#Nails by Michelle Class

[ghost-biird]

*listening to scary winter ambience and reading scary winter book*

I’m scared :(

[distantvoices]

Simone Ashley by Rid Burman for Vogue India April 2024

Styled by Nikhil Mansara. Hair by Shon Hyungsun Ju. Makeup by Alex Babsky. Nails by Michelle Class.

[icumpinkglitterxo]

You can't hurt me

part 2 (a)

a/n: i love angst. this version is the depressing one but its good i promise 🙏🏻

warnings: angst, mentions of sh, mentions of suicide, mentions of eds,

part 1

enjoy ★

She sat with him, bandaging his wrist. Slash stayed quiet. He hadn't shown his face in public since breaking up with Axl.

His fake girlfriend, Natalie, came over after school to talk to him. He hadn't told her about their breakup yet. She tapes his bandage and cups his face, "you look awful... when was the last time you slept?" He shrugs.

She sighs, "wanna tell me what happened?"

He nods slowly, then tells her everything, not leaving any detail out. "I fucked up, I mean I really fucked up, Nat. Bad." She wraps her arms around him tightly, "I'm sorry, honey. I'm so sorry this happened. I'm so sorry it's so difficult. It shouldn't have to be this difficult."

He felt safe with her. They had known each other since they were little kids. She was the first person he came out to, resulting in her doing the same and leading to their fake relationship.

He sighs. "Am I an asshole?" She looks up at him, "what makes you think that?" He looks down and frowns, "I'm the one who broke up with Ax... Because I said us being together is wrong." His voice shakes. "Well, do you really believe that?" She asks cautiously, knowing how vulnerable he was already feeling.

He shrugs, "I...I don't know."

Nat sighs, "what makes you think it's wrong?" Slash looks at her. For a long time. Then he comes up with an answer.

"Everyone hates me. They judged me before for having long hair, and for being black, and for dressing the way I do, and for the few times someone saw me with red nails. They judged me. But they tolerated me. They talked to me in class. I got invited to parties. But now they hate me. They look at me with pure disgust. They write shit all over my locker. They write death threats and put them in my locker. They tell me I should end it. The day I broke up with Ax, I was assaulted. I was walking home alone, and these two guys from the football team started attacking me. And they weren't stopping. They were actually going to kill me for the simple reason that I love a man. I love him so much, and I know love is hard, and it takes patience. But I don't want to live my life hiding from people who might actually try to beat me to death because of who I love. That's not fair."

She frowns. "Oh baby, I'm sorry..." Slash shrugs. "I guess this is just how it has to be..."

A few weeks go by. With the help of Natalie, Slash felt comfortable enough to start coming back to school. He dreaded seeing Axl. He was surprised when the entire day had passed and Axl was nowhere to be found.

He shrugged it off and went to find Nat. She was waiting for him outside the school with a big goofy grin on her face. He scrunches his face up, "why are you so happy?"

She grins up at him, "I have a date."

His eyes widen, "a date!? With who!?" She smiles, "she's new here. She's called Michelle. She's super cool, and she's really pretty and -" Slash interrupts her, "I get it you little lesbian." She giggles. She was so excited. He smiles. This was nice. He was happy for her.

The two of them start walking away from the school. Nat looks up at him, "you hungry?" Slash looks down at her, "yeah, I didn't eat lunch," she frowns, "why not?" "Fish."

She nods. She knew there was a time when he had a difficult relationship with food, but this was just him hating any kind of food that came from the ocean. "Well, my dad said we can go to the diner and get lunch and dinner whenever we want," he looks down, "yeah? How much?" She rolls her eyes, "it's free, dumbass." His eyes light up.

The diner wasn't far, and the walk there only built their appetite. They were walking towards the diner, Nat walked a little bit ahead of Slash before she realised he had stopped.

She turned back to look at him, "what's wrong?" He stayed silent. Just kept staring at whatever it was he was so interested in. She looks over to see what he was staring at, and then her face drops, "oh..."

Axl.

With another man.

[nicolacoughlanbigheartfanpage]

HARPER’S BAZAAR

Nicola by her nail artist Michelle Class on ig

[sulfurousdreamscapes]

"You're more worried about that stupid SUV's paint job than you are about me," Michelle grumbled as her knuckles turned white from gripping the marksman rifle.

Lee jerked every time a bullet hit his Mercedes G-Class, which was coming to be very frequently now. He spat on the slope of dirt he was reclining against, and nudged Michelle.

"You're holding it too tight, relax your grip."

"I'm holding it too tight because I'm terrified, Lee. You want to try holding it?"

Lee shook his head. His spit was forming rivulets in the soil. He glanced at the Mercedes, swore under his breath, and patted Michelle's shoulder. "Don't think they have a bead on our position now. Weirdly obsessed with my fucking car."

Michelle took a deep breath. "I'm going to go for it," she said, and pushed herself up the ridge of the slope, her rifle's barrel end going first and her eye firmly behind the scope.

As moments passed, Lee felt his heart pumping, about to explode. "Well? Take the fucking shot."

"Not yet," Michelle mumbled. "The moment I fire, they'll know where we are. We have to make it count."

"Watch for the flashes, there must be flashes right before they fire."

Michelle slowly relaxed her grip and slid herself down the slope again, taking care to make sure the barrel wasn't poking above the ridge. She took another deep breath, only to have it interrupted by a burst of fire against one of the SUV's open doors.

Lee's hands were caked in dirt, his under-nails filled with grime. "Well? What happened?"

"Lee," Michelle said slowly, "Listen. I love you. I need you to shut the fuck up for a while, though, if you want us to make it out of this alive. Do you trust me, babe?"

"But-"

"Tut."

"I'm just trying to-"

"Zip it."

Lee glared at her, still involuntarily jerking his shoulders as the bullets hit the SUV. He turned towards the car and grumbled. "What's their fucking problem with my car?"

"Lee," Michelle hissed, and when she caught his attention, made a zipping motion across her lips.

Laying his forehead a pillow of his forearms, Lee looked at the dark of soil underneath, hoping an ant would pop out of the dirt. It would make for some company that didn't talk back to him. An ant would have no problems whatsoever with what was going on. Every time he breathed, the tiniest specks of dirt would roll downwards, towards his chest. His anxious heart would keep him from relaxing, so he lowered his chin further and further until he was about to taste the dirt, when a blast briefly deafened him in his right ear.

When the tinnitus faded, he saw Michelle still staring over the ridge with her rifle. "Clear," she said quietly, but loud enough that Lee could hear.

"Did you get him? Headshot or what?" Lee asked.

Michelle seemed to exhale all the breath she had in her, and using her rifle's butt for support, she stood up on the ridge, triumphant.

Lee noticed that there were no more shots against the metal of his SUV. Nevertheless, he waited several seconds more.

"It's over, huh?" he said, and nervously stood up even as his legs shook violently.

Michelle helped him up, re-armed herself with her rifle, and then sniffed. "Something is-" was all she could manage before the SUV exploded in a cloud of fire and smoke, shooting debris several metres away. The black cloud disappeared into the air, and another explosion sent the tires flying, making the car sag on one side. Its metal deformed, and the shattered glass reflected a bright flame.

[superyiking]

Fluff:KAISER X FEM READER

About the content: It wasn't a good idea to go to training at night at your school, and it wasn't a good idea to go into the boys' bathroom to clean yourself up either.

"I don't have a good relationship with Michael Kaiser", that's what you thought as you felt daggers pointed at your back as you hid your head in your thick math book. Perhaps you can take refuge from your enemy's intense gazes towards you.You swallowed hard and breathed heavily, thinking that the boy behind you would leave you alone if you stopped breathing. Maybe he was just annoyed by your usually loud voice, or maybe not.

“Is he staring again?” you whispered softly, as if you were passing on secret information about your country’s betrayal to your friend who was sitting next to you and she was carelessly doing her nails. Everyone in the class was either relaxed or messing around, cause your philosophy professor was literally explaining in slow motion and no one was listening. You understood why they call him zero point five.

Your friend took her makeup mirror and tilted it at an angle to see Michel Kaiser staring at you with eyes that exuded evil and hatred.

"Yep!" She took her mirror back and put it aside and went back to tending to her nails, which were painted a simple gelatinous pink, not really caring how terrified you were.

"You bitch! What use are you as a friend if you can't rid me of this bastard?" You spoke quietly for fear that someone would hear you cursing. Unfortunately, a muffled laugh came from behind you and you turned around and noticed Bashira, completely burying his face on the table and his body shaking as if he had been electrocuted, next to him was Isagi who waved at you while he was smiling as usual, so you smiled back and gave him a candy that was hidden in the pocket of your skirt since it was not your favorite taste. He whispered, “Thank you,” and your cheeks turned red, You try to look at everything except him, but your eyes land on the boy with blond, blue hair and a strange haircut, as he looks into your eyes with the most hateful look you have ever seen. His face wrinkles and his teeth show in a grimace It sent shivers through your entire body, causing you to stand up immediately, making a noise that turned all eyes towards you.

"Can I go to the bathroom?''

You turned off the faucet with abundant flowing water, and looked at your reflection in the mirror with your wet face. You heard the bell for the last class of today ringing and a long sigh left your lungs, perhaps relieving the heaviness of the feeling in your heart.

You quickly returned to class and took your bag that your friend had packed while she was waiting for you to leave with her. You apologized and said that you would stay this evening to practice some new moves for the cheerleading team, and she understood the matter.

You waved at her and her figure moved away into the corridor with the rest of the student bodies eager to leave the hell of school. Summer and vacation were coming after two weeks.

You took your training supplies and clothes and went to the hall designated for the cheerleading team, which is the same as the basketball hall. Your high school had two fields, the second was for football since this school is known for training the best players.

Time passed quickly and you did not feel it for a moment because all you were thinking about were those burning blue eyes of him only. Did Kaiser hate you that much? You never communicated with him, fought, or even spoke badly about him? So why?

Your memory brought you back to your first meeting with him, which was in your second year after changing high school.

You were a new student there and you didn't know anyone. Your best friend was studying here, but she always took her first week carelessly and was absent from school the whole time. You were very confused, as this high school was big and you had no knowledge of its paths, so you kept wandering around, shy to ask someone about the way.

