#It was just some very odd dialog lol

[itz-aeri]

Found this weird dialogue from the Sanrio collab

Momo saying "Close Shave"? Aeon saying "Chill"????!??

Loen "Digs"?????????????????

[asmomyluv]

HOPSCOTCH(LUCIFER)

This is what won the pole! I'll still be uploading the Beel with a Soccermom MC just at a later date! Also, I had so much fun thinking about this it's been so long since I've played hopscotch lol

SFW GN!MC

Warnings: like one suggestive piece of dialog

“Luciferrrrrr” you called stepping into his office. He looked up at you through his glasses causing you to smile. If anyone else had entered he’d remove them immediately. “How can I help you MC?” He asked, setting down his pen and giving you his full attention. You continued slipping behind his desk and into his lap causing him to smirk. “I need you,” you paused, wrapping your arms around his neck, and he slipped his arm around your waist. “Well darling that’s very bold of you” You rolled your eyes at his comment, “I need you to take a break.” His smile fell slightly. “As much as I’d love that, I have to get these done.” He gestured at the papers in front of him. “Come onnnnn you always work and work without taking a break. You need to take better care of yourself” You said sitting up and facing him now. “Just twenty minutes ok then you can get back to it?” You pleaded to look at him through your lashes. “Ten minutes that’s it.” He said sternly, arm still around your waist. You smiled “Thanks Luci, now come on I’m gonna show you one of my favorite games from back in the human world.” You said hopping out of his lap and pulling him along. He complied walking behind you, glad you were leading so you couldn't see the blush on his cheeks at your nickname. You two arrived at his room where he saw pieces of paper on the floor in an odd pattern. One, then two, then one, then two, then one again. "What is this?" He asked looking away from the setting and back at you. "Hopscotch!" You exclaimed. He nodded, "And how do you play?" You stood at the beginning of the sequence and demonstrated, hopping onto the first square with one foot up. "So when there's one square you only put one foot down." You jumped to the next space, both feet touching the ground. "And here I'd put down both." You completed the rest of the game going as fast as you can. "This seems fairly easy, I'll give it a try," he said with a confident smirk. You couldn't help but giggle. He did well of course, with just a little stumble at the end. "Ok, now we mix it up!" You moved the papers around some further some with more space between to create a much more complicated course. "I'll go first," he said with a soft smile. This was exactly what you wanted, him to relax. Something you knew he'd only be able to do with you and in his space. With his stack of papers forgotten the demon of pride relaxed and enjoyed his first ever game of hopscotch.

[cryingisnecessaryfanfics]

Xiao x GN Faerie Reader P. 5

sorry it took almost nine months lol working on the next part rn.

TW: brief mentions of blood, vomit, and injuries.

double post today :D

Part 4

The faerie wakes up exhausted and confused. No longer are they sleeping on the cold hard roof but in a bed with warm blankets and a familiar body next to them. The faerie suddenly becomes aware of every tingling spot on their body, all points of connection, places where their skin meets the skin of another. They fight the urge to lean into this odd yet pleasant feeling, knowing on the other side of the bed was a very injured and grumpy Adeptus.

The memories return slowly, a blur of motion becoming clear in their mind. First, it's the fear that suddenly comes to mind, flashes of blood and black, vomit being swallowed down and working through the dizziness. It hits the faerie in a rush, a sudden nauseating feeling growing in their stomach at the memories. But more follow right behind them, a different sort of nausea, one that screams embarrassment and frustration. They recall the image of Xiao’s shirtless body and with the lack of adrenaline to mask the attraction a burning feeling creeps up their neck and spreads on their face. They knew Xiao was strikingly handsome beforehand, just looking at him from a distance could tell you that much. But now- now they had seen what is not usually shown, had seen his skin without censor, only marred by injuries that made the faerie's stomach stir.

They push the arousal out of their mind reminding themself yet again that Xiao was no more than a patient, just someone in need of healing. Another flash of memories plays out in the faerie's mind, snippets of awoken slumber, stirred by the karma surrounding them. The faerie remembers an argument in snapshots, broken lines of dialog blurred by exhaustion. Only one instance was clear, a scene burned so clearly in their mind it almost hurt to recall.

“You need to rest! No slipping by me while I’m sleeping!” The faerie's voice is uncharacteristically angry, their eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

“You have no respect for the Adepti.” Xiao’s words are cold and stubborn.

“I would disagree considering I’m trying to keep ‘the Adepti’ from killing himself!” The faerie has no filter having awoken from their sleep to the sound of a certain Adeptus limping onto the roof. “I did not work myself dry keeping you alive for you to fall off some roof because you’re too stubborn to lie down!”

“I wouldn't-“

“For archons sake Xiao! You better get back in that room or so help me I will get Rex Lapis himself to make you!” The faerie looks downright terrifying like this, their wings which usually rest in a downward-facing manner are now spread to their full height and Xiao has to strain his neck just to look up at them. The faerie’s natural instincts have taken over to appear more threatening though they are unaware of it, and Xiao is quite frankly too tired and weak to fight with them any longer. Not to mention the fact that the faerie is definitely crazy enough to hunt his master down and threaten him into making Xiao rest.

“Fine.” The Adeptus mumbles and the faerie shouts a cry of joy in response.

The two approach the spare room for the second time that night. Xiao sits on the uncovered bed stiffly and the faerie hums happily as they take a seat on the floor in front of the door.

“W-what are you doing?” The Adeptus can't help but ask.

“Making sure you can't leave.” The faerie replies with a smug smile. Xiao bites his lip as he debates asking the faerie to sit with him on the bed. He blames his temptation on his physical impairments and clears his throat awkwardly.

“It’s, uhm, less painful when you are close.” He mumbles and the faerie's eyes widen at the statement.

“Oh.” They shake their head as if to rid themself of embarrassment. “Right, I’ll sit on the bed with you then.”

The faerie remembers only awkward glances and movements after that. They realize they must have fallen asleep while sitting on the bed with Xiao and try to hide the groan they let out in embarrassment.

After the faerie is through having a mini breakdown over the fact that they are in a bed and touching Xiao, they slowly peak over to the side where he lays.

His eyes are open. Shit.

"Good morning, Xiao." The faerie says and their voice barely even shakes.

"Good morning." He responds, blank and unaffected.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Adepti have no need for sleep."

"Xiao." The faerie sighs, "Your whole Adepti speech is really getting old."

Xiao only frowns in response to that. The faerie and Adeptus share a moment of silence before Xiao suddenly clears his throat.

"How did you sleep?" He asks slowly as if he had never inquired about another person before.

"I slept well, thank you for asking." The faerie answers.

There is another awkward silence.

"I must be going now." Xiao stands abruptly and in an instant, he's vanished into a flurry of anemo particles.

The faerie just sighs again.

"Suppose I should've expected that." They say to themself.

On the roof of Wangshu Inn Xiao stood with his head in his hands. He had never felt so... good. Though it sounded odd to say, it was true. He was finally leaving behind centuries of pain and suffering. For the first time in so long, he finally felt something other than pain. That horrible feeling nested into his stomach was starting to lift. Instead of misery, instead of the heavy burden he was carrying, he felt something new. Something he couldn't quite name.

Something... good.

****

Taglist:

@itzashnow

[kmze]

We were robbed of more ripper Stefan x Caroline scenes. I wish we have gotten a 22 eps. The way ripper Stefan was more obsessed with the wedding than Caroline lol

I will forever be mad we were robbed of dialog between them at Miss Mystic Falls when Ripper Stefan snatched her away from Damon because instead we had to watch the same god damn DE montage from 1x19 over and over with Sybil's annoying voice instead. They also cut that excellent scene where Ripper Stefan was getting under her skin and it paralleled with 6x19 when NH!Caro was like "am I making you nervous" talking about severed heads as centerpieces at their wedding. That scene was a still released for the episode and it was cut it just feels like they purposely cut SC stuff that episode because it was a "Triangle of Doom" homage. They should have had dancing dialog about Caroline giving Damon the necklace and Ripper Stefan being like "you think you're clever huh" (because he KNOWS she is) and him knowing she wanted the striker since he gave it her with no ulterior motive. I did love how he could not keep his eyes off her though when he was trying to psychologically damage Damon about the necklace and what really happened in 1x19 lol.

