#Tails & The Music Maker

[sonichedgeblog]

Hidden Eggman 'Tails & The Music Maker' SEGA PICO Support us on Patreon

[fyeahsonicthehedgehog]

[cosmicheartzone]

Cosmo: He already flusters me enough when he compares my singing to those animated princess films we've watched!

Cream: ...Well, you ARE a princess are you not?

Amy: Embrace it, Cosmo! You're Tails' princess sent by the heavens!

Cosmo: *meeeep*

((Odd that one of the first mentions of a pre-Sonic Adventure game turned out to be Tails and the Music Maker! Also given Sonic Advance 3's sound test is the only one without an animation to go along with it other then a static chao image. Maybe in CHZ's timeline, it's Cosmo playing Tails' flute))

[Amy Rose sound test sprite ripped by Spitfya, Cream sound test sprite ripped by Frario]

[per-the-jellicle-magician]

I don't have the money to really start making any of the cosplays that I want but I've decided I want to make the tails as they were in Warsaw aka from real fur, so while I save enough money for the wig and fabrics and all the other stuff I'm gonna try and slowly thrift as many bits of fur as I can

I've already got a bit of a fur collar and falling apart fur cap that I've thrifted in the last 2 years, however many more bits to go

[ultramantr1gger]

i cant really do sonic game conversations on here this is the site where all the sonic fans prefer story over gameplay on how they rate them. and i dont like that

[marxist-amy-rose]

Music Maker Sweep or you’re not a true Communist.

[charlieslowartsies]

FINISHED MY TOOTHLESS PLUSH!!

Materials, info and some comments under the RM!

Toothless' Pattern I purchased

Materials: 6 yards of black minky 1 yard red minky 5 yards of Poly-Fil extra loft medium quilt batting 18 oz of poly pellets (4 oz in each foot) 2 Mainstay firm bed pillows for stuffing 1 spool of purple thread for the top stitching details on his tail, hip and main wings 2.5 spools of black thread Dark green, lime green, goldenrod and light yellow embroidery floss black acrylic paint white fabric paint Velcro one very old, small and cranky sewing machine who somehow survived this ordeal several comfort shows, podcasts, and music to listen to

This was my winter break project! Granted I started bits and pieces of the process in early December, but once my two weeks off hit he really started getting worked on lol.

I know it's hard to tell from photos, but he is A BIG CHONGUS. Toothless is 5.5 feet from head to tail tip, and has a 9 foot wingspan. He weighs about 8 lbs.

He took about 60ish hours and was very complex. My budget was $200 and he came in at $202! That includes things like the bulldog clips that I bought when he was being pinned because the minky was so slippery! This cost EXcludes a sewing machine, or things like an embroidery ring which my mom had, so I was very lucky in several areas—but he still was not cheap, either by expense or by time and sweat/tears!

Of course, the minky was by far the most of the cost, coming in at $122. I’d say the batting would be next, but I waited and snagged a good deal at my local craft store and got the batting for $18. I HIGHLY recommend buying bed pillows. The original maker of the pattern used IKEA pillows I believe.

I increased his size by 20%, so I printed him at 120% and guesstimated on the minky amount. My WORST mistake was forgetting to mirror the WINGS, which meant I had to recut two of the four pieces of fabric. (I should have marked it on the pattern, which I did mark well for things like number count.) Had I not done this, I would have used a lot less minky. I bought 7 yards and only needed 5.5 before my error.

(Now I’ve got scraps and a whole yard left sitting there whispering that it wants to be made into a Krobus plushie…who seems much less of a hurdle than Toothless.)

I stuffed Toothy’s hip fins and tail fins with one layer of quilt batting. His wings however, are double layered with the batting for extra plush, warmth, and durability. His eyes are hand embroidered (my first time!) but stitched on with the machine. Toothless has poly pellets in his feet to help support his bulk, but most of his weight is in his body, hips and start of his tail so he actually sits up really well.

He was a huge labor of love for sure! The pattern was great, the instructions were…less great. But my mom helped me figure out a lot of the troubling bits. Some parts were easy to follow and others were basically "bing bong fuck ya life." Despite that, I do suggest this pattern. But this is definitely an intermediate or advanced pattern. They also sell the eyes for those that have access to an embroidery machine.

I followed the pattern closely as I desired. I did omit the back spikes on his rear legs, and I couldn’t embroider his lil nose by hand ^^; I also did not make his blue alpha fins because of expense and mistrust in my own skills...also, I kinda wanted HTTYD1 Toothless haha. I love the series as a whole but the og movie is literally one of the reasons I went to college, and it went into my thesis as well.

I want to remake his prosthetic at some point when I have time and energy, but for now I’m pleased with 99% of him, especially since this is my first plushie I’ve ever made. I do not regret any of my personal changes and I’m totally in love with him.

[invisiblequeen]

For @femboytrait's BC: may I introduce...Aylo Typhe? (and her pet bird Olya?)

Age: Young Adult

Pronouns: She/Her

Orientation: Pansexual

Hometown: Somewhere in Batuu

Current Town: Unknown

Occupation: Officially? Freelance Computer Support Specialist

Aspiration: Hope vs Order

Traits: Perfectionist, Charming, Proper

Likes: Fitness, White, Blue, Deception, Physical Intimacy, Batuu Music, METAL MUSIC, Cerebral Sims, Idealist SIMs, Programming, Robotics

Dislikes: Black, Green, Malicious Interactions, Arguments, Electronica Music, Focus Music, Argumentative Sims, Emotional Decision-makers, Rock Climbing, Photography, Mixology

Batuu's decades-long war between the first order and the resistance has reached critical heights of violence, with the former's military doubling and the latter's casualties mounting. The best hope for ending the war early lies not in combat, but in infiltration. Intel. Espionage.

Enter Aylo Typhe, the Rebels' secret weapon. For 7 years, she worked undercover as a promising officer, then Captain, of the ISB. Her intel has been VITAL to the cause, saving countless rebels as well as civilians. Her unofficial galactic position as assassin, however, is where moral rationale goes to die.

She never forgives herself when she has to take a life, even less so when she tries to balance the odds by killing some low-level empire zealot. It is a secret only the top-brass at the Resistance knows, and their understanding has only hurt more.

Now, at the tail-end of the war, she has faked her death on both sides by blowing up the Death Star and escaping at the last second with a deauthorized pod. Landing in Oasis Springs, far from the reach of any straggling siths and a pet crow on her side, she resolves to live a full life, on behalf of all those who couldn't. Part of that full life includes love.

WHAT DO WE THINK?

