#[ returns tbh i missed this nerd 8/// ]

[lolotheparagon]

After my last Batman design post went over so well: I think it’s only fair to tackle my fave piece of Batman media, warts and all: The Arkhamverse.

I’m gonna be doing a separate one for all the Arkham characters but for this one, I’m gonna be reviewing every suit Batman wears in every game (including Catwoman’s outfits in City.)

(Im not gonna count every DLC suit cos we’ll be here all day. I’m only gonna talk about the main suits that came default with the game)

Let’s start with Asylum!

Default Suit - 7/10

I’m glad this is not a suit of armor and the artists have kept that classic superhero silliness with the long cape, long bat ears and black underpants. The gloves are now armored gauntlets yet still have those spikes on the sides that just complete the look. A little on the dull side in terms of colour scheme. I miss the yellow circle behind the bat symbol. I think the Arkham City version was a lot better in terms of colour balance and how the blueish light the cape and cowl had in that game really makes a difference.

Armored Suit - 4/10

It’s a far too militarised version of the Batsuit and not silly enough to be a superhero costume. It is not worth completing the game 100% for.

Right, that’s all. Let’s head to the City!

Default Suit - 8/10

Honestly, this update of the default suit from Asylum is the perfect blend of a hardened combat suit but enough classic superhero silliness. Not too militarised and probably the best suit in modern Batman to date. I like how they incorporated the sleek blueish tinge on Batman’s cape from the 90s animated series. Great suit, even if the yellow utility belt is still an awful shade of yellow and there’s no yellow on the bat symbol.

Animated Suit - 10/10

A suit referenced from a legit good piece of Batman media. Streamlined, stylised and the mixes of navy blue and gold, with the muted grey and black is just chef kiss. Considering the technology of cartoon costumes into a gritty 3D video game at the time, this is still really good and holds up well.

The Dark Knight Returns - 0/10

Oh yeah. That comic. The one that Batman stans won’t shut up about and paved the way for morose, ultraviolent takes on Batman for decades to come. The suit isn’t even that good, he looks like Stan Smith in Batman cosplay

Batman Beyond Suit - 2/10

This isn’t Terry McGinnis so what’s the point exactly? Also the Beyond suit looks a lot less cool with all the added detail and defined muscle.

Batman Inc. Suit - -10/10

I know Bats has a hard-on for justice but Jesus, dude. I’ll give it points for being one of the few gritty Batsuit skins to keep the yellow bat symbol and utility belt.

Earth One Suit - 1/10

No underwear over the top of his costume and no yellow utility belt. You get an F. Not silly enough.

Year One Suit - 0/10

Oh wow, that’s boring! He doesn’t even have BAT EARS!!

Sinistro Corps Suit - 7/10

I’ll give it this: it’s a unique suit. I didn’t think black and murky yellow would work, but somehow it does. And that cape is LONG, surprised Bruce hasn’t stumbled on that yet. I don’t get the reference so I’m sure some comic nerd out there is going “aha” at this and good for them. It is one of the better skins of this game. Although tbh it does look like a men’s sized Batgirl suit.

Im not done, this is only the first part! See you all in a moment!

[alicedoessurveys]

Doctor Who Tag

yes im a nerd...

CHILDHOOD

1. Did you like DW as a child?

I was 10 when it came back on telly with Eccleston and the first episode with the autons scared me so much my mom wouldn't let me watch it again until a couple years later, but yeah my teens I was obsessed with DW... still am at age 25

2. Your age at the time of the revival?

10

3. First DW episode you ever saw?

‘Rose’

4. Did you have any of the toys?

I still have the eleventh doctor’s screwdriver... I used to have some of the figures but there in storage now somewhere

5. Which DW character did you play on the playground?

didn't play it on the playground

6. Monster(s) that scared you most as a child?

all of them! the ones that still scare me now are the Cybermen and the Autons... genuinely cant walk past a shop mannequin without being suspicious 

7. Joke/story you didn’t get as a kid?

as a kid, any of the innuendo type jokes

8. DW opinion that has changed since you were a kid?

idk I think I still have the same opinions

9. Who introduced you to DW?

parents

10. Did you like Sarah Jane Adventures as a child?

I LOVED SJA!! I miss that show, and Elizabeth Slade :(

DOCTOR

11. Who is your Doctor?

Ten was the doctor that made me fall in love with Doctor Who 

12. Your favourite Doctor?

omg why not just ask me who my favourite child is... (I don't have kids but you know what I mean) if I had to chose my top three are ten, eleven and thirteen

13. Least favourite Doctor?

purely just because he doesn't have enough episodes... nine...

14. Best regeneration?

none of them I hate regenerations :( they make me sad, im too emotionally invested in every single one

15. Do you like “Doctor-Lite” episodes?

they're not my faves

16. Who is the most human Doctor?

I think nine maybe? or twelve?

17. Best multi-Doctor story?

the 50th anniversary special 

18. Best Doctor monologue?

“Hello Stonehenge! who takes the pandorica, takes the universe. but bad news everyone, cause guess who? HA! You lot you're all whizzing about- its really very distracting. Could you all just stay still a minute because I AM TALKING. Question of the hour is, who's got the pandorica? Answer, I do. Next question, who's coming to take it from me? Come on, look at me! No plan. No backup. No weapons worth a damn. oh and something else, I don't have anything to lose. So, if you're sitting up there in your silly little spaceship with all your silly little guns and you've got any plans on taking the pandorica tonight... just remember who's standing in your way. remember ever black day I ever stopped you and then- AND THEN- do the smart thing... let somebody else try first.”

not copied and pasted, remember that from the top of my head... its always there waiting in my mind incase I ever need an epic monologue :’)

19, What do you think TenToo/MetaCrisis Doctor is doing now?

hopefully living his best life with Rose

20. Best Doctor/companion pairing?

ten and donna 

COMPANIONS

21. Favourite companion?

Donna, Clara, Amy

22. Favourite secondary companion?

is Mickey classed as secondary? idk

23. Least favourite companion?

Ryan

24. Best TARDIS Team?

Doctor, Amy and Rory

25. Most underrated companion?

Graham, but that may just be cause I love Bradders

26. Most overrated companion?

Rose... I like her but idk, I think she gets more hype than she deserves.. don't @ me

