me, I don't understand how someone as amazing as Y-5 came from someone so rotten as KS-2. To be fair, I get what the writers were going for. They wanted to make a mother who was just another adult that "just doesn't understand." I can see that, but the problem is that the writers went too far with the idea. The way that KS-2 just constantly berates Y-5, as well as refusing to listen, comes off as too cruel. And the fact that the father pointed out how KS-2 never said the words "Y-5 was right," does nothing more than add fuel to the fire. But what's tricky is for all I know, this could have been the intention. And if it's true that the writers wanted to make KS-2 so unlikeable, then they more than succeeded. Although, I will give the crew credit for subverting gender norms by making KS-2 buff and the dad scrawny. I just wish that good intention was put into a good character.
The first chase scene in the Jungle Pod: This is mostly a nitpick, but it's still something that bothers me. Because having BMO getting chased away from his radio, to then have him end back where he originally was, felt like padding to me. Because why else would you have BMO go through all of that danger, only to have him end up at square one. Maybe the writers included the scene to build tension, but even if that's true, there could have been a better way to do it. Like while BMO's being chased, he somehow gets closer to his goal, rather than end up in a loop. And if the scene really was just for padding, then pad that time with literally anything else. Like maybe use the time to show KS-2's gentle side, or doing more to tease Hugo's true self. I know it would only be a few minutes, but actually make those minutes count for something.
It’s a Prequel?: After my initial viewing, my reaction to the ending was, "Oh, BMO found Finn and Jake's descendants." Then when actual smart people pointed out that "BMO" was a prequel, my reaction became "Oh, that makes way more sense." But then I started thinking about the fact that the special was a prequel, and the more I thought about it, the more holes I found. Or, at least, two holes that I found. First off, why does BMO have a heroic nature in this special? At first, I thought that maybe the years living with Finn and Jake taught BMO how to be a hero, but BMO hasn't met Finn yet. So I guess BMO felt like a heroic personality the entire time? Even though he never acted like this before in the series, unless he thought he was playing a game? Another thing I noticed is Martin's line about kids calling out their deadbeat parents. Why would he say that? Martin hasn't met Finn yet, either. Therefore Martin doesn't have the experience of being called a deadbeat parent. So does this mean that Martin has other children in the universe who calls him out on his crap? Or is it most likely that the writers wanted to give another clue that Mr. M was Martin, but briefly forgot the series timeline? I think it's most likely the latter, even though the former sounds way more interesting. And before people want to kill me because they actually love the story being a prequel, I want to point out, this is another nitpick. The fact that "BMO" is a prequel doesn't bother me too much, but I still can't help but feel confused when thinking about it.
As a whole, I give “BMO” an A-. BMO is as adorable as ever, Y-5 is an astounding character, I love the moral that the special is trying to teach, and the entire thing just screams effort. Is it perfect? No. Does it have problems? Yes, but not anything that makes me think the special was unwatchable. I enjoyed it, and something tells me that if you're an Adventure Time fan, you enjoy it too. "BMO" was a great introduction to Distant Lands, and here's hoping the other specials will be even better.
(And here’s also hoping that “Obsidian” will deliver that sweet, sweet Bubbline goodness that fans have been demanding for years.)
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✮ ∷ ╰ 𝖚𝖕𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 .
I FEEL LIKE i just ran away from home and then realized i’m five and, unfortunately, cannot survive without my parents. LMDFLKDFGM i missed u all and had to return… we hate to see it. anyway! whew. i figured i’d post a refreshed lil intro for cohen to make sure i hit on some key changes before i hop back into the game! the most important / group-related part is right at the top, so if u read nothing else, read that! ily all and i’m excited to jump back in like i never left. i’ll be sliding in dms and makin’ starters asap, so if u wanna make some connection changes my door’s always open! x
✮ ∷ ╰ 𝖈𝖔𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖘𝖊𝖌𝖚𝖗𝖆 : 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 .
cohen currently lives in a glorified, raggedy frat-esque house ( he is NOT a fratboy but he might as well be huh ) of his own right off campus, about a five minute drive / ten minute walk from the stadium ( it’s about four bedrooms large with three bathrooms, all on one floor. think david dobrik’s house–click here to see–except much uglier and CHEAP MVDFLG ).
he’s fiscally very protective of his savings. he’s been working since he was 12 with his dad, and never ever spent his money, despite some repetitive near-misses where his parents tried ( and failed, bc cohen’s slick ) to steal money from him. basically he now pays for his share of the house using the money he saves/has always saved working for factories, farms, & fixing people’s junk cars.
his only current roommate is foster, meaning he has two spare rooms he’s not really doing anything with. beer pong table’s outside, the kitchen is the alcohol hot spot, there’s a pool table instead of a dining room table, u know how it goes.
regardless, he throws open invite house parties literally every weekend. they take place every friday night up until the sun rises on sunday morning–whether he’s around the house for all of five seconds or all night doesn’t matter, because they’re always a-go.
you’re all 100% free to use his house entirely at your leisure for character fun / development / a place for ur thread to take place / etc! you don’t even need to get my okay beforehand! just do it! think of it as a known dillon fact that cohen’s having a house party every weekend NFKDFNDFKJG.
no matter who you are, whether cohen likes you or not, he will not care if you show up with some randos or familiar faces and party it out. he’s socially bored 24/7 and full of apathy and alcohol at all times so mans probably will be plastered drunk out doing donuts in the parking lot and fighting someone he doesn’t have beef with anyway. ur muse probably won’t even see him there. LMKGDFLG if you’ve ever seen burlesque? literally him showing up to his OWN house for a visit / to get plastered and then wander off during the weekend party is…. real. so yeah! use his house like it’s ur own. just be out by sunday afternoon bc he likes to pretend none of it ever happened as soon as he wakes up and has to be sober for school. x KMVFBLFG love u all.
✮ ∷ ╰ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 & 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 .
tw: eating disorder mentions ( food & lifestyle ), drug addiction / recovery, alcoholism, & mentions of past steroid use.
full name. cohen anthony segura.
aka. co, jet.
character inspiration. adam parrish ( the raven cycle ), vince howard & tim riggins lovechild ( if y’all watched fnl…. let’s cry together ), a much more problematic & asshole-ish david dobrik ( the vlog squad ), nathan scott ( oth ), steven hyde ( that ‘70s show ), emily prentiss & aaron hotchner lovechild ( criminal minds ), & noel miller ( tmg ).
age & d.o.b. twenty-two. birthdate tbd.
zodiac. virgo sun, aries moon, & aquarius rising.
pronouns. he / him.
orientation. openly bisexual.
this has never presented as too large of an issue for cohen, despite living in dillon. he isn’t afraid of being talked about, and has a history of making sure people know he can hold his own if anyone has anything to say about his personal life.
university major. architecture & architectural technology.
after living in a trailer for the duration of his life, the idea that he would be invested in architecture is astounding. however, here he is. his passion for home creation stemmed from growing up and envisioning a real home to live in. his parents are both into self-taught carpentry, and his dad was shoving tools and measuring tape into his hands from the time he was young in an effort to instill in him a firm “get it done yourself” mindset. he spends his time studying structure & building planning, and secretly has a journal full of dream house mark-ups.
occupation. wide receiver for the dillon panthers, full time student, & prospective architect / carpenter post-college.
tattoos. many riddled throughout his body. brandon arreaga’s tattoos are cohen’s.
face claim. brandon arreaga.
alignment. neutral evil.
hogwarts. slytherin.
positive & negative traits. ( if u’ve already read this do not read it again i promise u nothing here changed LSMFLD )
hardworking–he works himself to the bone and is entirely unapologetic about it. you’ll rarely catch him slipping, but if he does, he’s the first to get ear-splittingly angry with himself over it. he’s way too hard on himself & he knows it, but he’ll never admit it.
he nitpicks at the flaws of others in an effort to feel superior, and always acts unaffected when he’s called out for bringing the team down when he’s not taking care of himself ( cue vince howard from fnl or nathan scott from oth scenes where they’re bragging about how good they are on the field even though he’s apt to get himself hurt because of how desperate he is for some kind of validation–cohen had a huge issue with restricting and abusing stimulants / testing steroids throughout high school and college in an attempt to boost his football persona. he was always incredibly fast and beat literal ODDS to maintain his wide receiver position, but especially thanks to his small build he’s used to being underestimated / downplayed, which puts a really heavy weight on his shoulders. today, he’s eating healthily, he’s off drugs, and he’s taking care of himself better than he ever has before, but it’s still incredibly hard and he still reaches out for ways to overcompensate, which is where alcohol usually comes into play ).
transparent–sure, he can turn into a stressed out & irritable jerk within a fraction of a second, but at least he’s upfront about when he switches lanes. LDFGLMKFG
he’s incredibly focused, which means he’s never going to linger in uncertainty for too long before he admits that he’s just not down to be around you / to be there / to talk / etc. he’s no bullshitter by any means. he’d rather hurt your feelings and keep his environment stable and tactile than stick around and put his easily shaken emotions at risk just to make you comfy.
he’s also accountable. he knows when he’s causing shit to fuck up & hit the fan, and he’s always quick to right wrongs when things are on him. ofc he’s bred from a family full of blame-givers, so he unhealthily picked up a bad habit of being really good at sounding like he’s apologizing sincerely when he’s really just trying to end a fight because he’s annoyed. LDCLDKMFDFG.
he’s blunt, temperamental, & incredibly selfish when it comes to his own lifelines / vices, but wholeheartedly selfless when it comes to doing anything to protect or lift up the people he loves.
mental diagnoses. anorexia nervosa ( in recovery ), alcoholism ( ongoing ), an addiction to various stimulants ( in recovery ), & frequent past attempts at steroid use.
physical diagnoses. n / a.
phobias. has an irrational fear of accidentally burning down his house. will get immensely stressed–to the point where he’s absolutely annoying and intolerable to put up with / be around–if someone’s cooking or baking “irresponsibly.” will probably yell at you and hover-cook until you let him take over so he can make sure nothing goes wrong. LMSDFKLFG
scars. an appendix scar on his lower left side.
drug use. frequently.
alcohol use. frequently.
diet. very decently rounded. he loves to cook, despite being self-taught. growing up the way he did, he settles for making simple dishes very well. he’s not the type to go all out for dinner. he meal preps like it’s his job. he usually just settles with some kind of pan-friend chicken and pasta dish at home.
birth place. dillon, texas.
parents. "jude" judith & anthony segura.
