Hey you 308k(!!!) people who have watched Nerdy Prudes in less than three days:

First of all I love you! I love you, I love your excitement for this show, I love all of the love going around. I'm so proud and excited by how well this show our little fandom's been obsessed with for months is doing.

ANYWAYS.

Did you love it? Do you want more? Do you wanna maybe watch Steph and Pete fall for each other again, or see Grace be unhinged in a completely different context? Do you want to know who the hell most of those random people in "Hatchet Town" even were, or learn about the Lords in Black (why was the yellow one so excited about Pete being a Spankoffski?), the Black Book, and the Cult of the Starry Children? Do you want to meet two of the coolest people in all of Hatchetfield (who, believe it or not, haven't been in a stage show yet)? Do you want MORE BOPS written by Jeff and MORE KILLER STORIES AND BRILLIANT DIALOGUE written by the Langs, all of it delivered by the Hatchetfield musicals cast you know and love?

Then the (roughly) 230k of you who haven't watched all of Nightmare Time should check it out!

"But Brooke," you might say, "I tried to start with Episode 1 (available under the livestream tab on Starkid's youtube account) but the low quality of a zoom-call video really put me off!"

Okay, understandable. It didn't personally bother me, but I totally get it not being other people's jam. But I will say that the episodes get better in production quality as they go along, and I would try each one before giving up and moving onto the next. Nightmare Time 2, especially, is a completely different viewing experience from Hatchetfield Ape Man.

And here's the kicker: IF ENOUGH PEOPLE WATCH NIGHTMARE TIME 2, WE GET MORE OF THE NERDY PRUDES CHARACTERS!! We get more of Grace, Ruth, Richie, the Lords in Black, and the Black Book. And that's just the stuff that's been confirmed (the planned Grace episode of NMT 3 sounds like the completion of the teen slasher trilogy, so I imagine Steph and Pete will probably be in it as well).

So please, 230k Nerdy Prudes fans who have not watched Nightmare Time, do yourself and all of us a favor and get your Nightmare Time on!!

I'm rewatching RWBY and I just finished V3 and like. I'm having so many thoughts about Ruby

She was an eager student, yearning to follow in her mother's footsteps and help others, who got accepted into Beacon Academy two years early. But she felt worried that she'd be singled out; she wants to be normal among her peers, not anything special. "I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees," she says to Yang.

Then she's thrown into the position of leadership despite her young age and relative inexperience, and while she takes it in stride she's incredibly hard on herself in the process. "We need to put our teammates first, and ourselves second," she says to Jaune.

And just when she grows comfortable in her skills and her position as team leader, everything falls apart. Beacon falls. Penny and Pyrrha die horrifically right before her eyes and she's left behind to blame herself. Yang loses her arm — and a part of herself. Weiss is snatched away by her father, Blake runs away. Ozpin has vanished, his lieutenants left to pick up the pieces of the broken, ruined Vale. Most of the ppl that Ruby has come to count on, just... gone. And then immediately after she wakes up from all that, Qrow dumps on her that, congratulations kid, you have silver eyes which basically means you're destined to save the world, have fun! "Then what can I do? If I'm so special, I can help, right?" she says to Qrow.

It's no wonder she got such a martyr complex, no wonder she threw herself so heavily into the identity of a hero, no wonder she fell to pieces and grew consumed by guilt and grief and self-loathing later in the show. She just wanted to go to school and learn how to protect ppl. And then she couldn't even protect the ppl who mattered most to her, not out of some failing on her own part, but bcus she is a child, a child with way too much on her shoulders. And it's just gotten worse. Now she's expected to save the whole world, all bcus she inherited her mother's eyes.

The weight of the entire world upon the shoulders of a grieving teen girl.