[sonichedgeblog]

Tip-Toe Past Coconuts 'Tails & The Music Maker' SEGA PICO

[fyeahsonicthehedgehog]

[galacticghoste]

OK im a speak my thoughts on the movie, I'm a try to cover everything i remember

Obviously don't take what I say too seriously it's just my opinion

Spoilers obviously

OK LET ME JUST SAY

I LOVVVVVVEEEEEEDDDD THE MOVIE IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME ME AND MY FRIEND KEPT FAN GIRLING AT RANDOM SCENES AND REFERENCES

Which btw LOVE ALL THE REFERENCES I know i probably missed a bunch but a fun one someone pointed out to me was when sonic say a back to the future quote I didn't even notice 😅

Also Knuckles being afraid of ghost makes sense i keep forgetting i played Adv2 and friend reminded me that oh yeah he dose fear ghost even Casper

"There are no friendly ghost" 🤣

Anyways now MARIA GHAAAAAAAA I LOVED HER SHE SO SWEET AND CUTE AND IT IS NICE TO SEE HER JUST BE A NORMAL KID WHO JUST HAPPEND TO LIVE WITH HER GRANDFATHER and also the fact she roller skates, plays music and dose arts which IM SO GLAD ABOUT HEHEH and was just being a kid was just so sweet

The way she finds a way to get shadow out of the lab and it's by using a teddy bear my HEART and maria being reckless and a bit of trouble maker is SO HER

And and she used shadow as a way to get around faster hit me at my childhood I was shadow as a kid my lil cuz would tie a rope to my bike and I would just bike around as they did nothing. 🤣

BUT LOOK

Idk i feel like the movie needed more time to get more things fleshed out it dosent fully feel like they got everything there

Seeing the film now i understand why Amy or anyone else couldn't be in it their just wasn't enough time

though I already knew this i just felt like complaining about it bc I was grieving the fact they took Amy's scene but since in the movie shadow doesnt lose his memories so Amy wouldn't be able to do much and helping him remember if their nothing to remember it wouldn't be impactful, i do hope they interactat some point they are a cute duo

I think more time was needed too because of Director rockwell, you saw the way she started taking charge and looking like she was gonna take over Commander Walter's place and be new leader it felt like there was gonna be more with her like a betrayal and turn over power to her making herself the leader and those could explain why commander Walter just give the key to sonic bc idk why trust him so easly WITH THE KEY TO DESTROYING THE FUCKING PLANET???

Also the fact the Donut Lord was able to just easly fool her didn't feel satisfying she gave up way to fast for someone who looked like her roles were gonna lead to something even if it was just plane hate for sonic and his friends.

Also I can see why shadow may not like tails Bro literally almost drowned him and stone and interrupted his Novela and didnt even let him eat his "Revenge Guacamole"

(The fact shadow named it that was so CUTE bc ahhh sweet boy my heart!)

Also i do like how shadow remained loyal to Gerald throughout the whole thing really shows how much he cares about the family he as left and how he was fine with dieing if it ment avenging Maria

But I find it interesting that he questions his action a bit late like dude you just now thought about that? I think it would have been better if he questions his action from the beginning but kept using the excuse that this is what Maria wanted or something like that it would given maybe a bit more build up to what Gerald says to him to make him stop questions it

Obviously their no way Maria wanted to destroy the earth even Gerald knew that yet never says it out loud just says "remember what they took from us" and that was enough for shadow to stop thinking about it

Also THE FUCKING FACT SHADOW JUST BEEN LIVING THE SAME NIGHTMARE FOR 50 YEARS HURTS ME POOR GUY

And the fact he says that the sadness was kinda what he got use to and ever knew

(I kin i just dont have nightmares my brain just like to remind me of stuff)

Also did the government just keep him alive bc he was some alien from another planet?

Also he didn't seem to be too young when. He arrived to earth so dose he have amnesia from wherever he was from what was his childhood before maria did he even have one? U would think they would have diesected him and study him while be was put to sleep/frozen for so long

He's been reliving the same events for so long but one day it was enough to wake him up thx to Gerald

Also DOES GEROLD GO TO Comicons?!?! bc ahhh he was saveing that giant arm for it XD

Also speaking on Maria again I'm a bit disappointed by the fact they decide to not cover the fact that Maria was sick or that shadow was supposed to be a cure for her as well as a weapon

I need more scene of the both of them and their lives back in the research facility

I don't think the cover much on him even being the ultimate life form at all or the other experiment or the FACT THEY ARE NOT IN SPACE

I FUCKING KNEW IT I FUCKING KNEW THEY WEREN'T IN SPACE THE SCENES WE GOT WERE ENOUGH PROOF TO SHOW IT HEHHEEHEHEHEH

Its a bit disappointing It doesnt feel as impactful when shadow dose get to step outside for the first time

ALSO I ALREADY WISH WE GOT THE SCENE OF MARIA SAYING SAYONARA AND SHADOW BEING DEPRESSED IN THE TUBE AS HE LANDS TO EARTH

The closest thing to it was when he was captured and tased to enter the tube again and the look of betrayal and sadness and later anger in his face AHHH

His back story in this one is giving Venom vibes with the space rock and him being inside it like its a fucking egg, HE IS LITERALLY JUST AN ALIEN he's NOT SOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENT LIKE WHAT?!?!

Where was he from is he still from the same planet as sonic?

I AM curious on what this will lead to and if we learn more I HOPE WE DO bc that movie did NOT COVER ENOUGH ON THAT SHIT

ALSO THE FACT SHADOW REACTS THE WAY HE DOES WHEN HE SEES SONIC SPECIFICALLY MAKES TOTAL SENSE

HE has never seen another hedgehog

HECK IM WILLING TO BET HE DIDNT EVEN KNOW HE WAS POSSIBLY ONE UNTILL THEN

HE literally would ask Maria if she's scared of him bc he knows everyone else is afraid of him and was worried Maria may be afraid too AHH POOR BABY (no more monster movies for him)

But yeah a bit disappointed I KNOW THEY AINT GONNA DO EVERYTHING THE SAME IM NOT THAT STUPID BUT IDK I JUST FEEL like they only cut that shit out bc they didn't have time which if that's the case it might as well been a two parter film it would give more time to flesh out the characters and give more impact to emotional scenes

(Who knows if they make TV show it would help cover some backstory on him)

Bc that scene with the commander didn't hit i didn't feel too much sympathy and I know i should but the scene wasn't giveing it for me

NOW A SCENE THAT WAS IMPACTFUL

Was when Gerald said to Egg man "your no Maria" I FELT SO BAD FOR EGG MAN

UGH MY POOR DUDE

No but Literally he was in a orphanage his whole life and he ever bothered to get him

Im guessing egg man was born while Gerald may have been in jail or he just didn't care enough.

He either never knew about him or didn't care bc i know he was in jail but egg man is probably a similar age Maria was back then so him never bothering to get him just means he only cared for Maria and kinda shadow he did say KIDS and instead of Just referring to Maria so I think he still got crazy at some point while in jail.