two lower class parents with deep-rooted anger issues. they currently live in the same trailer park together, in separate trailers, and fight with each other constantly. they claim they’re divorced, and are seeing other people, but they’ve never actually filed for anything, since anthony segura thinks it’s just a ploy for judith to take “half [his] shit.” cohen visits them often, and acts as a middle ground child who hates but loves both of them equally. his dad enjoys / tolerates his son’s presence more than his mother does, but only marginally. his mother’s much less concerned with the fact that she has children, since, in her mind, her relationship issues are the most important things in her life. cohen spent many nights as a kid with his drugged up mom in his lap while she cried about not being loved by anyone. his dad, even though he’s rough with cohen, at least spends time with him every now and again. as a kid, his dad was handing him beers to drink and tools to learn to use to prove he was a man ( despite being a ten y/o child bfkjgk oh well! ). regardless, today cohen lives on his own but is still the financial backbone for his parents–since his mom is unemployed and his dad is a seasonal construction worker–and has been since he was fifteen. they ask him for money every chance they get, and cohen never says no.
siblings. a younger sister ( by two years ). loves her to death. would protect her with his life.
pets. he’s notorious for letting a certain set of strays run amuck in his house. he feeds the neighborhood cat, is a-okay with people bringing their animals to his parties, etc. but he’s too scared of permanence and obsessed with independence to ever follow through with getting his own animal.
education. current senior at dillon university.
he has always been a decent student. he got into architectural honors college his sophomore year of college. however, he’s still not by any means incredibly intelligent. he’s decent grade-wise, but only because he tries really hard and puts in the effort it takes to keep up in a field like architecture. he’s also a chronic cheater, but c’est la vie! lmfgdflkg he spends the vast majority of his time either studying or practicing, and gets very irritable very quick doing either activity because he doesn’t know how to manage stress, so he drinks in the evenings in an attempt to make up for his tense demeanor, but he’s an angry drunk so… whomst are we really kidding here. LMDFKLG
languages. english & american sign language.
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Rambling about Doctor Who? In this economy?
I’m in the process of catching up with Doctor Who. I had stopped a while ago most of the way through Capaldi’s second season, after having stopped for a long time before watching his first season and a half.
Well, I just watched Capaldi regenerate into Jodi Whittaker and I have some things to say. This is primarily focusing on the end of Clara’s run as a companion and Bill’s story, because it’s been a while since I watched that first part of Capaldi and Clara, and even longer since I watched anything before that. I came back to catch up because I’d been seeing gifsets of Nine and Ten, and I miss them so, so much. But I decided I wanted to catch up before going back and doing an entire rewatch of New Who (I have no idea anything about Classic Who, honestly...and there’s so much that’s missing and I have no idea where to get the rest of it anyway).
Point is. I have feelings. Some good. Some bad. And they’re going under the cut.
First things First: I hate Steven Moffat.
All his episodes are the worst! Whenever his name would come up as the main writer credit, the episode was trash! Of course, some were more trash than others, and some were good ideas, but they all got the Doctor so, so wrong.
Two egregious examples that I hated, both from Moffat written episodes:
In “The Husbands of River Song,” River gives this whole big speech about how she’s the woman who loves the Doctor, but he will never love her, because that’s like looking at a sunset and asking it to love you back...or something like that. The Doctor would never come for her, because she wasn’t important enough.
That’s wrong on two big levels. 1! The Doctor is the Doctor because he loves. Nine was broken because he was so hurt, and he had forgotten how to love. Rose taught him to love again, and brought him back from the brink of self-destruction. I dislike the idea of the Doctor and River being a couple because I think Steven Moffat wrote it very, very badly (just like...a random woman comes out of nowhere and claims to be the Doctor’s wife! And then she is...because she is?) However, she is, in fact, the Doctor’s wife, as written, and he /does/ love her. She /is/ important to him. And the fact that she doesn’t think so just proves a misunderstanding in character and out of character. The second point? That she’s not important enough? She’s obviously important enough for the Doctor...but the other point is that that shouldn’t matter.
Nine once said that he had never met anybody who wasn’t important. But later on in the episode about the Monks that had taken over, Bill asks why the Doctor puts up with humans if he finds them so ridiculous. And the Doctor says something about “every so often I meet one like you [Bill]” and that makes up for putting up with the rest. No! The Doctor loves humanity! AND EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT TO HIM.
The thing about the Doctors that Moffat has written...both Eleven and Twelve (and the War Doctor, I guess too) is that specific people are important to those Doctors, and the Doctor would do anything for them. Anything for Amy, for Rory, for River. For Clara. For Bill. And they fail, but they fail doing things to save these specific people, not necessarily for their sakes, but for his own. And then they would die, and he would be sad, but there would be no consequences for his actions.
Nine and Ten loved Rose, but Ten left her behind /twice/ because he needed to. Martha got herself out. And Ten erased Donna’s memories to save her life. He lost them, in the end. And it hurt him. And he continued on, learning because of it. He died and regenerated twice because of his love for people. But there were still consequences for everyone around him, as well as himself. Sad things happened.
But Amy, Rory, River, Clara, and Bill? He hung on to them until they were burned away, but they were all fine in the end. Amy and Rory were there for a long time, but then the weeping angels sent them back, and the Doctor couldn’t see them anymore, but they were totally fine and grew old together. River died the first time the Doctor met her, but he clung to her for centuries (without proper character development, I tell you!) until she eventually died, but her whole life was centered around the Doctor. Clara he did everything he could to save, including break the laws of time. And he still lost her but also she was totally fine at the same time, traveling across time and space with Asheildr/Me in their Diner TARDIS. And Bill? Bill literally was turned into a Cyberman because of the Doctor’s hubris. He couldn’t save her. But she ended up okay anyway.Why? Because after she died as a human, then died as a Cyberman, she lived as something else, along with Heather, and got some sort of happily ever after (until she ultimately died again, but that’s off screen, we see her memories.) And then the Doctor got HIS memories of Clara back! So there were no consequences!
The Doctor as Moffat wrote them had no regard for life. They loved specific people, and specific conditions, except when Humanity was in Danger, and then he was The Big Damn Action Hero. But he also turned all of humanity into murderers when he basically brainwashed them into killing the Silence on sight, because otherwise they wouldn’t remember seeing them (this happened in Amy and Rory’s time, but it’s relevant).
In one episode, he tells the executioners to look up the Doctor under cause of death, and they flee out of fear for just how many people wound up dead because of him. In the next, he berates Missy for just how many people has she killed? It’s inconsistent.
The Doctor is a Perfect Hero, when he needs to be, and a Perfect Killer, also when he needs to be. “The Doctor of War” - as the glass memory people call him (I can’t even remember what they were called even though I just watched the episode) - isn’t who the Doctor is...but it’s who Moffat made him.
And of course, almost every major plotline ends up with Moffat’s favorite trope: The Big Friendly Reset Button. Because what does it matter if things happen? There’s time travel and everything will be okay for Earth in general and the people we care about, even if it’s not actually okay.
I hate Steven Moffat. I do think he has some good ideas! The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances were some of my favorite episodes! I just think he can’t be allowed to be in charge.
I also hate Clara’s Magic Tears that make the Doctor do something he wasn’t going to do (that it would have made sense for him to do) just because she cried. Like...in the 50th. When she cried and told the Doctor that pushing the button wouldn’t be like him. That he couldn’t do that to his entire civilization. But the thing is...he already did. His character development was based on that. And it changed him. But then, Clara cried, and he didn’t. And it was like the Time War never happened. (What I think would have been great would have been if the three Doctors decided to push the button together. They had made the decision in the past as Eight/the War Doctor. Now, together, as the War Doctor, Ten, and Eleven...knowing everything they had been through and everything the universe had been through...they pushed the button to make the decision they knew needed to be made. But they didn’t do that. Clara cried and they didn’t do that. And then it wasn’t like the War even mattered anyway, because literally nothing changed). But I digress. There was another time or two that Clara cried and the Doctor did something stupid, but I forget the specifics right now.
Now, from the bad to the questions.
Why are the Time Lords? Where are the Time Lords? If they’re back, how come they’re not interfering more, especially as they were looking for the Doctor? If they’re not back, then why are they there?
What was with the orphanage thing on Gallifrey? Is that where the Doctor grew up? Is this a question that was answered in Classic Who, or earlier New Who that I just don’t remember, or did Moffat just shove in a confusing backstory then not answer questions about it?
Why was Missy being executed? And speaking of Missy, why couldn’t she still call herself the Master, just because she was female?
Who was that child in the picture on the Doctor’s desk in the office at the university? The one in the frame next to River’s frame? I feel like this is something I just don’t know...not something that wasn’t explained.
How old is the Doctor? That’s been all over the place for a long time now.
How did Bill survive the mind-thing with the monks?
I had more questions but I forgot them.
And from the questions to the good.
I liked Bill! I liked Bill a lot! I feel like I never got the sense that she developed any sort of relationship with the Doctor, that it was just like...she was a student and then suddenly they were super important to each other, but I guess that’s how it goes sometimes.
I actually really loved Capaldi! I thought he could be a great Doctor if he wasn’t hindered by the writing. But I definitely enjoyed this run and will miss him, which is honestly more than I can say for Matt Smith. Not that I don’t think Smith did a good job. I like Smith well enough, but not enough to miss him as the Doctor when he left.
The episode Hell Bent was really, really good.
And overall, I just enjoyed it.
I know I listed a lot of problems up there, and not a lot of good stuff down here...but I was having fun watching Doctor Who again! I was just taken out of it sometimes by the Moffat garbage fire.
But I cried when Bill died. I cried when the Doctor died. I cried when he said, “What about me? Don’t I get to rest?” I cried when he regenerated, though his speech to himself was stupid.
I liked Bill better than Clara, but Clara still had a lot of good moments!
I am /happy/ that I got back into Doctor Who. And I can’t wait to see what comes next.
#doctor who#the twelfth doctor#this is not a pro-moffat blog#I'm gonna catch up on Doctor Who#then I'm going to rewatch Doctor Who#I'm gonna watch Doctor Who until I puke#oh the inanity!#review of sorts
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Thoughts about Steven’s development...
Steven had to leave for 2 years at an age when 2 years is a lifetime. Ages 14-16 is when kids find out who they are and what they want out of life, but he hasn’t had that luxury. He spent this entire time with the pressure of “saving the galaxy.” It was clear when he returned that he was burnt out. He might have been resentful, too- of all that time during his formative years away from his friends because of another thing his mom/the Diamonds did. He just wanted to be done, but he didn’t mention what he wanted to do in place of not being the galaxy’s savior.
He’s become a controlling micro-manager, a tendency which only increases the more he tries to avoid his own problems.
Amethyst is able to help the other gems find satisfying callings, but Steven is the most resistant to her help. He blatantly rejects her suggestion to stop trying to fix everyone by pursuing Jasper that same day and saying he’ll “never stop.” Like no, if someone does not want your help, then for the sake of you both, you need to stop.
