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hachimitsu-rofu · 6 months

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Title: Random HCs Pairing: 「 Shikamaru x GN.Reader 」||「 Choji x GN.Reader 」「 Shino x GN.Reader 」||「 Naruto x GN.Reader 」「 Kankuro x GN.Reader 」||「 Kiba x GN.Reader 」 Plot: Some random relationship headcanons, reader is gender neutral as possible Warnings: N/A | Please notify if needed in ask format ’’’ ’’’ ’’’ Word Count: 3,087 Read Time: 11 minutes, 14 seconds ’’’ ’’’ ’’’ Author’s Note: Well I haven’t written anything in a hot moment, but here’s some headcanons I’ve had in my drafts for a while. If something needs to be tagged let me know! Anyways, please enjoy!

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「 Misc. HC’s 」

Nara, Shikamaru

☀ It’s already known he would be the best nap buddy. But you know what’s even better? Is he willingly, and I mean willingly! Stays up for you when you need him or want him to. (Although he’d much rather wrap himself in a blanket with you and call it a day.) But yeah. That five hour long play you want to go to? He’s up and paying attention the WHOLE damn time. Maybe complains a little, but he’s up! You need a study buddy? Well yeah- duh, he’s gonna help you with it. Though he will probably request a kiss here and there as payment though. Sparring partner? Also yes. Although he’ll try to end the session faster just so he can reap the reward of cuddling sooner.

☀ He is faithful but uh- he still does quite a bit of rubbernecking out in those streets. Man has eyes and he will be looking. Won’t touch the displays. So that is something if you’re wondering. He doesn’t feel very bad about it either because he doesn’t think much of it- and why should he if that’s all he’s doing. It’s not like he’s his old man who was actively partaking in his window shopping.

☀ When he first introduces you to his parents his mom is excited. Finally someone other than the Nara men she had be dealing with for so long! Not that she doesn’t love them that is. But when he sees how you and her interact he knows he made a good choice in calling you his. Which just inflates his already giant ego more.

☀ He doesn’t talk about it, nor does his own father, but he does have a mild form of depression. It sneaks up on him and he doesn’t ever know what to do with it or himself. In fact it makes him more down trotted since he knows how to handle or do so much else. What he does know is that when he’s in this slump and you are beside him. He will have his face in your chest (even if you don’t have much), a hand interlocking fingers with you, and a quiet breath. In short you are a peace for him during the storm. Allowing him a momentary retrieve.

"Tsk.” Shikamaru was ready for the session to be over with already. He wanted to curl up into a ball with you in bed. Yet here he was, bent over the kotatsu table with you, helping you study for this irritating exam. He knew you didn’t really need his help even though you insisted on it. Glancing up with his charcoal black eyes, Shikamaru looked at you and sighed. He didn’t want to admit it, he liked that you wanted him around so bad- made him feel needed even if it was for something so benign. That small smile creeping up on his face that he didn’t even notice until he could feel the dimples form against his cheek.

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Akimichi, Choji

☀ He would ditch spending time with Shikamaru to hang out with you if he could. Like he likes his best friend, but you? Opfh, he loves the fact you indulge in him for all that he is and could be.

☀ Yeah sure he loves to eat and cook with you-- but do you know what else he likes to do with you? Video Games, man has bought so many co-op games just to play them with you! When you two are both able to you’ll usually end up having at least one date night that consists of all game playing! Mixed with popcorn and sodas and also a dedicated wind down movie session for when the games get too heated or you guys get burnt out. Either way you usually end it at that.

☀ He likes working with his hands. Likes being able to mess with things physically. That’s why when he finds out there’s a pottery class he takes it up and makes you some cups, plates, and little knickknacks. If you have a favorite animal he’s making it, favorite color(s) will be used as paints, like plants? Babe guess what you got a new pot! Cooking? Man be building you plates and what not.

Let him show you he loves you with whatever he can build.

☀ Please let this man do your hair. Please, oh PLEASE, let him do your hair, (If you have any that is.) You won’t be disappointed at all with the magic he can weave. Man can do all kinds of braids and styles like it’s second nature! It kind of goes along with the whole- working with his hands thing. If you got curls (Such as 4C hair for example of this) he will give you some of the best hair care he can. When it’s time to wash out those curls, man is right there either to keep you company or to do the washing for you. He’ll wash them, dry them, and even willingly stand around for those long hours putting them into box braids. He’s committed to doing them right and does still try to be nice about it. If you often wear scarves/hijabs he’s going to try and learn how to knot and tie them into some faux hairstyles. He thinks he almost has a faux mohawk style down- but it’s still rather messy. But he does try! If you sport facial hair. Man is also going to help your trim and care for that too! He’ll help you scrub your face, put in that beard oil, and brush out any knots you might have! Plus he’ll help braid them to boot! If you don’t have hair then that’s also alright. Man will instead help you with your facial routines and scalp care. (If you shave it, he doesn’t get a single nick on your head that’ s how dedicated he is!) You’ll be delighted at the care he does with putting your lotion on your face. He will sneak a kiss in though.

☀ If it’s raining he’ll try to focus on putting the umbrella on you even if you insist that he keep it on him. He doesn’t care if he gets a cold from it, he just wants you to be covered. Besides, if he gets sick maybe you’ll take care of him. ☀ If you want to give him a treat that isn’t food related then a back massage would do best for him. You’d be surprised by how tense his muscles can get.

"AH! Y/N! Guess what!” Choji announces as he practically bursts through the front door with a bright eyed smile. Holding a delicately wrapped boxed to his side, bow and all. Only to present it to you like a child on their birthday receiving a gift themselves. “Go on! Open it! Take a look!” Practically beside himself with joy as he watches you take it from him. As if seeing you happy made him happy.

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Aburame, Shino

☀ He takes his time with introducing his partner(s) to his friends and family. He wants to be secure in knowing that whoever he’s bringing around will actually stick around. So if you meet his father in a proper introduction at home with the dinner and everything. Just know, he is very serious about you and he would hope you feel the same way too.

☀ Will usually seek you out to have lunch with you when he’s able. He likes having his meals with you so you two can talk about the recent events of the day and unwind a little before getting back to it. Although if either of you are unable to, due to schedule conflicts or what not. He’ll ultimately send one of his insects to just hang around you- with your knowledge of course.

He finds tracking his partner without their knowledge to be quite a disrespectful thing to do. You should trust your partner after all.

☀ He isn’t the type to argue even with his petty instincts kicking in. He’ll only actively argue with you if the stakes are high and even then he’ll try his best not to let it get to him. He loves you and wants to handle things like adults.

☀ He will suggest you two do a class of some sort together! Just to have more quality time together despite any busy schedules either of you may have. Personally he’ll point out a sewing, knitting, or possibly some jewelry making. Just because that’s something you two could easily do at home as well! Not only that, if you do decide to make jewelry together you could always gift each other something to wear. Something you can keep on you to always know the other is there for you even when your thousands of miles apart.

☀ While he isn’t much for PDA (Public displays of affection) he still tries to keep a hand on you. This usually is touching the small of your back or hooking his pinky with yours. It’s stealthy and easy to hide, something that could be brushed off. This isn’t to say he’s embarrassed of you, he just get’s flustered easily when other’s point out his soft spot. Which is you.

Sitting under the umbrella covered garden table set, Shino fixed his usually closely held sunglasses onto his face. He was just enjoying the warmth of the spring sun on his, unusually, exposed skin. Allowing you to see the traces and trails of the small almost invisible scars of his body. It almost distracted you from noticing what was in his hands. A needle and thread, looping some beads together. The beads were in a colorful array with flowers and beetles. Looking up from his creation he caught your eyes. Smirking at you from the side of his closed lips.

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Uzumaki Naruto

☀ As we know the boy is actually good about taking care of plants! One could even say it’s a hobby of his! But what they don’t know is how many he grows just to gift to his partner. Yes, yes he grows his own favorites too. But if he knows his partner has a particular favorite- well then he is going to be growing a few bundles of them in his small apart. Just so he can have a piece of them around when they’re not available and something to gift them later when they come by. Although your smile is far more than enough of a reward for him to take in return.

☀ He’s a board game man and no one can convince me otherwise. Y’all got a closet full of them and come every Thursday night when you are both at home in the village you two will play. Sometimes you invite friends, other times it’s just you and him. It doesn’t really matter what you play together! He’s just happy to be with you.

☀ Yes, when he was younger he wasn’t the best at keeping tidy. But as he’s gotten older he’s gotten much better about it. Especially when he found out that you had a particular scent you liked to smell. It might be a little pricey but he’s going to grab the candle or the fabric softener, whatever it is. Though admittedly the first time he does this he might have gone overboard and nearly knocked himself out from the singular smell taking up the small, cramped space. After that he tried to keep it to one thing at a time. Changes it from item to item or space to space.

☀ Out of the Konoha boys Naruto is the best dancer. He knows how to move his body in tune with a beat. Combo that with his talk no jutsu and one could say he is a smooth criminal on that dance floor.

”Oooiii!” Blonde hair on end as he straightened his back out, arms crossed behind his head pulling his grey tee-shirt above his midriff only to fall and hide that golden trail once more. He had been sitting there on the cold hard floor. Papers scattered all over the small table before him. “Can’t we go get Ichiraku now? My eyes are about to fall out from all this stupid paper work.” He groaned, only to perk up and lean into the hand that found it’s way into his hair. Maybe it wasn’t so bad if it meant some affection.

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Kankuro

☀ Please let this man do your makeup. (If you do wear any of course. If you don’t, he’ll probably ask you at some point to let him try and put some on you. For practice reasons of course.) PLEASE. He’ll be so delighted, and chaotic, when you finally let him attempt it.

☀ He doesn’t look it but he is the type to find a copy of your favorite book and read it. In private of course. He doesn’t let you in on the fact that he now owns a copy, that he’s read every line that he could over and over again until he memorized it completely.

You won’t know it until he’s slipped in a line you yourself know by heart.

☀ Will puppy dog eye you with love when you’re not looking. He doesn’t even notice it. But he falls in love with you a bit more and more the longer you’re together. He’s the guy that will realize after YEARS of being with you that he loves you. That as time has passed as you two are holding hands as you walk through the market place it suddenly hits him how much you really do mean to him.

☀ While he’s not the marrying type his life and yours would be completely enwrapped in one another’s without the legality of it all. What is his is now yours. What is yours is his. You need not worry about his loyalty as he is all yours. Now if it’s that important to you he will propose and you’ll have the whole wedding and cake and what not. But just know. He doesn't want or need some silly paper to let you or others know he’s yours and you’re his. He just needs you in his home to share the good moments, the bad, and any others you’re willing to share. But also take note, his puppet will be in the front row somewhere.

☀ He likes to kiss the back of your neck when you sleep. A soft smile on his lips as he enjoys the feeling of you stirring underneath his hands. Something about the quiet of the room and you in his arms makes him so at peace. He can honestly say in those moments that he must’ve done something good to deserve you.