But I wonder why they Commander lied

Yes their was an accident that could have been avoided but it wasn't because of shadow it was bc some dumb ass who decided to shot at some kids and an old man they missed but it cost Maria her life

also why the hell is shadow not reacting more strongly to Maria's death that was his fucking sister

I DONT THINK I SAW A SINGLE TEAR FROM HIM AND THAT DOESNT MAKE SENSE HE IS KNOWN TO CRY AT LEAST A BIT FOR LOSING MARIA BRO SHOULD HAVE BEEN SCREAMING IN PAIN BUT NOPE SILANCE AND ANGER UGHH WHY CANT CHARACTERS CRY ANYMORE not even the memory of it made him cry

Also HOW AND THE HELL IS IT that shadow was just being studied so lightly if he really is and full on Alien bro would have been diesected by now or at least have scars or memory's of it but nope nothing

(YES I KNOW ITS A FUCKING KIDS FILM IM JUST SAYING SHIT would make WAY MORE SENSE IF THEY AT LEAST MENTION IT if they didnt want to show it)

Also i was expecting him to be a bit more edgey i dont mind that he isn't but idk he just seemed depressed the enter movie poor guy needs therapy

I found if sweet that egg man got to expramce everything he missed out of In the film (probably what shadow wanted for him and maria)

Its interesting how shadow and Maria don't have to many lines together it feels like she only talked 1 or twice and that's it i wish their was MORE OF THEM

Also i found it interesting how shadow kept mentioning during their fight that sonic became just like him when it came to revenge and how he kept mentioning that sonic left to fight him against his friends wishes it feels like he saying he shouldn't have made the choice he did kinda like saying he would have done better if he was in his position or like he should be grateful (idk that's just my view on that scene i liked it)

Also the way sonic tells shadow that the pain doesn't go away but he can change the way he views that pain and how he can remember that the love he had for her will always stay

Its sweet but didn't feel that impactful as I thought it would be the word were but idk i think they should have lingered a bit more on the scene or something it feels a bit fast paste at time.

ALSO HAS ANYONE SEEN SHADOWS EYES ARE PINK WHEN HE GOES SUPER?!?!?!?! YESSSSSSSSZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAHHHHHH

Also LOVE HOW SHADOW AND SONIC BATTLE TOGETHER IN THE END THEY WERE AWESOME

But then in the final part when trying to stop the laser from killing the earth later separate them with sonic kinda takeing the place of shadow falling scene and shadow just goes poof for a bit

bro literally just cares to get a task done and not save anyone he doesnt save stone when their place was flooded and now sonic

Also glad eggman still kinda pissed on the moon

BRO HAD ME WORRIED FOR A MOMENT THAT HE MAY BE DEAD BUT NOPE HE GOOD AHHHHHHHHHHHH AND THE WAY HIM AND EGG MAN DID SACRIFICE THEMSELVES TOO?!?! UGH THE BLISS SHADOW MUST HAVE FELT TO MAYBE REST IN PEACE AND EGG MAN REDMETION ARC WITH STONE WHILE IN AN ARK AHHHHHH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH HE CARES AHH

But I was SO SCARED THAT SHADOW REALLY DEAD IN THAT ONE my friend had to keep reassuring me that he's not dead they wouldn't let him die but i was like BUT THEY COULD?!?!

But nope they were right he alright 👍🏼

OK MY BIGGEST JOY WAS SEEING AMY

FUCKING YESSSSSSSSSSS I FUCKING HAD A FEELING IT WAS GONNA BE HER IT HAD TO BE IF THEY DECIDED TO CUT HER FROM THAT FUCKING FILM AND NOT JUST HER BUT METAL SONIC TOO??? BUT NOW WHO MADE METAL???

I have so many questions not enough answers anyways fuck you I think Amy is important and im so FUCKING GLAD SHE FINALLY SHOWS UP AHH GIRLY IS IMPORTANT and she gonna be a battle machine AHHH

Can't wait to see her reason from fighting all those robots who are METAL!!!

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

How Our Flag Means Death transformed Rhys Darby into a merman

Take a deep dive into Stede and Blackbeard’s big underwater reunion, featuring Kate Bush and buckets of glitter.

Warning: This story contains spoilers for Our Flag Means Death season 2, episode 3, "The Innkeeper."

How do you turn a pirate into a mermaid? All you need is a loyal crew, a killer soundtrack, and lots and lots of glitter.

Our Flag Means Death season 2 reunites swashbuckling lovers Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) after their tragic parting in season 1. An injured Blackbeard is hovering near death, stranded in a purgatory-like dream world after his crew attempted mutiny. He plunges off a cliff, sinking deep into the sea, and it seems as if his past regrets will drag him into the darkness. Then, a light appears, and Kate Bush starts to play: It's Stede, carrying a trident and sporting a golden fish tail. Merman Stede coaxes Blackbeard back to life, and together, they swim upwards into the light.

It's a moment that's simultaneously silly and heartfelt, a perfect encapsulation of the show's signature tone. Series creator David Jenkins says he and the writers have wanted a merman Stede scene for years, and it comes at the, ahem, tail end of episode 3, written by Alyssa Lane and Alex Sherman and directed by Andrew DeYoung. The sequence itself isn't long, but it proved to be a monumental undertaking, requiring careful collaboration from the visual effects team, stunts, hair, makeup, costumes, music, and more.

"When you're working on smaller shows like this that need big visual effects, you have to be very resourceful about how you do things," visual effects supervisor David Van Dyke tells EW. "I feel like the underwater sequence was a really great culmination of all the departments really working together and maximizing our resources."

With the episode streaming now on Max, EW caught up with a few key members of the OFMD crew, who break down exactly how they transformed Darby into a merman — fish tail and all.

Gypsy Taylor's sketch of merman Stede for 'Our Flag Means Death' | CREDIT: GYPSY TAYLOR

A sailor's tail

Originally, the plan was to use a green screen to give Darby a CGI tail. But it was costume designer Gypsy Taylor who pushed back, arguing that she and her team could build a practical tail that looked gorgeous and functioned underwater.

"I was like, 'Please make my dreams come true!'" she tells EW with a laugh. "'I want to make Rhys Darby a mermaid!'" It helped that Darby himself was game: The actor served in the New Zealand army, so he's a more than capable swimmer. He volunteered to film as much of the scene as he could, even if that meant learning to swim with a monofin.  

As she started to sketch, Taylor immersed herself in mermaid imagery, finding inspiration in all sorts of aquatic creatures. Ultimately, she decided on a subtle golden look, one that fit Stede's personality but still brought plenty of drama.

"I delved deep into the mermaid world, and I could have gone all rainbow and big and luscious," she explains.

"But instead I thought, look, if Stede turns into a fish, and it's Blackbeard's dream sequence of what he knows of Stede, then he'd probably just turn into a really sweet goldfish. So, that's where I started. He's just this sweet, loving little goldfish."

Merman tail construction for 'Our Flag Means Death' | CREDIT: GYPSY TAYLOR

For the actual construction, Taylor recruited her longtime collaborator and props maker Hayley Egan. Many fake mermaid tails are sculpted out of a single piece of rubbery silicone, but Taylor wanted to keep Stede's tail as lightweight as possible, so Darby could actually move through the water.

So, she fitted the actor with a stretchy Lycra base, and Egan hand-sculpted and attached about 3,000 individual silicone scales. The final steps were to add the enormous, flipper-like monofin at the bottom, before sewing on thin, gauzy strips of chiffon to give the tail more movement in the water.

A close-up of Rhys Darby's tail in 'Our Flag Means Death' | CREDIT: GYPSY TAYLOR

Taylor worked closely with stunt coordinator Jacob Tomuri to make sure the tail not only looked beautiful but functioned underwater, too. (She also knew that they'd have to film quickly, since the chlorine in the tank could corrode the tail over time.) She carefully monitored the tail's weight — but it still wound up heavier than she anticipated.

"We added a whole lot of weight accidentally by putting five kilograms of glitter in," Taylor admits. "I had to warn the stunt team. I was like, 'I didn't think glitter would be that heavy! But we needed a lot of it. And it's so pretty!'"