He seemed like he was on the verge of a panic attack every episode of Future so far. If Amethyst can help people better than he can- or if gems can help themselves better than he can- then he may not have any basis of self worth outside of that. His “thing” is helping people, and he’s terrified to lose touch with that. Remember that Steven’s powers are controlled by his emotions, so if his emotions are strong but out of control, his powers will behave that way as well.
The movie just gave small hints towards how he was becoming almost calloused in his attempts to help others- like he had done it so many times he was just going through the motions to get his own life back on track.
And that’s what breaks my heart about this storyline. I am not faulting Steven for becoming calloused. Emotionally, he is running on survival mode at this point. People who are thousands of years old are treating a literal child like a mental health professional when he’s not. He’s even dressing up like a doctor now! Isn’t that kind of “on the nose” for a healer, Steven? Have you ever even been to a doctor yourself? Maybe you should “get out of your comfort zone.”
Even if he was ten years older, and was a mental health professional, the way he’s living his life would not be sustainable. One of the most important things therapists are taught is how to have appropriate boundaries, a good work-life balance, and to seek therapy themselves. Not focusing on yourself is not “selfless.” It is reckless, and it is a good way to harm your clients/patients.
The title card and the outro are both of Steven’s car driving away from Beach City. The lyrics in the outro are “Just a little time, just a little something else instead.”
Steven seems to be the only gem not benefiting from Little Homeschool. Jasper calls him out on this and it’s infuriating. He may also be past Amethyst’s help as well.
Connie has clear goals and direction outside of gem life that ground her, but Steven has only ever known gem conflict. He’s becoming lost in it. Like many who suffer from PTSD in times of war, his symptoms are becoming worse after the fighting is done. He doesn’t know how to find purpose without it and this is why he’s so offended that Jasper is blatantly living without a clear purpose; it hits too close to home.
I don’t see any way Steven is going to find himself without removing himself from the bubble he’s grown up in (pun intended).
I don’t know what the context of him leaving will be, but here’s some ideas:
-He goes and lives on top of a cave like Jasper (on TOP of the cave, not IN the cave like a puny earthling who needs things like shelter).
-He moves away to college with Connie. My little Connverse heart would burst.
-He goes on a solo camping trip for a little R&R.
-After all his years of being a pacifist, Jasper is able to unlock that he *likes* fighting. Steven moves to a dojo. Idk.
Whatever Steven ends up looking for, I hope he finds it.
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The Future of Steven Universe
Since Change Your Mind aired both myself and other fans have found themselves asking, what’s next for Steven Universe? With corruption cured and the apparent destruction of Homeworlds cast system where else is there to go?
In this post I’m going to talk about what I think is next for Steven Universe, looking at the unresolved mysteries and problems, along with characters who still have a story to tell, and the possible aftermath of the last episode.
Unresolved Mysteries:
The Pyramid Temple:
We can deduce from the era 2 diamond insignia on the floor that the Pyramid temple was sent to earth after the war. Why was it sent and what was the meaning of the rather cryptic mural on the ceiling?
Pink Diamonds Creation:
The drawings Steven looked at during Familiar seemed to be depicting Pink Diamonds creation. Was there any reason why she was created? One of the drawings seemed to depict a Geode, is there any connection to the Geode on Earth.
Lion’s Chest:
We’ve gone back to feeling like we have a much more solid grasp on Roses life again, however this chest remains unexplained. What’s in there and why did Rose want to keep it locked away somewhere so secure that it couldn’t even be accessed after her death? Where is the key now?
The origins of Pearl:
The fandom is currently divided between those who believe our Pearl was created by the other Diamonds as a replacement Pearl for Pink, and those who believe she once belonged to White Diamond. Either way, what made the Diamonds give her a new Pearl if she got the last one taken away for ‘bad behaviour’?
Pink Pearl’s Missing Eye:
How and why did Pink Pearl lose her eye? The fact that the first thing she does is feel where her left eye used to be while she asks what happened suggests that her eye was still there when she was ‘bleached’ by White. Is it a result of being under Whites control for so long or did something else happen?
Jungle Moon:
The planet that orbits the Jungle Moon was destroyed, and not in the way that you get from colonisation. What happens here?
White Diamond:
Why did White Diamond know so much? Not just about the fact that Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond were the same person, but she also knew a lot about organic terminology (such as mother and child). Why did she believe she was supposed to be perfect and how did she come into existence?
Unresolved Problems:
The Human Zoo:
Both the bubbled Rose Quartzes and the Zoomans need to be dealt with.
The Zoomans present the problem of being not only content with their captivity but completely unable to survive outside of the zoo. Even beyond the complexities of the human world they’re going to need to be taught a lot of things that most people wouldn’t even need telling due to their upbringing. They currently have all the fear and common sense of a baby and have to be taught not to just walk into the sea or run into the road. Also, given how they coped with rejection, how will they respond to things like hunger?
The Bubble Rose Quartzes have a simpler solution of just unbubbling them with the knowledge they won’t Immediately die, however there are still complications regarding their release. Regardless of the way individual Rose Quartz may feel about having been bubbled for goodness knows how long (which presents a whole other set of problems) they still have to be filled in on a LOT of Gem history and, most importantly, relocated.
The Resource Crisis and Gem Reproduction:
Homeworld is still in the middle of a resource crisis, likely brought on by the unsustainable way they have of producing more gems. Sooner or later the Homeworld will run dry, and sooner or later the Diamonds are going to want to colonise another planet and, in the process, wipe out all the life from it.
Shattered Gems:
Shattered gems have a degree of consciousness, not enough to truly alive, but enough to suffer. Ideally a way would be found to free them from their gemstones and let them move on.
Characters:
Bismuth:
Bismuth has just been reunited with her closest friends, however for a very long time her existence revolves entirely around the war to the extent that her ‘purpose’ was making weapons for the rebels to fight with. While the construction of the house is keeping her busy at the moment how will she adjust to the life of a civilian and how will she handle rubbing shoulders with gems like Jasper or Nephrite, who used to be her enemy?
Lapis:
Now that she’s stopped isolating herself Lapis’s character can begin to grow. At the moment she feels she’s the only one who can’t ‘let go’ of her trauma, something that (given that the episode after she said this saw us journeying into Pearls repressed war memories) is obviously untrue. What Lapis needs is constructive coping techniques that don’t involve lashing out at those around her.
While Steven and Peridot meant well they both have a tendency to blame themselves for situations outside of there control and were scared of hurting Lapis further. Now however, as part of the main group, Lapis will have to interact with Pearl (who knows what it’s like to be treated like an object, and used to have a very similar way of dealing with her feelings) and Garnet (who while being kind and supportive will let Lapis know when she goes too far).
There’s also the matter of her back story. Now that we finally know about Pearls life on Homeworld she is now, officially, the Gem we know the least about. It’s also important to note that, other than Lapis, every other part of her origin story was a silhouette, something that has been repeatedly used (for instance in Your Mother and Mine) when a story doesn’t quite match reality.
Peridot:
Peridots relationship with Lapis was stifling. In my opinion this came partly from the fact that she had no idea how to support someone like Lapis, and partly from the fact that, during conflict, she assumes she’s the one in the wrong.
During her ‘redemption arc’ she was the main source of conflict, due to (generally out of ignorance) saying hurtful things to the Crystal Gems. She spent a lot of time being taught the correct way to behave. Before the revelation that Rose was Pink Diamond she never saw conflict between the Crystal Gems and may have assumed it had only happened because of her ignorance. If this is the case then the next step for Peridot is trusting her feelings and realising that sometimes other people make mistakes too.
Jasper:
There’s a lot of story potential for Jasper, from her origins in the Beta Kindergarten to the revelation that the Gem who took everything from her and her beloved Diamond were the same person. The cast system she absolutely believed in is now suddenly gone and she’s suddenly got nothing to fight and therefore, no purpose. Does Jasper even know that the Famethyst are still alive and at the zoo? Then there’s her whole negative experience with fusions to consider, along with the negative way she views herself.
Nephrite:
I’ve already made a post about Nephrite and what I believe to be her backstory so I’ll just write a summary here: Nephrite was considered something of a failure on Homeworld and, despite being persistent believes that she can do nothing right. If I’m right then she story will likely be about her, not only dealing with the trauma of corruption, but learning to believe in herself. It could also possibly give us information on how planets are scouted out.
Rhodonite and the Rutile Twins:
Out of all the off colours Rhodonite is the one who seems the least comfortable with her existence, ranging from telling Garnet that they should all be ashamed to occasionally correcting herself when she starts to talk about herself as one person instead of two. The Rutile Twins self loathing seems to be a little more subtle but they seem to have a similar dislike of their body as Amethyst and Peridot once had.
Jade and the Zircons:
Last seen poofed by Yellow Diamond we don’t know where they are or what happened to them.
Lars and Sadie:
What’s going to happen now Lars is back home. Both he and Sadie have grown as more independent people during his absence, will they still be able to connect with each other or have they grown apart?
The Aftermath:
Pearls:
While the cast system has been destroyed and all the gems are now no longer obliged to fall into their specific rolls, are the Pearls free? They are treated as objects by Homeworld and, as such, the Diamonds may have not mentally included them in the liberation. Even if they were included how willing would members of the elite be to give up their Pearls? In fact, if the theory about Rose accidentally breaking her Pearl is true, can Pearls even be given their freedom?
Former Corrupted Gems:
Did any of the gems go back to Homeworld with the Diamonds, and if so how many? Either way that’s a lot of gems who now have to find a place to live. Given Homeworlds mentality towards off colours how are they all going to cope with the fact that, with their new appearance, that is basically what they have become.
Homeworlds Off Colours:
As we’ve seen from Lars’s crew among others, the conform or die oppression the Homeworld off colours have faced have left them with a lot of issues. Even ‘acceptable’ off colours like Peridot were left feeling resentful towards themselves after being dressed up with lim enhancers to look like ‘real’ gems. Homeworlds mentality will not have changed in one go and there will be those who remain hidden out of fear, or out of a refusal to accept themselves. There may also be those who are (rightfully) angry about their oppression and want revenge for how they’ve been made to live.
The Former Elites:
Now we reach those I consider most likely to be the future antagonist of Steven Universe. While there will doubtless be elite gems who embrace the change there will be those who do not. Those like Aquamarine, who like their power over others and aren’t willing to let it go. A lot of people think the Gem shown in the film trailer is Morganite, the former owner of Rhodonite’s components, and if that’s the case, the deconstruction of the cast system, along with her views on thing like cross gem fusion would give her a motivation to start (or at least join) a revolution.
Middle and Lower Class Gems:
Gems who are not members of the elite, particularly low class ones like Pearls and Rubies, have problems regarding their own individuality and desires. They’ve always been treated as one of many identical and indistinguishable copies. As we’ve seen from both Ruby and Pearl, the affect of Homeworld on a gems individually can take a long time to lose its hold.