27. Favourite companion’s family?

Rose’s mom

28. Who should have been a companion but wasn’t?

idk I cant think of anyone

29. Favourite (canon or non-canon) DW universe relationship?

Amy and Rory

30. Who did you not used to like, but really like now?

wasn't keen on Bill at first but by the end I really liked her, same with Rory

EPISODES

31. Favourite episode ever?

girl in the fireplace

32. Least favourite episode?

most of Chibnall’s episodes tbh sorry not sorry 

33. Which episodes do you skip?

the regeneration episodes

34. Best two-parter?

Human Nature - Family of Blood

35. Historical, present day or futuristic episodes?

I like them all in there own way but I think present is fave, then historical, then future

36. Episode that will always make you smile?

all of them

37. Episode that will always make you cry?

Rory and Amy’s last episode :’(

38. Best run of episodes?

ugh I cant answer this theres too many 

39. Best cliffhanger?

the end of Spyfall part one when the Master reveals who he is... I was SHOOK

40. Favourite Christmas special?

Voyage of the Damned

SERIES

41. Classic Who or New Who?

new who

42. Favourite series?

four or five

43. Least favourite series?

eleven, I just cant with the writing

44. Which series do you skip?

none

45. Favourite series opening?

eleventh hour

46. Favourite series finale?

Doomsday

47. Best series arc?

Bad Wolf

48. Thoughts on series 11/12?

I adore Jodie Whittaker and her doctor, and although I think 3 companions is too many I do love Yaz and Graham (Ryan is hit & miss). I just think theyve been massively let down by the stories/writing... they’ve tried to hard to tick certain boxes and completely missed what Doctor Who is about for a lot of people.. an escape from the real world into these outrageous unbelievable but lovable fun alien adventures 

49. How much of Classic Who have you seen?

not a lot

50. Who should have had another series?

NINE NINE NINE NINE NINE 

MONSTERS

51. Favourite monster/villain?

the master 

52. Most creative monster?

Weeping Angels, whoever came up with monsters that look like statues and only move when you're not looking at them is genius 

53. Monster(s) that scares you most?

Autons, Cybermen, the creepy dolls from Night Terrors, the ones from Waters of Mars, Weeping Angels

54. Monster you think is too easy to defeat?

idk

55. Least favourite monster/villain?

absorbaloff

56. Monster you want to return?

The Master, I really hope that isn't the last we see of Dhawan

57. In your opinion, what makes a monster good?

being genuinely scary, 

58. Daleks, Cybermen or Weeping Angels?

Weeping Angels

59. Best Dalek story?

Daleks in Manhatten

60. Best one time villain/monster?

my brain has gone blank I cant think of an answer right now 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

61. Torchwood or Sarah Jane Adventures?

SJA

62. Favourite Torchwood Team member?

I haven't watched it all so I couldn't say 

63. Which Torchwood death made you saddest?

again, not watched it all 

64. Do you rewatch COE or MD?

huh

65. Favourite SJA Team member?

Sarah Jane

66. Mr Smith or K-9?

K-9

67. Maria or Rani?

Rani

68. Do you read the comics/novels or listen to Big Finish?

Nope

69. If you do, your favourite additional stories?

n/a

70. Do you like DW analysis (video essays, fan theories, etc)?

yes

DESIGN/PRODUCTION

71. Favourite piece of alien tech?

the sonic, I love how it is so multipurpose except for when it comes to wood 

72. Favourite piece of Murray Gold music?

I am the Doctor - gets me pumped every time 

73. Favourite TARDIS design?

Ten’s Tardis 

74. Has the 2005 era CGI aged well?

actually yeah, I was rewatching the ‘are you my mummy’ episodes the other day and my God when the gas masks emerged from the faces... ooooooof I was like omg how 

75. Favourite Doctor outfit?

eleven or thirteen

76. Monster with the best design?

not really a design more of a costume.. I live Dhawan master’s costume. that shade of purple, oof he so stylish 

77. Best show runner?

idk

78. Best writer?

Gatiss

79. Best opening titles?

eleven’s titles where the Tardis is flying and being zapped is cool but thirteens music hits different 

80. Will DW age well/stay popular in the future?

I hope so, I feel like its lasted this long surely it can last forever.. if the writers don't fuck it up... 

IF YOU WERE IN THE SHOW

81. Time period you’d want to go with the Doctor?

whatever time means Id get to wear the most beautiful costumes

82. Planet/place you’d want to go with the Doctor?

Galifrey, pre-desctruction

83. Doctor you’d most like to travel with?

any of them, please and thank you

84. Companion you’d most like to travel with?

donna, sceso a good laugh but also I feel like she’d look after me 

85. Monster you’d like to defeat/fight?

The Master 

86. If you could go back on your own history (like Father’s Day), where would you go?

back to when I was a toddler, I wanna see what I was like 

87. If you could ask the Doctor anything, what would you ask?

theres too many to ask 

88. Historical figure you’d like to meet?

Shakespeare

89. How do you think you’d meet the Doctor?

id probably be rescued from doing something stupid and then the doc would be like you know what the bitch clearly needs supervision she's coming with me 

90. Would you travel forwards or backwards in time first?

backwards

IF YOU MADE THE SHOW

91. Historical event would you like to see in DW?

Hamilton

92. Issue you’d like to see addressed in DW?

idk 

93. Who would you completely erase from the DW universe?

Ruth

94. One unanswered DW question you’d love to know the answer to?

where is Clara now?

95. Actor/actress you’d like to see play the Doctor?

Phoebe Waller Bridge (or Lin Manuel Miranda)

96. Actor/actress you’d like to see play a companion?

Andrew Scott (yes I did just basically recast fleabag and hot priest)

97. Is DW “too political”?

series 11 got a bit like that 

98. Which characters fate would you changed?

Danny Pink

99. What about DW could be improved?

I think ive made my options about Chibnall pretty clear... 

100. If you could write an episode of DW, any ideas for what you’d do

bring back Jenny, the Doctor / Daughter adventures they would have. I’m actually writing a fic about it if you wanna read.... here

[furubaish]

10 Fav characters from 10 different shows, movies or books!!

Thank you @thewinterose @uchisuke @aryllahiruelric @machi-kuragi for tagging me <3 I had a lot of fun making this list. So many good vibes associated with these characters and their stories.

I tag @hideriame @palamig @awaiting-my-escape @grayteapath @peacefuloasis @dontlookatmepwease if they haven’t already done it!

Here goes:

1. Kyo Sohma. We will forever stan one endearing, awkward, respectful young man who is a grumps to the whole world except On Ray of Sunshine aka Miss Honda Tohru who gets an honorable mention for sharing the #1 spot because she’s carried my favorite story and shared some lessons I’ll have with me forever.