The tail required 5 kilograms of glitter | CREDIT: GYPSY TAYLOR

Egan constructed four tails in all: a stunt tail, a tail for Rhys to practice with, and two hero tails for use on camera. Egan assembled them at her workshop in Australia, but she had to stuff them into a suitcase to bring them to the OFMD set in New Zealand. All was well, until she got to New Zealand customs, and the agent asked her: "Are you bringing fish into the country?"

"She was in fits," Taylor recalls, laughing. "She was like, 'Well, actually… I'm bringing four fish into the country.'"

Once the tail was fitted to Darby's body, the makeup and prosthetics team came in to seamlessly blend it to his bare skin, adding even more scales and glitter. But although Darby moved gracefully underwater, navigating dry land proved to be a bigger challenge. Once the actor was encased in his tail, he couldn't move around set, so the crew borrowed a wheelchair from a local New Zealand hospital to transport him to the tank. (See the video below.)

"We'd all go up this ramp together, with him in his little wheelchair, and we'd just sort of dump him in," Taylor explains. "Everyone was trying very hard not to laugh."

Diving deep

Season 1 shot in Los Angeles, but for season 2, Our Flag Means Death relocated to New Zealand. Many scenes were filmed in a studio or on the life-size recreation of the pirate ship Revenge, but Van Dyke, the visual effects supervisor, wanted to take advantage of New Zealand's natural beaches and ocean views — particularly for the scene where Blackbeard plunges off the cliff.

So, the crew scouted a gorgeous spot near Bethells Beach, capturing drone photography and 3-D photogrammetry. "LA's got a ton of great natural resources," Van Dyke explains, "but you might have a guy sitting there on the beach in your shot, drinking a beer out of a cooler that yours truly has to remove."

The actual ocean scenes were shot in an enormous indoor tank. Underwater filming isn't exactly easy, but fortunately, several members of the crew had experience on a certain blockbuster James Cameron production. "Thank God Avatar shot out there because we had a lot of seasoned underwater veterans," Van Dyke says with a laugh. "So, they knew what they were doing."

The tank itself wasn't deep enough to look like a real ocean, so Waititi had to float horizontally underwater, and the image was later flipped to make it seem like he was sinking downward. Then, Van Dyke and his team came in to clean up the shot, adding depth and adjusting the trajectory of bubbles. He also worked closely with Taylor and hair and makeup designer Nancy Hennah, who had to ensure that Waititi's enormous Blackbeard wig didn't float away.  

"Look, CG hair is hard enough, and underwater is even harder," Van Dyke says, explaining that Hennah's meticulous wig work saved his team hours of effort. "There were some things that visual effects had to help out with, but we didn't have to stick a CG wig on him. So, thank you, Nancy, for doing that!"

The perfect soundtrack

Music has always been a major part of OFMD's DNA, and season 1 brought memorably anachronistic needle drops like Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" and Leonard Cohen's "Avalanche." For the Stede/Blackbeard reunion, Jenkins picked an ethereal '80s classic: "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush.

The song was always Jenkins' first choice for the scene, and it was written in the script, but music supervisor Maggie Phillips admits that she initially argued against it. Not only was the song originally written for John Hughes' She's Having a Baby, but it's been used in multiple TV shows and films, including Extras, Love and Basketball, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Even Phillips herself had already placed it in another TV show, using it for a terrifying execution scene in The Handmaid's Tale season 2.

Plus, Stranger Things had just propelled Bush's "Running Up That Hill" to become the song of the summer in 2022. "I mean, I was so excited that the kids discovered Kate Bush," Phillips says with a laugh. "Ultimately, my feeling is that whenever Kate Bush gets exposed to new audiences, that's great. But I was fully like, 'Don't use this song. There's too much baggage.'"

Rhys Darby on the set of 'Our Flag Means Death' | CREDIT: GYPSY TAYLOR

Jenkins pushed back, noting that the song suggestion came from Waititi himself, who's wanted to use it in a project for about a decade. Still, Phillips remained hesitant. "I was like, 'Okay, I still think this is a bad idea,'" she says. "And then I saw a cut of [the scene], and I ate my words."  

Bush's dreamy vocals give the whole sequence an ethereal feel, and Phillips says she loves how the lyrics — "I know you have a little life in you yet/I know you have a lot of strength left" — take on new meaning as Stede coaxes Blackbeard back to life. "I saw it in a totally new context, and I love it," she says. "They actually recontextualize the song and make it work in a new way. I got chills watching it."

Plus, Phillips adds, the scene got one particularly important stamp of approval: "We heard through Kate Bush's management that she was very pleased with the use and very excited, which made me really happy as a huge fan."

Our Flag Means Death airs Thursdays on Max.

Source: EW

[edenityy]

( chapter fifteen ! )

"Music? Oh— or croquet! Boating could be fun?"

Within the walls of Phantomhive Manor sit Leah Barrett and Elizabeth Midford, brainstorming ideas on how to satiate their boredom. Lacking the presence of Ciel to be a mediator and maker of the final decision, the two girls have spent the past ten minutes going back and forth. Still, neither seem entirely interested in each other's suggestions.

Sitting atop one of the lounges in the drawing room, Leah gently rubs her fingers across the material of her amber dress skirts. She is disengaged from the conversation, evident in how she trains her gaze on Elizabeth's canary yellow dress or the relentless way she presses her lips together. Perhaps had she stayed home to recuperate from her time at Noah's Ark Circus, she wouldn't feel so overwhelmed by mere conversation.

"Is it like you are not even listening to me!" complains Elizabeth. "How could you possibly not like a single activity I named?"

Effectively being snapped out of her trance, Leah swallows and reluctantly meets the blonde in the eye. "It is not that I reject your ideas.. It is just— does it not feel like we do the same few things as women? As if our options are limited. You can only have so much fun before you grow tired of it," her voice trails off towards the end of her sentence.

A sigh escapes Elizabeth, followed by a muffled agreement. Silence also fills the room and works to set a tone of slight discomfort, primarily on Leah's end, both girls letting their eyes wander to different spaces of the room.

Leah points a finger to her chin before glancing back up at her friend. "Horseback riding?" she suggests, not expecting a thrilled answer.

The Midford's face immediately lights up in a smile. "That sounds quite lovely!"

"You know how to ride, yes?" asks Leah as she stands from her seat and smooths out her dress skirt. "You can ride on my horse if not."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth follows suit and skips towards the door of the drawing room. "I believe I should be fine! I'm sure if I need help, you are capable," she grins widely.

"My Lady," Thomas interrupts before Leah has a chance to react to Elizabeth's words. "Riding can be dangerous. Surely there are safer activities you can do this afternoon?"

Stopping in her tracks, the young Barrett turns around to face her butler, face displaying utter irritation at the sound of his voice. "Thomas.. just get the horses and riding clothes. If it bothers you that much then ride behind us. Just keep quiet!" she almost raises her voice in anger.

Leah exits the room with Elizabeth on her tail, nearly stomping down the halls for the guest room she was given. Back in the drawing room, Thomas doesn't have the chance to respond before he must arrange everything, heading out of the room as well but purposely taking a different path to give the Barrett her space.

Walking down the halls, the teenagers have slowed their speed now that Leah has calmed, allowing Elizabeth to not have to exert herself to keep up. The sound of labored breathing dissipates as the brunette regains her composure, shaking her head to clear her previous thoughts of anger.