All the students, boys and girls, were exchanging hugs and conversations. In the midst of all that noise, you were alone, walking with languid steps and passed by a group of enthusiastic boys, as if they were wrestling. One of them imitated a punch to his friend, who was surprised by it and almost fell had the other to caught him. On the other hand, you were behind him and his bad luck passed on to you, which led to him pushing you from your back and falling like an idiot on the person in front of you.

''Aaaaah!!" Your shout rang throughout the corridor and everyone turned to what the sound was.

You had closed your eyes tightly before you fell, so you opened them very slowly, cursing inside yourself for the embarrassment you caused on your first day, wishing that time would stop and you would hit the wall with all your might, hoping that you would cure your anger.

"Eeeettt, this was so painfull !" You said as you kneeled on your painful knees before opening your eyes, which fell on the most beautiful face you had ever seen before. In front of you, a disturbed and shocked face faced you, its pink lips parted and The most beautiful A degree of blue was trapped inside those widened eyes. You froze completely, your lips trembling from extreme embarrassment, so your face became red after you noticed the position you were in while you were sandwiched between his long legs and everyone’s eyes were staring at both of you.

"I'm so sorry!, I'm really sorry!" You shouted these words, stuttering over some letters, before you quickly got up and fled the place. Ignoring all those frivolous voices talking about you, including the boy who was amazed by what he just saw, as if you were a creature from another world.

You tried to bury the disturbing memory of you away in your mind's graveyard of dead memories, but it would only come back to you every time you went to sleep or met Kaiser from time to time, barely because he was studying with you during your final year.

In the second year, you were lucky to be placed in a different class than his, thus avoiding constant embarrassment for a full nine months and free laser eyes that left marks on your back.

You remember when you ran away at that moment and entered one of the empty classrooms and called directly to your friend who had woken her up from her summer slumber, speaking so quickly that she could not comprehend a single word, to tell you that she would be there when she finished getting ready.

When she came and told her what had happened her mouth hung open To give you information that this boy is one of the best players in the school and is promised to join the national team for boys under twenty years old.

You did not really know that your subconscious mind had tied up many threads that were previously organized and tied them up even more immediately after your friend told you about that. You thought that he was a rude person who got very upset and had a sharp temper that flared up for problems. This is what comes to your mind Whenever you learned that a male was playing football and was one of the popular boys in high school, you prayed to God that night that it would not attract attention and rumors to you from his female fans, and he responded to you.

You stared at the glass ceiling of the hall, and an unusually large number of stars appeared to you in the dark blue sky.

"They look like his eyes." A faint whisper escaped your lips and your attention was drawn to the divine beauty, before you realized what you have just said and slapped your face lightly, asking yourself what nonsense you are saying now.

You wiped the sweat from your forehead with your shirt as you made the last practiced movement, deciding that that was enough for today and that it was time to leave. You poured the water bottle On your sweaty hair, so that the wetness seeped through your clothes, you collected your bag items and turned down the hall, heading towards the girls’ bathroom to wash yourself. Your hand grabbed the handle and moved it repeatedly, but it did not open.

"Oh God please don't tell me this is real not now! no!" You let go of the handle before you could broke it. You're not ready for trouble, and you've had a clean record since you entered this high school, cursing your luck.

You can't leave like this in the middle of the night when your phone's battery is dead, so you can't call your parents to pick you up, and if you walk, you'll probably catch a cold that will leave you bedridden.

You leaned against the wall, trying to think of a quick solution, before an idea occurred to you that you never knew would explain what you had been blind to notice.

You looked right and left while you were on the doorstep of the boys’ bathroom. You were sure that the hallway and the place were empty. You quickly took off your dirty clothes. You pulled your arms back to open your bra. It fell to the floor and then you hid it in the bag. You raised your torso and While you closed it, you decided to stay in your underwear and then remove it later.

Your intuition at that moment told you to turn around, and you did so only to find your alleged enemy standing in front of the door, his eyes wide open.

"kyaaah!!" A terrified scream unconsciously escaped your lips, covering what was visible of your breasts in front of him. What made matters worse was that you heard mixed and loud voices outside, near the door of a group of boys. It must be the football team. My God! You never knew they planned to stay and train like you.

With quick steps and his heart almost exploding, Kaiser quickly walked towards you and took your bag. Then, while you were completely frozen, he pulled you by your arm to the shower place and opened the water tap to its maximum intensity so that drops of semi-hot water fell on everything.

A second passed and the team members started to enter the bathroom with their noise and loud conversations.

!Note! If you have a music application or the song is recorded, please play les by Childish Gambino.

"Keizer wants to quickly escape from here, as if you weren't the king of the field just a minutes before. Great performance!"Ness shouted proudly to his friend, amidst the laughter of the rest.

“Did any of you hear a girl screaming a while ago? I’m sure I did.”

Your eyes widened completely, unable to believe the situation you were in now Kaiser wraps his strong arms around the wall that presses your back, wishing it would swallow you whole.

Kaiser completely covered your body so that neither your shadow nor your figure was visible through the curtain.

Your eyes were in constant contact that did not seem calm at all. Your lips were only two inches apart and you felt his hot breath covering your terrified breathing, he ignored his own and took his index finger to place it on your lips. You quickly felt the warmth of his hand and it sent a stinging sensation to your lips. Considering the height difference, Kaiser tilted himself so that no part of you remained visible.

You pulled your eyes away from his, who flinched in surprise at breaking your eye contact, and his eyes moved to the same direction as yours, who was staring at your completely exposed breasts in front of him. You felt your sockets getting wet and tears falling in a straight line with the streams of water flowing over you both increased the temperature of your bodies, especially your lower ones. Your legs were connected to his due to your slight leaning against the wall.

Kaiser noticed the whites of your eyes that were as red as your face, the trembling of your lips and the biting of them made him feel very bad for every silly second he stared at your chest. He looked away and cursed under his breath for his impudence, while you took your palm to cover your sobs.

Your whole body trembled and you tried to stop yourself from crying, when someone almost pulled the curtain that covered you both to make a joke with Kaiser.

“I'm warning you! Move it, and you'll die at my hands.” Kaiser's harsh voice rang out in the bathroom as he held The end of the curtain is at the top, preventing whoever was about to remove it and exposing both of you in this situation that you will not be able to justify no matter what happens.

The hand that was about to do so stopped and his shadow moved away. Minutes passed and most of them started to leave and only a few remained. You prayed inside yourself that this would go well, and you closed your eyes tightly. You did not know that he had come closer to you Until his chin was right above the top of your head, restraining his thoughts and demons that were telling him to pull back the curtain and show you both to others so that rumors would spread that you were his and the scoundrels would stop sending you confessions. On the other hand, his angels have warned him about this and appealed to him to protect your reputation, which will be destroyed, and the end of the year is nearby.

"I HOPE NOBODY CATCHE US, BUT I KINDA HOPE THEY CATCH US."

Your tears finally stopped after one last hard effort from you. You rubbed your eyes, which were burning with salty tears, before your gaze fell on Kaiser's six-pack muscles visible through the fabric of his wet white training shirt, the blue rose tattoo wraps from his back and arm all the way to his neck. Your eyebrows furrowed In complete confusion, all of this went away when you felt his firm hand moving your wet hair strands away from your face. You raised your eyes up to be met with the view of the midnight sky and the burning stars far away in its depths.

You opened your mouth until your front teeth showed. Oh! if you knew how much he wanted to kiss you at that moment! your cuteness ate his heart just as you stole his mind the first time he saw you. He never knew that a day would come when his heart would have something other than the ball, and surprisingly! it was a person. This put him in a state of complete denial when he felt his heart pumping blood like the excitement has never done on the field. Gradually, he began to realize that the constant pain in his heart, which had put him in a complete state of delirium and insomnia for days on end, still continued whenever his eyes met yours, even for a second was called love. He dreamed of you countless times, and he truly wondered if you were doing the same. His curiosity prompted him to search the net for a long time until he came to the conclusion that if he dreamed about you, it means that you were thinking about or missing him, and in fact! You had dreamed of him several times, waking you up completely sweating in your bed alone and your needy femininity was pulsing with such force, that it prompted you to drag your fingertips and caress your swollen clit while you moaned his name several times. Sometimes you wished he were there to relieve you of the weight of his influence on you, but it was completely impossible since you kept thinking that he hated you.

With the last two people gone and Kaiser making sure that the sound of their footsteps was far away from the bathroom, you quickly pushed Kaiser, who deliberately stepped back to make space for you to get dressed as quickly as possible, not caring for a single moment if you were completely wet.

You passed the doorpost before stopping and turning to Kaiser, who looked like an abandoned cat, balling his fists tightly and his chest rising and falling, truly afraid as to whether or not you had heard the drumbeat of his heart, just before or not.

"Thank you, Kaiser. I will never forget this favor of yours."

Before Kaiser could say a word that he desperately wanted to say to you, you had completely disappeared, leaving the chaos destroying his being. You did not attend high school, neither tomorrow nor the day after, and this was the last time he could see you from that close.

Finished •́⁠ ⁠ ⁠‿⁠ ⁠,⁠•̀♡♡

You can write to me about requests for stories you want with Blue Lock characters

BYE💘qwq

[hannahssimblr]

“Give me your artist's perspective, do you like this colour?” Jen wriggles her toes and fixes a small patch with her nail varnish brush.

“It’s black. It’s not a colour.”

“Black is a colour.”

“It’s the absence of colour, it’s a shade.”

“Ugh, annoying.”

“You asked for an artist’s perspective.”

“I’m sorry I bleedin’ did.” She rolls her eyes and lies back on her towel. “I just wanted you to say that you like it. It’s about time you learned about what women really want.”

“Well, alright then, I like it.”

She sniffs and pushes her sunglasses onto her face. They glint in the high sun. “I miss Michelle. She knows how to talk about girl things. You’re useless, you know that? She’d look at my toenails and she’d say, ‘wow, Jen, that’s a nice colour, it really suits you’ and I wouldn’t even have to ask her to do that.”

“Sorry for having a dick,” I say. “It sounds like it’s really hard for you to cope with.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

“Have you heard from her recently?”

“Michelle? Yeah. She we were chatting on MSN the other day. She’s having fun in Malaysia, and it’s mad hot and all of her dad’s family are nice so far. And she saw a dead dog in a bag in the river.”

“Nice, thanks for the update.”

“Why don’t you message her?”

“Because I’m not close to Michelle like you are.”

“I wish you were, she’s important to me.”