Kankuro tossed the water that pooled in his hands up and onto his face. Clearing up the debris of now shaven facial hair off with the leftover shaving cream he had applied earlier. Once down he grabbed the maroon colored hand towel, patting his face dry and further wiping anything off to ensure a clean canvas for his toxic face paint. “Hey dork! Hun’! BABY!” He shouted across the apartment to garner their attention. His head peaking out from the bathroom door frame to see them do the same from the living room. A look of bemusement written all over as his lips spread wide into a grin. “Chicken butt.” He snorted as they rolled their eyes and went back to what they were doing.

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Inuzuka, Kiba

☀ When he brought you home to officially meet his mom and sister. The man, well boy to them, tried so damn hard to tell them not to embarrass him in front of you. Practically threatened them not to do or say anything because he didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of you. They both chuckled and agreed. But what did he do when he brought you in? Tripped up over his own two feet and actually fell face first into a wet kibble bowl. Man is his own circus. But ultimately he is your clown.

☀ He’s a little insecure at times so watch out when he does get jealous. Because it’s a flip flop from being wildly accusative to wholeheartedly distant. Although if he see’s someone trying to hit on you. He’ll rush up right behind you, wrap an arm around you, and make it known that you and him are a serious thing. He knows it’s not attractive of him to do this. He’s gotten better about it the longer your relationship has gone on. It’s just that deep unsettling gut feeling he gets that maybe you’ll up and leave him without even a single note. Once they’re gone he becomes somber but quickly tries to pull it off by acting like the hot-headed idiot you love. He just doesn’t want to lose you.

☀ If he was a dog breed he would be a German Shepard, fierce and loyal but one of the more dramatic breeds out of the K-9 family.

☀ He and you will be getting matching necklaces. He needs it like the ring on your finger you’ll eventually be getting. Because, one might be shocked, he actually does want to settle down. Will he force you to have a wedding? Not at all, but he will be a bit heartbroken over it. It’s a big celebration of you two being together and officially tying your families into one after all. So if marriage isn’t for you he will at least ask you to wear a necklace of the Inuzuka clan marking.

"But babe!” The Inuzuka whined as he gripped his partner’s middle close to his face. Rubbing his nose into their clothes, catching their scent as he inhaled deeply and let out a loud disrupting huff. “Tsk,” His tongue clicked to his roof with an aggravated toss of his head onto their lap. Loosening his hold on them with a dramatic flair as he slipped onto the ground next to Akamaru. Who was none too please with his partner’s antics. “I want to go with you, what if someone tries to hit on you and whose gonna make you laugh like I do?” Kiba was being ever the silly dramatic at their friend’s night out. Not meaning any of it in a toxic manner, but more so to make his love chuckle.

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#naruto uzumaki x reader #naruto uzumaki x gn!reader #shikamaru nara x gn!reader #shikamaru nara x reader #choji akimichi x gn!reader #choji akimichi x reader #shino aburame x reader #shino aburame x gn!reader #kankuro x reader #kankuro x gn!reader #inuzuka kiba x reader #kiba inuzuka x gn!reader #kiba inuzuka x reader #naruto reader insert #gn!reader #naruto: shippuden reader insert #gn!reader x canon #canon x reader

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dumbistsmartass · 11 days

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saying something about every hatchetfield production

spoilers, some nonsense, zero consistency with what I talk about, hurriedly written text, and back Cinderella’s Castle, QUICKLY, the kickstarter ends on May 4th. Also I mostly won’t be talking about the message to take away from all of them because I plan to make that another post.

TGWDLM: the catalyst of it all, it set up many fan favorite characters. Also my personal interpretation is that the musical we watch is actually happening in canon and is being put on by Pokky/Paul. Also how much of someone’s personality remain after infection?

Black Friday: it does pretty good as our first (true) intro to the LiBs it works very well. We get more General Macnmara who quickly becomes one of my favs. It also adds a lot of my other favs to the Hatchetverse, Hanna, Lex, Ethan, and Tom

NPMD: probably my favorite of the mainline musicals. I really hate Dirty Girl tho. The musical version of Hatchet Town is better than the OST version. The characters all have really good chemistry. I love Grace as a warning about the consequences of using religion as a fear tactic, when she sinned and wasn’t instantly punished for it she decided to take matters into her own hands and became a bloodthirsty maniac. The fact we got so close to a good ending if Max hadn’t fallen is darkly funny.

Hatchetfield Apeman: I don’t know how to feel about this one, it’s an interesting story but I think shouldn’t have been the first nightmare time story as it set a bad precedent for a lot of people.

Watcher World: I FUCKING LOVE WATCHER WORLD. The horror buildup of “what the fuck is happening here?” was genuinely amazing. The idea of a paranormal amusement part made for the amusement of an elder god id so cool. I feel uncomfortable saying the work “Sniglet”

Forever and always: one of my favs, the mystery of the two Emma’s is amazing, and the twist of which Emma Paul chose is amazing. It does make me wonder tho, is Emma a robot in every timeline? Also im just gonna assume that Tinky is connected to this one.

Time Bastered: another of my favs, the way it connects with FaA and the very clever time travel writing were highlights. The Ted is The Homeless Guy twist is really clever, and the ending is tragic

Jane’s a Car: holy shit my opinions on this one is so mixed. I love the bonding of Becky, Tom, and Tim is so wholesome. I REALLY hate that scene. Also is Jane turned into a car in every universe?

The Witch in the Web: our true into too Webby. Massive lore dumbs sort of weighted it down for me but it was still good.

Honey Queen: god I love this one. The fact that the LiBs aren’t mentioned until the very end was a really good choice. Both Zoey and Linda going to any length to win was some great tension.

Perky’s Buds: I went into this one expecting it to be kinda mid, and I was right but it was on the high end of mid. Ziggy being NB and played by a real NB actor is great! The bird hive mind is genuinely kinda unnerving despite how cute they are. I personally think they should have died, then content on the rooftop with the fire would have been such a good ending, but the police showing up to arrest them packs less of a punch.

Abstinence Camp: again, one of my favs, I fucking love this one and it also has the best Nightmare Timr song. It’s a fun way of exploring the “if you have sex in a horror movie you die” trope. Grace once again gets some sort of power and abuses it.

Daddy: I have mixed feelings, it’s a genuinely interesting plot but it get pretty uncomfortable. The song at the start made me think it would be a more empathetic take on Sherman Young but it definitely fucking wasn’t.

Killer Track: what is there to say? Killer track is actually so fucking amazing, if you will watch anything from this list watch this. I’m saying nothing else

Yellow Jacket: not at all what I was expecting, but it was great! From what I heard I was sort of expecting a high school drama with Pokky doing his bullshit in the background, but I loved this too. Also the ending hurt me.

Workin’ Boys: Pokky strikes again, but I’m not sure why TBH. Motherfucker just decided to fuck with his one most loyal subject and for what?

#hatchetfeild #hatchetverse #the guy who didn't like musicals #black friday #nerdy prudes must die #lords in black #nightmare time #nightmare time 2 #workin’ boys #team starkid #star kid #starkid #tem star kid

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dalekofchaos · 1 month

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Stuff like this is why I don't think the inhibitor chips were necessary.

Why make up bullshit chips that turn Clones into cartoonish "good soldiers follow orders" when Clones just naturally hating the Jedi for being incompetent generals getting their brothers in arms killed and then said brothers dying for traitors, but the real tragedy of it all is that it was all for a lie.

Order 66 was just an emergency order like the others one. For example Order 65 declared that the Chancellor is no longer able to rule the republic, therefore he has to be removed from office, if necessary with lethal force. If the jedi could have convinced the senate, that Palpatine was a sith who orchestrated the clone wars and the senate would vote for the Order 65, Palpatine would be attacked by clone troopers instead of the jedi.

These Orders were also no secret, they were written down and the clones trained these orders on Kamino a thousand times. The jedi just forgot, that the clones were fighting for the republic and not for them, and when the supreme commander of the army, in this case Palpatine because of his emergency powers, orders them to kill their field commanders, they would do so, without question, just like the kaminoans said.

In my opinion this makes a whole lot of great stories impossible like the relationship between Darman Skirata and Etain. Also it would make way more sense when Lucasfilm wants to show more survivors of Order 66, because the only clones in canon who didn't follow the order were the Bad Batch, Rex and Gregor. In Legends many clones just didn't follow the order because of their moral compass or thought it's a trap of the separatists and we could see how the clones deal with their decision to kill the jedi, in Legends some of them developed PTSD and other thought it was necessary.

In my opinion they just took a whole lot away of the personality and individuality of the clones with the inhibitor chips and turned them into mindless killer machines and I don't like that, especially after we see in the clone wars series their personality for the first time and see that the clones are individuals even when they look exactly the same, something the movies failed to show us.

Imagine a plot line where, instead of a chip telling them to betray the Jedi, troopers like Cody got a message telling them the Jedi had betrayed the Republic and attempted to murder the Chancellor. That the Jedi were now considered enemies of the Republic and had to be exterminated before they could overthrow the democracy. Forced to choose between the Jedi generals and the Republic and Supreme Chancellor, the unquestionably loyal Clones support the Republic.

It could have added many complex layers. The Clones have to live with their decisions. Maybe some regret it and wish they'd decided otherwise. Others feel their hand was forced. Others that the Jedi were traitors and never doubted their choice for a second.

Or the conflict of Rex. What if he'd been among the 501st attacking the Jedi Temple with Anakin, but split from them at the end of his own free will? Rex, who was always loyal to Anakin, and a close friend, breaks from him and flees. How does he feel about it? Does he feel he did the right thing by betraying Anakin to save the Jedi? Or does he feel he abandoned his Commander and should have stayed loyal? Maybe he struggles with it every day, wondering if he made the right choice. Or imagine if Anakin came for Ahsoka and was about to kill her and Rex chose Ahsoka over Order 66 because he knew in his heart it was wrong and tossed a flash grenade and fled with Ahsoka.

Overall, I feel like the inhibitor chip arc made the story of Order 66 somewhat boring and too black and white. It could have been a fantastic jumping off point for the complexities of mixed loyalties, of following orders, of the failures of the Republic and of the Jedi, of how not only Palpatine's villainy but his charisma and personality led to rigid loyalty among the clones.

And honestly I feel like the inhibitor chips were created to weasel out of complex storytelling, just like JJ Abrams weaseled out of dealing with Finn's PTSD of being a child soldier.

#Star Wars #Star Wars The Clone Wars #Anti FIloni #Anti Dave Filoni #Commander Bacara #Clone Troopers #Order 66 #Captain Rex #Commander Cody #The Jedi #Jedi #Finn #Anti JJ Abrams #Palpatine #Emperor Sheev Palpatine

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heyidkyay · 1 year

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I guess I’ll take this pain, instead of your name |

Part Eighteen

A/n: Hey, this part is a lot tbh, lots of emotions!! But we're also at like 75k words now and this was meant to be a one parter...?? I'm spiralling but I'm also so invested in this fucking plot. Hope you enjoy!:)

Summary: In life, things changed. The boys you'd once grown up with were men now, and famous ones at that. The type that toured the world and had millions of adoring fans.

The five of you shared a shit ton of history. But you also shared a lot of mixed emotions for one of them in particular, a certain drummer.

Warnings: a few changes in pov! Lots of swearing but if you're reading this fic then you should be used to it by now.. um, arguments, tears too.. not sure what else:/

Masterlist

(Continuing on with Ross’s pov!)

—ROSS’S POV—

“Dickhead’s here!”