Then there are the gems like Holly Blue Agate, who have spent their lives sucking up to those above them and kicking those below. How will they cope with the changes? If there is a revolution I can see at least some of them joining in an attempt to get more power for themselves.
I can also see some lower class gems deciding to join, either in an attempt to secure some of the power that had been denied to them, or out of fear of freedom.
#steven universe#su#su theories#pyramid temple#su lion#pink diamond#rose quartz#pearl#su pearl#pink pearl#jungle moon#white diamond#change your mind#the zoomans#the human zoo#gem shards#bismuth#peridot#lapis#lapis lazuli#jasper#nephrite#jade#blue zircon#yellow zircon#rhodonite#the rutile twins#lars barraiga#aquamarine#holly blue agate
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I would just like to clear, I don't hate the BBC Dracula 2020 Show. In fact, I actually like the idea of Dracula being set in modern times like in the show, but I would like it a lot better if it wasn't written like a fucking reader insert fanfiction.
Don't get me wrong, I love me some reader inserts every once in a while but they're meant to be on Wattpad. Sometimes, you can find really fucking good fanfictions that could genuinly be movies, but this really just feels like someone wrote an erotic fanfiction for Dracula. It almost reminds me of a worse version of 50 Shades of Grey with less kinky sex.
First and foremost Agatha Van Hesling. I actually kinda liked her personality, how driven she was and determined to never give up, but she was literally created for a love interest. In Dracula by Bram Stocker, Sister Agatha is a nun that nurses Jonathan back to health, claiming he was 'sick in the head' as he ranted of what he had seen and warning others of Dracula. She doesn't even have a last name.
However there is a Dr. Van Hesling in the book, hes dutch(???) Professor that mentors and taught(????) Jack Seward who was in love with Lucy, who was fed off of and eventually killed and eventually undead by the means of the one and only Dracula. Dr Van Hesling plays a large role in the plot of the book. He has an open mind and was able to draw connections between things that some others couldn't, as he had access to more sources and could speak to most off the charecters involved. He's the first person to present the idea of a vampire, and Lucy turning into one. Thanks to Jonathan he was able to identify the vampire feeding on Lucy as Dracula and finds out how to kill the vampires.
So basically Agatha was literally fabricataed for the sole perpose of being there, to fall in love with Dracula or something.
I know we all are horny for Dracula. I'm horny for Dracula. Vampires are fucking hot but the sexiest part of vampires is that they ya know. Kill you and are mercily and heartless. The show does show that in a lot of parts and even decapiates a nun and yeets it into a gaggle of nuns which i fucking died at. But it also, humanizes him way to much, hes literally a monster. The scene in the boat with lord whats his name really portrayed that. It was really,,,, weird cause me being a kinky fucker I don't find the particular phrases of "you're going to need to be quiet now," and " youre doing so well" that creepy and if anything a little hot but looking at the circumstance and the look on that kids face, it was like r e a l y fucked up. Which is why i liked that scene. It showed just how fucked up Dracula is.
To be fair i did like Cleas Bangs acting and casting as Dracula. He had a certain charm that was ever so s l i g h t l y off. I heard people say he just 'made up an accent' but fuck you guys its a fucking danish accent you incolent twats anyways. He could be really funny at times and i actually apprecited it.
However the casting AND acting of the modern parts is absolute shit. Ep.3 is where i kinda gave up on the show and finsihed it for the sake of torturing myself. FIRST OF FUCKING ALL LUCY i cannot fathom how P I S S E D i am about Lucy. Why did they have to make her a phone obsessed basic asshole with no regards to anyones emotions besides her own and the extent of her personality is 'getting likes on socail media is all i care about because it makes me feel validated so im gonna wallo in self pity because i was obiously written by white man in his 50s that would have made me white if he wasnt forved to throw in diversity points" like shut the fuck up steven king.
Also lucy and mina never meet??? Theyre in different fucking time lines??? Theyre friendship and love for eachother was fucking golden how dare you rob that form me and give me a garbage bag full of shit with a shiny little bow on top in its place jesus f u ck.
The cemetary scene was o k ay i gues?? I liked the little nod to the book with the bloofer lady and the concept of random sprits being undead because of unfinished buisness. But this really just felt like it was slapped in the show for the sake of going on a date with Dracula in cemetary. I actually kinda apperacted it but it just felt awkward.
Also who the f u ck is Lucy's friend? The gay one??? Like,,,, is that supposed to Arthur???? His chatecter was so fu king weird and offset he just didnt feel like he should be in there. Hes literally just there for a-50-year-old-man's-interpretation-of-young-women-now-a-days verson of Lucy to have a gay best ffriend.
Ok i not even sure if i want to talk about Quincy. It just hurts. It physically hurts me to think about how d i r t y they did my baby. His charecter is the defination of american chivalry, just as great as regular chivarly but with a little extra cowboy vibe. Quincy is jist the biggest,,,, sweet haert,, like he asked lucy to marry him in his cool american cowboy voice cause he knew lucy loved it and it always made her laugh. And even when she turned him down becayse her heart belonged to arthur, he stayed. All he wanted was for lucy to be happy and all he requested was that they stay frirnds. Hes also invovled with taking fkwn dracula although hes not a main charecter percice ly as he doesnt have any entires in the book he still has an amaizing precence and sometimes while reading the book ill be readying one of dr sewards passanges and think "huh i wonder what quncys doin. I hope hes dooin good. Cowboy vibes n stuffs" amd boy dles he do that. Everh dracula film adaptataion robs us. R O B S U S of quincy morris best scene. In the middle of dr van helsing ranting about vampires( thats basically what half of the book is. I could write a 4p minute mono louge of his rambling jesus how does sweard take note of all this) quincy litterally just walks out. And nobodg really pays any notice beside glancing ag his leave and shrugging at one anouther and going back tl listneing tl van helsing explaining his vampire fan theories quincy moris , the quincy morris from texathe untited states of the amerkca the land and the free and also cowboys.stands outside of the bouilding and pints his gun up at. Dracula whos in the shape of a fucking bat eves ddopping outside the window and just fucking,,shoots it. Now he doesnt hit it cause thatt wouldnt be as fun as brutally stabbing the fucker witja wooden stake. But S T I L L. And the fucking bullet hits the window that everybodys in anprobably causes arthur to shit himself the ppoor boy. Can you belive that theh didnt fucking flim thatfor any dracul? Now i i under stands why not put in this adaptation because quincy is only mentionsed like three god damned times. And when theh DK mention him jesusnshit they literally jsut made him some popular jock from amwrica just to conter jacks white twinky ass and then they had him propose to lucy in the middle of a fucking night club and she says yes???? Lile ok jut throw Arthur out a window then cause cause fu c k him i guess. And then after lucy dies he jjsy fucking moves ?? The only thing thta makes this version of qincy quinccy is the fu king name and fact hes from america
Ok now jack fucking seward. He reminds me of when ylu forget you had a pb&j in your back pack so in the bos after school you pull it out cause yoyr hungry and yoyr mom put WAY to much jelly on it so now its like. All obsorbed into the bread and joggy and squished. Just sad and really white. They even had some kid call him whate bread and they werent fucking wrong. His obly personality traits were ' omg i love lucy but shes a hoe ;,,,((' and being connected to Zoe.
Now last and definately least the god forbaden ending. Just thinking about it gives me a fucking head ache. So , jesus, zoe, who is agathas great niece or someshit, a d looks exactly like her (its literally the same fucking actress) is a detective lile scitist reasearching dracula. So dracula is illedatly attracted to her becasue he thinks shes like agathas reincarnation or soenshit. So he tries tk drink her blood at one point and spits it all out and pukes and sjit cause her blood is poisonous bevaise she has fucking c an c e r. So later we find out that draculas weaknesses ( the sun crucifix) arnt actually real hes just afraid of dying so he has like irration fears or some shit so for some fucking reason. They deside. Its a good iea to end the show with this:
Dracula fucking drinks all of zoes blood killing her and himself because her blood poisonus. And ghe fucking emd scene is them like,,, in the sun???? Or soemt hi ng??? And theyre naked and like presumably fucked and dracula says some shit like " its doesnt have to hurt" and i almost tore my wrist open wiith my teeth because of how shitty this ending is.
Not lnly is it disrespectful to zoe but agatha, agathas whole thing was K I L I N G. dracula she wanted him fucking D E A D she woULDNT FUCK HKM
And like just after finding out that he can be in the sunlight with out fucking dying and that crosses just make him umcomfortable or some shit he just desides to kill himself??? DUDE YOU JUST FOUND OUT YOURE PROACTICALLY MORE INVINCABLE THAN YOU WERE BEFORE AND YOU JSUT FUCKING OFF YOUR SELF ??? HE COULD HAVE FUCKING RULED ENGLAD AND SPEAD VAMPIRISM OLL LVER THE FUCKING COUNTFY AND WORLD KF HE TRIED HARD ENOUGH AND HE KILLS HIMSELF BECAUSE THEY WANTED A STUPID SAPPY ENDING
anyway if anyone actually goes through the effort of reafing my god damn eS S A Y about Dracula that i finkshed typing (im not gonna bother editing tbh) at 4 fucking am. Then thank you and please get a life
#vampire#dracula#dracula2020#bbc dracula#bbc dracula 2020#3 am essays cause im pissed#dracula bram stoker#bram stoker#draculaxreader apparnetly
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Lovers Between Worlds - Male! Blue Diamond X Reader Part 2 - * Not A Request *
Steven Universe X Reader (Oneshots) * Requests Are Open *
Steven Universe X Reader
Lovers Between Worlds - Male! Blue Diamond X Reader Part 2 - * Not A Request *
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Author's Note: I don't own the wonderful series Steven Universe ( wish I did though ) and I don't own any of the cool characters from the beloved franchise. I only own my writing skills and my imagination.
Another Author's Note: The reader is human for the record unless the title suggests other wise. Also, if the character is a Diamond or a giant fusion and that they're giant then I have just automatically made them to human size so that they can connect with the reader better.
Please enjoy this oneshot I made~!
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The Next Morning:
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Your POV:
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I woke up in my bed laying next to Blue Diamond breathing in and out so soundly. I didn't realize that I was staring until I caught myself getting closer to his face. I sighed in relief in realizing how happy I was.
I then noticed that we were both naked and I suddenly remembered the events that took place the night before. I blushed like crazy when remembering.
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" Stay still my love. " Blue panted.
" I'm trying to Blue but you're making it difficult with this position...! " I moaned out.
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I covered my face as embarrassment was suddenly writing itself all over it. I looked over towards Blue and saw he was still asleep.
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" I will give you a very special reward if you lay still so I can do this. " Blue leaned in towards my face and whispered so softly.
" What kind of reward? " I asked while wiping the hair/sweat from my forehead.