“Obviously yes, I know that. We just get on each other's nerves.” She thinks I’m annoying, I think she’s annoying, we’d just never really work as friends. Jen knows this, so I don’t know why she keeps talking about it.

She turns over to look at me, “Well I think you should give her a chance, because you have a lot in common actually, you’re both really good at drawing, and you’re both smart. Also you could really use some practice with being friends with girls, and I mean just friends, not friends that you eventually, you know, fuck.” She whispers that last word because it’s a scandalous thing to say. 

“I don’t fuck.” I hiss back. “I wish you’d stop saying that, people might believe you.”

She snickers, “But you do!”

“No! As far as you’re concerned I've never done it. And I don't really feel like talking about this, it makes me feel weird.”

“Well okay, but when Shell comes back, and when we go back to Dublin you should make an effort with her, and you should use her as practice.”

I groan. “What do you mean?”

“See if you can not seduce a girl who’s close with you.”

“Stop it, I don’t seduce either”

“The girls at school would disagree, you should hear how they talk about you in the changing rooms, it’s all ‘Jude did this, Jude said that, he touched my arm, oh he’s so fine, did you see his arse in those trousers?’ It’s actually disgusting.”

I squint at her, “My school uniform trousers?”

“I think so.”

“I can’t help it if I pull them off. I pull everything off, actually. And I also can’t help it if the girls I make friends with eventually fall in love with me, I’m just naturally very sexy, so I get if you’re nervous about Michelle, because you never know what she might see in me…”

Jen is laughing, “You’re ridiculous. It’s just that you have that slight hint of an American accent, and they go wild for you because they think you sound like someone from 90210.”

“Whatever, I make that work for me too.”

“Well you know Siobhán in Ms Daly’s class? She says that you-”

“Okay, okay, I don’t want to know what she says,” I snap, with irritation that surprises even me, “I’m tired of talking about this now.”

Jen frowns, “Well sorry. Moody.”

“I just don’t want to know all of the weird things girls are saying about me to each other. Would you like it if you heard of yourself being, like, talked about like you’re not even a person and reduced to just body parts? I don’t think you would.”

“Nobody talks about me like that, so yeah, actually, I wouldn’t mind it for once.”

“Well it feels bad. They all talk about me like I’m some conquest.”

“I’d rather be like that than like this.”

“Like what?”

She says nothing. 

“Like what, Jenny?”

She crosses her arms crossly, “Never mind. Just ask yourself, if I was straight, do you think we’d still be friends?” 

Then I frown into her face. I don’t like this question or its abruptness. “Of course we would be. Why would you say that?”

“I’m just wondering, like, in an alternate universe whether things would have gotten complicated between us and then we’d have had to stop being friends out of awkwardness.”

“I don’t think that at all. I think we’d be friends no matter what.”

She chews on her lip anxiously. “Yeah but that proves my point. You think that because I’m not pretty.”

“Come on, Jenny, you are pretty.”

“Uh! I’m not, and I’m also fat, so,”

“You’re not fat.”

She huffs, “Well, I am. It’s a fact. You don’t have to lie. I’ve heard it enough times at school by now to know that everyone thinks so.”

“I don’t know… this conversation is weird. I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

“Well… I don’t know either. You just didn’t get my point.”

“Is there something about being friends with me that, like, makes you feel bad about yourself?” Now I am cold and horrible on the inside. If Jen believes, even in some small capacity, that our friendship exists only because I can’t or won’t date her, then I’m sick with myself. As if I would throw it all away for some lame chance at romance, when really, I’d be friends with Jen no matter what, and forever. No matter if she were straight, or thin or in some way differing in her appearance. I’m friends with her because she’s the best person I know and we are good for one another, not because I’ve merely settled for her. I wish I could communicate this effectively, but I know I can’t, because every time I try to say things like this to people it inevitably comes out wrong and I end up looking stupid.

“I don’t know. It’s alright.” With hands that clutch at her arms she sniffs and looks sharply away from me, down the long strip of the beach where the land whittles down to a spit and tapers into the sea, “I wonder if I text Joe now will he be able to get something from his brother for me tonight. I’m starting to get so bored of being sober.”

My stomach tightens like a fist, “What do you mean? What do you want him to get?”

“I dunno, like something fun for later. Whatever he has.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” 

“Uh!” She looks at me with mock incredulity, “Are you my da? I can do what I want, can’t I?”

“I suppose, but why? It’s just not predictable. You never know what kind of junk you’re going to get when you go to a guy like that.”

“I know but I like that about it,” she takes her phone out and starts texting, “It’s unpredictable. Russian Roulette, right?”

“Yeah… Fine. Whatever. Something like that.”

Beginning // Prev // Next

[svgarblush]

⌜imada  mio.   twenty  nine.   cis  woman.   she/her.⌟   ╱   was   that   MICHELLE  'MIKI'   AIKAWA   i   just   saw   wandering   around   lake   stillwater   ?   you   know   the   AIRHEAD   ?   odd   …   i   never   imagined   they’d   be   back   in   town,   especially   after   everything   that   happened   last   time.   but   i   guess   it   makes   sense,   considering   they've   always   been   known   for   being   VIBRANT   and   CAREFREE.   still,   they   you'd   think   they'd   be   more   cautious—especially   since   they’re   also   quite   EMOTIONAL   and   NAIVE,   but   then   again   that   explains,   why  she  speaks  6  languages.   last   i   heard   they   were   working   as   an   TRAVEL  VLOGGER   in   LOMBOK,  INDONESIA   …   i   wonder   if   that's   where   they   picked   up   that   BUTTERFLY  HAIR  PIN   they're   always   carrying   around.   nonetheless,   with   whatever   happened   on   that   lake   all   those   years   ago,   they'd   better   hope   the   cabin   keeps   them   safe   this   time   around. 

B A S I C S .

birth  name  : aikawa seina ( michelle )

nickname(s)  : miki

date  of  birth  : 10/01/95

age  : 29

gender  : cis  woman

pronouns  : she/her

sexuality  : pansexual

relationship  status  : single

birthplace  : osaka, japan

previously : lombok, indonesia

languages  : japanese,  english,  korean,  thai,  spanish,  and  french

religion  : was  raised  catholic,  currently  agnostic

education  : one class shy of receiving her bachelors in communication

occupation  : travel agent ( formerly ), travel vlogger ( currently )

H E A L T H .

preferred  hand  :  left

blood  type  :  ab-

allergies  :  pollen,  tree  nuts,  and  chocolate

physical  :  in  surprisingly  good  shape  for  someone  who  rarely  works  out.

mental  :  undiagnosed  anxiety

social  :  extremely  social,  so  much  so  that  she  never  learned  the  meaning  of  stranger  danger

P E R S O N A L I T Y .

libra  sun.  enfp  (campaigner),  phlegmatic,  patience,  envy,  hufflepuff,  chaotic  good,  6w5  (the  guardian)

positive  traits  : vibrant,  carefree,  sociable,  compassionate

neutral  traits  : open  minded,  talkative

negative  traits  : emotional,  naive,  absentminded,  clumsy

habits  : biting  her  nails  when  she's  nervous

likes  : the  color  yellow,  swimming,  shopping,  early  morning  walks,  trying  new  foods,  dragon  flies,  ramen,  docuseries,  energy  drinks,  and  apple  pie

dislikes  : pineapple  flavored  candy,  wearing  socks,  waking  up  before  noon,  moths,  tight  spaces,  and  hiking

fears  : rodents  of  any  kind,  premature  death

skeleton  :  the  airhead

tropes  : brainless  beauty,  hidden  depth,  daddy's  girl

inspiration  : cher  horowitz  (  clueless  ),  jackie  burkhardt  (  that  70s  show  ),  karen  smith  (  mean  girls  )

A P P E A R A N C E .

faceclaim  : mio  imada

face  : heart  shaped  with  soft,  defined  cheekbones  and  almond-shaped,  expressive  dark  eyes

hair  : sleek  black  hair,  with  curtain  bangs  framing  her  face

body  : slender  and  petite,  surprising  perfect  posture

style  : denim  overalls  2  sizes  too  big,  colorful  jewelry,  scuffed  sneakers,  sleeveless  shirts,  each  fingernail  painted  a  different  color,  BELTS

misc  :  multiple  ear  piercings  in  a  mix  of  hoops  and  studs,  often  mismatched;  nose  piercing  and  sparkles  tattoo  on  her  forearm,  flower  boquet  on  her  bikini  line

H E A D C A N O N S .

unprepared  packing  :  true  to  her  nature,  miki  is  always  unprepared  for  the  practicalities  of  life,  and  it  shows  in  her  packing.  when  she  returned  to  stillwater,  her  suitcase  was  packed  with  sundresses,  shorts,  and  light  jackets  ...  completely  unsuitable  for  the  town’s  unexpectedly  chilly  climate  and  impending  snow  storm. 

post  it  notes  everywhere  :  miki’s  organization  system  could  best  be  described  as  “organized  chaos.”  she’s  a  fan  of  sticky  notes,  using  them  to  remind  herself  of  everything  from  mundane  tasks  like  “call  dad”  to  more  personal  reminders  like  “buy  bread”  or  “look  up  volcanoes  in  costa  rica.”  however,  to  anyone  that's  not  her,  the  system  is  a  disaster.  post  its  are  scattered  across  her  hostel—on  the  fridge,  her  phone  case,  the  bathroom  mirror,  and  even  in  her  shoes.  she  often  forgets  where  she  put  them,  which  leads  to  her  asking  herself  at  least  three  times  a  day,  “where  did  i  put  that  note?”

trinkets  :  her  travels  have  resulted  in  a  growing  collection  of  random  trinkets  that  she  keeps  in  her  suitcase  or  mails  home  to  her  dad. 

selective  memory  :  miki  has  a  curious  knack  for  remembering  the  most  bizarre,  seemingly  insignificant  details.  she  can  recall  the  name  of  a  stray  dog  she  met  in  greece  five  years  ago  (  ares,  in  case  you’re  wondering  ),  but  she’ll  completely  forget  something  crucial,  like  if  she  left  her  flat  iron  on  or  someone’s  birthday.  but,  it’s  not  intentional;  it’s  just  how  her  brain  works. 

accidental  cult  marriage  :  miki  has  lived  what  feels  like  a  million  lives,  each  one  wilder  than  the  last.  one  of  the  strangest  chapters?  her  brief,  23  day  marriage  to  a  cult  leader  in  brazil.  it  all  started  when  she  was  trying  to  practice  her  spanish  in  a  small  coastal  town,  mistakenly  thinking  the  locals  were  speaking  it,  only  to  realize  much  too  late  that  they  were  speaking  portuguese.  long  story  short:  after  a  very  confusing  ceremony  and  a  bunch  of  chants  she  couldn’t  understand,  she  found  herself  legally  married  to  a  stranger. 

tardiness  :  miki  is  perpetually  running  late,  not  because  she  doesn’t  care  but  because  she  underestimates  how  long  everything  takes.  her  friends  have  learned  to  tell  her  events  start  30  minutes  earlier  than  they  actually  do. 

the  polaroid  :  though  she  often  appears  carefree  and  spontaneous,  she’s  deeply  sentimental  about  certain  things.  she  always  has  two  things  with  her  ...  the  stuffed  rabbit  her  father  gave  her  when  she  was  a  child,  that  now  sits  on  the  corner  of  her  bed  and  a  faded  polaroid  of  herself  and  her  friends  from  their  last  trip  to  stillwater  together  before  everything  changed,  tucked  safely  in  her  wallet.