I definitely feel like they didn't take into account they had 6 less episodes that season when they wanted to do evil!Defan but also human!Stefan. He was so obsessed with the wedding lol, and in 8x10 it was hilarious how he was like a little boy picking on his crush like you don't affect me I don't like you and that's why I'm going to remind you about that every time I see you. Even when he walks in like "just so we're clear you calling me isn't why I'm here" and wouldn't let her talk, because as we saw in the last scene once she started talking he STFU. Even in 8x11, he brings her up with Damon as my ex-fiancee and where is she to tell Damon how he's doing everything wrong (and where is she because I miss her did she ask about me). Then the phone call where he's like "you don't affect me but I answered your call anyway and oh here's some clues as to what I'm actually up to" he was so friggin' obvious.

It was just odd because the set-up in 8x07 was that Cade wanted Stefan to corrupt people and that's what he was doing in 8x08 (and it was paralleling with NH!Caro like I really thought he was going to ask her to tag in for Damon and shut it off) and then it just became "oh Cade keeps saying we need to kill more people so lets go" very what was the point of this storyline? They could have used it to explore how deeply sadistic Stefan is but no lets have him kill Enzo and make him suicidal again. I've also seen a deleted scene that looks like Bonnie resurrected Enzo so now I keep wondering if things changed when they found out Nina would be back for the finale and they wanted to do Katherine as controlling Cade. IDK what it was with this show but they had so many issues having the halves of the season connect, I think they kept constantly changing their minds about things.

[briarmae]

Warning, long post that may contain spoilers:

I keep thinking about Netflix's Shadow and Bone and the changes they've made to the characters. (Hello, hyperfixation!)

It has occurred to me that it's not just that film producers had to make the characters more palatable or relatable for a wider audience (though, this could be an factor in the changes). Some characters are easier to bring to life on the screen, simply because the viewers/ readers do not already know what is going on in their heads. (ie: Genya, David, MAL) So this a unique problem brought about by the multiple points of view we are granted in the books.

(It's different for Alina. The first 3 books were entirely from her point of view. Now we're faced with other points of view of the same situations, so everything should feel markedly different from the books. Even if the dialog is similar or identical... (I've never liked First Person POV btw)) Seeing Alina from a point of view outside herself actually made me like her more (same with Katniss Everdeen)

But with written medium, we're given internal narration, internal growth, and internal realizations. How do you translate that to the screen?

How can they express all those inner monologues and character narrations?:

DIALOG

Certainly, the easiest way to accomplish this is by having the characters speak these thoughts aloud for the viewer. Would they make this narration to another character, or just to themselves? There are not many situations that would feel natural to have an actor monologue to themselves.

Inej's ascent of the incinerator shaft could be one, if the writing, acting, and filming all come together just right! (Grumbling to herself about Kaz, weeping over what she has suffered, asking herself if she has the strength and will to carry on when her feet are burning and she feels her strength giving out, finding a purpose beyond Kaz... it was powerful. Would it still be powerful on screen, though?)

Speaking innermost thoughts we are provided in the books -- aloud, to another character -- inherently changes the character, makes them more open. Spoonfeeding the audience! ("No saint ever watched over me. Not like you have." - Kaz in the books would NOT be there yet!)

NARRATION

Overlaid audio narration? They only did that with Mal and Alina's letters. It would certainly be an odd choice and change the tone and pace of the show. (It brings to mind the difficulty of expressing telepathy in visual medium)

ACTING

Rely on an actors ability to provide a nuanced, complex performance? (Not all actors could manage it!) Jesper could have been a one-note character, just comedic relief. Kit's performance in Season 1 added depth to the character. And this year, they provided character development in the actual script (probably after seeing how well Kit performed with the material and fan reactions to his performance).

They relied more heavily on Freddy's acting this season. He was able to express the monstrosity of Kaz, be more nuanced in his expression for care in others instead of just having the script spell it out. (Him being so verbal in his care and affection for Inej last season makes this season feel like a regression (it's just how he really is in the books))

CHARACTERISATION

Change the characters external demeanor to better suit their internal thoughts and issues? (Again, spoonfeeding the audience!)

Wylan had a very fake-it-'til-you -make-it kind of confidence in the books. He was out of his depth, and he knew it; but he was determined to survive. It was his "suprising courage" that all the other Crows noticed. On screen, he reads as more skittish than I imagined him (It's hard for me to watch sometimes). But I figure that the writers wanted to give voice to his internal hesitance, the fear from which he's been running. How would they show his doubts otherwise in this medium? (But it has the surprising result that his external confidence is the opposite of the book lol!! Wylan is very forward about romantic and physical intimacy in the show!)

FLASHBACKS

Flashbacks! Now those WORK in visual medium.

Alina (and Mal), the Darkling, and Kaz have all had featured flashbacks that give depth to the character! (and Nina had a short one) Without changing how other characters interact to them! Nice bit of storytelling, but I'm guessing extra scripts, film, time, and actors would drive up expenses for a show... Maybe that's why there's been a limited number of them? With so many characters and storyline, there can only be so much focus on one at a time...

HALLUCINATIONS

And crack!fic way of expounding on a characters internal drama! Poison! Hallucinations! To help the character themselves AND the viewers grow by exposing fears, weaknesses, and insecurities! (Three (four?) of them faced siuations that challenged their worldview and could inspire growth (Did the hallucination imply Tolya needs to address his codependency with his twin?? Does he have a deep-seated fear of harming Tamar?? Or are his fears of being without her?? We never saw his POV in the books; so, there are so many possibilities!))

I MEAN IT WORKED, DIDN'T IT LMAO

So, yeah. I get why some characters had to be made more audience-friendly.

(I don't really have a point, I'm just hoping that by putting this down somewhere, it'll help with my hyperfixation. It's gotten a bit out of hand)

[shuuji-thoughts]

on Cruel Story of Youth - Nagisa Oshima (1960)

Initial Impressions

Honestly, despite this film covering some extremely harsh situations and being pretty much just straight suffering from beginning to end, I actually had a pretty great experience watching it lol (especially with live reactions). First of all, it was of course refreshing as fuck to finally see some color, particularly of that weirdly saturated 60's variety. Among the first things I noticed was the odd camera positioning and movement which would often only show very close-up views of the action, particularly in conflict scenes. I also noticed the use of styles of music we haven't heard yet in any of these films, such as Jazz. I did think that the overall plot was a little confused and didn't really explain much about the characters' motivations or anything, but regardless I think it's quite an well presented tragedy. Although, the editing was fucking weird as hell lol, maybe just a product of the times idk.

Further Critique

So obviously, the acting is really shit. Most scenes feel extremely stilted and awkward simply because of the ways the actors move, especially that one dance scene oh my god that was so odd. The dialog is also pretty weird, although thinking back this was probably mostly an issue with the subtitles. Also, the sound effects are crazy, particularly impact noises. These things do however add to the silly angle, so all is forgiven.

I feel like there's a lot to be analyzed in the plot of this film, although I'm not sure I quite have what it takes to pull it off. Firstly, I feel like the film says a lot about youth and the different ways people deal with it. The conflict between Makoto and her sister illustrates this pretty clearly, particularly with the line, "We have no dreams so we'll never be like you". I feel like the film is trying to explore this sort of aimless rejection of pursuing something in the way society deems natural, in choice of something more immediately gratifying and easy to attain. It's certainly a conflict we're all used to seeing borne out in media, but I do feel as though this film does a particularly good job of depicting the raw emotions of a youth with no purpose.

There were a number of scenes and shots which caught my attention. There was one shot of a fully lit Makoto walking toward the camera in front of a blurred cityscape with nothing audible but the sound of her footsteps. I'm not entirely sure how they pulled that off, or if it's even really impressive at all, but I found it cool. I also thought the apple chomping scene was raw as fuck. I have no idea what it was trying to get across, but it was sick. If I had to guess, the apple could symbolize youth, with Kiyoshi devouring it symbolizing his consumption of Makoto's life, or smth like that.

