#I totally didn’t write this while watching Avatar & Aladdin

[the-witches-you-couldnt-burn]

You wish

MGI Bracket War: ROUND TWO

Prompt: “I wanted it to be you”

Do you guys like my line breaker? I made it! ☺️

Ao3

Once upon a time, there was MAGIC

It once flowed through the land like the wind, grew like the grass underfoot and traversed multiple mountain ranges.

Before it became barren, this land was lush and full of life. And here lived a multitude of magical creatures that lived in harmony with humans.

This ancient land was called Mirac.

Then the Empire attacked

Fire and bombs destroyed the earth, trees were cut down to build Noble castles, and the magical creatures were enslaved.

Thus birthed the Empire’s most powerful weapon; the Genie.

Born of a Dinji and Fairy, Genies were able to be commanded and their powers harnessed against their will.

Wishes.

They granted wishes, three of them.

And so Genies became the most powerful beings in existence, dressed in golden shackles, they were mocked by their kin for being traitors and by humans for being pets.

Soon enough, magic disappeared; taking the magical creatures with it. All that was left were the Genies, trapped in their lamps and necklace chains.

But after a civil war that separated the country into states, the Genies were lost as well.

Whether the magic reclaimed them or they were buried alive in their gilded prisons, we’ll probably never know. . .

Black hooves thundered against the golden earth, sand flying in clouds behind them. They say that the desert sand is poor man’s gold. They say that the ancient magic seeped into the infertile soil and could be seen in the violent thrashing waves of desert storms. Who were they? Probably some lunatic on wild cave mushrooms who looks to the sky for answers. He’d never know the answer and stopped looking for it years ago.

But somehow he’d ended up looking for another question that most likely won’t have an answer.

They stopped in front of an oasis; its water was bluer than the blazing sky. He jumped down from the leather saddle and patted the brown horse’s behind. Taking off his red headscarf he crouched down by the water’s edge, scooping water onto the back of his neck and face. He sighed, his head tilted up to the sky, droplets of sweat and water littered his forehead; a palm leaf’s shadow covered his eyes from the blistering sun. Staying in his crouched position he grabbed a pot out of his saddle bag and filled the pot with the lake water whilst Ace, his horse drank.

Jason knew better than to drink water from a stationary source, it had been drilled into him from a young age. The water bubbled away as he sat scowering his map and compass. The treasure he sought should be nearby, if it was real in the first place.

After their short rest, they continued their journey; the midday sun raged over their heads. It was nearing sunset when they reached their destination.

The massive expanse of sand retreated, leaving only patches in the stone and hardened clay ground. Splintering leafless trees were a monotone grey, a welcome break from the burnt oranges and sandy beiges. Their branches broken, along with their spines from a previous quake or storm. Ace’s hooves clacked on the stone, loose rocks skidded, some even falling down the drought cracks.

The tree’s corpses were uprooted by the land’s divide. The canyon was small in length but still split the entire valley in two. One could theorise that the lack of sand on this platoon could be due to the canyon being a drain of sorts. Maybe if one were to jump, they’d land softly below. Jason could see one man who thought this, his rotting body was speared by three stone stalagmites; but bugs and birds would have feasted on him long before he died.

Tying Ace to the sturdiest stump in the tree graveyard, he tied his excess rope around his middle with a bowline and began his descent; he wanted to be out before darkness descended upon them. Ace neighed his disapproval but his owner continued into the crack’s depths.

Jagged roots that had split stone in search for water scratched at him, pulling at his clothes like beggars pleading for sustenance. His palms were wrapped in rags but his fingers remained free and articulate enough to have a sturdy grasp on the sheer cliff-face. He managed to lower himself enough to reach a small shelf in the sediment layers.

He shuffled along, the shadow of the unexposed canyon fell upon him. Surely this was a fools quest. Jason knew that, but some crazy old bat had beat it into him to “Always complete the mission, unless you’re dead or dying.”

There was a crevasse where the two sides joined, could it even be considered a cave? Jason scoffed, ‘someone needs to check their prescription.’

He pressed his back against the other rock wall and hooked his right leg in the hole. Swinging his head through the crevasse; if he thought it was dark before, it was even darker now.

He felt around his pant pocket for his sun stones. They wrangled in sizes from a fingernail to the palm of a hand. The stone glowed warmly, it showed that this crevasse was a cave, bigger than what the naked eye could see from outside.

He saw no markings, no cave drawings, no pedestals, no treasure; nothing that made it seem that an ancient secret was stored here. He sighed and jumped down from his ledge, ‘just complete the mission’ he repeated in his head. He walked to the end of the cavern, clearing every nook and cranny.

Nothing, nada, zilch.

He spun around on the heel of his boot, whistling. He was so gonna rub this in Damian’s face.

But a red glint caught his eye. Curses reverberated around the room. Damn Damian was going to be so smug.

The glint came from a fallen boulder that was directly under the ledge he sat upon before. He looked between the gap, yup, it looked lamp shape. He pulled the small boulder towards him and it rolled a fraction before he resorted to wiggling it until he could fit his arm through and grasp the metal.

When he pulled it out he was shocked. It was completely unscathed; well except for a few scratches. His gaze turned to the rock, he felt along the side that should’ve crushed the lamp. The lamp had left an imprint in the stone.

His fingers trailed down the smooth body of the lamp. It was made of a red metal, maybe some sort of copper alloy? It had some black smudges or were there scratches? His thumb rubbed along that to see if he could rid this artifact of this imperfection.

Light erupted from the lamp and floated out of his hand. The cavern was filled with a rose gold glow. He covered his eyes with one arm and went for his sword with the other. A tendril of pink light knocked the blade from his hand and pushed him back. The breath was knocked out of him and he had no energy to move. He could only sit, slouched against the wall, watching the light grow bigger.

A black silhouette appeared in the middle of the light. Arms stretched up high, he heard joints popping. When the light dissipated it revealed a lady, or maybe she was an adolescent? Her face was youthful and eyes were a vibrant blue. She wore a red halter top with white translucent off the shoulder butterfly sleeves.

His vision swam and he felt something touch his shoulder. “Hey, are you ok?” Her voice is muffled in his ears. He could barely make out her face through his blurry vision before he blacked out.

He couldn’t tell what time it was. His sun stone was on the floor next to him, dimmer than before but still lit up the room. His head felt light and his body warm, not things he usually felt when camping out in the desert. He looked down to find himself wrapped in a cotton blanket and there was a silk pillow behind his head. Both were embroidered with flowers and bugs.

“Are you awake?”

He went for his sword, not there. He went for his knife, not there. He glared at the person in front of him, who had dropped a linen bag full of his weapons on the floor.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” She crouched down in front of him, showing him her bare palms. “But holy kwami, how many knives does one deed?”

His eyes narrowed, glaring at her. “Who are you,” he gruffly questioned.

“I am your genie, Master.” She smiled at him but he saw it was forced.

“Why are you calling me Master?” That word felt rotten and vile, it made him want to vomit.

She tilted her head in confusion, her smile melting off her face. Her lips parted as she tried to form a coherent explanation. “You rubbed the lamp right?” Jason nodded, “I am the genie of that lamp, and you are my Master.” Her last word was strained, her voice cracking.

“Cut the Master crap.” She looked taken aback, her blue eyes stared widely at him. He flicked his chin up at her, “What’s your name.”

“Marinette.”

They sat in silence, both observing each other.

“You’re different from what I expected.”

“It’s a mix o’ disbelief and annoyance.” He ran a hand down his face. Damian was gonna be so goddamn smug.

“May I ask your name and why you’re here?”

“Jason. I’m the Commander of Nanda Parbat's Army. My mission was to follow up on the rumours of an ancient genie and investigate if it was real.”

“Well!” Marinette hollowly chuckled, “You found me. Did the rumours tell you of the rules?” He raised his eyebrow but said nothing. “The first thing you need to know is my magic is able to create and I can’t directly destroy things. One, I will not revive the dead, it's a horrible thing to witness. Two, love spells are a no, I cannot control humans. And three, never wish to become a genie.”

He whistled in response to which she gave him a quizzical look, her hair falling on her face. He stood up and reached a hand out to her to help her up, she flinched before accepting. He peaked out of the cave entrance and it was daybreak, “Let’s get out of here.”

“Oh wait!” She hurriedly picked up her lamp and hooked it on the waistband of her loose black and red pants. She grasped his hand and he pulled her up to the ledge.

Curiosity got the better of him. “What’s that made o’ anyways?” Nodding at the lamp. Each side had three black smudged dots.

She looked down at the lamp and tilted it up. In the sun he could see not only it wasn’t anywhere near the orangey bronze colour of copper, it was a glittering garnet red that looked to swirl in the light.

“It’s made of Miraculium,” she coughed, clearing her throat. “It has magical properties.”

He pulled her close to him, his dark eyes looking down at her. “Yea’ I noticed that afta the lamp dented the boulder.” He says with a hint of disbelief.

He loosened the rope around his waist and guided her to hold onto his back, he fastened a harness around both of them. “Jump up on my back.” Marinette hooked her arms around his neck, which was a feat in itself since he was over a head taller than her. She swung her legs around his middle, anchoring her legs so he could move without holding her.

She leaned over his shoulder and looked at him, “You know. . .” Her words trailed off, “I could teleport us out of here.”