2. Sakura Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura. She was my first love. Ah, to be Sakura. Twirl that Clow staff like a bawse, summon those Clow cards, fly around in those amazing costumes my BFF made for me, glide beneath the cherry blossoms on those roller blades, was all I wanted as a 9 year old and tbh still do...

3. Zuko from ATLA. ONE ANGRY HONOR DEPRIVED FIRE PRINCE WHO IS AN ACTUAL HUMAN DISASTER. I love Zuko so much. Does he have THE best character arc ever written or what.

4. Lily Evans from Harry Potter. We had so little to go on with about Harry’s mom, but she’s been my favorite forever. This bright, vivacious young witch who married an equally charming , brave, young man and then tragically died for her son, fighting the most evil wizard of all time. Sign me up for the angst any day.

5. Chihiro from Spirited Away, my fav Ghibli movie. I guess I saw a lot of myself in the sullen, grumpy little girl sitting in the back of her parent’s car. The image always stuck, and the movie itself was so haunting and enchanting and will always be a favorite I return to.

6. Taichi Mashima from Chihayafuru. He possibly has one of the best character development arc i’ve come across. A literal Cinnamon Roll. He’s like the under-dog, but honestly he steals the the spotlight and carries the whole show/manga.

7. Ben Wyatt from Parks and Rec. We stan a conscientious nerd with a heart of gold. His confession, proposal and vows to Leslie make me tear up every time. Also a human disaster in many ways but he’s good, he’s good.

8. Margaret Hale from North and South. She is to me what Lizzy is to many others. N&S is basically my P&P, but it is set against a much harsher backdrop. Also both book and series(it’s on netflix!) are amazing.

9. Aragorn from LOTR. He’s the real deal omg! A fierce warrior, a reluctant king, a loyal af friend, also has such an angsty love story which finally gets a happy ending.

10. Edward Elric from FMA B. This show has such an amazing cast, it was so hard to pick a fav but after a recent rewatch, Edward became one of my forever fave. He has my whole heart, that punk kid. He’s the perfect angry disaster with the most gawdy taste its not even funny. Actually, it’s pretty hilarious.

[historyrepeatsitself]

modern au headcanons p2

hey guys, so after uhh everything crashed and burned as u can see from this post, i did not follow thru in good time with writing a modern au headcanon post… BUT!!! fortunately, i have returned from my semi hiatus to bring you… inspired by this OG post… httyd modern au headcanons part 2!!!

also sorry for the weird bullet points, i did this in microsoft word so the entire thing wouldnt fucKING DELETE AGAIN

·         so like i said with the last one, cami is obviously internet famous for her ridiculously cool youtube channel

·         shes also quite popular on insta but youtube is more her jam

·         her fame started when a video of her pickpocketing stoick and them him finding out and absolutely Losing It went viral

·         it was a vine

·         you can hear hiccup laughing in the background

·         her videos used to mainly feature pranks she did but since then shes branched out

·         she still does a lot of pranks but now her videos also include: parkour, absolutely HORRIBLE karaoke (ft. hiccup and fishlegs), Q&A, playing with toothless for an hour and thirty minutes (yes, it did get a lot of views ((also toothless is a cat in this au))), roast battle vs snotlout (spoiler: snotlout cries), “a compilation of hiccup doing nerdy shit and me calling him a nerd (8 min, 30 sec)”, “reading yalls fanfiction abt me (fishlegs has an asthma attack)”, videos of her doing sports, & more

·         like in the original hiccup and fishlegs have their own channel

·         its literally shit

·         they update it only on lethal amounts of caffeine

·         its usually VERY active during finals week (hence their not great grades)

·         it puts shane dawson to shame

·         “NOT CLICKBATE: OBAMA IS FROM THE MOON????”

·         “NEIL A IS ALIEN SPELLED BACKWARDS??? DID ARMSTRONG USE THE MOON AS A WAY TO FUEL UP BEFORE JUMPING BACK TO HIS COLONY ON MARS??”

·         “MY CAT IS NOT FROM EARTH (VIDEO INCLUDED!!!!)”

·         “got rejected again…. </3”

·         “video of fishlegs on sugar high after i gave him a bunch of candy bc he wouldn’t stop crying”

·         “kids from our school found us” (during the whole video theyre panicking while wearing wigs and fake mustaches)

·         needless to say its very confusing when someone connects that those guys are also on cami’s channel

·         shes pissed but comes around and they regularly star on her channel while she regularly stars on theirs

·         hiccup also has his own side channel where he explains different animal species (natural history stuff) and also does various language tutorials

·         fishlegs reads poetry and sings on his side channel

·         cami has a video where she reacts to hiccup’s channel, he actually gained a lot of followers from it

·         hiccup and fishlegs go to the same school while cami goes to an all girls school across town

·         she actually doesn’t hate it

·         hiccup and fishlegs are public school kids

·         that public school vibe

·         kids from their school are so confused how they know cami and rly jealous

·         cami once stopped by after school (her school gets out a little earlier) and punched a bully for them

·         it was iconic

·         she smacked him right in the face and hauled hiccup’s ass up and dragged them both in the car

·         cami is pretty popular at her school

·         hiccup and fishlegs are NOT

·         theyre honestly a bit like peter and ned from spiderman

·         gotta love that lego deathstar

·         cami does not like legos

·         both hiccup and fishlegs are smart but don’t put in a lot of effort

·         fishlegs excels at English and hiccup is good at science classes (esp bio) and history

·         fishlegs is ok at history but finds some of it a little boring

·         they HATE gym

·         theyre both shocked to find that cami (a dumbassTM) is actually a straight A student

·         shes super competitive so she actually does super well and gets rly rly good grades and all her teachers love her

·         she didn’t for awhile bc she has ADHD for school was HARD but shes gotten a lot better and got tutors and study methods and also shes just super competitive

·         she was on math team in middle school and hiccup wont SHUt Up about IT

·         “hey theres my favorite student mathlete!!!!!”

·         fishlegs doesn’t even try and help him anymore, he does this to himself

·         fishlegs wins English awards every year

·         he also got a 36 on his English ACT hes just SO GOOD

·         hes also a theatre kid lmao

·         he does shakespearean theatre on top of his school theatre too

·         “to be or not To Be”

·         Hiccups not a huge English fan and he doesn’t rly like Shakespeare but he does rly like Oscar wilde

·         Dorian gray is the Shit

·         Fishlegs was so happy when he read it bc they could finally talk about LiTeRaRy ClAsSiCs!!!