Ross made a face at the welcome received as he made his way through the front door- hadn’t even been here a full minute and yet Matty was already being a prick. Though it was to be expected, sort of like turning up to one of those fancy fuck-off restaurants knowing you��d only be leaving more hungry. What the fuck was it with them and those tiny portions?

He shook away the thought before it could start to piss him off and footed the door closed behind him, honing in on his best mate who was stood leaning against the wall, typing away on his mobile.

“Well, hello to you too, knob-face.” Ross huffed as he moved past Matty to make his way into the kitchen. “Always love spending time with you and your phone, mate.” He mocked and dropped the carrier bags he’d brought in with him on the counter.

Matty gave an impish smile as he slid in right behind him and Ross gave his choice of clothes a quick once over, deeming that he was probably headed out on the pull tonight.

“Sorry, was just texting Y/n. Said you were here.”

Ross paused from where he’d made a start on unloading the shop to frown over at him, “Didn’t you just do that?”

With a careless shrug, Matty jumped up onto the counter and started riffling through the contents too. “Easier. Sometimes she’ll hear me but can’t make out what I’ve said. Other times it's… a whole thing.” He shrugged again, giving a pack of biscuits the eye, “First few days I thought she was in a right strop with me, ignoring me and crap. But nope, just didn’t hear. Oi, where’d you find mini-eggs this time of year anyway?”

“None of your business.” Ross quipped, quick to snatch the Easter treats back before the nosy rat-faced prat could open them up, then went on, “Is it really that bad then?”

“What, with her hearing?” At his nod, Matty mimicked the gesture, only a little more avidly, and continued with his reply, “Yeah, mate. Been worrying over it for a while, enough to speak to the doctor’s about it at her last appointment, but even they keep spouting shite about time and telling.” He rolled his eyes then grabbed at one of the many chocolates that’d been haphazardly added to his shopping basket before Ross could even blink.

He narrowed his eyes at the blatant theft whilst Matty merely grinned at him from his perch and begun munching away.

“Wanker.” Ross muttered before he carried on with the unloading, actively making sure to place all the good stuff out of the shorter man’s reach. “Anyway, figured we’d do a movie night or just get plastered like we usually do-”

Matty cut him off rather promptly with a heavy hand to the shoulder, Ross stopped and glanced between his mate and the opposing limb. Matty’s eyes widened briefly before he hastily pulled away, only to then scuttle his entire body a little closer. The curly headed freak tossed a fretful look over his shoulder out towards the hallway whilst Ross just simply stared at him.

“No alcohol.”

Ross blinked at the nutter.

“No alcohol?”

Matty nodded solemnly. “Sorry, mate, no alcohol. Doctors orders. She can’t mix it with all the medication she’s on.”

With a scoff, Ross shook his head. “That’s bullshit. What’s she even on- pain killers?”

“Nah, diuretics or some shit like it, alcohol will only counter them they say. Looked it up.” Matty informed him as he fiddled with the empty wrapper he now held. “That and these other ones she has to take for the dizziness and balancing shit she’s been going through. Vertigo or, I don’t know. We reckon it’s down to her hearing though, not the head injury. Which is the only good thing about it.”

With a wave of his hand, Matty pulled away again and Ross had to take a moment to really look at his mate. The same bloke who’d spent most of his life looking for the next best buzz, for only the fun and fruitful times, who’d wasted so many of his years on the edge of almost nearly killing himself. This was not the same person he was currently stood with.

No, this Matty knew all the odd bits of information about medication he wasn’t even on. Who looked so sincere in his warnings, in his understanding of the things he’d gone out of his way to research. This Matty was the same Matty that’d camped out in a hospital waiting room for hours on end, and then stayed for days, weeks. Who hadn’t left even after threats and arguments. Who’d waited with agonising patience during his best friend’s emergency surgery, who’d been there when she’d seized and coded, sat there through her comatose state, paced in waiting rooms and hallways before he could even get to her bedside.

This Matty cared.

Not to say that Matty had never cared. No because that just wasn’t true. When you were one of his people, Matty cared so much it was honestly a struggle to try and match his affection. He loved and gave like no other. But he could also tend to be selfish. As most could be, sure. But Matty wasn’t the type to mind it, it was the same with his arrogance, his ego, his in your face charisma, too. Sometimes he just didn’t care who suffered as long as he was riding high.

Ross blinked out of his musings when Matty nudged his arm in silent warning, completely unaware of his inner thoughts, and gave him a stern look. Ross frowned down at the action, confused, but it all made sense when he heard a soft scuttle coming down the stairs.

“Not another word about this, yeah? And hide the fucking alcohol.” Matty whispered waspishly, already moving to hide the liquor bottles that’d been placed on the countertop into one of those seamless cupboards he had under the sink.

Swallowing, Ross fought to clear his heavy head and plastered on a grin when the woman he’d been waiting on finally walked through the door.

—

I halted in the kitchen’s doorway to find Ross surrounded by a very large variety of food and snacks, whilst Matty was faffing about with a couple of glasses in the sink. I snorted at the very sight.

“Are you actually washing up?” I asked him, bewildered and in utter disbelief. “In all the time I’ve been here- actually scrap that. In all the time I’ve known you, not once have I ever seen you wash up.”

I was met with a playful scowl from the man himself when he pivoted to face me. “Yeah, yeah. Keep on laughing it up, but I do know how to do some basic tasks, darling.”

With a sarcastic hum, I simply nodded. “Sure, Matty. You also speak Cantonese and can deep sea dive too.”

Ross’s sharp bark of laughter filled the room and a gasp from me quickly followed it when Matty flicked a round of soap duds in my direction.

“Careful, Healy.” I warned him with a finger pointed his way. “Keep at it and I’ll have to ruin that swanky new outfit you’re trying to pull off.”

“Trying?”

“Swanky?”

Both Matty and Ross replied at the same time and I simply shrugged them off before I made my way over to where the bearded giant stood. I stared up at him until he finally glanced back down at me, then motioned towards the countertop with a jerk of my head. Ross raised an eyebrow in retort and so I countered him, raising both of my own.

He relented with a mere sigh and a roll of his eyes, but was rather careful when he did finally lift me up by my hips and onto the side, delicately dropping me just outside the mountain of chocolates he’d since created.

“Ta.” I smiled at him, patting his arm twice before I peered over at the buffet he’d brought along with him, simultaneously ignoring the unsubtle look the two men shared over my head. “What’s all this then?” I quizzed him.

“Movie night.” Was what Ross answered with.

“Movie night?”

“Yeah, movie night. As in a night, where you watch a bunch of films in a row, whilst engorging yourself on a shit ton of crappy food.” Ross slowly told me in a sarcastic tone, “I mean, we can order in if you’d prefer but I spent ages picking this lot out, you know. This one oldie working in Tesco’s kept giving me the evil eye too, reckon she thought I was gonna nick a couple crisp packets or something. As if I fucking would.”

“What ‘cause you’re such a sweetheart?” I replied, fluttering my lashes up at him mockingly.

“Nah, ‘cause I’d be caught before I could get far enough.” He quipped right back.

“Too fucking tall not to be spotted, innit?” Matty added with a slow nod of his head before Ross followed in agreement, my forehead pinched when I saw that the former had just bitten into a Double Decker of ours.

“Oi, those aren’t for you!” I chided, throwing one of the many Snickers provided at Matty's head.

Matty gave me a mardy sort of glower in turn but snatched up the offending chocolate before Ross could do so instead. “Cheers.” He grinned snidely.

Uncaring, I simply shrugged, “They’re shit anyway.”

Ross’s eyes widened as he choked at my words, Matty snorted. “Fuck off, they are not!”

“Are too?”

“Are not.”

“Are too.”

“Are not.”

It was safe to say that we were at it a while, long enough for Matty to have slipped out, thrown his shoes on, doused himself in aftershave, and then made it back to find that we were still going on.

“Are n-”

“Alright, kiddies! Daddy’s gotta get going, so can we stop with all the fighting please?” Matty mocked as he picked his house keys up off the side and moved around to where I was still sat.

“Don’t ever call yourself that.” I grimaced, feeling a tad bit sick at the implication. “And are too.” I was quick to add, knowing that Ross couldn’t continue on with our bickering and I’d win. He scowled at me whilst Matty simply tugged me into a hug.

“You sure you’re gonna be alright?” He asked me, for what felt like the umpteenth time that evening.

“Yes. Don’t worry about me, ‘kay? I’ll be fine.” I told him, barely holding back a groan, “Plus I’m looking after Ross so I kinda have to be.”

Ross’s scowl deepened into a deathly glower that amused me to no end, just as Matty pressed a kiss to the side of my head and pulled away.

“Fine. But ring me if you need anything, yeah?”

I rolled my eyes but withheld another sigh as I nodded.

“Oi,” Ross called out just before Matty could make it to the door, “Where’s my kiss?”

He only received a finger in response.

—

I loved Ross.

I truly fucking did.

He was just this huge lovable giant that swore constantly and always smelt lovely. But at the moment he was really pissing me off.

It was just that... he kept on giving me these annoying little looks whenever he thought I wasn’t aware. Just out of the corner of his eye whilst we were sat watching one of the many films we’d decided on.

It was grating.

Ross was supposed to be the only normal friend I had!

The one I could count on to treat me as though nothing had ever happened. Like nothing had changed. As if I hadn’t been hit by a fucking car.

And he’d been doing a hell of a job of it, he’d been doing so, so good in fact. Before he’d gone and finally cocked it all up.

I don’t know what had occurred for the change to happen, but it was pissing me off. He was pissing me off. Enough that if he did it one more time I was willing to either snap at him or snap him in half.

But then what did he do? He did it again.

“What.” I bit out, turning myself towards him on the settee.

“What?” Ross parroted back, obviously startled by the break in our quiet.

“Why the fuck do you keep on looking at me like that?”

“Like what!” Ross exclaimed.

“Like some homeless man you’re passing on the street when you haven’t got any change. Or a- a fucking dying dog!” I retorted in a right huff.

Ross only stared back at me.

“A fucking dying dog?”

“Yes, a fucking dying dog!” I fumed- and you’d have thought he was the one with the dodgy ear. “It’s annoying. I don’t know what Matty’s told you, but I’m fine, alright? So just stop it.”

He held his hands up in silent surrender, and I rolled my eyes at him before I set my sights back on the tele.

A few tense minutes ticked by, but I was soon startled by a bag of sweets that’d been tossed my way.

“Here.” I heard him say.

I frowned down at the brightly coloured bag now sitting in my lap, then casted a confused glance towards him.

He dipped his chin, eyes still on the screen. “Your favourite, ain’t they? Used to use them as bargaining chips on tour, remember?”

I did. But still, I couldn’t find it in me to soften my frown.

“‘M not that hungry.” I quietly told him instead, dropping the sweets back into the pile that sat between us.

“Ah, come on.” Ross groaned, “I’ve been here ages and you haven’t touched a thing. Don’t make me eat this all on my own. Twitter will start a fucking hashtag when they see the extra pounds it’ll only add.”

I gifted him a soft snort in reply, unable to stop myself.

Ross seemed to take my pitiful laugh as an opening though and swept the sickly treats up into his arms before he slid closer to me on the sofa, throwing the mountain back onto the seat he’d just vacated. I gave him a bewildered look but he merely tossed an arm over my shoulders and pulled me in nearer towards him.

