#THIS WHOLE TIME I WAS SO FUCKING CONFUSED AS TO WHY RIDLEY WAS DOING THIS

[maburito]

Me :

[casspurrjoybell-25]

Cold as Ice - Chapter 34 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Landon Reilly

"Boys, enough," Leo Ridley cut in, looking confused and sounding resigned like he was used to having to get between his two sons.

"No, seriously, do any of you know who he really is?" Fox asked, looking around the table.

Wren glared at his brother.

While before he looked calm and relaxed, Wren now looked tense.

It was a strange look on him that I had never really seen before.

That look on his face distracted me from the embarrassment for a moment but once my mind caught up, I couldn't help but feel humiliated.

Fox was going to call me out in front of his family, which wouldn't have been half as embarrassing if I wasn't so involved with his brother but the embarrassment hit me with full force and I felt like getting up and walking out and never seeing anyone from this family again.

When no one answered Fox, he continued.

"He's the one who got us kicked out of the tournament last year," Fox spat.

"After he attacked me and he even gave Elijah hell before that."

Everyone was silent for a moment and I was mortified.

It wasn't like what he was saying was untrue.

The worst part about it was that it was true and couldn't help but think that this was why Wren was so reluctant to be serious with me.

He didn't want to meet the Hansons but he didn't really want me to be spending any time with his family either.

Maybe it was because he knew they would hate me when Fox found out and told them everything.

He knew we couldn't last because his family was important to him and I would only drive a wedge between them.

I wanted to shrivel up and vanish into nothing.

I wanted to cease to exist at all.

There was nowhere I could escape to.

I was frozen in place.

Wren hadn't said a word, he barely even reacted.

I didn't know what I expected.

Him to defend me?

From what?

Fox was telling the truth.

"And..." Fox started again.

"Fox, enough," Vanessa snapped.

It was the only time all night that she looked even remotely upset.

She had been happy throughout the whole dinner, laughing and smiling with her kids but now because I was here and causing all this tension, her night was ruined.

"I know very well who he is," she added, raising her eyebrows at Fox.

That meant that Dan and Mandy Ellis had told her about me after that time I saw them all at their house.

That only made me feel even more embarrassed.

Wren must have sensed my discomfort and started to stand, motioning for me to follow him.

I wordlessly left the able with Wren.

I should have thanked his parents for the meal, thanked his mother for inviting me but it was like I was on autopilot, my feet taking me wherever Wren went.

The two of us left the restaurant and went outside.

Wren leaned back against his car with his hands in his pockets while I stood in front of him.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Wren said in a light tone.

I wanted to cry.

I didn't know what I wanted from him.

No part of me wanted to remember anything that had happened tonight but I still wanted him to comfort me.

We were standing only a few feet apart but it felt like he was a mile away.

"It wasn't that bad?" I asked in disbelief.

My words were short and choppy, nearly caught in my throat.

I could feel my throat drying up while tears welled in my eyes.

"You're upset," he said it in a bland tone.

A statement, not a question.

It was like he couldn't understand why the whole thing upset me.

I let out a humorless laugh, a cough coming out at the end.

"Yeah, Wren, I'm fucking upset."

"You don't need to be."

"But I am, Wren. That shit was fucking humiliating."

"It was far more embarrassing for Fox," Wren said.

"He nearly threw a tantrum."

He was trying to play it off like that didn't bother him but there was a reason he didn't want Fox knowing about us, so there was no way this whole thing didn't affect him too.

I could feel him putting a wall up, pulling away from me and that made me want to cry even more.

The two of us didn't say anything else before his family eventually exited the restaurant.

Fox walked right past us and surprised everyone by getting into the passenger's seat of Wren's car.

I was shocked and didn't realize Vanessa had walked over to me until she put her hand on my shoulder.

She looked at me with kind eyes, reminding me so much of Mandy Ellis.

"Thank you for coming tonight, Landon," she said.

"Maybe we'll see you tomorrow at the game."

"Thank you for dinner," I managed to get out.

Leo walked over and patted me on the shoulder before the two of them went to their own car with Colt and Fawn.

With Fox sitting in the front seat of Wren's car, I had to get in the back behind the driver's seat next to Raven who was in the middle seat, Robin on her other side.

"You're dropping me off last," Fox said to Wren as he got into the driver's seat.

Wren let out a sigh and started the car.

Robin reached forward and smacked Fox on the back of the head.

"Quit being a dick," Robin said.

Fox didn't respond and the car ride back to my dorm was silent.

When we pulled up to my building, I couldn't get out of the car fast enough.

"I'll text you," Wren said as he rolled down the window, staring at me intensely.

I nodded at him before rushing into my building.

It wasn't until I was finally in my room that I let the tears fall.

[justplainwhump]

3 - Dany | Audience

(Happy!AU - The Kidnapping Arc -> Shattered Diamonds)

The very angsty arc of the Happy!AU where Dany never gets forced to marry Ridley Lordin and follows in her father’s footsteps as a crime lord, Lorenzo Whitlock never becomes Sunny, and their one-night stand at the Bahamas leads to a happy, loving marriage. This is a collaboration with @ocean-blue-whump , Lorenzo is her character.

Dany Masterlist || Sunny Masterlist

[Part 1] [Previous] [Next] [Masterlist]

Tagging both the Dany crew and the Sunny crew! @ashintheairlikesnow @whumpinggrounds @whumptakesthecake @whumpfessional @winedark-whump @painful-pooch @distinctlywhumpthing @whumping-on-the-ridge @queenofthenoobs @hackles-up @whumping-newbie​ - let us know if you want to be added or removed from this tag list.

CW: referenced kidnapping, guns, some light swearing (it’s Dany, okay?).

She failed. She should’ve stayed home, she should’ve given in to Lorenzo’s begging in bed this morning. It was their anniversary after all. Eight years ago, on this day, both their lives had turned to the better. And now, on that very same day, she’s ruined it. Someone, some motherfucking asshole, is threatening him, because of her. She should’ve saved him. That was their deal, she worked, he stayed at home, and she kept him safe. Fuck.

Dany paces in the center of her huge corner office, trying to control her breath. She can't just sit and wait, she can't do anything. Peter has sent Kauffmann, that fucking asshole, up the long way, which makes it a question of minutes until he arrives; it feels like hours though.

She's looking at her phone once again, at the photo of her husband, the love of her life, his eyes groggy, just half opened, a gun shoved in his mouth. There's the half of another picture in the message history above it, where he's posing in their kitchen, and she forces herself not to think about what happened between these two pictures. About how someone must've - No, she tells herself. No. She can't allow herself to spiral now.

This mess is on her, and now it's on her to get him out of this.

"Mr Kauffmann," she hears Peter say from outside her door. He's a better actor than she is. Her whole body is trembling, and she must be pale as a ghost. "I'm sorry for your wait. Ms Hammond could clear a spot in her timetable for you after all." There's even a touch of confusion to his voice, as if he had no idea why Dany changed her mind.

Kauffmann mustn't know Peter is aware of what happened, that's the one thing they had the chance to talk about. Whatever they'll do to her, Peter needs to stay out of it. Everything will rely on him. He'll try and reach Frankie, who was responsible for Lorenzo's security today, and they'll find out what's going on.

Fuck, Frankie. He was at the house, too, he doesn't answer his phone - Dany just hopes he's alive.

They’ve put a tracker into the lining of her shirt as well, a tiny line of connection. Both Kauffmann and his boss probably are too smart for that, but it’s worth a try.

If Frankie and Peter can’t get to Enzo in time, the Hammonds’ business will be lost. Dany would sacrifice everything for him in a heartbeat. And these fuckers know that.

Her hands are itching for her gun, to put a bullet right between Kauffmann’s eyes the moment he gets in here. Fuck. She splays her fingers, runs her open hands down her business skirt to give herself something else to do. She can’t afford to give in to her rage.

Peter knocks at the open door and peeks inside. "Mr Kauffmann for you, Danielle... Oh, you don't look so well? Are you alright?"

She hates him at this moment, she hates acting, she hates Kauffmann, she hates everyone. "Got a little headache", she says lightly. "Don't worry. I won't need you any more today, you can go home."

Peter nods eagerly. "Sure, I'll just get you both a coffee, and -"

"That won't be necessary, thank you," Kauffmann steps into her office, as if he owns it, and maybe he’s right. He’s dressed perfectly, in a tailored Italian suit and expensive leather shoes. The pretty poster boy representing his boss’ dirty business.

Kauffmann’s voice is smooth, confident, and he smirks as he notes Dany's hands curl into fists at her sides. "I think we want to be undisturbed. Have a good night, Mr Lennox."

Peter didn’t introduce himself. His name is not by the door either. Kauffmann is just establishing power here. As if the photo of her tied up husband wasn't enough to that end.

"Good night, Peter," Dany says coolly. "Please close the door behind you."

Peter does as he's bid, and once he's gone Dany's superficial relief at his safety is swept away by barely concealed rage.

"What-" She asks sharply as she steps in closer. "What did you or your fucking boss do to my husband?"

"Nothing yet." Kauffmann smiles and Dany fights the urge to slam a fist into his grin. "But, as you can imagine, his wellbeing from now on depends entirely on your cooperation."

He reaches into his jacket and Dany's hand goes for her gun.

"Ah." Kauffmann chuckles. "Come on, sweetheart. I'm not suicidal. I wouldn't dare bring a weapon into Hammond heartland."

"I'm not your sweetheart," Dany says icily, fingers resting on the gun.

"Maybe not." Slowly, cautiously, he pulls out a tablet computer and flips the display to her. "But you're his."

"Dany?" From the screen, Lorenzo is looking at her, blue eyes wide with panic, and Dany's knees give out.

[threeeyesslitthroat]

So I watched Chaos Walking(2021)

Yeah, lucky for me, my local theater was open and showing(side note, I love my local theater so much. Like, not to brag but seven dollars for a movie and a snack is so great)

Anyhow, I watched Chaos walking. This is sort of my review. 

First off, I read The Knife of Never Letting Go and one third of The Ask and Answer, almost two years ago. When they finally dropped the release date and the trailer, i made the choice not to go reread the first book because i wanted to give the movie a chance and make an exercise of managing my expectations(in preparation for Disney’s Percy Jackson adaptation). Which means not only do I not have a complete understanding of the source material, but I also have a shit memory, so I don’t have a great shot at analyzing this films in adaptation terms, but i’m gonna try anyhow.

So first off, The Noise.

I found it a bit sketchy that they decided to make the make Noise have visual elements alongside audio but I decided it was fine, since it be pretty hard to bring this to life with only just audio and not make general audiences confused.

But they did try and do a solid job. Minus not letting us hear the Noise of animals, which sucks. we do see the Noise of a Spackle, but briefly.

The part that really pisses me off is the final confrontation, when the Noise is treated like a Super Power. we see this when Todd scares Davy’s horse by conjuring up an image of big snake, when Mayor Prentiss tricks Viola into a false trap, when  Ben tricks everyone by pretending to give Viola up when in fact he’s buying Todd and the real Viola time to get away, and in the final, Todd distracts Prentiss by conjuring up the image of his mother(complete with bloody wounds) and the various women that died when he was a baby, which caused Prentiss to fall to his death.

I don’t know how the Noise is depicted in the later books, if it was anywhere remotely like this, but i know for sure it doesn’t happen in the first book, which the film is based on.

(Also, how the fuck does Todd know what his mum looks like, or any of the other women and how is he able to bring up their images so perfectly how is ANYONE ABLE REMEMBER SOMEONE WITH THAT MUCH DETAIL That goes beyond photographic memory)

Second bit, the Spackle.

 The design is boring. Its clearly an alien, buts its dark grey, tall, holds its own when Todd attacks it in the film, has zero impact on the film as a whole and pretty boring. I do recall reading the book and imagining them to have faces similar to real world lemurs or Sloths, with big expressive eyes and such, but the CGI monster doesn’t emote for shit in this film. Todd comes at with a knife with every intention of killing it and it shrugs him off and walks away like it wasn’t fucking attacked my gods.

But in short, they only brought up the Spackle because they’re a thing in the world and it teased the bigger concepts of the next books with like, one measly exchange between Todd and Viola. (it went something like this)

Viola:We’re the aliens, though. They’re the natives.

Todd: huh.

Third bit, New World itself. Not a big deal, It looked like how i originally imagined it, no mention of swamp apples, though we see Todd Hewitt use a knife to stab a big ass bug thing for food. i hear some critics consider it lame that the planet isn’t actually alien but eh, whatever, Didn’t really feel an alien vibe reading the book so it doesn’t matter. 

Now there’s one bit i have to acknowledge in passing. At one point Todd decides to go get lunch by going into the water with his knife and wrestles with some big ass thing with tentacles. Which is fine, just have a couple of questions.

A: is this in reference to the books? Where there big ass tentacle creatures in the novel that are hunted for lunch?

B:if not, was this the film makers deciding to remind the viewers that yes, they are not on planet earth and to make Todd look cooler and justify why he’s useful for the quest and show how much Viola doesn’t know?

I kinda have to acknowledge the thing.  In that scene, Todd and Viola take a break, and Todd removes his clothes (all of them) and decides to go hunting in the water naked as the day he was born. You may have noticed that the Tom Holland stans are all over this scene because One) the camera focuses on Tom Hollands muscles when he takes his top off and Two) one can see his bare ass in the distance. 

Not a big fan off this, just find it interesting because its the most recent example of a Male being objectified by the camera when this never happens once to any of the female characters in the film, including Viola. Also, a touch of weird character detailing because haha, get it? Boy’s never seen a girl before in his life and doesn’t know what modesty means.

Also, very weird because Todd Hewitt in the book was so fucking self conscious that he would never have done that. 

Now I gotta talk about the characters.

( i understand why they aged them up, i truly do, better to get established actors instead of child actors that could more easily break to movie than sell it. its easier to make movies with legal adults instead of working with child labor laws. but damn it you lose so much of the fucking nuance of the novel when you age them up. There’s so much shit that makes an impact because of how young they are. Around the ages of eleven and twelve is when ones understanding of good and evil has its foundation, to me it was like the story was grappling with Todd Hewitt’s very soul and you lose so much of that when you change it to them being older because instead of being just kids in fucked up situations its younger adults in messed up situations. Like ugh. and aging them up leads to even more problems but we’ll fucking get to that)

Tom Holland’s Todd Hewitt is not the Todd Hewitt of the novel. He just ain’t. There is nothing there that reminds of the boy. The acting is solid, don’t get me wrong, but it just ain’t the Todd Hewitt i remember. Neither is Daisy Ridley’s Viola Eade.

(excuse me while i get Percy Jackson flashbacks)

Now, I have to acknowledge the fact that neither actor(actually none of the actors in this film) slouch on the job. They bring solid and at times very good acting.(If Tom Holland is in the film, its not going to be complete waste of time. He brings quality.)

Honestly, respect to Mr Holland because he was basically the main character, not only acting but also doing voice  and various stunts(also huge credit to the stunt coordinators and stuntmen) and I heard that filming wasn’t that great and bloody broke his nose how many times like damn boy, hats off to you.

But here’s the thing. I don’t want to say that Holland was playing himself or just a version of peter Parker, because i really don’t think he wasn’t but it just. Didn’t feel like a legit character? Especially when compared to the novel. Like Todd Hewitt in the novel is such a raw force of emotion and such a smartass and i was so looking forward for Holland to own this role but in the movie he just? Awkward dude going through some stuff?

but yeah, Holland works his ass off and there are some scenes and moments in the movie that work just because this fellow is just that charming, so (shrug emoji) like i said, He doesn’t waste your time at least.

Ridley....sigh. i know this woman can act. But next to the character who’s thoughts are heard constantly she’s very boring. And it hurts so much because Viola has an actual personality in the novel like; I’m ninety percent sure that Viola hits Todd with a big stick and I do remember that there were multiple moments where she lets Todd know when he’s being a dumbass.(seriously, i may have a shit memory of the book, but i do remember that they play off each other well and hugely entertaining seeing two twelve-year-olds handle the shit getting thrown at them)

Like, Viola in the film doesn’t really have much going on. We see the crash, we hear about the graves she dug herself, we see her be sad, we see her look at Todd like weirdo, we see her look horrified or shocked. (its so sad that I only remember the facial expressions more clearly than the actual dialogue) We really have no idea what the hell is going on with Viola Eade. I don’t think we can blame Ridley, only the film makers, because how can you see Viola Eade in the novel and then turn her into that????

i do have to talk about the relationship between Tom Holland’s Todd Hewitt and Daisy Ridley’s Viola Eade, even though its painful. In the novel, them is just two kids on a really tough adventure.  Because they aged them up, its not two kids old enough to run for the playground when recess starts. Its Teenagers. 

