#Justin and Travis are just there to be his friends and keep him from being Actually Terrible. And for laughs.

[deathxproof-archive]

Here’s the thing: I knew if my roommate, boyfriend, and I wrote fanfic or something together it would be something strange and beautiful and terrible. Every so often we bounce this one idea back and forth that took a Development last night, and I’ll be remiss if I don’t TRY to write it down:

The Rani is still kicking. She’s fine— She has a few different little robot companion types, a few little pets, and a rotating cast of people to tinker with and fuck up. Recently, she goes “huh, you know who I kind of miss?[neg] The Master. What a little bitch. He’s probably aggressively easy to genetically recreate.”.

The Doctor and the Master are off having a little bitch off somewhere. TARDISes parked somewhere else. Sick. The Master’s TARDIS is presumably abandoned in the Rani’s head, and the Doctor’s was convenient to locate alongside it. Rani takes them. She DOES recreate the Master, in a way. He’s got his own face and something definitely went wrong. This man is a cartoon villain going through an identity crisis. This man is loaded with memories and trauma that isn’t exactly his own while he Learns How To Do. He’s also Griffin McElroy. Something went wrong. Meet the Griff!ster.

He both leaves and sort of is let go by the Rani when she’s like “oh you came out wrong. and I DO still hate your company even when you’re not a clone. neat. you can leave.” He does. Presumably with the Master’s TARDIS. The Griff!ster then happens upon two human men who’s brother is on vacation. He doesn’t quite adopt them, but Justin and Travis also don’t… Leave him alone. The Griff!ster wants to do something fucked up and evil for his own sake, and Justin and Travis redirect him in a desperate attempt to keep people safe, but also Let This Guy Cook: Hey man, what if we just like… Turn Chicago into a giant ball pit?

Meanwhile the Doctor and the Master are just… In Heathrow Airport (and other various airports and bus stops). In one of the worst human inventions ever: airports and commercial airplanes. Time is moving slowly and linearly and everything keeps getting delayed and redirected. They are now exhausted in a way they’ve never experienced, and going a little insane, and are entirely reliant on the other to keep from doing that so they can go and retrieve their fucking time machines. They have to talk.

We haven’t gotten to the solutions part yet HOWEVER. Roommate and I are both fully committed to actually writing this even as a little house project. I’m so tickled by it.

[the-adventure-zblog]

Thoughts after finishing taz graduation: I really liked it!

Going into it one of my friends who had listened to some of it had said he didn't really like it. He had said Travis had a good idea but it didn't really come to fruition, and I kinda see that but I think it was really strong in a lot of ways.

One of the biggest strengths imo is the characters. Amnesty had some amazing characters, Aubrey little was played so well and was such a rich character, duck newton was just fantastic in how he was written, and pets not get started on the man the myth the legend ned chicane. I feel like the graduation characters are really good in a different direction though.

Amnesty was such a realistic setting and so it's characters had to be realistic I'm change, but in graduation it's a fantasy highschool so they can do whatever the hell they want. The firbolg is so amazing, and you can tell Justin put a lot of work into doing his research and managing that difficult character while still being hilarious. Clints character was somewhat simple but was all the stronger for that. He had his revenge motivation and he ended up getting there (which I really respect of Travis), but his character changed throughout the course of the story to work better with people and became what felt like such good friends with the crew.

And then we can't forget Fitzroy. Fitzroy is I think one of my favorite characters in anything they have done so far. Griffin handled him amazingly and I have no notes, he is so enjoyable to listen to and hearing how his character changed was just beautiful. Also some actually fucking good ace rep is nice.

One sort of weak thing about it is the message. It has a strong idea and I like the message, but I feel like it wasn't pulled off as well as it could be. Throughout the story aside from a few moments we are mostly just told about hog and it isn't till the end that we understand more about it and why we shouldn't like it. For most of the story we know that hog is basically theater and also OSHA, checking to make sure that things are running well and no one is getting exploited while putting on shows for the people. If Travis had given us some more solid hey look how these people got fucked up because this system brands whoever it wants as good or bad and basically is capitalism, I would have been so much more on board.

Ending thoughts and tldr: I really loved the characters, they were all played so well. The message was good but could have used more work during the earlier parts.

Next I'm onto the Magnus protocol real quick for a pitstop because a friend threatened me, then I'm onto ethersea which I can't be more excited for. I'll keep anyone who follows updated :D

[hockeyboysimagines]

The girl with the broken smile

Chapter 2

Warnings: angst, some language, lots of crying and mentions of cheating/STD’s.

I’m having too much fun writing for him. Hope you enjoy. Keep a lookout for some updates in the coming days!!

I’m sorry but he’s so funny🤣🤣🤣

“What a sap.” Travis mumbled as he watched Nolan leave the room to take a phone call from Sawyer.

“Oh leave him alone.” Nash said from her spot on the recliner “I think it’s kind of sweet.”

“If by sweet you mean pathetic. He’s practically drowning in his own drool and she’s not even here yet. Can you imagine what he’s gonna be like in a few weeks.”

“They’re just friends Trav.”

“Yeah.” He scoffed using his fingers to air quote “Just friends my ass.”

“Are we talking about Nolan or your ass.”

“Nolan is an ass. But that’s besides the point. If he likes her why doesn’t he just say so.” As Travis said it he realized how dumb he sounded to himself. Here he was, sitting at his kitchen island preaching about being honest when it came to feelings, while he himself harbored elephant sized feelings for his own best friend who was seated 10 feet away.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged “Maybe he’s afraid she doesn’t feel the same or something. A lot of people don’t say how they feel for that reason.”

“Well that’s just dumb. Why would she reject him?”

“Maybe she thinks they’re really “just friends” Nash said also air quoting. Before Travis could answer Nolan stepped back inside, cheeks pink and turned to them.

“Sorry that was-“

“Oh we know. That virginal blush all over your cheeks tells us it was “Just your friend.” Travis said, adding an air quote. Nolan scowled and glanced at Nash.

“How is “Just your friend” Sawyer?” Nash asked, air quoting also.

“She’s fine and this whole air quotes thing is starting to “piss me off.” He said raising his hands to quote himself. But he was smiling.

“When’s she coming anyways?” Travis asked reaching for the orange juice.

“3 weeks.”

“And how many teammates did you beat up and tell to stay away from her?” Nash asked.

“I haven’t beaten anyone up….”

“But you did tell every to stay away from her?”

Nolan opened his mouth to speak and then slowly closed it looking at his feet.

Travis was snickering and shaking his head “Your such a nerd Pat.”

Nolan waved him off and left a little while later, leaving Nash alone with Travis.

It had been just over 2 weeks since she’d become his new roommate and he had thus far shot down any mention of her getting her own place. He’d come up with every excuse in the book, and even went so far as to buy a fuck ton of plants, insisting she needed to continue to live there to water them. He suspected she was on to him, but it was so nice having her back he didn’t want to chance letting her go again.

Her company and everything that came with it made his apartment feel warm and fuzzy, and he hadn’t stopped smiling since she got there. She was at every game, and it just felt so good to have her around again, and the best part was that Justin had left her alone.

She’d gotten into the house to get the last few items she’d left there, and other than him telling her to come get her mail as it came, he hadn’t even attempted to get in contact with her.

Though it was for the best, Travis could tell that it hurt her. He hadn’t begged, pleaded, promised to change. He didn’t put up a fight to keep her or win her back. In fact, he’d let her go so easily it was almost like he’d never been a part of her life at all.

Sometimes late at night Travis could hear her crying, but he never asked her about it because if she wanted him to know she would come to him. He spent most of those nights lying awake, thinking about that night they’d slept in the same bed.

He really would have risked it if she’d asked him to. He thought for just a moment that maybe she would try to kiss him, and was mildly disappointed when she didn’t, but in the end he was actually glad now that it didn’t happen. While he wanted nothing more than for her to like him that way, he wanted it to be when she was clear headed and she wanted it to happen as much as he did. Not when she was heartbroken about some dumbass who never appreciated how amazing she was.

He had vowed to her, himself and anyone who would listen long enough, that he would never EVER let that happen again. He had stood idly by because he didn’t want to make a wave, and terrible things had happened. But that wouldn’t happen again.

She was lying on her side across the loveseat with her arm propped under her head. Her eyes were closed, and there was a comfortable silence for a few minutes until she spoke.

“Hey Trav?” She glanced up at him through her lashes and smiled a little “Thanks for everything.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me you know.”

“I know, but I wouldn’t make it through all this without you.”

He felt a few butterflies fluttering around and he smiled “You know I’m always here for you. No matter what happens.”

“You have no idea how much that means to me. Really. It’s good to know that I didn’t completely alienate you after all this time.”

“Never. I just figured you were happy and I didn’t want to ruin that. But that was wrong of me and I should have done more.”

She pursed her lips but shook her head “Nah. I wouldn’t have ever admitted there might have been a problem. My head was so far up my own ass I can’t even believe I was so dumb.”

“Your not dumb.”

“I was though. Now that I’m clearheaded I can see how dumb I was. That wasn’t love, that was manipulation at its finest.”

“Its okay Nash. I’m just glad your back.” He smiled broadly at her, and for a small moment she felt a sensation in her stomach she never had before.

One of the first things she’d noticed about Travis was his smile. It was wide, genuine and lit up his whole face every time she saw it. It never occurred to her that his smile was always extra wide, extra bright, and extra genuine when it was aimed at her. But the more time she spent with him and around her forgotten friend group, the more she noticed the little things.

He hung on her every word. He always listened to what she was talking about like he was trying to memorize everything she was saying and imprint it into his brain. He was never far from her, always within arms length. She had always chalked it up to their closeness, and now it seemed like Travis was constantly shielding her from the world, which she figured had something to do with Justin.

He’d held her hand every step of the way through her round of antibiotics, the tears, and her eventual emergence back into her old life. She felt good, better than she had in a really long time. She had missed her friends more than she realized, and was so thankful for everything they’d done to help her since she moved out.

Libby, Joel, Carter, Kevin and Nolan in particular had been there for all of it, and she would never be able to repay them for their strength and kindness they’d showed her at what she was sure would be the lowest point in her life.

“I have practice early.” Travis said offhandedly, jarring her from her thoughts “So I’ll be gone most of the morning. I figured maybe you’d want to meet up with Libby so Beezer said she would text you about it.”

Nash had noticed that since her split with Justin, Travis never left her alone for a long time. When he wasn’t around, he made sure someone else was. While Nash loved and appreciated him for it, she also didn’t want him to feel obligated to have her being constantly babysat.

“Sure. But you know I’d be okay here alone right?”

“Nash you’ve been alone for too long. You need people around you who love you. And Libby loves you….maybe even more than she loves Beezer. And that’s a fuck ton of love.”

Nash cracked a smile and laughed “I guess your right. Okay, lunch it is.”

**********

“So do you-“

“No.”

Libby threw the straw wrapper at her and made a face “I didn’t even ask my question yet.” They were seated in a small restaurant, just the two of them. It was mostly empty, allowing them to speak freely and without filters.

“I already know what your going to say and the answer is no.”

Libby stared at her from across the table until it made her uncomfortable and she looked up “Okay fine. What’s your question?”

“Is something happening between you and Travis?”

“No. Why would there be?”

“I don’t know that’s why I’m asking. I mean you guys are living together now, and it just seems like you two have gotten really close.”

“We’ve always been really close.”

“No.” Libby smiled and shook her head “Not like this. Do you share a bed?”

Nash felt her face get red, which was something that didn’t happen very often “No. I use the spare room for your information.”

“But you have shared a bed before?” She questioned, eyes flicking up to meet hers as she sipped at her water.

“No-well yeah I mean-once.”

“And nothing happened?”

“No it was the night-the night I found out about the Chlamydia. No funny business.”

“So that’s the only reason it didn’t happen then. Got it.”

“What are you-“

“Travis told Joel that that’s why he was chasing Justin through the house shirtless when we got there. Because Justin walked in on you guys in bed together.”

Nash pursed her lips “Well yeah but we were just sleeping. Justin took it out of context.”

“But you didn’t correct him.” Libby said slyly over her menu, eyes narrowing as a smile crept across her face “So maybe nothing happened, but that doesn’t mean you don’t wish it did.”

“I don’t honestly. I love Travis but that would really change things between us, and I just got him back and I’m too afraid to even think about that. Travis came over because I didn’t know what to do when I got the test result.”

“You know none of this is your fault right? And I hope you aren’t blaming yourself. There is literally nothing you or anyone can do to stop a guy from cheating.” Libby had an apologetic look on her face from across the table. Next to Travis and Carter, she was her closest friend during this process of untangling her life from Justin’s. While the others were supportive and there for her whenever she needed, conversations about Chlamydia weren’t ones she wanted to have with the guys. Not even Carter.

“I know. But I feel like I should have seen it coming, and I’m a little embarrassed.”

“I get what you mean but you shouldn’t be. To be honest, none of us really liked him to begin with, but we put up with him because we love you. Now that he’s gone, things feel normal again.”

“Agreed. It used to make me so sad, I felt like I missed out on so much while my head was shoved up my own ass.”

“Don’t say that. He’s a manipulator Nash, and that’s what they do.”

Nash smiled “Your pretty smart Lib. Did you know that?”

“Of course I am. I’ve been doing two sets of homework since the 8th grade, I better be smart.”she smiled a little and stirred the ice in her drink “So you really don’t think there could ever be anything between you and him?”

“I guess I can’t say never, because anything could happen but I don’t think he sees me that way. I mean we’re best friends, and changing that would be crazy right?”

Libby smiled and leaned back in her chair “I think I’m the wrong person to ask that. I don’t think it’s crazy at all. Who would take better care of you then Travis? Besides me of course, but sadly I’m not available. Though Joel has been pissing me off lately so I -“

“Shutup.” Nash said laughing.

Libby smiled “It’s so good to see you so happy again.” She reached across the table and squeezed her hand “And about Travis, don’t count him out. He might surprise you.”

***********

“So when are you making your move buddy.” Kevin asked as they packed up their gear to go home.

“What move?”

He knew what he meant of course, but to acknowledge it in front of Kevin meant that he was thinking of making a move. He was sure the guys knew how he felt about Nash, so he wasn’t embarrassed but he also wasn’t admitting it out loud. They were dumb, but they weren’t that dumb. Sometimes Travis wondered how they could see it but Nash couldn’t.

“Come on.” Joel said rolling his eyes “You guys are playing house now. Nothing is going on between you?”

“No it’s not.”

“Why? Because she seems to be pretty happy without Justin. This is your chance to slide into his place.”

“Nothing’s happening.” Travis said simply with a shrug “I only just got her back. I’m not ready to scare her away again.”

Nolan glanced at him and then cleared his throat “Leave him alone guys. He’s in a tough spot.”

“You would know.” Joel said giggling as he stood and stretched.

“Yeah you would too.” Carter said as he stuffed his clothes in his bag.

“I do know.” Joel said “Which is why I’m telling him that he should come clean to her. Do you know how long I could have been with Libby if I hadn’t pulled a Travis or a Nolan? Years bro. Years.”

Nolan glared at him “What? Leave me out of this.”

“Oh please.” Joel rolled his eyes, and chucked a ball of tape at him “Don’t even start. A girl is literally uprooting her life to come and move here to be closer to you and she’s just your friend?”

“Yes.”

“Ha. If that’s your story.” Joel said with a scoff. Nolan and Travis looked at each other, speechless before Joel spoke again “All I’m saying is take it from a guy who knows. If you keep waiting, someone is gonna take your spot.” He turned and left, leaving Travis with Nolan and Carter. It was quiet for a minute before Nolan announced he was leaving, two spots of pink high on his cheeks. Carter was staring at Travis as Nolan left through the locker room doors.

“What do you-what do you think?” He finally asked Carter. If there was anyone who was as close or maybe even closer to Nash besides Libby, it was Carter. They’d become almost instant friends, and he knew for a fact she confided in Carter about things she didn’t tell him. Carter pursed his lips and looked at the wall opposite them.

“Well. I guess it doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what she thinks. I know you like her, and I would be willing to bet she feels the same deep down, but-“ he thought for a second before he continued “What Justin did to her is going to take a while to heal from. He really messed her up.”

“I know. I didn’t know it was that bad.”

“I didn’t know either. I know things weren’t healthy, but she never told me the extent of it.” Travis sighed and then frowned “Don’t blame yourself. There’s nothing we could have done.” Carter said shaking his head.

“I know I just-if I had-never mind.”

Carter smiled a little “This is a tough conversation for me. I don’t know anything about love, but I think you should just take it slow with her ya know? If you feel that way about her that is. She’s been through a lot.”

“I know. And that’s why I’m just happy being her friend for now I guess.”

“And what happens if it’s only “For now” forever?” Carter asked, leaning forward a little “What then?”

“I don’t-I don’t really know. Hopefully we never get there yeah?”

**********

Nash thought about what Libby said for the rest of the day. She had been so infatuated with Justin that she’d never even thought about Travis that way. Now that Justin wasn’t clouding her mind, she realized that Travis had always been kinder and more attentive than he had ever been.

He was there for her no matter what, even when she wasn’t always there for him. The number of times she’d been made to cancel plans, or ignore texts, or even blow him off when they did have plans hurt her to even think about. While he didn’t blame her, she blamed herself.

She’d been a terrible best friend, and she would spend the rest of her life feeling bad about it, and trying to make it up to him, and while it was easy to blame it all on Justin, it was her fault too. He had been controlling, but she’d allowed him to do it and it was wrong. Travis was in her life before him, and though she’d refused to give him up Justin still cut him out as much as he could.

But that was over now.

She watched him as he moved across the room, talking about practice and how annoying Nolan was being about Sawyer. She was listening to him, but her mind was elsewhere.

“So anyways.” He said sitting down opposite her with a huff “What do you wanna do today? I was thinking maybe we go out for dinner, if you want to that is?”

She didn’t, but his hopeful smile was slowly changing her mind.

“Sure.” She said sitting up and stretching “I need some time to get ready and change though.”