“Comfortable?” He questioned and, although confused, I could only nod at him in reply, shuffling slightly to ease the throbbing I felt in my side. “Alright then, good.”

And that was that, I supposed. He continued watching the film without anymore fuss, with me tucked up under his arm and his feet propped up on the coffee table (something that often drove Matty crazy), whilst I had mine tucked up beneath me.

We stayed like that for a little while longer as the film carried on playing, but I found it more and more difficult to make out what was happening from behind the blur of tears that’d gone and filled my eyes.

I think it was the sniff that I’d been trying so hard to hold back that finally caught Ross’s attention, he peered down at me to find me close to sobbing and I just wanted to curl up and die. His expression faltered ever so slightly before he wrapped me up closer, his chin falling to rest atop my head whilst I could only bury my face further into his chest.

I cried. I cried a whole lot. And I wasn’t even sure why. But in that moment I just felt so incredibly sad and embarrassed, and couldn’t seem to help myself.

And Ross, he just let me. He let me bawl into his shirt and didn’t say a fucking word, only rocked us ever so gently back and forth whilst I cried my little heart out.

—MATTY’S POV—

To say he was excited would be a MASSIVE fucking lie.

He hadn’t been on a night out in… well, ages. Since a little before the accident, he supposed.

But both Ross and Hann had reasoned that he ‘deserved’ it- that phrase had pissed him off a tad but he’d let it pass- and the pair had all but forced him out of the house. Out and away from the one person he was meant to be taking care of.

He’d smoked a little over half a pack in the cab-ride over then lit one as soon as he stepped out of it, handing the driver a couple extra quid for being a saint and having let him get away with it. He even waved the bloke off as the car pulled away, then took a deep breath before he made his way over towards the pub Hann had mentioned earlier.

He lingered outside on the curb for a bit whilst he finished off the cigarette and let the evening air chill fill his bones, trying his hardest not to think too much about how Y/n must’ve been feeling.

But she had Ross there with her, and Ross was almost as good a substitute for him. Almost.

Even so, it was still a struggle and a half to keep his mind off of it and in the end it only proved to be a futile attempt, seeing as he moved to light yet another fag before he fished his phone out of his trouser pocket to text Adam.

He’d actually just managed to pull up their last text conversation when a well-known voice caught his attention, Matty glanced over his shoulder just in time to catch sight of not one, but two familiar faces rounding the pub’s corner. He stilled.

“The fuck is he doing here?” Matty spat out the second the drummer’s eyes met his, and immediately pointed the hand holding his cigarette up towards George’s approaching figure.

Hann was quick to jump between them though, gaze darting skittishly between the two. “Take a sec to calm down, ey Matty?”

“Calm down?” Matty scoffed at him with a breathy titter, he shook his head at the blond, “Hann, ain’t it bad enough I have to put up with him in the studio? Now you’re lying for him and letting him tag along like he’s done nowt wrong.”

“Matty…”

Whatever crap George had just been about to say was promptly cut off by a sharp glare from him, before Adam’s voice then took over. “Look. This shit needs sorting, now. Whether you like it or not, you’re both adults, so act like it.”

“Are you for fuckin’ real?” Matty all but gawked, unable to believe this was the same man who’d looked ready to come to actual blows with George only a few weeks ago. Hann just stared right back at him, undeterred. “What- so it’s like that then, is it? Him or me?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Fuck sake, Matty. No, so stop being such a prat and listen to me, will you? You really think I’m not as pissed off as you? That I haven’t wanted to bash his head against the nearest wall just to get him to think straight?” Hann retorted, and Matty got a the tiniest bit of pleasure out of the expression George made then. “But we’re mates, and people fuck up, alright?”

Matty glanced between them, at Hann’s solemn face and then at George’s hunched shoulders. He did look like shit, in fairness. Almost as bad as he imagined he’d probably looked headed into rehab. Deserved it though.

“Look mate, he’s promised to actually talk.” Hann sent a prominent look towards the drummer when he said that, and even with his dropped chin George nodded at him. “Wants to give us an actual explanation for everything. Don’t you want to at least hear him out?”

Matty took a second to think it over, taking in their mate’s mopey state. George’s entire demeanour appeared to have changed completely as of late, like all the guilt he should’ve been feeling was slowly weighing him down. His shoulders were slumped, he had his hands stuck in the pocket’s of an old pair of jeans, his hair was in dire need of a good wash, and his eyes never strayed too far from the cracks in the pavement.

Matty huffed, then took a long drag as he dipped his head in silent agreement.

Hann seemed to loosen at it and so he nodded too, “Right then, I need a fucking pint pronto.”

…

The pub was half-full. As to be expected on a Thursday-fucking-night when there was no match on the tele.

It was mostly just the locals meandering about, a couple of grunts up by the bar, a few younger lads playing snooker, and some old pensioners perched in a nearby booth drinking shandy.

Adam had gone and left them on their fucking own. Because he was giant cock of a twat, and of course he had.

It was probably one of those reverse psychology techniques Carly had been going on about the last time they’d been over, and Hann probably reckoned he’d been slick with it, the fucker.

Matty fought down the urge to do anything but toy with a coaster that’d been sat on the table they’d taken in the far corner. Knowing if he did, Adam wouldn’t be too happy with him.

George was tapping anxiously away opposite him. First it’d started in his foot, but the tic had quickly transferred up into his hands. He’d been tap tap tapping away on his knee, then decidedly moved onto the table, and now the continuous sound was coming from the way he was tapping the backs of his nails against one another.

It was fucking annoying was what it really was.

“Would you stop that?” Matty hissed before he could catch himself. He didn’t dare look over towards the drummer though, instead he honed his intense stare on the back of Hann’s head from where the man was stood ordering them a round at the bar.

The tapping did stop and for a moment Matty felt like he could finally breathe, but then George shuffled slightly.

“Stop what?” The idiot asked, his voice sounding like gravel going through a mixer. Matty wanted to wince for him.

“That.” He replied instead, waving a careless hand over at him. “Faffing about with all the tapping. It’s pissing me off.”

Matty didn’t have to look over to know that George was watching him now, could feel the holes being burnt into the side of his head.

He sort of wished he hadn’t said anything at all then. At least if he went and lost his head to the incessant tapping sound, he’d be muddled enough to not have to be apart of this inevitable conversation.

With an irritated sigh, he tossed himself further back into the booth’s armchair to glance up at the wooden beams that lined the ceiling. Thinking about it, he reckoned that they’d been in this pub at least once before, only it’d been a whole lot livelier then, and a couple years back now.

“Oi, was this the same pub we almost burnt down that one night we went to smoke a joint under the pool table?”

It was a surprise to even him that he’d gone and asked that question aloud, especially after he’d been so avid in his avoidance of doing exactly that. But having been friends with George for so long it just felt strange not to, subconsciously his body was aware that one of his best mates was sat right there beside him, but his mind also hated him at the moment.

For everything he’d done, not just as of late, but for having been such a massive twat over the last year.

George must’ve been shocked by it too, because it took him a long second to come up with an actual reply. And when he finally did, it wasn’t much of one.

“Yea- yeah.” Then he coughed lightly to clear his throat.

“Right.” Matty mumbled and gave a curt nod.

They sat there a little longer, just growing more and more aware of the awkward silence that now stretched between them after the short interaction. Matty almost wanted to snap at George again, if only for something to fill it, but couldn’t find it in him to deride the bloke any further, especially when he sat there looking so fucking sad.

But then again, what fucking right did he have to act as though he’d been on the receiving end of a shitstorm? He’d been the one to create this whole fucking mess!

Matty was far too thankful when he finally saw Hann wandering back over, tray in hand, because his anger was suddenly reaching new heights and even though George looked like utter shite, he felt like the prick pretty much deserved it at this point. Even if they were mates, he’d gone and fucked up big time. So he reckoned he had a lot of grafting and grovelling to do if he even wanted to be spared the time of day.

“Alright?” Adam started up once he’d sat the pints down on the table and slid onto the chair just outside of the booth. It allowed them each to have their own sides and made an odd triangle of sorts. Matty didn’t linger too long on the realisation.

“Cheers.” He murmured as he took the nearest glass and necked a fair bit. George appeared to follow his lead, only he looked a little antsy in his movements, eyes flying between him and Hann as he pulled the pint towards him.

Hann glanced around the table then and Matty took that time to observe the rest of the pub, even taking in the fist-shaped hole that was presented proudly in a nearby wall. Adam only huffed.

“Look. We came out tonight to have a good time, yeah? And we can’t do that until we’ve finally hashed things out. So let's get on with it.”

Hann had a point there, but Matty couldn’t bring himself to be the maturer person here. If George had something to say, then fine, he’d listen. But he’d best get on with it.

“G?” Adam tried.

And Matty glanced over to find George staring down at the tabletop, cheeks hollowed as he shifted his jaw. He didn't reply.

“Fucking hell, man.” Matty blew out, having grown impatient with all the theatrics. “You gonna speak or what? ‘Cause I’m not hangin’ ‘round here all night when I’ve got better places to be.”

“What, like back home playing happy family with the new missus?” George snarked back, the harsh bite very apparent in his words. And so Matty couldn’t help his smirk.

“Jealous much?”

George’s eyes narrowed into fine slits that imitated the harsh lines that marred the skin between his brows and Matty watched as Hann placed a hand on his shoulder, as though to keep him seated.

He, himself, just laughed.

“You are, aren’t you?” Matty found himself pleasantly surprised by that and the alcohol only proved to savour the warm feeling he felt in his chest. “What a turn of events this is, hey! Go on, G mate, how’s it feel to be on the receiving end of all the backlash for once? Funny me sat here on this high horse you’re so used to, innit? Reckon it must be pretty fucking shit for you, seeing me all chummy with Y/n, taking care of her whilst you can’t. Does it wind you up, George? Does it-”

Matty cackled loudly when George jumped over the table to take a swing at him, only to be held off by Adam. He’d still created a bit of a scene though, even managed to draw the attention of the barkeep who gave them all a warning glance.

“Sit the fuck down, would you?” Hann whispered harshly whilst he shoved the drummer a bit, then he turned towards Matty. “And you, stop egging him on.”

Matty’s smirk still wouldn’t dim even as he took a sip from the pint that had spilt a tad in George’s tussle with the table.

“Fuckin’ prick.” George mumbled under his breath, obviously fuming.

“You’re both pricks.” Hann decided, perched on the edge of his chair just in case he need to intervene again. “Pricks who need to grow the fuck up. I mean, you’re meant to be best mates.”

“Some mate he is.”

All humour Matty had been feeling fled in that exact moment and he turned a dark set of eyes towards George. “Fuck you. Some mate-" He scoffed, "You’re really going there? I’ve been the mate trying to help clear up your mess.”

George rolled his eyes at that and Matty felt his jaw tick.

“You know what, Hann? I don’t need this.” He said, and his pint glass hit the table with a resounding thud before he moved to get up out of the booth. Adam jumped up to stop him, crowding him a tad.

“Matty, come on. Just, calm down and give him chance. Please.”