·         the trio met bc hiccup and cami’s parents own rival business companies

·         both stoick and bertha are very Rich and Important

·         hiccup and cami sometimes have to go to business dinners

·         they fuck around

·         that’s how they met

·         hiccup bumped into cami replacing the soap in the hand dispenser in the men’s room with silly string

·         he thought she was the coolest person ever

·         she tried to fight him at first but they quickly united against the Evil Boring Dinners With Stupid Old Men

·         they locked this one old racist dude in a bathroom stall once and sent fishlegs a video

·         truly forces of chaos

·         the forces of chaos were unfortunately grounded for that tho

·         stoick is very busy and valhallarama travels a lot so they hang out at hiccup’s bc its usually empty (cami’s house is also kinda far)

·         cami’s parents are divorced but her dad stops by occasionally

·         fishlegs has a foster family and that’s how he wound up meeting hiccup was when he moved to be with his new family when they were in second grade

·         hes rly grateful that hes been able to stay with them for a long ass time

·         theyre actually pretty nice

·         hiccup gets to come over for dinner

·         snotlout is hiccup’s bitchy cousin whos a grade ahead of hiccup and fishlegs

·         he eventually becomes nicer to them at the beginning of sophomore year

·         some bad stuff happens  (might write an angst fanfic idk lemme know (itll prolly be hiccup centric))

·         basically, snotlout kinda realizes hes been a bitch

·         hes sorry

·         things get better

·         until yknow

·         gotta keep things sad cant get rid of all the emo

·         but anyway snotlout does wind up becoming a good friend to the trio!! <3

·         oh lmao when valhallarama came home for Christmas she thought hiccup was either dating cami or fishlegs and she didn’t know which one bc hiccup was so shy she just figured he was dating one of them and just didn’t tell her (theyre all like super close yknow)

·         after seeing hiccup and cami holding hands (a RARE moment, it was bc they thought it would annoy snotlout bc he hates cami (it did)) she assumed it was cami

·         she brought it up

·         LMFAOOOO hiccup laughed for like 10 minutes

·         She then immediately was like oh ok ur gay and its fishlegs

·         that was even funnier

·         “mom fishlegs is weird lmao” (he and fishlegs probably friendly roast each other a lot tbh. they definitely call each other “weirdo” “freak” “nerd” other possibly explicit words, its chill)

·         Valhallarama is so confused

·         she didn’t say it but “child u literally told me that u thought ur little cat that’s missing teeth is prolly from area 51, ur the weird one son”

·         she asks stoick

·         hes just as confused

·         she drops the whole topic

·         it has yet to occur to bertha

·         fishlegs’ family is good as long as hes good theyre chill like that

·         oh and cami’s school has uniforms

·         yes, she does have to wear a skirt

·         yes, several of them were shredded freshman year

·         bertha is So Tired

[glorioussimon]

underappreciated things about rise 1x08: the petition

it’s back and better than ever

(although tbh this is my least favorite episode so not really)

do the radio announcers have nothing better to do than roast lou

lou’s coat with the fuzzy hood

okay the stanton high website is a mess. it says that michael is playing georg, jolene is playing martha, harmony is playing ilse, and gwen is playing thea

i mean, jolene was martha in the pilot so i can excuse that but wtf happened with everyone else

also the synopsis of spring awakening is literally copied and pasted from wikipedia

i still would love to know how lexi got this footage. a good chunk of it is literally from previous episodes so is rise, as a tv show, literally just lexi vlogging

also you can see the actors that played cheryl, clark, and francis in the pilot in some of this footage so is there an in-universe explanation for why three of their cast members just switched bodies one day

okay i have to talk about that siremy scene. where are they because it doesn’t look like the boys dressing room, how in the everloving fuck did lexi film this, and how do the boys feel about having this video in the world

“this could offend people we should take this down” “....we should” *proceeds to do nothing*

i’m going to bring up jeremy’s outfit. not going to make any comments on it just bringing it up

lilette asking if gwen’s okay

simon and anabelle are both sitting alone away from everyone else :(

the pit orchestra + harold giving robbie the most deadpan looks

not to be a nerd but i stan this shot where it zooms in on lou and tracey talking while the boys set up for bitch of living and the camera’s like. going through the chairs and their legs and everything. it’s cool

*bitch of living plays softly in the background as we get a close-up on lou’s face*

i can’t believe that the mazzus actually let sadie see spring awakening

“it’s misleading” lou it’s. it’s really not

that picture of baby kaitlin and sadie on the piano

lou and gail are trying to be happy for maashous but they’re so sad to be losing him. bitch me too the fuck

michael clarifying that he is not the dad

and sasha side-eyeing him

also we stan michael’s outfit in this scene

he looks so awkward when the doctor pulls sasha’s shirt up

sasha grabbing michael’s hand

robbie embracing his similarities to troy bolton and sadly playing basketball in the gym

robbie does not want to be involved in coach and lou’s conflicts

there’s a picture of baby gwen with mama strickland on the bulletin board in coach’s office

actually there are many pictures of the strickland family on the bulletin board

just going to mention again that jolene and gwen are friends because wow. powerful

jolene’s outfit!! she is so cute i would die for her

jolene’s face when she sees gordy

“jolene right?” “...yeah, good memory.”

jolene coming up with an excuse to get away from this conversation

you guys i stan jolene

gordy and gwen are so fucking awkward i love it

“i’ll meet you anywhere. anytime.”

the beginning of the chorus of woybr playing as gordy watches gwen walk away

please just watch the troupe in the background during woybr it’s fucking priceless

simon saying that he’s the one that doesn’t want to do the full version of the scene, not jeremy

evan walking in right as lou loudly says “it’s about lust and repressed sexuality”

lou looking right at simon when he says repressed sexuality

tracey pretending that she doesn’t know about the video

another great shot of the troupe after evan demands to know who made the video

jolene is leaning on gwen’s legs and its cute

everyone has really great reactions to lexi saying that she made the video. honorable mentions go to lilette just looking stunned, michael having his head in his hands, and francis throwing so much shade in a single look

vanessa looking shocked when she reads through the beating scene

lilette’s reaction when vanessa tells her that she’s still with sam

“i can’t even”

i hate seeing anyone in this show sad but whenever any of the understudies are upset i feel like a stake has been driven through my heart

lexi please don’t cry i love you

on the bulletin board you can see some of mama strickland’s sketches for costumes and ernst has a vest and why the hell didn’t we keep that it would be so iconic

lexi was just trying to help!!! she is too good

papa saunders just. lurking in the window

“is she okay?” “oh, yeah. you know, it’s the drama department”

