#and everyone that isn't Amadeus

[catzy88]

Le Bien Qui Fait Mal

Or, Salieri's descent into bisexual crisis and BDSM madness

[widevibratobitch]

do you ever just cry because. Mozart ensembles.

[inchidentally]

https://www.tumblr.com/piastrisms/755627714405367808/when-i-saw-the-1st-photo-my-first-reaction-was-i?source=share HOLY SHIIIIIIT??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so I'm an idiot and posted this reply to the wrong ask so here it is in the right one !!!

listen !!! we get one of these 'omg he's wearing a ship name/other driver's name bracelet' things fairly regularly and I'm like yes it's cute for the pic but then you watch when these guys are given the bracelets and they're just jamming them onto their wrists without even looking in all the rush. so it was v cute at first seeing the Oscar bracelet on Lando but I was like it's the same situation as usual.

and then !!

like. Lando's pride and sense of ownership about Oscar (in a sweet way) isn't anything new so him deliberately choosing to keep that one bracelet even after changing and showing Oscar during the fan stage is just. it's totally in character.

bc the symbolism babe the symbolism and the poetry of Lando having been literally raised in the house of McLaren and thick as thieves with the team owner and having seen off two older teammates by the time machinations were underway to spirit off one of the sport's greatest generational prizes from the fate of eternal backmarker perjury… Lando's position and sense of responsibility toward McLaren by the time 2022 was winding up was already something higher than the average team's superstar. he was what Max is to RB and Charles is to Ferrari, except without the Amadeus caped father figure looming behind him or the Borgia/Catholic church blood sacrifice and intrigue.

so while everyone understandably foresaw immediate tragedy in pairing Lando with an even younger generational talent and Lando twisted and writhed under the idea of being someone else's "mentor" and the "elder" after about three months he realized what a gift Oscar was to him. Oscar already knew an exceptional amount about Lando, he admired him, he agreed to an open door policy between the garages with no resistance, he never minded when Lando's attitude wasn't exactly the best, was always waiting with a smile when Lando would turn his attention to Oscar, suffered any team orders without argument and wanted Lando to guide and help him with media duties and the heightened attention so that Oscar could hold up his side of things. Oscar entered Lando's house with respect and eagerness and humility without being clingy or trying to use a relationship with Lando to boost his own PR or try to ingratiate himself. Lando almost defiantly made it clear he would remain loyal to his previous teammates (when not on the track) and instead of Oscar getting jealous or deciding to pull away from the relationship with Lando, he just agreed with him because he's been a fan of Carlos and Daniel for just as long and he's been a fan of carland0 and dand0 for as long as they've existed! and then he'd lift his chin and puff up his chest whenever Lando would praise him but otherwise gave Lando the space and respect Lando didn't even realize he needed to become one of the big boys instead of a little brother to one of the big boys. Lando went through a meteoric shift as a driver and a person over 2023 because he no longer had the crutch of an older teammate and that he deserved to view his position with McLaren and in F1 just like they did - and not as the baby. but !! Oscar would help Lando's dyslexia and anxiety by close observation and assistance! Oscar would smile and indulge every time Lando was in one of those moods that Carlos would have firmly scolded him out of or Daniel would have tried to joke him out of before warily backing away from.

because outside of the car or a standing on a podium, Oscar couldn't wait to change into the same kit as the engineers and blend in with the other papaya shirts milling around. he didn't waste time ruing what might have been and therefore he never resented or envied Lando proudly parading his trophies and beaming into Oscar's face or conspiratorially over Andrea's head and calling Oscar by a nickname and bringing up Oscar's good driving. and when Oscar stepped off the podium at Monaco to the team photo, a struggling Lando turned to him and murmured something that had Oscar proudly and reassuringly patting Lando's knee in response.

like. Oscar was the strong, capable, exceptionally talented present that McLaren set down next to Lando and allowed him to discover it and open it in his own time and just. goddddd. him proudly slipping an Oscar bracelet on his own wrist and choosing to keep it on and show it off to it's namesake. like rpf/shipping fully fucking aside Lando is absolutely bursting with pride and smugness about Oscar and that the young man who had the backbone to weather the biggest PR storm of 2022/23 is now unable to take his eyes off Lando and has that soft smile and tilted head reserved just for Lando and likes to stand a step or two behind Lando in front of crowds because he think Lando is most worth showing off. that's His Osc so why shouldn't he wear his name on his wrist after the bitter disappointment at his home race bc at least when it comes to Oscar, Lando always wins :)

[misscammiedawn]

okay i need to ask cause im curious, what are your top 5 bruce banner/hulk stories? i have such a hole in my marvel knowledge about them aside from like. cartoons or w/e of him

Oh, this is a pleasant surprise. Thank you for asking.

We'll be quite happy to hear your favorite DC comics in return sometime, so do hit us up.

So, to answer the question. It's on a sliding scale. Hulk is an interesting character because he's the ultimate incarnation of a typical miscommunication fight-to-friends superhero scuffle. His one against Wolverine was the introduction of that character and both Avengers AND Defenders had elements of that in their origins.

Hulk makes for a glue to the Marvel universe because he is always a hero and yet he can always be fighting against other heroes. More often than not he is.

Assume you've checked out our Essay Posts but for us we want to see a story about Hulk explore different aspects of the character. Our favorite authors for him are Peter David, Greg Pak and Al Ewing. We also prefer stories that deal with Bruce's DID.

#1 is and always will be Immortal Hulk. This 50 issue run is so good it briefly outsold Batman. It's horror themed, references the entire lore of the character and is an anti-capitalism anthem. I once saw a shitpost that said that Immortal Hulk is what Mr. Robot would be if the Alderson System decided to just punch capitalism until it stopped. But sincerely it's introspective, it's respectful of DID in a way I've not really seen many other comics get right and Joe says "Trans Rights" (there's also a prominent trans character who resists propaganda/nostalgia based mind control because she's fucking sick of the world telling her what she is supposed to be and she does not look at her childhood as a safe place to retreat to).

#2 Ground Zero by Peter David. This was about the time that PAD was gearing Hulk from the Mantlo era into his soap opera era and in this era he's writing a Gray Hulk who speaks more than the green guy and isn't the hero that everyone would associate with the character. The best part of this arc by far is the depiction of Sam Sterns, The Leader, and why he is a fun and perfect foil for Hulk/Banner. Just a damn good comic. As its its spiritual follow-up a few years later, Countdown.

#3 Joe Fixit/Vegas Arc by Peter David. Right after Ground Zero. Pretty much anything between Joe's introduction in Vegas as an enforcer up until Samson forces the system to merge into a new alter called The Professor. It's soap opera action but it's fun seeing the Hulk/Banner divide from the perspective of Hulk. Usually Banner is the one trying to prevent the transformations and feeling Hulk is ruining his stability and life but here you have Joe living a happy life and Banner being the thing ruining it for him. Made for some interesting stories for a few years. The scene with Betty and Joe laughing together is one of my favorite moments in comic history.

#4 Planet Hulk. Honestly anything in Pak's run is good (I especially liked the Amadeus Cho stuff with Hercules) but Planet Hulk is rightfully held up as the best of the era and gets consistent adaptations (Thor Ragnarok is pretty much Planet Hulk). Hulk being imprisoned by a barbarian race is actually a fairly common story. I can think of 3 times it has happened off the top of my head. He even gets a love interest in 2 of them. But this one is the perfection of that oddly specific formula.