B I O G R A P H Y .

early life

michelle  aikawa  had  always  been  told  she  was  too  much  …  too  loud,  too  emotional,  too  full  of  life.  but  the  truth  was,  miki  simply  felt  everything  deeply,  whether  it  was  joy,  sorrow,  excitement,  or  fear.  she  didn’t  do  anything  halfway,  and  the  world  felt  more  vibrant  because  of  it.

born  in  japan  to  high  school  sweethearts,  miki  was  the  embodiment  of  the  love  her  parents  once  shared. 

her  early  years  were  filled  with  warmth,  laughter,  and  the  kind  of  unconditional  love  that  made  her  feel  like  the  center  of  their  universe.  life  was  simple  and  sweet,  and  nothing  ever  seemed  out  of  reach  in  the  safety  of  her  family’s  home.

but  that  perfect  world  came  crashing  down  shortly  after  miki's  12th  birthday,  when  her  mother,  who  had  always  seemed  so  devoted,  shattered  their  world  by  having  an  affair  and  walking  out  on  their  family. 

the  betrayal  was  devastating,  and  miki  was  was  forced  to  leave  behind  everything  she’d  known  in  japan  to  move  to  chicago  with  her  father.

adjusting  to  a  new  life  wasn’t  easy.  the  new  country,  the  new  language,  the  new  reality—everything  was  different. 

the  two  of  them  tried  to  pick  up  the  pieces  of  their  broken  lives.  her  father  worked  tirelessly  to  make  sure  miki  had  everything  she  needed,  even  as  they  both  silently  struggled  with  the  weight  of  what  had  been  lost.

at  18,  miki  was  accepted  into  the  university  of  minnesota,  where  she  chose  to  study  communication.  it  was  here  that  she  met  jamie  novak  and  harper,  two  people  who  would  change  the  course  of  her  life  in  unexpected  ways.

college

miki’s  time  at  UMN  started  exactly  how  she’d  hoped—bright,  busy,  and  full  of  possibility.  she  threw  herself  into  every  opportunity,  from  joining  clubs  to  befriending  just  about  everyone  she  met.  her  infectious  energy  and  knack  for  turning  even  the  dullest  situations  into  a  good  time  made  her  the  type  of  girl  everyone  wanted  to  be  around. 

during  rush  week,  miki  met  harper,  the  kind  of  girl  she  always  dreamed  of  being—graceful,  effortlessly  sweet,  and  adored  by  everyone.  miki  admired  her  from  the  start,  and  by  the  time  they  became  sorority  sisters,  she  was  practically  glued  to  harper’s  side.   

and  then  there  was  jamie  novak.  he  was  one  of  the  first  people  she  made  at  college,  and  her  first  real  crush  as  well,  however,  while  jamie  never  outright  rejected  her,  he  had  a  way  of  gently  steering  her  back  to  reality.   it  was  never  going  to  happen.

the  trip  to  stillwater  is  still  a  blur  in  miki's  mind.  good  times  shattered  one  hazy  afternoon  at  the  lake.   at  first,  miki  didn’t  understand  what  was  happening.  she  squinted  out  at  the  water,  trying  to  make  sense  of  the  commotion  as  people  ran  to  the  shore.  but  it  never  quite  hit  her  …  that  was  jamie,  her  friend,  floating  lifelessly,  face  down  in  the  lake.

the  years  after  that  trip  passed  in  a  haze.  miki  went  through  the  motions  of  college  life,  but  the  spark  that  had  once  defined  her  seemed  dimmer.  she  still  smiled,  still  laughed,  but  the  edges  of  her  personality  were  dulled,  like  she  was  always  a  little  out  of  sync  with  the  world  around  her.

by  her  senior  year,  miki  realized  her  heart  wasn't  in  it  anymore.  she’d  made  it  through  almost  four  years  of  college,  but  when  it  came  time  to  finish  her  final  class,  she  couldn’t  bring  herself  to  do  it.  dropping  out  felt  like  failure,  but  miki  told  herself  it  was  just  one  class.  just  one  more  thing  she’d  figure  out  later.  and  so,  she  left  college  behind. 

recently

after  leaving  college,  miki  drifted  back  to  chicago,  hoping  the  familiarity  of  home  might  help  her  find  her  footing.  she  landed  a  job  as  a  travel  agent.  at  first,  the  job  was  exciting,  planning  dream  vacations  and  helping  clients  map  out  their  adventures.  but  the  novelty  wore  off  quickly.  and  she  found  herself  stuck  behind  a  desk,  staring  at  itineraries  for  trips  she’d  never  take,  longing  for  something  more.

one  day,  after  yet  another  dreary  afternoon  at  the  office,  she  decided  she’d  had  enough.  she  packed  a  bag,  emptied  her  savings  account,  and  booked  a  one way  ticket  to  europe.  it  wasn’t  running  away,  she  told  herself ... it  was  finally  running  toward  something.

that  impulsive  leap  turned  out  to  be  the  best  decision  of  her  life.  miki  started  documenting  her  travels  on  a  whim,  sharing  videos  and  photos  of  her  adventures  online.  what  began  as  a  way  to  keep  her  dad  updated  on  her  life  quickly  snowballed  into  something  bigger.  her  infectious  energy  and  unpolished  charm  resonated  with  people,  and  before  she  knew  it,  she’d  built  a  loyal  following  as  a  travel  vlogger.

her  days  soon  days  became  a  whirlwind  of  exotic  destinations  and  thrilling  experiences.  she  wandered  through  bustling  markets  in  marrakech,  hiked  the  cliffs  of  santorini,  and  sipped  wine  in  the  rolling  vineyards  of  tuscany.  for  the  first  time  since  that  summer  in  stillwater,  she  felt  like  herself  again—free,  unburdened,  and  alive.

years  passed  in  a  blur  of  new  cities  and  stamped  passports.  miki  hadn’t  set  foot  in  the  u.s.  since  she’d  left,  preferring  the  freedom  of  the  road  to  the  weight  of  old  memories. 

but  everything  changed  when  she  got  the  call  about  harper.  the  news  hit  her  like  a  punch  to  the  gut ... her  first  friend,  the  girl  who  had  been  her  sister,  was  gone.

for  the  first  time  in  years,  miki  felt  the  pull  of  home.  to  her  former  friends, to stillwater.  the  place  where  her  life  had  taken  its  sharpest  turn. 

she  booked  a  flight  back,  her  heart  heavy  with  the  knowledge  that  she  was  returning  to  say  goodbye  to  harper and  to  a  chapter  of  her  life  she’d  never  truly  closed.

C O N N E C T I O N S .

the  unrequited  crush  –  jamie  novak  :  jamie  was  one  of  those  friends  who  just  seemed  to  get  miki  on  a  level  that  no  one  else  did.  they  had  this  easy,  effortless  friendship,  built  on  inside  jokes,  mutual  respect,  and  shared  interests.  but  somewhere  along  the  way,  miki  started  to  develop  feelings  for  him.  it  wasn’t  anything  major  at  first,  just  a  little  crush  that  grew  over  time,  something  she  thought  she  could  handle.  but  when  she  finally  worked  up  the  courage  to  subtly  confess  her  feelings,  jamie  gently  but  firmly  shot  her  down. 

sorority  sister  –  harper  chen  :  miki  and  harper  started  as  sorority  sisters,  both  rushing  the  same  year  and  getting  paired  with  the  same  big.  they  bonded  over  their  shared  experience  of  surviving  the  wildness  of  sorority  life  and  became  fast  friends.  after  graduation,  they  promised  to  stay  close,  but  as  time  went  on,  they  drifted  apart.  harper  seemed  to  become  more  focused  on  her  career,  while  miki’s  travel  bug  kept  her  bouncing  around  the  world,  living  in  a  constant  state  of  flux. 

the  ex-best  friend  –  camille lawson  :  the  two  used  to  be  inseparable,  sharing  everything  from  secrets  to  dreams  of  the  future.  they  were  once  miki’s  closest  confidante,  her  rock  during  the  ups  and  downs  of  life  …  until  one  fateful  falling  out.  a  fight  over  something  trivial  at  first;  miscommunication,  hurt  feelings,  or  maybe  jealousy,  led  to  a  crack  in  their  friendship  that  neither  could  mend.  they  haven't  spoken  in  years. 

past  roommate  –  isa morgan  :  they  started  living  together  during  their  freshman  year.  however,  what  started  as  a  mere  convenience  turned  into  a  relationship  that  lasted  for  three  years.  they  stuck  it  out  until  their  junior  year  when  miki  moved  into  her  sorority  house,  mostly  because  they  had  no  real  desire  to  rock  the  boat,  even  though  their  personalities  couldn't  have  been  more  different. 

long  distance  friend  –  connor acosta  :  after  graduation,  miki  wanted  nothing  more  than  to  disappear,  however,  for  some  odd  reason  they  kept  in  touch.  they  started  exchanging  postcards  and  sporadic  life  updates—little  messages  about  the  people  they  were  meeting,  and  the  random  observations  they  had  about  life.  over  the  years,  their  correspondence  continued,  despite  the  miles  and  time  zones  between  them.  the  postcards  would  sometimes  arrive  months  apart,  filled  with  cryptic  notes  or  funny  anecdotes,  but  they  never  failed  to  brighten  miki’s  day. 