" Something like this... " Blue whispered my reward into my ear and nibbled on it a little. My heart raced so hard and fast that I felt like it might actually burst out of my chest and back to earth.
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" Oh gosh....that will be imprinted into my memory for the rest of my life. " I shake my head and got out of bed slowly as to not wake Blue up.
I walked over to the bathroom to take a bath. I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed a lot of dark spots on like 65% of my body.
" Really Blue? Hickeys too? " I sighed and just tried to shake it off and got into the hot water and relaxed slowly while trying to feel the slow warmth from around me spread.
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" B-Blue...! " I crossed my arms around my face to cover my embarrassed self from being exposed to him.
" ( Y/N___ ) dear, why do you try to hide yourself from me? " Blue looked a little concerned and frowned.
" Cause it's my first time and I just didn't expect all of this to happen.....I feel somewhat um..... " I tried to explain but my feelings got in the way.
" You feel what? Bad? " Blue asked.
" No! Anything but bad, if anything I feel.....exposed and it's just going to take some time for me to get used to being exposed to you. That's all. " I explained while still holding my arms up.
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" Exposed huh.....that is something I was definitely feeling last night. However, pleasure was a big part of that as well. " My face was growing hotter by the second and it wasn't my embarrassment that was doing it alone. I grabbed the bottle of body soap and started to wash myself and tried to forget it for the time being or else I would melt into lava because bursting into flames has already passed.
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Blue's POV:
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I woke up with a smile on my face and the first thought that entered my mind was (Y/N___) and the events that we participated in last night. I never knew that I was missing out on so much of the lives of humans and how they would show each other love and how to do it.
" That was the most amazing experience of my entire life and that's saying something. " I say to myself while laughing slightly. I turned over to other side of (Y/N___)'s bed and I saw that she wasn't there. My eyes widened and I started to panic a little.
' Where is (Y/N___)??? ' I asked myself inside my head while my panic mode was starting to increase. I looked all over the room and I heard a small voice say something.
" Exposed huh.....that is something I was definitely feeling last night. However, pleasure was a big part of that as well. " I then heard a sigh after that and it was all coming from the bathroom.
' Oh, she must be taking a bath. Thank god. ' I sighed in relief and noticed that the door was slightly opened. I guess she didn't close it all the way like she wanted to.
I peeked in slightly and immediately blushed as I saw her completely naked and her rubbing her entire naked form with this shiny substance while forming bubbles at the same time. I don't know why I was going red because I've seen her naked before and I didn't blush then, so why should this time be any different?
I was breathing in and out slowly as I took in her gorgeous form even when it was covered in bubbles. I smelled something very sweet, her body wash smelled like ( Your favorite sweet scent ) and just seeing all this while not taking her to be mine was driving me mad. I knocked lightly on the bathroom door as to not scare her but suddenly coming in.
" ( Y/N__ )? Can I come in? " I asked politely.
" Sure, come in. " She replied sweetly.
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Your POV:
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" Sure, come in. " I replied.
Blue came into the bathroom and I saw that his face wasn't the usual blue color, it was blue mixed in with a red/pink color. I thought for a brief moment as to why he was off color. ( I'm sorry, I couldn't resist putting that reference in here. )
" Blue, are you feeling alright? " I asked.
" Oh y-yes of course it's just.....seeing you like this is sort of making me um..... " Blue turned away and went even deeper off color. I looked at his body up and down and noticed his body language was trying to tell me something.
Then it hit me!
" Ohhh....I see. Well maybe I can fix that. " I smiled.
" You can? " He asked.
" Sure, if you want to then maybe you should join me in here. I think there's enough room in here for the both of us. " I moved over and invited him into the tub.
" R-Really? " Blue suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree.
" Yeah of course honey. " I chuckled over how shy he was being, before I knew it Blue's clothes were on the floor and he hugged me from behind while joining me in the bathtub. I blushed madly again because now I could actually feel ALL of him from behind me. I'm glad it's from behind because this time he can't see my face.
" Thank you darling for inviting me. You have no idea how much I was holding myself back from just seeing you like this. " Blue nibbled on my neck where he had already placed his mark on me.
" You're welcome, Blue I have a question? " I turned my head to try and face him.
" Yes my little star? "
" You said that Pink told you about um.....how to make love to the one you love and I get that for the most part but..... " I looked down and steam made my face even hotter than it already was.
" But what? Did I not perform it correctly? " He asked me and I couldn't help but laugh.
" Oh no you did, it's just that how on earth did you know how to do all that other stuff you did to me? " I finally asked aloud.
" Pink told me. " He replied with ease.
" But how does he know all this? " I asked another question.
( Author's Note: Pink has been gender reversed as well. )
" He has a human woman to teach him these things and he taught me these things so I can be closer to you and here we are. " Blue hugged me even tighter.
" O-Oh....well that makes sense now. " My mind started to wander again to the events of last night.
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" (Y/N___), I love you so much. Please don't hide your beautiful self from me. " Blue said while removing my arms from my face.
" I love you too Blue. " I whispered.
" Be mine and mine only while I do the same to you. " Blue's diamond eyes beckoned me to become one with him as he was doing to me.
" Okay! " I lifted myself up and kissed him passionately while sitting on his naked lap and wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
" Oh god.... " Blue moaned out from underneath our kiss.
I started to move up and down from his lap at a slow rhythm and then a somewhat faster pace.
" Oh (Y/N___)....! " Blue moaned again.
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I moaned out slightly from under my hot breath and suddenly realized that I was in the bathtub with blue and he just heard me moan.
" You feeling a little frisky sweetie? " Blue asked me with a big grin on his face.
" N-No, I was just remembering last night and I guess my imagination got the better of me. " I replied while washing my face.
" Oh yeah, last night was absolutely amazing. If you're not tired can we maybe.... "
" Ahh-!! " I felt Blue suddenly grope my chest and I completely lost control of my desire for him.
" These and a lot of places seem to be your favorite spot, aren't they? " Blue asked me while touching me even more.
" Blue...I Ahh...! " I tried to speak but his touching cut me off from doing so. I moved my body up and down onto his lap.
" You are such a good girl right now darling, with you being a moaning mess like that. " Blue's lap felt hotter and hotter the more I moved, I couldn't tell if it was him or the boiling water we were in.
" Blue, you are being such a tease right now....Mngh! " I tried to bite down another one of my moans.
" I know but for some reason you are loving it, aren't you? " He grinned even wider.
Blue turned me around and started to look at my body all over and I could tell instantly that he was fantasizing on what he wanted to do to me right then and there. Blue held my entire body with his arms and kissed me deeply while I felt my already wet hair falling deep in the hot water and feeling it sway back and forth. Blue's hair fell down at the sides of my body and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
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2 hour later:
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" Whew! Man it is so hot in here, I feel like I might pass out. " I said while wrapping a towel around myself.
" You're damn right it's hot but it's not the steam that's making it hot. " Blue winked at me and he wrapped a towel around his lower end. God, he is so hot.
I started to dry myself as I entered from out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. I looked at my clock and noticed that it said 2:00 PM. A whole morning passed thanks to Blue, not that I mind.
" You can slow down on all that rubbing (Y/N___). " Blue chuckled.
" Pervert. " I replied.
" What's that? " Blue asked me.
" Someone who can't stop thinking about making love to someone. " I said while trying to find a change of clothes.
" Oh well then you're right to call me that then. " Blue smirked.
" Yeah I am. " I got dressed and started drying my hair.
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Nightfall:
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" Please darling, you know it's my favorite thing to do with you. " Blue pleaded.
" Oh but we've done it so many times, aren't you tired of doing it with me? " I asked.
" Never! It's one of your amazing qualities. " Blue stared at me with his diamond-like eyes and smiled widely.
" Alright, I'll do it as many times as you want if it makes you happy. " I smiled back.
" Oh thank you so much my little star. " Blue hugged me tightly and laid his head on my lap while we laid in my bed.
" You're welcome, so chapter 5 is where we left off. " I grabbed the book from my nightstand and started to read where one of the bookmarks were at.
" Yeah, so the lovers were feeling their emotions for each other and then they what? " Blue asked me eagerly.
" Ok, so the lovers were staring into each others eyes and their feelings for each other only grew with each passing moment and they decided to share their feelings and express it. " I read off the words from the book to Blue and he was listening to every word I spoke.
I kept reading and reading until I noticed that Blue had fallen asleep on my lap, I placed the book back onto the nightstand and turned the light out. I placed Blue onto the pillow next to me and wrapped the blankets around both of us and whispered in his ears.
" I will love you forever My Diamond. " I kissed his forehead.
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I hope you all like this, I've gotten a request to continue this and I made a part 2 to it so here it is. I'm onto to making part 3 of Rose Quartz.
Enjoy~!
P.S - DON’T STEAL MY WORK
#blue diamond#blue diamond x reader#steven universe x reader#steven universe#imagines#oneshots#lemon#romance#genderbend
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The Charles Manson Thread of American Horror Story: An Over-Analysis
(SPOILERS for Murder House, Hotel, and Cult)
(TRIGGER WARNING for murder and general awfulness. This is Charles Manson and AHS villains we’re talking.)
All screenshots are by me, from Netflix.
So, my second-favorite season of American Horror Story is Cult, the seventh season. And my love of it led me down the road of studying Charles Manson and his Family, since they figure so largely in the story. In studying it, I remembered the references to Manson in the first and fifth seasons (Murder House and Hotel) so I decided to analyze as it pertains to story and character. And it’s fun to over-analyze this show. So here I go:
The “Manson thread” (as I call it) begins in the very first episode, “Pilot”. In the scene where Violet is ranting to Tate about Leah beating her up and how she wants to get back at her, Tate suggests that she scare Leah so badly so she’ll never bother her again. Violet asks how she’ll scare her, and then we get this shot:
“Helter skelter” is a phrase meaning madness, and it’s of course an excellent Beatles song (if I do say so myself), but it’s that song that the cult leader Charles Manson heard and misinterpreted as meaning that he and his followers should kill a bunch of white people, make it look like black people did it, and trigger a race war that would end in him and his white followers ruling the black population (since he was a racist asshole, to put it mildly). He called this forthcoming race war “Helter Skelter.” So why does Tate say “helter skelter”?