First question, HOW OLD ARE THEY??? Is Todd sixteen? Eighteen? Seventeen? He sure as hell ain’t Thirteen in this. What about Viola? I mean, big shout out to the hair and makeup team for making 28-year-old Daisy Ridley look so much younger but how. OLD. IS.SHE? Nineteen? Twenty? Twenty-one? Pretty sure she’s older than him in this? I ask because it MATTERS.

The way they play off each other has a vastly different energy to the novel because they are aged up. Its pretty obvious pretty fast that Todd’s feelings are basically a big crush, though not all of it is superficial as the film progresses. And Viola is clearly not receptive to that in the film. (honestly i cringed so hard at the “daydream kiss’ and whatever the hell that was in the Farbranch mayor’s house)

The relationship in the film just doesn’t have the nuance or the energy that the novel had in depicting their relationship which is depressing for all the Todd x Viola fans i’m sure. There’s some adorable bits though, like Viola seeing Todd’s dream of her playing with Manchee, and not so adorable canon bits like when Viola read the diary to Todd.

I’m just grateful that the film at least ended with them being friends instead of trying to force the romantic relationship. That right there is why I like the movie. It’s a crush, its used for a couple laughs, they’re friends, its fine. Even if you didn’t read the novel that’s really great for a movie in this day and age to not end with forcing two opposite sex characters into a relationship. To be honest, I like the idea that the film leaves us thinking that yeah, maybe these two could be real friends one day.

I just want to touch on Manchee real quick.

Manchee’s Noise is not seen or heard in the film. It is briefly acknowledged by Todd ins their first scene but other than that? Nada. Which is a low blow in comparison to the novel because Manchee was a character in his own right, which is why the death hit so hard. 

Todd?” he barks, confused and scared and watching me leave him behind. “Todd?” “Manchee!” I scream. Aaron brings his free hand towards my dog. “MANCHEE!” “Todd?” And Aaron wrenches his arms and there’s a CRACK and a scream and a cut-off yelp that tears my heart in two forever and forever. And the pain is too much it’s too much it’s too much and my hands are on my head and I’m rearing back and my mouth is open in a never-ending wordless wail of all the blackness that’s inside of me.”

in the film, it takes place in white rapids, So its chaotic, its awful, the veiwer’s all stressed out because Viola can’t swim, everyone's getting separated and Aaron’s there and he is seen drowning Manchee. 

Dude, its brief, but not pretty. Because you can see Manchee’s legs trashing above the water, struggling to get free. Aaron is drowning a dog, letting its lungs fill with water. For the folks that don’t like watching dogs die in graphic detail on screen, this isn’t great. 

Personally, I love this scene in the novel. Its the first time i had to put the book down and take a moment. It hit really close to home for me, because i watched my own dog die in real life. It was emotional and horrifying and had such a fucking impact because we could hear his thoughts. Todd had to make the choice to leave him behind to keep Viola safe. To be honest, i think the death is better in the novel, since Manchee basically dies instantly instead of drowning, which takes time(I’ve always assumed that his neck was snapped but I’ve heard others say it was the psine but whatever) it would have been easy and necessary for them to not show that on screen. I personally just think that in terms of depicting a violent death, the novel did a lot better.

Anyway, on to the other characters

(I had to choose the one with the big orange fluffy coat, and i couldn’t find a good pic og Ben and Cillian on google images.)

As for Mayor Prentiss, he’s played by Mads Mikkelsen, and he delivers. But for the most part, we don’t really know why he’s the bad guy, he just wants to get Viola because “she’s the key” which isn’t really explained, and at the end he tries his hardest to kill Todd. 

Because i only read the first book, I don’t know what exactly his character arc is. And since its been a really long while, I don’t remember what he’s like in the novel regardless, other than the cliffhanger ending.

I did take a quick crashcourse  through the wiki and it turns out that Todd and Prentiss have a relationship in the later books, which the film sort of touches on, because Todd looks up to Prentiss in the film from the get go. 

To be honest, I knew that the trilogy was a lot more complex, and even though I didn’t read the whole thing I knew it would be really disappointing for the fans to see the mayor be hollowed out to almost unrecognizable and not getting to see the whole picture on screen.

As for Davy Prentiss Jr., he was an asshole and stayed an asshole. I know he improves and gets killed off in the novels, so yeah, exhibit B of character foundations not being laid down because there isn’t gonna be a movie after this. Also, why is he played by Nick Jonas? Did they actually have more in mind for him when they decided to go with a Jonas brother or was it just star power? 

As for Aaron...don’t have much to say about him, other than just being pretty weird fit to the film. I think he’s after Viola because he’s just that full of delusions but other than that, his character is just flat and useless. (I wish to the gods that writers would actually think instead of going with “religious delusion” to explain insanity) He only brought tension in a few scenes for the most part. I’m pretty sure that in the novel Todd and Aaron have a confrontation, like the final fight of the novel, and I’m 90% sure that its where the Novel gets the Knife of never Letting Go as its title, because the knife is big deal at that point. But I guess they wanted Viola to have a quick boss battle for the ending and set him on fire. 

Ben and Cillian were fine. They did a good job, the actors were pretty great, I liked Cillian, and i like how they acknowledged that these dudes were family(i know that they’re gay and a couple but the film doesn’t say it outloud beyond letting them sleep in the same bed, be Todd’s parents, and having Ben hold Cillian in his arms) I get a kick out of the fact that the official reviews by Movie Critics are openly curious about why the film doesn’t make it more obvious that they’re gay, but whatever.

As for the overall plot, this is a fine example of mashing three books into one film and not having good results. Instead of going to Haven, the movie decided to shortcut the ending and go to the original ship that somehow has working tech but whatever, Viola needs to communicate to her ship. So not only do we not get the great relationship between Todd and Viola, not only do we not get the Spackle, Not only do we not get to see the noise of Manchee, not only do we have poor character adaptation, we also don’t get to have a plot that matches THE ONE BOOK THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO ADAPT. THEY HAD ONE FUCKING JOB AND THEY COULDN'T ADAPT THE ONE BOOK-

Its only so sad that they decided that this was going to be a one-shot deal because they didn’t have faith in the film and chose to have all the threads tied up. I mean, its so sad for the fans because the movie makes it very clear that we are not going to have anymore movies. sigh. 

slight respect towards the film makers for tying up all the story threads instead of leaving them hanging. they did a neat job, even if it wasn’t a great one.

Anyway, maybe later on when google images has more than the promotional material I’ll do a review of only the good stuff this movie did, even if its a sad pathetic failure of an adaptation. Anyway this review is a bit of a mess and already so long so i’ll stop now. 

May the gods give us strength against all the Tom Holland stans that will inevitably clog up the Chaos Walking tag with their Todd Hewitt x reader fanfics.

[beevean]

How about a top 5 (or 10 if you prefer) best and worst bosses in video games? :D

I’m not very well versed in videogames, but anyway...

WORST

10) Chaos 4 (Sonic Adventure): Not a big fan of bosses who waste so much time - ooh, look at that, trying to hit me with very slow, very telegraphed attacks, and taking more and more time to becomes vulnerable the more the fight progresses. Also not a big fan of Tactical Suicide Bosses (excuse me Chaos, why is your strategy “stay in the water for increasingly amounts of time and then decide to raise my head to breathe”? In this form you’re a fish!). Even less of a fan of bosses that you have to fight three times to complete the game.

9) Sonic and Diablon (Shadow the Hedgehog): They couldn’t have come up with a more boring boss if they tried. Shoot the shield, shoot the cannon, avoid the hand, run away when you hear the word “anti-matter”, kick Sonic in the head, slowly chip at the large energy bar, rinse and repeat. The G.U.N. Fortress version is particularly painful, too, as the arena only offers those piss poor pistols with 10 bullets and minimal damage. And much like Chaos 4, you have to fight this lovely boss three times to get to the Last Story, except you don’t even get a different character with different abilities. Also, poor Sonic, from protagonist of the series reduced to nothing more than a footstep.

8) Collision Chaos boss (Sonic CD): Try to play a boss that relies on wonky pinball physics, that shoots projectiles with the only purpose of changing your already precarious trajectory, in the Bad Future that adds slightly more bumpers to destroy, with the American music (I linked the extended version to properly depict the experience). Pain is real.

7) Egg Pinball (Sonic Advance 3): Surprise! I find this boss worse than the more famous Egg Chaser. Yes, the Egg Chaser is very anxiety-inducing with its bottomless pit and the ball chain sending you into it, but once you learn the pattern of the platforms and that Amy as a partner makes it a joke it’s not that bad. This one, though? Even with Amy/Sonic, which is the only team where your partner is useless but you aren’t, this boss relies too much on luck, expecially by the end when way too many balls are flying across the screen. It’s almost funny, in a “screw you” way, that this is one of the two bosses in the game that can’t be hit by Cheese, in the stage where you finally unlock Cream. Pinball and Sonic don’t mix as well as Sonic Team thinks, apparently.

6) Boost Guardian (Metroid Prime 2, Gamecube): This boss’ strategy isn’t even that bad, it’s just that it hits you like a truck in an environment that is already sipping you of health. If being hit was less punishing, guessing the correct timing to jump over it would be fun. Too overkill for its placement in the game.

5) Mother Brain (Metroid Zero Mission): MB in the original Metroid 1 was... there, with the difficulty of the final boss coming from those stupid Rinkas pushing you into the lava below. In the remake, which otherwise is much easier than the original game, you have to think about the Rinkas, the lava, and MB who shots you fireballs! And if you fall into the lava (and you will spend half of the time in the lava)? She closes her eye and protects her only weak spot, forcing you to wait at the mercy of the Rinkas hitting you all over again. Asshole.

4) Dark Gaia (Sonic Unleashed): Dark Gaia, as a whole, is a stain on an otherwise beautiful game. Setting aside his “character” for a while: this boss is way, WAY too long (the first time I clocked at 11 minutes, like hell I’m trying again), the Gaia Colossus phase is frustrating for how slow it is and for having a nigh-unavoidable attack, the running phase requires pitch-perfect timing otherwise say bye bye to your life, and the Super Sonic phase is essentially “slipping down the shield to run over a bunch of snakes, then QTE up your ass”. Riveting. At least it has some banging music...

3) Egg Saucer (Sonic Advance 2): The bosses in SAd2 are already questionable with their “wind pushing you backwards” physics, but this one flings you enough bullshit to make you ragequit. Whoisthisgit made an excellent video explaining everything that makes this boss such a miserable experience. I am so sorry, Knuckles, that you had to be associated with this tragedy.

2) Antlion Mecha (Sonic 2, Game Gear): So let me get this straight devs, you take a boss that is already a little too had as the first boss in the game, you put it in a console with a much smaller screen, you screw up the slope physics making it just a little too easy to slide into the antlion’s jaws (and of course you don’t have any Rings), and on top of that you make the trajectory of the projectiles random when in the Master System they were consistent? Great game design there, guys :V

1) Spider Guardian (Metroid Prime 2, Gamecube): I was never as close as bestemmiare ogni santo e pure il padre eterno as I was when I was trying to beat this abomination. I love the Ing theme, but FUCK if I wasn’t hating every single sound of it while playing, OH MY GOD I envy the people who played it on the Wii so damn much

BEST

10) Robot Carnival/Storm (Sonic Heroes): Yes! Yes, I do like this boss! I’m probably the only one, I don’t care, I find these fights cathartic, especially with Team Chaotix <3

9) Jet Drill (Sonic 3 & Knuckles): The strategy may be simple, but I love the setup of Eggman destroying an ancient garden just to kill Sonic and I love how it emphasizes how much of a reliable bro Tails is. (let’s just ignore the fact that with Tails alone this boss is a pain...)

8) Doomsday Zone (Sonic 3 & Knuckles): The series had its fair share of Super Sonic bosses, but so far no one has beaten the original. It has excellent music, you can feel the tension as you smartly redirect Eggman’s missiles to him and as you chase him down through space, and Eggman in this game is really ready to do anything to win, I love it

7) Beta mk. II (Sonic Adventure): This is probably the best part of Gamma’s campaign. 90% of it is kindergarten-easy, and then Hot Shelter and the final boss are a sudden, but welcome spike in difficulty. Beta mk. II is a far cry from any other E-series robot you’ve faced, being almost completely invulnerable, hitting you with straight up nukes, and the time is still ticking in the corner. Then you add the context of having to kill your brother, and the deceptively upbeat theme, and it becomes a memorable experience.

6) Cykka (Metroid Prime 2): The first phase is fairly boring, but Adult Cykka is really fun to fight for some reason. Not only it has a cool design, but it’s a fast-paced battle (due to having to use the Grapple Beam to swing from platform to platform) where you have to go ham on the boss at certain points (when it becomes Dark Cykka), my two favorite styles for a boss.

5) Nightmare (Metroid Fusion): A name, a certainty. This boss looks, sounds and attacks in a way that makes you feel confused and powerless. Even at it becomes a game of “climb the stairs, shoot at its ungodly face, jump around to avoid it”, it’s still tense.

4) Ridley (Super Metroid): SM isn’t famous for having great bosses, but they put all of their effort into Ridley and it shows. There’s no strategy here, it’s simply “kill him before he kills you”. At this point you’re pretty much at the peak of your strength, you went through literal Hell to get The Baby back, you’re not going to be stopped by the asshole who killed your parents.

3) Shibusawa Keiji (Yakuza 0): What a beast of a final boss. The first Dragon of Dojima is the perfect foil to Kiryu, having all of his strength and style but none of his compassion, and beating him up to a bloody pulp, especially as you see him become sloppier and sloppier, is so, so cathartic. Also, Two Dragons, what more can I say?

2) Egg Dragoon (Sonic Unleashed): Best boss in the series? I don’t know but it’s surely in the top 10, and it’s ironic that you play as the hated Werehog. Not only it has some delicious music (that generations ruined), but it’s such a fun climax after the hell and a half that is Eggmanland! On one hand, Eggman sounds seriously angry and he is ready to kill Sonic (and if you take too much time, which admittedly is hard if you’re not doing it on purpose, he is positively gleeful while he sends you into a fiery death); on the other, Sonic just rips this giant robot apart like tissue paper, and even if it’s done through QTEs, it looks awesome.

1) Kuze Daisaku (Yakuza 0): I’ll let this say it all. If I had to pick a favorite version, the fifth one was my favorite to fight (by that point you have likely upgraded Kiryu’s abilities to the point of making him a juggernaut), but the second one is iconic for a reason... multiple, in fact. “DIE, YOU LITTLE SHIT!”

Special mention to Majima in Y1, YK and YK2 because he looks really fun, but I have never faced him myself so yeah.

[diloph]

I recall Adam Malkovich being an Other M character. I take it you don't like him or Other M?

Oh boy, isn’t that a can of worms?

Yeah, having played Other M all the way through more than once, the shortcomings of the game are pretty much on display from the get-go. Lackluster voice-acting, confusing and sometimes nonsensical plot-points as well as baffling story structure; its only saving grace is its gameplay and even then, I’d only really enjoyed Samus’ mobility and physical ability to grapple/finish opponents.

Of note, the characterization of Samus is all over the place. As I’m going through the E-Manga right now and have seen other characters with similar, I’m not adverse to Samus having some form of PTSD from her traumatic backstory it’s just that it’s done in such a piss-poor manner that it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The Ridley confrontation is nonsensical, considering that she’s reduced him to a bloody smear several times over by now. On a ship where everything from Zebes seems to have been cloned (including the Metroids and an android emulating Mother Brain) Samus wasn’t even expecting him to appear in any capacity whatsoever?

I can understand her shock, fear and even hesitance to re-engage, but it’s never stopped her before; why did Meta Ridley not provoke the same reaction aboard the Orpheon, according to canon his first resurrection proper? Or to play into post-Other M events, such as Ridley’s return in Super/Proteus Ridley? Ridley-X?

Why does this appearance of Ridley reduce her to a frozen state?