“i’m gonna do everything in my power to stop you” papa saunders couldn’t sound like more of a stereotypical villain here what the fuck

season two would have been like that scene in riverdale where all the villains are sitting in a circle in a basement but instead of like hiram and the ghoulies and penny peabody and whoever the fuck it would be principal ward and papa saunders and the entire pta

lou just. not knowing how to react to any of that

michael missed hanging out at sasha’s

sasha’s cool sweater with the roses on it

sasha asking michael to be the godfather

i wish that we could have met michael’s family we never even saw them and i love them

they’re probably the only good family in this town

sasha :(

“maybe this is my chance to build a family of my own, have something that matters”

tracey getting pissed at lou for giving robbie a week off

all of stanton high school knows the tea about stanton drama now

episode 8: the return of jamal

also the return of me not knowing anything about football

what language is this

whenever i see the parking lot i think “ah, siremy kissed here. a simpler time”

nancy the pta mom

robbie and gordy, the ultimate bros

gordy is so excited to practice with robbie

maashous hasn’t lived with his mom since he was eight

he didn’t say she was in prison he said she was “away”

maashous isn’t just some foster kid

i swear i’ve made a kitchen just like the saunders kitchen in the sims

patricia and simon are both so pissed about the petition

i bet that the entire football team knows about coach and vanessa but doesn’t know how to address it so they just. don’t

tbh coach is in the right to break up with vanessa

this scene with maashous and his mom shatters my heart

maashous’s mom immediately hugging him

sad mazzus :(

coach calls gordy gordo

robbie and gordy bro hugging

vanessa pisses me the fuck off in this episode

“i’m so sorry it’s such a burden to have a daughter!” GO OFF LILETTE

you can’t just take a fucking break from your daughter what the fuck!!

this entire scene with the saunders family is just. wow

simon is one of my favorite fictional characters ever and i don’t say that enough i love him so much

patricia Knows and simon Knows that she Knows

i NEVER want to see emma look this sad ever again

the first time i saw this scene i was so blindsided my jaw fucking dropped

and then when it cuts to simon eavesdropping you can see how conflicted he is you can see the exact moment that he realizes it and it’s just fucking heartbreaking

i don’t have the energy to see simon and his mom both crying at the same time

kaitlin’s cute hat at the football game

everyone cheering gordy on!!

we’ll never know how stanton drama did in the playoffs

lilette not going down to the field to celebrate with everyone :(

the pizza place is named after lou volpe!!

gwendy breaking up :(

do you think that the troupe jokingly calls mr mazzu dad like the theater kids at my school do with our director

michael talking to tracey about sasha!! i’m glad that at least one teenager on tv knows how to come to an adult with their problems

tracey wolfe, #1 masha shipper

tracey’s daughter :(

i think that i literally own the bracelet that sasha is wearing in this scene

whispering is so beautiful. i would die for auli’i cravalho

the shot of vanessa driving away

lilette singing “the mother dressed in mourning” as soon as we see mama thorne

also: lou meeting mama thorne

and robbie is just carrying a football with him that whole. why is he doing that do football players just do that

evan doesn’t trust lou anymore. i mean, i never trusted lou, but

evan offering tracey lou’s job. i remember when i first saw this scene i was shook to the core

[nebulous-frog]

Appreciation Station

Okay so I’m super late but hi hello it’s fanfic author appreciation day and I have some shoutouts (I’m doing this all in one post to prevent spamming rip)

(Also if I missed you it’s because it’s like 1am and I’m a mess but I still love you I promise, just hmu and I will rant to you about how great you are lmao)

So first off here’s a list of some people who have helped me/I’ve helped (in alphabetical order because I’m a nerd)

@auroraphilealis What a gem, honestly. Idk if anybody else has noticed, but it seems like almost every new fic I’ve read recently has been beta’d by Elizajane. It’s honestly crazy. She writes her own stuff and fixes everyone else’s and somehow still manages to have time to pet her cute dog, it’s amazing. She has such powerful insight on how to make a story sound better and make more sense and I admire her greatly for it. Plus she’s written a bazillion and one amazing fics that I absolutely adore and return to when I’m upset or need to just relax for a bit. She’s a queen.

@imnotinclinedtomaturity Kat owns my ass, tbh. I’m over here constantly reading her 8-10k fic updates at like 2am because I have to know what happens next (Have y’all read Love Yourself yet? Because you gotta. It’s the law, basically.) But then on top of her fantastic fic-writing, she’s also a dedicated beta who’s always ready to kick your ass for using the word “cute” too many times (and also she writes comments that are always fun to take out of context lmao). Basically, she’s amazing and wonderful.

@quiffedphil Ellen is a star in so many ways. Her fics are fantastic, well worth the wait for every single chapter. I laugh, I cry, I always want more afterwards. Plus she used one of my ideas for a fic and it turned out so well I’m v proud of it and her. She’s been takin it easy lately, focusing on other things rather than constantly updating like 3-4 fics at once, but I’ll always appreciate what she’s already written because the slow burns literally pull you apart and stuff you back together again beautifully. It’s the kind of writing I could only dream of pulling off some day.

@sleeplessnightwithphan Sarah’s fics. Are so good. They’re well-thought-out, well-written, and interesting, and I’ve loved betaing for her in the past. Her train fic? Adorable. Her PRB fic? So heart-wrenchingly angsty but with such a sweet plan (I hope she keeps going, it was looking really good last I saw of it). Her angst is just so real without being over-the-top or cliche, and it’s fantastic. 

Now, to less specific people-

To the people who are just starting to write, just starting to try to hype themselves up to post something, to the people who work so hard on their fics but aren’t sure they want to face the silence they’ll get in response as no one sees their work, to the people who are losing the inspiration to continue their fics- I see you, and I appreciate you. I know it’s hard to find the motivation when it seems like no one’s reading, but I believe in you. Tell your stories, even if no one listens right now. They’re still worth telling.

And to a few people who have started writing fics and working to get them ready to post (y’all should know who you are, I won’t tag you because idk if you’ve told people you’re gearing up to post yet lol)- I’m so freaking excited for what you’re writing. The fic I beta’d is super cute, the fic our groupchat has heard whispers of sounds like it’s gonna be absolutely wonderful, and the research will definitely pay off in wonderfulness.