How would that not be too much for anyone to bear?

feeling called out right now

one of the most infuriating things i’ve realized about fandom spaces lately to me has been some people’s inability to just trust a story and engage with its premise and what it’s trying to express. “canon sucks i can do it better lol!!!” is one of the most annoying attitudes to me and i do kinda hate how prevalent it’s gotten (in actually good polished media that isn’t to be engaged with like that)

like between people who read things in as bad a faith as possible and ceaselessly criticize things they supposedly like, and people who only care about media for the sake of making cookie cutter self-indulgent fandom content, it feels sometimes like the most controversial thing you can do in a fandom is “actually liking the source material for what it is”

shadowhunters gifset portraits: clary fray

this is not the will of the angels. but it's my will.

'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' except xiao doesn't feel like anything he went through - that endless agony and suffering that sill haunts him in the middle of the night when he closes his eyes - made him any stronger. if anything, it made him wrecked. broken. tainted with blood and pain that he doesn't seem to be able to erase.

as he's panting heavily after defeating monsters full of bad karmic energy, he can feel it, almost. that disgusting sensation etching its way deep into his bones - so deep that he slowly starts to think it's impossible to erase it. to erase all the ugliness of this pain and karma and his own past actions from the depths of his shattering heart.

darkness only sinks in, deeper and deeper. wrapping around his heart, choking his throat until he can't breathe, can't think about anything other than how much easier it would be to be erased from this world. or better, die while protecting mortals. this way, he will fulfill his oath but also erase another dangerous being full of karma from the world - himself.

lumine is nothing like him, he thinks.

after losing everything - her wings, her only family - she held closely to her heart, and going through all the pain this world has to offer, she still hopes. her eyes gleam when she helps people, the corners of her lips curl upwards at the sight of pretty sunsets. she skips a few steps when she's excited and she acts like happy small bunny who is happy to explore the world and it's mysteries (recklessly, sometimes. or at least xiao thinks she is a bit foolish - in an endearing way but still, it makes him a bit worried sometimes. it makes him want to be better so he can stay by her side and fiercely protect her heart with all his might as it was more his than his own.).

in the pale moonlight, in xiao's eyes–in the spaces bettwen his racing heartbeat and trembling exhales, she looks almost like the personification of love herself.

....how can she be so soft despite it all?

xiao knows he shouldn't dare to get closer to her, to long for any semblance of her light and presence around him... to yearn for her love, for her... he isn't sure whether he deserves it, anyway... the closure he's able to offer her might hurt her in the end, he's all too aware of that possibility and it's scaring him - just like the want for her does... lumine deserves better than to deal with someone who's more akin to a monster than to human, so unlike her...

and yet, his heart lingers there; with a girl as gentle as the moonlight and as radiant as the sunlight, whose heart is pure gold and her smile lights up his world just a little bit and makes him wish he, too, could be soft. just like her love is.

Alright. Let's talk about Akai's and Furuya's fighting styles, control, and the ferris wheel fight, featuring some tangents on professionalism.

The second reason is the implied: Akai is (in general, probably not in this situation, because he is going along with the fight Rei wants) a professional, and professionals do not fight. A professional will either ambush or assassinate (you know, like the sniping Akai is so well-known for), and generally do everything in his power to avoid a fight. It's about gaining the advantage, pressing and keeping it, to maintain control over the situation. For comparison, fights are between people of roughly equal footing, and fighting follows rules. As a person who lives in the world of actual violence, Akai does not need the fancy dances of a fighting sport, he needs his rifles, guns, and a self-defense technique for when things go really bad and personal. (Incidentally, a professional will also plan, won't let his emotions get in the way, stay calm, and keep working in bad conditions - we also see these traits in Akai.) I can remember two instances of Akai fighting (there might be more)- the ferris wheel fight, and the one time he knocked out the people after Yumi (and arguably, they didn't really have a chance and it wasn't really a fight). Other than that, he's just coordinating and providing tactical support.