She left the room, changed, fixed her hair and then followed him out the door, and together they drove to the place Travis had picked.

“I’m starving.” He complained “All that drooling Nolan’s been doing made me lose my appetite earlier.”

Nash giggled and moved around him to walk through the door as he held it open for her. When they were seated she folded her hands in front of her.

“So I’ve been thinking. Maybe I should get my own place soonish.”

He looked crestfallen, menu out in front of him “Wh-why?”

“No reason really, I just feel bad taking up space in your apartment.”

“You’re not taking up any space.”

“I am though. An entire room of space, and what about your privacy? When you go out with the guys don’t you ever wanna bring girls home?”

“No.” He said simply, eyes still holding hers.

“Why?”

He pursed his lips “Because I just don’t. We only just started to hang out again, I’m going to take advantage of spending this time with you.”

She smiled a little and sighed “I don’t want to leave, I just feel bad inconveniencing your life.”

“You could never be an inconvenience and you know it. Stay a while. I’m fine with it.”

The waitress came to ask their order, and flirted shamelessly with Travis. Nash looked a little offended when she left.

“That was bold.”

“What was?”

“The waitress. I mean I was right here and she was basically trying to get you to bang her on the table.”

“Was she? I didn’t even notice. I’m spending time with my best friend. That’s what’s important.”

Nash frowned but didn’t say anything more as they fell into easy conversation. But the more she thought about it, and started paying attention the more she realized that since she met him, she’d never seen Travis show any romantic interest in a girl. In fact she’d never seen him show any interest in a girl ever. He was always polite and friendly, but never flirtatious. Now whatever happened when he went home to Ontario she wasn’t sure, and she didn’t really wanna know, but while he was in Philly he was celibate. To her knowledge anyway.

And it wasn’t like he didn’t have options. She saw the way girls looked at him, batting their eyelashes and smiling like lunatics. But he never took the bait. Not even once.

“So are you looking forward to meeting Nolan’s girlfriend?” He asked as they ate.

“Yeah I think it’ll be good for him. But I don’t think she’s his girlfriend.”

“Not yet you mean. They’ll be here without parental supervision, which means pants off dance off.”

“Stop it.” She said biting back a laugh “Nolan doesn’t dance you know that. As far as the pants part, idk does he even know what a girl is?”

Travis’s smile faltered just a minute and he shook his head “No, I mean I don’t think he’s been with anyone since he’s been here. But that’s his business.”

She frowned “So has he been? Not that it matters, because he’s single but I would be very surprised if he was.”

“Uh. I don’t really know. He loves Sawyer, and he would never wanna hurt her. He is single, and I’m sure if he has hooked up with anyone he would regret it.”

He wouldn’t be telling her of course about what he knew. What Nolan did in Philly was Nolan’s business, but he had sworn Travis to secrecy about it. While Nolan was single, Travis knew that all Sawyer would have to do was ask and he would be with her in a second. The idea that some dumb girl he’d hooked up with, might jeopardize his relationship with a girl he was clearly in love with sent Nolan into a panic. Travis had assured him that he would take it to the grave, because he sympathized with him. He knew what it felt like to walk on glass for a girl you loved.

“Anyways I-“

But Nash’s expression made him stop speaking. He knew that look. He turned slowly and saw Justin standing in the doorway of the restaurant with a girl, presumably the one he’d cheated with or one of them. Travis could feel rage as Justin spotted them, and a large smug smile spread across his face.

Nash’s face was white as a ghost, eyes unfocused and brimming with tears. Justin nodded his head at her and looped his arms around the girls shoulders.

“That’s it.” Travis growled “I’m taking that mother fucker out-“

“No!” Nash said reaching across the table to grab his arm “Stop, let’s just leave okay?”

Travis was breathing hard through his nose as the waitress brought their check and he stood up sharply, chair screeching across the floor. In order to leave they had to pass Justin and Nash thought for a second she might vomit. He looked up as they passed before he said one simple word.

“Slut.”

Travis nearly knocked her over in his haste to lunge at him, grabbing a fistful of Justin’s shirt before yanking him out of the chair. The girl looked alarmed as she too stood up. Nash quickly grabbed Travis’s arm, panicked remembering that even Kevin couldn’t hold Travis back, and there would be no way she could.

“Travis. Travis.” She said hurriedly, pulling on his arm as he ragdolled Justin a few times. The few other patrons had turned at the commotion and some even came over to help, but when he turned to look at her, he let out a breath and released Justin, shoving him away.

“You aren’t worth it. Stay the fuck away from her.” He said pointing at him.

Nash tossed money at the girl behind the counter not staying to get the change as she followed Travis outside and into the car. His arms were shaking and he didn’t say a word the whole ride home, and when they entered the apartment they went to their respective rooms without talking.

After a while Nash laid down and closed her eyes, tears sliding across her nose and down on to her bed spread. The city lights were throwing shadows across her bedroom as she laid there crying. Some nights she drifted off to sleep easy, and others she seemed to lay awake for hours. On those nights she could usually be found sobbing until she couldn’t anymore.

She put on a brave face for her friends, and it was almost good enough to fool them. She sniffled a little holding in a particularly brutal sob, so to not alert Travis, who’s room was right across the hall. She didn’t hear any noises coming from it, so she assumed he was either sleeping or didn’t want to be bothered. A loud breath came out of her mouth and she gave a big shudder.

It was hard to feel both heartbroken and relieved and to feel guilty about both of those emotions. She might not have been so sad if Justin had made more of an effort to get her back. While she would never be with him again, it made her wonder if she had always just been a toy to him. As if being cheated on wasn’t painful enough, not being fought for was crushing. He acted like she’d never even existed, like she was so insignificant to him that he could just throw her away like that.

It hurt.

It felt like a knife was cutting into her chest the more she thought about it, slicing away and making her bleed. It was hard to breathe, as she sobbed again, gripping the blanket. She wanted nothing more than to scream and cry but she couldn’t get the noise out.

“Nash?”

She sat up a little and found Travis, standing in her doorway.

“Oh Nash.” He was across the room and had her in his arms before she could even register he was in there.

She lost it.

Big fat tears rolled down her face as her sobs came full force. Travis sighed from somewhere above her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

“I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve any of this.” He said quietly, hand moving up and down her back “This is so wrong.”

She couldn’t formulate words, just sobs in response as he continued to rub her back and whisper words of encouragement until she started to calm down.

She lifted her head up and met his eye, realizing how close his face was to hers. He lifted a hand up to let it rest on her cheek, eyes moving over his face.

“Nash I-“

A horn blared outside startling her, and she leaned back wiping under her eyes, but he stayed in his spot.

“Sorry Trav. I just lost it for a second there. Thanks.” She chuckled a little as she stood, folding her arms across her chest.

He was staring at the floor and nodded slowly “Sure.”

He stood and walked towards the door, turning to look at her one last time before he closed it behind him.

[plasticbattleaxe]

thoughts on the amnesty finale

! warning big spoilers !

that intro went HARD AS SHIT GRIFFIN

like the atmostphere of the amnesty theme in a minor key getting progressivly more alien? the corrupted, creepy wrongness of the voice editing? so well executed

the foreshadowing of beacon getting closer to his final purpose being able to pop the bubbles and stuff? excellent

on the subject of beacon what a little shit i love him “Wayynnnne Newwwton” what a perfect representation of the ‘little shit’ friend

travis roll over a 5 challenge

the worldbuilding!!!!! that scifi setting of a cyber punk future slowly rotting... 

griffin really has a habit of turning his “fantasy” stories scifi right at the end though huh

the organic matter pods were such a good visual, almost matrix-esque, and imagining Jane forming in one of those things and then disolving?  jesus christ dude

JUSTIN WAS ON HIS GAME!!!! HE PLAYED DUCK SO WELL IN THIS ONE

its so wild to think that griffin has just been sitting on this backstory for so long and how much stuff actually played into it like remember that line from the tree arc where Indrid says to duck “all those futures changed when you saved that goat man” like holy shit what would have happened if duck hadnt saved billy

billy???????? BILLY!!!!!!!!

 god not focus on duck but damn what a fucking badass - beacon carving his way through the room just absolutely WRECKING all of those tanks is so cool he has come so far from duck “im just a regular guy’ newton  

thacker connecting with the hive mind and essentially telling a millions of year old entity to essentially get fucked is so him excellent job clint

BILLY IS BACK!!! BILLY IS ALIVE AGAIN! THANK TRAVIS FOR TRAVIS

beacon achieving his purpose made me so irrationally bittersweet like on one hand im like “fuckin superb you funky little sword” and on the other “no sir dont take him away thats my emotional support bastard”

billy using slang and talking as though hes a modern day teenager was buckwild like has he just been chilling with jake and pidgeon while we werent looking 

griffin you also have a thing for “characters making a huge decision right at the finale” huh

THE MUSIC. GOES. HARD. AS. FUCK. AMNESTY THEME REPRISE 

thacker essentially having psychic skype session with mama is so funny imagine being mama and being woken in the middle of the night cause this asshole you have a psychic link with keeps asking you to bring him gorp

the quell personified and seeking out thacker is such a rewarding redemption arc. good for her 

aubrey willing to stay with dani no matter where she goes :’)

“hi honey-” “OH MY GOD”

aubrey running across a feild with flowers spreading behind her is some ghibli movie shit and i really cannot wait to see art of it

aubrey in cannon carrying around a hiking bags worth of shampoo to keep her hair red? thats bisexual energy

PUDDING TREE

i love the aubrey dani interactions theyre always so genuinly sweet and endearing - dani saying “im hungry” and aubrey immediately just  “ight ima make a tree i guess”

griffin hesitiating when he describes dani kissing aubrey to make it less wieird was also very good like theres an audible second of silence before he says “on the cheek”

“this is only the beginining” travis this was the third time i cried this episode 

the music!!!!!!!!!!! was so good!!!!!!!!!!! here!!!!!!!!!!

duck going to help the forrest fires in brazil was so cool cause its true to character but also true to justins values :)

“honey-” HONEY?

okay i literally did a double take here because (im guessing griffin also thought this) that Juno and Duck would end up together. I’m totally on board with minerva it was just really out of the blue 

justins monolgue here was so good it was really heart wrenching and a beautiful conclusion to ducks arc

Griffin throwing in some subtle sternclay. like. we see you dude.

amnesty lodge sunset reprise is officially my new favourite song from the entire TAZ ost INCLUDING BALANCE 

Mama finally being able to pursue her art in proper now that she has a chance to follow her own dreams instead of keeping the world safe

Barclay not being afraid of who will recognise him

Jake, keith and hollis kicking it again :)

kirby maintaining neds legacy at the crytonomica

ned :(

oh fuck ned :(

at this point i was sobbing because this was all so bittersweet like Neds legacy, the gang seeing eachother again, the gentle music. it was like you were in that moment with them

griffin WHERE IS PIDGEON 

my favourite moment in this whole season was the last visual. mama standing on the deck in the cool night air, the sun setting behind her as she walks down to meet her friends and see the future she worked so hard for - all the while the gentle strum of the guitar plays in the background? beautiful. so fuckign beautiful 

im so thankful for the mcelroys giving us this treasure of a story and im so glad i got to see it unfold 

[jelloopy]

The Forgotten Bird

What if our favorite Plane Jumping Embezzling Janitor was more than just that? 

Here’s my crazy long one shot of Clint McElroy being the Forgotten 8th member of the IPRE Crew. Be warned it is 8.2k.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one really knows who Clint McElroy is. 

He seemingly popped up out of nowhere one day and continues to show up at random times and places. Little did the IPRE gang know that Clint was also on that mission with them. He was with them every cycle, every attack from the Hunger. He just disappeared after 48 long years when he learned about the Voidfish. 

Like the others, he was chosen for the simple 2-month excursion into space to explore the outer reaches of the planar system to potentially see what lies beyond it. He shadowed under Davenport in the year after finding the Light of creation. Helping him figure out how bonds work and assisting him with any sort of research. He met Barry while he worked at the institute as well. Never got to know him too well but worked alongside him in a few research projects. On the Mission, he was “Lieutenant”, second in command under Davenport.

He knew the mission was risky but his family supported what he did and urged him to go. So he waved his goodbyes from the hull of the Starblaster and went to his room as they took off. He is thankful most days that he didn’t see the attack as they exited the atmosphere. The last thing he saw of his homeworld was his family’s smiling faces and that’s all he needed. So when they reentered the atmosphere only to see a planet that wasn’t their own he didn’t know how to feel. 

When Magnus died at the end of the first cycle as they retreated from the Hunger and he was so afraid of what that meant. Just as the sinking feeling of losing a member of his crew began to set in they all were repositioned. Magnus was back. Clint was in his room on the ship. Everyone was still in their Red Cloaks from the first departure. How was this possible? No one knew. But as the next few years went by they fell into that routine of trying to find the light before the Hunger could. 

Some years they found it before the Hunger others took months and the Hunger had already spotted it. But every year within the first 2 weeks the sky would be filled with eyes for just a second. Those eyes, filled with fear, hunger, and hatred, burned into the crew. At that moment the clock started to tick. They had one year. In one year’s time, the Hunger would fill the sky and decimate the planet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

47 years they had been doing this. 47. This cycle was fun though. They were at a place called the Legato Conservatory. The locals said that the light of creation was in the mountain. So to follow their tradition on the planet the crew decided they could spend some time mastering certain arts to appease the mountain in order to get the light. They could have some fun. So everyone got to work. Magnus worked on carpentry, Merle danced, Taako gave motivational speeches, Davenport sang,  Barry played piano, Lup played the violin, and Lucretia and Clint took painting lessons. 

The year passed and they all submitted their works with pride. There was a moment with Barry and Lup that Clint saw growing over time and was ecstatic to see it coming to fruition. Everyone’s submissions were accepted and yet there was no Light of Creation. This made everyone in the crew on edge. Later that night Clint saw Magnus go for a jog probably from the nerves. 

However, the next night after the crew submitted their pieces Clint went to investigate the cave himself. When he peered into was greeted by a weird sort of jellyfish. The creature somehow gestured in a way as if to say “follow me” to him. So he did and it lead him into the cave. Looking around he notices a bunch of other creatures like the one he was following that start to float towards him. They are larger than the one he is following but stop short and float away as the smaller one in front of him hums and glows as if saying ‘he’s cool, he’s with me’.

 As they make their way further into the cave he spots another smaller creature with the duck that Magnus submitted in its tendrils and chuckles. Finally, they reach a back corner of the cave and Clint understands why the jellyfish brought him here, the painting he submitted leaned against the wall. He smiles as he approaches it.

The painting pictures a park from their home planet. Three boys are playing around in the sunlight, laughing. The smallest one in a blue shirt chasing what seems to be his older brother in a green shirt grinning ear to ear the whole way with joy in their faces. The last one who looks to be the oldest in a red shirt is hiding behind a big tree watching the other boys chase each other. Sitting in the foreground on a blanket leaning against one another is a man and a woman watching the whole scene take place.

“That’s my family. My wife ‘n I, then my three boys running around,” he says.

The creature hums softly. And floats closer to the painting touching a tendril to the man in the frame. 

“Yep, that’s me alright,” Clint assures. The tendril moves over to the woman. 

“That’s my wife Leslie. An absolute wonder of a woman. Always supported me. Took care of the boys. Never failed at bringing a smile to my face,” Clint tells the creature. Some tears start to well up in his eyes as he talks, smiling the whole time. The creature hummed a soft tone and glowed blue for a moment, brushing up next to Clint. It then pointed towards the Boy behind the tree.

“That’s my oldest Juice. His real name is Justin but when he was like 10 he had an obsession with drinking juice for a while so it just stuck. He’s such a good kid, always lights up a room when he enters, crazy funny too,” He explains, now sitting on a rock next to the painting. A few tears have begun to fall. The creature now points at the boy being chased in green.

“Ahh, Travis. He’s very passionate. Horribly afraid of spiders though. Insanely funny too. He and Juice butt heads some times but that’s what brothers do am I right?” He wipes a tear from his cheek as he chuckles. The creature finally points at the smallest boy in blue. 

“Now that’s baby Griffin. Spoiled Lil shit he is. Never will not bring up the fact that he has his “own birthday”. See Justin and Travis both share a birthday but they were born 3 years apart oddly enough. But Griffin got his own. He’s a little ball of energy. Used to help me out with stuff for the Institute before the Mission.” Clint can only smile looking at the painting now. He wipes a few final tears from his eyes and stands up. 

“Thank you for bringing me here to see this.” he turns to the creature, “I was hoping I’d see it again. Before we left this world.” He begins to walk away when the creature grabs his wrist and seems to hug him. Clint is very confused but goes with it. The jellyfish hums and glows bright colors but eventually let’s go. 

He visits again the next night but doesn’t tell the others about where he went the night before or tonight. This night as he is leaving he trips. He trips into the pool of water that most of the baby ‘voidfish’, as the crew wants to call them, are chilling out in. They all shine bright and hum a shrill note as they scatter away from him. He sits up in the pool wiping the hair from his eyes and spits out some water. 

“Damn I knew I was old but not that old!” he chuckles, looking at his voidfish friend while getting up. The voidfish hums another tune and glows what he can discern as happy colors. He leaves the cave making sure to not trip next to the second pool of voidfish on the way out. He only goes back once in a while, especially after he sees Magnus with another voidfish a few nights later.

The last few days of the year go on by, the crew is searching for the Light of Creation still and everyone is on edge. He tries to keep the peace as much as he can. 

However, about a week after his last visit to the cave he notices something weird while attending another submission ceremony. When the students offering was taken he still remembered the offering while everyone else forgot. Then when it was accepted and everyone remembered he still never forgot. He was very lost for a while and decided to attend a few more to test this. It wasn’t until a student’s submission was declined that he realized that he was in fact not under the effects of the voidfish. He tested it some more and asked Magnus if he could remember the submissions. When he got a very quizzical look from Magnus and an offer to take him to Merle to get his head checked out he also became very confused. 