He began shuffling them along the canyon’s shelf, “Can you do that without me usin’ a wish?”

“Um no?”

“Then forget it.”

Soon enough they were back riding across the desert with the blazing sun hovering above them. He further explained his role within the Viceroy’s Palace and the importance that her true identity is kept hidden.

“It seems like you humans haven’t changed much.”

Although he said no words, Jason wholeheartedly agreed.

Whispers erupted as they rode through the street.

“Who is that with Commander Todd?”

“Ooo maybe he arrested someone.”

“I’d like him to arrest me!”

“Nima! Shush! He’ll hear you! He hears everything! That’s how he became such a great Commander.”

Mari leaned closer to the man in front of her, “Are you hearing this?” She whispered, rolling her eyes. She was glad that he had acquired a hooded coat for her, she could only imagine the bachelor Commander returning with a mysterious woman on his horse.

Well as fate would have it when they reached the palace, Jason jumped off the horse first and held her waist to help her down. Annnnnnd that’s when her hood fell down.

Onlookers watched as the Commander’s passenger was revealed. Dark blue hair spilled out of the coat, she smiled nervously at the man below her before he helped her feet to settle on the ground. Her pale face smiled up at him and everyone in the surrounding area held their breath.

Jason Todd, known as the youngest ever Commander of Nanda Parbat. He was also known as a ticking time-bomb. With his explosive temper no one knew what would set him off next. Last time it was a street woman smiling up at him whilst grabbing at his arm.

Seeing everyones’ eyes on them, Marinette hooked her arms through Jason’s and pressed her body against him. He looked at her quizzically. Standing on her tiptoes he whispered in his ear, “You wanted me to hide my identity right? So play along~”

They walked down the paved pathway, palm trees and people lined up in rows to watch them. They winded through the many hallways, no tapestries and paintings decorated the walls. They reached a room that looked fancier than the others. Jason pushed open the door and escorted her in.

“My room.” He rumbled, his voice sounding tired after a long day of travelling and adventuring.

His room was minimalistic but not as bare as the halls. Shelves with trinkets, walls hung with red and grey tapestries decorated the room. It had a pair of giant windows with a balcony that overlooked the garden and a dark wood desk, piled with paper in the corner. His large bed had a mahogany bookshelf embedded into the wall next to it.

She released his arm and walked towards the books and ran her hand along some of the spines. She smiled, “You like to read?” She asked rhetorically, not bothering to turn around. His collection was from multiple countries, empires and languages; Greek, Roman, English and more.

“They’re good for burnin’.” Marinette scoffed at his reply, turning to face him with her arms crossed and pouting. She had never acted like this around one of her masters. Maybe it had been so long she had forgotten her discipline? Screw it she’d enjoy this until she got punished, he hasn’t reprimanded her once, she was living the dream.

“I’ve gotta go report back to Their Majesties about my mission, I’ll be back soon.” He looked back at her before the door closed, “Stay put. I’ll send a maid to run you a bath and give you something else to wear.”

An auburn haired maid came minutes after and introduced herself as Lian. She guided Marinette into Jason’s private bathroom where a steaming tub sat in wait. Lian then excused herself while Mari undressed before reappearing to wash the Genie’s hair.

“I’ve never had someone wash my hair before.” Marinette mumbled to the quiet room, the only noise was water droplets falling from her soaked hair.

“Not even your mother?” Lian questioned and that brought a smile to Marinette’s face. Imagining her Dinji mother, who was the form of a red beetle the size of a baby hippo, trying to wash her hair.

“No,” She chuckled. “My mother was never able to.”

“Apologies!” The young maid bowed her head, cheeks flushing from embarrassment.

“No need, Ms Lian.”

The girl’s black eyes widened as she stuttered, “No need to address me formally Madam Marinette! I am just a maid.”

The bluenette spun around, leaning her forearms on the tub’s side. She looked up at Lian with dazzling blue eyes, “Even maids deserve respect and simple pleasures.”

“Patrol of the Western border was clean. No recent riots in towns and the epidemic seems to be under control.”

“Good work Todd.” Prince Damian smirked down at him. He sat on his gilded throne, the Viceroy’s throne that was next to his, sat empty. The fifteen year old prince had been given reign over revising the courtesan's reports. “Did you find it, Todd?”

“No,” he paused. Why had he lied, there was no one else with them. He cleared his throat before turning to leave, he looked back at the prince who was now frowning. Jason grinned, Demonspawn couldn’t be smug if he didn’t know. “I found something better.”

He returned to his room to find Marinette already fast asleep. . . But she was on the floor, curled into a fetal position to keep warm against the cold desert night. He had lived here for years and still got whiplash from the weather’s moodiness, he couldn’t imagine what it’s like for someone who had been here for less than a day.

His muscles screamed for reprieve, he was on the verge of collapse. He ignored his body and reached down to pick up the small genie.

She was too light. Made of paper bones and porcelain skin; fragile but he knew she could be deadly if held wrong, or if she was held in the wrong hands.

He tucked her into bed. What was he going to do with her? He’s harbouring a Magical Creature. He could use her for her wishes then hand her over to the Demon Prince, but then Damian would know that he lied. He could easily beat up that kid but what would happen to the civilians of Nanda Parbat? They wouldn’t survive uninjured from Damian’s fury.

He grabbed another pillow from his bed along with the doona and made himself comfortable on the floor. He looked up at the bed, yes, she can stay for the night.

A few months later. . .

“Bringin’ yer woman to battle, Jay? ‘re ya that needy for a lay?” The ginger haired guard cackled with a few other guys. They rode on their horses off to the right and have been quiet up until now.

“She is needed on the frontier, Roy.” Marinette felt Jason’s voice reverberate from his chest as she held onto him from behind.

“Yeah! By you!”

They reached the army camp by dusk and set up their battalion's tents. Jason finally returned to the camp he had lived in for the previous two years before he was called back to the capital to sooth civilian riots. Now he was back in the South with reinforcements, this war will turn in Nanda Parbat’s favour.

They looked over the map that had figurines of the enemy and allied soldier’s positions. There was a significant presence of enemy forces in a small mountain range, most likely looking to have a geographical advantage.

They discussed between each other points Jason could bring up to the battalion leaders during tomorrow’s meeting. Their yawns kept interrupting them and they both silently agreed this could wait until tomorrow, or was it already today? They were too tired to care.

After more than a month of arguing who should take the bed, both stated the other should. Marinette would try to sleep on the floor but always awoke back in bed. Her argument that he should get the bed became even stronger when she discovered he was a potential heir to Nanda Parbat’s throne. Finally she convinced him that they could share the bed. They didn’t even consider having separate rooms as that would look suspicious for the couple who were ‘joined at the hip’.

When morning came they both were horrified by the state of the camp that they didn’t see due to the darkness of their arrival. Many soldiers were injured and didn’t go to treat them as the medic was already overrun by other soldiers with critical conditions.

Burns, bruises, cuts, stabs, fractures, infections, concussions, amputations. Soldiers writhing in agony in an alley of tents away from their Captains so that they didn’t have to be in the deadly silence of the medic tent. The single frazzled medic ran from bed to bed, only providing bandages and alcohol for pain and disinfectant.

Grass green eyes looked up and through their frizzy red hair. They shot up, stepping over bodies with a wide smile to greet her visitors. She stuck out her hand, “Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley.”

Jason shook her hand, looking around the room. “What’s happening here? It wasn’t like this when I left.”

“Oh,” Pamela looked around the room, her wide teeth bared smile was a constant. “The former doctor was neglecting his duties so I had to step up. I have applied multiple times for an assistant or a better care kit but so far I’ve gotten no response.” She said through gritted teeth. “I’m sorry, were you injured anywhere? As you can see I'm swamped.”

It became clear that the doctor thought this was some inspection or audit of her skills and the effort she put into her job. Marinette waved her hands in front of herself, “No, no. We’re ok, we were just checking in on all the support departments.” She grabs Jason’s arm, “We’ll make sure your requests are heard.”

She dragged Jason outside. “Marinette—” she spun around, he nodded towards his arm, she sputtered and let go. “I think I know my first wish.”

She looked up at him with big eyes, it had been months of her pestering him every few days about a wish. “Yes?” She leaned forward in wait for his words.

“I think it would be good to heal all the soldiers in the camp.”

Marinette’s eye twitched, ‘Be calm, be calm Mari. this is what genies have to put up with.’

“Maaaaybeeee instead of that,” she pressed her palms together. “You could wish for better medicinal practices in Nanda Parbat? And then you could—”

She slammed a hand over her mouth. She had gotten too comfortable, last time she made a suggestion to a Master, they didn’t take it well.

‘You’re just a beast’s daughter! What ideas could you give me?’ She shivered at the memory. She avoided his gaze and flinched at his touch. He moved her hand that was covering her mouth, he bent down and his greyish-blue eyes met hers.

“Continue.”

She breathed deeply and sighed. “If you wish for better medical practices it will help more people in the long run. Yes, if you heal all the soldiers, what are you going to do when they get hurt again? After medicinal practices have been improved we can hire new doctors to help Dr Isley. This is war, Commander, I think you know it’s better to take the longer but more safe route.”

He clicked his tongue. It reminded her of Prince Damian, they were more like brothers than they cared to admit to anyone.

“Good.” She shook herself out of her thoughts of brotherhood and raised her eyebrow.

“Wait—” She shook her head. “—Was that a test?”