Spoilers for when I get to it, but the E-Manga does this far better. That’s not to say that perhaps it goes too far as well, I’ve yet to have a good hard think about it, but the execution is far better than what happens in Other M and matches what had happened in the volume by that point. Samus’ life is hardship and suffering and it all comes to a head in those particular scenes.

But that confrontation in Other M is just the start of the odd decisions made that reduce Samus from the incredibly capable woman she’d been portrayed as up to that point, into a naive, shrinking character with nothing resembling her drive or will.

She becomes unable to make even the most minor decisions, especially if they fly in the face of common sense (a reoccurring theme with characters I dislike in “serious” works, as you might have noticed, so having one I like suddenly doing that almost seems like a challenge to get me to dislike them).

I’m supposed to believe that this woman left the Federation to become an independent bounty hunter? It extends beyond her character to even her design; she loses a foot and two inches of height so that she’s shorter than all these guys, all of her established muscle and tone evaporates and high-heels appear on the Zero Suit that, while skintight, was deliberately designed to NOT have them.

And, of course, her general (borderline suicidal) deference to Adam.

It’s so bad that I’ve genuinely come to believe that this version of Samus is a GF clone that was meant to act out her own Shadow Moses simulation, like Raiden did in MGS2, only for her to go rogue and save the day regardless.

As a matter of fact, the whole game feels like a bad attempt to emulate a Metal Gear game, with its rumination and navel gazing, but lacks the talent or focus to actually discuss the topics it wants to.

It’s badly done and what’s worse is, even in Metal Gear’s most nonsensical or badly written moments, they’re at least funny or tragic and Other M is neither.

Which brings me to Adam Malkovich.

Oh, Adam, Adam, Adam.

What the fuck am I meant to see in you? Samus’ dialogue tells us one thing, the actions, visual direction, the way in which he addresses Samus, orders her, controls her and ignores her tells us another.

We’re expected to root for this guy. To agree with Samus’ assessment of him. But all it does is further that idea that Samus is, in fact, an idiot who needs people more capable than her, to do everything for her.

Simply put, Samus, when not doing everything in her power to remember the Baby (another botched take on what was fondly remembered, the bond between her and the infant Metroid has now forever been tainted, even with Samus Returns’ efforts to save that whole thing) talks about Adam, how wonderful this commanding officer is, how patient and kind and caring and-

Yeah, no, he’s a dick and he acts like he can’t stand Samus’ very presence.

Without even going into the hated authorization mechanic, he never once looks at her with anything resembling warmth in his face; you could put that down to the models looking uncannily robotic to begin with, but Anthony Higgs seems to be the most expressive and can do... emotion. Even in dialogue and his VA’s recorded lines, there are no smiles, no change in inflection or in-jokes.

He comes off not as an aloof CO, but somebody who dislikes being in the same room as Samus herself.

And the big part is, for all Other M draws from previous canon and the E-Manga, now that I’ve read further ahead, guess what? Adam is a completely likable human being in it.

By that, I mean he’s an average filler manga character and not a raging asshole; he’s ranked higher than Samus, but is a bit accommodating towards her situation when they meet and later they do seem to have struck up something similar to the relationship stated in Other M.

He jokes with her, smiles, when she goes independent he goes out of his way to help her, she’s quick to remind him of her boundaries and his lack of control over her which he quickly agrees with. Samus and Adam have a much healthier working relationship there and the one in Other M is meant to reflect it? Rubbish.

In short, from what I’ve gathered, Other M was an attempt to canonize or at least further develop the E-Manga and completely shot itself in the foot by contradicting the E-Manga, prior Metroid canon, Samus’ character and archetype and ultimately, itself.

But hey, looking at it with the benefit of hindsight, at least we got a game to put up there with Hotel Mario and the CDI Zeldas that rounds out the embarrassing meme trifecta of Nintendo’s Big Three.

[raw-untamed]

ok... so i’m seeing again tomorrow so that i can really solidify how i feel about what happened but first i really want to make a post about how that could have gone.......so...much.......better... I need to get this all off my back so I can get all my negativity out of the way before seeing it again. So read with the knowledge I am very critical....

TROS SPOILERS BELOW

First off: Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley truly carried that film on their backs and that’s a hill I will die on. The redeemed Ben Solo and resurrection of Rey was great. Everything before and after was.......well... I have to see it again.

Second off:

Please stop saying J.J did what he could with what he had.

No. Especially with how they handled Kylo Ren/Rey/Finn. Rian Johnson left the last jedi so perfectly open ended and a perfect beginning for a conflicted, struggling supreme leader Kylo Ren. 

There was no need to bring the helmet back, and if there was it was such a tiny significant thing that I can’t even remember why they did. Lmao.

They didn’t give me a struggling Kylo Ren. They gave me TFA Kylo times ten. The line that was something like “I will find you and you will take my hand and I will bring you over to the darkside.” I felt I was literally listening to a villian I was meeting for the first time all over again. Like who is this man? I don’t know him....

They could have had literally one scene where Ben starts to realize the First Order is horrible and what they've been doing is horrible and show his struggle with the Light coming back to him. 

And then Hux & Pryde could have realized he was struggling and used it to their advantage.... maybe use it to somehow find out that Kylo killed Snoke alongside Rey. Banish Kylo from the First Order. SOMETHING. ANYTHING LITERALLY ANYTHING OTHER THAN: Hux voice: “I dont want you to win. I want Kylo Ren to lose.” HOLY SHIT THE DIALOGUE..... i was literally laughing in the theater. They fucked Hux over so bad.....the opportunity.....ugh.

Like Kylo could have been banished from the First Order in some angsty emotional confrontation with KOR, Hux & Pryde and THEN when he is banished and left completely alone THEN Palpatine starts to fuck with him.

Because he’s at his lowest. And alone. (Literally would be the reason to find Rey as well. Lead Palpatine to believe he’s going to kill Rey- On the other side Ask Rey to help him defeat the man who’s tortured him and his family.)

THEN MAKE THE PLOT TWIST THAT REY IS A PALPATINE MAYBE. AND ONLY MAYBE THEN. WHEN YOU THINK THEY ARE TOTALLY FINE TOGETHER AND READY TO FIGHT SIDE BY SIDE MAKE IT THAT KYLO IS LITERALLY FIGHTING SIDE BY SIDE WITH HIS FAMILY’S RIVAL BLOODLINE??????? THE ANGST. THE POTENTINAL ANGST.

The fact that they introduced palpatine into the film in the first three minutes literally blew me away. The fact his name was in the opening scroll made my stomach TURN. I immediately was like.............. oh no.... oh god.....

also...........................they did my girl Rey so dirty.

I can’t believe.

The fact she was palpatine blood did not bother me. That’s a theory i had along time ago and was kinda excited to see that. It’s that she took the Skywalker name. Could you imagine the emotional depth of a parallel back to TFA. 

“I’m Rey. Just... Rey.” 

But nope. She took the Skywalker name and looked out at Luke and Leia with NO BEN??????WHAT WAS THE POINT OF SHOWING LEIA FINALLY DISAPPEAR WHEN BEN PASSED AND NOT HAVE HIM BE NEXT TO HER AS A FG AT THE END. that literally broke my fucking heart. 

also.................................................”and I am the Jedi.” good god. good lord in heaven. why was the dialogue like this. i just....i .... 

On a good note, I loved that Leia was training Rey. I love that Rey was so much more powerful in the force. I loved that they showed she had been reading the Jedi Texts. I liked the serpent healing to introduce force healing.....But it could of just showed her healing Ben on the DS instead. Would have made his being stabbed way more emotional because we wouldn’t know yet if she could heal. Would have made Ben healing her at the end way more emotional because PARALLELS. 

Also, YOU SHOWED ME NOTHING OF FINN’S BACKSTORY. you were so close so many times too. Finn is force sensitive. Great. Love that. Could have maybe made Jannah force sensitive too? Would explain being pulled from the Stormtrooper brainwashing. And yes yes, i Get it. They did do that. “It’s....a feeling.” No. They could have made it so that there were literally Force sensitive children in the Stormtrooper training. Like maybe have Finn actually use the Force maybe just once other than looking really confused or really sad with “a feeling”. Which was basically all he did during this movie. 

On a good note, really enjoyed the trio banter but more so Poe and Finn. Such potential for a good love story there.... it was so wasted.... especially because they didnt even give my girl Rose more than a minute of screentime. 

As a whole, it felt very.....rushed. And a bit hollow.

Again, I’m going to see it again tomorrow with my family and maybe seeing my little sisters excitement will bring back a small spark of classic star wars happiness.

[naanima]

STAR WARS THE RISE OF SKYWALKER SPOILER REVIEW

SPOILERS

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Let's get the big elephant in the room out of the way first - Rey is a Palpatine, she is the Emperor's granddaughter. He wants to use her as a new host for him and all Sith ghosts/spirits/whatevers.

I ROLLED my eyes so fucking hard at this reveal. I love the concept that the Force is something any random person can get, not just something you inherit because you have the right parents. I loved the fact that Rey was a nobody and despite being a nobody she was still special, she was still strong in the Force. To have her be Palpatine's granddaughter was both a cop-out and completely fucking unnecessary. It felt like shitty pandering fan service or the really shitty fanfiction. And an obvious let's make the nerds happy! I'm a fucking nerd and I'm so bored and disappointed.

Having said that, Daisy Ridley did God's work emoting and selling the scene within the context of the story. Ridley has improved dramatically since The Force Awakens, and every single scene she puts her whole self into, it is a pleasure seeing her on screen. She is excellent in it.

I love that Rey continues to be impulsive, continues to be angry, and continues to be compassionate. That at the end she chooses her own name, her own legacy; Rey Skywalker.

The next thing - Kylo Ren finally redeems himself through Leia's love (a mother's love, also I did not know Harrison Ford had a guest appearance, he looked good). Once again the lack of time and the messiness of having to wrap og character plot points hampered the real impact of Kylo Ren being redeemed. But by the god Adam Driver sells it so fucking much. His pain, his confusion, his fear and his sheer physicality is astounding. The man has to be getting an Oscar soon with the calibre of films he has been in this year alone.

But yes, Ben dies after saving Rey by transferring his life force to hers. He dies after she kisses him, his giddy smile was amazing.

A lot has been said about Kylo Ren and Rey's relationship how it is toxic, abusive etc., how the movies wants you to think violent abusive dicks are great blah blah blah. And I'm forever confused by this train of thought. Kylo Ren is purposely framed as directionless, petulant, violent and aggressive, and it is never shown in the positive. The only time they frame him in a way that is societally acceptable is when he is acting like an actual decent person (even when he is only acting to lure Rey to the dark side). In fact the movie goes out of their way to show us that when he is being an dipshit edgelord he is a horrible horrible being. And it is only when he is acting good, when he is being redeemed that he is accepted and happy. It is as if people only want shitty some story with no fucking depth.

Having said all of that, I was NOT onboard with the kiss. I'm only for a romance if he does a shit tonne of therapy and spend the rest of his life trying to right the wrongs he did. But hey, the movie solved it by having him die. Here is when I want to say that it is awesome to see Kylo Ren be Ben. Fuck, the smirk, the little hip cock, his overall cockiness, the fuck I'm so gonna murder you shits. I could finally seem Han and Leia in him. An overly confident young dude with a shit tonne of charisma. I wish we got more of that, I wish we got a Ben who goes into exile in an attempt to do the good thing for the rest of his life. Instead he dies. The easy option. The boring option. The wasted potential option.

It was nice to see the implications that Finn has the Force. Awesome.

Watching Poe, Finn and Rey interact with own another is great. The true love and trust they have for one another makes me smile.

Them sidelining Rose actually really pissed me off. I don't even want to get into why they made this fucking decision. I'm also not here for any Rose hate, if you do hate her keep it to yourself, I don't want to hear, I don't give a shit about your opinion.

And it seems that's the only thing I want to talk about for now.

I don't want Star Wars to be safe anymore. I hope with the end of the main Saga movies we can finally go and explore the rest of the universe.

[scarlettxmcknight]

Torturous Illusions

Who: Scarlett, Philippa, Delseneca

Where: An empty house on the island

When: February 17

What: Philippa enlists Delseneca’s help in torturing Scarlett and giving her a vision that Booker is the one doing the torturing.

@lostbanrigh @delseneca

Delseneca:  Delseneca was all too happy to have something to do over break. She never celebrated Christmas,the word wasn’t even uttered in her household growing up. She recalled the “holiday” season when she was at the Djinn Training Sanctuary. They served this special blood-wine, which she tried once, and only once. She could still taste it, the severe burn of alcohol, the drink itself extremely bitter. It was the only real connection she had to the holiday, which enver put her in a great mood. When Philippa gave her a project, and one to increase her power, if by proxy if nothing else, she jumped on the opportunity. Philippa had found a place for them to take the slave, away from the campus and most of the residences of the island. 

All it took was one touch, and Scarlett saw, or didn’t see, anything that Delseneca wanted. She started by forcing her to see nothing but darkness, as soon as she touched her and abducted her. Delseneca also made her feel the hands of four others taking her away. Delseneca strapped her down onto a table in the middle of the abandoned home. The walls had been torn down, creating it into one, large room. “For someone so guarded, it sure was easy tricking you,” Delseneca said, replicating Philippa’s mother’s voice. Scarlett wouldn’t be able to see her, but she would at least be able to hear her. Delseneca slapped her face. “Wake up!” she ordered, knowing that no matter how hard Scarlett would try otherwise, all she would see was darkness. “It’s about time you met her. She’s the one I was telling you about, Ridley. She was rather easy to trick. You’re not the only one with that ability, ya know?” she asked Philippa. 

Philippa:  Ridley was excited when Delseneca agreed to join her on her little plan to separate her mom from this human. The idea of Delseneca showing herself as Booker and torturing the girl herself was simply brilliant, better than anything she could’ve done on her own. This would certainly keep the girl away for as long as she needed in order to get her lands.

The nymph sat on the floor as she watched Delseneca slap Scarlett awake, she couldn’t do much thanks to the current weakened state of her body, her bones frail and in pain, but for now she could watch and get excited, prepare herself to later take her potion and join in the fun. “Oh we know each other alright, spoke once not long ago. I must admit, màthair, I thought you had better taste in women, this one is so plain and boring... and a human no less! I don’t think she’ll be able to take much punishment.”

Scarlett: Scarlett was feeling cautiously optimistic, it was almost Christmas Eve and she somehow didn't have some awful person renting her and wrecking her holiday. Despite the annoying dress code requirement, she was enjoying her extended curfew and feeling like this might be a good Christmas.

That was until suddenly everything went dark and more hands than she could count grabbed her and dragged across the island. "What - get off me! What are you doing?" she demanded, fighting against them as hard as she could and trying not to panic that she was somehow blinded. When they arrived wherever they were and she felt them strap her down, she tried again to fight against it. She stilled when she heard a familiar voice though, her head turning while she searched the darkness for the source of the sound. "Booker?" she asked in confusion. The conversation between her and her daughter only made her more confused. "What's going on?"

Delseneca: Scarlett was feeling cautiously optimistic, it was almost Christmas Eve and she somehow didn't have some awful person renting her and wrecking her holiday. Despite the annoying dress code requirement, she was enjoying her extended curfew and feeling like this might be a good Christmas.

That was until suddenly everything went dark and more hands than she could count grabbed her and dragged across the island. "What - get off me! What are you doing?" she demanded, fighting against them as hard as she could and trying not to panic that she was somehow blinded. When they arrived wherever they were and she felt them strap her down, she tried again to fight against it. She stilled when she heard a familiar voice though, her head turning while she searched the darkness for the source of the sound. "Booker?" she asked in confusion. The conversation between her and her daughter only made her more confused. "What's going on?"

Scarlett:  Scarlett listened to Booker talk with Philippa and her brow furrowed. Why was she talking like that? Was she saying it because it was true or because she wanted her daughter to think she wasn't into her anymore? "What? When did you start thinking that?" Scarlett hearing Booker mention her parent issues made her even more confused. She didn't remember even talking to her about her family before now. "No I'm not. And I know you don't think that." she insisted, even if she felt like it sometimes she couldn't imagine Booker saying that about her. Unless she had been faking everything before this.

