#( also thank you for the help with the e4 question// )

[nqmonarch]

Self Aware HSR But...

But only the characters you own are self aware AND you're a no wishing account. I tried a no wish account, lasted a week ended up getting two ILs in one ten pull.

Bonus: based on the number of eidolons you have of the character the more aware of you, and more knowledge they have.

Like

E0 Know of your existence, probably would assume you're just some aeon.

E1 Feeling the warm presence always guiding them, they're stronger even when you're not by their side.

E3 Hearing you while playing the game.

E4 Seeing you while playing the game.

E6 Knowing that this is a game.

And then if they're someone more intelligent, like Herta, then maybe they can skip an eidolon and also find little ways to work around them. At E5 she's already found a way to hack into your electronics to observe this absurd being (you) some more. Then at E6 she's already planning on a way to make you come to their world, she has so many questions after all!

Of course there's Trailblazer, the first character you get whose eidolons you get without even spending money, and as their journey continues in Belobog and they find themselves becoming stronger all of a sudden they're aware of this strange Aeon? Except you're helping them. Then they start to hear you, then see you, and then everything becomes clear. And terribly more confusing. ...Nothing was real? The confusing part is the moment they accept the power of the preservation it's all gone. Like it was a hallucination. But they remember everything and it ends up coming back slowly step by step, your voice, the sight of you, that's what they really wanted. None of the knowledge left them, and game or not they want you by their side. And all of the Astral Express is left confused by their strange fanaticism about some being called Y/N.

Then there's Dan Heng and March 7th who you also got for free. Who feel your warm presence and strength whenever they're on your team but the moment you leave it's all gone. Dan Heng is skeptical, it must be an Aeon but why would an Aeon be gazing at them so often? March 7th is excited, for an Aeon to look at them that must mean something, right? Maybe they're heroes on an amazing quest! Or the Aeon is trying to help her get her memories back. They all feel a strange sense of familiarity when after the trip to the Xianzhou the trailblazer tells them about a person called Y/N. But they're left even more speechless when they're told this is all just a game. That can't be true, right?

Herta can also be obtained at E6 for free and with every eidolon unlocked she just gets more curious. She knows this person can control and buff them, so what else can they do? And what exactly are they? Similar to an Aeon in terms of overall power but in individual power clearly weaker but able to actually control the movements of others? Simply fascinating. It's even more interesting that they're doing all of this for the good will of others. Of course, you should come here. Even if you end up being a weak human she's sure there's loads of information in your brain, and you may end up holding the purpose to the universe in it. Not to mention the Aeons, of course, they'd be curious of this unknown creature. She hates to admit, she's grown quite fond of you as well.

The rest of the characters can only be obtained at E0 and are randomly dispersed out.

Natasha jumps to defend herself when she suddenly feels eyes watching her when no one is around. Then occasionally when the eyes gaze upon her she finds herself stronger than before. She knows there's something at work here, helping her out, and she can't help but feel thankful she's just hoping this help doesn't come at a price.

Asta feels as if she must've gazed upon something she shouldn't have when she was looking at the stars through her telescope. That pair of eyes makes her both paranoid and curious. It didn't have the strength or choking feeling that the Aeons would give off with their sheer power. But when you look at her instead she feels empowered, as if she can research faster (because she buffs speed). Her conclusions come to her quicker, and she doesn't feel herself getting stuck on the same things. Now, the eyes fluster her, and she feels the strange need to prove herself. To tell the eyes that it was a good decision to trust and help her. She does find it a bit strange at how Herta is suddenly spending all of this money in technological research but decides not to question it.

Qingque doesn't really notice the eyes on her at first. Just all of a sudden she feels more confident in her game of Celestial Jade and-- HAH! That's some insane luck! Another win for her! Then she ends up finding the phenomena happening again, every once in a while a sudden burst of confidence fills her up and she's able to escape the Master Diviner's watchful eyes more easily and win in her games! Her only possible conclusion is she has a natural luck indicator! But when she overhears three of the members of the Astral Express talk about a possible new Aeon she questions if they've perhaps taken an interest in her as well. Maybe it's an Aeon that loves Celestial Jade!

Yukong is wary of the eyes even though warmth comes with them. She's wary because she knows how much power they hold, how they could lead to her death in a moment. But they don't. Instead they help her strategize, every once in a while a pen, when the eyes are watching her, will fall astray onto her desk-- an event that would never happen normally. She tries to keep it organized and tidy. But it strangely opens up a new position, a new idea, a new way to fight back the mara stricken soldiers. The eyes are weak for now they can't do much. But even if they could Yukong decides she'll trust them.

Serval felt a sudden burst of inspiration, a way to make her new invention more efficient, when she first felt the eyes. For some reason she didn't feel any malice in them instead curiosity, and a strange form of love. She was used to dealing with strange fans so she decided to treat this like another form of that, although she does prefer you to the ones that watch outside her window. Whenever she's in your party she feels more unstoppable as if she could continue inventing no matter what. If you ended up getting her E1 in the Aetherium Wars event then that feeling follows her everywhere, she's a bit sad about since she can no longer tell as easily when you're watching her. But she feels honored that, what seems to be an Aeon, is blessing her.

Lynx felt warmth even as snow surrounded her tent. It didn't make sense why she suddenly felt a pair of eyes looking at her but they weren't looking at her as if she were prey, and she had bigger things to worry about, like finding her way home in the morning it was always more difficult after snowfall. She ended up mentioning the eyes to Serval and the two came to the conclusion together that you must be some kind of Aeon, maybe a weakened one? Lynx dedicated a bit of extra time in her explorations to trying to find some information about it, but even in all the abandoned buildings there wasn't much. At least you were still on her side, helping her move quick and heal up from minor scrapes faster than she normally would. Sometimes she felt a bit lonely when your eyes drifted off her.

Sushang felt honored. She was sure this must be an Aeon's gaze for an Aeon to gaze upon her that must be a sign that she's strong and should go out and fight! Not to mention when the Aeon was looking at her she felt stronger and her strikes were more precise! It's a large confidence boost, and she doesn't think too deeply into it to realize you're not an Aeon. She feels greatly honored by your help, when you have time to spare though :).

Then for the Aetherium Wars Event you could get Serval, Pela, Luka, or Hook so Pela, Luka, and Hook will also each get a section.

Pela felt skeptical. She wasn't used to just accepting that good things happen, not after all the war she's had to toughen herself up for. But it's interesting. Her mind is swifter while you're looking at her and she feels herself able to plan out battles more easily. She ends up confiding in Lynx and is shocked to find not only has Lynx experienced the same feeling, but Serval. An Aeon, their gaze was said to be suffocating. But yours felt the opposite, warm. Pela takes a few extra hours after work each day to do some research and try to figure out who you are but time after time nothing turns up, that is until the Astral Express comes back.

Luka feels his blood roaring in his body when you look at him. He's ready to fight anything and anyone, and in the ring he decimates. He normally destroys whoever he's against but this time he couldn't keep his strength in check and... that's a broken arm on the other guy one punch in. And that wasn't even with his robot arm! Every once in a while he'll feel a gaze sweep over him, filling him with the exhilaration and adrenaline needed for a fight. It's a bit annoying because sometimes he'll be about to go to sleep and it happens. But he understands, you're an Aeon with no concerns for anything like that, instead you're just looking to see a good fight! And apparently have deemed him as a good source for that. He feels honored as well, and a bit flustered. If only you were someone he could meet in person, then you'd be even more impressed when you can see his ring fights up close! He can give you an autograph too, if you really want one.

Of course Pitch Dark Hook the Great caught the attention of an Aeon! For all she boasts she's a little scared, she's heard stories of Aeons of the great feats they accomplish (she'll one day accomplish those feats too she's just biding her time!) and it's a teensy bit intimidating. But you must see great potential in her! After all Pitch Dark Hook the Great will be the greatest of all time! This is just further confirmation of that. Over time she begins to become more comfortable with your presence taking the opportunity to show off and challenge the other members of The Moles to a game of hide and seek when your gaze is on her, proving how she is the greatest of them all!

So for reader's eyes to be on them they have to be in party. And they don't really know when they're in party, they're still doing basic daily stuff rather than fighting as we have them running relic domains. Otherwise they'd probably be like why does this asshole want me to fight an ape 7 times in a row?! (me farming for Lynx and Fu Xuan)

[bettyfrommars]

Pick Your Poison:

A Person/Place/Thing Blurb Game

Thanks to @oneforthemunny for encouraging me and always making up such fun games of her own! I've been writing so many long series lately, I wanted to connect with y'all more and bring some playfulness back to my brain and my dash. Also big thanks to my dearest @somnambulic-thing for all of the help with Places and Things.

18+ONLY

read the finished blurbs here

Other than being able to choose Eddie or Steve, you won't have much of an idea of what you will be getting in this game.

I think it will be fun, here are the rules:

Hi loves! I am no longer taking asks for this game, but it was so much fun for me! Thank you to those who sent in asks!

First, you'll need to pick one letter (E or S) & a number from 1-5 to blindly pick an Eddie or Steve from one of my au's.

For Eddie:

Choose E1, E2, E3, E4 or E5

Update: I won't be writing anymore requests for E3 or E2 as they have been very popular boys.

The five possible options will be nightmare!Eddie, darkSiren!Eddie, vampire!Eddie, gargoyle!Eddie, or drifter!Eddie

For Steve:

Choose S1, S2, S3, S4, or S5 You might get biker!Steve, hybrid!Steve, nightmare!Steve, werewolf!Steve, or hustler!Steve (hustler!Steve is my shared bf with @allthingsjoeq)

2. The next thing you need to give me is a Place by choosing ONE of these 10 symbols: @ # $ % * + = ? ! &

3. Third and lastly, you'll need to choose one of these 10 heart emojis to represent a mysterious Thing: ❤️🖤💙💜🧡🩷💚💛🤍💗

Here is an example of how your ask should look: "S2, *,💙"

UPDATE: I won't be writing any new requests for "%, *, ?, 🤍,💙 or 🖤" because they have been really popular.

5. Based on your choices, I will decide whether it will be fluff, smut, or angst, and write a wee blurb just for you. If you send the request on anon, it won't be smut unless you message me privately to let me know who you are.

6. There is a chance most of these will be fluff, but there is always the possibility for monsterfucking, so please keep that in mind if you decide to play.

I hope this makes sense, please don't hesitate to drop into my messages if you have any questions! Much love xoxo

[wadesprincessboy]

I could go on for a century about how much these two, espec Santana (may Naya's memory be a blessing :() meant/still mean to me. They were the first open sapphic couple i ever saw in media. I would watch I Kissed A Girl (S3 e4? of Glee) on repeat but silent in case anyone heard and i got outed by it. That episode truly saved me. For those who dont know, its the episode where Santana is forcibly outed as a lesbian, and throughout the episode she begins to own it and is proud. At a time when i thought the world was ending i couldnt understand who i was, and i thought liking girls was wrong, this episode brought be comfort. Glee was my special interest for years, coincidentally at the same time as i was first questioning my sexuality. Seeing someone like me in my favourite media genuinely kept me alive. I owe my life to Naya Rivera and Heather Morris and their portrayal of Britana. On top of that, Brittany helped me understand myself too. She is bisexual, and at the time I was thinking I was too. I thought it was wrong to like boys and girls and Brittany showed be it was ok to be you. She also is very clearly autistic, and seeing skmeone in media who was like me, even if i didnt know it yet, helped me tremendously. Thank you Heather and Naya. I owe you the world. Happy pride to these two.

[weirdowithaquill]

After reading your series multiple times, I have to wonder what happened to the 3rd S&M box tank. Clive was said to be scrapped, and Neil never left the island. These kind of questions would also apply to the other OG Sudrian Railways.

Thank you for your ask!

So, in the story "Construction" from Neil the Boxy Engine, I mentioned that Matthew was initially bought by the Sodor China Clay Works, before being shipped 'to some nation in the Tropics'. That nation was actually Venezuela - Matthew arrived in 1947 and worked in Venezuela until some time in the 1980s, when political uprest led to his destruction and scrapping.

As for the other pre-NWR engines? Well, many of them were scrapped during World War II for their scrap metal, which was needed for the war effort (this was done under Sir Topham Hatt I's nose, and he was pretty furious when he found out, but was unable to do anything.) However, some had more interesting lives:

TK&ER Coffee Pot 3 was sent to Belgium in WWI as a shunter to supply the trenches of the Western Front. He was quite successful in this, and became famous after he helped save a town from a German attack in 1917. For his bravery, he was given the name Lennart and after the war, he was preserved. He is currently at the Musée du chemin de fer à vapeur, Treignes in Belgium.

W&S Manning Wardel 1 worked on Sodor until WWII, when he was sold to the Iraq State Railways and loaded onto a ship bound for the Middle Eastern Nation. Unfortunately, the ship was torpedoed while traversing the Mediterranean Sea and the engine was lost at sea. His sibling, W&S Manning Wardel 2 was shipped to Northern Queensland in 1931 during the Great Depression, having been sold to Queensland Railways. They were converted to 3ft 6in gauge in Cairns, and worked as a shunter around Northern Queensland until the 1950s, when they were converted to a stationary boiler and later scrapped.

Finally, there was W&S Number 4. Number 4 was an LB&SCR E4 class (hence the similarities to the E2 class) and was purchased new in 1898. The engine was quiet, and a hard worker, and worked well on the line until the Viaduct between Maron and Cronk was constructed. They began to act... different, more contemplative than quiet. It's unknown what happened to cause the accident (and subsequent death) of W&S 4 - however, one cold Autumn evening, the engine plunged into the ravine with a passenger train. They were destroyed upon impact.

I know that might be a bit more of an answer than you were expecting, but your question really got me thinking! Thank you again!

[piers-official]

Oi, M’Piers ex-gym leader of Spikemuth, Galar. I specialize in dark-type pokemon and create equally dark music.