For the first time since she met him, he gave her a wide smile showing his teeth. He laughed, “What do you think?”

She was dumbfounded.

“Marinette,” he whispered. “I wish for Nanda Parbat’s medicinal practices to improve.”

‘Genie! I wish for more crates filled with gold!’

She smiled, “As you wish.” Her eyes flashed a neon blue and a gust of wind exploded from her. It didn’t knock Jason over but he was startled by it, but as he looked around no one else seemed to be affected by it. His gaze turned back to the genie, the neon dimming from her eyes.

That was the first time he truly felt magic. It wasn’t like a desert storm that pounded the earth, it was a refreshing gust of wind.

Before he could poster the subject more, the girl in front of him collapsed. “Marinette!” The girl didn’t show any form of response to his cry. “Mari!”

When she awoke it was dark. The moonlight made the white tarp walls glow. It was a beautiful sight in the silence that was this night. Too warm. She pulled the tunic she wore over her head, panting. She must’ve become rusty from not using her magic for over a century.

“Marinette go!” Her father cried pulling at his chains, her mother clicked her agreement.

“No! I won’t leave you here! She pulled at their chains, her maman had less due to her being in beetle form but they still would budge. Chains made out of miraculium. Magic vs magic. They were betrayed by something created for them to harness for peace.

Her father grabbed her lamp in his hands. “Three dot’s Mari! Your mother says they mean life, you’ve got to live but not like this!” He shouted over the approaching soldiers' footsteps. He rubbed the lamp, her blue eyes that she inherited from him glowed as he became the new owner of her lamp. “I wish for you and the lamp to be hidden—“ the door to the pen was broken and she couldn’t hear the rest of his wish. “—I command you!”

She could not disobey a direct command. Her eyes glowed blue as her hands raised, she screams internally for the wish to stop. Tears rushed down her face as pink light surrounded her and the lamp. She chokingly sobbed out her goodbyes to her parents but was gone before she could hear their cries of their love for her.

She pulled the blankets up to her chest, she felt the cold on her bare back. Her parents had saved her from the cycle of masters they witnessed other genies go through. She can’t even go back for them now; she’s still bound to Jason and they’ve surely been reclaimed by the magic by now.

The tent flap moved and Jason appeared carrying a tray of food and water. He rushed to her side asking if she was ok. She shooed him away, stating that she was just a bit out of practice and would be fine next time. He helped her drink as her limbs still tingled with numbness.

He told her what she had missed in the days that she remained unconscious. The wish had taken immediate effect and they hired two more doctors to help Dr Isley; Dr. Harleen Quinzel and a nurse by the name of Dinah Lance.

She swallowed wrong at hearing this; she swiftly turned away from him and began coughing her lungs out. He patted her back and she soon settled down. He traced a finger down her spine and she shivered at his touch. He looked down at her bare skin; black, grey and silver lines shimmered on her back. He had heard of and seen many tribal tattoos but these looked similar to insect wings.

“My wings.” She broke the silence.

“Tell me about them.” She turned back around and shifted so he could join her on the mattress.

“Well. . .” She looked off to the side. “I am the result of a joke amongst our human captors. If there is a god they’ll have to beg for my forgiveness after what they’ve done. My father was the largest fairy and my mother, who was a dinji. She was a red beetle dinji, about the size of a giant tortoise.” She gestured the size with her weak arms. She turned back to look at her companion. “Please don’t ask the specifics of how I came to be from that union. Although they are my parents, I do not even want to think about it.”

He chuckled, the light fell on his face and she stared at him. When had he changed from the gruff guy from the cave with seventeen knives (yes she counted).

“All genies have some sort of imprint from their parents. Mine is the image of their wings.” She took a breath. “It gives me hope that one day I’ll be free.”

The next morning they were riding out again. Their reinforcement battalion were swapping with a battalion that’s been stationed on the frontier. Jason and their leader shook hands and discussed details. An arrow soared through the air and landed, embedded deep into the dirt road.

“Take cover!” Jason commanded and the soldiers fled into the trees. The south was still arid and sandy but had more tropical storms and oasis that eventually became a forest. Now the southern state of the empire wanted this land to become more prosperous.

A barrage of around landed right where they stood moments ago. Some arrows were flaming and caught the surrounding plants on fire. Both allied and enemy battalions charged. It was a slaughter with no clear winner. The enemy soldiers, who wore yellow were numerous while Nanda Parbet, who wore black, were more highly skilled.

“Fire!” Men on both sides shouted whether they meant shooting weapons or the growing blaze was unclear in this chaos. Marinette stayed out of the way and under a tree. Jason had given her a poisoned dagger to defend herself. And although she couldn’t use her magic on herself she wasn’t completely defenceless.

As the battle just got more out of hand it became clear that they were losing. “Jason,” Marinette cried as she joined in on the battle defending his flank. “What do you want to do?”

“Is it too soon to make another wish?” He blocked an oncoming sword and flicked the weapon out of the yellow guard’s hand. Jason raised his left arm and fired off his crossbow, impaling the guy’s heart.

“Go for it!”

“I wish for anythin’ that will help us.”

“Are you sure you want to make a blank wish?” She spat, slashing her knife down someone’s face and grabbing three arrows out of the air. “Are you sure you can live with the consequences?”

“I trust your judgement!” He yelled, fighting in a three vs one.

“As you wish!” Her eyes glowed and she dropped her dagger, making her way over to where most of the enemy troops were gathered. “Jason!” He squinted at her, blood from a cut on his forehead running into his eye. “Call a retreat now!”

He blew his horn and the allied troops began to back away from the fight and return the horses and caravans. Pink light gathered around her and the forest exploded into an inferno. Screams and the stench of melting flesh filled the air. Bodies began to drop to the forest’s floor, both allied and enemy, mainly enemy.

They reconvened back at camp and the three medics rushed out to assess the damage. Barely over half the troop they had at that position survived the attack and were still standing, more were knocked down and being treated.

“Commander!” Two men rushed up carrying a man on a stretcher, “Roy’s hurt!”

Panic pierced his heart as he saw one of his oldest friends and comrades lying there defenceless.

Dr Quinzel examined the ginger. Burns covered his left arm, parts had even become black and burnt from the heat. The blonde looked up at them grimly, “We’ll have to amputate if we want any hope of his survival.”

He solemnly nodded and turned his eyes away. “Do what you must.”

He stayed by Roy’s bedside for days; Marinette had to force him to sleep. Meetings with the leaders continued with an empty chair to Jason’s right. Some good that came from this was many other enemy battalions were retreating as their larges squadron was decimated by the blast.

One day, what everyone was waiting for with held breaths ever since Marinette was seen by his side happened. He blew up.

“Why didn’t you tell me this could happen?” He bellowed, they were in a clearing outside of camp but some soldier bathing in a nearby creek could overhear them.

“I warned you that there would be consequences!”

Their yelling continued until Dinah, the camp’s nurse, came and broke them up. She scolded them saying it was no one’s fault and it could’ve happened to anyone.

Those words didn’t apply here, the feuding couple thought. One had made the wish and the other had granted it. Marinette gasped and her eyes glowed, Jason and Dinah paused.

And Marinette was gone in a flash of pink light.

“At first I wondered.” Talia’s voice cut through the large expanse of the room. “Why would a girl from the desert have access to an ancient weapon and not use it? But when my sources told me you were the genie I was intrigued.”

“My first wish is to revive my father!”

“I already told you I cannot revive people from the dead.” Marinette yelled back, stem rising from her ears as she tugged on her chains.

“I wish for you to revive my father, I command you!”

“Not now Damian!” Jason rushed past his brother, who had greeted him at the palace steps. He had rode Ace here in under four hour, which was probably a world record for that distance but there was no time for games.

“I’m not dumb Todd! You did find the genie.”

Jason stumbled looking down at the Prince. “. . .How do you know that?”

“How do you think?” Jason’s eyes widened and his rushed pace became a full sprint, he changed directions from his room to the grand hall. Damian still kept up but seemed to have no intention to stop him. “You found her, loved her and now lost her. . . I bet you wish you didn’t.”

He further explained how Lian the maid had found the lamp in Marinette’s belongings and took it, as it seemed important. His mother had gotten a secret telegram from the frontlines; it detailed Marinette and a fiery explosion that happened out of nowhere after a retreat was called. The guards first searched Jason’s and Marinette’s room, tearing up the walls and floor before interrogating all the staff. Finally the lamp was found hidden in a hold under Lian’s mattress.

“And that’s when mother got her hands on it.” They reached the imposing doors to the grand hall.

They broke past the guards and into the hall to find the deceased Viceroy Ra Al Ghul standing before Marinette with her lamp in his grey hands. “It's good to be back.” His voice sounded like he had gargled gravel and glass.

“So you’re the genie I was looking for for seventy years.” He snarled, leaning down on Mari who collapsed on the floor. “Don’t bother with your speech, I already know what I want.

“First I want to be immortal and second I would like the power to rival genies like you.” His tooth grin was filled with blackened and decaying teeth.

Marinette looked over at Jason and Damian, who both yelled out for Ra to stop and for Marinette not to listen to him. Her eyes flashed a vibrant blue, they had mere seconds to act. They both rushed at Ra, aiming for the lamp to stop the wish.

“I command you!” He bellowed and light erupted for Marinette.

But instead of crying she smirked, “As you wish.”