#5 Crossroads. The Bill Mantlo series which pretty much all modern Hulk takes inspiration from knowingly or otherwise. 80s Hulk was a weird time because of the TV show bringing a lot of interest to the character which couldn't translate into the Marvel universe as it stood at the time and that series was able to isolate him out into his little adventures which were fairly isolated and got to be experimental. Also includes the Banner family backstory as well as a symbiotic alien parasite a short while before Spidey had his black suit stuff happen. It's a classic.

Thank you for asking and sincerely ignore everything and just read Immortal Hulk because it's the correct answer.

[codergalsblog]

Lm3 headcanons/I'm back!

Hey, I'm back after another while, lol.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone 🦃 or Christmas to those who celebrate early🎄

Anyway, I wanted to make a headcanon list of the boss ghost from Luigi's Mansion 3 since I'm currently hyperfixated on it again, lol. It's one of my favorite games, I especially love the ghosts too. I like to think that some of the boss ghosts can't really leave the hotel or choose to stay in the hotel due to rage, sorrow, obligation or just to chill(which is half-freed)

Freed soul = 🟡

Bound soul(by rage, sorrow, etc) = 🔵

Half freed = 🟢

These are my headcanons for them:

Steward: used to work at the hotel before it was taken over. Felt obligated to stay there 🔵

Chambrea: also worked there and also felt obligated 🔵

Kruller: Has nowhere else to really go after he died 🟡

Chef soufflé: Worked there and felt obligation too 🔵

Amadeus Wolfgeist: Out of rage for nobody taking him seriously as a pianist when he was alive. Decided to stay and terrorize any human who listens to him perform 🟢

King MacFrights: Out of vengeance for his fallen kingdom and the royal family 🔵

Dr. Potter: Stayed to take care of his plants. Just chilling 🟡

Morty: To make movies and express his ✨️art✨️ 🟡

Ug: Bound by the t-rex that ate him. Stays in the museum mostly 🔵

Clem: The janitor of the hotel. Felt obligated too, although can leave 🟢

Serpci: Just to chill. Doesn't hold any anger or grudge, died with honor but decided to stay and hang out 🟡

Nikki, Lindsey, and Ginney: Wanted to stay and show their magic to everyone in the hotel, trying to reach the fame they never could before they died 🟢

Captain Fishook: Isn't bound at all but chooses to stay and hang out with some of the minor ghosts his "crew". One of the more friendly ghosts as he died knowing he did what a captain should, but misses his past crew dearly. Can leave the hotel whenever he likes and floats around, feeling more free than ever before 🟡

Johnny Deepend: Only half bound by his sorrow. He died while playing water polo with his best friend as he accidentally got caught on some rocks. His friend was too late to save him and they both feel guilt. He just hopes his friend is ok and living his life 🟢

Phantasmagloria: Isn't bound but stays to chill and dance the afterlife away 🟡

Hellen gravely: Bound as she used to own the hotel + king boo, lol 🔵

Bonus:

Polterkitty + Polterpup: Were born and raised together accidentally but got separated. Polterpup was run over accidentally and Polterkitty died from falling ill 🟡(for both)

[amadeusgame]

Devlog: MAGWest Retrospective + Demo Update Soon

Read on itch | Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz

It's been a week since MAGWest, and this is meant to be an update both for people who attended and found this game (hi!) and people who have been following this game and are awaiting updates.

For those from MAGWest: the version of the game you saw at the booth isn't publicly available yet, but will be this month. More details below.

Devlog Contents

MAGWest Recap - how it went, feedback received, what that means for the game's upcoming release.

New Public Demo - coming this month. Will take the MAGWest build and add a couple more scenes so it (more or less) covers what the currently live demo does in terms of story.

Full Game - coming SOON. By end of year is the goal I'm really pushing for.

Full devlog below the cut.

All game links here: linktr.ee/amadeusgame

MAGWest Recap

Truthfully, MAGWest was exactly what I needed to get this first episode finished. It gave me a deadline to make a new public-ready build, it gave me a deadline to make a new trailer (which accidentally turned into an anime-ass opening, and I think that was the best possible decision I could have made for it), and it let me meet a lot of people who have the same priorities that I do face-to-face.

I started working on this game when I was studying music composition in grad school, wanting to write music for games (...before deciding to just make the whole thing myself). It feels only natural that I found so many like-minded people at a convention specifically celebrating video game music.

(forgive my terrible phone camera quality)

I have a very small audience, primarily because I've been stubborn about sticking to a particular vision and making something near-unmarketably niche. My goal is to make something a small handful of people will deeply connect with. But prioritizing such a small, specific audience has made it difficult to look at pure metrics, as the numbers are (obviously) not very large.

This convention gave me the opportunity to see those "numbers" in person, talk to the people behind them, and realize that every single Steam wishlist or Itch follow is someone who has in some way engaged with my game and found it appealing. I had fascinating conversations with a lot of people, and I really connected with folks who were excited about what I'm making. It was incredibly motivating.

One thing that really felt... amazing, honestly, in a way I was genuinely unprepared for... was the overwhelmingly positive reception. People really loved Amadeus! They had such nice things to say about the art, music, story, and atmosphere. I received a proportionately tiny amount of critical feedback; almost everyone had nothing to say except that they loved it. I obviously did receive some critique (more below; I know exactly what to prioritize when tweaking the mechanics for the public build) - but I was anticipating a much more mixed reaction. The reaction wasn't mixed at all! A clear majority of people who stopped by seemed to really like it.

One person finished the demo, and without any prompting, said it reminded them of a different VN called Umineko. I will probably be riding that high for the rest of my life.

The current online build I released back in February is something I'm very proud of, but it is pretty rough around the edges. This new build is SO much more polished. I was able to put it in front of an audience of strangers and let it speak for itself, and people loved it. The foundation for a complete game is ready.

To everybody who stopped by my booth at the convention: thank you so much!

As for the notes on what to fix, the following points will be addressed in the new build:

It's very unclear that after exhausting all 3 options, selecting one again will progress the story. This is the #1 thing to fix as it came up a lot from many different people.

There's one interactible where Amadeus often gets stuck trying to walk to it.

Instead of reducing opacity on the non-active speaker in the Witch negotiation scene, it would be less visually confusing to add a grey overlay.

Need to adjust keyboard controls for backlog tome so that they don't overshoot parts of text when scrolling back through a long backlog.

Will add an option for an "instant" text appearance speed.

New Public Demo

The new demo will effectively be the build I presented at MAGWest but with the above adjustments and a few more scenes. And it's coming this month, October 2024!

It will be comparable to the current online demo in length and content, but there have been so many narrative and mechanical changes that it should feel almost like a new game. Unlike the old demo, which was written when I was still undecided on certain plot points, this new demo will reflect that I now know exactly where I'm going with them. >:)

That said, the full game should be coming not too far after the demo update, so whether you feel it's a must-play or not is entirely up to you. Its most important role is to accurately represent what the full episode will be like so nobody feels like they have to pay money for a game they aren't sure they will enjoy.

(I may elect to use Steam's new feature where people can review demos, though, so if I do that... well. Feel free to leave a review!)

Brief overview of everything new coming in the updated demo:

Rich text & more fonts

Witch redesign

UI indicates what you are interacting with before you click

Background is highlighted along with cursor change when hovering over interactibles

Speaker name is no longer part of the spoken text itself and is displayed in its own box above

Text appearance can be paused mid-scroll for dramatic effect

Menus and settings now navigable with keyboard controls. Also fixed an issue where some text scroll settings weren't working properly across scenes

Backlog redesign

"Cycle through all interactibles" mechanic

Glossary mechanic (to encourage big brain theorizing)

Save + load from 3 save slots

Anime-ass opening cutscene

Narrative adjustments to reflect more thorough planning

...Fun little secret new mechanic :)

Full Game Release

Coming Soon (TM)!