Overall, pretty solid watch despite the nonstop rape, violence, and despair. 6/10

[artandsomethingcreated]

Huh ok so i have run into yet another case of 'what source did that come from because i cant find it in game'

This game is so old and so so much has been releaced about it over the years i have no idea where anything came from.

I presume that if it is on the wiki it is officially releaced somewhere? But like how canon is canon with these things? And does it really matter in this project?

My main goal is to work off of what is in game with out worrying much about the information released outside of it.

Besides i am going really weird with this anyway. This story was never going to be very canon to begin with lol.

I imagine someone will read it and go 'oh shit what the?! No?!' And then hopefully just kinda keep giving it a shot. 🤣

My goal is to tecnicly keep as much of the dialog while smothing it out and making it make a bit more conversational and narrative since. And to keep as much of the things that happen in game as intact as posible while adding in more depth and more understanding of charicter modivation.

Some of the things in the game make me... uncomfortable. So i am shifting them. I absolutely loathed Setzer the first time i played the game because of the forced marage thing... so i am... shifting it. Also that thing with Edgar flirting with kids is geting TOSSED, because no.

Charicters that are a bit blank in the backstory department are geting some weird things added in, actualy most are geting odd things added in. Side charicters that just kinda drop out of the story are geting story closure (Banon, Arvis). Charicters that kinda get patted on the head after all the damage they did are geting harsher treatment (Leo, Cid). Charicters that are basicly just used as plot devices are given some more agency (lots of mothers, the espers)

I dont know how well i am doing with all this, but i am trying.

It is a PROJECT.

[weadapt]

IM SO MAD AT YOU @cal-with-a-kesett-tape (not really *kisses the top of your head* (platonically) <3) I see what you’re doing . I seeee you… -_- you’re trying to get me thinking about something I’m NOT going to properly write or make an outline for…….. or create a story arch for. NO! I’m not falling for it. But…… I agree with you, OC main characters just ain’t my tea. Sooooo in my brain when I was thinking about this originally, I liked the idea that the character was Prauf, made my brain happy, it would be something where Prauf kidnapped him, because he felt he had to, and took care of him at that age, was able to keep him safe cuz he’s big and he could carry Cal in a backpack thingy (cuz he tiny) he also puts his courier stuff in (which wouldn’t totally be great if Cal interacted with the stuff, but ya know, plot point) so no one paid attention to Prauf and the slightly odd, crying sound occasionally coming from the carrier, transport box, backpack thingy. Prauf is the kind of guy who would never give up on someone who needed help no matter who they are (or what they are in the case of the snitmice he took in lol according to the dialog Cal has with Bode) and Prauf never thought he’d see that little kid again and then ONE DAY he meets him again, not at first knowing this ginger was the same ginger he’d saved, but one day it starts to click, and he’s devastated but happy at the same time because he’s happy to see him but depressed because what happened to this poor kid!? why is he on Bracca? He thought him being with those people would’ve kept him safe. Cal doesn’t remember him and so Prauf never tells him. (Cal might have only very very vague memories of that time in his life because we already know Cal’s mind is really good at blocking out memories and if he interacted with something that belonged to Prauf from that time it might only be a very faint echo he can’t make sense of or if he has some inkling his mind is just blocking it out or something but overall I don’t think Prauf would’ve really kept anything from when cal was with him except for one thing). Anyway, Prauf is so happy to spend time with Cal and work with him, and look after him again. He’s happy and sad to be a part of this poor kids life again and watch him grow from a 12 year old (or something) to a 18 year old. But Cal won’t talk about his life before Bracca, and it’s so sad to see how broken he is and it’s awful he’s on a planet like Bracca. Prauf brings up the Jedi every now and then, hoping cal will say something about it but he never does. Prauf is still going to do everything he can to make sure Cal is okay and has someone he can turn to but also be someone to remind Cal to find his place in the galaxy—“eventually you gotta move on and live your life. Find your destiny” So I’d start the story with the surivor!cal maybe and he’s somewhere with Merrin, maybe a cantina that sells turbo dogs and he wants to introduce the stuff to her, but there’s some item, maybe displayed on a wall which belongs to the owner, and item is something the owner has held onto because it belonged to a friend. Cal’s drawn to it , and the moment he touches it the story “starts” with Cal experiencing his past and progression of the story and learns it was Prauf who took care of him before the Jedi did. There’s a bit more drama though because I think finding an echo of his own past is going to majorly mess Cal up and cause some sort of feedback loop he can’t get out of or which makes it really hard to get him out of the echo and maybe Merrin has to find a way to help or something. The owner lets Cal keep the item that gave him and echo. So Cal is even more devastated he lost Prauf the way he did. So that’s kinda the arch thingy. Or something like that idk.

….can you please stop making me think about writing stuff. Y_Y

If I POSSIBLY (no promises) wrote a story of Cal having severe echos at a very, very young age and his parent(s) struggling to find a way to help him, what would you ultimately want out of the story?

[saltymongoose]

OK SO ignore my last ask (and delete it too that'd be great-) and ignore the fact I'm too lazy to come up with actual dialog- BUT I enjoy the thought of Player and Spy being bastards and just flirting with each other jokingly (or not on Spy's end) and making the boys much more irate with him. Ofc Spy notices and maybe turns up the charm because 1) you're going along with it, and 2) they're not going to do shit while you're around. AND to fix what I said last ask because I was a bit too excited while making it,, I think some of the mercs might get crushes on the Player. Not to the point of obsession tho! Normal lads who just love the person who's been watching over them, cheering them on, and helping them in the most dire situations!! I think the mercs most likely to fall in love are Scout, Demo, Soldier, and maybe Sniper.

HGJKGVK OMG WALNUT This is absolutely perfect, I love it. I 100% advocate for the Player being a bastard lmao, it's so fun. And btw, how are you so good at drawing Spy?! The expressions and everything are perfect (with the Player too lol, I love 'em), he looks great. :D I lowkey feel like every time I see your art of a character - any character - they end up becoming one of my favorites just because of how you portray them. As is the case here. <3333

I think the Player would be more impassive in reaction to Spy’s flirting at first, if not just because they think he’ll grow bored with it after a time. (That’s why he’s doing it - for entertainment, right?) However, after a period of time, he surprisingly doesn’t. You’re not sure if it’s because he has a genuine interest or if he just likes getting reactions from you (and the boys), but you figure that if he’s gonna keep at it, you might as well play along (for fun, if nothing else).

Spy would initially be a little surprised when you first turned the tables on him, giving an equally flirtatious response with a coy wink when he said something to you. However, you wouldn’t know this, as he was quick to shoot back with a compliment without losing any composure (he's Spy, he's not gonna be entirely phased by something like this. Not visually, at least.). From then on, he’d definitely try to do it more often, calling you pet names (in french, of course), complimenting your beauty whenever he sees you or you meet eyes, or just giving you looks that imply something more. (If you seem so open to it, why not dial up the charm more?)

In return, you tell him how much you love his accent and the sound of his voice, and just how nice you think he looks in his suit. Sometimes you even call him terms of endearment as well, even when you aren't technically "flirting back". (Is this something of an inside joke, or are you beginning to actually feel something for him? He can't really tell. But he'll go along with it regardless.)

Spy knows that you’re probably doing it in a joking way, despite how genuinely charming you are, but he can't help but feel just a bit warmer when you shower him with compliments in response to his own. (It's nice to get attention from someone as great (and important) as you, what can he say.) And, if he grows to like you more than platonically, then perhaps he can use this to get closer to you. It might be a bit more difficult to assure you of how true his affections are, but you are more than worth the effort and time that would take.

Plus, the reaction from those four "grunts" you have as vessels is also very amusing to him. He can feel them glaring at him when you flirt with each other, the weight of their stares settling a tad uncomfortably on him. But the odd feeling of happiness he gets from you returning his gestures, even if it isn't entirely sincere, is enough to ignore it. He also knows that your other vessels wouldn't dare try anything with you there anyway, so if he plays it up a bit more to get more amusing reactions from them, there's no harm in it. For him, anyway.

As for your grunts, "irate" is definitely a good descriptor for how they are. "Incandescent with rage" is also a fitting term.