ride  or  die  –  dakota  hartt  :  miki  met  them  during  freshman  year  in  the  most  quintessentially  miki  way  possible:  by  accidentally  stumbling  upon  them  buying  weed.  she  didn’t  see  it  as  a  sketchy  encounter;  no,  she  thought  it  was  the  coolest  thing  ever.  from  that  day  on,  she  decided  they  were  her  person,  and  they’ve  been  thick  as  thieves  ever  since.  whether  it’s  sneaking  into  parties,  pulling  all  nighters,  or  making  impulsive  decisions,  miki  knows  they’ve  always  got  her  back.

platonic  soulmate  –  arlo  clark  :  there  was  a  time  when  miki  and  them  were  inseparable,  practically  two  halves  of  the  same  chaotic  coin.  from  wild  adventures  to  quiet  nights  venting  about  life,  they  were  always  together.  things  shifted  after  miki  dropped  out,  life  pulling  them  in  different  directions,  but  they’re  still  the  first  person  she  calls  when  everything  falls  apart.  no  matter  the  distance  or  time,  miki  knows  they’ll  always  pick  up  the  phone.

will  they,  won’t  they  –  bowie  bhatt  :  their  friendship  was  intense,  the  kind  that  always  felt  like  it  was  teetering  on  the  edge  of  something  more.  the  chemistry  was  undeniable,  and  there  were  moments  when  it  seemed  like  they  might  take  the  leap.  but  just  as  things  started  to  shift,  miki  dropped  out  and  disappeared.  now,  with  miki  back  in  stillwater,  it’s  like  nothing  has  changed,  still  waiting  to  see  if  they’ll  finally  cross  that  line.

friend’s  ex  –  julian  koeing  :  miki  always  thought  they  were  a  little  odd,  but  in  a  way  she  found  endearing.  they  were  never  particularly  close—mostly  because  they  dated  one  of  miki’s  friends—but  she  always  liked  them.  even  now,  there’s  a  strange  sort  of  fondness  there,  a  quiet  understanding  that’s  hard  to  explain.

one  time  thing  –   jacob  williams  :it  was  one  of  those  fleeting,  heat  of  the  moment  things.  they’d  been  friends,  sharing  easy  banter  and  a  few  too  many  drinks,  and  one  night,  it  just  happened.  but  it  was  never  meant  to  be  anything  more.  they  never  spoke  about  it  again,  both  quietly  agreeing  to  leave  it  in  the  past  and  keep  things  as  they  were.

on  again  /  off  again  -  open  :  her first  real  love.  the  two  have  broken  up  and  gotten  back  together  more  times  than  they  can  count,  and  each  break up  is  more  painful  than  the  one  before  it. whenever  they're  apart  it  drives  her  crazy  but  whenever  they're  together  she's  reminded  of  how  bad  they  are  for  each  other.  potential  victims  of  right  person,  wrong  time.

[stewblog]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

I’ll just cut right to the chase. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has a real shot at being one of my favorite movies of the year. It almost certainly won’t be an awards contender and no one’s likely expecting this to break box office records. But as a work of pure entertainment? A high bar has been set for the rest of 2023 to try and clear.

There was reason to think otherwise, however. High fantasy films both before and after The Lord of the Rings have largely been underwhelming duds. The genre is difficult to truly nail, but co-directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (along with their co-writer Michael Gilio) have managed to channel everything fun, fanciful and fantastic (in the older sense of the word) about swords and sorcery into a rocket-propelled adventure that satisfies at nearly every turn.

And if you’re completely new to the realm of D&D and have no idea what a displacer beast is, can’t point out where Neverwinter is on a map, or know the difference between magic missile and mage hand, fear not! Honor Among Thieves does a fantastic job of introducing the audience to this world and its inhabitants.

Guiding us through this adventure is Edgin (Chris Pine), a bard and thief who pals around with Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), a barbarian warrior exiled from her people. They’ve broken out of prison and are scheming a way to rescue Edgin’s daughter and get payback on the man who stabbed them in the back during a theft that went horribly wrong. To do it, they’ll need the help of a struggling wizard, Simon (Justice Smith), a shapeshifter, Doric (Sophia Lillis) and paladin Xenk (Rege’-Jean Page). As you can probably guess, what they see as a very straightforward mission at the start becomes something much more dangerous and complicated the deeper into it they get.

The particulars of the plot aren’t terribly interesting and feel like a fairly standard setup at play if it was a Saturday night and you’re sitting at a kitchen table with some friends, rolling a D20 and waiting for your older brother to further unfurl his scenario as Dungeon Master. What makes Honor Among Thieves such a cracking good time at the movies is the playful spirit Daley and Goldstein infuse into the proceedings, the superlative chemistry among the cast and a script that delivers a very precise balance of humor, pathos and swashbuckling adventure.

Part of why this movie had my audience eating out of the palm of its hand was due largely to how funny it is. There’s an abundance of laughs to be had with sarcasm and one-liners to spare, though it blessedly avoids that Joss Whedonesque trap of simply making everyone a snark-machine that fires off identical-sounding quips at the drop of a hat. The members of our heroic quartet each react to the escalating escapade with humor at various moments, but it all feels organic to who they are. These characters are all archetypes (each a literal class you can choose in the tabletop game), but the script never treats them specifically as such. We’re given ample backstory, but never so much as to bog down the proceedings. Each gets their time to shine. Page deftly steals his scenes by being charmingly dense. Smith and Lillis are new to my eyes but keep up with the veterans. And this may be the most fun I’ve seen Rodriguez have since the first Fast & Furious movie.

But even as well-balanced as the party is, it’s safe to say that this is Chris Pine’s show. I’ve been a fan of Pine’s since he pitch-perfectly played a slack-jawed yokel assassin in the schizophrenic action flick Smokin’ Aces. It was clear then that he had a wicked comedic sense and he was unafraid to bury himself in a character. But he was also burdened with leading man looks, which of course only confuses Hollywood producers who seem incapable of letting pretty people do wild and weird things. (See also: Pitt, Brad.) The joy of Honor Among Thieves is that it perfectly splits the difference for Pine. He’s certainly a capable leading man, but his role as Edgin finds the perfect balance between his strengths as a character actor and his leading man charm.

I can’t stress enough, though, just how fun this is. The villains are villainous. The heroes are (mostly) scoundrels with hearts of gold. There are no existential moral conflicts at play. It’s just a good old-fashioned magic-fueled romp with high (but not world-ending) stakes and a healthy dose of heart. And, perhaps most importantly for a high-fantasy flick, it doesn’t skimp on the stuff you want to see. Dragons. Black magic. Danger-filled caves. Mythical beasties of all stripes. A deadly maze. Mimic chests. Gelatinous cubes. It’s all here. A movie of this pedigree demands these elements show up in excess and Honor Among Thieves delivers.

I hope these early screenings are a sign that Paramount Pictures knows how great this movie is and they’re trying to build as much positive word of mouth as possible. I want sequels. As many as I can get. This was a delight from end to end and if nothing else, I’m happy with that.

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

Character Description: Ana Patterson (Sweet Sacrifice)

(Art is by me. Please don't steal).

Fandom: Batman

Basics

Gender: Female

Full Name: Ana Louise Patterson

Alias: Patient No. 1

Affiliation: Civilian

Age: Twenty–five

Nationality: American

Race: Human

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Birthday: September 15th

Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Virgo

Blood Type: A

Occupation:

· Pickpocket/Receiver

Social Class: Low

Scent: Lilac

Most Fitting Song for Theme Song: Sweet Sacrifice by Evanescence

Portrayed by: Michelle Trachtenberg

Appearance

Initial Impression: Like she's timid.

Height: 139 centimeters; 5 foot 5 inches

Weight: 54 kilograms; 120 pounds

Body Type: Slim with little or no muscle mass.

Face Shape: Oval 

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Hair Style: Long, thick, and wavy.

Eye Color: Green

Complexion: Pale

Best Physical Feature: Her eyes

Worst Physical Feature: In her opinion, her worst physical feature would be her freckles. They are light, but she has a few across the bridge of her nose and on her cheeks. She feels that the feature makes her look young.

Physical Quirks/Abnormalities: Cracks fingers increasingly. Thrives in hot weather, hates cold weather.

Scars: She has a scar line from a stab wound on her lower abdominal area.

Civilian Dress Style: Cotton, often torn. Her outfits are primarily thick, presumably for warmth.

Personality

Initial Impression: Brave

Most Endearing Trait: Calmness

Least Endearing Trait: Anger

General Attitude Towards Characters: Sociable unless there is a strong dislike for them.

Annoying Habits: Unable to sit motionless for long amounts of time.

Good Habits: She shows compassion.

Hobbies: Listening to music, taking walks, singing.

Skills: Blending in, gaining the trust of others, good listening skills, lying, strategic thinking, sleight–of–hand, survival skills, swift–footedness, and self–defense.

General Likes: Chocolate and literature

General Dislikes: Violence and bullies.

General Fears: Snakes, spiders, needles.

Greatest Fear: Death/blood

Acquaintances: Rebekah Cross, Jesse Collins, Andrew Lawton, Natalie Bell, Lucus Butler, and Lenore Anderson. 

Most Common Expression: Blithe

Favorite Color: Purple

Favorite Food: Pasta

Least Favorite Food: Anything spicy.

Background

Educational Background: Home Schooled

Family Background: Was raised by George and Melissa Patterson up until they were murdered, then she stayed with a foster family for a couple of months before she ran away. She joined a Fence and was taught to survive out on the streets.

Full Biography: She was born in Bludhaven, New York to George and Melissa Patterson. When she was sixteen, a group of burglars broke into her home and attacked her family. Her mother and father were killed, and Ana was stabbed. She survived but was put in foster care for the time being. Her new family were farmers who were not ideal people. The final straw for Ana was when she fell into a pit of slaughtered animals and after a long sweltering day, she was rescued. She ran away and ended up on the streets of Gotham where she met Lenore and Rebekah.

Relationship with Canon Cast

· Bruce Wayne (as Batman): She has different values on the Dark Knight per the way he conducts himself. She thinks that what he stands for is justice for the people of Gotham, but she doesn't value his way of doing so in high regard. To her, Batman is an angry kid with a hammer and everything he sees is a nail.