Akai using Jeet Kune Do for fighting is an interesting choice. It's not as well-known as many other fighting styles (hell, it's not even a fighting style, it's a self defense technique and really more of a philosophy or a principle), but it has a couple of key values that characterize him well. First off, it's hugely individualistic. Practitioner's are encouraged to find their own way, to find what works for them, which really is Akai in a nutshell, doing what he wants. Secondly, it is described as a highly efficient way to fight. There are few, if any, rules to Jeet Kune Do, you're expected to use whatever technique will help you the most in the moment. For this reason, it is also highly adaptable, and requires an appropriate mindset to use. This latter point, I think, really mirrors the approach the FBI has in the series - do what you need to in order to get the results we want, at whatever the cost.

The fact that it's a self defense technique is important for two reasons: one is the immediate one for our context - Akai's defending himself from an angry Rei on the ferris wheel.

With all that out of the way, let's get into the ferris wheel fight, and what we learn about them there.

For contrast, let's look at Rei. It's almost funny how little professionalism Rei has compared to Akai, when it comes to the world they're living in. Rei's choice of fighting style is boxing, and he's practicing a rather straightforward, aggresive version, with barely any defense, at great personal risk. That point about professionals not letting their emotions get in their way? Well, either Rei has never heard it, or he's deliberately ignoring it. Either way, it really holds him back from gaining and maintaing control.

(I would be remiss not to point out that boxing is also done for show, fitting for this show-off.)

Boxing might honestly be good for Rei in order get out his anger and to up his pain tolerance, but for the purpose of keeping him alive, it sucks. It's up close, it's personal, and it's dirty (that tagline might as well describe Furuya himself). A threat who's gotten into that range is already a problem. Sure, usually - though not in this instance - he's also got his handgun, with its limited reach, limited firepower. For his purposes, it might suffice - he's not supposed to be a fighter, and the advantage of his gun is in its concealability. I suppose he gets a couple points in professionalism for that choice, and for often bringing back-up, whether he's working for the PSB or the BO. For what it's worth, he's also likely trained in Kendo or something similar, as we see in Wild Police Story, but he doesn't really use it. We see Rei fighting rarely, but it happens; with Matsuda at the beginning of WPS, casually inflicting violence on a kidnapper, and now here on the ferris wheel.

It's so interesting to me how they interact here.

Despite both of them bleeding, it starts to feel like Akai is in control, or at least not dated by the fighting - he gets Rei good with Jeet Kune Do's signature One Inch Punch, but has enough presence of mind to casually grabs him so he doesn't fall to his death (which gets him shoved off with a foot. Give Furuya an inch, and he'll try to take your head). Furuya's meanwhile clearly enjoying himself, might have even entered the zone, a sort of battlejoy/trance, asking for a second round (here we go again, this is a fight, with certain rules, like rounds), and Akai, well, he's beaten up, but it doesn't look like he'd surrender to get Furuya off his back - despite it being an option that would end the fight early. We see both of them smiling at points in this exchange, and I think it speaks to both of them, inherently, being thrillseekers. Putting all they are into the outcome of this fight against a dangerous enemy is a thrilling brush with mortality.

Them fighting at all, on top of the ferris wheel, is stupid, plain and simple. They expect the BO to show up any minute, and they'd better be in peak condition - instead they indulge in this fight. Really, it's Rei launching himself at Akai, who's mostly dodging and defending where necessary (I say indulge, because he is armed, and could probably escalate/end the fight early). Fights happen for a variety of reasons, usually social (because otherwise we'd be talking about violence, not a fight), and this implies Rei sees Akai as roughly equal/wants him to have a fair fighting chance, following the social contract of announcing his presence. He launches the attack, takes the initiative but the distance is so large, and he telegraphs his intentions clearly enough that his advantage is minimal.

Akai has the distinct disadvantage of carrying his rifle case, protecting its contents, because he'll need them later. He is, as the series lets us know, a capable fighter (described stronger as Masumi, who can deal with Ran, an established capable martial artist), and we can see it in this fight. He's reading Rei's movements and blocking most of the hits - for what it's worth, Rei's style seems more focused on quantity of attacks over quality. He does get Akai with some unconventional angles of attack (like swinging up into a kick from falling), and mostly this initial struggle is about them fighting for control.