I still can't be more specific than that because I don't want to keep announcing release dates and then pushing back. November is looking... painfully over-optimistic; but "by the end of the year" I think may be doable. I will have a much better idea of how long it will take to finish the complete game after I've released the new demo, because I'll have a better idea of how long it actually takes to implement all of my new mechanics in multiple scenes.

I can't give a release date, but I can give a status update:

Music - all tracks are written but a few need more TLC/development.

Sound - I could release with only the sound design assets I currently have, but boy, I'd love to add some more. As time allows.

Art - still need to draw a few more backgrounds and portraits.

Narrative - fully written, but most scenes post-demo need more revisions.

Mechanics - almost COMPLETELY DONE! The small number of tweaks listed from the MAGWest build need to be implemented, but otherwise it is feeling great. I can draw a hard line in the sand here and say "we are good, build it and ship it."

Build - this is what is going to take the most time, and is why I can't give an estimate until I have built the new demo and seen how long it takes. The new mechanics exist, as do most of the audiovisual assets, but I need to build the remaining scenes.

I learned from MAGWest that I am very bad at estimating how long playtime of my own game is, and it varies dramatically based on read speed and how much you enjoy clicking on things; but I would roughly estimate that the demo will be between 30-40 minutes of playtime, and the full game will be somewhere in the ballpark of 2 hours. This will be Episode 1 of 5, and I make no promises that the episodes won't explode in scope from one to the next. One thing at a time: I'd love to get this first episode to you all very soon. Thanks to MAGWest for being an important goalpost and momentum boost on the way there!

Look forward to a big update this month, and I'll continue to work hard on getting this game finished. Happy werewolf season!

[rev-wrath]

Popping by your asks bc I wanted to brainstorm about minor plotpoints and dynamics far far late into the fic- like post-Jason resurrection- (and bc I really like our back and forths). Bc currently, Battinson and R are still heavily dancing around each other + the Robins aren't there.

Jason goes all '???' when R surprise abducts him the first time (it's their form of love) and when he gets a hold of the situation, he's back where he was abducted from but with like containers of food. Jason doesn't know what to do. But after a while gives R like a schedule of which days he isn't available for being abducted. Also. To not abduct him via magical means because that caused way too many problems. (I hc that R's secret fav is Jason. Why? Cause he's my favourite.)

Battinson & R have 3 nests. One in R's mansion, one in the Tower, and one in the Batcave. The one in the Batcave didn't technically exist until Dick came into Battinson's life. But baby bird is an omega and he gives into his inner instincts more when he's tired. The nest in the cave only increases in size as more members join.

Gotham runs in R's blood, and as blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, the Bats have like a vague connection to the Eldritch city. Once in a while, everyone of the fam will all eerily look into the distance and up and leave, which freaks out a lot of the non-Gothamites. Next thing they know, there's yet another city ending disaster that the Bats resolved.

Completely separate point that's been running around in my mind is this: Sunday afternoons are free days. Whatever happens on Sunday afternoons are not talked about. Battinson often watches movies with Harley and Selina. R runs around Gotham with Johanna Constantine as they're being chased by a random demon.

Gotham loves her little vigilantes and if one of them comes back severely hurt from whatever out of city mission they went on... She will be fighting whatever city they got hurt in. These are her lil cakes. Her pride and joy for the next century or so. (She has beef with the spirit of Amadeus Arkham)

If I come up with anything at random times I’ll let you know!

Jason sometimes also chills in R’s mansion eventually. Technically for fic related reasons you could also say it’s because Jason is also Gotham born and raised, the first of the kids to be so and also he died. That kind of makes R a little protective of him.

Bats are cryptids continues! Because like, who is R’s successor? Is it Dick? Is it someone R’s blood related to, like a cousin?

Bruce is also forced to go outside on the occasional Sunday afternoon, even if it’s just on the terrace.

Do you think when Bruce came back with Jason’s corpse the city screamed?

[immoralimmortals]

A Song With Ten Names

Chapter 28: Misanthrapologist (4)

Chapter 1 ☆ Next chapter ☆ AO3 ☆ Featured song playlist

Summary of chapter: The intimacy of bare skin can have multiple meanings.

Author's Note:

You see the title! That means, say it with me: This chapter is going to be fucked up!

Warnings for unsafe knifeplay and unsafe sadomasochism, brief descriptions of a corpse. This is also the exact point where I begin to question how sexual I'm going to make this fic. Do not be surprised if I rescind my initial claim that it "isn't over sexual but will be erotic". I've never written fucking before but hey, always time for something new I suppose. Just don't have an expectation either way, I'm just vibing chapter by chapter. Either sorry in advance for what you're about to read, or you're welcome. Take your pick.

The song for this chapter is once again Misanthrapologist by Will Wood.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

So call me Amadeus

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Formaldehyde soaks dust motes in the air, powerful enough to wake her from sleep. She has to catch her breath, mouth agape and forehead sweaty from lustful, confusing dreams. She rubs her temple, staring at the ceiling as she tries to identify how she knows this scent. The days have been drifting in and out, so she asks herself first what time it is and takes cues. Deidara is motionless on the chair across her makeshift sickbed, an airy snore in his nose and throat, and the window behind him reveals the signs of a rising sun but not the star itself. Twilight. Moonlight and sunlight alike wash over her, gentle and assuring so as to beg her to stand, and with a curl of her brow, the sickly sweet scent of death lifts her out of bed.

Step. Step. Step.

The stranger feels her arms swing loosely from her joints, each footstep echoing back to her ears in this old house that listens and speaks back. She got comfortable to this place fast; she can tell, now that everything feels foreign once again.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

Uninterrupted, she goes up the stairs. Everyone must be asleep so as to let her do this. This is the first she’s been alone since she came “home," uninjured in body but battered near death in spirit. Faces of people she doesn’t recognize stare at her from oval-framed paintings across the staircase. Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts. They’re not literally her family but might as well be with what they have in common. Around the corner in singleminded need and curiosity the woman goes, avoiding Kisame and Itachi’s hall, going past Hidan and Kakuzu’s, and turning down the one where Deidara keeps his things and Sasori keeps his body. Like it’s just for her, the ladder to the attic is already down. The scent is so strong now that she can taste it. This is the place.

Climb. Climb. Climb.

This largest room in the building, the one that was once hers, welcomes her with its now sterile yet still dusty veneer, glum and empty where she can see, hinting to be full of things unknown where she can not. A short man has blood red hair as his chin tilts down to an autopsy table, either brought in with her unwitting due to her delirium or— perhaps more likely— brought into existence via scroll and smoke. She pays him no mind, not even asking for forgiveness, as she pulls herself onto the wood flooring and wanders to the pair of those dead in different ways. The patient is not here for her impromptu doctor.

Sasori watches in silence; she is blissfully unaware how, despite it all, fake eyes twitch in wooden sockets. His reaction is bothering him nearly as much as the feeling in the cylinder within his otherwise hollow chest. Underneath lantern light, he watches this stranger but does not stop her; it is her choice, after all, whether or not to view the body.

...

The puppet has spent so long looking at his next subject, so they stay locked upon his interruption. What? What does she want? If she's not here to say sorry for causing this mess, is this weak little waif just here to mock him? He gets his answer just as long as it takes for him to get uncomfortable.