Dunno why m’here, but Marnie says it could help build a fanbase, and get more people to visit Spikemuth. Plus, I got downtime now since retirin’, so I might as well do somethin’ with it.

-If ya wanna know more about me and the blog, just read below.

(PLEASE READ BEFORE INTERACTING)

-x-x-x-

Basic Info and Shit:

Name: Piers Ravenwood (O’course)

Age: 24

Birthday: Aug. 24th (Virgo)

Gender: Genderqueer🟣🔘🟢

Sexuality: Bisexual

Pronouns: He/She/It

Current Pokemon Party:

Obstagoon (M): Danzig

Scrafty (M): Cash

Malamar (M): Bowie

Toxtricity Lowkey (M): Strummer

Skuntank (M): Ozzy

Newbies:

Marley (M): Honchkrow

My Uncle Grimsley is on here too if you wanna have a chat with him @grimsley-official

Sometimes Marnie pops up on here (ta m'own dismay) she signs off with 🖤M🖤 and writes in pink like this

Her info:

Name: Marnie Ravenwood

Age: 13

Birthday: May 28th (Gemini)

Gender: Girl

Pronouns: She/her

Pokemon Party:

Morpeko (F): Siousxie (Soo-zee)

Liepard (F): Helena

Toxicroak (F): Veruca

Scrafty (F): Rebel

Grimmsnarl (M): Nephilim

New babies!:

Riot (F): Pawniard

Shirley (F): Krokorok

-x-x-x-

((OOC BELOW))

DNI: PRO-SHIPPERS, TERFS, RAD/LIBFEMS, TRANSPHOBES, RACISTS, ETC. NO NSFW POSTS/RPS ALLOWED

(If you do nsfw, fine, but keep it off my blog thank you.)

Piers wouldn't like you either, so shoo!

Mun Nova here, 30+ years old and I use he/they pronouns!If you have any questions don't be afraid to contact me, my DMs are always open!

DISCLAIMER: this is an rp blog that takes place in the pokemon universe, so pls keep in mind I will be RPing as such! I will be useing several different HC from the games, anime/manga and also personal

This Blog also takes place after the events in sw/sh.

(NOTE: NSFW is NOT allowed! However, flirting, teasing, and SOME innuendos towards Piers (NOT MARNIE) are fine. Use common sense! Any ask that goes against my rules will be deleted.)

>Friendly reminder that if you try to engage a plot with me without at least discussing it with me first, then I will likely not respond. Even if you do approach me with a plot in mind, there is no guarantee I will agree.

I AM A-OKAY INTERACTING WITH OCS. This involves: Fallers, Eebydeebies, sentient pokemon, hybrids, etc. If you're not sure just ask! I promise I do not bite <3

If you are looking to interact with my muse, and your muse is tied to some potentially triggering topics, I would prefer if you discussed potential interactions with me first. This is for my own comfort, so please keep this in mind.

This is a side blog, so I'll usually send asks on anon and sign off with "-Piers-official".

I follow back from my main @galactic-mermaid 

IF YOU READ THIS ENTIRE THING, PLS SEND (DM or Ask) THE PHRASE "Land of Moomoo milk and Honey" TO ME AS CONFIRMATION.

Check out my other Pokemon RP Blogs!

@thetravelingymleader (Pokemon OC)

@ghostly-groundskeeper (Pokemon OC)

@darkpunkrocker (Sidney E4 RP Blog)

@ragingwaters (Nessa RP blog)

@krazy-for-klara (Klara RP blog)

@a-gastly-trio (Pokemon Gijinka OCs) ((HIATUS))

[mary-fantg]

благодарность

First of all, I want to thank @tommyxgrace-always, @lady-of-the-english, @nat111love, @peak color, @thesoldiersminute, @peakysgrace, @tommygrace, @korinthya, @peakyv for the huge number of posts and GIFs filled with love, respect and admiration for my favorite characters Tommy and Grace.

I just recently watched PB and fell under the spell of this couple in s1. I was looking forward to their meeting in s2 and was just shocked by Grace's death in e2s3. I even stopped watching the series for a while because it seemed pointless to me without her (I think we girls watch it more with romantic overtones). But after a while I decided to finish watching it anyway in order to understand what was being filmed there for another 3 seasons.  What I saw in the sequel s3 (especially e3 and e4 with Tatiana) hurt me, it was very insulting for Grace and her memory, and in general for their love, which seemed so pure to me, despite all the circumstances. I'm not talking about the strange idea of sex in front of icons, but apparently it's something symbolic again. But then after s4,5,6, where Tommy's grief, sadness and longing for her are the red thread, I somehow tried to understand him and forgive him for these terrible episodes in s3.

I had a lot of questions about certain points in the show and all your articles helped me find most of the answers, and even more than I expected, for example, about symbols and parallels that I initially did not notice in the series.

I also want to note that it was here that I found solace and like-minded people, because when I started reading reviews on other resources on the Internet, I saw such a stream of hatred for Grace that I was in a big stupor, it began to seem to me that I was watching a completely different series and did not understand anything at all about the story of this couple and the heroine. To be honest, without the intrigue between these two, I would not have watched the second season and would hardly have watched the first season at all. For me, the priority is still the love storyline.

in general, thanks to all of you, I really hope that in the future film SK will show at least a little of the life of their couple in New York, in the form of memories.

[tumblingxelian]

RWVY V9 - E4 - (No titles!?!?)

Let’s fucking goooooooo

Why doesn’t it have a title, what does this mean!?!?! 

Gosh the set design is so freaking gorgeous, look at all those beautiful red grass blades. 

Gosh Ruby sounds so tired and awkward and Little, “A cats hindquarters!” XD

 Curious’s manner of speaking is marvelous and hilariously unhelpful and I think they know it too. 

Weiss is not happy XD 

So Curious has been there before and also more fae realm logic, IE the trees distance is a matter of perspective. 

Oh snap the first time we get full acknowledgment of Alyx being, well Alyx from a denizen and Curious clearly remembers her well and I love all their questions XD 

Oh gosh poor Blake. 

Also nice to see Weiss’s jokes being appreciated for once. 

Curious’s body language is as incredible as their voice. 

“Luminous rectangle!” 

Cat discovers selfies, loves them, Curious is such a wonderful representation of what a sapient cat would be like. 

Oh gosh Curious brought up Ciel, hahahaha, I love it, also love Curious being so dismissive of the gods stupid ideas and intrigued by being so chill about reincarnation. 

Also Wise Huntress, I liked that!

More beautiful scenery and also oooh what do you mean by that lesson Alyx learned Curious! 

I am so intrigued by what made the Ever After, also Curious never even questioning that Remnant must work the same way. 

Damn one hard hitting question and Ruby nearly breaks again :’( 

Its catterpillers time! 

Huh the Herbalist is pretty chill it seems, just their voice. 

More stunning scenery!!! 

Oooh Blake giving a good answer that clears things up. 

More fae rules, Herbalist isn’t just making them big its making them what they are or need to be! 

Huh, so Prince was the king sand shifted, interesting! 

Oh shit, herbalist be sending us on a triiip! 

The hallucinations are not being helpful! 

Oh snap, very cool speeches, very uplifting and inspiring, I like it! 

A little iffy on a portion of Yang’s but otherwise loved it. 

Oh snap, Ruby’s suffering :( 

V1 Ruby looks amazing and fuck me this hurt, the level of pressure on Ruby’s shoulders, aaaah! 

OH THANK FUCK CURIOUS! 

Dang curious be angry! 

OK so Curious isn’t mind controlling in the traditional sense, they are literally ripping off a bit of their own heart to help bolster the positive aspects of others, what in the fuck, I love it but also aaaah 

chceewqdsdaaeq  

Herb (Traumatizes everyone) Herb: Sorry bout that (Dips Little (Slept through the trauma) 

[amateurmagic]

For the Pokemon meme- 1, 11 and 22! And also passing along the be sure to stay hydrated train :)

Eeee thanks for the ask!! I haven't done tumblr asks in a while

1) Who was your first starter?

Turtwig!! I was pretty late to the game for Pokemon, but I adore him!! Sadly, I really don't use the line very much bc they're weak/allergic to everything

11) List your top 6 favorite Pokemon

1. Espeon!! I had one in my og Diamond file that just blasted through everything and that's what put it on my radar. I also love its simple and elegant design and I'd love to have one follow me around. I also really like the emphasis on bond and trust in all its dex entries

2. Raichu - it's just so big and looks so nice and soft and pudgy to hold and hug. And also absolutely strong enough to decimate my enemies. It also seems like the least loved member of the Pika-line, (most of its anime appearances are basically Raichu slander lol) but Alolan Raichu is nothing but soft pancake-loving perfection

3. Lucario - bit of a basic choice but i will always love this reliable ace. It was also one of my friend's favorite pokemon who helped get me into Pokemon, so there's the nostalgia points there. And no one can deny that Lucario's movie was, and still is, an absolute banger

4. Ponyta - again with the nostalgia play, but Ponyta was the first pokemon i learned. (I guess separate fun fact is that my first pokemon I learned wasn't Pikachu). I also grew up riding horses and still do, and the little childhood desire of being able to ride and own a literal fire horse has not subsided. It's also got a real cute face

5. Hisuian Arcanine - Kantoian Arcanine has always hovered near the top of my favorites list, but when the Hisuian form came out? Instant top. I love it's design and also it's callback to historic asian guard dogs. Also who could resist a giant fluffy dog to help hunt down your enemies and then lower your heating bill in the winter?

6. Meowscarada - after a lot of internal debate, I've gotta give the last spot to my Scarlet ace. Initially, I actually hated how the final form of our grass cat looked, but it's definitely grown on me (though the puffy sleeves and weird hand-paws are still problem but we're fixing that in fanart wut). And working to develop my ScarVio muse’s Meowscarada’s personality and arc for my slew of fics that hopefully will make it out of google docs one day lol has also endeared it to me. Also Scarvio has been the first mainline Pokemon game to really grab me since XY, so Meowscarada gets points for that too

Honorable mentions (bc that last choice was hard) - Eevee, Buizel, Absol, Torterra and Latios

22) - If you were a gym leader, what would your typing/theme be?

I love that this question says theme, because I've always wondered how Gym Leaders and E4 end up specializing in types. Besides for Misty, I don't remember anyone in canon who wasn't already a gym leader deciding to specialize in only one type (yeah I know Misty becomes a gym leader, but when she battled Ash in like. ep maybe 7, she barely was). Because they must've had mixed teams when they were up and coming trainers, winning leagues and challenging Champions and such. I much prefer some of the mixed teams of the ScarVio teachers in the Academy Ace tournament and then Battle Frontier brains in the anime that have a unifying theme instead. Like an international gym with all final forms of starters would be cool

As for me, it's so basic, but I'd love an Eeveelution gym with Eevee as the ace, maybe with Gmax, even though I haven't finished Shield yet. But if I had to pick a type, I think I'd go Fire-type with Hisuian Arcanine as my ace, along with Ponyta/Rapidash, Hisuian Typhlosian, Delphox, Houndoom, and maybe Salazzle

And yes!! Hydrating is good!! Hydrate or die-drate. Currently doing with tea

[delopsia]

Hello and welcome to Del's Outer Range S1 E4 thoughts and wonderings! How the fuck do I still have four episodes left!

Why we so damn close to the taxidermy

AT WHAT POINT DO YOU DECIDE THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH?

Bro got six generations of deer on his wall. Who's next to the family reunion?

I am so thankful that OR actually translated what Wayne's ranch hand is saying instead of just saying [Speaking Spanish].

I find it incredibly interesting that it's specified Wayne got this rock 9 months ago. That's when Rebecca went missing.

Wayne seems to recognize this rock. I know he's seen the hole before, but how does he know its related to the hole?

The slow dancing with the rock is so funny, omg. I love Wayne, he keeps me on my toes when Rhett's MIA.

The song that plays during Outer Range's little intro card is called Mothers. And the more I think about it, the more it feels like the track is named that for a reason.

Makes me wonder if Royal's lost mother and sister are gonna come back into play in later seasons.

Many questions. Why is Sherrif Joy discussing the whereabouts of the missing buckle while she's actively responding to a call about a dead man?

Matt makes a good point: why did she keep evidence inside of her desk, and not somewhere safe?

RIP to the gate 💀

This Burl Ives song feels like an interesting placement.

Deputy Matt trying so hard to explain Trevor's death 😭

"I'm allergic to bananas. 😐"

A banana a day keeps the cop away...brb I've got a plan to keep Rhett out of prison.

This scene is so awkward omg

PERRRRYS GUILTY SIDE EYEEE

Help meeeee omg Perry you're so bad at acting innocent

All the evidence coming down to frame Rhett is so painful.

Why is Joy...acting like she didn't see a mountain disappear. When she? Did? She literally slammed on the brakes because she saw it, but now she's acting like it never happened.

Rhett minding his own damn business, being his pretty little cowboy self.

Rhett and his invisible dip are so funny to me. He's clearly got nothing in his mouth lmao.

For once, Rhett being the town whore comes in clutch.

How did Maria just get up and go outside when, just fifteen seconds ago, her manager was showing her how to open an account. Nobody noticed her make a dash for the door?

His "yeah"s are so gruff.

God EWHy DO We keep wITH THESE CLOSEUPS OF FOOD

"BILLYYYYY!!!"

The look of knowing in Luke's face :(

And then an immediate shot of Wayne, naked, in a pelt, crying at the buffalo's head.

All people grieve differently, all people grieve differently, all people grieve differently...

Autumn asking for a picture of Perry's wife...is she confirming to herself that Rebecca is her mom?

Perry's guilty conscience continues to eat away at him...sucker

In E2, Royal said that Autumn hadn't seen anything, but now in E4, Cecelia knows that she did see him. Interesting.

Here we go, Cecelia voices exactly what I've been muttering about over here. She and the boys know something is going on with Royal.