Philippa: Ridley simply rolled her eyes at Scar’s pathetic little attempts at trying to convince herself that it was all lies. What a stubborn, annoying human, did she need any more proof than “Booker” herself standing there, holding her down and laughing at her face. “Are you dumb or just stubborn as fuck? Do you not understand what’s going on here? You fell for it, you fell for the whole caring and sweet act, you are quite easy to fool, dear.” Ridley chuckled softly. “My mother Zaramian was a Queen, a great and powerful warrior and a brave woman. What the fuck are you? A broken human child with a bunch of issues, nothing else. You simply aren’t good enough.” 

Delseneca: Delseneca was surprised to finally hear her speak. She’d recognized Scarlett from the cells, but never interacted with her. “When did I start thinking that? That would imply I ever thought any differently of you. I always found you to be pathetic,” she said with a smirk, looking the slave over. She walked over and gave a soft tug on her collar. “Don’t you think I’d have claimed you by now if I really cared about you? The only reason I’d ever do such a thing would be to coerce you into thinking you could trust me,” Delseneca told her. This way, if Booker ever did claim Scarlett, the thought could always be in her mind, wondering if her intentions were good, or bad. The djinn let go and looked over at Ridley. “It’s true, I can’t think of a single thing this slave, and your birth mother share in common, Ridley. It’s comical to think I’d want, her” she said with a shrug, referring to Scarlett. “Yet she was stupid enough to fall for it. Delseneca then began to force Scarlett to feel water, rushing over her face, effectively waterboarding her. Finally she stopped. “That’s going to happen each time you say something ridiculous, like “I know you don’t feel that way”. What don’t you understand? I am using you, slave.” 

Scarlett: Scarlett was in denial, she couldn't let herself believe that everything with Booker had been a lie. But so many masters had been terrible to her while she'd been here, she wouldn't put it past someone on the island to stretch out hurting her like this. When she suddenly felt the tug on her collar she jumped at the touch, still seeing nothing but darkness around her so she couldn't see it coming. "I didn't think you liked the claiming thing here..." she tried to reason through what the woman was saying and convince herself this was purely for her daughter's benefit to trick her. 

The moment that water rushed over her face in the darkness, Scarlett screamed and her body thrashed violently against the straps holding her down. Intense fear hit her and she was jarred from confusion to panic. Booker knew how afraid she was of water, and she'd felt terrible when she had almost scared Scarlett in a boat. Was she really that good of an actress or had she had that big of a change of heart that now she would punish her with it? "This isn't you, come on Booker." she tried shakily, hoping to persuade her away from whatever her daughter had put in her head.

Philippa: Ridley’s patience was quickly running out at this human’s stubbornness and she finally got up to approach her. Watching closely and enjoying the screams as Scarlett thrashed desperately when she felt the water over her. “Oh but you are wrong, this is her. Ever wonder where she got all those scars from? You don’t get those simply by fighting animals.” Ridley grabbed Scarlett by the hair and held her in place. “Who do you think taught me how to kill people? How to make them suffer? Everything I know, she taught me.” And it was true, Booker was the one that taught Ridley how to kill a person quickly and how to slowly drain the life out of them. Unfortunately, the years softened her, made her weak and killed her fire, but Delseneca’s imitation was similar to an old version of her mom she knew and admired very much. “And we are gonna show you some of the things she taught me over the years.” 

Delseneca: “Perhaps the most pathetic thing about this, slave, is the fact that the writing has always been on the wall. You probably had to convince yourself for so long that someone like me, would like someone like you.” Delseneca said, her smile coming through in the way she spoke. Scarlett didn’t even need to see her to know how happy Booker was. But, just to make sure Scarlett had no doubt it was Booker, she slowly lifted the dark vision, allowing her to see the situation. She tossed some more water onto her face through a vision, as if that was what snapped her vision back. It would be blurry at first, but eventually Scarlett would be able to see the two of them. However, it wasn’t in an abandoned home. It was four walls of ultra bright white lights, she wouldn’t be able to see anything past the illumination, because there was nothing else. Delseneca figured she could easily change the setting from this point. “Is this enough slave? Happy now? If you question me one more time, I am going to scoop your eyeballs out with my barehands, understood? I’ll send them to each of your sisters,” she threatened. Delseneca looked at Philippa next. “Ridley, go get me that cloot, if ya would,” she asked, motioning to the vision of a blue hand towel in the corner. 

Philippa: Ridley didn’t need to be told twice, she walked over and grabbed the vision towel, bringing it to Delseneca. This brought back so many pleasant memories of the days when her mother still fought for something and showed her how to make people suffer, she felt like an excited child again. “Maybe this will help her accept the way things are now.” Ridley came closer to Scar and grinned. “So, bana-phrionnsa, are you ready to finally embrace reality? I wanna hear you say it out loud. I wanna hear you saying that you understand, that you know my mom doesn’t care about you at all and never will.”

Scarlett: Scarlett's mind raced, wondering why Booker hadn't told her about all of this before. Was it because she thought she would judge her for it, or because she was keeping more than just that secret for this moment? "The Booker I know isn't like that." she said determined. The more she heard Booker talk about it though, the more she remembered her own doubts from when they first started hanging out. She had always wondered why someone like Booker seemed to like someone like her...maybe she had been fooling herself all this time.

The next round of water sent her into a new panic and round of sputtering and flailing on the table. "Fine, fine, okay." she managed, deciding to leave her doubts in her head. She squinted against the light when she could finally start to see again and she looked right at Booker, ignoring Philippa for now. Scarlett tried to get a read on her, to figure out if this was an act for her daughter or if she was really enjoying having tricked her through everything. Her eyes moved to Philippa and she could see the excitement of all this in her face. "Your mom..." she glanced at Booker, knowing she would get more water if she said what she was really thinking. "Booker...doesn't care about me." she slowly said softly. She still didn't fully believe it, but she wanted to avoid anything worse.

Delseneca: Delseneca expected the towel. She knew exactly what it looked like, and felt like considering she had created the vision of it. “I always wanted to know why you hid your family history from me. Did you think, I wouldn’t find out? Were you ashamed? Perhaps you thought that, if I knew your mother abandoned you, then I would keep my distance from you, as well,” Delseneca pondered out loud. It was rather easy looking into Scarlett’s backstory, in fact, she had a bit of respect for Scarlett because of her history. But, she was a slave, and stood in the way of possibly having a kingdom of her own, if Philippa was kind enough to offer some of it to her. She didn’t bank on it or anything, but the possibility itself was too hard to pass up. “I don’t believe ya. Say it with feeling. Or I will just have to show ya how little I care about ya, slave,” the djinn asked her. She placed the towel over her face and again forced her to see darkness. Delseneca sprayed her face with water, over the towel, a standard method of torture, nothing fancy. “I told you, Ridley, she is a stubborn one. Perhaps that’s why she is having such a hard time convincing herself that she’s been had,” she said with a shrug. 

Philippa: As soon as Scar opened up her mouth to speak, Ridley immediately knew that she didn’t believe a single word of what she just said, but she didn’t care, the first step in making her believe it would be forcing her to say it out loud, then slowly her own words would begin to cloud her mind. “If she doesn’t believe it why don’t we just make her? I brought a little something I’ve been meaning to use. Remember that dagger you made me for my 15th birthday?” Ridley opened up her backpack to take a small sheathed dagger from the inside. “Maybe we could let her use it on herself, just a little.” 

Scarlett: Scarlett shook her head a little, "I didn't...I wasnt trying to hide it." she admitted. When she told her to repeat it, she didn't know how to sound more convincing. She still didn't want to believe it, that Booker was suddenly this awful person in front of her who called her slave and tormented her with water, who had played her for a fool. When the towel landed on her face she tried to shake it off and feared what was coming, and sure enough it was exactly what had given her nightmares for months now. She panicked and thrashed against her restraints, "Stop it! Enough!" She pleaded through her coughs and unfortunately familiar feeling of drowning. "Please, no more." Scarlett focused all her energy on not bursting into tears, but she managed to catch the word dagger from Philippa. Her stomach turned and she felt even more despaired that the two had found yet another thing that scared her. She hadn't even told Booker about her fear of knives, she didn't know if it was coincidence that Philippa had thought of this addition or if they somehow knew. "No...no dagger." She pleaded softly.

Delseneca: “This slave thinks she can dictate when, and what we do to her. How adorable,” she said with a sly smirk. Apparently, Scarlett didn’t realize she had zero say in all of this. Delseneca couldn’t help but smirk, realizing just how terrified she became when she heard the word “dagger”. She now understood one of Scarlett’s biggest fears, sensing how her mind changed when hearing the threat. Finally, she pulled back the wet towel, letting her vision return. Delseneca held the towel above the slave’s head, letting it drip onto her face. “Wonderful idea!” she squealed, letting Ridley know it was appropriate to use on the slave. Her attention went back to Scarlett. “I bet, even after this, I could go back to manipulating you, making you think I actually care for you. And you would believe it, wouldn’t you?” she taunted, letting the towel fall with a wet flop on Scarlett’s stomach. 

Philippa: The human’s fear was evident, the dagger was another one of her fears, and Ridley was excited to find this out. The nymph came closer, playing with the wonderfully crafted dagger with a bright, ornamented golden hilt, before bringing it closer so Scar could take a better look at it. The blade itself was pitch black, made out of a rare metal. “This thing goes through skin as if it were butter, wanna see?” Ridley ran the dagger very gently over Scar’s cheek, but even the almost non-existent contact was enough to cut her skin and draw blood. “Now you stay still or I might accidentally take out your eye, and I’m not sure if you want that.”

Scarlett: Scarlett breathed a little easier when the towel was removed from her face. She looked up at Booker and then looked away, wondering if she was being stupid for still thinking this all wasn't true. Booker was right though, even after this, if they stopped now and she talked with Booker alone, she would still try and convince herself that it was all an act and that she knew the real her. But if it was an act all over again...her head hurt from thinking about it and all the fear that had been rushing through her.

When she saw the dagger in front of her, her eyes locked onto it and she tried as hard as she could to crane farther away from it. Philippa eagerly talking about how easily it could hurt her made her muscles tense in fear, and she froze when it touched her cheek. She squeezed her eyes closed as it cut through her skin and she felt blood trickle down her cheek. Scarlett was frozen in fear and didn't move aside from the slight trembling that had started.

Delseneca: Delseneca had known Philippa for quite a long time now. But she really only got to know her since coming to this school. She was surprised, uncovering what the seemingly innocent girl was capable of. Such as, slicing Scarlett’s cheek. “You’re not kiddin! I’m glad ya remember to bring it,” the djinn said, in awe of the ease it cut through her. She did her best to hide how turned on she was by it, not because she was worried about blowing her cover. She just knew that now was not the time to feel aroused. “Now, listen, slave. The only reason I kept you around for as long as I have, is simply because it was fun to manipulate you. And… rather easy, even for a human. I have to keep my skills sharp, you were simply practice,” she said with a shrug. Delseneca ran a hand through Scarlett’s ‘wet’ hair. “It will be fun, after this. Having you sleeping next to me in my bed, pretending again to actually like you. I could then use this blade here, and you wouldn’t even know it till morning. Your entire body sliced open from it,” she said, thinking out loud.

Philippa: Ridley made a small cut in Scar’s cheek and moved the dagger away when she was done, watching the blood trickle down slowly. “Your daggers are always the best quality, máthair.” Ridley smiled at how easily the dagger cut the human’s cheek, her reaction to it was also incredibly satisfying. 

When Delseneca mentioned that Booker and Scar would sleep in the same bed again, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you serious? Are you so stupid as to go back again to her bed after all that she’s done to you? My god, woman, you are a danger to yourself, can’t believe how you’ve managed to stay alive for so long.” Ridley sat on the table and placed the dagger on her lap. “I shouldn’t be surprised, really, some humans are so weak and broken they just go back to their abusers over and over again cause they don’t know better, its only a matter of time until you get killed.” 

Scarlett: Scarlett finally managed to open her eyes and looked right at the dagger again, seeing the bit of her blood that still lingered on it. She turned and looked at Booker in confusion and hurt, "That can't be the only reason you hung around me." she urged quietly. "And I don't think anyone's that good of an actor..." She glanced sideways at Philippa, knowing it would probably make her angrier that she was trying right in front of her. But she had to be sure. "Everything we did together, you can't tell me all of it meant nothing." Maybe it was stupid to keep pushing it, but it was clear she was going to get tortured either way. She turned to Philippa, "Let your mom live her life how she chooses, she's a grown woman."

Delseneca: “To be fair…” Delseneca began, eyeing the blood on Scarlett’s cheek. “It’s not just her. Nearly all humans can be had. They’re a trusting species. Perhaps it is how finite their life is, it makes them this gullible. They would rather trust someone, than waste their time wondering ‘what it’. It’s pathetic, regardless,” she added. Delseneca wiped from of Scarlett’s blood with a finger, then shoved it into her mouth. “If you think that is sad, watch this. I’m assuming that even now, she would still act as if nothing happened. I will raise the stakes. If this girl doesn’t learn her lesson to stay away from me, i will take out her sisters. I will torture them, record it, and send it to Scarlett. As well as their ashes,” she boasted. Delseneca wasn’t kidding, either. She would have no issue murdering her entire family if necessary. “And no, no. It did mean something. It meant what a sorry sap you truly are. Why would someone like me want someone like you?” Delseenca asked, then slapped Scarlett across her face. 

Philippa: “That’s true, humans are an absolutely disastrous species, not the kind that can rule a kingdom and keep it alive for long.” Ridley shrugged, watching as Delseneca took some of the blood on Scarlett’s cheek and then shoved the finger into the human’s mouth, smiling a little. “But I’m not telling her what to do, my mother gets to do as she pleases. I only help out every once in a while and watch when she wants to teach me something new. This is but a small lesson, one you could try to understand too.” Ridley took the dagger again and this time threw it down into the table just in front of Scarlett’s eyes, leaving it stuck right in front of her. “The quicker you understand something, the quicker you can start to move on. But seeing as you are not very bright, this might be a very long lesson.” 

Scarlett: Scarlett hadn't been doing as well as she hoped standing up to what they were doing to her. She usually could check out or be stubborn enough to power through, but between the water and knife and mentally doubting herself, she was getting beaten down fast. When Booker mentioned her sisters though, she snapped back to attention and strained painfully against her restraints. "Don't you dare touch them! Stay away from my family!" she growled angrily, but there was fear in her voice. She groaned when Booker slapped her again and she jumped and tried to crane away from the dagger that was now right in front of her. "Okay, I'll admit whatever you want, just leave my sisters alone. Please." If Booker was willing to threaten her little sisters, then she really wasn't the person Scarlett thought she was.

Delseneca: “Humans never seem to learn. It could be that they die so young, they never learn not to trust others,” she said with a shrug. Delseneca had never seen Philippa so compliant. She really did listen to Booker. It both scared, and intrigued her. She wondered if there was a way to exploit that. It would need to be explored, later. She was distracted anyway, when Scarlett finally shouted in a way she previously hadn’t during their interaction. It was like music to her ears, pinpointing perhaps Scarlett’s greatest weakness. She had a feeling that might be the case, considering Scarlett’s sister was in a wheelchair. “Oh? You think you can tell me what to do? Like you have some sort of power in this? I told you how you can make sure they are unharmed. I am going to try and con you, again. I am going to pretend like I care about you, again. I am going to make you feel as if someone could actually care for you, again. And you are going to remember that I do not care about you. You’ll, hopefully, learn to stay away from me. If you learn this, then I will let your family be. But if not, then I will be forced to hurt them. Understood?” she asked  as she approached the slave closer, standing over her. 

Philippa: Ridley watched in silence as Delseneca kept talking, kept bringing out the worst fears in Scarlett. The djinn was good at this, she could maybe even make a skilled spymaster in court if she ever needed one, once her mother gave her the kingdoms. “Do you think she’ll stay away from you after this?” Ridley looked at the human closely. She was clearly scared, but she was a stubborn one, and the nymph still felt unconvinced. She could believe her words and be over it, sure, but that was too easy, and it was sloppy, she could easily be lying. “We are just scratching the surface with this one here, she doesn’t believe a word she’s sayin’. Let’s do something better now, some McKamey manor kinda shit. Do you remember that big old water tank we used back in the day? Maybe a nice little jump into some icy water is gonna help her out.” Ridley gently brushed some of Scar’s hair away from her face, grinning at her. “How long can you last underwater? We could break a record today.” 