They already loathed Spy for how he flirted with you, but they assumed that your supposed disinterest would make him quit it. However, all hopes for this were thrown out the window the moment they saw you go along with it. They're nearly shaking from how angry they are, and you honestly think you might've heard Hank growl at him once when you two were close to him. Your compliments towards Spy's voice are a real gut punch to Deimos (that was his thing!!), whereas Sanford and 2BDamned are questioning why you'd bother doing so. (There must be an underlying reason. Do you do this because you're both humans? What is so damn likable about Spy?)

To them, it doesn't even matter that you're joking; that flirting is something you should be doing with them.

(I can also see some of the bolder of your grunts trying to be more openly flirty to garner a similar response, with varying effectiveness. Deimos is great with it (he flirts with you sometimes anyway), while 2B and Sanford are a bit shyer with such things. Hank is another deal entirely.)

I also agree that some of the Mercs would probably get crushes on the Player. You’ve been with them for such a long amount of time, supporting them in their fights, keeping them alive for as long as you can, and cheering them on as you brought their team to victory again and again; they value you a lot, and after getting to know you personally, it is likely that they would come to see you in a more romantic light. Especially the more "open" of them (i.e. Scout, Demo, Soldier, and arguably Sniper), since you'd get to know them first. (Also if you "mained" them in TF2, since they'd have the knowledge that they were already your legitimate favorite out of the bunch. They'd also be the closest to you that way as well.)

It's a development from being starstruck to noticing how red they get when you come too close, and the feeling of butterflies in their stomachs when you compliment their work. They think it's a bit silly at first, but it's not exactly a bad thing. It doesn't get in the way of their work that much, and if they put in a bit of extra effort to try to impress you a little bit, that just benefits the team too. (Although some are far more obvious with their little crushes than others. Scout.)

It also helps that you know pretty much everything about them, and understand how they are. There's no judgement with you or trying to alter how they do their jobs, you can understand their idiosyncrasies and mentalities perfectly and work with them to get the best results. And, more importantly, you truly value them, in a way their previous bosses hadn't. So, they like you. Simple as that.

(Although, obsession is very unlikely, as they're more "normal" than the grunts somehow (at least in this way) and have better views on interpersonal relationships. They're just average eccentric mercenaries that might have kind of a thing for their Player, which would be expected after years of "knowing" you and being supported so selflessly, only to actually meet you and see that you're even kinder than expected.)

[5ds-sub-vs-dub]

Episode 6

Title: Look at My Treasured Deck!/ The Facility, Part 1

Summary (via Crunchyroll): After being sent to the Facility, Yusei befriends an odd old man who duels with a treasure deck full of ancient mystic cards.

Or: Yusei receives two different sentences, Yanagi is in for two different reasons, and Godwin has two different sets of priorities.

....

Aaaaand we're back! After an unintended hiatus.

We don't pay for Wifi anymore and my network connection has been less than stellar making this difficult to get out, so apologies for the low-quality screencaps. I had a connection and I ran with it while it lasted, haha.

And then I got half of this done and got hit over the head with allergies/ sinus issues. Very fun. Anyway. Moving on.

....

So first up, I want to point out briefly two changes made to the animation. I've noted in past posts that the dub occasionally reuses segments in order to add more dialog, but here, there are two bits that were simply re-animated.

The first of the two is right at the start of the episode (Left: sub. Right: dub):

Considering that Yusei has been arrested, I'm not really sure why they felt the need to change this. Like, yes, logically his hands should be restrained, and I have no idea why they thought it wasn't appropriate to show that. At any rate, they Did That so There It Is.

The second is later in the episode (Left: sub. Right: dub):

I couldn't get this shot lined up perfectly because the dub actually just plain cut the shot. I suppose they didn't want it taken as anything other than platonic hero adoration so that's why they cut the hearts out but... still don't really think that was necessary. It Is What It Is.

....

I could rant and rave about what the dub did to the opening scene where Yusei is getting his mark, but I already did that on main, so I'll spare everyone in doing it again. The only thing I have to change from that is to say that actually the snarky comment is entirely on point for dub!Yusei. I still hate it, but it is in character (whereas I previously asserted that it wasn't, and technically it isn't when thinking about sub!Yusei but I digress).

An interesting change is that the judge is almost more sympathetic?? Like, there is zero sympathy in the sub. Zero. But before looking at the charges (in the dub), the judge actually says, "Look at him: he's just a boy! What's so bad about this kid?" and later on tells him to think of it as a "summer camp" (which is utterly ridiculous given that Yusei has probably never been to a summer camp and so has nothing to compare it to, lol).

Additionally, Yusei receives what are pretty much two different sentences. In the sub, he is sentenced to: 1 month in the reeducation center followed by 6 months of labor before being sent back to Satellite. In the dub, he is sentenced to: an unspecified amount of time at the center ("a few months") before being sent back with the added stipulation of never dueling again.

These plus the scene where he's getting his mark are all changed to make it seem less severe. Which I have a huge problem with, honestly. Kids can handle serious topics. Some changes are warranted; this one was largely not.

....

Then we have Yanagi. In the sub, he's in for trespassing. In the dub (found out much later in the episode), he's in for...owning illegal cards? Who knew cards could be illegal? It's just an interesting choice, in my opinion.

Additionally, the order of conversations between Yusei and Yanagi are a bit different. Eventually you still get all the same information, but it's difficult to make comparisons when everything is out of order. I'll just leave it at that and move on.

....

Jack ends up very upset for two different reasons. In the sub, Mikage comments that the duel was a No Result and Jack is upset that anyone even saw it, period. In the dub... Oof. I actually feel sorry (just a little bit) for Jack when Mina comments that the power going out is what saved Jack from losing. Way to kick a man when he's down, Mina. (He is, then, upset at her comment rather than just that she saw it at all.)

Godwin also seems to have two different sets of priorities, here, with what he's concerned about. Compare what he says when he sees where the footage cuts off: Sub: "That means the Crimson Dragon hasn't been filmed clearly." Dub: "Excellent. It seems the power created by its summoning is greater than we ever imagined." This is just...one of those weird changes that I don't really have a comment on other than to say that it's weird and wonder why the heck they decided to do that. That whole conversation is just kind of weirdly changed in small ways.

....

One change that makes sense with the other earlier changes, is the following bit. I include it not because it makes that much of a difference with anything but because the dub makes me chuckle. Shared for your amusement, some of the dialog from the gaurd:

Sub: "The reeducation program starts in the afternoon. Until them, you should think about what you did." vs the Dub: "Yanagi's been a few times before, as you can tell. Personally, I think the food's finally gotten to him."

Additionally, the dub has some dub-only rules for the Facility: no chewing gum, no fighting, and no dueling. I bring this up because it makes very little sense as to why there's a dueling arena and to how Tanner/Himuro even has a duel disk inside. For the duel disk, I could see him bribing a guard (considering he'd have to anyway since this is apparently how things always go, the newbies dueling to earn their place in the pecking order), but the arena makes absolutely no sense. If there is no actual rule against dueling on the inside (as it is in the sub), then at least it makes sense in that, if you can get your deck in, the guards just plain don't care.

....

Once again, there are a lot of subtle changes in the conversation between Jack and Godwin.

Goodwin is a whole more irritated at Jack's antics for one thing. He reprimands Jack before saying that it's in Jack's best interest to tell him what he knows about the Crimson Dragon, as opposed to Godwin more simply stating that the footage is simply information gathering.

Once again, Savage (dub) Jack makes an appearance: "Yusei's not destined for anything but minimum wage." Ouch. (I love it though; it makes me chuckle.) He also makes the accusation that Yusei's mark must be "fake" since he didn't have it two years before. (As opposed to the sub where Jack simply states that Yusei didn't have it the last time he'd seen him.)

While I do love Lazar insulting Jack, I do still prefer the sub, here, for actually explaining why Jack lost by giving the card effects. The dub does not do this in full, which can end up being a bit confusing.

....