It wasn’t hanging out around the voidfish that made him immune to their effect. Magnus was proof of that. So he brought it up in conversation one night. He slipped the question into the conversation about whether Magnus had drunk any of the water from the pools in the cave. Magnus denied ever having done so to his memory and Clint had his answer. If you drank the water that a voidfish has been in the effects of the memory alterations is nullified! He didn’t know what to do with this information. It was all so fascinating. 

He didn’t tell anyone. Not yet at least. He knew his crewmates and its not that he didn’t trust them it’s just that they could become very thoughtless and reckless at times and he didn’t know what they would do. Plus nothing would come of it since when they would leave this world the Voidfish wouldn’t even be in their grasp. He would just wait until the next year to tell anyone about it. 

That was the plan until Magnus smuggled Fisher onto the Starblaster and didn’t disappear. That changed everything. Still, no one knew what Fisher was capable of anyway, besides wiping memories and sometimes giving them back. 

Halfway through the next cycle, Clint hit a very grim point mentally. He was deeply depressed. He missed his wife and kids so much it pained him beyond belief that it had now been almost 50 years without them. Had they survived the Hunger’s attack? Was Leslie alright? How old were the boys now? Had they gone to College? So many questions he would never know the answer to. In this time no one really knew what to say or how to act. Clint was really the only one with any attachments back on their homeworld. Besides Davenport or Merle, everyone was really too young to have really set in stone a family. Davenport tried his best to comfort him, Taako made him his favorite meal one night in an attempt to cheer him up, Merle offered some medicinal options to help him out a tad, and Barry tried to offer his condolences but they fell on flat air.

To Clint, he was utterly alone at this moment. He had memories yes but he would never get to hold his wife again. He wouldn’t get to see his boys grow up. 

In a spark of inspiration after seeing Fisher while walking about the ship, he realized what he could do by the next cycle. He could wipe everyone’s memories of him and just disappear every cycle. Being around the crew reminded him too much of what he left behind. Plus he would just respawn the next year on the ship if he died or not so what was the difference. He can live a little. Thankfully he was in his room when the ship left their homeworld so he didn’t have to worry about respawning in the same room as everyone else. That was the new plan.

He spent the rest of the year writing down every memory possible that he needed the crew to forget. He didn’t mind if he would run into them in the years to come because they wouldn’t know who he was. He could say “Hi” then disappear. When the last few days came around he was finally finished with the journal full of memories of himself. 

Standing in front of Fisher’s tank he made sure he drank a little bit of the water just in case. He hesitated for a moment. Should he do this? It’s a drastic decision but if it was needed it could be reversed. He could just have a good few years and when he decided he could sneak some of Fishers water into the tap and bam they all remember him no big deal! 

He did it. Right as the Hunger made its first appearance. He dropped the journal into the tank and waited. 

No one called his name to make sure he was alright. So he waited. He would have to until they re-entered the atmosphere and landed when he could see if his plan actually worked. So that’s what he did. 

Upon finally landing he ran from his room with a bag of personal belongings and jumped ship. He ran into the nearby woods but stayed close though, just to make sure it had worked. Merle was the first one to exit the ship and was alone, he decided it was time to test it out. He set his bag and cloak on a low nearby branch and walked out. He acted as a curious native to hopefully catch Merle’s attention. And it worked thank the gods. Merle called out to him,

“Hello, sir! Do you speak common?”

“Oh! Uh hello! Yes, I uh, speak… Common?” Clint replied acting startled by the dwarf, trying to seal the deal.

“Ah! Well, that’s great! I guess you’re wondering about our ship here! Do not worry we are just humble explorers!” Merle explained.

“Well, that’s nice. I suppose… I’ll be on my way now don’t want to disturb your eh… exploring. Nice to meet you though!” Clint said walking back into the woods away from the ship. He needed to get away quickly. Merle shouted a goodbye as they parted ways.

When Clint traveled far enough away he cheered with excitement. His plan had worked! They don’t remember him! He felt a pang of loneliness for a moment but shrugged it off in favor of finding shelter. He was free to live life as a tourist, a nobody. 

Clint repeated this for the next 18 years. As soon as they would land he would jump ship as fast as possible and live his life whether it be in a new town or out in the woods. He would have his own adventures.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they went into cycle 65 something extremely unexpected happened. The ship was attacked and they went down, hard. When Clint woke up he was thankfully on the ship and only had a few bumps and bruises. He was shaken from his hazy stupor when he heard Lucretia’s voice ring out through the ship calling for everyone. When no one answered Clint began to get worried along with Lucretia. He ran out and found her in front of her room with her own cuts and bruises. She saw him and backed away already preparing an offensive spell. 

“Wait wait wait! Don’t attack! I’m not an enemy! I can help you!” he shouted holding his hands up. She eyed him up and down and dropped the spell for a moment.

“Don’t move. I swear to the gods I will magic missile your ass so fast if you do.” she threatened. Clint swallowed and nodded his head. He was with them for about 50 years he knew what she was capable of. She began to back away and call out for the rest of the crew while running around the ship. She came back into the hall minutes later extremely flustered. No one was with her and Clint hadn’t heard any responses from the others. 

“Have you seen anyone else on this ship?” She demanded.

“N-no I swear.” He answered hands still up in the air. “I can help you through. You don’t know me but I know you and I can help.”

“What the hell does that mean how do you know me.” She faltered.

“It’s really hard to explain. I don’t know where everyone is but we obviously need to last the year until we can regenerate next cycle.” Clint offered.

“How do you know about the cycles… what is going on? Who the fuck are you?” She has tears in her eyes. Clint feels so much sorrow for her. She was only 16 coming on this mission. She’s too damn young to have been going through any of this. She reminds him of Travis though and he can’t just leave her stranded like this. He would have to just wipe her memory of him from this year when the Hunger comes around at the end of the year.

“Look we need to get this thing into the air and away from here I can explain more later but we need to not die for now.” he tries to compromise with her. She looks him up and down again and breaks.

“Fine let’s go but you better fucking explain what the hell is happening or you’re not going to like how you end up.” She starts to walk towards the helm of the ship. He follows in-suite and takes a moment to survey the situation before getting to work.

He is able to start the engines but is unable to get in the air. He takes a lap of the ship, making what repairs he can. The worst was the Bond engine at the stern of the ship. Though it could start up it there was no power going to the thrusters. He was able to fix it enough to get them in the air for a while and that’s all he needed. Someone obviously knew that the ship was here since the rest of the crew was missing. They needed to hide. 

Lucretia watched in confusion as Clint bounced around the Starblaster working on the repairs. How the hell did he know how to fix the bond engine let alone anything about the ship at all? While he worked she cleaned up the helm and readied the ship for the ascent. They made it a good distance flying around the planet aimlessly until they were attacked again. He made quick repairs as they flew leaving the steering to Lucretia. She could at least aim away from the enemy. Obviously neither of them were as good as Davenport but they survived. 

Once in a while, they would find a place to hide and make semi-proper repairs to the ship but as soon as they had any downtime they were back on the run from this relentless attacker.

In the short resting periods, that they did get, he tried to explain his situation as simply as he could to her. He took these times to write down their experiences as well, so he could wipe her memory in the new cycle. 

He loved his team. He really did. But he was having a blast living his own life from the non-stop mission that had stolen his family away from him. He had time to cope without the concerned looks from his crewmates. Most likely he would do this for a few more years then let them remember everything and deal with their wrath then. 

For now, he had to make sure Lucretia survived the year. It was drawing to a close and they were still on the run. He taught Lucretia everything he could about the ship in that time. So when the Hunger appeared in the sky he gave her the order to fly out of the atmosphere as he went to “check on the engine”. Really he ran to Fishers tank and dropped the small journal into it and waited. 

When they re-entered the atmosphere he heard Lucretia’s cry of relief. They- She had done it. She survived on her own the entire year. The crew was so worried about her. She was more than just a mess at this point. She had to live an entire year on the run, ‘alone’ without anyone to help her with the ship. 

Clint hid in the ship for the first day to figure out what the hell happened to everyone in that last cycle. He overheard them debriefing with Lucretia, saying that four giant statues killed them? They judged them on the sins they had committed? That’s insane. After he learned what happened he jumped ship and continued his lonesome adventures.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The end of cycle 82 threw him for a loop though. When the hunger appeared he saw a humanoid figure in a red cloak fly up into the air and destroy the first tendril from the Hunger. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen. But before he could even begin to process what had happened he respawned on the ship.

He grabbed his small go-bag and went to his normal spot where he jumps ship as soon as they land when he overhears a conversation in the helm. Davenport is yelling at Lup and Barry about something. He finally hears something about them becoming Liches when he has to jump because someone was walking down the hall near him.

When he found a place to settle down for a little while he tried to process what he heard. Barry and Lup became Liches? What does this mean for his disappearing act? How did the Voidfishes powers work with undead beings? I guess he will figure out when that comes to pass if ever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Something weird happened around cycle 90 though. He doesn’t stray too far from the ship this time and see’s Barry die within the first week. He makes sure to distance himself a little more just in case anything with memories pops up with Barry being a Lich and all. That was until he was laying in a big grassy field one day and a Lich in the IPRE robe appeared over him. 

“Clint.” It says.

“Uh who?” he replies. His heart jumped into his throat and his stomach sank.

“Cut the shit Clint what the fuck did you do. Why does no one remember you?” It demands.

“Ahh fuck. Barry?” Clint asks quickly. 

“Yes, it’s fucking Barry now answer the damn question, they all think I’m insane.” Barry shoots back.

Clint sits up and sighs. There was no escaping it now. He spilled the beans and told Barry everything. There was no point in hiding it. 

Barry now sat next to him. Seeing him in a Lich form was very odd but he got used to it after a while. A sigh came from him after a minute of contemplation.

“Well fuck… Shit man. That’s a lot. How long were you gonna keep this up for?” Barry asked.

“I don’t know. As long as I needed I suppose. It’s been fun living out here on my own. None of yall really had anything to leave behind. That’s why you all were chosen to go on the mission besides your expertise. Me? I had a wife and kids. I left them behind. I don’t know if they survived that attack, Barry. I know you all know about them but I can’t just not miss them. I miss Leslie’s hug, reassuring me the mission would go fine and that I’d be back home in no time. I miss my boys. Justin’s big ol’ smile, Travis’ dumb jokes, Griffin’s insane laughter. I miss them. I never got to see them grow up if they were able to. I don’t get to be by the love of my life anymore. And being out here alone has let me cope in my own way.” Clint explained, looking down at his hands.

“God damn Clint. I’m… I never thought of it that way. I knew you missed your family but. Damn, I’m so sorry man.” Barry tried his best. He didn’t know what to say.

“This is kinda why I left Barry. I know you mean well but it makes me feel broken and weak when you guys don’t know how to deal with me. I’m not trying to be the stereotypical guy who has to hide his feelings it just got to be too much. I wasn’t going to be gone forever. I’m gonna come back one day. I just want it to be on my terms. Please don’t take this as me blaming you because by all means its the opposite. I made this decision on my own. Plus you have Lup now and I can only hope that she makes you just as happy or more than Leslie made me. You two are amazing together.” He doesn’t know what to say anymore either. 

Barry lets out a small “thank you” before they sit in silence for a while. Later on, just as the sun is about to set, Barry turns to Clint as he gets up. 

“Well. Your secret is safe with me Lieutenant. I appreciate you telling me all that. Just come back when you’re ready alright?” 

“I will bud. Thank you.” Clint nods at him as he floats away. 

For the rest of the year, Barry and Clint meet once in a while to talk. It’s pleasant. Clint is happy to have someone to talk to again that he knows. They exchange all sorts of stories over the next few months. One day though Barry rushes into Clint in the woods. He talks so fast it’s a blur. Once Clint got him to calm down Barry explained.

“I don’t know what it means or how it works but when Lucretia and I sing a certain tune the rest of the crew hears static. I don’t know if its a big deal but its wicked weird.”

“Alright, that is really weird. What is the tune?” Clint questions him. Barry hums the tune and Clint can hear the notes just fine. He grunts and leans against a nearby tree, thinking. How is this possible and what does it mean. 

If Lucretia drank Fisher’s water that would mean she remembers Clint but she obviously doesn’t. Did she ever go in the cave with the Voidfish? Yeah! With Magnus that one time near the end of the cycle. So was it possible she accidentally drank from the pool too? Well if she did she would remember Clint. Then it clicks for him

He fell into the smaller pool of voidfish. That must be where the baby voidfish swim. It’s possible that when Lucretia was in the cave with Magnus that she accidentally drank from the Adult pool and can remember music from the conservatory. The adult voidfish must stay in one pool while the babies stay in another until they grow up.

Clint turns back to Barry and lies to him. He doesn’t know why but he does, “I don’t know how she knows the song but can’t remember me. I already told you what I know about Fisher. So it is pretty weird. I’d let it go though I doubt there’s anything to worry about.” 

Barry nods in agreement and begins to float away. “Yeah your probably right. It is pretty weird though. Oh well, I’ll see you later!”

Later that night the Hunger entered the atmosphere and then cycle 92 began.

This next time around he watches them as they all learn artificing and get to create their own magical items. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next 7 years, he lays low and lives out his own adventures. Staying in various Inn’s in nearby towns, learning different trades here and there, and overall just having fun

Cycle 99 was different right off the bat though. He hadn’t even had the chance to jump ship when the crew found the Light of creation and began discussing how to split it up. He listened in and learned what their plan was. It was actually a really good plan that could end the chase. He still jumped ship though and was awestruck with how similar to their homeworld it was. The only difference was the sky and the lack of one sun. He found a village to live in fairly easy and chilled out in a nice Inn for a while.

After 10 months of being on this planet, Clint heard word of some war for a powerful item start to spread. Everywhere he went that’s all anyone could talk about. He realized that it was probably from the plan of splitting the Light of Creation. After a year passes and the Hunger was nowhere in sight a dawning realization fell upon Clint. He could settle down again! Not start a new family, he was too old for that nor was he ready, but to find somewhere permanent to live out the rest of his years.

Another year passes and he finally settles down in Phandalin. He lives on the outskirts of town and works with the local authorities to make money from time to time. Within the first few days of being in town, he hears word of some man falling out of the sky on the outskirts of town. Other than that he lives in relative peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Then after 10 years Barry, Taako, Magnus, and Merle roll on into town talking about some guy named “Gundren”. Clint follows them into the bar and spy’s on them trying to figure out how they’re doing. When Taako, Merle, and Magnus leave Barry behind Clint decides it’s time to figure out what’s going on. 

“You and those guys here to look for those powerful relics?” He asks, approaching Barry who turns and looks him up and down.

“Not to my knowledge. Don’t know anything about ‘em personally. Just here on some escort business.” He replies and gestures to the bartender for a drink. 

“Well, you ever wonder about who created them? Some say its a group of powerful wizards, others say it was an evil Lich. What do you think?” Clint prods. Barry obviously isn’t going to just come out and say that he made the relics. So Clint has to try and trick him into it.

“Look pal, like I said I’m just here on some escort business. I could give less of a shit about those stupid relic things.” He snaps at Clint.

Clint moves away and leaves him to be. Something isn’t sitting right with him though. There is an odd feeling in his gut so he heads home and packs a bag. 

About two days later he looks out his window to see a trail of fire leading into town. He grabs his bag and a nearby horse from the stables and ditches town. Whatever that was, wasn’t good.

By nightfall, the entire town has been reduced to a sea of black glass. Clint watches though as three figures crawl out of a hole in the glass lugging a fourth behind them. He watches as they talk for a while then a glass ball comes from the fucking sky and flies them away to somewhere. Nearby though he spots movement in the woods and sees a flash of red. He knows that color anywhere. Must be Barry.

Clint mounts his horse and shouts for Barry as he rides towards where he saw the cloak. A few seconds later Clint and his horse are frozen in place. A red-robed figure comes out of the woods. When the figure sees Clint the spell is dropped and Clint calms the horse down.

“Clint, what the fuck are you doing here?” It asks.

“What am I doing here? Barry? What the fuck are you doing here?! What just happened with Taako, Magnus, and Merle? Why aren’t you with them?” Clint pressures.

“Listen you need to come with me. I’m not surprised that you don’t know yet. I’ll explain when we get somewhere safe. I can’t have her listening in somehow.” And with that, he simply turns around gesturing for Clint to follow him. So many more questions flood Clint’s mind but he gives up and just holds them for later.

After a long trek, they arrive at the entrance of a cave in the middle of nowhere. Clint ties the horse away to rest and goes in with Barry. The inside is insane. Papers everywhere, words scribbled on the wall, a fucking human floating in a tank?!

“Now I hope you’re going to explain all of this, because… What. The. Fuck.” Clint says just staring around the cave taking everything in. 

Barry does explain. He explains everything that happened in this cycle. What Lucretia did, what she's created. How he is trying to stop her and what he has to do, to do so. Clint is in awe. Lucretia knows about everything now. What Clint did. And she is using it against the crew too. This is why he didn’t want to tell anyone. Something bad was bound to happen with that information. 

Barry turns to one of the cave walls where the seven relics are listed and crosses out the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet. 

“Holy shit. You were the guy that I heard about falling from the sky? Oh, fuck Barry. and Lup? I’m so sorry man. I’m sure she’ll turn up. But that’s a lot to take in holy shit.” He begins. They discuss all the implications behind everything that has happened.

“Wait there’s something I still don’t understand. Did you say that potentially there is a second voidfish? Not just Fisher?”

“Potentially yes. So everyone in the Bureau drinks Fisher’s ichor and they are able to learn about the Bureau and the Relics. But they just went to the base with one of the members of the Bureau so I don’t think Lucretia is going to let them drink Fishers Ichor unless she has a backup to keep everyone from remembering the mission.” Barry posits.

“But if there is a second voidfish then how am I able to remember everything. I haven’t drunk any of the second one’s ichor, as you call it.” Clint pushes.