"If you'd just trust me..." Royal also said this when he confirmed nobody saw him hide the body and that it was gone.

Lili Taylor's delivery here is gorgeous. Cecelia is a wife who has stood by Royal's bullshit for decades, and he's finally broken her. Injuries, droughts, fires, struggling to pay bills, Rebecca going missing, God that's so much.

What is she holding?

THIS HTIS THSI THE FUCKING,

Im sorry Im excited

but the Mothers soundtrack keeps playing whenever we see the hole.

This rock is heart shaped

Omg that magic black ore stuff is on the mountain that disappeared/Trevor was found on. Is the mountain full of this stuff?

Does anyone respect Maria's time at her job? 😭

"I can take a break in ten." "How about now?"

Mariaaaaaa why would you lie to a cop and go back on it the moment you're pushed on your lie 😭 that's so awkward omg

Anxious Rhett quadruple texting :(

The Abbott house phone tone is different than it was in E1.

Ughh the way his smile vanished

Rhett, please just keep tapping on that table...don't ask me why.

Getting caught in their lie is so painful. Omg I'm gonna crawl out of my skin.

Is Joy going back and forth between the rooms and interviewing them simultaneously?

Hell yeah, Maria threw Perry's ass under the bus. I forgot she did this.

"That's what Perry said?" Rhett was seconds away from telling Perry off; I'm convinced of it.

Rhett lashing out at Perry in the parking lot is so therapeutic.

"You want me to go back in there and confess?" — Perry, the extremist.

Rhett asking Royal to turn back time...was something.

Yeah, Royal, use that magic hole and turn back time.

"I'd like to mourn my son without you breaking my balls, Patricia. 😐" I'm hollering.

God, Wayne and Patricia were made for each other

I see that Billy inherited his breaking out into song thing from Wayne.

We, the audience, know what hole Royal is talking about when he threatens Karl.

Karl just thinks it's a run-of-the-mill murder threat.

THERE ARE NO FRITOS IN THAT HOLE KARL

Joy not making an exception for Patricia was so satisfying. Uphold the law, girly.

whaaaat

whaaaaaaaaaaaaat???

It took five days to find Trevor's body and four for the police to start investigating. He was reported missing the morning after Royal threw him into the hole, but he was last seen eight days ago? Where did those extra three days come from?

Luke had to know Trevor was at the pit bar because how else would he have known to be looking for him?

Billy singing the lyrics, "I was taught to fight, I was taught to win," felt fitting, considering they say the Tillersons never lose.

I AM YELLING

MATT WHY ARE YOU SIDE EYEING PEOPLE AT A FUNERALLLLL

Hello, cowboy. Fancy seeing you here <3

"Nobody told you to stop 🙄"

Patricia having the thought to open Trevor's casket to see which Abbott looked guilty was fucking genius. Yes, girl, it was Perry!

Rhett's exchanged his wrist brace for something else? It's hard to see, but

"Whatever you're wrapped up in with your family, I don't want any part of it." Could you stick to that statement, Maria?

The way this shot goes for a solid minute or two is beautiful.

"You ever wonder if the world's not what you think it is?" Frightens me.

Royal's got a whole pasture full of magic rocks, but he's gotta have Autumn's magic rock.

I like to think Rhett was one of the cowboys gambling at the funeral. Just standing off to the side and watching his Dad ask a woman to show him her bare feet.

Eugh.

What would we have all done if Autumn put her foot on the table and she had a hoof?

Idk shit about poker, so I have no idea what these cards imply.

NOBODY QUESTIONS THE BISON BARGING ITS HEAD IN?

IS THE BISON A LOCAL GAMBLER?WHY IS EVERYONE SO CALM

The bisons horns kinda curl like Royal's hat

Royal revealing he had a card up his sleeve omg.

How is the rock making Wayne's clamato juice bubble? Or are we hallucinating as an audience? The longer this show goes on, the more I don't know the answer.

Oh shit, this is Wayne's truck that Billy's been driving?

What's so unfortunate is that Wayne was probably a perfectly normal kid until he found the hole, saw Royal crawl out of it, and kinda...went off the deep end.

How did Royal know Wayne was coming, anyhow?

Just two men fightin' over a hole.

Wayne drives off in triumph, and I flee the scene in excitement to take a damn nap.

Rewatching Outer Range for the umpteenth time. Will slowly reblog with random thoughts and theories.

[remedii-blog]

.exp share

@denryuus liked for a starter!!

♔ | Lady of the ROSE ; Breeders were often known as those that had extensive knowledge in regards of pokemon, it was necessary for them in order to excel in their field of work after all. Needless to say, those that held more knowledge of Pokemon would always pique her interest, eager to share and learn from those more experienced then her. Meeting one, however was a different matter entirely, seeing that breeders tended not to engage in pokemon battles-- let alone challenge the Pokemon League. Hence, Jacqueline decided that she would have to use a different method than usual to be able to meet a travelling pokemon breeder, one that she was quite familiar with.

The League did provide days for their members to rest and work on other matters-- so she took one of the off days she had to make her way to the Pokemon Center at Phyllite Town. Seeing that she was familiar with the work environment, the nurse there was more than happy to have her as experienced help for the day, to which the Elite thanked the nurse and proceeded to provide help. Helping out was very much in her nature, but her intentions for this time was to seek out Pokemon that appeared to be well bred and taken care of, a sign that they belonged to a Pokemon Breeder. 

It briefly crossed her mind that perhaps, someone so capable would not even have the need to visit the Pokemon Center at all. Ah, well.. if she was not able to happen upon any breeders while she was here, her time here would still be valuable to the center in terms of the help she provided. The thought lingered in her mind as her attention was soon taken by the sight of an Ampharos, one that was at the peak of good health at that, being returned to their trainer. With the intention of approaching said trainer, Jacqueline excused herself and made her way towards the presumed breeder. 

Her voice was fairly soft, but loud enough to grab the trainer’s attention-- at least, she hoped it was. “ I do hope I’m not being a bother, but if I may ask.. might you be a Pokemon breeder? ” The question was direct and to the point, no sense in beating around the bush when it was just a simple inquiry of their occupation.

[cuntycassandra]

Breaking down Hunter and Omega’s relationship: pt 4.

Hi everybody. My biggest apologies for the delay on this series over the past two weeks, I’ve had a lot of medical issues going on, alongside a big decision in my life I had to make before the end of September taking precedence. However, with a little more time on my hands and a new team of proof readers behind me, I’m hoping to be back on track soon enough! I hope you enjoy my analysis of ‘Cornered’, and please always feel free to reply/reblog/send an ask with your opinions and discussions! I love to hear and reply to them! 💛

(Pasted paragraphs: I would just like to add a disclaimer here. I am, in no way whatsoever, slating the other batchers for having differing relationships with Omega. I absolutely adore everything single one of the boys, and I think they all have wonderful and unique interrelations with her. Although I may point out these different approaches in comparison to Hunter’s, I am not stating these engages are wrong, just different is all!

I’m going to separate this into a little series- covering each episode in a separate post, which I’ll have tagged as the series progresses. Once I’ve tackled these two, as they’re my favourites, I’m going to move on to each individual Batcher and perhaps a few other dynamics such and Hunter and Crosshair, or Wrecker and Omega! Let me know what you guys would like to see!)

(Thank you to this weeks proof-reader: @very-depressing-waffel 💛)

Cornered: S1/E4

Although minimal, I absolutely love the small interaction between these two in the opening scene of this episode. While it would make sense for Hunter to take the chair, as he is navigating co-ordinates, instead he allows Omega to sit down and rest, the pure affection between them is particularly radiant in these moments. I’d also like to note that it is Hunter’s order to originally send them to Idaflor, where we can only assume he is heeding Cut’s previous advice given on the subject of ‘disappearing to start a new life’. By connotation, this essentially means Hunter was extremely ready to settle down with his brothers and both raise and protect his newly found little one. However this clearly becomes an evident concern of Hunter’s as Omega begins to whine, claiming she desperately wants to explore the galaxy instead of hiding away on an uninhabited planet. Although appreciating her enthusiasm, he insists they cannot risk it, not right now, showing he has all further plans to take her to see the universe whenever it may be safe to do so. Her safety has become his priority.

Also, another little mimic on Omega’s part is mentioned after Tech’s evaluates their situation- “Well, Pantora it is.” “Pantora it is :)”. This angel, she steals my heart.

Moving on slightly to the arrival of Pantora, Hunter’s civvies and Omega carrying his backpack for him, which is as big as her little torso might I add, makes the world spin. Notice too how her eyes never leave him for a moment, it’s a typical child trait when wanting to catch an adult’s attention for good behaviour. After Wrecker mentions the implications of sightseeing, which ultimately peaks Omega’s interest, Hunter is quick to diffuse the situation by insisting this is only a quick supply run. I strongly believe this is because although he intends to take Omega into the city with him, most likely recognising her desperation to explore, his main intention is to keep her safe and protected, I personally spy a compromise here. Finally, regarding this little interaction, when inviting Omega to join them, he calls her ‘Mega, ‘MEGA!!! Hunter is the first member of the batch to nickname her affectionately, and her little excited cheer in response says it all!

When strolling through the busy marketplace, I noticed that alongside drinking up all sights she can set her eyes on, Omega continues to perform the aforementioned ‘smile at parent because I am both well behaved and very excited’ technique, breaking away from her awestruck staring to give Hunter a cute grin, which he affectionately returns under the realisation that her purity and innocence has erupted through something as simple as a marketplace, another endearing trait his charge has displayed. I’d also like to shed light on the protective hand-on-shoulder movement Hunter uses after the squad of troopers pass by him, Omega, and Echo. His wary stare and protectiveness is an extreme diversion from his usual headstrong attitude, which we know is correlated to his need to protect his charge. (Hand-on-shoulder, AGAIN. Comforting Dad alert!!)

When offering to trade with the Gran merchant, I noticed that whenever Omega picked up a new item to inspect or show off to Echo, Hunter glances over his shoulder to observe her. I have reason to believe he might not only be watching her explore, but keeping an eye on her after the incident on Cut’s farm. I can practically see Suu’s words of advice ringing in his ears, and he wants to make sure she stays out of trouble. And after she does inevitably knock something over, although he scowls a little in her direction (as any parent would), Hunter swiftly turns his look of annoyance towards the Gran as he begins to scold Omega, once again showing his protectiveness in her regard, and in all honesty, he has every right to respond this way, we’ve already established this salesman is stubborn and conceited.

The entire plot of this episode is centred around Omega’s inevitable separation from Hunter and Echo as she ends up running off to chase a voorpak, who has stolen her new doll. We cannot fault Omega for her behaviour, it was a little juvenile at most, but we must take into account this would be her first time in such a situation, and she has never been taught otherwise. Hunter’s immediate faltering smile as he realises Omega is missing is honestly gut wrenching. He has just received 3,000 credits, a hefty sum for what they’re in need of, and now he’s lost his ward, and the pain and concern is fully mirrored through his halting eyes.

I’m moving ahead slightly to add a little character-action comparison! Now, this may just be me nitpicking, and I mean no hate to Fennec Shand (I actually ADORE her), but did anybody else notice the difference between her hold on Omega and how Hunter holds her? Fennec’s fingers lay beneath the nape of Omega’s neck, almost curling into her tunic’s collar, and so while it may seem protective, it actually holds very possessive and controlling connotations. Whereas when Hunter places a hand to Omega’s shoulder, his fingers are quite loose, and it only ever rests up her upper shoulder, allowing the girl freedom if she so much as wishes it. It’s extremely docile. Furthermore, I wanted to briefly comment on Hunter’s tenderness when retrieving Omega’s new doll, most likely using it to track her recent movement. His hold is very gentle, considering he is now clinging to the last piece of Omega he has contact with, and a noticeable shred of panic holds his upper body rigid for good measure. It’s very nicely animated.

Coming ahead swiftly to the brief ‘positive’ interaction between Omega and Fennec, I haven’t seen this mentioned before but I personally see the discussion concerning the need for protection when travelling the galaxy as a small nod to Omega’s newly found connection to the boys, and Hunter specifically. Omega insists it’s a good thing she has her ‘friends’. Noticeably, she is still very hesitant to label them as her brothers, as she most likely feels excluded to an extent (bearing in mind the boys were raised together with the exclusion of Echo, no matter her previous ties to them, Omega was always going to feel isolated to some extent), but not enough to deny she has an attachment to them, and vice versa. Hunter has already shown on multiple occasions (Kamino, Saleucami, the moon from episode 3) that he would do whatever it takes to protect her, but it’s nice to see Omega’s perspective on the newly found emotions too.

Finally, Hunter is able to catch up to both Omega and Fennec, and the sudden change in his demeanour and her aura of innocence is extremely present here. Hunter drops the worrisome parental act fairly quickly, and it’s replaced with the familiar soldier we all know and recognise, he needs to exhibit such strengths to assert the extent he is willing to go to protect Omega. Equally, upon realising Fennec doesn’t quite have her best interest at heart, Omega wastes no time jumping (recklessly) into action to save both herself and Hunter anymore trouble. Of course, being a weightless little girl, she isn’t able to do much, and Hunter ends up in a physical altercation with Shand, where he actually ends up taking his eyes off the assassin to address Omega directly, insisting she run. This not only shows just how much he cares about her, but how desperate he was to ensure her safety by putting himself at risk by not only getting into a fight, but exposing a vulnerability by taking his eyes off of her. (Her worried little face as she flees too, poor girl 😔)

(This point doesn’t have much to do with the relationship between these two, so feel free to skip over it if you want, but I did want to briefly comment on Omega’s timid exterior as she runs to Wrecker in the maintenance tunnels. It truly helps to perceive her genuine age and immaturity, the way she cowers into his neck and sits in his arms especially.)