Once again, I have to prefer Tanner/Himuro's sub dialog when trying to intimidate Yusei:

Sub: "Just by being a citizen of Satellite, you're the lowest of the low." vs the dub: "You better believe it'll be a lesson you never forget." Both of these circle around to the final dialog of the episode (which I appreciate), and while both are actually good, I have to prefer the sub. It hammers home the on-going theme of worth that pervades the narrative for the entire first two arcs, especially when coupled with another of Himuro's taunts while dueling Yanagi, where in he calls Yanagi's cards "garbage" and one of the lackeys in the background also calls them useless.

And then, of course, the final lines of the episode. IN the dub, it's just... a little more cocky on Yusei's part: "You said we duel here for respect. I think its about time you learn what that really means." I don't hate it, but I don't love it, either. Like, obviously he means 'respecting the cards', but it is just... a little bit cocky, as I said -- especially when compared to the sub and, again, the reoccurring theme of worth: "Of the numerous cards in existence, there is not a single useless card." I think this hammers home both points better, honestly, whereas the dub could (erroneously) be interpreted as "you will come to respect me" rather than respect for all duelists and their cards.

....

So there we have it! Episode 6 in the books!

If you made it all the way to the end, thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know what you think of the changes that were made!

[hellsbellschime]

Could you make a meta about jonerys storyline in s7?

LOL okay so fun story! I thought this would be a fun idea for a video and figured I’d do a scene by scene analysis except by the time I was done with 7x03 I already had FIFTEEN MINUTES of material, so I stopped there. It was interesting so I might dive more into it at another point, but I do feel like at the very least the subtext and narrative material from 7x03 is the most rich anyway.

Most fans of Game of Thrones were looking forward to the shows main leads, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, meeting each other for years. But unfortunately once "ice and fire" finally came face to face, their chemistry and relationship was tragically lacking. However, given that the show was trying to sell an epic love story between them in half a dozen episodes, what was it about Jon and Dany that went so wrong? And in retrospect, did it even go wrong at all? One of the most interesting bricks in the foundation of Jon and Daenerys's relationship actually gets set in stone before Jon and Dany even meet, and it's set in stone by Tyrion. There is an significant miscommunication caused by him in the second episode of the season, because Daenerys commands him to invite Jon to Dragonstone specifically to bend the knee, but the message he actually sends to Jon doesn't include that vital tidbit. But the question is, why is that?

It's possible to chalk it up to just an error in writing or editing, however it's something that would have to be overlooked by everyone, and given the way the season progresses it seems unlikely that that's the case. It could have easily been edited out of the episode itself, so the fact that it wasn't means that it had to have been left in for a reason. And the fact that this miscommunication is never clarified or brought up by Tyrion afterwards seemingly indicates that it's an intentional moment too. But what matters more about this intentional confusion is not the confusion itself, but what it's supposed to tell the audience. 

This disconnect between perspectives and understanding between Jon and Dany seems to repeat itself from the literal moment that they're introduced to each other as well. Obviously Missandei listing off all of Dany's many titles while Jon Snow is introduced with such little fanfare is a moment that plays very well comedically, but despite the fact that up until this point Jon and Dany have been portrayed as two of the most heroic characters in the series, the audience is immediately meant to see them as total opposites of each other. Obviously the disparity between them will become clearer later, but given the way they've both been presented as individuals thus far, it's quite odd that the literal second they meet they're portrayed in direct contrast to one another.

Jon and Daenerys's interactions are really weird right off the bat. Not only is Jon completely thrown for a loop when he arrives on Dragonstone and is immediately commanded to bend the knee and taken prisoner, but Daenerys is her worst, least appealing self as soon as she meets him. It's not entirely out of her wheel house to play hardball with another person in power that she's just met, but from what Tyrion has said about Jon she has no reason to negotiate so aggressively with him, and yet she does anyway. 

What really sticks out in this initial conversation more than anything though, is that immediately after Daenerys meets Jon, she does quite a few things that are going to be incredibly unappealing to Jon as a character. Firstly, she disregards Robb's quest for independence, something he literally died in service of, in order to defer to the supposed last King in the North, Torrhen Stark. That might make sense from Dany's perspective given that she has very little love lost for Viserys, but to Jon, overlooking his deceased brother who was legitimately chosen to be King in the North is not something that is going to win any points with him. 

Then Dany points out that Torrhen Stark swore fealty to House Targaryen in perpetuity in exchange for his life and the life of the Northmen. Now, given what Dany has done up until this point, no one would have expected her to kill all of the Northmen if Jon hadn't bent the knee, but Jon doesn't have the benefit of narrative omniscience, so this statement after his frosty welcome to Dragonstone seems like a pretty clear threat that if Jon doesn't submit to her, he and the Northmen will die. 

She also makes it clear that she sees Torrhen's vow (if a vow can even be considered legitimate when it's given under threat of death) as still valid despite the fact that this is centuries old history that she nor Jon had any choice in. When he refuses, she levies the accusation that he is somehow breaking faith with House Targaryen, despite the fact that according to feudal law, the Mad King very clearly broke faith with House Stark by nearly executing all of the men in the family. 

This is the first moment where Jon actually pushes back against Dany's claims and points out that it was clearly House Targaryen that broke faith, and Daenerys admits some guilt on her father's behalf but asks that he forgive this crime and not judge a daughter by the sins of her father. That would be a halfway decent concession for her to make, were it not for the fact that it's buffered by two implications that Jon is responsible for an oath that his ancestor swore as well as responsible for the fact that his father was best friends with someone who attempted to kill her. 

Her next attempt at winning Jon's allegiance is even stranger. She claims that House Targaryen and House Stark were allies for centuries, when the obvious reality is that they were unwillingly subjugated by House Targaryen and the Iron Throne for the entire time. She also calls them centuries of peace and prosperity, which they very clearly and objectively were not. Westeros has never been particularly peaceful, but it's also never been as chaotic as it was during the reign of the Targaryens. She also somewhat hilariously presents him with the offer of Warden of the North, as if that were a prize to be won for him and not an obvious downgrade in terms of his status among his people and in Westeros in general. 

Jon refuses in a pretty fair retort, explaining that he isn't beholden to his ancestors vows and Daenerys isn't guilty of her father's crimes. It's interesting though, because Daenerys is frustrated by this. It's somewhat understandable that she'd be frustrated by the fact that Jon isn't bending the knee, but it's also intersting that she is frustrated by something that is an objectively fair propisition that puts both she and Jon on equal footing with one another. Throughout their conversation it's been clear that she does not see things that way, she expects Jon to bend the knee because someone who isn't him made a vow, but she doesn't expect to be held guilty for her father's crimes because it wasn't her doing. 

When Jon says that he needs Dany's help and she needs his, her response here is very telling as well. Clearly she's flexing because she wants to be perceived as intimidating by everyone she meets, but what's curious is that she automatically disbelieves that she could need Jon's help when he hasn't even explained what she needs his help for. It's extremely telling because she is already in a mental position where she believes that nothing and no one could possibly pose any kind of threat to her. 

Jon's engagement with the conversation takes an interesting turn here, because even after everything that has been said and done so far, he tells Daenerys that she is at least better than Cersei because she hasn't attacked King's Landing yet. While that is technically true and feels slightly more on par with the heroic Dany that everyone has seen so far, what the audience does already know is that she hasn't just decided not to attack King's Landing, she's been convinced not to attack King's Landing. Thus far, this is the only positive thing that Jon has said about her, and the viewers already know that it's false. 

Jon, ever the wordsmith, tries to immediately apprise Daenerys of the gravity of the situation in the worst way possible by likening the game of thrones to children playing a game screaming that the rules aren't fair. But again, it's interesting that, even though Tyrion corrects her afterwards, Daenerys is offended that Jon is calling HER a child. And it seems that honestly, Dany has no interest in what Jon is saying to her so long as it's not about her and her right to rule Westeros. 

What's also really bizarre here about Daenerys and Tyrion's behavior is that when he starts explaining what's going on with the army of the dead, they are both apathetic and disbelieving, despite the fact that Melisandre told them to summon Jon Snow because something big was coming and Jon knew more about it than almost anyone. It's possible that they were suspicious that it was some kind of trap or ruse, but it's strange that they both act so clueless and uncaring when they've both already been told that Jon was going to show up and tell them some wild shit. 