Marinette sat under the newly installed garden fountain, watching as bugs moved throughout the plants. The statue on top of the marble stone was of Ra Al Ghul, and warned people what happens when they mess with magic. He held the lamp in an outstretched arm and hid his face in the other. His metal body shined, it looked like it was made of swirling glitter. He became exactly what he wished for, an immortal statute of Miraculium.

“Why do you like bugs so much? I thought girls like you were meant to be terrified of them.” Damian interrupted her silence and sat down next to him. She shot a glare his way, as she turned back to watch the flowers sway in the wind.

"I see my papa in the dragonflies and my maman in the beetles.” She finally said.

"Oh,” Damian paused, not expecting that answer. He tilted his head at her, “Would you like me to get an enclosure so you can see them every day?"

Her laugh was hollow and bitter, she forced a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. “And what?” She almost snarled at him, but his innocent question didn’t deserve her rage. “Trap them like my kin were for centuries? No, not even insects deserve that.”

Damian muttered his apologies from fleeing the garden, rushing by Jason on his way out.

Jason raised an eyebrow and she sighed, her anger replaced by guilt. “What was that about?”

“Damian tried doing something nice but I got emotional about my parents and the enslaved Magical Creatures, so I lashed out at him!” She dragged her hands down her face, the pinks of her bottom eyelids showing.

Jason shushed her and took both her hands in his, helping her up. They stood among the many exotic flowers that managed to thrive in this barren country.

He mumbled something to her that she couldn’t quite catch so she asked him to repeat.

“I wanted it to be you.”

She scrunched her brows and gazed up at him, face flooded with confusion. “Wanted what to be me?”

“My last wish, I wanted it to be you. Your freedom.” His hand brushed away a stray hair from her pink cheek.

She spluttered as her brain finally processed his words, all she could reply with was, “HUH?”

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers cradling her jaw in his hands. “I’m sorry. Am I going too fast? Or do you not want this?”

“No no!” She reassured him, trying to regain her composure. Finally she took a deep breath of his scent, and closed her eyes. “Do you still have the lamp?”

“Yes.”

She opened her eyes and nuzzled into his palm. “Then make your wish Master~” She teased, a wide grin painted on her face.

“As you wish.”

Taglist:

@iloontjeboontje @twsssmlmaa @ann0631 @ledalasombra @ev-cupcake @toodaloo-kangaroo @couffeeine @newmoonxy @nightlychaotic

[docmurph12]

Ok review time. And remember, there is no war in Ba Sing Se.

My next request comes from my very good friend. The last time he and I sat down and tried to watch this was after we cleared through every episode of the animated series this movie was based on. We didnt get through ten minutes. So this was a fun, frustrating challenge. For those noticing, yes this is a retroactive review, instead of a "live" one. Reason for this is that as a fan it would be really difficult to be as objective as possible (given I already know this thing to be really bad) if I was distracted.

So what I know going in is that Shyamalan had a couple big flops and that he picked out this series to be his resurrection, thinking going the large scale epic route would be beneficial to his career. What happened was a ruthlessly infamous flop that resulted in nearly 6 years of silence, jokes, and memes prior to "Split" bringing Shyamalan back to relevance again.

First of all, this film could literally have been directed by anyone. Looking back at my review for Aladdin, I recall saying that I was shocked to find out it was directed by Guy Richey, because all of his hallmark signatures were missing. Same story here; The Last Airbender feels like a basic level cookie cutter epic filmmaking school project. Everything that makes a Shyamalan film is gone, which is crazy because the levity that makes ATLA (the acronym I'll use for the show going forward) is gone too. I have always said that as a director your job is to take what is written (which in this case was written by Shyamalan as well) and use your style to create a visual aspect that compliments the story told by the dialogue and events. Think of this writer/director relationship like one in comics between the writer and the artist. The artist is selected because stylistically he matches what is needed for the story. Great example of a good match is Sin City (picked because of loudness of its specific style). That story doesnt get told the same way or with the same impact with different color palettes, camera work, or actor direction. The Last Airbender is missing everything that gives a person a reason to select a specific director, especially one known for work in small scale supernatural thrillers.

The writing is.....super bad. There are a couple simple tools I like to use to identify if a film has scripting issues as opposed to anything else. First, is the dialogue done in a way that feels contextually natural? Do real people talk this way or is it written like shlockey, overly dramatic stage dialogue (think the Star Wars prequel trilogy)? Second, how easy is the story to follow? Are there gaping plot holes? Is it subtle with a good surprise? Does it hit you in the face with a story shovel with a handle made of heavy handed expositional dialogue?

Lastly, how hard are the actors trying to act around your script? Is it a good film where great performances outweigh poor to middling dialogue (Batman V Superman), or is it Bloodrayne? I've said enough on that, you get the point. That said, I am not sure the actors could have been saved by a better script. The cast was very poorly selected. Insensitive at worst (though I genuinely think the brown dude that insisted on the specific and coincidentally white folk he picked probably DIDN'T have a whitewashing agenda given what he said prior to release), out of touch with the source material at best, picking the virtual unknowns that he did really didnt pan out for him. The kid cast as Aang (pronounced AAng, goddamnit, not ONG, more on that later) got the role because he looks like the character, kind of, and only had a week of acting school worth of experience prior to filming the movie. Let's just say it definitely showed.

I am not sure TOTALLY crucifying the cast is entirely fair, so let's move the witch hunt to almost everything else. There is some good though, I promise so hang in there.

I really hope the editor got sent back to school. The purpose of editing is to make a cut that not only maintains but heightens interest in what you are watching. Cutting the fat in order to get to the point while not giving the movie away. Sometimes that means giving more than a 90 minute cut (which Shyamalan has taken at least partial responsibility for in this case) in order to preserve the story. There are scenes where the continuity from one cut to the next doesnt match up. Like consecutive cuts in one scene with massive distances traveled between cuts and even in at least one case a partial or complete costume change. It's extremely jarring. Something else about cuts--generally you cut to another angle or scene because the film requires you to in order to display more information that you wouldn't get in one single long cut. Usually a film has choppy cuts in it because the scene requires an character to do something the actor can't, or because the director or editor are bad at their job. The story, or sometimes in lucky cases just one scene, suffers as a result of bad or needless cuts. This is the case here. The strange thing is there are truly WONDERFUL long cuts of fight scenes that really suck you in, but the wierd juxtaposition between great non-editing and strange and bad editing really kicks you in the head. Enough on that. On to the next.

I did NOT see this movie in 3d. I understand that the conversion was really bad, but that said what I CAN speak to is the VFX. This film, with the exception of the lighting, was pretty well put together in terms of effects. There were really only a couple issues that were glaring in terms of VFX, but by and large it wasnt awful. There are definitely newer films that look worse. In standard. I dont know about 3d.

I think the thing that makes this film more frustrating than anything is that there are things about this movie I love. They are few and far between, but I really do love them. The intro was a really neat callback to the series intro to each episode. Then the movie happens. Then, the flying bison appears!! Then more movie. Then, a scene where Aang (not Awng) uses the glider in his staff. Then more movie. Then, all the practical martial arts, then, yet more movie. It's like this the entire way. Best comparison here? Green Lantern. It's like the Shyamalan said, "Hey, I like this and need a career boost.", then proceeded to cherry pick things from a beloved series and then ham and egged a movie with a confusing plot that absolutely requires you to be super familiar with the source material. There are a lot of assumptions made by characters in the movie that made sense given background provided by the show, but make absolutely none if you are going in blind. "Those are air bending tattoos, and I think he might be the avatar, despite he fact that I havent seen him bend anything and airbenders havent even been seen in over 100 years! Before my time!" Fucking come on. Throw the newcomers here a bone man.

The long story short here is I guess in spite of the casting decisions, editing, and direction, a good script could have made at least a fun movie. This movie should not have made it past script in the form we all saw it though, and it makes one wonder how much pressure was on everyone involved (almost all of it internally applied, Shyamalan did this project almost entirely on his own volition and cast a bunch of almost unknowns with the exception of maybe Cliff Curtis, so of course they said yes) to join in and take part in this without asking questions. Its upsetting to know the original showrunners were as ostracized as they were on this thing.

I dont see myself going back. Yes there were things that made me smile a little, but the film as a whole is so overwhelmingly bad in the face of those things it is just not worth it. I AM however going to go and rewatch the series with my wife and the kids for their first time, and maybe as a result of having to sit through this war crime of a film adaptation.

Final Verdict? I give it a D-. Purely out of respect for the very small handful of things I did appreciate. Next up?? The Lobster. Really looking forward to that one.

[sophieakatz]

Thursday Thoughts: The Best Walt Disney World Rides

Since I work at Walt Disney World, people often ask me what my favorite ride is. The thing is, I can’t pick one favorite, because I like different kinds of rides for different reasons!

So instead of attempting to rank them all in order to pick one favorite, I’m going to hold my own little theme park awards ceremony. I’ve divided the current forty-nine Walt Disney World rides into nine categories – now let’s see which rides win!