Finally, to the people that comment, reblog, and send asks and feedback- thanks. You provide the motivation and put the biggest smiles on my face and reassure me that someone else does care, so thank you.

[tkuhnhackl]

1-70

i can’t tell if i love you or hate you rn but i really don’t want to do anymore work on this placement nonsense so we’ll go with the former, thanks

i’m stupid enough to actually do all these but i will put them under a read more to spare y’all

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents? yeah, i’m really close to both of them. we’re all a little nuts in the family, but in the best way.02: Who did you last say “I love you” to? my mom, when talking to her on the phone on the way back from work today (well, technically i said “love ya, shorty” because my family is not good at sentimentality without a little bit of roasting but close enough, i suppose)03: Do you regret anything? I already answered this!04: Are you insecure? I guess? It’s weird - I’m very comfortable with who I am, that sort of stuff, but things that have happened in the past have made me insecure about aspects of myself - so I suppose my answer is that i’ve become fairly good at disguising my insecurities over time05: What is your relationship status? single af06: How do you want to die? quickly, fairly painlessly, in a blaze of glory - there’s one Brian Jacques novel where the Long Patrol hares mount a final charge to stall the enemy and 8 year old me was absolutely ready to go out wielding a longsword in one hand and a sgian dubh in the other and tbh i’m still lowkey up for it07: What did you last eat? i had tacos for dinner with homemade barbacoa beef (i froze half of it when i made it back in february so i am finally treating myself to the rest of it)08: Played any sports? baseball, softball, basketball, tennis, and soccer/football. i also did field hockey briefly and ran track and field (primarily hurdles) for a year; i wanted to do short track speed skating but my parents were too worried about my safety09: Do you bite your nails? yup, i’ve tried for years to break the habit but every time i get stressed, it happens again10: When was your last physical fight? i’ve never been in a full-on fight; probably high school was the last time that anything even came close to that level and it was still not particularly close11: Do you like someone? already answered this one too!12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? once? usually i end up taking a nap, even if just for an hour, so it rarely ends up being 48 consecutive hours13: Do you hate anyone at the moment? i mean, on an impersonal level, there are famous people i despise. in my own personal life, there are a handful of people that i dislike enough to perhaps call hate but i also don’t believe in wasting my time being angry with them if they’re not even in my life anymore14: Do you miss someone? answered this one as well!15: Have any pets? the loves of my life, my dog Flora and my parents’ dog Liam. also the spider who lives in the corner of my room because sometimes it’s nice to pretend that counts as having company16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment? tired, overwhelmed, ready for another vacation, helpless, frustrated, but also hopeful because i’ve got three potential job leads that came up this week (but can’t be followed up on until I return home in Sept)17: Ever made out in the bathroom? nope18: Are you scared of spiders? no, i love spiders as long as they don’t encroach on my personal space19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? as an art history person, absolutely. there are a lot of questions that i had to leave unanswered in my research papers and i’d love to just be able to ask the artists in person (and maybe punch picasso and jackson pollock and tell bierstadt to calm down a bit with the entire congress incident because no one cares about those pictures anymore)20: Where was the last place you snogged someone? a dorm room (idk if it counts as a snog but we’re counting it nonetheless)21: What are your plans for this weekend? finish getting my portfolio done for this placement and hopefully book another trip for next weekend22: Do you want to have kids? How many? i definitely do not want to birth any children, but i’d certainly be open to adopting later in my life should my life lead me in a direction where i feel ready, able, and willing to open my heart and home to a kid. probably only one, definitely no more than 2.23: Do you have piercings? How many? two ear piercings, i used to have my nose pierced but that ripped out in a very painful moment and i’m waiting for it to heal completely before i get it repierced24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)? i was a fucking nerd in high school; i think the only subject i struggled a bit in was physics and that’s just because i don’t like theory - in uni, i took classes in a bunch of different departments, but my best ones were art history and anthropology25: Do you miss anyone from your past? answered this as well!26: What are you craving right now? poutine from the Yard, good Knights hockey, a brain that functions in a healthier way, and an end to my writing block27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? i don’t think so? i mean, i feel like it’s highly unlikely28: Have you ever been cheated on? can’t happen if you’re not even in the game 😏29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? see above answer30: What’s irritating you right now? my flatmates, the other work placement who won’t shut up and insists on using the library computer with the cataloging software despite me reserving it, my professors’ general incompetence, international politics31: Does somebody love you? romantically, no, unless the cheesemonger’s really committed to our non-existent relationship. but i’d like to think my close friends and family do (otherwise the love you’s we exchange at the end of conversations are awkward now)32: What is your favourite color? russets and other earth tones33: Do you have trust issues? hahahahahaha yes34: Who/what was your last dream about? i don’t actually remember? i know i woke up disoriented a few nights ago because it was something realistic but idk what i actually dreamed about35: Who was the last person you cried in front of? i cried in front of my mom on skype recently; in person, also probably my mother when she visited a few months ago (moral of the story is that i refuse to cry in front of anyone that’s not family)36: Do you give out second chances too easily? depending on what happened, i really don’t do second chances at all. i’m an expert at putting things in my past and, while i don’t often burn bridges, i’m more than happy to let them fall into ruin on their own 37: Is it easier to forgive or forget? to forgive is easy (depending on what was done), but forgetting is much, much harder38: Is this year the best year of your life? depending on my paper grades and this dissertation and whether or not someone wants to hire me, it could well be, but it sure as hell does not feel like it39: How old were you when you had your first kiss? 1840: Have you ever walked outside completely naked? no way in hell51: Favourite food? beans and rice52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason? not really - i do believe that every experience is one that can be learned from and every one has some sort of value, but i believe that the “happens for a reason” idea ascribes more sentience to the universe than i like53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? did my daily duolingo requirements so that the owl didn’t show up in my bedroom and murder me54: Is cheating ever okay? no, i don’t think there can be any sort of justification for betraying someone’s trust55: Are you mean? not particularly, i can be if i need to be but i prefer not to (i prefer to go for the ‘asian mom threatening glare’ that i have inherited from my mother)56: How many people have you fist fought? zero; for all its portrayals on tv and movies, my experience in american public school had absolutely no physical fights57: Do you believe in true love? no, i find that the concept can be so limiting and people feel pressure to find some ideal that may not really exist (i’m not a romantic in any way, shape, or form whoops)58: Favourite weather? spring, when it’s right on the edge of summer, so it’s warm enough that you can wear absolutely anything and still be comfortable, and the birds are nesting and the flowers are blooming, and the world just feels so alive59: Do you like the snow? yes, but my sad frostbitten toes can no longer handle the cold so i must now limit my time in the snow so i don’t lose them completely60: Do you wanna get married? i wouldn’t say i want to get married; if i find someone and we end up getting married, great. if i stay single the rest of my life, also great. it’s one of those things that i don’t feel is a necessity to make my life complete, but i’m not necessarily opposed to it either if it happens. I have so many things on my bucket list for life, but romance has never been on it.61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? i will accept “babe” but will not accept baby unless it’s followed by giraffe. 62: What makes you happy? dogs that wag their tail a little faster when they see you, the way puffins fly and land, the sound and sight of sea birds reuniting with their partners after spending the last year apart, lilies of the valley beginning to peek out as the seasons change, fruits and veg picked straight from my garden, good food, excel spreadsheets, being the only one in a gallery in a museum and getting to be alone with the art, sharks that challenge our perspectives on what sharks are supposed to be and do, my sports teams winning63: Would you change your name? no. for a long time, i did because it’s always getting mispronounced and, when you go to a predominantly white school district, it’s always hard to be the one kid with an obviously non-white name. but also my last name means ‘king of snakes’ and fuck if anyone’s taking that away from me64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? nope, she remains very dear to me65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? run screaming for the hills, catch me sailing out to shetland on the next ferry because that’s a conversation i don’t want to have66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? yeah, i don’t really believe in having close friends that i cannot act my complete self around, regardless of gender67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? my dad? non-family, the regimental representative at the museum i work at, who’s basically my work dad (who i cook for because i worry about his health)68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? i avoid all deep emotional conversations, so it’d probably be my parents (specifically my mother because my dad is like me). but i did have a deep conversation about politics and race with a girl i met on my trip this weekend up north69: Do you believe in soulmates? answered this as well70: Is there anyone you would die for? absolutely