· Bruce Wayne (as himself): Having not met him, other than the few times she's seen him on television, Ana admires Bruce. Unlike the other rich occupants of Gotham, he seems the most concerned with the outcome of the city.

· Dick Grayson (as Robin): Much like her views of Batman, Ana neither likes nor dislikes Robin.

· Dick Grayson (as himself): Having only met him once, and on less than ideal terms, she doesn't much care for him.

Relationship with Non-Canon Cast

· Rebekah Cross: Her voice of reason. She feels obligated to protect her.

· Lenore Anderson: The teacher. She respects Lenore for her knowledge of the life they live. As an older sister figure, Ana looks up to her.

· Andrew Lawton: A strange, yet interesting man. Ana envies his imagination.

· Natalie Bell: Ana neither likes nor dislikes her. She understands her attitude toward the situation but doesn't appreciate the negative approach she uses.

· Jesse Collins: An optimist. She likes him the most because of his friendly nature.

· Lucas Butler: While outspoken, she doesn't find him irritating as some do. His insight into their situation is appreciated.

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Like all of you, I have been starving for a good high fantasy epic that was fun, feels fresh and tangible. I too was there for the opening night of what would go down in history as one of the worst representations of a beloved fantasy game. The 2000 version of Dungeons & Dragons was........well, garbage. I had fun with certain aspects of that film as a kid, but even I didn't know what the film was trying to accomplish. Fast forward 23 years later and the titular game has reached a new height in popularity. I myself have never played but thanks to shows like Critical Role, Stranger Things, and my entry point The Legend of Vox Machina, I have become a little more versed in the terminology, creatures, classes and rules. I learned that anything goes as you the player are thrust into a new world that the dungeon master has crafted and how the roll of the dice determines your fate and the fate of your fellow party members. That's exactly the feeling I got from this film and I was happy to see that the filmmakers did their homework and made a fun experience of a film. Did it always hit its mark as an engaging and compelling story though? Not really. Yeah there is alot of cheesy storytelling and dialogue in the film that I felt could've flowed better. The film had hilarious moments of comedy and joy, but lacked the necessary depth that could've been mined from such a rich set up. The story was incredibly predictable and there was so much happening at times that it was dizzying. It couldn't truly hone in on what tone they were going for. A number of characters were very surface level and a particular characters' story payoff wasn't earned at all and rushed.

Chris Pine was fun and charming as the bumbling bard Edgin Darvis. I loved his sense of humor along the adventure and how he played an unconventional type of hero which was that was refreshing. Chloe Coleman is always a joy to see on screen and as his daughter Kira, she was good. Their chemistry was good in the film as we get to see their strained relationship play out. Michelle Rodriguez was really fun as the barbarian Holga Kilgore. She's gets the majority of the action sequences in the film and she handles them as great as you'd expect. Her friendship with Edgin was the soul of the film and her motherly bond with Kira was great. Justice Smith was good as the half-elf sorcerer Simon Aumar. I liked his mixture of using practical items and actual magic. He struggle to become self-confident was interesting to watch, but it felt extremely rushed as he reaches a resolution that didn't feel earned. Sophia Lillis was decent as the tiefling druid Doric. I thought her escape sequence was amazingly shot and the variety of animals she changes into was well executed, but she was a very one note character. Her backstory gives the reason for constant stoic nature, but doesn't really give her much to do outside of that. Hugh Grant was mostly playing himself as the rogue con man Forge Fitzwilliam. He was good, but he felt more like a greedy game show host that kept his word, but in a round about way. Regé-Jean Page was perfect as the paladin, Xenk Yendar. He truly had fun being the stereotypical pure hearted hero to the point where it is almost comical how straight and narrow the character was. He had an awesome fight scene in the second act of the film and it was wonderfully shot. Daisy Head was very much the antagonist of the film Sofina, a Red Wizard of Thay. She had one mode in the film and that was be creepy while rarely blinking. She nailed it and she felt like the mid level boss in a video game that has some challenge, but is easily defeated once you see the pattern.

The score by Lorne Balfe was epic and fun in the best way. There were moments where the score overpowered the sound in the film that it almost drowned out the dialogue. Visually the film is stunning and the effects were excellent. The dragon sequence and final battle of the film were a visual spectacle. What I truly loved was the practical creatures in the film and how gorgeous they looked. The opening scene blew me away with the use of more practical locals and creatures. The sound design in the film was good, but unbalanced when it came to dialogue and the surrounding thunderous sounds made it hard to understand what was said. As I said before, the character growth was truly rushed and the tone was a bit all over the place. The extremely predictable plot and weak villains made for an almost inconsequential finale. So the real questions need to be asked. Was it better than the 2000 film? Alot better. Was it the best high fantasy storytelling I've seen a long time? Nope. Was it enjoyable? Yeah, in that streaming on Netflix type of way. To me this was good matinee film that plays it safe and doesn't leave you with anything that’s particularly memorable. I would like to see a sequel or another film under the D&D brand, but this time more focused and a little bit more serious. I liked the fun aspect of it, but there were times where it seriously needed to grow up. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[syneilesis]

more prof!chev and prof!emma because i have decided i will bother you with my obsession nfnsfnnsnfnfmg—

Professor Michel is always smartly dressed. whether that’s crisp suits with matching ties and vests, cosy knitted sweaters over collared shirts, or neatly ironed button-downs tucked into dress pants, he’s never once shown up to class looking anything less than an Armani catalogue model. if he wasn’t so damn terrifying in the classroom (and married) a LOT of his students would be crushing on him

but Professor de Villenueve? she shows up to class looking like an absolute darling. her wardrobe seems to consist only of florals and flowy fabrics, with rose-printed maxis, colorful blouses on embroidered jeans, and cute bell-sleeved shirts tucked into layered gauzy skirts making her stand out in a crowd. they have lectures on different days, but a few weeks after The Mug Incident (as the students call it) they start noticing that professor chevalier will always be matching his shirts or ties or sweaters to professor emma’s dresses and blouses

naturally, the students find it fucking adorable; emma laughs and admits it outright when one of her students asks her, but chevalier just gives a blank stare and tells the poor lad to put that attention to his sloppy formatting

Chevalier likes to wear white! Clean and pristine like his immaculate beauty. But the color accents do match that of Emma's :D After that reveal the students start taking up bets on which part of Chevalier's outfit matches with Emma's. There's this one student who's enrolled in a number of both the profs' classes since their freshman year, who nails it every time lol

[dannyreviews]

The Age of Innocence (1993)

1993 was the second coming of 1939 when it came to the number of American films that were released. Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence" remains one of that year's absolute gems, a departure (no pun intended) from the famed director's usual gritty nature. Replacing gunfire with passing glances and mafia dealings with upper class gossip, "The Age of Innocence" is classic Scorsese and in my opinion, among his best films ever.

Based on the novel by Edith Wharton, "The Age of Innocence" , focuses on the impending union of the two most important families in New York society. Lawyer Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) is engaged to be married to the sweet and quiet May Welland (Winona Ryder) and their marriage is the talk of the town. At the same time, May's cousin Ellen (Michelle Pfeiffer) has returned to New York to non-stop gossip pertaining to her impending divorce. Steeped in a world of customs and tradition, Newland is drawn to Ellen's unconventional lifestyle and while handling the matters of her divorce, the two begin an affair. Newland must decide which moral route to take, one that will maintain his place in the hierarchy of the upper crust, or the other sizzling in passion, yet tainted in scandal.

"The Age of Innocence" may be gentile in its appearance, but it's every bit the nail biter as "Raging Bull" or "Goodfellas". The adaptation by Scorsese and Jay Cocks shows dynasties pitted up against one another like mob families, favors that are made to keep up appearances and a family matriarch and high end couple with all the power in the world like mafia dons. At the same time, the art direction by Dante Ferrets and costume design by Gabrielle Pessucci, doesn't merely recreate late 19th century New York, but embraces every facet it possesses, from vast estates filled with art collections, fine china and chandeliers to ornate opera houses where their audience and actors don the most glamorous haute couture. When it comes to matching the authenticity of its period, there is not one false note. Having culminated from decades of prior period pieces, "The Age of Innocence" takes the genre to a whole new level of appearance that has rarely ever been repeated.

Scorsese assembled one of the most diverse casts of recent years. In addition to the 3 main actors, there are Golden Age of Hollywood stars (Norman Lloyd, Alexis Smith), veteran British actors (Michael Gough, Alec McCowen) and the new crop (Richard E. Grant, Robert Sean Leonard) and each brings their own craft to this unique film. Robert De Niro or Joe Pesci would have seemed out of place if they were included in the cast, so it was wise to delve further in the variety of acting styles and backgrounds and have each of them adapt to the lingo of Edith Wharton's New York. Also, to have the calming voice of Joanne Woodward narrate the story transitions the film into Merchant-Ivory territory, which I'm sure Scorsese studied up on prior to filming.

As for the main cast, Daniel Day-Lewis is absolutely terrific in playing the emotionally repressed Newland Archer, who must balance his double life amidst its open secrecy. Winona Ryder also shines in an Oscar nominated turn as May in all of its Golden Age of Hollywood charm. And then there's Michelle Pfeiffer, who is absolutely mesmerizing in portraying Ellen's liberal personality, in a performance that the Academy should have considered. The supporting cast standouts include Stuart Wilson as Ellen's "other man" Julius Beaufort, a lecherous scoundrel, Miriam Margoyles' BAFTA winning performance as Mrs. Mingott, May's grandmother, and Sian Phillips as Newland's mother.

"The Age of Innocence", along with Jane Campion's "The Piano", Jim Sheridan's "In The Name of the Father" (also with Daniel Day-Lewis) and James Ivory's "The Remains of the Day", represent in my opinion, the best of cinema in 1993. Out of those films, "The Age of Innocence" isn't the top one (that honor belongs to "The Piano"), but it represents the most expertly made. The acting, direction, novel adaptation and authentically honored period are all building blocks to the neatly tied packaged result.

9/10

[tygerbug]

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves gives a modern comedic sensibility to its fantasy setting, more Community than Lord of the Rings. You can almost hear the players rolling dice to see how their next plan will play out. Scheme might be more accurate. It's partly a heist film. There's lots of action, and few big laughs but many chuckles. It's a smartly made film which goes for a tone which is difficult to nail, and largely succeeds with it.