When we cut back to the fight, they're still at it. I find it interesting that Akai tries to talk Rei down throughout the fight. Because the presence of mind necessary to form coherent sentences in a fight is not nothing, and the fact that he at least tries to go for a different solution is noteworthy, even if it is ultimately useless.

Then Conan calls Akai. This is in a small pause to the fight, because, surprise surprise, fighting takes effort (another reason professionals avoid it). It is really funny to me how Rei respects the rules of a fight, but he also sees an opportunity in his opponent's distraction, and seizes it (at the cost of also throwing himself down into a chasm, the self-sacrificial bastard).

Only at this point does it feel like Akai is taking the fight more seriously. I'd wager this is a) because Rei has displayed the willingness to destroy himself to take Akai with him, b) due to the enclosed space - less space to dodge and c) because at least he is aware time is ticking. They're both injured, and the enemy is coming soon. This fight better be over quick.

They only don't fight each other to the death because of Conan's timely intervention. He calls to Akai for help, and just like that, the conflict is resolved, for now. Akai wordlessly rejects Rei's request for a second round, which Rei just...accepts. Allows Akai that level of control, and the control of the flow of information (namely, they don't tell Conan they've been at it). It baffles me, but then again, I suppose it is a fight, the fight has rules, and, clearly, something more important takes precedence. Then again, this whole damn exchange makes no logical sense. Rei has sworn bloody revenge on Akai, who just saved his life today, and instead of doing something about the BO they're fighting a little. Logic is nowhere to be seen, all of this is emotional. On both sides.

I guess bonus points in professionalism for working together for the rest of the rest of the movie, even if they're sharing intel with/depending on a literal child for the solutions to their problem. It's a very unusual set of circumstances indubitably not covered by their training, granted, so what can you do (I'd still love for the adults in this universe to do their job, sue me).

Last point of note for the movie, in my opinion, is Akai waiting after all the chaos is over for Rei to spot him. Is this a case of checking in and simultaneously showing that he, too, made it out alive? He is clearly noticed by Rei, and only then walks away. And Rei just lets him. Akai is in control, in the end.

barbara definitely could’ve apologized to ms inez

we throw the term 'gay icon' around a lot but where's the respect for maurice hall having gay sex one (1) time and immediately becoming a class traitor

hi. i know this is. random as fuck. but i saw your tags on this post and was wondering. what vegeta love songs? I've never heard them before but if there's any. i would really like to know where to find them if you dont mind me asking !!!

I don’t mind you asking at all! love to hear that it peaked your interest :}

So to my knowledge there’s about two Official songs that are hard to Not read as love songs. And these particular tunes are called: Memories - An Evening Without Him and my personal favorite, Love is Like a Ballad (I've linked both via the titles!)

Love is Like a Ballad is specifically a Vegeta perspective song B l a t a n t l y about Goku. Trust me the lyrics are Text evidence of this, along with the surrounding context of this song being labeled as Vegeta's Theme- and the fact that it comes from The Goku + Vegeta Fusion movie, Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn. I'm personally obsessed with the speculation that Vegeta Himself is singing the song, just because of how Genuine it is? Deeply fascinating to think about.

I would say that Memories - An Evening Without Him is the same way with It's own lyrics, but I'm less aware of the surrounding context of that song so I'll leave that interpretation up to you!

Hi hello yes I am bringing to you yet another scene that I am absolutely normal about. And by normal, I mean not normal at all

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE LOST IN ORDER TO BE FOUND. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO DO FAR MORE THAN CHOP WOOD. I'M GONNA BITE PEOPLE.

I'm not okay about the fact that it has Wu saying "you will be asked to do far more than chop wood", and then immediately cuts to the present, with Zane going undercover in a gang, surrounded by criminals and having to pretend to be one himself, cut off from any of his friends or loved ones. Quite possibly the furthest point from where he began all those years ago in the Birchwood Forest. You're damn right he has been asked to do far more than chop wood. You could even say that he's been asked to do too much. But that's a conversation for another day.