Best In-Park Transportation

This first category is an often-overlooked type of Disney Park attraction. While most rides drop you off right back where you started at their completion, these rides serve a purpose as in-park transportation. The Magic Kingdom has multiple rides like this, including the horse-drawn carriages on Main Street and the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island. Disney’s Animal Kingdom also has the Wildlife Express train, which gives its passengers glimpses of the animal barns on their way to and from Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

Call me a sucker for nostalgia, but for me, the best in-park transportation is the iconic Walt Disney World Railroad. This classic ride takes you on a scenic tour around the Magic Kingdom, with stops in Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Main Street. U.S.A. The four locomotives that travel this route are actual narrow-gauge steam trains, originally built in the early 1900s and restored for use today. Though at the time of writing the railroad is temporarily not operating, the train is still at the station for photo ops, and I eagerly await its return.

Best Carousel

When I say the word “carousel,” an image of wooden horses prancing in a circle likely comes to mind – like the Prince Charming Regal Carousel in the Magic Kingdom. But Walt Disney World features a much wider range of spinning attractions, from aerial carousels like Fantasyland’s Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Tomorrowland’s AstroOrbiter, and DinoLand U.S.A.’s TriceraTop Spin. I even consider high-speed spinners like the classic Mad Tea Party and the new Alien Swirling Saucers as a more thrilling type of carousel. For a moment I considered being clever and naming the Carousel of Progress show as my favorite carousel.

However, I must give Dumbo the Flying Elephant the honor of best carousel ride. It’s the Goldilocks of aerial carousels – not too high and not too low, not too skinny and not too wide, not too fast and not too slow. When I visited the Magic Kingdom as a child, flying with my mother on Dumbo was the perfect thrill and delight. Today, I find it a wonderfully relaxing flight, and so I still make a point of visiting Dumbo whenever I pass through Fantasyland.

Best Dark Ride

“Dark rides” are indoor attractions which carry you along a track and – in true Disney fashion – through a story. Whether you climb aboard a clamshell at Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, hop into a honey pot at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, or drive a Doom Buggy through the Haunted Mansion, you will encounter beloved characters and classic songs that you will never get out of your head. The Magic Kingdom isn’t the only park with dark rides – Epcot ferries you through time, the big blue ocean, and a quirky science lab via Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Journey Into Imagination respectively.

A star among these cherished attractions is Peter Pan’s Flight. The original version of this ride took its first guests to Never Land on Disneyland’s opening day, and it’s been a guest favorite ever since. Even though there are now five versions of this attraction around the world, and so many newer attractions competing for guests’ attention, it’s still nigh-on impossible to get a Fastpass for the one in Walt Disney World, and for good reason! The journey is chock-full of details for Peter Pan fans to discover, and it employs many simple tricks to bring the magic to life even for adults. The moment when your ship lifts off of the railing and takes to the sky gives me chills every time!

Best Game Ride

As I said at the start, I like different rides for different reasons. Therefore, I am taking two “dark rides” and setting them apart in their own category. Rather than carry you passively through a story, these “game rides” challenge you to take part in the adventure, hitting targets in a video-game-like setting. The classic example of a game ride is Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland, in which you work to defeat the Evil Emperor Zurg.

But the game ride I much prefer is Toy Story Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Perhaps it’s unfair to compare two rides with vastly different technological platforms, but I find the gameplay of Midway Mania much easier to learn than Space Ranger Spin’s, making it a less frustrating and more engaging time for someone like me who does not have a lot of experience with video games. For the more serious gamer, this ride also offers many opportunities to strategize with your copilot and rack up the big points! Not to mention that the breakneck speed and the catchy tunes always put a smile on my face.

Best Slow-Moving Boat Ride

Many Walt Disney World attractions involve stepping onto a boat and taking a trip down a gentle river. From the musical Gran Fiesta Tour and “it’s a small world,” to the educational Living with the Land, to the hilarious Jungle Cruise, these rides are a great option for anyone searching for an experience without a height requirement. If you want a little excitement with your boat rides, Pirates of the Caribbean and Frozen Ever After both throw a dark drop into the middle of the otherwise peaceful journey.

For some people, that thrill would put a ride at the top – but when I get on a Disney boat, I’m looking for relaxation. That’s why Na’vi River Journey is the best slow-moving boat ride in all of Walt Disney World. This calm voyage completely immerses you in the breathtaking bioluminescent rainforest of Pandora, complete with up-close encounters with the flora, fauna, and Na’vi who live there. If I could ride it around and around all day, I would!

Best Car Ride

While putting rides into categories, I came across a few which didn’t seem to fit into the other categories well. Then I realized that these attractions all take you for a ride on a car! The Tomorrowland Speedway lets you steer your own two-seat racecar, Epcot’s Test Track lets you design a vehicle and put it through testing, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Dinosaur takes you on a bumpy trip through the late Cretaceous, pursued by both carnivores and meteors.

My favorite Walt Disney World cars are the trucks at Kilimanjaro Safaris. This open-air guided tour through the African savanna lets you see and learn about the thirty-four species that live there. You come away with incredible pictures and a call to action to help protect the creatures with whom we share this planet! Best of all, every single journey on Kilimanjaro Safaris is unique – the animals call the shots, after all!

Best Drop Ride

Let’s now move into the realm of thrills! This first thrill-ride category is a small one, for those rides which are not a roller coaster but nonetheless feature a drop that will make you scream! Some of these drop rides are also water rides, like Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom and Kali River Rapids at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

I much prefer the objectively best example of a drop ride – the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror! This spooky Hollywood Studios ride looms over Sunset Boulevard, daring you to enter. Now, historically, I am not a fan of scary rides. I was incredibly surprised to discover that I absolutely love Tower of Terror! The adrenaline rush makes me scream with delight more than fright as I fall faster than the speed of gravity. This attraction has something in common with Kilimanjaro Safaris as well, in that no two rides are the same! Will you go up first, or down? How many times will you rise before you fall for good? It’s impossible to know until you step aboard!

Best Roller Coaster

If you’re looking for a thrill, you can’t beat a roller coaster. Disney’s roller coasters beat the average amusement park coaster with their devotion to story and theming alongside the adrenaline rush! There’s a coaster for everyone, whether you prefer the rocky ride of Big Thunder Mountain or the smooth-swinging carts of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, the eerie void of Space Mountain or the colors and lights of Slinky Dog Dash, the easy pace of Barnstormer or the zero-to-sixty loop-de-loop rush of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

Though many new coasters have arisen over the years, my favorite remains Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. It’s my top example of how Disney tells a story entirely through your surroundings, starting in the queue and continuing all the way through the ride itself, as you first prepare for your voyage, next are warned about the legend of the Yeti, and finally come face to face with the creature. For the thrill-lover, it has multiple drops, including one that sends you backwards in total darkness!

Best Simulator

Simulators are experiential rides that use a combination of video screens and g-forces to bring the high-flying adventure to life all around you. And like I said at the start of this article, I love them all for different reasons. When I’m in the mood for a relaxing glide, I let Soarin’ carry me around the world. Other times, I’m in the mood for the realistic gravitational pull of Mission: SPACE as I live out my childhood dreams of being an astronaut. I’ve ridden Star Tours: The Adventure Continues countless times to get the different combinations of heroes, villains, and planets.

But I have to pick one to call the best, and that one is AVATAR: Flight of Passage. Once again the moon of Pandora hits you with full immersion as you ride on the back of a banshee. This ride is like all my daydreams of flying brought to life. It’s a gorgeous experience in every detail, from the wide, sweeping landscapes you soar above, to the subtle sensation of the banshee breathing between your legs. There’s a reason it’s still such a high-demand attraction two whole years after it opened! The first time I rode it, I ran outside with a huge grin on my face, already eager to get back in line.

Are there any great attractions you love that I forgot? What categories would you use to rate your favorite attractions? Is there truly one greatest Disney World attraction of them all? Reply, reblog, retweet, or comment with your thoughts!

All images in this article are from the Walt Disney World website.

[furederiko]

Sheeesh!!! It's happening again. All these huge news came out just a day after I posted the last Random-News-Digest. I could've included them in that post instead!!! Personal ranting aside, let's get right through the news then... PS: Yeah, this one arrives a little early than usual, because I have to go off the grid for a while. At least until I return from embarking another exploration to the far off galaxy this week... ;D

Disney Live Action

Guy Ritchie is doing the live action adaptation for "Aladdin"? I'm sure you've already heard about that. The movie is going to be an action musical with Middle Eastern leads who have natural talents in singing and dancing? You've heard this before early last month? Well, it's a first for me, but of course... hell yes! That's GREAT news. But did you know which actor Ritchie is currently approaching to play the magical Genie? The answer is... much to everyone's surprise: Will Smith!

Okay, this casting? I'm not too sure about. The last time we had an African-American as a geenie was Shaquille O'Neal in "Kazaam", and that was... uhm, how do I put it? ODD? Not saying I don't like the idea, or that Smith's a bad actor, nor that I'm being racist or anything. I guess I just can't see the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" in this role. And if we're indeed going about race, why couldn't we get another Middle Eastern actor, or at least an Indian for the job? Someone who's more 'racially appropriate'. Of course Smith's appeal is understandable. He's an actual singer so he'll nail the musical part nicely, a natural Oscar-darling for dramatic moments, and has comedic chops that might rival the late Robin Williams. Even if I feel Williams is pretty much irreplacable in this role.