Scarlett: Scarlett looked up at Booker, her eyes wide with fear and anger at the thought of her sisters being involved or hurt. If she wanted the dragon to stay away from them, she had to stay away from her and stop this trying to through. "Fine okay, I get it. I'll stay away from you and you stay away from them." When Ridley seemed unsatisfied and itching for more torture, she couldn't say she was surprised. The thought of an icy water tank scared her like the other water did but she tried not to panic. "I said I get it! Okay? I'll stay away from your mom you don't need to keep doing this." She pleaded, craning her head away from the woman's touch.

Delseneca: Delseneca smirked and gave a soft chuckle at Philppa’s idea. “I’m not sure some ice water is going to scare her. I’ve gotten to know her fairly well. She’s tough. Or rather, she likes to pretend to be,” she said with a shrug. Her mind was culling over idea after idea, not caring that Scarlett had admitted that she would now leave Booker alone. She wasn’t quite sure she believed her. “If you don’t, I think I will put that tank to good use. I’m going to put one of your sisters in it, and begin to freeze it. I wonder which will come first? Will she freeze to death, or drown? Either way, her corpse will be frozen in there for you to study and figure out for yourself, slave. Is this understood?” she asked, before smacking Scarlett’s face again. She brought her knife up now, pressing it to her cheek, right where she had already been sliced. “Then I’m going to have Ridley here carve you into pieces, while your other sister watches,” she added, whispering in her ear.

Philippa: In all honesty, Ridley doubted she’d ever be satisfied with Scarlett’s answers. Even if she cried, screamed, begged, and promised that she’d never be close to Booker again, Ridley would never believe it was enough. The only thing that would make her feel safe would be to slit her throat and be done with it, but since that wasn’t an option, their limited alternative would have to suffice... for now. Having to listen to Scarlett’s unconvincing excuses only made Ridley roll her eyes and lose her already short-running patience. “For fucks sake woman, at least try to make me believe it, will you? You don’t even fucking know how to act, is there anything you are good at? Other than being naive and foolish, that is.” Ridley got up and paced a little, thinking. They could stick Scarlett in a tank of cold water, yeah, she could slice her up some more, but it wouldn’t be enough. They needed something that would make her afraid of Booker, something that would make her afraid of dragons. “You are gonna be cold if we stick you into the ice water tank. Ya know? But we can warm you up later too. Did my mother show you her blue fire? It burns hotter than normal.” Ridley looked at Delseneca with a wicked smile on her face. “Using fire is also a very effective way to close wounds... like deep cuts from daggers and such.” 

Scarlett: Scarlett strained against the straps that held her and shook her head, "Stop! Stop it!" she urged. "Quit talking about my sisters, leave them alone!" Awful spells and visions at this island had made her envision her sisters being hurt or killed, but now someone with the power and desire to actually do it was threatening them. "I get it, okay? I'll stay away from you, I was stupid to like you in the first place." She flinched and froze up when the knife touched her again, her eyes moving between Booker and Philippa. She had been tortured before, and knew deep down that she could handle it eventually, but she was so mentally and emotionally exhausted from the fact that it was Booker doing it to her. "Enough...come on." she pleaded tiredly.

Delseneca: Delseneca so enjoyed Scarlett’s cries. She was literally feeding from it. There was another reason she was finding joy, however. It appeared she found quite a weak spot in Scarlet. She only had cousins that she knew of, but she was hardly close with any of them, aside from one. But she couldn’t imagine being upset over threats towards someone she knew. At least, no one currently in her life. “You’re incredibly dumb. All it took was holding your feet to the fire. Although, perhaps I should do that to you, literally,” she said with a shrug. Delseneca pulled out a projection of a lighter and clicked it on. Then, she let her feet feel the imaginary flame. “I can just imagine your entire body being consumed by flames. Your family watching. Of course. They’d be next to be burned to nothing but a useless bucket of ash,” the djinn sai with a smile. 

Philippa: Ridley could see the desperation, and hear the exhaustion on Scarlett. It made her feel happy, it seemed they were finally getting somewhere. She was not even close to satisfied, never would be, but this was good enough to put a smile on her face. Out of excitement the nymph grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head hard into the table, giggling a little as she did before getting up. “You fucking humans are so weak, you have no capability to fight for what you believe in, and will give in as soon as you feel a little pain. You are nothing, I don’t even know why you would feel worthy enough to even look at us. You truly disgust me.” Delseneca making comments and showing her some fire was a nice touch, anyone afraid of fire would never come too close to a dragon. The nymph took out her phone and got it ready to record but not yet pressed the button, instead first focused the camera right on Scar’s face and spoke up. “Okay we are gonna make a pretty little memory so we can remember this if your toxic, abuse-loving ass decides to go back to my mom.” Ridley said as she looked at her. “Look at the camera and say ‘my name is Scarlett McKnight, I’m a worthless piece of shit that will never amount to anything, and I love being abused but I’ll stay away from Booker Bloodwyne, or I’ll sentence my own sisters to a slow, painful death’.” Ridley commanded before starting to record. 

Scarlett: Scarlett tried to pull away from the flame, jerking her legs back but they were still held tight. "Stop! Stop threatening my family." she pleaded again. When Philippa slammed her head into the table she let out a groan of pain and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Philippa's words and everything they were doing definitely reminded her that she was a weak human compared to the supers around her. She opened her eyes and when she saw the phone her heart sank, now this would be recorded and exist for them to taunt her with. Hearing what Philippa wanted her to say, she struggled to even begin. "I'm Scarlett McKnight..." she started, not wanting a recording out there of her saying the next part but she wasn't going to risk anything happening to her sisters. "I'm worthless and will never amount to anything. I...love being abused." Scarlett looked away from the phone but knew they would just yell at her for it so she looked back with a sigh. "I'll stay away from Booker Bloodwyne, or I'll sentence my own sisters to a slow, painful death." Her voice cracked a little when she finished and she looked away from both of them.

Delseneca: Whether Scarlett put it on camera or not, it was clear she would remember this. It was just like Philippa though, to take it to the next level, making sure there was a record of it. Delseneca, however, thought it was irresponsible and impulsive. She let her have her fun though, but she would MURDER Philippa if this was the downfall of her. “That should be fun. Maybe send that to her family? See what happened to her?  Would be humiliating. Her parents would wonder just what she got herself into,” Delseenca said with a laugh. That actually did sound fun to her, she planned in her head just how she could be there, to watch their faces. She put the lighter up to her Scarlett’s face, then pulled it down near her feet again. She clicked it on again, and held it to her feet. The lighter, or the flame wasn’t real, but the pain would be, leaving no  marks behind. “I doubt anyone would ever want you. You’re damaged, you know that? Just something to be used for either entertainment or gain,” she reminded her, then pulled the lighter away. “So, should we dowse her with gasoline now, or enjoy screwing with her some more?!” she asked Philippa.

Philippa: Ridley knew what she was doing. She made sure to speak up and give the instructions before starting to record, and stayed quiet and didn’t show their faces when she did start filming, instead focused entirely on Scar, therefore there was no evidence in the tape that they were even there. As soon as Scarlett was done, the nymph finished the video and stuffed the phone back in her pocket. “Maybe they are expecting something like this, they must know that their daughter is an idiot.” Ridley shrugged. “I think we should get to the gasoline now, finish this off. It gets kinda boring when they stop squirming, she looks like a dead fish already.” Ridley slapped her face a couple of times. “C’mon, you gonna let me talk to you like that? I thought you liked to act tough. Where is that shit now?” The nymph spat on her face, moving her hand to her neck and beginning to squeeze down hard. “Speak up, you fucking pussy. You wanna be a queen and yet you can’t even handle a little torture?” 

Scarlett: Scarlett squirmed and strained against the restraints as she tried to get away from the flame of the lighter. She grimaced and sucked air through her teeth when she could feel it burning her skin. It was quite an accomplishment that she had somehow managed to get herself tortured again and it wasn't even a school punishment. "Just - stay away from my family. Do whatever you want to me, just don't go near them. Please." Her eyes widened in fear when they talked casually about gasoline, like they were both just fine with burning her alive right here and now. "You can't -" She was cut off when Ridley grabbed her neck and she tried pointlessly to stop her. "Why would you think I want to be a queen? Who would - actually want that?" she rasped out. "You both made your point." She looked at Booker then at Ridley.

Delseneca: “Not. Good. Enough,” Delseneca told her, a cruel smile on her lips. This was more showmanship than she normally put on. She had been taught that getting too carried away, too flashy could have negative consequences. This was the influence Phillippa had on her, however. “We haven’t made our point. Yet. I’m going to show you what happens when you don’t follow these instructions. More specifically what I am going to do with your family,” she warned. Delseneca reached down and pulled up a red canister of gasoline. She put ‘lighter’ in her pocket and used her free hand to grab the rag she had used earlier on Scarlett. She held the towel over her stomach and began to dowse it with the gasoline, splashing it all over Scarlett’s torso. The djinn sat the canister down and moved the rage over Scarlett’s face, letting the liquid drip. “Although, I’m not sure how long it would take for an entire wheelchair to catch on fire,” she added with a smirk. “So repeat again, what are you going to do?” Delseneca Pulled her lights out, and after a few clicks, she began to set the tip of the rag on fire. 

Philippa: Philippa kept squeezing down Scarlett’s neck, even as Delseneca began to pour gasoline over the human. Finally. This would scare her away, if it didn’t then it would just prove that the human’s head was completely empty. Who would approach a dragon after being set on fire? No one with a lot of brains, that’s for sure. Philippa still had some doubts, but the events of this night would create some wounds in the relationship that would never heal. “Hey, don’t ignore her. I thought you liked her. Answer her.” Philippa growled, slapping her in the face again, but harder this time. “Shit, look, now my hand is dirty and it’s all your fault.” Philippa looked at her gasoline-stained hand, before cleaning it up on Scar’s hair. Once she was done, and she saw Delseneca light up the rag, the nymph took some steps back, she wanted to enjoy this moment. To watch. “This is what you get for fucking around with dragons.” 

Scarlett: Scarlett thrashed on the table when Booker pulled out the gas and started to pour it all over. "Stop! Please!" She was panicking, terrified of what it would feel like if she followed through and genuinely lit the gas on fire. "I'll stay away from you, I'll stay away from Booker. I swear, please." When Booker set the rag on fire her eyes widened and she was so scared that she started to tear up and came close to injuring herself trying to yank out of the restraints. "Don't, don't - don't do it, please."

Delseneca: Delseneca laughed at her pleading. It made her feel extremely powerful. Despite going to a school to enhance her powers, she rarely felt any sort of superiority to others. Her family had trained her to feel rather insignificant. Seeing Scarlett’s shocks, disgusted and terrified face, reflecting off the bright orange flames (that were of course, just a projection). “You’re damn right you’ll stay away from me, slutbag! Or else, I’m going to make sure that your entire family is burned to a fuckin crisp. I wont need any gasoline to do that,” she teased, referring to the fact that Booker could transform into a dragon. Finally, those bit of flaming embers touched the spots of gasoline on her, igniting Scarlett’s flesh! She couldn’t resist, Delseneca dropped the engulfed rag onto her face! All while the djinn was laughing. 

Scarlett: "No, no please-" she pleaded again, shaking her head furiously and still trying to escape the bonds that held her. Suddenly the embers hit her stomach and she watched in horror as her skin caught fire. She felt an explosion of pain like she'd never felt and writhed violently on the table. When Booker tossed the rag on her face she let out a wild scream of pain like no sound she'd ever made. She shook her head to get the rag off but the pain was excruciating and unbearable, and before she realized what was happening her screams subsided and everything went dark.

Philippa: Part of her wanted to fantasize about this moment and imagine it was all real, that they were truly burning her up and getting rid of her. At least it was fun to watch the flames lick her body and consume her slowly and painfully, pulling those screams of pain from someone was truly a fantastic experience. “Remember to get rid of her memory of me. She can’t know I was involved or I’ll get fucked over.” She finally spoke once Scar’s screams had quieted down. “Y’know, im almost wishing my mom gets new human girlfriends more often. This was surprisingly satisfying, we should do it more.” The nymph said with a soft chuckle, before looking at Delseneca and giving her one of those sweet, innocent smiles of hers, as if she hadn’t just beaten, slapped, cut and overall brutally tortured a person. “Shall we go now? This whole thing made me hungry.” 

[transdanieljacobi]

I like Daisy Ridley a lot but I fucking hate Rey now. Her character is just ruined for me. I wish she wasn’t the lead in the last two movies and actually shared screen time and plot importance with Finn and Poe.

Finn should’ve been trained by Luke. Poe was obviously Leia’s protégé. Rey and Han had a connection and mutual respect. Rey should’ve taken the falcon to find Luke and then fucked off when he threw away his lightsaber. Then Finn recovers and instead of waking up confused and alone, Rey is there. Luke can still do his whole spirit battle with kyle but he doesn’t fucking die after (why did that happen it was so fucking stupid). Finn seeks him out with questions about the force, about the feelings he has that come true. Rey and Poe become the hotshot team leaders while Finn trains with Luke and Leia.

Finn is the one to face off against kyle and palpatine. Stormtroopers watch them battle and hear him yell to them to fight back, some of them know him and they spread dissent through the first order. FN-2187, name, identity, and family stolen from him, has found them again and the others can do it too.

[butididnottried]

“The Rise od Skywalker” spoilers.

So, i saw it. I was on a whole night marathon and saw all three movies one after another. I actually like “The Last Jedi”. Like, i really like it. I know all issues and problems that people have with this one, i understand it, and it’s still Very Good to me and there will be some comparisons. Also, i’m not sure if this is important, but SW is not a part of my childhood and i have no nostalgic feelings toward those movies. Hi there, i’m an average fan?

So.

Tbh i expected a pile of thrash on fire after what i read about this movie, because people are only complaining, without really recalling anything good (but i also avoided big and long and detailed reviews to avoid as much information as i can xD). And there are good thing in it, and i had surprisingly a whole amount of fun while watching it. But still, at the end, overall this whole movie can be summarize into CONFUSED WHAT.

Good stuff:

- J. J. Abrams know how to invoke a fell and spirit of grand adventure. At the beginning this move has a crazy amount of it, until Rey split from Finn and Poe. They just need to go after this mcguffin dagger to find another mcguffin, they need to go to this palce to find that or someone, they need to go somewhere else and there are problems but there’s a solution, but they need to go to third place to again find someone. I would be kinda annoying if we wouldn’t have all three of them together - Rey, Finn and Poe. Finally! I really like them all being together, being friends, bantering, being dumbasses and smartasses and me gusta very much those dorks.

- They do not conform that, but let’s face it - Finn and Poe are married. There’s no heterosexual explanation for their relationship in this movie. I’m aware that in script they weren’t particularly wrote like that, and maybe it’s because actors were playing their character in this way, but there’s another explanation. A few months ago in review of “X-Men: The Dark Phoenix” i read that Hollywood just don’t know how to wrote real male friendship, full of emotions, and they end up using romance tropes and cliches. And Finn and Poe are perfect example to uphold that theory. Like, really, look at them, they’re bantering like an old couple.

- I really like Reys path in this movie. Seeing all three movies together shows how much she grow with every next installment. In TFA she is nice and joyful character, but kinda basic; in TLJ she learn more about how world works, about herself and choose her own path. And now in TROS she is very conflicted, torn apart and sacred of her own powers, while trying to stay herself. And Daisy Ridley really hit the spot with her performance.

- Leia had an lightsaber? And was training with Luke? And now she was teaching Rey? Like... FUCK YEAH?! And also Finn? Force sensitive? YEAH BABY!

- Rey and Kylo fight on ruins of Death Star surrounded with raging ocean and those exquisitely animated giant and heavy waves. So good? SO GOOD.

- Palpatine went full Thor and every cell in my body was hollering with laughter. As soon as it’s possible someone need to edit this “unlimited power!” yell to this scene. Please.

- ahahahahaha, Hux, you magnificent, pathetic, petty asshole, ahahahahaha.

- this is not about movies, but there was a fake fanboy at my screening. Between TLJ and TROS this dude behind me was explaining sequels to his friend and i was typing a message to my friend, so the only thing that i heard was “the first movie did Abrams, you know, the one that made LOTR, and the second one did Johnson , and he is ooold.” I have no idea what to do and think about this.

- new ways of using force. Hell yeah. Force the shit out of this. Stronger force skype? Totally. Teleportation things on purpose through force? Absolutely. Being almost in two places at once through force. I’m totally here for that. Rey being probably the most competent person in force? Kick their asses baby, i’m holding yo flower!