"That butler is so irritating.." complains Leah, moving her hair out of her face. Today the brown locks are styled half down with a braid going across the back while Elizabeth is wearing her infamous pigtails.

Elizabeth's face wears an expression similar to surprise. "He is not all that bad. All he did was suggest a safer activity."

The pair approach their rooms with small steps.

"I know. I think I let him anger me so much over trivial things that now Thomas merely existing seems to offend me.." Leah's voice fades, fully aware that her distaste towards the butler is unjustified.

Steps slowing to a stop, the girls enter their respective rooms to prepare for the afternoon ahead.

— ౨ৎ —

The grand doors of the manor are pushed open by Thomas who stands tall, a display of nature behind him, giving a false sense of security with the February air that nips at their noses. Stepping aside for the ladies, he watches them file out and make their way toward the horses he fetched and brought around to the front of the manor.

Both the Barrett and Midford wear riding habits, Leah wearing one in pine green while Elizabeth chose azure. Leah is the first of the two to attempt to get close to the animals, taking a peek at the horse's face before trying to mount herself, promptly being interrupted by the butler ten steps behind her.

"Allow me, My Lady," says Thomas as he arrives by her side, shifting himself to bend his knees.

Giving him an askew glance, Leah — with the help of Thomas — hoists herself up and places her foot upon his right shoulder. Thomas strictly follows the way to help a lady mount a horse, getting his master on the saddle and strapping in everything necessary. Settling down in her spot, Leah steadies herself on the horse and watches as Thomas assists Elizabeth before getting on a horse himself.

Leah adjusts her riding hat. "Your lead. I suppose we shall just go around the manor," she speaks up and sends a nod to Elizabeth beside her.

"Alright!" Elizabeth muses, slowly allowing her horse to begin a trot.

Following suit, Leah swerves her horse to position herself on the blonde's right side, acting as a stand-in man. Just a couple of feet behind the teenagers, Thomas keeps a respectful distance but acts as a supervisor, ready to intervene if necessary.

The ride is initially quite silent, only the faint sounds of rustling leaves or chirping birds fill the gap. Neither attempt conversation. Beneath them, the horses keep a steady pace and walk around the perimeter of Phantomhive Manor. Only occasionally does Leah glance in Elizabeth's general direction to ensure she doesn't fall from her horse.

Elizabeth glances over at Leah warily. "I am glad we are doing this. It has been some time since we have been able to be together like this," she smiles, trying to strike conversation without making her friend feel uncomfortable.

"Yes, I suppose it has been some time," responds Leah. "Life moves quite quickly, does it not?"

"It does. Soon enough, we'll be of age to make our social debuts. Then get married," Elizabeth has a face that reads of bliss for the future, unlike Leah who shows apprehension at her words.

Turning a swift corner, a breeze passes through the girl's hair. The atmosphere feels serene. Even being beside something as simple as a manor rather than the pure outdoors, it still manages to draw people in. Not far behind them, the shuffles of Thomas can be heard but go unnoticed despite the man watching them like a hawk.

"Sometimes it feels as though I barely got time to be a child.. but I suppose that is just how life is. We all have to grow up eventually," sighs Leah. Her disdain for the future ahead, no matter how prepared she could be, is clear.

Nodding along to her words, Elizabeth pouts in response but it is masked by something almost euphoric. "Well I am happy I get to grow up with you," she turns her head completely to drag her eyes across her friend's face, admiring someone who has been a constant in her life for years.

Leah's hand gripping the lead twitches and tears prick the corners of her eyes, bringing her head up to meet the green eyes of Elizabeth that hold nothing but fondness in them. For the first time in what feels like a long time, a genuine smile pulls at the corners of the brunette's mouth until her teeth show. Despite the internal issues she may struggle with when it comes to Elizabeth, she cannot deny that the girl is indeed her friend.

"I am grateful I get to grow up with you as well.." her face glows under the sunlight, a newfound sense of happiness that comforts the Barrett.

Returning their gazes ahead, the pair let their horses pick up speed and enjoy the feeling of the wind pushing against their face. As the afternoon wears away, they make gleeful — though sometimes forced — conversation and manage to hold onto topics. Even after months of little chance for interaction, Leah and Elizabeth can always somewhat keep the spark ignited within them, bleeding into the cold February air that envelops them like a hug that they cannot currently give the other.

— ౨ৎ —

Crash!

Leah shoots up in her bed with a gasp, the typically heavy sleeper awoken by the unpleasant — and unbelievably loud — sound of a noise that is uncomfortably close to her bedroom. Pushing the undone hair off of her shoulder, she sits up fully in a sideways kneel. Any further sound is nonexistent, making her tense up as she keeps her eyes trained on the door, despite her difficulty to see with only small gleams of moonlight being the lamp of the room.

Shaky breaths escape from her parted lips and she swings her legs over the side of the bed, reaching beneath the plush furniture to reach for a sword she keeps hidden. The cold floor pricks her fingertips while she blindly feels around before grasping the sword handle and gripping it uncomfortably tight, her knuckles would look white if her hands weren't already pale.

Rising from the safety of the soft blankets, Leah steadily approaches the door with quiet steps, keeping the sword held tightly against her back. Her footsteps are the only sound that reaches her ears, lifting a hand to wrap it around the door handle. Cracking the door open, she warily sticks her head out. Standing just a few feet outside the door, Finnian walks in a straight line in her direction, a small patch of blood shining beneath the light on the previously spotless floor.

"..Finnian?" Leah whispers, her hands clinging tightly to the door.

The gardener steps slowly as he stops before her door. "You should be asleep, My Lady! It's late, you need your rest," his words are quiet but his eyes are wide and pupils small, emitting an unnerving aura.

"What were those sounds?" asks Leah. Her eyes are equally as wide, but full of fear rather than the startling look from the typically cheerful gardener.

Finnian's eyes flicker to an undistinguishable emotion. "Don't worry about it.. We're taking care of it. Please get back in bed."

Shifting on her feet uncomfortably, Leah rubs her thumb over the handle of the sword in an attempt to make herself feel better. She opens the door a bit wider but Finnian stops the movement.

"What's happening?" the Barrett demands an answer.

"Please—"

"Answer me."

The sudden shift in Leah's tone is one Finnian has never heard before, stilling his movements. They both stare into each other's eyes. Silence.

"There is an intruder.. but please don't panic," Finnian whispers, unable to pull his eyes away from Leah's.

Leah's eyes trail over to the small pool of blood on the floor and her finger twitches. "Is Elizabeth safe?"

She is only offered a nod in response before gunshots sound from the end of the hall. Flicking her eyes to Finnian's, she glances out the door and runs down the hall, the sound of her footsteps pattering against the floor.

"It's dangerous, My Lady! Please go back to bed!" calls Finnian as he runs after her, surprised by Leah's speed.

Rounding the corner, Leah's breathing is slightly labored and her grip on the sword tightens at the sight. Standing at the end of the hallway is Dagger and Beast, staring back at her with wide eyes. Her steps slowly come to a stop and she can hear Finnian approach her from behind, unable to rip her eyes away.

"Diamond..?" Dagger's voice is low.