The problem with Smith however, is that he has turned down Tim Burton's "Dumbo" before. That was due to scheduling issue with "Bad Boys 3". That Michael Bay movie had just lost its director, thus putting it on an uncertain delay, yet Smith hasn't walked back to "Dumbo". Thus suggesting that he's probably just not 'keen on' the project. If that's any indication, could we even expect Smith to take a higher coveted role like the Genie instead? Many seems to doubt it. Beside, the current situation is, he's just in "early talks" for this role, and we know that in Hollywood, that means 'nothing is yet set in stone'. Or legal papers, if you prefer to be more modernly accurate. LOL.

If I have a voice in this movie's production, I say just let Genie become a fully CG character. You know, like those household members in "Beauty and the Beast"? Thus they can get practically anyone who's NOT Will Smith to voice the role. Someone who has strong comedic timing, and is equally masterful at singing. Hmmm... why am I suddenly reminded of Seth McFarlane? Perhaps, because he was a standout in Illumination's "Sing!" last year? He can even be a prolific Broadway actor. What about Jamie Fox, Hugh Jackman, Nathan Lane, or... LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA? I think those names are much better choices than Smith. Here's a completely random suggestion though: Timothy Omundson, or Ben Presley from "Galavant"!!! They live in UK, have worked with Alan Menken before, for a Disney's ABC series, and CAN totally sing. Anyway, we can expect confirmation to this pretty soon, because apparently the casting call explicitly stated that: "Rehearsals begin April 2017. Shooting July 2017-January 2018 in the UK.". And April is about to end pretty soon! LOL.

DC Films

Here's a quick one from Warner Bros and DC! Because as we all should understand by now, they won't ever let Marvel take the whole week of spotlight onto themselves, right? They just need to sneak a completely random news of development here and there. This time, it's from Joss Whedon, whose name has been kindly talked about recently thanks to Kevin Feige kindly mentioning him during Marvel Studios' open house. And this news came from a very ironic place too: The red carpet premiere of the new Guardians movie! LOL to that.

The news was, well, Whedon is NOT looking for a big name to fill in her lead actress for "Batgirl". He said clearly, "I don’t have my eye on anyone. I’m creating this character, I’m in a dialogue with her, and then we’ll see who joins that later on. I doubt it’ll be a name.", which means she can be anyone. Whedon had a soft spot for Oscar-nominee Saoirse Ronan before ended up going with Elizabeth Olsen for Wanda Maximoff in "Avengers: Age of Ultron". And his TV works have always involved a strong female lead, like Sarah Michelle-Gellar in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". So he can practically choose any actress for the character, including a relatively unknown. The big question though, how does WB feel about this? And considering the studio's really BAD habbit of pointlessly putting reference, will this actress debuted in "The Batman" before her solo movie? Which means she needs to be cast right away. We'll have to wait and see how this develops.

Wait a sec... turns out this news didn't really come from WB after all. But due to Variety asking Whedon about the project, when they bumped into him at the premiere. So not WB's intentional spotlight-hogging trick this time around. LOL. Sorry WB, my bad. This is why you shouldn't do that to other studios, as people would easily assume you're doing it again and again eventhough you're guilty of charge. Ahahahaha... *sigh*.

Fast and Furious

"The Fate of the Furious", which is a dumb title albeit a nice little twist on 'F8', raced through the box office and conquered the winning lane ever since it debuted. It has even amassed a record breaking global opening of all time, beating 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"! But with the franchise started getting a little... tiring, the question is, for how much longer it has the engine to keep on running? If the latest statement by producer Neal Moritz is to be believed, we're going to see this drug race-inspired movie - at least - up to "Fast and Furious 10". Which might be dumbly named "Fasten Your Seatbelt". Get it? LOL. That's already one more than the previously reported "Fast and Furious 9" by the way. Remember when Lucas Black was approached to do it until 9, but ended up a no-show in 8?

It certainly ain't stopping anytime soon though. Why? Because already, a plan is in motion for a... spinoff. Yikes! Yes, because apparently, due to the much publicized rift (is it real or fake? That has been settled though, I think... *sigh*) between lead actor Vin Diesel, and new regular Dwayne Johnson, it seems fans are now shipping Johnson's Luke Hobbs with Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw. Yep, the bad guy who killed Sung Kang's Han Seoul-Oh. Seriously, will Han's death ever be avenged? I haven't seen the eighth movie yet, but it sounded like Hobbs and big bro Shaw (while lil bro Shaw was singing his way in "Beauty and the Beast") actually had... great chemistry together?

It's currently 'in talks' stage for now, but I can already see it happening. Particularly considering The Rock would do any film, while Statham is in need of another franchise after his participation in "The Expendables 4" is put into question. Chris Morgan is expected to write, and the timeline would put it between the 8th and 9th movie. I'm not too sure about this idea, but perhaps, somewhere along the line we might be seeing a Han and Gal Gadot's Giselle "Mr & Mrs Smith"-esque movie along the way? Especially after Gadot's profile will get another significant boost following this year's "Wonder Woman". I'd certainly would watch that.

X-Men Universe

Now here's what I consider a rather 'dumb' report serving the headlines for "Deadpool 2". Actress Leslie Uggams is set to reprise her role as Blind Al in the sequel. Why is that dumb? Duh... because she's an important element of the first movie, stealing scene every single time she showed up. It would be a crime to not have her back! Not to mention, he's Wade's roommate. What I'm curious to know however, is whether Morena Baccarin will indeed reprise her role as Vanessa as well. I sure hope she will, otherwise it would mess up continuity... not that FOX have actually cared about it. Then again, Deadpool could've gotten away with it by turning it as a mockery excuse towards FOX. While at the same time, punching jabs towards Marvel Studios' case of Pepper Potts and Jane Foster. Ain't that a good idea, right?

Oh yeah, by the way, FOX has announced the official release date for the movie! Eventhough the first movie opened in February, its success has apparently warranted this sequel to change gears into a Summer movie. Yes, it will now open in June 1st, 2018. Which is a rather crowded spot, since Disney has "Han Solo: A Star Wars Movie" to open in the previous week, and the following week has WB's all-female "Ocean's 8" and Paramount's "Bumblebee" movie. Is this a wise move, then? I doubt. That's the way it is with FOX though, they don't give a damn about things like this. They've also set up Josh Boone's "New Mutants" to arrive on April 13th, 2018. Which is, a few months... AHEAD. Huh?

And a little movie called "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" that will arrive in November 2nd, 2018. Squaring off directly against Disney's "Mulan" live action revisit, this news just came in several hours ago (thank Jesus I can add it before this post goes up *sigh*)! Nope, don't be mistaken, it's not "X-Men: The Last Stand" that practically ruined the franchise the first time. It's a... reboot of said movie? Meaning it has the ultimate potential (same story, same WRITER) to do the same? LOL. Need I remind you, these are 3 different movies, set in an entirely 3 different timeline/universe, right? Once again, LOL to that.

Aaaaanyway. With the uncertainty of WB to produce any DC Films earlier than December's "Aquaman", looks like FOX is snatching all the empty superhero slots, eh? The only empty space is in January, March, and August to October, with SONY's "Venom" already dated in the last one. So NICE move to FOX....!!! I guess? *sigh*

Avatar

This is a direct follow up to the above paragraph. Remember the James Cameron's sequel that was supposed to open on December 2018, but got delayed and thus became occupied by "Aquaman"? Yep, I know what you're thinking. This whole release date business already sounds like a confusing game of chess! Well, brace yourself, because "Avatar 2", the sequel we never even asked, will now open on December 18th, 2020. Eeeeh? Not kidding. But what took Cameron so long to get one done? The answer is, because he's doing all FOUR sequels altogether. Yes, "Avatar 3" has been scheduled to open on December 17th, 2021, while "Avatar 4" and "Avatar 5" are coming in December 20th, 2024 and December 19th, 2025 respectively. Ain't that a mouthful to write! Those, if there's any among you, who are waiting for these... sequels, should be really happy to hear this news. You have 5 years of Avatar-time! You've got to hand it to Cameron though. This here is risky business. VERY risky. I can't even imagine what would happen if the 2nd movie is a bomb.

Marvel Studios

Let's start with the juiciest part! Just last week, I speculated that Marvel Studios will announce the female director for "Captain Marvel" when they return to Hall H of this year's San Diego Comic Con. Well, this is Marvel Studios, a studio known for catching people off guard, and they've done it again. Not just for one, but a double surprise at the same time.

Yes, the director for their first female-led female-centric movie has indeed been selected. And it's not one, but TWO of them! Marvel Studios officially announced (first reported by Variety) that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have been assigned to helm the project. So to you who wanted a female director, you get one. And those who prefer a male director, also get one. Fair and square!!! Intriguingly, their names weren't even part of the frontrunners list, so it certainly caught almost everyone by surprise. According to The Hollywood Reporter, apparently Marvel Studios met with several female directors since last summer; from Niki Caro (who has been hired to do "Mulan" instead), Lesli Linka Glatter, Lorene Scafaria, to Lucia Aniello, and Quicksilver's real life wife Sam Taylor-Johnson, with Jennifer Kent and Jennifer Yuh also in the early mix; before ultimately settling in on this "Mississippi Grind" duo. Turns out, they've managed to impress the studio with their vision for the movie, which put focus on elevating character's journey beneath all the spectacle. Sounds like something right up on Marvel Studios' alley, huh?