- MERRY!!!???

??? stuff:

- apparently reylo is incest, because Rey and Kylo are related. Really? How? Is there in any movie any, even smallest, hint that Skywalkers and Palpatines are blood related? I have no idea.

- The way how droid are treated in those movies is troubling. Are they alive? Are they self-conscious? Or they’re an artificial intelligence so developed that they can with no problems fake that?

- sooo... Kylo. I love this problematic asshole. Well, in case of genocidal murdered word “problematic” is very mild, but whatever. What i read about this movie, people were raging because woman (Rey) exist only to heal a man (Kylo) that was abusing her, but i don’t see that this way. Like, not at all. And how i see how Rey and Kylo plot is developing makes it hysterical, especially after TLJ where Kylo was established as main villain. Because in this movie with every scene Kylo exist more and more as support to Rey story, he’s an walking exposition for Rey and motivation for her to doing things. He was less and less his own character, and was more and more existed for Rey. Like, he totally could be put in the fridge. xD When Rey stabbed him i thought “oh, so they’re killing him now? When were not even close to the end? Well, ok, i do not see a more purpose for him in this plot, so yeah, kill him” but then Rey saved him and i was like ??? because what more you want him to do? And then he disappears for a big chunk of time and show again at the end and he even wasn’t needed here and don’t do that much? Just... lol. Ok, he did That, because it’s “Star Wars” and SW just Works. Like. That. or it’s not Real and True “Star Wars” boo-frikin-hoo. But on that later.

- as a example for Kylo being a lesser character and more of a tool for the sake of the plot is fact, that in TROS Darth Tantrum is weirdly collected and put his shit together. At the beginning when he finds Palpatines lair and learns that this dude was behind all of this, behind forming First Order and all voices in his head, Kylo should lost his marbles and just murdered Palpatine. But even if somehow not, at the news that Rey is emperor granddaughter he absolutely should throw the biggest tantrum in all history of tantrums and not only obliterated Palpatine but also this whole place. But no, he made A Plan and decide to once again to “propose” to Rey. Like she didn’t rejected him definitely in previous movie and like they both not decided that when they meet next time, only one of them are going to survive. But hey, let’s go with this “i want you by my side to rule the galaxy” plot again. :/

- and there they go with that helmet again. In TLJ scene where Kylo destroys his helmet it’s a very powerful moment. Not only for him, but for direction with which the story would go. Because he is not Darth Vader. Because we do not need another Darth Vader. Buuut, on the other side i can let this a pass, because since he agreed to join Palpatine and once again is going to lead The Knights, he needed to wear this helmet again to prove this loyalty and make them trust him. So, hard pass on that. And tbh, that ugly mask looks a lot better with those bright red cracks.

- And also Leia, that was also there only for her son, because as a mother she can’t be anyone else. Aaand... idk about that. Leia force connected to Kylo so he could turn back to the light? She sacrificed herself for him? Eeeeh... it was weird scene. And there’s no clear explanation why? Only Kaz Manata said that this will use Leias all life force that she has? Did i missed something? Did movie forgot about something? For me it looked like Leia was distracting Kylo, because it look like Rey was going to loose this fight, she was more and more angry, and in this moment she would fully go on the dark side. So Leia saved Rey, she felt Reys struggle. At least i it’s how i interpreted this scene, because it’s one of the most baffling one. Just ???

- there’s whole sith culture. Just. There is. But if there’s only two of them at most at a time, they probably exist for far longer to develop all of this, and to build all of this, and to be cooperative with each other? Which is not their strongest trait? And all these people in emperor throne room were past siths force ghosts or real people?

- apparently being a sith and making lightning came out of your palms is genetic? At least i understand that like this. Because the reason why Rey shot lightning while trying to rescue Chewie was not because she was angry and mad and doubting, but because shes Palpatine? What?

- this is a very minor thing, but when Rey enters Death Stars ruins there’s stormtroopers armors lying almost everywhere, but there’s not even a one bone?

- oh wow, a planet get blow up with even more miniaturized death star ray. And they have hundreds of these. And hundreds of destroyers. And no one notices there was whole space army built. How? I can understand that they ignored the space nazis rising again because, well, just look what is happening in real life, but using money and resources at this scale is however something else, very expensive and i can’t believe no one noticed this.  

Bad stuff:

- Rey is Palpatine. What. I mean... what? It’s just... uuugh... Why are you making me thinking about Emperor having sex? I only hope that was some crazy nazi fangirl that totally wanted to fuck him. Or maybe it was artificial insemination? Well, doesn't matter, it’s BIG EEEW in every option. And i don’t want to think about other way. :/ At least it makes sense why Emperor procreate? In other stories al these evil dudes that want to live forever and rule everything are having children just... because they have children. For drama or something, because story needs someone to betray this evil dude, or some other eye-rolling stereotypical reason. Like, having offspring especially to posses their bodies and live forever in this way is not very original, but it’s something.

- TLJ was like “you can be from nowhere, you can be from the bottom of society, you cen be the poor and miserable, without family or amazing heritage, and you can still do amazing things, you can climb up and make a difference, you can be better and better, you can make your own story despite your awful background” and TROS be like “fuck that, viva la royalty, you need a powerful heritage, you need a powerful and important bloodline or you’re nothing”. Oh, how nice is that. :/

- that opening crawl. It’s bad. Just bad. Even worse than “The Phanom Menace” babbling about economy.

- PALPATINE IS NO FUN AT ALL!!! HOW DARE YOU NOT MAKING IAN MCDIARMIND NOT ENJOYABLE AT ALL???!!! SHAME ON YOU ABRAMS!!! SHAME ON ALL OF DISNEY!!! ...well, ok, this was this one small thing, BUT STILL!!! AUGHR!!! I’m so mad about this. I was expecting not a very good movie, but at least i was hopeful that emperor would be such a treat.

- pulling emperor out of nowhere was an mistake. They should stay with what TLJ established and made Kylo main villain. No redemption, no bullshit like “there’s still light in him”, no Ben Solo, no forgiveness, no nothing. Just Rey beating the shit out of him and killing him. End of story. But no, “Star Wars” can’t be like that, it’s not how this world works, THIS IS NOT REAL “STAR WARS” WAAH WAAAH WAAAH. You’re a genocidal murdered? A space nazi? You’re ruling a regime that is weltered in blood of the innocence? Doesn't matter, there’s always hope. Just do one small, good thing and you will be at peace. Fuck off with that. At the end of TLJ when Kylo entered that mine, and rebel survivors entered deck of Falcon, and Rey and him were still force connected, and she cutted off him because she understands that there are things that can’t be forgave, and there are people that do not want help and just don’t want to be better and fuck “Steven Universe Future” did that a lot better on eleven minutes, and SW series is struggling with this since beginning. Because there’s white and black, good and evil, and there’s nothing in between, and when someone comes from one side to another they become a completely different person because yes that how it works. And people are totally here for this because it’s for kids and it needs to be simple and we can’t let this story grow beyond that stupid absolute duality. I know that there are people that were on far right but they changed and become better and good for them, but if you want to do that in your story, show the struggle of this difficult path and let this scum survive and face the consequences. Take at least a minimum of responsibility of what you’re showing to kids. :/ But nooo, he was stabbed, his mom died, his dad showed up and said... something, and now Kylo is dead, and Ben alive again. Sarcastic yay. Also, if you’re repeating dialogue from first movie, in almost this same situation, but in a different context, EARN IT. Second also, that kiss. Eeeeh... If you really need to be Like That and made some weird understanding between them, maybe just make they touch their foreheads? And oooh, yes, i almost forgot. At my screening when Kylo flopped at the ground, died and vanished, the whole audience laughed. But it wasn’t a loud, merry laugh, but a nervous and awkward, like “did i just saw this cringy shit?”. Amazing.

- they remembered about Knight of Ren. And did nothing with them. They just were showing up here and there through the whole movie without any purpose. But that’s Johnson fault, that he did not include them in TLJ. No wonder that they did not have time for them in TROS. Just waste.

- the amount of fanservice is killing me. I have nothing against it, if it’s just a nice treat for fans here and there, but when a whole movie is dedicated to it it’s just not very bearable. And plot suffer from it, because instead of write a good story they’re focusing at how to connected these thing from original trilogy.

[casspurrjoybell-25]

Skating on Thin Ice - Chapter 54 - Part 1

*Warning - Adult Content*

Fox Ridley

"You really need to cut your fucking hair," Ian's rude voice sounded through the room as I lounged back on the couch, my hair a mess on the top of my head.

He shoved my feet off the couch and took the spot beside me.

"I know. I have an appointment tomorrow," I said before fixing a teasing smirk on my lips.

"But just a trim. Elijah likes to tug on it."

Ian shot me a disgusted look as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm going to be stuck in a car with you two for two hours next week and I do not want to hear anything about that," he said in a sharp tone.

"I mean it. I will throw myself out of the car."

I tried not to think about the fact that it was only a week until we would be dropping Ian off at school.

I knew it was the best for him to move away as soon as possible but still, I would miss him.

"No you won't," I replied.

"You love us."

Ian's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not kidding. I'm not listening to you two flirt the whole way down there or talk about how he tugs on your hair or your tendency to hook up in cars."

"That was only one time..."

"No, it wasn't," Ian cut me off with a knowing look.

"Don't act like nobody noticed you two sneak off to the car while we were at the beach last week."

My eyes widened.

"We didn't have sex in the car."

We may have done some other things but it wasn't that.

"Whatever, I don't care," Ian said, sounding as if he didn't believe me.

"I just don't want to see it or hear it."

"We'll wait until the ride home."

"You better," Ian muttered.

"Where is Elijah, by the way?"

"He's out with Trevor," I replied.

"He's dropping him off and then coming here."

Although neither of us would admit it out loud, Elijah and I spent a little too much time together and it had gotten to the point where I missed him even though I had just saw him the night before.

We needed time away from each other to spend with our own friends but it just so happened we had most of the same friends.

So while he was out with Trevor, I was anxiously waiting his return.

I checked the time on my phone and noticed that it was past the time Elijah said he would be at my house and there was no text or call from him telling me he would be late.

"He should actually be here by now..." I trailed, looking down at my phone in confusion before finding his contact and calling him.

It only took a moment for Elijah to answer, him breathing heavily and sounding frustrated.

"Hey, Babe. Where are you?" I asked him, sharing a look with Ian.

"I'm over in the center of town," he said with a sigh.

"I got in an accident and..."

"You what?" I cut him off in a sharp tone.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

I stood up from the couch, Ian looking at me in confusion before standing up with me and following me toward the door.

"I'm fine," Elijah said with a heavy sigh.

"I'm just waiting for the tow truck at this point."

"You should go to the hospital," I nearly shouted, leaving through the front door with Ian following closely behind me.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"One of the paramedics already looked at me. I'm fine," he repeated and sounded as if he was trying hard not to sound annoyed.

"And I didn't call you because I was busy and there's nothing you can do about it and I knew I'd see you eventually."

I snapped my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose, letting out a frustrated groan.

"You should have called me. Where are you?"

"You do not need to come here."

It took all my willpower to not scream at him over the phone.

"Fine, don't tell me. You're sharing your location with me now anyway, remember?" I said before hanging up.

Elijah had started sharing his location with me a couple weeks ago when he went out to some club with the GSA group and was worried about them getting kidnapped.

He never stopped sharing it and I never even looked at it until now.

"So what's going on?" Ian asked, sounding slightly amused as he looked over at me, leaning against my car.

I shot him a look of annoyance.

"Elijah got into an accident," I told him.

"I'm going to go pick him up."

"He got into a car accident and you were yelling at him over the phone?" Ian asked with an incredulous look.

"I'm surprised he hasn't dumped your ass. Seriously."

"Shut up," I snapped, opening the driver's side door.

"I wasn't yelling at him. I was just expressing my worry. Loudly."

Ian shook his head, making his way to the passenger's side.

"You're such an asshole."

I ignored him as I backed out of the driveway and started my way toward Elijah.

It didn't take me long to find him considering the large tow truck on the side of the road with Elijah's car.

I pulled up to the curb and hurried over to Elijah who was sitting down on the sidewalk.

He held a napkin up to his lip that I assumed was bleeding and there was a cut on his cheek.

Those appeared to be his only injuries.

Elijah rolled his eyes when he saw me approaching.

"You didn't need to come here," he said as I sat down beside him and grabbed the napkin from his hand to get a better look at his cut.

I dabbed the napkin on his lip, causing him to flinch away from me.

"You said you were fine," I replied in an accusing tone.

"I am fine."

I shook my head at him, holding the napkin against his bleeding lip while looking at the cut on his face.

"You're bleeding."

"Barely."

"Yeah, you're fine, get up," Ian called out, looking down as he stood in front of us.

"See?" Elijah said, holding his hand out for Ian to hoist him up.

Ian pulled him up off the sidewalk and the two of them looked down at me with impatient expressions.

"God forbid I worry about you," I muttered, standing up myself.

"I'll make sure to never do it again."

"Perfect," Elijah replied, looping his arm through mine.

"How did you crash?" I asked him, looking back toward his car on the back of the truck.

It didn't look too bad but the front bumper was smashed and bent inward.

Elijah pursed his lips, looking sheepish with a tint in his cheeks.

"I... um... I was coming up to the red light..." he trailed, sounding embarrassed.

"And you know I tend to... like brake really late."

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I know."

"So I was braking, kinda close to the guy in front of me and I sneezed and the next thing I know, I'm hitting the car in front of me."

Ian let out a loud laugh from in front of us, throwing his head back.

"Why didn't you let Trevor drive you?" I demanded, shaking my head.

"At least he's more careful."

"Trevor drives like my Grandpa," Elijah exclaimed.

"And you can't drive at all," I shot back, Ian still laughing ahead of us.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before you crashed into something."

Elijah roughly shoved his elbow into my ribs.

"You get in one accident and people think you can't drive," Elijah said in an exaggerated tone.

"I've always known you're a bad driver," I pointed out, rubbing where he hit my ribs and then grabbing his hand into mine.

Elijah grumbled something under his breath that I couldn't hear and all I could do was laugh and plant a kiss on his cheek, grateful his mishap hadn't gotten him seriously hurt.

[zerolympiustrife]

Favorite video games of all time?