The dialog exchange gets really bizarre at this point, because instead of actually responding to anything that Jon said, Dany goes off on a tangent that essentially sums up to the idea that she believes in nothing but herself and it's her destiny to rule Westeros. It seems so off topic that it's hard to even understand what the writers were trying to convey here, but the only thing that I can possibly comprehend is that they're essentially trying to make it clear that after everything Jon has said and done, Daenerys is still thinking of nothing more than her destined birthright. 

And once again, we're all meant to see a contrast here because Davos intercedes and counters with the idea that if it's Dany's destiny to be queen, then all of Jon's accomplishments were his destiny too. This is interesting for two reasons though. The first is obvious, that Jon isn't the type to talk himself up or behave in a remotely entitled way, and that he doesn't command respect but earns it.

However, this points out something else interesting that is easy to overlook throughout this exchange. Daenerys is extremely forthcoming about herself, her accomplishments, and what she believes is her right, but Jon hasn't offered up any information about himself willingly. It's an understandable strategic tactic, there is no reason to offer up information to a potential enemy, but the fact is that this conversation clearly has confirmed in his mind that Daenerys is still a very possible enemy. 

And unfortunately for both of them, as Jon and Dany's first ever conversation concludes, Daenerys actually confirms that Jon is her enemy, claims that he is in open rebellion against her, and takes him prisoner while refusing to admit that she's actually taking him prisoner. 

Jon's conversation with Tyrion later is even more interesting. Because Jon directly calls out the fact that he's a prisoner, and Tyrion tries to claim the exact same thing that Dany did, that he's not a prisoner based on the incredibly frail technicality that Dany did not directly tell him that he was a prisoner. But even more importantly, this is an obvious instance where Tyrion could have told Jon that his message to him was intentionally misleading and Daenerys's aggression towards him may have been partially his fault, but he doesn't, nor does he explain this at any point later. 

Another interesting element to their conversation is that Tyrion tells Jon that he actually does believe him about the army of the dead. It's interesting because, if that were the case, why did he so clearly tag-team Jon in his first meeting with Daenerys? Perhaps it took him a moment of thought to actually understand what Jon was saying and come around to believing him, but it's interesting that the writers had a character who was familiar with Daenerys and Jon who could easily have mediated between them and didn't have him mediate. 

Tyrion also makes mention of the fact that children are not their fathers, luckily for all of us. While this is just a one off line and potentially means nothing, it's also a potentially very telling one because, honestly, Jon and Tyrion are very much like their fathers. Jon has idolized Ned for his entire life and desperately wants to be his father, and despite all of his attempts to distance himself from Tywin, Tyrion is clearly the Lannister child who is the most similar to his own father. So the subtext there about none of them being their fathers when even at this point two out of three of them are incredibly similar to their fathers specifically, seems like it could be very obvious foreshadowing.

But probably the most intriguing and noticeably strange aspect of Jon's conversation with Tyrion is that Tyrion explains to him that asking for Daenerys's help against an enemy she doesn't even believe is real is not a reasonable thing to ask. However, literally everything that Tyrion and Daenerys have asked of Jon so far has been wildly unreasonable to ask. Daenerys has asked a complete stranger to bend the knee to someone he's never met or even seen before, and she has essentially taken him hostage when he refused instead of just trying to convince him to do so. Jon even offers her an incredibly easy way in, he asks for her help, and if she provides it it's obvious that he and the rest of the Northmen would be much more open to the idea of her as their queen, but rather than even hearing Jon out she takes a seemingly desperate person as her prisoner with the clear intent of holding him there until he bends the knee. 

When Tyrion convinces Daenerys to give Jon the dragonglass he requires, Daenerys makes her first attempt to actually relate to Jon on a personal level. It's once again interesting that Daenerys brings up the loss of her two brothers and relates it to Jon's loss of his brothers, because Jon offers literally nothing in return. 

But what seems to be more relevant is Dany's position that everyone enjoys what they're good at and Jon saying that he doesn't. Once again, because the audience has the luxury of seeing Jon's entire journey thus far, it's easy to see why he feels this way. However, this seems to be another opportunity to point out the way in which Jon and Dany contrast each other, not to point out the ways in which they're similar to one another. 

It's interesting that Melisandre claims that she has brought ice and fire together at the beginning of the episode. Aside from being a nice nod to the original text, it also positions Jon and Daenerys as opposing forces instead of united ones. And these constant contrasts that are being brought up from the instant that they meet seem extremely relevant to their relationship to one another, but the fact that Dany enjoys what she's good at while Jon doesn't seems to be the most vital bit of information that the show conveys about Jon and Dany right off the bat. Because there really are so many parallels between what they're good at. Much of Jon and Dany's journeys thus far have been about fighting from the bottom to get to the top, winning people over, and trying to kill their enemies before their enemies can kill them. However, many of the things that Jon seems to dislike about leadership the most seem to be things that Daenerys actually does genuinely enjoy. 

It's safe to say that their very first meeting wasn't all that many fans were hoping for, however it seems like in the brutally short timeline of the final two seasons of Game of Thrones, the writers felt that the most important thing to establish between Jon and Daenerys right off the bat was not some sort of chemistry or romantic interest, but was the idea that these two people are diametrically opposed to one another in every way that matters. Despite the fact that their character arcs have had so many parallels thus far, the first episode where Jon and Daenerys actually meet seems to be designed to establish that everything about their personalities, dispositions, and overall ideals are on opposite ends of the spectrum, which was truly just the first gigantic step in establishing a romantic relationship that seems muddled, disjointed, and generally hard to follow and comprehend.

[the-road-goes-ever-on86]

I don't know if part 3 of Fear Street is my favorite, but if not it's close! A very solid ending to the trilogy! (Ramblings below the cut)

If you watched the trailer/any clips from Part 3 before the film then I think Sarah Fier being innocent was pretty predictable, but it's still an incredibly sad yet satisfying story. Absolutely loved Sarah and Hannah together, and was honestly not mad about Sarah's initial plan to make a deal with the devil because she had nothing left and was desperate to save herself and her lover. Was it the right thing? Eh... Not really (😂), but I understand her motivation!

Sarah couldn't catch a break, could she? First she and Hannah were betrayed simply because straight white men can't take no for an answer, and everyone else easily accepted all the lies about them because of their own bias and fear and hatred of anyone different; because of what they'd been told was wrong. There was no actual proof that they'd hurt anyone, but here you've got half the town lying because they're ready to see two poor girls hang.

That's not even mentioning Solomon, and how all this started because he was tired of bad luck and wanted to prosper despite having to kill to do so.

Seeing the events of 1666 really hit home for me how much things change, but also stay the same. There are absolutely people in present day who will still look at a gay couple and think they've been tempted by the devil to sin. It's depressing. The 1666 part of the film was especially heavy, partially because of this.

What I did like about that depressing situation was Sarah sacrificing herself so Hannah could live. I have no idea why I didn't initially see that; I thought her confession was going to be that she loved Hannah (then they'd die together), but instead she took all the blame when she was at zero fault. Terribly heartbreaking and moving scene; excellent dialog in Sarah's speech! The Goodes deserve all the pain in the world, lol.

Speaking of Sheriff Goode... Thought it was going to be Will that was cursing Shadyside, so that was the big twist for me. I did think it was odd that Nick told Ziggy that he had a heavy burden to bear (which does not sound like something a future Sheriff would need to say; it isn't THAT serious), but still figured maybe he was the... Well, the good Goode? Clearly not the case, but it is interesting that he warned Ziggy... Suppose he still had feelings for her despite being a massive pile of shit.

The mayor of Sunnyvale is still alive, so I wonder if he was the one who took the book at the end? Or maybe one of their other family members? The second I saw Deena leave it I just knew it was going to come back to haunt them. Should've burned the damn thing. For my own piece of mind, Deena and Sam later went back and took the book to burn and will live happily ever after.

Love that no one major (and, well, decent) died in the 1994 part of the film! I was pretty scared for Josh for a minute, though didn't truly think he'd die. Wasn't so sure about Ziggy though; figured she might go out killing Nick, but I'm glad to be wrong. Martin was great too! His instant acceptance of the plan to kill Sheriff Goode was hilarious, as was his fear (understandable as this was some crazy shit, something horror film characters don't always acknowledge enough); I'm glad he did what had to be done and joined up with the others and didn't run away screaming. I probably would've.