[justatiredghost]

4, 7, 8, 12,13, and 24 from the ryder questions pls? skip any you want if thats too many!

Thank you so much for the questions! Sorry it's taken me so long to answer. 4. What’s their personality like? How do they feel about being Pathfinder? How do they change, if at all, over the course of the story?Luke appears light-hearted and easy going, very chill even when things are stressful and he's always joking, especially when he's trying to raise other peoples’ spirits. While he likes helping people, he also does this to mask his own concerns. He doesn't like people worrying about him and because of this has a hard time opening up to people. He has mixed feelings about being Pathfinder. He doesn't like that he's still using his abilities to harm, but at least there's a clear enemy in the kett and fighting them will help everyone so he's mostly okay with it. Over the course of the game he grows up quite a bit, opening up to friends and family so in the end he doesn't feel like he needs to hide what he’s going through anymore. 7. Everyone’s got one… List their (or your) favorite powers, weapons, and armor sets. Any special reason for these choices?He uses mainly long ranged weapons and biotic abilities (he doesn’t like being close up) and he’s particularly fond of the lift and throw abilities and others that let him control the battlefield or boost his allies. Tbh he’s best in a supporting role. He’s more likely to go for his handgun when he isn’t using his abilities, but occasionally he’ll use an assault rifle or a sniper rifle, although he isn’t as good with the latter.Oh, and he likes the softer/ lighter armors, so like the maverick and angaran armor.8. Its all in the family. Explain their relationship with Alec, Ellen, and their sibling. If you changed anyone’s names or added a different sibling in your canon, explain why.Luke and his twin are really close. They both got into trouble a lot growing up, but Luke was pretty good at getting them out of it. He’s good with people. They both watch each other’s backs and even when they go their separate ways they still keep in constant contact. He’s also biotic so he spent a lot of time with his mom so they are very close as well. He isn’t very close with his dad though. They have a hard time understanding each other. It didn’t help that Alec was so distant. He tried to change that after Ellen died, but then Luke just kind of resented him and felt like his reasons weren’t genuine. Things got even more complicated after Alec’s death and with all the revelations Luke is just angry he kept so many secrets. 12. Explain the way they feel about their squadmates, both initially and over the course of the story.Right off the bat he was really fond of Liam and Vetra. They get along great and become really good friends. He was a little worried about Cora at first, afraid she would resent not being pathfinder. It didn’t help that Luke has had bad experience with military-minded by the book people. Once they got to know each other though they became friends. And Drack is the best grandpa. At first, he was really worried about Jaal and Peebee. Jaal is practically an embassador and Luke was afraid of messing up and ruining human/angaran relations. They have a lot in common though and become really good friends, building things together and sharing technology. He’s one of the first people Luke starts opening up to tbh because of how open and honest he is. Peebee reminds Luke of his sister so once they get close enough that Luke knows he can trust her, they nerd out over remtech together. 13. Explain the way they feel about the rest of the Tempest crew?He really liked Gil immediately. They have a lot in common, both good for a laugh but don’t open up easily, although their reasons are different. He is the first one Luke really starts opening up to when things get bad and, of course, they end up in a relationship together. I think Luke had a crush on him from the beginning lol.Suvi is really sweet so of course Luke likes her. He’s interested in science but he’s not all that knowledgeable so he talks to her about that sort of stuff a lot. And he really likes Kallo too and it really stresses Luke out that he and Gil are often fighting. Conflict between friends kinda freaks him out. He’s relieved when all that gets resolved. And he likes Lexi a lot too but really struggles when she actually wants to talk to see how he’s handling everything. Usually the answer is “badly” but he doesn't want anyone to know that. What if Lexi decides he isn’t fit and he essentially gets fired? He has a breakdown in front of her at some point and she talks him through it and after that he’s more okay opening up to her.24. Do they ever wish they could just return to the Milky Way? Do they miss anything in particular about their old home? Did they bring anything special with them?He misses some things, like the plants and animals and the constellations and it’s weird knowing he’ll never see them again. His favorite thing is tech though and there’s so much new stuff here he isn’t too bothered. He’s too busy learning from the Remnant and Angara. Also, there’s nothing he misses about his old life. He’s glad to be away from all that. He probably has some keepsake from his mom that he brought with, but otherwise he didn’t bring anything.

[arkbot]

1, 9, 12, 18, 31, 32, 34, 52, 86?