Get ready for a LONG post, folks! However…allow me to break this down to my three favorite video game genres: Fighting games, RPGs/JRPGs, and Platformers/Action Platformers (both 2D and 3D). However! Since I feel like these posts are gonna take MUCH longer than I thought it would, I’m just gonna divide the genres into separate posts. But for now, let’s stick with the…

FIGHTING GAMES!:

Dragon Ball FighterZ: My number one favorite (traditional) fighting game of all time. My favorite ArcSys game of all time. My favorite Dragon Ball game of all time. This game is the reason how I got into the Dragon Ball franchise back when I’ve had to little to NO interest in the franchise, even when I’ve watched the ENTIRE Namek saga from the original anime back in 2009. The game’s GORGEOUS art style, every character animation’s (such as specials, supers, intros, victory poses, and ESPECIALLY the Dramatic Finishes) faithfulness to the original manga AND anime of Dragon Ball Z and other DB properties (such as GT and Super), the AWESOME soundtrack (courtesy of ArcSys theirselves, who’re known for awesome music in their games), the 3v3 gameplay, the character roster (though I’ll admit that having five Gokus and Three Vegetas is rather silly), having a new character design by DB creator Akira Toriyama himself, and lastly, being a breath of fresh air to those new to the fighting game genre (since the genre itself is notorious for its high learning curves) AND to Dragon Ball fans who were sick and tired of having the story of DBZ recapped over and over and over AND OVER AGAIN is a fucking sight to behold. This game FUCKING RULES (and a million times better than MvC:I). However, I wouldn’t call it perfect. I’ll admit that the Story Mode is rather lackluster, Arcade Mode is rather lacking, the Shop is completely randomized, and the Online Mode, much like every other fighting game, suffers from lag, spammable players, or just outright ragequitters. That, and the fact that, unlike MvC3 and BB:CTB, every character assist only sticks to ONE attack (meaning that more than one character is gonna have a Kamehameha assist), and that MOST PLAYERS you’re gonna run into is gonna main the likes of Cell (who ENJOYS dragging out combos for as long as possible), Adult Gohan (like Cell, also drags out long combos), and Vegeta (Super Saiyan, because of his assist. Need I say more?). But aside from those flaws, it is hands down the BEST fighting game I’ve ever played, next to…well, below.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: My number one favorite (unique) fighting game of all time. My favorite Nintendo game of all time. Series creator Masahiro Sakurai is a man that I’d like to describe as…well, not only doing the impossible and HIGHLY respected, but also putting those filthy naysayers about certain characters in their place. The fact that the whole point of Smash Ultimate was to include EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER FROM SMASH 64 TO SMASH 4 (Wii U and 3DS), INCLUDING EVERY THIRD-PARTY CHARACTERS DESPITE THE LICENSING AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES THIS WOULD CAUSE is another sight to behold. FUCK Melee, THIS is hands-down the best Smash game of all time! The inclusion of Spirits, the Adventure Mode, the Boss battles, the gameplay, the kind of chicanery you can pull, the game’s main theme “Lifelight”, the roster, the soundtrack…there’s just ALOT about this game that I just fucking adore. What can you make folks more hyped about this game? Oh, I don’t know…why not shock everybody with JOKER (from Persona 5) AND BANJO & KAZOOIE (who’s still owned by Microsoft) being in the game. What I love about Smash Bros is how Sakurai is just outright defies those say certain characters can’t appear in the series for silliest (or justifiable) reasons. Cloud can’t be in Smash because his game was never released on a Nintendo console until 2019? No problem! Ridley’s too big therefore he can’t be playable? Fuck that! Banjo & Kazooie can’t be in Smash because they’re owned by Microsoft of the Xbox brand? It’s fine! Why? “Because I AM HERE!” -Banjo (JK, but seriously, the fact that Banjo’s in was quite a surprise.) Smash 4 is the reason how I got into Final Fantasy VII, and I hold the entire Smash series in high regard for doing so. Goddamn, do I love this franchise! But! Again, it’s not perfect. The Online Mode is MUCH worse than DBFighterZ (to the point where you’re more than likely to end up in a battle with Items TURNED ON or stages with distracting hazards, OR end up fighting the SAME fucking characters I hate fighting against, such as Little Mac, Falco, Inkling, Incineroar, etc.), and that fighting against EVERY single spirit in the Adventure Mode to get 100% can get rather tiring (not to mention that you gotta get BOTH bad endings from fighting Galeem solo AND Dharkon solo), lack of additional content upon release (Stage Builder and Home-Run Content weren’t even implemented into the game at first), and lastly (although these two complaints are one of more personal matter and one towards Square Enix), the fact Zero from Mega Man X, my favorite video game character is ASSIST character instead of a playable was really heartbreaking to see (but hey, I’m not complaining TOO much since I enjoy interacting with him in my free time in Training), and lastly, the fact that Cloud, and to high extent, Final Fantasy VII AND the FF franchise as a whole has LITTLE TO NO representation in this game whatsoever (again, I feel like this was more of SE’s fault than Sakurai’s). No spirits, no “Fighter Spirit” artwork from the original FFVII, no Assist characters, not being dubbed in English AGAIN (though this was more of a contract issue with SE), no additional music on Midgar, NOTHING. But, nonetheless…this game is fucking awesome.

Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle: Ahahahahaha! Ah…Oh, Blazblue…I love this franchise oh-so much, but the fact that it hasn’t received the same treatment as Guilty Gear lately (not to mention the mainstream Blazblue games, aka the C-series, has pretty much came to an end) is a rather sad sight to see…depression aside, I love Blazblue. I REALLY do! I love the characters, I love the stages, I love the music, the story is confusing as FUCK, but it’s a fighting game franchise I’ve discovered WAY back 2012 and I still love to this day, even more so than Guilty Gear (don’t @ me). So…what to do now? Could there perhaps be another Blazblue game? A game that just so happens to be a crossover? One just as awesome as Smash Bros? Ooh! How about…PERSONA 4?!? UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH?!? A FRANCHISE THAT, LIKE DRAGON BALL AND FFVII, I’VE HAD NO INTEREST IN UP UNTIL 2018 (aka RWBY)?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAAA- Fangasm aside, the fact that this game even EXISTS is an achievement in its own right. As stated before, this game is the reason how I got into RWBY. What I really love and adore about the game are the interactions among the characters. That, and I was SO HAPPY to hear that the game would be dubbed in English, after GG:Xrd Revelator and BB: Central Fiction lacked a dub. I was not only excited to hear the likes of Ragna, Noel, and Hazama voiced in English again, but I was also happy to hear that any characters who’ve never been dubbed in English in the past (characters from UNIB, newcomers in BB:CF, etc.) would be dubbed in English as well. Hell, the fact that the characters from both Blazblue AND Persona 4 (two franchises/games I really love) being in the EXACT same game together was enough to make me be all like “Shut up, and take my money!”, considering how crazy excited I was in the past to see them interacting with one another via fanart and fanfiction (thanks to the Persona 4 Arena games being developed by ArcSys). And if you thought having only THOSE four franchises in the game was enough, you’d be wrong! Here’s Arcana Heart! Here’s Senran Kagura! Here’s a FIFTH character from RWBY: Neo Politan! This game, much like DBFZ and Smash Ultimate, is awesome. However, complaints I do have towards the game are the Online Mode (although the chibi interactions are cute and adorable and I will praise the Online Mode for that, and ONLY THAT), Gordeau from UNIB is still a problem, the rest of the half of the roster is entirely DLC, lack of additional content upon release, the control scheme is WAY too simplistic (even moreso than DBFZ), and lastly, while I love the sprites ArcSys did for RWBY, the reused sprites from Blazblue, Persona 4 Arena, and UNIB is also a complaint I have (but a minor one, mind you. They could’ve just easily redone the sprites specifically for this game, but…no). And while this game isn’t exactly in my top two favorite fighting games, it’s definitely in my top THREE. Also, I have yet to actually to play the Story Mode of this game, but I haven’t yet, therefore, I hold no opinion on the story as of currently. Marvel vs Capcom-styled traditional fighting games are hands-down, my go-to preference for traditional fighters.

Dissidia (and Dissidia 012): Final Fantasy: Forget Dissidia NT, THIS game (mostly Dissidia 012) is what an awesome 3D Action Fighting game is about! Much like how Smash Ultimate’s a unique fighting game (a Platform Fighter), this game is also a unique type of fighting game, possessing RPG elements and just having a blast with its awesome combat system. Cloud and Sephiroth were just so much fun to play as, with Terra, Squall, and WoL being my other favorite characters in this awesome game. This game is also essentially a HUGE homage to Final Fantasy as whole. From the ongoing conflicts between Cosmos and Chaos, to MULTIPLE references to the character’s original games, to additional modes that involve unlocking the likes of Gilgamesh from FFV, or fighting against the most frustrating secret final boss I’ve ever had the displeasure of fighting against (Feral Chaos), these games are awesome! Also, the reason why I’m addressing both games as a single installment here is because technically, while Dissidia 012 IS a prequel, it pretty has the same content (no, scratch that, MORE content) from the first Dissidia game and it’s pretty much an updated…well, not a “port”, per say, more like an enhanced re-release, much like Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 or any of the Blazblue EXTEND re-releases. However, complaints I have for Dissidia is that certain characters are annoying to fight against (such as Jecht, FUCK that character), the RPG system takes a while to build up until your favorite characters are FINALLY at Level 100, trying to get the rarest Equipment is rather difficult, and lastly, the action commands for certain character’s EX Bursts can be retooled for the sake of a proper fighting game, but then again, Dissidia ain’t a “traditional” fighting game. But aside from that, not only is this my favorite Action RPG/Fighting game of all time, but this is also my favorite Final Fantasy Spin-Off of all time.

Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars: What’s that? You were expecting a Marvel vs Capcom game to be on this list, let alone my top 5? Too bad! It’s Tatsunoko, baby! This one definitely holds a spot in my heart as this game stands as my number one favorite “Capcom vs Whatever” game of all time (yes, even moreso than Marvel vs Capcom itself OR any of the SNK vs Capcom games, don’t @ me). I love this game. I love its soundtrack (ESPECIALLY its main theme, “Across the Border”), I love the roster (despite being small), I love the final boss of the Arcade Mode (Yami, from Capcom’s Okami), and I love the gameplay. My complaints goes towards the lack of additional content outside of Arcade and the Gallery (although the top-down shooter minigame is rather fun), and, as stated before, small roster. But other than that, this game was really fun to play.

OTHER FAVORITE FIGHTING GAMES:

Sonic Battle, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, SvC: Chaos, and Blazblue: Chrono Phantasma.

Coming up next: My favorite RPGs/JPRGs!

[goddessofthundathighs]

Chapter 3, Pt. 1

_____________________

Summary: An arrogant young disciple of Bastet is forced to spend lifetimes roaming the Earth in search of her soulmate, but what happens when she tries to run from destiny?

A/N: For those of you that have seen Fahrenheit 451, Abhimani is taking on the role of Clarisse McClellan.

_____________________

Draped in a loose fitting oversized threadbare sweater with some barely visible shorts underneath and roughed up motorcycle boots with a burlap backpack hanging off her left shoulder, Abhimani leaned against the technicolor glass bar peering at the sights around her.

Another time. Another life. Another chance to get out of this hellhole of a curse her Goddess had bestowed upon her.

It’s not that she wasn't thankful for Bast’s favor or even that she thought she was better than the Goddess herself. Mani simply didn't believe she had to continue to do what her own Mistress does not if she is supposed to be a holy extension. What was the point of this punishment? What lesson was she supposed to learn from failing to find this man over and over?

As the deep skinned beauty’s eyes scanned the room, she watched the mentally enslaved people play in their virtual reality, hands waving around. They were really into this Big Brother shit huh? Two figures emerge right in her line of sight and though she moves to a more secluded area, she can still hear their voices approaching.

“Don’t worry I’ll talk to her this time,” the slightly shorter of the two men blurts out his eyes focused ahead but not close enough for her to see what he looks like.

“Keep your dick in your pants and stand guard,” Captain Beatty says in the usual gruff tone he thinks is intimidating or seductive. She wasn't sure but it sounded like his throat needed some moisture.

He always seemed to bring the second man with him. Presumably for back up since he always skulked in the distance and was never in her eyes’ reach. He stood off behind a pillar while Beatty walked up to her a little too much in her personal space as per usual with these meetings.

“Well, well, well Mani. You better not be wasting my time tonight. Your last tip led me to boy scouts with pornos.” Rolling her eyes, Mani replies.

“Reactivate my fingers like you said you would.”

“Feed me scraps and I’ll delete your travel permit.”

Oh you caucus dick munch. I swear if I wasn’t on a totally different mission…

“That’s bullshit. You need me.”

Grabbing ahold of the hand that was clutching the thin leather strap of her bag, Beatty seemed to caress the slightly weathered skin in his fingers, holding it preciously in his palm.

Here he go again touching shit he don’t need to be. Somebody get this dude some proper sexual harassment parameters.

“How many years did we restrict you? 6?”

“With all the tips I gave you, I should be free.”

“A beautiful free rat.”

I know he did not just… Ok Bastet, you really trying me now.

Jerking her hand away, Mani switches her position from against the wall Beatty had her up against and grabs a small folded piece of parchment from her pocket holding it up for him to see.

“Take a year off my sentence and I’ll give you something you like.”

The increasingly annoying white beady eyed white man grabs hold of her hand yet again, snatching away the piece of paper.

Abhimani lets out a heavy sigh before adjusting the strap on her shoulder and turning to the left to see the bodyguard spying from a distance.

What is this dude’s deal always staring? Hopefully I can get past him without trying some silly shit.

She proceeds to make her way to leave the moody lit place but was stopped by a pair of glowing brown eyes and a slightly hukling body in her way.

“I didn't hear the captain say you could leave.”

And once again the might roar of her Goddess rang in her head and judging by the perplexed look that flashed on his face, he heard it too.

FUCK YES FINALLY!

“Oh? Then why does he always make you wait outside like a little dog, huh?”

However fine this “soulmate” was, she had things to do, places to go and she knew that now that they had officially seen each other, they would keep crossing paths. If only she’d known this was him the whole time the damn lesson would have been learned a while ago.

As she continues her exit, the man with the pretty eyes and beautifully plump lips grips her arm, but it didn't send the same shiver through her body like when Beatty touched her.

This was actually the first time her mate had touched her in all of the lifetimes they shared. It was…. Nice.

Of course she couldn't let him know he affected her so. She's met him now she can make him want her so she pretends to be almost disgusted by his forward advance.

“You’re just like Beatty,” Abhimani says with a condescending smile on her face.

That seemed to do the trick because he gently let go of her and his chest deflated a fraction.

“I’m not like Beatty.”

“Everyone has a master.”

“Not me.”

Oh we got an independent over here.

“You spy on me but you never do anything. You stand close enough to hear but far enough that I didn’t even know what you looked like till now. Can’t say I’m disappointed.”

Another gleam flashed in his eyes at her slight admission.

And not one word of it was a lie. He was absolutely gorgeous. She didn't ever get to look at her man the way she was now cause he was either too attached to someone else or shot to death for her to focus but my oh my.

Oh thank you my Lady for this wonderous blessing.

“You’re welcome, my child.”

“Why? Do I make you nervous?”

He looked down as he replied, “You don’t.”

“When I see you burning up eels’ lives you don’t look nervous.”

“That’s because I’m very good at my job.”

He was so close she could feel the heat from his body, the slight smell of kerosene and his cologne creating a dangerous aphrodisiac.

I got a couple jobs you would be good at with your fine ass.

“Mmm. You ever stop to think for one second why you do what you do?”

His brow furrowed.

“You should try reading before burning. See you around Montag.”

Flashing him a seductive smile, Mani turns her back and saunters out of the bar with a flip of her perfectly mussed curls leaving Guy all kinds of in his feelings and a hint of confusion as to where that roar came from. Unbeknownst to him, Beatty ,who had been watching the tail end of their interaction, comes up behind him and clasps a hand on his leather jacket clad shoulder.

“Hey. Off limits. Let’s go she recommended a spot.”

With that, the two firemen left and proceeded to do their jobs off the clock.

Mani walks into the seemingly dilapidated apartment building that was actually teeming with tenants and knocks on her neighbor’s door. The door opened to reveal a blonde woman with tired eyes holding her 5 month old big baby boy with a small mohawk like strip of brunette hair. Pulling the small glass bottle of milk from her jacket pocket, she hands it to the woman who lets out a sigh of relief at the sight of the thin creamy liquid.

“I haven't had milk in a week. Thanks but I couldn't find any cooking oil.”

“That’s ok.”

Mani had already turned to her apartment door to let herself in and as the lock turned over, the woman called to her.

“Mani, be careful what you’re selling. People are talking.”

Nodding her head, Abhimani ducks into her apartment, dropping all her stuff down and removing her shoes.

Now why she would land me in this dump of a decade I will never know. If this is the future, may all the Gods be with the mortals. This is absolute purgatory but praise Bast I found him!

“You seem to be in high spirits.”

Of course Anubis followed her through every single life and like her, his form didn't ever change. He always remained the same enchanting black feline friend whom she had actually come to cherish after so long.

“Well if you must know my terribly named kitty cat, I met him today.” “You mean the white devil who secretly not so secretly wishes to have you?”

“Oh Bast please not on his gray eyed life. No Nubi I mean him. He’s been with Beatty the entire time. I only just met him today.”

The bodacious woman flits around her small space to play a vinyl that she shouldn’t be playing on a record player she shouldn't be having and takes a seat at her tool table to fix the roll of a tape she was to deliver to this man who in trade has a place for her to tip the captain off for more “graffiti” for him and his team to burn.

As the smoke rises from her soldering gun, her mind wanders to privileged times spent in the dazzling night jungle running alongside the panthers of the past trying to beat the purple starry night.

Time Break

Guy stands head bowed under the warm running water of his shower dripping down his face. Hoping it would clear his frazzled mind.

He had just returned to the station from a strange graffiti burning with this old woman who seemed to only speak in graffiti. She said no actual words but gave a quote of some sort?

‘Play the man, Master Ridley. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.’

Of course he had no idea what the hell that meant but it was haunting him along with the word she said right after she lit the books and herself on fire.

‘Omnis’

What is that?

He stepped out of the shower, dried off and got fully dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and an army green jacket. He was sure to retrieve the book he has stolen from the house from his locker and safely hid it underneath his jacket.