The traps were great and the lighting and design in the final scenes in the mall were so visually stunning! There are some very pretty/cool looking moments in this film.

Honestly, I'm just pleased that even though the film is fairly straightforward, that it was well made, written and engaging. The cast was good, likeable characters... Overall very fun trilogy! And... Half the gays lived! 💗💗💗

Frankly, that in itself gives me some degree of happiness because Deena and Sam are so cute together, and Deena being 100% committed to saving her girl was beautiful. It was delightful to see them walk away together. (Though frankly, Sam was knocked out so many times I hope she doesn't have any permanent brain damage. If Ziggy can survive... All that in the second film... I'm just gonna assume Sam can take a fair amount of blunt force trauma to the head. Maybe Ziggy surviving had to do with Nick's wishes, but regardless... Sam will be fine.)

[raeloganthesonic06fangirl]

Do you own both the BOOM DWD comics run and the Definitely Dangerous edition version of those comics? I heard that anthology is very expensive and rare nowadays! Do you agree with the changes made in the DD edition, or do you prefer the original BOOM run?

I have the DDE because I was quick enough to snap that up when it was still selling at about $25 USD for a pre-owned copy (particularly cheaper because this copy had a crease in the cover), and the digital edition of it was bought before Google Play delisted it. I also have the digital edition of the "Disney Afternoon Giant" reprinting of "The Duck Knight Returns", which uses the original retail run version of art with a little merging of DDE in a few spots. I don't have the original run issues since I don't have a comic shop I can go to that isn't a 4 hour round trip (and confidentially, I get incredibly car sick after two hours in a car non-stop), so I have to get my comics in book form because it's just easier for me anyway

I've read the retail edition first on an online scan upload, and while it does have a little more edge, I think I prefer the more polished DDE as far as art goes, while I wish they could have kept the original dialogue, especially because I kind of liked how it helped set the mood that this wasn't the same universe we'd grown comfortable in

I think "They blow up buildings." was just a stronger line than "They make things go kraka-thoooom.", like, this is some grade school level censorship, lol.

They also cut out Megavolt saying "crappy" in DDE, which I really don't understand because I'm pretty sure I remember 90s kids cartoons being allowed to say "crap", particularly "Dexter's Laboratory" and "Hey Arnold" and I don't really recall that being an issue back then, why is this suddenly not allowed..?

((There's also a quip from Darkwing about chains and cowboy hats leading to a good weekend that was removed from the DDE, but that's actually something I can understand that was needing to be drop, as hilariously naughty as that is))

And them cutting out the comment Darkwing had about noting how "disturbing" QuackerJack's behavior was getting and acknowledging how uncharacteristic it was for this energy to be directed at Megavolt... That was really odd that they'd wipe that line entirely in the omnibus.

Also, the comment of "security footage" existing of the incident where QuackerJack chokes out a robot in a blind rage, I felt that was actually a good line they should have kept, especially with the acknowledgement of the harm he's done to Megavolt being notably unnerving to even Darkwing.

At the end of the day, I feel like DDE is more polished overall, but the original run was definitely stronger with its texts and they should have kept most of that dialog in the re-issues.

[abysssanctum]

So about this prologue update. I understand why devs did that (though again, I think it is quite cheating when you change your story in hindsight), but I am sad that they decided to make balance between LIs not only by adding new scenes but also by removing old and loved ones (yes, I'm about The Pat Down scene, you're right. It was so vivid and we'll miss it so much T__T). And I really feel sorry about them replacing "sister's letter" scene with that new one with not-so-new joke (srsly, I'm sure that I saw that someone in fandom used that reference in their work, and I'm not sure saw that only once). But! I must admit that the whole Rowdy Raven scene looks more full, completed and sensible now. (And I headcanon now that Julian wrote his note to MC while he was quite drunk, like you know, people start to phone or text their ex when they are sotted? This it is. Except Julian is unique and accost not his ex (hmhmhm) but his future lmao. And after he send Malak he is like "I did whaaaat?? how the hell can I undo this? ugh. hope they will not come. hope this raven will lose his way. I need time machine, whatever it is") Julian really enlights his side of the story, and that looks much more pertinent in the displayed situation than abstract talks we saw in previous prologues.

On the other hand, Julians's first appearance in the shop became absolutelly illogical - he, fugitive accused for murder, secretly returned to the city, why the fuck does he need some random apprentice he never met before (not quite so, yeah, but a_m_n_e_s_i_a) to read his fortune in the middle of the night?? Not to speak about his attitude to all this magic shit and that he even not interested in listening the reading to the end after all (that was more or less expainable earlier, as it was not the thing he came for, but now it looks lame). The version "broke into the shop searching for the answers from Asra" seems more fitting to me. (Also I will be missing that underestimated pearl from dialog in *Negotiate* option in response of Julian's greetings. Something about "Master Asra is not here" - "Master? um.. *heavy blushing* ugh, well.. ok. I don't want to get into your personal affairs..." Oh sweet boy, do you have any other associations in your curly head?)

What I definetelly like in changings that is Muriel's part. Now his love line looks more vindicable (well for me at least). Because previously I always felt that MC is annoying him, he strongly doesn't want to interact with them and show it in a rather harsh way. So I was totally misguided by his personality and even didn't want to play his route (now it is my second favorite after Julian's). And now it is clear that he is tsundere withdrawn and shy and just cinnamonroll (but - unpopular opinion - I find his new CG too too much cute, it's a bit over the edge, looks sort of weird, sorry). Scenes with him is so warm and soft, you can feel what he cares and wants to protect MC, though he still doesn't want to let them get to close.

Also like how they made Nadia more soft and humane? I think that makes her route also more attractive to play. We can see her feelings and emotions now, not only her "wantings". And that previous payed choice "spoil me with riches"? Ugh, that was very uncomfortable. I wonder if someone chose it willingly, and not only for filling gaps in narration. For me, she is much more pleasable character to interacte now, and I am very glad with it.

And as said, I just love new Lucio's scenes. I so desperately needed them, lol. Well, I'm totally not impartial in this point, I just need more Lucio so I suppose I would be happy almost with every his appearance, but when I try to think with my brains and not my other parts, I still find his episodes very impressive. I like this haunted nightmarish dreams atmosphere that created (love that trope so much, right in kokoro!), I definetelly like this switching-between-forms flowing conversation, and I'm really glad that they left that moment with MC falling in his deathbed and breathing his ash (I'm sick bastard, but I find that very... thrilling and intimating), yet I know many people think that it is odd scene.

I feel a little strange that I can say about Portia's changings almost nothing. I just... feel that I know nothing new about her now? Unfortunately :( I even can say that her previous payed scene revealed us more details - for example about her interractions with other palace stuff that unveiled her personality. Now I feel that we have less such things. But we have new scene with Portia and Nadia, which is super nice and cozy and feelf almost like girls’ night out uwu (but I'm not sure whom that scene unveils more - Portia or Nadia)

Sorry Asra, but even less changes for you :( Almost only cutted scenes. But new warm domestic conversations in the very begining and the fact that Asra now speaks about Julian more kindly makes me pleased.