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milkthan cereal or more cereal than milk? - More milk than cereal for sure.Tbh I like to finish my cereal and have a glass of milk after. This milk isusually chocolate because my favourite cereals are chocolate

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? -I pretty much always sing in the car when driving on my own. I also sing at mydogs and at @yourantagonist with my own substituted lyrics I’m a huge loserdeal with it

12: what’s your favorite planet? - Mars.It’s named for the god of war, to start. I like that despite being a fair bitsmaller than Earth, it has incredibly large features like Olympus Mons and VallesMarineris. I like that instead of dirt, the surface is covered in iron oxide,literally rust. At its most habitable, it would be like Antarctica withoutoxygen. I’m also fascinated by its proximity, and its chances of being thefirst alien planet man sets foot on.

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you didthat has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is alwaysbrought up. - One memorable occasion is the end of exams in my firstsemester of Uni. At the time, I was still finding my limits with alcohol, andwith cause for celebration we partied harder and longer than I had yetexperienced. As a result, by early afternoon I was already in a belligerent state.The residence building in which we were celebrating was triangular, and so fromthe common area extended three long hallways. Each was separated by one ofthose push-bar metal doors. For reasons unknown to all, myself included, I sawfit to joust the door in our hallway. Taking a running start from the other endof the hall, I built a head of steam towards the door.  Being quick and not relenting one bit in myapproach, I hit the latched door with tremendous force. This was the pinnacle ofmy intoxication, and I was made to nap afterwards.  Such was my inebriation that I was stilldrunk when I roused, went to a concert, and returned, some 8 hours after theincident.

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you likewearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to whitesock hell? really, just talk about socks. - I’m a huge fan of socks. Tome, walking around barefoot is akin to walking around without a shirt:something I’d do at the pool, in the summer time, but definitely a state ofundress. Socks are comfortable and warm, like a hug for my feet. I don’t sleepwith socks, or a shirt, or pants, that’s silly, unless it’s super cold in whichcase all options are on the table. Most of my socks are gray, but I have a fewpairs of statement socks such as my storm trooper, starscape, and pink pairs.

32: tell us a story of something that happened toyou after 3AM when you were with friends. - I’m not sure of the exacttime but it was certainly late. I was at a smash tournament in Edmonton, andafter everything was done I took my carpool to meet with some Edmonton friendsat McDonald’s. We got there first, and as our friends rolled up behind us, westarted walking to the door. Being a large group, drive thru would be a hassle,so it made sense to at least check if the dining room was open. Turns out itwasn’t. So we walk back and are talking to the other driver, deciding what todo instead (we went to Denny’s) when a man walks up to our group and asks if we’vegot smokes. Being a bunch of nerds, none of us do, and he’s reallydisappointed. He asks us what we’re doing, and we tell him we were gonna getfood, but only the drive thru is open. He starts to explain this elaborate planwhere he’ll get us food if we get him smokes. We’re a little weirded out, likeno man, we’re not gonna go find smokes for you. So we say nah, we can get food ourselves,we just need to use the drive thru. He’s like well, you know what the problemis? You’re walking! At this point we notice that the other driver has rolled uphis windows. We quickly disengage from the conversation and get in our car.While exiting the parking lot, we see he’s still kind of wandering around,looking for someone with smokes. This encounter is well remembered as thesketchy guy at McDonald’s, not to be confused with all the strange encountersthat smashers have had at one particularly sketchy McDonald’s in Calgary.

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept asa kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? -I had a lot of stuffed animals as a kid. Like, a LOT. In my teens, we did some renovations through the house, andI had to move out of my room temporarily. My stuffies all went into storage atthat time and I didn’t retrieve them when I went back, so there they sat. Lastyear we were making an effort to clean out storage space, so I was goingthrough the bag of old friends picking a few to keep and the rest to give away.One I picked was a very small shark. I don’t remember him being a big favouritebefore, but he was small and cute and I was happy to put him back in my room.We were happily reunited for a while, until a fateful trip. I went on a family tripto Hawaii, and being so tiny he was an excellent travelling companion, right inmy backpack. He went with me, and returned, safely, but remained in my bag as Iresumed normal life. One night, I accidentally left my vehicle unlocked on thecurb, and when I returned in the morning I had been robbed. Missing were somecheap sunglasses, a Wii U, and my backpack, complete with laptop, textbooks,and my fuzzy sharky friend. It was a sad day.

52: what are your favorite memes of the year sofar? - God, Star Wars prequel memes. They’re everywhere on Reddit, andas someone who appreciates both the prequel trilogy and bad memes, they’ve madea fine addition to my collection.

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? -I do! I’m a big nerd for prog rock, and I’m more of an album guy in general(over shuffle or picking singles). I almost always listen to albums in full,and often even sequentially for an artist’s whole discography. Personalfavourites:

The Human Equation by Aryeon, thesaga of a man who falls into a coma and spends 20 days (20 tracks!) wrestlingwith his emotions and working through a lot of buried traumas. Backstabbingfriendships, romantic issues, an asshole father, it’s all in there, with wellcomposed tracks, and a different guest singer for each emotion personified.

Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from aMemory by Dream Theater. In their breakout 1992 album Images and Words, they hada track called Metropolis Part 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper. Fans clamouredfor a follow up, and they went all out with a full sequel album 7 years later.It follows the story of a man who is being hypnotized in order to explore strangerecurring dreams. He discovers that he has been reliving a past life, where hewas a woman who was murdered when a love triangle turned sour. Aside from a twisting,non-linear storyline, this one just has kickass instrumentals that rank with DT’sbest.

Epica & the Black Halo byKamelot. This band is a recent revelation for me, and I’m so glad I found them.This is two albums to tell one story: a rock opera inspired by Goethe’s Faust.I’m only just exploring it now, and still piecing together themes and thedetails of the story itself, but the music is great.

A Thousand Suns by Linkin Park.This comes from a quieter time in Linkin Park’s legacy, and I don’t know manypeople who know about it, but I really liked it. It’s not as hard hitting astheir first couple albums, but I think it shows growth as writers, as it tells thestory of a near future after nuclear apocalypse. Many of the songs can be heardtwo ways, speaking about big political statements, or a second meaning ofpersonal conflict.

Ghost Reveries by Opeth. It took mya while to break into this band, and the was the album that was just accessibleenough for me to do it. That shouldn’t downplay the musicianship here, which isphenomenal, but coming from Dream Theater it was closer to a familiar sound.This one tells the story of a man who commits an unspeakable crime, murderinghis own mother. It follows him fleeing justice, spiralling into despair as heis pursued by both man and his own sins, until he surrenders to the Devil andtakes his own life.