After Tech informs Hunter of Omega’s current predicament involving the maintenance tower, it’s easily noticeable that when questioning Tech’s information, his voice mirrors the exact tone and edge it held when berating both the former and Echo after their ship was impounded in Saleucami. To me, this shows a clear connotation between the dire situations, and how quickly Hunter has taken to his new role in Omega’s life, and his job as her primary carer. Not to mention, she is literally hanging mid-traffic lane, and in desperate need of assistance. Alongside this, we see previously in this episode that not only was Hunter worried about attracting unwanted attention, after receiving such a thing and accidentally allowing Omega to hang in the balance (pun unintended), he actually steals somebody’s hoverbike in an attempt to rescue the little one, seeming to not care he is attracting even more unwanted attention. There is no hesitation on his end.

The look of absolutely HORROR that crosses this man’s face as Omega drops from the tower and just about hits the hovertruck below. We haven’t seen a look like that cross Hunter’s features since Crosshair’s ‘betrayal’, another indication to his immense worry for the newest member of his family. Equally, this is mirrored by Omega’s wide eyed, petrified stare as she momentarily watches Fennec shoot straight for Hunter’s bike, realising both she and the closest thing she has to a parent are still in serious peril. We need to take into account that this little girl has never experienced something this grim before, and the internal panic is evident for both herself, and Hunter especially.

This brings us down to the “HUNTER!!” comment from Omega as she dangles from the hovertruck. I personally believe her first initial thoughts were not to warn Hunter of the oncoming Shand, but instead a desperation to cry out for help from her guardian. This escalated as she notices Fennec approaching, and her eyes even widen as she calls out for Hunter to watch out, giving further evidence that her first thoughts might not have correlated to her eventual dialogue. It’s also important to note that despite her incredibly tragic situation, Omega is still much more worried about Hunter’s predicament than her own.

(Slightly unimportant, but I love the way Hunter leans in to take Omega in his arm before Shand knocks him out of the way. It’s very parental.)

I never noticed this before, but as Hunter catches Omega’s hand and hauls her onto the bike, he actually scans her over briefly to check for any injuries, before insisting she hold on tight. Notice how his voice isn’t scolding or harsh, he’s very calm despite the dire situation, doing his best to remain neutral for Omega’s sake, especially considering the day she’s had. It’s also important to note that this is further improvement from the situation on Saleucami, another example of their ever-growing relationship.

The WAVE of relief that rolls from Hunter’s entire demeanour as he places the backpack down in the Marauder cockpit, knowing he can finally rest now that Omega is safe, while simultaneously anticipating the flurry of issues about to storm their already hectic lives with a bounty hunter after the kid. His eyes are exhausted, his shoulders are only slightly slacked to insinuate his rough exterior, and yet he still does his absolute best to comfort Omega as she begins to get upset over the prior events and the unknown future.

And, finally, a small action but important nonetheless. I noticed that Omega’s eyes quiver slightly as she begins to get upset, and in her final moments on screen, they direct towards Hunter. This may seem unimportant, but it provides further evidence to the notion that she seeks him out for protection specifically. She’s upset and frightened, so she looks to him because he protects her. It is set up as if she’s about to toss herself into his arms, because she needs him right now.

I hope you liked my analysis of Hunter and Omega’s relationship in episode four of The Bad Batch! Of course, I’d love to discuss these two with anybody who might be interested, so please feel free to drop me an ask or a DM, and if you’re captivated enough I’d totally recommend looking out for my future posts on the topic!

As always, much love to our ‘Megs and Hunter, thank you for reading! 💛

Part One: Aftermath

Part Two: Cut and Run

Part Three: Replacements

[cassies-closet]

Style Q&As from the old SkinsLife website

Hi guys! In my search to find the striped hoodie Cassie wears at the end of her series 1 episode, I found the old SkinsLife website, where Edward Gibbon (the costume designer) did his Q&As before they moved over to the e4 website.  Unfortunately, not all of it has been archived, but there’s a lot of good stuff about where the series 2 costumes come from, and a ton of questions about Cassie’s clothes.

Here’s what I could find.  I’ll put all of the Cassie questions at the top and then all of the other ones under a cut:

-------------------------------

Hellie Cory: Can you please tell me where they got Cassie's skirt?? I absolutely love it and I've been searching for ages with no luck : (

Edward: Cassie's skirt is from a small Japanese designer in Camden (and well spotted Olivia xx the fabric is from Ikea.)

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TanitaAlethia: Im so happy about this. I have always wanted a nice, not sexy (like in costumes shops, there gross) little sailor outfit. When Cassi had one on, i almost fell of my chair, i love love LOVE it. So i was wondering, where an earth did you fined it? Thankyou =] Tanita-Alethia

Edward: Cassie's sailor top was from New York, but you can always try an Army Surplus store or maybe Camden if you're anywhere near London. Let me know how you get on!

------------------------------- evil_daisys: hey, i wasnt sure where to put this,, but were did you find the dress cassie wore in episode 1 of season one at the party? and episode 2 of season one she wore at michelles? i love the way she dresses its so cute and girly and still slightly different =)

Edward: Both of Cassies dresses were vintage pieces from the 60s and 50s respectively - keep your eye out wherever you are and never turn down an invite to a jumble sale ! -------------------------------

AmyyB: hi edward, can you please tell me where cassies pink chiffon top and grey socks that she wears in chris' episode? thanks sweetheart keep up the good work x

Edward: cassies' chiffon top was from Top Shop and the socks are from H&M.; --------------------------------------

maxine: heya, i was just wondering where cassie's bow t-shirt is from, from the latest advert? ♥x

Edward: cassie's bow t-shirt was from TopShop ------------------------------------------------

Franchesca Allen: Hi im really into weird and unusual style and i love cassie's. I was wondering if you could tell me where you get most of her clothes. And i was wondering in series 2 effy's episode whats she wearing with the leopard skin tights, what top is it? Please reply i've wrote before and got no reply :) Thanks and keep up the amazing brainstorms with the costumes xx

Edward: Cassies clothes are from all over the place ! Her style is a mixture of amazing vintage pieces, charity shop finds, vintage designer stuff and high street sale stuff (normally the things no one else wants ! ) The top you are talking about was a vintage nylon 'teddy'(an all in one , shorts and top underwear item ). This year she has been wearing a lot of underwear as outerwear so keep your eyes peeled in charity shops and don't be afraid to rummage through dead peoples' clothes! ------------------------------------------------

rachey_babey: hi can you please tell me where cassies gold high hees are from that she's wearing when she spills the milk and could you please tell me where the dress / nightdress cassie wore when she was sitting on the couch with chris and watching telly is from? i think it was white with a green or blue rim. ta.

Edward: Cassie's gold shoes are character shoes from a dance shop , customised with gold leaf and cassie's nightdress was a plain cream dress from H&M; which we customised with green lace ------------------------------- sarinda: hello, i really love cassie's style, i love going to jumble sales and charity shops looking for vintage finds so its really great that there is someone like that on tv. i was wondering where you got cassie's red skirt and gold shoes when she is at her exam? and also where her bra if from when she is getting dressed before that. thank you xx =]

Edward: Thanks, Sarinda. Cassie's skirt was Prada, shoes from Bertie and bra from M&S...;

------------------------------------------------

Lauren Jones: Hey I was hoping you could please tell me where Casie's night dress with the skeleton on it is from?? I have been looking everywhere and cant even find something similar! I would love to know where I could get one from please x

Edward: Cassie's skeleton dress was from TopShop Unique. It's probably not available any more, I'm afraid, but keep looking - you never know! ------------------------------------------------ Leelee: Helloo! My question is regarding the reaons behind Cassie's rapid change in clothing style in episode 9 when she arrives in NYC. At first I simply assumed it was to make her seem more vagrant looking, as though she was wearing simply what she grabbed in the dash. But then in the last scene of the episode, she is running down the street and is in another compltely out of character outfit, and wondered that would she really have all these clothes that she just never wears? Was there any specific reason as to this change? Thanks!

Edward: By the time we see Cassie in NYC she has been on the road for a while and grabbed clothes wherever she finds them , if they don't seem quite like what she normally wears that's because of what she has been through and the clothes she goes running in are Adams - see clothes tell a story as well ! ------------------------------------------------ asdfghjklxx: hii i was just wondering if you could tell me where cassies boots and jeans were from that she was wearing in the last episode when she arrives in new york, also where is the red and white candy striped skirt that she wears with the bow tshirt in her exam from? thanksss xxx

Edward: The jeans are from Uniqlo and then distressed, the boots from a Charity shop and the skirt by Prada

------------------------------------------------

meli_x: In the latest episode where was cassies t shirt with the bow on from and the socks she was wearing with that outfit (when she was in the exam). also her hairclip with two robins in (i think) and the necklace with the trophy on and her stripy dress from when she met chris' mom thanks :) x

Edward: the t-shirt was from TopShop, socks from Noa Noa and the birds were christmas decorations from a craft shop... ------------------------------------------------

Sara: Hey Edward, any chance you could tell me where Cassie's necklace (the cup/trophy) that she wears throughout ep. 9 is from? Thank you very much, loving your work!

Edward: Cassie's necklace was made from a piece of ribbon and an old badge from a Vintage Fair. It said 'victory' on it, if that helps. ------------------------------------------------

Danni: hey, i was wandering where cassies big blue jacket/coat was from, the one where she first arrives in new york? thankyou :)

Edward: Cassie's jacket was a vintage American College jacket - which was worn by Chris in the last series on the school trip to Russia, adding a nice bit of continuity ! ------------------------------------------------

rachael tallentire: hey 2 thngs i want to know where is cassies skeleton dress/nightie she wears in the last episode and also where is her top she wears for her exam from?

Edward:- both are from TopShop Unique range...

And a few Effy questions as well:

Munchkin: Where is the dress Effy wore to the rave in episode 1 series 2 from? i absolutely love her style, you dress her amazingly, it matches her personality exactly. please show us more of effie she is immense!!

Edward: Effy's rave dress was made by customising 2 dresses: one from Oasis and the other a vintage one from a charity shop...

------------------------------------------------

Michelle123: I hope this doesn't sound pervy but where is Effy's underwear from when she is in her room with Sid? x

Edward: Effy's underwear was from Primark and M&S; !

------------------------------------------------

larry the lady: Must, must, must know where Effy's jeans or leggins or what ever are from. i could die happy if i could get a pair. I'm on about the large striped black and white ones. XD oh and where would effy's character typically shop for her rave clothing. Love love love xxx P.s the black and white striped jean things, remember, we want them!! lol

Edward: Effy's jeans were from phunky phish/ Effy loves shopping in unexpected places - other peoples houses / old ladies wardrobes / her gran's charity bag and then she customises with scissors and a blowtorch !

------------------------------------------------

Other costume questions:

Pascha Rix: I really loved the gorgeous white shorts that Michele was wearing once in a club scene when she was dancing up against two other guys. The shorts were tiny, white and with pink sequins on them and they were absolutely gorgeous! Where do you also tend to look for other clothes she wears? Are there particular shops you goto?

Edward: The skirt's from Top shop but you can make your own if you like: hack off a pair of old jeans as high as you dare and then cover randomly with sequins...

------------------------------------------------

Kris Jones: I'd just like to know whether ALL the actors' clothes are chosen by stylists, or do some of them get to wear their own stuff? Do you even choose their pants?

Edward: Pretty much everything they wear is chosen by me - especially their pants and socks; they play an important part in defining their characters.....

------------------------------------------------

Savethesoundsystem: I wanna know where sid's yellow/orange nikes and the headphones t-shirt are from in episode 3! Oh and chris' flags of the world jacket!

Edward: Mike's trainers are retro Waffle by Nike, the headphone t- shirt is by 77 and the Flag Jacket was a rare vintage find.

------------------------------------------------

Ben Smith: Hi, the trainers maxxie's wearing in ep2 when hes taking off his superman costume.. where are they from? And the luminous yellow stripey tshirt in ep 3? Cheers.

Edward: Ben Smith - Maxxies' trainers are Nike Air Force hi-tops and his T- shirt was from Top Man.

------------------------------------------------

Stephan: I was just thinking.. i want all of Maxxie's clothing, shoes. lol. I watched a clip from episode 4! And i would like to know where did you get the stuff (shoes, shirt, jacket, everything...) he was wearing when he came to sit on the grass with Anwar and Michelles stepsister?? I got a pic, but isn't clear...

Edward: Hi Stephan, The jacket's Nike, The T-shirt's Etnies and the hat's from River Island.

------------------------------------------------

Emul 8: Where's Chris' shirt from that says "I love (heart) hate" from the episode 4 series 2 preview from?

Edward: The 'I love Hate' T-shirt is by 77 and Maxxie's orange shoes are from Polo.

------------------------------------------------

hsto1234: hi! i would really like to know where Chris' t shirt in episode 1 series 2 is from? its white with 'pretty vacant' written on it. thanx

Edward: The 'Pretty Vacant' T-shirt is by by Japanese label KTZ and it's available from Concrete or Koko To Zai.

------------------------------------------------

James Davidson: i Love the clothes tony wears, where's the best places to look? thanks james :)

Edward: Tony's favourite labels are Farah, Junk De Luxe, Buckler, Penguin and Nike...

------------------------------------------------

Gloria Good Chris wears a yellow type jacket a lot of the time. He was wearing it on the last episode (Series 2:Episode 3). Really want to know where it is from !

Edward: Chris' yellow jacket is from American Apparel . --------------------------------------------------

Thomas Judes Kaplan: heya, i'd be pleased to know where you guys found chris white tee shirt with wasted brit youth tagged on it with yellow pink and orange, the one we can see in episode 5 thanx and if you need fucked up french fashion tips (maybe for a series 3 french character), i'd be honored to help you :)

Edward: thomas and everyone else - Chris' wasted British Youth is by Unconditional (available from Concrete and Selfridges ) and would love to see some fucked up French Style! put some up in your profile so we can see... ------------------------------------------------

Rhiannon Irving: Hi! Where are Jal's necklace and green dress from Episode 5 from? Many thanks :-) xx

Edward: Jal's dress is by The Prisoners of St. Petersbourg (from Kokon To Zai ) and necklace is by Chateau Roux ------------------------------------------------

ryan keys: Edward i love the top that chris is wearing, the one that looks like a shirt and bow tie. where did you get it?