“This is Hiniri,�� she says, and it’s the most she’s spoken in days. She can tell it’s them from the holes ripped into the corpse, wide enough to match the injuries Zetsu inflicted in her rescue. The cadaver is already drained of fluids, the preservation process of the scorpion’s underway, what innards left and visible now flaccid and gray. The person lays there, unclothed and under light of a captured flame and the barest hint of outside celestial bodies through a curtained window. Voice gone forever, face finally seen. Surely this is nothing like what the hoshi-nin was like under the mask, color now leaving so cold hues replace warm, but the woman named Takara swears anyway that they look just like her. One thing that doesn’t change so fast when you die is the color of your hair; the ninja who had her voice also has that in common with their cause of death. Softly, so softly, tired eyes hood even more. They match the way the body’s eyes are half open, too.

She has no idea what Hiniri is doing here, but part of her is not surprised. With that thought passing her mind, she finally remembers Sasori and explains out loud to him, if only so one other human being knows: “She saved me.” About to kill her, yes, but still bought her time and defended until it was no longer an option. “She wanted me to live.” An exchange of one for the other; is this how it was meant to end? The traveler will wonder if it was supposed to be her.

There’s an eager, begging, familiar sort of feeling in her chest, and like the smell of chemicals to preserve the flesh, it takes her a second to pin down. The lips of Hiniri’s body are ever so slightly parted, and like you may grieve at a loved one’s funeral, Takara behaves in kind. No one else will be here to mourn in the way this person deserves.

Sasori watches as the woman leans down to kiss the body, and something in his capsuled heart cracks open as she pulls away and leaves, silently as she came.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

But I still can't keep a straight face while I'm praying

But I could crack my kneecaps

Just to please you

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“You reek.”

It gives her chest a sharp, guilty pang as Hidan rolls his head and looks with tired eyes just to say so. He’s sitting right next to her; don’t suppose it can be helped he notices a lack of hygiene, but the way he wrinkles his nose and leans back doesn’t help, either. There’s something about being called disgusting that’s worse than being disliked in other ways. Still sleepwalking awake, she apologizes only with a downward tilt of the head, avoiding his scrutinizing gaze—

Snap.

As he’s done before to get her attention, he snaps his fingers to direct where she should look. What’s new, though, is how despite her gross state, it’s followed up as the reaper oh so gently holds underneath her chin and guides her stare. He looks at her up and down, evaluating something with a purse of his lips, raise of one brow, and a questioning hum in his throat. He says something, too, and for a moment she’s sure she’s still dreaming:

“You need help?”

…

The implication seeps into her and suddenly her heart knows how to race again. Does she need help? Bathing? Bathing. Oh dear lord. Her eyes keep on his lest she look down and remember what he looks like down there (if she was even seeing properly that night). A swallow…

Yes, a voice tells her, accept! When else will this happen?

But…

But.

That would be to lie. To take advantage of. To make him think that she needs help to take care of herself. So, then...answer that question. Do you need help to bathe, to subject him to that chore and humiliation? Surely he’s only offering because he has to. What a good friend, and so Hidan deserves her best. She knows the answer to this, and with evil’s regret, she shakes her head.

...But Hidan in turn only sees her hesitance, and it doesn’t sit well in his gut. He tilts his head and tries again: “...Do you want my help?”

Oh, that’s a different question entirely.

In disbelief, all blood running through veins like a racetrack, there's no choice but to reconsider. He doesn’t look lustful, not like how she feels. He looks...well, like his usual. Bored. This is mundane for him to offer, somehow. And then she draws the connection, his casualness of appearing nude before until pressured into shame. Unsure of if guilt should be in her heart after all...she nods. The woman does want it, so very badly.

That’s all he needs. Hidan picks her up, carries her to the bath room, and closes the door. Every sense is suddenly so loud and alive. With a sigh he runs the bathwater, each batter against the edges of the tub so distinct in waves that splash around. And then, her seated on a bench, Hidan raises from his knees and approaches, standing tall over she so small.

“Alright...come ‘ere.”

It’s hard to miss how tense she becomes. Reaching palms stop where they are, hovering above the straps of her dress upon tightening shoulders.

“What? What’s wrong?”

What’s wrong is that she has never experienced anything like this before. Recognizing something is up but not what, his hands back off and he waits. “...Can you say? Huh?”

She’s not sure she can. He exhales.

“If ya changed yer mind, I can just go. Just don't drown— ”

And against her mind, her body answers immediately. She grips his sleeve as he turns to leave. No. No way. Not when her fantasy is so close she can taste it. Hunger saturates her shaking stare.

“I’ve...never…” Her tongue doesn’t work. “I-I-I-...I’ve...never…” He grunts again in questioning prompt. The way he looks down at her so calmly, muscles so chiseled that peek behind his undone cloak, makes this even harder. “Been...n...n…”

The bathwater still runs, filling the quiet as puzzle pieces start finding where they fit in his brain.

…His eyes blink softly, finally getting it. “Ah. Okay. Keep forgetting everywhere else is so weird about this. It’s just a bath. Not like we're fucking or anything.” His tongue slips before it can be stopped. “Really though? Never been cunt out in front of someone else...?”

Did he really have to put it like that? She shakes her head, though not nearly as fast as she wants to. And then he says something even stranger:

“Well. That’s a shame.” And then continues like it’s nothing. “Listen...can I prove to you that it’s okay?”

And how...can she say no to that? She swallows, and though she nods, a whisper drifts and there's fear tainting her expression. “I’m sorry.”

And as lovingly as possible, he tells her: "Shut up."

Careful like she’s tissue paper, the dress is slipped off her shoulders, top pulling down first until fabric drifts to the floor. His hands are somehow both rough and soft, a hypocrisy much like him, and though she doesn't know what she feels there is still so very much of it as he lifts her vulnerable form up. The room is colder, but not for long. The sound of water fills her ears. She feels the sponge on her skin, sees his scars on his arms that reach over her, into the bath, and can compare them to hers. She has many where no one could see until now. He looks at her the entire time, those piercing violet eyes, but unlike himself, he says little. It’s a ritual of sorts, perhaps, a strange one to him though he can grasp its importance to her. There is, indeed, something intimate about caring for someone at their lowest. He combs her hair with just his hands and she has nothing at all to compare it to; it is simply an experience entirely new. It melds so oddly with her wondering about what’s under her own skin, the fact that she’s a couple gaping holes away from being the corpse that looks like just her. If she’s undead, is she so pale inside, too, or is she still as alive and vibrant as she feels?

The hands that caress her remind of a past promise.

Hidan really does think it’s a shame no one has seen her in this state before. Purity isn’t real, but a lack of appreciation is, and she already has too much to feel bad about. But it's over now, so soon. In reverse of before, he lifts her up, sets her on the bench. As is only fair, his shoulders become bare and black and red is pressed upon her, his cloak in leau of a towel to dry her off. It smells like Hidan, like death and wet metal and something so alluringly musky; if she's lucky, maybe it'll cling to her so there's a momento of this, however how brief it lasts. She stares at him with wide eyes and wonders what is underneath his skin, too.

Little does he know, she’s about to ask.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Oh, oh, oh, I like you, don't you see?

I just like you a little more than me

I, I like you, don't you see?

Oh, hey, I just like you a little more than me

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Side by side again, same place as before but with so much more between them. An arm loops behind her head, onto the back of the couch, and Hidan holds the pendant to his face with his free hand as he worships in silence for them both. There's only one thing allowed to break it, and it does so in that voice he misses so much:

“You said you want me to do anything to you...that I want to do to me?”

...The longest sentence since she’s come back home. That isn’t lost upon the devout Jashinist. He takes it as seriously a prayer, cracking open one eye to look squarely at her from its corner.

“Yeah.”