“A chance. How many’s that been now?” Matty replied instead of returning to his seat. “Gave him a chance after he went and broke her heart. Another one when he asked us all to lie to her about not knowing where the fuck he’d been after they'd split. Then again, when he decided he wanted to worm his way back in. Fourth times the charm though, right? ‘Cause how could he possibly fuck up again? Oh right, no that was when he went and let her get hit by a car!”

“How the hell was that on me?” George interrupted through gritted teeth, barely holding back.

Matty angled his body to face him then, looking him dead in the eye just as his lips dragged themselves up into a lifeless sort of smile.

“How’s it not?” He countered with an eery sort of calm he didn’t quite feel. “You told me you loved her, and when she came to you- when she came to you, George- you just let her walk the fuck back out again.”

“You told him you still loved her?” Hann’s quiet question lodged itself into the tainted air which surrounded them and Matty could only nod in reply, unable to tear his eyes away from George and his unblinking stare.

“‘Course he did. Outside that restaurant the night she got hit, didn’t he? Jealous then too, of that waiter, weren’t you?” Matty said snidely, and he leant in closer then, palm pressed against the tabletop he kept his voice hushed. “And then you went and left her in that ambulance alone. Fuck up, number five.”

George tore his gaze away, the whites of his eyes swimming. Matty could only shake his head in scorn and turned back towards Adam.

“How do you explain that away, Hann? How do you explain just leaving her?” He asked, feeling his own torment starting to overwhelm him now.

“When I got there she was already in surgery. They told me to prepare myself for the worst. And I sat there waiting. On my own. Thinking about where he was. And if he was okay. If maybe he’d been hit too. Because, the George I knew. He wouldn’t have just fucking left her with strangers. Not whilst she was vulnerable. Not when she was hurt.

"The George I knew would’ve been right there beside me when she seized that first time I got to see her. He would've been there when she finally woke up. But he wasn’t, Hann. He wasn’t, and I was stuck there wondering how many times it’d happened, how many times she’d been in so much pain that her body just couldn’t cope, and had to suffer through it all on her own.”

He sucked in a shaky breath and bit down hard on his tongue before he finally casted a pitiful glance back at George.

“Where were you?”

Part nineteen>

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thankskenpenders · 1 year

Text

Sonic Prime!

The first eight episodes of Sonic Prime are out! I've been busy for obvious reasons this past week (I kinda released a video game), but I've now seen all eight episodes, and as such can give more structured thoughts on them.

Overall: pretty good! I like it! ...But it's not 100% there yet for me. In the spirit of Festivus, I'm here to air my grievances.

Let's start with one of the highest points. First and foremost, this show looks great. We FINALLY have a Sonic cartoon that actually looks like the games with no asterisks attached, even across multiple wildly different AUs. And everything from small acting choices to big, bombastic fight scenes is a joy to watch in motion thanks to the fluid, expressive, fast-paced movement, with characters pleasantly squashing and stretching in fun ways. It's so fun literally to just watch Sonic's face move in dialogue scenes. God, I wish the cutscenes in Frontiers had animation this good. I get why they don't, but still.

And those action sequences! Man, some of these are the most fun fight scenes in any Sonic cartoon ever, period. Lots of great shot choices, a good mix of recognizable moves from the games combined with new ones and improvisations, I could go on and on. The shot of Sonic leaping backwards down that long stairwell, only for the camera to pan around beneath him and show his friends following suit? There's a reason why they put that in the trailer. It rules. This isn't the greatest action series ever - it still has your typical kids' action cartoon problem where the stakes rarely feel adequately high and you can turn your brain off during fight scenes - but it's fun to look at in a way that previous Sonic cartoons haven't always been.

Really, with how strong the presentation is, it's the writing that tends to let the show down in this first batch of episodes. The writing isn't even bad - there's some really cool stuff to latch onto, and I'm optimistic about them leaning more into what's interesting as the plot continues to develop. It's just... well, it's a Man of Action cartoon.

I'm going to nitpick a lot here, so I want it to be perfectly clear that I like Sonic Prime. I think it's a solid cartoon, and firmly on the high end of the Sonic cartoon spectrum. There's a lot that I'm into, and if someone told me it was their new favorite Sonic cartoon, I could absolutely see why. It mainly just has three things working against it:

It can't decide whether or not it actually wants to be wholeheartedly faithful to the games.

It was very clearly written to be a weekly TV show and not a Netflix show dumped in large batches.

The bar has been VERY high for Sonic content this year across every other medium.

Faithfulness to the games

As has been touted in interviews, Sonic Prime is actually canon to the games, and in many ways it's slavishly faithful to them. Which only makes it weirder when it isn't.

The thing that'll immediately stand out is the new voice cast they had to get because Canadian production laws blah blah blah. Now, they're all good here, particularly Deven Mack as Sonic. His take definitely sounds similar to previous takes on Sonic, but I think he manages to find a nice middle point between the youthful enthusiasm of movie Sonic and the more experienced heroics of game/IDW Sonic. He's great. And not to knock Cindy's performances, but I think Shannon Chan-Kent's voice might actually fit Amy just a liiiiittle better here. But the problem is it gets harder to view this as the regular game cast and alternate timeline versions of them when everyone always sounds a little off. Knuckles in particular is really weird because his AU counterparts have a completely different voice actor, and neither particularly sounds like his current voice in the games. I have no idea why.

For another example, Green Hill is used as a setting in a cartoon for the first time ever, and it looks exactly how you remember it. Cool! But it's also framed as the place where Sonic and all of his friends live 24/7, which has never, ever been true in the games. Even Knuckles is here with no explanation for why he isn't guarding the Master Emerald. (One might think that not drawing attention to Knuckles' job allows the writers to just pretend it doesn't exist, similar to what Sega does in many games, but then we get a literal 16-bit flashback to him guarding the Master Emerald in Hidden Palace.)

This would be a totally fine concession if this show was just doing its own thing like every other Sonic cartoon. The different universes are all different bad timelines for Green Hill, with Sonic spotting the unique iconography of the level buried beneath whatever's taken over South Island this time - a smog-filled Eggman city, an overgrown jungle, an abnormally high sea level - to drive home how wrong the AUs are. It also explains why Sonic can always find the AU versions of his friends in Green Hill, and it probably cut down on the number of sets they had to model. But because it is canon to the games, things like this distract me as a hopeless Sonic nerd. It also leads to some repetitive dialogue in the first few episodes as characters constantly comment on the presence or lack thereof of palm trees, because their only reference for what the world is supposed to look like is Green Hill.

Rings are also treated as a minor plot point early on to incorporate another thing from the games, as Sonic is late for the big battle against Eggman because he was off collecting extra rings. But despite how often it's brought up in that context, they aren't actually a factor in the fight at all, and then rings are never seen again in the AUs.

Also Orbot and Cubot are in this in the regular universe and then we never see them again? Are they going to come back??

This extends beyond these pedantic nitpicks, though. To me, the worst offender of the show selectively choosing when to care about the source material is the dichotomy of the character writing in the alternate universes.

Every AU will have one or two takes on one of Sonic's friends (Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Rouge, and Big) who are The Interesting Ones, the spotlighted characters for each subplot. These are the ones that get actual character arcs, and they feel like they're written in conversation with their original game counterparts in interesting ways.

In the dystopian world, Tails is known as Nine, a cynical loner inventor who was never saved from his bullies and inspired to be a hero by Sonic - but who, when pushed, is still a good kid deep down. In the jungle world, Amy is the extremist Thorn Rose who rides around on a giant Flicky like it's a chocobo and prevents foragers from "stealing" from the forest, possibly riffing on her bond with the Flickies in SA1. She's still looking out for the little guy, she's just doing so at the expense of everyone else. And in the pirate world, Knuckles is the captain Dread Knuckles, who instead of diligently guarding a magic rock was a pirate obsessed with obtaining a magic rock, and who swore off of that quest (and fighting in general) after it cost him the trust of his original crew.

These characters and their interactions with Sonic are all fun - Nine in particular provided a lot of my favorite emotional moments so far - and it feels like it gets at why you would do a multiverse story like this in the first place. You get to examine the characters from other angles! It's just that then there's... the rest. Characters who aren't the focus will just kind of get inserted into roles as Man of Action rests on broad cartoon tropes instead of actually doing anything with the Sonic source material. The dystopia of New Yolk City feels like a good fit given the history of the franchise, but then the other two worlds we've seen so far rely largely on stock "tribal" tropes and pirates going yaarrrrr.

I'm biased, but the worst off here seems to be Rouge, who has yet to get her spotlight universe (assuming she gets one next). This really stings because she's spot on in the regular universe. She hasn't been retconned to be part of Team Sonic, she's invited herself over because she's got her eye on the Paradox Prism (even dropping in unannounced at Tails' workshop). She's got a bit of that playfulness that makes her so fun, and the animation is able to lean into it. But then you go to the other universes and it's all gone.

Pirate Rouge is pretty fun, I'll admit, but I'm shocked they don't play up her love of gems there. Rebel Rouge (yes that is her literal name, the other rebels call her Rebel) gets to be a spy with a fun dynamic with Knuckles at first, but it quickly devolves into her just being the serious, responsible girlboss leading the rebellion who acts as a straight man to Sonic's snark. In other words, she's a lot like... Sally? I hate making that comparison because SatAM/Archie fans have been derisively comparing literally every new female character in the franchise to Sally since the '90s, but it's really hard to shake. (Similarly, it's hard to shake comparisons to Bunnie and Mecha Sally with Rusty Rose, the evil cyborg version of Amy with extendable limbs.) And Rouge's jungle universe counterpart ("Prim Rouge") is also just kind of there as the no-nonsense leader of the tribe, similar to Rebel.

And it's in scenes revolving around the blander of the AU characters when I'm like... man, I kinda wish they'd just made a show about the regular game universe without having to watch Man of Action bust out the pirate joke book and write the dollar store version of Princess Mononoke. I want to spend more time with the actual characters. Because they nailed the tiny glimpses of the game world that we got. This isn't a constant thought I have - again, I like the show, and the major AU characters are cool, and I like seeing new things be done with Sonic. But I'd be lying if I said I never wished the show had gone a different way. My perfect Sonic cartoon continues to elude me...

Story construction

Let's back up a bit and describe the basic premise. On the regular version of Sonic's Earth, things are business as usual, although Sonic seems to be getting a little too cocky and taking his friends for granted. During a fight with Eggman, Sonic accidentally shatters our new macguffin, the Paradox Prism, creating a series of new bad timelines in which he never existed. In that way, I might almost compare it to a multiverse-hopping adventure version of It's A Wonderful Life. A pretty solid emotional throughline to give the show a little more heft. In each of these worlds, Sonic helps set things right with the alternate versions of his friends and finds another shard of the Paradox Prism in an attempt to restore his world. He also usually faces off with the Chaos Council, a team of five alternate Eggmen who are all different ages.

Beyond the fact that there are like five versions of most characters, it's not THAT complicated, especially in a time when damn near everything in pop culture is doing multiverse shenanigans. Which is why it's frustrating that the script seems to think it's fucking House of Leaves.