Just like the Russo Brothers, Boden and Fleck have done more TV based project, instead of big features. Does the similarity to Anthony and Joe feels more than mere coincidence? Clearly Marvel is taking their first female-led superhero VERY seriously. I wouldn't be surprised if Carol Danvers will be taking Steve Rogers' important role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward. To be honest, I'm not at all familiar with the duo's work, not on movies ("It's Kind of a Funny Story", "Sugar", "Half Nelson"), nor TV ("The Affair", "Billions"). But I'm hearing good things about them, and considering Marvel Studios has a powerful knack in choosing who they partnered with (particularly ever since they no longer serve under Ike Perlmutter), I've completely put my trust in their decision. Lest we forget, people doubted that Joss Whedon, James Gunn, and also the Russos would deliver before. And now their movies are considered among MCU's best. With the smart and loveable Oscar-winner Brie Larson more than excited to front, a script currently in progress by Nicole Perlman and Meg LeFauve, and an official production targetting a February 2018 start, "Captain Marvel" will arrive on March 8th, 2019.

After debuting their first worldwide tour in Tokyo, Japan, the Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" has been held on Friday. As always, the glamorous event took place at the El Capitan Theatre. Unlike previous movies, I couldn't catch the live stream of this premiere, because I'm running out of data charge on my internet! After all, when you're saving up money to watch the movie (tickets' pre-ordered by the way, yaaaay! XD), you have no choice but to wait until early next month to get it reinvigorated. Whoops, let's get back on track. Most of the cast attended the celebration. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, co-president Louis D'Esposito, VFX producer Victoria Alonso, and director James Gunn were obviously leading the pack. They were joined by returning actors Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, and Sean Gunn, as well as new cast members Pom Klementieff, Chris Sullivan, Elizabeth Debicki, and Tommy Flanagan. Veteran actors Kurt Russel and Sylvester Stallone were also in attendance, with a surprise appearance of one David Hasselfhoff! Okay, I didn't even know he has a part in this movie. I thought his name in the recently released Original Soundtrack was just pure coincidence. By the way, said album's tracklist could potentially be considered spoilerish, so you might want to avoid it the way I do.

Another press junket was held following the premiere, and the folks behind this movie has been spilling additional details here and there. The kind of information that you would want to steer away and avoid, if like me, you don't want to be spoiled ahead of the game. This could range from the simplest bit like: - Various critics' reviews as well as the first accumulated RottenTomatoes score can be expected to arrive very soon. So check your favorite entertainment sites in the next 24 hours or more, to see what their journalists have to say about this movie. I'm personally avoiding the internet after this to avoid spoilers, and will get back once I've seen the movie. 3 days from now! YAAASSS!!! \(^o^)/ - The fact that the movie's core theme is about family. Sean Gerber of Modern Myth Media, even said that the movie was "pure love", and something that should be watched together with their family. Gunn even dedicated this movie to his parents during the LA premiere. - That baby Groot is the star of the movie! Even fellow Marvel Studios director Peyton Reed thought he could win an Oscar! - New official images released on Entertainment Weekly that hinted towards various plot points. - A supposed Nathan Fillion's cameo that got edited out. Complete with proof by the actor himself, that turned out to nothing but a... prank? LOL. Though it's possible he's indeed the actor that Gunn openly admitted had to cut during post production. - About "the collector’s museum"-level Easter-Eggs-filled scene that went out in the cutting room... and might not be available as the Deleted Scenes. - About a surprise pop star cameo. - To the more complex one, like the removal of one character by the name of... *drumrolls* Adam Warlock!

Yes, turns out the Warlock was originally a major part of "Vol. 2"! Confirming that it was indeed his cocoon we saw in the first movie, but was decided to be saved for later movies. Once again, Gunn has been pretty open about this before, as he said that the script originally had 'one other' member of the team that he unfortunately had to let go. Yes, he WAS talking about Warlock, as the decision to omit him was because "it was one character too many and I didn’t want to lose Mantis and Mantis was more organically part of the movie anyway. So I decided to save him for later.". Gunn expressed his love for him though, eventhough we also shouldn't expect to see Warlock in "Avengers: Infinity War" as well, much to fans dismay. Nevertheless, Feige gave assurance that we will definitely see this important cosmic being in future movies.

By future, I believe we can expect this important character to show up later in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3", or even earlier in the UNTITLED 2019's Avengers movie. As I've always said, Adam Warlock is an amazing character because he's basically serving as both protagonist and antagonist due to his alter-ego Magus. And the prospect of having him playing a crucial role in future Marvel cosmic universe is enough as an excuse for me. Gunn stated to EW, that the "the three movies work together as a whole, they’re going to tell one story,". Which is exactly the reason why he agreed and excited to continue with "Vol. 3". Don't forget, we're getting Warlock's comic-book's 'sister' Ayesha and her golden-skinned race in this second movie. It would be very obvious, if Warlock will indeed take the follow up spotlight on "Vol. 3". One more thing, Gunn's collaboration with Marvel Studios won't be stopping after "Vol. 3". Birth.Movies.Death speculated, that Gunn is basically the architect of Marvel Studios' future cosmic universe, and I'm inclined to agree on that. Which his role important going forward. After all, Feige himself stated that Gunn "could easily oversee additional stories beyond Vol. 3.". I honestly can't wait to see what we can expect next in the massive galactic side of MCU, considering some of its more popular properties like Galactus, or Silver Surfer, are owned by FOX.

With one movie of 2017 out of the way, when can we expect the 2nd one then? The Los Angeles premiere for "Spider-Man: Homecoming" has been set for June 28th, 2017. Similar to the case of "Vol. 2", we can expect first screening reactions, critics reviews, and all the information dump related to Tom Holland's solo movie, beginning on early June. Or perhaps, much earlier? Yep, L.A. Times shared a new official photo of Spidey inside a pipe, accompanied by a breakdown of what his VERY convenient suit can do. After all, it's Tony Stark's creation! LOL. There's another one from EW, included in an article that focused on director Jon Watts' and Holland's experience with the production, considering the two "were in the same boat". In case you forget, "Homecoming" is the only MCU movie this year that takes place on Earth! So in that sense, it could be considered an important movie, because it's one of two that will directly lead up towards "Infinity War".

The other one is of course, Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" that will arrive February 16th next year. A movie that had just wrapped production in Atlanta, but already sounds stunningly promising in many delicate ways: first female cinematographer in Rachel Morrison, dashing 'tribal-modern fusion' costumes by Oscar nominee Ruth E. Carter, fully imaginative high-tech metropolitan Wakanda, and stellar supporting cast, among others. Both Holland's Peter Parker and Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa debuted in "Captain America: Civil War" to critical acclaimed last year. We know that the two has officially joined the MCU's shirtless club, that even the bigwigs at Marvel Studios thought as something brag-worthy (LOL!!!). Yet the biggest question for them, is whether their stand-alone features will perform as good, or even better as the hype. Whether the directorial visions of Watts and Coogler are the right ones to catapult each solo title into their own franchises. Because if they are, then they will be joining the likes of Peyton Reed and Scott Derrickson who are moving forward with their second MCU movie.

Meanwhile, production for "Infinity War" is still ongoing in Scotland. And the latest sighting will make fans of the comics glee with joy. Why? Actor Paul Bettany was seen filming a romantic scene with Elizabeth Olsen, confirming that the relationship of his Victor Sha... I mean Vision and her Wanda Maximoff actually have progressed significantly since their encounter in "Avengers: Age of Ultron". There's something more to the scene though, because Bettany is NOT in his thick Vision makeup! Thus many have been assuming this could be either a dream-scene, or an alternate reality caused by one of the Infinity Stones. In fact, it makes sense to be the movie's happy ending too.

Speaking of 'happy ending', don't assume that this scene is part of the 2019's UNTITLED Avengers movie. Why? Eventhough the Russos DID plan to film both movies concurrently, apparently what might have sounded possible in theory, didn't work out so well in practice. Feige revealed to Collider, that the studio has decided to change course, and film both movies as back-to-back but entirely separate productions. "It became too complicated to cross-board them like that, and we found ourselves—again, something would always pay the price", he admitted, which might point out various issues like technical requirements of making sure both movie would be different from one another, actor's scheduling, and others. Which means, every behind the scenes candid images we've seen so far, are all part of "Infinity War". Feige then confirmed that they expect filming for the first movie to wrap in July, before moving on with the next one in August. Think of it like how Peter Jackson worked on his "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Hobbit" trilogies.

Last but not least, Feige also teased that while they are focusing on the seven ongoing tasks at hand, the MCU might be 'evolving' into a different form/route beginning in Phase 4. If... it can even be called that way, of course. "Certainly as we get to Infinity War there is a sense of a climax if not a conclusion to, by the time we’re at untitled Avengers 4, the 22 movies that will have encompassed the first three phases of the MCU. And what happens after that will be very different. I don’t know if it’s Phase 4, it might be a new thing.", he openly said to Collider. Intriguing, because if we observe closer, two of the confirmed titles ("Vol. 3" and "Homecoming 2") have their own separate and unique timelines; one probably mere months apart, while the other taking the "Harry Potter" yearly approach. A third that has been unofficially confirmed, the next chapter to "Doctor Strange", isn't likely to be bound by time and space either. Feige summed up that after 2019's Avengers movie, the MCU is "gonna be very, very different.". Hmmm... let's just say, I won't be at all surprised if the official title for Avengers 4 is called... "AVENGERS: SECRET WARS"! *wink*

Marvel TV

As Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." closing in on its 4th season finale, the fate of this ABC network series remains a huge question. Will it be renewed for a 5th year? And will it serve as the final season, as Entertainment Weekly has predicted before? Fans of the show, however small and numbered it might be, are anxious to find out. But while we're waiting for the answer, Marvel TV isn't stopping anytime soon. Instead, they are moving forward with their two Freeform projects.