It’s entirely possible he just means the phrase in its original definition, that to scare Leah it has to be insane. One of my interpretations is that this is meant to seed the school shooting and is something Tate said to himself while high on methamphetamine (if I’m remembering correctly), and therefore doesn’t really mean anything. (Or he thought the phrase sounded cool.) My other interpretation is that he might think Manson was onto something and admire him, hence using one of the phrases most associated with him. I’ve thought about why Tate might admire Manson, and I think it might be the idea of a family that supposedly frees you. I interpret Tate as being someone who has a very twisted notion of love and what it is, and given his violent impulses, I can see him liking someone who would tell him to go out and slaughter people. (It should be noted that I loathe this boy, and that he is my least favorite character in the series, and that colors my interpretations.) And given his neediness and desperation for love (as seen in his relationship with Violet), he’d be prime bait for someone like Manson, who targeted people with low self-esteem and unhappy family relationships. So this interpretation boils down to Tate as some kind of 1990s-era Manson follower (though I will say it’s heavily compounded by Tate probably knowing about all of his horrible beliefs and as far as I can tell he’s not virulently racist. But he might be. The show never gives any indication that he is or isn’t.)
Now onto Hotel. In the “Devil’s Night” episode, real-life serial killer Richard Ramirez shows up at the Cortez, and on his way to his room, talks with Liz. They have this exchange:
So we learn that Manson (a fictionalized version of him) was one of James Patrick March’s proteges, and that March likely taught him and/or influenced him. Or maybe Manson already had his ideas and March simply encouraged him. Either way, there was some kind of relationship. I don’t have nearly as much to say on this one. Only that I wonder how much influence March had over Manson’s philosophies and methods. But that’s the stuff a fic, not an analysis.
And finally, Cult. In the fourth episode, “11/9″, Harrison tells Kai that he admires how optimistic he is, and Kai replies with this:
This is a direct quote from Manson himself. (My source is this Atlantic article, which also mentions Cult.) The connection between Kai and Manson is thus seeded (and Ally even calls him a “modern-day Charles Manson” in the sixth episode). From there we go to the appropriately named tenth episode, “Charles (Manson) in Charge”, which is getting its own paragraph because this is gonna get lengthy.
Kai first bring up Manson when talking to his men and telling them about the murders of Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring, Wojchiech Frykowski, and Steven Parent on the night of 08-09 August 1969. Of this brutal and inhumane crime, he has to this to say, extolling Manson as he does so:
He literally calls Manson “the master”, therefore positioning himself and his men as disciples who believe that what he did was right. He also says that they must “take a lesson” (and they will, for their “Night of Thousand/Hundred Tates”) from him, implying that they are the successors of the Family. To further this comparison, when Kai’s story unfolds onscreen, we see that the actors who play Kai’s followers also play Manson’s:
Billy Eichner plays both Harrison Wilton and Manson follower Charles “Tex” Watson.
Sarah Paulson plays both Ally Mayfair-Richards (who only fakes being Kai’s follower, but this is his point-of-view and he doesn’t know it yet) and Manson follower Susan “Sadie Mae Glutz” Atkins.
Leslie Grossman plays both Meadow Wilton and Manson follower Patricia “Katie” Krenwinkel.
Billie Lourd plays both Winter Anderson and Manson follower Linda Kasabian.
Since this is Kai’s retelling, it’s possible that he’s imagining his own followers as Manson’s--therefore placing himself in Manson’s position. I believe that my interpretation is supported by a later scene in the same episode, where an increasingly paranoid Kai begins to hallucinate, and then this hallucination pops up:
It’s Manson himself, and played by Evan Peters--the same actor who plays Kai. So Kai might be imagining himself as Manson just as he imagined his followers as Manson’s, and I believe that this was intentional--there’s meant to be a parallel. Look at the episode title. It has a double meaning. Not only is the Manson hallucination “in charge” of Kai (as it tells him what to do), but Kai is positioned as modern-day Manson who is very much in charge. The Manson hallucination soon has complete control over Kai, and encourages him to acts horrific even for him, asking him this when Kai’s questioning Winter over the matter of the mole:
“What needs to be done” is weeding out the mole, so Kai kills Winter. He is at once a modern-day Manson and a Manson follower. And given that he ends up arrested and in prison (and later dead), the connection is complete. My interpretation? Kai is a modern-day Manson. He may be initially presented as an alt-right madman, but at the end of the day he’s Charles Manson (who was also a madman). The thread thus reaches its completion (unless we get more references in future seasons).
So why this thread of references to Manson throughout the show? Probably just to make it scarier. Manson was a disgusting human being and a monster and the characters become a bit more frightening by possibly being associated with him. But I like to think it’s more something about these men’s characters--their twisted, unhealthy views of love and family, their need to control others around them, their violent and bloodthirsty impulses--that connect them to Manson, and that gives me a small in into their psyches. After all, why would they admire such an awful person? Because he had people who listened to him. He had control. He mattered to people. These guys (especially Tate) don’t feel like anyone cares about what they have to say or do. So they make them care like Manson did. By shocking the world through violence.
(A note: All of these characters are played by Evan Peters. Probably a coincidence, but hey. Maybe there’ll be a future season of American Crime Story where he plays Manson properly, and not as a hallucination. We can hope.)
Thank you for taking the time to read this absolutely unnecessary and probably ridiculous, all-over-the-place analysis.
#american horror story#ahs#ahs murder house#ahs hotel#ahs cult#tate langdon#james patrick march#kai anderson#ahs analysis#screw it i'm proud of this and of myself#thank you for coming to my ted talk#akh.txt
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This is IT. This is all I’m writing! Don’t even @ me.
I also did 15 minutes of research before I decided I didn’t care. So if you’re a former president’s child, I’m sorry.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They’re ideas intrinsic to American values and way of life.
From children we’re taught there’s freedom of choice and freedom in future. We look out to the stretching wilderness spanning the country and see challenge. See a facet of ourselves.
From sea to sea there’s wood and desert and farm and city. Opportunity and loss, friend and stranger. There’s room to be reckless and pockets to play it safe. We thirst from a young age for that freedom, that potential. We reach short arms and stubby fingers out and out, towards the promises of our parents, desperate to grasp some of it for ourselves. We reach and strive, until we’re capable of grabbing a bit of it. We hold it close to our hearts. Fiercely defend our fair share.
Freedom. Choice. Self.
And then your mom and step-dad tell you that you have to move back in with them.
[]
“Are you kidding me?”
Sutton glared at her parents and let the scathing look slide over to the two hulking men in the corner of the room.
“You know we aren’t, Sutton,” her mother said.
Her mother stood primly next to her husband, the newly elected President of the United States, and smoothed out the skirt suit she’d adopted ever since Howard plunged completely into running campaign races. Sutton felt like she was at a board meeting.
There was a long-suffering sigh faintly hidden behind her words and Sutton didn’t think it was earned. She wasn’t the one making ridiculous demands.
“With Howard in office we’re all in the spotlight.” Her mother continued. “And with the political climate like it is, we can’t take risks-“
“I’m not part of this,” Sutton insisted. “I’m not even Howard’s biological kid! If anyone needs a bodyguard it’s Tyrese, not me.”
“We’re a family,” Howard cut in, calm and unfazed, as usual. “Which means you could still be a target for people. I’m afraid this isn’t a negotiable issue.”
Sutton stood from her chair and paced a few steps around the office.
“No, don’t you use your politician voice on me. I’m not doing this. I’m not derailing my life. You’re trying to demand I not only get daily surveillance, but move? Into the White House?”
“There’s already been one threatening altercation.” Howard fiddled with his cufflink, a sure sign he was getting irked. “And taxpayers shouldn’t have to cover for additional expenses when-“
“They’ll make me more of a target for people by drawing attention than I would by myself. Look at them!”
They were towering men, especially compared to Sutton’s small frame, and dressed sharply, with tight haircuts that screamed security detail. At the moment, they were doing a decent job of pretending not to be privy to the argument, but Sutton could still make out a thin frown on the blond one’s face.
“I’m a grown woman,” she continued to argue. “What happened to my agency, huh? Besides, you know I don’t do much. Nothing crazy. Consider their well being for a second.” She gestured to the men. “Are you going to subject them to my mundane routine? Don’t do that them.”
Her mother rolled her eyes and Sutton thought she heard one of the men stifle a cough. Howard shot her a look and ran a hand over his hair.
“Sutton,” he said. His tone was sharp and all traces of the placating politician was gone. “Not only am I responsible for caring for this entire country, but I’m also responsible for caring for our family. Both physically and emotionally. If something happened to you because you’re being stubborn, I’d have a whole ‘lotta mess on my hands. You’re moving in and getting the bodyguards. End of story.”
“This is Mr. James Barnes and Mr. Steven Rogers,” her mother said, waving a hand in introduction. “I suggest you get accustomed to them.”
[]
Sutton stomped out of the office without looking behind her to see if she were being followed. She already knew she was. Two large shadows were cast in front of her, dwarfing her own, and she clenched a fist hidden in the pocket of her coat. A petulant attitude, perhaps, but her parents were treating her like a child again anyway.
Like a child who needed babysitters to make sure they stayed out of trouble.
She scoffed under her breath.
A potential target.
As if. She had coworkers who probably didn’t know her name and the last time a guy had come up to chat with her he’d been asking for directions, not her number. The idea that she’d ever attract the attention of a terrorist was laughable.
What would her coworkers say when the office had to be cleared by two dudes who looked like posh hitmen? What would her friends think when she showed up to dinner and a movie looking like she’d picked up two uptight gym buddies?
“I hope you didn’t sign up for excitement,” she tossed over her shoulder, “because you’re going to be bored out of your minds.”
Both of their faces were stoic and unfazed. They were probably bored already.
“Avoiding excitement is generally the goal, miss.”
Sutton quirked a brow at the brunette one, James, and tipped her head.
“Get ready for some gold stars, then.”
If they found her annoying or amusing, she couldn’t tell. They reminded her of those British guards tourists liked to try and pester. Expressionless. Robotic.
Wonderful. They were going to have lots of fun.
[]
She hadn’t even joined in on the campaign when Howard had been traveling from state to state. It wasn’t fair. She didn’t want anything to do with politics, yet here she was being dragged into it.
Maybe she could’ve really put her foot down. Said, No. But then she’d be daily haunted by how much extra she was costing the country by being selfish. That, and her mother would most likely take care to remind her of it.
Do you remember how Howard is striving to lessen the burden on middle class taxpayers? It’s a shame we can’t help with that.
All of her things were packed and moved into the White House by the next day. Sutton hardly got to label any of the boxes, and she wondered how much they were going to shove into storage as a swarm of workers left with all of her stuff.
She stood on the curb of her old apartment complex and tapped a foot in irritation as she watched the u-haul disappear into traffic. Her two new shadows were lurking behind her yet again.
Sutton tugged on the sleeve of her jacket, adjusted her purse, and still refused to look behind her. It wasn’t their fault they were assigned to her. It wasn’t their fault she was in this situation. But she still held on to the flimsy fantasy that if she didn’t look they’d just sort of… disappear.
“Are you ready to go, Ms. Regan?”
Taking a steadying breath, Sutton slowly let her head turn over her shoulder as she finally faced her new reality. Steve pulled a set of keys from his pocket and began heading for a black SUV parked on the curb. James followed him and opened the back door, holding it open and staring at her expectantly. Sutton pursed her lips.