Edward: Chris shirt and bow tie t-shirt is by Unconditional ------------------------------------------------

charlie lewis: Do you know where i can find tonys burgandy cardigan featured in the first episode of series 2 where can i find this hoody josh is wearing in series 1? Thankx alot

Edward: Tony's cardigan is from Zara and Josh's hoody is a customised cheap white hoody from primark ------------------------------------------------

Jman: Hi, I'd really like to know where Maxxie's necklace from Series 2 Episode 1 is from - the bronze one with the dice. Thanks & great website BTW!

Edward: Maxxie's dice necklace was from River Island ------------------------------------------------

legoac: can you tell me where the following are from?: -maxxie's t-shirt, trousers, and shoes from ep. 1's rooftop dance scene -chris's grey and white long sleeve shirt in careers officer scene -anwar's long sleeve striped yellow and white shirt in club scene (the one under the polo) -chris's green belt in scene where cassie shows him the notice thanks!

Edward: Maxxies t-shirt was from All Saints, trousers from Jungle or your local Army Surplus. The shoes are Lacoste. Chris' grey and white shirt was by Buckler, Anwar's yellow stripe t- shirt by H & M and Chris' belt from Honor Lulu ( a great 50s shop in Bristol).... ------------------------------------------------

Lewis Jones: can u tell me where maxxies checkered shirt from episode 4 series 2 is from please.

Edward: Maxxie's check shirt is by Junk de Luxe ------------------------------------------------

Evans17: In episode 5. just after swimming, tony was wearin a cardigan an a shirt where are they from??

Edward: Tony's cardigan is by Zara and shirt and tie are by Junk de Luxe. ------------------------------------------------

Pixies: Jal's big gold necklace in episode five. She wears it at the beginning when she is sitting on the bench with chris (where they stick paper on each others foreheads) and at the party when she gets up on stage. its impossible to make out what it says and i NEEEEED it. thanks a bunch :) xx

Edward: Jal's necklace is by Chateau Roux and says Chateau. Hope that helps! ------------------------------------------------

Bex Crawley: Heya, i was just wondering in episode 5, where is Jal's dinosaur jacket from? It is so cool! thanks xx

Edward: Jal's jacket has got chickens on and is from SkunkFunk ------------------------------------------------

And finally, for red polka dot - Chris' red cardigan is from a charity shop and Anwars jacket is by 55DSL

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chook: Hey there, just wanting to know where anwars hoodie jumper is from...he wore it in the last episode. thanks

Edward: Hi chook - Anwar's hoody is by Artful Dodger... ------------------------------------------------

zander: hey edward i was wondering where the pink cardigan maxxie wears in the the adverts to promote skins two, the t-shirt under it and his trousers are from?likein the style thanks!

Edward: Maxxie's cardigan was from Zara, t-shirt from Etnes and trousers from Cos ------------------------------------------------

pinkdreamz: from season one. the dress michelle wears in episode one, the black and white one, where is it from? this might be rude, but what do u guys do with the clothes after the show? Edward: Michelles's grey/black dress was from Oasis. At the end of filming we have a costume sale for cast and crew and anything not sold we hang onto or donate to charity - don;t worry, not a rude question at all!

------------------------------------------------

Joe Wood: wer did tony get his bed sheets and wear did u get sids hat =) and wear did he get that top which makes sounds in series 1? cheers fella

Edward: Tony's duvet cover was specially made for the show , Sid has many different beanies from H&M; primarily and Mega Dog was a one off creation ! ------------------------------------------------

dannymilhouse: wat r sids favourite makes/designer????? and wat shops cud i get them makes from????????????

Edward: Sid loves Plain Lazy , Nike, jumble sales and skips ! ------------------------------------------------

Foxy: Where would one find the tan belt that tony is adorning his suit with in Episode 6? It looks similiar to paul smith.. i may be wrong.. AlSO the waistcoat toby is wearing? Cheerss

Edward: Tony's yellow belt was a ladies' belt from Gap ! and Toby's waistcoat is a period early 20th. century piece from an antique clothing market (try Blind Lemon's website for similar fairs ) ------------------------------------------------ Bapo: Hi Edward, I am wondering where you found Sid's military jacket that he wears in the Secret Party special episode... Much love from France to all the Skins family!

Edward: Sid's military jacket is an original from a costume hire shop in Bristol - try vintage army surplus clothes stores or markets ------------------------------------------------

Louis: Hey Edward, I absolutely adoore your taste, especially tony's clothes and i was wondering where you got his black polo with white stripes that he wears in episode 6 please...?

Edward: Tony's black/white stripe polo is by Farah , pink/black by Topman ------------------------------------------------

Jowellzz: hey edward, I know this isn't series 2 related but, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Maxxies brown coat and blue-checked hat in Season 1 Episode 6 where they go to Russia. could you tell where they're from? xx

Edward: Maxxie's coat was from H&M; and hat by Etnies ------------------------------------------------ JimBuns: Hi Edward, i hope u guys can help out, do you know where i can i find that grey cardigan with pink and blue circles on it, that chris wears in the club , series 2 on episode 5, ive been lookin for it every where, any help is much appreciated

Edward: Chris' cardigan was from Behave on Lexington Street in London ------------------------------------------------

Pixies: Hey edward thanks for responding! I have my Chateux necklace ordered jal style :D could you please tell me where michelle's flowery necklace is from in last nights episode? thanks x

Edward: Michelle's necklace is vintage plastic 60s from a market -------------------------------------- Rubyred: Hey, would you be able to tell me where the outfit that that girl Tony meets in the club is wearing there is from and also what she's wearing at the university?

Edward: Beth's dress in the club is from Kate Moss for Top Shop , shoes vintage Dolce and Gabbana at the University her vests are from Miss Selfridge and Gap, jeans by Cheap Monday, belt from Urban Outfitters and shoes from Gap. ------------------------------------------------

Abby Fletcher: jal's green shirt and yellow top when she finds out shes pregnant NOW! o.. i mean... it really would be nice of you... :)?

Edward: Jal's green shirt from H&M; , yellow top by People's Market.

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Kim Matthews: hi edward, could you tell me where michelle got her cow print pyjamas from in series 2 episode 7? also where did you get the blue top she was wearing when she went round to chris's looking for jal in the last episode? thanksxx

Edward: Michelle's pjs were from La Senza and her blue top was from Oasis ------------------------------------------------ red polka dots: thanks loads for telling where anwars jcket was from, its great. but could u plz tell me where to get maxxies jeans in this pic. they are so amazing!!!!!! thank u

Edward: Maxxie's jeans were by Replay ------------------------------------------------ tommy the 2nd: hey edward could you please tell me where to get maxxies great hat from episode 1 series 1. its soooo great!!!

Edward: Maxxie's hat was from H&M; ------------------------------------------------ Maciej: Hello Edward. I have trouble with shoes. I was just wondering if you could give me some advice. I like Maxxie's style, but I still don't know what should I pick. The clothes I mostly wear are from American Eagle (ae.com), no ripped jeans though. I don't think ripped jeans look nice. I also don't wear baggy jeans. I'm 6'2" and kind of skinny (pant size: 30x34 or 31x34). My shoe size is 12.5. So I'm big, skinny guy with big feet. I have no sense in how a shoe should match. I was just wondering if you could tell me what would look best on my feet from a brand like Nike, Puma, or one I could easily get in Chicago area. Btw. love watching Skins :-) Thanks.

Edward: the best look for fairly big feet is the plainest styles of trainers - good old Converse are a safe choice, mess it up with some of the great colours they do . Old school trainers like Nike Tennis shoes or their retro Waffle style / addidas gazelle or stan Smiths . Swear is a British label that does great very flat plain trainers with a twist - they have a brilliant new collection in collaboration with Hummel . So basically the plainer and flatter the better, avoid anything with chunky soles and too much detailing . ------------------------------------------------ HaydenWing: hi Edward, could you please tell me where can i get Maxxie's bag in Ep. 8 when he comes into the classroom with James. Thankies!

Edward: Maxxie's bag is by Freitag , who make great bags from recycled materials like tyres ,seat belts and inner tubes ------------------------------------------------ Chris Murray: Hey Edward, cheers for looking :) Could you tell me where Chris' tiger skin pink and black top is from, the one he's wearing in Episode 2? Its the coolest thing I've seen him wear!!

Edward: Chris's tiger t-shirt is from Behave on Lexington Street ------------------------------------------------ windinthewire: please can you say where jal got her giraffe earings from, i love them and reaaaally want a pair!

Edward: Jal's earings were from TopShop ------------------------------------------------ AlexGabriel: Hiya. I'd like to know where Maxxie's grey trousers are from, the ones he wears when he comes into the classroom with James.

Edward: Maxxie's trousers were from Cos ------------------------------------------------ trainstobrasil: could you please tell me what Jal's book bag is in episode 8 this season? the lovely yellow one with the design that she carries around throughout the episode. I loved it! thanks :)

Edward: Jal's bag is by Eastpak ------------------------------------------------

Abby Fletcher: hey, just wondered where jal's yellow dress with the black shirt underneath came from, and the earrings she has in in the audition! thanks much! xx

Edward: Jal's yellow dress was from Monsoon and the brown shirt underneath was Calvin Klein Jeans ------------------------------------------------ Jerry: Hi, I was just wondering what bag Tony wears in season 1, it looks like a Gucci bag but I never get a good look at it. The name of it would be swell!

Edward: Tony's bag was an unbranded one from Camden Market ------------------------------------------------ verity: hey, wondering where michelle's silver vest in tonights episode came from. and her vests in general :) then i just need to wait for some warmer weather..! thanks

Edward: Michelle's silver vest was from Kate Moss for Top Shop - her vests are from all over , American Apparel is great for brilliant coloured basics made in ethical factories ( much better for your conscience and the world than Primark !)

Episode 7

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moppet: Hey Edward, I just want to say I think the overall look of the characters in the show is amazing so whatever you are doing with the wardrobe you are doing it extremely well! I hate to be the 1,000,000,000th person to ask you this but...in Michelle's episode (Series 2, Episode 4) she wears a pair of skirt dungarees or a skirt with braces made of denimn. I would love it if you could tell me where you found it? Or where I could find a similar item? I know several people have already asked you on this about it. I would really appreciate it if you could get back to us about it. It would actually mean a lot! much love, moppet xx

Edward: Really sorry but can't actually remember what label Michelle's dungaree skirt was - it was a TKMaxx find - but try Lees new stuff designed by Jane Birkin for something silmilair ------------------------------------------------ HarrietBABESS: Hi, i was wondering if you could please tell me where michelle's necklace is from in her lost weeks diary, the black bow one, and effy's dress she wears to the club in series 2 episode 7? I would really love to know where to get them. Thanks

Edward: Michelles necklace was from Warehouse and Effy's dress was created from a vintage beaded dress , customised over another dress from Oasis - so sharpen those scissors and start creating ! ------------------------------------------------ geodude: hi i was just wondering if you could tell me wer you get the majority of chris' vest tops from i just think there so good that i have to have one especially this one!! thanks XD

Edward: a lot of Chris' vests are 70s deadstock - original stuff that was never sold - from markets and vintage shops - try some of the retro stalls in Camden or local car boot sales ------------------------------------------------ christian20: Hey I was just wondering if you could tell me where Maxxie's jacket is from that he wore at the skins secret party??? thanx

Edward: Maxxies' rowing blazer was hired from a Bristol Costume Shop and is probably about 100 years old - still looks good doesn't it , just goes to show great style never goes out of fashion . ------------------------------------------------

alex: hi edward, i've been spending my internet millions on some new clothes recently. can i tell everyone about them? (Note: Alex, despite his yuppy question, is not the sugar daddy he claims to be. You've been warned, girls...Ed.)

Alex - we need photos of you modelling your new looks maybe with some of your Skins' co-workers ! ------------------------------------------------ AnnaBanana: Hi Edward! First of all, well done on your supreme costume choosing, its impeccible! I was wonder where Chris' fluffy hat from the Skins 2 opening credits is from? Its pretty much the best hat i have ever witnessed :0 Thanks

Edward: Chris' fluffy hat was from the brilliant hip/hop stall in St. Nicholas's Market in Bristol ------------------------------------------------ Bridget Burton: hi i was just wondering if you could tell me where you got Jal's Shirt, shorts and (i think they were Nike) Trainers rom episode 1 series 2, where she and chris go to pick up Tony from Maxxie's. That would be very helpful.x

Edward: Jal's shirt was from H&M;, shorts were from Uniqlo and her trainers were indeed Nike . ------------------------------------------------

mindemo: hey edward...i was wondering where maxxie got that purple and silver nylon jacket in his unseen episode on his myspace...cheers mate...haz...XO

Edward: maxxie's jacket is from Nike ------------------------------------------------ SamR: Could you tell me where the outfit Tony wore to the university came from please? Thanks

Edward: Tony's shirt from Junk de Luxe , tie by American Apparel , jacket by Parkes , trousers from Cos , belt by Gap shoes by Converse ------------------------------------------------ Grantlock: Please could u tell me if theres a peoples market shop in bristol or wher i could get the clothes from fank you!!!:D x

Edward: Not sure if People's Market sell in Bristol - it's available in Number 22 on Carnaby Street and TopMan at Oxford Circus ------------------------------------------------

Kaz: Hi Edward, I didn't get my question answered last time and I really need those socks lol. Was just wondering if you could tell me where they were from? Michelles socks in episode 1 when shes in the club and outside with Sid

Edward: Michelle's socks were from American Apparel ------------------------------------------------

charlie lewis: hi. Do you know where i can find the tank top chris is wearing at the end of the latest episode, the one with horses or something on it. cheers.