“Well, that’s the question really. Because obviously Lucretia drank Fishers Ichor meaning she remembers you. But I think what happened was that she didn’t write you into the first story because she couldn’t remember you just like the rest of us. Maybe she just wanted to leave you be when not writing you in the second time around? It could be possible that she worded the journal to be that just the crew forgot each other. No one else in this world knew who we were so there wasn’t a point in deleting us from the world. So I guess she just left you out of the crew as you kinda wanted?” He shrugs. Clint hums in agreeance, thinking of the implications that this means for him.

They spend the next few days together talking about potential plans for Barry. Clint ends up leaving and goes to search for a new place to live. He liked living in a peaceful town. He misses the crew dearly but there was obviously too much drama for him to get involved again. After about a week Barry has a rough plan and Clint leaves to find another place to settle down.

He ends up in Never Winter and is chilling out in a nearby Inn when he hears screaming. He runs out of the building and follows some people down to the train station where he sees the tail end of a train seemingly disappear out of thin air. He looks over into a nearby field and sees about 6 figures get up after a while. Once again he recognizes Taako, Magnus, and Merle. He keeps his distance and instead works on keeping the peace around the town. As he debriefed with the local militia he met a young boy named Angus who claimed to be the world’s best detective. It was odd, but he reminded Clint of Griffin back home. Always curious and a bit vain at times, it brought a smile to his face. 

He ended up not liking Never Winter that much so he skipped town and headed towards Goldcliff. A Town he had heard nothing but praise for. It was now no surprise when all of the sudden vines began causing havoc around the bank. So he stuck around and met Captain Captain Bane who brushed him off. Yet no more than five minutes later those three boys came rolling up. Clint watched from a distance as Magnus tried to chop the vines, then as Merle sweet-talked the plants and got them inside. He saw when someone jumped from the top floor and flew away, he watched a few minutes later as the boys got carried out looking like actual shit. 

He never got to see them race but he heard stories of what happened. He was too busy helping clean up the dead vines from around the Bank and repairing what he could. He did go and visit the cherry blossom tree that sprouted from the race though. He saw the two women at the base of the tree and he knew that they had made sure that the boys were safe. He thanked them and made his way out of town. 

 On his way out Barry in his Lich form appeared out of nowhere and lead him back to his hidey-hole. Barry explained what had been happening. The Oculus and the Gaia Sash had been found, he was suspecting something was happening with the Philosophers stone soon so he has been combing radio signals for any word on it.

Clint found it funny but fulfilling that he ended up running behind the boys and helping clean up after them. He just happened to be where ever they were. He talked it over with Barry and decided that he would make it his job. When he could he would follow the boys and clean up what he could in their wake. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He couldn’t do much when the incident at the Miller lab happened but he was watching, just in case. He followed them with Barry to the town of Refuge. He watched in the woods while the four of them stood there talking about the town and what was happening. The statue of the boys in town was so amazing it made him tear up a little bit. He watched the reunion after the town caught up with the timeline, smiling the whole time.

When it came time for Wonderland Clint became very anxious. Barry told him what he knew of the place and it worried him. This was Barry’s relic after all, but the two Liches that ran the joint where a force to be reckoned with. It was decided that Clint would deter anyone from coming into the area, while Barry followed the boys inside to try and help them out. When they finally came out and he didn’t see Magnus but a fucking mannequin in his place he became extremely worried. He stays behind a-ways and follows them to Barry’s cave. He overhears everything Barry tells them. This was not in the original plan but it might just work. 

He listens to Barry now in his body forget everything and Merle and Taako talk to the Mannequin about the Bureau. He stays and just listens to what’s happening. He figures something big will happen when they go back to the base so when they leave the cave Clint chooses to go back to Goldcliff. It seems like a fortified enough place to be if hell breaks loose. He doesn’t know what is going to happen but he does know it isn’t good. The sky has been becoming darker and darker by the minute. Not only that but the saturation of everything around him has been sucked away.

He makes it to Goldcliff faster than he thought was possible, but he makes it in time just as the first wave hits the city. It’s the Hunger. It’s back with a vengeance. He runs through the town and banging on doors urging people to weaponize themselves and run for the Trust. The Hunger’s tendrils strike the earth and hundreds of Black opal Soldiers come flowing out of them. The insane and horrible noises already has enough people running throughout the streets. He sees the Hunger’s soldiers grab people from their families. What’s weird is that people seem to be running into the creatures. Clint can see them though, so he starts pulling people out of the fray and pushing them in the correct direction. He tries to gather the attention of as many of the figures as he can. He fights well with what weapons and spells he can. 

He takes out dozens as he makes his way towards the Trust himself. He reaches the Cherry Blossom tree from so long ago and finds the two women who are actually dryads protecting a young girl from the Hunger’s soldiers. He helps the taller one defeat a few before he shares a moment of comradery with her and he takes the young girl to the trust.

When he gets to the Trust he finds out the doors are closed but manages to get the girl inside after a lot of convincing people through whispers. He turns and goes back to fighting the soldiers. There’s a small lull of enemies until four figures come tumbling towards him. He readies himself for the fight when his heart sinks.

He recognizes them. 

He can’t even begin to process it when Justin lunges towards him, hands like knives swiping at him, slashing with animalistic movements. He can’t hurt him. Not his son. He plays on the defensive side, trying to figure out what to do. 

In the meantime, Leslie has grabbed broken pieces of wood from a nearby rubble pile and is beginning to advance. Travis and Griffin are following in suite. 

Seeing them like this brings all of Clint’s worst fears to light. They arent is family. But they are. Just corrupted. The Hunger took them. For the last 111 years, he has been mourning for them. He’s had time to cope but this changes everything. They didn’t die. They were taken by this evil world eating being that’s been chasing his crew for 100 years. 

And here they are. His family. But not like he remembered them. He can’t do it. He isn’t strong enough for that. He can’t hurt his boys. His wife. He can’t. He won’t.

He quickly casts hold person on all of them, and immediately starts to prepare to cast Imprisonment. He won’t have to fight or hurt them. They freeze in place and barely move when the hold person spell wears off and the Imprisonment spell takes over. 

Clint falls back and catches his breath. He looks up at his family tears flowing. All he wanted to do was see them again but not like this. Whatever was going to happen this time around needed to happen quickly. He hopes to the gods that he either dies now and stays dead this time time around or that the crew figures out to start over in the next cycle. 

He slowly gathers enough strength to stand back up. He walks over to Leslie. She is just as beautiful as the day he left her. Her face is filled with rage as shes frozen in place from running at him. Clint caresses her cheek one last time and kisses her forehead. He moves over to his boys one by one and does the same. None of them deserved this fate. He will figure out how to avenge them. In the meantime he leaves them be. They don’t need to die a second time.

He walks back towards the two Dryads from earlier and joins them in fighting the Hunger’s soldiers. One by one they all work together slaughtering the figures. Back to back, throwing weapons back and forth, and covering for eachother as they prepare spells.

He doesn’t know how long he has been fighting for but it feels like hours when the Hunger creatures just stop in place. They begin to glow white and slowly float into the sky turning into nothing. He takes a moment to catch his breath. Sitting down he looks around. Hurley and Sloan, as he now knows, join him in sitting down. No one knows what the hell just happened but they do know that they fought long and hard. They deserve to rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While helping slowly repair someone's home in Goldcliff Clint feels a tap on his shoulder. Wiping sweat from his brow he turns around to find Barry. They embrace, laughing about how they survived. Barry explains that they did in fact finally win. That the hunger was gone for good and they were safe. 

“So does everyone… you know… know?” Clint asks as they walk back to his makeshift house. 

“Clint, buddy? The universe knows, about everything.” Barry replies slapping him on the back. They make their way to the newly named Bureau of Benevolence. 

When they arrive Clint sheepishly greets everyone and is surprised to be met with a dogpile of hugs. Here is nothing but smiling and laughter filling the room. 

“Holy shit Clint it is so good to have you back.” Davenport exclaims, releasing him from a hug. 

“I would say that its great to have all of you back!” Clint jokes, “Barry told me the basics of what happened when we arrived here. We have a hell of a lot to catch up on.” 

Lucretia nervously laughs, “I suppose we do, huh?”

Clint walks over to her and scoops her up in a deep embrace. “Its alright. You know? Everyone fucks up. You just happened to follow in my footsteps and then out do me.” 

Once everyone is settled down in what seems to be a very luxurious lounge area they begin to tell their own stories. Lup’s is very brief , Barry and Taako sit next to her acting as guards. Very understandable. Clint already knew Barry’s story but there were a few things he had forgotten to mention before so it was a bit eye opening. There wasn’t much to Davenport’s story though he was most impacted by Lucretia’s wrong doings. Everyone already knew Lucretia’s story too, she just filled in some small blanks here and there even though she wasn’t very keen on talking a lot. What she had done was still pretty fresh and she didn’t want to make her case worse.

Then it came to Taako, Merle, and Magnus’ stories. Those three idiots had everyone rolling with laughter and crying within two minutes. Taako mainly joked about his whole experience, but that was just his way of coping and everyone knew it. He had gone through a lot of shit that he wasn’t ready to talk about and they all understood that. Magnus and Julia’s story hit home for Clint, he was silently bawling as Magnus explained it. He felt Davenports hand on his back as he cried. Then Merle with Mavis and Mookie, how he spoke of them resembled how Clint spoke of his own boys. Clint smiled, he knew how Merle felt. 

“Did you say Mavis?” Clint interrupted a moment.

“Yeah that’s my daughter.” Merle affirmed.

“No shit? She have red hair, teenageish, glasses?” He asked.

“Uh, yeah actually. You know her?” Merle questioned.

“Surprisingly yeah! She was in Goldcliff on that day and lost her glasses. Sloan and Hurley Protected her from the Hunger and I lead her to the Goldcliff Trust.” Clint explained.

“Holy shit. Thank you Clint! Thank you for protecting my baby. I had no idea that you were the one who did that!” He jumped over to Clint and bear hugged him.

Last but not least Clint shared his story which was shorter than everyone was expecting. The only thing they were really surprised about was him helping Lucretia during the Judges cycle. Other than that it was a bunch of jumping from Inn to Inn, meeting new people, catching low life thieves here and there, and so on. The night continued on with Taako and Lup cooking everyone a big dinner. They stayed up until the late hours of the morning joking and just being family once again.

“We really need to go to therapy huh?” Clint jokes at some point and everyone agrees. But life goes on. Clint is back with his family. Sure they grew apart and started living their own lives but they still talk and that’s what matters. Taako has his school, Merle has his camp for adventurers, Magnus made a school for dogs, Barry and Lup are now Reapers with Kravitz, Lucretia is helping people, and Davenport is doing what he loves. 

He may have been the Forgotten bird but at least he isn’t lonely anymore. He gets to live on his own still in a cottage out in the woods with a nearby town that calls on him for help every once in a while. Life is good. 

[eujazmine]

TASK TWO: CHARACTER PLAYLIST ( x )

hall of fame - the script ft. will.i.am / champion - kanye west / just my luck - coco jones / rage - rico nasty / watch me - jaden / don’t stop the music - rihanna / hot girl summer - megan thee stallion ft. ty dolla $ign, nicki minaj / listen before i go - billie eilish / midnight sky - miley cyrus / smack a bitch - rico nasty / wolves - big sean ft. post malone / ordinary life - the weeknd / rise - willow, jahnavi harrison / power is power - sza ft. the weeknd, travis scott / icon - jaden / got it on me - pop smoke / OTHERSIDE - beyonce / until i bleed out - the weeknd / gone too soon - michael jackson / the other side - sza, justin timberlake / ohfr? - rico nasty / lonely - justin bieber, benny blanco / my sanity - thriii, messenger : 1 hr 15 mins

okay so this is basically a soundtrack of her life so far. i’ve included a rundown below including sample lyrics if you’re interested, so you won’t have to listen to get the gist, but fair warning there’s probably HELLA typos since it’s almost 6 am now <3

it starts off with hall of fame, bc as far as she can remember her father was always telling her that she was special and destined for greatness. according to her father, there was nothing she couldn’t do, no limits to how much she could achieve. she carried her godliness with pride, training hard to one day be one of the greatest.

“ yeah, you can be the greatest, you can be the best. you can be the king kong bangin' on your chest. you can beat the world, you can beat the war. you can talk to God, go bangin' on his door. . . you can move a mountain, you can break rocks. you can be a master, don’t wait for luck. dedicate yourself and you gon' find yourself. ”

next comes champion, where jazmine is starting to think that her father may not be as great as she thought he was, but her little siblings still view him as such. although there is this slight confusion going on with her father, she doesn’t want it to stop her from achieving greatness, so she keeps working hard.

“ this is the story of a champion. runners on their mark and they pop their guns. stand up, stand up, here he comes. tell me what it takes to be number one. ”

just my luck. at this point, she’s feeling that all the authority figures in her life, especially her dad, see her as a weapon rather than a person. she feels like she’s too under their control, so she begins to retaliate. around this time, she is nearly expelled from school and is then sent away by her father to full-year camp in greece.

“ I don't know where you're leading me to go. pulling me here, pulling me there. can't take no more. what happened to being happy? that's what I ask myself. ”

while the last song described her insecurities and stress, rage gives a glimpse into her anger from the situation. she starts to grow a chip on her shoulder, and she takes it out on the people around her.

“ keep my name out your fucking mouth before you find out what we about. type of shit that you read about. if you talk it, then be about it. ”

she channels her frustrations into her training. watch me represents how she no longer wants to reach the top for the people back home, but rather to spite them. she wants those that hate her to watch her reach the top regardless of their opinions.

“ watch me, watch me, watch me, do this. ”

don’t stop the music and hot girl summer are most relevant during her two years after school, which she spent traveling in europe and taking on quests solely for monetary and extra adrenaline. for the first time in her life, she is really letting loose, and she mostly focuses on chasing pleasures and easing up pressures.

“ I gotta get my body moving, shake the stress away. ”

listen before i go expresses how low her spirits are after her final confrontation with her father. at this point, she’s struggling to see her life’s purpose. midnight sky is when she finally starts relishing in her newfound freedom from completely cutting ties with him.

“ if you need me, wanna see me, better hurry 'cause I'm leavin' soon. ”

“ lotta years went by with my hands tied up in your ropes. forever and ever, no more. . . I was born to run, I don't belong to anyone. I don't need to be loved by you. ”

smack a bitch and wolves describe both her aggressive confidence in her godly lineage. and how her past has shaped her to be more vicious. she may no longer claim her father, but she’ll show people what she can do as a descendant of hecate.

“ since a baby in her tummy, mama knew I was great. they can't play me like a dummy, they know what not to take. ”

“ I was raised by the wolves, ate 'til they full. run through the night, playin' with your life. go against the pack, that's risking your life. ”

ordinary life depicts her acknowledgement that her life isn’t normal, but she doesn’t think she was meant to have an ordinary life. at the same time, she feels desensitized -- like something’s missing.

“ and she said that she'll pray for me. I said, "It's too late for me," ‘cause I think it's safe to say... this ain't ordinary life. ”

in rise, she resolves to start making her actions purposeful again. she commits to more important, high-stake quests. she’s no longer searching for whichever quests will make her the quickest money.

“ don't be nervous; run towards the light. I need to live for higher purpose. ”

she feels empowered again, as heard in power is power, got it on me and icon. she’s started to make a name for herself in the demigod world, with a nearly impeccable completion rate. feeling invincible, she almost pities whomever she has to defeat next. she thinks that the only thing that could slow her down at this point would be forming attachments with others.

“ a knife in my heart couldn't slow me down ‘cause power is power, my fire never goes out. I rise from my scars, nothing hurts me now. ”

“ many men wish death 'pon me. yeah, I don't cry no mo'. I don't look to the sky no mo' 'cause I got it on me. ”

“ I am not a Mayan, I'm a menace. ”

in otherside, she knows that there is a high possibility that this mission in opposition of zeus may be her last. despite herself, she feels bonded to celeste and adelphie, and she feels grateful to have met them regardless of what the consequences may be.

“ if it all ends, and it's over. if the sky falls fire. best believe me, you will see me on the other side. if we wake up, lose our patience, or even lose our lives, oh, I'll feel lucky to say that you've been a friend of mine. ”

until i bleed out encompasses her feelings in the cave. she’s questioning everything she’s done up to this point in her life, which she fears is quickly coming to an end. after she tries to revive the already-deceased adelphie and watches celeste be thrown off the mountain, all she can feel is paralyzing shock and terror.

“ I can’t move. I’m so paralyzed . . . I can’t explain why I’m so terrified. . . well, I don't wanna touch the sky no more. I just wanna feel the ground when I'm coming down. ”

gone too soon - reminiscing of a fallen friend.

“ shiny and sparkly and splendidly bright. here one day; gone one night. like the loss of sunlight on a cloudy afternoon. gone too soon. ” 

in the other side, jazmine starts to consider her new beginning. she’s enrolled at eonia and is studying business, of all things. it’s the closest to normal she’s ever been, and it feels weird.

“ back on your feet again, lift your head, hold it high. you wanna run it back, but you can't turn the time. you start to feel like you're losing your shine, but the grass ain't always greener on the other side. ”

she knows that people at eonia may have varying opinions of her depending on what they’ve heard, but she feels that she doesn’t have to explain or change herself for anybody, which is represented in ohfr?.

“ ... wе reel in any bitches fishin' and seekin' out for attention, geekin' in the mentions. please don't make me have to smack a bitch. ”

the next song is lonely. she’s still proud of the name she’s made for herself, but now that she’s mostly away from all the chaos and mayhem, she realizes how alone she feels.

“ everybody knows my name now but somethin' 'bout it still feels strange, like lookin' in a mirror, tryna steady yourself and seein' somebody else. ”

she’s not quite at my sanity yet, but she’s trying to get there.

“ when I'm feeling like life's really putting up a fight, and I don't know the reasons why. from the front to the back, throw my hair down my back, and I know it's gonna be alright. ”

[into-the-clintoris]

OKAY

I recently got all swept up in the idea of an Umbrella Academy and The Adventure Zone crossover, and thought, yeah, you really can do a taz crossover with literally anything, huh? Now I absolutely MUST combine my favorite thing with my other favorite thing, Sanders Sides.