The film is just grounded enough that it doesn't break the fourth wall to wink at the audience. But it never shakes the feeling that this is all taking place in 2023, rather than in some forgotten ancient age of giants. Or at least a version of 2023 that has wizards instead of smartphones. This appears to be intentional, an extension of how Dungeons & Dragons is a game played by modern-day people improvising around the kitchen table, who are only in character to the extent that they need to be. This could have felt like a CW TV show, but the film aims higher than that.

There's a hint of an idea here, of Chris Pine starring in something like The Princess Bride. But the script doesn't quite live up to that level of depth and subtext. We land closer to something like a Marvel movie, with Pine playing a snarky rogue who shows that he's a little bit bad by being unpleasant and rude about everything. Pine manages to play this likeably, where a lesser movie star would have failed at it. At times, when the script allows him to, he shows what he would have done with a more serious take on the character. I can imagine a Harrison Ford or Chris Pratt version of this, which in this context wouldn't have worked as well. Pine commits to a performance where we believe he's a good person, and he doesn't.

Hugh Grant (as Forge) similarly uses his aging good looks and charm to make it unclear how trustworthy his character is. It's a nervy, lived-in performance where he uses his entire personality to take over any scene in which he appears.

The filmmakers are John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who did not direct Spider-Man Homecoming, but did direct Date Night. Daley costarred on the short-lived series Freaks and Geeks, as a kid who played Dungeons and Dragons. They seem like the ideal team to take on this subject matter, and take it almost seriously. You can feel every plot development clicking into place, and foreshadowed multiple times clearly before it happens, as if they're teaching a screenwriting class. You feel the effort, but the cast perform the material in a casual way which softens the blow. The result is solid enough, and those who wouldn't go to the theater for this will likely stumble across it on streaming television later and have a good time.

Michelle Rodriguez plays Holga, a butch female barbarian with an unusual taste in men. (Bradley Cooper is involved.) She spends much of her screentime beating the hell out of anyone who gets in her way, and the rest exuding the vibe of someone you could have a beer with. The female leads of the film seem queer-coded, although the film also assures us, in no uncertain terms, that they're straight. There is Sophia Lillis (a former Nancy Drew) as the plucky young shape-shifting Tiefling Druid Doric, whose character breaks a few actual D&D rules for convenience. Fast-paced effect scenes of her daring shape-shifting escapes feel rote rather than thrilling, but as a human she has an underdog quality which charms. There's also Daisy Head (yes, daughter of Tony) as the villainous witch Sofina, whose role consists of knowing when to be scary at the right times.

Justice Smith, of Detective Pikachu and Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, affects a British accent to play the inept sorcerer Simon (there sure are a lot of sorcerers named Simon). In his mid-twenties during filming, he radiates awkward teenage energy instead, though with a casual coolness that keeps it from being irritating. Again, it's easy to imagine a much worse version of these characters, but this cast casually sidestep those problems.

Regé-Jean Page, of Bridgerton, also turns up as Xenk. There is a lot of tension between Xenk and Chris Pine's Edgin, as the two compete onscreen as to whom is more handsome and charismatic. Page makes this seem effortless, while Pine spends his time complaining. That's the joke, though it wears a bit thin, and they missed their chance to end the scene with a hug, as opposed to a handshake.

A scene in a graveyard was originally written as a Monty Python cameo, and is as close as this film gets to that kind of wordplay humor. In practice, and in makeup, it feels more like The Frighteners.

The script cares about its characters and wants them to succeed, and it's easy to imagine a more cynical take on the material, which would have fallen apart pretty quickly. The humor of the piece is entirely set in its world and plays by that world's rules. The characters have 2023 attitudes, but it's an alternate 2023 where they grew up in this realm. It's not humor which mocks or pokes at the setting, or stands apart from it. Instead they commit to existing in this world, a world which has established rules. If this is a D&D game, we see only the moments where the players are in character. Visually the film is a nonsense hodgepodge of vaguely fantasy-related design, without a truly consistent visual language, but this also can be forgiven as it suits the tone of the film, and the bright visuals are up to standard otherwise.

The characters from the 80s Dungeons and Dragons cartoon have an extended cameo as background characters, and the film is full of other such odds and ends. The toyline includes a Beholder, which is not in the film but may have been in earlier drafts.

In a move which shows how soulless these corporations are, Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood is not credited at all.

Otherwise this is a solid adventure which captures the essence of Dungeons & Dragons in a clever and charming way.

Rating: Fresh / Recommended

(seen in theaters)

[deke-rivers-1957]

ECU Film Ranking Part 2

This is the 2nd part of a 3 part series where after 10 or so movies, I’ll rank them in reverse order with 10 being the worst and 1 being the best. My ranks are based on how much I liked the movie, how much I liked Elvis’ character, and how well it was executed. Each entry will have an explanation so I hope my opinions make sense. If you have any disagreements feel free to share them. Enjoy!

This is going to shock everyone since I just posted a scathing review on Harum Scarum. However, after looking back at the last 10 movies, Change of Habit having a wishy washy political standing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. How am I supposed to enjoy this movie when you have rage reduction therapy being used on an 8 year girl, very harmful portrayals of minorities and the gratuitous usage of slurs? The gritty nature of this movie doesn't work when you have the rage reduction scene be immediately followed by the characters having a jolly good time at the park. It doesn't allow you to emotionally recover from the horrifying sight that was at the time a "groundbreaking treatment". It also doesn't help that Dr. John Carpenter was such a boring character to the point where Sister Michelle overshadowed him. Where would he be if he never met the Sisters? Absolutely fine. Sure he would still be in want of help, but it isn't as if his clinic was in danger of closing. Elvis might have top billing but this is not an Elvis movie which makes it even more sad that this was his final acting role. Instead of being the proverbial last hurrah, this was the final nail in the coffin for his Hollywood career.

This is unmistakably an Elvis movie. The problem is that it's just bad. You immediately question the movie's logic from minute one of actual movie time and it doesn't get better from there. It at the very least has the benefit of taking place in a fictional country. Despite being heavily inspired by the Middle East and actual Islamic beliefs, Lunarkand is not a real place. So when I criticize the cultural representation, it's because I pick up on the similarities with what's true in the real world. That still doesn't save the world building from being super confusing. Especially when you consider the in universe possibility that Johnny will one day be King of Lunarkand. The fact that something that significant isn't even acknowledged in the movie is baffling. It's also bizarre how Johnny was portrayed as this overpowered action hero yet by the end of the movie Johnny doesn't even beat Sinan or Prince Dragna. While it was his idea to protect the King while they stormed the palace, Sinan was taken out in the most nonsense way possible, and Prince Dragna was defeated offscreen by the King in a fight scene we only saw the beginning of. This makes Johnny's ending unsatisfying as he got such a huge "prize" when he didn't really do that much. The world that was created for this story feels broken and I have no idea how you could fix it. Especially when you consider that all of what happens in this movie takes place over Johnny's week long vacation. Anything longer would create even more plot holes on how he could be gone without anyone including the United States government immediately try contacting the King.

Story wise this movie has a clear direction. Do I agree with all decisions that were made? No but I can at least understand why they had to keep things simple. It was an Elvis movie in the early 1960s, so emphasizing Mike's PTSD more than they did wouldn't match the otherwise light hearted tone. That being said, the romance is very boring to watch. How does Margarita being an ousted Duchess impact anything? It doesn't. Her and the former Duke are working at a luxurious resort in Acapulco. Sure it isn't glamorous nobility life, but it's better than what a lot of people in the Mexican working class had. Therefore, I just have no reason to care about the Duke wanting his daughter to get an American VISA. If Mike had never come to Acapulco, they would've continued to live a comfortable life without any foreseeable threat of poverty. It only comes off as forced so Mike and Margarita end up together when they don't have that much chemistry. Mike has more chemistry with Raoul who is a 10 year old boy that acts as his manager. There are so many good ideas in this movie that should work on paper that were simply never fleshed out. I would've loved to see Mike meet up with his parents in Acapulco. That would've been a nice call back to the telegram he received and would give Moreno finding out the truth more weight. Unfortunately that simply didn't happen.

This movie's plot was a mess. How do you balance Mike and Danny trying to find a job to buy their plane, Sue-Lin wanting to see the sites at the fair and needing to be cared for, Mike wanting to date Nurse Warren, and Mr. Ling going missing? The answer is that you can't without one of those plots suffering. In this case, the romance is what suffered. I have nothing to say about Mike and Nurse Warren because I got nothing from the movie to suggest that womanizing Mike would realistically fall for her. Mike being rejected isn't this magically bizarre concept so Nurse Warren doing so doesn't make her that special. I don't think it's worse than the other three movies though since there was a very specific reason behind the movie being rushed. The 1962 World's Fair in Seattle was only open for 6 months. Production wise, it was doomed from the start and the writing unfortunately suffered because of it. But for what they were attempting to do, I appreciate the effort as Sue-Lin is an amazing showcase of young talent. She isn't an obnoxious brat, or a kid that talks in an over the top cutesy way. The scene where Mr. Ling had to leave for an important job especially showcases this. She doesn't throw a massive temper tantrum that he couldn't take her, but she still cries at how something out of anyone's control would've ruined something she was looking forward to. That takes a good amount of maturity to recognize Mr. Ling had no control over this and that if he didn't work hard, she wouldn't have been able to go at all. Just incredible character writing when dealing with a child character.

This movie had so much promise but man it fell off a cliff once Ms. Prentice and the girls arrive. I found myself feeling more uncomfortable with the Ellie situation than Sarah Lee being outright racist towards Hawaiian people. Ellie's bad mood didn't belong in this lighthearted story and I have no idea why it was added. Sarah Lee's racism/classism at least has a point because it's the main source of conflict. The movie would've been just fine if it was about Chad trying to reconcile his wants with his parents wants since that's drama inducing as it is. Maile thinking Chad was cheating on her with Ms. Prentice wasn't entertaining at all and makes the Ellie situation worse as she actually was trying to flirt with Chad. There's also the very obvious issue that we had 3 songs in the span of 10 minutes that add nothing to the movie yet they cut Chad's confrontation song towards Ellie. If her situation was addressed earlier in the movie, I wouldn't have had a problem with it. That time cut from the horrible "running gag" of her failing to seduce Chad could've been spent on a scene where Chad finally puts his foot down with his mother about Maile. I hate that the main conflict of the movie ends with a joke about Sarah Lee fainting over the news that her son is marrying a half Hawaiian girl. It's a lot more satisfying for Chad's happy ending to come from him actually stepping up and telling his mother that the things she says isn't acceptable and that he no longer feels comfortable being around her. I understand it's a real conversation people have with their parents, but I value character driven stories as opposed to something that major occurring only because the script says so.