Edward: chris' vest was 70s deadstock from Camden Market ------------------------------------------------

john Rainey: hi jakes yellow/orange cardigan from the start of the effy episode? can you tell me where it's from?

Edward: jake's cardigan was an old ladie's from a jumble sale

Episode 9

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Dave Gee: Hi, can you tell me where Tony got his pink underwear and t-shirt from, please? It was the episode where Effy's mad mate came over.

Edward: Pay attention, Dave! Tony's underwear was pink due to Effy's inefficiency in the washing department! ------------------------------------------------

Christina_Marie: Hi, i was just wondering where Michelles green dress comes from in the calander cover photo below theres a photo. And also were do Jal's pink star earing come from which she too wore in the same photo? Thanks xx

Edward: Michelle's dress was by Lux from Urban Outfitters and Jal's earings were from H & M.

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Branwen: Hi edward can somebody PLEASE tell me where jal got her white dress top she wears in episode 8 series 2 when shes at her music audition, ive asked like 8 times lol! Thanks a lot xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Edward: Jal's audition dress was from Oasis - well asked!

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snoogins: This may sound like a stupid question, but i thought you should be the one to ask. I have a big problem buying trousers for myself. I dunno if it's just my frame (I'm 6 foot and pretty thin). But anything outside of blue jeans look awkward on me. I was wondering if you had any tips when look for mens trousers. Oh and everyone always asks where certain characters shop. I was wanting to know whats your own favourite brands of clothing?

Edward: Hi snoogins. Blue jeans are a pretty good basic for any look - take advantage of your height by maybe wearing trousers a bit shorter than you normally would - Farah have a great range of trousers that suit all shapes, so check them out. My favourite labels are Margaret Howell, Vivienne Westwood, Thom Browne and thanks for asking... ------------------------------------------------

skinsfreak: hey edward, was just wondering where Chris's Monkey Man t shirt was from?

Edward: Chris' Monkey Man was specially designed by me.

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beth babe: hi edward:) could you please tell me where michelles gold-like jeans are from that she wears with the silver vest in episode 8? also where is the blue vest top and the orange bra from that she wears? i cant remember which episode she wore them in sorry, thanks so much! the skins style owns:) x

Edward: Michelle's gold jeans were from Morgan , blue vest from Oasis and orange bra from La Senza. ------------------------------------------------

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Mae Catt’s Cyberverse Q&A

Here’s a neater version of some key Q&A responses from Mae Catt’s Cyberverse stream. 

Please note: not everything is verbatim, and also note that Mae Catt said “Don’t take things I say as the end-all be-all.” She’s a big supporter of fanfic writers!

This Q&A session contains spoilers for Season 3 of Cyberverse. For a (somewhat) more comprehensive transcript, please refer to this post.

Q: Megop rights?

“Oh absolutely, duh.”

Q: What does Optimus do when he’s not giving speeches / being a leader when they were all hanging out on the ARK?

I think he reads, he seems like a heavy reader. It’d be cute if he read really bad Earth romance novels. He seems like a guy who needs a break from everything.

Q: Does Optimus have hobbies?

Not to borrow from Rung, but doesn’t it seem like Optimus would make model ships? Very quiet, very focused detail-oriented hobby. *pauses* Oh duh, he also plays basketball.

Q: How did the Decepticons learn to stream? 

Because they’re deceptive! Megatron knew he should dedicate some time to winning the hearts and minds of humans. Starscreams’ funeral was not the first time they streamed. Optimus would use the official media channels (like the news), not a streaming service. Megatron would try to speak more directly to the people.

Q: Is Optimus the type of streamer who would take 10 minutes to figure out how to un-mute his microphone?

Optimus is a dad. He has no idea what’s going on with streaming. Optimus would say embarrassing things while Bee and Hot Rod were in the middle of streaming something.

Q: Is Megatron dead?

In discussions we wanted to kill him. We wanted to do a reverse Optimus death. However, in the final product, I kinda enjoy the ambiguity rather than the final decision. Can’t remember if we were decisive about that in the script.

Q: Did the Titan mind Decepticons living in them?

The Titans want to be cities. They want citizens. They want to be lived in, that brings them joy.

Q: Does Megatron do anything for fun or is he too angry?

I want to say he’s too angry, he has fun beating people down but I don’t think he’s had fun for a long time.

Q: How would you feel about a female Optimus Prime? 

[GAY LAUGHTER] 

The question is: do you turn Optimus Prime into a woman, or do you take characters like Elita One and uplift her? I would want to lean more into giving Elita One more oomph, I do love how Optimus doubts himself and if he’s worthy of being a Prime.

(Mae Catt talked a lot about representation and later mentioned how there's more pressure to write the girl characters well, especially because of the need for better representation. They wanted more girls in the show, and they planned to have Jazz be a girl).

Q: Elita prime when?

All the time, in my heart!

Q: Did you plan to have ___ character in the show?

Almost every character was discussed at least once. 

She really regrets that they didn’t get to have Beast Machine Obsidian or Rumble and Frenzy in the show, and says she would’ve loved a MTMTE-style Ultra Magnus / Minimus and Transmutate. She didn’t know what Obsidian’s personality would be, it was just a “Look how cool he is!” sort of thing.

(Note: We have Mae Catt to thank for Whirl getting into Cyberverse)

Q: What was your favorite episode?

“I Am the AllSpark” because of the Megatron and Starscream dialogue (which she wrote). Also S2 04 Soundwave and Shockwave.

I enjoyed writing Starscream most, Clobber and Hot Rod became a joy, S2 E4 was my first episode, and it was fun getting into Hot Rod’s voice. It was hard doing Optimus’ voice, I’d always pass it off to someone to look at it.

Q: Did you ever plan to have Hot Rod become Rodimus?

Rodimus was never considered for the show because Optimus dying has been covered to death, but we were adamant about portraying Hot Rod as someone who wanted to be a leader. Hot Rod is someone who is learning to be a leader.

(On that note, when someone asked if she thought Bee would ever become Prime, Mae Catt said:)

I don’t think Bee would be a Prime. Windblade and Hot Rod would be a better Prime. He wouldn’t want to be a Prime. He’s the #2 to Primes!

Q: Did Megatron always plan to return to Cybertron?

Megatron’s priorities changed when he saw his doppelganger. Realizing he was a horrible tyrant, that scared him enough to return and not kill Optimus and make peace no matter what.

Q: Which death hurt you the most?

Starscream. (Slipstream’s hurt too).

We didn’t want to kill people off willy-nilly for shock value, but in certain instances it made sense. Like, the audience will fall in love with Slipstream because she’s becoming good, so she has to die. (She apologized for that sounding harsh). We killed Prowl because it was Shadow Striker doing the killing and he’s a self-sacrificing lieutenant. I almost wanted Starscream to emerge from the Judge’s head untouched, but I’m ultimately glad that idea got shot down.

(She circles back to this comment later, so I’m making note of that here since it wasn’t a direct response to a question)

When I was desperately trying to save Starscream’s life even though I brutally murdered Slipstream, I wanted Starscream to have amnesia and have a redeption arc. I wanted him to have a Windblade shard and have it be kind of like Castaway, where the only person he talked to was that (and the shard only had 5 phrases it could say). Eventually Bee would befriend him and he’d wind up with the Autobots.

I wanted to write Starscream kind of like an abuse victim who expects the worst of the Autobots, but I wanted him to warm up slowly to them. I wanted to have a Starscream and Optimus episode where Starscream messes up on something and Optimus is like “you did your best and that’s what counts”, a response which is totally new to Starscream. But obviously we didn’t have time for that.

Regarding redemption arcs (a continuation from the previous question, and a huge highlight from the stream):

Re: the potential for Starscream’s redemption arc “A redemption arc needs to be facilitated by a character acknowledging that what they did was wrong. He would have had a laundry list of excuses for it, even if there was all that evidence to the contrary, but the character needs to acknowledge that reasons don’t matter because people got hurt [by their actions]. [The character] needs to intend to do better. Let them try and let them fail, they don’t need to do a 180, it’s hard work to be a better person.”

NOTE: Mae Catt also made a few more comments re: the idea of a Starscream redemption arc on her Tumblr page.

Q: Did Megatron really kill Starscream?

The Starscream beatdown was super severe and they were like “holy frick they’re really going for it” when they saw the storyboards. According to Maecatt, Megatron didn’t kill Starscream when he slammed him down (which is a bit confusing since the show definitely made it seem like Starscream died). 

Q: Did Drift die? Why was he a double-agent?

According to us, Drift did not make it, but I fully endorse whatever you want. We needed a double-agent, someone who would (seemingly) kill Hot Rod. (She says they went with Drift because of his history in the comics).

(Later on in the stream)

Maybe Drift is alive, maybe he’s rethinking his decision and he’ll come back later. Drift would’ve been helpful in S3 for sure, maybe he’d come back with Repugnis or something.

Q: Why are you so mean to Percy? 

He's so mature and pragmatic that he can take it, and is willing to take one for the team bc he understands that it's what he needs to do. (In response to someone’s comment about his personality) Yes, he’s calmly feral.

Q: Is Skullcruncher Percy's bouncer now that he's running Maccadam's? 

Oh totally.

(She later mentions that Percy has permanently taken over Maccadam’s. Also: Skullcruncher is a lady! She misses Mac, but Percy takes good care of her).

Q: If Tarn is the perfect Decepticon who's the perfect Autobot? 

A firetruck alt mode, and an Autobot insignia as a face. Nat (her fiance) and I talked about it a lot. Optimus SHOULD be a fire truck, it makes the relationship between him and Ratchet a little more fun since Ratchet is an ambulance, and Optimus has an ax. It just makes sense! 

(She agreed that the perfect Autobot would be Thunderclash after the chat said that).

On that note, Mae Catt said they used Tarn for the show because: “OBVIOUSLY (the perfect decepticon) should look like this guy. A faceless mindless Decepticon that only serves Megatron”.

Q:  What sort of documents DID Optimus work on in the archives? 

Probably historical archives and working on stuff about all the Primes. Something like the French / American revolution equivalent, which informed his speech writing for Megatron and his own ethics.

Q: Did you always plan to make Optimus socially awkward? 

We “found” the social awkwardness for Optimus. Optimus was depicted as a father figure in S1 (implying it’s because S1 is from Bee’s perspective), S2 / S3 we were able to explore more and found the limits [writing him] and found it was hard to maintain that level of heroic dialogue. Optimus would feel awkward about it too. Randolph did an impression of Optimus’ speech for the Party Down episode. “[Optimus] can’t not be in war-mode.”

Q: Were Optimus and Megatron ever friends, or did they just work together on the speech stuff? 

Oh hell yes, I think [the story] is always enhanced when they’re friends and when Optimus really believes in what Megatron was working on. Optimus’ rejection of Megatron is what pushes him over the edge, his best friend rejecting him pushes him into a place where he becomes a tyrannical person.

Q: Does Maccadam know we love him? 

Mae Catt: *puts hand over hear heart and looks off into the distance dramatically* Yes.

Q:  What’s the best selfie Arcee’s ever taken? 

I like the one with the giraffe. Or maybe a selfie with some humans. I like the idea of Arcee having a bunch of human friends. 

Q: What do the Transformers think of the Florida Man? 

They can’t really tell the difference between humans, they don’t really get it. It just sorta looks like all the normal stuff they see on Earth (or something). 

Q: Who’s the Florida Man of the Transformers? 

Rack ‘n Ruin. But he’s too nice. Hmmm.

Q: What was most important to you personally to put out in each episode? Like humor/characterization/arcs 

I wanted to make sure I didn’t write dialogue that was condescending to kids, wanted to be true about the character. Dialogue needs to be true to the characters, and gay. (Laughs)

Q: Do Transformers know what memes are?

They know what they ARE, but they don’t get it. We wanted Hot Rod to be super into Earth culture (winning races and driving off before humans could realize no one was in the car), but we never had time to really get into that.

Q: What music does Soundwave like?

We had a cut joke from S2 E5 [where Megatron and Optimus are popping through portals all around the world trying to find the All Spark] . Soundwave pops into Brazil where there’s a music festival and he crashes the concert and hang out. He likes EDM the most? 

His favorite song is Despacito. He thinks its so sad.

Q: Were you surprised that Jake Tillman was in his 20s listening to his Optimus voice the first time?

She apparently listened to his vines a lot when he was in his teens so meeting up again like that was a cool coincidence. 

Q: What other dimensions or places did you want to be in the show?

I would’ve liked to have the other Transformers series show up (TFP, TFA, G1, Shattered Glass) but we don’t have those assets or budget. 

“This will quickly become unclear to audiences who aren’t (you people).” They couldn’t have all these references when some of their audience wouldn’t get it. 

Q: What about ____ ship?

Mae Catt says she doesn’t want to yuck anybody’s yums. For example, someone asked about Arcee/Grimlock, and while she said she sees them more as friends, she didn’t say they can’t be in a relationship. (Mae Catt also said she doesn’t ship Bee with anyone because she sees him as a little brother).

As she said several times in the stream, “Don’t take things I say as the end-all be-all”!

That being said, she did say she likes Dead End / Perceptor and Windblade / Slipstream.

Q: Why are there no humans in the show?

From the show’s conception, there were no plans to include any humans. They didn’t want humans distracting from the Transformers.

Q: Why did the Scientist collect Soundwaves?

He collects Soundwave because Soundwave is COOL! Wouldn’t you collect a single father of 5 who carries them around in his chest?

Why does anyone collect what they collect? “That’s a really angry dad who’s got five children he carries around in him and he plays music. Gotta have that!”

(Later on, she circles back to this question)

All the Other Universe Soundwaves the Scientist collected also had their own Laserbeaks. I wonder if the scientist would’ve taken them out. He might’ve just gotten rid of them.