AND THE FORESHADOWING OF "SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE LOST IN ORDER TO BE FOUND." Obvious allusion to the fact that Zane likely had his memory switch turned off only a few years after this, but the foreshadowing goes deeper. All the times Zane gets kidnapped, shut off, corrupted...yet he always finds his way home again. No matter how far he goes, no matter what happens to him, his friends always find him. Sometimes you have to be lost in order to be found.

And then it really bites at me to consider that both of these points get brought back in the conclusion of his fight with Mr. E. He is alone, at the bottom of a canyon, pretty much dead, having done all of this in an attempt to complete the mission and gather intel for his friends. He was asked to do far more than chop wood. So much was asked of him, so much he asked of himself, and he paid the price. Yet even as he lays there, unmoving, he records Mr. E in his final moments of consciousness just to give his friends a fighting chance, just so it isn't all for nothing. His homing beacon activates, and his friends find him and bring him home. He had to be lost in order to be found.

And oh god and don't even get me started on those quotes in relation to the Ice Emperor arc or I really will start biting people. Oh god.

So like. Idk. Has anyone else entertained the thought that Cheng Xiaoshi’s parent’s disappearance could very well be a consequence of Lu Guang’s um. choices in episode 12?

the saddest thing about the 2x16 bellarke goodbye scene? (apart from Bellamy’s beautiful sad eyes) the fact that after he says that if she needs forgiveness, he’ll give that to her, that she’s forgiven, there is a beat in which she looks at camp and contemplates for just a few seconds. you can see the doubt in her eyes, her expression and you wonder for just a swift moment if bellamy can actually be the thing to persuade her to stay, that she’ll believe his words will be shared by not just him but the others too and they’ll understand what and why she did this. there’s a short BEAT in which she hopes for it even but then she talks herself out of it. her eyes, by the way, land on her mom who’s in the stretcher being helped by jackson and you know, you can tell what she’s thinking about. after everything that happened this season, killing Finn, agreeing to the bombs in TonDC, trusting the wrong people and despite her reconciliation with Abby after killing the mountain, she can tell that it won’t be that easy. 

Just like Abby’s ‘Maybe there are no good guys’ so does Bellamy’s ‘If you need forgiveness, I’ll give that to you’ sound, they are the same-words, that won’t fix the world or what just happened to her and she knows it. But in that moment you cry with her, in that beat where she wishes for the would-could-be. Being part of that camp, of those people. And then snap-

she talks herself out of it and turns to Bellamy, saying ‘I bear it, so they don’t have to’ and you just want to hug her and drag her back. So does he. 

His reaction is so interesting-he can tell something’s wrong from the moment he sees Monty say goodbye to her but he still refuses to acknowedge it.

He starts with somewhat of a silly joke-I think we deserve a drink.

And then goes through-Clarke, we can get through this-

After which she says Take care of them for me and he pleads.

Please come inside. So it goes from simple leader shared line-to trying to convince her to PLEAD, to convincing her again (what WE did, you don’t have to do this ALONE), to If you need forgiveness I’ll give that to you which is her words to him, to acceptance when he realizes he won’t change her mind and WORRY ‘Where are you gonna go?’ and it’s just

OVERALL

HEARTBREAKIN YEAH...I hate this.

this specific rick from the lawnmower dog animatic

(cartwheels badly into your ask box)

Hey bud, so this just came to mind and I wanna know.

What's funnier to you... or what makes you happier to imagine-- The original animatronics kicking Afton's ass "Jojo's bazar adventure meme style", or Afton being an affectionate father to his kids or I guess whatever makes your head spin about the FNAF games. I'm all ears ^^

Hope you're day is going well <3

howdy!! both. both is good. he may have been a loving and caring father but. hes still a piece of shit b/c he killed other peoples kids lolololol

i think the kids deserve ta beat his ass a little bit. i absolutely LOVE when that guy is tormented and tortured

hope your day is going well too!!

So guess who finished rewatching Trigun stampede and cried the whole time ✋