Allied Artists didn't know how to make an Elvis vehicle and it showed with fully recycled music of varying quality. The romance was bad since Pam comes off as being so judgmental when Lonnie's relationship with their guests isn't her business. I never understood how they went from "strictly business" to getting married since Lonnie seemed very annoyed with Pam. Her playing hard to get attitude I guess was what they were going with, but it didn't work for me. I also wish that the deputy sheriff being the perpetrator wasn't revealed until later because then it would make Lonnie beating him all the more satisfying since we would be just as surprised as the characters would. That being said, this is a guilty pleasure as I very much enjoyed the humor. Lonnie being a straight man who essentially stays the same actually works because you have him bounce off of Stanley who's very neurotic and high strung. You have that reasonable amount of skepticism that makes it all the more funny when he realizes Stanley isn't seeing things. For a very low budget movie, we surprisingly get a lot of different sets which probably cost a pretty penny to set up including the historical townhouse. There's a whole town that had to be made, the ranch itself had to be made and it's incredible how they made such a big setting when most of the budget went to Elvis' salary. It doesn't blow you away by any means but there's a quaint charm to it.

This is how you make a static Elvis character not boring. We don't know the full extent of Jess' criminal nature, but having it be stated that he broke off with Vince indicates his character arc was off screen. Since his reputation is already established he has to prove that he's changed which makes for some natural drama. I have criticized the townsfolk's unbelievably irrational behavior in my review but looking back, I was a bit too harsh. Evacuating the town wouldn't have been as easy as I made it seem either since there's nothing to suggest the nearest town is within walking distance. Given the fragile nature of Sheriff Ramsey's condition and their lack of loyalty to Jess, I better understand the town's reluctancy. Does that excuse the choice to let Vince roam freely when everyone knows he's a villain too, absolutely not. The plot holes involving their lack of pushback still stand since they spent more time putting the pressure on Jess to do something as opposed to using the guns Jess gave them. However, Jess having this rare display of helplessness and guilt over Billy Roy's death stuck with me. The look in his eyes as he sees that cannon rolling down the rocky terrain knowing he can't stop it goes against every criticism that Elvis was a flat actor here. Jess is supposed to be the "boys don't cry" type so his display of emotion sticks out in a humanizing way. Him showing mercy by refusing to kill Vince proves that he's a good person as he chose to let justice be served in a court of law instead of the vigilantism Vince upheld. It has that right amount of subtlety that proves Jess was honest in his heel/face turn. A different kind of man indeed.

This movie was pretty good in that it actually gave Elvis connections with other people. He isn't just rolling up to the movie's setting from parts unknown and no known family. Here he's established to have had parents only to unfortunately lose both of them. Despite a horrific tragedy that creates as a 20 something, Ross doesn't get bitter about it and walks around with a chip on his shoulder. Instead, he does his best to find his own family. That too me is very important. While I don't really care for how Robin was handled, she clearly isn't the focus. Laurel is. She has an actual personality where she's a girl-boss without being a Mary Sue. She has flaws, gets called out on said flaws and tries to improve. Ross having beef with Mr. Johnson throughout the movie had some clever writing as he wasn't a typical rival Ross had to beat. Even when Ross thought that Laurel was in danger, his line of thinking isn't rewarded by having Mr. Johnson be an absolute pig. Sure he was flirty towards Laurel, but it never crossed a line that made him completely irredeemable. He was simply a human being that as a business owner would have goals Ross didn't align with. While I do think he could go too far in expressing his distain, Ross doesn't cross the line of being an unlikeable jerk either. His concern of Laurel's wellbeing regardless of his reasoning was still sweet. It showed how despite their disagreement, Ross didn't let that destroy their relationship. The amount of maturity between the two is very refreshing and I do think their eventual marriage makes sense. Even though I can skip some of the songs as they felt unnecessary, the story more than makes up for it.

(My number 1 and 2 are interchangeable. Both movies show great promise for making my ultimate top 10 list).

This is isn't a case of recency bias. I still had criticisms about the unnecessary drama involving the Flaming Star, Rosalyn being very unsupportive of Clint despite being his fiancee, and the downer ending that didn't even give Pacer a moral victory. But that's the thing about this movie. I wouldn't be so upset about those things if I didn't care about Mrs. Burton and Pacer. That holds a lot of weight in my reviews. Pacer isn't a flat character for coming full circle in realizing his loyalty isn't based on race. If anything, we see what he's willing to put up with so he can continue to uphold a moral fiber that he was brought up with. He easily could've continued the path with the Kiowa and used his pain as fuel for the fire that would've come down on the town. But he didn't do that. He instead turned on the Kiowa for not only killing Mr. Burton but also critically injuring Clint. He didn't really need to do that, but he chose to do so because he genuinely thought that they would've killed Clint regardless of what he said. Pacer sacrificed himself just to give Clint even the slightest chance of surviving. How poetic is that when he blamed the doctor for refusing to do the same with Mrs. Burton. It really showcases that morality isn't determined by race but what you do to others even in the face of cruelty. A great display of writing all around despite its flaws. But for all the praise I've given, what could possibly be better than this?

Man oh man this movie is amazing. The plot might be typical for a boxing movie, but there's a reason why Rocky is the success that it is: great character writing. Kid Galahad has great writing, an appropriate amount of tension and a good selection of songs that highlight the camaraderie that exists in this small town. Walter is a great example of how a character can be of a high moral standing without being annoyingly pious or a complete doormat. I don't care that he doesn't have a character arc because his status does change. Seeing him make those friends and fall in love with Rose was done so well. I don't know if it was the writing that allowed for the characters to exist in a slice of life environment or if the actors had that great of relationship with each other, but all of the character interactions worked so well. The amount of subtlety that exists in this movie is a refreshing vibe because it shows that the writers don't believe in spoon feeding the audience every single piece of information. There's that perfect balance between showing and telling here that demonstrates what Elvis working on an actual movie would look like. My only criticism was the last five minutes where Otto wasn't properly dealt with. Sure his lackeys were arrested, but Otto is still out there. Given what I've stated about Sugar Boy being in that system of exploitation, I actually felt scared for him as we have no idea as to what will happen to him since he lost. But something like that is such an easy fix that I still gave it my highest rating yet. Definitely an underrated gem that I highly recommend watching.

AN: For those on my tag list that I didn't get to, I'm sorry. Tumblr wouldn't post anymore names. I promise that in my New Year's post you will be tagged. Thank you all for reading my reviews and providing your own input/opinions on the movies I've watched. Expect my New Year's post to come out on New Year's Eve.

Tagging: @bluesuedesouls, @searchingforgravity, @velvetelvis, @vampireego, @blueinhawaii,

@alienelvisobsession, @eapep, @peaceloveelvis, @i-r-i-n-a-a, @tacozebra051,

@vintagepresley, @atleastpleasetelephone, @ahundredlifetime, @thelonelyheart, @arrolyn1114,

@ssinnerplazahotel, @lilmisspeaches, @an-americcan-trilogy, @xanatenshi, @smokeymountainboy,

@iuv0ana, @lustnhim, @ladelinee, @pebbles403, @jhoneybees,

@somethingaboutelvis, @tupelomiss, @elvis-presleys-stuff, @elvispresley1956, @elvispresley1935,

@hooked-on-elvis, @everythingelvispresley, @elvispresleywife, @lett-them-eatt-cake, @sillybookmarks,

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[the-firebird69]

Not only that but there's other effects are going on the clothes are embattled globally because of their ships and people are figuring out the max have humongous ships too not necessarily as many and they have a couple and the clothes have four with a smaller one which is still negative class and the good at it and they're going at it and now people are going after Max. And they're on the most wanted list that's what they all say. So the mats are going after the clothes pretty hard to get more ships cuz they need them and it is going to be a mess but that's what's happening

That's a few more things going on because of the network of buildings of Paris and audit Dave and it's going to continue is what he said and one reason why they're evacuating people are going into their buildings and deactivating them and fighting off the clones and it's a war zone and they grab as much stuff as they can and believe and they are ripping the walls apart and floor and ground and people tracing the wire in order to take it in the conduit he found out the conduit down there is worth the most and they're going to have it but a lot of people can't get to it so they're at the buildings like cars Garth and they want the white gold Stan is taking a lot of it you got an area and he's pulling it all out and a lot of people are doing that but they wanted to go after his and Sherry gets grabbed as Michelle Pfeiffer that's one of her characters. And Kathy was playing that too no. What's going on right now and it's pretty huge it is some big fights hold on after the precious metals a huge fight they're everywhere fighting over the stuff they found entire lengths of the conduit underground that are made from a thin layer of white gold is a huge huge deal it's gigantic the amount of goals coming from where those lines is huge it stretches all the way up to Oregon a conduit and it's worth about $450 a foot. Half a pound of foot and it's probably three inches of diameter so people are doing that now and we're going to post

Hera

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This is huge folks that's a lot of pipe that's a lot of gold and people want the white gold and they're going for it now. Also Freddy Krueger and the nightmare on elm Street has begun and it's about a few things but mostly mostly used these buildings to kidnap people. And her son was hearing it at work sometimes and about being kidnapped and he was angry about it and they were saying it in the elevator quite a bit and he figured out that he should probably leave there and we didn't mind it much it's one of those buildings it was wired by his brother and we weren't worried and knew how it was is that location but others are wanting to figure it out there's a couple other buildings he was at that were wired up by them storm Western development was wired up by Paris and they moved them out and her computer got pissed at them and it's him a little and start to swear by all that's holy yeah was dumping on him and I saw that Trump is looking and detected our son was involved and start to bother him and Trump said look it's just not right what you're doing and the computer said why he said you're attaching you're attracted to their attention and it's not necessarily the best thing to do and said we want to attractor and text you and he says well I guess you don't know why we could have figured it out we're getting nailed. The computer went into a frenzy started to try and figure out what to do and he said just shut up and it would not so trying to figure out where it is and they found a few signals and they're tracing them because the damn thing just keeps going it's actually a benefit if it shuts off for a minute it's on the next minute and you don't have to wait.

Hera

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