(And of course, here are the boyfriend questions from the stream:)

Q: Is Dead End a good boyfriend?

Dead End is a work in progress, but maybe Percy is patient enough to get him there

(Mae Catt says she really loves the Deadceptor ship. She knew people would ship it, but she didn’t ship it herself until she saw the fanart for it).

Q: Is Astrotrain a good boyfriend?

No, no...he’s not a good person, really.

Q: Is Percy a good boyfriend?

Absolutely--WAIT HOLD ON. He’s very blunt, he doesn’t mince words, if you can handle his bluntness then you’re good. He is what he is and you have to deal with him.

Q: Is Soundwave a good boyfriend?

Soundwave is not a good boyfriend. He’s a good casual romance but he’s not a good boyfriend. Soundwave would be a terrible listener. He hears a lot but he’d tune you out.

Other information tidbits:

- If Thunderclash was in the show he and Jetfire would HATE each other. Thunderclash would be a rival reality star (maybe) to Media Fire.

- Mae Catt said “A lot of intelligent life is inherently mechanical” in space, explaining why so much of the non-Cybertronian life we saw in the show were robots.

- Knock Out was considered for the show, but every Transformer under the sun was discussed at some point in the writer’s room. (Ex: “Rumble and Frenzy are always considered in my heart, but there wasn’t enough time or space or assets to do so”).

- “The brand team had grown up on the toys as we had grown up on the ‘toons, so we just wanted to make the best thing imaginable.”

- They decided Optimus would be in the Other Universe’s Matrix and have a plinth because they wanted to show he was dead. “Logical backflips because he needed to be among the 13 to talk to Windblade.” 

- Dead End’s eyes are white.

- The team wanted Jazz to be a lady (!!!!!!!)  

- These characters have their own lives that we don’t see. Lots of stuff happening between episodes that we don’t always necessarily see.

- Developing Sky-Byte’s character was simultaneous with Jetfire’s character. “We knew we wanted Sky-Byte to be a poet, and we wanted him and Megatron to be chummy”.

- Percy did permanently take over Mac’s bar.  

- Her favorite VA is Jeremy Levy, he’s a really cool guy.

- She thinks Starscream and Cheetor could become (not necessarily friends, but connected?) because of their connection to the All Spark. Mentions how Starscream acknowledge Cheetor as the “Guardian of the Allspark”.

- Mae Catt describes Starscream as an “Awful gremlin” several times.

- Astrotrain and the Insecticons are from Megatron X’s universe.

- She thinks Cliffjumper and Bee wouldn’t get along, solely because of the IDW2 comic stuff. (They had a cut joke about someone telling Bee he should paint himself red and Bee saying, “But then everyone will think I’m Cliffjumper!”).

- Cyberverse got 26 episodes for season 3 because they had the 4-part episode movies.

- Megatron cares about his troops, but not in a way that we would notice that care. 

- AcidStorm is genderfluid. 

-  Cold Construction doesn’t exist in this show. When asked why all the Seekers look the same then, Mae Catt says “Maybe there’s one jet mode all the seekers really like”.

- She loves the idea of Wild Wheel robbing Astrotrain in train-mode, totally Wild West-style.

- One of the things she’s proudest of was turning Lugnut into a gal (and having so much body diversity and gender-neutral designs for a lot of characters). They wanted to include many more girls in Cyberverse (Nickel and Lightbright among them). She also mentioned that  Shadow Striker is taller than Optimus or is his height.

- She describes Cosmos as “R2D2, but a Transformer!”

- Maccadam looking like a buff Rung was just a strange coincidence.

- Blurr really was the fastest.

- Mae Catt says we absolutely SHOULD write fanfic. Fanfiction made her into the writer she is today. She wrote non-stop Matrix fanfic from the age of 12-20 years old. It helped her learn a lot about writing.

- She uses “They” pronouns for Rack ‘n Ruin when referring to both of them, but says that individually they both use “he”.

- She’s really sad that Skywarp didn’t get a speaking line.

- Mae Catt won’t say whether Ratchet finished medical school or not. (She laughed when someone commented "I don’t believe that man has ever been to medical school”). She also says she wants “I choose to believe Ratchet has never been to medical school” on a T-shirt.

- When asked why Rack ‘n Ruin were captains of the Ark in one universe, she says they’re probably the Prime in that one weird universe (lmao).

- She loves the idea that Transformers have siblings / families.

- In a world where they had an unlimited budget, it’d be fun if Cybertronians were constantly shape-shifting and changing their forms. Example: she’d like having Transformers who “grew a beard” and decided to “shave it”.

- She doesn’t understand cycles or astrocycles, she doesn’t understand the weird Transformers time stuff. (mood)

- She loved Beast Wars Inferno, she loved that Inferno called Megatron a Queen. It was played as a joke because the 90s weren’t very socially conscious, but she liked that Megatron never corrected him or beat him down.

- Shockwave altered his spark to have maximum bad vibes to destroy the All Spark.

- She said it’s hard talking about writing a show because you’re designing the experience and you have to make sometimes what sounds like cold and pragmatic decisions (eg: "we need a cold and spunky female”) which sucks, but they need to balance out the show. She says she’d never do that just for the sake of doing it, but it’s part of something that they do need to be aware of while working on a show. “It starts from a weirdly cold pragmatic place, but we try and put truth in it”.

- They didn’t want to have Unicron in the show since he’s the default “big bad”, but if he was in the show, Mae Catt says “If you put the proverbial budget-gun to my head, I’d keep Unicron in planet-mode because it’s more mysterious, but I want both alt modes”.

- Her favorite Megatron is Beast Wars Megatron.

- She doesn’t like Sky Lnxy’s design, it’s creepy. “He talks in the G1 episodes and the voice makes it worse.” She can’t get over his face.

- “I’d love to see more jets [who aren’t our usual gang] and find out all jets are kinda snobby, which explains why Starscream’s the way he is”.

- Everyone on the Autobot side are friends with each other.

Thanks for your time Mae Catt! We’re lucky to have you. Thank you for all your hard work on this amazing show.

[fantastic-rambles]

Your Move [1]

Fandom: Yuukoku no Moriarty

Summary: I just wanted William to play chess with Sherlock because I’m a nerd. Starts shortly before the events of “Scandal in the British Empire” and will loosely follow the manga (hopefully). A real game is played throughout the story. [NOTE: Given the time period, there’s an argument to be made that they should be using descriptive notation, which was far more common in England at the time. But I personally believe that William would opt to use the more elegant algebraic notation. I also wanted to confuse John initially, not that that’s hard. Lol.]

Characters: Sherlock Holmes, William James Moriarty, John Watson, Louis James Moriarty, Sebastian Moran, Fred Porlock, Albert James Moriarty (mentioned)

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 2.5k

"Holmes! Hey, Holmes! Message for you!"

John and Sherlock looked up at the cheeky call, watching Wiggins run up to them while waving an envelope. It was about the size of a calling card, and after Sherlock accepted it and turned it over, they both saw that the front was blank.

"I've got orders to wait for your reply," Wiggins informed Sherlock with a grin, a shilling flashing briefly between his fingers before it disappeared. Curious, John peered over Sherlock's shoulder as he opened the envelope, pulling out a small card with a cryptic message written in a neat script.

1. e4 Your move, Mr. Detective.

But Sherlock seemed to have understood it immediately, given the way his face had lit up. Usually, he only looked that excited when he was solving an interesting case or talking about the mysterious Lord of Crime.

"John, give me a pen," Sherlock said, holding a hand out expectantly as he flipped the card over to the other side. Even though he was still confused, John obeyed, unclipping the pen from his pocket and handing it over. Grinning, the master detective scrawled "e6" onto the back before stuffing it back in the envelope and handing it to Wiggins, who immediately dashed off.

"What was that about, Sherlock?" John asked as he tucked his pen away again. "Something related to the Lord of Crime?"

"Nah, it was Liam. He must be in London today!" Sherlock's stride lengthened as he made as if to follow the urchin, and John had to hurry to catch up to his sudden energy. He'd only really seen William James Moriarty in passing, when he had been arrested on the train and subsequently exonerated, but Lestrade had told him afterwards about the young noble who had proved himself to be as intelligent as Sherlock. John found it hard to believe that there could be anyone who could compete with his flatmate, but he did feel a sense of gratitude to Moriarty for his contributions to securing his freedom.

Still, seeing how Sherlock could behave like a child… or rather, a child looking forward to playing with a friend (since he behaved like a child most of the time), John felt that he could believe Lestrade. Just talking to anyone else seemed to bore Sherlock since it was incredibly difficult--if not impossible--to keep up with him, so for him to actively seek out someone else suggested that, at the very least, he sincerely found them to be fascinating. John couldn't help feeling bad for William, though; Sherlock was difficult enough to deal with when he had no personal interest in someone. To be an object of his obsession seemed like it would be positively exhausting.

"Wait, Sherlock. Wiggins went that way," John pointed out as they crossed an intersection where he'd seen the boy turn left, but Sherlock shook his head.

"Do you really think I'm going to chase after a child? As long as I can figure out where Liam is, that's what's important. Taxi!"

John sighed, but he followed Sherlock into the hansom cab, listening to his friend give instructions to the driver. Their route brought them to the outskirts of London, depositing them outside a large manor, and John had a sinking feeling that he knew just who the owner was. Sherlock didn't hesitate to step inside the gates and walk up the broad walkway framed by carefully manicured gardens, while John followed more hesitantly.

"Sherlock, there's etiquette that should be observed when you're calling on someone," he whispered. If the card had really come from the second son of the Moriarty family, then wouldn't he be in town, rather than at home? John simply couldn't fathom how Sherlock had come to the conclusion that the man was here, and he hoped that his friend wouldn't make too much of a fuss when he was told otherwise.

"Don't be such a bore, John. Knowing Liam, he's probably expecting me." He rapped smartly on the door before John could reply. Bracing himself for the inevitable confrontation, John glanced around the grounds. There seemed to be a surprising lack of servants: John had only spotted one young-looking gardener kneeling by some rose bushes. He had looked up briefly as the two men passed by before returning to his work, and John wondered if the other workers were just taking a break. It hardly seemed likely that such a well-tended estate could be managed by just one worker.

When the door opened, a rather rough-looking butler looked out at the two of them, and John tried to look apologetic, but Sherlock didn't seem put off at all, speaking up before the other man could even inquire about their visit.

"Is Liam in?" Sherlock asked.

The man seemed to contemplate them for a little longer before turning around and calling, "Oi, Will, there's two blokes here to see you! I think one of them's that famous detective!"

His lack of propriety shocked John. Were the Moriartys some sort of eccentric family? Their servants certainly gave him that impression. Or maybe they had hired them out of noblesse oblige, giving them an opportunity to earn a living and learn how to work, so that they could find employment in other houses afterwards, as some other families did. After all, they had adopted and cared for two orphan children, one of whom had died in a fire, but the other one still lived with them. If so, that was rather admirable, though still odd, as there didn't appear to be any upper servants who would normally be given the role of training new workers. But before he could contemplate the situation further, a familiar face appeared in the doorway of another room.

"Mr. Holmes? And Dr. Watson?"

The young aristocrat approached the two of them, his expression curious, but not surprised.

"We were just about to have tea," William informed them. "Would you like to join us?"

"Thanks for the invitation!" Sherlock replied enthusiastically, stepping inside without any reservations. John followed more slowly, letting the butler close the door behind them. All three of them followed William through the room that he had appeared from, stepping out onto a low patio that looked out over the garden. William's adopted brother--Louis, if John remembered correctly--was standing by a table already set for afternoon tea, meticulously polishing one of the knives before setting it down. Four places had been set, which surprised John. It seemed that Sherlock had been right: William had been expecting them.

"Please, sit." William gestured to the chairs, and Sherlock and Louis immediately claimed the seats closest to him, leaving John to gingerly take his own seat across from William. Louis poured out the tea with a deft hand as Sherlock leaned towards William, his eyes glittering with excitement.

"So, Liam, what brings you to London? Another plot by the Lord of Crime?" he asked, plucking a scone off the platter and shoving it whole into his mouth. John, who had just begun to sip on his tea, choked. Seizing a napkin, he began to cough vigorously into it, his eyes huge. Was Sherlock really suggesting that William was a murderer, or at least working with one? His coughing fit prevented him from hearing most of the answer, but judging from William's face, he hadn't taken any offense at the accusation.

"... just helping Albert out," William was saying airily when John finally managed to get himself back under control. Taking a deep breath, he managed another sip of tea without incident before helping himself to a madeleine.

"Albert is your elder brother, right? And he's in the military?"

"He was, but he's been discharged. Currently, he's setting up a company to invest in trading companies or factories in England. After all, it would be beneficial to our society to support progress and provide people with opportunities to break free of the traditional system in which the poor are bound to the land they are born on, with no choice but to work for the gentry, don't you think?"

"Aaaah, that sort of stuff doesn't concern me," Sherlock replied, waving his hand dismissively, and John winced. Of course, he knew that Sherlock was the kind of person who completely ignored anything that didn't interest him, but for him to continue behaving in such a way when they were guests was deeply insulting to the host. "You're probably right, though, Liam. Anyways, it seems that my reply hasn't arrived yet? e6."

William arched an eyebrow, then leaned back and beckoned the butler over, murmuring something to him before turning back to Sherlock. "d4."

"d5."

They spat strange codes at each other, and John glanced at Louis, who looked irritated as he stared at Sherlock. John couldn't blame him: if William was half as obnoxious as Sherlock when it came to flaunting his intellect, then the other man must have also gone through a lot. Feeling as though the two of them had been left out of whatever was happening, John leaned towards the other man.

"The tea is very nice," he said awkwardly, but at least it caught Louis' attention.

"Thank you," Louis replied with some stiffness.

"Do you know what they're doing?"