Hear me out.

So there I am, wracking my brain for a way that these characters could meet, and it doesn't really make sense because they're in Thomas's head and it's just kinda stupid and then this morning, I realize I'm approaching it all wrong. I'm looking at this from the perspective of a TAZ fan trying to fit something into the lore of my favorite podcast. I need to look at it from the perspective of a fander.

And what do fanders do? We make aus. Specifically found or biological family aus that no one asked for.

So @aubrey-tiny and @sanderssides-schmanderssides (my ts sideblog) proudly present:

Sanders Sides TAZ and McElroy AU

Note: for the sake of this AU, I'm only going to be speaking on Balance since the dynamic shifts so much all the time.

Okay, there are so many different ways this could go, even just in the first round, but personally I think that Griffin is Logan. Why? Because of the classic TAZ NPC pose, which is pinching the bridge of your nose in exasperation. Logan already spends so much time rounding up the other sides and keeping them on topic, so he might as well just be the long suffering dm. Furthermore, it takes a lot of creativity to come up with something like TAZ Balance, but I also think that we have to give credit to the careful planning, the rule noting, and general knowledge of DND that is required of any DM, all of which is more Logan's department. When I think of Griffin, I also think of philosophy, and the way he observes the world and the emotions it creates, and in general I associate philosophy with Logan's way of thinking and looking at the world.

Patton is Clint/Merle. Absolutely zero contest. He's small, he's goofy, he's the heart of the group with his faith and just general wholesomeness, bad jokes, dad jokes, IS THE LITERAL DAD, and is a healer. Doesn't get more Patton than that. He's also the mediator. The whole arc with John is so incredibly Patton -- what's that Merle Quote about joy? Also very Patton.

Here is where it could get sticky. The fandom usually pins Roman as the more flamboyant, effeminate, center of attention characters, so some might make him Taako, but I think Roman is Travis/Magnus. Remember, Roman's main thing is heroism and adventure, strength, sometimes a bit of a himbo, all of which describe Magnus PERFECTLY. "Do good recklessly" is absolutely something Roman would say. Roman, out of all of them, is absolutely the one who would be tempted, and then absolutely refuse to give in to a Grand Relic, and absolutely delight in the plans that he ruined because of it. Roman rushes in! And he is Creativity, so he would absolutely pick the most heroic class, then be disappointed to find that he has very limited options, then say fuck it and try to find a way to use as many moves as he can in the most creative way possible. Not to mention the excessively extensive backstory that Travis wrote and tried to shoehorn in as often as possible is exactly what a manifestation of creativity would do.

Lastly, Virgil is Justin/Taako. At first glance I can see why it wouldn't make sense, but it tracks once you think about Taako's personality and Justin's attitude toward the game. Theyre both sassy, kind of have that "dear god i do not want to be here attitude" but its all for show. Justin also wrote a bit of a gruesome past for Taako, which Virgil would absolutely do. But thats all surface level. To dig deeper, Taako is the anti hero, the one that would do anything, regardless of the morality, to save his friends. Virgil is known for the unconventional way he protected Thomas, by being the bad guy, until he realized people actually wanted to hear his voice in a good way. Remember when Taako said, "I'm worried no one else will have me"? That sounds like Virgil too. Virgil would take Lucretias betrayal the way Justin would, too. Family is the most important thing in the world to him. The fatalistic attitude, the "the world is ending and I don't care" thing, all very Virgil. And in the end, Taako never sees himself as a good guy. I don't think Virgil would either. (Oh, and Virgil would go batshit over dating the grim reaper are you kidding me???)

So that's my idea for a TS McElroy AU. Let me know what you think, and maybe some art?? I just don't want Veggie Sides to be my biggest contribution to this fandom.

(PS Janus and Remus would run Monster Factory lmao)

[birdiethebibliophile]

Here’s an interesting point of characterization I’ve seen in TAZ: Taako’s passivity, and how it defines him and his arc.

Now, Taako isn’t lazy. He’s described as “never satisfied” by the judges in cycle 65, he goes out of his way to learn new things - he taught himself magic when he’d forgotten he knew it, he invented surfing, he learned an entire language from scratch on the animal plane. However, he can come off as lazy because of one catchphrase: “Taako’s good out here.”

I would say that isn’t laziness. That’s passivity. Taako does not want to initiate anything. He doesn’t want to start a fight, he doesn’t want to get into trouble, he wants to keep himself safe. That’s perfectly in character for him. It’s set in contrast to “Magnus rushes in.” It makes sense - he stays where he is, he doesn’t move.

Which is what makes his moments of action that much more powerful. Think about Arms Outstretched - instead of remaining passive, Taako takes action, flinging his soul out of his body towards Magnus. Even running across the sapphire mirror to Kravitz is a moment of action that’s special - he cares about these people, so he actively goes to them.

But his most powerful moments are those that the combine action and passivity, and I want to talk about two of them, both in the finale.

The first is when he’s explaining his idea that will save everyone and everything, and he says -

Taako: Listen, all that thing wants on Earth, the thing it wants more than anything else, we have been basically trolling it for a hundred years. The only thing it wants, is to pick us up and absorb us into itself. And I don’t know about you all, but Taako’s good out here. (via @tazscripts)

There it is - his trademark catchphrase of passivity, but here, it isn’t about a lack of action, it’s about staying steadfast and standing strong. What has been a signifier of Taako’s caution and wish to keep himself safe have expanded to a stance of protection - a radical idea, a deconstruction of a world of tar or a world of ash  into there’s a third option.  They don’t have to choose between running or hiding. Taako’s option - the option, ironically, of rushing into the Hunger - is staying and standing and fighting. Instead of staying back and not engaging, Taako’s unmoving posture here is standing firm and saying no, you move.

Which brings me to the second moment, from the last episode.

Griffin: Holy shit. Alright, here’s the scene. Merle and Magnus, you see Taako step up and say bye, and stick out the KrEbStAr in front of him, and from his glaive, a column of green wind launches outward and connects with John. And you see John screaming and you—it almost looks like he is being peeled out of that portal as this wind is just kind of tearing him apart. But you also see Taako and it looks like the power and fury of this attack is knocking him off of his feet.

[Arms Outstretched music plays]

Travis: I put my hand on Taako’s shoulder to help brace him.

Clint: I throw myself down to wrap my arms around his legs to hold him to the ground.

Justin: I reach into my fuckin’ bag and grab my Immovable Rod. I’m not going fuckin’ anywhere. (via @tazscripts)

Significant in this scene, first of all, is the fact that Arms Outstretched plays over it. As I said previously, Arms Outstretched is a scene of Taako’s action, a scene where he puts himself in danger, throws himself into the fray, so to speak, to rescue Magnus.

This moment is a pinnacle of the combination of that action with Taako’s now-established standing firm.  He’s at the front, casting a spell that is destroying the avatar of something they’ve all been fighting for over a century, and he starts to be blown away, but his friends grab on and hold him fast. He holds himself  fast.

Taako isn’t running away. He isn’t staying at the back. He’s right there in front, but his power isn’t in rushing in, but standing firm. Taako is Lup’s anchor, and there’s a good reason for that. He knows who he is, and he, in this moment, is fully himself. In this moment, he is the most Taako  he could be. He is multidimensional, a fully realized creation, and he isn’t going fuckin’ anywhere.

[hoochy-coo]

Well...I know I’m kinda delusional for this... but I think Bella can be the type of girl who slept with her girl friends BFF on low. I just felt kinda weird how Travis keeps liking her pics even tho he not follows her and he also liked a couple of Bella pics from her fan pages lol...why would he be interested in pics of Bella street style and shit on her fan pages and Bella suddenly very cool with JB for no reason, likes/commenting him, reposting etc. Eh, idk. Everything can happen in Hollywood and Bella seems like she is the type of person who will choose fun over friends since she stopped being friends with too many people from her non famous years this year.

Hmm...I think Bella’s probably not the angel that everyone thinks she is but I don’t really see that in her...? She seems like a loyal person, especially to her close friends so I can’t really see her doing that. I know people in Hollyweird just randomly share partners and don’t seem to be fazed by it, but as far as I know, there hasn’t really been a time where Bella went after a friend’s ex/fling/hookup/bf.

Idk about the Travis thing (I don’t keep track of ‘likes’ like that) but Bella suddenly being cool with Justin makes sense to me. It’s likely she had issues with him in the past due to how he treated Hailey the first time they dated (that whole group basically said a big ‘f u’ to him lmao) and then he had some petty beef with Abel. Now that he’s on good terms with Abel and he’s shown that he’s committing to Hailey in the long run, I don’t see why she wouldn’t want to make peace and get along with him, especially since they’re both going to be in each other’s lives a lot through both Kendall and his wife. 

In terms of her no longer being friends with people from her non-famous years, I was under the impression that she was? I thought that she was still friends with her best friends from high school, Fanny, Jesse, etc.

[sagehaleyofficial]

HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED THIS WEEK (2.12-2.18.20):

NEW MUSIC:

·         New Found Glory announced a co-headlining tour with Simple Plan, with support from Knuckle Puck. The tour kicks off at Jannus Live! in St. Petersburg, Florida, on May 29 and ends at Stubb’s in Austin, Texas, on June 28.

·         Four Year Strong unveiled the video for their new song “Learn to Love the Lie,” the third track from their upcoming fifth studio album, Brain Pain. The song comes soon after the announcement that they would be hitting the road with fellow band Silverstein this spring.

·         You Me at Six dropped a new single titled “Our House (The Mess We Made),” through which all of the proceeds will go toward Australian bushfire relief. The last new song we had from the British band was the single “What’s It Like” in August 2019.

·         Hayley Williams of Paramore dropped a raw footage lyric video for “Simmer,” her first single off her upcoming solo release Petals for Armor. The singer originally released the song in early January with a darker official music video.

·         Asking Alexandria unleashed a brand new song titled “They Don’t Want What We Want (And They Don’t Care).” The band first teased the song on February 11 on their Twitter account.

·         Falling in Reverse released a special song and video titled “The Drug in Me is Reimagined,” keeping the same lyrics as the original song for which it’s named. The band is currently on tour with the bands Escape the Fate and The Word Alive.

·         Billie Eilish released a new song “No Time to Die,” which will be used as the theme for the new James Bond movie. Rumors of her participation on the film’s soundtrack began as early as January.

·         During the NME Awards, YUNGBLUD revealed the release date of his upcoming album. He also said there would be a new song coming “Imminently” before discussing his love for Robert Smith of The Cure.

·         Justin Bieber and Post Malone released a new track titled “Forever” off the former artist’s latest album Changes, which also features rapper Clever. In January, TMZ said that sources close to Bieber reported that Post Malone and Travis Scott collaborated on the album.

·         SWMRS and FIDLAR teamed up for a cover of The 1975‘s track “People” off of their upcoming record Notes on a Conditional Form. The cover also comes along with a visualizer video with many black and white photographs of the bands.

·         Set It Off released a new song, “One Single Second,” after previously revealing the songs “So Predictable” and “Catch Me If You Can.” The band is currently finishing up their headlining dates with Capstan.

·         Halsey‘s new single “You Should Be Sad” received a remix from EDM producer Tiesto. The remix provides an upbeat electropop feel to the song’s country-inspired twang for the perfect combo.

·         All Time Low declared their first album in three years, titled Wake Up Sunshine, which is due for release on April 3. The album announcement comes after several teasers that began last month.

·         Ozzy Osbourne revealed the tracklist for his upcoming album Ordinary Man, which features a new collaboration between him and Post Malone. This follows the pair’s first collab, “Take What You Want,” also featuring Travis Scott.

TOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS:

·         My Chemical Romance announced another show at the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, scheduled for June 16. The Eden Sessions made the announcement on February 12 via their Instagram account, ahead of the band’s official announcement.

·         In This Moment frontwoman Maria Brink recently covered Billie Eilish and Radiohead during her solo set on the ShipRocked cruise. The festival took place from February 1 to 6 and included sets from Asking Alexandria, Ice Nine Kills, Beartooth and more.

·         The lineup for the Chain Fest Festival was announced, featuring bands such as Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, Circa Survive, Saves the Day, Anberlin, Glassjaw, Cartel and Acceptance. The event will take place at the FivePoint Amphitheater in Irvine, California.

·         Matty Healy of The 1975 declared the band will no longer be playing festivals where the lineup doesn’t have equal gender representation. Out of the 90 acts that were revealed for this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival, only 20 of them feature women.

·         The Pretty Reckless announced they will embark on a headlining tour this spring, which will be their first tour in almost three years. It was also confirmed that their new album, Death by Rock and Roll, is now finished.

·         Poppy performed a medley of her songs at WWE‘s “NXT TakeOver: Portland” event yesterday. She played the tracks “Fill the Crown” and “Anything Like Me” while sporting an avant-garde outfit.

OTHER NEWS:

·        Jeffree Star released his highly-anticipated “Blood Lust” palette last week, which consists of 18 new shades. The packaging features a velvet exterior along with a never-before-seen jewelry clasp opening.

·         In what may be an attempt to help Birds of Prey’s less-than-impressive opening weekend numbers, Warner Bros. changed the name of the film to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. The film brought in $33 million in revenue in the U.S - lower than the anticipated $50 million.

·         Cartel’s Facebook page updated its cover and profile photo to a new blue logo, sending fans into a frenzy and sparking reunion rumors. The logo also appeared on a new Instagram account, which was just launched recently.

·         The lawsuit between late rapper Juice WRLD estate and the band Yellowcard has been put on hold, due to no one being appointed as the executor or the late rapper's estate. Therefore, the case cannot continue until then.

·         A super Twenty One Pilots fan launched a project to create a Blurryface musical. However, just short of two weeks after its announcement, the fan in question received a cease and desist order for the project.

·         Neck Deep revealed that they added a new member: longtime collaborator and big brother of frontman Ben Barlow, Seb Barlow. They also announced that they launched an official app, as well as invited fans to an event titled “Sonderland.”

·         Machine Gun Kelly launched a new merchandise line for his 2019 album Hotel Diablo for Valentine’s Day, which included a vibrator appropriately titled the “Lil’ Devil.” The vibrator comes in a sophisticated red packaging that reads “Let’s get wild.”

·         In a new interview with Entercom, Hayley Williams revealed that she anticipated that there will be more Paramore shows in the future. “And there will be more Paramore shows. Yes. Confirmed,” she stated.

·         Real Friends and its lead singer Dan Lambton announced that they have parted ways, with posts from both parties uploaded on Valentine’s Day to their respective social media outlets. Both Lambton and the band said that the split was mutual.

·         Pierce the Veil is supporting the Australian wildfire relief with a new shirt dedicated to the animals affected by the fires. The shirt is a long-sleeve taken from one of their Australian tour laminates, used on their last tour of the country.

___

Check in next Tuesday for more “Posi Talk with Sage Haley,” only at @sagehaleyofficial!

[blackmuzak8484]

nortey dowuona’s best of 2020

to be completely honest, I decided to do this entirely for TSJ. otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered at all. Best end lists are for music nerds and billboard chart nerds and industry vultures, and i happen to be subscribed, in the discord and in the comments of the youtube vids of these folk. so, i decided to pick 10 out of random from the big best of 2020 i was compiling for the whole of the year, which I was gonna post to this Tumblr at the end of the damn year, but I guess I can just post the link to the playlist in the bottom of this post. Here, i’m gonna write about 10 songs I personally love, and pick out a few artists i specifically loved:

artist of the year.

RAP Ferreira put out his best album and best verses in a year everybody either stagnated, fell off or got rendered irrelevant by the world at large. He was ebullient, hilarious, thoughtful and even surprisingly honest. I enjoyed the fact that now he’s begun to create a real platform for many talented folx, and I hope he continues to do that in the margins and make even more beautiful music in the years to come.

rookie of the year.

Enny by a mile. Everybody else who debuted this year got hamstrung by the pandemic but she created 3 great songs, each thoughtful, insightful and a joy. Apparently she just started publicly releasing music to a large audience, and I hope she gets better and better, and even gets bigger than J-

most pleasant surprise.

Vic Mensa’s V Tape. An artist who I though had no more moves left completely turned around his whole career with a fantastic performance at Lollapalooza, a fantastic fleet of features and tis gorgeously produced EP which had some of his most brilliant songs on it. I love it all, Vic Mensah is well and truly back. Welcome back bro. (ALSO, DROP THE DRILL TRACK.)

GREAT THING A GHANAIAN ARTIST DID.

Strongman Burner, Amarae, Okunta Kinte, Vic Mensah in general.

cool things my friends and classmates did.

Justine Darcenne’s #4TheBaeless. Valencia Rae’s Siren thyhomebodies’s Coming of Age. (Phil, a producer in the group, made his own studio!) Brad built his own computer. petit abri put a track on APT9 Record’s compiliation album Volume II. khaalid anderson’s transitions. (khaalid will also be performing at Beats & Brunch on January 23, 2021 at 11 am.) Yannick Paul’s Bear Fruit. The Big Climax’s This Is Ya Boy kxng jetson’s Waves (ft. Kokko Williams & Mike Mezzl) Nicole Gonzalez performed in The Composer’s Melody. Victoria Marie released a bunch of beaufiful covers on her Insta, @toriiii_marie @ph0ssy_jaw works as a counselor online. Pay her at her PayPal. Johnny Aperano Yoba was on People AND Vogue. Dalitso is a wonderful pianist at his church back home in Zambia. Kobina is a fantastic drummer at his church. Kayla graduated with a BS in Music Technology and Industry! Damian been cookin on his insta. Travis graduated! (Look out for Clan of Dragons.) Rorghino Flores made a documentary! Francis (and Animax FYB) put out Mmofra on AmaLexPrime! (play it with yo kids.) A Hype has been dropping crazy all year, roll by his SoundCloud and check out Persistence Of Memory. Reina H been doing great covers on her Insta, @challenges_inlife. Hannah placed music on C. B. S.

best albums of the year (that nobody’s written about).