A shaky breath is the only thing Leah can offer in response, glancing warily at the knives clenched in his hands. 'What are they doing here? They aren't supposed to be here!'

Leah holds the sword to her stomach. "I'm sorry I lied.. I didn't mean to," she shakes her head at her words, tears pricking the corner of her eyes.

The circus performers glare, observing her uneasy stance with disdain. Against his better judgment, Dagger sends a knife straight past the Barrett's head and listens to her shriek.

"Prying into our lives. Take advantage of our hospitality. You nobles are all the same!" Beast's voice nearly becomes a yell and she retrieves her whip from her side, flashing it to frighten the teen.

There's a flash of something in Leah's eyes. Hurt. It only seems to last for a quick moment, her eyes darkening into contempt.

"You know, I did not think you people were all that bad. But it seems it stands true that the poor are only a burden," Leah clenches her teeth and wields her sword. "How dare you invade my home!"

Dagger and Beast hardly have a moment to react before the Barrett is charging at them, her feet pounding against the floor. Any previous anger she bottled up is released, showing in the swing that she aims directly for Dagger's head, only to have to dodge Beast's whip.

Hastily grabbing another knife, Dagger begins to swing and nearly cuts Leah's nightgown in the process. However, further attempts at injury fail when Finnian takes the chance to send a statue flying their way.

"Leave the lady alone," he calls out, voice lacking emotion yet a wide smile sits on his face.

Rubble and dust fill the air, prompting coughs but that doesn't deter the young Leah from taking the chance to swing rapidly at her targets. 'How is Finny capable of lifting those things? It doesn't matter.. He is giving me the upper hand.' She tries to steady her breathing as she lands a hit on Beast's arm, only to be forced to duck from a flying knife.

Eyebrows knitted in anger, Leah glances back at Finnian who holds another statue before dragging her eyes back to Dagger. "Would you like to make the fight fair?" she asks.

Throwing herself in the direction of a wall, she sticks her sword out at the same time Finnian chucks another statue, causing half of its length to shatter. Taken aback by this, Dagger and Beast don't get a moment to react before Leah violently swings at them again, almost landing a hit on Dagger before he is pulled back by Beast.

"You people are insane!" Dagger yells.

Finnian lifts a statue over his head. "We're just exterminating the mice," he pulls it back and sends it flying.

The circus performers continue deeper into the manner, but this doesn't deter Leah nor Finnian from chasing after them. Glancing behind him, Dagger grunts and throws a knife directly at Leah, missing when she ducks to the floor. But given the advantage, Beast can land a small hit with a whip on the Barrett's leg, only enough to cause pain but still reddening the skin.

Leah gasps and takes ahold of her leg, pain written all over her face as she watches Finnian throw yet another statue. 'Just where is he getting them from?' Nonetheless, she gets back on her feet and tries to follow after the pair flying down the steps but is stopped by the gardener.

"My Lady, please go back to bed. Us servants can handle it!" Finnian looks worried as he smiles down at the girl.

The Barrett pouts. "But—"

"Please.." he nearly begs. "For your safety."

A sigh escapes Leah but she nods, allowing her sword to escape her hand and drop to the floor with a rattle. Reluctantly separating herself from the situation, she heads off down the hallway and steps past the mess she helped create, lacking the will to feel sympathy for Dagger or Beast.

'It truly is a shame. I thought they were quite nice..'

When Leah rounds the corner and enters the hallway that leads to her room, her breath bitches at the sight before her. Thomas.

There is no face. It almost looks molten, like it cannot choose what form it wants to take until it settles on all black amidst the night. The eye holes are gaping and the teeth razor sharp, lacking the lips to keep them contained in it's mouth. His body— It's body is lengthy and mangled, only the legs seeming in tact to resemble any form of a human.

But just as quick as she sees it, the face uncomfortably melts back into the face she's seen since adolescence. Thomas. This can't possibly be Thomas though, can it? This isn't Thomas this is—

She lifts a shaky finger. "You're that thing I saw all those years ago.." Leah whispers, struggling to breathe.

"Whatever are you talking about, My Lady?" Thomas tilts his head, choosing to play coy.

Leah shakes her head and takes a step back, nearly tripping over her own feet. 'No..'

— ౨ৎ —

Cold. The night was cold.

Leah Barrett, freshly five at the time, ventured out of her room knowing that she was not meant to be doing so. That never stopped her though, she always enjoyed the feeling of being able to roam freely on her own. But she wished she hadn't that night.

The soft sound of her bare feet against the floor was the only thing to fill the silent halls, most of the servants were even retiring for the night. It was January. Barely ending the holiday season. The cold on her translucent skin hardly pushed her away, prompting her to walk further into the dark.

Children naturally hold curiosity. Leah was no exception.

She continued down the hall, turning a corner into a part of the manor she had hardly ever gazed upon. But it wasn't the dark she was scared of when she looked into the depths. It was an ungodly sight.

The molten face. The missing eyes. The mangled body. Little Leah cried out, taking the largest step back she could with her short legs. It twitched. To the creature, the young brunette was nothing short of wondrous. It spent years silently watching. Seeing the shining tears that fell down her porcelain cheeks, it was enamored.

But what was it? What invoked such feelings within a being such as Thomas? What was so interesting about a young girl? Whatever it was, the creature's interest had been peaked, unidentifiable sounds ringing out into the void.

Leah tightened her grip on her stuffed bear, breathing shakily and holding back noises of horrified sobs. She didn't even realize she was previously stuck in place until her legs bolted her back in the direction of her room, leaving behind the awful noise that only seemed to echo in her head.

Letting the sounds escape, the young girl ran directly inside her bedroom to find Anna who was no older than twelve at the time.

"Mistress, I was just about to start looking for you. What are you doing out of bed at this hour?" the maid questioned, leaning down to try and get a better look at the child.

The attempt to examine Leah was a failure though, as she immediately collided with her and wrapped her short arms around her legs. Loud sobs rang out and Leah's tears began to stain Anna's dress, the bear previously in her arms was discarded to the floor.

Anna's eyes widened. "What is wrong, Mistress?"

"I saw a monster!" cried Leah, streaks of tears painting her cheeks.

Picking up the small girl, Anna brought her over to her bed and sat her down on the plush blankets. "There, there.. Monsters don't exist. I'm sure you just thought you saw something in the dark." she tried to reassure the child but the lack of emotion on her face was clear.

"But—" Leah tried to counter the maid's argument.

"No buts. Now please try and sleep, Mistress. It is well past your bedtime. The nannies will be upset if you are in a terrible mood tomorrow," Anna stroked Leah's hair and settled her beneath the covers.

The young Barrett couldn't find it in herself to protest any longer, the weight of her exhaustion having hit her the second her head felt the pillow. Beside Anna, Leah always felt safe. But whatever Thomas was.. it haunted her for many years to come.

— ౨ৎ —

Moonlight streams in through the windows, illuminating Thomas' blonde hair and the strange look painting his face when he notices Leah creating distance. Her discomfort is undeniable though, shakily stepping away from him and unable to control the volume of her breathing.

"I— I need a moment.." Leah whispers, unsure of what to say but takes off for the balcony.