Just as Louis was about to reply, William and Sherlock's next exchange answered the question for him, though it seemed that they were using some sort of system that John was unfamiliar with.

"Knight to c3."

"Bishop to b4."

"e5."

"c5."

By then, the butler had reappeared with a chess board, placing it down between Sherlock and William. As William reached out to move a piece, Sherlock chuckled.

"You can't expect me to believe that you need that, Liam. Come on, let's keep going."

But William just smiled as he continued to rearrange the board.

"There's a certain charm in moving the pieces yourself, Mr. Holmes. It's easy to just use words to command others, but if you distance yourself from the feeling of having their lives in your hands, it's very easy to forget what's important. A game of chess is ultimately a game of war, and even the pieces that fall to the wayside or are sacrificed should have their value remembered. Don't you agree, Dr. Watson?"

"Excuse me?" John blinked, surprised to be suddenly addressed, and William picked up a bishop, toying idly with the carved birch piece.

"As an army doctor, you would have a better insight into this discussion, wouldn't you?" William asked, staring at him intently. John was reminded of the unwavering stare of a viper, coiled in the trenches and ready to strike at any man unwary enough to walk about without checking if there was anything underfoot. "To you, are the men you treated, or those who died on the operating table, just numbers? Or did they have names and families, reasons to travel so far from home to die in a distant land?"

"Well..." John shifted uncomfortably, his mind shying away from those memories, so he was relieved when Sherlock suddenly reached out and grabbed William's hand.

"Oi, Liam, it's just a game. Make your move already."

William blinked, and the intense pressure that John was feeling faded. "Ah. I apologize if my questions upset you, Dr. Watson. Excessive curiosity is not a very attractive trait, I'm afraid, but it is one of my flaws."

He contemplated the board briefly before placing down the piece in his hand. "Bishop to d2."

"Brother," Louis interrupted softly. "We're supposed to meet Albert soon."

"Is it that time already?" William pulled out a pocket watch, opening it to examine the dial. Then, he snapped it closed again, getting to his feet and straightening his clothing. "I do apologize, gentlemen, but we have a prior engagement. If you'll just wait a short while, Mr. Moran will call you a cab."

"Eh, don't be such a killjoy, Liam. You're heading into town, right? You could give us a ride," Sherlock protested, but William shook his head, smiling enigmatically.

"Unfortunately, I would not be good company. There are several documents that I was planning to go over this afternoon, so I'll need to catch up on them in the carriage instead. But it was worth it, as this was far more enjoyable. Mr. Holmes, Dr. Watson." He inclined his head slightly in a clear farewell, leaving the patio with his brother trailing behind him.

"Liam! Knight to e7!" Sherlock called after him before slumping back in his chair. He reached out to nudge his knight forward before sighing and tilting his head back to stare at the sky. John recognized the signs for the start of one of his flatmate's dark moods, but fortunately, the butler came to fetch them before Sherlock tried to do anything extreme. Again, John was struck by how unprofessional the man seemed as he ushered them out the door and into the waiting carriage.

"Sherlock, what do you think of the butler? Mr. Moran?" John asked in an attempt to distract his friend as the horses clopped through the gate. Sherlock was digging around in his pockets, eventually pulling out his cigarette case and taking one out.

"Match," he ordered brusquely, and John handed him the requested match, waiting for him to light his cigarette and take a long drag. Only after that did Sherlock deign to answer his question.

"He isn't a butler by trade. He was a soldier before--an officer, most likely, since he seems to come from a noble family. He probably saw a lot of men that he cared about die while he was abroad, but unlike you, he seems to be mostly over it now. Perhaps you should ask him for a referral to his therapist."

John frowned. "What's a man like that doing as a butler?"

"What's an army doctor doing as an assistant to the world's only consulting detective?" Sherlock retorted. "People have their own circumstances, and their decisions don't always make sense to others. What?"

John was gaping at his friend as though he'd suddenly grown another head.

"What?" Sherlock repeated, and John shook off his surprise slowly.

"I didn't expect you to actually show consideration towards someone else," he replied, his eyebrows still raised.

"What are you talking about? What about Hope?" Sherlock pointed out, sounding mildly irritated, as he usually did whenever John pointed out something patently obvious--at least to Sherlock. But before John could respond, the carriage stopped, and their driver announced, "221 Baker Street!"

They exited the cab, and as they were crossing the threshold of 221B, John suddenly remembered another, more pressing issue.

"And what was that about? Accusing William of being the Lord of Crime? Even as a joke, that was incredibly rude of you!" he reprimanded Sherlock, only to be taken aback when the other man actually laughed out loud. The suddenness of it even prompted Miss Hudson to poke her head around the corner to see what was happening.

"He's brilliant, isn't he? But you don't need to worry about that, John. He's just playing along, like he did on the train. God, if he really was the Lord, it would be perfect!"

Still laughing, he headed upstairs. John exchanged an exasperated look with Miss Hudson's confused one, then headed up himself.

[Part 2]

[bemused-writer]

Witch Hat Atelier Chapters 38-40 Analysis

Anyone who is caught up with the currently translated chapters has been having a lot of thoughts, and since I didn't do it chapter-by-chapter, I decided to go over all three in one go.

At the very start of chapter 38 we see Coco decide what path she is going to take, but rather than go to the "right" or the "left," she goes right down the middle. While this is portrayed as very literally (in each direction is a physical destination), I think we can safely say that there is a symbolic take on this as well.

What is the middle path? It's one that's supposed to be balanced; it avoids extremes, and it's true that by choosing to save Qifrey she's also symbolically choosing his path, one she believes that avoids the Brimmed Caps willingness to do anything and Beldaruit's refusal to test the boundaries of magic. Beldaruit is basically a stand in for "normal witch society," so it's basically the middle path between orthodoxy and heresy.

Of course, one has to wonder if Qifrey really qualifies as a middle path. It's what he portrayed to Coco, and maybe what he believes he's doing, but as we've seen, Qifrey's sense of right and wrong is a little skewed.

This is the most honest depiction of Qifrey's logic; he has "hope" and he is willing to sacrifice anything to see it realized. He knows he is walking a dark path and he will not be dissuaded from it.

As for Coco, she's not all that different from Qifrey; the only real difference is what stage of life they're in and that Coco has a teacher who is willing to encourage her, even when she has "unrealistic" expectations of magic.

She knows that if he hadn't provided that bit of hope, she would have gone to the "dark side." She knows perfectly well how easy it would be to join the Brimmed Caps because there's something she needs to accomplish no matter what. This leads to another question: if Coco is willing to join the Brimmed Caps should no other course present itself, what of Qifrey? He says he has hope, but where is that hope even coming from? Why hasn't he taken up forbidden magic outside of taking one's memory? There's either something holding him back (likely his loyalty to his students) or he knows something he hasn't revealed yet.

Okay, so here we can see that a lot of Coco's motivation--and indeed the reason she refused forbidden magic--is because she wants to make Qifrey proud. His opinion means a lot to her and he holds a lot of influence. If Qifrey were to join the Brimmed Caps, I think Coco would be likely to join him unless she found someone with equal or more influence to him to convince her not to. The way things are developing, the most likely person would be Agott, who has already cautioned her against using forbidden magic, and is basically developing into the Olruggio of their friendship. Actually, one of the main things that got Agott to begin changing her ways was Olruggio when he first reminded her of what her duty as a witch is back in volume 2.

Speaking of Olruggio, chapter 39 is an entire flashback designed to give us some insight into his personality.

We're shown that Olruggio has at least one admirer, Hiheart, and likely many more than that considering how well known he is to the witch world. Utowin mentioned he was a genius and we've seen several of his inventions used regularly. Even so, he doesn't seek out fame or seem all that interested in it.

This only gets emphasized by how little he's interested in helping the aristocracy. He does it because it's his job, but his passion lies in helping the poor.

But this is more or less what we already knew about Olruggio; it simply reemphasizes the point for us, perhaps to demonstrate just how important this is. He lives his life by this philosophy. It's a juxtaposition to his lack of students when he so enjoys helping others. (And we've seen that he enjoys instructing as well.)

All right, all three of these panels are pretty important because they give the final insight into why Olruggio doesn't have students and his viewpoint on helping others. He believes a teacher should place their students above all else; it's what he's always telling Qifrey. Likewise, he's saying he couldn't do that himself and that's why he isn't a teacher. Why wouldn't he be able to place students above all else? Probably because of his loyalties to Qifrey; he is Qifrey's support, the very support Suzie was saying would be so useful to have so that you can both be a teacher and pursue your other goals. But Olruggio doesn't have that himself because, frankly, Qifrey hasn't reciprocated it. Therefore, Olruggio can't have his own students.

There's also the matter that I think in the end, Olruggio kind of agrees with Qifrey on one thing in particular even if he wouldn't come right out and say it: magic is being held back from so many people who could benefit from it, and is that really fair?

Olruggio wants to help those in need, but he can't help as much as he'd like. He can't teach anyone he'd like. There are restrictions. He can't use healing magic to help this child and he can't teach him magic; he can only make a device to help him. I think that both he and Qifrey would agree that's unfair. The difference is that since Olruggio is Qifrey's support, he ultimately wants Qifrey to be safe, more than he wants him to do whatever he pleases (such as taking Coco in and breaking all kinds of other laws).

Come chapter 40, and Olruggio straight up admits that "as a friend, I'm supposed to help you, right?" He feels he has failed Qifrey and been a bad friend. More than that, he feels he's failed at the two jobs he cares about most:

Literally the only requirement Olruggio has for helping Qifrey with whatever it is he wants to do is that he continues to be a good teacher to the kids because they trust him and he should earn that trust. Not exactly an absurd thing to ask of somebody. He asks him why he's reopening his investigation into the Brimmed Caps, not to stop Qifrey, but to offer support.

And the reason Qifrey is looking into things again is because he's losing his eyesight; he won't be able to be a teacher anymore if that happens since he has to see the kids' drawings to teach them. He would lose everything that has made his life worthwhile up to this point if that occurred. So, his desperation is understandable as well as some of the more extreme methods he's used.

It's also suggested that the eye they already stole from him is being used for a plan that could have catastrophic results, but what that plan is exactly is left a mystery save that it's a new kind of magic.

But rather than confide in Olruggio any further, he attempts to "protect" him.

He erases Olruggio's memories and it's implied that he's either done this before or that he's willing to do it again. "You're such a kind person. I'm sure you'll end up forgiving me again." And isn't that seriously taking someone's friendship for granted? That no matter what you do to them, they'll understand and still come back? That's not how it works, not even for a friendship as powerful as theirs.

Sadly, I do believe Qifrey has Olruggio's best interests at heart here, but he's gotten so caught up in his own world that he's hurting the people around him. And Olruggio isn't an idiot; he's going to figure out that something odd happened. He knows he meant to talk to Qifrey and he's eventually going to figure out there are gaps in his memory as well.

All this "protection" is likely going to lead to Olruggio being in more danger than Qifrey as well. At least Qifrey is going into this with his eyes wide open; Olruggio is going to end up trying to help him without all the necessary information. It seems all too likely that at some point in this series, Olruggio will be seriously injured trying to help him, and only then will Qifrey realize how much he's jeopardized in his pursuit of the Brimmed Caps. What if Olruggio can no longer perform magic? Would this be the breaking point that leads Qifrey to practice forbidden magic? Some food for thought, if nothing else.

This is such an odd statement to me. Why would Olruggio be good at telling lies? Does Qifrey think Olruggio's been lying to him about something and if so, why? If anything, Olruggio is one of the most honest people in this series. It seems to me that at this point, Olruggio is better at understanding Qifrey than the other way around.

This wrapped up the chapter more or less. Coco noticed something was wrong immediately, but Qifrey assured her things were fine. They then see some shooting stars and the next arc is about to begin with Tartah introducing a new magic shop. I'm very curious to see how these different threads are woven together and how Olruggio fairs after this.

[apricitystudies]

Hi Megan, sorry for the stupid question but I just started learning chess and I was wondering about the queen's gambit opening. How can it start with D4 if the queen can't move there? Again, I'm so sorry if this is a stupid question and sorry to bother!

Also, what is the point of the queen's gambit? It just doesn't make sense to me to lose a pawn like that. Thank you!

hi!! the queen's gambit starts with the queen pawn to d4, not the queen itself. the queen pawn is the pawn on the queen file, just like how the queen bishop is the bishop next to the queen. likewise, the queen bishop pawn is the pawn on the file of the queen bishop, etc.

in chess, a gambit means you sacrifice material (a piece) to gain a positional advantage (e.g. control of the centre or opening up your side to develop your major pieces faster). in the queen's gambit, you give up that queen bishop pawn to get a better position (sort of but not really, longer explanation under the cut!!)

the queen's gambit

technically, the queen's gambit is not a real gambit because that queen bishop pawn isn't a real sacrifice. you're appearing to sacrifice it, but if your opponent accepts the "sacrifice", they're actually putting themselves at a disadvantage. you probably won't lose that pawn because most people would decline the gambit (as in they won't take the sacrifice), but even if you do, it benefits you later on.

queen's gambit accepted (if your opponent captures the pawn)

black's queen pawn on c4 is now unprotected and it's pretty easy for white to capture back later on. e.g. white can play e4 (move the king pawn up) to have both d and e pawns controlling the centre, while also opening up the king bishop to attack black's pawn on c4. white has a far better centre position than black here (that being said, if white captures on c4, black gets to use that turn to develop their pieces or attack the centre, or black could always choose to protect the pawn on c4 with its other pawns).

if your opponent doesn't capture the pawn

white’s pawn is left on c4 to attack one of the centre squares, which puts white in a strong position to control the centre. black does have ways to counter, though; there are plenty of defences against the queen's gambit where black declines. some of the main ones if you want to read up on them are the queen's gambit declined, albin countergambit, and the slav defense.

i hope that explanation made sense!! it might help to set up the board and work through some of these opening lines so you can visualise them better.