Maya Huyana -1991 DaWeirdo - Broke and Ugly $ilkMoney - Attack of the Future Shocked, Flesh Covered, Meatbags of the 85 VI Seconds - Because Why Not/Never Knows Best Erik Cain - Heart & Soul Vol. 2 Dimitri & the Scarecrow - Messenger is Sender (from 2015, finally got released onto streaming this year, still pretty great and another great Zimbabwean rapper for us to all fawn over, just like billy woods) Flowking Stone - Gifted 1 The Hoodies - Incommunicado Jayy Grams - Every Gram Counts Domo Genesis/Mike and Keys - Just in Case1/2 Madwiz - God’s Gold Teeth Maez301 - Hasaan Daara J Family - Yaamatele Dai Burger - Dessert EP TeePhlow - Road To Phlowducation II Tef Poe/Blvck Spade - Preacher in the Trap Terrell Hines - Portal One: The Mixtape redveil - niagara Nyukyung - Trap Harmonix AdrianXpression - Sucka Deante Hitchcock - Better (Deluxe) maassai & jWords - ve.loc.i.ty tobe nwigwe - cincoriginals everything Kelsey Lu did this year.

strangest things happening in music in general.

vic mensah actually making a great record. goldlink going through a narcissistic collapse and winding up making the best music of his career. redveil blowing up off Fantano calling him wack. pharoahe monch finally making a rock pivot and it actually works. meet me@the garden coming 10 years too late for my 14 year old self. RAP Ferreira being in the NYTimes, selling a vinyl record for $72, creating an actual nostrum grocers in a video game so we can listen to his next record. The entirety of the playboi carti phenomenom. The entirety of the lil uzi vert phenomenom. The entirety of Chance’s instagram EP being far more money worthy then the entirety of the Big Day and yet being released on Insta and not immediately monetized. Deante Hitchcock releasing a great album and being completely forgotten armand hammer releasing their underground kings wayyy too early. my ass continually not actually looking into amapiano despite always loving it when I review it. several good songs needing to be tacked on to a prior youtube vid as an ad for me to find them instead of actually listening to the artists. santan dave still releasing good verses after he made his illmatic. (expect his new album to suck.) slowthai becoming cake. (we let that go way too far.) Guapdad and BfB Packman being wonderful. Finding out BfB PAckman is a better rapper than Sada Baby. John Boyega putting on Ego Ella May. Having to admit Young Dolph was good all this time and i missed out like a fool.

best tv performance.

Chance The Rapper’s “A Chi-Town Christmas.” IDK’s “Change The Channel.” Sa-Roc’s Tiny Desk Concert. Chika in general. Robert Glapser’s “This Changes Everything (ft. Denzel Curry).” SZA at the Roots Picnic. Sampa The Great at the Roots Picnic. RAP Ferreira in general. Umi’s “Introspection Live Show.” Alexa Esperanza’s cover of “Is It A Crime.” Bad Bunny in general. the jwords, nappy nina and MIKE performances at Satellite Syndicate

most embarrassing piece of music i love with all my heart

Logic’s No Pressure. In all sense of the words I should not love this album like I love my siblings but I do. It is beautiful.

best 10 songs of this year objectively

1 - RAP Ferriera - An Idea Is A Work Of Art (ft. Mike Ladd) [prod. by Kenny Segal, mr. carmack and Mike Parvizi]

I know, I know. In all honesty Doldrums should be here. Then Noz put it on his best list and I had to be all ChiTown Go-Getter and pick the next better thing: this. And in all honesty, it has the best lyric RAP spits on the album: “we build better answers.” But it’s not just that, it’s RAP’s most animated performance, the most dexterous piece on the whole album and the most gorgeous beat, a loping bassline sliding behind the flatfooted drum, allowing Mike Ladd, his musical father, to gently drift through, saying, “what if royalty depised us?” and knowing the only gold is soul and giving it to all of us, all us maggots and vultures and locusts and weevils, to hold to the light so we can finally see. On the quest to get open and free, we continue.

2 - Chika - U Should [prod. by Lido]

I heard this the night it dropped and shot 2 insta videos playacting as it played. But apart from that, it’s a intimate, beautiful song about getting to know a new lady love, so tenderly sung it might melt and disappear if not held gently, with a sweeping guitar lick and purring trumpets sliding all over the place, Chika softly holding each frayed piece together into a considered, gorgeous piece - wait, she’s talking her shit.

3 - Issa Gold - Boys Don’t Cry [prod. by Kingjet & Sherwyn and Matt Zara]

The only reason this isn’t number one is because it dropped on Christmas Eve. But otherwise, it’s a openheart letter to us all. “it’s a lonely path being different,” Issa says, swimming in the melted ice caps as he once danced happily on the edges of melting glaciers that failed to drown him, looking at the world that keeps hurting his heart, yet he still opens his eyes and smiles, and dances. The heavy drums are so bouncy the whole song suddenly flies, formerly a hidden murmur becoming a bright sunlit flight across the sky so we can all see. I can’t wait to see Tempus, if it’s anything as good as this was.

4 - Deante Hitchcock - Growing Up/Mother God [prod. by Brandon Phillips-Taylor]

In all honesty, “Growing Up” is really not the best song on Better. It’s a sweet, happy song with a smooth, crackling bassline with soft, ghostly synths, but still kinda ok. It’s the song added at the end, “Mother God”, that has warm, sizzling piano chords and gorgeous singing in the back. It’s one of the few time I’ve ever heard a man pay homage to the woman in his life and to the God above while being entirely sincere and not faking the funk. The way he praises his mom, his lady, remembering the women in his family taking care of him and him foolishly neglecting Breonna due to his overburdened mind feels full of details, remembrances, explanations and praises. Plus, it actually makes sense that God, if she exists (she does) is a woman since -

5 - Yana Perrault - whiskey and weed [prod. by slate]

Apparently, Yana Perrault is verified now. Excellent. {YES YES MY GOD YESS}, It means more folks know about how great this song, and Yana herself is. If I had any sense, I would’ve written up 12:21 as the best song of 2018, but such is life. Anyway, we have this smooth, bass heavy slinker with shimmering percussion and lumbering drums about hooking up with a former flame who’s “sober” yet keeps on calling Yana to break their sobriety, “know we ain’t talked in a while but you still know my address,” she wryly mentions. As the beat sprints away under a warm cocoon of accapella echoes, it mirrors a relationship so tenuous it might disappear into the wind. Yet still strong enough to have whiskey on call.

6 - Marlon Craft - Culture Sick Freestyle [prod. by Cormill]

Apparently this was supposed to be a shot at Flex. And since Flex is a woman beater and a lame, good for him. Shouldn’t have even gone on Flex to be honest, but then again neither should Jay Critch or Tyler or Black Thought and besides, I watch those freestyles too. And on the freestyle, Marlon frankly put things in perspective. “You don’t want us to better, you just want to be cool still.” This describes all of rap media to be real. And tellingly, it only has 310,000 views. Methinks nobody really wants real. But I do. Thank u Marlon, you continue to be the best white rapper alive. (Nowhere near the best rapper tho, and if Token hadn’t fell off -)

7 - Miah - Cascades [prod. by Cedes]

I’m sideeyeing the boy Miah cuz I had to search up his Audiomack to find the producer’s name (it’s Cedes, and they have a really great avalanche of Drake Type Beats is you like that kind of thing). Were you trying to trick folk into thinking you produced it yourself? You don’t need to do that shit. Especially since you’re writing stuff like “back in high school all my peers were tryin to hit the league / until the league too far from reach so they tap dancing over beats.” When you can frankly break down life that clearly, don’t be trying to hide producer’s names unless you actually learn to produce too. Plaster your name all over that shit.

8 - Justine Darcenne - Off Days [prod. by Mikhail Miller] / Enny - Peng Black Girls (ft. Amia Brave [prod. by Paya]

Justine is indeed my classmate, but that’s not why this song is here. it’s here because it’s a nice little guitar driven song with a spellbinding bridge that’s the best thing I’ve heard her do yet. And I’mma keep it short cuz I already wrote this up at the Singles Jukebox.

Enny released this soft, cushiony record with washed out synths over bulky drums and floated FLOATED over them without even trying to run in the tar, saying frankly, “He said to me, 'they put guns in the streets, that’s what they wanted for me.’ And I said, ‘G, someone can fix you a plate but no one can force you to eat.’” After all, why not try to live for something greater than what the world has expected you to be. And Amia sings, “We’re gon be alright, ok?” with the joy and excitement of someone realizing the words coming alive on their tongue. One of the best songs of this miserable year, and it’s kinda funny watching Jorja accidentally Drake out Amia and even Enny (and by funny I mean irritating.)

9 - Tobi Lou - okay (ft. Dreezy) [prod. by Matteo Woods & Dilip]

Fun fact: Dilip did some great songs with Otxhello, a producer who recorded and mixed 2 records on my first album. That again is not why this song is here. The warm, swinging synths and heavy, bouncy drums are why this is here. Oh, and Tobi’s goofy, silly lyrics and his surprisingly effective Missy Elliott tribute are great too. But obviously, the verse that vaulted this into top 10 was Dreezy, which opens with such a openhearted line, “i can’t help it, it’s too hard to say I’m sorry.” And every line is harder than the last, until she closes with “and I ain’t talkin frontals but we got the city sown up.” Absolutely amazing.

10 - Strongman Burner - Pilolo (ft. KelvynBoy) [prod. by Nixie]

The sweet, gooey synths are poured over the soft, zipping and smooth drums as the wiry bass whirls between Kelvyn’s soft, thin crooning as Stoneman tap dances over the drums, both desperate and defiant, trying to salvage a sinking relationship that he knows is already gathering coral and snappers. It’s the best afropop song of the year and yet it still has a Nigerian on it (well, I put 4 Nigerians on here, next year I’m rectifying that.) And they even did a song together last year , not as good as this. At all. (still pretty good tho.)

best 10 songs i love (but not enough to write full paragraphs for, I already put 10 in and this is already 5 goddamn pages)

11 - Logic - Heard ‘Em Say

best song on the project that isn’t Dadbod but at least it isn’t tempting fate.

12 - Deqn Sue - Creep

I already love this for having a gorgeous bridge, and is cute af. Yes Sue, you can creep.

13 - Quelle Chris & Chris Keys - Sudden Death/ka - i love {moms, mimi, kev}

QUELLE CHIS CAN SANG SANG./ka can heart heart write.

14 - IDK - Square Up (ft. Juicy J)

I don’t know why this is here either but this slaps regardless.

15 - Nappy Nina - Modestly (ft. Maassai)

Maassai is creating some of the best raps out here. so is Nappy Nina.

16 - Kehlani - Lexii’s Outro (ft. Lexii Ajaii)

Let’s celebrate our great rappers when they’re alive (and this includes me. Pls Chika, don’t win Best New Artist.)

17 - Samad Savage - Goodnight

What Travis Scott should’ve tried to be instead of what he is now. Samad still dope af regardless.

18 - Bad Bunny - Si Veo Tu Mama

The way Bad Bunny actually hits that last note makes me feel so excited and alive.

19 - Fat Tony - Back In The Saddle

I fucked up. But I’m getting back in the saddle, back in the saddle next year. NO NIGERIANS ALL NIGERIENS. #ENDSARS tho.

20 - Lady A - the truth is loud

Why am I the only one who has this on a best list? I have 34 bot followers. Vibe, step it up.

best of 2020 music right here folxs.

worst music things of the year:

The Pop Smoke album. Just in all areas. (Better win that Grammy tho.) Travis Scott in general. (So loud and empty and boring.) Big Sean’s Detroit 2. (why does this exist? Just put out Deep Reverence and Detroit Night Cypher and leave everything on the cutting room floor fo the next album.) Remembering all the great rappers who are dead or incarcerated. No Kendrick album (just leaks. Not good enough.) J. Cole and Noname beefing and Noname getting strung up by twitter. Jay Rock pushing being anti-vaccinations. The realization that Normani might never drop a single record ever again. Tory Lanez in general. Joyner Lucas making actually good songs and falling off almost immediately. Cardi B in general. Anything positive being said about steven Universe songs. Luzamity shipping (until it’s canon please stop! Willuz is RIGHT THERE!)

[teruthecreator]

if you're comfortable, could you say what specifically you hated about the finale? i never got into amnesty but i liked balance so i would like to know how disappointed i should be ://

okay i’m gonna explain this in-detail exactly Once bc i’m trying rlly hard to just forget about the whole epilogue and keep it moving like that shit never happened, so for anyone else who is asking me why i don’t like the finale (and im not saying you’re wrong for asking, anon, it just seems that when you vocally do not like a thing there are hundreds of people who come out of the woodworks to ask you why and i think thats kinda Huh, Weird of everyone but like whatever) i’m gonna lay it all out here on the table and you can take this as you will. 

i’m not gonna be getting into fistfights with people abt this so if you disagree please don’t try and banter with me. i am running on

also, CRITICISM OF ART DOES NOT MEAN CRITICISM OF THE ARTIST. I AM NOT CRITICIZING THE MCELROYS AS HUMAN BEINGS, BUT RATHER THEIR ARTISTIC DECISIONS IN TAZ: AMNESTY. MORE PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A SEPARATION BETWEEN ART AND ARTIST, AND ONCE YOU (AS AN ARTIST) POST A PIECE, IT BECOMES SUBJECT TO CRITICISM. I AM NOT BRINGING GRIFFIN, JUSTIN, TRAVIS, OR CLINT’S CHARACTERS INTO QUESTION; I AM SIMPLY GIVING A CRITICISM ON THE SHOW THEY’VE CREATED AS A WORK OF ART. 

oh, this goes without saying, but i will anyway: SPOILERS FOR AMNESTY (IN GENERAL, BUT ALSO FOR EPISODE 36) 

i’m gonna start off by saying, i don’t think the whole episode was a total disaster. there are two things mainly that have ruined the whole experience for me, but for the most part i thought the like first 2 hours of this episode were a lot of fun! the fight scene was a little bogged down in the rolls imo, but it didn’t deter me too much from the overarching boss battle. the intro was a sick concept, i enjoyed the callback bits spliced in w newly scripted bits from mentioned past encounters, that was all well and good. i loved beacon in the episode, and god do i wish he stayed for the whole thing. 

my problem mainly sits with the epilogue, which is why i think the whole episode turns sour in my mind. because the epilogue is supposed to be what satiates your desire to know more, right? not to reference balance too much (bc these are two completely different stories w different premises, and for people to so readily compare them is kinda wack. that being said, they are two stories made by the same people that use an epilogue to wrap up the loose ends, so im gonna make this one comparison), but the epilogue told us, the listener, all the things we wanted to know about after the day of story of song. we got to know what they did, a little bit of their interpersonal relationships, and we even got a big group scene with the killarey wedding! 

this epilogue, though, feels like it left so much still on the table. one of those things i will swing back to later because it is the largest part of my argument, but after all of this time we still don’t know why everyone at the lodge got exiled! no one talks about it! we don’t know how dani ended up there, or jake, or barclay, or moira, or anyone! they don’t reference the banishments at all, which i think is a huge shortcoming figuring that is the core premise as to why these characters exist in our pc’s world in the first place. 

i also feel like the concept of the worlds being divided for a long time is kind of a dumb way to go about framing what they do After The Fact. like, they could have had those scenes happen without the looming concept of them being divided, especially when their big reunion scene is like 2 minutes long and basically does nothing. what would have been a cooler premise is if billy connected the worlds, and the worlds worked together in rebuilding themselves. we still could’ve had the same bits happen (for the most part), but i just think that whole separation bit kinda alienated the pc’s (especially thacker). 

but everything up to aubrey’s epilogue bit is fine. i have some problems, but it’s fine. where i started to completely abandon the work itself though is duck’s bit, and i’m gonna get into it by saying this: I know Justin Mcelroy is not legally required to make all of his characters gay, but this whole scene was just a big reminder to me that this show is done by 4 straight white men

and yeah, my big problem with this scene is the fact that justin had to make Duck/Minerva a thing. because it adds nothing to the story while also being a very skeevy concept in-general, and it reduces minerva’s character down to the Hero’s Girlfriend trope and it’s so comphet and she doesn’t deserve it. 

my first grievance with this: It adds nothing to the story. 

had justin not even mentioned the relationship part of their interaction before the scene actually took place, this scene would be like every other scene involving duck and minerva prior to this. duck says honey once, and even that could’ve been played off as duck just being affectionate to his friends (which is a thing, i call several of my friends “my love” irl and it isn’t a big deal). minerva doesn’t even use pet names, she calls duck by his full name, which is exactly how she addressed him in every other scene! duck’s speech is a genuine heart-puller, but it was completely soured by the fact that justin had to premise this entire scene by saying duck and minerva are a thing. 

my second grievance: it’s a skeevy-as-all-hell concept. 

this whole premise is nasty seven ways from sunday, and it is my biggest problem with duck’s bit as a whole. for starters, and i think more people need to mention this, minerva meets duck on the night of his 18th birthday. which means duck has literally just stopped being legally considered a minor before minerva appears before him. and honestly, i would still consider duck a minor in this case because he has literally just turned 18!!! his brain has not developed past one of a 17-year-old on the exact date of his birthday, and i argue it will not until he is at least in his twenties. keep in mind, your brain does not stop developing until you are about 25. so while in the legal sense, duck is an adult, in both the mental and emotional sense at that exact moment, duck is still a minor. AND he’s still in high school, as referenced in his response to her call to duty: “i got class tomorrow”. and minerva is old enough to have become the minister of defense for her homeworld, go through an entire war, and have several other chosen ones (including leo tarkesian, who is at least 20 years older than duck) before meeting duck. so that makes her much, much older than duck when she meets him. and i don’t care if they had barely any interaction after that first moment (though they did, as justin legit talks about when he introduces minerva as a concept to the show), that still establishes their initial interaction at a massive age difference. which, regardless of anything, makes their eventual relationship so genuinely messed up. 