It’s all on her face; she can’t say it with her mouth. Quivering fingers grasp around those casing silver, not asking him to let go of the necklace but to share it with her, and big, scared eyes beg him to help once again, another way, to either tell her it’s the right thing to do or not. But she already knows his answer. No one else would smile so sweetly about it. Nectar on his lips drips the certain reply:

“I know just the place, angel.”

Into his bedroom, and the door closes again, not for his sake but hers. As he was prepared to the very first time, when she merely cut his hand, it is his turn to undress entirely and be at her delicate mercy. She doesn’t stop him; she’s too frozen to, is her excuse. He takes his time, knowing his master is watching with a good guess why.

“I’ve never..." it comes in confirmation; modesty be damned, tantalizing curiosity can't be stopped. "...Seen someone else naked before,” she admits, omitting ‘in person.’ The silver haired demon cocks his head, one hand on bare hip as a leg kicks away pants.

“Well...how is it?”

She has no idea what to say to that, so after she tilts her head down once again to avoid Hidan’s gaze, but just as before, he pulls the chin back to look at him. He’s somehow both so coy and so innocent about this. The woman is melting in all the wrong and right ways. The Jashinist doesn't need to say this to clinch the deal, but he does for their satisfaction and ecstasy:

“I’m all yours.”

Good on his word, the man lays back down on the symbol of his god and now hers, though truth be told, she’s not thinking of Jashin at all. Every time she talked to Hidan about his religion, her mind was never there. It was always about Hidan. Always about him. He waits so obediently as she leans above him, tender flesh ready to take her suffering and carve it into prayer. She can only abide; that is her excuse for this.

He grits his teeth and smile cracks wide just as a woman with scared, dull eyes cuts him open. He exhales, a laugh in the back of his mouth, and she wonders if what she did when alive really was enough to put her in such a place as this, to give a man pleasure not with herself but with her own pain and morbid, alienating curiosity. Is that heaven or hell? Red. Red. Red. It dribbles past the subtle curves of his pectorals and onto the silver around his neck, just as it should.

He’s beautiful, and she wishes it could be different, but at least she’s good for something. She has no idea he’s thinking something much the same.

The rest is a blur until the knife drops from her shaking hand.

She tends to his wounds and redresses him slowly, one garment at a time, as it is the least she can do, tears welling in her eyes but lips with nothing to cry about, and Hidan wonders if maybe this is what it’s like to be nude for the first time for someone outside of a land where hot springs are abound, a flush in his cheeks as he pretends her kindness does not matter. The woman can cut him up and sew him back together as many times as she’d like, if only to get her to touch him again, so loving and mindful and meek. Something about that feels so much more sinful than mere bloodshed for a death god. Tender is our flesh; be careful as you worship it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Oh, oh, oh yeah

Oh yeah

Oh yeah

Oh no

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Scripting: Farewell from Home

Dimension MP-2021, after the events of Sonic 3K

Sonic and Tails came to a stop together after they saved Angel Island from harm.

Sonic: Phew! Another of Eggy's schemes foiled once more! Heh, gotta say, you kept up pretty well there, little bud. I knew you had it in you!

Tails: Hehe! Thanks, Sonic! Though, I should really be getting back home now. My parents must be worried for me.

On cue, they both showed up on the beach.

Rosemary Prower: Hello! Hi.

Tails: And speaking of...

Rosemary: You must be Sonic the Hedgehog, right? I'm Miles's mum.

Sonic: Ah, Rosemary, right? I heard about you from your daughter.

Rosemary: Oh, we're using first names? Okay!

She handed Sonic back his coat.

Rosemary: This is a nice coat. We found it in Miles's room this morning. So, I guess you must've been there?

Sonic: And you must be Amadeus?

Amadeus: Heh, he called me Amadeus. You must mean Special Forces Team leader Prower! Soon to be Commander Prower of the Royal Army.

Sonic: Hey! Pretty cool!

Tails: As it happens, me and Sonic grew into close friends ever since he saved me from some bullies.

Sonic: Of course! Me and her were just catching up.

Rosemary: Aww, please don't take her from me!

Tails (embarrassed): Mum!

Rosemary: Heh, I'm just kidding. She was grounded before, so you can't do that. Don't shatter her trust, alright?

Sonic: You got it. Well, the wind's calling me! I better dash off! See ya later, Tails!

Tails: Bye, Sonic!

He raced off. Rosemary looked to Amadeus - "give me a minute with him" - and he quickly got the message.

Amadeus: Alright. See you back home!

He left, leaving Tails and Rosemary alone with each other on the beach.

Tails: ...I can hear you being quiet, mum.

Rosemary: Oh, sorry. I really hope I didn't make things more embarrassing for you there. It's just hard to see my little lady not be my little girl all the time.

Tails: I... I'm sorry about earlier, mum. I've just been questioning my current identity recently, and I really wanted to see the world with Sonic.

She nodded, understanding what her daughter (soon to be son) wanted.

Rosemary: Go.

Tails: Huh?

Rosemary: Sonic does seem like a nice guy to hang around with.

Tails: Is this a trick?

Rosemary: Of course it isn't.

She helped straighten her clothes.

Rosemary: For years, I've been taking care of this little girl, right? Making sure she's loved, that she feels like she belongs wherever she wants to be. She wants to become a trans boy, go out into the world and do great big things. And what I worry about most is... not everyone will look out for you like us. They may not root for you like us.

She looked into her daughter's eyes with worry.

Rosemary: So, here's the deal; wherever you go from here, you have to promise to take care of that little girl in your heart for me. Make sure she never forgets where she came from. And... that she never doubts she is loved. And she never lets anyone at those big fancy places she's gonna be in tell her that she doesn't belong there. And when she finally comes home, and I really hope she finds the time to, it's gonna be early in the morning with a nice normal cake.

Tails: Heh, okay, mum. I promise.

Rosemary: Just... don't get lost out there. We cool?

Tails: Alright.

She kissed Tails's cheek, this gesture having a bit more meaning tonight, gently trimming her eyelashes to give her that extra boost to transition.

Rosemary: Now go on, sweetheart. Go and chase your dreams.

Tails smiled, getting ready to leave.

Rosemary: And if you do come back, just know that you're still grounded.

Tails: Heh, okay, I understand. Well, see you later, mum.

She gave Rosemary one last hug before she headed off, and she watched her only child head off into the horizon, knowing she was growing up very fast.

Back in the present day (pre-Many More Heroes), OMT!Tails looked at a picture of his family, feeling sad that he never got to reunite with them before OMT's strike.

OMT!Tails: *sigh* I miss you, guys.

Nitro and Max, who were next to him, gave him a gentle backrub of reassurance.

Nitro: It's okay, Tails. I can relate there. I'm sure they'd still be proud of how far you've come from then.

Max: Yeah. I miss my old family just as much as you do, Tails, though no matter where they are, they'll always love us.

OMT!Tails (smiling softly): Heh, yeah.

Nitro: Wanna go get a cheeseburger, guys?

OMT!Tails: Sure!

Max: Sure thing!

They headed out.

[pepimeinrad]

OFMD Soundtrack Concert

I spent a huge part of my last week looking at the OFMD soundtrack in detail and love the music used in both seasons (OST, post 1920s-songs (Miles From Nowhere is my absolute favourite) and "classical" pieces (mainly for orchestra and/or piano)). It's been a bit of an obsession actually, and I can't stop imagining a big concert of all of my favourite "classical" (and baroque etc, I know) pieces... if only I had an orchestra and venue at my disposal... the 22 tracks (20 really) add up to about 100 minutes. The list of things I'd have them play under the cut:

A Pirate's Life (Mark Mothersbaugh) Yeah, alright, I won't have Joel Fry there to sing it and it isn't a classical piece. But I would want the concert to start like the show, with this. A bit of a gimmick, someone with a guitar just doing this small bit to get everyone in a pirate mood. The last thing all the way down will also be from the OST, more on that when I get to it.

2. Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba in A Minor, TWV 52:A1: I. Grave (Georg Philip Telemann) This is the one piece that always gets me nostalgic for season 1. This is early Stede and his early crew, I always have his voice in my head while listening to this. One of THE OFMD pieces for me, also because it's reused in episodes 1x07 and 2x05.

3. Symphony No. 34 in C, K.338 - 2. Andante di molto (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) This one is used once in 1x02 and twice in 1x03 - I was debating if I should include it since it's so long and only a small part of it is actually heard in the show. I've added it because I really like it and do find it iconic in those scenes - Stede finding his brand! (and because I feel it fits with the flow of the concert)

4. Sonata No. 2 in A major Op. 2 No. 2, - III. Scherzo - Allegretto (Ludwig van Beethoven) On to episode 1x04 where we get to hear quite a bit of this one over Stede and Mary having to get married. Another very nice piece that always transports me straight into that episode. Overall the soundtrack mixes orchestra- and piano-pieces quite colourfully, which would be reflected in my concert too (would need a very able pianist for it!).

5. Sonata in E Major, Kk. 380 (Domenico Scarlatti) They've gotten rid of the Spanish! I love the whole lighthouse sequence a lot (Wee John makes me laugh every last time) and the crew's joy is transported very well in this piece. Another one where the quotient "bit played on the show/length of the piece" is not that big, but another one that I just really like and find fitting to include.

6. Concerto in A Major, BWV 1055: III. Allegro ma non tanto (Johann Sebastian Bach) Welcome on the fancy ship of not so fancy people... episode 1x05 is one of my very favourites and that whole environment of the french ship is very well represented in this piece I think. There are loads more pieces in the episode that I haven't been able to identify, but I think this one here is the most striking anyway.

7. Gnossienne No. 5 (Erik Satie) Yes, I'm putting this here. There are more than half a dozen other points in the show where this lovely tune is heard, but I want to place it at the 'you wear fine things well' part. To calm down after the fast paced party from before. To make everyone think of that moon that's way too big. And this is the spot where the piano-version of this is heard for the first time anyway.

8. Concerto for 2 Cellos in G Minor, RV 531: I. Allegro (Antonio Vivaldi) Bit of a jump from 1x05 to 1x09, but the episodes inbetween had little material for a concert like this (where there'd be no one to sing Mozart's "Voi, che sapete", that's also why Verdi's "Dies Irae" isn't there either). I love the crew and their various excuses - and find this to be a fun piece that needs to be there. One thing that I've read several times that irks me: I'm still searching for the piece that's playing in 1x03 where Stede almost dies and Blackbeard attacks the Spanish. People say it's this one here, but I've listened to it so often and am SO sure that that's not it. Don't know what is, though.

9. Arabesque, No. 1 in E Major (Claude Debussy) Mary living her best life! I love that we got to see that and love her and her fellow widows a lot. I'm not quite happy with having two Debussy's back to back, but like this piece and like thinking of Mary too much to leave it out.

10. Rêverie, L. 68 - Rêverie (Claude Debussy) I'm a sucker for 'oh shit, I love them!'-flashback-montages and the one set to this piece is a beauty! Another bit that I've watched so often that I see it all in my mind while listening to this. The part where the show jumps to Ed and his flashback to 'you wear fine things well' (like 2:04) always kills me.

11. The Four Seasons - Summer in G Minor, RV. 315: I. Allegro non molto – Allegro (Antonio Vivaldi) We say goodbye to season 1 with another Vivaldi, one that took ages for me to recognize in the show. I knew it was supposed to be there while Stede starts his Fuckery and Kraken!Ed abandons the crew, but for a very long time was sure that that wasn't really it (and a bit of doubt remains). Well, the slow parts are definitely in the show, just to my ear the fast parts sound different. Anyway, it also shows up in 2x06 and needs to be in my concert.

After this we'd have the intermission - and part two will be in a reblog because I've run out of links in this post.

[ebodsims]

The Arrival of the Wedding Guests

16 September 2023 - 10:00

Luke SNN: "Good morning, everyone. It's a beautiful sunny morning here in London, and we've got some exciting news to share today."

Isabel SNN: "That's right, Luke. The city is all abuzz with the arrival of wedding guests for the much-anticipated royal wedding. It's been quite the spectacle so far."

Luke SNN: "Absolutely, Isabel. The sun is shining, and the city is adorned with colorful banners and flowers, all in celebration of the union between Princess Marie and Amadeus."

Isabel SNN: "Guests from far and wide have been arriving since dawn, and they are certainly turning heads with their elegant attire and stylish hats."

Luke SNN: "Indeed, Isabel. The whole city is embracing the joyous occasion. We've even heard reports of local vendors selling special wedding-themed treats on the streets.

Isabel SNN: "Now let's go over to Nickie who is there for us at St. George's Chapel. Good Morning Nickie."

Nickie SNN: "Good Morning everyone. It's heartwarming to see the city come together like this."

Isabel SNN: "Speaking of guests, Nickie, have there been any notable arrivals?"

Nickie SNN: "Oh, absolutely, Isabel. We've spotted diplomats, dignitaries, and celebrities from various countries. And let's not forget the well-wishers who have lined the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the royals and the guests."

Nickie SNN: "And now, as the clock ticks closer to the ceremony, the esteemed guests are starting to make their way inside the grand venue."

Luke SNN: "Yes, Nickie. The anticipation is building as everyone finds their seats amidst the elegant décor and beautiful floral arrangements."

Isabel SNN: "The venue is truly a sight to behold, a blend of tradition and modernity. The guests are greeted by a stunning display of opulent chandeliers, fresh flowers, and an overall sense of regal charm."

Luke SNN: "And the chatter inside is lively, with guests sharing their excitement and well-wishes for the couple."

Nickie SNN: "Indeed. It's a gathering of influential individuals, diplomats, and close friends, all here to witness the union of two hearts."

Isabel SNN: "And let's not forget the exquisite fashion on display. The guests have gone all out in their sartorial choices, from the vibrant dresses to the impeccably tailored suits."

Luke SNN: "Absolutely. Fashion is certainly a highlight of any royal event, and today is no exception. The elegance and style in this room are simply breathtaking."

Nickie SNN: "It's like a fairy tale come to life, isn't it?"

Isabel SNN: "It certainly is, James. And as we all await the wedding ceremony, the excitement is palpable in the air."

Luke SNN: "Well, we'll be covering every moment of this historic event, so stay tuned for all the updates on the royal wedding of Princess Marie and Amadeus.

Isabel SNN: "Yes, indeed, Lucy. It's a beautiful day, and we're honored to share it with our viewers. Stay with us as we continue to bring you live coverage of this momentous occasion."

[all-will-be--well]

The Maybe Man

ok no one asked, but here is my AJR album review, song by song:

🌀 Maybe Man: I love this. I have a special place in my heart for all their album openers, they always give me chills. I can't wait to see them open with this live, especially when it goes so hard at the end! I've danced to this a lot already. Also learning that each verse references one song on the album! like a table of contents! I love them so much.