For the first few episodes, Sonic has a VERY hard time grasping the fact that he's in an alternate universe. This is to be expected to some extent - Sonic is our point of view character through all of this, and it's a kids' show, so he's got to go through a process of figuring things out so that it can be explained to the kids at home. The problem is that it takes him damn near the entire first mini-arc in New Yolk City to figure it out, which starts to come off as insulting and leads to EXTREMELY repetitive dialogue where Sonic wonders why his friends don't remember him and where all the palm trees went. You'd think that by the time Nine explains that his personal history is completely different from how Sonic remembers his time with Tails he'd get a clue, but no, not really. He continues to meet alternate versions of his friends, stubbornly refer to them with their original names, and wonder why no one remembers their previous adventures together. This then somehow even continues into the second universe, the jungle one, where he somehow thinks he's still in New Yolk City and wonders why the cyberpunk rebel versions of his friends are all covered in leaves and wielding spears now. Thankfully, by the time he reaches the pirate world Sonic finally gets a clue, so this isn't a pattern that's going to continue. But it does make the first few episodes a drag.

This, the many recaps, and the out-of-order presentation of scenes back in Green Hill so that they can have a flashback to the regular universe in every episode for context really make it clear that this series was written for TV, not for Netflix. It's assuming that every single episode is going to be some 7-year-old's first episode and that they need to have everything explained again. I'd probably be a bit more sympathetic towards this repetitive, patronizing writing if it actually was airing on Cartoon Network, rather than being a Netflix show where they're dropping eight episodes at a time.

Stiff competition

This is the least fair of my complaints, but I gotta say it. As solid as Sonic Prime is for the most part, it looks worse at the tail end of a year when we've been FEASTING as Sonic fans.

We got a movie sequel that pivoted HARD into game elements, giving us both really great takes on the characters and interesting remixes of old ideas. The IDW comics are still going as strong as ever, with the continually compelling arc of new villains Surge and Kit and now the wildly inventive and downright beautiful to look at Scrapnik Island. And, of course, we got Frontiers, a return to form for the series that adapts it to a semi-open world with the best and most interesting story we've had in god knows how many years.

And then we've got Sonic Prime, a pretty good cartoon that between fun action scenes and interesting story ideas frequently relies on genre pastiches that were tired 30 years ago and jokes that aren't particularly funny.

I think reading Scrapnik Island #3 really put this into perspective for me. Which, again, isn't fair. The comics target older kids and are ALWAYS heavily tied to established continuity, and a comic miniseries can afford to go way more niche than a Netflix show. But Scrapnik is just doing such amazing and original things, bringing back long-forgotten elements of the games and recontextualizing them in fascinating ways. That mix of both the heartwarming sight of the Scrapniks finding happiness in their new lives and the EXTREMELY atmospheric horror aboard the ruins of the Death Egg. It rules! It takes elements hardcore fans wanted to see again and tells a totally new story with them that's unlike anything we've seen before in the franchise. It's really, really hard for "what if Knuckles was a pirate" to compete with that.

But we're still early in Prime. Things are getting more interesting over time, with Sonic acclimating to the dimension hopping and more crossover between the different universes. Nine discovering a completely dead, empty world and wanting to start from scratch there was also really interesting, and I'm curious if that goes anywhere. Again, I've been nitpicking a lot, but the show is pretty good and I've enjoyed my time with it overall. I just don't quite think it's 100% there yet. But I definitely think it could get there within the next 16 episodes.

Misc thoughts

Rouge sleeping like an actual bat is cute.

I like that the environmental themes of the series are such a big focus here! They fall to the wayside too often

I like that the AU characters have different names for the sake of telling them apart, but some of them are pretty bad (the aforementioned Rebel Rouge) while others I just don't get. Why is the old man Eggman named Dr. Done It? Why is the teenage one Dr. Don't?

I thought the scene where Sonic was trying to talk to the New Yolk City crew after a battle and they had to keep ducking under a laser that was still slowly circling the room was funny

The new shoes and gloves are ugly and I think it's really contrived that they magically transform into the perfect tools for every new universe

Between this and Frontiers it's becoming a pattern that Tails and Knuckles can get explicit flashbacks to previous games to highlight their histories with Sonic, while Amy can't. I don't know what to make of this

Thorn is pretty good overall but I do think the flashback depicting her as just randomly snapping one day when her friends pick one too many berries is so hokey that it wraps around to being kinda funny

I've neglected to mention Shadow, but I like him okay in this. It's definitely modern Shadow, but I think "hardass, no-nonsense rival who thinks Sonic is an idiot who acts without thinking and thus wants to kick his ass" is a decent place for Shadow to be in, compared to just The Vegeta, even if it's not my favorite version of the character. I'm curious to see what his role is in the rest of the show, especially given the cliffhanger, and hope he's able to work together with Sonic instead of just being a pissed off antagonist the whole time.

I hate baby Eggman

#tkp post #other media

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ilovedthestars · 11 months

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my thoughts on the nimona movie (no spoilers)

I literally just finished watching the nimona movie. It is SO good. I liked the graphic novel and the trailers looked incredibly promising and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. It is so queer, and so trans, and knowing that ND Stevenson wrote Nimona years before coming out gave me a lot of emotions about the way this was realized on screen. I don’t know how much he was involved in the adaptation, but it’s absolutely something he should be proud of.

I wondered how Nimona would work as a movie, knowing that Hollywood is sometimes bad about book adaptations. But the trailers gave me the impression that they were changing some things but keeping the spirit of the graphic novel alive, and after seeing the movie I think that’s 100% true. They mixed things up quite a bit—there are a few scenes that are straight out of the graphic novel, but most of the events of the plot were new or reworked in a different way from the original. But the original themes underlying Nimona are not only still there, they’re made even more big and bold and obvious by the changes.

And let’s talk about the animation for a second!! Nimona might not quite be as flashy as spiderverse, but the animators were absolutely still doing groundbreaking things with the animation. It’s 3D animated, but rendered in a way that’s designed to look more like 2D animation. Instead of hyperrealism they went for stylization, but still with the super dynamic motion of 3D models. This article [https://mashable.com/article/nimona-animation-style] talks a little bit about the artistic choices that went into it, and how they were going for the vibe of "graphic novel come to life." (I still have no idea how they pulled off cel shading on 3D models, but I’m so impressed.) The lighting in particular stood out to me as very cool, and the transitions when Nimona shape shifts were absolutely seamless. The whole movie just looked incredibly cool.

Speaking of the artistic skill that went into this film, two of the three main characters (Ballister and Ambrosius) were drawn as white in the graphic novel, and were changed to people of color in the movie, with such skill that when I went back to reread the original to prepare for the movie I had a genuine moment of “wait, they were white?” Their character designs were adapted so perfectly as to be instantly recognizable, while also fitting their style into the updated aesthetic of the movie. (Which has a super cool medieval/futuristic thing going on, expanded from what we see in the graphic novel.) Nimona is also, I cannot overstate, so perfectly Nimona. It’s clear that a lot of effort went into capturing the essence of ND Stevenson’s drawings.

The plot of the movie was not anything particularly new—“maybe the monsters aren’t monsters after all” is an oldie but a goodie—but it was done very well. Even though I’d just reread the graphic novel, there were enough changes that there were plenty of surprises. Also, did I mention how funny it is? There are so many hilarious lines & visual gags that don’t veer into the awkward place that animated movies aimed at a young audience sometimes land. And again, I cannot emphasize enough that it is even more explicitly queer than original, and they leaned into the trans vibes of Nimona very hard. Props to Stevenson and everyone else who worked on this movie.

#nimona #nimona movie #stars has thoughts #we are so lucky disney dropped the ball on this one and netflix picked it up. it would not have been the same #disney's loss our win #it's amazing and i hope lots of kids get to see this and relate to nimona and all the emotions that nate stevenson put into her

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pxnsneverland · 6 months

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Don’t Be Cruel | austin!elvis x oc (part 6)

plot summary: Angel Casteel is a small town girl who lucked into working as a makeup artist at a film studio. Unfortunately, her confidence in herself wavers as she is assigned to work with Elvis on his latest motion picture. Overcome by his star power at first, she slowly starts to realize there is a man behind the fame, a man she understands. But as they grow closer, the world grows more turbulent, especially Elvis's world. Will this Angel be able to save Elvis from himself and the people around him? Or will getting mixed up in his word prove to be her downfall as well?

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

pairings: austin!elvis x oc

word count: 2218

warnings/notes: N/A

Chapter 6

After a few days, it seemed strange not going to see Elvis on set every morning. I found myself with an unusually large amount of free time. I hadn't even talked to Elvis in the preceding three days. He claimed to be working behind the Colonel's back on a significant operation. Despite my anguish, I saw that he had no choice but to do this. I was eager to help him in any way I could, even if it meant giving him some space to be himself again.

“You’re moving where?!” said my mother over the phone. I knew calling her would be a bad idea, but she needed to know. Half of my apartment was already packed in preparation for my upcoming move to Las Vegas. Elvis' description of it seemed much too excessive for me. Mama wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as I was.

“Las Vegas, Mama,” I said again, “Elvis asked me to move with him after the movie finished filming…and now it’s done so I’m going.”

“Angel Heaven Casteel, I can’t believe you let that man turn you into his little play thing! I thought you were smarter. What happens when he gets bored of ya, huh? What happens when he leaves you high and dry and you’re stuck in Las Vegas without a dime to your name?”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “It’s not like that, Mama. I told you. Elvis and I are together. What we have is deep and special.”

“I bet that’s what every girl he’s ever touched thought too. And where are they now?”

A knot formed at the base of my stomach. When I first met Elvis, I was terrified for the same reasons. Those concerns were still present, hell. But I had to push beyond them. Mama bringing them up sent a familiar surge of fear through me. “You can’t believe everything you see on the TV or read in the papers, Mama.”

“That information has to come from somewhere, sweetie. That’s all I’m saying.” She let out a deep sigh, and I knew she was looking over her shoulder at my father, who was probably trying to seem like he wasn't listening. “This whole Hollywood idea was ridiculous from the start. I don’t understand why you can’t just move back home, be with people you’ve known your whole life and who know you.”

People that were familiar with me were as or more critical than my mother. My mother was the only one who did it to my face; the rest of the people I knew did it behind my back. No matter how much my hometown scoffed at me, I knew I was destined for big things. The doorbell rang, and I was relieved to have an out for hanging up on my mom. I resolved not to contact her until I had established myself in Vegas. It could make her stop yelling for a little time. As soon as I hung up the phone, I ran to the door, where I was greeted by Elvis, who was wearing a black suit, turtleneck, and gold-framed sunglasses.

“I don’t think I ever told you where I lived,” I said, hinting.

Elvis smiled and laughed. “That’s fine. James knew.”

Faking irritation, I crossed my arms across my chest. “It’s not very gentleman like for a man to come callin’ on a woman without callin’ first.”

“Have I ever claimed to be a gentleman?” He kissed me briefly on the lips, and I reciprocated his affection. “I need you to come somewhere with me today.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see.”

******

For the whole of the hour-long car trip, I pleaded with Elvis to reveal our destination. With a devilish grin on his face, he continued encouraging me to be patient. As the car continued driving up the mountain, past trees, plants, and the odd cactus, I eventually gave up. It was almost like being back in my hometown, when the roads were usually just dirt and we walked instead of drove. Since there was nowhere to go in the small town, nobody ever bothered to own a car. I was curious about life in Vegas. What was it like? Was it more like Los Angeles? Would Elvis have time to show me around or would I be left to figure out my way on my own?