sure, you can argue that when you get older age doesn’t make that much of a difference, and i would agree. my mother is 53 and her husband is 63, that’s ten years. but my mother and step mother did not meet at 8 and 18, they met at 50 and 60. the initial interaction makes all the difference between “older people meeting and having a relationship” and “a very messed up situation”. 

also, in this same argument, taking the mentor-student relationship and turning it into a romantic relationship IS SO MESSED UP!!!! GENUINELY AND HONESTLY MESSED UP!!! i feel like i don’t need to explain this because there have been so many examples already as to why this is a relationship you Should Not turn romantic, but i will anyway because it frustrates me so much that justin completely glosses over this!!! the power dynamic of a mentor-student relationship, in whatever way it is portrayed, displays a power balance that is heavily leaning to one side. there is not an equal distribution of power amongst the two because one person is teaching the other. the one person is weak to the others wills and whims because of lack of experience. think of your high school teacher or college professor; if you started a relationship with them, people would raise so many questions because you are not at equals to the teacher/professor. even if they treat you different, and even if they no longer teach you, it all has to do with the initial interaction. and minerva was still duck’s mentor up until either episode 34 or 35, when she handed off the title of Herald of the Astral Mind to duck. that means for nearly all of their interactions, there was a mentor-student dynamic. to have that turn into a romantic relationship is so sketchy and weird and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. 

my third grievance: it reduces minerva’s character down to a girlfriend trope, and it’s comphet as hell 

my friend tin (@taako–waititi) phrased this so well in the big group chat im in w her, so imma just quote her on this and then go into the comphet stuff: 

“i was dming max about it and they also mentioned, quote, ‘her story was never about romance. it reduced her down to ‘competent woman becomes endgame girlfriend’ trope’ and they are so right it makes me fucking pissed. regardless of any ‘mutual respect’ and ‘emotional intimacy’ kind of thing going on that some people are arguing for, it’s something that didn’t need to happen because minerva’s character becomes that. my thing is mutual respect and emotional intimacy between two people can. exist. without it being. romantic. like. friendship is. also valid. i personally don’t think that mutual respect and emotional intimacy are two buttons that you press to make the machine churn out a romance” 

not only does it reduce minerva’s character to tropes, but it also is extremely comphet for a woman who is so heavily wlw-coded or lesbian-coded and it just angers me. you could argue that she could be bi, but if we look at canon for just its face-value, the only romantic interaction she ever has is with a man, which basically makes her straight. this isn’t like aubrey’s situation, where travis clearly states she is a bi woman who is just in a relationship with another woman in amnesty. griffin doesn’t state anything about minerva’s sexuality and then she’s paired off with a man right at the end. and you could argue that she isn’t wlw or lesbian-coded, but i am not the only one who is wlw and thinks this, so i feel like i have more of a ground to stand on in this opinion. and this just feels so, like, textbook compulsory heteronormativity it made me feel physically sick when i heard this bit in the podcast. 

so that’s my first big issue with the finale, fully explained. my second issue with the epilogue is that ned’s death continues to be disappointing and his character arc is never completed, which just tanks the whole show for me. 

i’ve talked about this several times since ep 28 about how ned’s death was stupid and did nothing for his character arc, but i’m gonna reiterate my main points for the people who find this post without knowing my whole blog:

1. ned’s main interpersonal conflicts are just brought to the surface and never fully delved into before his sudden death. ned doesn’t ever get to explain his history with boyd and why he had to steal shade tree to mama or barclay or really anyone besides vaguely to aubrey. 

2. every character is just immediately expected to feel sad about ned’s death, despite the tension that still remains right up until the very end. aubrey shouldn’t have even known that the shapeshifter framed ned because that’s all explained once she goes to sylvain, but i think travis just assumed she did because he heard the interaction between ned, mama, and barclay. so she should’ve had Way more conflicting feelings about the whole thing, but ned’s death is just angst-bait so that doesn’t happen.

3. ned’s death doesn’t make roll sense because clint rolled a mixed success and mixed successes, by definition, are supposed to be less severe moves than a failed roll (which gives the gm the ability to make a hard move). there isn’t really anything harder to do to a character than kill them, but even if you wanted to argue that if clint failed the roll the hard move would’ve been ned failing and letting dani get shot, it still doesn’t change the fact that clint rolled a mixed success when slamming into the pizza hut sign at full velocity and came out of that alive (severely injured, naturally, but still alive). 

so, yeah, there’s that. and then theres the fact that griffin doesn’t ever give us any other scenes involving ned directly. ned only becomes a reference from 28 on, which is so disappointing given ned’s importance to the other two pcs. and i understand that the mcelroys have a lot of trauma related to death, but griffin shouldn’t have killed ned off then if he did not want to talk about death in graphic detail. we all have trauma. we all want to avoid topics. but to kill ned off and then never talk about his death in great relation to the others is a genuine disservice to ned’s character. 

the day episode 28 aired was the same day i buried my grandmother. i would have loved if death wasn’t brought up, but i don’t control the podcast. the mcelroys do; they had the ability to avoid this topic in a more servicing way to the characters and they didn’t. that isn’t to say they are bad people for not doing it, but it makes the finale even more disappointing because it means we never get the full rounding out of ned’s character arc. he becomes this like brief reference that is, once again, angst-bait or emotional fuel and i feel like he didn’t deserve that. he deserved a genuine reference, a genuine moment. even a dream sequence i would have appreciated!!! 

griffin had sylvain directly point at ned in aubrey’s flashback in ep 35, and then did nothing about what that could have implicated in the finale. it sours the entire episode in a major way and disappointed me immensely. there should have been more done with that topic and there wasn’t and i will never forget how deeply it hurt me and turned me away from canon as a whole. not to be ned kin on main, but ned was the backbone of this show and the exact moment he left was the exact moment the whole thing went downhill. it turned less into a story about growth and adversary and amnesty and more into a waiting game for when this very loose end was going to get wrapped up. 

i wanted to enjoy this episode. i tried so hard, y’all. but just the thought of ned loomed over me the entire time and i was waiting for a more proper completion to his arc, and it never happened. and coupled with that very bad and skeevy duck/minerva bit i was just so frustrated and hurt last night. 

so, yeah, that’s my whole spiel. you are free to disagree with me, but keep that opinion to yourself because i’m not getting into it with anyone. i will just block you; it’s better for us both, anyway. 

[phroyd]

Dumb-Fuck #MAGA Teens, children of Dumb-Fuck #MAGA Parents, and QTards Everywhere, resurrect #PizzaGate on Tik-Tok! - Phroyd

WASHINGTON — Four minutes into a video that was posted on Instagram last month, Justin Bieber leaned into the camera and adjusted the front of his black knit beanie. For some of his 130 million followers, it was a signal.

In the video, someone had posted a comment asking Mr. Bieber to touch his hat if he had been a victim of a child-trafficking ring known as PizzaGate. Thousands of comments were flooding in, and there was no evidence that Mr. Bieber had seen that message. But the pop star’s innocuous gesture set off a flurry of online activity, which highlighted the resurgence of one of social media’s early conspiracy theories.

Viewers quickly uploaded hundreds of videos online analyzing Mr. Bieber’s action. The videos were translated into Spanish, Portuguese and other languages, amassing millions of views. Fans then left thousands of comments on Mr. Bieber’s social media posts asking him if he was safe. Within days, searches for “Justin and PizzaGate” soared on Google, and the hashtag #savebieber started trending.

Four years ago, ahead of the 2016 presidential election, the baseless notion that Hillary Clinton and Democratic elites were running a child sex-trafficking ring out of a Washington pizzeria spread across the internet, illustrating how a crackpot idea with no truth to it could blossom on social media — and how dangerous it could be. In December 2016, a vigilante gunman showed up at the restaurant with an assault rifle and opened fire into a closet.

In the years afterward, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube managed to largely suppress PizzaGate. But now, just months before the next presidential election, the conspiracy theory is making a comeback on these platforms — and on new ones such as TikTok — underlining the limits of their efforts to stamp out dangerous speech online and how little has changed despite rising public frustration.

This time, PizzaGate is being fueled by a younger generation that is active on TikTok, which was in its infancy four years ago, as well as on other social media platforms. The conspiracy group QAnon is also promoting PizzaGate in private Facebook groups and creating easy-to-share memes on it.

Driven by these new elements, the theory has morphed. PizzaGate no longer focuses on Mrs. Clinton and has taken on less of a political bent. Its new targets and victims are a broader assortment of powerful businesspeople, politicians and celebrities, including Mr. Bieber, Bill Gates, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey and Chrissy Teigen, who are lumped together as part of the global elite. For groups like QAnon, PizzaGate has become a convenient way to foment discontent.

The theory has also gone global. While it previously found traction mainly in the United States, videos and posts about it have racked up millions of views in Italy, Brazil and Turkey.

“PizzaGate never went away because it encompasses very potent forces,” including children’s safety and the power of elites, said Alice Marwick, a disinformation expert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “But now there is so much scaffolding from people who have researched it, it wasn’t hard for others to pick up from there.”

PizzaGate is reaching a level that nearly exceeds its 2016 fever pitch, according to an analysis by The New York Times. TikTok posts with the #PizzaGate hashtag have been viewed more than 82 million times in recent months. Google searches for PizzaGate have skyrocketed.

In the first week of June, comments, likes and shares of PizzaGate also spiked to more than 800,000 on Facebook and nearly 600,000 on Instagram, according to data from CrowdTangle, a Facebook-owned tool for analyzing social interactions. That compares with 512,000 interactions on Facebook and 93,000 on Instagram during the first week of December 2016. From the start of 2017 through January this year, the average number of weekly PizzaGate mentions, likes and shares on Facebook and Instagram was under 20,000, according to The Times’s analysis.

The conspiracy has regained momentum even as its original targets — Mrs. Clinton, her top aides and a Washington pizzeria, Comet Ping Pong — are still dealing with the fallout.

Hateful comments have recently surged on the Facebook page and Yelp and Google review pages for Comet Ping Pong, where the child trafficking supposedly happened. The pizzeria’s owner, James Alefantis, said he had received fresh death threats that caused the Federal Bureau of Investigation to open a new investigation two months ago. The F.B.I. said Friday that it could not confirm the existence of an investigation.

“There are no real options for someone like me. I don’t have the names or numbers for people to call at Google or TikTok,” Mr. Alefantis said. “But I don’t want to be that person who lives their life in fear.”

PizzaGate was born in 2016 in online forums like 4chan and Reddit, where right-wing users and supporters of Donald J. Trump pored over hacked emails from John D. Podesta, Mrs. Clinton’s senior campaign adviser, looking for evidence of wrongdoing. Some emails referring to Mr. Podesta’s dinner plans mentioned pizza. A 4chan participant then connected the phrase “cheese pizza” to pedophiles, who on chat boards use the initials “c.p.” to denote child pornography.

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Mr. Alefantis, who is friends with Mr. Podesta’s brother, Tony, was mentioned in several of the emails. That led internet users to connect his pizza parlor to their conspiracy.

The theory soon appeared in bogus publications like The Vigilant Citizen and The New Nationalist on Facebook and Instagram. On Twitter and YouTube, other users amplified the content.

Fact checkers debunked the idea. But weeks after the November 2016 election, Edgar M. Welch, 32, a North Carolina resident, drove six hours to Comet Ping Pong to free what he believed were enslaved children. He shot several rounds from a military-style assault rifle into a locked closet door of the pizzeria and eventually surrendered to the police. In 2017, he was sentenced to four years in prison.

Soon after, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook suspended the accounts of users who had pushed PizzaGate and took down hundreds of related posts.

To keep PizzaGate tamped down, the social media companies took other steps. Facebook made it impossible to search for hashtags such as #pizzagateisreal. On YouTube, searching for #pizzagate brought up a label that explained the term was part of a false conspiracy. Twitter also stopped #pizzagate from surfacing in its trending topics in the United States.

A documentary promoting PizzaGate, “Out of Shadows,” made by a former Hollywood stuntman, was released on YouTube that month and passed around the QAnon community. In May, the idea that Mr. Bieber was connected to the conspiracy surfaced. Teenagers on TikTok began promoting both, as reported earlier by The Daily Beast.

A week ago, Rachel McNear, 20, watched “Out of Shadows,” which has garnered 15 million views on YouTube. She then turned to Twitter, where she came across Mr. Bieber’s supposed association with PizzaGate. After reading more on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, she created a one-minute description of her research on the topic and posted it to TikTok on Monday.

“The mainstream media uses words like conspiracy theory and how it is debunked but I’m seeing the research,” Ms. McNear, of Timonium, Md., said in an interview.

Her video was taken down on Wednesday when TikTok removed the #PizzaGate hashtag and all content searchable with the term. A TikTok spokeswoman said such content violated its guidelines.

That same day, Facebook also expunged PizzaGate-related comments under Comet Ping Pong’s page after a call from The Times.

YouTube said it had long demoted PizzaGate-related videos and removes them from its recommendation engine, including “Out of Shadows.” Twitter said it constantly eliminates PizzaGate posts and had updated its child sexual-exploitation policy to prevent harm from the conspiracy. Facebook said it had created new policies, teams and tools to prevent falsehoods like PizzaGate from spreading.

Teenagers and young adults, many of whom are just forming political beliefs, are particularly susceptible to PizzaGate, said Travis View, a researcher and host of the “QAnon Anonymous” podcast, which examines conspiracy theories. They are drawn to celebrity photos on tabloid sites and Hollywood blogs to uncover PizzaGate’s supposed secret symbols and clues, he said. Even a triangle — which can signify a slice of pizza — can be taken as proof that a celebrity is part of a secret elite cabal.

“It all becomes a game, and people are drawn in because it feels participatory,” Mr. View said.

For Tony Podesta, John Podesta’s brother, PizzaGate’s revival has opened up old wounds. He had dealt with trolling from conspiracy believers in 2016. Recently, he got a voice mail message from an anonymous caller saying, “Your pizza is ready.”

“It just doesn’t go away,” Mr. Podesta said. “They are always three steps ahead of the sheriff.”

[ghosty-schnibibit]

multiple days early taz grad liveblog! ^u^

ngl this took me completely by surprise and i didn't end up listening to it until around ten o'clock, it’s a bit before one in the morning as i’m posting this lol. managed to avoid any spoilers tho!

how's everybody doing in quarantine? i've mainly been playing minecraft and doing relistens of various podcasts, and just generally staying home :P

anyways, on to the episode!

i was not expecting that intro holy shit, this is so meta

as much as i loved the sillier intro i missed the pretty music the last couple episodes, i’m glad trav’s found a way for us to have both 

"the offending skeletons" pfff

oh man this sounds so pretty, wow

griffin w h y

well that's terrifying

"your creepy panopticon continues to function" gary serves the eye

yeah who fucking died to make their room available 

awww, is fitzroy scared of ghosts?

does firbolg have ghost hunting abilities???

... that's probably just from the spectral cats tho right

"they're steps of the mind" travis what does that even mean

:o!!! fitzroy the cussing boy

um??? fitzroy wtf are you talking about

yay! crepes for my boy! :D

better than i could do lmao

oh great, more creepy buckminster time :|

... dang, that's an interesting choice. i'm trying to think in-character of what would lead fitz to not telling them, and i've come to four main possibilities: a) fitzroy doesn't trust anyone at the school, even his friends, b) fitzroy hasn't found a way to tell them w/o being in the presence of a gary, c) fitzroy is worried that if he tells anyone they might get disappeared like leon, or d) a combination of all of the above.

kumquat? oh it's those little orangey guys, okay, continuing argo's citrus fixation then lol

"my new hero" can't wait to see all the maplekeene fic that comes out of that line lmao

well fuck that's sad :(

aww firbolg my sweet baby

ilu firbolg :')

OH FUCK, did leon send the broach as a message?

i have never gone from laughing to worried so fast holy shit

... so he's not just mind-wiped, he's being actively controlled

good idea fitz, this is very smart

another moment reminding me of how much i love the firbolg's character and how the other boys interact with him 

yay! my favorite girl is back :D

my sweet boys, these are such bad puns, absolute morons the lot of you

argo my dipshit son ilu

she is a necromancer lol

oh fun! dad lich!

... i need art of rainer as a blupjeans baby stat

"he's not not dead!" i love this description

i cannot tell if that's a euphemism or if he's insinuating rainer is some kind of frankenstein

oh dang :O

fiztroy you absolute ding dong ilu

oh fun, new npc :D

go firbolg, nice

so leon actually managed to get through to the guild before higglemas did whatever he did to him, and hieronymus and higglemas appear to be on the same page vis-a-vis wanting to keep the guild out of the school... fuck

althea, good to know, i'm so bad at spelling, i was hearing it as alfia

yay! i missed the money zone :D

aww, thank you trav

wait is that the end? does taz just not have ad reads anymore???

hey what the fuck, i am worried for my boys trav you can't just drop that on me apropos of nothing

how trippy for the rest of the staff do you think it was that all of a sudden jackyl's creepy voice suddenly turned into a lilting brogue

argo my sweet boy

IT'S AN ANTI GARY ZONE

... is he going to- yep, he's telling him about the hot mint

argo my sweet boy you are a valued member of the group

"hot mint is nothing new" oh my darling

ilu jackyl

what do you mean not from a person? do they think fitzroy is somehow linked to the demons in the forest?

thank you for that trav i am bad at remembering scenery details

i get what jackyl's saying here but like... there are ways for argo to ask fitz about his magic without being suspicious. they're pretty okay friends at this point, i don't think it's too much of a stretch to bring up magic in conversation like “hey, i have magic from my parents, do you think your magic could have come from yours?”

argo that's kind of a hollow threat, i don't think you can leave, they'd probably kill you :/

ilu argo my sweet boy

yikes, goddamn, the bad roles are back for argo

what was the end of that line clint

NICE, good rolls are back :)

clint you absolute dipshit

it's not boring! i'm very proud of clint getting so many good rolls in a row!

i love this so much lol

ooooh, this is some pretty music

fitz is on supplemental levels of paranoia

i can get that rationale, he can't solve anything if he can't trust his own perceptions

so he's taking a crack at artificing, fun times

this is an extremely good interaction, i am loving this

what does your little high pitched HMMM mean fitzroy? what are you doing my dipshit son???

oh fun, drawf then i'm guessing

green and gold were my university colors trav don't do this to me

fitzroy sounds like me every time i fall down the rabbit hole of metalworking videos on youtube and think “i wanna make a sword!”