💔  Touchy Feely Fool: Very cute, and fun to sing along with. Probably like a solid 7 or 8 out of 10. Great to listen to, and has grown on me after listening to that Zach Sang interview and learning a little backstory

👍  Yes I'm A Mess: One of my faves from the album. I feel like such a badass walking around listening to this. Wish I could whistle!! The only thing i can't stand is the very end. I don't mind the tempo change but I don't like the slo mo voices that sound like a toy running out of batteries

🤓 The Dumb Song: More mid-tier for me. Got a great swing to it, and the instrumental breaks are really fun to dance to like a total idiot. I like to try out the lamest dance moves and just really commit to it. Lyric-wise, it's cute but reminds me of male weaponized incompetence (I know this isn't the intention, just what i think about), so it makes me feel a little weird if I think about it too much. Can't wait to hear a whole crowd scream "You should nooooot have done that!"

▶️ Inertia: Currently, this is my FAVORITE song on the album. It's fun, it's meaningful, it's got a great beat, and there are sounds that bring me back to past albums so it feels almost nostalgic. They used the instrumentals a lot in their promos for this album, and I can see why. It's both angelic with the choir sounds, and dark with the reverb/bass sounds. So good.

🧍‍♂️ Turning Out Pt iii : Always appreciate the Turning Out songs. Personally, the original is still my favorite. But even that one took me listening to it a dozen times before it really HIT, and then i was crying in the car. So maybe the same will happen with this one someday! Also if i'm not mistaken it's Ryan on vocals? So that's fun to have a change (though honestly he and Jack sound so similar)

🧠  Hole in the Bottom of My Brain: Gosh, so fun! Has that kind of nursery rhyme theme where it builds on itself (swallowed the spider to catch the fly, etc). However, unlike a nursery rhyme, the lyrics are kinda complicated to it's hard to sing along to. I'm sure people will be singing along by the time they're performing it live, like everyone memorizing the rambling line from Karma.

💿 The DJ is Crying for Help: I want to like this one more than I do. Don't get me wrong, I do like it! I think I just find it a little auditorily overwhelming. Like the string arpeggios are awesome, but I can't listen to that and the back up vocals and other sound effects at the same time. idk. To quote my favorite movie, Amadeus: "There are simply too many notes"

🙅🏻‍♂️ I Won't: This one has been out for a while so I feel like I've listened to it a lot already. Definitely makes me swagger walking around my apartment like I'm a total badass. Doesn't get my blood rushing like some of the others, but again that might just be because I've heard it a lot already.

🎡Steve's Going to London: Took me a few play-throughs to actually realize it wasn't just a nothing song! I appreciate them kinda breaking the 4th wall in a very AJR way. This song has grown on me with each listen! Very fun to sing and dance to, and has a great beat. My prediction is that this song will have a lot of special effects when they perform it live. We'll see...

💜 God is Really Real: RIP Gary ❤️ I love that their dad became a beloved part of the fandom. Very touching that they released this song early when it became clear they didn't have much longer with their dad. Beautiful, meaningful addition to the album.

🍂 2085: Perfectly packages up the album! The lyrics say that the old-timey voice says "You are not alone, young child, young child" which is NOT what it sounds like?? So hopefully that gets cleared up. I've seen some claiming it's a Yanny/Laurel situation, and tbh i wouldn't put it past the boys to find a way to do that on purpose. (I hear "You are my heart grown, just know, just know" which i know doesn't really make sense, but it's sweet to me) But the lyrics at the end "You've gotta get better, you're all that I got" give me chills. And then switching to "I gotta get better, I'm all that I got" 😭 . Also loves that it connects so perfectly back to Maybe Man so I can just listen to the album on repeat without interruption

 THE END

[ingravinoveritas]

u know michael has spoken out against people bashing/speculating about his relationship and anna multiple times right? even blocking some “fans” for doing so

Hello, Anon. I'm guessing this is in response to this Anon, which I answered recently.

I'd first like to clarify one point, which is that I don't consider what I wrote to be "bashing" Michael's relationship. I've noticed that people seem to characterize any commentary that isn't enthusiastic, over-the-top praise as "bashing," which in turn leaves no room for nuanced conversation, which is what I was trying to do with that post, by responding to a question that I felt I could answer.

Second, there are only two instances I am aware of involving Michael speaking out about or blocking people for talking about his relationship with AL. One occurred four years ago and sounds as if he was under tremendous pressure/had no other choice. The other took place three years ago, and what I think often gets overlooked is that this was during lockdown, when Michael was already not in the best frame of mind. It was a time I seem to keep seeing folks on Twitter refer to as "feral Michael" (such as the incident where he had an interaction with a fan over the bees in his house), but that I think is more accurately described as "unhinged."

The distinction between the two is that "feral Michael" is the Michael who was on the GO press tour making cheeky comments about Aziraphale and Crowley and brazenly flirting with David and basically being the world's biggest Ineffable Husbands shipper. "Unhinged" Michael was the side of him we saw during the pandemic, and the very difficult time we were all having. He was clearly, visibly depressed and struggling (it was especially noticeable during the second season of Staged), and it was frustrating to see everyone ignore that, and seemingly still ignoring it three years later.

That being said, aside from the above mentioned incidents, I'm having a difficult time recalling Michael ever speaking about his relationship with Anna, let alone defending it. He's talked about her during paid interviews, where the interviewer prompts him to do so (such as in the PR pieces that were published in the Australian media ahead of him appearing in Amadeus a few months ago, and this interview promoting LTTC at the end of 2021), but he has not and does not bring her up unprompted. (Again, in sharp contrast to how he constantly brings up David in multiple interviews without the interviewer even saying a word.)

There were also multiple opportunities for Michael to talk about AL publicly on social media over the past few years, and yet he's seemingly chosen not to do that. He didn't promote LTTC with her (and in fact if you look at their tweets promoting the film side-by-side, there is a stark difference). He didn't mention her or their appearance together in that one episode of Sandman, and he didn't at all promote Staged 3, which was released with almost no advanced notice in November of last year and has barely been talked about since.

I have to admit something, Anon: I am disappointed. You could have come in here and said you disagreed with me, and that would've been absolutely fine. I'm always open to hearing other opinions and people who don't agree with me, and we could have had a discussion and shared opinions in a constructive way. But when you come in here without any receipts and make comments that sound a lot like barely veiled threats, I know that your aim is to intimidate and shut me down, because you want me to stop talking.

I believe that Michael is welcome to cultivate his online space, and so are we all. My intention is to keep a respectful dialogue going because I don't believe shutting people down is the answer. I'd love for you to be a part of that, Anon...but if you don't happen to like what I am writing, it costs nothing at all just to block me and move on.

[starsapphire]

3, 10, 12, 22 for the violence asks

answered 3 at the bottom

10. worst part of fanon

i couldn't decide so i went into the dc tag to see what horrors may lurk within and then had to go do something else for an hour to recover. anyway i think maybe... there's this tendency in fanon to make all of the bats nice. nice to each other, nice to their teammates, nice to strangers. and they're not nice people. i don't mean that they're (all) bad people or needlessly cruel and unkind. i mean they're not nice people. they're rude and they're assholes and they hurt each other and they hurt their friends and they insult people. to make #batfam content work they need to be sweet and pleasant to one another and not hate each other and frankly that's not how it is. wayne family adventures only works because they're nice to each other! the real, canon batfamily (as in wayne family not necessarily the entire group of allies) is a bunch of people who are technically family but it's held together by spite and pipecleaners. in actual canon, dick and bruce fight all the time, and bruce says hurtful things, and jason is a mass murderer before he's ever even like, despised coworkers with any of his siblings. tim is not a sweetie who rolls over and shows his belly when bruce gives orders. dick is not a doting big brother "mama bird". babs loves bruce but she very much does not give a shit what he thinks, and he is NOT her father. they are not a nice, perfectly-balanced nuclear family. they are a bunch of horrible people with mental issues. what the fuck is a little wing i'm going to kill you