The sudden halt of the car jarred my stream of thinking. I glanced out the window and saw the place we had been headed. Against the cityscape, I could make out the Hollywood sign's reverse side. Elvis got out first then opened the door for me extending me his hand to assist me out the vehicle. Since settling in Los Angeles, I had only made one trip to see the Hollywood sign. I still didn't go all the way up the hill, however. Before, I had only seen it from a distance, but up close, it was much more impressive. I strolled to the 'O' and stared out the center onto the metropolis. It was stunning in appearance, enormous in size, and all encompassing. I understood how little and unimportant I had been in comparison to the vastness of my surroundings. What gave me the idea that I might become recognized?

Elvis came up behind me putting his hands on my hips and pulling me to the side. He sat down in the crook of the 'O' and leaned back. When he reached for my hand, I let him. “What do you think, baby?”

“It’s beautiful, Elvis. But why did you bring me up here?”

“I’ve arranged a meetin’. Jerry told me about these guys he had met goin’ out one night. They’re called Binder and Bones. He kept sayin’ ‘You gotta meet these guys, E.P.! They’re the ones who put James Brown and the Rolling Stones on stage. You gotta meet ‘em’. When we were talkin’ in the trailer about me gettin’ back to myself and all…I thought it wouldn’t hurt to give ‘em a call.”

There was a question in my brain, and even though I knew the answer, I asked it nevertheless. “The Colonel doesn’t know about this, does he?”

A pack of cigarettes appeared from Elvis's pocket. With his lips, he drew one out and lit it. He exhaled the cigarette smoke. “No, he doesn’t. And he don’t need to. I respect the Colonel, but what he’s got planned for me…it ain’t what I want.”

“I know.” I gave Elvis' hand a good, tight squeeze. “I don’t have any objections either. You know how I feel about that man.”

He cracked a little grin. “That’s why I brought you along, doll. You’re always supportin’ me. Makin’ me feel like I’m makin’ the right decisions.”

“Who knows what’s better for Elvis Presley than Elvis Presley? You’re doin’ the right thing, Satnin.”

The grin on his face widened. He drew me in and sat up in order to brush his lips on mine. When he kissed me again, I felt those old, comforting butterflies in my stomach and grinned against his lips. When we heard footsteps approaching, we separated. Jerry approached us along with two guys who I took to be Binder and Bones. It was clear that all three of them meant business. I withdrew my hand from Elvis's and he let go. I saw his chest rise and fall as he looked out at the cityscape again.

The guys came to a complete halt. “Mr. Binder, Mr. Howe, this is Mr. Elvis Presley and Ms. Angel Casteel.”

I gave a friendly nod to each of them. Elvis pretended for a second that he didn't notice their presence. He looked immersed in what he was seeing. Then he spoke, “When I first came to Hollywood, I would come up here and sit for hours. Right over there…” From where he was seated, the Griffith Observatory was readily visible across the distance. “...that’s where they shot Rebel Without A Cause. Man, I used to dream of bein’ a great actor like Jimmy Dean. The sign was beautiful then.” He stopped to examine the rusty metal that was only visible from this vantage point. “And now…Feels as though lots of things are like that these days. Broke down, beat up. Rotten.”

It crushed my heart to realize that he was talking more about himself than the sign. The want to go console him was strong, but I restrained myself. A business meeting was a formal setting, and I would cheer Elvis on from a distance.

Elvis removed his sunglasses and proceeded. “I really like what you guys did, putting James Brown and the Stones together.”

Binder responded right away. “We’re, uh…big fans of yours, too. It’s just that, Mr. Presley, we don’t usually—”

“Oh, Elvis.” His interruption reminded me of our time together in the studio. Everyone on set, I realized, had addressed him as "Elvis" rather than "Mr. Presley." Only when he wasn't present did I ever hear anybody refer to him as "Mr. Presley."

“Elvis, uh…” Binder continued, “Christmas specials aren’t really our thing.”

That made Elvis grin knowingly. “I know.” His grin, however, was short-lived and rapidly faded. “Tell me honestly, where do you boys think my career’s at right now?”

Both Binder and Bones gazed at one other, their silence revealing their reluctance to speak. Bones answered, “Well, it’s…”

“It’s in the toilet, Elvis,” Binder said. He gave me a sidelong look. “Sorry for the terminology, ma’am.”

Elvis returned my smile with a grin on his face as he glanced at me. I returned the grin, trying not to laugh out loud. To force it to stop so I could talk, I pressed my lips together. “No need to apologize.”

“My girl may look like a lady, but she’s tough.” Elvis laughed and gave me a knowing grin before returning to the conversation. “Oh Lord. I knew you were the right guys for this job. You know, back when I was starting out, some people wanted to put me in jail or even kill me, ‘cause of the way I was movin’.” He dismounted from his perch and began to stroll. He stopped when he reached a beam holding up one of the letters and rested against it. “So they cut my hair, put me in a uniform and they sent me away.” Once again, Elvis's mind was wandering off into the past. “That killed my mother. And ever since then…I’ve been lost.”

I approached Elvis and placed a protective arm over his forearm. “Elvis…”

He lowered his head and smiled at me. “I’m alright, darlin’.” Elvis turned to see Binder and Bones, who were still listening intently. “When you’re lost, people take advantage. It wasn’t until an angel came into my life…” I felt his hand on my arm. “...that I realized how truly lost I was. I need you fellas to help me get back to who I really am.” His tone was pleading rather than assertive.

“And who are you, Elvis?” Binder inquired, peering upward through his oversized sunglasses.

“Well, he sure as hell ain’t someone who sings Christmas songs by a fireplace in a wool sweater,” I commented with my hands on my hips. Elvis's grin filled me with a feeling of accomplishment. Both Binder and Bones laughed nervously to themselves, then quickly resumed their serious businesslike demeanors.

“And what does the Colonel think?” Bones asked.

The question was inevitable from him. Since the Colonel had been handling Elvis's business for so long, few people believed that he could succeed without him. But I saw defiance in Elvis's eyes, too. It was the beginning of a fire that was eager to spread and get out of control. I wasn’t surprised when he answered back, “I don’t give a damn what the Colonel thinks.”

That appeared to arouse both producers's attention as they exchanged happy glances. When they agreed to film Elvis's special and confirmed it with a handshake, I almost lost control of my excitement.

“We’ll start drawing up plans,” Binder said, “Set designs and everything and we’ll run them by you. I promise you’re not going to regret this.”

“No matter if it works out or not, I don’t regret anythin’,' ' Elvis declared.

Jerry waved farewell as he led Binder and Bones back to their vehicle at the top of the hill. When everyone else was gone, I grabbed Elvis hard, throwing my arms around his neck. He buried his face in my shoulder as he stroked calming circles all over my back. We held each other for what seemed like an eternity as we enjoyed Elvis's career take an unexpected turn for the better.

He took a step back to look me directly in the eye, but his hands remained planted firmly on my waist. “This is gonna be big, baby doll. I can feel it. Bigger than anythin’ anyone has ever done before.” He pulled strands of hair out of my face that had blown into my eyes from the wind. “But no matter what happens, I ain’t gonna let nothin’ happen to you, understand?”

I shook my head, chuckling a little. “What’s gonna happen to me?”

Elvis drew me in for a close kiss on the forehead and then lingered there. He took a long breath in. “Nothin’.”

Stay tuned for part 7!! Click HERE to view!

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bengiyo · 7 months

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Theory of Love Rewatch Ep 4 Stray Thoughts

I have been specifically asked about continuing, so thank @twig-tea, @lurkingshan, and @waitmyturtles for bugging me to continue.

Last time, Two found out that Third has a crush on Khai and decided to be a bro about it and help. His brilliant plan is to have Third lie about having no money so he can move in with Khai. Cohabitation was a mixed bag. Third still can't declare himself to Khai, and Khai was a total dick about kicking Third out of the apartment for the whole night at one point. Khai came through for Third sorta with the next girl by not kicking him out and then later telling Prigkhing's character to fuck off. He also had Third's mug prepared. Mike's character's romance also began with some cute flirting over movies. I also want to note that these boys are filthy, and a single Ikea date won't make me forget.

A lot of energy went into this couch scene deciding what to do with their booth. I suspect it was meant to reground us in the masculine friendship.

Ep.04 Crazy, Stupid, Love

I forgot how unsubtle the sausage thing was. Men definitely came up with that sales pitch.

I just want you to know that Off is singing.

Third just has no interest in being flirty or kind to girls.

The play flirting that Khai does with Third is so agonizing sometimes.

The Shape of Water (2017) is a great film. Good choice, Paan.

I like putting Gun in a suit on a box so he can be tall.

Fellas, is it gay to feed your best friend on the break, eat and drink after him, and then demand he follow the rule and kiss you on the cheek? Asking for Khai. He is flirting and I don't think he realizes it.

Oh, right. The dark skin comment about Un. 😐

Guys like Khai are why I used to say, "Don't flirt with me unless you mean it."

Third is as bad as one of my movie buddies. He cries at every film.

Third, please get a fucking grip. He matched your answer because you are a sap with easy to read film taste and he wanted a prize.

Strangely, I'm feeling more sympathetic to Bone than I remember being last time.

Not only did Un and Two leave MacBooks just sitting around, they also left it unlocked. Irresponsible.

The hair continuity for Gun is off in this show.

Fellas, is it gay to cuddle up with your friend in a private screening because you're cold?

There's no way Khai doesn't know how romantic this would read to Third. He's kind of a dumbass, but come on, bro.

Okay, so I had memory holed that Khai was testing Third with Bone. I am deeply upset.

Y'all, I am so, so pissed right now. I had completely forgotten that Khai was just playing with Third's feelings to see if Bone was right. This is the exact kind of cruel shit I suffered. We just saw this happen to Zo in Hidden Agenda. I am so not okay.

See, and this is where we get into the primary problem with players. It's fine to have casual sex with people who know what the game is, but it's the playing with people's feelings just to prove you can that bothers me. I had clearly repressed this plot information because this is the exact kind of shit that happened to me and I'm still salty about it 14 years later. It was cruel then and it still hurts now.

I couldn't exactly remember why I didn't like Khai. I wondered if I had also gotten caught up in sex shaming him like Turtles believes Khai haters do. No, it was this shit. Third is his fucking best friend and he couldn't just say it. It's so fucking mean.

#theory of love #thai bl #bl series #Ben watches

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materializingthedisembodied · 9 months

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So, my thoughts on the new Haunted Mansion film.

It is so much better than the Eddie Murphy attempt at making the classic dark ride into a film adaptation, but it is not perfect. I did like the mix of characters overall and the artistic design and replication of design choices from the attraction are very nice. It even has a replica of the Florida Mansion but simplified, and a Small World easter egg that made me actually laugh.

The issue for me is that it could have learned harder into the new 'elevated' horror trope of being a meditation on grief, as LaKeith Stanfield is such a great performer and his plot is very resonant and meaningful. There has been a great use of this in recent horror films such as Hereditary, Midsommar, Talk To Me, and doubtless more, going back to films such as the original Pet Semetary and The Changeling. If the movie was more about that, and what the Mansion does to affect people by learning about what lies beyond death and touches on their personal grief and emotions, instead of Jared Leto's hatbox ghost as the 'big bad' (amusingly given the last name of Crump), it would have been stronger and more resonant, perhaps even approaching classic status.