The first one is Marvel's "New Warriors", as the former ABC family network officially announced its main roster! As speculated, it's a combination of actual "New Warriors" members from the comics, as well as ones from "Great Lake Avengers". The characters were revealed last week, complete with a catchy comic book art to accompany the announcement. They are (in list, because I love one): - Doreen Green, or Squirrel Girl. Well, duh? Obviously she's part of the show! Because it's the character that Freeform has always wanted to get from the beginning. According to Freeform, Doreen is an empowered girl, and a natural leader. Fitting to her power of acrobatic, and as such, she is bouncy and energetic. She will be accompanied by her pet squirrel Tippy Toe, everywhere she goes. - Craig Hollis, or Mister Immortal. True to his superhero alias, he's practically unable to die. Problem is, the lazy guy hasn't made use of this ability at all, and tends to be cocky and grumpy instead. Freeform calls him as the team's troublemaker. Or as I would see it... the jerk whom I would easily hate. - Dwayne Taylor, or Night Thrasher. He doesn't have any super ability, but he's a... Youtube artist? Huh? Ain't that something that the millenials would dig, right? He's rich kid who's pretending he's not, because he's a local celebrity 'hero' who is... shamelessly full of himself. Wow, our first two guys both sound annoying already. - Robbie Baldwin, or Speedball. His ability is to launch kinetic balls of energy, which of course would require CG work. His character description is kind of important, because it confirms that the show takes place in the MCU. Yes, because he's a fan of the Avengers Tower. Unfortunately, he's "impulsive and immature people-pleaser with a misplaced sense of confidence". My oh my, why do all the guys are characterized like this? - Zack Smith, or Microbe. This guy might already be my favorite, because he's a shy and sweet big guy who... talks to germs? Huh? Yep, his ability practically turns him into some kind of telepath, as he can tell everything from the millions germs scattering in the planet. Considering the MCU has very few people who can be categorized as an actual telepath (Scarlet Witch, and Mantis?), this is a good excuse to make Zack be another one. Judging from the character design, it seems like an Asian-American is going to be cast for this character. - Deborah Fields, or Debrii. This lesbian African-American is proud, and has a sharp tongue. Always unafraid to say what she thinks, and calls out people on their BS. Sounds like an amazing frenemy to either Craig, Dwayne, or Robbie, right? She has the power of telekinesis, and also acts as some sort of trickster.

If you ask me, I think these characters are good, and also wise choices because they represent diversity. No actor has been announced just yet because the casting process is said to commence very soon. But considering how fast this show is moving forward since it was greenlit, I wouldn't be surprised if we're getting cast announcement next week! I'm still not sure if I can see this show, considering it's airing on Freeform, but the idea of a 30-minutes 10-episodes only live-action comedy is too good for me to miss out. Obviously, if there's one main concern I have for it, is whether they can nail the VFX for show or not. And how much practical effects that will be utilized. Like the case of Tippy Toe, will an actual squirrel plays the rodent? Or a completely CG character? Of course, having characters like Mister Immortal, Night Thrasher, and Microbe is a beneficial cheat, considering their abilities can all be done practically. Even Debrii's power can also be done through simple camera tricks. The biggest challenge would be Speedball's, and the appearance of Squirrel Girl. Let's hope showrunner Kevin Biegel, and Marvel TV can work these out. Marvel's "New Warriors" is expected to arrive in 2018, which means, plenty of time to get the VFX done.

The first trailer for Marvel's "Cloak and Dagger" has been released! I did NOT see this coming. After all, the series won't premiere until Winter 2018, right? Unless, that literally means January or February, since both months are still regarded as winter. Hmmmm. Anyway, as soon as I'm done with the trailer, I'm 100% certain that this show is NOT for me. Not saying it's bad, because the whole teenage romance thing is, well, certainly new for Marvel. So a 'good job' for them is at hand? I don't know why, it just doesn't work for me. The lack of special effects, perhaps (that practical one looks... weak, and fake)? Too soap-opera for my taste, probably? Or is it because a conservative soul like me and some others just couldn't get the charm of it. Maaaaan, I feel old *sigh*. As I said before, as much as I liked the characters in the comics, I'm going to give this series a pass. It's definitely a no go for me. The only thing I liked about this is the logo... and that's saying much.

I can't help but wonder if these lovers would somehow, in some way, have a crossover with the "New Warriors". Both are running in the same network, and the age gap between their characters aren't too big. Of course, we must not forget that "Cloak and Dagger" takes place in New Orleans, while "New Warriors" will be in... hold on, they haven't mentioned where the setting will be, huh? Character description for Speedball mentioned 'Avengers Tower' though, so it likely takes place in New York. If that's the case, now I'm wondering if Squirrel Girl and her friends will bump into any of the Defenders, or Doctor Strange, or even Spider-Man? Aaargh.... this whole #itsallconnected thing is confusing.

Netflix

Would you look at that! Marvel's "Luke Cage" has... begun production for its 2nd season? Wowzers... Marvel is certainly firing on all cylinders, attacking on all front last week, huh? However, just like Marvel's "Jessica Jones", this report didn't arrive from Marvel, who usually posted an official announcement for a start of production. Instead, this silently came into public's attention through some keen-eyed fans who spotted the working title of "Luke Cage" being set up in Port Washington, New York. Add to that, Simone Missick's tweet about her training for the new season, and many can easily come into the same deduction.

Intriguingly, assuming this report IS true, "Luke Cage" going into production at the same time as "Jessica Jones" feels a little suspicious, eh? If I recall correctly, "Jessica Jones" showrunner Melissa Rosenberg did teased about Mike Colter's Luke's appearance in the series. So I'm secretly wishing this is the case, because his presence did wonder in the 1st season. Don't forget, Colter was cast due to his chemistry with Krysten Ritter! As for "Luke Cage", we need to remember that showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker actually wanted to do a "Heroes for Hire" show. But we all know how it turned out right? He was hired to do the solo series instead. With Scott Buck being occupied with Marvel's "The Inhumans", and the uncertainty of his Marvel's "Iron Fist" getting another season (sad to say, it's Netflix and Marvel TV's worst-reviewed show so far), could we be seeing Finn Jones' Danny Rand and Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing entering the world of Luke Cage instead? I certainly hope so, because that would be the WISEST decision for both series. Coker would get what he have always wanted, and Marvel fans can finally see these two lead characters turning into that charming best buddies we've always seen in various other medias. Not to mention, Missick's Misty Knight can pair up with Henwick's Colleen as well. Once again, just like in the comics! To be honest, I don't have any interest to see new season for both series at this moment, but a pleasant twist like that would totally alter said plan completely... XD

Of course, that's merely a random speculation on my part. And a wishful thinking too. If the recent exclusive on MCU Exchange is also true, then well, such fantastic crossover already sounds unlikely. Which means, there goes my excitement level...

As for Marvel's "The Punisher", Tyler Bates who has done work for James Gunn's MCU movies, will be lending his hand to score the series. Possibly hinting towards a more rock and roll, or heavy metal vibe to the music. One more thing, actress Rosario Dawson had openly stated that she won't be showing in the series. Not really a surprise, because her Claire Temple never really interacted with Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle before. I think her role will specifically be taken over by Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page this time. She did remark that she would love to be in it, but scheduling conflict somehow prevented her from doing so. Marvel's "The Punisher" is expected to premiere this Fall.

Kamen Rider Shally

Tokusatsu scooper Dukemon, posted some reports regarding the next Kamen Rider season following "Kamen Rider Ex-Aid". According to him, the rumored title will be "Kamen Rider Shally", and as previously hinted before, is a SUSHI-themed. Shally will be using the Shally Driver, and Neta Units to transform. He added that Shally will have three forms, obtained through the Neta units: Maguro, Ika, and Tamago. These are all obviously named after variants of Sushi that uses tuna, squid, and roll-egg respectively. For now, we need to consider this rumor with a huge grain of salt. But Dukemon is reliable, as many report he posted ended up becoming a fact. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Persona

"Persona 5" is still taking the main attention of many Persona-fans until now, but it seems Atlus is already moving forward with new projects for the franchise. According to Gematsu, Ryu's Office, the company who worked with Atlus to register domain names, has submited several Persona-related ones on April 18th. These names include: P3D, P5AG, P5D, P5R, P5U, Persona-Dance, PQ2. Three more were submitted on April 4: Persona8, Persona9, and Persona10.

Since they have created a crossover title between "Persona 4" and "Persona 3" before in form of "Persona 4 Arena", it seems likely that one of said domain might be a continuation to said title. Perhaps, the P5U one stands for "Persona 5 Ultimax/Arena"? I hope that's the case, because the possibility of the Phantom Thieves of Heart crossing path with the Inaba Investigation Team is too good to ignore. The notion of a Persona title from 8 to 10 is also intriguing. I don't recall we have heard any rumble of a "Persona 6" just yet, but they already book the spot up to 10! That's... WOW, right? Nevertheless, if Atlus can continue building better and better game like what they have done with P5, I don't see why there can't be a "Persona 10" somewhere in the franchise's bright future...