“So do I not get to drive anymore either?”
James only tilted his head further towards the car, expression unchanging. Sutton rolled her head over her neck and pressed her lips into a thin smile.
“Alright then.”
He shut the door for her and moved to the passenger’s seat. Steve already had the car started and waited until they’d both buckled before pulling out onto the road.
A thick silence settled over the car as they drove. Sutton tapped her fingers on her knee and stared out the window. Her security didn’t appear to be bothered by the lack of conversation. But then, they hadn’t looked bothered by anything so far. It was probably part of the job qualifications.
“So, is this one of those things where I try talking to you two only to get the silent treatment because professionalism?”
“You can talk all you like, Ms. Regan,” said James. Sutton rolled her eyes.
“You can call me Sutton, you know. I’m not the one who’s taking office.”
James glanced back briefly, once again belying no specific emotion.
“Of course, Ms. Regan.”
Sutton narrowed her eyes and let out a breathy huff. She could almost swear there was an amused lilt in his voice. Almost.
“Fine, Mr. Barnes. So lovely to chat with you.” Her gaze slid over to the driver’s seat and she fought back a smile as she stared at the back of Steve’s head.
“You too, Mr. Rogers. How’s the neighborhood?”
Steve glanced back at her through the rearview mirror. It wasn’t quite scathing, but he certainly didn’t look like he was faking being unamused.
“The grounds around the White House are secure,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll be able to settle in quite well.”
Her brows actually shot up at that. Wow. Low blow.
“Oh, I can tell we’re gonna be great friends.”
She gave them a saccharine smile and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
Maybe if they’d been more agreeable, she would’ve invited them to run errands with her that evening.
Too bad.
#my writing#oc: sutton#ink you're on thin flippin ice#i can't spiral again like i did for amh#that isn't allowed#sutton already exists in too many worlds
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Research - Notes and Tables: Queer Coding
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I think it's intended to add "uneasiness" into the audience. Alfred Hitchcock did this with movies like "Rope" or "Strangers on a Train", because he felt that adding queer subtext to the films would make the audience feel uneasy and edgy, which was his intended reaction from these thriller movies. Now it's almost second nature for storytellers, especially in children's media, to add "queerness" in order to make the character easily identified as a villain or to strike that same unease into the audience. People associate queerness with comfortableness because it can be considered odd and not ‘normal’ to the majority of audiences.
Stereotypes used in male queer coding might include being flamboyant, feminine, talking with a lisp, being prim, vain or wanton.
When used unconsciously a writer sees these collections of traits or behaviours without realising they’re linked to queer men, but still understands that they are used symbolically as a sign of immorality
The sissy villain is a long-standing trope that is often associated with the hays code – a code in the 1940s in Hollywood which meant that you couldn’t have portrayals of LGBT people on screen that were positive in any way. The rooting of this trope is entirely grounded within the demonization of femininity, especially amongst men and outright homophobia
It’s not about a character actually being gay, but using negative stereotypes around gay and queer people
Examples:
Jafar – wears makeup and talks with languid sensuality
Ursula – based on the famous drag queen Divine, she is vain and sexual with a husky voice and exaggerated makeup
Hades – exaggerates hand gestures and sass
Ratcliffe- vain, wears bows in his hair, obsessed with gold and glitter. He hates masculine physical labour and dotes on his tiny prim dog
King candy – Flamboyant, pronounce lisp, bright pink décor in the castle and is labelled by our hero as ‘nelly wafer’ which employs a gay slur
The focus on Disney due to its ‘world of didactic storytelling and morality shaping through fiction. Children’s media, stories and fairy tales are how children learn about themselves and the world around them about morality – what is good and what is bad to be and do.
Obvious vices are often the main drive or plot are not to be mean greedy or violent for example – but other traits seep in especially if they’re repeated. – From a very early age, we’re conflating queerness and gender expression outside of the binary with evil and villainy, especially with no counterpoints due to the total lack of positive and canonical queerness in children’s media.
This can mirror a lack or representation or effeminate men or butch women for that matter in anything other than a sidekick, comic relief or secondary role.
Due to a lack of queer heroes and protagonists, especially that straight outside of gender binary – look at why this is.
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The Queer Power of Witches
I believe they [witches] share a magic unspoken bond with queer people even though they’re always cast as the villains; secretly they’re everything we wish we could be.
Within Matt Baume’s podcast series ‘the sewers of Paris’ he spoke various gay men and discussed the entertainment that changed their lives. Baume recons that if you were to ask a gay man who their favourite witch is they’ll have an answer.
He believes that the reason for this is due to witches being powerful women who step outside their gender roles to wield incredible control.
Ordinary people don’t understand them [witches] they fear them and when they’re found out they’re thrown out of town, sent into exile and if they’re unlucky burned
No wonder queer people love witches – they’re outcasts punished for being different. They know our pain. Like us witches often pass as mundane humans they slip into disguise, painfully cloaking their true forms in dreary camouflage
Witches are eternal outsiders and so they have to learn to be fearless and brave on their own. Being rejected teaches them strength and they become self-made, self-reliant and self-confident
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The Evolution Of Queerbaiting: From Queercoding to Queercatching
They way that mental health is portrayed on film Is not just a reflection of the way society thinks about mental health, but in fact, the way it’s presented on film actually informs the way that people think about mental health itself.
Hays code – Hollywood had to follow. – the code lasted up until basically the 1960s, but the legacy of it and the effects of it lasted way past that – there’s a kind of proxy ban on showing healthy and happy queer people in relationships kept going. It wasn’t until the 1970s where a more mainstream vaguely positive portrayal of a gay man was shown on US screens (the teleplay ‘That Certain Summer’. Waited another decade in the UK to see a man kiss another man in soap Eastenders 1987 (even then it was only on the forehead and there were many complaints)
There’s a period where we have the development of an extremely influential art form, film, with a very narrow idea about whose stories got to be told, both through the code itself, but also more general social ideas at the time.
Taking something that is associated with queerness, even stereotypically, especially if it somehow threatens the status quo of cis normativity or heteronormativity and gender essentialism.
Essentially one effect of this is that we associate the attributes that we associate with queerness as something that is inherently negative, not just queerness itself so we can give a character those attributes and we automatically think of them in a negative way.
Use of queercoding in characters at the beginning of the film was a way of getting queerness past censors or it’s a very quick-hand way to show something that is perverse or some kind of villainy
It serves as a very easy opposition to a hyper-masculine hero – something that is very celebrated. Using these outdated gender ideals it makes the hero seem even better than the villain is the opposite
By contrasting the villain with the hero it has this dual purpose of making the hero seem even better in comparison, but then also damming the attributes that the villain has to villainy because they aren’t shared with the hero
Queer people may feel a kind of affinity to queercoded villains – for them there is a kind of subversive power of existing outside of the gender binary, outside of this ideal of heteronormativity and heteronormative romance
The language of cinema created through the Hay’s code endured for a long time. It taught new generations of filmmakers what queer characters should look like how they should act, how they should be treated onscreen, and what a villain should look like even if they didn’t realise the homophobic origins and implications of using those tropes
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Why Are There No Gay Characters in Kid's Films? || Visual Essay
Research by William T.L Cox at the university of Wisconsin – Madison shows that negative stereotyping and prejudiced mind-sets in media contribute significantly to bullying, harassment, depression and suicide.
LGBT youth even from ages as young as 10 are at higher risk of suicide than their straight and cis peers – being 4 times as likely to attempt to take their own life and 6 times more likely to self-harm
An example of the sexuality of a character being revealed as the punch line of a joke is the character of Mitch in Paranorman who is revealed to have a boyfriend at the very end of the movie. This ‘twist’ ending relies on both the absence of gay characters from kids media and the stereotype that gay men are not the athletic jock types, to create an unexpected payoff.
Steven Universe – in 2016 the UK aired an episode of the show where same-sex romance had been censored. The romantic dance between Pearl and Rose Quartz instead featured close-ups of completely different characters. Many people say it’s actually the overseas markets in Asia and China specifically which causes shows to downplay LGBT characters but the fact the UK changed the original US show for a British audience suggests its more complex than that. In a statement Cartoon Network UK said:
“In the UK we have to ensure everything on air is suitable for kids of any age at any time. We do feel that the slightly edited version is more comfortable for local kids and their parents. Research shows that UK kids often watch with younger siblings without parental supervision. Be assured that as a channel and network we celebrate diversity – evident across many of our shows and characters”
However, this isn’t actually true. The description of the British U rating the lowest age rating that we have in this country and the one which cartoon network aims for, say “Character may be seen kissing or cuddling and there may be a reference to sexual behaviour”. This cute romantic scene [from Steven universe] was clearly seen as too sexual.
Important to note that these videos may be more opinion based than factual - therefore a bias or unbiased view may be given. Information may be very relevant, just important to note that the sources may not be reliable and should be used with caution.
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Creed II Movie Review
I don’t remember anything about the first Creed except Sylvester Stallone, and that barely. I liked it well enough, then forgot about it. Now here comes a sequel. I liked it well enough, and will soon forget about it. At its best moments, it is about ghosts, and the way they can control a life. It is also sometimes about family, and the way we don’t get to choose ours. In the end, though, it’s fine being a fairly standard boxing movie. It could have been more. Dare I say it? It coulda been a contender.
If you’ll recall (I had to look it up), Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), son of famous Rocky opponent Apollo Creed, got adopted, separately, by both Adonis’s widow (Phylicia Rashad) and Rocky himself (Sylvester Stallone). Before going into the ring and losing but honorably, he also became boyfriend to a partially deaf singer named Bianca (Tessa Thompson). As the sequel begins, Adonis wins the heavyweight championship, and is almost immediately challenged for it by Russian mountain Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). That would be the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man whose bout with Adonis’s father Apollo was the death of him. Later, Ivan lost to Rocky, and as a result lost his status, his wife, and his respect, which makes you wonder how the Russian divorce rate isn’t 99%; after all, the hard reality is that most people who compete for something lose. Back on the home front, Adonis and Bianca come down with a case of pregnant-before-we’re-ready, and it is only natural to wonder if the baby will also be deaf. Adonis, of course, also takes Viktor’s challenge.
Outside of the ring, the movie, which has tagged in Steven Caple Jr. as director since Ryan Coogler went on to handle some superhero thing, is a surprisingly nuanced look at obsession, masculine ego, and the toll an ultimately meaningless contest takes on people. Adonis has to fight the son of the man who killed his father, because it’s destiny, a word sports announcers, writers and fans throw around more than they do game balls. Mostly, though, it’s because he’s goaded by both the Dragos and a slimy promoter (Russell Hornsby), and it is of course an accepted fact that you cannot turn down such a challenge and still retain your manhood. Who decided it was an accepted fact? Well, people with a lot of money to make off the fight, of course. The idea that your ability to whup another man’s ass decides everything about who you are is of course older than recorded history, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn it was thunk up by an ancient sports promoter.