Thankfully — or perhaps not so much — the balcony is close by, the fresh air flooding Leah's nose and almost calming her. The wind blows through her hair, the leaves rustling in the far distance. The atmosphere is nearly perfect. 'Surely I'm just going crazy. Yes. This is all a dream. None of this is real. None of this—'

"You know you're not supposed to be around balconies unsupervised, My Lady," Thomas speaks up from behind her, standing in the entryway. "It would be a shame if we were to have a repeat."

Leah's breath hitches. Staring down at the ground beneath her, her body tenses. It only gets worse when Thomas approaches and places a firm hand on her shoulder, his eyes matching the look Finnian previously held. Empty.

The butler's eyes drag across her face. "I would advise you to step away. It is time for you to rest."

Moving back in an act of defiance, Leah's hand hits the edge of the balcony. Stiffening, her eyes connect with the butler staring down at her, unable to form a sentence. It all came rushing back.

— ౨ৎ —

She was awake when she shouldn't have been. She knew that. When is she ever asleep when she should be?

It was a cold April night, silence throughout the house. Not even the servants were awake in Barrett Manor at this hour, only a fourteen-year-old Leah occupied the hallways.

Her movements were slow and coordinated, almost as if she was being controlled. The hems of her nightgown brushed against her ankles, mimicking a small spring breeze.

Approaching the balcony, the young girl took in a deep breath and stared down at the ground below her. It was far. At least eight yards. Leah took a tight hold on the edge, her hands twitched and shook.

A small tear escaped her eye and fell down her cheek, illuminated by the moonlight that shone above her. Lifting a leg to settle her foot on the balcony's edge, Leah stood tall amidst the world below her. It was peaceful. Serene.

'Why am I doing this?'

She swayed back and forth.

'Would it all be worth it? For..'

Leah closed her eyes and allowed her body to fall forward, feeling the air whip across her face as she plummeted towards the ground.

'Sweet release.'

This peace was short lived though. It was all Thomas' fault. Right into his arms, she fell. A grunt from her end, feeling the appendages wrap around her in a tight hold that she hadn't felt in forever.

"My.." Thomas starts. "What are you doing awake at such an hour?"

The Barrett's eyes slowly opened, blue staring straight into the grass as they filled with disdain. "I hate you. I really do," she muttered.

Thomas stared down at the girl in his arms, a sadistic smile forming on his lips. Walking with a shake of his head, he took off for her bedroom, finding the predicament oddly entertaining.

'I just wanted to feel peace.'

— ౨ৎ —

"No!"

Leah shoves back against Thomas, almost throwing herself over the edge of the balcony in the process. Her breaths are shallow, only worsening when her butler grabs ahold of her wrist.

"It is bedtime," says Thomas as he swings Leah over his shoulder with ease.

The girl protests, the faint sound of continuous gunshots becoming quieter the closer they get to her room. Pounding her fists against Thomas' back, he appears unfazed as he forces the door open and places her down on the bed.

Throwing the blankets over her, Thomas moves back from the bed. "Goodnight, My Lady."

Shuddering under his gaze, Leah gives up on fighting back and settles her head against the pillows. She watches Thomas step out of the room and shut her eyes, trying to forget everything she's just seen. It was nightmare fuel.

Sadly her attempts at sleep are interrupted by the sound of an explosion, startling her and earning a rattled gasp. Sitting up in her bed, Leah gets up for the second time that night and shakily approaches the door. 'Elizabeth is surely fine.. The sound is too far for it to have affected either of our rooms.'

"Leah," the voice lacks any emotion. "Get back in the bed."

Pausing in her tracks, the brunette turns her head over her shoulder. There in the corner of the room is Thomas. Standing there in the chilly night air, staring her down. 'I thought he left..?'

Leah cannot bring herself to defy this time. The look in his eyes is much too threatening, she feels uncomfortable beyond belief as she shuffles back over to the bed. Getting under the covers, she keeps a grip on the blankets and stares at Thomas warily.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asks with a shaking voice, keeping a tight hold on her blanket.

There's a silence that overcomes the room for a moment, almost as if Thomas is thinking before he breaks it. "I would never," he doesn't lie.

"Please go away.." whispers Leah.

A hum sounds from Thomas, looking at the girl in the bed before closing his eyes. Slowly walking towards the door, he turns his head over his shoulder one last time.

"As you wish."

[loop-hole-319]

What mythical horse centaurs I think the batfamily would be.

Bruce - Thestral / Batpony

Ties in well to witnessing his parents death. I think he will be able to control his invisibility although if you have scene death you will be able to see through it regardless.

Dick - Peryton

Specifically that one image of the one with the peacock tail. I just think it fits his flamboyant personality and is so colorful. It would also be dishonorable to give him something that couldn't fly.

Jason - Nightmare

I like to think it was a normal centaur but then something bad happened transforming him into a nightmare. I have a vivid image of him entering a building while wearing a smirk with a giant gun on his shoulder. With every step he takes embers fly from his feathering and a magma like texture spreads from his glowing hooves.

Tim - Kirin/Quilin

His appearance would be similar to the ones in My Little pony. With a horn that looks similar to an antler and a set of sharp fangs from dragon-like traits. With a dark red coat and gold scales with a gold horn and highlights. Also keep the setting itself on fire when pissed off cuz it's funny and opens up a whole bunch of scenarios for him.

Damian - Shadhavarr

Combined with constantly being mistaken for a unicorn with the fact that his horn seems to serve no other purpose then as a noise maker has put a damper on his mental health. After all, a wind instrument being stuck to your head is not beneficial to an assassin. He was supposed to have wings, he was supposed to be a Thestral. Although he did inherit his father's black coat and fluffy ears.

He does eventually find love for music in this AU mirroring his love for drawing.

Cass - Thestral / Batpony

Not much to say for her other than aesthetics and that would look badass. Although she is much more fluffy than Bruce.

Steph - Unicorn

Her highly pigmented shiny purple coat and yellow mane almost make up for the fact she can't use magic.

Babs - Hippocampus

Being a Ichthyocentaur on land would be a lot more upsetting if her tail was partially paralyzed because some asshole The Joker purposefully ran her over with their boat.

Duke - Descendant of Skinfaxi

Despite lacking a horn Duke has the most magic out of everyone in the herd. He can do basic light manipulation and his coat is extremely reflective.

Alfred - A White horse

The one death rode in on.

Jason likes to keep Dicks antler sheds so they can play fight with them later in the year.

Duke and Jason form a glow-in-the-dark club.

Jason likes to piss off Tim to make him flame up. Damian secretly thinks the flames are pretty.

Dick likes to make feather jewelry with his feathers.

Steph paints everyone's hooves she needs help with her back feet.

Babs is only partially paralyzed, she can still swim, albeit as fast as the human can.

Despite three family members having wings, they rarely use them. Dick uses them the most by giving himself extra air time with jumps.

Despite being an extremely lanky awkward foal, Jason was a Shire horse before he died. His running has been described as thunderous.

Jason once kicked a man's head off

When Bart met Tim he got extremely excited over 'horsey' and jumped on his back. Tim immediately bucked him off.

Tim kicked Kon in the nuts (thank you invulnerability) once on reflex because he smacked him on the ass. Kon later defended himself by telling him that he lived on a farm and he gave the horses butt pats all the time and it was ingrained.

Jason likes to play Rodeo with his friends. No one has stayed on for more than 4 seconds.