#The Haunted Mansion #haunted attraction #dark ride

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danothan · 10 months

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@cessmaga i felt like this could be its own post!

this is so funny bc i've said this all before but for some reason it hurts me to read it </3

incoming pondering

i have mixed feelings. the punching bag portrayal of hal definitely feels… selective compared to other characters. lauren faust has said that the way she figured out everyone's personalities was to take their most popular iterations and exaggerate them into distinct roles. and it honestly works well for the show! yes even when it’s ooc! superman being a proud hotshot? well he did have a bit of an ego on him when he was younger, and this superman is 19-20, so that checks out! wonder woman being a fish out of water? i mean, she was even the audience stand-in for g1, it makes sense from a writing standpoint! hell, even "playboy bruce wayne" and "theater kid oliver queen” feel random and ooc, but it’s hilarious and plays on some recognizable tropes of the characters, so i’m definitely not complaining. it’s more important for an adaptation to hold up on its own than be a 1-to-1 reference to the source, and i think there’s smth for both comic fans and first time watchers to enjoy

but hal is more complicated. i didn’t get this impression from him when i first watched dcshg. i can see why they chose him for the jock character, someone had to fill that role after all, and i can see how his moments of silliness in the comics can add to the Dumb in Dumb Jock. like i get where they’re coming from. but it became more abt making hal fit the jock role than making the jock role fit hal

i don’t think it’s all bad tho. his debut ep endeared me upon my second watch. like hal was SUCH a senior, it was mean-spirited, but seniors are just like that 😔👊 sometimes it felt like they were pushing it, but it serviced karen’s character. they’re not making a show called dc superhero GIRLS to make it abt the boys (and i’m certainly not asking them to). so there’s definitely a right way to do it, but i feel like they lost the plot somewhere down the line. how did he downgrade so hard lmao, i can accept the premise but you have to actually like your oc too

this problem isn’t just a hal thing ofc, other decisions felt questionable to me too. like why is diana boy-crazy. the whole “she came from an all-girls island so she fell for the first boy she saw” thing is WILD for her specifically. she came from an all-girls island, connect the dots.

but i do feel like hal consistently gets the brunt of it. maybe it’s just my hal vision, but it feels targeted. how come barry gets to have all these barry-specific quirks and references, but hal is just some generic jock. they’re best friends in the comics! if you know sm abt barry, SURELY you knew that too!

bad characterization aside, my main problem is his (mis)treatment in the show. it’s straight up unpleasant to sit thru, he’s a metaphorical AND literal punching bag. the contrast going between an episode for hal vs anyone else is crazy, it’s like someone read only the worst versions of him and decided to punish the character for being poorly written. oh my god it’s like zack snyder making a superman movie. waittt it’s exactly like that oh god 😭

design-wise… he’s so ugly, every friend i’ve shown a picture to always responded in disgust 💀 and after watching g1, the choices in his redesign speaks volumes to their view of his character. but here’s the thing…

it’s actually rly grown on me I KNOW I’M SORRY. like, okay, his hair style is not doing him any favors (idek what version of him it’s supposed to be inspired by??), and anyone that changes brown eyes to blue/green is my personal enemy. buuuut… he still has his signature cleft chin <:) and his raglan tee is a clever translation of the cut of his GL suit <:)

idk, going from g2 to g1 back to g2 gave me more of an appreciation for the tooniness of the style. we think g1 is better bc it’s inoffensive. it’s bland. i def think the slapstick for hal in g1 felt like laughing with the character instead of at him, and his overuse of constructs is sooo classic hal, but in terms of visual personality, i didn’t get much just by looking at him. i miss that damn jacket tho, no idea why they didn’t keep it

but picture daze wrecked me so bad that it gave me rose-colored glasses and now i can’t remember what it was like to ever think he was ugly

is it so wrong to think he looks like a sweetie :( a silly little guy :(

sidenote, i haven’t seen this ep before but wth is this:

this is not a 17-18 year old highschooler, this is a 30-smth divorcee. i think that might be the joke, but tell me why his hair looks more recognizable here than the default 😭

all of this to say: world’s biggest hypocrite over here defending dcshg hal after talking essays worth of shit abt him LMAO. i accidentally gave him a consciousness and now it feels like he’s the victim of bad writing rather than the perpetrator of it. i’m not even mad that they made him a dumb jock anymore, i just want him to be happy ☹️

#dcshg #hal jordan #green lantern #dc #danbles #idk how im going to redesign him now that i actually like him #woe is me for having terrible taste in characters 😔👊

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broken-clover · 24 hours

Text

Solaxl Week- Day 3

Ooookay so apparently I completely forgot to put up day 3...woops. Suppose I should have double checked. At least it means I can post back to back!

Not much in the way of notes on this one, I'm just very certain that in addition to their musical nostalgia Sol and Axl are also annoyingly fond of 80's movies and think there hasn't been anything better since. Also slightly poking fun at myself for the fact that I always confuse Footloose and Dirty Dancing for each other

3. Pirate AU, Domestic, Movies

Axl had quite literally dropped in, as he was prone to do. One minute, Sol is content with his evening plans of drinking beer and doing fuck-all, the next he’s playing host. How things play out depends on his mood at the time. Axl’s gotten good at pacifying his bad moods, but not perfect. One wrong step has him getting thrown out to bother someone else.

To compensate, he’s gotten pretty good at bringing the party favors.

“Chiiiiiief~” Sol could hear the smile on his face, even if it was hidden. There was an armful of something burying the lower half of his head. “Lookit what I gooooot!”

A mix of intrigue and pity had the man lighten his uninvited guest’s load. Stacks of something hard and plastic, rattling when shaken. Just unfamiliar enough after a long stretch of time that Sol wasn’t certain he was looking at what was right in front of him.

“Are these…DVD’s?”

Axl’s grin was even bigger after he wasn’t drowning in video cases. “Hit the bargain bin while I got stuck in Nevada! Classics ‘re classics, but you can get ‘em cheap. I know yer a softie for old music, how’s about old movies?”

Well, he supposed it beat drinking alone. Again.

But of course, they couldn’t just immediately jump into it. Accidental or not, Axl had made one of his better choices crashing into Sol’s emporium of tech garbage. Buying up a heap of cheap movies was all fine and good in the turn of the millennium, not a century later. Heck, they would have been pushing it even if it had only been twenty years after the fact. Re-releasing barely-changed tech every other year that only worked with specific hardware for the sake of selling more units, that fun little facet of capitalism was still fucking them over even a century and a half later. The two of them were stuck spending the better part of an hour sifting through parts.

“Does this bit go to a CD or a DVD player…? Bleedin’ hell, how’m I supposed to tell the damn things apart??”

“Mph. I got the wrong kind of connector. Lemme see if I got something upstairs…”

Even if he wasn’t the most enthused at first, having to go to all the trouble just to watch it made movie night feel like much more of a reward. Sol turned over the cases individually, trying to determine what to watch first.

“Gah, you’re takin’ too long! Y’know we can watch ‘em all, right?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Sol replied. “Fine, let’s start with ‘Back to the Future’...uh, that ain’t gonna hit too close to home, will it?”

Axl found a spot on the nearest comfy seat. “Aw, pish. If anything, it makes me feel seen, y’know?”

He did not, but he chose not to pursue that conversation further. That sort of thing could easily turn into an hours-long ramble. Instead, Sol settled for putting the disc in their newly assembled reader. After a few thumps on its side, the machine began to hum.

“Damn, honestly impressed, here.” Axl watched as his companion found another spot to sit close by. “Wasn’t sure we’d be able to pull it off. Gah, this is awesome! Can’t think of a better way to spend an evening with ya-”

Sol picked up the remote and spiked the volume. “At this rate, I’m not even gonna be able to hear any of this. You’d better not talk over the whole damn thing.”

Despite that, once the plot had started rolling, Sol found himself more amenable to conversation. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a movie night. Couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something so mundane with friends. The memory was so close yet so distant.

Axl had made himself more than comfy in his chair. While his legs draped over one armrest, he propped himself on the other with both arms tucked under his ribs. Were Sol to try and describe it in words, the first thing that came to mind was ‘a very smug cat-mermaid.’ Yeesh, the guy had awful posture. Maybe Sol shouldn't have passed judgement on other people’s habits, but other people didn’t have Gear cells to make up for their shitty spinal health.

“Man…” Axl half-muttered, untucking one arm to balance his chin on his palm. “The eighties had some good flicks.”

“Guess you made a good call after all. Are all of these from then?” Asked Sol.

“Eh, most of ‘em.” Replied Axl. “Figures that’s prolly what you grew up on, thought I’d get nostalgic- ‘n yeah, before you ask, I did get ‘Flash Gordon’ too. Knew you’d like the Queen songs”

The Gear made a noise of approval. “Not bad, Low. Guess I owe you one for that. Been listening to the same recording for decades, might be cool hearing a different one, even if it’s the same song. Kids these days dunno what they’re missing.”

The two went quiet as the Delorean slowly drove out of the truck and into full view for the first time. Axl whistled. “Still love that bit. I dunno, though, chief. I mean, not like we didn’t have some shit movies, too, y’know?”

“How’s that?” Sol said, taking his eyes off of the screen for the first time in a while. “Guess there was some schlock, the real cheap stuff-”

“Not even the cheap stuff! Like, ‘Dirty Dancing.’”

“...what?”

Axl shrugged. “‘Dirty Dancing’ was trash. Sorry, chief, but I gotta be honest-”

“Shut up. Are you kidding me?” The movie playing was well and truly out of his thoughts as he gawked. “I figured even if you thought the plot was crap, you’d think Jennifer Grey was hot enough that the story didn’t matter.”

“Which was she, was she the lead? Eh, doesn’t matter. Like, look, I can excuse some real corny shit, but like…’ohhh, we’re gonna ban fuckin’ dancing because it’s too sinful, that’s just dumb. I got limits, too.”

Sol was continuing his staring, but a new emotion had joined it. ”...Are you sure you’re thinking of the right one?”

“Yeah, remember? That’s why it was called ‘Dirty Dancing.’ The reply came with gestures for emphasis.

“No, it was called that because they were a bunch of scruffy-looking jackasses. Pretty sure the one you’re thinking of’s ‘Footloose.’”

“No way, chief! Footloose was the one with Costner, wasn’t it?”

“No, that was ‘Dances With Wolves.’”

“For real? Nah, you’ve gotta be fucking with me. You’re fucking with me, right? Great, and I didn’t get ‘em, so it’s not like I can check-”

A noise made both men turn to the neglected screen. Marty was stumbling out of the crashed van in the barn, undisturbed by the audience’s squabble.

“Ugh, damn it, we missed one of the best parts.” Sol picked up the remote and put the film in reverse. “Can’t remember where we were, haven’t seen this movie in too long. Gonna just skip back to the bit with Einstein.”

Axl readjusted himself in his seat, blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes. “Why were there so many eighties movies about dancing?”

#frog writes #guilty gear #sol badguy #axl low #solaxl #solaxl week 2024 #...ish

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