As he was making his way out, he caught the 9’s report of what they were now calling Beatty’s Barbeque. When they showed footage of the old woman burning, they replaced the word she actually said with a voice over ‘coward.’

Why would they cover that up?

Guy was simply getting more and more confused by the minute and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. He was anxious to get home so he could try to properly process the night’s events.

“Montag!”

Beatty walks up behind him with a stern look on his face.

“You hesitated tonight in front of the men.”

The shorter, more good looking of the two men was instantly transported back to the house they left only hours ago when the captain instructed him to remove the old woman from the house after the graffiti was laid out and kerosene poured, she refused to leave. Guy attempted to reason with her and asked the captain if they would just leave her which was a sign of weakness and insubordination. Placing a brave look on his handsome face, he retorts back.

“I know but it won’t happen again.”

“You know it’s my first time seeing a self burn too but as far as I’m concerned, it means we’re doing the right thing.”

Beatty was his friend. His captain. His father figure. Maybe he would be able to clear up some of this bafflement in his brain.

“What was that old lady talking about? Master Ridley play something.”

He was almost embarrassed that he couldn't remember the entire text.

“Well back when people still believed in God, the Brits burned alive two eels at the stake. Ridley and Latimer for praying to a different book than their queen did. Before us, people committed genocides over books while others blew themselves up killing innocent people. Insanity plus 100.

“But why did she burn herself for books?”

The stormy eyed man looked away from him briefly before giving his rebuttal.

“Well she tried to burn us all don’t you think?” “She didn't say coward. She said omnis. What is that?”

Breaking eye contact and turning about face, Beatty gives the information he actually wants to hear.

“Well the commissioner won’t say what the ministry knows but I guess we’re gonna have to find out.”

The captain moves to stand in front of him and hands him a silver square shaped lighter.

“Burn me.”

“John…”

“Go ahead.”

What is he trying to get from me?

Sensing Guy’s hesitation, the taller man urges him on.

Hurry up. I won’t ask twice.”

Immediately, he opens the lighter and flicks it on but doesn't hold it close enough for the lone flame to touch the other man’s hand and he looked back up to lock eyes with him.

“I know you’re different than the other men. I watched you grow up. And that’s how I know you feel the same inside as me. Closer.”

Lifting the lighter higher, the tip of the flame seems to disappear and fan out in his palm.

“I’ve been burned so many times, I don’t know where my scars end and my body begins.”

Guy lifts the lighter even higher, the flame all but gone into the captain’s hand as both men’s eyes stay locked in a vehement embrace. Finally Beatty grabs the lighter and extinguishes the flame with low pain filled groan stepping closer to him with an even more fierce gaze.

“There’s no way you’re gonna break. You’re the youngest cadet I ever accepted into the Youth Fire Brigade. I raised ya and one day you’ll be just like me son. You won’t feel anything when they burn you.”

_____________________

TAGS: @jozigrrl @itsangeludaku @thehomierobbstark @eriknutinthispoosy @hearteyes-for-killmonger @muse-of-mbaku @amethyst1993 @killmongersgurl @trevantesbrat @hdkween @iamrheaspeaks @princesskillmonger @ayellepea @vikkidc @laketaj24 @madamslayyy @allhailnjadaka @purple-apricots @thadelightfulone @theunsweetenedtruth @wakanda-inspired @panthergoddessbast @blackpantherismyish @yaachtynoboat711 @forbeautyandlife @bidibidibombaclaat @quietstorm-73 @youreadthatright

[hazelnatcoffee]

(Pt 2) Hey this one’s kinda rough because I’ve been working on sheith fics and my characterization is skewed lol. Credit to @careamorran of course!

"What the hell-"

Crack.

"Are you doing here?"

Thump.

Drake takes down another thug, with no hands, and Jason... Jason is fucked.

"Hey, I asked you a question." Drake says, out of breath, as he spits blood onto the sidewalk and presses his knee into the man's back, cuffing his hands with a mechanical-efficiency. "What are you doing here?"

And this is the part where Jason replies smoothly, Not you, unfortunately, and takes his leave, but-

But-

"Walking," He says, and it's possibly the worst time he's decided to go the deadpan route.

Fortunately, it works in his favor, because Drake gives him an exasperated look and a sigh that's even more so, and then mutters something about students and their damn all-nighters.

And thank god, because Jason's still connecting his brain to his mouth.

"You didn't happen to see Ridley, did you?" Drake asks, straightening and wiping his split lip again, smearing crimson onto his pale skin. "Big guy, about this tall?" He holds up his hand.

His partner, Jason assumes, and motions vaguely behind him, where the other detective had indeed taken off to chase one of the thugs- he recalls it now; the flash of a suit crossing his path, before he'd stumbled upon Drake in action.

"Great," Drake says, heaving the man on the ground to his feet. "Look, let me clear this up and then I'll get you home. You've got that half-zombie look on your face again."

Oh, buddy, Jason wants to say. You have no idea.

Instead he goes with a shake of his head, and then a few steps backward, for good measure, because he does have somewhere to get to- just not home, wherever that happens to be this week.

Drake seems to take it the wrong way, because his eyes widen a little, in the glow of the streetlight, and his gaze darts back and forth between Jason and the half-unconscious perp he's holding onto. "Oh, uh- sorry," He pauses and then offers a somewhat sheepish grin. "That probably freaked you out a little, huh?"

Oh, buddy, Jason wants to say again, with a stronger urge to laugh this time.

But then Drake mutters another curse and runs his tongue over his bloodied lip distractedly, and Jason's mind abandons coherent thought again.

"Drake!" Someone calls out from behind them, and Jason turns to see the other suit round the corner, to the right of the old pharmacy this has all gone down in front of. "I lost him, let's get back to the-" he pauses, out of breath, upon passing Jason. "Who's this guy? Witness?"

"Don't interrogate him, Ridley," Drake grumbles, starting down the row of cars along the side of the narrow street. "He just got caught at the wrong place."

"Don't we all," Ridley huffs, crouching to get the other thug to his feet as well. Jason follows, for lack of better option. "Still- shouldn't be wandering around this time of night."

Jason allows himself an eye-roll.

"I'm sure he's not getting into any trouble," Drake says as he pulls open a car door, and pushes the criminal into it.

Jason suppresses a snort, but his resolve is cracking, so he can't help a, "You sure about that, detective?"

"He speaks," Ridley mutters, from the other side of the car as Drake shuts the door and rounds the vehicle again.

He pauses in front of Jason with a smirk, arms crossing over his chest and- god, he really shouldn't look that attractive with blood smeared under his nose and mouth.

"I watched you trip over a coffee cup last week," He reminds him. "After you dropped and spilled it on yourself."

Jason has half a mind to flip him off, but Drake has a hand on his arm before he can get out a simple (but effective) fuck you, and the detective starts guiding him back toward the corner they'd been on upon crossing paths.

He almost loses it then. "Are you... are you walking me to my bike?"

Drake doesn't pick up on his incredulity and simply answers, "Yeah. Sorry again, that you got caught up in that."

It's almost endearing, how much he seems to care. Jason hides his grin and points out, "I wouldn't worry too much- you're the one that's bleeding. Besides-"

"I swear to god," Drake mutters. "If you say something about being able to take them down yourself like all the hero civilians-"

“Alright, alright,” Jason catches himself at the jab and shoots him an entertained look. “I’ll spare you.”

The detective sighs heavily, but, there’s no smile this time. He doesn’t seem irritated, per say; maybe just... tired?

Jason supposes it’s to be expected- he’d had a pretty rough week himself, with the small crime surge. And he also supposes this is where he asks how Tim is doing, or whether he’s getting enough damn sleep or something, but- nothing ever really goes as planned anyway.

"When's your shift over?"

Drake blinks, and stops walking at the edge of the sidewalk, and blinks again. "In an... hour." After another, more puzzled pause, he adds, "Why?"

"Because I'm buying you a drink," Jason answers matter-of-factly, mustering a grin that’s half in lingering amusement at the whole situation and half at his own ambition. "Downtown, O'Danny's- look it up, you can't really miss it anyway."

Drake continues to blink and look confused, but Jason assumes that's just another byproduct of the sleep deprivation- and he's extended the offer, so there's not much more he can do.

Later, when he's leaning against the bar, laughing over something Tim said about capes (they're not even practical, Jason), he blames it on the eyes.

He must be a sucker for good intentions and blue eyes.

I know it’s ooc, it’s just been a while, guys. My apologies X’)

Also guess who’s projecting their lack of sleep on fictional characters ayy

[itshansolo]

my review of the last jedi

spoilers, very much so

It’s easy to understand why the critics love this film. It’s very different from The Empire Strikes Back, it’s got some excellent acting, surprising moments and good action scenes. For people who get paid to analyze films as their own entities and do so countless times a year - and as such probably don’t remember much about The Force Awakens aside from “Han was killed as Luke showed up in the last few seconds” - that’s all it takes for a 10/10 experience.

The film ends on a high note, so you walk away from the theater in ecstasy and still absorbing what you just saw. But the euphoria doesn’t resist 10 minutes of critical thinking. For a film that praises itself for digging deep into its characters, The Last Jedi is surprisingly superficial. Presumably, one of the first questions Rian Johnson asked himself was “what is Luke Skywalker doing on that island?”. Turns out he feels guilty about what happened to Ben Solo and the Jedi order he was building. Wait, you might say, I thought the previous movie had already made that clear? That’s because it did. The Last Jedi was supposed to be Luke’s movie and we get no insight whatsoever into his character that we didn’t already know or make educated guesses about.

Except for one thing. Turns out he tried to kill his nephew when he sensed the darkness inside him. Yeah. Exactly. He didn’t give up on Darth Vader of all people, but he was ready to slaughter his teenage nephew. There is no plausible explanation for this. That was before shit hit the fan in the Skywalker household, so any psychological trouble that might excuse his odd behaviour when Rey finds him does not excuse this.

That’s not the full extent of Luke’s iffy characterization. We all remember how he went against his masters’ teachings and faced Darth Vader with nothing but compassion under his sleeve. So tell me how does it make sense for a Force Ghost Yoda to appear and lecture him on all that was wrong about the old ways of the Jedi? It doesn’t. Their respective beliefs were flipped.

In the last few months, the powers that be have repeatedly stated in interviews - as a weird badge of pride - that each director is entirely free to come up with the story of each film, with nothing but the previous instalment as a starting point. Long story short, the trilogy is being written as they go along. And it shows. Snoke was nothing but a plot device. The Knights of Ren are nowhere to be seen. There’s no explanation for how and why the Skywalker lightsaber ended up in Maz Kanata’s possession. Maz, by the way, has the most inorganic introduction I’ve ever had the displeasure to watch. I just have to presume it was in Lupita Nyong’o’s contract to be in at least two films.

If Lupita’s contract might explain Maz’s atrocious cameo, Benicio Del Toro can only be a close friend of Rian Johnson’s with a lifelong dream to be in a Star Wars movie. The character, whose name we do not learn, is completely useless and badly portrayed. The necessary skills that he has could have been easily transfered to Rose. As a side effect, the whole Canto Bight detour - also a waste of time - could have been thrown out altogether.

Speaking of Rose, she’s one of the few elements that actually work in this film. Kelly Marie Tran is excellent and the character is immediately likable. We learn more about her than we learned about Rey in two goddamn movies. Her storyline with Finn, as mentioned above, could have used a little trimming, but I have to disagree with critics who claim it’s the biggest/only weakness of the film. The sheer charisma of Kelly and John Boyega carries the storyline. 

The truth is there a lot of weakness and they are spread out. Case in point, the dynamic between Amilyn Holdo and Poe, my least favorite part by far. Rian Johnson came up with the character of Amilyn and Claudia Gray borrowed the name to write a different character in her novel Princess of Alderaan. Those who have read this book know that she’s the Luna Lovegood of Star Wars and her charming personality completely vanishes in the film. She’s virtually a different woman. Did the story group of Lucasfilm and their supposed responsibility for continuity in a galaxy far far away take a vacation while Claudia was writing the book?

It’s clear that Holdo was introduced in the movie to prop up Poe Dameron’s character development, but the trouble is that such development is not necessarily welcome or well done. I don’t know how a movie that lasts two and a half hours can feel rushed, but here it did. Poe and Holdo’s altercation is truncated, confusing, almost impossible to get invested in.

Did you notice how I failed to mention Rey until now? You may think Daisy Ridley was just being humble when she kept saying in the press tour that Rey is not necessarily the main character. She wasn’t though. Rey does not feel like the main character at all. As a matter of fact, Poe feels more like a protagonist this time around. And that’s saying something, considering his character was supposed to die early on in The Force Awakens.

I’m not gonna ramble at length about the godforsaken topic of Rey’s parentage. I’m just gonna say that, aside from being almost comical how The Force Awakens missed the mark when introducing the child of literal nobodies, The Last Jedi takes its sweet time to settle the debate once and for all, as it continues to tag people along like Lucasfilm and Disney have been doing for two years. As soon as Rey and Kylo have their first bizarre Sense8-esque Force meeting, my seatmate whispered to his friend “wait, are they siblings?” and I wanted to take a bullet to the brain right the fuck there. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT WOULD HAVE MADE SENSE. Mere seconds after one of their Force connections, Luke has a similar scene with Leia. You know… Leia. HIS SISTER. At some point, Kylo tells Rey that he knows she’s gonna join him eventually… because he’s seen who her parents are. Geez, Louise. I wonder why the identity of her parents would compel her to get closer to Kylo. Maybe because they are HIS PARENTS TOO?? No, that would have just been too good.

And it doesn’t end there! Remember that teaser in which something sinister is calling to Rey and Luke yells “RESIST IT”?. That was awesome, wasn’t it? Who was calling to her? Snoke? Kylo? Turns out it was… a cave. A cave in which Rey has a borderline psychodelic experience that involves mirrors. She asks to be shown the face of her parents and the music intensifies until… we see Rey staring at her own reflection. That’s brilliant, Rian. Keep building up the mystery only to reveal later on that her parents were alcoholic junkers that may or may not remain nameless for eternity (and Rey shall remain just “Rey” forever).

I’m still trying to figure out the purpose of that cave scene. This goes back to how disappointingly shallow the movie was. We were supposed to learn some pretty interesting lore about the Force and what did we actually get? We learned that the Force doesn’t belong to the Jedi (duh)… and that’s it. Are you serious?

Let me get into what I did like about the film. Like I said, John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran are a tour de force of charisma. They’re the most endearing pair and just plain fun to watch. Although Finn has been criminally demoted from his leading man status, his confrontation with Phasma (who’s Phasma again?) brought nice closure to his arc as a former stormtrooper.

I know many of my mutuals and followers cannot stand Adam Driver. I have side-eyed some of the things he said recently myself. But the guy is phenomenal in this movie. I caught myself looking forward to his appearences, because he is simply magnetic. I have no idea what’s gonna happen to Kylo, but I’m invested either way. The one thing The Last Jedi taught me is that speculation is pointless, because fans put way more thought into the story than the powers that be. That’s depressing, but it’s the reality of the situation.

I think my favorite scene in the whole movie is Kylo and Rey in Snoke’s throne room. The tension was palpable. The way Kylo ended Snoke had everyone in the room on the edge of their seats and the battle against the Praetorian Guards right afterwards was simply breathtaking.

Carrie Fisher is so Leia in her last appearence. I’m pretty happy with her send off, all things considered. She felt way more at ease in the role when compared to The Force Awakens and we gotta give Johnson some credit here, even if I want to strangle him most of the time. The infamous Superman scene is pretty awkward, but it was about time she showed some badass Force powers. The old hologram from A New Hope being what motivates Luke to finally help Rey was a stroke of genius. Such a simple plot development, but literally no one saw it coming. There wasn’t a single dry eye in the audience.

LUKE AND LEIA REUNITE! Well, sort of. But it was enough for me. Which brings me to Luke projecting himself across the galaxy. It sounds cartoonish on paper, but boy did it work! If you didn’t get goosebumps when he became one with the Force to the sound of Binary Sunset, something is wrong with you. The shoulder wipe was LEGENDARY. Some of the humor didn’t work in this film, but most certainly did, especially Chewie and the porgs (which are adorable and thankfully not overused) and Luke hitting Rey in the hand with a stick when he asks her to reach out.

As a standalone film, I give The Last Jedi an 8 out of 10. But as a follow-up to a seven-part saga, it’s a 6/10 with a pinch of generosity.