Once out of the assassin Colt, Damien takes a deep dive into music and learns like seven instruments.

[teamforever]

Sonic Forever 1.5.1 Patch Notes

The update is coming soon. Take a look at the patch notes is a somewhat readable format!

New and Updated Features!

The frame rate of the game can now be toggled between 50 and 60 fps

A work in Progress French option has been added to the display menu

The main menu will display in French, but other screens will still be in English until a future update

The game will now fade in and out similarly to the Mega Drive original

Quality of Life Improvements

The mod menu will show when a mod is held ready to move

New mods added to the game will now appear at the top of the mod list, not the bottom

An option for 16:10 screen ratio has been added to the options menu

Scrolling in several menus has been reworked

Option categories can now be navigated with the L and R buttons

The load function in the special stage maker will move your position to one of the loaded objects, to prevent players from losing their creations

General Tweaks

The year on the title screen has been updated to 2024

Explosion sprites have been tweaked

Gameplay Tweaks

Amy's hammer jump will now have a boosted downwards momentum when used upside down

The HUD and touch controls for Golf Forever have been refined

Sound effects in the menus have been given a little more variation

Arcade Mode will now time over after ten minutes in a level, regardless of time limit setting

Points are no longer awarded at the end of Scrap Brain Zone act 3

Arcade Mode is an exception to this, and a full act results screen will play in that mode

The way the options menu reacts to touch has been changed

Now touching an option will toggle it to the right regardless of where it is touched

The data management menu now works on touchscreens

Bug Fixes

Incorrect goggle positions on certain animations have been corrected

The player and partner Tails can no longer collect the same ring on the same frame

A frame in Super Sonic's spinning bounce animation has been aligned correctly

Adding global objects with game.xml modding will no longer remove existing global objects

Star Light Zone fans spawned in debug mode now work as expected

The collision box on closing peppermint blocks in Special Stages have been adjusted to prevent lockouts

It is no longer possible to load partner Tails in a level with Amy

Shadows on the Portuguese and Spanish pause menus have been corrected

Players should no longer turn super again after cancelling the form

The Green Hill Zone boss will now flash correctly when hit

The backing graphic in the save select menu has been fixed

Tails is no longer able to walk through breakable walls when partnered with Knuckles

The sprites on the water's surface will no longer break on wider screens

The towers in the foreground of Star Light Zone should no longer pop in on wider screens

The main menu music will no longer continue into the save select screen

A patch of incorrect colour on the title screen banner has been fixed

Mixing XML mods and non-XML mods should no longer crash the game

Objects can no longer be rendered permanent and undeleteable in the special stage maker

Technical

Sprites can be drawn with all effects

Do this by adding FX values together, and including the result in the DrawSpriteFX or DrawSpriteScreenFX call

Object Animations can now use all ink effects

The objects of the Boss Rush level are now in the scene files as expected

The music.currentTrack variable will now report as -1 if no music is playing

Objects typically spawned by the Title Card script are now included in scene files as expected

Bubble shield bounce code has been tweaked

Invisible blocks that interact with Knuckles' climb up state now appear correctly in debug mode

The HUD in debug mode can now be expanded by pressing X

This can be dismissed by pressing X again

The global palette is now loaded on all level loads

The multiple languages all now use one sprite sheet for the pause menu

Two new function has been added: SetClassicFade() and ClassicTint()

[dollieguts1010]

PICKY PIGGY HEADCANONS

• She's 12 years old

• Her pronouns are She/Her/Hers

• She's Omnisexual

• Her full name is Picky Maybelline Piggy

• Only her family is allowed to calls her Maybelline

• She has a crush on Bubba Bubbaphant

• Her best friends are Craftycorn and Hoppy Hopscotch

• Her apple necklace was gifted to her by Dogday

• I know her canonical scent is Citrus but I feel like Birthday cake as her scent would fit a lot better

• She becomes the mama of the group, when Bobby isn't being the mama of the group

• She often gossip with Crafty and Bobby while doing arts and crafts

• She's a quilt maker

• She's from the South

• Her and Crafty likes to make big, beautiful, detail, quilts for their friends

• She likes to mudwrestle with Hoppy and Kickin

• Her favorite genre of music is Country

• She likes sweet tea

• She likes making little snacks for her friends

• If the Smiling Critters are having a sleepover then Picky likes to wake up extra early so she can make breakfast for everyone

• She a sweet and sassy little Southern Belle

• Even though her name is "Picky Piggy" she isn't very picky at all when it comes to food in fact, she's more than willing to try all kinds of different food (if anything Hoppy is the picky eater of the group)

(don't get me wrong. there are some foods that she won't eat and taste gross to her)

• She has a incredibley delicate scent and taste buds

• She can tell when food is homemade or processed

• She's usually the taste tester when her friends cook, to see if the food is good or not

• She's the best at cooking and baking

(you take a bite of her food, your soul will ascend to heaven. it's that good)

• HATES when somebody judges her eating habits

• She snorts when she laughs

• She likes giving her friends piggy back rides

• CHUBBY COUNTRY/FARMER GIRL >>>> 👏👏👏

• She has a mini fridge and snack drawer in her bedroom so that way she's doesn't need to get up in the middle of the night

• Picky and her family lives on a farm called "Heaven's Home"

• Bubba, Dogday, Kickin help her out with farm work

• Unlike Kickin, she's not afraid to commit cannibalism against her own people (she'll eat bacon, hotdogs, ham, pork chops, etc...)

• She has 2 older siblings named Jackson and Millie May

• She has a great relationship with her Meemaw

• She likes to listen to her Meemaw stories while baking with her

• She has a great relationship with her family (except for older sister, their relationship is only mutual)

• PB & J's are her comfort food

• If you take her food without her permission, she will slap you without hesitation

• Sometimes she gets insecure about her weight but her friends always reinsures that she's still beautiful

• Sometimes she'll get a bit insecure whenever she's standing next to a prettier girl

• She can morph her hooves into hands at will

• She's the 3nd strongest in the group (she can pick up Bubba with one arm with ease)

• She may not look like but she's actually very smart

• She likes to act dumb only because she thinks it's funny to see people's reactions when they realize she's smarter than she looks

• Only her family and friends know how smart she really is

• Sometimes she'll help Bubba with difficult math problems

• She can jump on her tail and bounce on it like a pogo stick

• When she's sad, her ears become floppy

• Just like any other pig, she likes the mud although she doesn't exactly like rolling in it, she just likes playing in it

• When she gets older, she wants to own her own restaurant called "Piggy's Eatery" and a food truck called "Pig Out"

• She jokes about eating her friends (half of the time she's not joking)

• She calls her friends "Sugar" "Honey" "Darling" "Love" "Sweetheart/Sweetie/Sweet pea" "Doll"

• She likes calling Bubba "Lemondrop" whenever they're alone

• Whenever she's thinking about Bubba, her tail will curl up into a heart

• She likes when Bobby does her makeup

• She likes when Bubba counts the freckles on her face and body

(hc that Picky has freckles, a tooth gap, and a beauty mark)

• She likes listening to Bubba ramble on about his special interest

• She knows how to use an axe (thanks to her parents and meemaw)

• When the Smiling Critters go on a roadtrip, Picky likes to make little snacks and drinks for everyone

That's all for now!

*I will add more later*