This is even clearer on the side of Ivan and Victor. The elder Drago blames his loss of “everything” on Rocky defeating him. He never considers the fact that Rocky wouldn’t have been ostracized in his country for losing, never stops to think it might just be wrong to see the world that way. His son does. When their ice-hearted ex-wife/mother (Brigitte Nielsen) parades herself and her status as the pampered trophy wife of a wealthy stuffed shirt in front of the humiliated Drago at a dinner party, it is Viktor who reacts, insisting that, no, dad, it’s her fault for leaving them just because he lost a fair fight. I would have loved to see the movie from their point-of-view.
Adonis loses his first fight with Drago, and loses badly. He keeps his belt because Drago hits him while he’s down. He goes to the hospital, spends months in recovery. Yet, despite the fact that he has a baby on the way and that Bianca wants him to settle down, she offers no resistance to his continued machismo in accepting a rematch. And it is exactly that. He rages against his own impulses, Rocky tries to impress the importance of other things on him, and the movie flirts briefly with the idea that he might do the saner, rarer and more interesting thing: turn down the fight, live his life, learn that sometimes the story doesn’t go entirely our way. I imagine a film wherein he decides he does not need to fight, that he is a whole man already.
That doesn’t happen, of course. I said in my review for a great, underloved movie called Damsel that the western is the most versatile of modern genres. The sports genre is the least. Donnie takes the fight. The movie ends with a rousing display of well-choreographed martial prowess, a fight that is thrilling in and of itself but which is also common and wrote in a movie where the characters often are not. I felt fascinated by Adonis’s obsession and the toll it takes on him. The screenplay by Stallone and Juel Taylor, based on a story by Sascha Penn and Cheo Hodari Coker, goes to a lot of love in crafting a broken youth. I was especially engaged with him when he is at his worst: when he pushes away the mentor who has been where he is, simply because his ego can’t handle being told a right answer when he wants it to be a wrong one. For much of the film he is not a hero we can admire. And Stallone? Well, he may only have one way of acting, but it works here. He does not feel broken, but worn, sort of like a rock passed many times over by a river. The women in the movie are rendered largely irrelevant and reduced to ineffective protest, but the relationship between Adonis and Rocky points to fascinating conclusions the film could have reached. I also wanted to see more of the viewpoint of Viktor, who more than Adonis doubts the validity of self-confirmation through fighting, but is routinely pulled back into the world he has been taught.
The third act of the film discards most of this. In the end, Adonis’s choice to fix his broken pieces by fighting yields him all of the rewards and none of the consequences, while those in his life either actively cheer or look on passively. It isn’t that I want a sports movie to not be a sports movie, but this one makes so many overtures toward something deeper that when it opts to reinforce the modern sports belief that winning is at the heart of the universe, it becomes less than the sum of its parts. For a few glorious moments, Creed II was almost a powerful film. Then it settled for less.
Verdict: Recommended
Note: I don’t use stars, but here are my possible verdicts.
Must-See
Highly Recommended
Recommended
Average
Not Recommended
Avoid like the Plague
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All images are property of the people what own the movie.
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Connie in Stevens role au
Connie was mostly raised by the crystal gems, struggles with social interactions, feels isolated from the Beach City ppl
a first few episodes are mostly just Connie interacting with the gems, you get to know who the gems are on the surface level + Connie’s father is introduced
Connie’s dad is still a security guard and Connie is very insistent that it’s not only her moms who fight for the gems, her dad does too!!
Doug is initially disregarded as a “just human” by the gems, but later becomes a more active part of the team and is never left helpless
however, he does travel throughout the entire state most of the time
he always finds some time for his daughter when Connie wants to talk via phone and loves her deeply, but sometimes Connie feels like he isn’t there enough which only adds to her general anxiety
Connie is a pretty cautious person, her big issue at first is how much she overthinks things and hesitates - she wants to help the gems but she isn’t sure how
she brings the fresh blood of new ideas and new outlook into the gems’ life
she reads A LOT, both fiction and non-fiction, and often talks to the crystal gems about the past events, even the brutal ones such as wars; easily makes connections between whatever she reads about and whatever is happening in the gems’ lives or happened in the gem history, is more inquisitive abt the gem history than Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl wish she was at this age
Pearl constantly gets fictional stories and non-fiction mixed up sfddsfd Connie is like “George Washington” and Pearls like “oh isnt he that mage from that book youve read last summer???”
Pearl is EXTREMELY frustrated abt things such as Arthurian myths because it EITHER IS HISTORY OR IT ISNT HISTORY WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT CONNIE
and Connie is like “well you were there right???”
Pearl, remembering how she was thirsting after Rose in the middle ages: .......i do not think i was in that particular place during that time period, no
oh RQ =/= PD in this au, Rose Quartz was just a soldier with a lot of secrets who helped an enslaved Pearl escape, she did indeed shatter Pink Diamond + Pearl was indeed a renegade
the Bismuth arc plays out COMPLETELY DIFFERENT because Connie always needs to see and understand all sides of the conflict and even then she sometimes can’t decide or feels uncomfortable with deciding, in a way she is fascinated by Bismuth’s new perspective but v unsure bcs this is not how she was taught, they sit down and talk together for a very long time
Connie is generally not as uncomfortable with the idea of killing for the greater good since she knows history, she still feels weird with the idea of doing it herself and would rather spare people if she had to
she sometimes struggles with expressing or even understanding her feelings very much which makes the gems initially think she’s much more mature and responsible than she really is
Amethyst is from the beginning introduced with attempts to deal with her issues; she tries to put her self-worth into the hands of others, that is, she is the one who goes to Beach City, she is the one known by everyone there, she seems outgoing, she has friends there
or rather “friends” bcs no one really knows how insecure Amethyst is under all this Attitude, they only know one side of her and Amethyst feels even worse because in some way she is just fooling people into liking her since she can’t make Garnet and Pearl like her
she doesn’t realize that the part of her Beach City people like is also her
Connie is just the awkward girl always hanging in the background and has a much worse relationship w/ Beach City people than Amethyst does, she has a hard time connecting to people
first real attempts she makes are actually bcs Amethyst encourages her to do so which probably leads to Connie discovering more abt Amethyst’s self-worth issues
(before that Amethyst is kinda The Coolest for Connie since Connie really wishes she was better with people and Amethyst has that trait, people look at her and talk to her and she is amazing and Connie is just there, too awkward to stutter a full sentence)
at some point after shes more socially developed Connie decides to actually go to school because there are so many things the gems simply can’t teach her (this is also connected to her arc of idealizing the gems less and less, she has so many questions they are unable to answer)
during the Homeworld arc Connie tries to get her way out of there, helps Blue Zircon with the case, they actually manage to run away together
Blue Zircon is super anxious after that and Connie is too so its GREAT
there would be no murder mystery so there’d have to be a different kind of trial put there BUT: Connie takes Blue Zircon to Earth and they become very very good friends because they are both extremely inquisitive and interested in puzzles and logical solutions
Connie shows Blue Zircon mystery novels and Blue Zircon is DELIGHTED
Connie-Peridot mutual awkwardness
Peridot and Lapis are an actual addition to the cast, appear regularly, have their own motives
EACH BEACH CITY EPISODE IS MADE TO FURTHER AN ARC OF ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS, EITHER CONNIE OR ONE OF THE GEMS
at first they are mostly abt Connie’s social anxiety and her attempts at understanding the human part of her heritage better, she reads about it a lot but she wants to have a better insight in practice
and also the whole Amethyst thing
an episode that is just Pearl taking Connie to some party the kids from school throw
Pearl thinks it’ll be HardcoreTM but its really just kids sitting around talking, Pearl is awkward
gOOD GOD LET PEARL HAVE ACTUAL INTERACTIONS WITH HUMANS, LET PEARL STOP SEEING THE PLANET EARTH AS ROSES-AND-ONLY-ROSES THING, LET PEARL FALL IN LOVE WITH THE THING SHE’S FIGHTING FOR FINALLY BECAUSE OF THIS INCREDIBLE LITTLE HALF-HUMAN WHO WONT LET HER FORGET THAT PEOPLE CAN BE COOL
at some point after heavy stuff happens Connie starts seeing a therapist
Lapis is also encouraged to do so, the idea Lapis is at first repulsed by and it takes her some time to actually see it in the realm of possibilities
Connie starts seeing a therapist because of Doug’s influence and help
Doug, as a guard, went through pretty heavy stuff himself and therapist’s help is just a very natural part of his life and he knows it helps and he doesnt want to leave his daughter completely alone with her psyche after so many fucked up events including the whole intergalactic war thing
Lapis and Peridot do live together but only after they get to know each other better and are able to be healthier and more functional with each other
Lapis doesnt know where to stay and for some time shes just a free bird, she disappears and reappears randomly; she is afraid of commitment, she is afraid of finding someone she’ll like, she is terrified of facing her own feelings, its bizzare how shes finally free and all she really wants is to lie somewhere and die
in some ep she meets Doug who kinda takes care of her in this non-invasive way Lapis needs which makes Lapis come back more and more; she doesn’t officialy travel with him but she kinda does, for some time
bcs goddamit Lapis’s problems are fucking heavy and she needs adults who will help her figure it out, Connie is like what, thirteen??
aka: Lapis is Doug’s grumpy adopted teenage daughter and you can f ight me
also Pearl dates some human women, then Bismuth is unbubbled and after some time she and Pearl slowly start having a thing
it’s an incredible chance for Pearl to actually revise her past: to bring the events of the war to the surface and see them from a new perspective, to have a new understanding of herself and her past actions, to finally deal with all those heavy fucked up feelings that have never been properly worked through because Rose never really gave her the chance or support to do so
it’s sometimes very ugly, and it’s a lot of crying, and sometimes Pearl is just weeping silently for a very, very long time, but Bismuth is there for her
since Bismuth isnt rebubbled in this au bcs Connie actually listens to her point, Bismuth is keeping up the facade of just being magically found in the lion for some time more
one day when Pearl is just hanging with her in her workshop Bismuth finally tells her abt why Rose bubbled her which brings a whole new light to the picture of Rose Quartz Pearl has; Pearl has never thought that Rose could bubble someone like this, especially someone like Bismuth
Pearl is the support Bismuth needs, Bismuth is the support Pearl needs
Lion actually has a name here bcs Connie names him - more specifically, like 343234 different names because Connie is so damn indecisive
Connie asks questions. so many questions
#steven universe#su#connie maheswaran#garnet#amethyst#pearl#peridot#lapis#koh talks#haha im bitter#su critical
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