Aaaand. A small thing and may be just my imagination and wishful thinking but. Albeit Valerius is still the haughty asshole, he looks like... less humiliating to MC? I mean even the scene with him pouring his wine seems like an accident and not an offencive act. Maaaaaaybe just maybe that means that devs trying to make him more suitable as potential LI and we'll see his route one day? pretty please? *shrek_cat_eyes.jpg*

[ja-khajay]

what's your favourite movie and why? :~)

oh man it’s really hard to name a fav....... i’m not a big movie watcher in the first place :’) this is considering that and the fact I super rarely watch movies twice

though i’m gonna go with mad max fury road, as my FavTM! when i first saw a poster for it I only knew the franchise name and thought “they’re making a new one? smh, cashgrab” then the first trailer hit, I think I saw it on tumblr first, but I was transfixed. the way it was paced and shot was pure candy to me and when the movie finally came out in France I watched it five times in theaters.... I was completly obsessed with it for a while and I still rewatch it from time to time if I find a friend who hasn’t seen it!

as for why it’s my fav it’s a combination of simplicity, world building and hype factor. I’m kind of a difficult audience for movies because I really hate the way hollywood movies are acted and shot and it’s 90% of what you see :/ MMFR felt very different in philosophy and it just made for a great experience. list of things of the why :

it’s not complex. i like a good simple story and that’s what it does. it’s the only criticism I remember seeing about the movie and I think it’s stupid, the plot being that straightforwards is what you want in an action movie imo

the world is so well made and you see it in the little details. I adore worldbuilding and usually I feel dissapointed by people trying for the wow factor without answering basic questions and MMFR does the exact opposite of this. stuff like new slang, characters from different social classes, the politics of their little world, how people craft and eat. hell yeah

said attention to detail is reflected in the props and such of the movie it’s so fun to look at... plus I love crafts and the fact most of it isn’t CGI is so fun to think about. I’m (sigh) an artist and I really appreciate the concepts of the Things in that film...good design

it’s just really well paced and shot, you got nice colors and striking scenes galore. again nothing ground breaking genre defining but i’m here for mad max not fine art and it did more than what a mad max could have been!!! action is super well choreographed too. I usually hate action scenes for being too showoffy to the point of not being very readable

it’s one of those films that make me go ooh ooh ooh this next scene is so good at every new scene. I’ve watched it so much I could practically quote dialog at some point lol

it avoids the general hollywood feel I mentioned above which is hard to sum up but instantly makes film enjoyable for me

Now if you want a less mainstream movie I really like too, I’m nominating the rabbi’s cat! it’s technically not an original movie (comic adaptation) but they went for summing up several volumes of the comic in a single movie, the animation and voice acting is lovely and it’s one of those....simple yet smart and charming movies. I’m used to Sfar’s tone because I read his stuff growing up but for someone who hasn’t the writing will feel really original... Also it’s in a setting I rarely see represented ever (early century Algeria/Africa and all the colonization and wars by european powers). It touches on sensitive topics without being annoying which boy is rare, and it’s generally just a very fun film. Wish I could force every “muh adult animation” dudebro to watch it lol

The rest of my recs are gonna be basic “yeah im an animation student” ones because I tend to not watch live action asides from the ones my fam buys me tickets to so i’ll make it a short list

Akira and yes its as good as people say

same goes for Parasite if you’re among the 3 ppl on earth who havent seen it

the odd one out here : Kingsman, again its like if action movies were good which happens when hollywood isnt involved :)

Redline. its gotta be one of the dumbest movies ive seen and it’s phenomenal. the animation is insane the entire film is. watch it with overexcited type friends and a lot of beer and have the time of your life it’s free on youtube

[annerbhp]

2018 fic year in review

Now that I’m fairly certain I won’t be posting anything else before the end of the year.... (are we still doing these? We should!)

Total word count: ~164,000  Total fics written: 4 and a half? and a handful of ficlets never posted to AO3?  Fandoms written in: 1. all Harry Potter this year

Chronological list of fics

finished off we can still be, who we said we were (Harry/Ginny) - second story in the Armistice Series covering Slytherin!Ginny’s last year at Hogwarts - 124,000 words

you don’t have to stay (Harry/Ginny) - short prompt response ficlet about Harry and Ginny navigating life in the public eye together - 2,000 words (And the smutty sequel here, only posted to tumblr)

i just really need you here right now (Harry/Ginny) - short prompt response ficlet about Harry’s struggles with relationships and communication - 2,000 words

we can’t control (watch me unfold) (Harry/Ginny) - smutty friends-with-benefits Harry and Ginny meet as adults fic - 73,000 words

in my head we do everything right (Armistice Series #3, Harry/Ginny) - 26,000 words - WIP

(I did also write an answer that turned into a ficlet of sorts here about what would have happened in The Changeling if Harry had died. Do I need to warn for major character death?)

From my past year of writing

My best story of this year: Well, I only really completely finished and posted one fic this year other than the little prompt response ficlets, so I guess I’m gonna go with we can’t control.

My most popular story of this year (by kudos, comments or notes): Well, as sometimes seems to happen, the smutty we can’t control has the most hits of any of my stories this year, but when it comes to kudos and comments, the award goes to we can still be. Not sure if that is a preference for the latter fic, or if there is a hesitance to kudos and/or comment on something explicit. Or if people just re-read the explicit fic a lot. It’s a mystery! 

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: I don’t feel particularly underappreciated this year or anything. I feel I’ve been very lucky. If we are talking about everything I’ve written and posted ever, I still have a ridiculous amount of love for the Greer/Ginn fic I wrote for Stargate Universe, which I keep wanting to somehow turn into a much bigger novel. You know, maybe minus all the Stargate stuff. Lol. But it’s such a small fandom and a minor character that went a completely different way on the show kind of thing that I get why not many people got into it. (who i am at the end of the day)

Most fun story to write: I really loved writing chapter 1 of in my head we do everything right. It was fun to write normal teenaged-shenanigans and people just being happy for once. And it had a kind of atmosphere that I think I forget to include sometimes as I’m just trying to churn out chapters or getting to the next plot point. I love giving places a real feel beyond just being a place for characters to exist.

Hardest story to write: Um, it’s all hard? Honestly, just finishing things is so tough. Or maybe the hardest part is really taking the beta criticism I ask for and doing the hard work of editing, even if it means tearing things apart, deleting things, taking everything in a new direction. It always makes the story better, but it can be tempting to ignore and just post as is.

Biggest disappointment: No really big disappointments. Just the rare comment here or there that sting a bit and linger far longer that I should let them. I have a tendency to give the odd negative comment far more power over me than I should.

Biggest surprise: Actually writing little response ficlets to prompts people gave me. That never happens anymore, even though I used to do it a lot in my last fandom.

Most unintentionally telling story: That would certainly be telling. ;) I think all stories have pieces of the author in them. We build the fics from our own memories and traumas and observations and experiences. It’s inevitable.

Favorite Opening Lines: None of them, honestly. I’m laughing as I go through them. I apparently have a thing for starting with a line of dialog. Or short declarative sentences. (One, I notice, starts with “Ginny hates London,” and another starts with “Harry hates to be nagged.” I start with people hating things? Lol) 

Favorite Closing Lines:

Everything but him.

Reflection time

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted? I’m actually impressed I managed a few ficlets and an entire standalone fic. Most of the time the majority of my fannish brain is focused on Armistice Series. I’m pretty happy with what I came up with.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January? I was pretty boring this year. (I think my bizarre Helga/Salazar thing was in 2017.) Or I was just dedicated!

What’s your own favorite story of the year? I’m really happy with the way we can still be, who we said we were wrapped up in the end. There were some things I didn’t plan at all in there that just showed up and set up camp that I loved quite a bit in the end. I loved writing all the stuff back in Hogwarts, the wide variety of characters, but now with Harry, Ron, and Hermione thrown in the mix.

Did you take any writing risks this year? Uhhhhh, I STILL can’t believe I wrote we can’t control, let alone posted it. That was definitely a first for me, all that smut. I blame @weatheredskies and @blvnk-art forever and ever for that one.

Do you have any fanfic goals for the new year? Oh, millions. I really, really, really want to finish in my head we do everything right as well as Armistice #4 (the devil’s right there, right there in the details). I’d like to do even more than just those two, but I’m not gonna be greedy.

I’d also like to finish this drunk!hinny one-shot that someone requested that is almost done. I’d be happy to get the sequel to my coffeeshop Muggle!AU at least started.

Beyond that? I hope I can play with this ‘Harry comes to go to school at Hogwarts for the first time right after defeating Voldemort’ fic that I have titled as Perceptions at the moment but will doubtlessly change. That one will play with having tons of different POVs, and I’m excited to try and stretch myself to other character POVs, such as Ron, McGonagall, Hermione, Lupin, etc. There’s a Harry travels through time fic I would also like to finish or at least get a bit more done with.

And anything else that might catch my attention! Maybe try to do some sort of prompt/exchange/ficathon type thing.