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

AMADEUS CHO. and i'm not talking champions-era totally awesome hulk amadeus cho. i'm talking incredible hercules era. off the fucking shits. calling people cunts. including government officials. taking occupied helicarriers out of the sky. destroying government property. doing it all on a modified gameboy. his weird toxic relationship with a gorgon. taking over a multibillion dollar conglomerate from the gods themselves. his best friend being a 3000 year old himbo. the coyote pup plotline. breaking into banner's lab multiple times. going to hell because he might as well. him being a cunt to total strangers. he's such an asshole you don't understand how much i adore him 😭😭 mark waid's champions amadeus was a rare flop unfortunately

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

all of it timsteph... they're so fun i love them so much... i know steph gets in the way of shipping tim with boys and interfering with yaoi is unforgivable or whatever but their relationship is such a huge part of who both of them are as characters. like they're so... sorry i don't have coherent language skills ever but they're like. you know. they. tim took steph to birthing classes. he held her baby. steph saved his life. they do crosswords together. did u know that. and don't get me wrong! their relationship had a lot of bad parts. i honestly don't think they were right for one another romantically, especially at the time. they both had a lot of growing up to do. but they love one another in a way that's beyond platonic or romantic. they need each other. steph is silly where tim is too serious and she's serious where tim isn't. they balance one another out in the best way

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you’ve seen on tumblr

these are from the same post. i promise you someone the extent of whose interaction with batman and robin is the phrase "batman and robin" is not shipping br*dick. they don't know what that means. like, either of those words. i'm pretty sure if you told literally any normal person that robin is actually batman's son, they would be disturbed. and i promise you that your incest yaoi has bever been "vanilla" and "completely unproblematic". go outside

[mermaidsirennikita]

Thoughts on the oscar noms? (…and the current drama surrounding it)

Honestly, I need people to realize that Barbie was a cute movie that was ultimately meant to sell Barbie dolls. It had a great set design, really cool visuals and costumes, some fun jokes, and a very good performance from Ryan Gosling. I think Greta being snubbed is weird because the movie was very CLEARLY. DIRECTED. But then again, Wes Anderson does that a lot to mixed results with the Academy, so. A very clear and strong eye does not always please them. If we're gonna talk about women (because apparently the Oscars allow only one lady director) who directed films very smartly, I would say that Celine Song is a better choice. Past Lives was such a good movie, and I think her direction really helped communicate a story in which a lot was left unsaid, pairing well with the actors.

And I'll be real... I need people to get that the movie was always more about Ken. Ken had the best script. Ken had the best arc. Is that right, for a Barbie movie? I don't know, dude. But I frankly don't blame the Academy for nominating Ryan and not Margot, because Margot had nothing great to do and she didn't elevate the material. She was good, she was charming. Ryan was performing a lot more. I like America btw, but I don't get that nom lol.

Also, stop complaining about I'm Just Ken, it was great, let us have fun song nominees.

Best Picture: I don't know why Barbie is there, the Oppenheimer sweep has been boring and though I liked the movie, as a film it was absolutely nothing without Cillian and to me that does not a Best Picture make, Killers of the Flower Moon or American Fiction should win but won't, Maestro is a joke, Past Lives deserves but also deserves more noms, haven't seen Poor Things, Anatomy of a Fall, or Zone of Interest (though at least filmtwt can stop complaining about it not being well-marketed for the Academy) yet. I liked The Holdovers, but that was before I found out the director is uhhhhh a very very bad man.

Best Actor: Leo was snubbed and I do think him campaigning for Lily so hard had something to do with it but that was legit one of his most interesting, un-Leo performances; Bradley is a joke; happy for Colman but haven't seen Rustin yet; Cillian should win and I think he will but Paul G could dark horse it--I don't think his performance was Oscar-worthy but he was good and he's been picking up his fair share of awards; Jeffrey Wright was amazing in American Fiction and if anyone should dark horse it it's him. I'd still give it to Cillian. If this was up to me, I'd toss out Bradley and throw in Teo Yoo, who was so so good in Past Lives. But the Academy is sending a HARD backlash message to Asian creatives after the EEAAO sweep, imo.

Best Actress: As I said, I don't care that Margot wasn't nominated and I don't think she should've been, and imo her best performance was easily I, Tonya; I haven't seen Nyad so no comment on Annette, same with Sandra for Anatomy, and I think Carey had moments in Maestro but she overall was not one of those "standouts in a horrible movie" actors; Lily should win and absolutely killed her performance and dominated her movie, but I am worried that Emma could take it. I'd toss out Carey for Greta Lee.

Best Supporting Actor: Everyone needs to stop saying Sterling snuck in because he was deeply moving in American Fiction and is lowkey highkey one of the best actors working right now; RDJ basically just did Leslie Odom Jr. in Hamilton and F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus but with his RDJ cadence of speaking he can't drop to save his life, but he's taking this for a career Oscar; I hate that Charles isn't there, but if it wasn't him I'd give it to Sterling or De Niro, who gave one of my favorite performances in his career and was SO disgusting and menacing in Killers. Haven't seen Ruffalo, so if it was up to me depending on his performance I'd toss out RDJ for Charles Melton and possibly shuffle some other people around.

Best Supporting Actress: Lol Emily was horrible in Oppenheimer and I'll die on that hill, generally liking her as an actress; Da'Vine will win this and she was amazing in The Holdovers but the director really sours it for me; happy for Danielle, haven't seen TCP; America shouldn't be there but whatever; I literally though Nyad was about a mythological creature until I Googled last night and found out it was about a swimmer.

Best Director: This is going to go to Christopher Nolan for one of his better movies but not his best because that is FAR. AND AWAY. THE PRESTIGE. Should go to Scorsese, his direction for Killers is why (to me) that movie still felt like it was moving at a clip despite the length.

[dinoswordsb]

hehehe kicking feet. i have some sdv farmers their names are Salutations Andrews (Go Along Now Homestead), Reginald "Redge" Valle Suarez (Bee N' Oak Ranch), and Denver Pascal. i didn't get very far with him. but. hehe. :3c kicking feet. hbu :3c

Twirling phone cord around my finger I would like to see these guys and Know them 😁

I only have 2 and it's funny bc neither of them are really farmers but we have fun here I have Wren who I made in a game w/ @snapplewapple and they are the estranged child of a couple of joja ceos 😏 their whole deal is they were cursed before they were born a la beauty and the beast bc their parents pissed off a witch so when they get intense emotions they go Beast Mode

They run away from their parents with Clementine(Mikaela's farmer) in their story but they are free to gallivant about with other farmers if I want them to JXJEJF They don't know anything about anything bc they were sheltered and neglected they're truly trying their best also their bachelor is sebastian

And then there is Amadeus ^_^ he is even less of a farmer he's just a stuck up priss of a witch who travels and causes mischief and hexes and curses people whenever he doesn't get his way bc he is childish. He gets stuck in pelican bc he causes umm...a bit of a ruckus(read: blows a fucking hole in the saloon) and Rasmodius strips him of his witch powers until he can learn to be niceys. In the meantime he is trapped on the farm to pay his debt off and also everyone hates him and the farmer(sometimes Clementine sometimes another friends' character) is the only one who can stand to put up with him

In the meantime he tries to take up potion making and astromancy since that magic isn't totally reliant on the user to rub it in rasmodius' face that he will NOT. HAS NOT. NEVER WILL win(he has. Deus sucks)

He gets no spouse bc hes a bitch