... huh. i have to go back and listen to ep. 7, but is crabtree part of the unbroken chain? i'd be more inclined to trust her if so, i don't know if fitz would be safe crafting a mind protecting charm with her if there's even the slightest possibility that she's in on whatever higglemas is doing

fitzroy my dipshit son, you are an absolute dummy, you are the worst

griffin you planned an entire campaign around magical items

i don't like the sound of that "oh!"

oh this has gone just about as bad as it could have gone

that is absolutely not going to happen

nice thinking griffin, holy cow

not a fan of the foreshadowing implications of that

precision is certainly something fitzroy doesn't have

yes thank you for not doing that griffin

this is probably a bad idea and i am worried for firbolg

"let the wiki show, your honor" i want to check the wiki now to see if anyone’s added that lol

jesus that's a creepy feeling

griffin you have no right to make me cry like this

justin you've murdered me

welp, this is extremely bad :|

what are you doing fitzroy, what is the end game here fitzroy

okay, okay that's a good idea but this music is very terrifying

maybe also talk about what's going on with buckminster please, i am so worried about leon

i am at odds with myself because i adore the friendship development that's going on here, but i'm also so worried for literally all of them and poor argo is being left out

oh nice, very excited to see how that goes next ep

thank you for lifting the mood some griffin lol

clint you've killed me

oh i am so looking forward to this conversation

so a lot went down this episode, huh? compared to how lighthearted and silly the last two episodes were we got a ton of plot development, and in retrospect i’m glad we had an emotional buffer before things got too hairy. i am very worried for my boys, i personally think travis is nailing the build-up of suspense and mistrust between characters while keeping the danger factor mysterious enough that there’s no obvious solution as to who’s right not to trust who. i can’t wait to head into the tag and see the kinds of theories people are coming up with because dang if i don’t have some thoughts.

see you guys whenever the next ep comes out i guess!

[tabloidtoc]

Star, March 8

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: George Clooney vs. Brad Pitt -- the fight that ended their friendship

Page 1: Scott Disick's mid-life makeover -- some guys buy a convertible but Scott already has a garage full of fancy rides, so what else to do when you're edging close to 40, split from the mom of your three kids and are already dating a 19-year-old model? Well, bleach your hair platinum, of course!

Page 2: Contents, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary with a couple's surf session

Page 3: Star Shots -- John Legend wore an eye-catching sweater to a photoshoot in West Hollywood, Anya Taylor-Joy stunned in a crimson gown on the set of an untitled David O. Russell-directed period film, Jason Sudeikis grabbed a bite during a break from filming Ted Lasso's second season in London

Page 4: After hosting countless rose ceremonies over nearly two decades of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Chris Harrison is now in the hot seat himself and facing backlash for defending current Bachelor frontrunner Rachael Kirkconnell who's been accused of racist behavior -- the next day, Chris apologized and said he was stepping aside as host of the dating reality series but the damage was done as Rachel Lindsay who is the first Black lead in the franchise's history revealed she won't renew her Bachelor contract and current Bachelor Matt James supported her -- as for Chris, the fallout continues as Crest are considering pulling down ads featuring him but with critics calling for his ouster Chris wants his job back and no one at ABC wants to see him replaced but those conversations are happening

Page 5: Miley Cyrus has an idea how to help Britney Spears in her legal battle to replace dad Jamie Spears as her conservator -- Miley is hoping she and Britney can record a classic song together like an anthem like Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves or Enough Is Enough and she's hoping to get Britney on board but that may be a challenge with the legal restrictions in place

* Mom-of-eight Kate Gosselin didn't get what she was asking for on her house in Pennsylvania -- it's upsetting that she got less than she paid for it but her hand was forced; it costs a lot to keep up a house like that on 20-plus acres and with years of roughhousing, it needs a lot of work -- with twins Mady and Cara already in college and the sextuplets growing up, Kate hopes to jump-start her career and she's dying to leave Pennsylvania and head to Hollywood

* Paris Hilton's boyfriend of just over a year Carter Reum dropped to one knee on a gorgeous private beach and offered Paris his heart and a sparkler from Cartier and she said yes -- close family was on hand to celebrate the couple who have been friends for 15 years and the party went on well into the evening -- now Paris is already making wedding plans for something simple and elegant with a gorgeous dinner and the couple is ready to start a family sooner rather than later and she's hinted she's already started IVF and if she gets pregnant they'll just push up the wedding

Page 6: Ryan Gosling needed some time off after 2018's moon-landing biopic First Man because he really became Neil Armstrong during the six months of shooting and he was absolutely drained after finishing it and he spent the next two years with wife Eva Mendes being a full-time dad to their two young kids -- now he's back and with three movies lined up, he's looking at a $75 million paycheck this year -- in addition to The Gray Man, he's gearing up for a Wolfman update and another space adventure called Project Hail Mary -- he wants to be a popcorn-movie star and he's going full-blown buff-and-shirtless action hero

* Allen v. Farrow is a new investigation into 1992 allegations about Woody Allen by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow and her mother Mia Farrow that digs up damning new evidence against the director -- one harrowing home video shows the then-7-year-old Dylan saying her dad touched her privates and later a doorman and a building manager and a maid at Allen's NYC residence raise questions about when Woody began his shocking relationship with Mia's teen daughter Soon-Yi -- Mia also expresses fear in the doc, saying she worries that when the documentary comes out he'll be on the attack again and he'll do whatever he has to do to save himself

* Star Spots the Stars -- Julia Roberts, Joe Jonas, Luann de Lesseps, Christina Aguilera, Kaia Gerber, Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae Young

Page 8: Star Shots -- With balloons and a box of chocolate in hand lifestyle expert Gretta Monahan arrived at The View, Melissa Gorga snacked on a huge box of sweets between Zoom interviews to promote the 11 season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Vanessa Lachey prepared to host a Galentine's Day celebration with macarons and wine

Page 10: Jenna Dewan making a plant-based meal, Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn and her husband Christian Richard sipped juice bar drinks while running errands in Beverly Hills, Hugh Grant stopped to tend to his laces while out for a walk in Chelsea in West London, Carrie Underwood prepped for her daily workout session in pieces from her Calia fitness apparel line

Page 12: After a stop at the Kidding Around children's store Bradley Cooper had his hands full walking with his daughter Lea in NYC, Sofia Vergara chic in a blowout and patterned top in Beverly Hills, Justin Bieber looked comfy in a message tee and pajama bottoms in L.A.

Page 13: Thandie Newton looked tense while Chris Pine hit the ground running as the two filmed the spy thriller All the Old Knives in London, Jon Bernthal braved the frigid water while Gretchen Mol bundled up on the set of American Gigolo in L.A.

Page 14: Think Pink -- Jennifer Lopez hoisted an oversized customized bubble-gum hued Coach satchel in a promo shot in NYC, Cardi B slipped on neon sneakers from her Reebok collaboration to shop on Rodeo Drive in L.A., Hilary Duff showing off a peek of her growing baby bump on the set of Younger in NYC

Page 16: In town to film The Hills: New Beginnings with their castmates Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag played in the snow with their son Gunner in Lake Tahoe

Page 17: Mandy Moore and husband Taylor Goldsmith celebrated their last Valentine's Day before parenthood with a romantic stroll in Pasadena, Michelle Obama on her new children's show Waffles + Mochi

Page 18: Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay in NYC, hiding her locks in a cute newsboy cap Brooke Burke grabbed dinner at Nobu in Malibu, Krysten Ritter brought her son Bruce to meet some farm animals at the Gentle Barn in Santa Clarita

Page 20: Normal or Not? Farrah Abraham suffered a serious wardrobe malfunction while hitting the sand in Malibu -- not normal, Nikki Reed gushing over her therapy chicken -- normal, Property Brothers' Drew Scott booty bumpin' with wife Linda Phan -- not normal, Lucy Hale lovingly held onto her new dog Ethel while fueling up her ride in L.A. -- normal

Page 22: Fashion -- stars in pastel frocks -- Heidi Klum, Sophia Bush, Chrissy Teigen

Page 23: Rihanna, Kirsten Dunst

Page 26: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are having sexy slumber parties at Kourtney's $8.5 million Calabasas pad and they are spending so much time together and she loves having him sleep over and he'll stay the whole weekend -- Travis who has lived nearby in the gated community for years is already making himself at home and not only has he moved a bunch of stuff into Kourtney's property but she leaves him to chill out and enjoy his space if she has to run errands -- even if it seems the couple is moving and moving in fast, their respective broods are on board with the new arrangement and Kourtney's kids Mason, Penelope and Reign love having Travis around and meanwhile the door is always open for Travis' kids Alabama and Landon, and Travis and Kourtney do a lot of fun stuff with their kids together -- there's already speculation that the move-in will be permanent because Kourtney knows a good thing when she sees it and Travis checks all the boxes

Page 27: Meeting the in-laws might be a little complicated for newly engaged Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers because the Green Bay Packers QB is famously estranged from his Chico, California-based family -- in 2016 Aaron's younger brother Jordan Rodgers exposed the rift while competing on The Bachelorette and at the time, fans blamed Aaron's then-girlfriend Olivia Munn for turning him Hollywood but the trouble continued after their 2017 split -- now that he's with Shailene, Aaron doesn't want to bring her into that toxic atmosphere but Shailene who once called her own folks super f**ked up is not deterred and she is encouraging Aaron to let bygones be bygones but he's not ready

* Melissa and Joe Gorga's marriage troubles will play out on the new season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey but their issues are even worse behind the scenes and they've been butting heads as Melissa's career continues to skyrocket so she's distracted with work and doesn't have time for Joe and he feels neglected and he isn't one to hold back -- it doesn't help that the Envy boutique owner was rumored to be getting close to another man -- the couple is trying to work out their issues for the sake of their three kids but Melissa may be done

Page 28: Cover Story -- George Clooney and Brad Pitt: The Breaking Point -- fights, jealousy and other women -- the former besties had a major falling out and now mutual friend Sandra Bullock is desperate to reunite them -- George and Brad have barely spoken in eight years and they've definitely gone their separate ways and Brad's ex-wife Angelina Jolie played a big part in the demise of their friendship because Angie felt George took Brad away from her and their kids -- Amal Clooney found Angie unbearable and that was kind of the point of no return for Brad and George -- George is struggling to regain his luster as a director while Brad is out there winning Oscars

Page 32: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Interview Shockers -- as they prep for baby number two, Harry and Meghan announce a no-holds-barred interview, leaving the palace on edge

Page 34: Celebs in Wheel Trouble -- don't drink (or drug) and drive; these stars got caught making some very bad decisions -- Bruce Springsteen, mug shots of Justin Bieber

Page 35: Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Lindsay Lohan, Michael Phelps, Khloe Kardashian, Henry Thomas, Heather Locklear, Jesse Luken, Mel Gibson

Page 36: Beauty -- curl care -- strengthen every type of wave and coil with cool new miracle workers

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Bill Murray teamed up with NFL player Larry Fitzgerald for the AT&T Every Shot Counts Charity Challenge in Pebble Beach -- despite landing in third place, Bill and Larry made a great pair, earning an impressive $209,000 for local charities

[wits-writing]

Bumblebee (Movie Review)

Last night I managed to get into a preview screening for Bumblebee, a spinoff for one of the main robots from the Transformers franchise. Knowing this movie is directed by Travis Knight, who previously directed Kubo and the Two Strings, got my curiosity up despite the overall lackluster quality from the movies in the series that preceded it. Knight and screenwriter Christina Hodson deliver a soft-reboot for the live action Transformers movies more in line with the “Generation One” (or G1) aesthetic. The movie focuses on Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), a young mechanic in 1987 who gets caught up in the prelude to the Autobot and Decepticon’s conflict on Earth when she unknowingly comes in possession of the car serving as the alternate form of the Autobot soldier Bumblebee.

An important thing I want to lay down at the start of this review is that comparisons to the Michael Bay directed Transformers movies will be kept to a minimum. Everything that can be said about them has been and by smarter film analysts than me (I highly recommend Lindsay Ellis’s “The Whole Plate” video series.) It’s also important to not sell short what Knight, Hodson and the assembled cast and crew have accomplished with Bumblebee. Saying something is “better than one of the worst review film series of all time” is a low bar and this charming adventure deserves more credit than that.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

Bumblebee himself is introduced in an extended prologue sequence that’s as loving a tribute to Transformers G1 as possible. A good dozen recognizable Autobots and Decepticons cameo in a brief battle and escape sequence that gets described as the “Fall of Cybertron.” The part that takes place on Cybertron is brief but establishes a few things about who Bumblebee is before he gets launched to Earth for the remainder of the movie. While he does appear to have a rapport with Optimus Prime, voiced once again by Peter Cullen, it’s mostly as soldier and commanding officer rather than friends. At the start he doesn’t even have a proper title, as the others Cybertronians only ever call him “B127.” The movie uses his actions on Cybertron and in his arrival on Earth to establish his nobility as an Autobot soldier before a lot of who he was on Cybertron gets stripped away from him. In the first major Earth-based sequence of the movie, Bumblebee needs to fight off the Decepticon Blitzwing. While he’s able to defeat the other Transformer, it ends up damaging his memory circuits and costing him his voice putting him in the state he’ll be in for most of the movie afterwards.

It’s from that point on that the story’s focus shifts from Bumblebee to Charlie as the center of the movie. Her life and attitude get established quickly before her first encounter with Bumblebee, in his VW Beetle form. She’s kept herself at a distance from the rest of her family, particularly her mom and stepdad, since the sudden death of her father a few years ago. When she’s not working her menial job at a local pier amusement park, one of the ways she tries to keep her connection to her father alive within her is by throwing herself deeply into restoring a car they were working on together before his passing. Before any of her involvement with the Transformers story begins, Charlie’s relatable dilemmas and realistic depiction as a someone struggling to deal with trauma makes her a compelling character on her own.

The real heart of the movie finally comes in when Charlie, as an eighteenth birthday present to herself, manages to get the VW Beetle as her first car. The amnesiac, mute Bumblebee reveals himself to her quickly after she brings him home and the beginnings of their bond are immediate. Over the course of the movie, Charlie manages to give Bee his name, interest in music and the radio he ends up using to communicate as the story goes along. Most of the movie consists of Charlie and Bee hanging out, eventually alongside Charlie’s neighbor Memo (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), and it’s some very endearing material. Bumblebee’s amnesia reflects on Charlie own loss of self in the wake of losing her dad and their shared arc shows how their friendship manages to help them both rediscover their identities. Seeing Charlie slowly come more alive as she gets out there and does more with her life after getting Bumblebee, from cruising down the highway to getting revenge on some of her bullies, adds to the overall lighthearted tone of this movie.

An overriding aspect of the aesthetics of this movie are how drenched it is in 80s nostalgia, thanks to the time period it’s set in. Musical cues, pop cultural references people make in dialogue and the band shirts Charlie wears for most of the movie are all appropriate and work to invoke the era of pop culture that gave the world Transformers in the first place. There are also points where, like other recent works banking on 80s-nostalgia, it feels like the movie almost leans a little too hard into reminding you of the time period. Even with the occasional problems involved with that aspect, it fits the kind of story Bumblebee is paying homage. It’s a movie in line with the aesthetic and tone of the family adventure movies of the 80s, the most obvious reference point being E.T. and all the movies that have tried to replicate it. Which is a strong point to hang everything else on and keeps things light.

There are two main antagonistic forces at play against Bumblebee and Charlie as the movie goes along. Introduced early on is Agent Burns (John Cena) from the top-secret agency Sector 7, one of the few explicit references to the other Transformers movies in Bumblebee. His interest in the Transformers comes from surviving after witnessing Bumblebee’s fight with a Decepticon right after Bee’s arrival on Earth. Burns’ motives are understandable in light of witnessing something he doesn’t understand and he gets to have an arc in terms of how he perceives Bumblebee as the movie goes on. On the Transformers side of the antagonists in this movie there are two main Decepticon villains, Shatter (voiced by Angela Bassett) and Dropkick (voiced by Justin Theroux). They arrive on Earth after detecting Bumblebee’s signal and hope to pry the location of Optimus Prime out of him by any means necessary. These two antagonists’ paths cross quickly as the Decepticons appeal to Sector 7 to allow them to use their technology to track the fugitive Autobot. Though Cena as Burns sees through their motive, getting to be the one in the movie to point out “They’re called Decepticons”, but his superiors end up going along with it on the assumption that eventually they’ll get the chance to destroy all the aliens.

Actions scenes in Bumblebee aren’t the focus of the movie’s priorities, but they are the one place where explicit comparisons between this movie and the Bay directed Transformers are the most unavoidable. The character designs for the Transformers present in the movie focus on communicating character, through movement, distinct silhouettes and color choice, so once the action kicks in everything’s easy to follow. The combat between the robots is mainly hand-to-hand grappling with the occasional use of a blade or blaster. Transforming mid-combat happens more often here than it ever did in the past movies and gets used in strategic ways to allow for certain movements or to build up momentum before coming in for the striking blow. Clarity of stakes and geography are kept throughout the movie, since these are close quarters combat encounters rather than massive, city wrecking shoot outs. None of these action beats outstay their welcome either, which can be a problem with modern blockbusters in general and not just the previous Transformers movies.

What mainly sells Bumblebee as a charming sci-fi blockbuster is the Charlie and Bumblebee dynamic. Running at under two hours and keenly focused about where to keep its priorities, this is a simple, fun movie for older G1 fans and potential newcomers to the franchise alike. If you were at all iffy on this one, know that it pulls off what it sets out to do in giving Bumblebee a compelling origin in the form of a soft reboot of the film series.

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